Subscriber content preview

SEATTLE  A warehouse at 2520 Airport Way S. has sold for $6 million, according to King County records. The seller was TNN LLC, which under a different name acquired the property in 2017 for $5 million.

Both the buyer and the seller are associated with the owner of Seattle Honda and Toyota SoDo, which are based nearby. Public records indicate a $4.8 million loan from Toyota Financial Savings Bank.





. . .
The more the evidence is scrutinised, the more compelling is the case against Ian Macdonald, Eddie Obeid and Moses Obeid, submitted the Crown prosecutor in the trios long-running criminal trial in the NSW Supreme Court.

It has been a year since the commencement of the case against former mining ministers Ian Macdonald, 71, and Eddie Obeid, 77, along with Obeids son Moses, 51. They have pleaded not guilty.

Former NSW minister Ian Macdonald (right) arriving at court with his barrister Jonathan Martin. Credit:Kate Geraghty

In her closing submissions, prosecutor Sophie Callan, SC, said there was an overwhelming circumstantial case that should satisfy Justice Elizabeth Fullerton beyond reasonable doubt that the three men were involved in a conspiracy.

Macdonald committed eight acts of misconduct in public office through his actions in establishing and granting an exploration licence over the Obeids family property near Mount Penny in the Bylong Valley. The conspiracy delivered a massive financial windfall to the Obeids, Ms Callan said.
Experts say Queensland should not count on hordes of tourists from southern states rushing north now the border with NSW has reopened, with pandemic uncertainty still causing concern for travellers.

Ahead of restrictions for travellers from greater Sydney being lifted on Monday, Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the government welcomed travellers from other states and encouraged them to spend time in Queensland during Easter.

Experts say Queensland cant expect pre-pandemic levels of tourists over Easter, with travellers changing their behaviour because of constant lockdowns. Credit:Photo: Dan Peled

Mr Hinchliffe pointed to the revenue from interstate visitors to Queensland in 2019, estimated to be about $735 million, with $350 million from NSW travellers, as a target for this years tourist season.

But experts said the state was unlikely to see revenues at that level for years, as tourists sought less risky forms of travel.
The singularly most important treatment for patients with severe COVID-19 is medicinal oxygen. However, this life-saving treatment is not ubiquitous as it has tragically been shown. Recent reports that oxygen supplies were exhausted in Manaus, Brazil, and Egypt, while patients suffocated in their pulmonary fluid, shocked the world that a lack of oxygen so plentiful in the world could be in short supply.

Patients with severe or critical COVID-19 cannot get enough oxygen into their bloodstream by simply breathing in room air. They need a higher concentration of oxygen and support to get it into their lungs to survive. But these particular types of equipment and supplies are lacking in much of the developed world. The oxygen demand is so high in COVID-19 patients that even the United States, the wealthiest nation on the planet, took stock of the oxygen crisis that put Los Angeles hospitals in extremis in the first week of January when hospitals were overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases.

The first month of the new year was horrifically brutal. There were 18.75 million new cases of COVID-19 and over 400,000 further deaths worldwide. The most recent global tally stands at 103.3 million cases of COVID-19 and 2.23 million deaths.

Ventilator tubes attached to a COVID-19 patient at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in the Mission Hills section of Los Angeles, Nov. 19, 2020 [Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong]

While the ruling classes are impatiently demanding a return to economic normalcy, the more level-headed and impartial scientists are raising concerns that the variants spread will reignite a spring surge with grim consequences. Many low-income countries experiencing the pandemic first-hand for the first time lack the resources to make oxygen, let alone access to the global supply chains.

On Friday, Dr. Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota, a member of Bidens coronavirus task force, spoke at a press conference with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Now were down to 150,000 cases, which surely feels better than 300,000 cases, he said. But this is our new baseline. And this is what well jump off on with the next challenge. And these new variants, were seeing these mutated viruses are much more infectious and do actually produce much more serious illness. And I anticipate over the next six to 14 weeks, the darkest days of the pandemic are going to occur.

During the initial onslaught, many patients with low blood oxygen levels were immediately placed on ventilators, leading to difficulties weaning them off the breathing device and extensive lung injury from the high pressures that had to be used. The move to delivering oxygen through helmets, masks and nasal tubes shifted the survival curves. Patients found to be stable are now being sent home from hospitals with portable oxygen canisters and asked to monitor their symptoms and oxygen levels with affordable pulse-oximeters.

The rate of hospitalized COVID-19 patients on ventilators has declined from a high of 18.6 percent in March to 1.5 percent in September. Additionally, the use of blood thinners and steroids have contributed significantly to survival. But, as witnessed over the winter surge, the health systems lack of capacity, despite these measures, increased the fatality rate. In countries with direly limited health resources, a rapid rise in cases can be catastrophic.

Back in June 2020, the director-general of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, had raised the alarm: Many countries are now experiencing difficulties obtaining oxygen concentrators. Demand is currently outstripping supply. Medicinal oxygen is made using oxygen concentrators, which extract and purify oxygen from the air. When the number of cases rose by 1 million a week, the demand for medicinal oxygen had climbed to 88,000 large cylinders per day (620,000 cubic meters of oxygen). Just a few companies own close to 80 percent of the market. Little headway has been made in the intervening months.

A report published last week in the Wall Street Journal notes, As COVID-19 cases increase sharply in much of the world, a scarcity of oxygen is forcing hospitals to ration it for patients and is driving up the coronavirus pandemics death toll. The problem is especially acute in the developing world.

In Europe and North Americas wealthy countries, liquid oxygen is brought in tankers and piped into the hospitals internal oxygen system directly to patient beds. In June, when Spain was facing a catastrophic death toll, engineers were able to lay seven kilometers of piping delivering oxygen to 1,500 beds in a make-shift hospital. For much of the rest of the world, however, the right to breathe is tied to economic status. Oxygen remains expensive and difficult to obtain.

It has been estimated that approximately 20 percent of people infected with COVID-19 suffer from some level of respiratory distress necessitating oxygen therapy. And without that therapy, the situation can turn fatal. A Lancet Global Health report published last summer found that across health care systems in sub-Saharan countries, only 43.4 percent had both continuous power and oxygen available. More than 70 percent would experience more than two hours of power outage per week. As the report notes, critical patients on oxygen concentrators rely on an uninterrupted oxygen supply.

The South African variant of the virus has begun to drive infections in neighboring countries. John Nkengasong, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Wall Street Journal, [T]he second wave is here with a vengeance, and our systems are overwhelmed. A concerning statistic recently reported was that the death rate across Africa due to COVID-19 had surpassed the global average. Many countries like Senegal and Zambia have seen recent daily cases double those experienced in their first wave. Yet, these nations have still not received the life-saving vaccines.

In Lagos, Nigeria, the number of people infected requiring oxygen surged fivefold by mid-January, increasing from 70 to 350 six-liter cylinders per day. Bloomberg reported that on January 17 there had been over 41,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. A total of 227 patients had been admitted to treatment centers, and more than 9,000 were receiving care at home. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved $17 million in US dollars as emergency funding to construct 38 oxygen plants. According to Africa News, the oxygen demand has now doubled.

Though much has been said about Africa having dodged the bullet with the pandemics first wave, the evidence is mounting that the opposite is true. In countries like Zambia, testing of bodies at the main morgue in Lusaka found that 19 percent of the recently deceased over the summer had tested positive for the coronavirus, with a peak of 31 percent in July.

Tanzanias John Magufuli declared god had eliminated COVID-19 from his country. With a country of 60 million, it had stopped updating its COVID-19 infection cases in April when the number had reached 509. Health care workers who have attempted to speak to the issue have been fired from their positions.

In mid-January, Zimbabwe, a country with just over 14 million people, saw a surge in cases reaching a daily peak of over 1,000 new cases. The countrys hospitals were quickly running short of space and medicinal oxygen. People turned to social media looking to purchase oxygen cylinders. Private suppliers were selling overpriced oxygen concentrators at between $2,000 and $3,700 per unit, a price beyond the vast majority in Zimbabwe.

Latin American countries have also faced a scarcity of medicinal oxygen.

With 1.86 million cases and 158,000 deaths (a crude case fatality rate of 8.5 percent), Mexico continues to suffer a massive number of deaths, which may in part be due to a health system that is too overwhelmed to care for its population during the pandemic. The number of deaths is likely an undercount.

The price of oxygen has climbed fourfold in Mexico City, with 22 million people, where the pandemic has pummeled inhabitants. According to Reuters, 20 medical oxygen distributors they had consulted said they had no tanks in stock. People are waiting hours in line at the few stores that still have supplies on hand. Prices can run up to $160 to refill a 24-hour tank. Many who need oxygen will require such treatment for up to a week, in a country where the minimum daily wage of a worker is about $7.

In the populous city of Villa El Salvador, Peru, it has become an everyday routine for friends and families of people infected with severe COVID-19 to carry empty canisters of oxygen, searching for places that might sell it at a reasonable price. Most hospitals in Peru dont have oxygen concentrators, leading to price gouging and black-market exchange. A young woman speaking to the Associated Press said, Its so sad to see that all people go through this. It is sad to see that not only I, but all people are waiting for oxygen for their family.
FP Trending

Samsung, not just famous for its smartphones but AMOLED panels as well, is all set to enter the rollable and sliding displays segment in 2021. Samsung had launched its foldable handsets in the market last year and could be joining LG and Oppo in the rollable display segment. This confirmation comes from Senior Vice President Kwon-Young Choi of Samsung Displays, wherein Choi told Android Authority that the company would be fortifying their presence in the display market, through innovative form factors like rollable and sliding displays.

Samsung had launched the Galaxy Fold smartphone with fold display in February 2019 that featured a 7.30-inch touch primary screen with 1,536 x 2,152 pixels, along with a 4.60-inch secondary display upfront with a resolution of 720x1680 pixels. Considering the rollable display, rumours suggest that the new devices could slide out from a 6-inch diagonal to become an 8-inch tablet, which falls in line with the Samsung Galaxy Fold, minus the middle crease.

The company hasn't really confirmed any details on whether these rollable or sliding screens will be for smartphones or other devices but had filed a patent back in 2019 for a rollable phone, which matches the likes of Oppo and LG concepts that have tipped so far.

For now, Samsung happens to be a major screen supplier for Apple iPhones but considering the confirmation of the company entering the rollable and sliding displays segment, there is no confirmation if Samsung will be launching its own smartphones with these displays.

On a similar note, LG too had showcased its first rollable phone at CES earlier this month, but recent rumours suggest that the device won't get launched any time soon as LG plans on selling the smartphone business to someone else altogether.
Tel Aviv:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited the Danziger "Dan" flower farm along with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Mishmar Hashiva where they were briefed about the latest technologies being used for floriculture.

The Danziger flower farm is one of Israel's leading floriculture companies with approximately 80,000 square meters of state-of-the-art greenhouses specialising in reproduction of plants.

"Beginning with a focus on agriculture... Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the Danziger Flower Farm," Office of the Prime Minister said in a tweet.

"At the Danziger Flower Farm, advanced agriculture technologies were showcased by the Israeli Government," it said in another tweet.

"In another special gesture, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu accompanied Prime Minister @narendramodi to the flower farm.

"The two leaders were briefed about the research technologies being used there for floriculture," the office said in a series of tweets.

The farm, founded in 1953, is located in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva, about 56 km from Jerusalem, in central Israel.

"Reaffirming potential of deeper cooperation in Agriculture! Prime Ministers visit Danziger Flower farm -- a leading facility for Research and Development in plant varieties," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Gopal Baglay said in a tweet.

ALSO READ: Live updates | PM Modi arrives in Israel on three-day visit

Soon after landing, Prime Minister Modi visited the Danziger flower farm in Moshav Mishmar Hashiva along with Netanyahu and Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel to learn about latest innovations and advancements in floriculture.

The visit to the farm highlights that one of Israel's key interests in closer cooperation with India is its expertise in agricultural technology, officials said.

Danziger flower farm developed into a company of 200 employee from a small family business, growing and selling cut flowers.

Today, the farm produces young plants and cuttings for the local market and for more than 60 countries all over the world.

Earlier, Modi was greeted by Netanyahu along with the top tier of Israel's leadership -- known as segel aleph -- an honour afforded to only a few select leaders like US presidents and popes.

Modi began his "path-breaking" visit to Israel with his counterpart Netanyahu extending an extraordinary welcome and asserting that "even sky is not the limit" in the cooperation between the two countries.

Modi's three-day visit to Israel is the first by an Indian prime minister to the Jewish nation.

During the visit, the two leaders will discuss common challenges like terrorism and ways to boost the economic ties.

The prime minister will be in Israel till July 6 before travelling to Hamburg in Germany to attend the G-20 Summit.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
An ally of Emmanuel Macron today risked reigniting cross-channel tensions by swiping that the UK is 'taking risks' with its vaccine rollout.

Europe minister Clement Beaune delivered the extraordinary jibe as he scrambled to justify the shambolic progress with jabs in the EU.

After the bloc was forced into an humiliating climbdown over its threat of export bans on supplies to the UK, Mr Beaune echoed Mr Macron's baseless claims that the AstraZeneca vaccine might not work on pensioners.

Questioning the decision to space the doses for up to 12 weeks, he reportedly told French radio: 'The British are in an extremely difficult health situation.

'They are taking many risks in this vaccination campaign. And I can understand it, but they are taking many risks.'

The salvo came as Downing Street tried to draw a line under the spat with the EU, but sources made clear no jabs will be diverted abroad before over-50s have been covered, due to happen by Spring.

Boris Johnson (left) is trying to draw a line under the extraordinary spat with Brussels that saw Ursula von der Leyen (right) threaten to impose a hard border on the island of Ireland to prevent vaccines from the EU getting into the UK

Europe minister Clement Beaune (pictured) delivered an extraordinary jibe at the UK's vaccine rollout as he scrambled to justify the shambolic progress with jabs in the EU

Every elderly care home resident across England has now been offered their first Covid vaccination, as figures yesterday showed another record-breaking day for jabs across the UK

UK orders 40million more doses of Valneva's Covid vaccine The Government has ordered an extra 40 million doses of the Valneva Covid-19 vaccine which is being manufactured in Scotland. The move means 100 million doses of Valneva have now been put on order, enough for every adult in the UK, with the latest batch earmarked for delivery in 2022. The Government has also retained options over a further 90 million doses for supply between 2023 and 2025. Valneva said the total value of the entire order was up to 1.4 billion euro (1.24 billion). The vaccine is still in clinical trials, with the early-stage phase 1/2 study expected to read out within the next three months. The jab is expected to be given as two doses and is being made at a site in West Lothian, with the Government saying the new deal 'will bolster long-term vaccine production in Scotland'. Advertisement

In evidence of the growing panic in Brussels, EU commission chief Ursula von der Leyen threatened last week to impose a hard border on the island of Ireland to prevent vaccines from the EU getting into the UK.

However, she then dropped the idea after a furious international backlash.

There is mounting speculation that the speed of the rollout in the UK means it could soon be helping neighbours inoculate their populations - with Ireland expected to be first in line.

Britain added further to its stocks this morning, announcing that another 40million doses of the Valneva vaccine - which is being manufactured in Scotland - has been ordered. Meanwhile, a new record of 600,000 jabs were administered in 24 hours as the UK pushes to have the four most vulnerable groups covered by February 15.

But yesterday Trade Secretary Liz Truss was asked directly whether jabs could be sent abroad before September, when all British adults are due to have been offered the vaccine, and replied: 'That could well be the case.'

In a series of phone calls on Friday night, Mr Johnson secured a double victory over Brussels.

First Mrs von der Leyen dropped the threat to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which would have shut the border.

Then Mr Johnson secured a 'guarantee' that Brussels would also ditch plans to block the export of vaccines from the EU to the UK.

The climbdowns came after he warned the Brussels chief her plans would put at risk the lives of pensioners waiting for their second dose of the Pfizer jab, wreck the EU's reputation as a place for international firms to do business and undermine the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Ms von der Leyen tried to put a brave face on the embarrassing volte face last night, telling reporters there would be exports from UK factories to the EU.

'I was glad that he guaranteed that the two factories who produce AstraZeneca will of course supply to Europe, just as European vaccine doses for example from BioNTech are being delivered to Britain,' she said.

However, it appears that - unlike the EU - the UK has secured priority access to AstraZeneca supplies under its contract.

Sources told the Daily Telegraph that Ireland would receive spare jabs first.

And Mr Johnson said jabs need to be distributed as there's 'no point' in one country being vaccinated.

In an online 'People's PMQs' session, he warned that there is 'no point one country on its own getting vaccinated'.

In interviews yesterday Ms Truss said: 'It won't benefit people in Britain if we become a vaccinated island and many other countries don't have the vaccine.'

Downing Street said at lunchtime it is too soon to say when 'surplus' vaccine doses could be donated to other counties, such as EU member states.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman refused to say whether surplus doses would only be available once all UK adults had been offered a jab  which might not be until September  or whether vaccines could be donated once only the priority groups had been immunised by the spring.

'It's too early to discuss surplus doses,' the spokesman said. 'Our priority remains to ensure that we get the vaccine out to the most vulnerable in society  groups one-four and the rest of phase one  by the spring and that's why we have set out what we will do.'

In more good news about the UK's rollout, social care minister Helen Whately said this morning that the the coronavirus vaccine has been offered to every care home in England, apart from a handful suffering outbreaks.

'We have offered a vaccine to every care home where it is possible to go in,' she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

'Any care home that hasn't been contacted, just let me know and I will personally follow up. I can be contacted on my ministerial email address.'

Ms Whately said they are continuing to work through the social care workforce.

'We are determined by February 15 to have offered the vaccine to all the social care workforce,' she said.

As an international backlash against the bloc gathered pace, Brussels was forced to reassure Canada that its contracted supplies from Pfizer's factory in Belgium would not be disrupted. Japan warned against acting in a 'nationalistic' way, and South Korea said 'global disunity' would hinder the fight.

Ms Truss yesterday said the Government could now 'absolutely guarantee' that people would get their second Pfizer dose  and that vaccines ordered from plants in the EU would continue to arrive.

The Government has ordered an extra 40million doses of the Valneva Covid-19 vaccine which is being manufactured in Scotland

Trade Secretary Liz Truss was asked directly yesterday whether jabs could be sent abroad before September, when all British adults are due to have been offered the vaccine, and replied: 'That could well be the case.'

She said Mrs von der Leyen had promised the Prime Minister 'there will be no disruption of contracts that we have with any producer in the EU'.

In a further sign of compromise, Mrs von der Leyen said yesterday that the EU was accepting an offer of an additional nine million doses of vaccine from AstraZeneca  after the row started last week because the manufacturer said it would be delivering just 31million doses to the EU before the end of March, less than half the amount originally planned, due to production issues.

Irish premier Micheal Martin yesterday confirmed he had not been informed in advance of the EU's plan to partially close the border with Northern Ireland. He told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that Brussels appeared to have been 'blindsided' about the implications for the island of Ireland.

Unionists stepped up calls for the scrapping of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which has been blamed for post-Brexit shortages in the Province.

DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said ministers should now act to get rid of the 'insidious effects' of the protocol. Mr Martin insisted the protocol, which is designed to prevent a hard border, was 'a good thing'.

But, in a conciliatory move, he acknowledged there were 'issues that we have to fine tune and work out'. Even the EU's most ardent backers condemned its recent actions, with Tony Blair describing the bloc's behaviour as 'very foolish'.
Head of Georgias National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Amiran Gamkrelidze said Georgia will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine after Pfizer.

As for the Pfizer vaccine, Gamkrelidze said that Georgia will probably receive it after February 15.

"Probably after February 15, Georgia will receive the first doses of Pfizer vaccine. This will be 29,250 doses The medical staff will be vaccinated in the first stage, however, not all the medics throughout the country," Agenda.ge cited him as saying.

Gamkrelidze said as there are thousands of doctors in Georgia, the first doses of Pfizer vaccine will not be enough initially.

Amiran Gamkrelidze also said that at the first stage Georgia will receive about 300,000 doses of the Astrazeneca vaccine. Then the stock of vaccines will be gradually replenished, for which Georgia has already signed a contract.

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced yesterday that the first doses of Pfizer vaccine that will be administered to health workers are due to arrive in Georgia by late February.

Deputy Health Minister Tamar Gabunia has also confirmed that the country will initially receive a total of 29,250 doses of the vaccine.
Health authorities and police will continue to use the Four Points hotel in the Perth CBD as a quarantine facility while investigating how a security guard caught the more contagious UK COVID-19 strain while working there last week.

WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said he had not received any advice from WA Health to suggest they stop using the hotel, where four COVID-positive cases are staying, including two UK variant cases and one case with the South African strain.

WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said the hotel would continue to be used. Credit:Hamish Hastie

What were doing is examining the procedural issues about how the security guard got infected but there is no information thats been presented to me to say the hotel is unsuitable, he said.

On Monday, Arsiyanti Ardie, who is in quarantine at the Four Points, raised concerns that air-conditioning was shared between rooms after she smelled cleaning products being used in other rooms on her floor.
ALLENDALE, MI  A donation by the family of late West Michigan philanthropist Peter Secchia will allow Grand Valley State University to expand its services for active-duty military and veteran students.

The Peter Secchia Military and Veterans Program will combine the universitys previously existing services for military students into one comprehensive and easily accessible program, according to a university news release.

The Peter Secchia Military and Veterans Program will provide career support to military students, including help with transitioning from military to civilian careers, and will also support the development of multifunctional spaces, including a presence in downtown Grand Rapids, according to the release.

Because of the Secchia family, Grand Valley will be able to provide our military and veteran students with the additional support they need to accomplish their personal, educational and career goals, GVSU President Philomena V. Mantella wrote in a prepared statement. We thank them for their generous support.

A GVSU spokesperson declined to disclose the amount of the donation to MLive on behalf of the Secchia family.

Secchia, a Grand Rapids businessman and former U.S. ambassador to Italy, died on Oct. 21, 2020, at the age of 83. He was a prominent philanthropist whose contributions to West Michigan were hard to miss.

RELATED: Peter Secchia remembered as inspiring visionary for West Michigan

A native of Tenafly, New Jersey, Secchia served in the U.S. Marine Corps with NATO and the 2nd Battalion 6th Marines in Beirut.

Charlie Secchia, Peter Secchias son, said the gift will allow GVSU to expand its services available for those who served in uniform.

Dad would have been very pleased that our family can support these men and women who have given so much for all of us, Charlie Secchia wrote in a prepared statement. We are excited about Grand Valleys plans for the future and excited to be a part of it.

There are 792 students connected to the military currently enrolled at GVSU, including 330 veteran students, said university spokesperson Dottie Barnes.

The new program is one of a number of GVSU initiatives aiming to help veteran students pursue higher education.

The university announced in November it would guarantee admission for enlisted 2021 graduates of Michigan high schools through the GVSU Veteran Promise program.

RELATED: Grand Valley States new Veterans Promise program guarantees admission for enlisted 2021 Michigan high school graduates

In 2020, the university created a new position of military and veterans resources manager, and hired GVSU alumna and Army veteran Jill Wolfe to fill the role, according to the news release.

Wolfe said the donation from the Secchia family will help GVSU expand its outreach to those serving in the military.

We know nearly 200,000 service members become veterans each year and about 115,000 of those veterans are in a college classroom within seven months of separation from the military, Wolfe said in a prepared statement.

Grand Valley has a history of successful educational programs and support for student veterans and we will now be able to share these opportunities with many more, thanks to the Secchias.

Peter Secchia was a graduate of Michigan State University who gave generously to his alma matter and numerous organizations throughout West Michigan.

After graduation, he took a job as a salesman at Universal Forest Products in 1962, where he worked his way up to the position of president and CEO and took majority ownership of the company in 1971.

Along the way, Secchia was active in Republican politics, and was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Italy by President George H.W. Bush, a position he served in from 1989 to 1993.

He served as chairman of the Kent County Republican Committee from 1977 to 1978, the Congressional District Chairman from 1979 to 1980, and Michigans Republican National Committee member from 1980 to 1989. He was also a major donor to candidates.

More on MLive:

Grand Rapids Community College gets $450K grant to build veteran services center

Restaurants reopen today for indoor dining  here are Michigans new rules

So many kids are struggling right now: Michigan family mourns death of hockey player son
Ryanair today reported a third quarter loss of 306m in 2020, compared to a profit of 88m in the third quarter of the year before. In this 3-month period to 31 December, third quarter traffic fell from 36m to 8m (-78%).

Ryanair has warned that Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc across the industry. Christmas and New Year traffic was severely impacted by UK travel bans imposed at short notice by many EU Governments on 19 and 20 December. These flight bans and travel restrictions saw the Groups December traffic fall by 83% to just 1.9m passengers.

As announced on 7 January, Ryanair expects the latest lockdowns and pre-arrival Covid test requirement to materially reduce flight schedules and traffic through to Easter. The Groups full-year (FY21) traffic forecast was therefore reduced to between 26m to 30m passengers.



Ryanair expect intra-European capacity to be significantly reduced for the next few years, which will create growth opportunities for Ryanair to take advantage of recovery growth incentives, as it takes delivery of 210 new (lower cost) Boeing 737s. Furthermore, Ryanair says as soon as the Covid-19 virus recedes, Ryanair and its partner airports will rapidly restore schedules, recover lost traffic, help the nations of Europe to reboot their tourism industry, and create jobs for young people across the cities and beaches of the EU.

Ryanair said in the statement that it take some comfort from the success of the UK vaccine programme which is on target to vaccinate almost 50% of the UK population (30m) by the end of March. The airline has called for the EU to step up the "slow pace" of its rollout programme to match the UKs performance.



According to Goodbody Stockbrokers, "While the headline numbers on losses look worse than forecast, the market will be comforted that this has not compromised the strength of the balance sheet, nor the ability of the company to position itself to take market share in the expected recovery this summer, with this the key message management are giving in its continued commitment to invest in crew training at this time of the year."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Rainfall is expected to diminish to showers Friday morning and taper away by Friday night after an atmospheric river that stalled over San Lui

Punxsutawney Phil is more likely than not to predict six more weeks of winter on Tuesday, according to a combination of worldwide betting operations offering odds on the outcome of Groundhog Day.

Wagering on whether or not Phil will see his shadow is not legal in Pennsylvania or anywhere in the U.S., for that matter, but some international shops, including ones in Europe, have made six more weeks of winter a 4-to-6 favorite, while it is even money that spring will come early, according to a roundup from US-Bookies.com.

The Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney will be held virtually this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but there will be live streams aplenty to follow the annual tradition, including one right here on PennLive. If Phil sees his shadow, then a longer winter is in the cards. If not, spring will arrive early, according to the tradition.

In a fitting tribute to 2021, Punxsutawney Phil  the most famous groundhog in North America - is tipped to see his shadow, meaning bookies suggest that the groundhog is more likely to predict six more weeks of winter, A US-Bookies spokesperson said in a news release.

Its worth noting that bookies did correctly predict how Phils morning would go last year, as the odds strongly predicted that he would not see his shadow, and he did not. However, Phils prediction is not consistent among the entire groundhog community, as bookies also predict that four of the nations famous groundhogs will see their shadows and four will not.

Click here to save the PennLive page where Tuesday mornings live stream of the 135th Groundhog Day celebration from Gobblers Knob can be found.
A group of Myanmar activists hold the portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi during a protest outside UN building in Tokyo on February 1, 2021 following a military coup in the country by a general after arresting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior officials. (Philip FONG / AFP)

Yangon: Myanmar's military staged a coup on Monday, detaining democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and declaring it had taken control of the country for one year under a state of emergency.

The intervention followed weeks of rising tensions between the military, which ruled the country for nearly five decades, and the civilian government over elections in November last year that Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won easily.

Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained in the capital, Naypyidaw, before dawn, party spokesman Myo Nyunt told AFP, just hours before parliament was meant to reconvene for the first time since the elections.

"We heard they were taken by the military... with the situation we see happening now, we have to assume that the military is staging a coup," he said.

The military then declared, via its own television channel, a one-year state of emergency and announced that former general Myint Swe would be acting president for the next year.

It justified the coup by alleging "huge irregularities" in the November polls that the election commission had failed to address.

"As the situation must be resolved according to the law, a state of emergency is declared," the announcement said.

The military moved quickly to stifle dissent, severely restricting the internet and mobile phone communications across the country.

In Yangon, the former capital that remains Myanmar's commercial hub, troops seized the city hall just ahead of the announcement, according to an AFP journalist.

Elsewhere, the chief minister of Karen state and several other regional ministers were also held, party sources told AFP.

Swift condemnation

The United States, the United Nations and Australia quickly condemned the coup, calling for a restoration of democracy.

"The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

Australia said the military was "once again seeking to seize control" of the country.

"We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully," Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said.

Myanmar's polls in November were only the second democratic elections the country had seen since it emerged from the 49-year grip of military rule in 2011.

The NLD swept the polls and was expecting to renew the 75-year-old Suu Kyi's lease on power with a new five-year term.

Suu Kyi is an immensely popular figure in Myanmar for her opposition to the military, having spent the best part of two decades under house arrest during the previous dictatorship.

But the military has for weeks complained the polls were riddled with irregularities, and claimed to have uncovered over 10 million instances of voter fraud.

It had demanded the government-run election commission release voter lists for cross-checking -- which the commission did not do.

Last week, military chief General Min Aung Hlaing -- arguably the country's most powerful individual -- said Myanmar's 2008 constitution could be "revoked" under certain circumstances.

Myanmar has seen two previous coups since independence from Britain in 1948, one in 1962 and one in 1988.

Suu Kyi's previous opposition to the military earned her the Nobel peace prize.

But her international image was shredded during her time in power as she defended the military-backed crackdown in 2017 against the country's Muslim Rohingya community.

About 750,000 Rohingya were forced to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh during the campaign, which UN investigators said amounted to genocide.

Suu Kyi went to the United Nations to defend Myanmar against the allegations.

Suu Kyi was only ever de facto leader of Myanmar as the military had inserted a clause in the constitution that barred her from being president.

The 2008 constitution also ensured the military would remain a significant force in government by retaining control of the interior, border and defence ministries.

But to circumvent the clause preventing her from being president, Suu Kyi assumed leadership of the country via a new role of "state counsellor".

"From (the military's) perspective, it has lost significant control over the political process," political analyst Soe Myint Aung told AFP.

If [the path] is over the rights of regional Australians, blue-collar workers, farmers and the poor then I am not in, he said. Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman, who represents North Sydney, said the Prime Ministers speech built on the commitment to a net zero economy. Confirming the likely 2050 trajectory will provide the community and business with greater certainty  its a very important step as we head towards Glasgow. Fellow Liberal Katie Allen, who represents Higgins in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, said she backed net zero by 2050 and was incredibly optimistic about the message from the speech. He wants a plan, which Ive always said is more important than the target, and to me it reflects a pragmatic desire to deliver, not just virtue signal, Dr Allen said.

The governments current target is to cut emissions by 26 to 28 per cent by 2030 and to achieve net zero emissions at some point in the five decades after 2050, but scientists say this goal would lead to dangerous global warming. Loading Australian National University professor Will Steffen and colleagues in a new group, the Climate Targets Panel, have called instead for a 74 per cent cut to emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2035 to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. Mr Morrison avoided making the 2050 pledge last December when it was set as the condition for leaders to speak at a London summit, leading countries including France to veto his attendance. Asked on Monday whether he could commit to net zero by 2050 in time for the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow in November, Mr Morrison said the answer depended on the science and technology.

When I can tell you how we get there, thats when Ill tell you when were going to get there, he said. If you dont get there by technology, if thats not what actually gets an economy to net zero, theres only one other way that thats achieved and that is a tax. So my commitment to Australians that I will not tax our way to net zero by 2050, is a very, very important one and I will hold my faith with the Australian people on those issues. Those around Mr Morrison have expressed confidence privately that the government can commit to net zero by 2050, as long as there is progress on energy technology to show the cost and benefits. But Labor treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers said the speech could have been used to make a hard commitment to net zero by 2050, a target Labor backs.

He missed an opportunity to say unequivocally that we will provide the jobs and opportunities which will flow from that commitment, Mr Chalmers said. Loading For as long as this Prime Minister continues to play party room politics over cleaner and cheaper energy, Australians will be denied those jobs and opportunities and be increasingly isolated in the international community. Mr Morrison made it clear the vaccine rollout and economic recovery would be his priorities this year, cooling talk of other initiatives when some of his MPs want a halt to the legislated increase in the super guarantee levy to 12 per cent. Asked about economic reform and super, he said the government had delivered major tax cuts and would seek modest industrial relations reform but did not want to get bogged down in changes that would be stuck in Parliament.

Im not one that likes to pursue things for the sake of vanity. I like to get things done and not waste time on things that dont get done because that doesnt help anybody, he said. Loading While Mr Morrison talked up the comeback from the pandemic, about one million Australians are relying on the $565 fortnightly JobSeeker allowance and $150 coronavirus supplement, which is due to stop at the end of March. Asked about a permanent increase in the JobSeeker rate, Mr Morrison said there were real shortages in the workforce and he wanted to see how the unemployment rate and other factors might change. Workforce challenges this year, and next year, and going forward, are, I would have to say, one of the biggest, if not the biggest single economic challenge we have in this country, he said.
Lucknow, Feb 1 : A 36-year-old man from Kannauj district, on Monday, set himself on fire outside the Lok Bhawan, which is the office of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The man, identified as Umesh, was promptly rescued by policemen on duty and admitted to the Civil hospital with about 30 per cent burn injuries.

Umesh told the police that he was upset because his land had been acquired by his rivals and no action was taken on his complaint.

Further details are awaited.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A new drug for Alzheimer's disease is on a tortuous path toward the U.S. market, and while many patients would hail approval as a major advance, it could also revive concerns about regulators' scientific integrity.

Biogen Inc. said Friday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is extending its review of aducanumab, an experimental therapy that patients and their families see as a potential lifeline. But the agency's history of cherry-picking effectiveness data on the drug echoes a five-year-old decision to support a treatment for a childhood muscle-wasting disease, one that remains controversial.

FDA watchers and its own staff worry that the regulator and its leadership may be developing a pattern of approving drugs of questionable value for devastating conditions because of public pressure. Its quick authorization of COVID-19 treatments such as hydroxychloroquine that were touted by former President Donald Trump and later deemed ineffective amplifies the concern.

"No one will benefit, other than perhaps shareholders, from having a product on the market that doesn't work," Caleb Alexander, a Johns Hopkins University epidemiologist and FDA adviser who doesn't think available evidence supports Biogen's drug, said in an interview.

The FDA and Biogen declined to comment on their interactions.

Investor interest was piqued Friday when the agency delayed a decision by three months until June 7 on whether to clear the drug, suggesting Biogen's application is getting additional close consideration. Biogen and partner Eisai Co. said in a statement that they gave the agency more analyses and data that will take some time to review.

While the news met with a mixed response from analysts, Biogen shares rose 5.5% Friday. They've been on a roller-coaster ride since early 2019 when Biogen, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, stopped clinical trials on aducanumab because it didn't work in patient tests. The stock soared later the same year when a re-analysis of one of the halted trials showed a glimmer of success.

Aducanumab removes abnormal protein deposits called amyloid plaques from the brains of people with Alzheimer's. It's supposed to be used years before potential symptoms appear, aiming to delay patients' decline.

But debate has swirled over whether plaque removal provides any benefit. Attempts to develop similar drugs have failed, though aducanumab and potentially promising data from an experimental drug from Eli Lilly & Co. have revived some hope.

As the U.S. population ages and Alzheimer's rates increase, an effective treatment would be a major breakthrough. The 2019 re-analysis spurred Biogen to seek FDA's guidance, resulting in a year-long collaboration to further analyze data from the two trials, according to a document the agency and Biogen prepared ahead of a November meeting of agency advisers.

"Given the unmet medical need and unique nature of the data," the regulator met four times with Biogen between June 2019 and June 2020 to discuss the studies, the document said. During the final meeting, they discussed the possibility of Biogen submitting an application for aducanumab approval.

Billy Dunn, the acting director of the Office of Neuroscience in FDA's Office of New Drugs, worked with the company on the November document assessing the drug. Usually, the regulator and pharmaceutical companies write separate briefings on a drug's data ahead of advisory panel meetings, with the FDA casting a highly critical eye.

"Our group has been testifying for five decades before FDA advisory meetings," said Michael Carome, director of the health research group at Public Citizen, a government watchdog. "We've never seen such a briefing document."

The FDA declined to make Dunn available for an interview.

When FDA's external advisers met in November to consider recommending the drug for approval, the agency's staff presented them with the glowing report. Evidence from the somewhat positive clinical trial was "robust and exceptionally persuasive," the document said. It dismissed unfavorable results from a second, identically designed trial, saying they didn't show the drug was ineffective.

Tristan Massie, an FDA statistician, dissented. "Excluding data from a large trial without sufficient justification is unscientific, statistically inappropriate and misleading," he said in a presentation for advisory panel members.

But Massie wasn't given much time to air his views at the November meeting, as questions were steered to the biotech's scientists.

"I thought the most shocking thing was when one of the panelists asked a statistical question and Dunn answered by saying, 'You know, I'm not a statistician but maybe Biogen could answer,'" said Brian Skorney, a Robert W. Baird & Co. analyst who watched the meeting.

The panel's discussion and recommendation against aducanumab were "a resounding and near unanimous rebuke" of the drug, Biogen and FDA's clinical reviewers, Cowen analyst Phil Nadeau wrote at the time. But the drug could still be cleared. The agency doesn't have to follow its advisers' recommendations.

Biogen declined to say whether it submitted data to the FDA from another trial, called Embark, that began in March 2020. The study isn't the most rigorous format of clinical studies because it doesn't include a comparison group of patients who received a placebo.

About 5.8 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's dementia, and the number is expected to balloon to almost 14 million by 2050, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Patients and their families are searching for anything that can help stop the condition's insidious advance.

"If you had a 50/50 chance that this drug will work for me, it's better than the zero chance I have today," said George Vradenburg, co-founder Us Against Alzheimer's, a patient advocacy group.

Vradenburg has seen two relatives on his wife's side of the family die from Alzheimer's. Any success for aducanumab might encourage investment and further research, perhaps setting off a cascade of new treatments, he said. Carome understands the despair; his mother died over a decade ago of Alzheimer's after battling the disease for 10 years. Still, he's worried about the FDA potentially approving a drug that doesn't work.

"It could raise false hope for millions of patients and their families," he said. "It could have adverse financial impacts and potentially bankrupt the Medicare program and, ultimately, could delay and undermine future research on Alzheimer's drugs that could be effective."

FDA's handling of the situation echoes a 2016 episode when, over the objections of its own reviewers, agency leadership approved a drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a lethal condition that mainly strikes young boys. Sarepta Therapeutics Inc. had only limitedand, to FDA advisers and reviewers, unconvincingdata on the drug's effectiveness. But the drug, called Exondys 51, was backed by desperate parents whose sons were afflicted.

At the time, FDA reviewer Ellis Unger warned the decision could set a bad precedent. Future drug approvals might be based on "a mere scintilla of an effect," he said, according to agency documents posted online.

Dunn, who was then the director of the division of neurology products in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, told a panel of agency advisers convened in April 2016 that the agency's staff had "sincere concerns" about the data behind Exondys 51. But he and Unger were overruled by FDA's Janet Woodcock, who was just named acting commissioner by President Joe Biden.

Woodcock declined to comment. Sarepta didn't respond when reached for comment.

Now the agency has to determine how to navigate a potential standoff on aducanumab. Massie and other critics of the drug have suggested that a third, deciding trial before an FDA decision would clear up confusion. Advocates want access for patients now. They say Biogen could conduct a study after the drug reaches the market to try to confirm aducanumab's benefit.

Approving the drug risks sending a message that the FDA is willing to act on weak evidence, said Alexander, the Johns Hopkins-based FDA adviser. "Clearly this is a devastating disease where new treatments are urgently needed," he said. "For that reason it's vital that the FDA and the marketplace gets this right.

Explore further FDA panel urges rejection of experimental Alzheimer's drug

2021 Bloomberg L.P.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
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 investigation into a deadly liquid nitrogen leak at a Georgia poultry plant continued Saturday with authorities saying they were trying to determine what caused a break in the recently installed system.

Six workers died on Thursday after the liquid nitrogen release at Foundation Food Group. About a dozen others were injured and taken to a hospital, and 130 people had to be evacuated. The search for answers came as several hundred people attended a Saturday afternoon vigil outside the plant, several sobbing for loved ones who died.

Separately, Katherine Lemos, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Boards chairman and chief executive, said Saturday that major portions of the plants liquid nitrogens interior and exterior system were installed and commissioned in the past four to six weeks, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

She said the plant received two to three 18-wheel-truckloads per day of liquid nitrogen, a quantity she described as a lot.

Lemos also said that shortly after the leak was discovered, a worker cut off the nitrogen supply.

The maintenance manager described personally closing the isolation valves of the tanks in the parking lot subsequent to the event, shutting off the supply to the building, which limited the potential damage or consequence, she said.

Lemos said the agency will not speculate on what caused the rupture. A full report could take several years.

Chemical Safety Board investigators charged with finding the cause of chemical incidents have been at the site since Thursday. The board makes safety recommendations but does not issue citations or fines.

Investigators have begun evaluating equipment at the plant that could have played a role in the leak, but said its location and cause had yet to be determined. The state fire marshals office has ruled out a shut-off valve on piping that connects a nitrogen storage tank outside the building to equipment inside, but the agency does not oversee other equipment at the plant, spokesman Weston Burleson said.

Gainesville is the hub of Georgias poultry industry, which is the largest in the country. Thousands of employees work across multiple processing plants around the city and much of the workforce is Latino, like those in many meat-processing plants nationwide. Mexico has said two of the dead in the leak were citizens of that nation.

Several hundred people attended Saturday afternoons vigil outside the plant.

Loved ones wept as they knelt in front of six white floral wreaths with white ribbons, one for each worker killed. People brought flowers and stuffed animals. A series of speakers, including pastors, stood in the bed of a pickup truck and addressed the crowd. Interpreters made sure both English- and Spanish-speaking listeners could understand.

We are one community, said Art Gallegos Jr., president of Latinos Conservative Organization, which helped organize the vigil.

Earlier, mourners arranged bouquets of white and orange flowers, two wooden crosses and a handful of prayer candles. The small memorial on the side of a roadway remained one of the few signs of the tragedy.

Lemos offered her sympathies to the families of the victims in a statement that she delivered in both English and Spanish at Saturdays news conference.

I cant imagine the loss youre feeling today and the reason we are here is to prevent this from happening again, she said.

Workers at the plant have recounted harrowing experiences of escaping through a fog of vaporizing liquid nitrogen as they fled the leak.

Three workers remained hospitalized Friday in critical condition said Beth Downs, a spokesperson for Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. One person with lesser injuries was released Friday.

The Hall County Sheriffs Office identified the victims on Friday as: 45-year-old Jose DeJesus Elias-Cabrera of Gainesville; 35-year-old Corey Alan Murphy of Clermont; 28-year-old Nelly Perez-Rafael of Gainesville; 41-year-old Saulo Suarez-Bernal of Dawsonville; 38-year-old Victor Vellez of Gainesville; and 28-year-old Edgar Vera-Garcia of Gainesville.

Workers poured out of the plant Thursday morning after a liquid nitrogen line burst. The plant processes chicken into items such as nuggets and then freezes them for later use.

Jameel Fareed told WSB-TV that he avoided walking into the cloud of liquid nitrogen.

First we just thought there was something wrong with the freezer. Then they started saying, Get out, Fareed said. I just saw the fog, and when I couldnt see down the steps, I turned around. But I didnt feel anything.

Recordings of calls to emergency officials obtained by local news outlets revealed panicked moments inside the plant Thursday.

Ive got a phone call from one of my employees saying that Ive got a person who could potentially be frozen from liquid nitrogen, one caller told 911, panting as a siren sounded in the background, in a call obtained by WXIA-TV. Hes foaming at the mouth, eyes are open, struggling. I see some firemen inside. Hes breathing very slowly.

Maria del Rosario Palacios leads Georgia Familias Unidas, a Latino advocacy group in Gainesville. She said a number of workers told her they developed headaches, apparently from a lack of oxygen. She said workers told her there was a loud noise, and then some workers were rushed into a room at the plant before going outside, with a strong odor indicating the presence of nitrogen.

St. Michael Roman Catholic Church in Gainesville has parishioners who work at the plant where the leak occurred, and Deacon Ken Lampert said he was worried about how the victims families would cope financially. The community is not affluent, and incomes often support extended families.

When out of the blue mom and dad went to work yesterday and they didnt come home tonight, its devastating, he said. We will rally around them and take care of them and make sure that life goes on.

Associated Press Reporters Jeff Amy and Sudhin Thanawala contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Georgia Meat Processing
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.
Health officials today began a mass coronavirus testing programme in eight areas of England to try to contain the South African variant of the virus.

Eleven unrelated cases of the fast-spreading virus have already been spotted across the country, raising fears that it is out of control.

Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed 105 cases of the variant through random screening of positive test swabs, suggesting it is already widespread.

But this sudden spike in samples has panicked officials and led them to quickly test 80,000 people in London, Surrey, Kent, Hertfordshire, Walsall and Lancashire.

They hope this will help to isolate those infected and prevent them from spreading the virus any further.

Mutations found in the virus mean it is faster to spread than older versions and it may also be able to slip past the immune systems of people who have already recovered from Covid.

Here's what we know about the South African variant so far:

The South African variant is one of more than half a dozen that have emerged worldwide in recent months, and it is among the most concerning

When and where was it discovered?

Scientists first noticed in December 2020 that the variant, named B.1.351, was genetically different in a way that could change how it acts.

It was picked up through random genetic sampling of swabs submitted by people testing positive for the virus, and was first found in Nelson Mandela Bay, around Port Elizabeth.

Using a computer to analyse the genetic code of the virus  which is viewed as a sequence of letters that correspond to thousands of molecules called nucleotides  can help experts to see where the code has changed and how this affects the virus.

What mutations did scientists find?

There are two key mutations on the South African variant that appear to give it an advantage over older versions of the virus  these are called N501Y and E484K.

Both are on the spike protein of the virus, which is a part of its outer shell that it uses to stick to cells inside the body, and which the immune system uses as a target.

They appear to make the virus spread faster and may give it the ability to slip past immune cells that have been made in response to a previous infection or a vaccine.

UP TO HALF OF COVID SURVIVORS MAY STILL BE VULNERABLE TO SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT The South African coronavirus variant may slip past parts of the immune system in as many as half of people infected with different versions in the past, scientists fear. Researchers say that a mutation on a specific part of the virus's outer spike protein appears to make it able to 'escape' antibodies. Antibodies are substances made by the immune system that are key to destroying viruses or marking them for destruction by white blood cells. South African academics found that 48 per cent of blood samples from people who had been infected in the past did not show an immune response to the new variant. One researcher said it was 'clear that we have a problem'. Professor Penny Moore, the researcher behind the project, claimed people who were sicker with coronavirus the first time and had a stronger immune response appeared less likely to get reinfected. Antibodies are a major part of the immunity that is created by vaccines  although not the only part  so if the virus continues evolving to escape from them it could mean that vaccines have to be redesigned and given out again. But experts so far say they have no reason to believe vaccines won't work, which may be because they produce a stronger immune response than a very mild infection, and because they produce various different types of immune cells. Professor Moore told a scientific panel meeting in January: 'When you test the blood of people infected in the first wave and you ask "Do those antibodies in that blood recognise the new virus?" you find that in 50 per cent of cases  nearly half of cases  there's no longer any recognition of the new variant. 'In the other half of those individuals, however, there is some recognition that remains. I should add those are normally people who were incredibly ill, hospitalised and mounted a very robust response to the virus.' Advertisement

What does N501Y do?

N501Y changes the spike in a way which makes it better at binding to cells inside the body.

This means the viruses have a higher success rate when trying to enter cells when they get inside the body, meaning that it is more infectious and faster to spread.

This corresponds to a rise in the R rate of the virus, meaning each infected person passes it on to more others.

N501Y is also found in the Kent variant found in England, and the two Brazilian variants of concern  P.1. and P.2.

What does E484K do?

The E484K mutation found on the South African variant is more concerning because it tampers with the way immune cells latch onto the virus and destroy it.

Antibodies  substances made by the immune system  appear to be less able to recognise and attack viruses with the E484K mutation if they were made in response to a version of the virus that didn't have the mutation.

Antibodies are extremely specific and can be outwitted by a virus that changes radically, even if it is essentially the same virus.

South African academics found that 48 per cent of blood samples from people who had been infected in the past did not show an immune response to the new variant. One researcher said it was 'clear that we have a problem'.

Vaccine makers, however, have tried to reassure the public that their vaccines will still work well and will only be made slightly less effective by the variant.

How many people in the UK have been infected with the variant?

At least 105 Brits have been infected with this variant, according to Public Health England's random sampling.

The number is likely to be far higher, however, because PHE has only picked up these cases by randomly scanning the genetics of around one in 10 of all positive Covid tests in the UK.

This suggests that there have been at least 1,050 cases between December and January 27.

Where else has it been found?

According to the PANGO Lineages website, the variant has been officially recorded in 31 other countries worldwide.

The UK has had the second highest number of cases after South Africa itself.

But other nations where it has been found include South Korea, Sweden, France, Australia, Germany, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Norway, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, USA, Netherlands, Mozambique, Ireland, Botswana, New Zealand, Finland, Spain and the French island territory Mayotte.

The South African variant has been officially recorded in at least 31 countries worldwide

Will vaccines still work against the variant?

So far, Pfizer and Moderna's jabs appear only slightly less effective against the South African variant.

Researchers took blood samples from vaccinated patients and exposed them to an engineered virus with the worrying E484K mutation found on the South African variant.

They found there was a noticeable reduction in the production of antibodies, which are virus-fighting proteins made in the blood after vaccination or natural infection.

But it still made enough to hit the threshold required to kill the virus and to prevent serious illness, they believe.

There are still concerns about how effective a single dose of vaccine will be against the strain. So far Pfizer and Moderna's studies have only looked at how people given two doses react to the South African variant.

Studies into how well Oxford University/AstraZeneca's jab will work against the South African strain are still ongoing.

Johnson & Johnson actually trialled its jab in South Africa while the variant was circulating and confirmed that it blocked 57 per cent of coronavirus infections in South Africa, which meets the World Health Organization's 50 per cent efficacy threshold.
Off-the-beaten-path in French-speaking Belgium

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Americans who know anything about Belgium know it as the home of Tintin, fries and waffles.



More astute travelers know it has infamously gone hundreds of days without a government after national elections. Some may even know the crossroads of Europe converge in Brussels, which does double-duty as the Belgian and European Union capitals.



Yet there is so much more to discover in this trilingual  Flemish, French and German  country, which is often an afterthought when planning European trips. There is perhaps nowhere more off-the-beaten-path in Belgium than Wallonia, the French-speaking province in the countrys south.

Make Waterloo your first stop. It was here where Emperor Napoleon was once and for all defeated by the Duke of Wellington in June 1815.

I toured the battlefield as well as the visitor center and museum. The huge exhibit of mannequin soldiers wearing historically accurate uniforms and carrying authentic reproductions of period weapons was particularly striking. Be sure to climb the 226 steps to the top of Lions Mound, the iconic monument with sweeping views of the battlefield toward the Hougoumont farmhouse, where some of the fiercest fighting took place.



Next up is Mons, a former heavy industrial city that drew attention a few years ago when it was named a European capital of culture.

The biggest legacy from its year in the spotlight is revitalized museums. The Francois Duesberg Museum is one such museum, although translations into English of its exhibits were noticeably lacking during my visit. Additional sights include the town hall from the 15th century, the UNESCO-listed 285-foot-tall belfry and the Collegiate Church of St. Waudru with its Renaissance-era alabaster sculptures.



Another former industrial age city is Liege, which was an independent state under the Roman Catholic prince-bishop until the French Revolution.



Most visitors arrive at the postmodern train station designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. An easy 20-minute walk away is St. James the Less Church, which dates to a thousand years.

I had the church with its gigantic Flamboyant Gothic windows  the facades of the south and north walls are practically all glass  to myself during my entire 90-minute visit. The best view is from a hidden gallery between the south transept and high altar that overlooks the chancel. Here I found a somewhat disorganized exhibit full of old liturgical vestments, heraldic emblems, various church fittings and random architectural salvages.

Last but certainly not least is Namur, the provincial capital of Wallonia.



The big draw is the citadel, which was built in the mid-10th century and continuously expanded through the ensuing centuries when this part of present-day Belgium was controlled by competing European powers, including the Habsburgs, Spanish and French Revolutionaries. The view of Namur and the confluence of the Sambre and Meuse rivers from atop the citadels walls is most impressive. Another must-see is the collection of ecclesiastical art at the Provincial Museum of Ancient Art.



If you go

Brussels is the ideal base, as day trips by train to Waterloo, Mons, Liege and Namur are super easy.



Hotel Le Plaza, located within walking distance of the Brussels North railway station, is one of those grand old hotels. An alternative is The Dominican, part of Marriotts boutique Design Hotels brand.



Spires and Crosses is a weekly travel column. Follow @dennislennox onTwitter and Instagram.

New Delhi:

A four-day-old baby was declared dead by a team of doctors from Telangana's Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital on Sunday, according to some media reports. And since then there have been tensions around the hospital. It was on the cremation ground that the parents got to know that the baby was alive and was brought back from there.

According to reports, the weight of the baby girl was just 450 gms and there were many complications at the birth. There are assumptions that the private hospital did not have proper facilities to take care of the premature babies and that was the reason why the baby was referred to the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital.

It is reported that around 11:30 am on Sunday, the baby was declared dead by the doctor on duty, Dr Sirajuddin. Following this, a death certificate was issued. the baby was then taken to the burial ground for the final rites. And it was only then when the parents noticed movement in baby and took the baby to the hospital.

But the team of the doctors remained firm to their point that the baby was dead. This raged the parents and relatives who then blamed the doctor for not checking the ECG properly. On the other hand, the doctors are still standing up on their statement that the baby was declared dead after examining the heartbeat and ECG. The doctors say that that the ECG was flat.

The whole case has caused tension in the hospital and people are enraged.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
A rule requiring international travellers landing at Ontario's largest airport to take a COVID-19 test came into effect Monday amid growing concern over vaccine deliveries and new reported cases of contagious COVID-19 variants.

A man walks past the COVID-19 vaccination site at Maimonides long term care facility Wednesday, January 13, 2021 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

A rule requiring international travellers landing at Ontario's largest airport to take a COVID-19 test came into effect Monday amid growing concern over vaccine deliveries and new reported cases of contagious COVID-19 variants.

The Ontario government implemented the measure at Toronto's Pearson International Airport as a stopgap while waiting for a similar federal program announced last week to get off the ground. Premier Doug Ford has praised Ottawa for announcing a new testing plan but said Ontario will conduct its own traveller testing until the federal program kicks in.

Canada's chief public health officer said new COVID-19 cases have been trending downward across the country in recent days, but she is warning it's crucial to keep strong measures in place to maintain the tendency.

"With still elevated daily case counts and high rates of infection across all age groups, the risk remains that trends could reverse quickly, and some areas of the country are seeing increased activity," Theresa Tam said in a statement.

Quebec reported fewer than 1,000 daily COVID-19 infections Monday for the first time since early November, while Ontario reported 1,969 cases due to what Health Minister Christine Elliott describes as a data catch-up that includes some previously unreported cases.

But authorities have said the reports of a contagious variant spreading in parts of Ontario as well as a slowdown in national vaccine deliveries justify the need for tough new travel restrictions.

Ontario has recorded dozens of cases of the U.K. variant of COVID-19, and on Monday it reported its first case of a variant that emerged in South Africa late last year.A small number of cases have already been confirmed in other Canadian provinces, including Alberta and British Columbia.

The province's chief medical officer said the case was found in Peel Region in a person who did not have a known history of travel or any known contact with someone who has travelled.

Both York Region and Toronto Public Heath reported new cases of the U.K. variant on Monday, including two linked to an outbreak at a meat processing facility.

Canada's new travel rules, expected to take effect soon, include a requirement that inbound travellers spend the first three days of their quarantine at a supervised hotel and take a COVID-19 test at their own expense.

The rules are causing "anxiety and frustration" for Canadians currently abroad, according to Evan Rachkovsky, a spokesman for the Canadian Snowbird Association.

He said the group is supportive of mandatory COVID-19 testing at points of entry but is opposed to the hotel quarantine measure, which is expected to cost travellers about $2,000 each.

We believe it's unreasonable, and we believe that this is going to be a financial hardship for many Canadians that are currently outside of the country, he said, adding that more than 30,000 of the groups approximately 110,000 members are currently outside of Canada.

He said there are other unanswered questions, including whether the rules will apply to land crossings and whether travellers pets will be accepted at the government-approved hotels.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last week that Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing and Air Transat had agreed to suspend service to Mexico and the Caribbean as of Sunday. The restriction will last until April 30, and Trudeau said the airlines will help arrange the return of customers currently outside the country.

Spokespeople for Air Canada and WestJet confirmed that the airlines were operating one-way flights from those destinations for the next week or two to help people get home.

Aviation experts have warned that the suspension of flights could have widespread repercussions for Canadas beleaguered airline sector and force permanent closures for airports and travel agencies.

Meanwhile, Canada's international trade minister told a parliamentary committee on Monday that she's worried about new European export controls, even though European leaders have given assurances that new export controls on COVID-19 vaccines won't stop shipments destined for Canada.

Mary Ng told MPs that Canada has been promised multiple times, including by the president of the European Commission and the trade and health commissioners, that Canada's vaccine shipments will continue as expected.

However, she said those promises have not been put in writing and acknowledged the export controls are "concerning."

All Canada's doses of the COVID-19 vaccines from both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are made in and shipped from Europe. Both companies have recently announced slowdowns in their vaccine delivery schedule due to production delays.

At least three other companies, Novavax, Astra-Zeneca and Johnson and Johnson, have launched the process of having Health Canada approve their vaccines.

The death toll from the pandemic showed little signs of abating Monday, a day after Canada crossed the threshold of 20,000 deaths. Ontario reported another 36 deaths, Quebec reported 32, Manitoba had three and two people in Saskatchewan died from the virus.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2021.

With files from Holly McKenzie-Sutter and Mia Rabson
Guwahati, Feb 1 : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday described the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as pragmatic, people-friendly and development oriented.

The Chief Minister thanked the union government for the allocation of Rs 34,000 crore in the budget for construction of more than 1,300 kms of national highways in Assam in the next three years.

He also said that National Highway works with the proposed investment of Rs 19,000 crore are currently in progress in Assam and have already given a major boost to road connectivity in the state.

Sonowal in a statement also appreciated the new initiative proposed in the Budget for the welfare of tea workers, especially women and children in Assam and West Bengal.

The Chief Minister said that allocating Rs 1,000 crore for the tea workers would have long-term impact on the healthcare and overall development of the community.

He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Finance Minister for making landmark allocation for improvement of road infrastructure and welfare of tea workers of the state.

The Chief Minister said that the Budget proposals would reinvigorate human capital and innovation besides giving a major push to health and well-being, physical and financial capital, infrastructure as well as inclusive development in the country.

Expressing satisfaction on the Union Budget 2021-22, the Chief Minister said that since 2016, there has been a remarkable growth in the infrastructure of connectivity in Assam due to unprecedented synergy between the Central and state governments.
The Veterans Medical Leadership Council (VMLC), Jack Travis Trucking, MD Helicopters and the Goldwater Foundation have officially joined together with the Southwestern Native American veterans leadership to form Native American Sustainability for Veterans and those in Uniform (NASVU).

The Phoenix based veterans helping veterans collaboration was created in March of 2020 to assist the Southwestern Native American communities COVID-19 response efforts by providing PPE, hygiene supplies and other medical supplies and necessities. NASVU has since partnered with many local organizations, nonprofits, and larger donors such as USAA to provide more aid to be delivered directly to the Navajo and Hopi Nations.

The current Board of Directors is led by Tom Eisiminger with Richard Vietor and Hope McDonald Lonetree. Tom stated, When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, few communities were in a more dire need of assistance than the Navajo Nation. Our focus will be to support the veterans who have served our country.

Approximately 30% of the Navajo Nation is not connected to a power or water system, an estimated 50% of the adult population has type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, and the nearest healthcare providers are more than 80 minutes away from most residents living in the remote areas. The Navajo Nation, which covers an area larger than Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont combined, only has 13 grocery stores, 13 health clinics and roughly only one doctor for every 1,781 people compared to the rest Arizonas one doctor for every 400 people.

Director of Operations, Bob Dalpe stated; We started by providing chainsaws to cut needed firewood, then PPE supplies on 2 dozen helicopter missions and delivered 380 water tanks by truck. It is a great start, but the Navajo Nation still needs approximately 20,000 water tanks and most of the other Southwestern Native American communities have similar needs. We will also be working on providing solar powered refrigerators for vital insulin storage.

In a way its like being in the middle of a battle, said Pete Tsinnijinnie, a Navajo Nation resident, U.S. Army veteran and NASVU volunteer leader, We were without weapons, but now we have something to arm ourselves with. NASVU is currently in the process of obtaining a 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS; donations are accepted through VMLC with the designation of Navajo Relief Fund.

NASVU launched its new official website today, Feb. 1st at http://www.NASVU.org where more information and ways to help can be found. A new video describing the plight of the Navajo Nation and NASVU organizations impact is also being unveiled at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtfjXZABWJEuknhwBx9SEPA/videos

NASVU is in process of organizing the project as a 501(c)(3). Donations are accepted through the VMLC, donate at https://www.arizonavmlc.org please designate Navajo Relief Fund during the transition time.

Boilerplate:

Native American Sustainability for Veterans and those in Uniform (NASVU) is a veteran-led collaborative nonprofit with a mission to assist and coordinate with Southwestern Native American communities to develop sustainable living conditions with a focus on water, power, and housing. NASVU was founded in 2020 when the Covid pandemic began and today its mission supports over 5000 veterans, elders and first responders in need. For more information, visit http://www.NASVU.org.

Maag Commplus

555 N. Scottsdale Rd #200

Tempe, AZ 85281

Contact: Al Maag

(480) 272-7671

al.maag@maagcommplus.com
New Delhi, Feb 1 : The Supreme Court on Monday accepted the resignation of Nagaland Lokayukta, Justice (retd) Uma Nath Singh Singh, after he sought safe and graceful exit from the state as one of the conditions for stepping down.

He also asked the apex court that the state government or others should be restrained from initiating any kind of action or "defaming him in media" based on the pending plea.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S. A. Bobde acceded to some of the conditions set by Singh and directed he should be given adequate security on his visit to Nagaland to collect his personal belongings.

However, the bench, also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, did not accept the submissions of senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the Lokayukta, that nobody should be allowed to tarnish his client's image and there should only be factual reporting, which should be confined to the content of the top court order.

"How can we can pass an order that there should not be any misreporting?" the bench asked.

Singh also contended that Nagaland government petition against his client should be dismissed, instead of being disposed of. The bench replied that it is not possible, as the matter has not been heard on merits.

On January 11, the top court had given a week to Singh to consider resigning from the post after the Nagaland government had moved the top court complaining against his unjust and arbitrary demands.

"We do not think you have been or can function properly with this kind of relation with the government," the top court had told Singh's counsel. It also disagreed with his contention to operate as Nagaland Lokayukta while staying in Delhi.

The Lokayukta, in a note submitted to the apex court, said he is willing to submit his resignation upon the dismissal of petition by the Nagaland government and set out five terms and conditions.

He had said that upon dismissal of the petition by the state, he will submit his resignation, as he is unable to continue "due to unpleasant circumstances and a very hostile environment".

"That the Registrar General of the Guwahati High Court and the Chief Secretary, Government of Nagaland and Commissioner/Secretary to the Governor be directed to ensure taking custody of articles supposed to be handed over by the Lokayukta to his office, providing vehicles and other facilities as per his entitlement processing of his resignation if asked to submit to the Governor and safe and graceful exit of the respondent from Nagaland," he said as the terms and conditions for the resignation.
At the onset of the pandemic and again with the vaccine rollout, Texas officials have struggled to gather data critical to protecting Black and Hispanic Texans who are among those at higher risk of serious complications from COVID-19.

Almost two months into the vaccine distribution, the Department of State Health Services promised Thursday to begin requiring all providers to report race and ethnicity data for all vaccine recipients.

That pledge came after advocates and health experts raised concerns that the information was missing for nearly half of the 1.8 million Texans who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

The state similarly had difficulty tracking infections and deaths among communities of color at the start of the pandemic, when officials spent months without complete data before committing to fully evaluate the disproportionate effect of the virus on minority groups.

In Texas, Latinos have accounted for nearly half of all COVID-19 deaths despite making up about 40 percent of the population. Nationally, Black and Hispanic people are about four times as likely as white people to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and about three times as likely to die from the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over the past year, the states data problems have surfaced in nearly every facet of the COVID-19 response, from calculating the rate of positive tests to tracking infections in public schools. The pandemic has required data collection efforts on a massive scale for local and state health officials often working in understaffed offices with outdated technology.

Jessica Phelps, Staff photographer / San Antonio Express-News

But advocates and public watchdogs say the states continued struggles collecting basic demographic data are also a matter of priorities.

Any time you have a calamity like we have today, you have to ask yourself: Are you coming at it from a race equity lens? said Kazique Prince, the interim executive director of the Central Texas Collective for Racial Equity. The lack of data speaks to the unwillingness or inability to really tackle this challenge, he said.

CHALLENGES FOR BIDENS WHITE HOUSE: With new COVID variants looming, Dr. Peter Hotez says Biden must step up his game

The quicker that data is collected, the quicker its analyzed, the quicker well be able to create the change were looking for, Prince said.

Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the health services department, said the state has clearly and consistently told providers to gather and report demographic data on those vaccinated but its still lacking. That will change as the state requires providers to include the information before they can submit reports.

We believe its important to have reliable data on race and ethnicity as a measure of how vaccination is going and to help determine whether there are certain groups that may need additional outreach about the importance of being vaccinated, he said.

Advocates have been voicing concerns since Texas kicked off its vaccine distribution effort in December, allocating most doses to hospitals, grocery store pharmacies and other institutions that are more heavily concentrated outside of areas with high-minority populations  even though officials knew Blacks and Latinos were being infected at higher rates.

Racism is a public health issue, Prince said. If it wasnt an issue, we wouldnt see these disparities.

Now that the state has shifted to a hub strategy giving thousands of doses to a handful of providers, local institutions have been able to better place the vaccine hubs in underserved communities, though it is unclear whether they are reaching the most vulnerable residents.

Calls to reboot a state agency

Jessica Phelps, Staff photographer / San Antonio Express-News

Over the past seven weeks, the state has collected race and ethnicity data from vaccine providers that offer it. But with 45 percent of the data missing  accounting for more than 800,000 people  it is impossible to determine whether the communities hit hardest by the pandemic are receiving the aid they need.

The state has never before undertaken such an effort to immediately collect and distribute testing or vaccine data, much less on the race and ethnicity of those affected, said Anne Dunkelberg, the associate director of the nonprofit Every Texan.

She said state officials have taken a hands-off approach to the public health crisis, often delegating responsibilities to multiple agencies that delegate to local authorities  thus putting big-picture issues such as data collection on the back burner.

We just havent seen a lot from the top down in Texas, in terms of a public discussion in how our systems are taking (race) into account and trying to make up for it, Dunkelberg said.

Its a national issue, too. Though the federal government requires states to track race and ethnicity, only 20 states are including that information on their vaccine dashboards  and most of those states are also missing much of the data, the Seattle Times reported.

Amid the outcry over bad COVID data, some lawmakers and experts have called for the reinstitution of Texas defunct Office of Minority Health Statistics and Engagement, which closed in 2018 after the Legislature quietly defunded it.

We would be able to see where the health disparities are, and then, specifically related to COVID, wed be able to see why certain populations are more affected than others, said Sean Walker, a policy fellow at the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health at the University of Texas at Austin.

IN-DEPTH: Texas researchers address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in minority communities

Six states, including Washington and Massachusetts, have similar offices tracking health equity data.

The data is crucial not only to understand gaps in vaccine access, but also to help officials confront vaccine hesitancy within communities of color. National surveys have indicated that Black and Hispanic people are less likely than whites to pursue inoculation  a symptom of the deep-rooted mistrust in government and health officials that stems from a long history of systemic racism and medical abuse.

If we want to align the demand for and the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines for communities of color, we as a country have to provide lasting opportunities for our communities of color to exercise collective agencies over their own health and well-being, said Monica Schoch-Spana, a medical anthropologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

Counties struggle to keep up

Part of the trouble in Texas is the states reliance on individual providers  some of which had never reported public health information to the state  to submit data in a timely fashion. That was an Achilles heel for state officials as Texas ramped up COVID-19 testing last summer, later finding hundreds of thousands of backlogged test results that had not been reported in real time because of submission issues.

Before the pandemic, the most-tracked disease in Texas was chlamydia, which accounts for roughly 150,000 cases per year.

This is just beyond comprehension, what were expecting, said Marilyn Felkner, a clinical assistant professor at UT-Austin who worked for the Department of State Health Services from 2010 to 2016. It is good to have data, absolutely. We would love to have that data. But is it realistic given the staffing and the IT infrastructure? No.

And the data entry struggles vary by county. While state data indicate that race information is unknown for about 30 percent of vaccinated individuals in Harris County  which also has its own dashboard detailing inoculations by demographic group  areas such as El Paso County are missing up to 90 percent of that data.

Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

The missing data rates are at or below average in other metropolitan areas. Nearly half of the information is unknown in Bexar and Travis counties, while Dallas and Tarrant are each missing about 35 percent.

Asked why data collection issues have persisted throughout the pandemic, Van Deusen, the health department spokesman, noted that the state has been aggregating data generated and reported by other entities. But in the case of vaccine data, he said, we can and will make it a required field.

In Bastrop County, roughly 49 percent of race data is missing. Dr. Desmar Walkes, the county health authority, didnt know why but said the county has still been able to target the communities most affected by the virus by zeroing in on ZIP codes with the highest infection rates.

Now that were doing the vaccine rollout, were looking at where we can take our resources and protect not only the at-risk folks in the Black and brown communities but also protect our seniors and our first responders, Walkes said.

Its not clear how long it will take before the state is able to get a large enough set of reliable data to draw any conclusions on vaccine access by race. But Van Deusen said that information would not necessarily affect the current vaccination strategy because the majority of the states weekly allocation is going to the hubs.

Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

In the weeks since the state moved into Phase 1B of vaccine distribution, which opened up eligibility for Texans 65 and older and most people with preexisting conditions, the state has also made a significant effort to distribute the vaccine to underserved communities, he added. This week, dozens of community health centers and rural health clinics will receive allocations.

Through the hub strategy, local officials have been able to more successfully designate vaccination sites in underservedcommunities, said state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, who sent a letter to state health officials in January sharing concerns that vaccination sites were much less concentrated in areas that have a higher percentage of minority residents.

In San Antonio, two of the citys four vaccination hubs have been placed on the South and West sides to better serve the largely Hispanic population concentrated in those areas.

Going forward, Goodwin expects that the state may embrace mobile vaccination sites  a strategy it began piloting in five rural counties Thursday  to access harder-to-reach communities.

A lot of people are out there wanting us to use every tool in the toolbox, whether its a really large clinic at a community center or a mobile van going around through the neighborhoods, she said.

cayla.harris@express-news.net

loading.........

Malibu, CA, Feb 1, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Join Ellis Martin for an interview with Grant Ewing, CEO of Rockridge Resources ( CVE:ROCK ) ( OTCMKTS:RRRLF ). The company recently announced intersects of 2.5 g/t Au over 13.0m containing 9.6g/t Au over 2.0m and makes new gold discovery 250m West of Main Zone; assays pending for two additional holes.To view the interview, please visit:About Rockridge Resources Ltd

Rockridge Resources (CVE:ROCK) is a publicly traded mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral resource properties in Canada and other mining-friendly jurisdictions. The Company's Raney Gold Project is a high-grade gold exploration project located in the same greenstone belt that hosts the world-class Timmins and Kirkland Lake lode gold mining camps. The Company's Knife Lake Project is in Saskatchewan, which is ranked as the #3 mining jurisdiction in the world by the Fraser Institute. The project hosts the Knife Lake deposit, which is a VMS, near-surface copper-cobalt-gold-silver-zinc deposit open along strike and at depth. Rockridge's goal is to maximize shareholder value through new mineral discoveries, committed long-term partnerships, and the advancement of exploration projects in geopolitically favourable jurisdictions.
ADVERTISEMENT

A self-styled Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, has arrived Ogun State, saying he was visiting to expel problematic herdsmen from the state.

Mr Igboho was in the news recently for giving an ultimatum to herdsmen in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State to vacate the area and upon the expiration of the ultimatum, the home of the Seriki Fulani in the area was attacked.

Consequently, the Seriki Fulani, who said his house was destroyed and several cars parked within his compound burnt, fled the area for Kwara State with his family.

Mr Igboho, who arrived the state some hours ago, addressed journalists on his mission.

PREMIUM TIMES obtained a video of his interview in the state.

We are here in solidarity with our brothers and sisters. Fulani herders are killing us in various South-west states, and thats why we, the youths, came out to demand our rights, he said.

That is why I am saying all Fulani herdsmen should vacate Yoruba land. There is peace now in Igangan and thats not the only place I want peace to reign. We are going to all Yoruba land. I appreciate Ogun governor, he loves his people and thats why we are in Ogun State today.

We are going to Yewa now where Fulani kidnappers are terrorising Yorubas in Ogun State, he said in the short clip.

He also appreciated Yoruba indigenes for supporting him.

I have not seen any Yoruba person sabotaging my efforts because the current battle is a fight for all including Christians and Muslims, Mr Igboho said. We are all fighting. Thanks to the kings, and Nigerians in the diaspora.

Mr Igbohos visit to the state is coming days after he declared that Ogun State would be his next destination.

Moreover, Remmy Hazzan, the special adviser on public communications to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, told PUNCH newspaper last Saturday that Anybody who is hoping to help us with the security situation is welcome. Not only Sunday Igboho, whoever has what it takes to help us get security right is welcome in Ogun State.

There have been several reports of criminal activities carried out by herdsmen especially in the Ogun West senatorial district of the state.

However, under Nigerias laws, no citizen has the right to expel other citizens or residents from wherever they chose to live or do business in the country.
Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media file

NEW HAVEN  A city man shot recently on Plymouth Street has died of his injuries, New Haven police announced Monday.

Joseph Mattei, 29, was wounded on Plymouth Street at its intersection with Lamberton Street on Jan. 25, Capt. Anthony Duff said in an email. He died Friday after receiving treatment at a local hospital, Duff 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.
BioSpectrum brings to you the post-budget reactions of the pharma & healthcare industry

Soon after the Union Budget 2021-22 was presented by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman where she strongly positioned Health & Wellbeing as one of the 6 crucial pillars of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, industry's responses started pouring in.

BioSpectrum brings to you the post-budget reactions of the pharma & healthcare industry-

"I am happy to see the investment in healthcare increase to such a level because it has been long overdue."

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon, Bengaluru

----------

"Setting up of rural and urban health and wellness centres could be an opportunity to create a PPP model. The partnership-driven approach is a sure step for the entities to bring to these hospitals their inherent areas of strength, thus building a quality model of care. This also allows the private sector to take part in addressing the health needs of the country more effectively.

Overall, we feel that the budget is encouraging as it will strengthen access to healthcare in India. And we look forward to partnering with the government on the disease surveillance project and establishing innovative lab solutions for the healthier future of the country.

Narendra Varde, Managing Director, Roche Diagnostics India and Neighboring Market, Mumbai

------------

The FY22 Budget is in line to support recovery of Indian economy while keeping the overall policy stability and fiscal discipline in perspective. COVID 19 pandemic is an unprecedented time and has brought importance to healthcare in India. The focus on healthcare infrastructure in FY22 Budget is a positive step towards growth with a 137% increase in allocation to the sector at Rs 2,23,846 crore. All these initiatives are pointers to increased investment in healthcare infrastructure and will strengthen the sector going forward."

Sudarshan Jain, Secretary General, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, Mumbai

-----------

"Its a great step ahead, and far-reaching budget announcement, providing Rs 35,000 crore for Covid-19 vaccination in 2021-22. The Finance Minister commitment providing more funds in order to contain the Coronavirus pandemic spread in the country and provide an effective, smooth path for the vaccination scheme will help contain, and lead our nation towards accomplishing a covid-19 disease free Bharat. With this landmark budget the Government of India has signalled its intention to make health a cornerstone of the future success of our country. The allocation to vaccines signals a shift to preventive health care, a validation of the fact that vaccines are the most cost effective health care interventions."

Dr Krishna Ella, Chairman & Managing Director, Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad

-----------

"On innovation and R&D, the additional allocation of Rs 50,000 crore over five years through the National Research Foundation marks a good beginning in improving the research eco-system in the country."

Satish Reddy, Chairman, Dr Reddys Laboratories, Hyderabad

------------

"It is very encouraging to see the focus on healthcare in the budget and a 137 percent increase in outlay in healthcare and wellness over last year. There appears to be an integrated attention to epidemiology, diagnostics and treatment at all levels including district and blocks."

Charu Sehgal, Partner and Leader, Lifesciences and Healthcare, Deloitte India, Gurugram

-------------

"The ground-breaking focus on health which will provide access to medical care for all in our country, fuel job creation and boost economic momentum.

Indias efforts in managing the pandemic have been exemplary  our frontline workers and scientists have been working tirelessly to save lives and develop indigenous vaccines. Now the allocation of Rs. 35,000 crores for COVID-19 vaccines and more if required, makes our glorious nation stand tall as a model for the world.

We must now look at the next crisis of Non Communicable Diseases, which will be responsible for 80% of deaths and cause a 3.8 trillion USD burden to the country by 2030. It is important to focus on prevention, early detection and possible cure to protect Indian families from grief, financial burden and to help the GDP grow. India having proven its clinical excellence, should now focus on clinical trials, research, innovation and technology. There is potential for India to become the largest global health technology center. As an additional opportunity, India can generate employment and be a healthcare service provider for the world.

Dr Prathap C Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, Chennai

----------

"We are happy to see the alignment with the 6 pillars defined in the budget and wish to partner with the government and other players to strengthen and bring to reality the newly launched Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojna. We continue our promise to be a partner to the governments effort for a self-reliant India especially during early intervention in the areas of mother & child, cardiology, oncology and trauma & stroke.

Dr Shravan Subramanyam, Managing Director, Wipro GE Healthcare, Bengaluru

-----------

"The union budget has given a substantial increase to bolster the healthcare sector in India. Rs 35000 cr for COVID-19 vaccine and the commitment to the pneumococcal vaccine to be rolled out nationwide to avert child deaths is a massive boost. A well spent allocation of Rs 64,000 cr under the new Atmanirbhar Swasthya Bharat Yojana scheme will show significant results thus labelling #healthyindia as an encouraging effort. And, the infrastructural push will certainly create many more skilled jobs revitalizing the overall ecosystem.

Sanjiv Navangul, MD & CEO, Bharat Serums and Vaccines, Mumbai

-----------

"Making specific funds available for the vaccination for COVID-19 as well as pneumococcal will help to combat the pandemic and save precious lives. It is really encouraging that the government is trying to promote the growth of hospital infrastructure through PPP mode."

Dr K Anand Kumar MD, Indian Immunologicals, Hyderabad

---------------

"A record total outlay of Rs 2,23,846 crore for health and wellbeing aimed to boost the health and well-being of the nation, is also a well-thought announcement in this budget, with focus on preventive, and curative health. Its encouraging to note the creation of 9 Bio Safety Lab-III (BSL-3) in this Budget, that will boost research & scientific discoveries."

Suchitra Ella, Joint Managing Director, Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad

------------

"Healthcare in India is at the cusp of transformation. Advancements in biotechnology, smart medicines, virtual & augmented reality, AI & IoT in healthcare are likely to gain momentum. This calls for patient-focused healthcare ecosystem wherein community health, mental health and other such critical areas are properly represented. The Governments focus on self-reliance, especially with the attention on scaling production capabilities of vaccines and other medicines, demonstrates its commitment to build a healthy India. While 2020 has accelerated the foundation for a digital transformation and innovation of the healthcare system, 2021 will support in further widening access and increasing digital inclusion in the remotest corners of the country.

Having said this, there is a need to further bolster the research and innovation ecosystem in the country in order to ensure that Indian patients receive new treatments and cures. An increased collaboration between stakeholders from industry, academia, governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), regulators and patients organizations is essential to promote a robust research framework which recognizes and rewards innovation.

Rehan A Khan, Managing Director- India Region, MSD, Mumbai

--------------

"The proposals made in the Budget 21-22, would make quality healthcare accessible and affordable, besides standardizing healthcare infrastructure across the country. We await the on ground implementation and operational details of the scheme now.

Dr Alok Roy, Chair, FICCI, Health Services Committee and Chairman Medica Group of Hospitals, Kolkata

------------

Healthcare spend is proposed to more than double and this will help in rolling out the vaccination program as well as strengthen the delivery system and build better capability and capacity to combat any future pandemics. India is rolling out the world's second largest vaccination program and the Government has provided for almost $5 billion in the next year's budget to make it happen. Besides curative care the focus on preventive and well being will usher in a more holistic approach to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Dr Rana Mehta, Partner and Leader Healthcare, PwC India, Gurugram

-------------

"The governments increased allocation and initiatives addressing key aspects related to the healthcare sector are laudable. Adding impetus to a preventive care model was the need of the hour. Over 60% of Indias population is under the age of 35 years yet the disease burden remains acute. Under the new schemes proposed, the mortality rates in India could be significantly reduced if awareness programs, preventive health check-ups and early-detection are prioritised and access to health care till the last mile is improved.

The proposal to increase the permissible Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in the insurance sector is also a step in the right direction. If passed, the additional capital inflow and activity can provide a further boost to the industry to drive insurance penetration. As awareness grows, we believe we will also see more innovative services that will strike a balance of improving accessibility and medical outcomes, while at the same time help to lower out of pocket costs and reduce medical cost inflation. All stakeholders in the healthcare and insurance should join forces on this mission of ensuring sustainable care for all.

Sigal Atzmon, Founder and CEO, Medix Global, UK

----------

On the flip side

While many industry players are calling the Union Budget 2021-22 a progressive and ambitious one, others are raising their doubts and disappointments-

138% increase in healthcare expenditure is good and shall boost health infrastructure. However, there should have been more allocation than Rs 50k cr (in 5 yrs) for research & innovation.

Ravindra Boratkar, President, Maharashtra Economic Development Council, Nagpur

----------

"The Indian Medical Device Industry is disappointed not to notice any changes in custom duty as done for other sectors and are very hopeful that the fine print of the Union Budget would have possibly acted upon our recommendations on a Predictable Tariff Policy for a Make in India push for Phased Manufacturing Plan for Components and Finished Medical Devices and allocations for Testing infrastructure as well as for Med Tech Parks and Cluster developments. Supporting Policies are needed so that Indian Medical Devices Industry can make quality healthcare accessible and affordable for common masses, aim to place India among the Top 5 Medical Devices manufacturing hubs worldwide and help end the 85% import dependence forced upon us and an ever increasing import bill of over Rs 42000 Crore.

Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator, Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD), New Delhi

-----------

"India's health challenges are huge and require a high degree of collaboration between the public and private health sectors to improve healthcare access, increase insurance cover, bring down out of pocket expenses and ensure a good supply of new innovative drugs. The Indian pharmaceutical industry needs strong incentive to invest in making India a pharma research hub for the country and the world."

Suresh Pattathil, MD, Allergan India, Bengaluru

-------------

"Healthcare budget increase is a great move by the government. Especially like the move away from sick care to a more holistic well being with a focus on preventive care. However the proof of the pudding will lie in implementation which hasnt been great in the past. Would love to see how the government thinks of accountability and non performance."

Karan Chopra, Co-Founder, Doc On Call, New Delhi

-----------

"Though, it must be admitted that the government has re-shifted its focus on healthcare in this budget, but considering the rapid integration of digital technology into healthcare, no major developments around digital healthcare or telemedicine was announced."

Vikram Thaploo, CEO, Apollo Telehealth, Hyderabad

-------------

"The budget focuses on improving healthcare services in a holistic manner tackling prevention and treatment, as also primary, secondary, and tertiary care. However, some areas have not been addressed in the budget. There were expectations regarding additional tax incentives on insurance premiums for senior citizens, providing deductions for R&D expenditure to encourage innovation, measures to encourage and expand insurance coverage to missing middle classes, etc. These additional initiatives could have accelerated sectoral development making Indian healthcare stronger. The government, with limited resources, has tried to balance long-term infrastructure and capability development along with immediate needs such as vaccination."

Ravindranath Menon, Senior Business Adviser, APAC Healthcare, SKP Group, Bengaluru

------------

"The Union Budget announcement with an increased 137% in the Healthcare budget is a very progressive and bold move, especially for the recovery and economic growth of the nation. It will be much appreciated by the rural and also the urban population alike. This is considering GOIs intent on borrowing instead of raising taxes on high-income individuals and substantially investing in the Health infra sector. I was expecting that this budget would focus on personal health insurance adoption that would necessitate mandating health insurance subscription for every voter in the country. I hope that in the future, they revisit this policy and help reduce the burden and out of pocket expense of the common man."

Dr G. Surender Rao, Managing Director, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad

-------------

"On the taxation side, the government did not meet the expectations of the industry which looked forward to tax benefits on R&D investments in pharma and lower GST for life-saving drugs."

Parvathavardhini Natarajan, Associate Director, Ratings, Chennai

--------------
MONTREAL - As Canada's airlines suspend flights to Mexico and the Caribbean, U.S. carriers including Delta Air Lines and American Airlines say they have no plans to stop offering service to sun destinations, raising questions about both the business fallout for domestic airlines and the measure's effectiveness for slowing the spread of COVID-19.

A plane is seen through the window on the tarmac of Vancouver International Airport as the waiting room is empty Tuesday, June 9, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

MONTREAL - As Canada's airlines suspend flights to Mexico and the Caribbean, U.S. carriers including Delta Air Lines and American Airlines say they have no plans to stop offering service to sun destinations, raising questions about both the business fallout for domestic airlines and the measure's effectiveness for slowing the spread of COVID-19.

Canadian airlines have already been losing market share over the last several months to foreign carriers, said Mike McNaney, president and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada. Now, however, the only routes available to certain destinations will be aboard foreign airlines selling flights with stopovers in U.S. cities.

"We assume the government is also engaging foreign operators on this issue to ensure we are all taking the same concerted approach," McNaney said. Transport Canada didn't respond to a request for comment.

Canadians flying out of major cities will still be able to book trips to Mexico and the Caribbean as normal, provided they are willing to stop over at another airport. American and Delta, for example, are selling tickets for flights from Toronto to Cancun, with passengers connecting through U.S. cities such as Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., and Philadelphia, an online search shows.

American Airlines said Monday that it had no schedule changes to share. Delta said it would suspend its flight from Minneapolis to Winnipeg as of Feb. 3, in keeping with government restrictions limiting which airports can receive international flights, but planned to continue its scheduled service to Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that Canadian airlines had agreed to suspend flights to Mexico and the Caribbean until April 30, in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Canada. The prime minister announced the suspensions along with stricter measures aimed at reducing international travel, including a requirement that entrants to Canada quarantine in a hotel at their own expense.

On Monday, Bloc Quebecois transport critic Xavier Barsalou-Duval highlighted the fact that U.S. airlines were still offering flights from Canada to sun destinations, saying in a statement that the latest round of suspensions put Canadian companies at a disadvantage.

Asked why Canadian airlines suspended routes while American carriers continue to operate flights to the same destinations, WestJet spokeswoman Morgan Bell said Transport Canada would have to clarify.

"Recognizing that air travel represents less than two per cent of the transmission of COVID, the government asked us to stop flying to these destinations out of an abundance of caution, and we agreed," Bell said.

The new restrictions were announced weeks after Canada implemented a requirement that all air passengers travelling to Canada produce evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure.

The testing mandate caused an immediate drop in flight bookings, airlines said, leading to additional layoffs. With the latest restrictions, experts say they expect further layoffs, along with potential bankruptcies, if government aid for the sector doesn't materialize.

The suspensions of flights to sun destinations will cost Air Canada, the country's largest carrier, around $200 million in lost revenue between now and April 30, industry analyst John Gradek said.

The flights that Canadian airlines continue to offer include transatlantic and transpacific routes along which carriers transport cargo, a business that has become increasingly important to airlines' bottom lines as revenue from passenger sales dries up.

U.S. airlines such as Delta and American have received tens of billions of dollars in federal aid since the start of the pandemic. The government stimulus passed by the U.S. Congress in March 2020 included US$25 billion in payroll support for the industry, US$25 billion in loans for passenger airlines and more than US$10 billion in grants and loans for cargo airlines and aviation contractors.

Airlines in Canada, meanwhile, have been in negotiations with the government for months about the terms of a sector-specific aid package, with Ottawa saying that any federal funding for airlines would be contingent on their issuing full refunds to passengers who had their flights cancelled during the pandemic.

The Canada Enterprise Emergency Funding Corp. says it has agreed to give Sunwing Vacations Inc. and Sunwing Airlines Inc. access to $375 million to protect jobs in Canada's airline sector.

The Crown agency said Sunwing has agreed to maintain an account with money received from customers for travel that was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic until broader discussions with the airline industry conclude.

It said other applications for financing are under consideration but that rigorous due diligence and collaboration of existing lenders is required to protect the financial interests of taxpayers.

Emergency financing of at least $60 million is open to large Canadian employers with more than $300 million of annual revenues.

Canada's airlines have received hundreds of millions of dollars in aid from the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, a federal spending program that helps cover a portion of companies' payroll costs during the pandemic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2021.

Companies in this story: (TSX:AC)
Myanmar's military deposed the civilian government of the Southeast Asian nation early Monday, detaining civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior politicians in predawn raids and announcing on army-owned television that it plans to control the country for a year. The military on Saturday had denied speculation it was planing a coup.

The military said in its statement that it is invoking part of the constitution, written by the military in 2008, that allows for military control in times of national emergency, one of the emergencies cited being the failure of the civilian government to take more seriously the military's claims of voter fraud in last November's election. Myanmar's national election commission said there is no evidence of widespread voter fraud, and the military has provided no proof for its allegations.

Kuu Ky's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won the November election in a landslide, capturing 396 of 476 seats in both chambers of Parliament, though the 2008 constitution reserves 25 percent of seats in Parliament and three key Cabinet ministries for members of the military. The new Parliament was set to meet for the first time on Monday.

The U.S., United Nations, Australia, and other nations condemned the military takeover. "The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the country's democratic transition," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Sunday night, using Myanmar's former name. "The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed." President Biden has been briefed on the situation, Psaki said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also issued a statement saying Washington stands with the people of Myanmar and their "aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development."

TV, phone service, and internet were spotty or down in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw, and the main financial center, Yangon, on Monday, and solders were seen around Yangon's city hall and internet and phone service providers, Reuters said. An NLD spokesman, Myo Nyunt, told several Western news organizations that Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other senior party leaders had been taken at gunpoint at about 4 a.m., and he predicted he would also be detained soon. Suu Kyi has indirectly governed Myanmar since the military allowed free election in 2015, after five decades of military rule.

More stories from theweek.com

Biden has to choose whether to replace Trump's inspectors general, especially 1 pushed in by McConnell

Rise of the Barstool conservatives

'Watch Me (Whip-Nae Nae)' rapper Silento charged with murder in Atlanta


A Russian court has placed Kira Yarmysh, the press secretary of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, under house arrest until March 23 as a "restraining measure."

The Basmanny district court on February 1 approved the measure as requested by Russia's Investigative Committee, saying Yarmysh had violated health and safety measures enacted to stem the spread of the coronavirus by calling for mass protests to support the Kremlin critic and anti-corruption campaigner.

Yarmysh and several other Navalny associates were originally detained on January 21 and charged with calling for the unsanctioned rallies on January 23. On January 22, a court ruled she should be held in jail for nine days.

Oleg Navalny, Aleksei's brother; Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK); and Oleg Stepanov, the coordinator of Navalny's Moscow headquarters, have already been placed under house arrest until March 23 on similar charges.

Navalny was arrested on January 17 -- and later sent to pretrial detention -- upon his arrival from Germany, where he was treated for a poison attack in Siberia in August 2020, for which he has blamed the Kremlin. The Kremlin has denied any involvement.

Navalny was charged with violating probation related to an embezzlement case that he has called politically motivated.

A court will hold a hearing on February 2 to hear arguments on whether to change Navalny's suspended 3 1/2-year sentence, which ended on December 31, into real jail time.

Navalnys team called for mass rallies across Russia on January 23 to protest his arrest and detention.

Tens of thousands heeded the call and took to the streets across the country, and then again on January 31.

Police have cracked down on the protesters, detaining thousands of them -- sometimes using brutal force -- on both days.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, today (February 1) reviewed the final preparations of the Emirates Mars Mission team as the Hope probe is a few days away from arriving to Mars orbit in the first-ever Arab interplanetary mission.

During the meeting, Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairperson of the UAE Space Agency, presented the last stages of the Hope probes journey, leading up to its expected arrival to the Red Planets orbit on February 9.

Hailing the mission, both leaders called upon the public in the UAE and across the region to celebrate the historic mission that represents the Arab worlds breakthrough in space exploration.

Sheikh Mohammed said: We are 9 days away from making history with our arrival to Mars.

The UAE has led the Arab world to new frontiers in deep space for the first time in history. Our space mission carries a message of hope and confidence in Arab youth, he stated.

He stressed that the "probe had a 50% chance of successfully entering Mars orbit, but we have achieved 90% of our goals behind this historic project."

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said the Emirates Mars Mission embodies the aspirations that distinguish your country and reflects our leading status in the Arab and Islamic world. "Through our journey to Mars, we will explore new horizons towards a better future," he stated.

The probes successful arrival to Mars will make the UAE the sixth nation in the world to reach the Red Planet after the US, Soviet Union, China, the European Space Agency and India, and the third to achieve the feat in the first attempt.

Besides the UAEs Hope probe, China and US are leading exploration missions set to reach the Red Planet this month.

The UAEs arrival to Mars was the dream of the late UAE founder Sheikh Zayed. Our investment in the human capital proved worthwhile as we see our youth capable of reaching the stars, remarked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed.

"We are proud of our people and we look forward to making a historic contribution to serve humanity," he said at the meeting.

It was attended by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council and President of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre; Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; and Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, National Security Adviser.

The Hope probes complex maneuver on Feb. 9 will be the most critical part of the mission that will see the spacecraft rapidly reducing its speed from 121,000km/h to 18,000km/h to enter Mars orbit.

Upon arriving to Mars after travelling 493 million km in a seven-month journey since its launch on July 20, 2020 from Tanegashima Island in Japan, the probe will provide the first-ever complete picture of the Martian atmosphere.
tech2 News Staff

Xiaomi says on Sunday it has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the former Trump administration's last-minute blacklisting of the electronics giant. Xiaomi said it filed the appeal with a Washington federal court Friday after former president Donald Trump's administration barred investment in the firm, saying the Beijing-headquartered company was a part of the Chinese military. Xiaomi said it "believes that the decision ... was factually incorrect and has deprived the company of legal due process."

"With a view to protect the interest of its global users, partners, employees and shareholders, Xiaomi Corporation has filed proceedings in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia against the Department of Defense and Department of Treasury of the United States, for listing the company as Communist Chinese Military Company," the statement added.

Just six days before Trump left office, his officials made a series of announcements targeting Xiaomi and other Chinese firms including state oil giant CNOOC and embattled social media favourite TikTok.

Xiaomi  which overtook Apple last year to become the world's third-largest smartphone manufacturer  was one of nine firms the Pentagon classified as "Communist Chinese military companies." As per the executive order signed by Trump, after the ban, US investors had to divest their stakes in Chinese companies on the military list by November 2021.

The measure was seen as an attempt to cement Trump's trade war legacy with China after four years of turbulent relations with Beijing.

The blacklisting means US investors cannot buy Xiaomi securities.

The company's stock price dropped more than 10 percent following the blacklisting.

With inputs from AFP
The construction of the international airport in the Fuzuli region liberated from occupation, the foundation of which was laid by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on January 15, is underway, Vice-President of Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Etibar Huseynov told the correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, who visited the construction site.

The airport is being built near the village of Mirzajamalli liberated during the Second Karabakh war. Along the road to the future airport, one can observe only the ruins of houses in the villages, completely destroyed by the invaders from the Armenian Armed Forces during the three decades of the Karabakh conflict. Immediately after the end of the war Azerbaijan launched a large-scale program for the restoration of the region.



According to Etibar Huseynov, the airport is being built in accordance with the decree of the President of Azerbaijan. "The length of the runway will be 3 km, width - 45 m. The area of the terminal complex is 60 thousand square meters, the parking lot will be adapted for various types of aircraft. The airport will have taxiways for which an area of 6.5 thousand square meters and 5 thousand square meters will be allocated. The parking lot is designed for 120 cars," he said.



The airport construction site will be demined. "The demining operations are carried out by specialists from the Ministry of Defense, ANAMA, as well as UK experts. They use special equipment to demine the territory. In order to speed up the process, the UK AARDVARK companys demining equipment was purchased and delivered to the territory allotted for the airport. As soon as this work is completed, construction of the runway will begin," the vice president of AZAL said.

The airport is expected to be commissioned by the end of this year.
Planning Minister Rob Stokes says major political challenges have hampered the NSW government in setting up a levy or tax on land values that skyrocket as a direct result of infrastructure projects.

Mr Stokes agreed that some of the uplift in land values due to government-funded projects  such as Sydneys second airport at Badgerys Creek  should go toward paying for the infrastructure required to support the extra development.

Giant scrapers undertake major earthworks on the airport site at Badgerys Creek. Credit:Kate Geraghty

With the NSW government spending $107 billion on infrastructure over four years, a so-called value capture mechanism has often been touted as a way for the state to help fund projects by recouping some of the windfall gains made by landowners.

It is the holy grail but, like the holy grail, it has eluded discovery, Mr Stokes said.
(UroToday.com) The third renal cancer session at the 2021 European Association of Urology (EAU) Section of Oncological Urology (ESOU) Virtual Annual Meeting focused on the management of patients with advanced and metastatic disease. In this session, Dr. Holger Moch presented on the histological classification and immunophenotyping of renal tumors.



Dr. Moch began by discussing the 2016 World Health Organization (WHO) classification of malignant epithelial renal tumors, of which there are 14 types, despite the fact that clinical practice focused on clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe.

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the predominant subtype clinically and thus forms the preponderance of disease treated on trials. Dr. Moch highlighted that differing phenotypes of these tumors (hypervascular, immunogenic, and metabolic) lend differing sensitivity to a variety of systemic therapy approaches. The remaining non-clear-cell subtypes have many fewer evidence-based treatment options.



Dr. Moch emphasized that there are no predictive biomarkers in renal cell carcinoma. However, there is significant ongoing work (including the TRACERx Renal study) to define tumor types based on their driver events. Further work has similarly supported molecularly subtyping of advanced renal cell carcinoma into seven groups on the basis of transcriptomics, somatic alterations, and PD-L1 expression. Based on their characteristics, some tumors are expected to respond best to immune checkpoint inhibition while others are expected to respond best to anti-angiogenic treatments. Work from Brugarolas and colleagues demonstrated underlying driver mutations associated with these subtypes.



Dr. Moch then posed the question of how we can stratify patients who will benefit from novel immunotherapeutic approaches. Moving forward, he suggested that pathologists will likely be able to provide further detail in order to guide treatment decision making.





In particular, he emphasized that patients with non-inflamed (or immune-desert) tumors are not expected to benefit from checkpoint inhibition. Thus, a more detailed pathologic assessment may allow for more targeted patient treatment recommendations.



In addition to this characterization of the tumor, Dr. Moch discussed the role of imaging mass cytometry to characterize the tumor microenvironment. Based on work led by Dr. Bodenmiller, 17 different tumor-associated macrophage phenotypes were identified in patients with ccRCC. These different phenotypes have both prognostic information and are associated with differential response to treatment.



Dr. Moch highlighted that the large bulk of data presents a difficult job for those attempting to create a unified, yet comprehensible, classification schema. Given the genomic heterogeneity of morphologically similar tumors, he suggested that molecularly-defined renal cell carcinoma may be the way forward.



Presented by: Holger Moch, MD, Professor of Pathology, Chairman of the Institute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland



Written by: Christopher J.D. Wallis, MD, PhD, FRCSC, Instructor in Urology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, Twitter: @WallisCJD during the 18th Meeting of the EAU Section of Oncological Urology (ESOU21), January 29-31, 2021
Cardinal Pietro Parolin leaves Bamenda after preaching peace Reserved

The Vaticans Secretary of State ended his two-day trip to Cameroons northwestern town of Bamenda on Sunday after preaching a sermon of peace in a region blighted by clashes between government forces and armed separatists.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin jetted into Bamenda on Saturday in the heart of a lockdown imposed by separatists. When he flew out of Bamenda on Sunday, he had delivered his message of peace, dialogue, and reconciliation to the population and authorities.

Cardinal Pietro Parolins visit to Cameroon runs from January 28 to February 3. The Vatican Secretary of State met with President Paul Biya on Friday, shortly after a meeting with Bishops.

I had a cordial conversation with Vaticans Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin who delivered a message of peace from His Holiness Pope Francis, President Biya said.

Local media in Cameroon had reported that the cardinal will likely use his visit to work towards the resolution of the dispute known as the Anglophone crisis raging in the minority English-speaking North West and South West Regions.

Coming out of his meeting with President Biya, Cardinal Pietro Parolin said relations between the Vatican and Cameroon are cordial. He said they discussed a number of issues including the crisis in the troubled North West and South West Regions.

His words: It is a message of peace. We talked especially about the situation in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon. I assured the President of the willingness of the Catholic Church and of the bishops of the troubled regions to give a contribution to a solution to this conflict.

We are looking for reconciliation and peace especially in this president situation where there are many other crises including COVID-19. It is important to achieve peace. It is the only condition to grow and achieve sustainable development everywhere.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived Bamenda on Saturday and held a meeting with bishops and priests of the ecclesiastical province. On Sunday, he celebrated a Holy Mass that saw the imposition of the pallium on His Grace Andrew Fuanya Nkea, Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bamenda.

In his message in Bamenda, Cardinal Parolin asked separatist fighters to drop their arms. He went on to recommend dialogue, and reconciliation as solutions to the Anglophone crisis.

Both the Holy See and the local Church have appealed for dialogue to end the strife. One of the Catholic leaders who has played an active role in seeking a resolution is Cardinal Christian Tumi, who was kidnapped by gunmen in Cameroons Northwest Region on November 5, 2020.

A video published on social media showed the 90-year-old cardinal calmly responding as one of his captors confronted him about his calls for separatist fighters in Cameroon to lay down their arms. To this, the cardinal responded: I will preach what is the truth with pastoral conviction and biblical conviction.

Nobody has the right to tell me to preach the contrary because I was called by God, Cardinal Tumi said. His kidnappers released him on November 6.

When gunmen attacked Mother Francisca International Bilingual Academy, a school in Kumba in Cameroons Southwest region, on October 24 and opened fire on students in a classroom. Seven students aged 10 to 14 were killed.

Pope Francis prayed on October 28 that the tormented regions of the northwest and southwest of [Cameroon] may finally find peace.

Cardinal Parolin leaves Cameroon on Wednesday.
Anti-vaccine activists have been having a field day with the myth that COVID-19 immunizations cause infertility.

There is zero evidence to support this canard, but it has caught on because it has the thinnest veneer of scientific plausibility, plus a coincidental echo in a science fiction miniseries.

The co-originator of the myth is Wolfgang Wodarg, a German politician and physician who left medical practice in 1994. He was the prime mover in 2010 behind cries that the swine flu pandemic was fake and that drug companies had used the crisis to squander money on inefficient vaccine strategies that exposed people to insufficiently tested vaccines, as an article in the journal Nature reported.

In December, Wodarg and a former Pfizer employee petitioned the European Medicines Agency  Europes version of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration  to delay approval of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech. They speculated that because the vaccine triggers disease-fighting antibodies to the coronavirus spike protein, it might trigger an immune response against a protein called syncytin-1, which is involved in the formation of the human placenta. No placenta means no pregnancy, which means infertility.

The spike protein and syncytin-1 have a tiny bit of genetic code that is the same, but even Wodargs petition says there is no indication whether antibodies against spike proteins of [coronaviruses] would also act like anti-syncytin-1 antibodies.

The idea that the vaccine would do that is wrong for several reasons.

As Jill Foster, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota, told WebMD, the spike protein and the placental protein are about as similar as two different 10-digit phone numbers, each containing a 7.

Besides, if the vaccine could trigger an immune response against the placental protein, so could an actual COVID-19 infection. That, in turn, would mean millions of women of childbearing age around the world who suffered COVID-19 over the past year are suddenly unable to have children.

Theres no evidence that this pandemic has changed fertility patterns, Paul Offit, a Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia pediatrician and vaccine expert who advises the FDA, told WebMD.

 READ MORE: If youre pregnant, heres what you need to know about getting vaccinated against COVID-19

That didnt stop anti-vaccine groups from posting disinformation on social media. Head of Pfizer Research: Covid vaccine is female sterilization, declares a post flagged by Facebook as false.

The FDA has cleared both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for use in women of childbearing age. Although pregnant women were not included in the vaccine trials, a few dozen women who participated in the trials became pregnant. They continued in the trials with no safety problems.

The pandemic vaccination-causes-infertility notion was a plot device in Utopia, an Amazon Prime miniseries that was canceled after its first season.

Near the end of the shows first season, released in late September, the biotech chief executive Dr. Kevin Christie (John Cusack), who created the bogus vaccine and is also a secret human trafficker, finally reveals his master plan: His vaccine is designed to make people infertile in order to radically reduce the worlds population, says a New York Times review. In Christies view, humans are the real virus, wiping out other creatures, and hes convincing enough to make one of the shows crusading characters join his mad cult.

The United States along with the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the High Representative of the European Union, are united in condemning the politically motivated arrest and detention of prominent Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. The G7 Foreign Ministers called for the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Navalny, who was arrested shortly after his return to Russia from Germany.

In a written statement, the G7 members also expressed deep concern over the detention of thousands of peaceful protesters and journalists, and call[ed] upon Russia to adhere to its national and international obligations and release those detained arbitrarily for exercising their right of peaceful assembly on 23 January.

The violent suppression by police forces of the right of individuals to express their opinion is unacceptable. These events confirm a continuous negative pattern of shrinking space for the opposition, civil society, human rights defenders, and independent voices in Russia, said the G7 statement.

Mr. Navalny was nearly killed in August 2020 in an assassination attempt using a nerve agent of the Novichok group, a chemical weapon developed by the Soviet Union. The G7 Foreign Ministers reiterated that any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable and contravenes international norms against the use of such weapons. We. . .again urge the Russian authorities to investigate and credibly explain the use of a chemical weapon on its soil in the light of Russias obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The use of chemical weapons against an opposition politician, as well as Mr. Navalnys latest detention, further undermine democracy, independent voices, and political plurality in Russia. The G7 urged Russia to fulfill its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to guarantee the rights it sets forth, including the right to freedom of expression, to all individuals within its territory and jurisdiction.

The United States and its G7 partners remain strongly committed to the Chemical Weapons Convention, and to our support for democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Russia, as well as to bolstering our support to Russian civil society.
There have been 10 further coronavirus related deaths and 1,062 more cases, the Department of Health confirmed today.

This brings the total number of cases in the country to 197,553 and the total number of Covid-19 related fatalities to 3,317.

All 10 deaths occurred in January. The median age of those who died is 79 years and the age range is 45-101 years.

Of the cases notified today, 506 are men while 546 are women with 57pc of cases under 45 years of age. The median age is 41 years old.

There were 335 cases reported in Dublin, 137 in Cork, 73 in Wexford, 58 in Galway, 54 in Kildare and the remaining 405 cases are spread across all other counties.

Read More

As of 2pm today, 1,436 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 207 are in ICU. There were 38 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

CMO Dr Tony Holohan said that while there has been a significant improvement in incidence over the past weeks, he is concerned that it appears to be slowing down at much too high a level of infection.

He added: People need to take real care in any setting in which they come into contact with others.

In particular, workplaces and retail settings need to review their existing protocols and ensure that their staff and customers are protected as much as possible.

Given the prevalence of the B117 variant and how infectious it is, it is extremely important that people take all preventative measures possible, including staying home.

Deputy CMO Dr Ronan Glynn said workplaces are coming through consistently as a place where people who caught the virus say they might have let their guard down.

He added: In the context of the so called British variant, which we know is more transmissible, the reality is that every time we now drop our guard its likely to have greater consequences then when we previously would have dropped our guard a couple of months ago.

So, it becomes all the more important that employers and employees do all they can to keep one another safe.

At tonights Nphet briefing, Dr Glynn said there has been 29 outbreaks across workplaces in the past week.

These outbreaks were in a range of different settings including construction, manufacturing and food processing.

Whats coming through clearly is that people are acquiring (the virus) in their workplaces, maybe not particularly large outbreaks but workplaces are coming through consistently as an area where people are saying they maybe let their guard drop a little bit.

Now is not the time to be going into the workplace unless you really have to.

This comes as Taoiseach Micheal Martin warned that non-essential retail is unlikely to reopen after March 5 when current restrictions are due to be lifted.

The country is due to exit Level 5 at that point. However, Mr Martin said he was committed to the prolonged suppression of the virus.

The Government will be having a series of meetings over the next while to deal with the medium-term situation," he said.

However, he stressed that he saw education and construction as immediate priorities, and he said the Government would look at other sectors.

But I do not see a major reopening after March 5 quite yet, Mr Martin said on This Week on RTE Radio 1 yesterday.

A lot will depend on the numbers. We need to be conservative, and we need to be cautious in terms of what we do on March 5.

Hospitality would likely have to wait longer, for a wider vaccination of the population, he said, adding that he had been straight with people on the roll-out.

Ireland is down around 300,000 doses as a result of that vaccine companys announcement that it will not be able to fully meet its contractual obligations to the EU.

The country was expected to receive 1.1 million doses in the immediate weeks ahead, instead of an expected 1.4 million, Mr Martin said.

He added: Were hoping that we can make up some of that.
Jerusalem: Israel has deployed an elite unit of Arabic and Persian-speaking social media influencers to build friendships with Muslim countries and warn them about the dangers of Iran.

The digital bunker, based inside the governments foreign affairs headquarters, is staffed by a team of young polyglots who have built up millions of followers on social media websites Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

It follows Israels recent normalisation treaties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, which have created a fresh wave of optimism about Jews and Muslims coexisting in the Middle East.

The social media unit has increased its output by 20 per cent since the Abraham Accords were signed, and garnered more than 800m page views this year - nearly double the figure in 2019.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1) -- It might be a relief to consumers but the approved price ceiling on pork and chicken products could also be a burden to hog and poultry raisers.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 124, which imposes a price ceiling of 270 per kilo for kasim and pigue, 300 per kilo for liempo, and 160 per kilogram for dressed chicken sold in Metro Manila for 60 days.

The Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines lamented the Department of Agricultures failure to consult with hog raisers before coming up with the recommended price ceiling.

Malinaw na siya ay naglagay ng presyo, nirekomenda kay Presidente ng walang consultation sa amin. Iyon ang nakakalungkot, lahat ng solusyon para sa problema, parusa sa amin, PPFP vice president Nicanor Briones Briones said.

[Translation: Its clear that he put up the price and recommended it to the President without consulting us. Thats the sad truth, all the supposed solutions to our problems are hurting us.]

During a Senate hearing, Senator Kiko Pangilinan said based on data he gathered, pork was being sold for at least P400 per kilo in January.

Ang impact of the spiraling prices of meat and other food cuts across all sectors and strikes us in the very core. Sabi nga nila 'pagka tayo ay nasaktan, okay lang 'pag malayo sa bituka. Pero ito, swak sa sikmura (As they say, if we get hurt, its okay if its far from the stomach. But this one hits straight to the gut), he said.

On the other hand, Agriculture Secretary William Dar believes traders and wholesalers are manipulating the prices of pork in the market. He said the cost of producing a hog is only around P105 per kilo.

Itong farmgate prices 132-185. Pagdating sa merkado, 400 pataas. Sino nagma-manipulate, nagpo-profiteering dito? Its the biyahero, its the wholesalers thats making this killing, Dar said.

[Translation: The farmgate prices are around 132-185. But when it reaches the market, it reaches 400 and up. Who is manipulating and profiting from this? Its the wholesalers who are making a killing.]

Hog raisers were quick to protest the price ceiling. The PPFP said the current farmgate price of pork is at around P180 per kilo, contrary to Dar's claim.

The National Federation of Hog Farmers, Inc. explained that some retailers had to increase the markup on their pork products after the African Swine Fever hit many parts of the country.

Some retailers also had to increase their risk cost from 5 to 10 percent, to 30 to 40 percent.

Bakit kailangan may allowance? (Why is there a need for an allowance?) To encourage stakeholders to continue the business, said NFHFIs Chester Warren Yeotan.

He added that some retailers and wholesalers are now opting to sell less products -- but their other expenses remain the same.

Iyong wet market po, dati nagbebenta ng sampung ulo, nagiging lima. But my expenses, rental is the same. Kaya sa wet market, dadagdagan ko po talaga margin as a businessman Yeotan said.

[Translation: In wet markets, they used to sell ten heads but now they only sell five. But my expenses, rental is the same. So in a wet market, I would really need to add a margin as a businessman.]

Even poultry raisers are crying foul over the price ceiling.

The United Broilers and Raisers Association said farm inputs and even the price of chicks are at an all-time high.

Kung hindi kami kikita dahil sa price freeze, walang mag-aalaga sa mahal ng inputs. All-time high ang presyo ng sisiw, ngayon lang naging P50 ang sisiw, said UBRA chairperson Gregorio San Diego.

[Translation: If we cannot earn because of the price freeze, no one will raise poultry because of the high inputs. The price of chicks is at an all-time high at P50.]

Meanwhile, Pangilinan said the DA should intensify its monitoring of market prices.

He said some traders are taking advantage of the situation because no permit has yet been revoked nor anyone investigated and suspended for illegal activities.

CNN Philippines' correspondent Joyce Ilas contributed to this report
A bottle and pills of hydroxychloroquine sit on a counter at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, on May 20, 2020. (George Frey/AFP via Getty Images)

How the Hydroxychloroquine Scandal Wrecked America and the World Along With It

Commentary

You dont have to be Emile Zola to say Jaccuse!

I accusein no particular orderTimes Person of the Year nominee and frequent Wuhan, China, visitor/collaborator Dr. Anthony Fauci; the Democratic Party (aka the party of science) and their nauseating, self-congratulatory leadership; the mainstream media and all their pompous, even more self-congratulatory ships at sea from The New York Times to CNN; Dr. Deborah Birx and whatever bureaucrat from the CDC was showing his/her face this week; the endless echo chamber in practically every health department in all 50 states; the foreign health departments that largely echoed that echo chamber; Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York (more of him in a moment); Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan; that atrocious governor of Nevada whose name I cant remember or bother to look up  I could go on all of whom participated in what has emerged to be what is indisputably the greatest national, no, international, health disaster of our timethe Hydroxychloroquine Scandal.

This shameful distortion of medical science was emblematic of how politics not only crept into the treatment of the CCP virus, but bludgeoned that treatment and resulted in untold thousands, perhaps millions, of deaths, while simultaneously making life unbearable for an even greater number across the globein fact, for practically everyone.

All of those mentioned above either dismissed or heavily downplayed hydroxya cheap anti-malarial drug, also used for lupus, that had been around for decades and is known to have minimal side effectsfor the treatment of COVID-19.

Why? As most of us are aware, a man they thought an ogre, whom they despised, who knew nothing of science, recommended itPresident Donald J. Trumpso it had to be disdained.

And yet hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) apparently did and does work in many instances, if taken early in the illness.

This was known in June 2020, when the esteemed British medical journal Lancet retracted its support of a dubious study it had published opposing the use of HCQ.

We all entered this collaboration to contribute in good faith and at a time of great need during the COVID-19 pandemic. We deeply apologise to you, the editors, and the journal readership for any embarrassment or inconvenience that this may have caused.

This apology, made eight months ago, was largely ignored by the mainstream media because it didnt fit their narrative. And, worse yet, it might have benefited the nefarious Trump.

At the same time, many independent doctors were insisting that HCQ was working for them with real patients. They were similarly dismissed by a rabid press that had neither the inclination nor skills to investigate. (Laura Ingraham, to her credit, featured several of these doctors on her cable show.)

Meanwhile, thousands, if not millions, died across the globe who neednt have.

How many we will never know, but its a safe assumption a good number could have been spared.

The pervasive use of this drug might not have entirely saved us from COVID, but it could arguably have reduced the pandemic to the level of a bad year of flu.

Whatever the truth, an apposite description for what happened might be outrageous.

And now, the equally esteemed American Journal of Medicine in its January 2021 edition has finally admitted the same thing: HCQ often worked. Immediate administration of the drug while the patient was still at home showed significant benefits, they said.

Where were they during the Year of the Pandemic?

Oh, never mind. Politics is more important. So what if theres a little collateral damage like a country, a world actually, being locked down with children being kept out of school, economies failing, myriad businesses closing never to return, mass unemployment, and, not surprisingly, a spike in suicides, not to mention illnesses, some terminal, left untreated that normally were?

And, needless to say, when it comes to medical science, what is declared true in the United States has serious ramifications across the globe because the whole world is watching, and often imitating, what happens here. Everyone pays attention, unfortunately, in this case, too much attention.

After all, they got to hear quarantine faker Chris Cuomo set things to right, ridiculing the idiocy of hydroxychloroquine on CNN International.

Speaking of which, and speaking of politics bludgeoning medical science, we have new disturbing (to put it mildly) information about his brother, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the man who paraded himself daily and endlesslywith constant media fawningon television as the savior of New York, possibly the nation.

We now learn this mega-narcissist was all the while underplayingby roughly 50 percentthe nursing home deaths for which he was at least partly responsible. And we were so informed by a Democratic New York state attorney general, of all people. (Unlike the MSM, she should be applauded for having the guts to tell the truth.)

Being a fake must be the family business.

Its a classic case of what did he know and when did he know it, but dont expect to have an answer to that question any time soon. (Gov. Cuomo dismisses his AGs report, pointing his finger, you may be shocked to hear, at the previous presidential administration.)

So where are we? Not in a happy place, Im afraid, though, thanks to the election of Joe Biden, political leaders who previously instituted the most onerous of lockdowns are suddenly lightening up. Your favorite corner Thai place may actually survive. Be pleased about that and try to enjoy the benefits of hypocrisy.

But be extra careful when that so-called party of science continues to sell you its bill of science goods as the new administrations climate envoy, John Kerry, just did, asserting that this years climate summit in Scotland is the worlds last best chance to avert climate catastrophe.

I have a suspicion, as cartoonist Josh wittily observes here, that there will be many more last best chances to come.

Roger L. Simon is an award-winning novelist, Oscar-nominated screenwriter, co-founder of PJMedia, and now, editor-at-large for The Epoch Times. His most recent books are The GOAT (fiction) and I Know Best: How Moral Narcissism Is Destroying Our Republic, If It Hasnt Already (nonfiction). Find him on Parler (he hopes again, soon) @rogerlsimon

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Amaravati, Feb 1 : Andhra Pradesh Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivas made a personal contribution of Rs 5,01,116 for the construction of Ram Mandir in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.

Srinivas handed over the cheque of his donation to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Bharat.

Srinivas' donation follows a similar gesture by Energy and Forests Minister Balineni Srinivas Reddy.

More than a week ago, Reddy donated Rs 3 lakh for the construction of Ram Mandir.

Reddy said it was a great opportunity for him to make the contribution and appreciated RSS for reaching out to all sections of people irrespective of their political background.

Earlier, Andhra Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Somu Veerraju had also made his contribution, even as several other common people are also chipping in from the southern state.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The United Kingdom is formally applying to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), with formal negotiations set to start this year, the British government said on Saturday.



International Trade Secretary Liz Truss will speak to her counterparts in Japan and New Zealand on Monday morning to request joining the CPTPP, according to a statement released by the Department for International Trade.

The announcement came on the first anniversary of Britain's formal exit from the European Union, and the trade department said joining the CPTPP would deepen the UK's access to fast-growing markets and major economies.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "One year after our departure from the EU we are forging new partnerships that will bring enormous economic benefits for the people of Britain."

"Applying to be the first new country to join the CPTPP demonstrates our ambition to do business on the best terms with our friends and partners all over the world and be an enthusiastic champion of global free trade," he said.

British businesses welcomed the plan, with Karan Bilimoria, president of the Confederation of British Industry, saying, "This ambition marks a new chapter for our independent trade policy. As one of the largest free trade agreements in the world, these 11 countries contribute over 100 billion pounds (137 billion U.S. dollars) to our economy."

UK trade with the group was worth 111 billion pounds in 2019, trade data showed.

Effective since Dec. 30, 2018, the CPTPP is a trade pact among 11 countries, including Japan, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Chile, and Mexico, whose aggregate gross domestic product accounts for 13 percent of the world economy. (1 British pound = 1.37 U.S. dollars)
Joan Mannick, MD, joins Life Biosciences, a pioneering life sciences company targeting aging biology. Tweet this

Dr. Mannick joins Life Biosciences from Adicet Bio, formerly resTORbio, where she served as Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer and led R&D efforts. Before that, she served as Executive Director of the New Indications Discovery Unit at Novartis Institutes of Biomedical Research, where she led their clinical-stage program targeting aging biology as a new way to treat aging-related conditions. Prior to joining Novartis, Dr. Mannick was Medical Director at Genzyme Corporation working in multiple therapeutic areas including leading an investigator-sponsored program for an early stage oncology product. She has served as faculty member at Harvard Medical School and University of Massachusetts Medical School. She received her AB from Harvard College and MD from Harvard Medical School. She completed her residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital, followed by an infectious diseases fellowship as part of the Harvard Combined Infectious Diseases Program.

"I am thrilled to join Life Biosciences because I think it has in-licensed the most exciting programs of any company in the aging field," said Dr. Mannick. "With truly inspiring science and an incredibly talented team of world-leading researchers, Life Biosciences has huge potential to change the course of aging and age-related diseases, and I am honored to now be a part of it."

About Life Biosciences

Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Boston, Life Biosciences brings scientists together from the world's preeminent research and academic institutions into a discovery, development, and commercialization ecosystem dedicated to extending the healthy human lifespan. We are pursuing clinical therapies across multiple molecular pathways that regulate the biology of aging. This means our therapies each have the potential to address multiple age-related diseases that impact longevity far upstream from conventional medicine. www.lifebiosciences.com

Media Contact

Maggie Farrand

[email protected]

SOURCE Life Biosciences

Related Links

lifebiosciences.com


San Francisco opened its first neighborhood coronavirus vaccination site in the Mission District on Monday, with plans to open a second in the Bayview in the coming days.

In a parking lot on the corner of 24th and Capp streets, city and state officials cheered as the leaders of two Latino nonprofits who have been serving the community throughout the pandemic received their first shots. The Mission site is part of a growing network of vaccine clinics that offer hope for the end of the pandemic, city leaders said, even as San Francisco struggles with limited vaccine supply.

Im really excited today, Mayor London Breed said. Now, finally, were in a decent place. No, its not perfect. No, we havent been able to address the disparity that continues to persist, although weve invested over $26 million in helping to provide additional resources. But theres still more that needs to be done.

We know this is the best shot we have at getting back to the lives we all know and miss, she said.

The new location targets a community that has been disproportionately impacted by the virus. Latinos in San Francisco make up more than 42% of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city, despite accounting for just 15% of the population, according to the most recent public health data. They also account for over 20% of the deaths from the disease.

The Mission site currently operates on an invitation, appointment-only basis, serving community health workers and local residents over the age of 65 within the Unidos en Salud/United in Health network.

San Francisco is still prioritizing health care workers, plus in-home support services staff and long-term care residents, in its vaccination rollout. So far, 104,000 out of 210,000 people in that first phase group have received a dose, health director Dr. Grant Colfax said Monday.

Demand for the vaccine in San Francisco continues to far outpace supply from the state and federal government. San Francisco has built up the infrastructure to administer 10,000 vaccines a day, but is only getting around 11,000 a week, Colfax said.

Breed said San Francisco has so far received 150,000 vaccine doses and issued over 90,000 of those. The rest are scheduled for second doses.

Were basically still slow in terms of the number of vaccines that we are getting. My understanding is we expect that to ramp up just a little bit especially with what our President is trying to do to get more vaccines made faster, Breed said, adding she has been very aggressive with the governor to get more for San Francisco.

State Senator Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, said Monday there has been a lot of frustration about the slow start to the vaccine rollout in California.

It is changing and its starting to accelerate, it will continue to accelerate, he said. These vaccines are going to save our planet from this pandemic.

Ramping up the new site in the Mission District depends on supply. During a soft launch period, the health department said the site will administer about 120 vaccinations a day. The site may increase to 400 vaccinations a day as supply increases.

The location was intentional to mitigate the devastating impacts of the virus in the Latino community.

Its taken the entire barrio to deal with this pandemic, said Roberto Hernandez, co-founder of the Latino Task Force. A lot of the people we work with are the most vulnerable people, the hardest working people, minimum wage workers who have no health insurance, they have no 401K. They have no retirement plans. This pandemic has hurt them in ways than you can ever imagine.

The Mission District site opened at 9 a.m. for the first appointment. By 10 a.m., Jose Ortiz, family support specialist with non-profit Casa Corazon, had received his first dose. The 43-year-old was eligible as a community health care worker, the sites organizers said, since he works closely with impacted families both in person and remotely.

Ortiz said everyone in his community knows at least one person who has fallen ill or died from the virus.

When you work with people all the time, you need to protect yourself and your family, and their family as well, he said. Placing a clinic in the heart of the Mission is very important, so everybody can see and go.

The new clinic will work in conjunction with a coronavirus testing site at the BART plaza at 24th and Mission streets, which operates four days a week. The privately funded vaccine clinic grew out of Unidos en Salud, a collaboration between UCSF and the Latino Task Force that has run testing sites in the Mission.

We know that interest in getting vaccinated is very high in the community, said Dr. Diane Havlir, a professor of medicine at UCSF and a co-founder of the collaboration. We asked more than 5,000 adults who came for testing last month at the 24th Street BART plaza, and 86% said they were open to getting vaccinated.

The Department of Public Health said it is hoping to establish neighborhood vaccine sites in the Bayview, Excelsior, Visitacion Valley and other neighborhoods with the highest infection rates for COVID-19. The city is also partnering with Safeway pharmacies to bring vaccines to various neighborhoods.

This is a community that never stands by and lets anyone fall to the wayside, said Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who represents the Mission. Hang in there, San Franciscans. Were almost out of this and we can get to the end together.

Mallory Moench and Aidin Vaziri are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mallory@moench@sfchronicle.com avaziri@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench
DUBLIN, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Industrial Monitoring Relay Market - Forecasts from 2021 to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global industrial monitoring relay market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.43% over the forecast period to reach a market size of US$144.899 billion in 2026 from US$118.383 billion in 2020. Monitoring relays are used to verify conditions in the power system or the protective system, including fault detection, voltage checking, and direction sensing. It simply works as safety equipment for protecting the circuit. The rising demand for monitoring and detection of abnormal power system condition is the major factor for the growth of the industrial monitoring relay market. Growing industrialization and safety of equipment used in various industries is expected to drive the growth of the global industrial relay market during the forecast period. However, high dependency on circuit breakers is hindering the growth of the market to some extent.



Voltage Relay Monitoring To drive the market growth



There has been a surge in the demand for safer and reliable voltage monitoring devices for power equipment services. Furthermore, easy installation of various types of voltage monitoring relay is expected to drive the market growth, during the forecast period. The emergence of the Internet of Things based voltage monitoring relays, has bought a positive change into the market. The need for collecting historical and real-time data has encouraged companies and other related players, to use the Internet of Things based voltage monitoring relays. In January 2021, Hitachi ABB, two of the major players in the market, announced the launch of a novel high voltage hybrid switchgear, which would be used for offshore wind applications.



The switchgear would be allowed to enable the collection grid between different wind towers, to function at a maximum level. The switchgear contains a local cabinet and digital motor drive, which has built in intelligence for relay monitoring and diagnostics. Other companies are also making major developments in the market. In December 2020, Phoenix Contact launched a novel TRIO DC Convertor, which connects directly to given solar arrays.



The major advantage of the invertor is that it converts high voltage DC to 24 VDC., eliminating the hassle and costs of trenching for monitoring, and other related applications. The novel converter also contains a DC-OK LED and a novel relay output, which would be used to monitor the output voltage. On 26 October 2020, TBS Electronics, one of the major battery players in the market, announced the launch of a novel Battery Protect Relay DC Modular range. The major advantage of this battery is that it is used in the protection of the battery without the need for an external control device and measurement. It would be used to monitor the voltage.



Renewable Energy Sector to drive the market growth



The Industrial Monitoring Relay Market is expected to be driven by the growth of the renewable energy sector, with solar and wind, which are expected to account for a major share in the market growth. According to the International Energy Agency, major markets such as China, The United States, and The European Union, are expected to add over 125 GW of Solar PV Capacity, every year from 2021 to 2025. India will also have a major role in the overall market growth, as the country aims to add around 100 GW of solar PV capacity by the year 2022. Wind Energy will also play an imperative role in the overall market growth, in the coming years.



The annual wind capacity had been expected to increase to 68 GW, with 7.3 GW as offshore capacity, in the year 2021. There has been an acceleration in key European Markets and major capacity has started becoming operational in nascent markets such as South Korea, France, and Vietnam. The United States is also expected to have a major share in the year 2022. Wind Power overtook coal in electricity generation in the state of Texas, USA, for the initial and first time in the year 2020, according to the data from the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas, the major operator of the grid in the state. According to the data, Wind turbines generated around a quarter of Texas Electricity Power in the year 2020. The United Kingdom will also play a major role in market growth in the coming years. The UK Government has set an ambitious goal to double its renewable energy capacity by the year 2030.



Wind Power contributed 20% of the country's electricity in the year 2019. In October 2020, the United Kingdom announced its decision to generate 1 GW from offshore wind by the year 2030. The relay monitoring services in the wind and solar plants, provide voltage and phase control capacity and features. These factors are expected to drive the overall market growth in the coming years.



By End-User Industry



In terms of end-user industry, the Industrial monitoring relay market is segmented as manufacturing, mining, energy and power, oil and gas, and others. The energy and power industry dominates the market with the wide application of these relays in power plants for the detection of phase and voltage faults.



By Geography



Geographically, the global industrial market is segmented as North America, South America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The Asia Pacific region is expected to witness significant market growth during the forecast period owing to the rapid utilization of monitoring relays in automotive, oil and gas, power, and chemical industries in the region will drive the market growth. China is expected to register significant growth in the coming years because of the increasing industrial and manufacturing capacity and growth in the energy sector. The country has been heading towards an industrial and energy revolution intending to embrace digital, high efficiency, and cleaner technologies.



The International Energy Agency predicted that the country would account for 40% of worldwide renewable capacity by the year 2024. India will also register major growth in the market because of the increasing manufacturing and industrial capacity and considerable growth in the energy sector. India is the world's third-biggest producer of electricity. According to the Indian Government, 374.2 GW had been installed, as of 31st December 2020. Renewable power plants include 36.1% of the country's total installed capacity, and the government had aimed to install 165 GW renewable Capacity by the year 2022.



Competitive Landscape



The global Industrial Monitoring relay market is competitive owing to the presence of well-diversified global and regional players. However, some big international players dominate the market share owing to brand image and market reach, and advancement in technological development like providing multifunctional monitoring relays. The major global key players of the industrial monitoring relay market are ABB, Eaton, General Electric, Rockwell Automation Inc., Schneider Electric, Siemens Ltd., Omron Corporation, Pilz GmbH & Co. KG, and Finder S.p.A. con unico socio among others.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction

1.1. Market Definition

1.2. Market Segmentation



2. Research Methodology

2.1. Research Data

2.2. Assumptions



3. Executive Summary

3.1. Research Highlights



4. Market Dynamics

4.1. Market Drivers

4.2. Market Restraints

4.3. Porters Five Forces Analysis

4.3.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

4.3.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers

4.3.3. The threat of New Entrants

4.3.4. Threat of Substitutes

4.3.5. Competitive Rivalry in the Industry

4.4. Industry Value Chain Analysis



5. Global Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By Type

5.1. Introduction

5.2. Voltage Relays

5.3. Current Relays

5.4. Frequency Relays



6. Global Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By End-User Industry

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Manufacturing

6.3. Mining

6.4. Energy and Power

6.5. Oil and Gas

6.6. Others



7. Global Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, by Geography

7.1. Introduction

7.2. North America

7.2.1. North America Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By Type, 2021 to 2026

7.2.2. North America Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By End-User Indus-try, 2021 to 2026

7.2.3. By Country

7.2.3.1. United States

7.2.3.2. Canada

7.2.3.3. Others

7.3. South America

7.3.1. South America Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By Type, 2021 to 2026

7.3.2. South America Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By End-User Indus-try, 2021 to 2026

7.3.3. By Country

7.3.3.1. Brazil

7.3.3.2. Argentina

7.4. Europe

7.4.1. Europe Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By Type, 2021 to 2026

7.4.2. Europe Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By End-User Industry, 2021 to 2026

7.4.3. By Country

7.4.3.1. UK

7.4.3.2. Germany

7.4.3.3. France

7.4.3.4. Italy

7.4.3.5. Others

7.5. The Middle East and Africa

7.5.1. Middle East and Africa Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By Type, 2021 to 2026

7.5.2. Middle East and Africa Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By End-User Industry, 2021 to 2026

7.5.3. By Country

7.5.3.1. Saudi Arabia

7.5.3.2. UAE

7.5.3.3. Iran

7.5.3.4. Others

7.6. Asia Pacific

7.6.1. Asia Pacific Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By Type, 2021 to 2026

7.6.2. Asia Pacific Industrial Monitoring Relay Market Analysis, By End-User Industry, 2021 to 2026

7.6.3. By Country

7.6.3.1. Japan

7.6.3.2. China

7.6.3.3. India

7.6.3.4. Australia

7.6.3.5. Others



8. Competitive Environment and Analysis

8.1. Major Players and Strategy Analysis

8.2. Emerging Players and Market Lucrativeness

8.3. Mergers, Acquisitions, Agreements, and Collaborations

8.4. Vendor Competitiveness Matrix



9. Company Profiles

9.1. ABB

9.2. Eaton

9.3. General Electric

9.4. Rockwell Automation Inc.

9.5. Schneider Electric

9.6. Siemens Ltd.

9.7. Omron Corporation

9.8. ALSTOM

9.9. Broyce Control

9.10. Finder S.p.A con Unico socio

9.11. PILZ GmbH & Co. KG

9.12. Fuji Electric

9.13. Coto Technology



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1oexde

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


On Censorious Posties Refusing to Deliver Epoch Times Sample Paper

Commentary

Few things in life are as emotionally rewarding as donning the robes of the righteous. Like Moses descending from Mount Sinai clutching the Ten Commandments, it is wonderfully exhilarating to pronounce that your insights into this wicked world have, at last, given you the foresight to name all that is true, just, and holy, and by extension condemn the sinners among uswhich is to say those who dont share your views.

Omniscience is a great thing. It allows one to be judge, jury, and executioner.

Censoriousness abides deep in the human psyche, and no one is immune from its allure. Except for the genuinely pathological, we all like to think we embody the virtues of truth, beauty, and justice. Our opinions arise from sweet reasonableness, while those who oppose us do so because they are cranks, lunatics, irredeemably corrupt, or grossly uninformed.

Now fast forward to the story of two Canada Post letter carriers in Regina who were suspended for refusing to deliver sample issues of The Epoch Times. One found the editorial slant not to his liking, while the other complained that the paper was anti-Chinese, which is rather like complaining that the Jewish Times is anti-Semitic.

The story caught my attention in part because I am an ex-postie and fondly remember my time working for Canada Post. However, I am of a generation that did not believe in censoring the mail. Among the biggest challenges during my time at the post office was finishing my route as quickly as possible so that I could meet my fellow posties at the King Edward Hotel for a liquid lunch. But I digress.

As a condition of employment, I was compelled to swear an oath of loyalty to the Crown, a ceremony that my supervisor invested with the appropriate gravitas. Despite thinking that this was a somewhat archaic ritual, it did impress upon me the seriousness of my new job. Snail mail may not be as crucial as it once was, but it is still an essential form of communication.

Like every letter carrier, I frequently delivered material that I found offensive. For example, one of my customers was a subscriber to Soldier of Fortune magazine. I found both the publication and the customer disturbing, but it never crossed my mind that I could choose not to deliver the journal. Similarly, one of my female colleagues objected to the pornography she routinely delivered. The option of not delivering these magazines never occurred to her.

As letter carriers, none of us had the luxury of deciding what mail we would or wouldnt deliver. And the same is true today. By what right do letter carriers decide for their fellow citizens what they can or cannot read? Who are they to tell me what ideas I am allowed to consider and which are forbidden? Are they not aware that interfering with the delivery of the mail is considered a serious crime in every jurisdiction in the world, including Canada?

But perhaps we shouldnt be too harsh. After all, we live in an age where the big tech oligarchs are purging and banning from their platforms people, ideas, and opinions they dislike. Perhaps our censorious posties are only channeling their inner Jack Dorsey or Mark Zuckerberg, who, like technological Torquemadas, are busily consigning to their electronic bonfires people, thoughts, and views they find heretical, unorthodox, or nonconformist. We live in a democratic age, and if censorship is good for our technological overlords, then why is it not suitable for our letter carriers?

Censoriousness is an all too human failing. But it brings in its wake dangerous and even devastating consequences. If I believe that my views and judgments reign supreme, then I am morally compelled to rid the world of those voices that oppose or challenge my truth. And as the poet Heinrich Heine reminds us, Where they burn books, they will too, in the end, burn people.

It strikes me that it is a very small step from censoring the internet or interfering with the Queens mail to the burning of books.

Patrick Keeney, Ph.D., is an academic, columnist, and associate editor of C2C Journal.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Two high school students have identified four new exoplanets about 200-light-years from Earth, deeming them 'the youngest astronomers' to make such a discovery.

Kartik Pingle, 16, and Jasmine Wright, 18, who both attend schools in Massachusetts, participated in the Student Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA).

Along with the help of Tansu Daylan, a postdoc at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, the students studied and analyzed data from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).

Together they focused on Tess Object of Interest (TOI) 1233, a nearby, bright sun-like star and here they found four planets rotating around the star.

Scroll down for video

Two high school students have identified four new exoplanets about 200-light-years from Earth, deeming them 'the youngest astronomers' to make such a discovery. Kartik Pingle (left), 16, and Jasmine Wright (right), 18, both attend schools in Massachusetts

'We were looking to see changes in light over time,' Pingle explained. 'The idea being that if the planet transits the star, or passes in front of it, it would [periodically] cover up the star and decrease its brightness.'

TESS is a space-based satellite, which has discovered more than 20,000 transiting exoplanets  some of which may be super-Earths located in the habitable zone.

While probing 1233, Pingle and Wright had at least hoped to find one planet, but were overwhelmed with joy when a total of four were spotted.

'I was very excited and very shocked,' Wright said. 'We knew this was the goal of Daylan's research, but to actually find a multiplanetary system, and be part of the discovering team, was really cool.'

Together they focused on Tess Object of Interest (TOI) 1233, a nearby, bright sun-like star and here they found four planets rotating around the star. Three of the newly discovered planets are deemed 'sub-Neptunes and the fourth is a 'super-Earth' (artist impression)

Three of the newly discovered planets are deemed 'sub-Neptunes,' which are gaseous, but smaller to the Neptune that lives in our solar system.

While observing the planets, the team determined each one completes their orbit around 1233 every six to 19.5 days.

However, the fourth planet is labeled a 'super-Earth' for its large size and rockiness  this one orbits around the star in just under four days.

'Our species has long been contemplating planets beyond our solar system and with multi-planetary systems, you're kind of hitting the jackpot,' Dylan said.

'The planets originated from the same disk of matter around the same star, but they ended up being different planets with different atmospheres and different climates due to their different orbits. So, we would like to understand the fundamental processes of planet formation and evolution using this planetary system.'

TESS is a space-based satellite, which has discovered more than 20,000 transiting exoplanets  some of which are some that may be super-Earths located in the habitable zone

Daylan added that it was a 'win-win' to work with Pingle and Wright on the study.

'As a researcher, I really enjoy interacting with young brains that are open to experimentation and learning and have minimal bias,' he said.

'I also think it is very beneficial to high school students, since they get exposure to cutting-edge research and this prepares them quickly for a research career.'
's ( ) Cliff Holloway talks to Proactive London about the six month period ending ended October 31, 2020, described by Holloway as the 'most transformative period Scancell has ever experienced'.

He highlights their strengthened cash position, 'which has allowed us to accelerate a lot of the activities within the company'.

He talks through the core focus of advancing their key clinical programmes for their novel therapies for cancer and advance its vaccine candidate for coronavirus (COVID-19).
The apex court has been hearing cases through video-conferencing since March last year amid the pandemic and several bar bodies and lawyers, including former SCBA President Vikas Singh, have been demanding that physical hearing should resume immediately.

New Delhi: Chief Justice of India SA Bobde told the Bar leaders on Monday that physical hearing in the Supreme Court will soon resume in a hybrid manner amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bar Council of India (BCI) has said.

Amid protest by several advocates demanding resumption of physical hearing in the top court, a meeting was held on Monday in which the CJI, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, bar leaders including BCI chairman Manan Kumar Mishra as also office bearers of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) as well as Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association and senior advocate Vikas Singh discussed the issue.

The apex court has been hearing cases through video-conferencing since March last year amid the pandemic and several bar bodies and lawyers, including former SCBA President Vikas Singh, have been demanding that physical hearing should resume immediately.

The Chief Justice of India made it clear that the judges of the Supreme Court themselves are willing to restart the open court hearings but there are medical and technical issues, which the registry of the Supreme Court of India is trying to sort out and solve. Therefore, it will be done gradually, said a press release issued by the BCI Chairman.

The secretary-general (of the apex court) was asked by Justice Bobde to get the technical problems solved at the earliest so that court could resume its functioning physically from the first week of March 2021, Mishra, who is also a senior advocate, said.

The release said that after deliberations, it was also decided that though there shall be hybrid system of hearing till the pandemic period is over but as proposed by senior advocate Vikas Singh, the video-conferencing (during the hybrid hearings) could only be done by the lawyers who are present in Delhi and that should be done only through cable connections either in the lawyers' chambers or the cubicles (to be installed in the premises of Supreme Court).

It said Mishra requested for evolving an effective and expeditious method for mentioning and listing of urgent matters, on which the CJI gave a positive assurance.

Most probably one or two judges will sit on all the working days for mentioning matters only. A decision to this effect shall be taken soon by the Chief Justice of India in consultation with the other judges, the release said.

During the day, former SCBA president Singh led a group of lawyers who assembled in the apex court premises to protest and seek immediate resumption of physical hearing.

Today, the CJI called us for a meeting in view of our protest call. He suggested hybrid mode of hearing for which he said infrastructure will have to be upgraded. I, on behalf of the members of the Bar, insisted on full physical hearing as before and that too immediately. The CJI did not agree and hence we have decided to continue our protest till our demand is met, Singh said.

Hybrid could have been an option if implemented today but agreeing to hybrid without restoration of normal functioning was not acceptable, he said.

The Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) said that in the meeting, it was assured that the process for the resumption of physical hearings has already began and would be available soon in a hybrid manner, that is in both modes of physical hearing and virtual hearing at the earliest; after considering the medical advice and clearing the existing impediments regarding to health of the stakeholders, technology infrastructures and availability of staff of registry.

In its press release, the BCI chairman said that during the meeting all the leaders of the Bar were of the view that open court hearings should start in the apex court forthwith as normal functioning in all government offices have resumed and most of the high courts are also having physical courts.

But, due to continuation of video-conferencing, majority of the lawyers of Supreme Court are facing a lot of difficulties. Lawyers are in agitating mode, it said.

Mishra said that on the proposal of leaders of SCBA and SCAORA, the CJI assured that the lawyers' chamber will be allowed to remain open from 9 am to 7 pm on all seven days.

It was also resolved to evolve the required SoP for the physical and hybrid hearings and for laying down such SoP, the secretary-general is to coordinate with the leaders of the Supreme Court Bar very soon. This apart, the lawyers were also requested to make their suggestions to the secretary-general through e-mail in order to make the procedure easy and practical, he said.

Mishra said the CJI has asked him to coordinate with senior advocates of the apex court and other Bar associations to make them agreeable for physical court hearings.

"From today's meeting, it is clear that the physical hearings are going to start in the apex court within three-four weeks. The Chairman, Bar Council of India also made the Chief Justice of India acquainted with the feelings and strong resentment of the Bar with regard to the statement of the some of the judges of Supreme Court of India, where the judges have talked of continuation of virtual hearings, even after the pandemic period is over," the release said.
Fire control units in Giza are working continuously to put out a massive fire in a 13-storey building in Kerdasa district that reportedly started on Saturday afternoon. No casualties have been reported to date.

The building, located near the Ring Road, has reportedly more than 100 apartments. The fire has caused traffic delays and diversions.

The fire started at a shoe and leather store on the ground floor, the Giza governorates office said on Sunday.

Giza Governor Ahmed Rashed ordered the evacuation of the building, the governorate office said, adding that the huge shoe storage has obstructed the firefighting efforts.

The civil protection department has set a 2 km cordon around the building to prevent people from approaching, according to media reports.

The fire caused severe damages to the building and has reportedly caused the ceiling of the basement to collapse.

Short link:



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.

For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe.

Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime.
BERLIN  As Germanys leaders gather in Berlin to discuss the lagging vaccinations in the country and across the European Union, the bloc got some good news Monday morning when the pharmaceutical company BioNTech announced that it would make 75 million extra doses available in coming months.

BioNTech, a German company, helped develop the first Covid vaccine to be approved in the European Union. It had previously come under fire for admitting, just weeks after the beginning of the blocs vaccination drive, that it could temporarily deliver fewer doses than promised because of an upgrade at a production facility in Puurs, Belgium.

But the company will soon be producing shots at 13 different locations, including a new site in Marburg, Germany, Sierk Poetting, BioNTechs chief operating officer, said in a statement on Monday.

And the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which has also come under criticism for not fulfilling European orders in a timely fashion, has agreed to deliver 40 million more doses by June, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, announced in a tweet on Sunday. That would be nine million more than originally planned.
All elements of the exercises were planned and worked out in accordance with NATO standards and procedures.

A tactical boat group with the involvement of the Ukrainian Navy's naval aviation, together with a U.S. missile destroyer and support ship, have conducted a PASSEX [passing exercises] joint training event in the Black Sea.

"The training was aimed at maintaining security in the Black Sea, improving the trainability and compatibility of the crews of the Ukrainian Navy and the U.S. Navy ships to carry out joint maritime operations as part of multinational tactical groups," as reported by the public relations service of the Command of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook on February 1.

All elements of the exercises were planned and worked out in accordance with NATO standards and procedures.

"This is the first PASSEX training event this year with the involvement of U.S. ships. We are delighted to work with our American partners to maintain stability in the Black Sea. The PASSEX training is an excellent opportunity to improve skills, maritime training and exchange experience between the crews of our ships," said flotilla commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Captain 1st Rank Yuriy Fedash.

According to him, the continuous participation of the Ukrainian fleet in the PASSEX training contributes to an increase in mutual compatibility and mastering the NATO standards.

Read alsoUkraine Army preparing for Joint Efforts 2021 military drills with NATOTactical maneuvering elements, training in signal production using the international signal system, lighting the maritime situation in areas of intensive civilian navigation, training in communications, air defense and repelling enemy strikes, etc. were worked out in a certain area, the report said.

"Having conducted bilateral training at sea with the Ukrainian fleet, we exchanged experiences and strengthened our partnership," said Commander of the U.S. Navy missile destroyer Thomas Ralston.

Background

The USS Porter and USS Donald Cook Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers entered the Black Sea in late January.

Their goal is to conduct the full range of joint and naval operations with allied and interagency partners.

Reporting by UNIAN


The raw delight with which Reddit and other chat rooms are taking on hedge funds and the financial establishment is understandable.

How enticing it is that for a small retail commitment of cash, there is the promise of great gains at the end of the rainbow.

It is not just holders of exchange traded funds invested in silver and mining stocks who will be joyous at the huge pop in prices.

The Reddit group WallStreetBets, which has been encouraging investors to snap up shares in shorted companies, has now turned its attention to silver

Antique silver dealers will be heading to the smelter with their less intrinsically valuable objects as prices touch an 11-year high.

This populist movement against Wall Street, the City et al is more akin to Extinction Rebellion and the Arab Spring than anything else.

It may appear raucous fun and a voice for all those involved but eventually ends up as damaging the cause.

Extinction Rebellion alienated a broader audience from the green agenda and, in the Middle East, a social media-driven campaign led to a bloody civil war in Syria rather than peaceful transition to democracy.

Reddit is not the first player to spot that a ridiculously illiquid and malfunctioning silver market might be a good place for a killing.

In the 1980s, Texas oil tycoon Nelson Bunker Hunt attempted to corner the silver market and eventually came to grief when the price fell back and all he was left with was a 'tonne' of debt.

Doubtless there will be investors in metal exploration stocks across the world, including London quoted Fresnillo, Polymetal and Glencore, who will delighted by the assault of the online retail brigades which will have made them richer and may temporarily have damaged hedge funds.

Regulators may be willing to tolerate disorderly markets for the short-term, but if there were to be margin calls on Wall Street (a request for more cash to be posted on losing trades) there could be cascading financial failures and all of us with pension funds or ISAs could be hurt by what may seem a harmless romp.

Teaching the hedgies a lesson in one thing, but inadvertently kicking away the underpinnings of the financial system is dangerous.

Green legacy

The alacrity with which Asos is snapping up the more valued brands in Philip Green's collapsed retail empire reflects badly on the old rascal's management.

For a time Green was able to capture the fashion zeitgeist with Topshop, and was boastful of his high fashion relationship with supermodel Kate Moss, a store on 5th Avenue in New York and his work on fashion academies.

But the neglect of investment on a versatile digital platform provided the space for online competitors Asos and Boohoo to step up.

Green adored the hype and the moniker 'King of the High Street', but in the end the 1.2billion dividend he extracted for his wife Tina, the yachts in the Mediterranean, the bolthole and spa treatments in Arizona were what really excited him.

The idea of creating a retail empire which could be passed onto the next generation, or creating something long lasting such as Primark or Zara-owner Inditex, was a fiction.

He leaves behind a trail of destruction in terms of lost jobs, the High Street, consumer choice and fresh burdens for HMRC and pensioners.

The 50million of make-good funding from Lady Green, together with the property value of the Oxford Street store, will leave a big hole of up to 200million to be picked up by the Pension Protection Fund and reduce benefits for thousands of workers. The taxpayer will have to pick up the redundancy bill.

It is a vainglorious ending for a self-righteous retail showman for whom apology is a foreign language.

Young ones

The stain of Hargreaves Lansdown's full-throated support for Neil Woodford's bust investment empire will, for some investors, including this writer, always reflect badly.

The company has discovered, along with Boohoo and other UK online innovators, that consumers and investors will forgive almost anything if the platform is easy to use and income climbs.

The 10 per cent jump in profits to 188million in the first half year, driven by an influx of locked-down younger investors, proves the point.

Over-ripe management fees mean it makes the returns other financial firms can only dream of.

With an extra 150billion of retail cash deposits looking for a new home post-pandemic, there will be no rest for the wicked.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : The Supreme Court on Monday sought reply from the Centre on a plea seeking law to regulate social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter and hold them accountable for allegedly spreading hate speech and fake news.

The plea has been filed by advocate Vineet Jindal seeking framing of a law to prosecute those involved in spreading fake news and hate speeches. A bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian issued notice to the Centre and others and tagged the plea with other pending petition where the petitioner has sought setting up of a media tribunal to decide complaints against media houses.

The petitioner has contended that the authorities concerned should be issued directions to develop a mechanism to filter and simultaneously remove hate speeches and fake news within a short space of time. Citing the reach of social media against traditional media, the petitioner referred to few incidents of communal violence where social media was misused.

The plea has cited the complexities involved in the freedom of speech and expression, which is subjected to reasonable restrictions. The petitioner has emphasised that this right is complex as it is not absolute and there are host of duties involved to exercise this right.

Last month, the top court had sought response from Centre, Press Council of India (PCI) and News Broadcasters Association (NBA) on a PIL, seeking direction to set up media tribunal to adjudicate on complaints against media, channels and networks. This PIL was jointly filed by filmmaker Nilesh Navalakha and civil engineer Nitin Memane.

Besides the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, PCI and NBA, the top court had also issued notices to News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) and News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA). The apex court had tagged Jindal's PIL with this plea.
Digital.com, a leading independent review website for small business online tools, products, and services, has announced the best SEO (Search Engine Optimization) firms in Seattle. The top companies were selected based on multiple service lines, size of the firm, industry focus, and customer feedback.

Experts at Digital.com examined companies that offer additional digital marketing services, such as website design, link building, and PPC. The study includes a variety of small to large firms that can cater to businesses in need of customized services or those seeking quick turnarounds. Each service provider was also expected to work with clients across various industries or focus on niche markets like healthcare, education, and finance.

This guide is a valuable tool because it highlights SEO firms that also offer additional services that will enable clients to scale, says Josephine Miller, PR Manager of Digital.com. Businesses can narrow their search for top firms in Seattle and get honest feedback from customers.

Researchers at Digital.com conducted a 40-hour assessment of over 75 companies across the web. To access the complete list of best SEO firms in Seattle, please visit https://digital.com/seo-firms/seattle/.

15 Best SEO Firms in Seattle



ABOUT DIGITAL.COM

Digital.com reviews and compares the best products, services, and software for running or growing a small business website or online shop. The platform collects twitter comments and uses sentiment analysis to score companies and their products. Digital.com was founded in 2015 and formerly known as Review Squirrel. To learn more, visit https://digital.com/
Vancouver, British Columbia, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global autonomous vehicle market is projected to reach a market size of USD 888.40 Billion by 2028 at a rapid and steady CAGR over the forecast period, according to most recent analysis by Emergen Research. Autonomous vehicle uses artificial intelligence software, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), and RADAR sensing technology to enhance the performance of the vehicles and increases its adoption among consumers. IoT helps car drivers improve their performance by receiving real-time feedback inbuilt in connected cars. These inbuilt features help in collecting, analyzing, and storing data, which helps in making decisions.

Development of smart cities in emerging countries and increase in demand for connected cars help in solving the traffic congestion problem across urban areas. Rapid growth in economy ensures robust development from transport infrastructure to development of smart cities. Rise in road accidents and adoption of advanced safety systems is encouraging the growth of the autonomous vehicle market. These vehicles have assistance features such as automatic emergency braking system and blind-spot identification, which add to the growth of market revenue.

Claim Your FREE Sample Copy with Table of content@ https://www.emergenresearch.com/request-sample-form/59

However, high cost of autonomous vehicles and growing threat of cybersecurity will affect the market adversely. Advancement in technology and increased investment in automotive research & development will provide growth opportunities to autonomous vehicle market.

Key Highlights of Report

In January 2021, Blackberry announced the expansion of its partnership with Baidu to power next-generation autonomous driving technology. According to the agreement, Baidus HD maps will be integrated into Blackberrys QNX Neutrino real-time operating system.

LiDAR or light detection or ranging is used by various autonomous vehicles to navigate environment in real-time. It is used for accurate depth perception, which allows LiDAR to know the distance to an object and is also suitable for 3D mapping, which means that the vehicles can gauge the environment precisely, thereby driving the growth of the component segment.

The growing concern in safety of the road and increase in demand for ride-hailing services is driving the growth of the robo-taxi in application segment. In December 2020, Amazon acquired Zoox unveiled four-person robo-taxi, a compact vehicle designed for dense urban areas. These launches are driving the growth of the segment.

Europe accounted for significant share in 2020 due to high adoption of autonomous vehicles and rise in technologically advanced products. Europe is emerging as a lucrative region contributing to the growth of the autonomous vehicles market.

Major companies operating in the global autonomous vehicle market include Honda Motor Corporation, Daimler AG (Mercedes Benz), Ford Motor Company, BMW AG, General Motors, Audi AG, Nissan Motor Company, Tesla, and Toyota Motor Corporation.

Check Our Prices@ https://www.emergenresearch.com/select-license/59

Emergen Research has segmented the global autonomous vehicle market in terms of component, application, fuel type, and region:

Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2018-2028) Camera LiDAR Radar Ultrasonic Sensor

Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2018-2028) Civil Robo Taxi Ride hail and share Self-driving bus Self-driving truck

Fuel Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 2018-2028) Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV)



Click to access the Report Study, Read key highlights of the Report and Look at Projected Trends: https://www.emergenresearch.com/industry-report/autonomous-vehicle-market

Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion; 20182028) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany UK France BENELUX Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan South Korea Rest of APAC Latin America Brazil Rest of LATAM Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia UAE Rest of Middle East & Africa



Take a Look at our Related Reports:

Micro Mobility Market By Application (Residential, Commercial), By Type (2-wheeler, 3-wheeler), By Travel Range (Up to 20 Km, 2040 Km, More than 40 Km), By Weight Capacity (Up to 100 Kg, 100250 Kg, More than 250 Kg), and By Region, Forecast to 2028

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Market By Product Type, By Wing Type, By Operation Mode, By Range, By Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW), By System, By Application, By End-User, Forecasts to 2027

Autonomous Delivery Vehicles Market By Type (Aerial Delivery Drones, Ground Delivery Vehicles), By Component (Hardware, Software), By Application (Manufacturing, Restaurants. Retail, Logistics, Healthcare, Others), and By Region, Forecasts to 2027

About Emergen Research

Emergen Research is a market research and consulting company that provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. Our solutions purely focus on your purpose to locate, target, and analyze consumer behavior shifts across demographics, across industries, and help clients make smarter business decisions. We offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across multiple industries, including Healthcare, Touch Points, Chemicals, Types, and Energy. We consistently update our research offerings to ensure our clients are aware of the latest trends existent in the market. Emergen Research has a strong base of experienced analysts from varied areas of expertise. Our industry experience and ability to develop a concrete solution to any research problems provides our clients with the ability to secure an edge over their respective competitors.

Contact Us:

Eric Lee

Corporate Sales Specialist

Emergen Research | Web: www.emergenresearch.com

Direct Line: +1 (604) 757-9756

E-mail: sales@emergenresearch.com

Facebook | LinkdIn | Twitter | Blogs
| By Charles Schelle

In times like the present when COVID-19 has created so many issues without answers, having colleagues with the ideal expertise being a Zoom meeting away can make a difference.

Xiaoli Nan, PhD, MA, a professor of communication science and co-director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication at University of Maryland, College Park, and Clement A. Adebamowo, BM, ChB, ScD, FWACS, FACS, professor of epidemiology and public health at the Institute of Human Virology at University of Maryland School of Medicine.

When faculty members from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) wanted to assemble an interdisciplinary team of researchers to find out what influences the African American community when it comes to vaccine hesitancy, there was no trepidation in wondering if the colleagues would receive support.

Many of us on both campuses who have interacted see us as belonging to one institution, said Clement A. Adebamowo, BM, ChB, ScD, FWACS, FACS, professor of epidemiology and public health at the Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and associate director of the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Centers (UMGCCC) Population Science Program.

Yes, there may be administration things each person has to sign off on at their personal institutions, but it doesnt look any different than two people in different departments working together at the same university, he added.

Adebamowo sees that collaboration in laboratories, classrooms, and communication. He accepted an invitation to work with Xiaoli Nan, PhD, MA, professor and co-director of graduate studies, Department of Communication at UMCP, for their second project together. This one is to understand why African Americans, who suffer disproportionately from the adverse health and economic impact of the pandemic, might accept or reject the COVID-19 vaccines. The goal is to craft messaging that will reduce vaccine hesitancy, and they are developing an online questionnaire for survey participants.

When you are basically at the same university but on different campuses, I think people are more open to collaborations, Nan said. Were more open to work with researchers from the same institution.

That collaboration is called the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State (MPower). Created in 2012, it was formalized as part of the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership Act of 2016. This paved the way for the two universities to combine their research offices, aligning not only their research initiatives but also their infrastructure and leadership. In 2018, Laurie E. Locascio, PhD, MSc, was appointed to lead the joint research enterprise as vice president for research.

Nationally, that work has been recognized for the first time within the research community. The University of Maryland achieved its highest ranking ever in the National Science Foundations Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey for Fiscal Year 2019, placing 14th overall nationally and eighth among public institutions in research and development (R&D) spending. For the first time, UMCP and UMB were linked as one research enterprise in the ranking, with combined research expenditures of $1.1 billion.

The HERD survey is the primary source of information on R&D expenditures at U.S. colleges and universities and widely recognized as the pre-eminent national university ranking for higher education institutions engaged in sponsored research.

The UMB and UMCP campuses are 30 miles apart but now linked as one research entity, and Nan, the principal investigator, and Adebamowo found all the skill sets required for this project under one administrative roof.

Nan is a health communications expert, serving as director of the Center for Health and Risk Communication, which includes students and faculty collaborating from the College Park and Baltimore campuses. She also has cultivated rapport with colleagues in Baltimore as a full member of the UMGCCC Population Science Program, which has significant participation from UMCP.

Im a communications scientist. Im not an expert on public health, per se. I dont know much about interactions with patients in terms of vaccinations, Nan said.

Adebamowo brings genomics and infectious disease knowledge to the project, which in September received $98,432 in seed grant funding from MPowers Joint Steering Council.

They rounded out their team by finding a professor in the UMCP School of Public Health plus another faculty member at UMSOM who interacted with patients on the front lines during the pandemic.

All of those skills together really make our team incredibly strong, Nan added. Also, because our project is based on African American acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, our colleagues in Baltimore have done a great deal of research among African Americans. Their experience with this minority population is most important to this project.

In 2018, Adebamowo and Nan earned approval for their research on framing human papillomavirus vaccination messaging for African American parents, leading to $2.2 million in funding through the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The project runs through 2023.

That familiarity enabled them to join forces again for COVID-19. There is a mutual respect and shared pride in a joint research operation.

The value has been in the amount and depth of collaboration that weve been able to establish, and just knowing the institutional processes intimately and, to some degree, the commonalities that they share, Adebamowo said. Youre not worried about going through a whole different type of institutional engagement with their own rules and personalities.

The other collaborators include Shana Ntiri, MD, MPH, assistant professor of family and community medicine, UMSOM, and medical director, Baltimore City Cancer Program at UMGCCC; and Sandra Quinn, PhD, MEd, professor and chair, Department of Family Science, and senior associate director, Maryland Center for Health Equity, UMCP School of Public Health.

Adebamowo is interested in finding out from the survey what is most affecting the optics of the vaccine. Is it information from the news media that might not be complete about the decades of research developing messenger RNA vaccines? Or is it a historical fissure between the medical and African American communities? Or is it a matter of morality or politics?

Now that theres a vaccine, are some of those expressions going to continue and transmit forward to affect the optics of the vaccines? Adebamowo said.

Most of the country is trying to get crib notes on vaccinology and medical research. Naturally, people have questions.

A lot of the things medical researchers and epidemiologists do in the dark were brought out to light during COVID-19 because there was so much pressure, he said.

Soon, those answers will come through the survey to help shape messaging to address skepticism.

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 34 additional cases of COVID-19, of which 29 are locally transmitted, including two more cases from Luk Yeung Sun Chuen in Tsuen Wan.

At a press briefing this afternoon, the centre's Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said among the local cases, eight have unknown sources of infection.

She noted that two of the newly reported cases are from Block R at Luk Yeung Sun Chuen, bringing the number of infection cases of the same block to 12.

Quarantine orders will be issued to asymptomatic residents of units 04 and 05 above the 18th floor of Block R and they will be taken to quarantine centres, while symptomatic residents will be sent to the hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, eight buildings in various parts of the city are listed on the compulsory testing notice, seven of which were included after tighter testing requirements came into effect.

Mandatory testing orders are now issued for residents of buildings with a single COVID-19 case with an unknown infection source, or if the virus is detected in sewage samples.

Among the five imported cases, two arrived from Indonesia and one from the Philippines, Dubai and Nepal.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.

Rallies in Georgia continue: restaurant and business owners demand the COVID-19 restrictions be lifted

By Veronika Malinboym

On January 30, in a continued civil unrest, owners of restaurants and other businesses joined a protest in front of an administrative building of the government of Georgia to demand the immediate lifting of the existing COVID-19 induced regulations. The protesters claimed that as a result of the existing restrictions, restaurants, hotels and winter resorts will not be able to recover from the economic crisis caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Failure to allow the above mentioned sectors to open up will result in the businesses dying out eventually, the protesters claimed.Similar incentive was expressed by the head of the Association of Georgian Restaurateurs, Shota Burjanadze, who said that protest aims at showing the Georgian officials that the failure to support the businesses that are suffering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will hamper an entire Georgian economy. Burjanadze added that more than 250,000 people are employed in the aforementioned sectors, and all of them are faced with unemployment as a result of the existing restrictions.Almost 200 restaurants stopped functioning (for takeaway services) for 24 hours in defiance. Previously, a similar protest was held on January 24, when the opposition politicians, civilians and business owners came to gather to demand the lifting of restrictions. Leader of the opposition Girchi party, Zurab Japaridze, claimed that the failure to lift the restrictions will result in the country sinking into a further dump.We are a rather poor country already, and any restrictions [that we introduce] would only lead us to more poverty  Japaridze added. Similarly, member of the Lelo for Georgia party, Grigol Gogelia, said that the government failed to adequately respond to the crisis and too, called for a wise removal of the restrictions. Head of the National Disease control, Amiran Gamkrelidze, said that the two main weapons against the pandemic are the restrictions and vaccines are the countrys two main weapons against the virus. Georgia is removing some restrictions on February 1, however, it is not yet clear when the restaurants and catering services will be able to return to the normal way of providing their services. Nevertheless, starting February 1, restaurants in the Adjara region will be allowed to start functioning in open spaces.

Door-to-Door Tests for Parts of England As Community Cases of SA Variant Emerge

Door-to-door surge testing for the CCP virus is to be carried out in eight local areas in England after several cases of the South Africa variant emerged that could not be traced to travel from the country.

Those cases are the first in the UK of community transmission of the variant, which is more transmissible and is thought to be more resistant to some vaccines.

Surrey Council earlier announced it was introducing surge testing after the emergence of two cases.

The Department of Health and Social Care later confirmed that other cases had emerged in London, Walsall in the West Midlands, Hertfordshire, Essex, near Maidstone in Kent, and near Preston in Lancashire.

Every person over 16 living in these locations is strongly encouraged to take a Covid test this week, whether they are showing symptoms or not, said the Department of Health in a statement to the Epoch Times. Mobile Testing Units (MTUs) will be deployed offering PCR testing to people without symptoms who have to leave their home for work or essential reasons, with local authorities encouraging people to get tested in the area by providing additional home test kits.

All previous 105 cases of the variant in the UK all been traced back to South Africa.

Public Health England said that it had picked up new cases through ongoing proactive sequencing in the UK.

A small proportion of these cases have no link to international travel suggesting that there are some cases in the community, said Dr. Susan Hopkins, Strategic Response Director to Public Health England and Chief Medical Advisor for NHS Test and Trace. In response to this, we are ramping up testing in targeted areas, so we can gather more information and effectively monitor any further community transmission.

Public Health England said that there is no evidence that the South Africa variant is more harmful or serious.

Dr. Andrew Page, Head of Informatics at Quadram Institute, said, This variant is thought to be more infectious, but not more lethal. The Novavax trial indicates that their vaccine is less effective against this variant.

Through surge testing it is hoped to identify as many cases as possible, rapidly sequence them, and halt the community transmission whilst the outbreak is still small and in one geographical area, said Page in a statement.

According to Rowland Kao, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology and Data Science at University of Edinburgh, the lack of travel links suggests evidence of local transmission. As only 5 percent of cases are tested to determine if they are the variant, there is a high probability that further local cases are in circulationmaking it more difficult that the spread of the variant can be contained, he said.

Public Health England said that is currently no evidence to suggest that the regulated vaccine would not protect against the new variant.

However, several studies do suggest vaccines are less effective against the strain and that it would reduce antibody therapy efficacy, compared with the regular variants.

Novavax recently announced that initial trials showed its vaccine was 89 percent effective in the UK, where the more transmissible strain originating in Kent is now predominant. A less extensive trial in South Africawhere the VOC-202012/02 variant is dominantsuggested effectiveness of around 60 percent.

The Department of Health said that enhanced testing and sequencing will be targeted within the following specific postcode areas: London (W7, N17, CR4); West Midlands (WS2); East of England (EN10); South East (ME15, GU21); North West (PR9).

As well as monitoring and suppressing the spread, the government hopes that the surge testing will also provide a clearer understanding of the strain.
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
California dedicated Jan. 30 to the memory of Fred Korematsu, a shipyard welder who legally objected to Japanese American internment in World War II. The state holiday, officially the Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution, was signed into law by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sept. 23, 2010.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

Fred Korematsu Day is the first day in U.S. history named after an Asian American. Hawaii, Virginia, Florida and Michigan have since followed suit, according to KQED, while other states are still waiting for legislative approval.Korematsu was born in Oakland on Jan. 30, 1919. But he would not be known until May 1942, when he was arrested and detained in San Leandro after failing to report for internment.With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Korematsu challenged the constitutionality of the internment. He believed people should have a fair trial and a chance to defend their loyalty at court in a democratic way, because in this situation, people were placed in imprisonment without any fair trial.Korematsu was arraigned on June 18, 1842. But after posting bail, he was taken by military police to the Presidio of San Francisco.

On Sept. 8. 1942, Korematsu was convicted of Public Law No. 503, which criminalized violations of military orders. He and his family were sent to the Central Utah War Relocation Center in Topaz, Utah.There, Korematsu worked eight-hour days for $12 a month. Unfortunately, he was forced to live in a horse stall with a single light bulb, making him realize jail was better than this.Korematsu eventually appealed his case to the Court of Appeals, and after being rejected, to the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, he still lost because the internment was ruled to be justified in circumstances of emergency and peril.While Korematsu lost his legal efforts, they eventually led to the adoption of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Signed by President Ronald Reagan, the law granted reparations to some 120,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated during the war.

Story continues

In 1983, legal historian Peter Irons and researcher Aiko Herzig Yoshinaga discovered that government intelligence agencies had hidden key documents from the Supreme Court before it made its ruling. Those papers consistently demonstrated that Japanese Americans had not committed any form of treason to warrant mass incarceration.As a result, a federal court overturned Korematsus conviction. Free at last, Korematsu went on to fight for Japanese American rights, as well as other social causes.Korematsu received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor, from President Bill Clinton in 1998. He passed away in 2005 at 86.Korematsu's legacy reminds us that we must continue to strike out against injustice in our daily lives, Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote on Saturday, according to City News Service. Especially in a moment of increased anti-Asian sentiment and xenophobia, each and every one of us must continue his fight for a more equal tomorrow. Feature Images via U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (right), DiscoverNikkei (left; screenshot)

Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark!

UK Teen Sentenced to 18 Months Youth Rehab for Racist Coronavirus Attack on Singaporean Student

Long Island Teens Repeatedly Kick Doors at Asian Homes, Police Give Them a Warning

NJ Teen Gets $2,500 'Police Overtime' Bill for Leading Peaceful BLM Protest, Mayor Steps In

Sikh Man Dies Saving 3 Children From Drowning in California River
~ Twelve transactions include twenty locations spanning over 2.5 million square feet and 90 million cubic feet of capacity across five European countries, including The Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Poland and Norway ~

Lineage Logistics, LLC ("Lineage" or the "Company"), the world's largest and most innovative temperature-controlled industrial REIT and logistics solutions provider, today announced the completion of twelve transactions across Europe to build on its leading global facility network. Over the past twelve months, Lineage completed strategic acquisitions across four countries that consists of twenty locations in core population and food production markets. Also included in the Company's deal activity is a majority investment in a state-of-the art automation commissioning business located in Belgium. All acquisitions have either been successfully integrated or will be integrated in the first quarter of 2021.

Among the companies joining the Lineage team is Coldstar, Lineage's most recent acquisition in the region which features a highly automated operation in the "Golden Triangle" of Denmark, strategically located between Jutland, Zealand and Germany. Coldstar adds nearly seven million cubic feet and over 20,000 pallet positions of cold storage capacity to the Lineage network, with more than 100 skilled and enthusiastic team members serving approximately 65% of the Danish retail market. Plans to grow this business and expand its offerings to retailers in Denmark and beyond are actively under consideration.

In addition to Coldstar, the announced transactions include:

Denmark

Lundse Kl og Frys, five locations across Denmark with a substantial expansion planned for the Port of Aarhus to be completed in 2021

Super Frost Sjaelland A/S, one location outside Copenhagen

Kolding, one triple-net leased facility

Kanalholmen, one triple-net leased facility

The Netherlands

Vriescentrale Asten, one highly automated operation focused on meat processing for international export

Frigo Group's Heerenberg B.V. location in Heerenberg

Belgium

F.A.I.S. Flexible Automation Innovative Solutions a state-of-the-art automation commissioning business that will assist Lineage in its substantial new build growth pipeline

Norway

Larvik, one net leased facility in proximity to Larvik Harbour, Norway's second largest container port

Oslo, one net leased facility

Moss Cold Storage, one operation in Moss, Norway that services the broader Norwegian market

Poland

Pago Sp. z o.o., six locations across Poland

"In a year like 2020, which presented both challenges and opportunities, I'm proud we were able to enter new markets and continue our growth momentum around the globe," said Greg Lehmkuhl, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lineage. "We ended the year in a strong position in the European market and more focused than ever on our purpose of transforming the food supply chain to eliminate waste and help feed the world."

"These transactions are important to our growing European footprint and address increasing demand from customers to respond to shifting market dynamics and implement new, innovative and global supply chain solutions," said Mike McClendon, Lineage's President of International Operations EVP of Network Optimization. "The strategic locations of these facilities, combined with those which offer and facilitate highly-automated operations or expansion opportunities, allow us to offer supply chain solutions that extend throughout the entire value chain."

Following the close of these transactions, the combined Company features a global footprint that spans over 2.1 billion cubic feet of temperature-controlled capacity across over 340 facilities in 15 countries spanning North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South America.

About Lineage Logistics

Lineage is the world's largest and most innovative temperature-controlled industrial REIT and logistics solutions provider, its unrivaled real estate network, and its use of technology combine to promote food safety, increase distribution efficiency, advance sustainability, lessen environmental impact, and minimize supply chain waste. As a result, Lineage helps customers ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small family-owned businesses increase the efficiency and protect the integrity of their temperature-controlled supply chain. Lineage has grown its cubic feet by 60% annually since 2008 to 2.1 billion cubic feet, making it the largest global temperature-controlled industrial REIT. In recognition of the company's leading innovations, Lineage was recognized as the No 1. Data Science company on Fast Company's Annual list of The World's Most Innovative Companies in 2019, in addition to ranking 23rd overall in an evaluation of thousands of companies worldwide. (www.lineagelogistics.com)

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005802/en/

Contacts:

Lineage Logistics

Megan Hendricksen

949.247.5172

mhendricksen@lineagelogistics.com
WAs contact tracers have so far identified 66 close contacts of the hotel security guard who tested positive to COVID-19 on Sunday.

The man, aged in his 20s, likely contracted the highly infectious UK strain of the virus as early as January 25 and was active in the community over the following five days, visiting 17 locations.

Coles Maylands, packed on Sunday, was one of the places the infected man visited between 8pm-10pm last Monday.

He began showing symptoms on January 28 and was tested two days later.

Thirteen of his closest contacts, including his three housemates and a Nedlands GP he visited on Thursday, have tested negative and been placed into 14 days quarantine; 11 in hotel quarantine, two in self-quarantine.
INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MHS, in partnership with the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), has awarded 12 healthcare providers across Indiana with grants to make their facilities more accessible to people with disabilities. The awardees applied for grants which are part of the health plan's Provider Accessibility Initiative (PAI), with the full list of grantees including:

Porter Starke Services DBA Marram Health Center

Eric A Yancy, M.D.

Forniss Optometric P.C.

Walker Medical Group

HealthLinc, Inc.

Open Door Health Services

Edgewater Health

Tulip Tree Health Services of Gibson County

Montgomery Medical Associates LLC

Southern Indiana Community Health Care

Community HealthNet Health Centers

Goshen Family Physicians

The goal of the PAI is to increase the number of practitioner locations that meet minimum federal and state disability access standards. Providers in the MHS network selected to receive grant funds submitted applications to NCIL, explaining their need for more accessible facilities. MHS selected recipients based on the impact of the improvements on its disability access network adequacy, as well as the number of MHS members with disabilities impacted.

In the application process, providers proposed a list of potential improvements for each of their facilities. Upgrades like doorway and restroom modifications, more accessible exam tables and procedure chairs, and braille signage are just some of the improvement additions intended to be made with the additional funds. Some providers submitted multiple applications for several of their facility locations to make improvements.

"We are very excited to receive this funding. We will be able to serve a much larger segment of our community with dignity. I don't want any patient, particularly kids, to feel like their care is an extra burden to staff or family. Everyone's experience when going to the doctor should feel comfortable. A wheelchair should be able to enter a room easily. A transport chair should be able to go up a ramp easily. More importantly, a patient, should not even notice their experience is different than any other patient. I am proud to play a part in maintaining the dignity of others," said Dr. Roland Walker, M.D. of Walker Medical Group.

For more information about the grants and the provider accessibility initiative, visit: www.ncil.org/provider-accessibility-initiative/

About MHS

Managed Health Services (MHS) is a managed care entity that has been proudly serving the state of Indiana for 25 years through the Hoosier Healthwise and Hoosier Care Connect Medicaid programs and the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) Medicaid alternative program. MHS also offers Ambetter from MHS in the Indiana health insurance marketplace, and Allwell from MHS, a Medicare Advantage plan. All of our plans include quality, comprehensive coverage with a provider network you can trust. Visit mhsindiana.com to learn more. MHS is a wholly-owned subsidy of Centene Corporation, a diversified, multi-national healthcare enterprise offering both core Medicaid and specialty services.

SOURCE MHS


ALEPPO, Syria  The Syrian regime's decision to reduce the readiness of its army and armed forces has raised a panoply of questions related to the motivation and timing behind the decision on the military and economic conditions in Syria and raised the question as to whether the regime is seeking to convey specific messages to parties influencing Syrian affairs.

On Jan. 10, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad issued a circular ordering a rollback of army mobilization to regular level, meaning the level maintained nine years ago before the start of the conflict.

According to the Enab Baladi opposition website, the decision stipulated scaling down the combat readiness of the Syrian military departments by the order of 66% to 33% for administrative departments, 80% to 50% for military units affiliated thereto and 100% to 80% for ground forces and the navy. In hospitals, however, readiness was maintained at 80%.

Mohammed Adeeb, a political science researcher who lives in the countryside of Aleppo, told Al-Monitor, To maintain the same level of combat readiness, the regime requires a continued flow of support and funding. The regime has been garnering support from Iran ever since it joined its ally, the Assad regime, in the war against the Syrian revolution. However, it seems that Iranian funding for the regimes army has stopped due to the economic conditions and international sanctions imposed on the Iranian regime.

Adeeb said the regime, through its decision to reduce the combat readiness of its forces, "is seeking to calm the anger of its Syrian supporters who started to long for their sons recruited in the army. The decision has been seemingly taken to allow soldiers and officers to visit their families.

Ahmad Hasan Abdel Qader, a political activist based in the countryside of Aleppo, told Al-Monitor, The decision to reduce the readiness of the regime army was [seemingly] based on a Russian order, as Russia wants to convey a message to the influential countries in Syrian affairs that the war has ended. Also, the regime is preparing itself for the upcoming phase, and the decision comes in the framework of Russian efforts to entrench Assad's rule and preserve his regime.

Hisham Eskif, deputy head of the political bureau of the opposition Al-Salam Brigade, told Al-Monitor, The direct reason behind the Syrian regimes decision to scale down the readiness of its forces is its inability to bear the high costs that the permanent state of alert requires due to the deteriorating economic situation in Syria. Consequently, we might witness a rollback in the financial allocations to the army, meaning a reduction in food, fuel and other daily expenses.

The brigade is affiliated with the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Eskif said, The decision will not have a noticeable effect on the Idlib fronts in northwestern Syria, for example, because it does not apply to the militias supported by Russia nor the militias supported by Iran, and we have thus far not monitored any significant changes in the military situation of the regime forces in Idlib and its surroundings.

Abdulslam Abdulrzak, a researcher in military affairs living in Idlib, told Al-Monitor, The decision to scale down the readiness of the regimes army is a pro-forma decision that will remain ineffective. It is merely intended to convey messages to the allied forces, primarily Iran, in order for them to resume their financial and military support for the regimes army in the fight against the Islamic State [IS] in the Syrian desert, which is a vital land route for the Iranian forces and their affiliated militias to reach their areas of influence. The timing of the decision was not coincidental but coincided with the battles taking place in the desert. It is as if Assad wants to tell the Iranians, If you want us to seriously participate in fighting IS in the desert, then you should continue to support us.

Abdulrzak said, The readiness of the regimes army will not be affected by the de-escalation, as it can mobilize its forces in record time in case there is a need to involve the forces in a battle against the FSA or the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF].

Younes al-Karim, an economic researcher and analyst who lives in France, told Al-Monitor, The decision that Assad made to scale down the readiness of his army seems to be inevitable in light of the large deficit in the armys budget, as Assads soldiers do not have enough food in their military barracks, and the state of resentment in the ranks of the army is increasing by day. The Assad regime is trying, through this decision, to absorb the anger of its soldiers.

Karim said, The decision conveys several messages to many parties. It conveys a message to Turkey whereby the regime will not launch a battle against the FSA  Turkeys ally in Idlib. It also conveys a message to the United States where it [Syria] will not launch a battle against the SDF in northeast Syria and a message to Israel whereby the Assad regime is not disturbed by the airstrikes directed at the Iranian forces in Syria.

Karim added, Through its messages to the three influential countries in Syrian affairs, the regime is trying to get them to sympathize with it to mitigate the effects of the Caesar Act, and is preparing itself for the presidential elections scheduled for mid-2021.

The Syrian regime never takes its decisions randomly. It rather plans them and tries to achieve the largest possible gains out of them both at the internal and external levels.

Mahmood Talha, a journalist who works with the oppositions Thiqa News Agency, told Al-Monitor, The military readiness rollback decision will seemingly lead to cooling off the fighting fronts and strengthening the state of de-escalation in northwestern and northeastern Syria, meaning with the FSA and the SDF. The Syrians who live in areas outside the control of the regime will be prompted to call on the local forces in control to improve their living and security conditions because the regime army no longer poses a threat on the battle fronts, and the time is ripe to claim the basics that people need. This will leave the FSA and the SDF in a predicament as they do not have organized institutions capable of carrying out the required duties toward the millions of Syrians living in areas under their control, and this would serve the Assad regime in the lead up to the upcoming presidential elections.
MACKINAW CITY, MICH. -- If youve ever marveled at the artillery used in historic reenactments, then a Michigan park has a bucket-list worthy thrill in store for you.

Colonial Michilimackinac, the reconstructed 18th-century fort and fur-trading village at the tip of Michigans mitten, is unveiling a new program in 2021 that will give visitors the rare opportunity to fire off the forts four black-powder weapons over the Straits of Mackinac.

The Guns Across the Straits program will allow visitors to fire a short land musket, a larger musket known as a wall gun, a Coehorn mortar, and, for the finale, the forts cannon. Each is a reproduction of a weapon that would have been in use at Colonial Michilimackinac in the 1770s.

Guns Across the Straits lets us provide a hands-on history experience for guests, said Craig Wilson, Mackinac State Historic Parks chief curator. As historical interpreters, we get to fire these weapons every day, but hopefully this program will allow visitors to better understand what life was like for British soldiers at Michilimackinac in the 1770s.

The cost of the experience is $150 ($115 for Mackinac Associates members), available every day from June 1 through October 7. Up to 10 guests may be present, though the program is limited to visitors ages 13 and up.

Guns Across the Straits will take place after Colonial Michilimackinac closes for regular business each day: 7:00 p.m. in June, July and August, 5:00 p.m. in September and October. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance by calling the Mackinac State Historic Parks administrative office.

More information can be found online at mackinacparks.com.

Courtesy Mackinac State Historic Parks

Courtesy Mackinac State Historic Parks

RELATED:

Mackinac Island used to be Americas second National Park

See what Mackinac Island looked like a century ago

150-year-old Sleeping Bear Inn, long vacant, to be restored as B&B lodge

How this End of Earth: 2 miles road sign became a part of Upper Peninsula lore

Fate of crumbling Lake Michigan lighthouse uncertain after its nonprofit dissolves
New Delhi:

The Cabinet of Uttar Pradesh government will be meeting on Tuesday. During the meeting, along with industrial policy, the decision on setting up separate police stations for checking electricity theft can be discussed. The meeting will be held in Lucknow.

During the meeting, the Cabinet is likely to give nod to the industrial policy draft which will be happening a week before the Yogi government is due to present its maiden budget in UP assemblys budget session slated for July 11.

According to the draft, the Adityanath government aims at creating facilitating infrastructure like multi-modal logistics hubs, specialised industrial zones in the state.

Also read: UP CM Yogi Adityanath to watch movie 'Ek Thi Rani Aisi Bhi'

Also read: Need to improve 'poor condition' of farmers, says Adityanath



For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Minister of Defense Vagharshak Harutyunyan and his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoygu held a phone call on February 1 to discuss the results of last weeks Armenian-Russian bilateral military cooperation staff talks, as well as the ongoing process of resolving Armenias security issues in the post-war period, the Armenian Ministry of Defense said in a news release.

The phone call took place at Russias initiative, it added.

Minister of Defense Vagharshak Harutyunyan spoke highly about the activities of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno Karabakh, underscoring that the best testimony to this is the virtually total preservation of the ceasefire, thanks to which there werent any serious emergency incidents in the preceding two months, with the exception of one incident when a Artsakh Defense Army soldier was wounded.

Vagharshak Harutyunyan and Sergey Shoygu also discussed issues related to regional developments, the Ministry of Defense added.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
It's a difficult time not only for brands but also for customers. SheerID and CommerceNext wanted to find out how retailers and brands can connect emotionally with consumers in these uncertain times. Here's what they found with their survey.

The COVID-19 ongoing pandemic messed up everybody's finances, mental and emotional wellbeing, and day-to-day normality. The outbreak of the pandemic changed everything, including how brands do business and how customers buy.

More precisely, as the coronavirus pandemic forced countries around the world into lockdowns, much of all of us took for granted before March 2020 disappeared, including commuting to work, browsing in shops in shopping malls, going to the cinema, or simply meeting our friends for a cup of coffee. Since March, people around the globe were forced into the world's largest work-from-home experiment and everything about how we work, travel, communicate, shop, and more changed.

Until last year, 80% of US retail was physical. However, the pandemic transformed everything when it forced brick-and-mortar retailers to close their doors. Both customers and brands went online to continue their relationship. But has the consumer-brand relationship changed?

In the light of these events, SheerID and CommerceNext joined forces for a new study that aimed to gauge the emotional pulse of consumers during these uncertain times. Here's what the new study found:

New study findings on what consumers want

Will the changes in consumer behavior caused by the pandemic last in the post-COVID world? Or will consumers' old habits die hard? Let's see exactly what consumers want, according to this new study.

The study involved a survey of 1030 customers and was conducted between December 2 and December 9. Researchers wanted to find out the way consumers want brands to help and connect with them during these uncertain times.

Based on the study, more than two-thirds of the respondents, 67% of them, agreed that they believe that the pandemic will continue to impact their lives up to a year or more.

What's more, when asked about the way consumers feel impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, most of them agree that they felt mentally affected by the pandemic. More precisely, 49% of respondents said they feel the need to keep their friendships with their peers and social interactions, while 48% of them also addressed the importance of maintaining their mental health. As for the physical impacts of the pandemic, 29% of respondents stressed the importance of keeping their physical health, and 25% focused on their financial wellbeing.

As a way to support consumers' concerns caused by the pandemic, 41% of them agree that they wish retailers and brands to serve their needs by keeping employees on staff, which was the third most popular answer researchers got from the respondents. Besides that, 51% of respondents said that retailers could support their concerns by providing them with free shipping. Additionally, 43% of them wished for extra promotions from brands to them, while 30% of them also supported the idea of extra benefits for affected groups of people such as front-line health workers.

Researchers also wanted to find out what consumers feel about "purpose-driven" brands and see how customers distinguish between brands that are doing the right thing in general vs. doing the right thing for them. So, when asked, "what does purpose-driven mean to you?" the four most popular responses were:

 Companies that stand for something bigger (39% of respondents agreed on this one).

 Companies that follow ethical and sustainable business practices (36% of respondents thought so).

 Companies that are open and transparent (30% of respondents answered so).

 Companies that treat their employees well (30% of respondents said so).

Besides that, researchers also wanted to see how respondents rate lower benefits that would only benefit them. The findings are:

 Companies that have the same values and the values they believe in (18% of respondents believed so)

 Companies that support causes and organizations that they believe in (16% of respondents agreed on this one)

Overall, 46% of consumers claimed that they are more likely to purchase goods and services from brands that share their beliefs and values. That being said, the overall conclusion of researchers was that consumers certainly still want great deals from brands. Yet, they also tend to gravitate towards those brands that consider society's needs as a whole, not brands that offer benefits that only cater to their consumers.

What do your customers want?

Are you aware of what your consumers want in these certain times? If not, you should really try to understand their needs and wants in such a sensitive moment of their lives.

Why knowing what your customers want is so important? As the market research experts from Opinipoll explain, "No business can be successful without loyal paying customers. Yet, to keep customers coming back to your business, you have to provide them with exactly what they want and need. So, you have to listen to their opinions."

Here's what you should find out about your target audience:

Who your buyer persona is?

Start by understanding who is buying from you. And, most importantly, find out why they are buying from you. You can learn from your loyal customers what you are doing right or what you can improve. The more you know what your customers want, the better you can serve them.

Where can you reach them?

Marketing is really important to keep customers engaged and attract new ones. But where can you reach your target audience? Is it online? Do customers spend most of their time on a certain social media platform? What type of content do they want to see?

Why they prefer your competitors

Not every customer in your target audience buys from your business. Find out what is making your target audience buy from your competitors.

How can you improve your services or products?

Successful businesses always strive for improvement and innovation. Ask your customers what are their needs and wants that you can satisfy by improving your services or products.

Image source: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/consumers
Marc Wilmore, a writer for The Simpsons, an American animated sitcom, has passed on at 57 after losing the battle COVID-19. Larry ...

Marc Wilmore, a writer for The Simpsons, an American animated sitcom, has passed on at 57 after losing the battle COVID-19.

Larry Wilmore, his brother, broke the sad news in an emotional Twitter post on Monday.

In the post, Larry revealed that his brother breathed his last after losing the battle to COVID-19 and other health conditions that have caused him pains over the years.

He described the deceased as the kindest and funniest angel he has ever met, adding that he would miss him.

My sweet sweet brother, Marc Edward Wilmore, passed away last night while battling COVID and other conditions that have had him in pain for many years. My brother was the kindest, gentlest, funniest, lion of an angel Ive ever known. I love you little brother, he wrote.

My sweet sweet brother, Marc Edward Wilmore, passed away last night while battling COVID and other conditions that have had him in pain for many years. My brother was the kindest, gentlest, funniest, lion of an angel Ive ever known. I love you little brother. pic.twitter.com/Zhcg1U4Evr  Larry Wilmore (@larrywilmore) February 1, 2021

Marc kick-started his career as a television writer in 1992 with In Living Color, an American comedy series.

He would later join The Tonight Show, an American late-night talk show, with Jay Leno between 1995 and 1998.

The actor cum comedian joined The Simpsons writing staff in 2002 during its 13th season and went on to establish himself as a popular figure with his contributions to the series.





Marc snagged numerous awards as well as recognitions during his illustrious career including an Emmy as the producer for the episode Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind.

His demise further the further stretches the list of celebrities who have passed away from COVID-19 since the dawn of the year.
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.
"Our clients  including schools, businesses and buildings throughout Chicago and the country  are looking for simple solutions that can help return people to their daily activities without a lot of hassle," said Nick Dubak, COO of Dubak Electrical Group

As schools across the country are looking for ways to safely reopen for in-person instruction, several have been successfully greeting students with contact-free, walk-through body temperature screening for months. With the DuThermX Body Temperature Measurement System from Chicago area Dubak Electrical Group, students and staff can quickly and easily enter a building while following safety protocols.

Several schools have been using a combination of the DuThermX Mobile Cart or DuThermX Kiosk Series. The Mobile Cart has a moveable, rechargeable, contract-free system with visual or sound alarms that alert staff to elevated temperatures. The DuThermX Kiosk Series offers a single 7-inch camera checkpoint that can be installed on a desktop or counter. Both use thermal imaging scanners to read body temperature.

Nazareth Academy, a college prep Catholic high school in La Grange Park, Illinois, now welcomes students at the door with the DuThermX Mobile Cart. Elementary and middle school students in Pleasantdale Schools in La Grange and Burr Ridge, Illinois, Holy Family High School in Brookfield, Colorado, and Argo Community High School in Summit, Illinois, have been using the DuThermX Mobile Carts and Kiosks.

The body temperature screenings with the DuThermX systems are ensuring accurate screenings very simply, said Dave Palzet, superintendent at Pleasantdale School District 107. We added a mid-day screen in the gym for elementary students as they enter for snack time. The additional layer of checking has helped alleviate fears.

Dubak Electrical Group launched DuThermX, the first fully integrated body temperature measurement system for industrial and commercial applications in the United States in April 2020. The contact-free, high-capacity system detects elevated body temperatures as large numbers of people enter schools, factories, healthcare facilities, buildings, and event venues. The DuThermX system uses advanced thermal camera technology and can be integrated with existing security systems.

The Pleasantdale School District provides 853 students in grades preschool through eighth grade in two schools. Located in the western Cook County suburbs, PSD 107 serves families from the communities of Burr Ridge, Willow Springs, Indian Head Park, Countryside, and LaGrange.

Palzet notes that the temperature screenings have identified a couple of asymptomatic cases in elementary school children who then are isolated and appropriate safety measures are taken.

We are pleased that we have chosen the DuThermX systems as one of many tools to help provide a level of confidence to our students and staff that we are doing the most we can to ensure everyone's safe return, noted Joe Murphy, Business Manager at Argo Community High School in Summit, Illinois, which has two Kiosks and two Mobile Carts.

We are so grateful to have the DuThermX cart that will allow us to expedite the daily check-in process for students, faculty and staff as they arrive at school, said Therese Hawkins, Principal at Nazareth Academy. Nazareth remains so very proud of the way our Hybrid Plan allows for in-person learning to occur for our students. We have developed comprehensive COVID health and safety protocols and the DuThermX cart helps us greatly in completing the first step - checking the temperatures of all who enter our building in the morning.

Nazareth Academy has been welcoming students for in-person learning since August. Their Hybrid Learning Plan uses a rotating schedule of in-person learning two full days per week combined with synchronous online classes and asynchronous lessons. The student body is split alphabetically to allow for adequate distancing.

We are delighted that these schools can welcome students and staff back to school with an easy temperature screening system in place, says Nick Dubak, Chief Operating Officer of Dubak Electrical Group. Our clients  including schools, businesses and buildings throughout Chicago and the country  are looking for simple solutions that can help return people to their daily activities without a lot of hassle. With DuThermX, people can enter without stopping for a screening or needing to remove a mask or face covering.

This is a game changer for us, notes Kathy Gross, nurse at Nazareth Academy. Along with practices already in place, such as mask wearing, social distancing, enhanced cleaning and hand washing measures; the DuThermX system will really help in our strategy to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our school community.

DuThermX allows for continuous flow of visitors, integrates with existing security systems at large commercial buildings and industrial sites, and can provide facial recognition and data analysis. The DuThermX product line includes the DuThermX Venue Series, Walk Thru Series, Mobile Cart Series, Modular Container Series, Healthcare Series, Kiosk Series and Customized Solutions. These systems use advanced thermal camera technology, calibrators, monitors, and warning lights.

The DuThermX Difference

DuThermX is a contact-free and continuous flow system, which alleviates the need for manual screening and any bottle necks created by stopping people that often requires additional personnel at any venue entry point. It can be added to existing surveillance and monitoring systems or installed separately.

Easily, quickly, unobtrusively, DuThermX detects body temperatures within +/- 0.54 degrees Fahrenheit with a response time of 30 milliseconds. When a person passes through an entry point with an elevated temperature, an alarm alerts designated personnel. The multi notification alarm system can include audible, visual, email, SMS text, onscreen and network video capture. Additional DuThermX applications will be available for walk-thru entry, airport entrances, outdoor tunnels and event venues as well as offering solutions for smaller offices or businesses.

About Dubak Electrical Group

Dubak Electrical Group is a leader in industrial electrical construction and maintenance with more than three decades of experience. As family-owned-and-operated business, Dubak has an established record of success and safety in the design, installation and maintenance of industrial electrical, HVACR, control, and automation. The company opened a new corporate headquarters, training and technology facility in La Grange in 2016, in Chicagos western suburbs. Additional regional offices are located in Florida, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin. We are currently building a second innovation center opening in La Grange in 2021.

For more information on DuThermX: https://www.duthermx.com/

More information on Dubak Electrical Group



For a link to the DuThermX online newsroom with video b-roll and images go to: https://www.duthermx.com/media
Prime Minister on Monday greeted the on its foundation day, saying it was courageously ensuring the country's seas were safe.

The maritime law enforcement agency is celebrating its 45th Raising Day.

From a modest beginning with just seven surface platforms in 1978, the Coast Guard has grown into a formidable force with 156 ships and 62 aircraft in its inventory, and is likely to achieve targeted force levels of 200 surface platforms and 80 aircraft by 2025.

"On the Foundation Day of the Indian Coast Guard, my greetings to all their personnel and their families," Modi said. "Our Coast Guard is courageously ensuring our seas are safe. We are proud of their professionalism and impeccable service.

(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.)

Mr. Ryan hails from Niles, Ohio, just north of Youngstown, a region filled with voters who are effectively Trump Democrats, many of them union members or retirees. He outperformed Mr. Biden in his district, but Democrats there suffered a series of losses in other down-ballot races.

The question, should Mr. Ryan become his partys nominee, is if he can win back these mostly white voters.

Mr. Ryan has long considered running statewide, but in the past decided on seeking re-election to the House seat he first won in 2002, when he succeeded the famously fiery, and corrupt, James Traficant.

Mr. Ryan mounted a long-shot bid for the presidency in 2019 with the same message hes expected to carry into the Senate contest  that Democrats will build enduring majorities only if they reclaim support from a multiracial, working-class coalition of voters.

Beyond elevating that argument, Mr. Ryan, 47, has another compelling reason to run for the Senate: As Republicans grow stronger in eastern Ohio, his district has become increasingly competitive, and the Republican Party could redraw the states districts to make it even more forbidding for him in 2022.

While he has risen on the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Ryan has mostly given up on his hopes to join the House leadership, having been turned back in his 2016 challenge against Nancy Pelosi, then the minority leader.

In Congress, Mr. Ryan has been a close ally of unions and has generally toed the Democratic line, shifting toward a stance in support of abortion rights in recent years. Even before formally announcing his bid, Mr. Ryan drew support from the state chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which on Monday released a letter endorsing his undeclared candidacy.
Black Lives Matter, the racial justice movement which became a rallying cry after the unfortunate death of an unarmed Black man in the US by a police officer last year, has been proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize, a Norwegian MP said Saturday.

Founded in the United States in 2013, the movement received an impetus in May after George Floyd from Minnesota was killed. A white policeman had knelt on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes ignoring the latter's pleas that he couldn't breathe. Floyd's death fuelled protests in the United States against police brutality, racial inequality and more that soon spread across the world.

The Twitter handle of the BLM movement acknowledged the proposal and vouched to do more for ringing in racial equality all over.

We hold the largest social movement in global history. Today, we have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. People are waking up to our global call: for racial justice and an end to economic injustice, environmental racism, and white supremacy. We're only getting started  pic.twitter.com/xjestPNFzC Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) January 30, 2021

Supporters of the movement were ecstatic and shared the news on social media platforms hoping for a more profound changes to take place regarding the movement's future.

What is more important than fighting for equality, and the sanctity of exploited lives?BLMs nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize is exactly the kind of energy we need more of.Onward #BlackLivesMatter Arianeh Sajadi (@ArianehSajadi) January 30, 2021

The #BlackLivesMatter movement was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize because the #BlackLivesMatter movement DESERVES to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Jake Lobin (@JakeLobin) January 29, 2021

Black Lives Matter movement nominated for 2021 Nobel peace prize Brilliant news that recognition is being given to BLM for galvanising global support for equality and fighting against increasing racism across the world  #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/v4pXzxn4JO Nick (@Nclarke30) January 30, 2021

Some however, felt it was more apt to propose names of the women who had formed the movement in the first place rather than the namin the organisation as a whole.

 Nominating "Black Lives Matter" for the Nobel peace prize, is as silly as nominating "The entire state of Kansas," or "the whole industry of cabinet making."The movement was started by 3 Black women. Nominate *them*.Alicia Garza.Patrisse Cullors.Opal Tometi. Mekka *My Mask Protects You* Okereke (@mekkaokereke) January 30, 2021

Tens of thousands of people, including MPs and ministers from all countries, former Nobel laureates and distinguished academics, can propose candidates for the various Nobel prizes.

Norwegian MP Petter Eide, who filed the proposal, said, They have had a tremendous achievement in raising global awareness and consciousness about racial injustice.

The deadline ends on Sunday. Several other names have been mooted for the Peace Prize including controversial Wikileaks founder and whistleblower Julian Assange, former US president Donald Trump, media rights group RSF and a trio of Belarusian opposition leaders led by Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.

The Nobel prizes will be announced at the start of October. This year's prize went to the World Food Programme, the UN food agency.

The BLM movement was founded back in 2013 by three women Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi after the acquittal of the man who shot Trayvon Martinin the US. The movement was fuelled next year by the protests over the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The foundation recently wonthe Sweden's Olof Palme human rights prize for 2020.

(With inputs from AFP)
Australian media companies have pleaded guilty to contempt of court over the way they reported George Pells conviction on sexual abuse charges.

Lawyers for more than 10 news outlets, including The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, told the Supreme Court in Melbourne on Monday that their corporate clients would plead guilty to breaching a suppression order.

Cardinal George Pell. Credit:AP

However, as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, other charges against the news outlets and against 15 individual journalists, including the editors of some of the nations biggest newspapers, would be dismissed.

The charges relate to the way some sections of the Australian media reported Cardinal Pells conviction in December 2018 after a County Court trial.

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.


Recently I came across a fascinating story about Norma Jean Mortenson, as told by Father John Powell, a Jesuit priest, and author.

Norma Jean Mortenson. Remember that name? Norma Jeans mother, Mrs. Gladys Baker, was periodically committed to a mental institution, and Norma Jean spent much of her childhood in foster homes. In one of those foster homes, when she was eight years old, one of the boarders raped her and gave her a nickel. He said, Here, Honey. Take this and dont ever tell anyone what I did to you. When little Norma Jean went to her foster mother to tell her what had happened, she was beaten badly. She was told, Our boarder pays good rent. Dont ever say anything bad about him! Norma Jean, at the age of eight, had learned what it was to be used and given a nickel and beaten for trying to express the hurt that was in her.

Norma Jean turned into a very pretty young girl, and people began to notice. Boys whistled at her, and she began to enjoy that, but she always wished they would see she was a person too  not just a body  or a pretty face  but a person.

Then Norma Jean went to Hollywood and took a new name  Marilyn Monroe, and the publicity people told her, We are going to create a modern sex symbol out of you. And this was her reaction, A symbol? Arent symbols things people hit together? They said, Honey, it doesnt matter because we are going to make you the most smoldering sex symbol that ever hit the celluloid.

She was an overnight smash success, but she kept asking, Did you also notice I am a person? Would you please notice? Then she was cast in the dumb blonde roles.

Everyone hated Marilyn Monroe. Everyone did. She would keep her crews waiting two hours on the set. She was regarded as a selfish prima donna. What they didnt know was that she was in her dressing room vomiting because she was so terrified.

She kept saying, Will someone, please notice I am a person. Please. They didnt notice. They wouldnt take her seriously.

She went through three marriages  always pleading, Take me seriously as a person. Everyone kept saying, But, you are a sex symbol. You cant be other than that.

Marilyn kept saying, I want to be a person. I want to be a serious actress.

And so on that Saturday night, at the age of 35 when all beautiful women are supposed to be on the arm of a handsome escort, Marilyn took her own life. She killed herself.

When her maid found her body the next morning, she noticed the telephone was off the hook. It was dangling there beside her.

Later investigation revealed that in the last moments of her life, she had called a Hollywood actor and told him she had taken enough sleeping pills to kill herself. He answered her with the famous line of Rhett Butler, which I now edit for the church, Frankly, my dear, I dont care! That was the last word she heard. She dropped the phone  left it dangling.

Claire Booth Luce, in a very sensitive article, asked, What really killed Marilyn Monroe, love goddess who never found any love? She said she thought the dangling telephone was the symbol of Marilyn Monroes whole life. She died because she never got through to anyone who understood.

It could be argued that the tragic life of Norma Jean is a perfect illustration of the consequences of objectifying women as sex objects. Whether its porn, prostitution, or something as seemingly harmless as seductive popular fashion, a womans dignity and personhood are significantly diminished when her sexuality is elevated as paramount or equal to her worth. Whats unfortunate is that although Marilyn was a victim of the same, she also became a willing participant and, therefore, in a sense, was killing herself all along.

However, something more important than a statement against treating women as mere sex objects is what God would like to do for all the Norma Jeans of the world  for all the people who have gotten caught up in a cycle of abuse, who lost their way, and thereby act out in all sorts of negative and self-destructive ways.

God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to seek out and save the lost. The love of God demonstrated on the Cross of Christ proves our value to him.

Jesus once taught about ones worth to God in a parable about a man who found a priceless treasure in a field and sold everything he had to buy that field so he could possess that treasure (Matthew 13:44-46). The apostle John wrote, In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins (I John 4:12).

To all the Norma Jeans, God says you are priceless to him. He wants to redeem your life and satisfy that insatiable hunger of the soul to belong  to be loved  to be valued.

Ill add this for my Christian brethren. If our Christian activism doesnt convey this love, were doing it the wrong way. Whether we are advocating for or against some policy initiative, whether we admonish or rebuke, if this redeeming love is not detected in our tone or demeanor, we are to an unregenerate world but a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal (I Corinthians 13:1).

****************

(Reverend Mark Creech is director of the Christian Action League of NC. He was a pastor for 20 years before taking this position, having served five different Southern Baptist churches in North Carolina and one Independent Baptist in upstate New York.)
IT has been well established that the countrys most effective mobilisation system is the election machinery based on political affiliation.

With this in mind, the current crisis in the country regarding the frightening spread of the coronavirus calls for a different kind of intervention. It is past time for the declaration of a political truce. We call on the countrys two major political machines, PNM and UNC, and all other existing political parties and groups, to come together in the national interest.
The DUP already knows that it is not in a good place politically, but the results of our poll will send a shiver down the spine of its top brass. Even more significantly, they will seriously unsettle MLAs.

With their party down to 19%, and Jim Allisters TUV on an unprecedented 10%, they will realise that, if something doesnt change fairly rapidly, many of them could lose their seats.

Sources have been telling this journalist for two months that Arlene Fosters time at the helm is running out. No moves have materialised against her so far  although behind-the-scenes plotting continues  but this poll will intensify the pressure on her leadership.

To oust her over the Irish Sea border would be unfair on so many levels. The DUPs disastrous Brexit strategy wasnt just her making. Indeed, members of its Westminster team were far more intricately involved in the negotiations than she was.

Read More

Foster is fast becoming the scapegoat for their collective failings and bad choices. There is no evidence that anyone of substance in the partys ranks  at Stormont or in Parliament  ever voiced serious concern about its Brexit strategy.

Even without the Irish Sea border problems, Foster was in trouble. Unionist grassroots remain furious at Michelle ONeill over the Bobby Storey funeral, and the DUP leader is paying the price for not taking a harder line with Sinn Fein.

Yet it is hard to see what she could have done differently during a pandemic. Walking out of government wasnt a realistic option.

To survive, Foster needs rapid changes to the Northern Ireland protocol, or the existing problems ironed out and the DUP base to settle down. One thing is certain: key figures in the party will take whatever action is necessary to avoid the LucidTalk poll results becoming reality in next Mays Stormont election.

They will not even begin to countenance a 19% vote. It is over two decades since the DUP vote was that low. The party secured 18% in the 1998 Assembly poll but, in every subsequent election to Stormont, it has been significantly above that.

Fosters party is fortunate that its main rival isnt competitive. The Ulster Unionists are hardly brimming with talent, and there are no signs of serious rebuilding. They will be lucky to hold onto their existing seats.

Robin Swanns spectacular popularity  75% of people think he is doing a good or great job as Health Minister  has not translated into increased support for his party. Although the UUP may be in an even sorrier state if he wasnt so high-profile at Stormont.

Jim Allister has long been the most capable unionist politician in Northern Ireland. Even his fiercest critics acknowledge his intellect and ability. But he has never managed to successfully build a party.

If he were able to contest every constituency himself, the TUV would be a force to be reckoned with at the next election. As things stand, he needs to present an array of credible candidates. Even if he does, they wont have anything like the DUPs professional machine behind them.

Allister is also severely disadvantaged by the fact that the leader of the largest party becomes First Minister.

Unionist grassroots may be angry and disillusioned with the DUP now but, in 15 months time, that party will so successfully whip up fears of Michelle ONeill landing the top job, that many voters will reluctantly rally around it.

Fosters personal ratings have fallen with voters across the community since our last poll three months ago. LucidTalk gives the leaders a score calculated by subtracting the number of those who view them negatively from those who view them positively.

In October, Foster was on -2; she is now on -30. Last time, under half of nationalists said her performance was poor as First Minister; this time it is two-thirds. Her negative rating has also risen 14% points with Alliance and Green voters.

That is surely down to the DUP vetoing health advice at the Executive, and the antics of some of its leading figures regarding Covid over the past three months.

Michelle ONeills rating has gone from -39 to -33. That slight improvement is likely down to both anger at the DUP, and her party supporting Robin Swann on coronavirus restrictions.

But it is hardly a score which suggests confidence in the Sinn Fein vice-president.

She wont be too concerned about what unionists think of her, but she will need to start winning over the 53% of Alliance and Green voters who judge her performance as bad or awful, if she is to help her party secure vital transfers in the next election.

Alliance is up from 16% in our last poll to 18%, and Naomi Long will be hoping to convert this to Assembly seats.

The party has no shortage of talent  such as Eoin Tennyson in Upper Bann and Sorcha Eastwood in Lagan Valley  who would hugely help strengthen its hand in Stormont.

The SDLP could be forgiven for being disappointed in its poll results. Colum Eastwood and Claire Hanna have put in some very polished performances in the Commons. In the Assembly, the party punches far beyond its weight with Daniel McCrossan and Matt OToole particularly impressive.

The SDLP should be polling better than 13% in the circumstances. Why is it not doing so? Would it be better leaving the Executive once Covid is more under grips, or would that be irresponsible with the economy and health service facing massive pressures? These are issues the leadership will surely be debating.

But the person who should be facing the biggest questions from our poll, will likely escape without having to answer any because nobody here has the power to hold him to account.

Three-quarters of voters branded the Secretary of States performance poor or awful, while only an embarrassing 4% thought Brandon Lewis was doing a good or great job.

He is certainly no Julian Smith. Indeed, there are times he is so bad that one almost fondly reminisces about Karen Bradley.
A quarantined traveller at a Perth hotel at the centre of a snap lockdown affecting two million people in Western Australia claims guards weren't wearing PPE for most of his stay there.

Ben Grimshaw, 49, told Daily Mail Australia he was concerned by the 'slack demeanour' among the sub-contracted security at the Sheraton Four Points hotel.

Mr Grimshaw, who is on day 13 of mandatory quarantine, said he was worried even before hearing a guard had tested positive with Covid-19 over the weekend.

'When I opened the hotel room door to collect meals or put out rubbish I could see them sitting in the corridors looking at their phones, with no masks or any other PPE,' he said.

'I had the impression they were so bored and were feeling complacent about the risks.'

The view from Mr Grimshaw's quarantine hotel room at the Sheraton Four Points in Perth

He is staying at the Sheraton Four Points in Perth's CBD, where a guard tested positive for Covid on Saturday night

Ben Grimshaw, 49 (pictured), said he was feeling concerned about the 'slack demeanour' among the sub-contracted security guards

The guards seemed to be mostly young workers and international students, he added.

On Monday Premier Mark McGowan said the state has recorded no further Covid-19 cases after 3,171 tests on Sunday.

He also announced that a G2G pass was being prepared for people entering the regions under lockdown.

Mr McGowan had announced the drastic lockdown on Sunday afternoon and it came into affect at 6pm Perth time.

Mr McGowan said the guard did not enter a hotel room but did patrol the same floor as an infected guest in quarantine.

Some 66 contacts of the guard have tested negative or will be tested later on Monday. Some 'high-risk' close contacts have been take into hotel quarantine as a precaution.

The lockdown, affecting 80 per cent of the state's population, sparked a wave of panic buying across packed supermarkets.

The news prompted South Australia to close its borders to WA without warning, along with Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territory, and later the ACT.

Tthe infected guard worked two 12-hour shifts on both January 26 and 27 while there were four cases at the hotel, including two with the highly-infectious UK variant and one confirmed to have the South African strain.

The news ended Western Australia's 10-month coronavirus-free streak, sending the entire Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region into a snap five-day lockdown.

Mr Grimshaw (pictured) said he had the impression the guards were so bored they started feeling complacent about the risks

Pictured: Inside the room of Mr Grimshaw at the at the Sheraton Four Points in Perth

A second suspected case has come forward in WA but the Health Department says the case is believed to be historic and not a risk.

WA Health Minister Roger Cook said the infected security guard 'would have' been wearing PPE while on shift at the hotel.

However, the only time the guards at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel seemed to be appropriately attired was only when guests first arrived or when they left and they needed to be escorted through the hotel, Mr Grimshaw claimed.

When the guards were simply guarding the rooms in the corridors on long shifts, the PPE was apparently missing, or masks were seen around necks instead of faces.

'I was already worried, as obviously I'd read all about how this same sort of mistake had occurred in Melbourne and caused a second lockdown and hundreds of deaths,' Mr Grimshaw said.

'I just can't believe nothing was learnt from that and these guards were hired, clearly without any proper supervision.'

There are fears the guard may have infected thousands after 16 locations he visited were put on alert.

They were mostly in the Marylands suburb where he lives but also included the Perth Convention Centre and a GP practice in Nedlands, which the man attended between January 25 and January 30.

Perth, Peel and the South West entered a strict lockdown beginning 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday - impacting about 80 per cent of WA's population

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE INFECTED SECURITY GUARD The security guard, who is aged in his 20s and from Maylands, inner Perth, tested positive to coronavirus on Saturday night - but may have been infectious five days earlier. He was working at the Sheraton Four Points hotel, on the same floor as returned Australians confirmed to have the highly-infectious UK Covid strain. The man worked 12-hour shifts on both January 26 and 27 while there were four active cases at the hotel, including two with the UK variant and one confirmed to have the South African strain. Authorities are adamant the security guard did not enter any hotel rooms. The man returned negative results as part of routine testing on January 15, 17 and 23 but started to become unwell last Thursday - January 28. He was most likely infectious from January 26 but only tested positive on Saturday, causing concern to health authorities due to the extensive number of venues he visited while potentially infectious over a five-day period. The man had a second job as a ride share driver but authorities said he had not worked in that role since January 22. The man has three housemates who have all tested negative to Covid-19. They have all been placed in hotel quarantine for 14 days. The security guard visited 15 venues, which have been listed as potential exposure sites. This includes a Coles, KFC, halal grocery store, an Indian consulate and a hair salon. Advertisement

Mr Grimshaw, a British citizen with Australian permanent residency, has spent 13 days in his room on the 5th floor at the hotel, after waiting nearly a year to return to Perth to work as a sustainability manager.

He said he felt 'angry and upset' that the first he and other travellers in the hotel heard about the outbreak was on the news.

'We have been met with a wall of silence. I asked the manager of the hotel where in the hotel this outbreak is and on what floor,' he said.

'But he said he was being kept in the dark himself by WA Health. I feel very disappointed and let down by the whole situation.'

Mr Grimshaw said he didn't yet know if he and others staying at the hotel would be released as planned tomorrow.

'I've had my second test already and even the nurse didn't know what floor this all occurred on, we are all very much in the dark,' he said.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the WA Department of Health for comment.

Residents are pictured queuing to get into a Coles supermarket on Sunday before the harsh five-day lockdown comes into effect

Long queues are seen outside Coles in Maylands, one of the potential exposure sites, in Perth, on Sunday

Pictured: Quarantined traveller Arsiyanti Ardie

Another woman staying at the hotel also spoke out about the facility's 'poor' Covid protocols.

Arsiyanti Ardie, who suffers from a life-threatening autoimmune disease, arrived at the Four Points from Jakarta on January 21 and said she immediately noticed some of the guards were wearing their masks hanging below their nose.

'If I get Covid, I die. Period. I cut medical treatment in Jakarta short because COVID is the greater risk there and I simply have to be in a safe place,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'Turns out I jumped from the frying pan into the fire. I have a pretty chipper outlook on life but I'm pretty distressed.'

Ms Ardie said she's also worried about the poor ventilation and recirculated air.

'If the hall or other rooms are being cleaned, the odour of cleaning products is strong in my room,' she said.

Queensland Health speculated the air conditioning in the Grand Chancellor hotel in Brisbane may have been a factor in an outbreak that sparked a three-day lockdown at the beginning of January.

'If you want a Victoria-style recipe for disaster, this is it,' Ms Ardie said.

The state enjoyed close to 10 months without a single case of Covid-19 in the community, a feat Mr McGowan credits to his tough stance on borders by closing his state off from the rest of Australia for most of 2020

Australian Medical Association WA president Dr Andrew Miller said hotels are not designed to be quarantine facilities.

'If you're going to have a quarantine facility, get rid of the word hotel, convert the air conditioning so they're pumping fresh air through the place, redesign the administration of it and employ people who simply work in quarantine facilities who are trained quarantine professionals, anything short of that is a ridiculous idea,' he he told WA Today two weeks ago.

'It's incredibly disappointing that we are still running what we would describe as an amateurish quarantine system, these are not quarantine facilities, these are hotels.'

It emerged that the guard who tested positive lives with three other people, all of whom were placed in hotel quarantine.

Mr McGowan said each of the house mates returned a negative test, but that could change over coming days.

Last year an official inquiry was called after several private security guards and workers in Melbourne quarantine hotels contracted Covid-19 then spread it in the community in May and June.

This sparked Victoria's second wave, which claimed more than 800 lives and caused four months of crippling lockdown.
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.
(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 1 - A visit by four Italian centre-left Democratic Party (PD) MEPs to see the condition of migrants in a camp on the Bosnian border with Croatia was a "provocation," Croatian Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said Monday, explaining why the four were blocked about 150 metres from the border with Bosnia.

"It was nothing more than the umpteenth provocation against Croatian police," he said.

"It was an attempt to discredit the country's reputation".

After a fire destroyed the temporary emergency camp in northwest Bosnia on December 23, hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers are housed in tents that do not meet basic humane housing conditions, human rights organisations have said.

Bosnian authorities should immediately provide adequate, winterized accommodation for the migrants and asylum seekers stranded in freezing temperatures in the northwestern part of the country, Human Rights Watch said last week.

The PD delegation also described conditions at the camp as "inhuman". (ANSA).


PrJSC DTEK Kyiv Grids increased the investment program for 2021 by 35% compared to 2018-2020 and plans to invest more than UAH 645 million in the development of Kyiv's power grid infrastructure this year, the company said in a press release.

"The investment program of DTEK Kyiv Grids has been increased by 35% compared to 2018-2020. This became possible due to the introduction of incentive tariff setting from January 1, 2021. Now, when calculating the tariff, the state regulator NEURC uses a new, more efficient method of setting prices for electricity distribution, which makes it possible to increase the amount of financing for the development of power grids," the press release says.

In 2021, the company plans to invest in the reconstruction of substations, distribution points, cable and overhead lines, the development of a Smart Grid system, as well as the introduction of modern customer service.

"The company is investing more than UAH 645 million in the development of the Kyiv power grid this year. It is planned to reconstruct three large 110 kW substations and implement 64 projects that will increase the reliability of power supply to the capital and the efficiency of emergency response," Denys Bondar, the director general of DTEK Kyiv Grids, said.

In 2021, DTEK Kyiv Grids plans to continue implementing automation and digitalization projects. The company will develop an automated dispatch control system that allows monitoring the technical condition of electrical equipment in real time. This will help more quickly resolve emergencies. The introduction of technologies for automation and digitalization will further transform the current infrastructure of power grids into Smart Grid, which meets the needs of the modern economy and customers.
Just to be able to make this artist suite a home for these teenagers will be so wonderful, especially after going through COVID, said Laura Hanna, photography and digital images teacher. The feeling that everybody is part of the creative hub of the school is really going to help them want to create more art. Its going to inspire them and motivate them to be able to creatively express themselves.
Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong has been re-elected as the General Secretary of the Party Central Committee for the 2021-2026 term.

This is the sixth time he has been elected to hold key positions of the Party and the State. Every time he was elected, Mr Trong in his inauguration speech has always demonstrated humility, sincerity and character of a communist.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the press conference after the closing ceremony of the 13th National Party Congress on February 1.

Fifteen years ago, on June 26, 2006, Mr. Trong, Hanois Party chief at that time, was elected as Chairman of the National Assembly.

Addressing his inauguration at the Ba Dinh hall at that time, Mr. Trong sincerely thanked the National Assembly for electing him as Chairman of the National Assembly. "This is a great honor and a very heavy responsibility for me," he said.

For me, entering into a new field of work will inevitably encounter many difficulties. I find myself still limited, both in terms of knowledge and experience. Therefore, I hope to receive active help from the members of the National Assembly; the close cooperation of the comrades in the National Assembly Standing Committee; the regular coordination of concerned agencies and organizations; and the support of voters and people nationwide.

I am very touched to know that comrade Nguyen Van An, the former Chairman, who has made a lot of contributions to renewing the activities of the National Assembly in recent years, is willing to share experiences with me and help me," said Nguyen Phu Trong, Chairman of the 11th National Assembly.

He also promised to overcome difficulties, do his best to study and practice, preserve moral qualities, succeed in the duties of the comrades who went ahead, and join National Assembly deputies and its agencies to continue to innovate and improve the quality of the National Assembly's operations, so that the National Assembly is increasingly worthy of being the highest body of State power and the highest representative agency of the people, meeting the requirements of the revolution in the new phase.

On July 23, 2007, Mr. Trong was re-elected to be the National Assembly Chairman of the new term.

Addressing his inauguration, Chairman of the 12th National Assembly Nguyen Phu Trong affirmed: In the course of implementing my duties, under the leadership of the Party and the 12th National Assembly Standing Committee, I will personally cooperate closely with the President, the Prime Minister, the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuracy, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the bodies of the National Assembly, and members of the National Assembly, to strive to fulfill well the assigned tasks, to meet the expectations of the people."

At that time, Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Phu Trong also promised to stand side by side with the members of the National Assembly, giving all his abilities and efforts to strive to improve the sense of responsibility to the Party and perform well the tasks that the 10th National Party Congress had proposed.

Particularly, he committed firmly to fight against corruption; strive to further improve the legislative and supervisory capacity of the National Assembly, renew working methods, resolutely struggle with manifestations of bureaucracy; and regularly keep contact with the people to deserve to be the agency representing the will and aspirations of the people.

On January 19, 2011, the 11th Party Central Committee elected Mr. Trong as the Party Secretary General for the 2011-2015 term.

At the press conference right after that, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong sincerely and frankly spoke. Asked which country he will pay a visit to first, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said: "To be honest, I have just taken office as the General Secretary. Im still unfamiliar when you call me the General Secretary. I have not thought about where to visit yet. Perhaps I will have to do it later. The Foreign Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will prepare it. Moreover, I have to be invited to pay a visit to other countries."

When referring to the fields that he wished to make his mark in, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said: "When I do anything, I do not think about the purpose of making a mark, not to polish myself. It is the responsibility of Party members and cadres to seriously implement the resolutions of the Party. It is good to perform the Party's resolutions well."

At the inauguration ceremony, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong thanked delegates for their trust to elect him to the highest position of the Party, with great responsibility, and affirmed that the Politburo would try to overcome all challenges in the coming time.

"The 12th Party Central Committee promises to work together with the entire Party and the people to promote the glorious tradition, strengthen solidarity, steadfast in the goal of national independence, renew the working style of Party agencies from central to local level, be close to the people, respect the people, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said.

Responding to the media question about being re-elected by the National Party Congress, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said: "I did not expect that I was to be elected by the Congress to the Party Central Committee. The first session of the Party Central Committee also elected me to the position of General Secretary with an almost absolute number of votes.

I was surprised because my age was high, my health and my qualifications are limited. I have also asked for resignation, but with the responsibility assigned by the Party, as a party member I must fulfill my responsibilities. Im surprised, touched and worried because the upcoming work is heavy and the responsibility is huge. In the current local and international developments, there are opportunities, but also many challenges and difficulties."

On October 23, 2018, Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong was elected by the 14th National Assembly to be the State President for the 2016-2020 term.

Taking the oath as the President of Vietnam before the National Assembly, Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong said: "Under the sacred flag of the Fatherland, before the National Assembly, the people and voters of the whole country, I, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, take an oath: to be absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, the people, to the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, to strive to fulfill the tasks assigned by the Party, the State and the people."

In his address at the inauguration ceremony, General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong said: "I will try to fulfill the task as I have just sworn to the National Assembly, to the people and voters nationwide."

Some delegates probably want to know how am I feeling right now. Im honest in saying that I'm both happy and worried. I'm glad that the National Assembly, the people trust me to assign me to this position. Im worried about how to fulfill my duties well. This is my honest thought, which is similar to my feeling over 12 years ago, when I was elected Chairman of the 11th National Assembly.

I remember that day, June 26, 2006, at 4pm, the National Assembly elected me to be the Chairman of the National Assembly. At that time, I was both happy and worried, but I was more worried because I had never been the Chairman of the National Assembly, I had not been familiar with the work of the National Assembly (at that time he was the Party Secretary of Hanoi, Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council).

Biography of Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of 13th Party Central Committee - Date of birth: April 14, 1944 - Ethnicity: Kinh

- Family background: Poor peasant

- Native place: Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi

- Current residency: 5 Thien Quang Street, Nguyen Du Wward, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi

- Occupation when recruited: Student

- Date of Party admission: December 19, 1967

- Date of official admission to the Party: December 19, 1968

- Education:

General education: 10-year education system graduation

Qualification: Graduated from the Philology Faculty of the University of Hanoi (now the Vietnam National University  Hanoi).

Academic title, degree: Professor, PhD in politics (majoring in Party building)

Political theory: High-level

Foreign language: Russian D, English B

- Awards: First-class Resistance War Medal, Medal for Cultural Cause, and medals for the cause of the press and the young generations, among others.

- Official member of the Party Central Committee in the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th tenures;

- Member of the Political Bureau in the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th tenures;

- Deputy to the National Assembly in the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th tenures.

SUMMARY OF CAREER - 1957-1963: Student at the Nguyen Gia Thieu school in Gia Lam District, Hanoi

- 1963-1967: Student at the Philology Faculty of the University of Hanoi (now the Vietnam National University  Hanoi).

- December 1967- July 1968: Officer at the Documentation Desk of the Study Review (now the Communist Review)

- July 1968 - August 1973: Officer of the Party Building Department of the Communist Review; experiencing a period of internship in Thanh Oai District, Ha Tay Province (now Hanoi) in 1971; Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union cell of the Communist Review from 1969 to 1973

- August 1973  April 1976: Undergoing a political-economic post-graduate course at the High-level Nguyen Ai Quoc Party School (now the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics), member of the executive board of the Party cell

- May 1976 - August 1980: Editorial staff of the Party Building Department of the Communist Review, Deputy Secretary of the Party cell

- September 1980 - August 1981: Study Russian language at the High-level Nguyen Ai Quoc Party School (now the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics)

- September 1981 - July 1983: Intern and defending Associate PhD thesis (now PhD thesis) at the Party Building Department of the Academy of Social Sciences of the Soviet Union

- August 1983 - February 1989: Deputy head of the Party Building Department, the Communist Review (October 1983); head of the Party Building Department, the Communist Review (September 1987); Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Communist Review (July 1985-December 1988) and Secretary of the Party Committee of the Communist Review (December 1988-December 1991)

- March 1989  April 1990: Member of the Editorial Board of the Communist Review

- May 1990  July 1991: Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Review

- August 1991  August 1996: Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Review

- January 1994: Elected as a member of the Communist Party of Vietnams Central Committee at the mid-term national conference in the 7th tenure

- June 1996: Reelected as a member of the Party Central Committee at the 8th National Party Congress

- August 1996 - February 1998: Deputy Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, head of the Hanoi Party Committees Popularisation and Education Board

- December 1997: Elected as a member of the 8th Political Bureau at the 4th meeting of the 8th Party Central Committee

- February 1998 - January 2000: In charge of the Party's ideological-cultural and scientific-educational affairs

- August 1999-April 2001: Joining the standing board of the Political Bureau

- March 1998 - August 2006: Vice Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council (March 1998-November 2001); Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, in charge of the Party's theoretical work (November 2001-August 2006)

- January 2000: Secretary of the 12th Hanoi Party Committee

- December 2000: Elected as Secretary of the 13th Hanoi Party Committee at the 13th Party Congress of Hanoi city

- April 2001: Reelected as a member of the Party Central Committee and the Political Bureau at the 9th National Party Congress

- May 2002 - now: Deputy of the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th National Assembly

- December 2005: Elected as Secretary of the 14th Party Committee of Hanoi (until June 2006) at the 15th Party Congress of the city

- April 2006: Re-elected as a member of the Party Central Committee and the Politburo at the 10th National Party Congress

- June 2006  July 2011: Chairman of the 11th and 12th National Assembly, Secretary of the National Assembly's Party Organisation, and member of the Council for National Defence and Security

- January 2011-January 2021: General Secretary of the Party Central Committee in the 11th, 12th, 13th tenures; Secretary of the Central Military Commission

- February 2013  now: Head of the Central Steering Committee on Corruption Prevention and Control

- August 2016 - now: Taking part in the Standing Board of the Central Public Security Party Commission of the 2015-2020 tenure.

- October, 2018 - now: President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council in the 2016-2021 tenure, Honorary President of the Vietnam Red Cross.

- January 2021: Reelected as a member of the Party Central Committee in the 2021-2026 tenure at the 13th National Party Congress, and reelected as General Secretary of the Party Central Committee in the 2021-2026 tenure at the first plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee.

Thu Hang
Q. I have been a part of the Senior Freeze program for many years and am grateful for the benefit. I sold my home and closed on Dec. 28, 2020 and paid the real estate taxes on the house for the entire year. I was told I am ineligible to receive a reimbursement because I did not own the house until Dec. 31, 2020. Is this correct? I did not buy another property and am currently renting an apartment.

 Moved

A. The rules for the Senior Freeze are very specific and they can be confusing.

As you know, New Jersey has one of the highest property taxes in the nation.

This may be especially burdensome for senior citizens and the disabled who may be on a fixed income, said Bernie Kiely, a certified financial planner and certified public accountant with Kiely Capital Management in Morristown.

He said the State of New Jersey instituted the Senior Freeze program in an effort to help seniors and the disabled.

The state recently announced it had that New Jersey seniors and disabled persons who are homeowners now have until Feb. 1, 2021 to file their 2019 Senior Freeze applications, he said.

According to New Jerseys website, the following are the eligibility requirements for the 2020 Senior Freeze:

1. You (or your spouse/civil union partner were 65 or older on Dec. 31, 2019. Or you were receiving federal Social Security Disability payments.

2. You lived in New Jersey continuously since Dec. 31, 2008 or earlier as a homeowner or a renter.

3. You owned and lived in your home since Dec. 31, 2015 or earlier and you owned and lived in that home on Dec. 31, 2019.

4. The 2018 property taxes due on your home must have been paid by June 1, 2019 and the 2019 property taxes must be paid by June 1, 2020.

5. Your total annual income was $89,013 or less for 2018 and $91,505 or less for 2019.

You meet the Dec. 31, 2019 time requirement for living in your home, Kiely said. Unfortunately, when the 2021 Senior Freeze comes along (for 2020), you wont be eligible because you moved out of your home three days too soon.

Email your questions to Ask@NJMoneyHelp.com.

Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.coms weekly e-newsletter.
SpaceX announced plans Monday for the first all-civilian mission to space, a major milestone for private spaceflight and the nascent space tourism industry.

The mission aboard SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft will feature a four-person crew led by Jared Isaacman, the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, a Pennsylvania-based payment processing company. The flight is expected to launch sometime in the fourth quarter of this year, according to SpaceX.

When youve got a brand new mode of transportation, you have to have pioneers, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk told NBC News Tom Costello in an interview with NBC Nightly News. Things are expensive at first, and as youre able to increase the launch rate, increase the production rate, refine the technology, it becomes less expensive and accessible to more people.

Private citizens have flown to space before, but these space tourists typically paid to hitch rides into orbit alongside trained NASA astronauts or Russian cosmonauts. Isaacmans flight will be the first time a crew made up entirely of private citizens will venture into space. The crewmembers will undergo training by SpaceX, including mission simulations for emergency preparedness and how to handle orbital mechanics during their flight.

Isaacman said in a statement that the mission, dubbed Inspiration4, is the realization of a lifelong dream and a step towards a future in which anyone can venture out and explore the stars.

Anyone, that is, with millions of dollars to spend on the ride. SpaceX did not disclose how much Isaacman paid for the flight.

But Musk said he hopes these early joyrides lay the groundwork for more space tourism in the future, beyond just billionaires who are able to afford the flights now.

"It's like when America went to the moon in '69  it wasn't just a few people, humanity went to the moon," he said. "We all went there with them. And I think it's something similar here."

Story continues

An all-civilian mission is a huge stepping stone for the private spaceflight industry, but it also presents enormous challenges. Musk said SpaceXs top priority will be to maximize the safety of the crew.

Any mission where theres a crew onboard makes me nervous, he said. The risk is not zero.

The expedition is part of a charity initiative to raise money for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. In addition to giving $100 million to St. Jude, Isaacman said he is donating the three other seats in the Dragon spacecraft to crewmembers who will be specially selected for the humanitarian flight.

The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. (SpaceX)

I appreciate this tremendous responsibility that comes with commanding this mission and I want to use this historic moment to inspire humanity while helping to end childhood cancer here on Earth, Isaacman said.

The Inspiration4 mission will travel into orbit aboard SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX has been launching rockets from Launch Complex 39A since 2017, and the historic pad was previously used for both space shuttle flights and Saturn V launches during NASAs Apollo moon program.

During the multiday mission, the Dragon capsule will circle Earth once every 90 minutes along a customized flight path, according to SpaceX. At the end of the expedition, the spacecraft will re-enter the planets atmosphere and splash down off the coast of Florida.

Isaacman, a trained pilot who has flown both commercial and military aircraft, will command the historic mission. One spot on the flight is reserved for a St. Jude ambassador, while a second seat will be offered to a member of the public as part of a charity drive during the month of February.

Crew Demo 2 Mission. (SpaceX)

For the final spot on the flight, Isaacman and Shift4 Payments will select an entrepreneur who utilizes the new Shift4Shop eCommerce platform, which empowers entrepreneurs to build and grow successful eCommerce businesses online, the company said in a statement. The competition began Monday and will run until Feb. 28, with the winner selected by an independent panel of judges.

Isaacman said the announcement of the Inspiration4 flight marks the first step of a very exciting journey.

The first space tourist, American multimillionaire Dennis Tito, launched to the International Space Station on an eight-day expedition in 2001. Tito reportedly paid $20 million to fly to the orbiting outpost aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Since then, only six other private citizens have flown in space, though the space tourism industry could soon be ramping up as companies such as Jeff Bezos Blue Origins and Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic begin offering orbital jaunts later this year.

Last month, SpaceX also announced that the first private space station crew, led by former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria, will launch to the orbiting lab next January. Lopez-Alegria will be joined by three men who are each paying $55 million to spend eight days at the space station.

In 2018, SpaceX said Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, founder and CEO of the fashion retailer Zozo, would be the first private passenger to fly around the moon on a mission that is planned for sometime in 2023. Isaacmans flight is not expected to venture as far, but Musk joked that SpaceX is open to other itineraries.

Its his mission, Musk said. He can go wherever he likes.

As the new administration in Washington outlines and develops its Iran policy  including whether, how and at what pace to lift sanctions on Tehran  the Iranian people still face challenges making any transfers in and out of the country at a time when many are facing economic hardships and humanitarian crises. While these policies are being worked out, a closely monitored "humanitarian bank" could offer an opportunity for Iranians abroad to send money to relatives and improve their daily lives.

The slew of sanctions on Iran has made it nearly impossible to transfer money into the country, causing frustration for many Iranian-Americans living in the United States and Iranians with family abroad.

Reza, a 45-year-old academic, is no exception. He moved to the United States 23 years ago to continue his studies, eventually becoming a college professor. Recently, his mother had a medical operation in Tehran and he wanted to help. But there was no legitimate way to send money back to Iran. All [possible] transactions involved shady individuals, he told Al-Monitor. He was told to send money to a contact who would send it to a currency exchange office in the United Arab Emirates. Life should not be this difficult, he said. All he wanted to send was $2,000.

Thousands of Iranian-Americans like Reza have sought ways to keep their economic ties with their homeland and failed to find a bank offering services to ordinary people of Iranian origin. It is time to consider establishing a community bank focusing on humanitarian trade with Iranians and not the Iranian government and operating within international laws and regulations.

Fortunately, the American banking community and regulators have gained ample experience in conducting financial transactions between Cuban American communities in the United States and Cuba. Western Union already offers services to Cuba, where measures were adopted to prevent these remittances from enriching Cuban officials (Western Union is currently not operating in Iran). The United States placed limitations on the amount of money each individual could send to his or her family in Cuba. The Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) can issue such a license for family transactions, permitting Iranians to wire money to the United States for academic tuition and medical expenses as well.

As President Joe Bidens administration takes over, Iran continues to represent a challenge for US foreign policy. There is an undeniable need for a banking channel for Iran to conduct daily economic activities. While the Iranian government expects a swift return to former agreements  particularly to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)  there is a lack of infrastructure to conduct meaningful trade with Iran.

During the 2010s, US-Iran trade remained very modest. American exports to Iran peaked in 2018, reaching $425.8 million, while Iranian imports to the United States reached $70 million. Following President Donald Trumps decision to leave JCPOA, American exports to Iran have dropped significantly  to $36.1 million from December 2019 through November 2020. Iran's exports to the United States, meanwhile, stood at a meager $3.9 million during the same period. There are fast food restaurants with higher annual sales in the United States.

Following the adoption of the JCPOA in October 2015 and its implementation in January 2016, Iranian airlines expressed interest in acquiring commercial jetliners from Boeing and began negotiating to acquire 120 of them. However, the efforts did not bear fruit. No Iranian airline could conduct the necessary financial transactions as the Iranian bank system remained isolated. Iranian authorities refused to join the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to promote transparency in Irans international financial transactions. No Iranian bank received a license to work with American banks, and the Iranian government continued to conduct its affairs without becoming part of the global banking network.

While many observers hope that the new US administration ends the "maximum pressure" policy of the previous administration regarding Iran, a long list of sanctions remain in place. In October 2020, the US Treasury Department identified 18 Iranian banks as funding vehicles for the Iranian governments malign activities and placed additional sanctions on Irans financial sector. The new sanctions freeze all of the property and interests in the designated banks in the United States or the possession or control of US persons. It is hardly possible to conduct any business with Iran when its entire financial sector is under sanctions.

Lifting sanctions on Irans financial sector cannot happen overnight. The anti-American groups in Iran will likely remain intense and paranoid, blocking any effort to join FATF or to open banking channels to international transactions. However, Iranians, particularly young people and women, need a venue for economic activity on the global scene to combat spreading poverty and other harsh economic realities. They need relief today.

No observer expects any significant change until Irans presidential elections in 2021. President Hassan Rouhanis administration is approaching its endpoint and its opponents are preparing to take over. Any negotiation with the Rouhani administration will be with a lame duck administration and subject to fierce objection from Irans legislature, whose speaker, IRGC general and former mayor of Tehran Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has presidential ambitions of his own.

In the meantime, what can be done? The challenge is not to work out a solution with the Iranian government, whose governance sphere is shrinking by the day. The challenge is rather how to conduct business with Iranian people, small and medium enterprises and the private sector without the government. Speaking to Al-Monitor, Fariba, a physician living in Maryland, said, When a relative is sick or your parents are in financial difficulty, you cannot wait for the governments to reach an agreement. She believes many Iranian-Americans are forced to turned to other channels simply because life cannot wait for Washington and Tehran to resolve their differences.

There is no doubt that in the absence of transparency from Iranian banks, it will be complicated to engage in any significant projects in the energy or aviation sectors. Iran's banking network has problems beyond US sanctions in meeting international standards. Moving billions of dollars through international channels for the sake of political convenience is unlikely to create the intended economic results. There can be no sustainable macro-level change without shifts at the micro level. Establishing a community bank focusing on humanitarian trade with a defined mandate outlining legitimate activities will open the path to conducting legitimate business with Iran, focusing on providing relief to the Iranian people. Such a bank can be closely monitored by the Office of Foreign Assets Control and have a license to conduct financial transactions below a certain level to prevent money laundering or other abuse of the international monetary system for malign activities.

Such a bank also would provide the Iranian-American community with a legitimate, closely monitored channel to conduct business with Iran, thus lowering the demand for black market activities. One must remember that this community continues to have cultural and family ties with Iran. Creating a community bank for humanitarian trade with Iran will recognize the need to facilitate such transactions with Tehran, thus reducing the demand for illegal activities out of official regulations and oversight. This bank can find sponsors and investors in the business community without becoming a new public entity, and it could expand its role if the conditions permit. Most importantly, such an endeavor will assure the Iranian people that their welfare is a priority and not a target.
A piece of the femur, believed to be of St James the Younger, mounted on a wooden peg and with a gilded ring Credit: Kaare Lund Rasmussen/SDU

In Rome lies the Santi Apostoli church, cared for by Franciscan brothers for more than 500 years. For more than 1500 years, this site has held the believed remains of two of the earliest Christians and Jesus apostles: St. Philip and St. James the Youngerrelics of the Holy Catholic Church.

In the first few centuries of Christianity, life was difficult for the Christian minority, but gradually towards the sixth century Christianity became the dominant religion; and after Emperor Constantine on his deathbed declared Christianity the state religion, churches were erected all over the Roman Empire.

Shortly after the churches were erected, remains of worshiped Christian martyrs were moved from their graves to designated worship churches in the towns. This also applied for the remains of the two apostles, St. Philip and St. James. Such movements of remains were called translations.

A foot, a femur and a tibia

It is unknown who translated the believed remains of St. Philip and St. James and where from, but it is a fact that they came to glorify the current church of Santi Apostoli in Rome, constructed in their honor. It is also a fact that the remains have been kept in the church since the sixth century.

So, are the relics really the remains of St. James and St. Philip? And what else can we learn from the bones?

The skeletons are today far from complete. Only fragments of a tibia, a femur and a mummified foot remain. The tibia and foot are attributed to St. Philip, the femur to St. James. It appears likely that this has been the case since the sixth century.

The mummified foot believed to be of St Philip. Credit: Kaare Lund Rasmussen/SDU

Radiocarbon dating

Professor of chemistry and archaeometry, Kaare Lund Rasmussen from University of Southern Denmark has led the scientific investigations of these remains supported by a team consisting of colleagues from University of Groningen in Holland, University of Pisa in Italy, Cranfield Forensic Institute in England, Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology in Italy and the National Museum of Denmark.

The results are published in the scientific journal Heritage Science.

The researchers considered the remains of St. Philip too difficult to de-contaminate and radiocarbon date, and their age thus remains unknown so far. But the femur, believed to belong to St. James, underwent several analyses. Most importantly, it was radiocarbon dated to AD 214-340.

"Thus, the preserved relic, the femur, is not that of St. James. It originates from an individual some 160-240 years younger than St. James," explains Professor Kaare Lund Rasmussen, University of Southern Denmark, adding:

"Though the relic is not that of St James, it casts a rare flicker of light on a very early and largely unaccounted for time in the history of early Christianity. Who that person was, is of course impossible to say."

The relics are kept under the altar in the church Santi Apostoli in Rome Credit: Kaare Lund Rasmussen/SDU

Searching for martyr corpses

"We consider it very likely, that whoever moved this femur to the Santi Apostoli church, believed it belonged to St. James. They must have taken it from a Christian grave, so it belonged to one of the early Christians, apostle or not," comments Kaare Lund Rasmussen.

The same goes for the believed remains of St. Philip, he adds.

"One can imagine that when the early church authorities were searching for the corpse of the apostle, who had lived hundreds of years earlier, they would look in ancient Christian burial grounds where bodies of holy men might have been put to rest at some earlier time," the researchers write in Heritage Science.

Moving bonesa popular tradition:

The first known movement of a martyr's remains to a church is that of St Babylas in AD 354. His remains were transferred from a cemetery in Antioch to Daphne and placed in a church especially built for the purpose by Governor Caesar Gallus

Immediately after this, translations got popular: the translations of St Timotheus, St Andrew, and St Lukas to Constantinople followed in a year's time

At the same time, sources reflect an increasing popularity and circulation of relics from the second part of the 4th century onwards

Despite the criticism of bishop Athanasius of Alexandria ( 373) and Shenoute ( 465) at the end of the same century and in the following, relics of martyrs and saints began to be moved into the churches

Throughout the Roman empire, bodies or body parts were exhumated, transferred, and reburied in the apse in close vicinity of the altar of many important churches.

More information: Kaare Lund Rasmussen et al, Investigations of the relics and altar materials relating to the apostles St James and St Philip at the Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli in Rome, Heritage Science (2021). Kaare Lund Rasmussen et al, Investigations of the relics and altar materials relating to the apostles St James and St Philip at the Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli in Rome,(2021). DOI: 10.1186/s40494-021-00481-9
Mumbai local train (File image: Reuters)

Local train services in Mumbai will resume for all the commuters from February 1. Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, on January 29, announced in this regard after the Maharashtra government proposed to resume the services for all commuters.

Piyush Goyal said on Twitter, "My dear Mumbai citizens, for the convenience of all of you, the Mumbai local train will be started from February 1."

After the coronavirus outbreak in March 2020, travel by local trains, lifeline for millions of people living in Mumbai and surrounding satellite towns, was severely restricted.

All you need to know about the resumption of local train services in Mumbai:

-The trains will be available in three time slots: from the start of the day's services to 7 am; 12 noon to 4 pm; and 9 pm to the end of the day. The timing has been restricted to avoid crowding during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

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

-This means the general public will not be allowed to travel between 7 am and 12 noon and between 4 pm and 9 pm, which are considered peak travel hours.

-The government has also urged offices to go for staggered working hours to ensure less crowding in trains.

-The authorities have asked people travelling in local trains to follow COVID-19 protocols. "Any kind of negligence can become a problem for us and others as well. If you will be safe, then everyone traveling with you will be safe," Goyal said.

-The services of the local trains were resumed for the emergency and essential services staff in June 2020. Later on, the authorities permitted women to travel in locals during the non-peak hours.

-Before the pandemic struck, the Central Railway was operating 1,774 suburban services daily, while the Western Railway operated 1,367 services. Currently, the two railway authorities are operating 2,985 services, about 95 percent of the total 3,141 services, on Mumbai's suburban network.
While announcing the budget on Monday (Feb 1), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government will launch a Rs 3,05,984 crore over 5 years to bring in reforms to the power sector in the country.

The viability of distribution companies is a serious concern. A revamped, reform-based, results-linked, power distribution sector scheme will be launched with an outlay of Rs 3,05,982 crore over five years. The scheme will provide assistance to discoms for infrastructure creation, the inclusion of prepaid smart metering, feeder separation, upgradation of systems, she said.

Sitharaman also pointed towards the monopolies of distribution companies across the country and proposed to put in place a competitive framework to give consumers alternatives to choose from among more than one distribution companies.

The past 6 years have seen a number of reforms and achievements in the power sector, we have added 139 Giga watts of installed capacity, connected an additional 2.8 crore households and added 1.41 lakh circuit km of transmission lines, added Sitharaman.

The Finance minister also announced the Hydrogen Energy Mission 2021-22 for generating hydrogen from green sources.
[February 01, 2021] AcademicInfluence.com Announces the Top Christian Colleges & Universities in the U.S.

FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- During these uncertain times, more of us are searching for answers beyond ourselves. Many are finding those answers in religious faith. Not only do Christian colleges and universities provide a firm foundation in faith for their students, but many rank among the top higher education institutions in the United States. AcademicInfluence.com assists students who want both a grounding in the Christian faith and a rigorous academic standard by releasing its 2021 ranking of the top American universities and colleges with a Christian worldview: 50 Best Christian Colleges and Universities of 2021 "At a time when more students are concerned with mental and spiritual well-being, schools with a religious foundation are helping to meet that essential need," says Dr. Jed Macosko, academic director of AcademicInfluence.com and professor of physics at Wake Forest University. "Students get a superior education as well as a strong source for the spiritual strength they need to meet life's challenges." The colleges and universities featured self-identify as Christian or declare affiliation with a historically Christian denomination, with each expressing this outwardly in its own way. Schools in the ranking include: Allegheny College

American University

Ave Maria University

Bob Jones University

Boston College

Brigham Young University

The Catholic University of America

College of the Holy Cross

Davidson College

Dillard University

Drew University

Duke University

Earlham College

Eckerd College

Elizabethtown College

Emory University

Fordham University

Georgetown University

Hanover College

Hendrix College

Houston Baptist University

Huntingdon College

John Carroll University

Lafayette College

Louisiana College

Loyola Marymount University

Loyola University New Orleans

Macalester College

Manhattan College

Marquette University

Ohio Wesleyan University

Pepperdine University

Rhodes College

Saint Anselm College

Saint Francis University

Saint Louis University

Santa Clara University

Sewanee : The University of the South

: The Southern Methodist University

St. Olaf College

Transylvania University

Trinity International University

Trinity Washington University

University of Dallas

University of Detroit Mercy

University of Notre Dame

Villanova University

Wagner College

Westminster College (Pennsylvania)

Wheaton College (Illinois)



"By acknowledging that there is more to life than studying and climbing some corporate ladder, these faith-based schools seek to deliver a healthy life balance," adds Macosko. "Our ranking of leading Christian schools highlights this synergy of scholarly excellence and spiritual enrichment many students desire. In addition, students can use the tools on our site to fine-tune results to meet their specific needs as well as find other Christian higher ed institutions in their state that also excel."

The proprietary InfluenceRanking Engine at the heart of AcademicInfluence.com's innovative rankings technology scours the web to map and measure the impact of a school's thought leadership. Students who want to attend a school that makes a genuine difference in the world now have a superior resource found at no other ranking site. See the AcademicInfluence.com About page for further details on the unique capabilities and advantages of this ranking technology. Founded in October 2016, with funding assistance from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Influence Networks developed the InfluenceRanking Engine used by AcademicInfluence.com. With its College Strategist, Desirability Score, and Custom College Rankings, AcademicInfluence.com assists students in finding the most influential higher education institutions. Nearly unlimited in the topics and top performers it can analyze, the InfluenceRanking Engine will keep expanding in what it will rank. AcademicInfluence.com is the preeminent technology-driven rankings site dedicated to students, researchers, and inquirers from high school through college and beyond, offering resources that connect learners to leaders. AcademicInfluence.com is a part of the EducationAccess group, a family of sites dedicated to lifelong learning and personal growth, including Influence Networks, InfluencePublishers.com (nonfiction publishing and publishers of Bright Notes), IntelligentEducation.com (instructional video library and easy instructional video creation with 3D elements), AlexandriaLibrary.com (free, online library and reader), and soon, Success Portraits (personalized strengths inventory for college and career). Contact:

Jed Macosko, Ph.D.

Academic Director

AcademicInfluence.com

290386@email4pr.com

(682) 302-4945 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/academicinfluencecom-announces-the-top-christian-colleges--universities-in-the-us-301218934.html SOURCE AcademicInfluence.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

Medical tourism destinations in Mexico, such as Baja California, Nuevo Leon, and Quintana Roo, are expected to welcome in 2021 a high volume of patients in search of medical specialties.

Long before the outbreak of the COVID-19 health contingency, Mexico was already one of the most sought-after medical tourism destinations in the world. Just over one million travelers from different countries arrive in Mexico to seek health services for treatments that are not covered by most medical insurances or that require an important investment.

Although the reduction in travel during the pandemic, medical tourism destinations in Mexico, such as Baja California, Nuevo Leon, and Quintana Roo, are expected to welcome in 2021 a high volume of patients in search of medical specialties, including the hair transplant industry as one of the most distinguished in the country.

The New Normal for Hair Transplants in Mexico

The impact on hair transplant in Mexico as a result of the COVID-19 health emergency has developed a significant change, where safety protocols have been improved to stop the spread of the virus while continuing providing high quality treatments according to the new normal.

As stated by the ISHRS, one of the main authorities on hair restoration treatments, who gave the green light to surgical hair transplantation procedures during the ongoing pandemic. In the case of Mexico, health tourism has been seriously affected by the arrival of the coronavirus, however, Dr. Jorge Cortez, Medical Director at Hair Center Mexico, has remained optimistic, stating that 2021 promises to be a year of recovery for the hair transplant industry.

Mexico is favored by several reasons, including its proximity to the largest exporting markets of medical tourists and the fact that the quality of hair transplant procedures is the same as in developed countries but at much more reasonable prices. Health tourism is thought to significantly contribute to the recovery of the Mexican economy hit by COVID-19, as this type of tourism is a great opportunity for the country.

In 2019, Mexico left an estimated revenue of 23 billion dollars according to reports by El Financiero, a well-known Mexican economic and financial newspaper.

Tijuana as the First Option for Hair Transplants

In recent years, the border city of Tijuana, Baja California has become one of the first options for tourists searching for hair loss treatments. Dr. Cortez believes that most of his patients prefer to make a short drive to Tijuana or take a flight to San Diego, California, because of the closeness to the neighboring countries. However, it is worth mentioning that all air passengers arriving to the U.S. from a foreign country must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test according to CDCs new requirements. For those traveling by car, it is not necessary to present the test.

Also, in the opinion of Dr. Jorge Cortez, there has been an increase in the number of patients taking advantage of the pandemic to undergo hair transplant treatments in Tijuana.

Despite the current contingency, his commitment to keep offering high quality hair loss solutions has perfectly matched with a strict series of preventive measures implemented at his clinic; Hair Center Mexico makes efforts to attract patients who cannot find in their countries a budget-friendly hair transplant, always remembering that the clinic strictly follows the guidelines and recommendations to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.

Measures to prevent Covid-19 at Hair Center Mexico

The prompt adaptation of Hair Center Mexico to the new normal has gained the confidence of potential patients who wish to restore their hair. Dr. Cortez, encourages his patients to follow the health and safety measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Among the protocols that have been implemented, patients must answer a questionnaire one week before the consultation or treatment in order to be aware of their health condition.

Anyone who has tested positive for coronavirus in the past 10 days or has been exposed to a COVID-19 positive person within the past 14 days cannot be present at the clinic. Additionally, every person must wear a mask and have a health screening, including employees, doctors, patients, and visitors. For everyones health and safety, access will be limited to the patient only, but if needing assistance, the visitor will be asked to stay at the waiting room until the consultation and/or procedure is concluded.

Air filters and ultraviolet light lamps are just some of the measures that are applied regardless of the presence or absence of the coronavirus, this way the doctor's offices and operating rooms remain perfectly sanitized.

About Dr. Cortezs Hair Transplant Clinic in Tijuana

Located less than 30 minutes from San Diego International Airport, Hair Center Mexico provides hair restoration treatments, where patients will enjoy first class facilities, a highly experienced medical personnel, and considerable savings compared to hair transplant clinics in countries such as the US and Canada. Some of the services patients will find available include hair transplants using the modern FUE technique and the classic FUT method, as well as the platelet-rich plasma PRP injection therapy.

The main commitment is to continue offering permanent solutions to hair loss problems at affordable prices and without compromising the quality of the results. Despite the current situation, local and international patients will be assured of receiving a hair transplant within a totally safe location.

The International Center for Photography (ICP) is celebrating their one year anniversary in their new home on Essex Street with a new exhibition of post-documentary style photos from around the world. ICP was forced to shut its doors last March, due to the pandemic, and offered virtual programming only for six months. They re-opened in hybrid form this past October.

The new exhibit, titled, But Still, It Turns: Recent Photography from the World, opens on February 4, 2012 and is curated by photographer Paul Graham. It brings together nine photographers and their recent photo projects. They write, Extending the tradition of Robert Frank, Walker Evans, Gordon Parks, and Diane Arbus, this work fits a notion of photography from the worldphotography that resists both narrative arcs and the drama of photojournalism or staged photography, grappling instead with the world as it is, in all its ambiguity and wonder.

He says the question is not that it says "Made in Russia."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine does not buy the Russian-made vaccine against COVID-19 as no one can guarantee the quality of that vaccine.

Zelensky announced this in an interview for Axios on HBO, as reported by the presidential press service.

"Regarding Russia. I want to talk about the Russian vaccine so that we understand. This is one of the manifestations of the powerful information war that is being waged. The question is not that it says 'Made in Russia,' the question is that no one can guarantee the quality of this vaccine. And they take advantage of the fact that the European vaccine comes to us very late, and therefore offer their own," he said.

"I cannot risk the health of our citizens," he added. "I do not want to say any unpleasant words, because due to my words, the delivery time of vaccines may be even longer, so I will not take risks. But this is an example when the world reminds us that Ukraine must, above all, build itself a strong country that has everything: its own weapons, its own army, its own vaccine, its own money  its own everything."

Read alsoRussia reportedly ships first batch of its COVID-19 vaccine to occupied Donbas

Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

In August 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was the first in the world to register a coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik V. Putin also claimed that one of his daughters had been vaccinated with the vaccine.

Moscow has not provided the international scientific community with any data on vaccine trials confirming that it is safe and effective against COVID-19. Phase 3 clinical trials of the vaccine had not been conducted prior to registration. Yet, the Russian side claims the effectiveness of the vaccine is 92%.

In January 2021, Putin launched a mass vaccination campaign in Russia.

Reporting by UNIAN

2 Cases of South African Virus Variant in South of England Without Travel Links

Two people in the south of England have tested positive for the South African variant of the CCP virusthe first such cases with no identified links to travel from the country.

The discovery in Surrey sparked the rollout of local surge testing of thousands of people as local authorities try to stem the spread of the more transmissible variant.

Residents in the affected areas, and across Woking, should remain calm and continue to follow the national restrictions that are currently in place, Surrey County Council said in a statement.

This follows notification that a specific variant of COVID-19 has been identified from two positive tests in the area, in residents who have no links to travel or previous variant cases. The variant is known as the SARS-CoV-2 variant (also known as VOC-202012/02) which originated in South Africa.

The free tests, posted through residents letterboxes, will be collected by a team of officials later the same day, before being sent to labs.

Ruth Hutchinson, director of Public Health for Surrey, said that it was a precautionary measure.

The more cases of the variant we find, the better chance we have at stopping it from spreading further. By playing your part and taking the test, youll be helping to keep your community and your loved ones safe, she said in a statement.

Its really important to say that there is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness, so you dont need to worry.

The surge testing is expected to extend into neighboring regions in the coming days. People dont need to self-isolate unless they test positive.

The Health Secretary last week said that all of the cases of the new variant of the CCP virus at that time had been traced back to travel from South Africa.

A total of 105 cases of the variant have previously been identified, according to Sky News.

The fact that the new cases cant be traced back to South Africa suggests that the variant could have started to circulate in the UK, and will be harder to keep under control.

According to the statement from the council, there is also no evidence that the regulated vaccine would not protect against the South African variant.

While recent studies of some vaccines do suggest that they are effective against the South African variant, the potency appears lower than against other variants.

Novavax recently announced that initial trials showed its vaccine was 89 percent effective in the UK, where the more transmissible strain originating in Kent is now predominant. A less extensive trial in South Africawhere the VOC-202012/02 variant is dominantsuggested an effectiveness of around 60 percent.

The UK has one of the best genomic systems in the world which has allowed us to detect the variant originating in South Africa here in Surrey[.] I urge everyone offered a test to take it up to help us to monitor the virus in our communities and to help suppress and control the spread of this variant, Dr. Alison Barnett, regional director at Public Health England South East, said in a statement.
Dogs are described as 'man's best friend' but that close-relationship is more to do with how women treated them with affection and named them, a study finds.

Washington State University researchers searched extensive collections of writings by anthropologists on traditional, subsistence-level societies around the world.

The team discovered a pattern in traditional societies where women were more involved with dogs - humans became more useful to canines.

In traditional societies - which act as a mirror for early human history - the more a woman is involved in the care of a dog, the more it becomes 'part of the family' - including having a name and sleeping in its owner's bed, the authors discovered.

'We found that dogs' relationships with women might have had a greater impact on the dog-human bond than relationships with men,' said author Jaime Chambers.

Several factors went into forming the relationship between dog and human including temperature, hunting and most surprisingly - gender. Stock image

While dogs are the oldest, most widespread domesticated animal, very few anthropologic studies have directly focused on the human relationship with canines.

This is part of what prompted the US team to search through the Human Relations Area Files database - an extensive collection of ethnographic documents.

Chambers and colleagues found thousands of mentions of dogs in over 844 pieces of writing on 144 traditional, subsistence-level societies from around the world.

Looking at these cultures can provide insight into how the dog-human relationship developed, Chambers said, as they give an insight into early human societies.

In traditional societies - which act as a mirror for early human history - the more a woman is involved in the care of a dog, the more it becomes 'part of the family' - including having a name and sleeping in its owners bed, the authors discovered. Stock image

DOGS' ABILITY TO LEARN VARIES SIMILAR TO HUMANS Dogs' abilities to learn are varied, much like humans' abilities, according to WebMD. Dogs that were bred in order to hunt, retrieve or herd are faster learners because they are inherently quicker on their feet. Similarly, dogs bred to guard livestock or track scents are usually slower. The key in training your dog, WebMD says, comes down to knowing what your dog was bred to accomplish. However, all dogs can be trained to follow simple commands, according to trainers. WebMD reports that the following are the most naturally intelligent dog breeds: Border Collie Poodle German Shepherd Golden Retriever Doberman Pinscher Shetland Sheepdog Labrador Retriever Papillon Rottweiler Australian Cattle Dog Advertisement

'Our modern society is like a blip in the timeline of human history,' Chambers said, adding that the dog-human relationships looked different in the past to the way they are in modern, Western industrialised societies.

Through the documents and writings on these traditional societies, they found references to dogs' utility or usefulness to humans.

They also found evidence of the 'personhood' of dogs, which is where canines are treated like people - given names, allowed to sleep in some bed and mourned.

The team discovered a pattern in traditional societies where women were more involved with dogs - humans became more useful to canines.

This was shown through a greater degree of affection - their 'personhood' increased - they were more likely to be given a name or sleep in their owners bed.

Another prevalent trend involved the environment: the warmer the overall climate, the less useful dogs tended to be to humans.

'Relative to humans, dogs are really not particularly energy efficient,' said Robert Quinlan, WSU anthropology professor and corresponding author on the paper.

'Their body temperature is higher than humans, and just a bit of exercise can make them overheat on a hot day,' he explained.

'We saw this trend that they had less utility to humans in warmer environments,' with a few dog-loving cultures in the tropics acting as a rare exception to the trend.

Another discovery made by the team was that hunting also strengthened the relationship between humans and dogs.

Those cultures that hunt with dogs valued their canines more highly than others who don't use a dog to help track down prey.

They were higher both in the dogs' utility to humans and in their 'personhood' - their likelihood of being given a name and allowed to sleep in a human bed.

As a society started to grow more crops, keep livestock and produce food the culture began to value a dog's utility and personhood less than when hunting.

This finding seemed to go against the commonly held perception of herding dogs working in concert with humans, but Quinlan noted that in many cultures, herding dogs often work alone whereas hunting requires a more intense cooperation.

Chambers and Quinlan say their research adds evidence to the theory that dogs and humans 'chose each other' rather than humans seeking out wolf pups to raise.

'Either way, there have been clear benefits for the dogs', Chambers said, adding that 'dogs are everywhere humans are.'

'If we think that dogs are successful as a species if there are lots of them, then they have been able to thrive. They have hitched themselves to us and followed us all over the world. It's been a very successful relationship.'

The findings have been published in the Journal of Ethnobiology.
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.
ICAI CA exam 2020: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is expected to release the result of CA November 2020 for the final exam on Monday (February 1). Candidates who appeared for the examination can check their result by visiting the official website of ICAI - www.icai.org.

Candidates can also check their results on other websites like icaiexam.icai.org, caresults.icai.org. Along with the results, the merit list up to 50th rank will be available on the websites. The CA exam was held earlier in November.

According to reports, the result is expected to be released either on February 1 or on Tuesday i.e Feb 2.

ICAI CA final exam result 2020: How to check

Step 1: Visit the official website of the ICAI, icaiexam.icai.org or caresults.icai.org

Step 2: Click on the download result link

Step 3: Enter your credentials like Registration number, Roll number etc

Step 4: The result will appear on the screen

Step 5: Candidates are advised to Download and also take a print out for further reference.

As per a notification released by the ICAI, candidates can also check their result through SMS by sending CAFNLOLD (space) 6 digit exam Roll Number, e.g. CAFNLOLD 000128 to 57575 for the old course.

For the new course, candidates can send - CAFNLNEW (space) 6 digit Roll Number to 57575.

For any further clarifications, the CA exam candidates can contact: Foundation candidates: foundation_examhelpline@icai.in Final candidates: final_examhelpline@icai.in Intermediate(IPC) candidates: intermediate_examhelpline@icai.in Help Line Telephone numbers: 0120 3054 851, 852, 853, 854 and 835 0120 4953 751,752, 753 and 754.

Candidates can visit the official website of the ICAI for further query.
The Federal Government has said Nigerias poor rating in the 2020 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (TI-CPI) does not reflect the great strides by the country in its fight against corruption.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said in a statement on Sunday that the Federal Government had put in place many anti-corruption preventive measures not acknowledged in the TIs report.

In the statement signed by his spokesperson, Segun Adeyemi, the minister said the implementation of the various reforms, especially in the Ease of Doing Business, would start yielding positive outcomes in the countrys corruption perception and other relevant assessments in the next 12 to 24 months.

He stated, For instance, following the release of the 2019 TI-Corruption Perception Index, the government initiated reforms to improve on Nigerias Ease of Doing Business indices. This is because we found that up to 40 per cent of the countrys corruption perception survey indices relates to business processes and general public service delivery processes.

Governments swift action has led to major reforms in the processes at our ports and business process points.

Questions T.Is data

The minister also questioned the source of the data used in the report.

He said following its analysis of the 2020 TI-CPI rating for Nigeria, the Federal Government is interrogating a number of issues and discrepancies that have been observed in the rating process, including some data sources in which Nigerias scores have remained flat over the past 10 years, reflecting no improvement, decline or fluctuation.

He added, This is very improbable given the nature of behaviour of variables, which are normally influenced by a variety of factors (which is the reason they are called variables).

In this case, the corruption scores would have been affected by changes in the size and structure of the public sector over the past 10 years, changes in policies and personnel and systems over the period including, for instance, process automation, etc. There is therefore a need to verify that there is no transposition of figures from year to year due to absence of current data.

He added that the non-recording of the scores for Nigeria for the past two years had the effect of reducing Nigerias cumulative score and ranking relative to countries with those scores included in their CPI for both years.

He added that different assessments on the same indicators, for instance corruption in the bureaucracy, by different rating institutions had generated different scores and different rankings.

He said there were missing assessments for Nigeria in the data entries where the country performed well in previous CPI calculations, like the African Development Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment.

There is a need to understand why these variations occur, and consequently the robustness of the methodology and validity of data, the minister stated.

Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, had similarly said the TIs report did not portray the facts on the ground and questioned the source of the data it relied on to arrive at the CPI ranking.

Mr Shehu had said the government would investigate the report through the Technical Unit on Governance Research (TUGAR) even as he labelled the promoters of TI as anti-President Muhamadu Buhari characters.

The CPI

The index released, on Thursday, ranked Nigeria 149th position as most perceived corrupt nation out of the 180 countries surveyed worldwide.

The report also scored Nigeria 25 out of 100 points  falling short by one point compared to its 2019 record, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100, the highest possible score, is very clean.

The anti-corruption watchdog index ranked Nigeria as the second most perceived corrupt West African country after Guinea-Bissau which was ranked 165.

ADVERTISEMENT

It also ranked Nigeria the 15th most corrupt African country behind war-torn nations like South-Sudan and Somalia  that ranked the highest countries perceived to be corrupt with 12 points each.

He added that aside from placing more emphasis on corruption prevention measures and building of integrity systems, high-profile corruption cases were also under investigation and prosecution.

FULL STATEMENT

2020 TI-CPI Rating Not True Reflection of Nigerias Anti-corruption Agenda  FG

The Federal Government has said Nigerias low rating in the 2020 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (TI-CPI) does not truly reflect the great strides by the country in its fight against corruption.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, assured that the countrys anti-corruption agenda, which has placed great emphasis on corruption prevention measures and the building of integrity systems, remains on course.

The Minister said the implementation of the various reforms, especially in the Ease of Doing Business, is expected to yield positive outcomes in the countrys corruption perception and other relevant assessments in the next 12 to 24 months.

For instance, following the release of the 2019 TI-Corruption Perception Index, the government initiated reforms to improve on Nigerias Ease of Doing Business indices. This is because we found that up to 40% of the countrys corruption perception survey indices relates to business processes and general public service delivery processes. Governments swift action has led to major reforms in the processes at our ports and business process points, he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said in addition to placing more emphasis on corruption prevention measures and building of integrity systems, high profile corruption cases are currently under investigation and prosecution.

He said the emphasis on preventive mechanisms is in response to various local and international reviews and evaluation that Nigeria has gone through, including those from the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and even from the TI-CPI

In response to these evaluations, a number of significant policies have been instituted to enhance transparency and accountability, and prevent corruption. Even in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of key transparency and accountability policies were developed and are currently being implemented, the Minister said.

He listed such policies as including the launch, by the ICPC, of the National Ethics Policy which addresses integrity issues on all sectors of the polity and is directly linked to a key pillar of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), which is Ethical Reorientation; efforts by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to energize the Code of

Conduct for Public Officers (CCPO) and the launch of the Nigerian Port Process Manual (NPPM), which is ultimately aimed at sustaining the countrys improvement in the Ease of Doing business.

While we expect the results from these reforms to speak for us in due course, we are also taking measures to improve our data collection and retrieval on these issues to reduce the current under-reporting of our ongoing corruption reduction measures, Alhaji Mohammed said.

He said having analyzed the 2020 TI-CPI rating for Nigeria, the Federal Government is interrogating a number of issues and discrepancies that have been observed in the rating process, including some data sources in which Nigerias scores have remained flat over the past 10 years, reflecting no improvement, decline or fluctuation.

This is very improbable given the nature of behaviour of variables, which are normally influenced by a variety of factors (which is the reason they are called variables). In this case, the corruption scores would have been affected by changes in the size and structure of the public sector over the past 10 years, changes in policies and personnel and systems over the period including, for instance, process automation, etc. There is therefore a need to verify that there is no transposition of figures from year to year due to absence of current

data, the Minister said

Also, he said, different assessments on the same indicators (for instance corruption in the bureaucracy) by different rating institutions have generated different scores and different rankings across the ranking agencies

There is a need to understand why these variations occur, and consequently the robustness of the methodology and validity of data, Alhaji Mohammed said, adding that there are missing assessments for Nigeria in the data entries where the country has performed well in previous CPI calculations, like the African Development Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment.

There is a need to understand why scores for this assessment have not been recorded for Nigeria for the past two years, which has had the effect of reducing Nigerias cumulative score and ranking relative to countries with those scores included in their CPI for both years, he said.

Segun Adeyemi

Special Assistant To The President (Media)

Office of The Minister of Information and Culture

Abuja

31 January 2021
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Shares of companies engaged in insurance business rallied by up to 9 per cent on the BSE on Monday after the government proposed to increase foreign direct investment in the sector to 74 per cent, a move aimed at attracting overseas players.

The limit on FDI in Indian insurance companies will be lifted from 49 per cent to 74 per cent, said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday in her Budget speech for 2021-22, accepting a demand the industry had proposed for long.

The law presently says an Indian insurance company has to be "Indian-owned and controlled". This gives the Indian partner the right to appoint a majority of directors or control the management of a company. The Insurance Act will be updated to allow foreign ownership in insurance with safeguards. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL REPORT



Among individual stocks, soared 9 per cent to Rs 9,480 on the BSE in intra-day trade. The company held 74 per cent stake in Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited, the second largest private General insurer in India in terms of Gross Premium.

General Insurance Corporation of India, too, rallied 9 per cent to Rs 144 on the BSE. ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company has rallied 6 per cent to Rs 510 on back of two-fold jumped in trading volumes in intra-day trade.

HDFC Life Insurance Company and Max Financial Services advanced 5 per cent, while SBI Life Insurance Company and ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company were up 4 per cent each on the BSE. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 4.2 per cent at 48,231 points at 01:40 pm.

The Indian insurance sector has been growing substantially over the past few years. Life insurance continues to dominate domestic insurance premium. Covid-19 affected the entire economy but life insurance companies suffered on two accounts namely loss of sales and outgo in terms of claims settlement. However, a silver lining is that the more consumers have realized the importance of insurance.

CARE expects the domestic industry to grow driven by pension products, life cover products, supportive regulations, effective distribution and improving customer services. However frauds and high lapse-ratio are some of the key challenges.

The outlook for the insurance industry is not just a function of the economic growth but industry specific factors such as expansion in insurance penetration, evolution and change in the share of various distribution channels, enabling regulatory movement, also affect the premium growth, the rating agency said in recent Indian Life Insurance sector update.
Kendra Scott founded the company in 2002 and has been the sole CEO, transforming the company into a multichannel experiential retailer that is known for its quality materials, affordable price points, and giving back to the people and causes that her and her customers care about most.

"Over the last seven years, Tom has been an incredible thought partner to me and a wonderful steward of the brand," says Scott, founder and executive chairwoman. "During this extraordinary time of retail transformation, there has been no better person to partner with me on building the brand and the business. Tom is an experienced executive with a relentless focus on the customer, operational rigor, and strong expertise in digital transformation. With Tom at my side as CEO, I can continue to focus on what I have always seen as the core of the brand  great design, strong philanthropic impact and a continued commitment to our customer."



Nolan has more than 20 years of senior management experience in brand building, retail innovation and results-driven strategic planning. Prior to joining Kendra Scott, Nolan held senior roles at Ralph Lauren, Conde Nast and as the Founder and CEO of Prospect Brands.



He first joined the Kendra Scott board in 2014 and in 2016 joined the company as chief revenue and marketing officer. In 2019 he was elevated to president and worked on several major initiatives including accelerating omni-channel, expanding the brand's retail footprint across the country and increasing the company's wholesale presence.



In addition, Nolan worked alongside Scott on the company's South Congress Austin flagship launch, a minority investment from Berkshire Partners that valued the company at $1 billion, and the launch of the Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, where Scott is currently a Professor of Practice.



"Kendra's vision, sense of purpose, and design ability are second to none and I am both humbled and grateful for the trust she has in me to assume this role. The retail industry is constantly evolving, and I'm thrilled to continue to work alongside Kendra in this new role to not only provide sustainable value, but also with a shared responsibility to serve our customers and continue to positively impact people's lives every day through our philanthropy efforts," says Tom Nolan, chief executive officer Kendra Scott.



"We've come off of a remarkable year and together, along with the Kendra Scott team, we will continue to build our Family, Fashion and Philanthropy pillars, which are core to our culture, and drive the growth of this extraordinary brand."

About Kendra Scott

Kendra Scott is a leading fashion accessories brand inspired by the personal experiences, travel and sense of community of its founder and designer, Kendra Scott. With over 2,000 employees, Kendra Scott has over 110 standalone stores across the US and is sold in premiere retailers including Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and 600 specialty boutiques worldwide and boasts a thriving web business. Kendra Scott is known for its kaleidoscope of beautiful accessories as well as the innovative and customizable Color Bar experience. As the brand continues to grow, the company remains true to its founding philosophy of "Family, Fashion, Philanthropy" and since 2010, the company has given back well over $30 million to local, national and international causes.



For press inquiries, please contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Kendra Scott
Judge dismisses Virginia churchs lawsuit against governor over COVID-19 restrictions

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit leveled by a church against Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam over previous coronavirus pandemic restrictions on in-person worship attendance.

In an order issued last week, U.S. District Court Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen ruled against the lawsuit brought by Lighthouse Fellowship Church of Chincoteague Island.

At issue were executive orders passed by Northam last year that greatly limited in-person gatherings, including worship services at houses of worship. Lighthouse was cited for violating the orders.

Allen concluded in part that the lawsuit was moot since the earlier executive orders had been replaced by new orders that allowed for larger in-person worship gatherings in Virginia.

Allen also concluded that Northam was immune from being sued due to the Eleventh Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which reads: The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.

Last April, Lighthouse Pastor Kevin Wilson was cited by local authorities for holding an in-person worship service on Palm Sunday that had 16 people in attendance.

At the time, Virginia restricted in-person worship services to no more than 10 people, with any violators facing a punishment of up to a year in jail and a fine of as much as $2,500.

In response, Wilson sued the state last April, arguing that the measure violated his religious freedom and that the service adhered to various public health guidelines like social distancing.

Absent emergency relief from this Court, Lighthouse, its pastor, and all members and/or attendees will suffer immediate and irreparable injury from the threat of criminal prosecution for the mere act of engaging in the free exercise of religion and going to church, read the suit.

Indeed, if Lighthouse, its pastor, or its members do not subscribe to what Governor Northam has prescribed as orthodox in a worship service, they risk becoming criminals in the Commonwealth.

In May 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest in support of the church, contending the congregation had a likelihood of success on the merits of its claim under the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Last July, an order was issued in the General District Court for the County of Accomack, officially dropping the charges against the pastor over the April service.

We are pleased these charges have now been dropped as we continue to uphold the churchs First Amendment right to exist and freely assemble, Mat Staver, founder and chairman of the Liberty Counsel, which represented Wilson, said in a statement at the time.

Governor Ralph Northam has clearly discriminated against Lighthouse Fellowship Church and these criminal charges reflect his blatant unconstitutional actions against Pastor Wilson.

Monday, February 1, 2021

Winners in the 15th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, recognized as the world's top customer service awards and sales awards, were announced today. Stevie Award winners will be celebrated at a virtual awards ceremony on April 14.

The complete list of Stevie Winners by category is available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations in 51 nations were considered in this years competition. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 160 professionals on nine specialized judging committees. Entries were considered in 136 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; 62 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; and categories to recognize COVID-19 response, new products and services and solution providers.

Sales Partnerships Inc of Broomfield, CO, USA won 14 Gold Stevie Awards, the most of any organization this year. Other top winners of three or more Gold Stevies include IBM, Armonk, NY USA (11); DP DHL, worldwide (10); ValueSelling Associates, Rancho Santa Fe, CA USA (9); Druva, Sunnyvale, CA USA (6); UPMC Health Plan, Pittsburg, PA USA (5); Cinch Home Services, Boca Raton, FL USA (4); Princess Polly, Los Angeles, CA USA (4); Support Services Group, Atlanta, GA USA (3); and VXI Global Solutions LLC, Los Angeles, CA USA (3).

Winners of two Gold Stevie Awards include Achievers, Toronto, ON Canada; Carbonite (an Opentext Company), Boston, MA USA; Cisco Systems Inc, San Jose, CA USA; Datasite, Minneapolis, MN USA; EFG Companies, Irving, TX USA; FIS, Jacksonville, FL USA; Kucukoglu Holding, Istanbul, Turkey; Learning Pool, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; RAIN Group, Boston, MA USA; Purpol Marketing Limited, Chippenham, United Kingdom: and SoftPro, Raleigh, NC USA.

Other organizations winning four or more Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Awards include Allianz Global Assistance, Richmond, VA USA; Assurant, Atlanta, GA USA; Broadvoice, Los Angeles, CA USA; DigitalOcean, New York, NY USA; IndiGo, Gurgaon, Haryana, India; Linode, Philadelphia, PA USA; Mailchimp, Atlanta, GA USA; Nationwide Title Clearing, Inc., Palm Harbor, FL USA; Nuance Communications, Boston, MA USA; OneCause, Indianapolis, IN USA; Optima Tax Relief, LLC, Santa Ana, CA USA; POWERHOME SOLAR, Mooresville, NC USA; Pushpay, Redmond, WA USA; SmartLinx, Iselin, NJ USA; Spinnaker Support, Greenwood Village, CO USA; TransPerfect, New York, NY USA; TTEC Holdings, Inc, Englewood, CO USA; VIZIO Inc., Irvine, CA USA; Vodafone Turkey, Istanbul, Turkey; WNS (Holdings) Limited, Mumbai, India; and Yapi Kredi Bankas, Istanbul, Turkey.

The top 10 most-honored organizations in the competition will receive Grand Stevie Award trophies. Those winners will be announced the week of February 15.

Beginning today through March 5, the general public may vote for their favorite providers of customer service in the Peoples Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service. Voting is open at http://peopleschoice.stevieawards.com. Winners of the Peoples Choice Stevie Awards in multiple industries will be determined on March 8.

One category in the awards will continue to accept entries through February 26. It is the Sales Partnerships Award for Ethics in Sales, which will recognize organizations for best practices and achievements in demonstrating the highest ethical standards in the sales industry. Entry requirements for this category are outlined at https://stevieawards.com/sales/nominate-2021-sales-partnerships-ethics-sales-award. Winners in this category will be announced March 22.

Sponsors and supporters of the 15th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include Sales Partnerships, Inc. and ValueSelling Associates, Inc.
Myanmar military seizes power in apparent coup, detains Suu Kyi

Myanmar's military-owned television on Monday said its commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing has taken over the country in what amounts to a military coup.

The military has declared a one-year state of emergency, and has detained State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the ruling National League for Democracy.

NLD spokesperson Myo Nyunt told the news agencies that Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained on Monday morning. Myo Nyunt said the situation regarding NLD lawmakers was unclear, with parliament scheduled to convene on the day.

According to the spokesperson: "The military should abide by the law. We need broad support from the international community to protect the democracy in Myanmar."

The Chief Minister of the Yangon region has also been detained, according to police sources.

The state-owned mobile carrier has stopped providing services and communications in the capital Naypyidaw have been interrupted.

Local Myanmar Military TV Myawaddy has just announced the military has taken over control of the country. That the VP, Myint Swe, a former military general is now the temporary president & he has given authority to the military chief. This will reportedly be for a 1 year period

The Suu Kyi-led NLD, which came to power in 2015, again won a landslide victory in the general election last November. The civilian government was set for its second term. However, the military claimed the election was marred by fraud and demanded an investigation.

This will be the first coup in the country since 1988, marking the collapse of civilian rule after only a decade since it took over the government in 2011.

On Jan. 26, a military spokesperson did not rule out the possibility of a coup when asked about it at a media conference. The next day, commander in chief Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech at a military academy that "if the constitution is not followed, then it should be declared invalid."

According to military sources, representatives of the military and the government held a meeting in Naypyitaw on Jan. 28 to seek common ground, but failed to reach an agreement. According to local reports, the military expressed distrust of the electoral commission and asked for a recount of the votes and a postponement of the opening of the parliament, but the government refused.

Related Post: Click here to read a column by Dr. S. Chandrasekharan - Myanmar: Is the Military Planning a Takeover?
Most evidence shows returning to school with precautions is safe: CDC

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

After months of school shutdowns, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that its safe for children to attend school with some precautions.

To provide a safe in-person classroom environment, federal health officials have advised that students wear masks and social distance. However, they also cautioned against playing indoor sports.

The latest data suggest school settings do not result in rapid spread of COVID-19 when mitigation measures including wearing masks, socially distancing, cohorting students, and good hand hygiene are followed, a CDC official told The Christian Post.

Empirical studies show that keeping children and adolescents less physically active and disrupting their routine negatively impacts their mental health. Most mental health disorders begin in childhood.

"[R]esearch shows that most childrens mental health disorders begin in childhood and, if not identified and treated early, will impact that childs development, potentially leading to poor health and social outcomes," Psychology Today reported.

The children most affected by school closure include those from abusive homes and those who rely on schools to provide them with food, according to UNESCO. Social isolation and interrupted learning can have negative impacts on children for years to come.

There is little evidence that schools create the outbreaks seen in nursing homes and meatpacking plants, or contribute to increased transmission, CDC COVID-19 emergency response team member Margaret Honein told The New York Times.

In-person schooling is critical. Kids need to be and should be in school provided schools can strictly adhere to recommended guidelines to prevent transmission in school settings, a CDC spokesman told The Christian Post. Online school should continue to be an option, particularly in areas with high rates of COVID transmission.

Earlier CDC guidelines recommended long-term school dismissal to stop COVID-19 from spreading. In March, the CDC recommended closing schools for eight weeks or more. The CDC gave these guidelines despite knowing that short-term and medium-term closures didnt impact the spread of COVID-19.

Available modeling data indicate that early, short to medium closures do not impact the epi curve of COVID-19 or available health care measures (e.g., hospitalizations). There may be some impact of much longer closures (8 weeks, 20 weeks) further into community spread, but that modelling also shows that other mitigation efforts (e.g., handwashing, home isolation) have more impact on both spread of disease and health care measures. In other countries, those places who closed school (e.g., Hong Kong) have not had more success in reducing spread than those that did not (e.g., Singapore).

Teachers in Chicago have fought the reopening of schools, pleading fear of death as a reason to not return to their classrooms. Chicago teachers unions cast ballots 71% in favor of keeping in-person schools closed.

Union Deputy General Counsel Thad Goodchild also claimed it was too dangerous for schools to reopen.

The pandemic is temporary; death is permanent, Goodchild said to the Chicago Tribune.

One Chicago teachers union leader was caught posting photos of herself vacationing in Puerto Rico unmasked while at the same time rallying teachers to oppose returning to their classrooms for in-person instruction.

In other parts of the country, parents have criticized teachers who are unwilling to teach in-person because of COVID-19. Former Marine Aliscia Andrews posted a video of a Virginia father lecturing a school board which kept schools closed.

"You think youre some sort of martyrs because of the decisions youre making when the statistics do not lie, that the vast majority of the population is not at risk from this virus, he said. The garbage workers who pick up my freakin trash risk their lives every day more than anyone in this school system!

Almost all people who died from COVID-19 were over 50 years old. The average age of a teacher in the U.S. is 42.
Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize Over Israel-UAE Peace Deal

Former President Donald Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize on Feb. 1 by an Estonian member of the European Parliament, Jaak Madison.

In a post on social media, Madison said: In the last 30 years, Donald Trump is the first president of the United States, who during his tenure, has not started a war. Additionally, he signed several peace agreements in the Middle East which have helped provide stability in the region and peace.

Madison was referring to the Abraham Accords, a joint statement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Statesand later, with Bahrain and other Arab countries.

We encourage efforts to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue to advance a culture of peace among the three Abrahamic religions and all humanity, according to a statement on the State Departments website. We believe that the best way to address challenges is through cooperation and dialogue and that developing friendly relations among States advances the interests of lasting peace in the Middle East and around the world.

Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize last year by Norwegian Parliament member Christian Tybring-Gjedde.

For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees, Tybring-Gjedde told Fox last year.

Separately, Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Alan Dershowitz nominated Trumps son-in-law and former presidential adviser Jared Kushner on Feb. 1. Dershowitzwho is eligible to nominate individuals because of his status as a former Harvard Law professorargued that Kushner and his associate Avi Berkowitz helped negotiate the Abraham Accords.

(LR) Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan pose from the Truman Balcony at the White House before they participate in the signing of the Abraham Accords where the countries of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel, in Washington, on Sept. 15, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

The Nobel Peace Prize is not for popularity. Nor is it an assessment of what the international community may think of those who helped bring about peace, Dershowitz wrote. It is an award for fulfilling the daunting criteria set out by Alfred Nobel in his will.

Under the diplomatic push, Trumps administration also negotiated deals with Sudan and Morocco.

Kushner, in a statement on Jan. 31, said that he was honored to be nominated for the prize.

President Joe Bidens administration is expected to review all national security deals struck during the Trump administration, including arms packages for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Some lawmakers have complained about the Morocco deal because, to win the nations agreement, the United States recognized its sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara.

Also on Feb. 1, the Black Lives Matter movement was nominated for the Peace Prize by a Norwegian Parliament member, Petter Eide. Eide said that people have messaged him to say that BLM is a violent organization, but he rejected the claims.

The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded in November.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts for the full episode.

Last spring, at the beginning of the pandemic, California, and its Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, received a lot of praise for its handling of the coronavirus. While New York and other areas were struggling, California, which was the first state to issue a stay-at-home order, seemed to have figured something out. But at some point, things changed. Angela Hart, who covers health policy for California Healthline, says the turning point was the states summer reopening. California opened too fast, and since then, weve seen a series of really big missteps on the part of this governor, she says.

Advertisement

Newsom in particular is drawing fire from Californians who feel misled by the rosy picture hes been painting of the states coronavirus response, all while the situation on the ground gets worse and worse. On Mondays episode of What Next, I spoke with Hart about Newsoms pandemic response and the increasingly serious effort to recall him from office. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Mary Harris: When did you start to think that so many people might be mad at Gavin Newsom that all of this might get him kicked out of office?

Angela Hart: Ive been seeing these recall signs all over the freeways and in Home Depot parking lots. You see the signature gathering going on. So thats just kind of out there. But then when you start talking to people, you start to understand: These arent only Republicans. These are disaffected Democrats. These are no party preference voters. So you really cant ignore the voice of all the different sides of the political spectrum.

Advertisement

She feels wholeheartedly misled by the governor.  Angela Hart

My understanding is that in California there are lots of recall efforts, actually. Its just very few of them succeed.

What were seeing out there is not the same as the past recall efforts. There have been six against Gov. Newsom. This one is different. This one is gaining momentum from across the political spectrum. Its not only Republicans who are growing disillusioned with the governor.

Im always trying to gut-check myself about if this is still a long shot. And I went out to a lot of my Democratic sources, and I did not hear anybody with a full-throttle defense of the governor and his leadership. I did not hear anybody say, This is not a Gov. Newsom problem.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In California, its the counties, all 58 of them, that are having to roll out the coronavirus vaccination plan. So while the state says everyone 65 and older can get vaccinated, that might not actually be the case on the ground, right?

People cant find very basic information here. People cant find out where to get an appointment. They cant figure out who to call. They cant figure out where their place in line is. I spoke to this woman Joyce Hanson for a story. She specifically said, I understand the governor doesnt control the supply of vaccines coming to California, and I can handle waiting until March or April if thats how long its going to take for me to get vaccinated. Shes 69. But the governor made it sound like shes going to be able to get signed up and get vaccinated tomorrow. So she said, I can take it, I can take the truth, but just be honest with us. And she feels wholeheartedly misled by the governor.

Advertisement

It seems to me like Newsom has a couple of problems. Hes got this problem of opticswhat it looks like hes doing and maybe not doing. And then hes got the problem of what is actually happening that is touching people. I remember back in November it seemed like some anti-Newsom sentiment picked up after he was caught going to this fancy dinner without a mask. Did you see that as a turning point?

Advertisement

Certainly, that was a turning point. Gov. Newsom was at the French Laundry, a hip, very upscale, trendy restaurant in wine country in California.

He was with donors, right?

He was schmoozing with donorslobbyists. It just looked really bad on him. And he was violating his own rules. He was dining with a group of friends that were not from his household. He defended himself at first, and then a little while later he apologized. Voters are extremely upset about this. Ive heard it everywhere. Ive heard it from Republicans. Ive heard it from independents. Ive heard it from Democrats.

Advertisement

Its optics, but its even deeper than that. Everybody has sacrificed so much. Weve been, by and large, locked in our houses for the better part of a year. And to see the governor flippantly ignoring his own rules hit a nerve.

Subscribe to What Next Get more news from Mary Harris and her team every day. Subscribe

The questions over Newsoms performance as governor go deeper than disorganization, right? Theyre about money. Talk about the latest state budget that Newsom drew up.

Essentially, there is no new direct public health money for counties in the budget.

Even though a pandemic is raging.

Counties have their hands up, begging for anything, and the governor has said, essentially, no. Ive asked them specifically: Is public health not a big enough priority? Why do counties not get any more public health money, and meanwhile you have continued to ladle increasing amounts of responsibility on themcontact tracing, testing, enforcement of the rules, and now vaccination?

Advertisement

Advertisement

Im going to tell you about Dr. Phuong Luu, who is the health officer for Yuba and Sutter counties in rural Northern California. This is a county that is struggling to make ends meet in terms of its pandemic response. It is completely drowning in responsibility. Phuong Luu has 50 people to do all those big tests, and she is about to lay off 20 of them this month.

It just shows that an underfunded and overworked local health department thats been given all this responsibility is caught in this really, really treacherous vaccination rollout in California. You find these stories all across California.

In the coming weeks, county health departments will have some of that pressure taken off of them, right? Last week, Newsom announcedrather suddenlythat the insurer Blue Shield would be taking over Californias vaccine rollout.

Advertisement

But that, too, is causing people to just throw their arms up, and people are really upset. Theres been a really robust social media conversation, and a woman named Nancy said it is his fault the governor doesnt have a plan to distribute the vaccine. (He did have a plan, but it was just not carried out efficiently.) And now you and I are going to have to pay Blue Shield millions of dollars to do it, even though they had no expertise in this areatotal abdication of leadership.

Advertisement

Advertisement

So even the fix has people angry.

People are so angry. Why cant California do this? What changed? We dont know how much this contract is costing the state. We havent been able to get answers. We dont know some of the mechanics about how its going to workreally important details. It puts a large part of the distribution responsibility in the hands of a private health insurer when the response really needs to be driven by a public health perspective. And so thats causing a lot of concern, its causing some early backlash as well. Its really a difficult position this governor finds himself in.

Advertisement

So the organizers of this recall effort, they need to gather a lot of signatures in a very short period of time. Can you lay that out a little bit?

Yes, they still have a long ways to go. Theyve got still about half of their signatures to collect. This is largely, at this point, a volunteer-driven effort. Its not really that organized. Its kind of a mess, the way that the campaign looks on the ground. They are actually proud of that. They like that it is being driven by this grassroots energy.

Advertisement

And they need to gather signatures by March?

The deadline is March 17, and then the secretary of states office will count them all. So they need almost 1.5 million ballot signatures. We shall see what they actually turn in and how many are valid. However, I think these things can really take on a life of their own. All it really takes is one big check. If you look back historically, when Gray Davis was recalled in 2003, you saw a $2 million check from a congressman named Darrell Issa come in. And that turned this long-shot campaign into, Oh, man, we have to take this seriously now.

Advertisement

Is there anyone out there who looks like they might have money to spend on this and want to tip the scales?

Lots of people out there have lots of deep pockets. The question is who, right? If the momentum keeps building and building and building, you reach the sort of breaking point politically. And then all it takes is one Democrat or one Republicanit doesnt matter what their political stripe isto say, We have a shot.

What do you think the saga of Gavin Newsom says to other governors who are struggling to control the coronavirus?

Advertisement

I think the lesson is be straightforward, level with the public. The governor here in California has made very explicit and lofty promises going back to Oct. 19, vowing that California would lead an equitable and smooth vaccine distribution strategy. He said, Theres light at the end of the tunnel. Were a few months away from truly seeing real progress with the vaccine. Dec. 7: Hope is on the horizon.

Let me just contrast that with the message we heard from President Biden after he took office: The brutal truth is its going to take months before we can get the majority of Americans vaccinated. Months.

You sound frustrated with him too.

If I sound frustrated, its because Im reflecting the total insanity out there on the ground. And Im reflecting, I think, the frustration that Ive heard from many of the people Ive spoken to in the course of reporting. The governor has outlined a very different reality than people are experiencing on the ground. Hes sending a message of hope. And Weve got this. And Stick with us. Californias a leader. Californias at the bottom of states nationally in terms of the vaccines administered compared to the vaccines that it has received. California is not leading. Californias failing compared to the rhetoric that the governor had in the beginning.

Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts

Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 23:25:55|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday that the bilateral relations between China and Saudi Arabia have made new progress while facing the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wang made the remarks during a phone conversation with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Noting that the year 2020 has been a very extraordinary year, Wang said China and Saudi Arabia have been working hand in hand to help each other fight the pandemic, and their relations have made new progress.

The two countries' heads of state talked over phone three times, in which they firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, pledged to join hands to fight the pandemic and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, which has demonstrated what comprehensive strategic partnership was meant to be, he said.

China and Saudi Arabia should earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and constantly enrich the connotation of the bilateral ties, he said.

China will continue to support Saudi Arabia to follow the path of development suited to its national conditions and to promote economic diversification as well as social reform, Wang said.

The two sides should make good preparations for the China-Arab summit to ensure its full success, work together to build a China-Arab community with a shared future, he said, adding that the two countries also need to work together to advance practical cooperation in various fields and press ahead with the early completion of the China-Gulf Cooperation Council free trade zone, he said.

Wang said that China attaches great importance to Saudi Arabia's important influence in the region and understands Saudi Arabia's reasonable concerns in safeguarding the security of its own and that of the Gulf.

China condemns attacks on civilians and civilian facilities in Saudi Arabia, supports Saudi Arabia's efforts to maintain security and stability, and opposes external interference, unilateral bullying and terrorism, Wang said.

He noted that China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Saudi Arabia on the situations of the Middle East and the Gulf, as will as on regional hot topics, so as to jointly promote regional peace and stability.

Faisal, for his part, thanked China for supporting the measures taken by Saudi Arabia to maintain its security and stability, and agreed with Wang's views on promoting cooperation between the two countries.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Saudi Arabia have overcome difficulties and joined hands to move forward, with great progress being made in their cooperation in various fields, he said, adding that it reflects the deep and robust friendship between the two countries and reveals the essence of their comprehensive strategic partnership.

Faisal said that Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to its relations with China, and continues to give priority to the Saudi-China relationship.

Saudi Arabia is willing to work with China to firmly support each other politically, strengthen mutual benefit, win-win and interconnectivity in the economic field, and jointly prepare for the China-Arab summit, so as to make every effort to push the strategic relations between the two countries to a higher level, Faisal said. Enditem
The Ghana government last week started meetings with vaccine manufacturers in Ghana to see the possibility of manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines locally.



The Minister of Health designate, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu who made this known in Parliament on Friday [January 29, 2021] disclosed that the government over the past three days had been meeting with the manufacturers.



He did inform Parliament that the time for manufacturing of local vaccines was now.



We are doing quantification of numbers and we are looking at sources of funding to be able to do what will bring us the vaccines as quickly as possible, he assured.



Distribution of facemasks



Mr Agyeman-Manu, who is MP for Dormaa Central, acknowledged that the spread of the viral disease had become worse as transmissibility was far bigger than before in the wake of detection of new variance in Ghana.



He also said the severity of illness was becoming worrisome and called on all citizens and transport unions to continue to compliment the governments effort to curb the spread.



He further informed the House that close to about 20 million facemasks had been procured and they were being distributed to various educational institutions across the country.



He also informed Parliament that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed that the cost of COVID-19 antigen test at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) be reduced to $50 from $150.



The reduction in the cost is in response with the protocols of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) that require member states to review and cap the cost of COVID-19 test at $50 at various countries borders.

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

A dozen people were arrested after armed protesters attempted to forcibly take over the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia, Washington. A SWAT team cleared out the hotel and escorted guests and employees out of the building.

Demonstrators armed with hatchets, batons, and knives stormed the Red Lion Hotel in downtown Olympia on Sunday, reportedly assaulting an employee who tried to lock the establishments doors. The rest of the staff barricaded themselves in the hotels basement, according to a police statement.

The group, identified as a homeless activism organization called Oly Housing Now, had earlier reserved 17 rooms in the hotel on behalf of unhoused individuals, city officials said. Around 45 people were involved in the brief occupation, with demonstrators demanding long-term accommodation for the citys homeless. At the time, around 40 rooms were booked by guests not affiliated with the protesters, and many of them were forced to lock their doors until help arrived.

After receiving 911 calls from the hotels employees, police obtained a search warrant for first degree burglary, trespassing, and conspiracy to commit burglary, local media reported.

Olympia Police enter the hotel. pic.twitter.com/9F8Rk6QbWJ  (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) February 1, 2021

Washington State Patrols SWAT team, accompanied by local police and officers from the county sheriffs office, entered the hotel on Sunday evening and began arresting the activists.

The SWAT team cleared out the building in a room-by-room search as law enforcement personnel escorted employees and guests to safety.

At least 12 individuals were arrested during the operation.

More arrests as activists yell at Olympia PD. Antifa and other agitators occupied the hotel. pic.twitter.com/IWWfwwnLnP  (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) February 1, 2021

Videos taken at the scene show protesters outside of the hotel confronting police, who arrived in armored trucks and were outfitted in riot gear.

Cop uses pepper balls after fight in Olympia. pic.twitter.com/EjuOCnQ9lJ  (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) February 1, 2021

According to eyewitness reports, officers used crowd control munitions, including flashbangs, while retaking the hotel and dispersing crowds that had gathered outside the building.

Mayor Cheryl Selby denounced the activists in a statement, saying that their actions were unproductive and wont make the goal of providing housing to those in need more attainable.

The capital of Washington state has been rocked by protests and violence in recent months. In December, one person was shot after left-wing Antifa activists clashed with a group of Proud Boys, a right-wing organization.
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid by the military.

The move came after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the powerful military that stirred fears of a coup in the aftermath of an election the army says was fraudulent.

Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the for the governing National League for Democracy, said Ms Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders had been taken in the early hours of the morning.

I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law, he said, adding he also expected to be detained.

Phone lines to Naypyitaw, the capital, appeared to have been cut in the early hours of this morning.

A military spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking comment.

An NLD lawmaker, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, said another of those detained was Han Thar Myint, a member of the partys central executive committee.
Dalrada's IHG nursing school is aligning with a hospital system to aid the administration of COVID-19 vaccines. Tweet this

Brian Bonar, CEO of Dalrada states, "The addition of IHG to Dalrada's portfolio provides strategic staffing of healthcare workers in nursing, home health, and the community with administration of vaccines. Additionally, Dalrada will focus its efforts to build online tools for facilitating distance learning that further accelerates healthcare staffing capabilities to address immediate needs."

IHG is well-established and continues to certify talented nurses and medical assistants who provide quality compassionate care to thousands of patients. Nursing is cited in an industry report as one of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. according to BLS Employment Projections for 2018-2028. The U.S. healthcare staffing market size (2020  2027) was valued at USD 17.0 billion in 2019 and is estimated to expand at a CAGR of approximately 5% over the forecast period.

About International Health Group, Inc.

International Health Group, Inc. ("IHG") has been the leading provider of Medical Assistant programs including CNA and HHA training throughout San Diego County since 2006. IHG is the first nursing school in San Diego to offer the fast track 22-Day CNA Certification Program. IHG offers a state-approved testing facility in addition to the most spacious and equipped lab facility in San Diego. With the largest network of different employers and student resources in San Diego County, those interested in working in the medical field will be guided to careers in hospitals and nursing homes by IHG's Licensed Vocational Nurses. For additional details, visit https://ihgcc.com/.

About Dalrada Health Products

A subsidiary of Dalrada Financial Corp., Dalrada Health Products is focused on solving health problems around the world. The company develops products and services that address the unmet needs of consumers due to accessibility, affordability, or availability. With operations in the U.S., Malaysia, and India, Dalrada Health Products can reach underserved markets through strong partnerships and the development of efficient supply chains. Dalrada Health Products is committed to solving universal health problems through improved methodologies resulting in products and services that benefit the global marketplace. For details, visit www.dalradahealth.com. For information on GlanHealth visit www.glanhealth.com

About Dalrada (DFCO)

Dalrada Financial Corp. (OTCQB: DFCO, "Dalrada") solves real-world problems by producing innovation-focused and technologically centered solutions on a global scale. Delivering next-generation manufacturing, engineering, and healthcare products and services designed to propel growth, Dalrada is a team of industry experts and an organization built upon a strong foundation of financial capital. The Company and its subsidiaries are positioned for stable long-term growth through intelligent market research, sound business acumen, and established operational infrastructure. For more information, visit https://dalrada.com or call 1-858-283-1253.

Disclaimer

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding future revenues and sales projections, plans for future financing, the ability to meet operational milestones, marketing arrangements and plans, and shipments to and regulatory approvals in international markets. Such statements reflect management's current views, are based on certain assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results, events, or performance may differ materially from the above forward-looking statements due to a number of important factors, and will be dependent upon a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain additional financing that will allow us to continue our current and future operations and whether demand for our products and services in domestic and international markets will continue to expand. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof or to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard to these forward-looking statements or the occurrence of unanticipated events. Factors that may impact the Company's success are more fully disclosed in the Company's most recent public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including its annual report on Form 10-K.

SOURCE Dalrada Financial Corp.

Related Links

http://www.dalrada.com


12 Shares Share

Years and years ago, everyone always walked up a mountain of snow and ice barefoot while dragging a carriage behind them to get to school, and their stethoscopes were made of bamboo. They were hard, hard times, and it was a time-honored tradition to hear the talk from our attendings about how hard training used to be and always elicited an internal groan. The follow up refrain frequently heard in medical institutions hallways was about the spoiled younger generation who had it so easy.

It used to be I was one of the young ones. Now, I find myself working in undergraduate medical education, listening to the complaints of the unfairness and rigidity and thinking  when I was your age. Now, Im overworked, underpaid, under-appreciated, with so many hopes and dreams and goals that I cant meet because there arent enough hours in the day. The result is that its difficult to empathize with these shiny new students who feel entitled to achievement and honors and AOA and deans lists and exceptions to the rules because thats what theyve always had when what theyre getting is a crushing sense of average. Excelling in a group of cream of the crop just isnt as attainable as it was in high school and college.

The first patient I had as a medical student was an 18-year-old male whod been shot in the forehead by his mother. He rolled into the emergency room with half a skull, half a brain, and no pulse. I was tasked with assisting in cutting off his clothing and clutched the trauma shears as we heard the overhead disembodied voice announcing his arrival. The books and Step questions and Anki flashcards and Pestana paragraphs and emotional healing seminars couldnt have ever prepared me for the moment he rolled in. The frenzied, yet controlled, activity began. I stood by the bed staring, unbelieving, frozen, failing then weeks later, I continued to wake up night after night shaking after watching the scene replay on a loop through my dreams. What was I doing in medical school? How could I have taken out loans and lost so many days and weeks and months in this endeavor when there was no way I could succeed as a doctor? No one at the medical school noticed that I was no longer sleeping and having trouble eating. This likely wasnt something I would have ever felt comfortable sharing, even if someone had asked. The shifts and didactics and quizzes continued, and eventually, the memory faded, replaced by new trauma, eventually building up to a healthy callus. Others lost their way and took their lives that year.

Now, I see students go through the system block after block and year after year. My first thought has been, here we go for more complaining. Why do we have to listen to how difficult and unfair things are? How quickly Ive forgotten that I once stood in their shoes. If I take a moment to ask, how are you really doing, what would they say? What have they seen that haunts their thoughts? Have they come to the realization yet that life will never be the same, that now that they know just how finite, delicate, tenuous, insubstantial our hold on this life really is, life will never truly be the same?

Step 2 CS is out; were headed towards pass/fail grades and hear and learn much more about wellness than ever before. Sure, medical school is changing every day, but this does not mean the process of becoming a doctor is any less deserving of our empathy and compassion as attendings and educators. The challenges faced by this generation are different from those we lived through but, rest assured, they exist. We dont need to compare  rather, lets nurture this next generation of physicians, and together, we may achieve what has never been seen before.

\The author is an anonymous physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Shortly after I came to faith in late 1971, at my fathers request, I met with the local rabbi. By Gods grace, my life had been radically transformed, going from a heroin-shooting, LSD-using, rebellious, hippie rock drummer to a Jesus-loving, clean-living child of God. And this happened virtually overnight. What a miracle!

But as much as my dad was thrilled to see me off drugs, he wasnt thrilled to see me believing in Jesus. As he said to me, Michael, were Jews. We dont believe this.

So it was that I met with the local rabbi, who quickly befriended me and took a genuine interest in my well-being. He challenged my beliefs, forced me to dig deeper into the Scriptures, and provoked me to learn Hebrew well.

He also challenged me to look at the record of church history, which was a total shock for me. What? Christians hating the Jewish people? Christians persecuting the Jews? Christians killing the Jews?

The gave me a book to read, accompanied by a poignant letter, which I still have today, enclosed in the pages of that book. This is what he wrote:

Dear Mike,

Im lending you this book so that as you read its pages you can share in the thousands of years of agony your people have undergone for the sake of the Almighty G-d of Israel and His absolute unity. Perhaps it will touch a note in your heart which will help you realize what your destiny on earth is to be.

Then, after citing powerful verses from the Hebrew Bible, he closed with this: I pray our G-d give you the inner strength to face the truth no matter what the consequences.

What a moving letter this was to receive, and what a shocking book it was to read.

But to be perfectly candid, the book didnt affect me that much, even though it was filled with painful stories of the mistreatment of Jews at the hands of Christians. Growing up, I had been unaware of this history, and in the church where I came to faith as a sixteen-year-old in 1971, I was met with great love, not hatred. These dear Christians seemed to have a tremendous heart for the Jewish people, including those who rejected the gospel. They showed nothing but grace to me, and their hearts were also joined with the modern State of Israel, recognizing that it was God who brought the Jewish people back to their land out of the ashes of the Holocaust, as if alive from the dead.

In the decades that followed, as I traveled around America as well as overseas (now with roughly 200 ministry trips outside the United States), I also met with profound love for Israel and the Jewish people. And, over the years, when I shared with these precious believers the history of Christian antisemitism, they were absolutely shocked. As an Iranian Christian once said to me, It is impossible to be a Christian and hate the Jews!

That had been my experience for forty-seven years, with rare exception, and I could count on two hands the amount of Christian antisemites I had met  until 2019. Since then, I have encountered more Christian antisemitism than in the previous 47 years combined. I am not exaggerating.

Its as if an ancient plague has been revived, spreading from person to person until millions are affected. Its like watching a nightmare unfold in front of your eyes, as professing Christians from all branches of the Church experience some kind of mass deception, coming to the recognition that the Jews, as a people, are the cause of all the worlds troubles. Those evil Jews! And to say it again: It is often professing Christians who are believing and spreading these lies.

Some, like John T. Earnest, on April 27, 2019, while just 19-years-old, took things even further. It was on that fateful day that he marched into an Orthodox Jewish synagogue in Poway, California and opened fire, killing one and wounding three, before his gun locked up. Among the injured are an eight-year-old girl and the rabbi, who lost a finger on one hand.

According to a court affidavit, Earnest told a 911 emergency line dispatcher, I just shot up a synagogue . . . because Jewish people are destroying the white race.

But thats not all that he said. In a manifesto written prior to the shooting, he gave an in-depth explanation of why he tried to murder as many as Jews as possible, and it was not simply a matter of the Jewish people allegedly destroying the white race. Earnest, you see, professed to be a devout Christian, raised in a Christian home and the member of a local Presbyterian Church.

In his manifesto he explained, I did not choose to be a Christian. The Father chose me. The Son saved me. And the Spirit keeps me. Why me? I do not know. But as a Christian, he has a responsibility: There is no love without hatred. You cannot love God if you do not hate Satan. You cannot love righteousness if you do not also hate sin. You cannot love your own race if you do not hate those who wish to destroy it. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin.

Earnest proceeded to rail on the Jewish people in typical white supremacist fashion, but with a distinctly spiritual tone, declaring, It is unlawful and cowardly to stand on the sidelines as the European people are genocided [sic] around you. I did not want to have to kill Jews. But they have given us no other option.

Indeed, he claimed, My God does not take kindly to the destruction of His creation. Especially one of the most beautiful, intelligent, and innovative races that He has created. Least of all at the hands of one of the most ugly, sinful, deceitful, cursed, and corrupt, by which he means the Jews allegedly destroying whites of European origin. This was his Christian duty!

Earnest then cited a number of New Testament that antisemites through the ages have used to defame and even attack the Jewish people. Then, he provided a list of 15 reasons why the Jews must be killed, repeating some of the standard, ugly antisemitic libels, and concluding with this: And finally, for their role in the murder of the Son of Man  that is the Christ. Every Jew young and old has contributed to these.

Shades of the words of Christian antisemites through the ages. The Jews as a people are guilty of killing Christ. Yes, Every Jew young and old has contributed to the murder of the Messiah. For these crimes, he wrote, they [the Jews] deserve nothing but hell. I will send them there.

He then pulled out his gun and put his words into practice. The American Jewish remains shocked and wounded to this day.

In 1992, I wrote a book recounting the horrible history of Christian antisemitism, releasing a new edition in 2019. Now, I have found it necessary to write a whole new book exposing that terrible spiritual disease in our midst today. It is titled Christian Antisemitism: Confronting the Lies in Todays Church.

Read it and weep. Better still, read it and say, Not on my watch!

(This article was adapted from Christian Antisemitism: Confronting the Lies in Todays Church. Used with permission.)
Former Haryana legislator Relu Ram Punia's son-in-law Sanjeev Kumar, who was serving life sentence in prison for killing the politician and seven others but jumped parole two years ago, was arrested on Monday, police said. Sanjeev, who was out on parole in May 2018, never returned and had been absconding ever since, police said. They said Sanjeev was arrested by a team of Haryana police Special Task Force from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.

In June 2018, police here had filed a case on the complaint of Kurukshetra Jail Deputy Superintendent. Inspector Nirmal Singh said here on Monday that the STF team carried out a raid after inputs that he was hiding in Meerut.

Earlier, police here had said that Sanjeev was on a two-week parole from Kurukshetra jail and was to report back on May 31, 2018. The convict had given his address as Changnouli village in Bilaspur area of Yamunanagar, police had earlier said.

However, Sanjeev neither reached the mentioned address nor returned to Kurukshetra jail after which a case was registered against him. Relu Ram Punia's daughter, Sonia, and her husband, Sanjeev Kumar, were sentenced to death for killing the former MLA and seven other members of his family in 2001 at their farmhouse at Litani village in Hisar while they were asleep.

Their death sentence was later commuted to life. The case had sent shock-waves throughout the country. Punia had been elected to the state Assembly in 1996 from Barwala constituency in Hisar district.
Commando-turned-barrister Keith Wolahan says his focus as an MP will be on economic and national security issues and leave social issues for state parliaments following his successful Liberal preselection challenge on Howard-era minister Kevin Andrews on Sunday.

Mr Wolahan, who completed three tours of Afghanistan as a member of Australias special forces, rejected suggestions he contested preselection for the safe Liberal seat of Menzies as a moderate candidate, despite being supported by the moderate group in the party.

Former SAS commando Keith Wolahan has ousted sitting member Kevin Andrews in the Liberal preselection in the seat of Menzies. Credit:Penny Stephens

Quizzed on a range of subjects on Melbourne radio on Monday, he revealed he believed the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition in 2003, which included Australia, was a mistake.

He said his time in Afghanistan, for which he was awarded Commendation for Distinguished Service in 2011, was one of the most significant things Ive done in my life.
Air Ambulance lands at HMP Berwyn to assist with medical emergency

This article is old - Published: Monday, Feb 1st, 2021

The Wales Air Ambulance was called to assist the Welsh Ambulance Service at a call at the local prison.

The Air Ambulance landed at the prison site at 12:41PM after a low loop of the industrial estate.

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson told us: We were called at 12.07pm today to reports of a medical emergency at HMP Berwyn.

We responded with an emergency ambulance and the Wales Air Ambulance.

The spokesperson added, One patient was taken by road to Wrexhams Maelor Hospital for treatment.

The helicopter returned to based just before 2pm.
A driver has been filmed lashing out after she was asked to not park her car in the middle of the road.

The woman had stopped her blue Elantra Sedan on a Queensland road on Saturday.

A passing driver then slowed down to ask the woman to move her car, before pulling out his phone and filming the escalating interaction.

'Just for the record, I have a witness here who just said she's a witness,' the woman said after getting out of her vehicle to speak with the passing driver. 'Go away, you are aggressive.'

A driver has been filmed lashing out at another motorist who asked her to not park her car in the middle of the road

The passing driver filmed the escalating interaction and said the woman was playing the victim when he asked her to move so he could get through

The driver remains in his car and responds: 'Yeah, can you move out of the way?'

The woman repeats she has a 'witness' before the driver says: 'For what? What do you have a witness for?'

The woman then tells the driver: 'You could have come and asked me nicely.'

'What do you mean nicely?' the driver replies.

'You can't park here. You can't block the traffic.'

The woman continues to tell the driver he should ask her nicely to move.

She then says: 'You don't make me want to help you.'

The video of the argument was uploaded to TikTok where it has been viewed more than two million times.

Social media users were quick to weigh in on the footage.

The driver remains in his car and responds to the woman: 'Yeah, can you move out of the way?'

Social media users were quick to weigh in on the video after it was uploaded to TikTok

'She literally yells at him and then tells HIM to stop being aggressive when he raises his voice too,' one person commented.

Another person said: 'Sorry mate, but us white folk don't accept her, she belongs to the Karen race. She even has the look and haircut about it.'

Other social media users suggested the driver could have been more calm.

'She obviously had a reason to be parked there whether right or wrong still pays to be nice to people,' one commenter said.
As 2021 begins, China remains very involved in Congos mineral extraction and mining-related operations. Chinese companies control an estimated 70 percent of Congos mineral deposits and mining industry. The Chinese state-owned CNMC (China Nonferrous Metal Mining Company Ltd.) owns huge cobalt and copper reserves in Congo. CNMC is actually a group, with four very large subsidiary corporations. The MMG (Mineral and Mining Group), another Chinese organization, has stakes in several Congolese mines. In Lualaba province there is CMOC (China Molybdenum Company) which recently acquired a 95 percent interest in Congos huge Kisanfu copper and cobalt deposits. CMOC bought the interest from an American company, Freeport-McMoran, and reportedly paid around $550 million. Since 2012 Chinese companies have invested over $10 billion in Congolese mineral assets. Thats the common open-source figure but some analysts contend the figure is somewhere over $12 billion. Given the high levels of corruption in Congo and the opacity of many Chinese business operations (corruption in China), the appropriate answer is who knows, but its a lot. Chinese production of electric vehicles is a major reason China invests in Congolese minerals. Congo is the worlds biggest cobalt producer, each year producing from 55 percent to 65 percent of the worlds total cobalt. Industry sources estimate Chinese companies control around 40 percent of Congos cobalt mining capacity  meaning deposits and means of extraction. Cobalt is critical in the production of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries  it is a stabilizer. It takes about 22 pounds (10 kilos) of cobalt to manufacture an electric car battery. Communist China is committed to producing electric vehicles (EVs) of all types. There is one type that has a particular political importance: the very small city-town mini-EVs that can go about 300 kilometers on one charge. The Chinese people want these, so the demand is huge. The deal the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) makes with the Chinese people is they can have goodies if they dont challenge the CCP dictatorship. The mini-EVs are a pay-off. Hence, the Chinese government wants to assure uninterrupted access to cobalt and other minerals used in producing electric devices. Interestingly enough, since mid-December the price of cobalt has risen by 20 percent to about $35,600 a ton. (Austin Bay)

January 27, 2021: Central African countries have made some efforts in the last few years to deal with their massive internal corruption problems. Despite occasional positive government press releases, outside observers cannot see any real progress. In 2020 Congo ranked 165 out of 180 nations in a worldwide survey of corruption, largely unchanged since 2016. The smaller neighboring Congo (Brazzaville) has remained tied with Congo at 165th place in 2020 while Angola rose from the 165th place tie to 246th place in 2019 and 142nd in 2020. CAR (Central African Republic) rose from 149th in 2018 to 146th in 2020. Uganda fell from 137th in 2019 to 142nd in 202. Rwanda has fluctuated between 48 and 51 in the last few years while neighboring Burundi has remained part of the five-nation tie at 165th place. Tanzania has been improving, going from 99 in 2019 to 94th in 2020. Zambia fell from 105 to 117th place. Progress, or lack thereof, can be seen in the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index where countries are measured on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The most corrupt nations (usually Yemen/15, Syria/14, South Sudan/12 and Somalia/12) have a rating of under 15 while of the least corrupt (Finland, New Zealand and Denmark) are over 84.

The current Congo score is 18, the same as 2019 and down from 21 in 2017 compared t0 19 (19 in 2019) for Congo (Brazzaville), 27 (26) for Angola, 26 (25) for CAR, 27 (28) for Uganda, 54 (53) for Rwanda, 19 (19) for Burundi, 38 (37) for Tanzania and 33 (34) for Zambia, 71 (71) for UAE, 61 (61) for Israel, 15 (15) for Yemen, 67 (69) for the United States, 33 (35) for Egypt, 25 (26) for Nigeria, 44 (44) for South Africa, 21 (20) for Iraq, 40 (39) for Turkey, 53 (53) for Saudi Arabia, 33 (30) for Ukraine, 47 (45) for Belarus, 56 (58) for Poland, 80 (80) Germany, 65 (65) for Taiwan, 40 (39) for Turkey, 40 (41) for India, 30 (28) for Russia, 61 (57) for South Korea, 42 (41) for China, 18 (14) for North Korea, 36 (37) for Vietnam, 85 (85) for Singapore, 74 (73) for Japan, 37 (40) for Indonesia, 38 (38) for Sri Lanka, 34 (34) for the Philippines, 31 (32) for Pakistan, 26 (26) for Bangladesh, 25 (26) for Iran, 19 (16) for Afghanistan, 28 (29) for Burma, and 25 (28) for Lebanon.

A lower corruption score is common with nations in economic trouble and problems dealing with Islamic terrorism and crime in general. Congos corruption score has not changed much since 2012, when it was 21. Neighboring nations generally followed a similar pattern.

January 23, 2021: In Congo a majority in the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) approved filing a no confidence motion. That means Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba, a supporter of former president Joseph Kabila, has two days to resign his office or face a no-confidence vote that would remove him. The fact that a majority of these legislators supported filing a motion to remove is another political victory for clean government. President Tshisekedi is slowly chipping away at the power structure Kabila left in place so he could maintain control while out of office. Tshisekedis new political coalition, called Sacred Union, does not officially hold a majority in the National Assembly. Removing Ilunga would allow Tshisekedi to remove Kabila supporters who still control several major government ministries. The president would then finally get to appoint his own ministers.

January 22, 2021; In northeastern Congo (Ituri province) 150 civilians have been killed and over a hundred wounded in the Beni area over the last seven weeks with. The violence forced almost 70,000 people to flee their homes. Two groups are believed to be responsible for the worst violence near Ituri: the predominantly ethnic Lendu Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) militia and the Ugandan ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) Islamist terror group. The ADF also operates in nearby North Kivu province.

In Uganda, opposition leader Bobi Wine accused president Yoweri Museveni of staging a coup by rigging the January 14 election. He urged Ugandans to conduct non-violent demonstrations to protest the election.

January 19, 2021: In northeastern Congo (Ituri province) there are demands for an investigation of the mass murder of 46 Twa tribe Pygmies. The massacre likely occurred on January 14. The government initially blamed the ADF but there is evidence tribes neighboring the Twa were involved in the slaughter. For thousands of years pygmies have been persecuted by the majority of Africans of normal height. As a result, pygmies sought to live reclusive lives, often deep in forests away from majority populations. As the population has grown from 46 million in 1500 to 93 million in 1900, 385 million in 1975 and 1.24 billion in 2020. For the pygmies there is no place left to hide.

January 18, 2021: In southeastern CAR (Central African Republic) CPC (Coalition of Patriots for Change) militias have taken positions outside the city of Bangassou and ambushed a peacekeeper patrol, killing two peacekeepers (one from Gabon and the other from Morocco) operating17 kilometers from the city. Rebels seized control of Bangassou in early December 020 but UN forces retook it.

January 16, 2021: In Uganda president Yoweri Museveni and his ruling NRM (National Resistance Movement) party are calling for unity after Musvenis alleged victory in the January 14 vote. Museveni has been in power since 1986. Opposition candidate and pop star Bobi Wine (real name Robert Kyagulanyi) plans to contest the election results. According to official statistics, Museveni won 58.6 per cent of the vote and Wine received 35%. Wines NUP (National Unity Platform) party now has at least 56, and possibly 61 seats in the 500-seat parliament, which makes it Ugandas largest opposition party. The election did demonstrate Wines appeal to Ugandans under the age of 40. The NRM won 310 seats. The Forum for Democratic Change, another opposition party, won 29 seats.

January 12, 2021: Ugandan opposition leaders are condemning security forces for their failure to stop election violence perpetrated by president Yoweri Musvenis supporters. Opposition sources accused soldiers of raiding Bobi Wines home and arresting one of his bodyguards.

In the CAR fighting over the December elections has forced over 200,000 from their homes and about half sought refuge in Congo.

January 11, 2021: In Angola China has granted the country three years of debt payment relief. Angola is Africas second-largest oil exporter. Angola owes various Chinese organizations over $20 billion, with the China Development Bank holding about 70 percent of that debt. Angola is seeking more aid for the International Monetary Fund. Meanwhile, the Angolan government continues its anti-corruption drive. Last year the government began moving assets seized from corrupt entities and politicians into Angolas central bank.

January 10, 2021: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) Virunga National Park suffered more violence when six rangers were ambushed and murdered with another one wounded. A Mai-Mai militia was believed responsible because two Mai-Mai fighters were killed in the attack. The park has a ranger force with an authorized strength of 689 rangers. The park was reopened in early 2019 after being closed since May 2018 after the kidnapping of two tourists and their Congolese driver and the murder of a Congolese park ranger who tried to defend the tourists and driver. The park is huge, covering over 7,800 square kilometers.

January 9, 2021: In northeastern CAR rebels attacked Bouar and Grimari. Heavy fighting occurred near the peacekeeper outside the town of Bouar but that attack was repelled. Heavy fighting continued in and around Grimari. Peacekeepers still control both towns. Two French fighter-bomber aircraft supported the soldiers working with peacekeepers near Bouar. At Grimari the rebel assault concentrated on the Burundian Army detachment posted in the town.

January 8, 2021: In Congo president Felix Tshisekedi has asked leaders in parliament to help him expand his new Sacred Union political coalition. He wants them to encourage members of Joseph Kabilas political party to join Sacred Union.

January 7, 2021: China has cancelled $30 million worth of Congos interest-free loans, specifically the loans that matured in 2020. Most of these loans were for infrastructure development related to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative.

January 5, 2021: In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) Ugandan ADF Islamic terrorists are blamed for an attack that left at least 22 Christian villagers dead. Peacekeepers recently warned that the ADF is making increasing use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in its attacks on civilians and the army. The ADF has been active in this part of Congo for a long time and often justifies its murders by claiming to be defending Islam from Christians. Over 90 percent of Congolese are Christian. ADF is a Ugandan rebel organization with strong connections to Moslem tribes in northern Uganda. In fact, since 2014 is has been regarded as an Islamist group. Peacekeepers launched several operations in 2014 against ADF bases in the Congo. The 2014 operations weakened the ADF did not eliminate it. After action analysis of 2014 anti-ADF operations indicated that the ADF had around 500 fighters in Congo. Its bases near the Ugandan border could have supported up to 2,000 fighters. Interrogators spokes with several captured ADF fighters who reported that the ADF had a very active recruitment network in east Africa. The ADF financed itself via smuggling, with smuggling timber (logs) a major source of income. The ADF also enforced his own interpretation of Islamic (sharia) law. ADF fighters could enslave local Congolese women and children. If someone was caught trying to escape from an ADF camp, they faced death by beheading or crucifixion. All this was similar to ISIL practices and that explains why ADF chose to affiliate itself with ISIL.

January 4, 2021: In CAR the December 27, 2020 election results were announced showing that incumbent president Faustin-Archange Touadera has been reelected with about 53 percent of the votes. The UN urged everyone in the CAR to peacefully accept the results of the election. The rebel CPC (Coalition of Patriots for Change), an umbrella organization of several armed groups, opposes Touadera.

January 3, 2021: In Congo the government is under increasing local and foreign pressure to thoroughly investigate the December 2018 Yumbi Massacre of ethnic Banunu and punish those responsible for committing the massacre. It is claimed that a heavily armed mob composed of several hundred ethnic Batende tribesmen attacked Yumbi village in western Congo (Mai-Nadombe province) on December 16, 2018 and killed at least 170 people. The next day the same group attacked the villages of Nkolo and Bongende. All told an estimated 535 people were murdered although some sources report over 800 were murdered.

January 1, 2021: In southeastern CAR unidentified attackers killed three peacekeepers. The attack occurred near Dekoa.

In eastern Congo (North Kivu province) fourteen ADF rebels and two soldiers were killed in a firefight. UN peacekeepers supported the Congolese Army in the clash.

December 31, 2020: Russian announced that it has deployed 300 military instructors in the CAR. The advisers will help train CAR security forces.
HAIFA, Israel, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE: ZIM) (the "Company"), a global container liner shipping company with over 75 years of experience, announced today the closing of its initial public offering ("IPO") of 14,500,000 ordinary shares, at a price to the public of $15.00 per ordinary share, for gross proceeds of $217.5 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions or other offering expenses.

The ordinary shares began trading on The New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") under the symbol "ZIM" on January 28, 2021.

Citigroup, Goldman Sachs & Co., LLC., and Barclays acted as global coordinators and Jefferies and Clarksons Platou Securities acted as joint bookrunners for the proposed initial public offering.

A registration statement on Form F-1 relating to these securities was previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") (File Number: 333-251822) and declared effective by the SEC on January 27, 2021. Copies of the registration statement can be accessed by visiting the SEC website at www.sec.gov. This offering was made only by means of a prospectus. A copy of the final prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained from: Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, by telephone at 1-800-831-9146; Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, by telephone at 1-866-471-2526 or by email at [email protected]; and Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at 1-888-603-5847 or by email at [email protected].

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About ZIM

ZIM is a global, asset-light container liner shipping company with leadership positions in the markets where it operates. Founded in Israel in 1945, ZIM is one of the oldest shipping liners, with over 75 years of experience, providing customers with innovative seaborne transportation and logistics services with a reputation for industry leading transit times, schedule reliability and service excellence.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/827161/ZIM_Logo.jpg

Media:

Avner Shats

[email protected]

+972 4 8652520

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.

Investor Relations:

Leon Berman

The IGB Group

212-477-8438

[email protected]

ZIM-F

SOURCE ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.
ALBANY  Although a temporary remote-work agreement was recently extended to April, New York's force unions say the majority of their members have returned to offices.

Both the Civil Service Employees Association and the Public Employees Federation, unions representing over 100,000 state employees across New York, said most of their members have returned to offices  or never left if they were considered essential workers  but labor leaders continue to question bringing employees to offices if they have successfully worked from home.

PEF spokesman Rob Merrill said from the beginning of the pandemic the labor union has thought it was foolish to bring any state employee back to a work setting who has successfully worked from home during the height of the health crisis.

Why the governor doesn't follow the science on this issue is baffling, he said. All the data proves that anyone spending time around people outside of their household run the risk of spreading and contracting the disease.

Upwards of 60 percent of PEFs 60,000 state employees have returned to government offices. Meanwhile, most of CSEA's workforce are considered essential and have not worked remotely.

The Governors Office for Employee Relations declined to provide a breakdown of the number of employees currently working from home, but indicated that most state workers have been considered essential employees from the onset of the pandemic.

The majority of state workers don't go into an office  they are on the front lines in a variety of facilities and they've been at their workplaces throughout the pandemic, administrative spokesman Jack Sterne said in an emailed statement. The vast majority of state staff are safely returning to their workplaces, doing what they do best: keeping our state running and serving New Yorkers.

During the height of the pandemic and New Yorks pause to slow the spread of the virus, 30 percent of state employees were working remotely, according to figures provided to the Times Union by Cuomos office in May 2020.

Sterne said as more employees return to office space, all agencies are following state and federal guidance to keep staff and the general public safe.

Chinese-made face masks raise eyebrows

While labor unions typically purchase goods and services from union-represented, USA-made companies, PEF members in recent weeks have received face masks emblazoned with their union logo from China.

The unions Membership Benefits Program purchased 60,000 masks last summer for delivery at the end of the year, during a time when supplies for high-quality face masks were in short supply, Merrill said.

At the time, MBP could not source enough three-ply masks in the United States. Only one- or two-ply masks were available due to high demand for the safer three-ply masks, he said. MBP always tries to buy items made in the USA and only brings USA-made products to membership meetings. This was a limited exception during the pandemic, driven by health and safety concerns.

A quick search online found multiple options to purchase face masks that are USA and union-made in bulk, including New York-based Garyline.

CSEA, which has an internal print shop, said they, too, try to ensure goods and services are purchased through USA-made, union shops. But labor officials declined to say whether they encountered similar issues to PEF during the pandemic when it comes to vendor services.

I dont think the public cares what CSEA is doing with its union funds and whether we are supporting labor. Certainly we care a great deal, CSEA spokesman Mark Kotzin said. We not only support our own union employees, we try, whenever possible, to make sure we are using union labor for any goods and services that we need to procure.
FY21 fiscal deficit pegged at 9.5% of GDP. Further, the FY22 fiscal deficit has been pegged at 6.8% of GDP. Gross market borrowing target is at Rs 12 lakh crore for FY22. We will approach the market for additional Rs 80,000 crore to fund FY21 fiscal deficit. We hope to get back on the fiscal consolidation path by FY26.

Opposition parties gave thumbs down to the Union Budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, blaming the Centre for failing to come up with a clear road map to recover the economy.



Forget putting cash in the hands of people, Modi Govt plans to handover India's assets to his crony capitalist friends.#Budget2021

 Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 1, 2021

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the budget had nothing for common people.

Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the budget benefited corporates.



#Budget2021 is disappointing as it is without a roadmap for accelerating growth & revival of consumer demand. The FM could have been brave but chose to be timid. The nation needed a bold budget & more direct transfers to the weaker sections to revive demand, restart job creation.

 Anand Sharma (@AnandSharmaINC) February 1, 2021

Congress leader Anand Sharma called it a disappointing budget without a road map for the revival of consumer demand. The nation needed a bold budget & more direct transfers to the weaker sections to revive demand, restart job creation, he said.

The Union Budget 2021-22 came out with a host of demand-side measures, with an intention to create jobs primarily through big infrastructure announcements.

Manish Tewari, another Congress leader said that the Budget lacked central focus.

Follow Moneycontrol's Budget 2021 live coverage

Many opposition members raised slogans over the farmers' protest as soon as Sitharaman began her speech. Congress MPs Jasbir Singh Gill and Gurjeet Singh Aujla were seen wearing a black gown to the Parliament as a mark of protest against the three contentious farm laws, which has led to lakhs of farmers agitating near Delhi's borders for over two months.

"There are announcements for poll-bound states," Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said. Another Congress leader Hibi Eden called it a "purely political budget."

Sitharaman announced infra push for poll-bound West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu & Kerala. Assembly elections in these states are scheduled later this year.

TMC leader Derek O' Brien called it a "100% visionless budget"



Indias first paperless budget is also a 100% visionless budget.Theme of the fake budget is Sell India! Railways:sold

Airports:sold

Ports: sold

Insurance: sold

PSUs:23 sold! Common people ignored. Farmers ignored. Rich get richer,nothing for middle class,poor get poorer (1/3)  Derek O'Brien |  ' (@derekobrienmp) February 1, 2021



This BJP government reminds me of the garage mechanic who told his client, I couldnt fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder. #Budget2021 Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 1, 2021

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi called it a 'manifesto promises to election going states'



-No tax relief for salaried class

-Nothing much for women except the lip service towards existing schemes

-Nothing much fr children who lost out on their studies due to exacerbated digital divide

What we have

-new Privatisation targets

-manifesto promises to election going states  Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) February 1, 2021

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had highlighted sectors that the government 'must' focus in the Budget, including MSME. Gandhi also urged on the need to generate employment for the farmers and workers in the country and increase expenditure in the healthcare and defense sectors.


New York: Actor and singer Evan Rachel Wood, who has spoken publicly for years about being a survivor of sexual and physical violence, said Monday that she had been abused by rock musician Marilyn Manson.

The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson, Wood wrote in an Instagram post. He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.

Evan Rachel Wood.

Wood, 33, was nominated for a Golden Globe for her portrayal of a volatile adolescent in the 2003 drama Thirteen. More recently, she has starred in Westworld on HBO and was the voice of Queen Iduna in Frozen 2.

Her relationship with Manson became public in 2007, when she was 19 and he was 38. The two were briefly engaged.
The Narendra Modi government will on Monday present perhaps its most important budget as the Indian economy recovers from an unprecedented global pandemic. Like the rest of the world, Covid-19 flat-lined the economy, with the first quarter witnessing the steepest contraction in independent Indias history. For the full year 2020-21, GDP is likely to witness the first contraction in four decades. Meet Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's team that will navigate often competing, multiple demands from various sectors, citizens, and stakeholders to provide a probable balm in these Covid times.

AJAY BHUSHAN PANDEY

By convention, the senior-most of the five secretaries in the Ministry of Finance is designated as finance secretary. Revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey currently holds that designation. A 1984 batch officer from the Maharashtra cadre, Pandey has also served as the CEO of Unique Identification Authority of India and is widely seen as one of the most powerful bureaucrats in the central government.

As head of the Revenue Department, Bhushans main role will be to set realistic tax targets, even as the economy begins its slow climb to pre-pandemic levels of 2019-20. In that year as well, there was a net tax revenue shortfall of Rs 1.45 lakh crore. The direct and indirect tax departments have stepped up efforts to widen the net this year and go after evaders and defaulters, and corporate tax and GST have shown encouraging signs in the past few months. However, this year is expected to be a washout. Pandey, who retires in end-February, will have to set targets in a way that the next year isnt so.

TV SOMANATHAN

A PhD in economics, expenditure secretary Somanathan is a 1987-batch officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre. He has worked in the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) from April 2015 to August 2017, and is known to have the ears of Modi. Most of the suggestions from the PMO on the budget are likely routed through Somanathan and economic affairs secretary Tarun Bajaj.

Somanathan is a popular bureaucrat among colleagues, but his role isnt. As expenditure secretary, he has enforced expenditure cuts in a number of departments, except the ones directly involved in battling the Covid-19 pandemic, even as his department has had to find the money for the stimulus announcements made by Sitharaman. The upcoming budget will definitively be the biggest on record, especially in terms of capital expenditure, and it will be Somanathans job to figure out where the money will be spent.

TARUN BAJAJ

The economic affairs secretary is another PMO alumni having worked there for five years before moving to North Block in April 2020, a month into the lockdown. He was instrumental in helping shape the three Aatmanirbhar Bharat sets of relief measures.

The Budget Division, which puts together all inputs and prepares the budget, reports to him and it is likely that Bajaj will draft Sitharamans budget speech (his predecessor Atanu Chakraborty drafted the 2020-21 speech, while most of Arun Jaitleys speeches were drafted by former CEA Arvind Subramanian). Bajaj is a 1988-batch officer from the Haryana cadre.

TUHIN KANTA PANDEY

After repeated failed attempts, including because of Covid-19 this year, the Centre hopes that its ambitious privatisation plan will finally get off the mark in 2021-22. The responsibility of carrying out these deals and ensuring their fruition falls upon Tuhin Pandey, the secretary of Department of Investment and Public Asset Management. Pandey is a 1987-batch officer from the Punjab cadre.

For 2020-21, DIPAM was given its highest target of Rs 2.1 lakh crore. Because of the prevailing global economic conditions, it may just achieve a fraction of that. Things look much better for next year, when Pandeys priorities will be the privatisation of Bharat Petroleum, Concor, Shipping Corp and Air India, as well as the expected blockbuster initial public offering of LIC Ltd.

DEBASHISH PANDA

A media-shy bureaucrat from the 1987-batch Uttar Pradesh cadre, Panda heads the Department of Financial Services. All the financial sector-related announcements expected in the budget are his responsibility, including any further plans of recapitalisation.

The banks have weathered the pandemic better than many other sectors. However, there are concerns that loss of economic activity and jobs could lead to further defaults, and that, coupled with any waiver of interest that might occur, will affect their balance sheets. Additionally, the already precarious NBFCs may be impacted further. Panda will have to work closely with the RBI to ensure the stability of the financial system.

KRISHNAMURTHY SUBRAMANIAN

The chief economic advisor is a protege of Raghuram Rajan. An alumnus of IIT, IIM as well as University of Chicago Booth School of Business, his inputs and advice will be crucial in the budget making process. Before taking up his current role, he was a professor at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

His bigger role, however, was drafting the Economic Survey 2020-21, which can be seen as a precursor to the budget.
Jaipur, Feb 1 : The Gem Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) on Monday welcomed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's visionary budget over reduction of customs duty on raw materials such as gold, silver and platinum to boost jewellery exports.

The import duty on gold and silver has been reduced from 12.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent while import duty on platinum, pallidum etc has been reduced from 12.5 per cent to 10 per cent. The import duty on silver dore bar has been reduced from 11 per cent to 6.1 per cent.

The import duty on gold/silver findings has been cut from 20 per cent to 10 per cent.

The import duty on spent catalyst or ash containing precious metals has been cut from 11.85 per cent to 9.2 per cent. Precious metal coins duty has been cut from 12.5 per cent to 10 per cent.

GJEPC Chairman Colin Shah said, "We sincerely thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for this bold and pragmatic growth-oriented budget." The reduction in import duty from 12.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent will help gem and jewellery exports become globally competitive. The reduction in duty on raw materials will give the much-needed boost to the sector and help it to move to the next level.

High customs duty on precious metals had made exports uncompetitive leading to the large Indian diaspora/Non-Resident Indians moving to Dubai, Hong Kong or other centres to buy jewellery which was impacting employment as well as business in India. Along with this, the decrease of import duty on jewellery findings to 10 per cent will help the jewellery manufacturer exporters in a big way.

"Another relief for the industry was the clarification on Equalisation Levy. What we understand from the budget is that Online Equalisation Levy of 2 per cent is now not applicable on Business-to-business (B2B) purchases from International Diamond Auctions. This will help our manufacturers of diamonds to buy directly from miners. Sincere thanks to Union Finance Minister for this relief," Colin Shah added.

Sitharaman has also announced setting up of a new Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) regulated gold exchange. The Union Finance Minister also announced that SEBI would be notified as the capital markets watchdog as regulator for gold exchanges.

"We welcome the move as this will ease marketability and sale of gold," Colin said.

Thanking PM Narendra Modi and FM Sitharaman for coming out with a visionary budget, GJEPC Vice-Chairman Vipul Shah said, "The Union Finance Minister has done a remarkable job by presenting a bold budget in these difficult times. The budget focused on investments in the infrastructure sector, consolidation of regulations, implementing digitisation in several sectors and reducing regulatory forbearance. There were also various measures to improve consumption."

Did you know that the most requested item from deployed service members and veterans in VA hospitals is socks?! Soldiers Angels wants to help keep our troops and veterans toes feeling toasty, and is once again launching its annual Warm Feet for Warriors sock drive. All colors and sizes of new socks in their original packaging are acceptable which the national non-profit will distribute to VA Hospitals and include in its care packages to the deployed.

Our goal for 2021 is to collect 10,000 pairs of socks for our deployed service members and veterans, said President and CEO Amy Palmer, and as an Air Force Veteran, I know firsthand how nice it feels to slip your feet into a brand new pair of socks. We know there are regulations for the type of socks our troops wear when in uniform, but they request socks to wear when out of uniform  so really, any kind of sock will do!

The sock collection will run from February 1st through April 30th, 2021 and, in past years, Palmer said the socks have been received from near and far - from businesses, civic organizations, families, individuals, schools.

Each year we are overwhelmed by the number of socks that arrive at our headquarters in San Antonio, far exceeding our goals and really showing Americas desire to support the military and veteran community in whatever way they can.

For information about individual donations or starting a collection drive at your business, organization, church or special interest group, visit: https://soldiersangels.org/warmfeetforwarriors/.

Support materials for posting, sharing and printing may be downloaded there.

Socks may be sent to:

Soldiers Angels  Warm Feet for Warriors

2895 NE Loop 410, Suite 107

San Antonio, Texas 78218

Socks may also be purchased online via the organizations Warm Feet for Warriors Amazon Wish List which will then be shipped directly to Soldiers Angels: https://a.co/fUu4Mts

About Soldiers Angels: Soldiers' Angels is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides aid, comfort, and resources to the military, veterans, and their families. Founded in 2003 by the mother of two American soldiers, hundreds of thousands of Soldiers' Angels "Angel" volunteers assist veterans, wounded and deployed personnel and their families in a variety of unique and effective ways. (Tax ID# 20-0583415). http://www.soldiersangels.org.
Goldman Sachs had another bullish message for oil markets this week, saying in a note that it expected global oil demand to recover to pre-pandemic levels of 100 million bpd by August this year.

According to Goldman, the oil market was in a deficit of 2.3 million bpd in the final quarter of 2020. With supply still tight at the start of 2021, the immediate future for prices is bright despite expectations for a slow demand recovery.

Even so, supply will grow this year, Goldman Sachs also noted, with the deficit narrowing to 900,000 bpd during the first half of the year. Thats up from an earlier projection of a deficit of 500,000 bpd.

At the end of 2020, Goldman Sachss commodities chief Jeffrey Currie said he expected Brent crude to rise to $65 a barrel this year, citing structural underinvestment in the industry.

All markets except wheat, Currie noted in late December, are in a deficit, and this is certainly bullish for prices. But what he calls structural underinvestment also has its part to play for the future of prices. This is particularly true for oil, where the underinvestment is not just motivated by the price rout, but by the shift towards renewable energy investments.

Last month, the bank praised the $1.9-trillion stimulus package proposed by President Joe Biden, saying it could boost U.S. oil demand by 200,000 bpd. Among the bullish factors for oil, the bank also listed Bidens moratorium on federal land drilling, the revocation of the permit for Keystone XL, and the moratorium on all oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

These factors will likely contribute to what Goldman expects to be a slow increase in non-OPEC supply, which will in turn benefit prices while demand recovers, however slowly this may happen now that new strains of the coronavirus are emerging.

By OPC Markets

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
CHICAGO and WESTWOOD, Mass., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- GTCR, a leading private equity firm, announced today that its management partnership with Gregory T. Lucier, Corza Health, has simultaneously acquired and merged Surgical Specialties Corporation ("Surgical Specialties") and the TachoSil Fibrin Sealant Patch ("TachoSil") to create a new company, Corza Medical. Surgical Specialties is a medical technology company focused on high-performance surgical sutures and ophthalmic knives. TachoSil, previously owned by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, is a differentiated surgical patch product line used to enable safe and fast bleeding control during surgeries.

The company will be led by Executive Chairman Gregory T. Lucier and Chief Executive Officer Dan Croteau, with a global team of over 1,700 employees supporting clinicians, distributors and medical device companies. Corza Medical will provide healthcare professionals a platform of surgical technologies with industry-leading brands, including QuillTM barbed sutures, SharpointTM Plus and LookTM surgical sutures, Sharpoint ophthalmic knives, and the TachoSil fibrin sealant patch.

"The formation of Corza Medical immediately creates a market-leading, surgical technology business that brings together brands with decades of trust and clinical relevance," said Lucier. "Our platform of technologies and our commitment to providing exceptional service will help transform surgical outcomes and change the lives of patients around the globe, while providing a foundation for continued, long-term growth."

In 2019, GTCR partnered with Lucier to create Corza Health. The carve-out of TachoSil and its merger with Surgical Specialties together represent the platform acquisition for the partnership.

"The formation of Corza Medical is another example of the firm's Leaders StrategyTM in action," said Dean Mihas, Managing Director at GTCR. "Our management partnership with Greg allowed us to evaluate and execute this transformational merger. We look forward to supporting Greg, Dan and the company through organic growth initiatives, accretive acquisitions and new product introductions and innovations."

"Corza Medical will be laser-focused on bringing differentiated, high-performance technologies to market with world-class service and value," added Croteau. "We are excited to further build out the Corza Medical portfolio with acquisitions of complementary businesses and technologies, and to become an acquirer of choice in this fragmented market. I look forward to working alongside the GTCR team and Greg on this growth journey."

The company will be headquartered in Westwood, MA, and operate in 13 countries throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, with manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Mexico, England, Germany, and China.

Barclays acted as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis acted as legal advisor to GTCR in this transaction.

About GTCR

Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in growth companies in the Healthcare, Financial Services & Technology, Technology, Media & Telecommunications and Growth Business Services industries. The Chicago-based firm pioneered The Leaders Strategy - finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth. Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $18 billion in over 200 companies. For more information, please visit www.gtcr.com.

About Corza Health and Corza Medical

Corza Health was formed in 2019 as a partnership between Gregory T. Lucier and GTCR. Corza Health's mission is to build a market-leading healthcare business with a particular focus on the broader medical technology and life sciences sector. Corza Medical was established as part of the Corza Health management partnership through a transformational merger of two surgical device companies, creating a leading provider of surgical medical technology. For more information, please visit www.corza.com.

Media inquiries

Kellie Kennedy

+1 (312) 933-4903

[email protected]

SOURCE GTCR

Related Links

http://www.gtcr.com


The Alabama Supreme Court has denied a motion from defense attorneys seeking to delay an execution because of coronavirus concerns.

The states highest courts ruling comes after the Alabama Attorney Generals Office filed a response, saying Willie B. Smith III should still be put to death next week because the prison system is taking precautions. Those precautions mean conducting an execution during a pandemic will not necessarily result in an increase in COVID-19 cases, their filing states.

Eight Alabama Supreme Court justices concurred in denying the motion to reset Smiths execution date. One justice recused herself from the case.

Smith, 52, is set to die by lethal injection on Feb. 11 at William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. He was sentenced to death for the October 1991 abduction, robbery, and murder of 22-year-old Sharma Ruth Johnson in Birmingham.

The AGs office filed a motion Friday to the Alabama Supreme Court in response to Smiths attorneys request to delay his execution date due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the states motion, they detailed changes to its execution protocol that the Alabama Department of Corrections is making due to COVID, including whittling down the number of people and reporters who can witness it.

The AGs response states that it plans to change its usual protocols surrounding executions so that Smiths execution can safely be carried out during the pandemic.

Typically, the ADOC allows an inmate who is set to die have six visitors be present as witnesses to the execution. Instead, the AG states in this motion, Smith will only be allowed to have one. The AG says the execution shouldnt be stayed because of this change, because the inmate is allowed to request witnesses, but is never guaranteed their presence.

Read more on Smiths attorneys motion here.

In addition to limiting the inmates witnesses during the execution, the filing also states the ADOC will not allow the normal number of media to be present; instead of the six members of the media typically allowed to witness an execution, the state claims only one reporter from the Associated Press will be allowed into the witness room.

The AGs office also said there will be changes to the inmates housing during execution week, there will be strict visitor policies in placeincluding temperature checks and COVID tests prior to the execution, mandatory mask and face shield wearing, social distancing, and sanitization procedures. The exact measures listed by the state can be seen in the filing below.

The AGs office said in the filing, While no precaution guarantees that one will not contract COVID19 as a result of Smiths execution, the simple truth is that, while we are living through a pandemic, the State of Alabama must find a way to operate. As Smith aptly noted, there is no date certain for when every person in Alabama and persons traveling to Alabama will receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Until then, Alabamians and Alabama state agencies must find a way to best function in accordance with Governor Kay Iveys current Safer-at-Home order and with the CDC guidelines.

As of the time of the states filing, there were twelve active COVID-19 case reported at Fountain Correctional Facility and three active cases at Holman. The two prisons neighbor each other.

Additionally, the state argues that COVID restrictions are not preventing Smiths attorneys from gathering evidence and other materials related to defending his case, as Smiths attorneys from the Federal Defenders for the Middle District of Alabama argued in their motion.

Smith entirely has failed to establish that the pandemic has prevented him and his counsel from investigating and obtaining evidence relevant to his clemency proceeding or from preparing an adequate clemency petition, the state said.

Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
DES MOINES, Iowa - After two hours of debate Thursday night, the Iowa House of Representatives passed an amendment that would remove the protected right to an abortion in the Hawkeye State.

It's important to note that this does not ban abortion in Iowa; rather, the amendment states there is no constitutional right to an abortion in the state.

Republican Representative Shannon Latham voted for the amendment, saying it merely puts the state in a neutral position on abortion, and would undo a 2018 Iowa Supreme Court decision that afirmed the constitutional right to an abortion.

"In that decision, judges overstepped their boundaries. It was unprecedented. This is an amendment to correct what they did because judges are not supposed to legislate."

"The power ultimately returns to the people, and they will ultimately determine and have a vote on what they believe is the regulations they feel comfortable with."

Democratic Representative Sharon Steckman opposed the move, and believes education and access to birth control are among the most effective ways to diminish the use of abortion.

"Affordable adoption, education, funding for crisis pregnancy centers, all those things literally bring abortions down. If we really want to limit abortions, we need to the things that are proven to do that. It's happened in other states."

The decision now moves to the Senate. If it passes two consecutive general assemblies, voters will be able to decide on the issue, which wouldn't happen any sooner than 2024.
Credit - Illustration by Lon Tweeten for TIME

Twitter blocked access to accounts associated with farmers protesting against the Indian government on Monday, in a localized blackout of some 250 accounts and tweets.

The blocks, which only applied for viewers based in India, came after the Indian government hit Twitter with a legal demand.

One thing many of the accounts appeared to have in common: they had shared content that criticized the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) amid an ongoing protest movement by farmers, which has morphed into a wider threat to the governments authority. Many of the blocked accounts had also used the false hashtag ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide, a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

After the blockages drew widespread condemnation online, Twitter said it had unblocked all the accounts late on Monday. According to Twitter, company representatives had met with Indian government officials to convey that the tweets constituted free speech and are newsworthy.

The blocks came days after peaceful protests in Delhi by farmers unhappy with government agricultural reforms turned violent for the first time on Jan. 26. Farmers used tractors to tear down police barricades, and videos of police attacking protesting farmers circulated on social media. At least one person was killed. A journalist reporting on the violence, Mandeep Punia, was also arrested at a protest site and charged with obstructing police, according to the Indian Express.

Read More: Indias Farmers Are Leading One of the Largest Protests Yet Against Modis Government. Heres What Theyre Fighting For

Among the users blocked by Twitter on Monday were Kisan Ekta Morcha (Farmers Unity Front), an account with 171,000 followers that represented the protesting farmers; Tractor to Twitter, another account with more than 42,000 followers that describes itself as supporting protesting farmers on social media; and MD Salim, a former lawmaker. Also blocked was The Caravan, a highly-respected investigative magazine that often publishes content critical of Indias Hindu nationalist government.

Story continues

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

This is a continuation of a larger degree of censorship which is taking place around the farmers protests in India, Apar Gupta, the executive director of Indias Internet Freedom Foundation, tells TIME. It shows that the government wants to control the narrative of electronic and digital media.

The Indian governments Ministry of Electronics and IT submitted a list of around 250 accounts and tweets that had allegedly used the ModiPlanningFarmerGenocide hashtag to Twitter, accusing the accounts of making fake, intimidatory and provocative tweets, according to a government memo shared with Indian journalists and seen by TIME. Incitement to genocide is a grave threat to public order and therefore the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEITY) ordered for blocking of these Twitter accounts and tweets, the memo said. (The Indian government did not respond to requests for comment.)

Many countries have laws that may apply to tweets and/or Twitter account content, a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement before the accounts were restored on Monday, in response to a list of questions from TIME. In our continuing effort to make our services available to people everywhere, if we receive a properly scoped request from an authorized entity, it may be necessary to withhold access to certain content in a particular country from time to time. Even after Twitter said the tweets and accounts were reinstated, the company said the governments legal demand was valid.

The legal demand from the Indian government put Twitter, which has employees based in the country, in a difficult position. On one hand, companies must comply with local laws in jurisdictions where they operate. But in many countries, authoritarian leaders use laws selectively to intimidate opposition voices, sometimes forcing tech companies that normally preach the value of free speech to play censor instead.

Read More: Big Techs Business Model Is a Threat to Democracy. Heres How to Build a Fairer Digital Future

As anti-government protest movements have swelled in India over the last 14 months, the Indian government has increasingly sent legal demands to Twitter demanding content takedowns, according to Twitters most recent transparency report. Between January and June 2020, the most recent period for which data are available, Twitter received 2,768 legal demands to remove content in Indiaa more than 274% increase on the previous six months. Twitter complied with 13.8% of those requests, according to the report. India sends the fifth-highest number of takedown requests to Twitter of any country, the report says. (Japan, Russia, South Korea and Turkey are the top four.) India also led the world in government-targeted Internet shutdowns in 2020, with blockages (often targeted at sites of protest or insurgency) lasting nearly 9,000 hours and costing the economy an estimated $2.7 billion, according to research by Top10VPN.

Demonstrators are tear-gassed during the farmers' tractor rally on January 26, 2021 in New Delhi, India. Sanjeev VermaHindustan Times/Getty Images

And especially in India, a country with more than 500 million Internet users, (and more logging on for the first time every day,) the business incentives for social media companies to keep the government on-side are strong. Still, despite facing pressure from some authoritarian governments, social media companies also have an international reputation to protect. Twitters statement to TIME on Monday went on: Transparency is vital to protecting freedom of expression.

Yet Twitter would not respond on the record to questions about the detail of the legal requests it received in relation to the accounts that were blocked on Monday. According to Indias Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), the law used by the Indian government calling on Twitter to block the tweets prevent intermediaries like Twitter from disclosing any information about blocking of an account or tweet.

The confidentiality requirementcreates a bizarre situation where citizens have the right to challenge blocking of online content but they are unable to do so because they dont have access to these legal orders. the IFF said.

In addition, the laws place a high burden on tech companies to comply with government orders. Twitter is not able to resist these demands from the government under existing legal regulations, says Gupta, the IFF director. If they do resist it, under the existing legal powers, they would arguably be liable for criminal prosecution under an offense for which jail terms on conviction extend towards seven years.

At the same time as Indias ruling BJP mobilizes national law to apparently crack down on critics use of Twitter, the party and its supporters have long themselves used social media platforms as key tools for disseminating disinformation, mounting harassment campaigns, and spreading hate speech. According to the 2016 book I am a Troll by Swati Chaturvedi, disinformation and harassment campaigns are coordinated by senior party officials who share talking points with vocal supporters, who then tweet them out on their personal accounts.

In April 2020, as COVID-19 began spreading in India, the hashtag CoronaJihad trended on Twitter, appearing at least 165 million times on the site in a matter of days, according to data shared with TIME by the NGO Equality Labs. The hashtag was part of a disinformation campaign seeking to blame Muslims for the spread of COVID-19 in India. Twitter said it was committed to protect and serve the public conversation at the time, and began removing tweets. But the Indian government took no legal action against the accounts spreading the conspiracy theory.
A death threat tweeted at an 11-year-old environmental activist has sparked outrage in Colombia, a nation where attacks on social leaders are the norm and threats are taken seriously.

Colombian officials have been investigating the shocking death threat made against Francisco Vera on January 13 when a user on Twitter wrote that he was looking forward to cutting his fingers because the boy had called on President Ivan Duque to improve internet access for children in impoverished areas as students returned to virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

'I just want to tear this son of a b***** to pieces,' a user under the suspended handle of @BelboCodazzi wrote. 'I have a desire to hear him scream as I cut off his fingers to see if he is going to keep talking about environmentalism and dignity.

President Duque recently promised in a television appearance that his government would find 'the bandits' behind the Twitter message.

Authorities have offered a $2,800 reward for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of the author behind the tweet.

Francisco, Vera, an 11-year-old environmental activist in Colombia, received a death threat on January 15, two days after he posted a video on Twitter urging President Ivan Duque to improve internet connectivity for children in impoverished communities who are studying online during the coronavirus pandemic

Francisco Vera's tweet regarding the return to virtual learning in Colombia was not met with approval from suspended Twitter user @BelboCodazzi who wrote: 'I just want to tear this son of a b***** to pieces. I have a desire to hear him scream as I cut off his fingers to see if he is going to keep talking about environmentalism and dignity.' Authorities have issued a $2,800 reward for his capture

For his part, Vera says he will continue to lead environmental campaigns and urged other young people to use social media to 'support causes they believe in.'

Vera, who has drawn comparisons to teenage Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, got together with six friends from school about two years ago and marched to the main park in his hometown of Villeta carrying cardboard signs and chanting slogans about climate change, under the supervision of his grandmother.

His Guardians for Life group now has at least 11 chapters and more than 200 members across Colombia. It planted hundreds of trees last year and in December 2019 petitioned Colombia's Congress to ban single-use plastics, fracking, animal abuse and testings on animals.

The vile threat has weight in Colombia, where more than 300 social leaders and human rights activists were assassinated in 2020, according to the Institute of Studies for Development and Peace. At least 18 had been killed through January 18.

The United Nations' numbers are much lower, showing that as many as 53 community leaders were murdered in the South American country last year and it is examining reports of an additional 80 such slayings.

The Andean nation is struggling to achieve peace following decades of guerrilla conflict and clashes involving drug gangs and paramilitary groups.

Francisco Vera, well-known in Colombia for his environmental campaigns and defense of children's rights, shows a letter that Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, sent to him at his home in Villeta, Colombia

Photos of Francisco Vera hang in his study room in Villeta, Colombia. The 11-year-old received a death threat from an anonymous Twitter account on January 15 after posting a video urging the government to improve internet connectivity for children studying online, which sparked outrage in Colombia where community leaders are threatened and murdered on a regular basis

Francisco Vera believes that 'adults should not be the only ones who discuss big topics'

After Twitter suspended the account that issued the threat, the boy received hundreds of messages of support, including a letter that was hand-delivered by United Nations officials. Signed by the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, Michelle Bachelet, it congratulated Francisco for his work on behalf of the environment.

Vera, who lives in Villeta, a small town surrounded by mountains, told Caracol TV that people always wonder why he didn't choose to be like other boys his age, especially in a soccer-crazy country.

'For example, sometimes I am asked, why didn't you decide to be a normal kid? First of all what is a kid, what is a kid? And what does the word normal mean?' he said. 'We are all abnormal in our own ideas, for the things that we do, and there is nothing normal. It means that what we do is abnormal.'

Vera said he welcomes 'constructive criticism' and is trying to ignore the threat as well as messages in which critics accuse him of being an instrument of leftist politicians.

He said his group of young activists will campaign against the introduction of oil fracking technology in Colombia and will also keep up pressure on politicians to ban single-use plastics.

Last year, the group collected 24,000 signatures in an online petition for such a ban.

Francisco Vera, an 11-year-old boy in Colombia, received a death threat over Twitter on January 15, but says that he will continue to lead campaigns and urged other young people to use social media to 'support causes they believe in'

Francisco Vera (right) is pictured with his mother Ana Maria Manzanares (left) and grandmother Maria del Pilar Mendez (center)

Francisco Vera formed Guardians for Life, a group that now has at least 11 chapters and more than 200 members across Colombia. It planted hundreds of trees last year and petitioned Colombia's government to ban single-use plastics

His mother, Ana Maria Manzanares, said she hopes the threat is nothing more than a cruel joke.

She said a town official suggested shutting down her son's social media account, but she prefers to let him decide whether to stop campaigning.

'I want him to be aware that he is doing something that is very valuable,' Manzanares said. 'And that it is possible for him and thousands of children around the world to change things.'

Francisco Vera says children should not be stopped from voicing their opinions on environmental issues 'because people who are making choices today will be gone soon and we will have to deal with the consequences'

Francisco Vera appeared before Colombia's Congress in December 2019 and asked the government to consider banning the use of plastic bottles, fracking and testings on animals

Vera agrees, stressing that adults should not be the only one worried about the globe's pressing needs.

'Children need to have a voice, too,' he said, 'Because people who are making choices today will be gone soon and we will have to deal with the consequences.'

While the sixth grader said he enjoys watching congressional debates on television, he's also got more typical interests: playing video games, taking his dog Pinky for walks and swimming in a neighborhood pool. In his room, Vera keeps a box full of Lego bricks, taekwondo belts of different colors and a collection of Nerf guns that he shows off to visitors with a grin.

'Im a pacifist,' he said as he reloaded one of the toy guns. 'But I'm also a boy.'

Vera, who has been into activism since the age of six, hopes to one day become an astrophysicist and a politician.

'An astrophysicist because I like science and history a lot but I am heading much more for physics, but also a politician because I believe that we must generate a change.'
WALLDORF, Germany, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today said it has created one marketplace for solutions and services from SAP and its partners, merging SAP App Center for partner solutions with SAP Store for SAP solutions. The new consolidated marketplace, called SAP Store and available at store.sap.com, simplifies the shopping experience of customers making their journeys to the intelligent enterprise.

"The merging of SAP's two marketplaces into one storefront is important to the success of the platform," IDC Research Director Frank Della Rosa said. "The ability to discover SAP and partner solutions side by side is valuable to customers. The guided search also is vital to those seeking solutions via SAP Store, and the clean design and intuitive site navigation make discovery quick and frictionless at a time where speed and agility are critical success factors."

The consolidated SAP Store introduces new capabilities, including a unified home page and intelligent search functionality, which bring together all of SAP's digitally available solutions from SAP Store with more than 1,700 partner apps previously available through SAP App Center. It includes and builds on the many enhancements introduced on SAP App Center in 2020. Partner solutions certified by SAP and SAP Endorsed Apps continue to be prominently noted with visual identifiers. These features make it easier than ever to navigate through SAP and partner solutions, allowing customers to browse by industries, categories, SAP products and lines of business.

New features of SAP Store are:

Updated category menu : Expanded categories cover additional solution areas

: Expanded categories cover additional solution areas Guided search: Customers can use the same natural sentence structure as they would when speaking to a live sales agent, which reduces the need for repeat searches

Customers can use the same natural sentence structure as they would when speaking to a live sales agent, which reduces the need for repeat searches Favorites: Product pages can be saved in a personalized favorites section, making it easier to compare and contrast with other offerings

Product pages can be saved in a personalized favorites section, making it easier to compare and contrast with other offerings Tips for filtering: Search results pages suggest next-best steps and popular features

"The need to deliver a seamless, unified digital marketplace experience for our customers and partners along their journey to become intelligent enterprises has never been more critical for SAP," said Sharon Ruddock, head of SAP Digital Commerce. "We are committed to continuing to create this environment for our customers online, whether they are choosing a solution from SAP or an offering from one of our validated partners. Now, with the capability to discover SAP and partner offerings in one marketplace with an integrated and flexible search functionality, customers can find and access what they need faster and more intelligently than ever before, regardless of whom the solution is from."

Equal Visibility for All Products Based on Customer Need

SAP's consolidated search was built with impartiality in mind to help customers discover, try, buy and deploy products and solutions that best fit their needs. Although SAP products are visually identifiable, the search functionality is fair and unbiased, presenting all products that fit the search. The same holds true for the content accompanying each search and offering. Category landing pages show customer reviews of SAP and partner solutions, with authentic quotes and ratings. SAP's goal is to provide a new experience tailored to the shopping experience, whether the buyer is purchasing for personal use or for a large enterprise.

For each purchase made through SAP Store, SAP will plant a tree. For more information, or to try the consolidated search, access free software trials, or buy or renew software online, visit store.sap.com. On Twitter, follow SAP Store on Twitter at @SAPDigital and follow SAP at @SAPNews.

About SAP

SAP's strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world's transaction revenue touches an SAP system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers' businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want  without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people's lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

 2021 SAP SE. All rights reserved.

SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices.

For customers interested in learning more about SAP products:

Global Customer Center: +49 180 534-34-24

United States Only: 1 (800) 872-1SAP (1-800-872-1727)

Please consider our privacy policy. If you received this press release in your e-mail and you wish to unsubscribe to our mailing list please contact [email protected] and write Unsubscribe in the subject line.

SOURCE SAP SE

Related Links

www.sap.com


[January 31, 2021] BrainChip Releases Third Episode in 'This is our Mission' Series

BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN), a leading provider of ultra-low power high performance artificial intelligence technology, today announced that Peter van der Made, BrainChip's founder and Chief Technology Officer, will be the latest subject in the "This is our Mission" series of podcasts designed to provide insight on the Company's strategy and progress. The podcast will be available through the Company's website, www.brainchipinc.com, as well as across all major podcast platforms Tuesday, 2 February, at 4 p.m. U.S. PST. Hosted by BrainChip CEO Louis DiNardo, the third episode in the series highlights Peter van der Made's success in being at the forefront of computer innovation and invention for 45 years. He designed the first generations of digital neuromorphic devices on which BrainChip's Akida neuromorphic processor is based, and holds its patent. His book, Higher Intelligence: How to Create a Functional Artificial Brain, published in 2013, describes the architecture of the brain from a computer science perspective. He remains actively involved in the design of the next generation of Akida chips and in research on advanced neuromorphic architectures. "Even with all of the advancements I have seen in the computing industry over the past nearly half a century, I'm still in awe with the possibilities that can be achieved in the progress to come," said Peter van der Made. "We are at an inflection pint in moving data - and intelligent actions based on that data - from a centralized hub to devices at the edge. Our focus here at BrainChip remains how we advance that journey and how we progress to providing solutions that overcome the challenges of computing in neural network environments. I'm excited to share my thoughts and experiences to audiences of the BrainChip podcast."



Akida brings artificial intelligence to the edge in a way that existing technologies are not capable. The solution is high performance, small, ultra-low power and enables a wide array of edge capabilities. The Akida (NSoC) and intellectual property, can be used in applications including Smart Home, Smart Health, Smart City and Smart Transportation. These applications include but are not limited to home automation and remote controls, industrial IoT, robotics, security cameras, sensors, unmanned aircraft, autonomous vehicles, medical instruments, object detection, sound detection, odor and taste detection, gesture control, and cybersecurity. The BrainChip Podcast will continue as a monthly event and is intended to provide company and industry insight for the engineering community in target markets, as well as analysts, technical and financial press, and investors.

About BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN) BrainChip is a global technology company that is producing a groundbreaking neuromorphic processor that brings artificial intelligence to the edge in a way that is beyond the capabilities of other products. The chip is high performance, small, ultra-low power and enables a wide array of edge capabilities that include on-chip training, learning and inference. The event-based neural network processor is inspired by the spiking nature of the human brain and is implemented in an industry standard digital process. By mimicking brain processing BrainChip has pioneered a processing architecture, called Akida, which is both scalable and flexible to address the requirements in edge devices. At the edge, sensor inputs are analyzed at the point of acquisition rather than through transmission via the cloud to a data center. Akida is designed to provide a complete ultra-low power and fast AI Edge Network for vision, audio, olfactory and smart transducer applications. The reduction in system latency provides faster response and a more power efficient system that can reduce the large carbon footprint of data centers. Additional information is available at https://www.brainchipinc.com Follow BrainChip on Twitter (News - Alert) : https://www.twitter.com/BrainChip_inc

Follow BrainChip on LinkedIn (News - Alert) : https://www.linkedin.com/company/7792006 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210131005066/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.
Testing: Volunteers are illuminated by ultra violet light to demonstrate how bacteria and contamination can be spread as they are trained by St John Ambulance instructors to administer Covid-19 vaccines at Manchester United Football Club

Lord Dodds has warned the EU has set a precedent after it invoked Article 16 of the Brexit Protocol over the supply of Covid vaccines.

Nigel Dodds said the short-lived but widely-condemned move to override part of the Brexit agreement on Northern Ireland to control shipments of vaccine jabs showed how the EU had lets its "mask slip".

First Minister Arlene Foster had said the EU, which is facing shortfalls on vaccine supplies, had displayed an "incredible act of hostility" by moving to trigger Article 16.

The EU backtracked on the move, announced unilaterally, within hours of making it on Friday after facing universal criticism from London, Dublin and across the political spectrum in Northern Ireland.

The DUP deputy leader told the BBC's Sunday Politics show: "I think that the mask slipped on Friday night because the EU and others had been lecturing everybody ... that there could never be under any circumstances whatsoever any kind of hard border on the island of Ireland, and that to do anything to over-ride any of the Protocol provisions would be an anathema.

"And then in one fell swoop on Friday night it did both of those things ... never mind the fact that it was aimed at vaccines, which is aimed at helping people overcome this terrible Covid pandemic.

"That is why people I feel, I think feel so outraged and bewildered at what the EU has done."

Expand Close Lord Dodds urged the Goverment to get rid of the insidious effects of the NI Protocol / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Lord Dodds urged the Goverment to get rid of the insidious effects of the NI Protocol

He continued: "I think that what the EU has now effectively done is set a precedent that has said that in circumstances where their single market is in danger and there's a potential threat, then the provisions of Article 16 can be triggered and, indeed, in their statement withdrawing Article 16 now, they made it clear that they reserve the right to use it and other instruments going forward.

"I think that the British Government now has the opportunity to look at what the problems are between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the societal difficulties and economic difficulties, the EU cited as the reason for Article 16 are far more pertinent and far more in play in Northern Ireland given the problems with parcels, foodstuffs, medicines all the rest of it, and therefore the government now needs to look at what it can do to alleviate the problems between Great Britain and Northern Ireland that get rid of some of the insidious effects of this wretched Protocol."

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, a vocal opponent of Brexit, also criticised the move by the EU, branding it a "very foolish" move that jeopardised the peace process. He said Brussels' action to control the movement of coronavirus jabs had been "unacceptable", telling Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday: "Yes, it was a very foolish thing to do and fortunately they withdrew it very quickly.

"I was somebody who negotiated the Good Friday Agreement, it's brought peace to the island of Ireland and it is absolutely vital that we protect it and that's why what the European Commission did was unacceptable but, as you say, fortunately they withdrew it very quickly."

Taoiseach Micheal Martin, however, has disagreed with Mrs Foster's assessment that the EU displayed an "act of hostility".

Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, he said: "My observation is that the terrible row is an acrimonious row between AstraZeneca and the (EU) Commission over the contractual obligations of the company in respect of supplying vaccines to European member states took centre stage here, and people were blindsided by the decision that was taken and the implications for the Protocol."

Mr Martin stressed it took four years to negotiate the Protocol to facilitate access for Northern Ireland's economy to the single market as well as to the UK market and to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.

"It's a good thing, the Protocol, overall. There are issues there that we have to fine-tune and work out, but essentially I think there are positives there medium term for Northern Ireland in terms of its economic development which we should not underestimate," he said.

"We are only four weeks into the operation of the Protocol, there are bound to be teething problems but I do acknowledge the need for engagement here on all sides, between the European Union, the United Kingdom and the Irish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive."

London has agreed to a "reset" in relations with the EU after Brussels imposed export controls on vaccines, as the bloc suffers supply shortages from pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

With predictions that the UK will ultimately have a surplus of jabs after vaccinating the population, questions have turned to when the Government will help other nations

Last night, Boris Johnson said he wants Europe and the rest of the world to receive vaccinations "at the same time" as the UK, saying "there's no point one country on its own getting vaccinated".

In a People's PMQs filmed yesterday, the Prime Minister said: "Britain, the UK, we can't think of this just as a project for us and us alone. The most important thing about the Oxford vaccine is it obviously can be distributed at room temperature, which is great, but it's also being distributed at cost around the world.

"We want to make sure as many people across the whole of the world, across Europe, across the whole world, get access to vaccines and we're massively funding, the UK has put hundreds of millions into the international vaccine alliance, into Covax. We want everybody in our country to get vaccinated at the same time as everybody in the world, because ultimately it's the only way to fix this. There's no point one country on its own getting vaccinated."

AstraZeneca deal with EU, Page 12
[February 01, 2021] HilltopSecurities Independent Network Changes Name to Momentum Independent Network

HilltopSecurities Independent Network Inc., an independent broker-dealer and Registered Investment Adviser serving wealth management professionals and their clients across the United States, has changed its name to Momentum (News - Alert) Independent Network Inc., effective Feb. 1, 2021. The new name reflects a commitment to elevate the company's brand, expand its national footprint, and highlight the entrepreneurial spirit of its affiliated professionals. An affiliate of full-service municipal investment bank HilltopSecurities, Momentum Independent Network is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HTH). The firm serves approximately 200 wealth management professionals in 29 states. Momentum Independent Network's ownership and leadership remain the same under the new name. "We are committed to supporting our independent financial professionals and growig our franchise across the country," said HilltopSecurities President and CEO Brad Winges. "The Momentum Independent Network name reflects this focus on growth and our continued investment in our wealth management platform."



In recent years, HilltopSecurities has invested several million dollars in technology enhancements and service providers to support the growth of its wealth management business. "We are building a best-in-class platform to serve our financial professionals and their clients," said HilltopSecurities' Head of Wealth Management, John Muschalek. "Whether an RIA, hybrid RIA, or independent investment advisor, we provide a full suite of solutions to enable financial professionals to serve their clients and grow their own unique practices."

About Momentum Independent Network Inc.

Momentum Independent Network Inc. (MIN), a member of FINRA and SIPC, is a Dallas, Texas-based broker-dealer serving independent registered representatives and their clients across the United States. The firm is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hilltop Holdings Inc. (NYSE: HTH) and a sister company of Hilltop Securities Inc., through which it clears its securities business. Other MIN affiliates include PlainsCapital Bank and PrimeLending. Learn more at MomentumIN.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005132/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
The Islamic State terror group was largely crushed by coordinated international effort in 2019, but its networks appear to still have access to an estimated $100 million in cash reserves stashed across the Middle East, the US Treasury Department said.

IS monetary reserves are at a historic low since it took over swaths of Iraq and Syria in 2014, having since lost all of its tax- and oil-producing territory.

But the groups remnants in Syria continue to receive streams of cash from associates based in neighboring Turkey and from smugglers in Iraq, according to an unclassified Treasury Department memo released earlier this month.

Some of those transfers have gone via local hawalas (money services businesses) in the notorious al-Hol internment camp, which houses some 50,000 family members of IS fighters. Other cash shipments have been delivered by courier across the flat, open desert border between Iraq and Syria.

Inside Syria, the group continues to raise funds through extortion of oil smuggling networks in eastern Syria, kidnaping for ransom targeting civilian businesses and populations, looting and possibly the operation of front companies, the memo from the Treasurys chief auditor read.

The document provides a limited window into a forgotten front in the US-led war against the jihadi proto-state, a conflict that has largely dropped from the headlines. But networks of IS militants are still out there, and as last weeks twin suicide bombings in Baghdad underscore, they remain deadly.

As the new administration of President Joe Biden looks to recalibrate Washingtons approach to the Middle East after four years of Donald Trump, officials may want to look into ways to cut off the terror groups enablers, said David Asher, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute who led the State Department's economic warfare strategy against IS in 2014-15.

Turkeys tolerance for Islamic State financing was unusually high, Asher told Al-Monitor, adding, "I don't believe that there has been sufficient effort ever mounted inside Turkey to cut the Islamic State's finance and banking logistics networks off.

In the early days of the self-proclaimed caliphate, IS members interrogated by US investigators claimed they used the Turkish side of the Syrian border as their ATM, Asher recalled. Al-Monitor has reached out to Turkey's Interior Ministry for comment.

"There have been periodic joint efforts, but it hasn't been consistent. It would be great if the Biden administration could get more cooperation on that, he said.

Perhaps the US official most critical of the Turkish governments stance (or lack thereof) toward IS, Brett McGurk, returned this month to the White House as the National Security Councils coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa.

McGurk, who served as US envoy to the coalition to defeat IS under both former Presidents Barack Obama and Trump, resigned in protest when Trump suddenly ordered all US forces to withdraw from Syria in December 2018.

That decision was later reversed, but Trump ordered the United States out of Syria again 10 months later, leading US special forces to hand over key territory to the Assad regime and Russia. The pullback reduced the US governments visibility on IS financial activities, the Treasury Department reported last year.

The self-proclaimed caliphate still has an estimated 10,000 loyalist fighters in Iraq and Syria, according to a United Nations report released in August.

The United States has also assisted Iraq in building up its sparse security along its 400-mile border with Syria, across which fighters, guns, drugs, cigarettes and cash have flown for decades.

Meanwhile the hunt for IS remaining figures is likely to continue under the Biden administration. Earlier this week, US and Iraqi forces tracked down and killed the jihadi groups top commander in Iraq, Abu Yaser al-Issawi, after rounding up or killing 17 of his associates in recent months.

Nine other suspected IS figures were also killed in the operation, said a spokesperson for Iraqs commander in chief, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
During the pandemic, frontline workers such as doctors and nurses have been widely praised for their efforts. Yet, there are other frontline workers whose job is not as visible.

Home care providers, or palomitas as they are called in Spanish, work in the homes of elderly and disabled to help them with their daily routines.

Maria Torres, 57, who works as a home care provider for a local agency, said they have been at the forefront of the pandemic as they take care of some of the oldest and most vulnerable in the community. She said their duties have grown with the pandemic.

We used to simply take them shopping and into the mall while drinking coffee with them in their homes until our shift ended, Torres said. Now, we must do all this alone, as we go out for them and get them the groceries, medication and any other stuff ... so they can simply stay home and stay safe.

Torres said she has even adjusted to showering after she ventures outside for one of her two patients since she does not want to bring the virus home to them.

Even though I shower at my workplace, I also shower at home just to be on the safe side, Torres said. The responsibilities we have have grown, but I am extremely happy that we are finally getting the recognition by our employers and the city when it comes to this line of work.

City of Laredo Health Director Richard Chamberlain confirmed that home care providers are considered essential workers and can be provided the vaccine no matter their age as they fall under the current vaccination tier of Phase 1A recipients.

As per the Emergency Operation Center, palomitas are considered essential workers, Chamberlain said. These types of workers have been getting vaccines.

Chamberlain said home health care providers are providing essential health service to those that are of need and are often considered the most vulnerable.

Home health care providers, just like every other health care provider, are at increased risk because of their need to have physical contact with assessing a patient, Chamberlain said. Their work has never stopped, also just like every other health care professional.

City of Laredo Health Authority Dr. Victor Trevino noted that home health providers can come in contact with multiple people when providing their services.

It has placed them at higher risk, especially if their duties have them having close contact with multiple patients, Trevino said.

Torres said none of her patients have been infected with COVID-19. However, her clients have been infected with other things that have led them to go to the hospital, which made her worry for their safety.

Marline Deborah Gutierrez, 23, got the vaccine because of her job; she works with a neighbor who is in her late 70s.

I feel really blessed to have gotten the vaccine due to the fact that I am young and also because I am really scared of this virus, Gutierrez said. However, people must understand that we also are at the forefront. We do not just attend to people that are old and who can become infected and eventually pass away. We also come in contact with people that routinely attend the hospitals and doctors offices for other checkups, and that makes extremely vulnerable as well.

Gutierrez noted that palomitas are with their patients constantly whether they are sick or not.

Even though people like Torres and Gutierrez practice many safety guidelines while at work, local health officials continue to promote these essential workers to use techniques that have become commonplace.

It is important for any and all health care professional to use required personal protective equipment, Chamberlain said. Also, it is important to participate in routine COVID-19 PCR testing and acquire your COVID-19 vaccine.

According to Trevino, these health workers must have the availability to wear full PPE, which would include a gown, N-95 facemasks and face shields.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
Virgis Lithuania

Virgis was born and raised in a small town in Lithuania under the communist regime. In this context of poverty and hypocrisy, Virgis realized from an early age the importance of having real moral and spiritual values.

Intelligence, culture and belief constitute a defence against the regime for his mother who sent him to art school when he was 12 years old. This was his first experience with art. There he discovered the culture and the arts of the free countries of the West: his vocation as an artist was born. Naturally he turned to study art at the University, and after graduation he became an art teacher at a secondary school. The Gorbachev regime somewhat freed society and Virgis could finally indulge in its creation.

In the 90s, he began offering his work in various local exhibitions. At the time, the artwork of Marc Chagall was the inspiration of a great majority of his work. The meeting with two French artists, Anne de Beaufort and Michele Volsy, was a milestone in his artistic life, and Virgis instinctively changed the nature of his work and devoted himself to abstract painting.

He uses oil paint on canvas to express emotions and feelings: fear, grief, joy or worry. For Virgis, these feelings are as abstract as real as life.

Today, artists like Stanley F. Kline, Robert Motherwell, Pierre Soulages and Dubuffet are references for Virgis. He is a professor of painting and graphic art in an art school in Lithuania.

Virgis finds inspiration in his environment and what it conveys. His painting is sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter. Through his abstract work he speaks of the uncertainty of life. The difficult context in which his vocation as an artist was born determines all his work and gives it its strength and depth.
Members of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea hold a meeting at the commission building in Seoul, Jan. 25. Korea Times file



By Bahk Eun-ji



The education authorities are urged to strengthen screening standards for school textbooks to ensure they don't contain content that could intensify prejudices and discrimination against sexual minorities, a state human rights watchdog said, Monday.



The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) said one high school textbook described sexual minorities as those who have "unique sexual tastes" and defined homosexuality as "sexual contact between people of the same gender," which the watchdog said could increase negative perceptions of sexual minorities.



The commission's statement came in response to a petition filed last year by a citizen who found the textbook's content to be problematic. The textbook passed the education ministry's screening in August 2013.



In the book, a passage defined a sexual minority as "a person who is distinguished from the majority of society, and also has unique sexual tastes," suggesting that sexual orientation is a matter of choice. It was also written that homosexuality "means that men love men or women love women through sexual contact."



It also encouraged students to debate the concept of same-sex marriage. As examples for arguments against it, the textbook said, "Homosexuality is a mental illness that can be cured," "HIV and sexually transmitted diseases spread through abnormal sexual behavior," "Same-sex couples cannot have children, leading to a population decrease" and "If a same-sex married couple adopts a child, the adopted child will suffer serious identity confusion."



During the commission's review, the publisher of the textbook said they tried to keep a balance between both opinions and did not support either side, adding the textbook was approved by the education ministry.



The content in question was deleted from the textbook in 2015 along with the authority's revisions to the curriculum. But the NHRCK decided to express its opinion on the issue to encourage value-neutral teaching and gender-equal education content in school textbooks.



"Such content could strengthen negative prejudices or stereotypes against sexual minorities and cause discrimination against them," the commission said.



Although the content was deleted in the renewed curriculum, there may be other cases describing other socially disadvantaged groups, such as the disabled, foreigners, refugees or the elderly, it said. "The screening standards for school textbooks need to be strengthened so that expressions encouraging discrimination against the socially vulnerable are not included in the future."


As the COVID-19 vaccine continues its rollout in Northeast Pennsylvania, some community members are expressing concern about the availability of information to groups including minorities and the homeless.

Community activist Angel Jirau, founder of Spanish American Leaders Serving All, said concerns hes expressed about a lack of information to the Spanish-speaking community and the homeless have mostly been met by bureaucratic runaround.

I dont think theres enough being done, Jirau said. Personally, Im getting a lot of calls from Hispanics and even African Americans asking where they can get tested and how theyre going to pay for it. Theres really no mass way to get information.

While there is a wealth of information available online, including daily briefings by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Jirau said many people do not have computer access.

Henry Radulski, director of the Wilkes-Barre City Health Department, said the city has been focused on improving the health of all residents.

Outreach to various shelters in Wilkes-Barre to provide education, supplies and plans for administering COVID-19 vaccine to the homeless population have been focused through agencies who provide shelters, Radulski said. In 2020, 9% of the Black community and 25% of the Hispanic community in Wilkes-Barre contracted COVID-19, so programs with the African American community have been initiated through the NAACP and outreach to Hispanic population is provided through St. Nicholas Church to provide resources during this time of need.

Collaborations involving the NAACP have included Diversity Day events, discussing health department and partner agency services at the groups executive committee meetings and providing information about safely conducting organizational events, he said. The city is also planning programs that will focus on individual and family development and making the COVID-19 vaccine available to the community, he said.

Maggi Barton, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said the department has worked to educate the public about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine via the news media as well as by partnering with community and local groups who work directly with the target populations.

We also have developed extensive materials on our website to educate people about the vaccine, Barton said. As we continue vaccine communications with the public, we will continue to make Spanish-translated materials available and will continue efforts to share Spanish paid media efforts just as we have done to educate the Spanish-speaking population throughout the pandemic.

The departments vaccine distribution plan also calls for the department to work with the Office of Health Equity in identifying populations and barriers associated with obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine, she said.

Jirau said he would like to see even more done, including an all out effort to reach minorities.

All indications are that, statewide, people of color are not getting the same information. We know they are not accessible to computers. Theyre not trusting of the system, Jirau said. This is a pandemic. This is worse than I even thought. And with the color barriers and racism coming into it, it just makes this whole effort even worse. People are scared to come out. Theyre scared to talk.
(NBC News) - President Biden will meet Monday with 10 Republican Senators pitching a new COVID relief plan.

The Republican plan carries a third the cost of Biden's, with the same money for vaccinations, but nearly 90 percent less to reopen schools.

Stimulus checks drop to $1,000 and phase out for higher income families.

"If you look at the administration's plan, you could have a family with three kids making almost $300,000 a year getting a check. And many of these people have had no impact from COVID. In fact, some are doing quite well. Others are struggling. Let's focus on those who are struggling," Ohio's Senator Rob Portman says.

Democrats argue relief must do more.

"We cannot have children in America going hungry. People being evicted. Schools not open. We need to open our schools in a safe way," Senator Bernie Sanders says.

The money can't come fast enough. New strains of coronavirus have arrived in THE United States, and experts say the faster-spreading variants will resort in a new surge in cases.

"The surge that is likely to occur with this new variant from England is going to happen in the next six to 14 weeks," warns Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

Read more: http://nbcnews.to/3jhYszT
Every salaried person in India has to pay a certain amount of money in the form of tax to the Income Tax Department of India. As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivers her promised budget speech on Monday, which is expected to provide relief to the middle class by way of income tax benefits, we answer all your queries related to income tax slabs, how its calculated and what makes Form 16 an important document.

How is income tax calculated?

Income tax is calculated on the basis of tax rates determined by the government for an Assessment Year (AY). Your taxable income is worked out after making relevant deductions, other taxes that you may have already paid (Advance Tax) and tax deducted at source (TDS), the resultant taxable income will be taxed at the slab rate that is applicable.

Various components are taken into account when the government calculates income tax. The three major ones are: gross taxable income, HRA (house rent allowance) exemption, and transport allowance.

The HRA depends on an individuals basic salary. It is also dependent on the type of city they reside in. Transport or conveyance allowance, a salary component, is also exempted from the income tax.

Once the gross total income is calculated by adding all the above sources, whichever applicable, deductions on account of tax-saving investments, allowed expenses, donations etc are adjusted.

What is Form 16 for Income Tax in India?

The Income Tax is paid every year to the IT-Department at the end of each assessment year through an Income Tax Return Form (Form 16). Form 16 or the Income Tax Return form is a document that has details about your taxable salary, a breakup of deductions under Section 80C, TDS (Tax Deducted at Source), an aggregate of Section 80C Deductions (including gross & deductible amount). It is provided by employers to their employees in order to fill the complete explanation of all their deducted tax in a financial year.

It is Mandatory for EmpPloyers to provide Form 16?

Employees with an income of less than Rs. 2,50,000 for the Financial Year are exempted from income tax. Since no tax has been deducted, Form 16 is be issued to them. However, Form 16 is to be mandatorily provided by the employer if it has deducted TDS on an employees income, as Form 16 is a tax certificate that carries full details of income earned and the TDS deducted during the financial year. With the help of Form 16, a salaried employee can file income tax return (ITR), especially when the employee does not have income from any other sources.

How to pay the income tax online in India?

The e-filing system was launched in 2006 as a pilot project and was developed and expanded to individual assessees over the years. The returns can be filed from anywhere, faster processing of return and the issue of refunds, and easy excess of past data online are some of the key benefits of the e-filing project.

The Income Tax Department introduced two simpler income tax return forms for individual taxpayers from the financial year 2010-11. The form ITR-1 (Sahaj) was meant for salaried individuals, the form ITR-4S (Sugam) was interned for small business taxpayers falling within the presumptive taxation category.

To track the status of refunds and credit for prepaid taxes including an online facility, the taxman subsequently took a number of measures towards efficient tax administration, including an online facility for taxpayers. The taxman launched TRACES or TDS Reconciliation, Accounting and Correction Enabling System to serve as an integrated one-stop platform to facilitate TDS operations in the financial year 2011-12.

The taxman started crediting the income tax refunds directly to the taxpayers' bank accounts through the Electronic Clearance Service (ECS), discontinuing the practice of remitting cheques by post from the financial year 2013-14. Now, you get the refund directly credited in your account within a month of filing return... The digital transfer and timely payment of refunds emerged as the biggest positive step to encourage the assessees to file income tax returns.

The Income Tax Department launched a national website www.incometaxindia.gov.in with enhanced features and content. The electronic tax credit statement - or Form 26AS - contains details on payments involving tax deducted at source (TDS) by the taxpayer. Previously, the 26AS was only available in physical form.

Income Tax Department presently offers seven forms to the assessees for filing their income tax returns, and one form - ITR-V - for electronic verification. To reduce the compliance cost for assessees, especially small taxpayers, the taxman expanded the "e-Sahyog" pilot initiative in 2016. To resolve mismatches in ITRs without requiring taxpayers to visit the income tax office, the project was aimed at providing an online mechanism.

What is an income tax slab?

The taxpayers have been categorised by the government into different groups based on their yearly income. These groups are referred to as Tax Slabs. Each group is charged tax at varying rates, and each year, the income tax slab rates are revised during the budget session.

What is the tax slab for women in India?

For Financial year 2019-20, women taxpayers in the country have been categories as the following: No tax payable for up to Rs 2.5 lakh, 5% of total income which exceeds Rs 2,50,001 for those in the salary bracket of Rs 2,50,001 to Rs 5,00,000, and Rs 12,500 + 20% of total income which exceeds Rs 5,00,000 for those in the salary bracket of Rs 5,00,001 to Rs 10,00,000.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2021) - 1246765 B.C. Ltd. ("765") announced that it has agreed to complete a business combination with Lahontan Gold Corp. ("LGC") that will result in 765 (to be named "Lahontan Gold Corp." as discussed below) indirectly acquiring the Santa Fe Project, the Moho Project and the Redlich Project located in Nevada (the "Nevada Properties"). The proposed transaction will be effected through an amalgamation agreement (the "Amalgamation Agreement"). The transaction is conditional on LGC completing the Private Placement (as defined below) and the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") approving the listing of the post-Consolidation (as described below) common shares of 765 ("Resulting Issuer Shares") and other customary conditions.

Amalgamation Agreement

The Amalgamation Agreement, dated January 29, 2021, is an arm's length transaction between 765 and LGC, and provides for, among other things, a three-cornered amalgamation (the "Amalgamation") pursuant to which (i) LGC will amalgamate with a wholly-owned subsidiary of 765 incorporated pursuant to the provisions of the Business Corporations Act (Ontario), (ii) all of the outstanding common shares of LGC (each, a "LGC Share"), with a deemed price of $0.50, will be cancelled and, in consideration therefor, the holders thereof will receive Resulting Issuer Shares on the basis of one LGC Share for one Resulting Issuer Share (the "Exchange Ratio"), and (iii) the amalgamated corporation will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of 765. After giving effect to the Amalgamation, the shareholders of LGC will collectively exercise control over 765. Pursuant to the Amalgamation, all securities of LGC convertible into LGC Shares will cease to represent a right to acquire LGC Shares and will provide for the right to acquire the same number of post-Consolidation Resulting Issuer Shares at the same exercise price per share, reflecting the Exchange Ratio.

It is intended that prior to completion of the Amalgamation, and assuming the Private Placement is completed at the offering price of $0.50 per subscription receipt, 765 will effect a consolidation of its currently outstanding 3,000,000 common shares on the basis of one (1) post-consolidation share for every three (3) pre-consolidation shares (the "Consolidation") and change its name to "Lahontan Gold Corp." or such other name as agreed to by 765 and LGC and accepted by the applicable regulatory authorities (the "Name Change").

Completion of the Amalgamation will be subject to certain conditions, including among others: (i) the requirement for LGC to obtain the unanimous written consent resolution of its shareholders or the approval of at least 662/3 percent of the votes cast by shareholders of LGC at a special meeting of shareholders of LGC; (ii) the requirement for 765 to obtain applicable approvals for the Consolidation and the Name Change; (iii) completion of the Private Placement (defined below); and (iv) obtaining conditional approval of the TSXV to the listing of the Resulting Issuer Shares. 765's due diligence will be limited as 765 intends to rely on the diligence conducted by the TSXV in connection with the listing application.

The Nevada Properties

Santa Fe Project

The Santa Fe Project comprises 217 unpatented mining claims, 67 unpatented millsite claims, and 24 patented mining claims in a contiguous block located 12 km east along Nevada State Highway 361 from the town of Luning, Nevada. The claims are held by Gateway Gold (USA) Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Gateway Gold Corp., which is in turn a wholly owned subsidiary of LGC.

Moho Project

The Moho Project is comprised of a total of 94 unpatented mining claims located in Mineral County, Nevada. Of this total, 9 claims are subject to the Moho Option Agreement dated May 26, 2017 with Nevada Select Royalty, Inc.; 50 claims are subject to the Mining Lease and Option to Purchase Agreement dated August 30, 2017 with Minquest Ltd. ("Minquest"); and 35 claims are held directly.

Redlich Project

The Redlich Project is comprised of 76 unpatented mining claims located in Esmeralda County, Nevada that are subject to the Redlich Option Agreement dated May 26, 2017 with Nevada Select Royalty, Inc.

Financing Matters

LGC intends to complete a non-brokered private placement of subscription receipts (the "Subscription Receipts") at a price of $0.50 per Subscription Receipt for aggregate gross proceeds of at least CAD$10,000,000 and up to $15,000,000 (the "Private Placement"). In connection with the Private Placement, LGC intends to engage certain arm's length finders' to assist with the Private Placement. Those finders would be entitled to a cash commission equal to six percent (6%) of the gross proceeds raised as a result of the finder's efforts; and (ii) finders warrants ("Finders Warrants") equal in number to six percent (6%) of the subscription receipts issued to those Purchasers that were introduced to LGC by the finder (with each Finders Warrant entitling the finder to acquire one common share of LGC at a price of $0.50 for a period of 24 months from the closing of the Private Placement). Immediately prior to the completion of the Amalgamation, each Subscription Receipt is expected to convert into one LGC Share and one half of one LGG Share purchase warrant, and such LGC Shares and warrants will subsequently be exchanged pursuant to the Amalgamation for Resulting Issuer Shares and Resulting Issuer Share purchase warrants. Similarly, pursuant to the Amalgamation, each Finders Warrant would be subsequently exchanged for Resulting Issuer Share purchase warrants. The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be placed into escrow and released to LGC, subject to the receipt of all required corporate, shareholder and regulatory approvals in connection with the proposed transaction and the completion or satisfaction of all conditions precedent to the proposed transaction.

The net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used by LGC to fund further exploration on the Nevada Properties and for general corporate purposes following completion of the Transaction.

The securities to be offered in the Private Placement have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Further details in respect of the Private Placement will be announced by 765 in a separate press release.

Stock Exchange Matters

As at the date hereof, neither the common shares of 765 nor the LGC Shares are listed on any stock exchange. A condition to completion of the Transaction is the conditional approval for the listing of the Resulting Issuer Shares on the TSXV. A listing application in respect of the Resulting Issuer Shares, which will include further details of the Transaction, will be filed on 765's issuer profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com provided TSXV's conditional approval of the listing of the Resulting Issuer Shares has been obtained. There can be no assurance that the TSXV will grant such conditional approval or that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

765 intends to apply to the TSXV for an exemption or waiver from the sponsorship requirements for the Transaction based upon exemptions available in TSXV policies.

About Lahontan Gold Corp.

LGC is a private corporation incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) on May 14, 2020 and is engaged in the acquisition, exploration and evaluation of mineral properties.

As of the date hereof, there are 67,840,532 LGC Shares outstanding and 6,478,325 LGC Shares issuable upon exercise of options and warrants to purchase LGC Shares.

Financial Information

A summary of certain financial information for LGC is included in the table below:

Lahontan Gold Corp. For the Period from May 14,

2020 to December 31, 2020

(Unaudited)

(US$) Expenses

Promotion and web-site 6,500 Regulatory authority and transfer agent fees 1,911 Legal, accounting and audit 46,645 Office, general and administrative 54,824 Share based compensation 1,125,169 Interest income (562) Balance Sheet

Total assets 12,778,622 Total liabilities 352,995 Total equity 12,425,627

Further financial information for LGC will be included in the listing application to be prepared in connection with the transaction.

Proposed Directors and Senior Management Team

Upon the closing of the Transaction, it is anticipated that Kimberly Ann, Chris Donaldson, John McConnell and Bob McKnight (plus one additional member to be announced at a later date prior to closing) will constitute the Board of Directors of LGC. It is also anticipated that the new senior management team of LGC will be comprised of Kimberly Ann (President, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board), John McNeice (Chief Financial Officer), Brian Maher (Director of Exploration) and Tony Wonnacott (Corporate Secretary).

The following are brief resumes of the currently proposed directors and senior officers of LGC following the Transaction:

Kimberly Ann, Proposed President, CEO and Chair of the Board

Ms. Kimberly Ann is a mining executive who has founded multiple junior mining companies and served in a variety of senior executive positions including CEO, President, CFO and Board Member. In the past twelve years, Kimberly Ann has raised over $210 Million in project financing and collaborated on three Junior Mining M&A projects. While at Prodigy Gold, Kimberly Ann was responsible for all aspects of the company's corporate communication program, facilitating equity financings, generating analyst coverage, participating in key aspects of corporate M&A leading to the $340 Million buyout of Prodigy by Argonaut Gold. Kimberly was CFO and VP Corporate Development at PPX Mining Corp, successfully bringing the high-grade Callanquitas gold-silver underground mine into production in Northern Peru. In 2017, Kimberly founded Latin America Resource Group ("LARG"), building Jasperoide from two small concessions into a 57 square kilometre strategic project in the heart of Peru's most prolific copper-gold mineralized belt. In 2020, LARG merged with Carube Copper Corp. to create C3 Metals Inc., setting the stage for value creation throughout C3's project portfolio. Kimberly is also the Managing Partner of KA Gold LLC, a private company with a portfolio of advanced gold-silver exploration projects in Nevada. Kimberly attended the University of Washington, majoring in Business and Marketing.

Chris Donaldson, Proposed Director

Chris Donaldson is an experienced executive with a 25-year track record of raising funds and building out new investment channels for both public and private companies. Chris is the CEO and Director of Outback Goldfields, a CSE listed exploration company trading under the symbol OZ, that recently acquired a package of projects located around the Fosterville Gold Mine in Australia. From 2013 to 2020, Chris held the dual role of Director, Corporate Development with Western Copper and Gold (NYSE American and TSX listed) as well as Director, Corporate Development and Community with Casino Mining Corporation. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.

John McConnell, Proposed Director

John McConnell has more than 35 years of mining experience, mostly spent in Canada's northern territories. Previously, he was President and CEO of Western Keltic Mines until it was acquired by Sherwood Copper. During his career he was Vice President, Northwest Territories Projects for De Beers Canada where he was primarily responsible for the permitting and development of the Snap Lake Diamond Mine. His experience also includes 12 years with Breakwater Resources Ltd / Nanisivik Mines Ltd in operations at the Nanisivik Zinc and Lead Mine on the northern tip of Baffin Island, and he spent six years with Strathcona Mineral Services Ltd. where his work included engineering, feasibility studies and project development. John is a graduate of the Colorado School of Mines, with a B.Sc. in Mining Engineering. He is also a Director of public companies; Hudson Resources Inc., Abacus Mining & Exploration Corp. A strong advocate for the mining industry, he is also a director of industry organizations; Klondike Placer Miners' Association (KPMA), and the Mining Association of Canada (MAC).

Bob McKnight, Proposed Director

Robert McKnight, P.Eng., B.A.Sc., MBA is an experienced mining executive with over 40 years of experience in copper, gold, base metals, coal and potash. He has been directly involved in over $1.5 Billion in project debt, equity, stream and M&A transactions. As Executive VP and CFO at Nevada Copper, Mr. McKnight assisted in arranging over $500 Million in debt, equity and metal stream financings. While with Endeavor Financial, he participated in the successful negotiation of a US$85 Million gold loan with 5 major international banks for Bema Gold and Amax Gold. As CFO and VP at Yukon Zinc Corp and Selwyn Resources he secured a $150 Million committed term sheet from a syndicate of banks and participated in the takeover process of Griffin Mining and, at Selwyn, a $100 Million sale of a 50% joint venture of the Howard's Pass project.

John McNeice, Proposed Chief Financial Officer

John McNeice is a Chartered Professional Accountant registered in Ontario, Canada with over 30 years of experience in public company reporting, financial management, accounting and audit. Currently, John is the CFO of Gold79 Mines Ltd.; C3 Metals Inc. and Northern Graphite Corp. where he is responsible for financial and regulatory reporting as well as day-to-day financial management. John has had CFO roles in seven public resource companies over the past 17 years and has overseen IPOs, RTOs and many quarterly, annual and periodic public company filings. From 2004 to 2007, John was CFO of Ur-Energy Inc., a uranium exploration and development company now a US based producer of uranium. John was a key member of the management team directly involved in the initial public offering on the TSX. During John's tenure, Ur-Energy raised an aggregate of $150 million in a series of private placements, the IPO and several significant secondary financings. From 1990 to 2003, John worked in public accounting with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP where his primary focus was providing audit and regulatory reporting advisory services to Canadian and US publicly listed clients. John holds an Honours B.Comm. degree from McMaster University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (Ontario).

Brian Maher, Proposed Director of Exploration

Brian J. Maher is an economic geologist with over 40 years of experience in the international mining and exploration industry. Currently Brian is the President and CEO of PPX Mining, operating a high-grade underground gold and silver mine in northern Peru. Prior to PPX, Brian was the President, CEO and Director of Prodigy Gold Inc. where he guided the company through a period of expansive growth, culminating in the $340 Million acquisition of Prodigy Gold by Argonaut Gold in 2012. In 1982, Brian began a 16-year career with ASARCO Inc. exploring for gold and copper deposits in a variety of geologic environments throughout North and South America. From 1998 and 2004, Brian was Project Manager for Metallic Ventures Gold Inc., supervising underground and surface exploration, mine development and operations at an underground gold mine in Nevada. In 2005, Brian joined Hochschild Mining PLC and was involved in all aspects of the company's North American exploration program, serving as the Exploration Manager for the US, Canada and Mexico. Brian is also the Managing Partner of KA Gold LLC, a private company with a portfolio of advanced gold-silver exploration projects in Nevada. Brian received his BA degree (Geology) from the California State University, Chico in 1980 and his MSc. Degree (Economic Geology) from Colorado State University in 1983.

Tony Wonnacott, Proposed Corporate Secretary

Tony Wonnacott is a corporate securities lawyer based in Toronto, Ontario with over 20 years of experience. He is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada and holds a B.Comm. (cum laude) from Saint Mary's University and an LL.B. from Dalhousie University. He began his career at a major Toronto law firm in the banking and securities field before moving to work as a legal consultant to a number of companies, primarily in the mining and resource industry. As a consultant, officer and director of several of these companies, Mr. Wonnacott has been involved with the successful listings of private companies, the outright sale of a company for approximately $750 million and capital raisings in excess of $1 billion.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the terms and conditions of the proposed Transaction; the terms and conditions of the proposed Private Placement; use of proceeds from the Private Placement; future development plans; and the business and operations of 765 after the proposed Transaction. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: satisfaction or waiver of all applicable conditions to the completion of the Transaction (including receipt of all necessary shareholder, stock exchange and regulatory approvals or consents, and the absence of material changes with respect to the parties and their respective businesses); ability to close the Private Placement on the proposed terms or at all, the synergies expected from the Transaction not being realized; business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar to United States dollar exchange rate); change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations pressures, cave-ins and flooding);inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. 765 disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the listing application to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

For further information, please contact:

1246765 B.C. Ltd.

James Ward, Director

Phone: (416) 897-2359

Email: james@wardfinancial.ca

Lahontan Gold Corp.

Kimberly Ann, President & CEO

Phone: (530) 414-4400

Email: kimberly.ann@lahontangoldcorp.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Not for distribution to United States news wire services or for dissemination in the United States.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73320




Na Kyung-won, third from left, a Seoul mayoral by-election hopeful of the main opposition People Power Party, joins civic activists advocating nuclear energy during a protest in front of Cheong Wa Dae, Sunday. Na asked President Moon Jae-in and his government to clarify allegations that they attempted to help North Korea build a nuclear power plant, countering Moon's nuclear energy phase-out policy. Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo



Controversy is escalating over whether the government clandestinely attempted to help North Korea build a nuclear power plant in 2018 during a short-lived reconciliatory mood between the two Koreas.



First reported on Jan. 28 by broadcaster SBS, the alleged attempt, if found to be true, contradicts President Moon Jae-in's push to phase out nuclear energy, which has fueled concerns over the fate of South Korean nuclear power companies and their overseas businesses.



The incident is expected to deal a blow to the Moon Jae-in administration and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) ahead of the April 7 mayoral by-elections for Seoul and Busan, which are considered a major litmus test for the 2022 presidential election.



The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is accusing the Moon Jae-in administration of committing actions "benefiting the enemy."



Cheong Wa Dae and the DPK have countered by calling the accusation an outdated revival of the "northern winds."



The term refers to allegations of threats from the North that were orchestrated by the PPP's predecessors in previous elections to stir up concerns over national security and accordingly benefit conservative candidates.



"Closing down nuclear power plants in the Republic of Korea while trying to build one in the North is an act of benefiting the enemy that can shake the fate of the country," PPP interim leader Kim Chong-in said in a Jan. 29 statement.



Kim cited a bill of indictment by prosecutors investigating the destruction of documents related to the closure of the aging Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor by officials at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in 2019.



Back then, the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) asked for the submission of documents related to the Wolsong-1 reactor amid suspicions that the ministry and state-owned Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power (KHNP) intentionally undervalued the reactor in a June 2018 feasibility study to justify the closure.



According to the bill of indictments, the officials deleted about 530 computer documents.



The documents contained numerous files on plans to build a nuclear power plant in North Korea and other inter-Korean energy cooperation projects.



Among them were reports titled "North Korean nuclear power plant construction implementation plan" and "Inter-Korean economic cooperation experts in energy field," which were produced from May 2 to 15, 2018, and stored under a folder titled "pohjois," a Finnish word meaning north.









Moon's first and second summit meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un were held in late April and late May, respectively, of the same year.



The BAI later recovered the documents.



Last month, prosecutors indicted three ministry officials on charges of destroying the documents.



In a press release, Sunday, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy denied the alleged construction plans for a nuclear power plant in the North.



The ministry said, after the first Moon-Kim summit, it had its working-level officials brainstorm possible cross-border projects in case economic cooperation with the North is facilitated.



"And the ideas were listed in the disputed documents for internal circulation," it noted.



Three PPP members  Reps. Kim Eun-hye and Kim Woong  plus Seoul mayoral hopeful Oh Se-hoon said that the accusation, if found to be true, will be "an apparent act on behalf of the enemy."



Cheong Wa Dae fired back.



In a Jan. 29 press briefing, spokesman Kang Min-seok said the PPP interim leader's argument was "complete nonsense."



"It is a hard-to-believe argument that deludes the people. It sure is comparable to the northern winds and we'll take strong countermeasures including legal action," Kang said.



DPK Chairman Lee Nak-yon joined the criticism against the PPP.



"I could not believe what I saw after reading interim leader Kim's statement," Lee wrote on Facebook. He added that it is "illogical to make a connection between the inter-Korean summits and any possible nuclear power plant."



DPK spokesman Shin Yeong-dae called the PPP's accusation "a nuclear energy northern wind that misleads the people."



"The DPK will put an end to such despicable politics and we will concentrate on the by-elections to bring hope to people's livelihoods."
The chief executives of American oil companies ExxonMobil and Chevron held preliminary talks in early 2020 to explore combining the two largest U.S. oil producers in what would have been the biggest merger of all time, according to people familiar with the matter.

The discussions, which are no longer ongoing, are being seen as having tested the waters for the huge corporate marriage after the coronavirus pandemic shook the world last year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

The talks between Exxon chief executive, Darren Woods, and Chevron CEO, Mike Wirth, were serious enough for legal documents involving certain aspects of the merger discussions to be drafted, one of the sources told Reuters.

The discussions were described as preliminary and although were not ongoing could come back in the future.

Such a deal would reunite the two largest descendants of John D Rockefellers Standard Oil monopoly, which was broken up by U.S. regulators in 1911, and reshaped the oil industry, the Journal reported.

A combined companys market value could top $350bn, creating the worlds second largest oil company by market capitalization and production, second only to Saudi Arabias state oil producer, Aramco.

One of the people familiar with the talks told the Journal the sides may have missed an opportunity to consummate the deal under the former president, Donald Trump, who withdrew rom the Paris agreement and had a powerful relationship with the fossil fuel industries.
A container carrier built by Hyundai Heavy Industries. / Courtesy of Hyundai Heavy Industries



By Nam Hyun-woo



The feasibility of the scheduled initial public offering (IPO) of Hyundai Heavy Industries is facing doubts as the plan may undermine the value of its parent firms.



Some concerns are already growing that the company's 5 trillion won ($4.48 billion) valuation of itself may have been overhyped, casting a gloomy outlook on the pricing process of its new shares.



Hyundai Heavy said earlier it will launch an IPO and raise 1 trillion won by selling the company's new shares accounting for 20 percent of the total to the bourse. The shipbuilder said it will invest the money for "eco-friendly future businesses."



In 2019, Hyundai Heavy went through a spinoff and separated into a business division, which succeeded the name of Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE), which is an intermediate holding firm controlling Hyundai Heavy and other shipbuilding affiliates of the conglomerate.



Following the spinoff, Hyundai Heavy has become an unlisted firm, with 100 percent of its stake held by KSOE, and has two holding firms above it  KSOE and Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings, which controls KSOE with a 31 percent stake.



Because of this structure, earnings of Hyundai Heavy have been fully reflected into KSOE's share price. After the IPO, however, analysts said investors will interpret KSOE's value as a pure holding company, which will likely discount its value on the bourse.



"It is obvious that the IPO will redefine KSOE as a holding firm," Meritz Securities analyst Kim Hyun said. "Except for some engineering functions, KSOE will be committed to the role of a holding firm, and the IPO may trigger risks over overvaluation of the combined earnings of Hyundai Heavy and KSOE."



Kim compared Hyundai Heavy's IPO to the recent spinoff and IPO plan of former LG Chem battery business division, LG Energy Solution, but said there are differences between the two cases. LG Chem's share price fell when the company announced the spinoff on Sept. 17 last year, but it saw a massive turnaround, rising 42.2 percent to 917,000 won as of Jan. 29, up from 645,000 won on Sept. 17.



"LG Chem's battery business is already making profits before its IPO. However, Hyundai Heavy's plan to raise 1 trillion won for future investments still requires more time to see how the company will use money and how the investment will turn into profits."



KSOE's consolidated operating profit in the first three quarters of last year stood at 255.3 billion won. When KSOE is calculated alone, however, the operating loss reaches 11.32 billion won during the same period, meaning KSOE's current share price is highly affected by its affiliates.



KSOE's affiliates include Hyundai Heavy, Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard, Hyundai Vietnam Shipbuilding and a number of others.



This also leads to the question over the group's own valuation of Hyundai Heavy. As the group said it seeks to raise 1 trillion won by issuing new Hyundai Heavy shares accounting for 20 percent of the total, this means the company sees Hyundai Heavy's total value at 5 trillion won, according to analysts.



This valuation appears to be based on optimism for the global shipbuilding market. Clarksons Research, a market research firm, expects global shipbuilding orders for this year will reach 23.8 million compensated gross tons, which is up 23.7 percent from a year earlier.



But by the third quarter of last year, Hyundai Heavy posted an operating profit of 5 billion won with its operating margin remaining at 0.3 percent. The company's net losses also stood at 67.6 billion won at the end of the third quarter.



"Given KSOE's market cap is standing at 7.5 trillion won, calculating Hyundai Heavy's value at 5 trillion won may be overhyped," KB Securities analyst Jeong Dong-ik said.


The Accra Regional Police Command has gunned down two suspected armed robbers in separate operations in Accra.



Blessing Stephen,a 38-year-old Nigerian, died from gunshot wounds he sustained in an operation by the police at Tonynam Guest House, at Spintex Road, whiles another suspected robber yet to be identified,was also shot at Achimota, in Accra.



Two other suspects have been arrested and detained in custody, assisting police in investigation.



The Public Relations Officer of the Regional Police Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge, who disclosed these to the GhanaianTimes, in Accra, yesterday, said that a pistol and four rounds of ammunition were retrieved from the deceased.



She stated that the body of the deceased has been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.



DSP Tenge said a suspect, Jessy Osas, 26, believed to be an accomplice, and Godwin Hetor, 26, a receptionist at Guest House, where the deceased and an accomplice were lodging, were also arrested to help the police in investigations.



She said Stephen, an ex-convict and a member of a gang of six armed robbers, involved in robberies at banks and on highways, has been on police surveillance for the past two years.



DSP Tenge said the gang also attacked bullion vans, including the recent bullion van robbery and killing of a policeman at Adansi Nyankomasu, near Adansi Tewobabi, in the Ashanti Region, Manso-meam, Mankesim filling station, Tarkwa- Prestea Highway robbery and Gomoa-Potsin.





In a related development, a suspected robber was shot dead along the Achimota Forest stretch, after he attacking and snatching two mobile phones from two pedestrians and running into the bush.



DSP Tengesaid Wednesday at about 9:00pm, suspect now deceased, armed with knife emerged from the Achimota Forest Reserve and snatched a passerbys mobile phone and ran into the forest.



She said the robber was chased by policemen on duty at the Achimota CP Roundabout, but escaped into the forest.



DSP Tenge said the police laid ambush around the forest, and after a while, the armed robbery emerged from another forest to continue his operations.



She stated that the armed robber at knife point snatched a mobile phone from a woman, who alighted from a passenger vehicle, and again started running into to the forest.



DSP said the policemen chased the armed robber and in attempt to demobilise him and arrest him, he was hit by a bullet.



She said the robber was rushed to the Police Hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival, and the body has been taken to the mortuary at the same hospital.

Source: The Ghanaian Times









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.
The World Conference on Lung Cancer with more than 6,000 participants was held from 28 to 31 January 2021 as a worldwide virtual event hosted by Singapore

Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer death in Singapore and the world.

The World Conference on Lung Cancer, the largest international gathering of clinicians, researchers and scientists in the field of lung cancer - with more than 6,000 participants - was held from 28 January to 31 January 2021 as a worldwide virtual event hosted by Singapore.

A group of Singapore clinicians and scientists presented new data to enhance understanding and treatment of lung cancer in the Asian population at the conference.

SINGAPORE, 1 FEBRUARY 2021 - Clinicians and scientists from Singapore shared exciting new data on lung cancer treatment in the Asian population at the World Conference on Lung Cancer Singapore, last week. Lung cancer develops very differently in Western and Asian populations, which makes understanding the disease from an Asian perspective a research priority for Singapore and the region.

In Asian lung cancer patients, the most common genetic alteration is the EGFR mutation which occurs more commonly in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Over the years there has been an increase in the proportion of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) among all lung cancer cases, making NSCLC the most prevalent form of lung cancer in Singapore (50%). NSCLC is unique as it occurs in patients who are both smokers and non-smokers. An added complication to treating NSCLC is that many lung cancer patients display TKI-drug resistance, or resistance to anti-cancer drugs, making NSCLC very difficult to treat.

These findings are of particular concern in Singapore as lung cancer has been one of the leading cancers in the past fifty years, and was the top cause of cancer death among males and the second leading cause of cancer death among females, with 6,064 deaths in Singapore from 2013 to 2017.

The Lung Cancer Open Fund - Large Collaborative Grant (OF-LCG) Programme, co-headed by co-chair of the Conference, Associate Professor Daniel Tan, Senior Consultant, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), looks at improving the understanding of lung cancer in Asian patients and seeking new treatment pathways to improve survival outcomes. The Lung Cancer OF-LCG Programme, which is supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore and administered by the Singapore Ministry of Health's National Medical Research Council, is led and championed by leading clinicians and scientists from major healthcare and research institutions including NCCS, National University Cancer Institute Singapore (NCIS), National University Hospital Singapore (NUHS), Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI), Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS), as well as the Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN) and the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) .

The Lung Cancer OF-LCG Programme team presented new data at the Conference to show key molecular features of EGFR-mutated TKI-drug resistant patients, share results of trials on a novel combination therapy approach as well as report the natural history of early stage cancer. These abstracts were presented during the scientific oral abstract sessions where top ranking abstracts were featured. The team's research sharing also provide a valuable resource for genomic lung cancer research (See Annex A below for more information).

"Our research is conducted by a multidisciplinary team of clinician-scientists, clinicians, researchers, molecular biologists and computational biologists who used a wide range of approaches to examine lung cancer and how it particularly affects the Asian population. The collaboration and integration of methods demonstrates the Lung Cancer OF-LCG Programme's continued efforts to find new ways to improve treatment outcomes in what can be a challenging disease to treat," said Assoc Prof Tan, senior author of the research presentations, who is also Deputy Head of the Division of Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Sciences, NCCS.

An example of those efforts is the creation of THOR, a multi-omics genomics platform that hosts thousands of lung cancer samples presented at the Conference by Dr Anders Skanderup. Dr Skanderup, a scientist from GIS, who is the Big Data Theme lead on the Lung Cancer OF-LCG Programme and member of the Conference's scientific committee, said, "Our work highlights the importance of integrated databases for use by local clinicians and scientists to facilitate collaborations and make new discoveries, as well as helping advance precision medicine."

Assoc Prof Tan added "This flagship conference also features important plenaries looking at the impact of precision medicine on oncologic care, new targeted and immunotherapies in thoracic malignancies, as well as lung cancer screening in never smokers."

The World Conference on Lung Cancer, is the largest gathering of international scientists, researchers and patient advocates in the field of lung cancer and thoracic oncology and was held from 28 January to 31 January 2021. The conference is a key event in the International Association of the Study of Lung Cancer calendar and this year adapted from an in-person event to a worldwide virtual event, due to COVID-19 restrictions, with the planning and delivery of the summit conducted in Singapore.

For more information on the Conference, visit: https:/ / wclc2020. iaslc. org

About the National Cancer Centre Singapore

National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) provides a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to cancer treatment and patient care. We see close to 65 per cent of the public sector oncology cases, and they are benefiting from the sub-specialisation of our clinical oncologists.

To deliver among the best in cancer treatment and care, our clinicians work closely with our scientists who conduct robust cutting-edge clinical and translational research programmes which are internationally recognised. NCCS strives to be a global leading cancer centre, and shares its expertise and knowledge by offering training to local and overseas medical professionals.

http://www. nccs. com. sg

For more information, please contact:

National Cancer Centre Singapore dharshini.subbiah@nccs.com.sg

ANNEX A

World Conference on Lung Cancer presentation information

Countering drug resistance

Dr Aaron Tan, a Fellow at National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), presented the multi-omics profiling and analysis of TKI resistant patients with EGFR mutant NSCLC. The group profiled tumour and tissue biopsies from 59 advanced patients treated at NCCS to better understand the molecular features of their disease. TKI-resistant patients have limited treatment options so understanding alternative treatment pathways is the main approach to overcoming this challenge. The group was able to show the interplay between genetic alterations, cell lineage plasticity and the tumour environment which leads to the development of the drug resistance. Their research provides a framework for targeting and planning therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance in EGFR mutant NSCLC. For this research, Dr Tan was awarded an Early Career Award at the Conference.

Performing innovative clinical trials to improve response to treatment

Dr Gillianne Lai, Consultant, Division of Medical Oncology, NCCS shared findings from a randomised phase 2 clinical trial. The group investigated the efficacy of treating EGFR-mutated TKI-resistant NSCLC with a combined immune checkpoint therapy using Nivolumab and Ipilumumab. This combined therapy approach is in line with current research to uncover new lines of treatment against EGFR-mutated TKI-resistant NSCLC. As Ipilumumab could potentially enhance cell function, the group hypothesised that the combined therapy would have better outcomes than the conventionally used monotherapy Nivolumab, which has low clinical efficacy for never smokers. Results for the 31 patients who participated in the study did not demonstrate better outcomes for combined immunotherapy with no new toxicity concerns. This study highlights the need for innovative immunotherapy approaches.

Identifying features associated with relapse in early stage lung cancer

Dr Stephanie Saw, Associate Consultant in Division of Medical Oncology, NCCS, shared the long-term outcomes of a resected cohort of EGFR-mutated early-stage lung cancer. A total of 396 patients were included in this study, which showed that despite curative resection and adjuvant chemotherapy, recurrence rates remain high in early-stage EGFR-mutated lung cancer including Stage IA. The patterns of relapse as well as recurrence-free survival rates were comparable to the control arm of the ADAURA study, which showed an impressive disease-free survival benefit with adjuvant Osimertinib. Exploratory analysis using exome and RNA-sequencing revealed molecular features associated with relapse, which could complement clinical features to improve risk stratification for patients. This study highlights the need to develop individualized adjuvant treatment strategies to improve outcomes for early stage EGFR-mutated NSCLC.

A new multi-omics genomics platform with thousands of lung cancer samples

In poster presentations at the Conference, Dr Jacob Alvarez and Dr Anders Skanderup from the Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), who are from the Lung Cancer OF-LCG Programme presented a Multi-Ethnic, Open Access Thoracic Cancer Genomics Resource (THOR) aimed at providing genomics data for lung cancer research. THOR is a flexible and user-friendly multi-omics genomics platform that hosts thousands of processed lung cancer samples from published data, comprising of both Asian and Caucasian samples, and allows for cross-cohort genomics analyses. There is growing evidence that racial and ethnic differences influence incidence, mortality and survival, and this resource will allow meaningful analysis in cohorts across the world to better understand and treat lung cancer.

###


Benchmark indices broke the six day losing streak and gave a thumbs up to the measures announced in the Union Budget 2021 by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. At close, the Sensex was up 2,314.84 points or 5% at 48,600.61, and the Nifty was up 646.60 points or 4.74% at 14,281.20. Here are 10 stocks that moved the most:

Banking stocks rally | Banks rallied the most on February 1 after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government would infuse Rs 20,000 crore into public sector banks (PSBs) in 2021-22, to meet the regulatory norms. The Finance Minister announced the setting up of an entity to address the stressed assets of banks. An organization will be set up through an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC) model, she said in the 2021 Budget Speech. She also proposed to divest two PSU banks and one general insurance company in FY22. IndusInd Bank share price jumped over 15 percent followed by ICICI Bank which added 13 percent and State Bank of India which was up 11 percent. The other gainers included Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank and Punjab National Bank.

Sanitaryware stocks gain | Sanitaryware stock price advanced after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during her Union Budget 2021 speech, announced an allocation of Rs 1,41,678 crore for Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0. The announcement in the Budget was made as part of the government's plan to strengthen preventive health infrastructure. HSIL stock jumped over 10 percent followed by Somany Ceramics which added 4 percent.

Insurance stocks rise | Insurance stocks rallied up to 4 percent after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Union Budget 2021 speech, increased the foreign direct investment limit for the insurance sector to 74 percent. In a proposal to amend the Insurance Act 1938, the government increased foreign direct investment limit for the insurance sector to 74 percent from 49 percent earlier. ICICI Lombard General Insurance stock gained over 4 percent followed by SBI Life Insurance. The New India Assurance Company share price jumped 9 percent, General Insurance Corporation up 4 percent and HDFC Life Insurance Company stock added 3 percent.

Auto stocks rally | Auto stocks rallied on February 1 after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Union Budget 2021 speech proposed voluntary scrappage policy to replace personal vehicles older than 20 years and commercial vehicles older than 15 years. The move is expected to be positive for the auto sector as it would support vehicle sales, especially commercial vehicles in the long-run. Share price of Ashok Leyland jumped over 9 percent followed by Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra. The other gainers included Bosch, Motherson Sumi Systems and Bharat Forge.

NCC | CMP: Rs 68 | The stock price jumped over 15 percent after the company received five new orders totaling to Rs 1,200 crore (exclusive of GST) in the month of January, 202L. Out of these, orders worth Rs 607 crore pertain to Water & Environment Division and order worth Rs 593 crore pertain to Buildings Division.

Kansai Nerolac | CMP: Rs 581 | The share price gained over 5 percent after net profit of the company jumped 74.2 percent at Rs 204 crore against Rs 117 crore (YoY). Revenue was up 19.6 percent at Rs 1,592.5 crore against Rs 1,331.9 crore (YoY). EBITDA was up 53.9 percent at Rs 304.3 crore against Rs 197.7 crore (YoY). EBITDA margin stood at 19.1 percent against 14.8 percent (YoY).

Tata Power Company | CMP: Rs 81 | The stock price gained over 7 percent after the company received the Letter of Intent (LOI) from the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) for the distribution and retail supply of electricity in Odishas five circles of NESCO constituting the areas of Balasore, Bhadrak, Baripada, Jajpur and Keonjhar.

Bharti Airtel | CMP: Rs 580 | The share price advanced over 4 percent after the board of directors of the company scheduled meeting on February 3 to consider routine financing/ re-financing strategies and any consequent raising of capital through various instruments subject to applicable statutory approvals, Bharti Airtel said in a BSE filing.

Shree Cement | CMP: Rs 24,600 | The stock was up 8 percent after the company posted over two-fold jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 631.58 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2020. It had reported a net profit of Rs 311.83 crore in October- December period a year ago, Shree Cements said in a filing to BSE.
Kodal has extensive experience in West Africa, and is also developing the Bougouni lithium project

(LOM:KOD) has updated on progress on its gold assets in Mali and Cote d'Ivoire.

Kodal said it has received a request from Resolute Mining for an additional extension of the joint venture in Cote DIvoire term, as Resolute's expenditure in the joint venture of approximately US$2 million falls short of its commitment under the agreement.

However, after consideration, Kodal has refused the extension request and will now retain 100% ownership of the concessions on expiry of the agreement on February 25, 2021.

The Resolute joint venture covers three concessions, Nielle, Tiebissou and M'Bahiakro, and Kodal will continue exploration on all concessions.

Exploration drilling of over 7,400 metres by Resolute has defined a gold anomaly at the Nielle project extending for over 1,000 metres and open along strike and at depth, which will be the priority for future Kodal drilling in Cote d'Ivoire.

Kodal has received all data for the Nielle project, which includes previously reported drill results with intersections including 26 metres at 1.95 grams per tonne gold, 16 metres at 1.96 grams, and 10 metres at 3.62 grams.

Meanwhile, Kodal has been informed that Riverfort has satisfactorily completed due diligence in connection with the funding agreement and has confirmed its intention to continue with the USD$2.5mln funding arrangement subject to agreement on final terms.
DUBLIN, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Fire Safety Equipment Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Solution (Detection, Suppression); Technology (Active Fire Protection Systems, Passive Fire Protection Systems); Application (Commercial, Industrial, and Residential)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

According to this report the global fire safety equipment market was valued at US$ 10,362.1 million in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 13,562.9 million by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2020 to 2027.



With the developing economy, innovative technologies have been initiated to transform the urban landscape. The World Bank outlines a technology-intensive smart city which would be having interconnected networks and sensing technologies. Most of upcoming cities would be having high-rise buildings as well as dense concentration of buildings, which would make it mandatory to address fire situation to mitigate any loss of property and life. With the help of emerging technologies such as IoT, the effectiveness of fire response can be increased. An IoT-enabled sensing technology with gateways connected to a backbone cloud-based software & apps is an important requirement for smart cities and buildings to enable fire safety. IoT-based systems for fire safety, such as centralized fire monitoring platform, significantly help in enhancing the effectiveness and speed of response.



Advancement of wireless technologies, majorly for IoT enabled sensors, and easy access to internet connectivity and bandwidth is another aspect which would contribute toward the adoption of fire safety. IoT sensors are installed to monitor electrical systems and identify active heat sources on a continuous basis. Once a temperature spike is identified, a notification is sent immediately to take necessary inspections to prevent potential catastrophes. The IoT temperature sensors overcome challenges of old smoke detectors by identifying ignited fires much faster before they emit smoke. Therefore, with increasing conceptualization of smart cities, smart offices, and smart buildings across the world, the scope of integration of IoT-based fire safety system would also expand, thereby influencing the market growth.



Geographically, North America held the largest share of the fire safety equipment market in 2019, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. Further, Asia Pacific is projected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The fire safety equipment market is segmented into solution, technology, and application, and geography. Based on solution, the market is further bifurcated into detection and suppression. The detection segment represented a larger share of the overall market during the forecast period. Based on technology, the market is further segmented into active fire protection systems and passive fire protection systems. In 2019, the passive fire protection systems segment accounted for a substantial share in the global fire safety equipment market. Based on application, the market is segmented into commercial, industrial, and residential. The commercial segment represented the largest share of the overall market during the forecast period.



Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Fire Safety Equipment Market



The COVID-19 virus outbreak has been affecting every business globally since December 2019. The continuous growth in the number of virus-infected patients has governments to put a bar on transportation of humans and goods. The manufacturing and construction industries, academic institutes, shopping complexes, office premises has experienced temporary shutdown in their activities to curb the spread of virus. The factory shutdowns and border lockdowns have impacted manufacturing, supply, and sales of various industries and thus stopping the production of safety products and their adoption in buildings. However, after 6-7 months of lockdown, now the businesses are getting resumed including construction industry. With construction projects getting commenced, the procurement of new fire safety products will rise gradually with ease of supply chain. It is important to note that imposition regarding travel ban and closure of businesses on temporary basis are made to control spread of COVID-19 and therefore, need to consider fire risk assessment is necessary as movement of people was limited.



Bosch Sicherheitssysteme GmbH; Eaton Corporation plc; Gentex Corporation; Halma plc; HOCHIKI Corporation; Honeywell International Inc.; Johnson Controls, Inc.; Napco Security Technologies, Inc.; NITTAN COMPANY, LTD.; and Siemens AG are among the few major companies operating in the fire safety equipment market.



Reasons to Buy:

Save and reduce time carrying out entry-level research by identifying the growth, size, leading players and segments in the global fire safety equipment market

Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies

The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the global fire safety equipment market, thereby allowing players across the value chain to develop effective long-term strategies

Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets

Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it

Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to client products, segmentation, pricing and distribution

Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction

1.1 Study Scope

1.2 Report Guidance

1.3 Market Segmentation



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology

3.1 Coverage

3.2 Secondary Research

3.3 Primary Research



4. Fire Safety Equipment Market Landscape

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 PEST Analysis

4.2.1 North America - PEST Analysis

4.2.2 Europe - PEST Analysis

4.2.3 Asia Pacific - PEST Analysis

4.2.4 Middle East and Africa - PEST Analysis

4.2.5 South America - PEST Analysis

4.3 Ecosystem Analysis

4.4 Expert Opinion



5. Fire Safety Equipment Market - Key Market Dynamics

5.1 Market Driver

5.1.1 Adherence to Strict Fire Codes and Regulations

5.1.2 Growth in Construction Sector

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 High Cost of Installation and Maintenance

5.3 Market Opportunities

5.3.1 Increase in Conceptualization of Smart Cities and Buildings

5.4 Future Trends

5.4.1 Technological Developments in Fire Protection Industry

5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints



6. Fire Safety Equipment Market - Global Analysis

6.1 Fire Safety Equipment Market Global Overview

6.2 Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

6.3 Market Positioning - Global Market Players Ranking



7. Fire Safety Equipment Market Analysis - by Solution

7.1 Overview

7.2 Fire Safety Equipment Market, by Solution (2019 and 2027)

7.3 Detection

7.3.1 Overview

7.3.2 Detection: Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

7.3.2.1 Detectors

7.3.2.1.1 Overview

7.3.2.1.2 Detectors: Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

7.3.2.2 Alarms

7.3.2.2.1 Overview

7.3.2.2.2 Alarms: Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

7.4 Suppression

7.4.1 Overview

7.4.2 Suppression: Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

7.4.2.1 Extinguishers

7.4.2.1.1 Overview

7.4.2.1.2 Extinguishers: Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

7.4.2.2 Sprinklers

7.4.2.2.1 Overview

7.4.2.2.2 Sprinklers: Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)



8. Fire Safety Equipment Market - by Technology

8.1 Overview

8.2 Fire Safety Equipment Market, by Technology (2019 and 2027)

8.3 Active Fire Protection Systems

8.3.1 Overview

8.3.2 Active Fire Protection Systems: Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

8.4 Passive Fire Protection Systems

8.4.1 Overview

8.4.2 Passive Fire Protection Systems: Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)



9. Fire Safety Equipment Market - by Application

9.1 Overview

9.2 Fire Safety Equipment Market, by Application (2019 and 2027)

9.3 Commercial

9.3.1 Overview

9.3.2 Commercial: Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

9.4 Industrial

9.4.1 Overview

9.4.2 Industrial: Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

9.5 Residential

9.5.1 Overview

9.5.2 Residential: Fire Safety Equipment Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)



10. Fire Safety Equipment Market - Geographic Analysis

10.1 Overview

10.2 North America: Fire Safety Equipment Market

10.3 Europe: Fire Safety Equipment Market

10.4 APAC: Fire Safety Equipment Market

10.5 MEA: Fire Safety Equipment Market

10.6 SAM: Fire Safety Equipment Market



11. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic

11.1 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Fire Safety Equipment Market: Regional Analysis

11.1.1 North America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic

11.1.2 Europe: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic

11.1.3 Asia-Pacific: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic

11.1.4 Middle East and Africa: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic

11.1.5 South America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic



12. Industry Landscape

12.1 Overview

12.2 Market Initiative

12.3 New Product Development

12.4 Merger and Acquisition



13. Company Profiles

13.1 Bosch Sicherheitssysteme GmbH

13.1.1 Key Facts

13.1.2 Business Description

13.1.3 Products and Services

13.1.4 Financial Overview

13.1.5 SWOT Analysis

13.1.6 Key Developments

13.2 Eaton Corporation plc

13.2.1 Key Facts

13.2.2 Business Description

13.2.3 Products and Services

13.2.4 Financial Overview

13.2.5 SWOT Analysis

13.2.6 Key Developments

13.3 Gentex Corporation

13.3.1 Key Facts

13.3.2 Business Description

13.3.3 Products and Services

13.3.4 Financial Overview

13.3.5 SWOT Analysis

13.3.6 Key Developments

13.4 Halma plc

13.4.1 Key Facts

13.4.2 Business Description

13.4.3 Products and Services

13.4.4 Financial Overview

13.4.5 SWOT Analysis

13.4.6 Key Developments

13.5 HOCHIKI Corporation

13.5.1 Key Facts

13.5.2 Business Description

13.5.3 Products and Services

13.5.4 Financial Overview

13.5.5 SWOT Analysis

13.5.6 Key Developments

13.6 Honeywell International Inc.

13.6.1 Key Facts

13.6.2 Business Description

13.6.3 Products and Services

13.6.4 Financial Overview

13.6.5 SWOT Analysis

13.6.6 Key Developments

13.7 Johnson Controls, Inc.

13.7.1 Key Facts

13.7.2 Business Description

13.7.3 Products and Services

13.7.4 Financial Overview

13.7.5 SWOT Analysis

13.7.6 Key Developments

13.8 Napco Security Technologies, Inc.

13.8.1 Key Facts

13.8.2 Business Description

13.8.3 Products and Services

13.8.4 Financial Overview

13.8.5 SWOT Analysis

13.8.6 Key Developments

13.9 NITTAN COMPANY, LTD.

13.9.1 Key Facts

13.9.2 Business Description

13.9.3 Products and Services

13.9.4 Financial Overview

13.9.5 SWOT Analysis

13.9.6 Key Developments

13.10 Siemens AG

13.10.1 Key Facts

13.10.2 Business Description

13.10.3 Products and Services

13.10.4 Financial Overview

13.10.5 SWOT Analysis

13.10.6 Key Developments



14. Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/esynuz

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




TEL AVIV - Israel and Kosovo have normalized diplomatic relations with the signature on Monday of a protocol of agreement during a virtual ceremony on zoom.



Kosovo will open its embassy in Jerusalem, the Israeli foreign minister announced.



The ceremony was attended by Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and his counterpart Meliza Haradinaj Stubla, who signed, respectively from Jerusalem and Pristina, a protocol of agreement. The decision to hold a ceremony was taken by both ministries after the cancellation - due to Covid and the current lockdown in Israel - of the planned mission of Kosovo to the country. The signature - also online - was attended by the special US representative for the Western Balkans, Matthew Palmer, "given the involvement of the United States in the institution of relations".



The start of relations with Kosovo - a country with a significant Muslim majority - follows others over the past few months with the countries that signed the Abraham Accords.
Congress

Lawmakers press NSA for answers about Juniper hack from 2015

A group of Democratic lawmakers is calling on the National Security Agency to account for its part in the five-year-old breach of Juniper Networks, following a congressional investigation of the company last year.

"The American people have a right to know why NSA did not act after the Juniper hack to protect the government from the serious threat posed by supply chain hacks. A similar supply chain hack was used in the recent SolarWinds breach, in which several government agencies were compromised with malware snuck into the company's software updates," the lawmakers wrote in a Jan. 28 letter to NSA chief Gen. Paul Nakasone.

The story of Juniper Networks' hack dates back several years. In 2015, the company announced it systems had been breached by hackers who modified code for an encryption algorithm, called Dual_EC_DRGB. The algorithm was made by the NSA and given to the National Institute of Standards and Technology years earlier. Experts outside of government warned that Dual_EC_DRGB contained a backdoor vulnerability, but their warnings were ultimately ignored.

"In essence, the hackers changed the key to the pre-existing backdoor that experts had long warned about in the algorithm -- the backdoor remained, but now under the control of the unknown hackers," lawmakers wrote.

Lawmakers last year sent a letter to Juniper CEO Rami Rahim seeking answers about the hack. The new letter says Juniper confirmed it added support for the algorithm at the "request of a customer" but refused to identify that customer or confirm if it was a government agency.

Juniper also "confirmed that the change to the code made by the hackers in 2012 could be exploited to decrypt customer data. This means that for approximately three years, a sophisticated adversary, possibly a foreign government, likely controlled a backdoor in Juniper's products which could be used to decrypt communications to or from the many U.S. business and government agencies that were using Juniper's products," according to the letter.

The lawmakers want the NSA to provide a previously undisclosed report about "lessons learned" from the Juniper hack, detail what actions NSA took afterwards and acknowledge whether the agency knew about the backdoor when NIST certified the encryption algorithm.

"What statutory legal authority, if any, would permit NSA to introduce vulnerabilities into U.S. government approved algorithms certified by NIST and to keep those vulnerabilities hidden from NIST?" the letter asks.

The letter is signed by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-N.J.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Bill Foster (D-Ill.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) and Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.).

The lawmakers gave NSA until Feb. 26 to respond.
Pope Francis says he is determined to travel to Iraq next month despite coronavirus limitations in what will be the first-ever papal visit to the Middle East country.

Even if social distancing requirements prevent Iraqi Christians from seeing him in person, They will see that the pope is there in their country, Francis told Catholic News Service.

I am the pastor of people who are suffering, he said, adding that he would consider taking a regular commercial flight to Iraq.

The 84-year-old popes trip to Iraq will mark the first time he's traveled abroad since visiting Japan and Thailand in November 2019. Francis, who was forced to cancel his other trips amid the pandemic, will "take into consideration the evolution of the worldwide health emergency upon traveling to Iraq, his office said.

During his March 5-8 trip, Francis is expected to visit the Iraqi capital, Baghdad; the second-largest city, Mosul; and Ur, the southern city named in the Bible as the birthplace of Abraham. He is also scheduled to meet with Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in the southern city of Najaf and will make stops in the Iraqi Kurdish capital, Erbil, and the Christian town of Qaraqosh.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has described Francis trip as a message of peace to Iraq and the whole region.

Following the sectarian violence unleashed after the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, the number of Christians has plummeted from roughly 1.5 million to fewer than 400,000. The shrinking Christian population faces ongoing threats from Sunni militant groups, including the Islamic State (IS), which have vandalized churches and emptied out Christian settlements across the Ninevah Plains.

No modern pope has ever traveled to Iraq. In 1999, preparations were underway for Pope John Paul II to visit as part of a Middle East pilgrimage, but the trip was scrapped after Saddam Husseins government said it couldnt ensure the pontiffs safety. Francis told CNS that he doesnt want Iraqs Christians to be disappointed for the second time.

Since becoming pope in 2013, Francis has made interfaith dialogue and religious freedom a focus. Hes made papal visits to several Muslim-majority countries, including Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

(Natural News) After Donald Trump was elected 45th President of the United States, Democrats spent many months trying to remove him from office. Some Democrats advocated for violence in the streets, assault of Trump supporters, and mob-style tactics toward republican lawmakers. During an April 22, 2018 segment of The View, Whoopi Goldberg even said a riot in DC would be fun to watch.

At the time, co-hosts Meghan McCain and Sonny Hostin were fawning over the Robert Mueller Special Counsel Investigation, a political witch-hunt aimed at removing Trump from office. In all, the 19-lawyer, two-year investigation cost over $25 million taxpayer dollars, leading to approximately 2,800 subpoenas and 500 search warrants. After all the carnage, Trump was exonerated. During the witch-hunt, Democrats like Meghan McCain and Whoopi Goldberg made up lies, saying it would be political suicide if Trump fired Robert Mueller. McCain said that Muellers firing could potentially cause riots in DC. Whoopi Goldberg cheered, advocating for riots in the streets.

The real insurrectionists are people like Whoopi Goldberg and other violent Democrats who cheered on riots throughout the Trump Presidency

Goldberg wasnt the only prominent voice on the political left, advocating for violence. Representative Maxine Waters urged Democrats to accost Trump supporters in public places using mob tactics. If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out, and you create a crowd. And you push back on them, she exclaimed.

MSNBC praised the leftist mob when they assailed the Supreme Court and pounded on the doors during the confirmation hearing of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. MSNBC hosts called the siege an extraordinary moment and applauded the riot as besieging the Supreme Court and confronting senators. Democrats in the House got on MSNBC to encourage the mob to harass republican senators.

The left-wing violence escalated during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, which included pillaging of cities. In one instance, violent protestors started a fire at a historic church and attempted to besiege the White House. Democrats in the House sought to protect their most violent supporters by proposing bills to defund and dismantle law enforcement operations. MSNBC and CNN labeled the violent protests as peaceful  encouraging the arson, looting and political violence to continue.

From Whoopi Goldberg to Kamala Harris  Democrats have incited violence to get their way

One of the biggest cheerleaders of politically motivated violence is our new Vice President, Kamala Harris. During her campaign, she made an appearance on Steven Colbert, warning Americans to beware  that rioters were not gonna stop! She bailed out violent, left-wing insurrectionists in Minnesota and essentially encouraged more looting and vandalism.

When it comes to the matter of election fraud; however, Democrats refuse to look at the evidence and refuse to acknowledge how anti-Trump Democrats unconstitutionally changed election laws, allowing fraudulent votes to pass through as legal. When Trump voters speak up and protest election fraud, Democrats call it a threat to our Democracy, domestic terrorism, or inciting insurrection.

The riot that took place in DC on January 6, 2021 was viewed as domestic terror by MSNBC and the Democrat Party. Whoopi Goldberg, who once encouraged riots in DC, suddenly struck a more serious tone about the riot at the Capitol. She refers to anyone involved in the Trump rally as a domestic terrorist. Democrats now want to re-educate Trump supporters and put their children in re-education camps. Now that Democrats have gotten away with widespread, politically-motivated violence, stolen the election and assumed power in its wake; they have suddenly decided that protests, political activism and rioting should be eradicated. Misfits like Whoopi Goldberg should be called out for her sociopathic double standard and be held accountable for inciting violence throughout the Trump Presidency. Likewise, leaders like Kamala Harris should be impeached for inciting insurrection in 2020 and aiding and abetting criminal acts. Anything less is blatant hypocrisy.

Sources include:

100PercentFedUp.com

USAToday.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
France, as well as other countries of the G7 (Big Seven), are disappointed with the state of the fight against corruption in Ukraine, said French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins.

"I must highlight my disappointment. And it is not only my disappointment, not the disappointment of France, it is the disappointment of G7 countries. I guess you follow our Tweets. It is clear that we are frustrated about the situation, in particular when it comes to the conflict around the Constitutional Court. It is also clear that we consider the ruling of October 27 as a major setback for Ukraines fight against corruption, because some important aspects of the legislation was put in danger, was removed, like the provisions on the criminal responsibility for wrong e-declarations, and the one defining the powers of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption. We are concerned, and for the moment, we do not see enough progress," de Poncins said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

The French Ambassador noted that the reasons for the unsuccessful fight against corruption in Ukraine are the presence of interested circles, the lack of legal instruments to promote reforms and legal expertise.

"I think there are many reasons for that. Probably, there are some strong vested interests and it is difficult to remove the people at stake from power. Also probably, there is a lack of legal tools to push forward the reforms and lack of legal expertise. For example when laws are drafted they are not sufficiently well drafted to support the examination from the Constitutional Court. There is some lack of technicalities and we are ready to provide legal support. Anyway, our conclusion is that currently the situation is not satisfactory," said de Poncins.

When asked who is responsible for the lack of progress in reforms, the ambassador pointed out that these are some players in the judicial system and some oligarchs.

"I do not want to enter into a blame game. But I would say that some players of the judiciary and some oligarchs are the main obstacles for reforms at the moment. It is very difficult to reform a country if you do not have a clean judiciary with you. I do think that president Zelensky is sincerely convinced of the need of reforms and that he is pushing in that direction. But there are some very big obstacles," he said.

The diplomat stressed that to get out of this crisis, Ukraine needs a very strong political will, very strong support from the Verkhovna Rada, support from the international community, in particular the G7 and the EU.

"We will be supportive for example for the selection panel. We are ready to provide international experts to participate in those panels, to select competent and ethically adequate judges, prosecutors. We are ready to bring the technical expertise that I have mentioned before and to bring this support. If we put it all together, - political will from the top, political support from Rada - things could change in the right direction. We need a new push to reinforce efforts, this is clear," said de Poncins.


In Rome lies the Santi Apostoli church, cared for by Franciscan brothers for more than 500 years. For more than 1500 years, this site has held the believed remains of two of the earliest Christians and Jesu apostles: St. Philip and St. James the Younger - relics of the Holy Catholic Church.

In the first few centuries of Christianity, life was difficult for the Christian minority, but gradually towards fourth century Christianity became the dominant religion and after Emperor Theodosius in 380 declared Christianity the state religion, churches were erected all over the Roman Empire.

Shortly after the churches were erected, remains of Christian martyrs were moved from their graves to designated worship churches in the towns. This also applied for the remains of the two apostles, St. Philip and St. James. Such movements of remains were called translations.

A foot, a femur and a tibia

It is unknown who translated the believed remains of St. Philip and St. James and where from, but it is a fact, that they came to glorify the current church of Santi Apostoli in Rome, constructed in their honor. It is also a fact that the remains have been kept in the church since the sixth century.

So, are the relics really the remains of St. James and St. Philip? And what else can we learn from the bones?

The skeletons are today far from complete. Only fragments of a tibia, a femur and a mummified foot remain. The tibia and foot are attributed to St. Philip, the femur to St. James. It appears likely that this has been the case since the sixth century.

Radiocarbon dating

Professor of chemistry and archaeometry, Kaare Lund Rasmussen from University of Southern Denmark has led the scientific investigations of these remains supported by a team consisting of colleagues from University of Groningen in Holland, University of Pisa in Italy, Cranfield Forensic Institute in England, Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology in Italy and the National Museum of Denmark.

The results are published in the scientific journal Heritage Science.

The researchers considered the remains of St. Philip too difficult to de-contaminate and radiocarbon date, and their age thus remains unknown so far. But the femur, believed to belong to St. James, underwent several analyses. Most importantly, it was radiocarbon dated to AD 214-340.

Thus, the preserved relic, the femur, is not that of St. James. It originates from an individual some 160-240 years younger than St. James, explains Professor Kaare Lund Rasmussen, University of Southern Denmark, adding:

- Though the relic is not that of St James, it casts a rare flicker of light on a very early and largely unaccounted for time in the history of early Christianity.

Who that person was, is of course impossible to say.

Searching for martyr corpses

- We consider it very likely, that whoever moved this femur to the Santi Apostoli church, believed it belonged to St. James. They must have taken it from a Christian grave, so it belonged to one of the early Christians, apostle or not, comments Professor Kaare Lund Rasmussen.

The same goes for the believed remains of St. Philip, he adds.

- One can imagine that when the early church authorities were searching for the corpse of the apostle, who had lived hundreds of years earlier, they would look in ancient Christian burial grounds where bodies of holy men might have been put to rest at some earlier time, the researchers write in Heritage Science.

Moving bones - a popular tradition:

The first known movement of a martyr's remains to a church is that of St Babylas in AD 354. His remains were transferred from a cemetery in Antioch to Daphne and placed in a church especially built for the purpose by Governor Caesar Gallus

Immediately after this, translations got popular: the translations of St Timotheus, St Andrew, and St Lukas to Constantinople followed in a year's time

At the same time, sources reflect an increasing popularity and circulation of relics from the second part of the 4th century onwards

Despite the criticism of bishop Athanasius of Alexandria ( 373) and Shenoute ( 465) at the end of the same century and in the following, relics of martyrs and saints began to be moved into the churches

Throughout the Roman empire, bodies or body parts were exhumated, transferred, and reburied in the apse in close vicinity of the altar of many important churches.

###

Read the research paper 'Investigations of the relics and altar materials relating to the apostles St James and St Philip at the Basilica dei Santi XII Apostoli in Rome'
WASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is awarding nearly $2.7 million in federal funding to the Louisiana Workforce Commission for reimbursements following the Commissions emergency response efforts during Hurricane Laura.

Our entire state was impacted by Hurricane Laura. The Louisiana Workforce Commission helped organize the emergency response to assist disaster victims. This funding ensures the Commission is properly compensated for its support during the storm, said Dr. Cassidy.

The Commission will receive $2,686,619.83 from FEMA for implementing force account labor and contract services throughout the duration of the storm. The Commission provided staff to establish the states Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge, and staff also served meals, supplies and commodities to displaced evacuees all across Louisiana.
Wycliffe Discovery Center named in top 5 religious museums in US

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The Wycliffe Discovery Center, which highlights decades of Bible translation work around the world, has been recognized as one of the top five religious museums in the United States by USA Todays 10 Best Readers Choice Awards for 2020.

Were passionate about celebrating cultures, educating people about language groups and highlighting the need to continue this important (of Bible translation) work until all people have access to Scripture in the language they know best, John Chesnut, president and CEO of Wycliffe USA, said in a statement.

The center, which opened in Orlando, Florida, in 2002, came in fifth. The awards were based on the input of a panel of subject-matter experts and a public voting period.

The center regularly hosts youth events to reach students outside normal school hours, and guests can schedule tours led by active missionaries who can offer first-hand insights into the displays, Wycliffe USA said in the statement.

USA Today readers were asked to make their choice based on the stories, collections, and message at 20 U.S. museums, each dedicated to sharing the history, culture, art, and traditions of the worlds diverse religious groups and faith communities. The religious museum category included the countrys best Jewish museums, religious art collections, heritage centers, and other sites, from 14 states and the District of Columbia.

The center tells the story of the Bible from an interesting perspective, its translation and distribution to cultures around the globe. Visitors learn what goes into translating scripture and hear talks from missionaries and linguists involved in the work, USA Today said.

Whether youre 5 or 75 years old, youll enjoy learning about people, languages and cultures all over the world. Youll also come face to face with the staggering number of people who are still waiting for a single word of the Bible in their own language, the center says on its website. Hear amazing stories of how lives are being changed as Gods Word is made accessible to those who still need it, and find out how you can be a part of what God is doing all around the world through Bible translation.

The Ark Encounter biblical theme park with a life-sized Noah's Ark replica, and its sister institution, the Creation Museum, finished No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the awards.

Both attractions have made Northern Kentucky the leading faith-based destination in America, the two winners said in a statement.

We are so grateful to USA Today for considering our internationally recognized attractions in its contest, said Answers in Genesis Ken Ham, who is also the CEO and founder of the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum.

By the way, one could make the argument that USA Today should have included the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in its list. While most people would not consider the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. to be a religious museum, it, too, promotes a worldview: atheism, he added. You see, there are no non-religious positions for such museums. Each has a worldview to proclaim. The Ark and Creation Museum are, of course, religious museums in that they promote a theistic Christian worldview.

The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., came in third in the awards.
GEORGETOWN  As she waited in observation for 15 minutes, just seconds removed from receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in her right arm, Sophia Hansens eyes lit up over her face mask donned with holiday icons.

One mention of her grandchildren, and she couldnt wait to break the news.

Were going to have Christmas in March, at our house, Hansen said.

Hansen, among those 70 and older that are now eligible to receive the vaccine, says that the delayed holiday plans have been in the works for months  a cumulative resolve for her family to be safe before making the trek from Virginia to Murrells Inlet.

The square I took my shot! sticker she wore just below her right shoulder wasnt just a celebration of the moment, it was a badge of honor after nearly a year of doing the right thing.

As hard as it was, especially for our grandsons, I think it was a good thing, said Hansen, who took the vaccine alongside her husband, Al.

They were more worried about us than we were. Everybody is celebrating today.

The Hansens were two of a consistent flow of seniors at the Tidelands Health vaccine site in Georgetown, one of two for the medical outlet, the other located in Murrells Inlet.

As of Thursday, Tidelands had administered 10,000 doses of the vaccine, including 69 percent of the outlets frontline workers, 1,300 mission-critical workers in the community and nearly 6,000 seniors.

But nearly 30,000 seniors remain, with Tidelands relying on current in-house doses to vaccinate the first 8,000 seniors  but the pace after that will be dependent on supply.

Gayle Resetar, Tidelands chief operation officer, says that it can handle doing 4,000 per week, but unknown inventory levels will likely limit how quickly in can make its way through the significant waiting list.

We have plenty of capacity and with the regional sites, we have plenty of people with plenty of infrastructure, Resetar said. We're pretty proud of what we've been able to do and we'd love to keep doing it, but again it's going to be all about the supply.

This includes the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine that is to be doled out in 17 to 23 days.

Due to mandates from Gov. Henry McMaster, Tidelands Health is not keeping that second dose set aside, instead exhausting its entire supply with a promise from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the Governors Office that the second doses will be available when needed.

To combat potential shortages, Tidelands has also committed to stretching its supply as far as it can.

At both vaccine facilities, the drawing from the Pfizer vials has been centralized, a process that utilizes precise measures in order to get 20 percent more doses than expected.

With the community need in the thousands, squeezing every possible drop out of every vial will add up quickly and allow Tidelands to serve more people.

Sign up for our Myrtle Beach weekly update newsletter. Sign up for weekly roundups of our top stories, news and culture from the Myrtle Beach area. This newsletter is hand-curated by a member of our Myrtle Beach news staff. Email

Sign Up!

Theyve even brought nurses out of semi-retirement to aid in the conservation effort.

It all comes down to technique, and we have the best of the best doing it, Resetar said.

At the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, Tidelands Health did see some reimbursement for testing, allowing it to operate at a break-even pace.

That is not the case currently, as beyond the Medicare co-pay that is billed behind the scenes due to government mandate, there has been no discussion of reimbursement for the vaccine process.

With the two vaccine clinics, Tidelands has added 200 temporary workers to support the clinics, from registration experts to vaccine distributors to nurses that observe patients for 15 minutes after the shot being given.

We just want to do right by our community, thats what it comes down to, Resetar said. If we can help people stay out of the hospital, we will do whatever it takes.

Tidelands has committed to weekly updates for all of those that have raised their hand to get the vaccine, as to get through 30,000 patients will take weeks, due to on-hand supply.

Resetar admits that she knows this can be frustrating for a community that has dealt with COVID-19 for nearly a year, calling on for a bit more patience as Tidelands manages a complex administrative process that extends to not only nurses, but also to the technology personnel needed to support the effort.

Be assured, we are going to get to you, Resetar said.

Tidelands isnt alone, either, as Grand Strand Health exhausted its first doses in less than three days this past week, administering 1,100 total vaccines to mostly seniors. Grand Strand had doled out 6,000 vaccines prior to those three days.

And as every medical outlet grapples with vaccine distribution, the intensity of COVID-19 within hospital walls continues to be a problem, particularly in the ICU, where Tidelands Health is still functioning at more than 100 percent capacity.

With mass vaccinations still months away from being a reality, Resetar pointed to ongoing efforts to educate the public on why masking, social distancing and hygiene continue to be paramount to allow the vaccine the opportunity to work.

And, in the absence of a public health mandate from Horry County Council and the state, Resetar believes that it shouldnt take a legislative branch to do what is right.

Every six hours, theres new information out there, including things where we hear that new strains may be more contagious, Resetar said. All the more reason that masking has to go on, just got to double down on that. Weve made it this far. Sure, I would like to get the vaccine out faster, but in the absence of that, we need to double down on the policies and protocols that we know are effective.

And while hospitalizations are atop her mind, Resetar cant help but take a moment to reflect upon the momentous happenings that surround her at the Georgetown vaccine clinic.

Theres a hope to it all, and one that has changed the tone of the conversation for both Resetar and her colleagues.

It's miraculous, really. It's just so exciting that we're on this path, Resetar said. We're gonna have 8,000 older people in our community that are probably not going to get hospitalized now for the public and see their grandkids."

It recharges you. Sure, it's been a long year. But this is the good stuff.
At least 4,000 peaceful protesters were detained in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and other Russian cities on January 31.

Amnesty International has demanded the release of protesters recently detained in Russia.

The organization announced this in a statement related on Sunday, January 31, according to Voice of America's Russian service.

Read alsoNavalny counts on Germany's support at CoE, ECHR  lawyer

"All peaceful protesters detained today in Moscow and other Russian cities must be released immediately and unconditionally, and all instances of unlawful use of force by police promptly and effectively investigated," Amnesty International said. "Today's arrests and violent dispersals were the latest crackdown by Russian authorities on overwhelmingly peaceful protesters demanding the release of Alexei Navalny."

"Russian authorities have arrested so many people in recent weeks that detention centers in Moscow have run out of space, and peaceful protesters are being held in deportation facilities," the organization quoted Natalia Zviagina, Amnesty International's Moscow Office Director, as saying.

"Trying to lock up every critic in the country is a losing game  the Russian authorities should instead recognize how much the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression mean to a growing number of Russians, and allow people to express their opinions without fear of retaliation," she said. "The Kremlin is waging a war on the human rights of people in Russia, stifling protesters' calls for freedom and change. This is a desperate attempt to silence criticism, and it needs to stop."

"All peaceful protesters and activists detained for peacefully participating in protests are prisoners of conscience and must be released immediately and unconditionally. Police must stop using unlawful force and instead uphold their obligation to protect the human rights of Russian people," she added.

On January 31, at least 4,000 peaceful protesters were detained in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and other Russian cities, during brutal dispersals of rallies demanding the release of Alexei Navalny, a popular opposition figure and prisoner of conscience. This takes the number of people detained for protesting in the past week to more than 8,000. The number of detainees put under "administrative arrest" in Moscow during previous wave of protests on January 23 was so high that the detention centers became overcrowded and more than 100 detainees were placed in temporary detention facilities where foreign nationals awaiting deportation are held.

Other related news reports

Reporting by UNIAN
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
[February 01, 2021] BAE Systems to Sustain Air Traffic Control Systems With $65.7 Million Contract From the US Navy

The U.S. Navy selected BAE Systems (News - Alert) for a five-year $65.7 million single-award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for air traffic control (ATC) platform sustainment and engineering services. The company will continue to utilize its engineering, technical, and operational expertise to develop, produce, equip, test, evaluate, sustain, and update key expeditionary ATC aviation systems for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's (NAWCAD) Webster Outlying Field (WOLF). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005095/en/



Under this new contract, BAE Systems will provide sustainment and engineering services for air traffic control (ATC) platforms, similar to the expeditionary ATC radar unit shown here being carried by a U.S. Marine Corps Humvee. (Photo: U.S. Marine Corps)

"With this win, BAE Systems will provide expeditionary forces with the capability to quickly establish an airfield with the radar and communications systems to safely recover and launch aircraft," said Lisa Hand, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems' Integrated Defense Solutions business. "We serve as the automation expert and technical coordinator, responsible for development and improvement of real-time ATC computer systems. Our radar technicians deploy around the world to support the warfighter; their work is resulting in quicker turnover to the end user, improved hardware reliability, and more accurate installation and precision in the field." This new contract continues BAE Systems' more than a decade of supporting critical work on key systems, including the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS); Air Traffic Navigation, Integration, and Coordination System (ATNAVICS); Airfield Mobile Tactical Air Navigation System (AMTAC); and ATNAVICS Data Link System (ADLS). Under the contract, the company will develop and maintain operational software and supporting test beds, field change programs, and supplies for ATC systems. These systems are integral ATC tools that enhance platform flight safety, especially when end users are operating in new or rough terrain airfields with no existing military base. Whether it is upgrading radar, installing software, fixing hardware, or certifying tactical and shore-based ATC systems, BAE Systems' engineering, technical, and sustainment work will ensure airfield systems remain reliable and precise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005095/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]


A logo has been designed for the inaugural parade, which will feature on T-shirts.

A pride parade celebrating the LGBTI+ community and encouraging inclusiveness will be held in Paparoa this Waitangi Day weekend.

The parade will be joined by the Circus Kumarani, a bluegrass band and a choir.

It will leave the Thirsty Tui pub in Paparoa at 5pm on Sunday, February 7, and make its way to the village green, where a picnic will be held.

Organiser Cissy Rock says all are welcome to join the parade and she is encouraging people to dress up and form a walking float.

She says people dont have to be LGBTI+ to walk in the parade.

Allies who want to stand with us play an important role, whether they are parents, siblings, children or friends of rainbow-identifying people, Cissy says.

To her knowledge, it will be the first pride parade held in Northland and may even be the first rural pride parade.

She says people from the rainbow community who grow up in rural areas can feel isolated.

Often they can feel like they have to move to Auckland to find a community. Its important to build a sense of support where they live.

Cissy says similarly, people moving from the city to regional New Zealand can feel uneasy about whether they are able to express themselves.

They might not be certain about holding hands in public. The parade is about saying to people that they can live the rural lifestyle and be queer.

It creates a sense of visibility and reassurance that this is a safe and welcoming community.

Cissy says local businesses have been supportive of the parade and many will be hanging rainbow flags in their windows on the day.

There will be a prop-making workshop on February 24 to make things to wear in the parade.

To join the parade or register for the prop workshop, contact paparoapride@gmail.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.
ROME, FEB 1 - COVID-19 restrictions came down in many parts of Italy on Monday, with most of the country now a yellow zone, meaning the risk of contagion is considered moderate. This week none of Italy's regions are high-risk red zones and only four, Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia and Umbria, are medium-high-risk orange zones, along with the autonomous province of Bolzano. The rest of the country is a yellow zone, meaning all shops can do business and bars and restaurants can serve people until 6pm. In orange zones, shops can stay open but bars and restaurants are only allowed to offer takeaway services. When a region is a red zone all bars, restaurants and non-essential shops must close. A night curfew kicking in at 10pm remains in force throughout the nation. The relaxation of the restrictions has caused concern among some experts though, especially in the light of footage of big crowds of people in the centres of Milan, Rome and Florence on Sunday. "The return to being a yellow area does not mean a return to normality," said Agostino Miozzo, the coordinator of the CTS panel of experts advising the government on its policies to combat the coronavirus. "It is necessary to avoid gatherings of people as there is a real risk of the contagion curve rapidly shooting up towards figures that are difficult to manage". (ANSA).
W&M King commemoration to explore the power of protests

Taking a stand: Martin Luther King Jr. leads the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. Photo - of - Hide Caption

William & Marys annual Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration will focus on not only the renowned civil rights leader, but present-day movements happening in the local area and across the country.

Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: The Power of Protest, Marches and College Students, sponsored by William & Marys Center for Student Diversity, will take place virtually through Zoom at 7 p.m. on Feb. 3.

The event will feature a panel of student, faculty and alumni speakers moderated by CSD Associate Director Shene V. Owens and Alton Coston III '23.

While planning this program, I wanted to tap into how Dr. King's movement was led by college students, said Owens. William & Mary students are adding their voices to present days movements, and that led me to reflect back on the efforts of SNCC (Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee) and the Freedom Riders.

The panelists include: A. Benjamin Spencer, dean and chancellor professor of W&M Law School; Felecia Hayes '21; Jackson Sasser, visiting assistant professor of government; and Justin Reid '09, director of community initiatives at Virginia Humanities.

Im excited to hear the range of perspectives from the panelists, said Owens. They will address the history of student activism, the role of student activists, as well as the legal rights of student activists.
One of the attractive aspects of the Dutch character is an insistence on plain speaking. Even so, it was quite something when, after we voted to leave the EU, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, declared that, as a result, 'England has collapsed politically, monetarily, constitutionally and economically'.

Let's bring things up to date, almost five years on. Rutte has just resigned as PM, after a child welfare fraud scandal. Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch business giant, abandoned its plan to move its HQ from the UK to the Netherlands (a plan Rutte tried to engineer by promising to scrap a dividend tax).

In recent days, there have been riots across Dutch cities: mobs have been burning cars and shops, in the worst unrest for half a century. This is a protest against another round of state-mandated social distancing (or lockdown).

Firefighters extinguish a blaze in Rotterdam on January 25 following riots in the Netherlands

A Covid-19 testing center in flames after being set alight in Urk, Netherlands, on January 23

Protesters clash with police at an anti-lockdown demonstration in Amsterdam on January 24

Humiliated

It is all connected with the abject performance of the European Commission's covid vaccine procurement. In the Netherlands, fewer than 350,000 of its people have had an anti-Covid jab, compared with almost nine million Britons. This is thanks to the UK's decision last July not to take part in the EU's programme but to go solo (a decision denounced at the time by the Liberal Democrats' leader, Ed Davey, as 'a silly Brexit game').

It is only when the great majority of a country's citizenry is vaccinated that 'herd immunity' is reached, enabling life to return to normal. At the rate the Dutch (and indeed other EU nations) are immunising, that could be some years away for them. Those Dutch rioters are young people at the end of that slow-moving queue. Their methods are deplorable but their impatience is understandable.

Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte, declared that, as a result of Brexit, 'England has collapsed politically, monetarily, constitutionally and economically'

Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron, humiliated by the failure of France's pharmaceutical flagship, Sanofi, to develop a successful vaccine (it had been backed heavily by the European Commission's procurement team) has lashed out at the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, describing it as 'unproven and possibly dangerous for the elderly . . . completely ineffective'.

This is not just a dangerous slur, but bizarre. It is this very vaccine which the European Commission feels it has been deprived of its rightful amount: and because of that it petulantly threatened to block shipments of the Pfizer vaccine going to the UK (such non-EU neighbours as Switzerland and Iceland were not included in the proposed ban).

Macron evokes the Jewish joke about the old lady in a restaurant complaining: 'the food here is uneatable, and worse, the portions are too small'.

French President Emmanuel Macron has lashed out at the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine

But it would be a mistake to attribute the remarks of Macron and Rutte to a visceral anti-Britishness: neither is remotely Anglophobe. It is more cynical.

The main domestic political challenge to their hold on power has come from their own 'Eurosceptic' right. For example, Macron's most dangerous rival for the Presidency is the nationalist Marine Le Pen. The two leaders see a successful Brexit, therefore, as a mortal threat to their own authority as they fear it would vindicate the arguments of their domestic opponents. Boris Johnson is not a right-wing populist in the style of Le Pen  and Macron knows this. But it suits him to bracket Johnson  and Brexit  thus.

And what of Germany? It was the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, who pushed her own health minister into handing over all control of vaccine procurement to the notoriously ponderous European Commission, led by her former colleague, Ursula von der Leyen.

In the way to which we have been accustomed, von der Leyen was not elected to the presidency of the Commission, but emerged from a peculiarly opaque form of behind-the-scenes horse-trading. And (to which we have also become accustomed), she had 'failed upwards': her last job as an elected politician had been at the German defence ministry, where one scandal after another turned her into something of a byword for incompetence (though with a very plausible manner).

It was the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, who pushed her own health minister into handing over all control of vaccine procurement to the notoriously ponderous European Commission, led by her former colleague, Ursula von der Leyen (pictured)

Resented

There was a perfectly understandable reason for Merkel's pushing this plan. Germany had become resented within the EU (more so than usual, that is) when, at the time Northern Italy became overwhelmed by the coronavirus, Berlin blocked its own companies from exporting personal protection equipment to its European neighbours.

Not wanting any repeat, Merkel handed over all vaccine negotiations and procurement to Brussels, with the idea that each member state would have equal access, proportionate to population.

Yet the idea that smaller nations could not do such deals by themselves has been exposed as condescending by one country which, if it were counted among European states, would rank 20th by population and in terms of the size of its economy would sit next to the Republic of Ireland. Yes, little, independent Israel has led the world in vaccine purchase and roll-out.

As the scale of the European Commission's ineffectiveness in this matter of life and death has become more evident, the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has furiously broken with EU solidarity, and made orders for the Russian Sputnik vaccine, declaring: 'We will not wait for bungling Eurocrats to dish out doses while Hungarians are dying.'

Doubtless the demagogic Hungarian leader's outburst also owed much to the discovery that Berlin, once it realised how badly the Commission had under-ordered from Pfizer, had later purchased much more of the product  outside the EU scheme.

But the prize for the most contemptible behaviour in this whole episode must go to the health spokesman for the European People's Party, the centre-right grouping in the European parliament. This is Peter Liese, like Ursula von der Leyen a doctor by training, and also, like her, a member of Angela Merkel's CDU.

When the UK's Medical and Healthcare Regulatory Agency gave approval for the use of the Pfizer vaccine at the beginning of December (while the European Medicines Agency was way off the pace), Dr Liese criticised the British regulator: 'I consider this decision to be problematic and recommend that EU member states do not repeat the process in the same way . . . A few weeks [more] of thorough examination by the European Medicines Agency is better than hasty emergency marketing authorisation of a vaccine.'

Struggling

Yet, as the head of AstraZeneca, Pascal Soriot, told a group of European journalists last week, it was because the UK had moved more quickly that our own factories had  even before the vaccine was licensed  ironed out the problems in what is far from a straightforward process.

The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has furiously broken with EU solidarity, and made orders for the Russian Sputnik vaccine, declaring: 'We will not wait for bungling Eurocrats to dish out doses while Hungarians are dying'

European factories are still struggling to get it right, in part because they were months behind on the production learning curve. According to Soriot, this was why his firm was failing to meet the orders it had promised to the EU.

And what was Dr Liese's reaction? He raged: 'The only consequence can be immediately stopping the export of the vaccines . . . the company [AstraZeneca] and the UK had better think twice . . . it's time we begin to show our weapons.'

Just days later, Ursula von der Leyen did precisely as her CDU colleague and co-national asked. Not only that: without even informing the Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, she broke the month-old protocol between the EU and the UK, by declaring, in effect, a vaccine border between the North and South of Ireland.

It was an act of staggering arrogance, born of panic. Within hours, following calls from the Irish and British heads of government, she backtracked humiliatingly.

This whole episode, revealing the unelected European Commission to be not just arrogant but vicious in its self-defence, like a dangerous dog, has done more for the cause of Brexit than anything Boris Johnson could achieve.

I have been struck by the number of longstanding British (and European) critics of Britain's decision to leave the EU who, over the past few days, have changed their minds. Perhaps it is the European Commission, and not our own centuries-old parliamentary system, whose political collapse is in the stars.


Hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis, KKK and members of the

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)" />

A neo-Nazi who robocalled tens of thousands of people in at least eight states now faces a nearly $10 million fine from the Federal Communications Commission.

According to the FCC, Scott D. Rhodes, a Nazi sympathizer based in Montana, fired off more than 34,000 pre-recorded messages bashing Black and Jewish politicians, Latinos, and journalists, and has until mid-February to pay off a $9.9 million fine before the case is referred to the Justice Department.

The communications regulator announced the fine on 14 January, and said Rhodes violated the Truth in Caller ID Act by making it look like the messages were coming from local numbers, a practice called neighbor spoofing.

Not only were the calls unlawful, but the caller took them to new levels of egregiousness, said outgoing FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in a statement. With todays fine, we once again make clear our commitment to aggressively go after those who are unlawfully bombarding the American people with spoofed robocalls.

The hate broadcaster said the FCCs findings were politically motivated gross overreach of FCC authority that represented corruption by minority in-groups.

The calls, which labelled California senator Dianne Feinstein a traitorous Jew and urged Californians to move to North Idaho where very white is very right are not the first time Rhodes has attracted attention for promoting Nazi ideas.

He previously distributed racist propaganda in a high school parking lot in 2017, and harassed local authorities in Virginia with a call that featured a recording of Adolf Hitler.

The Anti-Defamation League, an anti-discrimination group, labeled Rhodes a white supremacist who has used robocalls to exploit current events by disseminating vile, offensive commentary.

Rhodes has also used the robocalls to back Semitic candidates for political office.

In July of 2018, his podcast sent out a call to back congressional candidate John Fitzgerald, an anti-Semite who had warned voters of Jewish supremacism, which said, End the Jewish takeover of America and restore our democracy."

He also blasted a town in Iowa where with an undocumented Mexican immigrant killed a young woman named Mollie Tibbetts. Her father condemned Rhodess calls as everything thats dark and wrong in America right now.
Scott M. Cohen: recognized as a Super Lawyer for his accomplishments in the field of consumer law. "Krohn & Moss is very proud to have two of our own recognized for their tremendous accomplishments helping consumers to rid themselves of their lemon vehicles."  Gregory H. Moss Past News Releases RSS Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Secures...

Scott M. Cohen and John D. Barker of Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center have been selected as Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters for 2021. Only 5% of attorneys receive this distinction. Mr. Cohen has now earned this honor for the seventh year in a row since first being named a Super Lawyer in 2015. Mr. Barker has now been recognized as a Super Lawyer for the fourth year in a row since 2018.

Krohn & Moss is very proud to have two of our own recognized for their tremendous accomplishments helping consumers to rid themselves of their lemon vehicles, says Gregory H. Moss, the managing partner of the law firm.

Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of exceptional attorneys.

The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers Magazines and in leading city and regional magazines and newspapers across the country. Super Lawyers Magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in their practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, go to SuperLawyers.com.

Both Mr. Cohen and Mr. Barker were recognized as Super Lawyers for their accomplishments in the field of consumer law. In particular, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Barker have over 40 years of collective experience handling Lemon Law and other consumer actions in Indiana, Illinois, California, Texas and Missouri.

Since 1995, Krohn & Moss, Ltd. Consumer Law Center has helped over 45,000 consumers nationwide to resolve lemon law, breach of warranty and other consumer actions. To learn more visit http://www.yourlemonlawrights.com.

###

CERRO GORDO COUNTY, Iowa - The Cerro Gordo County Public Health Department said Monday that problems with its vaccination sign-up were a case of supply vs. demand.

The vaccination sign-up was set to start online at 10 a.m. Monday.

Many north Iowans said when they logged on at 10 a.m., the 200 doses that were allotted were already booked.

Brian Hanft, with the health department, said there are 8,000 to 10,000 people age 65 and over.

Hanft apologized for what happened and is urging the public to stay patient.

Cerro Gordo County Public Health said it has the capacity to serve many people but they just have a small amount of vaccine to distribute.

More sign-ups will be made available in the coming weeks and they will notify people via the CodeRed system.
Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Cloudy with rain ending overnight. Low 53F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.


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.

Patna: Three unidentified assailants shot at two persons, including a relative of late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, in Bihar's Saharsa district on Saturday.

Lipi Singh, SP of Saharsa, confirmed the incident. One of the victims was critically injured in the incident and is battling for his life in a private hospital.

The incident occurred at around 11.30 a.m. on Saturday when Raj Kumar Singh, the cousin of Sushant Singh Rajput, and his aide Ali Hasan, were on their way to adjoining Madhepura district.

Raj Kumar owns three showrooms of Yamaha motorbikes in Saharsa, Madhepura and Supaul districts. He used to visit these three showrooms every day to monitor the business.

"When Raj Kumar and Ali Hasan reached at Baijnathpur Chowk near Saharsa college, three unidentified men overtook their vehicles and opened fire at them. We have vital leads of this incident and the accused will be arrested soon," SP Lipi Singh said.

The victims were immediately rescued by passersby and taken to a nearby private hospital for treatment. The condition of Ali Hasan is serious.

"Prima facie its look to be a case of a property dispute between Raj Kumar Singh and the assailants. However, we are not ruling out the extortion angle. We are investigating all angles," an official of Saharsa police said.
DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- TeamSupport was presented with the Silver level Stevie Award in the Customer Service Department of the Year category in the 15th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, the organization announced today.

The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service are the world's top honors for customer service, contact center, business development and sales professionals. The Stevie Awards organizes eight of the world's leading business awards programs, also including the prestigious American Business Awards and International Business Awards.

One Stevie Awards judge for this category commented about TeamSupport, "In the world that is getting more complex by the day, the mission you have embarked onto provide support based on collective knowledge and acumen of the groupis admirable. Great job pulling together the customer success, onboarding, and support teams as one unified face to the customer."

TeamSupport CEO, Pete Khanna, says, "Our purpose at TeamSupport is simple and clear; we help our clients create passionate customer bases. This award is particularly meaningful to all of us here because to achieve that purpose we must have a customer-first culture in everything we do." He goes on, "Thank you to the Stevie Awards organization and judging committee for recognizing our efforts in this area."

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations of all sizes in virtually every industry in 51 nations were considered in this year's competition. Winners will be recognized during a virtual awards ceremony on April 14.

Jorine Jones, client services director at Jackrabbit Technologies and TeamSupport client, recognizes the company by saying, "TeamSupport has enabled our 100% workforce to function as one unified team. The collaboration with its customer service team allows us to be successful in offering the best support for our customers."

"In the toughest working environment in memory for most organizations, 2021 Stevie Award winners still found ways to innovate, grow sales, please their customers, and secure new business," said Stevie Awards president Maggie Gallagher. "We applaud this year's winners for their continued success."

The list of Stevie winners in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

About TeamSupport

TeamSupport is a post-sale award-winning customer support software company built specifically for the unique needs of B2B (business-to-business) technology-enabled companies. TeamSupport stands alone as the leading support solution that helps solve for sophisticated client needs and fuels successful client interactions.

The TeamSupport suite of solutions includes TeamInsights, a customizable reporting and analytics dashboard; and TeamSuccess, the first solution to fully realize the revenue potential of customer success.

Founded in 2009, TeamSupport is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Learn more at TeamSupport.com .

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs, including the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

SOURCE TeamSupport, LLC.

Related Links

http://www.teamsupport.com


Representative image: AP

The healthcare industry welcomed the government''s increased allocation for the healthcare sector and said that the move will provide access to medical care for all in the country, fuel job creation and boost economic momentum.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed Rs 2,23,846 crore budget outlay for health and well-being for 2021-22, compared to Rs 94,452 crore in the current fiscal, registering an increase of 137 per cent.

Sitharaman has also proposed Rs 35,000 crore outlay for COVID-19 vaccines for the next fiscal and announced the rollout of pneumococcal vaccines across the country to help save over 50,000 deaths annually.

"I have provided Rs 35,000 crore for COVID vaccines for 2021-22. I commit to provide further funds if required," the Finance Minister said while presenting the Budget for 2021-22.

Commenting on the budget, Apollo Hospitals Chairman Prathap C Reddy said, the ground-breaking focus on health which will provide access to medical care for all in our country, fuel job creation and boost economic momentum.

India''s efforts in managing the pandemic have been exemplary  the country''s frontline workers and scientists have been working tirelessly to save lives and develop indigenous vaccines.

"Now the allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccines and more if required, makes our glorious nation stand tall as a model for the world," he added.

"We must now look at the next crisis of Non Communicable Diseases, which will be responsible for 80 per cent of deaths and cause a 3.8 trillion USD burden to the country by 2030," Reddy said.

Manipal Hospitals MD and CEO Dilip Jose said, the Finance Minister has accorded special attention to the healthcare sector. "The enhanced allocation, along with the plan to look at healthcare wholistically  including nutrition, sanitation, clean drinking water and pollution control, certainly augurs well for the country, he added.

In a similar vein, Aster DM Healthcare Founder Chairman and MD Azad Moopen said the budget has seen phenomenal increase in outlay for the healthcare sector with focus on addressing the key issues facing India today.

"It is encouraging to see the shift in focus to prioritise preventive care and well-being, over just sick-care" he added.

Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospital Founder & Director Shuchin Bajaj said the health allocation in the first digital Union Budget presented in Parliament after the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed over 150,000 people so far, reflects that the government is serious about the steps needed to reach that level of health preparedness.

The announcement of the new centrally-funded scheme PM Swasthya Yojana with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore, will strengthen and develop primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities even in the last miles of our nation, he added.

"The emphasis on health in the union budget 2021, brings in hope and light after the most challenging period faced by the world, especially the healthcare industry. The most overwhelming addition in the aftermath of the pandemic is the PMs Aatmanirbhar Health Yojana, with an outlay of 64,180 crore over 6 years," PD Hinduja Hospital CEO Gautam Khanna said.

Metropolis Healthcare Promoter & MD Ameera Shah said it is heartening to see a holistic view on health; taking into account, clean water, hygiene and sanitization, vaccination, nutrition, and pollution.

"The launch of PM Aatmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojna and the much-needed push to set up primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare is most welcome and we hope the government partners with private healthcare to hasten this process and strengthen health services across the country," Shah said.

"This year the focus of the world was squarely centred on the healthcare industry. Continuing the trend, the budget highlighted the government''s holistic approach to healthcare with the allocation of 2.23 lakh crore, a 137 percent increase from last year under the Atmanirbhar Swast Bharat Yojana," Sukino Healthcare Founder & CEO Rajinish Menon said.

BCC To Host Fine And Performing Arts Virtual Information Session

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Berkshire Community College (BCC) will host a virtual information session, led by the Admissions team, on Feb. 9 at 6:00 p.m. for prospective students interested in the Fine and Performing Arts programs on campus.

BCC offers associate's degrees in areas of Music, Visual Arts and Theatre, and a certificate in Music Production. From the Robert Boland Theatre, one of the largest performing arts centers in Western Mass, to its arts and music production studios on campus, BCC has been offering a robust fine and performing arts curriculum for its students in the area going back decades  with opportunities to transfer to four-year schools in less student debt.

Interest students can register for the Fine and Performing Arts info-session by heading to www.berkshirecc.edu/openhouse.
Every sink at UT Health San Antonios new cancer hospital will be touchless  no need to turn a handle and risk coming in contact with disease-causing pathogens.

The state-of-the-art specialty hospital isnt scheduled to open its doors in the South Texas Medical Center for another three years, but the coronavirus pandemic already has spurred changes to the facility.

Were hearing nationwide that hospitals are really rethinking their space because of COVID, said Kimberly Stanley, a health care sector leader at EYP, an interior design and technology planning company with 10 U.S. offices, including in Austin, Houston and Dallas.

Stanley said clients want hands-free options for doors, elevators and sinks and will select materials that are durable enough to withstand frequent cleanings. Theyre also looking for more sophisticated air filtration and ventilation systems, some of which contain ultraviolet light to kill germs.

On ExpressNews.com: Health care, bioscience overtake military as San Antonios top money-generating industry

Even before the coronavirus outbreak, hospitals were investing in robots made by San Antonio company Xenex to disinfect surgical suites to kill drug-resistant superbugs such as Candida auris. But now the companys business has grown significantly.

Keep your distance

The coronavirus is spread through close contact, so physical distancing of at least 6 feet is required to reduce the spread of the virus. Thats prompted numerous changes in new buildings, particularly those in the health care industry.

Theyre not just looking at cleanability and durability of materials but also the demise of the waiting room as we know it, because you just dont want a lot of people sitting together, Stanley said.

Health care providers with conjoined rows of seats in their waiting rooms have had to place yellow police tape or signs blocking off alternate seats and warning patients to spread out.

Workplace expert Leigh Stringer has been hosting a monthly meeting with leaders from medical institutions across the country to discuss challenges thrust on employers since the pandemic started.

The open office isnt likely to go away, but companies are finding that some employees can safely and cost-effectively work from home. Stringer said this change will likely boost staff recruiting and retention especially in an industry where nearly 80 percent of the workforce is female.

With employees working from home, some hospitals use now-vacant call centers to store extra supplies and chairs that have been removed to encourage social distancing.

Many providers learned that not all patients need to come into the physical office for medical care, and when their lease is up, they may opt for smaller spaces to account for fewer in-person visits.

While the concept of telehealth has been around for decades, it wasnt until the pandemic that the modality surged. A major change that prompted that move was that health insurance companies started reimbursing medical providers for doctor visits via video at the same rates as face-to-face visits.

Dr. Sergio Viroslav, an orthopedic surgeon and managing partner of TSAOG Orthopaedics, said offering telemedicine to patients is a way to keep them safe during the pandemic.

In April, telemedicine appointments nearly tripled at TSAOG, which has seven outpatient clinics throughout the San Antonio area and two ambulatory surgery centers.

Online visits have since slowed but are still higher than they were a year ago.

Viroslav says the physician-owned practice couldnt have anticipated the pandemic but had started to invest in technology and infrastructure that would accommodate a growing, older patient population.

On ExpressNews.com: FetchMD catches telemedicine wave after coronavirus led it to shift away from house calls

In 2019, TSAOG broke ground on a 100,000-square-foot surgical facility called Ridgewood Orthopaedic Center just outside Loop 1604 on U.S. 281.

The design of the surgery center was meant for efficiency, Viroslav said, adding that the building will encourage smooth patient flow. You enter one way and exit another. No one has to backtrack.

Newer buildings like the new Orthopaedic Center will be light-years ahead of older health care facilities, and many office have easily installed sneeze guards or clear plastic barriers between receptionist and patient.

But some older buildings are harder to convert and theyre struggling to adapt to pandemic-era demands.

The devil is in the details, Stringer said. I think what providers are wrestling with is whats going to stick.

In San Antonio, a primary care office in a shopping center is asking its lab patients to call ahead, then directs them to go to the back of the building and enter through the alley.

More changes

When it comes to the medical buildings of the future, health care providers will need to have flexible spaces.

A surge of infected patients forced hospitals to convert underutilized patient wings into extra ER and intensive care beds. Tents outside served as triage areas. Harder-hit facilities even turned cafeterias into patient treatment units.

We need to be able to respond to these type of situations so you can swing a patient room into an isolation room by having negative pressure to exhaust the room, said Charles Griffin, a senior principal with EYP who is consulting on UT Health San Antonios future cancer hospital.

Griffin said theres been a lot of conversation recently about making changes in federal regulations and building codes in health care design to accommodate public health emergencies.

Health care providers may also look for branded wayfinding signs and mobile apps that make it easier for consumers who are already in a stressful situation.

Patients want to come into a health care building and not feel like the administrators are handling COVID-19 with a makeshift solution, Stanley said.

You want to walk in and feel like, Oh, theyve got it under control.

laura.garcia@express-news.net
A Texas-based charter school group is readying to open its fourth school in Louisiana and third in Baton Rouge this fall on 15 acres of vacant land just south of the Baton Rouge Metro Airport.

The $17 million facility, which is under construction, will be known as IDEA University Prep. The name a nod to Baton Rouge University Prep, or UP Elementary, a school IDEA took over last summer. The newly constructed facility at 7701 Plank Road will absorb UP Elementary and continue on into the upper grades.

The new school is open for new students to register through Feb. 15. Its one of three new charter schools opening in north Baton Rouge this fall.

Charter schools are public schools run privately via charters, or contracts.

IDEA, which is headquartered in Weslaco, Texas, is already the biggest brick-and-mortar charter school operator in Baton Rouge. Its two schools here, IDEA Bridge and IDEA Innovation, which both opened in 2018, have about 1,800 students between them.

Like the new school, IDEA Bridge grew out of the takeover of an existing charter school, Baton Rouge Bridge Academy. That school, like UP Elementary, was founded by local educators who were part of the Boston-based charter incubation program, Building Excellent Schools.

UP Elementary is located next door to the new school site, operating for the past three years out of temporary facilities at 7802 Howell Boulevard. It had plans to build a 40,000 square-foot facility at that location, big enough to house 600 students, but the new facility never got off the ground.

UP, which opened in 2014 with just kindergartners, struggled as those children reached third and fourth grade and took the states LEAP tests. It earned an F letter grade for the 2018-19 school year  standardized testing was waived last school year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ken Campbell, executive director of IDEA Public Schools Louisiana, complimented the work of UP Elementary and its staff, but said its hard to make it when you are running just one school.

They needed to be part of a larger organization to do really well, Campbell said.

UP Elementarys 300-plus students will remain part of the new school. Its 50-plus fifth-graders can continue onto the new sixth grade, rather than having to transfer to another school for middle school. If they stay long enough, they can be part of IDEA University Preps Class of 2028 graduating class.

UP Elementarys principal, Brytanni Blanchard, is staying on as principal for elementary grades at the new school. Meanwhile, Crystal Forte, a Houston educator who has worked at both of the other Baton Rouge IDEA schools, is coming on board as principal for the new middle school program, which will be called College Prep.

IDEA Public Schools buys current building, land for new school Texas-based IDEA Public Schools has purchased one of its existing school buildings for $16.5 million and bought a 31.6-acre tract of land near

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

While the new 75,000 square-foot, two-story facility can house 1,000-plus students, IDEA University Prep is aiming for about 450 students next year, with more students enrolling over time, Campbell said.

Like the two other IDEA schools in town, the new one was designed by the Grace Hebert Curtis architectural firm of Baton Rouge. The general contractor is Buquet & LeBlanc of Baton Rouge.

Before it purchased the land along Plank, IDEA had been looking at a site two miles west of the former Banks Elementary for an estimated $2 million.

But the East Baton Rouge Parish school system was slow to move on the proposal, in part due to concerns that Scotlandville and nearby areas already have a number of schools in operation.

And more are coming. For instance, Helix Aviation Academy, a new charter school, is set to open this fall just north of the Metro Airport, just two miles away.

Campbell said IDEA finally ended up moving on.

They never said no, Campbell said. It seemed like their process was slow, month after month.

A charter group wants to buy an old Scotlandville school; board members aren't so sure IDEA Public Schools wants to buy a former elementary school in Scotlandville to use as the home for its third school in the Capital City, but 

He said hes happy with the decision to locate on Plank Road.

In a lot of ways, it works better, he said. Its better visibility."

IDEAs charter with the parish school system allows it open a fourth campus in Baton Rouge, but Campbell said there are no current plans to do so.

Weve bitten off a lot already, he said.

If and when the time comes for a fourth campus, Campbell said hes inclined to do something a little different and unique than the normal IDEA school.
The Nature Conservancy in Pennsylvania has transferred 373 acres of land in Canadensis to the Bureau of Forestry in the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

With 2 previous transfers, the latest move increases the land protected since 2017 by TNC and the bureau as new state forest lands in the Pocono Mountains to 1,068 acres.

The newly transferred plot of land contains a pristine, exceptional value streamStony Runthat flows into Brodhead Creek and eventually the Delaware River. Stony Run, designated as an exceptional value stream by the state and is home to native trout and other important species.

These forested acres of the addition protect water quality both in Stony Run and further downstream. The land will also provide the bureau and firefighters with additional access points to better control wildfires that occur in the state forest.

Local forestry staff will work to improve access to the site over the next year.

The previous land transfers were located near the Bureau of Forestrys Snow Hill and Thunder Swamp areas in the Delaware State Forest and can be accessed through public parking or existing trails.

The Bureau of Forestry provided funds for all three projects, as did the Open Space Institute through its Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund, made possible with funding from the William Penn Foundation. OSI also provided funds for the property near Thunder Swamp through its Resilient Landscapes Initiative, made possible through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. DCNR provided funding for the Stony Run and Thunder Swamp properties.

TNC is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, the organization creates innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our worlds toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together.
Burmas State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi (L) welcomes then-British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (R) in Naypyidaw, Burma, on Jan. 20, 2017. (Soe Zeya Tun/AFP via Getty Images)

UK Condemns Burma Coup, Demands Aung San Suu Kyis Release

The UK on Monday condemned the military coup in Burma and demanded the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian leaders.

Burmas State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, the nations top leader, and the countrys president, Win Myint, were both detained in pre-dawn raids on Monday, Suu Kyis ruling National League for Democracy party said.

The Burmese military said it has taken control of the country for one year.

In response, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: I condemn the coup and unlawful imprisonment of civilians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, in Myanmar. The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released.

The democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar must be respected, and the National Assembly peacefully re-convened, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab added.

The UK condemns the state of emergency imposed in Myanmar & the unlawful detention of figures in the Civilian Government and civil society by the military. The democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar must be respected, and the National Assembly peacefully re-convened.  Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) February 1, 2021

A spokesperson for the UK government urged the Burmese junta to respect the rule of law and human rights, and release those unlawfully detained.

We need to see the peaceful reconvening of the National Assembly, respecting the results of the November 2020 general election and the expressed wishes of the people of Myanmar, the spokesperson said in a statement.

Anna Roberts, executive director of the Burma Campaign UK, said the Burmese junta must not be allowed to get away with this coup.

Every tool available needs to be deployed to pressure the military, she said. The British government must now move quickly to sanction military companies, join the genocide case at the International Court of Justice, and build a coalition of countries willing to impose arms embargoes.

Burma, also known as Myanmar, was a British colony before gaining independence in 1948 in the aftermath of World War Two.

The country was ruled by a military junta from 1962 to 2011. Suu Kyi, as a veteran opposition leader, was placed under house arrest for many years after the military refused to hand over power following the 1988 elections.

Under international pressure, the junta allowed a process of gradual democratisation to begin in 2010, leading to free elections in 2015 in which Suu Kyis party won by a landslide.

She took office in 2016, but failed to resolve the tensions that remained between the government and military.
We would like you to meet Emma Gamble 20, an MPAc alum from Eagle River, Alaska, who is now a Tax Asociate for BDO in Anchorage, Alaska.

Deciding to go to graduate school and enrolling in the MPAc program was one of the best decisions she made while at MSU. The transition from being in the undergrad accounting option to being in MPAc is seamless. The program builds off the content taught in undergrad to give an in-depth understanding of complex accounting issues and business formations.



During her year in MPAc, she was able to pass all four CPA exams with the help of Dr. Marc Giullians planning guidance, and the MPAc courses. Emma strongly encourages students to think about taking the exams during the MPAc program instead of waiting until theyre in the workforce.



Another benefit of the MPAc program is that concepts taught in it are ones that she see daily. She is thankful that she had the extra understanding of these complex concepts before entering the workforce.



Two ways to get involved while in MPAc are through our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program ( VITA) and being a GTA. Emma participated in both opportunities and each one was rewarding in its own way. These programs help students connect with others within the program, as well as undergraduates and people from the community. These are also ways to reinforce concepts learned during undergrad.



Advice I have for students is to get to know the faculty and staff within Jabs! Some of my favorite experiences at MSU were provided to me because of the networking I had done within the college. Another piece of advice I have for specifically for accounting students: make friends with others in the program early!! MPAc is much more fun when the group is united and all friends with one-another.

BANGKOK  Myanmars military launched a coup on Monday, detaining the countrys civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and her top lieutenants in early morning raids and seizing power from a government established only five years ago.

Officials from the National League for Democracy, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyis party, confirmed the detentions on Monday morning. Hours later, with politicians and activists alike racing to find out who had been detained, a military television network announced a one-year state of emergency with ultimate authority transferred to the army chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.

State television broadcast a statement from the military later on Monday that said extreme steps were necessary because of what it labeled voter fraud in elections last November. Those polls had confirmed the National League for Democracys dominance over the militarys proxy party. In its statement, the military said that it will oversee free and fair multiparty elections after the end of the state of emergency.

Mobile networks and the internet were intermittently down in major cities, and some local journalists went into hiding for fear that their reporting could compromise their safety. Domestic flights were suspended, and the main international airport in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, had been shuttered, according to residents.

BANGKOK  A 16-year-old boy is facing possible jail time for parading down a makeshift catwalk in a crop top that evoked Thailands king. An actress stands accused of breaking the law by cheering on and delivering spicy takeout to hungry members of the countrys protest movement.

And another offender has been informed that selling a calendar decorated with a rubber duck could earn him 15 years in prison.

Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Thailands student-organized protests last year to demand reforms to the government and monarchy. But the democracy movement, armed with little more than duck-shaped pool floats to use as shields against water cannons, is now battling a serious threat to its mission: a raft of criminal prosecutions in recent weeks that could end with rally leaders and ordinary protesters alike locked up for decades.

After allowing the street rallies to continue largely unimpeded for months, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha of Thailand appears to have lost patience, threatening to use all laws and all articles against the dissenters. Since November dozens of protesters have been accused of breaching a feared lese-majeste law that punishes those who insult senior members of the royal family with jail time, according to the group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. Use of the law had been suspended for nearly three years, and the reintroduction of its sweeping dragnet has earned Thailand the condemnation of the United Nations human rights agency.
At first glance, the results reported Friday from the long-awaited trial of Johnson & Johnsons coronavirus vaccine might have seemed disappointing. Its overall efficacy  the ability to prevent moderate and severe disease  was reported at 72% in the United States, 66% in Latin American countries and 57% in South Africa.

Those figures appear far below the high bar set by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, the first two vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States, which reported overall efficacy from 94% to 95%.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations leading infectious disease expert and now the lead medical adviser to President Joe Biden on the coronavirus pandemic, acknowledged the striking difference at a briefing Friday.

If you woke up and you say, Well, go to the door on the left and you get 94 or 95%, go to the door on the right and you get 72%, which door do you want to go to? he asked.

But Fauci said that the more crucial measure was the ability to prevent severe disease, which translates to keeping people out of the hospital and preventing deaths. And that result, for Johnson & Johnson, was 85% in all of the countries where it was tested, including South Africa, where a rapidly spreading variant of the virus had shown some ability to elude vaccines.

More important than preventing some aches and a sore throat, Fauci said, is to fend off severe disease, especially in people with underlying conditions and in older adults, who are more likely to become seriously ill and to die from COVID-19.

If you can prevent severe disease in a high percentage of individuals, that will alleviate so much of the stress in human suffering and death in this epidemic that were seeing, particularly now, Fauci said. As we well know, over the last several weeks, our health care system has been stressed by the number of people that require hospitalization, as well as intensive care.

Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, compared the ability to prevent severe disease to the effects of flu shots, which do not always prevent influenza entirely but can make it less severe.

The same thing seems to be applying here, in a circumstance where this variant is clearly making it a little tougher to get the most vigorous response that you would want to have, Collins said. But still, for severe disease, its looking really good.

The Moderna vaccine also showed high efficacy, 100%, against severe disease. The Pfizer-BioNTech one appeared to as well, but the overall number of severe cases in the study was too small to be sure.

But researchers warn that trying to compare effectiveness between new studies and earlier ones may be misleading, because the virus is evolving quickly and to some extent the trials have studied different pathogens.

You have to recognize that Pfizer and Moderna had an advantage, Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, said. They did their clinical trials before the variant strains became very apparent. Johnson & Johnson was testing its vaccine not only against the standard strain but they had the variants.

The best way to stop the spread of mutants and to prevent more new ones from emerging is to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible, Fauci and other researchers say. Viruses cannot mutate unless they are replicating, and they cannot replicate unless they can get into cells. Keeping them out by immunizing people can shut down the process.

In addition to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines already in use in the United States, three more may soon become available: those made by Novavax, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. AstraZenecas vaccine has already been authorized in Britain and other countries.

Globally, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is expected to play an important role, especially in low- and middle-income countries, because it works after just one shot, is relatively inexpensive, and is easier to store and distribute than the vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna because it does not share their stringent requirements for freezing and refrigerating.

People waiting to be vaccinated may wonder if they will be able to pick and choose among vaccines, and if they should hold out and wait until the one that looks best to them becomes available.

Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, told CNN that if there was an abundant supply of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, they would be his first choices because of their higher overall efficacy.

But for now, there is not enough of those vaccines.

If he could not get either the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine or the Moderna one, he would take the Johnson & Johnson shot, Offit said  as long as the data that the company will be presenting to the Food and Drug Administration looks as good as what the company reported Friday.

He said Johnson & Johnsons report of the reduction in severe disease was a powerful selling point. Thats what you want, Offit said. You want to stay out of the hospital and stay out of the morgue.

Deepika Padukone is one celeb who never disappoints her fans when it comes to treating them with some lovely social media posts. Deepika often shares some fun glimpses of her personal and professional life with her fans. The actor recently welcomed the month of February by sharing a beautiful picture of herself on social media.

The picture has Deepika Padukone sporting pastel coloured embellished traditional attire. The Piku actor further paired up the look with matching earrings, hair tied to a neat bun and a radiant makeup. However, it is her million-dollar smile which is nothing less than a visual delight in the picture. The actor captioned the same stating, 'February' with a star emoji. Take a look at the post.

Meanwhile, Deepika Padukone has quite a line of interesting projects piled up on her kitty. She will be seen in Shakun Batra's next opposite Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Panday. The actor will also be seen in the films, Fighter and Pathan opposite Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan respectively.

Also Read: Deepika Padukone Signs With Ian Somerhalder, Lana Conder And John Cena's Talent Agency ICM Partners

Also Read: Deepika Padukone Remembering Her Favourite Childhood Show Is Nostalgia Personified
(Natural News) The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that pregnant women should not get Modernas Wuhan coronavirus vaccine. It issued the warning because of insufficient data proving that it was safe for pregnant women. The global health bodys pronouncement applied to more than three million expectant mothers in the U.S., who are at a higher risk of suffering from severe COVID-19.

In a Jan. 26 statement, the WHO said it did not recommend giving the Moderna mRNA shot to pregnant women. While pregnancy puts women at a higher risk of severe COVID-19, the use of this vaccine in pregnant woman is currently not recommended, the statement said. Frontline healthcare workers and those with underlying conditions are among the pregnant women at high risk for the disease.

WHO Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals Director Kate OBrien stressed the need for clinical trials on pregnant women using the Moderna vaccine. There is no reason to think there could be a problem in pregnancy. We are just acknowledging the data is not there at the moment, she said during a Jan. 26 virtual press briefing.

A number of medical professionals have opposed the exclusion of pregnant women from vaccination. They argue that patients themselves should decide whether they want to avail of the jab or not. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) is among these parties against the exclusion of pregnant women from vaccination trials and guidance.

ACOG said in a statement that pregnant women should have the final say on taking the jab and be informed of any risks. Pregnant individuals are more likely to have certain manifestations of severe illness associated with COVID-19 infection. Further, upwards of half of pregnant individuals also fall into another high-priority category  including frontline workers and those with underlying conditions, it said.

The statement added that ACOG continues to urge that for pregnant individuals, the decision to vaccinate must be left to each patient in [consultation] with their trusted clinician.

Similar guidance has been issued for the Pfizer/BioNTech Wuhan coronavirus vaccine

Excluding pregnant women in vaccine trials is not an uncommon practice. However, doctors have expressed concerns about pregnant women being unable to receive the vaccine. Millions of pregnant or breastfeeding women are members of the workforce.

According to an October 2020 report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), female workers comprise 75 percent of the healthcare workforce. About 330,000 healthcare workers could be pregnant or recently postpartum at [the] time of vaccine implementation, it added. Furthermore, the report stated that pregnant COVID-19 patients are twice as likely to be admitted to intensive care units and thrice more likely to require a ventilator than non-pregnant patients.

U.K. Royal College of Midwives Director for Scotland Dr. Mary Ross Davie said: There is not enough evidence to recommend vaccinating pregnant women against COVID-19. There is no evidence of harm, but there is also no current evidence of safety as pregnant women were excluded from all of the vaccination trials.

A similar guidance had been issued with the earlier Pfizer/BioNTech Wuhan coronavirus vaccine. LifeSiteNews reported in early December 2020 that the British government warned against pregnant or breastfeeding women getting the BNT162b2 jab. According to U.K. authorities, the vaccines effects on fertility are still unknown. (Related: Modernas and Pfizers vaccines share the same problem: Theyre unsafe for people with allergies.)

The U.K. issued the warning in a 10-page guide outlining the vaccines proper storage, dilution and administration. Section 4.6 of the guide dealt with fertility, pregnancy and lactation. It said: COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 is not recommended during pregnancy  [and] should not be used during breast-feeding. The document also warned women of child-bearing age that pregnancy should be excluded before vaccination and that they should avoid pregnancy for at least two months after their second dose. (Related: Pfizer coronavirus vaccine warning: No breastfeeding or getting pregnant after being immunized it might damage the child.)

Head over to VaccineDamage.news to find more about the risks pregnant women face with COVID-19 vaccines.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

WHO.int

ACOG.org

CDC.gov [PDF]

LifeSiteNews.com

Assets.Publishing.Service.gov.uk [PDF]
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"




Haiti - Politic : Senator Lambert launches The great national dialogue





After two weeks of preparatory meetings with the various vital sectors of national life and certain international partners, the President of the Upper House, Senator Joseph Lambert launches "The great national dialogue".



Under the auspices of the Senate, two days of discussion will be held in Taras La Sapiniere (February 3 and 4, 2021), between the protagonists of the current political crisis.



After the observations of civil society, the authorities and the opposition will express in turn their position on the state of the Constitution, the need for a return to constitutional order through elections and the mechanisms to be implemented for a better governance in a peaceful political climate.



At the end of the discussions, a global agreement will be signed in an attempt to "curb the impending chaos and stabilize the country" specifies a note from the Senate Office.



Senator Lambert "Convinced of the ability of actors in national life to find an agreement on their disagreements for the good of present and future generations, invites all Haitians to go beyond themselves to save Haiti, the only common good that our ancestors have bequeathed us."



HL/ HaitiLibre



















PHILADELPHIA  Philadelphia Deputy Health Commissioner Caroline Johnson has resigned after records obtained by The Inquirer show she gave an advantage in a city bidding process to Andrei Doroshin, Philly Fighting COVIDs young CEO who until this week the city entrusted to run its largest vaccination site.

Johnson sent a similar message of advice to the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, which was provided to The Inquirer by Health Department spokesperson James Garrow.

In late December, emails obtained by The Inquirer show Johnson messaged Doroshin about the citys requests for proposals to administer vaccines. Although the RFPs had been publicly posted, officials are not permitted to selectively encourage people to apply. The Health Department was unaware of this email until questions from The Inquirer.

These communications were made after the RFP was publicly posted. However, these actions were inappropriate because the information shared was not available to all potential applicants, Garrow wrote in a statement Saturday. While these actions may have been intended to help advance the Citys vaccine distribution effort, the Health Commissioner has accepted her resignation in the best interest of the city.

When Johnson emailed Doroshin, she gave him advice on his application, telling him to start conservatively with a $500,000 bid. This is being funded by the City initially. We are hoping that significantly more funds can be awarded if Congress ever passes the COVID relief bill, she wrote. It is fine to include costs for your planning activities and the proposed Jan 8-9 event.

Philly Fighting COVIDs application ended up being one of nine submitted to the city as of Friday for a contract to administer vaccinations. But, Garrow said, officials havent reviewed applications yet because they have not secured funding. The city did not provide funds for the Philly Fighting COVID Convention Center mass vaccination site.

Providing a dollar amount to some but not all applicants would present an unfair advantage to those applicants and violate our best practices, Garrow said in a statement.

The incident has been referred to the City of Philadelphia Inspector General.

The resignation of one of the citys top public health officials comes after the citys Department of Public Health abruptly ended its partnership with Philly Fighting COVID Jan. 25. The organization had failed to disclose that residents personal information could be sold, and that it presented itself as a nonprofit even after establishing a for-profit arm, called Vax Populi.

Farley told The Inquirer Friday it had been a mistake to work with Philly Fighting COVID, which is run by a self-described group of college kids.

I terminated the arrangement when I saw the information that they at least had the legal ability to sell or otherwise share information for people on their website, Farley said in an interview Friday. Now, weve heard many other things that make me very concerned that this is simply a very unprofessional operation ... in retrospect, we shouldnt have gone into relationship with them in the first place.

Philly Fighting COVIDs mass vaccination site opened on Jan. 8 and Johnson attended the launch along with Mayor Jim Kenney and Council members Cindy Bass and Bobby Henon, the chair and vice chair of the public health and human services committee.

The Health Department did not make Johnson available for an interview this week.

Doroshin called a news conference in the lobby of his Fishtown apartment complex Friday to defend his work. During it, he said Johnson should replace Farley as health commissioner.

If Philadelphia wants to fight this virus, it needs to do a few things first. First, it needs to put Dr. Caroline Johnson in charge of the Health Department. Shes an incredible woman. Shes passionate, shes compassionate, and shes fearless, Doroshin said. Weve worked very closely with her over the last six months in building this mass vaccine model that has worked.

Johnson was appointed deputy health commissioner in July 2015, after more than a decade as the disease control division director for the department. She has also worked at the Medical College of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia VA Medical Center as an infectious disease physician and researcher, according to the citys website.

On the day the city would later sever ties with Philly Fighting COVID, Doroshin emailed an update to Johnson about the mass vaccination site.

Dear Dr. J, Doroshin wrote to Johnson on Jan. 25, We were 75 doses shy of our goal of 1900 and no doses went to waste. He did not mention removing doses from the site over the weekend  an action he first denied before admitting it on national television this week.

Less than three hours later, Johnson informed Doroshin that the Health Department severed its relationship with the group.

I know this is an abrupt and one-sided decision, but it was made at the highest levels of government in response to allegations that were identified, she wrote.

___

Ellie Silverman of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote this story.

(c)2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Bridget OConnor was the sixth of nineteen laundry women to be buried in a communal grave at Ardmore Cemetery.

More importantly, she was a mother to four children.

But because she was not married those children were taken away from her.

As penance she worked slavishly in Derrys Good Shepherd Home and Laundry for the next 25 years, according to her son Robert.

He sought answers in the 1970s but the nuns who brought him up dismissed those approaches telling him you dont need to know anything.

As a young boy those same nuns branded his mother a mortal sinner while ordering him to clean toilets at St Josephs Home  better known as Termonbacca.

He learned nothing more of her whereabouts.

Out of the blue, Mr OConnor received a phone call in October 1981 informing him that Bridget had died.

A short time later he located a communal grave at Ardmore but his mothers name did not appear on the headstone.

FALSE NAME

After 25 years of service in the convent, the Catholic Church had organised her burial but somehow the wrong surname, Conway, was etched on the gravestone.

This week, at Ardmore Cemetery with an umbrella in hand to shield him from the elements, Mr OConnor walks to Bridgets graveside.

My mother was buried under a false name so it makes me wonder are any of these names correct? he ponders, or has the Catholic Church intentionally been putting the wrong names on these headstones so that family members cant find these women?

When asked to correct the error the Catholic diocese refused saying it would be too expensive.

Holding letters from the Church, he adds: I found them very defensive, they didnt want to know really.

They failed my mother in death as they failed her in life.

After legal proceedings were initiated the Church decided to act.

He points to the gravestone (below) where the wrong name was crudely removed.

The correct name was then added to the bottom of an adjacent headstone, upsetting the chronology of the womens deaths in the process.

However, confusion remains over the spelling of her first name. On the headstone it is Brigid but in correspondence from the Good Shepherd Sisters it was spelled Bridget.

It demonstrates how little information the family were given but Mr OConnor believes the accurate spelling is Bridget.

In contrast to the modest grave containing the 19 residents, more opulent headstones were erected in the cemetery to remember nuns who ran the Good Shepherd laundry.

GRANDCHILDREN

Mr OConnor was the youngest of Bridgets children and she became resident within the walls of the St Marys home following his birth.

Along with his siblings, he was raised in a childrens home and feels that his status as the child of a Good Shepherd laundry woman led to his poor treatment in the home.

This attitude was reflected in the nature of the duties the young boy was assigned in the home.

Furthermore, during his childhood he was not informed that he had two brothers and a sister.

In 1977, as a young adult arranging his marriage, he applied for his birth certificate and began to ask questions about his mother.

His inquiries were disregarded by the nuns.

At the time Robert and his wife Kathleen assumed his mother was dead but she didn't pass away until four years later.

With sadness and regret, Mrs OConnor says: She could've been at the wedding, she could have met her first grandchild before she passed away.

She points out that in death they were treated with the same contempt.

These women were made to wash the priests garments because that's what they thought of these women, that they were dirt, the fallen women who were only good for doing their laundry.

Mr OConnor adds: My mother worked in a laundry from the day I was born to the day she died. Thats whats so annoying about it. She could have been helped, she needed help and they didnt help her.

I think it was a money-making exercise, it was a business they were running, really, I dont think it was a charity.

The only people who seemed to be benefitting was the nuns through the labour of the women, rather than helping them to get on their feet.

I dont know how you explain it, whether Social Services couldve established them in the community and get them more confidence to run their own lives.

QUESTIONS

Once again Mr OConnor wrote to the Good Shepherd Nuns to request information.

He was told that she may have been referred to St. Marys Good Shepherd by Limavady Hospital in September 1956 but that there was no solid information in relation to this.

None of the Sisters who were in St. Marys when she was referred are now alive, it added.

The solicitor acting on behalf of the Good Shepherd Sisters went on to say that the home was run for older girls and women who had fallen into difficulties and often had nowhere else to go.

Mr OConnor feels insulted by the dismissive attitude adopted by the Good Shepherd nuns and Catholic Church.

They said she could leave any time she wanted, but how could she with four children taken from her and no home of her own, he said in response.

The Mother and Baby Homes research report published last week pointed out that the Good Shepherd Sisters closely guard the secrets and privacy of the women who passed through their mother and baby homes and laundries.

In some respects this is commendable and it is clear that this is the wish of most women involved, the report said, but it is also the cause of distress to their families.

In this case, as a result of the inadequate levels of communication about his mother, Mr OConnor has been left to speculate about her life and how she came to enter the laundry.

He is convinced the nuns did not want the family to find Bridget.

Im just assuming that we werent allowed to be adopted, because she would not sign, and thats why she was kept in there.

I cant say that for a fact but thats what I truly believe.

In reply nuns informed him that his mother was a very happy and pleasant lady who made St. Marys her home and at no point ever expressed a desire to leave.

They added that she was not there on foot of a court order.

He found that difficult to comprehend as it made him feel like she didnt want me, and she was happy to be in there.

However, he is distrustful of this information and unwilling to accept it at face value.

Moreover, a barrister told him that his mother might have thought it was necessary to work in the laundry to pay for the upkeep of her children in their Catholic residential homes.

Mr OConnor reflected on the impact his mothers disappearance on his life and how the lack of communication from the Good Shepherd Sisters compounded his trauma.

Many questions remain unanswered for him: Why she was in there so long? What did they do to help her? Was it just for the benefit of the nuns to get free work
A consignment of Indian-made vaccines arrived in in the early hours of Monday, tweeted External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, adding that it shows the close friendship and strong ties between the two nations.

"Made in vaccines now reach Valuing our close friendship and strong ties," tweeted Jaishankar.

under the 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative has planned to export the vaccines to other countries to inoculate people against the shortfall in the availability of vaccines.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier said that the capacity to produce vaccines of is one of the 'best assets that the world has today'. To which, Jaishankar replied that the global community can count on the 'Pharmacy of the World'.

In line with its Neighbourhood First policy, India has rolled out Indian-made Covishield vaccines to several countries including Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal to aid the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that India plans to gift vaccine doses to Oman, CARICOM countries, Nicaragua, Pacific Island states.

Srivastava said New Delhi plans to supply one crore or ten million vaccine doses to Africa and ten lakh to United Nations health workers under GAVI's (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) COVAX facility.

India also planned to commercially export to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Canada, Mongolia and other countries.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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 Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has launched an internal appeal fund aimed at providing urgent medical intervention to sick members and assisting families of deceased actors.

Over time, several deaths have been recorded within the industry, and the AGN President, Emeka Rollas, has said he is saddened by this and has taken proactive steps to face the issue.

Mr Rollas, on Monday, said he had been making a passionate appeal to members and Nollywood at large, to lend support to their colleagues through the Trust Fund which is chaired by a thorough veteran, Joke Silva.

He told PREMIUM TIMES that the Guild has become overwhelmed with the urgent need to provide assistance to sick members, to undertake the funeral activities of the deceased and provide for the upkeep of their immediate families.

Dilemma

He said, It is with great sadness to note that three corpses of AGN members are currently in the morgue awaiting final burial rites, they are: Jim Lawson Maduike, Dan Nkoloagu, Ernest Asuzu (who passed on recently), while some members are equally down with life-threatening ailments.

We also have Tom Njemanze, Prince Emeka Ani, Bruno Iwuoha, Evelyn Osugo, Ken Odunukwe, Tony Goodman, and many others who are critically ill, with the need for urgent medical interventions, and we need support from all and sundry, as we cannot do this alone.

He also said some AGN members had already started to contribute and almost N2.7 million has been generated in 24 hours.

According to him, Genevieve Nnaji, RMD, Alex Ekubo, Ruth Kadri, Mike Ezuruonye, Oma Nnadi, Kenneth Okolie, Omowunmi Dada, Eddy Oboh, Obi Okoli, Victoria Inyama, and Clarion Chukwura, have contributed to the fund.

Others are Georgina Ibe, Walter Anga, Femi Branch, Kemi Adekomi, Kunle Remi, Ada Ameh, Monalisa Chinda Coker, Pascaline Alex, Pam Olive, Ebele Okaro, Belinda Effah, Ayo Adesanya, Ifeoma Okeke, Jnr pope, have all made substantial contributions to the trust fund.

Progress

Mr Rollas also said he was also currently in talks with a private firm to organise a health awareness campaign nationwide on how to prevent sudden death.

He said, We are appealing to all members to take advantage of the existing HMO scheme, which is highly discounted for members to receive proper and timely medications in over 600 hospitals across the country.

Since assumption of office as President of the Guild, Mr Rollas said he had embarked on several projects and is set to do more over time.

He said, With a deep sense of responsibility, we can all do our bit as individuals and also seek support from our corporate friends to stretch forth a hand to support this Trust Fund initiative via these accounts,

AGN Foundation, Sterling Bank 0075303159 and AGN Trust Fund: GTbank 0601923187.

The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) launched a health insurance scheme for its members in July 2020.

The AGN also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Medicard Health Management, a health services provider, to address the practice of soliciting funds for medical emergencies among its members.
BOULDER, Colo., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to mounting pressure from Schrems II, CCPA, GDPR and threats like the SolarWinds hack, SaaS companies are turning to SaaS Shield CMK for Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), an advanced data privacy solution from IronCore Labs. The newly launched SaaS Shield CMK for Amazon S3 is a simplified way to add customer managed keys to SaaS applications to protect customers' files stored in Amazon S3 on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

"We've seen companies like Salesforce and Box grow exponentially thanks to their custom-built, premium data privacy features," said Patrick Walsh, CEO of IronCore Labs. "SaaS Shield CMK for Amazon S3 is the market-ready solution you don't have to spend years building or millions to launch. It deploys transparently, is something you can charge a premium for, and we offer a free trial plus one free tenant for life."

Customer managed keys, sometimes referred to as bring your own keys (BYOK), is a cloud architecture that gives customers ownership of the encryption keys that protect some or all of their data stored in SaaS applications. It is per-tenant encryption where customers can independently monitor usage of their data and revoke all access to it if desired.

"There's no greater return right now for SaaS companies than to give their customers enhanced privacy and data controls. With SaaS Shield CMK for Amazon S3, there's almost no barrier to adding the feature, differentiating against competitors, and creating a new stream of revenue from new and existing customers," Walsh said. "SaaS customers need and want control of their data in the cloud and SaaS vendors can now offer it. It's a win for everyone."

Within the SaaS Shield product line, IronCore Labs also offers the SaaS Shield CMK Kit, which allows developers to build CMK into their software to handle any data, regardless of where it is stored. The SaaS Shield CMK for Amazon S3 complements the CMK Kit by allowing SaaS companies to add support for Amazon S3 file protection without code changes. SaaS Shield for Amazon S3 can be installed with a simple Amazon CloudFormation template.

SaaS companies looking for more information about SaaS Shield CMK for Amazon S3, including pricing and a free trial, are encouraged to visit the IronCore Labs website or AWS Marketplace.

About IronCore Labs

IronCore Labs (https://ironcorelabs.com), the data control and privacy platform, enables software developers and businesses to rapidly build privacy solutions with data control. Whether meeting GDPR or other compliance requirements, handling sensitive data safely, or deploying systems that give customers control of their data, IronCore Labs removes the traditional obstacles to keeping data private and secure, while accelerating time to market for application-layer encryption.

Related Links:

Riah Solomon

Marketing Manager

IronCore Labs

[email protected]

This release was issued through WebWire. For more information, visit http://www.webwire.com.

SOURCE IronCore Labs

Related Links

https://ironcorelabs.com


Syracuse, N.Y.  Amazon hoped to quickly squash a Syracuse lawsuit seeking to blame the online giant for selling a dangerous thermostat that caused a fire at a town of Onondaga house.

But an Onondaga County judge ruled recently that Amazon will have to fight the case out in court. That leaves open the possibility that Amazon could be forced to cover the cost of repairing the house.

What started as a routine insurance lawsuit over a $30,000 fire has turned out to be a trend-setter nationwide as courts grapple with Amazons immense influence over retail commerce. It may be the first time a New York court has ruled on such a question, the judge noted.

The Chinese-sourced thermostat, identified as an Anself RF344 wireless thermostat controller, caused the Norton Road fire days after its installation in February 2018, both sides agree. The manufacturer in China cant be easily sued.

But does Amazon bear responsibility for selling a defective product?

State Farm, the homeowners insurance company, says yes. After all, Amazon brought the faulty thermostat into the U.S. marketplace. Business laws generally hold that retailers bear some responsibility for the products they sell. In other words, businesses must stand behind their products.

Amazon argues that it cant be held responsible, because the thermostat was sold by a third-party vendor, through the Amazon Marketplace service. Amazon argues its only role was connecting HoneyMony, the vendor, with a customer. In other words, it acted more like Craigslist than a storefront.

Onondaga County Supreme Court Justice Gerard Neri isnt buying Amazons argument.

Amazon seeks to have all the benefits of the traditional brick and mortar storefront without any of the responsibilities, he ruled recently.

In his decision, Neri allowed the insurance claim to move forward. That will force Amazon to the bargaining table to see if a settlement can be reached. If not, a trial could be ordered down the road.

The local judges ruling joins a patchwork of others nationwide that address Amazons role in product liability  but they have produced conflicting answers. Some judges have ruled for Amazon, noting that the online site claims to never actually own the merchandise on its marketplace. Others have let cases move forward, noting that business laws are there to protect consumers from dangerous products sold by traditional retailers.

A national consensus is complicated by the fact that each state sets its own business laws. In New York, the courts have interpreted the law to hold retailers and distributors liable for defective products, the judge said.

Thats because sellers, due to their continuing relationship with the manufacturers, are usually in a position to exert pressure for the improved safety of products and can recover increased costs within their commercial dealings, or through contribution or indemnification in litigation,  Neri noted, citing the states high court.

In this case, Amazon rejects responsibility for its failure, despite warehousing the thermostat, physically moving it from place to place, setting the rules for the marketplace and handling complaints about it, the judge noted.

Neri ended by noting just how much Amazon has revolutionized the way people shop.

E-commerce has displaced brick and mortar storefronts, Neri wrote. The consumer goes to Amazons website to look for a product in the same manner one would walk into a Lowes, Home Depot, or a neighborhood True Value, or order from one of those entities website.

Staff writer Douglass Dowty can be reached at ddowty@syracuse.com or 315-470-6070.
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

A recommendation from the City of Carlsbad to continue air service with a San Francisco area based airline was sent to the United States Department of Transportation (DOT).

Jan. 26 the Carlsbad City Council voted to extend the Essential Air Service (EAS) agreement with Boutique Air, which has had the contract since 2015.

More: City of Carlsbad update: EAS process explained

The current two-year contract expires in late May.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

Late last year, Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway said DOT issued a request for proposals for EAS to operate commercial flights out of the Cavern City Air Terminal.

Janway said EAS is a federal subsidy awarded to an airline offering flights to and from Carlsbad. The DOT asks for requests every few years.

He said three other airlines submitted bids including Southern Airways from Florida, Denver Air Connection from Denver and Advanced Air from the Los Angeles area, Janway said.

He said an advisory committee chaired by Don George looked over the proposals.

George said the advisory group got plenty of input from the Carlsbad Department of Development, City Council, retirees, businesses and Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories.

More: Carlsbad City Councilor has apprehension with Carlsbad airline service

He said the four proposals were received close to Christmas and COVID-19 prompted the committee to adjust.

So, we met Jan. 11 with a Zoom call. We looked at locations and flight schedules of what was working in the community and what would be best for the community and we took in all the date that everybody was providing and we sat down and reviewed the proposals to see which one best fit, George said.

He said the committee made a unanimous decision to stay with Boutique Air.

In a memorandum from George and Janell Whitlock, task force co-chair, Boutique Air will offer 12 flights to Albuquerque and six flights to Dallas-Fort Worth every week.

Our city is evolving, George said. When we started out with this EAS, it was mainly focused of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Los Alamos and Sandia. Thats why needed it, George said.

Thanks again to Don George, Janell Whitlock and all of the members of our EAS Committee who dedicated their time reviewing this years proposals and thank you to Carlsbad City Council for their review as well, Janway said.

More: City of Carlsbad continues relationship with Boutique

Mostly, we want to thank the four interested airlines for submitting their interest in our community. We have sent City Councils recommendation on to the Department of Transportation, who will make the final decision on awarding the bid.

Boutique Air is committed to Carlsbad

Shawn Simpson visited Carlsbad in December meeting with community leaders. He makes frequent trips to communities served by Boutique Air and visits with employees.

In this case I was able to meet with a few business owners which is really helpful to get a perspective on whats happening, he said.

We have good relationships with a lot of people in the community and we like being there and being a part of it, Simpson added.

He said COVID-19 has impacted the airline industry with negative revenues and the federal government stepped in with Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act money.

Simpson said Boutique Air benefitted from the CARES Act funds as the company had had to deal with reduced numbers. He said the company didnt undertake significant layoffs.

Its helped us remain viable and strong in light of the COVID (19) pandemic, he said.

More: Advanced Air looks to take off from Carlsbad

Simpson said Boutique was appreciative of the EAS contract with the City of Carlsbad and was looking for other ways to gain revenue. Starting Tuesday, Boutique will offer flights to El Paso.

Its a positive for the communities who might be losing air service from other companies and its good for us also, he said.

We are here, and we are operating safely and efficiently as long as we are the airline of Carlsbad. We are looking forward to enacting more options in flying that better resonate with what people want and need.

The DOT has the final say on the agreement.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: City Council extends air service agreement with Boutique Air

___

(c)2021 the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.)

Visit the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) at www.currentargus.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Palm Desert, United States , Jan. 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allman & Allman, a professional accounting CPA firm in Palm Desert, California, announced the launch of an updated range of professional tax preparation services. The company specializes in helping small businesses manage all their federal, state and local tax returns.

More information can be found at https://allmancpa.com

The newly launched tax preparation services at Allman & Allman aim to help small businesses make informed decisions and save more money on taxes.

Small business owners in particular find it difficult to track their finances, keep a record of all their invoices, bank statements, receipts, and sales slips, and prepare for tax season.

For those who want to ensure that their taxes are handled properly, working with a business tax preparation expert like the team at Allman & Allman can be an excellent solution. The experienced tax consultants can help businesses manage, prepare and file taxes on time and accurately, and can handle any other small business tax and accounting matters.

Their small business tax services include completion of corporation tax returns and filing requirements, payroll services, R&D tax relief claims, advice in relation to tax-efficient drawings, minimizing the tax bills of owner-managers, and many more.

By choosing the tax preparation services at Allman & Allman, small business owners will make sure that they file accurate taxes, avoid tax liability surprises, and save money by taking advantage of deductions and credits.

The tax preparation team have extensive experience helping small businesses minimize their tax payout, uncover all appropriate deductions, and implement business strategies that will increase their post-tax income.

A satisfied client said: I have been a client of Allman & Allman for 5 years and I am more than satisfied with the work they do. They are prompt, provide great service, and quality work. If you are looking for a CPA firm that can be a strategic partner for your personal or business needs I highly recommend working with them.

Interested parties can find more by visiting the above-mentioned website or accessing https://allmancpa.com/tax

Contact Info:

Name: Genna Allman

Email: Send Email

Organization: Allman & Allman

Address: 36953 Cook St. Suite 104, Palm Desert, CA 92211, United States

Phone: +1-760-773-1120

Website: https://allmancpa.com





announced Monday it would close all bars and pubs for the entire month of February and limit other activities after a spike in cases followed New Year's Eve celebrations that drew visitors from around the world.

The sheikhdom also ordered restaurants and cafes to close by 1 a.m., as well as instituted crowd limits on cinemas, hotels, malls and other destinations. The decision comes after insisted as recently as last week that we can confidently say the current situation is under control.

That was as testing facilities and hospitals came under pressure from 17 straight days of record reported daily figures across the wider United Arab Emirates.

The announcement from the government's Media Office blamed a marked increase in the number of violations of precautionary measures for the decision made by the city-state's hereditary rulers.

The measures seek to further enhance efforts to combat COVID-19, and protect the health and safety of all citizens, residents and visitors, the statement said.

Dubai, known for its long-haul carrier Emirates, the world's tallest building and its beaches and bars, in July became one of the first travel destinations to describe itself as open for business. The move staunched the bleeding of its crucial tourism and real estate sectors after lockdowns and curfews cratered its economy. As tourism restarted, daily reported coronavirus case numbers slowly grew but mostly remained stable through the fall.

(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.)

Kim Kardashian's eldest daughter North West, seven, left an adorable note for her in permanent marker on a roll of toilet paper on Sunday morning.

As the duo enjoyed family 'Girls Trip' to Turks and Caicos, the 40-year-old E! star posted an adoring message from her little girl, which read: 'Mom I love you.'

Upon discovering the sweet surprise, Kardashian shared the moment for her 202 million Instagram followers, who were equally impressed by the gesture.

Sweet girl: Kim Kardashian's eldest daughter North West, seven, left an adorable note for her in permanent marker on a roll of toilet paper on Sunday morning

'I love you too North, forever!!!' the mother-of-four captioned her Instagram post, which garnered more than 1.7 million likes and 8,000 comments.

Among the sea of fans, who commented there's 'nothing like a daughters love,' some jokingly speculated Kardashian 'wrote that' herself.'

Kardashian also posted snaps of her mini-me promoting her SKIMS Cozy collection.

While the KKW Beauty founder did not clarify when the image was taken, she previously shared an identical image with a different filter in April 2019 on her Instagram Story.

Mother daughter love: As the duo enjoyed family 'Girls Trip' to Turks and Caicos, the 40-year-old E! star found the adoring message from her little girl, which read: 'Mom I love you', in the restroom (pictured in 2018)

Just like mom! Kardashian also posted snaps of her mini-me promoting her SKIMS Cozy collection

At the time, she gushed: 'How cute is North' with a black heart emoji.

On Saturday, she posted new photos with North and Chicago, three, which showed them relaxing on a wooden walkway surrounded by sand and palm trees were waving in the background.

Kim was decked out in a smoldering swimsuit that allowed her to show off her sculpted midriff and knockout legs.

Having a ball: Kim Kardashian put on a happy face while posing up with her daughters North, seven, and Chicago, three, on Instagram this Saturday

She and her sisters Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, as well as their half-sisters Kylie and Kendall Jenner, appear to all be holidaying together on Turks And Caicos.

Based on Kylie's Insta Stories on Saturday she seems to have returned to the Tranquility villa where she went on a family trip for her 23rd birthday last summer.

The sprawling 11-bedroom property is made for 16 guests and is currently listed on Airbnb as costing upwards of a whopping $30,000 a night.

Living it up: The 40-year-old posted a sweet album of the three of them relaxing near the beach during what appears to be a family 'Girls Trip' to Turks And Caicos

By the sea: She and her children were relaxing on a wooden walkway surrounded by sand and palm trees were waving in the background

Kim's trip comes amid reports that she is on the verge of divorcing Kanye West, whom she married in 2014.

Kanye is Kim's third husband and the father of all four of her children, which also includes sons Saint, five, and Psalm, one.

Recently a Page Six insider alleged that the upcoming last season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians will show the 'Kimye' marriage on the rocks.

Happy face: Kim is holidaying with her children amid a swirl of reports that she is on the verge of divorcing Kanye West whom she married in 2014

The source claimed that 'the Kardashians intend to go out with a bang. Theyve filmed Kim discussing her marriage problems. But everybody involved is on a nondisclosure agreement, because the finale wont screen until later in 2021.'

A new trailer for the final season dropped this week and although Kanye was never mentioned Kim was seen getting tearful about the end of the show.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians is coming to a close this year after a grand total of 20 seasons, making global superstars of the whole family.

Once the show ends the Kardashian-Jenner women will hop over to a currently untitled project that will stream on Hulu in America and Star abroad.
Thomas Vinterbergs film Another Round has earned plenty of acclaim since its domestic release earlier this year. Given that the films plot includes prodigious amounts of drinking, it left the cast with something of a dilemma: how do you act convincingly drunk on screen without actually getting drunk in the process?



Turns out thats a specialty that actors must learn like anything else. A new article by Nicholas Barber at the BBC ventures into the world of acting drunk while being sober. Barber spoke with the cast and crew of Another Round to learn more about what they did, and from the outset, he was assured that the actors were, well, acting.



If you do one or two scenes in a film when you are supposed to be very drunk, you might have a beer to get the feel of it, but we were doing this every day for 60 days, so that would be a no-go, star Mads Mikkelsen told Barber.



The cast prepared for the film by being recorded while drinking, so that they could get a sense of how they behaved after varying amounts of drinks. Mikkelsen also relied on YouTube for his preparation  specifically, what appears to be a subculture of Russian men posting videos of themselves getting drunk. Some of the cast would also spin around, making themselves dizzy before the cameras started rolling.



Its a fascinating look inside a surprisingly rigorous process, and its juxtaposed with accounts of shooting other booze-heavy films, such as Withnail & I. Its also an intriguing exploration of drunkenness itself  how it feels, how it looks and the unexpected things that can bring it on.
ADVERTISEMENT

The governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has finally visited the Ibarapa area of the state over the incessant killings and kidnappings of some farmers and residents by suspected herdsmen.

Mr Makinde took to Twitter to announce his visit to the area on Sunday.

As promised, we were in Igbo-Ora, Ibarapa zone, this evening. As part of our community outreach, we met with stakeholders, including residents and security agencies, to ensure that issues are resolved through continuous dialogue and more effective community policing.

As promised, we were in Igbo-Ora, Ibarapa zone, this evening. As part of our community outreach, we met with stakeholders, including residents and security agencies, to ensure that issues are resolved through continuous dialogue and more effective community policing. pic.twitter.com/9BP7vWNz5d  Seyi Makinde (@seyiamakinde) January 31, 2021

He visited the troubled community alongside the state commissioner of police, Ngozi Onadeko, as they both held overnight meetings with selected individuals and groups, local government chairpersons, and political office holders from the zone.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ibarapa area of the state has been in the news lately for issues surrounding insecurity and the recent seven-day ultimatum issued on Fulani herdsmen by Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho.

Speaking on Sunday at Igbo ora, Mr Makinde said he feels the pain of Ibarapa residents.

The governor was quoted by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, in a statement to have said that a peace and security committee would put in place to check the crisis in the area.

The take-home from the interaction for me is that it is a collective problem and I can see the commitment from everybody to find a solution to this.

And, at least, I am quite glad that some of the initiatives that the government is trying to put in place, to stem insecurity, are coming to fruition.

We will ensure that our identity management programme takes off as quickly as possible. We will also ensure the setting up of peace and security committee that is all-encompassing in the councils.

He appealed to local government leaders to also call the attention of the state government to issues happening in their localities.

I feel their pain because I have had a very close interaction with Dr Fatai Aborode in the past. I commiserate with his family and many others who have lost loved ones to this situation. I feel the pain and I believe that with everybody coming together, we will be able to tackle the problem.

Also, political office holders need to know that when they see something, they have to say something. Quite frankly, the governors are at the mercy of federal security agencies to implement certain laws.

That was why we asked for State Police. In the first instance, it is a constitutional issue and, in the absence of having that, governors in the South West came together and formed Amotekun as a stop-gap.

Problems dont go away completely. But you have to keep working at it; keep pushing to get to where you really want to be and that is what we will keep doing.

But the law is there, though the implementation has not been smooth, we will keep working at it.
Over 2,000 On Vaccine Waitlist, Supply Still Limited In Hill County Hill Regional Hospital announced last week that over 2,000 people are currently on the hospital's waiting list to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but it is still unclear when the next vaccine shipments will arrive.



Last week, the hospital provided second doses of the Moderna vaccine to first responders who received injections during the first round of vaccinations.



"We will get to you as quickly as we can as the vaccines arrive," said hospital spokesperson Tricia Shelton. "We are hopeful that the releases will pick up for our area. Hill County Judge Justin Lewis, along with Ascension Medical Group in Hillsboro and this hospital are working hard to secure those additional resources."



The hospital is reminding the community of its protocols for those seeking a vaccine.



It is preferred that those interested sign up at www.hillregionalhospital.com by clicking the red COVID-19 vaccine button.



After completing the form (only one person per form), hit submit and a brief acknowledgment should pop up, and additional information is available to read.



Those unable to register online can call 254-580-8888 to sign up by phone.



Shelton said that it is important that the phone number provided at registration is a number that will be answered, even if the number is not recognized. Volunteers will be calling those on the list to confirm appointments from their personal phones, which could have a variety of area codes.



The hospital will not leave voicemails. Immediate confirmation will be required that the individual on the list accepts the appointment and commits to returning for a second dose in 28 days. Appointment dates and times cannot be changed.



Volunteers will identify themselves as callers from Hill Regional Hospital and will say they are calling about the vaccine appointment.



The public is reminded to be aware of fraudulent calls from those who may claim to have vaccines available. Hill Regional Hospital will not ask for personal information like Social Security or Medicare numbers.



Because some people are signing up at multiple vaccination sites hoping to get a vaccine, Hill Regional asks those who find a vaccine elsewhere to call and have their name removed from the waitlist.



Several Hill County pharmacies and providers have either been approved or are in various stages of the approval process from the state to administer vaccinations, but the state has been allocating vaccines to larger vaccination hubs in recent weeks.



A list of sites approved to offer vaccines can be found online at www.dshs.state.tx.us/coronavirus, although availability is currently limited.


2 Arrested in Assault of Former Clinton Private Eye Palladino

Two men have been arrested in the assault of longtime private investigator Jack Palladino.

Palladino, 70, was assaulted outside his home in San Francisco last week. According to police, a man jumped out of a car to grab a camera and Palladino fell and struck his head on the pavement.

Police officials confirmed to news outlets that Lawrence Thomas, 24, and Tyjone Flournoy, 23, were booked on charges related to the assault. Police said Thomas was arrested Friday in San Francisco while Flourney was apprehended the following day in Reno, Nevada.

The private eye is not expected to survive, family members said.

Jacks a hard person to keep down, wife Sandra Sutherland told the San Francisco Chronicle. But I really think this is it.

Photographs from the camera, which the would-be thieves werent able to take, helped police in their investigation, according to Sutherland.

Palladino has worked on a number of high-profile cases, including helping then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton quash rumors of affairs in 1992.
Handouts and Fines

Limited Vetting

Businesses Push Back Against Rules

Continued Complaints

(TNS)  Oregon businesses cited by the state for violating coronavirus safety standards nonetheless received more than $12.5 million in federal pandemic relief loans last year through the Paycheck Protection Program.The relief program doesnt specifically require that businesses comply with safety rules to be eligible for coronavirus relief loans, or to have those loans forgiven. That means businesses that resist those rules are still able to access the free government help without experiencing the same level of economic hardship of those that fall in line.Most Oregon businesses appear to be complying with state safety rules, despite the severe economic consequences for restaurants, gyms, theaters and others that have been forced to stop or sharply limit indoor activities.Among the businesses that arent complying, though, a few have made a show of defying the states safety protocols. That hasnt stopped some of those same businesses from accepting the government handouts. These employers received a significant amount of taxpayer dollars from the federal government to make sure they could keep people employed, said Jess Giannettino Villatoro, political director for Oregon AFL-CIO, one of the states largest labor groups.Nobody wanted this money to flow into the state more than Oregons workers because that meant they continued drawing a paycheck, she said, but what no one expected at the onset of that money landing is that those employers would go on to put their workers lives at risk.At least 31 businesses that have been cited by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health division (Oregon OSHA) for violating state regulations aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 also accepted loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which Congress created last March to help businesses keep workers on payroll and cover other expenses during the pandemic.Many businesses will ultimately have their loans forgiven, turning them into outright government grants.Seven businesses that accepted loans were cited and fined by Oregon OSHA for willfully and sometimes repeatedly violating state rules.Kevista Coffee in Bend was fined $8,900 by Oregon OSHA in July after the state alleged that it willfully failed to require face coverings. The state was continuing to receive complaints about the cafe earlier this month. Between Dec. 30 and Jan. 5 alone, five people complained to Oregon OSHA that the cafe wasnt requiring masks or physical distancing. One complaint noted that the coffee shop was asking for donations to help in its fight against Oregon OSHA, according to state records.A blatant disregard for stated government orders and the health and safety of patrons is insulting, another complainant wrote. Not a single employee had a mask, nor did any of the dine-in patrons.  The interior space was packed with people freely conversing and dining without masks or regard for distancing.While it allegedly flouted coronavirus safety requirements, the cafe benefited from a $32,185 relief loan from the federal government. Kevista Coffee didnt respond to a request for comment from TheThe Paycheck Protection Program application requires businesses to certify that they are not engaged in any activity that is illegal under federal, state or local law. But a spokesman for the U.S. Small Business Administration said that loan requirements didnt state that businesses must follow emergency coronavirus orders to be eligible for loans or loan forgiveness.Salem-based gym chain Courthouse Club Fitness accepted a federal coronavirus relief loan of over $1 million last April to help keep a reported 368 staff members employed during the heart of the pandemic.But when Oregon Gov. Kate Brown mandated that gyms close in November in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Salem gym refused. Oregon OSHA fined the gym $90,000 for operating four facilities in defiance of state regulations. The gym appealed the fine and continued operating.In January, the agency issued the gym a second fine of $126,749 for continuing to defy Browns mandates, by far the largest fine it has issued for a coronavirus violation.Owner John Miller defended his gym in a since-deleted Facebook post, questioning Browns logic for closing gyms and vowing to stay open, despite the second fine.Miller said the gym had been taking safety precautions while remaining open and contended that the one COVID-19 case linked to the business occurred when an employee contracted the virus elsewhere.Its unclear if thats true  contact tracing in Oregon, like other states, is scattershot and traces only a fraction of infections back to their origins. County health officials also dont disclose details of specific cases.I repeat my pledge to support any reasonable request to help in the fight against covid, Miller wrote on Facebook. Voluntarily bankrupting a business my members depend on for their health, and 300 employees depend on for a living, is not reasonable.Courthouse Club Fitness did not respond to a request for comment about its federal loan.Liz Merah, a spokesman for the governor, said earlier this month that businesses that defied public health orders risked creating new spikes in COVID-19 cases and setting their communities back.She said Browns executive orders are enforceable by law and that a violator could be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail. However, the state hasnt taken that approach to force businesses into compliance, even in cases when they have repeatedly defied state orders.Our focus is on voluntary compliance, Merah said. If Oregonians and businesses dont take these measures seriously, and we dont see reduced case numbers, communities will end up staying in more restrictive risk levels for longer periods of time.But that compliance hasnt been a prerequisite for businesses that have applied for coronavirus relief money.In an effort to get money into the hands of struggling businesses as quickly as possible, the federal government approved Paycheck Protection Program loans last year with only limited vetting.That led to the program handing out multimillion loans to large and established companies and failing to prevent fraudsters from accessing tens of millions of dollars. When the program reopened earlier this month to first- and second-time applicants, it did so with new fraud safeguards in place.However, there remains no explicit requirement that businesses abide by local and state coronavirus mandates to access the money, beyond standard language requiring them to abide by the law.Juley Fulcher, worker health and safety advocate for Washington D.C.-based watchdog group Public Citizen, said the federal government didnt adopt a workplace coronavirus safety standard last year, making it more difficult for them to tell businesses what guidance to follow. President Joe Biden last week directed the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to explore adopting an emergency temporary standard.Still, Fulcher said the federal government could have required businesses to adhere to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to receive federal loans. Individual states also have issued specific mandates to employers to protect workers and consumers. Oregon OSHA adopted its own temporary coronavirus workplace rule last fall and Gov. Kate Brown has issued numerous executive orders regulating businesses in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.Fulcher said she believes the Small Business Administration would be arguably within its rights to claw back money from businesses that certified they were in compliance with state laws and then flouted state coronavirus mandates, if those regulations were in place when the business accepted the loans. However, there is no indication that the agency has plans to take that action.There was no attempt to look at how workplaces were handling COVID protections and connecting that at all to the ways that federal funding was given out, Fulcher said. Its a real problem that these companies are benefiting from federal funding to address COVID-related issues and arent bothering to protect their workers.Glamour Salon owner Lindsey Graham reopened her Salem salon in defiance of Browns public health orders last May, saying that she had to resume operations to pay her bills and provide for her family.Her business was fined $14,000 by the state for willfully defying Browns order requiring salons to close. Graham appealed the fine. The same month, Grahams corporation, Glamour LLC, accepted a federal loan of more than $35,000 to keep 14 employees on payroll. Graham said she used the money to pay employees and cover some expenses at multiple tanning salons and a gym that she also owns, but didnt use the money for the salon because the hair stylists who work there are independent contractors, not employees.While the loan program allowed employees to get paid, Graham said it did little to alleviate the stress of business owners. Businesses were required to use 60% of the money for payroll before covering other expenses in order to be eligible for loan forgiveness.Graham said she stands by her decision to open against state rules and to apply for the federal loan. She contends that she didnt break the law, saying that law enforcement would have charged her with a misdemeanor if Browns orders were really being enforced as law. Graham filed a lawsuit in December challenging Browns authority to shut down private businesses.If saving lives was the agenda then Walmart should have closed, Graham said. Everyone should have locked down with no exceptions, including liquor stores and weed stores.Oregon, like other states, has tried to strike an uneasy balance of public safety and economic health. But the science around how the coronavirus spreads is in its infancy and the governor and other public health officials have struggled at times to explain why some businesses must close while others remain open, and why the ground rules frequently shift.The regulations in place now are significantly more relaxed than what Oregon adopted last spring. But many businesses continue to chafe at restrictions that continue to prohibit indoor dining in most of the state, for example, and limit the number of clients inside a gym to just six.Oregon OSHA had received nearly 19,000 complaints related to COVID-19 workplace violations but had issued just 73 citations to businesses for violating coronavirus safety requirements as of Jan. 14. The state generally reserves formal citations and fines for situations where employers commit willful or egregious violations of coronavirus public health rules.The agency issued a $8,900 fine to Caseys Restaurant in Klamath Falls in December for potentially exposing employees to COVID-19 by continuing to allow on-premise dining.The family-owned restaurant, which accepted nearly $80,000 in federal money, defended its actions in a video posted earlier this month by the Freedom Foundation, a conservative think tank. The foundation announced Thursday that it will run commercials defending the restaurants decision to fight against the death sentence it has been issued by state regulations.Ive had a feeling that we need to fight for our freedom, said co-owner Annie Patzke in the video. She did not respond to an email seeking comment on the federal loans.But employees and customers have continued to express concerns about businesses that have flouted coronavirus safety rules.Caseys Restaurant in Roseburg, which is not related to the restaurant in Klamath Falls, accepted a $123,600 federal loan to keep 23 employees on payroll, but then allegedly remained open for on-premise dining last spring in violation of state regulations. The restaurant continued to remain open after Oregon OSHA issued a Red Warning Notice, which requires that businesses cease all actions that violate public safety rules.Oregon OSHA levied a $13,900 fine against the restaurant last May. It then issued another $280 fine to the restaurant in November for allegedly failing to require employees to wear face coverings and not mandating physical distancing.But the agency continued to receive complaints about the restaurant in December. One complaint contended that the restaurant had replaced workers with volunteers so it would fall outside of Oregon OSHA jurisdiction and was boasting that it remained open.The restaurant declined to comment. Brown allowed restaurants in Douglas County, where the restaurant is located, to open for limited indoor dining on Jan. 1.Charlie Fisher is Oregon state director of OSPIRG, which promotes consumer protections, environmental standards and public health measures. He said he understood why the federal government prioritized getting loans into the hands of businesses quickly during the heart of the pandemic last year instead of requiring stringent vetting.But with the Paycheck Protection Program open for another round of loans, Fisher said the federal government should be putting a greater emphasis on ensuring that the money isnt going to businesses that are undermining public safety.The government is providing these loans to businesses so they can either stay closed or operate in a manner that is safe, Fisher said. By ignoring the rules, they are in a lot of ways prolonging the pandemic for everyone.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  The National Economic and Development Authority says Metro Manila would be in a better position to further relax quarantine rules after February.

We strongly believe with the data that were seeing and if everyone cooperates, I think we can further relax after this month, said Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua said about Metro Manila's quarantine rules in a virtual briefing.

With Metro Manila again getting placed under GCQ until end-February, Chua said the economic hub would already be under general community quarantine for twelve months, adding that 700 million in wages, salaries and other incomes are lost for every single day the region is under GCQ.

Chua expressed confidence the arrival of the nations first COVID-19 vaccine doses, coupled with data showing the country can manage to further re-open its economy safely, would place the capital region in a better position to ease quarantine rules starting March.

RELATED: PH expects at least 5.6M COVID-19 vaccine doses from Pfizer, AstraZeneca in Q1

It will improve our confidence on our healthcare system kasi yung prioritization is frontliners muna [first], then senior citizens, said the economic official on the countrys vaccination efforts. So ibig sabihin [this means], people will not be as afraid na [anymore] to go out because they know the healthcare system is there to protect them, to care for them if needed.

The increase in confidence would mark the return of economic activity, he added.

Chua also noted that cases of COVID-19 did not go up after the authorities allowed the economy to further re-open back in October, and even during the previous holiday season, as data had revealed.

Chua likewise reminded that peoples actions also play a role in determining whether quarantine rules would be further relaxed or restricted.

95% of the time, the peoples behavior will determine that, if they follow the health standards of maintaining a distance, wearing masks, washing hands, he said.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez earlier said he hopes Metro Manila will finally shift to MGCQ "in the months ahead" provided cases in the region continuously go down.

Most parts of the country are already under the more relaxed modified GCQ.

Flee, which tells the story of a man's journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan, had its premiere Sundance Film Festival 2021 on 28 January.

Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau have lent their voices to the English version of animated Danish documentary Flee directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen. The doc had its premiere Sundance Film Festival 2021 on 28 January.

Flee chronicles the true story of Amin Nawabi (a pseudonym) journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan. Ahmed and Coster-Waldau serve as executive producers on the doc, whose North American rights were bought by Neon for an undisclosed amount, writes The Wrap.

Here is the official synopsis:

"Amin arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Denmark from Afghanistan. Today, he is a successful academic and is getting married to his long-time boyfriend. A secret he has been hiding for 20 years threatens to ruin the life he has built."

Rasmussen and his friend Amin engage in a conversation about the latter's life story and struggles in the film. The filmmaker told IndieWire that he had spoken to his friend about sharing his story, long before he conceptualised Flee. It was only when he decided on doing an animated film did Amin warm up to the idea.

"I knew he had a backstory that he didnt even want to talk about. I have a background in radio and I asked him numerous times if he would tell his story as a radio interview and he was never ready to share his story," said Rasmussen.

Final Cut for Real has co-produced Flee with animation studio Sun Creature, Denmark, Vivement Lundi!, France, MostFilm, Sweden, Mer Film, Norway and ARTE France and Vpro, Nederland.

Watch the trailer here 


DeFi projects are currently becoming more and more popular, especially since there was a huge growth seen in the crypto industry way back in 2020. Right now, there are more than 1,000 DeFi tokens circulating in the crypto markets.

This massive growth leads to more than a $34.86 billion total market cap in the crypto industry. Because of the rising crypto market, even Uniswap is now becoming more popular than ever.

The companies' tokens currently cover various sectors within the markets. These include exchanges, lending, derivatives markets, payments, assets, and more. Investors are charging to enter the two companies since their value is currently growing.

However, security researchers discovered that scammers, fraudsters, and other malicious actors are now targeting the companies' consumers. If you are one of them, here's how you can avoid them.

Avoiding Uniswap scams

Academy Binance explained that Uniswap is a set of computer programs that are created to allow decentralized token swaps in the crypto world. DeFi also has the same goal.

However, it is currently dangerous to buy their tokens since scammers and fraudsters are currently finding ways on how to fool people into buying fake tokens.

Also Read: Are You a Fan of iMessage? Experts Say It's Vulnerable Because of This Apple Service

According to Hacker Noon's latest report, you should check the distribution and liquidity locked for a DeFi token. This means that consumers must always check that the distributor does not hold the highest value of the tokens in the market before purchasing them.

You also need to observe if the company is anonymous. Although most token sellers or distributors are usually anonymous regarding privacy and decentralization, it is still important to know how many consumers they have, as well as their backgrounds.

Avoiding DeFi scams

To avoid DeFi scams, you also need to do the methods or tricks mentioned above. There are various types of DeFi scams. These include exit scams, rug pull scams, and more. If you are familiar with them, it is still hard to avoid these scams since they are hard to tell from the real thing. One of the things you can do is always check if the distributor published its "white paper" since this is commonly seen in legitimate companies. The white paper contains the project's goals, projects, and offered services, as well as its background. You can click here if you want to know more tips.

For more news updates about guides on how to avoid scams, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Fonix Ransomware Decryptor Released for FREE After Group Shuts Down, How to Claim Master Decryption Key?

This article is owned by TechTimes.

Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
KYIV  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told "Axios on HBO" that he doesn't consider China to be a major geopolitical threat  a stance that may cause him friction with the Biden administration and Congress  even as he vowed to limit Chinese control of critical technology sectors.

Why it matters: Zelensky's comments represent a break with U.S. national security leaders from both major political parties who are trying to rally allies to confront the threat of the Chinese Communist Party.

Driving the news: Asked about emerging consensus in Washington that China is the No. 1 geopolitical threat, Zelensky said, "I cannot agree with that because in Ukraine we do not feel this."

"There really is this a sort of cold war between China and the United States," he said.

"We know United States business is represented in Ukraine, but at the same time, it's true that Chinese business is also represented."

"I believe that regardless of the nation, the nationality, if people, if business, if a certain country, treats you with respect, respecting your people and borders, they can be present in your country."

Between the lines: There's only so much leverage the U.S. has to push Zelensky away from China. Beijing has crushed Washington at vaccine diplomacy  a painful reality that Zelensky discussed in the "Axios on HBO" interview.

Zelensky has tried to obtain for his country the higher-quality American vaccines. And hes pushed the Europeans for their help. But given the difficulty hes faced to secure doses, he said he is willing to work with Beijing to get large quantities of a safe COVID vaccine for the Ukrainian people.

Worth noting: The U.S. did not offer its superior vaccines to Ukraine and in fact took steps to make it harder for Zelensky to obtain them.

Behind the scenes: How to handle China is a growing sore point in U.S.-Ukraine relations. Trump administration officials privately expressed concerns that China  which became Ukraine's top trading partner in 2019  was flooding Ukraine with easy cash and in return embedding itself in Ukraine's critical sectors including defense and telecom.

U.S. officials are worried about China stealing intelligence secrets and wielding nefarious influence over allies who are increasingly beholden to Beijing.

Yes, but: Senior U.S. government officials have been trying for years to persuade Ukraine to stop China from buying Motor Sich, an aero engine manufacturer that is the crown jewel of Ukraine's defense sector.

In the interview, Zelensky said for the first time definitively that he will not allow China, or any other country, to buy a controlling stake in Motor Sich.

"Never," he said. "Not under me. I am not here for life... [But] in my time [in office], definitely not.

The bottom line: Russia is a far more imminent concern for Ukraine. But when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, China never condemned Russia's action. So while Zelensky may not call out China as a threat, he knows that China can't be relied upon in a Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Party chief and President Nguyen Phu Trong (C) waves as he walks alongside other Central Party Committee members after the 13th Party Congress has closed in Hanoi, February 1, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy.

Re-elected for a new term, Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong asserted that he would continue speaking out and fighting against corruption.

Corruption is a problem that every country has to face all the time and what should be discussed is the scale of this problem, Communist Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong told the press soon after the closing ceremony of the 13th Party Congress Monday.

This problem is a "disease of people having power and once such people have lots of money in their hands, it could easy lead to group benefits and negativity.

"Sometimes Im afraid that I have been talking way too much about this issue but I will keep doing it even when people hate me for it."

The 13th Communist Party Central Committee Sunday elected Trong, 77, for another five-year term as Party chief, his third consecutive tenure in that position.

In October 2018, he was elected State President, making history by becoming the nations first ever person to hold the top Party and state president post, following the death of President Tran Dai Quang due to serious illness.

A signature initiative of the Party chief has been a sustained anti-corruption campaign that has reached into the top echelons of the nations governing apparatus apart from business tycoons.

Chairing the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption since 2013, Trong reinforced the campaign in 2017 and has spearheaded it since. He said in 2018 that the nations fight against corruption was at an all-time high and called for efforts made at all costs to take it even further.

In 2019, he took the fight to the military, directing leaders to root out corrupt practices in managing and using its assets.

The campaign has seen several high-profile government officials, top military officers and business figures arrested and jailed for crimes including graft, money laundering and economic mismanagement.

Some of the high profile names include: former political star Dinh La Thang, who once worked as Minister of Transport and then Party leader of Ho Chi Minh City, Trinh Xuan Thanh, former general director of PetroVietnam Construction Corporation (PVC), Truong Minh Tuan and Nguyen Bac Son, former ministers of information and communications, and former colonel Dinh Ngoc He.

Trong said he could not imagine the millions of dollars that have been lost to corruption.

"The war to fight and prevent corruption will not stop, will not rest and have no restricted areas, no matter who it involves," he said, adding a long, arduous and drastic fight lay ahead. What has been done so far is achieve some degree of prevention and limiting of corruption, he said.

He said some people had been worried that if I get weak, this fight would also weaken. But, as the 13th Party Congress drew near, even top officials of big cities like Hanoi and HCMC could not escape, he said.

"Who doesnt like money! But I say honor is the most noble thing; can we take money along when we die?"
LONDON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This past weekend saw the United Arab Emirates make the transformative step to allow citizenship to be granted to select professionals who want to invest in the country. As the first Arab nation to implement this policy change, it will allow the UAE to benefit from a financial boost and attract highly skilled individuals and expatriates to contribute to its economy.

This amendment to their citizenship laws has been hailed as an innovative step by the Citizenship by Investment community and is one that will make it easier for those eligible to become UAE citizens. It also highlights the step forward in more countries recognising the benefit of allowing dual citizenship rather than seeing it as a drawback. The new policy will specifically apply to expat investors, doctors, scientists, engineers and artists as well as their families. It will also apply to those who have lived and worked in the UAE for decades in recognition of their contribution.





"This is a hugely progressive step for the UAE. This new law will bring in a wealth of investment and skills thereby allowing the UAE to diversify their income options. It now acknowledges individuals and families who positively contribute to the overall Emirati community. For investors, the need for global mobility, particularly when it comes to business, has been brought to the fore in the past year due to COVID-19 and all the restrictions it imposes. This makes Citizenship by Investment a win-win situation for the UAE and investors alike making for a stronger economy and an attractive country to invest in," says Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners, a legal advisory firm specialising in Citizenship by Investment solutions.





For close to a decade the UAE has seen the steadying decline in the use of fossil fuels and have therefore needed to expand their options and policies to ensure they remain prosperous. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has described the decision to amend the nation's citizenship law as one that will contribute to the continued development of the UAE.

Citizenship by Investment has for decades provided countries and individuals with the mutually beneficial opportunity to become a citizen of that country and to contribute to its economy. For individuals, it provides numerous benefits including the opportunity to invest in real estate, provide a more stable and safe life for family, financial freedom and it opens doors to many visa-free travel options. For countries, it allows them to attract skilled individuals who want to invest and contribute to their growth and economy. St Kitts & Nevis established the first Citizenship by Investment programme back in 1984 and has allowed the nation to flourish.

"The UAE are pioneering the way forward for other countries in the Arab nation. The landscape of Citizenship by Investment is changing, with more countries identifying it as a real opportunity to bring in needed income. The UAE is already seen as a central hub for business and will no doubt become an even more attractive option now that more individuals could be granted citizenship. With due diligence in place and select investment options in real estate, it will be interesting to see how this new policy helps to shape their economy. As an industry we are delighted to see more countries amending their citizenship laws, allowing dual citizenship and ultimately helping transform individuals into more global citizens," says Paul Singh, Director as CS Global Partners.

[email protected]

www.csglobalpartners.com

SOURCE CS Global Partners
Addressing the governments health care spending, Sitharaman announced a total spend of around Rs 2 lakh crore on healthcare with Rs 35,000 crore on Covid-19 vaccine development and innoculation.

Key points

Agricultyre credit target at 16.5 lakh crore

The FM also added that 'We propose to take up two public sector banks and one general insurance companies for stake sale in FY22. I propose to move amendments to the law this year'.

We will also bring LIC's IPO this fiscal," Nirmala Sitharaman says. Government also allotted Rs 20,000 crore for bank recapitalisation

FDI in insurance increased to 74 pc from 49 pc and Govt proposes investor charter across financial products.

Scheme for promoting flagging of merchant ships in India will be launched by providing subsidy support: FM.

Govt proposes to launch hydrogen energy mission next fiscal for generating hydrogen from green power sources: FM.

The government on Monday announced the Jal Jeevan mission with an outlay of 2.87 lakh crore for 4,378 urban local bodies.

Centre to provide 18,000 crore for public buses, announces FM Nirmala Sithraman.

City gas distribution network of providing CNG to automobiles and piped cooking gas to households in 100 more districts: FM.

Fuel supplies were kept running without interruption during Covid-19 lockdown: FM

For a 5-trillion dollar economy, our manufacturing sector has to grow in double digits on a sustained basis.

Our manufacturing companies need to become an integral part of global supply chains: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

FM announces 7 port projects worth more than 2,000 cr via PPA mode
NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as she is set to present Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament on Monday, at a time when India is recovering from the COVID-19 crisis. The Budget presentation will begin with a speech from Finance Minister scheduled to take place at around 11 am.

Ahead of her third Budget presentation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team will meet President Ram Nath Kovind, and will likely be accompanied by her deputy Anurag Thakur and other officials of the Finance Ministry. The Union Cabinet will hold a meeting at 10:15 am before the presentation. Usually, the duration of the presentation ranges from 90 to 120 minutes. This year, the Union Budget will be delivered in paperless form for the first time.

Here we bring to you the schedule of Union Finance Minister for the day:

9:00 am: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will leave for Rashtrapati Bhawan. She will pose for a photo along with her Budget team.

10:00 am: Finance Minister will arive at Parliament. She will again pose for a photo along with the 'red' budget briefcase.

11:00 am: Finance Minister will begin presenting the Union Budget.

3:00 pm: Sitharaman will address a post-Budget Press Conference along with Minister of State for Finance and all other Secretaries at Media Center

FM Sitharamans speech and Union Budget presentation can be watched live on the 'Union Budget Mobile App' launched recently by the Finance Minister. The newly launched Union Budget Mobile App provides hassle-free access to Budget documents to lawmakers and the general public.

This newly launched Union Budget Mobile App can be downloaded from the Google Play Store on Android devices and from the Apple App Store on iOS devices  iPhone and iPad. One can also download it from the Union Budget Web Portal. The app will be available on both Android and iOS platforms.

Ahead of the Union Budget presentation, the Union Cabinet will hold a meeting at 10:15 am.

Live TV

Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 03:53:14|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (C), European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Stella Kyriakides (L) and European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton attend a video conference in Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 31, 2021. The European Union's (EU) top health officials held discussions on Sunday with drug giants about rapid development and production of vaccines specially against the new variants of the coronavirus. The video conference was held by the commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, with CEOs of the pharmaceutical companies BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, CureVac and Sanofi, all of which have signed agreements with the EU for vaccines supply. (European Union/Handout via Xinhua)

BRUSSELS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The European Union's (EU) top health officials held discussions on Sunday with drug giants about rapid development and production of vaccines specially against the new variants of the coronavirus.

The emergence of variants of concern "raises the imminent threat of reduced efficacy of recently approved vaccines," and it is crucial to prepare for the appearance of such variants, the European Commission said in a press release.

The video conference was held by the commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, with CEOs of the pharmaceutical companies BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, CureVac and Sanofi, all of which have signed agreements with the EU for vaccines supply.

EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton, von der Leyen's coronavirus special advisors Peter Piot and Moncef Slaoui, as well as the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency, Emer Cook, were also present.

The discussion explored requirements for very rapid development, manufacturing and regulatory approval of vaccines for COVID-19 variants in the EU, according to the press release.

The meeting took place amid increasing concerns over the limit of capacity and shortage of supply in the EU and the seemingly lower efficacy of some vaccines towards the new variants.

On Friday, Piot said biotechnology company Novavax reported positive results from its large UK trials with overall efficacy of 89 percent, but it is 86 percent effective against the variant first identified in the UK and only 60 percent effective against the variant detected in South Africa. Enditem
The new partnership is an integral part of Rwandas NTD Strategic Plan to eliminate schistosomiasis and other NTDs as a public health problem by 2024

Merck, a leading science and technology company, and the END Fund have announced their partnership to provide Rwanda with 8 million additional tablets of praziquantel per year. The tablets are needed for treating adults endangered by schistosomiasis and will complement Mercks annual donation for the treatment of school-aged children. The new partnership is an integral part of Rwandas NTD Strategic Plan to eliminate schistosomiasis and other NTDs as a public health problem by 2024.

Back in 2007, more than a decade ago, Merck committed to the fight against schistosomiasis. Today we are taking another important step to eliminate this deadly disease in Rwanda together with the END Fund, said Belen Garijo, Vice Chair of the Executive Board and Deputy CEO, Merck.

Mercks donation also represents a significant contribution to the Deworming Innovation Fund, a four-country initiative of the END Fund to progress towards the elimination of schistosomiasis and intestinal worms in Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. Through the Deworming Innovation Fund, it will allow our partners in Rwanda to reach more underserved communities with NTD treatments. This supports the government of Rwandas efforts to end schistosomiasis as a public health problem, which in turn leads to better educational and economic outcomes, said Ellen Agler, CEO, END Fund.

Merck and the END Fund announced their partnership on the occasion of the second World NTD Day on January 30, 2021. The World NTD Day is supported by over 230 international partners to raise awareness for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and to call for action to put an end to these diseases.

To date, the company has donated more than 1.3 billion tablets of praziquantel, enabling the treatment of 520 million school-aged children.

Schistosomiasis is a chronic condition and one of the most common and most devastating parasitic diseases in tropical countries. It is estimated that more than 240 million people are infected worldwide and that around 200,000 people die from it each year. The disease is transmitted by parasitic flatworms and the infection rate is particularly high among school-aged children.
It hasnt been an especially snowy winter, but when storms have hit, theyve been big ones.

Schuylkill County and the rest of central and northeastern Pennsylvania are digging out from a storm that began Sunday afternoon and wont let up completely until later Tuesday. It will be the second storm this season that dumped about a foot of snow on the region, the other taking place Dec. 16 and 17.

John Matz, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Agency coordinator, called this latest snowstorm one of the weirdest he has seen.

Snow began out of the southwest on Sunday, but a low pressure system in the Atlantic Ocean then began delivering heavy snow to Schuylkill County from the east. As of 7 p.m. Sunday, about 2 inches was recorded in parts of the county, with another 5 to 5 1/2 falling throughout Monday morning.

As the storm intensified off the coast Monday, the National Weather Service was predicting another 7 to 8 inches throughout Monday evening into Tuesday morning.

Now were back to that heavy snow again, Matz said Monday afternoon.

The storm developed as a low pressure system in the Atlantic Ocean that pumped moisture into the atmosphere and collided with cold Canadian air, is how the NWS described it.

When its all said and done, Schuylkill County could see between 11 and 15 inches.

The grade shut down

State police at Frackville did report that northbound lanes of Route 61 between Saint Clair and Interstate 81 in Blythe and Ryan townships were closed for a time Monday due to several commercial vehicles being stuck. The road reopened about 4 p.m.

Meanwhile, in Berks County, fire police were called to assist in shutting down an area of Interstate 78 near mile marker 35.

Otherwise as of Monday afternoon, Matz said the county EMA office and the Schuylkill County 911 Center had few major incidents.

I think a lot of people listened and stayed off of the road, Matz said. Its been kind of quiet.

Matz commended not only PennDOT road crews but municipal workers.

They (PennDOT) have been fully deployed since yesterday and will stay that way until this is over, he said.

Matz said that due to the impending storm, it was decided over the weekend to close the Schuylkill County Courthouse and other county offices Monday. The decision was made by President Judge William E. Baldwin and county Administrator Gary Bender.

Well look at it and see how it is, Matz said about reopening Tuesday.

Wind a worry

With steady winds of up to 14 mph predicted throughout Monday night, Tuesday and Wednesday, Matz said theyll be keeping an eye on it.

Matz said the EMA office is checking regularly with PPL for power outages, as well as 511PA for traffic problems, the county 911 center and weather maps provided by the National Weather Service.

Were on top of it and will stay on top of it until the storm is over, Matz said.

County government offices were not the only places closed due to the storm.

A number of area businesses closed Monday but planned to open for normal hours Tuesday, weather permitting.

Tuesdays high temperature is expected to hover around freezing and stay the same for Wednesday. Temperatures will then jump into the high 30s on Thursday and Friday before falling again over the weekend.

Beginning Sunday night and continuing through this morning, the City of Pottsville as well as communities throughout the county instituted emergency no parking orders.

Effective at 6 p.m. Sunday, the city instituted a Snow Emergency Level 2 Parking Ban. The ban remains in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday, with other communities such as Mahanoy City and Saint Clair doing the same.

Fire police were called to assist with traffic control due to the deteriorating road conditions Monday in the area of Hegins Township and West Penn Township.

Fire watch in effect

While most people took shelter inside their homes, many firefighters and concerned residents did their part shoveling snow and making sure fire hydrants were accessible in the event of an emergency.

Mahanoy City Fire Chief Dan Markiewicz said making sure fire hydrants are visible and free of snow is of utmost importance.

This is vital, especially with the row home construction we have in the county, he said. The three or four minutes it would take to shovel a hydrant out could mean the difference between losing a house or half block since fire can double in size in less than a minute.

The Mahanoy City Fire Department instituted a fire watch from 11 p.m. Sunday until 7 a.m. Monday and will do the same Monday night into Tuesday morning. It ensures each of the boroughs five fire stations are manned with qualified firefighters who could respond immediately in the event of an emergency and not have to drive from their homes to their respective stations.

This storm is overwhelming and a delayed response is not an option, the chief said. Were already behind the eight ball with the weather and want to be as ready as possible.

Markiewicz said that during the fire watches, firefighters were out throughout the community shoveling fire hydrants and that any help from residents is appreciated.

On behalf of the Mahanoy City Fire Department I want the people of Mahanoy City and Mahanoy Township to know that we appreciate the help they give us, he said.
If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now!

Submit
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 19:19:41|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Algeria's COVID-19 vaccine rollout kicked off Saturday in the town of Blida, where the country's first case was reported in early 2020. Health workers took the first jab of Russia's Sputnik-V vaccine at a hospital in Blida, some 50 km southwest of the capital, Algiers
The metal has gained 19% in price since last Thursday after posts on Reddit led small investors to buy silver mining stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETF) backed by physical silver bars, in a GameStop-style squeeze.

Retail sites for silver have been overwhelmed with demand for bars and coins as well. Dealers including Money Metals, SD Bullion, JM Bullion and Apmex said over the weekend they were unable to process orders until Asian markets opened because of unprecedented demand.

Pretty much physical silver is almost all gone in terms of live inventory, Tyler Wall, president and chief executive officer at SD Bullion, told Bloomberg TV.

There are massive shortages. Well be completely out of stock if it carries on like this; the first time since our company opened in Singapore 7 years ago, David Mitchell, managing director at Indigo Precious Metals told Reuters.

The buying frenzy also fed into mining shares. Fresnillo Plc surged as much as 21% in London trading. First Majestic rose as much as 24% in New York.

Organized in online forums and traded with fee-free brokers, such as Robinhood, the phenomenon has driven a 1,500% rally in the shares of videogame retailer GameStop. The company had a $1.2 billion market capitalization at the beginning of the year, and on Wednesday touched $24.2 billion.

Image: Reddits WallStreetBets forum.

BlackRock Inc.s iShares Silver Trust, the largest exchange-traded product tracking silver, recorded an unprecedented $944 million net inflow on Friday.

GameStop stock tumbled as much as 34% in the last days, as bearish investors appeared to cover their positions.

Last weeks events have shown it to be unwise to doubt the purchasing power of retail investors, and this has been sufficiently demonstrated again on the silver market, Howie Lee, an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp told Bloomberg.

They may find it a bit harder to squeeze the silver market than they did with GameStop  the former is much bigger and more liquid  but the momentum looks like it rests with them at the moment.

Solar-panel costs

The surging price of silver threatens to boost costs for solar-panel producers, which account for about 10% of global demand for the metal.

At current prices, the metal accounts for about 4.7% of the cost of a panel.

Chinese manufacturers are also trying to boost inventory now ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday that starts next week.

By Mining.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
George Mireku Duker, Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa-Nsuaem constituency, has advised President Nana Akufo-Addo's appointees to work hard and support the vision of the President.



Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo, Hon. Mireku Duker urged the appointees not to slack in their duties stressing the President has done lots of good works for Ghanaians and stays committed to improving the the living condidtions of the citizenry.



He warned the appointees to not also misconduct themselves but rather execute their duties effectively and bring honor to the President.



"The President is not God. He can't see everything. His appointees must help him and we should all conduct ourselves properly and work to honor him," he said.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Drinks giant Coca-Cola Amatil has received the green light from Australias foreign investment board for its $9 billion tie-up with Coca-Cola Europe as analysts and shareholders continue to push for a better offer from the companys overseas stablemate.

In October, Coca-Cola Amatil announced it was supporting a shock offer from Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) to acquire 100 per cent of the business at $12.75 per share, an offer that at the time marked a 23 per cent premium to the stocks one-week volume-weighted average price.

Coca Cola Amatil has received the green light from FIRB. Credit:

Coke Australia told investors on Monday morning the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) had no objection to the deal, an outcome that was widely expected by the company and investors.

However, the local bottler warned the FIRB clearance was only one part of the lengthy process of finalising the deal, which is yet to be approved by shareholders with a vote expected to be held in March.
Lebanese military clashed with protesters in Tripoli on Sunday, as people from across the country travelled to the city to demonstrate against the country's coronavirus lockdown measures.

Nine people were injured, with one hospitalized, after the Lebanese military used tear gas to disperse the crowds.

According to the military 17 people were arrested.

Protests against the lockdown have been taking place regularly for almost a week, and clashes with authorities have killed one person and injured hundreds of others.

Tripoli has been the center for demonstrations against the country's political class, with those participating denouncing Lebanon's nearly-one month shutdown that has exacerbated already dire conditions.

(Image Credit: AP)

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
It shouldnt be this hard to find a home in Chicago, said Brittany King, 30.

A single mother of a toddler, King is looking for subsidized housing near her family on the North Side. Having endured a stroke while in college in 2009 as a result of her sickle cell anemia, she does not want to wait years before she can find a home adjacent to her daughters day care and near her own mother and the doctors she relies on for care.

Shes looking for something bigger than a one-bedroom apartment, so her child can have a room, and she needs their home to be on the ground floor to accommodate her condition. But with a yearslong waitlist for Chicago Housing Authority-run affordable housing, King said its unlikely shell get the home she wants any time soon.

Everything is wait-listed through the CHA, said King, a housing and disability advocate. The CHA is the middleman for all these affordable, accessible places ... (and) I have to wait another 10 years to get into a unit? Thats just unnecessarily painful. Ten years plus is too long to wait for anyone.

For those familiar with the citys affordable housing network, Kings tale is a familiar one. But recent efforts to amend the Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO), which governs affordable housing requirements for residential developers, could ease the process and have more Chicagoans like King in homes that fit their needs.

Proponents are hoping to get the word out about the Chicago Inclusive Housing Ordinance (CIHO), the reform legislation they hope will help with the looming eviction crisis prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic and create more inclusive, affordable housing.

Tenets of the CIHO include:

To grow the stock of family-sized ARO residences  the majority are currently studios and one-bedrooms  the city would require 60% of newly built affordable housing to have at least two bedrooms, and 30% to have three bedrooms or more.

Lower rent to 20% to 50% of the area median income, compared to the current 60%, in line with median incomes for Black and Latino households in Chicago.

Story continues

Place more affordable homes in high- and moderate-income neighborhoods with high rates of displacement.

End the option for developers to pay a fee in lieu of putting affordable housing in their buildings.

With those fees gone, create new funding for existing affordable housing programs by implementing a per-square-foot density fee for commercial developments and others not covered by the ARO.

Require ARO residences to be wheelchair adaptable or accessible.

The proposed ordinance comes after the city formed an Inclusionary Housing Task Force at the end of 2019 to examine public housing programs and suggest improvements to the ARO. It has the backing of the citys Department of Housing, which oversees ARO initiatives.

The Inclusionary Housing Task Force continues to be instrumental as we work toward a new ARO that is rooted in the goals of reducing segregation, serving lower-income residents and larger household sizes, and providing increased accessibility, the department said in a statement.

The ARO requires developers who receive city funding, require a zoning change, or build on city-owned land to designate 10% to 20% of buildings with more than 10 apartments or condos for pricing below market rate  or pay fees instead.

Since it was passed in 2007, the ARO has produced more than 1,000 apartments in market-rate developments and generated over $124 million in lieu of fees. But there remains a need for at least 120,000 more homes across the city, according to the report.

Other concerns in the report include a rise in housing prices that has accelerated faster than household income  making large portions of Chicago still unaffordable for the citys working class  and how the in lieu of fees can hinder inclusivity in neighborhoods where people would be otherwise priced out.

Put together, these trends have exacerbated the racial and economic segregation that has plagued the city for over a century, the report states.

The task forces findings, released in September, adequately probed the quality of affordable housing created through the ARO, said John Joe Schlichtman, a sociology professor at DePaul University and co-author of the book Gentrifier.

What marks Chicago is its lack of quality affordable housing in areas of opportunity, Schlichtman said. The response must be a balance between increasing opportunity in affordable areas and increasing affordability in areas of opportunity.

Along with co-chairs Aldermen Walter Burnett Jr., 27th, Harry Osterman, 48th, and Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, the task force included developers, policy experts and representatives from Chicago-area housing organizations such as Heartland Alliance, The Resurrection Project, ONE Northside and Access Living.

Their findings formed the basis of the CIHO, which Sigcho-Lopez and six other aldermen introduced in November with the hopes of passing it in the first three months of 2021.

Now (that) we made an assessment, its time to pass legislation, Sigcho-Lopez said. At this point, were in an emergency.

Housing advocates have issued dire warnings about the tidal wave of evictions expected when government moratoriums issued amid the pandemic are ultimately lifted.

Intended to keep people in their homes to slow the spread of COVID-19, state and federal moratoriums do not erase rent debt, meaning those who could not afford rent due to job loss or other pandemic-related financial issues could be still be evicted if they dont come up with the money.

Many people are experiencing housing insecurity for the first time in their life, escalating challenges faced by those who were already housing insecure, said Ald. Maria Hadden, 49th, who co-sponsored the CIHO. Even before COVID-19, we were facing an accessible and affordable housing crisis, which has now been exacerbated by the pandemic.

Legislators must address the pending crisis before it comes to a head, taking action such as requiring landlords to have just cause for evictions or else provide money for relocation, Sigcho-Lopez said.

We need to make sure that we pass a number of (laws) that we have seen in other cities, he said. Just cause is one of them; ARO reform is another that were working on to make sure that developers arent coming in and eroding the social fabric of our communities.

Another tool is the anti-deconversion ordinance, legislation that Sigcho-Lopez backed with Mayor Lori Lightfoot that was passed last week. The ordinance is designed to make it harder for developers to buybuildings with multiple apartments and convert them into expensive single-family homes.

Don Washington, executive director of the Chicago Housing Initiative, doesnt think the proposed CIHO is a silver bullet for affordable housing; but, he said, its a necessary change.

We have to do something, and our ordinance will blunt some of the crisis, Washington said. Homelessness, housing insecurity and the threat of eviction has made us so vulnerable to shocks to our society that COVID-19, a year into its growth, is threatening us with apocalyptic outcomes.

Nonpartisan think tank Aspen Institute estimated in August that at least 31% and up to half of Illinois households are at risk of eviction, representing up to 1.7 million people in 762,000 households. A more conservative estimate from Stout, a global advisory firm, still sees up to 532,000 renter households at risk.

Weve no systems in place to contend with even half of the predicted number of evictions hitting this city if they happen, Washington said.

Advocates are showcasing the real-life situations Illinois renters are facing through a new website, Renter Stories.

Funded by the Lift the Ban Coalition, Metropolitan Tenants Organization and Autonomous Tenants Union, the site solicits testimonies in an attempt to make the lives of constituents a little harder to ignore during this crisis, said Morley Musick, who conducted interviews with the first cohort of renters on the website.

Just hearing in plain speech interviews ... about the central issues in their lives can help put in perspective the enormity of the crisis, he said.

The stories include a Starbucks employee who got a 30-day notice to vacate; a grandmother who has to choose between paying rent and getting her medication; and a student loan-burdened architect who got hit with a 12% increase in rent last year.

When you take away somebodys home, you not only directly endanger their physical health through stress ... but (it) literally just jeopardizes their sense of stability as a person, Musick said. (They feel) like, Can I count on anything? Just hearing from the interviews: No. Its a tragic conclusion.

The Chicago Housing Initiative will host a virtual town hall on the eviction crisis at 1 p.m. Saturday. During the event, individuals will learn what they can do to protect themselves, and what the city can do to protect us all.

drockett@chicagotribune.com
Mogadishu: Nine people died in a weekend attack at a hotel in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, and security forces ended the assault by al-Qaeda-linked al Shabaab fighters early on Monday, a police spokesman said.

A suicide car bomb exploded early on Sunday evening and was followed by a shootout between al-Shabaab militants and security forces at the Hotel Afrik. The fighting lasted into early Monday.

A medical worker pushes the stretcher of a civilian man wounded in an attack on the Afrik hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, on Sunday. Credit:AP

The operation is over now. Nine people including four attackers died and over 10 civilians were injured. There is no electricity, Sadik Ali, told reporters from the scene and via Facebook.

Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble said in a statement that among those killed was a retired military general and former defence minister, Mohamed Nur Galal.

Israel: Netanyahu to travel to Gulf for short visit He will meet with Emirati prince Zayed next week

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, FEBRUARY 1 - Israeli Premier Benyamin Netanyahu next week will visit the Gulf following the Abraham Accords in a trip that will last a few hours instead of the three days originally scheduled, due to the Covid situation.



According to local media, the prime minister will only go to Abu Dhabi - and not to Dubai and Bahrain as previously planned - where he will stay for about three hours to meet with Emirati crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.



The trip was already moved other times and should take place on February 9, the day after a trial is scheduled to resume in Jerusalem against the premier over two cases in which he is accused of corruption, fraud and abuse of power.(ANSAmed).




When Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) first came to power with a historic mandate in 2014, it promised massive economic reform, which included Income-Tax reforms.

In the first Budget by the Modi sarkar, the tax exemption limit was raised from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh. The same was raised from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for senior citizens. For very senior citizens (80 years and above), however, the exemption limit was unchanged at Rs 5 lakh.

Budget 2021: Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates

The deduction limit for interest on home loan was increased from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. The deduction limit under Section 80C was raised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh.

In the following Budget in 2015, the wealth tax was abolished. Instead, an additional surcharge of 2 percent on the super-rich (with a taxable income of Rs 1 crore and above).

Union Budget 2021 LIVE Updates

The transport allowance exemption from Rs 800 to Rs 1,600 per month. An additional deduction of Rs 50,000 was announced under the National Pension Scheme (NPS) under Section 80 CCD.

The deduction limit for health insurance premium was raised from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000. For senior citizens, it was raised from Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000. At the same time, the surcharge for people with income more than Rs 1 crore was raised from 10 percent to 12 percent.

In Budget 2016, the deduction limit on rent paid under Section 80GG was raised from Rs 24,000 per year to Rs 60,000 per year. For the ones with income not exceeding Rs 5 lakh per annum, The surcharge for people with income more than Rs 1 crore was increased from 12 percent to 15 percent. For dividends in excess of Rs 10 lakh annually, 10 percent I-T tax was imposed. The tax rebate under Section 87A was raised from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.

In Budget 2017, for the ones whose annual income is up to Rs 3.5 lakh, the tax rebate under Section 87A was reduced from Rs 5,000 to Rs 2,500. The tax rate was reduced from 10 percent to 5 percent in the Rs 2.5 lakh - Rs 5 lakh bracket. Additionally, a surcharge of 10 percent was introduced on those with annual taxable income between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore.

In Budget 2018, a standard deduction of Rs 40,000 was introduced in transport allowance and reimbursement of miscellaneous medical expenses. Taxpayers benefitted Rs 5,800 because of the same.

For senior citizens, the deduction for medical expenditure was increased from Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000.

It was also announced that, for senior citizens, the deduction for interest income earned on deposits with banks, post offices will be increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000. In addition, an exemption was introduced from the tax deduction for interest income up to Rs 50,000. It was decided to tax long-term capital gains exceeding Rs 1 lakh at the rate of 10 percent without allowing the benefit of any indexation.

The then finance minister Arun Jaitley proposed to replace the existing 3 percent education cess on personal income tax and corporation tax with a 4 percent 'Health and Education Cess'.

It was Piyush Goyal who presented the interim Budget in February 2019 as an acting finance minister. People earning less than Rs 5 lakh was supposed to pay zero I-T tax. The standard deduction was increased from Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 for the salaried class. However, FM Nirmala Sitharaman did not make any changes in the income tax slabs and rates when she presented the full Budget in July.

In the last Union Budget in 2020, FM Sitharaman announced the launch of a new personal I-T regime and scrapped the dividend distribution tax (DDT).

She introduced new slabs and reduced the tax rate for different slabs for an individual income of up to Rs 15 lakh per annum, if a taxpayer chooses foregoing exemptions and deductions. The new tax regime was made optional. Under the proposal, people with an annual income of Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7.5 lakh have to pay a reduced tax rate of 10 percent; between Rs 7.5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh 15 percent; between Rs 10 lakh and 12.5 lakh 20 percent; between Rs 12.5 lakh and 15 lakh 25 percent, and above Rs 15 lakh 30 percent, the finance minister had announced.
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.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman may announce a national bank to finance infrastructure projects in the upcoming budget.

Various reports suggest that the ministry of finance has prepared a draft of the bill called - the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development Bill, 2020.

The proposed bank may have an authorised capital of one lakh crore rupee and twenty thousand crore rupees as an initial paid-up capital.

This bank is likely to replace India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (llFCL) with higher power and autonomy. The purpose of setting up this bank is to finance the National Infrastructure Pipeline, reports said.

Also read: Budget 2021: 'Increase healthcare expenditure from 1.2% to 2.5% of GDP'

The government may make it mandatory for Provident Fund, Pension and Insurance Funds to put a certain amount to this bank.

The National Bank will not only provide long-term financing for infrastructure projects, but also ensure the financial closure of projects. Apart from these activities, the bank will also engage in monetisation of the project and regular monitoring for timely completion.

The government has planned a total infrastructure investment of Rs 11.1 lakh crore in the next five years.

Also read: Budget 2021: New income tax regime introduced in 2020 may see tweaks

Also read: Budget 2021: Expectation for salaried persons in income tax slab
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Monday and not separately reported by Alliance News:







DX Group PLC - Slough-headquartered courier - Says trading over 27 weeks to January 2 was tracking "materially ahead" of last year up until Christmas. Since then momentum has remained "encouraging" though B2B volumes have been "modestly impacted" by England's national lockdown. "Nonetheless, the board now anticipates that DX will materially exceed current market expectations for adjusted profit before tax for the financial year," says DX Group.







BATM Advanced Communications - provides technologies for networking solutions and medical laboratory systems - Expects revenue for 2020 to be at least USD180 million, being significantly ahead of upgraded market expectations and representing annual growth of over 45%. Consequently, Ebitda is expected to be "substantially" ahead of market expectations. "The substantial growth over the previous year was driven by the Bio-Medical division. In particular, the Diagnostics unit rapidly developed testing kits in response to the outbreak of Covid-19 and received strong demand throughout the year for its reagents and instruments," BATM notes.







Staffline Group PLC - Nottingham-based recruitment and training firm - Says company made "significant progress" in 2020, and expects to report underlying operating profit marginally ahead of expectations. Despite the national lockdown in November and restrictions in December, the group still experienced a strong Christmas trading peak, with significant demand from food retail customers. While outlook in the near-term is "not without its challenges", Staffline says it is "cautiously optimistic".







Gusbourne PLC - Kent, England-based, sparkling wine producer - Says net revenue for 2020 expected to be up 29% to GBP2.1 million from GBP1.7 million in 2019, reflecting previously reported 24% like for like growth in the first half and expected growth of 33% in the second half. "We are delighted to have achieved another year of strong overall sales growth with particularly pleasing performance in the DTC and overseas sales channels," says Chief Executive & Chief Winemaker Charlie Holland.







IDE Group Holdings PLC - Croydon-based cloud and IT managed services provider - Expects to report revenue of GBP23.6 million for 2020, down from GBP28.2 million in 2019, and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of GBP500,000 versus GBP1.1 million the year before. "During the year ended 31 December 2020 the group underwent a programme of cost rationalisation which included further redundancies to reflect the decrease in certain service lines as a result of the Covud-19 pandemic, as well as the ongoing data centre consolidation exercise, the benefits of which are expected to fall in the current year," IDE adds.







Venture Life Group PLC - Bracknell, Berkshire-based consumer health products - Expects to report 2020 revenue of GBP30.1 million, up 49% on 2019, and adjusted Ebitda "not less" than GBP6 million, which would be more than double 2019's adjusted Ebitda. "Despite the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, revenues across the business grew significantly in 2020, notably in sales of the VLG Brands, which now represent 50% of revenues, compared to 33% in 2019," Venture Life says.







Netcall PLC - Hemel Hempstead-based customer engagement software firm - Says the company traded comfortably in line with management expectations during first half of financial year, anticipating year-on-year revenue growth of 9% to GBP13.4 million for six months to December 31. Adjusted Ebitda to grow 38% to GBP2.9 million. "Netcall enjoyed another strong trading performance in the first half of the year, with good demand for both our Intelligent Automation and Customer Engagement offerings across our main markets of financial services, healthcare and public sector," says Chief Executive Henrik Bang.







United Oil & Gas PLC - oil and gas explorer - Says group working interest production 2,195 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2020, with total revenue around USD9.0 million to USD9.2 million. Says working interest production in Egypt is forecast to average between 2,300 and 2,500 barrels per day for the first half of 2021. "2020 was a successful year for United, delivering an excellent operational and financial performance, despite a challenging commodity price environment and the global pandemic," says Chief Executive Brian Larkin.







Seeing Machines Ltd - computer vision technology company headquartered in London - Expects to report revenue of AUD18.1 million for the six months to December 31, up 15% year-on-year. Total connected Guardian units at the end of December was 26,597, securing forward annualised recurring revenue including royalties of AUD15.5 million. Company says it continues to trade in line with expectations for the full-year.







Jadestone Energy Inc - Asia Pacific-focused oil and gas company - Says it achieved its revised 2020 production guidance target, with full-year output averaging 11,438 barrels per day. The company realised an average oil price of USD44.75 per barrel in 2020, excluding hedging, and generated net revenue of USD217.9 million. Says it has entered into an agreement to hedge around 30% of its production in the first quarter of 2021.







Oilex Ltd - oil & gas explorer focused on "super basins" in India, Australia and UK - Says plans at Cambay Field, India, to drill two vertical wells are well advanced and sale process being conducted by GSPC for its 55% interest in the Cambay PSC remains ongoing, however, subject to "significant delay" due to the Covid-19. Says gas production from the Cambay Field is currently shut-in and company hopes to reinstate production in the near future.







Totally PLC - healthcare services provider - Says wholly-owned subsidiary Vocare Ltd has been awarded two additional 12-month contract extensions worth a total of around GBP16.8 million. Vocare will continue to provide Integrated Urgent Care services for the Staffordshire & Stoke Clinical Commissioning Groups and one of Vocare's contracts for the provision of GP Out of Hours services in Yorkshire has also been extended.







Aura Energy - Australia-based minerals company - Says during quarter ended December, business activities were largely on hold pending discussions to settle ongoing legal disputes and a recapitalisation plan for the company. "With the assistance of a major shareholder, Aura Energy commenced settlement negotiations on the outstanding legal disputes with the shareholder activists and this has been largely successful," says Aura. Company adds that Covid-19 continues to restrict access to its projects.







By Lucy Heming;A lucyheming@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Ahora | Mensaje a la Nacion del presidente de la Republica, @FSagasti.#NoBajemosLaGuardia

?? En vivo: https://t.co/UZQn9FhDmF
A medic takes samples of a woman for the new coronavirus test in Cau Giay District of Hanoi, July 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Tat Dinh.

The Health Ministry confirmed two more Covid-19 cases in Hanoi Monday morning, raising the infection tally of Vietnam's new community transmission wave to 240.

The latest patients are both women, aged 40 and 48.

Tagged "1818" and "1819," they are residents in Nam Tu Liem and Cau Giay Districts of Hanoi. Both of them got infected with the new coronavirus after having contact with people who were later confirmed Covid-19 infections in Chi Linh Town of Hai Duong.

The new patients have raised Hanoi's tally in the new Covid-19 to 15.

The northern province of Hai Duong, more than one hour east of Hanoi, has become the biggest cluster of Covid-19 in Vietnam with 188 cases confirmed since Covid-19 returned to the community in Vietnam on January 28.

Its neighbor Quang Ninh has recorded 25 cases. Infections have spread to seven other cities and provinces, including Gia Lai with four patients, Bac Ninh (three), Hoa Binh (two), and HCMC, Hai Phong, Binh Duong (one each).

By Monday morning, Vietnam has recorded 1,819 cases and 362 are active.

Worldwide, the pandemic has killed more than 2.23 million after infection over 103.5 million.
The NSS said that the charges stem from a $1 million contract for the supply of artillery shells which Davit Galstians Mosston Engineering company signed with the Armenian Defense Ministry in 2018.

It said the company breached the contract by providing the ministry with ammunition designed for older and different artillery systems. Artillery units could not accomplish their combat tasks with those shells, the NSS added in a statement.

This is why, it said, NSS investigators have indicted Galstian and Mosstons director and asked a Yerevan court to remand them in pre-trial custody. It was not immediately clear if the suspects will plead guilty to the accusations.

Nor was it clear if the NSS could also prosecute any current or former Defense Ministry officials. The statement said in this regard that the investigators are taking measures to identify the full circle of individuals involved in the corruption scheme.

Galstian was an adviser to Armenias former Defense Minister Davit Tonoyan, who was sacked in November following the war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

The security service further revealed that Galstian is also facing three other criminal investigations into his companies dealings with the Armenian military. But it did not give any details of those inquiries.

Galstians companies have been among the Defense Ministrys leading suppliers in recent years.

Lieutenant-General Artak Davtian, who served as chief of the Armenian armys General Staff from 2018-2020, told RFE/RLs Armenian Service on Monday that they repeatedly failed to fulfill their contractual obligations during his tenure.

There were quite a lot of cases where we handed back supplies, demanded their replacement or found defects and told [the contractor] to eliminate them, Davtian said without elaborating.

Andranik Kocharian, the pro-government chairman of the Armenian parliament committee on defense and security, described the fraud accusations as credible and said they were made possible by the sackings of Tonoyan and previous NSS directors.

Such corrupt practices are not possible without the support of high-ranking officials, he claimed. So lets wait for further developments.

Kocharian and Tonoyan traded bitter accusations in the immediate aftermath of a Russian-brokered agreement that stopped the Karabakh war on November 10.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said farmers are getting 1.5 times of the minimum support price (MSP) on procurement of foodgrains.

In her Budget speech, the Finance Minister said procurement of crops will continue at the minimum support price.

Presenting statistics on procurement of wheat and rice on MSP, she said that this year Rs 1,72,000 crore will be spent on procurement of rice and more than Rs 62,000 crore have already been spent on procurement of wheat.

One of the two main demands of the farmers protesting at Delhi's borders for more than two months has been a legal guarantee on MSP by the government.

While the government has reiterated that the present system of procurement of crops at MSP will continue.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Fast Forward/Designing the Future of Palm Springs, a series of architectural discussions led by award winning and nationally known architects and designers, kicks off February 1st as part of the acclaimed Palm Springs Modernism Week. The virtual program is produced by the Palm Springs Architectural Alliance. One of the featured presenters is Maria Song (AIA LEED AP), a partner at Palm Springs based Interactive Design Corporation (IDC) whose portfolio includes award winning concepts for affordable housing initiatives, initiatives for which both Ms. Song and her partner Reuel Young have a strong and enduring commitment. Ms. Song is presenting her firm's designs and her insights into how beautifully affordable housing blends into existing communities and will focus on their work in creating designs for CHOC's Monarch Apartment Homes in Palm Springs. This discussion on affordable housing is thought to be a breakthrough and the first time the affordable housing topic includes such a comprehensive overview of architectural design and renderings for a signature event like Modernism Week.

Monarch Apartment Homes rendering (Courtesy: Interactive Design Corporation, Palm Springs)

It is her work on affordable housing that drew the attention of Alliance co-founder Debra Hovel. "From watching and working with Maria, her enthusiastic embrace of this idea for an inclusive community is one reason we wanted her in our program," says Ms. Hovel. "We advocate for high design in housing for low-income families and individuals and Maria has done that, has proven that it can work. Her excellence of design, from choice of materials to layout of the property and parking and her sense of justice for all people in the design of architecture is key to her success."

This sense of what it takes to create a viable, economically integrated community is what also drew the leadership of the Community Housing Opportunities Corporation (CHOC), a non-profit developer of affordable housing, to choose IDC as the architect for The Monarch Apartment Homes in Palm Springs. The stunningly conceived design, crafted to blend with iconic Wexler midcentury modern homes in the neighborhood, is a multifamily affordable housing development for working families and individuals. One of the goals of CHOC's initiative is to demonstrate that beautifully designed, affordable housing blends into any neighborhood, even upper income enclaves.

"We are proud of Maria's participation in this unique Modernism Week event," says Vincent Nicholas, Vice President of Real Estate Development for CHOC. "This is an important opportunity for the design community to learn how they can embrace architectural designs that showcase their communities while demonstrating concerted efforts to build economically integrated housing. Affordable housing is the most basic way to stabilize working families and every community should strive to support these efforts."

Ms. Song is one of seven presenters at the Fast Forward/Designing for the Future of Palm Springs, which is available via Modernism Week online.

"This important conference brings together an impressive array of architects, designers, educators, community members, and preservationists to discuss the future of architecture and urban planning in the greater Palm Springs area. We are excited to hear what Maria Song will discuss regarding the architecture and design of low-income housing projects," says Lisa Vossler Smith, Executive Director for Modernism Week.

Ms. Song left Korea for Argentina when she was a small child. The family then emigrated to California when she started high school. Her life experience shaped her commitment to equal opportunity and informs her commitment to affordable housing. "It is the great equalizer," she says. "When people are living paycheck to paycheck, when one small incident, like having your car break down, leaves you homeless, we know how economically fragile life is for too many."

"I have been lucky to be able to create homes for those most at risk," says Ms. Song. "My goal is to share the positive joys that come from this work, like the work CHOC gave me to create The Monarch Apartment Homes. It is CHOC's diligence to detail, including critical sensitivity to the community, that informed every aspect of The Monarch's design. As part of their team, I want the audience to understand there is nothing cheap about affordable housing. These complex development deals result in highly financed, high performing, beautifully designed structures. What is affordable is the rent, not the materials used or the landscaping or the standards and goals that must be met to achieve this much needed housing. The result is always a building that any community is proud to include as part of its fabric, a building that adds vibrancy and viability for a long time."

Founded in 1984, CHOC, a non-profit, affordable housing developer based in Fairfield, California,

with offices in Palm Springs, works to create equitable communities for individuals, families, seniors and for those with special needs. CHOC believes that affordable housing is key to self-sufficiency and is achievable with enriching, supportive programs that give pride to residents, stabilize families and improve local economies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Sydney Weisman, SWPR (323-804-3102), [email protected]

SOURCE Community Housing Opportunities Corporation (CHOC)

Related Links

https://www.chochousing.org


Four Indian short films have made it to the Oscars 2021 race this year. Vidya Balan's short film on rape culture has entered the Oscars along with other Indian short films such as Shameless, Saving Chintu, and Tailing Pond.

Produced by Ronnie Screwvala & Vidya Balan and helmed by Shaan Vyas, Natkhat is a 33-minute short film that showcases a mother-son relationship and how it is nurtured in a patriarchal home. The makers took to Twitter to announce the good news.

"We made #Natkhat 'to reach every corner of the earth and tell the world that change begins at home.' Elated to be in the race for the Oscars 2021 short film category!," tweeted RSVP films.

We made #Natkhat to reach every corner of the earth and tell the world that change begins at home. Elated to be in the race for the Oscars 2021 short film category!https://t.co/BLnd7DZVPg@RonnieScrewvala @vidya_balan @SanayaIZohrabi @FontOfThinking @mesopystic @NBCNews  RSVP Movies (@RSVPMovies) January 14, 2021

The short film has screened at prestigious international (virtual) film festivals like Tribecas We Are One: A Global Film Festival, Indian Film Festival Stuttgart (Where it won the German Star of India Award), London Indian Film Festival in London and Birmingham, the South Asian Film Festival - Orlando/Florida Film Festival, and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.

According to a press release, it was at the Best of India Short Film Festival that Natkhat was announced as the Winner and eligible for Oscar 2021 qualification.

Meanwhile Shameless, starring Sayani Gupta, Hussain Dalal and Rishabh Kapoor, is a short film written and directed by Keith Gomes.

It will be the official entry from India for the Academy Awards 2021. The film will compete in the Best Live Action Short Film category at the 93rd Oscars ceremony.

Here's hoping that India wins big at the Oscars this year. And we congratulate all for the nominations they have bagged at the prestigious awards this year.

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Turner Publishing Company announced today its acquisition of Prospect Park Books of Altadena, California. The acquisition, effective January 31, 2021, comprises more than 100 existing titles and approximately 11 titles in the process of being published. Turner is purchasing the assets of the company, including the titles, inventory, the name and other intellectual property.

Prospect Park Books

Turner plans to maintain the Prospect Park Books and Tiger Van imprints and will continue to publish the books under those imprints. Todd Bottorff, President and Publisher at Turner, commented, "Colleen has done impressive work building a great list of award-winning, beautifully written and designed books. We are honored that she would choose Turner to carry her publishing program forward." Colleen Dunn Bates, Owner, President, and Publisher of Prospect said, "Each of my books and authors is precious to me, so finding just the right home was essentialand Turner is exactly the home I'd hoped to find."

Prospect Park Books was distributed by Consortium Book Sales, an Ingram Content Group Company. Turner is distributed by Ingram Publisher Services, so distribution will move from one Ingram book distribution company to the other.

The Fisher Company, specialists in international publishing mergers and acquisitions, initiated the transaction, provided financial consultation, and assisted in negotiations on behalf of Prospect Park Books. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About Turner Publishing Company

Founded in 1985, Turner Publishing Company is an award-winning independent publisher based in Nashville, Tennessee, that currently publishes more than 5,000 titles. It has been named five times to Publishers Weekly's Fastest Growing Publishers List. http://turnerpublishing.com

Contact:

Media Contact

Lauren Ash

Turner Publishing

[email protected]

SOURCE Turner Publishing

Related Links

http://turnerpublishing.com


GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (AP)  Four people have been arrested and a teenage suspect is on the run following a shooting that left one person dead and another wounded at a mall in northern Wisconsin, police said.

Dezman Ellis, 17, is considered a suspect in the gunfire that erupted around 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the Fox River Mall in Grand Chute, police Officer Travis Waas said. The victims were specifically targeted, police said, and Ellis should be considered armed and dangerous.

Jovanni J. Frausto, 19, died in the shooting, police said in a statement. A second person who was also shot went to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was later released.

Officers received information Monday morning that Ellis vehicle was parked at a duplex in Oshkosh, about 20 miles (33 kilometers) south of Grand Chute. Officers found the car at the duplex and four people inside the residence became who physically combative were arrested, Waas said in a news release.

The group included a 15-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl, an 18-year-old girl and a 37-year-old woman. Police said they do not know how or if the four are connected to Ellis.

Photos from the scene on Sunday showed officers, some in tactical gear, outside the mall and what appeared to be customers walking out with their hands in the air.

Haylie Mirr, who works at a mall restaurant called Box Lunch, said she didn't know anything about the shooting, but that: People just started running. We just locked the doors, and we had four customers in the store, we brought them to our back room.

They waited at least three hours for the all-clear.

Police said they were interviewing witnesses and following leads. No motive was immediately released.

It was the second recent mall shooting in Wisconsin. In November, eight people were injured in a shooting after a confrontation at a mall in Wauwatosa, in suburban Milwaukee. A 15-year-old boy was arrested and charged.

Grand Chute is a town of about 22,000 on the outskirts of Appleton, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Milwaukee.
France on Monday urged Germany to scrap a major gas pipeline project with Russia in protest over the detention in Moscow of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

"We have always said we have the greatest doubts on this project in this context," European Affairs minister Clement Beaune told France Inter radio.

Asked specifically if France wanted Berlin to drop the project, Beaune said: "Indeed, we have already said this."

The United States as well as several European countries such as Poland have criticised the Nordstream II project, saying it will increase German and EU dependence on Russia for critical gas supplies.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has insisted on the project, and worked resumed on it project in December after nearly a year because of American sanctions.

Beaune said European leaders were weighing new sanctions against Russia over President Vladimir Putin's crackdown on the opposition led by Navalny, who was arrested in mid-January and faces a trial that could see him detained for years.

Thousands defied government warnings to protest across the country on Sunday in a second weekend of mass demonstrations against the arrest of Putin's most prominent opponent.

"Sanctions have already been imposed, we could do that but we have to be clear, they will not be enough," Beaune said.

"The Nordstream option is one under consideration," he added, while acknowledging that "it's a decision for Germany, because the pipeline is in Germany."

Short link:


She often posts racy pictures of herself on social media.

But on Sunday, Kim Hartnett was criticised for showing 'too much' skin when she uploaded a photo of herself in an outfit that barely covered her chest.

The 24-year-old sported a top with a large gaping cutout in the middle as she spruiked items by UK retailer PrettyLittleThing.

Too much? Love Island's Kim Hartnett has been slammed for showing 'way too much' in a TINY top that barely covered her cleavage as she spruiked a popular UK-based fashion retailer over the weekend

While the former Love Island star appeared confident in her own skin in the post, the upload prompted fans to criticise her outfit choice and question whether the top was 'on backwards'.

'Hmmm, personally I think it shows way too much skin,' one follower wrote in the comments section, before multiple others commented 'agree' under it.

'No class in that at all for such a beautiful woman,' another wrote.

'Definitely not liking that look,' a third fan commented, before a fourth added: 'I think your outfit is on backwards... lol.'

Flashing the flesh: Kim often posts racy pictures of herself on social media

Kim is currently in a relationship with Bachelor In Paradise star Matt Whyatt.

She confirmed the romance in August by sharing a vlog titled 'New Boyfriend' to YouTube of the couple's romantic trip to Queensland's Magnetic Island at the time.

The blonde beauty then told Daily Mail Australia her relationship with the BMX rider, 28, was 'stronger than ever now'.

Love is in the air: Kim is currently in a relationship with Bachelor In Paradise star Matt Whyatt

'[This was our] first proper holiday together and we have plans to go back up north in two weeks time and will definitely be planning more,' she said.

'We make each other laugh from the minute we wake up to when we go to bed. Everything just works.'

The couple now regularly appear on each other's respective social media accounts, heading to the beach, swimming in the pool and enjoying their time together.

ROCHESTER, New York  The citys police department is under scrutiny after videos released Sunday showed a police officer use pepper-spray on a handcuffed 9-year-old girl because she refused to put her feet in a patrol car.

The Democrat & Chronicle reports that police were called to the home Friday on a report of family trouble. The girls mother told officers she was worried her daughter would harm herself, the report says.

A deputy chief with the department says the girl also had threatened to kill her mother, CNN reports. Nine officers and supervisors responded to the home.

The girl reportedly ran from the home when officers arrived, but was chased down outside in snowy conditions. Video shows an officer trying to help the girl, but she becomes agitated when her mother arrives and begins arguing with her, the Democrat & Chronicle reports.

When officers tried to put the girl in the back of a patrol car, she began resisting and kicking at the officers, CNN reports. Officers then pushed her to the ground and handcuffed her, reports say.

The girl was placed in the back of a patrol car but refused multiple requests to put her feet inside. Moments later, an officer used pepper spray on the girl, CNN reports.

Im not going to stand here and tell you that for a 9-year-old to have to be pepper-sprayed is OK. Its not, Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan said during a news conference Sunday, according to the Associated Press. I dont see that as who we are as a department, and were going to do the work we have to do to ensure that these kinds of things dont happen.

Mike Mazzeo, the president of the police union, cautioned a rush to judgment in how officers handled the situation, the Democrat & Chronicle reports.

Im not saying there are not better ways to do things, Mazzeo said. But lets be realistic about what were facing. ... Its not TV, its not Hollywood. We dont have a simple (situation), where we can put on out our hands and have somebody be instantly handcuffed and comply.

Police said the girl was eventually taken to Rochester General Hospital, where she received the services and care that she needed, and was later released to her family.

The New York Times reports the Rochester Police Department already was under scrutiny because of the death of Daniel Prude in March 2020. Prude died at a hospital seven days after officers put a hood over Prudes head during an arrest and then pressed Prudes head into the pavement.
The United States and its NATO allies on Sunday "strongly condemned" the continuation of violence, including the destruction of vital infrastructure in Afghanistan by the Taliban. A joint statement published by the US Embassy in Kabul said that these attacks directly harm the people of Afghanistan and undermine the state institutions. It said that these attacks target civil society, judicial, media, religious, medical, and civilian government representatives, who are essential to bringing peace and stability in Afghanistan. The statement further added that the attacks create an environment where terrorists and criminal groups are able to freely operate.

Read: Afghan Negotiating Team Warns Taliban It Must Resume Talks

"The international community has invested heavily in energy, food security, water resources, and road infrastructure for the benefit of the Afghan people. We condemn the on-going destruction of vital infrastructure, including digging up roads, destroying cell towers, and blowing up energy stations by the Taliban. These actions serve no purpose besides hurting the Afghan people who  largely due to decades of conflict -suffer from food insecurity and significant economic and development challenges, further exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic. The Taliban must understand that their violent, destructive actions outrage the world and must cease if peace is to come to Afghanistan," the statement said.

Read: Iran, Taliban Officials Say US Pushing War In Afghanistan

The statement also called on the Afghan government to actively investigate these attacks and ensure those who instigate or carry out violence are identified and brought to justice.

Peace talks in Afghanistan

The statement comes nearly a year after the United States signed a peace agreement with the Taliban in Doha. Former President Donald Trump's administration signed the deal with the Taliban, which required the armed group to stop violence in the country, and in return, the US would withdraw its forces from Afghanistan.

Read: Afghan Welcomes Joe Biden's Plan To Review US-Taliban Deal

However, the violence continues to disrupt the ongoing peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government, which is moving at a very slow speed without any immediate breakthrough in sight. The power-sharing intra-Afghan dialogue, which aims to end the 19-year-old war in Afghanistan, began in September 2020 was initiated after the peace agreement between the Taliban and the United States. The second round of talks began in Doha earlier this month.

Read: Biden Administration To Review US-Taliban Deal

(With ANI Inputs)
The students will have to adhere to the UGC guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures mentioned in the notice at all times

Delhi University (DU) has reopened for students in the final year of their courses.

According to a notice issued by the varsity on Sunday, DU had announced that it would reopen on Monday, 1 February.

An Economic Times report quoted an official notice from DU as saying that final year students of all the courses will be allowed back in all the colleges for their classes along with staff (at 100 percent strength).

The report added that thisdecision was taken after a meeting with the heads of departments of the university and principals of different colleges.

The notice stated that students will be allowed to physically visit their colleges, centres and departments for their laboratory, practicals, skill, library and related activities in small numbers.

Students will have to adhere to the UGC guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), mentioned in the notice at all times.

In order to ensure that social distancing is maintained and usual busy points like the entry and exit of the campuses remain clutter-free, the head of the units have been instructed by the university to plan out the timing of the staff.

The notice suggested asking them to discharge their duties in time slots of 9 am to 5.30 pm and 9.30 am to 6 pm.

As per an NDTV report, Delhi University had closed in view of the nationwide lockdown called by the Government of India due to the pandemic last year in March.

Since then, classes were being held in online mode to ensure that students remained on track with their courses.

Now with the final semester exams approaching, the varsity has decided to open its gates again.
Los Angeles, Feb 1 : Hollywood Antonio Banderas said the greatest gift he received for his 60th birthday was defeating the novel coronavirus.

Banderas's girlfriend Nicole Kimpel said that they marked his special day, it didn't feel right to do anything lavish, femalefirst.co.uk reported.

Kimpel said: "We celebrated because every year of life is something to celebrate. But this wasn't really the year for parties. The greatest gift was his quick recovery." His girlfriend shared that she was frightened about how ill Banderas could have got with Covid, courtesy his age, and is puzzled as to why she managed to stay clear of the virus despite being in close contact with the actor.

She said: "We suffered the same doubts as everybody who caught the virus." Kimpel added: "At the start, you're frightened because you don't know how badly you'll be affected. In Antonio's case, his main symptoms were severe muscle aches and fatigue, and he bore up well." She called Banderas a "very strong man" and said that "he's in great physical shape".

"It's a difficult virus to decipher - you don't know why some people get it and not others. We were in close contact because I was caring for him, but I didn't catch it," Kimpel added.

Kimpel, who stays in Spain away from her family, said being with the actor is all that matters.

She said: "I miss my family because I don't spend as much time with them but my place is at Antonio's side and that makes up for everything. Home is where my love is, which is what most defines me, so my home is here in Malaga." Kimpel said she is not in love with Banderas the movie star.

"I'm in love with Jose Antonio Dominguez, which is Antonio's real name. It's the person behind the actor who I fell in love with, who I'm still in love with and who I know, every day when I wake up, that I want to share my life with," she told HELLO! Magazine.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Islamabad, Feb 1 : More than 40 countries are expected to participate in a multinational maritime exercise to be hosted by the Pakistani Navy, an official said here.

The exercise under the theme of "Together for Peace" is expected commence from February 10 and the participating countries will bring forth their assets and delegations, Xinhua news agency quoted a Navy statement saying on Sunday.

This year, the exercise will focus on enhancing inter-operability with regional and extra regional navies to act as a bridge between the regions, and display united resolve against terrorism and crimes in the maritime domain, the statement said.

The drill is aimed at providing a common forum for information sharing, mutual understanding and identifying areas of common interests for group analysis and dialogues through the international Maritime Conference to be held on the sidelines of the drills, it added.

Organising biennially since 2007, this will be the seventh edition of the maritime exercise.
Convicted ex-mayor of Vladivostok faces abuse of office trial

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

15:28 01/02/2021

MOSCOW, February 1 (RAPSI)  Investigation into an abuse of office case against ex-mayor of Vladivostok Igor Pushkarev convicted of corruption has been completed, the Investigative Committees press service reports.

During the probe, the defendant pleaded guilty and compensated material damage to the Vladivostok City District.

According to the investigation, in 2009, Pushkarev ignoring anti-corruption legislative bans and restrictions transferred his share in a commercial firms authorized capital to his close relatives. Moreover, he also used his job position to restrict operation of several passenger shipping companies. As a result of his actions, two municipal transport enterprises received a renewed bus fleet and illegally took the passenger traffic market dominance.

In April 2019, Moscows Tverskoy District Court sentenced Pushkarev to 15 years in high security prison for commercial bribery, abuse of office and taking bribes on a large scale. Additionally, he was fined 500 million rubles ($8 million). The court also prohibited him from holding public posts for 10 years.

Moreover, the court collected 143 million rubles (over $2 million) in favor Roads of Vladivostok granting the companys suit.

The court also sentenced Andrey Lushnikov, head of Roads of Vladivostok, to 10 years behind bars. Pushkarevs brother Andrey Pushkarev, head of Vostokcement group, received an 8-year suspended term. They also were fined 500 million rubles each.

Prosecutors earlier asked the court to give Pushkarev 17 years in high security prison with a 500-million-ruble fine. The court was also asked to sentence Pushkerevs brother and Lushnikov to 8 and 14 years respectively.


The purpose of this article is not to require a hunter to make a choice as to whether he should provide the most expensive funeral for his beloved coon dog or his faithful wife.

The Coon Dog Cemetery is located seven miles west of Tuscumbia, Alabama in Colbert County on U.S. 72 near Cherokee, Alabama. Turn off the highway onto Alabama 247 and travel approximately 12 miles before turning right onto Coon Dog Cemetery Road and follow the signs.

Eighty three years ago a hunter by the name of Key Underwood buried his dog, a coonhound named Troop, in an old hunting camp where the two of them had enjoyed coon hunting for years.

As a result other hunters also buried their favorite coon dog and erected appropriate headstones in the animal's name and often with other epitaphs such as He wasnt the best, but he was the best I ever owned!

Thus the cemetery came into being and today is run by a five-member Board of Friends of Coon Dog Cemetery of which only two are coon hunters, cousins, Lee Hatton and Frank Hatton.

Dogs must meet three stringent requirements to qualify for burial in the cemetery: (1) the owner must certify that this dog is a purebred coonhound; (2) a witness must declare that the deceased is a coon dog that has been hunted; and (3) a member of the local coon hunters organization must be allowed to view the coonhounds body and certify it to be a purebred.

One restriction is that mixed breed or pet dogs are not allowed to be buried in the graveyard. A one-time perpetual care fee of $100 is due prior to burial and at least one photograph of the coon dog must be provided to the Board.

The headstones range from basic wood and metal monuments up to elaborate marble engraved stones similar to ones found in upscale human cemeteries.

Supporters claim that it is the only cemetery in the world specifically dedicated to the preservation of the memory of coonhounds.

The cemetery was inaugurated on Labor Day in 1937 so on that date every year a large celebration is held with bluegrass music, buck dancing, barbecue and a liars contest.

Admission is free to the public but donations are accepted to meet the $234 monthly upkeep fee. Hats and T-shirts with the Coon Dog Cemetery logo are available for purchase and raffle items are auctioned off to raise additional upkeep funds.

Belt buckles with coon dog designs and coonskin caps similar to those worn by Davy Crockett and Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver in his political campaigns are available for purchase. Each gravesite is decorated with an American flag as a gesture honoring the deceased.

Politicians are often in attendance but no active politicking is allowed.

The cemetery has grown to be the final honored resting place for over approximately 400 coon dogs.

The hallowed ground has been memorialized in a song by Travis Wammack titled Coon Dog Cemetery and the cemetery was featured in the movie, Sweet Home Alabama.

Loyalties and feelings run high in the coonhound community.

One long time coon hunter once had a wife. She felt like the long nights away from home by her husband tracking coons had gotten out of hand. Finally, she told him, Its either me or the dogs.

After the divorce the dog owner became engaged to a lovely lady who accepted her fiance's love of his coon dogs and their relationship became quite content.

The Labor Day celebration for 2020 had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus epidemic; plans for the 2021 event are already in the works.

Mark your calendar for 2021 to take a trip to the only coondog cemetery in existence.

(Dont forget to bring your lawn chairs.)

* * *

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)
All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), the largest trade union of bank employees, has threatened to strike work against Budget proposals such as privatisation of state-run banks and setting up of bad bank.

In the Budget 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government will initiate divestment in two more public sector banks (PSBs). Privatising them means handing over peoples money to private hands with vested interests, AIBEA said in a statement.

As regards the Governments proposal to privatise the banks along with more FDI in the insurance sector, sale of shares of LIC, starting a Bad Bank/ARC, etc. AIBEA will shortly decide agitational programmes including strike actions, said the trade union in a statement. Government has over 70 percent stake in ten banks and has over 90 percent stake in three banks.

With respect to the governments decision to set up a bad bank, the AIBEA said the bad bank is a bad idea and is meant only to remove corporate defaulters from the books of the banks.

Bad Loans and NPAs in the banks have been increasing year after year because of corporate defaulters. Instead of taking tough action on them, Government wants to whitewash the balance sheets by shifting these bad loans from the books of the banks to the asset reconstruction company (ARC) or the Bad Bank, AIBEA said.

Such a bad bank will only benefit the corporate defaulters and remove all the bad loans from public glare and silently write them off, the AIBEA said.

A bad bank is a long pending idea. This will be an entity where all stressed assets of the system will be transferred freeing up the originating banks from the burden. The government has said it will set up an ARC-AMC model entity to address the problem of stressed assets.
Leading European engineering group Riko has announced the successful completion of the Slovenian country pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai and handed it over to the country's authorities.

The pavilion, located in the Sustainability District, has been built from wood, has green facade and is surrounded by water, highlighting the three main natural resources of Slovenia - wood, green environment and water.

The conceptual design of the 1,550-sq-m facility, was prepared by Magnet Design from Ljubljana and has been inspired by the revered architect Joze Plecnik, whose iconic works including the Triple Bridge located in the nations capital of Ljubljana.

The pavilion will present Slovenia to the visitors of the exhibition as a green heart in the centre of Europe, a crossroads of land and sea routes with an important geostrategic position.

Economy Minister Zdravko Pocivalsek symbolically took over, on behalf of Slovenia, the management of the country's pavilion at a special ceremony held during his official visit to the UAE last week.

Addressing the gathering, Pocivalsek said: "Slovenia will show know-how, innovation and energy at the Expo".

"Our pavilion will highlight Slovenia as the green heart in the center of Europe, the intersection of land and sea transport routes and an important geostrategic country. It will showcase three elements that best identify Slovenia: water, as a symbol of life, vitality, flow of materials and ideas; the floating forest, the nature that is the heart of Slovenia and the soul of Europe; and a sieve, a large parasol, a wooden umbrella, which is a technological invention with a strong Slovenian identity," he added.

According to him, the aim of Slovenia's participation in Expo Dubai is to strengthen the presence in the markets of South Asian, African and Middle East countries.

"This is also key in light of post-Covid relief efforts. Slovenia's pavilion will be one of the 83 separate venues, where Slovenian as well as European characteristics will be presented - the EU will not have its own pavilion this year," he added.

Thanks to the EU Council Presidency in the second half of 2021 Slovenia is expected to be in the spotlight.

Slovenia's Expo 2020 commissioner general Matic Volk pointed out that Slovenia's pavilion was in the sustainability venue, right by the expo's entrance.

"The structure in the Sustainability District will make innovative use of glass, steel, and water to give visitors the impression they are surrounded by a forest suspended in the air. The promotional slogan will be Green, Creative, Smart," he stated.

"Slovenian pavilion will be located by the entrance of the key pillar (district) of Sustainability. Therefore, if you will want to visit the Slovenian pavilion you surely wont have a hard time finding it," he added.

Themed the Smart Green Cloud, the Slovenia Pavilion will use elements of water, nature, and technology to engage all five senses and give visitors an in-depth view of Slovenian culture.

Populated by Slovenian plant species, the floating forest will be topped off by a sieve-dome that resembles a parasol. The design is inspired by the revered architect Joze Plecnik, whose iconic works including the Triple Bridge live on today in the nations capital of Ljubljana.

The ground floors theme will be water, presenting the countrys sea, rivers, lakes, and particularly drinking water. Water will be surrounding the central part or a market with the four cardinal points marked on the floor, representing Slovenias position at the nexus of transport routes.

The first floor will be showcasing Slovenias forests, with green plants climbing the wooden rim of the structure. The plants will be kept cold and hydrated during the event, providing cooling refreshment for visitors.
New Delhi, Feb. Feb 1 : The government will provide full security of deposits made by bank customers by carrying amendment to the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) Act, 1961 in the current session of Parliament.

The amendment will increase the Deposit Insurance cover from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakhs for bank customers. This would mean that if a bank is temporarily unable to fulfil its obligations towards deposits, the depositors of such a bank can get easy and time-bound access to their deposits to the extent of the deposit insurance cover.

Last year, Government had approved an increase in the Deposit Insurance limit for bank customers. The amendment to the Act will now give legal cover to such insurance.

"I shall be moving amendments to the DICGC Act, 1961 in this Session itself to streamline the provisions This would help depositors of banks that are currently under stress," finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in the budget speech.

The Finance Minister further said that to improve credit discipline while continuing to protect the interest of small borrowers, the minimum loan size eligible for debt recovery in the case of NBFCs is being reduced.

For NBFCs with minimum asset size of Rs 100 crores, the minimum loan size eligible for debt recovery under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002 is proposed to be reduced from the existing level of Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 20 lakhs.
A Manitoba couple doesnt want to be forced into lockdown every time they get their medication.

A Manitoba couple doesnt want to be forced into lockdown every time they get their medication.

Donna Bartinski, 80, and her 88-year-old husband Mike, longtime residents of Sprague, have had a family doctor in Roseau, Minn., for decades.

Over the years, as the couple has been treated for heart conditions and cancer, they have grown used to travelling 20 minutes south of the Canada-U.S. border for checkups, prescriptions and other health-care needs thanks to a long-standing agreement with U.S.-based Altru Health.

In recent months, however, they have put off their regularly scheduled appointments after the Canada Border Services Agency began mandating 14-day quarantines for returning medical travellers.

"Ive had to cancel two appointments because I dont want to be quarantined all the time," Donna Bartinski said.

The couple travelled to Roseau at the end of November to pick up a three-month supply of their medications and were asked to quarantine at home for 14 days upon their return.

In that time, the pair put together puzzles, answered calls from the federal health department and RCMP, and had a friend in Sprague drop off mail and groceries in a cooler at the edge of their property, Bartinski said, but the time spent on lockdown was mentally exhausting.

"You cant leave your yard, you cant go for a drive," Bartinski said of her time in lockdown. "You get very depressed."

To avoid repeated quarantines, Bartinskis husband cancelled a doctors appointment in December and will likely cancel another in early February so the couple will be able to travel south and pick up another round of prescriptions at the end of the month.

Before October, Piney residents had been able to travel for medical appointments without a mandated quarantine, but Canada Border Services began enforcing the stay-at-home orders without warning in mid-fall, RM of Piney Reeve Wayne Anderson said.

"Suddenly our lives are just turned upside down," he said in an interview. "Everybody is really scared to do anything."

The next-closest options for health care on the Canadian side of the border are in Steinbach or Winnipeg, but those facilities are farther away and come with significantly longer wait times.

"Steinbach is an hour and a half away from us. Theres no way we can get a family doctor in Steinbach right now because theyre just all booked," Bartinski said.

The remote community has had ties to the south side of the border for generations, Anderson said. The Altru Agreement, which allows Piney residents to seek provincially-covered primary and emergency care at LifeCare Centers in Roseau and Warroad, Minn., was struck more than 20 years ago to make life easier on southern Manitoba residents. Now, Anderson feels the federal government is turning a blind eye to the communitys needs.

"Wed settled upon the best option for people in southeast Manitoba but now, with the border closures, all of our plans are in suspension right now," he said.

"I dont get how border services made this ruling. It doesnt make sense to me."

Ted Falk, the Conservative member of Parliament for Provencher, said Friday he has been in contact with federal ministers and the provincial government to secure an exemption for health-care-related travel under the agreement  so far to no avail.

"These are folks that are no different from people who, on a daily basis, cross the border for employment," said Falk.

"A lot of them are putting themselves at risk by delaying appointments or surgeries or procedures or treatments."

Falk said he has been told exemptions will not be granted to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to avoid further "health crisis."

"But what they dont realize is that theyre creating different health issues and maybe even more significant health issues," Falk said.

While the provincial government has recently called for stricter border security measures in light of new COVID-19 variants across the world, Premier Brian Pallister and provincial health ministers have thrown their support behind the Piney community.

"The Manitoba government continues to raise this issue with the federal government, who are ultimately responsible for international border crossings," Health Minister Heather Stefanson said in a statement to the Free Press.

"It is our hope that this issue can be resolved soon so that residents of Piney and area are once again able to access their primary health-care providers under the Altru Agreement."

Canadas border services wont budge. Exemptions to the order granted prior to October were a mistake, a representative for CBSA said in an email. Now, border services officers "have received clarification and are applying the exemption according to its intended application."

While the current federal border closure orders  in effect until Feb. 21  include exemptions for "non-discretionary" travel, including crossing the border for work, supply chain services, immediate medical care, or shopping for essential goods like medication, it is up to border services agents to make the final call.

In the meantime, residents such as Bartinski are growing increasingly frustrated with the governments rules.

"It makes no sense for us that we cant go over, yet essential workers can go over there," Bartinski said.

"Isnt our health essential?"

julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jsrutgers
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM , Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tekcapital Plc (AIM: TEK), (OTCQB: TEKCF) the UK intellectual property investment group focused on creating marketplace value from investing in university technology, is pleased to announce that the Company's shares will cross trade publicly on the US OTCQB Venture Market ("OTCQB"), under the ticker TEKCF, commencing 1st February 2021.

Tekcapitals ordinary shares will continue to trade on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker TEK and are fully fungible. Tekcapital is not conducting a fundraising associated with this initiation of a quotation and cross-trading on the OTCQB Market. The Group will continue to rely on the announcements and disclosures it makes to the London Stock Exchange and has no Sarbanes-Oxley or SEC reporting requirements.

The cross-trading facility is provided through OTC Markets Group Inc., located in New York. OTC Markets operates the world's largest electronic interdealer quotation system for US broker dealers and offers multiple media channels to increase the visibility of OTC-listed companies.

Jonathan Dickson, VP of International Corporate Services at OTC Markets, said: "We are delighted to welcome Tekcapital plc to the OTCQB Market. With its primary listing remaining on London's AIM, the OTCQB Market's cross trading facility will allow Tekcapital to provide investors in the United States with the ability to access the Company's Ordinary Shares in U.S. dollars and during U.S. market hours. The OTCQB Market supports international companies seeking to strengthen visibility and transparency within the U.S. public market. Trading on AIM and on the OTCQB Market will enable Tekcapital to efficiently build global investor awareness and provide U.S. investors with a seamless trading facility, enabling investors to more easily trade through the broker of their choice. We would like to wish Tekcapital every success in their future trading on the OTCQB Market."

Dr. Clifford M. Gross, Tekcapital CEO, commented, "Tekcapitals portfolio companies are rapidly building a presence in the U.S. and as such we are delighted to be joining the OTCQB Market, with a view towards increasing our visibility to the investment community and broadening our shareholder base."

About Tekcapital plc

Tekcapital creates value from investing in new, university-developed intellectual properties (IP) and provides a range of IP investment services to make it easy for organisations to commercialise university-developed technology. Tekcapital is quoted on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (AIM: symbol TEK) and is headquartered in the UK. For more information, please visit www.tekcapital.com



This press release is for informational purposes only. The information herein does not constitute investment advice nor an offer to invest and may contain statements related to our future business and financial performance and future events or developments involving Tekcapital that may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by words such as "expect," "look forward to," "anticipate" "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "estimate," "will," "project" or words of similar meaning. We may also make forward-looking statements in other reports, in presentations, on social media, in material delivered to customers, stakeholders and in press releases. In addition, our representatives may from time to time make oral forward-looking statements. Such statements may be based on the current expectations and certain assumptions of Tekcapitals management. Please note that these are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and factors, including, but not limited to those described in various disclosures. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying expectations not occur or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements of Tekcapital may vary materially from those described explicitly or implicitly in the relevant forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements express, as at the date of this release, the Companys plans, estimates, valuations, forecasts, projections, opinions, expectations or beliefs as to future events, results or performance. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Companys control, including those associated with COVID-19, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. No assurance is given that such forward looking statements or views are correct or that the objectives of the Company will be achieved. Further, valuations of Companys portfolio investments and net asset value can and will fluctuate over time due to a variety of factors and this could have a material impact on the Companys financial performance. Tekcapital neither intends, nor assumes any obligation, to update or revise these forward-looking statements in light of developments which may differ from those anticipated.


Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out at the BJP calling it "a gas balloon alive only in the media" and a "washing machine" for those with ill got money.











Follow Moneycontrol's Union Budget 2021 live coverage here.











She said those who have quit TMC and joined BJP have done so to secure the money they have accumulated.

Banerjee said she had already decided not to give them tickets in the coming assembly elections had they stayed on in TMC.

"There is nothing to worry about. The government of 'Ma-Mati-Manush' (TMC slogan) will retain power in the state ... BJP is a gas balloon, alive only in the media. They have money and are using agencies to put up (party) flags on the streets.

"Let them do so and stay alive in the media... TMC will stay alive in your hearts. You assure me this and I will ensure you a (good) future," she said while speaking at the 'State level meet of All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation' held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.

"... Dacoits have suddenly accumulated so much money. Now they are approaching the 'BJP washing machine' where they are entering black and coming out white. They are going there for money and nothing else. I would not have given them the ticket to fight the elections. Why should I give tickets to those who have done bad work! People will be happy if I give tickets to new people instead of to these people," B Anerjee, who is also the TMC supremo said.

Hitting out at the NDA government at the Centre, she accused it for not purchasing adequate quantity of paddy from West Bengal.

"I have a complaint. The central government talks big. But the rice provided to the people by the FCI is rotten. The central government purchases several lakh tonnes of rice from Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh whereas it buys only 69,000 tonnes of rice from West Bengal. The state government purchases 45 to 50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from the farmers, spends Rs 31 per kg to prepare it (convert it into rice) and sends it to be distributed free of cost by PDS. This is not there in any of the other states," she said.

Banerjee announced extension of the ration dealers' licence from the regular period of one year to three years.

She said that the government will provide Rs two lakh as comepnsation to the family of a ration dealer in the event of the person's death.

Banerjee also reduced the application fee to procure licence for new ration dealership from Rs five lakh to Rs two lakh.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
File photo taken on March 28, 2018 shows U Win Myint (front, left) and Aung San Suu Kyi (front, right) in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) had been detained by the military early on Monday, Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the NLD, said.  XINHUA/VNA Photo

YANGON  Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained by the military along with President Win Myint, a spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy said on Monday.

After the NLD decisively won the November general election, the military and the main opposition party that it backs disputed the results.

Myanmar's state broadcaster said on Monday it has been unable to provide regular broadcasts on TV or radio, in what could be a sign that the military is disrupting airwaves.

NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt said that among those detained were other senior party officials, adding he also expected to be detained soon.

Parliament was supposed to convene on Monday for the first time since the November 8 general election, and an NLD-led government was supposed to be launched for a second time.

Reuters news agency reported the presence of military vehicles and soldiers outside City Hall in the largest city Yangon. Internet and phone services were reportedly disrupted in the capital Naypyitaw and Yangon.

In the election, the NLD won 83 per cent of the votes, capturing 396 of the 476 seats up for grabs. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party secured just 33 seats, down from slightly over 40 in the last election in 2015.

The military and opposition party went on to allege massive election fraud. When they called for a special session of parliament to discuss the matter, the parliament leadership rejected it.

On Wednesday, Military chief Senior Gen Min Aung Hlaing referred to the possibility of abolishing the current constitution, raising political tensions in the country.

The parliament has a combined 664 seats in the upper and lower houses, with 25 per cent of the total, or 166 seats, set aside for military appointees.

In the 2015 general election, the NLD won a landslide, bagging 390 of the 491 seats contested, bringing Suu Kyi and her party to power for the first time the following year. KYODO
Communicating Brad's Deals' mission, values and vision is a priority initiative for the company. In her role, LeCronier will lead the development and execution of Brad's Deals' communications strategy and oversee all aspects of communications, including media relations, analyst relations, social media, crisis and issues management, content strategy and branding, as well as internal communications.

"Molly's stellar experience and in-depth understanding of our brand strategy and corporate values will play a vital role as we continue to grow our company and communicate our service and mission to consumers," said Bourne. "She was a tremendous asset to our company as a consultant, and I am honored to have her joining the leadership team where she will play an invaluable role developing our communications roadmap and positioning Brad's Deals for the future."

LeCronier said, "I am very excited to join a company that has an amazing history, tremendous customer base and countless growth opportunities ahead. Corporate communications is key to Brad's Deals' continuing evolution, from building credibility and trust with key stakeholders to conveying a solid value proposition to creating a compelling narrative. I look forward to working closely with the leadership team to advance Brad's Deals' story."

LeCronier has more than 20 years of professional experience working in senior roles with various organizations and leaders. She founded Anomolly Consulting in 2019 where she successfully jump-started public relations efforts for her clients, including Brad's Deals.

Prior to Anomolly, LeCronier served in leadership positions with Houston-based Integrate Agency and Ward. Before that, she was a Senior Vice President with Hill & Knowlton where she led the West Coast digital practice in Los Angeles and worked with some of the world's most notable brands, including eBay, HP, Motorola, Qualcomm and Gap. She also worked for Ruder Finn and BSMG Worldwide in New York City where she began her career.

LeCronier is actively involved in her community of Lake Charles, Louisiana where she is an assistant director of the Chennault International Airshow and a three-time board director and member of the Junior League. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Michigan State University.

About Brad's Deals

Brad's Deals is a team of real people committed to saving shoppers time and money by connecting them with validated online deals and discounts. Since 2001 the company's mission has been to create the consumer advantage and provide users with an honest and transparent shopping experience, helping them to make the best choices. This commitment to value has saved consumers more than $200 million annually. Learn more at www.bradsdeals.com .

Media Contact

Please email: [email protected]

SOURCE Brad's Deals
Modi will lay the foundation stone of the second Catalytic Dewaxing Unit, at the Haldia Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation, built at Rs 1019 crores to help augment the lubricant production. (Photo:PTI)

Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his second visit to poll-bound West Bengal within a span of two weeks, will inaugurate three big-ticket central industrial projects totalling Rs 4,552 crores at Haldia in East Midnapore next week in what appears to be a curtain-raiser of his campaign to brighten the BJP's prospect in the ensuing Assembly Election.

What has however irked the ruling Trinamul Congress, is union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan's invitation to its MP of Tamluk: Dibyendu Adhikari to Modi's event on February 7.

While Haldia is located in Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency, senior TMC leaders have started reading a hidden and clear message in the invitation to the young MP who has been maintaining distance from the party since his elder brother Shubhendu Adhikari and younger brother Soumendu Adhikari have already switched from chief minister Mamata Banerjee's party to the BJP and their father and three-time MP Sisir Adhikari has been isolated in the party.

All eyes will be on Dibyendu on whether he attends the event where Modi will flag off Dobhi-Durgapur Pipeline Project, a 347-km long section of Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline constructed by GAIL with estimated cost of Rs 2433 crores, which will revive HURL Sindri in Jharkhand Fertilizer plant, supply gas to Matix Fertilizer Plant at Durgapur as anchor customers, in addition to supplying gas to industrial, commercial and automobile sectors and city gas distribution across all major towns in these states, including cities of Hazaribagh, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Purulia, Asansol and Durgapur.

The PM will also launch LPG Import Terminal, built by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited at an investment of Rs 1100 crores, which will meet LPG requirement in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, parts of Uttar Pradesh and North Eastern states. Modi will lay the foundation stone of the second Catalytic Dewaxing Unit, at the Haldia Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation, built at Rs 1019 crores to help augment the lubricant production.
NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday hailed the Union Budget as one for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', and asserted that this will strengthen the economy. Ruling party leaders lauded the budget for its focus on a number of measures, including capital expenditure, tax exemption for senior citizens and incentives for start-ups among others.

BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav said the Union budget will provide a major boost to India's infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare. BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain praised the budget's emphasis on affordable housing for all and said it is sensitive to the needs of diverse sections of society.

Party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has presented a well laid-out plan to get the economy back on track. "A forward-looking budget. It will make good on the government's USD 5 trillion economy promise. Multiple pluses: increased govt spending in major sectors like infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare; safety net expanded for the vulnerable; & opportunities for greater private investments," he tweeted.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the Union Budget will prove to be a milestone in upgrading India's economy and will ensure the development of all sections of society.

"The general budget is in accordance with the expectation of public welfare, inclusive and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India). The budget has taken care of every class including farmers, middle class, poor, women," he said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

It will speed up the economy and financially empower every citizen of the country, he said. "This (budget) will prove to be a milestone in upgrading the Indian economy. Through this, all-round development of all sections of society will be ensured," Adityanath said.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Monday strongly criticised the Union Budget, saying Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's speech was oblivious to the declining GDP and the budget was a case of "wrong diagnosis and prescription".

"The FM could have been brave but chose to be timid. The nation needed a bold budget and more direct transfers to the weaker sections to revive demand, restart job creation," senior Congress leader and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma tweeted. The budget is "disappointing" and without a roadmap for accelerating growth and revival of consumer demand, he said.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari also alleged that the budget was a "national monetisation plan - shorthand for National Sell out" and there was "no central focus in Budget".

"FM's Talkthorn (sic) oblivious that the growth rate of GDP is in a record 37th-month decline.Worst Crisis since 1991. Except for a National Monetisation Plan - shorthand for National Sell out no Central Focus in Budget. Bottom line-Will not grow economy but sell the family silver," he tweeted.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also took a dig at the Centre over the budget, saying "this BJP government reminds me of the garage mechanic who told his client, 'I couldn't fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder'."

Another Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said the budget has left the middle class "bruised and wounded" by not changing tax slabs, not increasing deductions, not making new deduction slots like home loans, not bringing fuel under GST, not sharing Rs 19 Lakh crore gain from fuel taxes, not reducing GST rates.

"After promising a century, FM is out hit wicket at Zero !! Instead of calling it a 'budget of the century' it will be remembered as 'blunder of the century' by BJP Govt #Budget2021," he tweeted.

"Budget case of 'wrong diagnosis and wrong prescription' by the BJP government which instead of healing, reforming and rejuvenating has chosen to adopt a damaging, disappointing and destroying approach to push the economy further into the vortex of recession," he tweeted.

Samajwadi Party spokesman Sunil Singh Sajan said that the budget had nothing concrete to offer to farmers except jugglery of statistics. He said that the budget had not given any tax relief to the salaried sections and the unemployed youth.

Live TV
Researchers from Osaka University have described the link between accurate protein folding and misfolding that can lead to the formation of amyloid fibers, which are implicated in neurodegenerative diseases

Correct, or native, protein folding is essential for correct protein function. Protein misfolding can lead to the formation of amyloid fibrils, and amyloidosis, which is implicated in various human neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's diseases.

In this study Yuji Goto and colleagues describe, for the first time, a dynamic link between protein folding and misfolding, and the threshold that must be overcome for the formation of amyloid fibrils.

Technological advances are at the forefront of many scientific discoveries. The atomic structures of some amyloid fibrils were recently revealed as a result of advances in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and cryogenic electron microscopy.

While an important step forward for the field, this development does not fully explain the determining factors of protein misfolding. How are folding and misfolding related? Can folding/unfolding and amyloid polymerization/depolymerization be explained by a single mechanism, and if so what might this look like? These are the questions that researchers at Osaka University sought to answer.

Summarizing their motivation for this work, senior author Masahiro Noji explains: "The thermodynamic hypothesis of protein folding, known as the 'Anfinsen's dogma' describes that the native structure of a protein represents a free energy minimum determined by the amino acid sequence. However, this is not consistent with the misfolding of globular proteins to form amyloid fibrils." Therefore, Yuji Goto and colleagues set out to explore the link between protein folding and misfolding.

Although proteins perform their functions by folding to their native structures, as represented by Anfinsen's dogma, proteins often misfold to form amyloid fibrils, leading to amyloidosis. In their paper, the research team from Osaka University describe a general concept for the link between protein folding and misfolding.

The supersaturation barrier of a denatured protein separates protein folding and amyloid formation, and misfolding occurs when this barrier breaks down. Our results show a clear link between correct protein folding, as defined by Anfinsen's dogma, and protein misfolding." Yuji Goto, Study Corresponding Author, Osaka University

Supersaturation can be observed throughout nature in the formation of crystals, including those involved in ice formation. Here, the team at Osaka University show that supersaturation is fundamental to correct protein folding.

The supersaturation barrier represents a novel concept that will advance the field of protein folding and contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies to prevent and treat amyloidosis, including those involved in neurodegenerative diseases.


Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA and Suva, Fiji, Jan. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Provation, a leading provider of healthcare software and SaaS solutions for clinical productivity, care coordination, quality reporting, and billing, today announced the donation and successful launch of Provation MD at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH), Fijis oldest and largest hospital. CWMHs upgrade to the Gold Standard in GI procedure documentation, Provation MD, will enhance the endoscopy units patient safety, care quality, and communication for GI procedures that detect and treat colorectal cancers and other conditions. With Provation, GI clinicians in Fiji can gather more reliable clinical data than ever before for clinical research.

Provation collaborated with the Australia New Zealand Gastroenterology International Training Association (ANZGITA), the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO), and the Fijian Government to donate the software and other GI care resources to CWMH.

Provations purpose is to empower providers to deliver quality healthcare for all. By supporting the Colonial War Memorial Hospital and forging new bonds with international organizations, we can live our values and help advance access to healthcare, said Provation CEO Daniel Hamburger. We are humbled by the opportunity and will continue to support healthcare professionals around the globe in our collective fight against colon cancer and other diseases.

Colon cancer is the tenth-deadliest cancer among men and women combined in Fiji, according to a 2018 World Health Organisation study. However, it is highly treatable if detected and removed early.

This project represents another chapter in ANZGITAs longstanding collaboration with CWMH and FNU over the past 14 years, said Chris Hair, ANZGITAs Pacific Programs Leader. During this time, we have provided pro bono expertise to our Fijian colleagues to help them develop their endoscopy skills and services, so they can improve the health of their people through clinical practice and research.

As the first of 23 WGO Training Centres to adopt Provation MD, CWMHs endoscopy unit can now solve key healthcare IT problems, such as outdated computer reporting systems prone to crashes and data-loss, illegible handwritten endoscopy notes, and an inability to access care quality metrics.

These problems will be behind us and Provation MD ensures that Fiji is one step closer in striving for excellence in the provision of quality endoscopy care to its people, said Dr. Aminiasi Rokocakau, CWMH specialist physician and endoscopist.





About Provation

Provation is a leading provider of healthcare software and SaaS solutions. Our purpose is to empower providers to deliver quality healthcare for all. We provide innovative solutions in clinical productivity, care coordination, quality reporting, and billing. Celebrating 25 years, Provation serves thousands of hospitals, surgical facilities, anesthesia groups, and medical offices, including 43 of the top 50 U.S. hospitals for gastroenterology (GI) and GI surgery. Our comprehensive portfolio spans the entire patient procedure, from pre-op through post-op recovery and follow-up, with solutions for physician and nursing documentation (Provation MD, Provation Apex, MD-Reports, and Provation MultiCaregiver), patient engagement, surgical care coordination, quality reporting, and billing capture (Provation SurgicalValet), order set and care plan management (Provation Order Set Advisor and Provation Care Plans), and EHR embedded clinical documentation (Provation Clinic Note). Provation is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN and backed by Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. For more information about our solutions, visit provationmedical.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.



About the Australia and New Zealand Gastroenterology International Training Association (ANZGITA)

ANZGITAs mission is to support improved health for the people of developing Asia-Pacific nations by enhancing the standards of practice of gastroenterology and by building capacity to treat digestive diseases. ANZGITA is a supporting partner within the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) and conducts training programs for physicians, surgeons, and nurses from across the Pacific Islands attending Fiji National Universitys College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences within CWMH. ANZGITA donates equipment and accessories to support this program. More information about ANZGITA can be found on their website.

Attachment
New Delhi:

Luo Zhaohui, Chinese ambassador to India, on Tuesday said that India-China military standoff is "grave" in the Sikkim section.

While to taking to news agency PTI, Luo Zhaohui said that there is "no scope for a compromise" in the military standoff with India in the region.

In an unusually blunt remark, "The ball is in India's court" and it is for Indian government to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff."

Asked about remarks by official Chinese media and think-tanks that the conflict can lead to a "war" if not handled properly, the ambassador said in an interview to PTI: "There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise the military option)." The Chinese government is very clear that it wants peaceful resolution at current state of the situation for which withdrawal of Indian troops from the area is a "pre-condition", he asserted.

However, he made it clear that there was no scope for a "compromise" on the issue. "The first priority is that the Indian troops unconditionally pull back to the Indian side of the boundary.That is the precondition for any meaningful dialogue betweenChina and India," he said. China and India have been engaged in a standoff in theDokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for past 19 days after a Chinese army's construction party came to build a road.

Earlier, a Chinese expert warned India, saying China would be forced to use a military way to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the "historical lessons" being offered by it.

"The ball is in India's court"; it is for Indian govt to decide what options could be on the table to resolve the standoff: Chinese Ambassad  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 4, 2017

As the standoff at the Doka La area continued for the third week, the official media and the think-tanks here have said that war is possible if the conflict between India and China is not handled properly.

"No scope for a compromise" in the #militarystandoff with India in the #Sikkim sector Luo Zhaohui to PTI.  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 4, 2017

China is trying its best to use historical lessons to reason with India and show sincerity in peacefully solving the problem, but if India refuses to listen, then China would have no other choice than to use a military way of solving the problem, Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the state-run Global Times.

Also Read | Sikkim standoff: Chinese experts warn India, forget history at your own peril

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
You are here: World

 Flash

At least five people were killed and several others injured in a suicide car bombing in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Sunday evening, police and witnesses said.

The latest attack started at 5.00 p.m. when a car packed with explosives exploded at the Afrik Hotel near a busy security checkpoint near Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.

A police officer who requested anonymity told Xinhua that al-Shabab stormed inside the hotel after the first blast went off outside the hotel.

"I can confirm that five people were killed in the attack but will give full details later," said the police officer who declined to be named.

Al-Shahab which is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government claimed responsibility for the latest attack through its media affiliates, saying its fighters were targeting government officials who were meeting in the facility.

Afrik Hotel is a popular hotel which is frequented by government officials and located near Mogadishu airport.

Witnesses said they could hear huge gunfire inside the hotel.

"We could hear heavy gunfire inside the Afrik Hotel, heavily armed government forces arrived at the scene," Ali Abdi, a witness told Xinhua.

Unconfirmed reports said the former State Minister of Defense is among the survivors of the attack and most of the occupants at the hotel have been rescued.

On February 8, Somalia is scheduled to hold a presidential election.

The insurgents have stepped up their assault against the government and African Union Mission in Somalia bases across south and central parts of the Horn of Africa nation.
Proccessing Tra fish for export (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said Cambodias recent suspension of the import of some species of fish from neighbouring countries goes against a trade liberation spirit of the World Trade Organisation and the ASEAN Economic Community, of which both countries are members.

In a letter sent to Cambodian Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak, Minister Anh also noted that the ban will negatively impact both Cambodian and Vietnamese enterprises and consumers.

Anh sent the letter after the Cambodian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced a decision on January 8 on temporarily banning the import of farmed fish, especially catfish, giant snakehead fish and other farmed fish that can be locally bred from neighbouring countries till further notice.

At Minister Anhs request in the letter, the Cambodian Minister of Commerce and Cambodian Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Veng Sakhon held a meeting on January 29 to reconsider the ban.

In the coming time, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will continue working with relevant competent agencies of Cambodia to push for the settlement of the issue, and ensure the export of Vietnamese fish to the country can return to normal.

Right after the announcement of the ban, many catfish batches shipped to Cambodia via the Mekong Delta province of An Giangs Khanh Binh border gate were denied entry and had to return.

According to the ministry, in recent years, Vietnam exported about 60 million USD worth of fishery products to Cambodia on an annual basis. Cambodia is not a major market of Vietnamese fishery products but its stable import demand has contributed significantly to border trade development.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit Spanish hospitals in the spring of 2020, many operating theaters had to be closed to make space for Covid-19 patients in need of intensive care. With her operations on skin tumors cancelled, dermatologist Almudena Nuno Gonzalez, from La Paz hospital in Madrid, decided to volunteer at the field hospital for coronavirus patients set up in Madrids Ifema convention center. This hospital, which was quickly assembled at the end of March, treated hundreds of Covid-19 patients during the first wave of the pandemic. The doctor could not help but see these patients through the eyes of a dermatologist, and she began to note striking symptoms, like the so-called Covid tongue.

The tongue of a Covid-19 patient. Hospital Universitario La Paz

We found changes in the tongue that until then had not been linked to Covid: the tongue is enlarged, it appears swollen, the teeth marks can be seen and it can also be depapillated, with small indentations in the back where the taste buds are flattened. It looks like a tongue with red markings, explains Nuno Gonzalez, whose team announced the findings of the research in a press release on Tuesday.

The dermatologist and her colleagues studied 666 Covid patients who were admitted to the Ifema field hospital between April 10 and 25 in 2020. The average age of the patient was around 56 and nearly half were of Latin American origin. All had minor or moderate cases of pneumonia. The study from the doctors found that more than 25% of the patients also presented changes in the oral mucosa (the mucous membrane lining the inside of the mouth) such as transient lingual papillitis (11%), which is a kind of blemish on the tongue, mouth ulcers (7%), tongue inflammation with teeth indentations (7%), burning sensation (5%) and tongue inflammation with patchy depapillation or loss of lingual papillae (4%), according to the results, which were published last September in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Nuno Gonzalez explains that other factors could explain some of these symptoms, such as medications or oxygen ventilation, which dries out the mouth and could irritate the tongue. The depapillated tongue is 100% due to Covid, because this is not caused by any other circumstance or treatment, she says. It is a finding that could help with diagnosis, like the loss of smell and taste. They are very characteristic symptoms, she adds.

The dermatologist Almudena Nuno Gonzalez of La Paz hospital.

The dermatologists also detected alterations in the skin of a patients hand and feet in almost 40% of cases, in particular, peeling (25%), red or purple discolored skin (15%) and a burning sensation known as erythrodysesthesia (7%). In total, nearly half the patients studied in Ifema had symptoms in either their skin or oral mucosa.

Many experts have been warning about these possible symptoms since the first wave of the pandemic. In May, for example, Carmen Martin Carreras-Oresas, from the European University in Madrid, published three cases of mouth ulcers or blisters allegedly associated with Covid-19. In July, the odontologist Milagros Diaz Rodriguez, from the same university, described another three cases of symptoms in the oral cavity linked to coronavirus, such as a burning sensation and loss of lingual papillae. Nuno Gonzalez says that these early reports were received with skepticism, as they only dealt with a few cases. By studying such a large number of patients, we have been able to show that these symptoms are related to Covid, she says.

The British epidemiologist Tim Spector, from Kings College in London, also said recently that he has been receiving dozens of reports of tongue problems via the app ZOE, which is used by Covid-19 patients to describe their symptoms. Spector has corroborated in the general population with minor Covid-19 cases, who stayed at home, the same things that we have seen in patients admitted with pneumonia, says Nuno Gonzalez.

But there has been more research into the skin symptoms associated with the coronavirus. Last April, the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology published a study of the most common skin manifestations of Covid-19, such as chilblain-type inflammation and blistering. Nuno Gonzalez believes that symptoms affecting the mouth went undetected at the beginning of the pandemic due to the initial chaos. At the end of March and in early April, there was a lot of fear of the disease. Patients were made to wear a face mask for as much time as possible, and often their mucosas were not examined, she explains.

English version by Melissa Kitson.




A number of Telegram channels report on politics and spin the alleged insights and leaks from top offices.

Cybersecurity experts with the SBU Security Service in Ukraine have exposed a massive Russian intelligence network that was engaged in a subversive activity supervised by Russian special services.

The assets hired by the Russian GRU ran a number of anonymous Telegram channels, which have gained prominence on the regional and national scales, the SBU reports.

The SBU press service says the aggressor state's intelligence has engaged Ukrainian citizens in setting up and running a number of Telegram channels reporting on politics and spinning the alleged insights and leaks from top offices.

Read alsoSBU reform passes first reading in RadaThe list includes such channels as "Lehitymny", "Resident", "Kartel", "Spletnitsa", "Chorny Kvartal, , "Politicheskiy Rasklad", "Netipichnoye Zaporozhye", "Trempel Kharkov", "Odesskiy Freier", "Dnepr live", "Nikolaev live", and "Kherson live".

The investigation says the asset network was set up by the so-called 85th Main Center of the Special Service at the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (or at what's commonly known as the GRU). It had employed residents of Kharkiv and Odesa, activists of the so-called "Russian spring". At the moment, the culprits work from Tiraspol in the Russian-controlled "Transnistrian Moldovan Republic".

It has been established that the "main manager" of the agent network is an Odessa citizen, one of the organizers of the Odessa "Anti-Maidan". Now he is wanted under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

It is noted that the perpetrator personally administers 12 Telegram channels, being in contact with those ordering circulation of certain materials, reporting to the Russian handlers about the work done and coordinating publication of ordered messages. Clients were charged from several hundred hryvnias for placing publications on regional Telegram channels and up to 30,000 hryvnias  for all-Ukrainian channels.

Read alsoSBU busts Russian-controlled network of propaganda assetsThe SBU has already identified 50 clients who paid for their material to be published.

Linguistic and psychology experts have concluded that the messages circulated on Telegram channels in question were aimed at "sowing panic, aggravating and destabilizing the socio-political and socio-economic situation. The culprits' key objective was to compromise state authorities, influence state policies, artificially create public tension and protest moods among citizens," the statement says.

SBU operatives have arrested in Kyiv a Ukrainian national, one of the key assets used in the distribution of destructive content. The suspect, along with another member of the Russian network, has been formally charged with high treason.

The investigation is verifying information on the possible gathering by the perpetrators of state secrets in the interests of Russian intelligence.

Also, high treason charges were put forward against the asset network leader, who has been hiding from the investigation beyond Ukraine's borders. The person has been put on wanted list.

What's important is that back in July 2020, a comprehensive report by Texty.org on the influence that the Telegram channels exert on Ukrainian legislators revealed that the MPs with the ruling Servant of the People faction in the Verkhovna Rada regularly read news from a number of Telegram channels, among which at least two  Lehitymny and Resident  have turned out to be supervised by the Russian GRU.

Reporting by UNIAN
An amateur baker has delighted dozens of dessert lovers by sharing the recipe for her Biscoff and white chocolate cookie pie on social media.

Amelia Lloyd, from Berkshire, UK, posted photos of her creation to popular Facebook cookery group, 'Baking It Simple'.

The account manager said she makes the dessert with simple supermarket ingredients like butter, flour, brown and white sugar, chocolate chips and a jar of the sweet cinnamon spread.

Photos of the pie, which have garnered 230 'likes' since they were uploaded online on January 30, have set mouths watering around the world.

Scroll down for video

An amateur baker has delighted dozens of dessert lovers by sharing the recipe for her Biscoff and white chocolate cookie pie (pictured) on social media

Ms Lloyd said she never expected such 'lovely responses' from so many strangers.

'My god we need to remove ourselves from this group,' one woman wrote, tagging her friend.

'That looks incredible,' added a second, while a third wrote: 'This is absolutely outrageous!'

One woman said she has never been able to make a pie like Ms Lloyd's, with solid layers stacked on top of each other.

Ms Lloyd replied, admitting it's 'tricky' to perfect.

'The trick is to set each layer in the fridge before, so one layer at a time,' she added.

To make the dessert, Ms Lloyd said she beats 230 grams of unsalted butter with 110 grams of granulated sugar and 279 grams of light brown sugar until the mixture turns smooth.

Next, she adds two eggs and two teaspoons of vanilla extract, stirring until all ingredients have combined.

Ms Lloyd then sieves in 550 grams of plain flour, two teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda, one teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of cornflour, stirring gently until a cookie dough has formed.

She folds in 100 grams of milk chocolate and 100 grams of white chocolate chips, then presses the dough into an 18 centimetre cake tin until the base is fully covered.

Ms Lloyd said she also creates a top for the pie which she sets aside for the time being.

Meanwhile, she melts 400 grams of Biscoff spread in a saucepan and roughly 250 grams of white baking chocolate in another.

Once both have melted, Ms Lloyd pours the Biscoff over the cookie dough base until a thick layer has formed, then refrigerates the tin until the spread has set.

When the Biscoff has hardened, she pours the melted white chocolate on top and returns the tin to the fridge until it has set.

Once both fillings are hard, Ms Lloyd said she places the cookie dough lid on top and pushes down gently to ensure it covers every inch of filling.

She then bakes it in the oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 35 minutes, checking regularly.

Once cooked, Ms Lloyd allows the pie to cool in the tin and then refrigerates until it is ready to be served to ensure the fillings remain solid.
The central security forces guarding the India-Pakistan, Sino-Indian and other frontiers have received an increased amount of funds amidst continuous tension with India's western and northern neighbours.

Finance Minister has allocated a total of Rs 1,03,802.52 crore to the Central Armed Police Forces like the BSF, CRPF and ITBP. The amount is an increase of 7.1 per cent from the last year when the forces got Rs 92,848.91 crore.

Rs 20,729.54 crore has been allocated to the BSF in 2021-22, in comparison to Rs 19,377.83 crore allocated in 2020-21 -- an increase of 6.97 per cent.

The BSF guards country's borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. Infiltration of militants and cross border firing from Pakistan have been regular features along the 3,323 km-long frontier of which, barring the 740 km-long Line of Control, all are guarded by the BSF.

The 4,096 km-long Indo-Bangladesh border, guarded by the BSF, also sees illegal infiltration, smuggling of cows, contraband and other items.

The air wing of the BSF received Rs 140.15 crore in comparison to Rs 54.75 crore received last year -- an increase of 155 per cent.

The ITBP, which guards 3,488 km-long Sino-Indian border, received Rs 6,567.17 crore in comparison to Rs 6,150.15 crore received last year -- an increase of 6.78 per cent.

The CRPF, which is deployed for internal security, maintenance of law and order and anti-militants operations in Jammu and Kashmir, received Rs 26,197.90 crore in comparison to Rs 24,788.28 crore allocated in 2020-21 -- an increase of 5.6 per cent.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar  Myanmars military staged a coup Monday and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi  a sharp reversal of the significant, if uneven, progress toward democracy the Southeast Asian nation has made following five decades of military rule.

An announcement read on military-owned Myawaddy TV said Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing would be in charge of the country for one year. It said the seizure was necessary because the government had not acted on the militarys claims of fraud in Novembers elections  in which Suu Kyis ruling party won a majority of the parliamentary seats up for grabs  and because it allowed the election to go ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The takeover came the morning the countrys new parliamentary session was to begin and follows days of concern that a coup was coming. The military maintains its actions are legally justified  citing a section of the constitution it drafted that allows it to take control in times of national emergency  though Suu Kyis party spokesman as well as many international observers have said it amounts to a coup.

It was a dramatic backslide for Myanmar, which was emerging from decades of strict military rule and international isolation that began in 1962. It was also a shocking fall from power for Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate who had lived under house arrest for years as she tried to push her country toward democracy and then became its de facto leader after her National League for Democracy won elections in 2015.

While Suu Kyi had been a fierce antagonist of the army while under house arrest, since her release and return to politics, she has had to work with the countrys generals, who never fully gave up power. While the 75-year-old has remained wildly popular at home, Suu Kyis deference to the generals  going so far as to defend their crackdown on Rohingya Muslims that the United States and others have labeled genocide  has left her reputation internationally in tatters.

The coup now presents a test for the international community, which had ostracized Myanmar while it was under military rule and then enthusiastically embraced Suu Kyis government as a sign the country was finally on the path to democracy. U.S. President Joe Biden threatened new sanctions, which the country had previously faced.

For some, Mondays takeover was seen as confirmation that the military holds ultimate power despite the veneer of democracy. New York-based Human Rights Watch has previously described the clause in the constitution that the military invoked as a coup mechanism in waiting.

The embarrassingly poor showing of the military-backed party in the November vote may have been the spark.

Larry Jagan, an independent analyst, said the takeover was just a pretext for the military to reassert their full influence over the political infrastructure of the country and to determine the future, at least in the short term, adding that the generals do not want Suu Kyi to be a part of that future.

The first signs that the military was planning to seize power were reports that Suu Kyi and Win Myint, the countrys president, had been detained before dawn.

Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for Suu Kyis party, told the online news service The Irrawaddy that in addition to Suu Kyi and the president, members of the partys Central Executive Committee, many of its lawmakers and other senior leaders had also been taken into custody.

Television signals were cut across the country, as was phone and internet access in Naypyitaw, the capital, while passenger flights were grounded. Phone service in other parts of the country was also reported down, though people were still able to use the internet in many areas.

As word of the militarys actions spread in Yangon, the countrys biggest city, there was a growing sense of unease among residents who earlier in the day had packed into tea shops for breakfast and went about their morning shopping.

By midday, people were removing the bright red flags of Suu Kyis party that once adorned their homes and businesses. Lines formed at ATMs as people waited to take out cash, efforts that were being complicated by internet disruptions. Workers at some businesses decided to go home.

Suu Kyis party released a statement on one of its Facebook pages saying the militarys actions were unjustified and went against the constitution and the will of voters. The statement urged people to oppose Mondays coup and any return to military dictatorship. It was not possible to confirm who posted the message as party members were not answering phone calls.

The militarys actions also received international condemnation and many countries called for the release of the detained leaders.

U.S. President Biden called the militarys actions a direct assault on the countrys transition to democracy and the rule of law and said Washington would not hesitate to restore sanctions.

The United States will stand up for democracy wherever it is under attack, he said in a statement.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the developments a serious blow to democratic reforms, according to his spokesman. The Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the militarys actions  probably on Tuesday, according to Britain, which currently holds the council presidency.

The U.N. high commissioner for human rights said in a statement that, in addition to politicians, the people detained included human rights defenders, journalists and activists.

In addition to announcing that the commander in chief would be charge, the military TV report said Vice President Myint Swe would be elevated to acting president. Myint Swe is a former general best known for leading a brutal crackdown on Buddhist monks in 2007. He is a close ally of Than Shwe, the junta leader who ruled Myanmar for nearly two decades.

In a later announcement, the military said an election would be held in a year and the military would hand power to the winner.

The military justified its move by citing a clause in the 2008 constitution, implemented during military rule, that says in cases of national emergency, the governments executive, legislative and judicial powers can be handed to the military commander-in-chief.

It is just one of many parts of the charter that ensured the military could maintain ultimate control over the country. The military is allowed to appoint its members to 25% of seats in Parliament and it controls of several key ministries involved in security and defense.

In November polls, Suu Kyis party captured 396 out of 476 seats up for actual election in the lower and upper houses of Parliament.

The military has charged that there was massive fraud in the election  particularly with regard to voter lists  though it has not offered any convincing evidence. The state Union Election Commission last week rejected its allegations.

Concerns of a takeover grew last week when a military spokesman declined to rule out the possibility of a coup when asked by a reporter to do so at a news conference on Tuesday.

Then on Wednesday, the military chief told senior officers in a speech that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. An unusual deployment of armored vehicles in the streets of several large cities also stoked fears.

On Saturday and Sunday, however, the military denied it had threatened a coup, accusing unnamed organizations and media of misrepresenting its position.


Shahid Kapoor has worked really hard on his body over the years and makes sure that he keeps reminding us of his hot bod. Monday mornings are regarded as one of the most difficult mornings. But trust Shahid Kapoor to motivate you and give Monday mornings a whole new definition.

Shahid Kapoor took to his Instagram story this morning and showed us what hes been up to early in the morning. And were not surprised to know that the talented actor is sweating it out in the gym. He shared a mirror selfie from his gym where we see him flaunting his toned arms. Now looks like the Kabir Singh actor had a major arms-day today at the gym and made sure he flaunts those arms. Love the actors dedication towards fitness and his love to keep his physique fit and fabulous.



Shahid Kapoor is currently in Goa to shoot his debut web series helmed by Raj and DK. The actor introduced his leading lady on Insta the other day and it's none other than South beauty Rashmika Mandana. The actors will be working for the series first schedule in Goa and its said to be an extensive schedule. Shahid Kapoor even has Jersey up for release this year which also stars Mrunal Thakur and Pankaj Kapur.
The Syrian Government has arrested several individuals on charges of cyber crimes, including an inspector and a TV news anchor.

In the past few days, the Assad regime arrested several people, including an inspector and a state television reporter, on charges of what the Assad governments Ministry of Interior called cyber crimes.

Among the arrested are Syrian TV anchor, Hala al-Jarf, who was arrested last Saturday. The director at the regimes official TV channel, Mahran Saleh, confirmed the arrest on his Facebook page, calling for freedom for Hala al-Jarf.

Two weeks ago, the Assad regime arrested the inspector in the General Authority for Supervision and Inspection, Feryal Jahjah. According to her colleague, Athila al-Khatib, Feryal was arrested because she spoke the truth and demanded the application of the law and the protection of public funds, which is a sacred duty protected by the constitution.

According to Snack Syrian, the Criminal Security Branch/Electronic Crimes Department in Tartous summoned Jahjah for investigation on January 14 and was transferred to Damascus.

For its part, the Ministry of Interior in the Assad government announced the arrest of eight people for communicating and dealing with suspicious websites.

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.
TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's delay in addressing the apparent coup in Myanmar has stood out as key leaders across the Indo-Pacific and the West speak out against the recent developments in the Southeast Asian nation.

Myanmar's military detained de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other high-profile leaders, ostensibly over flaws in the country's November election. The development comes as the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is feeling out its global partnerships, including the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue -- a coalition of like-minded countries committed to democracy and the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific, designed to counter China's growing clout across Asia.

"The United States is taking note of those who stand with the people of Burma in this difficult time," Biden said Monday in a statement condemning the military's move. While the statement likely had China in mind, it may have agonized diplomats in Tokyo.

News of Suu Kyi's detention broke early Monday in Japan. Japan's Foreign Ministry throughout the morning said it was still gathering information, until Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi finally issued a statement after 4 p.m -- seven hours following the report of the detention -- expressing "grave concern over the situation in Myanmar" and urging the release of Suu Kyi and other leaders.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato earlier that day had encouraged parties in Myanmar to resolve the issue peacefully through dialogue, repeating Japan's official line on the country. The government sent an e-mail to Japanese citizens in Myanmar to avoid unnecessarily travel, but did not make any statements explicitly criticizing the Myanmar military over the apparent coup.

Japan's response contrasts with the speedy, often harsher reaction by much of the international community, including the other members of the Quad. The U.S. White House had issued a statement within hours of the incident saying it "opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition."

Some say Suga is wary about commenting on Myanmar's internal affairs, which is not an invalid concern. Unlike the U.S. and Europe, Japan had also maintained relations with Myanmar's military junta before the country's democratic transition. It worries that isolation from the international community could push the country closer to China.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's third budget in two years was one that registered unprecedented fiscal deficit, an intent that is definitely encouraging for an economy that has been beaten to the ground by a 'once in a century crisis'. Being compared to its 30-year-old counterpart, when the then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh opened the Indian economy for liberalisation, Sitharaman's budget will be remembered for uplifting living standards of the populace in the face of a battered fiscal.

Budget 2021's tone was clear: reviving the severely hit urban population while making sure that the rural folk is not left wanting.

It is common knowledge that cities are the engines of growth. About a third of India lives in its urban centres but contributes twice their size to the GDP. This, along with India's aspiration to become a $5-trillion-economy by 2024 were what may be considered as the foundation thought behind the Budget.

The annual economic exercise addressed five of India's biggest urban concerns: water, housing, transportation , hygiene and, ofcourse, money.

Sitharaman in her budget speech in the Parliament on Monday announced a mission to provide universal water supply to areas under all 4,378 urban local bodies and the next phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission focusing on management of sludge, waste water and construction and demolition waste in cities.

This mission will be implemented over the next five years with an expenditure of Rs 2.87 lakh crore.

The Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), which was being implemented by the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, is set to get a second round. It will be implemented over five years  2021 till 2026  with an outlay of Rs 1.41 lakh crore.

In order to further felicitate urban commute, Sitharaman announced a new scheme for public buses and extension of the Metro networks in Kochi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Nagpur and Nashik. A total of Rs 18,000 crore was allocated for this. The scheme aims to deploy innovative PPP models to enable private sector players to finance, acquire, operate and maintain over 20,000 buses.

Two new Metro technologies, MetroLite and MetroNeo, will be used in the tier-2 cities and peripheral parts of the tier-1 cities to provide Metro connectivity at a lower cost compared to conventional Metro systems.

The budget for metro projects in the Housing and Urban Ministry grew from Rs 14,470 crore in 2018 to Rs 18,908 crore in 2019.It has now an increased allocation of Rs 23,500 crore.

Sitharaman also extended the affordable housing benefit by one more year until March 2022. The FM also announced tax exemption for rental housing projects in her Budget speech. The income tax rebate of Rs 1.5 lakh for affordable home loans will continue until March 2022, she said.

In order to promote supply of Affordable Rental Housing for the migrant workers, it is also proposed to allow a new tax exemption for the notified Affordable Rental Housing Projects, she said. The finance minister also said that the government is committed to provide affordable rental housing for migrant workers.

Further, the Budget made space for easing norms around setting up of One Person Company (OPC) by reducing the residency limit of NRIs from 182 to 120 days. Earlier, only Indian resident citizens were allowed to form one person companies in India.

While the urban population may complain that personal income tax respite was not provided, the Finance Minister focussed on ease of compliance this year.

To further simplify income income tax filing, capital gains from listing securities and interest income to come pre-filled in ITRs, FM announced. The Central government also proposed to make income tax appellate tribunals faceless and set up national income tax appellate tribunal centre. Further, exemption from tax audit limit was doubled to Rs 10 crore turnover for companies doing most of their business through digital modes.

Also, in a relief to senior citizens, Sitharaman announced that no income tax filing required for seniors citizens above 75 years of age and who have income only from pension and interest income in the Union Budget 2021.

It was not as if the Budget turned a blind eye towards those living outside cities.

The Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Ministry has got 5.63 per cent more budget allocation at Rs 1,31,531 crore for 2021-22. Among the key central schemes, a major allocation of Rs 65,000 crore has been made for PM-KISAN, allocation for the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Yojana (PM-AASHA) has been increased to Rs 1,500 crore.

Similarly, the allocation for formation and promotion of 10,000 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) has been increased to Rs 700 crore from Rs 250 crore, while agriculture infrastructure fund has been raised to Rs 900 crore from Rs 208 crore.

The allocation for Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)- Per Drop More Crop has been increased substantially to Rs 4,000 crore from Rs 2,563 crore in the revised estimated for 2020-21.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the social security scheme that aims to guarantee the 'right to work' by giving livelihood security in rural areas through 100 days of wage employment, has received an allocation of 73.000 crores for the financial year 2021-2022.

Therefore, while there is a definite booster shot being injected into the urban space, it has been made sure that its counterpart does not turn malnourished.
The body of a 20-year-old female snorkeler who disappeared while swimming with friends at a Melbourne beach on Saturday morning has been found.

The woman vanished from the Altona Beach pier on the western shore of Port Phillip Bay before her brothers raised the alarm.

Her body was found at 10.30am on Monday after local and water police were unable to locate her after three days of searching.

Police spent two days searching for a Melbourne woman who vanished from the Altona Beach Pier on Saturday morning. Her body was found at 10.30am Monday

The 20-year-old woman was 100 metres from the shore and 400m outside of the flagged zone, with locals shocked by the disappearance during such calm conditions (police divers pictured)

The woman's brothers alerted authorities when she failed to resurface from the water, with locals describing Altona beach as relatively safe.

The woman, who lives in Ashwood in Melbourne's sout-east, was wearing a weight belt while she snorkeled, which counteracts the buoyancy of the wetsuit and allows the diver to enjoy a more controlled swim.

Devastated family members watched from the shore as police authorities combed the area.

Drones, the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopters, two jet ski services, two inflatable rescue boats and police divers have been deployed.

The police stopped their search just before midnight on Saturday, and continued at 7.30am on Sunday.

'It is understood the woman was last seen about 100 metres out from shore and approximately 400 metres outside of the flagged zone,' Life Saving Victoria state agency commander Kane Treloar said.

Devastated family members watched specialist divers from the shore as their search continued, stopping just before midnight on Saturday night and continuing Sunday morning

'Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the missing woman during what is no doubt an extremely distressing time.'

Altona Beach is the most popular beach in Melbourne's western suburbs, known for its calm, clear waters. Locals and tourists visit to swim, fish, snorkel and kite surf.

The discovery comes as Victoria marks its most devastating six-month period on record, with forty-two people drowned in Melbourne waters since July last year, and eight in the past month.

While many described the popular beach as calm, a wind change can cause conditions to change quickly

This toll is 15 more than the five-year average, with Life Saving Victoria urging tourists and locals alike to take notice of safety signs at dangerous waterways.

Mr Treloar urged the public to check the weather conditions before they headed to beaches or waterways, and to only swim at patrolled locations, at patrolled times, and between the flags.

'For divers and snorkelers, make sure you're always heading out with a mate and staying with your mate in the water. Don't head out if you're feeling unwell, and always dive within your limits,' he said.

'We want people to be able to enjoy Victorias beautiful waterways, but you need to do it safely for your own sake and for your familys sake'.


Adding a dose of positivity and hope to the New Year, India's premier cultural institute, the National Centre for the Performing Arts is back with a fine array of live performances as the stage comes alive once again. The NCPA will be opening its doors to the public from 3rd February 2021 and art enthusiasts can now enjoy classical concerts, recitals, plays, stand-up shows and more, bringing back the good old days of live performances.

The opening concert is a curated SOI Chamber Orchestra performance featuring a beautiful rendition of old classics. The reopening night also includes a digital broadcast of "A Homage to Abbaji - Ustad Allarakha", presented at the NCPA in February 2019 to mark the tabla legend's 100th birth anniversary, with a percussive ensemble led by his son and shishya Zakir Hussain. The February calendar is dotted with a vibrant mix of plays, one of which will feature Pratik Gandhi of the1992 Scam fame as the protagonist in 'Mohan's Masala'. Pop, jazz, swing and rock 'n' roll lovers can relive the good old days with 'The Golden Years' featuring Darren Das, Giselle Pinto and the Sixth Sense. 'Shiva' featuring Vaibhav Arekar & Sankhya Dance Company, and 'Readings in the Shed' directed by Nikhil Katara, will leave you enraptured with their engaging and empowering storytelling through mudras and words. The CITI-NCPA Promising Artistes Series will showcase artistes from the 'Citi-NCPA Support to Gurus' CSR initiative, an evening for connoisseurs of Indian classical music that will showcase the beats of the pakhawaj and compositions in the rare dhrupad form.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Khushroo N Suntook, Chairman, NCPA, said, "NCPA programmes have always encouraged performances by the finest of international and local talents. This time our focus is solely on creating quality performances featuring local artistes and resident musicians of the SOI. We are reopening with SOI Chamber Orchestra performing some beautiful old classics followed by an array of events lined up for the whole month."

Adding on the safety and hygiene measures undertaken for the reopening he said, "We are also thoroughly prioritising hygiene at the NCPA and I can vouch for our safety protocols since they have been designed in adherence to the rules laid down by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. We've made sure that all venues, green rooms and washrooms are sanitised and have kept temperature and oxygen-level checks upon entry for the safety of our audience."

So, mark your calendar as the National Centre for the Performing Arts is all set to start to bring a grand bouquet of live shows which cannot be missed!

Event Calendar

Date Event Venue Time

3rd Feb SOI Chamber Orchestra featuring Soul Yatra Tata Theatre 7pm

4th Feb The Lehman Trilogy Godrej Dance Theatre 5pm

6th Feb Unlocking Comedy Godrej Dance Theatre 6.30pm

7th Feb Mohan's Masala Tata Theatre 7pm

10th Feb The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess Godrej Dance Theatre 5pm

11th Feb The Red Shoes Godrej Dance Theatre 6pm

12th Feb CITI - NCPA Promising Artistes Series Experimental Theatre 6:30

13th Feb The Golden Years Experimental Theatre 7pm

14th Feb Readings in the Shed Experimental Theatre 7pm

18th Feb Short Film Corner Short Film Screenings Godrej Dance Theatre 7pm

20th Feb ShivaFacets of Him Experimental Theatre 6:30pm

21st Feb SOI Chamber Orchestra featuring Haydn's Cello Concerto in C Major and Works by Bach, Britten and more

Tata Theatre 5pm

23rd Feb Reality Check Documentary Film Screening Godrej Dance Theatre 7pm

25th Feb Cyrano de Bergerac By Edmond Rostand (Theatre screening) Godrej Dance Theatre 6pm

26th Feb Yesterday Once More Experimental Theatre 7pm

27th Feb Massage (Theatre) Experimental Theatre 7pm
Members of the World Health Organization team including Peter Daszak, left, Ken Maeda, right, and Vladimir Dedkov, second right, prepare to leave for a fourth day of field visits from their hotel in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic visited two disease control centers on Monday that had an early hand in managing the outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

The WHO investigators arrived in Wuhan, the provincial capital, last month to look for clues and have visited hospitals and a seafood market where early cases were detected.

The team on Monday visited both the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and its Wuhan city office, amid tight Chinese controls on access to information about the virus.

China has sought to avoid blame for alleged missteps in its early response to the outbreak, while promoting alternative theories that the virus originated elsewhere and may even have been brought to Wuhan from outside the country.

Following the visit to the provincial center, team member Peter Daszak told reporters it had been a "really good meeting, really important." No other details were given.

The evidence the team assembles will add to what is expected to be a years-long quest for answers. Pinning down an outbreak's animal sources requires massive amounts of research, including taking animal samples, genetic analysis and epidemiological studies.

In Geneva, WHO officials pushed back Monday against suggestions China is being less than forthcoming about how the pandemic started.

From right, Dominic Dwyer and Peter Ben Embarek of the World Health Organization team prepare to leave for a fourth day of field visits from their hotel in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

At a press briefing, WHO's COVID-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove said the team has plans to visit the Wuhan Institute of Virology, among other sites.

"The more detail you have on the ground, the more questions you have," she said. "The team will follow the information. They will follow the science and continue to ask questions and analyze data." Van Kerkhove said it would be up to team members to decide what other field visits were necessary, although China must approve the mission's ultimate agenda.

Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO's emergencies chief, said WHO was continuing to ask for more data and said anyone with information about how the pandemic started should share it with the organization.

"We are in the field with experts from 10 countries looking to find the answers. If you have the answers, if you think you have some answers, please let us know," he said. He dismissed critics who said any report from the mission would be incomplete and said the team "deserves the support of the international community."

A worker in protective overalls takes the temperature of a woman entering the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention as the World Health Organization team makes a field visit in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. A World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic visited a provincial disease control center that had an early hand in managing the outbreak. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Marion Koopmans of a World Health Organization team arrives at the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. The WHO mission team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Peter Daszak of the World Health Organization leaves in a car past a row of security personnel at the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention after a field visit in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Members of a World Health Organization team arrive at the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. The WHO mission team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A worker in protective gear holds up a thermometer at the entrance to the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention where a World Health Organization team is making a field visit in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. The WHO mission team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Marion Koopmans of a World Health Organization team arrives at the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. The WHO mission team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A worker in protective gear checks the temperature of a visitor at the entrance to the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention where a World Health Organization team is making a field visit in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. The WHO mission team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A van from the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention enters the compound as the World Health Organization team makes a field visit in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. A World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic visited a provincial disease control center that had an early hand in managing the outbreak. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Peter Daszak of the World Health Organization leaves in a car from the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention after a field visit in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A tired worker in protective overalls bends over to stretch at the entrance of the Hubei Center for Disease Control and Prevention as the World Health Organization team makes a field visit in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

China has largely curbed domestic transmission through strict testing and contact tracing. Mask wearing in public is observed almost universally and lockdowns are routinely imposed on communities and even entire cities where cases are detected. The latest outbreaks have been mostly in the frigid northeast, with 33 new cases reported nationally Monday in three provinces.

Despite that, China recorded more than 2,000 new domestic cases of COVID-19 in January, the highest monthly total since the final phase of the initial outbreak in Wuhan last March. Two people died of the disease in January, the first reported COVID-19 deaths in China in several months.

Schools have gone online and travel has been drastically cut during this month's Lunar New Year holiday, with the government offering incentives for people to stay put during the most important time for family gatherings across the vast nation.

Explore further WHO team visits Wuhan hospital that had early virus patients

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
[February 01, 2021] Sugarfina to Webcast Live at VirtualInvestorConferences.com February 11th

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sugarfina Corporation, based in El Segundo, CA focused on gourmet, luxury confections today announced that Scott LaPorta, CEO and Co-Investor will present live at VirtualInvestorConferences.com on February 11th. DATE: February 11th, 2021

TIME: 12:30 PM ET

LINK: https://bit.ly/2KtV6MY This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event. It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates. Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.



Recent Company Highlights Sugarfina sold 31,000 Advent Calendars, 60,000 Candy Bento Boxes, and 282,000 Candy Cubes in the 2020 Holiday season.

The company boasts its ecommerce growth through a customer email list of more than 570,000, a total social media following of over 330,000, and a 25% increase in Sugarfina loyalty members following a restructuring of their Rewards Program.

In Q4 of 2020, the company launched new digital storefronts on Amazon.com and luxury Japanese e-commerce site, Rakuten

In Q2 of 2021, Sugarfina will open a central fulfillment center in Las Vegas, Nevada , expanding supply chain capacity. About Sugarfina

Sugarfina USA is a luxury candy brand with stores in gateway locations in the United States, Canada, and Hong Kong. The company also sells directly to consumers through its e-commerce business, in specialty retailers, department store shop-in-shops, and corporate gifting. Sugarfina's exclusive and innovative line of products is offered in distinctive and iconic packaging. To learn more about Sugarfina, visit www.sugarfina.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter @sugarfina. About Virtual Investor Conferences

Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly-traded companies to meet and present directly with investors. A real-time solution for investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences is part of OTC Market Group's suite of investor relations services specifically designed for more efficient Investor Access. Replicating the look and feel of on-site investor conferences, Virtual Investor Conferences combine leading-edge conferencing and investor communications capabilities with a comprehensive global investor audience network. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sugarfina-to-webcast-live-at-virtualinvestorconferencescom-february-11th-301218653.html SOURCE VirtualInvestorConferences.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
New Zealand's politicians, business people and consumers are welcoming the signing of a protocol to upgrade a free trade agreement (FTA) between their country and China earlier this month.



Milestone in relations

On Saturday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told thousands of participants at the 2021 Chinese New Year Festival and Market Day event in Auckland that the signing of the FTA upgrade was a milestone for both countries.

"Alongside the renewed commitment to our people-to-people links, stands our ongoing commitment to our economic and trade ties, which are equally long and deep and important to us," said Ardern.

"The FTA upgrade is a really important milestone for both countries, and shows the strength of our relationship," she added.

According to the protocol signed on Tuesday, on the basis of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, China will further expand its opening-up in sectors including aviation, education, finance, elderly care, and passenger transport to New Zealand to boost the trade of services.

For the trade of goods, the upgraded FTA will see both countries open their markets for certain wood and paper products and optimize trade rules such as rules of origin, technical barriers to trade and customs facilitation, China's Ministry of Commerce said in an online statement.

New Zealand will lower its threshold for reviewing Chinese investment, allowing it to receive the same review treatment as members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

In 2008, China signed an FTA with New Zealand, the first deal of this kind between China and a developed country. China is currently New Zealand's largest trading partner, the largest source country of foreign students, and second-largest source of foreign tourists.

Renewed commitment

The New Zealand public is also applauding the FTA upgrade. Many people believe that the bilateral ties are getting fresh impetus and gaining greater momentum, while others are looking forward to the future business opportunities that the FTA upgrade will bring along.

Chris Lipscombe, international business strategist, was excited to hear the news.

"It is a clear statement around cooperation, particularly a commitment to fair non-discriminatory and transparent relationships between the two countries," Lipscombe said, adding that "this is a really positive step forward."

Bill Dwyer, international business lawyer and head of China Desk, Tavendale & Partners, believed that the upgrade is a welcoming development particularly for New Zealand exporters.

A really important thing is that "both parties are making greater commitments to free trade," said Dwyer.

Notably, Auckland employee in the financial sector Dale Singh thought the upgrade is amazing news for New Zealand's economic recovery from COVID-19.

This FTA upgrade will "really benefit the economy" especially with this hit by the coronavirus pandemic, said Singh.

Business booster

"The FTA upgrade brings certainty during the COVID-19 uncertainty. It will give New Zealand businesses more confidence to plan for the future," said John Qin, director of a New Zealand honey exporting company.

"We will use this chance to upgrade our products, adding up more honey flavors especially for (the) Chinese market. Let Chinese consumers have more chance to taste high quality New Zealand honey," said Qin.

"Any trade improvement between China and New Zealand will always have flow on benefits for all exporters, so we will benefit eventually. Any strengthening of trade relations between countries always benefits everyone in the longer term," said Roy van den Hurk, who runs a dairy company in New Zealand.

"It will speed up the overall supply chain which will benefit the consumers by having fresher product. It will also reduce costs, which will benefit the consumers by having less expensive high quality products," he added.

Meanwhile, Auckland University student Tama Payne said that "hopefully we could bring some services to China and hopefully we could get services back from China."

"I think it will be good for all of us," added Payne.
WASHINGTON  Even before revelations about President Donald Trumps pressuring Ukraine to assist his reelection campaign, many Democrats in the House of Representatives wanted to impeach him. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, however, rightly expressed her opposition to impeachment in five withering words: Hes just not worth it.

The Ukraine episode forced Pelosi to favor impeachment, even though Trumps acquittal by a Republican-controlled Senate was certain. Her and her caucuss understandable fury about Trumps encouragement of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, a patently impeachable offense, made a second impeachment inevitable. That did not, however, make it prudent.

There are two reasons for impeaching a president, one retrospective, one prophylactic: To punish the president for gross misbehavior, or to protect the country from anticipatable future offenses by the president. Trump impeachment 2.0 is a variant of the latter. Its supposed purpose is to deter future presidents who might be as reckless as he was. For this reason, many serious scholars  see, for example, the writings of Princetons Keith Whittington  defend the constitutionality and wisdom of impeaching and convicting this ex-president. Deterrence presupposes rationality, and perhaps a conscience, neither of which would feature in any future iteration of the 45th president.

Political prudence is a talent. It involves applying crystalline principles to untidy realities. The principle of holding people accountable for their actions is generally sound. But high-minded rhetoric about enforcing accountability on Trump ignores the fact that neither his reputation nor his future political salience hinges on the Senate impeachment trial.

Besides, almost all Senate Republicans, tarting up their timidity as scrupulousness, have latched onto a principle that many scholars, including Whittington, and some past practices refute  that impeaching a person no longer in office is unconstitutional.

Those who love Trump and those who loathe him  who today is undecided?  are all having altogether too much fun. The former are wallowing in the victimhood they think they share with him. The latter are luxuriating in a vengeance disconnected from the public good. And they are relishing the discomfort of Republican senators who will be damaged no matter whether they vote to convict or acquit. Regarding the reason for impeachment  the events of Jan. 6  reasonable people, for whom seeing is believing, know what happened, and why. Trump supporters, for whom believing is seeing, cannot be reached by reasoning, constitutional or otherwise.

Democrats probably know that impeachment is not needed to keep Republicans, fresh from the frying pan, roasting in the fire Trump lit. Sen. Rob Portman, the Ohio Republican, this last week announced that he will not seek a third term in 2022. Trump easily carried Ohio by 8.13 percentage points in 2016 and 8.03 in 2020. Portman did not ascribe his decision to electoral considerations. He cannot, however, have happily anticipated trying to court voters who are as temperate as he is without detonating bitter-end Trump supporters. They are probably a majority of Republicans nationally.

Democrats pushing impeachment 2.0 know that many states Republican Party organizations are controlled by peculiar people. Last week, Oregons party proclaimed: The violence at the Capitol was a false flag operation designed to discredit President Trump. Texas Republican Party has taken to using the slogan We are the storm, a formulation favored by QAnon, which the FBI considers a domestic terrorism threat. The storm, in QAnons parlance, is the coming day of deliverance when satanic pedophiles are to be arrested and executed.

In Arizona, the Republicans strongest potential Senate candidate in 2024 would be Doug Ducey, whose second and final term as governor ends in 2023. He, however, flatly says, Im not running. Not wanting to be a senator is understandable. But why would Ducey even consider running after Arizonas GOP recently censured him for emergency measures he has taken combating COVID-19?

Meanwhile, Trump, a mini-Achilles sulking in his Palm Beach tent, nurses his grievances, confident that he will be enlarged among Republicans when he is acquitted by the Senate. There, few Republicans are willing to enrage many constituents by voting to convict him for no better reason than that he is obviously guilty as charged.

The Constitution mandates: When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside. Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. did so in Trumps first trial. Roberts has, however, decided not to do so in the next one, in which the president  note the definite article: the  is not on trial. Roberts is too judicious to say so, but his decision perhaps implies this about the person on trial: Hes just not worth it.

GEORGE WILL writes for The Washington Post.
Russia has all the technical means to ensure the autonomous work of its Internet, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said. However, he added that no one would want to take things to an extreme.

"Technologically, we are ready for this. At the legislative level, all the decisions have been made as well. However, I would like to reiterate: it is not easy, and we would really not want that," he stated.

Medvedev admitted that separating Russias Internet is just a backup plan in an extreme case of the countrys disconnection from the global network. "Of course, we have a plan on how to act in this situation. As we all know, the Internet appeared at a certain time, and naturally, the United States of America have the key management rights. So potentially, if something extraordinary happens, if someone loses their head completely, this could happen. Exactly because the keys to this chest are across the ocean," TASS cited him as saying.

The politician reminded of constant talks of disconnecting Russia from the international Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT). "They keep threatening us with that. We were even forced to create our own information transmission system, if it happens suddenly, so that we can exchange electronic messages. The same can potentially happen to the Internet, and then we wont have access to the main nodes of this network," he explained.

Medvedev noted that the law on the Russian segment of the Internet was approved so that it can be managed autonomously, "as the entire state governance is tied to the Internet right now, a huge amount of social functions is tied to it." "We couldnt leave it without control. So there is such a law, and, if needed, it will enter into force," he assured.
Georgia Harrison sent temperatures soaring as she posed up a storm in a zebra print bikini on the beach in Dubai.

The former Love Island star, 26, flaunted her sensation figure in a series of snaps she posted on her Instagram on Sunday.

Georgia, who now lives in the United Arab Emirates, showcased her toned stomach in a black and white patterned bikini as she lay in the sand in the sultry snaps.

Beach babe: Georgia Harrison, 26, sent temperatures soaring as she posed in a bikini on the beach in Dubai in a series of snaps she posted on Instagram on Sunday

In one picture, she lay on her back at the water's edge and let the waves wash over her legs as she reached her arms above her head.

The pose accentuated her ample assets and showed her taut midriff as she smouldered for the camera.

In another picture, the star sat up on her knees and closed her eyes in the bright sun, and captioned the snaps: 'Oh baby what a waste ...'.

Sizzling: Georgia, who now lives in the United Arab Emirates, showcased her toned stomach in a black and white patterned bikini as she lay in the sand in the sultry snaps

Sun kissed: The reality star showed off her toned figure in the sizzling heat after being forced to tell critics she was not on holiday like other influencers, but in fact, residing in Dubai

Keeping up her glam appearance, the star wore some light makeup to draw attention to her natural beauty.

Georgia kept her accessories minimal and layered two necklaces as she sported a golden tan in the searing heat.

Her chestnut tresses were wet and she slicked them back before tying them in a low bun in one of the sizzling snaps.

Georgia has hit back at critics accusing her of being on holiday in Dubai despite the fact she has rented out her UK home and moved there.

The Love Island star took to her Instagram stories on Saturday to insist she wasn't one of the many influencers who have flocked to the country on a 'work trip'.

Georgia admitted that she didn't understand over the confusion over why she was in the UAE, and clarified she wasn't 'stuck amid travel restrictions'.

She took to Instagram on Saturday and told followers: 'I rented out my flat, sold my car and moved to Dubai months ago. I'm not stuck here, I live here.'

Thousands of travellers have scrambled to return to the UK after the government added the United Arab Emirates to the 'red list' of high-risk countries on Friday, with a ban on direct passenger flights from the country.

This comes after the reality TV star's ex-boyfriend Stephen Bear was arrested at Heathrow Airport on January 15 for allegedly filming them without her knowledge as they had sex. He denies the claims.

The blonde believes former boyfriend Bear showed an intimate recording of them to least 'two friends' and claims the footage was being widely shared on WhatsApp.

Georgia also alleges he shared screenshots of the video to followers on his OnlyFans account, but the social media star has denied it was her in the video.

Posing: Georgia lay on the sand and sported a golden tan in the searing heat as she smouldered for the camera

Caption: The reality star wrote: 'Oh baby what a waste ...' in the caption of her snaps

Essex police have since announced a formal charge is yet to be made while the investigation continues, with Bear released on bail until February.

In statement to MailOnline, a spokesperson confirmed: 'A 31-year-old man from Loughton, who was arrested on suspicion of disclosing private sexual images or film without consent with intent to cause distress, voyeurism, harassment and obstructing a police officer, has been released on bail until 10 February.'

The former TOWIE star has since thanked her fans and 'everyone that has reached out' following his arrest.

In a statement given to The Sun, she said: 'I am passionate about supporting victims of revenge porn and hopefully by coming forward it will give others the courage to do the same.

'I have a fantastic team around me including friends, family and colleagues who are just some of the many reasons I have be able to stay positive right now.'
A major technology company is to create more than 100 newsjobs in Ireland.

Huawei today announced it would create a further 110 new jobs in Ireland by the end of 2022, bringing to at least 310 the total of new jobs it will have added over a three year period from 2019 to 2022  more than doubling its workforce in that time.

Huawei will invest 80 million in Irish research and development (R&D) over the next two years to support its growing business in Ireland.

Over the past 15 months, Huawei has created 200 jobs in Ireland, as well as investing 60 million in R&D. In the next two years, Huawei will invest a further 80 million in R&D in Ireland, doubling its commitment from 2019.*

The new jobs will meet sustained growing demand for Huaweis products and services across its sales, R&D, IT development and in its consumer division. The company has a strong focus on helping its business partners roll out 5G across Ireland in coming years. The jobs will be mainly based in its Dublin headquarters and across operations in Cork and Athlone.

The investment is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland.

Commenting on the announcement Tanaiste & Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said, the news that Huawei will create 110 new jobs is most welcome. The company is creating new jobs at a time when we really need them with so many people out of work. Despite all the current uncertainty and challenges, Ireland continues to attract top class investment from global technology companies. These 110 jobs, which come in addition to the 200 created over the past 15 months, will be accompanied by an 80m investment in Irish research and development. I wish the company the best of luck with this expansion.

Confirming the latest recruitment plans Huawei Ireland Chief Executive Tony Yangxu said, we are delighted to see such growth in our workforce and business. Huawei has a long-term commitment to Ireland, where since 2004 we have built a world-class team servicing our ever-growing consumer and enterprise customer bases. Todays announcement is testament to the strength of those, as well as the ongoing success of our research and development programme, to which we committed 70 million in 2019. Our story in Ireland is one of mutual success, as we assist with the national digital transformation and Ireland continues to grow its international reputation as a pro-business environment with great talent available.

IDA Ireland CEO Martin Shanahan added, this is a welcome investment by Huawei which will add substantially to Irelands technology and R&D ecosystem. The companys continued commitment to significant investments in R&D and creating high value jobs demonstrates Huaweis confidence in Ireland and the talent pool available here.

Huawei has a broad range of activities in Ireland, where it serves all of the major telecommunications providers with products and business solutions.

Huaweis R&D operations in Ireland work closely with Science Foundation Ireland research centres including Adapt, Connect and Lero while also having partnerships with DCU, Trinity, UCD, UCC and UL. Its R&D efforts in Ireland focus on the areas of video, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), site-reliability engineering and 5G consumer use cases.

In 2020 Huawei Ireland began supporting Ocean Research & Conservation Ireland through its global digital inclusion TECH4ALL programme. Huawei Ireland is providing a research grant and technological support to ORC Ireland as it conducts the first real-time study of the impact of marine traffic on whales in Irish waters. Huawei Ireland also launched the TECH4HER Scholarship Programme in partnership with Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) and University College Dublin (UCD), aimed at supporting female students studying STEM subjects.

Huawei Ireland was recently announced as a 2021 regional Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute. Each year, Top Employers Institute certifies organisations who are focused on putting their people first through their exceptional HR policies. The Top Employers Institute programme certifies organisations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey. This survey covers 6 HR domains consisting of 20 topics such as People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Well-being and Diversity & Inclusion and more.

The company is now looking forward to the results in the next holes and particularly the planned drilling under Lepidolite Hill, south of the historical Bang I Tum tin mine.

Pan Asia Metals Limited ( ) has completed drilling the first-ever hole at the highly prospective Bang I Tum prospect within Reung Kiet Lithium Project (RKLP) in southern Thailand.

RKLP is a hard rock project with demonstrated potential for lithium hosted in lepidolite-rich pegmatites chiefly composed of quartz, albite, lepidolite with minor cassiterite and tantalite - as well as other accessory minerals including some rare earth.

The hole BTDD001 intersects a pegmatite dyke swarm from 46.5 metres to 164.5 metres and the composite thickness of pegmatite approximately 25 metres from 86.3-135.3 metres.

"Potential for a low-cost operation"

Pan Asia Metals managing director Paul Lock said: We are very pleased with the initial drilling results at Bang I Tum, which accord with the literature and our expectations.

We are looking forward to the results in the next holes and particularly our planned drilling under Lepidolite Hill, which is to the south of the historical Bang I Tum tin mine.

The Reung Kiet Lithium Project has the potential to be a very low-cost operation and, being the only lithium project in South East Asia, and in close proximity to the advanced industrial centres of Thailand and Malaysia and the massive battery markets of Asia, provides PAM with a suite of advantages including its close proximity to all required processing inputs.

Recent drilling

Drilling at BIT is planned on 100-150 metres spaced sections along the pit length and extending southwest to Lepidolite Hill (see Figure 1).

Drillhole depths are planned up to about 180 metres and will test the interpreted pegmatite positions beneath the open pit and along strike to the south-west.

The hole intersected a swarm of 17 separate pegmatite stringers, veins and dykes starting at 46.5 metres and continuing through to 164.5 metres.

All of the pegmatites intersected in the hole contain quartz, feldspar and varying amounts of fine-grained to clotty muscovite, as well as tourmaline which is locally altered to chlorite and the muscovite is the potential lithium-bearing mineral phase in the pegmatite.

Bang I Tum Lithium Prospect

The Bang I Tum prospect was a relatively large open cut tin mine, with the old pit about 650 metres long and up to 125 metres wide.

Soil and rock-chip sampling has defined the Main trend and an Eastern trend, and the prospective Main trend is about 1.5 kilometres long.

Rock chip sampling has yielded 14 of 24 samples >0.5% Li2O, with an average grade of 1.23% Li2O plus accessory tin and tantalum.

A lepidolite pegmatite dyke swarm can be observed on a hill about 400 metres south of the pit and this swarm is up to 100 metres wide with individual dykes up to 7 metres wide.

Forward planning

PAM has four priority one drill holes planned at BIT, with additional drilling contingent on positive results from these holes.

Following the completion of drilling at BIT, PAM intends to relocate the rig to the nearby Reung Kiet prospect to conduct additional drilling that will target lepidolite rich pegmatites identified in previous trenching and mapping programs conducted by PAM.

Results of the priority one holes at BIT will be assessed and further drilling may be conducted.

The company looks forward to keeping Shareholders and the market updated on the drilling progress and results obtained from the drilling program at Bang I Tum.
Nearly 3-in-10 Americans say COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened their faith: Pew

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

More than one-quarter of Americans say that the COVID-19 pandemic has strengthened their faith, giving the United States the highest percentage among 14 developed countries analyzed for a new Pew Research Center report.

In a report published last week, Pew found that nearly three out of 10 Americans (28%) say that their faith has grown stronger during the pandemic, while nearly four out of 10 say the pandemic has helped strengthen their family bonds.

The Pew report drew from data collected via its Summer 2020 Global Attitudes Survey, which was built on interviews conducted among 480,000 individuals in 91 countries. The survey is based on national samples. The U.S. sample consists of a plus or minus 3.7-percentage-point error margin.

Spain had the second-highest percentage of respondents, saying that the pandemic had strengthened their faith at 16%

From there, it was Italy at 15% and Canada at 13%. Australia, France, South Korea and the United Kingdom in a four-way tie at 10%.

Additionally, 28% of American respondents also said they believed the pandemic had strengthened people's religious faith in their country, which was also the highest percentage among the surveyed developed countries.

At the bottom of the surveyed industrialized nations was Denmark. Just 2% of Danish respondents said their religious beliefs were strengthened during the pandemic.

In Italy, 19% of respondents said that they believed the pandemic had strengthened the religious faith of people in their country.

After Italy, Spain and Netherlands tied with 17% of respondents who said that the faith of the people in their country were strengthened.

At the bottom was Japan, in which only 5% of respondents felt that the people's religious faith in their countries had been strengthened. Additionally, only 5% of Japanese respondents said their own religious beliefs were strengthened during the pandemic.

The United States recently has experienced some trends toward secularization, including a growing share of the population that does not identify with any religion and a shrinking share of people who say they regularly attend a church or other house of worship, the report reads.

Still, religion continues to play a stronger role in American life than in many other economically developed countries.

When asked how the pandemic has impacted their family lives, Pew notes that about four-in-10 adults surveyed in Spain, Italy, the U.S. and the U.K. said that their relationship with family had been strengthened. In Germany, Japan and South Korea, only about two out of 10 people said the same.

Much has been made about the probable long-term impact on religious communities due to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent shutdowns.

While some have pointed to many churches facing possible closures due to drops in giving and participation, others have noted a growing interest in spiritual matters.

Last November, the legal nonprofit Becket released a Religious Freedom Index report stating that Generation Z Americans have relied on faith more than other generations during the pandemic.

Drawing from a sample of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 30 to Oct. 8, the index found that 74% of Gen Z respondents said faith was at least somewhat important during the pandemic, putting them above the 62% average of all generations.

The Silent Generation, or those born before the end of World War II, were the second most likely to see faith as at least somewhat important at 64%. Generation X was the lowest at 56%.
Photograph: Jim Young/Reuters

The chief executives of American oil companies ExxonMobil and Chevron held preliminary talks in early 2020 to explore combining the two largest US oil producers in what would have been the biggest merger of all time, according to people familiar with the matter.

The discussions, which are no longer ongoing, are being seen as having tested the waters for the huge corporate marriage after the coronavirus pandemic shook the world last year, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Such consequential discussions are indicative of the pressure the energy sectors most dominant companies faced as Covid-19 took hold and crude prices plunged.

The talks between Exxon chief executive, Darren Woods, and Chevron CEO, Mike Wirth, were serious enough for legal documents involving certain aspects of the merger discussions to be drafted, one of the sources told Reuters.

Sources requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. Exxon and Chevron, which have market capitalizations of $190bn and $164bn, respectively, declined to comment on Sunday.

The discussions were described as preliminary and although were not ongoing could come back in the future.

Such a deal would reunite the two largest descendants of John D Rockefellers Standard Oil monopoly, which was broken up by US regulators in 1911, and reshaped the oil industry, the Journal reported.

Related: Dizzying pace of Biden's climate action sounds death knell for era of denialism

A combined companys market value could top $350bn, creating the worlds second largest oil company by market capitalization and production, second only to Saudi Arabias state oil producer, Aramco.

Such a big American oil merger could run into regulatory and antitrust hurdles in the new Biden , which has taken the US back into the Paris climate accords.

Last week Biden signed new environmental orders, saying the climate crisis was an existential threat demanding urgent remedies and introduced his team, including former secretary of state John Kerry as the new US climate global envoy.

During the election campaign last October, Biden said he would push the US to transition away from the oil industry.

One of the people familiar with the talks told the Journal the sides may have missed an opportunity to consummate the deal under the former president, Donald Trump, who withdrew rom the Paris agreement and had a powerful relationship with the fossil fuel industries.
(Photo : Screenshot from YouTube/TrueExclusives) TikTok Silhouette Challenge Gone Wrong for Tiffany Haddish, as fans have different comments about the video!

Tiffany Haddish took the recent TikTok challenge to another level, but the TikTok Silhouette Challenge 'gone' wrong for the actress when Common entered the seductive-red background.

TikTok Silhouette Challenge Wrong for Tiffany

Paul Anka's pop hit song "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" has gone from 'Earth to heaven' vibes after its StreetX remix that reached TikTok's most viral challenge as of the moment: the Silhouette challenge. Haddish tried the viral challenge under the tune of the 1959 song, and it turned out great.

For those who have no idea what the Silhouette challenge is, it features a person wearing loose-fitting clothing, which will appear next as a daring-looking silhouette who dances under the red-lit background at the doorway.

Metro reported that Tiffany starts with her coat and hair bonnet, which appears to have just gone out of the bathroom. The moment the lights went down, Tiffany took her time to pose in different, sexy positions while flaunting her smoking-hot body in the darkness.

Tiffany was all over the place in her irresistible presentation until her boyfriend Common invaded the actress's alluring performance. The couple exchanged kisses when the music changed to Doja Cats' "Streets," before Common enjoyed putting his hand on Tiffany's waist.

The viewers have no idea what will happen next on the video until the 48-year-old rapper strokes Tiffany's hair and 'accidentally' pulls her wig due to an overflowing excitement. Common quickly threw the wig on the floor, and Tiffany only shrugged. Eventually, Common was seen laughing at the end of the video while he walked away from the 'hilarious' sequence of events.

Tiffany and Common's romance started last year, when a viral video of them virtually dating on Bumble circulated the social media. During the quarantine period, the two formed a strong bond, which led to their relationship since their first meeting in the filming of 'The Kitchen' where they first met. Few months after their viral Bumble video, they were both seen in the Black Lives Matter movement, where they joined their fellow Black Americans in their fight for social justice and equality. "This is hands down the best relationship I've ever been in. Knockon wood!

Haddish said in Wild Ride podcast by Steve-O, where she also admitted being in a relationship with Common.

Read Also: Doomscrolling: How to Stop It and the Best Memes so Far

Tiffany Haddish added that she had shed 20 pounds since she entered a relationship in August. The comedian also highlighted that she became more confident because someone cares and always supports her.

What the People Said About the 'TikTok Silhouette Challenge Gone Wrong'

Former Miami Heat All-Star Dwayne Wade is one of many commenters who stumbled in Tiffany's silhouette challenge. Wade said that Common did it right after getting in for Tiffany. Yvonne Orji, an actress from "Insecure" said that the video went 'spicy.' This could be one of the reasons why people referred to it as 'steamy.' Another follower uttered that she was screaming after the video because it was really 'hilarious.' Here are the other tweets from different viewers:

Tiffany Haddish and Commons silhouette challenge is one of the most unsexy things Ive ever seen  i Hurd i was Cancel (@___inCANdescent) January 31, 2021

I swear Tiffany Haddish couldve kept that silhouette challenge   glama (@maybezuri) January 31, 2021

Tiffany Haddish told Black Women on Clubhouse to not take things personally b/c white women dont... and thats kinda why were not checking for her silhouette challenge.  Ororo Munroe (@Haute2Trott) February 1, 2021

Related Article: TikTok Silhouette Challenge No Filter Tutorial: How to Remove Red Filter

This article is owned by Tech Times.

Written by Joen Coronel

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
BURTON, MI -- One man was injured in a commercial fire in Burton Sunday evening, officials said.

The Burton Fire Department responded to a commercial structure fire shortly before 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 at 5506 Lapeer Road.

The fire started in one unit of a three-unit building, Burton Fire Chief Kirk Wilkinson said. The unit was being used for storage.

The fire was isolated to the unit where it started. However, the buildings middle unit, a tax and accounting service firm, still sustained moderate smoke and water damage.

The owner of the unit was in the building at the time of the fire and suffered burn injuries to his lower extremities, Wilkinson said.

An ambulance took the man, whose name has not been released, to Hurley Medical Center in Flint for treatment of his injuries. No additional injuries were reported.

The intersection of Lapeer and Belsay Road was closed for approximately two hours as firefighters from Burton and Davison extinguished the blaze.

Foremost Accounting/Precision Tax Service -- occupying the building next door, with a connected ceiling -- will be closed for at least two days to clean up and regroup after noticing some issues with smoke infiltration and possibly minor water damage, according to the businesss Facebook page.

Shout Out to the Burton fire fighters for their amazingly response and their concern for the contents of the office... and remained onsite late into the night monitoring the situation, reads the social media post.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Wilkinson said.

Read more on MLive:

$2,500 reward offered for info in Huron County fathers unsolved killing

One-vehicle crash in Flint leaves one woman dead

Flint police search for suspects vehicle after fatal shooting that also left baby injured

Flint police believe second drive-by was retaliation for fatal shooting
Italy working for Zaki's release - foreign min Bologna Egyptian student being monitored by EU thanks to Italy

(ANSAmed) - ROME, FEBRUARY 1 - Italy is working for the release from detention in Egypt of Egyptian Bologna university graduate student Patrick Zaki, who has been held since February 7 last year on charges of inciting protests in the African country, the Italian foreign ministry said Monday.



The ministry said Zaki is "the only one who is being constantly monitored by a group of foreign countries thanks to the Italian initiative".



It added "in the last few days the foreign ministry, via its embassy in Cairo, has continued to raise awareness in the local authorities on the case in question, in order to favour the prompt release of the young student".



The foreign ministry underscored that Monday's hearing on extending Zaki's preventive custody took place in his presence and in that of his lawyers.



An Italian embassy functionary was also there within the framework of the trial monitoring programme coordinated by the European Union.



The court's decision will be announced on Tuesday.



Asked whether Zaki could be released, his lawyer Hoda Nasrallah only said on the telephone: "let's hope so, let's hope so". She added that, "like every time", she will go to the Prosecution's office for the security of the State to learn about the judge's decision.



The hearing, which was held at the Institute for police assistants in the southern outskirts of Cairo, was as usual attended by an official of the Italian embassy in Cairo. There were also Italian, US and Danish diplomats, as ANSA could see at the location. The presence of diplomats in the building located near the prison complex of Tora, where the Egyptian student of the University of Bologna is detained, is usual and occurs as part of an EU program to monitor trials. The initiative is substantially suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic but it is being carried out in Zaky's case at the request of Italy's ambassador to Cairo, Giampaolo Cantini. The monitoring initiative is given an international, as well as a European connotation, by the presence of diplomats from non-EU countries, in Monday's case again the US.(ANSAmed). (ANSA).




A Message From The Editor

just-style gives you the widest apparel and textile market coverage.

Paid just-style members have unlimited access to all our exclusive content - including 21 years of archives.

I am so confident you will love complete access to our content that today I can offer you 30 days access for 1*.

Its our best ever membership offer  just for you.

Leonie Barrie, editor of just-style

Leonie's offer to you

* plus VAT if applicable

Jessika Power was sobbing uncontrollably as she caught a taxi back to her hotel after shooting Sunday night's episode of the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion.

But it looks like things will soon turn in the 28-year-old's favour, as she appeared in much happier spirits after the second night of filming.

'I feel much happier tonight, guys,' she told Daily Mail Australia as she returned to her Sydney hotel on December 7, after production wrapped.

No more tears: Jessika Power looked pleased with herself as she returned to her hotel after filming the second night of the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion in Sydney on December 7

'I definitely feel like tonight went lots better than last night,' she added.

Sporting a mischievous smile, Jessika said: 'There was definitely drama, it's Married At First Sight, but I feel that the Australian public are going to be impressed with me... self-growth, guys.'

With no tears or frowns in sight, Jessika looked triumphant and confident as she stepped out of her taxi and greeted the paparazzi.

Cheerful: 'I feel much happier tonight, guys,' she told Daily Mail Australia on December 7

Something to smile about: Sporting a mischievous smile, the 28-year-old looked like the cat who caught the canary after facing off with rival Cyrell again

Her upbeat and positive demeanour could be a sign that she left the Grand Reunion with an upper hand over her rivals - namely Cyrell.

She flaunted her trim pins in a green mini-dress after leaving the warehouse in Lilyfield, where filming was taking place.

Jessika's fabulous figure was on display in the form-fitting dress, which was cinched at the waist to highlight her slender frame.

Taking back the Power! Her upbeat and positive demeanour could be a sign that she left the reunion with an upper hand over her rivals - namely Cyrell

Fans watching at home were far from impressed after Cyrell, 29, hurled a glass of white wine at Jessika - two years after Martha Kalifatidis first threw wine at her during a dinner party on season six of Married At First Sight.

'Cyrell is a total d**k, I am embarrassed for her!' one viewer wrote on Twitter.

'Jess didn't deserve the treatment from Cyrell. She was trying to disengage and still got attacked,' another tweeted.

'She didn't deserve that': Cyrell Paule was slammed by fans for throwing white wine at Jessika during a heated confrontation on Sunday night's episode of the Grand Reunion

'You know, I have to give this one to Jess. She handled it like a pro regardless of what happened previously. Cyrell shouldn't have done that,' commented another.

Cyrell had confronted Jessika over claims she once described her relationship with Love Island star Eden Dally as 'fake', and that their baby was all for publicity.

Jessika denied she'd ever said anything negative about their 10-month-old son, Boston Dally, but did admit to saying their romance was a sham.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Some parents are concerned the timing isnt right for in-person classes to return to Ann Arbor Public Schools.

While the district has mainly heard from parents expressing frustration with their children remaining in remote learning, a number of parents who spoke at the Jan. 27 Ann Arbor School Board meeting said theyd like the district to stay where it is.

District officials have said theyre targeting an early March return to in-person classes, although a specific date has not yet been set. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has said shed like all Michigan districts to offer some type of in-person learning by March. 1.

Ann Arbor parent Emily Sippola, however, said shes concerned about the welfare of both teachers and students if that happens, due to the possibility of kids having to be pulled out of in-person classes by a COVID-19 outbreak or quarantine.

With two children attending AAPS, and a wife who is a health care worker, Sippola, a University of Michigan Medical School employee, said shes concerned those who want to rush back into the classroom dont have a clear sense of what the risks are, with the COVID-19 B.1.1.7 variant strain identified in Washtneaw County and a workforce that has not yet been vaccinated.

Theres a belief within the public view that if something is legal or something is made available by a government, its safe, Sippola said. We know that has not been true - governments have been easing restrictions while also telling people to be cautious.

Parent Stacey Weid said her family also is against children being brought back into the classroom, calling the targeted March return bad timing.

We want our teachers safe and our kids too, she said. I know theres a loud minority out there saying we need to go back, so I wanted to be loud myself.

Parent James Burge also expressed concern about COVID-19 vaccinations not being available yet for students, saying a safe return is not possible for his wife, an AAPS teacher, and his three children who attend district schools.

Rushing to return when there are only a few months left in the year and so much unknown about COVID seems very risky, Burge said. Do we want to risk the health of our students when we dont have a vaccine (for them) and dont yet know the harmful long term impacts of this virus? How will this impact staffing if staff gets sick and has long-term health problems?

Parent Elizabeth Friedman said her first-grader has had a good experience with the A2 Virtual+ option and wont be attending in-person classes this spring, as a result.

I do understand that there are certain students who are suffering with online learning, and so our decision not to send our son back reflects the responsibility we feel to not take up an in-person space when it could be used by someone who truly needs it, Friedman said.

I ask that the AAPS reconsider its reopening plan, and not move back to in-person teaching for most students until all teachers and staff have been fully vaccinated and case numbers are substantially lower. We cannot rely on wishful thinking and hygiene theater, and school reopening plans should not be dictated by a few ill-informed, vocal, exhausted parents.

All of these comments are a departure from previous meetings, in which parents primarily have expressed frustration for their children remaining in remote learning since last March. Parents from the Ann Arbor Reasonable Return group have pushed for some form of in-person classes for students for several months, particularly for younger students and students with special needs.

Specific dates for a return to in-person classes will be recommended by Superintendent Jeanice Swift, approved by the school board and confirmed with staff, parents and the community at least two weeks prior to the return of students at each stage, according to the districts plan for a tentative return to the classroom.

Stage 1 of the plan includes students in pre-kindergarten, young fives and kindergarten who have chosen the hybrid in-person learning model, as well as students with high-level specialized learning needs. Also included are small groups of middle and high school students most in-need of in-person classes.

Stage 2, which includes first- and second-grade students who chose a hybrid learning model, would begin a week later. Stage 3, which is targeted to begin one week after stage 2, would include third- through fifth-grade students.

Stage 4 is tentatively slated to begin after spring break, with the transitioning of middle and high school students to a hybrid format. More precise timelines for the transition of middle and high school students, by grade level, will be shared in February, Swift said.

The transition to in-school learning timelines are subject to adjustment, depending on significant progress in the school personnel vaccination process, ongoing monitoring of district and community COVID-19 infection numbers and monitoring of any factors that would inhibit a safe and healthy reopening of schools, Swift said.

The district must continue to follow its metrics guiding a return to in-person classes, only returning when data shows its safe to do so, Sippola said.

Every single parent and teacher I know who has thought about this issue comprehensively knows that this is our best bet - we have to wait until its safe, she said. If its not safe for our teachers, its not safe for our kids. It would be hugely traumatic to send kids back to the classroom and have their teachers become ill, especially if the kid knows that theres a chance they transmitted the virus to them.

READ MORE:

Plans for early March return to in-person classes outlined by Ann Arbor Public Schools

Were running out of time: Ann Arbor parents rally to advocate for option of in-person learning

Washtenaw County not making much of a dent in COVID-19 vaccinations, officials say
News Around the Republic of Mexico



Covid Restrictions in Jalisco Extended to February 12



This mandate will be the last to be taken in the framework of the Jalisco COVID-19 Plan. On February 12 a new Integral Plan will be unveiled. The new strategy will be a long-term approach for the remainder of 2021. Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico - Due to the high rate of coronavirus infections and Covid-related deaths in the State of Jalisco, on Friday, January 29, Governor Enrique Alfaro RamArez announced that the containment measures that were



The announcement came after a meeting with the Mesa de Salud, where it was determined that Jalisco is still at the most critical point of the pandemic, in addition to the fact that four cases of the South African-Brazilian variant, which can be more contagious, have already been diagnosed in the state.



According to the Governor, the level of infections and hospital occupation have stabilized over the last few days, and though this is "undoubtedly encouraging in the sense that the measures we have taken are beginning to give results little by little, we also need to make it clear that we cannot think that this means being able to move forward as if nothing had happened." For that reason, he said, "the decision has been made to extend the confinement measures that are currently in force until February 12."



He reiterated that we are at a critical moment of the pandemic and, as such, "By agreement of the Mesa de Salud, I am instructing the Secretary General of Government to send a clear message to the municipal presidents that [the time for] patience is over, the municipal presidents who do not comply with the measures that are being announced will be sanctioned - without exception."



Alfaro went on to say that this mandate will be the last to be taken in the framework of the Jalisco COVID-19 Plan, which was designed 11 months ago together with the University of Guadalajara to face the health emergency, and has "undoubtedly benefited our State."



"However," he said, "at this point a long term approach has to be made," so on February 12 an Integral Plan to face the pandemic will be presented.



This new strategy is a long-term approach for the remainder of 2021 that aims to expedite the return to in-person classes and to avoid closures that would impede the state's economic reactivation.



The Integral Plan will include reinforcement of the prevention measures and vaccination plan, the study of new treatments that are being tested in the world today, and a psychological and mental health care program to help people deal with the effects of the pandemic.



Finally, Governor Alfaro asked the people of Jalisco to continue complying with the restrictions and to practice individual responsibility, and called for the people's commitment and solidarity.



Watch the video announcement (in Spanish) on



Sources: jalisco.gob.mx a tribunadelabahia.com.mx - Due to the high rate of coronavirus infections and Covid-related deaths in the State of Jalisco, on Friday, January 29, Governor Enrique Alfaro RamArez announced that the containment measures that were mandated on January 16, and scheduled to end on January 31, will be extended for another two weeks.The announcement came after a meeting with the Mesa de Salud, where it was determined that Jalisco is still at the most critical point of the pandemic, in addition to the fact that four cases of the South African-Brazilian variant, which can be more contagious, have already been diagnosed in the state.According to the Governor, the level of infections and hospital occupation have stabilized over the last few days, and though this is "undoubtedly encouraging in the sense that the measures we have taken are beginning to give results little by little, we also need to make it clear that we cannot think that this means being able to move forward as if nothing had happened." For that reason, he said, "the decision has been made to extend the confinement measures that are currently in force until February 12."He reiterated that we are at a critical moment of the pandemic and, as such, "By agreement of the Mesa de Salud, I am instructing the Secretary General of Government to send a clear message to the municipal presidents that [the time for] patience is over, the municipal presidents who do not comply with the measures that are being announced will be sanctioned - without exception."Alfaro went on to say that this mandate will be the last to be taken in the framework of the Jalisco COVID-19 Plan, which was designed 11 months ago together with the University of Guadalajara to face the health emergency, and has "undoubtedly benefited our State.""However," he said, "at this point a long term approach has to be made," so on February 12 an Integral Plan to face the pandemic will be presented.This new strategy is a long-term approach for the remainder of 2021 that aims to expedite the return to in-person classes and to avoid closures that would impede the state's economic reactivation.The Integral Plan will include reinforcement of the prevention measures and vaccination plan, the study of new treatments that are being tested in the world today, and a psychological and mental health care program to help people deal with the effects of the pandemic.Finally, Governor Alfaro asked the people of Jalisco to continue complying with the restrictions and to practice individual responsibility, and called for the people's commitment and solidarity.Watch the video announcement (in Spanish) on Facebook @GobiernoJalisco.



Site Map  Print this Page  Email Us  Top


Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.



Bharat Book Bureau Provides the Trending Market Research Report on Global Artificial Intelligence in Accounting Marketunder Financial Services Category. The report offers a collection of superior market research, market analysis, competitive intelligence and Market reports.



Global Artificial Intelligence Accounting Market in 2020 By Application [Automated Book keeping, Fraud and Risk Management, Invoice Classification and Approvals and others],By Offering [Software and Services], By Technology[Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Context-Aware Computing and NLP], By Deployment Mode[Cloud Based and On Premise], By Enterprise Size[SME and LME]: Global Forecast to 2026 and COVID-19 Impact Outlook

Global Artificial Intelligence in Accounting Market is valued at 832.29 USD Million in 2019 and expected to reach USD 12,750.43 Million by 2026 with the CAGR of 47.68% over the forecast period.

Scope of the report

This report analyses the global market for Artificial Intelligence in Accounting. The report will enable the user to understand and gain insights into the current and forecast market situation. The market is comprehensively analyzed by geography to give complete information on the global scenario. The qualitative and quantitative data provided in this study can help user understand which market segments, regions are expected to grow at higher rates, factors affecting the market and key opportunity areas. The report also includes competitive landscape of key players in the industry along with emerging trends in the market.

Request a free sample copy of Artificial Intelligence in Accounting Market Report @

https://www.bharatbook.com/marketreports/sample/reports/2296463





Key Players

IBM,Microsoft,AWS,Xerox,Intuit,OneUp,Vic.ai,Hyper Anna,Botkeeper,MindBridge Analytics,Bill.com,Google,EY,Deloitte,PwC,KPMG,SMACC,Sage,OSP,UiPath,Kore.ai,AppZen,YayPay and others

Above mentioned companies were scrutinized to assess competitive landscape of global Artificial Intelligence in Accounting market. Report provides company profiles of each player. Each profile include company product portfolio,business overview, company governance, company financials, business strategies, manufacturing locations and production facilities, company sale, recent developments and strategic collaborations & partnerships, new product launch, company segments, application diversification and company strength and weakness analysis.

Review period: (2016-2026)

Historic Period: 2016 to 2019

Forecast Period: 2020 to 2026

Base Year: 2019

Unit: USD Million

This Artificial Intelligence in Accounting market report provides insights on new trade regulations, import export analysis, industry value chain analysis, market size, consumption, production analysis, capacity analysis, regional and segment market share, product launches, product pipeline analysis, impact of Covid-19 on supply chain, key regions, untapped markets, patent analysis, product approvals, continuous innovations and developments in the market.

Regions

 North America: U.S., Canada and Rest of North America

 Europe: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Rest of Europe

 Asia Pacific: China, Japan, India, Australia, Southeast Asia and Rest of Asia Pacific

 Latin America: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Rest of Latin America

 Middle East and Africa: Gulf Countries, Israel, Africa and Rest of Middle East and Africa

Market Segmentation

 Application

o Automated Bookkeeping

o Fraud and Risk Management

o Invoice Classification and Approvals

o Others

 Offering

o Software

o Services

 Technology

o Machine Learning

o Computer Vision

o Context-Aware Computing

o NLP

 Deployment Mode

o Cloud Based

o On Premise

 Enterprise Size

o SME

o LME

Report Coverage

 An overview of the global Artificial Intelligence in Accounting market

 In depth analysis of market dynamics and major factors such as drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends influencing the global market

 Global Artificial Intelligence in Accounting market revenue data historic and forecast analysis (2016 to 2026)

 Characterization and quantification of the market segments for Artificial Intelligence in Accounting market

 Market share analysis of key market participants and their competitive landscape

Important Questions Answered by Global Artificial Intelligence in Accounting Market Report



Browse our full report with Table of Content :

https://www.bharatbook.com/marketreports/global-artificial-intelligence-in-accounting-market/2296463



About Bharat Book Bureau:

Bharat Book is Your One-Stop-Shop with an exhaustive coverage of 15,00,0000 reports and insights that includes latest Market Study, Market Trends & Analysis, Forecasts Customized Intelligence, Newsletters and Online Databases. Overall a comprehensive coverage of major industries with a further segmentation of 100+ subsectors.

Contact us at:

Bharat Book Bureau

Tel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773

Email: poonam@bharatbook.com

Website: www.bharatbook.com


A garda who received a suspended sentence for causing the death of a mother-of-three by dangerous driving is to be jailed after a successful appeal by the State.

The three-judge Court of Appeal accepted arguments by the Director of Public Prosecutions that the original suspended sentence imposed was too lenient.

Patrick McDonnell (42), originally from Belmullet, Co Mayo, with an address in Corofin, Co Galway, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Jacqueline Wolohan on the M4 at Rossan, Kinnegad, Co Westmeath, at around 1am on February 13, 2016.

Ms Wolohan (51), from Coolock in Dublin, was killed as she made her way back from Longford when McDonnell, who was off-duty at the time of the crash, ran into the back of her car at a speed of around 140kph.

McDonnell, a garda of 18 years who is the subject of a summary dismissal procedure by the force, was today jailed by the Court of Appeal for two-and-a-half years, with the final year of the sentence suspended for two years.

In June of last year, he was sentenced to a two-year fully-suspended sentence and banned from driving for four years by Judge Terence OSullivan at Trim Circuit Court.

The sentence was successfully appealed by the DPP, who argued that the term was unduly lenient.

Mr Carl Hanahoe BL, for the appellant, said today that the trial judge erred in not giving sufficient regard to the speed of the car driven by McDonnell, the quality of his driving before the crash and the fact that McDonnell left the scene.

Mr Hanahoe said that there was an absence of any evidence that McDonnell slowed down before the crash.

Counsel said that two other motorists were also on the same stretch of motorway - one driving at 130kph; the other at 140kph - and both said that McDonnell's car was moving in excess of their speeds.

Mr Hanahoe said he believed that the trial judge erred by failing to mark the speed of the vehicle and the leaving of the scene as aggravating factors in identifying a headline sentence, which ought to have been higher than two years.

The DPP, he said, had identified five or six years as the appropriate sentence and submitted that the offence was in the middle of the spectrum of seriousness.

Counsel said that while McDonnell did hand himself in to a National Roads Authority member, he could not recall why he left the scene.

"That cannot fall to the lowest end of the spectrum," said Mr Hanahoe.

Counsel said the trial judge had noted in mitigation that McDonnell was of "respected, good character" at the time of the crash, had no relevant previous convictions and had entered a plea of guilty. However, he submitted that the judge had put disproportionate weight on those factors.

Mr Hanahoe said that the plea of guilty was only entered on the first day of the trial and that up until a week before it commenced, which was 18 months after the crash, all strands in the case were still at issue.

"I say, it was a late plea," said counsel.

Responding barrister Mr Paul Greene SC said that McDonnell was not in a position to enter a guilty plea until reports were received. Counsel said that by entering a plea, a three-week trial with numerous witnesses was avoided.

Mr Greene said that his client was easily identifiable for those searching for him because he had left his car at the scene. Counsel added that McDonnell never left the motorway when away from the scene and gave himself up.

Mr Greene said that his client has post-traumatic stress disorder and could only make limited admissions when interviewed. Counsel said the trial court had heard it was possible for memory to fail when such traumatic events occur.

Counsel said that his client was travelling at "twenty miles an hour, at the height of it, over the speed limit".

Mr Greene told presiding judge Mr Justice George Birmingham that McDonnell was remorseful and apologetic, had an excellent work record, volunteered, gave blood and was very unlikely to re-offend after the tragedy.

Mr Justice Birmingham said that two garda superintendents had given written testimonials "very highly" commending McDonnell's "exemplary and admirable previous character".

Mr Greene told the judge that summary dismissal procedures had been initiated by the Garda Commissioner.

In his extempore judgement today, Mr Justice Birmingham said that Mrs Wolohan had been pronounced dead at the scene and was in the car with a passenger, her son and his friend. Mrs Wolohan's son suffered bruising and his friend sustained a fractured skull.

Mrs Wolohan, said the judge, was also the sole carer for her 90-year-old father and that her family "miss her greatly".

Noting that there was "very significant speed indeed" on the night, Mr Justice Birmingham set four years' imprisonment as a headline sentence, which after mitigation was cut to two-and-a-half years in jail with the final year suspended for two years.

Mr Justice Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, quashed the previous suspended sentence, left the driving ban intact and gave McDonnell two weeks to surrender himself to the court.

In a victim impact statement, Mrs Wolohan's sister, Alison, said the family had been "truly robbed" of a "kind, caring, loving person".

"She was young, lively and loved life. Every family occasion is tinged with guilty and sadness. We think of all the milestones she has missed and will miss," the statement said.

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
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.
It feels like deja vu for Myanmar, where the military seized power in a coup on Monday. Aung San Suu Kyi, whose government overwhelmingly won reelection in November, has been detained along with other senior party members, and the military leader, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, has declared a one-year state of emergency.

Military rule has been more or less the norm in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, since a coup overthrew a short-lived democratic government in 1962. In 1988, Suu Kyi, daughter of the revered Burmese independence leader Aung San, emerged as the leader of a pro-democracy protest movement, and was arrested the following year. In 1990, to the surprise of many, the country held a relatively fair election, and Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory. But the military junta simply ignored the result, held on to power, and cracked down on the NLD. Suu Kyi would spend 15 of the next 20 years under house arrest until her last release in 2010. After the NLDs victory in the 2015 elections, she became the countrys de facto leader.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time.

So, the military is once again ignoring the results of an election and detaining Suu Kyi. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken today called on the military to reverse these actions immediately, and the Biden administration is reportedly mulling new sanctions. But the global reaction is likely to be different than it was in 1990. During Myanmars last period of military rule, Western governments often portrayed the countrys politics as a fairy-tale battle between good and evil. The contrast between Suu Kyi and the odious military regime she opposed made that a very easy story to sell. While Suu Kyi remains overwhelmingly popular in Myanmar, global views of her are a lot more complicated now, which could make foreign governmentsparticularly the United Stateswary about getting too enmeshed in the countrys politics again.

Advertisement

During her last period of confinement, Suu Kyi became a global icon. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 and earned comparisons to Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela in the global media. Her story, particularly her refusal to leave Myanmar, even when her husband was dying of cancer in the U.K., certainly made her a compelling figure. The Lady, as she was often called, was the subject of a biopic, the inspiration for jazz tunes, and left Bono star-struck when he met her. Visiting dignitaries, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, made a point of visiting her home to demonstrate their support for human rights and democracy in Myanmar. For much of the world, Suu Kyi was the personification of the fight for freedom and human dignityuntil she wasnt.

Advertisement

Advertisement

After taking power, Suu Kyi let down many of her international admirers by first remaining silent about, and then vocally defending, the militarys persecution of the countrys Muslim Rohingya minorityan ethnic cleansing campaign which the U.N. has said meets the definition of genocide, and which has resulted in one of the worlds largest refugee crises. Suu Kyi even traveled to the Hague in 2019 to testify on her governments behalf, brushing aside testimony about mass rape, the stabbing of children, and families being burned alive as an anti-terrorist clearance operation. Given that the military retained significant power even after her election, Suu Kyi was always in a tough political position. But if she was just condoning genocide to stay on the generals good side, it sure doesnt appear to have worked.

Advertisement

The idolization of Suu Kyi is a textbook example of the dangers of reducing global political figures, who have their own interests and agendas, into one-dimensional heroes or villains.

Democratic hero worship isnt only a problem only because it can become embarrassing. In 2016, when the anti-Rohingya campaign began, it appeared that the Obama administrations backing for Suu Kyis government, after having played a key role in getting her released, made the U.S. reluctant to criticize it too strongly.*

Advertisement

In her 2019 memoir, Samantha Power, now Joe Bidens nominee for administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, recalls a meeting with Suu Kyi in 2012 while Power served on Barack Obamas National Security Council. Power says she found Suu Kyis refusal to listen to advice or criticism and dismissal of the Rohingya issue chilling and that she believed at the time that pinning our hopes on her leadership could be a mistake. If this prescient attitude was widely held in the administration, it wasnt much in evidence from Obamas literal embrace of Suu Kyi later that year.

Advertisement

Myanmar was seen as one of the few unambiguous human rights wins for Obama, whose notable foreign policy wins, from the Iran nuclear deal to the normalization of relations with Cuba, generally involved finding areas of mutual interest with authoritarian regimes rather than transforming them. As Power recalls, Myanmar was viewed as a rare bright spot of democratic progress. The devastation of Cyclone Nargis in 2018 forced a government that had rivaled North Korea in its isolation to open up a bit to outside aid, giving the international community some leverage. The U.S. then used sanctions relief, some well-timed high-profile visits, and took advantage of Myanmars fear of domination by China to induce it to take steps toward democratization, including Suu Kyis release and the holding of elections. Through these actions, the Obama administration sought to make the case that constructive engagement with autocratic regimes could foster democratic progress more effectively than the high-handed rhetoric and military aggression of the Bush years. Thanks to the enormous courage of the people in that country, and because we took the diplomatic initiative, American leadership, we have seen political reforms opening a once-closed society, Obama said in 2014, adding that if it worked, we will have gained a new partner without having fired a shot.

Advertisement

That looked awfully naive once the killing of the Rohingya began, and looks even more so now that the military has again brutally shut down a brief experiment with democracy.

This time around, without an obvious hero to back, U.S. ambitions in the country are likely to be a lot more modest. It doesnt really help U.S. credibility that the militarys justification for the coup, that it uncovered 10 million instances of voter fraud in the November election, closely resembles current U.S. political rhetoric.

From the American perspective, the coup feels like the end of whatever lofty hopes American policymakers had left about their ability to cajole or induce autocratic countries to become full-fledged democracies. To the extent democracy promotion is still a U.S. foreign policy priority, its likely to focus more on blunting authoritarians abilities to project power beyond their borders.

For Myanmar, the coup marks the closing of a rare window of political opportunity, and many of those who backed the countrys fight for democracy last time will be reluctant to do so again. Itll probably be a long time before that window opens again.
Remember way back in November of 2020 when we all went to the polls and approved legalizing recreational marijuana by a wide margin? Someone should remind Gov. Murphy, because its the end of January and thousands are still being busted for pot. In November alone more than 2,100 New Jerseyans were arrested for marijuana. In December, it was 1,700. Odd, weed doesnt feel legal?

To be fair, Murphy and Attorney General Grewal have placed a moratorium on weed prosecutions through March so those getting arrested are not necessarily being prosecuted. Still, arresting nearly 4,000 people over the course of two months for something that should, by the will of the people, be legal seems like a colossal waste of time and resources.

The hold-up is a relatively minor provision in the new marijuana regulations governing at what age possession becomes illegal. Murphy wants possession for anyone under 21 to be illegal and legislators from the states cities dont want the age restrictions to be an excuse to persecute younger members of communities of color. State Senators like Nia Gill (D-Essex) argue, pretty convincingly, that setting the age limit for legality at 21 would give law enforcement an excuse to implement a modern-day stop and frisk on our children.

Its time for Murphy to get in a room, virtual or otherwise, with these legislators and work it out. This was one of the governors signature campaign promises and the bill to put it in effect is sitting on his desk awaiting a signature while thousands are still being arrested for something that should have already been legalized.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

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.
The space was once home to OfficeMax for many years and then Get Air Indoor Trampoline Park was located in the same space at the Union Square shopping center on Union Deposit Road in Susquehanna Township for five years.

Get Air Harrisburg had been planning to move to the Paxton Towne Center in Lower Paxton Township but closed before it had originally planned due to COVID-19. Get Air Harrisburgs old space has since been vacant for 11 months but will soon have an occupant.

Advance Auto Parts is moving into that space at Union Square, according to Catherene Cardinale of LMS Commercial Real Estate, the real estate company that handles leasing for the shopping center. There will be some renovations to the interior of the Advance Auto premises and the store plans to open late in the first quarter or early in the second quarter of this year, she said.

As of October 3, Advance operated 4,811 stores and 168 Worldpac branches in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Company also serves 1,269 independently owned Carquest branded stores. Advance Auto Parts has 10 stores within seven miles of Harrisburg, according to its website.

As for Get Air Harrisburg, it could open at the Paxton Towne Centre in the former Babies R Us space as early as late spring.

--Business Buzz

You can follow Daniel Urie on twitter @DanielUrie2018 and you can like him on Facebook.

Mumbai:

The Shiv Sena on Monday blamed its ally BJP of taking away credit for the farm loan waiver decision in Maharashtra, saying robbing credit has now become a part of political ideology.

The Sena has often taken on lead partner BJP over the issue of farmers and urged the government to waive their loans.

Last month, farmers in Maharashtra had been on a warpath to press for their various demands, including loan waiver. Later, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced to waive their outstanding loans up to June 30, 2016.

Politics today is played keeping profits and losses in mind. Schemes are launched to confuse people. What happened to garibi hatao (scheme) or acche din has become a subject of research now, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extensively used the acche din (good days) slogan during the last Lok Sabha elections.

Who fought for the loan waiver and who is enjoying by giving full page advertisements, taking credit for the decision. Snatching and robbing credit has become a part of the political ideology today, the Sena said.

However, despite the rush to take credit, the public is aware of the truth which is a respite, the ally said.

Also Read: Shiv Sena jabs PM Modi on continued terror post-surgical strikes

The Shiv Sena had recently said that the loan waiver decision was due to its constant throttling of the Maharashtra government and that it has opted to remain in power to shake chairs of lazy person.

The party also asked the chief minister to revive the Zunka Bhakar Kendra scheme, which was started during the Shiv Sena-BJP government in the state in the 90s, to provide traditional food to the poor at Re 1.

You may take credit for this as well if you wish to.But at least people will benefit from the scheme, the Sena said.

The schemeproviding zunka, a Maharashtrian dish prepared with gram flour and water, and bhakar, a chapati made of rice flour or bajrawas stopped by the previous Congress-NCP government.

Also Read: Shiv Sena questions BJPs ability to resolve Kashmir conflict

The scheme had envisaged addressing the states socio-economic problem by allotting stalls to the unemployed throughout the state. However, the stalls were later occupied by commercial ventures.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
The province of Malaga has recorded at least 220,000 police reports from June to December for people not wearing a face mask - or not wearing it properly- breaking the order of 14 July in which the use of masks was made mandatory with a penalty of 100 euros.

So far, however, barely 17 per cent of fines have been processed by the Junta de Andalucia and very few of those have actually been collected.

Although, at the moment, there is no central registry, SUR has obtained data from most of the municipalities with more than 20,000 inhabitants.

But, to the 220,000 figure, you need to add the fines imposed in medium and small towns and those issued by the National Police and the Guardia Civil, so the number could be much higher.

Of all the municipalities that have provided data, Malaga city is the one that has registered the most fines. The Local Police have confirmed that 205,353 fines were issued in the six-month period.

In other larger municipalities on the coast Fuengirola issued about 5,000, Mijas only imposed 1,250 and Marbella 1,980.

Estepona issued 380 fines in just over six months while in Torremolinos the number was 2,600 and Benalmadena 4,800.

In Rincon de la Victoria the number of fines issued between June and December was just over a thousand, while in Velez-Malaga it was slightly below 1,400. Nerja and Antequera did not provide figures.

In the Guadalhorce Valley the situation is similar between its main towns. In Cartama 556 fines have been imposed, Alhaurin de la Torre (400) Alhaurin el Grande and Coin (300).

In Ronda, the total is 599 - with the majority being for not wearing a mask.

Reports for not wearing masks in Malaga province

The difference between localities has several explanations. The first is that in many of them the majority of fines would have been issued by the National Police or the Guardia Civil, something that, for example, does not happen in the Malaga city. At the moment, the total number of fines issued by these two law-enforcement bodies has not been revealed.

The second reason is that some town halls have been clearly more flexible with their citizens, and in most cases they have chosen to warn rather than fine.

According to the Junta de Andalucia, the authority that is in charge of processing them, only 38,433 have been passed through the system. Of these, not one has yet reached the person who had breached the order of 14 July in which the use of masks was made mandatory with a penalty of 100 euros.


Maruti Suzuki India Limited has logged a total sale of 1,60,752 units in January 2021. This comprises 1,42,604-unit sales in the domestic market and export of 12,445 units. The sale to other OEMs stood at 5,703 units in the last month. On a year-on-year scale, the brand has registered a 4.3 per cent growth over January 2020.

Besides the passenger vehicles, Maruti Suzuki sold 3,602 units of its Super Carry commercial vehicle. The sales to OEMs also rose by a remarkable 153 per cent from 2,249 units last year to 5,703 units in January 2020. Maruti Suzuki has also started to manufacture and export the Jimny SUV to international markets of North America. The first batch of 184 units was dispatched recently and you can read more about it here. This has also resulted in a significant jump in export figures to 12,445 units as against 9,624 units in the previous year.

In the passenger vehicles category, the mini and compact segment consisting of the Alto, S-Presso, Wagon R, Celerio, Swift, Ignis, Baleno, and Dzire recorded 1,02,088-units sales. The sales of utility vehicles and vans (Gypsy, Ertiga, S-Cross, XL6,Vitara Brezza, and Eeco) was 35,567 units which is a 45 per cent rise when compared to the sales in the same period last year. The mid-size sedan, Ciaz also posted 61 per cent sales growth with 1,347- unit sales. The total passenger sales by the company in India was 1,39,002 units.

Maruti Suzuki S-Presso  3.77 Lakh Onwards

Maruti Suzuki | S-Presso | Maruti Suzuki S-Presso
Around 200 tractor owners have been issued notices by the Uttar Pradesh police, prompting senior SP leader Ram Govind Chaudhary to allege that the move was meant to threaten the farmers.

The police, however, stated that the notices have nothing to do with the farmers' protest against the Centre's new agriculture laws.

"Notices have been served to 220 owners of tractors in the Sikandarpur police station area. In the notice, it has been mentioned that the tractors were used on public roads for commercial work, and minors were driving them. As a result of this, there were road accidents. The tractors were also used in illegal mining, Bal Mukund Mishra, SHO, Sikandarpur police station told PTI.

Asked if the police can issue such a notice, Regional Transport Officer Rajeshwar Yadav said he was not aware of any such thing.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Ram Govind Chaudhary said police are trying to threaten the farmers.

"The farmers have tractors, and they are going to the protest site by tractors. Police have issued the notices to hinder the farmers movement, he alleged.

(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.)

Myanmar's military detained Aung San Suu Kyi, declared a state of emergency for a year and voided her party's landslide November election victory in a setback for the country's nascent democracy.

Army chief Min Aung Hlaing's office said he took the action in response to alleged voter fraud and the military would hold a "free and fair general election" after the emergency is over. An order by acting President Myint Swe, a former general aligned with the army, granted full authority to the army chief to run the country, saying it was necessary to act before new parliament sessions began this week.

"If such a problem is not addressed properly, then there will be obstacles in the nation's democratic transition," the order said. The army statement said voter rolls would be checked and the election commission "reestablished."

Suu Kyi urged the country's 55 million people to oppose the military's action, calling it "an attempt to bring the nation back under the military dictatorship without any care for the covid-19 pandemic people are facing." The election commission last week labeled the vote transparent and fair, and in 2015 the military accepted her party's landslide election win.

"We urge people to strongly oppose the unacceptable military coup," she said in a statement posted on a party Facebook page that was confirmed by a spokesperson. "The people themselves are the most crucial."

It was unclear how many people were held, and under what terms. TV channels, phone and Internet communications were all spotty, making it difficult to get information from the country. The military said banking operations were back to normal after experiencing delays due to Internet and phone outages.

Tensions had been brewing for several months, with the military and its political factions demanding authorities investigate allegations of mass voting fraud in just the second general election with widespread participation after decades of army rule. The U.S., United Nations and the European Union had issued statements urging the military to respect the results.

On Sunday, the military -- known as the Tatmadaw -- denied objecting to the outcome of the election and said it "finds the process of the 2020 election unacceptable." The 2008 constitution allows the military to take power during a state of emergency that could cause disintegration of the union or "national solidarity," effectively allowing soldiers to take power for vague reasons.

"It's a really cynical take on their justification to power," said Hunter Marston, a Canberra-based political analyst who has written about Myanmar for several publications. "We could see pretty widespread protests in major cities and even around the country in smaller towns, especially in Yangon."

The U.S. and Australia urged Myanmar's military to release those detained and respect the results of the election. "The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

Incoming Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Robert Menendez, D-N.J., called for "strict economic sanctions" against the military if Suu Kyi and other leaders aren't immediately released.

Myanmar's transition to democracy had prompted the U.S. and European Union to lift sanctions, with President Barack Obama hailing the reforms during a landmark 2012 visit to the Southeast Asian country also known as Burma. Foreign investors flocked to the country looking for opportunities, and the country sought to open up its capital markets.

But initial optimism quickly dissipated due to a violent crackdown against Muslim Rohingya that prompted accusations of "genocide" against Suu Kyi's government. That has tainted the international image of the 75-year-old leader, who had won the Nobel Peace Prize while under house arrest during a military regime that effectively cut Myanmar off from the world.

The Yangon Stock Exchange now only has six listed companies, with foreigners owning $200,000 (261 million kyat) of stocks as of Oct. 8 -- mostly in First Myanmar Investment Co. and Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Holdings. The exchange on Monday said it halted trading due to a connection error.

Several other assets moved on the military action. China rare earth miners such as China Northern Rare Earth Group High-Tech Co. and China Rare Earth Holdings Ltd., which get large supplies from Myanmar, fell in trading Monday. Singapore-listed conglomerate Yoma Strategic Holdings Ltd., which gets all of its revenue from Myanmar, requested a trading halt.

The military's action will present an early foreign-policy test for U.S. President Joe Biden. The U.S. has become increasingly critical of Myanmar in the past few years under Donald Trump's administration, imposing targeting visa restrictions and financial sanctions in 2017.

"It's very clear the Biden administration represents a stark break from the previous government on human rights," said Graeme Smith, a fellow at the Australian National University's Department of Pacific Affairs. "Whatever government is in power -- Aung San Suu Kyi or the military -- they will face more pressure on human rights than Trump, who probably wouldn't have cared either way."

China is Myanmar's largest trading partner, accounting for about a third of total commerce in 2019 -- about 10 times more than the U.S. Myanmar has also received support from the International Monetary Fund, which last month approved about $350 million in assistance to address the covid-19 pandemic.

In November's election, Suu Kyi's NLD won 396 seats in the national assembly, more than the 322 needed to form a government. Turnout was an estimated 70% of the nation's 37.3 million people eligible to vote. The ruling party has also won 524 seats in elections held to state and regional parliaments, official data showed.
Foreign vaccines against COVID-19 may become available in Russia, but only if they are recognized safe and effective. In any case, domestic products will enjoy priority, Deputy Chairman of Russias Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said.

"As far as foreign vaccines are concerned, we have not had any offers yet, because each country wishes to meet its own domestic needs and to vaccinate its own population. This is absolutely normal. We take the same stance," Medvedev said.

At the same time, he remarked that "some initiatives have been put forward already, for instance, China has made such proposals." He promised that all such proposals "will be closely studied and analyzed."

"If this or that vaccine is recognized effective and safe, it can appear on our market. But the main task today is to manufacture Russian vaccines and to achieve the required parameters [in terms of the number of doses made]," TASS cited Medvedev as saying.
Berserk Games released an update for Tabletop Simulator over the weekend that aimed to open the digital tabletop game platform up to more folks by expanding its list of supported languages, but the actual update missed the mark by opting to use Google Translate to do so.

Tools like Google Translate can provide rough translations for many languages but, as this debacle with Tabletop Simulator and many games before it shows, is not a replacement for the expertise and judgement of actual professional translators.

Tabletop Simulator's 13.0 update includes support for 29 languages, including Chinese, Spanish, German, Polish, and Japanese. However, as folks were quick to point out online, Tabletop Simulator's language support is entirely powered by Google Translate and far from accurate as a result.

People fluent in some of the languages now supported by Tabletop Simulator spoke up on Twitter about how rough the new translations actually are, while others have shared examples of how Google Translate misunderstands context and botches translations for things like chess pieces as a result.

The folks at Dicebreaker have collected some of those Tweets with examples of particularly rough translations now found in Tabletop Simulator, as well as comments from localization professionals explaining why and how machine learning-powered translation falls short.

The 13.0 update does also include tools for players to build their own translations, a helpful addition given the robust community of modders that create content for Tabletop Simulator. However, entirely relying on the unpaid labor of a game's community to translate the primary game and its DLC (or fix the botched Google Translate translations) isn't the correct way to approach the localization process either.

For its part, Berserk Games has issued a statement saying that traditional translation for so many languages wasn't a viable option and that the studio plans to highlight community-made translations on Steam down the line.

"Thank you for all your feedback on our translation update. We chose to use Google Translate while providing tools for the community to create their own translation mods, as this is the only feasible solution to support 29 different languages," reads a portion of the statement sent out Sunday night.

"Due to our frequent updates and new features, translating additional texts in 29 languages is not a viable option. The alternative, seen in many other games, is to only support the most popular languages. Instead, we added the ability for the community to create translations not only for their own mods but also the main game interface. There has already been great progress on translations in the workshop and we anticipate even more in the future."
The FM announced relief for non-resident Indians (NRIs) from double In the US, there are pension plans like 401K and Individual Retirement Accounts, which are not taxable unless the subscriber withdraws from them. However, any income earned in these accounts gets taxed in India.

This is because according to the current provisions of the I-T Act, income is taxable on accrual basis.

So, if a person moves to India and becomes a resident Indian for tax purposes, they get taxed on any income they earn in these accounts.

The mismatch in the timing of and double is sought to be addressed by prescribing I-T Rules such that there is relief from double taxation, said Sonu Iyer, tax partner & national leader, People Advisory Services, EY India.
This prestigious recognition validates the hard work and devotion of our team members. Its also great to earn this with Zulily, who has been a wonderful and forward-thinking partner.

KERV Interactive, a recognized technology company specializing in visual IR driven interactive video for brands, has won a prestigious Digiday Modern Retail Awards in the category of Best Use of Video for its work with Zulily, an American e-commerce company that sells apparel, footwear, toys and home products for the whole family. KERV also was a finalist in the Best E-Commerce Experience category.

KERV helps brands transform their video assets into fully interactive storefronts (with pixel-level customization), targeted and full of shoppable information that both enhances usefulness and commerce opportunities. KERVs custom, dynamic interactive ad technology increases a videos consumer engagement, boosts shoppability by over five times, generates more time spent with content assets and increases interactions  such as QR scans  by over 50 percent.

The Digiday Modern Retail Awards recognizes companies that are making it through the pandemic by focusing on customer-focused experiences, even when it means swiftly pivoting campaigns and product strategies to accommodate new consumer behaviors. KERV began working with online retailer Zulily to enhance a Joy of Shopping campaign and uniquely identified 25+ interactive objects for users to individually shop based upon product-specific interest. Click-through rate (CTR) and engagement levels were vastly increased, resulting in thousands of new-user sign ups on the Zulily website.

We are thrilled and grateful to win a Digiday Modern Retail Award, notes Marika Roque, COO of KERV Interactive. This prestigious recognition validates the hard work and devotion of our team members. Its also great to earn this with Zulily, who has been a wonderful and forward-thinking partner.

To learn more, please contact Jeannine Jacobi of Fresh PR at 323-903-7063 or jeannine@freshpr.net, or visit https://kervit.com.

About KERV Interactive

Based in Austin, Texas, KERV Interactive is the world's most advanced interactive content and data company and is revolutionizing the future of video engagement through dimensional storytelling. KERV's digital advertising platform was built on cutting-edge, patented technology and adds extraordinary value to brands, agencies, and creative and data-science teams by creating audience-to-brand connections within video like never before. Leveraging breakthrough machine learning techniques and AI with unmatched processing speed, the KERV technology recognizes depth, dimension, and objects within a video just as precisely as the natural eye. KERV enables every frame in every scene of any digital video to be an immersive, interactive experience for consumers.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 10:12:19|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

YANGON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar military TV on Monday declared a state of emergency in the country for one year after government leaders were detained earlier in the day. Enditem
Ugandan exports to DR Congo up 30% in 2019-20

ICR Newsroom By 01 February 2021

Exports of cement from Uganda to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have increased by 27,000t in the last two years, according to Israel Tinkasimire, Hima Cements commercial director.



The increase represents a 30 per cent expansion and has created an alternative market for Ugandan cement companies since Rwanda considerably reduced its intake of Ugandan cement in February 2019, when Kigali closed the countrys borders. Cement exports in the FY19-20 declined to US$59.9m compared to US$61.5m in FY18-19.



The volumes have gone up, when the [Rwanda] border closed, we had been selling in the region of 90,000t. But it has since grown. The market in DR Congo has grown by about 30 per cent, Mr Tinkasimire said.



Ugandas government, through the Ministry of Trade, had urged producers to look for alternative markets such as South Sudan and DRC. However, insecurity and poor infrastructure continue to make trading in DRC challenging.



In DR Congo, we have challenges with roads. Infrastructure is really a big challenge and there is an issue of insecurity, so we prefer to work with local partners on the ground to move the cement into the country, which is very constraining logistically, Mr Tinkasimire said.

Published under
Budget 2021: Agriculture sector gets a boost; Sitharaman increases outlay to Rs 16.5 lakh crore

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Feb 01: Amid the prolonged farmers' protest, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that our government is committed to the welfare of farmers.

Union Budget 2021: Direct taxes unchanged but healthcare and infrastructure get a push|Oneindia News

Announcng the budget, Sitharaman said the MSP has been increased to 1.5 times. She reads out more data on farm procurement.

In her budget speech for the next fiscal, she said the procurement of crops like paddy, wheat, pulses and cotton has jumped manifold in the last six years.

"Our government is committed to the welfare of farmers. The MSP (minimum support price) regime has undergone a sea change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities," Sitharaman said.

"The procurement has also continued to increase at a steady pace. This has resulted in increase in payment to farmers substantially," she said.

Union Budget 2021: Full list of schemes announced by Finance Minister

As the minister started highlighting the government''s initiatives and achievements in the agriculture sector, opposition members started demanding repeal of three new farm laws.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi borders for more than two months seeking repeal of three laws and a legal guarantee of the MSP.

Sharing the procurement data and amount paid to farmers under MSP operation, Sitharaman said: "In case of wheat, the total amount paid to farmers in 2013-14 was Rs 33,874 crore. In 2019-20, it was Rs 62,802 crore."

In 2020-21, she said the amount paid to farmers is over Rs 75,000 crore.

"The number of wheat growing farmers that were benefited increased in 2020-21 to 43.36 lakh compared to 35.57 lakh in 2019-20. That much of an increase within one year," the finance minister said.

For paddy, Sitharaman said the amount paid in 2013-14 was Rs 63,928 crore. In 2019-20, this increased to Rs 1,41,930 crore. Even better in 2020-21, the minister said this is further estimated to increase to Rs 1,72,752 crore.

Number of paddy farmers benefitted increased from 1.2 crore in 2019-20 to 1.54 crore in 2020-21.

In pulses, Sitharaman said Rs 236 crore was paid to farmers in 2013-14. "In 2019-20, this was increased to Rs 8,285 crore. Now in 2020-21, it is at Rs 10,530 crore, more than 40 times increase from 2013-14."

Similarly, Rs 90 crore was paid in 2013-14 to cotton farmers while Rs 25,974 crore has been paid in 2020-21 as of January 27.
Im grateful for the widespread positive reception of my book, Reading Romans Backwards. I have heard from professors using it, from pastors preaching it, and from others who found it a stimulating read.

Romans is off putting for many today, not only because of its length and complexity but because it has become so much about theoretical theology and not real-life stuff. I attempted to show that if read it from the back we see the real-life stuff as more influential on the so-called theoretical stuff.

Romans of course is the most influential book of the Bible when it comes to the formation of Christian theology, especially in the Protestant tradition.

Name them: Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, Edwards, Hodge, Barth  Romans was formative for their theology.

Sermons: many of the most influential and widely-read and -respected preachers proved themselves in Romans. Im thinking of Donald Grey Barnhouse, Martin Lloyd-Jones, Fleming Rutledge, and John Piper.

Romans matters. Deeply. Im hoping my book can add to this tradition of its influence.

This review at the AAR site was particularly gratifying. It gives the reader an accurate taste of whats in the book. Thanks for the permission to repost it here and the link to the site is below after the reviewers name.

A word: my editor at Baylor University Press pushed me harder to making the book more accessible by dropping the number of footnotes and in-text discussions of who-said-what, and that push makes the book more accessible.

What makes it even more accessible is Becky Castle Millers wonderful study guide: Teaching Romans Backwards. Her guide makes the book of Romans even more accessible.

How about for a study group in your church? (Think about it.)

By Brandon F. Babcock, at Reading Religion

Attempting to address the problem of fatigue that comes with reading Romans forwards and the consequent neglect of the elements of the community of faith presented in the end of the letter, Scot McKnight suggests a different strategy: read Romans backwards.

In the introductory chapters of Reading Romans Backwards, McKnight explains both his approach and his argument. In regard to approach, McKnight explores a contextual reading of Romans that attempts to hear the letter through the imagined ears of the Weak and Strong rather than traversing the textual possibilities and theological probabilities of Romans through an interaction with the mountain of scholarship devoted to Pauls most celebrated letter (x). Concerning his argument, McKnight reads the letter backwards in order to argue that Romans is a pastoral theology about Privilege and Power in search of Peace in the empire (xiv).

Image: Cover Photo

The book is divided into four parts, each of which coincides with McKnights broad and backward outline of Romans. Part 1 addresses Romans 1216 and reveals the pastoral context of the letter: a divided community in need of peace. Starting from the end, McKnight first introduces the courier and reader of the letter, a woman named Phoebe, who is described as a deacon, leader, patron, and sibling to the house-churches and becomes Pauls presence everywhere she reads the letter. McKnight asserts that she will know what to emphasize and whom to face when addressing the division between two important groups of people: the Weak and the Strong (35; 92).

According to McKnight, the Weak are mostly Jewish believers who are in the stream of Gods election, know and practice the Torah, probably continue to attend synagogue, and judge the gentiles, especially the Strong in Roman house-churches even though they do not have status or power in Rome (21). The Strong are mostly gentile believers in Jesus as Messiah or king, do not believe Torah is Gods will for them, and have despising attitudes toward Jews and Jewish believers. All of these elements are wrapped up in the high power and status of the Strong in Roman society (21). Though Paul does speak harshly to both groups, McKnight assigns Paul with the Strong on at least the dividing issue in the house churches: Torah observance is not necessary for the lived theology of the Christians in Rome (22). What is crucial for Paul is that the Strong and the Weak welcome one another to the table as siblings (23). McKnight argues that Paul shapes his vision of a lived theology from this social reality. The central idea of his lived theology is Christoformity, which is expressed in an embodied God orientation, a Body-of-Christ orientation, and a public orientation (27).

Pushing on in reverse, part 2 discusses the important themes of Romans 911, Gods faithfulness to Israel and the inclusion of the gentiles in Gods Messiah, within the pastoral context outlined above as a narrative of peace, not privilege, not power. This approach reveals Pauls message to the Weak and the Strong: they are to embrace one another as siblings (88).

Image: Cover Photo

Treading backward still, part 3 covers Romans 14 and serves as a deconstruction of the Weaks claim to election privilege and to their approach to how to live as Christians in Rome. The Weak thought that if everyone would adhere to Torah like them, then the Weak and the Strong could be united as siblings. Pauls articulation of the Abraham-rooted gospel of redemption in Christ by grace through faith is what unifies the Strong and the Weak as siblings, not observing the Torah (142).

Finally, part 4 engages Romans 58 and maps Pauls theological rationale for the lived theology described in Romans 1216. Both groups, the Strong and the Weak, once trapped by sin, flesh, systemic evil, and death are now offered grace, righteousness, justice, and eternal life in Christ by the Spirit. The Strong and the Weak can welcome one another to the table (14556).

Commendation is warranted for McKnights creative approach to reading, quite arguably, the most significant Pauline letter and the most influential New Testament book in the history of Christian theology. Reading the letter backwards effectively brings new sets of connections with the lived theology of Romans 1216 to the rest of the letter. One of the keys to McKnights successful contextual reading is his commitment to explain and reframe the social and political division between the Weak and Strong at each point along the way. The reader will also appreciate McKnights engaging writing style, as he presents the pastoral intent of the letter in such a way that one can envision the house churches experiencing Phoebes performance for the first time.

Opposition to both McKnights approach and argument will certainly come from those within the Reformed school of thought, specifically those who read the letter with a soteriological orientation and who view the message of redemption (that is, justification by faith) as the centerpiece of the letter. In other words, they will continue to view the letter as the articulation of Pauline theology followed by its application rather than a new kind of lived theology and a rationale for that praxis. Unfortunate criticism will also come from scholars who reject women in ministry leadership, as they will disagree with McKnights description of Phoebes multifaceted ministerial role in the community, as well as his insistence that a woman was the first one person to deliver, read, and perform the letter of Romans.This innovative reading strategy poses a strong challenge to the assumptions of traditional readings of Romans. McKnights serious treatment of the lived theology of Romans will make this book interesting for scholars specializing in New Testament, theology, and religious studies. Seminary-trained pastors will appreciate the emphasis on the pastoral nature of Romans, though McKnights backward reading may change the way they approach the letter indefinitely. All readers will take note that context is key when reading the biblical text.

About the Reviewer(s):

Brandon F. Babcock is an Independent Scholar.

Date of Review:

January 25, 2021
PHILIPSBURG:---The Finance Committee of Parliament will meet in a session on February 1, 2021.

The Finance Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday at 14.00 hrs. and will be held in a virtual setting. The Minister of Finance and Representatives of the Central Bank of Curacao & Sint Maarten will be present.

The agenda points are:

1. Discussion on matters relating to the moratoriums given to individuals and businesses by the individual banking institutions

2. Any studies or analysis performed by CBCS to determine the viability of the commercial banks in their exercise to assist their clients by providing temporary relief in the form of a moratorium

3. Discussions the CBCS has had with the Bankers Association concerning the sustainability of the moratoriums granted thus far

4. The reason(s) the debt service ratio of 37 percent is no longer allowed when granting loans

(IS/229/2020-2021 dated December 7, 2020)

This meeting was requested by MP R. Brison, MP G.C. Pantophlet, MP C.T. Emmanuel

Due to measures taken to mitigate the coronavirus (COVID-19), the House of Parliament is only allowing persons with an appointment to enter the Parliament building.

The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on St. Maarten Cable TV Channel 115, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and Parliaments Facebook page: Parliament of Sint Maarten

[February 01, 2021] Crypto Broker AG, the brokerage division of Crypto Finance Group, receives the FINMA Securities House Licence

The Crypto Finance Group, a leading digital asset enabler for the finance sector, is pleased to announce that its brokerage subsidiary, Crypto Broker AG, has been granted a securities house licence by FINMA. The licence will allow the Crypto Finance Group to begin offering new products, services, and trading platform features, which will all meet the standards warranted by prudential regulatory oversight. As demand accelerates, institutional clients can place their trust in an expert, licenced counterparty to expand their business into the crypto and digital asset space. ZURICH, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Crypto Finance Group brokerage, Crypto Broker AG, has been granted a licence as a securities house with a bilateral trading facility by FINMA, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority. The licence is recognition of the group's consistently professional approach to crypto asset trading, liquidity provision, and innovation in financial services, making it a business-to-business partner of choice for institutional investors and leading financial players. This significant milestone caps a successful previous year for the group, with the brokerage trading over USD 1 billion in assets in 2020.



Crypto Finance is one of the few crypto brokers worldwide fulfilling the licencing requirements that securities firms active in the established financial markets do. Once effective, this licence also brings new business potential in trading security tokens. "Getting the securities house licence for our brokerage is a pivotal moment for us. It means that we will be able to offer our professional  and regulated  services to even more financial institutions, enabling them to enter this new asset class. The licence also recognises our team's dedication and expertise," says Jan Brzezek, founder and CEO of the Crypto Finance Group.

Rupertus Rothenhaeuser, CEO of Crypto Broker AG adds, "Today's announcement marks a milestone in achieving the Crypto Finance Group vision: providing professional products and services for the evolving digital asset universe. Given last year's exponential growth in digital asset operations with our clients, we expect continued business expansion in 2021." About the Crypto Finance Group The Crypto Finance Group provides banks and professional investors a full suite of secure, reliable services that is unique in the digital asset space today. The group provides FINMA-regulated crypto asset management and 24/7 brokerage services, as well as storage infrastructure and tokenisation solutions. www.cryptofinance.ch Contact: Yara Ainsworth, T +41 41 552 45 31, press@cryptofinance.ch Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1429543/Crypto_Finance_Logo.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1429544/Crypto_Finance_AG_CEO.jpg SOURCE Crypto Finance AG

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Honey Ross took another swipe at Instagram on Monday as she bet they'd remove pictures of her 'fat a**'.

Sharing a slew of sexy snaps on the photosharing site, the body image activist - who is the youngest daughter of TV presenter Jonathan Ross - made a bold statement.

She penned: 'If insta deletes my fat a**, let it be known, it was thick and juicy'.

Wow: Honey Ross took another swipe at Instagram on Monday as she bet they'd remove pictures of her 'fat a**' in sexy red lingerie

The sassy caption accompanied a sizzling shot of Honey's derriere clad in a sheer Fenty skirt with cheeky lace up detailing.

Another full length shot saw Honey showcase her incredible curves in a matching bra and long gloves as she pulled a sultry pose against a mirror.

Honey's post appeared to be a show of solidarity to fashion designer and artist Disssgrace, who revealed that she had a video removed from TikTok for 'nudity' despite the fact she was wearing lingerie.

Bold: Sharing a slew of sexy snaps on the photosharing site, the body image activist - who is the youngest daughter of TV presenter Jonathan Ross - made a bold statement

She attributed the issue to 'fatphobia' stating, 'this app hates fat bodies'.

Honey shared the post on her Stories as she continued in her crusade to make social media more body positive, having previously calling out Instagram for being 'fatphobic'.

Although Honey received an outpouring of love and support on her lingerie post, she later took to Stories to reveal she had been targeted by 'creeps'.

Fatphobia: Honey's post appeared to be a show of solidarity to fashion designer and artist Disssgrace, who revealed that she had a video removed from TikTok for 'nudity'

Alongside a selfie she wrote: 'This is a reminder that just because I post a sexci pic does not mean it's an invitation to be a creep [sic]'.

She went on to share one of the creepy DMs that read 'I wanna put my face there', as she remarked 'I bet you do! But you can't!'

Honey concluded: 'So don't waste your time in my DMs big boy. I do it for my girls, gays and theys and the select handful of straight men who don't trigger my fight or flight'.

Creeps: Although Honey received an outpouring of love and support on her lingerie post, she later took to Stories to reveal she had been targeted by 'creeps'

Not for you! Honey penned, 'So don't waste your time in my DMs big boy. I do it for my girls, gays and theys and the select handful of straight men who don't trigger my fight or flight'

Honey is known for sharing her scantily-clad snaps as a body confidence advocate.

Appearing on ITV's Lorraine last year, she said that since embracing her body shape, she's gained more confidence than her slimmer friends.

'I'm a size 18 and I'm more confident than all of my thin friends and they always say, "I wish I was more confident", And Im like, "You have the body society likes".'

Honey's Instagram page boasts 44,000 followers and she insisted that she continues to post as just one message from someone she has inspired means it's 'absolutely all worth it' .

She said: 'The reason I continue to post like this, is because I receive messages that say "Just so you know, I brought the first bikini in ten years or threw away my scales because of you".

Or teens saying "Youve inspired me to go out in shorts" and that makes it absolutely all worth it.'

Hitting out: Back in August, Honey accused Instagram of being 'fatphobic' after it removed an image of her in a bikini (see thumbnail)

Back in August, Honey accused Instagram of being 'fatphobic' after it removed an image of her in a bikini.

The social media platform took action after deeming the seemingly inoffensive snap to be in breach of its community guidelines.

Instagram are obliged to remove images from the site if they promote nudity or sexual activity, hate speeches, racism, harassment, bullying or graphic violence.

Captioning the site's clarification regarding community guidelines, she wrote: @instagram why don't you just say you hate fat bodies?'

A removal date shared by the site revealed the image had been deleted on August 15th 2019, more than a year before Honey's response. The image is no longer available to view.
Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Ghana, Mrs Patricia Obo-Nai, has advised graduates of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) to embrace technology and relevant skills to be on top of the corporate game.

She said it was estimated that 45 per cent of all current tasks could be automated with present technology, and task-oriented, repetitive, time consuming, little or no value added jobs were being automated rapidly.



This started with the fourth industrial revolution and it is now accelerated by the future of work that this pandemic presents.



She gave the advice at a graduation ceremony organised for students of the KAIPTC on Friday in Accra.



A few years from now, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, machine learning and augmented reality will all be deeply rooted in our everyday lives just like computers, phones and electricity are necessities today, she added.



According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), COVID-19-related shocks to the labour market were expected to further wipe out 19 - 22 million jobs and significantly reduce earnings for the self-employed in Africa.



She said there was an urgent call for professionals to reposition themselves and take advantage of new opportunities.

Mrs Obo-Nai noted that in todays world, skills and technology changed within two years or less, sparking redundancy doom for laggards.



Organisations, she said, were in need of people who were able to adapt to new job roles, adopt new technology and were happy to learn new skills.



This means reskilling and upskilling will be required and employers will need to support their employees through this the process. For example, if you are in Marketing, you should start being curious and signing up for some Digital Marketing courses; if you are in HR, you could check out the HR Analytic offerings.



The future is digital and we have two choices, to be afraid and bury our heads in the sand or to step up to the challenge, embrace the exciting new digital future and equip ourselves with skills so we are not left behind, she advised.



The Vodafone CEO also charged the graduates to have what it took to build collaborations within and outside the organisation and be influential, while building networks to help them achieve shared objectives, goals and purpose, adding: Do a self-assessment and begin to deliberately develop it as a vital skill.



Mrs Obo-Nai said professionals also needed to understand the importance of data, which was a fuel for the new intelligence revolution.

Organisations have massive amounts of data available and those who use data effectively, she believed would clearly outperform the rest.



Many organisations will no longer need people who call pull data, they need people who can extract insights from data and know-how to turn this into valuable knowledge. Without this skill at work, data becomes completely meaningless. You will survive the new normal if you can develop this skill, she said.



She entreated them to bring their security expertise to bear in an increasingly digital world, saying, she had no doubt they had been adequately equipped with knowledge and competences that would enable them to address the many challenges that society urgently sought to resolve in a smart way.



In the end, human beings will thrive on relationships. Where relationships abound, there is likely to be conflict. You are true champions of security and ambassadors of peace; and that is what the world needs right now. Go out there and make this great institution proud, she added.



Other individuals in attendance were Major General Francis Ofori, Commandant of the KAIPTC, Sir (Dr) Sam Jonah, Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Philip Ebow Bondzi-Simpson, Rector of GIMPA, and members of the Diplomatic Corps.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
In this NASA video made available 28 February, 2003, space shuttle Columbia commander Rick Husband (R) goes through routine entry procedures as astronaut Kalpana Chawla (L) looks toward astronaut Laurel Clark who is shooting the video 01 February 2003 on the flightdeck during reentry over the Pacific Ocean for a planned landing in Florida. The partially-damaged tape shows four crew "doing normal activities" on the flight deck, some 25 minutes ahead of the scheduled landing, about 10 minutes before the shuttle broke up 01 February over the south-west United States, scattering debris over several states. AFP PHOTO NASA Video
The third wave of the coronavirus pandemic continues to slow down in Spain - albeit very slowly.

The Ministry of Health, has this Monday added 79,686 new cases from the weekend, raising the official number infected since the virus arrived in the country a year ago to 2,822,805.

Two weeks after Spain hit the peak of this third onslaught of the virus - according to experts from the department headed by Carolina Darias, the cumulative incidence rate has continued to fall slowly for the third time in a row.

Intensive Care Unit pressure

The fourteen-day incidence rate, which on Wednesday of last week broke all records of the pandemic with 899.93 cases per 100,000, fell this Monday to 865.67, a decrease of 2.5 per cent with respect to Fridays records when the cumulative incidence nationwide was 886.67 cases.

The other positive news - and it confirms the hope of the Health ministry that the third wave is in decline - is that the percentage of tests that are positive fell below 15 per cent today for the first time to a level not seen since the first week of January when the Christmas effect had not yet played havoc with the statistics.

However, the pandemic continues to exert pressure on the healthcare system.

Spain, this Monday, set a record with 32,023 patients with Covid admitted to hospitals, that is 1,219 more patients than on Friday. And the percentage of beds occupied by patients with coronavirus, which last week seemed to have stabilised, this Monday rebounded to reach 25 per cent again.

But the most worrying thing, without a doubt, was the sharp increase in pressure on Intensive Care Units with 45.3 per cent of the beds in the country occupied by patients with the virus, an extremely delicate situation considering that the area of "extreme risk" begins with 25 per cent occupancy of ICU beds.
A former Pakistani diplomat who also served as a minister in ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's cabinet has alleged that Al-Qaeda terrorist chief Osama Bin Laden had supported and funded the PML-N supremo.

"Yes, he (Osama) supported Mian Nawaz Sharif at one time. However, that is a complicated story. He (Osama) used to extend financial assistance (to Sharif)," Pakistan's former envoy to the United States Abida Hussain claimed this during an interview to a private news channel, Geo TV reported.

'...Osama was treated like a stranger'

Abida Hussain, 73, also an ex-cabinet member of the Sharif government, recalled that at one-time bin Laden was popular and liked by everyone including the Americans but at a later stage, "he was treated as a stranger," the channel said.

Her remarks come days after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Member of National Assembly Farrukh Habib alleged that Nawaz Sharif had laid the foundation of foreign funding in the country and took USD 10 million from Osama bin Laden to bring a no-confidence motion for overthrowing Benazir Bhutto's government.

Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals in Pakistan's Abbottabad in May 2011. Pakistan had officially denied having any knowledge of the terror chief until he was shot dead in a raid by US forces. Pakistan has been accused of using its soil to perpetrate terror in neighbouring countries.

READ | US, NATO allies 'strongly condemn' continued violence by Taliban in Afghanistan

READ | Union Budget 2021: History & trivia about Indian Union Budget ahead of presentation today

Nawaz Sharif, who has been the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms, has been accused, time and again, of taking money from slain terrorist Osama bin Laden in order to promote and fund jihad in Kashmir, according to news agency ANI. He served as Prime Minister from 1990-93, 1997-98, and 2013-17.

Sharif, 70, has been living in London since November 2019 after the Lahore High Court granted him permission to go abroad for four weeks for treatment. The three-time former PM, who was convicted in two corruption cases -- Avenfield properties and Al-Azizia -- was declared a proclaimed offender in December by the Islamabad High Court after he failed to appear before it despite several warnings.

Sharif resigned as Pakistan PM in 2017 after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against the beleaguered leader over the Panama Papers scandal.

READ | Union Budget 2021 LIVE Updates: FM Nirmala Sitharaman to present a 'Budget like no other'

READ | MP minister says if there is evidence of wrong done, names of places must be changed

(With agency inputs)
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

When two sheets of graphene are stacked atop each other at just the right angle, the layered structure morphs into an unconventional superconductor, allowing electric currents to pass through without resistance or wasted energy.

This "magic-angle" transformation in bilayer graphene was observed for the first time in 2018 in the group of Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics at MIT. Since then, scientists have searched for other materials that can be similarly twisted into superconductivity, in the emerging field of "twistronics." For the most part, no other twisted material has exhibited superconductivity other than the original twisted bilayer graphene, until now.

In a paper appearing in Nature, Jarillo-Herrero and his group report observing superconductivity in a sandwich of three graphene sheets, the middle layer of which is twisted at a new angle with respect to the outer layers. This new trilayer configuration exhibits superconductivity that is more robust than its bilayer counterpart.

The researchers can also tune the structure's superconductivity by applying and varying the strength of an external electric field. By tuning the trilayer structure, the researchers were able to produce ultra-strongly coupled superconductivity, an exotic type of electrical behavior that has rarely been seen in any other material.

"It wasn't clear if magic-angle bilayer graphene was an exceptional thing, but now we know it's not alone; it has a cousin in the trilayer case," Jarillo-Herrero says. "The discovery of this hypertunable superconductor extends the twistronics field into entirely new directions, with potential applications in quantum information and sensing technologies."

His co-authors are lead author Jeong Min Park and Yuan Cao at MIT, and Kenji Watanabe and Takashi Taniguchi of the National Institute of Materials Science in Japan.

A new super family

Shortly after Jarillo-Herrero and his colleagues discovered that superconductivity could be generated in twisted bilayer graphene, theorists proposed that the same phenomenon might be seen in three or more layers of graphene.

A sheet of graphene is an atom-thin layer of graphite, made entirely of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice, like the thinnest, sturdiest chicken wire. The theorists proposed that if three sheets of graphene were stacked like a sandwich, with the middle layer rotated by 1.56 degrees with respect to the outer layers, the twisted configuration would create a kind of symmetry that would encourage electrons in the material to pair up and flow without resistancethe hallmark of superconductivity.

"We thought, why not, let's give it a try and test this idea," Jarillo-Herrero says.

Park and Cao engineered trilayer graphene structures by carefully slicing a single gossamer sheet of graphene into three sections and stacking each section on top of each other at the precise angles predicted by the theorists.

They made several trilayer structures, each measuring a few micrometers across (about 1/100 the the diameter of a human hair), and three atoms tall.

"Our structure is a nanosandwich," Jarillo-Herrero says.

The team then attached electrodes to either end of the structures, and ran an electric current through while measuring the amount of energy lost or dissipated in the material.

"We saw no energy dissipated, meaning it was a superconductor," Jarillo-Herrero says. "We have to give credit to the theoriststhey got the angle right."

He adds that the exact cause of the structure's superconductivitywhether due to its symmetry, as the theorists proposed, or notremains to be seen, and is something that the researchers plan to test in future experiments.

"For the moment we have a correlation, not a causation," he says. "Now at least we have a path to possibly explore a large family of new superconductors based on this symmetry idea."

"The biggest bang"

In exploring their new trilayer structure, the team found they could control its superconductivity in two ways. With their previous bilayer design, the researchers could tune its superconductivity by applying an external gate voltage to change the number of electrons flowing through the material. As they dialed the gate voltage up and down, they measured the critical temperature at which the material stopped dissipating energy and became superconductive. In this way, the team was able to tune bilayer graphene's superconductivity on and off, similar to a transistor.

The team used the same method to tune trilayer graphene. They also discovered a second way to control the material's superconductivity that has not been possible in bilayer graphene and other twisted structures. By using an additional electrode, the researchers could apply an electric field to change the distribution of electrons between the structure's three layers, without changing the structure's overall electron density.

"These two independent knobs now give us a lot of information about the conditions where superconductivity appears, which can provide insight into the key physics critical to the formation of such an unusual superconducting state," Park says.

Using both methods to tune the trilayer structure, the team observed superconductivity under a range of conditions, including at a relatively high critical temperature of 3 kelvins, even when the material had a low density of electrons. In comparison, aluminum, which is being explored as a superconductor for quantum computing, has a much higher density of electrons and only becomes superconductive at about 1 kelvin.

"We found magic-angle trilayer graphene can be the strongest coupled superconductor, meaning it superconducts at a relatively high temperature, given how few electrons it can have," Jarillo-Herrero says. "It gives the biggest bang for your buck."

The researchers plan to fabricate twisted graphene structures with more than three layers to see whether such configurations, with higher electron densities, can exhibit superconductivity at higher temperatures, even approaching room temperature.

"If we could make these structures as they are now, at industrial scale, we could make superconducting bits for quantum computation, or cryogenic superconductive electronics, photodetectors, etc. We haven't figured out how to make billions of these at a time," Jarillo-Herrrero says.

"Our main goal is to figure out the fundamental nature of what underlies strongly coupled superconductivity," Park says. "Trilayer graphene is not only the strongest-coupled superconductor ever found, but also the most tunable. With that tunability we can really explore superconductivity, everywhere in the phase space."

Explore further Specially oriented twisted bilayer graphene hosts topological electronic states

More information: Tunable strongly coupled superconductivity in magic-angle twisted trilayer graphene, Nature (2021). www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03192-0 Journal information: Nature Tunable strongly coupled superconductivity in magic-angle twisted trilayer graphene,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03192-0
At the same time, Zelensky said he would not allow China, or any other country, to buy a controlling stake in Ukraine's aerospace giant Motor Sich.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he doesn't consider China to be a major geopolitical threat.

When asked during an interview at his presidential office for Axios on HBO about emerging consensus in Washington that China is the No. 1 geopolitical threat, Zelensky said: "I cannot agree with that because in Ukraine we do not feel this."

"There really is this a sort of cold war between China and the United States. We know United States business is represented in Ukraine, but at the same time, it's true that Chinese business is also represented. I believe that regardless of the nation, the nationality, if people, if business, if a certain country, treats you with respect, respecting your people and borders, they can be present in your country," he said.

Read alsoSBU summons businessman Yaroslavsky for questioning in Motor Sich caseAt the same time, Zelensky said he would not allow China, or any other country, to buy a controlling stake in Ukraine's aerospace giant Motor Sich.

"Never," he said. "Not under me. I am not here for life... [But] in my time [in office], definitely not."

Motor Sich acquisition by Chinese investors

On January 31, 2021, an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders in PJSC Motor Sich had to take place in the city of Zaporizhia.

However, the SBU Security Service of Ukraine conduced investigative actions at the enterprise. The agency's press center said the officers were documenting "facts of preparations for the destruction of the joint-stock company's production facilities."

On January 29, Zelensky enacted a decision taken by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine to introduce personal special economic and other restrictive measures, in particular against China's Skyrizon Aircraft Holdings Limited, which had bought Motor Sich's shares.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the sanctions against the Chinese company have nothing to do with the investment climate in Ukraine.

In turn, Skyrizon called Ukraine's sanctions a "barbaric robbery" and announced its intention to use all possible legal means, including international arbitration, to vigorously protect its legal rights and interests.

Reporting by UNIAN
The Managing Director of the Accra Digital Centre, Kofi Ofosu Nkansah has rebuked the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for claiming President Akufo-Addo contributed to the surge in COVID-19 cases.



Communicators of the NDC have attributed the recent spike in cases to campaigns and other political activities of President Akufo-Addo and the NPP.



However, the NPP communicator insists the current upsurge in cases is not because of political campaigns but due to activities during the festive season.



"Moreover, Akufo-Addo was not the only person who engaged in political activities..." Ofosu Nkansah indicated while speaking on Peace FM's The Platform programme.



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
Piers Morgan has revealed his mother has been suffering from flu-like symptoms after receiving the coronavorus vaccine.

Speaking on Monday's Good Morning Britain, Piers gave an update on his parents, who both received theif first Covid vaccine last week after previously battling the virus.

Piers explained his mum is now recovering in bed, but said his parents had praised the 'very efficient, very painless' vaccine process.

Piers' parents had their jabs in East Sussex on Friday and were full of praise for the service, but his mum Gabrielle, 76, has experienced some flu-like side effects.

Battle:Piers Morgan has revealed his mother Gabrielle has been suffering from flu-like symptoms after getting her coronavorus vaccine alongside her husband Glynne Pughe-Morgan (Piers and his parents, pictured in 2012)

The GMB star explained: 'They said it was very efficient, very quick, very painless, all very happy. My mum then got quite a bad reaction to her jab.'

'I say bad, like a fluey reaction, and she's in bed. A lot of people are getting a little bit, or a little bit more reaction.'

GMB's resident medic Dr Hilary Jones was quick to reassure Piers and viewers that what his mother is experiencing is an entirely normal reaction.

He said: 'Most people might get a slight reaction at the injection site so some redness, some heat, some warmth a bit of tenderness probably last a few hours.

Vaccine: Speaking on Monday's Good Morning Britain , Piers gave an update on his parents, who both received theif first Covid vaccine on Friday after previously battling the virus

'Certainly gone overnight. That's not uncommon at all, and that's common with any vaccination.

'The second thing people are reporting is a bit of fatigue, headache, muscle pains, that might last a bit longer. Some people getting chills and a very slight temperature.

'Up to 50 per cent people are getting fatigue for a few hours, maybe 24 hours.'

He added that it was safe to take paracetamol and ibuprofen to deal with the symptoms.

The total number of Brits who have now received at least one dose of the vaccine is 8,977,329.

Advice: GMB's resident medic Dr Hilary Jones was quick to reassure Piers and viewers that what his mother is experiencing is an entirely normal reaction

Piers took to Twitter on Saturday to share the news that his parents had received their first vaccine.

Piers previously told how his mother and step-father, Gabrielle and Glynne Pughe-Morgan - who Piers said are both in their 'mid to late seventies' - fought the disease.

On Twitter he wrote: 'BREAKING: Another 489, 934 Covid vaccines were administered in the UK yesterday... the 2nd highest daily total to date.

'Brilliant news... and I'm even happier that today's figure will include my parents who got jabbed this morning. Keep up the great work @NHSuk @nadhimzahawi.'

In November, the ITV star revealed both of his elderly parents contracted coronavirus from a member of their support bubble.

He confirmed they had come out the other side and are in recovery, but his step-father is still complaining about a loss of taste and smell.

Update: On Twitter he wrote: 'BREAKING: Another 489, 934 Covid vaccines were administered in the UK yesterday... the 2nd highest daily total to date

Piers said: 'I'd like to say something to my parents, they are both battling COVID and have been for two weeks and it's a scary thing for a family...

'When your elderly parents are fighting it, they are both in their mid to late 70s, and they got it two weeks ago from someone in their bubble and they had to go out and they were very sensible but got the virus and then bang it was like dominoes.'

Piers' biological father Eamonn Vincent O'Meara, tragically died in a road accident when Piers was just 11 months old, and when his mother remarried, the TV star and journalist took on his step-dad's surname.

In December, Piers revealed seven of his family members have battled Covid.

Writing on Twitter, he said: 'Three good friends of mine lost parents to covid. My colleague Kate Garraways husband is in a coma from it. My parents just had it.

'One of my sons just had it. One of my brothers, his wife, & their eldest daughter just had it. My niece just had it. Consider yourself lucky.'

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.
Paducah Chamber Power in Partnership Breakfast Celebrates Black History Month

The Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce February Power in Partnership Breakfast on Thursday, Feb. 4th, will celebrate Black History Month.The virtual breakfast at 7:30 am features Brent Leggs, a Paducah native that serves as Executive Director of the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund with the National Trust for Historic Preservation based in Washington, D.C.The McCracken County NAACP and the McCracken County Community Career Endowment are sponsoring the event.You can register to attend via Zoom at the link below. It will also be carried live on the Chamber's Facebook page.In his current position, Leggs promotes the role of cultural preservation in telling the nation's history, and empowers activists, entrepreneurs, artists, and civic leaders to advocate on behalf of African American historic places.Leggs is a Harvard University Leob Fellow, and the author of "Preserving African American Historic Places," which the Smithsonian Institute considers a "seminal publication on preserving African American historic sites." He is also the recipient of the 2018 Robert G. Stanton National Preservation Award.Over the last decade he has worked to develop the Northeast African American Historic Places Outreach Program, which has built a regional movement of leaders saving important landmarks in African American history.Leggs was the first African American to complete the University of Kentucky's graduate program in historic preservation. He is a Senior Advisor and Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for the Preservation of Civil Rights Sites, has taught at Harvard University, and is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University's graduate program in Historic Preservation.
About two-thirds of Michigan children under 18 live in a household headed by a married couple, based on Census Bureau estimates for 2019.

And children with a single mother are five times more likely to live below the poverty line compared to those with married parents.

Michigan has 2.1 million children under age 18, the Census Bureau estimates. Thats down from 2.3 million in 2010. Since then, the proportion of children living with a married couple has dipped slightly, from 65.8% in 2010 to 65.4% in 2019.

Among other highlights of the 2019 dataset:

An estimated 21% of Michigan children live in household headed by a single woman without a partner in the home; 9% in a household headed by an unmarried couple, and 5% by a single man without a partner in the home.

By race, 74% of white children live in a household headed by a married couple compared to 93% of Asian children, 60% of Hispanic children and 30% of Black children.

Michigan has a median income of $100,315 for households with children headed by married couples compared to a median income of $29,668 for single women with children and $45,161 for single men with children.

The poverty rate is 8% for children living in a married-couple household compared to 40% for children living with a single woman and a 22% poverty rate for children living with a single man.

89% of Michigan children live in a household headed by their parents. That compares to 9% in a household headed by a grandparent or other relative and 2% who live with foster parents or another unrelated person.

Of children who live in a household headed by grandparents, 85% have a parent who also lives in the home.

The Census Bureau also provides estimates of children living in married vs. single-parent household by school district, based on its five-year rolling average for 2015-19.

In a ranking of districts based on estimated percent of households headed by a married couple, the top districts appear to be small rural districts. For instance, the Census estimates that 100% of the children living in Burt Township Schools and Whitefish Township Schools -- both in the Upper Peninsula -- live in a two-parent household. The Burt Township district has an estimated 179 households with children, and Chippewa Township Schools has 205.

Among the larger school districts in the top 10: Saline and Pewamo-Westphalia, where 89% of households with children are headed by a married couple; Williamston and Hopkins, at 88%; and Troy, Rochester and Northville, at 87%.

At the other end of the spectrum, the 10 districts with the smallest percentage of households with children headed by a married couple: Highland Park (20%); Muskegon Heights (22%); Beecher (25%); Flint (29%); Detroit (29%); Ecorse (31%); Muskegon (32%); Benton Harbor (32%); River Rouge (34%) and Saginaw (34%).

Below is an interactive map shaded by 2015-19 Census estimates of household with children headed by a married couple. You can put your cursor over a district to see the underlying data. (Cant see the map? Click here.)

A couple of caveats about the data: These are estimates versus exact numbers, and the margin of error is higher for smaller districts.

In addition, the estimates are based on all residents who live within a school districts boundaries and not just the adults with children in the district schools. (And keep in mind school district boundaries typically differ from city and township boundaries.)

Next is a searchable database that allows you to search by school district or county. If you search by county, youll see a ranking of school districts in that county.

You can click on any column header for a ranking by that category. Click once to rank by the lowest number and twice to rank by the highest number.

Also on MLive:

Michigan school districts ranked by median family income: See states richest, poorest districts

Michigan school districts ranked by educational attainment: See percent of adults who are college grads

Restaurants reopen today for indoor dining  here are Michigans new rules

Multnomah County plans to completely revamp its first transitional residential program for Black women leaving prison after a critical report described a climate of fear and mistrust, poor communication and the tokenization of Black people.

The independent evaluation of operations at the Diane Wade House proved a brutal blow to a program that the county rolled out in April 2019 with much fanfare as a one-of-a-kind, desperately needed service.

Meagan Call-Cummings, an assistant professor at Virginias George Mason University, interviewed 42 people between August and October and recommended that no new women be referred to the house until its problems are addressed.

Only two women are living in the 38-bed Gresham property now.

The county is likely to suspend future referrals and close out the current facility, as it works to seek a new provider and new location that will cater to fewer women, said Erika Preuitt, director of the countys Department of Community Justice.

It is the overall finding of this evaluation that if Multnomah County leaders and policymakers, as well as senior leaders within DCJ (Department of Community Justice), do not begin this racial reckoning immediately and in profoundly real and deeply uncomfortable ways, the Diane Wade House will not be successful, its lofty goals will not be reached, and Black women involved in the justice system will once again be left to fend for themselves amidst structures and systems that are set up for them to fail, Call-Cummings wrote.

The county commissioned the professor to conduct the evaluation. She submitted her report, obtained by The Oregonian/OregonLive, to representatives of the countys Local Public Safety Coordinating Council in November, but the council hasnt made it public.

While some women told Call-Cummings the Diane Wade House provided a safe space for them to feel empowered as they work to return to the community, others said it seemed as if senior managers were trying to save face when the program wasnt successful. Some probation officers said they felt pressured to refer women to the house, though they didnt believe it would be a good fit, particularly those with mental illness.

Preuitt said the county plans to ramp down the program and put out a request for proposals this spring for another provider to run a reimagined Diane Wade House that operates out of a home setting instead.

The county and DCJ are absolutely committed to providing this resource in our community, she said.

The county will work with an already-established community advisory board to address concerns highlighted in the report and explore its recommendations, Preuitt said. Antoinette Edwards, a leader in the citys Black community, is now working for the county as a facilitator of the community board.

In the next phase of the Diane Wade House, we want it to be strongly grounded in the community, Preuitt said.

An outside evaluator identified as problems with the Diane Wade House its dormitory-style housing that resembles institutional living and its Gresham location far from family and social service supports for many of the residents.

The program is for Black women on probation or coming out of prison and run by women who have gone through the criminal justice system themselves. Since it opened, 89 women have lived in the home. Residents were to be able to stay at the house for up to six months, and be connected to mental health resources, drug and alcohol treatment, future housing and classes on parenting, job and life skills. While it was to be geared toward Black women, all women were eligible for referral to stay there.

Its named after a county parole and probation officer who worked from May 1999 until October 2010 and worked to uplift Black women in the criminal justice system. She died in 2010 from a seizure.

The reports findings back up many of the allegations raised by former program manager, ONesha Cochran, who was fired just three weeks after the Diane Wade House opened in 2019.

Cochran, along with former employees Sonja Freeman and Shalontelle White-Preston, are suing Bridges to Change, the nonprofit managing the house. Freeman and White-Preston resigned two months after Cochrans termination. Theyre seeking $2 million in damages, alleging their former employer subjected them to a racially hostile work environment, tokenized them' and exploited their labor.

The county contracted with Bridges to Change to run the home through a $2 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The grant ran through last September and the county took over funding the program, according to county officials. The 2021 budget for the Diane Wade House is $693,137, according to Jessica Morkert-Shibley, a county spokeswoman.

The countys contract with Bridges to Change ends June 30, Preuitt said.

Multnomah County officials had applauded Cochrans leadership shortly before she was fired. Cochran told The Oregonian/OregonLive then that she believed Bridges to Change retaliated against her for her outspokenness in pressing for promised Afrocentric membership and support programs for residents.

Monta Knudson, director of Bridges to Change, said his nonprofit, which he described as a white-dominant organization, wont seek to run the program after June. He said he believes that the Diane Wade House 2.0 should be managed by a nonprofit run by leaders from the Black community.

We want this to be successful, and we believe thats where this program belongs, he said.

Knudson, though, defended the firing of Cochran, providing a report from the nonprofits labor lawyer attributing her termination to problems with her performance. The report referenced her aggressive communication, and a direction for her to refrain from being the companys conscience surrounding racial issues.

While Call-Cummings praised the creation last summer of the community advisory board for the house and its operations, she identified significant challenges to the programs success.

Among the problems are its dormitory-style housing that resembles institutional living, its Gresham location far from family and social service supports for many of the residents and no shared understanding among residents, staff and managers around what an Afrocentric, culturally specific transitional house should be.

The nonprofit Bridges to Change will maintain the property when Multnomah County closes the program at the Gresham location and finds a new home-based location, officials said.

Call-Cummings also cited insufficient training for staff to support residents, particularly regarding mental illness, mistrust between staff at the house and probation officers and a lack of communication and transparency within the county Community Justice Department and Bridges to Change and with community members.

Complicating all of this is a finding that the historical context of Multnomah County and the treatment of African American people here is still playing out, Call-Cummings wrote in her report. Ultimately, many feel that this context has meant that optics and politics have been more important to policy makers and leaders than the success of residents and the House.

Theres a need for a reckoning around the deep scars of racism that are woven through the fabric of Multnomah County, Call-Cummings wrote.

Communication problems and lack of collaboration have rendered the daily work of this program virtually impossible and totally unproductive, the report says.

One of the women quoted in the report said it felt as if programs for the house were whitewashed, in that you had to go through hell and high water to get culturally-responsive programming approved. And I understand contracting and, you know, the whole process, but there was a whole other layer to it that felt very micromanaged in a way that did not benefit Black women or the program.

Preuitt acknowledged the legitimate concerns. She said the county moved too fast to open the house without ensuring proper support for staff or letting the voices of women who have been in the criminal justice system lead the process.

I would not say I am surprised, or that I am shocked, she said.

We have traveled a journey with this house. We know theres issues we have had to face in the county. We have to hear voices and incorporate changes appropriately as it relates to their feedback.

Cochran said she believes this outcome could have been avoided. While I feel this report confirms our unheard concerns, mostly I feel sadness that this could have been prevented, she said.

Her lawyer Kim Sordyl said shes gratified that a community advisory board will provide much needed oversight of the program and looks forward to seeing a positive impact on the lives of the women it serves.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian
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.
Calvary Baptist Academy senior Jack Wolfe has a great love of music, and of British history.

Those two realms coincide in his passion for playing the violin.

"I named it Winston after (former United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill) because he was a strong and powerful leader, and this is a strong and powerful instrument," Wolfe explained about his violin, which he has had for almost three years and was made in Ann Arbor. "For a really small instrument, it produces a very powerful sound."

Wolfe actually started his musical journey as a pianist before taking up the violin in fifth grade while attending Plymouth Elementary School.

"I heard (renowned American violinist) Hilary Hahn play a Mozart concerto and I loved the sound of it," Wolfe said.

He has since played violin for three years at Northeast Middle School and now for four years in the concert orchestra at CBA.

In addition to learning from CBA strings director Cheri Cross, Wolfe recently began studying under professional violinist Catherina Lee of Australia.

"(Music) brings so many people together," Wolfe noted. "It bridges that gap that has divided everyone in terms of language."

But music means more than melodies and harmonies to Wolfe. It is also sometimes the best way for him to express his emotions.

"I love music so much because it helps me express my feelings and emotions," he said. "I'm not the strongest person in terms of expressing my emotions in words. But music helps me do that."

That has been especially true during the ongoing pandemic.

"In these tough times, especially when everything locked down last March, music became one of the touchstones I turned to," Wolfe said. "What we were living at that point seemed so out of our reality. The music I was able to share with my classmates and they were able to share with me virtually ... helped us stay in contact even though we couldn't see each other."

After graduating from CBA, Wolfe plans to study biochemistry and violin performance at a school still to be decided.

Cross, Wolfe's instructor at Calvary, said he devotes his full effort and energy to producing good music.

"Jack's love for music and his attention to details go far beyond the surface level of playing notes. He articulates and shapes the phrases with great skill," Cross said. "It has been fun to see Jack grow in confidence in the orchestral setting, and his commitment to practice and mastery of skill has set a great example to the rest of the group."
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses reporters during his first press briefing at the State Department in Washington, DC, on Jan. 27, 2021. (BARRIA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Secretary of State Blinken Says US Should Allow in Hong Kong Refugees Fleeing Beijings Repression

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he thinks the United States should provide refuge for Hongkongers fleeing the Chinese regimes widening suppression of the citys freedoms.

Weve seen China act egregiously to undermine the very commitments it made during the handover of Hong Kong  from Britain, Blinken said in an interview with MSNBC aired on Feb. 1. The territory returned to Chinese rule in 1997, with Beijing promising to preserve Hong Kongs autonomy and civil liberties.

We see people who are, again, in Hong Kong standing up for their own rights, the rights that they felt were guaranteed to them. And if  theyre the victims of repression from Chinese authorities, we should do something to give them haven.

The Chinese Communist Party has drawn international condemnation over its imposition of a national security law last summer, which led to the arrests of dozens of pro-democracy figures in the city.

In response to Beijings clampdown, Britain has allowed Hong Kong residents to stay in the UK for up to five years, and then apply for permanent residency. Canada last year also announced measures to remove some barriers for Hongkongers applying for asylum.

In December, a bill to grant temporary refuge for Hongkongers in the United States was blocked in the Senate after Ted Cruz (R-Texas) objected to the motion, arguing that the law could be exploited by Beijing to send spies to the country. The bill had earlier passed the House unanimously.

Blinken also criticized the Chinese regimes continued lack of transparency in regards to the pandemic.

There is no doubt that, especially when COVID-19 first hit, but even today, China is falling far short of the mark when it comes to providing the information necessary to the international community, making sure that experts have access to China, he said in the interview.

The secretary added: I think the focus we have to have is both getting full understanding and accountability for what happenedand theres an investigation thats going on right nowbut especially making sure were putting in place measures to prevent a recurrence.

A World Health Organization team is currently in the central Chinese city of Wuhan investigating the origins of the pandemic, more than a year after an outbreak first emerged in the city. Some observers have expressed skepticism that the probe will not find much, given the Chinese Communist Partys history of covering up issues that may embarrass the regime.

Blinken also said the administration is reviewing U.S. tariffs on more than $300 billion worth of Chinese goods that were imposed during the Trump administration.

We have to make sure that any time we act, the first question we ask ourselves is: Is this advancing the interests of our own people? Is it making them more prosperous? Is it advancing their security? Is it extending their values? he said.

When it comes to something like a tariff, is it doing more harm to us than it is to the country theyre being wielded against? Thats the question were asking.
Dauphin County attorney Jeff Engle has announced he is running for an open judgeship on the county court.

The seat is open due to the retirement of Judge Jeannine Turgeon.

Attorney Jeff Engle

A Republican, Engle said he would bring a well-balanced background to the bench as a former prosecutor, defense attorney and civil attorney. He cited his experience representing school districts and local government and his more than 20 years of practicing family law.

Engle, a county native, Lower Paxton Township resident and a 1995 graduate of the Widener School of Law, said he will cross-file to appear on the GOP and Democratic ballots during the primary election.
Kennebec Cabin Company, Manchester, ME Doors to the brand-new Kennebec Cabin Company (KCC) retail store opened on February 1, 2020, just before the shutdown. Following a quick pivot to include online sales, KCC was off and running. Tens of thousands of fans have walked through the door and/or purchased items online over the last year, and the numbers continue to grow as people crave authenticity and genuine feel-good entertainment. Favorite items include anything with the Maine Cabin Masters logo and goods made by local artists.

"From the Woodshed" Podcast

Cabin Masters brothers-in-law Chase Morrill and Ryan Eldridge wanted to create a forum for casual conversations with fans, and the "From the Woodshed" podcast was born. The hosts talk all things cabins, camps, building, and Maine, with episode segments including a guest interview, weekly trivia question, and project pointers for fans.

Now in its second season, guests have included local neighbors working to better their communities right alongside national names like author Tim Cotton (Bangor Police Department), Mary Engelbreit, Chris Ermides from Ask This Old House, and legendary sportscaster Dan Patrick.

The podcast drops Mondays on Spotify and Apple Podcasts; the video version premieres with live commentary at 7 pm Eastern Mondays on KCC YouTube. "From the Woodshed" is produced by Hero Media Arts and features Chase's daughter Maggie as producer/host wrangler. "From the Woodshed" is brought to you by the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NELMA) and Hero Media Arts.

SOURCE Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association


Compliance is an up-and-coming industry leader with a robust yet simplified technology suite I havent seen on the market thus far, said Hinzmann. Im motivated and inspired by the talent and technology at Compliance."

Compliance, an integrated eDiscovery services and managed review provider, today announced Amy Hinzmann has joined as president to drive the operational strategy for the company. Hinzmann will focus on creating a unified strategy, scaling existing offerings, and expanding to relevant adjacencies. Prominent attorney, Marla Crawford, has joined as general counsel to support the in-house legal needs of Compliance.

Crawford brings over 30 years expertise to Compliance and regularly speaks on legal technology, electronic discovery, and information governance issues. Hinzmann is a noted industry legal expert, diversity, and client advocate with over 20 years of legal technology and consulting experience. They join Marc Zamsky, chief executive officer, and Ari Perlstein, chief technology officer in the leadership suite, as well as Sara Brandes, newly appointed executive vice president, national sales.

We have reached a critical period of growth and accomplishment, said Zamsky. Amy and Marla joining validate what we already knew at Compliance, that we have a distinctive offering that is resonating with our clients and making a difference in the complex eDiscovery space.

Hinzmann and Crawford are both involved in many groups and associations that promote women and diversity initiatives and legal technology advancement. Crawford was recently awarded the Challenger Award at the eDiscovery Hero Awards presented by Zapproved. The Challenger Award recognizes those who have demonstrated a history of analyzing complex issues and implementing solutions that led to overwhelmingly positive results for their organizations. Hinzmann was recently appointed development chair for the Center for Women in Law.

Compliance is an up-and-coming industry leader with a robust yet simplified technology suite I havent seen on the market thus far, said Hinzmann. Im motivated and inspired by the talent and technology at Compliance. I believe we have a strong foundation that will support future strategic initiatives and redefine eDiscovery and legal technology solutions.

I have spent most of my career focused on the intersection of law and technology, so its a natural transition for me to join Compliance, said Crawford. Compliance has a tremendous foundation and is primed to take it to the next level. The investments planned for products and technologies are game-changing, and Im excited for my peers to experience it.

Hinzmann began her career representing brokerage firms as a litigation attorney at Jenkens & Gilchrist. Hinzmann also served as vice president and counsel for Merrill Lynchs brokerage business before transitioning to legal services consulting, where she held executive leadership roles and led diversity initiatives for the past 13 years. Hinzmann earned a bachelors degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies and a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin. Hinzmann is admitted to practice law in Texas and New York.

Crawford spent 22 years practicing law at the prestigious international firm Jones Day before serving as associate general counsel for Goldman Sachs where she led the firms global eDiscovery practice and focused on complex commercial and securities litigation and regulatory investigations. Crawford earned a bachelors degree in public policy from Duke University and graduated magna cum laude from Boston University, where she earned her Juris Doctor.

About Compliance

Compliance is an ISO 27001 certified eDiscovery services and managed review provider and innovator of DaaS (Discovery-as-a-Service), a powerful toolkit of the most advanced eDiscovery software, analytics, and data security available. Through a combination of cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art development, and secure, certified data centers, Compliance supports corporate legal departments, law firms, and public entities in managing critical and complex legal matters with control, innovation, and ease. Compliance is a System One division. Discover Compliance: http://www.complianceds.com.

Press Contact

Carey Neal

Compliance

+1 716-946-5032 cneal@complianceds.com

###
Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan last week said Washington wants to "carry forward and build on" the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad, which also involves Australia, India and Japan.

U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to carry on with a Trump-era anti-China coalition of broadly rightwing governments from around the world.

Sullivan was speaking at a virtual event hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace. "I think we really want to carry forward and build on that format, that mechanism, which we see as a foundation upon which to build substantial American policy in the Indo-Pacific region."

Korea has been hoping that pressure to join the Quad, which was intensifying toward the end of President Donald Trump's reign, would go away once Biden came in.

China is Korea's biggest trading partner and has repeatedly put the thumb screws on Seoul to stay out of American efforts to keep it in check.

Robert O'Brien, Sullivan's predecessor, also spoke at the event and boasted about the initiative. "I am glad to see that, I think, as we work together with our allies, especially with the Quad which may be the most important relationship we have established since NATO at a high level -- I think we are going to be able to confront that challenge," O'Brien said.

The Quad, which was launched in 2019, was the core of Trump's Indo-Pacific and China containment policy. Last December they staged a combined military exercise.

The U.K. is expected to join now it has broken away from the EU, which is also reluctant to fall in line. The Mainichi Shimbun reported on Sunday that British conservatives are calling for more involvement in Asia as a result of draconian cutbacks on freedoms in its former crown colony Hong Kong.

The Daily Telegraph also said on Jan. 28 that the U.K. could join what it called the "Asian NATO" and that Prime Minister Boris Johnson could discuss the matter when he visits India soon.

Since it formally ended its EU membership last year, the U.K. has been trying to get a "back to Asia" policy under way to find new markets. It has also taken part in naval drills with the U.S. and Japan, and there were reports last month that the U.K. would send its newest aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth to the joint drill with Japan.

Kurt Campbell, the hawkish coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs on the U.S. National Security Council, has laid out a "Quad Plus" proposition calling for adding more countries to join the coalition.

But Korea seems determined to stay on the sidelines even though its two closest allies are at the forefront. "It's possible that Korea will be excluded from the remaking of the world order focusing on a club of anti-China democracies," a diplomatic source said.
Jake Crampton, MedSpeed CEO I am honored to receive this award from my alma mater. Ultimately, this award recognizes the incredible MedSpeed team and our commitment to the mission of delivering health to the communities we serve.

Jake Crampton, founder and CEO of MedSpeed, received the Chicago Booth Entrepreneurial Distinguished Alumni Award. The award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated professional achievement of the highest caliber in the management of an enterprise.

MedSpeed has deep ties to The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. The business got its start as the final project for a New Venture Strategy course with the original seed of the idea coming from Cramptons close friend and classmate, Everett Truitt. They entered the idea into the Edward L. Kaplan, 71, New Venture Challenge. MedSpeed won the competition and Crampton changed his post-graduation plans to launch the company.

Now a market-leading provider of same-day transportation services to the healthcare industry, MedSpeed has grown from a Chicago-based startup to a national enterprise with over 140 hub operations across 29 states. Its client base includes 25 of the top 100 health systems in the country.

"I am honored to receive this award from my alma mater," said Crampton. "Ultimately, this award recognizes the incredible MedSpeed team and our commitment to the mission of delivering health to the communities we serve."

Before MedSpeed, healthcare executives rarely accounted for transportation operations when considering the major drivers of optimum performance. By transforming logistics from a cost center into a strategic asset, MedSpeed provides significant value by enabling better, more integrated care delivery.

Prior to launching MedSpeed, Crampton founded and nurtured a successful language-training business in Mexico City and credits that experience, his Chicago Booth education, and his continued engagement with the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation with providing a strong foundation for MedSpeeds development.

About MedSpeed

MedSpeed integrates healthcare organizations through the enterprise-wide movement of physical materials: specimens, pharmaceuticals, supplies and more. It transforms transportation into a strategic asset that more effectively utilizes scale, reduces risk, eliminates redundancies and centralizes services.
Many people are rightfully shocked by the recent execution spree carried out by the federal government in what appeared to be the last administrations attempt to kill as many people as possible before being replaced. Those same people are hopeful that the Biden administration will impose a moratorium on federal executions.

Unfortunately for those executed and their loved ones, it will be too little too late.

Despite the appearance of hurried activity, a closer analysis of the barbaric actions of the Trump administration reveals that they were years in the making, and result in part from a combination of the well-intentioned actions of previous administrations less enamored with executions and our inability as a society to confront the moral truth that the state should not kill. The cold fact is, that when an administration that does not support capital punishment doesnt kill folks, a backlog builds up. Imposing a moratorium merely delays executions in the hope that society will evolve. An unfortunate side effect is that a moratorium also allows the general public to ignore the issue and pretend that the death penalty no longer exists, only to be painfully reminded by a more regressive administration that it is still very much alive.

We are presently in just such a lull in Pennsylvania. At the beginning of his term, Gov. Tom Wolf took the vital and much-needed action of placing a moratorium on executions in Pennsylvania. It was clear at the time, and subsequent studies have demonstrated, that the application of the death penalty in Pennsylvania was racially unjust and deeply flawed. The moratorium has served to prevent executions, but it has not ended the death penalty. Prosecutors in every county except for Philadelphia still seek the death penalty. There are still more than 150 people awaiting execution in the commonwealth and 50 cases awaiting trial where the prosecution is seeking death. Many people facing execution have exhausted their appeals. They are ripe for execution if the moratorium is lifted.

As a result, Pennsylvania is a complete outlier among Northeastern states. We are alone in the Mid-Atlantic in imposing capital punishment. Worse yet, the death penalty in our state is applied in a more racially disproportionate way than many of the supposedly more racist Southern states. The color of a defendants and victims skin plays a crucial and unacceptable role in deciding who receives the death penalty in America. Nationally, people of color have accounted for a disproportionate 43% of total executions since 1976 and 5% of those currently awaiting execution. In Pennsylvania, that figure is 70%, the third-highest percentage of any state.

In addition to being morally wrong, and racially disproportionate, the application of the death penalty is broken. There have been 174 exonerations of people sentenced to death in this country. Each one sentenced to die for a crime they did not commit. Even if guilty, those being executed are typically not the worst of offenders. They are the most vulnerable. It is often the severely mentally ill, chronically abused, and/or intellectually disabled who are executed.

The imposition of a death sentence is more likely to result from inadequate representation than it is from particularly heinous facts. The death penalty makes no financial sense, either. By seeking to impose the death penalty, prosecutors in Pennsylvania are making a choice to spend our limited financial resources on retribution. There is zero evidence the death penalty makes us safer. The average capital case costs many times more than a noncapital homicide prosecution. Pennsylvania lacks resources to provide adequate education, social services, and health care for its citizens. Yet, precious tax dollars are wasted on a morally wrong, deeply flawed activity.

Pennsylvanians have been spared facing these facts by Gov. Wolfs moratorium. But the shameful series of executions undertaken by the Trump administration illustrate how fragile that moratorium is. Unless immediate action is taken by the Pennsylvania legislature to end capital punishment, we could be facing the exact same scenario in our state. All it would take is a regressive death penalty proponent in the governors mansion to end the moratorium and begin signing death warrants regularly. We as a society cannot allow this to happen.

Patrick J. Egan is the board president of the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation and a partner at Fox Rothschild LLP.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey plans this week to sign leases for two privately built prisons despite sharp criticism from opponents of the plan.

Ivey spokeswoman Gina Maiola said the governor will sign the agreements Monday to lease two new mens correctional facilities to be constructed by CoreCivic. That's one of the nation's largest private prison companies.

The plan is being met with complaints from advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama.

Critics said in a letter to authorities that the new prison building proposal will not address chronic prison violence and severe staffing problems in the system.
Jesse Norman has skirted over HM Treasury misunderstanding that dividends are not a part of the Directors Income Support Scheme proposal, in his latest explainer for not adopting DISS.

Instead, and ahead of rejecting the scheme, Mr Norman said figures indicated that financially helping directors with their dividends would not represent value for taxpayer money.

There are just over 700,000 active company directors, began the minister, not attributing the often-disputed total to any source.

So if HMRC were to provide financial support to the 3.3million people who typically declare dividend income on their tax returns, more than three-quarters of those grants could go to unintended recipients.

This would be an irresponsible and unfair use of taxpayer money.

Onerous, imperfect, inequitable'

Mr Norman added that to seek to identify [financially in-need] directors by using proxies or assumptions, would be extremely onerous, imperfect and almost certainly inequitable.

Moving on to address DISS, the minister also spoke of fraud and abuse concerns with the scheme, allowing him to say that, to reject it, the government by no meansrely on the suggestion that it involves dividends intrinsically.

We [now] recognise the construction of the scheme, Mr Norman told Support for limited company directors during the covid outbreak 19, a virtual House of Commons debate brought by Owen Thompson MP.

But at this time, I and my officials do not believe that the scheme, as framedovercomes the fundamental issues of protecting taxpayers money and safeguarding it against fraud and abuse.

'Not a reason to do nothing'

Told before the debate by Mr Thompson that fraud concerns were not a reason to do nothing, and that such concerns with DISS were misplaced, Mr Norman said he was still listening.

And he pledged to keep meeting. Ive raised these concerns with the FSB and the other members of the DISS group, and I and other Treasury officials remain ready to engage with them on this.

Online, one of those others, Forgotten Ltd, confirmed that the Treasurys financial secretary has now replied to Novembers DISS proposal, with a set of queries and concerns.

'Small companies seen as a tax dodge'

Mr Norman is open to dialogue, the group said after the debate -- derided by one PSC online as nothing more than a talk shop, as it ended with no vote to bind the minister to action.

The 10 months of inaction by the government does not bode well to others either. We know from our previous experience that HMT and HMRC see small companies as somehow a tax dodge, said a chartered tax adviser.

Posting to LinkedIn, the limited company adviser added:[Thats the case] even though all of us are simply following the law.

'Those who need help most'

In his video phone appearance in the debate, the few occasions in which Mr Norman did not appear to be relying on a pre-approved script included one where he said the government was not making any judgement about the trustworthiness of company directors.

But potentially tellingly, he did read out twice (in error perhaps) that one principle upon which HMRC does act to support taxpayers during the pandemic relates to whom the government perceives needs [help] the most.

The minister ended his statement with exactly the same sentiment, concluding that help will be forthcoming to those who require it most.

'Technically hard for HMRC'

The wording comes after the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that on SEISS, (which DISS is loosely modelled on), excluding both the minority self-employed and 50,000-plus earners is a straightforward policy choice by the government.

So the government could help such individuals but has simply chosen not to, whereas, with company directors, it is technically hard for HMRC to support their incomes, the IFS study added.

Asked last night by ContractorUK if the victims of an exercise too hard for HMRC to pull off could get backdated help if, say, DISS were unveiled at Budget 2021, the schemes architect said it was a possibility.

'Could be backdated at the Budget'

But it would only be backdated if the government decides to first base DISS on SEISS, and then decides to backdate it, said Re Legal Consultings Rebecca Seeley Harris, who drew up the scheme.

Sounding more optimistic for some good news on March 3rd, Forgotten Ltd reflected: Together with the [new] Targeted Income Grant Scheme and the Northern Ireland company director grant, there are now lots of options for the government to decide to help ideally before, or if not at the Budget".

As to the prospects for DISS specifically, a former tax inspector said: Yes HM Treasury are considering it. But Im not holding my breath.

'More irrelevant excuses'

Before the debate, said to be the first of its kind in the Commons where not a single participant was present in the chamber, the SNPs Mr Thompson said he hoped the government would not trot out more irrelevant excuses for inaction.

Campaigning will not stop until all excluded groups receive parity, he added. Above all else, this is a fundamentally a moral issue. These people [limited company directors]deserve to be supported in the same way the government has supported others. Nothing more. Nothing less.

UPDATE : On Feb 2nd, a spokesperson for the DISS group said: "We have received a letter from the financial secretary to the Treasury explaining that the Treasury cannot accept DISS in its current form because of issues with identification and other related matters.

"The [minister] did, however, say that the government very much remains open to constructive ideas and dialogue. We responded by inviting the Treasury to work with us on the policy to make sure that these matters were addressed. The ultimate aim being for the Treasury to adopt the DISS policy and support these limited company directors."
ADVERTISEMENT

Ghana is on course to get at least 17.6 million people vaccinated against COVID-19 pandemic by the end of June, President Nana Akufo-Addo has said.

In a televised speech late Sunday, he said the government is working with bilateral and multilateral partners to achieve its aim to vaccinate the entire population.

I indicated our intention to procure our first consignment of the COVID vaccines within the first half of this year, Mr Akufo-Addo said.

Much work has been done toward the realisation of this.

The president said the Food and Drugs Authority would use its established processes for granting emergency-use-authorisation for each vaccine in Ghana.

The earliest vaccine will be in the country by March, he said.

We aim to vaccinate the entire population, with an initial target of 20 million people, Mr Akufo-Addo said.

I assure you that only vaccines evaluated and declared as safe-for-use in Ghana will be administered.

The president said the government would continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation, urging citizens to fully embrace the safety protocols.

Police personnel have been deployed across the country to enforce preventive measures such as the wearing of face masks in public.

(NAN)
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.
South Africa: Parliament offers condolences following passing of Tozama Mantashe

Parliament has sent condolences to the family, comrades and friends of Priscilla Tozama Mantashe, who passed away on Sunday due to COVID-19 related complications.

In a statement on Monday, Parliament said Mantashe succumbed to COVID-19 related complications after being hospitalised for several weeks.

Mantashe, a Member of Parliament representing the African National Congress in the National Assembly, joined Parliament in 2014, where she served in various Parliamentary committees, including the National Assemblys Rules Committee, the Joint Rules Committee and the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry.

The Presiding Officers, led by National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces Chairperson Amos Masondo, described Mantashe as a committed and hardworking Member of Parliament.

She carried her committee oversight work with diligence and passion, and was always driven by empathy for the vulnerable  including workers and rural communities. Her passing robs the institution of a well-versed public representative who brought unique perspective to the oversight and legislative work of the committees she served on, the Presiding Officers said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A man admitted he torched a patrol car and stole a tray of fudge from Kilwins during the May 30 riot in Grand Rapids.

Ronald Raymond, 38, pleaded guilty Monday, Feb. 1, to charges of riot, attempted third-degree arson, malicious destruction of police or fire property and entry without breaking.

The riot charge is the most serious, carrying a potential penalty of 10 years in prison.

Raymond is one of 22 people charged in the riot that caused an estimated $2.1 million loss. Mobs broke windows at downtown businesses, looted some of them and set fire to seven patrol cars.

Five of the cars belonged to Wyoming police. The other two were Grand Rapids police cars.

The riot followed a peaceful downtown march to protest police brutality after the May 25 killing of George Floyd, 46. Floyd died after a now-fired Minneapolis police officer kept his knee on his neck for nearly eight minutes.

Raymond entered his guilty pleas before Kent County Circuit Judge Christina Elmore.

She set sentencing for March 16.

Raymond admitted that he set fire to a Wyoming police car.

I lit a mannequin and stuck it in the back of a police cruiser, he said, in a hearing aired on YouTube.

Later, he headed to Kilwins on Monroe Center Street NW. The front window had already been smashed out, he said.

I took a tray of fudge out of the window, he told the judge.

Before his guilty pleas, he was sentenced to 137 days in jail, with credit for 137 days, for use of methamphetamine.

Read more:

Great Lakes freighter with special history catches fire in Wisconsin shipyard

Real winter cold finally going to invade Michigan and last quite a while

Police identify shooting victim, seek person of interest
SK Innovation is investing US$1.15bn in SK Battery Hungary (SKBH) to build a third factory in Europe.

The plant is expected to be constructed in Ivancsa, Hungary, with a production capacity of 30 GWh per year.

The first and second European plants are also located in Hungary (Komarom) and the expected third plant will be the largest investment. It will be possible to supply batteries for around 430,000 cars based on 70 kWh per charging with more than 400km drive.

For the third European plant, whose construction will start in the third quarter this year and will last until 2028, a total of US$2.29bn is expected to be spent as construction cost. This is half the anticipated total investments. The company plans to finance the project externally according to its construction schedule.

SK Innovation management held a video conference with the Hungarian government to formalise the investment on 29 January, where Szijjarto Peter (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade), Esik Robert (Head of Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency), Kim Jun (CEO of SK Innovation) and Jee Dong-seob (president of SK Innovation's Battery Business), were present.

The company says battery demands in European markets are expected to increase more than six times to 256 GWh in 2025 from the current 41 GWh.

Show the press release
The Chief of Defence Staff, Lucky Irabor, on Sunday denied media reports that Nigerian troops had rescued some of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

In 2014 about 270 schoolgirls were abducted when Boko Haram terrorists attacked their school in Chibok, Borno State.

While some of the girls managed to escape, others spent over two years with their abductors before the Nigerian government negotiated their release.

About a hundred of the girls are still in the captivity of the insurgents.

Last week, an online medium reported that some of the schoolgirls escaped from a Boko Haram camp during a military operation.

This report was followed by others especially by international media like CNN and BBC who claimed to have spoken with the father of a rescued schoolgirl, Halima.

The media outfits that reported the incident quoted the father narrating how he spoke with his daughter who reportedly asked, Is this my father?

Not true

PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday in an interview with the new Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, asked the top soldier to confirm whether the military had rescued any Chibok Schoolgirl.

The military has been conducting operations in all the local government areas of Borno state and the operation has been on now for well over one month, and the intensity of the operation has led to so many of those held behind lines escaping, he said.

What we know is that we do not have any of the Chibok schoolgirls in our custody. If theyre not with us what do you want us to confirm to you?

Yes, we desire to rescue the rest of the Chibok girls and any other person behind the linesgladly. If our operations have helped those that have been alleged to have escaped I think we are glad. We hope to strengthen the efforts that we are putting now to free the rest that are behind lines.

A report by CNN claimed that a father, Ali Maiyanga, said some of the girls have finally escaped from their captors.

She asked me. Is this my daddy? Is this my daddy, and she started crying. The crying was [so] much and I couldnt hear her very well, the father reportedly told a CNN reporter.

The man further told the CNN reporter that the whole family was so happy. Our house is full of people who are rejoicing with us.

The report also quoted the father allegedly saying that he didnt get a chance to speak to his daughter properly, as she was emotional and the call was short. But he said she and others are safe and being looked after by the Nigerian army.

And that she was calling from a phone line belonging to a security official.

Local journalists have tried without success to reach the reported father of the allegedly rescued girl.

Mr Maiyanga had two of his daughters, Maryam and Halima, amongst the schoolgirls abducted in April 2014. One of them, Maryam, managed to escape but her younger sister is believed to still be in the custody of the insurgents.

ADVERTISEMENT
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
TROPiCS-04  Randomized Phase III trial of sacituzumab govitecan vs. taxane in post-platinum, post PD-(L)1 antibody therapy setting (NCT04527991)

TROPHY-U-01 - Phase II trial of sacituzumab govitecan (NCT03547973) Cohort 2 for platinum ineligible metastatic urothelial carcinoma post-PD-(L)1 antibody therapy Cohort 3 for post-platinum metastatic urothelial carcinoma in combination with pembrolizumab

MORPHEUS mUC  Phase I/II trial of sacituzumab govitecan plus atezolizumab for metastatic urothelial carcinoma post platinum chemotherapy (NCT03869190)

SEASTAR - Phase I/II trial of sacituzumab govitecan plus Rucaparib for metastatic urothelial carcinoma or a tumor with DNA repair deficiency (NCT03992131)

Phase I trial of sacituzumab govitecan in solid tumors and moderate hepatic impairment (NCT04617522)

Phase II trial of sacituzumab govitecan for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have progressed on second-generation androgen receptor-directed therapy (NCT03725761)

Yu, Evan. Antibody Drug Conjugates for Urothelial Carcinoma, a Cool Technology with Promising Results. Accessed January 29, 2021. Yu, Evan. Enfortumab Vedotin  Changing the Way We Think About Urothelial Cancer. Accessed January 29, 2021. Tagawa, Scott T., Bishoy Morris Faltas, Elaine Tat Lam, Philip James Saylor, Aditya Bardia, Julio Hajdenberg, Alicia K. Morgans et al. "Sacituzumab govitecan (IMMU-132) in patients with previously treated metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC): Results from a phase I/II study." (2019): 354-354. Loriot, Y., A. V. Balar, D. P. Petrylak, S. T. Tagawa, A. Rezazadeh, A. Flechon, R. Jain et al. "LBA24 TROPHY-U-01 cohort 1 final results: A phase II study of sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) that has progressed after platinum (PLT) and checkpoint inhibitors (CPI)."Annals of Oncology 31 (2020): S1156. Petrylak, Daniel Peter, Scott T. Tagawa, Rohit K. Jain, Manojkumar Bupathi, Arjun Vasant Balar, Arash Rezazadeh, Saby George et al. "Early results of TROPHY-U-01 Cohort 2: Sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in platinum-ineligible patients (pts) with metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) who progressed after prior checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) therapy." (2020): 5027-5027. Grivas, P., C. N. Sternberg, N. Agarwal, D. P. Petrylak, S. T. Tagawa, Q. Hong, A. Gladden, C. Kanwal, T. Goswami, and Y. Loriot. "796TiP TROPHY-U-01 Cohort 3: Sacituzumab govitecan (SG) and pembrolizumab (pembro) in patients (pts) with progression or recurrence of metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) after platinum (PLT)-based therapy." Annals of Oncology31 (2020): S604-S605.

I have previously discussed the use of antibody-drug conjugates for selective tumor cell intensification of urothelial carcinoma therapy in a Urotoday Clinical Trials Portal article.Similarly, Ive also focused on enfortumab vedotin before, and enfortumab vedotin is now FDA approved on the accelerated pathway for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in the post-platinum chemotherapy and post-PD-(L1) antibody therapy setting.Yet, even as new data continues to emerge on the use of enfortumab vedotin in various settings, we should take time to evaluate the development of other promising antibody-drug conjugates.Sacituzumab govitecan is an antibody-drug conjugate that recognizes Trop-2, a cell-surface glycoprotein highly expressed in aggressive bladder cancers. The antibody to Trop-2 is conjugated with a linker to a payload consisting of SN-38, the active metabolite of irinotecan. On April 22, 2020, this agent attained accelerated FDA approval for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer who have previously received at least two prior therapies for metastatic disease.In a Phase I/II solid tumor basket trial, 45 patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma who progressed after one or more lines of prior systemic therapy were treated with sacituzumab govitecan at the 10 mg/kg dose level on days 1 and 8, of every 21-day cycles.The objective response rate, by RECIST 1.1 criteria, to sacituzumab govitecan was 31%, with median progression-free and overall survival of 7.3 and 18.9 months, respectively. The agent was well-tolerated with grade 3 or greater adverse events of neutropenia (38%), anemia (11%), hypophosphatemia (11%), diarrhea (9%), fatigue (9%), and febrile neutropenia (7%).This promising data led to the development of the TROPHY-U-01 open-label Phase II trial with multiple cohorts. Cohort 1 enrolled 113 patients who experienced prior progression after platinum-based chemotherapy and a checkpoint inhibitor.Final results were presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2020 Congress. The objective response rate was consistent with the Phase I/II basket trial, with a 27% objective response rate. However, 76% of patients impressively had some reduction in tumor size. Median progression-free and overall survival were 5.4 and 10.5 months, respectively. The safety data were consistent with prior trial results.As a result of this trial, sacituzumab govitecan has received fast track designation from the FDA, and a randomized, Phase III trial, termed TROPiCS-04 (NCT04527991) is underway. This trial randomizes locally-advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients who have previously progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy and prior anti-PD-(L)1 therapy. Patients will either receive sacituzumab govitecan with the above-described dosing schedule vs. docetaxel, paclitaxel, or vinflunine. The primary endpoint is overall survival.Cohort 2 of the TROPHY-U-01 trial (NCT03547973) is still actively accruing patients, and early results were presented at the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Meeting.This cohort includes cisplatin-ineligible patients who have received checkpoint inhibitors for first-line metastatic urothelial carcinoma. The first 18 patients of a planned 40 patient cohort have demonstrated an objective response rate of 28%. Target lesion reduction of any amount was reported in 61%. No new safety signals have been identified.Cohort 3 of the TROPHY-U-01 trial (NCT03547973) is also actively accruing patients,and we have yet to see results. This cohort is planning to accrue up to 61 locally-advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma patients who progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy, yet who are checkpoint inhibitor-naive. Patients will receive sacituzumab govitecan in combination with pembrolizumab in this second-line setting.Please see below for select trials of sacituzumab govitecan for patients with genitourinary malignancies. Although most activity is ongoing for urothelial carcinoma, there are trials that allow other solid tumors, and one trial that is specific to patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.Select trials with sacituzumab govitecan that allow genitourinary malignancies:Written by: Evan Yu, MD , Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Member, Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Clinical Research Director, Genitourinary Oncology, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Medical Director, Clinical Research Service, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Consortium, Seattle, WashingtonReferences:




SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won speaks at the M16 chip fabrication plant completion ceremony in Icheon, south of Seoul, Monday. The plant took two years to construct. / Courtesy of SK hynix

The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) has disclosed that five nurses and midwives have died since the outbreak of Coronavirus in Ghana last year.



According to the Association, over 800 nurses have also been hit with the virus some of whom have recovered and returned to work.



Speaking to Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Monday, the General Secretary of the GRNMA David Tenkorang-Twum said a lot more effort is needed by the government to ensure the safety of health professionals.



I can confirm that we have lost 2 midwives and 3 nurses. As of August last year, 840 of our people got infected but they have recovered and returned to work. Its becoming overwhelming because before we used to detect the virus early but with the new variant, people are reporting very sick and you cant send them home, he said.



He also called on the government to restore the incentives offered to health workers during the peak of infections last year.



When it comes to motivation, were asking govt to bring back the tax waiver that was given to health workers. I think it was motivating enough.



Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reintroduced the ban on parties, weddings, and funerals in a bid to slow the rapid spread of the deadly Covid-19 in the country.



Addressing the nation on Sunday, the President said the reintroduction of the restrictions is important due to the number of active cases.



According to the President, private burials must not be more than 25 people with social distancing and covid-19 preventive measures strictly in place.



Also, beaches, nightclubs, cinemas are also banned with restaurants encouraged to limit sit-ins for patrons.



So far, 416 people have died from the deadly disease according to the President with the currently active cases shooting up to 5, 358.



Currently, Ghana has 170 and 44 persons in severe and critical conditions respectively.



The President also urges churches and mosques to strictly implement covid-19 protocols adding that government will take delivery of the first covid-19 vaccines by March 2020.









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
By Zhang Tingting

Russias Presidential Press Office announced on January 26 that President Putin and his American counterpart Biden just had their first phone conversation, during which Putin congratulated Biden on his election victory and affirmed that a normal US-Russia relationship serves the interests of both countries as well as the international community, given their special responsibilities for global security and stability. Is the ease of tension between the White House and Kremlin an opportunity or a challenge? Where are the US-Russia relations going during the Biden presidency?

The presidents expressed satisfaction following todays exchange of diplomatic notes on an agreement to extend the New START Treaty, the Kremlin said in a statement. The two sides will complete all necessary procedures for extending the treaty in the near future. The two presidents also discussed the development of bilateral ties and some global hotspot issues, including their cooperation in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and in economy and trade, Americas unilateral withdrawal from the Open Skies, the Iranian nuclear deal, and Moscows initiative to hold a summit of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The news released by the Russian side is favorable for the development of US-Russia relations and concerns areas where the two countries are likely to cooperate in the future. Putin signed the federal law on the ratification of the extension of the New START which asked the Foreign Ministry to negotiate with US Department of State, and submitted the proposal to the State Duma for a vote. According to the agreement reached by the two countries, they planned to extend the treaty to February 5, 2026. As the last remaining arms reduction pact between the two nuclear powers, the New START guarantees to some extent the strategic stability and mutual trust between the two countries and plays a positive role in maintaining world peace.

Americas exit from the Open Skies and the Iranian nuclear deal during former president Trumps term despite global criticism has brought uncertainties to world peace and stability. Now, Biden has brought the possibility of US-Russia cooperation in those areas. Its clear that cooperation between Washington and Moscow is more focused on issues concerning global strategic security. As Putin said, the US and Russia bear special responsibilities for maintaining world peace and stability.

In contrast, the news released by the US side is more reflective of their divergences. Jen Psaki, the new White Housepress secretary, said on January 26 that President Biden reaffirmed Americas support for Ukraines sovereignty and expressed concerns over reports on the SolarWinds hack, provision of bounties by Moscow to Afghan militarists that killed American soldiers, and the imprisonment of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny  traditional areas where Washington and Moscow are struggling.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently expressed disappointment over COVID-19 vaccines, accusing the US of failing to provide Ukrainesecurity assurance as it promised. In response, Biden expressed concerns for the Ukraine issue immediately after taking office, in an attempt to appease and rope in the country.

That Russian opposition leader Navalny chose to return on January 18, just days before Biden was sworn in as president, had profound considerations. On January 23, massive protests broke out in multiple cities across Russia against the arrest of Navalny. In the meantime, CNN reported that Biden intended to nominate veteran diplomat William Burns, former US ambassador to Russia, to be the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), partly for his expertise in Russian issues.It seems an intelligence war and color revolution will be an important part of the Biden administrations Russia policy.

In sum, the US-Russia relation depends to a large extent on the changes of the international political environment. When the two countries compete more than cooperate on the regional and global level, their relation is hard to turn for the better; when they see space of cooperation on regional and global levels, their relations will mend. Against a background of profound changes unseen in a century, the international balance of power is adjusted at a faster pace, and the global geopolitical competition is getting more intense. Another US-Russian honeymoon that once appeared after the September 11 attacks seems an unlikely prospect.

(The author is an assistant research fellow of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China(RDCY).)

Disclaimer: This article is originally published on www.china.com.cn and translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
A map shows the location of the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai province.

Authorities in northwest Chinas Qinghai province are restricting travel in Tibetan-populated areas ahead of the start of Lunar New Year, called Losar by Tibetans, later this month, Tibetan sources say.

The move includes a 10:00 p.m. curfew in the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture's Golog (in Chinese, Guoluo) and Matoe (Maduo) counties imposed in the name of social stability and sanitation, a Tibetan living in exile told RFAs Tibetan Service, citing sources in the region.

Security personnel have been dispatched to restaurants, hotels, internet cafes, and all places of recreation, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Anyone caught out after curfew risks punishment, including imprisonment and severe physical abuse, he said.

[Police] are also checking everyones identification card, he added.

Matoe county in particular is an important hub of local transportation and travel by Tibetans in Qinghai, Swiss-based former Tibetan political prisoner Golog Jigme said, adding, And armed police and other security personnel are often stationed there ahead of important cultural and religious festivals.

Authorities in northwestern Chinas Gansu province have meanwhile imposed restrictions on travel to and from an important Tibetan monastery ahead of a major prayer festival, Jigme told RFA in an earlier report.

Labrang Tashi Kyil monasterys annual Monlam Chenmo festival, which typically draws large numbers of participants, will begin on February 15, the third day of Losar celebrations, but is barred this year to visitors not wearing face masks, and entry is forbidden to private vehicles, Jigme said.

Authorities have cited fears of a spread of COVID-19 in imposing their restrictions, Jigme said, But in reality, the crackdown is aimed at the soon-to-be-observed great Monlam Chenmo religious festival itself.

Buddhist monasteries in Tibet and Tibetan-populated provinces of western China have frequently become the focus of efforts to promote not just religion but Tibetan cultural values, and Chinese security forces often monitor and sometimes close down events involving large crowds.

Annual public assemblies at the monasteries have greatly increased in size in recent years, as thousands of Tibetans gather to assert their national identity in the face of Beijings cultural and political domination.

Reported by Lobe Socktsang for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Farmers protest

After briefly appearing to be fizzling out following the Republic Day violence in Delhi, the farmers stir against the agri laws on January 30 seemed to be reviving with more and more of farmers groups heading to the national capital from various parts of Punjab.

Various farmer leaders on January 30 claimed that with more and more farmer groups marching towards Delhi, there would a be a record gathering of peasants and farm labourers on the borders of the national capital by February 2.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said he expects a record gathering by February 2 at the border points of Delhi.

Farmers and farm labourers at some places including Sangrur and Mohali in Punjab observed hunger strike in support of farmers' agitation on January 30. Protesting farmers even burnt effigies of the Centre at 400 places in 14 districts of Punjab against the new farm laws, demanding its repeal.

People from several areas area are heading towards Delhi borders to join the agitation, said Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan on Saturday. Our "jatha" (group) of at least 700-800 tractors will leave for the Tikri border protest site on Sunday, said Kokrikalan. He said only those people who went for participating in the January 26 tractor parade came back.

He insisted that the laws enacted by the BJP-led central government would cause heavy damage to the farm sector of the country. BKU (Rajewal) leader Balbir Singh Rajewal said people in large numbers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand are reaching the protest sites.

Possibly by February 2, there will again a record gathering of people at the protest sites, claimed Rajewal, insisting that it would be completely peaceful. Rajewal also appealed to the people joining the agitation at the Delhi border to keep the protest peaceful. He also asked them not to get provoked which otherwise would affect the ongoing peaceful agitation.

To express solidarity with protesting farmers, panchayats of some villages in Bathinda, Ludhiana and Sangrur in Punjab even passed resolutions, asking villagers to send one person from each family to the protest sites, said farmer leaders.

Farmers from Punjab and Haryana have been camping at Delhi's borders for several weeks, demanding the repeal of the farm laws and a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops. They have been claiming that the new laws will weaken the MSP system, despite the Centre seeking to assure them in vain that the MSP system was here to stay and the new laws would only provide more options for farmers to sell their produce.
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 fourth stage of breast cancer is considered the most difficult to treat. An important part of breast cancer treatment is deciding which methods should be involved in the therapy.

Surgery

Radical resection for stage 4 breast cancer, or metastatic breast cancer, is usually not possible. Metastases can be removed only when they are single. Often they are multiple, and many of them are very small.

Palliative surgery can help manage symptoms, improve a patient's condition, and increase life expectancy. Surgery can be also used for tumors that cause ulcer formation on the skin.

Hormone therapy

In more than half of the breast cancer cases, tumor cells are sensitive to female sex hormones - estrogen and/or progesterone. This type of cancer is called hormone-positive (ER-positive and PR-positive, respectively).

To eliminate hormonal effects at the advanced stages of cancer, ovarian removal is sometimes performed called oophorectomy.

Chemotherapy

In metastatic breast cancer, chemotherapy is one of the first-line treatments. Various chemotherapy drugs are used for chemotherapy, including abraxane, doxorubicin, carboplatin, eribulin, ixabepilone, gemcitabine, vinorelbine.

The doctor may prescribe one chemotherapy drug or a combination of different ones. They are usually given intravenously.

Chemotherapy for patients diagnosed with stage 4 of breast cancer is carried out in cycles. After the administration of drugs, breaks are taken, necessary to restore the body.

Targeted therapy

In about 20% of breast cancer cases, tumor cells have an excess amount of the HER2 on their surface. When activated, this receptor stimulates the multiplication of cells. Such type of cancer is called HER2-positive. There are currently drugs that can block this receptor. They are called targeted, because, unlike chemotherapy drugs, their action is more focused.

For the treatment of stage 4 breast cancer, HER2 blockers are used. Sometimes they are combined with chemotherapy drugs. Treatment is given as long as the tumor responds to the drug and there are no severe side effects.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is used to treat stage 4 breast cancer with metastases in the bones, brain, and spinal cord when the tumor grows into the skin. It is aimed at eliminating pain and other symptoms.

Which treatment is most effective?

The choice of treatment tactics depends on the peculiarities of the breast cancer diagnosis.

If the tumor causes severe symptoms that need to be eliminated quickly, treatment begins with chemotherapy.

For hormone-positive cancer, hormonal drugs are used in combination with targeted drugs. For hormone-negative cancer, hormone therapy is ineffective; chemotherapy is used instead.

What's the prognosis for stage 4 breast cancer?

Treatment is given until it stops working or the woman develops severe side effects. The five-year survival rate for stage 4 breast cancer is 22%. In 2% of women, a stable remission is achieved.

New treatments for breast cancer

The group of scientists of the University of Adelaide conducted a study on a potential treatment for estrogen receptor-dependent metastatic breast cancer with androgen receptors activation. They demonstrated that the activation of the androgen receptors in patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, even those resistant to conventional treatments, can have the anti-cancer effect.

Besides, modern agents activating androgen receptors don't have side effects characteristic of natural androgens. This can improve the overall therapy experience significantly.

The latest news in breast cancer research is the identification of a gene responsible for breast cancer development (ZMYND8). This finding could initiate the elaboration of new treatment tactics.

How to undergo treatment of stage 4 breast cancer during a lockdown?

Right now, it doesn't seem possible for some of us to start or continue the treatment because of the lockdown limitations. Despite everything, it is possible. Medical tourism company Booking Health deals with all aspects of treatment organization during a lockdown.

Booking Health offers the latest innovative treatment programs and helps to find the right one for you. To start your stage 4 breast cancer treatment, leave a request on the Booking Health website, and a medical advisor will contact you in no time.

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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.

Flydubai, the Dubai-based airline, has announced that twice-weekly flights from Dubai International (DXB) to Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) in Georgia are available to be booked.

Flights to Tbilisi resume as the authorities in Georgia ease travel restrictions for international travel from February 1.

Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and E-commerce at flydubai, said: We have steadily grown our network to more than 65 destinations and are pleased to restart our operations to Tbilisi. We will continue to launch flights to more destinations as restrictions ease in countries within our geographic reach. Flights are available to book on flydubai.com.

In line with the recent announcement, nationals and residents of Bahrain and the UAE can now travel to Tbilisi if they have a negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken no more than 72 hours before the departure time of the flight. Visitors will have to take a further Covid-19 PCR test, at their own expense, on the third day after entering Georgia. Alternatively, passengers who hold a Covid-19 vaccination certificate will also be able to travel.

Flydubais passenger experience has been redesigned to enable travel in a safe environment that minimises crew and passenger contact and offers passengers confidence to travel at every step of their journey. The airline has recently introduced an extended multi-risk travel insurance that includes Covid-19 cover to offer passengers greater peace of mind when travelling. In the UAE, flydubai has also partnered with Aster DM Healthcare and NMC Healthcare to offer passengers PCR testing at special rates. To take advantage of these special rates, passengers must be able to present a valid flydubai booking confirmation along with their Emirates ID or passport copy.

Passengers are required to make sure that they are up to date with the regulations from the IATA Travel Centre for their whole journey and follow the guidance issued by the authorities.

Flydubai announced last week the launch of flights to Salzburg and Malta, in addition to the resumption of flights to Catania and Naples, which will commence from May.

Flights can be booked from flydubais website, the official flydubai App, the Contact Centre in Dubai, the flydubai travel shops or through travel partners.

Flight Details:

Tbilisi: flights from Dubai International (DXB) to Tbilisi International Airport (TBS) will operate on Mondays and Thursdays and the service commenced on January 28.

Return Business Class fares from DXB to TBS start from AED5,745 ($1,563.9) and Economy Class fares start from AED1,685 ($458.7).

Return Business Class fares from TBS to DXB start from $1,082 and Economy Class fares start from $370. - TradeArabia News Service
New Delhi: Bhojpuri sensation turned television actress Monalisa is a social media queen. She sure kills it with her smouldering looks on Instagram and we cannot stop watching her latest dance post on loop.

Wearing a blue tank top and blue denim, Monalisa looks chic in a modern avatar. She has lost oodles of weight and is seen flaunting her washboard abs. Watch Monalisa's dance here:

She has a massive 4.1 million fan base on Instagram alone. The actress has had the opportunity of working with almost all the Bhojpuri big shots in her movie career. In 'Nazar', she played an evil force named Mohana. And received immense adulation for her work on TV.

Monalisa was seen this year in 'Nazar 2' as Madhulika Chaudhary. She sure knows how to keep her social media fam happy and smiling. She is currently seen in Namak Issk Ka.

The sensational star was seen as a popular contestant in the reality show 'Bigg Boss 10' and in fact, got married to her then-boyfriend Vikrant Singh inside the house.

According to a study published in Frontiers in Immunology, the reason is their genetic heterogeneity and lack of proportional representation in the Brazilian bone marrow bank

A paper by a multidisciplinary team of scientists affiliated with various Brazilian institutions, including the University of Sao Paulo (USP) and the National Cancer Institute (INCA), shows that people of African descent are less likely to find a donor in the National Register of Voluntary Bone Marrow Donors (REDOME) than people with predominantly European ancestry. The paper is published in Frontiers in Immunology.

REDOME is the worlds third-largest bone marrow bank, with more than 5 million registered voluntary donors.

According to the study, having mainly African genetic ancestry can reduce a persons chances of finding a donor by up to 60%, and having African copies of HLA genes, which must be compatible with the donors to make a transplant possible, can reduce them by 75%.

As the degree of African ancestry increases, the likelihood of finding a match on REDOME decreases, according to the study, which also discusses what the authors argue is a weak correlation between self-identification in accordance with the categories used by IBGE, the national census bureau, and actual genetic ancestry. IBGEs classification explains only a small amount of peoples ancestry, they write.

The classification is coarse in terms of predicting the genes that matter for transplants, which are the immune function genes, but its used by REDOME. Donors have to choose one of these categories when they fill out the registration form. A person can be of African or European ancestry in terms of immune function genes, but the identifiers black, brown and white dont really line up with those categories, said Diogo Meyer, a professor at USP who specializes in population genetics and was the principal investigator for the study.

The study concludes that people who self-identify as preto (black) or pardo (brown, i.e. mixed) are up to 57% less likely to find donors than those who self-identify as branco (white).

HLA (human leukocyte antigen) immune function genes bind to antigens, including potentially toxic residues of cellular metabolism or fragments of an invading pathogen. T-cells, an important part of the immune system, can distinguish between antigens produced by the organism and invaders. When HLA molecules bind to antigens that are not recognized, immune responses are triggered. A perfect match between recipient and donor is therefore critical to avoid rejection and assure the success of a stem cell transplant.

There are several reasons for the difficulty of finding a match for Brazilians of African descent, Meyer explained. They are not proportionally represented in REDOME, which anyway uses imprecise ethnic categories. They are more diverse and heterogeneous genetically than the rest of the population, and two unrelated Africans are unlikely to have identical HLAs because human migration began in Africa. The people who made the journey carried only part of the existing variability.

The paper, whose first author is biologist Kelly Nunes, a postdoctoral fellow at USP, associates the 75% reduction in the odds of finding a donor with having an MHC region of exclusively African ancestry. MHC stands for major histocompatibility complex, a group of genes that help the immune system recognize foreign substances. It includes the HLAs.

Self-identification as preto is a predictor that the person has African genetic ancestry in their genome. That includes immune function genes, which are the ones that matter in the case of a transplant, Meyer said. This is a rule of thumb, however, and there are exceptions, especially in a highly admixed population like Brazils, where its not unusual for a person who self-identifies as preto to have European HLA genes. Indeed, donors for African patients in REDOME may self-identify as branco. However, the more genetically African individuals we found in a population sample, the larger the proportion of black donors.

The results do not mean black people have no chance of finding a donor in REDOME, Meyer stressed. We compared the probabilities of matches for different ancestries. In an actual transplant case, HLA typing has to be done to a high degree of precision, and the donor must be in good health and have a carefully analyzed genotype to make sure theyre genuinely compatible. Each step reduces the chances of a transplant occurring, he said.

The study was supported by FAPESP via a Regular Research Grant and a postdoctoral fellowship in Brazil.

Combinations of chromosomes

Many questions remain unanswered, according to Meyer. One thing we havent addressed so far is whether what makes it hard for Brazilians with African ancestry to find donors is having African chromosomes or having an admixture of African and European genes, he said. The European and African parts are presumably represented in REDOME, but the two combined may be rare, and thousands of these combinations may be possible.

According to Meyer, the team cannot yet answer the question regarding the degree to which admixture and the percentage of African ancestry hinder a match. These two things are a little different. What we know is that on average people with African HLA genes tend to have more difficulty than people with European ancestry, he said. It remains to be seen if there are combinations of European and African chromosomes that can also reduce the probability of a match.

In Brazil, moreover, the term African can refer to people from various different parts or regions of Africa. We may be dealing with genotypes that only exist in Brazil  a mixture of ancestries associated with different parts of the African continent, Meyer said. All this depends on whats represented in REDOME since we didnt characterize the repository from the genetic standpoint. We just had the labels preto, branco and pardo.

Methodology and sampling

The group, which comprised scientists in the areas of human health, biology, statistics, and computation, used two Brazilian cohorts as samples: Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation  Brazil Sickle Cell Disease (REDS-III Brazil SCD); and EPIGEN-Brazil, part of a Latin America-wide population genomics and genetic epidemiology initiative.

From the former they selected 2,703 individuals with sickle cell disease recruited from four institutions: three blood banks (Fundacao Hemominas in Belo Horizonte, Juiz de Fora and Montes Claros; Fundacao Hemope in Recife; and Fundacao Hemorio in Rio de Janeiro); and the Childrens Institute of Hospital das Clinicas, the teaching and general hospital run by the University of Sao Paulos Medical School (FM-USP).

In the case of the EPIGEN-Brazil cohort, 5,334 individuals from Salvador (Bahia State), Bambui (Minas Gerais State), and Pelotas (Rio Grande do Sul State) were included in the study sample.

The sample wasnt made up of people on the waiting list for a bone marrow transplant, Meyer said. It was a convenience sample comprising individuals with known ancestry. With regard to those with sickle cell disease, however, the results may anticipate future situations. Most people with the disease are of African descent and theres a prospect of treatment by marrow transplant, so these are people who may benefit from this type of intervention in future.

Laboratory analysis of the genotypes of more than 8,000 individuals would have been too costly, so the researchers used a technique called SNP-based HLA imputation. The structure of our genome lets us make predictions. A mutation in one position in the genome can predict another since we pass on our genetic material in the form of bits of chromosomes. These bits are recombined, but not fused as if in a blender: theres a certain logic, enabling statisticians and geneticists to develop an algorithm to predict a persons HLAs from the mutations in their physical vicinity, Meyer explained.

The software used to infer genetic ancestry was fed with data for the frequency with which genetic variants occur in the ethnic groups comprised in the Brazilian population.

Next steps

According to the researchers, the results support the idea that if REDOME wished to be representative and assure equitable access to people of African descent, it would have to have more donors with African ancestry. However, for people of African descent to have as many matches as people of European descent, it would probably be necessary for the proportion of the former in REDOME to be larger than the proportion in the total population, since theyre more demanding in terms of sampling.

The researchers now plan to find out whether it is difficult for Brazilians of African descent to find a donor because African chromosomes are rare in REDOME or because the admixture with European chromosomes creates hard-to-locate combinations. We also want to conduct an evolutionary quantitative study to investigate kinship in terms of MHC in different parts of the world  in other words, to find out how much more closely related two Europeans are on average than two Africans, Meyer said.

###

About Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

Two ISIS terror cells found hiding in caves have been destroyed by British RAF fighter jets using laser-guided bombs in Iraq.

A pair of RAF Typhoon FGR4s conducted simultaneous attacks using two Paveway IV guided bombs to kill the terrorists based in two caves near Bayji, a city 130 miles north of Baghdad.

The attack comes just days after Iraq said an airstrike had killed an ISIS commander in Iraq who had claimed to be the leader of the terror group in the country.

A coalition surveillance aircraft had located a number of ISIS fighters on January 24 and the two fighter jets were tasked to strike them, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defence.

A blast following the dropping of Paveway IV precision-guided bombs on a series of two caves near Bayji in northern Iraq on January 24

Two ISIS terror cells found hiding in caves have been destroyed by British RAF fighter jets using laser-guided bombs in Iraq. Pictured: The blast following the airstrikes

A pair of RAF Typhoon FGR4s conducted simultaneous attacks using two Paveway IV guided bombs to kill the terrorists based in two caves near Bayji, a city 130 miles north of Baghdad

The pilots checked the area around the caves, which were a mile and a half apart, for any signs of civilians who could have been at risk. They then simultaneously launched two laser-guided bombs against each group.

'All four of the bombs struck the targets accurately and the strike was assessed to have been a success in eliminating the terrorist threat', the MoD said. They did not reveal how many casualties there were.

The airstrike is part of an effort to prevent any resurgence of ISIS in Iraq by supporting the Iraqi security forces.

'All four of the bombs struck the targets accurately and the strike was assessed to have been a success in eliminating the terrorist threat', the MoD said. Pictured: The blast from the attack launched rubble into the air

A pair of RAF Typhoon FGR4s simultaneously launched two laser-guided bombs against each group of terrorists. Pictured: Typhoon FGR4 (file photo)

The jihadists were driven out of their last remaining territory in Iraq more than three years ago but still pose a threat in the country, as demonstrated by an attack in Baghdad two weeks ago which killed 32 people and for which ISIS claimed responsibility.

The recent strike is the first British attack on ISIS targets since October 6 last year whereby a coalition airstrike killed ISIS terrorists who had attacked Iraqi security forces in the desert of Anbar province, west of Baghdad.

Last year in April, two British RAF Typhoon jets bombed six caves being used as a base for ISIS militants near Bayji.

A blast following the dropping of a Paveway IV precision-guided bomb on a series of six caves north-east of Bayji in northern Iraq on April 28 last year

Two Typhoon jets, flying out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit the cave entrances during the night-time strike in northern Iraq on April 28

The two fighter jets used Paveway IV guided bombs - the same used in the recent January 24 attack - to hit the the cave entrances during the night-time strike.

In a further setback for the terror group, Iraq said on Thursday ISIS commander Abu Yaser al-Issawi - who had declared himself the cell's 'deputy caliph' - had been killed in a military strike.

Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said it was 'intelligence-led operation'.

Paying tribute to Iraq's 'heroic armed forces', Kadhimi said: 'I gave my word to pursue [ISIS] terrorists, we gave them a thundering response'.

A file photograph of an Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon at the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus

Little is known about the Iraqi figure whose death was announced on Thursday, but ISIS figures have often been known to use noms de guerre to mask their true identities.

A similarly-named 'Abu Yasser al-Ithawi' was listed in a 2018 report as an ISIS operations commander in Iraq and a member of the terror group's 'delegated committee'.

The former ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Bahgdadi, also operated in Iraq and made his only known public appearance there when he declared the 'caliphate' in 2014.

He was killed in a US operation in Syria in late 2019, blowing himself up with a suicide vest after special forces pursued him into a dead-end tunnel.

The US government has identified Baghdadi's successor as Amir Muhammad Sa'id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, previously affiliated to al-Qaeda in Iraq.

Iraq said it had killed an ISIS commander who had claimed to be the leader of the terror group in the country and had declared himself its 'deputy caliph' - answering to ISIS leader Amir Muhammad Sa'id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, pictured

Washington says he 'helped drive and justify the abduction, slaughter, and trafficking of the Yazidi religious minority in northwest Iraq'.

ISIS fighters had been driven from all the territory they held in Iraq by 2017 and lost their last patch of land in Syria in 2019.

But they have continued to wage a low-level insurgency against Iraqi forces and attack officials, mainly in northern areas.

Two weeks ago, they said they were behind an attack that killed at least 32 people in a crowded Baghdad market, Iraq's first big suicide bombing for three years.

ISIS used a communications channel on Telegram to claim that two of their operatives had blown themselves up in Tayaran Square in the centre of Baghdad on January 21.

A man is treated in hospital after a bomb attack in Iraq on Jnuary 21 for which ISIS claimed responsibility, more than three years after they lost their last territory in the country

Health authorities said at least 110 people had been wounded after the attack, which left pools of blood and discarded clothes strewn over parts of the city.

One street vendor who witnessed the attack said a bomber had fallen to the ground and feigned a stomach problem before detonating his weapon.

Suicide attacks were once a regular occurrence in the Iraqi capital but normal life has largely returned, the pandemic aside, since ISIS fighters were driven away.

However, Iraq is now struggling through its worst economic crisis in years, deepened by last year's collapse of oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic.

The January 21 attack took place in the same market that was struck in the last big atrocity, in January 2018, when at least 27 people were killed.

Such suicide attacks against civilians were also a near-daily tactic of insurgents during the US occupation of Iraq after the invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

They were later employed by Islamic State, whose fighters swept across a third of the country at their peak in 2014.
Help India!

TCN News

New Delhi: A civil society group of activists, eminent citizens and leaders of prominent religious organizations have written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding to take immediate action to stop the coercion in the Fund collection drive for the construction of Ayodhya Ram Temple across the country, which is disturbing the law and order.

Support TwoCircles



Extending greetings of the 72nd Republic Day of India, the eminent citizens in their letter, wrote, We wish to draw your urgent attention towards the recent activities with regard to Fund Collection for the Construction of Ram Temple. In many sensitive areas, the element of coercion by the fund collectors has all the ingredients of creating a breakdown of law and order and social harmony. The drive for Fund Collection for the construction of Ayodhya Ram Mandir started on 25 Dec. 2020 from the state of Madhya Pradesh which resulted in communal violence on a large scale. It has taken place in four districts of Madhya Pradesh, namely Mandsaur, Chandankhedi (Indore), Ujjain and Rajgarh. In Jeerapura Mohalla there was massive destruction of public and private properties, loss of innocent lives and grave injuries to many inhabitants.

The letter continued, it was callous on the part of the state government in spite of the violence the collection drive was carried out in the rest of the Malwa region in Madhya Pradesh from 15 January 2021 onwards. In fact, these events are leading to a communally polarized and tense environment in most places. In the last week, another incident took place. A video went viral on social media in which the two men could be seen making highly objectionable remarks against the Muslim community during a motorcycle rally to collect funds for the Ram Temple. The said rally, which took place in the Shikarpur area of Bulandshahar district, Uttar Pradesh, was organized by the VHP. The two men shouted abusive slogans in the middle of the road, recorded their act on camera and shared it on social media. Three days ago, three persons were injured in a clash between two community members in Gujarats Kutch district during a rally for the Collection of Funds for the Ram Temple. Minister for Food & Civil Supplies, K. Gopalaiah together with MLA Preetham Gowda and other BJP workers, went door to door to raise donations at Beerahnahalli, Shivamogga, Karnataka forgetting their constitutional obligations.

The letter has pointed out that the slogans being shouted and the routes chosen intentionally from specific areas strengthens the apprehension and indicates towards the actual objectives of such activities. It seems that more than the fund collection, the objective is to polarize the society on communal grounds. These elements are teasing, provoking and trying to create an atmosphere of fear amongst specifically the Muslim community and all others who are not in line with these elements, the letter added.

The group of leaders and activists suggested that the rallies and fund Collection drives studiously avoid localities and the immediate vicinity of religious places of other communities. It is the duty of the forces of law and order to ensure that there is no coercion and communal provocations in these fund collection drives, the letter further added.

The concerned citizens who penned a letter to the PM are Mr Naved Hamid President of All India Muslim Majlis Mushawarat, Maulana Wali Rahmani head of Imarat-e-Shariah Bihar, Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan President of Ittihad-e-Millat Council, Mr Syed Sadatullah Husaini President of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Moulana Asghar Imam Mehdi head of Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadees, Dr Manzoor Alam, chairman of IOS, Dr Zafar Ul Islam Khan former Chairman of Minority Commission, Delhi, Mr Ravi Nair, Executive Director of South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre, Prof. Ram Puniyani, Prof. Apoorvanand of Delhi University, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani Secretary of AIMPLB, Maulana Mohsin Taqwi Khateeb of Shia, Jama Masjid, Delhi, Mufti Abdur Raziq President of Jamiatul Ulama, Mrs Kavita Shrivastava of PUCL, Engineer Mohammad Saleem General Secretary of FDCA, Mr Dankesh Oza, RTI activist, Gujarat, Mr Sawai Singh, activist Rajasthan and Mr Ambarish Rai, educationist.

The British government has announced sanctions against four Zimbabwean security officials, accusing them of human rights abuses, including killing protesters.



State Security Minister Owen Ncube, as well as the heads of the police, the intelligence agency and the former chief of the presidential guard, will have any assets in the UK frozen. They'll also be banned from visiting.



The UK referred to the killing of protesters during post-election violence in 2018, and unrest in January the following year.



In a tweet, Zimbabwe's government spokesman Nick Mangwana said none of the officials targeted had any assets in the UK or had any intention of travelling there.

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
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 Syrian Observer sat down for an interview with opposition figure Jamal Suleiman to discuss Syria's future in light of impending presidential elections.

Fifteen months ago, I spoke with Jamal Suleiman. He had detonated a bomb when he announced that he would run for President in the coming elections, based on the new constitution. During these fifteen months, a lot has changed. The Constitutional Committee is in stalemate; the opposition is getting weaker and more fragmented; there is a new administration in the White House; and the Assad regime is running the presidential elections in pure defiance of the UN Security Council Resolution 2254. I spoke to Suleiman last week over the phone. It is always a pleasure to speak with an old friend, but it is equally rewarding to speak to a well-informed man who is willing to share his knowledge with us.

Below is the Q&A.

The Syrian government announced that the presidential elections will be held on time and in accordance with the current constitution, approved in 2012. Do you think that the elections will be legitimate while half of Syrias population is displaced across the world?

The regimes decision to hold presidential elections amid these tragic conditions that Syria and the Syrian people are going through, regardless of their penchants and positions, is yet another blatant move to recognize UN Security Council Resolution 2254 of 2015. This is a policy of denial that ignores the exorbitant price Syria pays on a daily basis. Therefore, any elections of this kind and under these circumstances will not enjoy any national legitimacy.

Do you think that the major powers will agree to holding the elections and acknowledge its outcome?

Nine years of ambiguity and complexity in international policies towards Syria, in addition to the ambiguous roles of the active states, have made us lose any certainty with regards to the optics. I do not think that the international community will recognize the elections. It may consider it a fait accompli, but it will not recognize it, and it will not contribute to the establishment of a comprehensive and sustainable peace solution, nor will it participate in any reconstruction, which means Syria will plunge into further suffering and its unity will remain compromised.

The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) announced a while ago that it would form a High Elections Commission, to later go back on its word. What do you think about that?

It was a shocking move and the motives behind it are still unclear. SNC did well to retract the decision.

More than a year ago, you announced your intention to run for president. I had an interview with you at the time, in which you explained your opinion on the matter. Has your opinion changed? Do you not plan on running anymore?

No, I did not go back on my word. Most importantly, my invitation to all Syrians (both male and female) who find themselves competent to come forward and express their desire and willingness to become president still stands. However, I would like to re-emphasize what I said in my interview with you and in others, too, that there is no place or legitimacy for any elections except under the safe and neutral conditions mentioned in the Geneva Document and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254. Safe and neutral conditions mean a transitional phase in which the candidate and the voter can also express their opinions. In a phase where freedom and equality reign supreme, neither the state nor its institutions should be biased towards any party, and the process is carried out under the supervision of the United Nations in order to ensure standards the level of credibility are met.

Lets talk about another pressing issue. Many Syrians were suspicious about the position swap that Anas al-Abdah and Naser al-Hariri did last year. What are your thoughts on that?

I do not think that this swap of positions strengthens the image of the Syrian opposition as a national force seeking effective democratic change in Syria. Perhaps the reaction of the people outside the political circle, activists, and others following the matter was a clear rejection of the move. It is clear that some opposition figures have become addicted to sitting in the front row and it has become difficult for them to do otherwise. In any case, I think that the opposition should be open to enter into talks with a wider spectrum of Syrians who believe in the Syrian national democratic project and have much to offer in this regard. It is imperative that the opposition does not turn into a monopoly and we should be able to consider ourselves as part of the diverse and rich factions of Syria.

You were not present in the last round of negotiations in Geneva or the previous one, for that matter. Why is that? Will you be taking part in future rounds?

The main reasons were my professional engagements, which I had to neglect a lot in the past, but I find myself unable to do that now, especially since no substantial progress is being made at the level of the Constitutional Committee, which could have been a gateway to the political transition in Syria, without which there is no viable solution.

Who do you think is responsible?

The reason for this is the regimes procrastination and its policy of buying time in order to consecrate the current reality and make the presidential elections happen according to the 2012 constitution, with the control it possesses over state institutions.

A few days ago, you were in Moscow with Qadri Jamil and Khaled al-Mahamid, and you met Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Is the fact that the meeting coincides with the start of the Constitutional Committees work of any significance?

It might carry significance for the Russian Foreign Ministry, but not for us.

Did you attend the meeting, representing the Cairo conference?

Not at all. I attended as Jamal Suleiman.

You were heavily criticized because of your visit to Moscow.

That is true, and I got in touch with some of those who criticized me. On the other hand, there are those who support such activity and consider it important, and they are concerned with its results more than they are concerned with sharp polarization to the right or the left. For me personally, and to be clear, when I got became a proponent of the patriotic agenda, it was my duty to understand that I was not just a social media activist (noting that I appreciate and respect the role of activists and their views), I started expressing my genuine views as without any political bias. When I entered the field of national political work, which has been the same since then, it was to make sure that the voice of every Syrian who rejects war, destruction and killing, rejects extremism and terrorism, and also rejects the survival of this tyrannical regime that brought Syria to where it is today, is heard. I wanted to make sure the voice of every Syrian who dreams of a strong and democratic country, in every sense of the word, is heard. I am one of the Syrians who seek to fight the image that has been established over the past nine years, an image that what is happening in Syria is only a war between an authoritarian regime and extremist groups that are more tyrannical than it. Making sure that the voice of the Syrians is heard is our bridge to the United Nations and the international community. We will meet with Russian, American, European, and Arab diplomats and anyone whom we feel would be useful to meet and talk with about the Syrian issue.

Tell us a bit about what happened in Moscow.

In our meeting with the Russian Foreign Ministry, we emphasized three points: that the upcoming presidential elections cannot have any national legitimacy, as it is not in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and it will increase the risks that Syria faces; the regimes handling of the Constitutional Committee will lead to its demise; there must be a transitional phase in Syria that opens up future prospects.

How did the Russian side receive those points of view ?

The Russian Federation is a very influential country in Syria and can influence its future. Russia should support the position of the moderate opposition, as they call us. Personally, I see that as part of the national duty, regardless of any criticism.


 Myanmar family in a temporary shelter in Thailand receives face masks from UNHCR to protect them from the virus.

One year since the first confirmed imported and local cases of COVID-19 were reported in Thailand in January 2020, Myanmar refugees are continuing to share COVID-19 prevention information in solidarity with the people of Thailand and in support of the ongoing efforts of the Thai Government.

There are some 92,000 Myanmar refugees, mainly of Karen, Karenni and Burmese ethnicity, living in nine temporary shelters (camps) on the Thai-Myanmar border, some of who have lived in Thailand as long ago as the mid-1980s after fleeing conflict between armed ethnic armies and the Myanmar military.

COVID-19 impacts everyone and refugees in Thailand are at the same risk of contracting and transmitting the virus as local people. However, these groups can be particularly vulnerable as a result of challenges they may face meeting basic needs, accessing information about COVID-19 and obtaining hygiene items or medical support.

In response, UNHCR together with its partners has been regularly sharing essential COVID-19 prevention information with the refugee community in Karen, Karenni and Burmese languages, including through small meetings, home visits and film screenings, posters and camp Public Address (PA) system announcements, and has also distributed cloth face masks to all refugees in the nine camps. UNHCRs partners have delivered training to refugees to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively share COVID-19 prevention guidance within their community.

In response to a new wave of cases recently reported in some areas of Thailand, all groups across the country are being urged to remain vigilant. Encouraging their friends, families and neighbours to continue to practice social distancing and wear masks can be challenging, but these refugees recognize the importance of raising awareness to ensure that their community continues to be well informed and is encouraged to follow preventative measures.

Myanmar refugee Poe Gaw, 61, has lived in Mae Ra Ma Luang Temporary Shelter in Mae Hong Son Province since 1995. She supports the efforts of the camp committee which is responsible for sharing COVID-19 updates and practical advice through the PA system. These announcements are delivered regularly following reports of an increase in new confirmed cases both in Thailand and in neighbouring Myanmar. I tell residents how they can protect themselves from the spread of the disease, including encouraging them to wash their hands and wear face masks, she explains.

Saw Wait Lah, 67, has lived in Mae La Oon Temporary Shelter, Mae Hong Son Province since 2015 and is the leader of a group of 10 households in his section. Last year he received training on COVID-19 prevention measures from an international health NGO. This helped me to know how to share the information and raise awareness among my neighbours and other residents in my section, he explains.

In addition to ongoing concerns regarding COVID-19 prevention, the meeting of a wide range of basic needs continues to be a critical issue for many refugees in the nine camps. Their already precarious living situation has been exacerbated during the pandemic with many facing challenges in meeting basic needs as a result of COVID-19-related restrictions, also compounding many of the existing protection risks among the most vulnerable refugees.

In response, UNHCR, working in close partnership with the Thai Government, humanitarian organizations, Thai private sector and civil society, has increased and broadened its support to address these increased needs, while ensuring the continuation of gender-based violence (GBV) and child protection activities and advocating for funding to be maintained to enable the continued delivery of essential support.

UNHCR has also been advocating that asylum-seekers, refugees and stateless persons in Thailand should be fully included in government COVID-19 national surveillance, response and planning activities, and should be able to access COVID-19 testing, clinical care and case management. Looking forward, UNHCR is advocating for these groups to be included in the Governments vaccine distribution plan in line with the national allocation framework. All over the world, ensuring that refugees are included in vaccine rollouts is key to ending the pandemic. Excluding refugees, other displaced people or non-nationals from vaccination plans carries the risk of ongoing transmission in these populations, with spillovers into the national population.

We can prevent the disease from spreading. With your support, together we can save lives.

Support Our Work Now

Find out more about how UNHCR has been supporting refugees in the camps on the Thai-Myanmar border during COVID-19.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
Kendrick Aung loved to play chess.

The Lamar University professor was described as friendly to all who met him. He often would eat lunch with students and take walks with colleagues to discuss the ideas he had to expand the mechanical and engineering department, which he was leading on an interim basis after 20 years at the university.

Aung went on one of those walks with another professor, Jenny Zhou, before Christmas break in December. But he did not return to the campus once classes resumed.

The widely-respected professor, who was 60, is the latest educator in Southeast Texas to die of complications of the coronavirus. His Jan. 16 death sent shock waves through his department and the people he worked with on a day-to-day basis.

I never realized how much I could rely on him for, well for everything, Zhou, who is now the acting chair of the department, told The Enterprise. He was so smart. A genius, and always helping out his students and colleagues. He had such a big heart.

Aung spent his last weeks with his family, taking a trip to a monastery in Austin before the holidays.

It was not very busy or crowded, it was just very quiet, Aungs wife, Khin-Khin Aung, told The Enterprise. And Christmas week he had been preparing all the gifts and everything.

The two met while studying engineering at Rangoon Institute of Technology in Burma, where Aung got his first degree before earning a masters in Energy Technology from the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand. He got his doctorate in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan.

He took good care of the family, Khin-khin said. He loved us very much.

The illness was sudden, and came as Aung was preparing to return to campus for another semester.

As Khin-Khin and their two sons Raymond and Andrew reminisce, they remember Aung for knowing them better than anyone else could.

We talk about him, and sometimes we laugh sometimes we cry, she said. We never had to say what we wanted, he always knew what to for prepare us. He is a leading role model for our family.

Former students, college leadership and other staff have posted memories and condolences in recent weeks, including some on an online condolence board.

I brought my thick Advanced Engineering Analysis textbook to his office many times and he always cleared my questions and doubts and I always left his office feeling achieving something, one former student wrote. I had encouragements and guidance from him throughout my student career and he continued to guide from far even after I had graduated.

Ken Evans, president of Lamar University, said Aungs legacy stood out among the faculty at Lamar.

For nearly two decades, Dr. Aung was an exceptional engineering professor who worked tirelessly for student success imparting knowledge and inspiring the next generation of Lamar University engineers, Evans said in a statement. He was distinguished among professors on the LU campus for his ability to communicate complex course material and renowned in his field for his research. This accomplished, caring and kind teacher and colleague will be greatly missed.

Aung was well-known in the field of mechanical engineering. His research on renewable energy and energy systems, hydrogen flames and combustion and alternative fuels was widely published and presented at engineering conferences.

Ken leaves a legacy of hard work, passion for his teaching and devotion to students and his colleagues, Brian Craig, dean of the College of Engineering said.  He was a well-respected colleague to all who met him and dearly loved by his students.

The outsized impact Aung had on students and the field of mechanical engineering is hard to miss.

He mentored more than 50 senior Capstone design teams, with several of those teams winning prizes and scholarships in regional and national design competitions such as SAE Baja and Texas Space Grant Consortium Design Challenge.

He served as faculty mentor to two McNair Scholars and sponsored a paper published by a group of undergraduate students at the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and RD&D Exposition in 2004. He also received six senior design project grants from the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

On trips with students, Aung would treat them to a fancy dinner and encourage them in their fields.

While the legacy of Aung will long outlive him, the loss will remain.

For Zhou, she will miss the meandering walks through campus and the conversations about everything.

I thought wed have so many more years and so much more time to talk about curriculums, course contents, traveling, martial-art novels and other books, she said.It just ended too early and too suddenly.

For Khin-Khin, it is so much more.

For me, everywhere is him, Khin-Khin said. You can not compare anything to losing him.

Since March, 247 people had died of the coronavirus in Jefferson County.

isaac.windes@hearstnp.com

twitter.com/isaacdwindes
Advertisement

A couple who are expecting their third child have converted a school bus into a tiny off-grid home on wheels  and are now traveling across the US together.

Mia and Benjamin Bishel, both 30, who are currently driving through North Carolina, have been living off-grid for the past six months after building their dream home in July last year.

The couple have been traveling with their son Silas, two, and daughter Nora, 14 months, and are currently expecting their third child.

On the move: Mia and Benjamin Bishel moved into an old school bus in September last year with their two kids, and have spent the last five months traveling across the US in their home on wheels

Home sweet bus: The couple, both 30, are currently expecting their third child, and hope to spend as much time as possible living 'off the grid' and traveling before they need to settle into a more conventional family home

Love: Mia and Benjamin, who are currently in North Carolina, have a shared passion for travel - and moved to Sweden, Mia's home nation, for a few years before welcoming their children

Both parents have a passion for travel and previously visited much of northern Europe in a Mercedes 1974 camper before moving to Mia's home country of Sweden for a few years.

After welcoming their two children, the pair decided to purchase an old school bus from New Mexico for $12,000 so that they could drive across the US as a family.

The young couple, who have been together for four years, spent a further $20,000 on transforming the vehicle into a suitable home for their growing family.

And the van is so cosy it even has its own fireplace.

'I've had nomadic tendencies since I was young, and I've never been content being in the same place for a long time,' Mia told Jam Press.

'When our daughter, Nora, was born we wanted to move back to the US because my immigration process was done.

Making do: The couple worked hard to transform the bus into a suitable home for their family, with Mia revealing that she took care of most of the details and design aspects, while Benjamin did the majority of the building

Cozy up: Mia and Benjamin installed a wood-burning stove in the bus, which serves as their only form of heat

Clever: Although the bus only has 27 sq ft of space, the couple have worked hard to make sure that it feels as roomy as possible, installing bunk beds for the children, and several different crafty storage options

Style: 'The vibe is like a mix between French country, art deco and Scandinavian minimalism,' Mia said of the interior decor

Working from home: The couple both work remotely from the bus; Mia is a writer and Ben has his own architecture firm

'My family was not very surprised. Ben's family was used to him being more stationary, more stable, but they have to take the good with the bad and we keep making gorgeous cherub grandchildren so they can't complain!'

The family flew into New Mexico, where they picked up the bus  which had been stripped bare  and spent two weeks driving it across the country to Washington state.

Once there, the couple worked arduously with the help of family members to transform the bus in just two months.

Mia said: 'We bought the bus from a couple who had actually started their renovation, so they had put in insulation and wood paneling.

'Ben did most of the work and I designed the floor plan and did all the interior decoration [and] color schemes, all of that.

'He is definitely the builder/mechanic and I'm the one with the eye for details.

Fun: Mia says the couple's children, Silas, two, and Nora, 14 months, love living in the bus, explaining that they have both adapted to living without many belongings

On a budget: The couple bought the bus for $12,000, and then spent another $20,000 converting it into a home, complete with a roomy living space, a full-size shower, and a composting toilet

'It took so many iterations before we finally settled on a floor plan but we had to make as much room as possible for lounging and the kids playing on the floor.

'We had to compromise on a lot to make our lounge area in the front the way we wanted it around our wood burning stove, but I think it worked out.

'Usually I would take the kids so he could work on the bus but sometimes if they were being 'good', we could both work and I'd paint and do little things here and there.

'Ben's brother came to tile our entire bathroom and shower, as well as spray paint the wood paneling inside.

'Then we had Ben's brothers with partners come out for a paint party where we painted the outside of the bus.'

The tiny home has 27ft worth of space and includes a bedroom at the back, bunk beds for the children, a full-sized shower and a composting toilet.

Work work work: It took the couple a few months to transform and renovate the bus, which they did in Washington state so they could rope some family members into helping out

Repeat: 'It took so many iterations before we finally settled on a floor plan but we had to make as much room as possible for lounging and the kids playing on the floor,' Mia said

Bit by bit: When Mia and Benjamin bought the bus, the people who had owned it previously had started the renovation process, so they didn't have to worry about installing insulation

Thrifty: They now spend $500 per month on expenses at most, a third of what they were spending when they lived in a house

Busy bees: The kids were able to help with some of the renovations - although most of the time, Mia would take them to play outside while Benjamin worked on the construction

There's also a large kitchen/lounge area with the wood burning stove, which is their only heat source.

Mia said: 'I think what makes our bus different is just the smart way we designed the space.

'The vibe is like a mix between French country, art deco and Scandinavian minimalism.

'His name is Sanctuary but we call him Frank.'

Since moving into their bus full-time in September 2020, the family has travelled extensively, going everywhere from Portland, Oregon on the west coast, to Asheville, North Carolina on the east coast.

'We were in New England for the fall colors, which was amazing and had been a dream of mine for so long,' Mia said of their adventures.

'Maybe we'll go down to Florida to visit friends and get some beach time, I know the kids would be so happy.

'They're loving it, although when we go to a "normal" house, they go absolutely crazy with all the space they have to run around and play.

'They have become more adaptable and flexible and they get used to not having much space and stuff.

'Sometimes we don't have running water for extended periods of time, it can get really cold, but you know, you get pretty resilient.'

Anywhere and everywhere: Since moving into their bus full-time in September 2020, the family has travelled extensively, going everywhere from Portland, Oregon on the west coast, to Asheville, North Carolina on the east coast

Just do it! The couple urged anyone who has been considering renovating their own tiny home on wheels to stop thinking about it and just give it a go

Advice: 'People think about stuff for so long but even if you do convert a bus and decide bus life isn't for you, there's a market for them, especially during a pandemic,' they said

Family home: The Bishels' bus is officially called 'Sanctuary', but they affectionately refer to their home as Frank

Relishing it: Although they know they will likely need to move into a more stable home in the future, they are taking as much time as they can to travel while their kids are young enough

The couple both work remotely from the bus; Mia is a writer and Ben has his own architecture firm.

They now spend $500 per month on expenses at most, a third of what they were spending when they lived in a house.

Mia said: 'It's so cheap. We pay for hookups very rarely since we're completely off-grid, so no rent or anything.

'We don't drive that much currently, so no gas either. It's extremely cheap, mostly food and wood for our wood burning stove.'

The couple, who hope to travel more before settling into a permanent home, have shared their advice for others thinking about renovating a bus themselves.

They said: 'Just do it. If not now, when? All these cringe-worthy cliches apply.

'People think about stuff for so long but even if you do convert a bus and decide bus life isn't for you, there's a market for them, especially during a pandemic.'

Mia added: 'We honestly miss living in a house with all the comforts that it entails but we know that anywhere we live after Frank is going to seem so spacious and so comfortable.

'I think that's a good thing.'
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.
By Manoj Kumar and Aftab Ahmed

NEW DELHI(Reuters) - India boosted healthcare spending by 135% and lifted caps on foreign investment in its vast insurance market on Monday to help revive an economy that suffered its deepest recorded slump as a result of the pandemic.

Delivering a budget statement to parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman projected a fiscal deficit of 6.8% of gross domestic product for 2021/22, higher than the 5.5% forecast by a recent Reuters poll of economists.

The current year was expected to end with a deficit of 9.5%, she said, well up from the 7% expected earlier.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the budget was aimed at creating "wealth and wellness" in a country that is battling the world's second highest coronavirus caseload after the United States.

India currently spends about 1% of GDP on health, among the lowest for any major economy.

Sitharaman proposed increasing healthcare spending to 2.2 trillion Indian rupees ($30.2 billion) to help improve public health systems and fund a huge vaccination drive to immunise 1.3 billion people.

Overall, the government set capital expenditure for 2021/2022 at 5.54 trillion rupees, 35% more than the previous year's budget estimate.

"All of us decided to give impetus to the economy and that impetus, we thought, would be qualitatively spent and give necessary demand push if we choose to spend big on infrastructure," Sitharaman told reporters after the presentation of the budget in parliament.

Millions of people lost their jobs when the government ordered a lockdown last year to combat the coronavirus. Thousands of small businesses remain shut.

Unlike other countries, India refrained from announcing a big stimulus, offering greater liquidity to firms instead, and held off using its fiscal firepower until curbs to contain the virus were lifted.

The government estimates the economy will contract 7.7% in the current fiscal year ending in March, in what would be the biggest fall ever recorded. However, it foresees a strong recovery in 2021/2022 with growth of 11%.

Story continues

That would make it the world's fastest growing major economy ahead of China's projected 8.1% growth, but the government said it would take the economy two years to reach pre-pandemic levels.

"In a time of unprecedented economic stress, the government's responsibility was to spend enough to revive the economy or else face enormous human suffering," said Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra group, an autos to technology conglomerate.

"So I had one expectation from this budget: that we should be very liberal in terms of the targeted fiscal deficit. Box ticked."

THUMBS UP FROM MARKETS

India's main stock indexes surged. The blue-chip NSE Nifty 50 index was 4.7% higher in its best performance on budget day in at least two decades. The S&P BSE Sensex climbed 5%.

But, bond yields jumped after the government announced plans to raise additional funds from the market over the next two months.

Sitharaman said the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap for the insurance sector would be increased to 74% from the current 49%.

She also allocated 200 billion rupees to recapitalise state-run banks that are saddled with bad loans and have been a drag on growth.

To bridge some of the deficit, the government plans to raise 1.75 trillion rupees from selling its stake in the state run companies and banks including IDBI bank, an insurance company and oil companies. It also wants to sell state firms' surplus land.

The pandemic ruined the divestment plans for the current fiscal year with only 180 billion rupees raised so far from the sales. Stake sales and privatisation have seldom met targets in India, due partly to resistance from unions and political opposition.

Gene Fang, associate managing director, sovereign risk group, Moody's Investors Service, said the budget announcements did not change the credit rating agency's stance on India. Moody's rates Indian sovereign debt at "Baa3" - the bottom rung of investment grade ratings - with a "negative" outlook.

($1 = 72.8370 Indian rupees)

(Additional reporting by Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru bureaus; Writing by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing Simon Cameron-Moore and Toby Chopra)
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, Feb 1 : Environment activists and experts on Monday said the Budget announcements that India will soon have a policy on green hydrogen is a welcome step but expressed displeasure over lack of policy on closing inefficient coal plants and clarity on electric public transport vehicles.

Responding to the budget announcements, Aarti Khosla, Director Climate Trends, told IANS there were several key indicators that the budget was in line with global trends.

"The announcement that India will soon have a policy on green hydrogen is very much welcomed. Germany and many other EU countries have already set an ambitious green hydrogen policy. Even countries like UAE and Australia that are traditionally considered as the laggards of climate action have moved towards green hydrogen," she said.

Another good indicator was reduced allocation to coal exploration, a reduction of 30 per cent compared to what was allocated in the previous budget, Khosla added.

Describing the budget a mixed bag for the environment, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis' (IEEFA) Senior Energy Economist Vibhuti Garg said in the power sector, the government announced infusion of funds to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), increased custom duties on solar lanterns and inverters to boost domestic manufacturing and also launching the National Hydrogen Mission. "What is missing is the support for closure of inefficient coal plants." "In the transport sector again, while there is allocation for augmentation of public bus transport services, it doesn't say whether it will be electric vehicles." "There is a sum allocated to tackle air pollution and on the other hand, the government is extending the timeline for compliance of emission norms by power plants, which is a major cause of pollution. There needs to be a holistic approach, whereby pushing clean energy on one hand should not be weakened by pushing dirty fuels along with it," the New Delhi-based Garg said.

Charu Lata, Lead Electric Mobility and Clean Energy Consultant, India Programme, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), said: "The scrappage policy announced by the government is a welcome step. It will not only increase vehicle demand but will also put older polluting vehicles off the road." "For effective implementation, the policy can be made mandatory in a few years and regulations can be put in place to ensure that the scrapped vehicles are recycled to reduce environmental impact." NRDC energy expert Madhura Joshi said the Finance Minister reiterated the promise of solar for India.

"This was also supported by much need additional capital infusion for SECI and IREDA. With continued support and strong commitment, renewable energy, particularly distributed solutions, have the potential to equitably power India's transition to a low-carbon future by boosting growth, creating jobs, supporting local livelihoods, and fighting climate change."
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Police detained more than 4,000 people across Russia and blocked off the centre of Moscow Sunday in a massive clampdown on protests demanding the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Thousands of protesters defied government warnings to rally from Vladivostok to Saint Petersburg in a second weekend of mass demonstrations over the arrest of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critic.

Navalny was detained at a Moscow airport in mid-January after flying back to Russia from Germany where he was recovering from an August poisoning he blames on the Kremlin.

The 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner is being held in a Moscow detention centre and faces years of potential jail time in several different criminal cases, despite calls from Western governments for his release.

In moves not seen in years in Moscow, authorities locked down the centre of the capital Sunday, with hundreds of police lining the streets, central Metro stations closed and the movements of pedestrians restricted.

Protesters who had hoped to gather outside the headquarters of the FSB security service were instead scattered to various parts of the city as organisers made last-minute changes in locations.

AFP journalists saw dozens of protesters detained and taken into police vans.

Several thousand were seen marching throughout the city centre, but it was unclear amid the chaos how many people took part in the demonstration.

Independent monitor OVD-Info said at least 4,027 people had been detained across the country, after reporting more than 4,000 detentions during similar protests last Saturday.

It said 1,167 were detained in Moscow and 862 in Saint Petersburg, as well as at least 82 journalists across the country.

- Golden toilet brushes -

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Twitter condemned "the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight."

The Russian foreign ministry hit back, accusing the United States of "gross interference" in its affairs and of using "online platforms controlled by Washington" to promote the protests.

Protesters chanted "Freedom!" and "Putin is a thief!" as they marched through Moscow in bitter cold and snow.

"If this is happening now to a person who is famous in Russia and the world, it could happen to anyone in the future," protester Philip said at the Moscow rally.

Protesters eventually gathered outside the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Navalny was being held and several dozen were detained outside the complex.

Many protesters carried gold-painted toilet brushes in reference to a video released by Navalny's team alleging that Putin had been gifted a $1.35 billion property on the Black Sea coast, which among other luxurious goods featured toilet brushes costing 700 euros apiece.

Several thousand people demonstrated in the second city of Saint Petersburg, despite police closing off the main thoroughfare Nevsky Prospekt and shutting Metro stations, an AFP journalist reported.

Police were seen roughly detaining several protesters, including one young man who was left with a bloodied head.

Local media reported that police used tear gas and tasers in the city, while one policeman reportedly threatened protesters with his service weapon.

"The whole centre is cordoned off," said Natalya Grigoryeva, who came to the Saint Petersburg rally with her daughter. "And who is this all against, against their own people?"

Earlier protesters had rallied in cities including the Pacific port of Vladivostok, where dozens escaped the police on the frozen waters of the Amur Bay and danced in a circle.

Several thousand were also reported to have protested in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk despite temperatures dropping to -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).

- Navalny's wife detained -

Russian authorities issued several warnings against participating in the unauthorised rallies and threatened criminal charges against protesters.

The head of Russia's Human Rights Council, Valery Fadeyev, called Sunday's events a "provocation" and said they have "nothing to do with protecting rights," news agency TASS reported.

Navalny is due in court several times next week, including on Tuesday on charges of violating the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence.

His team has called for supporters to gather outside the courtroom.

Navalny's wife Yulia posted a picture of her family on Instagram on Sunday, urging supporters to make their voices heard.

"If we remain silent, then tomorrow they will come for any one of us," she wrote.

Navalny's team said Yulia was detained by police shortly after she announced her arrival at Sunday's rally on social media.

This week several Navalny associates were placed under house arrest pending charges for violating coronavirus restrictions by calling people to join protests.

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.
A video has emerged of a man trolling two policemen who told him to wear a mask one hour into Western Australia's snap lockdown that began on Sunday evening.

The video, uploaded to YouTube, details his walk through the eerily quiet streets, before his encounter with the police.

The man gives his viewers a tour of the back of a police station before ranting at cops, who are asking him to wear a mask.

These guys are driving around harassing people not wearing a mask within one hour' the man complains to his audience in a video uploaded to YouTube on the first night of Perth lockdown

The policemen then tell the man he has five minutes to leave the premises.

Lockdown rulings will continue until Friday night throughout metropolitan Perth, Peel and the South West of Western Australia.

The snap lockdown came after the state celebrated ten months free of coronavirus, when a security guard tested positive at the Four Points hotel by Sheraton Perth.

There were four active cases in the hotel quarantine when the security guard was working at the hotel.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan confirmed that of the four cases, three were variant strains, one from South Africa and two from the UK.

'We are told the guard was working on the same floor as a positive UK variant case', Mr McGowan said.

The family of the security guard have tested negative for Covid-19 and are currently in quarantine in a state run facility.

The policemen demand the man puts on a mask as he teases police, asking them 'if there's anything they won't do for money' before giving the troll five minutes to leave the premises

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has confirmed that masks will be mandatory throughout the lockdown period.

For those needing to leave their homes, people who work in indoor settings and on public transport, masks must be worn.

WA's Chief Health Officer Dr Andrew Robertson said a rapid response was vital, particularly if the case in question was one of the more infectious strains.
A group of ten Republican Senators have sent a letter to the White House informing them of a $600 billion covid-19 economic relief package currently being drafted by GOP lawmakers. The package is a counter-proposal to the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan which President Biden first announced in January.

The letter also called for a White House meeting to discuss our proposal in greater detail, a request which Bidens team agreed to in a statement released on Sunday evening. The President is expected to meet with lawmakers in the coming days.

What is in the new $600 billion coronavirus relief proposal?

Many Republican Senators have questioned the need for such an extensive package so soon after the emergency relief bill was signed in late-December 2020. Their proposal is therefore far smaller, costing less than a third of the price of Bidens.

The GOP package is reportedly more focused on tackling the public health crisis than the economic consequences, spending $160 billion on vaccines, testing, treatment and personal protective equipment.

However with that there are some considerable omissions when compared to the Biden plan, most notably to stimulus checks. While some have criticised the $1,400 direct payments included in the American Rescue Plan, the entitlement is reduced to $1,000 in the Republicans' proposal.

There is also a substantial decrease on the provision to schools after they branded the $170 billion in the Democrats proposal as excessive. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, one of the ten who signed the letter, argued "we've already given them 110 percent of what they usually receive... its teachers' unions telling their members not to go to work."

Biden agrees to White House meeting to discuss stimulus bill

The group of Republican lawmakers also requested a White House meeting so they could discuss their concerns further. Biden had pledged to govern by consensus during his election campaign and had drawn criticism from some in Congress for his use of executive orders during the early days of his presidency.

The letter, also signed by GOP moderates like Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah, reads: We request the opportunity to meet with you to discuss our proposal in greater detail and how we can work together to meet the needs of the American people during this persistent pandemic.

On Sunday evening a White House statement confirmed that Biden will meet with the 10 Senators in the coming days in an attempt to help bridge the gap between the two sides. The statement reads: In response, the President spoke to Senator Collins, and invited her and other signers of the letter to come to the White House early this week for a full exchange of views."

This comes as pressure is growing from within Bidens own party to extend the stimulus check provision included in the package. A group of 50 progressive lawmakers have signed a letter asking Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to considering making the stimulus checks a monthly payments.

The next few days could be crucial in Bidens presidency as he looks to balance opposing requests from the GOP and from his fellow Democrats. Given the urgent need to provide economic support the President will want to make a decision soon so his administration can focus on getting the vital funds distributed.



WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Emerson Electric Co. (EMR) said Monday that Chief Executive Officer David Farr will retire on February 5.



Farr will be succeeded by Lal Karsanbhai, who has served as executive president of the company's Automation Solutions business since 2018. Karsanbhai will also join the Emerson board of directors.



Farr, who was named CEO in 2000 and chairman of Emerson's board of directors in 2004, will remain as chairman through May 4.



Farr joined Emerson in 1981 in a corporate staff position and progressed through corporate and business unit management positions with increasing responsibility before being appointed president of Emerson's Asia-Pacific operations in 1993.



After four years in Hong Kong, Farr returned to the U.S. in 1997 to oversee Emerson's process control business. He was appointed chief operating officer in 1999, a position he held until being named CEO.



Karsanbhai began his career at Emerson in 1995 as an international planner. He was appointed director of corporate planning in 1999, served as vice president of regulator technologies from 2002 to 2005, when he became vice president and general manager of natural gas for Emerson in France.



Karsanbhai was named president of Emerson's Fisher regulator technologies in 2008, a role he held until 2012, when he became vice president of planning with responsibility for Emerson's global strategy. He was named president of Emerson's former Network Power business in Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2014 and became group president of Emerson's Rosemount measurement & analytical business in 2016.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
A nursing home in Galway is appealing for help from nurses after a quarter of its residents died from Covid-19.

Brian McNamara, director of nursing at Greenpark Nursing Home in Tuam, said it has been hit by a horrific tidal wave of the virus.

The care home had no coronavirus cases in 2020, however January 2021 has been a completely different story.

Out of 49 residents, 35 tested positive for the virus while 12 tragically died. In the past 24 hours, four people have died.

Read More

Half the staff has also been diagnosed with the virus, leaving Mr McNamara worried about not having enough staff.

"We have been hit by a horrific tidal wave. A week before we were due to get our vaccine our first resident test positive for Covid-19, its been absolutely horrendous, he told RTE Radio Ones Drivetime.

"Its like you are fighting something you cant see and its just so heartbreaking, it rips your soul clean out of you.

"Its so hard to see these people, they might have had small things wrong, but they werent ready to die and to be so cruelly taken away by this horrible disease, it's indescribable.

Tuam is a small community...its so gut-wrenching.

Mr McNamara said his biggest fear is that the centre is running low on nursing staff, so he is appealing to anyone that can help.

"I'm desperately trying to get more nurses in through the agencies. The agencies are fantastic, theyve provided us with healthcare assistants but nurses seems to be short, he said.

"We need nursing help if we can get it, if there's people out there who want to help we would gladly accept their help.

He pleaded with the public to follow public health guidance, and to continue this even after receiving the vaccine, explaining that three out of four of his residents who died in the past 24 hours received their first dose of the vaccine.

Mary Murphy, whose mother died in Greenpark Nursing Home two weeks ago, said the hardest part was saying goodbye to her through a window.

"The last time I got to spend actual physical time with her was on Christmas Day and that's the hardest part. In Ireland we have normal ways of having a funeral, everybody gets to say goodbye, and that all had to be done between a window that couldn't even be opened, she said.

And that's the hardest thingit all happened too fast, nobody got enough time with her.

Bukky Bakray, center, with Kosar Ali, second from left, in the movie "Rocks." (TIFF)

Teeming with an infectious effervescence, the adolescent coming-of-age drama Rocks differentiates itself from other recent explorations of modern girlhood set amid immigrant communities. Crafted from a screenplay by playwright Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson, director Sarah Gavrons social realist wonder soars in great part because of its earnest performances.

Better known by the moniker Rocks, Shola (newcomer Bukky Bakray) is a multitalented British teen of Nigerian descent attending an all-girls school. We enter as her daydreaming is thwarted when her mother walks out on her and her charming little brother, Emmanuel (D'angelou Osei Kissiedu). On the run from child protective services, Rocks braves adult responsibilities she is ill-prepared to navigate.

Her vivacious spirit persists, nonetheless, thanks to a loving support system found in her eclectic group of friends, especially in closest ally Sumaya (Kosar Ali). Its in the casual, classroom banter on cultural identity, as well as in the goofiness of an impromptu food fight or a tearful argument that the luminosity of their sisterhood glows brighter. Displaying magnetic, seemingly effortless, chemistry, the ensemble cast enchants.

Through them, Gavrons direction captures the ebullience of youth with a plot that rejects the sordid tropes countless other filmmakers have imposed on coming-of-age stories about BIPOC kids. Ikoko and Wilsons writing never minimizes the gravity of Rocks circumstances, but keeps her on an optimistic path focused on the relationships that uplift her. Thats radically refreshing.

As with last years Never Rarely Sometimes Always, French cinematographer Helene Louvart brings her vibrant but unencumbered eye to a tale of young women in energetic handheld sequences that know when to stop and hold a pensive gaze. Interspersed with candid videos shot vertically on mobile devices for social media, Rocks has built-in immediacy. Yet its not caught up in any discourse on how these forms of communication can be detrimental. This is a portrait of a specific reality uncluttered by the burden of heavy messaging.

With all the makings of a star, Bakray manages to outshine her marvelous screen mates, putting forward Rocks as concurrently reserved but self-assured. Scenes of stinging sorrow, sure to elicit some tears, validate her emotional range. Even if on paper the themes might come across as frequently visited, this is one of the very best illustrations of them this century so far. Heartfelt but not cloying, Rocks is a radiant must-see.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernstein Liebhard, a nationally acclaimed investor rights law firm, reminds investors of the deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in a securities class action lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Boston Scientific Corporation ("Boston Scientific" or the "Company") (NYSE: BSX) from April 24, 2019 through November 16, 2020 (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you purchased Boston Scientific securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Boston Scientific Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Matthew E. Guarnero toll free at (877) 779-1414 or [email protected].

The complaint alleges that during the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System's product delivery system was dysfunctional and threatened the continued viability of the entire product line; (2) as a result, the Company had materially overstated the continued commercial viability and profitability of the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System; and (3) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On November 17, 2020, pre-market, Boston Scientific announced a global recall of all unused inventory of the LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System due to "complexities associated with the product delivery system." Boston Scientific also announced that "[g]iven the additional time and investment required to develop and reintroduce an enhanced delivery system, the company has chosen to retire the entire LOTUS product platform immediately."

On this news, Boston Scientific's stock price fell $3.00 per share, or 7.89%, to close at $35.03 per share on November 17, 2020.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than February 2, 2021. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.

If you purchased Boston Scientific securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit https://www.bernlieb.com/cases/bostonscientificcorporation-bsx-shareholder-class-action-lawsuit-fraud-stock-341/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.  2020 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


Trumps V.A. also directed resources away from its Equal Opportunity Office under the premise of cost-cutting, even as it spent millions of dollars for guardianship of Confederate graves. The Trump administration cracked down on diversity and inclusion trainings inside V.A. and oversaw a significant decrease in staff for affirmative action programs.

One of Mr. Trumps signature veterans laws, the V.A. Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, promised to hold agency leaders accountable, but the AFGE says the law has been used to punish and fire hundreds of employees in positions largely staffed by working class veterans of color, like housekeepers, even though 40 percent of all V.A. hospitals have recently suffered from severe shortages of housekeepers and custodians.

The V.A. scheduled an event focused on antiracism that was set to take place last fall, after concerns about racial equity mounted during the spring and summer across our nation. But it was then canceled for what management said were reasons beyond our control.

The irony in all this is that Americas system of veterans benefits has long been envisioned as a potent tool to forge equality. This idea dates to the Civil War, where some 180,000 Black soldiers fought with the Union Army. Initially barred from serving, Black people enlisted immediately once Lincoln opened the door in 1862, as the war intensified and white recruitment slowed. A key to their high enlistment was Frederick Douglasss stated belief that it would be impossible for America to deny rights, respect, and full citizenship to any Black man whod had an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder.

Douglass was partially right. The government did, however unevenly, show some appreciation to veterans of color. Black people who had served became eligible for pensions and were allowed into veterans homes, which offered health care, food, and other forms of support. But many Black Civil War veterans still became targets of racial terrorism.

Black veterans since have found themselves disproportionately frozen out of the V.A.s ancillary benefits  for home loans, unemployment benefits, and the G.I. Bill. Longstanding gaps in health outcomes in numerous clinical areas also plague Black veterans, compared to their white counterparts. Minority veterans are almost twice as likely to live in poverty as their white counterparts, and roughly 45 percent of all homeless veterans are Black or Hispanic, despite these groups making up less than 15 percent of the veteran population.

Trumps racially insensitive statements and actions have coincided with a series of ugly incidents across the country toward Black veterans. In a particularly horrific 2017 incident in Bedford, Mass., a Black U.S. Army veteran and V.A. employee found a teddy bear on his desk with a noose around its neck and a sign reading GO HOME OR DIE.
Canberra, Feb 1 : A number of Australian politicians, including Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, have been forced to undergo quarantine in Canberra following a lockdown imposed in the city of Perth after a hotel quarantine worker tested positive for Covid-19.

Politicians who flew from Western Australia (WA), of which Perth is the capital city, to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) on Sunday evening ahead Parliament resuming on Tuesday were informed on arrival that they were required to immediately quarantine until at least Friday and get tested for the virus, reports Xinhua news agency.

The development comes after WA Premier Mark McGowan announced that the Perth metropolitan area, Peel and South West regions would enter a five-day lockdown from Sunday evening based on "the best of health advice due to a fast-evolving situation in Western Australia with the positive Covid-19 case detected in a hotel quarantine worker".

Arrivals to Canberra, which included Minister Reynolds, from WA were told of the new conditions by a broadcast on the planes.

"ACT Health advises that all passengers should go directly to their accommodation in a mask, review the WA government website and follow all directions from WA authorities," passengers were told.

"ACT Health will be in contact directly with passengers should additional advice be required." The development has thrown the first parliamentary sitting days of 2021 into confusion.

"We will do everything that we are advised to do," Reynolds told reporters upon her arrival in Canberra earlier Monday.

ACT Health said in a statement that the department was moving to ensure the safety of the community by asking anybody who has been to the Perth metropolitan area or the Peel and South West regions of Western Australia since January 25 to self-quarantine and get tested for Covid-19.

As of Monday, Australia has registered a total of 28,811 coronavirus cases and 909 deaths.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Three men have been arrested for taking part in a conspiracy to use a private aircraft to transport approximately 176 pounds of cocaine from Laredo to New Jersey, according to an arrest affidavit filed on Friday.

DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Richard Clough said drug traffickers are evolving and getting better at concealing and transporting drugs.

Investigations have to evolve with the traffickers, he said.

Clough added that using an aircraft is not a new method to transport drugs.

Its not uncommon to utilize an aircraft, but its not one of the most common methods, he said.

A kilogram of cocaine in Laredo ranges from $28,000 to $32,000. That price goes up when the cocaine is taken further north due to transportation fees, Clough said.

The case unfolded in December 2020, when DEA special agents in Laredo coordinated with special agents assigned to the Guadalajara Resident Office in Guadalajara, Mexico. Based on this coordination, authorities identified Donald Calvin Malone as a drug trafficker that was utilizing a private aircraft to fly multi-kilograms quantities from Southern Texas to major cities in the United States, states the affidavit.

Gregory Mends was identified as the co-conspirator that assisted Malone in trafficking the drugs via private aircraft. From Jan. 25 to Jan. 27, special agents in Laredo carried out an operation targeting Malone and his co-conspirators.

The investigation showed that on Jan. 26, Mends and airplane pilot Mikhail Naumov departed from Kansas City in a private airplane to Laredo. Special agents said Naumov owned the airplane. Once in Laredo, Malone, Mends and Naumov met with undercover agents posing as drug traffickers who needed to transport about 176 pounds of cocaine from Laredo to New York City, according to the affidavit.

During the meeting, Malone, Mends and Naumov talked about the transportation of approximately 176 pounds of cocaine to New Jersey. The trio allegedly agreed to transport the cocaine via private aircraft on Jan. 27. The trio further talked about the possibility of conducting future flights from South America to clandestine airstrips in Guatemala and other areas.

Finally, Malone, Mends and Naumov agreed to transport $500,000 back to Laredo. Malone, Mends and Naumov agreed to split the payment for this transportation amongst themselves, states the affidavit.

Malone, Mends and Naumov met again with undercover agents on Jan. 27 at the airport in Laredo. Undercover agents gave the trio 176 pounds of simulated cocaine in four suitcases. Malone waited outside the airport while Mends and Naumov began loading the suitcases into the private aircraft. Thats when authorities arrested the trio. During the arrest, Mends was found in possession of a loaded firearm, authorities said.

Malone then allegedly agreed to provide a post-arrest statement without an attorney present.

Malone admitted that he was in Laredo in order to coordinate the transportation of approximately (176 pounds) of cocaine from Laredo to New Jersey. Malone identified Mends and Naumov as co-conspirators in this cocaine transportation attempt, states the affidavit.

Naumov also agreed to a post-arrest interview.

During this interview, Naumov stated that he was recruited by Mends to travel from Kansas City to Laredo. Naumov stated he did not know what was in the aforementioned four suitcases, but that he has seen movies and imagined it could have been drugs, the affidavit states.

Malone, Mends and Naumov were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The FBI is seeking help in identifying a man with possible ties to Northeast Ohio who is suspected of assaulting a federal officer at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Agents on Monday released images of a man who they believe may be from Summit County. The FBI would not release any information regarding the assault, only images of a person with red, white and blue paint on his face.

Residents are urged to call the Summit County Crime Stoppers at 330-434-2677 or the Cleveland FBI at 1-877-324-6446. Authorities are offering an award of up to $5,000 for the mans arrest. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

Already, seven residents in Ohio were among more than 150 people charged in the attack on the Capitol. Two of the seven, Stephen Ayres and Christine Priola, are from Northeast Ohio.

Two others charged from Southwest Ohio, Jessica Watkins and Donovan Crowl, were among the first to be accused of federal conspiracy for their role Jan. 6. The FBI said they trained in Ohio before the event, with Watkins telling someone in a message: Its a military-style basic here in Ohio, with a Marine drill sergeant running it an hour north of Columbus.

Video from journalists and clips circulated through Facebook, Twitter and the now-defunct Parler showed hundreds of protesters force their way into the Capitol the same day both chambers of Congress certified Joseph Biden the winner of the November presidential election.

The Stop the Steal rally, held near the Capitol, saw Trump give a heated speech that criticized Pence for refusing to interfere with the largely ceremonial certification process. Video captured people chanting, Hang Mike Pence.

Pence and lawmakers evacuated the House and Senate chambers as insurrectionists ran through the building taking videos and selfies.


Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday told the News18 Network that the government had engaged with the Reserve Bank of India in a big way as she outlined a timeline for meeting divestment targets set in her Budget 2021 speech.

Speaking to News18 Networks Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, the finance minister said that the country needs efficient banks for the economy to take the next step and return to the growth path, and cannot have laggards.

She said there was a sentiment around public sector banks that they could not be "touched" but that cannot be the guiding principle for the government. We want more public sector banks but they have to be functionally strong, professionally managed and those that can meet the demands of a growing aspirational India.

"If I am going to be sitting around with such banks, it's not good. We want more efficient banks," she told News18, adding that if there have to be more government-run banks, they have to be more like the State Bank of India to meet the needs of the economy.

In her budget speech, the finance minister had announced that the government would privatise two public sector banks as well as one general insurance company, although the names of the companies were not divulged.

The privatisation of two public sector banks comes as part of the consolidation in the banking sector, as the government refocuses on its disinvestment target to raise money for spending after failing to meet its targets last year. Sitharaman has also announced Rs 20,000 crore recapitalisation of PSU banks.

Banking sources say that big banks such as SBI or PNB will not be touched and it is the smaller and middle-level banks are likely to be privatised by the government.

The Budget proposals for 2021-22 on Monday put Rs 1.75 lakh crore as a target from stake sale in public sector companies and financial institutions. Sitharaman said the government aims at making use of disinvestment proceeds to finance various social sector and developmental programmes besides infusing private capital, technology and best management practices.
Russia has extended a ban on flights to and from Britain until Feb. 17 due to the new coronavirus variant detected in the UK, Russia's coronavirus taskforce said on Monday.

Russia, which has already reported a case of the more infectious coronavirus variant, has had the flight ban in place since Dec. 22.

Short link:


Dustin Diamond, the actor who played the fun-loving, dippy Screech on 90s teen sitcom Saved by the Bell, has died. He was 44.

TMZ, which first reported Diamonds death, said the actor died Monday morning of stage 4 lung cancer  small cell carcinoma that started elsewhere in his body.

Diamond was diagnosed with cancer three weeks ago after being hospitalized in Florida.

In that time, it managed to spread rapidly throughout his system; the only mercy it exhibited was its sharp and swift execution, the actors agent, Roger Paul, said in a statement, as reported by Variety. Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful.

Dustin, you will be missed my man. The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted. Prayers for your family will continue on... pic.twitter.com/BnxY9XgN5g  Mario Lopez (@mariolopezviva) February 1, 2021

The actor reportedly completed his first round of chemotherapy a few weeks ago.

Diamond first played Samuel Screech Powers in the Disney Channel series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which laid the groundwork for Saved by the Bell, the popular NBC series that ran from 1989 to 1993.

Diamond often appeared onscreen as the geeky counterpart to Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who played fellow Bayside High student Zack Morris. He returned as Screech in Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved By the Bell: The New Class.

However, Diamond did not have a part in the Saved by the Bell revival series featuring Gosselaar and other series veterans that premiered on NBCs streaming service Peacock in 2020.

Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dustin Diamond, a true comedic genius. My sincere condolences to his family and friends. Looking back at our time working together, I will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only he was able to produce. A pie in your face, my comrade.  Mark-Paul Gosselaar (@MPG) February 1, 2021

Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dustin Diamond, a true comedic genius, tweeted Gosselaar, 46. My sincere condolences to his family and friends. Looking back at our time working together, I will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only he was able to produce. A pie in your face, my comrade.

Mario Lopez, who played A.C. Slater on the show, also remembered Diamond.

Dustin, you will be missed my man, tweeted Lopez, 47. The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted. Prayers for your family will continue on...

Lark Voorhies played Lisa Turtle, Screechs crush on Saved by the Bell. When news emerged that he was sick, she shared well wishes.

Id like to take the time to send special love and special best wishes to Dustin Diamond, who is one of my dearest friends, Voorhies, 46, said in a Jan. 16 Instagram post, sharing a photo from their days on the show. Dustin, all the many in your close circle who know you to be the great person that you are, are truly pulling for you and praying for the best outcome.

Tiffani Amber Thiessen, who played popular student Kelly Kapowski on the show, also remembered Diamond in an Instagram post.

I am deeply saddened by the news of my old co-star @realdustindiamond passing, she said. Life is extremely fragile and its something we should never take for granted. God speed Dustin.

After Saved by the Bell, Diamond made headlines for legal troubles. He served three months in prison in 2015 for stabbing a man at a bar and was arrested in 2016 for violating probation.

Hes had a history of mishaps, of unfortunate events, Paul, his agent, told Variety. We want the public to understand that he was not intentionally malevolent. He  much like the rest of those who act out and behave poorly  had undergone a great deal of turmoil and heartache. His actions, though (rebukable) stemmed from loss and the lack of knowledge on how to process that pain properly.

In actuality, he continued, Dustin was a humorous and high-spirited individual whose greatest passion was to make others laugh. He was able to sense and feel other peoples emotions to such a length that he was able to feel them too  a strength and a flaw, all in one.

Diamond had reportedly told friends that his last wishes were to visit the Star Wars exhibit at Disney World and meet Justin Chancellor, the bassist from the band Tool.

Saved by the Bell fans memorialized Diamond on social media Monday with clips and images from the show.

RIP Screech you made us laugh for years, thank you for your contribution to my awsome 90's childhood. You will be missed. pic.twitter.com/0yjf6G8eqd  Jessica Taylor (@Jessie221987) February 1, 2021

Rest in Peace to someone I used to get compared to when I was little . Thanks for the memories Screech! aka Dustin Diamond. RIP Screech! pic.twitter.com/iVUEfGn1iJ  John Bishop (@JohnnyB_MC) February 1, 2021

RIP Dustin Diamond, best known for his role as Screech on Saved By The Bell. RIP Screech  pic.twitter.com/8ax5whh8C0  NUFF (@nuffsaidny) February 1, 2021

I watched Saved by the Bell almost every morning getting ready for school bruh RIP Screech  pic.twitter.com/wzmaHobD0C  k. (@ulove_kae) February 1, 2021

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter.
Former US President Donald Trumps son-in-law and White House adviser Jared Kushner and his deputy, Avi Berkowitz on January 31 were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating peace deals. The duo was selected by a US attorney named Alan Dershowitz for their efforts in brokering peace among the Gulf nations and normalising ties between the UAE and Israel with Abraham Accords agreement. According to sources of Fox News, Kushner, the enabler of peace agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco told the network that peace deals were extremely hard and there were people in Washington who were never able to work on foreign transactions for over 30 to 40 years.

Kushner, in a White House ceremony, was joined by Bahrain and the UAE along with his Middle East envoy Berkowitz to sign the diplomatic pacts with Israel. Middle East peace agreements were a milestone, according to US broadcasters, that was a massive change for the conflict-ridden region. Former President Trump's chief adviser, in a statement to CBS News, said that he aimed to make the middle east region more peaceful and safer, stressing free from wars. The Kushner pushed Israeli-Arab peace treaty in the Middle East was the first ever to involve a Gulf state. The White House adviser also made efforts for the historic first Israel-UAE flight to take off from Ben Gurion Airport, as a part of the resumption of air travel between Israel and UAE.

Read: Donald Trump's Lead Impeachment Lawyers Quit Ahead Of His Senate Trial

Read: Trump Loyalists In South Dakota Turn On Home State Senator

The UAE has always fought alongside the US. And through hundreds of joint missions and participation in six US-led Coalition efforts, we have learned that the key to military coordination is interoperability. (6/7)  UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) January 27, 2021

Former President Trump nominated

With Jared Kushners efforts, for the first time, an El Al 971 commercial passenger plane carrying the US and Israeli officials took off on August 31, 2020, and entered Saudi airspace. The three hours, 20-minute flight was a big step in the normalisation of relations as Saudi, for the first time, allowed the Israeli plane to cross its airspace. Apart from Kushner for middle east peace agreements, former US president Trump, Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the World Health Organization (WHO) and climate campaigner Greta Thunberg were also nominated for Nobel Peace Prize. Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, picked the 45th President of the US Trump for Abraham Accords and for brokering the Israel-UAE peace deal.

Read: Greta Thunberg, Donald Trump, Alexei Navalny, WHO Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize

Read: Trump Names 2 Lawyers To Impeachment Defense Team

(Image Credit: AP)
Please note The Sun Chronicle is providing this story and all of our local coronavirus coverage for free so that all readers have access to this important information about the pandemic. Please visit our dedicated coronavirus coverage page for more stories. If you'd like to support our mission, please subscribe.
New Delhi:

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday dismissed bail plea of Congress MLA Shakuntala Khatik and Venus Goyal.

The Congress MLA is facing charges of provoking her supporters to torch a police station during farmers' stir in Madhya Pradesh.

On June 19, Khatik was denied anticipatory bail by a local court.

Karera additional sessions judge Sanjeev Jain had dismissed Khatiks anticipatory bail plea filed by her counsel P D Gupta.

Karera police in Shivpuri district had registered a case against the woman MLA and some others after a video purportedly showing the legislator instigating her supporters to torch a police station on June 8 went viral.

The video was shot when Khatik was leading a protest near Karera police station against the killing of farmers in police firing in Mandsaur.

During the protest, police had tried to douse a burning effigy of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, drenching Khatik in the process.

The MLA had then held a dharna outside the police station. The video showed her asking her supporters to set the police station on fire.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.

Pope's envoy Cardinal Pietro Parolin & Archbishop Nkea Facebook

The Secretary of State of Vatican City, H.E. Pietro Cardinal Parolin, presented the message from Pope Francis at the esplanade of Big Mankon while placing the Pallium on the Archbishop of Bamenda, His Eminence Andrew Nkea, on Sunday, January 31, 2021.

The Pope's envoy prayed for peace and called on the separatist fighters to lay down their weapons and give peace a chance, for development cannot take place in an atmosphere of war.

The mass for the imposition of the pallium on Archbishop Nkea was held under tight security. Despite boycott and lockdown calls from Amba fighters, thousands of Catholic Christians attended the ceremony.

The Vatican Secretary of State encouraged Christians to be steadfast and remain prayerful in the midst of crisis.

He assured Christians that the Vatican is aware of the pains they are going through.

Below is the entirety of Cardinal Parolins sermon transcribed by Cameroon-Info.Net.

Cardinal Pietro Parolins sermon

Dear brothers in the episcopate and the presbyterate, distinguished authorities, dear brothers and sisters in the Lord.

I am happy to be celebrating this Eucharistic liturgy with you today. I bring to all of you the greetings of His Holiness Pope Francis and I greet you personally too. The Holy Father carries you in his heart and assures you of his closeness and his prayers.

The Pope is well aware of the difficulties which you have experienced in recent years and are still experiencing. He asked the Lord to console you and in a particular way those who have been victims of violence or who have lost friends and loved ones in this crisis. The Holy Father unites himself to the desire for peace and reconciliation that rises up to God from this precious land.

With you, I give thanks to the Lord who granted us the joy of encountering one another today. On this occasion of the imposition of the pallium on His Excellency Archbishop Andrew Nkea, Pastor of this particular church in which the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church of Christ is truly present and active.

The presence of so many people attests to your affection for your archbishop and to your desire to celebrate with him.

The pallium is a symbol of a particular bond of communion with the pope. Woven with the wools of lambs, blessed by the Pope on the feast of St. Agnes, it evokes the figures of the good shepherd who goes in search of the lost sheep and places it on his shoulders. It represents the power that the archbishop exercises in the ecclesiastical province in communion with the supreme pontiff. It is a sign filled with meaning, which powerfully inaugurates the mandate of every new archbishop from the outset his new ministry is placed under the sign of communion, obedience to and in union with the Holy Father, and in sharing with his brothers, bishops.

At the same time, in the proclamation of the gospel of mark, we heard today of another beginning. The beginning of the public ministry of Jesus. It is the first scene in what is commonly called the day ay Capernaum. A type of day marked by the indelible traces of Jesus actions. In the synagogue on the Sabbath Day, the first act of the Lords public ministry brings to light two striking characteristics. His quality as a teacher and his battling of unclean spirits. The gospel writer tells us that Jesus first action is to teach. Jesus presents himself above all as a teacher, a teacher endowed with an authority that leaves his listeners amazed. He has an authoritativeness surpassing that of the scribes of the day. Jesuss authority is not based on his rhetorical ability. But overflows from his mystery, his being the son of God as revealed in the scene of the baptism in the Jordan which as just preceded todays reading. As he is the son, the beloved, he can teach with authority. Even more, his authority acquires the flavor of something new, a freshness that always accompanies the revelation of his persona as in the famous expression  Jesus Christ brought all newness by bringing himself.

Presented with this first characteristic, we can ask how available we are to listen to Jesus, the perfect teacher. Even as many voices reverberate and rattle around us, as many behave like teachers in our lives, todays gospel urges us to give unique importance to the word of Christ. Do we succeed in perceiving his authority? Do we place our trust in him? And as a result, do we trust his word? Have we experienced the freshness of the gospel which is capable of renewing our lives deep down in a radical way? It goes without saying that only constant familiarity with the gospel will allow us to respond to these questions. Only attentiveness to the liturgy and personal reading of scripture will help us discern the word as he passes by. For this reason, the Pope on various occasions has invited us to carry with us a little book of the gospel, pocket gospel. It is not a slogan but a spiritual program.

Let us come now to the second characteristic of Jesus personality as it emerges. The battle with the spirit of evil. Standing before Jesus is a man with an unclean spirit. In the presence of Jesus, the unclean spirits appear in the gospel as powers that are not human, who react in a personal way, who possess special knowledge, who contrast with God, dominate, and cause evil to no small number of humans. They are in opposition to the holy spirit of God. Dragging people this way or that way, stop them from being free. And they show themselves to be powerful enemies of human beings. But Jesus is superior to them. With a single word, He conquers their power. He frees men and women from that kind of slavery, restoring to them their integral freedom. Jesus wants the good of men and women and so he frees them from evil. He came for this reason. To cast into perdition the fearsome one who divides mans inner self. Jesus is able to achieve total liberation precisely through his simple and powerful words, Come out from him! No magical formulas. It is his word that is surpassingly effective. And yet, in our text, we note an atmosphere of real struggle. Evil, thus, gets conquered but it is hard to conquer. The second characteristic then of the public life of Jesus sends us back to the theme against evil. In particular, the theme of the spiritual struggle that each of us equally experiences. Evil is there and Christ is able to defeat it. It is up to us to train ourselves every day for this battle.

As expressed in his letter to the Ephesians, the urgent pleas of Apostle Paul come to our aide. be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole amour of the Lord so that you may be able to stand against the wilds of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the power, against the rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The apostle Paul indicates to us the origin of our strength. The Lord works in us with the energy of his power. He urges us together to unmask the enemy that is the spirit of evil. Pauls exhortation allows the second characteristic of the excerpt from Marks gospel to resound. We can synthesize his exhortation with two terms that are key for the spiritual journey. The first is serenity and the second vigilance. Serenity and vigilance. Serenity because in Christ, we are conquerors. By clinging to him through prayers and sacramental life, vigilance is required to be able to discern evil where it has taken root beginning with our hearts.

Dear brothers and sisters. In the difficult situation in which you find yourselves living, you are experiencing actions close to the power of evil that are in the world. Unfortunately, there is much news of violence, division, and struggles that affect this beloved land.

Todays gospel teaches us not to fear evil and to trust in him who knows how to conquer evil. It teaches us too that the way to defeat evil passes before us through our inner reality, through the purifying of each persons heart. Whether struggles against the evil that is lodged in our hearts becomes a bearer of good, and peace in the family, among the friends in the community. And he or she becomes in this way receiver of hope for the

Lay down your weapons

We are all responsible for peace. All the actors of society are responsible, from the smallest to the biggest person. No one can feel exonerated from the struggle against evil. This is the challenge that faces you today. That finally, arms may be put down, and peace and reconciliation may reign within us and around us. Violence never solves problems. It only creates more problems. Peace is a journey of hope, dialogue, and reconciliation. Dialogue, therefore, is the best way to solve conflicts and misunderstandings.

After having shed light on the main teachings of this episode, I wish to conclude by drawing attention to the reaction of all who heard Jesus's words. The evangelist Mark notes that everyone was amazed and the question arose: what is this? 2000 years later, the amazement in the question with regards to the Lord Jesus has important attitudes to be guarded with care. We should never stop reflecting on this mystery in order to avoid the risk of spiritual pride, the risk of being someone who is convinced that they already know everything about Jesus without realizing that he is always greater than what we can humanly grasp. We should never stop marveling at the fundamental mystery of our Christian faith. The mystery of the son of God who became man for our salvation and our liberation. In this joyful celebration, let us ask for the grace to let ourselves be transformed by the encounter with Jesus.

May the Lord grant us ever to have confidence in his word, to hope in his liberating strength to mark the love with which he sustains us. May he always be close to each one of you, represented in your heart by his peace. And from there, may the marvelous gift of peace shine forth in every corner of this beloved land and upon every person why lives here. I entrust your communities and each of you to Mary, mother of the church and queen of peace upon you. And I hope the protection of St. Joseph to whom your cathedral here is dedicated with the words of the Holy Father Pope Francis. Oh blessed Joseph, show yourself to be a father for us too and guide us along the way of life. Obtain for us grace, mercy, and courage and defend us from every evil. Amen!

Blessing the faithful

Again, congratulations to Archbishop Andrew for receiving the pallium. We continue to pray for him and for his ministry in this archdiocese.

I will bring to the Holy Father your greetings. But especially your witness, faith, hope, and love. Let us grow together in faith, hope, and love in the search for peace. We have prayed Our Lady Queen Of Peace to give peace to this land, to give peace to this region. And we have made it with a lot of faith, with great faith because faith is our strength. And if we believe, we will get what we are asking from God through Mary our mother. Now, as we receive the blessings, let us remain always united in prayers.
The Internet has made the globe a small village with its cutting-edge technologies. Today, websites are a need for every business, and people started opting for development & designing, which help create great global exposure for your business brand with the growing competition. The sector is vital to small & large businesses, universities, colleges, government agencies, and nonprofits.

Today having a functional website is a pre-requirement for any business, as it strengthens to engage with more potential users, capturing a broad market & converting visitors into clients. To design a website, business owners are looking for web development service providers, and this list will help them to hire the best for all their needs. To create the list of the top 10 web development companies in India 2021 for PHP, WordPress, Laravel, Joomla, Shopify, Magento, and other technologies, the team researched several companies from Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and almost all major cities in India.

The List of Top 10 Trustworthy Website Development Companies in India 2021-22

1. Hyperlink InfoSystem

Hyperlink InfoSystem is a reliable and trustworthy web development company located in India that offers accurate and professional website development services within a budget to leverage and grow your online business. They recognize the exact demand of the client and produce websites with excellent strategy and planning. Since 2011, the company has worked with almost 2300+ worldwide clients, delivering 3,500+ apps and 2,000+ website projects for custom requirements.

2. WillowTree Apps

WillowTree is one of the leading web and app development and digital product agencies in the world. Their team of mobile strategists, UI/UX Designers, and software engineers have developed 1000+ mobile and digital solutions for global clients. The company is offering web and app development, chatbot development, software development, UI/UX, and also working on the latest technologies.

3. Tata Consultancy Services

TCS is one of the most well-known IT companies in India and placed among the most valuable IT services brands worldwide. The company offers services like mobile apps, Internet of Things, Blockchain, Cloud Solutions, Enterprise Apps, Automation and AI, and many more. It was founded in 1968 and now operates in 149 locations across 46 countries.

4. Infosys

Infosys Limited is Indian based MNC that provides business consulting, information technology, and outsourcing services. Infosys is the second-largest Indian IT Company after TCS. The company has 82 Sales and marketing offices and 123 development centers around the world.

5. Tech Mahindra

Tech Mahindra is a subsidiary of Mahindra Group, offering Information Technology (IT) services for almost all industries. This company has 125K employees across 90 counties and 900+ active worldwide clients. It offers services like web and app development, Cloud solutions, Enterprise business solutions, Digital Supply Chain, Data Science, and many more.

6. Accenture

Accenture is a Fortune Global 500 company offering services like web development, App development, Blockchain, Cloud, Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, Software Engineering, Supply Chain & Operations, etc. Company has more than 492K employees serving clients from 200 cities in 120 countries.

7. Capgemini India Pvt ltd

Capgemini is one of the leading multinational corporations that provides consulting, technology, professional, and outsourcing services. They have more than 270K employees in over 50 countries. They have expertise in AI Solutions, Cloud Services, SAP Solutions, App Development services, Blockchain solutions, and served almost all industries.

8. HData Systems

HData Systems is India based Data Science Company that help businesses to increase their productivity and performance with the service of analytical approaches. Company offers app development, data science, big data analytics, AI, machine learning, automation, etc.

9. Fueled

Fueled is an award-winning mobile app development company offering its services since 2007. The company offers app development, CRM, POS, CMS, ERP, CDP, Web Development, UI/UX Design, AR/VR, Blockchain, Chatbots, and many more. They served Startups to Enterprise-Level Businesses around the world and their major clients are MGM Resorts International, 9Gag, Harvard, Verizon, Crunchbase, etc.

10. Mphasis

Mphasis Limited is an IT services company based in Bangalore, India. The company provides infrastructure technology and applications outsourcing services, as well as architecture guidance, application development and integration, web development, and application management services.

Disclaimer: This content is distributed by Digpu News Network. No HT journalist is involved in creation of this content.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Rama Rao cautioned the BJP leaders to remember that the TRS has the power, the strength, the force to protect every activist.  Facebook

WARANGAL: TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday strongly condemned the attack by BJP activists on the house of party MLA Challa Dharma Reddy. He said there is no place for such physical attacks in a democracy.

Rama Rao called for all democrats to condemn the BJPs attempt to make its point across by means of physical attacks on other parties instead of convincing the people with their argument.

The BJP has tried physical attacks in the past. Beyond the rational criticisms in politics, the BJP's repeated incursions into physical attacks are not at all desirable for Telangana politics. The TRS party wants value politics to continue in Telangana, he said.

Rama Rao cautioned the BJP leaders to remember that the TRS has the power, the strength, the force to protect every activist. If the TRS workers lose their patience, the BJP will not even be able to roam outside.

Rama Rao said that as a responsible political party, the TRS was moving forward with restraint and patience. We warn the BJP not to forget that the TRS is a party that emerged for a cause. We appeal to the people of the state to take note of the BJP's insidious attempts to wreak havoc in the peaceful Telangana community, he said.
Jerusalem: Israel has extended a national lockdown as coronavirus variants offset its vaccination drive and officials predicted a delay in a turnaround from the health and economic crisis.

Highlighting Israels challenges in enforcing restrictions, thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews attended the Jerusalem funerals of two prominent rabbis on Sunday, drawing criticism from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition partners.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews carry the body of prominent rabbi Meshulam Soloveitchik during his funeral in Jerusalem, on Sunday, January 31. Credit:AP

Netanyahu has promoted a speedy vaccination of Israels most vulnerable cohorts - around 24 per cent of 9 million citizens - and the lockdown as dual pathways to a possible reopening of the economy in February.

But a projected mid-January turnaround in curbing the pandemic did not transpire. Serious cases have surged among Israelis who have not yet been vaccinated. Officials blame that on communicable foreign virus strains and on lockdown scofflaws.


Top Israeli military figures have slammed as empty and inappropriate the recent anti-Iran remarks made by the Israeli regimes army chief of staff lieutenant general Aviv Kochavi. In his remarks on Tuesday, Kochavi said the Israeli military was revising its attack plans against Iran amid fresh efforts by the new US administration to reverse Trumps Iran policy. He warned the Biden administration against rejoining the 2015 landmark Iran nuclear deal, which was abandoned by the Trump administration in May 2018, saying such a move would be bad and not the right thing to do.

I instructed the army to prepare a number of operational plans in addition to the existing ones, Kochavis said. We are taking care of these plans and will develop them during the coming year. Those who decide on carrying them out, of course, are the political leaders. But these plans have to be on the table, the Israeli general said.

Kochavis remarks were met with trenchant criticisms  even among the critics of the nuclear agreement, which was reached during former President Barack Obamas time in office.

Amos Gilad, a former head of Israeli Military Intelligence, said the threat of military action against Iran was an empty one and such a strike would never happen without the backing of the United States. You think you would carry out a strike without strategic cooperation with the United States? It will never, ever happen, Gilad said in an interview on the 103FM radio station on Wednesday. Understand that these are all just words. He warned that harsh remarks that contradict the position of the new American administration could be seen as defiance by the White House, adding, Thats not how you lead a policy. (PRESS TV)



BEIRUT, LEBANON (8:20 P.M.)  The spokesman for the Iranian armed forces, Major General Abu Fadl Shikaraji, threatened to destroy Tel Aviv in case Israel makes any mistake against Iran. Israels threats are part of psychological warfare, and if they are realistic, then they are illusions, Shkaraji said, adding that the Iranian army will destroy Tel Aviv and erase it if Israel commits any stupidity against our nuclear facilities.

The Israeli army lives in a state of terror and is too weak to carry out its threats on the ground, he said, adding that Israels threat to destroy our nuclear facilities is just illusions and pipe dreams. Shkharji stressed that the Iranian army will destroy the Israeli missile bases as soon as Iran is exposed to any attack, noting that the large part of Irans military capabilities have not been revealed. (AMN)



If the Zionists make a foolish move or any mistake, even the slightest one, against Iran, they will face a reaction that will destroy Tel Aviv and hasten the end of their regime, Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi told Iran's Arabic-language Al Alam news network. He also said the Iranian Armed Forces have been strengthening their defensive capabilities day by day, and that the country is capable of carrying out strategic operations to level the enemy to the ground. (PRESS TV)



These excerpts from Iranian Press TV and Al Masdar News articles capture the current state of play in the ongoing Israeli-Iranian confrontation. Israeli and Iranian verbal chest thumping is at an all time high. If blustery language were bombs, wed be deep into WW III. However, Gilad is correct. Without US strategic cooperation, there will not be a massive conventional air attack on Iran. And that strategic cooperation is unlikely to be forthcoming under Biden, even though there are still plenty of Borg clowns in this administration just itching for just such an attack.

Throughout the Obama and Trump administrations the most probable scenarios involved massive US air and missile strikes against Iran to obliterate Tehrans nuclear infrastructure and bring about regime change. These strikes would be in conjunction with Israeli strikes or reluctantly launched after an insufficient initial Israeli strike. The goal, Israels goal, was always to eliminate Iran as a threat to Israel. There was nothing in it for us other than pleasing Israel and risking WW III.

The goal of US administrations was to prevent this, usually by placating Israel in various ways. No one, not Bush, not Obama, nor Trump wanted the US involved in a war against Iran. However, they were all plagued by swarms of Israel Firsters praying, many literally praying, for war. Obamas approach was the JCPOA. Israel viewed the JCPOA as an existential threat to their goal. Trump had a different approach, trash the JCPOA and embark on a policy of maximum pressure to collapse the regime in Tehran. Like previous administrations, this maximum pressure policy did not envision a massive US air attack.

Israel decided she could work with this. This became apparent when we learned of another Trump Tower meeting in 2016. This one had nothing to do with Russia. It was all about Iran and how the US, Israel, the UAE and the Saudis would force regime change in Tehran. It included a proposal to create a UAE-Saudi anti-terrorist force that would supplant the need for the US to police the region. Not that bad a plan, really. Getting rid of JCPOA was easy. It was an Obama agreement. Of course Trump would scuttle that. The same for selling weapons and ordnance to the Saudis and UAE. Thats profitable business. The assassination of Qasem Soleimani may or may not have been a part of this maximum pressure policy.

An important part of this grand plan was a robust regional strategic realignment. Israels close military cooperation with the UAE began in the 1990s. It was low key, but extensive. Kushners grand Middle East bargain last year just made that official. The UAEs Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) appears to be the true power broker on the Arabian Peninsula rather than the Saudi Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). He was the driving force behind the Abraham Accords. MBZ is a Sandhurst graduate and has built the UAE military and intelligence into competent forces although they are largely foreign. He is measured, pragmatic and sits atop large oil reserves as well as a growing international financial hub. His hand is behind many of the events throughout the Arab world. He is definitely worth watching.

Now back to Israel and Iran. At one time the best Israel hoped for was the unhindered flight of the IAF across Saudi airspace enroute to Iranian targets. That limited hope has morphed into the possibility of the active involvement of UAE and even Saudi bases and forces in an attack on Iran. The addition of fifty F-35s to the UAE Air Force would greatly increase the strike capabilities of the current hundred or so F-16 and Mirage 2000 aircraft. Even though reaching full operational capability would be several years away, I think the IAF would be giddy with anticipation of this possibility in spite of their apprehensions about Arab F-35s. In the meantime, Israel and the UAE are building a joint intelligence base on Socotra. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are cooperating with Israel on missile defense, intelligence sharing, reconnaissance (both airborne and at sea) and cybersecurity. This Israeli-Emerati confidence building and integration will continue as long as MBZ sees it as advantageous.

The Saudi war on the Houthis has not helped Israel. Even though the UAE has pulled out of the conflict, Israels closeness to the UAE and growing cooperation with the Saudis have made Israel an active enemy of the Houthi. In response Iran has introduced the Shahed-131 and the more advanced Shahed-136 loitering munition UAVs to the northern Yemeni province of Al-Jawf. The Shahed -136 has an effective range of over 1,200 miles bring southern Israel and Gulf of Aqaba ship traffic within range. In response, Israel has had to station Patriot and Iron Dome AD systems at Eilat - the opening of an unwanted southern front in addition to the constant threat of Hezbollah to the north. This is also whatever missiles and drones Iran may have stationed in Iraq and Syria.

So, how will the Biden administration change Israeli calculations for a strike against Iran? Of primary interest to Israel is Bidens desire to reenter the JCPOA and improve relations with Tehran. As I alluded to earlier, this is anathema to Israel. Will this make Israel antsy enough to strike? I dont think so. Biden is also withdrawing support from the Saudi war in Yemen. He halted logistical and munitions support to the Saudis and paused the effort to provide F-35s to the UAE. The latter may even give MBZ pause for further open military cooperation with Israel. He wants those F-35s. Well never abandon Israel, but can we be relied on to provide logistical, intelligence and strike support to an Israeli initiated attack on Iran? In my opinion, it is no longer a sure thing.

And then there is Russia. The last thing she wants is an expanded war in the Middle East. Russia has recently signed several agreements to bolster Iranians defenses both air defenses and cyber defenses. Lavrov said that the construction of new units of the Bushehr nuclear power plant was discussed during his recent meeting with his Iranian counterpart. He also said "Russia hopes that the United States will return to the JCPOA and that this will be a condition for Iran to implement the JCPOA" and that "Moscow will continue its efforts to ensure that Iran and the United States fully comply with their obligations to the JCPOA in the near future." Russias demonstrated expertise in radio-electronic combat should make Israel think twice about a first strike. Not only would this expertise bolster Irans defenses, but Russia could hamper Israels strike capabilities from her bases in Syria and her ships in the Mediterranean. Russia would not sit this one out.

In my opinion, an Israeli strike on Iran is not imminent. Nor is it in the cards in at least the next several years. Israel has to be sure of a convincing victory. A draw would further damage Israels aura of invincibility. Without that, Israels best and brightest will fly away leaving nothing but Talmudic scholars and angry Palestinians to hash things out. There will be conflict as well as more big talk and selling of wolf tickets like I posted at the top of this article. The political maneuvering will continue. Military capabilities will continue to be developed. The intelligence conflict will continue. The cyber conflict will continue. All this will continue until something breaks one way or the other.

TTG

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/01/29/644100/Israeli-figures-slam-Kochavi-empty-rhetoric

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/iranian-army-spokesman-threatens-to-destroy-tel-aviv-if-israel-attacks-irans-nuclear-facilities/

https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/01/28/644011/Iran-Israel-threat-Dehqan-Shekarchi
This is the first part of a two-part article rebutting a commentary published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Viewpoint, which claims school reopenings are safe. Part Two can be read here

Last week saw a corporate media blitz orchestrated by the broadcast television and print media, assailing the public with claims that a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) justifies President Joe Bidens plan to reopen schools amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The campaign began after a report by three CDC scientists was published in the JAMA Network Viewpoint on January 26, which carefully pieced together several selected but severely limited observational studies conducted in the US during the initial fall reopening of schools, asserting that in-school transmission of the coronavirus was a rare event. This was a period in the US when daily case rates had declined considerably, and hospitalizations had reached their lowest point in months.

The JAMA opinion piece did not cite, nor has the CDC conducted, any large-scale prevalence studies or antibody testing of students and teachers to address the relationship between educational settings and community transmission. The comment completely ignored more recent and relevant studies that refute the assumption of school safety, in a way which can only be understood as politically motivated.

Pennsylvania classroom with in-person instruction [Credit: Conestoga Valley School District Facebook page]

The media has latched on to this assertion that schools are safe havens for children to attack rank-and-file teachers who are resisting the call by the states and the education unions to acquiesce to demands for immediate reopening. USA Today wrote, In-person school can be safe! NPR said, CDC makes the case for schools reopening.

The Washington Post, leading the charge, stated, CDC finds scant spread of coronavirus in schools. In an editorial, the newspaper, owned by billionaire Amazon boss Jeff Bezos, wrote, The COVID-19 danger does not lie in the classroom, but in the community  Those who are clamoring for open schools have a lot of evidence on their side that in-person classrooms have not been transmission belts for the coronavirus.

It was the White House itself that had to rein in the more extravagant claims. In response to a question from a reporter, Thereve been a number of studies, including the recent one out of the CDC [the Wisconsin study] that have shown evidence that schools are perfectly safe for students to go back and there were recommendations that they should go back. So, this seems like a bit of a dispute between teachers, unions, and the science. So, where does the administration stand in that dispute?

The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, responded cautiously: President Biden wants schools to open and he wants them to stay open because its obviously very disruptive to families  but that means making sure as you said that every school is able to have the equipment and resources to open safely, not just rural schools or private schools, which often is where a lot of the school openings and schools staying open is happening. Its more of a challenge in public schools where they dont have that funding from tuition or smaller populations where its easier to put in place the actions needed to keep the schools open.

She continued, acknowledging that the CDC study, which I know has received a lot of attention, was based on kind of an area that was more rural in Wisconsin. And I think what Dr. Walensky [the new director of the CDC] has said, in fact said this on CNN last night, is that for areas where they are more populated, where there is a lot more foot traffic that theyre going to need to be a lot of steps put in place in order to make the schools reopening safe  it requires the Department of Education and CDC to provide evidence-based guidance.

The way the campaign to reopen schools has been prosecuted in the media has been nothing short of a rhetorical blitzkrieg, allowing the White House to take a few steps back and distance themselves. The CDC has done the same. There is a disclaimer accompanying the JAMA Viewpoint commentary stating that the findings and conclusions in the report are those of the authors [CDC researchers] and do not necessarily represent the official position of the CDC. This is not mentioned by the press, which seeks to use the authority of the CDC to drive the campaign to reopen schools.

There are clearly political motivations underlying the White House caution. The Biden administration wants to force teachers back into classrooms, but recognizes there is mass opposition from the rank-and-file, and prefers to leave the dirty work to the unions and local and state school officials. Biden, meanwhile, continues to mouth rhetoric about reopening safely, even though, under conditions of a global pandemic, this is impossible.

Recent international studies on children and COVID-19

It is important to take up the science allegedly underlying the JAMA Viewpoint commentary, and thus the entire campaign by the Biden administration and Democratic-run school districts like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, to reopen the schools. Contrary to the slanders of the media, it is the teachers, not the school administratorsand the capitalist bosses demanding the schools reopen so that parents can go back to work producing profitswho have science on their side.

The European Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) have at least acknowledged that children of all ages are susceptible to and can transmit SARS-CoV-2. They have also stated that school closures can contribute to a reduction in SARS-CoV-2 transmission but by themselves are insufficient in the absence of an all-of-society effort and a point we address at length below. They had admitted they lacked adequate data to explain the role children and schools played in community transmission. However, more evidence has come to light since the ECDC issued a statement in December.

Under the headline Europes Schools Are Closing Again on Concerns They Spread COVID-19, the Wall Street Journal reported, As US authorities debate whether to keep schools open, a consensus is emerging in Europe that children are a considerable factor in the spread of COVID-19and more countries are shutting schools for the first time since the spring.

Antoine Flahault, director of the University of Genevas Institute of Global Health, explained that during the second wave in Europe, the evidence obtained through antibody surveys conducted in various nations showed that the coronavirus equally infects school children. Swiss schools have been open since summer. Antibody tests showed that children aged 6 to 18 were becoming infected just as much as young adults. A nationwide survey in Austria found children under 10 have infection rates similar to those of older children and these children were becoming infected as often as their teachers.

In December, positivity rates among children were higher than adults. Even the prime minister of England, Boris Johnson, had to concede, The problem is schools may nonetheless act as vectors for transmission, causing the virus to spread between households.

The JAMA Viewpoint, ignoring these developments in Europe, also chose not to address an important study from southern India, published in the journal Science on November 6, which found children were spreading the virus among themselves and adults. The authors noted that the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh had developed a rigorous contact tracing and testing system. The study indicated that super-spreading events predominated, with approximately 5 percent of infected individuals accounting for 80 percent of secondary cases.

Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan, member of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy in New Delhi, India, told NPR, What we found in our study is that children were actually quite important. They were likely to get infected, particularly by young adults of the ages 20 to 40. They were likely to transmit the disease amongst themselves  and they also go out and infect people of all age groups, including the elderly. Many kids are silent spreaders in the sense that they dont manifest the disease with symptoms. They happen to get infected as much as anyone else, and then they happen to spread it to other people.

To defuse any criticism that their assertions that schools ignored countervailing evidence, the JAMA Viewpoint cites only one frequently mentioned COVID-19 outbreak that occurred in May 2020 in a high school in Israel. They assert that such events are rare, and the super-spreading event occurred because the school abandoned their mitigation protocols. Their hope is that the public will accept their claim that school outbreaks are rare events and only occur when schools dont adhere to regulations, which would allow states and districts to shift the blame onto teachers and students when outbreaks occur.

The Wisconsin study

As has been mentioned, the centerpiece of the JAMA Viewpoint summary in support of school openings is the recently published study from Wisconsin by the CDC which has been hailed as the mitigation model for future school reopening.

The study period was from August 31 to November 29, 2020. Seventeen K-12 schools in rural Wisconsin participated. Surveillance in schools was initiated by a small group of physicians and medical student researchers. The districts received funding from the Legacy Foundation of Central Wisconsin to purchase three-layer cloth facemasks for all students. Classes ranged from 11 to 20 students. (In Wisconsin, average class sizes are approximately 20.) Students were asked to always wear their masks indoors and stay six feet apart.

COVID-19 incidence among students and staff compared to the county overall was 3,453 per 100,000 versus 5,466 per 100,000. Among the 191 cases identified among students and teachers, only seven cases (3.7 percent) were linked to in-school spread.

On the surface, the conclusions appear valid. However, there are troubling biases that are embedded and overlooked in such a study, where surveillance by researchers and political scrutiny on the educational district are considerable, making generalizability to real-life situations difficult. Will every school district be policed, have the best cloth face coverings offered, and weekly reports sent to the CDC and public health departments ensuring them that monitoring of student activities had been strictly enforced?

Even so, one important limitation of the study was that schools admittedly did not conduct infection screening of staff members and students to include PCR testing, negating the ability to estimate the prevalence of asymptomatic spread. No serological studies were conducted to assess any linkage between schools and the rising community transmission being experienced in the state. Immediately, in conjunction with the starting date of the study, the seven-day average of COVID-19 infections in the state climbed from 696 cases per day to a peak of 6,563 cases per day on November 18.

The Montreal study

A more compelling study from Montreal provides a more granular assessment of childrens role in the community spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The authors, Dr. Simona Bignami of Montreal University and Dr. John F. Sandberg of George Washington University, wrote, As the start of the fall 2020 school year coincided with the start of the second wave in many European countries and Canada, the debate became particularly heated. What has been the role of transmission of COVID-19 in school-aged children for the overall incidence of infection in fall 2020? The answer to this question has immediate political relevance in deciding if, when, and how to reopen schools as the pandemic unfolds and immunization coverage remains low.

They note that before the opening of schools, Montreals public health authorities had documented 7.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants around mid-August. By January 5, 2021, the incidence of infections had climbed to 282.7 cases per 100,000, with a concomitant rise in hospitalizations and deaths. However, Quebecs government decided nonetheless to reopen schools on January 11, stating, like their American counterparts, that adults are responsible for the circulation of the virus in the community because COVID-19 cases were higher for adults than for children. They also adamantly stated that affected schools had only reported some isolated cases.

To answer this critical question, Bignami and Sandberg turned to the unprecedented compilation of data published by the Regional Health Directorate of Montreal, which tracks weekly cases across 26 boroughs at 339 Montreal schools. Their findings noted that children do represent a significant part of all confirmed COVID-19 cases. Regions with the highest incidence of COVID-19 among children were those with lower income households and had a higher proportion of children under 18 in each household.

A critical observation was that infections in children age 10 to 19 preceded the increase in cases among adults age 30 to 49. This means that infected children were infecting their parents, not the reverse. Similarly, by November, children under 10 saw an acceleration in new cases at the same rate as other age groups, implying that once community spread becomes high, not even young children are spared. The researchers concluded, the transmission of COVID among children of school age does not appear to be the consequence, but rather an important determinant of the general level of infection in surrounding communities.

In an interview with Global News Canada, Oliver Drouin, one of the co-authors of the study, who also runs COVID Ecoles Quebec, made a revealingly cogent observation, When you have a case in school, you may have one, two, three other cases at home that are not counted as school cases but of course they are counted as home cases.

To be continued
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.
Screen Producers Australia is calling for entries for Got a Minute, a pitching contest in partnership with Tik Tok.

Designed to help Australian storytellers share their unique voices and stories with the world via the exciting format of short-form mobile video content, Got a Minute? calls for participants to submit a pilot for a high quality 10 x 1 minute series that shows that engaging stories can be told in a minute. Three finalists will pitch their series to a panel of industry experts in a mainstage session on the second day of Screen Forever, where the winner will be chosen.

For your chance to win, create a pilot for a 10 x 60 second series & enter at: screenforever.org.au/35/Got-A-Minute

Related
BURTON, MI  Watcharaporn Kaye Watcharawipa-Menezo has always planned to open a restaurant some day -- one where she could serve others the food she learned how to cook from her family.

Watcharawipa-Menezo, 49, left her hometown of Bangkok, Thailand 30 years ago to pursue an education as an exchange student at the University of Michigan.

She obtained two degrees: one in communications and international studies and a masters in business.

Watcharawipa-Menezo along with her business partner and chef Savajaj Jack Soukamneuth had a soft opening for Manee Thai Cuisine on Jan. 18.

The new eatery, located at 1117 S. Belsay Road, in Burton has experienced a steady flow of customers since that day.

Manee translates to paragon in English, which means a perfect diamond.

Like a special stone, Watcharawipa-Menezo further clarified.

Soukamneuth started cooking as a chef at a metro Detroit restaurant in the early 1990s, at a time when restaurants with such cuisine werent as popular.

Over time, more and more Thai restaurants joined the scene, he said.

Watcharawipa-Menezo grew up cooking with her family in Thailand.

The business partners use recipes theyve accumulated over the years.

I always enjoyed cooking, Watcharawipa-Menezo said.

Nearly 20 years ago, the business owner ran another restaurant located in Oakland County, but once her son was born she took a step back to focus on raising him, Watcharawipa-Menezo said.

The restaurants menu features many dishes such as egg rolls, Thai buffalo wings, coconut shrimp, Tom yum soup, a hot and sour soup made with Thai herbs, an assortment of vegetables, hot chili, choice of chicken or tofu and topped with green onions and cilantro.

Thai beef salad, peanut butter chicken, spicy catfish, and curry fried rice are also on the menu.

The most popular meal on the menu is pad Thai, a stir-fried rice noodle dish made with rice noodles, chicken, beef or tofu, peanuts, a scrambled egg, bean sprouts, and a variety of other vegetables.

Most of our food -- the ingredients is herbs and spice, noted Watcharawipa-Menezo, explaining thats what makes the food delectable.

The restaurant also gives customers an opportunity to choose their level of spice for their food.

Watcharawipa-Menezo said she expects to have a grand opening in the next couple of weeks.

Diners who are eager to catch a meal inside the restaurant can do so as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services ban on dine-in services expired on Monday. Feb. 1. Take out will still be an option as well.

The business is open from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sundays.

Related news:

Local Eats: Prime Eight Ten in Mt. Morris Township offers upscale dining with lamb chops and lobster tails

Dine outdoors in luxurious suites, shanties and igloos at these mid-Michigan restaurants

Restaurants reopen today for indoor dining  here are Michigans new rules

The struggle of Chicago educators to prevent the deadly reopening of schools is intensifying each day and continues to be the focal point of the class struggle in the United States. In defying the dictates of the Chicago Democratic Party political machine headed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, teachers and school workers are giving voice to the strivings of millions of workers across the US and globally to implement measures to contain the pandemic and save lives.

With schools slated to reopen Monday, Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Janice Jackson held a press conference Sunday evening in which they falsified science and threatened teachers to try to cow them into submission. Due to widespread opposition, including from parents and students, city and school officials acceded to teachers demands to restrict classes to remote-only on Monday but insisted they conduct online instruction from school buildings or face retribution.

The 62,000 K-8 students district officials said would return to in-person classes Monday are being taught remotely today. The district has threatened to take punitive action against teachers who did not show up at buildings, locking them out of their Google Classroom accounts to prevent them from teaching remotely.

Chicago teachers protesting unsafe working conditions. (Photo: Twitter @CTULocal1)

Lightfoot and Jackson no doubt have a direct line of communication with the White House, which is acutely aware of the importance of reopening the third largest district in the US to help Biden implement his stated goal to reopen all schools across the country. The Democratic president is pursuing this policy at the worst stage of the pandemic, as hospitals are saturated and more dangerous variants of COVID-19 spread largely undetected throughout the country.

After falsely claiming that CPS schools are safe, Lightfoot menacingly declared Sunday, We expect all of our teachers who have not received a specific accommodation to come to school tomorrow. Those who do not report to work, and I hate to even go there, but were going to have to take action.

In an effort to drive a wedge between educators and parents, many of whom have organized a student sickout in support of teachers, Lightfoot also urged parents to send their children back to schools on Tuesday. Shortly after the press conference, CPS sent an email to all educators declaring that they will be considered absent without leave and locked out of their Google Classroom accounts if they do not show up to schools on Monday.

The district previously sent the same email to Pre-K and cluster teachers, resulting in a lockout that the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) did nothing seriously to oppose. Facing enormous opposition from rank-and-file teachers, the CTU says that if CPS imposes a mass lockout they will call a House of Delegates meeting Monday night to vote on whether to strike, which could begin as early as Tuesday. The CTU has scheduled a press conference for noon today.

Immediately after the CPS press conference, the CTU held an online all-membership meeting which over 10,000 educators attended. Attendees left over 1,200 comments and questions in the chat, many of which were highly critical of the CTU. The union has been negotiating with CPS behind closed doors to try to reach a miserable compromise to unsafely reopen schools. They fully support Biden and the Democratic Party, which have emerged as the clear enemies of all educators.

At the meeting, CTU President Jesse Sharkey sought to disarm educators, stating, The mayor just got done doing a press conference saying people have to come back on Monday and there are going to be consequences if people dont, but thats the same thing she said last week, and of course there werent any, you know, people werent locked out.

Sharkey repeated this multiple times, stating, This is not the first time or even the second time theyve threatened us and havent acted on it and On Monday, tomorrow, were working remotely, were going to see what happens. Hopefully, they blink again, he concluded complacently.

The unions primary demands have been that teachers begin getting vaccinated before theyre sent back into classrooms, and that the district close schools if the citywide test positivity rate surpasses a threshold that they're negotiating. Regarding the latter, Sharkey acknowledged that this condition could soon be met, stating, You know, obviously, positivity rates are falling. I do think that the condition, were getting to a place where they could say, okay, we could open school.

The demand that only teachers be vaccinated is totally unscientific and ignores the mountain of evidence that children in schools are major vectors for the spread of the virus throughout communities. Having a citywide test positivity rate to trigger the closure of schools was the same criterion set by the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) in September to reopen schools in New York City, the largest school district in the country. When the threshold was passed in November, schools closed for less than a week before Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio unilaterally overrode the threshold and reopened schools, with full support from the UFT.

The sentiment among rank-and-file educators is diametrically opposed to that of Sharkey and the CTU bureaucracy. There are growing calls for immediate strike action to close all schools and fully fund remote learning until the pandemic is contained and the population is vaccinated.

One educator commented in the chat, Can we please declare a strike already! Pre-k, cluster, clinicians and others continue to be lambs left to the slaughter! We will be the only ones declared AWOL tomorrow!

Evidently concerned that the CTU will again do nothing if CPS locks out more teachers on Monday, as took place on January 12, another teacher asked, How many members have to be locked out before we take action? I do not think that has been stated.

In a revealing exchange, an educator wrote, The Mayor and CEO just said that they are locking us out tomorrow at the end of the business day. Why not Strike tomorrow? CTU official Chris Baehrend responded with soporifics, writing, The Mayor has issued many threats that she has not followed through on, so lets see.

Also, on Sunday evening, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73 announced they had reached an agreement with CPS. The union covers roughly 7,500 special education classroom assistants (SECAs), school bus drivers and aides, custodians, security guards and other support staff, many of whom have returned to schools since the phased-in openings began on January 4.

The agreement states, SECAs can continue working from home until an agreement is reached between CPS and CTU on resuming in-person instruction. The deal, however, gives the district full latitude to deny requests for health accommodations from at-risk workers or those with at-risk family members. The SEIU also pledges to be a strikebreaker should CTU members go on strike, stating, If theres a work stoppage, SECAs, Bus Aides, parent workers, and bus monitors who remain available to work can continue to work remotely without loss in pay, the deal states.

Since CPS began the phased reopening of schools on January 4 with the collusion of the CTU and SEIU there have already been over 150 infections in Chicago schools. Last Thursday, it was reported that Marshall High School custodian and SEIU Local 73 member Marcus Young died from COVID-19.

In their battle to defend the health and lives of students, their families, themselves and all workers, Chicago educators are in a direct confrontation with the entire political establishment and their backers in the trade unions and corporate media.

The Biden administration has repeatedly stated that its primary goal is to resume in-person learning at the majority of all schools by the end of April, with the sole purpose of getting parents back to work to produce corporate profits. Speaking on NBC-TVs Meet the Press program Sunday, Bidens top economic adviser Brian Deese bluntly stated, We have to get the schools reopened so that parents can go back to work.

In his campaign to open schools Biden also has the support of the so-called progressive Bernie Sanders who told ABC-TVs This Week Sunday, We cannot have  schools not open. We need to open our schools in a safe way.

There is widespread support to link up the fight of teachers with broader sections of the working class. Factories, warehouses, construction sites, public transit and other workplaces, along with nursing homes and schools, are where the largest outbreaks are occurring.

Only the Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, which was formed last month independently of the unions and both big business parties, is fighting for the closure of all schools and nonessential businesses, full compensation for all workers and parents who remain home, and for a massive allocation of resources for high quality remote learning, assistance to parents and students and massively ramping up the production and distribution of vaccines. Our committee is coordinating with a growing network of such rank-and-file committees across the US to prepare for a nationwide general strike to close all schools and nonessential workplaces .

In the latest national meeting of the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee held on Saturday, a veteran Chicago teacher and member of the Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee declared, The unions are not going to protect all of us. Joining the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee is how we must fight. This is why only we can defend ourselves. No one is going to save us. There must be a nationally coordinated response to stop all the reopenings independent of unions.

The fate of this struggle cannot be left in the hands of the CTU. Preparations must be made to oppose whatever sellout agreement is reached between the union and the district, and to organize the broadest strike action involving educators, parents and all workers throughout the region and nationally. We urge all Chicago educators to sign up today to join and help build the Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee to wage this fight.
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
Famed actress Angelina Jolie will put the Moroccan landscape painting 'Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque' on Christies auction, Nick Orchard, head of Christie's modern British art department revealed.



Coming from Jolies private collection, the paintings estimated price is GBP 1.5-2.5 million at Christies modern British art auction, which will take place in early March 2021.

'Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque' was painted after the Casablanca Conference, which brought together Churchill and Roosevelt in Marrakesh to discuss strategies of defeating Nazi Germany.

Christie's clarifies that the painting was given by Churchill to Roosevelt, whose son sold it years later. Having circulated among numerous buyers, the painting was acquired by the Jolie-Pitt family in 2011.

Painted in 1943 during World War II, the work is a testimony to Churchill's creative skills, which he had put to use since his teenage years.

The known British statesman and hobbyist painter resorted to art whenever he could. He created a total of over 500 works, several of which focus on the architecture and landscapes of Marrakesh and a few others representing Arab countries he visited.

Painting came to my rescue in a most trying time, Churchill wrote in one of his essays that would become a small book, Painting as a Pastime (1920), reports Casey Lesser for Artsy.net.

His approach was very simple: Go outside and paint what you see, Duncan Sandys, Churchills great-grandson, told Artsy. He did it for fun; he didnt take his paintings very seriously.

Churchill's painting, titled 'The Giza Pyramids at Cairo', was auctioned at Christie's in London in November 2020. Estimated at GBP 350,000 - GBP 500,000, the painting was sold for GBP 421,250.

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:


BGI Group, the worlds largest genomics company which provided COVID-19 tests worldwide including India, has been exposed as a front for the Chinese military. According to Bill Evanina, Americas top counterintelligence officer, Chinese military is trying to collect DNA samples from foreign nations using BGI Group as a front, for use in their Bioweapons program..

BGI Group, the worlds largest genomics company, has worked with Chinas military on research that ranges from mass testing for respiratory pathogens to brain science, a Reuters review of research, patent filings and other documents has found.

The review, of more than 40 publicly available documents and research papers in Chinese and English, shows BGIs links to the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) include research with Chinas top military supercomputing experts.

Shares of BGI Genomics Co, the companys subsidiary listed on the Shenzhen stock exchange, have doubled in price over the past 12 months, giving it a market value of about $9 billion.

BGI Group has supplied COVID-19 tests to nations worldwide including India.

According to Bill Evanina, Americas top counterintelligence officer, Chinese military is trying to collect DNA samples of foreign nations using BGI Group as a front.

Foreign powers can collect, store and exploit biometric information from COVID tests, read the statement issued by Evanina.

A CBS News report said that the BGI Group made the offer to Washington state, California, New York, and at least two other states. The offer was made as soon as the first major coronavirus outbreak appeared in the U.S.

Evanina told CBS News that he believed the Chinese government was engaged in a concerted effort to collect DNA in order to gain an edge on medical advancements.

As reported by GreatGameIndia earlier, Chinas national strategy of military-civil fusion has highlighted biology as a priority, and the Peoples Liberation Army could be at the forefront of expanding and exploiting this knowledge.

The PLA is pursuing military applications for biology and looking into promising intersections with other disciplines, including brain science, supercomputing, and artificial intelligence.

Since 2016, the Central Military Commission has funded projects on military brain science, advanced biomimetic systems, biological and biomimetic materials, human performance enhancement, and new concept biotechnology.

For latest updates on the outbreak check out our Coronavirus Coverage.

Send in your tips and submissions by filling out this form or write to us directly at the email provided. Join us on WhatsApp for more intel and updates.

We need your support to carry on our independent and investigative research based journalism on the Deep State threats facing humanity. Your contribution however small helps us keep afloat. Kindly consider supporting GreatGameIndia.
What are the tax benefits of owning a home? Plenty of homeowners are asking themselves this right around now as they prepare to file their taxes.

You may recall the Tax Cuts and Jobs Actthe most substantial overhaul to the U.S. tax code in more than 30 yearswent into effect on Jan. 1, 2018. The result was likely a big change to your taxes, especially the tax perks of homeownership.

While this revised tax code is still in effect today, the coronavirus has thrown a few curveballs. For one, the Internal Revenue Service has delayed filing season by about two weeks, which means it won't start accepting or processing any 2020 tax year returns until Feb. 12, 2021. (So far at least, the filing deadline stands firm at the usual date, April 15.)

In addition to this delay, many might be wondering whether the new realities of COVID-19 life (like their work-from-home setup) might qualify for a tax deduction, or how other variables from unemployment to stimulus checks might affect their tax return this year.

Whatever questions you have, look no further than this complete guide to all the tax benefits of owning a home, where we run down all the tax breaks homeowners should be aware of when they file their 2020 taxes in 2021. Read on to make sure you aren't missing anything that could save you money!

Tax break 1: Mortgage interest

Homeowners with a mortgage that went into effect before Dec. 15, 2017, can deduct interest on loans up to $1 million.

"However, for acquisition debt incurred after Dec. 15, 2017, homeowners can only deduct the interest on the first $750,000," says Lee Reams Sr., chief content officer of TaxBuzz.

Why it's important: The ability to deduct the interest on a mortgage continues to be a big benefit of owning a home. And the more recent your mortgage, the greater your tax savings.

"The way mortgage payments are amortized, the first payments are almost all interest," says Wendy Connick, owner of Connick Financial Solutions. (See how your loan amortizes and how much you're paying in interest with this online mortgage calculator.)

Note that the mortgage interest deduction is an itemized deduction. This means that for it to work in your favor, all of your itemized deductions (there are more below) need to be greater than the new standard deduction, which the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act nearly doubled.

And note that those amounts just increased for the 2020 tax year. For individuals, the deduction is now $12,400 ($12,200 in 2019), and it's $24,800 for married couples filing jointly ($24,400 in 2019), plus $1,300 for each spouse aged 65 or older. The deduction also went up to $18,650 for head of household ($18,350 in 2019), plus an additional $1,650 for those 65 or older.

As a result, only about 5% of taxpayers will itemize deductions this filing season, says Connick.

For some homeowners, itemizing simply may not be worth it. So when would itemizing work in your favor? As one example, if you're a married couple under 65 who paid $20,000 in mortgage interest and $6,000 in state and local taxes, you would exceed the standard deduction and be able to reduce your taxable income by an additional $1,200 by itemizing.

__________

Watch: Ready To Refinance? Ask These 5 Questions First

__________

Tax break 2: Property taxes

This deduction is capped at $10,000 for those married filing jointly no matter how high the taxes are. (Here's more info on how to calculate property taxes.)

Why it's important: Taxpayers can take one $10,000 deduction, says Brian Ashcraft, director of compliance at Liberty Tax Service.

Just note that property taxes are on that itemized list of all of your deductions that must add up to more than your particular standard deduction to be worth your while.

And remember that if you have a mortgage, your property taxes are built into your monthly payment.

Tax break 3: Private mortgage insurance

If you put less than 20% down on your home, odds are you're paying private mortgage insurance, or PMI, which costs from 0.3% to 1.15% of your home loan.

But here's some good news for PMI users: You can deduct the interest on this insurance thanks to the Mortgage Insurance Tax Deduction Act of 2019aka the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Actwhich reinstated certain deductions and credits for homeowners.

"These include the deduction for PMI," says Laura Fogel, certified public accountant at Gonzalez and Associates in Massachusetts. (This credit is retroactive, so talk to your accountant to see if it makes sense to amend your 2018 or 2019 tax return in case you missed it in past years.)

Also note that this tax deduction is set to expire again after 2020 unless Congress decides to extend it in 2021.

Why it's important: The PMI interest deduction is also an itemized deduction. But if you can take it, it might help push you over the $24,800 standard deduction for married couples under 65. And here's how much you'll save: If you make $100,000 and put down 5% on a $200,000 house, you'll pay about $1,500 in annual PMI premiums and thus cut your taxable income by $1,500. Nice!

Tax break 4: Energy efficiency upgrades

The Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit was a tax incentive for installing alternative energy upgrades in a home. Most of these tax credits expired after December 2016; however, two credits are still around (but not for long). The credits for solar electric and solar water-heating equipment are available through Dec. 31, 2021, says Josh Zimmelman, owner of Westwood Tax & Consulting, a New Yorkbased accounting firm.

The SECURE Act also retroactively reinstated a $500 deduction for certain qualified energy-efficient upgrades "such as exterior windows, doors, and insulation," says Fogel.

Why it's important: You can still save a tidy sum on your solar energy. Andbonus!this is a credit, so no worrying about itemizing here. However, the percentage of the credit varies based on the date of installation. For equipment installed between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020, 26% of the expenditure is eligible for the credit (down from 30% in 2019). That figure drops to 22% for installation between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2021. As of now, the credit ends entirely after 2021.

Tax break 5: A home office

Good news for all self-employed people whose home office is the main place where they work: You can deduct $5 per square foot, up to 300 square feet, of office space, which amounts to a maximum deduction of $1,500.

For those who can take the deduction, understand that there are very strict rules on what constitutes a dedicated, fully deductible home office space. Here's more on the much-misunderstood home office tax deduction.

The fine print: The bad news for everyone forced to work at home due to COVID-19? Unfortunately, if you are a W-2 employee, you're not eligible for the home office deduction under the CARES Act even if you spent most of 2020 in your home office.

Tax break 6: Home improvements to age in place

To get this break, these home improvements will need to exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. So if you make $60,000, this deduction kicks in only on money spent over $4,500.

The cost of these improvements can result in a nice tax break for many older homeowners who plan to age in place and add renovations such as wheelchair ramps or grab bars in bathrooms. Deductible improvements might also include widening doorways, lowering cabinets or electrical fixtures, and adding stair lifts.

The fine print: Youll need a letter from your doctor to prove these changes were medically necessary.

Tax break 7: Interest on a home equity line of credit

If you have a home equity line of credit, or HELOC, the interest you pay on that loan is deductible only if that loan is used specifically to "buy, build, or improve a property," according to the IRS. So you'll save cash if your home's crying out for a kitchen overhaul or half-bath. But you can't use your home as a piggy bank to pay for college or throw a wedding.

The fine print: You can deduct only up to the $750,000 cap, and this is for the amount you pay in interest on your HELOC and mortgage combined. (And if you took out a HELOC before the new 2018 tax plan for anything besides improvements to your home, you cannot legally deduct the interest.)

The post 7 Tax Benefits of Owning a Home: A Complete Guide for Filing This Year appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
This item is available in full to subscribers.

Attention subscribers

We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.

If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.

If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.

Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
OPEC+ members complied almost completely with their production cut quotas last month, an unnamed source from the extended cartel told Bloomberg.

At 99 percent, according to the source, the compliance level was based on preliminary estimated, to be reviewed tomorrow by the Joint Technical Committee of the group.

OPEC+ agreed to cut 7.2 million bpd in combined production in January, in what was widely seen as a compromise decision for aggressive cutters like Saudi Arabia and more reluctant ones like Russia, which proposed adding 500,000 bpd to the groups production each month between January and April. For February and March, the cartel agreed to keep production cuts at 7.2 million bpd.

This may change after tomorrows meeting but is not very likely. Global demand has been on the mend but so has supply. Therefore, chances are that OPEC+ will stick to its current production cut levels, with Saudi Arabia unilaterally cutting an additional 1 million bpd to keep prices higher.

Meanwhile, however, OPECs overall oil production rose in January, according to a Reuters survey, for the seventh month in a row. Thats despite Saudi Arabias deep cuts and Iraqs compensatory output reductions that the country said it would implement in January and February to make up for its non-compliance last year.

The increase is natural with the higher production ceiling from January, one OPEC delegate told Reuters.

Interestingly enough, the biggest additions to OPECs total for January came from Saudi Arabia and Iraq despite their commitments, the survey found. The third-largest output growth came from Iran, which is ramping up both production and exports in anticipation of the Biden administration lifting sanctions.

At the same time, Nigeria and Lybia saw lower output due to internal problems. Nigeria had to declare force majeure on exports of the Qua Iboe blend after a fire erupted at the export terminal and Libyan oil finds itself once again a bargaining chip in the salary dispute between the Petroleum Facilities Guard and the government.

Now Iraq has said it will cut an additional 250,000 bpd from December 2020 levels in January and February to compensate for excess production last year. This would make its total 3.6 million bpd.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The Biden administration is in the dark about the location of 20 million COVID-19 vaccine doses that haven't been sent out to states.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that it has already sent out almost 50 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to states, but only over 31 million has gone to states, reported New York Post.

Once the federal government has sent off the vaccine doses, it will be up to the states to track their whereabouts but, so far, there is no record of them getting administered to patients, noted Politico.

States rely on county health departments and local health officials to arrange vaccinations since the CDC's website is not widely used. This mystery on the COVID-19 vaccine doses hampers the Biden administration's plan to speed up the national vaccine effort.

2 Million Doses Missing Due to Lags in Reporting

About two million of the 20 million missing doses are believed to come from lags in reporting from states, the Biden administration suspected.

This means the rest of the shots could be sitting in warehouses, freezers or in transit within the complex distribution system between the feds and the states.

Related story: Health Care Worker Dies After Second Vaccine Dose, But Family Tells Others to Get Vaccinated

The complex system runs vaccines from the administration down to each U.S. state.

The new COVID response team under the Biden administration spent the past week looking for these missing vaccines, said Politico. They called officials and health care providers from different states in search of the shots.

"I think they were really caught off guard by that," an adviser to Biden told the news outlet, adding that the system was "a mess."

Yahoo! News pointed out that the Trump administration's "Operation Warp Speed" chose not to conduct tracking for vaccine doses down to administering to patients.

Its tracker, named Tiberius, was only given to the Biden team days before the president took office, a took the response team some time to discover its flaws.

The tracker did not require states to give updates on the doses until the shots had been administered to patients. It only indicated the amount that each state received as well as when and where the shots were administered.

Biden Administration Falls Short in Promises for COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts

When he was sworn into office, Biden had ambitious plans to combat the pandemic.

Part of his promise was to set up 100 federally supported vaccination centers by mid-February. He also vowed vaccinating 100 million Americans in his first 100 days in office.

However, he had been under fire for not even knowing how many shots the federal government has on hand.

They insisted that the vaccine program left the by the Trump administration was "in worse shape than we anticipated or expected."

Members of the Biden transition team also argued that they weren't given access to all the data of the previous administration.

Read also: 9-Year-Old Girl With Stage Four Brain Cancer Tests Positive for COVID-19

A source told Politico that, "They are planning. They are competent. It's just the weight of everything when you sit down in that chair. It's heavy."

"Nobody had a complete picture," Julie Morita, a member of the Biden transition team said.

The Biden team worked under the assumption that more information would be made available to them and "be revealed once they got into the White House."
READING, Ohio  A salt-truck driver for the city of Cincinnati is facing several charges after police say he tried to hit officers with his truck, then led them on a 30-minute chase, dumping salt on patrol cars along the way.

Omar Armstrong, 36, of College Hill, Ohio, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted aggravated vehicular assault, failure to comply with police, reckless operation and traffic offenses, Fox 19 reports. Armstrong was being held Monday in the Hamilton County Jail on a $9,000 bond, according to jail records.

WLWT Channel 5 reports the chase started at about 11:45 p.m. Thursday as two Reading police officers were involved with a traffic stop. Police say the officers were taking a person into custody when they heard an engine revving and saw a Cincinnati salt truck accelerating toward them.

Police say the officers had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck, estimating the truck was traveling about 60 mph, WCPO Channel 9 reports. The truck also sprayed salt on the officers and driver as it passed.

An officer returned to his patrol car and began chasing the truck, which refused to stop, reports say. At one point during the pursuit the driver of the truck raised its bed and dumped salt on police cars in pursuit, WLWT reports.

WCPO reports the truck eventually returned to the scene of the traffic stop and again sprayed salt on an officer as it passed. Reports say police were able to stop the truck about 30 minutes after the chase began and Armstrong was taken into custody.

A lawyer tells Fox 19 that police are exaggerating what occurred and that Armstrong did not try to hit the officers and was just doing his job. The lawyer says Armstrong did not realize police were chasing him and pulled over when notified by a supervisor, Fox 19 reports.
TROY, Mich., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- While 2020 posed significant challenges for everyone, it also brought forth a wave of fun and creative socialization  especially in young kids. This Love & Friendship Month (February), Goldfish Swim School is celebrating all the creative ways kids remained social while distancing during the pandemic with the launch of its 'Fintastic Friendship Contest'  a campaign designed to promote the importance of childhood friendships and the safe socialization benefits of swim lessons. Brand ambassador and three-time Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist, Ryan Murphy, is collaborating on this campaign as someone who knows first-hand the importance of growing and nurturing lifelong friendships to help you achieve your fullest potential.

Starting February 1, members and non-members alike are encouraged to submit an entry form and share the ways their children remained social while distancing during the pandemic. Whether it was a birthday party parade, leaving chalk art surprises on their friends' driveways, having socially-distanced picnics in the park or taking swim lessons together at Goldfish Swim School while following Safer. Stronger. Together.  guidelines, it's something to celebrate! Each week throughout February, Goldfish Swim School will announce one winner via its social media on 'Fintastic Friends Friday' with the grand prize to be announced on Friday, February 26.

WEEKLY PRIZES: Weekly winners will receive two Goldfish Swim School prize packs  one for them and one to share with a friend! Prize packs will include free trial lessons, waived membership passes, towels, totes, paint sheets, water bottles, coloring books, stickers and more.

GRAND PRIZE: The lucky grand prize winner will be awarded a virtual Zoom party with three-time Olympic Swimming Gold Medalist Ryan Murphy. The winner will be encouraged to invite up to five of their closest friends to join the party and meet Murphy, who is currently in the throes of training for the postponed 2020 Olympic Games, set to take place in July. Murphy is looking forward to meeting his newest swim buddies, sharing friendship stories, the role swimming has played in building lifelong friends, and inspiring kids to reach for the stars and achieve their dreams.

"I have built such incredible friendships throughout my swimming career, even during my early days as a young kid at the pool," said Murphy. "My swim buddies are the ones who motivate me day-in and day-out to achieve greatness. It's a humbling experience to be part of this campaign to bring greater awareness to the benefits of swim lessons in helping develop social skills that truly do foster important childhood and lifelong friendships."

Goldfish Swim School understands how incredibly important social development is for every child. While it may seem that kids are just playing when they spend time with their peers, they are learning lessons like sharing, empathy, problem solving and patience. Group swim lessons can provide a tremendous opportunity for socialization, helping kids grow and learn in new ways.

"Socialization is such an important part of child development, but the pandemic brought that to quick halt, leaving many parents wondering if their children are deprived of an important developmental step  peer-to-peer interaction," said Dr. Molly O'Shea of Birmingham Pediatrics + Wellness Center and official pediatrician of Goldfish Swim School. "In addition to finding virtual options for socializing, parents are vetting in-person activities for safety that will give their children opportunities for building relationships based on shared experiences."

With all schools committed to operating above and beyond city and state COVID guidelines, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years, teaching children how to be safer in and around the water. Each school offers swim lessons and programs using a proprietary philosophy, The Science of SwimPlay, to build life skills both in and out of the water using play-based learning in a fun and safe environment. Each school's number one focus and main priority is always the same  educating children on water safety while teaching them how to swim and respect the water.

"It's such a rewarding experience to watch the incredible friendships being built at our schools," said Goldfish Swim School Co-Founder Jenny McCuiston, who has a degree in Early Childhood Education. "This campaign launch comes at a perfect time as we roll out our brand-new referral program where our current members can play an active role in welcoming more families back to the pool. We have put such an important emphasis on building out COVID safety protocols at our schools because we know how important social interactions are for child development and want to ensure families feel safe and comfortable  that's our number one priority."

For more information on Goldfish Swim School, please visit https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/ .

About Goldfish Swim School

Founded by husband and wife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years. Classes are offered by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly and fun environment using their research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Goldfish Swim School was established in Birmingham, Michigan in 2006, and opened its first franchise location in 2009. Recently, the brand was recognized by Entrepreneur in its Franchise 500 ranking, Franchise Times' Fast & Serious List, and Inc. Magazine's Top 5000. Goldfish Swim School is currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout North America, with more than 110 schools open, and an additional 130+ in development in more than 30 states and Canada.

Media Contact: Kelly McNamara, Fishman PR, 847-945-1300, [email protected]

SOURCE Goldfish Swim School

Related Links

GOLDFISHSWIMSCHOOL.COM


Burma Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Urges Myanmar People to Resist Coup

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is seen in Magwe Division in January 2017. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

Myanmars leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has called on the public to fully oppose the military coup staged on Monday.

In a statement released on the Chair NLD (National League for Democracy) Facebook page hours after she and others were detained by the armed forces, she said the militarys action completely disregarded the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and was an attempt to reimpose dictatorship upon the country.

I urge people not to accept the coup by the military, and resist it resoundingly, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said in the statement.

It appeared the statement had been prepared in advance as a message to the public in the event of a military takeover.

At the time [you are] reading this [statement], the military has abolished the elected Parliament and government for which the public unanimously voted, ignoring the Constitution they themselves drafted, she said.

Saying that previous coups had impoverished the country, NLD patron U Win Htein said the coup would take the country back to zero.

Oppose it as much as you can in a nonviolent way, as called for by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Object through civil disobedience, speak up against their action and do not collaborate with their program, he said in a video, repeating the party leaders message.

U Win Htein, a former military captain, condemned the coup as the result of military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaings personal ambition for power.

The military hinted at the possibility of a coup in statements last week over the governments inaction on the armed forces claims of electoral fraud in the November general election, in which the militarys proxy party experienced another defeat at the hands of the NLD.

After the military announced its seizure of power early Monday morning, many people including taxi drivers, shop owners, pedestrians, older residents and company employees could be seen on the streets of Yangons townships voicing their shock at the militarys actions. After internet access was restored in Myanmars towns in the afternoon, many netizens took to social media to show their support for the elected government.

The military has announced it will rerun the election and hand power to the winner after implementing emergency measures.

You may also like these stories:

Political Stability in Myanmar Key for Asean: Thai Observers

After Coup, Myanmar Military Says It Will Hold New Election

Myanmar Military Seizes Power
Frankfort, KY (40601)

Today

Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 61F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Patchy drizzle possible. Low near 45F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
Improvement work has begun on two County Derry roads, with disruption expected to traffic during the completion of the work.

The A6 Glenshane Road, from its junction with the C0557 Knockloughrim Link Road to the A6 Castledawson Roundabout, will be fully closed to all through traffic on Sunday 7th February 2021 between the hours of 7am and 7pm.

This is to allow for necessary road improvement works to be carried out along this stretch of the road.

The works are subject to favourable weather conditions and the public will be kept informed of any change.

Please see below information on the diversion routes for all through traffic:



 The red line indicates the length of the A6 Glenshane Road which will be closed.

 For those travelling from the North West to Belfast a diversion will be signposted via the C0557 Knockloughrim Link Road and C0557 Hillhead Road to where it meets the main A6 Hillhead Road. The blue line in the map below indicates this diversion route.

 Those travelling to Magherafelt should also use the above route but take the yellow line in the map below though Castledawson. This diversion will be signposted via the A54 Moyola Road, A54 Main Street and the A54 Magherafelt Road to where it meets the Castledawson Roundabout.

 For those travelling from the East to Derry a diversion will be signposted via the B40 Castledawson Road, B40 Church Street, U5144 Union Road, U5144 Hospital Road, B42 Magherafelt Road, A29 Tobermore Road and the A29 Flyover Slip Road to where it meets the A6 Glenshane Road. The orange line in the map below indicates this diversion route. Magherafelt town traffic should also use this route.

Elsewhere, a 177,000 resurfacing scheme is underway on the Altinure Road, Park.

Work is being done in two sections; the first section is 770 metres in length and starts close to the junction with the Barnes Road and the second section starts on the approach to the Magherabrack Road junction and extends for some 925 metres.

The works are scheduled to last for two weeks and will greatly improve the strength and surface quality of the road.

To facilitate the works, it will be necessary to operate a road closure (Monday to Saturday) between the hours of 7.30 am and 7.00 pm.

A two-way diversion is in place via Altinure Road, Glendra Road and Glenshane Road. Access for residents and landowners will be maintained but delays should be expected.

The Department has programmed the work operations and traffic management arrangements to minimise inconvenience.

However, road users should expect some delays and are advised to allow additional time when travelling in the vicinity of the works and are asked to comply with all temporary traffic restrictions.

Subject to favourable weather conditions, all work will be completed by Friday February 12 and the Department will keep the public informed of any change.
Klein ISD receives $300,000 in hand sanitizer from local business

25 large pallets of hand sanitizer, about $300,000 worth, was given to Klein ISD last week by Farouq Systems, a local business.

Farouq Systems made the arrangement after reaching out to Klein ISD to see if they needed sanitizing items, a Klein ISD news release stated, and provided the district with about 17,000 bottles.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Spring ISD student trades pretend trumpet for a real one after anonymous donation

We are so grateful for the support of our wonderful business partners in Klein ISD, Klein ISD Community Relations Director Christy Spisak said. We were thrilled to receive almost 17,000 bottles of hand sanitizer from Farouk Systems, Inc. Their generous donation makes all of the difference in the world for the educators and students in Klein.

Klein ISD Superintendent Jenny McGown said donations like this allow Klein ISD to reinvest their resources back into the classroom to help students and staff.

Klein Warehouse Director Todd Schultz said he knew this donation would help families in the community.

I am amazed and very grateful for the generosity of Farouk Systems Inc. hand sanitizer donation, Schultz said. In these unprecedented and challenging times, a private business making such a large donation to our schools reminds me of how fantastic our Klein community is.

-Contributed by Klein ISD

Three Klein ISD schools named state schools of character

Character.org named three Klein ISD schoolsKlenk Elementary, Doerre Intermediate and Krimmel Intermediateas 2021 State Schools of Character for adhering to their 11 principles framework for schools.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Northwest Houston area students to be honored at Touchdown Club of Houston's Scholar-Athlete Luncheon

The principles include creating a caring community, providing students with opportunities for moral action and offering a meaningful and challenging curriculum.

I am so incredibly proud of our Klein schools who have received this honor of School of Character, McGown said in a district news announcement. In Klein ISD, we care about the development of the whole child, and this honor further shows that our teachers and staff put character first for every learner in their care.

Klenk Elementary Principal Allie Martin said this recognition represented the collective efforts of the entire Klenk family.

I am so proud to serve and lead alongside such a dedicated group of educators that live out our core values of Passion for Excellence, Attitude of Growth, We not Me, and Skillful Innovators, Martin said.

Krimmel Intermediate Principal Prentiss Harper said they used feedback from character.org after receiving an honorable mention to strengthen their character processes and application.

Krimmel and our community are honored to be selected as a 2021 State School of Character and now turn our focus on the steps needed to be recognized as a National School of Character, Harper said

-Contributed by Klein ISD

Klein ISD announced 2021 graduation venue and dates

Klein Memorial Stadium, 16607 Stuebner Airline Road, is the chosen venue for Klein ISDs class of 2021 graduation following a survey showing that 75 percent of participants preferred that the ceremony be held there.

The ceremonies will be held at 8 p.m. June 3 for Klein Collins High School; 8 a.m. June 4 for Klein High School; 8 p.m. June 4 for Klein Forest High School; 8 a.m. June 5 for Klein Cain High School and 8 p.m. June 5 for Klein Oak High School.

A Klein ISD news release stated there would be live streaming of each graduation ceremony for those who cannot attend in person.

-Contributed by Klein ISD

Spring ISD Navy JROTC Captain retires

Current and former students, faculty and military colleagues gathered last week to celebrate the retirement of U.S. Navy Capt. James Boyer, who has led the schools Navy JROTC program for two decades.

Captain Boyer is the epitome of excellence when it comes to JROTC, said Spring High School Principal Diaka Melendez, who praised Boyers behind-the-scenes work helping students plan for their futures and obtain scholarships to help them reach their goals. Hes opened so many doors for our kids, and he really, really cares about them. Theyre big shoes to fill.

Former students in attendance included plank ownersstudents who joined Navy JROTC in 2001 when Boyer first arrived, the news release detailed. One of those plank owners, Preston Goodwin, presented Boyer with a commemorative bell, engraved with the details of his service to Spring ISD.

It gave me something to look forward to day to day, Goodwin said about the JROTC program. Not only did it give me something to look forward to, but it gave me a purpose in high school, and using that I was able to take what I learned in JROTC and put it toward my growth as a young adult, through college and through the Air Force.

Emily Brower, a 2019 graduate and former cadet, spent four years in Navy JROTC, and said she regularly uses elements of her JROTC training.

Everything we learn, like discipline, all that kind of stuff, it really applies outside of the program as well, Brower said. It really helps you whether youre getting a job outside of the service or in the service. It helps you get ahead, it helps you with real-life stuff, so pretty much you can take everything you learn from this program and apply it to real life.

The Navy JROTC unit at Spring High School is the largest unit of its kind in Texas and one of the largest in the country, the release stated, having earned several honors in annual competitions and inspections.

In March 2019, Boyer was honored as the namesake for NJROTC Center at Spring High School, a rare honor for a district employee, the release detailed.

We have become the crown jewel of these programs, Spring ISD Trustee Dr. Deborah Jensen said at the time, remarking on the units continued high enrollment, awards and distinctions, and the tens of millions of dollars in scholarships earned by students in the program over the years. I think we couldnt have a better tribute than to name this facility after Captain Boyer, she said.

-Contributed by Spring ISD

paul.wedding@hcnonline.com

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
A Message From The Editor

just-style gives you the widest apparel and textile market coverage.

Paid just-style members have unlimited access to all our exclusive content - including 21 years of archives.

I am so confident you will love complete access to our content that today I can offer you 30 days access for 1*.

Its our best ever membership offer  just for you.

Leonie Barrie, editor of just-style

Leonie's offer to you

* plus VAT if applicable
When asked about why individual taxes were not decreased after a harsh COVID-hit year, Smriti Irani said," Taxes have already been reformed. Several economies taxed their citizens to help their economy, but we did not increase our taxes. I thank the Finance Minister for giving tax exemption to senior citizens. Today's budget cannot be seen just as a single day's announcement, but must be seen as a part of the several schemes announced during the pandemic too."

Commenting on the 'over-simplification of the taxes' by Rahul Gandhi and Congress, she said, "You expect a serious debate based on facts from Rahul Gandhi? He had told that cities will burn at a press meet. As a responsible politician, he should have told people to maintain peace instead of calling for violence. For debate, one must know the facts of the issue. He never talks on statistics."

Talking about the 'Glocal' approach, she said," We saw the best implementation of glocal during lockdown when within 2 months, we made a $1 billion PPE manufacturing industry, at local level at global standards. We did not have a single PPE manufacturing unit. We became the 2nd biggest PPE exporter. We have great skill set in our doctors, workers etc, which is in high demand outside India. This is local talent pool with a global demand."


Truman Capote was known to surround himself with elegant, stylish high-society women - dubbed his Swans- who included Jackie Kennedys sister, Lee Radziwill, and Andy Warhols muse C.Z. Guest.

His popularity with New York socialites is perhaps of little surprise considering he was hailed one of the sharpest writers of the 20th Century.

His 1958 novella, Breakfast At Tiffanys, was adapted into the Oscar-winning movie starring Audrey Hepburn, while his 1966 true crime 'non fiction novel', In Cold Blood, is often regarded as one of the greatest examples of the genre.

But astonishingly it was his third major piece of work, his long-awaited novel, Answered Prayers, which quashed his favour within high-society and made him a social pariah up until his death in 1984 of liver disease and drug intoxication.

As a new documentary, The Capote Tapes, made available last week, recalls, his Swans were quick to distance themselves from him after he aired their dirty laundry in a published chapter from the book, which was never finished.

But who were the glamorous trend-setters and wealthy wives who inspired the Breakfast at Tiffanys writer?

From the rags-to-riches story of Gloria Guinness, who married into the brewing family, to Vogue fashion editor Barbara Babe Paley and Marella Agnelli, who wed the playboy heir to the Fiat automobile empire, here FEMAIL recalls the very stylish women Capote once called friends.

Truman Capote (pictured centre in 1968) was known to surround himself with elegant, stylish high-society women - dubbed his Swans- who included Jackie Kennedys sister, Lee Radziwill, and Andy Warhols muse C.Z. Guest (pictured left)

Lee Radziwill - Princess and fashion icon who helped style her sister Jackie

Born Caroline Lee Bouvier in New York in 1933 to Janet Norton Lee and New York stockbroker and socialite John Vernou Bouvier III, Lee (pictured with her sister Jackie Kennedy, seated) came from a famous family but established herself as a noteworthy figure in her own right

Lee (pictured in 1968) boasted an exclusive list of close friends, from Andy Warhol to Truman Capote, and worked briefly as an actress before turning her hand to interior design and public relations

For a time, the social doyenne was also an American 'Princess'. After her first marriage to Michael Canfield collapsed, she married Prince Stanisaw Albrecht Radziwill, a Polish aristocrat, in 1959. Pictured, Lee Radziwill and Jackie Onassis

Born Caroline Lee Bouvier in New York in 1933 to Janet Norton Lee and New York stockbroker and socialite John Vernou Bouvier III, Lee came from a famous family but established herself as a noteworthy figure in her own right.

She boasted an exclusive list of close friends, from Andy Warhol to Truman Capote, and worked briefly as an actress before turning her hand to interior design and public relations.

For a time, the social doyenne was also an American 'Princess'. After her first marriage to Michael Canfield collapsed, she married Prince Stanisaw Albrecht Radziwill, a Polish aristocrat, in 1959.

Lee, then 26, lived in London with Prince Radziwill, where she insisted on being addressed as Princess Lee Radziwill, even though her husband surrendered his royal status when he took British nationality in 1951.

Adopting the name 'Her Serene Royal Highness', the pair had two children together, before they divorced in 1974.

She married a third time to film director Herbert Ross in 1988. Their union lasted 13 years and they split in 2001, just months before his death. Lee died in 2019, aged 85, in New York City.

Lee and her sister Jackie Kennedy Onassis, who became First Lady of the United States as the wife of President John F. Kennedy in 1961 up until his death in 1963, were two of the most glamorous women of their generation.

But from a young age the pair pitted themselves against one another, with Lee regarded as the 'pretty one', and Jackie the 'smart one'.

The sister is said to have even helped Jackie with her First Lady wardrobe, encouraging her to wear Givenchy despite her husband Mr Kennedy preferring she wore American-only, according to Tatler.

Before her retirement, Lee served for many years as a Public Relations executive for Giorgio Armani.

She was a stalwart attendee of New York Fashion Week, and regularly attended other fashion events around the world right up until her death.

In a New York Times interview in 2013, she commented: ''When I was young, I used to think that everyone should die at 70... but my closest friends like Rudolf and Andy [Warhol] and to an extent Capote, let alone my close family... didn't even reach that age.'

Babe Paley - Trendsetter and Vogue fashion editor

Babe Paley (pictured) made up one third of the Cushing sisters - alongside siblings Minnie and Betsey - whose romances, style trends and parties captivated the American public during the poverty-stricken Great Depression

The women fascinated people with their glamorous lifestyles marked by wealth, privilege, country homes, designer clothes, yachts, fancy apartments and six high-profile marriages. Pictured, Babe in her wedding dress

The first married was 21-year-old Betsey, the middle sister who ensnared the affections of James Roosevelt II. James, also known as Jimmy to his classmates at Harvard, was the eldest son of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Pictured, Babe

Babe Paley made up one third of the Cushing sisters - alongside siblings Minnie and Betsey - whose romances, style trends and parties captivated the American public during the poverty-stricken Great Depression.

The women fascinated people with their glamorous lifestyles marked by wealth, privilege, country homes, designer clothes, yachts, fancy apartments and six high-profile marriages.

The first married was 21-year-old Betsey, the middle sister who ensnared the affections of James Roosevelt II. James, also known as Jimmy to his classmates at Harvard, was the eldest son of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Betseys time as a Roosevelt in Washington DC was important for Babe because she arranged for her teenage sister to be introduced to the debutante circuit by hosting a ball at The White House.

Babe (born Barbara) had long been regarded as the most beautiful of the three girls; she was tall, slender, stylish and had aristocratic appeal. But much to her mothers disappointment, Babe decided to enter the workforce after two seasons of smashing success as a debutante.

Babe became an editor at Vogue Magazine, hired by Conde Nast himself, and quickly became a style icon, having believed to have started two 20th century trends - mixing high-low pieces and tying a scarf to her handbag.

She was married to oil heir Stanley Grafton Mortimer for six years, having two children, Amanda Jay Mortimer and Stanley Grafton Mortimer, before wedding CBS founder William S. Paley.

Motherhood was not Babe's forte and she was said to have ignored her children while in pursuit of social status.

Babe and William lived in a luxurious apartment at the St Regis in New York. At the weekend, they would host lavish parties at their 80 acre farm on Long Island, attended by celebrity guests.

She maintained her position on the best-dressed list 14 times before officially being inducted into the Fashion Hall of Fame in 1958. She stayed married to William until her death in 1978 from lung cancer.

One of Babe's closet friends was Truman Capote, who admitted in his journal that her only fault was that she was perfect.

However this friendship was destroyed after Capote published his Answered Prayers chapter, La Cote Basque 1965, in Esquire Magazine - detailing a thinly-veiled account of William Paley cheating on his wife.

He said that Babe had walked in on her husband washing their sheets after a woman he was having an affair with menstruated on their marital bed. She never spoke to the writer again.

Gloria Guinness - Married into brewing dynasty

Gloria Guinness (pictured), the wife of former MP Thomas Loel Guinness, was a central figure of the postwar social scene

Gloria (pictured) was also a Harpers Bazaar contributing editor in the 60s and a regular on international best-dressed lists

Gloria (pictured) grew up in poverty in Mexico, according to Tatler, before marrying into the renowned Guinness brewing dynasty following two failed marriages

Gloria Guinness, the wife of former MP Thomas Loel Guinness, was a central figure of the postwar social scene.

She was also a Harpers Bazaar contributing editor in the 60s and a regular on international best-dressed lists.

Gloria grew up in poverty in Mexico, according to Tatler, before marrying into the renowned Guinness brewing dynasty following two failed marriages.

However, her husbands particular branch of the family made its fortune in banking and real estate.

Despite being a fixture on best-dressed lists, stylish Gloria previously insisted she didnt always think of fashion.

I think everyone envisions me sitting at Alexandres all day, picking out beautiful clothes from passing couturiers, she told W magazine in 1980. My God, could you imagine the boredom?

She maintained residences in Normandy, London, Paris, Switzerland, Mexico and Palm Beach and loved hosting her high-society friends, who included the likes of Babe and William Paley.

Gloria died in November 1980 from a heart attack in Switzerland, and has three children from her different marriages.

C. Z. Guest - Muse to Andy Warhol

American-born C. Z. Guest (pictured) was a cool and elegant blonde who regularly made the Best Dressed lists

Her maiden name was Lucy Douglas Cochrane (pictured) but she became C. Z. because her brother could not pronounce the word sister

C. Z. (pictured) was a stage actress who became well known for her sense of style, and was inducted into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1959.

American-born C. Z. Guest was a cool and elegant blonde who regularly made the Best Dressed lists.

Her maiden name was Lucy Douglas Cochrane but she became C. Z. because her brother could not pronounce the word sister.

She was a stage actress who became well known for her sense of style, and was inducted into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1959.

C. Z. was married to polo champion Winston Frederick Churchill Guest, the son of British politician Frederick Guest (and a relative of Sir Winston Churchill), in a lavish ceremony in Havana, Cuba.

In fact, the 1947 wedding took place at the home of Ernest Hemingway, who was the best man.

C. Z. Guest, who was painted by the likes of Andy Warhol and often considered to be a muse for many famous artists, went on to design her own fashion collection in the 1980s.

She also starred on the cover of TIME Magazine in 1962 to illustrate a feature on American high society, with many seeing her as having particularly American style.

Marella Agnelli - Married heir to Fiat automobile empire

Marella Agnelli (pictured) was the daughter of a Neapolitan aristocrat but she soon swapped her conservative upbringing for a life of streamlined yachts, fast cars, and glamorous parties following her marriage to Giovanni Agnelli in 1953

Marella (pictured) became an international jetsetter following her wedding to the Italian industrialist, who was the richest man in Italy at one point and the party-loving heir to the Fiat automobile empire

Marella (pictured), who died in 2019, was known for stylishly decorating all ten of her homes, being a serious art collector and frequent contributor and model for Vogue

Marella Agnelli was the daughter of a Neapolitan aristocrat but she soon swapped her conservative upbringing for a life of streamlined yachts, fast cars, and glamorous parties following her marriage to Giovanni Agnelli in 1953.

She became an international jetsetter following her wedding to the Italian industrialist, who was the richest man in Italy at one point and the party-loving heir to the Fiat automobile empire.

Marella, who died in 2019, was known for stylishly decorating all ten of her homes, being a serious art collector and frequent contributor and model for Vogue.

Truman Capote relished being part of Marellas circle, often taking part in her summer cruises in the Mediterranean.

They had met one another in New York in the early 60s and soon became friends, with Marella having enjoyed both of his first books.

During the 1960s, Marella previously revealed that she regarded the writer as one of her closest friends, finding him warm and amusing and had shared her secrets with him.

But he was waiting like a falcon, she told Vanity Fair in 2014. He called us his swans, but now it seemed there were just too many swans.

I had always thought my relationship with Truman was personal. The intimacy, the laughs, the giggles  I thought it was a special friendship between Truman and me, unaware he was also giggling and laughing with Babe or Gloria or Slim.

She went on to say that her departure from Truman happened before the chapter from his novel Answered Prayers appeared in Esquire magazine.

Marella had two children Edoardo Agnelli and Margherita Agnelli.

Slim Keith - From model to Lady

US socialite Nancy Slim Keith (pictured) was a friend of Babe Paley, with the two operating in the same circles

Slim with second husband Hollywood agent Leland Hayward, who also produced the original Broadway stage production of The Sound of Music

US socialite Nancy Slim Keith was a friend of Babe Paley, with the two operating in the same circles.

Slim was known for being the original Californian girl, and landed her first cover for Harper's Bazaar when she was just 22. She was also photographed in Vogue, and regularly made it on to the best-dressed lists.

After being pursued by the likes of Clark Gable and Ernest Hemingway, she married her first husband, the film director Howard Hawks.

Her influence over her husband is thought to have been great, with Slim credited with showing him a magazine with Lauren Bacall on, launching the classic Hollywood star's career.

However, Slim divorced Hawks in 1949 after eight years of marriage and moved on with Hollywood agent Leland Hayward, who also produced the original Broadway stage production of The Sound of Music.

Her final and third marriage was to British banker Baron Keith of Castleacre, meaning she adopted the title of Lady Keith. The couple separated after 10 years of marriage, in 1972.

She was a popular society figure on both coasts and thanks to her elegance and style, she made an alluring companion to Truman Capote.

However, she cut off contact with the writer when she found he had based an unflattering character, Lady Coolbirth, on her in his unpublished book Answered Prayers.

Smith died aged 72 of lung cancer. She had only one child, a daughter, Kitty Hawks, with her first husband.
Recently, comedian Kapil Sharma confirmed that his show The Kapil Sharma Show is going off-air as he needs to be at home with his wife Ginni Chatrath, who is pregnant with their second baby. Today (February 1) early morning, Kapil revealed that he and wife Ginni are blessed with a baby boy.

Kapil took to Twitter to announce the good news and thanked fans for their love, blessings and prayers. He also revealed that both baby and mother are doing fine. The comedian wrote, "Namaskaar  we are blessed with a Baby boy this early morning, by the grace of God Baby n Mother both r fine, thank you so much for all the love, blessings n prayers  love you all ginni n kapil  #gratitude ."

The couple's fans and friends from the industry congratulated the couple by commenting on their post.Manoj Bajpayee commented, "Congratulations  @KapilSharmaK9," Saina Nehwal wrote, "Congratulations " and Arjun Rampal wrote, "@KapilSharmaK9 Congratulations bhai, best news. God bless the little bundle of joy and your family. Big love "

Vikaas Kalantri congratulated the couple by commenting, "Supwr congratulations Kapil bhai. God Bless the family and the new entrant ," Sumona Chakravarti wrote, "Bohut bohut badhai   Love to Ginni & Jr" and Mukesh Chhabra commented, "."

Big Big congratulations brother. Enjoy the beautiful days ahead. Love to the family  https://t.co/uWVyl0pk82  kiku sharda  (@kikusharda) February 1, 2021

Mubaraakkk ho mere bhai!!! This is such great news!!! God bless your family with good health, long life and abundance of love. https://t.co/OmaIwMrHLR  Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) February 1, 2021

Notably, Kapil and Ginni, who tied the knot in December 2018 in Jalandhar in a traditional Punjabi ceremony, welcomed baby girl Anayra in December 2019.

It has to be recalled that the rumours of his wife being pregnant were doing the rounds during Karvachauth. However, the couple didn't confirm about the same. It was just a few days ago, in an 'Ask Me' session on Twitter, Kapil confirmed that his wife is pregnant with their second baby as a fan asked why his show TKSS is going off-air.

Also Read: Kapil Sharma Reveals His Wife Is Expecting Second Child; Calls It The Reason For Show To Go Off-Air

Also Read: The Kapil Sharma Show To Go Off-Air In February
A woman whose half-brother was jailed for blindfolding and orally raping her as a seven-year-old child says: "I'm glad that monster is in jail, he's not my brother anymore."

Bethany Willoughby (20) revealed to the Sunday World how half-brother Bernard Maguire, who was 16 at the time of the attacks, used a sick and manipulative game, documented as being used by paedophiles since the early 1990s, to orally rape her.

Courageous Bethany told us: "He was 16 years old  and I was only seven. He was meant to protect and love me and he didn't do either of those things.

"So I don't feel bad he is in jail today. There are no conflicting emotions for me anymore. I do not think of him as family.

"I think he is a monster and I wish he had gone away for longer. I waived my anonymity to keep other people safe from him.

"He is not my brother  not anymore."

Expand Close Bethany Willoughby with her baby daughter / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Bethany Willoughby with her baby daughter

Read More

On Thursday Maguire, (29), of Allenwood Drive, Gorey, Co Wexford, pleaded guilty before the Central Criminal Court to two charges of orally raping Bethany at their father's home on dates between September 2006 and September 2008.

The court heard she was aged between six and seven at the time and he was aged between 15 and 16.

Bethany waived her right to anonymity so Maguire could be named.

A local garda detective told the court that Maguire put his penis into her mouth during a game in which he persuaded her to wear a blindfold and put different objects in her mouth.

On another occasion, he didn't blindfold her but told her to close her eyes, the court heard.

Bethany told us how the abuse occurred when she went to stay with her and Bernard's biological father for a time following the death of her maternal grandmother.

"My mother's mother died on the 15th of September that year and my mam was finding it really hard to cope so I went to stay with my dad," she recalled.

"Usually I would spend weekends but during that period it was a little bit longer because my mam was finding it so difficult to cope without her mum.

Expand Close Bethany was only seven when she was raped / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Bethany was only seven when she was raped

"And that is when Bernard did this . I had grown up with Bernard  spending weekends at my biological dad's house.

"I didn't even know the term half brother  I just though he was my brother."

Bethany said when, only this week, she investigated the sinister method used by Maguire to abuse her she was shocked to find the 'game' has been repeatedly used by paedophiles since the early 1990s.

"When I went looking on Google I found other cases where children were blindfolded and tricked into taking someone's penis in their mouth," she told the Sunday World.

"One case dates back to the '90s where a man in his sixties blindfolded a young girl and played 'guess the vegetable' with her.

"And it ended up being the exact same thing. Because Bernard did this to me in 2007 I'm not entirely sure where he would have learned about it but I doubt, I highly doubt now, that he came up with this himself."

After the attacks Bethany said she repressed all memories of what her older half-brother had done to her.

"The assaults happened in 2007 and for years afterwards I didn't remember what happened," she said.

Flood

"He was content to act as if nothing had happened so I was none the wiser," she said.

"I repressed the memories for years. But I remembered properly, the whole thing in its entirety, in 2016.

"My brother Oisin, on my mother's side, told me about a girl he knew who had been abused. And then a day or two later, as I was in my room drawing, I remembered what he did to me.

"It came into my head in a flood."

Bethany said she told her mum but swore her to silence, saying she wouldn't be able to cope if it came out.

Despite her mother's strong misgivings she agreed to wait to report the rapes.

But matters came to a head a short time later when the two bumped into Maguire outside a local coffee shop.

"He came over with his then girlfriend and gave me a hug," said Bethany.

"I couldn't say anything. I was so terrified and my mam was sat there looking at him like she wanted to kill him. The second he left, I said to my mam: 'OK, I can't cope with this.

"They all need to know  I need him to stay away from me."

Bethany said she subsequently went to the gardai and made a formal complaint.

"The guards were so good," she said.

"The guard who oversaw the case from the start was Garda Brian Dowling and he was the real deal.

"He talked to me like I was normal when I didn't feel normal at all. I felt believed."

Sentencing Maguire on Thursday, Mr Justice Michael White said sentencing in an offence committed by a juvenile was not straightforward.

He said the aggravating factors included the serious nature of the offending, the breach of trust by an older brother and the age gap between the siblings.

He noted in mitigation that Maguire made immediate admissions and pleaded guilty and he took into account Maguire's youth and immaturity at the time of the offending and his remorse.

He said this did not minimise the seriousness of the offending or the impact on his half-sister.

Charges

Justice White imposed a two-year sentence with the final year suspended on conditions including that Maguire attend for assessment for the Better Lives programme in prison.

Paul Murray SC, defending, said his client has pleaded guilty to the offence but still maintains he was younger than the charges reflect.

Detailing her reaction to the sentence, Bethany told us she is relieved at the thought Maguire is now in prison.

"I went up to Dublin yesterday expecting nothing," she said. "All I wanted was to be granted the ability to waive my anonymity so that he could be named. With my anonymity gone, so is his!

"And now people will always know who he is."

Asked whether she had any message for other victims of familial abuse, Bethany said: "I'd like to say just because someone has the same blood as you, that doesn't mean they can do what they want to you.

"And to anyone who is in this situation, or who has been in this situation, there is justice out there for you.

"I woke up today in my home with my daughter and my boyfriend knowing that I have done the right thing. And he woke up in a cell. That makes me feel everything I have done was worthwhile."
Credit: Shutterstock

There have been some reports students fell behind during the remote learning period in 2020.

For instance, a report by the NSW education department found NSW students in year 3 were up to four months behind in reading in 2020 compared to their 2019 counterparts. And year 9 students were two to three months behind in numeracy.

Modeling by the Grattan Institute estimated disadvantaged studentsincluding those from low socioeconomic families, Indigenous backgrounds and remote communitieshad lost around two months learning during the remote learning period in Victoria.

Our research found only year 3 students from the least advantaged schools fell behind academically during the remote learning period.

But there was no difference in learning progress between 2020 and the year before in all the other year 3 and 4 students in our sample.

We were able to compare 2019 and 2020

We collected data on student achievement in NSW government primary schools during terms 1 and 4 in 2019 and during term 1 in 2020.

Students in year 3 and 4 in 2019 sat progressive achievement tests in maths and reading in term 1 in 2019, and then again in term 4, to see how they had progressed over the year.

We then had year 3 and 4 students sit the same test in term 1 of 2020. But then COVID struck.

So we approached the NSW education department about funding collection of the term 4 data in 2020. We wanted to see if the interruption to normal schooling during the year had affected average student progress from term 1 to term 4.

We were uniquely positioned to compare the annual growth in student achievement in 2020 (where the year was interrupted) with our results from 2019.

Students in years 3 and 4 in 2020 took the same tests as we gave students in 2019. The total of 3,030 students across both years, from 97 schools, allowed us to examine the actual effects of the eight-to-ten week system-wide disruption to schooling in NSW caused by the pandemic.

We made sure to compare the results of students who attended schools with a similar Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA). This score takes into account factors such as socioeconomic advantage and whether schools are in a rural area, as well as the proportion of Indigenous students in the school.

We also made sure to compare students with similar baseline test results.

Here's what we found

We found no significant differences, on average, between the 2019 control group and 2020 cohort in student growth in maths or reading.

However, there were some differences when it came to particular groups of students.

Specifically, we looked at the effects for Indigenous students, students in different locations and from different socioeconomic levels (using their school ICSEA).

The average school ICSEA in Australia is 1,000. Schools in our sample ranged from less than 900 to greater than 1,100.

When it came to maths, our results showed:

year 3 students from less advantaged schools (ICSEA less than 950) showed two months less academic progress in 2020, compared with the students in the 2019 group

year 3 students in mid-range schools (ICSEA 9501050) actually showed two months' additional progress

years 3 students showed no significant difference in the more advantaged schools (ICSEA greater than 1,050)

year 4 students showed no significant difference in progress regardless of school ICSEA.

When it came to reading, we found no significant differences in academic progress between 2019 and 2020, regardless of school ICSEA.

We saw no significant differences in progress in both maths and reading for Indigenous students or those in regional locations. But the smaller sample of students in these groups means these results should be interpreted with caution.

What this means

Our study provides a counter-narrative to widespread concern about how much students fell behind during the remote learning period.

Indeed, the results are cause for celebration. Most students are, academically, where they are expected to be.

However, the lower achievement growth in maths for year 3 students in lower ICSEA schools must be addressed as a matter of urgency to avoid further inequities.

Student well-being did suffer

We also interviewed 18 teachers and principals, asking them about things like student progress and well-being during the remote learning period. These interviews echo concerns raised by others about the well-being of both students and teachers.

They described the learning from home period as one of significant stress, anxiety and frustration in many families.

They also expressed concern about student well-being, even after the return to face-to-face schooling.

Supporting student mental health substantially increased the workload of school counselors, where available, and of teachers and principals in addressing student behavior.

One principal said: "We've got massive amounts of anxiety in our students. From physical behavior, oppositional behaviors, kids not wanting to come to school. They're melting down at school  I'm only a primary school, so I have no idea how the high schools are handling it."

They told us the exponential increase in workload during 2020 has taken its toll on teachers, including a significant drop in morale. Teachers and principals described the pressure of supporting remote learning, regardless of students' access to the internet or a computer, combined with teaching children of essential workers who remained at school.

Their work also included developing and delivering online lessons and providing various forms of support to parents. When schools reopened, staff worked to support student well-being and reestablish relationships with their classes. They did this without the support of parent volunteers or the balance that comes from non-classroom activities like school assemblies and excursions that typically punctuate life in schools.

Our research highlights a need to provide ongoing support to all teachers and students to ensure their well-being as the 2021 school year commences. Let's start with expressing immense gratitude to teachers for ensuring student learning despite the unprecedented circumstances of 2020.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


Weeks after Chris Diaz stepped down following two terms as Harris County Precinct 2 constable, a mystery remains: What happened to tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash?

Eleven months after the Houston Chronicle first reported irregularities in Diazs campaign finance reports, the required disclosures remain riddled with errors and fail to account for the whereabouts of more than $60,000 in contributions the constable reported receiving.

I cant say Ive ever seen a mistake that large, if it is in fact a mistake, Austin campaign finance attorney Roger Borgelt said. Thats a rather large discrepancy in my experience, and Ive looked at dozens of these.

Diaz has yet to file his most recent campaign finance report, which was due Jan. 15, according to the Harris County Clerks Office.

The former constable and his campaign treasurer  his wife, Ana  did not respond to requests for comment. Harris County Precinct 3 Constable Sherman Eagleton hired Diaz as a deputy in early January.

Candidates and elected officials in Texas are required to regularly file campaign finance reports detailing political contributions and expenses. The reports are supposed to provide some transparency to the public on how political campaigns are financed and managed and ensure candidates follow the rules established by the Texas Ethics Commission.

There are no restrictions on how much Harris County candidates can accept from individual donors, and since campaign accounts also can be used to supplement an elected officials office budget, few limits exist on how political donations may be spent. Harris County officials recently have billed their campaigns for restaurant tabs, artwork, vehicle leases and foreign travel. One even invests donor money in the stock market.

Max, max

Diaz stands out because his reports literally do not add up. A Chronicle analysis of the 23 reports the constable filed while in office found that he reported $556,210 in contributions and $488,041 in expenses from Jan. 1, 2013, though June 30, 2020. Subtracting the $6,514 cash on hand Diaz reported on his most recent filing last July, $61,655 remains unaccounted for.

In addition to the accounting inconsistencies, the reports contain numerous misspelled donor names and job titles, including several instances in which a donors first name is missing. On one form, a donor is listed only as Max, max.

On seven of Diazs reports, the listed contribution total is more than $1,000 higher than the actual sum of donations shown. In July 2013, Diazs donations totaled $6,134 more than the sum he listed. The sum of donations on the July 2014 report was $5,174 higher than the amount shown.

Last October, Diaz took the unusual step of amending four reports filed in the past four years. In three, he said the expenses of $13,469 and $6,549 at Sams Club and $4,097 at Edible Arrangements were actually $135, $66 and $41, owing to misplaced decimal points.

By decreasing those expenses, Diaz added almost $24,000 to the total unaccounted for by his campaign.

Borgelt said candidates often file sloppy campaign finance reports, though the high-dollar disparities on Diazs disclosures are unusual. The Texas Ethics Commission has limited power  it cannot investigate beyond reviewing a candidates filings  but Borgelt said the regulator could determine whether Diaz has broken the law. The TEC can issue fines of up to $10,000, though its record of collecting from violators is mixed.

I do think they do a good job of addressing the complaints they receive, Borgelt said. I think, perhaps, their firepower in addressing them is somewhat limited.

The TEC told the Chronicle in December it had no communication with Diaz in 2020. The Harris County District Attorneys Office, which in December announced several charges related to political campaigns, declined to say whether Diaz ever was under investigation.

The double Jerry

Diaz has been embroiled in several ethics issues since he first was elected in 2012 to represent the east Harris County precinct.

The constable had at least 10 boxes of T-shirts donated for Hurricane Harvey victims printed with the Precinct 2 logo and the words Team Diaz, a 2018 KHOU investigation found. He threw some of the shirts to crowds at a St. Patricks Day parade in Jacinto City, where his wife serves as mayor.

Diaz defended the shirt printing as community outreach that was the idea of one of his lieutenants.

Last year, more than a dozen current and former Precinct 2 employees told the Chronicle Diaz had pressured them to contribute to his campaign. They described a work environment in which Diaz blurred the boundary between the constables office and his campaign and said he sometimes appeared more interested in ensuring his re-election than policing his working-class, predominantly Latino precinct.

And then there is the curious case of the 2020 Democratic primary for constable, which included two challengers named Jerry Garcia.

The first Garcia was a lieutenant in a neighboring constable precinct. The second, who entered the race on the day of the filing deadline, was a vessel repairman on the Houston Ship Channel and a cousin of Diazs wife.

Lt. Garcia alleged Cousin Garcias candidacy was a ploy by Diaz to dupe voters into voting for the wrong candidate. Diaz told the Chronicle in December 2019 he had nothing to do with his relatives decision to run against him.

Cousin Garcia did not formally campaign nor bother to set up a website or social media pages. He received 9 percent of the vote in the March primary, which helped keep top vote-getter Lt. Garcia below the 50 percent threshold needed for an outright win. Garcia defeated Diaz in the July primary runoff.

Houston elections attorney Gerald Birnberg said that while morally reprehensible, recruiting a straw candidate for an election with the intent to deceive voters is permitted under Texas law.

So long as the transaction was truthfully reported, the mere act of creating confusion is not in and of itself illegal, Birnberg said.

Eagleton, the Precinct 3 constable, said he was aware of ethics questions surrounding Diaz when he hired him. Since no allegations have been proven, he said he is giving Diaz the benefit of the doubt.

I sure hope he doesnt bring any baggage over to my office, because I was just trying to be nice and keep him on the payroll, Eagleton said.

zach.despart@chron.com

twitter.com/zachdespart

Chinese civil aviation authorities are working on a new civilian airport on Dadeng Island, less than 10 kilometers from the Taiwanese-held island of Kinmen, and Chinese ships can be spotted in sea tracts uncomfortably close to Taiwans turf, dredging for gravel.

Thats what Shih Chao-min, chairman of Kinmen countys ruling Nationalist Party, has observed for the past few years.

Taiwans central government has noticed too. It says the Chinese ships are illegally looking for gravel in waters close to Taiwanese land. A lot turn up near Kinmen and Matsu, another outlying archipelago, because of their proximity to China.

Due to the needs of their project, they often go and extract gravel from the sea, but theres quite an impact on us, Shih said. Were paying careful attention to this matter. There should be a channel the two sides can use to communicate.

Careful attention matters because China has been pressuring it in other ways off and on for decades. China believes Taiwan belongs under its flag, but Taiwan rejects that idea. Taiwan been self-ruled since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, when Chiang Kai-sheks Nationalists lost and re-established themselves in Taipei.

Every day Chinese military planes enter Taiwans air defense identification zone and aircraft carriers periodically pass nearby. China has not renounced the threat of force, if needed, to unify with Taiwan.

Chinese dredging has taken place in Taiwanese waters for about a decade, and it damages the marine ecology, said Chen Yi-fan, assistant diplomacy and international relations professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan.

Taiwanese coast guard vessels were sent to disperse about 4,000 Chinese dredgers in Taiwanese waters in the first 10 months of 2020, the government-run Central News Agency reported. That number has increased over the past few years as illegal dredging intensifies, the Taiwan governments Mainland Affairs Council told VOA Monday.

The coast guard cant deter as many ships as China allows to dredge, Chen said.

Dredging persists partly because the Chinese ships at least start off on the high seas, Shih believes. Sometimes they plumb for gravel in tracts that overlap the claims of China and Taiwan, which extend six kilometers offshore from Kinmen and Matsu rather than the usual 12 nautical miles (22.2 kilometers), Chen said.

These grey zone operations may go on just like the PLA Air Force breaking into Taiwans ADIZ on a regular basis, Chen said. China does not recognize the Taiwanese ADIZ, or air defense identification zone.

The search for offshore gravel in waters claimed by Taiwan has very strong political context, he added.

China might steer its dredging ships away from Taiwanese land if political ties were better, said Yun Sun, East Asia Program senior associate at the Stimson Center.

Relations have slumped since 2016, when Beijing called off formal talks after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen declined a dialogue precondition that Taiwan belongs to China.

Now China is more inclined to take a hardline position rather than a more nuanced position, Sun said.

At least we can see very clearly that the mainland Chinese authority didnt even try to stop it or did not try to put a cap on it, so by itself I think that is a political messaging, she said.

In December, Taiwans parliament approved laws that increase the penalties for illegal sand dredging in coastal waters to one to seven years in prison and fines up to $3.5 million.

Previous penalties stopped at $1.8 million and five years in jail.

We hope that the government can show its law enforcement resolve by making the penalties heavier, the Mainland Affairs Council said in an e-mail.

China passed a law January 22 that expressly allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels, a move that scholars say gives Beijing more power over five governments that contest its claims to the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea southwest of Taiwan. The law means Chinese coast guard vessels might accompany dredgers to ward off any threats, Chen said.

Construction on part of the Xiamen Xiangan Airport just off Kinmen is set to end by 2024. The airport is being designed to handle 45 million passengers by 2025.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
IT has been well established that the countrys most effective mobilisation system is the election machinery based on political affiliation.

With this in mind, the current crisis in the country regarding the frightening spread of the coronavirus calls for a different kind of intervention. It is past time for the declaration of a political truce. We call on the countrys two major political machines, PNM and UNC, and all other existing political parties and groups, to come together in the national interest.
John Murray Spear was always ahead of his time. As a 19th century Christian minister, he was zealously opposed to the death penalty, slavery, and gender inequality. But Spear wasn't just a progressive religiously; he was also a bit of an early tech adopter, merging those two interests by building a steampunk savior out of magnets and the energy of the dead.

No one would have ever criticized Spear as a man not to be taken seriously. He became well-known for his lectures on labor reform and women's rights and helped build the first leg of the Underground Railroad. But that kind of open-mindedness also earned him a lot of enemies. This came to a head in 1844 when he had his head bashed in by a mob of religious hooligans. After waking from a months-long coma, Spear was a changed man. He turned his back on his Universalist Church and became a devout Spiritualist, holding seances, speaking with the dead, and starting construction on a strange new ghost machine. Why? Because ghost Ben Franklin had told him.

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

Spear claimed that, during his coma, he was visited by the ghosts of such iconic American intellectuals as John Adams, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. These late luminaries called themselves "The Association of Electrizers," and shared with Spear "God's last, best gift to man": a self-replicating, sentient machine that would clean the streets of earthly corruption and turn the world back into a Utopian Eden like a Roman-Catholic RoboCop. This "New Motor" was to resemble a human being as much as Victorian tech would allow: a (un)holy combination of off table legs, magnetic limbs, and hair-like antennae that would pick up enough spiritual ether to power itself for eternity.

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

But since this machine was supposed to be a union of spiritualism and science, the new Messiah still had to be born. So one of Spear's followers, the appropriately last-named Sarah Newton, was chosen to be "The Mary of the New Dispensation," being attached with a synthetic umbilical cord to the New Motive Power to give 'birth' to it. At the same time, the rest of the cult performed rituals that were 'life-giving' -- which critics of the Frankensteinian scheme quickly condemned as sounding very sex-culty indeed.

KALAMAZOO, MI -- The Ascension Medical Group Borgess Cancer Center is on track to open September 2021, the healthcare system announced.

The 38,000-square-foot facility is located near the intersection of Stadium Drive and Drake Road in Oshtemo Township.

Construction crews broke ground in August 2020. The facility is being built in the newly completed second phase of Western Michigan Universitys Business, Technology and Research Park.

The multi-level building will offer medical oncology, hematology and infusion services, according to a news release from Ascension Borgess.

Hiring has begun for 46 full-time positions, ranging from pharmacists to oncology specialty nurses. The center will also employ 12 oncology physicians and specialists.

The center features 33 infusion bays, five private infusion rooms, 35 exam rooms, an on-site pharmacy and an on-site laboratory, according to the release.

Additionally it will offer services such as a nurse navigation program, survivorship program, medical social work, cancer education and health and wellness programs.

Bronsons Cancer Pavilion began chemotherapy and infusion services for adults in January. The pavilion is on the Bronson Methodist Hospital campus in Kalamazoo on the southeast corner of Vine Street and John Street, directly across from the Medical Office Pavilion and Vine Street Parking Ramp.

The new cancer pavilion was named in honor of former Bronson president and CEO Frank Sardone.

Both projects came after a 2018 announcement from the West Michigan Cancer Center that the center would move some services out of its downtown Kalamazoo location and into separate Bronson and Borgess facilities to effectively meet the areas growing needs for outpatient cancer treatment.

More on MLive:

Double masking as coronavirus variants spread, where to find the right masks

9% of Michigan adults vaccinated against COVID-19 so far; see numbers in your county

Limited supply means some schools cant vaccinate their teachers against COVID like others can
More than half of Americans say they want to delay getting a Covid vaccine until they know more information or even refuse it altogether, according to a new survey.

Only 41 per cent of those surveyed said they are eager to receive the shots as soon as possible, according to the tracking project by the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation.

It comes a scientists warn that new variants of the virus mean that nations will need to vaccinate 85% of their population to achieve herd immunity, and Joe Biden scrambles to ramp up vaccinations.

The president has set the target of giving 100million Americans their first dose of a vaccine by April.

In the Kaiser study carried out in January, 31 per cent said they want to wait and see further results from the vaccines, seven per cent said they would only get inoculated if they were made to, while 13 per cent said they will definitely not receive the shots.

More than half of Americans say they want to delay getting a Covid vaccine until they know more information or even refuse it altogether

The study by the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation found that Black and Hispanic people are more reluctant to receive a vaccine

People from rural communities are also less eager to receive the shots, with urban and suburban adults happier to get inoculated

Nurse Lacinda Snowberger gives Priscilla Lockhart a shot of the Pfizer vaccine at a walk-in vaccination hub in Virginia

The findings show a small increase in vaccine confidence from December when 63 per cent of people said they would delay or refuse the approved doses.

The number of people willing to get inoculated immediately has also risen from 34 per cent to 41 per cent.

The study of 1,563 adults in the US also showed that Republicans, people from Black and Hispanic backgrounds, lower income households and adults in rural areas are the most reluctant groups to get vaccinated.

Vaccine enthusiasm is divided on political lines, with Democrats much more eager to get the shots than Republicans

Nearly two thirds of Democrats, 64 per cent, say they have already been vaccinated or want the shots as soon as possible.

But this figure drops to 32 per cent among Republicans, with 33 per cent saying they want to wait and see, and a quarter saying they will definitely refuse the vaccine.

These figures remain mostly unchanged from December, showing President Joe Biden's need to transcend partisanship and appeal to Republicans to help with his national vaccination campaign.

Vaccine enthusiasm is also divided on racial lines, with 43 per cent of Black people and 37 per cent of Hispanic adults saying they want to hold off the shots until they know more about them.

Vaccine enthusiasm is also divided on racial lines, with 43 per cent of Black people and 37 per cent of Hispanic adults saying they want to hold off the shots until they know more about them

Among White adults, only 26 per cent say they want to wait and see, with 53 per cent saying they have already received a dose or want one immediately, compared to 35 per cent of Black adults and 42 per cent in the Hispanic community.

Another disparity is found on economic lines, with people on a household income of $90,000 or more almost twice as likely as those with incomes under $40,000 to say that they or someone they know has been vaccinated.

Knowing someone who has already received a shot is one of the biggest indicators in vaccine enthusiasm, the study shows.

More than half of those who want the vaccine 'as soon as possible,' 52 per cent, say they know someone who has been vaccinated.

The study found that many people fear that Covid-19 vaccines could cause long term issues or serious side effects

Among those who say they'll get a shot 'only if required,' only 29 per cent of people say they know someone who has received a vaccine.

The study has also looked into the concerns among people reluctant to receive the jabs, with 68 per cent of people saying they are worried about the long term effects of the vaccines.

Other fears that the vaccine could cause Covid-19 and it might cause serious side effects are more pronounced in the groups less keen to receive the shots.

More than half of Black Adults (54 per cent) and 50 per cent of Hispanic people say they are worried the vaccines will give them coronavirus, compared to 20 per cent of White adults.

Fears over the vaccinations are compounded by myths which are more prominent among people reluctant to receive the jabs

People on with lower incomes without a college degree are also much more likely to have these concerns than educated higher-income people.

A YouGov poll last month found that vaccine skepticism is higher in the US than in many other countries.

Only 47 per cent of people in the US said the would take a vaccine compared to 73 per cent in the UK, 69 per cent in India, 68 per cent in Mexico, 70 per cent in Denmark and 64 per cent in Australia.

As of Sunday, 31 million vaccine doses have been administered in the US, out of nearly 50 million delivered to states

Dr Anthony Fauci has indicated that between 75 and 85 per cent of Americans need to be vaccinated to help bring the pandemic under control.

President Biden plans to inoculate 150million people in his administration's first 100 days.

But he faces a struggle with so many Americans reluctant to receive the shots, with many duped by conspiracy theories online.

This weekend, a crowd of maskless protesters temporarily shut down one of the world's largest vaccination centers in Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles when they picketed the site.

About 50 protesters, including members of anti-vaccine and far-right groups, gathered outside the COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles, disrupting the long line of drivers waiting to get their dose

The anti-vax demonstrators spouted bogus claims that the virus was not real, holding up placards reading: 'COVID=SCAM', 'COERCION IS ILLEGAL', and 'Mark of the beast ahead', as motorists lined up at the vaccine site.

The protests are continuing despite January being the deadliest month of the coronavirus pandemic so far.

The month saw more than 95,000 fatalities, a jump of 20,000 from December, and more people were hospitalized for the deadly virus than any other month so far.

However, new cases and deaths have been declining after peaking in the middle of the month.

On Sunday the nation recorded 118,211 new Covid-19 cases with a seven-day average of 144,861 cases, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

The US also saw 2,055 new Covid-19 related deaths, with a seven day average of 3,135 fatalities. Overall, in January 95,211 deaths were recorded.

Hospitalizations and cases soared in early to mid January and there are currently 95,013 people hospitalized with the virus, a major jump since October, likely exacerbated by holiday travel.

January also saw more people hospitalized with Covid than any other month on average, however, the number has come down from its mid-month peak.

In more positive news, the number of new cases is now averaging 40,000 less than it was at the beginning of the month and more than 100,000 fewer than the January 12 peak.

Since the start of the pandemic the nation has recorded more than 26million cases and more than 441,000 deaths.
Just as the coronavirus drives home the importance of parks and walkable green space, the SPARK Park program has gotten a new infusion of money to create community parks at 15 area schools and upgrade another 15 during the next four years.

The new money is a second phase of funding of $2.5 million each from Houston Endowment and the Kinder Foundation, which gave the same amount in a first round of funding back in 2016 to create 25 new parks and upgrade another five at area schools. The Brown Foundation is contributing an additional $500,000 for this phase, and the Powell Foundation contributed the same amount for the first phase.

Thanks to the program, Franklin Elementary School in the East End now has a proper park. Rose Toros mosaic at Franklin includes images of bluebonnets, pecan trees, mockingbirds, monarch butterflies, horned lizards, armadillos and prairie dogs, as well as flags from 11 countries to represent the diversity of the student body. At Horn Elementary School in Alief ISD, art teacher Lydia Tye and her students created the artwork in the schools green space.

The SPARK Park program was created in 1983 by then City Council member Eleanor Tinsley to improve community and school parks in Houston when studies showed the area needed an additional 5,000 acres of parkland to compare favorably to other large U.S. cities.

Houston has never placed very high in the Trust for Public Lands annual rankings of cities and parks. In 2016, when the Houston Endowment and Kinder Foundation began addressing park deserts, the city ranked 78th in parkland, earning just 41 points, and it held the same ranking in 2020 with 39.9 points.

For comparison, Minneapolis, where 98 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, was No. 1 in both 2016 and 2020, with 86.5 points and 85.3 points respectively.

SPARK creates brand-new parks at schools with bare or undeveloped land and does re-SPARK efforts at schools with playgrounds or land in need of significant help. Once theyre finished, theyre considered community parks that everyone can use during nonschool hours.

Since 2016, the initiative, funded primarily by the Houston Endowment and Kinder Foundation, has focused on eliminating park deserts that exist in areas where residents are more than a half-mile or a 10-minute walk away from a public park.

In all, SPARK Park has built more than 200 public parks in 17 school districts in the Greater Houston area.

We get feedback that people perceive the school campus as being a safe place because they send their kids there. In a neighborhood, they are comfortable sending their kids to the playground at the school and going there as a family, said Kathleen Ownby, executive director of SPARK Park. For each one of our parks, we give each school a goal of raising at least $5,000, and until this past year, almost every school has done that.

The Houston Endowment-Kinder Foundation donations put an infusion of cash into the SPARK program, but the schools themselves and other municipalities  cities, counties and precincts  pitch in, too. Students also help raise money.

The amount spent on each park varies with size, $117,560 to $386,660.

We want  whether its a penny drive or selling popcorn or collecting (aluminum) cans  each student to feel like they had a hand in paying for the park and feel pride in their school park, said Ownby.

Art teachers, local artists and students create public art such as murals and tile work at each site as well.

The parks vary by site, but they include playground equipment, walking trails, picnic tables, trees, outdoor classrooms and public art. Each school site also picks its own landscape architect.

Some 15 of the 30 park sites in this new round of funding have been identified. Sites marked for new parks or improvements to existing parks have to be at least 10 years old.

A list of 50 potential projects in park deserts was created back in 2016, and theyre choosing this new round of school park sites from that list, Ownby said. Finished parks usually have a dedication with students and community leaders, but the pandemic has changed that.

diane.cowen@chron.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.
Burma's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi leaves after paying her respects to her late father during a ceremony to mark the 73rd anniversary of Martyrs' Day in Yangon on July 19, 2020. (Ye Aung Thu/Pool via Reuters)

Burmese Leader Aung San Suu Kyi Detained: Ruling Party Spokesman

Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid, the spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy (NLD) said on Monday.

The move comes after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the powerful military that stirred fears of a coup in the aftermath of an election the army says was fraudulent.

Spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone that Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other leaders had been taken in the early hours of the morning.

I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law, he said, adding he also expected to be detained.

Burmas newly elected lawmakers were scheduled to take their seats in parliament for the first time on Monday despite threats from the army and fears of a coup after the military alleged last years election was fraudulent.

Suu Kyis party the NLD won 83 percent of available seats in the Nov. 8 election, more than the 322 seats needed to form government. But the military-backed opposition has disputed the result and demanded a re-run.

Legal complaints against the countrys president and chair of the electoral body are pending at the Supreme Court.

The election commission has rejected the allegations, saying there were no errors big enough to affect the credibility of the vote.

In a statement on Saturday, the army said it would protect and abide by the constitution and act according to law, but pro-military demonstrations continued in major cities.

About 300 people marched through the commercial capital of Yangon on Sunday waving banners and chanting in support of the military and against foreign intervention in the countrys internal affairs.

A military spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking comment.

Under the countrys constitution, a quarter of seats are reserved for lawmakers from the military.

Many lawmakers from the ruling party spent years in jail under Burmas former military government, which ruled for half a century until reforms began 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.
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.
Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta has come out and defended Lionel Messi after the contract he signed in 2017 came to light by El Mundo on Saturday night.

The report revealed that Messi could earn up to 555,237,619 euros over the course of a four-season period, yet COPE have also reported that the Argentine is still owed 63.5 million euros of this season's current salary.

"It's bad news because it's disrespectful, and because there is a mismanagement at the club it's easier for these things to happen," Laporta said of El Mundo's story.

"Barcelona's situation is not caused by Leo's contract. Messi generates more income than he earns. We have done a study and he generates around a third of Barcelona's total income."

Laporta pointed to the way in which Messi has helped Barcelona win on the pitch and this, in turn, has helped make them more marketable off it.

"From 2004 to 2019 we have won 35 trophies and [Real] Madrid 22, and this, in large part, is thanks to Leo Messi," he explained.

"Without him, we wouldn't have won so much. There are nine sportsmen in the world who earn more money in relation to the total income of a club.

"Leo accounts for a total of 8.2 percent of the club's expenditure. All the sponsors demand to have Leo."

What's clear is that the potential Barcelona president wants Messi to stay.

"I will do my best to keep him," Laporta confirmed.

"I have indications that he is fine at Barcelona; he wants to stay and he needs to trust in a sporting project."
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
One of the absolute top priorities in our long-term cooperation with Vietnam is to support green growth and a green transition in Vietnam. This overarching aim has been fully reflected in our cooperation including in the annual Denmark In Your Eyes Competition. With the theme Green Living this year, we would like to continue engaging Vietnamese children and youth in promoting a green and sustainable development. This competition will be a platform for the young generation to voice and share their thoughts, concerns, hopes and ideas on how to nurture and protect our planet. It will, hopefully, also help inspire other people on how we together can make our planet a prosperous and sustainable home for the well-being of all, through what could be daily simple and humble deeds said Ms. Louise Holmsgaard, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Denmark.

This years competition is open to all Vietnamese students, from both primary and secondary schools. The deadline for submissions is 1st April 2021. The winners will be announced and awarded at a ceremony in May 2021.

The Denmark In Your Eyes 2021 painting competition is co-hosted by the Embassy of Denmark and the Vietnam  Denmark Friendship Association (VIDAFA) with valuable assistance from our partners: the Ministry of Education and Training, Kim Dong Publishing House, Thieu Nien and Nhi Dong newspaper. JYSK, a Danish Furniture Retail Chain, is the main sponsor, while LEGO Vietnam is also a valued supporter of this competition./.






A military plane loaded with Chinese coronavirus vaccine landed in Pakistan on Monday as the country saw a significant drop in Covid-19-related deaths and tens of thousands of students got back to classes after months at home, officials said.



The plane transported half a million doses of the vaccine manufactured by the Chinese Sinopharm company from Beijing to Islamabad ahead of a national inoculation campaign planned for later this week, health chief Faisal Sultan said.



Health workers will be first in line. At least 400,000 health workers have registered for vaccination.



China, a neighbour and political ally, has announced that it is donating the first batch of the vaccine to Pakistan.



Pakistan's health ministry announced late Saturday that the country had also secured 17 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.



Planning Minister Asad Umar said the international vaccine-sharing alliance Covax confirmed that delivery of AstraZeneca vaccine would start in February.



The vaccine breakthrough comes as the country witnessed a steady decline in Covid-19 related deaths.



Only 24 deaths were reported on Sunday after nearly three dozen on Saturday, lowest number in weeks.



Pakistan is among the top 15 worse affected countries with more than half a million coronavirus cases so far and more than 11, 000 related deaths.



Also on Monday, on-campus classes at universities and elementary schools resumed after three months as tens of thousands of students streamed back to educational institutions.

Source: dpa/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
* Username

This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely!
Barry McPhail walked outside his vehicle that sat idle at the corner of Conception and Church streets Monday to politely remind the lady sitting in a car in front of him of where the line to get vaccinated began.

She just cut in line, said McPhail, a part-time biology instructor at the University of South Alabama while he waited patiently in a long car line outside the Mobile Civic Center that, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, served as the epicenter to the merriment of Mardi Gras balls during the month of February. The Mardi Gras balls are all canceled this year.

McPhail said he pre-registered for his shot online. He added, Im not a medical professional but I do have a basic understanding of what is going on with the vaccine, and I think its safe and that everyone should get it as soon as it becomes available.

The availability of vaccines is starting to ramp up at the city-sponsored clinic, operated by USA Health.

And as crowds arrive, officials organizing the clinic want to make sure the public is aware of the rules.

There is congestion outside, Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson said. People are hearing to get here early or to arrive at such and such time and that maybe theyll work you in. But people  dont show up until the designated time for you to be vaccinated.

Said Natalie Fox, chief nursing officer at USA Health, We are working as hard as we can to move traffic through. But we are having people show up early and without appointments. Its decreasing our productivity and slowing us down.

The USA Health drive-thru clinic, unlike other clinics in Mobile County and elsewhere, is not a first come and first serve setting. People getting a shot need to register online at USA Health and be placed on a waiting list.

The clinic is administering 800 vaccines at the Civic Center each day, up from 500 per day last week. A goal of reaching 1,000 could be targeted by the weekend, Stimpson said.

The mayor compared the process at the Civic Center to a well-run Chick-fil-A drive-thru restaurant.

We are fortunate the state recognizes, because of the efficiency here, that its worth getting more vaccinations (to the Civic Center), said Stimpson. Its a seamless process once you get into the queue to get the vaccine.

Related content: Mobile, USA Health grapple with challenges of ramping up vaccinations

Alabama announced last week it was expanding the eligibility criteria for those getting a shot on February 8, to those who are 65 and over along with those who work directly with the public (such as grocery store workers, teachers and childcare workers). Right now, people age 75 and over or who are healthcare workers and first-responders (police officers and firefighters) can get a shot.

Fox is encouraging people to register online in preparation of vaccines becoming available.

We are booking those who meet the 65 and over category and those essential (worker) categories, said Fox. We have 10,000 people who have used that registration site and our biggest category of those sitting in our queue are in the category of those over 65.

She added, If I have 75 and over and health care workers and first responders registered, we are putting them through first. But if we still have appointments, and I have the vaccine supply, we are moving on to the next eligible category that is coming.

Fox said people arriving without an appointment are being turned away.

We know that can be frustrating, but there are other areas doing first-come and first-serve events, she said. The Mobile County Health Department, for instance, is overseeing drive-thru clinics that do not require pre-registration.

Other mass vaccination clinics require registration. Here are some that are occurring in coastal Alabama:

-Infirmary Health is providing 1,000 doses per day of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine across its system. There are clinics set up at Mobile Infirmarys fitness center (Pro Health), the Thomas fitness center in Fairhope, and the North Baldwin fitness center in Bay Minette. Eligible recipients can make an appointment by calling 251-341-2819.

-A drive-thru event will occur on Saturday at 3 Circle Church in Fairhope. The clinic will be sponsored by Infirmary Health in collaboration with the city of Fairhope, Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency, and the Alabama Department of Public Health. Up to 1,500 people will be vaccinated.

-The Alabama Department of Public Health is offering vaccination clinics on Tuesday and Thursday at OWA in Foley. They will operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The vaccinations will be provided on a first come and first serve, drive-thru basis to only those eligible to receive one.

-The Mobile County Health Department is hosting several first-dose vaccine clinics this week on a first come and first serve, drive-thru basis. They include: From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Semmes Health Center in Semmes, from 9 am. To 2 p.m. Thursday at Family Health Citronelle in Citronelle, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Belsaw Middle School in Mt. Vernon.
COLAB Dry Shampoo, the multi award-winning dry shampoo brand thats uniquely proven suitable for all hair types, colors and textures, is increasing its retail availability in the United States by an astounding 150%

COLAB Dry Shampoo, the multi award-winning dry shampoo brand thats uniquely proven suitable for all hair types, colors and textures, is increasing its retail availability in the United States by an astounding 150% by expanding into leading drug stores including CVS, Walgreens, and Kroger stores from January 2021. It will be sold at 19,000 stores nationwide.

Already sold in 35 countries, the top-selling boutique British brand, created and founded by industry insiders and experts, debuted in the United States in January 2020 with 6 SKUs at Target, Walmart, and Rite Aid. Despite the retail challenges of 2020 due to COVID, COLAB has captured the attention of beauty consumers with its six fragrance choices and demonstrated invisible, effective formula that instantly absorbs oil and refreshes hair no matter hair type or texture. Proven performance in market has helped them grow from 0 to 19,000 doors in 12 months and speak to over 100 million American consumers with their marketing efforts.

Building COLABs American presence has been a priority for us, and further validates its global popularity, says Miles Dunkley, Founder & CEO of SLG Brands. Our launch at CVS, Walgreens, and Kroger continues our mission to provide high performance, innovative products to consumers at an affordable price and we are so proud to be able to service American consumers.

COLAB will be debuting its new, innovative, and category unique Overnight Renew Dry Shampoo in early 2021. With this launch, COLAB introduces a special nighttime formula with scalp conditioning benefits for refreshed hair in the morning  perfect for time strapped consumers. The formula is vegan, dermatologically tested and approved, and scented with calming notes of soft lavender and amber to aid sleep and relaxation.

COLAB is also launching super-sized versions of the popular Original formula, which will be 100% bigger than the current cans, exclusively in 750 Walmart doors, offering consumers exceptional value in this particularly challenging time.

http://www.colab-hair.com

http://www.instagram.com/colabhair/

http://www.colab-hair.com/en-us

For more information, please contact Emma@red-pr.com


Not long ago, many Democrats were worried about the "human rights" of Gitmo terrorists. They blasted President George W. Bush when he put them there and then when a few rough tactics were used to get information.

They were so outraged that President Obama signed an executive order on day one to end this terrible stain in our reputation. As you know, Gitmo survived the order, and it's still there.

The latest nonsense is giving the men in Gitmo a COVID vaccine shot.

As a practical matter, I am not opposed to vaccinating the Gitmo terrorists but not before millions of Americans get their shot. What's the point of giving these men any consideration? We can isolate them as much as possible until their turn comes at some point later.

Well, public opinion caught up with the Biden administration because the idea has been put on hold or halted. The outrage came from New York and a few other places:

State Assemblyman Colin Schmitt (R-Rockland County) called the idea a "national disgrace" in a letter to Pentagon Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Dr. Terry Adirim.

"Every available dose slated for Guantanamo Bay detention camp prisoners should be immediately redirected to the Hudson Valley," he wrote.

"I have seniors and first responders in the Hudson Valley who are unable to receive the vaccine. Not a single dose of vaccine should be wasted on terrorists who killed American citizens."

I can understand the sentiment. Why take care of other people before your own? There are thousands of Americans in line for a shot, and no terrorist should jump ahead of them.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).

Image: Pixabay.
ADVERTISEMENT

A Fulani cattle herders group, Kulen Allah Cattle Rearers Association of Nigeria (KACRAN), has called on the new service chiefs to tackle all security issues, including kidnapping and cattle rustling.

KACRAN, which broke away from Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), in a statement on Sunday, also advised the military leaders on how to succeed in their tasks.

The group commended President Muhammadu Buhari for heeding the calls by Nigerians for new service chiefs.

Armed Fulani herders are widely associated with kidnapping for ransom and conflicts with farmers across the country although criminals, embedded in their midst have been largely responsible for this menace.

Appeal

The President of KACRAN, Khalil Mohammed-Bello, in the statement said the group hopes that the appointments of the new service chiefs will bring positive change to end all the insecurity challenges in our country.

KACRAN urged the new service chiefs to hit the ground running by tackling issues of Boko Harams persistent attacks on innocent Nigerians in the North East and some parts of the country.

The activities of terrorists who wickedly attack, kill and destroy properties of innocent Nigerians in the North West and some parts of the country, should be given due priority.

Human kidnapping whereby motorists and people of several towns and villages are being subjected to endless attacks should be addressed frontally.

The group also called attention to the menace of cattle rustling where gunmen attack herders and rustle all their livestock and in some instances kill them if they refuse to allow them to go away with their animals.

RelatedNews No Content Available

It said cattle rustling fuels many other security problems in the country.

The group also called on the federal government to address the actions and reactions of herders and famers who usually take the law into their hands by attacking each other in the name of retaliation.

The newly appointed service chiefs have a great task ahead of them as Nigerians have high expectations on them for their safety and security of our beloved country, the group said.

How service chiefs can succeed

The group urged the military chiefs to deepen inter-agency cooperation among the security forces and create a robust military-civil relationship.

The military should invest in timely response to any report or information by the attacked communities or those who fear that they may be attacked by Boko Haram terrorists or other hoodlums.

The service chiefs should sincerely convince the Federal Government to purchase and supply them with modern sophisticated military hardwires.

They should adopt new standards of operation and war strategies that will be unbearable, disastrous or to Boko Haram Terrorists, kidnappers, bandits, separatists and their likes.

They should pay more emphasis to train and retraining of the military men and officers with motivations so that they will be fully acquainted with the modern warfare strategies. The welfare and incentives of their staff must be adequately taken care of.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 19:08:38|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Pupils with face masks attend a class at a private school in Lusaka, Zambia, on Feb. 1, 2021. Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Monday called for strict adherence to COVID-19 measures as schools reopen in the southern African nation. (Photo by Martin Mbangweta/Xinhua)

LUSAKA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Monday called for strict adherence to COVID-19 measures as schools reopen in the southern African nation.

"As schools reopen today, I wish to urge all pupils and teachers to adhere to all COVID-19 regulations," he said in a statement posted on social media. "I am calling on parents and guardians to play their role in ensuring there is maximum compliance."

Lungu expressed optimism that the ministries responsible for education and health have done everything possible to ensure that schools are ready for safe reopening.

"As we embrace the new normal, let each one of us play their part in the fight against the COVID-19," he said.

Zambia is experiencing a second wave of the pandemic, with concerns raised on the safety of reopening schools.

The Ministry of General Education, however, said measures have been put in place to ensure that learners are provided a safe environment.

The Ministry of Health warned that it will not hesitate to close schools should cases be reported.

Zambia has so far reported 54,217 confirmed cases, 763 deaths and 48,000 recoveries. Enditem
It's a blizzardy morning here in Connecticut and much of Mid-Atlantic and NorthEast. How about a cup of coffee or tea and FREE chapter of a The Needle of Justice, a new book from the sharp legal mind of lawyer/autism Mom Shirley Blaier-Stein? Shirley lived here in Connecticut for many years. She's a warrior Mom who returned to Israel when her husband was appointed to the Supreme Court. The timing of the novel with the novel virus is perfect. Click HERE to download a FREE first chapter!



###

Maya Stone, an autism mom from Fairview, Connecticut, dealing with her son Bens day-to-day hardship, observes in horror how the number of children affected by neurological disorders in the United States is rising exponentially and nobody can explain why. Maya, who used to practice law, comes up with a legal theory that turns into a class action involving many families in order to expose the truth behind the suffering of so many children. How far would the defendants go to protect their multimillion-dollar enterprise? Would Mayas son stay safe? How will the needle of justice turn?
The FMCG industry on Monday said a special focus on the agriculture sector in the Union Budget will help increase rural consumption and sustain growth momentum.

FMCG manufacturers -- like ITC, Emami, Marico and Jyothy Labs -- said it is encouraging capital infusion in infrastructure, divestment and restructuring of allocations without impacting consumers negatively.

The industry also said the Budget will drive consumption and growth momentum needed to revive the economy.

According to ITC Chairman & Managing Director Sanjiv Puri, it is a "visionary and growth-oriented budget", which provides further impetus to build India's competitiveness as also foster inclusive growth. The enhanced capital expenditure, particularly on infrastructure, will create livelihoods and provide an accelerated thrust to the V-shaped recovery trajectory.

"The heightened spends on agriculture and rural infrastructure development are aligned to the comprehensive policy interventions aimed at creating competitive agri value chains to raise farm incomes. These augur well for the economy and will spur a virtuous consumption-investment-employment cycle," said Puri.

According to Emami Director Harsha V Agarwal, there are significant allocations for infrastructure building, especially for rural India.

"The budget enhances allocation to agri-credit and also prioritises the agricultural and agri-allied sectors. All these measures are expected in generating an increase in rural consumption which is necessary for reviving the Indian economy," he said.

While Marico MD and CEO Saugata Gupta said the Budget has inclusive development plans for the agricultural sector and should help in sustaining the momentum of rural growth.

"Overall, this Union Budget ticks most of the right boxes with an encouraging capital infusion in infrastructure and funding the same through prudent borrowing, divestment and restructuring of allocations without impacting consumers negatively. I believe that going forward, this will bode well for generating demand, driving consumption and sustaining the growth momentum needed to revive the economy," he said.

Rural India contributes around 36 to 37 per cent of the total FMCG sales, the bulk of which is contributed by food items, data analytic firm Nielsen had said earlier.

Though small in numbers, the rural sector has helped the FMCG industry amid the pandemic, as markets in those areas were lesser impacted.

Jyothy Labs Joint Managing Director Ullas Kamath said the balanced fiscal deficit at 9.5 per cent reassures the economic growth of the country.

"The best outcome of the Budget is that the government has been very focused and has diligently evaluated and assigned specifics to definite categories covering the overarching theme of the country's development. In totality, it is a very promising and realistic budget," he said.

Mars Wrigley India General Manager Kalpesh Parmar said this is a growth-oriented Budget that will propel recovery of the Indian economy post-pandemic, with increased capital expenditure and infrastructure spends across roads, rural, and agriculture sectors.

"This is expected to further boost consumption across categories," he said.

Bonn Group of Industries Managing Director Amrinder Singh said the Budget has announced stimulus packages in the form of low-income tax slabs, tax exemption for notified affordable housing for migrant workers and new agri-infra development cess.

"These moves will no doubt promote consumerism but also will boost overall GDP growth. As more finances have been allocated on building roads, housing and new factories, this will also generate income opportunities for our rural consumers and bridge the gap to have last-mile consumption," he said.

Bikano Managing Director Shyam Sunder Aggarwal said the measure taken by the government in the Budget would lead to stable incomes and higher purchasing power, which would, in turn, generate demand for FMCG and food products and services.

METRO Cash and Carry India MD and CEO Arvind Mediratta said: "Overall, the CAPEX and infra led Budget 2021, amidst the pandemic, strikes a balance between enabling stability in the Indian economy and empowering industries to regain their momentum, thus contributing towards a strategic economic revival".

(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 London Borough of Lewisham acted at a glacial pace to address illegal levels of air pollution around the time of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrahs death, a landmark inquiry heard today.

Nine-year-old Ella lived around 25 metres from the South Circular Road in Lewisham, south London. She died on 15 February 2013 of a severe asthma attack following nearly three years of seizures and more than 30 hospital admissions linked to her asthma.

Her mother, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, has battled for several years for an inquiry into the role of air pollution from cars in her daughters death.

Over the next 10 days, a landmark inquest will consider whether air pollution caused or contributed to Ellas fatal asthma attack. If the inquest finds in favour of Ellas family, she will be the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death.

An inquest ruling from 2014, which found that Ella died of acute respiratory failure, was quashed by High Court judges in light of new evidence on the possible role of air pollution.

A 2018 report by Prof Stephen Holgate, a leading researcher of air pollution from the University of Southampton, found that pollutant levels at a monitoring station one mile from Ella's home consistently exceeded lawful EU limits over the three years prior to her death.

Speaking at Southwark Coroners Court today, Richard Hermer QC accused the London Borough of Lewisham of failing to treat air pollution as a priority despite knowing how dangerous it is.

The barrister said it took seven years for Lewisham to produce a strategy for dealing with air pollution after learning of studies indicating that it had reached toxic levels.

That's a glacial pace in the context of a public health emergency, isn't it? Mr Hermer said.

David Edwards, Lewisham Councils head of environmental health, replied: Certainly when you look at it in the context of today, yes.

Speaking ahead of the inquest, Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said: Its coming up to eight years since Ella passed and its been a long hard fight to get this inquest, with challenges along the way. What I want is justice for Ella and for her to have on her death certificate the true cause of why she died.

In court Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said that she was never told of the risks of air pollution.

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah poses for a photograph ahead of the opening of a coroners inquest into the death of her daughter (AFP via Getty Images)

Sian Berry, Green Party co-leader and candidate for London Mayor, said: The thoughts of all Greens are with Rosamund today as she takes this important step towards justice for her daughter Ella.

Clean air is a human right, and this inquest could make history and force real action to deal with toxic pollution at speed, at last.

No parent should ever lose a child because of the air they breathe.

Ella's inquest has been listed under Article 2, the right to life, of the Human Rights Act, which scrutinises the role of public bodies in a person's death.

Katie Nield, lawyer at environmental law charity ClientEarth, said: The UK government needs to sit up and take notice of this crucial inquest. Ella may be the first person in the world with air pollution recognised as a cause of death on their death certificate.

The government has been failing on its existing legal obligations to make our air safer to breathe for over 10 years now, dithering and delaying despite court orders  and this apathy is fatal.

To prevent future tragedies, the law needs to be strengthened to better protect peoples health. Thats why the government needs to commit in the Environment Bill to a legally binding target to achieve World Health Organisation guideline levels for harmful particulate matter pollution by 2030 at the latest.

Agencies contributed to this report
The Adams County school district that is at the center of a social media outcry about racism students and alumni say they have experienced there is now working with the state to craft a plan to address the situation.

The Upper Adams School District announced today it is working with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission to develop a comprehensive plan to address past and present allegations of discrimination at the Biglerville High School.

Several social media pages titled Racism at Biglerville High School went live last week, collecting the accounts of students and former students, detailing many incidents of racism and bigotry they say they experienced while attending the rural school in the heart of Pennsylvanias fruit belt.

Upper Adams Superintendent Wesley Doll said during an interview over Zoom with PennLive on Wednesday that the district did not condone any of the behaviors described on those social media pages.

When you start to see some of the items and messages that are posted, its very disheartening, Doll said. Were dedicated to creating a welcoming environment for all of our students thats free of racism, discrimination or bullying.

But the students who posted their experiences  and are continuing to do so  say they feel anything but welcomed.

The school hopes to change that by joining forces with the commission.

This community finds itself faced with an opportunity to step out of the shadows of hate, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission executive director Chad Dion Lassiter said in a press release today. We have met with Superintendent Doll and appreciate his willingness to partner with PHRC to immediately put a plan in place to address these issues head-on and start the healing process. We encourage the students, faculty and community members to approach this difficult reality through a new lens, to try to see the humanity in your neighbors, and seek commonalities rather than differences. We are encouraged by our initial conversations with the Upper Adams School District and Biglerville High School administrators and look forward to working with members of this community on all levels.

The commission will provide unconscious bias training for the faculty, staff and students at no cost. It will also provide recommendations and a diverse panel of experts to work with the district in regularly scheduled sessions over the next few years with the goal of effecting meaningful change.

The commission is also advising further work between the school and the Adams County PHRC Advisory Council to open a conversation and conduct training in the community.

In a statement, Doll said the district is fully committed to listening to students and the community to address confirmed cases of racist behavior, bigotry and bullying and is dedicated to working with the commission to develop a plan.

On Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania released a statement saying the organization supports the students and alumni who created the social media pages.

They have done the community a great service by exposing the ugly underbelly of racism that they say has existed at their school for years, ACLU of Pennsylvania executive director Reggie Shuford said in the statement. This is how healing happens. We will continue supporting the students and their allies and look forward to hearing more about how the district plans to move forward to create an inclusive and equitable environment at Biglerville High School.

The ACLU said the allegations of racism are serious, all students have a right to a free and equal education, and it is the school districts responsibility to address these allegations.

According to students and graduates, the school has failed to do that for many years, Shuford said. We also want to reiterate that the school needs to be mindful that it cannot punish students for speech that criticizes the school and cannot use its authority to unmask the people behind the social media sites.
Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID
A mutual love for comics brought two unlikely partners together to create a comic book for kids going through cancer treatment.

Advertisement Advertise With Us

A mutual love for comics brought two unlikely partners together to create a comic book for kids going through cancer treatment.

Best known for the annual Grim Acres Scare Away Cancer haunted house fundraiser with wife Amber, Brian Sutherland came up with the idea a couple of years ago.

SUBMITTED Elina Garina, 13, is seen with her drawing tablet. She drew the new Superheroes Against Cancer Alliance comic book.

The resulting Superheroes Against Cancer Alliance comic book features superheroes joining their families and medical team in facing off to defeat evil cancer. Its printed in black and white so kids going through treatment can colour it themselves.

"Kids going through cancer, theyre just looking for a smile  theyre looking for someone to give them hope and to believe in something amazing," Sutherland said.

The only problem in creating the book is, he couldnt really draw.

Although he grew up with superhero comic books and drew inspiration from local comic book artist Curt Shoultz, he hadnt fine-tuned his skills enough to take on a project by himself.

So, he reached out to a friend  a guidance counsellor at Valleyview School  who recommended student Elina Garina, 13.

Coming in at 26 pages, Garina said it took her a whole year to finish, cheered on by her pet budgie Rosa, who accompanied her throughout the process.

"This project was really fun to make and I like the whole concept of it," she said. "I think theyll enjoy to read and look at something while sitting in a hospital, and I have a little sister  she took one of the comics to colour herself and shes really enjoying that, so I think a lot of kids will enjoy that, too."

Her father, Konstantin Garin, said hes proud of his daughters effort, which he was at first reticent about due to its large, time-consuming scale.

The experience alone was worth it, he said, and the idea kids going through cancer treatment will find joy out of it is icing on the cake.

Sutherland said the comic book, "for kids, by a kid," is exactly what hed hoped it would be, and Elinas work is "an absolutely amazing gift to the world."

The book, he added, "is a true testament to the skill, the dedication and the abilities that our amazing Westman youth have, and I am extremely proud to see the product she has produced."

The self-contained storys key message, he said, is "strength, courage and victory, and through that we achieve hope."

More than 100 copies of the comic book have been printed to be sent free of charge to kids through The Dream Factory Manitoba and distributed by other means both locally and globally.

Meanwhile, Sutherland found himself facing extra spare time this past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so he set out to learn how to draw and create a version of the comic book himself.

While Elinas version was contained to a single issue, Sutherlands version will ultimately make up a trilogy. The first issue has already been completed and is being sold alongside a Superheroes Against Cancer Alliance medallion for $20. All money received is being donated to The Dream Factory Manitoba and Westman Dreams for Kids.

Sutherland said hell be seeking sponsors to help pay for extra copies of the comics as stock runs out, shipping and other expenses.

Anyone interested in purchasing a copy or supporting the effort can contact Sutherland at sacaheroes@gmail.com.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Mumbai, Feb 1 : Ayaz Gorakhpuri, son of popular poet Zafar Gorakhpuri of the famous Gorakhpuri gharana, has turned lyricist with the song Tera hi ehsaas.

Ayaz says his colleagues suggested that he turns to writing film numbers and popular songs, adding that "shayari" is are not getting as much attention as it should, for people to stay connected with poetry. It was a reason, he says, why he decided to write lyrics for films and music videos.

"Two of my films are releasing this year and in one of the films titled 'Baba', I worked with music director Pawan Muradpuri. When it comes to being a lyricist, I always feel whatever I write, people should enjoy my words. My colleague suggested that I should write lyrics for films like my father. Since 'shayari' is dying, I thought about it. I always treat myself like a newcomer as I want to get recognised on the basis of merit. In the upcoming year, I have two to three films and a few video songs as well," he said.

Tera hi ehsaas is streaming on YouTube and has garnered over 173K views since release. The songs is sung by Dev Negi and composed by Pawan Muradpuri. The video features Shahid Khan and Aayesha Kapoor.

Opening up on his journey, Ayaz said: "Since my childhood, I was always surrounded by books, and shayars and writers who would visit our house. My father Zafar Gorakhpuri always appreciated and encouraged them. I used to read ghazals, nazms, and story books, and started reciting 'shayari' in my college days. Initially, my parents were worried about my studies but I managed both. I did my first 'mushayara' at the age of 20, where my father was present. He was happy and appreciated me. Since then, I have done many mushayaras across India and have started getting media visibility." About his legacy, he said: "I come from such a big family that it always feels like walking barefoot on a sword. I am fortunate that I was born in such a big family, hence I want to live my life with simplicity. I already have so much responsibility for my legacy, so I feel that I must guide newcomers in the field of shayari and motivate them."
A New York City police officer was arrested on child pornography charges on Thursday after he repeatedly posed as a teenager online to request and obtain sexually explicit photos and videos from at least 46 minors, federal prosecutors said.

The officer, Carmine Simpson, 26, was charged with production of child pornography in federal court in Long Island and suspended without pay. He is the latest in a string of officers on the citys police force to be accused of sexual crimes involving minors.

Prosecutors say that Officer Simpson used Twitter to contact teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17, often requesting that they create pornographic pictures and videos of themselves and send them to him. Officer Simpson told his targets that he was 17 years old and, in some cases, sent them pictures of himself to which he had applied a filter, making him look younger.

At his arraignment, a prosecutor, Megan E. Farrell, said that Officer Simpson had engaged in a pattern of activity that went on for months online where he preyed on minors, grooming them, chatting with them, and essentially having them produce sexually explicit photos and images for himself.
Britains endangered birds of prey appear to be making a comeback and are increasingly being seen on the grouse moors that heralded their decline.

Stunning videos, obtained by MailOnline and shot on the Swinton Estate in Yorkshire, show hen harriers swooping and gathering.

Ever since the introduction of grouse shooting in the Victorian era, birds of prey such as the hen harrier have been under threat. There are said to be only 600 pairs in all of England and Scotland.

As recently as 2017, an RSPB investigation found that not a single hen harrier chick was produced on Englands grouse moors that stretch across more than a million acres of the country.

Stunning footage shows hen harriers swooping and gathering on the Swinton Estate in Yorkshire. It is believed there are only around 600 breeding pairs of the birds in England and Scotland

Now, according to the Moorland Association, which represents the privately-owned grouse moors, hen harriers have been recorded on at least half of their moors.

Their survey, which asked over 100 grouse moor managers, found other birds of prey such as the merlin and waders such as curlew and lapwing.

All of these birds are on the Red List of most conservation concern.

Mark Cunliffe-Lister, chairman of the Moorland Association, said: Our commitment to help recover the hen harrier population to favourable conservation status is working -- as more and more of these charismatic birds are now being seen on the land we manage, coupled with the remarkable increase in breeding success.

This survey shows that hen harriers, other birds of prey and waders are all flourishing on our carefully managed moors, bucking trends of plunging decline elsewhere.

There has long been a conflict between the needs of grouse moor shooters and birds of prey.

The sport, which supports 2,500 jobs, relies on plentiful amounts of grouse birds living in the heather of the moors and too many birds of prey can significantly impact numbers.

Dr Ruth Tingay, who writes the blog Raptor Persecution UK, chronicles the deaths of satellite-tagged birds of prey and says up to 72% of deaths were from illegal shooting.

Last year saw the most successful breeding season for hen harriers for 35 years. Sixty chicks fledged from 19 nests across Northumberland, Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria and Lancashire in summer 2020 (stock image)

In 2016, to combat the problem of diminishing numbers of hen harriers, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, launched a joint action plan.

Last year saw the most successful breeding season for hen harriers for 35 years. Sixty chicks fledged from 19 nests across Northumberland, Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria and Lancashire in summer 2020.

Of these, 12 were on land managed for grouse shooting fledging 40 chicks. Nearly 100 chicks have now fledged since the plan was launched in 2016. As recently as 2013 there were no successful nests at all.

Mr Cunliffe-Lister added: There can be conflict between birds of prey and game birds but leading the way with practical knowledge, expertise and innovation, we are demonstrating that we can attain a sustainable balance for our remote uplands and boost natures recovery.

Moorland Association members are also actively involved in a brood management research trial to establish if it is possible to rear hen harriers in captivity and then release them to become successful breeding adults in the English uplands. So far, 13 chicks have successfully fledged under the trial.
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.
Lawyers for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will today continue with the cross-examination of the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the first witness for the petitioner, former President John Dramani Mahama.



Mr Asiedu Nketia was last Friday cross-examined by counsel for the Electoral Commission (EC), the first respondent, Mr Justin Amenuvor.



Also, a video, allegedly involving Mr Asiedu Nketia, is expected to be played in open court today to enable the court to ascertain its admissibility on the grounds of relevance.



The video, if admitted by the court, will pave the way for counsel for the second respondent, President Akufo-Addo, Mr Akoto Ampaw, to establish Mr Asiedu Nketias status as a credible witness and further cross-examine the witness on the content of the video.



Playing the video, contained in a flash drive attachment of the second respondent, which has not been admitted into evidence yet, will help the seven-member panel of the court hearing the election petition to ascertain its admissibility if relevant to the petition.



Cross-examination



The Supreme Courts hearing of the countrys second election petition started last Friday, with the lawyers for both respondents objecting to some portions of the witness statement.



The vehement defence of the texts put up by lawyers for the petitioner, led by Mr Tsatsu Tsikata, did not find favour with the panel, which ordered the expunction of some paragraphs and the striking out of some of portions of the statement.



Shortly after Mr Asiedu Nketia had sworn the oath and his witness statement subsequently adopted as his evidence-in-chief by the apex court, counsel for the EC and President Akufo-Addo objected to some paragraphs, texts and allegations in 10 paragraphs of the witness statement, on the grounds that they were either not pleaded by the petitioner or unduly prejudicial and scandalous, as they constituted serious allegations without evidence.



The court, on hearing counsels submissions, struck out seven of the paragraphs in contention.



Counsel for the EC, Mr Amenuvor, took his turn to cross-examine Mr Asiedu Nketia on issues regarding Mr Mahamas agents at the various polling stations and the strong room at the EC Headquarters, the signing of declaration forms, the Techiman South Constituency results, among others.



Counsel for President Akufo-Addo, Mr Akoto Ampaw, was then given the chance to cross-examine Mr Asiedu Nketia.



Video



In the course of cross-examining the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Ampaw had wanted to ask him questions based on the video on the flash drive attachment.



That was after Mr Asiedu Nketia had rejected a suggestion by Mr Ampaw that implied that he (Mr Asiedu Nketia), together with Mr Mahama and other leading members of the NDC, had allegedly declared Mr Mahama the winner of the 2020 presidential election.



Mr Ampaw then drew the courts attention to the flash drive which contained the video and asked for the direction of the court regarding how to play the said video, since the court had not yet admitted the video into evidence.



Counsel, subsequently, made an oral application for leave of the court to have the video played in order to confront Mr Asiedu Nketia on the content of the video.



He also told the court that he had notified the registry of the court about playing the video.



In its ruling, the seven-member panel of the court, presided over by the Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, said: As this attachment is not yet in evidence now, we hereby order that it should be played on the next adjourned date to ascertain its admissibility on the grounds of relevance.



The said video will, therefore, be played in open court today.



Mahamas case



Former President Mahamas petition posits that no candidate won the 2020 presidential election and, therefore, the declaration of President Akufo-Addo as the winner of the election by Mrs Jean Mensa was null, void, unconstitutional and of no legal effect.



He argued that as per the results announced by Mrs Mensa on December 9, 2020, no candidate garnered more than 50 per cent of the total valid votes cast, as required by Article 63(3) of the 1992 Constitution.



The petitioner is, therefore, asking the Supreme Court to order the EC to organise a second election (run-off) between him (Mahama) and President Akufo-Addo because, in his estimation, no candidate won the 2020 presidential election.



The defendants have, however, described the petition as lacking merit and based on unfounded and misconstrued assertions.

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
 Flash

Egypt's antiquities officials announced the discovery of almost 100 delicately painted wooden coffins, some containing mummies, and around 40 gilded statues dating back 2,500 years, in the necropolis of Saqqara, south of Cairo.





The new find, announced in November last year, followed hot on the heels of a previous find of 59 ancient coffins.





The latest discovery, considered the largest of 2020, comes at a time when the country's tourism sector is crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic that deterred foreign tourists from visiting the country's archaeological sites, and, in turn, impacted the broader Egyptian economy.





Major tourist attraction





The Oxford Business Group (OBG), a global publishing, research and consultancy firm, estimated that tourism contributed to more than 9 percent of Egypt's GDP in 2019. Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund has downgraded its forecast for tourism expenditure in Egypt from $17.8 billion to $2.7 billion.





The crisis group within the Egyptian Government not only had to shift the focus from international to domestic tourism to make up for losses caused by the pandemic, but it also looked beyond the crisis in an attempt to put Egypt back on the world travel map.





In this sense, the government is luring international media and diplomats to the front line of discoveries in the hope that such wide-ranging media coverage would improve the image of Egypt overseas and, therefore attract targeted tourists to visit the country.





More discoveries are underway at the site, with archaeologists expecting to discover an ancient workshop that prepared bodies for mummification within the next few months. The find will both enrich Egyptian archaeological landmarks and be a major drawcard for Egyptology-interested tourists to visit the country.





The necropolis of Saqqara holds more than a dozen burial sites, including the 4,700-year-old Step Pyramid of King Djoser, a magnificent six-story building and the first known burial pyramid in the world. The building, where the latest discoveries were found, was reopened after a 14-year, $6.6-million restoration.





Saqqara, stretching some 6.2 km across the Western Plateau, was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979.





Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled el-Anany said the discovered items date back 2,500 years to the Ptolemaic Dynasty that ruled Egypt for some 300 years, "The new finds are just the beginning of a series of [other] discoveries that will be unearthed in the next few years," said el-Anany.





El-Anany said the government would move the newly discovered artifacts to three museums in Cairo, including the Grand Egyptian Museum that Egypt is building near the famed Giza Pyramids. In April 2020, the planned opening of the museum was postponed to 2021 due to the pandemic.





El-Anany said this was the largest archaeological discovery in 2020. At the announcement of the discovery, he told the media and 43 attending foreign ambassadors and diplomats that the momentous find needed to be shared with the rest of the world.





"This discovery is very important because it proves that Saqqara was the main burial [site] of the 26th Dynasty [mid-600s B.C. to 525 B.C]," said former minister of Antiquities Zahi Hawass, adding that it would also enrich pre-existing knowledge about the art of mummification in that period.





Archaeological marvels





The government expected the tourism sector to grow in 2020 - then the pandemic broke out, leading to the suspension of international flights last March and in turn the closure of the country's archaeological sites and museums. And while domestic tourism continued, especially in the country's resorts overlooking the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, the pandemic dealt a blow to the sector by causing a further decrease in the number of foreign tourists, who are more attracted to cultural sites.





Unlike its neighboring countries that imposed curfews and suspension of flights at the peak of the pandemic, Egypt's tourism authorities were swimming against the tide by opening the door for foreign tourists and providing incentives and safety guarantees.





Last July, some attractions reopened after a brief closure, including the Great Pyramids of Giza, as well as hotels, all operating within the COVID-19 safety protocols set by the World Health Organization.





Last September, more archaeological sites reopened and the Egyptian Government announced further measures to support the sector, including extending visa fee exemptions for tourism hubs in Luxor, Aswan, the Red Sea and South Sinai until April 2021, and delaying repayments on utility bills and debts for tourism-related companies.





"The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has been exerting monumental efforts in the last few years to enhance and shed light on Egypt's archaeological treasures," said Amr Karim, General Manager for Travco Travel, one of Egypt's largest travel operators.





Karim said some of the efforts included the relocation of 22 royal mummies from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to their new home at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.





As part of the government's efforts to enhance the tourism sector, it invested more than $1 billion to construct the Grand Egyptian Museum, covering an area of 1 million square meters, and located close to the Pyramids of Giza. The museum is due to open this year.





Described as one of the largest archaeological museums in the world, the Grand Egyptian Museum will house priceless artifacts of ancient Egypt, including the complete Tutankhamun collection of more than 5,000 artifacts from King Tutankhamun's burial chamber - many of which will be displayed for the first time.





Egypt's efforts to overcome challenges facing its tourism sector is moving in the right direction and likely to yield promising results this year and beyond.




Two-thirds of IT decision-makers in Ireland feel more susceptible to data breaches due to the IT strain associated with pandemic-driven remote working. This is according to an independent study, commissioned by Equinix, which surveyed 127 senior IT decision-makers in Ireland.



The survey found that on average, organisations have invested an additional 556,916 in their IT infrastructure in order to maintain secure and efficient operations during the pandemic. The majority (71%) of IT professionals in Ireland reported their organisation has had to increase IT security due to the rapid shift towards remote working, precipitated by the pandemic.

The findings also show how a heightened sense of trepidation around data security is informing the decision making of IT leaders, with almost half (48%) of companies surveyed in Ireland planning to invest more in data security in the future, as a result of COVID-19. More than a quarter (27%) of respondents are worried that their company or employees have breached GDPR regulations as a result of remote working arrangements.

Furthermore, almost two-thirds (63%) of those surveyed report that COVID-19 has triggered greater executive-level awareness of, and engagement with, IT strategies.



Commenting on the survey, Managing Director for Ireland at Equinix, Maurice Mortell said, "While the transition towards remote working has been broadly welcomed by employees, and in most cases facilitated successfully by employers, industries are still experiencing teething problems when it comes to managing a remote workforce."

He added, "In the GDPR-defined compliance era, companies have had to adjust to tightening regulatory constraints, and have become increasingly cognisant of the implications of data breaches from a financial, reputational and regulatory standpoint. However, the sudden urgency to enable remote working this year has left many businesses feeling susceptible to data breaches."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
Photo taken on July 14, 2020 shows the Golden Bauhinia Square in south China's Hong Kong, July 14, 2020. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu)

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese central government spokesperson on Sunday strongly condemned Britain for accepting citizenship applications from Hong Kong residents holding British National Overseas (BNO) passports, beginning Jan. 31.

The UK move, in an attempt to turn a large number of Hong Kong people into second-class British citizens, is a blatant offence to China's sovereignty, said the spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, expressing firm opposition to it.

In the memorandum exchanged with China before Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, Britain declared that it would not confer the right of abode in the United Kingdom on Chinese nationals in Hong Kong holding BNO passports, the spokesperson noted.

Since last year, the British side, in violation of basic norms governing international relations, has made every effort to obstruct the formulation and implementation of the law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. After its attempt failed, the British side turned to the BNO issue.

The UK's actions have seriously violated the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the spokesperson said, describing them as a breach of agreements.

China reserves the right to take further action against Britain's BNO passport policy, the spokesperson said, warning the British side against underestimating China's resolution to firmly implement the law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong as well as the "one country, two systems" principle.

[ Editor: WXY ]
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.
[February 01, 2021] Guardforce AI Announces Two New Appointments to its Board of Directors

NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Guardforce AI Co., Ltd (OTC Pink: GRDAF) ("Guardforce AI"), an integrated security solutions provider in Asia, announced today the appointment of two independent board members, John Fletcher and David Ian Viccars, to its Board of Directors, effective February 1, 2021. The two board members will also be serving on the Company's newly established audit committee, with Mr. Fletcher being appointed as the Chair of the committee. Mr. Fletcher brings a wealth of investment banking and finance experience to the Company. He is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Pluris Capital Group, Inc., a registered broker/dealer and the Chief Financial Officer at Rebus Capital Group, LLC, a financial consulting firm. With extensive experience in equity and debt financing, as well as M&A and advisory work, Mr. Fletcher has successfully completed more than 100 transactions, raising billions of dollars for numerous companies. Mr. Fletcher has previously served as the Managing Director at Maxim Capital Group, LLC, where he was responsible for transactions associated with the global energy sector. Before that, he was a Managing Director, and co-head of Investment Banking, at Brean Capital, LLC, where he was responsible for all aspects of the company's investment banking operations. Mr. Viccars joins the board of Guardforce AI with over 20 years of senior-level experience in the security industry within the APAC region. His most recent appointment was as the lead Asia Region Security Consultant at Vinarco International, working with leading telecoms providers, oil and gas, and logistics companies such as DHL. Prior to that, he was a Director at Securitas Asia where he led the regional business expansion team in providing tailored services for global contracts. At Securitas Asia, he also led the acquisitions team working on major M&A deals throughout Asia. Mr. Viccars' previous experience includes the launch of Securitas Thailand, where he was a General Manager and Managing Director. Before that, Mr. Viccars was a General Manager and Managing Director at Chubb Thailand and Chubb Philippines, as well as Directorof Manpower Services at Chubb Singapore. Before moving into commercial security, Mr. Viccars had a successful career in the British Army with the Royal Tank Regiment completing his service in Hong Kong where his primary role was liaising with the Government.



Terence Yap, Chairman at Guardforce AI, commented: "We are pleased to welcome both John and David as independent members of our Board. Their extensive knowledge and expertise of the finance and security industries, as well as regional insights and skills in operations and leadership will be vital to our business as we continue to grow and provide innovative solutions to our clients. John's track-record in investment banking and David's strong experience with security systems will be of significant importance. I look forward to working with both of them as their continued enthusiasm will help us to further develop and customize our solutions for clients across the region." About Guardforce AI Co., Ltd.

Guardforce AI Co. Ltd. is a leading integrated security solutions provider that is trusted to protect and transport the high-value assets of public and private sector organizations. Developing and introducing innovative technologies that enhance safety and protection, Guardforce AI helps clients adopt new technologies and operate safely as the Asia Pacific business landscape evolves. For more information, visit www.guardforcecash.co.th. Forward Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide our current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements include statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, intentions, assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. Words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "ongoing," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "will" or similar words or phrases, or the negatives of those words or phrases, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on reasonable assumptions we have made in light of our industry experience, perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. As you read and consider this press release you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties (many of which are beyond our control) and assumptions, including the risks described in the reports and other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual operating and financial performance and cause our performance to differ materially from the performance anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of these assumptions prove incorrect or change, our actual operating and financial performance may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/guardforce-ai-announces-two-new-appointments-to-its-board-of-directors-301218635.html SOURCE Guardforce AI Co. Ltd.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Western countries may have reacted in condemnation of the Myanmar militarys coup on Monday but they should have known this day might be coming.

Days after Donald Trump started making unsubstantiated claims of election fraud in early November, Myanmars military began doing the same.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne meets with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyitaw in 2018. Credit:AP

The nations leader Aung San Suu Kyi soared to a thumping re-election, with her party the National League for Democracy winning 83 per cent of available seats in the November 8 election. Shortly afterwards, the military-aligned Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) began making its fraud claims, despite election observers saying the voting was without major irregularities.

By the time alarmed diplomatic missions, including the Australian embassy, reacted on Friday to the militarys threats of a coup by issuing a joint statement urging calm, it was too late.
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 addition to her $1.5 million base salary, Brewer will be eligible for an annual performance bonus of up to 200% of her eligible earnings, according to the SEC filing. The package also includes long-term stock incentives worth up to $11 million annually.
Police in Ohio have arrested a man in a love triangle who they say shot an innocent person while targeting his romantic rival.

Nicklas Trukla, 21, from Middlefield, was arrested on Sunday afternoon on charges of attempted murder and felonious assault. He remained in jail without bail on Monday.

According to a press release from the Nile Police Department, the incident began unfolding at around 4.30pm, when officers arrived at the Mauro Circle apartments off of Deforest Road in response to multiple 911 calls about gunshots.

Scroll down for video

Nicklas Trukla, 21, has been charged with attempted murder and felonious assault for allegedly shooting a man in an incident involving a love triangle

Police arrived at the Mauro Circle apartments off of Deforest Road in Nile, Ohio, on Sunday in response to multiple 911 calls about gunshots

Police found a man suffering a gunshot wound to his right leg; he said he was shot while watching TV in his apartment

Officers found a man suffering from a gunshot wound to his right leg. According to Capt. John Marshall, he was shot by Trkula while watching TV in his apartment, reported WKBN.

The victim was taken to St Elizabeth's Youngstown Hospital and was expected to survive.

Investigators said it appears the victim was not Trkula's intended target  another person in a neighboring apartment was.

While investigating the incident and speaking with several witnesses, officers discovered the injured man had been inside another apartment where a round entered while the suspect was shooting at his intended target.

Police said the shooting was the result of a 'love triangle' involving Trkula, his girlfriend and her suspected lover. Trkula went to confront his rival and fired a shot, which entered another apartment

According to the police, the shooting was the result of a 'love triangle' involving Trkula, his girlfriend and the intended target.

Police said Trkula drove from Middlefield to Niles to confront his rival because he believed his girlfriend was at his apartment.

It is unclear whether Trkula ended up harming the man he had suspected of being his girlfriend's lover.

After the shooting, Trkula returned to his home in Middlefield.

About an hour later, officers found Trkula and took him back to Niles to face charges.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A Clifton man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for possessing a firearm in Mariners Harbor, sparking his lawyers renewed appeal urging Staten Islands young people to turn their backs on guns.

Solomon Tarr, 25, was busted on Dec. 16, 2019, police said.

Tarr was sitting inside a vehicle with two other individuals when cops detected a strong odor of marijuana, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.

While frisking the trio, officers recovered a black, semi-automatic, 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol from Tarrs waistband, said a criminal complaint. The gun was loaded with six bullets, police said.

Tarr was arrested and indicted on charges of criminal weapon possession and criminal firearm possession.

In November, Tarr pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree criminal weapon possession to resolve his case.

Besides prison time, he was sentenced Friday in state Supreme Court, St. George, to 18 months post-release supervision.

A portion of this young mans life is now lost to a period of incarceration, said defense lawyer Mark J. Fonte. I once again urge our youth to never possess these firearms in the first place. The lives of our youth are too precious to be lost to lengthy periods of incarceration or to senseless violence.

Fonte had made a similar appeal last month after another client, Freddy Espinal, 21, was sentenced to a total of four years in two separate cases, both involving guns.

Mark J. Fonte, the defendant Solomon Tarr's lawyer, urged Staten Island's young people to turn their backs on guns. Fonte is seen in a 2019 photo.

At that time, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said: Gun violence has no place in our communities, and my office remains committed to ensuring those who attempt to possess illegal firearms are held accountable.
ptp20210201026 Medizin/Wellness, Unternehmen/Wirtschaft

European ICU Drug Supports Patients in Canada

Vienna (ptp026/01.02.2021/14:55) - Development and clinical data from the European Healthcare company AOP Orphan form the basis of the introduction of a new drug in Canada for rapid heart rate control in the hospital setting. Trimedic Therapeutics is about to become the Canadian market authorization holder and exclusive distributor.

Strokes, heart failure, heart attacks and sepsis are four of the six leading causes of hospital deaths according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG (AOP Orphan) has been conducting several clinical studies to further confirm the important benefits of a super-selective, short-acting and rapidly reversible beta-blocker for patients in acute care. The medication is administered intravenously and fulfills an unmet medical need: "It is administered in life-critical conditions, where it is desirable to safely and rapidly reduce heart rate with minimal effect on blood pressure. Our new partner Trimedic Therapeutics can build on our expertise. We are happy to be able to support hospitalized patients in Canada through this strong partnership and to bring this innovative European medicine to Canada," says Andreas Steiner, CEO of AOP Orphan.

Expansion to North America

"We are always looking for products that may offer a unique delivery and greater benefit to the physician, the health system, and especially the patient. It will be the first beta blocker introduced in Canada in more than 20 years. The actual agreement with AOP Orphan meets our needs in this regard," comments Marty Tenenbaum, president and founder of Trimedic Therapeutics Inc of Toronto Canada. The deal has tremendous upside potential for the expansion of AOP Orphan to North America, it was signed in December 2020.

AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG is an international pharmaceutical company with a focus on rare and special diseases. Over the past 25 years, the company has become an established provider of integrated therapy solutions from its headquarters in Vienna. This development has been made possible by a continually high level of investment in research and development on the one hand and a highly consistent and pragmatic orientation towards the needs of all our stakeholders on the other - especially the patients and their families but also the doctors and care professionals treating them. In the third quarter of 2020, AOP Orphan took over Amomed and SciPharm, two European health care companies, continuing its consistent path of growth into a pan-European health care group specializing in special diseases requiring a complex management.

Trimedic Therapeutics Inc is a Canadian based company with its head office in Toronto and affiliates across Canada. Trimedic Therapeutics Inc is well established to participate with the Canadian healthcare system and practitioners in the evolution of novel approaches to medicine where dated and first-line options may not currently meet all patients' needs. Trimedic is honored to have the opportunity to work with AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals and looks forward to a long-term relationship.

Contact

AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals AG

Wilhelminenstrasse 91/IIf, 1160 Vienna, Austria

Ms. Nina Roth, MAS, Corporate Communications Manager

E: nina.roth@aoporphan.com

Footnote

Official label: Supraventricular tachycardia and for the rapid control of ventricular rate in patients with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter in perioperative, postoperative, or other circumstances where short-term control of the ventricular rate with a short acting agent is desirable.

Non-compensatory sinus tachycardia where, in the physician's judgment the rapid heart rate requires specific intervention.

Aussender: AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals Aktiengesellschaft Ansprechpartner: AOP Tel.: +43 503 72 44 24 E-Mail: nina.roth@aoporphan.com Website: www.aoporphan.com

(Ende)
Boris Johnsons father Stanley has landed a new environmental job which could see him putting pressure on the Prime Minister to bring in green taxes.

In his role, Mr Johnson Snr will attend the United Nations COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow in November.

He said he will constructively call for policies including carbon taxes, which raise the price of goods producing more of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

His new role is as international ambassador of the Conservative Environment Network, a group of 100 MPs and peers.

Boris Johnsons father Stanley (pictured) has landed a new environmental job which could see him putting pressure on the Prime Minister to bring in green taxes

It comes after his sons fiancee Carrie Symonds gained a job helping to protect wild animals with the Aspinall Foundation.

Mr Johnson Snr joked that when it came to the environment: You could say its a case of Keep it in the family.

He said the PM has a key role in taking a firm grip on governments to ensure they meet the goal of curbing global warming to 2C and commit to having net zero emissions by 2050.

But he said that green taxes may prove easier to achieve in the UK now that the Covid-19 means the Chancellor of the Exchequer is pushed in the right direction of carbon taxes.

Mr Johnson told the Daily Mail he would be keeping the pressure up on the government and other countries, particularly the EU to ensure that the world meets the tough goal of curbing global warming to 2c and ideally no more than 1.5c, and for the world to commit to producing no more greenhouse gas - overall - by 2050.

Mr Johnson Snr said the PM (pictured) has a key role in taking a firm grip on governments to ensure they meet the goal of curbing global warming to 2C and commit to having net zero emissions by 2050

He said: At the moment we are shooting beyond the 3 degrees, so thats why its utterly crucial in Glasgow to take a firm grip on what governments are proposing, and that is where the Chairman of the COP26 (climate conference) Alok Sharma and our Prime Minister have a key role.

They are going to say, Frankly folks, weve got to do more than tweak the programmes weve got to bring the world firmly back on target to net zero.

He added: As host of the COP26 summit in Glasgow, the UK should be trying to get the nations of the world on a path to net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. I hope we can also secure an agreement on the use of carbon pricing as one of the main tools to cut emissions.

Welcoming Stanleys appointment, Sam Hall, Director of CEN, a network of 100 MPs and peers commented: We are thrilled to have Stanley on our team in such a big year for the international environment and for the UKs global leadership.

He will be a very effective champion of our conservative environmentalist agenda, and help us to amplify our message in the UK and across the world.
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.

Blast near Israeli Embassy: Netanyahu thanks PM Modi for 'safeguarding Israeli representatives'

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Feb 01: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and thanked him for keeping the country's diplomats safe after a minor blast outside the country's embassy in the national capital last week.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today by telephone with Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi and thanked him for his government's efforts to safeguard Israeli representatives in the aftermath of the terrorist event near the Israeli Embassy in India," a tweet from Israeli PM's Twitter account said.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, February 1, 2021, 20:36 [IST]
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressing WEF's Davos Dialogue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday greeted the Indian Coast Guard on its foundation day, saying it was courageously ensuring the country's seas were safe. The maritime law enforcement agency is celebrating its 45th Raising Day.

From a modest beginning with just seven surface platforms in 1978, the Coast Guard has grown into a formidable force with 156 ships and 62 aircraft in its inventory, and is likely to achieve targeted force levels of 200 surface platforms and 80 aircraft by 2025.

"On the Foundation Day of the Indian Coast Guard, my greetings to all their personnel and their families," Modi said. "Our Coast Guard is courageously ensuring our seas are safe. We are proud of their professionalism and impeccable service."

VANCOUVER, CANADA, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QUEST WATER GLOBAL, INC. (OTC Pink: QWTR) ("Quest" and/or the "Company"), an innovative water technology company and developer of the solar-powered AQUAtap water purification, desalination, and distribution technology and the WEPS WaterMaker Atmospheric Water Extraction and Purification System, announced today an update to the Companys press release dated May 21, 2019.



The strategic partnership between Quest Water Solutions Inc. (QWSI), a wholly owned Canadian operating subsidiary of the Company, American Venture Mergers and Acquisitions, LLC (AVMA), and Kalo Products SARL (Kalo) has been duly organized and incorporated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the AQUAtap Oasis Partnership SARL (the Partnership). The Partnership plans to fulfill and implement the parties commitment to install and operate the first 500 systems in Phase 1 of a multi-year implementation plan as originally proposed to DRC President Tshisekedi on July 26, 2019. The AQUAtap systems, to be co-branded AQUAtap Oasis Community Water Centers, will be installed in underserved rural communities throughout the DRC.

The global Coronavirus pandemic has severely disrupted the Companys supply chains. Construction work on the installation site also came to a standstill several times over the past year due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, the installation site is now ready and the first AQUAtap is currently in the DRC being prepared for installation at its site in an underserved community within the capital city of Kinshasa. This first AQUAtap is a milestone for the Partnership. The system is expected to provide clean, safe water to 2,400 residents at affordable, socially responsible prices.

We believe that through the provision of clean water, our Partnership has the power to change lives. This first phase of our initiative in DRC is a demonstration of our belief in action, commented John Balanko, Managing Director of AQUAtap Oasis Partnership SARL and CEO of Quest Water Solutions Inc. The first AQUAtap Oasis Community Water Center in Kinshasa is more than a place to get clean water, its a commitment of our collective responsibility to help break the cycle of poverty and transform lives while building resilient and self-sufficient communities.

The Partnership has signed a collaborative partnership agreement with the First Lady and her foundation in DRC, the Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi Foundation, to help promote this clean water initiative throughout underserved, rural communities of the country. Senator Guy Loandos WIDAL Foundation has also partnered with the Company to help provide clean water to underserved neighborhoods in his home province of Tshuapa. Both Foundations hold a percentage ownership in the Partnership and are committed to assist the Company in making a lasting impact in DRC. Collaboration with these prestigious and respected Congolese Foundations further demonstrates the Partnerships commitment to the country. The following link will direct the reader to a video that was written and produced by the AQUAtap Oasis Partnership to promote this important clean water initiative  https://youtu.be/if4u8gU58Vw

About AQUAtap Oasis Partnership SARL

The AQUAtap Oasis Partnership SARL is a strategic partnership between Quest Water Solutions, Inc. (Vancouver, BC), Dikembe Mutombos American Venture Mergers & Acquisitions, LLC (Phoenix, AZ), and Kalo Products SARL (Kinshasa, DRC). The Partnership merges the social mission of a non-profit with the market-driven approach of business for powering comprehensive growth, dignity, and potential while creating a new way of addressing the global water crisis. At the heart of the Partnerships mission is active support for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations shared blueprint for peace and prosperity, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Partnership is accelerating progress toward the Global Goal of equitable access to safe, affordable drinking water. The objective of the Partnership is to provide a permanent and abundant source of clean, safe water to underserved rural communities throughout DRC at affordable, socially responsible rates via the installation of Quests solar-powered AQUAtap Water Purification & Vending systems referred to in DRC as AQUAtap Oasis Community Water Centers. The Partnership is committed to implementing data capture, monitoring, and fully transparent accountability of its business and financial operations to measure performance to specific success metrics. Local personnel will be hired to install, operate, maintain, and service the systems, facilitating further impact and socioeconomic benefits. The benefits arising from this decentralized, holistic, inclusive, and impactful approach will create shared value for both business and society.

About AQUAtap Oasis Community Centers

Quests AQUAtap systems are self-contained, solar-powered, decentralized water purification and distribution systems. The AQUAtap was designed primarily for use in rural or peri-urban locations where infrastructure is scarce or non-existent. The AQUAtap is a cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally sound turnkey solution that supplies a safe, reliable source of potable water. Each unit is fully autonomous, powered by state-of-the-art photovoltaic panels. The energy efficient AQUAtap is available in several configurations, depending on the application, the water source, and preferred distribution method. Each AQUAtap converts contaminated fresh water (via Ultrafiltration), brackish, or sea water (via Reverse Osmosis) into clean, purified drinking water at a rate of up to 100,000 litres per day. The systems are both modular and scalable in design, easily allowing for increased water production, and are designed to function in any environment and without any existing infrastructure. Housed in a custom, modular enclosure, a single solar-powered AQUAtap system will produce clean water for up to 5,000 people per day.

About Quest Water Global, Inc.

Quest Water Global, Inc., through its wholly owned operating subsidiary Quest Water Solutions Inc., is an innovative water technology company that provides sustainable and environmentally sound solutions to water scarce regions. We use proven technologies to create economically viable products that address the critical shortage of clean water in water-scarce regions and developing nations. Quests goal is to address the vital issue of water quality and water supply by providing an alternative, sustainable source of pure water at the smallest possible environmental cost, while becoming a leading provider of decentralized, turnkey solutions using alternative energy for the production, purification, desalination, and distribution of clean, potable water. For more information, visit our website at www.QuestWaterSolutions.com

Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, as that term is defined under applicable securities laws. Statements in this press release, which are not purely historical, are forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks which may cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, including: negative results from the Company's operations; the effects of government regulation on the Company's business; risks associated with the Company's ability to obtain and protect rights to its intellectual property; risks and uncertainties associated with the Company's ability to raise additional capital; loss of management; and other factors beyond the Company's control. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity or performance. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and, except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors and to assess in advance the impact of such factors on the Company's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Readers should also refer to the risk factor disclosures and other disclosures outlined in the Company's periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR at www.sec.gov and with the British Columbia Securities Commission on SEDAR at www.sedar.com .

CONTACTS: John Balanko, President & CEO

Quest Water Global, Inc.

+1 888 897 5536

inquiries@questwatersolutions.com

www.questwatersolutions.com



Jacqueline McClure, Corporate Communications

Quest Water Global, Inc.

+1 604 565 1103

jmcclure@questwatersolutions.com



Isaac Kalonji Jr., President

Kalo Products SARL

US +1 559 724 7386 DRC +243 820 770 608

i.kalonji@kaloproducts.com

www.kaloproducts.com



Richard Hoffman, President & Co-Founder

American Venture Mergers and Acquisitions, LLC

+1 602 373 4479

richard@avma.com

www.avma.com

Source: Quest Water Global, Inc.


Although all cruise lines in North America are currently shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, those people itching to get back on the high seas should prepare themselves to follow CDC orders when cruising returns.

According to a report by Royal Caribbean Blog, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has passed a new order requiring people to wear masks on public transportation, and that includes cruise ships.

Royal Caribbean Blog cited the CDCs order, which stated: Persons must wear masks over the mouth and nose when traveling on conveyances into and within the United States. Persons must also wear masks at transportation hubs as defined in this Order.

What forms of travel fall under the CDC order?

The order, which goes into effect Feb. 1, 2021, pertains to forms of travel including aircraft, train, road vehicle, vessel or other means of transport, Royal Caribbean Blog reported, and applies within any state, locality or territory.

Are there exceptions?

The CDC order lists instances when the requirement to wear a mask does not apply, among which are: while eating, drinking, or taking medication, for brief periods; or while communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, when the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication; or when its necessary to temporarily remove the mask to verify ones identity.

According to the CDC order, those persons who are exempt include children under 2 years old, as well as a person with a disability who cannot wear a mask, or cannot safely wear a mask, because of the disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Also exempt, the CDC order states, is a person for whom wearing a mask would create a risk to workplace health, safety, or job duty.

Royal Caribbean Blog reported that cruise lines must provide adequate notice of the rule, - disembarking any person who refuses to comply. Additionally, guests should be informed that wearing a mask on the conveyance is a Federal law requirement and failure to comply constitutes a violation of Federal law.

Royal Caribbean had previously set its own similar guidelines.

The new rules require what the cruise lines have already agreed to do on their own, according to Royal Caribbean Blog.

The Healthy Sail Panel, back in September 2020, proposed passengers and crew members wear face masks on cruise ships. The list of protocols included 74 detailed steps that the panel believes will protect guests, crew members and the places cruise ships visit from the spread of COVID-19, the report explained.

Royal Caribbean specified in its rules that when its cruise ships return to service, face masks will be required, with exceptions similar to what the CDC outlined, Royal Caribbean Blog reported.

Royal Caribbean explained that although guests will not be required to wear face masks in their own stateroom, they should wear face masks in nearly all public settings regardless of physical distancing measures, reported Royal Caribbean Blog - with exceptions in dining venues. There seated guests will be permitted to eat and drink without face masks, provided physical distancing is observed.

Royal Caribbean Blog further explained that in order for seated guests without face masks to safely dine, restaurant seating will be arranged to allow for physical distancing, and tables and chairs will be disinfected.

The cruise lines rules also stated that guests should not wear masks while engaged in activities that may cause the mask to become wet, such as when swimming in their pools, or when participating in strenuous activities, such as jogging, running, or in fitness classes, the report explained.

In addition, Royal Caribbean Blog stated the cruise lines rules require face masks to be worn at all bars or nightclubs when not seated and actively eating or drinking with your party.

Royal Caribbean crew members will wear masks and gloves at all times, the report stated.

Based on the CDCs new order, it is yet unclear whether Royal Caribbean will change any of these protocols, Royal Caribbean Blog said.

The CDCs aim in issuing the new order is to ensure people in close contact are not putting the public health at risk, the report explained.

Mask use is only part of the prevention protocol.

Along with the use of masks, the CDC believes other preventive measures, including social distancing, frequent handwashing, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, is one of the most effective strategies available for reducing COVID-19 transmission, Royal Caribbean Blog said.

READ MORE:
They say a dog is a man's best friend  and for this pooch in China, the friendship never ends.

For the past five years, a loyal pet named Da Huang has been patiently waiting for the return of its owner, Mr Shen, who died of cancer.

Come rain or shine, the faithful dog has refused to leave the man's former work site, determined that it would see its beloved owner once again.

For the past five years, a loyal pet named Da Huang has been patiently waiting for the return of its owner, Mr Shen, who died of cancer. Da Huang is pictured being fed by a local resident

For the past five years, a loyal pet named Da Huang has been patiently waiting for the return of its owner, Mr Shen, who died of cancer. Come rain or shine, the faithful dog has refused to leave the man's former work site, determined that it would see its beloved owner once again

Da Huang, a former stray, was adopted in 2012 by Mr Shen who worked as a parking lot attendant at a residential complex in the city of Shenyang, northeastern China's Liaoning Province.

The man decided to keep the poor animal after finding it stealing a bite of his dinner in his office one day, reported local media Liaoshen Evening News on Friday.

Mr Shen gave Da Huang a new home by letting it live in his office while feeding and bathing the pooch regularly.

For the next three years, the pooch became the man's four-legged assistant as the pair spent their days together.

Every morning, Da Huang would wait at the car park to welcome Mr Shen, eagerly wagging its tail when it saw him appearing in distance.

It would also help the man guard the area, barking to alert him when it saw an unfamiliar vehicle.

Come rain or shine, the faithful dog named Da Huang (pictured) has refused to leave the man's former work site, determined that it would see its beloved owner, Mr Shen, once again

Da Huang, a former stray, was adopted in 2012 by Mr Shen who worked as a parking lot attendant at a residential complex in the city of Shenyang, northeastern China's Liaoning Province. After Mr Shen's death, Da Huang has been waiting at the car park for five years

Until one day in 2015, the man did not arrive at his office as usual.

Within less than two weeks, Mr Shen had been diagnosed with cancer before abruptly passing away.

He did not get a chance to bid a farewell with his furry best friend, Da Huang, who continued to wait for its owner at the parking lot.

After a while, Da Huang began to look for Mr Shen, said local residents who spotted the pooch wandering around the neighbourhood.

Whenever it saw someone who looked like its owner, the dog would run up to them with its wagging tail while sniffing around to check if they are Mr Shen.

'After realising it wasn't Mr Shen, Da Huang would slowly walk back with its head down,' one neighbour told reporters.

While out on the street looking for its owner, Da Huang was once captured by a trafficker who sold it to a dog meat restaurant.

Luckily, the pooch was found by the residents who noticed its disappearance and rushed to look for it.

They bought Da Huang back and saved it from being slaughtered and served on the dinner table.

Although its search always ended with disappointment, the loyal pet would reappear at the parking lot at 3pm every day, the time when Mr Shen used to start his shift.

'We are all very curious,' the resident added. 'Da Huang has determinedly waited for five years. How long could it carry on?'

Da Huang's loyalty touched many locals who joined forces to look after the pooch after Mr Shen's death.

They built a doghouse in the complex for Da Huang to sleep in while bringing food to feed the animal every day.

Some neighbours also tried to adopt the dog, but the faithful pet refused to leave the parking lot where Mr Shen worked.

'We don't look at it as a dog anymore, it is our neighbour,' said the residents, who are determined, just as Da Huang, to take care of the pooch for its owner.

To keep Da Huang warm in the winter, they are planning to build a new home for it near Mr Shen's former work site.

'That's the most familiar place for Da Huang, and the place where it stubbornly waited,' the locals added.
[February 01, 2021] Eutelsat and TelOne (Pvt) Limited Sign Multi-service Agreement to Bring High Quality Broadband Connectivity to Zimbabwe

Regulatory News: Eutelsat (News - Alert) Communications' (Euronext Paris: ETL), and TelOne (Pvt) Limited, one of Zimbabwe's leading Internet Service Providers, have signed a master service agreement to bring high quality satellite broadband to Zimbabwe. Under the terms of the multi-year agreement with Eutelsat's broadband division, Konnect Africa, beginning in March 2021, TelOne (Pvt) Limited will leverage the operational flexibility and power of the EUTELSAT KONNECT satellite to bring connectivity to households and businesses located in remote and rural locations across Zimbabwe. EUTELSAT KONNECT is a new-generation, High Throughput Satellite offering unprecedented operational flexibility that has been gradually entering service since November 2020. With 75 Gbps of Ka-band capacity across a network of 65 spotbeams, it provides quasi-complete coverage of Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. Commenting on the agreement, Mrs Chipo Mtasa, Managing Director of TelOne (Pvt) Limited said: "By securing this premium capacity and service we will be able to pursue our mission of offering fast, reliable broadband services at an affordable price to homes, businesses, educational institutionsand Government departments all over Zimbabwe. We are passionate about making long lasting and meaningful connections through our services, and this will now become a reality for customers in even the remotest regions, in line with in our vision for a digitally enabled society by 2023".



Guido Merien-van Sprundel of Eutelsat, sales director for Southern Africa of Eutelsat added: "We are delighted to begin this partnership with TelOne (Pvt) Limited to bring Ka-band connectivity to businesses and consumers in Zimbabwe. This agreement, which extends our service to yet another African nation, reflects the significant demand on the African continent for reliable internet services and we look forward to supporting TelOne (Pvt) Limited for many years to come. " About Eutelsat Communications

Founded in 1977, Eutelsat Communications is one of the world's leading satellite operators. With a global fleet of satellites and associated ground infrastructure, Eutelsat enables clients across Video, Data, Government, Fixed and Mobile Broadband markets to communicate effectively to their customers, irrespective of their location. Over 6 600 television channels operated by leading media groups are broadcast by Eutelsat to one billion viewers equipped for DTH reception or connected to terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat assembles 1,200 men and women from 50 countries who are dedicated to delivering the highest quality of service. Eutelsat Communications is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ticker: ETL). For more about Eutelsat go to www.eutelsat.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005443/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Iran's ambassador to London has condemned a film produced by a U.K.-based company, claiming that the film undermines the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad.

The film, titled The Lady Of Heaven, revolves around the story of an Iraqi child who learns the importance of patience by discovering the story of Fatima Zahra, the daughter of Muhammad.

"In a letter to the Shi'ite and Sunni Islamic centers in the U.K., I categorically condemned the film...as a divisive action, and expressed concern over attempts to create division and hatred among Muslims at this sensitive time," Ambassador Hamid Baeidinejad tweeted on February 1.

Baeidinejad urged the both Shi'a and Sunnis to "be vigilant and act in unity to condemn this film and resort to legal steps to ban the film in the U.K."

Several senior Iranians clerics have reportedly condemned the movie, saying it promotes discord between Shi'a and Sunnis.

It has been also condemned in Pakistan, where the telecommunications authority last month ordered social-media platforms to block all content related to the "sacrilegious" movie.

With reporting by Mehr and Express Tribune
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 Duke of Sussex has said vulnerable children 'should not be forgotten' amid the global Covid-19 crisis.

Prince Harry, 36, is currently living in his $14 million Santa Barbara mansion with Meghan Markle, 39, and their eighteen-month-old son Archie, having stepped back from royal duty last year.

The father-of-one, who remains the patron of WellChild, a charity for seriously ill children, said he has spoken with the families the organisation supports in a letter attached to their impact report for 2020.

The Duke said: 'Life for everyone has been tough...As we continue to battle this health crisis, the existing needs of vulnerable children should not be forgotten.'

The Duke of Sussex, 36, has said vulnerable children 'should not be forgotten' amid the global Covid-19 crisis.

The report details how last year, the charity provided more than 289,000 PPE items to families in the UK to ensure that carers could safely come to their homes, and how it adapted to provide digital resources for families who were forced to isolate.

Harry acknowledges that it has taken a 'steadfast, coordinated effort across communities and countries to get ourselves to a point where we can fight this virus'.

He also said the charity's response to the pandemic shows 'exactly why WellChild is so close to my heart'.

He said: 'I am incredibly proud to say that WellChild has moved with urgency and purpose to tackle the new challenges that children with complex needs and their families have faced because of this crisis.

The father-of-one remains the patron of a charity for seriously ill children, WellChild, despite stepping back from royal duty with Meghan Markle last year

'Life for everyone has been tough. For these families, it has been tougher than most of us can imagine.'

The Duke added: 'As we continue to battle this health crisis, the existing needs of vulnerable children should not be forgotten.

'WellChild is a lifeline for so many people, and has had to redirect many of its funding resources during the pandemic.

'We must make sure that young people with serious health conditions continue to receive the support they need as we recover, rebuild, and work to return to normal life.'

In 2019, Harry choked up during a speech at the WellChild awards ceremony as he spoke about becoming a father and was comforted by Gabby Logan

WellChild lost 60 per cent of its projected income in 2020, because events were cancelled and financial constraints grew for sponsors.

In the Impact Report, one WellChild Children's Nurse also wrote: 'This has been the hardest and saddest of years for lots of NHS workers, but on the days I myself am feeling low and miss my friends and family, I remind myself of the daily challenges our children and young people with complex health needs and their families face.'

WellChild provides a national network of children's nurses, who work with families to ensure that children with complex care needs can leave hospital and get the care they need at home.

In 2019, Harry choked up during a speech at the WellChild awards ceremony as he spoke about becoming a father.

His most recent comments come as reports emerged the Duchess is 'unlikely' to accompany Prince Harry, 36, when he visits his family for the first time since Megxit. Pictured, The Queen, Meghan, Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate in 2018

After taking the stage at the event, which was streamed live on the awards' Facebook page, Harry spoke about how he knew at the previous year's event that his wife Meghan was pregnant.

As he talked about it he choked back tears and had to stop his speech, with host Gaby Roslin stepping in to pat him on the back, before the crowd cheered at him.

His latest comments come as reports emerged the Duchess is 'unlikely' to accompany Prince Harry, 36, when he visits his family for the first time since Megxit, sources revealed this weekend.

Insiders said the Duke of Sussex is currently planning to fly to the UK to see the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William  along with his niece and nephews  without Meghan and, probably, their 18-month-old son Archie.

Royal expert Nigel Cawthrone, author of the book Prince Andrew, told FEMAIL the decision would be a 'snub' from the duchess and would cast a 'dark shadow' over the Firm's summer celebrations.
It has been a bittersweet experience seeing the mailbox flooded with college recruiting brochures addressed to my son, Gideon.

Bittersweet because, speaking as a science fiction fan, each road not taken represents an alternate timeline involving different friends, different instructors, a different spouse, a different career path, a different city, a different strategy for administrators to hound grads for alumni donations.

Its also bittersweet because Im a little jealous. I dont remember receiving that many invitations (with such alluring graphics) back in the day. It was more like Hey, maybe you should think really hard about us here at Generic University. And pass this two-ply brochure on to your friends. You pay the postage.

Ive left it up to Gideon to scrutinize the various brochures, but I finally decided to give it the old college try and browse through a random sampling in preparation for this column. I see oodles of obligatory verbiage about diversity, inclusivity and civic commitment; but the schools wisely resist leading with some of their flakier programs.

Once youve nibbled at the bait, then they sing the praises of the doctorate program in Recognizing the Racist Subtext of Sedimentary Rock. Oh, and the Department of Staying Perpetually Aggrieved. I could undoubtedly save students a fortune on dorm expenses and textbooks. (Here  just keep this pebble in your shoe instead of going to college. Youre welcome.)

Im glad that the colleges stay on the high road and emphasize their own good points instead of resorting to mudslinging like in political campaigns. OK, there was the one Ivy League school that hinted, You didnt hear it from us, but the other teams mascot is a species found only in  Western Europe.

Did you ever wonder where they hide all the unattractive students and disgruntled students on the day they shoot pictures for the brochures? (Quit your bellyaching! You can have your Frisbee and picnic basket back after the photographer leaves. Sorry we didnt realize all the toxic chemicals were stored in this closet. Maybe that spider bite will give you super-powers and make you immune.)

Many schools entice you to Build Your Future, but some of the most successful graduates wind up being more interested in re-building their past.

Schools are eager to showcase their award-winning faculty. (Our tenured professors are engaged in exhaustive research  on how to pawn their classes off on graduate assistants.)

Affordability is definitely a selling point, as in 53% of our students graduate debt-free. If youre in the lucky 53% and attend too many keggers, Im sure you can buy a new liver from someone in the 47%.

Anyway, Gideon will be starting out at the local community college before having to finalize plans for his further education. I look for him to have a bright future.

Danny Tyree is distributed by Cagle Cartoons newspaper syndicate.
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters.

HARRISBURG  Pennsylvanias top election official will resign after her agency made a mistake that will delay a statewide vote on whether survivors of decades-old sexual abuse should be able to sue the perpetrators and institutions that covered up the crimes.

Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, who oversaw a tense and difficult presidential election in the battleground state, will resign Feb. 5, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday.

The resignation follows the discovery that the Department of State did not advertise, as required under state law, a long-sought amendment to the state constitution that would open a two-year window for litigation by survivors of child sexual abuse who have aged out of the statute of limitations. Advocates hoped to see the referendum on the ballot as soon as this spring.

But the error means that Pennsylvanians wont be able to vote on such a change until spring 2023 at the earliest  a blow to survivors who have fought for a window for nearly two decades.

This change at the Department of State has nothing to do with the administration of the 2020 election, which was fair and accurate, Wolf said. The delay caused by this human error will be heartbreaking for thousands of survivors of childhood sexual assault, advocates, and legislators, and I join the Department of State in apologizing to you. I share your anger and frustration that this happened, and I stand with you in your fight for justice.

The two-year window was a key recommendation in a blistering 2018 report by a statewide grand jury that investigated the cover-up of decades of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. It is backed by the states community of survivors, who three years ago held vigils and other events in the Capitol during tense negotiations in the legislature about the best way to handle the matter.

Boockvar, who was appointed to the $145,244-a-year position in 2019, said in a statement that she only learned of the error last week and immediately notified Wolfs office. Still, she believed accepting responsibility was the right thing to do.

Ive always believed that accountability and leadership must be a cornerstone of public service, she said.

Jennifer Storm, the states onetime victim advocate who championed the two-year window alongside survivors, called the mistake devastating.

To now say that this is going to get pushed back to 2023 is so offensive  to survivors, who have waited long enough for this change, Storm said.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, whose office spearheaded the investigation that led to the 2018 grand jury report, said he spent the morning on a Zoom call with survivors, who were in turn confused, confounded, and upset.

Under state law, proposed changes to the Pennsylvania Constitution must be approved by the legislature in two consecutive sessions.

The two-year window was first approved during the legislatures 2019-20 session. It was passed again last month by the House of Representatives and is expected to soon clear the Senate. The goal was to take the question to voters statewide during the May primary.

Before a question can appear on the ballot, however, Boockvars department is required to publicly advertise the proposed change  with ads in two newspapers in every county each time the legislature approves it.

While the Department of State did properly advertise a handful of other constitutional amendments that passed during the 2019-20 session, officials discovered last week that the agency had failed to do so for the proposed two-year window. Now, the process must begin anew.

Shapiro said he had been in contact with legislative leaders about a solution, which he believes should be to pass the measure through the normal bill process rather than through a constitutional amendment.

I need this to be right for these people, Shapiro said of survivors. They have suffered so much, and they deserve so much better than what some in their state government have done to them.

Wolf and other Democrats on Monday also urged Republican leaders to reconsider the approach. In the past, the top Republican in the Senate, Joe Scarnati of Jefferson County, had blocked making the change through a bill, which he believed was unconstitutional. Scarnati, however, did not seek reelection and has left the legislature.

In an interview, the Senates top Republican leader, Jake Corman of Centre County, said his caucus was blindsided by the news Monday and had not had an opportunity to discuss the best way to proceed.

But he signaled that there could be trouble persuading GOP senators to pass the measure through the normal bill process. Those senators, he said, have long believed that retroactively changing the law would violate the state constitution and, in extension, their oath to uphold it.

It was a clear concern of our caucus before, Corman noted.

Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward (R., Westmoreland) also signaled that the legislative path may be a dead end, saying in a statement that the legislature is back to square one.

The governor stressed that Boockvars decision to step down had nothing to do with how she led the department during last years presidential election. Boockvar and Wolf were targets of intense criticism by Republicans and others about how they administered mail-in voting during a pandemic. After the election, they defended the state against unfounded conspiracy theories that there was widespread fraud.

Thanks in part to Kathys leadership, Pennsylvania voters either cast ballots using modern voting machines or securely voted by mail for the first time, Wolf said. It is through her commitment to helping the counties administer a fair election that we can all have confidence in the accuracy and integrity of the recent election results.

100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Become a member today at spotlightpa.org/donate.
The February edition of SLAS Discovery is a special issue on hit discovery methodologies edited by Mark Wigglesworth, Ph.D., (Medicines Discovery Catapult, Stockport, EN, UK) and Peter Hodder, Ph.D. (Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA)

Oak Brook, IL - The February edition of SLAS Discovery is a Special Issue on Hit Discovery Methodologies edited by Mark Wigglesworth, Ph.D., (Medicines Discovery Catapult, Stockport, EN, UK) and Peter Hodder, Ph.D. (Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA).

The focus of this Special Issue is to highlight the use of hit discovery methodologies and technologies and their usage in both small molecule and large molecule drug discovery. The February issue exemplifies how technologies, both new and existing, have been applied successfully to find hits.

Additionally, the issue houses a list of the most downloaded articles from SLAS journals, many of which reflect the focus on the implementation, characterization and progression of hit discovery.

The February issue of SLAS Discovery includes nine articles of original research in addition to the cover article.

Articles of Original Research include:

A Homogeneous Cell-Based Membrane Potential Assay to Identify Compounds that Promote Readthrough of Premature Termination Codons in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Ion Channel

High-Throughput Screening and Triage Assays Identify Small Molecules Targeting cMyc in Cancer Cells

Development of a High-Throughput Affinity Mass Spectrometry (AMS) Platform Using Laser Diode Thermal Desorption Ionization Coupled to Mass Spectrometry (LDTD-MS)

Rapid Compound Integrity Assessment for High-Throughput Screening Hit Triaging

High-Throughput Mechanism of Inhibition

AI Driven Iterative Screening for Hit Finding

Toward the Efficient Discovery of Actionable Chemical Matter From DNA-Encoded Libraries

An Automated High-Throughput Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization (FISH) Assay Platform for Use in the Identification and Optimization of siRNA-Based Therapeutics

Comparison of Approaches for Determining Bioactivity Hits from High-Dimensional Profiling Data

Other articles include:

European Lead Factory: Collaborative Innovation in Hit Discovery

High-Throughput Mass Spectrometry for Hit Identification: Current Landscape & Future Perspectives

###

Access to February's SLAS Discovery issue is available at http://journals. sagepub. com/ toc/ jbxb/ 26/ . For more information about SLAS and its journals, visit http://www. slas. org/ journals . Access a "behind the scenes" look at the latest issue with SLAS Discovery Author Insights podcast. Tune in by visiting https:/ / www. buzzsprout. com/ 1099559 .

SLAS (Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening) is an international professional society of academic, industry and government life sciences researchers and the developers and providers of laboratory automation technology. The SLAS mission is to bring together researchers in academia, industry and government to advance life sciences discovery and technology via education, knowledge exchange and global community building.

SLAS Discovery: Advancing the Science of Drug Discovery, 2019 Impact Factor 2.195. Editor-in-Chief Robert M. Campbell, Ph.D., Twentyeight-Seven Therapeutics, Boston, MA (USA).

SLAS Technology: Translating Life Sciences Innovation, 2019 Impact Factor 2.174. Editor-in-Chief Edward Kai-Hua Chow, Ph.D., National University of Singapore (Singapore).
Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID
A Chinese central government spokesperson on Sunday strongly condemned Britain for accepting citizenship applications from Hong Kong residents holding British National Overseas (BNO) passports, beginning Jan. 31.

The UK move, in an attempt to turn a large number of Hong Kong people into second-class British citizens, is a blatant offence to China's sovereignty, said the spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, expressing firm opposition to it.

In the memorandum exchanged with China before Hong Kong's return to China in 1997, Britain declared that it would not confer the right of abode in the United Kingdom on Chinese nationals in Hong Kong holding BNO passports, the spokesperson noted.

Since last year, the British side, in violation of basic norms governing international relations, has made every effort to obstruct the formulation and implementation of the law on safeguarding national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. After its attempt failed, the British side turned to the BNO issue.

The UK's actions have seriously violated the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the spokesperson said, describing them as a breach of agreements.

China reserves the right to take further action against Britain's BNO passport policy, the spokesperson said, warning the British side against underestimating China's resolution to firmly implement the law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong as well as the "one country, two systems" principle.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.
Bengaluru, Feb 1 : The Bengaluru police with the help of Andhra Pradesh transport department busted notorious inter-state car theft racket and arrested seven-members of this gang and seized 48 high-end cars valued at about Rs 4 crore from them, Deputy Commissioner of police (East Division) S. D. Sharanappa said here on Monday.

The notorious gang comprises of 10 members and three of them are still on the run.

According to the police , except for J. Riyaz all other accused hailed from Hindupur, Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh.

The police said in its statement that the arrested have been identified as J. Riyaz (Bengaluru), Sheik Mukatayar, Y. vinod, Ramesh Naidu, Narasimha Reddy, T. Prabhakar and Dhakli Naresh.

The other three associates of the gang -- Inayat, Salim, Suhel and Jabi -- are still at large, the statement further stated.

The DCP told reporters that the modus operandi of this gang was to identify a car owner who failed to repay their EMIs on time.

"Their primary target used to be those who could not afford to pay their EMIs in time and pay them the initial amount towards advance payment. The accused used to procure original documents of the vehicle after assuring the original vehicle owners that they would continue to repay 'their' installments on time," the DCP explained.

After obtaining original papers, the gang used to get this vehicles registered in Andhra Pradesh as a new car at Hindupur Regional Transport Officer's (RTO) office through Sheikh Muktayar and his associates including Vinod, Ramesh Naidu, T. Prabhakar, Chakli Naresh and others who were working as clerks and agents.

However, this first comes to the notice of Anantapur Deputy Transport Commissioner N. Sivaram Prasad, after getting complaints about registration of Karnataka vehicles without NOC in AP39 RTO, he initiates internal inquiry and finds several anomalies by his own subordinates.

"Based on his preliminary inquiry and investigations, he suspends erring RTOs and has files complaint in this regard with the local police too. The case then gets referred to Bengaluru East division and investigations lead to 52 luxurious cars like Toyota Innovas being stolen by this gang and sold in Andhra Pradesh, Of these 52 cars, we have seized 48 vehicles from this gang," the police officer explained.

The police has registered a case and is investigating, while elated over the seizure the Bengaluru police commissioner Kamal Pant has also announced the cash prize in appreciation to K. G. Halli police for cracking the case.
Q: In Albany County, is there a process for conducting a needs assessment and resource allocation for the construction and maintenance of bike trails?

There have been many great projects in the last few years that have improved existing trails (e.g., Hudson Helderberg Bike Trail) and filled in gaps (e.g. South End Connector, new access in Menands, dedicated paths in Watervliet), but some areas that are in need of maintenance (e.g. significant stretches of broken pavement due to tree roots on the Mohawk Hudson Path between Albany and Watervliet, similar conditions on Van Schaick Island) and have languished for years.

Perhaps it is a function of the terms of grant funding or the lure of ribbon cutting, but it would seem that there could be a better balance between spending more on already good trails (e.g., exercise equipment and reviewing stands on the Hudson Helderberg Trail) and providing safe, basic trails elsewhere in Albany County.

Tom Smith, Watervliet

A: Regular maintenance to the bike trails for which Albany County is responsible is already part of the budget, according to Mary Rozak, director of communications for Albany County.

Apart from the section you mention in Watervliet, which Albany County maintains is the states responsibility, construction and rehab have been part of the Department of Public Works capital project.

There is a process for conducting a needs assessment, Rozak said. The county would release a request for proposal to find a qualified vendor to do a countywide assessment of the resources.

Basically, we would need a consultant with that sort of expertise to be hired to do the work, she said.

The county would have to pay full share in the absence of any grants.

Q: More people than ever are biking, but one of the old, well-used trails has deteriorated. The section of the Mohawk Hudson trail between Watervliet and Albany is in rough shape. In some spots, you wouldnt want to drive a car, never mind a bicycle. This trail is long overdue for repaving.

Ive been told that Albany County used to maintain the trail but now expects that New York State will take responsibility. The new suburban trail, the Albany County Rail Trail, connecting Voorheesville to Albany is lovely. Did the county divert its attention to that trail only to ignore this old granddaddy of trails linking two urban areas, Albany and Troy?

Who can fix this and when?

Michele Flynn, Albany

A: Albany County was previously responsible for the maintenance of the section of trail between Watervliet and Albany, but the agreement with the state expired and a new one has not been worked out.

The state Department of Transportation and Albany County are working on a new agreement, according to Dan Keefe, a spokesperson for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

The DOT conducted maintenance on the trail between the Corning Preserve and Watervliet in 2019 and 2020, Keefe said. The agency hopes to have a resolution with Albany County soon.

As a matter of practice, Keefe said, DOT enters into maintenance agreements with localities when it builds paths off the highway system. Plans are also in place for a small future improvement project on the Menands trail section.

Have a question about transportation in the Capital Region? Email gettingthere@timesunion.com and include your name, town and phone number or tweet @abigail_rubel.
(Natural News) At least 55 people in the United States have died after receiving a Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, according to reports submitted to a federal system.

The data came from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a federal program that collects information regarding adverse effects that occur after the administration of vaccines. VAERS is a passive system, which means that the program does not automatically collect reports; instead, affected individuals  patients, family members, physicians and other healthcare workers and providers  must file them.

According to VAERS own website, the reports submitted to the system represent only a small fraction of actual adverse events. However, underreporting is believed to be less common for serious events. This means that while only 55 people were reported to have died because of coronavirus vaccines, there are potentially dozens more out there suffering from adverse reactions.

The vaccine-related deaths occurred among people who received the Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines. According to VAERS, many of them died within just a few days of being vaccinated.

One of the dead was Gregory Michael, a 56-year-old physician at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami, who received his first shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Dec. 18 and died 16 days later after suddenly developing a rare blood disorder.

He was a pro-vaccine advocate, wrote his wife in a Facebook post, that is why he got it himself.

I believe that people should be aware that side effects can happen, that it is not good for everyone, and in this case destroyed a beautiful life, a perfect family and has affected so many people in the community. Do not let his death be in vain, please save more lives by making this information news.

Another person who died was a 66-year-old senior home resident in Colorado, who became unresponsive two days after receiving a Moderna vaccine. The VAERS reports stated that he was observed in bed lying still, pale, eyes half open and foam coming from [his] mouth and unresponsive.

Another case involved a 93-year-old man from South Dakota who received the first shot of his Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Jan. 4 at around 11 a.m. Two hours later, he started feeling very tired. After he was taken back to his room, he stopped breathing. Healthcare workers did not attempt to revive him because he had a do-not-resuscitate order.

In addition to these and many other deaths, there have been at least 96 life-threatening events linked to COVID-19 vaccinations, as well as 24 permanent disabilities. Furthermore, 225 people have been hospitalized following their vaccinations, and 1,388 people have had emergency room visits.

Big pharma officials rushing to make excuses for vaccine deaths

As of Jan. 15, around 10.5 million Americans have received at least the first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. Federal health officials and big pharma higher-ups continue to insist that while they are investigating the adverse events, no credible evidence has been presented to suggest that the coronavirus vaccines are unsafe.

Any reports of death following the administration of vaccines are promptly and rigorously investigated, said Abigail Capobianco, a spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

These are safe and effective vaccines. We have good data to show that, said Nancy Messonnier, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Health officials working for VAERS have also attempted to join the chorus, stating that just because somebody submitted a report does not mean that the death was caused by the vaccine. Pfizer officials, meanwhile, have said that they are closely monitoring all adverse events in individuals receiving their vaccine.

Watch this special episode of Brighteon Conversations with Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as he speaks with cancer researcher, health freedom advocate and vaccine skeptic Ty Bollinger. During this nearly hour-long interview, the two completely rip apart the global conspiracy being woven to justify the mass distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

Norway also reporting over a dozen coronavirus vaccine deaths

The United States isnt the only country dealing with COVID-19 vaccine deaths. In Norway, the Norwegian Medicines Agency (NWA) has reported that at least 23 people have died after receiving their first dose. Of those deaths, 13 were residents of nursing homes and were at least 80 years old. Health officials said that the vaccine caused side effects that led to their deaths.

Dr. Sigurd Hortemo, one of Norways top public health officials and chief physician at the NWA, said in a press release that some of the COVID-19 vaccines side effects, such as fever and nausea, may have contributed to a fatal outcome in some frail patients. The NWA has not specifically stated that the vaccines caused the fatalities, but they are also not ruling out the possibility.

In response to the nearly two dozen deaths, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has sent out a cautionary memo telling the countrys health services to consider not providing vaccines to the countrys elderly population.

For those with the most severe frailty, even relatively mild vaccine side effects can have serious consequences, read the memo. For those who have a very short remaining life span anyway, the benefit of the vaccine may be marginal or irrelevant. (Related: VACCINE EUGENICS: Elderly Americans should not be first in line for COVID-19 vaccine because theyre too white, claim medical experts.)

According to Norwegian officials, the memo does not mean the elderly should not get vaccinated, but that they should exercise caution, especially if they are ill.

As of press time, Norway had administered the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to about 33,000 people.

Learn more about how the coronavirus vaccine is causing adverse effects by reading the latest articles at Vaccines.news.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

WBTW.com

WIONews.com
POTTSVILLE  Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas Judge Christina E. Hale is recovering from a bout with COVID-19, a fight she said knocked every ounce of strength from her for days.

COVID is such an emotionally charged topic right now, I would never tell people what to do or think, she said. But drawing on my personal experience, my best advice to everyone is to please protect yourself and others because you do not want this virus.

Hale, 44, said she became symptomatic on Nov. 22, just six weeks after she was sworn into the county judgeship, when she noticed a slight fever and headache. Within hours, the fever spiked to 103 degrees. The next day, she went for a COVID test offered via drive-thru at Cornerstone Healthcare, Frackville.

They were fantastic and swabbed me right in my vehicle, Hale said.

Things got progressively worse in less than one day, Hale said, and for the following nine days she suffered extreme fevers as her temperature stayed at 103.

She also had difficulty breathing and endured coughing, delirium and body aches to the point she was unable to get out of bed for extended periods. She struggled to speak and lost her sense of taste and smell.

My immune system was at war, she said Tuesday while sitting in her courtroom, No. 3, at the Schuylkill County Courthouse. I didnt think it was humanly possible to have that high of a temperature for nine straight days, she said. Ive had the flu and even pneumonia during my lifetime and there is no comparison. COVID was 1,000 times worse.

Over-the-counter medicines werent controlling her cough or fever.

She said her health care providers were fantastic, prescribing steroids, two types of inhalers, antibiotics to prevent post secondary infection, and cough syrup.

On Thanksgiving, I was almost hospitalized. It was very scary, she said. I struggled to breathe, I struggled to talk, I could not get up, I could not eat. I did not comprehend what was going on. My doctors were very concerned and had me wear a pulse oximeter.

Hale said her oxygen saturation dropped to 88% and her family was ready to call the ambulance. However, the levels rose gradually to 94% over the next 12 hours.

We were being told that the hospitals were at capacity, so I really did not want to go, she said.

Hale said her husband and daughter also developed symptoms and tested positive a few days after her, although they were not affected to the extent she was.

My husband had severe symptoms for about three or four days and Abby had mild symptoms and low-grade fever for about two days, she said.

Lingering symptoms

Now, months after first showing symptoms, Hale said she still is affected.

I still dont have my complete sense of smell back and my breathing has been compromised. I still take the two inhalers the doctors prescribed and that helps, she said. My lungs sound like I have asthma and I dont have asthma. I also had an elevated heart rate for quite some time but that has gotten back to normal.

Hale said since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, she and her family had taken every precaution, including wearing masks, social distancing and using hand sanitizers.

We will never know for sure how or where we contracted the virus, she said.

Between Nov. 23 and Dec. 10 Hale missed 10 work days due to the virus. Eventually she was able to work from her Fountain Springs home with assignments delivered to her.

I started going stir crazy toward the end when I slowly began to regain strength, she said. I welcomed the opportunity to do some work while recovering.

She wrote several opinions during the last week she was out, conducted conferences via Zoom and handled various assignments the same as if she was at the courthouse.

I utilize technology a lot, so it worked well while recovering from COVID, she said.

Hale praised President Judge William E. Baldwin, her fellow judges, staff and court administration for working with her through the virus.

They all told me to focus on your health and get better, she said.

GratefulHale called her bout with COVID-19 a humbling experience.

It wreaked havoc on my body and Im still not 100% back to normal, she said. I am a healthy, active adult and it knocked me down, but Im one of the lucky ones.

She said prays for anyone fighting COVID-19, and that she can only imagine what it was like for those who had it worse than she did.

I just lost a dear family friend to COVID last week. Its tragic, she said.

She credited family members, friends, neighbors and medical personnel who helped, and her colleagues for their support throughout the ordeal.

Without the kindness of everyone dropping off food, Gatorade and medications on our doorstep, we never would have made it through the quarantine period, she said. We are incredibly grateful.
(CNN) -- Myanmar's powerful military has taken control of the country in a coup and declared a state of emergency, following the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior government leaders in early morning raids Monday.

The country woke up to widespread communications blackouts, closed banks, and soldiers in army fatigues patrolling the streets of Myanmar's largest city, Yangon. Residents turning on their television sets could only access the military-owned Myawaddy TV channel, with all other news channels seemingly blocked.

As news filtered through that the country's democratically-elected leaders had been detained in the capital -- hours before the first session of the new parliament was set to open -- a news anchor announced on the military-owned channel that power had been handed over to army chief Min Aung Hlaing.

In the address, the military confirmed it had detained the country's de facto civilian leader Suu Kyi, along with other high ranking National League for Democracy (NLD) leaders, in response to alleged voting irregularities in November's election.

The coup followed weeks of worsening political tensions in the country over the disputed election and rumors that the military could take over had been swirling for days.

The election was only the second democratic vote since the country emerged from 50 years of isolationist military rule in 2011. Suu Kyi's party, the NLD claimed an overwhelming victory, taking 83% of the vote, which granted it another five years in government. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won 33 out of a possible 476 seats, far fewer than the party had expected.

Monday's events have been widely condemned internationally, with the United States calling on Myanmar's military leaders to "release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people."

"The United States expresses grave concern and alarm regarding reports that the Burmese military has detained multiple civilian government leaders, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and civil society leaders," according to a statement from the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "The military must reverse these actions immediately."

Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who is now running the country, has been under US sanctions since December 2019. He was designated for serious human rights abuses related to the atrocities committed against the Rohingya Muslim community.

Prominent Myanmar historian and author Thant Myint-U said on Twitter Monday that, "The doors just opened to a very different future."

"I have a sinking feeling that no one will really be able to control what comes next. And remember Myanmar's a country awash in weapons, with deep divisions across ethnic and religious lines, where millions can barely feed themselves."

What led to the coup

In its announcement, signed by the newly installed acting President and former military general, Myint Swe, the military alleges that voter fraud took place in the November 8, 2020 elections and said they had detained political leaders for "failing to take actions, not following the request to postpone lower house and upper house parliament sessions."

Last week, a military spokesperson said it would not rule out a coup if the military's claims of alleged voter fraud into the November 2020 election were not investigated.

Myanmar's election commission on Thursday rejected claims of voter fraud, saying any errors -- such as duplicated names on voter lists -- were not enough to impact the result of the vote.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi is widely considered a hero of democracy in Myanmar, where she spent 15 years under house arrest as part of a decades-long fight against military rule.

Following her release, Suu Kyi led her party to a landslide victory in Myanmar's 2015 elections, establishing its first civilian government after decades of isolation and military authoritarianism.

But her international reputation has been tarnished in recent years by allegations of genocide against Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya population. Myanmar denies the charges and has long claimed to have been targeting terrorists.

On Monday human rights non-government organization Burma Rights UK said in a post to their Twitter that the news of Suu Kyi's detention was "devastating."

"This needs to be met with the strongest international response. The military need to be made to understand that they have made a major miscalculation in thinking they can get away with this," the group said.

Communications blackout

As military leaders seized power, there were significant internet and phone network disruption across the country, which could affect the ability of people to get information or organize any response via social media.

Netblocks, which monitors internet blackouts around the world, said that real-time network data showed a major drop in connectivity in the early hours of Monday morning. Doug Madory, an analyst at Kentik, a network observability company, added on Twitter that there was a "large internet outage" unfolding.

"Continuing disconnections have been monitored with national connectivity falling initially to 75% and subsequently 50% of ordinary levels by 8:00 a.m. local time," according to Netblocks.

Reuters reported that Myanmar state media MRTV was having technical issues and unable to broadcast, the network said. "Due to current communication difficulties we'd like to respectfully inform you that the regular programs of MRTV and Myanmar Radio cannot be broadcast," Myanmar Radio and Television said on a post on its Facebook page.

Later in the day, MRTV began broadcasting military propaganda with footage of soldiers waving flags on top of sandbags, helicopters hovering over military personnel and paramedics carrying a stretcher.

Netblocks reported that "technical data show cuts affecting multiple network operators including state-owned Myanma Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) and international operator Telenor, with preliminary findings indicating a centrally ordered mechanism of disruption targeting cellular and some fixed-line services, progressing over time."

Banks in Myanmar are also temporarily shut due to widespread internet disruptions, according to a Myanmar Bank Association statement. The Chair and Central Working Committee of the Myanmar Banks Association held an emergency meeting Monday morning and decided that banks should cease operations until the internet connection improves.

International reaction

The military action has prompted concern and condemnation from the international community.

US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation in Myanmar by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, according to a statement from White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

"The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed," the statement said. "We are monitoring the situation closely."

Australia on Monday called for the immediate release of Suu Kyi and other senior leaders who are being detained by the military.

In a statement from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Marise Payne the Minister of Foreign Affairs said, "The Australian Government is deeply concerned at reports the Myanmar military is once again seeking to seize control of Myanmar."

"We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms, and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully," the statement said.

Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed concern over the situation in Myanmar, saying in a statement that it "underscores that all electoral differences be addressed in accordance with available legal mechanism" and urged "all parties in Myanmar to exercise self-restraint and put forth dialogue in finding solutions to challenges so as not to exacerbate the condition."

Why now?

The sudden coup has surprised many observers, who point out that the military already wields significant power.

In 2008, the ruling junta drafted a constitution that allocated 25% of legislative seats to the military as well as control of key ministries such as defense and home affairs, and a veto power on constitutional issues.

UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Myanmar, Tom Andrews, told CNN that the coup is a "real mystery."

"They wrote the constitution that they just overthrow. It gives them enormous power, economic power, political power," he said. "So how and why they overturn their own constitution is incredible."

Last week, the military sought to allay concerns it was about to seize power, saying that it would protect and abide by the constitution, according to Reuters.

Andrews said their action is "extremely damaging" and comes at a time when many in the country are suffering extreme hardships because of the coronaviorus pandemic.

"The people of Myanmar have been through so much. They've lived through decades of brutal military rule. They are going through a pandemic. The economy is in tough shape for so many. It's so incredibly unfair for them to have to go through this right now," he said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Myanmar's military seizes power in coup after detaining leader Aung San Suu Kyi and ruling party politicians"
[February 01, 2021] FASTSIGNS Recognized As a 2021 Top 100 Global Franchise by Franchise Direct

CARROLLTON, Texas, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FASTSIGNS International, Inc. , franchisor of FASTSIGNS, the leading sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise, announced today it has been ranked as one of the Top 100 Global Franchises by Franchise Direct. One of the premier franchise rankings, the Top 100 Global Franchises ranked FASTSIGNS as #33 for its strong sales and growth, international presence, and over 35 years in franchising, among other successes. "To be recognized among the leading global franchise brands by Franchise Direct for another year is a true honor and testament to our proven franchise model," said Mark Jameson, Chief Support and Development Officer. "With FASTSIGNS centers operating both domestically across the United States and internationally in countries like Canada, Chile and Puerto Rico, we're proud to reflect on how the need for visual communications can be adapted to thrive in any market across the world. The dedicated network of franchisees across the FASTSIGNS system allows us to continuously reach new heights and, as we enter our 36th year of business, our commitment to their success has never been stronger." FASTSIGNS reported exceptional results in 2020, including the signing of over 31 franchise agreements in the U.S and Canada to develop new, co-branded, and conversion centers and the opening of more than 30 locations, including its first center in the Dominican Republic. Much of FASTSIGNS' success in 2020 can be credited to centers being deemed essential businesses, allowing franchisees to pivot their services to focus on serving their customers. This year, FASTSIGNS is aiming to sign at least 35 franchise agreements across the U.S. in markets such as Southern California, the Midwest, New England, and along the Northeast Corridor. FASTSIGNS is particularly focusing on its co-brand and conversion programs, which help existing business owners add a FASTSIGNS to their store or fully convert their business to a FASTSIGNS franchise. FASTSIGNS has helped countless owners of print shops, photography studios, camera stores, embroidery shops, and more, diversify their product lines and services to meet the growing demand for signs, graphics, and visual communications. Both the co-brand franchise opportunity and conversion can be started with only $15,000 down on the initial franchise fee. FASTSIGNS is known in the industry for equipping its franchisees with tools vital to securing the ongoing success of each individual location. In addition to the brand's online FASTSIGNS University, FASTSIGNS partners wth 1HUDDLE, a workforce-training platform that converts unique training content into science-backed, quick-burst training games that are proven to accelerate workforce productivity.



FASTSIGNS also offers a special incentive for first responders, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, sheriffs, and firefighters, which includes a 50% reduction on the franchise fee  a savings of $24,875. FASTSIGNS is consistently ranked as a top franchise opportunity. Entrepreneur magazine recently recognized FASTSIGNS as the #1 franchise opportunity in its category on its 2021 Franchise 500 list for the fifth consecutive year and #44 overall  the only sign, graphics, and visual communications company to be recognized in the top 100. In 2020, Entrepreneur magazine named FASTSIGNS a Top Growth Franchise and one of the Top Franchises for Veterans . Additionally, FASTSIGNS was ranked on Franchise Times' annual Top 200+ list, Franchise Gator recognized the brand as one of its Top 100 Franchises of 2020 , Franchise Direct named FASTSIGNS one of the Top 100 Global Franchises , and Franchise Business Review named FASTSIGNS one of its Top Franchises for Second Careers and Top Franchises for Veterans . In 2019, the brand was named to America's Best Franchises to Buy list by Forbes magazine. Franchise Business Review has also recognized FASTSIGNS as one of the "Best of the Best" for franchisee satisfaction for the last 10 years, as well as inclusion on its Top 50 Franchises for Women and Top Service Franchises lists in 2019. FASTSIGNS has also received the Canadian Franchise Association Franchisees' Choice for eight consecutive years.

For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson (mark.jameson@fastsigns.com or 214-346-5679). About FASTSIGNS

FASTSIGNS International, Inc. is the leading sign and visual communications franchisor in North America, and is the worldwide franchisor of more than 740 independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS centers in 8 countries including the United States and Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, Canada, Chile, Grand Cayman, the United Arab Emirates, Malta and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE). FASTSIGNS locations provide comprehensive signage and graphic solutions to help companies of all sizes and across all industries attract more attention, communicate their message, promote their products, help visitors find their way and extend their branding across all of their customer touchpoints. In 2020, Fastsigns Holdings Inc. acquired GTN CAPITAL GROUP, LLC the parent company of NerdsToGo, an emerging IT services franchise brand. Learn more about sign and graphic solutions or find a location at fastsigns.com . Follow the brand on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/fastsigns , Twitter @FASTSIGNS or Facebook at facebook.com/FASTSIGNS . For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson ( mark.jameson@fastsigns.com or call 214.346.5679). Contact:

Nate Rubinstein

Fish Consulting

203-241-5134

nrubinstein@fish-consulting.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fastsigns-recognized-as-a-2021-top-100-global-franchise-by-franchise-direct-301219210.html SOURCE FASTSIGNS International, Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Police have warned the public to be on the alert for rogue traders after vulnerable pensioner was charged more than three times the going rate to chop down two tiny trees.

The elderly victim, in south Cambridgeshire, had been quoted a staggering 750 for the removal of the small trees, which appear to measure approximately 11 inches in diameter each.

The job should have cost no more than 200, according to a retired tree surgeon who read about the swindling on a Facebook page.

Cambridgeshire Police were alerted to the incident by a concerned neighbour of the victim - and were able to cancel the payments just in time.

Cambridgeshire Police have issued a warning about rogue traders after a vulnerable pensioner was charged 750 - to chop down two small trees (one pictured)

But officers have now warned that rogue traders 'could strike anywhere'.

Writing on the Cambridgeshire Police Facebook page, officers posted: 'Officers in the south of the county recently responded to a report from a member of the public.

'[They] were concerned their elderly neighbour had been targeted by rogue traders.

'When officers arrived, they discovered the neighbour had been charged 750 to cut down these two tiny trees.

'Officers didn't believe this was an honest and fair price. Thankfully the payments were cancelled just in time and appropriate safeguarding put in place.

The remaining trunk of one of the trees, which neighbours were shocked to learn cost the elderly resident 750 to have removed

'Rogue traders could strike anywhere, so please look out for elderly and vulnerable people and report anything suspicious to police.'

And outraged residents of Cambridgeshire praised officers for stepping in to help the victim.

One wrote: 'Only the lowest of the low would sink to stealing money from the elderly like this. Glad this had a happy ending.'

And another commented: 'We had a massive conifer (much taller than the house) cut down last year for 250. Definitely sound like rogues.'

A generous tree surgeon even offered to finish the job himself, William Ayers wrote: 'These are the very people who give my industry a bad name! Thats appalling.

'More than happy to offer this person free removal of those stumps in a bid to restore her faith in humanity and my industry.'
A 5-week-old boy is dead, and authorities are investigating his death as a homicide.

The Jefferson County Coroners Office on Monday identified the baby as Kamari Whitt. The injury happened Wednesday, Jan. 27, in the 300 block of West Lake Circle in Bessemer, according to Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates.

Bessemer police Lt. Christian Clemons said police were notified of the incident on Thursday. The preliminary investigation shows Kamari was left in the care of his father on Wednesday while the mother was out running errands.

At some point, the baby was taken to UAB Medical Center West and then transferred to Childrens of Alabama. It was then that doctors notified Bessemer police. Medical experts said the child was suffering from head injuries consistent with being shaken or struck.

Kamari was pronounced dead at 10 a.m. Saturday at Childrens. Police on Friday charged the boys father, Quinton Artez Arnold, 27, with aggravated child abuse.

Arnold was booked into the Jefferson County Jail Friday at 3:22 p.m. and released at 1:46 a.m. Saturday after posting $250,000 bond. Clemons said investigators are now looking into upgrading the charges against the father.

Kamaris death is Bessemers third homicide of 2021. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 14 homicides including the three in Bessemer.
Highlights LG has announced it is partnering Qualcomm for 5G automotive platforms.

LG said it will leverage decades-long R&D to work on 5G automotive platforms.

LG has not confirmed if its efforts are directed towards making an EV of its own.

LG is foraying into the automobile industry now that its smartphone business is due for either closure or a handover because of successive loss-making years. The South Korean company has announced it is partnering with Qualcomm to develop 5G automotive platforms as LG wants to set eyes on business expansion in emerging markets. Park Jong-sun, vice president of LG Electronics, has said the new partnership will leverage decades-long research and development experience specific to 5G automotive platforms.

Since Qualcomm is one of the biggest manufacturers of semiconductors for telematics and wireless car connectivity, LG wants to tap its resources, much like other partners that Qualcomm is working with. Qualcomm wants to develop "reliable, connected, intelligent and location-aware next-generation vehicles" as the company goes on to expand its partnerships that currently include LG, ZTE Corp, and Continental AG. LG thinks 5G is critical for the deployment of a fully-connected car platform and harnessing Qualcomm's expertise for that is the way to go.

According to Jong-sun, up to three quarters, precisely around 75 per cent, of all vehicles that will sell in 2027 will have some form of cellular connectivity inside, which paints a bright future for 5G automotive technologies. LG wants to dip its toes into this market early so that its partnership with Qualcomm Technologies is ready to bear fruits by the time the market for fully-connected cards mature. LG and Qualcomm have a long-standing relationship in the connected car segment of the industry.

In 2004, LG and Qualcomm partnered to create telematics technology while later in 2017, the two companies signed a deal to collaborate on connected car solutions. And then in 2019, both LG and Qualcomm inked a deal to work on LG's in-car infotainments and webOS Auto platforms. LG wants to go all out in the automotive industry that it has been working towards over the recent years, but forging a partnership with Qualcomm will catapult the company further into the market. LG is already in a partnership with Canada's Magna International for the manufacturing of electric vehicles and its parts.

The market for self-driving vehicles, electric cars, and fully-connected cars is still growing. Besides the bigwigs such as Hyundai, Tesla, Honda, and others, smartphone and tech companies are shifting their focus dramatically. After Google's parent company Alphabet entered the market with Waymo, other brands decided to sink their teeth into the EV market. But the most interesting development was about Apple. Apple was rumoured to be working on an EV earlier this month but Hyundai mistakenly admitted it has got a proposal from Apple on the same. This was followed by a series of denials but eventually, the secret was out for good.
One of the greatest duos of all time -- macaroni and cheese -- is getting a Valentine's Day makeover.

The Kraft Heinz Company is giving away 1,000 boxes of pink Candy Kraft Mac & Cheese to celebrate Cupid's big day.

Giveaway winners will receive a box of the classic macaroni and cheese along with a candy flavor packet that turns the traditionally orange dish pink and adds a hint of sweet flavor, Kraft said.

Winners will receive their prize in time for Valentine's Day, so it can be enjoyed with a side of champagne, chocolate or candy hearts.

Whether you're lucky in love or celebrating solo, you can enter to win the pink mac & cheese at Kraft's website through February 8.
Axios

Southwest Airlines won't yet resume its in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: The airline initially planned to resume the service June, but Sonya Lacore, Southwest's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free."Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego  Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
GR Silver said its acquisition of Marlin Gold Mining will give it control over the majority of the gold and silver-rich targets in Mexico's Rosario Mining District

GR Silver Mining says it will pay C$50,000 to Mako Mining for Marlin Gold and grant Mako a 1% net smelter return royalty on the concessions owned by Oro Gold

Ltd ( ) (OTCQB:GRSLF) (FRA:GPE) announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Ltd from Mako Mining Corp ( ) (OTCQX:MAKOF).

GR Silver said it will pay C$50,000 to acquire Marlin Gold, which owns, amongst other assets, Oro Gold de Mexico , S.A. de C.V. (Oro Gold), a Mexican company that owns the La Trinidad mine facilities that is currently being decommissioned, as well as control over 100% of nine concessions totaling 104,094.5 hectares located adjacent to GR Silver's existing portfolio of properties.

We are pleased to enter into the agreement with Mako for the acquisition of these properties. This acquisition will strengthen our position in this region and is consistent with our strategy of controlling 100% of what we believe are the most important silver and gold assets in the Rosario Mining District of Sinaloa, Mexico, CEO Marcio Fonseca said in a statement.

He added: GR Silver is the first company to achieve control of all these assets and unlock the opportunity for exploration potential and discoveries, towards developing the next generation of silver and gold mines.

This acquisition supports our goal of delivering significant shareholder value through new discoveries.

GR Silver noted that the concessions being acquired host a number of known silver gold showings, and porphyry igneous intrusions that are of strong exploration interest to the company for future drilling.

In addition to the cash payment, Oro Gold will grant Mako a 1% net smelter return (NSR) royalty on the concessions owned by Oro Gold, although GR Silver and/or Oro Gold will be granted the right to purchase the NSR at any time upon making a one-time payment of US$2 million.

Mako, though, will be responsible for and pay all costs related to the closure plan activities at the La Trinidad mine and all other matters that may be required to obtain the closure plan certification.

The Trinidad Mine operated from 2014 until 2019, and was considered to be one of the highest-grade open-pit heap-leach gold mines in Mexico during this period, according to the company.

The companies expect the transaction to close by March 31, 2021, at which time GR Silver said it will control the majority of the gold and silver-rich targets in the Rosario Mining District.

Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com

Nigeria will receive 16 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines before the end of February, an official has said.

This will replace the initial 100,000 doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech approved vaccines expected in the country.

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, announced the new development at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Monday.

He said the initial 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccines expected this month is grossly inadequate for Nigerias large population.

The COVAX facility has informed us that they will be supplying Nigeria with approximately 16 million doses of Astrazeneca vaccine this month, Mr Shuaib said.

This will replace the earlier communicated 100,000 doses of Pfizer mRNA vaccine, which was grossly inadequate.

COVAX

Most African countries, including Nigeria, are banking on benefitting from the COVAX programme, which was set-up to divide over a billion doses of vaccines across 92 low-and middle-income countries.

The facility promised access to vaccines for up to 20 per cent of participating countries population with an initial supply beginning in the first quarter of the year to immunise three per cent of their populations.

Through the COVAX initiative, the Nigerian government had announced that it will receive an initial 100,000 doses of the Pfizer and bioNtech by February.

It also said efforts are being made to access doses of other approved vaccines suitable for storage in Nigeria.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which has 70 per cent efficacy, offers the best possibility for distribution in Nigeria because the temperature required is not as low as the Pfizer vaccine and manufacturers can produce it at a lower price.

This is unlike the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, which require ultra-cold freezers for effective storage.

An analysis by The Conversation Africa, an online news site, shows that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines induce immunity but in different ways.

They both deliver the instructions for how to make a target on the virus for our immune system to recognise the spike protein.

The Pfizer vaccine packages the instructions up in a droplet of fat, while the AstraZeneca vaccine packages the instructions up in the shell of a virus, the adenovirus.

Delay in vaccines delivery

At the briefing, Health Minister Osagie Ehanire said the country is experiencing a delay in receiving the first batch of vaccines because the manufacturers are yet to decide on when to deploy the vaccines.

He, however, said Nigerians should expect the first roll-out of the vaccines this month.

The date of first arrival of vaccines in Nigeria has kept changing because the decision lies with the manufacturer, who already has heavy commitments, he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mr Ehanire noted that Nigeria has been allocated over 41million doses by the AUs African Vaccines Acquisition Task Team (AVATT)

Altogether, it will give us coverage for over 50 per cent of our target for 2021, if we can access all doses promised, he said.

We are not locked out today or tomorrow because of our members unity, their commitment to their school communities and their fearless solidarity, Sharkey said.  ... None of this is easy. The uncertainty and risk our educators, our students and our families confront all take a toll. And all of the progress weve made to date in winning real gains at the table is possible because of the tireless work and dedication of our rank-and-file members, our strike captains, our delegates, our parents, our allies and ordinary Chicagoans who trust us to do whats right by our schoolchildren.
MILAN - A cultural project is promoting economic recovery in Milan. Conceived by entrepreneur Lorenzo Lombardi and by the photographer Valentina Angeloni, it was realized in collaboration with the owners of some stores in Via della Spiga. The project is called VIA, Visiting Installation Art, which currently debuts with Viavai, a contemporary art show in some windows of the city's fashion district, curated by Federica Sala. The project was born from the idea of using window shops left empty by the pandemic as exhibition spaces.



Viavai was produced by the shops' owners with the common desire to give a new cultural imprint to the district as it awaits the crowd of people it usually attracts.



Nathalie Du Pasquier, Gianluca Malgeri with Arina Endo, Lorenzo Vitturi and Regine Schumann, are among those bringing oeuvres that are different yet have in common the ability to dialogue with the space that host them.



Du Pasquier is taking part in the show with a site-specific installation called Per Marisa. The artist interprets the two windows of the store with two sets that evoke a puppet theater on which she has set a stone, a nut and an orange. There is also a hand with an upward thumb as a wish for the future. The artwork is dedicated to the memory of Marisa Lombardi, an entrepreneur, art connoisseur and an important figure in the Milanese fashion world. Vitturi instead presents four textile sculptures, made after two years of work with artisans of the Jaipur Rugs Foundation in Rajasthan. Gianluca Malgeri and Arina Endo exhibit for the first time in Milan their oeuvres through a selection of sculptures that express the playground theme through copper sculptures. Finally, Regine Schumann, presents a selection based on the chromatic perceptions and the endless possibility of combinations.
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.
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Recently, police in Hong Kong arrested 53 pro-democracy activists for holding a primary election. The Communist Chinese government made the sweep of political opponents under cover of its new national security law. The same day as these arrests, China-based tech firm Alibabas stock jumped 30 percent when word circulated that Jack Ma, Alibabas eccentric founder, might actually be alive. Ma vanished two months ago after publicly criticizing Chinas banking system. Apparently, stockholders had assumed the Chinese Communist Party killed him.

Juxtaposed with these stories was a New York Times article that ran the same week describing everyday life in China now that the Coronavirus is nearly nonexistent there. The headline of the article was, In a Topsy-Turvy Pandemic World, China Offers Its Version of Freedom. Underneath the headline was this summary: Surveillance and censorship bolster Beijings uncompromising grip on power. But in the countrys cities and streets, people have resumed normal lives.

Hmmm.

According to the veteran reporter, life in the Communist country now resembles what normal was like in the pre-pandemic world. Restaurants are packed, she wrote. Hotels are full. Long lines form outside luxury brands stores. Instead of Zoom calls, people are meeting face to face to talk business or celebrate the new year.

Yes, the Timesreporter admitted (via a few throwaway lines early in her report), Chinese citizens dont have freedom of speech, freedom of worship, or even freedom from fear, but they do have the freedom to lead a normal day-to-day life.

In the book I co-authored with Brett Kunkle,A Practical Guide to Culture, we wrote that the battle of ideas begins with the battle over definitions. How we define certain words is incredibly consequential. Its jarring to consider just how malleable definitions of words such as freedom have become. Pro-democracy activists are arrested by the dozens and a billionaire tech CEO is presumed killed after criticizing his government but shopping at a designer store without a mask is freedom?

For the record, even if we granted the Times the benefit of the doubt here, China still wouldnt live up to the Timess grotesquely skewed definition of freedom. An estimated one million (and counting) Muslim Uighurs are currently detained in concentration camps in Xinjiang province. Inmates are forced into physical labor and sometimes tortured. Women, according to reports, are often forcibly sterilized or to undergo abortions. Even according to the New York Times definition, the Uighurs are anything but free.

The Chinese government is, of course, well-known for playing loose with language. In a now-removed tweet, the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. recently claimed that their holocaust-like treatment of Uighur women had, in fact, liberated them because, after all, they were now more open to abortion. Even Twitter thought that crossed a line.

Even so, the way this New York Times piece defined freedom down commits another error. Any grammar nerd will blanche at a rhetorical redundancy, such as, for example, the phrase completely destroyed. Thats because there arent degrees of destruction. Something is either destroyed or it isnt, no qualifier is necessary. Freedom is similar. The ability to shop at a mall while not being able to worship, speak, or assemble isnt freedom.

This is not to say that freedom is without limits. No one is free to murder or yell fire in a crowded theater. In fact, the definition of freedom increasingly embraced across the Westthat we are free from rules, from consequences, from restraint, or from truth itselfis actually license. As the Apostle Paul says, license only enslaves us. True freedom isnt freedom from but freedom for the freedom for living fully into our created design.

Christians, of all people, should be able to clearly and accurately define freedom. Better yet, we must be able to show what freedom is. Our brothers and sisters in China are not free to worship together on Sundays without fear or oversight. American Christians who dont live Monday to Saturday as if Jesus is Lord arent free, either, if freedom ends up being nothing more than enslavement to every passing fad.

True freedom is only in Christ, in seeing and living all of life as if it belongs to Him. Even when new COVID-19 cases across the globe finally reach zero, well only be truly free if the Son has set us free. Then we are free indeed.

Originally posted at breakpoint.org
ATLANTA, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- During the Conversation Tour held just weeks ago for Church's Chicken , the brand came together with franchisees in various regions of the country to recap achievements for the past year and set the tone on the next five years. Strong communications and teamwork have been essential to Church's impressive upward trend since 2016. Now, the brand is looking to leverage the power of its franchise network to reach even higher benchmarks for 2021 through 2026.

"Every year has been better than the last for us  in sales and in average check  and that's in spite of a global pandemic and while we have been rolling out various operational changes and improvements. That success is 100% rooted in the determination and hard work we have put into our franchisee-franchisor relationships," said Church's Chief Executive Officer, Joe Christina. "It's time to apply that strength towards optimizing our operations, ensuring common vision in working towards measurable results, and remaining flexible in the face of an ever-changing restaurant landscape. That is our plan for becoming the Global Franchisor of Choice."

The brand lived up to its Franchisor of Choice promise in multiple ways in 2020, continuing with positive year-over-year sales numbers for the fourth straight year. Church's also reappeared on the national media landscape with a more innovative media utilization plan that considered all available platforms, and then optimized budgets to allow for national TV for the second year in a row. That same spirit of maximizing return on investment for franchisees was also a cornerstone element in the all-new Church's Chicken Sandwich, which required a modest acquisition of new kitchen equipment in restaurants, but has quickly yielded sensational sales results that have more than recouped the cost of that equipment for almost all operators. All of these successes, combined with other operational efficiencies, meant that Church's turned in yet another profitable year for its franchise system. Christina explained that these results are even more meaningful when considered as part of a longer-term trend. "We got big lifts from our family meals and delivery during the pandemic. We also had a blockbuster success with our Chicken Sandwich. However, when we looked at the sales figures  we realized that these were shining stars in an already bright universe. By working closely with our franchisees, vendors, and restaurant teams to build momentum throughout the year we were able to outperform 2019, one of our best years in a decade,"

DOUBLING DOWN IN 2021

For 2021, Church's is prepared to double down on those kinds of wins. "Take nothing for granted," Christina told team members. "We enter 2021 with great momentum, but we're not slowing down. We're a different brand today than ever before, we are well on our way to next-level growth."

Some of the specific goals include:

Opening 100 new restaurants globally by year's end.

Rolling out new Point of Sale (POS) systems in Q1 2021 and beyond.

Activating the new and differentiated brand position both domestically and internationally to accelerate growth and drive profitability.

Enhancing the global guest experience with forward-thinking restaurant design, evolved menu offerings, and innovative packaging options.

Maximizing off-premise services to further improve restaurant profitability.

Expanding brand awareness and guest acquisition and increasing preference among existing consumers.

Brian Gies, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer also addressed the brand's future outlook for marketing. "Our two-year comps during national media weeks have produced a +8.1% increase in average same store sales," he explained. "It proves the effectiveness of our evolved marketing approach, earning more market share even against brands that spend far more on media yearly. Going forward, we're going to expand our marketing presence across the most relevant media channels with a broader reach, integrated analytics, and including as many as 25 weeks of total on-air broadcast time nationally and locally."

In terms of guest experience, Senior Vice President and Global Chief People Officer, Karen Viera, outlined new team member development and training initiatives, including the brand's new Our Texas Way brand experience handbook. The purpose of the new HR plan is to build lasting relationships with guests which are rooted in pride for the brand and all it stands for  big hearts, family, strong values, bold tastes, great value, and authentic hospitality. "The vision is to take the core of our branding and marketing messages and brings it to life across all HR functions and restaurant operations," shared Viera. "We're inviting franchisees, team members, restaurant staff, and even guests deeper into the Church's experience and making them part of what comes next."

Pete Servold, Executive Vice President, Franchise & Company Operations, discussed a number of operational enhancements coming in 2021. "We had 50% growth in delivery and we quadrupled Order Ahead/Pay Ahead in 2020," he said. "The next few years we will be exploring all opportunities for leveraging those kinds of results." Incorporation of contactless pickup, enhanced delivery options, increased speed of service across all consumer touchpoints, system-wide technology upgrades, advanced restaurant design, and streamlining of kitchen and drive-through environments were all part of the Operations hit list from now until 2026.

"Church's is energized like never before to capitalize on new opportunities and become a powerhouse restaurant brand," added Christina. "We've followed through  and are continuing to follow through  on being the Global Franchisor of Choice. We're firing on all cylinders in terms of a unified franchisee network. We've reached and surpassed financial benchmarks. We can do this, because in all we do, we believe we can. That is what has always, and will always, set Church's apart."

About Church's Chicken

Founded in San Antonio, Texas, in 1952 by George W. Church, Church's Chicken is one of the largest quick-service restaurant chicken chains in the world. Church's specializes in Original and Spicy Chicken freshly prepared throughout the day in small batches that are hand-battered and double-breaded, Tender Strips, Honey-Butter Biscuits made from scratch and freshly baked, and classic, homestyle sides all for a great value. Church's (along with its sister brand Texas Chicken outside the Americas) has more than 1,500 locations in 25 countries and international territories. During two national media windows the brand drove sales performance that outpaced the broader QSR category. For more information, visit www.churchs.com. Follow Church's on Facebook at www.facebook.com/churchschicken and Twitter at www.twitter.com/churchschicken.

Contact: Kim Miller

866.571.3449

[email protected]

SOURCE Church's Chicken

Related Links

http://www.churchs.com



JIM THORPE  Renee Zimmerman traveled Saturday from her Frackville home to Mauch Chunk Lake Park to meet friends and help Marian Catholic High School by defying the winter cold and taking the Polar Plunge.

Its for fun, Zimmerman said while shivering in 20-degree weather on the shore of the lake.

Zimmerman said she and several of her friends from the Army Reserves who call themselves the Adventure Tribe pick such an activity each month as a way to challenge themselves.

Were a bunch of pushy broads who look to get out there and have some fun, said fellow tribe member Susan Young of Tresckow.

Zimmerman, Young and friends Carolyn Kehley of McAdoo, Karen Strauss of Pottsville and Sherry Van Horn of Pine Grove were among dozens of people braving the cold for the eighth annual Polar Plunge.

Dressed in a variety of outfits, the plungers showed minimal fear while trying to ignore the cold and have a good time. They all gladly accepted the opening prayer of the Rev. Allen J. Hoffa of St. Joseph the Worker Parish of the Panther Valley, Summit Hill, to give them further strength in fighting the cold in the air and the water.

Kathy Goff of Jim Thorpe, the plunge coordinator, said this years event was the best attended yet.

I would not give it up for the world, she said, noting that it benefits Marians Blue and Gold Club, which raises money for the Hometown school. Nobody else does anything like this.

However, while other folks took the taunt Go jump in a lake literally, Goff said she preferred to remain high and dry.

I will not put a toe in that water if you pay me, she said.

Club Secretary Maria McGinley of Lehighton said she volunteered to work at the plunge. She said the event also has significance even beyond the money raised.

Every group and organization has fundraisers, McGinley said. Its the kickoff to Catholic Schools Week.

Van Horn said she and the rest of her group loved it.

Its refreshing, she said. We do it every year for fun.

Strauss also relished the camaraderie.

(I like) to be a part of the adventure, she said.

Goff attributed the large crowd to the sunshine.

Its a very weather-dependent event, although more for the conditions in the air than in the water, she said.

One of the first plungers to emerge from the water was Marcello Geronimo of Tamaqua. As he dried himself off, he said he was happy to have taken the plunge because it was a memorable experience, although it also was exciting in another way.

It felt so cold that it took your breath away, he said.
India on Monday asked all sides to abide by the existing understandings and commitment of a trilateral agreement involving Sri Lanka and Japan to develop the strategic Colombo Port's Eastern Container Terminal (ECT).

The state-owned Sri Lanka Authority (SLPA) signed a memorandum of cooperation in May 2019 with India and Japan to develop the ECT during the previous Sirisena government. However, the Sri Lankan government said on Monday that the ECT will be operated 100 per cent by the SLPA.

"I would like to reiterate the expectation of Government of India for expeditious implementation of the trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) signed in May 2019 among the Governments of India, Japan and Sri Lanka for the development of ECT with participation from these three countries," a spokesperson at the Indian High Commission in Colombo said.

"The commitment of the Government of Sri Lanka in this regard has been conveyed several times in the recent past, including at the leadership level. Sri Lanka's Cabinet also took a decision three months ago to implement the project with foreign investors. All sides should continue to abide by the existing understandings and commitment," the spokesman added.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's office said that the Sri Lankan government has decided to run the ECT as a fully-owned operation of the state-run authority, succumbing to pressure from the trade unions who opposed the joint venture to develop the strategic cargo terminal.

The Colombo port trade unions had opposed the proposal of investors from India and Japan buying 49 per cent stake in the ETC. They had demanded the ECT to remain 100 per cent owned by the SLPA as opposed to the 51 per cent.

Some 23 trade unions had joined hands to oppose the port deal.

The unions took the stand that the proposed deal with India's Adani Group was a sell out of the ECT. They launched industrial action urging to scrap the deal and the government to run the ECT operation as a 100 per cent government entity.

The unions mostly affiliated to the ruling Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP) forced the government not to go ahead with the deal. They claimed it was a sell out of the Colombo port's key cargo terminal to India.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa recently said that stopping the deal would endanger the 66 per cent of Indian transshipment cargo handled by the ECT. Therefore, in order to remain competitive the deal was needed.

However in recent weeks, the trade unions were able to mount public opinion against the deal and even got support from government's own politicians against it.

(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.)
At least 22 Vietnamese cities and provinces have been allowed to either study online at home or take early Lunar New Year holiday regarding the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam recently.

According to the order of the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, all schools from kindergartens, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, vocational training centers, to continuing education centers will be closed from Tuesday.

Since then until February 5, students will study online at home.

Their Lunar New Year holiday will begin on February 6 and last until February 16 as previously scheduled.

Before Ho Chi Minh City, students in Hanoi also turned to online study from Monday.

In the same move, authorities in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province also ordered schools in Phu My Town to close from Monday and other localities in the province from Tuesday, five days earlier than the originally scheduled Lunar New Year holiday, as a student had traveled on the same flight as a COVID-19 patient.

Northern Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Lai Chau, Cao Bang, Thai Nguyen, Son La, Hung Yen, Hoa Binh, Thai Binh, and Tuyen Quang Provinces also permitted students to take early holidays from Monday.

Some other localities, including Bac Kan, Hai Phong, Gia Lai, Hai Duong, and Quang Ninh, asked students to stay home since last weekend.

The number of cities and provinces, which have shifted to online study or allowed early school break, has reached 22 as of the time of writing.

The actions came in the wake of new coronavirus outbreaks in Vietnam on January 28, after the country had gone almost two months without any domestic transmission.

Vietnams number of local infections in the new coronavirus wave increased to 240 on Monday morning.

Of the figure, 188 patients were documented in Hai Duong, 25 in Quang Ninh, 15 in Hanoi, four in Gia Lai, three in Bac Ninh, two in Hoa Binh, and one each in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Hai Phong.

The majority of the domestically-transmitted cases were traced back to Hai Duong and Quang Ninh.

Health officials have conducted aggressive contact tracing as well as targeted testing and lockdowns since the new wave blindsided the country.

The patient tally mounted to 1,819 cases, including 933 domestic infections, as of Monday morning, with 1,457 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Personal vehicles older than 20 years and commercial vehicles more than 15 will be eligible for exchange, according to a new voluntary vehicle Finance Minister announced on Monday in her Budget speech.

All such vehicles would have to undergo fitness tests after that period. Here is how scrappage work in some other parts of the world.

Germany: The country has one of the most ambitious scrappage programmes in Europe, incentivising car owners with a $3,320 discount when trading a car older than nine years for a new one. Old cars were not to be re-used but supposed to sent to junkyards. A study by Halle Economic Institute, a think tank, estimated that the German government had to spend $3.5 billion to fund the programme.



ALSO READ: Union Budget 2021 LIVE: Tax exemption on buying affordable home extended

USA: The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), also known as cash for clunkers, was meant to be big boost to the US automobile industry and is probably the worlds most famous scrappage scheme. Any vehicle less than 25 years old could be traded in for a new vehicle and get credits of up to $4,500. This amount was to be reduced from the purchase price by the car dealer who in turn would be compensated by the US government. A new vehicle's cost should have been less than $45,000. A long list of cars of various brands was ineligible for the scheme.

Japan: Vehicles older than 13 could be traded for a new car in a scheme introduced by the Japanese government in 2009. Discounts of up to $2500 were given to buyers while buying a new car. Concessions were also offered to those who bought smaller cars in terms of engine displacement and horsepower.

UK: Like much of recession-hit Europe, the UK too introduced a scheme to boost its automobile sector. The financial burden fell equally on the government and the automobile industry. Buyers could trade a vehicle older than 10 years and get up to 2000 GBP discounts on their new car purchase.

Russia: Reports suggest that Russia introduced a vehicle scrappage scheme twice: once in 2010 and another in 2014. Cars older than 10 years could be traded in with discounts on new purchases as high as $1,700. However, the new car purchased should be Russian-made. In the scheme announced in 2014, cars older than six years could be traded. The discounts for new purchases was less than that announced in the previous in 2010.
The Daily Beast

St. Johns County Sheriff's OfficeThe Florida teenager accused of murdering 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey earlier this month stabbed the cheerleader a staggering 114 times as she fought for her life, then dumped her body in a wooded area, authorities said Thursday.Aiden Fucci, 14, will now be charged as an adult with first-degree murder for Baileys brutal slaying in the early morning of May 9, St. Johns County State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced Thursday. Youve heard our victim was stabbed....to say it was horrific was an understatement, Larizza said during a Thursday press conference. There were 114 stab wounds.The young girl died fighting for her life, he added.Fucci may have randomly chosen Bailey as his victim, as he told other teenagers he planned to kill someone within the month, the prosecutor said. This could simply be a wrong place at the wrong time situation, Larizza said. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office says Baileys family reported her missing at 10 a.m on May 10, prompting a frantic countywide search that ended eight hours later when investigators recovered the seventh graders clothed body in a wooded area near a retention pond on a street close to where she was last seen.Larizza said that the night of the murder, Fucci told people he intended to kill someone by taking them in the woods and stabbing them.Cheerleader Tristyn Bailey Was Stabbed to Death by Teenage Boy, Cops SayThe Daily Beast did not initially identify Fucci, who was originally charged with second-degree murder, because prosecutors had not decided whether to charge him as an adult. Online court records show a Thursday notice to transfer Fuccis case to adult court and assign it to Judge R. Lee Smith after he was indicted by a grand jury.The news of his upgraded charges was first reported by ActionNewJax. According to an arrest report, Baileys family last saw the Patriot Oaks Academy cheerleader at around midnight on May 9. An hour later, home surveillance footage near the Durbin North Amenity Center showed Bailey and Fucci walking together, at one point heading east on Saddlestone Drive.Larizza said that while investigators have not determined a motive, he confirmed Baileys encounter with Fucci started out as kids hanging out. He added that theres no evidence anyone else was involved in the grisly crime.At around 3:30 a.m, another video shows Fucci walking alone on Saddlestone Drive and carrying a pair of white shoes with a black Nike logo, the report states.During the frantic search for Bailey the next morning, police brought in Fucci for questioning as a witness. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office confirmed to The Daily Beast that around the same time, Fucci posted a selfie on social media in a patrol car with the caption, Hey guys has anybody seen Tristyn lately?Under questioning, the arrest report states Fucci changed his story several times and made several admissions that led cops to charge him.Police later found clothing in the boys bedroom that tested positive for blood, the arrest report said. After finding Baileys body, police discovered she had been left only 0.3 miles from where Fucci lived.Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Predrag Bulic later concluded that Baileys homicide was caused by a sharp force trauma by stabbing. Larizza said Thursday that about 49 of the defensive stab wounds Bailey suffered were to the hands, arms, and face. He added that witnesses identified a knife that was found in a pond as belonging to Fucci. The knifes tip had broken off and was later found in Baileys skull. The medical examiner said the blood on the weapon matched the victim's.Teenagers are capable of things we never imagined them doing, Larizza added, warning parents in his community to keep tabs on their children.Both Tristyn and Fucci attended Patriot Oaks Academy in St. Johns, though police said it was unclear how they knew each other or if they were in the same class.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.
By Mudassir Kuloo Abdul Hamid Bhat, 58, of Shopian district in Kashmir, vividly remembers the days he could easily sight a herd of Markhor in the nearby Hirapora Wildlife Sanctuary. But he has not seen any of the famous mountain goats in the last two decades. Surveys by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) say the Markhor population in Hirapora has fallen from 70 in 2004 to 30-35 now. The construction of the Mughal Road and overgrazing by [the sheep and goat flocks of] nomad Bakarwals are the main reasons for decline of Markhor here, Bhat says. Authorities have also laid a power transmission line for which a lot of trees were cut, which also disturbed the habitat of animals including Markhor. The Mughal Road connecting Srinagar in Kashmir with Poonch in Jammu  opened in 2009  passes through the Hirapora sanctuary, posing a threat to wildlife. The opening of the road has also made it easier for nomadic shepherds to bring their flocks to Hirapora on way to their summer pastures, Bhat said. The population, the threats WTI surveys show a Markhor population of 180-200 in Kazinag and Uri in northern Kashmir, 30-35 in Hirapora in the south, 20-30 in Bunyar and Shamshabari in the west and 40-50 in Poonch and Rajouri, outside the Kashmir valley.

(Above: The Markhor's habitat ranges over the north-western parts of the Hindu Kush Himalayas. Photo via Wikimedia Commons/by Eric Kilby) Riyaz Ahmad, the project head Markhor conservation in WTI, said while Markhor numbers had halved since 2004 in the Hirapora Wildlife Sanctuary, it has remained steady in other parts of Kashmir. Markhor (Capra falconeri)  the largest wild goat in the world  was in the near-threatened category on the IUCN red list when the most recent assessment for the species was made in 2014. The mountain goats habitat ranges over the north-western parts of the Hindu Kush Himalayas, in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. The Markhor is officially protected under the Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Protection Act. But it remains highly threatened due to ill-planned development projects, overgrazing by domestic animals, laying of electricity transmission lines, poaching and fragmentation of its habitat due to fencing along the border between India and Pakistan. This fragmentation has led to inbreeding on both sides. Yash Veer Bhatnagar, senior scientist at the Mysore-based Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), has done extensive work on the Markhor. He said that livestock pressure is the main threat to the animals, Historically it was sighted in Banihal, Boniyar, Kazinag, Shamasbari and Kishanganga. But there has been fragmentation over the years in these areas. Bhatnagar pointed out that the grazing pressure on Hirapora increased after 1947 when Pakistan and India were partitioned. Talking about the nomadic shepherds, he said, Before 1947 they would adopt the Muzaffarabad route and then come into Kashmir. After 1947, they use Poonch-Rajouri. So, come through the Hirapora route in South Kashmir where there is intense grazing going on.

(Above: The Mughal Road within the Hirapora Wildlife Sanctuary. Photo courtesy Mudassir Kuloo) Official optimism Officials do see some encouraging signs. Intisar Suhail, Wildlife Warden of Shopian, said the Mughal Road was built only after the Supreme Court laid down various conditions to protect wildlife. No doubt it has affected the habitat, but things are getting stabilised now. Some Markhor were recently sighted, which is an encouraging sign. The Hirapora sanctuary is at an altitude that ranges 2,557-4,745 metres above the mean sea level. The Markhor move even higher in summers, Suhail said, due to the presence of domestic flocks. The wild goats move down to Hirapora in winters. The officials survey the Markhor population in the sanctuary every alternate year, Suhail added. The next survey is scheduled in 2021. In the last few years surveys, there has not been much difference [in population]. Suhail agreed that the big threats to the Markhor in Hirapora was livestock grazing and associated disturbance, poaching, development activities in its habitat, turbulence along LoC (Line of Control) between India and Pakistan. Poaching for traditional medicine As for poaching, the main reason is the Markhors trademark spiralling horn that can grow more than a metre long. The horn is prized as an aphrodisiac in traditional Chinese medicine, though there is no scientific proof of this. The same mistaken belief has decimated wildlife populations all over the world, ranging from the rhinoceros to the pangolin. Trackers of wildlife trafficking say Markhor horns are often smuggled from India and Pakistan to Tibet. However, Rashid Naqash, Regional Wildlife Warden of Kashmir, asserted that hunting of Markhor has been stopped. Possible solutions Bhatnagar of NCF said overgrazing was a problem in Pakistan as well, but the authorities had taken some conservation measures there. They have started trophy hunting. You have to pay USD 100,000 to hunt one Markhor. Out of that 80 percent goes to community organisations and 20 percent to the government. This way local hunting has been stopped in Pakistan. The Wildlife Trust of India has been talking to local communities and migratory herders in an effort to reduce the pressure on grazing lands and increase awareness about the Markhor. Praising the efforts of WTI, Akhtar H Malik, a botanist at University of Kashmir, said, By conserving Markhor we can conserve its associated biodiversity in Kashmir Himalayas. If we preserve the Markhor which is a flagship species, then we can conserve flora and fauna of our habitat. Wildlife Trust of India has taken several measures by making awareness programmes about Markhor, which has shown good results, Malik added. With their efforts, the animal has got some focus. They created awareness among people across Kashmir. Poaching is not so open now. People are pressurising the government to take some conservation measure, which was not the case earlier. A WTI report says the way to conserve the Markhor in Hirapora is to control livestock grazing. In the Hirapora Wildlife Sanctuary there seems to be heavy summer grazing by the migrant Gujjars and Bakarwals in Markhor areas. This needs to be urgently controlled so that Markhor populations can recover in the region. To begin with, a good inventory of herders, their livestock holding, areas used and duration of stay is needed from these areas, the report suggested, although it is unclear whether the implementation would include the cooperation of the migrant communities into conservation or their exclusion.  Banner image: A Markhor in the wild. Photo courtesy Wildlife Trust of India The Third Pole is a multilingual platform dedicated to promoting information and discussion about the Himalayan watershed and the rivers that originate there. This report was originally published on thethirdpole.net and has been reproduced here with permission.
The Nagol is Back! VTOs guide to this years Nagol, plus where to stay and play in south, central and north Pentecost.
[February 01, 2021] Newmont Establishes Global Center for Indigenous Peoples Community Relations

Newmont Corporation (NYSE: NEM, TSX: NGT) today officially launched the Newmont Global Center for Indigenous Community Relations as key part of the Company's aim to promote meaningful engagement with Indigenous Peoples. The Center will be a resource for the Company and the mining industry as a way to promote awareness, education and engagement between industry and Indigenous Peoples. "Newmont recognizes the special connection between Indigenous Peoples and the land, and that mining can affect this connection in some challenging ways," said Tom Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The entire industry has a great opportunity to learn and improve our practices. Through the Center, meaningful partnerships will be formed to create a space for dialogue and sharing with the aim of improving outcomes for Indigenous communities around our operations and act as a catalyst for improvement within the mining industry." The Center seeks to establish a respected source of dialogue, collective knowledge and experiences in order to improve the Company's practices and contribute in advancing the industry's approach to engagement with Indigenous communities. The Center has identified three focus areas and aset of three-year strategic objectives to orient meaningful outcomes. These Focus Areas are:



Partnership and Learning Network;

Respect for Customs and Culture; and

Opportunities for Indigenous People. Based in Vancouver, Canada, the Center will work collaboratively with the Advisory Council on Indigenous Community Relations, a group of external experts who advise the Safety and Sustainability Committee of the Board of Directors. An internal working group comprised of diverse representatives from within Newmont will also share experiences, best practices and identify ways to improve collaboration. The Center will work across all of Newmont's jurisdictions around the world. More information about the Center can be found here.

About Newmont Newmont is the world's leading gold company and a producer of copper, silver, zinc and lead. The Company's world-class portfolio of assets, prospects and talent is anchored in favorable mining jurisdictions in North America, South America, Australia and Africa. Newmont is the only gold producer listed in the S&P 500 Index and is widely recognized for its principled environmental, social and governance practices. The Company is an industry leader in value creation, supported by robust safety standards, superior execution and technical expertise. Newmont was founded in 1921 and has been publicly traded since 1925. Newmont's purpose is to create value and improve lives through sustainable and responsible mining. To learn more Newmont's sustainability strategy and initiatives, go to Beyond the Mine at www.newmont.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005850/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said that a border poll on a united Ireland should be held on the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The former Fianna Fail leader said that while a referendum on a united Ireland is not for now, the right time to have one would be in 2028.

Mr Ahern said that he raised the issue when he met with former US senator George Mitchell, former British prime minister Tony Blair and former US president Bill Clinton to mark the 20th anniversary of the agreement.

I said at that stage two things have to happen, Mr Ahern told Newstalk.

One is that we have to have institutions under the Good Friday Agreement that were stable for a prolonged period  we havent had that ever since the agreement in 23 years, Mr Ahern told Newstalk.

It was an absolute understanding to bring republicans and nationalists on side, that somewhere in the future would be a poll. Bertie Ahern

I dont like the idea of border poll, because it is an issue of sovereignty and how it will happen.

The second point I made was the propriety work that made sense of all of this, which has really only commenced. Theres the Shared Island unit, which is something I support.

Theres a whole lot of other academic work going on.

Both of those things have to happen and what I said at that stage, that any idea of a vote that was seen in the Good Friday Agreement, should be probably on the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which is at the end of the decade.

I dont see it being held in the short-term and I think those two conditions have to be fulfilled.

On the other side, it was an absolute understanding to bring republicans and nationalists on side, that somewhere in the future would be a poll. That was set out on the constitutional section of the Good Friday Agreement and also in the British-Irish Agreement which is the annex to the GFA.

That aspiration has to be there and it has to be fulfilled. I dont think its for now.

Expand Close Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said that a border poll on a united Ireland should be held on the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (PA) PA / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said that a border poll on a united Ireland should be held on the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (PA)

Mr Ahern made the comments after a poll found a majority of people in Northern Ireland would like to see a referendum on the reunification of Ireland within the next five years.

The Sunday Times last week commissioned a series of surveys across the four nations of the United Kingdom to gauge attitudes towards the union.

It found voters across the UK believe Scotland is likely to become independent within the next decade, but in Wales and England support for independence is low.

In Northern Ireland, it found 47% want to remain in the UK, with 42% in favour of a united Ireland and a significant proportion  11%  undecided.

Asked if they support a referendum on a united Ireland within the next five years, 51% said yes compared to 44% who are against the idea.

However, it was criticised by Northern Irelands First Minister Arlene Foster, who described a border poll on a united Ireland as absolutely reckless.

Mr Ahern, who is still involved with a number of groups in Northern Ireland, said that there is a huge dislike of the Northern Ireland Protocol within loyalism.

He said he regularly meets with groups from both sides of the community.

I understand within loyalism, within loyalist groups, (there is) a huge dislike to the protocol and particularly the border down the Irish sea, Mr Ahern added.

There is some anxieties and we have to watch that.
PARLAMENTUL REPUBLICII MOLDOVA

 2010

The Moldovan Parliaments website design was supported by the Democracy Support Programme in Moldova"  an initiative financed by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe

You have heard of Band Aid, now meet the Northern Ireland man behind Broadband Aid - a fundraiser to provide vulnerable children and families with vital home-learning equipment.

The virtual charitable music event was the brainchild of Belfast musician and former teacher Peter Sloan (45), alongside fellow Northern Irish friend and social worker Jackie Duffy.

Having already raised more than 5,500 to help families struggling with accessing technology and broadband for homeschooling during the latest lockdown, a weekend of pre-recorded 'live' performances also saw audiences rocking along to the online concerts while racking up thousands of views on Facebook.

Describing himself as "delighted" at the response online and the money raised, Peter, who currently lives in Leicester, explained this wasn't the first time he had worked with Jackie in a charitable venture. The duo also raised money during last summer's lockdown to buy washing machines for a group of vulnerable families.

"My background is in teaching and I do a lot of school support work for the organisation I am with now," explained Peter.

"The big thing over the last while is laptops and devices for homeschooling. The fact we are in another lockdown means this issue has raised its head again.

"Jackie is a social worker and works directly with families in the area. We spoke a couple of weeks ago and he said this was a real problem.

"As soon as the money clears from the crowdfunding, we are going to buy loads of devices and second-hand refurbished ones and get them out to local schools around Leicester. If those kids haven't got broadband and Wi-Fi, we will also be trying to work with companies to get dongles and access sorted.

"It is quite a local project, but it will make a big difference to those families. I have two kids of my own and it is hard enough as an ex-teacher even to motivate them to do home learning.

"I just can't imagine what it is like for families with no devices, or maybe only one between three kids."

The Northern Ireland connection to the project doesn't end with Peter and Jackie, with the studio space for the gigs provided by Jon O'Neill - whose family is originally from Omagh - and his Yellow Bean Studios.

Formerly gigging around Belfast in his student days, Peter explained having the chance to play to the virtual audience over the weekend has been "a great buzz".

"It was brilliant being back in a room - albeit socially distanced - and seeing mates and colleagues," added Peter.

"Lots of the guys have lost out on touring and their careers have been put on hold. They continue to dig deep themselves and are so generous with their talent. Getting to play music again is fantastic.

"We're delighted with the amount raised so far and the response to the gigs."

Anyone wishing to donate to the BroadBand Aid project should visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/broadband-aid
Garage Worldwide, the digital and design arm of Famous Innovations, has appointed Omkar Joshi as Creative Head. Joshi is an award-winning advertising leader. Till recently he was Executive Creative Director and Business Head (Bangalore) at Schbang, where he has helped win multiple Agency-Of-The-Year awards in the past 5 years including the coveted AOTY-South award for Schbang Bengaluru and 40+ advertising awards across categories. His has worked with brands like Amazon, Myntra, Xiaomi, POCO, Fastrack, Unacademy, Udaan, Titan SF, Rajasthan Royals, ITC Sunfeast, Cure.Fit, Cultsport, AB InBev, Diageo India, Brigade Group, Homelane, Cipla, Beardo, Kolkata Knight Riders, HyperCITY, Tata Tea, and many more. He was also recently named among the Top100 Global Digital Marketing Professionals - 2019.

Speaking on the move, Joshi commented, "Garage is probably the freshest agency approach that you'll find and I feel lucky to have this tremendous opportunity. We're challenging a lot of the unhealthy status quo associated with "digital". Great work comes from great partnerships and that's what we're seeking. In this Famous+Garage hybrid, we're focusing on Client Partners that are limited, high-value, deeply engaged with us across digital, mainline, design and content, and above all, brave. Which results in work that is high-impact, comprehensive, award-winning and of course, brave."

Raj Kamble, Founder & CCO, Garage Worldwide, added, "Omkar brings the best combination of business acumen and creative talent to the table. He has demonstrated in the past that the power of digital is far beyond what is being done by most brands today, and has proven both business and brand success through digital. Our industry today has only scratched the surface when it comes to digital, and with Omkar and the exciting team he is building, we look forward to taking things to the next level.

At Garage, Joshi will lead the digital mantle for brands like Fit n Flex, Times Response, Haier, Sporto, Zoiro, etc. while also growing the firm

Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

24 Hour Access
I grew up admiring the crusading syndicated labor columnist Victor Riesel, as the New York Times called him in its 1995 obituary. In a scene with overtones of On the Waterfront, Riesel had been blinded in an assault just after leaving Lindys restaurant in midtown Manhattan at 3:00 a.m. on April 5, 1956.

An hour earlier, the Times recalled, Riesel had finished a radio broadcast in which he assailed the leadership of a Long Island local of the International Union of Operating Engineers. The F.B.I. subsequently arrested eight men and said the blinding was the work of garment district terrorists determined to silence Mr. Riesel.

What Riesel was to corrupt labor unions Andy Ngo is to Antifa. Ngos new book is Unmasked: Inside Antifas Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy. With a publication date set for tomorrow, it was reviewed here over the weekend by Alex Nester for the Washington Free Beacon.

Ngo takes up the subject of his book in the Modern Wisdom podcast posted here and embedded below. Subject to the Antifa crowd that rules the roost in Portland, Powells Books has announced that it will not stock Ngos book on its shelves as a safety precaution. At the outset of the podcast Ngo observes that Powells features censored and banned books during the annual Banned Books Week. Too banned to be part of the unbanned book week, the interviewer comments.
Stabbings are on the increase

Four Dublin councillors will table an emergency motion at today's city council meeting, calling on Justice Minister Helen McEntee to act on previously suggested changes to knife crime laws.

The move would double the sentence for knife crime to 10 years.

Former Fianna Fail justice spokesman Jim O'Callaghan had proposed the change.

However, the Government has said there are no plans to amend the current legis- lation.

In the space of just over a week, Dublin's north inner city has witnessed a spate of knife crimes.

Teenager

A 14-year-old boy has been charged in connection with a knife attack that led to an office cleaner needing life-saving surgery after she was stabbed in the neck on January 20.

Last Tuesday, a teenager was stabbed on East Wall Road and died from his injuries.

Two days later, a man was stabbed in Seville Place.

The four councillors - Nial Ring, Christy Burke, Anthony Flynn and Cieran Perry - will call on the justice minister to immediately reintroduce Mr O'Callaghan's private mem- ber's bill.

The councillors will also call on the minister to immediately set up a task force to address, research and analyse the causes of the increase in knife crime.

Last October, around the time of the sentencing of a youth for the killing of Dublin teenager Azzam Raguragui, a Justice Department spokes- man said the Government is "very aware of the concerns which many members of the public hold with regard to the issue of knife crime".

Mr Ring said the impact of the recent knife attacks cannot be underestimated.

"People are literally living in fear and looking to the authorities for action," he said.

Mr Perry said legislation is "only one part of the jigsaw, but ultimately we need buy-in from the affected comm- unities".

Budget 2021 has touched a broad canvas of people. Here are the key takeaways for the investor, taxpayer, depositors and common consumers.

For taxpayers

Senior citizens benefit

There is good news for senior citizens. For those above the age of 75, filing income-tax returns is not required, effective financial year 2021-22. But there is a small caveat. Those who earn income from pension and interest alone are exempt. But if you have an income from capital gains, investments in direct equities or even mutual funds, then you have to file your income-tax returns as usual.

Pay your taxes on time or face penalty

You need to ensure that you stick to the specified timelines while filing income tax returns for the financial year 2020-21 (assessment year 2021-22). This is because the additional period available to file returns later or rectify mistakes has now shrunk. Belated or revised return can now only be filed until December 31, says Amit Maheshwari, Partner, AKM Global. The due date remains July 31, but the extra time to file belated or revised returns will be shorter for financial year 2020-21. You cannot complete the process by March 31, as is the case now, but will have to wrap up the process by December 31, 2021.

Usually, you can file returns up to December 31 after a late-filing fee of Rs 5,000 and up to March 31 after shelling out Rs 10,000 as penal charges.

Easy compliance and redressal system

Pre-filled income-tax forms ensure that you dont need to spend endless hours copiously filling them out. The FM announced in her Budget speech that now pre-filled income tax forms will come with details of your capital gains from listed securities and interest income from both banks and post-offices.

Anish Shah, Associate Partner-Transaction Tax, BDO India, says, "This will ensure accurate income disclosure by the assessee and will also save substantial time in preparing the tax return."

Pre-filled forms have another hidden benefit. For the government. It enables tax authorities to cast the tax net wider and ensure that people do not evade taxes. As your income tax forms come pre-filled with your investment details, you cannot escape paying taxes on them.

Faster tax resolutions

The timeline for reopening of assessment under income tax returns will now go down to three years from six years presently. Only where there is evidence of concealment of income concealment of Rs 50 lakh or more in a year can the reassessment be opened in 10 years. This will ease the burden on the tax authorities and tax payers, and pave the way for faster resolution of cases.

Not filed your tax return? Pay higher TDS

So far, only those who didn't have a PAN were asked to pay a higher tax deduction at source (TDS) amount for rental income, bank interest or even high value transactions such as property. Come 2021-22, the one who has a PAN, but doesn't file a tax return too would have to shell out a higher tax deduction/ collection at source.

For investors

Investment charter for financial products

In order to reduce mis-selling, the finance minister announced setting up of an investment charter. This charter would pertain to investors of all financial products. Details are awaited on this announcement, but this charter is expected to lay down rights of investors.

Stick to short-term debt funds

To fund the various infrastructure programs, the government plans to borrow money from the debt markets. A sum of Rs 14 lakh crore (gross borrowing) for this financial year and another Rs 12 lakh crore in financial year 2021-22. This has caused yields to rise and the prices of debt securities to decline. Stick to short-term debt funds for now.

Advantage gold

Gold and silver become cheaper, as customs duties are cut to 7.5 percent from 12.5 percent. This should work in favour of gold buyers.

Higher contribution in EPF to attract tax

To ensure that the rich dont get away from paying taxes by putting money in tax-free instruments meant for the middle-class, Budget 2021 has restricted the tax exemption for the interest income earned on the employees contribution to various provident funds.

If the employees contribution to the provident fund  be it statutory or voluntary  exceeds Rs 2.5 lakh per year, then the interest earned on this excess contribution will be taxable.

Contributions made on or after April 1, 2021 will be considered for taxation. The move will largely impact Voluntary Provident Fund (VPF) contributions. So far, entre interest accrued on provident funds was tax-free and so were withdrawals.

ULIPs taxed on par with equity mutual funds

The other move to tax the rich was made by making unit-linked insurance policies (ULIPs) proceeds taxable beyond a threshold annual premium.

Those ULIPs where you pay an annual premium in excess of Rs 2.5 lakh will now attract long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax. This will be applicable to ULIPs bought on or after February 1, 2021. Gains made on such policies will now attract short-term or long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax at redemption or maturity, at par with other equity-oriented investments.

The provisions of section 111A and 112A would apply on sale/redemption of such ULIPs and they would attract 15 percent short-term capital gains tax (STCG) or 10 percent LTCG depending on the holding period, says Chetan Chandak, Director, TaxBirbal.in. Equity investments qualify as long-term assets if held for more than one year.

However, proceeds received by the policyholders dependents on her death will continue to be tax-free.

Dividend considered only after you receive it

Investors would have to consider dividend income for advance tax only after they receive it. This clarification was essential as the record date of a dividend payment could fall between two quarters or two years. Now, instead of the record date, the investor would have to base the calculation on when she receives the dividend.

Easier process to claim deposit insurance cover

A better policy framework will be devised by the government and the Reserve Bank of India for bank depositors to claim the deposit insurance cover, when their banks get into trouble. Last year's Budget had hiked the deposit insurance cover for bank depositors from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. However, so far, this amount is available only in cases where banks go for liquidation. The new mechanism will allow depositors to withdraw their money sooner. This is a positive development and protect bank customers from the kind of situations we had seen in the recent past when the RBI had imposed moratorium on banks and limited access to deposits, says Adhil Shetty, CEO, BankBazaar.com

Infra funding via tax-efficient zero coupon bonds

Soon, retail investors would have a new instrument to invest in. In order to spur infrastructure growth, Budget 2021 announced that infrastructure debt funds would now be able to raise funds by issuing tax-efficient zero coupon bonds. Further details are awaited as to the extent of income-tax benefits that these bonds would give.

For consumers

Budget 2021 has proposed an increase in customs duty on a number of items. Mahesh Jaising, National Leader & Indirect Tax Partner, Deloitte India says that the customs duties are in line with what was expected on two key focus areas. These are ease of doing business by way of reiteration of streamlining of customs processes and make in India via increases in duties on those products/ components for which there is a push for manufacturing in India.

"These rate changes seem aligned to those sectors where the PLI schemes have been announced; e.g., solar, auto components, mobile parts and steel," he adds.

On the other side, the budget has proposed reducing the customs duty on certain chemicals and precious metals.

Items such as gold, silver and Naptha becomes cheaper. Petrol and diesel get expensive due to the agriculture and infrastructure development cess. Mobile phones and power banks also get expensive. The idea is to hike customs duty in order to motivate manufacturers to make these products in India.
Amaravati, Feb 1 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and senior officials went into a huddle on Monday after the Union Budget 2021-22 dashed their hopes, with no major allocation for the state.

"There were no major budget allocations to the state, though we looked forward with hope as we lost a major chunk of assets and infrastructure in the state's bifurcation," said an official.

Despite multiple visits to Delhi in the preceding months by Reddy, Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath and others to plead with the Centre to be generous with the bifurcated state, the budget came as a huge disappointment.

The state had high hopes and expectations for special allocations, but there was no mention of the crucial special category status, Polvaram Project, railway zones and others.

"Neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka received a good share of allocations, while the state was left without any special consideration from the Centre," the official said.

According to senior officials, though allocations were made to various sectors and programmes, nothing was special to Andhra Pradesh as the state was covered in general and on par with all other states.

They noted that there was even a slump in the allocations for PM Kisan, Awas Yojana and MGNREGS compared to the previous year, besides a slash in the subsidy on food grains, petrol and fertilisers.

Meanwhile, Reddy directed the officials to work hard to procure more funds from the Centre, asking them to liaise with officials there to ensure timely flow.

Officials from the Finance Department and the Chief Minister's Office participated in the meeting.

Right after the budget presentation, YSRCP MPs, led by Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayasai Reddy, had loudly expressed their disappointment at the lack of focus on the state.
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.
Myanmars leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid, the spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy (NLD) said on Monday.

The move came after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the powerful military that stirred fears of a coup in the aftermath of an election the army says was fraudulent.

NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone that Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders had been taken" in the early hours of the morning.

I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law," he said, adding that he expected to be arrested himself. Reuters was subsequently unable to contact him.

Phone lines to Naypyitaw, the capital, were not reachable in the early hours of Monday. Parliament had been due to start sitting there on Monday after a November election the NLD had won in a landslide.

A military spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking comment.

A witness said soldiers had been deployed outside city hall in the main city of Yangon.

State-run MRTV television said in a Facebook post that it was unable to broadcast due to technical issues.

An NLD lawmaker, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, said another of those detained was Han Thar Myint, a member of the partys central executive committee.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, 75, came to power after a 2015 landslide election win that followed decades of house arrest in a struggle for democracy that turned her into an international icon.

Her international standing was damaged after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled army operations into refuge from Myanmars western Rakhine state in 2017, but she remains hugely popular at home.

Myanmars military had said on Saturday it would protect and abide by the constitution and act according to law after comments earlier in the week had raised fears of a coup.

Myanmars election commission has rejected the militarys allegations of vote fraud, saying there were no errors big enough to affect the credibility of the vote.

The constitution reserves 25% of seats in parliament for the military and control of three key ministries in Suu Kyis administration.

Murray Hiebert, a Southeast Asia expert at Washingtons Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the development was a challenge for the new U.S. administration of President Joe Biden.

The U.S. as recently as Friday had joined other nations in urging the military not to move forward on its coup threats. China will stand by Myanmar like it did when the military kicked out the Rohingya, he said.

The Biden Administration has said it will support democracy and human rights. But the top military officers are already sanctioned so its not clear immediately clear what concretely the U.S. can do quickly.

John Sifton, Asia advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, said Myanmars military had never submitted to civilian rule and called on the United States and other countries to impose strict and directed economic sanctions" on the military leadership and its economic interests.

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
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.

Discussions are underway in several government departments to consider the possibility of lifting South Africas alcohol ban as infection rates ease, News24 reported, without saying how it obtained the information.

The prohibition, designed in part to ease the burden on hospitals from vehicle accidents and drink-related violence, was implemented nationwide on Dec. 29 as part of a wider set of lockdown measures that included a curfew.

The ban is in force until Feb. 15 but may be lifted sooner, according to the website.

Only the cabinet may change the regulations. Its due to meet on Wednesday.

As of Jan. 30, South Africa had reported 5,297 new cases of Covid-19, a sharp decline from the more than 20,000 daily cases earlier in January.

Anheuser-Busch InBev NVs South African division two weeks ago canceled an additional 2.5 billion rand ($165 million) of investment after the government banned alcohol sales for a third time to get a resurgence of coronavirus cases under control.

The move brought the amount of spending called off by South African Breweries to 5 billion rand since outbreaks first took hold in the country 10 months ago.
Mining the woes of our fluid reality, this year's line-up captures the dissonance we've all felt under long stretches of self-isolation.

Before COVID-19 , pandemic movies mostly made for cautionary lessons and vicarious thrill rides. They were heightened realities we watched from the safety of a controlled environment behind layers of allegory. With thousands still dying every day, it has sadly become all too literal. Perhaps watching such movies, and still enjoying them is a masochism of sorts. But they also serve as a broad enough metaphor to encompass a variety of ailments currently afflicting the human condition.

Film festivals are no stranger to the virus metaphor. Buzz around films spreads like contagion, creating a ripple effect from within the festival bubble to the outside. Sundance 2021 arrives as a potent antidote to beat those self-isolation blues and fix that 2020 hangover once and for all. Mining the woes of our fluid reality, this year's line-up captures the dissonance we've all felt under long stretches of self-isolation.

In the Same Breath not only sounds like a pandemic horror movie, but plays out like one. And horror movies are scariest when they're inspired by real-life events. The story of Nanfu Wang's documentary began and ends at Sundance. "I'll never forget 23 January 2020 because it was the day when Wuhan was locked down and also the day Sundance Film Festival opened last year," she said in the film's introduction. "I had left my son with my mom in China and flown back to Utah to attend the festival. I watched the news in China every day and night in horror. And after getting my son back to the US, I felt compelled to make this film." Like in One Child Nation, Wang's voice-over establishes an intimate connection with the viewers, bringing us directly into a world we're all still trying to make sense of.

Most of what's chronicled in the film has already been reported: how China suppressed information about the outbreak, how citizen journalists tried to circumvent the "great firewall", and how Xi Jinping and co turned the crisis into another triumph for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Through the propaganda machine that is its state-run media, we see how China reclaimed the narrative by rewriting it altogether while shutting down any narrative that ran counter to it. Wang lets the men and women of Wuhan regain some narrative control, allowing them to relay their experiences before, during and after the 76-day lockdown. She assembles players from both sides  from the hospital staff to family members of the deceased  to uncover the truth beyond the propaganda.

As the epicenter shifts from Wuhan to New York, Wang draws parallels between the two countries' response: both intentionally downplayed the severity of the virus, even dismissing it as a seasonal flu; both used partisan networks as a propaganda arm to shape the pandemic narrative; both muzzled its frontline healthcare workers, even sacking those who spoke out. The US faced an added challenge because its citizens weren't just fighting coronavirus but also the virus of misinformation. The country prides itself as a beacon of democracy, and one of its lynchpins has always been freedom of speech. Wang wonders: how do you defend that right when you have a president suggesting the consumption of bleach to fight a deadly virus, and his acolytes dismissing masks and vaccination with evangelical fury? It is harrowing to see ICU nurses break down as they recount the tragedy of patients dying on their watch while scrambling for supplies.

The success of Beijing's aggressive measures to curb COVID in contrast to Washington's poor response was used by the CCP to reinforce their Communist model, even promoting it as superior to Western democracies. With the epidemic not relenting, the story is far from over. But In the Same Breath serves an important wake up call for governments the world over, especially with new strains and waves on the horizon.

On the feature front, In the Earth is entirely a product of our pandemic reality. Shot in 15 days in August 2020, Ben Wheatley's new film resonates with this-is-happening-now detail, not just sci-fis this-could-happen. Minutes into the film, there's talk of quarantine, lockdown and third waves. The pandemic is just a springboard for a survival horror story on shrooms. A scientist (Joel Fry) teams up with a park ranger (Ellora Torchia) to investigate a research site deep in the woods, where his colleague went missing. The woods, according to local folklore, is home to a hostile spirit. The truth will lead them to a Mobius strip of mystery and madness. Man and nature, art and science, sci-fi and occult horror intersect in relationships, from conflict to co-existence. In their intersection are deeper, if not entirely tangible, ideas with a life-imitates-art-imitates-life urgency. After the disastrous Rebecca remake, Wheatley returns to form with another wholly original work of horror.

Zoe Lister-Jones's new film How It Ends is as weirdly uplifting as the end of the world can get. On humanity's very last day on Earth, Liza (Lister-Jones) realises her life has been a series of regret after regret after regret. So, with the support of her metaphysical teen sidekick (Cailee Spaeny), she sets out to put things right with her family and friends. On this "existential scavenger hunt for her soul" (as Colin Hanks calls it in the movie), she touches base with an absolutely loaded ensemble of recognisable names: Helen Hunt, Olivia Wilde, Fred Armisen, Nick Kroll and at least three members from the Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia team drop by as Liza saunters through empty Los Angeles streets. Alas, the film's strained attempt at hilarity out of a hopeless situation becomes so tiresome, you can't help but shrug at some of its myopic insights. Its sunny nihilism manifests in conversations and declarations. Like this one: "I want anyone who will give me a modicum of attention, paired with the promise of rejection. A little seductive, a little sociopathic. Someone who could potentially love me but also prove to me that ultimately I'm unworthy of love." If you're seeking a movie for the end of the world, this ain't it.

It is hard not to recontextualise some films through the lens of our ongoing nightmare. Consider Frida Kempffs Knocking for instance. The Swedish psychological thriller isolates Cecilia Milocco's Molly in a prison of her own trauma and psychosis, brought on by a recent tragedy. Molly has just been discharged from a psychiatric facility. When she moves into a new apartment, her isolation is disrupted by the sounds of constant knocking on the ceiling. Finding its source and the ensuing drama will make her question her own sanity. Having experienced some degree of cabin fever in the last 10 months or so, we can relate to the uncertainty she feels. Kempff constructs an ambience of lockdown terror by confining most of the action to the apartment. That's why there are moments which get under our skin. But when we question Molly's sanity, Kempff is also proving her point about the gendered phenomenon that is gaslighting, and the horror of not believing women.

If In the Earth and How It Ends were shot during the pandemic, The Pink Cloud was conceptualised (in 2017) and shot (in 2019) by Iuli Gerbase way before it. In this Brazilian love story, a sudden lockdown forces two strangers, who hooked up just the night before, to spend quarantine together indefinitely. Dating was a tricky beast in and of itself before the pandemic. For Giovana (Renata de Lelis) and Yago (Eduardo Mendonca), a one-night-stand is expedited to the moving-in-together phase the following morning. Throw in the added hurdle of dealing with lethal clouds hovering above. Going outside is near-instant death. Giovana and Yago must fast-track their relationship to the next level of commitment in order to survive. They break up and make up multiple times in the dire circumstances of a prolonged quarantine. Watching them come to terms with oppressive boredom and inertia relates to our own troubles over the past year.
There's clearly plenty of affection between Heidi Klum and her eldest child, daughter Leni.

And on Sunday, Klum, 47, reposted a snap of the two of them kissing on the lips that Leni, 16, had shared to her Instagram Story.

The lookalike mother and daughter have much in common with Leni recently made her debut as a model following in her famous mom's footsteps.

Close: There's clearly plenty of affection between Heidi Klum and her eldest child, daughter Leni. And on Sunday, Klum, 47, reposted a snap of the two of them kissing on the lips that Leni, 16, had shared to her Instagram Story

Leni's biological father is Italian businessman Flavio Briatore but her parents broke up shortly after the German model discovered she was pregnant.

By the time of Leni's birth, Klum was dating British musician Seal and following their 2005 marriage, Seal adopted Leni.

He and Klum went on to have three children of their own, sons Henry, 15, and Johan, 14, and daughter Lou, 11.

The America's Got Talent judge and Next Top Model host has been supportive of her eldest child's decision to become a model.

Good genes: The lookalike mother and daughter have much in common with Leni recently made her debut as a model following in her famous mom's footsteps

She's got 'it': The America's Got Talent judge and Next Top Model host has been supportive of her eldest child's decision to become a model

Leni made her modeling debut in December 2020 on the cover of Vogue Germany's January/February 2021 issue alongside her mom.

Klum shared shots from their joint Vogue cover and wrote a sweet tribute to her daughter on social media.

'I'm so proud of you,' she wrote. 'And not because you chose this path. I know that no matter which way you go, it will be your own.

'You always know exactly what you want and what you don't want. You are not a mini-me. And I'm happy for you that you can now show who YOU are.'

And earlier this month, the teen accomplished another big moment for her career, walking her very first runway as she opened Berlin Fashion Week on January 20.

Couple: Also on Sunday, Klum shared images of herself and husband Tom Kaulitz to Instagram in which the two stopped for a kiss while walking their beloved dogs

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Klum also shared images of herself and husband Tom Kaulitz to her Instagram.

The two were shown taking their beloved dogs for a walk but they stopped off to exchange some kisses during the stroll.

Klum and German musician Kaulitz went public with their relationship in 2018 and tied the knot the following year.
Winners in the 15th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, recognized as the world's top customer service awards and sales awards, were announced today. More than 2,300 nominations from organizations in 51 nations were considered in this years competition. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 160 professionals on nine specialized judging committees.

Winners in the 15th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, recognized as the world's top customer service awards and sales awards, were announced today. Stevie Award winners will be celebrated at a virtual awards ceremony on April 14.

The complete list of Stevie winners by category is available at http://www.StevieAwards.com/Sales.

More than 2,300 nominations from organizations in 51 nations were considered in this years competition. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 160 professionals on nine specialized judging committees. Entries were considered in 136 categories for customer service and contact center achievements, including Contact Center of the Year, Award for Innovation in Customer Service, and Customer Service Department of the Year; 62 categories for sales and business development achievements, ranging from Senior Sales Executive of the Year to Sales Training or Business Development Executive of the Year to Sales Department of the Year; and categories to recognize COVID-19 response, new products and services and solution providers.

Sales Partnerships Inc of Broomfield, CO, USA won 14 Gold Stevie Awards, the most of any organization this year. Other top winners of three or more Gold Stevies include IBM, Armonk, NY USA (11); DP DHL, worldwide (10); ValueSelling Associates, Rancho Santa Fe, CA USA (9); Druva, Sunnyvale, CA USA (6); UPMC Health Plan, Pittsburg, PA USA (5); Cinch Home Services, Boca Raton, FL USA (4); Princess Polly, Los Angeles, CA USA (4); Support Services Group, Atlanta, GA USA (3); and VXI Global Solutions LLC, Los Angeles, CA USA (3).

Winners of two Gold Stevie Awards include Achievers, Toronto, ON Canada; Carbonite (an Opentext Company), Boston, MA USA; Cisco Systems Inc, San Jose, CA USA; Datasite, Minneapolis, MN USA; EFG Companies, Irving, TX USA; FIS, Jacksonville, FL USA; Kucukoglu Holding, Istanbul, Turkey; Learning Pool, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom; RAIN Group, Boston, MA USA; Purpol Marketing Limited, Chippenham, United Kingdom; and SoftPro, Raleigh, NC USA.

Other organizations winning four or more Gold, Silver, or Bronze Stevie Awards include Allianz Global Assistance, Richmond, VA USA; Assurant, Atlanta, GA USA; Broadvoice, Los Angeles, CA USA; DigitalOcean, New York, NY USA; IndiGo, Gurgaon, Haryana, India; Linode, Philadelphia, PA USA; Mailchimp, Atlanta, GA USA; Nationwide Title Clearing, Inc., Palm Harbor, FL USA; Nuance Communications, Boston, MA USA; OneCause, Indianapolis, IN USA; Optima Tax Relief, LLC, Santa Ana, CA USA; POWERHOME SOLAR, Mooresville, NC USA; Pushpay, Redmond, WA USA; SmartLinx, Iselin, NJ USA; Spinnaker Support, Greenwood Village, CO USA; TransPerfect, New York, NY USA; TTEC Holdings, Inc, Englewood, CO USA; VIZIO Inc., Irvine, CA USA; Vodafone Turkey, Istanbul, Turkey; WNS (Holdings) Limited, Mumbai, India; and Yapi Kredi Bankas, Istanbul, Turkey.

The top 10 most-honored organizations in the competition will receive Grand Stevie Award trophies. Those winners will be announced the week of February 15.

Beginning today through March 5, the general public may vote for their favorite providers of customer service in the Peoples Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Customer Service. Voting is open at http://peopleschoice.stevieawards.com. Winners of the Peoples Choice Stevie Awards in multiple industries will be determined on March 8.

One category in the awards will continue to accept entries through February 26. It is the Sales Partnerships Award for Ethics in Sales, which will recognize organizations for best practices and achievements in demonstrating the highest ethical standards in the sales industry. Entry requirements for this category are outlined at https://stevieawards.com/sales/nominate-2021-sales-partnerships-ethics-sales-award. Winners in this category will be announced March 22.

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors and supporters of the 15th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service include Sales Partnerships, Inc. and ValueSelling Associates, Inc.
Tributes have flowed in for a County Kildare man who died while climbing in Kenya last week.

Piers White, originally from Blackhall Castle, Calverstown, was climbing when he fell victim to altitude sickness.

The 40 year old was rescued from the Mount Kenya mountain and taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead on Thursday, The Irish Times reported.

Mr White was commercial director of Mondello Park, the Co Kildare racing track, and was well known for his charity work. He founded the annual Run in the Dark charity run in Ireland which has expanded to cities including Auckland in New Zealand and San Francisco in the US.

The event was established by Mr White and the Mark Pollock Trust, named after his blind friend from the rowing team at Trinity College Dublin who was left paralysed after an accident. It grew from 3,500 runners at the first event in 2011 to 28,000 in 2016 in up to 55 cities.

Roddy Greene, managing director of Mondello Park, said it was with great sadness and regret that the company learned of the death of our esteemed colleague.

Piers had been a valued member of our senior management team for the last two years and will be missed by all his colleagues and friends here in Mondello Park, he said.

Many tributes were paid to Mr White on Mondello's social media sites.

Mr White is survived by parents Jeffrey and Naomi, brothers Jonathan, Vyvian, Richard and sister Miranda.
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
A four-grain blend and proprietary distillation process makes the finest Bourbon available to the market

WATERLOO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 1, 2021 / SponsorsOne Inc., (CSE:SPO)(Frankfurt:5SO)(OTC PINK:SPONF), a company that utilizes its proprietary platform that combines digital marketing, wholesale and retail distribution, branding, and operational & funding capital, giving it a competitive first-mover advantage in rapidly selling proprietary brands focused in the Alcohol, Functional Beverage and Hemp Sectors, announced today a preview into the making of our premium whiskey's branded under the name Smithville.

Myles Bartholomew, CEO of SponsorsOne, said: "Using a proprietary 4 step distillation process, we have created a Bourbon lineup with a flavor profile slightly smokey well beyond its years, caramelized vanilla with hints of leathery tobacco with dried fruits that off the spicy rye in the finish".

Our Smithville 4 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey is slightly smokey well beyond its years. The nose and mid-palate, displays a silky smooth caramelized vanilla profile.

Our Smithville Bottled in Bond, 6 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey exhibits aromas of vanilla, smoked caramel, honey, and cream. The first sip starts slightly sweet. Caramel, vanilla, and honey notes make their presence known rather quickly, followed by a slight cinnamon and Christmas spice flavor before the finish. The finish is long, warming, and memorable, with some latent notes of cinnamon and oak. It's very surprising and nicely balanced at 100 proof.

Sample production of Smithville Bourbons and Whiskeys will be completed in Q1 2021 and made available to retailers and distributors. We expect volume shipments in Q2 2021.

For more information, the following link is provided:

https://www.premierbeverageconsortium.com/smithville

About SponsorsOne Inc.

SponsorsOne is the leader in the next evolution of brand creation and digital marketing through influencer marketing, storytelling, and digital-commerce with the SponsorCoin platform and its highly scalable - smart contract-based digital-currency. Combined, this allows the brands to build and manage exclusive and highly engaged communities of influencers (from pro to micro-influencers) within the social realm. The SponsorCoin platform provides for data-driven marketing campaigns that will change the way brands connect with their customers. SponsorCoin is a tool for brands to inspire real movements around their products and services. Their most valuable customers become their best salespeople, producing far higher ROI than current social media advertising methods. SponsorsOne, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SponsorsOne Media Inc., provides full creative and Brand building/management services to all our Brands and manages the influencer communities for each Brand. For making the Brand big, our wholly-owned subsidiary S1 Brands Inc. builds wholesale/retail distribution channels for the Brand, acting as a master distributor. S1 Brands provides sales and marketing on behalf of the Brand to its vast network of national wholesalers and retailers and provides purchase order financing to assist the Brand fulfilling every order. Premier Beverage Consortium LLC, is a wholly owned subsidiary and is brand building for the global spirits market with its flagship "Ready to Drink" product called Doc Wylders.. Ownership of the Brand combined with distribution, digital marketing innovation, and capital is the winning formula to build the next billion-dollar Brand. To learn more, please visit www.sponsorsone.com

Contact: info@sponsorsone.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Gary Bartholomew, Executive Chairman

The Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this Press Release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology, are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company with respect to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks:

risks associated with marketing and sale of securities

the need for additional financing requirements and access to capital, reliance on key personnel

the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers or directors with certain other projects

the volatility of the volume and price of the Common Shares, the failure of the business strategy, the integrity of the Company's patents and proprietary intellectual property and competition.

The Company cautions that the foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors, and other uncertainties and potential events, including the risk factors, set out in the Company's Listing Statement. The Company has assumed a certain progression, which may not be realized. It has also assumed that the material factors referred to above will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION.

SOURCE: SponsorsOne Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/627012/SponsorsOne-Profiles-Smithville-Bourbon
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.
Lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and other liberal minor parties announce a plan during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday, to proceed with a motion to impeach senior Judge Lim Seong-geun, who has been accused of abusing his power. Lim is currently on trial for allegedly meddling in a number of politically controversial cases between 2015 and 2016 when he was a judge at the Seoul High. The lawmakers argue that he violated the Constitution. Yonhap
KENNY HOLSTON/NYT

A city councilman from East Texas who has declared candidacy for Texas governor shared a photo of a noose with a caption that seemingly encouraged more violence after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol that left five people dead after a pro-Trump mob stormed the building.

Martin Holsome, a city councilman representing the small town of Rusk, shared a photo of a noose on his social media accounts on Jan. 7 with the caption, "Starting in Washington, DC...," Huffington Post's Sebastian Murdock reported. Holsome is running as a Republican in the 2022 gubernatorial race in a bid to unseat Gov. Greg Abbott.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday proposed the construction of 8,500 km highway by March 2022.

Four poll-bound states -- Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam -- got a major chunk of the proposed new highway projects.

Assembly elections in these four states along with Puducherry will be held later this year.

Presenting the Budget on Monday, Sitharaman proposed 3,500 km of highway in Tamil Nadu at an investment of Rs 1.03 lakh crore, and 1,100 km of highway in Kerala at an investment of Rs 65,000 crore.

For West Bengal, where the BJP is fighting a high octane battle to dislodge the Mamata Banerjee-led government, the Finance Minister proposed 675 km of national highway at a cost of Rs 95,000 crore.

For Assam, Sitharaman proposed 1,300 km of highway to be constructed in the next three years.

The Finance Minister said that highway infra work proposed in the Union Budget includes building of 8,500 km of highways by March 2022.
Archbishop Andrew Fuanya Nkea in front of Cardinal Parolin Reserved

Mgr. Andrew Fuanya Nkea, Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bamenda painted a picture of the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon gripped by an armed conflict that is into its fourth year.

The priest was speaking Sunday, January 31, 2021, at the St. Joseph's Cathedral Mankon during a holy mass celebrated by the Cardinal Secretary of State of the Vatican, His Eminence Pietro Cardinal Parolin.

Below is the entirety of the speech of archbishop Nkea delivered moments before the pallium was imposed on him.

Given that the Mass for the Imposition of the Pallium took place within the context of a lockdown imposed by separatists to foil the occasion, Archbishop Nkea saluted the courage of the thousands who turned out to witness the august ceremony.

The speech was transcribed by CameroonInfo.Net.

Your Eminence, you have come to visit us at a time when the people of this ecclesiastical province, corresponding to the civil territorial circumscription of the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon, have seen a lot of suffering. Many of our people have suffered enough from a situation they did not create. And thousands are either internally displaced or have escaped as refugees. Businesses are shut down. And for about four years, our children were not allowed to go to school. Children were used as bait for political motives and struggle. Many priests, religious, bishops, and laypeople of this province have either been beaten, harassed, or even killed in this conflict. And yet, the church continues to carry the gospel message as the light of hope to a traumatized people.

Your Eminence, today that your feet are standing on the soil of Bamenda that has drunk the blood of many of our children, we in Bamenda can address ourselves in the messianic words of the prophet Isaiah. A people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. On those who live in a land of deep shadow, a light has shone. You have made their greater gladness. You have made their joy increase. They rejoice in your presence as men rejoice at the harvest time, as men are happy when they divide the spoils. (Isaiah 19: 1-2).

Bamenda people conquered fear, turned out in thousands (c) Reserved

Your Eminence, you saw for yourself the joy of the Bamenda people yesterday when you arrived on the grounds of the cathedral of St. Joseph in Mankon. We are happy because, in this time of crisis, we see you as a messenger of peace. We see you as an ambassador of reconciliation. We see you as a promoter of justice. We see in you the presence of the Holy Father Pope Francis himself among us. Even when the Holy Father says nothing, his presence is a consoling presence. His blessings bring peace and his words come like anointing on the wounds of those who are bleeding. With your presence here, I can confidently cite my pastoral letter which I wrote last Easter entitled 'Now is the time for peace'.

Your Eminence, we shall not waste the chance that your presence offers us to contribute to work for peace and justice and reconciliation. We are sure that your coming to Bamenda will be like the rain that never falls without watering the ground. So too, you will not leave us to continue fighting. But you will leave us as people who will start loving one another.

Today, your eminence, you will put on the shoulders of my unworthy person the pallium from the Holy Father. I do not deserve to trouble your eminence to come all the way from Rome for this. But I consider it a big blessing from God and a favor from the Holy Father. I can only say like King David. Who am I, Lord, and what is my house that you have made me as far as this? 2 Samuel 7:18

Kindly transmit your eminence, my personal gratitude, and the gratitude of the people of the Archdiocese of Bamenda and the ecclesiastical province to the Holy Father.

I use this singular opportunity to welcome to Bamenda and to thank the personal representative of the Head of State, The Honorable Minister of State, Secretary-General at the Presidency HE Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh. Bring our gratitude to the Head of State for sending your high person to represent him on this occasion. For it shows the seriousness with which the state is treating the visit of the Cardinal Secretary of State of His Holiness. We are equally grateful for the facelift given to our cathedral premises and also for all that the regional administrative authorities led by the governor of the North West Region have done to prepare for this occasion. Mr. Governor, thank you very much.

Cross-section of attendees at Sunday's Holy Mass (c) Reserved

Your Eminence, we the people of Bamenda, we lack many things. The one thing we don't lack is faith. The presence here of the people of Bamenda in such great numbers is a sure sign that their faith is greater than politics. The faith of the people of the archdiocese of Bamenda is greater than intimidation. And their presence here is proof that the devil is a liar. With faith in God, trust in the power of the sacraments, and with gratitude to your person, your eminence, I invite you to kindly lead us in this Eucharistic celebration. 
Despite the broad relationship between the two scales, they are different and there is no mapping between the two. The two scales have the same purpose: providing better credit differentiations and greater granularity on rating outcomes. Our desktop analysis of indicative credit quality, further details of which can be found below, shows the results of S&P Global (China) Ratings are more widely distributed, due to the removal of any sovereign credit rating related constraints which may be applicable in S&P Global Ratings' methodology.

S&P Global (China) Ratings' rating methodologies are broadly based on S&P Global Ratings' frameworks but have been modified and tailored for local application in China. To help investors better understand the broad relationship between the two scales, we conducted a desktop analysis of 143 Chinese corporates, applying S&P Global (China) Ratings' methodology to public information.

The chart below presents S&P Global (China) Ratings' view of the indicative credit quality distribution of the 143 corporates. This sample covers almost all corporate sectors, with the entities selected from a pool of more than 200 companies on which S&P Global Ratings has ratings outstanding. We chose to exclude certain entities from this desktop analysis, including Hong Kong-based subsidiaries of Chinese companies or offshore financing platforms which are less likely to be issuers in the domestic market. The chart also includes the spread of a wider pool of 1,700 corporates to show how this aligns with our view of differentiated credit quality.

From the chart we can observe a broad relationship between the two rating scales, with the indicative credit quality distribution by S&P Global China Ratings of the 143 corporates covering the entire spectrum from [AAA spc ] to [B spc -] and below. For companies rated in the A category by S&P Global Ratings, their indicative credit quality on S&P Global (China) Ratings' scale may fall somewhere between [AAA spc ] and [AA spc -], across four different notches. Companies rated in the BBB category by S&P Global Ratings may have indicative credit quality ranging from [AA spc +] to [BBB spc +] on the S&P Global (China) Ratings' scale.

This broader distribution can be attributed to differences in core analytical approaches used in our respective corporate methodologies, sovereign credit quality constraints which may be applicable to the S&P Global credit ratings, as well as differences in analytical approaches associated with any group or government support uplift benefit potentially applicable to a given issuer.

In general, ratings on companies with stronger credit quality may vary more widely on the two scales, while any difference in ratings on entities with weaker credit quality is generally smaller. It should be emphasized that this is based on our observation and is not absolute, and there is no one-to-one mapping between the results of S&P Global (China) Ratings and S&P Global Ratings.

A look at how we approach RMB bonds issued by foreign institutions in China (Panda Bonds) offers another perspective on the relationship between the two scales. The S&P Global (China) Ratings Panda Bond rating methodology is a separate framework. Under this framework, for foreign issuers that conduct the majority of their business overseas, we usually refer to S&P Global Ratings' credit opinion on the entity and use this as a starting point to arrive at S&P Global (China) Ratings' rating determination.

Source: S&P Global (China) Ratings.

Copyright  2021 by S&P Ratings (China) Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

As the above chart shows, when S&P Global Ratings views a foreign issuer as having relatively lower credit quality (typically below BBB category), S&P Global (China) Ratings may assign a similar view of credit quality with adjustments typically of up to 2 notches. When S&P Global Ratings views a foreign issuer as having stronger credit quality, S&P Global (China) Ratings may assign a view of credit quality typically in a range of 2-5 notches higher than the credit quality opinion of S&P Global Ratings.

Under our Panda Bond rating methodology, the indicative credit quality of foreign issuers follows similar trends as that of domestic issuers under S&P Global (China) Ratings' other rating methodologies, with some correlation with the credit opinions of S&P Global Ratings. However, in both cases there is no one-to-one mapping relationship with S&P Global Ratings.

This report does not constitute a rating action.

(Note: This document is prepared in both English and Chinese. The English translation is for reference only, and the Chinese version will prevail in the event of any inconsistency between the English version and the Chinese version.)

S&P Global (China) Ratings is the first wholly foreign-owned Credit Rating Agency to provide independent credit ratings in the domestic Chinese market. Its ratings and insights are built on the principles and objectivity of S&P Global Ratings, the world's leading provider of credit ratings. We provide our opinions and research about relative credit risk; market participants gain independent information to help support the growth of transparent, liquid debt markets within China and around the world. For more information, visit www.spgchinaratings.cn.

Copyright  2021 by S&P Ratings (China) Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

S&P Ratings (China) Co., Ltd. ("S&P Ratings") owns the copyright and/or other related intellectual property rights of the abovementioned content (including ratings, credit-related analyses and data, valuations, model, software or other application or output therefrom) or any part thereof (Content). No Content may be modified, reverse engineered, reproduced or distributed in any form by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of S&P Ratings. The Content shall not be used for any unlawful or unauthorized purposes. S&P Ratings and any third-party providers, as well as their directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents (collectively "S&P Parties") do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, timeliness or availability of the Content. S&P Parties are not responsible for any errors or omissions (negligent or otherwise), regardless of the cause, for the results obtained from the use of the Content, or for the security or maintenance of any data input by the user. The Content is provided on an "as is" basis. S&P PARTIES DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE, FREEDOM FROM BUGS, SOFTWARE ERRORS OR DEFECTS, THAT THE CONTENT'S FUNCTIONING WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR THAT THE CONTENT WILL OPERATE WITH ANY SOFTWARE OR HARDWARE CONFIGURATION. In no event shall S&P Parties be liable to any party for any direct, indirect, incidental, exemplary, compensatory, punitive, special or consequential damages, costs, expenses, legal fees, or losses (including, without limitation, lost income or lost profits and opportunity costs or losses caused by negligence) in connection with any use of the Content even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

Credit-related and other analyses, including ratings, and statements in the Content are statements of opinion as of the date they are expressed and not statements of fact. S&P Ratings' opinions, analyses, forecasts and rating acknowledgment decisions (described below) are not and should not be viewed as recommendations to purchase, hold, or sell any securities or to make any investment decisions, and do not address the suitability of any security. S&P Ratings assumes no obligation to update the Content following publication in any form or format. The Content should not be relied on and is not a substitute for the skill, judgment and experience of the user, its management, employees, advisors and / or clients when making investment and other business decisions. S&P Ratings does not act as a fiduciary or an investment advisor except where registered as such. While S&P Ratings has obtained information from sources it believes to be reliable, S&P Ratings does not perform an audit and undertakes no duty of due diligence or independent verification of any information it receives. Rating-related publications may be published for a variety of reasons that are not necessarily dependent on action by rating committees, including, but not limited to, the publication of a periodic update on a credit rating and related analyses.

S&P RATINGS IS NOT PART OF THE NRSRO. A RATING ISSUED BY S&P RATINGS IS ASSIGNED ON A RATING SCALE SPECIFICALLY FOR USE IN CHINA, AND IS S&P RATINGS' OPINION OF AN OBLIGOR'S OVERALL CREDITWORTHINESS OR CAPACITY TO MEET SPECIFIC FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS, RELATIVE TO THAT OF OTHER ISSUERS AND ISSUSES WITHIN CHINA ONLY AND PROVIDES A RANK ORDERING OF CREDIT RISK WITHIN CHINA. AN S&P RATINGS' RATING IS NOT A GLOBAL SCALE RATING, AND IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE VIEWED, RELIED UPON, OR REPRESENTED AS SUCH. S&P PARTIES ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSSES CAUSED BY USES OF S&P RATINGS' RATINGS IN MANNERS CONTRARY TO THIS PARAGRAPH.

To the extent that regulatory authorities allow a rating agency to acknowledge in one jurisdiction a rating issued in another jurisdiction for certain regulatory purposes, S&P Ratings reserves the right to assign, withdraw or suspend such acknowledgement at any time and in its sole discretion. S&P Ratings disclaims any duty whatsoever arising out of the assignment, withdrawal or suspension of an acknowledgment as well as any liability for any damage alleged to have been suffered on account thereof.

S&P Ratings keeps certain activities of its business units separate from each other in order to preserve the independence and objectivity of their respective activities. As a result, certain business units of S&P Ratings may have information that is not available to other S&P Ratings business units. S&P Ratings has established policies and procedures to maintain the confidentiality of certain non-public information received in connection with each analytical process.

S&P Ratings may receive compensation for its ratings and certain analyses, normally from issuers or underwriters of securities or from obligors. S&P Ratings reserves the right to disseminate its opinions and analyses. S&P Ratings' public ratings and analyses are made available on its Web site www.spgchinaratings.cn, and may be distributed through other means, including via S&P Ratings' publications and third-party redistributors.

SOURCE S&P Global Ratings
Yes, along most or all of the coast

Yes, but only places where an entry fee can cover their cost

No, people can continue swimming at their own risk

Vote

View Results
[January 31, 2021]

World's first Hualong One reactor put into commercial operation

BEIJING, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Unit 5 of China's Fuqing Nuclear Power Plant, the world's first Demonstration project to adopt China's indigenous Generation III nuclear power technology Hualong One, also known as HPR1000, was put into commercial operation, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced on Jan. 30th.

The success marks a milestone for the development of China's nuclear power, making China the fourth country to master its indigenous Generation III nuclear power technology following the US, France and Russia.







Hualong One is CNNC's Generation III nuclear power technology with complete independent intellectual property rights, developed and designed by the corporation on the basis of more than 30 years of nuclear power research, design, manufacturing, construction and operation experiences.

Yu Jianfeng, chairman of CNNC, said that the corporation will accelerate the progress of mass constructing Hualong One reactors and developing new series technologies in a bid to promote the Hualong One to export and achieve the target of carbon neutrality.

Since the start of construction on the world's first Hualong One reactor, the project has progressed as planned and the safety and quality of it have been well under control.

With a design life of 60 years, Hualong One reactor adopts a 177-reactor core design that refueling the fuel every 18 months. It innovatively uses a combination of "active and passive" safety systems and a double-shell containment, which meets the latest international nuclear safety requirements.

The installed capacity of each Hualong One unit reaches nearly 1200 MWe, and each unit is able to generate nearly 10 billion kWh of electricity annually, meeting the demand of 1 million population within a moderately developed country.

The electricity generated by a Hualong One unit is an equivalent to reducing the consumption of 3.12 million tons of standard coal and emission of 8.16 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, as well as an equivalent to plantation of over 70 million trees annually.

SOURCE CNNC
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Frustration is building over the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations at long-term care sites, where some homes still await first shots while fending off a virus that can devastate their residents.

Mitzi Hansrote, right, 86, and Deanna Sutton, center, 83, check in before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, at the Isles of Vero Beach assisted and independent senior living community in Vero Beach, Fla. Government officials placed long-term care residents and staff among their top vaccination priorities after they authorized the emergency use of shots from Pfizer and Moderna in late 2020. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Frustration is building over the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations at long-term care sites, where some homes still await first shots while fending off a virus that can devastate their residents.

The major drugstore chains tasked with giving shots in these places are far along in vaccinating nursing home residents and staff. But some other types of group residences won't receive first doses until mid-February or later, despite being among the top priorities for shots.

CVS and Walgreens have started a massive vaccination push in nearly all states, and they say they are proceeding on schedule. But resident advocates and experts are anxious about delays in delivering vaccines that have been available for more than a month.

Every week that you wait and youre not vaccinating is a big deal here, said David Grabowski, a health policy professor at Harvard Medical School. My sense is that this process is still going too slow.

Government officials placed long-term care residents and staff among their top vaccination priorities after they authorized the emergency use of shots from Pfizer and Moderna late last year. That includes both nursing homes, where residents get 24-hour-a-day medical care; assisted living facilities, where people generally need less help; and other types of group homes.

Vaccinations then proceeded quickly in some states like West Virginia, which didnt rely on the drugstore chains, and Connecticut.

But  as with other aspects of the rollout  the results have been choppy overall. In many places, home operators and residents' relatives have watched with frustration as states opened vaccine eligibility to other populations before the work in long-term care homes was finished.

Laura Vuchetich says her elderly parents live in a Milwaukee assisted living community and need shots badly. But they have been told they wont get them until the middle of February even as pharmacies have started handing out hundreds of doses to younger people, including a friend of hers in good health.

Theyre supposed to be at the front of the line, she said. Theyre in the mid 80s, and my mom had a heart attack last year. Its just baffling to me.

Vaccination record cards are shown before residents are inoculated, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, at the Isles of Vero Beach assisted and independent senior living community in Vero Beach, Fla. The government tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering the shots to long-term care locations in nearly every state. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Such homes have been hit hard by the coronavirus.

A federal government study last fall found that an average of one death occurred among every five assisted living facility residents with COVID-19 in states that offered data. That compares with one death among every 40 people with the virus in the general population.

The government tasked CVS and Walgreens with administering the shots to long-term care locations in nearly every state. Each vaccine requires two shots a few weeks apart, and CVS and Walgreens say they have wrapped up first-dose clinics in nursing homes.

The chains plan three visits to each location. CVS spokesman TJ Crawford said most residents will be fully vaccinated after the second visit, and the vast majority of assisted living facilities and other residences will have their third visits by mid-March. Some clinics will wrap up in April.

While they wait, the people working and living in those locations are stuck in limbo, hoping the virus doesnt spread to them or return, said Nicole Howell, who runs a California-based non-profit that advocates for long-term care residents.

They are essentially standing at the front door fighting this disease with sanitizer and limited staff, said Howell, executive director of Ombudsman Services of Contra Costa, Solano, and Alameda counties.

Severine Petras watched a COVID-19 outbreak develop at a Pennsylvania assisted living home her company operates a couple weeks before the first vaccines arrived. The Priority Life Care CEO said the recent outbreak hit a significant amount of staff and some residents, including one person who died.

Vaccine scheduling has been slow in that state, she said.

We should have had at least one round of vaccinations in there," she said. It would have helped tremendously.

Petras said she's frustrated in part because it was widely known that COVID-19 cases would surge after the holidays. She wishes vaccines had been scheduled sooner to protect against that.

As of Sunday morning, 3.5 million doses have been given in long-term care facilities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's about one-third of the roughly 10 million vaccines that Grabowski estimates will be needed to fully protect residents and employees.

It almost feels like we went about this backwards where they contracted with the pharmacies and let set up the schedule versus saying, Heres the schedule that you need to meet, he said.

The drugstore chains have faced several challenges. At some locations, a high percentage of staff have declined the shots on the initial visits. The companies also had to set up thousands of clinics and reschedule some at locations where COVID-19 outbreaks developed.

CVS and Walgreens say states determined when they could start giving shots at assisted-living facilities, and they have finished first-dose clinics when they were allowed to begin in December. But other states didnt allow them to start until mid-January. They also say they are pouring thousands of employees into the effort.

Even so, Grabowski and Howell say outside assistance still may be needed to speed up the effort in some areas.

In New York, the Empire State Association of Assisted Living contacted state regulators because some homes had initial clinics scheduled in March, Executive Director Lisa Newcomb said. Those clinic dates were then moved mostly to late January.

We had some members who were very, very upset about having to wait until March, she said.

In Florida, the state brought in an outside company to help deliver vaccines if the drugstore chains werent able to schedule a first clinic until late January.

Innovation Senior Living CEO Pilar Carvajal said the company called one of her homes that hadnt had a clinic date set yet and showed up the next day to start delivering shots.

She said vaccinations should be complete at her six Florida assisted-living facilities by the end of March. Then she can stop worrying about employees bringing the virus to work after doing something as simple as going out to eat.

That is the one thing we cannot control, she said. The sooner we can get vaccinated, obviously the safer we will be.

AP Writer Bernard Condon contributed to this report.

Follow Tom Murphy on Twitter: @thpmurphy
Here's a look at what was happening in the drinks industry on this day in ...

Here's what made the drinks headlines on this day in recent years

As the on-field action went delightfully off-script in last year's Super Bowl - Kansas City Chiefs rallied late to beat the San Francisco 49ers - the ads in between rarely strayed far from the tried-and-tested.

Speculation linking Anheuser-Busch InBev with an IPO move in Asia gained further credence in February 2019, when fresh details emerged in media reports.

What did we expect to shape the wine landscape in 2018? And, were we right?

2017 - San Miguel Corp secures Portavin Holdings in AUD27m deal

San Miguel Corp acquired Australian wine bottler Portavin Holdings in early-2017 for AUD27m (US$20.6m).

Anheuser-Busch InBev's announcement of its proposed acquisition of SABMiller in late-2015 didn't come as much of a surprise and was the culmination of over a decade-and-a-half of M&A activity by brewers. However, it raised some interesting questions, not only in how the deal would work, but also what could be next for the brewing industry - or, for that matter, the overall drinks industry.

2015 - AG Barr buys cocktail mixers firm Funkin in GBP21m deal

AG Barr acquired UK-based cocktail mixers and syrups firm Funkin six years ago in a deal worth GBP21m (US$31.5m).

In February 2014, Coca-Cola Co employees in Spain protested against the proposed closing of four of the company's 11 bottling plants in the country.

Beam Inc's misconduct review in India damaged sales more than expected and was forecast to hamper growth for most 2013, an analyst claimed.

Fuller, Smith & Turner announced plans to expand the distribution of its beer brands in the UK through the acquisition of 15 pubs from Enterprise Inns.

2011 - Sapporo Holdings to acquire rest of Pokka

Sapporo Holdings lined up the acquisition of the outstanding shares in fellow Japanese food and drink group Pokka ten years ago this week.

For further details on how to subscribe to just-drinks, click here
The Republic of South Korea has donated COVID-19 laboratory testing equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE), worth $200,000, to the country.



The gesture forms part of that countrys resolve to help Ghana boost its capacity to fight the global pandemic, particularly in the area of testing and reducing any backlogs.



The Ministry of Health (MoH) took delivery of the items last Friday.



The Deputy Head of Mission of the Republic of South Korea, Mr Taesoo Kim, said the gesture was another COVID-19 intervention the South Korean government was making to Ghana.



The donated items included four automated Ribonucleic acid (RNA) extractors, four Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing machines, 5,000 face shields, 5,000 goggles, 8,500 N95 face masks and 8,500 surgical gowns.



Cooperation



Mr Kim said the close bond of friendship between South Korea and Ghana had informed the different kinds of support the latter had offered Ghana over the years.



He said South Korea was represented in Ghana by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and in the area of health by the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH).



There is an African Ubuntu philosophy which says: I am because we are. This philosophy embraces the idea that humanity cannot exist in isolation. It is truly relevant in this era of globalisation when we are all connected under one global village.



We can no longer see development as an isolated effort because whatever happens in one place will affect other places. Therefore, partnerships and collaboration in development cooperation are particularly important, he said.



In the spirit of that African Ubuntu philosophy, Mr Kim gave an assurance that Ghana and South Korea were committed to strengthening the ties of cooperation in the area of health and creating a platform for dynamic partnerships between the two countries.



I sincerely wish that the donated laboratory equipment and PPE could significantly help health workers in their management of cases of the disease. I would also like to express my appreciation to the government of Ghana for its outstanding leadership in managing the disease, he said.



He said even though Ghana was experiencing an increase in cases, he was optimistic of the governments ability to lead the country to bring the disease under control and even stop it from spreading eventually.



Shared duty



The KOICA Country Director, Mr Mooheon Kong, said he believed that the fight against the COVID-19 was a shared responsibility.



That being the case, he said, the government of the Republic of South Korea would continuously renew its long-lasting commitment to the partnership existing between it and Ghana.



As part of our support and shared interest, I am happy to present our in-kind donation. We expect the PPE to be distributed to health workers in various health facilities across the country, while the testing machines are to be given to the four public health reference laboratories in the country.



I do hope that the PCR machines and automated RNA extractors will further strengthen Ghanas capacity for COVID-19 testing, he said.



He appealed to the public to adhere strictly to the COVID-19 safety protocols at all times to help break the transmission of the disease and accelerate the fight against the pandemic.



Gratitude



The Chief Director of the MoH, Mr Kwabena Boadu Oku-Afari, who received the items on behalf of the Minister-designate for Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, expressed the countrys gratitude to the government and the people of South Korea for the gesture and their continued technical, financial and material support to Ghanas health sector in particular.



He said the donation had come at a good time and the gesture very much appreciated, adding that it had come to boost the nations resolve to enhance testing and safeguard the health of the population and frontline health workers.









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
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.
Although there are many excellent options for a Valentine's wine, there is one slam dunk. And that would be bubbly. (9MOT/Shutterstock)

Wine Talk: 5 Great Bubblies for Valentines Day

Valentines Day presents a unique opportunity for wine lovers. Although there are many excellent options for a Valentines wine, there is one slam dunk. And that would be bubbly. Throughout its many iterationsChampagne, cava, Prosecco, cremant, domestic sparkling, etc.bubbly brings the sparkle to the party.

That isnt to say you couldnt swing and miss with a mediocre bubbly, but superb sparkling wines are abundant. There is no good reason to strike out. These five, across a broad range of price points, are sure to carry the day.

I begin with one of my favorite Champagnes, the Bruno Paillard Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, France, $70. This boutique Champagne house sets a very high bar, producing some of the most elegant and stunning Champagnes in the region. At one time, Paillard was the house Champagne at Joel Robuchons Michelin-starred LAtelier restaurant in Paris. You will not be disappointed.

Bruno Paillard Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs. (Courtesy of Bruno Paillard Champagne)

For those who fancy a Champagne to pair with chocolate (not what I would recommend but a popular Valentines Day pairing nonetheless), the J Vineyards Brut Rose, $45, delivers the bright raspberry aroma and strawberry note that can make this match work. Its also one of the finest brut rose bubblies made in the United States and beautiful to sip on its own.

J Vineyards Brut Rose. (Courtesy of J Vineyards and Winery)

Domestic sparkling wines are often compared to Champagne and sometimes found wanting. Not so with the Domaine Carneros by Taittinger 2014 Vintage Brut, $36. Eileen Crane has been making stylish sparkling wines at Domaine Carneros for a few decades now, and she has it nailed. The 2014 brut shows notes of citrus and brioche, with a fine mousse and impressive length on the palate. Its beautifully done, and a great price, too.

Domaine Carneros by Taittinger Brut Cuvee. (Courtesy of Kobrand Wine and Spirits)

If your preference in bubbly runs toward Prosecco, one of the finest is the Caposaldo Brut Prosecco DOC, Italy, $16. Beautifully balanced, with an exquisite combination of richness and structure, this is a Prosecco to remember. And buy!

Caposaldo Brut Prosecco DOC. (Courtesy of Kobrand Wine and Spirits)

Finally, I would suggest the Marques de Caceres Brut Cava, Spain, $13, as my best value in crowd-pleasing sparkling wine for that Valentines party. No need to take out a second mortgage to throw a great Valentines Day bash!

Tasting Notes

Wines are rated on a 100-point scale. Wines are chosen for review because they represent outstanding quality or value, and the scores are simply a measure of this reviewers enthusiasm for the recommended wine.

William Hill 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($50): The past few vintages from William Hill have been nothing short of stunning, and the 2016 is no exception. What makes this even more impressive is the price. Though certainly not cheap at $50, the William Hill cabernet is considerably below market when it comes to Napa Valley cabernet of this quality. The 2016 is richly layered, showing aromas of cassis and blackberry with nuances of cedar, graphite, and oak vanillin. In other words, its a classic Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. Rating: 96.

William Hill 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. (Courtesy of William Hill Estate Winery)

Oak Farm Vineyards 2018 Malbec, Estate, Lodi ($35): The Lodi region east of Napa continues to evolve in a good way, and Oak Farm Vineyards is fast becoming one of the districts shining stars. The warm climate has long produced red wines that offer richness, but lately, it has been safe to ascribe elegance to the wines. This beautifully structured malbec from Oak Farm is a good example of the potential of Lodi. With a slightly floral nose, this wine is seductive start to finish, showing ripe aromas of blackberry and boysenberry, a hint of mocha, and a generous dose of wood spice. It was a platinum award-winner at the 2020 Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition in San Diego. Rating: 95.

Oak Farm Vineyards 2018 Malbec, Estate, Lodi. (Courtesy of Oak Farm Vineyards)

Hawk and Horse 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Block Three, Red Hills ($50): Winemaker Mitch Hawkins is producing some of the finest cabernet sauvignon ever made in Lake County, in the hills northeast of Californias Napa Valley. His 2016 Block Three is yet another stunning cab, on par with those of more famous wineries in neighboring Napa. This vintage is rich and dense, with aromas of blackberry and spice, a note of graphite, and beautifully integrated tannins. It won a platinum award at the 2020 San Diego winemaker challenge. Rating: 96.

Hawk and Horse 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Block Three, Red Hills. (Courtesy of Hawk and Horse Vineyards)

J. Lohr 2017 Pure Paso, Paso Robles ($27): When J. Lohr is firing on all cylinders, it usually means there is exceptional value in the offing. So true with this 2017 Pure Paso blend of cabernet sauvignon, petite sirah, and merlot. Its rich and dense, with impressive length on the palate. Pure Paso delivers a complex array of red and black fruits, a healthy dose of wood spice and smooth, supple tannins. Its pure deliciousness! And a platinum award-winner at the San Diego winemaker challenge. Rating: 94.

J. Lohr 2017 Pure Paso, Paso Robles. (Courtesy of J. Lohr)

Follow Robert on Twitter at @wineguru. To find out more about Robert Whitley and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at Creators.com. Email Robert at whitleyonwine@yahoo.com. Copyright 2021 Creators.com
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden told Republican senators during a two-hour meeting hes unwilling to settle on an insufficient coronavirus aid package after they pitched their slimmed down $618 billion proposal thats a fraction of the $1.9 trillion he is seeking.

No compromise was reached in the lengthy session Monday night, Bidens first with lawmakers at the White House, and Democrats in Congress pushed ahead with groundwork for approving his COVID-19 relief plan with or without Republican votes. Despite the Republican groups appeal for bipartisanship, as part of Bidens efforts to unify the country, the president made it clear he wont delay aid in hopes of winning GOP support.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that while there were areas of agreement, the president also reiterated his view that Congress must respond boldly and urgently, and noted many areas which the Republican senators proposal does not address.

She said, He will not slow down work on this urgent crisis response, and will not settle for a package that fails to meet the moment.

The two sides are far apart, with the Republican group of 10 senators focused primarily on the health care crisis and smaller $1,000 direct aid to Americans, and Biden leading Democrats toward a more sweeping rescue package to shore up households, local governments and a partly shuttered economy.

The goal is to have COVID-19 relief approved by March, when extra unemployment assistance and other pandemic aid expires, testing the ability of the new administration and Congress to deliver, with political risks for all sides from failure.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine called the meeting a frank and very useful conversation, noting that the president also filled in some details on his proposal.

All of us are concerned about struggling families, teetering small businesses and an overwhelmed health care system, said Collins, flanked by other senators outside the White House.

Republicans are tapping into bipartisan urgency to improve the nations vaccine distribution and vastly expand virus testing with $160 billion in aid. That is similar to what Biden has proposed. But from there, the two plans drastically diverge.

The GOPs $1,000 direct payments would go to fewer households than the $1,400 Biden has proposed, and the Republicans offer only a fraction of what he wants to reopen schools.

They also would give nothing to states, money that Democrats argue is just as important, with $350 billion in Bidens plan to keep police, fire and other workers on the job. Gone are Democratic priorities such as a gradual lifting of the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

 READ MORE: Bob Casey wants Biden and Democrats to swing for the fences: Go big or go home

Wary Democrats pushed ahead at the Capitol, unwilling to take too much time in courting GOP support that may not materialize or in delivering too meager a package that they believe doesnt address the scope of the nations health crisis and economic problems.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that history is filled with the costs of small thinking.

House and Senate Democrats released a separate budget resolution Monday a step toward approving Bidens package with a reconciliation process that wouldnt depend on Republican support for passage.

The cost of inaction is high and growing, and the time for decisive action is now, Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

The accelerating talks came as the Congressional Budget Office delivered mixed economic forecasts Monday with robust growth expected at a 4.5% annual rate but employment rates not to return to pre-pandemic levels for several years.

The overture from the coalition of 10 GOP senators, mostly centrists, was an attempt to show that at least some in the Republican ranks want to work with Bidens new administration, rather than simply operating as the opposition in the minority in Congress.

Asked if Biden had shown a willingness to reduce his $1.9 trillion top line, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, said, He didnt say that, nor did we say were willing to come up from the GOP plan. He said its too early to say if a deal can be reached.

But in echoes of the 2009 financial crisis, Democrats warn against too small a package as they believe happened during the Obama administrations attempt to pull the nation toward recovery.

Psaki said earlier Monday there is obviously a big gap between the $1.9 trillion package Biden has proposed and the $618 billion counteroffer.

An invitation to the GOP senators to meet with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House came hours after the lawmakers sent Biden a letter on Sunday urging him to negotiate rather than try to ram through his relief package solely on Democratic votes.

The cornerstone of the GOP plan is $160 billion for the health care response  vaccine distribution, a massive expansion of testing, protective gear and funds for rural hospitals, according to a draft. It also includes $20 billion to reopen schools compared to $170 billion in Bidens plan. The Republicans offer $40 billion for Paycheck Protection Program business aid.

Under the GOP proposal, $1,000 direct payments would go to individuals earning up to $40,000 a year, or $80,000 for couples. The proposal would begin to phase out the benefit after that, with no payments for individuals earning more than $50,000, or $100,000 for couples. Thats less than Bidens proposal of $1,400 direct payments at higher incomes levels, up to $300,000 for some households.

The meeting, though private, was Bidens most public involvement in the negotiations.

Winning the support of 10 Republicans would be significant, potentially giving Biden the votes needed in the 50-50 Senate where Harris is the tie-breaker. Or he can push it through the budget reconciliation process, which would allow the bill to pass with a 51-vote majority in the Senate, rather than the 60 votes typically needed to advance legislation.

The White House remains committed to exploring avenues for bipartisanship even as it prepares for Democrats to move alone on a COVID-19 relief bill, according to a senior administration official granted anonymity to discuss the private thinking.

At the same time, the White House may be willing to adjust its ask, perhaps shifting some less virus-oriented aspects into a package that is set to go next before Congress, the official said.

Biden has leaned on his resume of decades in the Senate and as vice president to bring the parties together, but less than two weeks into his presidency he has shown frustration with the pace of negotiations as applications for jobless benefits remain stubbornly high and the COVID-19 death toll nears 450,000 Americans.

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Alexandra Jaffe, Darlene Superville and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
(@FahadShabbir)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2021) An adviser to Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi says internet and phone services in the country's capital, Naypyidaw, are experiencing major disruptions amid reports of senior members of the ruling party being detained by the military.

Earlier, Reuters reported citing a spokesman of the National League for Democracy, Myo Nyunt, that Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as President Win Myint, have been detained along with other members of Myanmar's ruling party in an early morning raid on Monday.

Sean Turnell, an Australian academic who serves as an adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi, confirmed to the Financial Times the reports of the arrests and said that internet and mobile services in the capital were down.

"All the people in Naypyidaw have been cut off, so it looks like the reports about Aung San Suu Kyi and the president being detained appear to be true," Sean Turnell told the Financial Times from Yangon.

"There has been no statement from the military yet."

Reuters reported that military forces were assembled around the city hall in Yangon.

According to NetBlocks, a non-governmental organisation that tracks internet shutdowns, there were serious disruptions in internet service in the early hours of Monday in Myanmar.

In January, Myanmar's military raised the prospect of a coup d'etat after what they believed was widespread voter fraud during the November 8 election, which was the country's second general election since the end of military rule in 2011.
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey was chief executive of the FCA at the time of the London Capital and Finance scandal

The author of a damning report into the City watchdog's handling of the London Capital and Finance (LCF) savings scandal has blasted Andrew Bailey's apology to victims.

Dame Elizabeth Gloster, a former judge, told the Treasury select committee that the Bank of England governor's apology issued in December was 'inadequate' and 'didn't really address the problem'.

She added that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Treasury must consider what action to take against Bailey  who was then chief executive of the FCA  and two other officials named in her report.

Gloster was commissioned to complete a review into how the FCA dealt with LCF in the run-up to its collapse in January 2019.

Savers who had bought so-called mini-bonds from LCF were left facing losses of up to 237million when the firm collapsed, amid accusations that the FCA had failed to act on repeated warnings.

Her report held several senior members of the watchdog  including Bailey  responsible for a number failings. Bailey, who took up the top job at the Bank of England last year, was forced into an apology.

He said that he had initiated a reform of the FCA, and added: 'I am sorry those changes did not come in time for LCF bondholders.'

But the chairman of the Treasury select committee, Conservative MP Mel Stride, asked Gloster in a hearing yesterday: 'Shouldn't [Bailey] have been apologising that this all happened in the first place on his watch?

'Most of these mistakes should have been picked up and dealt with at the time, and under his watch he failed to do that.'

Gloster said: 'My report is clear that the issues which he inherited didn't excuse or mitigate the FCA's overall failure to regulate LCF during the period of his guardianship.'

Addressing his apology, she said: 'I don't think it really addresses the problem because the problems which were there weren't so fundamental that they couldn't, in my view, have been fixed by specific focused changes.

'It's not an adequate reason or excuse to say, 'If LCF had only happened a bit later all the changes we put in place would have stopped it from happening'. These were defects which we didn't think were being picked up.'

Gloster said it was not her place to decide what reprimands should be handed out to the executives named in her report. But she added: 'I do think it's a matter to which consideration should be given.'
IMSS technology is enabled by Kraton's innovative, ultra-high flow thermoplastic elastomers, belonging to the Hydrogenated Styrenic Block Copolymers (HSBC) family. Unlike the traditional PVC soft skins, HSBC-based soft skins allow injection molding of large, thin-walled soft skin parts, such as instrument panel skins. They provide lower odor, fogging, VOCs, better aging, subsequently improved safety performance, and lower specific gravity. They contain no added plasticizer, phthalates, or cross-linking agents.

A Director at SAIC-GM Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center said, "SAIC-GM has been committed to the application of innovative materials technology to provide consumers with a more comfortable and environmentally friendly driving experience. Compared with traditional PVC skin, IMSS can further improve the interior environment and reduce odor and VOC concentration in the passengers' compartment. Being the first company in the world to apply this technology underscores the importance SAIC-GM places on the consumer experience."

The production of instrument panel soft skin with an injection molding process can help automotive interior manufacturers avoid the high-cost, labor-intensive, and energy-consuming slush molding process. Additionally, the injection molding equipment offers higher efficiency, lower cost, and less energy consumption. The time needed for making an IMSS skin by injection molding can be as low as one-fifth of that required for making a PVC soft skin of similar size by slush process. Compared with electroformed slush molds, injection-molding tools offer longer life, a shorter development cycle, and a more mature supply, so the development and manufacturing costs of Kraton's IMSS skins are lower than traditional PVC slush molded skins.

According to Bas Hennissen, Kraton's commercial VP of the Specialties business: "It's a growing trend in the auto industry to introduce soft surfaces replacing hard plastic interiors. Kraton IMSS technology offers considerable cost and performance advantages over the existing soft skin technologies, with a better sustainability profile. It is exciting to see the successful application of IMSS technology mass-produced in the GL6 project. Now proven in the marketplace, we feel there will be more car models manufactured with IMSS technology."

Since the inception of the project, IMSS technology has undergone rigorous material and part testing, achieving excellent results. The first car model's mass production implementing IMSS technology indicates that it has gained the full validation of a major automotive producer and is recognized as a fully viable and superior alternative to PVC slush molded instrument panel skins.

Joseph Zhu, head of IAC China Technology Center, stated that: "In the increasingly competitive environment of the automotive industry, IMSS technology can help reduce the production cost of interior skin, while providing better and innovative product performance, in response to the emerging industry requirements. This innovation will have a profound impact on the present and future development of the interior industry."

The IMSS compound used to manufacture the Buick GL6 instrument panel soft skin is supplied by Dawn New Materials Co. Ltd. in China. This innovative IMSS compound was developed by Dawn, working in close cooperation with Kraton as a technology transfer licensee of the IMSS technology. Kraton has also established technology licenses with several other premier compounders worldwide to make this technology available to all automobile manufacturers as its adoption builds in the industry. If you are interested in pursuing this technology, please contact Kraton to establish connections in your area.

Since being presented to the automotive industry, this technology has received positive attention and recognition. On June 10, 2020, Kraton IMSS Technology received a Ringier Technology Innovation Award  Plastics Industry in the Raw Material & Additives category. Kraton's IMSS technology was also recognized by The European Rubber Journal's (ERJ) in the Elastomers for Sustainability (ES4) contest as a viable alternative to slush-molded PVC in automotive instrument panel skin applications.

ABOUT KRATON CORPORATION

Kraton Corporation (NYSE "KRA") is a leading global producer of specialty polymers and high-value performance products derived from renewable resources. Kraton's polymers are used in a wide range of applications, including adhesives, coatings, consumer and personal care products, sealants and lubricants, medical, packaging, automotive, paving and roofing products. As the largest global provider in the pine chemicals industry, Kraton's pine-based specialty products are sold into adhesive, road and construction and tire markets, and it produces and sells a broad range of performance chemicals into markets that include fuel additives, oilfield chemicals, coatings, metalworking fluids and lubricants, inks and mining. Kraton offers its products to a diverse customer base in numerous countries worldwide. Kraton, IMSS, the Kraton logo and design are all trademarks of Kraton Corporation or its subsidiaries or affiliates.

Media Contact: Kristen Boyd; T: +1 (281) 504-4986

Investor Relations Contact: Gene Shiels; T: +1 (281) 504-4886

SOURCE Kraton Corporation

Related Links

http://www.kraton.com


Opposition to corner govt on farm laws, but may attend two key debates

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 01: After launching protests over the farm laws, the Opposition parties are likely to join two key debates in Parliament over the President's speech and the Union Budget.

Union Budget 2021: Direct taxes unchanged but healthcare and infrastructure get a push|Oneindia News

The TMC, Congress and Left parties have decided to push an adjournment motion over the farmer issue on February 2 before a debate on the President's speech, a Hindustan Times report said.

On Sunday the government's managers suggested that the Opposition parties can raise all issues related to the farm laws during the debate on the President's speech. Prime Minister Narendra Modi would reply to them. Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh is expected to speak in the debate.

Will Budget 2021 go beyond 'bahi-khata'? All eyes on Sitharaman's 'Economic Vaccine' coming on Monday

On Sunday, Rajya Sabha chairman, Venkaiah Naidu convened a meeting in which six ministers and 25 leaders of various parties were present. A press statement read, Chairman Naidu today made a fervent appeal to leaders of various parties to ensure effective functioning of the House during the ongoing budget session. In response, the leaders assured that there will be full participation in all the debates and discussions in the House.

The Opposition plans to corner the government on the farm laws. The HT report while citing a leader said, " we will press for a separate debate on the farm issue given the gravity of the situation. But the government wants to tackle the issue in the President's speech debate only. This might lead to another flashpoint."
New Delhi: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) said its members and modern medicine doctors have started a relay hunger strike from Monday at over 50 places across the country in protest against a notification by the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) authorising post-graduate practitioners of Ayurveda to perform general surgical procedures.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) said the new procedure will lead to "mixopathy".

IMA national president, secretary general and other IMA leaders will visit various places across the country to enhance the public safety movement, the doctors' body said in a statement.

The relay strike will continue till February 14, it said.

It said the women doctors will lead the nationwide hunger strike on February 7.

The IMA condemns the notification by the CCIM, a statutory body under the AYUSH Ministry, authorising post-graduate practitioners in specified streams of Ayurveda to be trained to perform surgical procedures such as excisions of benign tumours, amputation of gangrene, nasal and cataract surgeries, the statement said.

"IMA demands immediate withdrawal of the said impractical, unscientific and unethical notification," it added.

All specialty associations across the country have joined the strike through Federation of Medical Associations under the aegis of IMA. The Dental Association also has joined this national movement, the statement said.

The IMA will launch a massive awareness drive across the country as there is a clear threat to the safety of healthcare of people, it said.

The IMA also said it will release awareness posters and banners across the country.

"All IMA members shall update their Members of Parliament and MLAs regarding the true picture of the notification and integration policy, the statement said.

The IMA will also give its rationale representations to all state governments. Under the Save People Movement, all NGOs will be updated with the core issues," it added.

Internationally, the IMA shall apprise various associations from different countries about this unscientific notification. The global voice of modern medicine shall echo the feelings of the Indian Medical Association and its all members, the statement said.

The IMA asked its Medical Students' Network (MSN), Junior Doctors' Network (JDN), IMA Women's' Wing, IMA Hospital Board, in-service doctors, medical colleges to participate in the strike, it said.

Further, the recent policy tilt as evidenced in the medical pluralism advocated by the National Education Policy 2020 and the four committees of NITI Aayog for officially integrating the systems of medicine in medical education, practice, public health and administration as well as research ostensibly for a One Nation - One System' policy will ring the death knell of all systems of medicine as a whole, the statement said.
Former President Donald J. Trump on Sunday named two lawyers who will represent him in his coming impeachment trial in the Senate, a day after he parted ways with five members of his initial team.

David Schoen, a Georgia-based lawyer who represented the longtime Trump adviser Roger J. Stone Jr., and Bruce Castor, a former district attorney in Pennsylvania, were announced in a news release from Mr. Trumps office.

Notably, Schoen has already been working with the 45th president and other advisers to prepare for the upcoming trial, and both Schoen and Castor agree that this impeachment is unconstitutional  a fact 45 senators voted in agreement with last week, the news release said.

The lawyers will be deployed immediately: Mr. Trump is due to file a response to the House charges by Tuesday, and the trial is scheduled to start next week. The announcement came a day after Mr. Trump parted ways with his lead lawyer, Butch Bowers, a South Carolina-based lawyer whom Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, helped bring to the Trump team, and four other lawyers who were supposed to work on the defense.
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.

Unprecedented in its scale and spread, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic battered world economies, threw global supply chains into disarray, and brought international trade and commercial activity to a complete standstill. The pandemic put the Indian economy into a tailspin and exacerbated the downturn across several key economic sectors.

The pandemic has created a slew of operational challenges for the $160 billion Indian logistics sector as well, yet it remained largely functional and facilitated the smooth movement of goods and services despite the labour and cash-flow issues.

Trucks plied at the peak of the lockdown, warehouses maintained operational efficiency despite harsh curfews, and Exim supply chains continued to operate seamlessly. Though India's logistics sector has largely remained resilient to the adverse effects of the pandemic, it seeks the unveiling of key policy measures in the Budget 2021 that would help the industry bolster the nation's growth trajectory.

The priority focus of the budget should be to encourage the adoption of digital tools and solutions across the logistics value chain through a digitalisation transformation strategy.

Also Read: Budget 2021

Digitalisation will lead to an improvement in the functional parameters of freight operations and provide data-driven insights into port management. It has the potential to facilitate the creation of a sustainable and streamlined supply chain management.

With a view to create a favorable ecosystem for enabling large-scale tech adoption, it is highly important to attract and sustain the right global VC funds by fostering a private sector investment climate, rather than solely depending on government-managed funds.

A key focus area of the budget should also be equipping workforces in the logistics arena with the right technological skillsets and know-how to tackle crucial infrastructural and operational challenges.

As India rapidly transitions to a digital economy, it is vital for younger personnel entering the logistics and supply chain domain to develop the requisite technological competencies and knowledge to handle global supply chain complexities.

Rising diesel prices are adversely impacting the fuel efficiencies of logistics companies. High fuel costs are eroding the wafer-thin profit margins of logistics players as it is not possible to pass on the additional cost to clients.

The government needs to ensure that fuel prices remain stable and do not fluctuate to make freight transport fuel-efficient and maintain visibility on direct costs.

The government also needs to review the 28% GST on new trucks. It is also important for the government to offer tax incentives on the replacement of old trucks with Bharat Stage-VI compliant new trucks which facilitate lower emissions and offer fuel price optimisation.

Also Read: Budget 2021: Date, time, sector-wise expectations; everything you need to know

Transportation and warehousing form one of the highest operating expenditures of the overall logistics cost. An exponential rise in online transactions has triggered the demand for the setting up of multi-level Grade-A large-format in-city warehouses and distribution centers to reduce last-mile timelines and offer seamless connectivity to customers.

Grade-A warehousing infrastructure is a key factor in reducing the cost of transport and minimising the storage-linked damage and pilferage of goods.

Moreover, large format warehousing eases the process of shifting to a multimodal transport framework leading to optimisation of costs.

To enable the setting up of warehousing clusters across the country, the government should simplify land acquisition policies by placing emphasis on digitisation of land records.

There should be single-window approvals for expediting the process from acquiring land parcels to starting the construction of warehouses in Tier -2 and 3 cities of the country.

There is also an urgent need to relook at master zoning plans for important Tier-1 markets like NCR, Bhiwandi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad to carve out dedicated warehousing zones.

Despite a surge in demand from the industry, important warehousing markets like Bhiwandi are struggling to expand to Grade-A warehousing.

The central government will need to intervene and formulate industry-friendly policies to position such markets as key warehousing hubs rather than leave it to the discretion of state governments.

Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) is emerging as a core non-financial factor while determining risks and growth opportunities associated with high-quality warehousing assets.

The ESG credentials of players will play a key role in boosting investor confidence while regulating the deployment of resources in the construction of environmentally compliant Grade-A warehouses.

The government will need to focus on initiatives like tighter regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, reduction of carbon footprints, and promoting the use of solar roof panels.

(The author is CFO and Transformation Officer - Gati Limited (An Allcargo Group Company.)
Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy will come face-to-face on Zoom on Wednesday in an attempt to settle their high-profile dispute as a deadline looms for them to find an agreement out of court.

The warring pair will participate in a two-day mediation hearing, which will be held remotely.

Lawyers representing both women will also be present for the hearing, which will be conducted by a mediator that has been agreed by both sides.

Meeting: Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy will come face-to-face on Zoom on Wednesday in an attempt to settle their high-profile dispute

The identity of the mediator is confidential but according to legal experts, it is likely to be a senior barrister, who will step in between the two parties if discussions get too heated.

Passions remain high between the two Wags, with Rebekah adamant that she was not responsible for leaking stories about Coleen to the media.

Coleen has handed Rebekah an olive branch and made her an offer to 'agree to disagree' as they head into mediation.

If accepted, the last-minute peace deal would see both parties make a substantial donation to charity. They would also pay their own legal costs, a move known in legal circles as a drop hands settlement.

Feud: The warring pair will participate in a two-day mediation hearing, which will be held remotely as a deadline looms for them to find an agreement out of court (pictured in 2016)

A source told MailOnline: Coleen believes that this has all gone too far. The legal costs on both sides are well into six figures.

Rebekah, 38, launched a 1m High Court libel action after Coleen, 34 accused her in an Instagram post more than a year ago of being the source of leaks to the media.

Coleen revealed that she had set a trap to see who was responsible for them, which earned her the nickname Wagatha Christie as the row between the two Wags simmered, culminating in legal action.

At the start of their libel case at Londons High Court last November, the judge agreed a stay on the case until 8 February so that mediation can take place. If the two women are unable to reach agreement, then a trial is expected to take place later this year.

Accusation: Vardy was accused by her former friend of leaking false stories about her personal life to the media last year

Caroline Kean, head of litigation at leading law firm Wiggin, who specialises in mediations told MailOnline: Over the course of the two days the mediator will try to broker a settlement.

Its a completely confidential process and anything that is shared openly with both sides is only done with their agreement. Courts are very keen that people should find a settlement themselves and generally, mediations have quite a high success rate.

The mediation will begin with statements being read out by lawyers for both sides. They will then be separated, with the mediator moving remotely between the two parties for discussions as an attempt is made to find a settlement.

Both sides are brought together if the mediator feels any joint issues can be agreed on and require further discussion.

WAGs: Passions remain high between the two Wags, with Rebekah adamant that she was not responsible for leaking stories about Coleen to the media (pictured with Jamie in 2017)

Whatever the outcome of the discussions, both sides are then brought together at the end of the two days for a final meeting to establish what has or has not been agreed.

But Ms Kean warned that details of Coleens offer being made public do not bode well for the mediation process.

She said: Its very surprising that this has been put into the public domain. I dont think it bodes well for the parties reaching agreement.

Theres a publicity element there because one side is saying look how reasonable Im being. Then the other side looks bad if it doesnt accept it. These are the sort of things that need to be discussed confidentially in the mediation.

She added: Im sure this offer being made public will have infuriated Vardys side.

Her side: Coleen (pictured with Wayne in 2016) said she discovered the alleged betrayal by carrying out a months-long 'sting operation'

If the two women are able to reach agreement, then lawyers are expected to formalise it in writing as quickly as possible. They will then appear before Mr Justice Warby, who is presiding over the case, who will sign off the agreement and make any final decisions on costs.

During a preliminary hearing last year, the court heard Coleen's posts were an 'untrue and unjustified defamatory attack' which were 'published and republished to millions of people'

Hugh Tomlinson, QC, representing Rebekah said her accusation 'leaves the reasonable reader in no doubt that the defendant is accusing the claimant of consistently and repeatedly betraying her trust over several years.'

He added: 'In fact, she did nothing wrong. Whatever leaks there were did not come from her (Rebekah).

Following the hearing, the judge High Court ruled that Coleens post 'clearly identified' Rebekah as being 'guilty of the serious and consistent breach of trust.

But Coleen then hit back with a statement via her spokesman, saying she was 'keen' to hear what Rebekah has to say in court.


A freight train crosses the new Bridge 100, on Hellyer Road, 15km from Helensville. The new bridges each have a concrete ballast tray deck, which requires less maintenance than the old bridges and can carry up to 25-tonne axle loads.

Containers from the ANL vessel Tianjin Bridge, berthed at Northport, were the first to head south on the recently re-opened rail line between Whangarei to Auckland.

The line has been closed for the past year for maintenance.

Funded by the Governments Provincial Growth Fund (PGF), the work included replacing five bridges and lowering tracks in 13 tunnels to allow the passage of hi-cube shipping containers.

KiwiRail Group chief executive Greg Miller says completing the work to re-open the line is a big achievement and a significant milestone for KiwiRail.

It signals that were open for business, ready to support importers and also building resilience and sustainability into our transport network, he says.

It also ties in with our ongoing efforts to address the freight backlog.

Fewer trucks on roads also means less congestion, lower road maintenance costs, greater road safety and fewer emissions. Every tonne of freight carried by rail produces 70 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the equivalent freight carried by road.

The intention is to run one return service a day between Whangarei and Auckland while work on the line is being completed.

People need to be aware that as part of the ongoing upgrade work, there will be vehicles operating on the line. The public should take special care around level crossings. Those crossing the tracks should expect trains or other rail vehicles at any time and from either direction.

All the new and rehabilitated structures on the line have clearance through the tunnels for electrification to be added later. At its peak, more than 600 people were working on the project at one time. In addition to the new bridges and improved tunnels, the team laid 30,000 new sleepers and nearly 63,000 cubic metres of ballast to provide a more secure base for the track.

Mr Miller says that while KiwiRail is delighted that this section of the line is up and running, there is some more intricate work to the tunnel linings required. Additionally, to allow greater train speed and axle weight, over time KiwiRail will be replacing another 10km of rail and laying more than 100,000 sleepers.

The reopening is an opportunity to remind people to take care around the railway line and to always look for trains before crossing the tracks.

KiwiRail does not yet have a spur directly to Northport but the PGF funding has allowed it to begin buying land along the route. In the meantime, freight is trucked from the port to the rail line in Whangarei.

With freight volumes in the region expected to increase from 18 million tonnes a year currently to 23 million tonnes by 2042, rail is a crucial part of developing an efficient, integrated transport system for Northland, Mr Miller says.
TN elections 2021: Get ready for the political battle, hints Sasikala

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Chennai, Feb 01: Expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala was discharged from a hospital here on Sunday after recovering from COVID-19, days after she was set free by the prison officials on completion of her jail term in a corruption case, authorities said.

Sending a strong signal, Sasikala, a close aide of late Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa, travelled in a car that sported the AIADMK flag from the hospital, with the ruling party questioning the propriety of her action when she had been ousted from the party.

The AIADMK has time and again made it clear that the 66 -year old Sasikala would not be taken back and her release would not have any impact on the party, which is keen retain power in the assembly elections, expected in April-May.

It has already declared incumbent K Palaniswami as the chief ministerial candidate for the polls. Sasikala was expelled from the party in September, 2017 along with her nephew TTV Dhinakaran and others by the general council of the combined AIADMK under the leadership of Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam after the two merged their respective factions.

BJP chief announces alliance with AIADMK for Tamil Nadu polls

On Sunday, the AIADMK in its twitter handle said the use of its flag by Sasikala was against the law and quoted senior party leader D Jayakumar.

"How Sasikala, who is not even a party member could use the party flag? This is against the law," Jayakumar, who is also the Fisheries Minister, said. Defending Sasikala, Dhinakaran, who is the general secretary of Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) floated by him in March, 2018 as an arrangement to retrieve the AIADMK, claimed "she (his aunt) is the general secretary of the AIADMK."

Cases relating to her so-called ''expulsion'' and connected matters were pending before the court in Tamil Nadu, he told reporters, adding "I have already told you that legal fight will continue (to retrieve the AIADMK)."

The very purpose of floating the AMMK was to retrieve the AIADMK in a democratic way and ''Thiyaga Thalaivi Chinnamma'' (leader of sacrifices, junior ''Amma'') would continue legal efforts to win back the party, he said. Dhinakaran said as per doctors'' advice she would stay back here and take rest for a week before returning to Chennai. AIADMK deputy coordinator K P Munusamy rejected Dhinakaran''s claim that "Sasikala is the general secretary."

The party decided that late leader ''Amma'' alone could be the permanent general secretary and reflecting this position, party rules were amended and a new party structure of coordinator, co-coordinator and deputy coordinators was brought in, he told reporters in Tamil Nadu''s Krishnagiri district.

"The opinion that Sasikala is the general secretary is expressed out of selfishness. It is not acceptable," he said. He denounced Sasikala using the party flag in her car and said it was ''condemnable'' since she was not with the party.

On AMMK''s claim to ''retrieve'' the AIADMK, Munusamy said Dhinakaran tried his best to ''capture'' the party but could not succeed. Such a claim was laughable and aimed at only protecting him, he said adding Dhinakaran was expelled from the party by Amma about a decade ago. He asserted that there was absolutely no scope for a merger of AMMK with his party since Dhinakaran attempted to destroy the AIADMK and dislodge the government.

If he submitted a letter apologising for such activities, the party top leadership would take a decision on it, he said. Political analyst Sumanth Raman tweeted "#Sasikala coming out of hospital in a car with an AIADMK flag on it seems to be a clear signal of her intentions. Game on." Soon after she was discharged, Sasikala reached a resort near the scenic Nandi Hill at Devanahalli in North Bengaluru.

Sasikala was admitted to the Victoria Hospital after she tested positive for COVID-19 recently while under judicial custody. Prison authorities here had formally released her on January 27 after she completed the four-year jail term in a Rs 66 crore disproportionate assets case.

On the advice of doctors, she remained in the hospital and was discharged on Sunday after her latest test reports came negative for COVID-19, hospital officials said. A huge crowd of her supporters greeted Sasikala as she came out of the hospital.

More than 300 police personnel were deployed in the area to ensure law and order, police said.

Sambasivan, one of her supporters from Hosur in the border district of Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu, told PTI that this was like a festival for him. Sasikala''s release comes ahead of the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and the course of action taken by her would be keenly watched.

The Supreme Court sentenced her to four year simple imprisonment on February 14, 2017 at a time when she was set to take over as the Chief Minister subsequent to her election as the AIADMK legislature party leader. After the sentence that also barred her from contesting elections for six years after completion of the term, she chose Palaniswami to be the chief minister. Before coming here to serve the sentence, Sasikala had made a dramatic vow at the ''samadhi'' of Jayalalithaa, though she did not openly declare what it was all about.
Fans of Grape-Nuts are about to blow their tops because they cant find their favorite cereal.

A nation-wide shortage of the Post Consumer Brands popular high-fiber cereal has led to wide-spread panic among consumers who have a penchant for its earthy flavor and gravelly texture.

A message on Posts website acknowledges the current difficulties in locating Grape-Nuts, which, by the way, contains neither grapes nor nuts, and offers its apologies to customers who are feeling the strain. Created by the companys founder himself, C.W. Post, in 1897, Grape-Nuts has been regularly enjoyed by generations of consumers who enjoy being regular.

Grape-Nuts brand manager Kristin DeRock further sought to reassure customers that the deficit would be resolved and that the company had no plans to dump the cereal. As reported by Kate Gibson, DeRock stated in an email to CBS MoneyWatch that "First and foremost, we want to make sure that Grape-Nuts fans know that we have absolutely no plans to discontinue Grape-Nuts cereal."

DeRock also cited certain requirements particular to Grape-Nuts that render making them challenging: "Grape-Nuts is made using a proprietary technology and a production process that isn't easily replicated, which has made it more difficult to shift production to meet demand during this time.

Demand for the blend of hearty grains increased dramatically during the pandemic as more Americans enjoyed their first meal of the day at home rather than the office. According to Danielle Wiener-Bronner of CNN Money, although data from Euromonitor International showed that the ready-to-eat cereal market decreased between 1 and 2 percent each year from 2015 to 2019, the market grew by 20 percent (to about $10.6 billion) from 2019 to 2020.

With the news that Grape-Nuts should be back to its regular availability within a few weeks, loyalists are flush with pleasure.
The tourism and hospitality industry, which is one of the most-affected sectors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has pinned high hopes on the Budget 2021.

The industry is seeking extensive support from the government in wake of unprecedented damage done by coronavirus crisis.

Several experts are of the view that the sector may take 3-4 years to fully recover and are expecting the Centre to grant long pending demand for industry status to the sector as well as lower GST rates, thereby giving direct relief, particularly to hotels.

Tourism

To ensure that there is a shared tourism vision across the Centre and states, the industry has proposed creation of a National Tourism Council of Chief Ministers headed by the Prime Minister along with the tourism minister, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH) recently said in a statement.

Also Read: Budget 2021

The federation has also asked for industry status for the tourism industry across the country by putting it in the concurrent list, it added.

"FAITH Associations collectively are engaging with different members of the government and look forward to getting a fair deal in the Union Budget," FAITH Consulting CEO Aashish Gupta said.

"FAITH has recommended export earnings be made tax free and also the incidence of taxes on tourism earnings be zero-rated. Additionally, Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) of 10 per cent to all foreign exchange earning members in tourism be made applicable for 5 years to ensure a post-COVID recovery," he added.

The sector is also expecting a concerted strategy to ensure that the tourism industry becomes a mainstay domestic industry. For this, measures like income tax exemption on travel within India, income tax credits of up to Rs 1.5 lakh when spending with GST registered domestic tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers, and transporters anywhere within the country are required, FAITH said.

"Tourism can drive GDP through CAPEX spending and to increase the intensity of high-quality hotel accommodation in India and MICE, all hotels & MICE venues across the country need to be tagged as vital social infrastructure," Gupta added.

FAITH also said it is critical to protect the business of Indian travel agents and tour operators and a structured mechanism is required to secure travel agents' payments in future, the statement said.

Also Read: Budget 2021: Date, time, sector-wise expectations; everything you need to know

Hotel and restaurants

The Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) said specific to the business losses accrued due to COVID-19, it has recommended that a MAT (minimum alternative tax) waiver be given to the industry for a period of three years beginning April 2021.

It has also requested for treating payments received from international tourists as foreign exchange for the purpose of Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme and that the time to perform export obligation under the scheme be extended by 5 years.

"Over the last 8 months, the hospitality industry has been severely battered by the pandemic. The upcoming Union Budget will determine which way we go from here. The industry has a lot of expectations from the government," FHRAI Vice President Gurbaxish Singh Kohli said.

Since the industry has not received much support so far, FHRAI is hoping that the upcoming Budget will have special focus on the hospitality industry, he said.

Besides, the association expects that the budget would focus on certain longstanding demands, such as review of the Kamath Committee's recommendations, industry and infrastructure status for hotels, resorts and restaurants across the country, to raise threshold limit of hotel room tariffs for charging GST, to allow IGST billing to hotels for corporate and MICE bookings.

On the policy front, FHRAI demanded that hotels, resorts and restaurants should be accorded industry status. It has asked the government to classify hospitality under the RBI Infrastructure lending norm criteria for access to long-term funds, the statement said.

Thomas Cook (India) Chairman & MD Madhavan Menon said: "The travel and tourism industry has been one of the most severely impacted in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and we are staring at a long road to recovery".

While the government has rolled out economic relief packages for several industries, the tourism sector has been noticeably absent and the Union Budget offers valuable opportunity to address the crisis in the sector, he added.

Given its critical contribution to India's economy and its powerful multiplier impact on employment generation - an imperative at a time like this - the tourism industry deserves top priority in the Union Budget 2021, Menon said.

"I also look forward to the government support and priority action: soft loans to finance working capital, incentivising tourism spends by providing income tax concessions, payment of overdue SEIS benefits, easing of indirect taxes and waiving collector of tax (TCS) to help aid recovery," Menon said.

MakeMyTrip Founder and Group Executive Chairman Deep Kalra said that despite the impact of COVID-19 on the industry and without any aid in the form of a stimulus package, the industry is trying to find its feet and take initial steps towards recovery.

"We hope that in the upcoming budget the government takes note of the sector's role in the entire economic value chain and makes the long-due decision of including travel & tourism in the concurrent list," he added.

As domestic tourism holds the key to recovery, I-T deductions on domestic travel undertaken by the taxpayer will help in encouraging people to travel more domestically - further benefiting the larger ecosystem, he said.

"On the corporate travel front, the government should set sight on incentivising MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) business - that would perhaps be the last to recover and offer 200 per cent weighted deduction to companies on MICE expenses over the next two years or more," Kalra said.

Bird Group Executive Director Ankur Bhatia said the most important and long-awaited measure the government must address in Budget 2021 is granting infrastructure status to the sector.

This would allow hotels to avail electricity, water and land at industrial rates as well as better infrastructure lending rates.(With inputs from PTI.)
ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Air Force Association is celebrating the 75 years of educating, advocating, and supporting the U.S. Air Force and Airmen and, since its founding a year ago, the U.S. Space Force and its Guardians.

AFA was incorporated on Feb. 4, 1946 to form a grassroots network across the country to educate the public about air power and to advocate for the Air Force to become a separate military service branch. Less than 18 months later, the Air Force gained its independence in September 1947.

Under the leadership of General James Doolittle, its first president, and generations of volunteer and professional leaders since, AFA became "the force behind the Force," a critical advocate and supporter of air power, space power, and the means and resources needed for a ready and robust national defense.

"Over the years, AFA developed a strong foundation for supporting Airmen, Guardians, and their families, providing a voice in Washington to advocate for things like recognizing the Outstanding Airmen of the Year, or resourcing the Community College of the Air Force, as well as a place in local communities, providing awards and scholarships that build valuable ties between our military forces and the local communities that support them," said Gerald Murray, AFA Chairman and 14th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. "Another of AFA's many little-known accomplishments was its advocacy in 1964 for the creation of a 'sergeant major of the Air Force.' In 1967, that initiative was formalized when Chief Airey became the first Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. Decades later, I followed in his footsteps."

Today, the Air Force Association's education and advocacy work continues. AFA produces the Air Force's premier professional development events, the Air, Space & Cyber Conference and Aerospace Warfare Symposium, which each attract thousands of attendees and the full participation of top Air and Space Force leaders. AFA operates the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, the nation's only think tank dedicated to the advancement of air and space power and related concepts, and it publishes Air Force Magazine, the association's premier publication. AFA also operates two of the world's largest and most dynamic programs for attracting and developing student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). AFA's CyberPatriot and StellarXplorers STEM programs use fun, team-based competitions to interest students in careers in cybertechnology and engineering. AFA's Wounded Airman Program provides life-changing assistance to seriously wounded, ill, and injured Airmen and their families. And its COVID-19 Assistance Fund provides support to those service members and their families adversely affected by the fallout from the global pandemic.

"AFA has been the force behind the forces for the last 75 years," said AFA President, retired Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright. "It's the privilege of a lifetime to be able to dedicate my time and energy on behalf of Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Having already served my country, what higher calling could I have than to serve those who continue to serve us. To my friends and families who still wear the uniform, you know who we are. We're AFA, and always on your wing."

To learn more about AFA and our history, please visit our website.

About AFA: The Air Force Association is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association. Our mission is to promote dominant U.S. Air and Space Forces as the foundation of a strong National Defense; to honor and support our Airmen, Guardians, and their Families; and to remember and respect our enduring Heritage.

SOURCE Air Force Association

Related Links

http://www.afa.org


Axios

Southwest Airlines won't yet resume its in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: The airline initially planned to resume the service June, but Sonya Lacore, Southwest's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free."Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego  Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
Company Co-Founder and CEO Darren Footz commented, "This is a pivotal milestone for us. With almost six years from concept to commercialization, this innovative product will be the first time the public will be able to touch, see, and enjoy the great taste that our pod is able to deliver. Consumers will now be able to savor their coffee without the waste associated with typical single-serve beverages. Our Xoma offering, including the packaging, will be environmentally-friendly. Initial demand is strong, and we will be expanding our offerings in the near term."

This launch is intended to be the first in a series of product releases designed to meet demand from health and environmentally conscious consumers. The Xoma Superfoods line is designed to combine personal wellness and sustainability in a premium product for health and environmentally conscious consumers. Visit Xoma.ca to stay up to date with all other superfood offerings in the coming months.

The Company's fully compostable plant-based NEXE pod is the perfect delivery mechanism for future Xoma products, while adhering to NEXE's environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) goals. With this launch, NEXE aims to set the benchmark for advancing plant-based manufacturing technologies and sustainable consumer goods.

Ash Guglani, President, stated, "We are proud to say that in addition to the $14.2M that the Company raised in its December 2020 financing, NEXE has received more than $3M from warrant exercises to date. The Company remains fully funded to fulfill its capital requirements. Funds raised to date will be used to scale our direct-to-consumer Xoma Superfoods brand as well as continue to bring additional revenue-generating initiatives on-line."

About XOMA Superfoods

XOMA Operations Inc. is a subsidiary of NEXE Innovations Inc. Xoma Superfoods produces and distributes high-quality coffee and superfood creamers packaged exclusively in single-serve, fully compostable, plant-based pods.

xoma.ca

instagram.com/xomasuperfoods/

About NEXE Innovations Inc.

NEXE Innovations Inc. is a leader in plant-based compostable technology and advanced materials manufacturing based in British Columbia, Canada. The company has developed one of the only patented, fully compostable, plant-based, single-serve coffee pods for use in leading single-serve coffee machines. The proprietary NEXE pod is designed to reduce the significant environmental impact caused by single-serve pods, >40 billion of which are discarded every year. With over $30M raised to date from equity and government funding and over five years of R&D, NEXE is well-positioned to meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable products in the single-serve coffee sector and beyond.

Social Media

https://twitter.com/nexeinnovations

https://www.facebook.com/nexeinnovations

https://www.linkedin.com/company/nexeinnovations

https://www.instagram.com/nexeinnovations

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements or information, which include the proposed use of proceeds, commercialization of the NEXE PODs, including the NEXE Nespresso Compatible Pod, increase production capacity, demand and/or sales of its products, create other environmentally friendly compostable packaging opportunities, development of technologies, the potential of the Company's technology, future plans, regulatory approvals and other matters. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including but not limited to, business, economic and capital market conditions, the ability to manage operating expenses, consumer demand for and sentiment towards the Company's products, security threats, and dependence on key personnel. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the demand for its products, anticipated costs, and the ability to achieve goals. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, failure to obtain regulatory approval, the continued availability of capital and financing, equipment failures, litigation, increase in operating costs, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, competition, failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations, government regulations, loss of key employees and consultants, and general economic, market or business conditions. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Nexe Innovations Inc.

Related Links

https://nexeinnovations.com/


Lead paint can pose a threat to public health, particularly for children. In a new publication, Penn scientists and colleagues underscore the importance of implementing policies that ban the production and trade of lead paint to stop further problems before they start. Credit: Reto Giere

Once lead paint is on a wall, it becomes an expensive problem to fix. In impoverished settings, be they neighborhoods in Philadelphia or developing nations globally, remediation can be prohibitively costly.

While removing lead paint poses a daunting challenge, preventing it from being used in the first place is much easier.

That's the reasoning behind a new publication from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), coauthored by Penn faculty members Reto Giere, Richard Pepino, and Marilyn Howarth, working with experts from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Global Council for Science and the Environment. In a public-facing Foresight Brief, the scientists call for the eradication of lead paint worldwide to prevent lead poisoning, the cause of more than a million deaths each year.

"This would be very simple to do, and in a way that's the frustrating thing," says Giere, the first author on the paper and a professor in Penn's Department of Earth and Environmental Science. "Stopping the use of lead paint is one of the easiest problems to take care of and at the same time lead paint remains one of the primary sources of lead exposure, especially for kids. It is urgent that every country has a law banning its use."

While the U.S. has had a ban on lead-based paints for residential use since 1978, and many other countries have similar laws in place, the use of lead paint is still permitted in 60% of all countries globally.

"Lead paint causes serious harm to children with lifelong consequences, yet is largely unregulated in the developing world," says Walker Smith, a coauthor on the paper and principal international advisor in the EPA's Office of International and Tribal Affairs. "The Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint is a UN partnership working to remove this harm by helping countries develop lead paint laws. We hope that this article will raise awareness of the serious problem caused by lead paint, that children can be protected from exposure to lead paint through the enactment of laws, and that the Alliance can offer assistance in developing those laws."

Lead paint used to be a popular choice for several reasons. Certain pigments that gave the paint bright, vibrant colors consisted of lead-containing minerals. Lead is cheap and widely available, and lead-based compounds can make paints fast-drying and durable.

Yet substitutes exist that possess these same qualities, without the neurotoxic dangers of lead. "The overall costs of switching to synthetic alternatives are minimal, and the benefits are huge," Giere says.

Making a switch could have a significant public health impact, the authors say. Lead poses its greatest risks to young children, who are more likely than adults to be exposed to chipping lead paint or lead dust as they crawl and toddle around their homes, and whose developing bodies and brains are particularly vulnerable to its effects. Even low-level exposure to lead can cause diminished learning ability and increased behavioral problems. High levels of ingestion can be fatal.

Last year, Penn became a member of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, run through the World Health Organization and the UNEP. The Alliance has worked to encourage countries to take action on lead threats, and has support from paint industry groups as well. In addition, the UN has drafted a model law for countries to adopt in order to facilitate the ban on lead-paint production, sale, and importation.

The authors hope to reach policy makers, public health and environmental professionals, industry leaders, and others to build momentum and encourage more governments to introduce laws,and enforce them.

"More and more countries are coming on board with this," says Giere. "Governments are starting to recognize the problem and are jumping on the bandwagon. This is a call for them to act, and they have to be willing to introduce legislation."

Explore further Researchers develop double-layered paint that reflects heat

More information: The brief is available online: The brief is available online: wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/hand  quence=1&isAllowed=y
Burma Myanmars Health Minister Resigns After Military Takeover

Myanmars health minister, Dr. Myint Htwe. / Ministry of Health and Sports

Myanmars health minister, Dr. Myint Htwe, has resigned after the military coup.

He is one of the leaders in the countrys fight against COVID-19.

Education minister Dr. Myo Thane Gyi, information minister Dr. Pe Myint and transport minister U Thant Zin Maung have been told to vacate their houses within three days.

I am leaving the Ministry of Health and Sports. I am leaving Naypyitaw in three days, Dr. Myint Htwe posted on Facebook on Monday afternoon.

His post said he asked his colleagues to serve the people, especially during the COVID-19 crisis and the vaccination rollout.

Myanmar launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive by inoculating health-care personnel, including volunteers on the COVID-19 frontline and parliamentarians, on Jan. 27.

Myanmar is third in terms of vaccinations in Asean, behind Singapore and Indonesia.
Three car bombings struck Turkey-occupied northern Syria on Saturday and Sunday, killing at least 18 people, including at least four children. More than 60 people were believed to have been injured in the three blasts.

The first blast occurred in the historically Kurdish city of Afrin on Saturday, killing eight and injuring 27, according to Syrias White Helmets.

A subsequent car bombing rocked the town of Azaz on Sunday, killing four, including one 12-year-old girl, and wounding more than 20. A third explosion, also a car bomb, reportedly killed five members of the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) at a checkpoint in the village of Um Shakif in northern Aleppo province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

Video of the bombing in Azaz circulated on social media on Sunday, showing flaming wrecks of vehicles and people carrying the wounded away from the scene.

Car bombings in Turkey-occupied northern Syria are relatively regular, but reports that children had been killed and wounded in the latest attacks drew renewed condemnation. Last week a separate, fourth bombing struck a local police checkpoint at a roundabout outside Afrin city, wounding four, according to SOHR.

Mark Cutts, the United Nations deputy human rights coordinator for Syria, slammed this weekend's bombings of civilians in a series of tweets on Sunday. UNICEFs representative in Syria, Bo Viktor Nylund, urged all parties in the conflict to protect children from violence.

Turkeys Defense Ministry accused Kurdish-led forces of carrying out the twin bombings on Sunday.

Neither the Kurdish-led Syrian Peoples Protection Units (YPG) nor its political affiliates have so far publicly commented on the latest incidents.

Cells believed to be connected to the YPG have been suspected of a number of similar bombings in the past. Syrian Kurdish officials have denied affiliates responsibility and condemned some previous attacks.

However, the commander of the Syrian YPG and wider US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, did not deny a connection to the bombings during an interview with the International Crisis Group last year.

The SDF accuses Turkey of continuing to violate cease-fire agreements brokered separately by the United States and Russia last year around Ain Issa at the M4 highway. Shelling from the Turkish-controlled side was reported again on Sunday.

The 2019 cease-fire resulted from Turkeys offensive incursion against the YPG along Syrias northeastern border with Turkey. Ankara accuses the YPG of being inextricably linked with the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which has waged an intermittent insurgency against the Turkish government since 1984.

Turkeys military, aided by Syrian opposition fighters, previously took control of the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in 2018, leading to a mass exodus of the local population. FSA groups have also been accused of widespread crimes against civilians, including murder and kidnapping, in Afrin.

Officials with Syrias Kurdish-led administration have publicly vowed to retake Afrin, though no such operation appears feasible anytime soon.

Elsewhere in Syria, a person was reportedly killed when SDF members opened fire in the city of Hasakah. Hawar, a news agency seen as sympathetic to the YPG, reported that SDF forces came under fire at a checkpoint before returning fire, allegedly killing a member of the Syrian government security services.

Syrias state SANA News Agency said SDF members fired on protesters in Hasakah, killing one and wounding four. Neither claim could be independently verified by Al-Monitor.

Both the Kurdish-led administration and the US-led military coalition against the Islamic State, which has backed Syrias YPG since 2014 and the SDF since its inception a year later, have said the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has sought leverage with Arab populations under SDF control to undermine Kurdish-led authorities.

A series of assassination attempts, some successful, have plagued officials with the Kurdish-led administration, particularly in the countrys eastern Deir ez-Zor province. Islamic State sleeper cells are suspected of carrying out many of the attempts.
LOCAL BRIEFS: United Way, clean water partnership, Love Library week

Top row, from left, are Kristen Bunch, Pauline Carpenter and Pam Combs. Bottom row from left, Sonia Gironda, Kimbela McMinn and Carol Stefaniak

The United Way announced six new members for its 2021 Board of Directors.

Joining the board, top row, from left, are Kristen Bunch, Pauline Carpenter and Pam Combs, and bottom row from left, Sonia Gironda, Kimbela McMinn and Carol Stefaniak. We are thrilled to welcome these new members to the United Way Board, Board Chair Sherri Holbert said. Their expertise, community connections and passion for our community and United Ways mission and work will make them real assets to our team. Our organization is fortunate to have a wise group of leaders serving on our board who are fighting for the education, financial stability and health of everyone in our community.

Raflatac, MountainTrue collaborate for clean water

MountainTrue is partnering for water quality with label material manufacturer UPM Raflatac, which is sponsoring MountainTrues Volunteer Water Information Network through the companys Bifore Share and Care grant program. MountainTrues volunteer-powered VWIN program features members of the public collecting water samples from over 30 sites throughout the French Broad River Water Basin every month.

UPM Raflatac is committed to labeling a smarter future beyond fossils and supporting a cleaner environment, said Tyler Matusevich, sustainability manager for UPM Raflatac. As part of that commitment, we support local organizations doing great work through our Biofore Share and Care grant program. With hundreds of our employees and their families in Western North Carolina, the preservation of our local waterways is of utmost importance and we are pleased to do our part.

This support is crucial to the work of MountainTrue, said MountainTrue Southern Regional Director Gray Jernigan. The VWIN program is the foundation of our work to protect the water quality of the French Broad River and other local watersheds.

The laboratory results and data collected through the VWIN program are vital to water protection efforts in the area. They help MountainTrue track down and stop pollution at the source and inform the policy advocacy initiatives of MountainTrues I Love Rivers campaign (www.ILoveRivers.org).

UPM Raflatac develops innovative and sustainable labeling solutions that help businesses move beyond fossil fuels. As one of the worlds leading producers of self-adhesive label materials, it maintains a global network of factories, distribution terminals and sales offices, and operates two factories in Henderson County, North Carolina employing approximately 350 people.

MountainTrues VWIN program is administered by its Hendersonville-based Southern Regional Office. The water samples collected by volunteers are analyzed by a state certified lab for various chemical and physical parameters (ammonia-nitrogen, nitrate/nitrite-nitrogen, orthophosphate, turbidity, total suspended solids, conductivity, alkalinity, and pH).

One of the worlds leading producers of self-adhesive label materials, UPM Raflatac supplies high-quality paper and film label stock for consumer product and industrial labeling through a global network of factories, distribution terminals and sales offices. A part of the Finland-based UPM corporation, Raflatac employs approximately 350 people in Fletcher and Mills River.

StoryWalk celebrates Love My Library month

Henderson County Public Library, in collaboration with 14 Main Street Hendersonville businesses, announced the installation of a Downtown StoryWalk as part of Love My Library month during February.

Beginning Monday, families can start reading Love Monster and the Last Chocolate by Rachel Bright at the Main Library at 301 N. Washington Street, then pick up a list of participating locations to continue the story. Each location will have a portion of the story displayed in a window. The StoryWalk will be in place through the end of February.

A StoryWalk is a wonderful way for families to safely enjoy a story outside while exploring Main Street shared Caitlin Lindsey, Youth Services Coordinator. We hope the StoryWalk encourages families to have fun reading together while encouraging important early literacy skills for children.

Henderson County Public Library is celebrating Love My Library Month throughout the month of Feb. . For more information visitwww.hendersoncountync.gov/library or call the Main Library at 697-4725.

The StoryWalk Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library.
Australis said the greenhouse facility is expected to save up to 90% on water use and 90% on labour compared to a traditional farm

The California greenhouse is expected to grow 48 million pounds of produce on a footprint 1/30th the size of a traditional farm

( ) ( ) (FRA:AC4) reported that ALPS, a company in which Australis is in the process of acquiring, has entered into an agreement with Bluehouse Greenhouse (BHGH) for the development of a 62 acre (2.7 million square foot), high-tech, fully integrated greenhouse for the sustainable production of vegetables in California.

Australis said the greenhouse facility, which will be developed by ALPS wholly-owned subsidiary Larssen Greenhouse Consulting (LGC), is expected to save up to 90% on water use and 90% on labour while growing 48 million pounds of produce on a footprint 1/30th the size of a traditional farm.

With this sizeable $1.9 million project, ALPS continues to capitalize on opportunities and grow revenues at a rapid pace, AUSA Interim CEO Dr. Duke Fu said in a statement.

He added: Conversion of ALPS's substantial business development pipeline in both the cannabis and traditional horticulture sectors will provide AUSA, once the acquisition is completed, with cash flow to further fuel the execution of its capital-light expansion strategy.

BHGH CEO Ari Kashani also weighed in on the agreement, stating: With an aging and shrinking pool of farmers, increasing wages and scarce and expensive natural resources, as well as increasingly stringent food safety and traceability regulations, greenhouse-grown produce has become a critical and essential component of the local food supply chain.

He added: ALPS has spearheaded many advances that will enable us to establish a sustainable and economically highly viable cultivation operation. We are very excited about this first BHGH facility in California, and intend to replicate our 'by locals for locals' approach in other regions as we expand our operations across the US.

Australis noted that the BHGH facility will enable the cultivation of produce year-round, without volatility in quality, price, taste or look.

As well, BHGH's proximity to its primary markets significantly reduces the carbon footprint related to the transport of produce.

Australis said it considers ALPS to be the world's premier design, construction management, commissioning and post-commissioning consultancy company for horticultural crops, such as cannabis, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and algae.

With its acquisition of ALPS, Australis Capital will also be obtaining the iconic west coast cannabis brand Mr. Natural.

Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com
Bodycam videos of police officers who responded in a family dispute in the upstate New York City has been released, displaying officers while they used the cops pepper spray on a 9-year-old girl.

Among the videos released showed a distraught youngster running from the police, but dropped to the snow-covered ground while a cop chases her to bring her back.

In a second footage, the 9-nine-year-old girl can be seen screaming that he wants her dad.

She also shouted that she wants her dad and she will not get in the police car until she will be seeing her dad.But an officer orders her to stop what she was doing.

Instead of following the order, the girl instead yelled and asked the officers to get the snow off her and added that she wants her dad. She even demanded the police if she can see her dad.

But the cop responded at her at one point during the lengthy ordeal that either she stop or she will be hurting herself.

Moreover, a female officer can also be heard in the video telling the 9-year-old that she will find her father but in the meantime, she needs to get inside the police car to stay warm, USA Today reported.

Instead of feeling some comfort, the movie just made the girl screaming again.

Read also: Anti-Vaccine Protesters Storm COVID-19 Vaccination Site Prompting Temporary Closure

The Turning Point

According to the New York Post, as the lengthy ordeal continues, a cop just started to spray her at this point and can be seen spraying the girl.

After the cops pepper-sprayed the girl, she then can be heard screaming and asking for help to wipe her eyes.

During a press conference of the city on Sunday, Rochester Deputy Police Chief Andre Anderson shared that the 9-year-old girl was suicidal. After the press conference, the said footages were then released.

The Rochester Deputy Police Chief also mentioned that a 9-year-old girl indicated that she wanted to kill herself and she wanted to kill her mom, the Democrat & Chronicle reported.

The mother of the nine-year-old girl who was not identified can be seen in the video arguing with her daughter. But the girl became increasingly agitated while her mother berates her. She can also be seen cursing at passing motorists.

On Saturday, the police released a statement mentioning that the actions of the girl prompted a 'required' action from an officer in taking her to the ground as she disobeyed commands in putting her in the car.

It also mentioned in the statement that the cop pepper-sprayed the minor because it is for her safety and due to the request of the custodial parent who is present on the scene.

Moreover, the 9-year-old child whom the cop pepper-sprayed was then handcuffed and put in the back of a police car as they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

On the other hand, Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan shared on Sunday that she is not going to stand there and tell the public it is okay for a cop paper spray to be used on a 9-year-old because it is not.

The police chief then stated that she will ensure that these things will not happen again. Even Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren was disturbed by the footage because of the way the police handled the young girl.

Related article: Police Chief Resigns After Being Suspended Following Investigation on Document Fraud

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Chinese Christian fined nearly $25K for holding Christmas celebration

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Authorities with the Chinese Communist Party fined a Christian man nearly $25,000 after he hosted a Christmas celebration, accusing the believer of violating multiple anti-religion laws.

Over the Christmas holiday, Niu Guobao, who lives in Huang Zhang Liang village in the province of Henan, hosted more than 40 Christians, including 20 children, to pray and sing hymns in honor of Christs birth.

Bitter Winter, a religious liberty watchdog, reported that Chinese officials raided Nius home and subsequently fined him 160,000 yuan ($24,693 USD) for hosting the party  an amount the persecution watchdog says is astronomical for a villager.

Authorities accused Niu of violating three laws: hosting an unauthorized religious gathering under Article 71 of the Regulation of Religious Affairs; hosting minors at a religious gathering; and owning Christian calendars and unauthorized religious books.

The money will reportedly remain with the local Religious Affairs Bureau, a kind of governmental agency that is often in need of cash, according to Bitter Winter, which notes that heavy fines are used to both terrorize religious dissidents and finance the bureaucrats.

Chinese authorities have cracked down on non-Chinese celebrations since 2017 after President Xi Jinping told a Communist Party Congress that the leadership should persist in advancing the Sinicisation of our countrys religions.

That same year, the CPPs central committee and state council issued an official document, titled "prevented Christians from entering Catholic and Protestant churches, placing signs on the doors reading: Due to the pandemic, all religious activities have been halted.

In Fujian province, Christians were prevented from singing Christmas songs in a shopping mall, even though the believers had been invited to perform.

Chinese schools even told children that Christmas should not be celebrated, and gifts should not be exchanged, Bitter Winter said.



In 2018, just before Christmas, authorities in some cities such as Langfang, in Hebei province, ordered shops to remove Christmas decorations on the streets and in window displays.

Authorities across China also warned members of Christian churches not to try holding public gatherings to celebrate Christmas, and the disciplinary arm of the CCP banned its members and government officials from celebrating Christmas, comparing the practice to "spiritual opium" for members of the atheist party.

China is ranked 17th on Open Door USAs World Watch List of 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian  up six spots from last year. According to Open Doors, the CCP has cracked down on Christians by using surveillance technology, integrating its social credit and video security system within the last year to track its people and punish them for attending church.

Despite increasing persecution, the Christian population in China is projected to reach 300 million by 2030.

"We think the evidence as to why the Chinese Church is so targeted, is that the leaders are scared of the size of the Church and the growth of the Church, Open Doors' Ron Boyd-MacMillan said.

"And if it grows at the rate that it has done since 1980, and that's about between 7 and 8 percent a year, then you're looking at a group of people that will be 300 million strong, nearly by 2030. And the Chinese leadership, they really do long-term planning. Their economic plan goes to 2049, so this bothers them. Because I think if the Church continues to grow like that, then they'll have to share power."
He is deeply in love with the culture, traditions and management systems of Japan & proudly calls himself "Japan Bhakt". In fact, he has also created various hashtags like #IndiaforTokyoOlympics and #AshutoshForTokyoOlympics . He promotes the same on his Instagram & social media handles. He also has a special chapter in his book about Olympics and how people of Japan were preparing for the same. His heartwarming experiences are definitely going to touch the emotional chord of all the readers. He hopes that his book becomes instrumental in inspiring people to travel to Japan and also for the Olympics.

As a child, he always dreamt of travelling to Japan and other distant lands. However, he thought that this would only remain as a dream, as he grew up in a middle class family and they would not be able to afford to send him outside Gujarat. And hence, travelling abroad was out of question. But, as they say, magic happens and it changed his life. If one strongly desires something while also work towards it, one always ends up getting it.

Fast forward to September 2018, he was part of a team that hosted lunch and a small function for the First Lady of Japan  Her Excellency Ms. Akie Abe in Ahmedabad. At that time, she mentioned that she felt a special connection with India. She had a spiritual outlook and strongly believed in Indian philosophy. She also added that India was a holy land and only those who are destined or summoned can visit India. The feeling was mutual and Ashutosh Rawal could exactly relate to what she was saying since he felt the same way for Japan. He strongly feels that he has past life connection with Japan. That was the moment of realization and he resumed writing a book on his experiences in Japan after many years. Pandemic time gave him the time to finish his long cherished dream to a published Author.

As a seasoned travel professional, Ashutosh Rawal has traveled to over 70 countries but he says that his best experiences are from Japan. He also believes that India's Prime Minister also has a strong connection with Japan and with Ex-Prime Minister of Japan His Excellency Mr. Shinzo Abe. Japan is the country visited highest number of times by the Chief Minister of Gujarat and as then by the Prime Minister of India.

Japan has always been at the forefront of innovation and they always strive for perfection in everything they do. They take on every challenge with a sense of responsibility and take pride in resolving the crisis at hand. In their regular day to day work as well, they plan everything to the smallest of the details. And in this case, everyone is talking about The Olympics, The Biggest Show on Earth. Deep down in his heart, Ashutosh Rawal hopes and prays for the super success of Olympics 2020ne (name changed creatively to depict both the years 2020 & 2021)

If one would like to know more, Ashutosh Rawal will be happy to speak on his instagram account @ashutoshvrawal or email at [email protected], or visit his website https://ashutoshrawal.com.

About Ashutosh Rawal:

Ashutosh Rawal is a world traveler, photographer, adventure seeker, writer, teacher, snake charmer as well as a student forever. Professionally working in the field of Tourism, Destination Marketing and Corporate Events, he travels across India and the globe for his work. He leads the Travel Company called Kairamya Journeys LLP., based in Ahmedabad. He is highly excited about his upcoming book release which narrates his travel experiences in Japan.



Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1430112/Ashutosh_Rawal.jpg

Media Contact:

Ashutosh Rawal

[email protected]

Author, Ashutosh Rawal

SOURCE Ashutosh Rawal
French border police turned away some passengers bound for non-EU destinations Monday as new rules came into force banning flights to and from countries outside the bloc.

Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the measure Friday as part of new efforts to contain Covid-19 infections and avoid another nationwide lockdown.

Travellers must also present proof of a recent negative Covid test.

Only urgent reasons for travel are accepted and border police require written proof before allowing passengers to board, as Toure, a Malian national, found out when he tried to leave France for Bamako without the necessary document.

"I said that my mother, whom I hadn't seen in a while, was ill but they told me I needed proof," Toure, who withheld his last name, told AFP at Paris's main airport Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle.

After being turned away Toure, who works for a French public works foundation, managed to get hold of his mother's doctor in Bamako who sent him a barely legible note by WhatsApp. He tried again, and this time was waved through.

Valid reasons for "urgent" travel include documented serious health conditions, the needs of dependents, professional emergencies or passengers' returning to their country of residence.

By curbing international travel, the government hopes to get a better grip on the circulation of the coronavirus and its recent variants, which have been spreading at a fearsome pace.

- 'There could be sanctions' -

"The idea is to limit the outbound-inbound loops between France and abroad," Julien Gentile, head of the border police for the Roissy and Le Bourget airports, told AFP.

Passengers must first show the required documentation at airline counters during check-in, but some carriers have already fallen foul of the authorities for failing to stop passengers without a Covid test.

"If airlines fail to meet the requirement in terms of health checks, there could be sanctions," a transport ministry spokesman told AFP.

Story continues

Last week, Ethiopian Airlines was banned from flying to France for four days after failing to check passengers for tests, and the government warned all carriers that failing to comply with the requirements could eventually lead to a temporary, or even indefinite, ban.

Passengers must also present a valid written excuse at border control, where agents were no longer allowing automated passport scanning but instead checked each document, as passenger queues grew longer.

The time needed per passenger can easily reach five or 10 minutes, compared with just seconds usually, as agents try to determine what is an "urgent" motive and what isn't.

"If you want to visit the grave of somebody who didn't die recently you can't go, even if that may seem cruel," said Cecile Aerdeman, head of the airports' border service. "You will have to wait until the health situation changes."

President Emmanuel Macron has decided, for now, not to impose a third national lockdown, choosing a different path than France's neighbours such as Britain and Germany.

Health Minister Olivier Veran said Sunday that the number of new coronavirus cases had barely increased over the past week, while other indicators -- such as traces of the virus detected in waste water -- were also reassuring.

The French government put in place a strict nighttime curfew after a second lockdown ended in December, while deaths of around 250 a day are currently less than a quarter of the number in Britain or Germany.

amd/jh/js/txw

HONG KONG - Myanmar's military said Monday that it took control of the country and declared a state of emergency for a year, hours after detaining civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of her ruling National League for Democracy in a predawn operation, staging a coup against the democratically elected government.

The raids came hours before a new session of parliament was scheduled to open and members who won the November elections were set to take their seats. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won those elections in a landslide, capturing 396 of 476 seats. It was Myanmar's second democratic election since the country's fragile transition from military rule to democracy.

NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told The Washington Post that Suu Kyi, Myanmar President Win Myint and all chief ministers from their party, representing more than a dozen states and regions in the country, were taken at gunpoint. A spokesman for his party was also detained, he said.

"I expect that soldiers will arrive for me soon," Myo Nyunt said. "This is very likely a coup, but we hope that there will also be negotiation between our leaders and the military."

Several hours after the raids, the military in a television broadcast said that a state of emergency had been declared in Myanmar, and that power would be transferred to the commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing. Myint Swe, a former general and the military-backed vice president, will become the president, the broadcast added.

The sweep included other prominent democracy activists who have been fighting against military rule for decades, leaders of other political parties and NLD lawmakers, according to social media posts and news reports.

Communications appeared to be down or patchy in Naypyidaw, Myanmar's capital, as well as Yangon, the country's largest city and commercial hub. The state-run broadcaster Myanmar Radio and Television said in a Facebook post that it was not able to broadcast "due to communication problems." Websites were also down; the Internet monitoring service Netblocks said national connectivity had fallen to 75% of normal levels.

The military has alleged voter fraud in the November vote, but Myanmar's election commission has said there is no evidence to support its claims. The military's proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, alleged voter fraud after winning 33 seats.

Political tensions and fears of a military takeover have prompted alarm in the international community.

In a statement sent late Sunday in Washington, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States was alarmed by the reports and urged Myanmar's military to adhere to the rule of law and release those detained, or face consequences. "The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed," she said.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken added in a statement that the United States stood with the people of Myanmar, also known as Burma, in their "aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development."

On Friday, diplomatic missions in Myanmar affirmed their support for the country's democratic transition and urged the military to respect the results of the elections.

The military, known as the Tatmadaw, said diplomats were making "unwarranted assumptions" and denied that it was impeding the democratic transition.

Myanmar's military ruled the country for half a century before beginning a transition to democracy in 2010 and allowing elections that ushered Suu Kyi and her party to power in 2015. But the current military-drafted constitution enshrines power for military generals, who have a quarter of seats in parliament and maintain control over key ministries.

Suu Kyi spent 15 years under house arrest before her release in November 2010, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her resistance to military rule. The military-drafted constitution prevents her from leading Myanmar as president, but she is unequivocally the nation's leader, revered as a deity, and rules through proxies. The military-drafted constitution also allows the army to step into a situation that may "disintegrate" the county and national solidarity.

Since taking power, Suu Kyi has disappointed old allies in the West, particularly for defending Myanmar - and its military in particular - against charges of genocide over the persecution of the Rohingya ethnic minority. Suu Kyi has in recent years moved closer to powers such as China and India, and grown increasingly estranged from countries such as the United States and Britain, which once led advocacy efforts to get her out of house arrest.

The historian and writer Thant Myint-U said Monday that "the doors just opened to a very different future."

"I have a sinking feeling that no one will really be able to control what comes next," he tweeted. "And remember Myanmar's a country awash in weapons, with deep divisions across ethnic & religious lines, where millions can barely feed themselves."

- - -

The Washington Post's Kyaw Ye Lynn in Yangon, Myanmar and Timothy McLaughlin in Hong Kong contributed to this report.
Admin gears up as Hisar farmers get set to protest today

Punjab MLA Navjot Singh Sidhu hoists black flag at his residence in support of protesting farmers

Stronger barricades, nail-studded roads: Farmers protest sites turn fortresses

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Feb 01: Farmers' protest sites at Delhi's borders turned into fortresses on Monday as police beefed up security and strengthened barricades.

Workers under the watch of police personnel were seen hooking iron rods between two rows of cement barriers on a flank of the main highway at the Singhu border to further restrict the movement of protesters, agitating against the new farm laws.

Another portion of the highway at the Delhi-Haryana border is practically blocked now as a makeshift cement wall has come up there.

At Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, there are multi-layer barricades to stop the movement of vehicles. Barbed wire has also been put up to keep off people on foot.

Protesters were pouring in as Bharatiya Kisan Union members and its leader Rakesh Tikait stayed pitched at Ghazipur's UP Gate, occupying a stretch of the Delhi-Meerut highway since November.

Protesting farmers announce 3-hour nationwide 'chakka jam' on Feb 6

Hundreds of security personnel, including the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF), kept vigil.

Drones were being used to monitor the situation and vehicles checked as more support flowed in for the BKU from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

At Singhu on the Haryana border, a worker drilled rods in cross-formation between two rows of solid barriers.

"The other flank was done yesterday. Cement is to be poured in the space between the barriers on this flank to make a makeshift wall," he said.

The move comes days after the violent clashes between some protesters and police on January 26 during the tractor parade by the farmers.

The section of the highway at the Singhu border also saw a clash recently between farmers and a group of people who claimed to be local residents.

On Monday, the Delhi side of the Singhu border saw a sparse crowd of protesters while the Haryana side was dominated by people making vociferous speeches, denouncing the new farm laws.

Security personnel from the paramilitary forces, RAF and CRPF, were seen in relatively less numbers compared to the past few days at Singhu. But a large number of police personnel manned the stretch.

Besides the makeshift wall on the highway, a small trench was dug up earlier across a street a little off the highway and cement barricades put up on both the sides.

Farmer leaders at the site, however, asserted that the barricades won't cage their spirit.

Balwinder Singh Sirsa, a farmer leader from Sirsa in Haryana, urged protesters not get demotivated by what happened on January 26, claiming it was "orchestrated by some people to denigrate the protest.

A woman protester from Haryana, addressing a large gathering from the dais, said the alleged conspiracy on that day failed to weaken the movement and has rather injected "a new lease of life" in it.

Randhir Singh, 85, a farmer from Haryana, said, "We are not terrorists or Khalistanis. We are fighting for our rights. Attempts are still being made to defame and weaken us.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, February 1, 2021, 22:10 [IST]
Who will be the next CM of Assam? Sarbananda Sonowal or Himanta Biswa Sarma?

Assam Elections 2021: Cong accuses BJP of destroying social fabric

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Guwahati, Feb 01: The Congress on Saturday alleged that the ruling BJP has been working overtime to destroy the social fabric of Assam. The saffron party during the past five years of its rule in the state has continuously used communal divide as a tool to polarise the voters of the state, AICC spokesperson Gourav Vallabh told a press conference here.

"Assam is the land of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva who propagated an inclusive society, but BJP has been working overtime to destroy the social fabric of Assam", he said. BJP has been boasting of close co-ordination between the central and the state governments over the development efforts in Assam but the reality is completely different, the Congress leader claimed.

Implying that there are two centers of power in the state government - chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Vallabh said

LJP to contest all seats in West Bengal, Assam Assembly elections

"The so called double-engine government has turned out to be a double-CM government with both moving in opposite directions with the development of Assam going nowhere". Continuing his attack, Vallabh said the BJP government has been completely indifferent towards building an infrastructure to withstand damage against natural disasters like floods and earthquakes.

"It took the BJP government at the Centre two years to come up with a shoddy North East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS) that doesnt even propose an exclusive industrial policy for the North East," the Congress leader said.

According to the 227th report of the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, only 33 paise per capita was allocated for Assam in 2019-20 (Rs.1 crore in total) under the NEIDS and during 2019, Assam accounted for only 0.73 percent of the large industrial units established in the country, he pointed out.

Out of 36 states and Union Territories combined, Assam ranked 20th in the Business Reform Action Plan Results, 2019 indicating no concrete reforms initiated by the BJP government in the state, he alleged.

As per the CMIE data, the unemployment rate in Assam in December 2020 was 7.6 per cent, which is higher than the national unemployment rate of 6.5 per cent. Vallabh claimed that BJP government had promised nine new medical colleges and one high-tech 500 bed hospital in every district of Assam but the BJP government has deceived the people by holding foundation laying ceremonies just a month before the state elections.

The BJP government has also failed to deliver on its promise of setting up 30 Industrial Technology Institutes and an IIM and according to the recently released NITI Aayog''s India Innovation Index 2020 Assam is ranked 29th out of 27 states and nine UTs. "This speaks of the state''s overall pathetic performance in education especially in higher education and research - science and technology, industrial and employment sector," he added.
Spotify Launches in South Korea

Today Spotify (News - Alert) (NYSE: SPOT) launches its service in South Korea, giving Korean listeners access to over 60 million tracks and over 4 billion playlists from around the world. As the world's most popular audio streaming subscription service, Spotify offers an effortlessly simple interface, an innovative technology framework, everyday new music discovery and algorithmic recommendations personalized to each listener's music taste. This launch brings Spotify's total number of markets to 93.

As the sixth-largest music market in the world*, South Korea is a critical next step in Spotify's global expansion journey. Not only is South Korea among the most digitally inclusive markets in the world, but it is also widely recognized as a cultural and music epicenter, in part due to the global phenomena K-Pop. Since Spotify debuted its first K-Pop playlist in 2014, the share of K-Pop listening on the platform has increased by more than 2,000%. With this launch, Spotify plans to accelerate the growth of Korea's entire music streaming ecosystem, benefitting creators, labels, distributors and fans.

"We always want to be where the listeners and artists are, and Korea is rich in both," said Alex Norstrom, Chief Freemium Business Officer of Spotify. "This launch presents a massive opportunity for us to not only further our mission of bringing new and quality content to more audiences, but also help local Korean artists tap into Spotify's 320 million listeners worldwide. We hope to create more opportunities for Korean artists across all genres to be discovered by listeners around the world."

Spotify has uniquely tailored the music experience for each market. As a part of today's launch, Spotify is introducing a range of new playlists made exclusively for South Korea. These playlists offer curated and the latest music from our team of Korean music experts, across some of the most popular genres. These include:







In Korea, new listeners can try out Spotify Premium 7 days-free on their mobile phone with no credit card information and a total of 3 months-free with credit card information, if subscribed before the end of June 2021. Listeners can engage with Spotify across a wide range of devices and app integrations including Instagram, Facebook, Samsung (News - Alert) mobile and TV, LG TV, Microsoft Xbox, Bose and more.

The Spotify app is available to download for both Premium Individual and Duo plans. To enjoy music the way you want it, download the Spotify app today via the Android or iOS app store or by heading to www.spotify.com/kr-ko/.

Click here for further imagery.

* According to IFPI (https://www.ifpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Global_Music_Report-the_Industry_in_2019-en.pdf)

About Spotify Technology S.A.

Spotify transformed music listening forever when we launched in 2008. Our mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the opportunity to enjoy and be inspired by these creators.

Today, with over 60 million tracks and over 4 billion playlists, we are the world's most popular audio streaming subscription service with a community of more than 320 million listeners across 93 markets.

We use our Investors and For the Record websites as well as other social media listed in the "Resources - Social Media" tab of our Investors website to disclose material company information. For more information, images, or to contact the press team, head over to https://newsroom.spotify.com/.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005846/en/
Under Xi Jinping, China is using its armed forces increasingly to intimidate Japan, India and Indonesia among others, while breaking its solemn commitment to Hong Kongs autonomy and increasing its military pressure on Taiwan. The argument to allow it more strategic space was a pre-emptive excuse not for some elegant academic argument on the rise and fall of great powers but an invitation to a rogue power to smash its way to dominance. Under Xi Jinping, China is using its armed forces increasingly to intimidate Japan, India and Indonesia among others. Credit:AP And its not about the moral equivalence of China with the rise of the US a century or two ago. Its about the absolutes of security today. Beijing is injuring its neighbours, destabilising the region, and ignoring the rules that middle powers like Australia rely on for national security and sovereign survival. Excuse number two. We mustnt make China angry. Over the past few decades, the Australian media has been conditioned to expect anger from the Chinese government. We put ourselves in a constant state of anticipation. Reporters and editors closely watched Australias government for anything that might make China angry. It became the main frame through which Australia absorbed news about the bilateral relationship.

Altogether, Australian newspaper reports on relations between Australia and China have featured the word angry on 1057 occasions over the five years from 2015 to 2020, according to a search of the Factiva database. Thats an average of 211 per year. Or one report of Chinas anger at Australia every 1.7 days. These reports usually are interpretations of remarks in the Chinese Communist Partys media or by Chinese officials. This is unique among Australias international relationships. No other countrys dealings with Australia are assessed consistently through the prism of anger, anticipated or actual. Australians are not told that they should live in fear of any other nation. So, naturally, when China takes action against Australia it seems justified by its anger. Inevitable, almost. Implicit is that Australia has acted wrongly, aggressively or provocatively. It has earned this anger; we are somehow responsible. An airstrip, structures and buildings on Chinas man-made Subi Reef in the Spratly chain of islands in the South China Sea. Credit:AP Is China actually angry in all these instances? No one seems to bother asking the question. The Australian sinologist Geremie Barme gives us a strong clue: Performative outrage is a high art in China. So is propaganda and what the Party likes to call discourse control.

This successful Chinese conditioning of the Australian mind over the decades had made us more receptive to the sort of self-abasement we are urged to perform to assuage Chinas anger. This week, for instance, we hear a former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Philip Flood, telling us that the current low point in relations is caused by both countries and that Australia needs to approach China with more nuance. Loading What sort of nuance would Flood suggest we use against a fascist power that is crushing human liberty at home  including a program of genocide in Xinjiang  and using brute force to make illegal territorial grabs abroad? Lets recall that the origin point of the current low point was the bipartisan decision of Australias Parliament to pass laws against foreign interference and espionage. This was followed by the ban on Huawei. And the request for an inquiry into the origin of the pandemic that has killed 2 million people so far and created a global recession. The truth is that Xis regime is not entitled to the strategic space it is seizing from its neighbours. It is not righteously angry at any Australian lack of nuance. It is a dictatorship determined to break Australias sovereign will. Australia is seeking to defend itself and its interests; Beijing is the aggressor.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 09:53:24|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Ministry of Health on Sunday reported 629 new COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, taking the national count to 137,650.

The ministry also said the COVID-19 death toll stood at 2,093, including two new fatalities recorded over the past 24 hours.

With 274 more recoveries registered, the total recovery tally rose to 122,862, said the ministry.

Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, is one of the countries the hardest hit by the pandemic in Africa, after South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt.

The country has so far reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the East African region.

The Ethiopian government has been urging the public to implement COVID-19 precautionary measures so as to contain the spread of the virus.

The east African nation has conducted 1,962,552 COVID-19 tests, including 7,109 new ones during the last 24 hours, said the ministry.

COVID-19 tests conducted in Ethiopia are also among the highest in Africa, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Enditem
New Delhi, Feb 1 : To give a push to infrastructure creation and reviving the economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday proposed to set up a Development Financial Institution (DFI).

The Finance Minister proposed to create the DFI -- National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) -- via a parliamentary bill.

Accordingly, the DFI will be formed with a seed capital of Rs 20,000 crore.

According to the FM, the DFI is expected to give a massive lending push worth around Rs 5 lakh crore till the next three years.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Gerard Butler dodges Earth-destroying comets in a thrilling new disaster flick, while Winnipeg director Guy Maddin takes the spotlight in February with a career-highlights retrospective.

Morena Baccarin, left, and Gerard Butler are shown in "Greenland" in this undated handout photo. Gerard Butler and Morena Baccarin star as parents racing to escape a planet-killing comet in "Greenland," which arrives on Amazon Prime Video on Feb. 5. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Amazon Prime, STXfilms, Daniel McFadden

Gerard Butler dodges Earth-destroying comets in a thrilling new disaster flick, while Winnipeg director Guy Maddin takes the spotlight in February with a career-highlights retrospective.

The shelf of streaming picks is expanding this month as some of the biggest companies march out libraries of programming in hopes that subscribers will stick around for the show.

Disney Plus opens the vault to Star, a new section on its existing family-friendly streaming platform.

Starting Feb. 23, and coupled with a price bump of a few dollars, Star will offer a slate of older movies and TV series for grown-ups, as well as original productions previously unavailable in Canada, including "Love, Victor" and "Solar Opposites."

Meanwhile, Netflix recently announced plans to bulk up its slate of higher-profile original films, promising a new one every week this year, including its romantic threequel "To All the Boys: Always and Forever" on Feb. 12

Here are some February titles to add to your watchlist:

"GREENLAND"

Action star Gerard Butler was a golden warrior in "300" and defended the U.S. president in "Olympus Has Fallen." In "Greenland," he outruns a hail of comets with the sort of epic B-movie energy thats been missing since theatres closed. Butler's character is trying to escape to a safe zone with his family amid the threat of worldwide disaster.Of course, nothing goes according to plan as the plot spirals into pandemonium. (Amazon Prime Video, Feb. 5)

DIRECTED BY GUY MADDIN

Winnipegs architect of surreal cinema marks his 65th birthday on Feb. 28, so Criterion Channel is rolling out some of his most celebrated works, all of them darlings of expressionist cinema and silent films. The collection includes Maddin's lauded "My Winnipeg," and "The Saddest Music in the World," as well as lesser-seen shorts, such as last years "The Rabbit Hunters" and "Stump the Guesser." The selection is rounded out with a new interview between Maddin and Canadian culture critic Robert Enright. (Criterion Channel, Feb. 1)

"THE NEW CORPORATION: THE UNFORTUNATELY NECESSARY SEQUEL"

Seventeen years after the original Canadian documentary's fiery take on the rise of massive corporations, filmmakers Jennifer Abbott and Joel Bakan are back for another anxiety-inducing reality check. This time, voices such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Anand Giridharadas reflect on widening income inequality, climate change and how COVID-19 could affect the future economy. (Crave/HBO, Feb. 12)

"I CARE A LOT"

Rosamund Pike ("Gone Girl") clutches this pulp thriller in the palm of her hand as cool-as-ice schemer Marla Grayson, a court-appointed conservator who offers to seemingly help the elderly before draining their bank accounts. But her shady cons attract other unsavoury characters who see their own opportunities. Co-starring Peter Dinklage and Dianne Wiest. (Amazon Prime Video, Feb. 19)

"THE LADY AND THE DALE"

Elizabeth Carmichael was a visionary, promising a three-wheeled, fuel-efficient car in the midst of the 1970s oil crisis. But she was also a lifelong criminal whose scams led to decades of running from authorities and assuming false identities. HBOs four-part docuseries reckons with how complicated that became for Carmichael, a transgender woman in a period where few others were on the public radar. Stacked with surprising twists, interviews with her family, and inspired animations, this adventure story captures the messiness of a self-proclaimed automotive genius who might've actually been onto something. (Crave/HBO, new episodes Sundays)

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:

"THE MUPPET SHOW"  All five seasons of Jim Hensons star-studded variety show make their streaming debut. (Disney Plus, Feb. 19)

"FOR ALL MANKIND"  Season 2 of the "what if" reimagining of NASAs space race heads to the moon. (Apple TV Plus, Feb. 8)

"MALCOLM & MARIE"  John David Washington ("Tenet") plays a director hashing out his problems with his girlfriend, Zendaya ("Euphoria"), as they await critical reaction to his latest film. Notable as one of the first movies shot during the pandemic. (Netflix, Feb. 5)

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2021.
More than 3,500 fines have been issued for breaches of Covid-19 public health regulations, gardai have revealed.

The Gardai continue to urge the public to stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to travel as it has emerged that 2,100 fines have now been issued for non-essential travel.

Between Thursday and Sunday, Gardai issued over 280 fines at Dublin Airport to people for leaving the country for non-essential travel.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin urged Irish people to stop going on foreign holidays last week as he revealed the fine for exceeding the 5km travel limit would be increased from 100 to 500.

Read More

Addressing the Fianna Fail party meeting last week, he said: Very clearly, anyone who travels abroad like that is in breach of Level 5 restrictions, and that carries with it penalties.

Gardai also discovered house parties this weekend throughout the country including in Dublin, Sligo, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Westmeath, Limerick, Cork and Tipperary with 150 fines issued for either organising or attending a house party.

Many of these house parties consisted of large groups of up to 30 people.

There is a ban on all household visits under current level 5 restrictions while social gatherings both indoors and outdoors are also strictly prohibited.

These measures will stay in place until March 5 when the Government will review the public health situation again.

This week has also seen gardai attend breaches of health regulations by licensed premises, restaurants, retail outlets, hair and beauty salons and other business premises.

In a statement issued today, Deputy Commissioner, Policing and Security, John Twomey said: "The vast majority of people continue to comply with the public health regulations. In doing so, they are protecting themselves and others.

However, some people continue to engage in behaviour that puts themselves, their loved ones, their colleagues and their neighbours at risk of catching Covid-19.

At this stage, no-one can say they arent fully aware of the public health advice and the potential dangers - including death and serious illness  of not following that advice.

Mr Twomey urged the public to travel only on essential journeys, limit social contacts and continue to maintain social distancing.
The module will be tested in healthcare information systems on February 10.

Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister, Chief Medical Officer Viktor Liashko has said the ministry will launch a website for online registration for vaccination against COVID-19.

Speaking in an interview for Ukraine's TSN TV news service, he said the module would be comprehensively tested in healthcare information systems on February 10.

Launch of registration for coronavirus vaccination

"Simultaneously, a website will be launched that will inform about immunization and will allow registration for vaccination. In parallel, an awareness campaign is being developed, it will be launched, and we will update on which risk groups are being vaccinated and registered, where it will be clearly explained where, in what place, a person can get vaccinated, who will conduct it," he said.

How to register for COVID-19 vaccination

According to Liashko, the registration for vaccination will be available in three ways: on the website, by a family doctor's referral and by phone at the Primary Health Care Center.

Read alsoZelensky: COVID-19 vaccination in Ukraine to be freeThe official also said those people who had not signed a declaration with a family doctor would also be able to register for vaccination.

"You may register. We will coordinate you at the place of residence to a specific vaccination point," Liashko said.

COVID-19 vaccination in Ukraine

On January 30, 2021, Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister, Chief Medical Officer Viktor Liashko said Ukraine would receive 117,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine within the COVAX (the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility) in February.

From the middle of February to the end of June 2021, Ukraine will obtain 2.2 million to 3.7 million doses of an AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine.

First to get vaccinated will be healthcare workers, the elderly, and seriously ill patients.

In December 2020, the Health Ministry's coronavirus task force approved a COVID-19 immunization plan under which at least 50% of Ukrainians (20 million people) are to be vaccinated during 2021-2022.

On January 29, the National Commission for technology-related and environmental safety and emergencies approved a schedule for vaccination against the coronavirus in Ukraine in 2021.

On February 1, Ukrainian Deputy Health Minister for European Integration Ihor Ivashchenko said Ukraine would receive the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines in two weeks.

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.
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.


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.
Meghan Markle says she was forced by Buckingham Palace to change her name on her sons birth certificate.

Her first names, Rachel Meghan, were removed from the document in June 2019, a month after Archie was born. The Duchess of Sussex said it was offensive to suggest she wanted to be nameless on her childs birth certificate.

On the original certificate, registered on May 17, 2019, Ms Markle gave her name as Rachel Meghan Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex. But 19 days later on June 5, the duchess and her husband submitted alterations to both their names. The duchesss name was corrected to merely read Her Royal Highness Duchess of Sussex. The dukes name was also changed to insert the word Prince, which had been left out of the original.

Following speculation about the reasons for the changes, the duchess issued a stinging attack on British tabloid newspapers and their carnival of so-called experts. She said the alterations were forced on the couple by Buckingham Palace officials.

A spokeswoman for the duchess said: The change of name on public documents in 2019 was dictated by the palace, as confirmed by documents from senior palace officials. This was not requested by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex nor by the Duke of Sussex.

To see this UK tabloid and their carnival of so-called experts choose to deceptively whip this into a calculated family snub and suggest that she would oddly want to be nameless on her childs birth certificate, or any other legal document, would be laughable were it not offensive.

Read More

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
OpenSpace, a venture-backed company based in San Francisco, uses computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to create next-generation construction management tools. In order to capture 360 images, a field worker walks the jobsite with a helmet-mounted camera. The OpenSpace platform captures an image every half-second and then utilizes its high-speed data processing and proprietary algorithms to give builders a digital replica of the site that can be viewed remotely by team members all over the world.

Shimizu began a trial of the OpenSpace platform in March, 2020, and found it to be highly effective. When the Covid-19 pandemic imposed new challenges on construction, Shimizu allowed many overseas employees to temporarily return to Japan. During this time, they used OpenSpace to monitor jobsites and track events in the field remotely. The platform proved to be exceptionally useful in improving communication and collaboration of teams globally.

OpenSpace not only delivers an up-to-date and comprehensive view of each jobsite, it also allows teams to see the difference from the plan by comparing it to the BIM model and it even allows teams to "see through walls" by viewing the site at earlier stages of construction. Shimizu is also helping OpenSpace with product testing and ideation, offering advice on new features based on their immense construction-industry expertise and initial findings from testing the software.

The newly-signed agreement between Shimizu and OpenSpace includes not only the 360 photo documentation which has already been tested by Shimizu, but also the new ClearSight analytics suite of tools from OpenSpace. The analytics tools will give Shimizu even greater visibility into each jobsite, allowing them to track materials and track progress rates over time. This will allow for more efficient collaboration and decision-making.

OpenSpace could also be involved in "Shimizu Smart Site," the innovative building construction system which deploys robotics for productivity gains in construction. In the future, Shimizu may explore using robots to capture 360 images, something that has already been proven to be possible with the OpenSpace platform.

Shimizu has been executing open innovation activities in Silicon Valley since 2017 and launched the Shimizu Silicon Valley Innovation Centre (SVIC) in April 2019 for the purpose of scouting new technologies and business development opportunities. The new partnership between Shimizu and OpenSpace is a typical example of open innovation which relies on the fusion of advanced technology and construction know-how. Shimizu will actively continue to promote productivity improvements in the construction industry through adoption of the best technology and practices.

About OpenSpace

Founded in 2017, OpenSpace is a San Francisco-based tech company that is on a mission to bring new levels of transparency to construction. Our solutions combine simple 360 cameras, computer vision, and AI to make it incredibly easy to capture a complete visual record of the jobsite, share it via the cloud and track progress. To date our customers have used our platform to capture three billion square feet of active construction projects across thousands of sites in dozens of countries.

About Shimizu

Shimizu Corporation was founded in 1804. The company began when Kisuke Shimizu I, who was a carpenter in Etchu or what is now Toyama Prefecture, launched the business in the Kanda Kajicho district of Edo (now Tokyo). From the moment the company was founded, Kisuke Shimizu I aspired to wholeheartedly devote himself to the company's work and create quality reliable structures. Today, Shimizu continually delves deeply into knowledge and technology to meet the needs of its clients and, by extension, society.

Contact:

Crystal Balandran

[email protected]

SOURCE OpenSpace

Related Links

openspace.ai


WASHINGTON  Calling for bipartisan negotiations on coronavirus relief, a group of Senate Republicans on Sunday proposed a rival stimulus plan about one-third the size of the $1.9-trillion White House-backed package.

The call by 10 Senate Republicans, outlined in a letter, was simultaneously an outreach and challenge to the new president, who has said a speedy relief measure is a top priority as COVID-19 continues to ravage the economy across the country.

Nearly 440,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and although the rates of new infections and deaths are easing, epidemiologists warn that new virus variants could quickly offset any progress.

This virus is going to continue to mutate as long as its allowed to thrive in the world, and we need to do what we can to contain it, said Dr. Thomas Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins Universitys Bloomberg School of Public Health, on Fox News Sunday.

As Republican leaders showed little interest in passing another relief bill, Biden in recent days signaled that he could push through the Democratic-backed coronavirus relief package, whether or not any Republicans sign on. The 10 GOP senators who signed the letter said they hoped to speak directly with the president and head off that course of action.

My hope is that the president will meet with us, and well be able to work out something that is bipartisan, said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), one of the signatories, appearing on CNNs State of the Union.

Bidens top economic adviser, Brian Deese, interviewed on the same program, did not immediately commit to the president meeting the GOP lawmakers.

He said the presidents team was open to input from anywhere where we can find a constructive idea to make this package as effective as possible. But Deese emphasized that speed was of the essence.

The GOP counter-proposal calls for $160 billion for vaccine rollouts, testing, treatment and personal protective equipment, roughly matching the White House plan, but would more narrowly target those individuals receiving direct stimulus checks.

In their letter, the 10 Republicans, led by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, described their plan as building on prior coronavirus relief measures that passed with bipartisan backing. With your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress, they wrote.

Biden has been under pressure from some within his party to use a legislative process called budget reconciliation, which would allow the White House to push through the huge relief package with Democratic backing alone. With a 50-50 split in the chamber, Democrats now hold a Senate majority with Vice President Kamala Harris ability to cast tie-breaking votes.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he believed Democrats could pass the $1.9-trillion relief bill with no Republican support, despite signs that some in the presidents party are worried about the size of the package.

Its hard for me to imagine any Democrat, no matter what state he or she may come from, who doesnt understand the need to go forward right now in an aggressive way to protect the working families of this country, Sanders said on ABCs This Week.

Sanders said he himself has differences and concerns about the measure, but at the end of the day, were going to support the president of the United States.

On Fox News Sunday, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said the GOP plan would cost about $600 billion, about one-third as much as the White House plan. Cassidy pointed to vaccination rollout funding as one point of agreement, and said there were others as well.

If you want bipartisanship, you ought to start with the group thats shown its willing to work together for a common solution, he said.

Jared Bernstein, of the presidents Council of Economic Advisers, said on the same program that the president is absolutely willing to negotiate, but that right now, we are in a position where delay and inaction are the enemy of moving forward.

Biden said Friday that he would like to see Republican support for a relief package if we can get it, but that there were no ifs, ands and buts about the need for the legislation to pass quickly.

Many Democrats are leery of delaying legislation in an effort to win GOP support, recalling that such efforts cost them valuable time in 2009 and 2010, when passing a stimulus package to address the Great Recession and later, the Affordable Care Act. Initially some Republicans expressed willingness to support the Democrat-led efforts if changes were made, but even after their concerns were addressed, Republicans still boycotted both measures.

Besides Collins, Portman and Cassidy, the 10 GOP signatories are: Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Todd Young of Indiana, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

___

Laura King of the Los Angeles Times wrote this story.

2021 Los Angeles Times.

Visit at latimes.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




The more the evidence is scrutinised, the more compelling is the case against Ian Macdonald, Eddie Obeid and Moses Obeid, submitted the Crown prosecutor in the trios long-running criminal trial in the NSW Supreme Court.

It has been a year since the commencement of the case against former mining ministers Ian Macdonald, 71, and Eddie Obeid, 77, along with Obeids son Moses, 51. They have pleaded not guilty.

Former NSW minister Ian Macdonald (right) arriving at court with his barrister Jonathan Martin. Credit:Kate Geraghty

In her closing submissions, prosecutor Sophie Callan, SC, said there was an overwhelming circumstantial case that should satisfy Justice Elizabeth Fullerton beyond reasonable doubt that the three men were involved in a conspiracy.

Macdonald committed eight acts of misconduct in public office through his actions in establishing and granting an exploration licence over the Obeids family property near Mount Penny in the Bylong Valley. The conspiracy delivered a massive financial windfall to the Obeids, Ms Callan said.
The number of new print magazines started in the U.S. fell by more than half in 2020 to 60, compared t
We were going to get married! That was five years of my life, Henson said

Taraji P. Henson revealed that she has no interest in dating and is focused on her healing.

In an interview with Extra, Henson opened up about her suicidal thoughts during the pandemic in 2020. She admitted that she couldnt cope anymore and sought help.

Well, you know, you take each moment. Its not like I wake up every day and Im happy, but thank God Im, Im in therapy and because Im in therapy, I can now identify when Im about to start to tip down, Henson said.

Taraji P. Henson attends the 8th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony at NASA Ames Research Center on November 03, 2019 in Mountain View, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

Henson announced her split from ex-fiancee Kelvin Hayden in 2020 and credited therapy for helping her process her feelings. In regards to dating again, she said, Thats the last thing Im thinking about.

Read More: Clive Davis draws 2,000 on Zoom for virtual edition of annual pre-Grammy gala

I dont mean that in a negative way, but Ive always been the type of woman that when I get out of a relationship, I need to process. I need a wait, what happened? We were going to get married! That was five years of my life, Henson said. I dont just go, Ohhhh. Okay. Next. I cant, and Im not judging  thats just my process.

Henson is the host of Peace of Mind with Taraji on Facebook with Tracie Jade Jenkins where she has profound conversations with guests about mental health issues and provides resources and tools from therapists.

In 2018, Henson founded the Boris Lawrence Foundation with Jenkins in an effort to eradicate the stigma around mental health issues in the African-American community.

Read More: Peace of Mind with Taraji P. Henson dives into familial mental illness

The foundation was named in honor of Hensons father, who suffered from mental health issues after fighting in the Vietnam War.

Jenkins, who is an executive director of the foundation, is someone Henson credits with encouraging her to change her vocabulary when discussing her own mental health.

Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now!

TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!

The post Taraji P Henson says shes healing, not looking to date appeared first on TheGrio.
Coronavirus vaccinations are ramping up now that California has opened vaccine eligibility to everyone 16 and older. But many Bay Area residents still have questions about getting their shots. With the help of experts, we tell you what to expect before, during and after your appointment.

Find out when you are eligible: Gov. Gavin Newsom made vaccinations available to everyone 16 and older starting April 15 in hopes of getting more shots in arms and reopening the economy.

The change is probably for the best because it will speed up the whole process, said Dr. Jeanne Noble, an emergency care physician at UCSF. It really is a race against time.

Even though most of the states population is now eligible, many counties and cities may be moving through tiers at a slower pace due to limited vaccine supply.

How to book your appointment: California residents can sign up and schedule appointments on the states MyTurn system. You can also book appointments via your countys website, pharmacies Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Costco, Safeway and Rite Aid, health providers Sutter Health and Stanford Health Care, and more.

There are several independent websites and Twitter bots that will search for open slots.

Finding an appointment may take some time. Experts say the search process can be discouraging since appointments are snatched up quickly and you might not find a slot on your first try, but that you should keep trying.

Sometimes it helps to expand your search. Experts say not to focus on just one vaccination site. Its likely you might find a slot at a location hours away.

Know where you can get vaccinated: There are several mass vaccination sites in the Bay Area, including those at the Oakland Coliseum and Levis Stadium. You can also get vaccinated through a large health system if it provides primary care for you, or at local pharmacies and pop-up clinics.

When you arrive for your appointment, you will need to wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth, and stay at least 6 feet away from others.

(More: When and where can I get my coronavirus vaccination in the Bay Area?)

Get vaccine information from trusted sources: Be wary of social media posts distributing disinformation about COVID-19. Instead, look at the websites of trusted sources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration, or state and county health departments. You most likely wont be allowed to choose which vaccine you receive.

Space out vaccinations for other diseases: After getting a coronavirus vaccine, wait at least 14 days before getting any other vaccine, including ones for flu or shingles. Conversely, if you get vaccinated against a different disease, wait at least 14 days before getting your coronavirus vaccine, the CDC says.

Do not get a shot if you have COVID-19: If you have fever, cough or other symptoms of COVID-19, or if you were recently exposed to someone infected, follow CDC guidelines for self-isolation and do not visit a vaccine site during that time.

But do get a shot if you have recovered from COVID-19: Even if you previously had the coronavirus, the CDC says you should get vaccinated. Experts do not know how long a person might be immune after being infected. Vaccines provide a more consistent and optimal immune response.

With the vaccine, we know your immune system has been fully alerted and is ready to fight COVID if it sees it again, Noble said. Its an extra layer of protection.

When you get vaccinated

Know what it feels like to get the shot: Getting the coronavirus vaccine is similar to getting a flu shot. You will get a sharp jab in your arm that may cause temporary pain or soreness.

Be prepared to wait: The coronavirus vaccine is a shot in the arm, like the flu shot  but its a more complicated process. Bring a good book and be prepared to wait, potentially in your car, for up to 15 minutes afterward. Health care workers will use the time to monitor you and others for bad allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis, which are rare.

If you have a history of allergic reactions to injections, have an EpiPen on hand, and let your vaccine provider know before you get your shot.

After you get your shot

You will receive a vaccine card: After receiving your shot, you should receive a vaccination card or printout that tells you what coronavirus vaccine you received, the date you received it, and where you received it. You may also receive a paper or electronic fact sheet with details about the vaccine administered.

Proof of vaccination may be required in the future to travel or return to work or school.

Prepare for side effects: The coronavirus vaccine often causes side effects that last 24 to 48 hours. This may be especially true after the second shot. These reactions generally mean the vaccine is working and your body is responding.

The most common side effect is fatigue, Noble said. Some people get headaches or fever. Generally, these symptoms are really mild and last for a short duration.

More for you News Coronavirus live updates: Bay Area sees plunge in...

How to handle the pain and discomfort: If you have pain or discomfort in the area where you receive your shot, it is generally safe to take over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, Noble said. If you want to avoid pills, the CDC recommends applying a clean, cool, wet washcloth over the area where you feel discomfort. If you experience fever, drink plenty of fluids and keep your body cool. Contact your health care provider if the symptoms do not go away after a few days.

Schedule follow-up appointment for the second shot: The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are given in two doses, one at a time. You will likely schedule your follow-up appointment when you get your first dose. Make sure you get both in the time frame recommended by your health care provider.

You will not have peak protection until at least a week after the second dose.

Do not mix and match: Whether you receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, health officials say both doses should be from the same company.

Continue to follow prevention protocols: You must continue wearing masks, social distancing, maintaining hand hygiene and following other coronavirus safety measures even after getting vaccinated, except in select situations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That is for three reasons: First, the vaccines are not 100% protective, though they are close. Second, some variants of the coronavirus, which could spread in the region, may be less susceptible to the vaccine. Third, its not yet known if vaccinated people may still spread the virus to others.

It is too early for us to change our behavior, Noble said. The risk reduction is going to be tremendous. That key piece of information is, can a vaccinated person transmit COVID to others? We will know much more in three months.

Aidin Vaziri is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
MAYNARD, Mass., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaon Interactive, the leading provider of interactive marketing and sales applications for global B2B brands, today announced that Dana Drissel has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately.

As CMO, she will have global responsibility for overseeing all of the company's strategic marketing initiatives, including product marketing, account-based marketing programs, customer success, brand awareness, public relations, and lead generation.

Dana has been with the company for more than fifteen years, during which time she has built Kaon's brand and messaging strategy, and has worked closely with the sales team to contribute in a substantial and direct manner to the growth of the business. During her tenure, she has grown the marketing team, exponentially expanding its reach and effectiveness. As CMO, she will lead the company's strategic marketing efforts as Kaon continues to mature in both size and industry impact.

"Over the years, Dana has made tremendous contributions to Kaon Interactive and to our clients' success," said Gavin Finn, President & CEO. "She has helped establish Kaon as the leading digital customer engagement platform for global enterprise sales and marketing teams everywhere. We all benefit from the breadth of her marketing expertise, her digital-first perspective, and the pace of change when she leads any initiative. The entire Kaon team is thrilled to have her lead the company's marketing strategy and execution for our accelerated growth."

Prior to joining Kaon, Dana held prominent positions at marketing agencies and global enterprise corporations, including: Exact Software, Centerstone Software (a Trimble Company) and Harpell. She serves as a guest lecturer in marketing at Boston College and holds a Master of Science degree in Consumer Economics from the University of Vermont.

About Kaon Interactive

Kaon Interactive is a B2B software company. Kaon's interactive sales and marketing applications simplify complex product and solution stories in a visually engaging way - anywhere, anytime. The company's interactive 3D sales and marketing applications transform passive product and solution marketing content into interactive visual storytelling experiences to deepen customer engagement, reduce marketing expenses and accelerate the sales cycle. In both virtual and in-person venues, more than 5,000 Kaon interactive applications are being used worldwide by leading global B2B companies in such industries as life sciences, advanced manufacturing and information technology. For more information about Kaon, visit www.kaon.com.

Contact:

Kim MacKenzie

[email protected]

(781) 749-0077

SOURCE Kaon Interactive

Related Links

http://www.kaon.com


By Lizbeth Diaz and Abraham Gonzalez

JANTETELCO, Mexico (Reuters) - Alberto Burgos is one of thousands of Mexican migrants living in the United States who dug deep and sent extra money to family back home last year to alleviate the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Growing plants and helping to handle their sale at a huge nursery in Alabama, the 35-year-old dipped into savings to transfer about a third more to his home town in central Mexico than he did in 2019, he said in an interview.

Burgos is one of a growing number of Mexicans with U.S. work permits or access to benefits who helped to fuel a more than 10% jump in remittances to Mexico last year to more than $40 billion, even as money transfers to other countries tumbled.

The record remittances have made Burgos' home town of Jantetelco - which has sent many economic migrants to work in U.S. nurseries and elsewhere - an oasis of relative prosperity despite the worst recession to batter Mexico since the 1930s.

"Returning to Mexico made me very sad this time: it's hard to see people with nothing," Burgos said. "Thank God I was able to support them because I didn't lose my job."

Because of a surge in demand for flowers from Americans trying to brighten up their homes and enjoy gardening during lockdown, Burgos had about nine months of work in the United States last year, three months more than usual, he said.

The pandemic shaved 8.5% off Mexican gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020, but remittances softened the blow, helping Jantetelco residents to repair their homes and even cover private medical bills sparked by the strain on public hospitals.

Last year, total remittances to Mexico were equivalent to about 3.8% of GDP, according to calculations by economists including Jonathan Heath, a board member of Mexico's central bank. Over 95% come from the United States, official data show.

The volume underlines Mexico's reliance on the United States even as former President Donald Trump attempted to shut down migration with a border wall and threats of trade sanctions.

Story continues

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has hailed the migrants as "heroes" but Mexico's dependence on their money shows the difficulty he has had in delivering on his pledge to create economic conditions that render migration unnecessary.

MEXICAN EXCEPTIONALISM

Helping to fuel remittances is greater access to social security among Mexicans in the United States, 60% of whom have lived there for at least 20 years, according to data from Washington-based think tank the Migration Policy Institute.

Since the financial crisis of 2008-2009, the percentage of Mexican migrants with U.S. citizenship has risen significantly, said Jesus Cervantes, a remittance expert at the Centro de Estudios Monetarios Latinoamericanos (CEMLA) research institute.

Over the past decade, the number of Mexican-born people registered in the United States has declined slightly. But the proportion of those holding U.S. citizenship rose by nearly a third to 37% of the total, according to the IPUMS USA database, based on an annual U.S. survey.

That, Cervantes said, made remittances to Mexico "more resilient" than they have been to other countries.

Global transfers to Latin America as a whole likely fell by around 20%, and declined by 13-22% to countries across Asia, according to an annual report by bank BBVA.

Much of the money captured in Mexico last year went into healthcare and housing, experts say.

In Jantetelco, some two hours' drive southeast of Mexico City, 78-year-old Maria Elena Sandoval said she saved her foot from thrombosis thanks to private surgery paid for by money from a son living in the United States.

Burgos asked Reuters not to reveal how much money he was sending back via Western Union lest it encourage criminals to target his family, a risk in Mexico.

A municipality of about 18,000 inhabitants, Jantetelco took in about 25% more in remittances between January and September than in the same period in 2019, according to central bank data.

In the third quarter, that equated to about $425 per person - or to almost two months' worth of Mexico's daily minimum wage.

"Thank God and thank my son they didn't cut off my foot," said Sandoval, a grandmother who said she spent the equivalent of $600 on medical treatment to save her limb.

Other Jantetelco residents said they have used remittances to pay for everything from construction and renovation of homes damaged by a 2017 earthquake, new cars, appliances and crop seeds, to coming-of-age parties.

Mexico's leaders have traditionally tended not to draw attention to the money, given the often murky U.S. migration status of many people supporting families in Mexico.

But Lopez Obrador has repeatedly celebrated their contributions, and welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden's bid to implement a reform that would settle the migration status of many Mexicans living in the United States.

"You're vulnerable on remittances," said Bank of America economist Carlos Capistran, "because it's income the country doesn't control."

(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz and Abraham Gonzalez; Editing by Dave Graham and Rosalba O'Brien)
A MOTHER of four has urged support for Ireland's Milk Bank after donated mother's milk helped critically support her miracle baby who was born at just 29 weeks and weighed only 460g (1lb).

Rebecca Fahy from Mayo paid an emotional tribute to the skilled doctors and nurses at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) at Holles Street in Dublin and the Fermanagh-based Milk Bank for their incredible support of her tiny daughter, Roisin.

The Castlebar mother was rushed to NMH in early November from Mayo Maternity Hospital amid indications baby Roisin would be born prematurely.

Read More

"I was admitted to Holles Street (NMH) three weeks before the birth and Roisin was delivered on November 23," she said.

Roisin was delivered at just 29 weeks - and weighed only 460g, less than a small package of butter.

The baby was so small she could fit in the palm of an adult's hand.

Because the tiny infant's gut wasn't fully developed, she couldn't feed on formula milk.

She relied entirely on mother's milk but eventually this had to be supplemented.

Donor milk was supplied from the Milk Bank operated at Irvinestown in Fermanagh by Western Health and the Social Care Trust.

Roisin thrived and stunned doctors and nurses with her growth.

On January 23 Roisin was well enough to be transferred to Mayo General Hospital to be closer to her family who had three months of gruelling round trips from Castlebar to Dublin three times each week.

Roisin is now 1.7kg in weight and is responding very well to care.

"She is absolutely gorgeous," her mother said.

Rebecca hopes that the little girl will soon be able to make her long-delayed first trip home to spend time with her adoring siblings.

"We are so grateful to the doctors and nurses at NMH for all they have done for Roisin - they are absolutely incredible. We are also very grateful for all the support from the Milk Bank. I didn't even know it existed before Roisin was born but it was a critical support for her.

"I think it is very important that such services are supported in the times we find ourselves in."
Recapitalisation plan in the works for India Post Payments Bank

The government is exploring options to make India Post Payments Bank viable, which include infusing about Rs 2,000 crore into it and merging the institution with regional rural banks (RRBs). The payments bank, launched in January 2017, has not been doing well as a standalone entity and needs to be recapitalised, said an official in the know. Read More

At record Rs 1.19 trn, GST collections give FM confidence ahead of Budget

A day ahead of the Union Budget, which is likely to report a huge fiscal deficit, the government has got some cushion with goods and services tax (GST) collection touching a record high of Rs 1.19 trillion in January. Since the figure pertained to collection till 6 pm on January 31, some more is expected to come into the government coffers for the month. GST collection surpassed Rs 1 trillion for the fourth straight month due to economic recovery and because of government measures to tighten its noose on tax evaders. Read More

Zero-trust defence can help India shield world from cyberattacks: Google VP

At a time when cyberattacks are rising due to the Covid-19 pandemic and organisations are becoming increasingly vulnerable as employees work from home, technology giant Google is betting big on its zero-trust turnkey security offering BeyondCorp Enterprise for businesses in India. BeyondCorp is modelled after how Google keeps its network safe without relying on virtual private network (VPN). The platform allows employees and extended workforce to access applications in the Cloud or on-premises and work from anywhere without a traditional remote-access VPN. Read More

Legacy insurers can't go digital overnight, says Oracle's Prasad Rai

The pandemic has changed the way legacy insurance firms conduct business, even as it throws up concerns on coverage terms. Some products were seen as too complex to be hawked or serviced through digital modes without insurance agents. Insurers will also need to introspect and bring about changes internally, according to PRASAD RAI, vice-president, Global Strategic Clients Group at Oracle, who spoke to Raghu Mohan. Read More

Lupin plans expansion, aims to enter Chinese market in the next one year

Mumbai-headquartered Lupin is firming up plans to enter the Chinese market in the next one year. Its peers Sun Pharmaceuticals and Dr Reddys Laboratories (DRL) already have a presence in the dragon nation. Nilesh Gupta, managing director of Lupin, confirmed that the firm was keen to enter China. In fact, last March, a management team was scheduled to visit China to explore prospects. This, however, could not happen due to the pandemic. We were planning to enter the market in 2021, but it got delayed due to the pandemic, Gupta said. Read More

Lava plans to turn up the heat on Chinese brands, aims to ramp up headcount

Indian handsets brand Lava is all set to make a comeback in 2021, after it bagged approval under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme last year. The Noida-based company, which was cornered by a few aggressive brands from China about five years ago, is now looking to beat rivals on their terms. Once a major player in the countrys budding smartphone market, Lava was the casualty of a highly-competitive pricing game that Chinese brands had initiated post their entry in 2014. Read More

Hit hard by Covid-19 lockdown, economy on firm path of fragile recovery

One could interpret data in different ways. One may say that gross domestic product (GDP) contracted an unprecedented 23.9 per cent in the first quarter and 7.5 per cent in the second quarter, plunging the economy into a recession for the first time in its independent history as Covid-induced lockdowns hit hard. On the other hand, one could also argue the economy did not decline in double digits in the second quarter as was expected after the first-quarter numbers were released, giving a glimmer of hope that a recovery is in the process. Read More

Pharma to real estate, here's look at the winners and losers amid Covid-19

A large number of Indian companies, hit hard by the pandemic, are recovering at a fast pace  thanks to the rising consumer demand and government expenditure on infrastructure projects. CEOs expect to finish the ongoing March quarter with positive growth as the corporates get back to work in full strength. While several sectors like airlines and real estate are still reeling from the pandemic, heres is look at the winners and losers during the period. Read More
Clarice Massmann,age 86 of Osakis passed away on Monday, May 24, 2021 at the Lakeside Lodge care facility in Osakis, MN. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 29, 2021 at 11:00 am at the Immaculate Conception Church in Osakis with burial at the Calvary Cemetery. Visitation hour
Four weeks ago, Erics RX Shoppe in Horsham became one of the first independent drugstores in Pennsylvania to provide COVID-19 vaccine to health-care workers, the top-priority group under the states phased immunization plan.

Providing the shots wasnt a particularly smart business move, given the red tape, logistical challenges, and vagaries of reimbursement. But pharmacist Eric Abramowitz and his business partner, pharmacy technologist Marc Ost, believed that they owed it to their community.

The operation went smoothly until seven days in, when the Trump administration upended the phased rollout that states had spent months crafting with federal guidance. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told the states to push to the front of the line a vast group of people he wanted to be there from the start  people age 65 and over  as well as younger people with chronic health conditions.

Erics RX was suddenly swamped by 20,000 calls and emails. Its new online appointment system crashed. Frustrated shot-seekers reacted with confusion and anger.

We got a lot of calls saying: Ive been a loyal customer. You owe me a vaccine, Abramowitz said through his mask Wednesday. But theres not enough vaccine, not enough vaccinators, and not enough time. Were doing the best we can to be fair. We all have to be patient.

Across the country, pharmacies have become an increasingly vital part of the pandemic immunization effort, a mammoth undertaking that got off to a sluggish, disorganized start.

Big drugstore chains have federal contracts to vaccinate nursing home residents and, eventually, the general public. Local jurisdictions, such as Philadelphia, also have contracted with chains. The deals are potentially so lucrative that one financial analyst estimated CVS could make $1 billion in gross profits over the next year.

For the nations 23,000 independent pharmacies, though, the decision to pitch in may be mostly a matter of altruism, not capitalism. Unlike mundane flu shots, the vaccines that could spell world salvation require pharmacies to meet extraordinary training, handling, and reporting requirements.

Abramowitz, 54, is working seven days a week to straddle his regular pharmacy business and the vaccine clinic. Ost, 36, is awake into the wee hours checking emails and voicemails. Even so, theyve had to hire more staff and bring in volunteers to keep up with the workload.

The partners families understand.

My wife and I thought if I can do something to help us get back to normal, that would be important, Ost said.

To be sure, the partners hope to make a profit by building the volume of their four-day-a-week clinic, which now averages 100 shots a day. Medicare reimburses $16.94 for a seniors first shot and $28.39 for the second. But not all payors are on a par with Medicare; one pharmacy benefit plan reimburses 5 cents per shot given, Ost said. And the state requires the shot to be given regardless of the vaccine recipients ability to pay or coverage status.

While the finances evolve, Abramowitz said, patients tears of happiness and grateful emails are priceless.

From vacant storefront to vaccine clinic

Abramowitz has spent 23 years as an independent pharmacist, including 11 at his eponymous store. Hes a people person, quick with a quip, a hug (these days, an elbow bump), and epigrams that would be corny if they werent so heartfelt.

I consider my customers to be my family, he said.

He wells up with pride talking about his daughter Callie, a recent pharmacy school graduate who has been volunteering at the vaccine clinic.

 READ MORE: The city trusted a group of college kids to lead its vaccine rollout. But Philly Fighting COVID was full of red flags from the start.

Ost, who joined Erics RX two years ago, is the unflappable, tech-savvy manager and problem solver. Ost also has a family pedigree; he used to work at the Philadelphia drugstore still run by his father, Richard, a pharmacist who used to be in business with Abramowitz.

Long before the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines received emergency approval in December, Abramowitz and Ost began laying the ground for their clinic. Literally. Erics RX had no space for a socially distanced waiting room plus three small rooms to give shots. But a vacant storefront three doors away in the Welsh Road strip mall did. Their landlord, BEM Realty, was kind enough to agree to let them use it for free until a paying tenant came along.

Getting certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Health  which distributes its federal vaccine allotment to providers throughout the state  was a months-long tribulation because Erics RX had to qualify to join the Statewide Immunization Information System, or SIIS. Vaccine orders, inventory information, patient data, and more go through SIIS.

You cant get access to SIIS without being approved and going through their training. And you cant get vaccine from the state without having access to SIIS, Ost said.

He added: Overall, the PADOH has been a great partner. They have a lot on their plate and the systems are getting better and better each week.

 READ MORE: Two lawmakers test positive for coronavirus, one after receiving both doses of vaccine

Part of the solution

Howard Hecht, 78, and his wife, Teri, 70, have been getting their prescriptions from Abramowitz for decades.

On Wednesday, as the pharmacist prepared to jab the Fort Washington couple with the Moderna vaccine, they bantered and teased one another.

Youre not sick today, are you, Howard? Abramowitz said in asking the standard screening question.

You mean mentally? Teri interjected as her husband laughed.

Are you pregnant? Abramowitz asked Howard.

After they got the vaccine, Teri, a breast cancer survivor, said to Abramowitz: Im not kidding. You are so important to us.

 READ MORE: If youre pregnant, heres what you need to know about a new Penn COVID-19 vaccine study

Customer service and personal ties are points of pride for mom-and-pop pharmacies. West Virginia  which boasts the second-highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the nation despite its rural, rugged geography  attributes its relative success in part to contracting with a network of independent drugstores.

I dont think independent pharmacies are the end-all and be-all, Ost said. But I think we are part of the solution.

By last week, Erics RX had given more than 1,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine. (The store doesnt have the ultracold freezers needed for Pfizers vaccine.) Now that expanded eligibility has unleashed a scramble for vaccine, most people getting shots through Erics RX are not longtime customers. No-shows and cancellations have become a problem, as people sign up with multiple vaccine providers and go with the first opening.

But being a neighborhood resource has helped Erics RX with that problem.

We have our list of eligible customers, Ost said. They live close by and if we have an opening, we call them.

Outreach also helps the pharmacy make sure every precious inoculation is used.

We get 10 shots per vial and they have to be used within six hours, Ost said. One of our goals when we started was no waste.
Do the Wealthy Migrate Away From High-Tax States? A Comparison of Adjusted Gross Income Changes in Massachusetts and Florida Because of our stable tax environment and concentration of talent, Massachusetts outperformed most states in job growth since the Great Recession, but we were shedding almost $1 billion a year to low-tax states like Florida and New Hampshire. - Jim Stergios, Pioneer Institute Executive Director

Over the last 25 years, Massachusetts has consistently lost taxable income, especially to Florida and New Hampshire, via out-migration of the wealthy, according to a new Pioneer Institute study.

In Do The Wealthy Migrate Away From High-Tax States? A Comparison of Adjusted Gross Income Changes in Massachusetts and Florida, Pioneer Institute Research Director Greg Sullivan and Research Assistant Andrew Mikula draw on IRS data showing aggregate migration flows by amount of adjusted gross income (AGI).

The data show a persistent trend of wealth leaving high-tax states for low-tax ones, especially in the Sun Belt.

Because of our stable tax environment and concentration of talent, Massachusetts has outperformed most states and outpaced the nation in job growth since the Great Recession, said Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios. Yet even during that period of growth we were shedding almost a billion dollars a year to low-tax states like Florida and New Hampshire.

The report finds that Massachusetts has experienced a net outflow of $20.7 billion in AGI between 1993 and 2018. Unsurprisingly, the biggest beneficiaries were no-income-tax states like Florida, which captured 46 percent of it, and New Hampshire, which gained 26 percent.

We saw this trend slow down temporarily during the Great Recession, when people became less mobile, said Sullivan. But its since come roaring back, and the magnitude is staggering.

Between 2012 and 2018, Florida, which has no income tax or capital gains tax, saw a net $89 billion AGI inflow. Fully 70 percent of that eye-opening number was attributable to taxpayers with AGI of $200,000 or more. Over 30 percent of the total growth in AGI among all Florida taxpayers from 1993 to 2018 was attributable to the states net increase in migration. Meanwhile, the only reason why Massachusetts total AGI is still growing is because of income gains among stationary residents.

Over the last couple of decades, high rates of immigration have bolstered Massachusetts economic health and kept its population stable. However, large rates of domestic out-migration remain a threat to the long-term economic vitality of Massachusetts and much of the rest of the Northeast.

In fact, many of the states that have lost taxable income to Massachusetts on net since 1993 are also in the Northeast, with New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey contributing the most AGI. Some Midwestern states, like Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan, lost smaller amounts. However, considering the substantial wealth migration from Massachusetts to New Hampshire and Maine, geography alone cant explain broad trends in the flow of capital.

The legislature needs to be very careful in the new post-pandemic environment, when talent is more mobile, said Stergios. Businesses look at the business climate closely  especially tax issues  when they think about location. Id hate to see us follow in Connecticuts footsteps toward economic decline.

Earlier in January, the Institute released Connecticuts Dangerous Game, which demonstrated how multiple rounds of tax increases aimed at high earners and corporations triggered an exodus from Connecticut of large employers and wealthy individuals.

About the Authors

Andrew Mikula is a Research Assistant at Pioneer Institute. Mr. Mikula was previously a Lovett & Ruth Peters Economic Opportunity Fellow at Pioneer Institute and studied economics at Bates College.

Gregory Sullivan is Pioneers Research Director. Prior to joining Pioneer, Sullivan served two five-year terms as Inspector General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and was a 17-year member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Greg is a Certified Fraud Investigator, and holds degrees from Harvard College, The Kennedy School of Public Administration, and the Sloan School at MIT.

About Pioneer

Pioneers mission is to develop and communicate dynamic ideas that advance prosperity and a vibrant civic life in Massachusetts and beyond.

Pioneers vision of success is a state and nation where our people can prosper and our society thrive because we enjoy world-class options in education, healthcare, transportation, and economic opportunity, and where our government is limited, accountable and transparent.

Pioneer values an America where our citizenry is well-educated and willing to test our beliefs based on facts and the free exchange of ideas, and committed to liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise.
Shares of state-run oil marketing companies were off day's high after the Finance Minister proposed an Agricultural Infrastructure and Development Cess on petrol and diesel.

Indian Oil Corporation rose 1.66% to Rs 94.85. The stock hit high of Rs 96.50 in intraday trade.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation rose 0.7% to Rs 386.55 after hitting high of Rs 398 in intraday trade.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation fell 0.55% to Rs 217.50 after hitting high of Rs 222.35 in intraday trade.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Union Budget 2021 proposed an Agricultural Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) of Rs 2.5 per litre on petrol and Rs 4 on diesel.

However, Finance Minister said that consequent to imposition of AIDC on petrol and diesel, the Basic excise duty (BED) and Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) rates have been reduced on them so that overall consumer does not bear any additional burden.

Consequently, unbranded petrol and diesel will attract basic excise duty of Rs 1.4, and Rs 1.8 per litre respectively. The SAED on unbranded petrol and diesel shall be Rs 11 and Rs 8 per litre respectively.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
[February 01, 2021] Agilent Wins Trade Secret and Patent Infringement Litigation

Agilent (News - Alert) Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced it has won a judgement in federal court for patent infringement and trade secret misappropriation against Shanghai-based J&X Technologies. The court victory in the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, requires J&X to pay Agilent more than $1.25 million for illegally using Agilent patents and trade secrets in developing gas chromatography equipment. The court victory also prevents J&X and its founders Xiaosheng Guan and Qiang Xu from manufacturing, distributing, or selling products using Agilent proprietary gas chromatography information. In addition, J&X is prohibited from disclosing or using Agilent gas chromatography information or other proprietary information. In its ruling, the Court noted that "J&X's misappropriation of Agilent's trade secrets was willful and malicious." "This court victory reinforces the critical importance Agilent places on protecting our intellectual property," said Mike Tang, Agilent senior vice president and general counsel. "Innovation is central to what Agilent is all about and this court decision should stand as a message to those seeking to undermine our focus on innovation. We will always seek to protect our proprietary technology and the hard work of Agilent employees developing it to serve our customers." Gas chromatography is an analytical technique used to separate the chemical components of a sample mixture. It is used to detect what is in the mixture and ho much of a given element or compound is present. Typical uses of gas chromatography include testing the purity of a particular substance or separating the different components of a mixture to understand how it is constituted.



Agilent has long been a leader in developing gas chromatography equipment. The company welcomes competition on its merits and looks forward to continuing to drive innovation in all areas of its business. About Agilent Technologies (News - Alert)

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is a global leader in life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets, delivering insight and innovation toward improving the quality of life. Agilent instruments, software, services, solutions, and people provide trusted answers to customers' most challenging questions. The company generated revenue of $5.34 billion in fiscal year 2020 and employs 16,400 people worldwide. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com. To receive the latest Agilent news, please subscribe to the Agilent Newsroom. Follow Agilent on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005175/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.
(@FahadShabbir)

A nine-year-old girl was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by police in the US city of Rochester, footage released Sunday showed, sparking new outrage over excesses committed by the country's law enforcement

New York, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Feb, 2021 ) :A nine-year-old girl was handcuffed and pepper-sprayed by police in the US city of Rochester, footage released Sunday showed, sparking new outrage over excesses committed by the country's law enforcement.

Deputy Police Chief Andre Anderson said Sunday the girl -- who has not been named -- had been suffering from a serious mental health emergency, reportedly threatening to take her own life and that of her mother.

Officers called to the scene on Friday eventually responded by handcuffing her, before trying to force her into a car and pepper-spraying her when she resisted, body cam videos released by the city's police force showed.

Footage of police violence against African Americans, including the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, sparked a summer of protests across the US against racial injustice and police brutality last year.

The ethnicity of the young girl in the Rochester incident has not been disclosed.

Rochester police on Saturday said they were "required" to use handcuffs and the irritant against the girl for her own safety.
Brian Austin Green and his new girlfriend Sharna Burgess are proving that any outing can be fun by each other's side.

The 47-year-old Beverly Hills 90210 vet and the 35-year-old Dancing With The Stars pro were seen hitting up the car wash in Malibu on Sunday as they looked smitten.

The two were laid back in loungewear for the weekend outing and entertained themselves while waiting for their clean set of wheels.

Couple's outing: Brian Austin Green, 47, and his DWTS pro girlfriend Sharna Burgess, 35, look smitten while hitting up a car wash in Malibu

Green flexed his toned physique in a black T-shirt and a pair of joggers throwing on his usual pair of Vans.

He was seen beaming from ear to ear in a pair of RayBans while chatting to his Australian-born love interest.

Burgess kept it cozy in leggings and a beige turtleneck sweater, throwing on a white beanie and a pair of cream colored Gucci sneakers.

The pair were suited up in face masks before removing them to wait for her car in an isolated area.

Cream puff: Sharna looked cozy in winter whites as she waited for her ride next to Green who kept her smiling the whole time

Green was seen tenderly touching Sharna as she draped her dancer's legs over a large planter.

He previously told People that COVID-19 lockdown helped the pair 'connect' immediately though he remained mum on an official title.

'It helps focus the situation a little more, which I think was really helpful. And Sharna was completely open to it, and so was I, so it's been a good situation so far.'

Tender touch: Previously telling People that Sharna was 'amazing,' he was seen tenderly touching her while they waited outside

The duo were introduced by their mutual business manager and he called her 'pretty amazing,' while saying that things were 'working out pretty well,' despite being unsure if he was ready for a relationship.

The pair were seen taking a romantic vacation to Hawaii after the new year where she shared a kissing photo and captioned it 'Him,' with a kiss emoji.

Speaking about the vacation with Mario Lopez on Access Daily he said they had a 'great time,' before adding 'It's early on, so we don't have any labels for anything obviously, but we really enjoy each other's company.'

His long term relationship with Megan Fox lasted for 10 years before it fizzled out in May but the two share three children together Noah, eight, Bodhi, six, and Journey, four.

Loved up: The pair seemed to make the relationship IG official on a recent trip to Hawaii where she shared a photo of them kissing on the balcony; pictured January 11

Fox swiftly moved on with rocker Machine Gun Kelly who she called her 'twin flame,' and officially filed to divorce Green in November.

Head over heels for her new love, the pair sparked engagement rumors earlier this week when she was photographed with what seemed to be a sparkler on her left finger while supporting her man ahead of his Saturday SNL performance.

She shut down any rumors on social media as she posted a photo of the silver ring that read 'F**k you' as she continues to edge up her style as a rockstar girlfriend.

After the springtime split, Green was linked to model Tina Louise and even reality star Courtney Stodden, before finding something special with Sharna.
(Natural News) Responding to demands from the establishment for a full-scale ban on all communication mediums that have the potential to be used for inciting riots, unrest and violence, Andrew Torba, founder of Gab, says that based on the facts, Facebook and Twitter should be the first to go.

These two platforms have been used time and time again, he says, to foment all kinds of illicit activity, and yet nothing has been done because those committing said crimes are leftists. Following the Capitol invasion, however, which was blamed on Trump supporters, there is a newfound interest in cracking down on free speech  but only conservative free speech on alternative platforms like Gab and Parler.

Facebook, it turns out, was the platform that was actually used by the so-called insurrectionists to organize their Jan. 6 siege. The same is true of Twitter, which is routinely used for organizing riots and even exchanging child pornography.

Not only has nothing been done to either of these two companies, but their corporate heads are blaming their competitors for what is happening on their own platforms.

Facebooks Chief Operation Officer, Sharyl Sandberg, for example, issued a statement deflecting all blame from her company and shifting it onto Gab, which is not even available for download in Apples App Store or Googles Play App Store. Gab also has a tiny fraction of the user base that Facebook has, and likely played no role in the Capitol riot.

The far-left Washington Post, if you can believe it, truthfully reported on what Torba calls a mountain of evidence implicating Facebook, not Gab, in the siege. The New York Times, which had initially blamed Gab and Parler, changed its tune following the Post report.

The legacy press and activist groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, each also blamed two challenger sites  Gab and Parler  rather than the big sites like Twitter and Facebook where rioters actually planned their activities, Torba notes.

Gabs Liberal Hate Machine project tracking millions of illegal posts on Facebook, Twitter

If actual usage patterns are to be used as a metric, then Facebook and Twitter are far and away the most offensive platforms out there in terms of facilitating domestic terrorism. And yet they are both untouchable, even as their competitors are monopolistically targeted for removal.

The reality of app store bans is and always has been that Big Tech moderation policies are selectively applied, Torba explains about Silicon Valleys antitrust behavior.

Big Tech responds not to reality but to the demands of far-left activists who clog the proverbial phone lines of Apple and Google every time a handful of offensive or illegal posts appears on our sites, while ignoring when hundreds of thousands of illegal or offensive posts appears on theirs.

Recognizing this glaring double standard, Torba and his team have launched what they call the Liberal Hate Machine project, which tracks the tens of millions of illegal posts from leftists on Twitter and Facebook that are never censored or removed, even as conservative speech is routinely targeted for removal under community standards rules.

We have been collecting and analyzing over 100 million tweets in the replies section of President Trumps Twitter account for about a year, Torba writes. We applied sentiment analysis to detect violent and hateful replies. Wait until you see what we found.

Torba further contends that Big Tech could not care less about principles or so-called community standards, and is really only concerned with serving the interests of the radical left and the Democratic Party.

They cant say it out loud so they say it with their actions, he warns.

To keep up with the latest news about Big Tech censorship, be sure to check out Censorship.news.

Sources for this article include:

Gab.com

NaturalNews.com
Why is West Virgina Sen. Joe Manchin taking public swipes at Vice President Kamala Harris over a television interview?

It all started when Harris, on behalf of the Biden administration, did two interviews on local television stations in West Virginia and Arizona touting the administration's new COVID-19 relief bill dubbed the "American Rescue Plan."

It's not a coincidence that the vice president did exclusive interviews for those two television markets. Sens. Manchin and Krysten Sinema are two of the more moderate members of the Democratic caucus and, according to the Associated Press, expressed concerns over the relief package during private phone calls with White House officials.

During her interview with West Virginia's WSAZ on Thursday of last week, Harris applied pressure on Manchin to support the legislation, stating, "In West Virginia, one in seven families is describing their household as being hungry, one in six cant pay their rent, and one in four small businesses are closing permanently or have already closed."

Manchin then appeared on the same TV station a day later and expressed annoyance.

I saw [the interview], I couldnt believe it. No one called me [about it], he said. Were going to try to find a bipartisan pathway forward, but we need to work together. Thats not a way of working together.

The senator said he's specifically concerned that the $1,400 individual checks are not targeted enough.

"We want to help everybody that needs help, he said. But if a person is making $250,000 or $300,000, I dont think theyre in much as need as a person making $40,000 or $50,000. Were going to target it.

Politico later reported that Manchin called the White House and "conveyed his displeasure" after the interview. Among other things, Harris  a California Democrat  fumbled the term "abandoned mine lands," referring to them instead as "abandoned land mines," which according to Politico, was perceived as a "slip-up sure to cause eye rolls in the state."

Sinema has not publicly commented on Harris' Arizona interview, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki said more regional interviews are possible.

[February 01, 2021] Vivo Capital and an Investor Syndicate Completes Sale of Surgical Specialties Corporation to GTCR-backed Corza Health

Vivo Capital, a global healthcare investment firm, announced today that it has closed the sale of Surgical Specialties Corporation ("SSC") to Corza Health, a portfolio company of GTCR, a global private equity firm. Vivo Capital and an investor syndicate including certain Vivo limited partner co-investors acquired SSC, a global manufacturer and leader in the medical device consumables segment, in 2017. Since then, SSC has acquired three companies, divested one product line to Angiodynamics, and built two factories in the US and China while reinvigorating the company's iconic brands, including Quill and Sharpoint. "We would like to thank Dan Croteau, the employees of SSC, and the investor syndicate for their valuable contributions. Vivo's investment in SSC is an example of our continued focus on making private equity investments in high quality companies with significant commercial scale," commented Frank Kung, PhD, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Vivo Capital. "As we invest from our $1.4 billion Vivo Fund IX in control and growth equity trasactions, we look forward to working with management teams and companies that can benefit from Vivo's global presence while focusing on science, innovation, and operational excellence."



Vivo's global footprint helped SSC unlock value in the US, Europe, and China. "We saw a tremendous opportunity to grow SSC's China business. We did this by acquiring a local suture manufacturer and establishing a local commercial team that could more effectively leverage SSC's strong brand and reputation. This allowed SSC to significantly expand in China," commented Shan Fu, Managing Partner of Vivo Capital. Dan Croteau, CEO of SSC commented, "We are thankful to the Vivo Capital team and investor syndicate for their contribution in reinvigorating growth in the business. On behalf of our employees, we are excited for the next chapter of SSC's history with Corza Health and GTCR."

Piper Sandler acted as exclusive financial advisor to SSC on the transaction and Latham & Watkins acted as lead legal advisor. About Vivo Capital Founded in 1996, Vivo Capital is a leading global healthcare investment firm with a diverse, multi-fund investment platform in venture capital, growth equity, buyout, and public equities. The Firm has approximately $4.3 billion in assets under management and has invested in over 280 public and private companies worldwide. Headquartered in Palo Alto (News - Alert) , California, the Vivo team consists of more than 50 multi-disciplinary professionals. Vivo invests broadly in healthcare across all fund strategies, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare services, with a focus on the largest healthcare markets globally. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005947/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Steve Kent skis through Times Square during a snowstorm, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in the Manhattan borough of New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

A sprawling, lumbering winter storm walloped the Eastern U.S. on Monday, shutting down coronavirus vaccination sites, closing schools and halting transit as snow piled up from the Appalachians to New England, with the heaviest accumulations yet to come in some places.

With flakes falling since Sunday evening, the National Weather Service said more than 13 inches (33 centimeters) of snow had fallen in Manhattan's Central Park as of 1 p.m., and as much as 16 inches (41 centimeters) was reported in northern New Jersey. Although the heaviest parts of the storm had moved through the metropolitan area by Monday evening, lighter snow showers were expected to continue virtually all day Tuesday, forecaster James Tomasini said.

"We're looking at a long two days here," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a virtual news conference.

Parts of New England also braced for a foot (31 centimeters) or more by the time the snow finally tapers off in the northernmost states by Wednesday evening, the weather service said. At least three deaths that appeared to be related to the storm were reported, in Pennsylvania.

In Pennsylvania, authorities said a 67-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease who reportedly wandered away from her home was found dead of hypothermia on an Allentown street Monday morning. About 60 miles (97 kilometers) north in Plains Township, a shooting after an argument over snow removal killed a married couple, and the suspect was later found dead at his nearby home of a wound believed to have been self-inflicted, officials in Luzerne County said.

Pedestrians make their way through heavy snow and wind in Hoboken, N.J., Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A preliminary investigation indicates the people involved had a long-running conflict, but "this morning, the dispute was exacerbated by a disagreement over snow disposal," District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis said.

In Virginia, four firefighters were taken to hospitals with injuries that were not life threatening after their firetruck overturned Sunday on snow-covered roads in Henrico County, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

Across the Northeast, many coronavirus vaccination sites closed Monday.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said the storm forced the postponement of about 10,000 shots and delayed the state's weekly resupply of vaccine, now expected Tuesday. He urged providers that called off vaccination appointments to extend their hours if needed to reschedule the shots by the end of the week.

Times Square Alliance security officer Margarita Torres walks in a snowstorm, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

The storm disrupted the second phase of Massachusetts' vaccine rollout as a Boston site that was supposed to open Monday for residents ages 75 and over did not; some other mass vaccination sites were open. The state was expected to get 12 to 18 inches (31 to 61 centimeters) of heavy, wet snow and wind gusts of up to 55 mph (88 km/h) along the coast, according to Gov. Charlie Baker.

"We're used to dealing with snow this time of year, but it's important for folks to take this one seriously due to the heavy snowfall, the high winds, and the speed with which this snow is going to fall when it starts to come down," Baker said at a press conference.

In a school year when many students are already learning from home, in-person classes were canceled in many places.

"I'd like to think there is still some virtual learning going on, with a little bit of time for sledding along the way," Lamont quipped.

A person wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus walks during a winter storm near the Robert Indiana sculpture "LOVE" at John F. Kennedy Plaza, commonly known as Love Park, in Philadelphia, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A commuter waits for transportation toward New York City at a bus stop in Fort Lee, N.J., Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. Snowfall is picking up in the Northeast as the region braced for a whopper of a storm that could dump well over a foot of snow in many areas, create blizzard-like conditions and cause travel problems for the next few days. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A person wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus walks during a winter storm in Philadelphia, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A dog looks up at the person walking it, waiting to be picked up, in Weehawken, N.J., Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. Snowfall is picking up in the Northeast as the region braced for a whopper of a storm that could dump well over a foot of snow in many areas, create blizzard-like conditions and cause travel problems for the next few days. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

A motorist clears his car of snow in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

A person, reflected in a window while wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus, walks during a winter storm in Philadelphia, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A man walks past the Charging Bull statue during a snowstorm, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in New York's financial district. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

A pedestrian walks down a snow covered sidewalk in the Chinatown nieghborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Workers remove snow during a winter storm in Philadelphia, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A person wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus walks during a winter storm in view of City Hall in Philadelphia, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

New York City mom Alyssa Burnham was happy for her son to have "a break from his regular routine."

Now that snow days have blurred into remote-learning days, "it's fun for him to just get out here and be a kid," she said as he played in the snow.

The New York City area had scattered power outages by early evening, affecting about 3,200 homes and businesses in the city and its New York suburbs, 4,000 in New Jersey and 1,200 in Connecticut.

Hundreds of flights and many trains and were canceled, and aboveground New York City subway service stopped at 2 p.m.

In recent days, a storm system blanketed parts of the Midwest, with some areas getting the most snow in several years. Ohio and Washington, D.C., also got snow.

The snow and cold in Washington led President Joe Biden to postpone a visit to the State Department that had been planned for Monday.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration had been in contact with governors states affected by the weather.

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Hyderabad, Feb 1 : The health sector on Monday hailed the Union Budget 2021-22 for increased allocation to the sector and new schemes.

Some leading private healthcare providers here welcomed the announcements made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to give a push to the health sector post-pandemic.

"Budget 2021-22 presented under unprecedented circumstances surely has many firsts. I welcome the Budget and the allocations made to the health sector. Finance Minister's announcement to spend more on primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare over the next six years is much appreciated," Mervin Leo, Cluster COO, Gleneagles Global Hospitals, told IANS.

The Finance Minister announced that Rs 64,180 crore will be invested over six years to improve primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare.

"Her focus on improving rural and urban health infrastructure in addition to the existing National Health Mission will certainly see many new initiatives coming up, which will help improve the health index of people in the country. Spending on improving supply of potable water through Jal Jeevan Mission too will improve health of citizens across India," he said.

Prime Minister's Atmanirbhar Swasthya Bharat Yojana (ANSBY) is a great step forward in these times to boost the rural health infrastructure, where public health is in dire need of funding, feels Anil Krishna, Chairman and Managing Director, Medicover Group of Hospitals.

"The 64,180 crore funding as part of ANSBY will also make the nation ready for the emergency handling of Covid-19 pandemic situations," he said.

"The increase in budget allocation to health and welfare by 137 percent as compared to the previous year will boost the public health facilities at rural, secondary and tertiary levels along with much required booster dose to the Pharma sector too," Krishna added.

"The government's decision to increase the budgetary allocation towards health sector is a welcome move, and a much needed one for the times we are in," said Riyaz Khan, CEO, Continental Hospitals He believes that increasing Foreign Direct Investment limits into the sector and the proposed IPO of Life Insurance Corporation will surely strengthen insurance sector in India, which is much needed to ensure world-class healthcare reaches maximum citizens. "Separate allocation towards Covid-19 vaccination for a six-year period is a compassionate move on part of the Finance Minister," he said referring to allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for the purpose.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text


About two weeks ago, the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced a list of 9 companies that were being added to a blacklist of companies that were believed to be controlled by the Chinese Military. Xiaomi has now filed an official complaint against the ruling, claiming that the decision was factually incorrect and subsequently they are trying to reverse it.

By being added to the blacklist, US investors will be forced to sell/divest their holdings and shares in the company. They will also be banned from investing in the future. While Xiaomi will still be able to conduct business with US companies, it is still a severe blow to Xiaomi as the decision will also damage their public perception among their business partners and consumers.

Xiaomi has filed an official complaint against the US DoD, calling the decision unlawful and unconstitutional and that the company is not controlled by the Chinese Military. The original decision was made by the previous United States Trump administration and the company is hoping that the new Biden administration will reverse the decision before it causes irreparable damage to Xiaomi.

Source | Via
A "special loving boy who touched the hearts of everyone who ever met him" was horrifically murdered by his uncle, a man he trusted, the Central Criminal Court heard today.

A sentence hearing for the 28-year-old, who pleaded guilty last month to murdering the 11-year-old in the south-west of the country on November 3 2019, heard that the boy was struck with a hammer and stabbed 27 times in the torso, arms and neck.

Mr Justice Michael White described the murder as a "horrific breach of trust" and an "unspeakably violent crime" before sentencing the defendant to the mandatory term of life imprisonment.

The boy's mother and father delivered powerful statements to the court in which they described their son as a popular boy who could always make his many friends laugh.

The boy's mother said she discovered that she had a brother when she was 12 years old and she welcomed him into her life, taking care of him like any big sister would.

She said she trusted him and loved him and her son felt safe with him but he took away their trust and her son's innocence.

"To think how afraid [my son] must have been in his final moments will haunt me for the rest of my life," she said.

More to follow...
MADRID, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Canadian and Taiwanese authorities have granted the technology services company Lleida.net (BME: LLN) (OTCQX: LLEIF) (EPA: ALLLN) three new patents, bringing its intellectual property portfolio to 200.

In Canada, the company has received a patent for its "METHOD FOR CERTIFYING DELIVERY OF SMS/MMS DATA MESSAGES TO MOBILE TERMINALS" and for its "METHOD FOR CERTIFYING THE SENDING OF ELECTRONIC MAIL."

Both are valid for 20 years. These two patents are key for the certification service to be offered by telecommunication operators and postal operators in Canada, as Lleida.net's services are already offered in countries such as the United Arab Emirates or Colombia.

"For us, the fact that in just a few years our intellectual property portfolio has grown to 200 patents sends a clear message to our investors," explained Sisco Sapena, CEO and founder of the company."

North America is a key market for the company, and we plan to make every effort to enter Canada and the United States with all our services in the near future," he added. Similarly, the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) has granted another patent, for its "METHOD FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF ELECTRONIC MAIL CONTAINING A RECOGNISED ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE ON THE PART OF A TELECOMMUNICATIONS OPERATOR."

Lleida.net currently has one of the largest intellectual property portfolios in the digital signature industry worldwide.

Investment in intellectual property has given the company decades of rights to exploit its technology in more than 50 countries on five continents.

The company is listed on the OTCQX in New York, BME Growth in Madrid and Euronext Growth in Paris.

Today, its proprietary methods are recognised as valid for certifying legal notices in procurement processes by authorities in more than 70 countries.

Media contact:

The Paloma Project

Media, rpl@thepalomaproject.com

+356-7946-7486

https://Lleida.net


A U.K. visa center in Hong Kong has extended its opening hours to cope with increased demand after the British government launched a new pathway to residency and citizenship for some five million residents of the city, amid a citywide crackdown on public dissent and political opposition.



The visa center in the Lee Man Commercial Centre in Hong Kong's North Point district recently extended its opening hours to run from 7.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m., with at least four families applying to go to the U.K. in the space of a single hour on .



Under a scheme launched on , millions of holders of the British National Overseas (BNO) passport -- once derided as carrying very few benefits -- will be allowed to live, study, and work in the U.K., with a path to permanent residency after five years and to citizenship after six.



The move has angered Beijing, and the Hong Kong and Chinese governments said they will no longer recognize the document for travel or identification purposes.



An applicant who gave only his surname Leung was at the center to apply for the scheme on morning.



Safety claims mocked

Leung said the main reason he wants to take his family to start a new life in the U.K. is the ongoing crackdown under the national security law, imposed by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on the city from , 2020.



"Hong Kong is clearly so safe now that we have the national security law that there is no need for us to stay here and defend it," Leung quipped in an ironic reference to claims by chief executive Carrie Lam that the law had made Hong Kong "safer."



"If it's so safe, we have nothing to fear, and we just want to experience life over there," he said.



Leung said his family have enough savings to live for at least a year after they arrive, and that he is willing to change career to suit the local employment market.



An applicant surnamed Lam said he works in education, and has lived in Hong Kong for 40 years. His application to emigrate was completed in the space of half an hour.



"After living in Hong Kong for many years, I am going to have my own opinions about certain things," Lam said. "But given all that has happened in the past year, it's clear that how someone thinks could actually have a negative impact on their life."



"How can someone go their own way [in such a situation]? There was a time when you could choose to stay behind ... but if I have the opportunity, I'd rather live in a foreign country," Lam said.



Applicants who visit a visa center in person must arrive in the U.K. within 90 days of their visa being issued.



China angry

The applicants in the North Point office on were clearly unwilling to wait until the launch of an app-based application procedure later this month.



While the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities have said that BNO passports are no longer valid for boarding transportation carriers out of and arriving in Hong Kong, the U.K. has said BNO holders may present other forms of documentation for entry into the U.K. if needed.



The Chinese government strongly condemned the BNO visa scheme in a statement reported by state news agency Xinhua on .



"The UK move, in an attempt to turn a large number of Hong Kong people into second-class British citizens, is a blatant offence to China's sovereignty," the agency quoted a spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council as saying.



China reserves the right to take further action against Britain's BNO passport policy, the spokesperson said.



The U.K. has already granted leave to enter the country to some 7,000 BNO passport holders and their dependents, and will continue to do so until the new visa scheme goes fully digital.



As many as 5.4 million Hong Kong residents could be eligible for the plan, including an estimated three million passport holders and just over two million dependents: around 72 percent of the city's population.



The U.K. changed the rules in response to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s imposition of the draconian National Security Law for Hong Kong, which bans words or deeds deemed to be secessionist, subversive, or involving terrorism or collusion with foreign powers.



The law, which was imposed by decree, bypassing the city's Legislative Council (LegCo), criminalizes anyone holding a protest banner or speaking out against the loss of Hong Kong's promised freedoms, anywhere in the world.



Reported by Man Hoi Yan for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Mumbai: The BSE benchmark Sensex rallied nearly 1,000 points led by gains in financial stocks in the afternoon session on Monday (February 1) as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2021-2022 in Parliament.

The 30-share Sensex was trading 929.54 points or 2.01 per cent higher at 47,215.31, and the broader Nifty surged 260.05 points or 1.91 per cent at 13,894.65.

On the Sensex chart, IndusInd Bank was the top gainer, rallying over 10 per cent, followed by ICICI Bank, HDFC, Bajaj Finserv, M&M and SBI.

On the other hand, Dr Reddy's, Tech Mahindra, TCS and HCL Tech were among the laggards.

To push growth via infrastructure creation, Sitharaman proposed raising the government's capital expenditure for FY 2021-22 by 34.5 per cent to Rs 5.5 lakh crore.

Sitharaman also said the government would infuse Rs 20,000 crore into public sector banks (PSBs) in 2021-22, to meet the regulatory norms.

For the current financial year also, the government had made a provision of Rs 20,000 crore for recapitalisation.

At the time of filing this report, the Budget presentation was underway.

On the currency front, the rupee was trading 6 paise lower at 73.02 against the US dollar.
Last month, the French Council of Islam ( Conseil francais du culte musulman CFCM) adopted the Charter of Principles of Islam imposed by the French government. The charter commits Muslim religious officials to respect the principles dictated by the French government, which since the end of 2019 has presented Muslims as being driven by separatism.

While hypocritically claiming to defend religious rights, the governments measure aims to transform Muslims into de facto second-class citizens. Though the legal position of religions is supposed to be governed by the 1905 secularism law, the Macron government has sought to impose on Muslims a humiliating pledge of loyalty to the state. Nothing comparable is being asked of other religions.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin revealed the content of the anti-Muslim campaign with his declaration to Le Figaro last December that, up until now, the government has been interested in radicalization and terrorism. Now, we will also attack the terrain of terrorism, where can be found those people who create the intellectual and cultural space to secede and impose their values.

Frankreichs Prasident Emmanuel Macron [Sebastien Nogier, Pool via AP]

Thus, the police will target people who have not been guilty of any criminal act. They will be able to target thoughts and statements on the basis of their claims that they supposedly might encourage separatism. The so-called breeding ground is so vaguely defined that it includes places of worship, Muslim religious and cultural associations, and their defenders. To be a separatist in the end means to have thoughts or habits that the police disapprove of.

By instituting thought-crime as a pseudo-legal category and a presumption of guilt aimed primarily at Muslims, the state is threatening the democratic rights of the entire population. In this situation, the defence of Muslims is an essential task of the working class. Opposing attempts to divide the workers along religious and ethnic lines is essential for the working class to unite in struggle.

What does the Charter of Principles dictate?

The charter is pervaded by a grotesque fraud, which presents the capitalist state as a defender of the principle of equality against Muslims, even as it attempts to take away their freedom of expression. The police dictate the opinions of Muslims and forbid them to express themselves politically.

The Charter states: From a religious and ethical point of view, Muslims, whether nationals or foreign residents, are bound to France by a pact. This compels them to respect national cohesion, public order and the laws of the Republic. This duty to the state outweighs their own beliefs: No religious conviction can be invoked to evade the obligations of citizens.

What does it mean for Macron to demand that Muslims respect national cohesion? In France as throughout Europe, the government is imposing austerity that is exacerbating social inequality, and a policy of herd immunity against the coronavirus that has been denounced by scientists. More than 600,000 people have already died across the continent as a result. The yellow vest movement and numerous strikes throughout France and Europe have testified to the explosive anger in the working class provoked by these policies.

Since the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, which removed the major obstacle to the use of military force by the NATO powers, France has regularly invaded Muslim-majority countries among its former colonies. The wars in Cote dIvoire, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and Mali have provoked opposition and mistrust among workers. This is particularly the case among Muslim workers.

The Charter of Principles prohibits them from any political discussion in places of worship, stating: We refuse to allow places of worship to be used to disseminate political discourse or to import conflicts occurring elsewhere in the world. Our mosques and places of worship are reserved for prayer and the transmission of values. They are not erected for the dissemination of nationalist speeches defending foreign regimes and supporting foreign policies hostile to France, our country, and our French compatriots.

The new law does not cover terrorist acts, which were already punishable by law before Macron dictated the charter. It prohibits political discussions that would be critical of the foreign or domestic policies of the French state.

The continuous government inroads into the private lives of Muslims, including the ban on veil or facial coverings in schools and all public places since 2004 and 2010, has created a hysterical Islamophobic atmosphere. Reactionary incidents, such as the expulsion of Muslim high school girls for wearing overly long skirts, and the beating of husbands of veiled women by police, have contributed to a sense among Muslim workers that state-sanctioned racism is aimed at them.

The Charter of Principles therefore prohibits any mention of state racism. Islamophobic acts, it asserts, are the work of an extremist minority that should not be confused with either the state or the French people. Consequently, denunciations of alleged State racism, like all posturing about victimhood, are defamation.

The Charter adds that Islamic officials are to remind followers that certain allegedly Muslim cultural practices do not fall under Islam. This vague and incoherent statement requires the CFCM to defend government policies, such as the law banning headscarves in schools.

This reveals the reactionary and discriminatory content of the charter. The French state is creating for Muslims a status as a special minority for whom any collective criticism of the state is prohibited. Indeed, treating Muslims reference to state racism as defamation is tantamount to criminalizing the discussion of French political and religious life that is informed by French and European history.

French imperialism has a long and bloody tradition of more-or-less overt state racism. Between the conquest of Algeria in the 1830s and the end of World War II, it imposed a discriminatory Indigenous Code on Muslims in the colonies. The abolition of this Code in 1946 came only after a workers uprising against the Vichy collaborationist regime, which had pursued a policy of deporting Jews to death camps in Europe.

In the present context, these facts are not merely academic historical references. Neo-fascist partisans of French Algeria, who are also apologists for Nazi collaborationism, play a major role in contemporary politics. Their defenders, like far-right pundit Eric Zemmour, who was convicted of inciting racial hatred, have extensive connections in the media and business.

The attempt to cast a pall of silence on the history of the 20th century takes place in a definite international context. The pandemic has not only triggered the most severe economic crisis since the 1930s. It has discredited the ruling class. The financial aristocracy, exposed by its policy of herd immunity, and terrified of working-class opposition, is turning toward far-right dictatorship.

Trumps attempted coup, led by neo-Nazi forces in Washington on January 6, revealed the fascist rot eating away at the heart of world imperialism. The aftershocks of this political earthquake are only beginning to spread across Europe, where, long before Trumps coup attempt, neo-fascist parties were already being encouraged by broad sections of the ruling elite.

It is impossible to evaluate the Muslim charter outside this international context. In Germany, the extreme right is again in parliament, and far-right professors protected by the ruling Grand Coalition declare that Hitler was not vicious. In Spain, officers who boast they are fascists have reacted to strikes by Spanish workers by declaring that 26 million people should be shot.

Fascistic policies under the guise of defending the Republic

The peculiarity of the fascistic attack on democratic rights in France is that it is carried out in the name of the defence of the Republic.

The Charter of Principles was adopted in the context of the bill against Islamist separatism, renamed the Bill Confirming Respect for the Principles of the Republic. The law has been discussed in committee in the National Assembly since Monday, January 18. Since the end of last year, the entire political establishment has been united behind the slogan for a struggle against Islamist separatism.

It united in a multiparty senatorial commission of inquiry, led by the right-wing Republicans (LR), entitled: Islamist Radicalization: Facing and Fighting Together. The commission was composed of representatives of all political groups in the Senate, including the Stalinist French Communist Party.

The pandemic and the political crisis linked to the reopening campaign accelerated this offensive. Dozens of mosques and Muslim educational institutions were closed and the humanitarian association Barakacity and the Collectif contre lislamophobie en France (CCIF), a human rights association, were dissolved. These established associations operated within a completely legal framework.

Under the cover of protecting the Republic, Macron is seeking to overturn the 1905 secularism law. The law was passed under the influence of the socialist movement following the Dreyfus Affairthe defeat of the anti-Semitic forces in the Army and the Church that sought to frame and imprison the Jewish captain Alfred Dreyfus. By targeting the 1905 law, Macron is threatening the legal framework of freedom of expression and the relations between the church and state that have held in France for more than a century, outside of the period of the occupation during World War II.

Macron compelled the CFCM to draft major documents within a few weeks, with content largely dictated by the authorities. He wants a binding and accelerated timetable to create the National Council of Imams, which is to certify officials who will be compelled to commit to the charter.

To find a point of comparison, several media pundits referred to the beginning of the 19th century, and the creation by Napoleon I of an official representation of French Judaism, after the French Revolution of 1789.

Under the Empire, from 1806 to 1808, Napoleon reorganized Judaism in the wake of the Emancipation Act of September 27, 1791 in the Constituent Assembly, which granted Jews access to French citizenship. Napoleon Is reforms led to the creation of the Central Jewish Consistory of France to organize and legalize Jewish worship.

In reality, there can be no comparison between Napoleons work and that of Macron. Despite his authoritarianism and his prejudices against the Jews, Napoleon allowed the organization of the religion and the integration of the Jewish populations. In this, he pursued the trajectory, spurred on by the Revolution, of destroying the vestiges of feudalism.

In contrast, one cannot but recognize the malicious intent of the measures prepared by Macron, aimed at legitimizing the persecution of Muslims.

The precedents of Macrons action are not in the 1789 French Revolution, but its opponents. Before welcoming the neo-fascist vote on the night of his election, Macron had already criticized the execution of Louis XVI in 1793 and declared that France lacked a king. His government tried to have the works of the leader of the Action Francaise, the anti-Semitic monarchist and Nazi collaborationist Charles Maurras, re-released, and he called Petain a great soldier as he unleashed riot police on the yellow vests.

It is no coincidence that in 2019 the government supported the media campaign against JAccuse, Roman Polanskis film about the Dreyfus Affair. The film opposes the influence of the anti-Dreyfusards, of Maurrassian racism, and of Maurras himself, who called the French defeat, Petains coming to power, and the Nazi collaboration in 1940 divine surprise.

The anti-Muslim campaign of the French state goes hand in hand with the policy of herd immunity, imperialist war, and a violent assault on the working class and its social rights, including to strike and protest.

The anti-separatist law is being accompanied by the global security law, which would prohibit publication of videos of the police. As revealed by the beating by the police in Paris of a music producer, Georges Zecler, in his studio, this would allow the police to attack anyone and claim that they were acting in self-defence. The United Nations has warned that the law contravenes human rights. It aims to consolidate a fascistic police state against the working class.

A political struggle is required for the working class. The history of the 20th century and the fascist genocide of the Jews in Europe are a permanent warning of the horrible price the working class pays if it allows forces of the extreme right to incite racial and religious hatreds and divisions. It is necessary to unify the working class internationally, independently of the trade union apparatuses, in a struggle against the policy of herd immunity and the fascist drift of the ruling class, and for the transfer of power to the working class on a socialist perspective.
Massachusetts Congressman Stephen Lynch announced through his office on Friday that he tested positive for coronavirus despite getting his second vaccine dose, which requires a few weeks to develop immunity.

Spokesperson Molly Rose Tarpey said in a statement that Lynch tested positive for the coronavirus after coming in contact with a staff member in his Boston office who tested positive earlier that week, reported CBS News.

In the statement, Tarpey also explained that Lynch received his second vaccine dose from Pfizer and later on tested negative for the virus prior to President Joe Biden's inauguration.

So far, Lynch appeared to be asymptomatic and felt fine, reported The Blaze. However, he will still be isolating himself and will vote by proxy to fulfill his Congressional duties over the coming week.

It's unclear when Tarpey received his vaccine doses, but the two shots for the Pfizer vaccine is administered with a 21-day interval.

Related story: South Florida Doctor's Death Two Weeks After Getting Coronavirus Vaccine Under Investigation

Another member in the Massachusetts House delegation, Rep. Lori Trahan also tested positive for the virus on Thursday.

"I am fortunate to currently be asymptomatic, and I have immediately begun to self-quarantine," Trahan said on Twitter. She will also be casting votes through proxy.

Vaccines Require Weeks to Build Viral Immunity

Testing positive for COVID-19 despite getting vaccine is still possible as vaccines take up to several weeks to develop viral immunity, explained The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"It typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity (protection against the virus that causes COVID-19) after vaccination," the agency said on its website.

This means there's a possibility for someone to be infected with the virus before or just after vaccination and still get sick, reported Business Insider.

"This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection," the CDC added.

Pfizer's vaccine against the coronavirus was found to be 95% effective at preventing COVID-19 a week after the second shot had been administered.

COVID-19 Infection Between First, Second Vaccine Dose Also Possible

It is also possible for someone to get infected with the coronavirus during the period between the first and second vaccine shot.

This was what happened to Trahan, who only received her first vaccine dose when she tested positive of the virus.

There are small pieces of genetic material found in vaccines that teach a person's immune system to fight off diseases like the coronavirus. These general materials develop virus-fighting antibodies that prevent a person from getting sick with COVID-19.

However, these take time to do their job.

Read also: Health Care Worker Dies After Second Vaccine Dose, But Family Tells Others to Get Vaccinated

In the case of the Pfizer vaccine, it is only 52% effective at preventing COVID-19 after the first dose.

This gap period is critical for people continue adhering to preventive measures like mask wearing until they get their second dose.

Dr. Josh Mugele, who tested positive for the coronavirus after receiving his first shot said getting infected wasn't a sign that the vaccine didn't work.

"This was just dumb luck," he told Business Insider. "I happened to be exposed within a few days of getting the vaccine, but this still is the best tool we have for fighting the virus."
[February 01, 2021] Cryometrix Rapid Deployment Low-Temperature Chest Freezer for Vaccines

OREM, Utah, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reflect Scientific, Inc. (Symbol: RSCF), a provider of diverse products and services for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and transportation industries, announces a new ultra-low temperature freezer addition to the Cryometrix product line that can be rapidly deployed in a transportable, self-powered configuration.

The new Cryometrix RDC-120 freezer is sized explicitly for storing smaller quantities of vaccines and high-value biologicals. Designed with the same patented liquid nitrogen cooling technology as the very successful larger freezers, the RDC-120 can be installed at a fixed site or configured for entirely self-contained operation. This versatility makes it ideal for field deployment, temporary or permanent cold storage, or a transportable low-temperature storage unit. The internal storage capacity is approximately 120 liters and has a temperature storage range of 0C to -160C. Cooldown from room temperature to -80C takes a short 5 minutes. Return to a set temperature of -80C after door opening is a speedy 2 minutes protecting valuable payloads such as the Pfizer COVID vaccine from damaging temperature swings. Mr. Kim Boyce, CEO of Reflect Scientific Inc., commented, The recent test results exceeded our expectations. This small chest frezer can be placed almost anywhere, even in the back of a pickup truck. Small payloads can now be easily transported or stored with excellent temperature stability at very low temperatures. We are taking orders for the RDC-120 now.



About Reflect Scientific, Inc.

Reflect Scientific, Inc., based in Orem, Utah, develops and markets innovative, proprietary technologies in cryogenic cooling for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical, and transportation markets. Among Reflect Scientifics products are low-temperature freezers and refrigerated systems for laboratory, transportation, and computer server room uses. Visit www.reflectscientific.com for more information. See us on Twitter @ReflectSci and LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/reflect-scientific . 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. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time the statements are made and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this press release. This press release should be considered in light of the disclosures contained in the filings of the Company that are contained in the OTC Markets Group, LLC under the trading symbol RSCF and related prior filings by the Company that are referenced therein and contained in the EDGAR Archives of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the heading Disclosure, including those identified in such filings as forward-looking statements.



Contact Thomas Tait 801-607-1039 investor_relations@reflectscientific.com

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
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
DUBLIN, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "1,3-Propanediol Market Research Report by Production (Bioprocess and Conventional Process), by Sales (Offline Retailing and Online Retailing), by End-Use Verticals, by Application - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global 1,3-Propanediol Market is expected to grow from USD 623.28 Million/EUR 546.51 Million in 2020 to USD 1,102.49 Million/EUR 966.68 by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.08%.



This research report categorizes the 1,3-Propanediol to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Based on Production, the 1,3-Propanediol Market is examined across Bioprocess and Conventional Process.

Based on Sales, the 1,3-Propanediol Market is examined across Offline Retailing and Online Retailing.

Based on End-Use Verticals, the 1,3-Propanediol Market is examined across Construction Material, Industrial Manufacturing, Personal Care & Cosmetics, and PTT Manufacturing.

Based on Application, the 1,3-Propanediol Market is examined across Cosmetics, Personal Care & Cleaning Products, Polytrimethylene Terephthalate (PTT), and Polyurethane.

Based on Geography, the 1,3-Propanediol Market is examined across Americas, Asia-Pacific , and Europe , Middle East & Africa . The Americas region surveyed across Argentina , Brazil , Canada , Mexico , and United States . The Asia-Pacific region surveyed across Australia , China , India , Indonesia , Japan , Malaysia , Philippines , South Korea , and Thailand . Europe , Middle East & Africa region surveyed across France , Germany , Italy , Netherlands , Qatar , Russia , Saudi Arabia , South Africa , Spain , United Arab Emirates , and United Kingdom .

The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global 1,3-Propanediol Market including Alfa Aesar, Chongqing Kunlun Chemical Co., Ltd, Connect Chemicals, Haihang Industry Co., Ltd., Hunan Rivers Bioengineering Co., Ltd., MakingCosmetics Inc., Merck KGaA, METabolic EXplorer, Royal Dutch Shell, Salicylates And Chemicals Pvt. Ltd, Shandong Mingxing Chemical Co., Ltd, Shanghai Jinjinle Industry Co., Ltd, Sheng Hong Group Holdings Ltd., TCI Chemicals (India) Pvt. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc, Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Toronto Research Chemicals Inc, Zhangjiagang Glory Biomaterial Co., Ltd., Zhangjiagang Huamei Biomaterial Co., Ltd., and Zouping Mingxing Chemical Co., Ltd..



The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the 1,3-Propanediol Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.



COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry so far and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. The ongoing research amplifies the research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global 1,3-Propanediol Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global 1,3-Propanediol Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global 1,3-Propanediol Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global 1,3-Propanediol Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global 1,3-Propanediol Market?

6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global 1,3-Propanediol Market?



Key Topics Covered:



1. Preface

1.1. Objectives of the Study

1.2. Market Segmentation & Coverage

1.3. Years Considered for the Study

1.4. Currency & Pricing

1.5. Language

1.6. Limitations

1.7. Stakeholders



2. Research Methodology

2.1. Research Process

2.1.1. Define: Research Objective

2.1.2. Determine: Research Design

2.1.3. Prepare: Research Instrument

2.1.4. Collect: Data Source

2.1.5. Analyze: Data Interpretation

2.1.6. Formulate: Data Verification

2.1.7. Publish: Research Report

2.1.8. Repeat: Report Update

2.2. Research Execution

2.2.1. Initiation: Research Process

2.2.2. Planning: Develop Research Plan

2.2.3. Execution: Conduct Research

2.2.4. Verification: Finding & Analysis

2.2.5. Publication: Research Report

2.3. Research Outcome



3. Executive Summary

3.1. Introduction

3.2. Market Outlook

3.3. Sales Outlook

3.4. End-Use Verticals Outlook

3.5. Application Outlook

3.6. Production Outlook

3.7. Geography Outlook

3.8. Competitor Outlook



4. Market Overview

4.1. Introduction

4.2. Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

4.3. Geographic Growth Opportunities



5. Market Insights

5.1. Market Dynamics

5.1.1. Drivers

5.1.1.1. Increasing demand for environment-friendly bio-based products

5.1.1.2. Growing use in resin application

5.1.1.3. Growing demand for PTT

5.1.2. Restraints

5.1.2.1. Availability of low-cost substitutes

5.1.3. Opportunities

5.1.3.1. Huge potential in emerging economies

5.1.3.2. New & increasing applications areas for PDO

5.1.4. Challenges

5.1.4.1. Limited awareness of 1,3-propanediol in industrial application

5.2. Porters Five Forces Analysis

5.2.1. Threat of New Entrants

5.2.2. Threat of Substitutes

5.2.3. Bargaining Power of Customers

5.2.4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

5.2.5. Industry Rivalry



6. Global 1,3-Propanediol Market, By Production

6.1. Introduction

6.2. Bioprocess

6.3. Conventional Process



7. Global 1,3-Propanediol Market, By Sales

7.1. Introduction

7.2. Offline Retailing

7.3. Online Retailing



8. Global 1,3-Propanediol Market, By End-Use Verticals

8.1. Introduction

8.2. Construction Material

8.3. Industrial Manufacturing

8.4. Personal Care & Cosmetics

8.5. PTT Manufacturing



9. Global 1,3-Propanediol Market, By Application

9.1. Introduction

9.2. Cosmetics, Personal Care & Cleaning Products

9.3. Polytrimethylene Terephthalate (PTT)

9.4. Polyurethane



10. Americas 1,3-Propanediol Market

10.1. Introduction

10.2. Argentina

10.3. Brazil

10.4. Canada

10.5. Mexico

10.6. United States



11. Asia-Pacific 1,3-Propanediol Market

11.1. Introduction

11.2. Australia

11.3. China

11.4. India

11.5. Indonesia

11.6. Japan

11.7. Malaysia

11.8. Philippines

11.9. South Korea

11.10. Thailand



12. Europe, Middle East & Africa 1,3-Propanediol Market

12.1. Introduction

12.2. France

12.3. Germany

12.4. Italy

12.5. Netherlands

12.6. Qatar

12.7. Russia

12.8. Saudi Arabia

12.9. South Africa

12.10. Spain

12.11. United Arab Emirates

12.12. United Kingdom



13. Competitive Landscape

13.1. FPNV Positioning Matrix

13.1.1. Quadrants

13.1.2. Business Strategy

13.1.3. Product Satisfaction

13.2. Market Ranking Analysis

13.3. Market Share Analysis

13.4. Competitive Scenario

13.4.1. Merger & Acquisition

13.4.2. Agreement, Collaboration, & Partnership

13.4.3. New Product Launch & Enhancement

13.4.4. Investment & Funding

13.4.5. Award, Recognition, & Expansion



14. Company Usability Profiles

14.1. Alfa Aesar

14.2. Chongqing Kunlun Chemical Co., Ltd

14.3. Connect Chemicals

14.4. Haihang Industry Co., Ltd.

14.5. Hunan Rivers Bioengineering Co., Ltd.

14.6. MakingCosmetics Inc.

14.7. Merck KGaA

14.8. METabolic EXplorer

14.9. Royal Dutch Shell

14.10. Salicylates And Chemicals Pvt. Ltd

14.11. Shandong Mingxing Chemical Co., Ltd

14.12. Shanghai Jinjinle Industry Co., Ltd

14.13. Sheng Hong Group Holdings Ltd.

14.14. TCI Chemicals (India) Pvt. Ltd.

14.15. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc

14.16. Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

14.17. Toronto Research Chemicals Inc

14.18. Zhangjiagang Glory Biomaterial Co., Ltd.

14.19. Zhangjiagang Huamei Biomaterial Co., Ltd.

14.20. Zouping Mingxing Chemical Co., Ltd.



15. Appendix

15.1. Discussion Guide



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cttmmr

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


New Delhi, Feb 1 : After a good December-January period when sales of passenger vehicles saw a surge in demand, those who wish to buy a car or a motorcycle may have to shell out more as the government on Monday announced to hike customs duty on some auto parts from 10 per cent to 15 per cent.

The 5 per cent increase in duty applies to safety glass comprising toughened (tempered) or laminated glass, parts of electrical lighting and signaling equipment, windscreen wipers, defrosters and demisters (of a kind used for cycle or motor).

Other automobile parts that will see an extra 5 per cent duty hike include ignition wiring sets and other wiring sets of a kind used in vehicles, aircraft or ships, instrument panel clocks and clocks of a similar type for vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft or vessels.

The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), the apex body representing India's auto component sector, said that an increase in basic customs duty on select auto components will encourage local manufacturing of such items.

"It is also heartening that the Budget outlay for the MSME sector has been doubled compared to last year. The auto component industry is dominated by MSMEs and this will provide them the necessary succour as the industry recovers," said Deepak Jain, President, ACMA.

Jeetender Sharma, Founder and MD, Okinawa Autotech, said that the increase in customs duty on automobile parts would rightly encourage domestic manufacturing.

He, however, urged the government to look at reducing the GST and reconsider the current taxation framework applicable on raw material and the final product in case of EVs, which could have provided the much-needed impetus to the industry.

"The government could have also looked at aggravating the domestic demand by further incentivising individual and commercial consumption of EV pan-India," Sharma said.

Sales of passenger vehicles increased by 13.59 per cent in December 2020, according to the data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

A total of 2.53 lakh passenger vehicles were sold in December compared to over 2.22 lakh units sold during the same period of 2019.

Two-wheeler sales also improved by 7.42 per cent on a year-on-year basis to 11.28 lakh units during the period under review.
Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov and deputy defense ministers from regional powers Turkey and Russia were there to launch the center, in the Agdam region east of Karabakh, according to Azerbaijan's state news agency Azertac.



Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar announced on Friday that one Turkish general and 38 personnel will be stationed at the center.



"Our activities will intensify with the work of this joint Turkish-Russian center and we will fulfill our duty to defend the rights of our Azerbaijani brothers," Akar said in a statement posted on the Defense Ministrys website.



Turkey and Russia agreed to form a joint observation center shortly after Moscow in November brokered a ceasefire agreement that ended the Armenian-Azerbaijani war in and around Karabakh. Turkey was a major backer of Azerbaijan in the conflict.



Turkish Major General Abdullah Katirci and Russian Major General Viktor Fyodorenko will reportedly command their respective contingents at the center.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev welcomed the opening of the Russian-Turkish center when they spoke by phone later on Saturday. According to the Kremlin, the two leaders expressed hope it will contribute to the further stabilization of the situation in the conflict zone and the conflicting parties compliance with the ceasefire agreement.



Under the agreement, around 2,000 Russian peacekeepers are also deployed along Karabakh frontline areas and a land link connecting Karabakh with Armenia.

Armenian Defense Minister Vagharshak Harutiunian praised the Russian peacekeeping operation on Monday in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu. According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, Harutiunian said the peacekeepers have helped to ensure the almost full observance of the ceasefire.

A ministry statement said Shoigu phoned Harutiunian to discuss the results of staff negotiations held by senior Russian and Armenian military officials in Yerevan last week. The two ministers also spoke about the course of the resolution of Armenias security issues in the post-war period, it said without elaborating.
EACH AND EVERY DAY, my colleagues and I hear about how New Hampshires high property taxes are an unsustainable burden on hardworking Granite Staters. According to a recent report from US News and WalletHub, New Hampshire has the third-highest property tax rates in the country. For young wor
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: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday (February 1, 2021) launched the Aatma Nirbhar Health Yojana with an outlay of 64,180 crores. "The government will set up 15 health emergency centres. It will strengthen the National Center for Disease Control," the Finance Minister said while presenting the Union Budget 2021.

In May 2020, the government announced the 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat' package to sustain the recovery and we rolled out two more Atma Nirbhar packages, says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The total support, along with measures taken by the Reserve Bank of India, was estimated to be Rs 27.1 lakh crore, she says.

The FM began her Union Budget speech by praising Indians for their discipline during pandemic-induced lockdowns since last year. She said that no one could have predicted the upcoming health crisis when the last Budget was presented.

Budget 2021 proposals rest on six pillars  health and well-being, physical and financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation and research and development, minimum government and maximum governance, the Finance Minister said.

The FM also allocated Rs 35,000 crore for vaccines and proposed a capital expenditure outlay of Rs 5.54 lakh crore in 2021-22, over than 34% higher than the revised estimate of last financial year.

Finance Minister proposes a capital expenditure outlay of Rs 5.54 lakh crore in 2021-22, over 34% higher than the revised estimate of last financial year. She added that the Urban Jal Jeevan Mission to be launched and implemented over 5 years with an outlay of Rs 2.87 lakh crore.

Finance Minister announced setting up of a Development Finance Institution for infrastructure projects with an outlay of Rs 20, 000 crore.

Live TV
His wife Yulia is was fined today for taking part in illegal pro-Navalny protests

Russia today claimed to have uncovered footage showing an aide to jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny meeting an MI6 agent at a restaurant in Moscow.

The footage run by state-backed media is the latest part of the Russian propaganda machine's effort to discredit Navalny by claiming he is in league with Western intelligence, following two consecutive weekends of protests supporting him.

Under pressure from the West over a crackdown on Navalny's supporters, Moscow today branded him a 'foreign agent' - after prosecutors backed a bid to jail him for three-and-a-half years tomorrow by converting a suspended term into prison time.

The video in question purports to show a member of Navalny's anti-corruption movement meeting a British diplomat - described as a secret agent known to Russia's FSB - and discussing funding for campaigns against Putin.

News channel RT embellished the video with claims that the Navalny aide was 'begging' for money, despite the fact that this is not shown in the footage.

Pro-Kremlin media broadcast this footage purporting to show an Alexei Navalny aide (circled, left) meeting a supposed British intelligence agent at a Moscow restaurant

The alleged British agent is seen arriving at the Moscow restaurant in the footage run by pro-Putin news channel RT on Monday

RT claimed that the meeting at a plush Moscow eatery was watched by Russian counter-intelligence agents monitoring the supposed MI6 man.

One officer from Russia's FSB security service spoke of an MI6 'residency' in Russia which it accused of 'actively participating in the work of the embassy with the Russian opposition'.

Moscow frequently accuses the West of meddling in its own affairs - even as Russia carries out hacking operations and shadowy military operations overseas.

RT stated: 'Imagine, a British politician holds a meeting with Russian agents of the secret services, begging for their financial help and accumulating dirt on rivals.

'There would be a national scandal. In addition to ethical issues, it should also be noted here that such actions would also undoubtedly be viewed as a threat to security.

'And that is exactly what they are - from the point of view of the FSB.'

RT claimed that the Navalny aide was 'begging' for money from the British diplomat, but the footage does not show this.

He is instead heard saying he is seeking funds from 'business' sources. 'If we had more money, we would be... we would expand our team,' he says.

'If somebody would spend... I do not know... 10-20million dollars per year. By supporting we would see a different picture and this not a big amount of money for people who left billions at stake.'

Another part of the discussion includes the Navalny aide's plans to release a report on alleged corruption in Russian bank VTB.

The release of the video came as Navalny's anti-corruption foundation was described by Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov as a 'foreign agent', after Navalny allies called for US sanctions against Russia.

'The foundation de jure and de facto demonstrated its status of foreign agent,' Peskov said.

He added: We reject these sanctions. We believe them to be absolutely unacceptable, we believe that it is a profoundly wrong way of engaging in relations between states. There are no prospects in this method.'

Alexei Navalny (centre) is facing charges of violating the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence and could be jailed for two-and-a-half years. Pictured: Navalny is escorted out of a police station following a court ruling that ordered him jailed for 30 days [File photo]

Yulia Navalnaya (pictured), the wife of prominent Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was fined 20,000 roubles (192.02) for taking part in an unauthorised rally in support of her husband. Pictured: Navalnaya arrives at court

France has called for scrapping the Nord Stream 2 pipeline with Russia in protest at Moscow's opposition crackdown - but Germany rejected those calls today.

Angela Merkel's spokeswoman Martina Fietz said there were 'no new updates' on the project, which the chancellor supports. 'The government has not changed its basic position,' she told reporters.

The Kremlin has claimed that Navalny himself is linked to Western intelligence, suggesting that foreign agents helped him cook up allegations against the FSB.

Navalny accuses Russian agents of poisoning him with a Soviet-era nerve agent last August, when he was airlifted to Germany in a coma after falling ill on a plane.

It came as Navalny's wife Yulia was fined by a Moscow court today for taking part in an unauthorised rally in support of her husband.

Yulia Navalnaya was fined 20,000 roubles (192.02) on Monday, a day after being arrested at an unsanctioned protest in Moscow.

Her lawyer Svetlana Davydova told Russia's TASS news agency on Sunday that Navalnaya had been arrested and released on the understanding that she would appear in court today. Navalnaya had faced a 15-day administrative arrest, her lawyer said.

Navalnaya's second arrest in as many weeks came as Russian prosecutors backed a request by the prison service to imprison Navalny.

Navalnaya's lawyer Svetlana Davydova told Russia's TASS news agency on Sunday that she had been arrested and released on the understanding that she would appear in court today. Pictured: Navalnaya arrives at a Moscow court on Monday

Navalnaya (left) is seen in court on Monday following her second arrest in as many weeks and came as Russian prosecutors backed a request by the prison service to imprison Navalny

On Monday, the General Prosecutor's Office issued a statement saying the motion to change the opposition figure's suspended sentence to jail time was 'considered lawful and justified'.

The 44-year-old is facing charges of violating the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence and could be jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Navalny was detained at a Moscow airport in mid-January after flying back to Russia from Germany where he was recovering from being poisoned with a nerve agent in an attack he blames on the Kremlin.

The anti-corruption campaigner is being held in a high-security detention centre and faces years of potential jail time in several different criminal cases.

Western governments have called for Navalny's release while his team have urged supporters to gather in front of Moscow's Simonovsky district court on Tuesday.

Russian police have detained more than 5,300 people across the country in a massive clampdown on anti-Kremlin protests, a monitor said on Monday. Pictured: Protesters and riot police square off in Moscow where attempts by the authorities to quell demonstrations on Sunday were thwarted

On Sunday, thousands of protesters defied government warnings and rallied from Vladivostok to Saint Petersburg in a second week of mass demonstrations over the arrest of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent opponent. Pictured: Riot police officers detain a man during a rally in Moscow on Sunday

OVD Info, which monitors arrests at opposition protests, said more than 5,300 people had been detained, including nearly 1,800 people in Moscow and almost 1,200 in Saint Petersburg. Pictured: Police officers detain a man at a protest in Moscow

Russian police have detained more than 5,300 people across the country in a massive clampdown on anti-Kremlin protests, a monitor said on Monday.

On Sunday, thousands of protesters defied government warnings and rallied from Vladivostok to Saint Petersburg in a second week of mass demonstrations over the arrest of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent opponent.

OVD Info, which monitors arrests at opposition protests, said more than 5,300 people had been detained, including nearly 1,800 people in Moscow and almost 1,200 in Saint Petersburg.

Pressure from Western powers grew on Monday as France urged Germany to scrap a major gas pipeline project with Russia in protest over Navalny's detention.

'We have always said we have the greatest doubts on this project in this context,' European Affairs minister Clement Beaune told France Inter radio.

Asked specifically if France wanted Berlin to drop the project, Beaune said: 'Indeed, we have already said this.'

Pressure from Western powers grew on Monday as France urged Germany to scrap a major gas pipeline project with Russia in protest over Navalny's detention. Pictured: A specialist works onboard the Allseas' deep sea pipe laying ship Solitaire to prepare for NordStream II in September 2019 [File photo]

The United States and several European countries have also criticised the Nordstream II project, saying it will increase German and EU dependence on Russia for critical gas supplies. Pictured: Workers are seen at the construction site of the Nord Stream II gas pipeline near the town of Kingisepp, Russia, in June 2019 [File photo]

The United States and several European countries have also criticised the Nordstream II project, saying it will increase German and EU dependence on Russia for critical gas supplies.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has insisted on the project, which saw work resume in December after nearly a year's delay due to US sanctions.

Beaune said European leaders were weighing new sanctions against Russia over Putin's crackdown on the opposition led by Navalny.

'Sanctions have already been imposed, we could do that but we have to be clear, they will not be enough,' Beaune said.

'The Nordstream option is one under consideration,' he added, while acknowledging that 'it's a decision for Germany, because the pipeline is in Germany.'
Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has recently accused Ethiopia of obstructing negotiations to reach a binding agreement on the giant hydroelectric dam being built by Addis Ababa on the Blue Nile.

In a speech to parliament on Jan. 26, Shoukry said Cairo engaged in US-brokered talks last year to strike a balanced agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that preserves the interests of all concerned parties, i.e., Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.

The tripartite talks resulted in a US-mediated draft deal to resolve their dispute. Egypt initialed the agreement, but Ethiopia skipped the signing ceremony and accused then-US President Donald Trump of siding with Cairo. Sudan attended the meeting but did not sign.

Ethiopia rejected the deal and boycotted the negotiations in Washington and started to unilaterally fill the dam without an agreement on the rules of the GERD filling and operation, Shoukry said to parliament.

Ethiopia completed the first filling of the dam last year and vowed to start the second phase of filling the GERD reservoir in August of this year.

The chief diplomat said Cairo participated in all negotiations and meetings in the hope of reaching an agreement but was met with Ethiopian intransigence.

Egypt will not compromise or bow down to threats to its interests in the Nile River or its water rights, Shoukry stressed. Egypt will not allow any attempt to impose the policy of fait accompli and will not let any party dominate the Nile River.

Egypt depends almost completely on the Nile River for its water supply and fears that the GERD will drastically reduce its water share. Ethiopia says the dam, which is being built near the border with Sudan on the Blue Nile, a main tributary of the Nile River, will not harm Egypt and Sudan, two downstream countries.

Cairo has embarked on a diplomatic offensive aimed at convincing Ethiopia to sign a binding agreement on the filling and operation of the giant dam, including bringing the issue to the UN Security Councils attention. Addis Ababa has refused to bow to the pressure.

Several rounds of African Union (AU) -sponsored negotiations between the three countries have failed to yield any results amid frictions on thorny issues like drought mitigation and dispute resolution.

On Jan. 24, Egyptian Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel Ati blamed Ethiopian obstinacy for the failure to reach an agreement on the GERD.

Ethiopia has backed down on all agreed principles to resolve the dam dispute, Abdel Ati told parliament. Unfortunately, Ethiopia is showing intransigency regarding the Nile dam file.

Sudanese Defense Minister Yassin Ibrahim on Jan. 25 accused Addis Ababa of procrastination regarding reaching a binding deal on the dam project.

Currently, we are trapped in a vicious cycle of negotiations, Ibrahim told the Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television. Sudan has no demands other than participating in the administration of the dam project and sharing information.

Sudan stands to gain from the dams hydropower and flow regulation but worries that filling the giant dam without an agreement threatens the safety of its own dams.

Sudanese Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Yasser Abbas said Jan. 24 the GERD poses a direct threat to the Roseires Dam, the largest in Sudan. Since war is not an option, Sudan has started a diplomatic effort to urge the international community to shoulder its responsibility toward the Ethiopian threat to half of Sudans population on the Blue Nile, he said.

Abbas continued, Sudan will not allow the filling and operation of the GERD without a binding agreement that guarantees the safety of the countrys dams and lives of its population.

Sudan and Ethiopia are engaged in a border conflict over the disputed al-Faqsha border region. Khartoum says the area around al-Fashqa was demarcated under colonial-era treaties dating back to 1902 and falls into the countrys border.

Sudan dispatched delegations to Kenya, South Africa and Saudi Arabia to explain its stance regarding the Nile dam dispute and current border conflict with Ethiopia.

Ethiopian Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity Seleshi Bekele, meanwhile, accused Cairo and Khartoum Jan. 30 of disrupting the GERD negotiations.

The prediction about the outbreak of war on the waters of the Nile is wrong, Bekele said. [The GERD] is a factor in strengthening and developing the Nile Basin countries.

Bekele continued, After a consensus was reached with Egypt on the proposals of the AU experts, Sudan withdrew. And when an agreement was reached with Sudan on the proposals of the AU experts, Egypt withdrew.

Amani al-Tawil, director of the African program at Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, opines that trading accusations between the three countries aims to draw US attention to the dam dispute.

The Nile dam negotiations are now at a standstill, and accusations between the parties are primarily meant to draw the attention of the new US administration, as it is still shaping its policies on world affairs, Tawil told Al-Monitor.

Tawil thinks that Egypt and Sudan will seek to escalate their diplomatic campaign to pile pressure on Ethiopia to soften its position on reaching a binding agreement on the rules of filling and operation of the GERD.

Cairo and Khartoum are likely to launch a campaign to internationalize the Nile dam issue, Tawil said. Egypt is not excluding any option as Cairo will not allow Addis Ababa to complete the second filling of the dam reservoir without an agreement.

Gamal Bayoumi, former assistant minister for foreign affairs, believes Ethiopia was refusing to reach an agreement on the dam project for political reasons.

This Ethiopian intransigence is based on non-technical reasons, as Addis Ababa wants to show that it is politically more powerful than Egypt, Bayoumi told Al-Monitor by phone. Addis Ababa is seeking to push Cairo to agree on buying the Nile water, but this will not happen since the Nile River is an international river.

The former diplomat advised the Egyptian authorities to follow a wait-and-see attitude in dealing with the Ethiopian dam file. Cairo has to show patience and should not be dragged into a conflict with Ethiopia over the dam project, he said.

Bayoumi continued that Ethiopia cant store water behind the dam for good since Addis Ababa is primarily seeking to use the GERD for electricity generation.

The dam issue needs patience and clever diplomacy from Cairo in order to continue embarrassing Ethiopia diplomatically until it bows to the Egyptian and Sudanese demands, he said. What Egypt needs to do now is to find other options to fulfill its needs of water in the first years of filling the dam reservoir.




In her victory speech on November 7, 2020, then-Vice President-elect Kamala Harris spoke of Joe Bidens audacity in selecting a woman  a Black and Asian-American woman, no less  as his running mate.

The turn of phrase brought to mind the title of former president Barack Obamas book The Audacity of Hope, forming a bridge to the administration in which Biden served so successfully.

Using the word audacity to describe a politician with a reputation for reaching across the aisle was, in itself, a little audacious.

And it was perfect.

For me personally, Kamala Harriss words reminded me of a brief conversation I once had with then-Senator Joe Biden.

In 2002, I attended a social gathering in Washington, D.C., at which two senior senators were present: John McCain of Arizona, a Republican, and Joe Biden of Delaware, a Democrat. I spoke briefly and cordially with both. My conversation with Sen. McCain focused on service-disabled veterans and the steps we could take as a nation to honor their sacrifices by creating more opportunities for them. During my conversation with Sen. Biden, I asked, Am I shaking the hand of the next president of the United States? His response took me by surprise. He smiled and gestured affectionately toward McCain. No, thats him.

Even as a complete outsider, I could sense the deep and abiding respect between these men from different ends of the political spectrum. They were rivals, yes, but also friends and fellow statesmen engaged in the effort of maintaining and strengthening democracy.

My interaction with Joe Biden engraved forever on my heart the importance of friendship and decency in politics. It also cemented for me the integral role of courage in democracy.

John McCain had served in Vietnam, enduring years of torture as a prisoner of war. He became the symbol of a certain kind of courage.

Together with McCain, Joe Biden has been emblematic of another kind of courage: the courage to consider other viewpoints, to stay open to compromise and conciliation, to trust in the good faith of ones adversaries based on a common set of values and traditions. Indeed, in his inaugural address on the steps of the Capitol, President Joe Biden spoke openly of the courage he expects of all Americans, of the need to listen to one another. Hear one another. See one another. Show respect to one another.

This kind of courage  civil courage  is truly what we need today. We need the courage to end systemic racism, to fight poverty, to address climate change, to ensure that every child has a loving home, to tackle unemployment, to unite our divided nation.

From the moment I arrived in the United States as a young man, I have cherished and admired the decency and generosity of ordinary Americans, from the Carolinas to the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest, in small towns and big cities alike. Certainly, among these diverse multitudes you can find less charitable individuals and groups. But Ive found that for every zealot espousing a close-minded ideology, there are tens of thousands of Americans  Republicans, Democrats, and independents  whose open minds and open hearts provide a critical mass of kindness and understanding each and every day.

After decades of residing in the U.S. and participating in American life, I have come to value the courage that underlies all that kindness and understanding.

It is not unique to America, certainly.

It is a quality I recognize from my travels across six continents and in my conversations with dairy farmers in Kenya, schoolchildren in Bolivia, youth in Morocco, entrepreneurs in India, a restauranteur in South Sudan, community leaders in Ghana, a registered nurse (and SOS Childrens Villages alumna) in Jamaica.

That same courage was evident in my meetings with other, more celebrated individuals, from astronaut and U.S. senator John Glenn to Mother Teresa, from the Dalai Lama to President Bill Clinton.

After each of these interactions, I came away deeply impressed with the tremendous courage of individuals to make transformational change, regardless of the circumstances or the difficulty involved.

The United States is a country where this kind of courage is critical to our economic and social progress, our national security, and our global leadership.

In an open letter I wrote to President Biden and Vice President Harris, I urged them to focus on vulnerable children and youth in this country and ensure that they have the safety, care, and opportunities they need to thrive.

No other country has civic courage woven into its fiber the way America does. No other country needs it as much we do right now.

Neil Ghosh (@neilghosh4 / ceo@sos-usa.org), chief executive officer of SOS Children's Villages USA and founder of the Global Youth Initiative, is an advocate of vulnerable children and youth; he focuses on advancing nimble and agile cross-sector collaboration systems to foster sustainable development.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Amtrak is developing what its calling a visionary plan to expand rail service across the United States, including the possibility of a major expansion in Cleveland that could link the city to Columbus and Cincinnati via train.

The plan, in the early stages of being shopped to local and state officials, includes the possibility of five new routes in Ohio, including four that run through Cleveland.

We have developed a visionary plan to expand rail service across the nation, providing service to large metropolitan areas that have little or no Amtrak service, said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari. We are working with our state partners, local officials and other stakeholders to understand their interests in new and improved Amtrak and will be releasing that plan soon.

Its unclear how realistic the plan is, how expensive it is or how quickly it might be implemented  but rail advocates across Ohio were quick to embrace any possibility of an expansion of passenger train service in the state.

Its the boldest thing that Amtraks ever done in its history, said Stu Nicholson, executive director of All Aboard Ohio, a nonprofit that advocates for expanded rail service in Ohio. This is an incredibly ambitious plan. Its a real game changer.

Nicholson said what makes Amtraks newest plan more realistic than previous proposals is that it doesnt rely on substantial local or state funding, at least not initially. Currently, Amtrak requires states to subsidize many short-haul routes in the U.S.

According to All Aboard Ohio, the plan recommends these new routes:

* New service linking Ohios largest cities, Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, plus Dayton, known as the 3C corridor;

* Cleveland to New York City, via Buffalo and Albany;

* Cleveland to New York City, via Pittsburgh;

* Cleveland to Detroit, via Toledo

* and Cincinnati to Chicago, via Indianapolis.

The proposed new routes were part of a report from Amtrak to Congress last year that included a Corridor Development Plan, which proposed numerous high-potential routes of 750 miles or fewer .

Nicholson speculated that the report has received new life with the November election of President Joe Biden, who is a long-time supporter of passenger train service. Democratic control of Congress will likely help, too, he said.

Last week, the Star Beacon in Ashtabula reported that Amtrak officials had reached out to the city about the possibility of restarting train service in the far-northeast Ohio community, which hasnt had rail service in decades. City Manager Jim Timonere said he was told the proposal would be sent to Congress via reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Bill.

Ashtabula would be included as a stop on the new Cleveland-Buffalo-New York route.

Grace Gallucci, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, has a meeting scheduled with Amtrak on Thursday. They have told us they are seriously looking at making investments in Ohio, she said. Were very excited about it.

She described any discussion about increasing multimodal transportation in the region as a step in the right direction. Amtrak is a service that is available to all people, she said. It can connect lots of communities with lots of opportunities.

Currently, Amtrak runs two routes through Cleveland -- the Lake Shore Limited, which travels from Boston and New York to Chicago, and the Capitol Limited, which travels between Chicago and Washington, D.C. A third route, the Cardinal, travels through southern Ohio, which links Chicago and New York via Cincinnati.

Columbus is the largest city in the United States without passenger rail service, according to All Aboard Ohio. And Ohio is the largest state in the country with no state-supported passenger trains.

In 2010, then Gov. John Kasich famously rejected $400 million in federal funding earmarked for the development of new passenger rail service that would connect Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.

Matt Bruning, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation, said it was too early in the process to talk about any possibility of expanded rail service in Ohio.

Nicholson said that it would likely be four or five years before any new routes would start operating. The 3C route would be the most complex to launch because there is no existing passenger service to build on.

Nicholson said he believes there is more than enough demand to support the new routes, particularly the Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati service. When the trains start running, the demand builds quickly for more and better service, he said. All you have to do is drive down I-71 on Thanksgiving Eve to find out why its needed.

Read more:

Amtrak from Cleveland to Chicago: A relaxing ride despite middle-of-the-night departures, late trains

Amtrak will reduce long-distance service to three-times weekly, including trains through Cleveland
The UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner in Geneva said in a statement on Monday that the two countries should also move quickly to return the bodies of those killed to families for burial "with due respect for cultural customs."

Everyone deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the conflict should be returned to their homes, and relatives of those killed must be able to receive the mortal remains of their loved ones, in line with the ceasefire agreement signed on November 9, 2020, the experts said.

Failure to disclose information on the fate and whereabouts of missing persons and refusal to hand over the remains of the deceased may amount to enforced disappearance, which both Azerbaijan and Armenia have committed to preventing, they added.

At least 6,000 people were killed in the six-week war stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement on November 10. The agreement calls for the unconditional exchange of all prisoners held by the conflicting parties. Dozens of them were swapped in December.

On Thursday Azerbaijan released five more Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) in return for an Azerbaijani captive freed by the Armenian side. The latest exchange raised to 59 the total number of Armenian POWs and civilians repatriated to date.

More than 100 others are believed to remain in Azerbaijani captivity. Yerevan accuses Baku of dragging its feet over their release.

The UN expert group also expressed concern at allegations that prisoners of war and other protected persons have been subjected to extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearance, torture, and other ill-treatment.

No exceptional circumstances whatsoever -- whether a state of war, internal political instability, or any other public emergency -- may be invoked as a justification of torture and enforced disappearances, they said. Such acts, when perpetrated in armed conflict, may also constitute war crimes.

We appeal to the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan to carry out thorough, prompt, independent, and impartial investigations into allegations of serious human rights violations committed during the conflict and its aftermath in order to hold perpetrators to account and provide redress to the victims. These actions will facilitate truth, reconciliation, and healing, the experts said.
Sitharaman also said that the government is looking at setting up a holding company for banks' bad assets to address the NPA issue.

In an exclusive interview to CNN-News18's Rahul Joshi after unveiling the Union Budget 2021 on Monday, Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman weighed in on the key takeaways from the budiget and defended the Centre's push for disinvestment, including two public sector banks.

"There is a need for more efficient banks in the economy. We cant have laggards. We have engaged with the RBI in a big way on bank privatisation," the finance minister said.

Speaking to Network18 Group Editor Rahul Joshi, Sitharaman said that the Centre is looking at setting up a holding company for banks' bad assets to address the NPA issue. "We want to have a holding company, which will, with a formulation given, take the bad assets from the banks and put it into the holding company. It will have government participation but largely the IBA will do it," she said.

The budget on Monday had announced a crucial Rs 20,000 crore recapitalisation for public sector banks to meet the regulatory requirements.

Sitharaman also said that the government has taken a holistic approach to the health sector, but at the same time, it didn't want to fund the whole operation through taxation.

"With tax buoyancy kept conservative; and with disinvestment, an improved GST collection, we will hopefully be looking at better times," she said.

"The pandemic and its impact is something, which we will have to keep in mind for the duration it will take for the economy to come back to that kind of a buoyancy and I have given the economy time," the finance minister said.

The government on Monday budgeted Rs 1.75 lakh crore from stake sale in public sector companies and financial institutions, including 2 PSU banks and one general insurance company, in the next fiscal year beginning 1 April.

READ OUR FULL COVERAGE of 2021 UNION BUDGET HERE

The amount, however, is lower than the record Rs 2.10 lakh crore which was budgeted to be raised from CPSE disinvestment in the current fiscal year.

During the interview, Sitharaman also clarified that the agriculture infrastructure cess imposed from the new financial year would have no impact on the consumer or importers.

"I wanted to make sure that the money for funding infrastructure for agriculture got a head-on for which I'm earning a certain amount that can be used. In case of petrol and diesel, we have applied it on the additional excise duty which is purely Central Government's money," she said.

The cess will "not burden" the consumer or the importer, she added.

At her budget speech, Sitharaman had revealed several figures on MSP given to farmers by the Modi government in the current fiscal along with MSP figures of the UPA government in the 2013-14 financial year amid loud thumping from the Treasury benches.

On being asked whether the farmers' concerns were justified over the provision of minimum support price (MSP) in the context of the new farm laws, Sitharaman told News18 that she was "surprised" that the farmers were "doubting the government's intention" about MSP.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting against the laws for over two months at Delhi's borders.

"The farmers' concerns on MSP and their doubts regarding the government's intention is surprising. They should come to the table and specifically tell us where the grievances are. Spending on MSP has been increasing manifold, I have data," Sitharaman said.

The finance minister also asserted that the govt is willing to continue talks with the farmers.

"Farmers are probably misguided. I want them to talk. I want them to talk on the points of concern. We are willing to concede," she added.

Following the budget, there was criticism from the several opposition parties as well as from section of the population, especially the salaried class and those involved in the hospitality and tourism industry.

During the interview, Sitharaman expressed hope that the people would understand the intent of the government behind the budget.

"I hope the three major points of the Budget have been well received. If they have been then I will be happy because I want the country to know the intention of this government," says Sitharaman.

"We would have given more resources if we could," she added.

Talking about facilitating a spending push, the FM said - "One thing is clear, if I had more resources to give, I would have given it to the people. The question of giving money so that an immediate demand-push happens also triggers another question: Will it be a meaningful trigger for a virtuous cycle to be triggered off?"
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  President Rodrigo Duterte has vowed justice will be served for the death of Filipino worker Mary Anne Daynolo in Abu Dhabi, spokesman Harry Roque says.

Roque made the announcement during his virtual briefing on Monday.

The Labor Department confirmed the death of Daynolo, a hotel receptionist who had been reported missing since March last year. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said a body in an "advanced stage of decomposition" had been discovered this January, which is believed Daynolo's.

Bello added that a Ugandan suspect had already confessed to killing her and is currently behind bars. Authorities in Abu Dhabi are on the lookout for the suspect's accomplices as well.

The Labor chief said the remains have been brought back to the Philippines, and Daynolo's family had requested for a DNA test on the body. The National Bureau of Investigation will be conducting an autopsy on the remains, Bello added.

Roque said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration has been assisting Daynolo's family on the ordeal, taking care of the expenses for her burial. The family will also be receiving financial assistance and death benefits, he added.
I am honored to join the exceptional group of professionals at Team Harmony

Harmony Healthcare, a trusted provider of consulting solutions within reimbursement and population health at healthcare organizations nationwide, has appointed Randy Verdino as CEO. Verdinos deep expertise in IT lends a fresh perspective to help Harmonys clients improve efficiencies and patient journeys while better managing revenue cycles to strengthen bottom lines.

Verdino brings to Harmony Healthcare over 35 years of experience in the professional services industry- including 20 years of experience in executive leadership.

Celebrating its tenth year in business, Harmony employs over 500 consultants across the United States, and serves over 100 clients, including 11 of the top 15 largest health systems, along with many major academic health centers, hospitals, physician practices, payers, CPA firms, and VA hospitals.

I am honored to join the exceptional group of professionals at Team Harmony, Verdino said. This company represents an amazing growth story, especially as we continue to support our nations health system through the COVID-19 pandemic. Im thankful for the opportunity to lead a company that is filling a vital role at major hospitals and health systems nationwide.

For over a decade, Verdino served as Vice President at TEKsystems, a multi-billion dollar privately held IT services firm. There he led operations and strategy for the organizations global professional services division which grew 6X during his tenure.

Verdino has significant experience leading professional services firms in other roles as well, including publicly held Computer Horizons Corp., where he launched a career that would lead to President of companys Commercial Services Division. In this role, Randy was a central figure in orchestrating the divestiture of the companys assets to TEKsystems.

Harmony Healthcare is owned by Tampa, Florida private equity firm SCP & CO. The firms CEO Scott Feuer said, We are thrilled to have a professional of Randys caliber leading the company. He will build upon Harmony Healthcares success with new consulting and IT solutions that focus on quality and improved ROI. Healthcare organizations face unprecedented challenges. We expect Randy to bring fresh ideas for human capital management and non-clinical solutions to help clients thrive and grow.

Verdino earned his degree in engineering while attending the Ohio State University. He devotes his spare time to several charitable causes, and he sits on various volunteer boards. He resides in Tampa with his wife of 34 years, and the couple has two adult children.

About Harmony Healthcare:

Harmony Healthcare delivers non-clinical staff augmentation, consulting and outsourcing solutions for reimbursement and population health to hospitals and health systems nationwide across all care settings. The company delivers quality solutions to enhance clinical and financial outcomes, which enables the transition to value-based healthcare. For more information, please visit https://harmony.solutions/.


Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 18:45:52|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

People wearing face masks walk on the street in Hong Kong, south China, Feb. 1, 2021. Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 34 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, taking the local total tally to 10,486. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai)

HONG KONG, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 34 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, taking the local total tally to 10,486.

The new cases included 29 local infections, of which eight had an unknown origin. The five imported cases were from Indonesia, the Philippines, Nepal and Dubai. There were also over 20 cases testing positive for the coronavirus preliminarily, according to a CHP press briefing.

Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Matthew Cheung announced on Monday that the existing social distancing measures in Hong Kong due to expire on Thursday, including banning of dine-in services in restaurants after 6:00 p.m. local time and group gatherings of no more than two persons, will be extended for another 14 days.

Local health authorities said that the production of the first batch of 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines the HKSAR government procured from the Chinese pharmaceutical company Fosun Pharma have been completed, and that the vaccines are expected to arrive in Hong Kong in late February after the safety and quality inspection.

According to Hong Kong's Hospital Authority, 766 COVID-19 patients are currently being treated in public hospitals and the community treatment facility at AsiaWorld-Expo, and 28 of them are in critical condition.

A total of 177 COVID-19 patients have died from the coronavirus epidemic in public hospitals in Hong Kong. Enditem
Ireland is progressing towards a place where the phased reopening of education can be considered, a medical chief has said.

Professor Philip Nolan said he hopes that by March 5, the end date for the current phase of restrictions, that the nation will be in a much better place.

The head of Nphets epidemiological modelling advisory group said Ireland could see a drop to 200-400 new cases of Covid-19 a day by the end of February.

Haulier George McGlashan, from Dungannon, Northern Ireland, prepares to be swabbed at RocDocs testing facility in the Blue Car Park of Dublin Airport (Brian Lawless/PA)

If we are cautious I think there are certain high priority, lower risk things that we can do in March, April, May that will allow some opening up without a significant increase in the transmission of the virus, he told RTE radios The Week programme.

I think we can say given the huge progress that we have made as a community in suppressing the virus, were now approaching a level of disease in the community where it would be safe to think about an appropriately phased, cautious reopening of education.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin (BBC/PA)

Taoiseach Micheal Martin also expressed a cautious approach, indicating that he does not see a major reopening of the economy on March 5.

He said a prolonged suppression of the virus would see primary schools reopened on a phased basis and construction reopening once cases dropped below 1,000 a day.

However he said that the hospitality sector could not reopen before an increased rollout of the vaccine project.

In terms of the vaccination programme, Mr Martin said Ireland is down 300,000 doses it was expecting from AstraZeneca, but he said it will pick up in May, June and July as increased supplies come in from Pfizer and Moderna and hopefully Johnson & Johnson.
Advertisement

Photographs taken in 1989 and 2020 by a father and son reveal how Vatnajokull, one of Europe's biggest glaciers, has shrunk by about 150 square miles (400 square kilometres) due to climate change.

Dr Kieran Baxter from the University of Dundee followed his father's footsteps to Iceland more than 30 years on to recreate photos of the Vatnajokull glacier.

Vatnajokull is one of the largest glaciers in Europe, at 2,973 squared miles (7,700 kilometres squared), covering around eight per cent of Iceland's landmass in its south east.

The photos show the retreat of five of Vatnajokull's outlet glaciers  Flaajokull, Heinabergsjokull, Hoffellsjokull, Holarjokull, and Skaftafellsjokull.

These new before and after images reveal 'a generation of dramatic change' to Iceland's glaciers and highlight the impact of climate change on some of the planet's most fragile and beautiful landscapes.

 Slide me  Before and after of Flaajokull, a slow flowing glacier of Iceland in Vatnajokull National Park. Left, as it appeared in September 1989 and right, in August 2020

Dr Kieran Baxter, who is a lecturer of communication design at the University of Dundee took last year's photos, back in August, while his father, Scottish landscape photographer Colin Baxter, captured the originals in September 1989.

'It is personally devastating to see them change so drastically in the last few decades in a way that is not immediately obvious from a single visit,' said Kieran, who was also there with his dad in 1989.

'On surface appearances the extent of the climate crisis often remains largely invisible, but here we can clearly see the gravity of the situation that is affecting the entire globe.

'I was too young to remember the 1989 trip, but I can picture our later visits to Iceland as a family in the 1990s.

'It is a bittersweet experience to relive those memories and witness the glacial landscapes that we visited that have now changed so radically.'

 Slide me  Pictured, the outlet glacier Heinabergsjokull, itself a part of Vatnajokull. Left, as it looked September 1989, and right, August 2020

Dr Kieran Baxter (right), a lecturer in Communication Design at the University's Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, replicated images taken by his father, celebrated Scottish landscape photographer Colin Baxter (left)

Kieran said: 'It is personally devastating to see them change so drastically in the last few decades in a way that is not immediately obvious from a single visit'

Although Vatnajokull covers an area of 2,973 squared miles, this estimate has lowered by around 66 feet (20 metres) on average in the last 30 years.

In the three decades that have elapsed since 1989, Vatnajokull has lost somewhere between 150 and 200 kilometres cubed of ice.

Its area has also been reduced by more than 400 kilometres squared, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, which is just more than the size of the Isle of Weight (380 kilometres squared).

Many glacier 'snouts'  the end of a glacier at any given point in time  have retreated by more than a kilometre in this time period.

To capture this, the pair worked together to replicate the original images, taken by Colin on a family holiday in 1989, from the same spots.

 Slide me  Hoffellsjokull glacier lagoon, pictured, is located on the south eastern end of the Vatnajokull Ice Cap. Left, as it looked September 1989, and right, August 2020

'To replicate the photographs we have to locate features in the foreground and background and then use trial and error to find the right location on the ground,' said Kieran.

'It can take some time to correctly align the old and new photographs but in the end we can usually find the camera position to within a few metres of the original location.'

Vatnajokull is thinning rapidly due to rising global temperatures and could be completely gone in 200 years.

The response of glaciers to climate change depends on their size and shape, but most of them react to a change in mass balance within a few years by adjusting the position of their snout.

The glacier will then continue to retreat or advance for many years or decades before completely adjusting to a change in climate.

'Revisiting my pictures of Iceland in 1989 of course brought back many good memories of being there for the first time with our very young children,' Colin said.

 Slide me  Holarjokull sits upon a steep vertical rock face. The ice is constantly adapting to the underlying terrain. Left, September 1989, and right, August 2020

'I remember being in absolute awe of the stunning natural landscape and overwhelmed by the beauty of the glaciers tumbling down from the icecap up there in the distance.

'Now in 2020 it is equally overwhelming, and extremely alarming, to see the disappearance of all that ice after only 30 years.

'We all have to take responsibility for that, myself included  our activity has indisputably contributed to the colossal volume of the melt which carries on today.

'I just hope that we can wake up to the real dangers that lie ahead with the continued degradation of our environment, not just in Iceland but around the world, and accelerate our efforts to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts.

'We certainly owe that to the families of the future. I hope they can continue to enjoy these inspirational landscapes as we have done in previous decades.'

 Slide me  Skaftafellsjokull is a glacier tongue that extends from the far larger ice cap, Vatnajokull. Left, September 1989; right, August 2020

Kieran, who is based at Dudeee's Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, has established himself as a leading expert in the visual communication of glacial retreat across Europe.

In 2019, he published dramatic aerial photographs showing the disappearance of some of Iceland's largest glaciers, working in conjunction the University of Iceland and the National Land Survey of Iceland.

With a team of Dundee researchers, he used revolutionary 3D mapping technology to compare the group of outlet glaciers on the south side of Vatnajokull.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said employees should be encouraged to work from home. Photo: Collins

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has warned that non-essential retail is unlikely to reopen after March 5 when current restrictions are due to be lifted.

The country is due to exit Level 5 at that point. However, Mr Martin said he was committed to the prolonged suppression of the virus.

He was speaking as figures released yesterday revealed that the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) had been notified of 1,247 new cases of Covid-19, and 15 extra deaths related to the virus.

Mr Martin said: The Government will be having a series of meetings over the next while to deal with the medium-term situation.

However, he stressed that he saw education and construction as immediate priorities, and he said the Government would look at other sectors.

But I do not see a major reopening after March 5 quite yet, Mr Martin said on This Week on RTE Radio 1 yesterday. A lot will depend on the numbers.

We need to be conservative, and we need to be cautious

in terms of what we do on March 5.

Hospitality would likely have to wait longer, for a wider vaccination of the population, he said, adding that he had been straight with people on the roll-out.

Meanwhile, he said a critical mass of Irish people would be vaccinated by the autumn, despite the AstraZeneca row.

Read More

But Ireland is down around 300,000 doses as a result of that vaccine companys announcement that it will not be able to fully meet its contractual obligations to the EU.

Ireland was expected to receive 1.1 million doses in the immediate weeks ahead, instead of an expected 1.4 million, Mr Martin said.

Were hoping that we can make up some of that.

Last night, it was expected that Ireland would receive another 90,000 doses after the EU announced that AstraZeneca had agreed to deliver another nine million doses in the first quarter of this year.

Mr Martin said he anticipated that May, June and July would be significant months of vaccination for the broad mass of the population.

Vaccinations remained a moving target, he said.

We have to be careful in giving precise commitments around vaccines because it does depend on supply, he added.

Separately, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said yesterday: There is an onus on employers to ensure that, in the first instance, staff are encouraged to work from home and in cases where that is not possible, that their workplaces are safe for staff and customers and in full compliance with infection prevention and control measures.

The HPSC has comprehensive guidance on outbreak management and infection prevention control measures that every employer should be familiar with and activating on their premises.

I encourage all employers and managers to review their workplaces and ensure they have effective measures in place.

There were 1,516 Covid-19 patients hospitalised yesterday, compared with 1,492 patients hospitalised on Saturday. The numbers in intensive care units remained the same on both days, at 211 patients.


ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Feb, 2021 ) :Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan on Monday thanked China as the first batch of a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the country.

Talking to a private news channel, he appreciated China's commitment in providing Chinese-produced Covid-19 vaccines and China has now become the first country who gifted Pakistan COVID-19 vaccine.

He said China has donated 500,000 doses, the frontline healthcare workers would be vaccinated first where over 400,000 health professionals have applied for the vaccination.

A special Pakistan Air Force (PAF) plane with the first tranche of Sinopharm vaccine landed here today (Monday), he added.

He said all necessary measures have been put in place for vaccine storage in Islamabad and the move of vaccines to various federating units particularly to Sindh and Balochistan through the air.

A Vaccine nerve centre has been established at NCOC with provincial and district Level vaccine administration, he added.

He further said both the government and private sector companies would bring vaccines into Pakistan but the private sector have to get their vaccines registered with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP).

"DRAP will check and have control on both the quality and price of the vaccine from the private companies," he added.

He said that distribution of the vaccine will be free of charge for Pakistanis, adding, priority in access to the vaccine will be for medical teams, the elderly and sufferers of chronic disease.
Early research shows how mild defects in the 'batteries' of cells in brain tissue can lead to behaviors similar to those of autism

Philadelphia, February 1, 2021 - Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have demonstrated that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be caused by defects in the mitochondria of brain cells. The findings were published online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Multiple studies have revealed hundreds of mutations associated with autism spectrum disorder, but there is no consensus as to how these genetic changes cause the condition. Biochemical and physiological analyses have suggested that deficiencies in mitochondria, the "batteries" of the cell that produce most of the body's energy, might be a possible cause. Recent studies have shown that variants of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are associated with autism spectrum disorder.

The study team hypothesized that if defects in the mitochondria do predispose patients to ASD, then a mouse model in which relevant mtDNA mutations have been introduced should present with autism endophenotypes, measurable traits similar to those seen in patients. For this model, the traits related to autism included behavioral, neurophysiological, and biochemical features.

"Autism spectrum disorder is highly genetically heterogeneous, and many of the previously identified copy number and loss of function variants could have an impact on the mitochondria," said Douglas C. Wallace, PhD, Director of the Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenomic Medicine and the Michael and Charles Barnett Endowed Chair in Pediatric Mitochondrial Medicine and Metabolic Diseases at CHOP, co-senior author of the study, with Eric D. Marsh, MD, PhD, attending pediatric neurologist, Division of Child Neurology at CHOP.

The researchers - including co-first authors Tal Yardeni, PhD and Ana G. Cristancho, MD, PhD - introduced a mild missense mutation in the mtDNA ND6 gene into a mouse strain. The resulting mouse exhibited impaired social interactions, increased repetitive behaviors and anxiety, all of which are common behavioral features associated with autism spectrum disorder. The researchers also noted aberrations in electroencephalograms (EEG), more seizures, and brain-region specific defects on mitochondrial function. Despite these observations, the researchers found no obvious change in the brain's anatomy. These findings suggest that mitochondrial energetic defects appear to be sufficient to cause autism.

"Our study shows that mild systemic mitochondrial defects can result in autism spectrum disorder without causing apparent neuroanatomical defects," Wallace said. "These mutations appear to cause tissue-specific brain defects. While our findings warrant further study, there is reason to believe that this could lead to better diagnosis of autism and potentially treatments directed toward mitochondrial function."

###

This work was supported by the Neurobehavior Testing Core at the University of Pennsylvania and the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center at CHOP and Penn supported by grant U54HD086984. This work was also supported by National Institutes of Health grants MH108592, OD010944, and 5K12HD043245, U.S. Department of Defense grants W81XWH-16-1-0401 and PR202997, a grant from Accure, Inc., a CHOP K-readiness grant, and a CHOP Foerderer grant.

Yardeni et al, "An mtDNA mutant mouse demonstrates that mitochondrial deficiency can result in autism endophenotypes." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, online February 1, 2021. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021429118.
A major Irish crime network has been identified as forging Covid-19 test results and selling the false documents across Europe.

The EUs law enforcement agency has warned that the Rathkeale Rovers crime group is involved in using a mobile application which allows the gang to manually falsify test results.

So far there has been evidence of different fraudsters using airports and other travel hubs in Europe to sell bogus Covid-19 results at prices of up to 300.

It comes as several countries impose restrictions which require passengers to produce evidence of a negative test before being granted entry.

Read More

Today Europol said it had received intelligence on the alleged use of a mobile application by the Rathkeale Rovers Mobile Organised Crime Group.

This, they said, allows members of the organised crime group to manually falsify test results.

The Rathkeale Rovers, who originate from the Limerick town of the same name, have been a target for European and international police forces for decades and were previously investigated for their involvement in the large-scale theft of rhino horns.

They are predominately based in Britain but are believed to have links across Europe and the US.

The Rathkeale Rovers were previously the prime targets of one of Europols largest ever investigations involving other international agencies.

Read More

In total, 31 members of the gang were arrested with 69 cases linked to the theft of rhino horns being identified under Operation Oakleaf.

In 2016 several members of the gang were also jailed in the UK over the theft of 73m worth of jade and rhino horn artefacts in England.

In its warning today, Europol said that the use of fake Covid-19 tests also confirms that criminals are seizing on profitable opportunities once they arise.

As long as travel restrictions remain in place due to the Covid-19 situation, it is highly likely that production and sales of fake test certificates will prevail.

Given the widespread technological means available, in the form of high-quality printers and different software, fraudsters are able to produce high-quality counterfeit, forged or fake documents, the EU law enforcement agency said.

In recent weeks there have been a number of arrests in different countries over the alleged selling of forged Covid-19 test results.

Europol has said there is evidence of people paying up to 300 for a false Covid test certificate in France.

They have identified a forgery ring selling negative results to passengers at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, which ranged between 150 and 300.

Separately, in Britain fraudsters have been caught selling bogus documents for 100, while the Spanish National Police arrested a man selling fake test results for 40.

In the Netherlands, scammers were discovered selling fake negative test statements for 60 through messaging apps.

Member States are encouraged to share any relevant information on criminal activities related to fake Covid-19 test documentation with Europol, it warned.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- FAW Group's premium brand Hongqi said its monthly sales hit a new high of 32,500 units in January 2020, soaring 158% from a year earlier.

The upscale brand defied China's overall downward trend last year to report vigorous growth. Its full-year sales doubled over the previous year to 200,338 units in 2020. Besides, the automaker also completed its 200,000-unit annual production target 11 days ahead of schedule.

Hongqi's sales hike significantly linked to its improvement in product matrix. Hitting the market in May 2020, the HS5 SUV has become a main sales contributor to Hongqi with its monthly sales standing at around 10,000 units.



Hongqi H9; photo credit: Hongqi



The Hongqi H9 full-sized sedan, which went on sale in last August, caught the eye of many consumers as well. Its cumulative sales surpassed 130,000 units last year.

According to a media outlet, Japanese customers have already ordered 5 H9s, and the first 3 of them would arrive in Japan on February 1 for certifying and display purpose. Once passes its certification, Hongqi H9 will officially be sold in Japan in late March.

The H9 has already exported to South Korea and United Arab Emirates.

E-HS9; photo credit: Hongqi



The brand continues to strengthen its onslaught into new energy vehicle (NEV) market. The E-HS9 hit the market in Dec. 2020 and is highly recognized by consumers with its classy exterior, futuristic interior and decent range.

Hongqi will reportedly put the E-QM5 all-electric sedan onto the market in the second half of 2021.

FAW Group said in early January 2020 that 21 new models would be launched in the next five years under its premium brand Hongqi, with annual sales expected to reach 700,000-800,000 units by 2025.

Xu Liuping, chairman of FAW Group, noted that 18 of the 21 new models would be new energy vehicles.

Mr. Xu also noted Hongqi would strive to fulfill an annual sales target of 400,000 units in 2021.
Julianna Alvarez, 17, had it all worked out.

She would get into John Jay College of Criminal Justice this fall. She would pay tuition by winning a merit scholarship. After becoming the first person in her family to graduate college, she'd find a job at the Drug Enforcement Administration, then work her way up to special agent, so she could spend her life helping "the whole world."

Then the pandemic hit. Alvarez's mother lost her restaurant job, and Alvarez, who is Mexican American and lives in Nashville, had to start taking care of her younger siblings, guiding them through remote school. Her own attendance suffered. And her grades dropped, plunging from B's and A's to straight D's.

Alvarez began questioning her plans to apply - anywhere.

"I feel like I wouldn't get into any colleges (because of) my grades being down," she saidin December. "I also think about my parents having to pay, if I don't end up getting a scholarship - and I probably won't now."

The steady stream of Latino students arriving on college campuses in recent years has been a bright spot in higher education, but some worry the pandemic could threaten those gains.

The most recent enrollment data disaggregated by race showed a 5.4 percent drop in the head count of Latino undergraduates in the fall, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. What's more, 26.4 percent fewer high school graduates from schools with a high percentage of Black and Latino students went straight to college this year compared with 2019.

Meanwhile, data about next year's incoming class is mixed, with signs of promise but also areas of concern.

A Washington Post analysis of federal education data found staggering declines in the number of Latino students applying for financial aid to attend college in the fall - a critical step for those who are college-bound.

This time last year, 114,385 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms were submitted by students in schools with a Latino enrollment of 75 percent or higher. However, during the current cycle for the 2021-22 school year, 20,750 fewer applications have been submitted through Jan. 15 - an 18 percent drop. Collectively, applications are down 10 percent among all high school students.

Submissions to the Common Application, which is accepted at more than 900 colleges and universities, were down in December and have since crept up, but still are not at pre-pandemic levels. Some large, competitive universities such as the University of California system are reporting double-digit increases in applications from such students.

Still, higher education experts caution that an uptick in applications at some four-year institutions, while a good sign, is only a part of the story. More than 40 percent of Latino students attend community colleges and those schools are struggling with enrollment. Even if more students are admitted to universities, money may still be a barrier as the economic crisis weighs heavily on Latino communities.

"The interest is there," said Deborah A. Santiago, chief executive of the nonprofit advocacy group Excelencia in Education, "but the reality is we are still disproportionately affected by the pandemic and the trade offs are real."

Minorities and lower-income Americans have contracted the coronavirus at higher rates and suffered higher levels of job losses. The financial disruption is forcing many Latino students to choose between their education and helping their families weather the recession.

"Because our adults tend to be blue-collar workers who have lost out in this economy having additional hands, all able-bodied folks working has become essential," Santiago said. "Students are having to prioritize supporting their family - going to college is another way to do that, but the immediate need has superseded the longer term goal."

Alvarez said she knows her mother wants her to go to college, and that her parents would be so proud to see her graduate. But she also knows how helpful she is to her mother right now, at home where she can watch over her three younger siblings, aged 2, 3 and 7.

The teenager's day begins before 8 a.m., when she has to wake up so she can help the 7-year-old log into online school. By the time Alvarez has solved the inevitable computer problems, her mom is usually asking whether she can go get something from the store.

Once Alvarez returns from that errand, her mother often has to head out herself, so the 17-year-old settles down to take care of the children for the rest of the afternoon.

"When my mom comes back, that's when I gotta go back and do the work I missed, and the class I missed," Alvarez said.

She worries about who will step in to fill the central role she has come to play in the household during the pandemic.

And she worries about money. If her suddenly dreadful grades shut her out from merit-based scholarships, she has decided she probably won't go to college after all.

Common App's president and chief executive, Jenny Rickard, said there is no way to know whether students are deciding not to attend college at all, or simply delaying their application process, perhaps hoping to join the workforce for a year to help mitigate financial stress induced by the pandemic.

Rickard said she was optimistic that the number of overall unique applicants has risen this year.

"However, we continue to be very concerned about the decline among fee waiver and first-generation applicants, which includes Latinx students as well," Rickard said.

Whatever students' reason for not applying, the outcome will probably be the same: Studies have shown that deferring application in the final year of high school seriously decreases the ultimate chance that a teen attends college.

The switch to virtual school has robbed millions of students of easy access to college counseling: No longer can a kid just walk into a counselor's office, or bump into a counselor in the hallways. While advisers are holding online college fairs, students, especially those who are the first in their family to pursue higher education, may need more comprehensive outreach.

Amanda Peterson, a teacher in Fresno, Calif., who works with low-income and first-generation high-schoolers, is seeing the effects of this firsthand. Peterson teaches an elective class at Sunnyside High School called Advancement Via Individual Determination, or AVID, part of a national program that sends historically underrepresented students to universities.

In a typical year, Peterson said, 99 percent of Sunnyside's AVID kids - the vast majority of whom are Hispanic - apply to and attend college every year. But not in 2020.

Nearly 20 percent of her students have at least one D or F, Peterson said. At least five of her roughly 40 AVID participants have earned grades so low that they are officially ineligible for four-year universities in California.

Peterson thinks she knows some of the reasons for the steep drop in academic performance. Many of her students live in two- or three-bedroom apartments with families of up to eight people, creating an environment rife with distractions. Other teens have become the primary caretakers for younger siblings or cousins.

"When I'm talking to them, I can hear the weight of their sadness and pain," she said. "And shame - some of them feel shame about their grades, and that's been the hardest part."

The struggles of one of her students, 17-year-old Ricardo Calvario, offers a window into what life has been like for some of these teenagers.

Calvario's mother had to take leave from her job during the pandemic so she could stay at home and care for his younger sister, who just turned 1. To offset that loss of income, Calvario got a full-time job at Burger King - but had to take a temporary hiatus when he contracted covid-19 and was briefly hospitalized.

He thinks he got sick from the drive-through customers, many of whom declined to wear masks as they shouted their orders. Nowadays, Calvario spends most of his days doing household chores, tending to his little sister while his mother and stepfather are at work or running errands.

He has little to no time for school.

"The only time I can do it is at 10 or 11 o'clock at night," Calvario said. "It sucks not being able to do my work."

Calvario originally hoped to attend a school in the UC system, but his tanking grades - he has one D, four C's and one B - rendered that impossible. Instead, he recently applied to Fresno State University, which has a lower minimum GPA requirement for admission than the UC schools. He is desperate to matriculate there next year, convinced going to college will allow him to provide for his little sister: to ensure she doesn't grow up "broke and poor and not able to buy stuff," like he did.

But even Fresno is feeling more and more like a dream.

"I come from a place where not a lot of kids make it out and are able to do school," he said. "I'm trying my best but online school is just holding me down. After the pandemic happened, I just couldn't do it."

There are some bright spots. The University of California system reported a 12.2 percent growth in applications from Latino students for next fall, while the University of Texas at Austin has seena 15 percent increase.

Because community colleges have later application deadlines than other institutions, it is difficult to glean interest at this stage.

Enrollment is down about 6 percent at San Diego City College, a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution where about half the student body identifies at Latino.

President Ricky Shabazz has noticed many of his students enrolling in one or two classes rather than attending full-time, a trend that predates the pandemic but one that has since picked up. Many are struggling to meet their basic needs - housing, food and other living expenses - while trying to remain in school.

"We're happy that they're choosing education, but we know a full-time student is more likely to complete, transfer and be successful," Shabazz said. "We're seeing people having to work two or three jobs to make ends meet."

Across the country, community colleges reported a nearly 28 percent decline in enrollment of Latino students this fall, after having grown 3.2 percent the prior year, according to Clearinghouse.

Disappointing fall enrollment of Latino students has left higher education experts concerned about the economic mobility of the nation's largest minority group.

"This kind of a dip in enrollment ... could widen the gap in attainment that we see nationally," said Wil Del Pilar, vice president of higher education at the Education Trust, an advocacy group.

Nearly a quarter of Latino adults have earned an associate degree or higher, compared with roughly 46 percent of White adults, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Federal education data show Latinos have made great strides in pursuing higher education, rising from 4 percent to 19 percent of all U.S. residents enrolled in college between 1976 and 2017. Yet many struggle to complete their degrees because of limited resources and may face further pressure because of the pandemic.

The trends unleashed by the pandemic "can end social mobility and relegate Latinos to the lowest incomes and positions in the United States," Del Pilar said. "What's at stake is Latinos will never move up to the types of professions with benefits, retirement plans, the type of long-term security that a college education provides."

Preventing that dire prediction will require some government intervention, advocates say. Doubling the maximum federal Pell Grant award for college students from lower-income households would help lift the financial burden for many Latino families, as would universal tuition-free public higher education and simplifying the federal financial aid application.

As the first semester of her senior year bled into Christmas break, and then when school started back up again, Julianna Alvarez kept telling herself she would apply to college - next week.

One day, she sat down to think. Alone.

"Nothing in this life is easy," she told herself. "I know I want a better future. And if you want something, you gotta work hard to accomplish that."

She started getting up earlier and staying up later. She pushed through exhaustion, and the distracting noise in her household, to finish her classwork. Her grades improved.

And in late January, just before the deadline, Alvarez hit "submit" on five applications, to five different colleges. Right after, she went to Wendy's with her mother.

She waited until the food arrived to break the news: "Mom," she said, "Today I applied to college. And John Jay was the first college I applied to."
Giving a big boost to infrastructure projects, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2021 speech announced a National Bank for Financing Development (NaBFID) to help in the process of infrastructure financing in the country.

As much as Rs 5 lakh crore will be lent by developmental finance institution over three years, the FM said.

"We will also introduce a bill to set up DFI providing Rs 20,000 crore to launch the National Asset Monetisation Pipeline to fund new infra projects. This developmental financial institution will play a key role as an enabler for infrastructure financing in the country," the FM said.

The minister said the National Infrastructure Pipeline has been expanded to 7,400 projects. Further, projects worth Rs 1.1 lakh crore have been completed under the National Infra Pipeline.

The FM announced the FY22 CAPEX target at Rs 5.54 lakh crore against FY21's Rs 4.39 lakh crore.

A sharp increase in capital expenditure is positive for the market as it was a key ask of the markets for reviving growth.

Shares of HG Infra, Bharat Road Network and Anubhav Infra jumped up to 5 percent in intraday trade today.

The government increased funding towards infrastructure development significantly as this would not only boost the economy but generate employment also which has been severely impacted due to COVID-19.

Follow Moneycontrols full coverage of Union Budget 2021-22 here

The move is expected to be positive for companies like L&T, KNR Constructions, Sadbhav Engineering, Ashoka Buildcon, PNC Infratech and JMC Projects.

This will also be positive for the cement sector. Ultratech Cement, Shree Cement, The Ramco Cements and JK Lakshmi Cement may benefit.

Follow Market LIVE Updates here

(This is a developing story. Check back for more details)
French tackled a bill on Monday they hope will uproad radical in the country, beliefs that authorities maintain are creeping into public services, associations, some schools and online with the goal of undermining national values.

The bill is broad and controversial, with some 1,700 proposed amendments, and it guarantees heated debate for the next two weeks in the lower house.

Opening the debate, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, the bill's sponsor, said the aim is to stop an Islamist hostile takeover targeting Muslims.

He stressed that we are not fighting against a religion, although some Muslims have voiced concern that it adds a new layer of stigmatisation for French Muslims. Other religions, from Buddhists to Catholics, have complained they also could suffer fallout from the text.

The bill reflects a priority for President Emmanuel Macron, who in an October speech painted a dark picture of what he dubbed separatism, a perverse version of Islam, France's No. 2 religion, quietly making inroads and creating a counter society.

Darmanin echoed the president in his opening remarks to lawmakers, saying Our country is suffering from a sickness of separatism, first and foremost an Islamist separatism that is like gangrene infecting our national unity.

Darmanin, a right-leaning member of Macron's centrist party, took up his mission to propose a law with zeal, writing a short book to be released in the next few days, Manifesto for Secularism a fundamental value of that the bill he sponsored is meant to protect.

Multiple terrorist attacks in by Islamist extremists provide a backdrop for the bill, even if recent attacks were committed by outsiders.

(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.)
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.
UiPath Closes $750 Million in Series F Funding

UiPath Inc., today announced it has closed a $750 million Series F funding round at a post-money valuation of $35 billion. The round was co-led by existing investors Alkeon Capital and Coatue. Other returning investors include Altimeter Capital, Dragoneer, IVP, Sequoia, Tiger Global, and funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

UiPath is on a mission to unlock human creativity and ingenuity by enabling the Fully Automated Enterprise and empowering workers through automation. Its Automation Platform is designed to transform the way humans work, providing customers with a robust set of capabilities to discover automation opportunities and build, manage, run, engage, measure, and govern automations across departments within an organization.







Abhi Arun, Managing Partner at Alkeon Capital, commented: "Automation has become a strategic imperative that is fundamentally changing the way organizations operate. We are excited to co-lead this round of funding, as well as continue to team up with the UiPath team during an important phase for the company."

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005753/en/

The House Rules Committee will consider a resolution Wednesday to strip Marjorie Taylor Greene of her two committee assignments as they claim Republics are dragging their feet on reprimanding the QAnon-following representative.

Committee members Representatives Sara Jacobs of California and Nikema Williams of Georgia released a resolution Monday on '[r]emoving a certain Member from certain standing committees of the House of Representatives.'

In the Williams-Jacobs resolution, the lawmakers provide a list of reasons why they feel Greene should be removed from her committees, including pushing QAnon conspiracies and calling for violence against Democratic members of Congress.

Greene, who represents Georgia's 14th congressional district since January 2021, sits on the Education and Labor Committee and Budget Committee.

'Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene's comments and action are dangerous, signal a threat to other members of Congress, and brought shame on the House of Representatives,' the representatives said of the resolution on removal.

Recent revelations exhibit Greene pushing QAnon conspiracy theories more fervently than previously reported  including, before she was elected to Congress, backing a call to execute House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Representatives Sara Jacobs (left) and Nikema Williams (right) are bringing a resolution for the House Rules Committee to consider Wednesday on removing Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee assignments

They are calling on Greene to be removed from the House Education and Labor Committee and House Budget Committee, as well as be censured by Congress

Greene is facing a slew of backlash after revelations emerged she has deeper QAnon conspiracy beliefs than previously reported  including, before she was elected, supporting calls for violence against Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats

Democrats are pursuing several other options outside the Rules Committee resolution this week to force Greene off her committee assignments.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is preparing to set an ultimatum demanding House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy either strip Greene of her committee assignments within 72 hours or Democrats will bring the issue to the lower chamber's floor themselves.

McCarthy has a meeting scheduled with Greene later this week and allies of the leader claim he will make a decision on how to proceed following a face-to-face meeting with the congresswoman.

'We're focused on making sure that we can render powerless the poisonous nature of this member,' Florida Democratic Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz told reporters Monday. 'The House has to be able to take actions to police its own membership,'

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is giving an ultimatum for Republicans to remove Greene from her committee assignments or else Democrats will take action on the House floor against her

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is holding a face-to-face meeting with Greene later this week and will make a decision on how to move forward based on their discussion

It is not clear the exact path Democrats would take to remove Greene, but party leaders have several options  and Wasserman Schultz on Monday introduced a measure for removal.

During a call on Sunday, Democratic leadership also discussed a separate motion that would go through the House Rules Committee.

Greene will sit-down with McCarthy later this week.

McCarthy had a similar meeting with then-Representative Steve King in 2019 after the Iowa lawmaker questioned in an interview with the New York Times why the term white nationalism was so offensive.

In that meeting, King showed little remorse, and shortly afterward, McCarthy removed King from his committees.

Two of the most severe sanctions Democrats can pursue against Greene would be a formal censure and expelling her completely from the House.

In retaliation against Hoyer, Greene took to Twitter Monday to lashed out at the majority leader for supporting the war in Iraq and claiming he also needs to be 'held accountable.'

'Dems, the DC Swamp and the Fake News Media are more angry at me than they are at @StenyHoyer who voted for the Iraq War, which cost our country thousands of lives and trillions of dollars,' Greene tweeted.

'When will career politicians be held accountable for the blood of Americans on their hands?' she continued.

She posted in another tweet Monday that she is facing attacks from Democrats and the media because she is a 'normal person.'

'The DC Swamp and the Fake News Media are attacking me because I am not one of them,' Greene wrote. 'I am one of you. And they hate me for it.'

Several Democrats, and a growing number of Republicans, are looking for ways to punish Greene after more revelations came out of her pushing QAnon conspiracies, like calling the Parkland and Sandy Hook school shootings a 'hoax.'

Greene sits on the House Education and Labor Committee  and, in particular, lawmakers are concerned with this assignment in light of her stance on mass shootings as a QAnon believer.

Greene lashed out on Twitter against Hoyer, claiming he should be 'held accountable' for backing the war in Iraq

She also said the 'fake news media' are targeting her because 'I am one of you.'

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, in an interview Friday with The New York Times, said she won't retaliate against Greene.

She also said in the interview, which was published Monday, that the RNC will 'stay neutral' as the 2022 primary campaign ensues.

'Majorie Taylor Greene is trying to distance herself from those things and there's going to be an investigation,' McDaniel said of the freshman Georgia Republican representative.

'I trust the voters,' she told The New York Times in an interview Friday. 'I have a lot of faith in the voters to pick who's best to represent them.'

McDaniel, the cousin of Senator Mitt Romney, said the RNC would step in if 'there's more egregious things,' like 'if there's a David Duke situation.'

She also said she trusts House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to 'handle' Greene as calls step up for her to resign or, at the very least, be removed from the House Education and Labor Committee.

'She has said they're not from her,' McDaniel said of the QAnon conspiracies Greene subscribes to, like that the government is run by a left-leaning, devil-worshiping cabal of pedophiles and sex traffickers.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel says the GOP will not retaliate against Greene and will 'remain neutral' going into the 2022 primaries

McDaniel said that Rep. Greene is 'trying to distance herself' from QAnon conspiracies she pushed in the past

McDaniel says she trusts House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (pictured last week meeting with former President Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago) to 'handle' Greene as calls step up for her to resign or, at the very least, be removed from the House Education and Labor Committee

TAYLOR GREENE'S BIZARRE CLAIMS The California Camp Fire which killed at least 85 was caused by a space laser linked to the Rothschilds and the state's high-speed rail. PG&E admitted it was caused by a faulty power line and went into bankruptcy to fund a $13.5bn settlement and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin cut off a child's face while she was alive, Clinton wore it as a mask so the terrified child would produce 'adrenachrome' and then organized the killing of a cop who knew about it.

The Las Vegas massacre was organized by Democrats to help them ban guns and shooter Stephen Paddock was not a lone wolf.

There's no evidence of a plane hitting the Pentagon on 9/11.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre which cost the lives of 17 students was a 'false flag planned shooting.'

' I am told that Nancy Pelosi tells Hillary Clinton several times a month that we need another school shooting in order to persuade the public to want strict gun control.'

Seth Rich leaked Hillary Clinton's emails and was murdered in revenge by her aide John Podesta because the emails revealed that a D.C. pizza restaurant had a child-smuggling operation in its basement. It does not even have a basement.

The world is run by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles and the Q in QAnon exists and is the 'best chance to take them out.'

Barack Obama and Valerie Jarrett are Muslims.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced by a body double.

She wasn't the person who posted a call to assassinate Nancy Pelosi to her own Facebook page. Advertisement

'There does need to be an investigation, and I trust that Kevin McCarthy will handle that within his own caucus,' she added.

People familiar with McCarthy's thinking told the Times that he felt crippled by the circumstances surrounding Greene and has expressed that the only way to deal with her is to tolerate her.

Republicans are split over what to do with Greene  who has quickly become arguably the most controversial figure within the Party, possibly tied with former President Donald Trump.

Despite her known beliefs in QAnon conspiracy theories, reports last week revealed her ties are deeper than previously known. A slew of past social media posts and interactions revealed she questions the reality of the Parkland and Sandy Hook school shootings, calling them a 'hoax,' among other outlandish conspiracies.

The latest revelations have caused many Republicans to join Democrats in calling for her resignation, while others have come to her defense.

'If you have a family dispute, don't go on 'Jerry Springer,' McDaniel said. 'Do it behind closed doors.'

'It's my role to call them and explain that if we don't keep our party united and focused on 2022, we will lose. If we are attacking fellow Republicans and cancel culture within our own party, it is not helpful to winning majorities,' she told The Times.

McDaniel, however, did condemn the QAnon conspiracies pushed by Greene by calling the comments 'atrocious.'

She said 'they need to be condemned,' adding: 'They are inaccurate. They are very, very dangerous.'

McDaniel said the RNC would remain neutral in the Republican primaries, including in Greene's reelection in 2022  as long as no extreme behavior emerges.

Republicans are torn on how to handle the controversy surrounding Greene, a Trump ally and defender.

GOP Senator Rob Portman demanded his colleagues issue a 'strong response' to Greene.

'I think Republican leaders ought to stand up and say it is totally unacceptable what she has said,' the Ohio senator told CNN on Sunday morning.

'I saw a couple videos over the weekend and one had to do with violence as I see it. There is no place for violence in our political dialogue,' Portman continued. 'By the way there is no place for violence in our country. I mean, this is something we got to get away from. So yeah. I think people ought to speak out clearly.'

Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio (left) said Sunday that his colleagues should 'stand up' against Greene, while he and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (right) said they trust and respect voters in Georgia's 14th congressional district to election someone to Congress that represents them

Portman, however, along with Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, also a Republican, said Sunday that voters in Georgia's 14th district should be respected and trusted to elect someone to Congress who represents their values.

'The people of her district elected her and that should mean a lot,' Hutchinson told ABC Sunday, adding that Greene's constituents would decide if she should serve another term or not.

'She's going to run for reelection and she'll be accountable for what she said and her actions.'

'Given her history is she fit to serve?' ABC host Martha Raddatz pushed Hutchinson.

'I'm not going to answer that question as to whether she's fit to serve because she believes in something that everybody else does not accept,' the Arkansas governor dodged.

'I don't think we ought to punish people from a disciplinary standpoint  a Party standpoint  because they believe something a little bit different.'

Before being elected to Congress, Greene expressed some extreme and dangerous views, like supporting the calls for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, among other prominent Democrats, to be executed.

Many lifelong Republicans feel there is no place for this more radical version of Republicanism in the modern-day Party.

Greene appears to be creating a place for herself in the Party, however, as she took to Twitter Saturday to defend McCarthy against the conservative anti-Trump political action committee The Lincoln Project.

The PAC called McCarthy a traitor after pictures emerged last week of him meeting with Trump while in Southern Florida for donor meetings.

'The Lincoln Project are the REAL traitors! You aren't Republicans. You are nothing but a bunch of America last losers,' Greene lashed out in a Twitter tirade.

'You wallow in the same pit with the bloodthirsty media and the socialist democrats. [McCarthy] is fighting for America First. The LP is Biden's little tool,' she continued.

Democratic Representative Cori Bush, also a freshman, announced last week she was moving her congressional office to get away from 'white supremacist' Greene after she 'berated' her in the Capitol.

Greene has refused to quit saying it was Bush who 'berated' her and that Democrats hate her only because she's 'a threat to their goal of Socialism.'

Some other unfounded conspiracy theories pushed by Greene include claiming the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced by a body double, the 2017 Las Vegas massacre that left 58 dead was organized by Democrats and that there is no evidence a hijacked plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11.
Gov. Greg Abbott will deliver his annual State of the State address Monday night, likely highlighting the states resilience amid a devastating pandemic and pressing for an aggressively conservative legislative agenda as he eyes re-election and a possible presidential bid.

The speech, airing at prime time on television networks across the state, is set to be one of Abbotts most consequential since taking office six years ago. Nearly 36,000 Texans have died from the coronavirus, the economy remains in limbo, and members of the governors own Republican party have blasted his response to the ongoing health crisis.

The governor is also newly emboldened, having helped fend off a Democratic takeover in the state House last fall and amassed an imposing war chest, at nearly $40 million. More recently, he has settled into a familiar role, railing against progressive policies and threatening legal action in the early days of the Biden administration.

RELATED: Abbott humors 2024 presidential speculation

Texas will take action whenever the federal government encroaches on state's rights, or interferes with constitutionally rights, or private property rights or the right to earn a living, he tweeted earlier this month.

Observers expect much of the same rhetoric Monday.

The governor wants to open up the conservative buffet, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. He wants these issues to be what the Legislature works on, and what he can brag about.

Under state law, the governor controls what kinds of bills can be fast-tracked through the Legislature.

ISSUE FOCUS: What you need to know about 6 key issues at the Texas Legislature

Rottinghaus said he will be watching for a focus on shielding businesses from civil liability during the pandemic, states rights and a thematic turn on law and order. The governor has already signaled he wants legislators this session to strengthen gun rights and religious freedoms, and ban left-leaning policies at the city and county level.

Thats a pretty conservative pitch in a state that is in political transition, Rottinghaus said, referring to the states increasingly blue voter turnout. But I think that the governor feels comfortable doing that, because theres uniform control of governance from Republicans, and because Democrats havent shown that theyre strategically able to make major electoral moves.

The format will be a chance for Abbott, who is still relatively unknown nationally, to introduce himself to a broader audience. The governor is foregoing the typical midday address, taking his message directly to viewers at a time when they are more likely to be watching.

In recent weeks, Abbott has reignited his attacks on Austin and other Democratically-led cities, calling for legislation to prohibit cutting police budgets and allowing homeless camping in public. The Austin city council cut some funding from its police budget last year and restructured other budget streams amid nationwide protests over police brutality. The move became a rallying cry for Republicans heading into the November election, while Democrats pushed for reforms to root out structural racism in policing.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

On Wednesday, the governor vowed to sue the Biden administration over the new presidents climate change agenda, which includes a commitment to transition away from fossil fuels by 2035 and reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Abbott has described the move as a hostile attack on the states oil and gas sector, already battered by the pandemic and a global price slump.

The governor appears eager to create as much contrast between himself and President Biden as possible, much as his predecessors did as they set their sights on higher office. In 2011, just a few months before he announced a run for president, then-Gov. Rick Perry used his annual address to portray Texas as the envy of the country, a place where regulations were few and federal mandates routinely challenged.

Abbotts facing a lot of the kinds of things that Perry did, and he also has a lot of the same strategic considerations in terms of national politics, said Rottinghaus, who is working on a book about Perry. I think Gov. Abbott can use this State of the State to practice his presidential voice.

jeremy.blackman@chron.com
Life Upended. The coronavirus outbreak has had a devastating impact on our nation, and it has touched Staten Islanders in countless ways. In this series, reporter Tracey Porpora will share the stories of those who have been thrust into situations that were unimaginable just a few months ago -- those who have seen their life completely upended. This is the thirty-third story of Life Upended.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Princes Bay resident Jenn Bucalo, 46, says she brought spray tanning to Staten Island 18 years ago.

Her all natural, paraben and cruelty-free formula has made her business -- LaBella Spray Tans, located inside Serenity Hair Studio in Charleston -- a go to spot for people who want their skin to appear tan without baking in the sun. Many of her clients would come for affairs -- like weddings, proms, Sweet 16s or simply for a night out on the town.

But with all of the above suspended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Bucalo said business is dead. Plus, millions of people are unemployed due to the pandemic, and a spray tan is often looked at as a luxury service they simply cant afford right now.

My business went down 90%. Im suffering and I cant get out of it, she said. I sit here and cry because Im losing my business that I have worked almost 19 years for, and its killing me. I dont know what to do.

Bucalo's all natural, paraben and cruelty-free formula has made her business -- LaBella Spray Tans, located inside Serenity Hair Studio in Charleston -- a go to spot for people who want their skin to appear tan without sitting in the sun. (Courtesy of Nick Zolfo)

Bucalo said she was denied government loans, and she is having trouble paying her bills.

I am behind on my rents, and have no help financially, said Bucalo. Im behind on my home rent and thats very scary.

And she said shes not sure she is going to be able to keep her once very successful spray tan business open. She added that her first priority is making sure she keeps a roof over her head.

I applied for rent relief for my home. But I dont know whats going to happen. I have a very good landlord. ...I was denied once for the government rent relief, but now I have friends helping me fill out the paperwork, said Bucalo.

MISSING HER BUSY SEASON

Spray tan businesses were allowed reopen in July, when New York hit Phase 3 of reopening -- except for a period late last year when the South Shore was in an orange zone. Despite this, she said the demand for spray tans has been drastically reduced.

April until July is prime season in the spray tan business .... During that time of the year people are wearing less clothing and they want to feel more confident, Bucalo said. A lot of people want tan legs and they dont have time to go in the sun because of work.

But the demand for spray tans has been gone amid the pandemic, she said.

One thing Bucalo has been able to sell during the coronavirus pandemic is an at-home bronzer, the Bella Mist Bronzer. (Courtesy of Nick Zolfo)

My clients call and say they miss me, but they say, Jenn we have no where to go. ...If I get one spray tan a week, thats not really supporting me, said Bucalo.

Shes hoping that Gov.Andrew Cuomos announcement Friday that wedding receptions can resume March 15 at 50% of a facilitys capacity or up to 150 guests, will create some demand among clients.

IMPACTED BY 9/11

And she said she is no stranger to world events impacting her livelihood. Bucalo formerly owned Visual Body Concepts, a weight loss system, that lost a significant share of business after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

After 9/11 that business took a big hit, so I said to myself, let me incorporate another service, and I came up with spray tanning, she recalled.

I drove to Virginia and met with a woman who spray tanned me for the first time. I loved the healthy concept, and I brought it back to Staten Island. ... To get started, I gave out more than 250 free tans. ...I blew it up and thats how I created the business, added Bucalo, who said she went to school in Florida to learn the technique.

And now, amid the pandemic, she is applying the same strategy that helped her reinvent herself in the past.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Once the pandemic hit and Bucalo saw large gatherings would be banned longer than people initially thought, she said she knew she had to reinvent her business. She applied for a PELL grant and received some money to go back to school to become an esthetician. She is currently attending Career School of New York in St. George.

Once she is licensed, she said she hopes to add a myriad of services -- from laser hair and tattoo removal, to face peals, facials and teeth whitening.

You have to keep your brain healthy. What are you supposed to do when you have nothing going on? Im not going to just sit here and let it crush me. Thats just not the type of person I am, she said.

If there are no events, like proms this year, at least I can offer waxing, Microderm abrasions and other kinds of offerings for my business. ...Im really trying to better my career. I havent been in school for 35 years, and its amazing. Im enjoying school right now, added Bucalo.

ABOUT HER NATURAL TANS

Bucalo said her spray tans are all natural and dont contain harmful chemicals.

My spray tans are non-alcoholic. Theres no paraben. Its natural and organic. ...I use a natural product that is all water-based. Its cruelty and vegan free. Its a very healthy product that is applied to the body, she said.

I have worked with cancer patients, who, when they are in treatment, cant go in the sun. ...I have people who have lost their hair because of chemo. And coming to get a spray tan gives them a healthy glow and boosts their confidence, added Bucalo.

One thing she has been able to sell during the pandemic is an at-home bronzer, the Bella Mist Bronzer.

I created this at home tan can, said Bucalo. I have been selling my product more than I have women coming in because they can just spray their chest or their arms and feel better about themselves as the day goes on.

*** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK ***

OTHER LIFE UPENDED STORIES:

Life Upended: 5050 Skatepark is on the brink of closing

Life Upended: Im going through hell, says restaurant owner

Life Upended: DJ with no income refers to a life in limbo during pandemic

Life Upended: Devastating impact of coronavirus on Bin 5 owner and his wife

Life Upended: As workers stay remote, Leos Deli owner faces loss of revenue

Life Upended: Im broke...I just want to hold onto my restaurant, says Portobello Cafe owner

Life Upended: Physical therapist trying to tough it out to stay open

Life Upended: With Broadway shuttered, Staten Island performer turns to teaching

Life Upended: $125K in debt, rock climbing gym owner fears closure

Life Upended: New pizzeria owner, 22, struggling to hold on

Life Upended: With no cases, lawyer starts cooking business amid pandemic

Life Upended: Owner of tour guide business left with no income

Life Upended: Dancing school owner forced to close after 35 years

Life Upended: Personal stylist adapts as clothing no longer a priority

Life Upended: Trainer trying to win $20K in fitness contest to stay afloat

Life Upended: No opening date in sight for devastated owner of adult day care center

Life Upended: In fight to survive, gym owner launches auto business

Life Upended: With live concerts banned, musician struggles for survival

Life Upended: With gyms still unable to open, dojo owner on brink of ruin

Life Upended: Jewelry store owner trying not to give up

Life Upended: 58-year-old forced to shutter new business, then mom gets coronavirus

Life Upended: Comic shop owner is driven by memory of her late partner

Life Upended: Left destitute, single mom focuses on helping others

Life Upended: Despite ovarian cancer diagnosis amid coronavirus crisis, nail salon owner to open Monday

Life Upended: A fight to keep beloved gift shop afloat

Life Upended: With clients gone, single mom takes job shopping for senior citizens

Life Upended: Laid off for the first time at age 62

Life Upended: I have 3,000 dresses and no buyers

Life Upended: With her business closed, single mom fears losing everything

Life Upended: I might have to retire with no money, says business owner, 77

FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER


The Indian Government is all set to give India's ailing textile sector a new lease of life. Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, in the Union Budget 2021-22, has announced the setting up of seven mega textile parks in the next three years. The government has also decided to rationalise the duties on raw material inputs to manmade textiles by reducing customs duty rate on caprolactam, nylon chips and nylon fiber and yarn to 5 per cent.

In order to benefit farmers and promote domestic manufacturing, the government has also raised customs duty on cotton from nil to 10 per cent and on raw silk and silk yarn from 10 per cent to 15 per cent.

"The textile industry is one of biggest employers and it was losing out to countries such as Bangladesh, Turkey and Vietnam. India will be back on the radar now," says Paresh Parekh, Partner & National Tax Leader, Retail Sector, EY. India's textile industry contributed 13 per cent of the industry production in FY-20 and 12 per cent to the country's export earnings. It currently employs 4.5 crore people, which include 35.22 lakh handloom workers across the country.

"The rationalization of the customs duty rates on inputs and raw materials for textiles, leather products should provide a level playing field to the domestic manufacturers. These announcements indicate an upcoming healthy ecosystem for the textiles sector. Driven by government's larger objective of Make in India, India's journey to emerge as a leading exporter to the global markets looks promising," says Saurabh Kanchan, Partner, Deloitte India.

India is the second largest textile exporter in the world after China. It also has the world's second largest vertically integrated textiles production base in the world after China. Despite all these advantages, India is far behind not just China but also countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam in terms of productivity and technology. By virtue of having free trade agreements with the European Union, countries such as Bangladesh and Vietnam have a further edge over India. While the Bangladeshi products attract zero duty, Indian garment manufacturers have to pay a 9 per cent duty.

The allocations for the textile sector would boost domestic business as many global apparel brands which had moved to import structures, would be incentivised to manufacture in India. "The announcement would be welcomed by textile industry as the initiative is likely to double the industry size to $300 billion by 2025-26," says Harpreet Singh, Partner, KPMG India.

"With the establishment of textile parks, we are looking forward to an increased availability of capacities as well as fabric and raw material sourcing. This is a welcome initiative and something that we need as a home-grown brand," adds Kavi Mishra, CEO, House of Anita Dongre.

Also Read:'Huge spending on health, infra two key features of Budget 2021': FM Sitharaman

Also Read: Union Budget 2021: Expand, Borrow, Spend and Grow

Also Read: Sensex, Nifty clock strongest Budget day rally after FM's speech cheers investors
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has increased the responsibility of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) by appointing it as regulator for the Gold Spot Exchange. The recommendation to nominate SEBI in this role also came from the National Institute for Transforming India.

In the Union Budget of 2018-19, the government had announced its intent to establish a system of regulated gold exchanges in the country. For this purpose, SEBI will be notified as the regulator.

For warehousing purposes, the government has appointed Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) as the regulator.

The government says WDRA will be strengthened to set up a commodity market ecosystem arrangement, including vaulting, assaying and logistics, in addition to warehousing for agriculture commodity contracts.

In the BJP-led NDA government's first tenure, the Forward Market Commission (FMC) was merged with SEBI in 2015. Now, this time government has appointed it as regulator of gold exchange.

Follow Moneycontrol's Union Budget 2021 live coverage here.

After a long deliberation with stakeholders, NITI Aayog had submitted a report in 2018 on the gold exchange. Surendra Mehta, National Secretary of the India Bullion & Jewellers Association (IBJA), told Moneycontrol: "The appointment of SEBI as a regulator for gold exchange will speed up the process of setting up of domestic gold exchange. These will bring more transparency in the bullion trade"

But the move is fraught with roadblocks. The International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) in Gift City, Gandhinagar, is also establishing a bullion exchange. Interestingly, the IFSC regulator is not in favour of a multiple bullion exchange. All the exchanges, including the International Exchange, a subsidiary of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the National Stock Exchange International (NSEI), and the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) are in discussions for setting up the exchange.

A source explained the predicament. "Now it for the SEBI to decide whether they will allow different exchanges or a single bullion exchange," he told Moneycontrol.

Another source told Moneycontrol that "SEBI was not in favour of regulating the spot exchange, as they have seen problems in regulating it at the National Spot Exchange Limited."

India is the largest importer of gold in the world. As per the World Gold Council report, import of gold decreased by 52 percent in calendar year 2020. In 2019, India imported 827 tonnes of gold while in 2020, the number had slipped to 394 tonnes.
[February 01, 2021] Leclanche introduces modular, all-in-one, high energy battery system for use in wide range of hybrid and fully electric trucks and buses

ANDERSON, Ind. and YVERDON-LES-BAINS, Switzerland, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leclanche SA (SIX: LECN), one of the world's leading energy storage companies, has developed a modular, all-in-one, high performance battery system optimized for powering new and retrofit hybrid and fully electric commercial vehicles. INT-39 Energy HV pack (INT-39 Energy) is a fully integrated product (photos viewable here) comprised of Leclanche's advanced M2 battery modules, powered by its high density and high life cycle 60 Ah G/NMC1 lithium-ion cells; and the company's proprietary battery management system (BMS). It also features built-in liquid-cooling and thermal hazard protection enhancing its ability to work safely in a wide range of environments. "INT-39 Energy is a high energy, safe and efficient lithium-ion battery pack enabling commercial vehicle manufacturers to more easily design and bring to market zero-emission electric vehicles," said Anil Srivastava, CEO, Leclanche. "This plug-and-play modular solution should help drive a new and efficient generation of e-transport vehicles such as e-trucks, municipal service, construction and agricultural applications and e-buses." An optional IoT tool allows remote data logging and real-time access to battery status, performance and diagnostic data  ideal for optimizing fleet operations. "INT-39 Energy's long life cycle cells last longer and require less maintenance helping vehicle owners to optimize the total cost of their fleet operations," said Srivastava. "On a global basis, transportation is responsible for nearly a quarter of direct carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion with 75 percent of that from on-road vehicles including cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles. Leclanche is able to play a leading role in supporting the electrification of transportation and the preservation of our planet's biosphere for future generations." Certifications and Specifications The company's 60 Ah cells and M2 modules are manufactred by Leclanche in Germany and Switzerland, respectively. The cells provide an industry leading cycle-life of 8,000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge at 1C/1C. INT-39 Energy is available as a 657 Volt pack with an energy capacity of 39.4 kWh and can be expanded to include as many as eight packs providing up to 315 kWh of energy capacity. The system is designed for installation where fossil fuel tanks are normally located but can be placed into other locations, including vehicle roofs, based on manufacturers' preferences.



INT-39 Energy HV has been certified for on-road applications by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, ECE R-100.02 rev 2, which addresses the safety requirements specific to the electric power train of road vehicles including rechargeable battery systems. It is also rated to ingress protection level IP65. For complete specifications, visit https://www.leclanche.com/int-39-energy. Orders are being taken now for delivery in early 2021; for more information about Leclanche's new INT-39 Energy battery system and other offerings for commercial vehicle applications, visit https://www.leclanche.com/solutions/e-transport-solutions/e-commercial-vehicles/ or contact Leclanche's e-Transport solutions team at transport@leclanche.com.

About Leclanche

Headquartered in Switzerland, Leclanche SA is a leading provider of high-quality energy storage solutions designed to accelerate our progress towards a clean energy future. Leclanche's history and heritage is rooted in over 100 years of battery and energy storage innovation and the Company is a trusted provider of energy storage solutions globally. This coupled with the Company's culture of German engineering and Swiss precision and quality, continues to make Leclanche the partner of choice for both disruptors, established companies and governments who are pioneering positive changes in how energy is produced, distributed and consumed around the world. The energy transition is being driven primarily by changes in the management of our electricity networks and the electrification of transport, and these two end markets form the backbone of our strategy and business model. Leclanche is at the heart of the convergence of the electrification of transport and the changes in the distribution network. Leclanche is the only listed pure play energy storage company in the world, organised along three business units: stationary storage solutions, e-Transport solutions and specialty batteries systems. Leclanche is listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX: LECN). SIX Swiss Exchange: ticker symbol LECN | ISIN CH 011 030 311 9 Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to Leclanche's business, which can be identified by terminology such as "strategic", "proposes", "to introduce", "will", "planned", "expected", "commitment", "expects", "set", "preparing", "plans", "estimates", "aims", "would", "potential", "awaiting", "estimated", "proposal", or similar expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding the ramp up of Leclanche's production capacity, potential applications for existing products, or regarding potential future revenues from any such products, or potential future sales or earnings of Leclanche or any of its business units. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Leclanche regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that Leclanche's products will achieve any particular revenue levels. Nor can there be any guarantee that Leclanche, or any of the business units, will achieve any particular financial results. 1 G/NMC means graphite nickel manganese cobalt oxide View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leclanche-introduces-modular-all-in-one-high-energy-battery-system-for-use-in-wide-range-of-hybrid-and-fully-electric-trucks-and-buses-301218761.html SOURCE Leclanche

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
NEW DELHI: Ri Sol-Ju, the wife of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, has been reported missing for the past one year. She was last seen in public on January 25, 2020 and its been over a year since she made any public appearance. Due to this, several speculations and theories have started to surface on the internet around her disappearance.

It is also feared that the Korean dictator Kim Jong-un may have made his wife disappear while some media reports are claiming that Ri Sol-Ju has isolated herself due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to NK News, Hong Min, director of the North Korean research division at Korea Insitute for National Unification, stated, "Her disappearance could be due to coronavirus pandemic. As a mother with young children, participating in public activities risks potential infection. Even Kim Jong-un went on the lowest number of on-site guidance in the past year."

It is also being speculated that Ri Sol-Ju may be helping Kim Kyung Hee, the auntie of Kim Jong-un, who is currently ill. Some reports are claiming that Ri has been looking after the education of her young daughter, Ju-ae, and has hence, not made any public appearance. Some shocking reports have also emerged that Ri Sol-Ju could be suffering from some serious health issue and hence has not been seen in a long time.

Ri Sol-Ju was last seen in public together with her husband Kim Jong-un at a Lunar New Year performance at a theatre in Pyongyang in January 2020.

Ri, who belongs to Chongjin in North Korea's northern Hamgyong Province, tied the knot with Kim Jong-un in 2009. In 2012, the state media addressed her as Kim Jong-un's wife.

It is said that Ri Sol-Ju is not allowed to step out on her own will, and she usually makes appearance with her husband and Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. On October 10, 2020, a military parade was organized in Pyongyang. However, Ri was not seen at the event. Since then, speculation about her disappearance has intensified with many suspecting Kim Jong-un's role behind it.

Live TV

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain's trade balance improved by 8%, with the value of exports of national origin increasing by 4% and the value of imports decreasing by 4%, the 2020 foreign trade report issued by the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) shows.

The report encompasses data on the balance of trade, imports, exports (national origin), and re-exports.

"The value of imports decreased by 4%, reaching BD 4.798 billion in 2020 compared to BD 4.984 billion in the previous year. The top 10 countries accounted for 66% of the value of imports, with the remaining countries accounting for 34%," the report said.

China ranked first when it came to imports to Bahrain, with a total of BD664 million, followed by Saudi Arabia with BD352 million, and Australia with BD330 million.

Aluminium oxide emerged as the top product imported into Bahrain with a total value of BD332 million, while Non- Agglomerated iron ores and concentrates were second with BD292 million, and four-wheel drive cars third with BD175 million.

The report said the value of exports of national origin increased by 4% to BD2.387 billion in 2020, compared to BD2.298 billion in the previous year.

The top 10 countries in terms of the value of exports of national origin purchased from Bahrain accounted for 74% of the total value, with the remaining countries accounting for 26%.

Saudi Arabia ranked first among countries receiving Bahraini exports of national origin, importing BD536 million from Bahrain. The United Arab Emirates was second with BD207 million and the U.S. third with BD201 million.

Unwrought aluminium alloyed emerged as the top products exported during the year 2020 with BD383 million, unwrought aluminium (not alloyed) was second with a value of BD361 million, and Agglomerated iron ores and concentrates third with BD257 million.

The total value of re-exports decreased by 15% to reach BD676 million in 2020, compared to BD795 million in the previous year.

The top 10 countries accounted for 87% of the re-exported value, and the remaining countries accounted for 13%.

Saudi Arabia topped the list with BD197 million, the United Arab Emirates was second with BD178 million, and the US was third with BD63 million.

Four-wheel drive cars emerged as the top product re-exported from Bahrain with BD100 million, Gold ingots came in second place with BD54 million, and Agglomerated iron ores and concentrates came third with BD35 million.

The trade balance, the difference between exports and imports, recorded a deficit of BD1.735 billion in 2020 compared to BD1.892 billion for the same previous year, an improvement by 8%, the report said.
Channel Seven has confirmed that The Chase host Andrew OKeefe departed the network before he was charged over an alleged domestic assault on his partner.

Seven is obviously very concerned to read the reports regarding Andrew OKeefe, a Seven spokesman said in a statement.

Channel Seven personality Andrew OKeefe is facing domestic violence charges. Credit:Simon Schluter

Seven has had a 17-year relationship with Andrew across a number of programs, although he is no longer with the network.

As this is a police matter before the courts, we cannot comment further. The program hosted by Andrew, The Chase Australia, is not currently in production. The program is produced for Seven by ITV Studios Australia. Production will resume soon and a decision about who will host future series is still to be made.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 08:57:53|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Sunday reminded all parties to the conflict in the war-torn Syria of their obligations to protect children after four children were reportedly killed in two attacks in northern Syria.

"Once again, UNICEF reminds all parties to the conflict of their obligations to protect children at all times and refrain from violence in civilian areas," Bo Viktor Nylund, UNICEF representative in Syria, said in a statement. (UN-Syria-UNICEF-Children)

- - - -

BOGOTA -- At least nine people have died and several more have been reported missing after two boats capsized on Saturday afternoon off the Pacific coast of Colombia, Mayor Emilsen Angulo of the municipality of Tumaco in the Narino department confirmed on Sunday.

"At this time, we have formally identified nine people who lost their lives in this unfortunate tragedy," Angulo said, adding that several of the fatalities were minors. (Colombia-Accident)

- - - -

BRUSSELS -- Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has promised to increase its vaccine supply to the European Union (EU), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday.

The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company will deliver 9 million additional doses in the first quarter of this year, bringing the total quarterly supply to 40 million, compared to last week's offer, von der Leyen said on Twitter.

The company "will start deliveries one week earlier than scheduled," she added, and it will also expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe. (EU-AstraZeneca-Increase)

- - - -

BRUSSELS -- The European Union's (EU) top health officials held discussions on Sunday with drug giants about rapid development and production of vaccines specially against the new variants of the coronavirus.

The emergence of variants of concern "raises the imminent threat of reduced efficacy of recently approved vaccines," and it is crucial to prepare for the appearance of such variants, the European Commission said in a press release.

The video conference was held by the commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, with CEOs of the pharmaceutical companies BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, CureVac and Sanofi, all of which have signed agreements with the EU for vaccines supply. (EU-Vaccine-Variants) Enditem

HOUSTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The boutique litigation firm of Cadwell Clonts & Reeder is pleased to announce that Lisa M. Thomas has joined the firm as a partner. A trial-tested litigator, Ms. Thomas focuses on intellectual property disputes with an emphasis on complex patent litigation. Her experience includes all phases of litigation, including pre-suit strategy development, fact and expert discovery, pre-trial and post-trial practice, and appeals.

"Because Lisa has represented both plaintiffs and defendants during her career, she offers a comprehensive perspective and keen strategic insight when handling disputes in venues across the nation," says firm co-founder Kevin Cadwell. "We are delighted to welcome her to the firm, and we anticipate adding additional experienced attorneys as the needs of the firm and our clients continue to evolve."

Ms. Thomas has litigated cases in a wide range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, chemistry, energy, and software. Licensed to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office since 2007, she has prepared and prosecuted patent applications and is experienced in post-grant proceedings that occur in conjunction with litigation.

She joins the firm from the Houston office of Reed Smith LLP.

Ms. Thomas earned her law degree from Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law in 2011 and her undergraduate degree in bioengineering from Rice University in 2005.

Three veteran litigators formed Cadwell Clonts & Reeder in 2020 to support a wide range of business sectors in complex commercial disputes, intellectual property matters, and corporate transactions. Backed by previous tenures at major international law firms, the attorneys have represented some of the most intriguing and promising start-ups, as well as Fortune 100 companies.

Media Contact:

Barry Pound

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Cadwell Clonts & Reeder

Related Links

https://cadwellclontsreeder.com/


All 77 BJP MLAs in Bengal to have central security cover

RJD delegation meets TMC's Abhishek Banerjee on Bengal elections

India

oi-Deepika S

Kolkata, Feb 01: An RJD delegation met senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee in Kolkata on Monday over the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal.

Addressing the press, RJD''s principal general secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui said that a decision to form an alliance with a non-BJP secular party for the elections in West Bengal will be taken by its central leadership.

The meeting with Banerjee was a part of the RJD''s objective to defeat the "communal forces", he said.

RJD''s national general secretary Shyam Razak was also present in the meeting along with Siddiqui.

There is nothing to share about the talks at this point, Siddiqui told reporters.

He said the RJD was open to discussions about an alliance with other non-BJP parties as well.

"TMC is BJP''s biggest enemy, hence we held discussions with TMC, but only to assess the situation at present. We will send the feedback to our central leadership," he said.

Replying to a question on whether the party would hold talks with the opposition CPI(M), Siddiqui said, "If they invite us today we will turn up as soon as possible, say tomorrow."

RJD, the main opposition party of Bihar, had said on Sunday that it is exploring the possibility of contesting some seats on the Bengal-Bihar border in the upcoming assembly elections, likely in April-May.

"All the secular and democratic forces should join hands to fight against the BJP," Siddiqui said.

RJD had an MLA in the Bengal assembly between 2006 and 2011 during the Left Front rule.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, February 1, 2021, 18:44 [IST]
Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky's mega mansion in Broken Head could fetch the celebrity couple a whopping $65 million if it went on sale - over three times more than it cost.

First estimated at $20 million, with some experts saying it could sell for $30 million, Luke Moroney of Search Party Property says it's worth even more - in no small part due to the A-list status of its owners.

He tells Daily Mail Australia: 'As a Buyers Agent, we would estimate the property to be $65 million. Though it could be worth more given the celebrity tag'.

Woah! Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky's mega mansion in Broken Head could fetch the celebrity couple a whopping $65 million if it went on sale - over three times more than it cost

Famous faces: First estimated at $20 million, with some experts saying it could sell for $30 million, Luke Moroney of Search Party Property says it's worth even more - in no small part due to the A-list status of its owners. Chris and Elsa are pictured at home

Chris and his family began construction on the Byron Bay mansion, named Kooeloah, in late 2017. It was previously an eight-bedroom resort-style home.

The LA-style compound, located near Byron Bay, is complete - and the luxurious, opulent home has consistently skyrocketed in price.

Lloyd Edge, founder and Director of Aus Property Professionals and author of best-selling book Positively Geared, says that the market value has gone up since the couple bought and renovated the home four years ago.

He tells Daily Mail Australia: 'As a Buyers Agent, we would estimate the property to be $65 million. Though it could be worth more given the celebrity tag'

He tells Daily Mail Australia: 'I estimate that in the current market the property could sell for up to $30 million'.

Mr Edge based his price on 'a number of 'comparables', adding that it is, 'how we try and estimate market value, along with current market sentiment'.

He listed similar properties in the area, including a five-bedroom home at 35 Marine Parade, with private stairs that lead down to Wategos Beach and a heated infinity pool overlooking the ocean, which is worth $22 million.

Fancy! The home's 50-metre rooftop infinity pool alone is estimated to have cost at least $400,000, an enormous indoor mural (pictured) could be worth as much as $100,000

A smaller property in the area on Lighthouse Rd is valued at $9 million, while a yet-to-be-built home overlooking Main Beach in Byron Bay is worth $60 million.

He added: 'Byron Bay and surrounding areas is now one of the hottest property markets in the country. Hemsworth bought the property for $9 million but spent around $18 million building the mansion.'

Critics and locals were quick to say that the rebuild reminds them of a suburban shopping centre, a refurbished RSL club or a regional airport terminal.

The 50-metre rooftop infinity pool alone is estimated to have cost at least $400,000, an enormous indoor mural could be worth as much as $100,000 and the landscaping bill would reach $500,000.

It's changed! Chris and his family began construction on the Byron Bay mansion, named Kooeloah, in late 2017. It was previously an eight-bedroom resort-style home

Formwork and concrete for the foundations of Fortress Hemsworth - known on architectural plans as 'Project 657 BHR' - will have set the couple back $1.5million to $2million.

For Sydney builder Jason Natoli, who specialises in luxury renovations, the most striking aspect of the new Broken Head landmark is its sheer size.

'It's ginormous,' Mr Natoli said. 'It's been built like resort-style accommodation. You've got an infinity pool with a spa, five bedrooms with five en suites, a large indoor-outdoor kitchen, a four-car garage.

'There's a cinema room, massage room, sauna room, steam room, games room with a bar. There's also a mud room - I've never heard of that before.'

Fancy! The house even has a mud room, like the one pictured. Mud rooms, made popular in America, are secondary entrances used to store coats, shoes and items such as bikes, umbrellas and surfboards which are regularly carried in and out of the house

Mud rooms, made popular in America, are secondary entrances used to store coats, shoes and items such as bikes, umbrellas and surfboards which are regularly carried in and out of the house.

There is also a gymnasium, butler's pantry, fire pit, change rooms, outdoor play area for the three Hemsworth children and walk-in wardrobes attached to four of the bedrooms.

Because the house is surrounded by bushland it was required to have its own 20,000 litre fire-fighting water tanks and extra access for Rural Fire Service vehicles.

Mr Natoli said he could not see any provision for landing a helicopter, one of Hemsworth's favoured means of transportation.

Pricing: Lloyd Edge, founder and Director of Aus Property Professionals, believes the Hemsworths could sell their home for $30 million. He listed similar properties in the area, including this five-bedroom home at 35 Marine Parade worth $22 million

While the average floor size of a new Sydney home is now 186.3 square metres, the Hemsworth residence covers about 900 square metres internally.

The construction is technically only one-storey but the staggered floors make it appear to be multi-leveled.

Mr Natoli, whose Jcorp Construction renovated publicist Roxy Jacenko new $6.5million home at Vaucluse, described the Hemsworth home as an 'LA-style mansion'.

'It's a gorgeous house,' Mr Natoli said. 'Technically it's one level but it's sort of stepped to make it feel as one.

Nice digs: A smaller property in the area on Lighthouse Rd is valued at $9 million (pictured)

Woah! A yet-to-be-built home (pictured on the plan) overlooking Main Beach in Byron Bay is worth $60 million

'You could say it's an LA sort of mansion-style design. It's a very contemporary LA-style, where everything is indoor-outdoor living.'

The couple had planned the house so that the huge glass windows and doors opened onto the rooftop entertaining area including the pool and surrounding bushland.

'When it opens up it feels like the outdoors and indoors are all one,' Mr Natoli said.

Not all locals have welcomed the size of Fortress Hemsworth.

What a view! The couple had planned the house so that the huge glass windows and doors opened onto the rooftop entertaining area including the pool and surrounding bushland

'I thought Byron would be Noosafied but apparently it's being Hollywooded,' one wrote on Facebook last year. 'Next level.'

Another woman went further: 'It's obscene, greedy, flashy, vulgar opulence at its finest and has no place in the Byron I once knew and love.'

'A sad sign of things to come due to greedy, unfettered development policy.'

But Mr Natoli said while the scale of the house was enormous the design was relatively simple.

'It's just a big box,' he said. 'There's nothing too flashy. The only thing is it's huge.'

Lovely views: The property, about 12 kilometres out of Byron Bay, is on Broken Head Road and overlooks Seven Mile Beach

The property, about 12 kilometres out of Byron Bay, is on Broken Head Road and overlooks Seven Mile Beach.

A development application approved by Byron Shire Council estimated the cost of construction to be $18million.

Most of that money has gone back into the northern rivers community. The home has been built by Jason Stehn whose company Stehnbuild is based in nearby Bangalow.

Chris and Elsa live at the home with their children, India, eight, and twins Tristan and Sasha, six.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Lockdowns and social distancing may be key to stopping the spread of COVID-19, but they are having other, deadly, effects too, a University of Otago study highlights.

Dr. Katerina Standish, of Otago's National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, says the public health reaction to the pandemic negatively increases rates of domestic violence and suicidality.

"The focus on tackling the pandemic means, globally, the first objective is to control its ability to replicate and mutate. We know this is necessary, but the lockdowns and social distancing have other effects that are only beginning to reveal themselves and they are deadly too," she says.

For the research, published in the Journal of General Psychology, Dr. Standish analyzed billions of US-based Google searches for the months of March to August in 2019 and 2020, looking for signs of psychological stress.

Search terms were categorized into precarity, insecurity, despondency, helplessness, indicative male violence, and intentional male violence. They included searches such as "lost my job," "I don't have anywhere to go," "I want to die," "no one will help us," "how to hit a woman so no one knows," and "he will kill me."

Results showed an "overwhelming upsurge" from all six categories from 31% to 106%.

While the study focused on US-based searches, Dr. Standish says the results are generalisable to other countries.

"I originally did multi-country data collection for the UK, US, Aotearoa-New Zealand and Canada and the effects were quite similar, in fact in places doing 'better' in the pandemic there were even higher indicators of suicidal and femicidal violence. COVID-19 is being called a 'perfect storm' for suicidal violence and UNWOMEN is calling femicide during COVID-19 the 'shadow pandemic.'"

Dr. Standish is calling for policy makers to put self-harm and domestic violence at the front of their minds.

"As Dr. Michael Ryan from the World Health Organisation emergency program said 'be the first mover' - incorporate the risk of suicide and femicide into pandemic responses. You can't get data on how often suicide spikes and domestic violence abuses happen without looking for them. We know these are underreported forms of harm."

Adding buttons to contact tracers that signal impending or experienced violence make it possible for people to communicate threat and need. Making these discreet and traceless will mean social stigma and controlling agents cannot "mine" the tracer for help-seeking behavior, she says.

Her main message for the public is to be aware of those around you, keep connections in real life, and reach out to people who may need help.

"Lots of people are losing their income and sense of safety and the virus has exacerbated precarity and insecurity that existed before the pandemic. Suicides happen when people are alone, feel alone or like they don't matter.

"We may lose some to the virus, but we must try to help one another survive the pandemic response too. Check on each other and keep checking on each other."

In terms of femicidal violence, she hopes people take domestic violence and violence against women and children as seriously as COVID-19.

"Most women who are killed have a history of experiencing coercive control by partners or ex-partners. The idea that we are asking women to 'lockdown' with abusive agents means we take their safety less seriously than 'public' safety.

"Hopefully, while our world continues to turn its attention to one plague, we can be mindful of whether or not our responses to the pandemic sow the seeds of more suffering."

Explore further New research shares safety strategies for women experiencing domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic

More information: Katerina Standish. COVID-19, suicide, and femicide: Rapid Research using Google search phrases, The Journal of General Psychology (2021). Katerina Standish. COVID-19, suicide, and femicide: Rapid Research using Google search phrases,(2021). DOI: 10.1080/00221309.2021.1874863
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
It did not take long after President Biden was officially inaugurated for the Spanish version of the White House website to be promptly reactivated. The decision was as predictable as it was meaningful. It reversed one of the very first actions by the previous administrationdisabling the Spanish version of the website, which had existed continually since the George W. Bush presidency. (Interestingly, Trumps White House communications team did keep the @LaCasaBlanca handle on Twitter to post sporadic announcements in Spanish.)

It is early to tell what the language policies of the Biden administration will be, but we have already seen other welcome changes, too. Most notably, after firefighter Andrea Hall delivered the Pledge of Allegiance at the Inauguration simultaneously in English and ASL, White House press briefings are now accompanied by livestreamed ASL interpreting (which has already seen its share of controversy over the far-right links of the first interpreter). Its also offering closed-captioning on its YouTube channel. All of this signals a commitment to equity and transparency, and to taking the needs of language minorities and the disability community seriously.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

We have the example of the former presidency to understand what seemingly small decisions like language accessibility reveal about larger policies. In hindsight, Trumps English-only website foreshadowed the former administrations purposefully neglectful language policies, whose low points included the crisis of the lack of qualified translators in the Southern border and the lack of updated public health information in commonly spoken languages during the early weeks of the COVID-19 crisis.

White House website aside, communication between the government and its citizens continues to be mostly in English. Other than Housing and Urban Development and the Department of the Treasury (partially), the websites for Cabinet-level departments do not offer easily accessible versions in Spanish, much less other languages. Agencies like the IRS, a unit in the Department of Treasury, and the Employment Benefits Security Administration, at the Department of Labor, do a better job providing Spanish versions of their services, but the majority are still English-only.

Advertisement

In truth, nothing but good willand a lame-duck Obama-era memorandum on website accessibilityreally compels government agencies to go multilingual. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination of any kind, and Executive Order 13166, which expands the 1964 Civil Rights Act to improve access to public services for people with limited English proficiency, guarantee that federal services provide free language assistance to individuals who request it. Some department websites, including the Department of Education or even the Office for Civil Rights that oversees this provision, point visitors toward this federally mandated language service assistance. Any U.S. citizen who has helped an elderly relative emigrate to the United States, for instance, will be familiar with this service, which allows the presence of an interpreter during the residency and citizenship application process.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Ultimately, volunteering public information in other languages depends on the whim of a given agency. A Nov. 8, 2016, memorandum by the Office of Management and Budget spells out recommendations for website accessibility and urges federal agencies to use the guidance provided in Executive Order 13166 to determine what and how much of their website content to offer in other languages. But its impact during the Trump administration was limited.

All in all, it is astounding how little information the government makes available in other languages, given how present linguistic diversity is our daily life. State and local websites have long been offering multilingual versions of their websites; even if those translations, powered by third-party automatic translators, are often unreliable, at least they try to meet citizens halfway. In many parts of the country, it has been common to see signage for COVID-19 prevention in multiple languages, not just English and Spanish. Dual language immersion schools have flourished in the last decade, having recovered from the legislative setbacks to bilingual education in the 1990s. Linguists and language teachers have been working with linguistic landscapes in their research and class projects for years.

Advertisement

Let me nod, begrudgingly, to those who would argue that we should not encumber our institutions with the burden of multilingualism since anybody who lives here should learn English. Here is why multilingual accessibility in our institutions matters. For starters, multilingualism is not a threat to Englishjust about everybody who has migrated here knows they will be better off learning English. There will always be someone who needs language assistance. The newly-arrived refugee who needs language assistance today to navigate, say, the education system for their kids, may no longer need that assistance five, 10, or 20 years from now, but there will always be some other newly arrived family who will. In fact, withholding support, linguistic or otherwise, is far more likely to create persistent inequality than it is to accelerate integration, however defined. Finally, English speakers will not be hindered from getting information in their language because, say, Spanish or Haitian Creole speakers have to jump through fewer hoops to get the same information in theirs.

Advertisement

Advertisement

There is another reason why it matters that the current administration is gesturing toward civic multilingualism. Spurred by a president who exploited anti-immigrant sentiment, particularly anti-Hispanic and anti-Muslim, hate incidents, including harassment of Spanish speakers, kept growing during the Trump years. The trend is unlikely to reverse overnight, but if nothing else, it is a welcome change that the new government models more inclusive language policies.

What would those policies look like? For starters, it would be great if more agencies followed in the steps of the White House website. And while they are at it, it would be even better if more languages were added to the list. The IRS website, available in seven languages, is a good model to follow. The legal tools to expand multilingual outreach across federal agencies already exist. Revising or at least pushing for a more consistent implementation of the Obama-era memorandum on accessibility would go a long way towards achieving that goal. Digital.gov provides a series a of resources and best practice guidance for multilingual web design.

Advertisement

At the time of the Democratic Party primaries, much was made of the fact that a record number of candidates spoke more than one language. In the end, it was Joe Biden, who does not speak other languages and who has in the past expressed fairly run-of-the-mill assimilationist views on language and migration, who won the nomination and, eventually, the presidency.

Just as well. It matters less whether president speaks Spanish or Arabic or Korean. What matters is that he (and someday she) adopts language policies that strengthen unity across communities, one federal agency and one website at a time.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
As Estonia considers the role that advanced nuclear power generation can play in delivering a low-carbon future for the country, citizens and policymakers can feel confident there is a safe and affordable way to dispose of the resulting spent nuclear fuel, says Chris Parker, Deep Isolation

A new Deep Isolation study commissioned by advanced reactor deployment company Fermi Energia discusses the potential suitability of areas in Estonia considered for siting a deep horizontal borehole repository for nuclear waste. This preliminary study found no fundamental geologic limitations to disposing of nuclear waste in deep horizontal boreholes and that a wide range of locations could be demonstrated to comply with IAEA Safety Regulations for geologic disposal.

The study is a qualitative geological assessment of Estonias crystalline basement rock that evaluates geological conditions and potential risk factors for Estonias 15 counties, screening their potential for hosting a deep borehole repository. Such a repository would isolate radioactive elements from the Earths surface for 1.3 million years. At that point, any elements that might reach the surface would be three orders of magnitude below levels deemed safe and allowable by international safety standards.

With Estonia aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030, advanced nuclear power generation from small modular reactors (SMRs) could contribute to Estonias carbon-neutral future. Yet the unresolved issue of how to permanently dispose of spent nuclear fuel is a major obstacle to deploying nuclear energy worldwide.

If we are to be successful in our efforts to see Estonia become the first European Union country to deploy an SMR in the 2030s, it is important that we take responsibility now in planning for spent fuel disposal, said Kalev Kallemets, CEO of Fermi Energia, an emerging company of nuclear and energy professionals founded to deploy SMRs in Estonia. This Deep Isolation study indicates that a deep borehole disposal repository could meet all prerequisites and be safe and cost-effective as well as easily deployed and scalable.

There are about 50 small modular reactor designs and concepts being developed globally, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Deep Isolation is partnering with the advanced nuclear sector to explore the important role that borehole disposal can play. For example, a recent study published by the Electric Power Research Institute showed that locating a deep borehole repository at the site of a hypothetical advanced reactor in the southeastern United States could be both safe and cost-effective. Fermi Energia is the first European company to contract with Deep Isolation on a preliminary geologic study to manage advanced reactor waste.

As Estonia considers the role that advanced nuclear power generation can play in delivering a low-carbon future for the country, citizens and policymakers can feel confident there is a safe and affordable way to dispose of the resulting spent nuclear fuel, says Chris Parker, Managing Director, Deep Isolation EMEA Limited. We applaud Fermi Energia for doing the right thing by planning for disposal of the nuclear waste up front. This is a significant step forward in confirming that regions across Estonia, in particular along the northern coast near a potential SMR site, could potentially safely host a borehole repository.

While countries such as Finland, Sweden and France are building mined repositories for nuclear waste, a deep horizontal borehole solution in Estonia would isolate the waste much deeper  at 1,500 meters vs. about 500 meters  and would be about a quarter of the cost, according to recent research on the U.S. market undertaken by Deep Isolation in collaboration with U.S. advanced nuclear companies and the Electronic Power Research Institute. Deep boreholes are more quickly deployed, given that drilling can be done in weeks, while mining can take years and even decades. As the geology near the potential Estonian SMR site appears suitable for disposal, the costs and risks of transporting waste long distances can be avoided. And theyre likely safer because there are no workers underground.

Deep Isolations solution would place the waste in corrosion-resistant canisters within deep boreholes drilled into rock formations that have been isolated from the biosphere for a million years or more. The waste can be retrieved during a determined timeframe or permanently secured.

The study was conducted in collaboration with Engineering Bureau STEIGER LLC, Estonias foremost geologic and drilling company.

Deep Isolation will present the results of this study as part of Fermi Energias one-day SMR conference, New Generation Nuclear Energy in Estonia, on Feb. 9. Please register here.

ABOUT DEEP ISOLATION

Deep Isolation is a leading innovator in nuclear waste storage and disposal. Founded upon values of environmental stewardship, scientific ingenuity, and social responsibility, Deep Isolation offers a solution that leverages directional drilling technology to safely isolate nuclear waste deep underground.

ABOUT FERMI ENERGIA

Fermi Energias mission is to bring Estonian energy production into the 21st century by developing a modern small nuclear power plant that will ensure Estonia's security of electricity supply in all weather, at a favorable price for electricity consumers, to meet the country's climate goals.

Press Contacts:

Kari Hulac  Deep Isolation

media@deepisolation

Mihkel Loide  Fermi Energia

+372 53 001 777 mihkel.loide@fermi.ee
If [the path] is over the rights of regional Australians, blue-collar workers, farmers and the poor then I am not in, he said. Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman, who represents North Sydney, said the Prime Ministers speech built on the commitment to a net zero economy. Confirming the likely 2050 trajectory will provide the community and business with greater certainty  its a very important step as we head towards Glasgow. Fellow Liberal Katie Allen, who represents Higgins in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, said she backed net zero by 2050 and was incredibly optimistic about the message from the speech. He wants a plan, which Ive always said is more important than the target, and to me it reflects a pragmatic desire to deliver, not just virtue signal, Dr Allen said.

The governments current target is to cut emissions by 26 to 28 per cent by 2030 and to achieve net zero emissions at some point in the five decades after 2050, but scientists say this goal would lead to dangerous global warming. Loading Australian National University professor Will Steffen and colleagues in a new group, the Climate Targets Panel, have called instead for a 74 per cent cut to emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2035 to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. Mr Morrison avoided making the 2050 pledge last December when it was set as the condition for leaders to speak at a London summit, leading countries including France to veto his attendance. Asked on Monday whether he could commit to net zero by 2050 in time for the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow in November, Mr Morrison said the answer depended on the science and technology.

When I can tell you how we get there, thats when Ill tell you when were going to get there, he said. If you dont get there by technology, if thats not what actually gets an economy to net zero, theres only one other way that thats achieved and that is a tax. So my commitment to Australians that I will not tax our way to net zero by 2050, is a very, very important one and I will hold my faith with the Australian people on those issues. Those around Mr Morrison have expressed confidence privately that the government can commit to net zero by 2050, as long as there is progress on energy technology to show the cost and benefits. But Labor treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers said the speech could have been used to make a hard commitment to net zero by 2050, a target Labor backs.

He missed an opportunity to say unequivocally that we will provide the jobs and opportunities which will flow from that commitment, Mr Chalmers said. Loading For as long as this Prime Minister continues to play party room politics over cleaner and cheaper energy, Australians will be denied those jobs and opportunities and be increasingly isolated in the international community. Mr Morrison made it clear the vaccine rollout and economic recovery would be his priorities this year, cooling talk of other initiatives when some of his MPs want a halt to the legislated increase in the super guarantee levy to 12 per cent. Asked about economic reform and super, he said the government had delivered major tax cuts and would seek modest industrial relations reform but did not want to get bogged down in changes that would be stuck in Parliament.

Im not one that likes to pursue things for the sake of vanity. I like to get things done and not waste time on things that dont get done because that doesnt help anybody, he said. Loading While Mr Morrison talked up the comeback from the pandemic, about one million Australians are relying on the $565 fortnightly JobSeeker allowance and $150 coronavirus supplement, which is due to stop at the end of March. Asked about a permanent increase in the JobSeeker rate, Mr Morrison said there were real shortages in the workforce and he wanted to see how the unemployment rate and other factors might change. Workforce challenges this year, and next year, and going forward, are, I would have to say, one of the biggest, if not the biggest single economic challenge we have in this country, he said.
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
By Senior Colonel Wu Qian, Director General of the Information Office of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and Spokesperson for the MND



Senior Colonel Wu Qian, 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 January 28, 2021. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

(The following English text of the press conference is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.)

Senior Colonel Wu Qian: I have an announcement to make at the beginning. Recently, the 3rd Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit to Sudans Darfur has begun withdrawing after finishing the missions of the United Nations - African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur(UNAMID). Some troops of the unit returned to China by a PLA Air Forces transport plane on January 27.

Since August 2017, the Chinese peacekeeping helicopter unit has carried out flying missions in more than 20 mission points, including Khartoum, Zalingei and Nyala. It has accomplished a raft of arduous, emergent and dangerous tasks, including humanitarian relief, medical evacuation of patients, and delivery of supplies for peacekeepers, bringing peace and stability to local people. The unit has been praised as a standard unit of peacekeeping by the UNAMID. All the members of the unit have been awarded the UN Peace Medals.

The pursuit of peace is in the DNA of the Chinese nation. Upholding the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, the Chinese military will continue to make contributions to world peace.

Question: At the beginning of the new year, President Xi Jinping signed the Central Military Commission (CMC) Order No.1 in 2021 to launch annual military training. What specific measures have the armed forces taken to implement President Xis order?

Answer: President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the CMC, signed the CMC Order No.1 in 2021 on January 4 to launch annual military training. Following the order, troops across the military took immediate and active actions to strengthen realistic training and joint training, improve training with a scientific approach, and manage training in accordance with the law, setting off an upsurge in military training in the new year.

First, leaders took the lead. From the theater commands to the various services and arms, the armed police force and the CMC organs, the principals took the lead in training and set an example for troops.

Second, strict real-combat training was highlighted. The theater commands organized skills training in joint operations command and special joint training. The services and arms carried out real-combat training on snowy plateaus and Gobi deserts, in mountains and forests, and in far seas, just in a bid to hone the troops in harsh environments. The intensity of the militarys winter training remained unchanged.

Third, the training was carefully planned with clear priorities. Overall plans were made to arrange major exercises and training tasks of the whole military, with focuses putting on force-on-force training based on operational plans, training in joint operations command, training in new equipment, new forces and new domains, and their integration into the joint operations system, so as to promote the transformation of military training and form a new type of military training system.

Strengthening combat-readiness is just to keep China away from war. Chinese service members will resolutely implement the decisions and instructions of the CPC Central Committee, the CMC and President Xi, comprehensively enhance real-combat training and war-winning capabilities, resolutely fulfill the missions and tasks entrusted by the Party and the people in the new era, so as to welcome the CPC centenary with outstanding achievements.

In order to better introduce the training of the military, we made a video clip named "2021-Military Training Kicks Off".

Question: President Elect Joe Biden was sworn in as President of the United States on January 20. Whats Chinas view on the China-US mil-to-mil relationship during the Trump administration? Whats China's expectation for the future relationship between the two militaries?

Answer: During the Trump administration, the China-US relations encountered serious difficulties, and the mil-to-mil relationship also faced a lot of risks and challenges. Facts have proved that containing China is an impossible mission. The troublemaker will only get himself in trouble.

The relations between China and the US and between their militaries have come to a new historical starting point. We hope the new US administration will work with the Chinese side, in the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, to strengthen dialogue, focus on cooperation, and manage differences for healthy and steady development of bilateral ties.

At the beginning of this year, the Chinese and American militaries have had some pragmatic exchanges. In January 26 and 27, the two militaries held video meetings on cooperation for searching the remains of American POW/MIA(Prisoner of War/Missing in Action) in China. The two sides discussed several cases and detailed cooperation. This fully reflected that China attaches importance to the US sides concerns in the humanitarian field.

We hope the US side will work with China towards the same goal with the same professionalism, properly address Chinas concerns in the mil-to-mil relationship, strengthen communication, manage risks, avoid crisis, and push the China-US mil-to-mil relationship forward along the right track.

Question: The reform of officer system has established a rank-based system involving three aspects  military rank, position grade, and payment and welfare level. Please brief us on the setting of military ranks in the new officer system and the detailed designs and considerations regarding these three aspects.

Answer: The new officer system has a substantial change in the hierarchy of officers. The old grade-based system has been reshuffled into a rank-based one. The new military rank system consists of ten ranks at three levels. Ranks for general officers include general, lieutenant general and major general; ranks for field officers include senior colonel, colonel, lieutenant colonel and major; and ranks for company officers include captain, first lieutenant and second lieutenant. The military ranks vary among different services and will be prefaced with name of the service in the title. The military ranks for commanding and administrative officers are identified differently from those for specialized and technical officers.

The new hierarchy system is mainly composed of three elements  military rank, position grade and payment and welfare level.

First, the basic order in managing the hierarchy of officers is determined by the military rank. In addition to its functions of distinguishing the hierarchy of officers, and pronouncing officer identification and honor, the military rank is further endowed with the functions of representing officers capabilities and contributions. Moreover, the role of military rank in adjusting officers career development and management, such as education and training, assessment and evaluation, promotion and appointment, demobilization and placement, has also been highlighted. Military rank now plays a dominant role with its intrinsic nature.

Second, the position grade plays an auxiliary role in regulating the promotion and appointment order and commanding relations of officers. The position grade is established in accordance with the grade of military units and officers. Position grades are correlated with military ranks. There are 15 position grades for commanding and administrative officers from vice chairman of the CMC to platoon commander, and four position grades for specialized and technical officers namely senior professional title, associate senior professional title, intermediate professional title and junior professional title. Such a design replaces some functions of the old grade system with position grades. The position grade plays an auxiliary role in officer management. It can further straightens out the order of officer promotion and appointment, clarifies the leading and commanding relations, aligns the hierarchy of officers with the organizational structure of troops, and facilitates a smooth transition from the old system to the new one.

Third, the payment and welfare level determines the basic living benefits of officers. A separate payment and welfare level is established to determine officers basic living benefits, including salary, housing, medical care, and insurances. Based on military ranks, there are 19 payment and welfare levels from Level-1 to Level-19. Each military rank corresponds to a specific range of payment and welfare levels. The payment and welfare level and military rank are correlated to some extent but not strictly bound, which can guarantee that even if officers are not promoted in military ranks, they can also be entitled to better benefits with good performance. This mechanism will guide officers to have long-term military service.

Question: In the reform of officer system, an officer position management system is established with classification of officer positions. Please elaborate on the new classification of officer positions.

Answer: The classification of officer positions is a necessary step to build a professionalized officer system. With operational command as the pivot, the officer system reform classifies officer positions into two major categories  commanding and administrative positions, and specialized and technical positions  with further specifications in each category based on different dimensions and levels.

In terms of work contents, commanding and administrative positions are divided into military positions and political positions. This arrangement is in line with the fundamental nature and purpose of the Chinese armed forces and the dual leadership system. It fully implements and reflects the fundamental principle that the CPC has absolute leadership over the military. In terms of duties, commanding and administrative positions can also be divided into commanding positions and staff positions. It is based on the different roles played by the positions in combat operations and force development. In terms of military specialties, they can be divided into services/arms-specific positions and positions not specific to services (arms). It is based on what professional expertise and experience are needed by the position.

Specialized and technical positions are divided into teaching positions, scientific research positions, engineering positions, health service positions, and specialized positions based on different duties. Such a design is consistent with the national classification of specialized and technical talent and can facilitate the attraction, cultivation and utilization of talent on a broader base.

Efforts will be made to deepen the classified management and development of officer positions in accordance with real situations to gradually put in place a multi-dimensional and multi-tiered position classification system for officers.

Question: According to reports, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities recently stated that they would deepen ties between the US and Taiwan. At the same time, Taiwan's defense agency keeps mentioning the so-called entry of mainland military aircraft into Taiwan's southwest air defense identification zone. What's your comment, please?

Answer: Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. The Taiwan question is China's internal affair, which allows no foreign interference. The military activities carried out by the PLA in the Taiwan Strait are necessary actions in response to the current security situation across the Taiwan Strait and the need to maintain national sovereignty and security. It is also a solemn response to the interference of external forces and the provocations by the "Taiwan independence" forces.

The rejuvenation and reunification of the Chinese nation is an unstoppable trend. It is where the greater national interest lies, and what the people desire. In the long history of the Chinese nation, the actions taken by a small number of "Taiwan independence" separatists for independence are just like a bubble, which will not make any wave. We seriously warn those "Taiwan independence" forces that those who play with fire will set themselves on fire. "Taiwan independence" means war. The PLA will take all necessary measures to resolutely defeat any attempt by the "Taiwan independence" separatists, and firmly defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Question: Recently, there have been many local outbreaks and sporadic cases of COVID-19 in China. Under such circumstance, how does the Chinese military do its pandemic prevention and control work? Will the military support the local fight against the pandemic? At present, the pandemic situation overseas is still challenging. Could you please brief us on the Chinese military's international cooperation in the fight against the pandemic?

Answer: Recently, sporadic and clustered cases of COVID-19 appeared in many places across China. The Chinese military, with its joint prevention and control mechanism, responded quickly and adopted a series of measures to conduct pandemic prevention strictly.

First, the military organized relevant units to improve contingency plans, reinforce emergency duty, and strengthen coordination and response. Second, we have strengthened pandemic prevention and control work and the management over troops during the Spring Festival in accordance with the relevant arrangements of the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council. Third, we carried out special inspections to enhance standardized management in key places such as fever clinics, quarantine areas and canteens. Fourth, we directed military units to strictly implement various pandemic prevention and control measures required by the local governments where the troops are stationed, and strictly prevent COVID-19 from entering barracks. Fifth, we deployed active-service troops, civilian personnel and militias to support local pandemic prevention tasks, such as quarantine and nucleic acid tests.

In response to the current situation of pandemic prevention and control, the Chinese military will continue to do a good job in tasks of pandemic prevention and control and medical treatment in barracks and thoroughly implement the relevant measures in accordance with national arrangements and the decisions made by the CMC. At the same time, the military will continue to support local pandemic prevention and control by providing more emergency response units and epidemiological experts.

In terms of Chinese militarys international cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, I would like to share a story about a Syrian military doctor, Major Tareq Muhammad. Dr. Tareq was admitted to the PLA Army Medical University to study clinical medicine in 2018. He graduated in 2020 and returned to Syria to work as the deputy director of the Department of Immunology and Rheumatology at a military hospital in Damascus.

After the COVID-19 outbreak, his department was mainly responsible for the diagnosis and quarantine of Covid patients. Dr. Tareq translated relevant knowledge on pandemic prevention and control he learned in China into Arabic to help improve his hospitals diagnosis and treatment mechanism. He used Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in treatment shared TCM prevention knowledge through social media. Dr. Tareqs story was covered by local media in Syria and widely acclaimed by the netizens.

Dr. Tareq's story is a epitome of the Chinese military's international cooperation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. China will continue to shoulder its responsibilities as a major country with concrete actions and actively contribute to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.



Tariq at work.

Question: We have noticed in President Xi's order for military training, he stressed that the military should conduct training aiming at real combat and promote combat capabilities through training. What are the priorities of the Chinese militarys training this year?

Answer: In 2021, the Chinese military will resolutely uphold Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military in its training work, stick to the military strategic guideline for a new era and implement the spirit of the military training meeting of the CMC. In accordance with the requests in the mobilization order by President Xi, the Chinese military will focus on the following five aspects:

First, focus on combat readiness training. The military will implement the requirements of full-time combat readiness and being ready to fight at any time, and strengthen training for emergencies and combat in response to real security threats. It will organize drills on combat readiness without advance notification, and explore the training-to-combat transition mode with no personnel, equipment or material supplement and with no change of combat readiness level conversion.

Second, focus on systematic training. Based on the laws in generating joint operations capabilities, the military will strengthen the leading role of strategic training, give full play to the pivotal role of joint training in theater commands, and promote the tactical and technical training through strategic and campaign training.

Third, focus on force-on-force training. The military will increase the proportion of force-on-force training at all levels and in all fields, expand live force-on-force training in fields of commanding and joint operations, and highlight force-on-force training in complex battlefield environments.

Fourth, focus on command capabilities training. The military will pay close attention to the command capabilities training for commanders at all levels, explore and establish training files for commanders, and exert all-out efforts to improve the commanders capabilities to lead troops and win wars.

Fifth, focus on using science and technology in training. The military will deepen the exploration of the training mode featuring science and technology plus and network plus to solve the training problems, vigorously develop simulation-, information- and intelligence-based training methods, and accelerate the exploration of training in new areas.

Question: According to media reports, the MND conscription office released promotion videos at the beginning of the year for the first time, encouraging young people to join the military and serve the nation. Please brief us on the conscription work this year. Besides, will there be biannual conscription this year under the influence of COVID-19?

Answer: The biannual conscription policy will be implemented from 2021 with the approval of the State Council and the CMC. The first round of conscription will start on February 20 and end on March 31, and the second will start on August 15 and end on September 30. The applicants can log on to the National Conscription Website (http://www.gfbzb.gov.cn) for more information about the registration time and specific requirements for male and female applicants. It should be noted that the female youth who graduated from full-time higher education in 2020 can apply in the first half of 2021, and their recruiting age is relaxed to 23.

This year, the recruitment of college students and graduates remains one of our priorities. We will recruit graduates from various universities and colleges at all levels, with priorities given to the students with science and engineering background and skilled talent needed for combat preparedness. Meanwhile, graduates from vocational colleges (including technical colleges) who have obtained the national certificates of occupational skill (vocational qualification certificates)at senior or above levels are also welcomed to join the military.

Joining the military and serving the country is an obligation, an honor, and also a responsibility. In this turbulent era, a broader stage is ahead of you, and a bright future is waiting for you!

Question: It is reported that this reform of the officer system has always incorporated the standard of combat effectiveness into specific policy designs, setting up a clear combat-oriented direction in all aspects of officer management. What are the specific manifestations of this in the rules?

Answer: Service members are born to win, and officers are expected to win in battles. The officer system reform has been adhering to the goal of emancipating and developing combat capabilities through the whole process. The reform takes the improvement of combat capabilities as the fundamental criterion in the design of all specific policies. Moreover, the reform aims to devise and strengthen the assessment standards as well as appointment and promotion qualifications for officers based on the needs of actual battles, plan and design their career development roadmaps aiming at generating and unleashing combat capabilities, and systematically carry out the education and training of officers in line with the needs of combat readiness.

For instance, a relatively stable service system is adopted to ensure officers have enough time to accumulate and unleash their combat capabilities. Officers are encouraged to constantly optimize their knowledge structure and hone their combat skills through the three-pronged training system. An objective and comprehensive evaluation system is established to test officers combat capabilities. Officers with excellent performance will have more opportunities for appointment and promotion, and those having strategic visions and strong capabilities can have more access to appropriate platforms to give full play to their talent. Dynamic and orderly officer exchanges are encouraged to strengthen rotation and flow and targeted allocation of capable officers. A more suitable payment and welfare system is established to ensure officers are dedicated to honing their combat capabilities.

Question: According to media reports, Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), said in his report to the eighth party congress of the Workers' Party of Korea(WPK) that the DPRK prioritizes the development of the special relationship with China, which has a long historical foundation, and the five meetings between the top leaders of the two countries provide a reliable guarantee for deepening bilateral ties. Could you please brief us on the current mil-to-mil relationship between China and the DPRK? In addition, Kim Jong Un also said that the DPRK will deal with the US in the principle of responding to aggressiveness with aggressiveness, responding to kindness with kindness". Do you have any comment on that?

Answer: China and the DPRK are friendly neighbors connected by the same mountains and rivers. In recent years, the top leaders of the two parties and the two countries have maintained close communications and forged profound friendship, which has injected strong impetus into the development of bilateral relations and opened a new chapter of China-DPRK friendship.

On January 11, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping sent a message to Kim Jong Un, congratulating him on election as the general secretary of the WPK of the DPRK. Pr. Xi stressed that it is an unswerving policy of the CPC and the Chinese government to preserve, consolidate and develop China-DPRK relations.

China is willing to continue to write a new chapter of China-DPRK friendly cooperation in accordance with the important consensus reached by the two sides, push forward the socialist cause of the two countries and safeguard regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Mil-to-mil relationship is an important part of China-DPRK relations and has made positive contributions to the consolidation and development of bilateral relations. China will continue to resolutely implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two parties and countries, conduct friendly exchanges between the two militaries at all levels, and play a positive role in promoting the development of China-DPRK friendly relations and safeguarding regional peace.

As a close neighbor of the Korean Peninsula, China stands for pursuing a political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue in accordance with the dual-track approach in a phased and synchronized manner. China is ready to work with all relevant parties to play a constructive role in realizing lasting peace on the Peninsula.

Question: The new officer system reshapes the officer selection and replacement and adjusts policies related to commissioned ranks and payment grades. It clarifies that the initial military rank for an officer is the rank of second lieutenant, and the commissioned rank for an officer cadet after his/her undergraduate education is also the rank of second lieutenant. What military ranks will be given to graduates with master degrees or doctoral degrees? What are the considerations behind such adjustments, please?

Answer: The officer system reform adjusts the initial military ranks for officers. The major changes include: officer cadets with a bachelors degree from a military school will be commissioned second lieutenant; those who directly continue graduate education will be commissioned second lieutenant after they finish their undergraduate programs, and after they get master and doctoral degrees, they will be promoted to first lieutenant and captain respectively; officers directly recruited from non-military schools will be commissioned corresponding military ranks based on their respective degrees and diploma; those recruited for their highly demanded skills will be commissioned corresponding ranks in consideration of their respective degrees and diploma, work experience, professional capabilities and positions while taking officers with the same or similar qualifications as the reference.

The adjustment of the commissioned rank is an important move aiming to build a rank-based officer system and optimize the structure and layout of officers. The adjustment is to address the lack of officers with second lieutenant ranks in the Chinese military. It can help young officers plan their career development roadmaps from the rank of second lieutenant and give them more time to hone their capabilities at lower ranks and build a solid foundation for future career. In addition, it is fair for officer cadets who graduate in the same year to be commissioned the same rank so they will start from the same point in their career development under a unified standard. At the same time, the payment and welfare level for graduates with a bachelors degree from military schools is set at the Level-18, equal to that of deputy company commanders in the past and remains generally unchanged. Similar policies were designed for military school graduates with other educational levels.

Question: January 11 of this year marked the 10th anniversary of the J-20s maiden flight. Have the J-20 fighters been equipped to troops on a large scale and formed combat capability yet?

Answer: The research and development of a complicated aviation platform must follow its objective laws, which requires a process from maiden flight to forming combat capability. It has been a decade since the J-20 fighter of the PLA Air Force completed its maiden flight on January 11, 2011. The J-20s combat capability has been gradually tested, and it has begun to be equipped to troops.

The Chinese Spring Festival of the Ox Year will come in two weeks. In traditional Chinese culture, the ox not only represents the spirit of dedication to serve the next generation while being head-bowed, like a willing ox, but also symbolizes the fighting spirit to gallop forward like a self-propelled ox.

Arriving along with the Year of the Ox is the new hope that stems from our faith and strength. As an old saying goes, To seek the truth, I would rather go heads-up against millions of others. Wish all of you a happy, lucky Year of the Ox.
Ukraine informs OSCE about system of political, economic and military management of occupied territories

Russia's hybrid war in eastern Ukraine has been bleeding for seven years now. Attempts to heal this wound and bring peace to Donbas have been going on for about the same time since the first peace treaty was signed by representatives of Ukraine and Russia in Minsk on September 5, 2014. However, negotiations on a peace settlement, despite Ukraine's readiness and political will to do so, are still being dragged out on many issues.

The main reason behind the lack of progress is the position of the Kremlin, which refuses to recognize its role in the conflict. They say that Russia here, in general, acts as a mediator or even a peacemaker and there are independent "republics" in Donbas so the Ukrainian government needs to negotiate. All this, in addition to avoiding official recognition of the war being waged against the neighboring country, is aimed at "inserting" Moscow-led entities into Ukraine, preferably a federalized Ukraine, and then using them to influence the processes and direction of development of the whole state.

Officials in Ukraine have been saying since the beginning of the war that the so-called "DPR" and "LPR" are mere screens of the Russian occupation administrations, trying to convey this fact to the international community. In particular, Vadym Skibitsky, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, spoke in an interview with Ukrinform about four verticals of Russia's management of temporarily occupied territories: strategic control through the Russian presidential administration, economic management headed by the Russian deputy prime minister), the vertical of special services (primarily the FSB), and the military vertical, which is closed at the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

The Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna has recently made a detailed presentation on this issue to diplomats of 57 OSCE countries at a meeting of the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation.

KOZAK  "PRESIDENT," NAZAROV  "PREMIER"

"Russia has created a system of government in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which provides full control over the activities of the Russian occupation administrations and minimizes their adoption of any independent decisions. The curators of these processes are the relevant structures of the presidential administration, government, and law enforcement agencies of the Russian Federation," the Ukrainian delegation said, starting its presentation.

The main decisions regarding the domestic political situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions are being worked out by Russian presidential aide Dmitry Kozak who in February 2020 replaced Vladislav Surkov, the previous curator of the Ukrainian direction in the Kremlin.

Kozak is now the main representative of Putin's will in the Normandy talks and oversees the Russians in the Trilateral Contact Group. He is assisted in his work by the subordinate department for cross-border cooperation of the Russian presidential administration (headed by Alexei Filatov).

Kozak is known, in particular, for initiating the settlement of the Transdniestrian conflict on the basis of Moldova's federalization in 2003 - the Moldovan leadership was able to repel the plan imposed by Moscow at the last moment, just before signing the document. Now he is trying to turn Ukraine into a federal state, with the Russian enclave inside.

In the "LPR/DPR" system, Kozak can be called a kind of "president" who determines the "principles of domestic and foreign policy" and is responsible for "implementing the strategic course of the state," whereas the functions of the government are performed by the "interdepartmental commission for the provision of humanitarian aid to the affected southeastern areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine." This body, set up by the Kremlin in December 2014, is responsible for making decisions concerning the socio-economic aspects of the temporarily occupied territories. According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Vneshtorgservis CJSC was also established in certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions to directly manage the economic component.

The chairman of this "interdepartmental commission," which includes deputy heads of ministries, departments and services of the Russian Federation, is the First Deputy Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. Today it is Sergey Nazarov, who replaced Kozak. The latter was transferred closer to Putin, from economic to political control of the occupied Donbas.

Such a structure of Russia's political and economic management of the occupied Donbas operates "in the shadow regime." "Managers" on the ground are puppets Denis Pushilin in the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic" and Leonid Pasechnik in the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic." These Moscow-controlled puppets announce the messages the Kremlin needs, and the Russian leadership is promoting them as "partners for dialogue" with Kyiv.

The other two puppets depicting the role of heads of "governments" in "DPR" and "LPR," the fictitious quasi-state formations created by Russia in Donbas, are Alexander Ananchenko and Sergey Kozlov, respectively.

It is unknown how much it costs Russia to maintain the occupied territories, including military spending. According to various estimates, it could be $2-4 billion a year.

"The decision-making process by representatives of the occupation administrations is formal. The practice of receiving instructions from Moscow during the visits of the occupying authorities to the Russian Federation continues to be used regularly," the Ukrainian mission to the OSCE said.

In addition, the structures of the Russian Foreign Ministry are involved in the formation of the "international legitimization of quasi-republics." As a rule, the Russian Foreign Ministry, through controlled institutions and Russian agents of influence abroad, organizes support for various types of information and propaganda campaigns and actions, as well as tries to involve the so-called "representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs" of quasi-republics.

The controllability of the processes in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions is ensured by continuing the practice of approving personnel appointments in Moscow, forming bodies and structures according to the Russian model, bringing the activities of quasi-republics in line with Russian standards (including "DPR/LPR" special services)," the Ukrainian delegation said.

One of the mechanisms of control of the occupying power is the appointment of Russian officials to key positions in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions (in particular, "Deputy Prime Minister of the DPR" Vladimir Pashkov is a former Deputy Governor of the Irkutsk region; "Minister of State Security of the LPR" Anatoly Antonov is an FSB officer, real name - Rashid Sadykov).

TWO OCCUPATION CORPS

The command and control system in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine is fully integrated into the control system of the Russian Armed Forces and is built according to the scheme: General Staff - Southern Military District (Rostov-on-Don) - an Operational Group of Russian Occupation Troops.

Russia has created two army corps in Donbas: the 1st army corps in the so-called "DPR" and the 2nd army corps in the so-called "LPR." At the same time, the governing bodies of these corps are elements of the management system of the Southern Military District, one of the four military-administrative units of the Russian Armed Forces.

These two army corps, located in the temporarily occupied Donbas, are part of an operational group of Russian occupation troops, created, in accordance with the military doctrine of the Russian Federation, at the headquarters of the 8th Army of the Southern Military District to perform tasks in the Don direction. In addition, this group includes the 150th Motorized Division of the 8th Combined Arms Army of the Southern Military District, as well as battalion and company tactical groups of various types of the Russian Armed Forces (on a rotational basis), and an operational reserve from the Southern Military District and other districts.

As for the operational structure, this grouping has two echelons: two army corps in "DPR" and "LPR" being in the first one, and the 8th Army with allocated reserves being in the second one. The grouping's total strength reaches about 58,000 servicemen.

Command positions in the 1st and 2nd army corps in the occupied Donbas are held by personnel officers of the Russian Armed Forces on a rotational basis. Currently, the 1st army corps of the Russian occupation forces is headed by a Russian officer with the call sign "Primakov," and the 2nd army corps is led by "Knyazev."

Both army corps included 35,500 people as of November 2020. The staffing of these corps is up to 80%, but they are over 95% equipped with weapons and military equipment. In the temporarily occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions there are about 480 tanks, more than 910 armored vehicles, 720 artillery systems, and 210 multiple-launch rocket systems.

According to the Ukrainian delegation to the OSCE, Russia has equipped the occupying forces with basic models of weapons and military equipment, including modern Russian developments.

"The Russian command keeps the occupying forces in constant readiness to intensify hostilities," the Ukrainian mission said.

Vasyl Korotkyi, Vienna
Theres no way for Susan Crichton to know how many people can see her as she steps to the lectern, clutching a little stuffed moose. She knows theyre out there, watching on laptops or phones in homes across Canada and the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, but she cannot see them or draw strength from their presence.

Theres no way for Susan Crichton to know how many people can see her as she steps to the lectern, clutching a little stuffed moose. She knows theyre out there, watching on laptops or phones in homes across Canada and the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, but she cannot see them or draw strength from their presence.

The only eyes she can meet this Saturday morning in early December, in the small chapel of the Thomson in the Park funeral home off McGillivray Boulevard, belong to four family members, a funeral director, and a minister. Susan glances at them, then peels off her mask and, in a voice softened by grief, begins to speak.

From left, Vince Crichtons granddaughter Julia Hobson, wife Kim Crichton, son Scott Crichton and daughter Susan Crichton show off photos of Vince outside Thomson in the Park funeral home after his funeral was streamed online in December. (Daniel Crump / Winnipeg Free Press)

"Good morning," she says, hoping the people watching online can hear her. "This is all so weird, as we sit here in an empty room which should be filled with all the people that loved my dad, and us. I thank you for joining us virtually as we try to celebrate my dad in a way that he would have wanted, and deserves."

This is what mourning often looks like now: a near-empty room, a stillness, a quiet. The pandemic is, in part, a story of celebrations never shared and social patterns disrupted; and of all lifes milestones, its death that can be the most shattering when its traditions are taken away.

And over the last 11 months, rituals of loss have been profoundly changed. The details shift as public health orders tighten or loosen: recently, Manitoba moved to allow 10 mourners at funerals, up from a limit of five handed down in November. Still, the fact remains that grieving cannot be too communal, at least not in person.

That has left thousands of Manitoban families who have lost loved ones over the last year, and particularly in the last several months, to navigate difficult decisions. Do they postpone the funeral, or cancel it altogether? If they do hold a service, which of the deceaseds loved ones can come, when only a handful are allowed to gather?

These are not questions Susan Crichton ever imagined she and her family would have to answer.

Susans father, Vince Crichton, was larger than life. Thats what everyone who knew him says. It was not only for his height, which at six-foot-seven was considerable, so tall that when he went into St. Boniface Hospitals palliative care last August it was hard to find a bed long enough for his frame. It was, most of all, the way his energy filled up a space.

Vince Crichton was a renowned provincial biologist known as Doc Moose because of his passion for the animal. Crichton succumbed to pancreatic cancer at St. Boniface Hospital on Dec. 3. (Joe Bryksa / Winnipeg Free Press files)

"Doc Moose," everyone called him, because his passion for the animal was relentless. Hed seen at least 30,000 of them in his 40-year career as a biologist for the province, and yet every time he saw another, he would light up with wide-eyed excitement. He spent countless days trekking through the bush, studying how moose live.

This work earned him many admirers. He crossed the globe to attend moose conferences, where he made friends with other "mooser" scientists. He co-authored a book known as "the bible" of moose biology, and was featured in the Free Press and a recent CBC documentary for his outspoken conservation efforts.

So if Vince had gotten sick any other year, his hospital room would have been filled by friends sharing laughs at his bed to help ease his journey with pancreatic cancer. Instead, in the shadow of COVID-19, the hospital allowed a list of four approved visitors to palliative care patients.

That meant Kim Crichton, Vinces wife of 20 years, could visit him. So could Susan, her husband Craig and their 15-year-old daughter Julia, who Vince adored. Even this was a fragile privilege: when St. Boniface was hit by a COVID-19 outbreak in October, a nurse warned Kim she may have to leave, and may not be able to return.

"I almost said, then Im not leaving," Kim says. "I didnt know how to leave him. I dont know how people can."

And if Vince had died in any other year, colleagues and friends would have come from all over the world to pay their respects. There would have been at least 500 people at his funeral, Kim thinks, and they all would have had stories to tell about Vince and his moose adventures. It would have meant something to share those together.

Instead, just two days after he died on Dec. 3, Susan and Kim found themselves in a meeting room at Thomson in the Park, sitting six feet apart, trying to figure out how they could properly honour the passing of a character so large in a world that had become so small.

"It feels so surreal. This whole experience of his being so ill and dying in the midst of the pandemic, you just feel helpless. It feels really empty, and really lonely."  Susan Crichton

"It feels so surreal," Susan says, softly, her eyes glistening above the edge of her mask. "This whole experience of his being so ill and dying in the midst of the pandemic, you just feel helpless. It feels really empty, and really lonely."

Four years before, Susan had held her mothers funeral at Thomson, in a big chapel that can fit hundreds of guests. She remembers how much it meant, to look out over the room and feel the warmth of all those people who loved her. That chapel is closed now, used as storage for chairs that have nobody to sit on them.

"COVID has definitely put a wrench into everything," funeral director Lorraine Greig said, as she explained the new rules. "People are dying alone, and dont have someone to come support them. And when you have people coming to give you support, thats what the funeral is all about."

She recalled a family of seven who lived together. When one died, the other six were left to decide which one of them would have to stay home from the service, which at the time allowed five people. These are the decisions left now to grieving families, and funeral directors struggle with having to be the ones to implement the restrictions.

"Its devastating to me, as a funeral director," Greig said. "I go home and I cry by myself every day. My heart is breaking for the families. I understand the importance of funerals... and I dont have an answer for how to fix it."

Together, Greig and the Crichtons settled on a plan. They would hold a drive-by viewing of the urn on a Friday night, setting it up in an open doorway at the side of the building. The funeral, with just five participants, would be streamed online the next morning. It wasnt what they imagined for Vince, but at least it was something.

"COVID has definitely put a wrench into everything. People are dying alone, and dont have someone to come support them. And when you have people coming to give you support, thats what the funeral is all about."  funeral director Lorraine Greig

There was one hitch. At the same time as the Crichtons meeting, lawyers for Springs Church were arguing in court for the right to hold drive-in worship services. Funeral directors were watching closely for how the ruling may impact their own drive-by offerings, Greig noted: the urn viewing may have to be altered or cancelled.

"I just dont want to overpromise," Greig said. "Were hoping to hear back today, but we havent as of yet."

When Greig stepped out of the room to fetch paperwork, Kim turned to Susan and shook her head.

"It doesnt stop, what the roadblocks are," she said, and sighed. "It just doesnt stop."

For a few days, that plan went ahead. But two days before the funeral, Susan texted to say theyd decided not to hold the viewing. Theyd just been given new rules: each attending vehicle would need to be assigned a time slot, with no more than five vehicles scheduled at once and at least 45 minutes between each group.

"Totally impossible," Susan wrote, in a text.

That left only the Saturday morning service, streamed online from the small chapel.

One by one, Susan, Julia and Kim stand up to deliver their eulogies, but as they look out at five distanced chairs, they each feel an emptiness. Its so surreal. They tell funny stories about Vince, and ache to hear a ripple of laughter; Julia doesnt know whether to look at her family or the camera.

Still, they pour their hearts into it. Kim recalls how she and Vince planned their honeymoon to piggyback on a moose conference. They play a slideshow of photographs, capturing Vince in his happiest places: photos of Vince in Riding Mountain National Park, of Vince and Kim on their wedding day, of Vince and young Julia in a canoe on a placid lake.

Susan Crichton speaks at her fathers funeral via Facebook Live.

Suddenly, the video stops. The copyrighted music theyd picked to accompany the slideshow triggered Facebook Live to cancel the stream. Thomson staff manage to get a new video link up minutes later, but most of the more than 200 people whod been watching dont return to see the end of the service, not realizing it had been restored.

When the funeral is over, everything is quiet. There is no reception, no hugs over sandwiches, no murmured words of comfort shared between friends. Instead, the five people who Vince most loved step out into the crisp winter air, pose for a few photos, then get into their cars and drive home.

"This is something we can never get back," Susan says, a few days later. "There will be no do-overs with this. At the end of the day, were a family who wants to grieve the loss of our husband and our dad and our grandpa... and were not going to get another opportunity to do that. And its really sad.

"I walked away from (my moms funeral) with more of a sense of peace and satisfaction," she adds. "It was a lovely service. I was able to talk to them after, and share a hug and stories and nice and kind gentle things. I walked out of this one thinking, oh my god, the video got cut off, we lost a whole bunch of people and that sucks."

Someday, when the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, this is one of the impacts that will have to be counted in the grand sum of its costs. Over the last 10 months, researchers have set out to better understand how COVID-19 restrictions have affected the ways families grieve, and more to the point, how that impacts mental health.

This is, after all, part of what makes us human. Every culture since the dawn of humankind has cultivated some form of communal response to death, and some way of honouring its dead; these funeral rites are so unique in the animal kingdom that anthropologists treat their existence as one of the definitive markers of modern homo sapiens.

So the prayers, the gatherings, the sandwiches and small talk at the reception: these things matter, to the living. The challenge now, for families and funeral directors and clergy, is to find ways to adapt these rituals of grief to convey at least some of the same meaning, without the in-person gatherings.

At Temple Shalom, a Reform Jewish congregation, Rabbi Allan Finkel believes hes found such an adaptation.

Crichton doing what he loved: looking for moose in Riding Mountain National Park in 2013. He had many admirers; his family would have expected hundreds to attend his funeral if it werent for pandemic restrictions. (Joe Bryksa / Winnipeg Free Press files)

From the start of the pandemic, Manitobas rabbis had met regularly together and with the province. Most of these meetings, Finkel says, were about how to navigate funeral rites. The congregations agreed early on that they would suspend in-person worship services until further notice, but people were still going to die.

One of those questions was how to adapt the traditional Jewish period of mourning, known as shiva. Traditionally, shiva lasts for seven days, during which time mourners stay home, their door left open for a stream of friends, relatives and community members who come bearing food and comfort; the atmosphere can be busy and vibrantly social.

Having dozens of people in and out of ones house was not an option during COVID-19. But as the weeks wore on, Finkel decided to try guiding a shiva through the online video streaming platform Zoom. It had been adopted elsewhere, with some success. At first, he says, families were uncertain, but they were open to giving it try.

On the first call, he watched as folks began to share their stories of the deceased; hesitantly, at first, then with more confidence and emotion. He watched as people wiped away tears and leaned in toward their screen, listening raptly to the speakers. He watched as the stories grew funnier, the mood lighter, and laughter began to flutter.

It was almost, Finkel thinks, as if the nature of the medium carried them closer to the traditions core. In this shiva, he says, there was no cluster of people lingering near the dining table, talking about the Jets: instead of sharing minutes with a grieving family among a crowd of visitors, they held what felt like a sacred space for hours.

"I get goosebumps when I think about it," he says. "There was just a beautiful sense of storytelling that was actually enhanced by the limitations of Zoom, which only allows one person to talk at a time... as the shiva week went on, it actually accomplished its purpose in a beautiful way."

Since then, Finkel has held more than five Zoom shivas, including one as a participant: when his own mother died in October, his family used Zoom to share their days of mourning. And each time, he says, families have given glowing reviews about what the experience meant to them. He expects the approach to remain, as an option.

"I think going to be very much present in Jewish custom going forward," he says. "The nature of Judaism has always been that adversity creates opportunity. Its not just an opportunity of bouncing back, its bouncing forward. I think that COVID-19 is going to have that similar thing."

But it has not been that way, for all.

In the days after Vince Crichtons funeral, everything seemed so quiet. Friends left care packages on Susans porch; Kim delivered the funeral programs theyd had made to friends who wished they could have been at the service. And the grief inched forward, like a door closing slowly, but it was still thick with the feeling of disappointment.

"Everything feels very unfinished," says Julia, 15, chatting on a video call a few days after her grandfathers funeral. "Everybody hasnt had any closure. Thats one of the really big important things is the acceptance, and the closure. Which I dont think anybodys really gotten."

As the locked-down days turned, Vinces family wrestled with what happened, and what could have been. They kept thinking back to how many people would have been there for Vince, and also for them. He was larger than life, thats what everybody always said, so it was hard to accept how his farewell had been so much smaller.

"I still feel cheated that Vince didnt get what he deserved," Kim says. "We did the best that we could with what we had, no doubt about that. But it should have been more for him."

Susan nods in agreement.

"I feel this overwhelming sense of disappointment for my dad that he didnt have what he would have deserved and would have wanted," she says. "Nobody got what they needed from this. From the very beginning and his being so isolated and alone (at the hospital), to this. He deserved more than a Facebook funeral."

"Everything feels very unfinished. Everybody hasnt had any closure. Thats one of the really big important things is the acceptance, and the closure. Which I dont think anybodys really gotten."  Julia Hobson, Vince Crichton's granddaughter

Sometimes, Julia looked at her friends who, cavalier in their youth, werent taking COVID-19 too seriously, and felt a wave of frustration. She thought about all her family had been through, over the months of Vinces illness and death. It wasnt COVID-19 that took him, but it was the virus that stole their ways of grieving.

"My grandfather couldnt even have a funeral," she says. "Its really hard and frustrating to see how people Im close to dont seem to care as much. When he was at the hospital too, everybody was worried with code red they couldnt see their friends, I was just worried the hospitals wouldnt stay open and I couldnt see my grandpa."

For Vinces family, one of the hardest parts of all this was that they couldnt fully carry out Vinces wishes. He wanted to be buried in his hometown of Chapleau, Ont., a small town about 190 km northeast of Sault Ste. Marie, in the vast northern Ontario forests. With the logistics of travelling during the pandemic, that couldnt happen. Not yet.

But someday, when its safe, they will take his ashes and inter them in towns little graveyard, right next to his parents. They will invite everyone to join them at Chapleaus legion or at the family camp, where they will hug and tell stories and, above all, be surrounded by people Vince loved.

Its not what they imagined. Not what they would have chosen. But nothing in 2020 was, and so in the end, all they could do was make the best of the situation, turn their eyes towards the horizon, and just keep trying to get through.

"Ive been holding onto the thought that this is not it, and we will in the future have some sort of gathering," Julia says. "Thats going to be a big part of us moving forward. One of my favourite parts about grampy was, he was a storyteller. I feel like a really big part for me is going to be just... telling stories and remembering him like that."

melissa.martin@freepress.mb.ca
COVID-19 vaccines continue to be in short supply across the state because of a lack of supply coming from the federal government, according to the state Department of Health.

The state will have received about 1.8 million doses of vaccine from the federal government as of Saturday, with about 930,000 of those being distributed for first doses and another roughly 885,000 destined to become second doses, spokeswoman April Hutcheson said.

As of Friday, about 173,000 Pennsylvanians had received both doses, while another 546,600 people had received only the first, she said. In Luzerne County, 4,718 people had been fully vaccinated, while another 20,439 people had received the first dose.

The Biden administration has promised a 15% increase in vaccine distribution to Pennsylvania, but Hutcheson acknowledged that increase will not be enough.

There just isnt enough vaccine in the country at this time to meet the demand, Hutcheson said. There will be as manufacturers get through their processes and get us more vaccine. There will be more vaccine available.

She addressed frustrations of visitors to the departments website who have contacted facilities listed as having the vaccine only to find out they are out. The data on the website reflects facilities that have received vaccine, but that doesnt mean they still have appointments available, she said.

What were working to do behind the scenes is to make that data and information current in real time, she said.
EUROPOL, the European police agency has warned a criminal gang, based in the Mid West, is providing fake Covid test results to allow people to travel across the continent despite the current restrictions.

In the warning, issued this Monday afternoon, Europol said it has received intelligence that members of the Rathkeale Rovers gang, who are operating in several European countries, are using a mobile phone application to manually falsify test results which are then sold onto travellers for hundreds of euro.

"As long as travel restrictions remain in place due to the pandemic, it is very likely that criminals will seize the opportunity of producing and selling fake Covid-19 test certificates," warns the Early Warning Notification.

We're #UnitedAgainstCoronavirus.



But it seems criminals will do anything to exploit the pandemic:



fake PPE

fake vaccines

and now...

fake negative test results.



Out now: our latest update on counterfeit negative COVID-19 test certificates.https://t.co/HNl0ekF6Og  Europol (@Europol) February 1, 2021

The agency says there have been several cases relating to the detection of false test results in recent weeks at locations in France, the UK and Spain.

"Europol received additional intelligence on the alleged use of a mobile application by the Rathkeale Rovers Mobile Organised Crime Group which allows members of the organised crime group to manually falsify test results," states the warning.

"Given the widespread technological means available, in the form of high-quality printers and different software, fraudsters are able to produce high-quality ccounterfeit, forged or fake documents," it adds.

There are no reports, to date, of false Covid-19 test results being detected or seized in Ireland.

Member States are encouraged to share any relevant information on criminal activities related to fake Covid-19 test documentation with Europol, read the statement from Europol.
Bowers had 17 prior operating while intoxicated convictions between 1988 and 2011, but had a valid license to drive at the time of last months accident. A law that went into effect in 2018 requires drivers licenses to be revoked after a 4th OWI conviction.
Nominee for U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 19, 2021. (Graeme Jennings/Pool/Getty Images)

Iran Could Be Weeks Away From Having Material to Produce Nukes: Blinken

Iran could be a matter of weeks away from having enough material for producing a nuclear weapon if it continues to violate the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Blinken told NBC News that the United States would be again willing to comply with the 2015 deal, which President Donald Trump pulled the United States from in 2018, calling it a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made.

When asked about whether detained Americans could be released under a new deal, Blinken demurred.

Irrespective of  any deal, those Americans need to be released. Period, he said in the interview, adding, Were going to focus on making sure that they come home one way or another.

Blinken said the United States and its allies would likely need a longer and stronger deal if Iran continues to lift its restraints on the nuclear deal.

Trump has said that the Iran nuclear deal, which was negotiated under President Barack Obama, emboldens a regime that is the leading state sponsor of terror and exports dangerous missiles, fuels conflicts across the Middle East, and supports terrorist proxies and militias such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban, and Al-Qaeda.

Over the years, Iran and its proxies have bombed American Embassies and military installations, murdered hundreds of American service members, and kidnapped, imprisoned, and tortured American citizens, he said at the time, adding that Iran didnt actually adhere to key requirements laid out in the deal.

Despite Blinkens statement, Iran recently criticized the United States and said it will not renegotiate the deal.

The nuclear accord is a multilateral international agreement ratified by UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which is non-negotiable and parties to it are clear and unchangeable, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told state-run media on Saturday.

But days before that, on Jan. 20, Irans President Hassan Rouhani called on President Joe Biden to return back to the 2015 accord and lift sanctions on Iran that were placed during Trumps time in office.

If Washington returns to Irans 2015 nuclear deal, we will also fully respect our commitments under the pact, he said.

Earlier this month, Blinken was confirmed in a 78-22 vote in the Senate. In the hearing, he said Bidens administration would also end U.S. military support for the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen against the Iran-aligned Houthi militia group.

Blinken is a former White House national security aide and former chief of staff to Biden. He was also the deputy secretary of state between 2015 and 2017. After that, he co-founded WestExec Advisors in 2017 along with several other former Obama administration officials, including Michele Flournoy, Sergio Aguirre, and Nitin Chadda.
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 Vice-Chancellor of the Pentecost University, Rev. Prof. Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, has backed calls for government to fully or partially absorb the fees of tertiary students, including those of all private institutions due to the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the Ghanaian economy.

Making a strong case in support of the absorption of fees, especially on behalf of the private students, he said it was a great call because such supports were germane to the educational pursuit of the students in difficult moments.





The truth of the matter is that, if you sit back and reflect on it, these young graduates are going to be the hands and the hearts of the economy and every support that were giving to state or government-funded institutions is from the taxpayers money. Therefore, it should also be passed onto these ones who are also in private institutions and through that, well be equipping them to become problem solvers in our nation, he advanced.



Rev. Prof. Agyapong-Kodua made the remarks in an interview with the Daily Graphic on the sidelines of the 12th congregation of the Pentecost University in Accra last Saturday.



His remarks contradict claims made by the Minister of Education-designate, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, to the effect that majority of universities were okay with government not absorbing the fees as proposed by the Minority in Parliament when he (Dr Adutwum) rose to argue against the motion on the floor of the House last week.



Congregation





The university graduated a total of 688 students comprising 424 undergraduates, 120 postgraduates and 144 certificate holders.



A Banking and Finance student, Kingsley Yeboah Konadu, emerged the overall best student, walking home with four different awards.



In all, 20 students were awarded for distinguishing themselves in various fields of study.





Charge



In his address to the graduands, Rev. Prof. Agyapong-Kodua charged them to go and make a difference by being morally and intellectually sound problem solvers.





"This is what the world will test you on. Please prove us right by distinguishing yourselves out there. Seated here are potential inventors, ministers of the Gospel, politicians, medics and pilots.



"I have confidence in your future. But the evidence of your graduation from Pentecost University must be demonstrated in your ability to showcase esteemed integrity, excellence and resilience," he added.



Rev. Prof. Agyapong-Kodua stressed that the institution had distinguished itself to become "the A+ university" and had bridged the gap between its academic works and industry.



"For all the skills they have acquired in this university, I expect them to be great employers; Ghana is blessed to have these ones and the world is really blessed," he intimated.



COVID-19



For his part, the Chairman of the University Council, Rev. Prof. William Otoo Ellis, implored the graduands to be "worthy ambassadors to reflect this university."



He later used the opportunity to warn the public against the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic, cautioning that "be careful and respect all the COVID protocols."









Source: Graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) has imposed financial sanctions on 11 banks operating in the UAE amounting to a total of AED45.758 million, report said.

This sanctions are pursuant to Article 14 of the Federal Decree Law No 20 of 2018 on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Illegal Organisations (AML/CFT Law), the pertinent articles and decisions of the Cabinet and Central Bank Board of Directors in relation to AML/CFT, said the Wam news agency report.

The financial sanctions take into account the banks failures to achieve appropriate levels of compliance regarding their AML & Sanctions Compliance Frameworks as at the end of 2019, it said.

All banks operating in the UAE have been allowed ample time by the CBUAE to remedy any shortcomings and were instructed in the middle of 2019 to ensure compliance by the end of that year, informing them that further shortcomings would result in penalties under the Federal Decree Law No. (20) of 2018 and its executive regulation, it added.

The CBUAE will continue to work closely with all financial institutions in the UAE to achieve and maintain high levels of AML/CFT compliance and will continue to impose further administrative and/or financial sanctions, as per the law, in cases of non-compliance, the bank said.
Updated at 7:55 p.m. ET on 2021-02-01

Beijings embassy here hit out at the Philippines on Monday for what it called false accusations about a new law allowing the Chinese coast guard to use force in South China Sea waters claimed by the Asian superpower.

In a statement on its Facebook page, the Chinese Embassy in Manila said its Coast Guard Law had been misinterpreted and was a normal domestic legislative activity.

It also claimed that forces in the Philippines had fabricated and spread relentlessly fake news about the China Coast Guard harassing Filipino fishermen, and sensationalized the entry of a Chinese scientific survey ship into Philippine waters as an intrusion.

The Philippines last week filed a diplomatic protest against China, with Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. saying that while enacting a law was usually a sovereign prerogative, this law had implications that affected other nations with claims in the disputed South China Sea.

This law, given the area involved or for that matter the open South China Sea  is a verbal threat of war to any country that defies the law; which, if unchallenged, is submission to it, Locsin said.

Gregory Poling, a senior fellow at the Washington think Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the law was vague.

Beijings vague definition of Chinese waters  makes it likely that the law will be used as an excuse for further coercion off the shores of Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, he told VnExpress news site on Friday.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesia's exclusive economic zone as well.

No storm, or strong waves

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy said its research ship was seeking humanitarian shelter in Philippine waters due to unfavorable weather and sea conditions in the Pacific.

However, a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman told news site Inquirer.net on Monday that Jia Geng, the Chinese ship, entered Philippine waters without Philippine government clearance.

The Department of Foreign Affairs told PCG that the Chinese embassy requested diplomatic clearance on Jan. 29 for the ship to take shelter due to bad weather, but at the time, there was no storm nor were there strong waves in the area, the spokesman was quoted as saying.

The Chinese ship also refused to allow PCG personnel on board to inspect it, citing COVID-19 restrictions, the spokesman said.

It has since left the area  Cabugao Bay in Bato, Catanduanes  escorted by an Islander plane to oversee its departure from Philippine waters, the report said.

Separately, a Filipino fisherman, Larry Hugo, last week accused CCG of driving fishermen away while they were fishing near the Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island, which is also called Thitu.

The Western Command Armed Forces of the Philippines said, however, that there was no reported incident of blocking or harassment by a CCG vessel at the time Hugo claimed the incident occurred.

WESCOM said that a CCG vessel was indeed in the area but it was improbable it blocked fishermen where Hugo claimed this happened because the water in between the two cays are too shallow for any ship to venture without risking running aground.

In June 2018, a widely circulated TV video caught members of the China Coast Guard confiscating the catch of Filipino fishermen near a disputed shoal within Manilas exclusive economic zone.

Romel Cejuela, one of the fishermen who appeared in the video, said Scarborough Shoal was a traditional fishing ground but the Chinese coast guard started blocking our path and then completely prevented us from fishing, beginning in 2012.

We can only fish in the perimeter. Weve tried going in (but) youve heard that they water canon the boats. They chase us with big boats, Cejuela said. Since then, we dont dare go in.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
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

Woodstock 50 organizers have won damages in a lawsuit against an ex-investor over the Upstate New York music festival that never happened.

Billboard reports an arbitration panel ruled 3 months ago that Dentsu, a Japanese conglomerate that was the events primary investor, breached its contract when it pulled out in April 2019. Dentsu has since agreed to pay an undisclosed settlement sum covering damages, but not unrealized profits, from the Woodstock 50th anniversary festival that was originally scheduled for Aug. 16-18, 2019 at Watkins Glen.

Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang and other Woodstock 50 organizers sued last year, seeking tens of millions of dollars in compensatory and punitive damages.

Court documents obtained by Billboard Saturday showed the damages awarded to Woodstock 50 in October were significantly less than what [Woodstock 50] purported to spend on attorneys fees. It remains unclear how much was paid out in the settlement, which also covered a concurrent lawsuit accusing Dentsu of tortious interference, defamation, business disparagement and conspiracy.

Lang accused Dentsu Group and its affiliates, Dentsu Aegis Network, MKTG and Amplifi Live, of sabotaging the festival when Dentsu claimed the event was canceled. Dentsu allegedly agreed to pay $49 million for the festival, but withdrew $18 million in funds and pulled out over concerns about organization issues behind the scenes, health/safety concerns and disputes about capacity. (Organizers originally hoped for 150,000 people to attend, but Watkins Glens capacity was reduced to about half, or 75,000.)

Woodstock Music Festival co-producer Micael Lang attends a celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock at the at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC on August 13, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)Getty Images

Woodstock 50 ended up losing the Watkins Glen site after missing a final $150,000 payment and attempted to move to Vernon Downs, but organizers were denied multiple times by the Town of Vernon due to safety concerns and incomplete permit applications. A last-ditch attempt to stage the festival in Maryland also fell through.

The festival was officially canceled in July 2019.

All performers  including Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, Santana, The Lumineers, Dead & Company, John Fogerty, Chance the Rapper, The Raconteurs, Janelle Monae, Halsey and Imagine Dragons  were paid in advance for a total of $30 million.

The original Woodstock festival was held Aug. 15-18, 1969, at Max Yasgurs dairy farm in Bethel. More than 400,000 people came to see legendary performances by Richie Havens, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Joe Cocker, the Grateful Dead and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

The iconic concert was revisited in 1994 with a modern lineup of artists like Nine Inch Nails, Sheryl Crow, Metallica, Cypress Hill and Red Hot Chili Peppers in Saugerties, but Woodstock 99  held at Griffiss Air Force Base (less than 20 miles from Vernon) in Rome, New York  was marred by riots, fires and allegations of sexual assault.

A smaller 50th anniversary celebration was held in August 2019 with original performers like Santana, Fogerty and Arlo Guthrie at Bethel Woods, the site of the original festival.

MORE:

What was Woodstock really like? The naked truth from 1969 attendees (photos, video, stories)

Did Woodstock go on during another pandemic? Coronavirus vs. Hong Kong flu

Woodstock 50 documents reveal surprise headliner at Vernon Downs, lots of Narcan

Woodstock 99: Netflix to revisit disastrous CNY music festival


7 steps that helped ORU thrive during COVID

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 is so small you can fit 100 million viral particles on the head of a pin, yet so deadly and destructive it is the greatest challenge modern leaders have ever faced.

In 2020, heads of organizations had to cope with disruptions in everything from payables to personnel while struggling through sickness and mourning loss. COVID-19 came without warning or precedent. And its not over yet. The crisis and resulting societal change have created a new day that requires leading in a new way.

I'm privileged to lead Oral Roberts University (ORU). As a leader, just like you, I work each day to create a better future, which was certainly the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher education has been hit especially hard by COVID-19. In the winter and early spring of 2020, hundreds of colleges sent students home. Other students, concerned about health or the value of online-only education, stayed home. The result: close to one-third of US higher education institutions are at financial risk; 10 to 20 percent of US higher education institutes are in danger of closing permanently within a year.

At ORU, we have a different story. In the fall of 2020, we welcomed our 12th consecutive year of increased enrollment with in-person classes, dormitory living, and extracurriculars that included NCAA sports, chapel, and performing arts  all while keeping COVID-19 in check. It was the outcome of a plan devised in the summer of 2020 called ORUSAFE. Creating and implementing it was a significant leadership challenge. Leaders can fall into the trap of looking for the next big idea, or the latest mantras to utilize. Instead, we took an approach to simplify the problem and clarify the actions. Here are those reproducible steps. I believe these will empower you to solve your leadership challenges as well.

Step 1: Accept the Challenge

Leaders must recognize that crises present opportunity. Abigail Adams encouraged her son John, the boy who would one day be president, in a moment of decision, with these words:

It is not in the still calm of life that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues.

An iconic image of ORU is the sculpture of the renowned Healing Hands. The two hands are commonly called Praying Hands, but instead, they symbolize healing that comes from the union of faith and medicine. One without the other would be incomplete. During this pandemic, we approached COVID-19 by bringing together prayer and science. God answered our prayers, but we were not presumptive to ignore scientific, medical and common-sense protocols. Leaders can welcome challenges when they fully embrace every available resource.

We didnt seek the challenges created by COVID-19  but we didnt back away from them. Accept the fact: leaders face challenges.

Step 2: Hold Tight to Your Mission

Leaders have to become clear on whats non-negotiable. Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar said, Outstanding people have one thing in common: an absolute sense of mission. The Apostle Paul wrote, I focus on this one thing (Philippians 3:13).

My focus was on ORUs mission to develop Holy Spirit-empowered leaders through whole person education to impact the world. Whole person education is better done with in-person instruction. At ORU, students learn from and are inspired by professors  and each other. As Dr. Howard Hendricks famously said, More is caught than taught.

That we accomplish the mission is non-negotiable for a leader. How we accomplish the mission is. New days require new ways to achieve the mission.

Step 3: Assemble a Team

General Stanley McChrystal, author of Team of Teams shared the example of training used by the US Navy required of all aspiring SEALs. General McChrystal wrote: SEALs instructors have constructed a training program less about preparing people to follow precise orders than it is about developing trust and the ability to adapt within a small group. Leading in a new way requires putting together a great team.

I formed a health and safety task force composed of experts and influencers among the faculty, administration, staff, and students to identify and devise a plan for areas of vulnerability. Proverbs 11:14 declares, in the abundance of counselors, there is victory. Or, as Steve Jobs put it, Great things in business are never done by one person; theyre done by a team.

Strong leaders embrace humility and acknowledge the wisdom of building a team of strong leaders. Kingdom leadership is modeled by cohesive teams being responsive, taking action, and accepting the challenge of any crisis.

Step 4: Set an Inspiring Goal

In Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, Jim Collins wrote about how top companies use BHAGs (big, hairy, audacious goals) as an engine of growth: a true BHAG is clear and compelling and serves as a unifying focal point of effort often creating immense team spirit.  A BHAG engages people  it reaches out and grabs them in the gut. It takes it little or no explanation.

I gave the task force an audacious goal  to make ORU the safest place in Oklahoma. It wasnt enough to set a goal of being as safe as or even safer than our surrounding community. A small goal will not inspire the ideas, actions, and energy needed to do new things in a new way.

Our problem today isnt setting big goals and missing them; rather setting small goals and hitting them!

Step 5: Create a Plan

People own what they help plan. We called our plan to create the safest place in Oklahoma ORUSAFE. With this goal in mind, the team expressed their expertise in education, health, medicine, logistics, law, engineering, media, campus safety and more in overlapping recommendations we called Layers of Safety.

Whether someone was coming on campus, learning on campus, living on campus, playing on campus, eating on campus, worshipping on campus, or leaving campus  we surrounded each activity with layers of safety.

Parents caught the vision and sent their sons and daughters. ORU students took up the challenge to take responsibility for each others safety, including masks, distancing, daily temperature readings, hand hygiene, self-reporting, contact tracing, quarantining, and isolation for infected students. Our students lived out the culture of honor central to ORU.

Step 6: Measure, Monitor and Adjust to Failures

Leaders must measure results and make adjustments. The business maxim is to inspect what you expect. Peter Drucker wrote, If you cant measure it, you cant improve it. In the pandemics rapidly shifting environment, our team scrutinized updates. Wear masks? Bleach surfaces? And we closely monitored campus activity.

Leaders face failures without making excuses or placing blame. When plans fail, leaders should take responsibility, ask the tough questions, make necessary corrections, and try again! Failure is not a truth that you can allow to define your journey.

A good plan is adaptable. We tied safety levels to infection rates. During a small spike around Labor Day, we implemented additional stringent measures. Only three students were allowed in a dorm room at a time. We further limited cafeteria seating. Our students adjusted to the new standards, and the number of cases declined.

Step 7: Celebrate Victories

Successful organizations tell stories and celebrate victories. Together they cement team camaraderie, increase loyalty, build morale, and generate pride in the organization. Stories create culture. Victories serve to remind us that we really can do all things through Christ who gives [us] strength (Philippians 4:13)  including doing things in a new way for a new day.

ORU reached our goal in 2020 to become one of the safest places, if not the safest place in Oklahoma. We know there are new challenges ahead, but we know these steps help us lead in a new way, and they will help you too. We also know in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
An experienced Royal Navy diver has been reduced in rank after telling a female colleague he had the 'hangover horn' and asking if she wanted him to show her his manhood.

Leading Diver Jon Finlay, 37, had been on a drunken evening out with the younger woman in Cyprus the night before during which she lost her phone.

A court martial heard that LD Finlay, who had previously been in a relationship with the woman, offered to help her find it by calling the bar they had been drinking in.

He told her to come down to the dive store on minehunter HMS Penzance, where he was sleeping at the time, and once there he asked her if 'she missed having sex'.

Leading Diver Jon Finlay, 37, had been on a drunken evening out with the younger woman in Cyprus the night before during which she lost her phone

Bulford Military Court, Wilts heard he then proceeded to pull down his jeans and 'traced the outline of his penis' telling her 'I won't get it out fully... It's got length to it'.

Prosecuting, Major Laura Fearnfield, told the hearing: '[The victim] lost her phone on a night out and the next day Leading Diver Finlay offered to help her track it down.

'He asked her to come to the dive store because that was where he was sleeping at the time as it was the only room with air conditioning... Initially he called the bar for her to try and find the phone.

'He then said ''do you miss having sex with your boyfriend - it's been so long''.

'He told her he had the ''hangover horn'' and asked her if she wanted him to get his d*** out.

'He undid his belt and zip and opened his trousers moving them down by about 10cm to show his boxers.'

A court martial heard that LD Finlay, who had previously been in a relationship with the woman, offered to help her find it by calling the bar they had been drinking in. He told her to come down to the dive store on minehunter HMS Penzance (pictured), where he was sleeping at the time, and once there he asked her if 'she missed having sex'

The shocked woman, who held the junior rank of Able Rate and had ended her relationship with LD Finlay a few months before, told him 'definitely do not do that' and asked what he thought he was doing.

Father-of-two LD Finlay replied by 'tracing the outline of his penis' against his boxer shorts and telling her 'It's got length to it'.

As she got up to leave, LD Finlay, who has over 20 years service, immediately apologised.

Later that day he again approached the woman to say he was sorry and begged her not to tell anyone what had happened.

Mitigating, LD Finlay's barrister Kaj Scarsbrook, said the experienced diver, from South Shields, Tyne and Wear, thought what he had done was 'morally abhorrent'.

Speaking in court, LD Finlay said: 'I am incredibly disappointed and remorseful about the situation I am in now.'

Sentencing him Judge Advocate General Alan Large said: 'You are 37 years of age so you are not a straight out the box [Leading Diver]*

'You have seen the navy change over those years and you will know how those changes have impacted the way we deal with each other and the respect we must have for each other.'

LD Finlay, who admitted one count of disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind, was reduced in rank to able rate, but was spared any further punishment.
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.
Taxpayers are to fund mindfulness classes for MPs costing 20,000 a year.

The House of Lords shunned plans for the meditation programme, warning of the expense at a time of hardship for many.

However, MPs are set to start taking free classes, designed to combat stress, after Easter.

The eight-week courses of hour-long sessions will initially be taught online.

The mindfulness classes will cost 20,000 and will be footed by taxpayers

They will be provided by Awaris, which boasts of transforming organisations into ecosystems of humanity.

The Lords most senior official, the Clerk of the Parliaments, expressed strong reservations about offering this service to members free of charge according to an internal document seen by the Mail.

Pointing out that similar services  such as gym classes  are paid for by peers, Edward Ollard said: This expenditure would be novel... and potentially contentious, particularly given the current fiscal climate.

Nevertheless, the House of Commons has agreed a one-year contract with Awaris to pay for a programme for MPs and staff.

A Commons spokesman said sessions had been available since 2013 for those who require it.

The taxpayer will foot the bill after the Oxford Mindfulness Centre  which offered classes on a voluntary basis, welcoming donations  scrapped its service last summer.

A House of Commons spokesman said: 'The Parliamentary Health and Wellbeing Service looks after a wide variety of both physical and mental health and well-being issues, in line with many other organisations.

'As part of this, provision of mindfulness sessions has been made available since 2013 for those who require it, and is available to staff of the House of Commons and Parliamentary Digital Service, as well as to MPs and their staff.
NEW DELHI - Indias government has proposed to increase spending on health care in a $477 billion budget for 2021-22 that promises extra help for weathering the coronavirus pandemic.

Auto rickshaw drivers wearing a masks as a precaution against the coronavirus await customers in Kochi, Kerala state, India, Monday, Feb.1, 2021 Indias government on Monday announced it will boost healthcare spend amid the coronavirus pandemic and said it was committed to the development of the financial institutions and shoring up of infrastructure to get the pandemic-ravaged nation back as the world's fastest-growing major economy.(AP Photo/R S Iyer)

NEW DELHI - Indias government has proposed to increase spending on health care in a $477 billion budget for 2021-22 that promises extra help for weathering the coronavirus pandemic.

India is in its worst economic slowdown in a decade. The budget proposal presented to parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday also focuses on developing financial institutions and shoring up of infrastructure to get the pandemic-ravaged nation back on track as the worlds fastest-growing major economy.

India is well well-poised to be the land of promise and hope," she said in explaining the budget for the fiscal year that begins April 1.

Contrary to expectations, the proposed budget did not promise extra support for the countrys farmers who have been protesting for more than two months against new agricultural laws which they say will favour large agribusiness and corporations.

Those protests have posed the biggest political challenge for Modi since he took office in 2014, in part because farmers are the most influential voting bloc in the country.

Sitharaman said the government plans to spend $30.20 billion on health care over the next six years to improve an underfunded health system that has creaked under the additional burden of the pandemic, which has killed more than 154,000 Indians so far.

India currently spends about 1% of its gross domestic product on health, the lowest among major economies.

Sitharaman also announced $4.81 billion to be earmarked for making more COVID-19 vaccines.

India is providing two vaccines: the AstraZeneca shot manufactured locally by Serum Institute of India and another made by Bharat Biotech. More than 3.5 million people have been vaccinated so far.

The governments budget lays out a series of initiatives. It lifts caps on foreign investment in its insurance market; provides funds for recapitalization of state-run banks that are saddled with bad loans and proposes exemptions for senior citizens for filing income tax returns.

Under the plan, the fiscal deficit for the current year would widen to 9.5% of gross domestic product, Sitharaman said. She set the fiscal deficit at 6.8%of GDP for fiscal 2021-22. The government hopes to get that below 4.5% in the next three years, she said.

The budget is bound to be enacted. But Indias opposition parties criticized the budget for failing to address core issues of unemployment and job losses.

The main opposition Congress party leader Shashi Tharoor said the Modi governments budget reminded him of the garage mechanic who told his client, I couldnt fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder.

Battered by the coronavirus pandemic, Indias economy shrunk by 7.7% in the 2020-21 financial year, the deepest contraction in four decades, according to a report released last week. It estimated Indian economy  previously one of the fastest-growing among major economies  will bounce back with a V-shaped recovery and grow 11% in the fiscal year but will reach and go past the pre-pandemic levels only after at least two years.

Independent economists, however, paint a grimmer picture. Many say Indias economy contracted more than what Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government claims in part because his administration lacks a credible way to estimate growth in the informal sector. Backbone of the Indian economy, it has been hollowed out by a long pandemic lockdown.

Recent changes in Indias statistical processes have accentuated these fears, with economists questioning the data quality.

Just a few years ago, India's fast-growing economy seemed to be lifting millions out of poverty. But a surprise demonetization in 2016 and the hasty rollout of a goods and services tax in 2017 were harsh blows for manufacturing, the largest contributor to Indias economy.

The hurriedly planned coronavirus lockdown announced in March last year further stalled business activity and widened inequality. The lockdown triggered massive unemployment in small and medium-sized businesses and left Indias massive migrant workforce in distress.

As a result, Indias economy contracted at a 7.5% annual pace in the July-September quarter following a record slump of nearly 24% in the previous three months that pulled the country into recession.

The government provided a $266 billion pandemic relief package in May and a $35.1 billion package in November to cushion the blow from the lockdowns and virus outbreaks.
SHELTON - The plows are prepared and the first responders ready as the latest winter storm is forecast to hit the area beginning in the early morning hours.

The National Weather Service has placed the area under a winter storm warning from 12:01 a.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday.

Between 14 to 20 inches of snow are possible, with wind gusts that could reach as high as 50 miles per hour, possibly leading to scattered power outages.

In response to the forecast, school Superintendent Ken Saranich announced Sunday at 5:30 p.m. that all public schools and the central office will be closed on Monday.

A decision regarding Tuesday will be determined and communicated at a later time, Saranich said.

City offices are also closed Monday, as well as the senior center and community center.

Shelton Emergency Management Director Michael Maglione said the city has 22 plows ready to clear roadways. He added that outside contractors are ready to assist if needed.

Maglione said fire departments are staffing all stations to eliminate any response delays. Echo Hose Ambulance will have four ambulances available starting Monday at noon and will go to three units at night unless there is a reason to increase to four.

EMS is working with the fire department to place ambulances at Huntington and Pine Rock fire stations, Maglione said.

Maglione said that the Griffin Hospital vaccination center on Progress Drive will be open as normal for appointments. He said the center will probably close sometime in the afternoon and that notification will be made during the day.

brian.gioiele@hearstmediact.com
Customers visit Global Premium Duty Free Plaza in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Jan. 31, 2021. Two new offshore duty-free shops opened on Sunday in Haikou, capital of south China's island province of Hainan, raising the number of duty-free shops in the province to nine. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

HAIKOU, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Two new offshore duty-free shops opened on Sunday in Haikou, capital of south China's island province of Hainan, raising the number of duty-free shops in the province to nine.

The nine shops, run by five entities, bring a pattern of differentiated competition to the duty-free market, which will be a great boost to the building of Hainan into an international tourism and consumption destination.

The Global Premium Duty Free Plaza, run by a local company, is located in a large shopping center in downtown Haikou. The products on sale include electronic products, perfumes, cosmetics, sunglasses and imported wine, among others.

The plaza launched its first phase on Sunday, with its second and third phases due by the end of June and September this year, respectively.

The other duty-free shop, run by a company based in the southern city of Shenzhen, offers nearly 500 international brands in a shopping area of 20,000 square meters.

Yang Jun, vice general manager of Hainan Development Holdings Co., Ltd., which runs the Global Premium Duty Free Plaza, said Hainan's offshore duty-free shopping has entered a new era of development with a growing number of shops.

"We will join hands with other shop operators to expand Hainan's offshore duty-free market, attract more Chinese to spend in Hainan rather than in the overseas markets, and promote the consumption upgrading of the Hainan free trade port," Yang said.

Among the nine duty-free shops, three opened in the tropical resort city of Sanya on Dec. 30, 2020, one in Sanya Phoenix International Airport and the other two in downtown Sanya, adding to the previous one at Haitang Bay.

For Zhu Mengxia, the two newly-opened shops in downtown Sanya are better located and more convenient. "We now have more choices and better opportunities to hunt for bargains," she said.

Wang Jiansheng, chairman of the Hainan Tourism Development Research Association, said, "competition impels duty-free companies to enrich products and improve services. Their competitive advantages will help build Hainan into a globally influential tourism and consumption destination, and further attract back home more overseas spending by Chinese consumers."

The China Duty Free Group (CDF), which used to dominate Hainan's duty-free shopping market, has taken steps to face the competition.

Gao Xujiang, executive director of Sanya Downtown Duty Free Store Co., Ltd., affiliated to the CDF, said the company is expanding and upgrading its duty-free shop to create a more spacious business area and offer better services.

Gao said it has also taken a slew of measures to better serve consumers, including increasing staff to handle complaints and after-sales services, and enhancing the efficiency of delivery.

Liu Feng, director of the Research Center for Free Trade Port with Chinese Characteristics of Hainan Normal University, said that the CDF has obvious advantages in the supply chain, marketing and operations due to having engaged in the duty-free market in Hainan for many years.

"Even if a competition pattern has been formed, the CDF's dominant position in Hainan's tax-free market will not change in the short term," said Liu.

Starting July 1, 2020,Hainan has increased its annual tax-free shopping quota from 30,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan per person. The categories of duty-free goods have been expanded from 38 to 45, with electronic products such as mobile phones and laptops added to the duty-free list.

The previous tax-free limit of 8,000 yuan for a single product has been lifted, and the number of categories with a single-purchase quantity limit has been significantly reduced. The duty-free purchase limit for cosmetics has also been raised from 12 items to 30.

Official data shows sales of offshore duty-free shops in the province exceeded 32 billion yuan (about 4.98 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020.

Following the policy upgrade, the average daily duty-free sales had hit 120 million yuan by the end of 2020, an increase of more than twofold year on year.

The potential of Hainan's duty-free shopping is far from being fully tapped. The duty-free shopping industry on the island is likely to become a 100-billion-yuan industry in the next few years after duty-free sales doubled in 2020, insiders said.

"Hainan's duty-free market has huge potential," said Xie Zhiyong, general manager of Hainan Tourism Investment Duty-free Co., Ltd.

Xie said that competition will definitely benefit consumers, and duty-free shopping will become an important attraction for tourists, which will lead to the development of Hainan's tourism industry and exponential growth for duty-free shopping sales. Enditem
Childrens program Bluey may have been Australias runaway global phenomenon in recent years but if the latest ratings are an indication of whats to come, the famous Blue Heeler might need to make room.

A Boxing Day preview episode of the new ABC Kids show Kangaroo Beach beat Bluey in viewership, netting an audience of 142,000 people over seven days, according to consolidated figures from ratings provider OzTam. In comparison, the Boxing Day episode of Blueynetted 123,000 viewers over the same period. (Consolidated figures take into account catch-up TV.)

New kids show Kangaroo Beach is the brainchild of Tim Bain, who has written for the likes of Bluey and Fireman Sam. Credit:Cheeky Little Media / ABC Kids

Kangaroo Beach creator Tim Bain, who wrote a 2019 episode of Bluey and worked on the long-running British childrens series Fireman Sam, said he was chuffed with the early results.

I rate Bluey as the best preschool show ever made, he said. Its full of such comedy and heart. In terms of Kangaroo Beach, Id love just a sliver of that audience.
gold silver metals

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has come up with proposals to cut duty on gold and silver imports, and also dore bars, besides others which will give a boost to the domestic bullion sector.

The bullion industrys reaction to the proposals bordered on being euphoric to upbeat as they had been seeking a duty cut to take on the unorganised trade encouraged by gold smuggled into the country due to higher Customs duty.

Sitharaman has proposed a five percentage point cut in import duty on gold and silver. But the precious metals will attract a 2.5 percent Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) taking the total value of duty to a little over 10 percent.

Gold and silver presently attract a basic customs duty of 12.5 percent. Since the duty was raised from 10 percent in July 2019, prices of precious metals have risen sharply. To bring it closer to previous levels, we are rationalizing custom duty on gold and silver, Sithraman said, presenting the 2021-22 fiscal Budget in Parliament.

The Indian bullion industry and jewellers have been seeking a duty cut, particularly since it affected demand.

The higher duty also led to smuggling of gold from centres such as Dubai and Singapore with Customs officials arresting at least a couple of persons every day at various parts, particularly in southern India.

According to the World Gold Council, a body of gold-producing nations, Indias import of the yellow metal in 2020 dropped to 446.4 tonnes, the lowest in 25 years.

Customs duty on gold and silver has been reduced and also a lot of relief in income tax assessment. Gold exchange regulator also appointed. Full marks for 2021 Budget, said Prithviraj Kothari, Indian Bullion and Jewellers Association National President.

Ishu Datwani, Founder, ANMOL, said the reduction in duty will lead to a lower price for gold and it could discourage smuggling.

The reduction of import duty, which is 5 percent on gold and silver, is a very positive step It was not expected in this budget and hence, is a welcome surprise, he said.

Snehal Choksey, Shobha Shringar Jewellers Director, also concurred with the view that it will reduce illegal trade in gold done with smuggled gold.

It will be a major disincentive to smuggling, said Tanya Rastogi, Lala Jugal Kishore Jewellers Director.

All of them welcomed the duty cut, saying it was growth-oriented.

The entire industry has been waiting and hoping for a move like this and we are glad that the government considered our industry as we have been one of the worst-hit sectors during COVID19 period, said Rastogi.

Fair businesses and organized trade is now expected to gain from this as till now, smuggled gold encourage unorganized and fly-by-night operators.

Though the AIDC cess would push up prices, the reduction is still seen as substantial by the sector.

Sitharaman also proposed a cut in the Customs duty on raw materials of domestic refiners such as gold and silver dore bars, gold and silver findings, precious metals scrap and waste and spent catalyst or ash containing precious metals.

The Budget document said it was a correction of inverted duty structure, which means duty on raw materials were higher than finished products.

Import duty on gold dore bars will be 6.9 percent now from 11.85 percent and for silver dore bars it will be 6.1 percent against 11 percent. Duty on findings has been halved to 10 percent.

Waste and scrap will attract 10 percent Customs duty against 12.5 percent, while catalysts duty will be 9.2 percent against 11.85 percent.

Duty on other precious metals such as platinum and palladium has been cut to 10 percent from 12.5 percent. All these products will, however, attract a 2.5 percent AIDC.

Besides, the Finance Minister has proposed deliveries and acceptance of Indian refined gold in all Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) gold contracts.

It will encourage greater involvement by domestic market players and widen the array of acceptable gold for delivery of bullion, said Sameer Patil, BSE Chief Business Officer.

(Subramani Ra Mancombu is a journalist based in Chennai, who writes on topics in commodities and agriculture)
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

[February 01, 2021] NASA Names Leaders to Key Agency Roles

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has named appointees for senior agency positions. Bhavya Lal joins the agency as acting chief of staff, Phillip Thompson will serve as White House liaison, Alicia Brown will serve as associate administrator for the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Marc Etkind will serve as associate administrator for the agency's Office of Communications. In addition, Jackie McGuinness will join the agency as press secretary and Reagan Hunter will serve as special assistant for the agency's Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. Bhavya Lal, Acting Chief of Staff

Lal brings extensive experience in engineering and space technology, serving as a member of the research staff at the Institute for Defense Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) from 2005 to 2020. There, she led analysis of space technology, strategy, and policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Space Council, as well as federal space-oriented organizations, including NASA, the Department of Defense, and the intelligence community. Lal is an active member of the space technology and policy community, having chaired, co-chaired, or served on five high-impact National Academy of Science committees. She served two consecutive terms on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing and was an External Council member of NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts Program and the Technology, Innovation and Engineering Advisory Committee of the NASA Advisory Council. Before joining STPI, Lal was president of C-STPS LLC, a science and technology policy research and consulting firm. Prior to that, she was the director of the Center for Science and Technology Policy Studies at Abt Associates, a global policy research consultancy based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Lal will also serve as the senior advisor for budget and finance at NASA. Read her full bio. Phillip Thompson, White House Liaison

Phillip Thompson comes to NASA after serving as the coalitions advisor to the coordinated campaign to help elect Sen. Jon Ossoff and Sen. Rafael Warnock in the U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia. In the general election, Thompson served as Georgia Coalitions Director for President Biden, where he led a team to help engage one of the most diverse electorates in history. Thompson also has advised state and local officials on public engagement in Arizona, California, Texas, and Hawaii, as director of candidate development for the Leadership for Eucational Equity. While helping build campaigns, Phillip led the political research firm, The Maccabee Group as a former partner, advising members of Congress in New Mexico and Nevada, as well as efforts in Ohio and North Carolina. He has dedicated much of his career to community infrastructure and advocacy, previously serving as deputy executive director of the Florida Democratic Party and former campaign manager at the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Read his bio.



Alicia Brown, Associate Administrator, Office of Legislative and Interagency Affairs

Brown joins NASA with extensive experience in government and government relations. Brown will direct a staff responsible for managing correspondence and requests for information received from the U.S. Congress and handling requests for legislative material, as well as serve as a senior advisor to agency leaders on legislative matters. Prior to joining NASA, from 2015 to January 2021, Brown served as a professional staff member for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, including the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space and the Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather. In this role, she helped develop space legislation and performed oversight on policy and programs for multiple agencies, including NASA. Prior to that, she served as government relations manager for Harris Corporation.

Brown also has experience advising on policy regarding space programs, national security, and the defense budget as a legislative aide to former Sen. Bill Nelson. Read her full bio. Marc Etkind, Associate Administrator, Office of Communications

Etkind joins NASA with more than two decades of experience in development, production, content strategy, and management for science-based programming organizations. Etkind directs internal and external communications for NASA and serves as a senior advisor to agency leaders. He is responsible for managing an agencywide staff of more than 200 that implements all aspects of NASA's external and internal communications. Previously, Etkind served as general manager for the Science Channel, part of Discovery Inc., a position he began in 2015. In that capacity, he was responsible for all aspects of development, production,?brand strategy, and day-to-day operations for the network. Etkind brought back to the network the robot competition "BattleBots," launched STEM-focused "MythBusters Jr," initiated the network's live coverage of the Great American Eclipse and NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 Mission to the International Space Station, and commissioned award-winning specials, including "Cassini's Grand Finale" and "History of Pluto." Prior to that, Etkind served Discovery Inc. as general manager and senior vice president for content strategy for Destination America and vice president for development for Animal Planet. In addition, his experience includes serving as senior director of programming for the History Channel and founder and CEO of Pinball Productions. Etkind's credits include "NOVA," "Scientific American Frontiers with Alan Alda," "Discover Magazine," "This Week in History," "How It's Made," and "How the Universe Works," as well as exhibits for the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and many more. Read his full bio. Jackie McGuinness, Press Secretary

Most recently, McGuiness served as communications director for U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell of Alabama, where she worked on a host of issues, including the congresswoman's work on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Previously, she served as Florida press secretary on President Joe Biden's presidential campaign and press secretary for U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, the former Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee with oversight over NASA. Read her full bio. Reagan Hunter, Special Assistant, Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs

Hunter joins NASA after previously working at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston from 2012 to 2019. Providing support to the associate administrator for OLIA, Hunter maintains relationships between NASA and the U.S. Congress and promotes agency programs, initiatives, and goals. While at Johnson, Hunter worked in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer as a program analyst primarily supporting the center's Engineering Directorate. Read his bio. For more information on NASA and agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-names-leaders-to-key-agency-roles-301219221.html SOURCE NASA

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
February 01 : Its the month of Valentines Day, and in normal times, a bunch of movies would have been lined up for release this month. But due to the coronavirus pandemic last year, Bollywood activities were completely halted for seven-eight months, leading to delay of all projects. The films which were slated to release this month have been postponed to later dates. With theatres still operating with 50 per cent capacity, makers of films are still hesitant to release their projects in theatres. In such a gloomy situation, only a few movies will hit the cinemas this month.

Aadhaar

The social comedy Aadhaar, featuring Vineet Kumar Singh, and directed by award-winning Bengali filmmaker Suman Ghosh, will release theatrically on February 5. Produced by Drishyam Films and Jio Studios, the film narrates the story of a person in a Jharkhand village, who is the first person in the village to obtain an Aadhaar number. The film also stars Raghubir Yadav, Saurabh Shukla and Sanjay Mishra in supporting roles. The film had premiered at the 24th Busan International Film Festival.

Tuesdays And Fridays

Sanjay Leela Bhansali Productions Tuesdays And Fridays is a modern-day romantic-comedy film that marks the debut of Anmol Thakeria Dhillon and Jhataleka Malhotra in Bollywood. Helmed by Taranveer Singh, the film will hit the theatres on February 19. The film narrates the story of Varun, a bestselling author and Sia, a lawyer, who have different ways of looking at love. They decide to stay in a relationship only on Tuesdays and Fridays, and on the remaining days, they can date whoever they want. Anmol Thakeria Dhillon is veteran actress Poonam Dhillons son.

The Girl on the Train

The much-awaited film, The Girl on the Train, starring Parineeti Chopra, will skip theoretical release and start streaming on the OTT platform Netflix from February 26. Based on Paula Hawkins' 2015 bestseller novel and the remake of a Hollywood film of the same name, the film also stars Aditi Rao Hydari, Kriti Kulhari, and Avinash Tiwary. Parineeti plays the role of an alcoholic and divorcee, who gets involved in a missing woman investigation. Aditi plays the role of the missing woman, while Avinash essays the role of Parineetis on-screen ex-husband. Kriti Kulhari will play a detective in the film.

The Family Man Season 2

This Manoj Bajpayee starrer action thriller was a huge hit last year on the OTT space. Fans loved to see him as Srikant Tiwari, a secret agent, who struggles to balance his professional and personal life. When the makers confirmed that the show will come back with a new season, viewers are excited to know that the new season will start on Amazon Prime Video from February 12, 2021.

Lahore Confidential

Lahore Confidential is the second installment in ZEE5s Confidential franchise, which started with London Confidential. Starring Richa Chadha and Arunoday Singh in the lead roles along with Karishma Tanna and Khalid Siddiqui, the web series revolves around an Indian spy Ananya and an ISI agent Rauf. While Richa plays Ananya, Arunoday essays Rauf. Unaware of each others identity, they fall in love. Directed by Kunal Kohli, and produced by Jar Pictures, the series will start streaming on February 4.
MOUNT LAUREL, N.J., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Freedom Mortgage, one of the nation's largest full-service mortgage companies and a leader in VA and government-insured lending, was identified by Energage as a 2021 Top Workplaces USA company. Energage helps organizations large and small turn feedback from employees into useful business intelligence to enhance the workplace.

The 2021 Top Workplaces USA award celebrates nationally recognized companies that make the world a better place by prioritizing a people-centered culture and giving employees a voice.

"We are committed to ensuring Freedom Mortgage is a place where people love to work, so making the Top Workplaces USA list is very rewarding," said Stanley C. Middleman, Freedom Mortgage founder and CEO. "This endorsement came during an unprecedented year of challenges and exponential growth. It means so much to me that our employees ranked Freedom Mortgage so highly and that they are happy working here."

Eric Rubino, Energage CEO, said, "I commend Freedom Mortgage for providing a thriving environment and a supportive culture empowering their employees to grow. This company is one of a handful that placed in so many Top Workplaces subcategories. When companies fully engage with their employees, everyone comes together to navigate challenges and shape the company's path forward."

Under companies with more than 2,500 employees, Freedom Mortgage was also recognized in other subcategories, including:

Top Workplaces for Clued-In Leaders 2021  recognizes companies with leaders who are "clued-in," they're in touch with what's really happening day in and day out. They value employee feedback and use those insights to make people-informed decisions.

Top Workplaces for Top Leaders 2021  employees at these award-winning Top Workplaces have confidence in the senior leader of the organization.

Top Workplaces for Communication 2021  companies that win the Communication Culture Excellence Award excel at making their employees feel well-informed about important decisions.

Top Workplaces for Innovation 2021  organizations that win the Innovation Culture Excellence Award strive for continuous improvement and encourage new ideas throughout the organization.

Middleman credited Freedom Mortgage employees for the company's record-breaking performance in 2020. Despite business challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company originated $134 billion in loans and serviced more than 1.6 million borrowers last year. Since quickly transitioning to a remote staff in March, the company has added more than 5,600 employees and continues to hire loan officers and support staff.

Last year, Freedom Mortgage was ranked among the Top Workplaces in Midwest/Central Indiana by The Indianapolis Star and the Top Workplaces in Philadelphia/Delaware Valley by The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Top Workplaces USA offers national recognition for large organizations that may have operations in multiple markets. This is the inaugural year for Top Workplaces USA, built on the program's 14-year history surveying more than 20 million employees across 54 markets for the regional Top Workplaces awards.

Several thousand organizations from across the country were invited, and more than 1,100 participated in the Top Workplaces USA survey. Winners of the Top Workplaces USA list are chosen based solely on employee feedback gathered through an employee engagement survey, issued by Energage. Results were calculated by comparing the survey's research-based statements, including 15 Culture Drivers that are proven to predict high performance against industry benchmarks.

About Freedom Mortgage

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, Freedom Mortgage is a full-service mortgage company that provides mortgage loans through retail, wholesale, and correspondent channels. One of the nation's largest loan originators and servicers, the company is licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Freedom Mortgage is a leader in VA mortgage lending and one of the mortgage industry's largest philanthropic supporters of the USO and military families. The company is also renowned for its vibrant work environment where its team members can thrive. For more information, please visit FreedomMortgage.com.

FREEDOM MORTGAGE CONTACTS:

Audrey Shapiro

856-380-9073

[email protected]

Ellen Longo

609-678-0968

[email protected]

PRESS CONTACT:

Henry Drennan, Strategic Vantage

(615) 497-8358

[email protected]

SOURCE Freedom Mortgage

State legislators called on the Baker administration to expand vaccination options in Western Massachusetts, which hosts one mass vaccination site.

Lawmakers urged the Baker administration to add vaccination sites across the region in a letter dated Monday, which was addressed to Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders and Gov. Charlie Baker. Lawmakers recommended partnering with UMass Amherst, the community health centers and local governments to launch a site in Hampshire or Franklin county.

We understand and appreciate that the supply of the vaccine is dependent upon the federal government, but ensuring equitable access is the states responsibility, the letter states.

Sens. Eric Lesser, Adam Hinds, Jo Comerford, John Velis and Anne Gobi signed onto the letter, as did Reps. Natalie Blais, Mindy Domb, Susannah Whipps, Paul Mark, Dan Carey and Lindsay Sabadosa.

As of Monday, one vaccination site exists west of Worcester. The Eastfield Mall in Springfield opened its doors Friday for COVID-19 vaccinations, which are being offered to people age 75 or older as the state heads into Phase 2.

But signing up for a vaccine could mean older residents have to seek out information online, including in parts of the state where people lack broadband internet access and even reliable cell service.

In response to the Eastfield Mall opening, Lesser said the site is a start.

Eastern Mass has access to Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park to get their vaccine administered, and people in Springfield are told to go to an abandoned Macys, the Longmeadow Democrat said in a tweet. Its just not necessarily fair.

Boston also planned to open a COVID-19 vaccination site at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, but Mondays appointments were rescheduled due to the noreaster.

The letter also recommends the timely launch of a user-friendly web portal for vaccine appointments, a phone option for reservations, mobile vaccine units for people without access to public transit, support for senior centers, outreach and transparency regarding the vaccine rollout.

Related content:
The Chairman of Business Committee and Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has notified the House that the number of staff and journalist covering proceedings will be reduced to allow the house to properly follow the covid-19 protocols.



This will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 at the time of the new wave.



During a presentation of business for the fifth week, the Majority Leader said, As Honourable Members may be aware, sitting arrangements in the house have been re-organised in line with physical distancing protocols. Furthermore, giving the upsurge in cases of covid-19 infections and associated deaths, the business committee recommends that the Clerk of Parliament take steps to ensure that only essential staff of the parliamentary services report undertaking official duties.



Mr Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu entreated all members to curtail visits by constituents and other acquaintances to their offices as the house resorted to in the lead up to elections when the disease was about peaking in Ghana.



The Clerk of Parliament is further required to liaise with the Dean of the Parliamentary press corps with a view to reducing the number of media personnel who cover proceedings, he said.



Meanwhile, the Majority Leader said all other visitors who do not have a critical business to transact in Parliament will not be permitted there.



Although Ghana is one of the African Countries that has been on top in the fight against covid-19, the new wave has caused fear and panic amongst all.



Currently, the country has 405 fatalities with 4,665 active cases as of 30 January 2021.



Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service has also indicated that workplace outbreaks are a contributing factor to the rise in active cases.



The GHS has recommended de-congestion at workplaces and advised managers of offices to encourage working from home in order to reduce the spread of the virus.









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
Stressed that the government is committed to farmers' welfare, Finance Minister on Friday said the regime has undergone a "sea change" to assure price at least 1.5 times of production cost with sharp increase in procurement of foodgrains and payment to farmers.

In her budget speech for the next fiscal, she said the procurement of crops like paddy, wheat, pulses and cotton has jumped manifold in the last six years.

"Our government is committed to the welfare of farmers. The (minimum support price) regime has undergone a sea change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities," Sitharaman said.

"The procurement has also continued to increase at a steady pace. This has resulted in increase in payment to farmers substantially," she said.

As the minister started highlighting the government's initiatives and achievements in the agriculture sector, opposition members started demanding repeal of three new farm laws.

Thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi borders for more than two months seeking repeal of three laws and a legal guarantee of the

Sharing the procurement data and amount paid to farmers under MSP operation, Sitharaman said: "In case of wheat, the total amount paid to farmers in 2013-14 was Rs 33,874 crore. In 2019-20, it was Rs 62,802 crore."



In 2020-21, she said the amount paid to farmers is over Rs 75,000 crore.

"The number of wheat growing farmers that were benefited increased in 2020-21 to 43.36 lakh compared to 35.57 lakh in 2019-20. That much of an increase within one year," the finance minister said.

For paddy, Sitharaman said the amount paid in 2013-14 was Rs 63,928 crore. In 2019-20, this increased to Rs 1,41,930 crore. Even better in 2020-21, the minister said this is further estimated to increase to Rs 1,72,752 crore.

Number of paddy farmers benefitted increased from 1.2 crore in 2019-20 to 1.54 crore in 2020-21.

In pulses, Sitharaman said Rs 236 crore was paid to farmers in 2013-14. "In 2019-20, this was increased to Rs 8,285 crore. Now in 2020-21, it is at Rs 10,530 crore, more than 40 times increase from 2013-14."



Similarly, Rs 90 crore was paid in 2013-14 to cotton farmers while Rs 25,974 crore has been paid in 2020-21 as of January 27.
Finance Minister on Monday said that the (MSP) regime has undergone a change to assure price to farmers that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities.

During her third budget speech in Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said: "Our government is committed to the welfare of farmers. The MSP regime has undergone a change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities. The procurement has also continued to increase at a steady pace, this has resulted in an increase in payment of farmers, substantially."

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws.

Elaborating on the increase in payment of farmers, the Finance Minister informed that in case of wheat, the amount paid to farmers in 2020-21 was Rs 75,875 cr, as compared to Rs 62,802 cr in 2019-20.

In case of paddy, the amount paid to farmers was estimated to Rs 1,72,752 cr as compared to Rs 1,41,930 cr in 2019-20, while in case of pulses, the amount in 2020-21 was estimated at Rs 10,530 cr, as compared to Rs 8,285 cr in 2019-20.

She further informed that thousands of mandis will be integrated with eNAM (National Agricultural Market).

"Around 1.68 crore farmers are registered and Rs 1.14 crore trade value has been carried out through e-NAM, the national agricultural market. Keeping in view the transparency and competitiveness of that eNAM has brought into the agricultural market, thousands more mandi will be integrated with the eNAM," she said during her speech.

Sitharaman also announced that agricultural infrastructure funds would be made available to the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) for augmenting their infrastructural facilities.

Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Swamitva' scheme, under which a record of rights is being provided to property owners of villages, Sitharaman informed that up to 1.80 lakh property owners in 1,241 villages have been given property cards. She also proposed to extend this scheme during 2021-22 to cover all states and Union Territories.

On animal husbandry, she announced: "To provide adequate credit to our farmers, I have enhanced the agricultural credit target to 16.5 lakh cr in this year. We will focus on ensuring credit flow to animal husbandry, dairies and to fisheries."

She also proposed substantial investments in the development of modern fishing harbours and fish landing centres. Five major fishing harbours - Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Petuaghat will be developed as hubs for economic activities.

(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 post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal . The author of this post is Julie Havlak North Carolina's lawmakers are moving to advance school choice.Republicans on Thursday, Jan. 28, introduced House Bill 32, Equity in Opportunity Act , to reform the Opportunity Scholarship program. The bill would expand low-income students' access to scholarships, integrate state funding, streamline the program for students with special needs, and boost outreach to low-income families.The push to expand access to Opportunity Scholarships comes during national School Choice Week The Opportunity Scholarship program offers up to $4,200 to help low-income families attend the private school of their choice. Republicans say the learning loss caused by the coronavirus pandemic and school shutdowns has made parental school choice a priority for the session.Rep. Dean Arp, R-Union, said.The bill aims to expand enrollment in the Opportunity Scholarship program. It reforms how scholarships are funded, as well as setting aside money for recruitment.said Dr. Terry Stoops , John Locke Foundation director of the Center for Effective Education.Under the bill, the old scholarship cap of $4,200 would disappear. Instead, Opportunity Scholarships would share in the funding the state sets aside per pupil. When the state gives more money to students, low-income students in the scholarship program would also benefit. It also frees counties to boost the program with their own dollars.Arp said.Lawmakers are also trying to boost enrollment.If the bill becomes law, the state could enlist nonprofits to help with outreach to students and families. The scholarship has struggled with recruitment in the past, and the program has collected more than $80 million in unspent funds over the years.The bill would set aside up to $500,000 for partnering with nonprofits that represent parents and families. They could spend the money on outreach, promotion, or application assistance. Any leftover money would return to the General Fund.Stoops said.This past September, lawmakers lifted a cap that restricted the number of kindergartners and first-graders who could get into the voucher program. Lawmakers also raised the limits on income so that a family of four earning $72,000 could qualify.Arp said.Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed other school choice initiatives in the past. The bill also faces opposition from many Democrats in the legislature.Arp said.But if Cooper vetoes the bill, it could still become law, said Stoops.Stoops said.
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Barbara Gray is to leave her role in NI policing to take up a position with the Met

The PSNI's highest-ranking female officer to leave her role in Northern Ireland policing to take up a high-ranking position with the London's Met Police.

Assistant Chief Constable Barbara Gray, who currently heads up the PSNI's crime operations department, is to assume the role of the Met's deputy assistant commissioner.

The role is one of the most senior positions within the Met Police, which is led by commissioner Dame Cressida Dick.

Policing Board member Mervyn Storey said he had offered his congratulations to Ms Gray directly in a phone conversation on Monday.

"I think it is a great loss to the PSNI. Barbara Gray is one of the most dedicated, hard-working officers in the PSNI," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

"She is someone who has carried out one of the most demanding roles within the PSNI, and she has carried it out with a great degree of professionalism and is a very personable individual.

"I spoke to Barbara and conveyed that to her. Our loss is the Met's gain, there's no doubt."

He stressed that it would be a great opportunity for the Assistant Chief Constable.

"I think it's a great reflection of the calibre and ability of our police officers that they can only apply [to the Met] but can be successful," explained the North Antrim MLA.

Policing Board chair Doug Garrett also offered his congratulations to Ms Gray, adding the police watchdog will now discuss with Chief Constable Simon Byrne arrangements for appointing her successor.

Assistant Chief Constable Gray has made a significant contribution to policing in Northern Ireland throughout her career and the Board congratulates her on her appointment as Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police Service," he said.

An official PSNI profile on Ms Gray describes the senior officer as having a "considerable range of experience having served in many areas" across Northern Ireland.

The Assistant Chief Constable was appointed to her current PSNI role last June after having acted on temporary basis in the role since 2017.

The senior officer has led on various areas of policy development including policing with the community, and is an ambassador for the Northern Ireland Community Foundation.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2021) - STEVENS GOLD NEVADA INC. (CSE: SG) (OTCQB: STVGF) (FSE: 311) (the "Company" or "Stevens Gold") common shares have begun trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (the "FSE") under the symbol 311. The Company's common shares are now cross-listed or quoted on the Canadian Securities Exchange, the OTCQB, and the FSE.

"This is another milestone for Stevens Gold. The Company's common shares are now listed or quoted in three countries: Canada, USA, and Germany," stated Charles MaLette, President and CEO. "The Frankfurt Stock Exchange listing will provide us an opportunity to increase trading liquidity and facilitate investment by growing our shareholder base throughout Europe and allow European investors to follow Stevens Gold's exploration of its Millennium Gold property in Arizona."

The Frankfurt Stock Exchange is one of the world's largest trading centres for securities. With a share in turnover of around 90 percent, it is the largest of Germany's seven stock exchanges and it is an international trading centre, which is reflected in the structure of its participants. Of the approximately 200 market participants, roughly 50 percent are from countries other than Germany.

The FSE facilitates advanced electronic trading, settlement and information systems, allowing it to meet the growing requirements of cross-border trading.

About Stevens Gold

Stevens Gold (CSE: SG) (OTCQB: STVGF) (FSE: 311) is engaged in the business of mineral exploration and the acquisition of mineral property assets in North America. Stevens Gold is exploring the optioned Millennium Gold property in Arizona. The Millennium Gold property consists of three State mineral leases totaling 1,920 acres and is in the general vicinity of the Oatman mining district where over 2 million ounces of bonanza-grade gold has been discovered and where Equinox's Castle Mountain open pit gold mine is located, please see the Technical Report filed on SEDAR for more information.

ON BEHALF OF STEVENS GOLD NEVADA INC.

"Charles MaLette"

CEO, President, Director & Secretary

T: 604-428-5171

E: info@stevensgold.com

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities. In addition, the securities described herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the securities laws of any state and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the benefit or account of U.S. persons, absent such registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.

Forward-Looking Information:

This press release includes forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of Stevens Gold. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of Stevens Gold. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "will," "may," "would," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "could" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release. Although Stevens Gold believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because Stevens Gold can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this news release due to certain material risk factors described in the Corporation's Annual Information Form under the heading "Risk Factors" and the failure to complete the Offering on the terms set forth herein in a timely manner or at all, the risk that regulatory approvals will not be received and the risk that changing circumstances will result in the proceeds being used in a manner other than as set forth herein. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material risk factors and assumptions is not exhaustive.

The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in this news release, unless it is required to do so under Canadian securities legislation.

The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of the contents of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73267
Australian homes are being overrun by huntsman spiders thanks to the end of the summer breeding season - but the critters are nothing to be afraid of.

The large, long-legged spiders known for their speed have appeared in droves this season as cities across the country cop a plague of arachnids.

The sightings, which have been shared widely on social media, brought little comfort for those with arachnophobia.

But Dr Lizzie Lowe, an arachnologist at Macquarie University, said the 'beautiful' creepy crawlies are harmless as their eyesight is poor, they're usually confused, and they're not highly venomous.

Dr Lizzie Lowe, an arachnologist at Macquarie University, said the creepy crawlies are more likely to turn on each other than cause you harm (stock image)

'Huntsmen don't have very good eyesight. They see light and dark and movement and that's about all,' she told Weatherzone.

'They will never intentionally run towards you because they're small and not highly venomous. They can bite you, but they won't do any harm.'

Dr Lowe said huntsman are 'super fast' but often confused and if they are charging towards you, confusion is the simple explanation.

She said huntsman are not aggressive spiders and they typically stay up high because they are finding food to eat.

Dr Lowe said huntsman are 'summer spiders' as their eggs hatch during the spring, when they are stimulated by the warmer weather and rainy conditions.

But the baby huntsman recently spotted across the country have appeared because some spiders do two rounds of breeding.

Dr Lowe warned that it's best to just let baby huntsman do their own thing - as they're more likely to turn on each other than cause you harm.

'When the babies hatch out, they disperse very quickly over one or two days. They are highly cannibalistic and don't want to be eaten by their nestmates. Also they need to have their own food so it's within their own interests to disperse,' she said.

'There's probably only enough food for one huntsman in each house.'

Dr Lowe's comments come after a Sydney mum took photos of baby spiders infiltrating her daughter's bedroom.

She shared the terrifying images with a friend, who posted them on social media.

The friend said: 'They're bigger than the tiny babies I've seen. You can see how big they are by the window.'

Dr Lowe's comments come after a Sydney mum took photos of baby spiders infiltrating her daughter's bedroom (pictured)

'They are fast and they jump and they're big. I catch them and put them outside. This, however, would totally freak me out.'

Another woman posted on Facebook in a bid to find nearby pest control experts after spotting ten gigantic spiders in her bedroom.

The woman, who lives on Sydney's Northern Beaches, reached breaking point after spotting the arachnids in her closet.

'Hello. I am losing my mind. Ten of these giant mammoth spiders in the last month,' she wrote to a community Facebook group.

'I need a pest man to come save me and spray my apartment in Newport. Any recommendations?'
COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites across Massachusetts plan to close early as an intense noreaster moves into the state.

The storm is expected to pile 5 to 17 inches of snow over Massachusetts between Monday and Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Some parts of the state, particularly in northern Worcester County and Berkshire County, could see as much as 18 inches of snow.

The storm also threatens to throw another wrench in the states COVID-19 vaccine rollout, which has lagged behind operations in other states.

Most of these folks are going to try to reschedule people this week, and its going to depend to some extent on how much they can get done today and how much they need to reschedule later on, Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday morning when asked about the potential disruption to the vaccine rollout.

I think the big goal for the mass [vaccination] sites is to try to get as many of the folks scheduled today through  and folks who either are nervous about traveling given the storm and all the rest, they will do what they can to get it scheduled this week.

The Baker administration has come under scrutiny for the vaccination rollout. The state reported receiving at least 1,061,300 vaccine doses as of Monday, but had distributed 627,829, or a little more than 59% of those doses.

They had a very good week last week, by the way, and theyre going to have  in my opinion  theyre going to have a very good week this week, Baker added.

Heres what services are being cut short Monday:

11/9/2020 -Springfield- Vials of nasal swabs are ready to be sent to the lab during COVID-19 testing in the parking lot of the Eastfield Mall. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

Eastfield Mall Testing

COVID-19 testing at Springfields Eastfield Mall will close until Wednesday. Drive-thru testing will resume 9 a.m. Wednesday until 3 p.m. at the 1655 Boston Road site.

Baystate Health COVID-19 testing

Baystate Health plans to close all of its testing sites at 2 p.m. Monday through Tuesday. That includes the traditional testing sites in Springfield, Greenfield, Westfield and Ware, as well as the antigen testing services at the Baystate Health Urgent Care centers in Westfield, Longmeadow and Agawam.

Those testing sites reopen at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Worcester COVID-19 testing

UMass Memorial Health Cares free COVID-19 testing in downtown Worcester will close early on Monday. The walkup service at the Mercantile Center closed at noon.

Testing for Tuesday and Thursday remains scheduled to run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are not required.

Project Beacon testing

The states COVID-19 testing sites in Revere, Lynn, Framingham and New Bedford canceled their afternoon appointments, according to the Project Beacon Twitter page. All patients whose appointments were canceled are able to reschedule to the soonest available openings.

With 12-18"  expected from tomorrow's winter storm, we've been forced to cancel PM appointments at all of our public sites. 



All get a credit to book ASAP. We may need to make further adjustments (in either direction) as conditions develop. 



We'll test as long as we can!  Project Beacon COVID-19 (@Beacon_Testing) January 31, 2021

Boston COVID-19 testing

The citys mobile testing service in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood closed Monday. No other Boston sites have announced cancellations.

1/29/2021 - Springfield - COVID vaccination site begins at Eastfield Mall. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican)

Vaccination sites

The Reggie Lewis Center in Boston postponed its opening Monday due to the storm. Patients had appointments rescheduled to Feb. 8, next Monday.

As of Monday morning, the vaccination sites at Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park and the Eastfield Mall were open.

While the Fenway Park site will stay open until 5 p.m., state officials urge people to arrive before 1 p.m. or to reschedule so people stay off the roads when the storm picks up.

Heather Morrison contributed to the reporting of this article.

Related Content:
Kathmandu, Feb 1 : The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation in Nepal has imposed a 10-year ban on two Indian mountaineers, restricting them from climbing any peak in Nepal after they produced fake documents to say that they had climbed the Mount Everest in May 2016.

Narender Singh Yadav and Seema Rani Goswami claimed that they had attempted to climb the world's tallest peak and received a certificate from Nepal's Department of Tourism which was later challenged by some summiteers, who claimed that they did not see Yadav or Goswami at the top of Mount Everest.

Both Yadav and Goswami were part of a 15-member international team.

Citing the claim made by the other team members, several international media houses reported that both Yadav and Goswami were not able to reach the top of Everest after their health condition deteriorated.

A complaint was registered against them at Nepal's Tourism Department, following which a team was formed to probe the matter.

"As per the suggestions forwarded by the probe committee, we have decided to put a ban on them from climbing any peak in Nepal for 10 years," said Tourism Secretary Yadav Koirala.

It was also established after the probe that the duo had provided photoshopped images to support their fake claim, Koirala said.

"We also took the accounts of the other climbers. After probing all the documents and affidavits which were provided to us, we have decided to cancel the certificates awarded to them besides slapping a 10-year ban on them," Koirala said.

Not only Yadav and Goswami, the team leader of the expedition team, the organiser and the liaison officer also faced the action.

Earlier too, the certificates of two Indian climbers, Dinesh Rathore and Tara Keshari Rathore, were canceled for making false claim of climbing the Mount Everest.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
[January 31, 2021] Microland appoints industry veteran Vivek Radhakrishnan, as Senior Vice President, North America

BENGALURU, India, ISELIN, N.J. and LONDON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Microland, a global digital transformation company today announced the appointment of Vivek Radhakrishnan as Senior Vice President, North America to accelerate the business growth in the region. In his role, Vivek will be responsible for all Microland's business in the USA and will be based out of Iselin, New Jersey. Vivek joins Microland with a 25-year track record of success in driving the digital transformation agenda for clients across verticals that include Banking, Financial Services & Insurance, HealthCare & Life Sciences and Energy & Utilities. Vivek has donned several leadership positions with major IT services firms and has been responsible for key business roles that included Sales, Delivery and Solution Engineering. Vivek is a result-oriented executive who is passionate about bringing high growth strategies to his clients and excels at managing executive governance through the operations lifecycle across complex transformation projects. He is deeply committed to driving innovation and best practices in client engagements that help them meet their strategic objectives and exceed on their business goals. Ashish Mahadwar, President, Microland mentioned, "I am pleased to welcome Vivek to Microland's leadership team. Vivek's vast operating experience acrossmultiple business roles will augment our digital transformation capabilities in the Americas thereby accelerating our growth. In the pandemic hit world, there is a significant need to deliver innovative IT infrastructure solutions that meet the new needs of our clients and help them deal with the new set of challenges. I believe Microland's recent recognition as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed Network Services* reflects our ability to bring to bear a broad suite of innovative solutions to address these client challenges. Vivek's experience of managing global relationships will augur well for Microland in deepening our client relationships. His tremendous experience of driving the Client's transformation agenda will help Microland better execute on "new normal" solutions."



Commenting on his appointment Vivek Radhakrishnan said: "I am excited to be a part of Microland which has such a deep and resolute focus in the IT and IIoT infrastructure services sector. Microland over the last 3 decades, has been continuously adapting itself in adding value to the everchanging demands of its clients in a fast-changing technology and business landscape. The post pandemic world offers a tremendous growth opportunity for a company like Microland and I am looking forward to contributing towards the realization of its goals." Source(*) : Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Managed Network Services, Ted Corbett et al., 09 Nov 2020

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. About Microland Microland's delivery of digital and "Making Digital Happen" allows technology to do more and intrude less. We make it easier for enterprises to adopt nextGen Digital infrastructure. We enable this using our expertise in Cloud and Data Centers, Networks, Digital Workplace, Cybersecurity and Industrial IoTensuring the embrace of brilliance is predictable, reliable and stable. In the COVID impacted world, Microland is making digital happen for enterprises with a laser focus on services that are more relevant to our clients and prospects than ever before. Incorporated in 1989 and headquartered in Bengaluru, India, Microland has more than 4,500 digital specialists across offices and delivery centers in Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East and North America. Read more here: https://www.microland.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1343841/Microland_Logo.jpg SOURCE Microland

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
WASHINGTON  As the Republican Party wrestles with its identity in the wake of former President Trump, an Illinois Republican is out to prove there is a GOP voter base that wants to give up the division and conspiracy theories that he says have come to define the party.

The biggest danger right now is that weve become a party that dabbles  not just dabbles  we traffic in conspiracies and we traffic in lies, said Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who on Sunday plans to release a video and website, country1st.com, to start the campaign.

Kinzinger, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump earlier this month, has been one of the few GOP lawmakers willing to speak out against the former presidents actions. The campaign effort positions him alongside Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming as one of the leaders of a wing of the party seeking to distance itself from Trump.

Trumps role in the Jan. 6 insurrection on Capitol Hill was a wake-up call, Kinzinger said.

Republicans must say enough is enough. Its time to unplug the outrage machine, reject the politics of personality, and cast aside the conspiracy theories and rage. Its time to turn back from the edge of darkness and return to the ideals that have long been our guiding light, he said in the recorded video. Its now or never. The choice is ours. Ive made mine, and I hope every Republican, and every American who shares our values, will choose to join me. Lets take back our party.

He says hes trying to steer the party of Ronald Reagan back toward hope, optimism and truth. Kinzinger said he is clear-eyed on the challenges hes likely to confront among Republicans still faithful to Trump. He didnt give GOP leaders a heads-up about the release.

The response to his effort could provide Republicans one of the first tests of whether GOP voters are receptive to his kind of politics.

Would we lose the Proud Boys? Maybe. Im fine with that, he said, referring to the violent extremist group. But wed be bringing in  that Republican who maybe voted Biden and then Republican down-ballot because they couldnt stand Donald Trump but they gave the Republican Party one last shot.

Kinzingers effort is in its infancy. He was reluctant to identify next steps or what the movement would look like in six months, saying it would be driven by supporters and could include getting involved in Republican primaries. He said its not about any personal ambitions for higher office, although others will almost certainly view it as a preliminary step toward the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

Kinzingers effort positions him against House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield and those Republicans who view maintaining a role for Trump as the key to reaching the voters who could help them retake control of the House in 2022. McCarthy went to Mar-a-Lago in Florida this week to visit with Trump, emerging with a joint photo and an agreement from the former president to help Republican candidates.

Kinzinger had harsh words for McCarthys changing position on Trumps responsibility for the riot on Capitol Hill, which left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer. On Jan. 13, McCarthy said Trump bears responsibility for [the] attack on Congress by mob rioters, but he voted against impeachment. But as recently as last week, McCarthy said Trump did not provoke the crowd.

When you go from calling this an insurrection that the president bears blame for to thanking Donald Trump for his commitment to win back the majority, thats a heck of a move in about three weeks, he said.

Kinzingers effort comes ahead of a pivotal week in which House Republicans will have to confront their post-Trump strategy. On Wednesday, House Republicans will hold a discussion and potential vote on whether Cheney, who like Kinzinger also strongly opposed Trumps effort to overturn the election results and supported his impeachment, should remain as chairwoman of the Republican conference.

Republicans are also contending with how  or whether  to deal with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) as a string of reports came out in recent days highlighting her social media posts in which she said or favored comments describing as hoaxes two of the most lethal school shootings in American history and the 9/11 terrorist attack at the Pentagon.

She also said the 2018 Camp fire was started by a laser beam from space. Democrats, led by Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles), have called for her to be removed from office. Others say she should at minimum be stripped of her committee assignments, which include the Education Committee.

___

Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times wrote this story.

2021 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
LISBON - Portugal has banned non-essential travel abroad to counter the spread of Covid-19 which, according to the AFP, has made the small country of 10 million inhabitants the most affected in the world in relation to the population, with over 12,000 reported coronavirus victims, said the Portuguese interior minister. The minister said foreign travel will only be allowed for work abroad, a medical emergency, the transport of goods or a family meeting.



Lisbon has divided incoming passengers into four categories based on the country of provenance, allowing arrivals from Norway, with no restrictions, and intermediate countries, like Italy and France, whose passengers must present a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours of departure, and those like Spain and Ireland, for which a 14-day quarantine is mandatory, along with a negative test. Portugal has prohibited flights from Brazil and the United Kingdom.
WESTPORT  The area will likely get 12 to 18 inches of snow, with the possibility of accumulations up to two feet, according to the National Weather Service.

Check here for updates throughout the day.

5:30 p.m.

Fire Chief and Emergency Response Director Robert Yost said it has been a relatively quiet day with residents following officials advice to stay off the roads.

We did get a lot of snow, but so far were dodging a bullet here, he said. But if it starts changing to freezing rain that could be another story.

Eversource has reported no power outages in town as of 5 p.m. The emergency response team is planning to meet later today to review the past day as well as plans for the night.

Yost said winds are sticking to pick up, but residents remaining off the road has helped officials in their cleanup preparations.

Everyone took our advice and stayed off the roads, he said. Plows are out and doing their thing and if the next few hours we can get through the wind and the potential for freezing rain then Ill be happy.

The schools announced Tuesday would be a remote learning day.

Todays winter storm will not be winding down until later this evening, Superintendent of Schools Thomas Scarice said in an email to families and staff on Monday evening. The ongoing clean-up efforts by the Department of Public Works and the need for our custodians to spend time clearing the schools tomorrow, will make it difficult to open our schools in the morning.

He said this is consistent with how the December storm was handled.

1 p.m.

First Selectman Jim Marpe said around nine inches of snow fell early this morning with staff well prepared for cleanup.

Were fully prepared to begin removing the snow, Marpe said. Our trucks are out trying to stay a little bit ahead of it, but frankly with so much snow coming down theres limited progress we can make.

Marpe, who closed Town Hall for the day, said the Department of Public Works wont be able to begin full clearing until the storm begins to dissipate. The Westport Library has also closed for the day due to the snow.

Thats why were asking everyone to just stay home, he said, adding this will help the plows to make as much progress as they can.

Marpe said no incidents were reported in town. Eversource reported no power outages as of noon.

He said the snow is expected to continue at a heavy rate well into the evening before tapering off. He added it will be decided tonight if town hall will be open to appointments on Tuesday.

That will allow us to hopefully clear all the roads and be in some kind of position to open tomorrow, he said. That said, its too early for me or schools to know if well be open for business and in-person schooling tomorrow.

8 a.m.

Marpe activated Westports Emergency Operations Center Sunday afternoon in anticipation of the significant snowstorm, which is expected to drop 12 to 18 inches of snow over 36 hours, the Westport Fire Department and the towns emergency management team announced.

Westport closed all of the schools and said 12-month employees will be working remote, according to a recording sent out by the district.

Town Hall and other town facilities are closed to public appointments on Monday with employees encouraged to work from home where possible.

We ask that all residents stay off the roads during this snow emergency so our Public Works and Connecticut DOT personnel can clear them as quickly and safely as possible and our Public Safety personnel can more easily respond to emergencies, the fire department and emergency management team said. Thank you for your cooperation as we work to minimize the impact of this storm. Please stay safe at home.
The European Union welcomes the decision of the EU-supported COVAX Facility to allocate 117,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Ukraine.

This was said in a press release issued by the EU Delegation to Ukraine on January 30.

COVID-19 has been an unprecedented challenge for the entire world  it impacts our health, our jobs, our families and quality of life. Vaccination is central to ending the pandemic. No one is safe until everyone is safe. In line with the Team Europe spirit, the EU is proud to support COVAX in delivering vaccines to our partners, and Ukraine is among the first of them, said Ambassador Matti Maasikas, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

"Team Europe  including the European Commission, the European Investment Bank and Member States  has so far announced contributions of more than 870 million to COVAX," the statement reads.

As Ukrinform reported, in February, Ukraine will receive 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which will be distributed among health workers providing care for COVID-19 patients.

Ukraine expects to receive from 8 to 16 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine free of charge as part of the global COVAX initiative.

The Health Ministry plans to vaccinate 50% of the population of Ukraine in 2021-2022.

ish

All By Myselfyet Never (Ever) Alone: an illuminating key towards finding the light of God and the divine grace of His words. All By Myselfyet Never (Ever) Alone is the creation of published author John F. Mercer, a Spirit-filled, born-again Christian who lives in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He served six years in the US Army and attended Penn State University. Then in July 1976, in San Francisco, California, John was converted and saved.

Mercer shares, I was mandated to write All By Myselfyet Never (Ever) Alone. For years, Id been in the habit of early-morning intercession with praise and worship as well. One morning, the Lord quieted me down and plainly and powerfully instructed me to write precisely this book. It was to be His work for others, and I was to be only the transcriptionist. In one sitting, He dictated the general scope and purpose to me. All the chapter titles are from him, and every sentence within them is inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was to be a pure joy as I daily chronicled for the Lord as He dictated to me his heart and instruction. My short testimony and portion addressed to salvation are very important. However, the latter section devoted to the believer will probably speak loud and clear as a guide and encouragement to the discouraged Christian and the wounded spiritual warriors in the Church. We must maintain the joy of the Lord and be renewed in our spirits to serve God as mature children of the living God! Gods sanctification process is a divine lifetime journey, and we dont want to miss any tender moment or required work for the Kingdom. Day by day, we experience inner change accompanied by effective Christian service.

I pray this book to be a wonderful tool the Spirit of God will use to speak to his loved ones and draw many more children into the Fathers eternal Kingdom.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, John F. Mercers new book is an encouraging walk for the believers who are facing much struggle in life. This is a helpful reminder that one is never alone in the frontlines of lifes storms.

View a synopsis of All By Myselfyet Never (Ever) Alone on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase All By Myselfyet Never (Ever) Alone at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about All By Myselfyet Never (Ever) Alone, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
(Natural News) For decades, many Texans have contemplated life as a citizen of their own country, but it was the election theft of 2020 and a combination of other factors that finally inspired several people in the Lone Star State to act.

For generations, Texans dreamed of Texas becoming an independent, self-governing nation-state free from the control of the bureaucrats and political class in Washington, D.C. Before 2005, there was no organization exclusively dedicated to making it a reality. Then the Texas Nationalist Movement was born, the group says on its website.

We work to secure and protect the political, cultural and economic independence of the nation of Texas and to restore and protect a constitutional Republic and the inherent rights of the people of Texas, notes the groups mission statement.

What, exactly, would a Nation of Texas offer that even Americans living in relatively free states like the Dakotas, Missouri, Idaho, and Florida dont?

More freedom. More liberty. Moreindependence from the nanny state federal government that has at least some influence over every single state at the moment.

The Texas Nationalist Movement isnt a white nationalist movement, by the way  as though that even needs to be said. Far from it; white nationalism (or any form of racism) is the antithesis of liberty and freedom. In fact, the group embraces several of our countrys founding concepts that, today, provide the foundation for self-governance in the way our framers really intended.

In addition to nationhood and independence, the movement advocates for:

 Family: The basic cultural building block of Texas is the family. And notice that the group does not define what families should consist of because, again, doing so would be tantamount to limiting freedom and independence.

 Power to, and from, the people: All political power is inherent in the Texan people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit. The Texan people have at all times the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may think expedient.

 Entrepreneurialism: This is the basic economic building block of Texas, as entrepreneurs drive technological, societal, and even cultural development.

 Primacy of cause: Texas Nationalism is the primary secular cause of all Texans and is distinct and superior to all other secular causes.

 Primacy of nation: The interests of Texas supersede the interests of all other nations and states  Texas First, if you will, modeled after former President Donald Trumps America First policies a decade before he ran for the Oval Office.

 Indomitability: The interests of Texas supersede the interests of all other nations and states. Think of this as a Texas-sized can-do attitude. (Related: The future of government repression in the United States  what every American needs to know.)

 Inherent rights: Every Texan possesses inherent and inalienable rights and should have the ability to exercise those rights as they choose. Expect that these are modeled very closely after the U.S. Constitutions Bill of Rights, which were, at the time, tremendously empowering and groundbreaking.

 Building on initial greatness: Texas unique history serves as the foundation for our current and future greatness.

Since our inception the Texas Nationalist Movement has connected with hundreds of thousands of Texans, conducted thousands of media interviews, participated in international conferences on self-determination, and grown the movement for Texas independence into one of the largest in the world, the groups website adds.

In fulfilling our mission, we have given a home to all Texans who believe that Texas would be better off as an independent nation, it says.

As of this writing, the movement has nearly 400,000 declared supporters, a number that continues to grow and will likely explode as another effort to Remake Texas Great Again  the TEXIT movement  is launched.

Big things are coming for this big state, we believe. And whats more, Texas move to be independent again is likely to awaken like-minded Americans in other states.

See more reporting like this at Freedom.news.

Sources include:

TNM.me

Resist.news

The Harris County District Attorneys Office has asked Texas highest-ranking criminal judges to consider a new punishment for Raymond George Riles  the states longest-serving inmate awaiting execution following the 1974 murder of a Houston man.

The former trucker, now 70, has been locked up for more than 40 years. But for decades, Riles  convicted in 1976 of capital murder  has been considered mentally ill and incompetent for execution and no date has recently been set. His lawyers and prosecutors now agree that the Court of Criminal Appeals should let Riles have a second chance at a punishment hearing.

In a brief, District Attorney Kim Ogg outlined her reasoning. Sentencing for capital crimes, she said, have changed since Riles conviction. Juries  prompted by the so-called Penry claim set through a U.S. Supreme Court precedent  are now asked to weigh mitigating evidence, such as an offenders childhood trauma, brain injuries or mental illness, into the punishment.

In 1976, Riles capital murder jury was not given this opportunity, Ogg said in a later statement.

Riles, then 24, and an accomplice, Herbert Washington, shot and killed a used car dealer in Houstons Northside neighborhood. The duo confronted the victim, 31-year-old John Thomas Henry, over the condition of a car and shot him while demanding the money back, authorities said.

Riles pocketed $42 from the robbery.

Washington, also sentenced to death, had his sentence overturned and he pleaded guilty to two related charges.

Our prosecutors notified the crime victims son, Ogg continued in a statement. These cases are heartbreaking because the process takes so long that laws can and sometimes do change, and it just prolongs justice and healing for the families of the dead.

The brief, published Friday, concludes with Ogg asking that a new punishment hearing take place and for a jury to take that evidence into account. The outcome could lead to a jury sticking to the death penalty or a number of years determined by that jury.

Defense attorneys for Riles argue that mitigating evidence would include serious mental illness since childhood.

Mr. Riles mental illness is one of the diverse frailties of humankind that a jury must be permitted to weigh when deciding whether to impose the ultimate punishment, lawyer Jim Marcus, of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, said in a statement.

Marcus and co-counsel Thea Posel, also with the university, said that Riles has been treated with heavy antipsychotic drugs over the past four decades and that he had multiple trips between death row and the psychiatric hospital.

Unhinged antics were documented in the initial trial, in which Riles tore off a door jamb, jumped on the defense table and screamed that the judge and prosecutors were mad dogs.

On another occasion, he shouted religious scripture: Woe be to unjust judges. He was barred from the courtroom during most of the trial.

Riles had the death sentence reversed on appeal in 1978 but a jury again found him guilty and ordered him to be executed. He made notoriety again in 1985 when he set fire to himself  suffering burns to about 30 percent of his body  in his cell while reciting religious chants.

Early in his incarceration, Riles said he could no longer live under the mental stress prompted by death row and asked that the courts either set him free or execute him.

We suffer and we eventually end up executed anyway, Riles in 1986 told reporters. This is not living at all."

He was nearly executed by lethal injection that year and got as far ordering his last meal. A stay prevented the execution hours before the scheduled punishment.

Oggs 17-page document also cites another recent instance of where the Penry claim was used  with success. The state court, citing inadequate jury instructions, overturned in 2019 the death sentence for another longtime inmate, Cesar Fierro, in the 1980 killing of an El Paso man. Fierro was instead sentenced to life.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
Sam Ball has defended himself after his fat shaming comments about 'ex-wife' Elizabeth Sobinoff were revisited on the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion, which aired in Australia on Monday night.

In an Instagram post, the 28-year-old wrote that he 'couldn't believe' he was still dealing with the fallout of the show years after he appeared on the 2019 season, where he was paired with Lizzie, 29.

The army recruit said: 'Even though I didn't go I assume I'll be on it tonight because it makes them massive money from whoever watches so I hope its entertaining.

Anger: Sam Ball (pictured) has defended himself after his fat shaming comments about 'ex-wife' Elizabeth Sobinoff were revisited on the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion, which aired in Australia on Monday night

'I can't believe this is all even still a thing three weeks of my life and it's still on TV two years later'.

Sam also re-shared a video he had posted a week earlier, in which he insisted the show is 'all scripted' and producers had told him what to say, and how to act.

'Producers ask you and hit you up about your new partner,' he said. 'They go off track, manipulate you and tell you what to say and ask questions until you answer it they want you to answer it.

Long lasting: In an Instagram post, the 28-year-old wrote that he 'couldn't believe' he was still dealing with the fallout of the show years after he appeared on the 2019 season, where he was paired with Lizzie, 29

Invention? Sam also re-shared a video he had posted a week earlier, in which he insisted the show is 'all scripted' and producers had told him what to say, and how to act

'I thought Lizzie was a lovely girl, I was trying to give her positive compliments until they told me to say what was said, so that's what happened,' he added of the 'fat-shaming' incident.

'Lizzie got out of the f**king limo and says, "Oh, my God, look how chunky tubby is." She fat-shamed me and I said she's bigger than the girl I usually dated, meaning height and stuff like that.'

Sam went on to suggest that producers 'fat-shamed' Elizabeth in front of him.

'I didn't want to fat-shame her at all, that's not what my intentions were. They were the ones who said, "Sam, she's a big girl mate, what are you doing?!" That's messed up, they shouldn't do it, it's all bulls**t,' he said.

No love: 'I thought Lizzie was a lovely girl, I was trying to give her positive compliments until they told me to say what was said, so that's what happened,' he added of the 'fat-shaming' incident. Sam is pictured with Elizabeth on their wedding day in 2019

Oh dear: The fitness enthusiast enraged viewers when he fat shamed Elizabeth, who has since lost 10 kilos, on their wedding day during season six. 'I've never really dated girls as big as Elizabeth to be honest. It's obviously a topic that's troubled her in the past,' he said

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Channel Nine for comment.

The fitness enthusiast enraged viewers when he fat shamed Elizabeth, who has since lost 10 kilos, on their wedding day during season six.

'I've never really dated girls as big as Elizabeth to be honest. It's obviously a topic that's troubled her in the past,' he said.

Sam also sparked outrage after revealing his plans to help Elizabeth lose weight after their televised nuptials.

'She's got a beautiful face... Maybe I'll get her running in the mornings... but she'll be right. We'll get her going,' he said.

Nope! Sam also sparked outrage after revealing his plans to help Elizabeth lose weight. 'Maybe I'll get her running in the mornings... We'll get her going,' he said. Sam is pictured recently

On Monday night's episode, Lizzie said she still lived with hurt from those comments, and would never forgive Sam for making them.

'His comments, the weight comments, have still trickled over. I never escaped that, and I don't think I ever will be able to escape that,' she said.

'Every day, every day walking down the street - not a day goes by my weight is not questioned thanks to this person.'

She added: 'I will never forgive that person. For not apologising, and acting like, oh, it's not a big deal. It is. Every day, I can never escape that - being the former fat girl.'
If you wanted anyone to be running your airline during a crisis, youd probably want Michael OLeary.

Love him or loathe him, agree or disagree with him, theres one thing you can be sure of: he doesnt care what you think of him and wont pull punches.

All he wants you to do is book a flight with Ryanair and he makes no apologies for it.

And the aviation chief never wastes a good crisis.

During his near 30-year run as Ryanair chief executive, the veteran airline boss has managed through the fallout from the 9/11 terror attacks, an exploding Icelandic volcano, some particularly dire customer service incidents, high-profile battles with the European Commission, and much more.

This mornings interview on RTEs Morning Ireland wasnt the first time he has criticised Nphet and the handling of the Covid crisis here. It wont be the last.

Theres a line in that old Tom Cruise movie, A Few Good Men, where an arrogant base commander played by Jack Nicholson is questioned by an investigator probing a death.

Dont think for one second that you can come down here, flash a badge and make me nervous, he retorts.

Read More

Mr OLeary has been forged in a similar furnace.

The pandemic has blighted the airline sector around the globe. Dozens of carriers have already gone bust. Others have had to urgently seek State aid to prevent collapse.

But for Ryanair, Covid is also an unprecedented opportunity. The carrier thinks the crisis will see it cement its position as Europes biggest low-cost carrier in the longer term.

Under OLearys hand, the airline has amassed around 3.5bn of cash in the bank  enough to weather the crisis until vaccination programmes are effectively complete and people take to the air en masse again. Ryanair is now waiting for the storm to pass. Other airlines won't survive that long.

In December, Ryanair confirmed an order for 75 additional Boeing Max 200 jets, bringing its total firm commitment for orders of the aircraft to 210. Those jets have a list price of $22bn (18bn).

The first deliveries of its Max jets  now back in service following two deadly crashes  will be made in coming weeks.

The outlook for Ryanair is all about growth opportunities across Europe. Mr OLeary has predicted a sharp turnaround in the airlines fortunes once a chunk of the continents population is vaccinated.

There is no airport slot restrictions to our growth and expansion over the next year or two, he told financial analysts this morning after the carrier reported third-quarter results.

If I could get all 200 aircraft from Boeing in the next three months we could happily allocate all those aircraft in the next three, four months without any slot restrictions whatsoever, he said.

And while Ryanairs jab and go advertising, urging people to book flights because vaccines were being rolled out, was criticised and fell foul of the advertising watchdog, the carrier will do what it takes to spur bookings.

Since we ran the jab and go advertising over Christmas and into the New Year, weve seen a significant uptick in holiday bookings out of the UK, Germany, Spain and out of Ireland, said Mr OLeary this morning.

Were clearly behind where we would normally have been at this time of the year for forward bookings into the summer holiday period, so weve a bit of a ways to go to catch up, he said. We think that will be caught up very quickly once theres more confidence in the vaccine programme, and the removal of lockdown restrictions and travel restrictions.

He continued his tirade against the handling of the Covid crisis in Ireland.

Were continuing to keep the pressure on, particularly in countries like Ireland where Covidhas been mismanaged, he claimed.

He said there was a daily diatribe of misery about the number of cases and hospitalisations, while avoiding, he claimed, details on the numbers whove been vaccinated.

What Mr OLeary says about running airlines should be taken seriously, he is an expert. But hes by no means an expert on public health and when it comes to travel policy the reality is it needs to be set by governments for airlines, not the other way around.

Mr OLeary has been asked from time to time over the years if hed turn his talents to politics, as if hed be adept at running the country and government departments efficiently.

In a 2010 poll by Irishhealth.com, 42pc of respondents said the airline chief would be their top pick for running the HSE  far ahead of any other suggestions.

Mr OLeary may be the best guy to have in the cockpit at an airline dealing with a crisis.

But running the HSE or any government department is not like running an airline.

By Elaine Lies and Eimi Yamamitsu

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan called on Myanmar on Monday to release Aung San Suu Kyi and others arrested after the military seized power from a democratically elected government, adding it had long supported democracy in the nation and demanded it be promptly restored.

Japan and Myanmar have close ties, with Tokyo a major aid donor over the years and scores of firms engaged in business activities there.

Myanmar's army declared a state of emergency on Monday and said it had detained senior government leaders, accusing Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) of winning a landslide victory in the Nov.8 vote through "election fraud".

"We are concerned about the state of emergency issued in Myanmar, which damages the democratic process, and call for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and others who were detained," chief cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news conference.

"The Japanese government has long been a strong supporter of the democratic process in Myanmar, and opposes any situation that reverses it," he added.

"Our nation strongly calls on the military to promptly restore democracy."

As part of efforts to contain the growing influence of China in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, Japan has been focusing on "capacity building support" with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries in its security strategy over recent years.

This has included strengthening relations between defense authorities with the Myanmar military as well. But Japan may now be forced to rethink this, said a ruling party lawmaker familiar with Japanese defense policy, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.

ENSURING CITIZEN SAFETY

There are an estimated 3,500 Japanese in Myanmar, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, Tokyo had been advising citizens to put off travel there, said a Foreign Ministry official, who asked to remain unidentified, adding there are no current plans to stiffen that advisory.

Story continues

The official also said there are no plans as yet to repatriate Japanese citizens in the country but added they would be keeping a close eye on the situation.

Kato emphasized that the government would do everything in its power to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals.

"At this point there are no reports of any clashes, but we'll update information and take measures as needed," he told an earlier news conference.

"Japan believes it is important for the parties to solve problems peacefully through dialogue in accordance with the democratic process," he added.

The Japanese embassy in Myanmar, in a message posted on the Foreign Ministry's website, said while the situation in the country at this point did not appear to be one that would involve ordinary people, people should exercise caution.

"We encourage people to stay inside and refrain from going out unless absolutely essential," it added.

Hundreds of Burmese and Japanese protesters gathered in downtown Tokyo, wearing masks and holding portraits of Aung San Suu Kyi, to demand that the United Nations further condemn the detention of the country's leaders.

"I'm worried (about my family)," said Tin Htway, a 22-year-old Burmese restaurant worker who attended the protest. "But more than them I'm worried about Aung San Suu Kyi."

(Additional reporting by Mari Saito, Nobuhiro Kubo, Ju-min Park and Yoshifumi Takemoto; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, Simon Cameron-Moore and Philippa Fletcher)
Westworld actress Evan Rachel Wood is publicly accusing her ex-fiance Marilyn Manson of sexual abuse for the first time.

The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson. He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years. I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander or blackmail, Wood said in a statement Monday. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wood first opened up about sexual assault in 2016, revealing that she was raped twice and attempted suicide at age 22. She identified one of her abusers only as a significant other who abused her while they were together.

Wood reportedly met Manson when she was 18 and he was 36. They went public with their relationship in 2007 and were briefly engaged in 2010.

Deadline reports at least three other women have posted their own allegations against Manson on Instagram. Some of the details were reported by Vanity Fair, including rape, blackmail, manipulation, isolation and physical abuse, such as cutting.

Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, has not commented on the new allegations but has previously denied any claim of sexual impropriety or imprisonment as false. A police report in May 2018 accused him of unspecified sex crimes dating back to 2011, but was declined by the district attorney because the statute of limitations had expired and due to an absence of corroboration, according to the court filing.

Warner, 52, is best known as the shock rocker behind 90s and 2000s hits like The Beautiful People, The Dope Show, Rock is Dead and Disposable Teens. Hes also made film and TV appearances in Jawbreaker, Bowling for Columbine, Californication, Sons of Anarchy and The New Pope.

Wood, 33, is a three-time Emmy nominee and a Critics Choice Award winner whose credits include Thirteen, Across the Universe, The Wrestler, True Blood, Westworld and Disneys Frozen II.
NASA is hoping the second time will be the charm for Artemis I.

The space agency announced its plans to conduct a second Green Run hot fire test as early as the last week in February. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket's core stage completed the initial Green Run test earlier in January.

Goals achieved during the wet dress rehearsal and first hot fire test, according to NASA: transitioning to the automated launch sequence operated by the core stage flight computer and Green Run software,

completing the terminal countdown sequence that is like the launch countdown

pressuring the tanks and delivering propellant to the engines and demonstrating performance of the core stages main propulsion system,

firing the engines at 109 percent power level, and

operating the thrust vector control system that steers the engines.

The hot fire test involves firing all four RS-25 engines at once. In its first test, the engines shut down after firing for 67.2 seconds on January 16. NASA hoped to fire the engines for anywhere between four and eight minutes, "to simulate the amount of time it will take to send the rocket to space following the launch."

Initial data analyzed by Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) determined that "the hydraulic system associated with the core stage's power unit for Engine 2, also known as E2056, exceeded the pre-set test limits that had been established. As they were programmed to do, the flight computers automatically ended the test."

Both NASA and Boeing, the core stage lead contractor, determined that a second, longer hot fire test was needed "and would pose minimal risk to the Artemis I core stage while providing valuable data to help certify the core stage for flight."

NASA said its team also "repaired the faulty electrical harness which resulted in a notification of a Major Component Failure on Engine 4."

It will take a month after the second test for NASA to refurbish the core stage and the engines. It will then be taken via Pegasus barge to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida where it will be assembled along with the Orion spacecraft.

NASA said despite the setback, it still intends to launch Artemis I in 2021.
Pakistani officials say a military plane loaded with half a million doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine has landed in Pakistan, ahead of a planned national inoculation campaign.

Faisal Sultan, who advises Prime Minister Imran Khan on health issues, tweeted on February 1 that health workers will be first in line to be inoculated.

China, a neighbor and ally, has announced that it would donate the first batch of the vaccine to Pakistan.

Pakistan's Health Ministry announced last week that the country had also secured 17 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Also on February 1, elementary and middle schools reopened across Pakistan for the first time since November 25, when the country was experiencing a second wave of coronavirus infections.

Schools from grade 9 to 12 already reopened on January 18.

As of February 1, the authorities reported more than 546,000 coronavirus cases and over 11,600 related deaths.
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 coronavirus pandemic was relatively mild in Malawi last year, but a new devastating wave is overwhelming the country's health care system, medical aid group MSF has told the BBC.



The first few weeks of January has seen the number of Covid-19 cases double every four to five days, MSF says.



"We have now between 800 and 1,200 new cases per day - and this is most likely an underestimation considering the number of tests performed is still limited," MSF's Fabrice Weissman told Focus on Africa.



He says the cases are mainly concentrated in the cities of Blantyre and Lilongwe and it is likely that the South Africa variant is responsible for this second wave during the festive season.



"It started in December - the first cases were related to Malawian workers coming back from South Africa and since then it has been local transmission.



"This strain appears to be maybe not more severe, but a lot more contagious."



He said health workers were working extremely hard and capably to increase bed capacity to cope with the situation, but they were suffering too.



"The main constraints to fight the epidemic is the lack of human resources because we have more than 1,100 health staff who have contracted the disease in Malawi... the health work force is deeply affected."



The other problem was oxygen, which was in short supply, he said.



Vaccinations were needed urgently but delivery was unlikely until April, he added.

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
The left is trying to gradually purge us off the entire internet By Rachel Alexander

Weve learned by now that the purges happening on social media are not just aimed at extremists, as the left first claimed, they are gradually moving the goalposts to snare the rest of us conservatives too. Toward the beginning of the purges, the left claimed they were just banning people who incited or threatened violence. Then it moved to banning people who posted false memes (never mind that many of these memes were merely opinions or satire). Now the excuses are flying like crazy, anything from questioning the results of the presidential election to promoting MAGA, which theyre claiming is synonymous with white supremacy. It is terrifying for those of us who make a living dependent on social media, and thats a lot of us because its become a primary method for advertising products and services. Its also disturbing because thats where much of societys political debate and organizing takes place now. Big tech gets away with it because they are private companies not subject to the First Amendment. Unfortunately, the purging didnt stop with social media. Were already seeing other types of platforms ban conservatives. YouTube, which is owned by Google, is kicking conservatives off. Financial companies, such as fundraising sites like GoFundMe and transactional sites like PayPal and Venmo, are banning them. Wordpress, which is used by 20% of sites worldwide as their content management system, has started purging us. Conservative Treehouse, a fairly popular site, was deplatformed in November with no explanation. We can come up with our own alternatives, but the left is setting its sights far deeper to undermine them. Were seeing it in their efforts to get rid of our competing sites. Amazon banned Parler from its cloud hosting service, and Google and Apple banned it from their App stores. The companies claimed its because users of Parler plotted the violence at the U.S. Capitol through its platform. But Antifa and BLM plot violence on Twitter and nothing has happened to Twitter. Parler initially stated it would take a week to find a new hosting company, but its been well over a week and its still offline. Gab, another social media site conservatives have been migrating to, has been targeted for a couple of years. Apple refused to accept its app in its App store. Twitter cut off access to its API. Amazon, PayPal, GoDaddy, Stripe and Medium have cut off their connections. Its hosting provider Joyent terminated service last fall, forcing Gab to move elsewhere. The companies cited Gabs free speech policy, which is so broad racists sometimes sneak through. But Twitter is full of racists who are allowed to stay, such as radical Islamists threatening violence toward Jews. The lefts targeting of hosting companies in order to pull the rug out from under our platforms is disturbing, since there are only so many access points to the internet. A new social media company that is about to launch told me they are using servers based in the Isle of Man. But even that might not be enough. I spoke with Larry Ward, the president of Politica Media, Inc., a conservative digital advertising agency who hosts my website. He warns, If the U.S. government wants to cut off overseas hosting, it can in the same way it can seize finances, by exerting its influence, power financially and militarily over the host country. Similarly, the left is talking about going after cable internet providers and pressuring them to drop conservatives. Ward observes that current law protects them from kicking us off based on ideology, but the Democrats can figure out how to change that. If companies can ban hate speech on the internet, why not ban it at the entry point to the internet? Another area the left will likely target is domain name regulation, because it can undermine us even if we have separate platforms, hosting companies and internet providers. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers regulates the backbone of the internet, overseeing how domains connect. A private company located in California and composed of leadership from all over the world, it used to be under U.S. government oversight, but that was removed in 2016. ICANN makes decisions such as deciding to add an .xxx top level domain for pornography. I worked for Go Daddy as corporate counsel back in 2003-2004, and saw then how the globalists running it might some day use it to block conservatives. Since so much of our lives and business need the internet, the banning has a ripple effect on our lives offline. Purging us off the internet also purges us out of much of society. Run a hate campaign against a church and people will stop attending that church. Cut conservatives who have been wrongly fired from major funding sources like GoFundMe and they wont be able to scrape by. Ban them from social media and it becomes very difficult to organize rallies and meetings and network. How far will they get? So far, in just the few days since Joe Biden took office, the left has begun imploding a bit, feuding between factions since their beliefs rely on special interests, not consistent principles. This will make it harder for them to move fast and come to a consensus on banning us. They want to purge 75 million of us  but that number includes their family members, close friends, business associates, etc. If your wife has been doxxed by the left, its probably going to affect your income, and may even affect your own job because the left frequently targets family members of those they go after. Theyre already purging moderates with no shame. Removing Section 230 protections from big tech would be a big step in the right direction. But it is only chipping away at the tip of the iceberg. The right needs to get better at anticipating the lefts next moves because thats how they operate, in chess moves far down the road. For example, we need to get our own representatives in ICANN. Ward says we need to start operating our own ISPs/broadband providers and build our own data centers in internet hub cities in order to become carrier agnostic. I asked Ward, if the left is able to kick us off of ISPs, will we need to start from scratch, installing a second layer of cable in the ground? I was hoping he would dismiss my fear as baseless, but he didnt, this is how far they could go to drive us out. I told a very intelligent friend of mine on the left about it, and he didnt deny it. Instead he joked, Soon your side will be communicating with smoke signals. While I believe its inevitable that big tech is going to purge most conservatives from their platforms within a year or so, we can be prepared in advance. Instead of everyone building the next social media alternative, we need to spread out and start working on other layers of the internet. The left will be so busy feuding within its factions that there is a chance we can pull this off. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications.mericano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications.

Home
Egypts Defence Minister Mohamed Zaki and the African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki discussed a number of issues of mutual interest in a meeting in Cairo on Monday.

The meeting tackled the latest developments in Africa and their reflection on the continents security and peace, as well as how to address African challenges and consolidate security and stability, said a statement by the Egyptian military spokesperson.

Minister Zaki expressed his pride in the strategic partnership between the Egyptian Armed Forces and the African Union Commission in various fields, particularly in peacekeeping in Africa.

Faki, who is on a multi-day visit to Egypt, also expressed his aspiration for further coordination on issues of mutual concern, the statement added.

The meeting was attended by a number of high-ranking commanders from the Egyptian Armed Forces.

On Sunday, Faki met with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, discussing a number of African issues including the latest developments in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam negotiations, which have been under AU auspices since last year.

Short link:


Workers at the Coles supermarket distribution centre at Heathwood, in southern Brisbane, are opposed to the looming closure of their warehouse, just like their fellow Coles warehouse workers at Sydneys Smeaton Grange facility in NSW.

They are angry that the United Workers Union (UWU), which covers warehouse workers nationally, has told them nothing about the two-month lock-out of workers at Smeaton Grange and has accepted the Heathwood closure as well.

Speaking to a WSWS reporting team yesterday, workers also voiced outrage at the speed-up, harassment and victimisation of their counterparts at the Heathwood warehouse, as Coles management seeks to suppress all opposition to its restructuring plans.

SEP campaigners speak with Coles warehouse workers in Melbourne

The workers comments underscore the fact that the Smeaton Grange closure is part of a wider program by Coles nationally to replace its existing warehouses with larger and more automated facilities, destroying thousands of jobs in the process.

Just like the Coles warehouse workers in Melbourne, who face similar closures, the UWU is trying to block information from reaching the Brisbane workers about the struggle at Smeaton Grange, in order to isolate the locked-out workers.

With the agreement of the UWU, Coles plans to shut the Heathwood warehouse by next year, in order to open a vast new plant it is currently building at Redbank, in Brisbanes west, near the citys major Australia Post mail and parcel delivery facility.

The UWU plans to enforce the Heathwood closure, ending the jobs of hundreds of workers. This highlights how much is at stake in defeating the unions attempt to help the company ram through a ballot this week to sell out the struggle of the Smeaton Grange workers.

An estimated 1,000 workers are employed at the Heathwood facility and a related nearby warehouse, and all could lose their jobs.

A unified fight by all Coles and other warehouse workers is urgently needed to halt the companys offensive, but the UWU is intent on preventing precisely that. So clearly, workers will be required to organise the fight themselves, by setting up a network of rank-and-file committees, completely independent of the UWU and the entire trade union apparatus

The WSWS team distributed copies of the Socialist Equality Partys January 27 statement calling for a no vote in this weeks ballot, in order to reject the UWUs betrayal at Smeaton Grange, as the first step toward launching an independent struggle in defence of all jobs and against the closures.

Only one Brisbane worker, to whom the WSWS reporters spoke, had been told anything about the Smeaton Grange lock-out. That worker said he only knew about the struggle at Smeaton Grange because of a brief notice on a bulletin board.

Each of the workers who spoke to the WSWS reporters wished to remain anonymous, for fear of company retaliation. They were concerned that Coles workers across the country were equally being kept in the dark about what was happening to them in Brisbane.

One worker described the union as useless because it had been told at least a year ago that Coles intended to shut the Heathwood warehouse and had decided to let that go through. He also said the management was continually threatening to chip [discipline] workers for minor alleged defects, such as the condition of their boots.

The WSWS asked another worker, who spoke from his car as he left, after finishing his shift, if workers were being intimidated at Heathwood. Yep youre not wrong, he replied.

Asked to comment further, he said: Well, where to start? We are getting pressed about percentages, and this thing called trending down. Ive been harassed. I was doing two hours of work on a forklift, and I was on 83 percent and they were telling me, Aw no, you have to be higher when I dont even get a chance to be on the forklift for very long because I go into multiple different areas.

We have been getting harassed for times. If we are one minute past coming off our break, or if we stop and have a little chat in the isles, weve been told: No get back to work, chatting is for your smokos.

Its like they dont believe you if you have to have a day off, because youre sick or you have to look after someone at home. You have to bring them proof. It never used to be like this. A lot of us used to enjoy working for Coles.

These oppressive conditions had been imposed in the past three years, pretty much since we got told were gonna be getting the sack, basically. However, we havent been told anything other than the place is going to be closing in 2022, or something like that. Thats all we were told.

From my understanding, we have got a job until the EBA [a Coles-UWU enterprise bargaining agreement] finishes in 2022. Thats my understanding of it. He said workers had not been give a closure date. I think a lot of people would like to know when we close, because a lot of us dont, he said.

WSWS reporters explained that the Socialist Equality Party is urging workers to build independent rank-and-file committees to fight the closures and the wider offensive launched by the capitalist class, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The worker asked how this initiative was going, seeking more information and clarification.

The worker said he was a union member, and that the union was helping the harassment of workers. But it had told them nothing about the Smeaton Grange lock-out. We dont know anything, I dont know anything about it, he said. I havent been in any union discussion for a while. The unions used to hold discussions, but not recently.

Speaking of the impact of automation, he said: Look at it in 10 to 20 years and everythings going to be automated, and I think the new skills you have to learn at school are with computers.

Another worker, who had been employed at Heathwood for five years, said that with the closure coming, he could not find an alternative job. He described the situation as hard because, I am not sure what I am going to do after this job.

Another worker said he had been at Coles for 23 years. He said the Heathwood workers were facing an even worse outcome than those at Smeaton Grange. At Heathwood, the workers would get only a 38-week redundancy payout, while he thought the Smeaton Grange workers were getting 80 weeks.
On the eve of a second wave of national mass protests in support of jailed opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, Russian police detained Sergei Smirnov, editor in chief of the independent news outlet Mediazona, outside his Moscow home as he left to take a walk with his small son.

In a widely shared video, the boy can be seen watching stoically, even smiling, as Smirnov asks the arresting officer in plainclothes to put on a mask against the coronavirus and telephones his wife to come and take care of the child.

By the time the January 31 protests were over, at least 82 journalists had been detained in cities across the country, according to the Open Media website, which is funded by exiled opposition businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky, citing the nonstate Union of Journalists and Media Workers.

A protest and police-response monitor, OVD-Info, put the number of journalists detained at 91.

The Union of Journalists said 21 of the journalists were detained in Moscow and 10 in St. Petersburg. In all, the union documented 104 violations of the rights of journalists in connection with the January 31 protest, including 16 cases in which police visited journalists ahead of the demonstration to "warn" them against covering the event.

"The arrest and detention of Smirnov and dozens of other journalists is an attempt to intimidate and silence Russia's independent media during a moment of national upheaval," Polina Sadovskaya, Eurasia program director of PEN America, said in a statement condemning the detentions by the government of President Vladimir Putin. "In attempting to intimidate and silence the press, Putin's government exposes its own fear of those who report the truth."

The detentions came in the wake of a similar sweep during the first wave of protests on January 23, during which the Union of Journalists and Media Workers and the Russian Union of Journalists documented 52 violations of the rights of journalists in 17 different cities. Sixteen journalists were reported detained in St. Petersburg.

The International Press Institute on January 25 condemned those detentions and said they were "yet another stain on the Russian government's dismal press freedom record and a stark example of the tactics used by the security forces to suppress media coverage of protests critical of the Kremlin."

The crackdown on journalists during the Navalny protests follows a pattern developed by the authorities in response to a wave of demonstrations that broke out last summer in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, said local journalist Tatyana Khlestunova. Those protests, which continue to the present, aim to support arrested former Khabarovsk regional Governor Sergei Furgal, a popular figure who many locals believe was removed at the behest of the ruling United Russia party.

Khabarovsk was hit particularly hard in the latest preemptive sweep of journalists. Two journalists were detained on January 22. Two others got the knock on January 29 and two more the following day. On January 31 itself, at least five journalists were detained covering the protest in Khabarovsk -- Daniil Kulikov, Roman Lazukov, Yekaterina Ishchenko, Aleksandra Teplyakova, and Maria Nuikina.

However, Khlestunova noted in an interview with the Siberia Desk of RFE/RL's Russian Service, local journalists have faced detention and administrative charges since the Furgal protests began in July.

"Now we can speak of a 'carousel' here," Khlestunova said. "They are detained; then there is a hearing while they are held in pretrial detention; then the court gives them a fine or a jail term; then as soon as they are released, they are grabbed again and placed back on the carousel -- more case reports, more pretrial detention, another hearing. This has happened to me."

Officers from the Interior Ministry's notorious Center E anti-extremism division are constantly monitoring the Internet, Khlestunova said.

"As far as I can tell, since they can't find the organizers of the [Furgal] protests because there weren't any, they just began looking for the most active people. But they arrested them and still the protests continued.... So they start detaining anyone carrying signs and that doesn't help. So they set their sights on journalists. If you are wearing a press card, you are automatically on the list of people to be watched."

Khlestunova connects the crackdown with the upcoming elections to the State Duma, Russia's lower parliament chamber, to be held by mid-September, which are seen as a major test of the legitimacy of Putin's continued rule.

"Preparations for the September elections are under way," she said. "They are getting ready to push all the active people -- activists or journalists -- aside if they present a danger for their election campaign. Once we have been convicted administratively several times, we can now be put away for several years or, at the very least, subjected to intimidation measures."

Shortly before her arrest on November 7, Khlestunova called on social media for more citizen's journalism.

It is crucial that people know what is going on," she wrote. "If journalists are under pressure, then everyone must learn how to do livestreams and post information. Post a livestream from wherever you are -- from the window of your house or from the sidewalk. If you see a demonstration, post about it on social media so that the country will know. We are being arrested -- so everyone must become a blogger."

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service and Current Time

"Our once serene and sane lives have been disrupted by the pandemic for far too long, with the announcement of our very first yearlong campaign, 'A Year of Colors', we hope to shed a ray of sunshine through this big dreary cloud and paint this brand-new year with beautiful colors," said Oscar Lin, Head of the Monitor Business Unit at ViewSonic. "Our purpose is to encourage people from all over the world to combine their imagination with the beauty of colors and shape our Instagram into a hub of positivity energy and inspiration. We are looking forward to seeing unique artwork by creators from all over the world."

This year, the ColorPro Instagram account will be color coordinated by focusing on one color and building the feed around it each month. All colors have been chosen for a specific reason, such as holidays or seasons associated with the month. The submissions of March's color, "Red", is open from February 1st all the way till the end of the month. ViewSonic will announce the winner on March 15th. At the end of 2021, audiences' favorite artwork will be revealed publicly as well.

To show examples of how to participate in the campaign, January and February are represented as trial run months. Renee Robyn, a renowned photographer and digital artist from the United States, is January's honored guest. She is frequently featured on ColorPro's Instagram stories, and her artwork related to the January color, "ColorPro Blue", is also presented on ColorPro's Instagram account; while the February color resonates with one of Pantone's 2021 colors of the year, "Illuminating Yellow", which is associated with optimism and vivacity.

The ColorPro series of professional monitors combine the art and science of amazing colors. They are designed for photographers, graphic designers, video editors, and creators. During this campaign, ViewSonic has invited 12 incredibly artistic influencers all over the world to create stunning, color-accurate, true-to-life images. These influencers will also share their insights and perspectives on the meaning of colors.

Come and be a part of the color palette. To view more of the latest submissions, please visit the official ColorPro Instagram account.

"A Year of Colors" Campaign Details*

Entry Period: February 1 st , 2021 to November 30 th , 2021.

February 1 , 2021 to , 2021. How to Enter:

1) Follow the official ColorPro Instagram account on Instagram.

2) Post a photo related to the monthly color with a public Instagram account.

3) Tag the official ColorPro Instagram account on the photo.

4) Hashtag "#MyVisionPrecisely" and located country (e.g., #USA, #Japan) in the post caption.

1) Follow the official ColorPro Instagram account on Instagram. 2) Post a photo related to the monthly color with a public Instagram account. 3) Tag the official ColorPro Instagram account on the photo. 4) Hashtag "#MyVisionPrecisely" and located country (e.g., #USA, #Japan) in the post caption. Winner Selection: All entries will be judged by their overall impact, originality, creativity, color, and tone. The winning artwork will be announced on Instagram on the 15 th of each month.

All entries will be judged by their overall impact, originality, creativity, color, and tone. The winning artwork will be announced on Instagram on the 15 of each month. Prize: A ColorPro VP2785- 2K professional display to one winner each month.

* The Contest is hosted and sponsored by ViewSonic International Corp., located in New Taipei City, Taiwan. ViewSonic International Corp. is a subsidiary company of ViewSonic Corp. located in California, USA.

* View Terms and conditions.

About ViewSonic

Founded in California, ViewSonic is a leading global provider of visual solutions and conducts business in over 100 countries worldwide. As an innovator and visionary, ViewSonic is committed to providing comprehensive hardware and software solutions that include monitors, projectors, digital signage, ViewBoard interactive displays, and the myViewBoard software ecosystem. With over 30 years of expertise in visual displays, ViewSonic has established a strong position for delivering innovative and reliable solutions for education, enterprise, consumer, and professional markets and helping customers "See the Difference." To find out more about ViewSonic, please visit www.viewsonic.com.

SOURCE ViewSonic
Banning indoor visits to elderly relatives in care homes could soon be made illegal.

Legislation has been drafted to stop families being torn apart.

The proposal, which will be presented to Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Wednesday, would give all residents the right to receive visits from a close relative or friend.

Every care home resident has now been offered their first Covid jab.

The proposal, which will be presented to Health Secretary Matt Hancock , would give all residents the right to receive visits from a close relative or friend

Banning indoor visits to elderly relatives in care homes could soon be made illegal

However ministers say it is still too soon to safely reopen care homes to indoor visits, despite claims that vulnerable pensioners face 'dying of loneliness and isolation'.

Visits resumed briefly in December after the Daily Mail campaigned for visitor testing, but the third national lockdown forced them to be stopped again.

I fear mum will die of loneliness, says West End star Ruthie By Health Correspondent West End star Ruthie Henshall has been banned from seeing her 87-year-old mother Gloria for close to a year and fears she could 'die of loneliness'. The 53-year-old is calling for a change in the law so she can finally be reunited with her mother, who has Alzheimer's disease and lives in a care home in Ipswich. Demand to change law: Ruthie Henshall with mum before lockdown West End star Miss Henshall, who appeared in last year's I'm A Celebrity, said her mother's health 'plummeted downhill' after months alone. She said: 'I haven't been able to be near her for a year now. At the beginning of the first lockdown she was walking and talking. Four months later she was not walking or talking and all her food had to be mushed up to get it down her. 'She has just gone downhill, plummeted downhill.' Gloria received the first dose of the vaccine last week but it will be three months until the next dose. Her daughter said: 'We are the eyes, the ears, the voice and the memory of these people. They are dying from loneliness and isolation. Every other member of society has had the right to a support bubble. People in care homes are not being given that right.' Miss Henshall is calling for a new law which recognises family members of residents as essential carers, so they are treated equally to members of staff looking after their loved ones. She said: 'We are not talking about letting everybody and anybody into a home, we are talking about two hours a week for family members. I have had an all-clear after a rapid Covid test I took for work so why are we not being given the opportunity to visit my mother? Together with PPE and a temperature check that is more than enough. 'We need to pass a law so that at least one member of family can see a loved one. It is unacceptable and unbearable. 'She deserves to have her hair brushed and her feet rubbed. We are her carers too  let us in!' Advertisement

Labour veteran Harriet Harman, chairman of the Commons joint committee on human rights, warned that outright visiting bans are a breach of the Human Rights Act.

She is leading a move, backed by campaign groups, to ensure close relatives have the same legal status as paid carers. A similar law is in place in Canada.

Last night she said: 'We have drafted a complete set of regulations which mean a close relative is treated the same as someone who works in the home.

'A relative is part of the care team and the care home must allow a visit by this person significant to the service user.

'Everybody has a right to a family life. That's one of the basic human rights. You don't stop having a right to family life just because you live in residential care, in fact family can be even more important.'

Ms Harman said the regulations would be published tomorrow fully-drafted and could be implemented immediately if the Government agrees to them. She said: 'Time is really important on this. The ending of blanket bans should happen now.'

Families yesterday spoke of their agony after hopes were dashed that the vaccine rollout would allow them to be reunited.

Diane Mayhew, from campaign group Rights for Residents, said: 'Once again we're being told the vaccine isn't going to make a difference to families being reunited with their loved ones even though they've had their first dose. It could be another 12 weeks before the second dose is rolled out. Unfortunately many of our loved ones won't be here then, they'll have died of loneliness and isolation.'

She said relatives should be viewed as 'essential family carers' and that the risk of Covid must be balanced against the damage of isolation. She added: 'Thousands of people have died from giving up the will to live, refusing to eat and drink, because they have nothing to live for. Don't their lives matter as well?'

Michael Blackstad, whose wife Trisha has Alzheimer's and is in a care home in Hampshire, said he has not been able to see her even though they've both been vaccinated.

He told the BBC: 'I've had two Pfizer jabs and my wife has had one Oxford jab at the care home. But it hasn't made any difference to our ability to meet up and hold hands and see each other properly. I'm still meeting her through a screen, distanced and with a mask on.'

Fiona Carragher, a director of the Alzheimer's Society, said: 'It's great to see the milestone met to protect care home residents and we applaud all those who have worked tirelessly to meet it.

'The most pressing question now is how and when can care homes restart safe, meaningful visits. Combined with PPE and testing, isn't one jab enough? If not, what else needs to be in place? Another 12-week wait is unacceptable for people dying of loneliness. We need a swifter rollout of the second jab, as well as ensuring all staff receive it.'

Liz Kendall, Labour's social care spokesman, called for an urgent plan to reunite families. She said: 'After almost a year of this pandemic, many families are desperate to visit their loved ones in care homes. The news of the vaccine has offered hope to many  but the Government is still unable to tell us when families will be reunited.' A Department of Health spokesman said: 'Care home visits can continue to take place with arrangements such as outdoor visiting, substantial screens, or visiting pods.

'Close-contact indoor visits are not currently allowed. While the vaccines provide protection from serious disease, we do not yet know if they prevent someone from passing on the virus to others. This means it is still important to follow the visiting guidance.

'We will be looking to ensure that a wider range of visiting arrangements are made available when it is safe to do so. We will publish updated guidance as this period of national lockdown ends.'

Ministers say it is still too soon to safely reopen care homes to indoor visits, despite claims that vulnerable pensioners face 'dying of loneliness and isolation'

Bosses blame blunders for care staff missing out on inoculations Ministers have been urged to improve the chaotic vaccination of care home staff after bosses blamed a catalogue of blunders for many missing out. Industry leaders say the NHS should make it as easy as possible for carers to be vaccinated to protect their health and reduce absence rates. But a survey reveals some roving vaccination teams are visiting homes with only enough doses for residents. Others are giving only an hours notice of their arrival, which leaves too little time for staff to get in if they are off-duty. And those who miss out have been asked to travel to vaccine centres in less convenient locations. The National Care Forum, which conducted the poll, said just 27 per cent of its member organisations had 70 per cent or more staff vaccinated by early last week. Executive director Vic Rayner said the drive to vaccinate almost all of Englands 400,000 elderly care home residents by the end of January had been a brilliant achievement. But she added: The prioritisation of staff vaccination does not appear to have been followed through with the same level of effectiveness. The Government has vowed to offer jabs to 15million of the UKs highest priority adults by February 15, including carers. Advertisement

ROS ALTMANN: We cannot squander this golden opportunity to open up care homes to visitors

By Ros Altmann, Former Pensions Minister

The Government and NHS deserve the highest praise for the successful roll-out of the vaccination programme in care homes. It has been inspiring to see this sector receiving top priority at last.

But the scale of the achievement must not be an excuse for complacency. We must now open up these homes again, allow proper visits by loved ones and release residents from the heavy bonds of confinement.

Two steps are urgently required. Firstly, to fulfil the promise to protect all residents, by offering a second jab.

I understand there are limited supplies but now that so many doses have been secured and new products are soon to be made available, care home residents must receive utmost priority. They should not have to wait 12 weeks for their second dose  it's vital they receive the highest levels of immunity as soon as possible.

The second step is to inoculate as many care home staff as possible so the spread of the disease through the social care system is controlled. This will be a big task, since there are 1.6 million workers in the sector, but the attempt to reach them all has been limited so far.

The vaccination drive must be intensified, since these employees are right on the frontline, shouldering huge burdens in a sector that is seriously short-staffed with more than 100,000 unfilled vacancies.

Once all staff and residents have been inoculated, the task of opening up care homes for loved ones to visit again can begin in earnest.

In the name of humanity, few objectives are more important than this. The current suffering, isolation and loneliness are colossal. Banning visitors has been tearing families apart, with the most vulnerable deprived of vital contact, many feeling utterly alone.

Care home residents bore the brunt of the death toll in the first wave, partly through appalling errors such as releasing Covid patients from hospitals into homes, or failing to supply proper protective equipment and testing.

Since then, the sector has endured the most draconian aspects of the lockdown. Many residents are confined to their rooms in solitary confinement, like prisoners  but with even fewer visiting rights.

Unable to meet other residents in their familiar communal settings, they have also been prevented from seeing their own families. One of the most basic human needs, that of reassuring physical contact with loved ones, has been tragically taken away.

Many with dementia struggle to recognise images on a small screen or voices on a telephone, meaning Zoom technology or FaceTime are no substitutes. Worst of all are those left to die on their own, without any friends or family around them. In their final hours on earth, the sense of abandonment must be terrifying.

Over the last 11 months, the catalogue of despair has grown remorselessly, filled with tales of residents crying in anguish or losing the will to live.

In my own experience, one of my friends has witnessed her mother's dementia worsen dramatically due to her feelings of isolation in her care home.

Before Covid, her mother's face would light up when her daughter came. Since March, rare permitted visits were often traumatic as her mother, trapped in her room, became painfully distressed, banging at the glass screens that prevent her from embracing her daughter.

The vaccine offers the way out of this cruel environment. Of course I understand there may be a safety-first approach, perhaps with limits on visitor numbers and appointment times required.

But excessive caution must not be allowed to triumph over basic compassion and human need. One way to lessen the anxieties of care homes would be for the Government to offer them indemnity insurance of the sort given to the NHS, to allay care home management fears of having to bear the costs of vexatious legal claims if visitors are allowed

In 2012, six Chinese miners developed a severe, pneumonia-like disease while cleaning out an abandoned copper mine in the county of Moijang (file image of a mine, left. Not the one cleaned out by the Chinese miners). All six died. Blood samples from the victims were sent for analysis to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) (top right) in Hubei Province. There the blood was analysed by Dr Shi Zhengli (left, in the WIV in 2017), a famous scientist known as 'Bat Woman' by her colleagues because of her pioneering virus-hunting expeditions to bat caves in remote parts of China over almost two decades. Nine years on and the miners of Mojiang are suddenly generating headlines worldwide after the Wall Street Journal reported conclusions from a confidential U.S. intelligence report claiming three researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) (top right) were hospitalised in November 2019 with symptoms 'consistent with Covid-19'. The revelation gives fresh impetus to long-standing claims that the novel coronavirus virus - official name SARS-CoV-2 - originated not at the Huanan seafood and wildlife market in Wuhan, or at any of the other suggested 'ground zeros', but via a leak in a Wuhan laboratory. So could the virus (or a related variant) that infected the miners - and which is known to have been studied in Wuhan - be the cause of a global pandemic that has caused 168 million confirmed cases and at least 3.5 million deaths to date? Bottom right: Dr Shi Zhengli with British scientist Dr Peter Daszak who runs a U.S. government-funded science group which for several years had financially backed the WIV in its hunt for new viruses in a bid to better predict emerging diseases.
Denyse April, RN, BScN, M.Ed and Nursing teacher of Cegep Heritage College; along with John Abbott Colleges Nursing Co-Chairperson Ute Beffert, RN BScN Med; and Nursing Instructor Jane Pearsall RN, BNSc., M.Ed.
The Hershey Company today launched its Cadbury Bunny Tryouts and said that the 2020 winner, Lieutenant Dan, will be a guest judge. The site will go live at noon Feb. 1.

To jumpstart the competition, Cadbury will unveil Lieutenant Dans first commercial in mid-February.

Lieutenant Dan will help narrow down the Bunny finalists and pass the coveted ears to one lucky winner, Hershey said.

Lieutenant Dan is a two-legged coonhound from New Richmond, Ohio.

I am so excited that my commercial is making it onto the big screen! Being the 2020 Cadbury Clucking Bunny has been the ultimate honor for me, and I cannot wait to pass the ears on to the 2021 winner. Best of luck to all!

Pet owners enter their pets, some in various costumes, ears and hats, to be the spokes-animal for the Cadbury Creme Eggs that are available at Easter.

The deadline to enter is March 1. A few words of caution, Cadbury says, To win the prize, winning pet featured in Photo Submission and Video Submission must be able to perform for camera and remain reasonably stationary while wearing bunny ears.

Public voting will open on March 10 and continue through March 17. The winner will be revealed on March 23. The new Cadbury Bunny will be the new start of the Cadbury Clucking Bunny commercial and will receive a $5,000 cash prize.

Coming off a year of ample quality pet time, and a record year for animals joining new families, we are anxious to see what the competition brings, said Trevor Jakubek, senior associate brand manager, Cadbury Brand team. We plan to make 2021 the biggest and best Cadbury Bunny Tryouts yet!

As part of the contest, Cadbury will donate $15,000 to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Each year, the Cadbury Bunny Tryouts showcases adorable pets from around the country, demonstrating the loving bonds between people and their pets, said Rebecca Frommer, director, cause partnerships & events, ASPCA. We are grateful for the generous support weve received from Cadbury over the past three years, which has helped us continue our lifesaving work to rescue and protect animals in need.

Lets hope the contest has another finalist from Pennsylvania.

Last year, Conswala - the no drama llama from York Springs was one of the 10 finalists.

Lionel was a candidate in the Cadbury Bunny Tryouts. The deadline to enter for 2021 is March 1.

READ MORE

WOOD RIVER  The Madison County Health Department on Monday launched a new COVID-19 Information Hub to centralize information about the virus and the departments response for the community.

The new online site at https://coronavirus-response-madcoil.hub.arcgis.com/ features several sections, such as COVID-19 vaccine information  including the number of doses given  as well as general COVID-19 information, resources and translated materials.
More voices are joining the growing chorus of those calling for the Biden administration to conduct a comprehensive review of how Redstone Arsenal was selected as the preferred location of the U.S. Space Command Headquarters.

The decision was announced on January 13, 2021, and was quickly met with surprise and disbelief by those in Colorado, the home of the temporary home of Space Command.

In a letter to President Biden on Friday, New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich called for more transparency and said that initial reports of the selection process by the Air Force "raise serious questions of political impropriety and demonstrate clear violations of the Air Force's own standardized process for selecting locations to host organizations of this size."

"More specifically, we are concerned that the Air Force circumvented its own Strategic Basing Process (SBP), the objective and reproducible approach the service has used to manage significant basing decisions in the past. Our staff has been informed that the Air Force used a subjective evaluation scale that has still not been provided to our offices in place of the SBP's standardized point scale," the letter states.

WAAY 31 News has also requested more detailed information on how the Air Force made its final determination and we're waiting to hear back.

Following Colorado's calls for more transparency, that are similar to those of the New Mexico delegation, an Air Force spokesperson released the following statement to WAAY 31:

"Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama, was selected by the Secretary of the Air Force to host U.S. Space Command headquarters based on factors related to mission, infrastructure capacity, community support and cost to the Department of Defense. Huntsville compared favorably across more of these factors than any other community, providing a large, qualified workforce, superior infrastructure capacity, and low initial and recurring costs."

Heinrich's letter argues that because the Air Force postponed its original site visit to Albuquerque in December, the Air Force evaluation team ended up visiting less than a week before the announcement of Huntsville.

"We find it difficult to understand how the Air Force can properly evaluate one of the most important aspects of a candiate's bid in less than a week," the letter states.

At the time of the selection, the waning days of the Trump administration, there was some suggestion that then President Trump had some personal influence on the decision to have Huntsville be the recipient of the Space Command Headquarters.

During a tour of hospitals in Alabama on January 13, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville said that Trump "had a small part in it, maybe even more than a small part."

Tuberville went onto say that after talking with the then Secretary of the Air Force that "This wasn't just a snap decision or a quick decision, but I'm sure President Trump had something to do with it."

WAAY 31 has reached out to the Biden administration for comment regarding the calls for more transparency and are waiting to hear back.
[February 01, 2021] Vendavo Announces Record Growth and Numerous Industry Accolades in 2020

DENVER, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vendavo, the global market leader in price management and commercial excellence solutions, is pleased to announce both record growth and industry accolades in 2020. The company also bolstered its product lineup with two major releases, helping drive record customer retention. In 2020, Vendavo experienced record growth and retention amongst challenging economic conditions that saw many businesses forced to scale back costs. In 2020, Vendavo's SaaS business grew by 51%, service booking grew by 54%, and the company had 95% customer retention of its subscription service. Of note is the fact that 78% of Vendavo's customers are in the cloud. To help support the growing needs of their clients, Vendavo launched Margin Bridge Analyzer (MBA) , a cloud-based commercial intelligence solution. To keep pace with growing calls for seamless integration using AI, the Vendavo Deal Price ptimizer was launched.



Additionally, in 2020 Vendavo launched the inaugural Commercial Excellence Awards to recognize those companies that achieved exceptional results by overcoming difficult challenges. "We are extremely proud of what we can accomplish on behalf of our customers," said Bruno Slosse, CEO of Vendavo, "and that's reflected in our business results and the recognition we've received. Any success we achieve is entirely a team effort, and the collaboration we enjoy with our customers is a huge part of that."

Vendavo was named one of the Best Places to Work in Colorado for the third year in a row, an award that demonstrates the company's dedication to its employees. In 2020, Vendavo also focused outwardly on their community, making a charitable donation to Food for Thought Denver, helping to feed over 16,000 meals to school kids in the Denver area. About Vendavo: Vendavo powers the shift to digital business for the world's most demanding B2B companies, unlocking value, growing margin and accelerating revenue. With the Vendavo Commercial Excellence platform, companies develop dynamic customer insights and optimal pricing strategies that maximize margin, boost sales effectiveness and improve customer experience. With an annual margin improvement totaling more than $2.5 billion across companies in chemicals, distribution, high-tech, and manufacturing, Vendavo delivers cutting-edge analytics and deep industry expertise that help companies stay one step ahead. Vendavo is headquartered in Denver, CO and has offices around the globe. Learn more at Vendavo.com. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vendavo-announces-record-growth-and-numerous-industry-accolades-in-2020-301218637.html SOURCE Vendavo

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
High-profile Sydney lawyer Adam Houda is threatening to sue the police, claiming he was illegally harassed by officers on Sunday night.

Mr Houda, an outspoken criminal defence lawyer who has represented a string of notorious clients, accused police officers of racial profiling in the incident in which he and a friend were pulled over and searched after a visit to a 7-Eleven near his home on the outskirts of south-west Sydney.

Adam Houda, an outspoken lawyer, says police have illegally targeted him. Credit:Nic Walker

Arrested by NSW Police tonight (seventh time) for absolutely nothing at all after attending my local 7-Eleven. Im absolutely devastated and distressed. Flashing sirens, two police cars, four to six cops, my vehicle and body searched, Mr Houda, 46, posted on Twitter about midnight.

In a statement, NSW Police said officers on patrol stopped a 1950 Buick in the Minto area about 10.30pm and spoke to the driver of the distinctive vintage car, Mr Houda.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
Judge invalidates Department of Health rules on license revocation, hemp, and testing due to lack of evidence

SANTA FE, N.M., Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultra Health, New Mexicos #1 Cannabis Company, won a favorable ruling on regulations promulgated by the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) in June 2020. The regulations  including the strictest testing requirements in the United States, arbitrary restrictions on hemp activities, and suspension or revocation of a license without notice  were all invalidated by Santa Fe District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid.

Judge Biedscheid invalidated the rules after NMDOH failed to consult the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board regarding the new regulations and failed to provide substantial evidence to support the changes.

Ultra Health and several other medical cannabis industry operators filed a petition under Rule 1-075 NMRA, which authorizes appeals from administrative decisions. Rule 1-075(R) NMRA requires that the Court analyze whether the decision of the agency is supported by substantial evidence, or evidence that is relevant and that a reasonable person may accept as adequate to support a conclusion.

Given the applicability of Rule 1-075(R)(2) NMRA, and the State Rules Acts requirement that an agency ensure technical information is contained within the rulemaking record, the Court finds that Departments decision to adopt certain provisions of the repeal and replacement of 7.34.4 NMAC is not supported by substantial evidence, Judge Biedscheid stated in the order.

Judge Biedscheid also held that the NMDOH had not consulted with the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board as required by the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act, NMSA 1978, Section 27-2B-7(A) (2019). There is insufficient information in the record from which to conclude that the Board and Department consulted about the full extent of the repeal and replace rulemaking, the Courts order stated.

Specific regulations that were repealed include:

Suspension or revocation of a license without notice.

Prohibition of the growing of hemp plants on property licensed for medical cannabis cultivation.

Prohibition of hemp, hemp extract, and hemp derived products other than hemp paper and hemp seed oil to be combined with usable cannabis intended for sale.

Testing requirements that set extremely strict action levels for microbes, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and pesticides.

Requiring that cannabis producers, manufacturers, and testing laboratories obtain department approval before making any physical modification or addition to their facilities.

Requiring all cannabis producers and manufacturers to have floors, walls, and ceilings that are washable, wipeable, and non-absorbent.

Mandating a hazard analysis critical control point plan (HACCP) for each product a manufacturer produces.

Requiring onerous, duplicate product labeling.

Judge Biedscheids ruling clearly states the department may not attempt to promulgate any rules it wishes without fully consulting stakeholders and providing substantial evidence for such changes, said Duke Rodriguez, CEO and President of Ultra Health. Organizationally, we support testing and reasonable regulation, including enhanced testing for pesticides and heavy metals. However, regulations must absolutely be promulgated rationally and consistently as compared to industry standards in other cannabis markets. Most importantly, regulations must be consciously promulgated to avoid driving up the price of medicine and reducing the availability of medicine for New Mexican patients who desperately need access to affordable medical cannabis care.

Ultra Health is New Mexicos #1 Cannabis Company and the largest vertically integrated medical cannabis provider in the United States. The provider currently operates 22 dispensary locations statewide, with another 10 stores slated to open by the first quarter of 2021. Ultra Health provides unparalleled medical cannabis care by producing accurately dosed, smokeless cannabis products such as sublingual tablets, oils, pastilles, suppositories and more through its partnership with Israeli pharmaceutical group Panaxia. Ultra Health has been at the forefront of patient-rights issues and continues to fight for adequate supply and rural access in the New Mexico medical cannabis market.

Contact: Marissa Novel 480-404-6699

marissa@ultrahealth.com
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- There is no doubt that Tesla was one of the newsworthy brands for Chinese auto industry. As the first foreign company building wholly-owned auto plant in China, Tesla always catches the eye of the public for whatever it does.



Last year, the company kicked off volume delivery of its made-in-China Model 3s and had the sedan crowned China's best-selling all-electric model. The outstanding sales partially stemmed from the frequent price cuts, while the increasing mature charging network also helped raise the sales.

Here are our most noteworthy stories about Tesla's China business in 2020

Tesla frequently cuts prices in China

Reducing price has become one of major measures Tesla adopts to lift its sales. The starting price of the China-made Model 3 has been lowered to 249,900 yuan ($38,510) from 355,800 yuan ($54,830) after five times of price cuts.

The process can be outlined as below.

In October 2019, the locally-produced Model 3 Standard Range Plus was launched with a starting price of 355,800 yuan ($54,830) after subsidies. Then the prices were decreased to 331,000 yuan ($51,000) in December 2019 and to 299,000 yuan ($46,075) in Jan. 2020.



Made-in-China Model 3



In April 2020, Tesla once again lowered the post-subsidies price of the Model 3 Standard Range Plus to 271,550 yuan ($41,850) as Chinese government said the subsidy would apply only to new energy passenger cars costing less than 300,000 yuan ($46,230).

On October 1, 2020, the after-subsidies price of the Model 3 Standard Range Plus further dropped to 249,900 yuan ($38,510). The price of the Long Rang RWD (rear-wheel-drive) version was down by 20,000 yuan ($3,080) to 309,900 yuan ($47,755).

As Tesla has basically achieved its target of auto parts localization in China, it is unlikely to see further reduction in the prices of made-in-China Model 3 in the future, according to a local media outlet, quoting Tao Lin, Vice President of Tesla China Foreign Affairs.

Ms Tao revealed there is still the probability that the car price would rise if the prices of raw materials and auto parts go higher.

However, some insiders said the room for potential price reduction still exists. With the cost of making a China-made Model 3 EV working out to roughly 200,000 yuan ($30,820), the gross margin for the locally-produced Model 3s is estimated to be around 30%, which is much higher than that of its U.S.-made counterpart, said the report.

Tesla starts exporting China-made Model 3s to Europe

The first China-made Model 3s to be exported to Europe left Shanghai port on October 27 and arrived at Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium around one month later.

Upon arrival of the vessel, the 7,000 made-in-China Model 3s were sold to 10 plus European countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland.

Tesla Model 3; photo credit: Tesla



Exporting China-built Model 3 sedans to Europe is a milestone in the development of the Shanghai Gigafactory, demonstrating to the world not only China's speed in construction, but also the quality of made-in-China products, said Zhu Xiaotong, vice president of Tesla Global and president of Tesla Greater China.

The export came after only one year after the Shanghai plant started production, reflecting a fast expansion of production capacity. The plant has demonstrated the ability to sustain Model 3 production at or above a run rate of 250,000 per year, according to Teslas Q4 financial results. In addition, Tesla ramped up the capacity of the Model 3 in Shanghai to more than 5,000 units a week sustainably, Elon Musk, Teslas founder and CEO, said at the Q4 2020 earnings call.

The monthly retail sales of the homegrown Model 3s were in the 11,000 range for several months, falling to 10,881 in September, and then rebounding to 12,143 units in October, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). Based on the aforementioned capacity, Gigafactory 3 is able to spare capacity for export business.

The U.S.-based company also said it is dedicated to expanding its investment in China. It attempts to enlarge the production capability, the reach of its sales and service network, charging infrastructure facilities, and employment in the country.

Tesla sees rapid charging network expansion in China

Tesla launched two new charging stations in Beijing earlier this month. As of today, the EV manufacturer has deployed over 700 supercharger stations in more than 300 cities of the Chinese Mainland with its number of supercharging piles topping 5,700.

The automaker has been vigorously expanding its charging network with its sales keeping rising in China. It took Tesla only a year to deploy 140 supercharger stations in 74 cities of the country.



Tesla suparcharger station; photo credit: Tesla



Those charging facilities are not only located in urban areas, but also at transport hubs and scenic spots. For instance, the newly-launched two stations are at Badaling Ski Resort and Beijing Daxing International Airport.

The proportion of fast-charging system is being gradually raised. Among the 410 supercharger stations Tesla launched in China last year, over 180 have V3 superchargers. Tesla claims that the V3 supercharger supports peaking charging rate of up to 250kW, which are equivalent to replenishing 1,000 miles of range per hour.

Out-of-control Tesla Model 3 accidents sparks discussion over driving safety

With sales growing in China, the number of accidents about Tesla cars has been rising as well. Some are caused due to human behaviors, while part of the blame was laid on the out-of-control status of vehicles.

It is roughly estimated that there were eight accidents involving out of control Tesla vehicles in China last year, each resulted from an unintended acceleration of the car.



Model 3; photo credit: Tesla



The most severe accidents should be the cases occurring in Wenzhou and Nanchong.

In mid-August, a Model 3 invaded a parking lot at full speed in Wenzhou, leading to damage of a dozen cars. The driver was also taken into hospital.

In early September, an accident involving a Tesla car in Nanchong, Sichuan Province killed two people and injured six.

Those accidents raised concerns among netizens over Tesla vehicles' safety controls. Some industry insiders thought perhaps drivers made mistakes, but there was also likelihood that Tesla's driving system had some errors. Even hacker invasion of the auto control system may be possible.

Zhang Xiang, a domestic car analyst, said Tesla was facing increasingly heavy pressure in ramping up capacity with its orders rapidly growing, while it should not whittle down the efforts on quality control. In the future, Tesla should make continued endeavors to ensure a high product quality so as to decrease the occurrence of troubled vehicles.
Budget 2021: While there has been little to no silver lining in the dark clouds of the coronavirus pandemic, the sun shone brightly on the edtech industry. Following the shutting of classes and schools, the education sector vastly moved online. From day schools to tuitions to additional classes to hobby classes, learning in all its forms continued, albeit online. As the edtech industry witnesses momentous growth, it is up to the government to support its expansion.

Even as edtech penetrated almost all the sections of the society, it also faced certain challenges. With a vast population of India lacking resources, online education has not been a cakewalk for all. Shortage of devices in households where multiple members require them at the same time, patchy network coverage, electricity cuts, lack of training of teachers to conduct online classes are some of the obvious issues. The challenges also go a little deeper than that. Charu Noheria, Co-founder and COO, Practically said that the government should not only allocate funds but also work on strengthening digital infrastructure.

Here's what the edtech industry expects from FM Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget 2021:

GST rate cut: Industry believes that a GST rate cut could go a long way in encouraging learners to take up online education. Educational institutions and courses are taxed 18 per cent which the industry wants to reduce to 5 per cent. "Taxable supply implies an inventory of products or services or leviable to tax under GST. Likewise, the administrations given by an educational foundation to its aspirants, personnel, staff, or educational institutions are not needed to be burdened under GST. This may hamper career choices and opportunities and may affect the country majorly," said Sumeet Jain, co-founder of Yocket.

"Govt has been giving so much emphasis on the penetration of digital services and financial inclusion in the BFSI Segment. Still, as far as education is concerned, only conventional school education has been kept out of GST. Innovation and tinkering based edtech firms still have to pay GST at 18 per cent. There should be some provision wherein they need to pay Reduced GST at 5 per cent or so," said Rajeev Tiwari, founder of STEMROBO Technologies.

Anoop Gautam, CEO & Co-founder, Tinker Coders said, "The current taxation of 18 per cent on the EdTech sector can be reduced to a lower percentage so that accessible quality digital education becomes a viable option for students coming from all sections of society."

Development of digital courses: The government should join forces with edtech companies to provide technology updates and assist them in better online learning. "Government should set out a special fund for developing online courses. These courses can be provided to the larger public at subsidised rates. The courses can be of small duration, having full-time access to specific topics that can help students from smaller towns and cities. These courses should also be recorded and made available in regional languages so that the growth of different socio-backed children doesn't get hampered," said Jain.

Push for digital learning: Jain says that many schools and universities do not favour online courses and teacher and school authorities do not advise students on the same. "The government should step in and help in boosting the awareness of online learning courses and promote the online learning platforms making it sound credible for students and parents to accept. Also, the students face unprecedented challenges in understanding the digital infrastructure, so an awareness around the same should also be done to help society at large," he said.

"Given that there has been significant surge in eLearning, Government must support us by allocating sufficient funds and devise strategies to make digital education accessible by ensuring availability of internet connectivity, laptops, tablets, smartphones etc. either thought direct government programs or through Public Private Partnership (PPP) model," said Noheria.

Gautam said that when schools and colleges were shut, students and teachers had no other option but to go digital. "Even the school teachers and students demonstrated tremendous adaptability in adopting online learning methods. This opens new horizons for EdTech startups," he said.

Skill development of teachers: Noheria said that it was the need of the hour for the government to focus on reskilling the education fraternity and equip them to use new-age e-learning solutions.

"There is a shortage of millions of teachers in our education system. At the same time, there is a need to update and redesign current teachers' qualifications so that they can train their aspirants for the demands of the future. Budget 2021 should also include provisions and proposals for Teachers' Abilities, taking into account the digital sustainability, development, enhancement and acceleration of the study patterns," said Tiwari.

Resources to underprivileged: "In the Union Budget 2021, the education sector should be given more priority, so the effects of Covid-19 can be normalised. Underprivileged students shall be given more learning tools and opportunities to adapt to digital learning methods. More robust platforms should be developed and curated for students to learn with ease and discipline. Moreover, skills like problem-solving, creativity and computational thinking are crucial for the 21st-Century kids to face future adversities, just like the COVID-19 pandemic," said Gautam.

Also read: Budget 2021: Date, time, sector-wise expectations; everything you need to know

Also read: Budget 2021 Live Updates: Budget will be in accordance with people's expectations, says Anurag Thakur; Sitharaman reaches finance ministry

Today, law students have a wide range of options when it comes to practicing law.

And based on law students interests and career goals at the University of Houston Law Center and the South Texas College of Law Houston, students can opt to pursue two different practices within the legal field: litigation or transactional law.

Litigators, known as trial attorneys, are those who work to resolve disputes in a courtroom setting.

What does a transactional lawyer do?

Transactional lawyers, also known as corporate or business attorneys, research, prepare, and review documents for individuals or companies, such as drafting contracts for corporate mergers and acquisitions, closing documents for the purchase of a house, or wills or estate planning documents, said Nazleen Jiwani, J.D., senior director of the Career Resource Center at South Texas College of Law Houston.

Both types of attorneys will specialize in a specific field, such as oil and gas, real estate, intellectual property, tax, or health, etc.

Transactional lawyers rarely go to court. However, family and criminal lawyers do see in-court action, yet these specializations can also be highly emotional and difficult, which keeps many students at bay, said Tiffany J. Tucker, J.D., M.Ed., assistant dean of career development at the University of Houston Law Center.

Growing legal fields

Sought-after and growing legal fields in 2020, some of which are a sign of the times, include bankruptcy law, health law, labor employment law, privacy law for telehealth and education law.

Personal injury law remains an in-demand field despite the coronavirus, and government and public interest law is gaining more popularity among new law graduates, Jiwani said.

Going through law school, students will receive the basics of skill sets for law, which allows them some flexibility.

For example, small law firms usually handle many different types of cases  general law and personal injury  whereas larger law firms usually have lawyers who are more specialized. Many of the mid-size and larger firms handle business litigation. So, it really depends on what the students interests are, Tucker said.

Getting on track

To plan their path, first-year law students sit down with a career development counselor to try and develop a class schedule to fit their interests.

With many questions asked, the student can begin to zero in on what type of law they are interested in; what kind and size of firm (where) they would like to work, Tucker said.

Law students also gain real-life experience during their law studies through volunteering at legal aid clinics, and in internships that can help them identify paths to pursue.

South Texas professors and staff guide students toward various externships, internships, and specialized institutes at the law school to help them hone their interests, skills, and future career goals, Jiwani said.
Illustrative photo (Source: VNA)

Hanoi - Foreign enterprises poured a considerable amount of capital into manufacturing and processing projects in the first half of January, according to the head of the investment office at the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (Hepza), Tran Viet Ha.

Notable among them was a 34 million USD project sprawling over 7ha at the Le Minh Xuan Industrial Park, operating in services and logistics.

During the first days of 2021, authorities in southern Dong Nai province presented investment licences to three foreign-invested enterprises working in support industries, two of which are long-time South Korean suppliers to Samsung.

Canadian Consul General in HCM City Behzad Babakhani told the Dau Tu (Investment) newspaper that when the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) was signed in 2019, two-way trade between Canada and Vietnam hit a record 6.15 billion USD that year.

Babakhani said Canadian exporters benefit from farm produce, fish, aquatic, and forestry product exports, while Vietnamese exporters see opportunities in manufacturing and processing, such as electronics, leather and footwear, apparel, wooden furniture, farm produce, and aquatic products.

Vietnamese manufacturers have the chance, he said, to access Canadas expertise in the fields of genetics, biotechnology, the environment, green technology, and sustainability, which could propel its agriculture sector restructuring.

He said that many Canadian companies are pursuing trade opportunities in Vietnam in the fields of clean technology, information and communications technology, aerospace, infrastructure, healthcare products, wooden furniture, and financial services.

Vietnam is an important partner of Canada, which is pursuing diversified trade to the Asia-Pacific region, he said.

Vice Chairwoman of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, Chau Ta, said Australian capital flows to Vietnam will increase strongly now the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has been signed, given that the agreement will create an attractive investment environment in Vietnam and focus on job creation, local renovation, and integration into the global supply chain.

Australian companies are likely to increase investment in fields where Vietnam holds a competitive edge, and tap its trade ecosystem, such as the export of raw materials, manufacturing, and services.

She suggested they invest in fields that saw strong development in Vietnam after the pandemic, such as information technology, healthcare, and e-commerce.
Smart glasses seem to be an upcoming gadget that is garnering a lot of attention amid the tech community, if not everyone. Many mainstream tech companies like Apple, Samsung, Oppo, and more, alongside more offbeat and niche brands like Vuzix are said to be working on their own set of smart glasses with AR capabilities. Now, Chinese smartphone major Xiaomi is also being reported to be working on its version of the wearable. A recently-filed patent suggests that the company is working on its smart glasses that may include 4D detection and a new therapeutic signal emitter.

According to a recent report in ITHome, Xiaomi has been granted a patent for a "smart glasses and glasses case". The report said that the new therapeutic emitter feature will be capable of phototherapy, allowing the glasses to potentially help towards treating mental conditions. The report mentions that the light signals may include ultraviolet, infrared, laser, and visible light signals. There aren't many details about the product, apart from a blueprint image. However, it is being reported that it may also be capable of transmitting sound signals simultaneously with visual signals to enhance its capabilities and user experience.

Now, while it may seem convincing for Xiaomi to start working on smart glasses given how many brands are venturing into the new tech, this information is to be taken with a pinch of salt. A patent does not always confirm things as they seem. At times, companies do not even launch patented technologies as some patents are meant for trial and research and development basis.
Myanmars leader Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other government leaders were detained on February 1 by the countrys military, who have seized power and declared a state of emergency for at least one year on the basis of allegations of voter fraud. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the militarys interference in the democratic process and the severe implications for press freedom.

At least a dozen soldiers and military vehicles took up positions outside City Hall in Yangon in the early morning, after politicians and prominent political activists were arrested in a series of raids across Myanmar. The coup comes after escalating tension between the powerful military and civilian government following the November general election.

Suu Kyis party, the National League for Democracy, won 396 seats out of 476 in the combined count of the upper and lower houses of Parliament. Myanmars Union Election Commission rejected the claims of voter fraud.

Government spokesman Myo Nyunt confirmed several leaders had been detained and were expected to also be arrested. I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law, he said.

Hours later, Myanmars military television station, Myawaddy TV, announced that the military had taken control of Myanmar for one year, citing a section of the constitution that allows the military to seize power in periods of national emergency. First Vice President Myint Swe, a former military general, will serve as acting president, the broadcast said.

The broadcast also said the military had seized power as a result of the governments failure to act on the militarys claims of voter fraud in Myanmars election, and a failure to postpone the election because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The first session of Myanmars parliament was scheduled to begin on February 1.

A statement issued on January 29 by a group of nations including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand urged the military to adhere to democratic norms and expressed opposition to any attempt to alter the outcome of the elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition.

Cyber security monitor Netblocks confirmed that internet connectivity in Myanmar fell to 50 per cent of normal levels, indicating a centrally issued telecoms blackout order. Myanmars state media network MRTV has been unable to broadcast since government figures were detained.

The IFJ said: The reports of military imposition of power in Myanmar, with dramatic cuts to phone and internet access, gravely undermine press freedom in the nation. The IFJ opposes any alteration to the democratic process and condemns this attempt to impede the normal and free functioning of the media.
More than two million extra Australian homes were powered by new renewable energy generation last year as wind and solar projects hit record levels, official government data has found, despite the coronavirus-induced economic downturn.

The Clean Energy Regulator estimates a record 7 gigawatts of new renewable capacity was installed throughout Australia in 2020 off the back of record rooftop solar investment, which is 11 per cent above the previous record of 6.3 gigawatts installed in the previous year.

A record 7 gigawatts of new renewable capacity was installed throughout Australia in 2020 off the back of record roof-top solar investment. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

The renewables boom has helped Australia deploy new renewable energy 10 times faster per capita than the global average and four times faster per capita than Europe, China, Japan or the United States, the analysis found.

Data compiled by the regulator found the share of renewables in the National Electricity Market exceeded 30 per cent for the first time last year, with a record 53 terawatt hours generated from renewable projects in 2020.
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in an exclusive interview to Network18, said the government is focusing on infrastructure building and increasing capital expenditure in the health sector as these segments have a multiplier effect on the economy.

Earlier in the day, Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament, against the backdrop of unprecedented health crisis and external aggression from China.

"If I had more resources to give, I would have given it to the people as much as we can," Sitharaman told Rahul Joshi, Group Editor-in-Chief and MD of Network18.

Speaking about the incentives announced during the course of the pandemic, the finance minister said: "The question of giving money to people to spend also had the question whether people will spend or keep it aside for rainy days."

Public spending will result in immediate demand revival only if people spend money. Unless the spending happens in those sectors where the multiplier effect will work, there is no point in spending, especially in areas where the multipliers are weak. That is why we have taken the route of building infrastructure and capex in the health sector, she noted.

"I certainly didnt want to fund the whole operation through taxation by increasing the tax. I have made a provision for large borrowings with tax buoyancy at a conservative level and with disinvestment and asset monetisation and improved GST collections," she added.

Commenting on the infusion of Rs 20,000 crore into public sector banks, Sitharaman said: "We need more public sector banks which are functionally strong, efficient and professionally managed and which can manage the demands of growing aspirational India and growing demand for credit and varied demands of the economy."

Sitharaman also highlighted the proposal to set up an asset reconstruction and management company for stressed assets to take over bad loans from banks. It will have government participation, but largely the IBA will be doing it. Banks will also get something from the realised money, she stated.

"There already are some institutions which we would want to use for this purpose, we want them to be professionally run and we will be giving them money but with an expectation that within a few years they would be able to leverage on their own. We will have to make amendments to the existing laws to have the private DFIs (Development Financial Institution) to come in. There is so much development demand I don't think just one government institution will be able to match up to the demand. I am going to create space through law for private institutions to come do their own," Sitharaman said.

Commenting on the fiscal deficit target, Sitharaman said it is one thing to be fiscally conservative and prudent at normal times. I made a conscious statement. If I dont spend now, I will be postponing the growth and I have to spend," she observed.

Speaking about the new farm reform laws and the farmers protest, she said the countrys minimum support price (MSP) performance is going up. "Our MSP performance is steadily going up from 2014 till today to even doubt the intent of the government," she noted.

She further added that the agitating farmers must come to the table to share their specific concerns as the government is willing to look at any modifications and concede to the demands.







The present is female, at least in Estonia after Kaja Kallas was sworn in as the first female Prime Minister of Estonia recently. Her swearing-in to the top office came after Estonias two biggest political parties, the Centre-Right Reform Party and the Left-Leaning Centre Party, formed a coalition government on January 26, 2021. The nation of 1.3 million people is now the only country in the world where both the head of state and the head of government are women.





Stressing on gender balance in her cabinet, Kallas gave important portfolios to several women leaders. The Reform Partys Keit Pentus-Rosimannus was named finance minister, and Eva-Maria Liimets, Estonias ambassador to the Czech Republic, is now the foreign minister, to name a few.











Kallas will be the first woman to lead the Baltic nation since it regained independence from Russia in 1991. The two parties reached an agreement on January 24 to form a government after the previous cabinet, led by Juri Ratas, collapsed because of a recent corruption scandal.





The 15-member cabinet took charge after the lawmakers in the Parliament gave their approval to the government appointed by President Kersti Kaljulaid.





The 43-year-old Kaja Kallas is the daughter of Sim Kallas, who founded the Centre-Right Reform Party, and was also the Prime Minister of Estonia in 2002-2003.





Priority Of The New Government

The new cabinet has to prove itself and leave its mark on NATO and the European Union before the general elections in March 2023. The immediate priority of the new government is to handle the worsening Coronavirus situation in the country, as well as the economic condition in the country caused by the pandemic.





Key Details Of The Newly-Formed Government

The two parties will have seven ministers each in the newly-formed cabinet, in addition to Kaja Kallas as the Prime Minister.

Kaja Kallas has placed several women in key positions, which include Eva-Maria Liimets, Ambassador of Estonia to the Czech Republic, as the new Foreign Minister, and Keit Pentus-Rosimannus from the Reform Party as the Finance Minister.

Women As Head Of The State

Estonia has become one of the few countries where both the head of the government and head of the state are women; the current President of the country is Kersti Kaljulaid.





Other countries run by a female head of government and head of state include New Zealand, Barbados, and Denmark.





Also Read: Belgium Gets Worlds First Transgender Deputy Prime Minister
New Delhi:

KK Venugopal took over as next Attorney General of India on Monday. Venugopal replaced Mukul Rohatgi to become latest Attorney General of India.

On 30 June, 2017, Venugopal was appointed as the Attorney-General of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Venugopal has appeared in many high-profile cases. Most significantly, he was appointed by the Royal Government of Bhutan to serve as the Constitutional adviser for drafting of the Constitution of Bhutan.

Mukul Rohatgis three-year tenure ended on June 19. He had earlier asked government not to consider him for reappointment to the post.

Rohatgi told earlier that he had written to the government in May conveying his wish to discontinue as Attorney General and return to private practice.

Also read: Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi asks govt not to consider him for reappointment to post

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.
Convicted Murderer Cheyenne Knox View Photo

Sonora, CA  A Tuolumne County man who was 17 when he killed his ex-girlfriend over three decades ago was again denied parole.

51-year-old Cheyenne Knox murdered the victim, Yvette Stagno, when she was 19-years-old. They got into an argument after she did not want to romantically get back into a relationship with him.

The District Attorneys Office reports that he shoved her to the ground and shot her twice at close range with a .28 gauge shotgun.

The murder occurred on Green Springs Road, and Knox then drove her car over to her parents home in Sonora and snuck inside to remove a blanket off her bed, along with a garage door opener, to make it appear as though she voluntarily left to go somewhere. He then drove to the Delta Mendota Canal in Alameda County where he dumped her body.

Her car was then driven back to Sonora where it was abandoned at the former Sonora Community Hospital parking lot.

He then started contacting her family to ask about her, and offering fake theories about where she may have gone.

The murder had occurred on July 17, and nine days later, Knox flew to Pennsylvania to stay with his father. Four days after that, Stagnos car was located at the hospital, and her blood was located on the rear bumper and down the rear tire well.

The following month her body was located, and a few weeks later, investigators positively identified it as being her.

Sheriffs Office investigators flew to Pennsylvania on August 16, and Knox later admitted to killing Stagno. Early on he claimed that his dog instructed him on how to carry out the crime, but he later admitted that his story was a lie. When he was determined to be sane, he was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.

A parole hearing recently came up, and Deputy District Attorney Cassandra Jenecke argued that Knox still poses an unreasonable risk of danger to the community and is a threat to public safety based on his criminal mindset, incarceration disciplinary history, and psychiatric reports that rated him at a moderate risk of violence reoffending.

The state denied parole for Knox, but the issue could be reviewed again in about 18 months.

For an easy laugh at a party, pull out a Nokia candy-bar phone. What is thata phone? Does it actually work? Oh! Do you have to hit buttons three times and stuff? Can you get Facebook on it? And so forth. Then, follow up with examples of the pitfalls of smartphone privacy. Reliably observe nods of agreement and disturbed faces. Generally, people know how their lives are invasively monitored, their most intimate details packaged and sold as a commodity on markets they have little to no control over. Fatalistic shrugs of what can you do and declarations of I cant live without my phone ensue.

Perhaps it is a fair trade. Detailed personal profiles are exchanged for handheld convenience along with dogged artificial intelligence analyzing what product or service will successfully secure our money  or even our loyalty. Brand loyalty is a highly-prized substance as franchise owners around the world attest. Other forms of allegiance are also highly-prized. Consider if your private personal details, even intimate psychological profiles, are instead exploited for coercion to an ideology.

Behold the technological behemoths Apple, Google and Amazon flexing their monopolistic powers fatally crippling a competitive forum for public discourse in the form of a plucky app called Parler. The leader of the most powerful nation on Earth was summarily ejected by Twitter, et al.  with no accountability and no recourse  severing communications with millions of followers. Leaders of the world express dismay at the brazen display. The corporate technological overlords claim the moral high ground.

In 2016, Apple defied federal investigators' requests for back door access to a dead terrorists iPhone. Apples flapping flag on Public Relations Hill was roundly praised by privacy advocates and civil libertarians. Yet Apples flag meekly bowed to the Chinese Communist Party, denying Hong Kong protestors safety of virtual private networks, or exposing overseas Chinese citizens data to CCP inspection, or cutting off access to news and information beyond the Great Firewall. Apples obedience to Beijing is joined by none other than the sanctimonious Google and Amazon, whose hypocrisy facilitates the genocide of the Uighurs.

Politicians and partisans in the U.S. called for the social media ban of the President and the corporations finally complied. Employees of the very same corporations are joining the government, the very same employees that approve of Parlers crippling, and that overwhelmingly financially support one political party. Some journalists perpetuate the blissful irony, praising censorship of the President but fretting over exertion of such monopolistic powers. Others pithily observe the handwriting on the wall:

The new corporate authoritarian liberal-left monoculture is going to be absolutely ruthless  and in 12 days it is merging with the state. Michael Tracey, 9 Jan 2020.

Meanwhile, the infrastructure for a monstrous surveillance state glows in commodified hands. Portrayed by the leftist New Republic as another tendril of the military-industrial complex, shadowy data tracking companies such as Factual identify not only app usage patterns, but physical locations for profiling consumer behavior. They state on their website that U.S. users may opt-out of data collection, but nevertheless they will continue to collect, use, and transfer mobile app data for purposes other than interest-based advertising or ad delivery/reporting. Expect commandeering of this data for political policing of compliance with the authoritarian liberal-left monoculture. Soon, even emotional responses and the technology to manipulate them will enable ensuring fervid belief in Big-Tech Benevolence.

Brace for a Ministry of Information amassing in warehouses of whirring servers detailed profiles of not just purchasing history, but locations, associationspolitics. Imagine the delirious delight of, say, the East German Stasi marvelling at their targets willingly revealing their daily whereabouts and rendezvous, obviating clumsy radioactive tagging techniques. Surreptitious meetings of desperate dissidents will be naked to the Eye of the State all thanks to the insidious trade of convenience for lack of privacy. Law enforcement and the military already map cell-users relationships  even if the phone is not smart.

The authoritarian liberal-left monoculture has crossed the Rubicon. Behold the Progressive Praetorian Guard  all carefully vetted for loyalty  and their Potemkin Village President now seated in power, whose pitiful popularity is quietly disguised. Do not be fooled: the barbed wire and boots are a threat to those who dare dissent. The smearing of Trump supporters as terrorists is justification for a new Secret Police, while Democrats demand wholesale purges from government, evoking the words and associations forbidden by other paranoid Parties. Merely questioning the Biden ascendance to power is sedition,' ignoring the insidious hand of Big-Tech tilting the scales.

This is only the beginning as the CEO of Twitter brazenly declared to his employees as to how it will go on far beyond the inauguration. Blacklisting and banning for the monoculture is apparently not enough. The anti-social justice Michael Recetenwald observed: the means by which a police state is being set up is the demonization of Trump supporters and the likely use of medical passports to institute the effective equivalent of social credit scores.

The buttons on my venerable Nokia are regrettably failing. After years of service, and several-days-long battery life, sending texts now demands insistent and frustrated pressing. Alternatives in the smartphone ecosphere provide some escape from the duopoly of iOS and Android, but rarely come to fruition. Classic Nokia designs are making a comeback, however; it seems cell-phone simplicity has a wider appeal than my amused smartphone-toting friends think. The giggles at parties still come easy, and the disturbed looks and shrugs still ensue. Cue next slaps on the shoulder and suggestions that Im simply being paranoid.

Dr. Shawn A. Means is a mathematical biologist and Christian apologist published in numerous scientific journals. He can be reached at shawnmeans@mac.com.

Image: Raimond Spekking, via Wikimedia Commons and via Wikipedia // CC BY-SA 4.0

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.: A U.S. billionaire who made a fortune in tech and fighter jets is buying an entire SpaceX flight and plans to take three people with him to circle the globe this year.

Besides fulfilling his dream of flying in space, Jared Isaacman announced Monday that he aims to use the private trip to raise $200 million for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, half coming from his own pockets.

A health care worker for St. Jude already has been selected for the mission. Anyone donating to St. Jude in February will be entered into a random drawing for seat No. 3. The fourth seat will go to a business owner who uses Shift4 Payments, Isaacmans credit card processing company in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

I truly want us to live in a world 50 or 100 years from now where people are jumping in their rockets like the Jetsons and there are families bouncing around on the moon with their kid in a spacesuit, Isaacman, who turns 38 next week, told The Associated Press.

I also think if we are going to live in that world, we better conquer childhood cancer along the way.

Hes bought a Super Bowl ad to publicize the mission, dubbed Inspiration4 and targeted for October. Details of the ride in a SpaceX Dragon capsule are still being worked out, including the number of days the four will be in orbit after blasting off from Florida. The other passengers will be announced next month.

Isaacmans trip is the latest private space travel announcement. Three businessmen are paying $55 million apiece to fly to the International Space Station next January aboard a SpaceX Dragon. And a Japanese businessman has a deal with SpaceX to fly to the moon in a few years.

Isaacman would not divulge how much hes paying SpaceX, except to say that the anticipated donation to St. Jude vastly exceeds the cost of the mission.

While a former NASA astronaut will accompany the three businessmen, Isaacman will serve as his own spacecraft commander. The appeal, he said, is learning all about about SpaceXs Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket. While the capsules are designed to fly autonomously, a pilot can override the system in an emergency.

A space geek since kindergarten, Isaacman dropped out of high school when he was 16, got a GED certificate and started a business in his parents basement that became the genesis for Shift4. He set a speed record flying around the world in 2009 while raising money for the Make-A-Wish program, and later established Draken International, the worlds largest private fleet of fighter jets.

Isaacmans $100 million commitment to St. Jude in Memphis, Tennessee, is the largest ever by a single individual and one of the largest overall.

Were pinching ourselves every single day, said Rick Shadyac, president of St. Judes fundraising organization.

Besides SpaceX training, Isaacman intends to take his crew on a mountain expedition to mimic his most uncomfortable experience so far tenting on the side of a mountain in bitter winter conditions.

Were all going to get to know each other  really well before launch," he said.

Hes acutely aware of the need for things to go well.

If something does go wrong, it will set back every other persons ambition to go and become a commercial astronaut, he said from his home in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Isaacman said he signed with Elon Musks company because its the clear leader in commercial spaceflight, with two astronaut flights already completed. Boeing has yet to fly astronauts to the space station for NASA. While Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos Blue Origin expect to start flying customers later this year, their craft will just briefly skim the surface of space.

Isaacman had put out spaceflight feelers for years. He traveled to Kazakhstan in 2008 to see a Russian Soyuz blast off with a tourist on board, then a few years later attended one of NASAs last space shuttle launches. SpaceX invited him to the companys second astronaut launch for NASA in November.

While Isaacman and wife, Monica, managed to keep his space trip hush-hush over the months, their daughters couldnt. The girls, ages 7 and 4, overheard their parents discussing the flight last year and told their teachers, who called to ask if it was true dad was an astronaut.

My wife said, No, of course not, you know how these kids make things up. But I mean the reality is my kids werent that far off with that one.

___

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.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is no stranger to online trolling. Monday wasn't any different for the Congressman who was in attendance in the parliament during the Union Budget 2021 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

While the budget in itself grabbed eyeballs of netizens for several reasons including Sitharaman quoting Nobel laureate and Bengali icon Rabindranath Tagore to describe India's battle with the coronavirus pandemic and Twitterati watching the budget through the lens of the middle-class public.

But as the session progressed, the janta quickly shifted their attention towards an unfortunate and ill-timed photograph of Gandhi which made him look as if he were sitting "bored" during the budget speech in the parliament.

Also Read: Indians Flood Twitter With The Most Middle Class Memes as Sitharaman Announces Budget 2021

Gandhi, who was masked up, was perhaps snapped while blinking his eye, a snap of that specific frame started doing the rounds of microblogging site Twitter on Monday.

In Biology class In Maths class pic.twitter.com/1nCN7tSE6Y Pakchikpak Raja Babu (@HaramiParindey) February 1, 2021

Your last used password can't be new password pic.twitter.com/DgxBjJCmCz Godman Chikna (@Madan_Chikna) February 1, 2021

Me Attending Online Class in Morning ..#RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/g34LInn8EW Amarttya Satapathy (@sarcasm_unoffic) February 1, 2021

When u have lots of pending revision of polity.Tbhi budget bhi aa jaaye Upsc aspirant:#RahulGandhi #Budget pic.twitter.com/IGTiG6hZBy Shaifali singh (@Shaifalisingh4) February 1, 2021

When she comes with her best friend on a date. pic.twitter.com/YUmqU9COLK Godman Chikna (@Madan_Chikna) February 1, 2021

Arey jaldi bol, germany nikalna hai pic.twitter.com/FtvwXOCLVM InGenious (@Bees_Kut) February 1, 2021

Yar Sab log itna 'gadget gadget' chilla rahe the, mujhe laga Doraemon naye 'gadget' ki announcement Karega, yeh toh 'budget' nikla!#Budget2021 pic.twitter.com/LdavIYBIDu Bhakti (@Bhakti_Varak) February 1, 2021

#RahulGandhi looks like a college student sitting in class after lunch. pic.twitter.com/VL8iqqbZx3 krithika sivaswamy (@krithikasivasw) February 1, 2021

That Gandhi was up and about during the union budget can be seen in this frame tweeted by another user.

When you're in the middle of a budget speech and remember you forgot to lock your house.#Budget2021 #RahulGandhi pic.twitter.com/SAyyo9nzRG Tanay Dhumal (@TanayDhumal) February 1, 2021

Earlier on Monday morning, Gandhi, in a tweet said:

"#Budget2021 must:

-Support MSMEs, farmers and workers to generate employment.

-Increase Healthcare expenditure to save lives.

-Increase Defence expenditure to safeguard borders."

Meanwhile, Sitharaman's Union Budget 2021 did not bring any relief to the middle class as income tax slabs remain unchanged.

You can catch all the updates related to Union Budget 2021 here.
Jerry Lara /Staff photographer

A 33-year-old man died Saturday after he was hit by a pickup truck while trying to run across Culebra Road, officials said.

Juan Meza was running across the road in 2100 block of Culebra near where it intersects with Bandera about 7 p.m. when the truck hit him, according to San Antonio police. He not in a crosswalk.
The Union budget for FY22 proposed to recapitalize public sector banks (PSBs) for 20,000 crore and set up a bad bank to remove toxic assets, two decisions that are expected to improve credit flow.

Fridays Economic Survey had suggested a clean-up of bank balance sheets along with a subsequent recapitalization, with the growth in non-food credit remaining flat around 5.1-6.7% between March 2020 and January 2021. Indian banks have had to spend much time recovering bad loans, estimated to be 7.5% of all loans. Some of them were because of lax underwriting standards in the past, but many were genuinely affected by extraneous factors. A bad bank would take over stressed assets from the books of banks, paving the way for cleaner balance sheets and faster recoveries.

The high level of provisioning by public sector banks of their stressed assets calls for measures to clean up bank books," finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech. The idea, she said, is to take over the existing stressed debt and then manage and dispose of the assets to alternate investment funds (AIFs) and other potential investors.

Also Read | How India can fight vaccine hesitancy

The bad bank idea has been around for some time. In 2018, a panel led by Sunil Mehta, then non-executive chairman of Punjab National Bank, suggested a five-pronged strategy to manage stressed assets, proposing an asset management company and an AIF for it. Apart from improving reported financials, this will also free up the bandwidth of the management to focus on core lending operations," said Karthik Srinivasan, group head (financial sector ratings), ICRA Ltd.

There are global parallels to taking the bad bank route in cleaning up stressed assets. An oft-cited example is Malayasias Danaharta, created in 1998 to clean a mountain of bad loans. In a smaller way, the Indian government had set up a Stressed Asset Stabilization Fund and hived off stressed assets from IDBI Ltd in 2004.

The Indian Banks Association (IBA) had proposed the creation of a bad bank during the course of the pandemic when the banking sector was expecting a hike in stressed assets," said Rajkiran Rai G., CEO, Union Bank of India. Taking over bad loans reduces the provisioning requirements and enhances the ability of banks to lend to productive sectors of the economy to spur growth, Rai said. The government seems to have taken note of the recent Financial Stability Report by RBI and the stress in the banking sector on account of bad loans, according to Gaurav Dayal, partner, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorneys. The bad bank and capital infusion will clean up bank balance sheets and allow PSBs to meet regulatory norms, Dayal said. The funds for the bad bank are expected to come from the government as well as the sponsor banks. Allowing participation of AIFs in the bad debt space is a welcome move and will only increase competition among bidders," he said.

The proposed capital infusion of 20,000 crore into state-owned lenders, though lower than market expectations, will bolster their capital position and aid credit growth, provided demand recovers as well. The government did not allocate any recapitalization funds in the FY21 budget, but had later sought Parliament nod to infuse 20,000 crore through a supplementary demand for grants. So far in FY21, the Centre has injected 5,500 crore capital in PSBs through non-interest bearing special securities and another 4,557 crore in IDBI Bank.

State-run banks access to capital markets is currently limited. They collectively raised equity of about $1 billion between August to December 2020 from the capital markets, as banks had to settle for considerably smaller amounts even compared with their modest expectations," Fitch Ratings had said in a note on 31 January.

Fitch Ratings cautioned that PSBs will be forced to continue on a path of risk aversion and soft loan growth without adequate capital support from the government.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Scott Morrison has urged states to support their economies when they impose lockdowns and border controls - instead of asking for handouts.

Last week Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk asked for an extension of JobKeeper as international border closures keep out overseas travellers and state border uncertainty weighs on domestic tourism.

She was criticised over the request because Queensland has had one of the toughest border stances throughout the pandemic, repeatedly closing to other states at short notice when coronavirus cases are identified.

The prime minister rejected Ms Palaszczuk's plea to extend JobKeeper beyond March 28, saying that state governments must accept the cost of the policies they impose.

Scott Morrison has urged states to support their economies when they impose lockdowns and border controls - instead of asking for handouts

Last week Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk asked for an extension of JobKeeper as state border uncertainty weighed on domestic tourism

'States can make decisions about what they intend to do in areas of their responsibility but they are then also responsible for dealing with and mitigating the decisions that they make.

'It is not a blank cheque,' he told reporters on Monday.

Mr Morrison said the federal government has already done 'the heavy lifting' in terms of supporting the economy through coronavirus and insisted 'you can't run the economy on taxpayers' money forever.'

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has urged Ms Palaszczuk to provide more state support to the tourism sector.

He said the Commonwealth has pumped $27.9billion into Queensland in coronavirus support measures but the state government has only spent $8.8billion.

In a speech at the National Press Club in Canberra on Monday, Mr Morrison also admitted the start date of Australia's vaccination program is up in the air as the European Union tightens export controls.

'Our guidance is that first vaccinations remain on track to be in Australia, ready for distribution to priority groups, from late February.

'However, the final commencement date will depend on developments overseas, which we will continue to monitor and update accordingly,' he said.

Mr Morrison also warned the pandemic is still 'raging' and has not petered out - meaning Australia has another turbulent year ahead.

It comes as Perth begins a harsh five-day lockdown after a security guard at a quarantine hotel tested positive to Covid and visited 15 locations around the city.

Australia's rollout of the coronavirus vaccine may be delayed due to export controls in the EU. Pictured: A woman is vaccinated in north-west England

More than two million residents living in Perth, Peel and the South West will enter lockdown beginning 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday - impacting about 80 per cent of Western Australia's population.

The employee worked two shifts at Sheraton Four Points in Perth's CBD, and was stationed on a floor where at least one returned traveller was diagnosed with the UK strain of the disease, which is up to 80 per cent more infectious.

The government has bought 10million doses of the Pfizer jab - enough to inoculate 5million people - and wants to roll out 80,000 a week by the start of March if they arrive in time.

Mr Morrison has also ordered supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine from Europe but these have already been 'significantly' reduced after the company suffered production problems.

Fortunately Australia has the ability to make its own doses at the CSL factory in Melbourne and, once the jab is approved by regulators, supply is due to start in March at 1million doses a week, earlier than planned.

The prime minister announced an extra $1.9billion in funding for hospitals to support the vaccine rollout. Pictured: Nurses working in Sydney

Despite the uncertainty over the start date of the vaccination program, Mr Morrison insisted the nation remains on track to offer everyone the optional jab by October.

'Initially, we will need to prioritise the most vulnerable and those likely to experience a serious disease, as well as frontline health and care workers and other essential services,' he said.

'We will then extend vaccination to the balance of the population as quickly as possible, building towards protecting the entire community by the end of 2021.

'Our aim is to offer all Australians the opportunity to be vaccinated by October 2021, commencing in just a few weeks' time.'

The prime minister also announced an extra $1.9billion in funding for hospitals to support the vaccine rollout, with the cash to be spent on systems, training and extra staff to administer the jabs.

'We'll have thousands of points of presence across Australia - Hospitals, GPs, Pharmacies, Respiratory Clinics, Aboriginal Health Services and a specialist surge workforce,' Mr Morrison said.

'This will ensure we get the vaccine to all Australians, including people in rural, remote and very remote areas and others who are hard to reach.'

Also in his speech, Mr Morrison thanked Australians for staying positive throughout 2020.

'I said we would not let this virus break our Australian spirit. It hasn't, and it won't,' he said.

'We found the same strength, good humour, resilience and mateship that enabled past generations of Australians to rise to the challenges of their time.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is confident that everyone will be offered the jab by October

The prime minister noted that the unemployment rate has fallen from 7.5 per cent in July last year to 6.6 per cent in December. Almost 800,000 jobs were created in the past seven months. Pictured: Graphs showing the recovery

The prime minister is set to champion the country's record on suppressing the virus, with Australia's death rate the third lowest among the G20 nations, after China and South Korea.

He also promoted the government's economic support measures and declare that 90 per cent of jobs that were lost since March have come back.

However, with parts of Western Australia in lockdown after a hotel security guard tested positive on Sunday, Mr Morrison warned that the nation is not out of the woods yet.

'The pandemic is still raging. It is not petering out. The virus has not gone anywhere. Indeed, it is morphing into new and more virulent strains.

'So we must remain vigilant,' he said.
ABERDEEN, Miss. (WTVA) - Aberdeen Mayor Maurice Howard pleaded guilty on Monday to embezzlement.

As a result, he will be removed from office

A grand jury indicted the mayor on five counts of embezzlement in October 2019.

Court documents pointed to five separate trips, ranging from April 2017 to September 2017, to events and conferences in Jackson, Michigan, Atlanta and Alabama.

He was accused of converting the trip money he received from the City of Aberdeen to his own use and not returning the money to the city.

Previous Article - Aberdeen mayor claims embezzlement accusations are false

The total amounted to nearly $3,500.

According to the indictment, Howard did not attend the events and conferences.

Along with removal from office, he received a suspended prison sentence and must repay $8,000.

State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement Monday morning.

I am pleased this morning that Mr. Howard, who stole from the people of Aberdeen, has been removed from office and has pleaded guilty to a felony. When a politician takes public money for their own benefit and lies about it, its important to remember there are victims. The victims are the taxpayers and people of the city. Im grateful for the work of the district attorneys office and my investigators for bringing this case to a conclusion.

Howard won a second term as mayor in the summer of 2020.

"My lawyer really didn't feel that I would get a fair trial in Monroe County, Howard said. The reality is we wanted to move the case to another city that really didn't know anything about me. Its going to be absolutely impossible to find 12 jurors in Monroe County who do not know Aberdeen mayor Maurice Howard."

The now-former mayor said the plea deal will allow him the freedom to continue his businesses and his church preaching.

Editor's Note: Howard's quote added at 4:22 p.m. on Feb. 1, 2021.
The action was announced as community outrage swelled following the release of footage Sunday showing officers restraining and scolding the girl, who was screaming for her father. At one point, an officer is heard telling her to stop acting like a child, to which she cried, I am a child.
China's foreign ministry said on Monday it had no current plans to evacuate its nationals from Myanmar following the military coup in the country.



Tens of thousands of Chinese nationals are stranded in Myanmar after the only remaining flight back to China, operated by state-run Myanmar National Airlines, was grounded.



Tu Guoding, chairman of the Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce in Myanmar, said Chinese citizens had already seen flights operated by Air China, China Southern, and Eastern Airlines suspended amid travel restrictions imposed amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases in China.



"I am in Yangon right now," Tu told RFA. "We calculated just a few days ago that there are tens of thousands of [Chinese nationals] in Myanmar."



"Previously, we had a choice of routes [to fly home to China], but they were canceled ahead of the Lunar New Year, and won't resume until Feb. 20, or thereabouts," he said.



He said communications had also been disrupted.



"When I got up this morning, my phone was disconnected and the internet was blocked," Tu said. "It's looking now as if some mobile phone signals are back, and communications are resuming."



He said the coup would likely affect many Chinese-run businesses in Myanmar.



"If the military government takes power and Western countries have to sanction it, it may affect our businesses, big-time," he said.



Tu said he had received a notice from the Myanmar Civil Aviation Administration on Monday that the airport would be closed until the end of May.



An official who answered the phone at the ministry of foreign affairs in Beijing said they had no current plan to evacuate Chinese nationals from Myanmar.



"Do you mean the situation in Myanmar? [We will need to] wait for a while until communications resume," the official said.



"We have not received any notification [relating to evacuations] at present."



Calls to the Chinese embassy in Myanmar rang unanswered during office hours on Monday.



Myanmars military have detained senior politicians including elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Military chief in charge



An announcement read on military-owned Myawaddy TV said Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing would be in charge of the country for one year, citing alleged electoral fraud leading to Suu Kyi's parliamentary majority.



According to Tu, all municipal government buildings are under military occupation.



"There are no large-scale demonstrations or riots on the street," Tu said. "[Banks] have issued notifications that withdrawals and deposits can't go ahead due to network problems."



"The banks are also closed on orders from the central bank," he said.



A Hong Kong businessman surnamed Lee, who runs a garment factory in Yangon, said he also fears Western sanctions in the wake of Myanmar's treatment of Rohingya Muslims will hurt his business.



"After the Rohingya incident, the European Union said it would sanction Myanmar, and the U.S. government also sent negative signals, and a lot of Americans stopped investing here," Lee said.



"This isn't going to end well," he said. "Many factories will close down and many workers will lose their jobs."



Li Mingjiang, associate professor at the School of International Relations at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said the military had overthrown a democratically elected government.



"This is a military coup," Li said. "Things looked OK for social and economic development under the democratic alliance during the past few years."



"This is a pretty big mess, and there is a big question mark over further socioeconomic development," he said.



Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday that China had "noted" recent events in Myanmar, and was following the situation.



Li said China could decide it wants to continue to distance itself from Myanmar politics.



"The Chinese side may maintain a relatively detached ... policy towards Myanmar, because ... we have no idea what political direction Myanmar will take in the next few years now," he said.

Heavy Chinese investments



Myanmar is an important country in China's Belt and Road infrastructure strategy, helping China expand its influence in the Indian Ocean, according to Zhuang Jiaying, associate politics professor at the National University of Singapore.



"Who will bear the costs, and gain access to the benefits and resources now?" Zhuang said. "It will take some time to sort all of that out."



"This will have a critical impact on the sustainable development of the Belt and Road initiative in Myanmar," he said.



Beijings most important investment in Myanmar is a U.S.$1.3 billion deep-water port and industrial zone built in the western state of Rakhine that has been largely shunned by Western investors despite being designated a special economic zone by Myanmar.



Bilateral conflicts will also remain, including ethnic conflicts in the mountainous border regions, and resentment caused by the construction of reservoirs and oil pipelines by Chinese companies in Myanmar.



Reported by Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Xiaoshan Huang and Chingman for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
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 fate of Afghanistan has been a perennial issue, decided often by outside powers rather than by the Afghan people. As far back as 1908, British conservative statesman George Curzon declared at the annual dinner of the Central Asian Society in London that, in his estimation, in fifty or a hundred years hence, Afghanistan will be as vital and important a question as it is now. Curzons prediction rang as true then as it does today.

When Curzon uttered his words, Great Britain was grappling with the question of how to tame Afghanistan as a vital geographic entity according to its geopolitical preferences in support of its South Asian colonial layout in rivalry with Tsarist Russia. The British failed, as did the Tsarists Soviet successors in invading and occupying Afghanistan for a decade in the 1980s.

Today, the United Statesthe third major power of the last two centuriesis struggling with what to do with Afghanistan. After fighting in the country for two decades, the U.S., backed by NATO and non-NATO allies, wants a military exit but, if it can help it, without the humiliation that the British and Soviets faced and, indeed, the United States itself had to weather over Vietnam.

In September 2018, the U.S. commenced a serious effort to achieve its objective through a political settlement of the Afghanistan conflict. Its machinations enabled President Donald Trumpa longstanding critic of Americas involvement in Afghanistanto reduce the U.S. troop deployment from 14,000 to the current level of 2,500. But so far there has been little progress towards a workable and lasting political settlement, for several reasons.

For a start, the whole Trump approach, conducted by his Afghan-American envoy for Afghanistan reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, has proved to be misguided. After some 18 months of dialogue with Americas erstwhile terrorist enemy, the Pakistan-backed radical Islamic Taliban, and shuttle diplomacy to build regional and international consensus in support of his mission, Khalilzad could only secure the U.S.Taliban peace agreement of February 2020. The agreement was badly flawed. It essentially provided for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Afghanistan by May 2021 and the immediate release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners from Afghan jails. This was in return for a Taliban pledge not to allow any hostile actions emanating from Afghanistan against the U.S. and its allies and to free 1,000 Afghan soldiers in the militias captivity.

The deal was publicly touted as a pathway to a political settlement to be hammered out among the Afghan parties. It elevated the Taliban as Americas partner in peace, but did not conditionally require the group to declare a universal ceasefire and negotiate in good faith with the Afghan government (which was not a party to the agreement and was rejected by the Taliban as a puppet) and other concerned Afghan parties for a lasting political settlement.

Second, the U.S. side wrongly assumed that the Taliban had sufficient territorial control to prevent any hostile actions. It also placed too much trust in the Taliban to sever its longstanding intimate links with al-Qaeda and, for that matter, with a number of other destructive and criminal groups, including the rival Khorasan branch of Islamic State (IS-K) and narcotics producers and traffickers, from whose activities the Taliban derive significant benefits. Since the signing of the peace deal, the U.S. intelligence services and the United Nations have confirmed the Talibans continued camaraderie with most of these entities, al-Qaeda in particular.

Finally, in concluding the deal, Washington paid little attention to the conditions on the ground in Afghanistan. The political, economic and security situation in the country had been declining steadily, especially since the withdrawal of most U.S. and NATO allied troops by the end of 2014. The government in Kabul has remained weak, divided and kleptocratic, while its security forces, suffering from increased desertion and fatalities, cant hold back the dam for too long without support from foreign forces and American air cover when needed.

The socially mosaicked Afghanistan has historically been a land of strongmen and personalised politics and this has not substantially changed, robbing the country of the potential for national unity and consensus on the form and functions of the government. It continues to be a weak state with strong societies.

The U.S.Taliban peace deal obliged the Taliban not to fight the American and allied forces but gave them carte blanche to escalate their operations against government forces and strategic targets, resulting in higher military and civilian fatalities over the past year. Instability, insecurity, kidnapping and the targeted assassinations of enlightened religious figures, journalists and civil activists (most of whom have been critical of the Taliban and the government of President Ashraf Ghani) have lately become the order of the day. The Taliban have denied targeted assassinations, but the suspicion has fallen on them and IS-K as well as the government. Today, Afghanistan is one of the most corrupt and dangerous countries in which to live.

U.S. President Joe Biden has inherited a terrible Afghan legacy. While he also wants to see the end of Americas entanglement in the unwinnable and costly warthe longest in U.S. historyhe is conscious of not tarnishing the image of the U.S. and NATO as ostensibly a formidable military alliance. His administration has said that it will review the U.S.Taliban peace agreement to ensure that the Taliban meet their end of the bargain. However, the Taliban have made it clear that they feel they have fulfilled their commitment under the agreement by not fighting the U.S. and allied troops, and that they would view a delay in the total foreign troop withdrawal by May as a violation of the deal, obliging them to resume fighting those troops.

At least three scenarios are possible in the foreseeable future.

The first is that the Biden team stays on course with the troop withdrawal, retaining a residual force to protect the U.S. mission in Kabul and conduct counterterrorism operations to prevent hostile actions from Afghanistan. The U.S. and its allies would have to continue funding the Afghan forces to the tune of billions of dollars to enable them to rebuff a unilateral Taliban takeover. But this picture underestimates the psychological, economic and security impact of the withdrawal, overestimates the capacity of Afghan forces, and overlooks the weaknesses of the Afghan government as a cohesive, inclusive, effective and popular force.

In the second scenario, the Afghan government could collapse and the country could plunge into an internecine conflict, with Afghanistans neighbours backing different client groupssomething that occurred in the wake of the disintegration of the Soviet surrogate government of Najibullah in 1992. There are non-governmental forces that would seek to deter a victory by the Taliban. In the process, the Taliban might gain the upper hand but wouldnt be able to acquire more than a limited writ over the country. The conflict would continue, with the international community facing serious dilemmas in providing assistance to a Taliban-run government.

The third is that the Biden administration is able to strike a deal with Pakistan to cajole the Taliban to reach an agreement in the Doha talks for a power-sharing arrangement. This scenario is likely, provided it enjoys regional consensus, involving a reduction in U.S.Iranian hostility with Washingtons return to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. However, the resultant governing system would be tenuous, rendering Afghanistan a feeble actor prone to the influence of regional players, and of Pakistan in particular.

All of these scenarios are deeply troublesome. Each one points to the survival of Afghanistan as a seriously disrupted state.

The geopolitical vitality of Afghanistan is rooted in the countrys geographical location as a hub of connectivity. The most feasible way that Afghanistan can be saved as a potentially stable and functioning state is for the U.S. to make a responsible withdrawal. That would require a universal ceasefire and a comprehensive political settlement under a transitional technocratic government, made up of non-partisan, talented, dedicated and clean personalities from the ranks of the younger generation of Afghans. Such figures dont carry the excess baggage that has paralysed the current crop of power holders. Otherwise, Curzons concerns about the Afghanistan question stand to haunt the Afghan people and outside actors for years to come.

A "Like" logo on a sign at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., on April 14, 2020. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo)

Steven Crowder Announces Lawsuit Against Facebook

Conservative host Steven Crowder said on Feb. 1 that hes suing Facebook over unfair competition, fraud, false advertising, and antitrust.

Crowder attorney Bill Richmond said on Crowders YouTube channel that the lawsuit is already initiated, and he accused the tech giant of false advertising, antitrust violations, unfair competition, and fraud.

The key remedy is injunctive relief (stop unfair/deceptive acts). Were also seeking seven-figure monetary damages. The goal here is forcing honesty and clarity in policy application and enforcement, according to Crowders website.

Our broader point is that we are pro-business but anti-fraud. Facebook lured consumers and creators to spend money and provide data and views under the promise of not engaging in political, racial or religious bias in enforcing their policies, but they have done so both expressly and secretively, and hence, the suit.

In the YouTube clip, Crowder said his Nov. 3 election livestream was cut off in the midst of his coverage. Crowder said he was never provided a reason for why the stream was taken down.

They removed the biggest stream that has ever existed, from the biggest platform thats ever existed, with no reason, he said.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Facebook for comment.

His website accused Facebook of reducing the reach of certain pages and favoring certain news outlets over others.

A number of conservatives, including then-President Donald Trump, were suspended from Facebook and other social media platforms following the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6. Over the years, conservatives have complained that Big Tech firms are censoring or throttling right-wing news websites and pages, prompting Trump and others to consider repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that serves as a liability shield for social media websites and others.

Were prepared to take the lawsuit as far as we need to, including to the United States Supreme Court, Crowders site stated.

Crowder made reference to the lawsuit on Jan. 31, writing on Twitter: I do not know what will happen February 2nd. But tomorrow, we will NOT self censor, we will NOT be bullied, silenced or intimidated. We will kneel for NO one.

Conservative commentator Candace Owens in November 2020 announced a lawsuit against Facebooks fact-checkers, including USA Today and Lead Storiesa website that is funded, in part, by Chinese Communist Party-linked firm ByteDance.

It is time to fact-check the fact-checkers, Owens said at the time. Im going to put these suckers through discovery and figure out what the relationship is that they have with Facebook.

Crowders lawsuit is scheduled to be filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : In view of the reduction in Covid-19 transmission, the administration of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Monday decided to limit the use of coverall-based PPE kits to Covid-19 intensive care units (ICU) in the hospital, and that too during surgical procedures.

The order stated that PPE coveralls would be worn by the hospital staff only during invasive procedures which generate large aerosols.

"The PPEs are not required in all other patient care procedures inter-alia Covid-19 wards, ICUs, Covid-19 suspected areas, non-Covid wards and ICUs," the order copy read.

The hospital also mandated that such areas do not require PPEs and their usage "ought to be restricted here".

However, the AIIMS has recommended the use of N-95 masks, face shields and surgical gowns in such areas. "Their (N-95 masks, face shields and surgical gowns) use may be continued along with standard precautions, whenever required," it said.

Besides, the administration has also decided to normalise the duty roster of healthcare staff at all the non-Covid areas of the hospital, including the ICUS.

The number of leaves and offs are also restored to usual Monday onwards.

However, the order is not applicable to the Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre (JPNATC) of the hospital, which is functioning as a dedicated Covid-19 hospital consisting of a 250-bed isolation ward.

The doctors believe that the order is a sign for returning normalcy amid the pandemic.

"Congratulations to all of us and especially patients and healthcare workers. We are returning towards normalcy," Dr Vijay Gurjar, Assistant Professor, Department of Geriatric Medicine and former President of Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of AIIMS said.

However, he also cautioned that despite the relaxation everyone should continue to follow standard precautions religiously. "The pandemic is not over yet," Gurjar said.

Meanwhile, with three deaths on Monday, the national capital reported the lowest number of fatalities in the last 10 months while it recorded 121 new cases of Covid-19.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Britons spend millions on fertility treatments every year, but a study claims that for a minority the answer to conception may simply be to have more sex.

Scientists tracked 431 couples having assisted reproductive therapy when lockdown was imposed between March and May last year  temporarily halting their treatment.

During that period, 34 of the couples  around 8 per cent  experienced a spontaneous pregnancy without any medical help.

When researchers quizzed the couples, they found they had been having sex three or four times a week during lockdown.

But among non-pregnant couples, it was less than twice a week. Most of the women who conceived were younger and had been having fertility treatment for shorter periods.

Britons spend millions on fertility treatments every year, but a study claims that for a minority the answer to conception may simply be to have more sex

Researchers at the University of Modena, Italy, said lockdown had provided the perfect circumstances to study the frequency of sex among couples mostly confined to home.

In a report, published in the journal Andrology, they said: The high pregnancy rate in a very short time-frame reveals an under-explored cause of infertility  the frequency of sexual intercourse.

Fertility treatment should be directed at those who really need it, avoiding unnecessary over-treatment for those couples able to conceive spontaneously.

The report added: Doctors should better investigate the sexual habits of infertile couples, such as the number of times a week that they have intercourse.

Britons spend almost 70million a year on fertility remedies such as IVF, most of it privately. One cycle of treatment averages around 5,000. Up to one in seven UK couples has problems conceiving.

Professor Sheena Lewis, specialist in reproductive medicine at Queens University Belfast, said: This study highlights the fact that couples with infertility issues often lose interest in sex. But it involves a small number of women.

And if there are specific issues to blame for the infertility  such as a womans blocked Fallopian tubes or a mans lack of sperm, no amount of sex will lead to pregnancy.
South Africa: SA to receive first consignment of COVID-19 vaccine

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Vaccines, will today receive South Africas first consignment of the COVID-19 vaccine at OR Tambo International Airport.

The first shipment of one million doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) left the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Sunday.

The President and Deputy President will be joined by Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize; Acting Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni; High Commissioner of the Republic of India, Jaideep Sarkar, and Chief Executive Officer of Biovac, Dr Morena Makhoana.

Biovac is a bio-pharmaceutical company that was formed in 2003 in a partnership with government and private investors to establish local vaccine manufacturing capability.

Biovac will play an important role in the quality assurance, warehousing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. High Commissioner Sarkar will represent India as the country of origin of the first vaccine to be rolled out in South Africa.

The Serum Institute of India has been licensed to produce a vaccine that has been developed by the multinational pharmaceutical and bio pharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, the Presidency said in a statement.

The Presidency said the arrival of the first consignment at OR Tambo Airport in the late afternoon, marks the start of the vaccine rollout, which President Ramaphosa has described as the largest and most complex logistical vaccine undertaking in South Africas history.

The scale of delivery is unprecedented in terms of the number of people who have to be reached within a short space of time. The aim of the vaccination programme is to achieve immunity across the population, the Presidency said.

Government is coordinating the vaccine programme through the committee chaired by the Deputy President, which is focused on procurement, distribution, actual vaccination, monitoring, communication and mobilisation.

Vaccination phases

The first phase of the rollout programme will prioritise around 1.2 million frontline health workers.

Phase 2 will prioritise essential workers including teachers, police, municipal workers and other frontline personnel.

People in institutions like old age homes, shelters and prisons, people over 60 years of age and adults with co-morbidities, will also be prioritised in phase 2, with a total number of around 16 million people intended to be reached.

With increased manufacturer supplies, government will in phase 3 vaccinate the remaining adult population of approximately 22.5 million people, and will then have reached around 40 million South Africans, which is considered to approximate herd immunity.

Mondays proceedings will be brief, with dignitaries witnessing airline, airport, health, customs and security personnel perform their duties of ensuring that the vaccine consignment is cleared and securely transported to its cold-room destination.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Singapore suspends Malaysia business bubble for 3 months

Singapore has put off the agreed quarantine-free business travel arrangement with Malaysia for three months, citing the alarming resurgence in cases. The move reiterates once again how difficult it is to reopen borders for nations that are struggling to keep the virus under control. Singapore's similar arrangements with South Korea and Germany have also been suspended. Malaysia reported a record 5,725 new confirmed cases on Friday, taking total infections there beyond 200,000. Singapore has contained the outbreak relatively well, but the constant influx of cases among foreign travellers is threatening the locals. Read here

Let's look at the global statistics Global infections: 102,974,263 Change Over Yesterday: 341,343 Global deaths: 2,228,203 Nations with most cases: US (26,186,817), India (10,757,610), Brazil (9,204,731), United Kingdom (3,828,183), Russia (3,808,348).

Source: John Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center

Vaccine rollout under Biden struggles to live up to campaign pledge

Biden had pledged a concerted effort against the pandemic in the run up to his presidency, sharply attacking his predecessor Trump for botching up both, the response and the vaccination programme. But there seem to no radical changes since he has taken over. Biden promised to vaccinate 100 million in his first 100 days in office, something that is possible even at the pace achieved during the Trump administration. Some members of Bidens team have now warned that the public should not expect a step-change in the rate of vaccinations any time soon. At the heart of Biden's plan against is better coordination between states and federal administration, something Trump failed to do. Biden team has also promised to use the National Gaurd in vaccine distribution, but is not planning to use them for administering shots. Read here

Covid deaths in Africa higher than official count, Zambia study suggests

Contrary to the popular view that Africa has escaped the worst of the pandemic, a new study of Zambain corpses reveals the death count could be higher than the official count, and the same could be the case elsewhere in Africa. The research by Boston University School of Public Health, which hasn't yet been peer-reviewed, suggests many deaths have not been registered. Researchers took nose and throat swabs from the bodies of the recently deceased at a morgue in Lusaka, and found a far higher incidence of Covid-19 than expected. Of 364 bodies tested, Covid-19 was detected in 70. Read here

Much of Western Australia goes into five-day lockdown

Amid fears that a hotel quarantine guard has tested positive for highly contagious new coronavirus variant, Western Australia has announced lockdown in many parts of the state including Perth, Peel region and state's south-west region. Victoria and South Australia has shut their borders to the affected areas. Schools were due to return on Monday but will now remain closed; masks will become mandatory during the lockdown; and venues including bars, pubs, clubs, gyms and places of worship will need to close. Restaurants and cafes will be limited to takeaway service. Elective surgery has also been suspended. Read here
When Cardi B talks -- her many fans and admirers listen.

When the flamboyant rapper flashes her famous curves -- they usually watch and soak in what's likely another one of her sexy, skimpy ensembles.

And on Sunday that exactly what happened when she took to her social media platforms and shared that she has an 'announcement tomorrow' in a revealing denim bikini.

Scroll down to video

Teaser: Cardi B took to her social media platforms on Sunday in a denim bikini to tease fans that she has 'an announcement to make tomorrow'

The Bodak Yellow star, 28, made the declaration to her nearly 100 million fans and followers on Instagram and Twitter in a quick video.

With heavy doses of her flirty attitude and confidence, Cardi (born Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar) stood at the top of a staircase staring down at the floor.

She then casually looked up and said, 'I got an announcement to make tomorrow -- bye.'

After a brief hesitation, some music kicked-in and the Bronx, New York native slowly stepped down the stairs and out of the view of the camera.

Fashionista: The rapper, 28, paired her denim bikini with a matching duster coat

After a brief hesitation, some music kicked-in and the Bronx, New York native slowly stepped down the stairs with typical Cardi flare and attitude

Honing it in: The Bodak Yellow star also wore a head scarf and had a couple of denim straps around her left thigh as she carried a a purse in her left hand

To go along with the bikini, Cardi also had a couple of denim straps around her left thigh as she carried a purse in her left hand.

She also donned black-and-white head scarf over her raven tresses that were styled long, straight and sleek.

A few hours earlier on Sunday, the hitmaker shared a snap of her two-and-a-half-old daughter Kulture in a pink Balenciaga shirt, matching sweatpants and white-frame sunglasses.

'My baby,' she wrote across the top of the photo with obvious pride.

Cardi B is known for her aggressive flow and candid lyrics, which have received widespread media coverage since she had her musical debut on Shaggy's remix to his single, Boom Boom, in 2015.

A little 'tude: Cardi gave a simple glance into the camera before she walked out of view

Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2021 -- A new business intelligence report released by HTF MI with title "COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Industry Market Report-Development Trends, Threats, Opportunities and Competitive Landscape in 2020" is designed covering micro level of analysis by manufacturers and key business segments. The COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Market survey analysis offers energetic visions to conclude and study market size, market hopes, and competitive surroundings. The research is derived through primary and secondary statistics sources and it comprises both qualitative and quantitative detailing. Some of the key players profiled in the study are Cerner Corporation (US), Wolters Kluwer Health (US), Epic Systems Corporation Inc. (US), Philips Healthcare (Netherlands), Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (US), McKesson Corporation (US), Medical Information Technology, Inc. (US), Hearst Health (US), Elsevier B.V. (Netherlands) & International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation (US).



What's keeping Cerner Corporation (US), Wolters Kluwer Health (US), Epic Systems Corporation Inc. (US), Philips Healthcare (Netherlands), Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (US), McKesson Corporation (US), Medical Information Technology, Inc. (US), Hearst Health (US), Elsevier B.V. (Netherlands) & International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation (US) Ahead in the Market? Benchmark yourself with the strategic moves and findings recently released by HTF MI



Get Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ : https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/2886402-covid-19-outbreak-global-clinical-decision-support-system-industry-market



Market Overview of COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System

If you are involved in the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System industry or aim to be, then this study will provide you inclusive point of view. It's vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Applications [Conventional CDSS & Advanced CDSS], Product Types [, Hardware, Software & Services] and major players. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement.



This study mainly helps understand which market segments or Region or Country they should focus in coming years to channelize their efforts and investments to maximize growth and profitability. The report presents the market competitive landscape and a consistent in depth analysis of the major vendor/key players in the market along with impact of economic slowdown due to COVID.



Furthermore, the years considered for the study are as follows:

Historical year  2014-2019

Base year  2019

Forecast period**  2020 to 2026 [** unless otherwise stated]



**Moreover, it will also include the opportunities available in micro markets for stakeholders to invest, detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product services of key players.



Enquire for customization in Report @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/2886402-covid-19-outbreak-global-clinical-decision-support-system-industry-market



The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below:

The Study Explore the Product Types of COVID-19 Outbreak- Clinical Decision Support System Market: , Hardware, Software & Services



Key Applications/end-users of COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Market: Conventional CDSS & Advanced CDSS



Top Players in the Market are: Cerner Corporation (US), Wolters Kluwer Health (US), Epic Systems Corporation Inc. (US), Philips Healthcare (Netherlands), Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. (US), McKesson Corporation (US), Medical Information Technology, Inc. (US), Hearst Health (US), Elsevier B.V. (Netherlands) & International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation (US)



Region Included are: North America (Covered in Chapter 7 and 14), United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe (Covered in Chapter 8 and 14), Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Others, Asia-Pacific (Covered in Chapter 9 and 14), China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, Others, Middle East and Africa (Covered in Chapter 10 and 14), Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Others, South America (Covered in Chapter 11 and 14), Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Chile & Others



Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report:

 Detailed overview of COVID-19 Outbreak- Clinical Decision Support System market

 Changing market dynamics of the industry

 In-depth market segmentation by Type, Application etc

 Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value

 Recent industry trends and developments

 Competitive landscape of COVID-19 Outbreak- Clinical Decision Support System market

 Strategies of key players and product offerings

 Potential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growth

 A neutral perspective towards COVID-19 Outbreak- Clinical Decision Support System market performance

 Market players information to sustain and enhance their footprint



Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/2886402-covid-19-outbreak-global-clinical-decision-support-system-industry-market



Major Highlights of TOC:

Chapter One: COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Market Industry Overview

1.1 COVID-19 Outbreak- Clinical Decision Support System Industry

1.1.1 Overview

1.1.2 Products of Major Companies

1.2 COVID-19 Outbreak- Clinical Decision Support System Market Segment

1.2.1 Industry Chain

1.2.2 Consumer Distribution

1.3 Price & Cost Overview



Chapter Two: COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Market Demand

2.1 Segment Overview

2.1.1 APPLICATION 1

2.1.2 APPLICATION 2

2.1.3 Other

2.2 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Market Size by Demand

2.3 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Market Forecast by Demand



Chapter Three: COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Market by Type

3.1 By Type

3.1.1 TYPE 1

3.1.2 TYPE 2

3.2 COVID-19 Outbreak- Clinical Decision Support System Market Size by Type

3.3 COVID-19 Outbreak- Clinical Decision Support System Market Forecast by Type



Chapter Four: Major Region of COVID-19 Outbreak- Clinical Decision Support System Market

4.1 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Sales

4.2 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Revenue & market share



Chapter Five: Major Companies List



Chapter Six: Conclusion



Complete Purchase of Latest Version COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Market Study with COVID-19 Impact Analysis @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=2886402



Key questions answered

- What impact does COVID-19 have made on COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System Market Growth & Sizing?

- Who are the Leading key players and what are their Key Business plans in the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System market?

- What are the key concerns of the five forces analysis of the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System market?

- What are different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Clinical Decision Support System market?

- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?



Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.



Contact US :

Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)

HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited

Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ

New Jersey USA  08837

Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218

sales@htfmarketreport.com
KENT COUNTY, MI  Wyoming police identified Davion Shacorey Lee, 22, of Grand Rapids, as the victim of a shooting early Sunday, Jan. 31.

He was found dead around 4:30 a.m. in a vehicle in the 2000 block of 36th Street SW.

He had suffered a gunshot wound, Wyoming police said.

Police have identified a person of interest: Brian Lamont Ashley Jr., 21. He has not been charged in the killing but police say they have reason to believe he is involved and avoiding police.

Brian Lamon Ashley (Photo provided by Wyoming Department of Public Safety)

Police said he could be armed and dangerous.

Police asked anyone with information to contact at 616-530-7300 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.

Read more:

So many kids are struggling right now: Michigan family mourns death of hockey player son

Michigans average gas prices are highest theyve been in a year

Great Lakes freighter with special history catches fire in Wisconsin shipyard
LONDON  Nearly four years after a fire killed 72 people as it tore through Londons Grenfell Tower  a high-rise building clad in flammable material  Britains opposition party is demanding that the government come to the aid of hundreds of thousands of people living in dangerous apartments and buildings with similar cladding.

The Labour Party on Monday called for a national task force to deal with the issue, and urged the government to establish the extent of dangerous cladding still on buildings across the country. The measures are part of a proposed amendment to a Fire Safety Bill aimed at helping those in homes still wrapped in treacherous cladding. It would prioritize the highest risk buildings, request funding be provided to remove flammable cladding immediately, and seek protection for leaseholders and taxpayers to keep them from shouldering the cost.

Keir Starmer, the opposition Labour leader, said in a statement before a debate in Parliament on the issue that the measures need to be a turning point for those affected by the cladding scandal.

Millions of people have been sucked into this crisis due to years of dither, delay and half-baked solutions from the government, Mr. Starmer said. For many leaseholders, the dream of homeownership has become a nightmare. They feel abandoned, locked down in flammable homes and facing ruinous costs for repair work and interim safety measures.
Mumbai, Feb 1 : The ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress allies on Monday slammed the Union Budget 2021-2022 of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for 'injustice' to Maharashtra while the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party termed it as path-breaking and all-inclusive.

State Congress President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said the budget is a 'letter of intent' to profit by selling off top government companies in the guise of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and doling out largesse to states going to elections this year.

NCP leader, Deputy Chief Minister and state Finance Minister Ajit Pawar said the Centre has continued the tradition of injustice to the women, backward classes, tribals, minority, migrants and the middle-class. Also, Maharashtra, which contributes the highest revenues to the country, has got nothing.

Shiv Sena leader Kishore Tiwari who is the president of Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission (VNSSM), attacked the budget labelling it as a "national betrayal, complete eyewash and hostile to the farmers," who are agitating against the three new farm bills for more than two months.

PWD Minister Ashok Chavan targeted the budget saying it reflects the six overall economic pillars of the BJP Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi" Wealth and well-being of select capitalists, harassment of farmers and traders, selective development eyeing Assembly elections in some states, depressing human capital, revising R&D to mean ruining & destroying the economy, and maximum promises with minimum performance.

Lauding the budget, BJP's Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis termed it as innovative with several positive proposals for the countrymen, and also appreciated Nirmala Sitharaman's decision to allocate Rs. 2,092 crore for the Nashik Metro and Rs. 5,796 crore for the Nagpur Metro-Phase II.

"We are happy that the Centre appreciates our innovative approach and accepts the Nashik Metro model as a national project, to be implemented in other cities. Both the (Nagpur-Nashik) metro proposals were sent during the BJP tenure," a pleased Fadnavis pointed out to mediapersons.

Shiv Sena MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut strongly criticised the budget saying it had nothing for the poor, the middle-class or migrants who were the worst-hit during the Coronavirus pandemic last year, or the farmers who are demanding the repeal of the three farm laws.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Pune, Feb 1 : As the members of the state's powerful Pawar clan get older, their enthusiasm for public service remains undiminished, said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Quite feared and notorious in political circles for his blunt statements, the senior Nationalist Congress Party leader said that now Sharad 'Pawar-Saheb' is pushing 81, he (Ajit Pawar) is 61 while his cousin Supriya (Pawar) Sule is 51 years old.

"But, as we become older, our passion keeps growing," Ajit Pawar said, addressing a function on employment generation in his home town of Baramati on Sunday evening, in the presence of NCP leaders, representatives of banks, corporates, etc.

Then, with a pause, decorated by an impish grin, the 4-time Deputy Chief Minister added mischievously: "Our passion for work!" He pointed out that it was this zeal for public service which energises all the Pawars "to start working at the crack of dawn, as soon the sun rises and go on all day" and duties continue even till late in the night.

The reputation for doing peoples' work has impressed the masses immensely, and now people from even other districts or regions approach the Pawars to get their problems resolved, he contended.

"We are compelled to tell them 'Arrey Baba, approach your own MLAs, Ministers or Guardian Ministers... This is not in our jurisdiction'. But we try to help as many as possible," said the Deputy Chief Minister, himself considered a work-horse.

"This is probably why the people of Baramati always support us wholeheartedly during all elections. If any parcel comes from outside, the Baramatikars retain his (election) deposit and politely send him back!" Ajit Pawar said with a stern countenance on how nobody else stands a chance in Baramati.

The Pawar clan's stranglehold on the Baramati stronghold is legendary, though several top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders attempted to break it and even darkly warned that "(Sharad) Pawar will be sent home".

Ironically, the threats failed to faze Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar - and they all got elected and guffawed their way to the Houses of legislature and Parliament.

For instance, NCP President Sharad Pawar has been elected 6 times non-stop since 1967 from Baramati, on Congress tickets and twice (1980 and 1985) on other breakaway factions.

He also has an unbroken record of becoming the state's youngest Chief Minister in 1978 at the age of 37, and returning thrice later before climbing to national politics, barring a 2-year return spell in the state from 1993.

Besides, the Pawar Senior romped home in 7 Lok Sabha elections (Baramati and Madha) and is now a Member of Rajya Sabha for the second consecutive term since 2014, after retiring from the electoral arena and 'bequeathing' the seat to his sole daughter Supriya Sule.

Not surprisingly, Supriya Pawar won from Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in 2009, then succeeded in taming the so-called 'Modi-waves', to return again in 2014 and 2019, besides an earlier term in Rajya Sabha.

Similarly, Ajit Pawar has been elected 7 times from Baramati Assembly constituency non-stop since 1991 and also spent a short term in Lok Sabha before dedicating himself to state politics and harbouring a not-so-secret desire for the Chief Minister's chair.

Making a brief self-introspection, Ajit Pawar said that whenever things don't proceed smoothly as per plans, he gets upset and irritated.

"This happens often, so there's an impression created that I am perpetually grouchy. But that's not true," he said and warned the officialdom to ensure that all works are carried out properly with a life-span of century and not squander public money.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
CHICAGO, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas A. Demetrio, co-founder of the legendary law firm Corboy & Demetrio, has been ranked first in the state by Illinois Super Lawyers for 2021.

It is the fifth year in a row Thomas has earned the #1 overall ranking by Super Lawyers, attaining the top designation in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a research-driven, peer-influenced rating service of lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

"I am truly humbled by this incredible honor, especially since our state has a treasure trove of amazing legal talent. Singling me out is an acknowledgment of the longstanding commitment and consistent excellence of all the talented Corboy & Demetrio attorneys," Demetrio said.

Thomas received the #1 ranking as the top aviation plaintiffs' lawyer by Illinois Leading Lawyers in 2019 and, in 2020, Thomas was included in Best Lawyers in America, which has included him in every edition since 1987. In 2014, the National Law Journal named Thomas to its inaugural "Top 50 Litigation Trailblazers and Pioneers," and, in 2019, The National Trial Lawyers named him to: "The Roundtable: America's 50 Most Influential Trial Lawyers." In 2015, the prestigious Lawdragon, which has anointed Thomas "Dean of the Chicago Trial Bar," selected him for "Legends of the Bar," as one of only 50 lawyers nationwide who had been selected every year, since its inception, for its 500 Leading Lawyers in America, joining a select group that includes U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. In 2021, Lawdragon published its 15th anniversary issue, which featured some of the Legends, including Thomas.

Thomas has acquired over $2 billion in verdicts and settlements in his career, including the first ever 8figure compensatory verdict in Illinois and the largest personal injury verdict ever to be upheld by the Illinois Supreme Court. All of his verdicts have been paid. He has never lost an appeal.

For over 25 years, Thomas has been an invited Fellow of: The International Academy of Trial Lawyers, American College of Trial Lawyers, and the Inner Circle of Advocates. As a leader of the bar, Thomas has served as President of both the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and the 22,000-member Chicago Bar Association. He is an internationally sought after lecturer on trial techniques and advocacy skills and has authored more than 60 professional articles.

In 2016, the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association awarded Thomas its highest honor, the Leonard M. Ring Lifetime Achievement Award. That same year, Thomas received the Chicago Bar Association's prestigious Justice John Paul Stevens Award  from Justice Stevens himself.

Thomas is one of 13 Corboy & Demetrio attorneys selected to 2021 Illinois Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. They include Partners: Philip Harnett Corboy, Michael K. Demetrio, Francis Patrick Murphy, David R. Barry, Jr., Susan J. Schwartz, Kenneth T. Lumb, Daniel S. Kirschner, Michelle M. Kohut, William T. Gibbs and Edward G. Willer. Associate Attorneys Michael D. Ditore and Andrew P. Stevens were selected to Illinois Rising Stars.

Corboy & Demetrio is proud that 40% of IL Super Lawyers' 2021 Top Ten list are current or former C&D lawyers. Of IL Super Lawyers' Top 100 list, 11% are currently employed by or have worked at our firm. Overall, 50 lawyers selected to 2021 IL Super Lawyers or Rising Stars in the areas of personal injury and medical malpractice either are currently employed by or have worked at our firm.

About Corboy & Demetrio

Corboy & Demetrio is one of the nation's premier law firms, representing individuals and their families in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases. Our Chicago personal injury lawyers are renowned for their achievements in the courtroom and contributions to the community. Putting clients first has resulted in unparalleled and exceptional success - more than $4 billion in settlements and verdicts, of which nearly 600 were in excess of $1 million. To contact Thomas Demetrio or another attorney at Corboy & Demetrio, call 312-346-3191 or email us at [email protected]. We are available 24/7. For more information about our practice, go www.corboydemetrio.com .

Media Contact: Helen Lucaitis, Esq., Communications Director, Corboy & Demetrio, 312-550-2077 or [email protected]

SOURCE Corboy & Demetrio

Related Links

http://www.corboydemetrio.com


After long years of delay, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the setting up of an entity to address the stressed assets of banks. The organization will be set up through an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC) model, she said in the 2021 Budget Speech. Details of the proposals are still awaited.

This institution, what is commonly known as bad bank, will be a major boost for bad asset resolution in the financial system and has been in discussions for long. Banks can transfer bad assets to this entity at a discount. Experts will then attempt for a resolution through a professional approach, while originating banks can focus on new business.

On January 27, Moneycontrol reported that a bad bank is likely to be announced in the Budget. Nearly 8 percent of the total loans have gone bad (overdue more than 90 days) at this stage.

What is a bad bank?

To be sure, the idea of a bad bank itself is not new. In 2018, the government announced a plan for PSBs called 'Project Sashakt', which had a five-point plan for bad loan resolution in public sector banks. The government then spoke of a model, with the guiding principles of an Asset Management Company (AMC) resolution approach, under which an independent AMC would be set up to focus on asset turnaround, job creation and protection. The functions of this new company will be aligned with the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) process and IBC laws, the government had said.

The government did not call it a bad bank then and made it clear that it won't get involved in the bad asset resolution process and the process will be led by banks. Why the timing of a bad bank is right? There are five reasons why the timing is apt for the creation of a bad bank.

One, NPAs are likely to escalate post-Covid.

The existing stock of bad loans is a big worry for banks. At the end of September 2020 year, the total gross NPAs of the banking system was 7.5 percent of the overall industry loan book. This is expected to shoot up to 13.5 percent by March-September this year, according to the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) projection. That is a base case scenario. In a worst-case scenario, the bad loans are likely to rise up to 15 percent of the total loans. This will be a big shock to banks as they will require significantly higher capital to cover the impact of bad loans. Moving the existing stock to a separate entity at the earliest could be an escape route.

Two, it is a less costly exercise now. Thats because the net value of NPA assets with banks has fallen dramatically. A bad bank was not created before because the net book value of NPAs was very high. Transfer of these assets would have been much costlier. But today, the net book value of NPAs is very lowhardly 15 percent in many cases. Banks have made significant provisions already. The point is if there are people specialising on resolution and if all NPAs are brought to one place, bank management can focus on the rest of the business.

Three, COVID-19 has been an extra jolt on the bank balance sheets. The pandemic has impacted the overall economic activity significantly, inflicting pain on the balance sheets of banks. The six-month loan moratorium gave temporary relief to companies. But after the moratorium period, some of these accounts have been restructured by banks. Going by the numbers indicated by banks so far, the weaker banks have been impacted more.

To give an example, Yes Bank, which has one-third of its loans under the stressed category, has restructured around 5 percent of the loan book. Analysts expect overall restructuring in the industry (on account of COVID-19) to be around 3 percent of the loan book. A lot will depend on economic recovery going ahead.

Four, banks can focus on fresh business. Once the large chunk of existing bad loans is transferred to the new company, banks can aggressively focus on new productive lending. The fear of future loans defaults is holding back from banks from taking additional exposure to industries. This, coupled with subdued demand, has slowed the flow of credit to productive sectors. Overall credit growth has slowed to less than 6 per cent on a year-on-year basis, with credit growth to industry actually contracting to several segments. Freeing up banks from the burden of bad loans could help push credit growth.

Five, Slow pace of bad asset resolution:

Slow resolution of sticky assets remains a big problem for Indian banks. With no recovery in sight, banks have resorted to massive loan write-offs in the recent past. Currently, if there is a large corporate NPA, one needs to go to 10-15 banks for resolution. Hence, banks are resorting to large scale write -offs.

To get a perspective. Consider these numbers:

In the last decade alone, Indian banks have written off loans worth around Rs 883,168 crore, a significant chunk of which came from government-owned banks, the latest data from the Reserve Bank of India shows. Of this, public sector banks (PSBs) alone wrote off Rs 667,345 crore worth loans since 2010.

This is about 76 percent of the total written-off loans in the decade, while private banks wrote off loans worth Rs 193,033 crore constituting about 21 percent of the total chunk. Foreign banks wrote off Rs 22,790 crore loans or 3 percent of the total write-off, the RBI data showed. In the financial year 2019-2020 alone, banks wrote off a total of Rs 2,37,206 crore or about a quarter of the total loan write-offs in the last one decade. Of this, Rs 1,78 lakh crore was by PSBs and Rs53, 949 crore by private banks. These figures do not take into account the loans written off by small finance banks, which is a relatively smaller portion.

The recovery through debt recovery tribunals and Insolvency and bankruptcy code (IBC) mechanism has been limited to only a few large cases. A bad bank could help in better bad loan resolution through an ARC model.

In May 2020, when the IBA submitted its proposal, it had requested the government to put in an initial capital of Rs 10,000 crore. Today, the net book value of NPAs is very lowhardly 15 per cent in many cases. The point is if there are people specialising on resolution and if all NPAs are brought to one place, bank managements can focus on the rest of the business, former SBI chairman Rajnish Kumar told Moneycontrol in a recent interview.

PSBs own 60 percent of the banking system. We cant transfer (bad loans) to any other entity other than a government-owned company. This is the logic (of saying government has to fund the project), said Kumar. In this backdrop, the bad bank idea will be a major reform for banking sector if properly implemented. The challenge is on the execution.

(This is an updated version of an earlier story being filed in the context of FM announcement)
ROME, FEB 1 - The Italian foreign ministry said on Monday that "Italy firmly condemns the wave of arrests in Myanmar and calls for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all the arrested political leaders". "The will of the peple clearly emerged in the latest elections and it should be respected," it said. "We are worried about this abrupt interruption in the process of democratic transition and we ask for the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties to be guaranteed". (ANSA).
The Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Abdulkareem Lawan, has faulted claims that Boko Haram no longer holds any local government area in the state.

The speaker was responding to a statement by the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Gabriel Olonisakin, at the pulling out parade of retired service chiefs that no local government area is under the control of the insurgents.

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, had in December 2020 during a meeting with the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria , made the same asertion.

But the Borno speaker said the claim was not fair to the displaced people of Borno, especially his immediate constituency.

Mr Lawan said even as the head of the state legislature he has not been able to visit his local government area for three years because it is being occupied by insurgents.

I disagree with the claims of the former Chief of Defence Staff during their pulling out ceremony that no territory in Nigeria is under the control of Boko Haram. I say this because my local government is completely under the control of Boko Haram for the past three years.

As I am speaking to you right now, there is no single civilian that lives in the entire territory that defines my local government area, Guzamala. Sadly, there is also no single military presence or soldier in my local government.

I have also heard the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the same thing that no single local government area is under the occupation of Boko Haram.

This gives me worry because I know there are 774 local government areas in Nigeria and my local government Guzamala is one of them. I dont know if the federal government has reduced the number of local government areas in Nigeria to 773, by saying that no single LGA is under the control of Boko Haram.

What about my local government, Guzamala, which is a no-go-area for both military and civilians? Are we not part of the Nigerian state? Have we been cut off from the Nigerian geographical space? If that is the case, we need the federal government to tell us in clear terms.

For the past one year, the Borno state governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has been visiting all the local government areas and making efforts to return IDPs to their liberated local. government headquarters. But of all the places, Guzamala was never visited because it is a no-go-area.

The speaker said of all the 10 local government areas that form the Northern Borno senatorial district, none is completely free of Boko Haram.

Most of the IDPs relocated to their communities are only restricted to the local government headquarters because the remote villages and hamlets are still not safe. So how can we even say Boko Haram is not in those locations when only the local government headquarters are relatively secured?

The speaker commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing new service chiefs.

But he called on the new commanders to see to the total elimination of the insurgents from the nooks and crannies of the state.

We are happy with the new set of services chiefs especially the CDS and the Chief of Army Staff who were once commanders of the Lafiya Dole Theatre Command here in Borno. We plead with them to deploy more troops to the northern part of Borno where Boko Haram are still occupying my entire local government area.

During the retired service chiefs pull out ceremony last week, the former CDS said under his leadership, the Nigerian military had seen the reclaiming of the 20 local government that was under the control of the insurgents in 2015.

We all could recall that at the inception of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Boko Haram terrorist group held sway in parts of north-east Nigeria, where the sect occupied 20 out of 26 local government areas in Borno State, Olonisakin, who retired as a four-star General, said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Our immediate challenge on the assumption of office was to flush out Boko Haram and restore Nigerias sovereignty over these occupied territories.

Gratefully, with the support of political leadership and indeed all Nigerians, the armed forces of Nigeria, under my leadership, was able to reclaim all territories that were then under the control of Boko Haram.

Support and confidence are needed to ensure that the public has faith in the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, Deputy Ruairi O Murchu has said.

The Sinn Fein TD was speaking after the EU pulled back from their threat to trigger Article 16 of the Irish Protocol in order to stop AstraZeneca vaccines being exported out of the EU.

He said it was foolhardy in the extreme for the EU to even moot the triggering of Article 16 as it was grist to the mill of the Brexiteers who are already using it to their own ends.

However, the ongoing issue with the provision of vaccines through the EU continues to be of concern to health authorities in the State.

Mr O Murchu said: People need to have confidence in the rollout of the vaccination programme.

'We accept that there are going to be wobbles along the way but we need to ensure there is clarity of information in relation to the timelines for the rollout and any anomalies about the groups who are due the vaccines should be cleared up immediately.

The Dundalk deputy also raised the issue of an all-Ireland response to Covid-19, particularly in relation to travel.

At this point, the numbers are still bad and we still have the health service under severe pressure.

'There has been improvement but we need to ensure maximum suppression of the virus.

'We need test, trace and isolate infrastructure and proper travel restrictions including multiple test and quarantining.

We are open to a two island solution should that arise.

We need people to do their best and not to travel outside the 5km zones except for essential reasons. People need to stay at home and adhere to public health advice.

He told asked the Taoiseach in the Dail last week: Does the Taoiseach agree that a necessary element in delivering an all-Ireland response would be the sharing of information on travellers?

We are all aware that the Northern Executive Minister of Health, Robin Swann, has been looking for this information and this issue to be dealt with since last March. We have heard from the Department of Transport and members of the Government, including the Taoiseach, that there is a GDPR issue.

I welcome that the Taoiseach said something rather positive about his interaction with the Northern Executive.

'Will he tell me what is the update and what is the lie of the land on this so we can cut off things such as the back door through Belfast (from Britain) and provide a proper all-Ireland response?

Deputy O Murchu said: If we cannot deliver on an all Ireland response we at least need the information about people travelling on to the South after landing in Belfast airports and this needs to happen as quickly as possible, along with the other virus suppression provisions.
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.
They recently ended things after a year-long relationship.

And Ana de Armas is keeping things more private as she deactivated her Twitter account following her split from Ben Affleck.

The 32-year-old actress stepped away from one account, but still maintains her Instagram handle after the 'amicable' break up.

Gone girl: Ana de Armas is keeping things more private as she deactivated her Twitter account following her split from Ben Affleck

Ana and Ben ended things in the middle of January after being linked together for more than a year.

'[Ana] was the one who called things off,' an insider told Us Weekly at the time. 'Ben and Ana were moving in different directions in their lives and stopped seeing eye to eye. The two couldn't work through their differences and have decided to end their relationship.'

The pair, who met while filming Deep Water in late 2019, hope to 'still maintain some type of friendship,' according to the publication.

'Ben and Ana were so close to each other,' the insider said. 'They have their issues, but still want to remain on good terms and keep a friendship.'

In the past: Ana and Ben ended things in the middle of January after being linked together for more than a year

They became Instagram official in April 2020 and appeared to be inseparable as the country began various stages of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

News of their split was confirmed when the Berkeley-born actor threw away de Arma's life-sized cardboard cut-out of his house.

Ben 'really wanted' things to work out with Ana and has been 'upset' since their relationship ended, according to People.

They became Instagram official in April 2020 and appeared to be inseparable as the country began various stages of lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic; seen in June

'Ana has a great energy,' a source said. 'Ben was always very happy when Ana was around. She likes to stay healthy and inspired Ben to keep staying healthy too.'

Despite their breakup, Ben is 'is committed to focus on the happy things in his life,' including his three children with ex Jennifer Garner.

Garner is reportedly set on supporting her ex as he deals with his breakup from de Armas, with OK! Magazine saying: 'Garner is picking up the pieces' of Affleck's broken heart.

'Jen doesn't want to get back with Ben, but she does love him,' a source close to the situation said of the exes, who in addition to Violet share daughter Seraphina, 12, and son Sam, eight.

'He doesn't have many friends and she feels like it is her role to help. Jen liked Ana and hoped Ben had finally found someone who could deal with him. He isn't easy. Jen supports his sobriety and will do anything to help Ben stay on track.'
Yes, no matter what

Yes, but it depends on variety

No, for medical reasons, uncertainty

No, principle

Vote

View Results
Amid heightened regional tensions, seven Chinese warplanes and a US reconnaissance aircraft entered Taiwans air defence identification zone on January 31. Five Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft  a Y-8 reconnaissance plane, two J-10 fighter jets and J-11 bombers  were seen near Taiwan controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, South China Morning Post reported, quoting Taiwanese defence ministry. They were followed hours later by two PLA's J-11 bombers in the same area, it said separately.

Chinese incursions have increased manifold in the region with Taiwan repeatedly reporting the presence of Chinese warplanes in the region. However, it was the first time in several months when the island reported the US aeroplane in its Air defence identification zones. As per SCMP, Air defence identification zones are early warning systems that help countries to detect incursions into their airspace. Any aircraft entering such an area is supposed to report its route and purpose to the "host" nation, though the zones are classified as international airspace and pilots are not legally bound to make such a notification. Elaborating on the latest Chinese incursion, Taiwan asserted that it had sent radio warnings to the PLA aircraft and air defence missile system were deployed to monitor their activities.

Previous incursions

Despite a warning from the United States, Taiwan on January 24 reported a large incursion by Chinese warplanes for the second day running. According to BBC, Sundays operation involved 15 aircraft and a similar drill that led to a warning from Washington. Taiwans defence ministry had said that 12 firefighters, two anti-submarine aircraft and a reconnaissance plane were involved in the second incursion. On both occasions, Taiwans air force warned away from the aircraft and deployed air defence missile systems to monitor the planes.

Read: US-Taiwan Deepening Ties Prompt China To Issue War Threat Against 'independence Forces'

Read: Taiwan Reports First COVID-19 Death In Eight Months From Hospital Cluster

China's warning

Last week, China warned Taipei that "independence means war". China has claimed Taiwan as its own territory and has often threatened using the military. The Chinese government believes that Taiwans democratically-elected government is moving the island towards the declaration of formal independence even though Taiwanese President Tsi Ing-wen has repeatedly claimed that the island is an independent country called the Republic of China.

Read: China Warns Taiwan 'independence Means War', Addresses Military Activities Near Island

Read: Taiwan: Man Who Returned From China Fined $35k For Violating Quarantine 7 Times In 3 Days

(Image: AP)

(With inputs from ANI)


Quarterly Activity - Cashflow Report

Sydney, Feb 1, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Victor Group Holdings ( ASX:VIG ) releases its cash flow report for the December 2020 quarter (Appendix 4C) and provides an update on the key areas of activity during the quarter ended 31 December 2020.Principal ActivitiesVIG and its controlled entities (the "Group") provides:- SaaS, IaaS & PaaS services to customers;- Education cloud platforms which bring together best-in-class resources and applications from strategic partners such as education service and e-learning content providers; and- A wide range of e-learning solutions for educational institutions, students and parents.Key areas of activity during the quarter:- SaaS, IaaS & PaaS service in PRC - VIG operates its cloud services in PRC through its subsidiary, Shenghan (known as Wenhan, company name changed on 20th August 2020). During the quarter, Shenghan achieved $800K in new sales and collected over $2 million receivables. The company spent $1.24 million to purchase an intelligent power supply system including the equipment and software, which will be used for the operational demand of future online education platform usage and data monitoring of its environmental protection project. The cash and cash equivalents position of Shenghan has increased during this quarter, which made the company recover from a previous shortage of cash flow. The Group believes the cash flow of the SaaS, IaaS & PaaS business will remain healthy in the foreseeable future.- E-learning and cloud education - Shenghan contributed most of the revenue and cash inflow of the E-learning business during the quarter. The company entered CNY 4 million (AUD $800K) in new contracts. VIG commenced the marketing of its online courses and established its own learning platform based on its social media app. The self-built platform can help the company build up its brand and make course delivery stable and smooth.A summary of revenue and expenditure (cash basis) incurred in respect of the Company's business activities is contained in the link below.The cash flow from SaaS, IaaS & PaaS segment remained healthy during the quarter. The cash inflow of E-learning & online education business was still mainly incurred in the PRC. The major expenditure of the Australian business was the set-up cost of the local platform and staff costs. The group received $16K job keeper grant in Australia.The Company has also begun exploring acquisition opportunities of businesses in the Australian education industry which will have a synergistic effect with VIG's existing e-learning business and have the potential to further strengthen the Company's offerings through better serving overseas and local students and trainees who use VIG's education cloud platforms. One of the key goals of the Company is to increase the e-learning content provided through VIG's cloud education platforms to increase VIG's brand, value, and reputation in the marketplace.Comment on Appendix 4C Cash Flow ReportAs we estimated in the last activity report, the turnover of accounts receivable has increased gradually due to the wider economic recovery. The Group anticipates its cash flow will remain healthy and the E-learning & online education business will contribute more to the Group's financial position.To view the report, please visit:About Victor Group Holdings Limited

The Victor Group is a consulting firm specialising in providing enterprise management services. They assist the entrepreneurs/management to better manage their company and provide advisory services in relation to most aspects of running a business (e.g. political, financial, legal, technological, behavioural etc.). Its operating model focuses on carrying out large-scale seminars and specific enterprise management consulting courses. Its current business involves providing Enterprise Management Consulting Services (EMCS) which include marketing management training and consulting courses that are currently delivered offline and face to face. Due to the decrease in traditional business and to take advantage of all aspects of modern digitalised business applications, the Victor Group expanded its existing business to various economic development zones in China through internet after the data center acquisition in June 2016.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.
GREATER NOIDA: A BJP MLA from Greater Noida, Tejpal Nagar received threat message on her WhatsApp number that threatened to kill him and his entire family. The sender of the message issued a death threat to the MLA for his connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the report.

The report added that the threat messages were sent from Pakistan.

The BJP lawmaker's family, which stays in Greater Noida's Dadri, approached the police and registered a complaint at Dadri police station in Greater Noida.

Based on the complaint, the Dadri police has registered a case and launched an investigation into the matter.

Live TV
Most news agencies reported on Jan. 24 that China sent large groups of fighters and bombers into the Taiwanese airspace two days in a row. Much fluttering in the dovecote: the Chinese are testing the resolve of newly installed U.S. President Joe Biden.

Opinion

Most news agencies reported on Jan. 24 that China sent large groups of fighters and bombers into the Taiwanese airspace two days in a row. Much fluttering in the dovecote: the Chinese are testing the resolve of newly installed U.S. President Joe Biden.

Considerably fewer agencies also reported that an American aircraft carrier group sailed between Taiwan and the Philippines into the South China Sea at the same time. Yet the American warships must have sailed first: it takes time to get there from the U.S. navys Pacific bases.

Given the timing, it was probably ex-president Trump who gave the order to sail. However, Biden had just enough time to countermand it  if he was willing to take the blame for "betraying" the Taiwanese, who are understandably nervous about U.S. willingness to defend them from a Chinese attack. He didnt give that order.

What China did was not illegal. The Chinese aircraft only entered Taiwans unilaterally declared "Air Defence Identification Zone," which is not sovereign Taiwanese territory. They were almost certainly responding to the U.S. naval presence, and the actions of both sides are entirely legal and purely symbolic. Nobody is going to get hurt this time  but there will be a next time.

All Chinas leaders since the Communist victory in 1949 have claimed that Taiwan is a renegade province of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), not a separate country. Most of them did nothing about it, because in the early days the U.S. navy controlled the Pacific Ocean right up to the Chinese low-tide mark, but President Xi Jin-ping has made Taiwan his legacy project.

Soon after making himself president for life in 2018, Xi declared that "reunification" of Taiwan with the PRC is an "inevitable requirement for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people." This makes about as much sense as saying that unification with Puerto Rico is an "inevitable requirement for the great rejuvenation of the American people"  but Xi is the boss, so thats the policy.

The real history is much more tangled. Chinese settlers conquered Taiwans original inhabitants and colonized the island shortly after the Spanish and Portuguese began settling the Americas. The island remained under Chinese rule until 1895, when it passed into Japanese hands  and then briefly fell under Beijings control again in 1945.

When the Chinese civil war ended in a Communist victory in 1949, the defeated Nationalist government and much of its army retreated to the island of Taiwan, where they were protected by the U.S. navy. The two million heavily armed refugees were obsessed with going back to the mainland, of course, and they made short work of any local people with different priorities.

The Nationalist dictatorship lasted almost four decades, but by the 1990s the island had become a prosperous democracy run mainly by locally born politicians. To avoid enraging Beijing, Taiwan has never officially declared independence, but in practice it has been independent for 70 years. So whats the problem?

"Locally-born" in Taiwan generally means of Chinese ethnic origin, but probably Hokkien- or Hakka-speaking at home. Indigenous peoples now amount to only two per cent of the population. And since the island has spent only four of the past 125 years under the rule of Beijing, there is no longing to be "reunited" with the "motherland."

President Tsai Ing-wens Democratic Progressive Party favours full independence for Taiwan, but she never says so in public because the PRC threatens war if she does. And things could have bumbled along like that for another generation except for two things: Xi Jin-pings determination to settle matters on his watch, and the shifting balance of military power.

There are only 23 million Taiwanese; mainland Chinese outnumber them 60-to-one. U.S. military superiority once made up for that, but Chinas military is no longer low-tech and there is no longer a U.S. alliance with Taiwan or even an explicit U.S. military guarantee of Taiwans separate status. There hasnt been one since Washington opened its embassy in Beijing in 1979.

The United States strives to maintain a high degree of uncertainty about what it would do if China actually invaded Taiwan, in order to deter that eventuality. However, the likelihood that it would actually risk war with China declines as the probability that the U.S. could win a naval war so close to the Chinese coast shrinks. Add an impatient Xi, and stir.

It looks like the same old game that has been played in the Strait of Taiwan for the past 70 years, and long may it remain so. But Chinas threats have more military credibility nowadays, theres a more reckless (or at least over-confident) player in Beijing  and if China did invade Taiwan, the U.S. might still decide it had to fight in the end.

Ten years ago, there was little risk of a disastrous miscalculation on either side. Now, there is.

Gwynne Dyers latest book is Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work).
OTTAWA  After enduring a wildfire that sparked a meth crisis and now suffering a pandemic that has spurred two military deployments, the people of Island Lake are desperately waiting for an addictions-treatment centre.

OTTAWA  After enduring a wildfire that sparked a meth crisis and now suffering a pandemic that has spurred two military deployments, the people of Island Lake are desperately waiting for an addictions-treatment centre.

"We desperately need help over here," said Maureen Wood, who walked 3,000 kilometres to Ottawa in spring 2018 to beg for a treatment centre for her numerous friends dealing with addiction issues and taking their lives.

"They totally lose hope," she said Sunday.

Island Lakes 11,000 residents live on four First Nations reserves, served by flights and winter roads.

The area was evacuated in 2017 owing to wildfires, and nearly all residents were flown 475 kilometres to Winnipeg. Locals have testified to Parliament that the citys drug dealers offered free samples to get people hooked on methamphetamines and proceeded to smuggle the drug into the community when everyone returned home. Child-welfare apprehensions rose.

Band leaders claim they had an inadequate response from Ottawa when they asked for mental-health services, and so families walked to Winnipeg and then to Parliament Hill.

During that visit in May 2018, Wood brought a federal minister to tears when she begged for help at the Assembly of First Nations annual meeting.

The federal Liberals promised to enact some form of support, and that they would seriously consider a mental-health and addictions centre within the community.

Within a year of that meeting, Wood, 35, said multiple young people took their own lives. "These were just kids, like 14-, 15- and 16-year-olds, committing suicide," she said.

The communities set up detox units as an interim measure, to help wean people off drugs. Those structures are now being used as COVID-19 isolation wards.

Border restrictions are driving up the cost of drugs across Canada, and in Island Lake, some are entering withdrawal, while others are spending most of their income on crystal meth.

The pandemic has made it hard for medical staff to reach out with harm-reduction information. "People are sharing needles and stuff, and they dont understand the danger," Wood said.

Since mid-December, two of the four communities have had separate military deployments to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 in crowded homes.

But thats not the top worry for Alex McDougall, head of the Four Arrows Regional Health Authority.

He said generational trauma, recent suicides and now the COVID-19 pandemic have created a snowballing impact on mental health.

"Weve seeing people having a really hard time dealing with the orders to stay home and not to move about in the communities, so much so that weve seen people committing suicide," he said. "The amount of stress that is being caused to our members in these communities is extreme, to the point that were not only losing our members to the virus."

Indigenous Services Canada said a feasibility study only got underway this summer  two years after the walk to Ottawa  and the report was submitted to bureaucrats in August.

"The steering committee reviewed and has accepted the findings of the feasibility study," ISC spokeswoman Danielle Geary wrote. "A preliminary cost estimate for the project has been done as part of the study that will assist the department as it reviews capital project priorities and resources."

Thats not a firm enough commitment for NDP MP Niki Ashton, who represents northern Manitoba.

"This isnt a situation where communities havent made it clear what they need; theyve gone above and beyond to do that," Ashton said in an interview.

ISC has funded tele- and video-counselling for substance use during the pandemic, but Ashton said ISC should have helped locals to do the treatment centres feasibility study well before the pandemic.

"Its not an acceptable timeline by any means," she said. "Its insulting the file didnt get to the feds for years."

Ashton noted Island Lake was hit hard by the 2009 H1N1 swine flu, when federal bureaucrats sent bodybags to the community.

Ashton said two military deployments shows there isnt enough health resources to stem outbreaks and keep people healthier in the first place.

"This is an absolute wake-up call," she said.

Wood said some in the community have discussed making another walk to Ottawa, but shes unsure whether it would have an impact.

She blames herself for not following up with government bureaucrats. Wood said she stopped advocating for months, after a 16-year-old friend who was like a daughter to her died by suicide.

"I kind of shut down when my girl took her life," Wood said, sobbing. "I dont want to lose any more of my sisters."

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @withfilesfrom
WASHINGTON: Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday named two new lawyers to lead the defense in his upcoming Senate impeachment trial after abruptly parting ways with his prior counsel.

Lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor will head the defense effort in the trial set to begin on Feb. 9, Trumps office said in a statement. Schoen had already been helping Trump and advisers prepare for the proceedings, according to the former presidents office.

Butch Bowers and Deborah Barberi, two South Carolina lawyers, are no longer on Trumps team, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters on Saturday. The source described their departure as a mutual decision."

The U.S. Senate will consider an article of impeachment passed by the House of Representatives on Jan. 13 charging Trump with inciting the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol by his followers, a rampage that left five people dead.

Trump is due to file a response to the impeachment charges on Tuesday.

Forty-five Senate Republicans backed a failed effort last week to halt Trumps impeachment trial, in a show of party unity that some cited as a clear sign Trump will not be convicted of inciting insurrection at the Capitol.

Schoen previously represented Trumps former adviser Roger Stone, who was convicted in November 2019 of lying under oath to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump pardoned Stone in December 2020, weeks before leaving office on Jan. 20.

Castor is a former Pennsylvania district attorney known for his decision not to prosecute entertainer Bill Cosby in 2005 after a woman accused Cosby of sexual assault. In 2017, Castor sued Cosbys accuser in the case for defamation, claiming she destroyed his political career in retaliation.

Cosby, 83, is now serving a three-to-10-year sentence in a state prison near Philadelphia after being found guilty in a 2018 trial of drugging and raping a onetime friend at his home in 2004.

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 biggest problem right now is that even when Chicago gets to phase four and out of the tiered mitigations, phase four only allows meetings of up to 50 people. And there is nothing between phase four and then phase five, he said.
This is comical moment a cold dog finds the perfect spot to keep warm - inside his owner's dressing gown.

Daisy Gijsbers had been trying to work from her home in Budel, the Netherlands, when her Indonesian rescue dog Ralphy clambered onto her lap.

The canine managed to manoeuvre into her fluffy robe before poking his snout out of her sleeve.

The Indonesian rescue dog Ralphy decides to stay warm inside his owner Daisy Gijsbers' dressing gown in Budel, the Netherlands

During the clip, which was filmed on January 7, Ralphy pokes his head into Ms Gijsbers' dressing gown as she sits at her desk and tries to work.

The dog remains seated on the chair and moves his head further inside the robe as his owner laughs at her pet's persistence.

Seconds later, the cheeky dog finally pokes his snout out of his owner's sleeve.

Ms Gijsbers' boyfriend Sjors Rombouts, who filmed the comical scenes unfold, said the Ralphy is known for 'doing this all the time' when the pair work from home.

The dog manages to manoeuvre his way into the robe before poking his snout out of the sleeve

Ms Gijsbers' boyfriend Sjors Rombouts laughs as the canine stares at him from the sleeve of the dressing gown

He said: 'My girlfriend Daisy still had a robe on over her clothes since she's always cold.

'Then our dog decided to climb on my her lap - which is quite normal, he does this all the time while we are working - but then he decided to snuggle up into the robe and the sleeve of the robe.

'I can show you hundreds of videos of him snuggling under blankets, the robe was a new one for us though!'

Russia may file a lawsuit over the hindrances other countries have been posing to the gas pipeline project Nord Stream 2, Deputy Chairman of Russias Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said.

"If there are reasons for this, it goes without saying the issue may be taken to court," Medvedev said. "But I believe that the stance taken by the leaders of states and business leaders is far more important. They are to have their say."

Asked what court Russia might take the case to, Medvedev remarked that it might be a national court or contract jurisdiction court. "Apparently, it might be possible to go to a U.S. court, but such litigation will take much time and we have no certainty that an American court will be impartial," TASS cited Medvedev as saying.

He stressed that he had no doubts about the implementation of this project. "We need it and the Europeans, including Germany, need it, too," Medvedev explained. "Our counterparts in the Federal Republic of Germany have been saying so outright." "If they stand firm and avoid sacrificing part of their sovereignty, contrary to what sometimes happened in history, if they avoid catering to the American stance, then the pipeline will be finalized beyond doubt."

Medvedev believes that the U.S. has not changed its stance essentially and that pressure on the project would go on. "After all, economic reasons in making such decisions often outweigh pure politics," he said. "And economic reasons are of absolute value on the European side and on our side, of course." "I believe that everything will be accomplished," he concluded. "The question is when. I suspect that weve got to stay patient and wait a little bit more."
Zimbabwe is checking whether the more infectious South African variant of Covid-19 is already circulating in the country while it works with the World Health Organisation on buying approved vaccines and looks at establishing a standard home kit to distribute to the large majority of Covid-19 patients.

The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has already set aside US$100 million to buy Covid-19 vaccines to inoculate at least 60 percent of the population.

Last week Deputy Director of Laboratory Services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Raiva Simbi said there was a suspicion that the South African variant is already circulating in Zimbabwe.

Yes we acknowledge that there is a new strain which is circulating in our population, but there is no evidence which showed that there is this strain in terms of laboratory confirmed tests, he said.

Acting President and Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga last week said that genetic testing of samples was being done to identify any variants that might be in Zimbabwe.

Covid-19 is an RNA virus with around 30 000 base pairs in its genetic blueprint, and being an RNA virus mutations will be common.

Acting Health Permanent Secretary Dr Robert Mudyirandima has been concerned about different treatments being tried and wants a recommended Covid-19 treatment kit to minimise confusion.

It is a good suggestion and it is an issue of concern which we have been discussing in the Ministry of Health and Child Care that people are being treated left right and centre.

Currently there is no world-agreed treatment for Covid-19 so lots of things are being said, but at this point in time we may need to come up with what we say is a Covid-19 treatment kit that can be given to all those that we are sending home in addition to the preventive measures.

There have been a lot of suggested Covid-19 treatment kits that include drugs such as azithromycin while some suggested packages include homemade concoctions and traditional herbal remedies.

Recently, the Medical and Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe warned in a statement against claims by some people that they can treat the virus.

The Council also warned practitioners against taking advantage of the sick and desperate members of the public. Herald
Police in Belarus on Sunday arrested more than 160 participants in demonstrations calling for the ex-Soviet nation's authoritarian president to resign.

Protests have rocked the ex-Soviet nation for the sixth straight month following the Aug. 9 presidential vote, which was widely seen as rigged to give President Alexander Lukashenko a sixth term in office.

The protests, which attracted 100,000 people or more at their peak, were the most serious challenge to Lukashenko, who has relentlessly suppressed the opposition during 26 years in office. According to human rights advocates, more than 30,000 people have been detained since the protests began, and thousands of them were brutally beaten.

The fierce crackdown drew international outrage, and the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials.

During Sunday's protests in Minsk and several other cities in Belarus, hundreds of people waving the opposition red-and-white flags gathered in their courtyards and marched in their neighborhoods. Police arrived quickly, chasing protesters and detaining scores.

We witness a tough reaction from the authorities, but large numbers of people continue to turn out to protest despite the repressions and frigid cold, Viasna human rights group leader Ales Bialitski said in a telephone interview.
Less than 0.1 per cent of the COVID-19 vaccines administered worldwide, so far, were administered in Africa, the United Nations has said. This is despite the continent making up about 20 per cent of the global population.

On Sunday, the UN said over 70 million doses of the approved COVID-19 vaccines have been administered so far globally.

But less than 20,000 doses of these vaccines were administered in Africa, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a tweet on Sunday night.

Mr Guterres said a wide vaccination campaign is needed to prevent global immunity gaps which could put everyone at risk.

More than 70 million #COVID19 vaccine doses have been administered so far. Less than 20,000 of these were on the African continent, he said.

A global immunity gap puts everyone at risk. We need a global vaccination campaign that reaches everyone, everywhere.

Global health experts had warned that Africa will be the last region to get enough supplies of the doses of the much-needed vaccine for the highly contagious disease which is spreading rapidly across the globe.

A coalition of organisations and activists, dubbed The Peoples Vaccine Alliance, found that rich nations, representing just 14 per cent of the worlds population, had bought up more than half (53 per cent) of all the most promising vaccines, the BBC reported.

That included all of Modernas vaccines for 2021 and 96 per cent of Pfizers expected production.

Canada topped the chart, according to the data by analytics company, Airfinity, with enough doses to vaccinate each Canadian five times. Much of that demand has to be met before other countries can have a turn.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had warned against inequality in COVID-19 vaccines distribution worldwide, hence the establishment of a global mechanism established last April, known as the COVAX Facility to ensure all countries have access to vaccines.

Even as they speak the language of equitable access, some countries and companies continue to prioritize bilateral deals, going around COVAX, driving up prices and attempting to jump to the front of the queue. This is wrong, WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said.

African countries

Most African countries, including Nigeria, are banking on benefitting from the COVAX programme, which was set-up to divide over a billion doses of vaccines across 92 low-and middle-income countries.

The facility promised access to vaccines for up to 20 per cent of participating countries population with an initial supply beginning in the first quarter of the year to immunise three per cent of their population.

But whether the COVAX facility is able to deliver vaccines as promised or not, African countries must look for other alternatives to vaccinate at least 50 per cent of their population to reach herd immunity.

Through the COVAX initiative, the Nigerian government had announced that at least 100,000 doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines will arrive in the country by February.

It is also expecting free 42 million doses of other approved vaccines in the second phase through the COVAX facility.

Many African countries experiencing spikes in infection rates are also turning to Russia, India, and China despite scepticism about some of the vaccines produced by those countries.

ADVERTISEMENT

Health experts said Russia and China rolled out their vaccines without phase 3 clinical trial results that confirm the vaccine effectiveness.

Sinovac, a Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company, is behind CoronaVac, an inactivated vaccine from China. It works by using killed viral particles to expose the bodys immune system to the virus without risking a serious disease response.

The Sinovac vaccines have been found to be 50.4 per cent effective in Brazilian clinical trials, according to the latest results released by researchers, the BBC reported.

Morocco has ordered 65 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, another vaccine from China, and AstraZeneca vaccine from Serum Institute India.

According to Quartz Africa, South Africa said it also made a deal with Serum Institute India and will be getting 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine for its health workers this January. Guinea is testing the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V and has ordered 2 million doses.

Most of these vaccines from China, India and Russia are more convenient for Africa and developing countries in terms of purchase, storage and distribution costs.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, for instance, had lower interim efficacy results, but offer the best possibility for distribution in Nigeria because the temperature required is not as low and manufacturers can produce it at a lower price.

This is unlike the Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, which require an ultra-cold freezer for effective storage.
For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe.

Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime.
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.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

The mayor of Chicago has said the US city's public schools are "safe" and will reopen Monday, despite teachers union calls for them to continue remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We expect all of our teachers who have not received a specific accommodation to come to school tomorrow," Lori Lightfoot said during a press conference.

"Those who do not report to work, and I hate to even go there, but we're going to have to take action," she said, without going into detail.

Special accommodations can be granted for those with high-risk family members, she said, while insisting that "our schools are safe."

The state of Illinois, where Chicago is located, listed 2,428 new cases Sunday, officials said, with 40 deaths.

Chicago's public schools serve more than 355,000 studentsthe third-largest school district in the United States after New York and Los Angeles.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has clashed with the city's main teachers union, which has told members to continue remote work out of safety concerns during the pandemic.

Lightfoot said the model for in-person learning follows guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the city's health departments and the state of Illinois.

The plan is also backed by health experts, including top government scientist Anthony Fauci.

CPS chief Janice Jackson warned Sunday that without an agreement, access to the remote-learning programs would be cut off after Monday.

The union has threatened to strike if the district locks teachers out of the programs.

Reopening schools has been a source of major debate in the United States, by far the hardest-hit country by the pandemic with 26,180,411 cases and 441,302 deaths.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
New leatherback turtle nest found at Thai Muang

PHUKET: Marine wildlife officers have discovered a new leatherback turtle nest on Thai Muang Beach and relocated the eggs to a designated safe area and installed a fence around the new site to protect them.

marineanimalsnatural-resourcesenvironment

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Monday 1 February 2021, 12:51PM

The eggs were relocated as the nest was too close to water, and buried lower the high tide mark. Photo: DMCR

The eggs were relocated as the nest was too close to water, and buried lower the high tide mark. Photo: DMCR

The eggs were relocated as the nest was too close to water, and buried lower the high tide mark. Photo: DMCR

A total of 70 fertile eggs were found in the nest. Photo: DMCR

Officers found the nest buried some 75cm deep in the sand. Photo; DMCR

Officers found the nest buried some 75cm deep in the sand. Photo; DMCR

Officers were called to the beach at about 3am. Photo: DMCR

A total of 70 fertile eggs were found in the nest. Photo: DMCR

Officers at Khao Lampi Hat-Thai Muang National Park in Phang Nga were called to Thai Muang Beach, about 7km north from their office, at 3am yesterday (Jan 31).

Park Chief Haritchai Rittichuay explained that the park officials found turtle tracks on the beach, which led them to the nest, which was buried about 75cm deep in the sand.

The tracks measured about 150cm across, with the drag marks indicating that the turtle shell measured about 90cm wide.

Officers found a total of 89 eggs in the nest, of which 19 eggs were confirmed to be not fertilised, Mr Haritchai explained.

As the nest was lower than the high tide mark, officials moved all the eggs to the beach in front of the park office, he added.

The eggs are expected to hatch within 55-60 days, Mr Haritchai said

A fence was installed around the nest, and we also have a thermometer installed to monitor the temperature in the nest, he noted.

Mr Haritchai also noted that the nest was the 17th nest discovered in the area during the current turtle egg-laying season.

We expect that the turtle that laid the eggs is the same one that laid eggs on Kata Beach, Mai Khao Beach and Bang Kwan beach before, he added.
Ukraine's accession to NATO is one of the key security issues in Europe, which, according to him, newly elected U.S. President Joe Biden is striving for, says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

"President Biden said that he is concerned and will continue to worry and work for security in Europe. This is important for us, because security in Europe is about us. The war continues in the east of Ukraine, the aggression of the Russian Federation continues, the annexation of Crimea. Therefore, I would like the United States, and in particular President Biden, who is very familiar with Ukraine, to help us get out of this truly tragic situation," Zelensky said in an interview with the American media Axios, which was broadcast on HBO platforms.

The President noted that Ukraine is grateful to the United States for everything they have already done, but he wonders why the key issue for improving the security situation in the region - NATO membership - has not been resolved.

"... If we, Ukrainians, and Ukraine want to be an equal member of the alliance, an equal member of NATO ... This is one of the most important security issues - the very security that President Biden is talking about. In this case, I have a very simple question: Mr. President why are we still not in NATO?" Zelensky said, expressing conviction that if Ukraine were a NATO member, there would be no escalation in Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

In this context, he noted that in case of Ukraine's membership in the North Atlantic Alliance, the rest of the members of the association should have come out to defend the country.

"And this is correct. Because we are now defending Europe. We are grateful to Europe for its help, for the sanctions. We are grateful to the United States. Sanctions are important, but you cannot return human lives with sanctions," the Ukrainian president said.
Hollywood actress Eva Mendes recently took to Instagram to explain why she has been absent for social media sites. She shared that her daughter inspired her to unplug. In a long post, she explained how her daughter complained about her spending too much time on her smartphone. It was then that the 46-year old realised that she was less available to her children and decided to take a break. However, some users on the photo-sharing site accused her of having a botched plastic surgery, due to which she was keeping her distance from social media.

As she took to Instagram to wish a friend happy birthday, a user said in the comments section that her (Eva) absence was due to a plastic surgery, which has gone wrong. To this, the actor responded that she really wants to spend more time with family and as far as accusations of plastic surgery go, it is her body and She can get work done whenever she pleases. She adds that posting on social media is not a priority for her as she really has to be present with her family.

Following her response to the Instagram account, a few users came to Evas defense in the comment section and praised her for taking the time off. She replied to the fan by expressing her gratitude for getting it. Eva added that her family is being aloof and too quiet which is never good.

While explaining why she was not posting anything, the mother of two, says that a parent must allow their kids to call them out. Kids will take nothing less than the respect they deserve as they can be fiercely aligned with their values. Eva revealed that she apologised and promised her daughter that she would be mindful. Eva realised that just because she was always home with them, it didn't mean she was always present.
The All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30" will be held with the participation of experts and officials on February 8-10, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

The head of state called on Ukrainians to ask their questions to the forum participants, according to the president's Telegram channel.

"There are a lot of challenges and issues. All of them are worth a meaningful conversation, active public dialogue. From February 8 to 10, Kyiv will host the All-Ukrainian Forum 'Ukraine 30' during which experts and officials will be able to answer some priority questions from the public. What worries you in this topic?" Zelensky said.

He stressed that there were many challenges and issues facing the Ukrainian state. According to him, "this is also the fact that COVID has significantly reshaped our lives and [the question is] how we will emerge victorious in this unusual battle."

Zelensky said that one of these questions was whether large-scale vaccination could change the situation and restore freedom to humanity - the freedom to travel, communicate freely and hug relatives. In this context, he said it was obvious that both the pandemic and vaccination as one of the mandatory elements of the formation of collective immunity was a difficult task for every country, including Ukraine.

op
Police detained more than 4,800 people across Russia and blocked off the centre of Moscow on Sunday in a massive clampdown on protests demanding the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Thousands of protesters defied government warnings to rally from Vladivostok to Saint Petersburg in a second weekend of mass demonstrations over the arrest of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent opponent.

Navalny was detained at a Moscow airport in mid-January after flying back to Russia from Germany where he was recovering from an August poisoning he blames on the Kremlin.

The 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner is being held in a Moscow detention centre and faces years of potential jail time in several different criminal cases, despite calls from Western governments for his release.

In moves not seen for years in Moscow, authorities locked down the centre of the capital Sunday, with hundreds of police lining the streets, central Metro stations closed and restrictions on the movements of pedestrians.

Protesters who had hoped to gather outside the headquarters of the FSB security service were instead scattered to various parts of the city as organisers made last-minute changes in locations.

AFP journalists saw dozens of protesters detained and taken into police vans.

Several thousand were seen marching throughout the city centre, but it was unclear amid the chaos how many people took part in the demonstration.

Independent monitor OVD-Info said at least 4,818 people had been detained across the country, after reporting more than 4,000 detentions during similar protests on January 23.

It said at least 1,365 were detained in Moscow and 962 in Saint Petersburg, as well as 82 journalists across the country.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Twitter condemned "the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight".

The Russian foreign ministry hit back, accusing the United States of "gross interference" in its affairs and of using "online platforms controlled by Washington" to promote the protests.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also said he deplored the "widespread detentions and disproportionate use of force" against protesters and journalists. "Russia needs to comply with its international commitments," he added in a tweet.

Protesters chanted "Freedom!" and "Putin is a thief!" as they marched through Moscow, braving bitter cold and snow.

Several hundred protesters eventually gathered outside the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Navalny is being held. Dozens were detained outside the complex. "It's almost embarrassing that the state is so afraid of us," 31-year-old protester Elisaveta Dementieva told AFP at the Moscow demonstration.

Many protesters carried gold-painted toilet brushes in reference to a video released by Navalny's team alleging that Putin had been gifted a $1.35 billion property on the Black Sea coast, which among other luxurious goods featured toilet brushes costing 700 euros ($840) apiece.

As night fell in Moscow protesters began to head home, with some wondering whether the demonstration would have any impact. "It's true we are asking ourselves if these protests will really do any good," said Nadia, a 21-year-old student. "It will take more for Navalny to be freed. And even more for Russia to be free."

Several thousand people demonstrated in the second city of Saint Petersburg, despite police closing off the main thoroughfare Nevsky Prospekt and shutting Metro stations, an AFP journalist reported.

Police were seen roughly detaining several protesters, including one young man who was left with a bloodied head.

Earlier, protesters had rallied in cities including the Pacific port of Vladivostok, where dozens escaped the police on the frozen waters of the Amur Bay and danced in a circle.

Several thousand were also reported to have protested in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk despite temperatures dropping to -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).

Navalny's wife detained

Russian authorities issued several warnings against participating in the unauthorised rallies and threatened criminal charges against protesters.

The head of Russia's Human Rights Council, Valery Fadeyev, called Sunday's events a "provocation" and said they have "nothing to do with protecting rights", news agency TASS reported.

Navalny is due in court several times next week, including on Tuesday on charges of violating the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence.

His team has called for supporters to gather outside the courtroom.

Navalny's wife Yulia posted a picture of her family on Instagram on Sunday, urging supporters to make their voices heard. "If we remain silent, then tomorrow they will come for any one of us," she wrote.

Navalny's team said Yulia was detained by police shortly after she announced her arrival at Sunday's rally on social media.
[February 01, 2021] Emerging Markets Report: Gas on the Fire

An Emerging Markets Sponsored Commentary ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Each day it seems, our lives are more affected by the Internet of Things (IoT) which is simply a network of physical objectsthingsthat are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the Internet.

And it can be magical, this connected automation that responds to and anticipates our needs.



For many of us, thats your home security system, thermostat, appliances, etc. Its your connected ecosystem. Recently, PV Nano Cell Ltd. (OTC: PVNNF), an innovative provider of inkjet-based conductive digital printing solutions and a producer of conductive digital inks, announced that it is introducing a revolutionary 5D (5 Dimensions) Complete Solution. According to PV Nano, this solution enables Electronics Everywhere and is digitally printing numerous electronics that power the Internet of Things. This newly introduced solution leverages the companys 3D printed electronics technology that uses conductive additive manufacturing with mass-production applications. In essence, PV Nanos new technology is applicable to R&D, prototyping, low volume production and of course, mass-production. This breakthrough could help power exponential expansion of the Internet of Things by helping greatly power production through the aforementioned. We like that PV Nanos new ech isnt just for a single phase of product and technology development. In an industry this large, that would be in and of itself.



But as mentioned above, PV Nanos 5D is looking to accelerate the process in all phases which should mean innovation to market in faster times for its partners and customers. If widely adopted, this 5D Complete Solution could be the gas on the fire for the revolution that is The Internet of Things.

About The Emerging Markets Report: The Emerging Markets Report is owned and operated by Emerging Markets Consulting (EMC), a syndicate of investor relations consultants representing years of experience. Our network consists of stockbrokers, investment bankers, fund managers, and institutions that actively seek opportunities in the micro and small-cap equity markets. For more informative reports such as this, please sign up at http://www.emergingmarketsllc.com/newsletter.php Must Read OTC Markets/SEC policy on stock promotion and investor protection https://www.otcmarkets.com/learn/policy-on-stock-promotion

https://www.otcmarkets.com/learn/investor-protection

https://www.sec.gov/news/press-release/2017-79

https://www.sec.gov/oiea/investor-alerts-bulletins/ia_promotions.html Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933 requires that any person that uses the mails to publish, give publicity to, or circulate any publication or communication that describes a security in return for consideration received or to be received directly or indirectly from an issuer, underwriter, or dealer, must fully disclose the type of consideration (i.e. cash, free trading stock, restricted stock, stock options, stock warrants) and the specific amount of the consideration. In connection therewith, EMC has received the following compensation and/or has an agreement to receive in the future certain compensation, as described below. We may purchase Securities of the Profiled Company prior to their securities becoming publicly traded, which we may later sell publicly before, during or after our dissemination of the Information, and make profits therefrom. EMC does not verify or endorse any medical claims for any of its client companies. EMC has been paid 600,000 restricted shares of stock by PV Nano Cell LTD. for various marketing services including this report. EMC does not independently verify any of the content linked-to from this editorial. http://emergingmarketsllc.com/disclaimer.php Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC

Florida Office

390 North Orange Ave 2300

Orlando, FL 33801

E-mail: jamespainter@emergingmarketsllc.com

Web: www.emergingmarketsllc.com



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
The Federal Government has begun the distribution of Cash Grants for Rural Women in Enugu State.

Three thousand women are being targeted across the state for the grants.

Sadiya Farouq, the minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

The statement, issued by the ministrys spokesperson, Rhoda Iliya, said the grant was specifically designed to improve the living standards of women across the country.

Ms Farouq called for the support and cooperation of the state governments and other interested institutions and persons to improve the livelihood of the ordinary Nigerians.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State said it was gratifying to note that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was expanding the Social Investment Scheme, despite the economic and revenue challenges in the country.

Mr Ugwuanyi said the scheme is adjudged the largest social protection programme in Africa.

The governor thanked the ministry for positioning Enugu State among the first set of beneficiaries of the grant.

He requested that the state be accorded maximum opportunities in other components of the National Social Investment Programmes.

He advised the beneficiaries to make wise use of the grant.

The ministry was also in Anambra State on Sunday to similarly disburse the grant  N20,000  to 2,800 rural women in the state.

The Minister was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Bashir-Nuru Alkali.

Poverty reduction has become a major objective of governments all over the world; this informed the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to initiate the National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) as a strategy for reducing poverty and enhancing social inclusion.

The Grant for Rural Women programme was introduced in 2020 to sustain the social inclusion agenda of Mr President, it is consistent with the Presidents national vision of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, Mr Alkali said.

It is designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural and semi-urban areas of the country.

A cash grant of N20,000 will be disbursed to about 125,000 poor women across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in January, not fewer than 5,000 women in the Federal Capital Territory, including persons with disability; 8,000 women in Lagos; and 3,500 women in Ogun also benefited from the project.

(NAN)

ADVERTISEMENT

Friday, Jan. 29 marked a bittersweet moment for the Laredo College community as administrators, faculty, staff and students bid adieu to a beloved college leader that changed the course of the colleges history for the better and left an indelible mark on the lives of thousands of students and colleagues.

Laredo College South Campus Dean Carolyn Schmies retired after more than 12 years working for the college. Although she looks forward to resting, spending time with her family and pursuing other life goals, she reiterated her unyielding love for the college and how much she will miss the great friendships and work relationships she built over the years.

Laredo College President Dr. Ricardo J. Solis heaped praise on Dean Schmies and described her not only as a great friend and colleague but also a trailblazing woman.

Although her time at Laredo College has come to an end, I know she has a lot of great moments to look forward to, Solis said. I cant think of anyone more deserving of enjoying retirement than Carolyn. Words such as positive and optimistic simply do not adequately describe her. She is a remarkable woman who has shattered glass ceilings and been a role model for other strong, empowered women in our community.

A Seattle, Washington native, Schmies moved around and traveled from a young age. During her childhood and teen years, she lived in Ohio, Pennsylvania and India due to her fathers occupation. He was a pastor and was selected to be the first African-American missionary for their church.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication and Sociology from Anderson University and a Master of Arts in Communication from Ball State University. From early on in her career, she was passionate about being in the classroom and helping students succeed.

Her first job was in Indianapolis as a school teacher for sixth graders, and she later became a reference librarian for six months before joining General Motors, where she had a tenure of more than 36 years. Despite her young age, and due to her impeccable work ethic and undeniable leadership skills, Schmies became the first female and African-American supervisor at General Motors and was later promoted to become the first female buyer in the company.

Several promotions later, she was relocated to Laredo and worked in Mexico at the companys maquiladoras where she once again became the first female and African-American on staff. She traveled all throughout Mexico and fell in love with its people and its culture.

Upon her retirement from General Motors, she worked as catering director at the Laredo Country Club before venturing out and starting her own company  Schmies and Associates. The consulting company specialized in training and events.

In 2009, the now-dean stumbled upon the position for speech instructor at the college, and the rest is history. She started at the South Campus as an adjunct speech instructor before being offered a full-time position only a few months later. In one year, she was promoted to chair of the Reading and Communication Department and had to relocate to the Ft. McIntosh Campus.

The department name changed the next year to the Business and Communication Department. She held that job for another year and a half before resigning to return to the classroom, where she remained until 2019, when she was appointed Interim Dean of the South Campus. A few months later, she was officially named Dean of the South Campus, overlooking an important division of the college.

A trailblazer and pioneer that exceled in male-dominated spaces, she never lost her sense of humanity and her genuine love and compassion, always advocating for the needs of others.

Excellence is my goal on anything that I do, she said. I have high expectations for myself. I love people, so I try to do my best by them. Being the first female and Black in many of my roles adds an extra incentive to be at the top of my game. I am very dedicated and willing to go the distance and put in whatever amount of time and effort is necessary.

As a self-proclaimed people-lover, it is no surprise that she was deeply involved in her community all her life. She has served in different leadership positions in numerous nonprofit and civic organizations including being vice president for United Way of Laredo, president of Literacy Volunteers of Laredo, vice president of the Optimist Club, Leadership Women regional ambassador for Laredo, board member for the Holding Institute, and Chair of the Laredo College United Way Committee.

Moreover, she has also been recognized with multiple awards such as the 2017 Trailblazing Award Women in Labor, Business and Education, Trailblazing Award 2018 Young Womens Student Leadership Summit, Laredo College Trailblazing Women Award and Black History Award from U. S. Border Patrol.

The dean said she feels blessed for a great life with a lot of hard work that has paid off, and she has been rewarded for it. She said although she has loved all of her jobs, being the Dean of the South Campus rates at the top.

She added that the college has been a great place to work and that the institution will continue to succeed even in her absence. She leaves with a heart full of great lessons, memories and friendships. She thanked President Solis for recognizing her abilities and giving her the opportunity to shine and make a difference as a leader.

Dean Schmies illustrious and esteemed career and personal accomplishments precede her. She will be dearly missed and always remembered as a transformational leader, mentor and educator.

A propaganda spin apparently aims at setting Russian speakers against the Ukrainian government.

The Ministry of Education and Science has refuted allegations of the alleged ban on Mikhail Bulgakov's novel "The Master and Margarita".

Such claims were aggressively spun across social networks and certain media platforms following the decision by the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting to prohibit the imports from Russia of books by certain publishers.

Given the scale of the manipulation circulating in the Ukrainian information space, the Ministry of Education has issued a clarification, noting that the government does not ban classical authors.

"Anyone is able to buy various editions of The Master and Margarita in any bookstore. Access to classical texts in our country is and must remain unimpeded. The decision by the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting doesn't apply to classical literature. The decision applies to certain publishers only, who promote Russian film industry figures preaching an anti-Ukrainian position," the commentary notes.

Read alsoUkraine's foreign ministry initiates entry ban for Russian propagandistThe Ministry of Education and Science underscores the fact that the fake spin is being circulated for propaganda purposes, which competent authorities officials are called upon to tackle. Also, their task is to monitor the content of literature, imported from Russia, which sometimes is a vivid example of information warfare.

"The Russian government encourages publishers to spread positive images about the country, their law enforcement, and army. Ukraine, accordingly, must protect its citizens' information space from such attempts to impose ideologies and views that are beneficial to the aggressor state," the report concluded.

Ban on imports of certain Russian publishers' editions

In January, the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting banned the import of a number of books by Russia's Mann, Ivanov, and Ferber publishing house.

On book covers, the publisher placed ads for the Eksmo and AST publishing houses and the Yandex.ru portal, which in Ukraine all sanctioned by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council for the systematic publication and distribution of anti-Ukrainian literature.

Read alsoExposed: Russia's military intel behind "destructive" Telegram channels prominent in UkraineIn addition, these books contain advertisements for VKontakte social network, which is widely exploited in information warfare against Ukraine.

Reporting by UNIAN
Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID
Hill College Names Longtime Instructor Dean Of Instruction Hill College has named welding instructor and program coordinator Brian Bennett as the new dean of instruction for the business and industry pathway.



Brian is invested in the college and the community, said Hill College Vice President of Instruction Dr. Kerry Schindler. He is smart and personable, and he has a drive to be successful. He is and will continue to be an asset to Hill College and all of our service area.



As dean, Bennett will oversee administrative and managerial duties of all the business and industry pathway programs, which include agriculture, automotive technology, business administration, HVAC, industrial maintenance, office administration technology and welding. Welding instructor Joe Price has replaced Bennett as the welding programs district coordinator.



Bennett will also work with high schools, universities, local leaders and business owners to grow and promote programs that serve regional workforce needs, and his longtime connections to the community will aid in his efforts.



Bennett grew up outside of Hillsboro in Peoria. He took welding and agricultural classes at Hillsboro High School, but the dual credit English course he took at Hill College during his senior year is what set him on his post-secondary educational path.



After high school graduation, I received an art scholarship to attend Hill College, Bennett said. At that time, I lacked direction and motivation, and Hill College helped me mature as a student. The scholarship gave me direction, and the faculty gave me motivation.



Bennett graduated from Hill College with his Associates of Arts degree in 1991, which he said led him to receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Southwest Texas State (now Texas State University) in 1994.



After marrying his wife, Sarah, in 1995, Bennett decided to stop his year-long graduate studies in fine arts at the University of Texas at Austin to get a job. And it was his high school welding coursesas well as time spent in his dads welding shop as a kidthat helped him do just that.



I was having a hard time finding a job using my fine arts degree, so I answered an ad in the paper looking for welders, Bennett said. Welding has always been a part of my life, and high school taught me enough about it to get my foot in the door. But I learned early on I was the worst welder on the job.



So, Bennett started taking night classes in welding at Austin Community College while working full time, and it paid off. He began as a welder at Commemorative Brands, Inc., and transitioned from production welder, to maintenance mechanic, to a master model maker, and finally into the tool and die shop.



The community college classes really helped me hone my skills and move up in my career, he said.



In January 2000, a full-time welding instructor position became available at the Hill College Johnson County Campus in Cleburne, and Bennett decided to apply.



While working on my Bachelors degree, I took courses in education because teaching was always something I thought about doing, he said. I still had family and friends in the area, and my dad was a welding instructor at the Hill College Hillsboro campus.



Bennett was offered the position, and soon he and his father added a new dimension to their relationshipcolleagues.



It was a blessing I was able to spend my first seven years as an instructor working alongside my father, Bennett said. He was a coworker I could trust to be 100 percent honest with me and share ideas with. Working with my father has been one of my most enjoyable moments.



Bennett received his Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and Certified Welding Educator (CWE) certifications from the American Welding Society (AWS) in 2003. One of Bennetts many contributions to Hill Colleges welding program is getting his students involved in AWS by taking them on field trips to the North Texas sections monthly meetings.



The AWS is a great source of networking for students because our board and section members are professionals in the local industry, Bennett said. Our students are also able to listen to guest speakers who are typically welders, inspectors, vendors or manufacturers, so theyre able to see and hear about current processes or new tools in the industry they may otherwise not be aware of.



Bennett was also instrumental in the design and construction of the colleges welding labs in both Hillsboro and Cleburne, which in turn contributed to the growth of the welding program at both campuses.



Mr. Price and I had a lot of input with the draftsmen and the engineers in designing and building the Hillsboro lab, said Bennett. And I had the opportunity to design every aspect of the welding lab in the Cleburne Technical Center from the number of booths to the types of machinery and everything in between. Both are state-of-the-art facilities that have significantly improved our ability to recruit students to our welding program.



Bennetts peers have applauded his contributions to the program and college by nominating him for various awards, including the 2005 vocational instructor of the year for Hill Colleges Johnson County Campus and three National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards. Additionally, Bennett received the 2018 Howard E. Adkins Memorial Instructor Section Award from the AWS North Texas section and was selected to represent District 17 at the organizations Instructors Institute. Bennett has also served as the Texas Community College Teachers Association (TCCTA) section chair three times.



I appreciate and am thankful for the encouragement and support of my coworkers in applying for this position and throughout my time here, he said.



In his new role, Bennett plans to grow the dual credit programs across the pathway, as well as restore department enrollment to pre-COVID-19 levels.



My goal is to make sure our existing programs are as strong as they can be, said Bennett. Providing students with safe, comprehensive and in-demand workforce training will ready them for our states post-pandemic rebound. I look forward to getting out into our service area to share the opportunities we have to offer.



Schindler said he is positive Bennett will bring the same enthusiasm and commitment he has for the welding program to the multiple programs he will oversee in the business and industry pathway.



Brian built a welding program that is respected throughout the region, said Schindler. He was completely invested in the welding industry, striving to make it better for students, employers and the larger community. His great work ethic and creative mindset will serve him well as he strives to transform Career and Technical Education in our region by building new programs that serve the needs of our communities.


The destruction wrought by mob-driven cancel culture comes with even greater costs than individual lives turned upside down and dreams destroyed. (Zenza Flarini/Shutterstock)

Psychologist Explains the Unhealthy Incentives Behind Cancel Culture

Jonathan Haidt, author of 'The Righteous Mind,' says one mark of an open and civil society is not being afraid to share opinions

If there was a video documenting every second of my life, you can bet it would contain some pretty stupid comments Ive made over the years. I would also probably be reminded of some opinions I no longer believe. If youre being honest with yourself, yours likely would be equally cringeworthy.

The things weve said in the past may not have been outrageously offensive, but we have all made comments, or held opinions, we later regret. We are, after all, inherently flawed creatures.

But imagine if one instance of poor judgment or one fringe opinion stuck with you forever. This is the problem our society is now facing with the prevalence of cancel culture.

In 2016, then-high school freshman Mimi Groves posted a video to Snapchat in which she used a racial slur. The three-second video later circulated around her school, though it wasnt met with controversy at the time.

A screenshot of the three-second video Mimi Groves posted to friends on Snapchat in 2016 after getting her learners permit. She refers to her friends using a racial slur in announcing that she could now drive. (Screenshot/Youtube)

Fellow classmate Jimmy Galligan hadnt seen the footage until last year when the two were seniorsfour years after it first made the rounds at Heritage High School. By this time, Groves had moved on to focus on her role as varsity cheer captain with big dreams of attending the University of TennesseeKnoxville, a school known for its nationally ranked cheer squad.

For Groves, summer 2020 had been a time of celebration as she found out she had been accepted to the universitys cheer team. But her joy was short-lived when the death of George Floyd outraged the nation, sparking a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Like many teens, Groves used her social media platforms to urge people to protest, donate, and sign petitions in support of ending police brutality. It was then that her unfortunate video came back to haunt her.

You have the audacity to post this, after saying the N-word, one commenter, unknown to the teen, posted on her Instagram.

Thats when her phone began ringing nonstop.

Galligan had held onto the video made four years earlier and had chosen to celebrate Grovess admission to UT by blasting the footage to every major social media platform.

As the video began going viral, public outrage ensued, calling for the university to rescind her acceptance.

Capitulating to the mob, UT removed her from their cheer team, a decision that resulted in Groves withdrawing from the school because of what she perceived as pressure from the schools admissions office.

Make no mistake, making racial slurs of any kind is demeaning and inappropriate behavior. But is one comment made four years prior enough to ruin the future of a teen who hadnt even entered adulthood yet?

The court of public opinion said yes, without giving Groves any chance at redemption.

Why People Cancel

Grovess story is just one of many.

Cancel culture has become more widespread over the last several years than anyone could have imagined. When I penned this article on the topic two years ago, I had no idea the problem would escalate to the level it has reached today.

But cancel culture isnt reserved only for those who have made distasteful comments in the past.

Today, those espousing any opinion that goes against woke rhetoric are ridiculed online, fired from their jobs, and some are banned from using popular social media platforms altogether.

One University of North Carolina Wilmington professor, Mike Adams, even took his own life after tweets construed as offensive pushed him into early retirement after years of service to the institution.

Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind and co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind has been an outspoken critic of the cancel culture phenomenon for some time.

Part of a call-out culture is you get credit based on what someone else said if you call it out,' he said in a 2018 interview.

This virtue signaling, which is really just a means of proving to society how good and moral your views are, is only half of the equation, however. Cancel culture is also about personal destruction, which is obvious in Grovess situation, since Galligan didnt use this ammunition against her until the time was ripe for maximum harm.

It [cancel culture] has reached a level of personal vindictiveness, where people go out of their way to find ways the things other people say could be construed as insensitive, Haidt said.

Slurs and inappropriate comments aside, cancel culture has made people scared to share their opinions lest they be condemned for thinking incorrectly about any given issue.

The Costs of Cancel Culture

We now live in an era where people are constantly looking over their shoulders, or computer screens, worried that whatever opinion they post might make them victims of cancel culture.

Theres no opportunity to change ones mind, nor is there room to defend opinions you genuinely believe. And this is a huge problem for any civil society.

Haidt spoke of the importance of protecting open dialogue so that we may live in a society filled with varying opinions from which to choose.

One of the most important [aspects] is that people are not afraid to share their opinionstheyre not afraid that theyre going to be shamed socially for disagreeing with the dominant opinion, Haidt said.

The odds are high that your opinions about certain issues will change over time. However, some may not, and you shouldnt live in fear that your beliefs will be met with social condemnation and isolation.

Were no longer given the room to share our opinions today because were no longer able to disagree with each other respectfully.

Youre not always going to agree with everything other people saynot your professors, your classmates, or your parents. In fact, you might even find that your own views change as you learn new things and grow as a person and adult.

But having the freedom to consider all opinions and decide what you genuinely believe is vital to the human experience and civil discourse.

There is a market of choice in all things, from what clothes you wear, products you buy, and what ideas you subscribe to.

When you go shopping, you might not like the first outfit you try. You might not even like the second or third. But trying on different looks, or opinions, allows you to think for yourself and figure out what it is you want, or believe.

To be truly open-minded, you must be able to consider all opinions, instead of condemning any thought contrary to your own. The free exchange of ideas pushes individuals to share unique ideas and allows for opinions to evolve.

Dissent is what makes democracy strong. Our Constitution has outlasted so many others because the Founders disagreed and debated with each other until they crafted a document that fostered a more perfect union than had ever been seen before. We would be wise not to forget the example they set.

Put simply, shaming others doesnt work. Its purely punitive and self-aggrandizing. It also rarely changes a persons mind and often further radicalizes their beliefs, widening the divide already growing in our country.

Free speech serves as a central tenet of innovation, community, and civil society. How we preserve and protect this fundamental value is what makes our society extraordinary.

Without the ability to speak freely and consider all opinions, civil discourse cannot occur. In its absence, society as we know it will cease to exist, and the divides between us will continue to grow.

Brittany is a writer for the Pacific Legal Foundation. She is a co-host of The Way The World Works, a Tuttle Twins podcast for families. This article was originally published on FEE.org
Axios

Southwest Airlines won't yet resume its in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: The airline initially planned to resume the service June, but Sonya Lacore, Southwest's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free."Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego  Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

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.


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.
With talks of "timely" roll out in India resurfacing again after a Covid-hit year that delayed spectrum auction, there are hopes that the fifth-generation cellular technology could be a reality in the second half of the year, even though various reports suggest that its mass adoption could still be years away.

The government is not selling traditional spectrum in the upcoming auction the bidding for which will commence in March, but a tweak in the notice inviting applications has raised hope that companies will be able to launch even on existing bands.

The amendment reduced the notice time period required for telecom companies to give to make advancements and upgrades in technology from one year to six months.

Telecom major Bharti Airtel on January 28 successfully demonstrated live 5G service on a use case basis over a commercial network in Hyderabad city over its existing liberalised spectrum in the 1800 MHz band through the NSA (non-standalone) network technology - that is, fall back on 4G network.

Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani last month said that Reliance Jio will pioneer India's "5G Revolution" in the second half of 2021.

"We should see some soft launches in the later part of second half this year," Neil Shah, Vice President of Research at Counterpoint Research, a global industry analysis firm, told IANS.

"The device ecosystem is ready unlike in 4G or 3G era as we are seeing average selling price (ASP) of the 5G devices already hitting sub $150 or Rs 10,000 mark in markets like China from players such as Realme, Xiaomi and others in just 12-18 months of 5G rollouts," he said.

The first quarter of 2020 witnessed the launch of the first 5G-ready smartphone in India.

At the end of Q3 2020, India's 5G handsets shipments stood at 1.7 million, a number which was projected to cross four million by the end of 2020, according to Counterpoint.

"So there is an option of using technologies such as dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) to use 4G spectrum for 5G but we expect government to auction off 3.5GHz mid band spectrum this year," Shah said.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has already recommended for the auction of spectrum in 3,300-3,600 MHz bands.

However, several reports have suggested that mass adoption of 5G would not be immediate.

According to a forecast by GSMA Intelligence, published in October 2020, 5G connections in India will reach six per cent of total population by 2025 -7.2 crore -- and 93 per cent by 2040.

Swedish gear maker Ericsson in a report in November 2020 said that 5G subscriptions in India will surpass 350 million, accounting for 27 per cent of all mobile subscriptions in 2026.

While globally, more than one billion people were estimated to have access to 5G coverage by the end of 2020, according to the "Ericsson Mobility Report."

According to the Ookla 5G Map, the number of countries with 5G deployments increased 62.3 per cent between Q3 2019 and Q3 2020, with 99 countries having 5G deployments at the end of the third quarter of 2020.

Ericsson, however, said that it is 5G ready and is prepared to help Indian operators to roll out the technology once the spectrum is made available.

"Today, Ericsson works with all the leading communication service providers in the country, partnering with them in connecting India. Our Radio System hardware has been 5G-ready since 2015 thus, enabling operators to upgrade to 5G with just a remote software installation when the roll out begins," Head of Ericsson India Nitin Bansal told IANS.

"Further, the telecom equipment that Ericsson supplies to Indian telecom service providers are made in India and we are also exporting 5G radios to other markets from our facility in Pune," he said.

While security is a major concern in 5G roll out, participation of vendors like Huawei and ZTE in building India's 5G infrastructure could also play a role in faster adoption of the technology in the country.

(Gokul Bhagabati can be contacted at gokul.b@ians.in)

--IANS

gb/rs

(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.)
Photo: DriveBC Coquihalla Summit - S Hwy 5, about 7 km north of Zopkios Brake Check, looking south. (elevation: 1230 metres)

Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for several mountain passes for Monday, including the Coquihalla Highway - Hope to Merritt; Highway 3 - Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass and a winter storm warning for the Trans-Canada Highway - Eagle Pass to Rogers Pass.

Environment Canada is expecting snowfall with total amounts of up to 15 cm is expected for the Coquihalla.

A frontal system over the south coast has already brought approximately 25 cm to the Coquihalla Highway - Hope to Merritt over night. Snow is expected to ease during the day today as the snow level rises to 1200 metres. Snow fall could become heavy again at times tonight as the snow level lowers to 200 metres. Snowfall amounts of 15 cm can be expected by Tuesday morning.

Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow.

Weather in the mountains can change suddenly resulting in hazardous driving conditions.

You are advised to check Castanet cameras and DriveBC before heading out.

Adjust to winter driving behaviour and use winter tires and chains.
Gardai issues a large number of fines to people attending house parties across Ireland over the weekend.

Over the weekend Gardai intervened with house parties right across the country including in Dublin, Sligo, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Westmeath, Limerick, Cork, Tipperary, with in excess of 150 fines issued for either organising or attending a house party.

This included some house parties with large groups of up to 30 people at each party.

An Garda Siochana says it continues to implement static and roving checkpoints to check on compliance with travel restrictions.

Everybody is asked to stay at home unless you have a reasonable excuse for travel - in excess of 2,100 fines have now been issued for travel without a reasonable excuse.

A Garda statement said:

An Garda Siochana continues to implement static and roving checkpoints to check on compliance with travel restrictions. Everybody is asked to stay at home unless you have a reasonable excuse for travel - in excess of 2,100 fines have now been issued for travel without a reasonable excuse.

In addition, over the weekend Gardai intervened with house parties right across the country including in Dublin, Sligo, Galway, Kildare, Kilkenny, Westmeath, Limerick, Cork, Tipperary, with in excess of 150 fines issued for either organising or attending a house party. This included some house parties with large groups of up to 30 people at each party.

An Garda Siochana continues to check international travel at airports and ports. This includes checks surrounding airports and ports and in departure areas.

 Over the period Thursday 29  Sunday 31 January 2021, Gardai issued over 280 fines at Dublin Airport to people for leaving the country for non-essential travel - 100 fines issued in each case. From today, the same offence can result in a 500 fine being issued to individuals.

 Since 9 January 2021, Gardai have engaged with in excess of 300 persons arriving into the country with no valid PCR test - 4 persons presented without a valid PCR test on Sunday 31st January 2021- files will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions in each case

Over the last few days, An Garda Siochana have also attended breaches of health regulations by licensed premises, restaurants, retail outlets, hair and beauty salons amongst other business premises. In all instances, files will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

An Garda Siochana continue to investigate potential breaches of public Health Regulations associated with funerals (currently maximum 10 mourners) and weddings (currently maximum 6 attendees at wedding reception).

In respect of regulations, which are declared to be Penal Regulations under the Health Act 1947 as amended, An Garda Siochana will adopt the approach of the Four Es which will see Gardai engage, explain, encourage, and as a last resort, enforce. Where Gardai find potential breaches of the public health regulations a file is prepared for the DPP in each case or a Fixed Payment Notice is issued where appropriate.

Speaking today, Deputy Commissioner, Policing and Security, John Twomey said, "The vast majority of people continue to comply with the public health regulations. In doing so, they are protecting themselves and others. However, some people continue to engage in behaviour that puts themselves, their loved ones, their colleagues and their neighbours at risk of catching COVID-19. At this stage, no-one can say they arent fully aware of the public health advice and the potential dangers - including death and serious illness  of not following that advice.

"People need to stay home. Only make essential journeys. Limit social contacts. Practice social distancing and wash their hands, said Deputy Twomey.



As of today Monday 01 February 2021 the following fines can now be issued:

 500 fine for a person engaged in travel to an airport/ port for the purpose of leaving the state without a reasonable excuse

 500 fine for a person organising a house party (previously in place)

 150 fine for a person found attending house parties (previously in place)

 100 fine for a person engaged in travel without reasonable excuse (previously in place)

 80 fine for not wearing face coverings in in certain locations (previously in place).


The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine recommends that Ukrainians refrain from traveling to the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

Citizens of Ukraine who already stay in Myanmar are asked to register in the Druh electronic system or report their whereabouts to the Ukrainian embassy, according to the Foreign Ministrys website.

"Due to the declaration of a state of emergency in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry recommends that citizens of Ukraine refrain from visiting this country until the stabilization of the internal political and security situation," the statement reads.

At the same time, Ukrainians in Myanmar are strongly advised to register in the Druh electronic system (https://friend.mfa.gov.ua) or report their location to the Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of Thailand (hotline phone: +66970107760, e-mail: consul_th@mfa.gov.ua).

As reported, the Myanmar President's Office declared a state of emergency which will last for one year after the military detained government leaders including the state counsellor and president on Monday, February 1.

ish
The Osun state government says it recorded five cases of the COVID-19 strain first discovered in the United Kingdom. Funke Egbemode, t...

The Osun state government says it recorded five cases of the COVID-19 strain first discovered in the United Kingdom.





Funke Egbemode, the state commissioner for information and civic orientation, made the announcement in a statement, on Sunday.

This development comes less than a week after the presidential task force on COVID-19 announced that the virus strain first reported in the UK has been found in Nigeria.

Egbemode said the confirmation of five cases of the UK COVID-19 strain is worrisome owing to its deadly nature.





She said the lack of adherence to COVID-19 protocol by residents poses a threat in the coming days.

The Govt of Osun regrets to announce that the State has in the past few days recorded five cases of the violent & deadly B117 strain of COVID-19,which was first reported in the United Kingdom, she said.

This is particularly worrisome because it is barely a week that the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 announced the discovery of the strain in Nigeria, and Osun already has five cases.





Considering the continued disregard and defiance for safety protocols in the state, the government is extremely concerned about the days ahead.

Public Service Announcement



COVID-19: Osun recording more cases of deadly UK strain.



The Govt of Osun regrets to announce that the State has in the past few days recorded five cases of the violent & deadly B117 strain of COVID-19,which was first reported in the United Kingdom.  Government of Osun (@StateofOsun) January 31, 2021

...government is extremely concerned about the days ahead.



This new strain spreads faster and kills quicker. If it continues to grow, more citizens will become vulnerable and those with underlying ailments more endangered.  Government of Osun (@StateofOsun) January 31, 2021

Apart from the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 strain found in the UK, other reported variants include B.1.351 discovered in South Africa, and P.1 variant identified in Brazil.

The commissioner said if the variant spreads, more persons will become vulnerable, especially those with underlying conditions.

She asked residents to comply with COVID-19 guidelines provided by the government in order to avoid tragic cases.

This new strain spreads faster and kills quicker. If it continues to grow, more citizens will become vulnerable and those with underlying ailments more endangered, she said.

We cannot continue to act like Covid-19 is not real. It is not just a sad reality but one that has changed momentum with this more deadly strain.

Citizens are enjoined to scale up their personal responsibility for safety by complying with all the non-pharmaceutical protocols outlined by the government, to avoid tragic consequences.

...outlined by the government, to avoid tragic consequences.



Signed:



Funke Egbemode,



Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation  Government of Osun (@StateofOsun) January 31, 2021

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), over 1,500 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Osun.

Relief for Bank Depositors, FM Promises Easy and Time-bound Access to DICGC Cover if Bank Goes Bust

Finance minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman today announced that in case a bank fails or withdrawals from the bank are stopped due to financial pressure on the bank, the depositors of that bank will be able to get immediate access to their deposits up to the deposit insurance amount of Rs5 lakh, i.e., the amount to which deposits are insured under the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act, 1961' (DICGC Act). This will greatly help depositors in meeting immediate financial needs. The FM added that she will bring in an amendment to allow this in the current Budget session.

A better policy framework will thus be formulated by the government and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for bank depositors (of troubled banks) to be able to claim the deposit insurance cover sooner. The FM said This would help depositors of banks that are currently under stress.

In the Budget for FY20-21, the government had hiked the deposit insurance cover for bank depositors from Rs1 lakh to Rs5 lakh. But this is only available for banks when they go into liquidation. Thus, this insurance cover money is not immediately available to the depositors as they had to wait for the final resolution which could take anywhere from months to years, as it has been in the case of PMC Bank. Moneylife has carried many articles highlighting the plight of hapless bank customers in this zombie bank saga

Last year, Yes Bank's customers were not allowed to withdraw more than Rs50,000 each for about a month while the central bank together with lenders put into place a rescue plan. In November 2020, Lakshmi Vilas Bank depositors faced a similar limit of Rs25,000 each for over a week and the bank was eventually rescued through a merger with DBS Bank India.

The government has now announced a better and a revised mechanism which would help depositors even before the bank goes into liquidation.

This is a positive development and aims to protect bank customers from the kind of situations we have seen in the recent past when the RBI had imposed moratorium on banks and limited access to deposits.

According to extant DICGC rules, each depositor in a bank is insured up to Rs5 lakh for both the principal and interest amount on deposits held by him in that particular bank. This includes all deposits held by a person in current account, savings account, fixed deposits and so on. If the total of all the deposits held by an individual in a singe bank exceed Rs5 lakh, then he/she will be able to get Rs5 lakh inclusive of principal and interest amount if the bank goes bust. The DICGC insurance covers all different accounts of one depositor held with different branches of the same bank for a maximum limit of Rs5 lakh. Hence, even if you have more than one account (across branches) with the same bank, your sum total deposits (savings account, fixed deposits, interest) across all branches are still covered for Rs5 lakh only. However single accounts and joint accounts (for any individual) will be considered separately and, hence, will be separately insured under the DICGC scheme.
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  More often than not, Albuquerque property owners whose uncorrected code violations prompted city intervention were not paying up.

From 2015 to 2019, the citys Code Enforcement Division issued $2.9 million in liens to recover money it spent cleaning up weeds or litter infractions, demolishing vacant problem properties or performing emergency board-ups.

But it recouped just $1.3 million in that span.

That was a finding in a 2020 report from the Office of Internal Audit that helped spur change. The Planning Department has worked with city information technology staff to streamline reporting systems, and it assigned an employee to specifically work on the Code Enforcement Divisions books.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

I was pleasantly surprised in the sense what (internal auditors) were recommending  were doable action items for us as a department, Planning Director Brennon Williams said. They helped us be more transparent, more accountable and ultimately more effective and efficient.

The Office of Internal Audit and the Office of Inspector General  which investigate allegations of potential fraud and other wrongdoing in city departments and contracting  are independent accountability agencies within city government.

They exist to identify and head off problems inside the $1.1 billion-a-year municipal government operation, and they report to a citizen committee instead of the mayor or City Council.

But right now the city has neither a city auditor nor an inspector general, a situation that at least one city councilor considers an urgent problem.

City Councilor Trudy Jones said she is concerned about having both jobs open given their vital role in safeguarding public resources.

We need to make sure we can double-check on everything and keep our taxpayer funds being used wisely and where theyve been appropriated to use, Jones said.

Filling jobs a priority

Albuquerques last full-time auditor resigned more than a year ago, and the city has had little luck finding a permanent replacement. Inspector General Kenneth Bramlett helped fill the gap, assuming the interim city auditor title on top of his IG responsibilities.

However, Bramlett died in December after contracting COVID-19.

Under his guidance, the OIG had shed light on various issues within city government. In 2020, it investigated a $50,000 Animal Welfare Department contract, finding evidence of favoritism and collusion in choosing the vendor, and only vague documentation of the services rendered. The OIG also reported that a Municipal Development Department employee was managing an assisted living facility on the side and that more than half the calls made from his work phone were related to that facility or were personal calls. That probe prompted Municipal Development to launch its own internal investigation, which is still underway.

Since Bramletts death, a city audit manager has been leading both the OIA and OIG and doing a good job, said Edmund Perea, chair of the five-member Accountability in Government Oversight Committee that oversees the offices. But he said filling the jobs on a permanent basis is a priority.

Wed really like to fill them as soon as possible, just for stabilitys sake, Perea said. I think its important to the function of both offices to have a permanent person in place.

State Auditor Brian Colon  who has an ongoing probe into Albuquerque Police Department overtime  said sometimes his offices work overlaps with the city oversight agencies work, and that both the inspector general and city auditor are incredibly valuable for city accountability.

Any time theres a vacancy at the top, it has the potential to impact our work as well, said Colon, adding that he hoped the city would fill both jobs expeditiously.

Staffing shortage problem

Low staff levels already have affected productivity within Internal Audit, according to the departments annual report.

The office completed just three audit reports in fiscal year 2020, a steep dropoff from the 12 issued in 2019 and well below the departments goal of 16 audit reports per year.

While the COVID-19 pandemic was a contributing factor, the turnover and staffing shortage significantly impacted our ability to issue as many reports as planned, the offices fiscal year 2020 report said. The eight-position office had multiple vacancies most of that year.

The city failed in its last attempt to hire a new city auditor.

It advertised the job for six months in 2020, attracting 20 applicants.

The oversight committee, which is responsible for interviewing the applicants and identifying finalists, sent a list of the top three candidates to the City Council for the ultimate hiring decision.

But all three finalists dropped out of contention before the council could vote.

Perea said he does not know why.

I didnt get any direct feedback, he said.

The city reposted the job in October, but a relatively lackluster response  which Perea suggested might have had to do with the holidays  has prompted it to extend the application deadline twice.

The posting was scheduled to close Sunday.

Councilor Diane Gibson, who represents the council on the oversight committee as a nonvoting member, said there is not a particularly deep pool of people qualified for the auditor and IG roles, and those who fit the position typically have good jobs already.

I think its a specialized enough role to fill that theres not a whole lot of availability. I think that even if we were Chicago or Dallas that wed still have to cast a wide net to find somebody who has the qualifications and is needing a job, she said.

Colon also noted the hiring challenges. He said he has occasionally struggled to fill openings on his staff since qualified candidates can often earn more in the private sector.

The city auditors salary will depend on qualifications, the city said. The last auditor made about $112,000 per year.

The city recently opened applications for inspector general. The position is scheduled to close Feb. 18, and Perea said last month he does not expect it to be harder to fill, saying the 2018 search that yielded Bramlett attracted a very good pool.

In the meantime, Perea said the committee continues checking in with the agencies interim leader, who is keeping operations going.

Things are running as smooth as (possible), he said. But from our perspective, we really want to get someone in place as soon as possible.
A recently released economic report confirmed what many people already, that the private sector lost a lot of money and as a result either fur Read more
[February 01, 2021] Databricks Raises $1 Billion Series G Investment at $28 Billion Valuation

Lead Franklin Templeton is joined by Fidelity and new strategic investors AWS, CapitalG, and Salesforce Ventures; Current strategic investor Microsoft also participated SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1, 2021 /CNW/ -- Databricks , the Data and AI company, today announced a $1 billion investment in response to the rapid global adoption of its unified data platform. The Series G funding, led by new investor Franklin Templeton, puts Databricks at a $28 billion post-money valuation. Franklin Templeton is joined by other new investors including Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, Fidelity Management & Research LLC, and Whale Rock, along with new strategic investors Amazon Web Services (AWS), CapitalG and Salesforce Ventures. Existing investors participating in the round include Microsoft, Andreessen Horowitz, Alkeon Capital Management, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Coatue Management, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and Tiger Global Management. "We see this investment and our continued rapid growth as further validation of our vision for a simple, open and unified data platform that can support all data-driven use cases, from BI to AI," said Ali Ghodsi, CEO and Co-Founder of Databricks. "Built on a modern lakehouse architecture in the cloud, Databricks helps organizations eliminate the cost and complexity that is inherent in legacy data architectures so that data teams can collaborate and innovat faster. This lakehouse paradigm is what's fueling our growth, and it's great to see how excited our investors are to be a part of it."



This funding will accelerate Databricks' innovation and allow the company to scale and support the rapid adoption of the lakehouse, which is quickly becoming the data architecture of choice for data-driven organizations around the world. "Franklin Templeton is excited to work with Databricks as they enter this next stage of their impressive journey. We've seen first hand their ability to help enterprises leverage data to better understand customer journeys, operationalize business processes and, ultimately, build competitive advantage rooted in data. We believe they have a strong, accomplished team and visionary platform, and believe that the future for Databricks is bright, with a clear leadership position and open-ended growth opportunity," said Jonathan Curtis, Senior Vice President, Research Analyst and Portfolio Manager, Franklin Templeton.

"Azure Databricks continues to be an impressive solution that brings the latest advances in open, flexible and scalable data and AI capabilities to our customers," said Scott Guthrie, Executive Vice President, Cloud + AI, Microsoft Corp. "Our investment underscores the vision we share with Databricks of simplifying data and AI for our customers. Together, we will continue to build on the success of Azure Databricks and seamless integrations across Azure data services to enable cloud-scale analytics and AI on Azure." Other existing and new investors that participated in this funding round include: Discovery Capital, Dragoneer Investment Group, Founders Circle Capital, Geodesic, GIC, Green Bay Ventures, Greenoaks Capital, New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Octahedron Capital. About Databricks

Databricks is the data and AI company. More than 5,000 of organizations worldwide  including Comcast, Conde Nast, Nationwide, H&M, and over 40% of the Fortune 500 rely on Databricks' unified data platform for data engineering, machine learning and analytics. Databricks is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices around the globe. Founded by the original creators of Apache Spark, Delta Lake and MLflow, Databricks is on a mission to help data teams solve the world's toughest problems. To learn more, follow Databricks on Twitter , LinkedIn and Facebook . Press Contact:

Keyana Corliss

Head of Global Communications

Keyana.Corliss@databricks.com IR Contact:

IR@databricks.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/databricks-raises-1-billion-series-g-investment-at-28-billion-valuation-301219270.html SOURCE Databricks

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Belgrade, which purchased China's Sinopharm vaccine, has delivered to the Serbian population the second-fastest vaccine rollout in Europe at 4.6 doses per 100 people, according to a Jan 27 report from Euronews.

It is just behind the United Kingdom but ahead of the EU's largest nations thanks to importing the Sinopharm vaccine, which has also been approved in several other countries including the United Arab Emirates. Phase 3 testing rates its efficacy at between 79-86 percent according to interim results.

The president of Serbia Aleksander Vucic has compared the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in Europe to the sinking of the Titanic - saying the rich are being saved while the poor of the Balkans are being left to drown, and he has little hope of receiving EU supplies.

Thanks to the delivery of 1 million doses of Sinopharm vaccine, Serbia's vaccination program is continuing apace.

Serbia has now received a delivery of 10,000 Pfizer doses, but Vucic said he would be taking the Chinese vaccine.
Former President Donald Trump started the year with at least $31 million in cash to wield through his new political-action committee as he seeks to remain the leader of the Republican Party.

The money is in the coffers of Mr. Trumps newly formed leadership PAC called Save America, which in the weeks after the Nov. 3 election began receiving donations in response to fundraising messages asking for money to overturn his election loss.

The PAC has raised $31.5 million since its formation on Nov. 9, according to filings made Sunday with the Federal Election Commission that cover the period through the end of last year. The PACs only expenditures since the election have been a little more than $340,000 in fundraising costs.

The Save America funds will be key to Mr. Trumps efforts to retain his grip on the Republican Party as he mulls running for president again in 2024.

Mr. Trump could use the money to support his preferred candidates or back primary rivals to Republicans he is unhappy with. He has privately expressed interest in unseating the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach him alleging he incited the mob to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6 and prevent Congress from certifying President Bidens victory.

One of the 10, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R., Ill.) on Sunday launched his own initiative, called Country First, that seeks to rally Republicans who are opposed to Mr. Trumps brand of politics.

A spokesperson for Mr. Trump didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mr. Trumps PAC, which has wide legal latitude in its spending, could also finance travel for Mr. Trump and his allies, pay for advertising and be used to keep certain advisers on payroll. Since his presidency ended, he kept a handful of former White House and campaign aides, including press aide Margo Martin and adviser Jason Miller.

Save America is emerging as the former president winds down the various arms of his 2020 reelection effort, which include his campaign and two committees that jointly raise funds with the Republican National Committee.

Separately, the campaign and joint-fundraising committees combined had about $74 million in cash on hand, filings show. About $60 million of that is sitting in an account for one of the joint-fundraising committees that could transfer money to Save America.

The remaining campaign funds have more restricted uses under FEC rules and could be used in the event that Mr. Trump runs for president again or to pay down the 2020 campaigns $2.7 million in outstanding debts.

After his defeat, Mr. Trump remained a formidable fundraiser, bolstered by dozens of text and email appeals to raise money for his efforts to overturn the election. All told, Mr. Trump and the RNC raised more than $255 million online between Election Day and the end of the year, according to an FEC filing from Republican online donation platform WinRed.

Trump Victory, one of the joint-fundraising committees with the RNC, raked in some major donations in that period. Fresno developer Richard Spencer gave $11,200 on Dec. 2; Utah attorney Douglas Nielson gave $25,000 on Dec. 16; and investor Lee Beaman gave $28,800 on Dec. 2.

The committee also received $25,000 from the National Fraternal Order of Police PAC on Dec. 2.

The campaigns primary expenses between Nov. 24 and the end of last year, the period covered by the latest FEC filings, were $11.1 million in contribution refunds; $6.5 million in online and text message advertising; another $5.1 million in advertising specifically related to election recounts and $3.4 million in legal fees related to those efforts, according to the records. Among the legal payments was $1 million to Kasowitz, Benson, Torres, the law firm founded by Mr. Trumps former longtime lawyer, Marc Kasowitz.

The campaign also paid $63,000 to a firm owned by Rudy Giuliani, who spearheaded Mr. Trumps efforts to overturn the election. Representatives of Mr. Giuliani at one point sought for the campaign to pay him up to $20,000 a day. The campaign shows no other payments to Mr. Giuliani.

Trump Victory gave refunds to some major donors, the records show, including $210,000 to longtime donor and real-estate developer Geoff Palmer; $180,000 to venture capitalist Walter Buckley; and $94,000 to former Facebook executive and virtual-reality pioneer Palmer Luckey.

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.
"Wine, and the alcoholic beverage industry in general, have a lot of similarities to the cannabis industry, especially in regards to intense regulation, taxing, and brand development," said Siegel. "I look forward to leveraging my experience in the wine industry at CULTA and am excited to join a growing company in the cannabis vertical."

As president at Next Day Blinds, she ran the day-to-day business operations until the company was acquired in a strategic sale. She acted as chief revenue officer at Next Day Blinds before becoming president. While with the company, her team significantly improved top- and bottom-line financial results, implemented a full technology replacement, and increased its gross margin, all while improving annual employee engagement scores.

Prior to Next Day Blinds, Siegel built and ran Total Wine & More's IT applications and business process teams, and spent her final three years building a CRM system, a loyalty program, and a consumer insights group within the company's marketing vertical.

As COO at CULTA, Siegel will play a key role in supporting CULTA's rapid growth and expansion, implementing strategic financial and operational processes, and overseeing day-to-day operations.

"Ms. Siegel will play a key role in facilitating CULTA's continued growth," said CULTA President and co-founder Mackie Barch. "Single-state focused, independent operators, are dominating most cannabis markets nationally and we're starting to attract real talent. We are thrilled Ms. Siegel is joining the CULTA team and look forward to working with her to take the CULTA brand to the next level."

CULTA's latest executive hire continues their trend of seeking top-tier C-suite candidates with deep expertise outside of the cannabis industry. Recent team additions include Jonathan Clark as chief financial officer , who joined CULTA from Honest Tea, who was acquired by Coca-Cola and CAVA Group, Inc.

CULTA's strategic growth plan calls for hiring 100 more employees across its farm in Cambridge, retail dispensary in Baltimore, and headquarters in Bethesda. Open positions are listed here . At this time, CULTA plans on recruiting all new employees in-house.

ABOUT CULTA

Born in 2015, CULTA is Maryland's premier craft quality producer of cannabis flower and cannabis extracts. We are proud and passionate cultivators, scientists, activists, musicians, and global citizens. We believe in the power of cannabis to heal and for cannabis to be the catalyst to a long-overdue conversation on ending the war on drugs. For many who have quietly battled chronic conditions with cannabis, it is more than a plant, it's lifesaving medicine and a lifestyle. To learn more, please visit www.Culta.io .

MEDIA CONTACT

Renier Fee

[email protected]

www.Culta.io

SOURCE Culta LLC

Related Links

https://culta.io/


Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the first 'paperless' Budget a few hours ago. The coronavirus pandemic disrupted the country's economic well-being and all eyes were on the Union Budget 2021-22, eagerly looking forward to the government's strategy to revive the economy. There were high expectations from the infrastructure sector as the multiplier effect will facilitate growth and employment, thereby accelerating a sustainable recovery.

The Budget rested on six key pillars, with Physical & Financial Capital and Infrastructure cited as the second pillar, promoting infrastructure as one of the core focus areas of the Budget with several schemes, new investments and reforms.

The government launched the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) for FY 2020-25 to boost. It majorly looks into energy, urban infrastructure, road, railways, etc. This will be funded by the Centre, state government and the private sector, with a funding share of 39 percent, 40 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

Follow Moneycontrol's Budget 2021 live coverage here.



Setting up a Development Finance Institution for infrastructure financing



Monetising operating public infrastructure through a National Monetization Pipeline.



Increasing the capital expenditure from Rs 4.39 lakh crore (revised estimate of 2020-21) to Rs.5.54 lakh crore.



COVID-19 had affected the state's contributions and private players, thereby demanding more support from the Centre. Through the Budget, the finance minister proposed to act through three concrete steps:

Previously, 6,835 projects were launched under the plan, which has now been expanded to 7,400 projects. The significant increase in NIP allocation, almost 34.5 percent more than the previous year's estimate, can be seen as a positive step. Setting up of a new institution may show results in the short run, still, its viability, in the long run, needs to be assessed, as multiple institutions in the sector might lead to an increase in procedural and operational delays.

The Asset Monetization Programme is a welcome step to improve the financing options for new infrastructure construction. As mentioned by Sitharaman, infrastructure assets of PSUs and government undertakings such as NHAI, railways, airports, GAIL, IOCL, HPCL and warehousing assets, stadiums, etc will be utilised for monetisation.

For roads and bridges, there has been an increase of around 24 percent in the budgeted estimate compared to the previous year. More economic corridors, concentrated in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Assam, have also been proposed in the Budget. A sharp increase of Rs 26,255.4 crore is to be noted in the budgeted capital outlay for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as compared to the FY2020-21.

Under the urban infrastructure, it was reassuring to note the allocations to bus transport and the metro rail. A sum of Rs 18,000 crore has been allocated for public bus services. Public transport was one of the sectors badly hit by the pandemic, hence supporting it would encourage private players to invest, thereby providing more transport options to the public.

For metro projects, Rs. 17,482 crore have been budgeted, including the central funding for Phase 2 of metro in Kochi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Nagpur and Nashik. Here we need to look into the financial situation of the lines that are operational, whose ridership is far from the forecastfunds for these capital-intensive projects could've been redirected to other priorities, including buses.

There has been an increase in allocation for Rural Infrastructure Development Fund from Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore. The proposal to develop five major fishing harbours and a seaweed park was also announced to support inclusive development by meeting infrastructural aspirations of all sectors.

The government proposes to monetise idle assets, mainly the surplus land with ministries and departments. This will sure be a revenue-generating option that will contribute to increased investment. A Special Purpose Vehicle will be introduced to carry out this activity.

On the whole, the Budget did mention some major investments and reforms in the sector. In addition to the above mentioned, Sitharaman also talked about the need to relax some of the conditions restricting foreign investments in the infrastructure sector. Timely and effective implementation of these would be something that we need to wait and watch.

The pre-requisites for the infrastructure sector are capital and labour. Hence, with more investment in this sector, it is assumed that the employment-generation opportunities will also increase.

But should this whole activity be seen as pumping money into a sector that promotes more employment? Here, the efficiency and also the effectiveness of such investments is to be evaluated. Employment generation could be seen as a positive outcome of such activities. Still, the major goal of such projects, which is to serve its beneficiaries, should be carefully evaluated without that, the sustainability check of such investments could question its need in the long run. Sometimes unintended consequences of such infrastructure investments take away the quality of public finance management.
The military overthrew the democratically elected Aung San Suu Kyi in a coup de tat. Along with her are other leaders of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

On Monday, the military leadership has taken power from the newly elected government of Suu Kyi. They accuse the National League of Democracy (NLD) party of election fraud.

Upsetting the democratic process in Burma claiming Fraud

According to the Burmese military leaders who moved in early morning raids, seizing NLD members, the leaders' detention was a reaction to their suspected election fraud, reported Reuters.

When the military forces rounded up civilian leaders, power of the government was given to military chief Min Aung Hlaing who immediately put in place a declared state of emergency for twelve-months. A military television station confirmed this.

Before Aung Hlaing would fully commit to a military takeover of the Burmese government, Suu would post on Facebook that a military coup may be inevitable. She declared on social media that all Burmese should oppose it.

Stealing power from a democratically elected government headed by Suu Kyi destroys progress made to put Western-style democracy. Citing one factor for the military is the proximity of China to Burma.

No one expected the generals to order the military to prevent parliament from starting the first time. Sources say the country verified the mandate that Aung San Suu Kyi got as overwhelming. Her win is a landslide that was not entirely accepted by the military, thus the forced takeover.

Also read: Japan Experiences a Spate of Suicide Incidents Due to COVID-19; Affects the Mental Health of Citizens

The military cut off lines of communication

In the Burmese capital of Naypyitaw, all the phone services and internet connection were shut down before the military strong-arming the elected civilian government. Next, Yangon was disrupted like clockwork with the state television taken down; then the round-up of all the NLD who was accused of election fraud.

This move allowed military units to swiftly apprehend Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other NLD leaders without any problems. Myo Nyunt, the NLD spokesman, was able to report by phone but was out of touch soon after.

Social media got some more news as regional lawmaker Pa Pa Han was on video while getting arrested. The lawmaker pled to the persons outside his gate, with a child to change their minds.

Civil chaos anticipated by the Military leaders

The chaos of the civilian arrests prompted stationing troops and police in the Yangon district. Many panicked to get food stocks and money from ATMs as the civil disorder was unfolding. Banks were shuttered with no internet connections in the city.

Friction between the civilian government and the military due to the elections was destined to have an awful result after elections. The NLD got 83%.

The Burmese Junta

According to Min Aung Hlaing, the de facto leader of the military takeover who promised a multiparty democratic system. Lastly, giving power to the winning party in an election.

There will be an election, but if it will be held after the state of emergency, is left to be seen. Aung San Suu Kyi is still the perceived winner who did not win by election fraud.

Related article: Experts Warn: China Imposes a Threat to All Countries in 15 Years

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 17:57:53|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

MANILA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Department of Health (DOH) of the Philippines reported on Sunday 2,103 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 525,618.

The death toll climbed to 10,749 after 80 more patients died from the viral disease, the DOH said. It added 11,653 more patients had recovered, raising the total number of recoveries to 487,551.

The data showed that 83 health care workers had succumbed to the disease as at least 14,393 medical workers, mostly nurses, and physicians, contracted the virus.

The Philippines, with a population 110 million, has tested over 7.3 million people since the disease emerged in the country in January last year.

The National Task Force against COVID-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez said that the country will likely receive 5.6 million doses of vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca.

The vaccines are expected to arrive "within the first quarter of this year to jumpstart the country's national vaccination program as part of the global efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus," he added.

"Today, we received a letter from Aurelia Nguyen, managing director of the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility, officially informing the Philippine government that the country stands to receive a total of 9,407,400 doses from the two pharmaceutical makers within the first and second quarters of this year," Galvez said in a statement.

The Philippines' Food and Drug Administration has granted both Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca emergency use authorization.

He said the vaccines under COVAX will inoculate healthcare workers, medical-related personnel, and other frontliners.

The Philippines is negotiating with at least seven vaccine-makers, namely Sinovac, Novavax, Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Gamaleya, and plans to buy 148 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate up to 70 million Filipinos this year. Enditem
Police and court records on Monday identified the two 16-year-old Vancouver boys -- one a shooting victim and the other arrested in the killing -- but otherwise revealed little about the circumstances of the violence last week at an Interstate 5 rest stop in Clackamas County.

Juan Tomas Santos Bautista was found about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday inside a parked car at the northbound French Prairie rest stop near Aurora, according to Oregon State Police. He had a gunshot wound to the head, police said.

Clark County juvenile court records identified the suspect as Cesar Soto Gama. He was taken into custody late Saturday, court records show.

Soto Gama made his first court appearance Monday and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

He is being held in the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center on allegations of of murder, assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

According to Washington court records, Clackamas County authorities plan to seek Soto Gamas extradition to Oregon.

Oregon authorities have so far declined to release Soto Gamas name.

If extradited to Oregon, Soto Gamas case will begin in juvenile court, where transparency is limited. Prosecutors may request a hearing to seek a waiver into adult court, though it is unclear if that will happen in this case.

-- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2021 -- The Release Agents Market is forecasted to grow from USD 964.5 Million in 2018 to USD 1.40 Billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 4.6%, during the forecast period. The market is primarily driven by the increase in demand for baked-food products globally. Consumer acceptance of baked food items has fuelled demand for the market in bakery and confectionery, resulting in an increased demand for release agents. The increasing use of release agents in the confectionery and bakery industry due to the issue of products being stuck on the equipment has led the manufacturers to look to the use of release agent to prevent the stickiness problem, thus fuelling the demand for release agents on the global market.



In the further segment of the report, researchers have provided the latest coverage of the profound impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the global Release Agents market. The coronavirus outbreak has led to drastic changes in the current Release Agents business landscape, limiting the growth opportunities for various manufacturers and buyers in this industry for the next few years. The report discusses the existing scenario of the market while making speculations about its post-COVID-19 scenario. Moreover, the report offers an exhaustive Release Agents market overview and elaborates on the financial standing of the leading players in the current market situation. Eventually, the report offers conclusive data related to market growth on both the regional and global levels.



Get Free Sample Copy With Toc Of The Report To Understand The Structure Of The Complete Report @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/sample-enquiry-form/1038



Global Release Agents Market Scope:



A broad Release Agents market segmentation is the focal point of the report that includes the product type gamut, application spectrum, end-user industry landscape, significant geographical regions, and the top market contenders. The report contains expert opinions on the current market scenario, past market performance, production & consumption rates, demand & supply ratio, and revenue generation forecasts over the estimated period. The report further assesses the financial positions of the key players, with a particular focus on their gross profits, sales volumes, sales revenue, manufacturing costs, and other financial ratios. Our expert team has employed several analytical tools like investment assessment, SWOT analysis, and Porter's Five Forces Analysis to accurately evaluate the production capacity of the Release Agents market.



The major players in the market are Avatar Corporation (US), Archer Daniels Midland Company (US), AAK AB (Sweden), Cargill (US), Dowdupont (US), Par-Way Tryson Company (US), Associated British Foods PLC (UK), Mallet & Company, Inc. (US), IFC Solutions, Inc. (US) and Lecico GmbH (Germany).



Segments covered in the report:



This report forecasts volume and revenue growth at a global, regional & country level, and provides an analysis on the industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2026. For the purpose of this study, Reports and Data have segmented the market on the basis of type, ingredient type, application and regional analysis.



Type (Kilo Tons) (Revenue, USD Million; 2016-2026)



Solid

Liquid

Water-Based Release Agents



Ingredient Type (Kilo Tons) (Revenue, USD Million; 2016-2026)



Vegetable oils

Emulsifiers

Wax & wax esters

Antioxidants



Application (Kilo Tons) (Revenue, USD Million; 2016-2026)



Bakery

Breads

Cakes & Pastries

Cookies & Biscuits

Confectionery Products

Processed Meat



Regional Analysis of the Release Agents Market:



The global Release Agents market is categorized into several leading geographical regions, including North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. The report emphasizes the demands and trends for the market, more essentially, in the global market that is spread across the major regions of the world. Under this section of the report, the global Release Agents market presence across the major regions in terms of the global market share, market size, revenue contribution, sales network, and distribution channels has been analyzed.



To Read More About The Report, Click Here @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/report-detail/release-agents-market



Key questions addressed in the report:



What are the key factors driving the global Release Agents market?



Who are the key manufacturers in this market space?



Who are the distributors, traders, and dealers of this market?



What are the market opportunities and risks affecting the performance of the vendors in the global Release Agents market?



What are the sales and revenue estimations for the top manufacturers in this market over the projected timeline?



Highlights of the TOC:



Chapter 1. Market Synopsis

1.1. Market Definition

1.2. Research Scope & Premise

1.3. Methodology

1.4. Market Estimation Technique



Chapter 2. Executive Summary

2.1. Summary Snapshot, 2018-2026



Chapter 3. Indicative Metrics



Chapter 4. Release Agents Segmentation & Impact Analysis

4.1. Release Agents Material Segmentation Analysis

4.2. Industrial Outlook

4.2.1. Market indicators analysis

4.2.2. Market drivers analysis

4.2.2.1. Increased use in the baking industry of release agents

4.2.2.2. Increased awareness of consumer and health concerns

4.2.3. Market restraints analysis

4.2.3.1. International rules governing the use of Food Release Agents

4.3. Technological Insights

4.4. Regulatory Framework

4.5. ETOP Analysis

4.6. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.7. Competitive Metric Space Analysis

4.8. Price trend Analysis



Chapter 5. Release Agents Market By Type Insights & Trends

5.1. Type Dynamics & Market Share, 2018 & 2026

5.2. Solid

5.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2016  2026 (Kilo Tons) (USD Million)

5.2.2. Market estimates and forecast, by Region, 2016  2026 (Kilo Tons) (USD Million)

5.3. Liquid

5.3.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2016  2026 (Kilo Tons) (USD Million)

5.3.2. Market estimates and forecast, by Region, 2016  2026 (Kilo Tons) (USD Million)

5.4. Water-Based Released Agents

5.4.1. Market estimates and forecast, 2016  2026 (Kilo Tons) (USD Million)

5.4.2. Market estimates and forecast, by Region, 2016  2026 (Kilo Tons) (USD Million)



Continue



To Get This Report at a Lucrative Price, Click @ https://www.reportsanddata.com/discount-enquiry-form/1038



Thank you for reading our report. To find more details on the report or to inquire about its customization, please let us know, and we will offer you the report as per your needs.



Read More Reports:



Alopecia Market Growth



Electronic Clinical Outcome Assessment (eCOA) Solution Market Size



PTA Balloon Catheter Market Revenue



Endoscopic Operative Devices Market Share



Neuromodulation Market Size



About Us:

We are a boutique market intelligence and strategic consulting firm dedicated to make an meaningful impact on businesses across the globe. Our stellar estimation and forecasting models have earned recognition across majority of the business forum across the globe. Our services are arrayed over diverse sectors and industries looking to expand in alternative regions and products.



Contact Us:

John Watson

Head of Business Development

Reports And Data | Web: www.reportsanddata.com

Direct Line: +1-212-710-1370

E-mail: sales@reportsanddata.com
Robin Wright's biggest challenge on her movie directorial debut Land was skinning an animal.

The 54-year-old star helmed the film and also stars as Edee - a lawyer who takes herself off grid and travels to the most unpopulated area in the United States - and the actress admitted she was left 'shocked' by the animal skinning process.

Wright - who has directed 10 episodes of Netflix drama House Of Cards - said: 'It was stomaching the skinning of the animal. And I eat meat. But I just - I don't want to see that. You don't think it's going to shock you. And it does.'

Ewww: Robin Wright's biggest challenge on her movie directorial debut Land was skinning an animal; seen in the movie

Hard to do: The 54-year-old star helmed the film and also stars as Edee - a lawyer who takes herself off grid and travels to the most unpopulated area in the United States - and the actress admitted she was left 'shocked' by the animal skinning process

She added, 'I mean, you couldn't have a more distant comparison between what it was like shooting House of Cards to shooting and directing Land.

'[For 'House of Cards'] we were on a stage outside of Baltimore for six years on sets in an airplane hangar.

'This was a completely different beast because you're dealing with nature.'

Harsh: Wright - who has directed 10 episodes of Netflix drama House Of Cards - said: 'It was stomaching the skinning of the animal. And I eat meat. But I just - I don't want to see that. You don't think it's going to shock you. And it does'

Goodbye glam: She wore almost no makeup for the film role; seen here in 2017

But the movie - which also stars Demian Bichir and Kim Dickens - nearly didn't make it to screens, as Wright admitted she was 'ready to throw in the towel' when pitching the motion picture at the Cannes Film Festival, but her final meeting of the day, with Focus Features, proved to be successful.

Speaking to USA Today, she added: 'No one was biting. I was like, I don't think this is going to work.

'I don't think anybody wants to see this movie. And I was ready to throw in the towel.'

A big change: She added, 'I mean, you couldn't have a more distant comparison between what it was like shooting House of Cards to shooting and directing Land. '[For 'House of Cards'] we were on a stage outside of Baltimore for six years on sets in an airplane hangar. 'This was a completely different beast because you're dealing with nature'

She also said she always wanted to direct, but it wasn't until House of Cards crew helped her helm 10 episodes that she gained the experience to make her first movie.

'What a gift that was, because otherwise I would not have had the confidence to move on and do a feature film, that's for sure,' said Wright at the Sundance Film Festival premiere of her debut Land on Sunday.

It is a lesson in teamwork painfully ignored by the film's lead character Edee who after suffering immense personal tragedy decides to live alone in the beautiful but unforgiving Wyoming wilderness.

A gift: 'What a gift that was, because otherwise I would not have had the confidence to move on and do a feature film, that's for sure,' said Wright at the Sundance Film Festival premiere of her debut Land on Sunday

Arriving at a leaky, dilapidated cabin miles from civilization without phone or car, Edee's attempts to teach herself to hunt and survive take a humbling and perilous turn, before the arrival of a local hunter.

'Why make this movie?... It's a reminder that we do need each other,' said Wright at a Q&A taking place remotely -- like the entire festival -- due to the pandemic.

'We do face adversity, and it's generally the compassion and kindness of another person that gets us through that difficult time... I think we all can resonate with that right now.'

Even with her skills honed on Netflix's political drama, Wright faced unprecedented challenges shooting Land across 29 days in remote Alberta, Canada, where her team constructed a log cabin at 8,000 feet (2,400 meters).

Bear land: Arriving at a leaky, dilapidated cabin miles from civilization without phone or car, Edee's attempts to teach herself to hunt and survive take a humbling and perilous turn, before the arrival of a local hunter

'We had one day of summer, and then all of a sudden it just turned into winter,' she said 'And so we had to shoot 10 to 15 (scenes)... in one day. But it was doable.'

A scene featuring a bear confronting Edee couldn't be shot on the mountain in case the trained animal encountered real wild bears, which were so common on set that one regularly helped itself to hamburgers from the craft services table.

Making matters more challenging still was the juggling act of directing for the first time while also starring.

Bear pals: A scene featuring a bear confronting Edee couldn't be shot on the mountain in case the trained animal encountered real wild bears, which were so common on set that one regularly helped itself to hamburgers from the craft services table

'You're in front of the camera, and you're in six feet of snow, and you can't walk... to watch playback because you're going to put footsteps in the snow -- and it's freshly fallen snow that we need to shoot!' said Wright.

Still, an early review from Deadline said Wright 'succeeds impressively on both counts,' with her film described by Variety as 'a beautiful haiku.'

The movie hits limited theaters February 12. With the Oscars postponed to its latest-ever date in April due to the pandemic, it could be a late entry to Hollywood's award season race.

Top indie film festival Sundance itself is taking place largely online this year, with all 72 feature films making their premieres via streaming.

The festival -- co-founded by Robert Redford and typically based in the Utah mountains -- ends Wednesday.
No one is a statistic; Every refugee is a unique human being with a story. I do not usually talk about my past. I prefer to forget the thirty-one years of my life that I lived without hope in Africa. But in America today, where refugee policy is a contentious political issue, its only by sharing stories like mine that people can see why refugee resettlement matters and why we cant afford to compromise on the value of welcoming refugees with open arms. This is my story.

Like many refugees, my narrative begins with the heartbreaking decision to leave home. It was 1996, and the war had just broken out. The Democratic Republic of the Congo had always been my home, but the war was brutal and bloody. It became too dangerous to stay in the country. My family and I made the difficult choice to flee.

As you can imagine, life as a refugee wasnt easy. For the next nineteen years, we lived in one Tanzanian refugee camp after another. When one camp closed, we packed up and moved to another. It wasnt perfect, but it was a life away from the war, away from the violence, and away from almost certain death.

Yet being a refugee brings its own risks and vulnerabilities. On one night in 2012, I was attacked by criminals at my home. I was lucky; nearby police officers were able to save me from harm. But my assailants escaped. Before fleeing, they told me that they would kill me. They told me that they had to terminate my life. I was never given a reason why. Ever since that night, I lived in constant fear. I couldnt sleep. Many nights I would go to bed wondering if I would wake up in the morning.

Here is where refugee resettlement changed everything for the better. Had it not been for the refugee support systems in place, my family and I would never have been able to live free of the fear that had gripped us. Thanks to United Nations refugee services, we were given the opportunity to resettle to the United States in 2015.

But relocation was only the first step of a long journey.

Life in the U.S. was safer, freer and happier than our life as refugees, but it was also more difficult than I had ever expected it would be.

My family and I had only ever lived a rural life in Africa. This means that we had never rented a house, paid a monthly bill or applied for medical benefits.

My family and I had only ever lived a rural life in Africa. This means that we had never rented a house, paid a monthly bill or applied for medical benefits. The realities and responsibilities of American life confused me. I often wondered if I was simply destined to become homeless and destitute. I worried daily how I would survive. On top of that, the trauma from the criminal attack on my life in 2012 still caused me great anxiety and pain; when I slept, I dreamt of someone breaking into our new apartment and killing us.

And the culture was so new and bewildering, too. During the week leading up to my first Fourth of July, I mistook the sounds of fireworks going off at night for bullets. It wasnt until I was able to speak with my case worker the following morning, and hear her explanation, that I was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

But here again, it was the intervention of kind, caring and compassionate refugee resettlement workers who made all the difference. With the help of the great staff at World Reliefs Aurora office, my family and I slowly built a new life here. At first, we survived on less than twenty dollars a week. But thanks to the case managers and employment counselors at World Relief, my family and I continued to work and learn and acquire new skills. We began to feel at home in the U.S. In fact, we began to truly be at home in the U.S.

Ultimately, I loved World Relief so much that I applied for a job working there. My life had been so dramatically changed for the better that I felt called by God to give something back. And while I was scared and nervous to start on such important work, Ive since settled into my new role as a family support coordinator at the World Relief Aurora office. I love working at World Relief, because I know that refugee resettlement services change lives. When I do my job, I am helping Gods children. When my service brings a smile to their face, I am happy.

Back in Africa, I lived a life without goals. But now I have many goals. I have hope and dreams and plans for the future! I go to bed every night feeling safe, and I wake up in the morning without fear.

I never thought I would be living the life I live. Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if no one had come to my aid. I still do not know the answer. But I do know that supporters of refugee resettlement and organizations like World Relief empower millions of families like mine to hope for a better future. I have nothing to give that can show how important the love and kindness I have received truly is. My gratitude is endless. And the millions like me are grateful too.

Jerome Bizimana is a refugee from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is currently a family support coordinator at World Relief Chicagoland.

The Humanitarian Disaster Institute has created a Spiritual First Aid manual for U.S. church leaders and lay helpers serving refugees. Download it for free here.
ITHACA, NY - When it comes to saving endangered species of a certain size, conservationists often have to think outside the box.

This was reinforced by a recent study published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, led by faculty in the College of Veterinary Medicine, which analyzed the effects of hanging tranquilized black rhinoceroses upside down by their feet.

"We found that suspending rhinos by their feet is safer than we thought," said Dr. Robin Radcliffe, senior lecturer in wildlife and conservation medicine and first author of the study.

While this finding might sound comical, it is vital information for conservationists working to save these vanishing creatures. To keep rhinos safe from poaching and to distribute individuals across habitats so their gene pools stay healthy, management teams often must move rhinos in remote areas that cannot be accessed by roads or automobiles. This often leaves one option: tranquilizing and airlifting the giant mammals out with a helicopter.

While this technique of moving rhinos from place to place has been used for 10 years, no one had scientifically documented its clinical effects on the animals during transportation, or any potential negative effects once they wake up.

Radcliffe and his colleagues were mindful that the anesthesia drugs used to tranquilize these large mammals can be dangerous.

"These drugs are potent opioids - a thousand times more potent than morphine, with side effects that include respiratory depression, reduced oxygen in the blood and higher metabolism," Radcliffe said. "These side effects can impair rhinoceros health and even lead to mortalities during capture and translocation."

The researchers predicted that hanging rhinos upside down would exacerbate the dangerous effects of these opioids. Horses in this position suffer from impaired breathing, likely due to the heavy abdominal organs pushing against the lungs and chest cavity. Therefore, this method was deemed riskier than transporting the creatures via a platform or sledge with the rhinos laying on their side.

To put the question to rest, Radcliffe and Dr. Robin Gleed, professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine, collaborated with Namibian conservationists to conduct a field study of the highly endangered animals while anesthetized in two different positions: hanging by their feet from a crane to mimic the effects of air transport; or lying on their sides as they would during the immediate period after darting and transport on a sledge.

The researchers traveled to Waterburg National Park in Namibia, where they examined 12 rhinoceroses captured for procedures related to conservation but not being moved. After tranquilizing the animals by darting from a helicopter, the scientists tested each animal while it was hanging upside down and lying on its side, in order to directly compare breathing and circulation in both positions.

The data debunked Radcliffe and his colleague's predictions - that hanging upside down by the feet was worse for rhinos' pulmonary function than lying on their sides. In fact, the rhinos actually fared slightly better when slung up in the sky.

"Hanging rhinos upside down actually improved ventilation (albeit to a small degree) over rhinos lying on their sides," Radcliffe said. "While this was unexpected, and the margins small, any incremental improvement in physiology helps to enhance safety of black rhinoceros during capture and anesthesia."

While this is good news for conservationists working with black rhinos in rugged terrain, Radcliffe said more information is needed.

"Our next step with this research is to extend the time that subject rhinos are suspended upside down to mimic the helicopter-assisted aerial transport of rhinos in the real world," he said, noting that in the remote habitats of Namibia, these helicopter trips can take up to 30 minutes. "Now that we know that it's safe to hang rhinos upside down for short periods of time, we'd like to make sure that longer durations are safe as well."

###

The work was supported by a grant from the Jiji Foundation, the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
Press Release

February 1, 2021 De Lima urges swift Senate action on bill reducing expenses of indigent job seekers Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has urged her colleagues to help push for the swift passage of her bill which seeks to reduce the expenses of poor Filipinos seeking for a job, especially now that many are experiencing the financial challenges brought about by the pandemic. De Lima said she hopes the legislative chamber will give priority to her Senate Bill (SB) No. 1435 seeking to provide discounts for indigent job applicants in the payment of fees and charges for certain certificates and clearances issued by government agencies for employment application. "Dagdag pabigat sa marami nating maralitang kababayan ang kaliwa't kanang bayarin para sa mga requirements para sila ay makapaghanapbuhay, at matugunan ang kanilang pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan," she said. "By reducing some of their financial burdens in the process of finding jobs, indigent job applicants are afforded modest support and chances to find work," she added. According to the Department of Labor and Employment, more than 420,000 Filipinos lost their jobs in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic affected the economy and forced businesses to close. In filing the measure last year, De Lima underscored the role of the government to assist the poor, through enactment of measures that will facilitate easy access to decent jobs that both secure income and the necessary entitlements for them. Under SB No. 1435, or the "Indigent Job Applicants Discount Act," indigent job applicants, whether locally or abroad, shall be granted a 20% discount in the payment of fees and charges for the following clearances and certificates requisite for pre-employment application. These include, among others, clearance from the Philippine National Police, certificate of marriage from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Certificate of live birth from the PSA and Transcript of Records (TOR) from the State Universities and Colleges of the applicant. By providing indigent job seekers with a 20% discount in the payment of fees and charges for certain clearances and certificates issued by some government agencies which are required for pre-employment application, De Lima said they will be encouraged to secure gainful employment. "Unemployment worsens the government's effort to eradicate poverty. It fiscally burdens both the unemployed and the country by depriving the poor its means to support its household's basic needs and demands the government to deal with the loss of income, decreased production and additional spending for social welfare support," she said. "Napakahalaga para sa bawat indibidwal at pamilya na magkaroon ng tiyak na trabaho at sapat na sweldo, lalo na sa panahon ng mga kalamidad o delubyo. Sa isang taon nang krisis na dulot ng COVID-19, bukod sa pagkakasakit, labis na nangangamba ang mahihirap nating kababayan sa kawalan ng kita at pagkagutom," she added. Previously, De Lima also filed several bills seeking to provide subsidies or other discounts for the vulnerable members of the society such as SB No. 1973 mandating establishments, drug stores and merchants to expand discounts for senior citizens. She also filed SB No. 1979 providing subsidies and other incentives for indigent Public Utility Drivers in the payment of certain fees and charges for certain certificates required by the Land Transportation Office, to name a few.
The price of silver soared after it caught the attention of traders swapping ideas on Reddit.

The precious metal rocketed by as much as 12 per cent yesterday to its highest level since 2013 as anarchist investors piled in.

It gave up some of those gains later in the day but is still up more than 8 per cent this year.

Silver rocketed by as much as 12 per cent yesterday to its highest level since 2013 as anarchist investors piled in

Silver is just the latest asset to be caught up in a trading frenzy triggerd by groups of investors exchanging ideas on the social media site  and in particular the WallStreetBets thread.

Thousands of individual investors have banded together to get back at hedge funds and banks that they see as the unacceptable face of capitalism.

They initially targeted stocks in the US that hedge funds had bet against by so-called shorting. Anyone who shorts a stock gains if the price falls  but loses out if the shares climb.

By encouraging each other to buy shares in these companies and drive up their price, the Reddit traders managed to cause a swathe of hedge funds to bleed money.

Gamestop, the stock at the centre of the frenzy, tumbled more than 24 per cent yesterday as some investors who had piled in began to sell. But the stock is still up more than 1,000 per cent since the beginning of the year.

Some individual retail investors on Reddit claim to be sitting on paper profits worth millions of pounds  making selling a tempting prospect.

But now, the vigilante investors trying to take down Wall Street have turned their attention to silver.

Amid speculation that several major banks and institutions hold short positions, traders are egging each other on to drive up the precious metal's price.

Some precious metals retailers reported a shortage of physical silver bars. And the world's biggest silver-based exchange-traded fund, the iShares Silver Trust which gives investors exposure to the metal without them having to buy physical bars, saw investors pile in almost $1billion (730million) on Friday.

Silver mining companies on the London Stock Exchange also popped as investors predicted they would benefit from the soaring metals prices.

Fresnillo jumped 9 per cent, Polymetal was up 5 per cent, and Hochschild Mining climbed 10 per cent. Even market tiddlers were included in the buying frenzy with Alien Metals up 8 per cent.

Adrian Ash, director of research at physical commodities trading platform Bullion Vault, said: 'The flood of new interest in silver has emptied coin shops, but there's plenty of metal in wholesale storage, and any talk of a shortage will in truth refer more to trucking and handling capacity rather than physical stockpiles.'

But while the demand for silver was sparked by financial anarchists on Reddit trying to bring down short-sellers, some experts speculated that the very institutional investors under fire might have helped to drive prices up by jumping on the bandwagon.

Neil Wilson of Markets.com said: 'Some bigger smart money may have been front-running this trade to piggyback the rally, further fuelling the move up.'
As an in-network provider with Magellan Health and AvMed, we are able to offer comprehensive treatment to a larger range of people who may otherwise be unable to get the help they need. This new partnership is part of our ongoing mission to help as many people as possible overcome addiction.

Harbor Village, a drug and alcohol rehab center in Miami offering the full continuum of addiction treatment services, is proud to join Magellan Health as an in-network service provider. By joining Magellan Healths provider network, Harbor Village is able to provide life-changing behavioral health services to those struggling with addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders. Through this partnership, Harbor Village also welcomes clients with AvMed, HealthFirst, and CarePlus insurance coverage.

As an in-network provider, Harbor Village is able to help ease the path to recovery through affordable treatment options and personalized care plans. With cost being one of the most common obstacles in seeking help for substance abuse disorders, this partnership makes sobriety more accessible and attainable than ever before.

Since we opened our doors in 2013, Harbor Village has always prioritized our clients and their success. said Andrea Horwitz, LCSW, Clinical Director, We take pride in the work we do; each new person who passes through our doors becomes part of our recovery family. As an in-network provider with Magellan Health, AvMed, HealthFirst, and CarePlus, we are able to offer comprehensive, individualized treatment to a larger range of people who may otherwise be unable to get the help they need. This new partnership is part of our ongoing mission to help as many people as possible overcome addiction and trauma for a better life.

About Harbor Village:

Harbor Villages holistic approach to addiction treatment focuses on addressing addiction at its roots, identifying the core causes of substance abuse and empowering clients to lead a healthier, sober life. Recognized by the Joint Commission for their dedication to excellence in care, Harbor Villages team of clinical and behavioral health experts takes the time to establish genuine connections with each person to best serve their needs. From medically-assisted detox through inpatient and outpatient programs, Harbor Villages client-centered care offers the best chance at long-term recovery.

For more information, visit or call:

http://www.harborvillageflorida.com

855-950-1909
This content is expired!

Unfortunely this content is expired and cannot be viewed anymore; if You are the owner of this content please login to our Website, go to our access panel and enable this content again.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev commented on the issue of resolving the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the status of the region.

The conflict in the region intensified at the end of September, a trilateral ceasefire agreement between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia was reached on the night of November 10.

Commenting on Turkeys role in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Medvedev noted that Ankara is a very important partner of Russia, is very close to Azerbaijan, and that "this factor cannot be ignored."

"We have a productive dialogue [with Turkey], our president constantly communicates with [Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan] on this issue," he said.

Medvedev reminded that previously, "a decision was made to establish a special control center for situation monitoring, which involves both Russian and Turkish officials," adding that "this is one more element of general stabilization."

"But I would refrain from treating it as an element of some long-term policy or build a conspiracy theory here. We were simply obliged to take the realities in our region into account. And the reality is that this issue must be discussed with the Turkish partners," Medvedev said.
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global medical affairs outsourcing market size is expected to reach USD 3.47 billion by 2028 registering a CAGR of 12.2%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Transformation in medical education and the rising number of orphan therapies for the treatment of rare diseases are some of the key factors propelling the market growth. The pharmaceutical companies are looking for assistance to systematically position the therapeutic outcomes of these therapies in the market. According to a report published by IQVIA in 2020, the U.S. FDA has approved 80 orphan indications in 2017 and about 57 in early 2020.

Key suggestions from the report:

The medical writing & publishing segment led the market in 2020 and is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period, owing to the increasing need for marketable written content to convey medical information to healthcare professionals and patients

North America dominated the global market with a share of 35.3% in 2020 owing to the presence of a large number of pharmaceutical and medical devices companies in the region

Moreover, the high cost of medical affairs services is a major challenge, which has encouraged various medical device companies in North America to outsource functions to third-party vendors in off-shore locations with a high level of expertise in the domain

However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to account for the largest revenue share by 2028 while growing at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period, owing to cost-efficient service offering by the CROs in the region

In addition, improved regulatory framework and availability of a skilled workforce in APAC boosts the market growth.

Read 90 page research report with ToC on "Medical Affairs Outsourcing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Services (MSLs, Medical Writing & Publishing), By Industry (Pharmaceutical, Biopharmaceutical), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/medical-affairs-outsourcing-market

Changes in the reimbursement scenario and pricing pressure are expected to increase the adoption of cost-saving measures by the pharmaceutical and medical device companies. This is anticipated to promote off-shoring of medical affairs outsourcing in countries like India and China. Pharmaceutical companies are outsourcing medical affairs services to get high-quality documents, control the R&D cost, and reduce investment costs required to train the medical affairs team. Furthermore, the pharmaceutical and medical device companies are outsourcing their medical affairs services to diverge their business activities and manage product life cycles.

In addition, Contract Research Organizations (CROs) offer cost-efficient solutions and compliance with the health authority requirements, thereby propelling market growth. The bio/pharmaceutical outsourcing industry has seen a rise in R&D demand because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase in demand, as well as other impacts from the pandemic, such as rising demand for clinical trials and its outsourcing services, have caused some CROs to shift focus and adjust their operations. The pandemic has pushed more pharmaceutical companies and regulators to use new technologies for remote quality audits and inspections, thus driving positive changes in the pharma industry.

Grand View Research has segmented the global medical affairs outsourcing market on the basis of services, industry, and region:

Medical Affairs Outsourcing Services Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2028)

Medical Writing & Publishing



Medical Monitoring



Medical Science Liaisons (MSLs)



Medical Information



Others

Medical Affairs Outsourcing Industry Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2028)

Pharmaceutical



Biopharmaceutical



Medical Devices



Therapeutic Medical Devices





Diagnostic Medical Devices

Medical Affairs Outsourcing Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2016 - 2028)

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



U.K.





Germany





France





Italy





Spain



Asia Pacific



Japan





China





India





Korea





Australia



Latin America



Brazil





Mexico





Argentina



Middle East & Africa

&

South Africa





Saudi Arabia





UAE

List of Key Players of Medical Affairs Outsourcing Market

ICON plc

IQVIA Holdings, Inc.

The Medical Affairs Company

Syneos Health, Inc.

Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC

Ashfield Healthcare Communications

Zeincro Group

Wuxi Clinical Development, Inc.

SGS S.A.

Indegene, Inc.

Find more research reports on Medical Devices Industry, by Grand View Research:

Healthcare Contract Research Organization Market  The global healthcare contract research organization market size was valued at USD 37.1 billion in 2019 and is expected to register a CAGR of 6.6% over the forecast period.

in 2019 and is expected to register a CAGR of 6.6% over the forecast period. Medical Writing Market  The global medical writing market size was valued at USD 3.4 billion in 2019 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.9% from 2020 to 2027.

in 2019 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.9% from 2020 to 2027. Europe Medical Affairs Outsourcing Market  The Europe medical affairs outsourcing market size was valued at USD 217.6 million in 2019 and is projected to register a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.8% from 2020 to 2027.

Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com

Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter

SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.

As a politician, I could blame the mountain of unfinished business before the Alabama Legislature in 2021 on the COVID pandemic. Theres some truth to it, but well-crafted propaganda combines a grain of truth with a convenient scapegoat. If money is the mothers milk of politics, then propaganda is the baby itself.

The pandemic is not the primary reason we fail to make progress on difficult and complex issues year after year. The main culprit remains the same as always: - politics, constituted by its participants never-ending struggle for power over one another.

Politics is a necessary evil. Our fears make it necessary and arrogance makes it evil. The Founders of our country must have known this when they cleverly devised a process of governance that distributes political power among various branches and levels of government. They recognized that the greatest danger to a republic is the conceit that drives certain people to accumulate power and the vanity that causes them to abuse it.

Our deliberately cumbersome political system was designed to limit the ability of politicians to abuse their power by playing the arrogance of politicians against one another. Those who engage in politics would do well to recognize their own ego as their greatest adversary. But they seldom, if ever, do.

I entered the political arena several decades ago with the perception that most of the problems within our state government existed because those in control were self-centered and self-righteous. I was hopeful that a regime change would make our political process in Alabama more transparent, effective, and trustworthy.

While we proudly took our victory laps when we swept the old guard out of power in the Alabama State House a decade ago, our newly elected Republican supermajority quickly hammered through major changes to the state ethics law. To our credit, some of the hastily passed changes were successful steps toward imposing limitations upon public officials who would improperly utilize the powers of their office for personal gain.

Unfortunately, that is but one form of corruption. Even more dangerous is the abuse of authority to trample upon the rights of fellow citizens. We were oblivious to the inherent danger of our failure to include safeguards in the enforcement mechanism of our ethics law to help deter the politicization of these investigations. The result was the flagrant abuse of investigative powers in collusion with political operatives during the 2014 election season.

Without humility, power invariably corrupts the human soul. We did not eliminate corruption, we just shifted it around. I saw what happened to House Speaker Mike Hubbard. I recognize that he has been and is continuing to be held accountable for his actions. My issue is not, nor has it ever been, that Speaker Hubbard was investigated or prosecuted.

But others who abused their authority have been largely ignored. Truth is supposed to cut both ways, like a two-edged sword. I saw how the lead prosecutor repeatedly used the Hubbard investigation to illegally influence multiple political actions that included an illicit collusion with political operatives to orchestrate the political ambush of then-State Rep. Barry Moore with a grand jury that resulted in an arrest weeks before his primary election, followed by an apparent attempt to taint the jury pool with the timing of the arrest of Speaker Hubbard one week before Rep. Moores trial.

When I spoke out about it, I witnessed the machinations of an arrogant bully trying to keep the unethical behavior hidden. It was followed by years of him being methodically protected by what appears to me to be an obviously corrupt political system.

I saw how the obsession of certain members of the media with Hubbards shortcomings and Gov. Bentleys titillating peccadillo was also used to obscure the corruption that did not match the narrative they wanted to promote. It is hard to resist the temptation to portray as a hero the one who is taking on your favorite villain, regardless of what they do or how they do it.

That is what politics does to people, and it has driven me to the same conclusion about politics that the computer in the 1983 movie War Games reached about nuclear war - my only winning move is to stop playing.

Those most responsible for the ethical collapses during that sordid chapter in Alabama history have moved on to other things and managed to avoid being held accountable for their misdeeds. But the systemic flaws that allowed the investigative power of our Attorney Generals Office to be turned into a political weapon have yet to be addressed.

Since joining the Marine Corps in 1973, followed by 25 years in law enforcement and nearly 20 years in the legislature, it seems all that I have left to give are some songs and a few nuggets of wisdom to those who care to listen. But my conscience will not allow me to quietly ease out of office during the remaining two years of my current term.

I have introduced an ethics bill that could go a long way toward exposing and correcting some of the flaws in our system that resulted in the flagrant abuse of investigative power for political purposes and the continuing abuse of authority to keep that corruption concealed.

If it does not pass, I will know the culprit was not COVID.

State Rep. Mike Ball is a retired major crimes investigator for the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and has served in the Alabama House of Representatives since 2002. He chairs both the Ethics and Campaign Finance and Madison County Legislation committees and holds a seat on the Judiciary and State Government committees.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 09:10:19|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Beijing reported two new imported confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the municipal health commission said Monday.

One of the confirmed cases departed from Zimbabwe and arrived in Beijing via Hong Kong on Jan. 30 and tested positive for COVID-19 after arrival.

The other case departed from Iran on Jan. 12 and arrived in Guangzhou a day later. The case had undergone multiple nucleic acid tests and the results were all negative during medical observation in Guangzhou. The case then flew to Beijing on Jan. 28 and tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 31 while under quarantine at a designated hotel.

Both cases have been sent to the designated hospital for treatment.

No new imported suspected or asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 were reported on Sunday.

The city also saw no new locally transmitted confirmed, suspected, or asymptomatic COVID-19 cases on Sunday, said the commission. Enditem

France - birthplace of Louis Pasteur, who first discovered the principle of vaccination - last week abandoned its bid to create a coronavirus vaccine.

The Pasteur Institute halted its project with US drugs company Merck after disappointing clinical test results.

The announcement came as a blow to the pride of a country once hailed as a leader in scientific endeavour, with politicians seeing the trial's failure as a symptom of a more serious disease.

Early last year, French vaccine projects were considered among the most promising in the world, according to The Washington Post. But the Pasteur Institute is not the only French effort to have hit a road bump.

Another drug in development by French pharmaceutical company Sanofi and the UK's GlaxoSmithKline has been significantly delayed after the company said it was less effective than anticipated.

While other countries have faced similar setbacks and the European Union as a whole is struggling with vaccine shortages, the situation in France - which is also lagging behind in the numbers of people it has vaccinated - has prompted soul-searching in the country, which has long prided itself on its technological prowess.

France, birthplace of the man who first discovered the principle of vaccination, last week abandoned its bid to create a coronavirus vaccine in a blow to the pride of a country once hailed as a leader in scientific endeavour, with politicians seeing the trial's failure as a symptom of a more serious disease. Pictured: A laboratory technician works on the genome sequencing of the Covid-19 virus at the Pasteur Institute [File photo]

The Pasteur Institute (pictured) - named for Louis Pasteur who invented vaccines against rabies and anthrax - halted its project with US drugs company Merck after disappointing clinical test results [File photo]

As well as Pasteur, who invented vaccines against rabies and anthrax and developed the process of pasteurisation, France birthed scientific greats such as Jerome Jean Louis Marie Lejeune, who discovered the genetic cause for Down syndrome, and Georges Mathe, who conducted the first successful bone marrow transplant.

'In a race against the clock, the Pasteur Institute throws in the towel on its main vaccine project, while Sanofi announces a delay until the end of the year, because of a lack of efficiency, after so many grand announcements. This scientific decline is a slap in the face,' the centre-right Les Republicans parliamentary group wrote on Twitter.

Fabien Roussel of France's Communist Party told local radio that the country not being able to put a vaccine on the market was 'a humiliation'.

Meanwhile, left-wing politician Bastien Lachaud tweeted: 'No vaccine in the country of Pasteur! What a symbol. This is where the impoverishing of public research, the primacy of the private sector and the triumph of management and profit are leading.'

Lachaud may be onto something. Austerity policies have decimated funding for research, while France's academic pay structure has driven many science graduates abroad in search of better-paid positions.

Centrist politician Francois Bayrou has criticised the 'brain drain', pointing to Stephane Bancel, the French scientist at the head of the US company Moderna, whose vaccine has already been rolled out in the US and approved elsewhere.

'It's a sign of the decline of the country and this decline is unacceptable,' Bayrou told France Inter radio.

'It is not acceptable that our best researchers, the most brilliant of our researchers, are sucked up by the American system'.

Bayrou went on to say that France had to invest in research if it wanted to remain competitive: 'It's about money, but it's money well spent and a necessary investment'.

Despite recent efforts under President Emmanuel Macron to boost spending on public research and private partnerships, France still lags behind other European countries.

Centrist politician Francois Bayrou has criticised France's 'brain drain', pointing to Stephane Bancel (pictured) , the French scientist at the head of the US company Moderna, whose vaccine has already been rolled out in the US and approved elsewhere [File photo]

Germany dedicates more than twice as much annual public funding to health research and development as France, according to a report released last week by the French Council of Economic Analysis.

The gap is not filled by private spending, which is less common in France than in the United States, while collaborations between universities and businesses like that which produced the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in the UK, are also less developed in France.

To add to the country's woes, Sanofi recently announced a plan to cut 1,700 jobs - 1,000 in France of which 400 are in research and development.

The government stepped in, saying it will prevent the layoffs but researchers have said this will do little to address the long-standing issues around academic funding and competitiveness.

French biotech firm Valneva has started manufacturing its Covid vaccine at its Scottish facility with UK supplies expected to be available by the end of 2021 if successful. Pictured: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits Valneva's facility in Livingston on Thursday [File photo]

The Washington Post reported that as early as 2005, a parliamentary report on biotechnology warned that France was 'showing signs of faltering in the fields of public and private research, innovation, and the creation of companies, particularly with respect to the United States.'

Just how France is planning to catch up remains unknown but with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and a presidential election looming, France's support of scientific research and development is likely to remain in the spotlight.

A potential silver lining could come from Valneva, which has started manufacturing its Covid vaccine at its Scottish facility with UK supplies expected to be available by the end of 2021 if successful.

The French biotech firm is still mid-way through clinical trials for its vaccine candidate but it has started producing the jab doses already at the site in Livingston, West Lothian.

Successful trials and the approval of the vaccine, of which Britain has already ordered 60million doses, could see the first batches delivered by the end of 2021.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 10:39:35|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

YANGON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar President's Office declared a state of emergency which will last for one year after the military detained government leaders including the state counsellor and president on Monday.

The declaration signed by First Vice President U Myint Swe, who is serving as the acting president, was announced on the military-owned Myawady TV.

The state power will be handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Min Aung Hlaing, the statement said.

Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials were detained by the military earlier in the day. Enditem
An expert says the new Biden administration's Gender Policy Council is sexist and racist even after the White House is said to be giving much effort to be the most inclusive administration in history.

Feminist scholar and co-author of "The Boy Crisis: Why Our Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It", Dr. Warren Ferrell, told One America News Network in an interview:

"If there was ever a problem with racism and sexism in America, Biden's new Gender Policy Council will only serve to make it worse." as reported by OANN's chief White House correspondent, Chanel Rion.

Dr. Ferrell continued by saying that he had half a second of hope for the Gender Policy Council and that it has "got to be men and women" but when he looked and saw the mission of the Council, and said that "the mission was to only benefit -- VERY CLEARLY -- to only benefit women and girls and I was so disappointed but not-- I can't say I was really surprised."

Ferrell is known to have fought for gender liberation for both men and women for decades and has served on the Board of Directors for the National Organization for Women in New York City.

He also said that Biden's Gender Policy Council propagates sexism under the guise of tackling it.

"There are two genders and President Biden has said this Gender Policy Council focus exclusively on women and on girls and that's missing not only women and girls, but he also claims to be very caring about trans and LGBTQ. Well, if you're a man and you're trans, or if you're a man and you're gay, you are not included in this gender policy council" he said.

When asked about the racial composition of the council, Ferrell said it's the same story.

"Most amazingly, the Gender Policy Council's mission is to, you know, to do away with racial injustice. Well if you think about that, racial injustice has to do with black males and black females." Ferrell continued.

He also noted that "there's a difference between what's been happening with black males and black females when it comes to racial injustice." emphasizing on the fact that most black prisoners and black homeless people are males, not females.

"And so to talk about eradicating racial injustice and then only focus on females is racially unjust and is not gonna solve the problem of racial injustice and it's adding sexism to racial injustice," he added.

Ferrell also claimed that "It's not about that the Biden White House is unaware of the one-sidedness of this council. Ultimately, this is about politics." said the OANN reporter.

He also said that he was very disappointed with Biden and that Democrats do not understand the value of family and the value of fathers. He added that the administration is doing this because they were doing it for the feminist base to gain more votes from them.

Ferrell noted, "When only one sex wins, both sexes lose."
Myanmar's military-run television network said Monday that the military had taken control of the country for one year, amid reports that many of the country's senior politicians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, had been detained. The takeover was quickly condemned as a coup by European leaders, while the newly sworn-in administration of President Joe Biden in Washington expressed "grave concern."

CBS News Asia correspondent Ramy Inocencio managed to get in touch with a friend in the country's biggest city of Yangon despite most lines of communication being cut by the military. The friend told Inocencio that people were panic buying food and rushing to ATMs to try to get their money out as the military rulers halted all flights in the country and closed banks.

A presenter on Myanmar's military-owned Myawaddy TV announced the takeover and cited a section of the military-drafted constitution that allows the military to take control in times of national emergency. He said the takeover was in part due to the government's failure to act on the military's claims of voter fraud in last November's election and its failure to postpone the election because of the coronavirus crisis.
Union Minister for Roads, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari hailed the 'historic' Union Budget 2021 and pointed out that it was the first budget to provide a major boost to infrastructure in the country. Presenting the budget on Monday, FM Sitharaman announced an enhanced outlay of Rs 1,18,101 crore for the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways, out of which Rs 1.08 lakh crore is for capital, the highest ever provided. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari noted that the budget of his Ministry had been increased from Rs 91,000 crore to Rs 1,18,000 crore after the Union Budget 2021 and predicted it to be a huge boost for infrastructure.

#Budget2021



Sharp increase of 34.5% in capital expenditure as compared to previous budget estimates - resulting in allocation of  5.54 lakh crore



Echoing the govt.'s effort to spend more on capital expenditure, despite resource crunch#AatmanirbharBharatKaBudget  PIB India (@PIB_India) February 1, 2021

READ | Budget 2021 Hikes Infra Capex 34.5% To HUGE 5.54 Lakh Cr: Roads, Rail & Sea Breakup Here

Further, Nitin Gadkari pointed out that the government had plans to monetise assets and use the money for the development of infrastructure via various means. He also announced the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways' plans to build 22 green highways. Further, Gadkari informed that construction of highways up to 8500 km had already been awarded and revealed that the various projects including the important Mumbai-Kanyakumari corridor would be kick-started by the government in the coming days.

READ | Union Budget 2021: History & Trivia About Indian Union Budget Ahead Of Presentation Today

Major boost for infra in Roads, highways and transport

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman noted that over 13,000 km length of roads at a cost of Rs 3.3 lakh crore had already been awarded under Rs 5.35 lakh crore Bharatmala project of which 3,800 km has been constructed. Further, she said that 11,000 km of national highway corridor was expected to be completed by March 2022 and that projects for 8500 km will be awarded. Nirmala Sitharaman also announced the government's intentions to set up more economic corridors in the future, hinting at 3500 km of national highway works at an investment of Rs 1.03 lakh crores.

Madurai-Kollam corridor and Chittor- Thatchur corridor whose construction will begin in 2022.

1100 km of National Highway works in Kerala at an investment of Rs 65,000 crore including a 600 km section of Mumbai-Kanyakumari corridor in Kerala.

675 km of highway work in West Bengal at a cost of Rs 25,000 cr including the upgrading of existing roads in Kolkata, Siliguri.

National highway work of Rs 19,000 cr was already in progress in Assam and an investment of Rs 34,000 crore covering 1300 km of National Highway will be undertaken in the state in 3 years.

An enhanced outlay Rs 1,18,101 crore was provided for the Ministry of Roads, Transport, and Highway of which Rs 1,08,230 crores was provided as capital - highest capital provided.

READ | Budget 2021: 137% Hike In Health Spending; PM Aatmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana Launched

READ | Budget 2021: PSU Privatisation In All But 4 Sectors; 1.75Tn Disinvestment Target; LIC IPO
The Iranian regime, which Trumps sanctions have pushed close to bankruptcy, is trying in various ways to cover its budget deficit by starving its people, both physically and mentally. The regime robs them of food and energy and denies Iranian youth an education that will allow them to escape poverty.

To raise money, the regime exports goods that are essential for its citizens survival, such as eggs, poultry, vegetables, and other agricultural products. It also exports gas and electricity at a discount to neighboring countries and converts the payments into foreign currency to use for meddling activities abroad. Meanwhile, Iranians burn dirty, low-quality mazut at home, polluting the air for its citizens.

The regime engages in further savings by cutting various public services and education budgets. It uses the money it saves to increase its military and security budgets and to support its proxy forces in the region. It recently increased the IRGC and Quds Force budgets by 58%.

These policies have led to bitter poverty and misery in Iran. A clear example is the misery that students experience. On January 23, 2021, the Hamdeli newspaper wrote (my translation):

The suffering of Iranian students is a never-ending tale. From the burning of classrooms to the collapse of school roofs to snake-infested classrooms made of bricks and mud and the challenges of schools made of huts and containers, etc., it is difficult to imagine a significant number of students in deprived areas of the country studying in dilapidated schools or schools made of huts or containers. But, these unsafe schools that do not have any educational standards, are the bitter realities of education in Iran, often associated with tragic events, such as the fire, on January 19, 2021, in the School in Dezful (southwestern Iran) that was made of containers in which three teachers were burned and two students died.

(You can read about the school fire here.)

On social media, someone under the name of Rahgozar wrote:

In the 21st century, in a country that is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of oil and gas resources, there are still schools made of huts and containers, isnt this a shame?

At the same time, since the start of the new school year, the media and government institutions have reported that many students have dropped out of school.

According to the Javan Newspaper of December 31, 2020 (my translation),

The increase in drop-out rate is alarming, and many provincial education directors across the country have announced the statistics and sounded the alarm. These harsh conditions have caused many students to drop out of school. The reasons for those who have left or are leaving range from joining the labor force to provide for their families, lacking equipment for online education, including not having a proper smartphone, and, in some regions of the country, lack or outage of internet. In some areas, because of bad coverage, students must go to higher elevations and mountainous regions in this cold weather.

Regarding childrens drop-out rate, the Iran newspaper wrote on December 24, 2020 (my translation):

In the beginning of August, the Minister of Education announced that more than three million students were at risk of dropping out of school for reasons such as not having a smartphone or tablet, or not having internet access.

In contrast, students from wealthy families attend luxury schools that the regime supports. They have teachers in every classroom and benefit from high tech communication systems. Discrimination and inequality in access to education is a direct result of corruption in the regimes educational system.

The Tasnim News Agency December 23, 2020, while pointing to the prevalence of coronavirus dictating the need for e-learning for many children and the inability of their families to provide e-learning facilities acknowledged the inequality between students from poor and rich families and wrote: It made the issue of inequality more apparent in all aspects of society.

The Mullahs in Iran are single-mindedly focused on terrorism to bring about their dream of a Shia caliphate. To pay for that dream, they are willing to leave their situations starved, frozen, and uneducated.

IMAGE: Iranian classroom (2007). YouTube screengrab.
A father and his 10-year-old son were rescued by first responders after their ATV crashed through the ice on a pond in a Massachusetts town Sunday evening, authorities said.

Firefighters in Hudson were sent around 6:30 p.m. to Centennial Beach, where the motorized off-road vehicle had reportedly gone through the ice, according to a Facebook post from the towns fire department.

While en route, firefighters put on ice-water rescue dry suits. After additional manpower was requested, police soon arrived at the scene and helped the boy get to shore, the post said.

The son was out of the water when we got there, Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Cariveau told MassLive. The father had to be rescued.

At approximately 18:30 (6:30pm), this evening, Engine 5, Engine 4, and Rescue 1 were dispatched to a reported motorized... Posted by Hudson Firefighters Local 1713 on Sunday, January 31, 2021

The first geared-up firefighter only made it roughly 10 feet onto the ice before falling through, according to the department.

The ice, being very thin, could not support the weight of rescuers, the department noted.

A second firefighter in a rescue suit entered the water after the first one. The first responders broke through the ice for 60 to 75 feet as they made their way to the father, according to officials.

Once the two firefighters made physical contact with the father, other first responders deployed an inflatable rescue boat and headed to the rescuers and the man, the department said.

First responders pulled the man aboard the boat and brought him to shore with rescue ropes. Both he and his son were taken to the hospital, where they were treated for hypothermia, according to authorities.

Having seven firefighters on duty allowed for smooth operation and deployment of resources in the locations needed, the department said.

Firefighters were checked out by paramedics as a precaution. No injuries were reported, according to officials.
An inquest into the death of Peter Sutcliffe was adjourned today because the coroner has not yet received the prison ombudsman's report into the serial killer's death.

Sutcliffe, who was blind and needed a wheelchair, died in hospital on November 13 from a combination of Covid-19, diabetes and heart disease.

At the time of his death, the 79-year-old was serving a whole-life term for the murders of 13 women across Yorkshire and Manchester between 1975 and 1980.

The assistant senior coroner for County Durham and Darlington, Crispin Oliver, today held a brief hearing at Crook Civic Centre to give an update into how the inquiry was progressing.

The killer (left and on his wedding day, right), was serving a whole life term for the murders of 13 women across Yorkshire and Manchester between 1975 and 1980

Sutcliffe, 74, had a number of underlying health conditions which left him almost blind and needing to use a wheelchair. He had also had a pacemaker fitted.

Sutcliffe died from Covid-19, diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease on November 13.

Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe (pictured) died at the age of 74

It was reported that he had refused treatment for coronavirus, having been ill for some weeks.

He was imprisoned at the maximum-security HMP Frankland in County Durham and died at the University Hospital of North Durham.

His inquest was opened on November 20 and continued at Crook Civic Centre today under the name Peter William Coonan, the name Sutcliffe adopted while in prison.

Coroner Crispin Oliver told the short hearing today that the cause of death was 'essentially Covid-19' while diabetes and heart disease were 'incidental'.

Those details were outlined at the inquest opening last year.

Mr Oliver added: 'I can confirm that the probation prison ombudsman's report is still pending and I'm awaiting that.

'I can confirm that it's now established that Peter William Sutcliffe changed his name by deed poll to Peter William Coonan. Henceforth in this inquest, he will be referred to as Peter William Coonan, previously known as Peter William Sutcliffe.'

Mr Oliver told the court there will be further hearings in March and May.

Sutcliffe's killing spree began in October 1975 with 28-year-old mother-of-four Wilma McCann, who was hit with a hammer and stabbed 15 times.

He was interviewed nine times during the course of a huge investigation but continued to avoid arrest and was able to carry on killing.

Peter Sutcliffe pictured being taken into police custody in 1983

Over the next five years, Sutcliffe claimed the lives of 12 more women before finally being apprehended by police in Sheffield for driving with false number plates.

He was convicted in 1981 and spent three decades at the high-security psychiatric unit Broadmoor Hospital before being moved to HMP Frankland in 2016.

Sutcliffe, a former lorry driver from Bradford, West Yorkshire, is said to have refused treatment for Covid-19 and to have also been dealing with several other health problems.

On the day of his death, West Yorkshire Police apologised for the 'language, tone and terminology' used in the 1970s to describe some of the killer's victims.
COVID Vaccination to be Offered to 16-18 year olds in School and College

The Gibraltar Health Authority has today announced that 16 -18 year olds in education in Gibraltar will be added to the priority list for vaccination.

As the vaccination programme moves through the coming weeks, people in their 50s will be the next age group to be vaccinated along with front line workers from shops and other businesses. Alongside these individuals, young people aged 16 and over who are in education will be offered vaccination before our schools re-open to help further protect older members of our community.

Arrangements for appointments will be made in conjunction with the Department of Education and there is no need for school pupils to register for the vaccine separately as they will be contacted directly through their schools.

An information leaflet explaining the vaccination process which is aimed at 16-18 year olds and explains why the strategy is targeting young people. This has been produced by the GHA and is available on the GHA social media pages as well as in hard copy.

In the event of any pupils in this age group who may have a serious health condition and require additional advice, they are directed to contact the vaccination centre helpline on 200 66966.

Minister for Health, the Hon Samantha Sacramento MP said, In the second week of February the Gibraltar vaccination programme will invite 16-18 year olds who are at school/college to come forward for vaccination. Given the density of the population in Gibraltar and our many multi- generational households, combined with schools re-opening, our aim is to focus as much as possible on preventing the spread of this disease."

Minister for Education, the Hon Prof. John Cortes MP said "Young people typically do not become very unwell with COVID-19, but there is evidence that they can inadvertently spread the disease to others. Vaccinating 16-18 year olds who are at school/college will help protect young people, their teachers and their families.
Advertisement

A huge multi-million pound County Lines drugs ring has been smashed by police resulting in 72 gang members being jailed for over 221 years.

The large-scale criminal enterprise - which spanned 18 counties - was infiltrated by undercover officers following a two-year covert operation that stopped 1.3million of drugs from hitting the streets.

Police found the gang were exploiting vulnerable children as young as 14 and using them to peddle Class A drugs including crack cocaine and heroin on Britain's streets.

Addicts were even vetted before they were able to gain access to the drugs they needed as part of the 'enigmatic underground operation'.

The large-scale criminal enterprise - which spanned 18 counties - was infiltrated by undercover officers following a two-year covert operation and stopped 1.3million of drugs from hitting the streets

Police found the gang were exploiting vulnerable children as young as 14 and using them to peddle Class A drugs including crack cocaine and heroin on Britain's streets. Pictured: Recovered weapons

Addicts were even vetted before they were able to gain access to the drugs they needed as part of the 'enigmatic underground operation'. Pictured: Officers checking over a suspect

Northamptonshire Police launched a probe at the beginning of 2019 to infiltrate both County Lines and local drug dealing gangs across the county.

Aways Osman, 28, Hussein Jimale, 26, Bruno Borges, 24, and Levi Bernard,33, were described as the 'big players' of the operation.

The London-based crooks were jailed for a total of 36 years for conspiracy to supply class A drugs.

Officers gained access to the secretive criminal network and unearthed evidence of gangs operating in London, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Northampton and London.

Warrants were executed simultaneously and multiple arrests were made at the end of 2019 resulting in over 1.3million of drugs being taken off the streets.

Northamptonshire Police launched a probe at the beginning of 2019 to infiltrate both County Lines and local drug dealing gangs across the county. Pictured: Recovered money

Aways Osman, 28, Hussein Jimale, 26, Bruno Borges, 24, and Levi Bernard,33, were described as the 'big players' of the operation. Pictured: All of the arrested criminals

Officers gained access to the secretive criminal network and unearthed evidence of gangs operating in London, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Northampton and London

Warrants were executed simultaneously and multiple arrests were made at the end of 2019 resulting in over 1.3million of drugs being taken off the streets. Pictured: Recovered drugs

A total of 72 men and women have now been convicted and jailed for more than 221 years - shutting down 30 drugs lines across the country.

It is believed to be the biggest conviction of its kind by a single UK police force against a County Lines drugs gang.

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Pendlebury, of Northamptonshire Police, said: 'We have always been clear as a Force that it is the people at the top of these drug dealing gangs who we want to target.

'And this operation has done exactly that, leaving no stone unturned from London to Northamptonshire in order to put these people where they belong - behind bars.

A total of 72 men and women have now been convicted and jailed for more than 221 years - shutting down 30 drugs lines across the country. Pictured: Recovered designer goods

It is believed to be the biggest conviction of its kind by a single UK police force against a County Lines drugs gang

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Pendlebury, of Northamptonshire Police, said: 'We have always been clear as a Force that it is the people at the top of these drug dealing gangs who we want to target'

'Drug dealers like Aways Osman, Hussein Jimale, Bruno Borges, and Levi Bernard truly think they are untouchable.

'They exploit vulnerable people like children and adults suffering with addiction, and make them take all the risks, while they sit at home counting their money. There is no honour in this.

'Over the past two years we have warned them and their associates directly that one day, we would get them, one day we would come through their door, and one day they would be looking at the inside of a prison cell.

'Today is that day and I could not be prouder of the exceptional work that has gone into this investigation by a group of detectives, uniformed officers and experienced criminal analysts, who have made this operation their lives for the past two years.

He added: 'Drug dealers like Aways Osman, Hussein Jimale, Bruno Borges, and Levi Bernard truly think they are untouchable.' Pictured: Recovered drugs

Pictured: More recovered designer goods

DCI Pendlebury said: 'Over the past two years we have warned them and their associates directly that one day, we would get them, one day we would come through their door, and one day they would be looking at the inside of a prison cell'

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Stephen Mold, said: 'These results are absolutely fantastic'

'Of course our work is never done as there will always be people who think dealing drugs is an acceptable way to make money.

'But I hope the success of this operation makes our relentlessness to pursue offenders clear and reassures the community.

'My advice to those drug dealers we haven't caught yet is to look at the list below - perhaps there are names on there that you recognise.

'There was a time when like you, their egos allowed them to think that they were beyond our reach. Don't make the same mistake.'

Chief Constable Nick Adderley, said: 'To say this was a phenomenal operation, led by DCI Adam Pendlebury, would be a complete understatement'

He added: 'The drive, commitment, determination, creativity, tenacity and relentlessness these detectives have shown here is incredible and I am so very proud of them'

Chief Constable Nick Adderley, said: 'To say this was a phenomenal operation, led by DCI Adam Pendlebury, would be a complete understatement.

'The drive, commitment, determination, creativity, tenacity and relentlessness these detectives have shown here is incredible and I am so very proud of them.'

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Stephen Mold, said: 'These results are absolutely fantastic.

'I know that across Northamptonshire, people are concerned with the drug dealing and related anti-social behaviour that they see in their communities and they want to see it being dealt with robustly.

'This is a great demonstration of the work being done by Northamptonshire Police to make all of our communities safer and shows that the Force is putting the investments we have made to good use in cracking down on crime.'
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 school board is being asked to study and discuss the proposal, with due consideration of the opinion of the community before making a decision. It may not pass. The symbolism of naming a school is important, but Id like to suggest what I think Harriet Tubman would consider even more important. She would have wanted our schools to teach the truth about our history. We can sincerely honor our nations ideals, achievements and victories, and those who fought and sacrificed for them, while still confronting the truth about slavery, conquest and injustice. Our republic was founded upon a recognition of human rights, and over our history our understanding of those rights has evolved to include men and women and children who were not originally considered worthy of them. Harriet Tubman may have been illiterate, but she was an eloquent speaker as well as a woman of courage, strength and compassion. She wouldnt have cared so much about her name being remembered. What she wanted was that her humanitarian work on behalf of the poor, the ill, the aged, and the homeless be continued. She wanted Black people to have access to the education that she was denied. She wanted all human beings to be treated as equals.
EDWARDSVILLE  The Faculty Association at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has sent an open letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Health (IDPH) requesting that they include university employees in Group 1B for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

The full text of the letter is listed below.

To the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Office of Governor J. B. Pritzker:

The Faculty Association at SIU-Edwardsville respectfully asks IDPH and Gov. Pritzker to include university employees in Group 1B for the COVID vaccine rollout.

While we recognize current vaccine supplies may necessitate some prioritization within Group 1B, leaving university faculty and staff out of this group puts them at significant risk.

Even when taking safety precautions, colleges and universities have been the source of significant outbreaks.

Universities have long been listed as essential economic drivers in their communities, particularly in the Metro East and in Southern Illinois.

Looking ahead, the long-term outlook suggests COVID will continue to be a rising threat throughout 2021.

Yet, in a society struggling with COVID fatigue, we anticipate an increased push toward normal operations at universities, including more face-to-face teaching and on-campus services.

This puts faculty and staff members in close contact with students on a regular basis in classrooms and in other enclosed spaces.

With that in mind, we ask to be included with other educators in Group 1B, and we note that Illinois House Representative Katie Stuart (D)-Collinsville has already spoken out in favor of moving university faculty and staff into this group.

With respect, thank you for hearing our concerns.

The SIUE Faculty Association

Mark A. Poepsel, President

mpoepse@siue.edu
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
[February 01, 2021] Amerigroup Iowa Announces Expanded Benefits for Medicaid Members including Products for New Moms

Amerigroup Iowa announced its value added benefits portfolio for eligible Medicaid members who participate in the state's Medicaid programs that began January 1, 2021. Included in the expanded offerings are electric breast pumps for pregnant women or women who recently delivered, and a new Healthy Rewards incentive program. Amerigroup is the first Medicaid health plan in Iowa to provide electric breast pumps to its members. The Medline Deluxe Electric Breast Pump Kit comes with a tote bag with breast shields, bottle and bottle supplies, cooler bag, two ice packs, and a battery adapter. The Amerigroup value added benefits for expectant and current mothers also includes family and child care incentives for completing certain milestone check-ups like prenatal visits in the first trimester, postpartum visit, well baby visit (0 to 15 months), well child visit (13 months to 9 years), and recommended childhood vaccines. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) promotes and supports breastfeeding as an important part of the nutrition service benefits that the WIC Program provides to meet its mission of safeguarding the health of low-income women, infants and children. Low income mothers continue to face more barriers than their other working counterparts as they often work in low-paying jobs that make it even more difficult to breastfeed. Access to electric breast pumps will allow these mothers to have a quick and easy solution that can assist them with expressing breast milk in the limited break time they get. Educating mothers on breastfeeding and providing support during their journey is critical. The percentage of breastfed infants has increased every year since 2010, reflecting the successful efforts of WIC State and local agencies to continue to provide quality breastfeeding services to WIC participants. Breastfeeding mothers also benefit from having access to WIC staff with extended breastfeeding education which helps provide the much needed support for breastfeeding. "Breastfeeding is so important-we know this. I also want to acknowledge that many new moms may not be able to breastfeed, for many reasons. Access to breast pumps should not be one of those reasons," said Kelly Garcia, Iowa Department of Human Services Director. "I m thrilled Amerigroup is working to provide this benefit to their Medicaid members. I'm also grateful for Amerigroup's partnership and look forward to further collaboration to support the maternal health needs of women in Iowa."



As a leader in women's health services, Amerigroup is committed to improving maternal and infant health outcomes in Iowa. Each year, on average, a baby is born every hour to an Amerigroup Iowa member with approximately 8,000 babies born per year. "We continue to provide value added services that help close gaps in care and better support our members when they want and how they want it, putting them at the center," said Jeffrey Jones, plan president, Amerigroup Iowa. "We know that breastfeeding provides essential benefits for both mothers and babies, and we are dedicated to providing new mothers with the information, tools and support they need to have a successful breastfeeding experience. Amerigroup Iowa's holistic approach meets the needs of the whole person while creating and delivering innovative, data-driven, and personalized solutions that enhance the member healthcare experience."

Among other value added benefits offered that started January 1, 2021, Medicaid members who enroll with Amerigroup will be able to earn dollars for completing healthy activities and preventative medical care appointments that can be redeemed for gift cards at a variety of merchants and retailers such as Amazon, Kohl's, Home Depot, Subway, Uber and more. Amerigroup Iowa members receive additional services at no cost on top of their regular Medicaid benefits including but not limited to: LiveHealth Online to video chat with a doctor anytime, anywhere.

Amerigroup Community Resource Link which helps connect individuals and families to free and reduced-cost social services in their communities including resources to help with food, housing, job training, transportation, and more.

Dental hygiene kits to help keep teeth and gums healthy.

Post-discharge stabilization kit for support after leaving the hospital.

Home-delivered meals for individuals and families after getting home from a hospital stay

Weight Watchers vouchers for 13 weeks of membership fees.

Amerigroup works with Safelink Wireless to provide smart phones with data. Amerigroup Members receive 200 free bonus minutes when they sign up and 100 bonus minutes on their birthdays. Additional benefits include unlimited text messages to or from anyone and unlimited free calls to Amerigroup Member Services.

GED assistance for qualifying members ages 18+ receive voucher code at no cost to cover fees for the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET). Visit www.myamerigroup.com/HealthyRewards to enroll or learn more. About Amerigroup Iowa Amerigroup Iowa, an Anthem Company, helps improve health care access and quality for approximately 400,000 Iowa residents who participate in the state's Medicaid programs. Amerigroup serves Iowans by developing and delivering innovative care management programs and services. Amerigroup Iowa members are assured care that is not only accessible, but also accountable, comprehensive, integrated and patient-centered. It provides ongoing community relations and outreach to encourage members to become active participants in their health care. For more information about Amerigroup, please visit https://www.myamerigroup.com/ia/iowa-home.html. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005019/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
"There are no bad dogs, only bad owners," that's the claim many dog owners use when arguing whether or not it's the owner that should be accountable for the actions of his/her pet.

Training and conditioning a dog, or any tameable pet in that regard, is the best way to keep their beloved canine companions on their best behavior. Be it for extreme tricks to perform to an audience or just the simple sit, stay, shake and, behave commands, training can really help the dogs and their owners in learning how to interact with each other and their surroundings.

However, despite intense training and dedication, there are still some dogs that can "get off the leash" and go out of control. This prompts the argument on who should be liable, the dog or the owner. And a study points out the accountability to the owner.

The study suggested that the results of the training of a problematic pup may depend on the owner's behavior and personality. The "bond" between the human and the dog is also taken into consideration.

How the study was proven

To better understand what it takes to correct problem dog behavior, a team at PennVet lead by Lauren Powell recruited 131 dog-owner pairs to attend a six-month veterinary behavioral program.

Owners were asked to fill out a human personality assessment questionnaire and dog behavior questionnaire at the start of the study. The dog behavior questionnaire was to be filled out again at three and six months into the study. Seventy-five pairs completed the research.

The researchers found that factors that affected behavioral therapy success included the dog's age, sex, and size. At the end of the program, big dogs with aggression problems showed more improvement than smaller dogs. That may be because owners might be more attuned to the larger dogs' behavior because they present more safety risk, Powell said.

"Extroverted owners were more likely to see improvements in dogs' fearful behaviors, and introverted owners less so," said Powell, lead author of the study published recently in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. "Introverted owners may find it tough to leave their dog or give it space if it is required as part of the dog's treatment."

Related Article: Treating Pets with Separation Anxiety: What to do to Keep Your Pets Feel Emotionally Safe



Owner-Dog Attachment Research

Dogs are the most common companion animal in the United States, with a canine population of approximately 77 million.

The human and canine relationship can affect canine behavior problems, although their influence on the dog's response to veterinary behavioral treatment remains unclear.

This study aimed to investigate the possible associations between canine behavior following the clinical intervention and canine demographic characteristics, owner personality, and owner-dog attachment.

How will this study affect the relationship between dog and man?

For years, humans and canines have shown how a strong bond can improve both species' chances of survival. Suppose more studies like Powell's are conducted.

In that case, the scientific community can look for ways to improve the already stable relationship into something even stronger, especially now that the dog-man relationship goes deeper than hunting partners.



ALSO READ: NBA Miami Heat Uses COVID Sniffing Dogs, Are They Effective?
You are the owner of this article.
New York, NY and Mainz, Germany, February 1, 2021. Some of these data were initially made available to the public on September 9, 2020 via the online preprint server, bioRxiv . For additional details, please read the previously issued press release .



The preclinical data found immunization of rhesus macaques with either the BNT162b1 or BNT162b2 vaccine candidate elicited SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing geometric mean titers 8.2 to 18.2 times that of a SARS-CoV-2 convalescent human serum panel. Additionally, the vaccine candidates protected macaques from SARS-CoV-2 challenge, with BNT162b2 protecting the lower respiratory tract from the presence of viral RNA and with no evidence of disease enhancement. In mice, one intramuscular dose of either vaccine candidate elicited a dose-dependent antibody response with high virus-entry inhibition titers and strong TH1 CD4+ and IFNg + CD8+ T-cell responses.

These preclinical results contributed to the decision by Pfizer and BioNTech to commence the pivotal Phase 3 safety and efficacy portion of the clinical study to evaluate potential prevention of COVID-19 disease by BNT162b2.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has not been approved or licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

AUTHORIZED USE IN THE U.S.:

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is authorized for use under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for active immunization to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 16 years of age and older.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FROM U.S. FDA EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION PRESCRIBING INFORMATION:

Do not administer Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to individuals with known history of a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to any component (https://www.cvdvaccine-us.com/dosing-and-administrationdescription) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

(https://www.cvdvaccine-us.com/dosing-and-administrationdescription) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. Appropriate medical treatment used to manage immediate allergic reactions must be immediately available in the event an acute anaphylactic reaction occurs following administration of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

Monitor Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine recipients for the occurrence of immediate adverse reactions according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines ( https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/ (https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/)).

(https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/)). Immunocompromised persons, including individuals receiving immunosuppressant therapy, may have a diminished immune response to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine may not protect all vaccine recipients.

In clinical studies, adverse reactions in participants 16 years of age and older included pain at the injection site (84.1%), fatigue (62.9%), headache (55.1%), muscle pain (38.3%), chills (31.9%), joint pain (23.6%), fever (14.2%), injection site swelling (10.5%), injection site redness (9.5%), nausea (1.1%), malaise (0.5%), and lymphadenopathy (0.3%).

Severe allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, have been reported following the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine during mass vaccination outside of clinical trials. Additional adverse reactions, some of which may be serious, may become apparent with more widespread use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

Available data on Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine administered to pregnant women are insufficient to inform vaccine-associated risks in pregnancy.

Data are not available to assess the effects of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine on the breastfed infant or on milk production/excretion.

There are no data available on the interchangeability of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine with other COVID-19 vaccines to complete the vaccination series. Individuals who have received one dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine should receive a second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to complete the vaccination series.

Vaccination providers must report Adverse Events in accordance with the Fact Sheet to VAERS at https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html (https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html) or by calling 1-800-822-7967. The reports should include the words "Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine EUA" in the description section of the report.

(https://vaers.hhs.gov/reportevent.html) or by calling 1-800-822-7967. The reports should include the words "Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine EUA" in the description section of the report. Vaccination providers should review the Fact Sheet for Information to Provide to Vaccine Recipients/Caregivers and Mandatory Requirements for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Under Emergency Use Authorization.

Please see Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine (Vaccination Providers) including Full EUA Prescribing Information available at www.cvdvaccine-us.com (http://www.cvdvaccine-us.com).

About Pfizer: Breakthroughs That Change Patients' Lives

At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at www.Pfizer.com . In addition, to learn more, please visit us on www.Pfizer.com and follow us on Twitter at @Pfizer and @Pfizer News , LinkedIn , YouTube and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Pfizer .

Pfizer Disclosure Notice

The information contained in this release is as of February 1, 2021. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments.

This release contains forward-looking information about Pfizer's efforts to combat COVID-19, the collaboration between BioNTech and Pfizer to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, the BNT162 mRNA vaccine program and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine (BNT162b2) (including qualitative assessments of available data, potential benefits, expectations for clinical trials, the anticipated timing of regulatory submissions, regulatory approval or authorization and anticipated manufacturing, distribution and supply) involving substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as risks associated with preclinical and clinical data (including the Phase 3 data), including the possibility of unfavorable new preclinical or clinical trial data and further analyses of existing preclinical or clinical trial data; the ability to produce comparable clinical or other results, including the rate of vaccine effectiveness and safety and tolerability profile observed to date, in additional analyses of the Phase 3 trial and additional studies or in larger, more diverse populations upon commercialization; the ability of BNT162b2 to prevent COVID-19 caused by new virus variants; the risk that more widespread use of the vaccine will lead to new information about efficacy, safety, or other developments, including the risk of additional adverse reactions, some of which may be serious; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments, including during the peer review/publication process, in the scientific community generally, and by regulatory authorities; whether and when additional data from the BNT162 mRNA vaccine program will be published in scientific journal publications and, if so, when and with what modifications; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from these and any future preclinical and clinical studies; whether and when a Biologics License Application for BNT162b2 may be filed in the U.S. and whether and when other biologics license and/or emergency use authorization applications may be filed in particular jurisdictions for BNT162b2 or any other potential vaccines; whether and when any other applications that may be pending or filed for BNT162b2 (including a potential Biologics License Application in the U.S.) may be approved by particular regulatory authorities, which will depend on myriad factors, including making a determination as to whether the vaccine's benefits outweigh its known risks and determination of the vaccine's efficacy and, if approved, whether it will be commercially successful; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of a vaccine, including development of products or therapies by other companies; disruptions in the relationships between us and our collaboration partners or third-party suppliers; risks related to the availability of raw materials to manufacture a vaccine; challenges related to our vaccine's ultra-low temperature formulation and attendant storage, distribution and administration requirements, including risks related to handling after delivery by Pfizer; the risk that we may not be able to successfully develop non-frozen formulations; the risk that we may not be able to create or scale up manufacturing capacity on a timely basis or have access to logistics or supply channels commensurate with global demand for our vaccine, which would negatively impact our ability to supply the estimated numbers of doses of our vaccine within the projected time periods indicated; whether and when additional supply agreements will be reached; uncertainties regarding the ability to obtain recommendations from vaccine technical committees and other public health authorities and uncertainties regarding the commercial impact of any such recommendations; uncertainties regarding the impact of COVID-19 on Pfizer's business, operations and financial results; and competitive developments.

A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, including in the sections thereof captioned "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results", as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of which are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov and www.pfizer.com .

About BioNTech

Biopharmaceutical New Technologies is a next generation immunotherapy company pioneering novel therapies for cancer and other serious diseases. The Company exploits a wide array of computational discovery and therapeutic drug platforms for the rapid development of novel biopharmaceuticals. Its broad portfolio of oncology product candidates includes individualized and off-the-shelf mRNA-based therapies, innovative chimeric antigen receptor T cells, bi-specific checkpoint immuno-modulators, targeted cancer antibodies and small molecules. Based on its deep expertise in mRNA vaccine development and in-house manufacturing capabilities, BioNTech and its collaborators are developing multiple mRNA vaccine candidates for a range of infectious diseases alongside its diverse oncology pipeline. BioNTech has established a broad set of relationships with multiple global pharmaceutical collaborators, including Genmab, Sanofi, Bayer Animal Health, Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, Regeneron, Genevant, Fosun Pharma, and Pfizer. For more information, please visit www.BioNTech.de .

BioNTech Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" of BioNTech within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may include, but may not be limited to, statements concerning: BioNTech's efforts to combat COVID-19; the collaboration between BioNTech and Pfizer to develop a potential COVID-19 vaccine; our expectations regarding the potential characteristics of BNT162b2 in our Phase 2/3 trial and/or in commercial use based on data observations to date; the expected time point for additional readouts on efficacy data of BNT162b2 in our Phase 2/3 trial; the ability of BNT162b2 to prevent COVID-19 caused by new virus variants; the nature of the clinical data, which is subject to ongoing peer review, regulatory review and market interpretation; the timing for submission of data for, or receipt of, any marketing approval or Emergency Use Authorization; our contemplated shipping and storage plan, including our estimated product shelf life at various temperatures; and the ability of BioNTech to supply the quantities of BNT162 to support clinical development and market demand, including our production estimates for 2021. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on BioNTech current expectations and beliefs of future events, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the ability to meet the pre-defined endpoints in clinical trials; competition to create a vaccine for COVID-19; the ability to produce comparable clinical or other results, including our stated rate of vaccine effectiveness and safety and tolerability profile observed to date, in the remainder of the trial or in larger, more diverse populations upon commercialization; the ability to effectively scale our productions capabilities; and other potential difficulties.

For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see BioNTech's Quarterly Report for the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020, filed as Exhibit 99.2 to its Current Report on Form 6-K filed with the SEC on November 10, which is available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and BioNTech undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.

Pfizer:

Media Relations

Amy Rose

+1

Investor Relations

Chuck Triano

+1

BioNTech:

Media Relations

Jasmina Alatovic

+49 89 62 81 75 46

Media@biontech.de

Investor Relations

Sylke Maas, Ph.D.

+49
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
Confined to our homes, it would be easy to fill our spare time by gorging on TV or scrolling through our phones.

But it seems we're craving comfort or escapism in books rather than technology.

Research suggests reading is the most popular lockdown pastime.

Three in ten adults said they had read a book for fun during the lockdowns last year.

Overall, 61 per cent of the 2,000 British adults surveyed for the Open University said they had taken up or rekindled a creative interest.

Reading for pleasure was the top hobby followed by 28 per cent who enjoyed looking through cookbooks and trying out new recipes.

Research by the Open University suggests reading is the most popular lockdown pastime. Three in ten adults said they had read a book for fun during the lockdowns last year

A fifth said they completed DIY tasks in their spare time.

And 19 per cent of those polled by research agency Walnut Unlimited said they had started learning a new subject, with history the most popular choice.

As National Storytelling Week began this weekend, Dr Sally O'Reilly, of the Open University, said: 'Immersing ourselves in a good book has been a really valuable way to relax and forget about the pressures brought on by the pandemic, especially in colder months when our time outdoors is restricted.

'Human beings are pattern-seeking animals, and in telling stories we are finding patterns in events.

Reading for pleasure was the top hobby followed by 28 per cent who enjoyed looking through cookbooks and trying out new recipes

'Lockdown has shown how vital narrative is to us, whether in the form of a physical book, an audio book or a box set on TV.

'At work too, narrative is important to us, in that it helps us to understand an issue if we think of it in terms of cause and effect.

'Narratives are particular and specific, and we often remember stories more easily than abstract ideas.

'If you want to communicate with an audience, tell them a story.'

The polling was commissioned as part of the wider Understanding The Nation survey by Walnut Unlimited.
But she stopped short of condemning Ms. Greene outright and gave her the benefit of the doubt for her past disturbing comments. She has said theyre not from her, Ms. McDaniel said. There does need to be an investigation, and I trust that Kevin McCarthy will handle that within his own caucus.

When pressed, Ms. McDaniel said that some G.O.P. resolutions and statements needed to be disavowed, citing Oregons false flag resolution. I know our state party chairs are doing the best they can to represent their voters, but that statement goes too far, she said.

And she expressed regret about letting Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former presidents personal lawyer and the former mayor of New York, and Sidney Powell, another member of Mr. Trumps legal team who spread conspiracy theories, hold a news conference at the R.N.C. headquarters in Washington.

When I saw some of the things Sidney was saying, without proof, I certainly was concerned it was happening in my building, she said. There are a whole host of issues we had to deal with  what is the liability of the R.N.C., if these allegations are made and unfounded?

Despite the attempts of Ms. McDaniel, who remains closely allied to Mr. Trump, to bring the party together, many lifelong Republicans feel that there is no place for them in it.

In Washington State, Chris Vance had for years dedicated himself to the Republican movement as both a politician and as the party chairman. But in 2016, when he ran unsuccessfully for Senate, he found himself in conflict with many Republican voters in his state, who disagreed on issues including trade agreements, immigration and the role of NATO. That disconnect has only grown over the past four years, he said.

They are intent on being a Trump cheering society, said Mr. Vance, who has since left the party. I dont think the party can be saved. I think it needs to be broken up, smashed and blown to bits.
The public's appetite for lamb increased during the festive season as figures show retail sales of 68 million in the 4-week period to 27 December 2020.

The latest figures show sales up 14% on both 2018 and 2019, with an increase of 14.6% in the number of people buying lamb.

Sales of smaller cuts, ideal for meals for smaller gatherings in lockdown, led the surge in demand, according to Kantar.

Spending on lamb chops in December was up over 37% on 2019, with good demand for steaks as well as leg roasting joints.

Promoting recipes for family meals was a key theme in autumn and winter marketing for Hybu Cig Cymru  Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), including campaigns around Love Lamb Week in September and in the run-up to Christmas.

Overall, 2020 was a record year with consumers spending 652 million on lamb  up 10.8 percent on the previous year, figures show.

This is despite a poor Easter, as fewer gatherings were possible during the first lockdown, and therefore reflects bumper retail demand in summer and autumn as well as the final part of the year.

The growth of lamb sales was particularly strong at high street butchers. Independent retailers accounted for 12.1% of total lamb purchases in 2020, as opposed to 9.9% in 2019, with spending up 35.3% on the year to 79m.

Kantar data also reveals that groups of people who werent previously in the habit of eating lamb were discovering the meat for the first time.

Younger shoppers, families with children and larger households all accounted for a higher proportion of lamb purchases than in previous years.

HCC data analyst Glesni Phillips said: Its encouraging to see new groups of consumers responding to campaigns to inspire them to try new family recipes at home.

Of course, sales of lamb in restaurants and hotels have been much lower, but demand from the retail sector has been strong.

Weve seen growing sales across all types of British retailers, but especially in independent butchers, which is a very interesting trend.

Market prices for sheep farmers were strong throughout the second half of 2020, reflecting the strong retail demand and also reduced imports.

Latest figures from Beef and Lamb New Zealand show a further fall in exports to Britain and Europe as the southern hemisphere lamb producer focused more on Asian markets during the Covid-affected year.

Whereas New Zealand Lamb exports to China and other parts of North Asia were similar in 2020 and 2019, exports to Europe fell by 6 percent.
Sibel KONFINO

Translation by Janet MITRANI

During the reception where Nicole Mano, Erel Papo, Haymi Kohen, Semih Mesulam, Megi Bahar, Sarp Kaston, and Rakel Haleva from the Turkish Jewish Community attended, the young people had the chance to share their thoughts, ask things they wondered about, and exchange ideas. Some of these young people who had attended the reception organized on Friday, January 20th, shared their impressions with Salom.

"I felt valuable both as an artist and as a member of the Jewish Community"

Nicole Mano, a graduate of Ac High School in Istanbul, is studying the first year in Graphic Design in Rotterdam Willem de Kooning Academy in the Netherlands. Nicole describes this different experience she had as follows: "In Ankara, we attended a meeting where Turkish Christian and Jewish university students had been invited, as the Jewish Community youth. During the meeting members of each community had the chance to share their thoughts and ask questions they wondered about. Everyone sincerely listened to each other, and at the end of the meeting, I felt that I understood everybody there much better. On behalf of our community, I presented Dr. Hasan Dogan a composition I had made. The interest in my work and the questions asked made me feel valuable both as an artist and as a member of the Jewish Community.

We came back to Istanbul together with four friends from the Turkish Greek Orthodox Community, whom we had met during the meeting. We had the chance to talk along the way. We talked about our origins and noticed our common sides. I feel very lucky I had this experience."

Dr. Hasan Dogan & Nicole Mano

"I liked talking to a government official about the problems of Turkish Jews"

Haymi Kohen who had studied at Ulus Jewish School until 5th grade, and completed high school at the Ac Schools, is continuing his education at Amsterdam University in the Netherlands.

Haymi stated that they had not been exactly sure what to expect before the meeting, and they had had doubts about the issues they could address. However, they were relieved after Dr. Hasan Dogan's, who had welcomed them, encouragement that the meeting should go through with ease and free thought, thus they shared their ideas about the community: "I started my speech drawing attention to the fact that there were no citizens from the minority communities working in the government. Upon my words, Dr. Dogan said that no citizen from a minority community had applied for the district governorship exam for 10 years, but that he hoped to see us in his place one day, remarking that we would be stronger together and we should be uniting.

Stating that our synagogues were being stoned, we were experiencing terror attacks, that there were unnatural losses in our community, our population had decreased in a very short time, I asked him when we contemplated about all these how we could unite and continue to live, and asked for his advice as a government official. He said that we shouldn't be afraid and give up as a community and a government; a person harming a synagogue or church, or acting racist had nothing to do with being Muslim and he/she was mentally ill. Suggesting that we were experiencing learned helplessness in our communities and our community members were keeping a low profile on purpose, remarked that we as the young generation should speak louder.

During the rest of the meeting, the other minority groups stated their problems, and the problem of racism which ran deep in Turkey was discussed in general. Other representatives there added that for racism to decline in the country, the government should be taking responsibility, and meetings such as this happening increasingly would create a positive attitude. At the end of the meeting, our friend Megi Bahar invited Dr. Dogan to the European Day of Jewish Culture that will hopefully be organized next year.

In general, I was proud to represent my community and I liked talking to a government official about the problems the Turkish Jewish Community is experiencing."

"The ambiance created was productive and constructive"

Erel Papo who had graduated from Koc High School is studying Applied and Computational Mathematics at the University of Southern California (USC). Papo also expressed his feelings about the meeting in Ankara as follows: "The meeting was basically in question and answer format. The young people of minority groups were asking Mr. Hasan Dogan questions about the troubles that are present and needed to be solved in our country. Then through the questions and comments of my friends, the conclusion was reached that the reason for minorities being alienated is the public's ignorance. At that point, I talked about the words Israel and Jewish being seen the same in public, this ignorance's way of reflecting on our community. While talking about this effect I mentioned how uncomfortable any political incident between Israel and Turkey made us feel.

I think this gathering and the ambiance created has been productive and constructive. To be able to exchange information like this with a government official is always a privilege.

Even if we didn't agree from time to time, Mr. Hasan Dogan listened to all our questions and concerns with attention and care throughout the meeting. On the way to Istanbul, I thought organizations such as this gathering might be very important and effective for our future."
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.
No tinkering with the direct taxes, capital gains taxes or security transaction tax, and no announcement of Covid tax on super-rich left bulls untamed at the bourses who managed to entirely reverse previous week's losses and clock the sharpest-ever Budget rally, in absolute terms, on Monday.

Besides, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's focus on disinvestment, increased FDI exposure for the insurance sector, and a cleanup plan for stressed assets were among a few of the other confidence-boosting measures.

Overall, the market capitalization of the BSE-listed companies increased by Rs 6.78 trillion to Rs 192.9 trillion on Monday with 2,315 points, or 5 per cent, gain in the S&P BSE Sensex, which closed at 48,601 level. In the intra-day trade, the index zoomed nearly 2,500 points, hitting a high of 48,764.

The broader Nifty50 index also reclaimed the psychological level of 14,000 level and closed the session at 14,281.

The broader market peers, however, underperformed the benchmarks. Nonetheless, the S&P BSE MidCap index ended 3 per cent higher at 18,630 while the S&P BSE SmallCap index settled 2 per cent higher at 18,353.

Budget proposals nudged sectors like financials, insurance, and infrastructure with shares of financials including banks, non-banking housing finance companies (NBFCs), housing finance, and insurance companies soaring up to 20 per cent. ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Shriram City Union Finance, IDBI Bank, and Bajaj Finserv rallied more than 10 per cent on the National Stock Exchange (NSE). Besides, LIC Housing Finance, State Bank of India (SBI), RBL Bank, AU Small Finance Bank, Bank of India, Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), Bank of Baroda and Aavas Financiers surged between 7 per cent and 10 per cent.

Among infrastructure firms, mainly engaged in the business of roads and highways construction, shares of NCC rallied 13 per cent, Ashoka Buildcon jumped 9 per cent, KNR Constructions gained up 7 per cent, Dilip Buildcon soared 6 per cent, and Larsen & Toubro advanced 4 per cent.

That apart, the volatility index, India VIX, also cooled off 8 per cent to 23.3 levels supporting the underlying optimism which came despite higher borrowing and a wider fiscal deficit. The sentiment, analysts say, was on account of the positive measures to revive the Covid-19 hit economy. That said, while the fiscal deficit number and the gross borrowing estimates are a tad higher-than-expected, the money is being put to good use, they say.

The government plans to borrow around Rs 12 trillion in FY22 and has pegged fiscal deficit at 6.8 per cent of the GDP. The FM said the government will be borrowing an additional Rs 80,000 crore in this fiscal to meet its deficit for 2020-21, pegged at 9.5 per cent of the GDP. Therefore, the total gross borrowing this fiscal would be Rs 14 trillion.

A higher fiscal deficit anchor for the state governments, experts say, should allow them to prioritise capex and National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) funding, but add to the overall general government borrowings in the coming fiscal.

Going ahead, Ajit Mishra, VP-Research at Religare Broking expects this budget rally to continue but he advises market participants to be selective in their approach now. Investors, he says, should focus on global cues and corporate earnings to gauge market trajectory.
The family of a Tennessee nurse who fainted on live TV after getting her COVID-19 vaccine say she is being harassed by conspiracy theorists who are peddling the false claim that she is now dead.

Tiffany Dover, a 30-year-old nurse manager at the CHI Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, fainted after receiving her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on December 18.

Dover explained at the time that she was prone to fainting due to a medical condition but conspiracy theorists immediately latched on and have been claiming ever since that the vaccine killed her.

In response to the false claims that she is dead, her family and the CHI Memorial Hospital have repeatedly said that Dover is fine and working regularly shifts.

The hospital shared a video on December 21 showing Dover with her colleagues to stop the rumors and she was also pictured on the front page of a local newspaper last week with a COVID-19 patient who was treated at the hospital.

Tiffany Dover, a 30-year-old nurse manager at the CHI Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, fainted after receiving her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on December 18

The conspiracy theorists, however, still refuse to believe that she is alive.

They have been inundating the social media pages of Dover's family with comments accusing them of lying about her health.

She explained at the time she was prone to fainting due to a medical condition Conspiracy theorists, however, immediately latched on and have been claiming ever since that the vaccine killed her

Dover's family says the harassment they have been facing is so intense that they couldn't even go on a vacation at Christmas, the Daily Beast reports.

Her sister-in-law eventually snapped last month, telling the conspiracy theorists that Dover was 'alive and fine' after they started commenting on photos of the family celebrating the holidays.

'All of y'all stop acting like your entitled to know anything. It's none of your dang business. I'm honestly disgusted with people right now. We can't even go on a family vacation for Christmas without being harassed. I'm sick of it. TIFFANY IS ALIVE AND FINE', she wrote.

Dover's brother-in-law had shared a link to a story that debunked the claims that the nurse had died after taking the vaccine.

One person wrote to him: 'How much money do they pay you all that you post this? She is dead and you know it'.

Another wrote: 'Your entire family is disgusting that you don't let Tiffany speak herself!'

Others have even suggested trying to go to Dover's house to personally check that she is alive.

JANUARY 18: Despite being pictured on the front page of a local newspaper last week (pictured second from right), conspiracy theorists still refuse to believe that she is alive

DECEMBER 21: The hospital shared a video on December 21 showing Dover (center) with her colleagues to stop the rumors swirling online that she had been killed by the vaccine. Her colleagues were pictured holding signs that included the data

DECEMBER 17: The whole saga unfolded after Dover fainted just moments after she received the COVID-19 vaccine during a televised event back on December 19. Dover was speaking to local news outlet News Channel 9 when she suddenly started feeling unwell and fainted

'Why isn't anyone that lives close to her figuring out where her kids go to school or where her husband works or where they live and waiting and trying to snap a picture of her coming or going?!?' one wrote.

The whole saga unfolded after Dover fainted just moments after she received the COVID-19 vaccine during a televised event back on December 19.

She was among the first at the hospital to receive the vaccine.

Dover was speaking to local news outlet News Channel 9 when she suddenly started feeling unwell.

'It's really... I'm sorry I'm feeling really dizzy. I'm sorry...,' she said before dropping to the ground while two colleagues rushed to catch her.

After recovering, Dover revealed she often faints when she feels pain.

In the days that followed social media users immediately started sharing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube posts claiming that Dover died.

In the days that followed social media users immediately started sharing Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube posts claiming that Dover died

Others shared screenshots from a public records website, suggesting the appearance of Dovers name in search results somehow indicated she had died

The claim also appeared on Reddit, on a subreddit devoted to conspiracy theories, and on a website claiming to show obituaries of deceased people.

Some posts used screenshots of Dovers Facebook and Instagram accounts to claim she must be dead because she hadnt posted in several days.

Others shared screenshots from a public records website, suggesting the appearance of Dovers name in search results somehow indicated she had died.

Following the widespread claims, the CHI Memorial Hospital tweeted to confirm Dover was fine.

UPDATE: Nurse Tiffany Dover appreciates the concern shown for her, the tweet read. She is home and doing well. She asks for privacy for her and her family.

In a follow tweet from December 21, the hospital confirmed Dover was still doing well and shared a video of her posing with colleagues.

A hospital spokeswoman has repeatedly said Dover has been working regular shifts at the facility.

Why is West Virgina Sen. Joe Manchin taking public swipes at Vice President Kamala Harris over a television interview?

It all started when Harris, on behalf of the Biden administration, did two interviews on local television stations in West Virginia and Arizona touting the administration's new COVID-19 relief bill dubbed the "American Rescue Plan."

It's not a coincidence that the vice president did exclusive interviews for those two television markets. Sens. Manchin and Krysten Sinema are two of the more moderate members of the Democratic caucus and, according to the Associated Press, expressed concerns over the relief package during private phone calls with White House officials.

During her interview with West Virginia's WSAZ on Thursday of last week, Harris applied pressure on Manchin to support the legislation, stating, "In West Virginia, one in seven families is describing their household as being hungry, one in six cant pay their rent, and one in four small businesses are closing permanently or have already closed."

Manchin then appeared on the same TV station a day later and expressed annoyance.

I saw [the interview], I couldnt believe it. No one called me [about it], he said. Were going to try to find a bipartisan pathway forward, but we need to work together. Thats not a way of working together.

The senator said he's specifically concerned that the $1,400 individual checks are not targeted enough.

"We want to help everybody that needs help, he said. But if a person is making $250,000 or $300,000, I dont think theyre in much as need as a person making $40,000 or $50,000. Were going to target it.

Politico later reported that Manchin called the White House and "conveyed his displeasure" after the interview. Among other things, Harris  a California Democrat  fumbled the term "abandoned mine lands," referring to them instead as "abandoned land mines," which according to Politico, was perceived as a "slip-up sure to cause eye rolls in the state."

Sinema has not publicly commented on Harris' Arizona interview, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki said more regional interviews are possible.
Miley Cyrus rose to fame playing the main character on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana. After a few years of TV experience, she began branching out and landed roles in movies. In 2009, Cyrus filmed the Nicholas Sparks movie The Last Song. However, before getting to the set of the movie, Cyrus revealed she cried.

Miley Cyrus | | Steve Granitz/WireImage

Miley Cyrus was happy to get away from Los Angeles to film The Last Song

The Last Song was filmed on Tybee Island, Georgia, and Cyrus was grateful for the chance to escape the hectic celebrity life of Los Angeles.

I got on the plane [to Georgia], and I was lying in my moms lap and crying and saying, Im so happy to be getting out of L.A., Cyrus told Harpers Bazaar in 2010. [In Tybee] I went out every night with my friends. I did karaoke. I danced. All this stuff wouldve been such a big deal in Los Angeles: Whos she with? Why is she dancing?

She added, I felt alive and real. Its so much easier to know who you are when there arent a thousand people telling you who they think you are. I felt like I was really figuring myself out. Usually I have someone whispering in my ear, but I was on my own.

Miley Cyrus met her future husband Liam Hemsworth on the set of the film

RELATED: Teenage Miley Cyrus Once Had Some Wise Words for Parents Who Called Her a Bad Role Model

Fans of Cyrus are probably well aware that The Last Song was also the movie where she met Liam Hemsworth, whom she later dated and married.

Cyrus shared with Seventeen in 2009 that she initially thought she would dislike Hemsworth before they met. She said, So I heard a rumor that he didnt really want the role, and so when he came in to audition for the role, Im thinking Heres this guy, hes amazingly good-looking, super-confident, and he doesnt realize how blessed he is to be in this room, because I know how blessed I am. This is such a big opportunity for both of us. And I was thinking Ugh, gross, you know?

However, she soon realized she may have misjudged Hemsworth.

Then I started talking with him, and he was just the most genuinely precious, sweet person, Cyrus said. And the second audition comes around, and the chemistry was instant. From the time he walked in that door and we saw each other again, we [both] lit up, and we were excited to get work and learn together.

For the next several years, Cyrus and Hemsworth had an on-and-off again relationship. The pair even got married in late 2018, though they divorced less than a year later.

Miley Cyrus is focusing on music now

RELATED: Miley Cyrus Says Its Impossible for People to Judge Her Sanity Based on Her Hair and Clothes

Since The Last Song, Cyrus has acted in a few shows and movies. For example, in 2016, she starred in the miniseries Crisis in Six Scenes. The following years, she had a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

However, its clear to fans that she is now focusing much more on her music career. Last year, she released her seventh album, Plastic Hearts, which included two singles: Midnight Sky and Prisoner (featuring Dua Lipa). The album featured several lyrics about her personal life, including her split from Hemsworth.
Memorial provides service dogs for veterans struggling with PTSD

After losing her brother to PTSD, Heather Wipf creates the Lane Logan Memorial to help veterans find support through service dogs.
This item is available in full to subscribers.

Attention subscribers

We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.

If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.

If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.

Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
MOUNT PLEASANT  Overwhelmed by rapid growth, South Carolina's fourth-largest city is limiting what could be built when large, aging shopping centers and apartment complexes are eventually redeveloped. In some areas, plans would allow less housing than currently exists.

The rules laid out in Mount Pleasant's 10-year comprehensive plan are the latest in a series of Town Council efforts to restrict density, limit multifamily housing and prohibit tall buildings in most areas.

It's a stark reversal of the town's vision of 13 years ago, when the Coleman Boulevard Plan was approved. That 2008 schematic turned out to be the high-water mark for Mount Pleasant's efforts to encourage high-density development in some areas, which began in the late 1980s in an effort to reduce sprawl.

That plan would have allowed six-story buildings and parking garages if the one-story Moultrie Plaza and Sea Island Shopping Center properties were redeveloped. The recently approved town plan would limit Moultrie Plaza to two-story buildings, and Sea Island to three.

The opportunity for six-story buildings on Coleman is long gone, at least for our foreseeable future," said Liz Boyles, a principal planner for the town who handled the recent update with input from committees of town residents and Town Council members.

Redevelopment of aging shopping centers and apartment complexes will be an important part of the town's future growth because there are few undeveloped places left.

The problem is the zoning seems to change on a whim depending on who is on council," said Batson Hewitt, owner of the Sea Island Shopping Center, where Coleman Boulevard turns into Ben Sawyer Boulevard.

More Coverage To read more stories in the series about growth and development, go to postandcourier.com/boomandbalance.

What theyre doing right now is, theyve reversed it, and theyve pushed it back to urban sprawl," Hewitt said.

A majority of the town's voters have made clear their opposition to growth in general, and high-density development in particular. The debate over density has been taking place across South Carolina, where some cities believe concentrations of people and businesses in strategic places reduce sprawl and improve quality of life, and others believe high density mostly means more apartment buildings and traffic.

In Mount Pleasant, elected officials who pledged to restrain growth and development were swept into office in the 2010s and now dominate Town Council.

Two buildings helped spur the push to limit building height and restrict apartments: an office building and parking garage close to Shem Creek, which the town had encouraged, and the 60-foot-high, 325-apartment complex called The Boulevard that opened in 2013 on Coleman Boulevard. It replaced a vacant dollar store.

Today, no buildings that tall are allowed on the boulevard, which is the main commercial road through the oldest part of the town. A permit-rationing system the town adopted won't allow for approval of any new multifamily housing, such as apartments, anywhere in Mount Pleasant for some time.

A mistake was made when they did the multifamily project on Coleman Boulevard and were all suffering for that," said George Brewer, owner of Moultrie Plaza.

He thinks Moultrie Plaza, across the boulevard from Moultrie Middle School, is just the sort of place a dense mixed-use development of homes and businesses would be appropriate.

The town's Comprehensive Plan does allow for some housing if the larger commercial centers were to be redeveloped, but not much. In a "community hub" area, such as Sea Island Shopping Center, housing could account for 20 percent of the square footage, provided that 30 percent of that housing is affordable or senior housing.

Mount Pleasant's vision for large-scale redevelopment is most clear in the town's 389-page Comprehensive Plan in the treatment of two large areas of town dubbed "redevelopment centers" that together cover 452 acres. When redevelopment takes place there, the town would allow just one residential unit for every acre.

Crucially, that allows fewer homes than the 464 houses and apartments that currently exist in those two areas.

The redevelopment centers aren't individual properties, but include multiple shopping centers, retail businesses, apartment complexes, a hospital and more.

One is in a 175-acre area around Houston Northcutt Boulevard near Town Hall that includes shopping centers, a large apartment complex, a movie theater, former car dealership, hotels and other business. The other is a 277-acre area surrounding U.S. Highway 17 where Interstate 526 feeds into Chuck Dawley Boulevard. It includes the Wando Crossing shopping center, smaller shopping areas and retail stores, an apartment complex, a hospital and medical office buildings.

A lot of the conversations leading up to final adoption of the comprehensive plan had to do with the redevelopment centers," said Boyles. There was a perception that there was too much encouragement of large development."

The tight restriction on potential future housing was one result.

"We dont need more residential," Councilman Jake Rambo said at an Aug. 11 meeting where the comprehensive plan received initial approval. "We have too much residential as it is."

In the Houston Northcutt redevelopment center, which is 175 acres, there are currently 358 housing units, mostly apartments in one large complex. Under the comprehensive plan, if The Cooper apartment complex were some day demolished and redeveloped, the number of homes in the area would be reduced substantially.

The Cooper  the new name for the former Harbor Pointe Apartments  was just sold for $65.5 million to Atlanta-based Audubon investment group. The company announced plans to upgrade the units and raise the rents, so those apartments aren't going away any time soon.

As a result, if properties such as the 6-acre Regal Cinebarre movie theater site on Houston Northcutt Boulevard are redeveloped in the near future, commercial properties such as stores and offices will be the only option the town's plan allows.

At Wando Crossing, home to a Walmart and the largest shopping center in the town's largest redevelopment center, property owner Site Centers just finished a series of improvements. That included new walkways, facade improvements and replacing a Dollar Tree store with a Total Wine beverage superstore.

"That began in 2019 and we're in the last phase now," said Site Centers spokeswoman Morgan Blank.

So there's no plan on the horizon to replace that shopping center with something else. Blank said there's no need to tear down a shopping center and build something new "if our tenants are meeting the needs of the consumer and we're meeting the needs of the tenants."

The owners of Moultrie Plaza and Sea Island Shopping Center also said they have no foreseeable plans to redevelop. By the time that happens, the town may have once again rewritten its comprehensive plan.

Brewer, owner of Moultrie Plaza, predicts a time will come when the town will "wildly endorse" a substantial mixed-use redevelopment that could include a parking garage, as the Coleman Boulevard Plan did previously.

Hewitt said Sea Island Shopping Center is certainly a redevelopment site, "but that's way down the road, probably long after I am gone."

Who knows, he wondered, what the town's rules will look like 10 or 20 years from now.
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 men have been arrested in a deadly 2020 shooting over a parking space in an eastern Birmingham neighborhood.

Joshua Xavier Sanders, 18, and Curtis Demetris Sanders, 51, were booked into the Jefferson County Jail Wednesday. The charges include murder, attempted murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle and shooting into an unoccupied vehicle.

The gunfire erupted about 2:15 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, in the 3700 block of 42nd Street North. Sgt. Rod Mauldin said East Precinct officers arrived to find 42-year-old Michael Alexander McGee lying on the side of the road suffering from a gunshot wound.

McGee was taken by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service to UAB Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The preliminary investigation indicated a dispute took place over the parking spaces prior to the shots being fired.

McGee attended Phillips High School. Michael was known for his love of people, music, charity and family,' according to his obituary.

Joshua Sanders is charged with six felony crimes. His bond is set at $255,000. Curtis Sanders is charged with five felonies and his bonds total $270,00. Both remain in jail.
During one of the most politically divisive years in recent memory, the number of active hate groups in the U.S. actually declined as far-right extremists migrated further to online networks, reflecting a splintering of white nationalist and neo-Nazi groups that are more difficult to track.

In its annual report, to be released Monday, the Southern Poverty Law Center said it identified 838 active hate groups operating across the U.S. in 2020. Thats a decrease from the 940 documented in 2019 and the record-high of 1,020 in 2018, said the law center, which tracks racism, xenophobia and anti-government militias.

It is important to understand that the number of hate groups is merely one metric for measuring the level of hate and racism in America, and that the decline in groups should not be interpreted as a reduction in bigoted beliefs and actions motivated by hate, said the report, first shared exclusively with The Associated Press.

The Montgomery, Alabama-based law center said many hate groups have moved to social media platforms and use of encrypted apps, while others have been banned altogether from mainstream social media networks.

Still, the law center said, online platforms allow individuals to interact with hate and anti-government groups without becoming members, maintain connections with likeminded people, and take part in real-world actions, such as last months siege on the U.S. Capitol.

White nationalist organizations, a subset of the hate groups listed in the report, declined last year by more than 100. Those groups had seen huge growth the previous two years after being energized by Donald Trump's campaign and presidency, the report said.

The number of anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ hate groups remained largely stable, while their in-person organizing was hampered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Bottom line, the levels of hate and bigotry in America have not diminished, said SPLC President and CEO Margaret Huang.

Whats important is that we start to reckon with all the reasons why those groups have persisted for so long and been able to get so much influence in the last White House, that they actually feel emboldened, Huang told the AP.

Last month, as President Joe Biden's administration began settling in, the Department of Homeland Security issued an early national terrorism bulletin in response to a growing threat from home-grown extremists, including anti-government militias and white supremacists. The extremists are coalescing under a broader, more loosely affiliated movement of people who reject democratic institutions and multiculturalism, Huang said.

The SPLCs report comes out nearly a month after a mostly white mob of Trump supporters and members of far-right groups violently breached the U.S. Capitol building. At least five deaths have been linked to the assault, including a Capitol police officer. Some in the mob waved Confederate battle flags and wore clothing with neo-Nazi symbolism.

Federal authorities have made more than 160 arrests and sought hundreds more for criminal charges related to the deadly Jan. 6 assault. Authorities have also linked roughly 30 defendants to a group or movement, according to an AP review of court records.

That includes seven defendants linked to QAnon, a once-fringe internet conspiracy movement that recently grew into a powerful force in mainstream conservative politics; six linked to the Proud Boys, a misogynistic, anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic group with ties to white supremacism; four linked to the Oath Keepers, a paramilitary organization that recruits current and former military, law enforcement and first-responder personnel; four linked to the Three Percenters, an anti-government militia movement; and two leaders of Super Happy Fun America, a group with ties to white nationalists known for organizing a so-called straight pride parade in downtown Boston in 2019.

Bipartisan critics of Trump have blamed him for inciting the attack on the Capitol, which some far-right groups have declared a success and are using as a recruitment tool to grow membership, according to the SPLC.

The final year of the Trump presidency, marked by a wide-ranging reckoning over systemic racism, also propelled racist conspiracy theories and white nationalist ideology into the political mainstream, the law center said.

According to an SPLC survey conducted in August, 29% of respondents said they personally know someone who believes that white people are the superior race. The poll also found that 51% of Americans thought the looting and vandalism that occurred across the country around Black Lives Matter demonstrations was a bigger problem than excessive force by police.

Protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd last May spurred a push to make the November election a referendum on white supremacy. Nestled in Trumps baseless claims of widespread voter fraud was a reality that turnout among Black and Hispanic voters played a significant role in handing victory to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman and first person of Black and South Asian heritage to hold that office.

During his inaugural address, Biden issued a strong repudiation of white supremacy and domestic terrorism, which is rare for such consequential speeches.

The SPLC made several recommendations for the new administration in its latest report. It called for establishing offices within the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department and the FBI to monitor, investigate and prosecute cases of domestic terrorism. It also urged improving federal hate crime data collection, training, and prevention; and for enacting federal legislation that shifts funding away from punishment models and toward preventing violent extremism.

People who support or express hatred and bigotry are not always card-carrying members of far-right groups. But that doesnt mean they cant be activated into violence, said Christian Picciolini, a former far-right extremist and founder of the Free Radicals Project, a group that helps people disengage from hate organizations.

It also doesnt mean that they cant be reached and deradicalized, he said.

We have to have kind of a dual approach to stop whats happening now, but also to make sure that we are not creating a problem for us in the future, to understand how the propaganda is spread that is recruiting these people, Picciolini said.

Right now, its in a very self-service format online, he added. Were facing a really big problem.

___

Morrison reported from New York. AP writer Michael Kunzelman contributed from College Park, Maryland.

___

Morrison is a member of the APs Race & Ethnicity team. Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aaronlmorrison.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson called for a number of changes to Michigan election law this week, endorsing a plan that would make her decision to mail absentee ballot applications to every registered voter during the pandemic a requirement moving forward.

During a Monday afternoon news briefing, Benson and Assistant Secretary of State Heaster Wheeler outlined a legislative agenda that also included making Election Day a state holiday, banning open carry of guns at within 100 feet of a polling location and giving clerks two weeks ahead of Election Day to process absentee ballots, as well as guaranteeing ballots postmarked by Election Day be counted even if they arrive late.

Benson, a Democrat, said she was concerned by proposals popping up in Michigan and around the country to restore faith in elections with policies that would make it harder to vote in-person and absentee. She said the November election was the most successful and secure in history, noting her goal is to advance the will of Michigan residents who backed increased access to absentee voting in 2018.

Today, there are those in the Legislature who would seek to roll back access to the vote, she said. Indeed, if these legislators truly want to support elections, their task is simple: Tell the voters the truth.

Bensons decision to mail absentee ballot applications to every registered voter ahead of the 2020 presidential election during the COVID-19 pandemic drew ire from Republicans, who argued she didnt have the authority to do it and contended the move could make elections less secure. The courts ultimately upheld Bensons action.

In the November 2020 election, 57% of total votes cast were absentee  about 3.2 million of the states 5,568,097 ballots  contributing to record-high voter turnout in Michigan.

One big winner in Michigans 2020 election cycle: No-reason absentee voting

Other changes proposed by Bensons office Monday include:

Consolidating May and August elections into one June election

Allowing overseas service members and spouses to return their ballots electronically, a reintroduction of legislation that passed both chambers with bipartisan support last session but wasnt sent to the governors desk

Requiring translated election materials in areas with a significant non-English-speaking community

Providing funds to ensure voting locations are ADA-compliant and establish curbside voting

Prohibiting deceptive election practices that could deter or mislead voters

Mandating training standards for election challengers and election workers

Requiring a statewide risk-limiting audit of election results prior to state certification

Election hearings are back as lawmakers look to clear up confusion, initiate reform

Benson said the proposed measures are clear, data-driven and nonpartisan solutions that build on our successes and lessons learned from 2020, later adding that she welcomes good-faith collaboration from legislative leaders on possible compromises.

Im hopeful that we can work from the same set of facts in determining the best way to advance the vote and protect our democracy, she said.

Bensons policy priorities are expected to be introduced in the Legislature by state Rep. Matt Koleszar, vice-chair of the House Elections and Ethics Committee, and state Sens. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, Adam Hollier, D-Detroit, and Paul Wojno, D-Warren.

The Senate Oversight Committee is currently continuing an ongoing probe into the states elections system. Committee Chair Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, previously told MLive he anticipates concluding those hearings in the next two months and issuing a report summarizing findings about the 2020 election and proposing reforms to improve the process.

Allowing county clerks to remove deceased voters from the rolls is one change McBroom said makes sense, pointing to testimony heard from Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum and Kent County Clerk Lisa Posthumus Lyons early in the committee process. Hes also interested in pursuing changes to laws regarding poll challengers, improving training for election workers and continuing discussions about when ballot counting can begin.

Rep. Ann Bollin, the new chair of the House Elections and Ethics Committee, was skeptical of Bensons plan, questioning why she would bring up emotionally charged policy proposals if her goal is to work in a bipartisan manner.

Our focus must be on improving transparency, protecting election integrity and restoring the publics trust  not on constitutionally questionable proposals that advance the Secretary of States own political agenda, Bollin said in a statement.

Related coverage:

In unusual hearing, Rudy Giuliani asks Michigan lawmakers to take back your power

Michigan elections bureau provides 1,100 documents in response to legislative subpoena

GOP-led committees in Michigan authorize subpoena for election information

Michigan House gives oversight committee subpoena powers to continue election probe

Michigan Republicans want election reform. That usually means opposing absentee ballot expansion

Giulianis pitch to upend electoral process isnt convincing Michigan legislative Republicans

Republicans repeat election fraud claims in 7-hour hearing, but we are learning nothing new, Dems say

Michigans top GOP lawmakers acknowledge Trumps loss, wont interfere with electoral vote

Paper ballots verified election results, says Dominion CEO in Senate oversight hearing
Burma ASEAN Dusts Off Non-Interference Policy as Generals Grab Power in Myanmar

Myanmar soldiers and an armored personnel carrier are seen on the road to the Parliament and Presidents Office in Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar, on Feb. 1, 2021. / The Irrawaddy

In the hours following the announcement of Mondays coup in Myanmar, world leaders issued a stream of denunciations of the military takeover and called for the release of those detained by the military, including State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, chief ministers and others.

Last Friday, the US, alongside several other Western nations, urged the military to adhere to democratic norms in a statement following the commander-in-chiefs threat to revoke the 2008 military-backed Constitution.

Regionally, some members of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations, which includes Myanmar, have issued individual responses to the coup.

Singapore and Malaysia raised concerns over the takeover and urged dialogue between the military and the National League for Democracy. Indonesia similarly urged restraint on all sides and called for dialogue.

Thailands Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon  who came to power in a 2014 military coup  said the military takeover was Myanmars internal affair. Cambodia echoed that view, as did the Philippines.

It is not yet known what official stance will be taken by ASEAN  which upholds a non-interference policy among members  but Bruneis foreign ministry was cited by Channel News Asia as saying, Brunei Darussalam, as Chair of ASEAN, is consulting other ASEAN member states on their support for an ASEAN statement.

Here are the reactions of some other countries:

United States

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said, The United States is alarmed by the reports of arrests and opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed.

Newly appointed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also called on Myanmars military to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on Nov. 8.

UN Secretary General

A spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antony Guterres said in a statement that the UN strongly condemns the detention of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders hours before of the opening session of Myanmars new Parliament.

The secretary general expressed his grave concern regarding the declaration of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military, the spokesperson said.

These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar, the statement reads.

It said the Nov. 8 election provided a strong mandate to the National League for Democracy (NLD), reflecting the clear will of the people of Myanmar to continue on the hard-won path of democratic reform.

The UN urged the military to respect the will of the people of Myanmar and adhere to democratic norms, with any differences to be resolved through peaceful dialogue.

European Union

The Vice-President of the European Union, Josep Borrell, said the EU condemned

the coup by the Tatmadaw. He said the move is a clear violation of the countrys Constitution and an attempt by the military to overturn the will of the Myanmar people and their strong attachment to democracy, as expressed in the November 2020 general election.

He pressed for the immediate release of President U Win Myint, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and all others who have been arrested.

Borrell said the EU also calls for the immediate restoration of the legitimate civilian government in Myanmar, and the swift opening of Parliament with the participation of all elected representatives, as foreseen by the Constitution.

Australia

The Australian government said on Monday it was deeply concerned over the military coup in Myanmar and called for the release of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other officials who were detained shortly before the early-morning takeover.

We strongly support the peaceful reconvening of the National Assembly, consistent with the results of the November 2020 general election, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement.

India

The Indian government expressed deep concern over Mondays military coup in Myanmar and voiced support for the process of democratic transition in the country. We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld. We are monitoring the situation closely, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Singapore

Singapores Foreign Ministry expressed grave concern over the military coup in Myanmar.

It said Singapore is monitoring the situation closely and hopes all parties involved will exercise restraint, maintain dialogue, and work towards a positive and peaceful outcome.

We hope that the situation will return to normal as soon as possible, the Foreign Ministry said.

Malaysia

In a statement, Malaysia called on the Myanmar military and all relevant parties to give the utmost priority to the maintenance of peace and security in the country, uphold the rule of law, and resolve any electoral discrepancies through established legal mechanisms and dialogue in a peaceful manner.

Malaysia supports the continuation of discussions among Myanmars leaders to avoid adverse consequences to the people and state of Myanmar, especially during the current and difficult COVID-19 pandemic situation, the Foreign Ministry said.

The Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes office spokesman Harry Roque said during a press briefing on Monday that We expect that at the soonest possible time things will go back to normal, though the situation in Myanmar is an internal matter we wont interfere with.

Indonesia

Indonesias foreign ministry said it is concerned over the political situation in Myanmar, and urged self-restraint and dialogue in order to find solutions and avoid exacerbating conditions.

The ministrys statement reads: Indonesia calls for the observance of the principles of the ASEAN Charter, among other things, adherence to the rule of law, good governance, the principles of democracy and constitutional government.

Japan

The Japanese Foreign Minister called for the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and others detained in Myanmar.

Toshimitsu Motegi said The Japanese government has up to now strongly supported the democratic process in Myanmar, and opposes any reversal of that process.

He said that we strongly call on the military government to restore democracy as soon as possible.

United Kingdom

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter: I condemn the coup and unlawful imprisonment of civilians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, in Myanmar.

The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released, Johnson said.

Germany (in translation by Twitter)

Germany strongly condemned the seizure of power and the arrest of civilian leaders.

Germanys foreign minister said, The military actions jeopardize the progress made so far towards democratic change in Myanmar.

New Zealand

New Zealand said it is deeply troubled by the militarys seizure of power in Myanmar and called for the immediate release of detainees.

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said that an election had taken place and that the democractic will of the people must be respected.

New Zealand also called for the swift release of all of those detained, and urged any issues to be resolved through peaceful dialogue.

You may also like these stories:

Myanmars Health Minister Resigns After Military Takeover

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Urges Myanmar People to Resist Coup

Political Stability in Myanmar Key for Asean: Thai Observers
Nanjing Hongshan Zoo in Nanjing, capital city of eastern Chinas Jiangsu province, has asked the public to adopt animals by paying for their living expenses, as a way to sustain its operation during the COVID-19 epidemic, Chinanews.com reported.

Nanjing Hongshan Zoo in Nanjing, capital city of eastern Chinas Jiangsu province, is doing its best to provide a good living environment for animals. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

By paying 3,000 yuan ($464), citizens could adopt a giant panda for one year, according to an article published by the zoo on WeChat. Animals such as giant pandas, monkeys, great hornbills, tigers and giraffes, among others, are on the adoption list.

The COVID-19 epidemic since the beginning of 2020 has severely affected the number of visits paid to the zoo, which is attributable to the zoos current financial predicament.

Since the article went viral online, the zoo has received many phone calls from warm-hearted residents expressing their willingness to adopt the animals and help the zoo out of the difficulty, said Shen Zhijun, the director of the zoo.

Nanjing Hongshan Zoo in Nanjing, capital city of eastern Chinas Jiangsu province, asks citizens to visit the zoo in 2020. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

A local resident surnamed Zhang adopted a baby giraffe immediately after she noticed the article. As a zoo enthusiast, she shared the information with her friends, some of whom had also taken part in the campaign. The zoo has brought happiness and warmth to us, and we want to do something for it, said Zhang.

As a matter of fact, the financial troubles that the zoo is faced with in supporting both the animals and its staff members are similar to the situation many other zoos are in due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Nanjing Hongshan Zoo rescues and releases wild animals. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Hit hard by COVID-19, the zoo struggled to provide shelter for more than 2,000 wild animals last year, including those rescued by local residents and smuggled animals seized by customs police. In the past few days, a fundraising campaign for the purpose of protecting wild animals, launched by the zoo and a charity organization, received cash donations worth more than 200,000 yuan, Shen disclosed.

Generating a low income, last year the zoo organized 103 live-stream sessions of the animals, which were free of charge, to let zoo enthusiasts interact with the animals during the epidemic.

A screenshot from the website of Nanjing Hongshan Zoo shows an article asking for support from the public through adopting the zoo animals.

Shen always puts protecting the species and welfare of the animals before economic benefits. Our zoo animals are not used for entertainment. We want to provide them with a comfortable living environment, where they are respected and valued, he pointed out.

Gaining support from local residents, the zoo is also taking other measures to pull itself out of the financial difficulty, such as opening an online store, offering research- and learning-based camps, and holding science weeks
ADVERTISEMENT

The U.S. has threatened to take action against those responsible for the detention of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as President Win Myint in Myanmar.

The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the countrys democratic transition, including the arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials in Burma (Myanmar).

President (Joe) Biden has been briefed by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement.

Earlier, Western media reported that Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained along with other members of Myanmars ruling party in an early morning military raid on Monday.

We continue to affirm our strong support for Burmas democratic institutions and, in coordination with our regional partners, urge the military and all other parties to adhere to democratic norms and the rule of law, and to release those detained today.

The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed, Psaki said.

The U.S. State Department has also expressed concerns over the detention of multiple civilian government leaders in Myanmar.

We call on Burmese military leaders to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on Nov. 8.

The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development.

The military must reverse these actions immediately, the State Department said in a statement.

The Australian government has also issued a statement on Myanmar, saying that Australia is a long-standing supporter of Myanmar and its democratic transition.

We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms, and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully, Australias foreign ministry said in a Monday statement.

Later in the morning, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined international leaders in condemning the actions of Myanmars military.

I condemn the coup and unlawful imprisonment of civilians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, in Myanmar.

The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released, Johnson wrote on Twitter.

According to media reports, Myanmars military announced a state of emergency on Monday morning, in a declaration signed by First Vice President Win Myint Swe, who will now be serving as Myanmars acting president.

According to the declaration, state power is being handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Min Aung Hlaing.

The announcement came after Myanmars government leaders and members of the ruling National League for Democracy party were detained.

In January, Myanmars military raised the prospect of a coup detat after what they believed was widespread voter fraud during the November 8 election, which was the countrys second general election since the end of military rule in 2011. (Sputnik/NAN)
Seiko Epson Corporation is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Siew Jin Kiat to the position of Regional Managing Director (MD) for Epson Singapore (SEA Headquarters) effective as of the 1st of February 2021.

He succeeds Mr. Munenori Ando who will return to Seiko Epson Corporation in Japan to take on a new portfolio.

Siew Jin Kiat, Local Regional Managing Director of Epson Singapore (SEA Headquarters)

This promotion to the companys upper echelon coincides with Mr. Siews 25th year with Epson Singapore (SEA Headquarters). More importantly, Mr. Siew will be the first local Regional MD appointed for this region, a clear demonstration of Seiko Epson headquarters direction to promote capable local staff to key leadership positions, and its strong commitment in enabling talent within a culture of inclusivity and diversity.

The succession also comes at a time when Epson Singapore (SEA Headquarters) moves to a new location. The new office is accompanied by 2 solution centers that showcase Epsons wide range of corporate and industry products to help drive B2B transformation in businesses of varying size.

As Epson works to become the best partner to customers in SEA through efficient, compact, and precision technologies and solutions, a leader who understands how to bring out the best of Epson to drive value for customers is critical for success. Over the years, Mr. Siew has proven to be a strong, capable leader with a wealth of experience across various businesses and Epson is thrilled to have him take on this new role in a region that continues to show high potential for growth. The company is looking forward to the passion and energy that Mr. Siew will bring to his new leadership role.

Under Mr. Siew, Epson Singapore (SEA Headquarters) has achieved a strong leadership position for both its inkjet and projector business. In addition, his diverse work experience encompassing various business functions such as presales, customer service, supply chain, as well as brand & communications means that he can bring a holistic perspective to challenges and strategically steer the organization in an ever-changing and dynamic landscape.

Epson is grateful to Mr. Andos contributions to the growth of the business in Southeast Asia. In particular, Mr. Ando led a strategic pivot from a largely B2C business to a stronger B2B business today. The company is in a position of strength because of the building blocks he has put in place.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Siew said, It is an honor to lead this company of talented people in the next chapter of Epson SEAs growth story. With the collaboration and teamwork I have always enjoyed across the business, we will work together to make Epson Singapore (SEA Headquarters) an indispensable company for staff, partners, and markets in a culture that promotes transparency, collaboration, and creativity.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 05:40:24|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad (R) receives an injection of a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in Algiers, Algeria, Jan. 31, 2021. The official APS news agency quoted Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad as saying that his country will import enough COVID-19 vaccine for Algerian people, when he was receiving an injection of a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in Algiers on Sunday. (Xinhua)

ALGIERS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Algeria on Sunday reported 217 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total infections in the North African country to 107,339.

The death toll from the virus in Algeria rose to 2,891 after three new fatalities were added, said the Algerian Ministry of Health in a statement.

Meanwhile, 192 more patients recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 73,404, the statement added.

The official APS news agency quoted Algerian Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad as saying that his country will import enough COVID-19 vaccine for Algerian people, when he was receiving an injection of a COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in Algiers on Sunday.

He added that the vaccination campaign will be conducted throughout 2021.

Algeria's COVID-19 vaccination kicked off on Jan. 30 in the town of Blida, where the country's first coronavirus case was reported in early 2020. Enditem
A mysterious cancer has been plaguing the sea lion population in California and following a 20-year-old investigation, scientists have determined what is causing the disease  toxic chemicals and herpes.

The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito analyzed an aggressive cancer, known as urogenital cancer, which has killed nearly 25 percent of sea lions, and sampled more than 300 of the mammals for the study.

The team examined each deceased animal and found Otarine herpesvirus-1 (OtHV-1) in tumors, along with DDT and PCBs, both toxic waste, which have been associated with cancer in other mammals like the beluga whale.

The study also found that sea lions with higher concentration of toxic chemicals in their blubber were more likely to have cancer take over their bodies.

A mysterious cancer has been plaguing the sea lion population in California and following a 20-year-old investigation, scientists have determined what is causing the disease  toxic chemicals and herpes

Frances Gulland, senior scientist of The Marine Mammal Center, told the Los Angeles Times: Sea lions, theyre coming up on the beach, using the same waters that we swim and surf in, eating a lot of the same seafood that we eat.

Theyre predisposed to cancer by these high levels of legacy compounds that are still in the environment  and we are also exposed to these chemicals.

The study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science states that 18 to 23 percent of adult sea lions examined after death over the past 40 years were suffering with urogenital carcinoma.

This cancer is typical found in the kidney, bladder, testicles and prostate, and among humans and other mammals.

The team examined each deceased animal and found Otarine herpesvirus-1 (OtHV-1) in tumors, along with DDT and PCBs, both toxic waste, which have been associated with cancer in other mammals like the beluga whale (pictured)

Gulland and her team studied 329 sea lions collected over the course of 20 years. They took blubber samples, investigated frozen cervical samples and analyzed different organs, which is where they found the toxic chemicals and OtHV-1

Gulland and her team studied 329 sea lions collected over the course of 20 years.

They took blubber samples, investigated frozen cervical samples and analyzed different organs, which is where they found the toxic chemicals and OtHV-1.

Researchers found that USs largest DDT manufacture dumped chemicals outside of the Channel Island  a prime spot for sea lions to breed and raise their pups.

Padraig Duignan, chief pathologist at the Marine Mammal Center, said: It is extraordinary, the level of pollutants in these animals in California. It is a big factor in why were seeing this level of cancer.

Researchers found that USs largest DDT manufacture dumped chemicals outside of the Channel Island  a prime spot for sea lions to breed and raise their pups. The study also found that sea lions with higher concentration of toxic chemicals in their blubber were more likely to have cancer take over their bodies

The team also found that a number of the sea lions that had cancer also had the herpes virus, leading them to link the sexually transmitting disease to causing the cancer.

This California sea lion case control study provides evidence that herpesvirus infection (OtHV1) is critical to the likelihood of carcinoma occurrence, but in addition, the higher the animals blubber contaminant concentrations, the higher the odds of cancer, reads the study.

Such synergism between pollutants and virus in causing cancer has been suggested previously in humans but not wildlife.
A lawsuit was filed against a Las Vegas-based tour bus company and one of its drivers after a crash last week that killed one person and critically injured three others.

The bus with more than 40 people aboard rolled over last Friday in northwestern Arizona while headed to a Grand Canyon viewpoint on the Hualapai Reservation.

The suit was filed by Las Vegas law firm Eglet Adams on behalf of a Florida man and Alabama woman who were on the tour bus. It alleges the driver was negligent and traveling above the speed limit.

Mohave County authorities said the cause of the rollover remains under investigation although a fire official has said speed appeared to be a factor.

Lawyers at Eglet Adams said the two plaintiffs suffered injuries that could be permanent and disabling and are suing for pain, suffering, anxiety, disability, emotional distress, loss of earning capacity and damages for past and future medical treatment.

They are seeking a jury trial in Nevadas Clark County District Court.

The suit alleges the the driver was inexperienced, incompetent and unfit to drive a commercial tour bus.

It also alleges that Comedy On Deck Tours was responsible for the hiring, training, retaining, supervision and control of the driver involved in the rollover.

A call to Comedy On Deck Tours for comment on the lawsuit wasnt immediately returned.

According to the companys website, Comedy on Deck Tours brings customers from the Las Vegas Strip to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon West on tours guided by professional comedians.

In a video, the company said safety concerns led to a practice of using a comedian as a guide and employing another person as a driver, rather than have a driver take on double duties.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Personal Auto
Finance Minister of India Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the Voluntary scrapping policy while giving her Budget 2021 speech. The scrapping scheme will be based on the mandatory fitness test of vehicles which will undergo fitness test in automated fitness centres. The timeline fixed for fitness test is 20 years for personal vehicles and 15 years for the commercial vehicles.

In the Voluntary vehicle scrapping policy, old and unfit vehicles will be phased out. In July last year, the Centre had proposed amendments to the motor vehicle rules to allow scrapping of vehicles older than 15 years. Further, in a draft notification, the government proposed renewal of fitness certificates for vehicles older than 15 years every six months instead of the current one year.

The policy is expected to encourage customers to go in for new purchases which will be backed up by government incentives in lieu of their old vehicles. Significantly, this move is considered to be the most vital element of any further package to prop-up the sector's growth.

Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), apex national body of Automobile Retail Industry in India, ahead of the Budget session recommended an attractive incentive scheme for successful implementation of Vehicle Scrappage Policy across the country.

FADA said - The government must design a robust Inspection & Certification (I & C) policy or End of Life Vehicles (ELV) policy for vehicles in the country. However, as both the above policies would take time to be effectively implemented, there is a need for an immediate scheme based on incentive for encouraging voluntary scrapping of old vehicles and replacing them with newer ones. The new vehicles are cleaner and meet stringent emission requirements.

More details to be available soon.
Read what is in the news today:

Politics

 The closing ceremony of the 13th Party Central Committee is scheduled to take place in Hanoi on Monday morning following a report on the election of the Party General Secretary, as well as members of the Politburo, Secretariat, and Central Inspection Committee.

Society

 Vietnam logged 33 new community cases of COVID-19 in total from Sunday to 6:00 am on Monday, bringing the national tally to 1,819 patients with 1,457 recoveries and 35 virus-related deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

 All samples of 57 students and 22 teachers and staff members at Xuan Phuong Elementary School in Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi, who have been quarantined after a third grader was confirmed as a COVID-19 patient on Saturday, returned negative for the coronavirus, the district authorities reported on Sunday night.

 Authorities in northern Quang Ninh Province will sample and test all staff members of Vang Danh Coal JSC after a worker of the company was confirmed as a COVID-19 patient on Sunday night.

 The Ministry of Health on Sunday issued an urgent notice to find passengers boarding the flight VJ275 from Cat Bi International Airport in northern Hai Phong City to Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on January 18.

 Prof. Dr. Le Thanh Hai, director of Vietnam National Childrens Hospital, suddenly died at the hospital on Sunday afternoon despite normal health conditions, the institution said on the same day.

 Rach Mieu Ferry, which was officially put to use on Wednesday morning last week, connecting Tien Giang and Ben Tre Provinces in Vietnams Mekong Delta to relieve traffic pressure on Rach Mieu Bridge, was congested on Sunday afternoon due to a high volume of traffic from Ben Tre to Tien Giang.

Education

 The Department of Education and Training of southern Binh Phuoc Province on Sunday night issued an urgent decision to allow students in the entire province to stay home and study online from Monday for COVID-19 prevention and control.

Meanwhile, authorities in southern Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province also ordered schools in Phu My Town to close from Monday and other localities in the province from Tuesday, a few days earlier than the previously scheduled Lunar New Year holiday, as a student had traveled on the same flight as a COVID-19 patient.

Northern Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, and Tuyen Quang Provinces also allowed students to take early holidays from Monday.

 FPT University locked down its campus at Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park in Thach That District, Hanoi from Sunday evening after a male student had caught COVID-19.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Greek authorities announced that the first case of the mutated strain detected in was diagnosed in Thessaloniki city in northern

The patient who tested positive for this strain is an official with the Greek Orthodox Christian Church, said Nikos Hardalias, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

"We are conducting sweeping screening tests, with molecular tests and rapid tests, in the wider area... There is no reason to panic," he told Greek national broadcaster ERT.

Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, president of the National Public Health Organization (EODY), called on citizens to take all precautions and comply with instructions given by experts.

EODY announced on Sunday that 107 cases of the mutated strain first identified in Britain have been recorded in following analysis of samples taken in the period of January 12 to January 27, bringing the total cases of such strain to 173 in the country.

has been under a nationwide lockdown since November 7. On Friday it was further extended till February 8.

On Sunday EODY announced 484 new infections in the last 24 hours, taking the tally since the start of the pandemic in Greece last winter to 156,957.

EODY also confirmed another 17 deaths, bringing the toll to 5,796.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorized vaccines.

Meanwhile, 236 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 63 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 January 26.

--IANS

int/

(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.)
Alarmed over the coup in and the detention of the country's top political leaders, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, by the military on Monday, the has said it is monitoring the situation closely and threatened unspecified action if corrective steps are not taken to restore democracy.

According to media reports, an announcer on Myanmar's military-owned Myawaddy TV declared on Monday morning that the military had taken control of the country for one year.

Myanmar's leader Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid, the spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy (NLD) was quoted as saying in the media.

"The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the country's democratic transition, including the arrest of State Counselor and other civilian officials in Burma, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

Burma is the former name of

"We continue to affirm our strong support for Burma's democratic institutions and, in coordination with our regional partners, urge the military and all other parties to adhere to democratic norms and the rule of law, and to release those detained today, Psaki said.

President Joe Biden has been briefed by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, she said.

The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed, she warned.

"We are monitoring the situation closely and stand with the people of Burma, who have already endured so much in their quest for democracy and peace," Psaki said.

The United States expresses grave concern and alarm regarding reports that the Burmese military has detained multiple civilian government leaders, including State Counsellor Suu Kyi, and civil society leaders, Secretary of State Tony Blinken said.

"We call on Burmese military leaders to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on November 8. The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately," he said in a statement.

The detention of the senior leaders comes after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the powerful military, in the aftermath of an election the army says was fraudulent.

The NLD claimed victory after an election in November 2020, the country's second democratic ballot since the end of military rule in 2015.

Since her party won a landslide victory in 2015, Suu Kyi, the 75-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been Myanmar's de facto leader and held the position of state counsellor.

But her reputation has been tarnished in recent years by allegations of genocide against Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya population. denies the charges and has long claimed to have been targeting terrorists.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : In another bid to boost domestic manufacturing, the government on Monday announced an increase in custom duty for up to 10 per cent on mobile chargers and some sub-parts of phones, a move that can make handsets costlier by 3-4 per cent from February 2.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during her Union Budget 2021-22 speech, said that withdrawing exemptions on parts of chargers and mobile phones will boost local manufacturing of smartphones.

"Domestic electronic manufacturing has grown rapidly. We are now exporting items like mobiles and chargers," Sitharaman said.

"For greater domestic value addition, we are withdrawing a few exemptions on parts of chargers and sub-parts of mobiles. Further, some parts of mobiles will move from 'nil' rate to a moderate 2.5 per cent," she informed.

However, inputs or raw material for manufacture of specified parts like back cover, side keys etc. of cellular mobile phone has been increased from 'nil' to 10 per cent.

Inputs or parts of Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) of charger or adapter of cellular mobile phones are up from 'nil' to 10 per cent while the custom duty on inputs or parts of moulded plastic of charger or adapter of cellular mobile phones has also been increased from 'nil' to 10 per cent.

The 2.5 per cent duty hike is applicable on inputs or parts for manufacture of PCBA of cellular mobile phones, inputs or parts for manufacture of camera module, manufacture of connectors and raw material, etc.

The new custom duty slabs for chargers and parts of mobile phones are applicable from February 2.

According to Tarun Pathak, associate director at Counterpoint Research, there is a focus on electronics manufacturing and increase in duty for certain sub components is a push to localise some of these components.

"This might increase in prices for short term, or a very modest increase, as bulk of these sub components have already local suppliers like for camera modules, PCBAs, chargers and connectors, etc," Pathak told IANS.

"We predict that 3-4 per cent hike in the prices of mobile phones is possible," Pathak added.

The Centre has already rolled out a production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the electronics manufacturing sector, particularly for mobile phone manufacturing, to curb increasing imports.

Mike Chen, General Manager, TCL India, told IANS that India needs to ease up the duty imposed on raw materials keeping in mind the 'make in India' initiative.

"We should also get added incentives so that transformative measures can be taken. The industry contributes 25 per cent of the country's GDP," Chen said.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
CLEVELAND, Ohio - A Cuyahoga County Council member and a council staffer on Monday publicly questioned why County Executive Armond Budish intended to sign 176,000 letters that the county is sending to seniors about accessing vaccines for the coronavirus.

Councilwoman Nan Baker and council staffer Trevor McAleer suggested at a Board of Control meeting that the letters should be signed by county health officials rather than Budish, noting that the independent Board of Health  not the Budish administration  is overseeing the vaccinations.

I think this confuses peoplegetting letters from elected officials about where to go to get information on vaccines, said McAleer, who was representing Council President Pernel Jones Jr. at the meeting. I dont know why we wouldnt funnel all information through the Board of Health.

The questioning marked a rare instance where council publicly challenged the executive about what could be perceived as a political move, and it got Budishs attention. Hours later, spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said the administration is considering having both Health Commissioner Terry Allan and Budish sign the letters.

The initial plan was to just have Budish sign the letters, Director of Public Safety and Justice Service Alex Pellom said during the meeting. A draft copy of the letter obtained by The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com is signed Sincerely, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish.

Asked why the letter would not be sent directly by the Board of Health, Pellom said he didnt know. But he noted that the Budish administration has collaborated with the board on figuring out logistics for vaccine distribution.

Pellom added that the Division of Senior and Adult Services is a county department that serves seniors. He called the administrations COVID-19 response a partnership with public health, and said the letter would be coming out of the county government side of that partnership.

During the meeting, the board approved $35,000 for postage for the letters, but McAleer also asked Pellom to change the signature on the letter to that of the Board of Health. Baker asked that Allans signature appear alongside Budishs.

Though no changes have been finalized, Budish spokeswoman Madigan told cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer after the meeting that she was trying to see if [Allan] will cosign the letter, adding, Were discussing that with the Board of Health.

One potential hurdle is that the Board of Health serves only the suburbs, and not the city of Cleveland, which maintains its own public health department. The letters were to be mailed to176,939 residents age 65 and older, including those in Cleveland and in the suburbs. So, we have to figure that out, Madigan said.
[February 01, 2021] Conexus Credit Union provides the best Service Experience amongst Canadian Banking firms according to Surviscor report

Surviscor's 2020 Canadian Banking Service Level Rankings TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Saskatchewan-based Conexus Credit Union provides the best customer service experience amongst Canadian digital banking firms as measured by the 2020 Surviscor Service Level Assessment review. Alberta-based Servus Credit Union and BC-based Envision Financial rounded up the top three while RBC Royal Bank was the highest-ranking big bank at 10th, responding to general enquiries 46 hours longer than Conexus Credit Union. The complete firm rankings and review highlights can be found at Surviscor 2020 Canadian Banking Service Level Review .







Top 5 Canadian Digital Banking Service Levels Rank Firm Score 1 Conexus Credit Union 92% 2 Servus Credit Union 75% 3 Coast Capital Savings 57% 4 Assiniboine Credit Union 42% 5 Envision Financial 41%

"To say that 2020 has been a challenging year would be an understatement but the fact that 2020 was the 5th straight year that a credit union is the top firm and little to no signs of Canada's big banks in the top 10 is concerning," said Glenn LaCoste, President of Surviscor Group. "We commend Conexus Credit Union for its efforts as clearly the global pandemic did not distract them from providing exceptional service while many others have used the obvious excuse to explain poor service," added Mr. LaCoste. "We focus on creating experiences that are transformational, not just transactional. We do this by trying to create simple, personalized and empowering experiences for our members. Delivering on this became even more important as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as we navigated the changing needs of our members. Enhancing digital delivery and accessibility, while creating new service options of banking from a distance was a huge priority in 2020, and we invested significantly in proactively connecting with our members, while also being available and responsive when members were trying to connect with us" said Jacques DeCorby, Executive Vice President Retail Banking. "Our member's financial well-being drives everything we do, and this recognition confirms we are on the right track as we continue our efforts to delivery exceptional experiences how and when a member needs it." The review, now in its 16th year, analyzes the service interaction methods, service availability and 163 'mystery shopping' service interactions per Canadian banking firm, sent between January 1st, 2020 and December 31st, 2020. The 2020 review expanded slightly from its 15-year history of focusing on the service interactions by including the extent of contact choices available to digital banking customers and the availability of them, from both the pre-login and login areas of all digital platforms. For further information on the Surviscor Canadian Digital Banking Service Level Experience scorCard, visit Surviscor Canadian Banking Service Level Experience . About Surviscor Inc. Surviscor is a North American leader in the analysis and ranking of Canadian digital customer experiences provided by service firms. Surviscor's popular digital brokerage and banking reviews are powered by its proprietary scorCard methodology, identifying the BEST and WORST digital customer experiences. All studies and analyses serve as industry benchmarks for consumers and industry participants by identifying digital offerings considered to be leading-edge as compared to the industry standard. SOURCE Surviscor Inc.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

Recognizing that climate change is one of the defining challenges of the century, a new certificate program through Rollins School of Public Health prepares students to make strong contributions to climate change research, policy and practice.

Emory Universitys Rollins School of Public Health is launching a new certificate program to train students for careers in climate change and health.

Climate change is one of the defining challenges of the century, says James W. Curran, dean of the Rollins School of Public Health, and it is essential that we offer our students opportunities to develop the skills they will need to be leaders in this field.

The new certificate in climate and health will be offered to all students enrolled in the Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) programs at Rollins. To receive the certificate, students will be required to complete a two-course sequence on climate and health, take two additional electives and complete a thesis or capstone on a climate-related topic.

The certificate is one of two new initiatives to boost Emorys contributions in the field of climate and health specifically. Last spring, the Rollins School of Public Health launched a new Emory Climate and Health Research Incubator to foster new research that can improve societys response to climate change. In December, two Emory faculty members and one doctoral student participated as authors on the 2020 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change.

We have seen a real increase in demand from public health students for more training in climate and health, says Yang Liu, chair of the Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health and director of the research incubator. This certificate program gives them a clear path to get that training, and really complements our efforts to push forward on climate-related research.

The climate and health certificate and the Climate and Health Research Incubator are part of a broad portfolio of climate-related activities developed by Emory University in the past several years. Others include a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the university-wide Climate@Emory initiative, annual student delegations to the U.N. Climate Talks, the statewide Georgia Climate Project and support for the statewide Drawdown Georgia project.
SYDNEY, Australia  One case. One young security guard at a quarantine hotel who tested positive for the coronavirus and experienced minor symptoms.

That was all it took for Perth, Australias fourth-largest city, to snap into a complete lockdown on Sunday. One case and now two million people are staying home for at least the next five days. One case and now the top state leader, Mark McGowan, who is facing an election next month, is calling on his constituents to sacrifice for each other and the nation.

This is a very serious situation, he said on Sunday as he reported the case, the first one the state of Western Australia had found outside quarantine in almost 10 months. Each and every one of us has to do everything we personally can to stop the spread in the community.

The speed and severity of the response may be unthinkable to people in the United States or Europe, where far larger outbreaks have often been met with half measures. But to Australians, it looked familiar.
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has welcomed an on-air apology from Sky News commentator Peta Credlin for saying his petition for a Royal Commission to ensure a strong, diverse Australian news media was a data harvesting exercise.

Mr Rudd confirmed the apology, which Ms Credlin delivered on her show on Monday night, was part of a defamation settlement.

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has welcomed an on-air apology from Sky News commentator Peta Credlin. Credit:Alex Ellinshausen, Sky News

Im pleased to say that Murdochs Peta Credlin  the Liberal Party mouthpiece masquerading as a journalist  has settled my complaint against her for defamation. The terms are confidential, but heres the on-air apology for her false claims on Sky News, Mr Rudd wrote on Twitter.

Im fortunate to have the resources to take on the Murdoch media. But so many ordinary Australians are targeted by these bullies every day, ruining their lives, and they have no means of fighting back. They abuse their power with impunity and must face a [Royal Commission].
The Craft Irish Whiskey Co teams up with Faberge

The Craft Irish Whiskey Co is set to debut its second release.

The Emerald Isle Collection in partnership with Faberge launches today and it claims to bring together the strong heritage of both brands via a series of highly collectable whisky sets.

The collection takes inspiration from The Seven Wonders of Ireland and it sees Faberge honour Irish heritage in the form of its first-ever Celtic Egg. Each set features two bottles of ultra-rare, 30-year-old, triple-distilled Irish whiskey, which the distiller said is the oldest triple-distilled Irish whiskey in existence.

The box will also contain a bespoke Faberge Altruist 18k rose gold timepiece, customised to pair with the egg, as well as priceless whiskey accessories.

The inaugural launch of these limited-edition boxes will take place via a private auction in Houston, Texas on February 2, with 100% of proceeds, beyond cost price, going to charity.

The Emerald Isle Collection is The Craft Irish Whiskey Co.s second release, and now takes the crown as the oldest triple distilled Irish whiskey in the world, following the launch in November 2020 of a limited 333 bottles of The Devils Keep a 29-year-old, triple distilled, single malt whiskey.

"The 30-year-old Emerald Isles single malt Irish whiskey has been aged in 200-litrefirst fill American oak casks, which previously stored bourbon, and then finished in a rare single 40-litre Pedro Ximenez sherry barrel. This maturation process has imparted profiles that range from chocolate fudge and maple syrup on the nose, to sweet leather and silky-smooth, ripe banana on the palate which flows into a long finish with hints of creamy meringue and rich vanilla cigar smoke.

Jay Bradley, Founder of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. commented on the collaboration: We are more than delighted to be partnering with prestigious atelier Faberge to launch The Emerald Isle Collection, which is an extraordinary bespoke set, and will truly put ultra-rare luxury Irish whiskies on the map. Faberge is an iconic brand with an enduring legacy that continues to evolve and knows no bounds, so we cannot think of a better collaboration for a luxury whiskey from Ireland.

"This is simply a dream come true for me and the teamand an unbelievable elevation for a 30-year whiskey, which was already going to be a particularly sought-after collectors item. With the Faberge addition, there is surely nothing that compares for the ultimate aficionado.

Josina von dem Bussche-Kessell, Global Sales and Business Development Director at Faberge, said: This is a thrilling partnership for Faberge, as it sees us continuing our legacy of creating unique and collectable objects, bridging the gap between historic legacy and modern-day heirlooms. Rare whiskey has seen tremendous investor attention, and the whiskey market is undergoing a dynamic evolution. It is very exciting for Faberge to participate in such across-pollination of luxury sectors, thereby adding a contemporary twist on age-old traditions.

Related articles:
TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- North American integrated marketing agency Mosaic has named Jason Dubroy Senior Vice President, Commerce and Experience.

Dubroy will work with the North American retail and shopper marketing team, developing digitally driven, integrated commerce programs that build brands and drive business results for Mosaic's clients. Additionally, he will play a key role in agency leadership, operations and new business development. His hiring signals Mosaic's commitment to innovation and growth, expanding its already strong digital offering.

Mosaic North America Names Jason Dubroy Canadian Commerce Marketing and Retail Lead

"A well-respected thought leader within the industry, Jason exemplifies innovation in retail and shopper marketing. His digital expertise will help our teams further deliver on our mission of building brands in dimension, we are thrilled to have him join Mosaic," says Sub Nijjar, President of Mosaic Canada, to whom Dubroy will report.

Dubroy joins Mosaic from TracyLocke Canada, where he specialized in commerce marketing strategy and retail transformation through technology, creativity and media innovation. He began his career client-side at the Quaker Oats Company of Canada and worked in progressive positions at a number of leading agencies focusing on omnichannel, retail and experience marketing for clients including PepsiCo, Nestle, Adidas, Apple, KraftHeinz, Microsoft, Rogers Communications, Molson-Coors, BACARDI, and Universal Studios.

"I am delighted to be joining Mosaic. There is no question that this is the year where what's considered an 'experience' will be completely redefined. The ability to intrinsically link commerce to experience, informed by data and manifested with breakthrough creative, will characterize how shoppers engage with brands for years to come," says Dubroy. "Very few agencies are set up to understand this, and even fewer have the scale and scope to lead the agenda. Mosaic has all the right magic: a uniquely modern approach, first-party data, groundbreaking creative, digital nativity, incredible clients, and a holistic view of what the future of experience can be."

One of Canada's most prominent experts in retail and omnichannel marketing, Dubroy founded the Canadian Shopper Marketing Forum, has previously hosted the Shopper Innovation Awards and served as a judge for many industry awards, including the Effies.

About Mosaic North America

Mosaic is an integrated marketing agency that builds brands in dimension to make the world a better experience. Mosaic creates, designs and executes strategically led experiences that make brands more visible and more valuable in culture, in-store and online. For more information, visit www.mosaic.com.

Media Contact:

Colette McLaughlin

Marketing Communication Manager

[email protected]

312.837.4193

SOURCE Mosaic North America
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  With millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses set to arrive in the country through the COVAX facility, an official from the World Health Organization on Monday said they have made recommendations as to which sectors need to be prioritized in the Philippine government's immunization plan.

WHO Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe said members of the COVAX facility, including the Philippines, were told that healthcare workers and elderlies with co-morbidities need to be vaccinated first.

"Priorities at this point in time for this year are to protect the most vulnerable and that is clearly the healthcare workers," he said in a media briefing. "We have requested member states applying in COVAX to prioritize healthcare workers so they can continue to provide their services. Beyond that, second level of priorities is the co-morbid elderlies."

The Philippines is expected to receive 5.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the first quarter of 2021 through the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility.

At least 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech are seen to arrive in the country on the second or third week of February. The Philippines may also be able to access 5.5 million to up to 9.2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines made in South Korea by late February or early March  if it soon receives the emergency use listing (EUL) from WHO.

WHO has committed to supply the Philippines with 44 million doses of vaccines for cover 20% of its population by the end of the year.

Emergency use, other requirements

Abeyasinghe clarified that a vaccine must secure EUL from the WHO for it to be distributed to around 150 participating countries. Only Pfizer has secured this, while AstraZeneca may receive its EUL in the next two to three weeks, the official said. The WHO is also reviewing data of Moderna and Sinovac.

For the medicines to be allowed for use in the Philippines, the government also needs to fulfill requirements of vaccine manufacturers, such as import license and an indemnity and liability agreement before shots can be shipped.

"When all those requirements are met and we believe that the Philippines is on track to do that, we are looking potentially up to a maximum of 9.2 million doses coming through the COVAX facility already in February, March, April of this year," he said.

The Department of Health said the Philippines is ready with the ultra-cold storage requirement for the arrival of Pfizer vaccines in the coming weeks.

"We are already prepared for this initial deployment plan where we are going to utilize our private facilities of our private partners so that we'll be able to manage these kinds of vaccines," Health Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said.
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.
FDA ready for key role

THAILAND: It is hoped the fight against against COVID-19 is entering its penultimate chapter as vaccines become available and countries begin inoculating their population.

CoronavirusCOVID-19healthSafetydrugs

By Bangkok Post

Monday 1 February 2021, 08:40AM

Food and Drugs Administration secretary-general Paisarn Dankum. Photo: Bangkok Post.

However, Thailand - which recently was ranked as the fourth most proficient country in the world in its handling of the pandemic - has recently run into some hurdles.

While neighboring countries like Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia have vaccination programmes underway, Thailand is still waiting anxiously for an imported shipment of the Oxford/AstraZeneca formula from a plant in Italy, with its exact arrival date still far from certain. The European Union is reported to be about to implement a ban on the export of COVID-19 vaccines to external territories, which would scupper the original plan to role it out in the kingdom on Valentines Day.

Meanwhile, Sinovac, another potential supplier, has yet to finish its third trial phase.

At the moment, there is no vaccine supply in Thailand. The US-based Moderna is likely to move to register a vaccine here this month, while Pfizer, despite offices in Bangkok, has given no indication of its own plans for the region.

And for as long as supplies remain unavailable, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), the domestic body responsible for approving vaccines for the public and the Ministry of Public Health, under which it operates, remains firmly in the nations crosshairs.

The FDA has been criticised for dragging its feet in securing access to one of the new candidates, an accusation the FDA secretary-general, Dr Paisarn Dankum, denies.

The FDA has no policy to limit the registration of COVID-19 vaccines. The simple fact is that no companies have applied for import licences.

Please understand the vaccine market during an outbreak belongs to the vaccine producers, not the clients, Dr Paisarn told the Bangkok Post in a special interview.

It means that the pharmaceutical companies hold all the cards when it comes to negotiating with each country.

Dr Paisarn also pointed out that during the peak of the outbreak, Thailand was relatively free of the virus, and under no pressure to cave in and agree a high price.

Fast-track approval

In reality, experts at FDA have been busy since Dec 22 last year when they received almost 10,000 pages worth documents from AstraZeneca, which did decide to target the Thai market.

It was a lot of information to process, particularly when public safety is paramount, so it deployed around 100 experts, both from its own staff and external institutions, to comb through the submission with particular regard to safety, quality and efficiency.

Finally, on Jan 20, the drugs watchdog approved the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine candidate, which is proving to be one of the sought-after formulations, for use in Thailand, with AstraZeneca (Thailand) registered as its importer.

Currently it is waiting for China-based Sinovac to supply its own set of documents to register CoronaVac in Thailand. Thai authority had planned to use two million doses to kick start a mass inoculation campaign in February.

As of now, Sinovacs vaccine is in an expedited third trial phase which has allowed active Indonesia, Brazil and Turkey. However, this has left Thai health officials with a dilemma. The FDA will approve CoronaVac only after Chinas health authority issues its own approval of the vaccine, said Dr Paisarn. He stressed the FDA currently permits private hospitals to import and administer vaccines but concedes that doing so would be a risk.

The FDAs regulations clearly say the importer must take a full responsibility for any critical side-effects that may occur to the vaccine user. If any private hospitals can agree to that, the FDA will almost certainly grant their request to import the vaccine, he said.

Emergency vaccine

The COVID-19 vaccine is unique in that people are already receiving jabs only a year after work on it began, when vaccines usually take years, sometimes even a decade, to develop and get approval.

Clearly, this pandemic has turned the world upside down in many respects and Thailands acquiescence to rolling out vaccines less thoroughly tested than for other contagious viral infections is no different to decisions made by leaders in almost every other country.

This has been classed as an emergency vaccine, said Dr Paisarn. FDA also requires the COVID-19 vaccination management plan to include checks on any side effects.

The vaccine must be administered under the supervision of a doctor. It cannot be sold in other drug stores, he said.

Siam Bioscience

Late last year, the FDA approved Siam Bioscience producing an early batch of the vaccine at its Pathum Thani plant so the FDA could assess its readiness to reproduce the formula provided by Oxford/AstraZeneca.

Vaccine quality is the most important thing. The FDA must ensure that each batch is no different from the original, he said.

That review will be complete by May when it has been agreed that Siam Bioscience will begin producing 26 million doses for a mass vaccination drive following earlier inoculations of health workers and at-risk groups. Nevertheless, despite the urgency, Dr Paisarn said the FDA would remain professional as it does its job.
First batch of Pfizer vaccine doses due to arrive at the end of February

By Veronika Malinboym

On January 31, Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia held a phone conversation with the head of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom; following the phone call, PM Gakharia announced that the first batch of Pfizer vaccine are to be expected in late February this year. Gakharia thanked Tedros Adhanom for supporting Georgias National Plan for Vaccination and added that the first batch of vaccines will be administered to healthcare workers.Mr. Adhanom tweeted on his personal page that the first doses of the vaccine will first be available to workers on the frontline, who are currently both under-protected and over-exposed.Earlier this month, the Deputy Head of National Centre for Disease Control Paata Imnadze announced that the vaccination for the non-risk groups in Georgia will start in summer or early autumn. First ones to receive the vaccine will be the countrys health workers, senior citizens, residents of care homes and high-risk individuals with chronic diseases.To this day, Georgia has already ordered vaccines sufficient for 700,000 individuals (or a total of 1,400,000 doses, as one individual will need to be vaccinated twice) via the Covax platform. The total cost for the ordered vaccines will amount to $17 million; the cost has been partially paid out.According to the Georgian health officials, Georgia will only be able to store 200,000 doses of Pfizer vaccines, due to the lack of refrigerator facilities that can store the vaccine at the required temperature- that of -70 degrees Celsius. Chairman of the Parliamentary Health Committee, Dmitri Khundadze announced that the country can only store 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.Health officials in Georgia welcome the arrival of Pfizer vaccines. Head of the Infectious Diseases and AIDS Centre Tengiz Tsertsvadze claimed that the aspired vaccines will mark the beginning of an end of the COVID-19 pandemic. He congratulated Georgia for being among the first few developing countries to receive the first doses of the highest quality vaccine shortly.Tsertsvadze also noted that the Pfizer vaccine can refuse the cases of COVID-19 in the most effective way, and it will also be able to bring about the gradual and safest way of removing all the healthcare-related restrictions and regulations currently in place.
Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2021 -- There is more health in three words of His thoughts than there is in the best and most uplifting sentence a man can share.



In the Bible, love is not a sensual or emotional term. To love in its Biblical and purest sense is to edify, and to edify is to improve or renovate the inward person, mentally and spiritually. So why then do so many of us find it difficult to love ourselves, even in these times of increased introspection, self-awareness and self-acceptance? Like many others, Linwood Jackson, Jr. realized that by failing to love himself he was failing to fully embrace the Bible's major teachings of self-development. By examining and practicing the counsels of the Bible, Jackson believes that knowledge of our intentions will reach the conscience of the conversation, awakening the individual to their personal duty towards self; that knowledge in turn being revealed to self, and others. This transformation of the mind is what the Bible's wisdom is after; the intention is a rational human being governed by a conscience that is mentally and spiritually regenerated without any thing but that wisdom engraved on the heart. The goal is to possess self for benevolently employing self, and in order to accomplish this task, the heart of the person must be reframed within their thoughts and feelings by the living God's wisdom.



Perfecting & Reforming Personal Religion explores through the Bible's counsel the cause and remedy for the spiritual menu of the heart and mind. Just as eating junk food harms the physical body, exposing oneself to spiritual junk food will harm the spiritual life. Jackson advises the reader to consider their personal, mental and devotional nourishment, encouraging the cultivation of faith in the living of God's name and will. Because our faith's higher learning cannot exist without a Counselor and Governor, Perfecting & Reforming Personal Religion relays and explains to the reader that they have a High Priest and a heavenly Sanctuary to commune with for knowledgeable confidence. The events occurring from the cross, and then into the heavenly Sanctuary, are examined to help the reader know their individual responsibility to their conversation's growth and development. Through such a course, the reader is brought back to Eden, where a revived and reformed creation received the sign of the Creator's authority for its faith. The seventh day in light of the work of faith with power is then investigated to help inform the reader of creation's present course and manner, that by carefully and patiently learning of and applying to the will of the Lord our Father, we may rightly honor both His Word and mankind after first experimenting with His Faith for mental and moral recuperation.



Linwood Jackson Jr., embraced the teachings of God in adulthood, and has found the Bible to be an enriching and life-affirming force for change and for good; he has since opened his heart up to humanity entirely. The message he shares with readers is that there is no right or conscious benefit to an inherited religious tradition, but that rather this force or understanding is what the living God teaches through His Bible, allowing men and women to operate in all of the fullness of their thoughts and feelings, not only for themselves, but for others. Jackson believes that if we are to reach our highest potential we must follow God's instructions to develop and possesses ourselves first, in order to better help those around us.



About Linwood Jackson, Jr.

Linwood Jackson, Jr., lives in Boston, Massachusetts. He is the author of three books; Heaven's Genuine & Counterfeit Ministry; A Fallen Record: The Christian Transgression; and A Battle Of Hosts: The Controversy Of The Sixth Seal; all were published in 2018. Perfecting & Reforming Personal Religion by Linwood Jackson, Jr., RRP $30.00 hardback, is available to buy online from retailers including amazon.com and can be ordered from all good bookstores.



For a review copy or interview request please contact:

Hayley Radford, Head of Publicity at Authoright / hayley@authoright.com



Media Contact



https://www.linwoodjacksonjr.com
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
ADBs study Reaping the Benefits of Industry 4.0 Through Skills Development in Viet Nam examines the logistics and agro-processing industries in Viet Nam which are both important for growth, employment, international competitiveness, and 4IR. It finds that 4IR technologies will eliminate between a quarter and a third of jobs in these industries, but these would be more than offset by new labor demand, which could lead to positive job gains in both sectors.



While applications of 4IR technologies will help the country move up the value chain in products and services, Viet Nam should consider new approaches to ensure inclusion and social protection for entry level workers, especially those at risk of job displacement, and those who need upskilling, said ADB Country Director for Viet Nam Andrew Jeffries. Adequate and timely investments in skills development can help the country not only to harness the potential of 4IR to increase productivity but also ensure the 4IR will benefit workers at large.



Because of the impact of COVID-19 on supply- and value chains, Viet Nams agro-processing industry will need to adjust to shifting consumer behavior. While logistics should see a post-pandemic upswing due to the growth of e-commerce and the changing nature of retail, both industries will have to embrace digital supply chains and launch digital initiatives  rendering the need to upskill and reskill even more urgent.



The study is part of a four-country study of ASEAN nations that also includes Cambodia, Indonesia, and The Philippines.



While 68% of training institutions in Viet Nam reported feeling well equipped for 4IR, this was lower than Cambodia (73%), the Philippines (81%) and Indonesia (95%). There is also a mismatch in perceptions between training institutions and employers in the preparedness of graduates to work. Only 4% of training institutions reported using online training platforms while 18% reported using augmented reality and virtual reality tools for training.



As 4IR technologies spread rapidly, extensive investments in digital skills will improve the chances of the young and old to access higher quality jobs and lower the risk of job losses, said ADB Principal Education Specialist Shanti Jagannathan. Now is the time to re-think delivery of skills using virtual platforms and mobile technologies, develop agile training institutions with courses and credentials that match labor market needs./.

The Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL), under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, has called for online applications from qualified and experienced candidates for filling Six (06) vacancies to the post of Consulting Language Editors with BECIL in Tamil, Kannada, Marathi, Punjabi, Bengali and Odia on contract through direct recruitment to be deployed at the Office of Bureau of Outreach and Communication in New Delhi, India on a fulltime basis. The application-cum-registration process towards the same started on January 30, 2021 and closes on February 12, 2021.

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Consulting Language Editors with BECIL Organisation Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) Educational Qualification Graduate/Post Graduate Degree/Diploma in Mass Communication or Journalism along with language proficiency in one of the languages applying for, and must have a fair knowledge of Hindi and English Experience Five years in Journalism, Editing, Translation, copy editing, Proof Reading etc. Job Responsibilities null Skills Required null Job Location New Delhi Salary Scale Rs. 75,000 per month Industry Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Application Start Date January 30, 2021 Application End Date February 12, 2021

BECIL Recruitment 2021: Age Criteria And Fees

Candidates interested in applying for BECIL Jobs 2021 through BECIL Recruitment 2021 must meet the age criteria as per the BECIL norms, with relaxation (upper age limit) for reserved categories as mentioned in the BECIL Notification 2021.

Candidates must pay a prescribed amount of Rs. 750 (Gen/UR/OBC/Women) and Rs. 450 (SC/ST/PWD/EWS) respectively as application fee for various BECIL Language Editor Jobs 2022 under BECIL Recruitment 2021 through online mode only as specified in the BECIL Recruitment Notification 2021.

Also Read: Oil India Recruitment 2021 For Mechanical, Electrical And Instrumentation Engineers. Apply Before February 12

BECIL Recruitment 2021: Education And Eligibility

Desirous candidates applying for BECIL Language Editor Jobs 2021 through BECIL Recruitment 2021 must possess a Graduate/Post Graduate Degree/ Diploma in Mass Communication or Journalism form a recognised University/Institution along with language proficiency in one of the languages applying for, and must have a fair knowledge of Hindi and English with minimum five years of work experience in Journalism, Editing, Translation, Copy editing, Proof Reading etc. as detailed in the BECIL Notification 2021.

BECIL Recruitment 2021: Selection And Pay Scale

The selection of candidates for BECIL Jobs 2021 through BECIL Bhopal Recruitment 2021 will be done through Skill Test and Interview as specified in the BECIL Recruitment 2021 notification.

Candidates selected for BECIL Language Editor Jobs 2021 through BECIL Bhopal Recruitment 2021 will be paid a remuneration of Rs. 75,000 per month.

Also Read: IOCL Recruitment 2021: 505 Technical/Non Technical Apprentice Vacancies, Apply Online Before February 26

BECIL Recruitment 2020: How To Apply

Candidates applying for BECIL Language Editor Jobs 2021 through BECIL Recruitment 2021 must register online on the official BECIL website and submit their applications on or before February 12, 2021.

Download BECIL Recruitment 2021 Notification PDF for Consulting Language Editors posts
A car bomb explosion happened on Monday at Kabul PD10 in the morning. The incident reported near the office of Saadat Mansoor Naderi.No group including the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the blast. Police said that there were no casualties in the blast.

According to security forces, The incident happened at around 7:26 am local time in the Shaheed roundabout in Kabul' PD10 after Nabizada's vehicle hit by an IED. Afghanistan's Minister of State for Peace Affairs. informed that the blast targeted an armoured vehicle that belonged to Khushnood Nabizadeh, head of Naderi's office in Kabul. Tolo news took to Twitter to share the information. The tweet reads, "Damage caused by car bomb blast today Nabizadeh, Director of Saadat Mansoor Naderi's Office, Minister of State for Peace Affairs."

Earlier, in December 2020, a car bomb blast that rocked Afghanistans capital Sunday morning killed at least eight people, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry. Tariq Arian, the spokesman for the Interior Ministry, said that more than 15 others were wounded in the attack including a member of parliament, Khan Mohammad Wardak.

Also Read:

Maldives' foreign minister receives made in India vaccine

Russia can go to court to protect Nord Stream 2 construction: Medvedev

South Korea reports 305 fresh corona cases, total cases crosses 78,500 mark
While most attention is focused on snow totals that could hit 24 inches as a powerful noreaster pounds New Jersey, flooding concerns are the primary worry along the Jersey Shore.

The National Weather Service is warning of the potential for moderate flooding during three high tides from Monday morning through mid-day Tuesday along the Atlantic coastline and lower Delaware Bay.

Several shore communities reported road closings Monday morning as high tide arrived.

The entire Jersey Shore remains under a coastal flood warning, while Cumberland Countys Delaware Bayshore is under a coastal flood advisory. Isolated spots of major flooding are possible, the NWS warned.

The forecast calls for gale- to storm-force northeasterly winds gusting up to 50 mph along the shore, churning ocean and bay waters.

Ocean waves could reach 15 to 20 feet, while waves of up to five feet are possible on the bay.

The Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor posted images on Facebook of their view shortly before high tide Monday morning.

Here at the Institute, water level just passed 3.5 feet, and we havent hit high tide yet. For reference, the marsh sits at somewhere between 2 to 2.5 feet, so this should get interesting.

In Absecon, police were urging residents to avoid using Absecon Boulevard (Route 30) because of tidal flooding covering all lanes Monday morning.

In Atlantic City, Routes 30 and 40 were closed by morning flooding and police advised motorists to use the Atlantic City Expressway as an alternate.

In Neptune City, the East End Avenue bridge, from Shark River Hills into Neptune, is closed by tidal flooding. Its the same story on South Riverside Drive, South Concourse and West Concourse. Closures were expected to remain in place for several hours after the 10 a.m. high tide.

Forecasters warn that some areas of the state could see an additional foot of snow before the storm winds down on Tuesday, bringing some spots to more than 20 inches in all.

That boat would come in handy right about now. Moderate back bay flooding happening now in #StoneHarborNJ #Noreaster2021 pic.twitter.com/1355J1dXSs  Zeke Orzech (@Zeke_O) February 1, 2021

The National Weather Service says moderate coastal flooding is a threat from the winter storm that's scheduled to arrive in New Jersey on Sunday and linger until early Tuesday.National Weather Service

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
It was a haul of treasure hailed upon its discovery as Britain's 'Tutankhamun'.

The 86ft Anglo-Saxon burial ship at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, was unearthed in 1939.

More than 260 items were discovered, including weapons, armour, coins, jewellery, gold buckles, patterned plaques and silver cutlery.

New Netflix film The Dig, starring Lily James, Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan, dramatises the find and delves into the lives of those involved in the excavation.

Archaeologists Basil Brown, Peggy and Stuart Piggott and Charles Philips, as well as landowner Edith Pretty and her 12-year-old son Robert are all portrayed in the film.

The new release has received positive reviews from most critics and is popular with viewers, but just how does it match up to reality?

Below, MailOnline delves into key scenes and story twists and compares them with what really happened.

In 1939 the imprint of an 86ft Anglo-Saxon ship was found in Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk. More than 260 items of treasure were also recovered in the haul, including this helmet, leading the important historical discovery to be hailed as Britain's 'Tutankhamun'

The WWII plane that dramatically crashed near the burial site

The events in The Dig took place just before the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939.

Mid-way through the film - after the remains of the ship and its treasures have been uncovered at the burial mound - a spluttering Spitfire glides over the excavators before crashing in the nearby river.

Ralph Fiennes's Basil Brown and others then rush from the burial mound to the river before photographer Rory Lomax, played by Johnny Flynn, is seen diving in to the water to pull the pilot's body from the plane's wreckage.

Mid-way through the film - after the remains of the ship and its treasures have been uncovered at the burial mound - a spluttering Spitfire glides over the excavators before crashing in the nearby river

Ralph Fiennes's Basil Brown and others then rush from the burial mound to the river before photographer Rory Lomax, played by Johnny Flynn, is seen diving in to the water to pull the pilot's body from the plane's wreckage

Peggy Piggott, played by Lily James, is then seen telling a distressed Lomax that the pilot's name was David Atkinson, and that it was his second solo flight.

However, this element of the film's storyline is largely invented.

A plane did crash into the River Deben, near the Sutton Hoo site, but it was an American B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, rather than what appeared to be a Spitfire in the film, and it did not happen until late in the Second World War.

And whereas there were two survivors in real life - and no one from the excavation dived in to the water - the film depicts the pilot's death.

Peggy Piggot's lover Rory Lomax

The plane crash provides the way in to the first signs of romantic interest between Lilly James's Peggy and photographer Rory.

Rory - who is portrayed as Edith Pretty's cousin - is seen inviting Peggy back to his tent for coffee before they engage in a romantic clinch later in the film.

However, these scenes are entirely fictional and the character of Rory is invented.

What's more, The Dig hints that Peggy's husband, fellow archaeologist Stuart Piggott, is more interested in fellow male excavator John Brailsford (Eamon Farren) than he is in his wife.

The plane crash provides the way in to the first signs of romantic interest between Lilly James's Peggy and photographer Rory, played by Johnny Flynn. Rory - who is Edith Pretty's cousin - is seen inviting Peggy back to his tent for coffee before they engage in a romantic clinch later in the film

The Dig hints that Peggy's husband, fellow archaeologist Stuart Piggott - played by Ben Chaplin (pictured) is more interested in fellow male excavator John Brailsford (Eamon Farren) than he is in his wife

Towards the end of the film, he is seen telling his wife that he could 'learn to be' happy with her.

But she tenderly tells him that 'I think that would be an awful shame' before urging him to join his friends - who include Brailsford - at the pub.

There are then romantic scenes between Peggy and Rory, after he learns that he has been called up to fight in the war.

In reality, although Peggy and Stuart did divorce in 1954, his sexuality has never been documented and there is no record of any romantic relationship between him and another excavator besides his wife.

Peggy Piggott portrayed as a bumbling sidekick to her husband

Peggy and Stuart are portrayed in the film as being newly-weds, whereas they had married three years earlier, in 1936.

The female archaeologist is portrayed in the film as a 'sidekick' to her older, more experienced, husband.

But in reality, she was experienced in her own right.

Peggy Piggott (shown left) is portrayed in the film as a 'sidekick' to her older, more experienced, husband (right, Stuart Piggott). In reality, she was highly experienced herself

Top archaeologist Rebecca Wragg complained about the portrayal, telling The Times: 'On the whole she is presented as deferential, even bumbling, putting her foot through a hollow feature.'

Before arriving to help with the dig, Peggy had obtained both a diploma from Cambridge and a postgraduate diploma from the Institute of Archaeology, in 1936.

Basil Brown nearly dying when a burial mound collapses on him

Near the beginning of the film, before the treasures are discovered, archaeologist Basil Brown nearly dies when part of a mound collapses on him.

Landowner Edith Pretty and other excavators then rush to dig him out of the soil.

He is then seen covered in dirt as he is pulled from the mound of earth before being revived.

However, there is no record of any such misfortune befalling Brown or any other of the excavators.

Near the beginning of the film, before the treasures are discovered, archaeologist Basil Brown nearly dies when part of a mound collapses on him

Landowner Edith Pretty and other excavators then rush to dig him out of the soil

The 'amateur' Basil Brown and his difficult relationship with professional archaeologists

Basil Brown - who was not formally qualified but is immensely experienced - is seen in the film being sidelined by the other professional archaeologists who arrive later.

He is also seen to have a difficult relationship with Cambridge University academic Charles Phillips, who has been sent by the British museum.

However, while there was some tension between the pair initially, they did work well together and formed a relationship described by National Trust experts as one of 'collaboration and mutual respect'.

Mrs Pretty hired self-taught archologist Basil Brown (left), played by Ralph Fiennes in the upcoming film (right), for 1.50 per day to investigate unusual mounds of earth on her property

He is also seen to have a difficult relationship with Cambridge University academic Charles Phillips, who has been sent by the British museum. Pictured: Carey Mulligan as Edith Pretty, alongside Lily James and Ken Stott, who plays Charles Phillips

In the first major account of events of the Sutton Hoo dig - published in 1940 -Philips praised Brown as having 'commendable care and skill' in excavating the ship.

In the film, Brown is seen storming off the dig after being told by Philips that he must not set foot in the ship without his permission.

However, there is no record of any such falling out.

Hint of romance between Edith Pretty and Basil Brown

Basil Brown and Edith have a good relationship in the film and come close to becoming romantically involved.

At one point they are set to go out to dinner together before Brown cancels because his wife Dorothy unexpectedly arrives.

It is made to appear that she is slightly disappointed and had been hoping of some sort of romantic moment with the excavator.

However, there is no record of there being any romantic feelings between Brown and Pretty, though they did work well together.

Dorothy Brown even wrote a letter to Pretty to thank her for giving her husband the opportunity to work on the dig.
(Newser)  Longtime Republican operative John Weaver is accused of sexually soliciting or sending otherwise provocative messages to at least 21 young men over the past five years. The GOP strategist, who worked on John McCain's 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns as well as John Kasich's 2016 run, allegedly sent suggestive messages to someone as young as 14, according to the New York Times, who spoke to all 21 accusers and reviewed messages Weaver allegedly sent them. Weaver also co-founded the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, which quickly issued a statement condemning the 61-year-old, the Washington Post and the Hill report. "John Weaver led a secret life that was built on a foundation of deception at every level. He is a predator, a liar, and an abuser. We extend our deepest sympathies to those who were targeted by his deplorable and predatory behavior." said the statement.

story continues below

The Times notes that none of the men are alleging illegal conduct by Weaver, just predatory behavior; in only one case did a physical encounter take place, and it was consensual. In the case of the 14-year-old, Weaver allegedly asked questions about his body, then got more explicit after the boy turned 18. In many of the cases, Weaver allegedly suggested he could help the men get political work, and in the most explicit cases, he allegedly offered to help them professionally if they had sex with him. The allegations started making waves this month with articles in the American Conservative and Forensic News, plus an open letter on Twitter. Weaver, who has a wife and two children, in mid-January told Axios he would not return to the Lincoln Project after a months-long medical leave; he acknowledged sending "inappropriate" messages and apologized to anyone who felt "uncomfortable," saying he is actually gay and had struggled to reconcile that fact. (Read more John Weaver stories.)
Coronavirus hospitalizations in San Antonio fell for the sixth straight day, but health officials continue to report a high number of deaths from COVID-19 as the area appears to recover from the worst of the winter surge.

Hospitals were caring for 1,169 coronavirus patients Sunday, a decrease of 21 from the previous day and more than 200 over the past week. Of those hospitalized, 385 were critically ill, 247 required breathing support from a ventilator and 126 were admitted in the past day.

San Antonios COVID hospitalizations have declined since their apparent peak Jan. 18, when the local health care system was caring for a record 1,520 patients. However, people infected with the virus still make up a significant share of hospital patients  more than 29 percent.

On ExpressNews.com: A long way to go: Coronavirus transmission stabilizes in San Antonio but still too soon to say whether surge has peaked

The Metropolitan Health District reported 11 new deaths Sunday, in keeping with the double-digit numbers reported in January.

They included a man in his 40s, two women in their 50s and two people in their 60s. The other six were between the ages of 70 and 99, including two who died at Alamo Heights Health and Rehabilitation Center and one who was a resident of Ventura Hills, an assisted living facility. One of the deaths was reported through the Bexar County Medical Examiners Offices postmortem surveillance, which identifies nonhospital COVID deaths.

The health department added 72 backlogged deaths that occurred between July 4 and Jan. 14, raising the cumulative death toll from the pandemic to 2,143.

Since the start of the year, San Antonio has recorded 320 new deaths from COVID-19. Pandemic fatalities lag behind cases and hospitalizations and are expected to remain high for weeks, even as transmission of the virus continues to stabilize.

Officials reported 174 new cases Sunday, a low number that is likely caused by delayed reporting from the state laboratory. A similar situation occurred last Sunday, when an incomplete number of cases in the low hundreds was reported. Mayor Ron Nirenberg said at the daily coronavirus briefing that the rest of the data should be reported Monday.

On ExpressNews.com: Hospitals full. Thousands infected with coronavirus each week. San Antonio pays the price for failing to flatten the curve.

The seven-day average for new cases has fallen to 1,405 from a high of 2,260 on Jan. 16. An additional 3,292 backlogged cases pushed Bexar Countys cumulative infections since the pandemic began to 173,154.

Even with caseloads falling, Nirenberg said theres still a high level of transmission of the virus. He added that the emergence of variants heightens the need to exercise precautions and distribute vaccines to residents as quickly as possible.

We are still seeing a tremendous amount of caseload in our community, he said. COVID-19 is still out there.

Bexar County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez said at the briefing that University Healths vaccine clinic at the Wonderland of the Americas mall would begin distributing 19,000 second doses to residents this week. The health system is also delivering around 9,000 doses to WellMed and Methodist Healthcare Ministries, which are administering shots to people in the 1B group  people 65 and older and those with chronic health conditions.

Similarly, Nirenberg said vaccine distribution at the Alamodome would also be focused on administering second doses over the next two weeks. He added that the city remains at the mercy of a limited supply.

lcaruba@express-news.net
The purveyors of moderate Islam increasingly come off as salesmen: after describing their customers problem with great accuracy, they present their product as the solution -- without much in the way of explanation.

Take a recent article titled, How to Make the Islamic World Less Radical, by Yahya Cholil Staquf, published by the Wall Street Journal on January 14, 2021. The first half of the article accurately summarizes the problem and is worth quoting at length:

Nearly a generation after 9/11, the world has made little progress in freeing itself from the threat of radical Islam. For every Osama bin Laden or Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi the U.S. eliminates, 100 radicals pop up. Horrendous violence has engulfed much of the Islamic world, from the Central Asia through the Middle East to Africa. It also erupts periodically on the streets of London, Paris and New York. As of 2019, Britains domestic intelligence agency alone maintained watch lists comprising over 35,000 Islamist terror suspects believed to pose a threat to the U.K. Why is the modern world plagued by Islamic extremism? Why do al Qaeda, Boko Haram and Islamic State display such savagery? As I told the United Nations General Assembly recently, the doctrine, goals and strategy of these extremists can be traced to specific tenets of Islam as historically practiced. Portions of classical Islamic law mandate Islamic supremacy, encourage enmity toward non-Muslims, and require the establishment of a universal Islamic state, or caliphate. ISIS is not an aberration from history. [] Classical Islamic orthodoxy stipulates death as the punishment for apostasy and makes the rights of non-Muslims contingent on Muslim sovereigns will, offering few protections to nonbelievers outside this highly discriminatory framework. Millions of devout Muslims, including many in non-Muslim nations, regard the full implementation of these tenets as central to their faith.

So far so good; but then, having accurately described the scope of the problem, Staquf suddenly (and subtly) goes into reverse:

The problem is that these tenets, which form the core of Islamist ideology, are inimical to peaceful coexistence in a globalized, pluralistic world. But we cant bomb an ideology out of existence. Nearly 1 in 4 people in the world is Muslim, and many Muslims -- me included -- are prepared to die for our faith. The world isnt going to banish Islam, but it can and must banish the scourge of Islamic extremism. This will require Muslims and non-Muslims to work together, drawing on peaceful aspects of Islamic teaching to encourage respect for religious pluralism and the fundamental dignity of every human being.

So, after correctly asserting that the authentic doctrines of Islam mandate Islamic supremacy, encourage enmity toward non-Muslims, and that ISIS is not an aberration from history, Staquf suddenly minimizes the issue by labeling it Islamist ideology and Islamic extremism -- as if to say that none of what hes talking about is innate to Islam. He even goes so far as to present himself as willing to be martyred for the apparently real Islam, which, of course, is open to holding hands and working together with non-Muslims.

Moreover, note how he limits the non-Muslim worlds options. Strictly speaking, not being able to bomb an ideology out of existence is not true. More importantly, who said such an extreme measure was necessary? Merely speaking the truth; holding Islam accountable; enforcing sanctions and withholding aid; and simply banning it and its practitioners from non-Muslim nations -- all measures that would not kill any Muslims -- would go a long way in eliminating Islamic extremism, and by Muslims themselves (as almost occurred during the colonial era).

At any rate, having won the critical readers trust by his initial presentation of the problem, and having brushed aside any actual solutions, Staquf proceeds to offer his solution:

The most enduring way to address an extremist religious ideology is to recontextualize its teachings and reform it from within... Whats needed is a credible alternative that is consistent with Islamic orthodoxy and developed and promulgated by those with religious and political authority in the Muslim world.

This all sounds well and good, but if Islamic orthodoxy is itself the problem, as Staquf himself initially and correctly asserted, how can any alternative -- meaning something that contradicts orthodoxy -- ever be credible? If the Koran and prophet clearly and unequivocally call for the punishment and death of apostates and animosity for and discriminatory subjugation of non-Muslims -- and they do -- how can calling for the opposite ever be deemed credible by sincere Muslims?

Apparently these all-important questions do not matter; what matters is the sales pitch of Staqufs product, which finally appears towards the end.

Indonesias Nahdlatul Ulama, the worlds largest independent Muslim organization, for which I serve as general secretary, is promoting such an alternative Leaders throughout the world can best contribute by examining the understanding of Islam that flourishes in Indonesia.

No doubt world leaders and everyone else who reads Staqufs op-ed can contribute in other ways to Indonesias Nahdlatul Ulama -- to the product which will make their problem (radical Islam) go away -- as well pitched by its general secretarys op-ed.

Incidentally, one need not underrate or denounce the efforts of Muslim reformers as futile or insincere to embrace a simple fact: whenever such reformers direct their efforts or appeals to us -- non-Muslims, infidels, who by definition have zero influence on Islamic dogma -- as opposed to their own coreligionists, where both the problem and solution lay, they have another agenda.

Raymond Ibrahim, author of Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute.

Image: Pixabay
Facebook/Stafford County Sheriff's OfficeBy JON HAWORTH, ABC News

(STAFFORD, VA.) -- A man who fell through the ceiling and into the womens locker room at a gym Saturday was held there by patrons until authorities could arrest him.



The incident happened at approximately 1:16 p.m. when deputies from the Stafford County Sheriffs Office received a report from Onelife Fitness in Stafford, Virginia, that a man had fallen through the ceiling of the womens locker room and fell onto a woman below, according to a statement from the Stafford County Sheriffs Office.



The woman, who was uninjured, along with several other patrons of the gym then cornered the suspect, who was later named as 41-year-old Brian Anthony Joe, and held him in place until law enforcement arrived to arrest him.



The female was checked for injuries by rescue personnel at the scene, but she was not transported, said Stafford County Sheriffs Office. The suspect fell approximately ten feet and was not injured.



Deputies subsequently processed the scene for evidence and Joe was detained and interviewed by detectives before announcing early Sunday morning that Joe was being charged with burglary, three counts of peeping or spying into a building and vandalism.



It is unclear how long Joe had been engaged in this specific alleged act for or if he had done it prior to this incident.



He is being held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail, authorities said in the statement released early Sunday. This is still an active investigation.



Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a meeting of the German Federal Parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)

Chancellor Angela Merkel and German state governors were planning to talk Monday with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry on ways to beef up the country's sluggish vaccination campaign.

Monday's videoconference, which also will involve the European Union's Executive Commission, comes as finger-pointing in the bloc's most populous country mounts over who is to blame for the slow vaccine rollout.

By Friday, 1.85 million people had received a first vaccine dose in Germanya country of 83 millionand more than 461,000 had a second dose. In comparison, Britain, a country of 67 million, has given nearly 9 million people a first vaccine shot.

A slew of bad news about delays to vaccine deliveries was alleviated only somewhat by news Sunday night that AstraZeneca has agreed to supply 9 million additional doses of its vaccine to the EU during the first quarterbringing the total to half what the company originally aimed for.

Pfizer, which developed the first widely tested and approved coronavirus vaccine together with German firm BioNTech, has said it expects to increase global production this year from 1.3 million doses to 2 billion doses. BioNTech said Monday that up to 75 million of those additional doses will be delivered to the EU in the second quarter.

German Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn, left, and Chancellor Angela Merkel talk while wearing a face masks on the government benches during the current affairs hour of the plenary session in the German federal parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)

The German government has pledged to offer everyone vaccine by late September. In addition to frustration with manufacturers, fingers have been pointed at the EU itself, which ordered the vaccines; Germany's federal government, which distributes them to state authorities; and state governments, which are in charge of the actual vaccinations.

Monday's meeting is meant to help improve coordination, among other things, though Merkel's office has cautioned against expecting too much in the way of immediate results. It hasn't specified what industry representatives will join in.

"We could carry on like last weekcouncil leaders criticize governors and state ministers, state ministers criticize federal ministers and the federal government, the federal government criticizes the European Commission and all criticize the manufacturers," Health Minister Jens Spahn, himself a frequent target of criticism, told ZDF television on Sunday.

"The virus is the enemy, the opponent, and no one else," he said. "We all have responsibility and we are responsible above all for doing better."

Germany is in its second lockdown, which is currently due to expire Feb. 14. Infection figures are falling, but are still well above the government's target. Germany has seen over 57,100 confirmed deaths in the pandemic.

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.
Luxembourg spends $25,000 per student per year, ranging from primary school up until university, according to the Ministry of Education following a parliamentary question by CSV deputies Martine Hansen and Jean-Paul Schaf.

The costs vary from year to year. In the school year of 2013/2014, for example, the cost per primary school pupil lay at $18,000, whereas this figure increased to $21,000 in the two years after, before dropping back to $18,000 for the last year of primary school.

In secondary schools, a student cost the state $23,000 in the year of 2017/2018, $3,000 more than a pupil in primary school.

The CSV MPs also inquired how the number of students and teachers had developed since 2013. For 2021, 52,000 children are registered in primary schools; 6,000 more than seven years ago. 39,000 students are registered in secondary schools, which is an increase of 2,000 students since 2013.

In terms of teachers and staff, 5,700 are employed in primary schools (+700) and 5,000 in secondary schools (+600).

Each year in spring, the education ministry projects how many teachers are required for the following year.
Within four days, Vietnam recorded 240 cases of Covid-19 community infections. However, the Ministry of Health said that up to 20% of F0 cases did not cooperate with the authorities Covid-19 tracing effort.

It is also reported that hundreds of F1 cases did not voluntarily made medical declaration, did not cooperate with relevant agencies, or refused to communicate, making it difficult for the authorities in epidemic prevention.

In this situation, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, Head of the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control, called on people in epidemic areas, especially those in the provinces of Hai Duong and Quang Ninh  the two epidemic hotspots  to implement epidemic control measures and make the most of social media tools to provide information about the people who had contact with them in recent time to the health authorities.

This not only protects yourself but also contributes to the peace of the whole country, the Deputy Prime Minister said.

People can make online medical declaration at https://tokhaiyte.vn and http://antoancovid.vn/khaibao

Since January 28, Vietnam has recorded 240 Covid-19 cases in the community in 9 provinces, including: Hai Duong (188), Quang Ninh (25), Hanoi (15), Bac Ninh (3), Hoa Binh (2), Gia Lai (4), and in Hai Phong, Binh Duong, and Ho Chi Minh City, which have one case each.

On the morning of February 1, Hanoi reported two more cases in Me Linh District, which has not been officially announced by the Ministry of Health.

Thuy Hanh

17 cities, provinces close schools amid COVID-19 outbreaks So far, 17 cities and provinces nationwide have decided to temporarily shut down schools a week ahead of the lunar New Year break in an attempt to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Massachusetts residents can expect far more than just a few snowflakes in the coming hours.

A noreaster is headed in the Bay States direction, with 7 to 15 inches of snow forecast throughout the commonwealth. Lesser amounts are expected toward the Pioneer Valley and the coast, according to the National Weather Service.

Light snow already started to spread over much of the state early Monday and precipitation will continue through late Tuesday, officials said.

On Sunday evening, the weather service upgraded its winter storm watch for the impending noreaster to a winter storm warning, telling drivers to prepare for hazardous travel conditions.

Travel could be very difficult to impossible, the agency said. Gusty winds may bring down tree branches. If someone needs to drive during the storm, they should keep an extra flashlight, food and water in their vehicle in case of an emergency.

Gov. Charlie Baker and other officials are urging residents to stay off roadways and avoid travel if possible. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has roughly 3,900 pieces of state and vendor equipment available to clear the roads, the governor noted in a tweet.

Driving tomorrow will be hazardous due to the high winds and snow in the forecast, so we are asking everyone to stay off the roads, avoid traveling if possible and to use public transportation if they have to go out, Baker said.

 We're urging residents to stay off the roadways and avoid travel if possible. If you must go out, allow plenty of extra time and consider public transportation.



 @MassDOT has approximately 3,900 pieces of state and vendor equipment available to clear the roads.#MAsnow  Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) February 1, 2021

By the time the major winter storm is over Tuesday evening, the noreaster will have dumped as much as 2 inches on Cape Cod, 11 inches in Boston, 13 inches in Worcester, 6 inches in Springfield, 9 inches in Pittsfield and 11 inches in North Adams, according to forecasters.

If coronavirus vaccination locations close due to the inclement weather, those sites will reach out to individuals with appointments to reschedule, Baker added.

If you cant safely get to your appointment, you can reschedule. Reach out to your location with questions, the governor said in another tweet.

 If #COVID19MA vaccination locations close due to weather, locations will reach out to individuals with appointments to reschedule. If you can't safely get to your appointment, you can reschedule. Reach out to your location with questions.#MAsnowhttps://t.co/jcmB36rZ10  Charlie Baker (@MassGovernor) February 1, 2021

Snow should fall at rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour Monday afternoon and evening. There is an 80% percent chance that snowfall rates will exceed 1 inch per hour across the spine of the Berkshires and from Rhode Island into Eastern Massachusetts between roughly 2 and 10 p.m., officials said.

Forecasters noted there is a 30 to 50 percent chance that snow will fall at an even greater rate of more than 2 inches per hour at certain points over the course of the storm.

[The] heaviest snow is expected between noon and midnight, coinciding with the evening commute, so please plan accordingly, the weather service said in a tweet.

[Feb 1 430 AM] Hot off the press! A major winter storm will produce 7-15" of heavy, wet #snow, with the Cape & Islands receiving lesser amounts. Heaviest snow is expected between noon & midnight, coinciding with the evening commute so please plan accordingly. #MAwx #RIwx #CTwx pic.twitter.com/PlepgAqytC  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) February 1, 2021

Along with bringing heavy snow to the state, the noreaster is expected to batter Massachusetts with strong winds and coastal flooding as well, the weather service added.

A high wind warning has been issued for the Cape and Islands, and both a coastal flood advisory and warning have been issued for the entire eastern coast of the state, including the Cape.

Wind gusts may reach as high as 45 to 60 miles per hour on the Cape and 30 to 45 mph across the rest of the state, forecasters said.

People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around trees, the weather service warned. Instead, residents have been urged to remain in the lower levels of their home during the windstorm and avoid windows.

Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected, the agency said.

For the coastal flood warning, which should remain in effect from 8 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday, 2 to 3 feet of inundation is forecast across what the weather service described as vulnerable areas near the waterfront and shoreline.

For the advisory, which should remain in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, around a foot of inundation is expected, according to officials.

Flooding may lead to numerous road closures and cause low-lying properties - including parking lots, parks, lawns and homes and businesses with basements near the waterfront - to be inundated with water, forecasters warned.

Vehicles parked in vulnerable areas near the waterfront will likely become flooded, the weather service said. Take the necessary actions to protect flood-prone property. If travel is required, do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.

[Feb 1 430 AM Part 2] In addition, winds up to 60 mph are possible, strongest near the coast. A Coastal Flood Advisory is also in effect for possible minor coastal flooding during Mon night & Tue afternoon high tide along the Eastern MA coast as well as the Cape & Islands. pic.twitter.com/prXWVupE0a  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) February 1, 2021

Most of the storm system will move off the coast Tuesday evening through the gulf of Maine and Canada. Before then, light precipitation is expected from sunrise onward, according to the weather service.

A dry slot should move in Tuesday, though the exact timing of it is still unclear, transitioning heavy precipitation to showers, officials said.

Related Content:
Eleven people died and many more were injured in two unrelated car bombings in Northern Aleppo.

A car bomb exploded leaving at least five people dead and more than 25 injured in Northern Aleppo, Syrias al-Watan newspaper reported on Sunday.

State news agency SANA reported the bombing in the city of Azaz but did not say how many people had been killed or injured.

Turkey, which is allied with some rebel groups opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is in control of the area where the explosion occurred.

A separate suicide car bombing at a checkpoint manned by the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the Bezaa area, also in Northern Aleppo, killed six FSA members and injured four, FSA sources said.

Turkish forces and their Syrian insurgent allies seized territory in the region in an offensive in 2019 against the Kurdish YPG militia which holds swathes of north and east Syria.

Turkey regards the YPG as a terrorist group tied to the PKK inside its own borders.

Turkish state-owned Anadolu agency said 10 people had died and 24 were injured in two attacks in Northern Syria on Sunday, adding that a car bomb had exploded in the center of Azaz.

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.
By John W. Whitehead and Nisha Whitehead

This is an issue that all Democrats, Republicans, independents, Libertarians should be extremely concerned about, especially because we dont have to guess about where this goes or how this ends. What characteristics are we looking for as we are building this profile of a potential extremist, what are we talking about? Religious extremists, are we talking about Christians, evangelical Christians, what is a religious extremist? Is it somebody who is pro-life? [The proposed legislation could create] a very dangerous undermining of our civil liberties, our freedoms in our Constitution, and a targeting of almost half of the country.Tulsi Gabbard, former Congresswoman

January 31, 2021 " Information Clearing House " - This is how it begins.

We are moving fast down that slippery slope to an authoritarian society in which the only opinions, ideas and speech expressed are the ones permitted by the government and its corporate cohorts.

In the wake of the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol, domestic terrorism has become the new poster child for expanding the governments powers at the expense of civil liberties.

Of course, domestic terrorist is just the latest bulls eye phrase, to be used interchangeably with anti-government, extremist and terrorist, to describe anyone who might fall somewhere on a very broad spectrum of viewpoints that could be considered dangerous.

Watch and see: we are all about to become enemies of the state.

In a deja vu mirroring of the legislative fall-out from 9/11, and the ensuing build-up of the security state, there is a growing demand in certain sectors for the government to be given expanded powers to root out domestic terrorism, the Constitution be damned.

If this is a test of Joe Bidens worthiness to head up the American police state, he seems ready.

As part of his inaugural address, President Biden pledged to confront and defeat a rise of political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism. Biden has also asked the Director of National Intelligence to work with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security in carrying out a comprehensive threat assessment of domestic terrorism. And then to keep the parallels going, there is the proposed Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021, introduced after the Jan. 6 riots, which aims to equip the government with the tools to identify, monitor and thwart those who could become radicalized to violence.

Dont blink or youll miss the sleight of hand.

Post your comment below

This is the tricky part of the Deep States con game that keeps you focused on the shell game in front of you while your wallet is being picked clean by ruffians in your midst.

It follows the same pattern as every other convenient crisis used by the government as an excuse to expand its powers at the citizenrys expense and at the expense of our freedoms.

As investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald warns:

The last two weeks have ushered in a wave of new domestic police powers and rhetoric in the name of fighting terrorism that are carbon copies of many of the worst excesses of the first War on Terror that began nearly twenty years ago. This New War on Terrorone that is domestic in name from the start and carries the explicit purpose of fighting extremists and domestic terrorists among American citizens on U.S. soilpresents the whole slew of historically familiar dangers when governments, exploiting media-generated fear and dangers, arm themselves with the power to control information, debate, opinion, activism and protests.

Greenwald is referring to the USA Patriot Act, passed almost 20 years ago, which paved the way for the eradication of every vital safeguard against government overreach, corruption and abuse.

Free speech, the right to protest, the right to challenge government wrongdoing, due process, a presumption of innocence, the right to self-defense, accountability and transparency in government, privacy, press, sovereignty, assembly, bodily integrity, representative government: all of these and more have become casualties in the governments war on the American people, a war that has grown more pronounced since Sept. 11, 2001.

Some members of Congress get it.

In a letter opposing expansion of national security powers, a handful congressional representatives urged their colleagues not to repeat the mistakes of the past:

While many may find comfort in increased national security powers in the wake of this attack, we must emphasize that we have been here before and we have seen where that road leads. Our history is littered with examples of initiatives sold as being necessary to fight extremism that quickly devolve into tools used for the mass violation of the human and civil rights of the American people To expand the governments national security powers once again at the expense of the human and civil rights of the American people would only serve to further undermine our democracy, not protect it.

Cue the Emergency State, the governments Machiavellian version of crisis management that justifies all manner of government tyranny in the so-called name of national security.

This is the power grab hiding in plain sight, obscured by the political machinations of the self-righteous elite. This is how the government continues to exploit crises and use them as opportunities for power grabs under the guise of national security. Indeed, this is exactly how the government added red flag gun laws, precrime surveillance, fusion centers, threat assessments, mental health assessments, involuntary confinement to its arsenal of weaponized powers.

The objective is not to make America safe again. That has never been the governments aim.

Greenwald explains:

Why would such new terrorism laws be needed in a country that already imprisons more of its citizens than any other country in the world as the result of a very aggressive set of criminal laws? What acts should be criminalized by new domestic terrorism laws that are not already deemed criminal? They never say, almost certainly becausejust as was true of the first set of new War on Terror lawstheir real aim is to criminalize that which should not be criminalized: speech, association, protests, opposition to the new ruling coalition.

So you see, the issue is not whether Donald Trump or Roger Stone or MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell deserve to be banned from Twitter, even if theyre believed to be spouting misinformation, hateful ideas, or fomenting discontent.

Rather, we should be asking whether any corporation or government agency or entity representing a fusion of the two should have the power to muzzle, silence, censor, regulate, control and altogether eradicate so-called dangerous or extremist ideas.

This unilateral power to muzzle free speech represents a far greater danger than any so-called right- or left-wing extremist might pose.

The ramifications are so far-reaching as to render almost every American an extremist in word, deed, thought or by association.

Yet where many go wrong is in assuming that you have to be doing something illegal or challenging the governments authority in order to be flagged as a suspicious character, labeled an enemy of the state and locked up like a dangerous criminal.

Eventually, all you will really need to do is use certain trigger words, surf the internet, communicate using a cell phone, drive a car, stay at a hotel, purchase materials at a hardware store, take flying or boating lessons, appear suspicious, question government authority, or generally live in the United States.

The groundwork has already been laid.

The trap is set.

All that is needed is the right bait.

With the help of automated eyes and ears, a growing arsenal of high-tech software, hardware and techniques, government propaganda urging Americans to turn into spies and snitches, as well as social media and behavior sensing software, government agents have been busily spinning a sticky spider-web of threat assessments, behavioral sensing warnings, flagged words, and suspicious activity reports aimed at snaring potential enemies of the state.

Its the American police states take on the dystopian terrors foreshadowed by George Orwell, Aldous Huxley and Phillip K. Dick all rolled up into one oppressive pre-crime and pre-thought crime package.

Whats more, the technocrats who run the surveillance state dont even have to break a sweat while monitoring what you say, what you read, what you write, where you go, how much you spend, whom you support, and with whom you communicate. Computers by way of AI (artificial intelligence) now do the tedious work of trolling social media, the internet, text messages and phone calls for potentially anti-government remarks, all of which is carefully recorded, documented, and stored to be used against you someday at a time and place of the governments choosing.

For instance, police in major American cities have been using predictive policing technology that allows them to identify individualsor groups of individualsmost likely to commit a crime in a given community. Those individuals are then put on notice that their movements and activities will be closely monitored and any criminal activity (by them or their associates) will result in harsh penalties.

In other words, the burden of proof is reversed: you are guilty before you are given any chance to prove you are innocent.

Dig beneath the surface of this kind of surveillance/police state, however, and you will find that the real purpose of pre-crime is not safety but control.

Red flag gun laws merely push us that much closer towards a suspect society where everyone is potentially guilty of some crime or another and must be preemptively rendered harmless.

This is the same government that has a growing listshared with fusion centers and law enforcement agenciesof ideologies, behaviors, affiliations and other characteristics that could flag someone as suspicious and result in their being labeled potential enemies of the state.

For instance, if you believe in and exercise your rights under the Constitution (namely, your right to speak freely, worship freely, associate with like-minded individuals who share your political views, criticize the government, own a weapon, demand a warrant before being questioned or searched, or any other activity viewed as potentially anti-government, racist, bigoted, anarchic or sovereign), you could be at the top of the governments terrorism watch list.

Moreover, as a New York Times editorial warns, you may be an anti-government extremist (a.k.a. domestic terrorist) in the eyes of the police if you are afraid that the government is plotting to confiscate your firearms, if you believe the economy is about to collapse and the government will soon declare martial law, or if you display an unusual number of political and/or ideological bumper stickers on your car.

According to one FBI latest report, you might also be classified as a domestic terrorism threat if you espouse conspiracy theories, especially if you attempt to explain events or circumstances as the result of a group of actors working in secret to benefit themselves at the expense of others and are usually at odds with official or prevailing explanations of events.

Additionally, according to Michael C. McGarrity, the FBIs assistant director of the counterterrorism division, the bureau now classifies domestic terrorism threats into four main categories: racially motivated violent extremism, anti-government/anti-authority extremism, animal rights/environmental extremism, and abortion extremism.

In other words, if you dare to subscribe to any views that are contrary to the governments, you may well be suspected of being a domestic terrorist and treated accordingly.

Again, where many Americans go wrong is in naively assuming that you have to be doing something illegal or harmful in order to be flagged and targeted for some form of intervention or detention.

In fact, U.S. police agencies have been working to identify and manage potential extremist threats, violent or otherwise, before they can become actual threats for some time now.

In much the same way that the USA Patriot Act was used as a front to advance the surveillance state, allowing the government to establish a far-reaching domestic spying program that turned every American citizen into a criminal suspect, the governments anti-extremism program renders otherwise lawful, nonviolent activities as potentially extremist.

In fact, all you need to do these days to end up on a government watch list or be subjected to heightened scrutiny is use certain trigger words (like cloud, pork and pirates), surf the internet, communicate using a cell phone, limp or stutter, drive a car, stay at a hotel, attend a political rally, express yourself on social media, appear mentally ill, serve in the military, disagree with a law enforcement official, call in sick to work, purchase materials at a hardware store, take flying or boating lessons, appear suspicious, appear confused or nervous, fidget or whistle or smell bad, be seen in public waving a toy gun or anything remotely resembling a gun (such as a water nozzle or a remote control or a walking cane), stare at a police officer, question government authority, or appear to be pro-gun or pro-freedom.

Be warned: once you get on such a government watch listwhether its a terrorist watch list, a mental health watch list, a dissident watch list, or a red flag gun watch listtheres no clear-cut way to get off, whether or not you should actually be on there.

You will be tracked wherever you go.

You will be flagged as a potential threat and dealt with accordingly.

This is pre-crime on an ideological scale and its been a long time coming.

The government has been building its pre-crime, surveillance network in concert with fusion centers (of which there are 78 nationwide, with partners in the corporate sector and globally), data collection agencies, behavioral scientists, corporations, social media, and community organizers and by relying on cutting-edge technology for surveillance, facial recognition, predictive policing, biometrics, and behavioral epigenetics (in which life experiences alter ones genetic makeup).

If youre not scared yet, you should be.

Connect the dots.

Start with the powers amassed by the government under the USA Patriot Act, note the governments ever-broadening definition of what it considers to be an extremist, then add in the governments detention powers under NDAA, the National Security Agencys far-reaching surveillance networks, and fusion centers that collect and share surveillance data between local, state and federal police agencies.

To that, add tens of thousands of armed, surveillance drones and balloons that are beginning to blanket American skies, facial recognition technology that will identify and track you wherever you go and whatever you do. And then to complete the picture, toss in the real-time crime centers being deployed in cities across the country, which will be attempting to predict crimes and identify so-called criminals before they happen based on widespread surveillance, complex mathematical algorithms and prognostication programs.

Hopefully youre starting to understand how easy weve made it for the government to identify, label, target, defuse and detain anyone it views as a potential threat for a variety of reasons that run the gamut from mental illness to having a military background to challenging its authority to just being on the governments list of persona non grata.

Theres always a price to pay for standing up to the powers-that-be.

Yet as I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, you dont even have to be a dissident to get flagged by the government for surveillance, censorship and detention.

All you really need to be is a citizen of the American police state.

Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute . His new book Battlefield America: The War on the American People is available at www.amazon.com . Whitehead can be contacted at johnw@rutherford.org.
Shortly after Rosalind Brewer was named CEO of Sams Club in 2012, she attended a small roundtable event exclusive to chief executives in New York. During the reception, Brewer introduced herself to a male CEO, who asked if she worked in marketing or merchandising  despite the invitation making it clear it was a CEO-only event.

After I gave him the side-eye, she recounted in a 2018 Spelman College commencement speech, pausing to reenact her expression to the graduates of the historically Black college for women in Atlanta, I ascended to the podium as the keynote for the day, and I enjoyed the look on his face when my bio was read, she said.

When youre a Black woman, you get mistaken a lot. You get mistaken as someone who could actually not have that top job.

Brewer, who uses Roz as her first name, is not likely to be mistaken now. On Tuesday, Walgreens Boots Alliance named Brewer to lead a retail pharmacy chain that has fallen behind rival CVS and now faces the massive challenge of rolling out its stockpile of the coronavirus vaccine.

The appointment will make Brewer, who has had the chief operating job at Starbucks, the only Black female CEO of a Fortune 500 company.

Its a singular distinction both stunning for the year 2021 and yet all too familiar in corporate America, where it has been more than four years since a Black woman held a Fortune 500 CEO job and where there are currently just four Black male CEOs.

Brewers resume includes top jobs at Starbucks, Walmart, and Kimberly-Clark, and director seats on such powerhouse boards as Lockheed Martin and Amazon. This made many see her rise to the corner office as a question of when, not if.

Yet, her appointment comes at a time when American business has been grappling with its role on racial equity, spending the last year promising to diversify its ranks amid the Black Lives Matter movement. That makes Brewer, who chairs the Spelman College board of trustees and helped Starbucks navigate a high-profile racial incident in Philadelphia in 2018, uniquely position among CEOs to speak credibly about her experiences as a Black woman.

 READ MORE: Biden invites GOP lawmakers to White House virus relief talk

Brewer, 58, whose parents worked for General Motors in Detroit, has spoken openly about how the deaths of unarmed Black men George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery have made her nervous and scared for all the young Black men in her life.

And she has recalled in stark terms a firestorm that erupted in 2015 on social media  Brewer has said she received death threats after she talked about demanding diversity on teams and suppliers in a CNN interview. It was a nasty, nasty reminder that every day, people of color face systemic racism so blatant, so emboldened, and yet so normalized, Brewer said in her Spelman commencement speech.

She faces a major challenge at Walgreens: Analysts say the pharmacy retailer has underperformed during the pandemic, struggling with lower store traffic as consumers consolidated shopping trips and bought more low-margin consumer goods. Amazon is muscling into prescription refills, and Walgreens biggest rival, CVS, has turned itself into an integrated health-care company after acquiring pharmacy benefits manager Caremark and the insurer Aetna.

(Walgreens first took a stake in Alliance Boots, a multinational pharmacy business, in 2012, and completed the merger in 2014. The company declined to make Brewer available for an interview.)

Meanwhile, the rollout of the vaccine presents an opportunity  analysts say it could lead to higher foot traffic and sales when consumers coming in for a vaccine stay and pick up other items. But it will also be a huge logistical challenge.

After joining Walmart in 2006, Brewer became the first woman and first Black executive to lead a major unit there when she was named chief executive of its Sams Club division in 2012.

Soon after joining the board of Starbucks in 2017, she was asked to lead operations at the coffee giant. Within months, she found herself managing the fallout after the arrest of two Black men waiting at a cafe at 18th and Walnut Streets in Philadelphia.

As a Black woman, as a mother of a 23-year-old Black male myself, a girl from Detroit who challenges racism every day because shes never had a choice, and as a human being, it infuriates me to see acts of hate, acts of entitlement, acts of privilege repeating over and over and over and over and over again in this country, she said of the Philadelphia incident in her 2018 Spelman speech.

As the story spread wildly, Brewer picked up the story on social media early and began getting messages from her son, asking what she was going to do about it. Before long, she was flying to Philadelphia to meet with other executives to handle the crisis; Starbucks was ultimately applauded for shutting all its stores for antibias training.
[February 01, 2021] SKEMA deploys its first advances in AI

PARIS, Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- One year after the launch of its strategic plan 2020-2025, SKEMA is pleased to announce several concrete advances especially in artificial intelligence: With SKEMA AI Institute, AI is being rolled out across all programmes and campuses. A forerunner in 2019 with the opening of an AI research centre in Montreal, SKEMA is gaining momentum with the creation of the SKEMA AI Institute, a global system that brings together some twenty professors and experts around AI and deploys the school's AI strategy - from research to concrete applications in all the school's programmes - while drawing on the territories and ecosystems of its various campuses in France and abroad. In this context, the school's historical cooperation with the UCA (University Cote d'Azur), and more particularly, the Institut 3IA Cote d'Azur, is worth mentioning. For Alice Guilhon, Dean of SKEMA Business School: "It was essential to introduce AI into all of SKEMA's academic programmes. It even constitutes one of the pillars of SKY25 it's what we call hybridisation. This hybridisation is one of the levers of our ambition to become an 'Avant-Garde' school by proposing the hybridisation of 100% of our programmes: AI at the service of the business world."



Among the advances in the field of AI, we can note the following: Constitution of a SKEMA "AI Faculty", composed of more than 20 professors and researchers divided into 4 interdisciplinary fields: AI Fundamentals; IA, Economics & Finance; IA, Marketing & Management; IA, Operations, Supply Chain & Information Systems.

Integration of an "AI" specialisation within the Global BBA programme.

Launch of a new Specialised Master programme for "AI project managers" in autumn 2021, currently in the process of being approved by the "Conference des Grandes Ecoles" organisation. Asma Hanafi, a student in the Master in Management programme (Grande Ecole Programme) who has chosen the "IA for managers" programme, says: "The added value of such an AI training programme lies, above all, in its technical nature. Being a business school student and applying for an internship while having skills in machine learning and programming make us attractive profiles with an edge. I felt this advantage during the interviews for my internship search because it aroused the curiosity of several recruiters. Today, AI is an integral part of all sectors of activities. It contributes to research, innovation, and decision-making, whether it be for marketing, human resources, finance, etc. Data management and analysis are issues that all companies face. It is therefore essential for the manager of tomorrow to know how to master such central subjects."

To date, more than 70% of SKEMA's programmes include the AI dimension in their teaching. With the SKEMA AI Institute and its new programmes, the school prefigures what will eventually become a specific entity under the name "SKEMA AI School for Business". For more details on these initiatives, take a look at the SKEMA AI for Business brochure: http://bit.ly/2YnnLGL. Contact: Christine Cassabois, Christine.cassabois@skema.edu Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1430593/SKEMA_AI_visual.jpg SOURCE SKEMA Business School

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A heavy winter storm expected to dump over 20 inches of snow on Staten Island from Sunday night through Monday has prompted multiple Catholic High Schools to announce closures and full-remote days for the start of the week.

All Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of New York, including schools on Staten Island, will be closed on Monday, the Advance/SILive.com reported.

Heres what we know:

MONSIGNOR FARRELL HIGH SCHOOL

Monsignor Farrell High School announced it will go fully remote on Monday and will be closed on Tuesday for a traditional snow day, according to an email sent to the schools community.

Additionally, the school will be closed to all extracurricular activities on both Monday and Tuesday.

ST. JOSEPH HILL ACADEMY

St. Joseph Hill Academy announced a snow day for Monday, according to the schools calendar.

NOTRE DAME ACADEMY

Parents of students at Notre Dame Academy were told via phone that Monday will be observed as a snow day, two people told the Advance/SILive.com.

ST. PETERS HIGH SCHOOL

St. Peters Boys High School will be closed on Monday for a traditional snow day, the school announced in an email. All extracurricular activites will also be canceled for the day.

ST. JOSEPH BY THE SEA

St. Joseph by the Sea did not immediately respond for a request for comment regarding its plans for Monday.
2020 was a year marked by hardships and challenges, but the Fauquier community has proven resilient. The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you for your continued support, wed like to offer all our subscribers -- new or returning --

4 WEEKS FREE DIGITAL AND PRINT ACCESS.

We understand the importance of working to keep our community strong and connected. As we move forward together into 2021, it will take commitment, communication, creativity, and a strong connection with those who are most affected by the stories we cover.

We are dedicated to providing the reliable, local journalism you have come to expect. We are committed to serving you with renewed energy and growing resources. Let the Fauquier Times be your community companion throughout 2021, and for many years to come.
The government will introduce legislation to uphold council decisions to establish Maori wards Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has announced.

The first stage of the legislative reform will include immediate changes to establish transitional measures making the establishment of Maori wards easier ahead of the 2022 local elections.

This could mean the petition against the establishment of a Maori Ward in Tauranga calling for a referendum on the issue will no longer be upheld.

On Friday hundreds of people attended a public meeting discussing the issue with people both for and against the establishment of a ward.

The meeting was organised by a group called Concerned Citizens, which recently submitted the petition.

Protesters standing with signs and Maori flags filled the back of the TYPBC club room, behind rows of seats filled to the brim with other meeting attendees.

Speakers included former New Conservative party member Elliot Ikilei, and Hobsons pledge members Don Brash and Casey Costello.

They argued their views are in favour of equality and Maori bettering themselves.

Arguments for Maori Wards, and against the petition followed from iwi leader Buddy Mikaere and one other speaker.

Buddy says the fact that no other ward has gone through the same process or scrutiny proves that racism is fuelling the petition.

Tauranga City Council voted to establish a Maori ward in the 2022 local government elections in August last year.

People at the meeting on Friday. Image: Mackenzie Dyer/SunLive.

Mahuta made the announcement about the legislation in New Plymouth today. She says the current system had a different set of rules for establishing Maori and general wards and that councils had asked for a law change.

The current law allows the decision of an elected council to introduce a Maori ward to be overturned by a local poll. Just 5 per cent of support is needed for a poll to be demanded.

Mahuta says the rules needed to change.

"The process of establishing a ward should be the same for both Maori and general wards. These are decisions for democratically-elected councils, who are accountable to the public every three years.

"Polls have proven to be an almost insurmountable barrier to councils trying to improve the democratic representation of Maori interests. This process is fundamentally unfair to Maori."

Legislative reform to Maori wards processes would be progressed in two stages over the next three years.

The second stage would develop a permanent mechanism for local authorities to consider the establishment of Maori wards and constituencies.

Mahuta says increasing Maori representation will be a good thing.

"Increasing Maori representation is essential to ensuring equity in representation and to provide a Maori voice in local decision making. It will also lead to greater Maori participation in the resource management process.

"We know the importance of diversity around the council table and, as part of the government's commitment to working to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we need to do our part to enable councils to achieve fair representation. Like in Parliamentary elections, specific Maori seats can assist with this.

"Maori and non-Maori across New Zealand have been calling for these changes for some time, including the recent presentation of two petitions with more than 11,000 signatures to Parliament."

On 4 December a petition was delivered to MPs urging them to get rid of legislation that enabled referenda on Maori wards.

ActionStation collected more than 10,000 signatures calling for Parliament to make the process of establishing Maori wards for district and regional councils the same as the process for establishing general wards.

The new legislation will also extend the deadline for councils to consider Maori wards to 21 May 2021, providing them with a fresh opportunity to make decisions on Maori representation at the 2022 local elections.

Background:

Since 2002, 24 councils have attempted to establish Maori wards using the process under the Local Electoral Act 2001 and only two have been successful so far

Nine councils have decided to establish Maori wards for the 2022 local elections, joining three councils who established these at earlier elections. The government will support these councils' decisions to improve Maori representation

Additional reporting RNZ.
Crawford & Co. Shuffles Executive Assignments

Crawford & Company has reassigned several executives as part of a new organizational structure that aligns the company to three lines of business: loss adjusting, third-party administration and platform solution.

Andrew Bart assumes the new role of president, loss adjusting, international and Pat Van Bakel assumes the role of president, loss adjusting, North America. Bakel will continue in his current position as president of Crawford Canada, the Atlanta-based claims administrator said in a press release.

Mike Jones now leads Crawfords international TPA, Broadspire, as president. Mike Hoberman assumes the role of president TPA: Broadspire, North America upon the retirement of Neil Lentine on Feb. 5.

Larry Thomas, now leads the newly created Platform Solutions as its global president. Platform Solutions global service line is comprised of unique offerings with considerable growth potential, the company said. These include Contractor Connection and the network businesses of WeGoLook, Simply Crawford, Crawford Workforce Advantage and U.S. Catastrophe Services.

Ken Tolson assumes the role of global president of the networks business unit within the Platform Solutions global service line. Charlotte von Krogh assumes the role of president of Crawford Europe.

This new structure enables us to deliver the full breadth of our capabilities to clients anywhere in the world, stated Crawford Chief Executive Officer Rohit Verma.

Charles Taylor Appoints Manager for US Marine

Charles Taylor said that Kuhrt Wieneke, president of Charles Taylor Marine Technical Services  U.S., has been appointed as managing director of Charles Taylor Adjustings U.S. Marine division.

Wieneke joined Charles Taylor in April 2020 with the creation of Charles Taylor Marine Technical Services. CT MTS brought together the marine surveying and technical marine consultancy businesses of Bowditch Marine, Pilot Marine and the marine surveyors of Charles Taylor Adjusting U.S., as one cohesive marine surveying and consultancy service provider.

Wieneke has managed the CT MTS team of 19 professionals, including industry veteran John Poulson, operating from Charles Taylor U.S. locations in Seattle, New York, Boston, Savannah, San Francisco, Houston and Honolulu. CT MTS supports sector clients, including vessel owners and charterers, hull and machinery insurers, P&I Clubs, cargo owners and re/insurance underwriters.

Wieneke will be responsible for overseeing and managing CT MTSs team of marine surveyors and technical consulting specialists, as well as CTAs experienced marine adjusters, integrating the management and growth strategy of Charles Taylors marine businesses.

Actuarial Risk Management Hires Senior Actuary

Austin, Texas-based Actuarial Risk Management has hired Marc Altschull as a senior consulting actuary.

In this newly created position, Altschull will lead an initiative offering insurance asset management solutions, as well as enhance the marketing capabilities of the firms actuarial services, particularly within the life insurance industry, the company said in a press release.

Altschull is experienced in life insurance consulting and risk management, having developed risk management functions for Pacific Life Insurance Company and Voya Investment Management, the company said.

Altschull serves as treasurer for CFA Society Atlanta, vice chairperson for the American Academy of Actuaries Life Valuation Committee and treasurer for the Society of Actuaries investment section, the company said.
The move was met with panic and incredulity. Critics accused the European Union, which spent years criticizing the Trump administration for erecting trade barriers, of doing the same. And Brexit supporters found fresh ammunition against the bloc, accusing it of trying to take vaccines away from Britons, whose country is in the throes of a catastrophic second wave and was finally doing a good job getting them immunized.

The idea was a brainchild of Ms. von der Leyen and her inner circle, several senior E.U. officials said. Six such officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not want to publicly criticize Ms. von der Leyen, said that the president had solely relied, per her habit, on an extremely small subgroup of advisers, excluding from deliberations not only expert staff, but even some of her senior cabinet members.

And when it came to presenting the policy to the public, Ms. von der Leyen sent out Ms. Kyriakides, the health commissioner, and Valdis Dombrovskis, a commission vice president who handles several economy issues, including trade.

On Friday night, as the legal text of the hastily assembled policy was published, reporters noticed it made provisions for the European Union to activate a nuclear clause in the divorce terms with Britain, known as Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which practically reinstitutes a hard border on the island of Ireland, one of the toughest points the bloc had to smooth over with Britain.

The idea was that activating that clause would close a loophole for Britain to spirit away E.U. vaccines out of the bloc by using the lack of borders between the Republic of Ireland, an E.U. country, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

The fallout was fast and furious. By 1 a.m. Saturday, following several tense calls including with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, Ms. von der Leyen performed an embarrassing U-turn, reversing the Article 16 invocation.
This February marks 50 years since a malevolent and ruthless Ugandan army officer staged a political coup in East Africa and pronounced himself President Idi Amin Dada of Uganda. He would come to be known as The Butcher of Uganda.

During his time in office, Idi Amin tortured, mutilated, and murdered thousands of Ugandans - estimated by Amnesty International to be around half a million people. So many of his victims were thrown into the Nile that the Owen Falls Dam regularly became blocked with body parts. He kept the decapitated heads of his opponents in his freezer, although he denied claims of cannibalism. Human flesh was too salty, he joked.

The Indian Diaspora throughout the globe will remember Idi Amin well. In August 1972 he announced that, following a prophetic dream, he was expelling thousands of Ugandan Asians from the country, accusing them of sabotaging Ugandas economy and encouraging corruption. They had 90 days notice and were ordered to surrender all their businesses, homes, and possessions, each one of them only being allowed to take the equivalent of 50 out of the country.

Although there was condemnation for Amins actions, the world only stood by to watch as within Uganda a wild scramble for passports and visas began. Some countries were willing to receive the refugees, others made excuses. Meanwhile, there were rumours in the background. Idi Amin was building concentration camps and silencing dissent. He was an admirer of Adolf Hitler, and the Ugandan Asians could see where things were heading if they didnt leave soon.

It was the hardship of the Ugandan Asians that originally inspired author Claire Duende to write her recently published novel 'The Fortunicity of Birdie Dalal'. The book follows the experiences of a young Ugandan Asian woman who loses everything and comes to England to forge a new life with her family.

I was writing a novel about loss, and starting again, and I distinctly recalled images of Ugandan Asians disembarking at Heathrow Airport in 1972. The lost look on their faces as they arrived in our cold country was heart-breaking. They were rock bottom, yet over the years they have integrated fully and gone on to prosper.

While researching my novel, I read Mahmood Mamdanis book 'From Citizen to Refugee' recounting his experience of being housed in a resettlement camp in Kensington, London. I was surprised that there had been shelters in the centre of London and I remembered the area well from that time when I was only fifteen. I tried to imagine how it would appear to equally naive eyes.

Duendes book follows the journey of Birdie and her family, from their expulsion from Uganda to their new, diminished life in London. This is emphasised further when her husband re-establishes links with his old Cambridge University friends, the new gulf between them seeming immense.

Says Duende, I think many people often look at refugees and see them as embodiments of the tumultuous events they are going through at the time, but they are also individuals in their own right, with their own stories. So it is with Birdie, who has her own demons and insecurities to contend with while navigating this traumatic event. But whereas this could be a gloomy tale of loss and despair, it is ultimately an uplifting story that illustrates the power of kindness and horizons of hope. Maybe thats something we all need right now. Hope.

The Fortunicity of Birdie Dalal by Claire Duende

Tryphena Press

ISBN 978-1916272811

Available in paperback and ebook format from all retail outlets, ebook distributors and libraries.

Further information:

Press copy and images: http://www.tryphenapress.com/press

Contact:

Publisher: http://www.tryphenapress.com

Author: http://www.claireduende.com
Appointment

1 February 2021

Ambiente, a Landscape Hotel, one of North America's most anticipated hotel opening of 2021, announced today that it has tapped renowned chef Lisa Dahl to lead the vision for the hotel's culinary offering.

Campy yet chic, Al chemy will be Ambiente's signature restaurant that finds its home within a custom Airstream, which has been transformed and reimagined into a culinary destination situated poolside at the heart of the three-acre property.

Chef Lisa Dahl, the award-winning chef lauded by critics and the nation's top media outlets for more than 25 years, is the visionary behind this inventive, unsuspecting outpost in the rugged Sedona desert. Fitting of its ultra-luxe setting at Ambiente, Alchemy is exclusive to hotel guests only and will serve breakfast and lunch daily with limited after-hours offerings. With an ever-evolving menu, Dahl's creativity will run wild in her bold, yet approachable take on healthy, indulgent cuisine. The succinct four-seasons menu at Alchemy will feature only a dozen items highlighting many locally grown and sourced ingredients from the Verde Valley and beyond. Like a greatest hits album, longtime Dahl fans may find certain dishes familiar in flavor, yet evolved into something completely new and exciting.

As one of the country's top female chefs and restaurateurs, Dahl was a natural fit for the role, as she is widely credited for pioneering the fine dining scene in Sedona for close to three decades. Dahl is the executive chef and CEO of five outstanding restaurants in Northern Arizona's red rock country where she has earned international acclaim for Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano, Cucina Rustica, Pisa Lisa, M ariposa Latin Inspired Grill and her newest, most-buzzed-about addition, Butterfly Burger, A Couture Burger Lounge. Dahl is responsible for Sedona's emergence as a national "foodie destination". As a self-taught chef, she was the first to introduce fine dining to Sedona in the late '90s with the opening of Dahl & Di Luca and has since expanded to become the largest restaurant group in the area with accolades spanning the culinary spectrum.
Utah shares hard lessons on privacy, bias

Last year, it was revealed that the CEO of Banjo, the company Utahs state government had hired to deliver public safety analytics for several agencies, had previous associations with KKK groups and participated in a drive-by terrorist attack on a synagogue. Shortly after that revelation, the Banjo CEO resigned, the contracts were cancelled and Utah State Auditor John Dougall formed a commission to review the contracts and the application for privacy violations and potential algorithmic bias.

Banjo, a Utah-based surveillance analytics company, scrapes public data from billions of social media accounts, as well as data from government traffic and surveillance cameras, 911 calls, audio sensors, location data for state-owned vehicles and other sources. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze the data streams and detect anomalies, giving public safety agencies near real-time information on incidents like car crashes, medical emergencies, shootings, fires and dangerous road conditions. Banjo secured several Utah government contracts with support from Attorney General Sean Reyes, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Utahs Commission on Protecting Privacy and Preventing Discrimination was formed in June 2020. It was composed of technical, public policy, business and public safety experts and charged with reviewing Banjos contract with Utah and identifying actions that governmental entities should take to ensure their software systems protect Utahns privacy and prevent discrimination against them, Dougall said.

On Feb. 1, the commission released key recommendations to help state and local governmental entities make thoughtful decisions about emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence or machine learning, that collect personally identifiable information or other sensitive data and could impact the privacy of Utah residents or lead to discrimination, the State Auditors Office said in its announcement.

The 12 software application procurement principles are briefly described in one document, with a companion document providing questions agencies should ask when applying the principles for evaluating software that may impact privacy or cause discrimination.

The 12 principles recommend that agencies:

Limit sharing of sensitive data. Minimize sensitive data collection and accumulation. Validate technology claims with a capability review. Rely on objective, repeatable metrics. Assess the vendors threat models. Perform in-depth review of artificial intelligence and machine learning software. Verify the vendors privacy compliance. Review the steps vendors take to mitigate discrimination. Determine the vendors privacy and non-discrimination procedures for ongoing validation. Require vendors to obtain consent of individuals contained within training datasets. Vet key vendor personnel. Evaluate vendor corporate management and vendor solvency.

As the commission began its work, it became clear that the availability of some clear, thoughtful principles aimed at these emerging technologies would be a powerful resource for Utahs government agencies, Dougall said.

I expect that the report that we have produced will provide very effective guidance for state agencies, said Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a professor at the University of Utahs School of Computing. [It] places Utah at the forefront of efforts around transparency, privacy protection and bias reduction, especially when using new AI-based technologies.
SHEFFIELD, England, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rinri Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing a novel cell-based therapy to restore hearing, today announces the appointment of Nick Higgins as Chairman of the Board. He takes over from Dr Erica Whittaker who has served as Chair since the creation of Rinri Therapeutics.

Nick's career spans over 35 years in the life science industry during which he gained extensive knowledge of UK and US markets in both private and public sectors. Nick was the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Intercytex Group plc, a company focused on the development and manufacturing of cell therapy products which was subsequently sold through a series of asset sales. He also served as Chief Business Officer at Acambis, a publicly traded UK company focused on novel vaccines and biologicals with significant operations in the US (subsequently sold to Sanofi), as well as Corporate Development Director of Consort Medical plc, a 500m market capitalisation UK listed company which has been acquired by Recipharm Group in 2020.

Nick currently serves on the Board of Directors of Lizard BioConsulting (which he founded), Avvinity Therapeutics (Chairman) and Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult (Deputy Chairman).

Dr Chandler, CEO of Rinri Therapeutics, said: "I am very pleased to welcome Nick as our new Chairman. Nick will provide valuable input and guidance to the development of Rinri, bringing his extensive international corporate development expertise which includes private and public fund raisings. In particular, his time as CEO of the cell therapy company Intercytex provides a clear parallel to Rinri, as we continue to develop our pioneering stem cell therapy to reverse sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) through the repair of the damaged cytoarchitecture in the inner ear."

Nick Higgins said: "I am delighted to be joining Rinri Therapeutics, a company at the forefront of innovation in the treatment of hearing loss, at a time when the regenerative medicine sector is growing so rapidly. I have been impressed with both the quality of the science and the management team and look forward to helping realise the potential of this world leading technology to improve the lives of patients."

Nick Higgins joins Board Members Professor Marcelo Rivolta, Founder and Professor of Sensory Stem Cell Biology at The University of Sheffield; Dr Erica Whittaker, Head of UCB Ventures; Frank Kalkbrenner, Global Head of BIVF; Dr Claire Brown, Investor Director at BioCity; Ross McMaster, Finance Manager at SUEL (University of Sheffield's Venture arm) and Non-Executive Director Dr Natalie Mount, CEO of Adaptate Biotherapeutics.

Photo available on request

About Rinri Therapeutics

Rinri Therapeutics is a private biotechnology company developing advanced stem cell-based therapeutics to restore hearing. The company's pioneering technology seeks to reverse sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) through the repair of the damaged cytoarchitecture in the inner ear. SNHL is estimated to affect 64 million patients in the US and 34 million in Europe. There are currently no pharmacological treatment options for SNHL patients.

Rinri, is backed by Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), UCB Ventures, BioCity and the University of Sheffield. Rinri was founded in late-2018 and is headquartered in Sheffield, UK.

For more information, please visit: www.rinri-therapeutics.com

Contacts:

Rinri Therapeutics

Dr Simon Chandler, CEO

[email protected]

Citigate Dewe Rogerson

Sylvie Berrebi, Frazer Hall

[email protected]

T: +44 (0)20 7638 9571

SOURCE Rinri Therapeutics
(Newser)  The world has a coup d'etat on its hands. The military in Myanmar ousted the government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday, detaining her and other civilian leaders. Don't expect the situation to change anytime soon: The army declared a state of emergency for one year and put Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in charge, reports Reuters. The US and the UN have condemned the move and are considering next steps, including sanctions. Coverage:

A letter: Suu Kyi wrote a letter to supporters in advance of her detention in which she urged them to "protest against the coup" and warned of a return to military dictatorship, reports the BBC. It's not clear where she's being held. Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won more than 70% of the vote in November, but the army declared the results fraudulent. "Famously stubborn, she is unlikely to co-operate with a gun held to her head," writes the BBC's Jonathan Head.

Suu Kyi wrote a letter to supporters in advance of her detention in which she urged them to "protest against the coup" and warned of a return to military dictatorship, reports the BBC. It's not clear where she's being held. Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party won more than 70% of the vote in November, but the army declared the results fraudulent. "Famously stubborn, she is unlikely to co-operate with a gun held to her head," writes the BBC's Jonathan Head. For Biden: This is the "first foreign crisis" for President Biden, per Politico. One fear is sending Myanmar back under the influence of China. "This is a big diplomatic test for the Biden administration in Asia," Ben Bland of the Lowy Institute in Australia tells the Wall Street Journal. "People will be watching closely how it balances its calls for a more values-based foreign policy against its plans to counter Chinese influence in the region."

story continues below

Why now: The new parliament was supposed to meet for the first time on Monday, and the military says the government's failure to investigate allegations of voter fraud justified its pre-emptive move under the nation's constitution. Still, "some experts expressed puzzlement that the military would move to upset the status quoin which the generals continue to hold tremendous power despite progress toward democracy in recent years," per the AP. One theory is that Gen. Hlaing was about to be forced into military retirement, and this allows him to extend his power.

The new parliament was supposed to meet for the first time on Monday, and the military says the government's failure to investigate allegations of voter fraud justified its pre-emptive move under the nation's constitution. Still, "some experts expressed puzzlement that the military would move to upset the status quoin which the generals continue to hold tremendous power despite progress toward democracy in recent years," per the AP. One theory is that Gen. Hlaing was about to be forced into military retirement, and this allows him to extend his power. The military's allegations . The military claims there were discrepancies including duplicated names on voting lists, per Reuters. The military hasn't said, however, whether the alleged violations could have changed the outcome, and election observers have said there were no major irregularities in the Nov. 8 vote.

. The military claims there were discrepancies including duplicated names on voting lists, per Reuters. The military hasn't said, however, whether the alleged violations could have changed the outcome, and election observers have said there were no major irregularities in the Nov. 8 vote. Suu Kyi's history: She came to power in 2016 after the nation's first democratic election in decades, notes the New York Times. Prior to that, she lived under house arrest for more than 15 years and became an international icon. However, her recent defense of the military's ruthless crackdown on Rohingya refugees sullied her reputation. Technically, the 75-year-old served as "state counsellor," not president, but NPR notes she has been Myanmar's de facto leader since 2016.

She came to power in 2016 after the nation's first democratic election in decades, notes the New York Times. Prior to that, she lived under house arrest for more than 15 years and became an international icon. However, her recent defense of the military's ruthless crackdown on Rohingya refugees sullied her reputation. Technically, the 75-year-old served as "state counsellor," not president, but NPR notes she has been Myanmar's de facto leader since 2016. Now what: Hard to say. Theres "almost a surreal sense, are we really going back to something which we thought we had left behind?" a UN official tells the Journal, referring to the nation's long military rule before its shift to democracy. The situation is "extremely alarming," adds an Amnesty International official. "This is an ominous moment for people in Myanmar, and threatens a severe worsening of military repression and impunity."

Hard to say. Theres "almost a surreal sense, are we really going back to something which we thought we had left behind?" a UN official tells the Journal, referring to the nation's long military rule before its shift to democracy. The situation is "extremely alarming," adds an Amnesty International official. "This is an ominous moment for people in Myanmar, and threatens a severe worsening of military repression and impunity." China: Its public stance on all this is of the milquetoast variety. "China is Myanmar's friendly neighbor," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. "We hope all sides in Myanmar can properly manage their differences under the constitution and legal framework to uphold political and social stability."

(Read more Myanmar stories.)
EUGENE, Ore. -- Measure 110 went into effect on Monday, decriminalizing the possession of small quantities of drugs, and officials in the legal and law enforcement communities are adapting to a radical shift in Oregon's approach to drug addiction.

The new measure reduces the possession of small amounts of drugs to a violaiton. If a person is found with drugs, police will give them a citation. They then have the choice of paying a $100 fine or taking part in a health assessment, in which they can be referred to treatment if desired.

Im glad that Oregonians saw that treating addicts as criminals is not a step forward and doesnt make anyone safer," said Brook Reinhard, executive director of Public Defender Services of Lane County.

According to Reinhard, in 2020 the nonprofit law firm was involved in more than 300 cases of people charged with drug possession alone.

Those are people who after February first of this year would not have been treated like criminals. They would have been treated like people who had a legitimate addiction that needed to be dealt with," he said.

Where Reinhard sees an opportunity to tackle the state's drug addiction problem, Lane County District Attorney Patty Perlow sees an opportunity for rising crime.

I predict that property crime is going to go up, drug usage is going to go up," she said.

According to Perlow, the measure's health assessment is no replacement for drug court and traditional treatment. The measure also impacts how law enforcement can investigate drug offenses. According to a legal bulletin from the Oregon Department of Justice, law enforcement officers now need to reach a higher bar in order to justify stopping someone they believe is in possession of drugs.

The reclassification of mere possession as a violation will limit officers' authority to make initial stops based on suspicion of drug possession, to investigate suspected drug possession even during a lawful stop made for another offense and to make arrests," the bulletin reads.

According to the Department of Justice, officers now need probable cause in order to justify investigating violation-level possession of drugs. This is a higher standard than reasonable suspicion, which is required for drug offenses that remain crimes under Measure 110 like manufacture and distribution.

The bulletin says, An officers discovery that the detainee has a noncriminal quantity of a controlled substance does not, by itself, provide grounds to expand a stop to inquire or request consent to search for evidence of a criminal-level drug offense."

Were going to be in the position of needing to presume something is a violation until it is proven otherwise," said Perlow. So if youre shooting up heroin in a Fred Meyer bathroom and someone calls the police, unless the officer has a reasonable suspicion that youve been committing another crime, all they can do is take your drugs and cite you for the violation level offense.

Still, Reinhard believes that officers will be capable of fighting drug crimes in the community.

Its just a question of a different standard on whether or not your best case will be a crime or a violation. Police officers are very good at telling the difference in this. They are trained well on doing this, and Im confident they will be able to do this successfully. And if not, we will help them," he said.
Asked by the judge to say what he did in his own words, Lewandowski, who appeared via a video link, replied, I, uh, did not file my taxes on time, and I snowballed from one year to another and ended up really late on the one year Im being charged with.
WASHINGTON - Johnson and Johnson's forthcoming single-shot COVID-19 vaccine has more going for it than just a middling ability to prevent infection, the pre-eminent U.S. expert on infectious disease said Monday.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Alex Brandon

WASHINGTON - Johnson and Johnson's forthcoming single-shot COVID-19 vaccine has more going for it than just a middling ability to prevent infection, the pre-eminent U.S. expert on infectious disease said Monday.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser and the public face of the pandemic battle in the United States, is urging people to look past the shot's 72 per cent efficacy rate.

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine, expected to be the next one to receive emergency authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has proven very effective at preventing death and hospitalization, Fauci said.

It's also relatively cheap to manufacture. And it doesn't require deep-freeze transportation and storage or double doses like its Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech predecessors, both of which boast 95 per cent efficacy but are in short supply.

"There's a lot more to protection than just preventing (people) from getting infected," Fauci told an online media briefing.

"We want to keep people out of the hospital, and we don't want people to die. And in that regard, this will be value-added, not only in the United States, but certainly in the developing world."

In South Africa, for instance, Fauci said his colleagues are looking forward to getting a vaccine that doesn't have the logistical challenges of the Pfizer and Moderna offerings.

"You cannot imagine how excited they are," he said. "The idea of getting a minimal-cold-chain-required, cheap, one-shot vaccine means an awful lot."

Fauci, CDC director Rochelle Walensky and Andy Slavitt, the senior adviser to the White House COVID-19 response team, have been using their thrice-weekly briefings to educate the world about the many virtues of vaccination in a pandemic.

It's as much about denying the virus a "playing field"  an unvaccinated host, where it can continue to develop dangerous mutations  as it is about protecting individuals, they point out.

And that requires as many vaccines and vaccinations as possible, as quickly as possible, everywhere around the world, not just in the United States.

"Not only are you going to protect individuals from getting disease, not only are you going to protect them from getting infected, but you are going to prevent the emergence of variants here in our country," Fauci said.

"The only way we're going to completely stop mutants is if we stop this throughout the world."

In an editorial in Sunday's Wall Street Journal, former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb delivered a similar, if simpler, message: the more the merrier.

"Crushing COVID will require making the most of the different vaccine candidates, which come with their own pros and cons, and tweaking them to stay ahead of viral mutations," Gottlieb wrote.

"New variants of COVID may demand vaccines that offer slightly different layers of protection and target slightly different parts of the virus. The regulatory process must encourage this kind of portfolio diversification, while allowing tweaks to keep ahead of the viruss twists and turns."

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, was asked last week whether different vaccines should be aimed at different demographic groups.

Time will tell, Tam said.

"We will have to look at the data in relation to that particular vaccine: in the clinical trials, what age groups were looked at and other specific information that will help us provide those recommendations," she said.

Different vaccines have different characteristics, and some may lend themselves to different applications than others, she added.

"Those other kinds of characteristics and criteria  that will be reviewed for (on) who do we best use the supplies that we may get of new vaccines."

More cases of the COVID-19 variants first identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa are being detected in the U.S. each day, although that could be in part because of improved detection methods, Walensky said.

"CDC has been working on multiple fronts to improve our ability to adapt and understand these variants," she said.

"The recent rise in the number of variants detected in the United States is likely due at least in part to our expanded ability to sequence their virus samples."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2021.

With files from Mia Rabson in Ottawa
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.
Published in the American Journal of Physiology Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, the study, entitled " Measuring the Efficiency of Pulmonary Gas Exchange Using Expired Gas Instead of Arterial Blood: Comparing the "Ideal" PO2 of Riley with End-Tidal PO2, " demonstrates the reliability and validity of a non-invasive breath-based method of determining A-a gradient (Oxygen Deficit), a standard in respiratory medicine to determine gas exchange efficiency, and previously only available through an invasive arterial blood sampling method.

Using the MediPines AGM100, a respiratory medical device, researchers were able to demonstrate that the new breath-based measurement of gas exchange efficiency has very low variability and is highly correlated with established blood-sampling methods.

In the new non-invasive method of measuring gas exchange efficiency, concerns of variability in expired breath samples have been addressed. The variability of gas concentrations throughout the respiratory cycle can range dramatically; however, when steady state end-tidal gas samples are used, gas concentration is remarkably constant. The current study found the very low variability of end tidal gas measurements within subjects of 1.3% or 1.4 mmHg for oxygen and 1.8% or 0.7 mmHg for carbon dioxide. The traditional method (Riley Method) does not directly measure the lung alveolar gas level but estimates the alveolar level from a calculation that uses arterial blood gas values and a number of assumptions.

In the age of respiratory diseases like Covid-19, where stability and repeatability of patient measurements matter, this study's conclusion is a breakthrough finding for quicker, non-invasive methods that are ideally suited for the hospital. A breath-based gas exchange analysis using the AGM100 is easy to obtain for both practitioner and patient. The gas exchange analysis provided by the AGM100 requires the patient to simply breath into a mouthpiece and can be completed within two minutes.

"This study demonstrates the merits of a breath-sampling based approach, given the low variability, which allows for high reproducibility and reliability in clinical practice. This is consistent with our previous study that demonstrated a very high correlation and low measurement bias of directly measured arterial PO 2 , with that estimated non-invasively from the AGM100 in a range of different physiological states," said Dr. Phil Ainslie, Canada Research Chair and Co-Director of the Centre for Heart lung and Vascular Health, School of Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia.

This finding further supports a clinical validation study published in 2020 by researchers from the University of British Columbia and Duke University Medical Center, demonstrating the high precision of the new expired breath sampling method.

MediPines AGM100

MediPines AGM100 is the world's first non-invasive gas exchange analyzer. This advanced respiratory monitoring system was designed to rapidly detect respiratory impairment caused by conditions such as COVID-19, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia, ARDS, pulmonary edema, and pulmonary embolism. The device is FDA cleared and approved for Health Canada COVID-19 Emergency Use. It provides a comprehensive panel of respiratory measurements including blood oxygen levels, Oxygen Deficit (A-a gradient), P/F ratio, and alveolar oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

About MediPines

MediPines Corporation, based in California, is a market leader in respiratory assessment and monitoring of pulmonary gas exchange. The company mission is to advance respiratory medicine by providing physiology-based respiratory devices that enhance clinical effectiveness and achieve better patient outcomes.

MediPines.com

Media contact:

Carissa Drews

949-398-4670

[email protected]

SOURCE MediPines

Related Links

http://medipines.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.
But the violence spike in 2021 continues at a time when it also skyrocketed throughout 2020 as the city struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic and experienced unrest following the Memorial Day death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota. Experts have said both things likely influenced crime totals in Chicago as the economy suffered and community trust in the police was severely eroded. Some working in law enforcement, however, have blamed the violence spike on a lenient criminal justice system that lets some defendants out of jail on electronic home monitoring, or on lesser bail amounts.
A Message From The Editor

just-style gives you the widest apparel and textile market coverage.

Paid just-style members have unlimited access to all our exclusive content - including 21 years of archives.

I am so confident you will love complete access to our content that today I can offer you 30 days access for 1*.

Its our best ever membership offer  just for you.

Leonie Barrie, editor of just-style

Leonie's offer to you

* plus VAT if applicable
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed 30-year lease agreements today on two new mens prisons to be built and owned by private developers in Escambia and Elmore counties.

The agreements come after more than two years of planning by the Ivey administration and the Alabama Department of Corrections to build a total of three mens new prisons. Negotiations continue on the third prison, which will be in Bibb County.

The first two prisons, to be built on Bell Fork Road near Atmore and on Rifle Range Road in Tallassee, will be financed, built, owned and maintained by a developer team led by CoreCivic, a national private prison firm. The state will staff and operate the prisons.

The Ivey administration did not release final costs of the leases in a press release this morning and said that information would be available after financial close, which will be on June 1, according to the lease agreements.

But the total annual cost of the three leases will exceed an $88 million affordablity limit the Ivey administration included in its request for proposals to developers.

Final lease costs, which are subject to the overall project affordability limit of $88.6 million in fiscal year 2022 dollars, will become available once financial close is achieved with CoreCivic, the governors office said.

The leases are not subject to annual renegotiations. The state will have options to extend them beyond 30 years, Iveys office said.

The governors office released copies of the lease agreements for the Elmore prison and the Escambia prison.

Parts of the documents were withheld as confidential. The governors office said trade secrets and security information would not be disclosed.

Construction is expected to start this year on the prisons near Atmore and in Tallassee. The prisons, which will hold a total of about 7,000 inmates, are scheduled to be ready for occupancy in 2025, the governors office said. Alabama had about 18,000 prison inmates as of November.

Ivey said the lease agreements are the best way for Alabama to replace its aging prisons. She noted that Alabama faces potential consequences from federal courts if it does not improve its prisons. In December, the U.S. Department of Justice sued the state, alleging unconstitutional conditions in mens prisons.

I am pleased that we have reached this important milestone in the Alabama Prison Program, the cornerstone of a multifaceted strategy to address the ADOCs longstanding challenges and failing prison infrastructure, Ivey said in this mornings press release. ADOCs existing dilapidated infrastructure is failing at a rate of one facility every two years, exorbitant deferred maintenance costs are rising by the day, and the Courts may act imminently if real progress is not made soon  given all these risks, there is not one minute to spare.

Leasing and operating new, modern correctional facilities without raising taxes or incurring debt is without question the most fiscally responsible decision for our State, and the driving force behind our Alabama solution to an Alabama problem. We are improving public safety, providing better living and working conditions, and accommodating inmate rehabilitation all while protecting the immediate and long-term interests of the taxpayers. This is simply the best path forward.

On Friday, 13 groups of advocates signed a letter to legislators urging them to try to block the prison leases.

The groups said new prisons wont fix the problems the Department of Justice found it its investigation of Alabama prisons. The DOJ lawsuit says the constitutional violations are failing to prevent prisoner-on-prisoner violence and sexual abuse, failing to prevent excessive use of force by correctional officers, and failing to provide safe conditions.

We demand the legislature do everything in their power to intervene in this process and stop Governor Ivey from trapping us into a 30-year mistake, the letter said.

The groups included Alabama Students Against Prisons, The Ordinary Peoples Society, Prodigal Child Project, Alabama Justice Initiative, Auburn Students and Community for Change, Emerge at Auburn University, Fight Toxic Prisons, ACLU of Alabama, Black Lives Matter Alabama, Faith and Works Collective, and Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Block the Brierfield Prison and No Prison for Tallassee.

The total cost of the three leases has been projected at $94 million the first year and to gradually rise to $108 million by the final year of the 30-year agreements, according to a report by Alabama Daily News.

The administration shared the charts on projected lease costs with legislators on a Zoom call Friday, ADN reported. The higher payments will bring the total cost of the leases over 30 years to more than $3 billion, up from the earlier projection of $2.6 billion.

Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, who was on the call, said today it was his understanding the projections in the charts were not final costs on the leases because negotiations on the third prison are continuing.

The CoreCivic development includes CoreCivic, Caddell Construction; DLR Group; and R&N Systems Design. The leases are with Government Real Estate Solutions of Central Alabama (the Elmore prison) and Government Real Estate Solutions of South Alabama (the Escambia prison). Both are identified by the governors office as a CoreCivic entity.

Ivey and ADOC Commissioner Jeff Dunn said new prisons are needed to replace aging, overcrowded, and understaffed prisons.

It is no secret that, due to decades of inaction and a lack of resources, our correctional system is at a crossroads, Dunn said in the press release. Thanks to Governor Iveys vision, tenacity, and leadership, we have reached an important step in our continued work to chart a transformative new course for the Department.

Leasing, staffing, and operating modernized prison infrastructure that is owned and strictly maintained by the private sector minimizes our short- and long-term risk for an initiative of this necessary magnitude. These facilities will provide a safer, more secure environment in which our heroic staff can better deliver effective, evidence-based rehabilitative programming to our inmate population.

The plan for prisons financed and built by private developers does not require approval by the Legislature, which begins its annual session on Tuesday.

Some lawmakers asked Dunn for more information about the plan last week, but the negotiations with the developer team, led by CoreCivic, a national private prison firm, have been confidential. The governors office said it would release more information after the leases are signed.

On Saturday, Regions Bank announced it would not provide banking services for CoreCivic after it finishes the contracts in effect now, which will be in 2023. Regions was not involved in helping to finance the Alabama prisons even before the statement, Regions spokesman Jeremy D. King said.

Regions provides some banking services to CoreCivic, and our contractual obligation to deliver these services lasts until 2023, the company said. We are not extending additional credit services to CoreCivic, and we are specifically not providing CoreCivic with financing for the construction of the prisons to be built in Alabama.

To be clear, Regions Bank is 100% committed to creating more inclusive prosperity and advancing racial equity. This past Tuesday, Jan. 26, we met with the Black Lives Matter Birmingham Chapter and other organizations to receive feedback on the issue of private prisons. We listened closely to concerns that were shared, and we appreciate the candid feedback we received.

On the Bibb County prison, which will be in the Brierfield community near Montevallo, the ADOC is negotiating with Alabama Prison Transformation Partners, which includes Star America; BL Harbert International; Butler-Cohen; Arrington Watkins Architects; and Johnson Controls, Inc. The prison will be near the intersection of Alabama 139 and Bibb County 2.

Updated at 9:35 a.m. to include full statement from Regions and to say that Regions was not involved in financing the Alabama prisons before the statement. Updated about 11 a.m. to say that the governor signed the leases. Updated at 12:11 p.m. to include links to the lease agreements. Updated at 1:25 p.m. to say that costs reported in Alabama Daily News story are projections and might change because negotiations are ongoing on the third prisons. Updated at 6:18 to rearrange some of the information, replace a missing word and fix a couple of grammatical mistakes.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Copyright  2021 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico is asking a federal court to reverse a decision that combined its lawsuit against the Air Force over contamination at military bases with lawsuits filed in other districts.

At issue is PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a class of toxins in the firefighting foam used for training exercises at Cannon and Holloman Air Force bases.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

The New Mexico Environment Department and the New Mexico state attorney general filed a petition for writ of mandamus in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit on Monday.

New Mexico argues that multidistrict litigation means the States case must now take a back seat to water providers and other private litigants seeking to recover money damages.

The state sued the Air Force in July 2019. New Mexico asked a federal court to compel the Air Force to outline contamination plumes at Cannon and Holloman, test water sources and clean up the chemicals.

In June 2020, a federal panel transferred the lawsuit into the U.S. District of South Carolina.

The matter has now been pending in the (multidistrict litigation) for more than six months, despite the ongoing injuries to human health and the environment, New Mexicos petition reads.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has linked PFAS contamination to low birth weights, high cholesterol and certain cancers.

State Attorney General Hector Balderas said returning the case to a federal court in New Mexico would give the matter the immediate and proper attention it deserves.

The Air Force first informed the state of PFAS in groundwater at Cannon in 2018. The waterproof nature of the forever chemicals makes them difficult to remove.

What is at stake is the health and livelihood of New Mexico families  families that just want the Defense Department to do the right thing, and get PFAS out of their lives and communities for good, said NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney.

Another demand in New Mexicos original lawsuit is that the Air Force provide alternative water and voluntary blood tests to those who may have been exposed to the toxins.

At least one Clovis-area dairy was forced to euthanize its cows because of groundwater contamination that likely migrated from Cannon Air Force Base.

Maggie Hart Stebbins, state natural resources trustee, said New Mexico has been aggressive at tackling an environmental issue that is gaining national prominence.

We do intend to pursue a natural resource damage claim (for PFAS), but theres still a few steps that need to happen before we can pursue that, Hart Stebbins told the Journal prior to Mondays court filing. We have to wait on the Environment Department and the responsible parties to characterize and evaluate the extent of PFAS contamination, and that will take some time.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
Bhopal:

The Shivraj Singh Chouhan Cabinet in Madhya Pradesh on Monday gave a go ahead to the 7th Pay Commission. The Madhya Pradesh government's decision will benefit as many as 6.5 lakh employees. However, the government will have to bear the burden of around Rs 4,000 crore.



The 7th Pay Commission was approved at a cabinet meeting held in Bhopal on Monday. There will be a 14 per cent increase in the salary of employees.

The employees will get the benefits of the 7th Pay Commission from January 1, 2016. The employees will get arrears in three instalments every year. The arrears in total cost around 5,742 crore.

ALSO READ | 7th Pay Commission: Centre approves recommendations on allowances with 34 modifications, HRA increased

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu says Romania has already reached the stage where it is heading towards the creation of the Euro-Atlantic Centre for Resilience, mentioning that there are very good reactions to the opportuneness and the need to establish it, according to AGERPRES.

"This discussion of resilience is becoming more and more important, both at the level of the European Union and at the level of NATO. We are facing increasingly more vulnerabilities, threats of various nature, and the COVID-19 pandemic has proved in its turn the need for an increase in the degree of strategic resilience, both at the level of the European Union and at the level of NATO, and also at the level of the member states of the two organisations. So last year I discussed several times with various experts, with decision-makers from various international organisations, I talked to my counterparts and probed the idea of creating such an institution and we have reached the stage where we are going to create this Euro-Atlantic resilience centre, which should be a platform that integrates efforts of both the EU and NATO member states to address these risks, to find solutions at the same time, to map out vulnerabilities and to find ways to counter them," the minister told Antena 3 private broadcaster on Sunday.

Aurescu mentioned that he presented Romania's initiative to set up such a centre both on January 25, at a meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU member states, as well as at a meeting of the NATO foreign ministers in December 2020.

"We have transmitted the concept to all EU and NATO states and we are already having very good reactions to the opportunity and need for such a centre. The centre will be set up, as a first step, as an institution operating under the authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after which, in a second phase, it will be internationalised by coopting experts from EU and NATO member states. It will provide expertise both internally, to national institutions, and to EU member states, NATO member states and partners to these organisations. It will operate as an integrated platform on three main dimensions: on the one hand, it will act to reduce risks in anticipation and adaptation by collecting good practices in counteracting factors that may affect the resilience of states and organisations, and third by cooperating in the research area. So it will do research, on the one hand, in this area, and on the other hand it will provide training programmes for the interested states. Therefore, I believe it will be a very important institution not only at national level, but also at the level of the organisations Romania belongs to," said Aurescu.


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The COVID-19 pandemic has so far infected over 26 million people in the United States, as the country continues to be worst hit by the pandemic with most number of cases and deaths in the world.



With 111,896 new coronavirus cases reported in the U.S. in past 24 hours, the total number of cases in the country has reached 26.19 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. 1,794 new deaths were reported, taking total number of deaths to 441,324.



California reported the highest number of new cases during the period at 13,315; Texas 13,078; New York 11,209; Florida 7,788 and Arizona 5,025.



The seven-day average for new coronavirus cases in the U.S. dropped to 144,861, while daily death average also dropped to 3,135 deaths, according to Covid Tracking Project. Nearly 95,000 people have been hospitalized across the U.S. with more than 18,968 patients are in the ICU, while nearly 6,291 are on a ventilator.



The United States has administered about 30 million doses, and, as of Sunday, is averaging more than 1.3 million doses administered over the past seven days, compared with an average of less than one million per day two weeks earlier, according to a New York Times vaccine tracker.



Meanwhile, the Biden administration has reached a $231.8 million deal with an Australian company increase the availability of the first at-home rapid test for the coronavirus. The test, made by Ellume, can send results to a smartphone within 15 minutes of receiving a sample.



Andrew Brooks, a research professor at Rutgers University who led the development of the first FDA-approved Covid-19 saliva test, died suddenly on January 23, according to a statement.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
This item is available in full to subscribers.

Attention subscribers

We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.

If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.

If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.

Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Cheyenne, WY (82001)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning. Thunderstorms likely during the afternoon. High around 65F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Rain showers in the evening with thunderstorms developing overnight. Low 44F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
The Budget 2021-22 was still wrapped in a red velvet bahi-khata, but there was no paper inside. For the first time, Finance Minister read out her from a tablet that she pulled out carefully from a velvet bag and returned to it when she finished her speech.

Sitharaman walked into the House several minutes before 11 am and placed the tablet on the podium. It kept sliding off, so jugaad followed: A thick navy blue book was produced to stabilize it. The device made a marked difference to her delivery -- unlike previous occasions, there was no wobble in her voice, no fumbling fingers, no trembling hands.

There was a lot about Budget 2021-22 that was different from the past. Members were less enthusiastic, the overall mood was subdued and the even forgot to walk out. Congress MPs from Punjab came dressed in black robes emblazoned with slogans against the three new farm laws. But inexplicably, they left the House before the started. The slogans said: I am a kisan. I am a landless labourer. Dont kill me.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Congress exchanged taunts as SAD leader Sukhbir Badal and his wife, former Union minister Harsimrat, raised slogans against the farm laws before walking out in protest. So youre sitting in their laps, mocked Harsimrat gesturing towards the Treasury benches as Congress MPs stayed in the House. Look whos talking, retorted the Congress. Some slogans were raised by MPs from the Trinamool Congress when issues relating to farm welfare were raised. But their heart wasnt in it.

The seating of MPs made it hard to oppose policies in unison. MPs were everywhere: In the galleries, below in the House, all at a distance. The names of private business houses were bandied about as the finance minister mentioned privatisation of several sectors, including ports. Normally, the Speaker would have come down hard on members who named persons and entities not present to defend themselves. But merely remonstrating mildly, Om Birla let it go.

The underlying theme of the budget was tailored to poll-bound states. So, whether it was highway allocations to Kerala, West Bengal, and Assam, or skill development programmes for nurses (Kerala and Tamil Nadu), or allocation for tea estate workers in West Bengal and Assam, all the announcements met with cat-calls from benches. The BJP thumped the table on the announcement that the Ujjwala scheme was being extended.

But some things dont change. Though much less frequently, Sitharaman could not prevent herself completely from repeating sentences for emphasis in the Budget she thought were important.

She wore orange. So did many of the members.

The cameo moment was the entry  and exit  of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Walking slowly, assisted by a helper, Mulayam made his painful way down many shallow steps to his seat, as his son Akhilesh watched his progress anxiously whilst seated, heaving a sigh of relief as his father found his seat and settled in it. But Mulayam had to leave before the ended. While walking out, he spotted All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi.

There is hardly any doubt that the Samajwadi Partys vote bank is going to be badly dented by Owaisis entry in UP in the upcoming Assembly elections and is probably going to hurt Akhileshs political prospects. But the warmth with which the elder Yadav greeted Owaisi who also bent to receive blessings  transported the moment to another era: When nationalism was not a commodity and politicians, however opportunistic, were also human beings.

Zoom: Samsung Drivers Pack Zoom: Samsung Drivers Pack Samsung Drivers Pack screenshot

Samsung Drivers Pack 1.9 is a software download offered by z3x-team. They offer support for Samsung Android devices and are compatible with many of the tools available such as Samsung Tool and Samsung Tool Pro.

From z3x-team:
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.

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.

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
Russians have taken to the streets from Kamchatka to Kaliningrad for the first time in years, braving freezing temperatures and lines of police with truncheons and body armor. Here are five things you should know about the nationwide protests sparked by the jailing of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny -- and the steps the government is taking to suppress them.
A row has broken out between the family of IRA man Eamonn 'Peggy' McCourt and Sinn Fein over whether his name should be added to the republican 'Roll of Honour' in Derry.

In a post on Facebook, the late Mr McCourt's son, also called Eamonn, wrote: "Today the Fisher and McCourt family have had to cut all ties with the republican movement and Sinn Fein.

"We really wished it didn't have to come to this - in fact we never thought this would've ever been a situation - but we will always be certain that they have made a mistake today in not honouring Oglach Peggy McCourt to the roll of honour here in Derry the town he fought and made a better place," the Facebook post read.
Patna, Feb 1 : After the presentation of the Union Budget in the Parliament on Monday, mixed reactions emerged from Bihar with the common people saying that there is no direct benefit for them.

Moreover, some daily need items are expected to cost more in the 2021-22 financial year.

Raju Chaudhary, a retail shop owner at the Hathua market in Patna, said, "With an increase in customs duty, daily need items are likely to cost more in the next financial year, including certain mobile phone parts." Babu Lal Prajapati, a member of the Divisional Chamber of Commerce in Darbhanga, told IANS: "The middle class families in the country were looking for a change in the current tax slab, but the Finance Minister did not touch the issue, which means the tax slabs will remain unchanged. She has only given some exemptions to senior citizens above the age of 75 years." "Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many small and medium scale industries have either closed or are operating under huge debt. They were looking for some benefits like rebate in taxes, but the Finance Minister only pointed out the easy process of GST. The Finance Minister has only allocated funds for road construction projects in poll-bound states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, but nothing for Bihar," Prajapati added.

"There is nothing for the business class in the budget. Moreover, we do not believe in the announcements made by the Central government. The government has introduced a 2.5 per cent cess on petrol and diesel, which will hurt the common people of the country. Prajapati said.

BJP state spokesperson Nikhil Anand said: "The Budget is according to the expectations of the common people. It has something for the poor, farmers, elderly, women and industrialists. The Finance Minister has allocated additional funds for agriculture, health, infrastructure, roads, railways etc."
New Delhi, Feb 1 : Dubai's deputy chief of police and public security, Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan has once again raised Pakistani heckles. A couple of days back, Khalfan tweeted whether the Baloch people in Pakistan should be given missiles to defend themselves.

Khalfan's tweet raised a kerfuffle among the Twitterati. Of the 41,861 votes polled on the Dubai police chief's tweet, 39 per cent said yes while a majority 61 per cent disagreed with him.

One of the main reactions on his tweet came from Sobdar Baloch, journalist and human rights activist, associated with the Free Balochistan Movement (FBM). He wrote back to Khalfan: "I agree 100% that our Arab friends must fully support #FreeBalochistanmovement, provide all necessary help and recognition..." In 2018 also, Khalfan had hit out against Pakistan, saying: "Pakistanis pose a serious threat to the Gulf societies for the drugs they bring with them... There must be very strict measures against them at the outlets..." A few minutes later, he again tweeted: "Why are Indians disciplined? While idleness, criminality and smuggling in the Pakistani community are rampant." Khalfan is often perceived to be politically incorrect and very much in-your-face.

However, he is a good barometer for judging how people perceive Pakistan in the UAE. Currently, Pakistanis are not welcome in the Arab country owing to the strategic winds blowing in West Asia. With the signing of the Abraham accords, the UAE has moved closer to Israel and much travel is happening between the nationals of the two countries.

Soon after the historic rapprochement between the UAE and Israel in August, the Arab nation stopped issuing new visas to the citizens of 13 countries, including Pakistan in November 2020. The reason was guided by intelligence inputs that highlighted threat perception to Israelis visiting the UAE. Publicly UAE is maintaining that it is streamlining procedures to effectively screen applicants from these countries.

Months later, that ban has still not been lifted against Pakistani nationals while Israel has been given the permission to open an embassy in the UAE.

The Imran Khan government in Pakistan is under pressure from its nationals over the suspension of visas. In fact Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's visit to the UAE in December 2020 did not help resolve matters. He took up the issue in the UAE but was told that visa restrictions were due to the Covid-19 outbreak and were temporary. But the restrictions on Pakistani nationals visiting the UAE remain in place.

On the other hand, India and UAE relations continue to grow. Just a few days back Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss boosting trade and investment in a post-Covid world. "They agreed to continue close consultations and cooperation to further strengthen the India-UAE partnership in the post-Covid-19 world. In this context, they discussed the opportunities for further diversifying trade and investment links," said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement.

It is not just trade ties. The relations between the UAE and India includes defence ties and people-to-people contacts. The UAE had recently provided mid-air refuelling to three Rafale aircraft on their way from France to India. In December 2020, Indian Army chief M.M. Naravane became the first chief of the defence forces to visit the UAE.

There are an estimated 3,5 million Indians working in UAE alone, contributing enormously to the land of their choosing while sending large amounts of foreign currency home.

On India's 72nd Republic Day, the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, highlighted the Indian Tricolour on the iconic building. In a tweet, the @burjKhalifa handle said: "#BurjKhalifa commemorates India's Republic Day, honouring the date in which the Constitution of India came into effect in 1950." It posted the tweet in Hindi, highlighting how mutual relations between the two countries continue to flourish at multiple levels.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 00:57:21|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Healthcare workers are seen at a market during a campaign to detect coronavirus infections in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 31, 2021. The Iraqi Ministry of Health reported on Sunday 714 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide tally to 619,636. Also on Sunday, the health ministry launched a campaign to detect coronavirus infections in schools, shops, and other public places in capital Baghdad and some other provinces. (Xinhua)

BAGHDAD, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Ministry of Health reported on Sunday 714 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the nationwide tally to 619,636.

It also recorded six new deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 13,047. And 1,272 cases recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 592,129.

A total of 5,622,543 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February 2020, with 35,905 done during the day, it added.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi General Secretariat for the Council of Ministers said in a statement that Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi urged the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs to coordinate with the countries and companies producing COVID-19 vaccines to expedite the delivery of the doses to Iraq.

He stressed the need for the health ministry to communicate with the Chinese side to discuss the delivery of the Sinopharm vaccine as it has been approved by the Iraqi National Board for Selection of Drugs (NBSD), the statement said.

On Jan. 19, the ministry said that the NBSD had approved the emergency use of China's Sinopharm and Britain's AstraZeneca vaccines to contain the spread of the COVID-19 in the country.

Previously, the NBSD already approved the emergency use of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to combat the pandemic.

Also on Sunday, the health ministry launched a campaign to detect coronavirus infections in schools, shops, and other public places in capital Baghdad and some other provinces.

Iraq has taken a series of measures to curb the pandemic since the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.

China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26 in 2020, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem
Company has seen a 300 per cent increase in home delivery of prescriptions

Flu vaccinations at Walmart pharmacies up over 50 per cent

Walmart makes preparations to play a role to help governments get Canadians immunized

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 1, 2021 /CNW/ - Walmart Canada has been ramping up efforts to offer Canadians a one-stop shop for increasing customer needs for health, wellness and pharmacy services during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"At Walmart Canada, part of our mission is to help Canadians live better," said Horacio Barbeito, President and CEO, Walmart Canada. "Now more than ever, our associates and pharmacists have been helping Canadians with all their healthcare needs."

Walmart Canada operates 337 corporate pharmacies nationwide and has an additional 68 Acces Pharma chez Walmart franchise locations in Quebec, with over 1,300 pharmacists and affiliated pharmacists across the country. In addition, Walmart Canada operates over 189 vision centres, and offers 67 medical clinics and nine dental clinics in stores across the country through third party relationships.

From the very start of the pandemic, the company has worked hard to support Canadians in receiving the health, wellness and pharmacy products and services they needed in the safest way possible. In 2020, the network of pharmacies:

Offered free home delivery from over 268 locations  with more to come in 2021

Delivered close to 1 million prescriptions for free  an increase of 300 per cent

Introduced curbside pickup for prescriptions, delivering over 10,000 orders in recent months

"Throughout the pandemic, Canadians have come to Walmart for all their health, wellness and pharmacy needs  and we've been ready to support them," said Shelly Kiroff, Senior Vice President, Health and Wellness, Walmart Canada. "With 60 per cent of all households in Canada living within a 10-minute drive of a Walmart store, Walmart can be one of the most accessible healthcare providers, offering expert advice and compassion on healthcare issues."

In 2020, Walmart Canada also significantly ramped up its flu vaccination campaign. Walmart's pharmacies and Acces Pharma chez Walmart franchise pharmacies have immunized over 180,000 Canadians  an increase of over 50 per cent from 2019.

Based on government announcements and discussions with pharmacy stakeholders across the country, Walmart Canada is ready to play a role in the upcoming COVID-19 vaccination rollout. Already, Walmart Canada has provided thousands of asymptomatic COVID-19 tests in Alberta and Ontario as part of provincial government pilot programs. In the United States, Walmart is already providing COVID-19 vaccinations at select stores and expects to deliver between 10 and 13 million doses per month at full capacity when supply and allocations allow.

In anticipation of plans to include pharmacies to maximize vaccine distribution in various provinces, Walmart Canada has increased its refrigeration capacity in its pharmacy network across the country in order to do its part to help get Canadians immunized. In addition, the company is purchasing a number of ultra-cold freezers to assist with the storage and handling of some vaccine formulas.

About Walmart Canada:

Walmart Canada operates a chain of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, Walmart.ca is visited by more than 900,000 customers daily. With more than 100,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $400 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at walmartcanada.ca and on Walmart Canada's social media pages  Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

SOURCE Walmart Canada

For further information: For further information: Adam Grachnik, [email protected], 437-237-3497

Related Links

www.walmart.ca


Myanmar military television said Monday that the military was taking control of the country for one year, while reports said many of the countrys senior politicians including Aung San Suu Kyi had been detained.

A presenter on military-owned Myawaddy TV announced the takeover and cited a section of the military-drafted constitution that allows the military to take control in times of national emergency. He said the reason for takeover was in part due to the governments failure to act on the militarys claims of voter fraud in last Novembers election and its failure to postpone the election because of the coronavirus crisis.

The announcement and the declaration of a state of emergency follows days of concern about the threat of a military coup  and military denials that it would stage one  and came on the morning the countrys new Parliament session was to begin.

The takeover is a sharp reversal of the partial yet significant progress toward democracy Myanmar made in recent years following five decades of military rule and international isolation that began in 1962. It would also be shocking fall from power for Suu Kyi, who led the democracy struggle despite years under house arrest and and won a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts.

Aung San Suu Kyi, right, is accompanied Win Myint, Myanmar's president, in March 14, 2016.

Suu Kyis National League for Democracy released a statement on the Facebook page of its party head saying the militarys actions were unjustified and went against the constitution and the will of voters. The statement urged people to oppose Mondays coup and any return to military dictatorship.

It was not possible to confirm who posted the message as NLD members were not answering phone calls.

The militarys actions were already receiving widespread international condemnation.

New U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken issued a statement expressing grave concern and alarm over the reported detentions.

We call on Burmese military leaders to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections, he wrote, using Myanmars former name. The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development.

Story continues

The office of the U.N. secretary-general was also among those to issue a statement condemning the developments as a serious blow to democratic reforms.

The detention of the politicians and cuts in communication services on Monday were the first signals that plans to seize power were in motion. Phone and internet access to Naypyitaw was lost and Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party could not be reached.

The Irrawaddy, an established online news service, reported that Suu Kyi, who as state counsellor is the nations top leader, and the countrys president, Win Myint, were both detained in the pre-dawn hours. The news service cited Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the NLD.

Its report said that the partys Central Executive Committee members, lawmakers and regional Cabinet members had also been taken into custody.

The military TV report said Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing would be in charge of the country, while Vice President Myint Swe would be elevated to acting president. Myint Swe is a former general best known for leading a brutal crackdown on Buddhist monks in 2007. He is a close ally of former junta leader Than Shwe.

Mondays parliamentary session was to be the first since last years election, as tension lingered over recent comments by the military that were widely seen as threatening a coup.

The military, however, maintains its actions are legally justified, though Suu Kyis party spokesman as well as many international observers have said it is in effect a coup.

The 2008 constitution, drafted and implemented during military rule, has a clause that says in case there is a national emergency, the president in coordination with the military-dominated National Defense and Security Council can issue an emergency decree to hand over the governments executive, legislative and judicial powers to the militarys commander-in-chief.

The clause had been described by New York-based Human Rights Watch as a coup mechanism in waiting.

It is just one of many parts of the charter that ensured the military could maintain ultimate control over the country at the expense elected politicians. The military also was guaranteed 25% of seats in Parliament and control of several key ministries, especially those involved in security and defense.

The 75-year-old Suu Kyi is by far the countrys most popular politician, and became the countrys de facto leader after her party won 2015 elections, though the constitution barred her from being president. She had been a fierce antagonist of the army during her time under house arrest.

Nevertheless, once in power Suu Kyi had to balance her relationship with the countrys generals and even went on the international stage to defend their crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in the countrys west, a campaign the U.S. and others have labeled genocide. That has left her reputation internationally in tatters.

She remains wildly popular at home, where most supported the campaign against the Rohingya. Suu Kyis party captured 396 out of 476 seats in the combined lower and upper houses of Parliament in last Novembers polls.

The military, known as the Tatmadaw, has charged that there was massive voting fraud in the election, though it has failed to provide proof. The state Union Election Commission last week rejected its allegations.

Amid the bickering over the allegations, the military last Tuesday ramped up political tension when a spokesman at its weekly news conference, responding to a reporters question, declined to rule out the possibility of a coup. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun elaborated by saying the military would follow the laws in accordance with the constitution.

Using similar language, Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing told senior officers in a speech Wednesday that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. Adding to the concern was the unusual deployment of armored vehicles in the streets of several large cities.

On Saturday and Sunday, however, the military denied it had threatened a coup, accusing unnamed organizations and media of misrepresenting its position.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Myanmar military says it is seizing country; politicians detained, reports say

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

In the past few days, the financial world has been buzzing about GameStop, Reddit, and a short squeeze. Finance Professor, Carlos Slawson, offers some insight into the recent frenzy in the stock market.

Professor Slawson wants the reader to be aware that he is not a financial advisor and has not performed a thorough analysis. But, as a long-time finance professor at LSU, he offers his insight.

Can you explain what's taking place with GameStop (and others such as AMC, Nokia, and other legacy brands) stocks?

The stocks have been extremely volatile. For example, GameStop (GME) has varied between $2 and $500 during the last year. As of late, it appears individuals have conspired to short squeeze several targeted companies. GME's short interest is 90%-140% of its shares available for trade. There are many explanations about what "selling short" means. Essentially, a trader who shorts a stock works with a brokerage firm to borrow shares and sell them now. So, rather than buying stock and hoping to sell it later at a higher price, the short seller sells the stock now and hopes to repurchase it later at a lower price.

If large numbers of people attempt a short squeeze, then there are temporary supply/demand issues. By colluding to buy as much as they can, in many cases, they can temporarily keep prices artificially high, attempting to force short-sellers into a corner. Short sellers may be forced to buy back the shares now or put money in their brokerage accounts to cover the current cost of shares.

How is a group of people online able to rally and influence the market this way?

Various news outlets are reporting that Reddit's r/wallstreetbets took notice of GME's substantial short interest. Large numbers of Redditors agreed to buy and hold GME, regardless of the company's actual intrinsic value, so that short-sellers are forced to buy back at higher prices. There is an indication that the Redditors agreeing to this plan imagine themselves on a noble quest to thwart the schemes of sinister short sellers. With a villain to visualize, others are now being encouraged to join the battle.

However, the short squeeze is not a very nice thing to do as it ignores the intrinsic value and attempts to bully the short-sellers given temporary issues with supply. Consider an analogy of small generators for household use, with which most of us in Louisiana are very familiar. When Laura hit Lake Charles in the Fall, there was a considerable need for generators. Suppose a group of individuals (who realized there was an immediate increase in demand for generators) colluded with a strategy of buying every generator as soon as the supply trucks rolled into the area. Suppose this group gathered large crowds and conspired to buy all the generators and never sell them to anyone in need. Those who truly needed to buy generators would naturally start bidding the price up in a desperate plea to get someone to let go of a generator. The longer the colluding group sticks to their strategy, the greater the rise in generators' price above actual intrinsic value.

The bits of info that I have received indicate that many individuals are attempting a strategy of buying as many shares of GME as they can while also promising not to sell. Such an approach would drive up the price to desperate levels for those needing to buy shares to reverse their short positions in the short run.

What is happening with Robin Hood freezing those stocks on their platform?

Big Tech appears all too willing to take on a guardian role as of late, especially over the last year. A self-appointed protective big brother may have good intentions, but volunteering to rescue free individuals from themselves is not always welcome. We may be tempted to add Robinhood to this list; however, my understanding is that there was no "freeze" on stocks at Robinhood. Investors holding the stocks could continue to keep them or sell them. Robinhood did not allow the purchase of new shares for a while, but there may have been legitimate reasons, including issues with settlement fees with certain high-volatility stocks.

There seems to be a difference of opinion on this from those "inside" Wall Street vs. those on the outside. Why?

What many do not understand is that share price is meaningless without knowing the number of shares. Some understand market cap and those who think share price by itself is meaningful. Business students (or anyone) who understands valuation techniques realize that the equity market value is determined first. This value is divided by the number of shares outstanding to decide on the share price. If the share price is too low in the investor's opinion, then the investors buy. If the share price is too high, investors sell. If investors do not have shares to sell, they can short sell by borrowing the shares and selling them. If a speculator ignores fundamentals and buys or sells based on share price movements alone, that investor is ignoring fundamental value.

Bank of America recently valued GME at a market cap of $750 million ($10 per share). Are large numbers of retail investors colluding to sustain a $21-$35 billion market cap (indicated by a $300-$500 per share price)? Colluding to prop up share price regardless of intrinsic value seems similar to a fictitious case where someone would develop a strategy of buying all available physical dimes, no matter the cost, just so those who need dimes cannot have them. Maybe the dimes' price goes to $1 or $2 or even $5 in the short run. It may last a while, but eventually, some in the colluding group will break ranks and start selling, returning the price paid for a physical dime to 10 cents.

Will this change anything about trading going forward or just a one-time anomaly?

A student in my Financial Derivatives course asked this question yesterday morning. Perhaps traders will be less inclined to short stocks if there is a large amount of short interest? Given that short selling serves a valuable purpose, this would not be a good outcome. Perhaps a politician will draft an excellent new rule to move us closer to utopia? Legislation and regulation with great intentions are not uncommon.

In the end, though, someone will lose. The Wall Street insiders will not go hungry. It will make very little difference in their lifestyles. They know how to hedge their lives. Sadly, the losers will likely be the non-diversified, small investors who don't know anything about market capitalization.

Explore further GameStop: Two US senators call for Wall Street reform
Shes enjoying a luxurious tropical getaway with her sisters and young daughter.

And Kylie Jenner shared yet another round of scintillating swimsuit selfies to her Instagram on Sunday, showcasing her dynamite figure and unparalleled curves.

The cosmetics mogul, 23, modeled a chic black Dior bikini, which was accented with tan belt-like detailing.

Hello from paradise: Kylie Jenner shared get another round of scintillating swimsuit selfies to her Instagram on Sunday, showcasing her dynamite figure and unparalleled curves

Both the halter top and waistband were ornamented with a metal ring buckle.

Kylie accessorized with a delicate belly bracelet, along with bangles on both wrists.

She let her luxurious long dark hair hang all the way down past her derriere.

Jenner was freshfaced, looking beautiful against a lovely backdrop of a wooden walkway and lush greenery.

'Dreamy' indeed: The cosmetics mogul, 23, modeled a chic black Dior bikini, which was accented with tan belt-like detailing

Stunner: Kylie accessorized with a delicate belly bracelet, along with bangles on both wrists

She appropriately captioned the post with one word: 'dreamy'.

Earlier in the day on Sunday, the reality superstar shared pictures in which she was sheathed in a lovely orange silk dress.

The garment was strapless and also incredibly flattering to Kylies killer bod.

Earlier in the day on Sunday: The reality superstar shared pictures in which she was sheathed in a lovely orange silk dress

The posts come after an earlier 'random photo dump' that Jenner posted on Saturday, which gave her 213 million Instagram followers a little bit more of a peek into her grandiose family vacation destination.

An exterior shot showed the beautiful villa where she was staying, which was accented by teal window shutters.

Other shots showed off the gorgeous natural beach setting.

The posts come after an earlier 'random photo dump' that Jenner posted on Saturday: It gave followers a little bit more of a peek into her grandiose family vacation destination

Artful and beautiful: Other shots showed off the gorgeous natural beach setting

And one photo of an interior marble room showed off balloons which said 'Happy birthday' along with the number three.

They were for Kylies daughter Stormi Webster, whom she shares with Travis Scott.

The little girl turns three years old on February 1st.
The policy epitomized the Trump administrations crackdown on illegal immigration. According to a report issued last month by the Justice Departments inspector general, top department officials were a driving force behind the decision to separate families in their quest to fulfill Mr. Trumps agenda.

Nearly 3,000 migrant children were separated from their parents while zero tolerance was in force. It later emerged that another 1,000 families had been separated during a pilot program conducted in 2017 near El Paso. And even after Mr. Trump officially rescinded the policy, border authorities removed more than 1,000 children from their families, sometimes for reasons as minor as committing a traffic infraction or failing to change a babys diaper, according to court documents.

The revelation late in the presidential campaign that parents of hundreds of children had yet to be found by a committee charged with contacting families created outrage anew, prompting Mr. Biden to promise to address the families plight. Two-thirds of the parents are believed to be in their home countries, including some whose children may be living in the United States, and a third are believed to be in the United States but might have gone under the radar because of their own fears of being deported.

Some advocates said it was vital that the White House push for legislation to prevent such extreme punitive measures from being employed as a deterrence tool in the future.

We must right the wrongs committed and make sure this doesnt happen again under another administration, said Jennifer Podkul, vice president for policy and advocacy for Kids in Need of Defense, which represents some of the families.

Locating missing parents will continue to be a daunting task. Contact information for many parents is outdated or unavailable, and conditions in Central America make searches on the ground difficult and dangerous. The coronavirus pandemic and hurricanes have caused further delays. Some families, understanding their children to be in safe hands, have not answered their phones or have declined to talk after what they endured.

.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Last week, President Biden delivered on his promises to put a temporary pause on new oil and gas leasing on public lands. This is a common-sense move after the previous four years of giveaways to the oil and gas industry, a spree which included almost 300,000 acres of publicly-owned land in New Mexico. This move will give communities and parks breathing room to work together to figure out the best way forward. Predictably, however, this move has caused no shortage on false outrage from the oil and gas industry.

Fresh from an election campaign in which New Mexicans were warned of a mythical ban on fracking, oil and gas executives now have the job of trying to make President Bidens decision to merely pause the four-year cut-price fire sale of public land to polluters sound like the doomsday scenario they have cried wolf about.

Clearly this is not a fracking ban. The moratorium merely prevents any more federal land being used for oil and gas extraction, so any existing oil and gas refineries and power plants on federal and private land  and the jobs within them  are not affected. In fact, the oil and gas moratorium can be excellent news for New Mexico.

To understand the impacts of the moratorium, you have to first look into the absurd system in which public land ends up in the hands of private oil companies.

Oil and gas companies have spent the past four years snapping up more than a quarter of a million acres of New Mexicos public lands. By the time President Trump left office, the oil industry had pocketed enough public land in New Mexico that if you combined it all you could squeeze in Albuquerque, the states largest city, more than two times over. Only five other states in the nation lost more land to polluters than New Mexico.

These companies have no shortage of land now. The real problem is what to do with it. Nationally, more than three-quarters of the public land made available for oil and gas leasing had little or no potential for oil and gas drilling at all. This goes some way to explain why 63% of acres leased since 2009 have sat idle. If these lands arent developed, then there are no new jobs and no new state revenues. Millions of acres of public land across the United States have been lost for nothing.

For the small minority of public lands that are handed to oil and gas corporations and become oil and gas sites, we have a different set of problems to show for it. Nearby communities in places such as Carlsbad regularly deal with dangerous levels of air pollution. And even some of our states most famous, popular and sacred sites such as Chaco Canyon National Historical Park arent exempt from the damage it causes to our air, water and landscapes.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

At best, New Mexicans have lost their public land for no reason  and at worst, they end up paying with their health. This is a system that needs to change, and this is the opportunity that the moratorium offers New Mexico.

Pausing this fire sale of public land to polluters will allow us time to think about better ways we can protect our public land, create new long-term jobs, and do all this without polluting New Mexicos air and water.

Our national parks are a prime example of how public land can contribute to economic success. Carlsbad Caverns National Park sustains more than 400 long-term jobs, attracts more than 400,000 visitors each year, and contributes more than $30 million to the local economy each year. It does all this without polluting the water or the air.

That is one example, but there are many ways to use public land that can benefit New Mexico without trading off peoples health or access to the outdoors. The time has come to transition away from our states dependence on a boom-and-bust industry, toward a more secure revenue base and an economy grounded in clean energy, clean air and water, and hard-working New Mexican families. A moratorium will help prevent industry speculation that gives them development rights on lands that we should be prioritizing for clean air and water, our farmers and ranchers, recreation, habitat for wildlife, and land to hunt and fish. The moratorium gives us time to plan to use our land in way that is better for New Mexicos people and its economy.
Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna on Monday strongly condemned the vandalisation of a statue of in the US state of California, calling it as a shameful act.

The 6-ft tall, 650-pound (294 kg) bronze statue of Gandhi in the Central Park of the City of Davis in Northern California was vandalised, broken and ripped from the base by unknown miscreants early this week.

Nonviolent, respectful protest was the essence of Gandhi's life mission. To see the desecration of this magnificent statue only underscores the need for more people to study Gandhi's teachings, not unilaterally erase him from the public discourse, Khanna said.

This was a shameful act. At a moment in our history when disagreement needs to be managed with tolerance and patience, I urge everyone involved to take the time to listen and talk instead of resorting to acts of public vandalism, he said.

As the Democratic Vice Chair of the India Caucus, Khanna said he will continue to work with his colleagues to build bridges across these divisions.

I encourage everyone to join me in working through disagreement with dialogue and discussion, rather than resorting to violence that tears at the fabric of our society, he said.

Meanwhile, two groups gathered at the park in Davis on Sunday where the statue was vandalized, local media reported. While one group demanded that the statue be restored, the other opposed such a move.

The City of Davis has launched an investigation into the incident.

The City of Davis condemns the vandalism that destroyed the statue of Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi in Central Park. We do not support any actions that include the destruction of property, the city said in a statement on Sunday.

We understand that our community reflects a diversity of views and values, but we expect that everyone will extend respect to each other and to shared spaces," it said.

But we reiterate our belief that the solution to solving such differences is never in violent acts but through compromise and dialogue. It is our sincere desire that our community move forward with peaceful and positive discourse and reconciliation, the city said in its statement.

(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.)
Since a violent fascist mob incited by Trump and his far-right allies stormed the Capitol building in Washington D.C. on January 6, pseudo-left organisations around the world have united to insist that nothing of particular significance took place. Despite mounting evidence showing that the insurrectionists planned to seize hostages and stop the confirmation of Joe Biden as president, and that their criminal enterprise enjoyed political support from large sections of the Republican Party, these organisations have explicitly rejected describing these events as an attempted fascist coup.

A prime example of this complacency, which aims to lull the working class to sleep by assuring it that there is nothing to see here, is provided by the International Marxist Tendency. Founded by Alan Woods and the late Ted Grant in 1993, the IMT, like its predecessors, has combined slavish subservience to the trade union bureaucracy and social democratic parties with the use of revolutionary Marxist rhetoric designed to disorient and mislead workers and young people coming into struggle.

Alan Woods, editor of In Defence of Marxism [Wikimedia Commons]

On January 7, just hours after the storming of the Capitol, the IMTs US supporters, Socialist Revolution (USA), published an article, Trumps insurrection and the chaos of US bourgeois democracy. The central thrust of this legal brief for the continued stability of US democracy can be summarised as follows: Trump acted as an isolated, despairing figure with no support from the ruling class or state apparatus; the US president did not want his supporters to storm the Capitol building; and American democracy will remain stable for several decades to come.

The IMTs article trivialises what took place and downplays its political significance. It asserts, It was widely anticipated that January 6, the day Congress was scheduled to certify the Electoral College vote in a joint session, would be a tense day in Washington. This was the culmination of Trumps attempt to frame the election as fraudulent, and the president organized a Save America March to coincide with the Electoral College vote.

This is a deliberate downplaying of the true situation. Trump was not merely engaged in an attempt to frame the election as fraudulent. For months prior to the November 3, 2020, vote, he led an open conspiracy to overturn the outcome of the election and establish a presidential dictatorship in violation of the Constitution. In June, he threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act against mass protests triggered by police violence to declare martial law and suspend democratic rights. During the first televised debate with Biden at the end of September, he urged the fascist Proud Boys to stand back and stand by, while declaring that no election result other than his victory would be acceptable. October saw the exposure of the plot by fascists and far-right militias with direct ties to Trump to take over the Michigan state legislature and kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer, which served as a trial run for January 6.

As for the events of January 6, the IMT dismisses the role of then-Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and the majority of the Republican Party establishment in providing political support to Trumps coup plot. The fact that the election result was being challenged, an unprecedented development on what has traditionally been a ceremonial occasion, created the political atmosphere within which the coup could be attempted. The ability of the mob to so easily enter the Capitol, one of the most heavily guarded buildings in the world, underscores the significant support Trumps conspiracy enjoyed within the state and security apparatus. And the fact that substantial evidence shows that the insurrectionists planned to seize senators and congressmen as hostages, a goal which they came within seconds of accomplishing, with the aim of extracting concessions from Biden, underscores how serious the plot was.

The IMT denies all of this, asserting, Trump and his diehard supporters in Congress almost certainly did not plan for the crowd to invade the Capitol but they were playing with fire, without providing any evidence for this naked apologia. Developing its narrative that the storming of the Capitol was essentially a spontaneous product of the zeal of a handful of right-wing extremists, the IMT added, Trumps attack dogsbroke free of their leashes.

[T]o be sure, these are dramatic events, the IMT lectures its readers. But as Marxists, we must maintain a sense of proportion. This was not an organized insurrectionary coup on the verge of overthrowing the US government and imposing a fascist regime to crush the workers and the left. Far from it!

A would-be Bonapartist, continues the IMT, must have the support of significant sections of the military. Trump does not have this If the military were to be called in, it would be to get rid of Trump, not to install him as dictator.

This grotesquely complacent assessment ends with the reassurance that the far-right will only pose a danger if the working class fails to take power over the next decade or two.

Having vouched for the democratic credentials of the US military and offered an apologia for Trump and his far-right conspirators within the Republican Party, the IMT proceeded to raise a hue and a cry over Twitters decision to ban Trumps account. The president of the United States, in charge of vast resources of state repression and propaganda, who was using social media to rally fascists and other armed militias to overthrow the government, had fallen victim to Twitters tyranny, railed Socialist Revolution in an article published a week later. Cynically misusing a 1938 quote from Leon Trotsky, in which the founder of the Fourth International warned about the dangerous implications of advocating the suppression of right-wing reactionary newspapers by the Mexican capitalist state, the article denounced the exceptional acts of censorship against Trump.

The inability of the IMT to distinguish between Trotskys principled warning against the use of capitalist state censorship to suppress right-wing publications and Twitters decision after Trumps incitement of an armed fascist coup to shut down his account, which was in part a response to demands from the companys workforce, demonstrates the worst kind of political stupidity and lack of seriousness. It parrots the line of petty bourgeois journalists like Chris Hedges and Joe Lauria of Consortium News, who penned a lawyers brief for Trump following the January 6 insurrection denying that he was responsible for the storming of the Capitol. As the World Socialist Web Site noted in response, providing such a political cover to Trump will aid the longer-term impact of the attempted coup, which regardless of its short-term tactical failure will result in the integration of right-wing extremist forces into American politics. (See: What would have happened if Trumps fascist mob had seized hostages? )

The IMTs support for such reactionary political positions expresses its class orientation as a representative of privileged layers of the middle class. They function as the left defenders of capitalism by seeking to ensnare workers and young people within the established nominally left parties and rotten trade unions.

This has been the essential feature of the politics of Grant and his followers ever since they broke decisively with the Fourth International in the late 1940s. They enthusiastically welcomed the Pabloite revisionist attack on Trotskyism in the early 1950s, which rejected the revolutionary role of the working class, claimed that revolutionary leadership would be provided by factions of the Stalinist bureaucracy, social democracy, and bourgeois nationalist movements, and demanded the liquidation of independent Trotskyist parties into the mass movement to serve as left apologists and advisors to the bureaucracies.

Over subsequent decades, at one time as the official section of the Pabloites, Grants organization in Britain, the Militant Tendency, conducted entry work within the Labour Party, not with the aim of dispelling the illusions held by broad masses of workers during the post-war period in social democracy as the Trotskyists of the Socialist Labour League did, but to insist that the Labour Party and the trade unions could be pushed leftwards and would act as vehicles for the achievement of socialism.

The basis of this perspective of deep entryism was entirely eroded during the 1980s and early 1990s, when social democratic parties and all labour organisations resting on a national-reformist programme around the world junked their lingering associations with socialism and shifted sharply to the right. This process was rooted in objective changes in the world capitalist economy, with the globalisation of production cutting the ground from under the feet of all programmes that sought to regulate the worst excesses of the profit system through the mechanism of the nation state. The sharpest expression of this process was the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the Soviet Union and its reintegration of Russia and the ex-Soviet republics into the capitalist world economy. In Britain, it took the form of Labours ever-more open emergence as a tool of big business and the super-rich.

Under these conditions, an unprincipled faction fight erupted between Grant and Woods on the one hand, who went on to form the International Marxist Tendency, and Peter Taaffe, whose supporters first established Militant Labour and later the Socialist Party. Taaffes organisational break with Labour had nothing to do with a rejection of Militants orientation to the trade union bureaucracy and Labour, as was shown by the Socialist Partys hailing of Jeremy Corbyns victory as Labour leader in 2015, which they said represented a major step forward in the building of a new party in alliance with sections of the trade union bureaucracy.

Opposing Taaffe, Grant and his supporters insisted that nothing fundamental had changed about the character of Labour and other social democratic parties, and that the deep entryism perspective could continue internationally. Groups subscribing to this view included Fightback in Canada, whose members retain membership in the pro-imperialist New Democratic Party; the Marxist Left in Brazil, who stayed in the right-wing Workers Party until 2015; Grants supporters in Pakistan, who worked inside the bourgeois Pakistan Peoples Party; and Der Funke in Germany, who are still buried in the ex-Stalinist Left Party to this day. This orientation was combined with the promotion of the most dangerous illusions in the left nationalist leaders of Latin Americas Pink Tide, above all Hugo Chavez, the former military paratrooper and Venezuelan president who publicly embraced Woods and claimed to be studying his and Grants writings to reinforce his socialism.

In denying Trumps fascist coup, the IMTs supporters in the US are concerned above all with preventing workers and young people from breaking politically from the Democrats and trade unions, and establishing an independent revolutionary party capable of politically mobilizing the working class in struggle against capitalism. To this end, they issue revolutionary incantations to build an independent working class party, while their members function as members of the Democratic Socialists of America, i.e., a faction of the Democratic Party, one of the twin bourgeois parties of US imperialism.

This double bookkeeping was on full display in the IMTs article in response to Bidens inauguration. After stating that the Democrats take charge for the capitalists and that an independent class party must be built, the piece concludes with an appeal for the DSA to lead this struggle. The role of socialists is not to prop up the system but to help accelerate its downfall, they write. If the DSA called on its elected members and others running for office to do this as independents instead of as Democrats, this would be an important step in the direction of independent class politics.

From the standpoint of the IMT, there is nothing contradictory about these irreconcilable positions. Their aim is to serve as the last line of defence for the Democrats by dragging radicalized workers and young people back into the party of Wall Street, drone assassinations, and endless war with the absurd claim that the DSA, a loyal faction of the Democrats that campaigned for Bidens election, can function as a mechanism through which to establish the political independence of the working class.

The working class can only take up a struggle against the danger posed by fascism and the far-right, and assert its independent political interests against the ruling elites insatiable drive to augment its wealth amid a raging pandemic, by waging a relentless political struggle against pseudo-left tendencies such as the IMT.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) (NYSE: PM) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist and support Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) illicit tobacco trade operations and other intellectual property rights investigations.

We are thrilled to partner with DHS and the IPR Center to combat the illicit tobacco trade, said PMIs head of illicit trade prevention for the U.S. Hernan Albamonte. This partnership will provide both parties necessary information to thwart terrorist and criminal organizations that profit from the trade of illicit tobacco and jeopardize our national security.

The MOU is focused on comprehensive strategies and coordinating efforts to disrupt and combat all forms of illicit tobacco trade, as well as to address vital areas of intellectual property, brand protection, and anti-counterfeiting strategies. The agreement will also facilitate knowledge transfer between the center and PMI to share mutually beneficial information and research to combat the illicit tobacco trade and assist in other intellectual property rights investigations.

The agreement being signed today, is a continuation of a years-long partnership between the IPR Center and PMI to protect the American public by enforcing the nations intellectual property rights laws and educating consumers on the dangers of illicitly traded tobacco products. The IPR Center will leverage this robust public-private partnership to develop outreach, training efforts and share referral information to open investigations and target these criminal acts, said Steve Francis, IPR Center director.

Following an unprecedented yearwhen criminal and terrorist organizations swiftly adapted and migrated their operations to suit the new environmentthis partnership illustrates how public- and private-sector cooperation can make full use of existing expertise and information sharing to foster innovative solutions and evolving technologies.

In 2020, PMI recognized the urgent need to convene a myriad group of government, diplomatic, public, and private institutions to advance solutions to strengthen national security by upping the fight against illicit productsfrom illicit tobacco-containing products to faulty personal protective equipment (PPE). These successes include:

Taking tens of thousands of online and offline enforcement actions against IP infringements in the U.S. and globally, including against IP infringing online marketplace listings, social media accounts, and websites. Working in close cooperation with state and local law enforcement agencies across the U.S. to disrupt online operations illegally distributing tobacco containing products. Launching a first of its kind, six-week virtual certification course titled Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products: Convergence with Crime, comprised of more than 500 registrants representing 133 U.S. law enforcement agencies. Building sustainable public-private partnerships through initiatives such as: PMI IMPACT , a first-of-its-kind global initiative to support public, private, and nongovernmental organizations, which has allocated $48 million for the implementation of more than 60 projects in 30 countries to combat illegal trade and related crimes. A partnership with the California Narcotic Officers Association (CNOA) , a nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing high-quality training for law enforcement professionals. Driving more than 346,000 clicks to DHS resources dedicated to helping recognize and report fraudulent PPE goods through a public service campaign led by PMI and supported by other private industry and academic leadersto raise awareness about the emerging threat of fraudulent PPE products.

During the signing event at the IPR Center, PMIs vice president of external affairs J.B. Simko said, PMI is focused on developing smoke-free alternatives that are a better choice for adults than continued smoking. Our goal is that one day these products will replace combustible cigarettes for good. The illicit trade undermines these efforts by making unregulated products more accessible, so we are determined to do our part to fight it.

Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future

Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, and its shareholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. In addition, PMI ships a version of its IQOS Platform 1 device and its consumables to Altria Group, Inc. for sale under license in the U.S., where the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized their marketing as a modified risk tobacco product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification order for these products is appropriate to promote the public health. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities, and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMIs smoke-free product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of Sept. 30, 2020, PMI estimates that approximately 11.7 million adult smokers around the world have already stopped smoking and switched to PMIs heat-not-burn product, available for sale in 61 markets in key cities or nationwide under the IQOS brand. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.

# # #
ALBANY  A last-minute motion for the Senate investigations committee to vote on issuing a subpoena to compel testimony from Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker regarding nursing home coronavirus deaths was squashed and labeled as political by the committees chair Monday.

Sen. Thomas OMara, a Southern Tier Republican and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Investigations and Government Operations, surprised committee chairman, Hudson Valley Democratic Sen. James Skoufis, when he made the motion to have committee members vote to subpoena Zucker.

Long Island Sen. Anthony Palumbo, the only other Republican committee member, quickly seconded the motion and expressed doubt that state officials under Gov. Andrew Cuomo would release accurate information.

If it is not done immediately or in the very near future, we would be remiss of our duties because we are the only committee that has this kind of oversight, Palumbo said.

According to Senate rules, the chair, vice-chair or a majority of a legislative committee can issue a subpoena, thus the power can be invoked within any committee, not just the investigations committee.

Fervor for action has mounted since Attorney General Letitia James released a report last week condemning New Yorks COVID-19 nursing home plan, with Republican legislators quickly re-launching calls for the Legislature to use its subpoena power to get answers.

Legislators have been pushing for detailed figures since July, following the state Department of Health releasing a report that absolved the Cuomo administration of blame for thousands of nursing home deaths attributed to COVID-19.

Prior to the attorney generals report, Skoufis had said publicly he would subpoena state officials if complete answers and data were not provided during the Legislatures health budget hearing. Shortly after those statements, Cuomos office requested the hearing be rescheduled from Feb. 3 to Feb. 25 to accommodate Zuckers schedule.

Skoufis, who has chaired the committee since 2019 and has not shied from using subpoena power in several instances, expressed frustration that OMara had not given him a heads up as to the planned motion, describing the move as an ambush.

With all due respect Sen. OMara, I am not going to be lectured or bullied on issuing subpoenas. I have made it clear that this is on the table, he said during the committee held over Zoom. This is a political motion. This committee is not going to be bullied into doing something when we have laid out the roadmap to getting this information.

The Hudson Valley Democrat further pointed to his record when it comes to using the power; he has issued 25 subpoenas in two years.

The last 10 years of Republican majority rule produced one single subpoena, and that one subpoena was withdrawn, Skoufis said. The previous Republican majority has never really issued a subpoena. They wouldnt know what a subpoena looked like if it hit them in the face.

Palumbo and OMara, through the Senate Minority Office, issued a statement after the meeting criticizing the Democrats for their inaction. Skoufis declined to hear the motion because it had not been submitted in writing beforehand, as per Senate Rules Section 8 on new motions.

In the wake of the attorney general's report, the failure of the investigations committee to immediately issue subpoenas and demand testimony from Gov. Cuomo and his administration once again completely abandons legislative responsibility, OMara said in a news release. It makes the Senate Democrats complicit in this tragedy.

Skoufis expressed confidence in Zucker providing the data legislators seek, particularly after the health department released detailed data last week in response to the attorney generals findings.

(Zucker) said he is going to produce the full and complete, audited numbers by the time he has his hearing on Feb. 25. Short of that, I think we ought to compel testimony, Skoufis said. But he released a substantial piece, if not most of the picture behind those numbers, and I think the remaining piece is forthcoming.
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.
Offering everything from free peanut butter and milk to canned goods, a student-run grocery store in Texas is giving back to its community by meeting the needs of families struggling in the pandemic.

Launched in November, this unique grocery store inside Linda Tutt High School in Sanger, Texas, is serving more than 130 families right now, and the clientele keeps growing.

GIVING BACK: This Missouri City girl's mission is to give 1 million books to kids

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a real need regarding food insecurity within the community of Sanger, according to Linda Tutt High School's principal Anthony Love. The concept of opening a student-run store was the brainchild of Paul Juarez, executive director of First Refuge Ministries and a collaboration between Texas Health Resources, the city of Sanger and Linda Tutt High School.

"I thought a grocery store was a great idea, because it doesn't take long to see all the positive impacts that this program can have on others in the community" Love told Chron.

When it first launched, the store was only available to students and staff. But now this student-run store is open to all on Tuesday nights.

"The word continues to travel that our grocery store is available to everyone," Love said. "From 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, we are open to the community. Not just the Sanger community. We have people come here from surrounding cities. No money is involved."

Students and community members who want to shop at the grocery are allocated a certain number of points based upon number of people in their family. The beauty of this point system is that students can actually earn extra points by doing good deeds for their school. No, this grocery store doesn't take cash or credit. You can only pay in good deeds.

"There's a lot of opportunities for our students to get involved with our school and earn bonus points that they can use to shop and purchase food and supplies for their family," Love said.

Families heading over to this student-run grocery store won't be able to shop in person, due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, you can give the student workers your grocery list and they will bring the groceries to your car.

"The support from the community has been amazing," Love said. "Many who come up here on Tuesdays are extremely appreciative. They're going through hard times."

It's a win-win for the students, since they're getting bonus points in addition to honing valuable work skills.

"I get a joy out of it," 11th grader Preston Westbrook told Chron. "It's one of the things I have a passion for is to help out. Everything from stocking the store and giving groceries to people"

Love added that he wanted to help other school districts who are considering opening up student-run grocery stores.

"It just fills your heart," Love said. "One of the biggest things that I want our students to get from this is the impact it has by helping others. Just to see our families coming together for the good of our community, it truly is moving. Any school district can do it, can open a student-run grocery store like ours."
We never thought wed see her again: Family celebrates Chibok girls escape from Boko Haram

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

One of the more than 100 schoolgirls who remain missing since their abduction from the Nigerian town of Chibok by the Boko Haram terror group in 2014 has escaped her captors, and her family is rejoicing while awaiting her return after seven long years.

Halima Ali Maiyanga was 15 when she was kidnapped. Shes returning home as a 22-year-old woman.

Halima was in tears. She told us she was with the military and needed some clothes because she had nothing, her brother, Muhammad Maiyanga, who spoke to Halima on the phone, told The Wall Street Journal. We never thought wed see her again.

Halima was among the 276 girls kidnapped from a boarding school, an incident that gained international attention with the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. Some of the schoolgirls fled soon after the mass abduction in 2014, while others were released as part of a deal with the Nigerian government in 2016. Dozens more were released in 2017 as part of a prisoner exchange.

Halima managed to flee during a Nigerian military offensive against Boko Haram fighters in the Sambisa Forest in the countrys northeast, according to the Journal, which said her older sister, Maryam Ali Maiyanga, was released in 2017 along with an infant son born after her forced marriage to a jihadist fighter.

People have been coming to rejoice with us, the sister was quoted as saying. I cant wait to reunite with my sister again.

Last month, alleged Boko Haram terrorists kidnapped a large number of boarding school students from Kankara Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina state.

They commanded the crowd like a herdsman herd the sheep, Hassan Abdul-Bashir told CNN at the time. They shot the policeman guarding our school. I saw them driving many students. There could (be) as much as 200 students, but I am not sure.

Days later, security forces managed to rescue the boys without any fighting, though not all of those captured were rescued.

Boko Haram grooms the boys it captures to become terrorists, Save the Persecuted Christians Executive Director, Dede Laugesen, told The Christian Post at the time, adding that in some cases, the group forces children as young as 8 years old to execute Christians.

Boko Harams opposition to education creates a vicious cycle that leads to more terrorism, said Laugesen. Children are afraid to attend school because terrorists attack education centers. Without education, they cant get jobs to provide for themselves as adults. Jobless, uneducated young adults often become terrorists.

Nigerias government often lets terrorist groups operate unopposed, she said. Nigeria receives lots of international money to help it fight terrorists. Keeping them around means more cash in the hands of its leaders.
In a matter of hours on Monday morning, Myanmars short-lived adoption of representative government came to an unceremonious end when the military rounded up the countrys civilian leadership and effectively declared a coup detat.

With tanks and helicopters, soldiers and police officers, the military seized control of the levers of state  canceling a planned session of Parliament, cutting off internet and telephone networks, and taking control of both the airports and the airwaves.

After a decade of parliamentary elections, democratic reforms and power sharing with a pro-democracy opposition, the military is once again in full charge. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the civilian government, is once again under house arrest. And the fate of 54 million citizens is once again unknown.
It looks to me as if we are about to enter a very dark and dangerous political storm such as our nation has not seen. The sunlight of a free exchange of ideas, of thought-provoking discussion, of attending church, of tolerating a simple different point of view appears close to being extinguished. History is being rewritten and even statues of Lincoln are being brought down. One must wonder, how long it will be until we are no longer allowed to have cities, counties, colleges, or streets named Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Jackson or Roosevelt. Is Darkness now falling in America?

The cabal of Big Tech, the Deep State, and the progressive/socialist party is for all practical purposes ignoring and curtailing the Bill of Rights. At this time, the Thought Police appear to be winning. This "Digital Kristallnacht" by Big Tech oligarchs is moving forward without impediment. By the way, where is the American Civil Liberties Union? Where is the ACLU when it actually comes to basic liberties? They are strangely silent. Since the controversial Election of 2020, The left has "disappeared" citizens, outlawed free association, cancelled books, had people fired or made them unemployable because they thought or voted in a different way. This new regime has actually discussed publicly, re-education camps. Publishers are being threatened.

This Orwellian dystopia from the left will get worse before it gets better. It appears the only prominent souls brave enough to take on this regime are Rush Limbaugh, Tucker Carlson, and Donald Trump. For the most part the opposition party, the GOP, is oddly quiet and mute. Most of the GOP leadership seem to be hiding from this storm under the covers. Some actually appear to resemble those Frenchman who sided with the Nazis when the Germans overran France. Very few at this time appear to be a part of the Resistance. The rise of populism, both political and economic, has the totalitarian left scared and angry. Thus. their indiscriminate purge of American citizens who think and value differently.

This new McCarthyism from The Left is unapologetic and uncompromising. Citizens are told to "sit down, shut up, or else." Again, where are the Libertarians? is being written at this time which basically could make 75 million citizens domestic terrorists. Churches are shuttered but alcohol and hemp stores are wide open. Legislation is being written which in all practicality, voids the First and Second Amendments. The army is now standing guard in Washington, DC as if we are under a totalitarian authority. Today our nation's capital looks more like Baghdad than the city of Washington.

Only a short time ago it was considered undemocratic to have the National Guard used in our cities to put down very dangerous, violent, and even deadly riots. Today, that same Guard is patrolling the streets of our nation's capital. It appears that an administration that believes it needs thousands of troops and permanent fences to guard them and to keep away the "unwashed masses", might actually believe that they really may not have won the election nor that they have the consent of the governed. About 75 million voters might possibly have that same thought.

President Harry Truman was once asked to explain the difference between Nazism and Communism. His response was "only the spelling." President Kennedy said of a police state, "peaceful circulation has been interrupted by barbed wire and concrete blocks." Kennedy also said that when a government is rife with corruption, this oftentimes leads to communism. President Reagan often spoke how freedom is "only one generation away from extinction." Rupert Murdoch has recently said that America is entering a very dangerous and scary time of "this awful woke orthodoxy."

The dark clouds appear to be rolling in at a torrential pace. One must wonder if we will need to change our vantage point to once again see the sunlight.

Photo credit: cjohnson7 CC BY-2.0 license
South Africa: Oversight visits to assess school readiness

The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education will this week visit three provinces to assess school readiness for 2021 academic year.

Educators are returning to school today in preparation for schools reopening on 15 February 2021.

The chairperson of the committee, Bongiwe Mbinqo-Gigaba, said the oversight visits will assess the readiness of all the stakeholders - from the national Department of Basic Education to the school level, to ensure the safe reopening of schools.

As part of its programme, Mbinqo-Gigaba said the committee is going to visit certain identified schools in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

The school readiness visits are even more significant this year, considering the impact of COVID-19 on the 2020 academic year and the inherent risk it continues to pose going into the 2021 academic year.

"It is essential that through our oversight work, we ensure that everything is in place to secure a safe return of students and teachers to classrooms, Mbinqo-Gigaba said.

In assessing the impact of the adjusted level 3 lockdown regulations on the reopening of schools, the chairperson said the committee will pay close attention to the adherence to health protocols, procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE), and plans to cover the 2021 curriculum, given the delayed 2021 academic year.

The committee will also pay close attention to infrastructure including maintenance; safety and security; the availability of water and sanitation; processes for screening, testing and tracing; scholar transport; plans to initiate the school nutrition programme, and assessment of plans to distribute Learner Teacher Support Materials (LTSM) to schools.

In Gauteng, the committee will also receive an update on the state of the admission and registration of learners, considering the influx of learners into the province.

"It will also visit schools in Gautengs Ekurhuleni North District, Mbinqo-Gigaba said.

The committee will interact with stakeholders including the national Department of Basic Education, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Departments of Education, including the offices of the MECs, associations of school governing bodies, organised labour and the South African Principals' Association.

Meanwhile, Basic Education Deputy Minister, Dr Reginah Mhaule and Limpopo Education MEC, Polly Boshielo, will also visit schools across Sekhukhune East District today.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By Aditya Kalra and Abhirup Roy

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian government on Monday said it plans to raise limits on how much foreign companies can invest in the country's insurance industry, a move that could attract inflows from U.S. and European insurers.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech for 2021-22 said the government would allow foreign direct investment of up to 74% in insurance entities, up from 49% currently, clearing the way for "foreign ownership and control with safeguards".

The change could attract investments from international insurers, industry sources said, many of which have existing joint-venture operations in India, including from American International Group and Britain's Prudential Plc.

Take up of life and health insurance products is low in the country of 1.3 billion people but is expected to grow. The country's investment promotion agency, Invest India, expects the insurance market to be worth around $250 billion by 2025.

"It's a huge market by size for them. That is the main driving force for companies," said an Indian lawyer who advises global insurance firms.

A second lawyer said several insurers from Asia have also shown interest in ramping up Indian investments, and started seeking more details about Monday's proposal hours after it was announced.

In a statement to Reuters, lobby group U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said New Delhi's decision will help American insurance companies enhance financial inclusion in India.

"For foreign investment to flow, though, management and control regulations need to strike the right balance between prudent safeguards and owners' needs," said Nisha Biswal, President of the USIBC.

India's state-run Life Insurance Corporation dominates India's life insurance market, but private players have rapidly grown in size.

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance - a joint venture between ICICI Bank and Prudential - last year said its assets under management crossed 2 trillion rupees ($27.4 billion). Prudential said in August India was a market where it had "significant investment appetites for growth".

Story continues

More relaxed rules for foreign investment in insurance will also help some Indian insurers to attract capital and boost their businesses after a slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The imperativeness of the life insurance sector in the economy has gained paramount importance in the aftermath of COVID," Niraj Kumar, Chief Investment Officer of Future Generali India Life Insurance, an Indian JV of Italy's Assicurazioni Generali SpA, said in a statement.

"The bold step ... will provide an immediate backstop in terms of capital for growth and improve the insurance penetration and financial inclusion in the economy."

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra in New Delhi and Abhirup Roy in Mumbai; Editing by Euan Rocha, Jane Merriman and David Evans)
Sheep farmers have again warned of the consequences of releasing lynx into the countryside as campaigners are set to unveil a second bid to reintroduce the animal.

Lynx UK Trust is gearing up to launch a new attempt to re-wild the Eurasian lynx in Kielder Forest, Northumberland two years after Michael Gove rejected the first proposal.

The then-Defra Secretary said it did not meet the necessary standards set out in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines.

The application was the first ever made in the United Kingdom for the species to be re-introduced.

Lynx UK Trust said that reintroducing the predator would bring benefits such as helping to control and reduce the UKs over-populated deer numbers, reduce damage to forests and improve habitat for smaller animals.

The charity has announced that online consultations for its new rewilding attempt are due to be held this month.

However, sheep farmers have frequently criticised the proposals, as after more than 1,000 years of extinction, the UK's natural life would not be prepared for the lynx.

Responding to the new proposal, the National Sheep Association (NSA) told the I newspaper that it would be surprised if it was a success.

"At a time when Defra will be conscious of the importance of encouraging farmers into new environmental schemes, I cant see that they would jeopardise this by permitting a dangerous predator to be released," said Phil Stocker, NSA chief executive.

He also said it would be 'immoral' to release lynx in England, and close to the Scottish border, without the express support of the Scottish government.

Whether you look at this from an environmental, animal welfare, genetic sustainability, or rural economics perspective it would not be truly sustainable to have these predators running loose in our countryside."

The sheep sector's main concerns surround the welfare of livestock if any new predator is released into the British countryside.

In 2016, a UK farming delegation visited Norway to hear of the devastating consequences that rewilding has had on the local industry.

During that year, Norwegian authorities paid out compensation on nearly 20,000 sheep lost to predators, farmers heard.

The NFUs opposition has always been underpinned by concerns about the impact lynx could have on the welfare of livestock.

When Lynx UK Trust's first attempt was rejected in 2018, the union said it was an 'enormous relief' to farmers in the Kielder Forest region.
Photo taken on Jan. 31, 2021 shows people processing festive goods for the upcoming Spring Festival in Shangou Village, central China's Henan Province. Shopping for festive goods has long been a tradition in China. With the Chinese New Year approaching, the production of the goods is in full swing to meet the demands. (Miao Yucai/Guangming Picture)

3

1

[ Editor: WXL ]
The streets of Perth have been turned into a ghost town as 2 million residents adjust to life under a lockdown which medical chiefs warn could last more than five days.

Pictures from the city show the normally bustling Cottesloe Beach empty despite temperatures soaring to 36C on Monday, the first full day of stay-at-home orders.

Street malls and shopping centres usually full of shoppers have been left deserted, with most businesses forced to shut during the harsh five-day lockdown enforced after a security guard at a quarantine hotel contracted Covid.

Residents have seemingly answered the call put out by Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan to 'do your duty: stay home unless it's for one of the four approved reasons'.

A lifeguard watches over a deserted Cottesloe Beach in Perth on Monday. Despite temperatures in the city soaring to 36C, beaches were empty on what was the first full day of a snap lockdown

erth's Hay Street Mall was virtually deserted on Monday, the first full day of stay-at-home orders as residents heeded the call to stay at home

London Court in Perth's CBD lay empty on Monday. Residents can only leave home for four essential reasons

'If we can all work together and do the right thing over the next few days, we will increase our chances of crushing this virus once again,' he said.

The lockdown is in effect until 6pm on Friday, with residents only allowed to leave home for the following reasons - essential shopping, medical appointments, exercise and work which cannot be done remotely.

But Dr Andrew Miller, the Western Australia president of the Australian Medical Association, said there was a 50 per cent chance the lockdown would be extended.

'Not being a betting man, I wouldn't put a lot of money on it, but I'd say it's 50-50 at this stage,' Dr Miller told The West Australian.

'The things that are in favour of it being extended are the fact that it's likely to be a new variant for us which is more easily spread, there do seem to be have been quite a few places, quite a number of contacts, and that there were symptoms involved.'

Dr Miller said authorities would need until Friday to determine whether there were clusters stemming from the guard's positive test, which was recorded on Saturday night.

St Georges Terrace in Perth's CBD was devoid of heavy traffic on Monday as residents hunkered down for the five-day lockdown

Perth's famous Cottesloe Beach, normally bustling with swimmers, looked drastically different on Monday

The Carrilon City food court seating areas are seen taped off and closed on Monday

He said clusters normally generated three weeks worth of cases from when they are first identified to when they can be shut down. That would require a longer period of lockdown.

The security guard visited more than a dozen locations in the days leading up to his positive test result, with urgent alerts issued for residents who attended each venue at the same time to get tested immediately and self-isolate.

On Monday evening the Genesis Gym Belmont and the Perth Arena Grab N Go Convenience Store were added to the list.

Anyone who visited the gym on January 30 from 9:30am to 12pm is required to get tested and self-quarantine until a negative test result is received.

The same requirement applies to residents who visited the convenience store on January 27 from 2pm to 3pm.

Anybody who visited one of the following locations must seek Covid testing immediately and self isolate until they receive a negative result:

Coles Maylands on January 25th between 8pm and 10pm and January 29 between 8pm and 9pm

KFC Maylands on January 27 between 6pm and midnight

Mitsubishi Motors in Midland on January 27 from 7pm to close

Spudshed, Coventry Village in Morley on January 27 from 8pm to midnight

Perth Arena Grab N Go Convenience Store on January 27 from 2pm to 3pm

ECU Joondalup on January 28 from 11am to 2pm

Consulate general of India in St Georges Terrace on January 28 at 5pm

Halal Grocery Store in Cloverdale on January 28 from 7pm to 9pm

Venus ladies and gentleman hair design in Maylands on January 29 between 1pm and 3pm

Perth Convention Centre on January 29 between 4pm and 6pm

Nedlands GP on January 29 between 5pm and 6pm

Chemist Warehouse North Perth on January 29 between 5.30pm and 7.30pm

7-Eleven Ascot petrol station on January 29 from 8pm to 9pm

Coles Express Shell Clovedale on January 30 between 12pm and 3pm

Puma Service Station in Burswood on January 30 from 11am until 12pm

Pharmacy 777 at Maylands Park shopping centre on January 30 from 2.30pm to 4pm

Genesis Gym Belmont on January 30 from 9:30am to 12pm

Dr Miller on Sunday blasted the Western Australian government's handling of hotel quarantine for Australians returning from overseas.

'We've got seven warehouses full of PPE we keep being told. Why was the top N95 level not delivered to this security guard? What are we saving them for?

The Murray Street mall resembled a ghost town on Monday, with most business forced to close during the five-day lockdown

Signs were erected along beachfronts in Perth explaining the lockdown but residents had already heeded the stay-at-home order

LOCKDOWN RULES Residents in Perth, Peel and the South West are required to stay home, except for the following four reasons: - Shopping for essentials like groceries, medicine and necessary supplies - Medical or health care needs including compassionate requirements and looking after the vulnerable - Exercise, within their neighbourhood, but only with one other person and only for one hour per day - Work, where you cannot work from home or remotely If you do leave home, for one of the four reasons you will be required to wear a mask at all times outside and if you need to work indoors, then wearing a mask in the workplace is also mandatory. Mask wearing on public transport is also mandatory Advertisement

'That's the question for this government: why has it taken you so long to learn from the mistakes of the other states?'

Dr Miller also called for better testing of hotel quarantine workers and an overhaul of the system so they do not have to work two jobs.

'Those working in quarantine facilities need to have contracts that pay them sufficiently and that put in place sufficient prohibition to prevent them from working in other places,' he said.

So, we need to not blame this one individual security worker. He was working in a system which I believe did not provide him with the appropriate PPE, adequate ventilation and daily testing.

'I think daily testing only started last Friday this is happening too late.'

Western Australia recorded no new locally acquired cases of coronavirus on Monday. More than 3,000 tests were processed.

Mr McGowan begged residents to come forward for testing, declaring 'we need more tests done'.

'By getting tested, because you are either sick or have been to one of the exposure locations at the times published, you are performing your civic duty as Western Australians - so thank you,' he said.

Perth, Peel and the South West were put into the five-day lockdown from 6pm on Sunday.

The security guard was working on the same floor of the Sheraton Four Points hotel in Perth which was housing returned Australians confirmed to have the highly-infectious UK Covid strain.

The man, from Maylands, inner Perth, had worked 12-hour shifts on both January 26 and 27 while there were four active cases at the hotel, including two with the UK variant and one confirmed to have the South African strain.

Perth entered lockdown at 6pm on Sunday despite going 10 months without a local case of Covid

The only places in Perth which had long queues on Monday were Covid testing sites. Pictured, the testing clinic at Ainslie House

The man returned negative results as part of routine testing on January 15, 17 and 23 but started to become unwell last Thursday and called in sick for his shift that day.

He was most likely infectious from January 26, Western Australia's chief health officer Andy Robertson said, with 15 venues visited by the man now listed as potential exposure sites.

The man had a second job as a ride share driver but authorities said he had not worked in that role since January 22.

Authorities are adamant the security guard did not 'unnecessarily expose himself' by entering any hotel rooms.
Head of the Monitoring Unit of the Forestry Commission, Charles Owusu has thrown shade at the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia over his witness statement.



The NDC kingpin has been picked as one of the witnesses by former President John Mahama, the Petitioner in the ongoing election petition before the Supreme Court.



Mr. Asiedu Nketia, popularly called General Mosquito, has told the Supreme Court that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Adukwie Mensa was biased towards John Mahama.



Witness Statement



Portions of the witness statement read; The Chairperson of 1st Respondent and 1st Respondents are also not required under Article 296 of the Constitution to be biased either by resentment, prejudice or personal dislike in exercising any discretionary power, but they are required to exercise such powers in accordance with due process of law.



The Chairperson of 1st Respondent, Mrs Jean Adukwei Mensa, allowed herself to be biased by her prejudice in favour of the 2nd Respondent, who appointed her in August 2018 and with whose wife Mrs Jean Adukwie Mensa has a close familial relationship. Mrs Mensa was thus, at all material times in the conduct of her responsibilities, biased by prejudice in favour of the 2nd Respondent and against the Petitioner.



General Mosquito's statement filed on Wednesday, January 27 further said "in announcing the various so-called "corrections" and "corrections" of "Corrections", no officer of 1st Respondent engaged in any consultative process involving petitioner..." adding "it is clear that in seeking to justify the new figures put forward in the (EC's) press release of 10th December 2020, one or more officials of 1st respondent made various adjustments to figures of votes cast for various candidates on their own, in the absence of representatives of Petitioner".



Charles Owusu Blasts Asiedu Nketia



Making his submissions on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Charles Owusu questioned the logic in stating that the close relationship of Mrs. Jean Adukwei Mensa and the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo means the former was biased in declaring the results.



He wondered why the NDC is not challenging their Parliamentary seats because it is the same Electoral Commissioner who presided over the Parliamentary elections, which results gave them 137 seats in the Legislative House.



"Why didn't she help for them (NPP) to have more Parliamentary seats than the NDC?" he asked.



He found it shocking that the NDC is satisfied with having 137 seats but their General Secretary would claim by virtue of her familial relationship with the President's wife, she manipulated the Presidential election verdict.



"People say she is the Returning Officer for the Presidential elections. Also, every election conducted in Ghana, whether Parliamentary or Presidential, is under her authority. Everything! She has the authority," he told sit-in host Nana Yaw Kesseh.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 14:07:47|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A plane carrying Chinese donation of COVID-19 vaccines for Pakistan has arrived in the country, Special Assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Health Faisal Sultan said on Monday.

Sultan expressed his gratitude to China on Twitter for sending Sinopharm vaccines to Pakistan, adding that the frontline healthcare workers will be the first one to be vaccinated.

According to the health ministry, the vaccine doses will be formally handed over to the Pakistani side at a ceremony to be held later in the day.

The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said earlier on Sunday that a comprehensive vaccine administration strategy has been formed to administer the vaccines across Pakistan.

"All necessary measures have been put in place for vaccine storage at Islamabad and move of vaccine to various federating units particularly to Sindh and Balochistan through air," the NCOC said.

Pakistan has so far confirmed 546,428 cases and lost 11,683 lives to the disease since the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, according to the latest government data. Enditem
(Global Times) Chinese education authority has recently vowed to enhance physical education and psychological direction in a response to a previous proposal from a top policy advisor calling on the country to strengthen "masculinity" education for boys, which has ignited heated debate on the internet.





The proposal has won some support, while many on the internet believe it might lead to gender stereotyping. Experts noted that the goals of education should be to train students to be more responsible, and called for a more tolerant and diversified evaluation system for children.

In a Thursday reply to the proposal on "avoiding feminization of teenage boys," the Chinese Ministry of Education said it will solve the problems from several aspects including enhancing the research on issues related to youth mental health education.

In May 2020, during the national Two Sessions, Si Zefu, a member of the Standing Committee of the 13th CPPCC National Committee and chairman of Harbin Electric Corporation, said that the "feminization" trend of Chinese teenagers, if not managed effectively, will harm the existence and development of China. "Many Chinese teenage boys nowadays have the characteristics of weakness, low self-esteem and timidity, and they tend to follow the pretty-boy superstars," said Si.

Si believed this phenomenon could be attributed to the fact that most teachers in schools from kindergarten to high school stage are women, as well as to the frequent appearance of "pretty boys" in TV and films.

The reply from the Ministry of Education triggered a widespread discussion on the internet over the weekend. The related hashtag has been viewed more than 2 billion times with 250,000 comments as of press time on Sina Weibo.

Discussions focus on what "masculinity" is and what the boys really need in education.

"It is a beauty for men to show their toughness in demeanor, spirit, and physique Education is not only meant to foster 'men' and 'women,' but also duty and responsibility," read a CCTV editorial on Sunday.

"The anxiety about lack of 'masculinity' is itself a discrimination due to certain kind of mindset. In subconsciousness, such people consider 'female', 'girly' and 'feminine' are bad and each sex should have a certain kind of look in life," noted an editorial on iFeng.com. "Why doesn't the Ministry of Education worry that more physical exercise will make girls too 'masculine?'"

Sun Yunxiao, an education expert, was quoted by the CNR as saying that while it is true some boys are relatively 'weak,' and the situation calls for attention, people's 'temperaments' are naturally diversified and there is nothing good or bad about it. "We should not attach stereotypes to sexes."

"Girls could be tough, and boys could be gentle," he said.

"If masculinity means a boy should not cry, then it is a stereotype," Yu Ka, a primary school teacher in East China's Fujian Province, told the Global Times.

But Yu also shared his observation that some boys are not as tough as many girls among her students. "I feel boys are too spoiled by families and the society," Yu said, pointing to the traditional mindset of valuing boys.

Chu Zhaohui, a research fellow at China's National Institute of Education Sciences, called for a diversified evaluation system. "Currently, evaluation is based on scores to a large extent. Even if boys perform well in areas other than learning, they won't get much appreciation. For many boys, they cannot do what they want to do, which is not conducive to cultivating independence, courage and perseverance," Chu told the Global Times.

"Masculinity means having a relatively strong sense of independence, willpower and perseverance, including physical fitness," Chu said.

"We should leave it to the nature of the person. We have destroyed the natural state of students and what we need to do now is to correct it and let them return to normal and be more natural," Chu said.


Ellsworth: Did you get the message from your body?
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
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.
Besides including crimes of online hate speech and divulging personal information on the internet, under the legislation doctors would be fined or jailed for performing virginity tests

Paris: The French parliament on Monday began debating a controversial new bill against what the interior minister described as the "disease" of Islamic radicalism eating away at the country's unity.

President Emmanuel Macron has pushed the legislation  which would tighten rules on issues ranging from religious-based education to polygamy  after a spate of attacks blamed on extremists late last year.

The lower house National Assembly kicked off two weeks of what are expected to be tense debates on the legislation, for while the Left says it stigmatises Muslims, the Right argues it fails to tackle the core issue.

The legislation is dubbed the anti-separatism bill as ministers fear radical Muslims are creating communities separate from France's staunchly secular identity. It has been bitterly criticised in Muslim countries.

"Our country is sick from separatism, above all Islamism which is damaging our national unity," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told parliament.

"You have to know what to call the disease, you have to find the medicine," he added. "This text does not fight religions but the Islamist takeover bid," he added.

The law was in the pipeline before the October killing of Samuel Paty, a junior high school teacher who was beheaded in the street after showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in a class.

But the killing, committed by an 18-year old Chechen after a virulent social media campaign against the teacher, gave fresh impetus to the bill.

It prompted the inclusion of the specific crimes of online hate speech and divulging personal information on the internet.

Under the legislation, doctors also would be fined or jailed if they performed a virginity test on girls.

Attacked on left and right

Polygamy is already outlawed in France but the new law would also ban authorities from issuing residency papers to polygamous applicants.

Paty's death came amid a spate of jihadist-inspired attacks in France this year, including a knife assault outside the former offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and deadly stabbings at a church in Nice.

Macron has become a figure of hate in some Muslim countries and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the draft law an "open provocation".

In France, far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon opposes a text that he says "stigmatises Muslims".

On the right, the parliamentary group leader of The Republicans Damien Abad said the text ignores issues such as radicalisation in prison and migration.

Meanwhile, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen  who analysts believe will be Macron's main rival in 2022 elections  last week outlined her own plan, which includes a ban on Muslim headscarves in all public places.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

As COVID-19 spread across the world, so did conspiracy theories and false information about the virus. This proliferation of misinformationlabeled an "infodemic" by the World Health Organization (WHO)makes it difficult to identify trustworthy sources and can threaten public health by undermining confidence in science, governments, and public health recommendations.

The consequences of misinformation can be tragic: hundreds died and thousands were poisoned in Iran after consuming toxic methanol alcohol, falsely believing it could cure COVID-19.

In a new article in the Journal of Public Health Policy, legal scholars at NYU School of Global Public Health and the global health organization Vital Strategies identify five approaches countries have taken to address misinformation about COVID-19. Their tactics ranged from helpful practices like creating media campaigns sharing accurate information to harmful practices like suppressing whistleblowers and factual information, or disseminating disinformation (the intentional spread of false information) on their own. Several approaches criminalized expression, eliciting human rights concerns, given that international law protects freedom of expression.

"Governments can best address COVID-19 misinformation by disseminating factual information, protecting expression, ensuring strong protections for whistleblowers, and supporting an independent media environment," said study author Jennifer Pomeranz, assistant professor of public health policy and management at NYU School of Global Public Health.

"On top of the human rights concerns, overzealous prosecution of expression undercuts public health efforts by sowing mistrust between communities and their government," said study author Aaron Schwid, Director of Public Health Law at Vital Strategies.

To identify the range of methods governments used to address COVID-19 misinformation, the researchers conducted a content analysis of international media coverage. Using keywords including "misinformation," "disinformation," and "fake news," they analyzed hundreds of articles from February through May 2020.

The observed government actions, whether helpful or harmful, fell into five general categories:

Disseminating and increasing access to accurate information. In Taiwan, for example, the government held daily press conferences, distributed newsletters, developed media campaigns, promoted the Taiwan FactCheck Center (which rapidly verifies or debunks online information), and created "mask maps" to show where masks were available. Officials in South Africa and Nigeria worked with the popular social media platform WhatsApp to provide users with information on the virus and how to avoid infection.

Addressing commercial fraud so consumers are not led to purchase ineffective or unsafe products related to COVID-19. In the U.S., federal agencies issued warning letters to companies selling fake products, and state attorneys general brought actions against companies for violating state consumer protection acts. In the European Union, Europol seized 4.4 million units of fake pharmaceuticals and took down 2,500 links to fraudulent COVID-19 websites, marketplaces, and advertisements.

Restricting access to accurate information by refusing to release information, or preventing communication by journalists, health officials, and whistleblowers. This started in the early days of the pandemic, for example, when Chinese doctor Li Wenliang tried to warn fellow medical professionals about a novel virus and was silenced by authorities in Wuhan, and continued throughout 2020 in other countries.

Spreading misinformation or disinformation. In Madagascar, the president broadcast his support for an unproven herbal tea to cure COVID-19. President Trump was also a source of false information, suggesting that injecting disinfectant may kill the virus. "Disinformation spread by government officials is especially problematic because people generally expect governments to provide factual information," the authors write.

Criminalizing expression through prosecuting citizens and journalists under new and existing laws. For instance, Iraq's media regulator fined Reuters and suspended its license for reporting COVID-19 statistics in violation of its media broadcasting rules. In addition, emergency powers enacted in Botswana criminalized disseminating COVID-19 information that did not come from the WHO or the country's director of health services. "The criminalization of speech over the pandemic was not necessary or legitimate and undermined the right to free expression," the authors write.

The researchers stress that, in the face of a pandemic, governments should broadly protect expression and ensure a free and diverse media environment, as accurate reporting by journalists is one of the most powerful tools to reduce misinformation and disinformation. In contrast, censoring or penalizing expression can drive ideas underground, complicating efforts to correct or refute false information.

"Censorshipjust like misinformationundermines public health; both create a state of uncertainty, which motivates people to seek out information from less transparent sources," said Pomeranz.

"The solution to misinformation is for governments to embrace the freedom of expression and encourage more speechnot lessand increase their own dissemination of factual information," Schwid said.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: Jennifer L. Pomeranz et al, Governmental actions to address COVID-19 misinformation, Journal of Public Health Policy (2021). Jennifer L. Pomeranz et al, Governmental actions to address COVID-19 misinformation,(2021). DOI: 10.1057/s41271-020-00270-x
China, the world's largest polluter, launched on Monday an emissions trading scheme as part of its efforts to become a carbon-neutral economy by 2060.

The Chinese authorities introduced as of February 1 a set of rules for carbon emissions trading management, a step toward creating a nationwide unified emissions trading system (ETS), Chinese news agency Xinhua reports.

As many as 2,225 power companies in China will have carbon dioxide (CO2) emission caps, and they can now trade their emission quotas via the system. Under the emissions trading scheme, firms that have exceeded their emission caps will be able to buy emission quotas from companies with lower emissions that haven't reached their caps yet.

China aims to have its emissions peak by 2030 and to be carbon neutral by 2060.

Experts, however, are concerned that China continues to expand its coal production, while the fines for firms that exceed their quotas under the emissions trading scheme are too low to incentivize full compliance.

The fines are "too low to act as a deterrent," Zhang Jianyu, vice-president of the Environmental Defense Fund China, told AFP.

"China is pursuing ambitious build-up of zero-carbon energy and has set a long term goal to be carbon neutral (but) the carbon market in its current form just isn't going to play much of a role in realizing these ambitions," another analyst, Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, told AFP.

A month after China announced last September that it would aim to become carbon neutral by 2060, Wood Mackenzie analysts said in a new report that Beijing's plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2060 could end up costing it $5 trillion.

"The hefty bill is the total sum required for additional power generation capacity to accommodate the growth in electrification by 2050," Wood Mackenzie noted.

China is the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, but it is also the biggest investor in renewable energy projects. However, the country's emissions are still on the rise, and they will only peak in 2030, under current decarbonization plans.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

According to a Reuters report, the Biden administration is actively looking at imposing a mandatory COVID testing requirement for domestic air travelers similar to the new rule that recently took effect for inbound international travelers.

In airport news, Oakland International said this week it has become the first airport in the U.S. to start selling COVID testing kits in vending machines, available in both of its terminals.

The Lincoln Project fired back at insults from incendiary Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, telling her she simply doesnt have the range to pull off a string of Trump-style claims she lobbed at the group, including calling them traitors and Bidens little tool.

Its the latest intra-party spat involving Ms Greenewho has a history of supporting violent threats against Democratic lawmakers, promoting conspiracies like Qanon and Stop the Steal, and making racist and Islamophobic commentsand a sign of how the Republican party is wrangling over what its tone should be after Donald Trumps chaotic exit from the White House.

The back-and-forth began when the Lincoln Project, a group of anti-Trump conservatives known for their biting political ads, tried to get the hashtag #TraitorMcCarthy trending, a reference to GOP House minority leader Kevin McCarthy of California, who met with former president Trump on Thursday and effusively praised him. After the meeting, Mr McCarthy said in a statement that, President Trumps popularity has never been stronger than it is today, and his endorsement means more than perhaps any endorsement at any time, after previously condemning the president in harsh terms just a few weeks before for inciting the Capitol riot.

Ms Greene fired back, calling them traitors and a bunch of America last losers who wallow in the same pit with the bloodthirsty media and the socialist democrats (sic).

Leader McCarthy has plans to meet with Ms Greene next week, following reporting on a string of incidents where Ms Greene made controversial and shocking comments before getting elected, including harassing the survivors of school shootings, implying Muslim members of Congress werent legitimate because they were sworn in on Qurans, and past posts on social media endorsing violent threats against elected Democrats.

Mr McCarthy was one of the few elected Republicans to condemn Ms Greenes conduct, which has led one of her Democratic colleagues to seek her expulsion from Congress, and another, Cori Bush, to move to a new office after Ms Greene allegedly harassed Ms Bush and her staff for asking the Georgia rep to wear a face mask.

"These comments are deeply disturbing, and Leader McCarthy plans to have a conversation with the Congresswoman about them," Mark Bednar, a spokesperson for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, told Axios.

Still, despite her shocking remarks, Ms Greene said on Saturday she has the full backing of former president Trump and spoke with him on Saturday, meaning Mr Trumps scorched Earth style of insult politics, where opponents are labeled enemies of the people, might not be going anywhere.

Im so grateful for his support and more importantly the people of this country are absolutely 100% loyal to him because he is 100% loyal to the people and America First," she wrote on Twitter following the conversation.
The Married At First Sight reunion special may be making headlines.

But a new crop of lovelorn singletons will soon be dominating our screens, as Nine's 2021 season finally goes to air.

A new trailer introduces audiences to three colourful cast members including ex-policewoman Coco Stedman, a boisterous bride who describes herself as being 'just like a chocolate milkshake, only crunchy.'

Married At First Sight has unveiled a trailer for this year's season, introducing fans to three colourful cast members including ex-policewoman Coco Stedman (pictured)

'I'm looking for the Kanye to my Kim,' the brunette says in the trailer.

After six years with the NSW Police Force, the brunette bombshell decided to call it quits and pursue her dreams of working in the health and fitness industry.

She is now the owner of KX Pilates Miranda, located in Sydney's Sutherland Shire.

Unique: We're then introduced to F45 fitness trainer Patrick Dwyer , who enjoys using quirky catch phrases such as 'holy carrot sticks and peanut butter' and 'holy guacamole'

We're then introduced to F45 fitness trainer Patrick Dwyer, who enjoys using quirky catch phrases such as 'holy carrot sticks and peanut butter' and 'holy guacamole.'

'I don't look like Brad Pitt, but I don't look like Tony Abbott,' he tells the camera.

Despite describing himself as 'shy and reserved', Patrick seems happy to show off his rather unique personality, and at one point he is seen clapping his bride's feet in the bath.

Unlucky in love: Another clip introduces fans to 31-year-old Melissa, (pictured) who has never been on a date. 'I felt like my life was over after turning 30,' she tells the camera

Another clip introduces fans to 31-year-old Melissa, who has never been on a date.

'I felt like my life was over after turning 30,' she tells the camera.

The new season will also welcome expert Alessandra Rampolla, a certified clinical sexologist from Puerto Rico, who will join John Aiken and Mel Schilling on the show.

Channel Nine recently described this year's cast the most genuine participants yet, and said that the 2021 series was 'about finding love, not fame'.

The eighth season of Married At First Sight premieres on Nine on February 22
BANGKOK  Under the rules of Vietnams Communist Party, its chief is to step aside at age 65 or after two terms. The countrys dogmatic leader, Nguyen Phu Trong, would not qualify for reappointment on either count.

But that didnt prevent the party from cementing his rule as it concluded its once-every-five-years congress on Monday, giving him a third term in an effort to project unity and hold off more pragmatic challengers.

Mr. Trong, 76, in frail health after 10 years at the partys helm, was reappointed as general secretary in one of the worlds few remaining communist dictatorships. Known for his conservative ideological stance, Mr. Trong has made fighting high-level corruption a priority, and he has presided at a time of sustained economic growth and national success in containing the coronavirus.

Under his leadership, Vietnam is expected to maintain a foreign policy of balancing Chinese and American interests, while keeping the partys grip at home by continuing to suppress dissent through the imposition of long prison sentences.
San Francisco police arrested a man and woman from Daly City on Saturday in the death of an 84-year-old man who had been pushed to the pavement.

The victim died Saturday, police said, after being attacked about 8:30 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of Anzavista and Fortuna avenues in the Anza Vista neighborhood. A man had run up to him and shoved him before fleeing with a woman, police reported. Officers arrived to find the victim prone on the street and administered first aid before transporting him to a hospital. The victims name was not released.
 Flash

Over 40 countries are expected to participate in a multinational maritime exercise to be hosted by the Pakistani Navy under the theme of "Together for Peace," a spokesperson of the navy said on Sunday.

The exercise is expected to be commenced from Feb. 10 and the participating countries will take part in the drills with their assets and delegations, the spokesperson said.

This year, the exercise will focus on enhancing interoperability with regional and extra regional navies to act as a bridge between the regions, and display united resolve against terrorism and crimes in the maritime domain, a handout by the navy said.

The drill is aimed at providing a common forum for information sharing, mutual understanding and identifying areas of common interests for group analysis and dialogues through the international Maritime Conference to be held on the sidelines of the drills, it said.
Technvaio forecast the global apiculture market is expected to grow by USD 1.08 billion during 2021-2025 as per Technavio. This marks a significant market slow down compared to the 2019 growth estimates due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020. However, healthy growth is expected to continue throughout the forecast period, and the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 2%.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005866/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Apiculture Market 2021-2025 (Graphic: Business Wire)

For the Right Perspective Competitive Insights- Request Free Sample Report on Pandemic Recovery Analysis

Read the 120-page report with TOC on "Apiculture Market Analysis Report by Product (Honey, Beeswax, and Others), Application (Food and Beverage, Medical, Cosmetics, and Others), and Geography (APAC, Europe, North America, MEA, and South America), and the Segment Forecasts, 2021-2025". Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders. Track key industry opportunities, trends, and threats. Information on marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales and supply functions. https://www.technavio.com/report/report/apiculture-market-industry-analysis

The apiculture market is driven by the increasing government funding for apicultural R&D. In addition, the restoration of bee habitats is anticipated to boost the growth of the apiculture market.

Traditional beekeeping is followed by numerous enterprises and individuals as R&D of better methods requires extensive investment. Governments of various countries invest in apiculture to protect the food security of the increasing population. Honeybee Industry development program aims to increase the honeybee colonies by spending on the construction for apiculture. The decline in bee population affects the profitability of beekeepers which in turn discourages them from apiculture. The EU's Horizon 2020 has funded projects such as PoshBee and Hyperthermia in Apiculture (HApi). These government initiatives will drive the growth of the global apiculture market during the forecast period.

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

View market snapshot before purchasing

Major Five Apiculture Companies:

Apiaries 8

Apiaries 8 operates the business through the Unified segment. The company offers Honeycomb, Pure Sunshine, and others.

Apiculture Remuaux

Apiculture Remuaux operates the business through the Unified segment. The company offers beeswax, beehive accessories, and others.

Arnold Honeybee Services

Arnold Honeybee Services operates the business through the Unified segment. The company offers hive parts, apiary products, and others.

Beeface

Beeface operates the business through the Unified segment. The company offers honey and beeswax.

Beehive Botanicals Inc

Beehive Botanicals Inc operates the business through the Unified segment. The company offers bee pollen, royal jelly, and bee propolis.

Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports.

Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform

Apiculture Market Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020-2025)

Honey size and forecast 2020-2025

Beeswax size and forecast 2020-2025

Others size and forecast 2020-2025

Apiculture Market Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020-2025)

Food and beverage size and forecast 2020-2025

Medical size and forecast 2020-2025

Cosmetics size and forecast 2020-2025

Others size and forecast 2020-2025

Apiculture Market Geography Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020-2025)

APAC size and forecast 2020-2025

Europe size and forecast 2020-2025

North America size and forecast 2020-2025

MEA size and forecast 2020-2025

South America size and forecast 2020-2025

Are you a start-up willing to make it big in the business? Grab an exclusive Report

Related Reports on IndustrialsInclude:

Global Agricultural Biotechnology Market- The agricultural biotechnology market is segmented by application (transgenic seeds and crop protection biochemicals), geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA), technology (genome editing, DNA sequencing, RNAi, and biochips and synthetic biology), and key vendors. Click Here to Get an Exclusive Free Sample Report

Global Agricultural Mowers Market- The agricultural mowers market is segmented by product (disc, sickle bar, drum, and flail), geography (North America, Europe, APAC, South America, and MEA), and key vendors. Click Here to Get an Exclusive Free Sample Report

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005866/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/
An unidentified Chinese hacker uses a computer at an office in Dongguan, China, on Aug. 4, 2020. (Nicolas Asfouri/AFP via Getty Images)

Hundreds of Twitter Accounts Linked to China Sowed Discord Around US Election

A sophisticated social media operation believed to be linked to Chinas communist regime played a key role in spreading disinformation, sowing discord, and amplifying calls for violence during and following the U.S. election in November, a report from Cardiff University has found.

The Crime and Security Research Institute (CSRI), an interdisciplinary unit at Cardiff University whose research aims to help tackle local, national and global crime and security problems, issued a two-part report on Jan. 27 (pdf one, pdf two) that described a China-linked influence operation on Twitter that engaged with the presidential election and sowed discord.

The researchers found that the network spread anti-U.S. propaganda, sought to portray anti-communist sentiment in Hong Kong in a negative light, and amplified calls for violence before and after the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. While some of the Twitter messages the network pushed echoed the themes used by the right-wing US patriot communities in their messaging, the vast majority of the tweets referencing President [Donald] Trump were negative in sentiment, the report found.

The CSRI team uncovered more than 400 accounts engaging in related suspicious activities, with the accounts shut by Twitter after they were flagged by the researchers and forwarded to the social media company.

Professor Martin Innes, CSRI director, said in a statement that while only Twitter can fully certify an attribution of a given account, an analysis by one of the institutes research units that used open-source traces strongly suggests multiple links to China.

Strong evidence of connection to China includes the use of the Chinese language, and when English was used, there was evidence that it was derived from machine translation tools, CSRI said. Other factors that point to links to China are a focus on topics of interest to Chinese geopolitical interests, account activity only during Chinese office hours, and limited activity during a Chinese national holiday.

The behaviour of the accounts was sophisticated and disciplined, and seemingly designed to avoid detection by Twitters counter-measures, Innes said, adding that the network seems to have been run as a series of nearly autonomous cells, with minimal links between them designed to protect the network as a whole.

Innes said that the evidence his team collected about the groups activity marks the network as a significant attempt to influence the trajectory of US politics by foreign actors.

One key theme relating to the Capitol incident pushed by the China-linked actors was presenting the United States as a chaotic nation on the verge of political collapse and major disorder, the report found. Sometimes, this was in combination with anti-Trump sentiment, with the report citing as an example the message: Trumps final madness cannot stop his doomsday.

Another major motif pushed by the China-linked actors was the denigration of Hong Kong, which included a portrayal of Hong Kong as marred by riot-related instability, ungrateful for Chinas efforts, and as struggling to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak, the report found. There was also a portrayal of UK and U.S. diplomatic efforts with regard to the crisis in Hong Kong as interference.

Still another focus of the propagandists was COVID-19, including using the virus to slander multiple governments as incompetent, using messaging against former President Donald Trump, in particular criticizing his references to the China virus. The accounts also pushed the narrative that the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus originated outside of China, with the report citing as one example efforts to link the virus to a U.S. laboratory in Fort Detrick in Maryland.

While CSRI said that it cant be certain that the network was backed by the Chinese regime, the report noted that the weight of the evidence strongly suggests that it was, and, on the balance of probabilities, it is unlikely that the network operates without some official awareness and/or guidance. This is significant given the levels of influence and interference in US politics that the accounts have engaged in.

The report follows an assessment by former Director of National Intelligence (DNI) John Ratcliffe that China interfered in the 2020 U.S. election.

Based on all available sources of intelligence, with definitions consistently applied, and reached independent of political considerations or undue pressurethat the Peoples Republic of China sought to influence the 2020 U.S. federal elections, Ratcliffe wrote in a letter to Congress (pdf).
Press Release

February 1, 2021 Villanueva: Senate rules committee green-lights hearings into proposed body for OFW concerns Hearings on the proposed establishment of new government departments, including one solely to handle concerns of overseas Filipino workers, have received the green light to proceed, according to Senator Joel Villanueva. Villanueva said the body's Committee on Rules decided on Monday to allow several standing committees to proceed with hearing bills on establishing new government departments alongside the proposed rightsizing measure which seeks to trim the "excess fat" in the bureaucracy. "This is a welcome development. We will resume the committee hearings into the overseas Filipino department bills. The pandemic has exposed the weakness of our policies on OFWs, particularly our reintegration program to help them transition back to the local labor force," said Villanueva, chair of the Senate labor committee. "We support the principles of rightsizing, especially because we have been raising the issue of unfilled positions and contractuals in government for the longest time. We will do our best to tackle all issues and hear all sides being raised in this particular measure in the Committee on Labor," the lawmaker continued in the rules committee meeting on Monday morning. "Who knows that this could be a model for rightsizing done right." The challenge ahead is to ensure that the proposed Department of Filipinos Overseas would mean better lives for OFWs and their families and decent job opportunities, here or overseas, explained Villanueva in a statement. "Hindi lang po ito simpleng lipat-bahay na gawain dahil kailangan po natin itatag ang departamento na may malinaw na mandato at maglatag ng solusyon, hindi lamang sa mga isyu ng ating mga OFW, kundi sa pagsiguradong hindi kapit-sa-patalim ang paninilbihan sa ibang bansa," the lawmaker said. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri commended Villanueva for pushing the discussions forward especially the issue concerns overseas Filipino workers. "Senator Villanueva has found ways and means to push this discussion forward," Zubiri said at the committee meeting. For his part, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon credited Villanueva's diligence in "prioritizing bills concerning the welfare of our labor sector including our overseas Filipino workers. "So I have full confidence in the judgment of the good chair of the Committee on Labor, that he can influence the thinking of the committee to come up with the most rational solution to a very vexing issue of a bureaucracy, of rationalizing our bureaucracy versus the prioritization that we ought to have in lieu of the pandemic and the acute economic situation that we are in today," Drilon said at the committee hearing. Offhand, Villanueva said he would look at how the proposed department would improve the delivery of frontline services to OFWs such as distress and repatriation efforts, among others; upskilling and re-skilling program; strengthen the drive against illegal recruitment, and create a comprehensive reintegration program to help transition OFWs back into the local labor force.
When the coronavirus first slammed the country in March 2020, colleges and universities took immediate action to protect students while continuing their education. It was a frightening time for many reasons, and educators feared the worst. But many institutions immediately began honing the supports they offer to students, helping them stay on the path to graduation. We must supercharge these efforts and refuse to allow COVID-19 to disrupt access to higher education.

Gov. Gavin Newsoms proposed budget for 2021-22 is a welcome reinvestment in the California State University, which allows us to continue to prioritize our flagship student success effort, Graduation Initiative 2025, bolstering record-high graduation rates for CSU students from all backgrounds.

However, with more, we can do more. Decisions made today about investing in better advising, financial aid programs and degree completion initiatives will positively transform the lives of students and pay dividends in talent development, meeting workforce needs, innovation and economic recovery.
The Bible is a dynamic book, peopled with characters who have a tremendous immediacy. That immediacy just got a boost over the weekend when Israeli researchers announced that they'd found scraps of purple cloth dating back to the time of Kings David and Solomon.

I didn't grow up in a religious family, so I first read the Bible as a college freshman when I took a "Bible as Literature" class. For me, it sparked a lifelong fascination with Old Testament history. I've listed at the bottom of this post the books I've found most fascinating, as well as a video I recommend to anyone interested in the Exodus.

What's so wonderful about ancient history is that our fund of knowledge keeps growing. The Earth is constantly moving, whether from erosion or because modern people are always digging, and this movement invariably turns up amazing treasures, things that are fascinating and, quite often, beautiful.

Most importantly, these finds offer a window into the past. When we see a noblewoman's jewels, a warrior's sword, or a child's toys, it doesn't matter that these treasures are hundreds or thousands of years old. They tell us that humankind is unchanged. Sure, autres temps, autres murs, and all that, but the core of human nature is always the same: to play as a child; fight as a man; and acquire treasures throughout life, no matter our sex, caste, or wealth.

Every day, I check LiveScience's history page to see what the earth has turned up. In just the last few days, I've learned that a new eagle sculpture was uncovered at an Aztec temple in Mexico, a 1,500-year-old house in Turkey showed puppy paw prints, 6,500 medieval coins and some gold rings showed up in a Polish cornfield, an Anglo-Saxon burial site emerged in Northamptonshire, and archaeologists found evidence that conquistadors took a terrible vengeance against Acolhua people who sacrificed members of a Spanish caravan and then ate them.

But for me, the most exciting find in I don't know how long (maybe since King Richard III's skeleton was found in a parking lot) is the story that researchers found some 3,000-year-old fabric in Israel, which puts it at the time of David and Solomon:

Rare purple wool cloth scraps from the era dating back to the time of King David and King Solomon, approximately 3,000 years ago, have been discovered in Israel.

Researchers in southern Israel found the remnants of woven wool fabric that had been dyed the color of royal purple while examining textiles from the Timna valley, a copper production district of King Solomon's day.

[snip]

In ancient times purple cloth was a luxury item, and those who wore it were associated with the nobility, priests, and royalty. The dye used to make the color was sourced from a few kinds of mollusks in the Mediterranean Sea. The dye was produced from a gland located within the body of the mollusk by way of a complex chemical process that took several days to occur.

If you go to the linked article, you can see photographs of the exquisitely preserved wool fabric, which is a lovely, warm purplish/mauve color.

There is nothing more immediate than fabric because it is so tactile. Even when it's royal purple, it's a homey item that people wear every day. Just as people in David's and Solomon's time did 3,000 years ago, we too wear purple woolens, although we can buy them anywhere, and, if we're not too fussy about quality and style, they're affordable, rather than being, literally, worth a king's ransom.

We live in unsettling times, and the news is often deeply depressing for those of us whose values are not aligned with the new government in Washington, D.C. Nevertheless, stories such as this one remind us that the world is full of wonders. We are connected by shared humanity with people who are not mythical at all but, instead, did exactly what we still do: got up in the morning, dressed for the day, and went about their business. There's something magical about that thought.

Old Testament history books I recommend:

I also can't recommend highly enough Timothy P. Mahoney's fascinating Patterns of Evidence: The Exodus, which posits that those archaeologists and historians who deny that the Exodus really happened because, they say, there's no archaeological record have gotten the dates wrong. If you re-date the Exodus by a few hundred years, there turns out to be a surprising amount of archaeological evidence that matches the biblical story.

Image: The anointing of Solomon by Cornelis de Vos. Kunsthistorisches Museum. Public Domain.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2021) - Universal PropTech Inc. (TSXV: UPI) ("UPI" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an exclusive master distributor agreement ("Agreement") with Air Alpine Innovation Research Inc. ("Air Sniper") to promote and market Air Sniper products. UPI's wholly-owned subsidiary, VCI Controls Inc. ("VCI") will exclusively distribute these products in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

"We are excited to exclusively represent this Made-in-Canada success story of leading edge germicidal UVC and NASA-originated Photocatalytic Oxidation technology in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada," stated Chris Hazelton, President and CEO of UPI. "We will aggressively pursue immediate opportunities in schools, campuses, government and commercial facilities and seniors' homes."

Stuart Henley, President of Air Sniper said, "Air Sniper is pleased to enter into a partnership with Universal PropTech, and to be able to utilize their 40-year presence and experience in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. With UPI's existing and expanding client footprint, we expect to develop a strong partnership and see significant adoption as we work to push the Air Sniper product through sales funnels."

Air Sniper uses advanced technology and components from across the globe. Air Sniper's products meet scientific specifications for Ultraviolet ("UVC") sanitization and are third-party tested against airborne pathogens in industrial capacities. Air Sniper utilizes powerful bulbs and reflective paneling to create an optimal pathogen destruction environment. UVC has been proven for germicidal use as well as sanitization. By using multiple bulbs in conjunction with a reflective environment, Air Sniper's products can revolutionize the air sanitization process. Additionally, Air Sniper's product also utilize Photocatalytic Oxidation ("PCO") technology, which has been originally developed by NASA. PCO technology is incorporated into Air Sniper's stand-alone units to maximize irradiation of pathogens inside the unit, further adding to the effectiveness of UVC.

About Universal PropTech Inc.

Universal PropTech Inc. (TSXV: UPI) is a leading building innovation company, selecting, integrating, deploying, and maintaining PropTech in healthy buildings. As trusted advisors, we provide holistic evidence-driven solutions and services for building developers, owners, and operators in Canada. UPI operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, VCI Controls Inc. ("VCI"), a leading supplier and integrator of PropTech healthy building solutions and services. VCI is an industry leader in the acquisition and deployment of intelligent building technology, including the integration of all building systems utilizing the latest in communications technologies and standards. VCI's business focuses on digital controls and mechanical services, performance monitoring, and energy efficiency solutions.

With headquarters in Toronto, Universal PropTech Inc. has offices across Canada including, Halifax, Montreal, and Ottawa. For more information, visit www.universalproptech.com.

Contact Information

Universal PropTech Inc.

Chris Hazelton

President and Chief Executive Officer

chazelton@universalproptech.com

(647) 300-2957

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information provided in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "forecast", expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "project", or similar words suggesting future outcomes. The Company cautions readers and prospective investors in the Company's securities not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as, by its nature, it is based on current expectations regarding future events that involve a number of assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company.

The forward-looking information included herein is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information included herein is made as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange"), nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73094
The Australian city of Perth was ordered into lockdown with just a few hours notice yesterday after a security guard working in hotel quarantine tested positive for Covid-19.

From 6pm yesterday until Friday, people in the city of two million must stay home, except for essential work, shopping or exercise, said Western Australia state Premier Mark McGowan.

Australias fourth-most populous city had recorded no cases of the virus for 10 months, and Australia just hours earlier had announced 14 days without a locally acquired infection.

Restaurants, cafes and cinemas were ordered shut in Perth and surrounding areas were ordered shut, while a scheduled return from summer school holidays was extended by a week, after the security guard returned a positive test, Mr McGowan said.

The vast, isolated state has been known in Australia for a hardline Covid-19 response that included keeping its border closed to the rest of the country until recently when it reopened to some regions.

I know for many Western Australians this is going to come as a shock, Mr McGowan told a hastily scheduled news conference. We cannot forget how quickly this virus can spread, nor the devastation it can cause.

The security guard, aged in his 20s, was working at a hotel where four people in quarantine had active cases of the virus, including with highly contagious strains that have been linked to Britain and South Africa, the health authorities said.

Read More

The man had a second job with an unspecified ride-sharing company but had not worked at his driving job since reporting symptoms on Thursday.

Other people in the mans household had tested negative but were put in isolation and were expected to test positive in the coming days, they said.

The lockdown affected four-fifths of the population of Australias geographically biggest state, and the rest were asked not to travel. People from other states, only some of whom were recently allowed back into the state, were again asked to stay away.

The police were setting up road checkpoints to question peoples movements, Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said, adding that the police would also enforce a new rule requiring people to wear masks in public indoor spaces and on public transport.

Australia has had its borders closed since March to slow the spread of the illness that has infected 29,000 in the country and killed 909.

State governments have closed internal borders for the first time in a century, an effort to keep the virus out that has at times resulted in terse exchanges between state leaders about peoples ability to move around the country.

Earlier yesterday, Australia reopened its travel bubble with New Zealand, meaning travellers from New Zealand are exempt from 14-day hotel quarantine, after the neighbouring country reported no new locally acquired Covid-19 cases.

New Zealand has, however, kept its border closed to Australia.

Meanwhile, South Korea will extend social distancing restrictions imposed during its worst coronavirus spread for another two weeks, after new infections resurged last week and reversed a downward trend. There were another 355 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country on Saturday, with six new deaths.

Brazils second-wave outbreak eased as new cases and deaths slowed over the last week, according to Health Ministry data.

The nation reported 58,462 cases on Saturday, capping the second week with a decline in new infections. Still, the caseload is almost as high as the peak of the first wave last summer.

Total infections are approaching eight million. Deaths declined compared with the previous week, with 1,279 new fatalities reported on Saturday. Brazil has the most fatalities after the US, with a total of 223,945.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro says he wont take any Covid-19 shot vaccine.

Eric Trump was so confident in his father's victory that he made a bet President Donald Trump would win 320 Electoral College votes.

The New York Times reported Sunday that while flying home on Air Force One from the Trump's last pre-election day rally, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eric proposed an Electoral College betting pool.

The then-president's middle son wagered that his dad would win at least 320 electoral votes, with 270 needed to win the White House for another four years.

Eric Trump (left) made a bet on board Air Force One after President Donald Trump's final pre-Election Day rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan (pictured) saying he believed his father would win the election with at least 320 Electoral College votes

Now former President Donald Trump is photographed at his Fayetteville, North Carolina rally on November 2, his last day of campaigning before Election Day. According to The New York Times, Trump and his allies believed he would win because of the large size of his rallies

Former President Donald Trump is pictured on November 2 arriving in Pennsylvania for a final rally. New reporting from The Times suggests that Trump and his inner circle truly believed that polling - which for months showed President Joe Biden would win - was fake

Another adviser, more attuned to the polling data, said, 'We're just trying to get to 270,' The Times said.

Trump lost the election to President Joe Biden earning only 232 Electoral College votes - nearly 100 short of what Eric Trump said.

Biden won 306.

For Trump to get to 320 he would have had to retain Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin - states that Biden flipped.

He would have needed to flip Nevada, a state Hillary Clinton won in 2016 but was close.

And also flip Minnesota, a state the Trump team thought was in reach.

The anecdote was part of a larger deep-dive the paper did about the former president's push to discredit Biden's win, which led to the January 6 insurrection attempt by Trump supporters on Capitol Hill.

Most pre-Election Day polling found that the president was likely to appear ahead on November 3, but then could be overtaken once the more Democratic-friendly mail-in ballots were added in.

However, according to The Times, most members of Trump's inner circle believed that the president's early lead would be insurmountable.

They pointed to the unscientific measure of Trump's rally crowds.

Trump and his allies often snickered at the events Biden held, which were kept small and socially distant due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The president, who restarted holding rallies in June despite the continued spread of COVID-19, attracted packed, mostly mask-less crowds in a number of key swing states.

But national polling, going back as far as September 2019, never showed Trump beating Biden in the general election.

The polls ended up being accurate - with Arizona the first red state to fall on election night.

The Times did not report whether Eric Trump paid anyone over his bet.

A spokesperson for Eric Trump did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com.
The Budget 2021 presented by Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to reinvigorate the economy post-pandemic. It has stressed on disinvestment and focused on infrastructure development and investment.

One of the most important points, in my opinion, is the government's focus on infrastructure in post-pandemic timesa major need of the economy. This is the main takeaway. This is because we have already suffered a contraction of the economyan expected 7.7 per cent for 2020-21. For the next year, 2021-22, the GDP growth projection varies between 11-11.5 per cent. But practically speaking, we are looking at nearly 3 per cent increase by the end of two years. As a result, there is already a problem of unemployment, and a need to give the economy a boostboth these issues can be addressed with major investment in infrastructure.

Further, the government has announced the capex budget will be up over 34 per cent to Rs 5.54 lakh crore and, in addition to this, there is a substantial allocation for roads and railways. Building the infrastructure requires men and material. It means more employment. It means encouragement to industries, which are struggling with low-capacity utilization.

We also have to appreciate the announcement made by the finance minister regarding the proposal for setting up of a new Development Financial Institution (DFI). The government will provide Rs 20,000 crore capital, but it is supposed to raise 5 lakh crore over the next three years for funding infrastructure. Our chambers recommendation has been on a much higher scale of fund raising for infrastructure through the DFI.

That the government is taking the issue of DFI seriously is a good start and a positive development.

ALSO READ| With Bold Position on Fiscal Deficit, This is Not a One-off, Flash-in-the-Pan Budget

The other key takeaway from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans Budget speech is the governments focus on disinvestment, a major source for raising money for infrastructure investment. While strategic divestment of PSUs like BPCL, Air India will be completed in 2021-22, the plan to announce an IPO (initial public offering) for LIC is huge. Other plans include monetizing assets of power grids, railways, gas authorities and national highway authorities through InvITs (Infrastructure Investment Trust). With this, investors too can generate revenue.

The disinvestment plan has not gone too well in the past. For the year 2018-19, the disinvestment mop-up was 6 per cent more than the target, but thereafter, in 2019-2020, the government missed the target by an estimated Rs 14,700 crore. The disinvestment targets for 2020-21 have been missed because of the pandemic. We expect this years target, Rs 1.75 lakh crore, to be met.

Disclaimer: The author is President, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Views expressed are personal.

As told to News18.com
Mr. Connor, who will be 71 when he launches next year, is to be the second-oldest person to ever fly to space, after John Glenn who flew on the space shuttle at age 77. He said that during his time in space, he was looking to conduct some research for the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

The commander of the space station trip will be an Axiom vice president, Michael Lopez-Alegria, who is a former NASA astronaut. Another former NASA astronaut, Peggy A. Whitson, is the backup commander.

Mr. Lopez-Alegria said Axiom originally planned to sell all four seats. I think we began to understand fairly quickly that the demand was really to have somebody with experience be with them, he said. And I think that makes NASA a lot happier as well. So I happened to be the guy in the room who had been to space before.

He expected that he would spend most of his time at the space station helping Mr. Connor, Mr. Pathy and Mr. Stibbe.

Its going to be, in some ways, more like a work supervisor than a cruise director, Mr. Lopez-Alegria said.

In an interview, Mr. Connor acknowledged that many people question the value of rich people paying millions for trips like this. I get that people have questions, he said. People criticize, Hey, with all the problems that are going on, why in the world are these guys spending all of this money to go into space?

But he replied that Kids & Community Partners, the charity arm of his company, was planning to spend $400 million over the next 10 years on programs to help children and to finance medical research. In all, he said he will eventually donate half of his net worth to charities. And about 30 percent of his wealth will go to what the company calls key associates.
Philip Hammond has launched a savage attack on Theresa May, claiming she had no idea what Brexit should look like when she became PM in July 2016.

The former Tory chancellor said Mrs May 'didn't know' what kind of relationship she wanted the UK to have with the European Union when she moved into Number 10 in the wake of the referendum.

He also claimed it was 'almost a coup' when she set out her initial hardline vision in October 2016 for splitting from Brussels.

Mr Hammond said Mrs May 'sometimes confused stubbornness with heroism' as he criticised her for repeatedly trying to crash her Brexit deal through Parliament despite being told she did not have the votes.

Meanwhile, he likened slow Brexit progress under Mrs May to the battle for territory during the First World War as the then-PM was forced to give up hard won ground because of pressure from Eurosceptic Tory MPs in the European Research Group.

Philip Hammond has blasted Theresa May over Brexit, claiming the ex-PM had no idea what Brexit should look like when she became premier in July 2016

Mr Hammond, who now sits in the House of Lords as a Tory peer, claimed Mrs May 'sometimes confused stubbornness with heroism'

Mr Hammond, who served as chancellor throughout Mrs May's premiership, delivered his damning assessment in an interview with the UK in a Changing Europe think tank.

Asked whether he believed Mrs May had a clear vision for Brexit when she first won power, Mr Hammond replied: 'No, she didnt know. She didnt know. We were at the "Brexit means Brexit" stage.'

Mr Hammond suggested Mrs May never believed in Brexit and that she was simply trying to unite the nation.

He said: 'I dont think at that stage Theresa had any ideological views about this at all. Theresa is essentially a pragmatic politician.

'I think that she will have been  she was  very conscious of the fact that she had been nominally a Remainer, although extremely reluctant to put her head above the parapet.

'That will be partly because, I expect, a lot of her core support in her own constituency would have been pro-Brexit. She was about to become Prime Minister of a country that had just voted to Leave, as well as leader of a party that had clearly, in some significant numbers, voted to Leave. So she wanted to lead the party.

'Theresa has always been "country and party first, ideology very much second". So, I think she saw her task as to unite  in very grand vision terms, in a way that looks a bit ambitious to put it mildly, with the benefit of hindsight  to unite the country behind a vision of the future that included leaving the European Union, protecting the economy, building a better Britain, etc, etc, etc.'

Mr Hammond pointed to Mrs May's Conservative Party conference speech in October 2016 as a pivotal moment.

Mrs May ruled out a 'Norway model' and a 'Switzerland model' for Brexit as she made clear the UK would strive for a bespoke divorce agreement with the EU.

Mr Hammond said he was 'completely stunned' by the speech and claimed Mrs May had set out 'Brexit in the hardest possible terms' - terms which had not been signed off by the Cabinet.

He said: 'I just remember focusing my entire energy on maintaining a rictus half-smile, and trying not to show any reaction at all, and then get out of the room without speaking to any journalists.

'I was completely and utterly horrified by what I felt was almost a coup: a definition of Brexit without any proper Cabinet consultation at all.'

Mr Hammond said with that speech Mrs May had 'dug a 20-foot-deep hole' and 'from that moment onwards, cupful by cupful of earth at a time, was trying to fill it in a bit so that she wasnt in such a deep mess'.

Mr Hammond served as Mrs May's chancellor for the duration of her three years as PM. They are pictured together in the House of Commons in May 2019

Mr Hammond said it was 'almost a coup' when Mrs May set out her Brexit plan in October 2016 without asking for Cabinet agreement first. The Cabinet is pictured at Chequers in February 2018

Mr Hammond said after the Tories lost their majority at the 2017 general election, it felt like the Government was 'trying to run through treacle' on Brexit as it faced up to the realities of dealing with a hung parliament.

He claimed Mrs May would 'move a few paces in the direction of pragmatism' but pressure from the ERG meant she would then 'give up 90 per cent of the ground'.

He said: 'It was like the First World War. It really, really was like the First World War.'

Mr Hammond, who now sits a Conservative peer in the House of Lords, also criticised Mrs May for pushing ahead with votes on her Brexit divorce deal even as she was being told by Tory whips that she would not be able to win them.

'Theres something about Theresa that sees the  I dont know, what is it?  the romantic notion of charging into the valley even though you know youre going down to certain defeat,' he said.

'She sometimes confused stubbornness with heroism.'
EDITOR'S NOTE: Graphic details included. Please read at your own risk

A mother who killed five children, including hers, in a murder-suicide was reportedly practicing witchcraft rituals prior to their death.

Twenty-five-year-old mother Oreanna Antoinette Myers brutally murdered her three children, as well as two stepchildren before burning down their house near Williamsburg, West Virginia on Dec. 8, 2020.

Her victims were her husband's children from a prior marriage, 7-year-old Shaun Dawson Bumgarner and 6-year-old Riley James Bumgarner, as well as her biological children, 4-year-old Kian Myers, 3-year-old Aarikyle Nova Myers, and 1-year-old Haiken Jirachi Myers. According to Breitbart, her husband Brian Bumgarner was away visiting relatives and encountered troubles with transportation, at the time of the crime.

Myers had fatally shot her three children and stepchildren before setting their five-bedroom home on fire and killing herself outside the house, which was burned to the ground. According to The Sun, four suicide notes were found ziplocked and attached to her husband's car, which was stalled in their property following an accident that rendered it unusable. One note, which was addressed to her husband, was left in the couple's family car.

New evidence has surfaced that the mom who killed herself and five kids was highly involved in witchcraft and had often engaged in occult practices. This revelation came about from Greenbrier County Sheriff Bruce Sloan's investigation.

He told reporters during a recent press conference that their investigation found "history that Oreanna was involved in some occult practices, witchcraft and spiritualism, contacting the dead."

Raven Bumgarner, the mother of Myers' two stepchildren, also admitted she was aware of Myers' practices, News Australia reported. Bumgarner said that the mom who killed herself and five kids was into witchcraft and spiritualism and would often share her practices on social media.

Bumgarner admitted that her former husband Brian was aware of such activities and that Myers even gifted him with "a glass jar..with some of her crystals" and that "[Myers] collected dead butterflies...in jars."

Myers' Facebook account has been deleted, but her Instagram is still active, in which she posted photos of flowers and occasionally posts depicting lesbianism or homosexuality. The last Instagram post of the mom who killed herself and five kids was a photo of artwork by her children, which she captioned, "Happy Thanksgiving from Team SHARK and O.B love my family xoxo." "SHARK" seems to be a reference to her five children's initials.

Prior to her death, Myers seemed to have been struggling with internal "demons," as her suicide notes have referenced. Her first note, which was addressed "To Whomever Finds This First", included the message "My demons won over me and there's no going back. So sorry I wasn't strong enough. Thank you. XOXO, OAM."

On Myers' second note titled "My Confession," the mom who killed herself and five kids admitted she had mental health issues and implied that she did not receive help when she asked for it. She wrote that mental health is a "serious" issue that is "not to joke about or taken lightly." She also wrote that "When someone begs, pleads, cries out for help, please help them. You just might save a life or more lives."

On the day of the killings, Myers was seen with a red line drawn across her face. It is unclear if it was drawn on using blood and if it was in any way part of a witchcraft ritual.
Authorities have identified a 30-year-old Cambridge man as the victim of a fatal shooting in Weymouth Sunday morning.

Eric Small was shot and killed outside 30 Patriot Parkway shortly before 3 a.m., according to David Traub, spokesman for the Norfolk District Attorneys office.

Weymouth police received multiple calls reporting numerous gunshots in the Patriot Parkway area at roughly 2:49 a.m. Police say first responders found Small near an entrance to the building.

Small and three other men were taken to a nearby hospital, two of whom were suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. The third was hospitalized after some kind of medical incident, police said.

Braintree, Abington, and Hingham police also responded to the scene to provide mutual aid due to the circumstances, including the number of people in the area, number of victims, and unknown potential ongoing threat, they wrote.

It appears some type of party was going on inside the building, but authorities believe the shootings occurred outside, according to Traub.

The matter remains under active investigation by the Weymouth police and the Norfolk District Attorneys office.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A noreaster slammed Staten Island late Sunday and intensified as Monday progressed, before switching over to freezing rain Monday evening.

The storm dumped a foot of snow on the borough, and forecasters say its possible we may get a little more overnight.

Here are the most important things you should know moving forward:

Here is a look at how the storm unfolded on Staten Island on Monday:

8:55 P.M. -- WHAT FORECASTERS ARE PREDICTING FOR TUESDAY

While weve likely seen the worst of the snow storm, forecasters still say there is a chance for a few more inches overnight.

>> Read more.

8:33 P.M. -- BUS BLOCKING STREET IN MARINERS HARBOR

A disabled bus is blocking the roadway at Brabant Street and Lockman Avenue in Mariners Harbor. The S46 is being detoured as a result, according to MTA.info. Buses will be stopping at S48 bus stops on Forest Avenue between Maple Parkway and South Avenue.

7:28 P.M. -- CITYS COVID TESTING CLOSED TUESDAY

Coronavirus testing operations at NYC Health + Hospital sites will be closed on Tuesday due to the noreaster.

>> Read more.

 ALL @NYCHealthSystem Mobile, Self-Test, Gotham, and Pop-Up (non-hospital) Testing Sites WILL REMAIN CLOSED tomorrow, Tuesday, February 2nd.



Full list of sites here: https://t.co/v5u01Fo4UP



 STATEN ISLAND TESTING SITES pic.twitter.com/Ezf2pA62Bg  NYC Immigrant Affairs (@NYCImmigrants) February 1, 2021

5:45 P.M. -- A FOOT OF SNOW IN DONGAN HILLS

At 5:45 p.m., the Advance/SILive.com measured a foot of snow in Dongan Hills. (Staten Island Advance/Eddie D'Anna)

The heavy snowfall seen Monday morning has, at least for now, subsided. Staten Island is getting a mix of freezing rain and light snow as the sun sets.

Forecasters say we may get a few more inches Monday night.

At 5:45 p.m., the Advance/SILive.com measured a foot of snow in Dongan Hills.

5:07 P.M.  SNOW TO TURN TO SLEET, RAIN OVERNIGHT

An AccuWeather forecaster told the Advance/SILive.com that a few more inches may be in store for Staten Island Monday night, but the latest indications are the storm will turn over to sleet and rain overnight.

>> Read more.

4:48 P.M.  SHOVELERS OUT IN GRANITEVILLE

Justina Santiago was trying to clear out her car Monday afternoon as snow continued to come down on Staten Island. (Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk)

Shovelers were out en masse in Graniteville Monday afternoon as snow continued to fall  piling onto accumulation totals that have already made some sidewalks impassable and roads dangerous to traverse.

Some found the work easier than others.

Nice and easy, said Jesus Rolon, an Ada Drive resident who said he was shoveling for about an hour-and-a-half to clear out the sidewalk around his house.

Jack, a Graniteville resident, said the work wasnt as backbreaking as he expected, but said he could use another hand. Its quite a bit to do. Picking it up is a two-man job, he said, making a gesture that he was the only one shoveling.

Others, like Justina Santiago were having a much harder time with the snowfall totals.

I travel between here and Queens but I decided to stay here with my mom. When it comes to the plows  a lot more snow gets piled on there than it does out here, she said, but this is still a lot of snow.

Already on round two of attempting to make a dent in the snow that swallowed her car, Santiago admitted, I really dont think Im going to be able to finish today.

Im really short, so the snow is above my knees, said Santiago. Its a good workout, but I would have taken April showers every day of April instead of this amount of snow.

4:37 P.M.  ROADS TREACHEROUS IN GREAT KILLS

Pedestrians dig out a car stuck on Hylan Boulevard in Great Kills, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (Steve White for the Staten Island Advance).

Roads on Staten Island are particularly difficult for motorists to navigate Monday evening.

In Great Kills, pedestrians could be seen digging out a car stuck in the snow on Hylan Boulevard at Wiman Avenue.

4:22 P.M. -- HOW TO TRACK CITY PLOWS

The citys Sanitation Department remains out in force Monday afternoon, with forecasters calling for more precipitation into the night.

So when was the last time your street was plowed?

A citywide map allowing residents to check on the citys progress shows a majority of the boroughs side streets had been plowed within at least the past three hours; many within the past hour, as of about 4 p.m.

4 P.M. -- A LOOK AT RICHMOND AVE. IN GRANITEVILLE

Richmond Avenue, a main road, is a mess right now. Plows are working on clearing roads, but it remains treacherous and dangerous to drive. Reminder: Non-essential travel is restricted, per @NYCMayor. pic.twitter.com/l5XjaTO2mq  Snow Ostapiuk (@OstapiukJ) February 1, 2021

3:55 P.M. -- GUIDE TO EVENING COMMUTE

With most roads impassable and transportation across the borough nearly crippled, here is a guide on what you need to know for the evening commute.

2:59 P.M. -- PUBLIC LIBRARY CLOSED ON TUESDAY

Due to the continued inclement weather, all branches of New York Public Library (NYPL), which covers Staten Island, will remain closed Tuesday. Additionally, NYPL will continue to suspend its Scan & Deliver service for research materials.

E-books, reading recommendation lists, and other remote resources will remain available to New Yorkers via bklynlibrary.org, nypl.org, and queenslibrary.org.

2:58 P.M. -- CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS CLOSED TUESDAY

Catholic elementary schools will remain closed on Tuesday due to the storm.

2:25 P.M. -- 11 INCHES IN DONGAN HILLS

An Advance/SILive.com measurement at 2:25 p.m. recorded 11 inches of snow. (Staten Island Advance/Eddie D'Anna)

As of 2:25 p.m., an unofficial measurement in Dongan Hills recorded 11 inches of snow. A mix of snow and freezing rain is falling.

2:08 P.M. -- TRANSIT UPDATE

State officials gave an update on the public transit situation:

Staten Island Railway is operational for now; the ferry is on an hourly schedule; the upper level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is closed; and multiple local and express bus routes are detoured.

>> Read more.

1:58 P.M. -- JOURNEY THROUGH STREETS OF RICHMOND

NOREASTER!!! BLASTED BY THE SNOW!  WHATS NEXT? Posted by Staten Island Advance on Monday, February 1, 2021

Advance/SILive.com social media specialist Mark Stein took a journey through the streets of Richmond, where he encountered hard, pelting shards of sleet, messy snowbanks, unplowed roads, unshoveled sidewalks and a Jeep stuck in the snow. You can watch his video above.

1:52 P.M. -- IN ROSEBANK, SNOW BLOWING AND DOG WALKING

Dennis Oliotta walks his dog, Frodo, in Rosebank. (Staten Island Advance/Kyle Lawson)

Fati Demirovic of Rosebank said he tried to get work done Monday with his contracting company, but his workers opted out due to the weather. So he settled instead on snow blowing the sidewalk on his block, which also proved to be a tough endeavor.

I go up and down the [sidewalk] with the snowblower, and then theres another inch, Demirovic said

A section of Hylan Boulevard nearby layered with a few inches of snow was empty, with the exception of a few cars and pedestrians sharing the road.

One man set out for a walk with his dog, Frodo.

Its coming down quick, said 31-year-old Dennis Oliotta. Its good, [Frodo] likes it.

1:47 P.M. -- HAIL MIXES INTO PRECIPITATION

Staten Islanders waiting out the storm inside their homes can hear hail pelting their windows, as frozen rain begins to mix into the precipitation.

While snow is still falling, it is not as intense as it was earlier Monday morning.

Forecasters, though, have warned heavy snow is expected later at night.

1:30 P.M. -- STORM CONDITIONS IN NEW DORP

Like most of Staten Island, streets in New Dorp are fairly empty, and, while several plows have passed in the community, there is no blacktop visibility.

Its difficult to see more than a few feet in front of you, and cars parked along New Dorp Lane next to Miller Field are more than halfway covered with snow.

12:25 P.M. -- 10 INCHES IN DONGAN HILLS

A snow measurement at 12:25 p.m. in Dongan Hills recorded 10 inches. (Staten Island Advance/Eddie D'Anna)

An unofficial measurement in Dongan Hills recorded 10 inches of snow at 12:25 p.m. A lot more is expected.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Courtney Travis told the Advance/SILive.com snow will continue falling until sometime Tuesday morning with periods of heavy snow and blizzard conditions Monday night.

12:15 P.M. -- TRANSIT SUSPENSIONS ANNOUNCED

At a press briefing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that outdoor subway service would be suspended starting at 2 p.m.

He urged people who are not at home to get home as soon as possible, and not wait to take the last available train.

This is a dangerous, life-threatening situation, Cuomo said of the storm. Expect major closures so that youre not surprised.

Staten Island Railway will remain in operation until further notice, New York City Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg said.

12 P.M. -- CARS GETTING BURIED

A car is already buried in Westerleigh by noontime on Monday. (Annalise Knudson/Staten Island Advance)

Shortly before noon on Monday, a Westerleigh resident was out shoveling out her rental car on Caswell Avenue -- a rental she got after her car was hit last week.

A school teacher, she was taking her break to get a head start on shoveling and said I just wish I was shoveling out my own car.

Digging out in Westerleigh. (Annalise Knudson/Staten Island Advance)

11:50 A.M. -- A PASSABLE ROADWAY IS NOT BLACKTOP

Our mission today is to try to keep all roadways passable for all New Yorkers, said DSNY Commissioner Edward Grayson, giving an update at Mayor Bill de Blasios daily press briefing.

Now, I want to make one thing very clear: A passable roadway is not blacktop, he continued. In a storm like this, itll be quite some time before everyone can see blacktop on their street.

But make no mistake, we are out there. We are going to come, on a slow, methodical approach, to hit every street in the city multiple times.

I cannot stress that enough. It will take multiple passes during this prolonged period of active snowfall. So we please ask everyone to heed the guidance and stay off the road.

11:45 A.M. -- PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL STAY REMOTE TUESDAY

The city Department of Education (DOE) announced that all district school buildings are closed Tuesday, and Learning Bridges and after-school programs are all cancelled due to the severe weather conditions. All food distribution sites will also be closed, but DOE central and field offices will remain open.

>> Read more.

11:40 A.M. -- FERRY SERVICE CUT TO HOURLY

Due to white out conditions and high winds, the Staten Island Ferry will be operating on an hourly schedule until further notice, the Department of Transportation has announced.

>> Read more.

11:30 A.M. -- MAYOR GIVES STORM UPDATES

At a news briefing Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio reminded New Yorkers that there is a local state of emergency in place.

This is the real thing, he said.

The bottom line here is stay off the roads, de Blasio continued. Its not just me giving you advice. It is a specific order of the city government.

He said that school buildings will again be closed on Tuesday, that garbage pick-up is suspended, and that vaccination appointments will be rescheduled beginning on Wednesday.

>> Read more.

11:10 A.M. -- LOW VISIBILITY

The storm has intensified in Westerleigh, causing low visibility, particularly due to blowing snow. (Annalise Knudson/Staten Island Advance)

As winds begin to kick up and the snow intensifies, visibility is dropping on Staten Island.

Watchogue Road in Westerleigh is empty and snow-filled, with blacktop seen.

DSNY Commissioner Edward Grayson has asked for New Yorkers to be patient as the heaviest snow makes plowing challenging.

The status of plowing is tracked online at PlowNYC.

10:45 A.M. -- GOVERNOR DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY

Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in New York City and nine other counties.

In a release, he also issued an advisory for travelers and commuters, depending upon the severity of the storm, above ground subway service, as well as service on portions of the Long Island Railroad and Metro-North, may be significantly delayed or stopped this afternoon.

Those New Yorkers who must travel should do so with extreme caution and try to get to their destination before 12 noon, the release continued.

This storm is no joke and the main concern right now is that the expected snowfall rate of two inches per hour this afternoon creates an extremely dangerous situation on our roadways, Cuomo said.

10:40 A.M. -- WILL NYC SEE A BLIZZARD?

For a storm to officially qualify as a blizzard, it needs to meet three requirements  snow must reduce visibility by a quarter-mile, wind or wind gusts must sustain above 35 miles per hour or higher, and both conditions must continue for three consecutive hours.

Could we see that for at least three consecutive hours? Possibly, an Accuweather meteorologist told the Advance/SILive.com.

>> Read more.

10:25 A.M. -- COURTS GO REMOTE

All courts on Staten Island, as well as the rest of the city, will operate virtually Monday due to the snowstorm, court officials announced.

>> Read more.

9 A.M. -- LIVE FROM GREAT KILLS

 NOREASTER UPDATE: An estimated 10 to 15 inches of snow planned for Staten Island. Here is the scene from Great Kills. Posted by Staten Island Advance on Monday, February 1, 2021

8 A.M. -- WORST-CASE SCENARIO FOR STATEN ISLAND

An Accuweather meteorologist says that a 22 inch snowfall would be a worst-case scenario for Staten Island -- and that more likely totals will be in the 10-to-15 inch range.

The snow will be wet and heavy, making it difficult to shovel.

Combined with the gusty winds, this heavy snow increases the risk of power outages, the meterologist said.

6:30 A.M. -- BUS LINES SUSPENDED

A number of MTA express and local buses are not operating on Monday and Tuesday due to the storm.

The Staten Island Ferry is operating on a modified schedule with ferryboats leaving about every 20 minutes, according to the city Department of Transportation.

>> Read more.

India increased its defense spending by about 1%, throwing the timing of its military modernization program into doubt while it faces a protracted standoff with China along their disputed Himalayan border.

Overall, military spending increased to 3.47 trillion ($47.4 billion), up from 3.43 trillion in the previous financial year, budget documents indicate. Indias expenditure is about a quarter that of Chinas -- in May 2020, Beijing announced a yearly defense budget $178.6 billion, according to data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

There had been an expectation that Indias defense budget would receive a robust increase" in response to the deadly clashes with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh, said Laxman Behera, associate professor at the Special Centre for National Security Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.

It would have signalled that Indias government means business when it comes to the nations sovereignty and security," Behera said. It looks like the defense minister will have to live with a shortfall for years to come."

Both India and China have moved thousands of soldiers, tanks, artillery to the disputed border after clashes in the Galwan valley in Ladakh last June that left at least 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops dead. The clashes along their 3,488 kilometer (2,167 mile) boundary, known as the Line of Actual Control, come as China increasingly asserts its presence in the region and as India grapples with the worlds second worst coronavirus epidemic and an economy in crisis.

India had previously announced plans to spend $250 billion over a 10-year period to 2025 on defense modernization, focused on upgrading its ageing fleet of flighter jets, submarines, battle tanks and armored vehicles. But budget restraints and a renewed focus on the local manufacture of defense assets have put that timeline in doubt.

And while India is among the worlds top five military spenders, most of the funds allocated for defense forces go toward the salaries of about 1.3 million serving personnel, pensions, infrastructure development, and repairs.

Other experts were unsure whether the budget was enough to meet all liabilities.

The defense budget reflects the financial constraints faced by the government and the inescapability of spending on health and infrastructure to boost the economy," said Amit Cowshish, a consultant with the Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defense Studies and Analyses and former financial advisor to the defense ministry.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Ohio Republicans Two state lawmakers proposed designating June 14 to celebrate the former president as "President Donald J. Trump Day."

"Let's show the 3,154,834 Ohio voters (a record and historic number of votes received for president in Ohio) who cast their ballot to re-elect Donald J. Trump that we as a legislature recognize the accomplishments of his administration and that the Ohio House believes it is imperative we set aside a day to celebrate one of the greatest presidents in American history," stated Rep. Jon Cross (R-Ohio) and Reggie Stoltzfus (R-Ohio) wrote in a memorandum addressed to all the House members.

The Ohio Republicans duo praised Trump, who achieved several things "against great odds," guided America to unprecedented prosperity.

On Friday, Reps. Jon Cross of Kenton and Reggie Stoltfuz of Paris Township, the two Ohio Republicans sent an email asking their fellow legislators to announce 'President Donald J. Trump Day' on June 14, the paper reported.

The Ohio Republicans personally reached their colleagues in the Ohio House of Representatives to co-sponsor their proposed bill. A bill that would "celebrate one of the greatest presidents in the American History," they said.

Though it is uncertain if the Republican-controlled state House will broadly follow this suggestion, in the Ohio House, the Republicans have a strong 64-35 advantage over the Ohio Democratic Party.

Ohio House Speaker Robert R. Cupp did not immediately answer a request for comment from The Epoch Times.

He was the former president responsible for launching the MAGA ( Make America Great Again) movement in the United States to change the country and the Republican Party. At the national level and even in the state, the said movement still plays and maintains a significant influence on the people.

Robert agreed with Kevin McCarthy, the US House Republican leader, in helping the GOP become the majority in the House during their meetings held at Mar-a Lago in Palm Beach on Thursday.

"Today, President Trump committed to helping elect Republicans in the House and Senate in 2022," A statement released by Mccarthy. "A united conservative movement will strengthen the bonds of our citizens and uphold the freedoms our country was founded on."

ALSO READ: State Attorneys General Remind Biden Any Unconstitutional Actions Will Not Go Unchallenged

Ohio Republicans in the President Donald J. Trump Day proposal

In the previous Presidential election last 2020, Donald J. Trump won by eight points in Ohio. While in later 2016, Donal J. Trump also beat the former democratic nominee Hilary Clinton by nine points in the Midwestern state.

The Republican majority has both the state legislature houses and Gov. Mike DeWine has the GOP member. Presently, Ohio has a powerful presence of Republicans.

In a usual practice of the state, it often commemorates former presidents. One example of this is the recognition of the 40 states for Ronald Reagan Day.

President Barack Obama is annually commemorated every August 4 of the year.

But in this case, to honor a former president very shortly after their departure from the White House is a unique one.

Also, proposing to declare a state holiday for a former president who is gradually about to face an impeachment will somehow go against the state's convention.

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Lifting measures would have to be done "very slowly, very cautiously" to avoid a resurge in infections, a British medical expert warned.

Susan Hopkins, chief of Covid strategy at Public Health England, said lessons have to be learned from the past, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

"We have learned, as we did on the first occasion, we have to relax things really quite slowly, so that if cases start to increase we can clamp down quite fast," she told the BBC.

Hopkins noted that the British National Health Service (NHS) would remain under huge pressure at least until the end of March, as normal during winter, but even more so with the number of inpatients they still have with Covid-19.

"Any releases that we have will have to happen very slowly, very cautiously, watching and waiting as we go, with a two-week period to watch and see the impact of that relaxation because it takes that to see what's happening in the population," she said.

Another 23,275 people in Britain have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 3,796,088, according to official figures released Saturday.

The country also reported another 1,200 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 105,571, the data showed. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

Meanwhile, Britain is stepping up its efforts to speed up the vaccine rollout to bring the pandemic under control. The country aims to deliver a first dose to 15 million of the most vulnerable by mid-February and to offer all adults their first dose by autumn.

England is currently under the third national since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out vaccines.

--IANS

int/

(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.)
POTTSVILLE  While a construction crew has started restoring the historic Frank D. Yuengling Home, the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts is continuing to seek donations to cover its costs.

Work began last week on the west side of the 107-year-old mansion on Mahantongo Street, the organizations longtime headquarters, with Heim Construction of Orwigsburg handling the restoration.

It involves removing and replacing rotten exterior wood, taking out and putting in new rubber roofing, checking the buildings structure, installing new trimming and putting in a trim metal to protect it. The wood comes from MRD Lumber, Bethel, and AD Moyer, Kutztown.

That is the worst side because it gets hammered with the weather, said Jim Buhay, a project manager for Heim working on the mansion, said.

Scaffolding is up along the side of the building facing South 15th Street to fix the dry rot and parapet, with new rubber already installed. Emily Ehlinger Kraft, the organizations executive director, said the rubber makes the roof more durable. The work is expected to last two weeks.

It is part of a multi-phase restoration project of the mansion. The buildings exterior will be worked on in four phases, while each area inside the four-floor mansion will be done in individual phases. Additional work is planned on the carriage house and replacing windows. Kraft said the contractors lowest estimated cost for the entire project is $145,000.

Other restoration work includes sandblasting the fire escape stairs on the second floor, making the mansion compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, fixing the plumbing, repairing the stucco and front door, and painting the outside of the mansion. Kraft said making the repairs is a balancing act between taking care of a historic property and running a functioning arts center.

You want to honor the past and embrace the potential behind what this could be, she said.

Constructed in 1913 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mansion was the private home of the Yuengling family from 1913 to 1978. It was donated that year to Schuylkill County Council for the Arts by the family and hosts lessons in music and art, yoga classes, the Seedlings Preschool, a yearly Christkindlemarkt, and has space for private events and rentals. Kraft said she hopes to make an announcement in March about classes and events this year at the mansion.

Last summer, it was announced the organization would receive $50,000 from an anonymous donor to cover the immediate repairs, which they hope to match through public donations. As of Thursday, $16,000 has been raised, Kraft said.

Donations are still being accepted online at schuylkillartscouncil.com, or by scanning a QR code online and in flyers.

She said she hopes to double the amount raised to match the anonymous donation to apply for planning and construction matching grants from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. The planning grant will help the organization look at its building and assess where it goes in the future, while the construction one supports projects to restore, rehabilitate and preserve structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Kraft said from the time she first stepped foot on the mansions grounds in an acting workshop as a teenager in the 1990s, she has fallen in love with the mansion and wants to make sure its available for future generations.

This place means so much to me, she said, adding that Augusta Yuengling Leininger visited the mansion last fall and was impressed that the organization was taking care to preserve the program.

I want to keep it so that its a beautiful living dedication to what the Yuengling family has provided to this area, she said. I want it to be a place they can be proud of.
Janet Ames was a California disaster survivor two times over. She held firm as the earth shook violently beneath her in 1989 and drove through a whirlwind of flames in 2018. Both catastrophes changed the course of her life, and the second may have shortened it.

Nearly three decades after surviving the Loma Prieta earthquake, Ames narrowly escaped the historically ruinous Camp Fire as it laid waste to the Butte County town of Paradise. Though she emerged without grave physical injuries, the omnipresent smoke caused her existing respiratory problems to worsen, according to her family.

The fire affected her in other ways, too. Ames had trouble sleeping and fell into a kind of shell shock that reminded her daughter of what many people experienced after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

So about a year after the fire, Ames joined tens of thousands of other Northern California wildfire survivors in seeking compensation from PG&E Corp. through the companys bankruptcy case. PG&E equipment started the Camp Fire, along with a series of other disasters that plagued the state in 2015 and 2017, all of which were tied up in the bankruptcy proceedings.

But Ames would not live to see her claim resolved. In July, just after PG&E finally exited from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, she died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at age 85.

Her family believes she would have lived longer had Paradise not virtually burned to the ground around her.

It definitely caused the end of her life, said Janets daughter Sharron Ames.

The timing of her death has complicated Sharrons efforts to fulfill her mothers claim against PG&E, at first raising doubt about whether she would be paid much at all. Sharron has since found reason to hope she can obtain the same compensation her mother would have if she were alive, but it hasnt been easy.

Janet Ames case is a stark example of the lingering complications that plague the aftermath of PG&Es massive bankruptcy. While most of the courtroom wrangling is over and PG&E has stepped out of Chapter 11, numerous people affected by wildfires the company caused must now get paid. The bankruptcy process earmarked an estimated $13.5 billion that will compensate those victims through an independent trust, but the system is far from simple  or fast.

PG&E is funding the trust partly through cash and partly through shares the entity can cash out over time. That has led to some inherent uncertainty, as seen when the funds trustee told victims in a letter last week that the trust was more than $1 billion short of its intended value because of how the stock had fared.

But victims could still get everything theyre owed. The trustee, retired appeals court Justice John Trotter, also noted that the trust had developed a careful sell-down plan  in other words, it could wait until the price rises before selling shares.

Many fire victims are elderly, and an unknown number are in poor health. The longer the process drags on, the greater the odds are that more people may, like Janet Ames, pass away before they can resolve their claim  and receive a semblance of justice.

Such situations are not unheard of for a case as byzantine as PG&Es, though few can compare.

This problem of people not surviving long enough to see their day in court, or their day in front of the trust, is something that happens, said UC Hastings law Professor Jared Ellias. These things always get harder when the survivor is no longer with us.

Janet Ames, a petite and lively woman, withstood the Loma Prieta earthquake by clinging to a pole as books flew off shelves in her coastal home near Santa Cruz. Sharron Ames, one of her five children, would later say that great temblor may have been the beginning of (Janets) downfall.

But she moved on, and decades after the 1989 earthquake, Janet had settled into a double-wide manufactured home in the tranquil town of Paradise.

Then disaster struck again.

As the Camp Fire enveloped Paradise in flames and smoke, Janet fled to Sharrons house, about 17 miles away in Chico. The drive would normally take just 35 minutes, but with the Camp Fire consuming Paradise and roads clogged with evacuees, the perilous journey lasted five hours. Ames collapsed into her daughters arms when she finally arrived.

In some ways, Ames could have fared worse. Her mobile home, while damaged to the tune of $36,000, was not incinerated. She survived. But as the flames and smoke subsided, her family began to notice other problems. Ames had been diagnosed with COPD the year before the fire, and her condition clearly deteriorated in the disasters wake, according to her daughter.

Her breath became shallower. Her skin color turned ashen. And new symptoms arose.

She had extreme difficulty sleeping because she was in this constant loop of worry that just made her very scattered and not being able to have clear thoughts, Sharron Ames recalled recently. She was very angry all the time. She would just explode and get mad at the simplest thing  all signs of almost like PTSD.

Months later, Sharron Ames said her lawyer gave her some unexpected news: Under California law, Janet Ames general damage claim died with her. The revelation raised the prospect that Sharron might not recover much, if anything, on her mothers behalf, since the bulk of her claim was related to the trauma she endured in the fire, not property loss.

Sharron thought her only recourse was to instead seek payment for wrongful death  a tall order, given her mothers history of COPD and the amount of time that had elapsed between the Camp Fire and her passing.

Its not an easy path, Sharron said. Im sort of left trying to pull the pieces of the puzzle together so that they can determine whether or not I have standing to do a wrongful death claim, or at least show in part that (the fire) contributed.

But after The Chronicle asked questions of the independent trust responsible for paying fire victims, Ames learned she might be able to fulfill her mothers claim after all.

If a fire victim dies before submitting crucial documentation to the trust, as was the case with Janet Ames, their claims are considered preserved as long as they had filed a certain form in the bankruptcy case before the end of 2019, according to the trust. Surviving family members need to then turn in the required documentation to the trust on their deceased loved ones behalf.

Because of when the trust was formed, were looking at those claims individually, said Cathy Yanni, the trusts claims administrator, after The Chronicle described Ames predicament. There are situations where were going to have those claims survive.

Ames is now exploring both options: pursuing her mothers original claim or seeking compensation for wrongful death, if she can build the right case.

Her attorney, Eric Ratinoff, declined to comment.

Lawyers often pursue wrongful-death claims if a client passes away before theyre compensated, said Frank Pitre, one of the lead attorneys for PG&E fire victims. He did not represent Ames. If the precipitating incident was several months to a year or more away  as is the case with Ames  attorneys would need to demonstrate what Pitre called legal causation, usually through a doctors opinion.

For those of us who are experienced, a lot of this is standard operating procedure, Pitre said. Is it more difficult than somebody who died right then and there on the day that the fire happened? Of course. But its not so complicated that going to the right people and doing the correct analysis cant connect the dots to prove whatever claim exists.

Gerald Singleton, another attorney for PG&E fire victims, said he too was concerned that some clients might die before resolving their claims. But he told The Chronicle that he was reassured by the trust that surviving family members would still have an avenue to secure compensation if that happens.

Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available.

Otherwise, theres just going to be so many issues about is it fair to settle this case first or that case first  this way, we dont have to worry about that, Singleton said.

Officials with the victims trust say theyre moving as fast as they can to pay everyone, given the enormous task.

The payment process will require analyzing thousands of questionnaires, only a portion of which have been submitted. All questionnaires are due late this month. On Feb. 15, the trust intends to start telling victims how much their claims are valued at, and it will begin paying a portion of their claims  the same flat percentage for everyone  one month later.

Yanni, the claims administrator, said she did not know of any way that elderly or ailing victims  like Janet Ames, had she lived long enough  could expressly cut to the front of the line. But age is something we clearly pay attention to, she said.

Suppose we have an elderly person, and the only claim theyre making is emotional distress, Yanni said. Well, that claim is going to go through the system much faster. Its certainly something we look at, for sure, but it really relates more to the complexity of the complaint.

The trust sought to kick-start the process last year by creating a preliminary compensation program to give survivors as much as $25,000 before their full claims were processed. Officials with the trust say theyre not aware of any other bankruptcy case that has implemented such an early payment program.

The trust says it started the preliminary payments shortly before Thanksgiving, and as of Jan. 22 had issued 2,844 of them, with a total $37.5 million distributed.

The average preliminary payment amount was $13,188, according to the trust. About 80,000 victims filed claims against PG&E during the bankruptcy, though not all have submitted a claims questionnaire yet.

I want to get people paid as quickly as possible, Yanni said.

PG&E itself is not involved in the process of paying fire victims now that the bankruptcy is resolved, a fact the company stressed in a statement to The Chronicle. Still, spokeswoman Lynsey Paulo said company officials are glad that fire victims are starting to receive funds from the trust.

We continue to honor the victims and all that was lost by continuing the important work of reducing risk across our energy system, Paulo said.

For Sharron Ames, certainty cant come soon enough. The idea that much of the money her mother had been seeking from the PG&E case might not be recoverable now was a shock when she found out about it through her lawyer late last year.

Its just one more hurtful thing in the whole experience, Ames said.

Sharron Ames remembers her mother as a force to be reckoned with  an independent, industrious woman with a passion for art and a longtime love of the coast. Janet Ames had a youthful spirit, too, and was intent on living to age 100.

If you had called her a senior citizen, she would practically slay you with her eyes, her daughter said. She died too soon.

No matter how her efforts with the trust conclude, Ames is committed to seeing her mothers claim through  and shes hopeful that no other victims will follow in her tragic footsteps.

J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris
A drunk who lost his temper and smashed a McDonald's register after staff asked him to scan a QR code has been sentenced to anger management counselling.

Carpenter Jake Sinderberry, 25, from Blacktown in Sydney's western suburbs, went berserk at the Kellyville McDonald's just before 8pm on January 9.

CCTV footage captured his embarrassing outburst as he sent the register flying off the counter, causing $280 worth of damage.

Carpenter Jake Sinderberry, 25, faced Blacktown Local Court on Monday charged over the McDonald's covid-rage tantrum that smashed a register off a bench causing $280 damage

He faced Blacktown Local Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to destroying or damaging property, using offensive language in or near a public place and not complying with the coronavirus public health order.

Sinderberry's troubles began when he told a female manager to 'f**k off' after she asked him to check in using a QR code as part of the New South Wales coronavirus regulations to help with contact tracing.

The manager then refused to serve him for his foul language, so he pleaded that he was only joking.

But after he was again told he would not be served, the drunken man threw a tantrum.

According to police facts tendered to Blacktown Local Court, Sinderberry was intoxicated at the time, having been kicked out of one pub and refused entry to another less than an hour before the incident.

Sinderberry told police he had begun drinking at the Marayong Hotel about 1pm that day and by 7.15pm he and his friends were so drunk they were kicked out of the Fiddler Hotel.

Sinderberry, calm, seconds before he suddenly went berserk at Kellyville Ridge McDonald's

CCTV captured the moment he sent the order register and displays flying off the counter just before 8pm, causing $280 damage and scaring the other customers with his tantrum

The Ettamogah Hotel at Kellyville Ridge, across the road from the fast food restaurant, then refused them entry.

Sinderberry said he had consumed between 12 and 14 alcoholic drinks by the time he walked into the McDonald's.

Ashamed of his actions and describing his incident as out of character, Sinderberry presented a letter of apology to the court, News.com reported.

'I'm sorry, I acknowledge I have an anger problem once I drink,' he said in the letter.

Sinderberry (pictured) told the court he was sorry and acknowledged he had a problem with anger when he drinks. He was sentenced to counselling for alcohol and anger management

'I've taken steps over the years  I've intimidated and scared people and for that I'm truly sorry, I wish I could take that back.'



Magistrate Cate Follent described him as clearly having an issue with alcohol after court documents revealed he had previously been charged with high-range drink driving offences and property damage.

She sentenced Sinderberry to undergo counselling for alcohol abuse and anger management, and 150 hours of community service.

He was also given a $2750 fine and a two-year community corrections order.


Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 23:05:22|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

People wearing face masks walk past ambulances at The Royal London Hospital in London, Britain, on Jan. 26, 2021. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

Susan Hopkins, chief of COVID strategy at Public Health England, said lessons have to be learned from the past.

"We have learned, as we did on the first occasion, we have to relax things really quite slowly, so that if cases start to increase we can clamp down quite fast," she told the BBC.

LONDON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Lifting coronavirus lockdown measures would have to be done "very slowly, very cautiously" to avoid a resurge in infections, a British medical expert warned Sunday.

Susan Hopkins, chief of COVID strategy at Public Health England, said lessons have to be learned from the past.

"We have learned, as we did on the first occasion, we have to relax things really quite slowly, so that if cases start to increase we can clamp down quite fast," she told the BBC.

Hopkins noted that the British National Health Service (NHS) would remain under huge pressure at least until the end of March, as normal during winter, but even more so with the number of inpatients they still have with COVID-19.

"Any releases that we have will have to happen very slowly, very cautiously, watching and waiting as we go, with a two-week period to watch and see the impact of that relaxation because it takes that to see what's happening in the population," she said.

Another 23,275 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 3,796,088, according to official figures released Saturday.

The country also reported another 1,200 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 105,571, the data showed. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

Meanwhile, Britain is stepping up its efforts to speed up the vaccine rollout to bring the pandemic under control. The country aims to deliver a first dose to 15 million of the most vulnerable by mid-February and to offer all adults their first dose by autumn.

England is currently under the third national lockdown since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

To bring life back to normal, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the United States have been racing against time to roll out coronavirus vaccines.

Passengers wearing face masks stand next to an advertising board reading "Stay Home Save Lives" at a bus stop in London, Britain, Jan. 10, 2021. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
Whether it was rooted in tone-deafness or contempt, the U.S. House Republican leaderships decision to assign Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of George to the Education Committee is as appalling as Greenes conduct.

She has claimed that the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre of 14 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, was a false flag event, staged to drum up support for gun control measures.

Before that, she had characterized as a hoax the 2012 mass murder of 20 first-graders and four of their teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Recently, a video surfaced in which she followed to the Capitol a young survivor of the Parkland massacre, who had become an advocate of gun control, calling him a coward when he declined to rise to her bait.

Greene also advocates ignorance rather than education, publicly espousing the preposterous QAnon conspiracy theory, repeating definitively disproven claims about fraud in the 2020 election.

She has advocated violence, including executions, of prominent Democrats.

Greene has no legitimate business on a committee that addresses education. Rep. Bobby Scott, a Virginia Democrat and chairman of the committee, has demanded that the Republican leadership reassign her to a committee where she can do less damage than she already has inflicted. They should comply.
Union finance minister today announced further tax incentives to encourage aircraft leasing in the country.

In her budget speech, Sitharaman said leasing companies setting up operations in the Gujarat International Financial Services (GIFT) City will be eligible for tax holiday on capital gains and for aircraft lease rentals paid to foreign lessors.

In the 2019 budget, the government had announced 15 year tax deduction for companies setting up operations in Rules and regulations for leasing operations are currently being drafted.





ALSO READ: Union Budget 2021 LIVE: Disinvestment to continue, LIC IPO in FY22, says FM

Indian airlines have a combined fleet of around 700 planes and over 85 per cent of them are on lease. A majority of lessors are based in Ireland due to its attractive tax policy. In recent years Chinese companies too have increased their share in aircraft leasing. With Indian carriers ordering over 900 aircraft, the government wants to encourage leasing companies to set up base in India.

"Tax incentives is a good step to build helicopter and general aviation (private and charter) segment in the country. These segments are underpenetrated as lease financing is not available. We have only around 200 helicopters in India and there is opportunity to grow the size. With proper financial structuring it could also encourage domestic investment in aircraft leasing business," said aviation consultant Vishok Mansingh.
The Sustainable Production Grant (SPG) has opened again for Welsh farmers to address on-farm nutrient management and storage.

The seventh window of the SPG gives farmers the opportunity to take the lead in tackling agri-pollution to improve water, soil and air quality.

The budget available for this SPG Expression of Interest is 8 million, the Welsh government has confirmed.

Grants range from 12,000 to 50,000 as a maximum 40 percent contribution to project costs.

The maximum project cost to receive a 40 percent grant contribution is 125,000.

Items supported will include, amongst other things, covered slurry storage and management equipment.

The SPG opened for applications last week and closes for expressions of interest on 12 March 2021.

For more information and guidance on applying to the scheme visit the Welsh government's website.
Handcuffed and sobbing, the 9-year-old girl screams "I want my dad!" repeatedly as Rochester, N.Y., police officers try to force her into a patrol car. When the girl keeps refusing to swing her legs inside, one officer pulls out his pepper spray.

"Just spray her at this point," the unidentified male officer tells a female colleague in a video of the Friday incident.

Moments later, the male officer sprays the girl himself as she shrieks in pain.

The graphicbody-camera footage, which Rochester police released Sunday, left city leaders demanding answers for how a family disturbance call quickly escalated into a use of force against a young girl in obvious distress.

"I'm not going to stand here and tell you that for a 9-year-old to have to be pepper-sprayed is okay," said Rochester Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan at a news conference on Sunday.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren, D, added that as a mother of a 10-year-old daughter, the video "is not anything you want to see."

The footage has drawn new scrutiny onto a Rochester police force already in turmoil over its treatment of Daniel Prude, a mentally ill Black man who died in March after police put a hood over the 41-year-old's head. Video from that incident sparked nationalprotests and led to the firing of the police chief and a new emphasis on sending mental health experts rather than police to deal with similar crises.

But the video released Sunday shows that not enough has changed, activists said.

"What we saw in that video is police escalating the situation rather than de-escalating," said Ashley Gantt, a co-founder of Free the People Roc, a community activist group in Rochester.

The incident began around 3:20 p.m. Friday, when police responded to a "family trouble" call, RochesterDeputy Police Chief Andre Anderson said at Sunday's news conference. Officers were told that the 9-year-old girl, who hasn't been identified, was suicidal.

"She indicated she wanted to kill herself and she wanted to kill her mom," Anderson said.

When officers tried to "secure her," Anderson said, the distressed girl ran away. The first video released by police shows an officer running after the girl along a snowy street. Once he catches up to her, he asks, "What is going on? How can I help?"

The girl's mother then arrives and argues with her daughter, causing her to grow more upset. With two officers restraining each of the girl's hands, video shows, she slides to the street, thrashing and kicking at police as she pleads to see her dad. Officers then handcuff her and try to force her into the back of a police cruiser. According to Anderson, they were trying to transport her to a hospital.

But the girl continues to scream and resists going inside the car, the second video shows. At one point, she pleads with the officers to "stop" and says they were hurting her. She also says that she "demands" to see her father.

"I don't care what you demand," one officer says in the video.

When another officer tries to push her into the back seat complains, "You're acting like a child," she responds, "I am a child."

Minutes later, video shows an officer pepper-spraying the girl, leaving her crying in the back seat as officers finally close the door. "Unbelievable," says the officer who pepper-sprayed her.

The girl was taken to Rochester General Hospital and released later that day. Police would not comment on whether any of the officers involved have been suspended or fired.

For local activists, the video is further proof that police treat people in the midst of mental health crises as criminals.

Sara Taylor, a social worker and administrator in Rochester, said her 12-year-old daughter has been arrested 10 times while suffering mental health crises. When Taylor's daughter had an episode in November and called police, Taylor said they ignored her pleas for mental health care and handcuffed her.

"I'm screaming, 'Please you gotta take it easy she's a little girl,' " Taylor said. "They take her right out of my house like a criminal after I told them she has a psychiatric condition."

On Sunday, Rochester leaders acknowledged a need for change in how police address mental health crises. In the wake of Prude's death, the city created a Person in Crisis Team,which is meant to send mental health professionals rather than police to similar cases. Warren said the team was not dispatched because there were several events happening simultaneously that "required a police response."

"It is clear from the video we need to do more in support of our children and families," Warren said.

But Taylor, who started an organization that helps low-income parents cope with the challenges and stigma attached to having a child with mental health issues, said that need has long been evident.

"Our community has a heightened distrust right now because of Daniel Prude and now we have those impacting our babies. Are you kidding? It's not okay," Taylor said. "It's shameful that it had to come to this."
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday presented the Budget 2021-22 that aims to shore up an economy badly-hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic. During her third budget speech in Lok Sabha, Sitharaman said that the government is committed to the welfare of farmers and the Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime has undergone a change.

The economy is projected to contract 7.7% in the current fiscal year, although the government forecasts growth of 11% for the coming fiscal year, after a massive COVID-19 vaccination drive and a rebound in consumer demand and investments.

Budget 2021 Highlights

We are ready to discuss the three farm reform bills -- clause by clause. I still believe that dialogue is the only solution: FM.

Defence Budget consists of three component - revenue, pension & capital component. The Budget allocation (for the capital component) in 2020-21 was  1,13,734 crores. It has gone to  1,35,060 crores which is an increase of 20%: TV Somanathan, Secretary, Expenditure.

1,13,734 crores. It has gone to 1,35,060 crores which is an increase of 20%: TV Somanathan, Secretary, Expenditure. Accounting of government expenditure and revenue statements are now a lot more transparent and open: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Our fiscal deficit which started at 3.5% during Feb 2020 has increased to 9.5% of GDP, so we have spent, we have spent and we have spent. At the same time, we have given a clear glide path for deficit management: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

As a second feature, I tend to the need of the healthcare sector and even there, capacities for better health management had to be brought in in light of what we had gone through last year: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

In no categories will the consumer pay more with respect to agriculture infra cess: FM.

If there are two important features of this Budget, it is that we chose to spend big on infrastructure which spans across roads, power generation, bridges, ports & so on: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

This Budget comes at a time when all of us decided to give impetus to the economy & that impetus, we thought, would be qualitatively spent & give necessary demand push if we choose to spend big on infrastructure: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

This Budget will boost economy: FM Sitharaman.

"For imported spirits and wines with alcoholic strength less than 80%, Basic Customs Duty has been reduced from 150% to 50% while Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) is being imposed @ 100% on the same value. The net effective rate of import duties remains at 150% and there will be no adverse impact on the industry, "Darshan Bora, Partner, ELP.

"Hats off to the FM for sticking to her promise of a budget that will be remembered for 100 years . A budget with no changes in Direct taxes will certainly be remembered for years to come . Equity market will be enthused with no tinkering in capital gains taxes or STT or any form of Covid tax," Krishna Kumar Karwa, Managing Director - Emkay Global Financial Services.

Defence Budget increased to  4,78,195 crore from  4,71,378 crore.

4,78,195 crore from 4,71,378 crore. Government has proposed farm cess of  2.5/litre on petrol,  4 on diesel. Govt has reduced basic excise duty and special additional excise duty. No direct impact on consumers.

2.5/litre on petrol, 4 on diesel. Govt has reduced basic excise duty and special additional excise duty. No direct impact on consumers. Budget 2021 Highlights: Financial moves

Govt to set up a Development Financial Institution

NHAI and PGCIL to set up INVITs to attract global funds

Proposal for New Rationalised Securities Markets Code

Govt allots 20,000 crore for bank recapitalisation

Budget 2021 Highlights: Infrastructure

To spend 1.41 lakh crore for Urban Clean India Mission

Proposes voluntary Vehicle Scrappage Policy

Outlay of 1.18 lakh crore for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways

India to spend 1.1 lakh crore for Railways in FY22

Budget 2021 Highlights: Healthcare

Govt to spend 64,180 crore on healthcare over six years

Govt sets aside 35,000 crore for Covid-19 vaccine in FY22

Budget 2021 Highlights: Minimum government, maximum governance

FM proposes to modify 'Small Companies' definition

Increase the permissible limit for Foreign Direct Investment for insurance companies to 74% from 49%.

This is a budget for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', will strengthen economy: Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh.

"In a time of unprecedented economic stress, the Govts responsibility was to spend enough to revive the economy or else face enormous human suffering. So I had one expectation from this budget: that we should be very liberal in terms of the targeted fiscal deficit. Box ticked," Anand Mahindra on Budget 2021.

We are withdrawing exemption on certain kind of leather imports: FM.

Dalal Street is loving the Budget 2021. Sensex and Nifty now up near 2.5%. Sensex climbs 1,601.66 points, Nifty tops 14,000.

Govt withdraws exceptions on tunnel boring machines.

"To give a further boost to digital transactions, I earmark  1,500 crore for a proposed scheme that will provide financial incentive to promote digital mode of payment," the minister said while presenting the Budget for 2021-22.

1,500 crore for a proposed scheme that will provide financial incentive to promote digital mode of payment," the minister said while presenting the Budget for 2021-22. I-T return forms to now be pre-filled with Capital Gains and Bank Interest details: FM.

The FM proposes extension of tax holiday for start-ups by one more year.

Govt proposes to make income tax appellate tribunals faceless; to set up national income tax appellate tribunal centre: FM.

Exemption from tax audit limit doubled to  10 cr turnover for companies doing most of their business through digital modes: FM.

10 cr turnover for companies doing most of their business through digital modes: FM. Advance tax liability on dividend income shall arise only after payment of dividend: FM.

Dividend payment by REITs and InvITs not subject to TDS: FM.

Sitharaman announces tax holiday for aircraft leasing business in Gift city.

Government to provide tax exemption for relocating funds to IFSC.

Income tax return filers increased to 6.48 cr in 2020 from 3.31 cr in 2014: FM.

FM announces tax exemption for rental housing projects.

Government to notify rules to eliminate double tax for NRIs on foreign retirement funds.

World is facing serious challenge of pandemic and its after shocks: FM.

Dispute resolution scheme for small taxpayers through special committee: FM.

Time limit for reopening tax returns reduced to 3 years, from present 6. Even in serious fraud, only if tax concealed has evidence of over 50 lakh, can the term go beyond: FM

Senior citizens above 75 yrs of age with only pension income exempted from filing tax returns: FM.

FM allocates  3,726 cr for forthcoming Census which will be the first digital census.

3,726 cr for forthcoming Census which will be the first digital census. Govt proposes to introduce National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill.

We need  80,000 crore from the markets in last two months of FY21: FM.

80,000 crore from the markets in last two months of FY21: FM. Govt needs 12 lakh crore in gross borrowings: FM.

Fiscal deficit for FY22 pegged at 6.8%: FM.

Fiscal deficit for FY21 pegged at 9.5%: FM.

Maintained quality of expenditure: FM.

Govt proposes national language translation initiative.

Govt proposes deep ocean mission with outlay of more than  4,000 cr over five years: FM.

4,000 cr over five years: FM.  1,000 crore to be provided for welfare of tea workers: FM.

1,000 crore to be provided for welfare of tea workers: FM. Union Budget 2021 live: "Discoms are monopolies. There is a need to provide a choice to customers to choose service provider (distribution company). A framework will be put in place to provide an alternative," said Sitharaman in her Budget speech in the Lok Sabha.

69 crore beneficiaries or 86% covered under one-nation, one-ration, says the Finance Minister.

43.36 lakh wheat-growing farmers benefited from govt procurement under MSP as against 35.57 lakh previously: FM.

Farmers paid  75,100 cr on wheat MSP in FY21: FM.

75,100 cr on wheat MSP in FY21: FM. Social security benefits to be extended to gig and platform workers for the first time. Minimum wages will apply to all categories of workers: FM.

Agri procurement has increased steadily, benefiting farmers, says FM amid opposition slogan shouting against three farm laws.

Govt committed to welfare of farmers, says FM Sitharaman.

Barring four strategic areas, PSUs in other sectors will be divested, says FM announcing new disinvestment policy.

Agriculture credit target at 16.5 lakh crore: FM.

"In 2021-22 we would also bring the IPO of LIC for which I am bringing the requisite amendments in this session itself," Nirmala Sitharaman says.

Government allots  20,000 crore for bank recapitalisation: FM.

20,000 crore for bank recapitalisation: FM. FDI in insurance increased to 74 pc from 49 pc: FM.

Govt proposes investor charter across financial products: FM.

Scheme for promoting flagging of merchant ships in India will be launched by providing subsidy support: FM.

Govt proposes to launch hydrogen energy mission next fiscal for generating hydrogen from green power sources: FM.

The government on Monday announced the Jal Jeevan mission with an outlay of  2.87 lakh crore for 4,378 urban local bodies.

2.87 lakh crore for 4,378 urban local bodies. Centre to provide  18,000 crore for public buses, announces FM Nirmala Sithraman.

18,000 crore for public buses, announces FM Nirmala Sithraman. City gas distribution network of providing CNG to automobiles and piped cooking gas to households in 100 more districts: FM.

Fuel supplies were kept running without interruption during Covid-19 lockdown: FM

For a 5-trillion dollar economy, our manufacturing sector has to grow in double digits on a sustained basis. Our manufacturing companies need to become an integral part of global supply chains: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

FM announces 7 port projects worth more than  2,000 cr via PPA mode.

2,000 cr via PPA mode. Pipelines of GAIL (India) Ltd, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and HPCL will be monetised: FM.

Framework will be put in place to allow electricity consumers to choose from more than one distribution company: FM.

Finance Minister says 100 pc electrification of broad gauge rail tracks by December 2023.

Ujjwala Scheme will be extended to cover 1 cr more beneficiaries. Will add 100 more districts in the next 3 years for city gas distribution: FM

Nifty climbs above 13,800 as FM Nirmala Sitharaman presents Union Budget 2021. Sensex up 700-points.

NHAI has sponsored one InVit to attract investors. Thus 5 operational roads with  5,000 crore value being transferred to NHAI InVit. NHAI operational roll roads are to be monetised: FM.

5,000 crore value being transferred to NHAI InVit. NHAI operational roll roads are to be monetised: FM. Meanwhile, Railways will monetise dedicated freight corridor after commissioning. The next lot of airports will also be monetised for operations and management. AAI airports in tier-2,3 cities and other railway assets are to be monetised: FM.

Indian Railways has prepared a national railways plan by 2030. It will bring down the logistics cost: FM Sitharaman.

National Infrastructure Pipeline has been expanded to 7,400 projects. Futher, projects worth  1.1 lakh crore have been completed under the National Infra Pipeline. We will also introduce bill to set up DFI providing  20,000 crore to launch the National Asset Monetisation Pipeline to fund new infra projects: FM Sitharaman.

1.1 lakh crore have been completed under the National Infra Pipeline. We will also introduce bill to set up DFI providing 20,000 crore to launch the National Asset Monetisation Pipeline to fund new infra projects: FM Sitharaman. Highway infra work proposed include building 8,500-km of highways by March 2022.

3,500 km corridor in Tamil Nadu

1,100 km in Kerala at investment of 65,000 cr

675 km in West Bengal at a cost of 95,000 cr

1,300 km in Assam in the next 3 years

For 2021-22, I propose a sharp increase in Capital Expenditure & thus have provided  5.54 lakh crores which is 34.5% more than the BE 2020-21: FM Nirmala Sitharaman.

5.54 lakh crores which is 34.5% more than the BE 2020-21: FM Nirmala Sitharaman. Outlay of  1.18 lakh crore for Ministry Of Road Transport And Highways: FM Sitharaman.

1.18 lakh crore for Ministry Of Road Transport And Highways: FM Sitharaman. Government has committed  1.97 lakh crore for PLI schemes covering 13 sectors. Further 7 textile parks will be launched over three years: FM Sitharaman.

1.97 lakh crore for PLI schemes covering 13 sectors. Further 7 textile parks will be launched over three years: FM Sitharaman. Urban Swachh Bharat 2.0 Mission to be launched at outlay of  1.41 lakh crore over 5 years: FM Sitharaman.

1.41 lakh crore over 5 years: FM Sitharaman. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced  35,000 crore for Covid-19 vaccines.

35,000 crore for Covid-19 vaccines. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced  2,83,846 lakh crore for health and wellness sector which also includes  35,000 crore for Covid-19 vaccines.

2,83,846 lakh crore for health and wellness sector which also includes 35,000 crore for Covid-19 vaccines. Voluntary scrapping policy announced based on fitness test -- 20 years in a personal vehicle and 15 years for the commercial vehicle. More details to be available soon.

We introduce the Aatmanirbhar Health Yojana with an outlay of  64,180 crore over six years. This will strengthen the National Centre for Disease Control. Besides this, the government will also set up 15 Health Emergency Centres:FM.

64,180 crore over six years. This will strengthen the National Centre for Disease Control. Besides this, the government will also set up 15 Health Emergency Centres:FM. Union Budget 2021 live: India Budget 2021: Six pillars of Budget

Health and wellbeing

Infrastructure

Inclusive development

Development of human capital

Research and development

Minimum government, maximum governance

Seeing revival in the economy; Govt fully prepared to support & facilitate the economic reset: FM.

The Govt stretched its resources for the benefit of the poorest of the poor. The PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, the three AatmaNirbhar Bharat packages and subsequent announcements were like five mini-budgets in themselves: FM Nirmala Sitharaman.

I bow my head in respect to every citizen for endurance shown in facing what was an undeniably a tough year for all our physical & mental well-being: FM Sitharaman.

Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark, FM quotes Tagore.

The total financial impact of all AatmaNirbhar Bharat packages, including measures taken by the RBI was about  27.1 lakh crore, more than 13% of GDP: FM.

27.1 lakh crore, more than 13% of GDP: FM. Today India has 2 vaccines available and has begun safeguarding not only her own citizens against COVID 19 but also those of 100 or more countries. It has added comfort to know that 2 more vaccines are also expected soon: FM.

The preparation of this Budget was undertaken in circumstances like never before, in view of calamities that have affected a country or a region within a country. But what we have endured with COVID-19 to 2020 is Sui generis: FM Nirmala Sitharaman.

Express my gratitude to frontline warriors: FM.

Global economy, which was slowing down, was pushed into uncertainty due to COVID-19. The risk of not having a lockdown was far more, far too high: FM

FM Nirmala Sitharaman rises to present Union Budget 2021-22.

India's factory activity expanded at its strongest pace in three months in January, fuelled by a continued recovery in demand and output, according to a private survey which also showed firms cut jobs at the slowest pace in 10 months.

The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved Budget for the fiscal year 2021-22.

Union Cabinet's meeting begins ahead of the presentation of Union Budget 2021-22 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at the Parliament today.

Rupee rises 7 paise to 72.89 against US dollar in early trade.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaches the Parliament.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan arrive at the Parliament.

FM reaches Parliament, Union Cabinet meeting to start at 10.15.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman meets President Ram Nath Kovind ahead of the Budget 2021 presentation. As per established tradition, the Finance Minister met the President at the Rashtrapati Bhawan before heading to Parliament.

Finance Minister @nsitharaman, MoS Finance & Corporate Affairs @ianuragthakur, and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, called on President Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan before presenting the Union Budget 2021-22. pic.twitter.com/FUNptDXnHB  President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 1, 2021





Nirmala Sitharamans Budget is expected to revolve around the philosophy of growth with a human touch" and focused on raising farmers incomes, generating jobs for the young, improving health care standards and ease of compliance for citizens and businesses, people aware of the development told HT.

The BSE benchmark Sensex surged over 443 points and the NSE Nifty advanced 115 points in opening trade ahead of the Union Budget 2021-22 presentation in Parliament.

Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech 2020 was the longest going by the duration. Her speech lasted for about two hours and 40 minutes. She even felt unwell and had cut her speech short. In 2003, Jaswant Singh made a record of two hours and 15 minutes.

After replacing the budget briefcase with a Bahi Khata in 2019, this time the FM will present the Budget through a Made-in-India tab.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman, MoS Finance Anurag Thakur and the team have left North Block. FM was seen carrying a 'Bahi Khata'. In all probability, it has a tablet in it.

Budget will be in accordance with people's expectations. Govt which functions on mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas' gave new direction to India by announcing Aatmanirbhar package, protecting it from pandemic & bringing economy back on track swiftly: Anurag Thakur, MoS Finance

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrives at the Ministry of Finance.

View Full Image MoS Finance Anurag Thakur offers prayers at his residence, ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget 2021-22 in the Parliament today.





Union Budget 2021 can also be downloaded from the Government of India's official website www.indiabudget.gov.in after the Budget will be tabled in the Parliament.

All tax experts were of the view that there some deductions that would be available for medical expenses that many families had to bear due to covid-19. This could be done under Section 80D.

Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to increase spending by more than 15% year-on-year in 2021-22 with an emphasis on infrastructure and healthcare.

Citigroup expects a 19% year-on-year growth in gross tax revenue next year, with healthier goods and services tax revenue helping boost overall collection. It expects GST to average  1.15 lakh a month next fiscal -- translating into nearly  14 lakh in total for the year.

1.15 lakh a month next fiscal -- translating into nearly 14 lakh in total for the year. The Union Cabinet will hold a meeting at 10:15 am before the presentation.

Ahead of her third Budget presentation, the Finance Minister and her team will meet President Ram Nath Kovind, and will likely be accompanied by her deputy Anurag Thakur and other officials of the Finance Ministry.

Finance Minister had launched the "Union Budget Mobile App" for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience.

Sitharaman in her first budget in 2019 replaced leather briefcase that had been for decades used for carrying budget documents with a traditional red cloth 'bahi-khata'.

If history is a guide, the recent rough ride for Indian stocks will continue after Mondays budget. Read how Sensex faces Budget hurdle with history as a guide.

The stock market tanked almost 40% in March 2020 and bounced back to achieve new all-time high milestones. With that said, investors will be keenly awaiting the budget and the impact it may have on the investment decisions. Here are few expectations retail investors have from Budget 2021.

Tax experts expect the government to fix some anomalies in the NPS or National Pension Scheme with regard to income tax benefits. Here are five changes to income tax rules that could be announced in Budget 2021.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Myanmars military has taken control of the country, ordering a one-year state of emergency. Reports say State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other government leaders have been detained.

The constitution gives the military strong powers

The announcement on military-owned Myawaddy TV said Article 417 of the countrys constitution permits the military to take over in times of emergency. The announcer said the coronavirus crisis and the governments failure to postpone November elections were reasons for the emergency.

The military wrote Myanmars constitution in 2008. The country is also known as Burma. The document gives the military the most power in the country and places limits on democratic, civilian rule. The group Human Rights Watch has described Article 417 as little more than an excuse for the military to seize all power.

The constitution also provides important Cabinet ministries and 25 percent of the seats in Parliament to the military. This limits the power of a civilian government and rules out changing the constitution without military support.

Some experts said they were uncertain why the military would change or destabilize their standing. Others, however, noted the upcoming retirement of Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who has been leader of the armed forces since 2011.

There is military politics around that, which is very opaque, said Kim Jolliffe. He is an expert on Myanmar civilian and military relations. The military has put Vice President Myint Swe in office as head of the government for one year. He is a former military officer.



Elections held in November

In the November elections, Suu Kyis party got 396 out of 476 seats in the lower and upper houses of Parliament. The state Union Election Commission confirmed that result.

But, beginning right after the elections, the military has said there were millions of problems with voter lists in 314 townships. This could have let some voters cast more than one ballot or break other voting rules. But they havent really shown any proof of that, Jolliffe said.

The election commission rejected the militarys claims last week. It said there was no evidence to support them. The military takeover came on what should have been the first day of the new Parliament. But the new Parliament did not open. Instead, Suu Kyi and other lawmakers were reported detained.

A later announcement on Myawaddy TV said the military would hold an election after the one-year emergency ends. The winner of that election will lead the country, the military said.

Additional developments

Telecommunications came almost to a complete stop on Monday. In the capital, the internet and phones seemed to be blocked. Those who could still get on the internet found their social media accounts had been temporarily suspended. Road blocks were set up across Yangon, the largest city. Soldiers took up positions outside government buildings such as City Hall.

Governments and international organizations have condemned the takeover. They said it sets back the few democratic reforms Myanmar has made.

Linda Lakhdhir is a legal adviser at Human Rights Watch. She described the takeover as a blow to efforts to present Myanmar as a democracy. She added that the countrys creditability has been damaged.

Myanmar experts are afraid the country is going to enter a difficult time for human rights defenders, reporters and those who are critical of the military. Even before the military takeover, some reporters and free speech supporters faced legal problems.



A U.S. senator raised the possibility the United States could again place economic sanctions on Myanmar. The United States lifted sanctions in 2016 when Myanmar moved toward civilian rule.

The U.S. Senator, Bob Menendez, a Democrat, said Myanmars military leaders must immediately free the democratic leaders of Myanmar and remove themselves from government. Menendez is the new chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Menendez added that, if they do not free those detained, the U.S. should use sanctions.

Aung San Suu Kyi came to power in 2015. However, she was strongly criticized in 2019 for failing to protect the Rohingya Muslim people from the Myanmar military. She defended the militarys actions against the Rohingya, which United Nations agencies have called genocide.

Im Susan Shand.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

destabilize  v. to cause something, such as a government, to be unable to work in a usual or desired way; to make unstable

opaque  adj. difficult to understand or explain

proof  n. evidence that something is true

sanctions  n. measures taken to cause a country to obey international law usually through restricting trade

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nanotech Security Corp. (TSXV: NTS) (OTCQX: NTSFF) (Nanotech or the Company), a leader in the development of secure and memorable nano-optic security features used in the government and banknote and brand protection markets, has won new brand protection business with Canadian Vita Corp., Canada's leading ginseng supplier. Nanotech will supply custom LumaChrome colour-shifting labels with printed logos and trackable serial numbers for Canadian Vitas ginseng products. Financial terms have not been publicly disclosed.



Counterfeit ginseng products are a major industry problem that can be very harmful to consumers, said Canadian Vita CEO Hieu Tran. LumaChrome labels will help us fight counterfeit products and ensure our Canadian Vita brand remains as a reliable source of safe, premium ginseng products. The labels will confirm Canadian Vita products are authentic and meet quality standards. This collaboration with Nanotech is a major milestone as it has helped Canadian Vita set higher standards in the ginseng industry.

LumaChrome and our other anti-counterfeiting solutions enable companies like Canadian Vita to secure their products and extend brand awareness through their entire supply chain, said President and CEO Troy Bullock. This consumer-packaged goods win continues to validate our strategy of developing a portfolio of products to address the multi-billion-dollar problem of counterfeit consumer goods. We look forward to a long-running, successful partnership with Canadian Vita.

LumaChrome labels offer straightforward authentication through a crisp colour transition when the viewing angle is changed. It is intuitive to use and easy to recognize at a considerable distance, multiple angles, and variable lighting conditions. These striking colour transitions are extremely difficult to simulate, requiring sophisticated production equipment and specialized knowledge in thin-film optics to produce, making it an ideal anti-counterfeit solution. Besides being proven technology used in the banknote industry for years, new LumaChrome formats easily integrate into track & trace, smart packaging, and brand protection applications.

For LumaChrome samples and pricing, contact info@nanosecurity.ca or click here.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9dceeb18-a568-482c-8986-4134dfa86e3d

About Canadian Vita

Canadian Vita is Canada's leading ginseng supplier. Their expertise in ginseng farming and processing has allowed them to craft high quality ginseng products. All products that reach customers have gone through stringent inspections from the harvesting to packing stages, to ensure only the best quality ginseng is distributed. With a vision to help empower lives by improving health through traditional herbal supplements, Canadian Vita continues to develop products that make the consumption of ginseng more enjoyable and efficient. With over 35 years of experience, their dedicated team of farmers and researchers exceed industry standards. For more information, visit https://canadianvita.com/.

About Nanotech

With billions of security features in circulation, Nanotechs products include secure and memorable security labels, stripes, patches, and colour-shifting foils for currency authentication and brand protection.

KolourOptik is a patented visual technology that is exclusive to the government and banknote market and combines sub-wavelength nanostructures and microstructures to create modern overt security features with a unique and customizable optical effect. KolourOptik pure plasmonic colour pixels produce full colour, 3D depth, and movement used in security stripes and threads that are nearly impossible to replicate.

LiveOptik is a patented visual technology that utilizes innovative nano-optics one tenth the size of traditional holographic structures to create next generation overt security features customized to our customers unique requirements. LiveOptik delivers multi-colour, 3D depth, movement, and image switches for secure brand protection stripes, threads, and labels that are nearly impossible to replicate.

Additional information about Nanotech can be found at the Companys website www.nanosecurity.ca , the Canadian disclosure filings website www.sedar.com or the OTCMarkets disclosure filings website www.otcmarkets.com .

Nanotech Security Corp.: US Investor Relations: Canada Investor Relations: Kelley Ryshak Matthew Selinger Sean Peasgood info@nanosecurity.ca mselinger@firmirgroup.com sean@SophicCapital.com +1.604.678.5775 +1.415.572.8152 +1.647.699.9845

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.
PM will also also launch LPG Import Terminal, built by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited at an investment of Rs 1100 crores

Modi will lay the foundation stone of the second Catalytic Dewaxing Unit, at the Haldia Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation, built at Rs 1019 crores to help augment the lubricant production. (Photo:PTI)

Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his second visit to poll-bound West Bengal within a span of two weeks, will inaugurate three big-ticket central industrial projects totalling Rs 4,552 crores at Haldia in East Midnapore next week in what appears to be a curtain-raiser of his campaign to brighten the BJP's prospect in the ensuing Assembly Election.

What has however irked the ruling Trinamul Congress, is union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan's invitation to its MP of Tamluk: Dibyendu Adhikari to Modi's event on February 7.

While Haldia is located in Tamluk Lok Sabha constituency, senior TMC leaders have started reading a hidden and clear message in the invitation to the young MP who has been maintaining distance from the party since his elder brother Shubhendu Adhikari and younger brother Soumendu Adhikari have already switched from chief minister Mamata Banerjee's party to the BJP and their father and three-time MP Sisir Adhikari has been isolated in the party.

All eyes will be on Dibyendu on whether he attends the event where Modi will flag off Dobhi-Durgapur Pipeline Project, a 347-km long section of Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline constructed by GAIL with estimated cost of Rs 2433 crores, which will revive HURL Sindri in Jharkhand Fertilizer plant, supply gas to Matix Fertilizer Plant at Durgapur as anchor customers, in addition to supplying gas to industrial, commercial and automobile sectors and city gas distribution across all major towns in these states, including cities of Hazaribagh, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Purulia, Asansol and Durgapur.

The PM will also launch LPG Import Terminal, built by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited at an investment of Rs 1100 crores, which will meet LPG requirement in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, parts of Uttar Pradesh and North Eastern states. Modi will lay the foundation stone of the second Catalytic Dewaxing Unit, at the Haldia Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation, built at Rs 1019 crores to help augment the lubricant production.
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.
Page Content

The Executive Mayor, Cllr Geoff Makhubo has described late legendary songstress, Sibongile Khumalo as a jazz pioneer with a mellifluous voice that transcended generations.







Tributes have been pouring in since Khumalos passing on Thursday, 28 January, reportedly after suffering stroke-related complications. She was 63.





A renowned cognoscenti of classical jazz, opera and indigenous music, Khumalo enjoyed an internationally acclaimed career spanning over 28 years. She was a doyenne of arts and culture and had long been dubbed by her media colleagues as South Africas first lady of song.

Weve lost a true jazz pioneer. We will miss your mellifluous voice; may your music live forever, says Cllr Makhubo.

The iconic songstress and music teacher began performing professionally in 1992 after obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from the University of Zululand and an honours degree in the History of Music from Wits University. She toured the world extensively, performing a melange of classical jazz, indigenous South African music and opera.





Khumalo followed in her fathers footsteps by pursuing a career in music and has been described interchangeably as South Africas empress of song. She was one of the most celebrated members of the local musical dynasty, marked by an extraordinary vocal gene-pool and passion for making music.

From the streets of Orlando in Soweto, Mme Khumalo placed South Africa on the international stage through her melodic sounds, Cllr Makhubo adds.





Shes been lauded as one of the great singing talents of her time and has inspired the creation of new musical sounds by South African composers, both in classical jazz, opera and traditional music. She worked with everyone from Hugh Masekela to Jack Dejohnette, Jerome Harris and a host of other local and international acts.

As a daughter of Joburg, she made the City great, says the Mayor.





Khumalo held several accolades under her belt, with some of her most notable ones recognising her as a musician of substance, including the 1993 Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Music as well as a few South African Music Awards for best female performance and best adult contemporary performance.





She held an honorary licentiate in music from the University of South Africa and had expanded her career to encompass producing and directing, which was the impetus for the creation of her record label in 2007.





Cllr Makhubo says Khumalo was a doyenne of arts and culture, having received the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver for her excellent contribution to the development of South African arts and culture in the musical fields of jazz.





The arts fraternity has truly lost an icon. Our country is surely poorer without her. On behalf of the City, we extend heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and colleagues, says the Mayor.


When Bruce L. Castor Jr. ran for district attorney in Montgomery County, Pa., in 2015, the campaign hinged on his decision years earlier not to charge comedian Bill Cosby with sexual assault. And after Castor lost the race, he sued the woman he blamed for the defeat: one of Cosby's victims.

His suit, which was dismissed in 2018, made national headlines as the prosecutor who defeated him criminally charged Cosby, eventually sending him to prison.

Now, Castor is poised to represent another politician dismayed over a recent election loss: former president Donald Trump.

Following a sudden exodus of lawyers who had been working on Trump's defense for his Feb. 9 impeachment trial, the former president on Sunday announced that he'll be represented by Castor and David Schoen, another attorney with ties to several high-profile, controversial defendants, including Roger Stone and Jeffrey Epstein.

Castor and Schoen will take on the job after Trump's previous attorneys left over his insistence that they argue he actually won the 2020 presidential election, a false claim the former president has often repeated since November, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Trump's team denied that explanation, and said the defense would focus on constitutional questions involved in the impeachment trial. And Schoen also said he plans to focus on attacking the "weaponization of the impeachment process" and arguing that it is not constitutional to impeach a president once he is out of office.

"I am not a person who will put forward a theory of election fraud," Schoen told The Post late Sunday night. "That's not what this impeachment trial is about."

While both lawyers are just stepping into their leading roles on Trump's team in the politically fraught impeachment trial, neither Castor nor Schoen are new to controversy.

Castor, a Republican, served as the top prosecutor in Montgomery County from 2000 to 2008. In 2005, Andrea Constand reported that Cosby had drugged and sexually assaulted her the previous year, but Castor declined to pursue criminal charges.

Ten years later, after Constand filed suit with 13 women volunteering to testify about their own allegations against Cosby, Castor was forced to account for that decision as he ran for district attorney again. Constand also sued Castor for defamation in 2015, just before the election. He publicly suggested there had been inconsistencies in Constand's account of the crime, but the growing #MeToo movement made his handling of the Cosby case a key issue in the race. He lost to Democrat Kevin Steele, who chose to prosecute Cosby.

During the criminal case, Cosby's lawyers argued that Castor had secretly promised the actor immunity in 2005. A judge dismissed that argument. Cosby was convicted on three felony counts and sentenced in 2018 to three to 10 years in prison. Constand and Castor confidentially settled the defamation claim in 2019.

Castor did not immediately return a request for comment late Sunday.

Schoen is an Atlanta-based civil rights and criminal defense attorney who most recently made waves by representing Stone, a Trump confidant who was convicted in 2019 of witness tampering and lying to Congress about his role in pursuing hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 election.

"Somebody recommended me to him and, I don't know, I liked him," Schoen told The Post, explaining his decision to take on Stone's appeal in 2020. "It seemed like a challenge. He was really up against it."

He previously told the Atlanta Jewish Times that he took up Stone's case because he believed the trial had been "very unfair and politicized." Schoen's work with Stone, whom he has described as "very bright, full of personality and flair," came to an abrupt end last July when Trump commuted Stone's 40-month prison sentence. Trump fully pardoned Stone in December.

Days before Jeffrey Epstein's death in 2019, Schoen also met with the financier, who was accused of sexually abusing dozens of girls. Schoen has publicly disputed official reports that Epstein killed himself inside the Manhattan jail, and maintains his belief that Epstein may have been murdered. Schoen denies subscribing to some of the implausible claims that have circulated online since Epstein's death and conceded that there were no compelling suspects or alternate theories to the official account.

"He just didn't strike me as a guy who would commit suicide, but who knows, it's always possible," Schoen told The Post on Sunday. "I don't think they had a medical basis [for the cause of death] but they also don't have a killer."

Schoen described his "bread-and-butter" work as civil rights cases, with a focus on police misconduct, which he has pursued for nearly 36 years. His recent caseload has included a wrongful death and police misconduct suit for the fatal police shooting of a Black man in Florida and a wrongful death and medical malpractice suit against officials in an Alabama jail who ignored an inmate's perforated ulcer for seven days, leading to his death.

With just over a week before Trump's impeachment trail is set to begin, Schoen and Castor do not have much time to prepare a defense for the former president. Schoen told The Post he expects to focus on the "important constitutional issues," including whether a former president can legally be tried for impeachment.

"I've done constitutional litigation my entire career, and I think this case raised important constitutional questions," Schoen told The Post. "I do feel honored to represent the [former] president of the United States and the Constitution."

Schoen said he did not think the lawyers who left Trump's team did so because of election fraud claims and rejected the suggestion that the new team would try to litigate the validity of the election results.

"It's not what has drawn me into this impeachment trial," he said. "I think the proceedings are unconstitutional."
Ten moderate Republican US senators have urged President Joe Biden to significantly downsize his $1.9trn (1.6trn) Covid-19 relief package to win bipartisan support.

A top White House economic adviser signalled willingness to discuss the ideas raised by Republican senators who floated a $600bn (495bn) alternative, but said the president was not willing to compromise on the need for a comprehensive bill to address the public health crisis and economic fallout.

He is open to ideas, wherever they may come What hes uncompromising about is the need to move with speed on a comprehensive approach here, said Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council. A piecemeal approach... is not a recipe for success.

It was unclear whether the outreach by 10 of the 50 Republicans in the 100-seat chamber would shift plans by congressional Democrats to take up legislation in the coming days. President Biden and fellow Democrats are seeking to make use of their control of the House of Representatives and Senate to move quickly on the presidents top goal of addressing the pandemic.

Read More

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said his chamber would begin work on it as early as this week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress would complete a preliminary step before the end of the week.

Congress enacted $4trn (3.3trn) in Covid-19 relief last year.

Passage of the new relief legislation not only would help Americans and businesses reeling during a pandemic that has killed about 440,000 people in the United States but also offers an early test of President Bidens promise to work to bridge the partisan divide in Washington. Mr Biden took office on January 20.

The presidents proposal includes $160bn (132bn) for vaccines and testing, $170bn (140bn) for schools and universities, and funds to give certain Americans a $1,400 (1,150) per-person stimulus cheque, among other ideas.

Some Republicans have questioned the overall price tag, while others urged more targeted measures, particularly over the direct payments to individuals.

In their letter to the president, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney and seven other senators said their compromise proposal could be quickly passed with bipartisan support.

They said their proposal included more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses, while echoing President Bidens funding to boost vaccines and testing.

Ours is about $600bn. Were targeted to the needs of the American people, said Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the 10 senators.

He added that their plan included less school funding, saying many private schools had already reopened and that the real problem is public schools and unions telling their teachers not to go to work.

Fellow Republican Rob Portman, who also signed the letter, said direct cheques should be limited to individuals making $50,000 (41,000) and less and families making $100,000 (82,000) or less.

Some moderate Democrats also urged changes to Mr Bidens package while more liberal Democrats have pushed for more spending and other provisions such as a federal minimum wage hike to $15-an-hour (12.40)  more than double the current rate.
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.
Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community.

Submit here
With a few clicks, Rowi Alomur, 38, a Syrian refugee and mother of two living in northwestern Jordan, signed up for a free coronavirus vaccine this month through a national online platform. With the priority set for those 65 and older, or with certain underlying conditions, Alomur told The Washington Post that she is awaiting a text message that will tell her when and where to go for her shot when her turn comes up.

Among the world's millions of refugees, her experience stands out. Jordan is one of the few countries to have begun vaccinating refugees as innoculation programs begin. Millions of others have been excluded from their host countries' national vaccine programs or face added barriers to access. That could ultimately leave everyone at risk.

Of 133 countries which UNHCR, the United Nation's refugee agency, has information on, 81 have finalized their vaccination strategies and only 54 have included explicit provisions to cover populations of concern such as refugees, asylum seekers and stateless and internally displaced people.

Refugee advocates warn that failing to include these vulnerable populations, many of which live in crowded and impoverished conditions, ultimately undermines a nation's efforts to stop the coronavirus. International law makes host countries responsible for the health care of refugees and asylum seekers within their borders, but that norm has clashed with demands by some who say citizens should be prioritized.

"Those [countries] where they are not included, we are trying to understand better what the issues are," Sajjad Malik, director of the Division of Resilience and Solutions at UNHCR, said of why UNHCR is not making the names of the countries public.

Some countries do not list specific categories of people in their coronavirus response outlines, so it is unclear whether refugees are included by default. In others, governments have been forthright: In December, Colombia said it would not provide vaccines to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants and refugees when its rollout began. Even in countries where all residents are in theory slated for inoculation, refugees may remain sidelined if they are undocumented or lack safe and clear access to health-care providers.

Covax, the World Health Organization's global vaccine program for ensuring a more equitable distribution, said it is working to craft an "emergency buffer" that would set aside about 5 percent of available doses for humanitarian and emergency use. Low- and middle-income countries host most refugees, according to UNHCR.

"The principle is that buffer will supply vaccine to countries where humanitarian affected populations, including refugees, asylum seekers, stateless, remain excluded from national rollouts to ensure they are reached," Kathryn Mahoney, a UNHCR spokeswoman, said in an email.

A spokesperson for Gavi, a vaccine alliance working with Covax, said that details are under discussion and that the board will vote on it "in the near future."

Some countries have included refugees in their calculus from the start. Germany, which took in more than 1 million people during the migration crisis, classed those who live or work in refugee or homeless facilities as the second-highest priority in its vaccination strategy.

But some marginalized communities are not sure where they fit in. While Israel has raced to vaccinate its citizens, Zoe Gutzeit, director of the migrant and refugee program Physicians for Human Rights in Israel, said the government had been "moving very slowly" to create an alternative for many of the 30,000 African asylum seekers there who do not have access to the country's health funds that are distributing the vaccines. In Greece, where tens of thousands of people remain stranded in crowded camps on islands and accommodations on the mainland, aid groups have argued that refugees in high-risk conditions should be prioritized.

When Jordan began its program in mid-January, it became one of the first countries to vaccinate refugees and asylum seekers along with the general population, according to UNHCR. The country is home to an estimated 1.3 million Syrians, around 660,000 of whom are formally registered with the United Nations. Jordan also has large Iraqi and Palestinian refugee communities, in addition to people from more than three dozen countries.

Alomur fled her home in Deraa, Syria, for Jordan in 2012. The University of Damascus graduate said she cannot find a suitable job. While confirmed infection rates are relatively low, Jordan has implemented several strict lockdowns to cut transmission, despite the deep economic impact on its struggling economy.

"Whether Syrian, or Palestinian, or Iraqi or Jordanian," Alomur said, Jordan has "tried the best it can to control the virus and protect people."

Coverage is still far from ensured, especially for refugees without legal residency, who might fear alerting the government to their status or lack healthcare access. But support for inclusion has come straight from the top: On Thursday, Jordanian King Abdullah II, at an event held by the World Economic Forum, said that "safeguarding the health and well-being of refugees" was "a global responsibility," Reuters reported.

Official messaging has been far less refugee-friendly in other countries in the region, such as Turkey and Lebanon, with large Syrian populations. Both countries have issued vaccine guidelines pledging that everyone, regardless of nationality, will be included. Neither government, however, has laid out a program stipulating how rollouts will work for refugees. The majority of Syrians in Lebanon lack legal status, and the government has not specified whether undocumented refugees who seek vaccination will face repercussions.

Most Syrians in Jordan live in poverty in cities, and additional tens of thousands live in refugee camps in more isolated parts of the country. Ahmed Zghool, a health coordinator with Los Angeles-based International Medical Corps, which works in the two biggest camps, Zaatari and Azraq, said many isolated residents are uninformed or misinformed about the virus and the vaccine.

In Azraq, home to some 36,000 Syrians, IMC contacted about 3,700 people who, because of their age or health issues, met the national criteria for the initial groups eligible for vaccinations. Some 56% responded that they were interested in the vaccine, Zghool said. IMC has held sessions to educate people about the vaccine and help them navigate the online portal.

IMC expects to open vaccination clinics, coordinating with the Ministry of Health, in Zaatari and Azraq in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the organization has helped to transport refugees to cities for vaccinations. As of late January, some 200 people from Zaatari, home to 80,000 refugees, and seven from Azraq, have received the shot, Zghool said.

In Greece, Apostolos Veizis, the medical director in the country for Doctors Without Borders, said the government has said it will include refugees and asylum seekers but has not provided further assurances or clarity.

Most refugees in Greece are young and come from countries including Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia, where conflicts are ongoing. But people living in crowded refugee camps on the Greek islands are three times more likely to contract covid-19, compared with the general Greek population, and those in camps and accommodations on the mainland are 2.5 times more at risk, Veizis said. The isolation of camp life also has taken a mental and physical toll, adding to the health risks, he said. In September, a fire ripped through the largest camp, Moria, on the island of Lesbos, displacing some 12,500 people.

"The unfortunate thing is that for years, those people are being seen as numbers," Veizis said. "They aren't existing as human beings."
BRASILIA, Brazil (AP)  Lawmakers supported by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro were elected to head both houses of Congress on Monday, in a major victory for the conservative leader's effort to fend off a potential impeachment effort.

In the most crucial decision, Bolsonaro-backed candidate Arthur Lira of the center-right Progressive party was chosen as speaker in the Chamber of Deputies with 302 votes against 145 for his main adversary, Luiz Felipe Baleia Rossi of the also center-right Movement for Brazilian Democracy party.

Any impeachment move would have to start in the lower house.

Hours earlier, senators elected Rodrigo Pacheco of the center-right Democrats party as the Senate president, giving him 57 out of 78 votes to beat Simone Tebet, also of the Movement for Brazilian Democracy.

Neither Lira nor Pacheco mentioned Bolsonaro in their victory speeches. Both promised to lead an independent legislative.

Opponents of the president, who is midway through a four-year term, have been staging street demonstrations to demand his ouster over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hit Brazil hard.

Beatriz Rey, a political scientist at the Center for Latin American & Latino Studies at American University in Washington, said the two wins would reduce Bolsonaro's risk of being impeached, but not erase it.

Bolsonaro has won, but it is not clear whether he will get unconditional support," Rey said. He has no coalition in Congress and that is why he is so active in this election. But he can still lose control if he has an issue with spending, if his cabinet reshuffle doesn't work. The president needs the support of these center-right parties."

Bolsonaro, who abandoned his own party shortly after being elected, has struggled to find support for his policies in a complicated congressional landscape of many parties.

Outgoing Speaker Rodrigo Maia, also of the Democrats party, had rejected repeated calls for Bolsonaro's impeachment even while maintaining his independence from the president by opposing some of his legislation and protesting against his conservative cultural agenda.

Story continues

Maia, who cried during his farewell speech, supported Deputy Baleia Rossi in the lower house election, but even his own Democrats party failed to follow him.

Bolsonaros approval ratings have dipped into the low 30% range  a slump analysts have attributed to the delayed rollout of Brazils COVID-19 vaccination program and to the end of cash handouts to the nations poor.

That relative weakness has boosted the bargaining power of a centrist group of lawmakers, said Marcio Coimbra, coordinator of post-graduate studies in institutional and government relations at Mackenzie Presbyterian University.

Coimbra said the price of their backing may start with the doling out of government positions  the sort of back-scratching politics that Bolsonaro had vowed to avoid when he ran for president on an anti-corruption platform.

A report in Mondays edition of the newspaper Estado de S.Paulo said Bolsonaros administration paid more than $92 million in funds earmarked for special projects backed by individual lawmakers in January, a record figure for that month. Analysts linked the amounts to the congressional leadership elections, a move typical of Brazilian presidents that Bolsonaro had promised to end.

Centrist party officials reportedly have designs on ministries such as health, mining and regional development, according to Bolsonaro aides and influential lawmakers who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The victory of Lira will give the impression of an alliance, of solidity of the relationship with Congress to Bolsonaro, said Thiago de Aragao, director of strategy at political risk consultancy Arko Advice. But in fact, it will be something that still requires negotiation every single every day, and negotiation on every single issue to be voted.

___ Associated Press writer Debora Alvares reported this story in Brasilia and AP writer Mauricio Savarese reported from Sao Paulo. AP writer David Biller in Petropolis, Brazil, contributed to this report.


Jury Chair: Peter DeBenedictis, Microsoft

Amanda Benfell Head of PR & Press +44 20 7467 8125

LONDON, Feb 1, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - WARC, the global authority on marketing effectiveness, has today launched the 2021 WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, a search for the best strategic thinking from the region's marketing industry that has driven results.Now in its fifth year, this case study competition is free to enter and is open to agencies, brand owners and specialists in any marketing discipline.This year's competition will be chaired by Peter DeBenedictis, Chief Marketing Officer, Middle East and Africa, Microsoft. Having lived and worked in the Middle East for more than 30 years, Peter has deep experience of growing business in diverse Emerging Markets. Before Microsoft, he led the marketing function for several of the world's leading brands, where he managed multiple investment programmes to drive top-line growth.Commenting on the awards, Peter DeBenedictis, said: "The ability to combine the art and science of marketing is one of many new challenges facing marketers today, and strategic thinking plays a key role in it. The WARC Prize for MENA Strategy leaves 'marketing for marketing's sake' to the side to shine a spotlight on effective work the industry can draw inspiration from."Joining Peter DeBenedictis are an eminent judging panel of strategy experts and senior marketers. The 17-strong jury is as follows:- Peter DeBenedictis, Chief Marketing Officer, Middle East and Africa, Microsoft - (Jury Chair)- Hind AbuAlia, SVP, S4Capital/MediaMonks- Rohit Arora, Business Director & Head of Strategy, Liwa Content Driven- Laura Chaibi, Senior Consultant, Global Media, Nielsen Media Middle East- Stacy Fisher, Head of Digital Transformation & Innovation, Publicis Groupe- Noor Hassanein, Strategy Director, Impact BBDO- Shagorika Heryani, Head of Strategy, Grey MENA- Ali Khalil, Strategic Planning Director, Wunderman Thompson KSA- Roxane Magbanua, Business Unit Director, PHD UAE- Mir Damoon Mir, Chief Creative Officer and Founder, Zigma8- Stewart Morrison, Managing Director, MENA, FirmDecisions- Hossam Omar, Director of Brand and Marketing Communications, Etisalat- Fahad Osman, Regional Director, Global Business Marketing, MENAT, TikTok- Dewald du Plooy, Marketing Director MENA, Yum! Restaurants International- Tahaab Rais, President - SLC and Regional Head of Strategy & Truth Central, FP7 McCann MENAT- Kalika Tripathi, Head of Marketing MENA, Visa- Nancy Villanueva, CEO, Iberia & Middle East, InterbrandThe jury will award a Grand Prix, Gold, Silver and Bronze accolades as well as five Special Awards recognising specific areas of excellence, two of which are new for this year:- The Long-Term Strategy Award (new) - for the best strategy designed to build a long-term brand platform, executed over a period of three years or more.- The Pivot to Digital Award (new) - for the best example of a brand digitising its products or services.- The Research Excellence Award - for the best use of research in the development of strategic ideas.- The Brand Rebel Award- for the best example of a campaign departing from category norms.- The Local Hero Award - for the best example of a challenger brand from the MENA region using smart marketing strategy to take on bigger competitors.Chiara Manco, Commissioning Editor, Case Studies, WARC, says: "We are delighted to be working with such a distinguished panel to bring to the forefront the very best of the region's strategic thinking that is helping clients solve problems and providing a base for future growth."The deadline to submit entries is 28 April. More information about the awards, including jury bios and how to enter is available on www.warc.com/awards/warc-prize-for-mena-strategySource: WarcContact:Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Britain may send vaccine doses abroad before it completes the rollout at home, it has been claimed, as Matt Hancock revealed more than nine million Brits have had the jab - including 930,000 people last weekend.

The Health Secretary said those who had received a first dose of the life-saving drug included more than half of the over-70s, plus nine in 10 of the over-80s.

It came as Britain yesterday recorded the fewest daily coronavirus deaths since December, with 406 more victims as the second wave continues to decline.

Department of Health figures also show cases are continuing to fall, hitting a seven-week low of 18,607 positive tests.

Government data also revealed another 322,000 Covid vaccines were dished out on Sunday, meaning 9.3million Britons have now received their first dose.

No10 promised to vaccinate 13.9million of the most vulnerable by mid-February, in order to begin easing lockdown restrictions.

The full rollout of vaccines is expected to be completed in the autumn, but there are claims that some British jabs could be sent abroad to help other countries.

Mr Hancock is believed to support the idea of support Britons first, but has conceded the 400million doses ordered by the Government is more than the UK will need.

Whitehall officials say ministers have not formally discussed how and when Britain will start to share its jabs with the world.

The Health Secretary said those who had received a first dose of the life-saving drug included more than half of the over-70s, plus nine in 10 of the over-80s

No10 promised to vaccinate 13.9million of the most vulnerable by mid-February, in order to begin easing lockdown restrictions.

A Whitehall source told The Times: 'There are two sets of questions: will we really have enough vaccines to start offering [them to] others and if so when? And then there is who do we offer them to?'

Mr Hancock said that the UK has now ordered another 40 million vaccine doses from Valneva, adding that the UK is continuing with its 'no regrets' attitude to backing vaccines that have yet to be approved.

He said that if it gains approval, the Valneva vaccine will be manufactured in Livingston in Scotland.

Fronting the Downing Street press conference tonight Mr Hancock said: 'We have visited every single care home with older residents in England and offered vaccinations to all of their residents and staff - this has been an incredible example of health and social care working together.'

It came as door-to-door coronavirus testing was launched across eight parts of England where it is feared the South African variant causing panic around the world is spreading in the community.

In a desperate attempt to keep track of the mutated virus that experts fear could hamper the current crop of vaccines, health officials will join forces with local police and firefighters to visit homes in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire, to offer residents a swab.

Mr Hancock said tonight people in those areas must take 'extra special precautions' amid the threat of an outbreak of the new, highly-infectious variant. He added: 'The stay at home message is there for everyone but in particular in those areas it's absolutely vital that people minimise all social contact and get a test when the opportunity arises.

More than 80,000 over-16s will be targeted as part of the huge surveillance scheme and residents will be asked to take a test regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. Mr Hancock said it was 'imperative' that people in these areas stay at home and get a test when it is offered to them.

As well as knocking on doors and asking residents to take tests there and then, extra mobile swabbing units will be deployed to all eight postcodes and home testing kits will be available to order online for residents to do themselves.

Public Health England has already spotted 105 cases of the 'B.1.351' South African variant since December 22, including at least 11 people  scattered across the eight areas receiving extra testing  who were struck down with the virus but had no history of international travel.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has renewed calls for the Government to start vaccinating teachers and school staff once the rollout of the jab to the most vulnerable groups is complete.

Speaking during a visit to south London he said: "The reason for that is not because teachers and school staff are more at risk. It is because of the disruption that will be caused to schools if they are not vaccinated.

"What we saw in the autumn was schools being open but actually being highly disrupted because children are in one week and out the next week.

"That cannot be our ambition for March 8. So this is to make the get-back-to-school real and workable."

MASON CITY, Iowa  A second prison sentence is handed down for burglarizing a North Iowa school.

Eric Scott Francis, 50 of Mason City, pleaded guilty to 3rd degree burglary and was ordered Monday to spend five years behind bars and pay Newman Catholic School $500 in damages.

Authorities say Francis and Nathaniel Pope of Mason City stole about $17,000 worth of equipment from Newman on March 19, 2020.

Pope previously pleaded guilty and was given 10 years in prison for the school burglary and setting a Mason City garage on Fire in September 2018.


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.
This combination of photos created on Feb. 1, 2021 shows (top L) Myanmar's President Win Myint during a visit to New Delhi on Feb. 27, 2020; (top R) Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi at the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Bangkok on Nov. 4, 2019; (bottom L) Myint Swe, then the Yangon division chief minister, delivering a speech in Yangon on Feb. 12, 2013; and (bottom R) Myanmar's military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing saluting during a ceremony marking the 71th anniversary of Martyrs' Day in Yangon on July 19, 2018.

Aung San Suu Kyi, 75, has been Myanmars civilian leader since March 2016 after her National League for Democracy (NLD) won 2015 elections by a landslide. Prohibited by a military-drafted constitution from becoming president because her two sons are foreign nationals, she was installed in the custom-made position of state counselor.

Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of Burmese independence hero Aung San, and was two years old when he was assassinated. After decades living abroad, she was thrust into politics when her return home coincided with a pro-democracy uprising in 1988. She subsequently led the NLD to a landslide win in 1990 elections, only to have the military nullify the results and put her under house arrest for 15 years between 1989 and 2010.

After becoming state counselor in 2016, lawmakers from her party proposed democratic changes to the 2008 constitution, written by a former military government, but were met with resistance by military MPs who control a quarter of the seat of parliament and can veto constitutional changes that threaten their political power.

Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi waits for the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping before a bilateral meeting at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw, Jan. 18, 2020. Credit: AFP





Once considered a democracy icon by the international community, Aung San Suu Kyi earned scorn and condemnation for her refusal to denounce a violent military-led crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in 2017. Though the campaign of terror left thousands dead and forced more than 740,000 others to seek refuge in neighboring Bangladesh, she defended the militarys actions as a necessary counterinsurgency against Muslim militants who carried out deadly attacks on police outposts.

The actions against the Rohingya brought genocide-related charges against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the U.N. court which settles disputes between nations, and an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity by the military at the International Criminal Court, a separate court that tries individuals.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who led Myanmars defense at an ICJ hearing in December 2019, stuck firmly to her defense of the military for the violence meted out against the Rohingya, which included killings, mass rape, torture, and village burnings. She asked the ICJ to drop the case and rejected U.N. and other international evidence out of hand.

European organizations revoked Aung San Suu Kyis freedom awards, while the U.S. Holocaust Museum rescinded a prestigious human rights award. There were even calls to cancel the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded in 1991. But Aung San Suu Kyi remains hugely popular inside Myanmar, and was key to her party securing another landslide victory in November 2020 elections.

On Feb. 1, she and others in her political circle, including President Win Myint, arrested by the military as it launched a coup.

Win Myint, speaker of the lower house of Myanmar's parliament, leaves after the new lower house parliamentary session in Naypyidaw on Feb. 1, 2016. Credit: AFP





Win Myint, 69, became president in March 2018, a week after the resignation of his predecessor Htin Kyaw over health concerns, and he held the position until his forced removal from office in the Feb. 1 military coup.

Before parliament elected him as president, Win Myint has served as speaker in the lower house since 2012. He was appointed a vice president prior to his elevation in a sign that he had been tipped for the presidency.

The close aide and loyalist of Aung San Suu Kyi studied geology in Yangon and later became a High Court senior attorney in 1981 and a lawyer of Myanmars Supreme Court. Four years later he became a High Court advocate.

He was part of a democracy uprising in 1988 and was briefly jailed by the military junta. After he was freed from prison, Win Myint won a parliamentary seat in Ayeyarwady regions Danubyu township in the 1990 elections  the first multiparty elections since 1960. The elections were swept by Aung San Suu Kyis NLD, but the military junta refused to recognize the results and effectively ruled until 2011.

As the country began democratic reforms, Win Myint a lower house seat representing Ayeyarwady regions Pathein constituency in 2012 by-elections and later became secretary of parliaments rule of law committee. He was elected as a lower house lawmaker representing Yangons Tamwe township in general elections in 2015. A year later, he became speaker of the lower house, a position he held until 2018.

Myanmar's military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing arrives for a ceremony marking the 71th anniversary of Martyrs' Day in Yangon, July 19, 2018. Credit: AFP

Min Aung Hlaing, 64, rose steadily through the ranks of the countrys powerful armed forces to become the commander-in-chief in 2011, just as Myanmar began its democratic transition after decades of harsh military rule and international isolation.

He studied law at Yangon University in 1972-1974 before entering the Defense Services Academy, a training ground for future officers for all three branches of Myanmar military, and rose steadily through the ranks.

When Aung San Suu Kyi came to power in 2016, the reserved senior general became more involved in politics under the civilian-led government, posting photos, statements, and his meetings with foreign dignitaries on Facebook. He gained hundreds of thousands of followers until his social media account was removed following the armys brutal crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state in 2017.

In 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Min Aung Hlaing and three other military officers for the violence against the Rohingya, which left thousands dead and drove 740,000 other across the border and into Bangladesh. U.N. investigators said the crackdown was carried out with genocidal intent.

Under Min Aung Hlaings command, the military has also clung firmly to its political influence. During Aung San Suu Kyis first five-year term, the military rejected moves by the ruling National League for Democracy to amend the military-drafted 2008 constitution, which grants military lawmakers a quarter of parliamentary so they have veto power over changes to the charter. The constitution also bars Aung San Suu Kyi from becoming president.

Despite the state counselors defense of the military over the genocide allegations, tensions between Aung San Suu Kyi and Min Aung Hlaing have only intensified in the past two years and came to a head after the government-appointed election commission rejected military claims of massive vote fraud in November 2020 elections that saw the militarys proxy party slump to a humiliating defeat.

In the days before the militarys power-grab, Min Aung Hlaing had issued veiled threats of a coup, but he still caught the country and the international community by surprise on Feb. 1 when a new parliament was due to convene. With his coup, he upended a decade of democratic reform and deepened the pariah status of the armed forces he commands.

Myanmar Vice President Myint Swe attends a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw, March 30, 2016. Credit: AFP

Myint Swe, 69, is a former general who served for the past five years as first vice president after his nomination by military bloc in parliament. He was installed Feb. 1 as acting president after top figures in the NLD-led government  including President Win Myint -- were arrested and military seized power in the coup.

Giving a semblance of constitutionality to the military takeover, Myint Swe then formally transferred power to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, so the army chief has control over all branches of government for one year.

Myint Swe is an ethnic Mon ex-army lieutenant general who also served as acting president after the resignation of former president Htin Kyaw in March 2018. Before that, he served as chief minister of Yangon region from March 2011 to March 2016.

Like Min Aung Hlaing, Myint Swe is a graduate of the Defense Services Academy and rose through the ranks of the army. As a brigadier general, he commanded a light infantry division in 1997. He served as commander of Myanmars Southeastern Command and also as a member of the of Myanmars former military junta.

He subsequently became commander of the Yangon Command and was promoted to major general. In that position, he had family members of former dictator Ne Win arrested in 2002 after an alleged coup conspiracy was uncovered, then oversaw a 2004 purge of the military intelligence faction of former prime minister Gen. Khin Nyunt, and put down the pro-democracy Saffron Revolution in 2007.

Myint Swe went on to serve as chief of military security affairs in 2004 and became chief of the Bureau of Special Operations5 in 2006. He was criticized for his actions after Cyclone Nargis, a deadly tropical cyclone that hit Myanmar in May 2008 and was the worst natural disaster in the country on record. Myanmars military leaders came under heavy fire for initially resisting large-scale international aid to deal with the catastrophe.

Myint Swe is also known for his harsh handling of activists in the run-up to the flawed 2010 general elections, in which an NLD boycott resulted in a sweeping victory for the pro-military USDP party.
Then-Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow speaks at the CPAC convention in National Harbor, Md., on Feb. 28, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Kudlow: Government Should Refrain From Intervening in GameStop Trading

The trading of GameStop stocks might need some sort of intervention, but it shouldnt come from the government, Larry Kudlow said Monday.

I dont really see what the issues are. I dont want to see more federal government regulations of these markets, Kudlow, a top White House economic adviser during the Trump administration, said on Fox Business.

If there are issues here, let the exchanges deal with the issues, let the private exchanges deal with the issues. I dont want the federal government mucking around with a lot of crazy class warfare, Kudlow added.

GameStop stock started soaring last month when a group of small investors began buying up shares and options after learning that several hedge funds had bet on the video game companys demise. The price jumped from $17 to nearly $350 a share amid the frenzied trading.

Brokerages implemented restrictions on trading GameStop shares last week, including Robinhood.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said on Jan. 29 that it was reviewing the trading volatility.

A GameStop store is seen in St. Louis, Mo., on May 7, 2020. (Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)

As always, the Commission will work to protect investors, to maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and to facilitate capital formation. The Commission is working closely with our regulatory partners, both across the government and at FINRA and other self-regulatory organizations, including the stock exchanges, to ensure that regulated entities uphold their obligations to protect investors and to identify and pursue potential wrongdoing. The Commission will closely review actions taken by regulated entities that may disadvantage investors or otherwise unduly inhibit their ability to trade certain securities, SEC officials said in a statement.

In addition, we will act to protect retail investors when the facts demonstrate abusive or manipulative trading activity that is prohibited by the federal securities laws. Market participants should be careful to avoid such activity. Likewise, issuers must ensure compliance with the federal securities laws for any contemplated offers or sales of their own securities.

Brian Deese, who succeeded Kudlow as chair of the National Economic Council, said on NBCs Meet the Press that the commission is focused on protecting retail investors and also the integrity of the market.

President Joe Biden believes congressional attention on issues raised by the volatility is appropriate, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday.

I dont have anything further to predict other than we welcome the opportunity to work with members who have proposed ideas, she said.
[February 01, 2021] Revolut Singapore releases animated e-hongbao designs, gives customers guaranteed cash rewards for sending e-hongbaos

Revolut Singapore reveals designs for its animated e-hongbaos in its app today .

Revolut's Gifting feature allows customers to send e-hongbao in any of its 28 in-app currencies for free. Customers can personalise these e-hongbaos with a message as well as schedule them to be sent on a specific day .

From 1st - 28th February 2021 , with every 3 e-hongbaos sent to friends and family who meet the criteria in the T&Cs ("Qualified Recipients"), customers will receive a cash gift of up to S$18 in their Revolut account*. Cash prizes of S$1,288 , S$2,688 , and S$4,888 are also up for grabs in the Lunar New Year Lucky Draw. SINGAPORE, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Revolut Singapore reveals designs for its e-hongbaos today. Through its Gifting feature, customers can send an e-hongbao using a specially designed animated wrapper, customising it with a message, as well as scheduling it to be sent on a specific date.



Gifting allows customers to send gifts of electronic money in any of the 28 in-app currencies, which include AUD, HKD, USD, and GBP, for free.

Customers who send e-hongbaos between 1st - 28th February 2021, will be entitled to receive cash gifts of up to S$18 in their account for every 3 e-hongbaos sent to Qualified Recipients*. The cash gifts will be deposited by 13 April 2021.

In addition, customers who spend a minimum of S$355 with their Revolut cards in February and send a minimum of three e-hongbaos to Qualified Recipients stand a chance to win 1 of 3 mega-cash prizes: S$1,288, S$2,688, and S$4,888 in the Lunar New Year Lucky Draw (the more e-hongbaos users send, the higher their chances.)*. This contest will run for the entire month of February. To sweeten the deal, Revolut is offering Lunar New Year Lucky Draw double booster days on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 26th February 2021: Get 2 Lunar New Year Lucky Draw entries for every 3 e-hongbaos sent to Qualified Recipients on these days. Pam Chuang, Head of Growth, Revolut Singapore, says:

"Giving an e-hongbao can be just as exciting and meaningful. Using Revolut, customers can send an e-hongbao to friends and families in Singapore and around the world, they can also customise these hongbaos with messages and schedule them to arrive on a specific date. With guaranteed cash gifts, and cash prizes to be won in our Lunar New Year Lucky Draw, we hope our customers will have fun giving out our e-hongbaos." For images, please visit: http://bit.ly/revcnyhongbaos

*Terms and conditions ("T&Cs") apply. Press Contact:

Deborah Tan-Pink

Senior Communications Manager

Whatsapp: +65 9236 2670

Email: deborah.tan-pink@revolut.com About Revolut Revolut gives our customers the power to spend, transfer, and control their money without the sky-high fees charged by big banks. Since our launch in 2015, Revolut has expanded significantly beyond our origins as an FX product, adding new features such as Gifting, Rewards, Bill Splitting, Group Vaults and Donations. Our ambition is to be the world's first financial super-app. Revolut does not charge a fee when customers exchange currencies in-app during London FX trading hours. We now have over 13 million customers and have processed more than 1bn transactions worth over US$100bn. SOURCE Revolut

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

Please, people of Trinidad and Tobago, I beg you to take Covid-19 very seriously. I dont want anyone of you to feel the pain I feel.

The weight of that tearful plea from Indian restaurateur Gautam Khanna ripped the heartstrings from the body in one forceful pull, on a quiet Wednesday morning in Arima.

Shell is betting on its expertise in power trading and rapid growth in the hydrogen and biofuels markets as it shifts away from oil, rather than joining rivals in a scramble for renewable power assets.

Shell and its European rivals are seeking new business models to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels and appeal to investors concerned about the long-term outlook for an industry under intense pressure to slash greenhouse gas emissions.

Shell will present its strategy next week and, unlike Total and BP, will focus more on becoming an intermediary between clean power producers and customers rather than investing billions in renewable projects.

Shell announced in October it would increase its spending on low-carbon energy to 25% of overall capital expenditure by 2025. That would translate to more than $5bn (4.1bn), up from $1.5bn-$2bn now.

The Anglo-Dutch company will, however, keep its overall oil and gas output largely stable for the next decade to help fund its energy transition, though gas is set to become a bigger part of the mix.

Meanwhile, Irish exploration company United Oil and Gas is set to commence a farm-out process to find development and funding partners for its assets in Jamaica.

The company said its Italian asset remains on track to produce first gas this year.

Currently, United, which is active in the UK, Caribbean, Mediterranean, and northern Africa, is producing solely from its gas field in Egypt.

Fellow Irish explorer PetroNeft Resources has confirmed its acquisition of an additional 40% stake in the Licence 67 asset in Siberia for $2.9m (2.4bn) in a cash and share deal.

The company currently owns 50% of the asset and will own 90% when the deal completes next month.

Reuters and Irish Examiner
Dr. Sara Wasserbauer 2021 is the year everyone is going to be talking about this new groundbreaking treatment. HairClone Follicle Preservation is going to allow doctors to help more hair loss patients than ever before.

A world-renowned hair restoration surgeon in California is the first in the nation to perform what is promising to become a game changing treatment in the hair loss industry. Dr. Sara Wasserbauer is part of a revolutionary procedure known as HairClone Follicle Preservation that allows patients who anticipate they might lose their hair in the future to bank hair cells so they can be used for treatments down the road.

"Discoveries in hair biology and preservation have slowly been progressing in the background in our field for years, says Dr. Sara Wasserbauer, Past-President of the American Board of Hair Restoration surgery. But now it is all coming together and essentially a whole third branch of hair medicine is opening up before our eyes. 2021 is the year everyone is going to be talking about this new groundbreaking treatment. HairClone Follicle Preservation is going to allow doctors to help more hair loss patients than ever before.

The first step for this breakthrough concept begins with hair banking, a method to preserve hair follicles when cells are the most active or vibrant. Dr. Wasserbauer can surgically remove enough follicles needed for treatment later in life during one procedure and the entire operation takes less than two hours.

We performed this surgery on patients in Northern California for the first time in 2020, says Dr. Wasserbauer. The hair follicles we removed are then cryogenically frozen which stops the aging process of the hair. The follicles are stored in the United Kingdom where tissue banking has been approved by the government. We are hoping the FDA will grant approval to store tissue at United States storage facilities sometime this year.

WHY CRYOPRESERVATION?



Cryopreservation methods reach very low temperatures so any chemical activity in cells is stopped.

If thawed correctly, the cells are then able to function normally.

Cryopreserving hair is like an insurance plan for hair, the hair follicles are essentially frozen in time. The tissue stays viable for at least 20 to 30 years.

It is important to preserve hair follicles when the patient is young, so if and when the patient needs a treatment, the hair follicles will act as 20-year-old hair instead of 50-year-old hair.

One of Dr. Wasserbauers first patients was only 18 years old. He has a family history of serious hair loss which made him a perfect candidate, explains Wasserbauer. For the procedure, we only numb an area that is about the length of a finger, then I remove up to 50 grafts for the sample, document the exact number of hairs, what they look like, put the sample in a refrigerated box, then it is shipped to the U.K. where the samples are cryopreserved and banked until needed.

According to Dr. Wasserbauer once the cloning procedure is developed the patient then gets to a point to use the stored follicular units, the hair would need to be tested. This process must occur at a licensed laboratory where scientists can isolate specific cells in order to examine the hair shaft to see how hair would grow, she says. The cells then grow at the lab where they would divide and multiply rapidly over two to four weeks; this is known as hair multiplication. At that point, the sample is sent back to a surgeons clinic where a physician can micro-inject them into a patients scalp to produce thicker, more youthful looking hair that will continue to grow.

Dr. Wasserbauer consults patients at multiple locations in Northern California. In addition to HairClone Follicle Preservation, she conducts a variety of other hair restoration procedures and treatments including follicular unit excision (FUE) follicular unit hair transplantation (FUT), eyebrow hair transplantation, scalp micropigmentation and laser hair Therapy. She is available for phone and virtual interviews to discuss any or all treatments.

About Dr. Wasserbauer, M.D., A.B.H.R.S., F.I.S.H.R.S.

Dr. Sara Wasserbauer is one of our nations leading hair restoration experts. In addition to her practice at three San Francisco offices, she served as the 2020 President on the Board of Directors for the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgeons. She also writes a monthly feature articles for the ISHRS Hair Transplant Forum International and is a frequent media source on hair loss and related treatments. For more information, visit http://www.californiahairsurgeon.com.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Market Intelligence today introduces its Renewable Energy Credit (REC) Price Forecast dataset as part of its Power Forecast series. This new dataset enables market participants to analyze and assess the value of wholesale renewable electricity in the U.S.

Renewable Energy Credits are often used to offset carbon emissions of a company or as a way for organizations to reach 100% renewable sources. S&P Global Market Intelligence's new REC price forecast will provide insight into new revenue streams for energy facilities that are looking to be compensated for the value of their renewable energy.

"As global energy markets continue to shift their reliance on fossil fuels to alternative sources, organizations may look to RECs to help comply with increasing green energy mandates," said Steve Piper, Research Director for Energy at S&P Global Market Intelligence. "With more RECs being purchased, the demand and production of renewable energy increases. This new pricing forecast will provide differentiated insights into the value of renewable energy and give investors participating in this market the ability to forecast the green premium for energy transition, helping them make informed-decisions."

While REC pricing today is currently strong across several New England states, developer interest in the region has grown as have commitments to offshore wind in multiple states. S&P Global Market Intelligence projects that increasingly favorable wholesale power economics and expanding contributions from offshore wind may pressure New England REC prices lower in the years ahead.

A REC is created for every one-megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity generated and delivered to the grid. The green benefits of generating electricity using renewable sources can then be sold to other entities via RECs on the open market. RECs are often used to offset carbon emissions of a company and as a path to achieving 100% renewable electricity use.

This newly introduced S&P Global Market Intelligence forecast complements the Market Intelligence platform's current REC index prices providing information on unbundled RECs, and the current price of these instruments. The REC Pricing Forecast will also allow market participants to:

Estimate environmental compliance costs to utilities that rely heavily on fossil fuels;

Identify which market each green asset sells into and tie that identification to a REC projection;

Project financial impacts of regulatory changes and renewable power generation mandates.

For more information about S&P Global Market Intelligence's Power Forecast insights, please visit here.

About S&P Global Market Intelligence

At S&P Global Market Intelligence, we understand the importance of accurate, deep and insightful information. We integrate financial and industry data, research and news into tools that help track performance, generate alpha, identify investment ideas, perform valuations and assess credit risk. Investment professionals, government agencies, corporations and universities around the world use this essential intelligence to make business and financial decisions with conviction.

S&P Global Market Intelligence is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), the world's foremost provider of credit ratings, benchmarks and analytics in the global capital and commodity markets, offering ESG solutions, deep data and insights on critical business factors. S&P Global has been providing essential intelligence that unlocks opportunity, fosters growth and accelerates progress for more than 160 years. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence.

Media Contact

Amanda Oey

S&P Global Market Intelligence

+1 212-438-1904

[email protected]

SOURCE S&P Global Market Intelligence

Related Links

http://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence


ADVERTISEMENT

Following the rising cases of COVID-19 infections in Lagos State, the state government on Sunday announced an extension of the work-at-home order for public servants.

In a statement signed by the Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, public servants will now resume on February 26, against the earlier communicated date, February 1.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the state government announced an extension of the work-at-home order for public servants to February 1, as against the earlier communicated date, January 18.

The official said the directive excludes staff on essential duty as well as first responders across the state.

Mr Muri-Okunola said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a bid to curtail the spread of the virus, approved the further extension of the work-from-home order to all state public servants on Grade Levels 14 and below.

He noted with concern that pockets of COVID-19 infections had been observed among public servants in the state.

Mr Muri-Okunola stated also that the directive is in line with the Presidential Order on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Health Protection Regulations which states inter-alia that:

A physical distance of at least two metres shall be maintained at all times between persons and that no gathering of more than 50 persons shall hold in an enclosed space, except for religious purposes, in which case the gathering shall not exceed 50% capacity of the space.

He advised staff to stay safe by observing all COVID-19 protocols such as the use of face masks, physical distancing and regular washing of hands with soap and water as well as the use of hand sanitisers.

Mr Muri-Okunola reiterated that the directive excludes essential duty staff, first responders, as well as officers saddled with assignments in the weekly duty rosters of their respective ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs).

He enjoined all accounting officers to ensure strict adherence to all directives aimed at guaranteeing physical distancing in the workplace.

President Muhammadu Buhari last week also signed a bill criminalising violation of the safety protocols.

The law provides for wearing of face masks, hands washing, and the use of hand sanitisers, amongst other regulations. It stipulates a penalty of a fine or a prison term of six months for offenders.

Nigeria has 130, 557 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Of this figure, 103, 712 have been discharged and 1,578 deaths have been recorded in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2021) Myanmar's military announced an emergency situation in the country for the period of one year after the detention of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as President Win Myint and other members of the ruling party, the Xinhua news agency reports.

Earlier, western media reported that Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint, were detained along with other members of National League for Democracy party in an early morning military raid on Monday.

The White House said in a statement that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation in Myanmar by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

The US called on Myanmar's military to release the detained and threatened to take action against those responsible.

In January, Myanmar's military raised the prospect of a coup d'etat after what they believed was widespread voter fraud during the November 8 election, which was the country's second general election since the end of military rule 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.
Nick Oxford/The Washington Post/Getty Images

The Congressional Budget Office forecasted that the unemployment rate will not fall below the 3.5% it once was in February 2020 for the rest of the decade.

It also forecasted quicker economic growth this year, a sign the economy may be on better footing than many analysts expected.

Economists are still urging the federal government to approve more relief spending to mitigate long-term economic damage.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The US unemployment rate will not hit pre-pandemic levels this decade, according to official projections from the Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan government group.

Before the pandemic swept the US, unemployment stood at 3.5% in February 2020, a half-century low. The analysis suggests that many people could struggle to find work or re-enter the labor force even after the coronavirus outbreak is contained with vaccinations.

The CBO also forecasted quicker economic growth this year, a sign that the economy may be on stronger footing than many analysts had expected at the outset of the pandemic. The economy will grow 4.6% this year, the CBO said.

The projections did not factor in the likely prospect of additional government spending to combat the pandemic this year. The unemployment rate, the CBO said, will fall to 5.7% this year and 5% in 2022. It will average 4.7% from 2026 to 2031.

Still, economists are urging additional federal relief to prevent long-term damage to the US economy.

"CBO projections are completely consistent with the view that the risks of going too small dramatically outweighs the risk of going too big," Gene Sperling, a former top economic advisor to Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, said in a press call with reporters on Monday.

He pointed to Federal Reserve projections indicating that workers in the bottom-wage quartile are experiencing a Depression-era unemployment rate of 20%. That's in stark contrast to the 5% jobless rate for workers in the top wage quartile.

Story continues

The CBO analysis may play a role in stimulus negotiations between the Biden administration and Congress. President Joe Biden is seeking a $1.9 trillion emergency funding package. It includes measures like $1,400 stimulus checks, $400 federal unemployment benefits, aid to state and local governments, and vaccine funds.

But Republicans are balking at the plan's hefty price tag as well as certain provisions they argue is unrelated to the pandemic, such as a bump in the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Many in the GOP support only targeted spending to combat the pandemic.

A group of 10 centrist Republican senators made a $618 billion counteroffer to the Biden administration on Monday, and they are scheduled to meet with the president in the afternoon.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a news conference on Monday the CBO projections are "not a measure of how each American family is doing and whether the American people are getting the assistance they need."

Read the original article on Business Insider
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.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Since coming into power in 2017, President Khaltmaa Battulga has plunged Mongolia's democracy into a downward spiral of authoritarianism, abuses of anti-corruption law, and politically motivated persecutions of the president's opponents, argues a new white paper published by Robert Amsterdam of Amsterdam & Partners LLP.

The report, titled "Poisoned Oasis: The Political Persecution of Chimed Saikhanbileg and the Future of Democracy in Mongolia," has been released in English and Mongolian and is being distributed to a wide audience and stakeholders as well as the general public.

Mr. Amsterdam, who was retained to represent Mr. Saikhanbileg one year ago, says that the purpose of the white paper is not only to prove that the 2018 arrest and subsequent charges against Ch.Saikhanbileg were entirely without merit, but also show how this case highlights the attempt to destroy judicial independence taking place under the Kh.Battulga regime.

"This is a classic example of a despot trying to convert anti-corruption laws into political weapons to take down his opponents," says Amsterdam. "But in fact what ends up happening is that the president's credibility collapses and Mongolia's country risk shoots through the roof. And now he must deal with the consequences."

The Ch.Saikhanbileg case is far from an isolated example, says Amsterdam. Mongolia's Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh recently resigned and called for Battulga's impeachment, citing the use of the anti-corruption authority to jail innocent people. He was joined by the former Justice Minister Khishgee Nyambaatar, who revealed the president had repeatedly pressured him to repeal laws protecting judicial independence.

"With this white paper we are bringing attention to the judicial corruption behind the false charges against the former Prime Minister Ch.Saikhanbileg and others. We are now calling on US members of congress and leadership of relevant federal agencies to take action and respond to the worrying backsliding under President Kh.Battulga," says Amsterdam.

The full white paper can be downloaded in English and Mongolian at https://saikhanbileg.com. More information about Amsterdam & Partners LLP can be found at https://amsterdamandpartners.com.

___





Maya Dagan

Associate

Amsterdam & Partners LLP.

[email protected]

This release was issued through WebWire. For more information, visit http://www.webwire.com.

SOURCE Amsterdam & Partners LLP
Press Release

1 February 2021

Gallant Venture to Acquire 66.25% stake in Singapore-Bintan Resort Holdings for SGD4.94 Million

Advertisements

Singapore-based Gallant Venture Limited ("Gallant Venture") announced its proposal to acquire 66.25% of shares in the Singapore-Bintan Resort Holdings ("SBRH"), with a total consideration of SGD4.94 million from Keppel Land Limited, Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation, DBS Bank, UOL Equity Investment and Tropical Resorts Limited. Gallant Venture has valued SBRH at approximately SGD7.5 million, with consideration to its net tangible liabilities, SGD20 million shareholders loans, the related accrued interest and waiver of default interest, as well as the consolidation of the resort's share of the net tangible asset value of PT Bintan Resort Cakrawala ("PT BRC"). As of 25 January, Gallant Venture mentioned that the selling shareholders have indicated the acceptance company's acquisition proposal. SBRH is a single-asset investment holding company, whose only asset are shares representing 13.23% of the PT BRC. Gallant Venture's board mentioned that it believes this acquisition would enable the company to have full control over PT BRC, which allows Gallant to explore various strategic options. The group also aims to enhance the resort's future value once the tourism industry recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. Currently, PT BRC is the operational arm of Bintan Resorts International, which master plans and manages Bintan Resorts.

Maldives Set to Establish Integrated National Public Ferry Network

The Maldives Government has signed an agreement to establish the first phase of Integrated National Public Ferry Network with Maldives Transport and Contracting Company ("MTCC") on 17 January 2021. The President's Office mentioned that the ferry network classifies six central regions and would provide two separate networks for passenger transit and cargo, linking maritime transport with land and air transport. The ferry services will commence at 41 islands in Haa Alif, Haa Dhaalu and Shaviyani Atolls before the end of September 2021. Ferry services will be made available daily via 14 speedboats and three backup speedboats, with a capacity of 40 to 50 passengers each. Through allowing more efficient, affordable, convenient, and sustainable passenger and cargo ferry services, the project aims to facilitate inclusive regional development, accelerate social and economic growth, improve efficiency in the delivery of public services and improve accessibility for Maldivian citizens.

Sunshine Coast's Sebel Pelican Waters Resort Management Rights Sold

The Sebel Pelican Waters Resort ("Pelican Waters") was sold to Russell Leary for an undisclosed amount after three failed attempts to purchase in the past ten years. The resort is located seven kilometres south of Calundra Central Business District and comprises of an integrated hotel and residential strata-titled development. Situated on a 1.438-hectare site, the resort features 102 hotel rooms (48 dual keys and 6 single keys), and 62 residential apartments and penthouses on levels five to twelve. Other facilities include a 220-seat The Grill Restaurant, a conference centre, commercial gymnasium and a day spa. While Mr. Leary secured management rights to the resort, Australia-based hospitality operators, Ash and Liz Perks, will take over the latter facilities as part of a high-quality partnership. Mr. Leary is positive about the resort's future in the next two years, with the borders opening up and the expectation of increased demand in the area. Meanwhile, Pelican Waters' management rights package will have 16 years remaining upon settlement of sale.
Chandigarh, Feb 1 : Angered over the non-resumption of physical hearing in the Punjab and Haryana High Court that has been snapped since March last owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the Bar association, in an unprecedented decision, on Monday unanimously announced to boycott the court of the Chief Justice and also sought his transfer.

Also, it cancelled the membership of Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda for favouring virtual hearing and acting against the "interests" of the Bar, which has a membership of over 10,000.

Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association President G.B.S. Dhillon in a signed statement to the media said the general house meeting of the Bar was convened regarding the resumption of physical work as all the sectors of the economy are functioning to its full capacity.

"The continuous closure of the Honourable Punjab and Haryana High Court, which is the custodian of the Constitution and protector of fundamental rights, is sending the wrong signal in society apart from taking away the livelihood of lawyers," said the two-page statement.

It said despite requests for any contrary view in the meeting not a single member spoke against the motion.

The motion was passed by passing of five resolutions.

As per one of the resolutions, the Chief Justice of India and the Union Law Ministry shall be requested to immediately transfer the Chief Justice to any other high court.

Another resolution said the court of the Chief Justice shall be boycotted until the "complete opening of physical courts or until his transfer".

"All the members who appeared in the courts on February 1 despite the call given by the executive committee of the HCBA (high court Bar Association) shall be dismembered," said a resolution.

Also another resolution said the Punjab Advocate General has continuously worked against the physical opening of the court and acted against the "interests of the Bar and is dismembered from the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association, said the statement also signed by Bar Honorary Secretary Chanchal K. Singla.

Official sources told IANS that the High Court is facing a pendency of 6,44,679 cases. It is currently virtually hearing over 1,200 cases daily.

With four of its senior judges retiring last month and two elevated as Chief Justices, the High Court has 36 vacancies of judges and working at almost half its sanctioned strength of 85 after the retirement of four more judges this year.
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.
In late 2020 the Swedish parliament voted to increase defense spending 40 percent during the next five years. By 2025 annual defense spending will be $11 billion. This was the largest increase since the 1950s and repeats a reaction not seen since then, when Sweden realized that Russia was once more a major threat. The increased spending will mean the armed forces will grow from the current 55,000 full time personnel to 90,000 by 2030. Many army units disbanded over the last two decades are being revived. New warships and combat aircraft are to be purchased as well as new weapons for the ground forces. Conscription is being expanded to increase the reserves and the number of troops that can be mobilized in an emergency.

Even before the Cold War ended Sweden had begun dismantling its formidable World War II era armed forces. In 1990 Sweden had an active force of 63,000 troops, 75 percent of them conscripts getting their training before going into the reserves. That reserve force had over 700,000 troops. The 1990 armed forces had over 1,500 armored vehicles, even more artillery and mortars plus over 450 combat aircraft, over fifty warships, including twelve submarines, and well thought out and practiced plans to quickly mobilize and fight.

Historically all these military preparations were fairly recent and came to be in the early 1940s. Back then, alarmed at how ill-prepared they were for a German invasion after 1939, the Swedes declared themselves neutral in 1940, agreed to allow Germany access to Norway via Sweden and supply essential ores for German industry. Meanwhile before the war was over Sweden had quietly built up a large army based on the Swiss model. This force began to shrink in the 1980s and in 2008 it was decided to go even further by freezing the defense budget at about five billion dollars a year through 2014. At the same time, it was decided to raise the readiness of its active-duty units for deployment overseas on peacekeeping missions. To accomplish this, the old self-defense forces were gradually disbanded. That meant the deactivation of several infantry and tank units so it could improve the readiness of the remaining 12,500 troops who were now eligible for peacekeeping operations overseas. The 2008 plan meant that some 30 percent of the infantry units were to be cut along with half the 150 Leopard 2 tanks. With the Soviet Union gone Sweden did not see the need to have as many tanks on active duty. During the Cold War, the Swedes could mobilize up to a million troops. By 2008 this had been reduced to 330,000 and was to be reduced still more after 2008.

Throughout the Cold War (1948-91) Sweden actively prepared for the possibility of an attack by Russia. That ended in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, but the threat returned starting in 2008 and has grown since then. All of this contributed to a fundamental basic shift in Swedish defense attitudes. After 2014, with Russian declaring the West a dangerous foe of Russia, most Swedes favored joining NATO. Even without NATO membership Sweden has entered into a growing number of military agreements with NATO members.

There were some other reactions that were, literally, closer to home. In 2018 Sweden did something it had not done since 1961, it put together a brochure on dealing with a national emergency. The pamphlet was for distribution to all 4.7 million households. The brochure contained advice on what to do in the event of war, as in a Russian invasion. At the time there were some sharp political differences on the possibility of war, so the brochure also covered similar actions Swedes should take if the catastrophe was some aspect of the Climate Change threat or a massive hacker or terror attack. Since 2018 Russia has pushed aside all other potential catastrophes and focused attention on how to prepare for an old, before the Cold War ended in 1991, threat. That explains and justifies the sharp increase in defense spending and the return of conscription.

Neighbors of Sweden have reacted in a similar fashion and concentrated on the Russian threat. Across the Baltic Sea, NATO members Lithuania and Latvia issued similar publications to all their citizens. Lithuania led the way when, in late 2016, a 75 page how to survive another Russian occupation manual appeared. What all citizens received was called; "Prepare to survive emergencies and war." Lithuania has plenty of experience with being invaded and occupied by Russia and wants to remind its citizens what works, especially now that Lithuania has a mutual defense treaty with the United States and all other NATO members. NATO membership does not guarantee reinforcements quickly enough to keep the Russians out. The prepare to survive guide provides tips on how to behave when dealing with the invader while also spying on the occupation force. The Lithuanian manual provided illustrations and description of most Russian weapons and details of how the Russians use secret police, local informants and special operations troops to try and control an occupied population. The manual also pointed out that Russia will send in agents, or activate ones it has already recruited, before an invasion and provides tips on how to detect the presence of these agents, especially in preparation for an imminent invasion.

Denmark has always had a much smaller military (and population and GDP) than Sweden but even with NATO membership has been seeking ways to increase its security in the face of growing Russian aggression. Other Nordic nations (Finland and Norway) are also rearming and seeking allies to deal with the Russian threats. NATO is likely to do something it never did during the Cold War, welcome Finland and Sweden as members.

Sweden is aware of all these threats the Baltic States publications discuss but for Sweden it has always been theoretical. Sweden has never been invaded and has not been involved in any wars since 1814. All of their neighbors have been invaded or dragged into a war. For NATO members and nations that regained their independence when the Soviet Union dissolved, the threat of invasion and occupation is a recent experience. Combined, all three Baltic States have barely two-thirds the population of Sweden and less than half the GDP per capita as well. Despite this the Baltic States have been energetically expanding their military capabilities, something the Swedes used to be a world leader at. Now Sweden is returning to its traditional doctrine of well-armed neutrality, but with less emphasis on neutrality.

No one expected this after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. That marked the end of the Cold War, followed by the Soviet era armed forces shrinking to 20 percent of its 1991 size during the 1990s. Massive cuts to Swedish defense were based on a belief that the post-Soviet and democratic Russia would not return to its threatening ways employed during 70 years of communist and centuries of tsarist rule. To the dismay of many, including a lot of Russians, the Russian leadership did revert and are now threatening their neighbors. While current Russian forces are still a fifth the size of the 1991 forces, the Russians are seeking to modernize what they have and are acting like Russia was still a superpower. In that respect, the bad old days are back and the neighbors have to be prepared.
On Jan. 21, minibuses of contractors in hi-viz vests were still bumping along the dirt road they had built for themselves in the high desert village of Campo, California, an hour east of San Diego. Less than 24 hours before, the newly inaugurated President Joe Biden had signed an executive order declaring that the national emergency declared by Proclamation 9844  is terminated and that the authorities invoked in that proclamation will no longer be used to construct a wall at the southern border.

Advertisement

The Trump administrations border wall project arrived in Campo in early 2020. The area is rugged and rolling, studded with oak trees and sagebrush. It couldnt be more different from the bustling beaches and boardwalks most people associate with San Diego.

Into this landscape came contractors who were working with dynamite and heavy machinery 24 hours a day, with funding from both the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense. The latter money came through the executive order rescinded by Biden, in which Trump had claimed an emergency that even he admitted was not necessary. In 2020, the emergency spending accounted for $676 million in the region around San Diego and El Centro.*

Advertisement

Advertisement

The borderlands in eastern San Diego County, like every inch of the United States, are the ancestral homelands of Indigenous people. San Diego County has the highest number of reservations in the country, and the Kumeyaay people lived on this land long before the border came. Over the past year, they have been fighting a 30-foot steel wall that tears through the fragile high desert and divides Kumeyaay living north of the wall from their relatives to the south.

Advertisement

From a vantage point on top of a peak in eastern San Diego County, the wall stretches out as a physical manifestation of the brutality and ugliness of Donald Trumps vision of American greatness. Sagebrush bushes, which survive in a region that can kill you with heat in the summer and cold in the winter, are held back by a rusty barbed wire fence next to a double-wide dirt road which runs alongside the towering steel spine of the wall proper. The wall stands on a deep concrete foundation, backed by the empty brownness of the roadway. No effort has been made aesthetically or ecologically to make this wall belong here. Its as if the land, plants, and animals have drawn back in revulsion at the intrusion. On the other side of the newly created dead zone, bushes and plants grow right up to the border.

Advertisement

Ive hiked and climbed all over this area, and my Indigenous friends have spent their lives here. Their ancestors are buried in the ground that was dynamited in this years construction. A peaceful place where generations were laid to rest now serves as a permanent monument to xenophobia and corruption.

Advertisement

Border Patrol agents drive around the area in expensive trucks, on an expensive road, next to a barrier that cost billions of dollars, all to keep the poorest people on the planet from asking us for help. In 2018, I spent time volunteering with a migrant caravan that had arrived in Tijuana and watched U.S. Department of Homeland Security employees launch tear gas over this wall at kids who couldnt afford shoes.

Advertisement

Passages for the wall have been blasted out of the fragile landscape of Californias desert, causing drainage problems, disrupting migration pathways for the areas wildlife, and leaving huge piles of rubble. Further east, there are half-finished roads that lead to nowhere, designed to allow contractors to deploy huge machinery against the defenseless landscape. Theyre now just even-more-obvious illustrations of the ridiculous nature of the whole project.

Advertisement

Even before the roads run out, there are gaps in the wall. Construction stepped up in the months before the election to allow for Trump to make ever more ridiculous claims about miles of wall built, sometimes this meant harder-to-build areas were skipped or two crews worked on a wall that didnt quite meet in the middle. It would be funny if it werent so ugly and pointless.

The wall has brought billions of dollars to steel companies like Zekelman Industries, which recently donated $1.75 million to a pro-Trump super PAC through its subsidiary Wheatland Tube and has been reported to have special access to Trump according to Michelle LaPena, a lawyer for the La Posta Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. However, contractors working on the project were unsure how much longer they would be paid. Raini Brunson, a press officer with the Army Corps of Engineers, said they are still working through the implementation guidance of the pause work directed in the Presidents proclamation.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Even if Biden lives up to his promise that there will be not another foot of wall built, the damage already done is irreparable. Previous projects on the border have undertaken an in-depth analysis of the environmental and cultural impact of construction; however, thanks to a provision of the 2005 Real ID Act, the requirement for cultural and environmental assessments has been waved by DHS. A 1993 impact report on a plan to build roads and barriers at the border in San Diego County, to combat drug smuggling, lists nine endangered or threatened species and several historic sites in an area it calls pleasing and mostly untouched by development. In Arizona, saguaros that can be more than 200 years old and are sacred to the Oodham have been destroyed with blasting and bulldozers.

Advertisement

Olympia Andrade Beltran, a binational Indigenous activist, said, My heart hurts every time I am at the wall. I cry. I sing to the land and the ancestors. We mourn the desecration of what we hold sacred, not just the ancestors but the living land itself.

Beltran and other Indigenous people whose homelands are crossed by the border have been protesting against the desecration of the earth and ancestral remains for years. In August, Kumeyaay protesters in San Diego found midden soil, evidence of cremated remains of their ancestors, at a construction site. The project continued. V Lewis, a member of Defend OOdham Jewed, an Indigenous direct-action group based in present day Arizona and Sonora, told Slate that our Hassan, also known as Saguaros, are our Oodhams ancestors literally! We as people evolved from the land itself. The line in the desert crossed our people. We didnt cross anything.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

We need to remove the harm done, Lewis said, literally the wall of murder itself, and allow our people to heal.

Correction, Feb. 3, 2021: This article originally misidentified El Centro as a county in California. It is a city and the name of a regional Border Patrol sector.
In order to find a causal relationship between neural activity and physical activities, neuroscientists usually record animals' behavior and their brain activity in a controlled environment. Then they manually annotate the behavioral/physical activity and neural activity data. It is an inefficient, time-consuming process that is subjective and conducive to human error, as it depends on who is recording the observations and therefore is not reproducible.

In recent years, there has been a growing trend toward automated processing of this data to improve efficiency and reproducibility. This is precisely the approach that the researcher Waseem Abbas has proposed in his thesis as part of the UOC's doctoral program in Network and Information Technologies. Part of the research has already been published in three scientific journals: Journal of Neuroscience Methods, Sensors and IEEE Access.

The thesis proposes solutions based on deep learning for processing the neural activity data and behavioral data observed in head-fixed mice. The goal is to enable neuroscientists to annotate the behavioral data and extract neural patterns in an automated manner and establish a causal link between the two.

We have proposed a deep learning-based path for gesture tracking that explicitly codes the temporal information that appears in the videos." Waseem Abbas, Researcher

The researcher also analyzed the rodents' neural images using genetically encoded fluorescent calcium indicators (GECI). "When a neuron is active, the GECI concentration changes inside the cell and this change can be seen under a fluorescent microscope," he continued.

The scientist trained deep learning algorithms that he had developed to record automatically the mice's limb movements appearing in the videos and also to detect all the active neurons in the neural activity images. Specifically, he designed them to take the space-time context into account at all times.

Interdisciplinary research

The thesis is an example of interdisciplinary collaboration, said David Masip, the thesis' supervisor. "We collaborate with researchers in the field of neuroscience to help relate the neural connections, which are visible in vivo using calcium-based imaging, with joint movements," explained Masip, director of the UOC Doctoral School, professor at the Faculty of Computer Science, Multimedia and Telecommunications and the Scene understanding and artificial intelligence lab (SUNAI) group's principal investigator.

According to the scientist, the methodology that has been developed enables large volumes of data to be recorded. Videos of moving mice, on one hand, and brain data cubes, on the other hand, entailing a major automation exercise that has been successfully undertaken with the new algorithms.

The next step is to train both groups simultaneously. "If there is a synchronous dataset available, for example, if we have seen the locomotion images and calcium data recorded simultaneously for the same animal, we can then train these two approaches together to see whether there is any causal relationship," Abbas said.

From a small town in Pakistan to Barcelona

Abbas has been interested in science and technology since he was very young. Born in the small town of Sepoy, Orakzai district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, close to the frontier with Afghanistan, his favorite pastime was to build paper airplanes and mechanical toys with clay or any other material that he could find.

After winning a grant to study in South Korea, Abbas received another grant to study at the UOC Doctoral School, an experience that he defines as "transformative".

"Barcelona's culture and atmosphere had an enormous impact on me. Not only have I progressed in my professional skills but I have also formed lasting ties with some incredible people," he said.
The United States on Monday led governments around the world in calling for the restoration of Myanmar's democracy after the military staged a coup, arresting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other politicians.

United States



The United States "will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed", White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

She added that Washington opposed any attempt to alter the outcome of the November elections, which saw Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) win in an overwhelming landslide, but sparked allegations of vote irregularities by the routed military-backed party.

New US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also called on Myanmar's military "to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on November 8".

Before the coup, Washington, alongside several other Western nations, had urged the military to "adhere to democratic norms" in a January 29 statement that came as the commander-in-chief threatened to revoke the country's constitution.

Britain



British Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the coup and Suu Kyi's imprisonment.

"The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released," he tweeted.

China



China, which regularly opposes UN intervention in Myanmar, called for all sides to "resolve differences".

"China is a friendly neighbour of Myanmar and hopes the various parties in Myanmar will appropriately resolve their differences under the constitutional and legal framework to protect political and social stability," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing.

Russia



In a statement, Russia's foreign ministry called for "a peaceful settlement of the situation, in accordance with the law in force, through the resumption of political dialogue".

United Nations



UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "strongly" condemned the military's detention of Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders.

"These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

European Union



European Council President Charles Michel strongly condemned the coup.

"The outcome of the elections has to be respected and democratic process needs to be restored," the former Belgian prime minister tweeted.

Australia



"We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully," Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said.

Bangladesh



"We hope that the democratic process and constitutional arrangements will be upheld in Myanmar," the foreign ministry in Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya live in refugee camps, said in a statement.

"As an immediate and friendly neighbour, we would like to see peace and stability in Myanmar."

India



"We have noted the developments in Myanmar with deep concern. India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar. We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld," India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Japan

Japan urged Myanmar's military to free Suu Kyi and to restore democracy.

"We request the release of stakeholders including state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi," Japan's foreign ministry said in a statement, urging "the national army to quickly restore the democratic political system in Myanmar".

ASEAN Countries



Both Singapore and Indonesia called for restraint from all sides, but Philippine presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the situation was an "internal matter".

"Our primary concern is the safety of our people," he said. "Our armed forces are on standby in case we need to airlift them as well as navy ships to repatriate them if necessary."

Canada



Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations, tweeted that Myanmar's military "wrote the Constitution this way so they could do this".

"The Constitution of 2008 was specifically designed to ensure military power was deeply entrenched and protected," he said.

Scandinavia



Norway, Sweden and Denmark condemned the military's seizure of power.

"We urge military leaders to adhere to democratic norms and respect the outcome of the elections," Norway's foreign ministry tweeted.

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said civilian leaders and others "unlawfully detained must be released immediately and unconditionally".

Denmark's Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said "military under civilian control is a key democratic principle".

Turkey



The Turkish government, itself the target of a military coup in 2016, condemned the takeover and called for the politicians' release.

"Turkey opposes all kinds of coups and we expect the immediate release of elected leaders, political figures and civilians who have been detained," the Turkish foreign ministry said.

Short link:


The international community must act more decisively in response to the crackdown on protests in Russia on January 31 and immediately apply all international mechanisms of pressure, including sanctions, over human rights violations.

As Ukrinform reports, this is stated in the comment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry states that the protests in the Russian Federation on January 31 were marked by a new round of human rights violations and brutal violence against protesters and journalists who covered the events.

"Another act of suppression of the rights of Russian citizens to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech, arrests of opposition members and media representatives, persecution of those, who disagree with the aggressive policy of the Russian authorities inside and outside the country, are alarming evidence of further restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms and Russias violation of its obligations in the field of human rights," Ukraines Foreign Ministry stresses.

Ukrainian diplomats note that the Russian government, which cultivates lawlessness and violence in the country and grossly violates the rights of its citizens, uses similar methods and approaches in international politics, undermining international peace and security.

"Such actions must receive a response from the international community. The time has come for more decisive action and prosecution for violent actions against own people and aggression against the peoples of neighboring countries. It is well known that the feeling of impunity breeds violence. That is why all international mechanisms of pressure, including sanctions, over human rights violations must be applied immediately. Today, the price of calls for a continuation of the dialogue with Russia is new beaten and detained protesters, who stand for human rights and democracy, and further unleashing of a spiral of violence in Russia," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine underscores.

As reported, rallies for the release of politician Alexei Navalny were held in Russia on January 23 and January 31. According to OVS-Info Russian project to help detainees, more than 4,000 people were detained in the rallies on January 23 and more than 5,000 people were detained in the rallies on January 31. Police also used stun guns and tear gas during the rallies on January 31.

Forty criminal cases were initiated against the participants in the rallies of January 23 and January 31 in 18 regions of Russia.

ol
Apple would soon release iPhone 13 together with a very unique technology that is expected to further help the users protect their sensitive data. The new optical in-display fingerprint sensors would serve as an additional unlocking option for the tech giant manufacturer's upcoming device.

According to PC Mag's latest report, the feature was leaked by two former Apple employees, saying that Apple is currently developing an optical sensor that would be placed inside the iPhone. This sensor will authenticate the users by fingerprint.

The former employees claimed that Apple's new technology is better than Qualcomm's ultrasonic sensor They also said that the iPhone users would have an option to use their Touch ID or Face ID.

iPhone 13's new security option

MacRumors reported the iPhone 13's new security feature will use light. The normal optical in-display fingerprint sensors that are currently used in Android devices will show a fingerprint icon.

Also Read: iPhone 13 Specs and Other Important Details, Leaked! Apple to Integrate Whopping 1TB Storage

They'll need to place their finger at the top of the screen to provide light. After that, the camera will create an image of the user's fingertip. Although this seems to be a very secure option, security experts said that it can easily be fooled since the innovation uses 2D images.

On the other hand, ultrasonic fingerprint sensors are considered the latest tech of their kind. Security researchers said that it is a more secure version and can't easily be fooled by hackers and cybercriminals.

Why? Because the tech uses small sound waves to make a 3D map of the user's fingerprint. They also explained that this feature works best when the user's fingers are wet. But, many tech giant manufacturers are not integrating this tech since it is quite expensive.

What Apple will exactly use?

Unlike Android smartphones, iPhones and iPads are using Touch ID home buttons that are capacitive. This kind of sensor uses a series of tiny capacitors to create a fingerprint data map. The produced image is hard to trick since it is not using a straight fingerprint image.

Because of this, rumors claimed that Apple would likely use an optical-capacitive hybrid to develop its in-display fingerprint sensor. This innovation will be a combination of the fast scanning benefits of the optical sensor and the security of a capacitive sensor.

For more news updates about Apple and its latest inventions, always keep your tabs here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Which One is Better? Samsung Galaxy S21 Lineup or Its Predecessors? Here's an Advanced Review for You to Find Out

This article is owned by TechTimes.

Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
[February 01, 2021] iSIGN Media Announces a Proposed Private Placement of Up To $6.9 Million

TORONTO, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. (iSIGN or Company) (TSX-V: ISD) (OTC: ISDSF), a leading provider of interactive mobile proximity marketing and public security alert solutions announced that it intends to complete a non-brokered offering (Offering) for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $6.9 million.

Under the terms of the Offering the Company will issue up to 138 million Units at a price of $0.05 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one Common Share of the Company (each a Common Share and collectively, the Common Shares) and one common share purchase warrant (each warrant referred to herein as a Warrant and collectively, the Warrants). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.075 for a period of 24 months from the date of closing. All securities issued would be subject to a four month hold period. As part of this Offering, the Company has signed a binding term sheet with One World Smart Solutions Holdings Corp. pursuant to which One World has agreed to subscribe for US $5 million, (CDN $6.412 million, based on the current exchange rate) worth of Units under the Offering or approximately 128.5 million Units. Assuming completion of the Offering in full, One World would own approximately 44.2% and 59.8% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on a non-diluted and partially diluted basis, respectively. Pursuant to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, completion of the Offering will be subject to receipt of shareholder approval as the Offering will result in One World owning more that 20% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company. To be approved, the Offering must be approved by at least a majority of disinterested shareholders at a shareholders meeting or by way of written consent. The Company currently expects to obtain shareholder approval through written consent. The principals of Oe World are involved in the fields of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for COVID-19 as well as in the health and medical fields globally. They see our technology and hardware offerings as being a fit with their existing business.



Funds raised by this Offering will be used to retire debt related to advances, loans and convertible debentures; for general operational and sales/marketing purposes, including the hiring of public relations and investor relations companies; and for restructuring of the Corporations management structure. The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about February 8, 2021 and is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About iSIGN Media

iSIGN, a Canadian company based in Toronto (Richmond Hill), Ontario is a data-focused, software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that is a pioneering leader in the areas of location-based security alert messaging and proximity marketing utilizing Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity in complete privacy. Creators of the Smart suite of products, a patented interactive proximity marketing technology, iSIGN enables the delivery of messages to mobile devices in proximity, with real-time reporting and analytics on a variety of metrics. 2019 winner of Richmond Hills Innovator of the Year award. Partners include IBM, Keyser Retail Solutions, Baylor University, Verizon Wireless, TELUS and Mtrex Network Solutions. www.isignmedia.com Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may include certain forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations, which involve risks and uncertainties associated with iSIGN Medias business and the environment in which the business operates. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking, including those identified by the expressions anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, intend and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its management. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect iSIGN Medias current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. iSIGN Media assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements.  2021 iSIGN Media Solutions Inc. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners. Company contacts: Bruce Reilly

iSIGN Media Solutions Inc.

bruce@isignmedia.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 accuracy of this release.



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday will deliver her promised budget like no other that is expected to provide relief to the pandemic-hit common man as well as focus more on driving the economic recovery through higher spending on healthcare, infrastructure and defence amid rising tensions with neighbours.

As India emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, the ninth budget under the Modi government, including an interim one, is widely expected to focus on boosting spending on job creation and rural development, generous allocations for development schemes, putting more money in the hands of the average taxpayer and easing rules to attract foreign investments.

Sitharaman, who had in her first budget in 2019 replaced leather briefcase that had been for decades used for carrying budget documents with a traditional red cloth 'bahi-khata', had earlier this month stated that the budget for the fiscal year beginning April will be "like never before".

The budget, economists and experts say, will be the starting point for picking up the pieces after the economic destruction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. And it must go beyond being just a 'bahi khata' or a ledger of accounts, as well as canning old schemes in a new bottle.

It has to be a vision statement, a roadmap to get the world's fastest-growing major economy back on track.

A prescient budget, which goes a long way in instilling confidence, cannot be replaced by 'mini-budgets' such as the one in September 2019 when the government cut corporate tax rate just two months after Sitharaman presented her maiden one, or the periodic announcements of economic measures that dotted 2020.

There is a larger consensus among economists that the annual GDP for FY21 will decline by 7-8 per cent, one of the weakest performances among the developing nations.

The government has to play a critical role in pulling the economy out of the trough. While the pandemic is showing signs of being less virulent, a gradual progress in the vaccination programme is fuelling hope for a better future. A sustainable economic revival will need a policy catalyst. That's where this budget assumes a special relevance.

The pandemic struck at a time when the economy was already caught in the grip of a growth slowdown. GDP growth touched an 11-year low of 4 per cent in 2019-20. A steadily declining investment rate has been a major factor in causing deceleration prior to the coronavirus crisis.

And the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus in March last year brought economic activities to a grinding halt, causing a sharp contraction in the GDP in two successive quarters of FY21, pushing the economy into a recessionary phase.

In response, the government announced a number of policy measures under Aatmanirbhar Bharat package 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 to support the economy. The package was a combination of grant, equity and liquidity measures by the central government, state governments and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

While the headline stimulus was pegged at close to Rs 21 lakh crore, the actual fiscal impact of the economic packages works out to be about Rs 3.5 lakh crore (1.8 per cent of GDP).

Also, since last budget, the size of the economy has reduced from Rs 2.24 lakh crore nominal GDP considered in the FY21 budget to Rs 1.94 lakh crore. There has been lower-than-budgeted revenue growth and higher expenditure to offset the adverse impact of the pandemic.

Among the most-watched figures in the budget would be the expenditure on vaccination in FY22 which could be shared among the central government, state governments and households.

India has started the largest vaccination programme in the world from January 16 and is using two vaccines ? Covishield and Covaxin.

Also, to be watched is the revenue that the government is projecting to receive from the privatisation of companies such as Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), Air India and Shipping Corporation of India (SCI).

Market borrowings are expected to remain elevated and external deficit financing would increase.

Higher capital expenditure outlay for National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) programme that has an aggregate investment target of Rs 111 lakh crore over the period 2020-25 and making recently introduced Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme more attractive to lure foreign manufacturers to boost domestic manufacturing are top expectations from the budget.

Acuit? Ratings & Research Limited said there are two primary objectives before the government at this stage ? reignite the growth engine in the economy while committing itself to a medium-term fiscal consolidation path.

"The growth impetus should incentivise demand in the near term and ensure its sustainability over the medium to long term.

"Four elements must be activated to build economic vibrancy over the long term - give infrastructure a significant push through public and private investments, facilitate large-scale private and foreign investments across industrial, services and agricultural sector; incentivise private consumption in the near term without significant compromises on tax revenues; and step up allocation in health and education sectors."

Arun Singh, Global Chief Economist at Dun and Bradstreet said unprecedented circumstances require unprecedented measures.

"Globally, governments are facing massive policy and operational challenges and are adopting unconventional measures to revive their economy. A big bang package of reforms is thus on the anvil."

Undeniably, the government has a difficult task of manoeuvring the nascent recovery of the economy and managing the fiscal burden, which is expected to remain high not only for the current year but also for the subsequent years, he said.

"In the current scenario, it would be impossible not only for India but for countries globally to shoulder the pandemic without fiscal destabilization in the short to medium term."

India Ratings and Research said the government finances need to be steered in a way that puts the economy back on tracks.

Projecting a Rs 60,000 crore revenue shortfall in the fiscal year ending March 31, it estimated the fiscal deficit at over 7 per cent in the current fiscal as against budget target of 3.5 per cent. For the next, it put the fiscal deficit at 6.2 per cent.

The budget will have to address a number of issues - health infrastructure, reviving demand, banking sector reforms, fiscal consolidation and implementation of 15th Finance Commission report, said Brickwork Ratings.

Centrum said, "We expect the upcoming budget to prioritise growth-oriented measures with the commitment to warrant that the momentum of recovery seen in the economy recently remains sustainable."

The emphasis of the budget is likely to be on the revitalization of durable consumption impulses at the current juncture as the supply-side measures have already been implemented.

Alongside, the key focus will also remain on the further fostering of private investments as well after the initiation of a slew of measures like corporate tax rate cut, NIP and PLI scheme on this front, it said.

Amidst a plethora of market expectations around the budget FY22, key areas where the central government is highly anticipated to put its more attention to are the establishment of a bad bank to clean up bank balance sheets, presenting finer contours of the PLI scheme for boosting manufacturing for the 10 sectors announced earlier and resources likely to be made available.

Others include offering sops to reinvigorate household consumption demand via tax incentives for spending and higher deductions on housing loans coupled with the introduction of a COVID Cess that is expected to be levied on high-income individuals, it said.

India Ratings and Research believes that the major focus of the government to revive the COVID-19 battered economy has till now been on the supply side, but it is high time to change gears and focus on the demand side as well, lest the ongoing recovery begins to lose steam.

Its budget expectations include spending on infrastructure especially that are employment-intensive and have a shorter turnaround time, creation of development financial institutions, continue with relief/income support to the households who are at the bottom of the pyramid and higher allocation to MGNREGS as it provided a safety net not only to rural households but also to the workers who migrated back to rural areas.

Also, more support to real estate given its backward-forward linkage in the economy especially affordable housing segment, boosting micro small and medium enterprises, reprioritisation of both revenue and capital expenditure towards essentials such as top priority to mass vaccination/public health, reprioritisation of expenditure and mobilisation of higher non-tax revenue, it added.

GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, said the need of the hour is to increase credit flows, especially to small and medium enterprises sector, as well as investment in education and health sectors to boost production and consumption.

Gargi Rao, Economic Research Analyst at GlobalData, said, "The expectations from the upcoming budget are mainly inclined towards infrastructure development, tax concessions for elderly to provide a breather for consumers to increase their overall consumption, along with increasing domestic production."

The budget will come as an economic vaccine for the pandemic-battered economy and steer India with the much-needed stimulus to boost demand, consumer confidence and at the same time boost the purchasing power of the people, the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) said.

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!

Statement by Minister Coveney on reported coup in Myanmar

News

I strongly condemn the coup carried out by the Myanmar military on February 1st.

The elections of November 2020 were an important step in the democratic transition of Myanmar and clear expression of the desire of the Myanmar people for a democratic future.

The actions taken last night move in the opposite direction and do nothing to tackle the public health, security or economic issues facing the people of Myanmar.

I call for the wishes of the people of Myanmar to be respected by accepting the results of the November 2020 General Election.

I further condemn the detention of political leaders, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, and call for their immediate release.

It is important that the response within Myanmar to yesterdays actions remain peaceful.

I endorse the statements issued by the HRVP Borrell and together with EU members will closely monitor developments in Myanmar in the coming days.

The Embassy of Ireland in Bangkok has reached out to registered Irish citizens in Myanmar. I would advise Irish citizens in Myanmar to stay safe and avoid crowds or demonstrations.

Citizens in Myanmar with concerns should contact the Embassy on +66 2 016 1360.

 Previous Item | Next Item 

Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 18:47:56|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

A staff member shows a dose of China's Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine during vaccination program as second injection for health workers as the main priority group in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia, Jan. 28, 2021. (Photo by Septianjar/Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping's pledges and proposals, ranging from promoting global vaccine cooperation and jointly building the Belt and Road, to practicing multilateralism, have charted the course for a world that has arrived at a historic crossroads.

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- As the world heads into the second month of 2021, it is still struggling to handle a ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, a deep economic recession, as well as a turbulent and shifting global order.

Against the backdrop of growing risks and uncertainties, Chinese President Xi Jinping has, on an array of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic occasions, offered China's solutions to those daunting challenges.

His pledges and proposals, ranging from promoting global vaccine cooperation and jointly building the Belt and Road, to practicing multilateralism, have charted the course for a world that has arrived at a historic crossroads.

A worker drives a vehicle to carry containers loaded with vaccines developed by Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech at Santiago international airport in Santiago, Chile, Jan. 28, 2021. (Photo by Jorge Villegas/Xinhua)

PROMOTING VACCINE COOPERATION

Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 100 million on Jan. 26, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Amid surging infections, a fair distribution of effective vaccines is believed to be the best way to guide the world out of the tunnel.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi has been engaged in intensive "cloud diplomacy," including attending or chairing virtual meetings and having phone calls with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations, during which he repeatedly called for solidarity against the pandemic, as well as global cooperation on the research, development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

During his phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in November 2020, Xi said China stands ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Germany on COVID-19 vaccines and push for the vaccines to be fairly distributed as a global public good, especially for the benefit of developing countries.

In a telephone conversation on Jan. 21 with Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, Xi said China will continue to support Laos' efforts to fight the pandemic, and stands ready to actively consider aiding Laos with a batch of COVID-19 vaccines.

China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Bolivia on COVID-19 vaccines, Xi said Thursday in a phone conversation with his Bolivian counterpart, Luis Arce.

Addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF) Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda on Jan. 25, Xi said that "China will continue to share its experience with other countries, do its best to assist countries and regions that are less prepared for the pandemic, and work for greater accessibility and affordability of COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries," adding he hopes those efforts "will contribute to an early and complete victory over the coronavirus throughout the world."

"There is no doubt that humanity will prevail over the virus and emerge even stronger from this disaster," Xi said.

Photo taken on July 29, 2020 shows the construction site of the China-Laos Railway in northern Laos. (Photo by Pan Longzhu/Xinhua)

JOINTLY BUILDING BELT AND ROAD

The global economic recession induced by the COVID-19 pandemic has turned out to be the severest ever since the end of the Second World War in 1945 -- all major economic sectors have been devastated simultaneously for the first time in history, global supply chains have been disrupted, and trade and investment remain weak.

Still, China's proposals and commitments expounded by Xi in his Davos speech have injected fresh momentum into the flagging global economy.

"China will continue to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, help keep the global industrial and supply chains smooth and stable, and advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation," he said.

Belt and Road cooperation, a key term in Xi's phone calls with foreign leaders in January, has been warmly welcomed by the international community.

Thongloun said in the telephone conversation with Xi on Jan. 21 that Laos will strengthen bilateral cooperation in such areas as building the Belt and Road, and promote friendly exchanges at all levels.

Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said in a telephone conversation with Xi on Jan. 25 that Dominica will actively participate in the joint construction of the Belt and Road to promote the continuous development of Dominica-China relations and the relations between Caribbean countries and China.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in a telephone conversation with Xi on Jan. 26 that his country is willing to join China in actively promoting bilateral Belt and Road cooperation and the construction of the Belarus-China industrial park, and strengthening cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade and exchanges at local levels.

China's development is an opportunity for the world, Xi said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 47th WEF annual meeting in Davos four years ago.

Now, in his latest Davos speech, Xi said that "as China enters a new development stage, we will follow a new development philosophy and foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other."

"China will work with other countries to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity," Xi added.

Indeed, with a new development paradigm, China will further deepen its reform and opening up, which will certainly provide more opportunities for global development and cooperation.

Chinese medical team experts and Italian doctors pose for a photo during the COVID-19 pandemic in Padua, Italy, March 18, 2020. (Xinhua)

PRACTICING MULTILATERALISM

"The problems facing the world are intricate and complex. The way out of them is through upholding multilateralism and building a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi said in his latest Davos speech.

In fact, the 25-minute special address was brimming with Xi's call for multilateralism, which has resonated internationally. Xi said that "multilateralism is about having international affairs addressed through consultation and the future of the world decided by everyone working together."

"'Selective multilateralism' should not be our option," Xi said later in his speech, adding that "to uphold multilateralism in the 21st century, we should promote its fine tradition, take on new perspectives and look to the future."

Besides, Xi has also elaborated in his speech on five initiatives China will take to practice multilateralism, by continuing to take an active part in global cooperation on COVID-19, implement a win-win strategy of opening up, promote sustainable development, advance science, technology and innovation, as well as promote a new type of international relations.

"We believe that when the interests of the entire humanity are at stake, China must step forward, take action, and get the job done," Xi said, adding "let us all join hands and let multilateralism light our way toward a community with a shared future for mankind." 
Siemens Energy, one of the worlds leading energy technology companies, is hosting its first virtual conference, entitled Qatar Energy Days, from February 15 to 17.

Qatar Energy Days will highlight evolving trends in the local energy industry, innovation in the regional and global ecosystems as well as industry best practices to help the Gulf country meet its energy goals under Qatari Vision 2030.

The government is making it a priority to find harmony between economic growth and protecting the environment in order to mitigate the effects of pollution and global warming, said the statement from Siemens Energy.

The three-day conference will see participation from governments across the world, as well as the major players in energy and industrial sectors, to bring together a wide variety of viewpoints and perspectives from thought leaders, to help shape the energy of tomorrow, it added.

Discussions during the conference will address questions such as: How can Qatar accelerate the energy transition and meet the growing demand for electricity while protecting the environment? What will future power grids will look like, amid the rise of renewables and distributed energy resources? How can the oil and gas sector decarbonize operations and harness the power of digitalization?

This event will bring together thought leaders in the energy industry with decision makers to talk about Qatars energy transition and how we can move towards a greener life for our future generations, said Herbert Klausner, Managing Director of Siemens Energy in Qatar.

I hope that these discussions will bring us closer to being more sustainable and to achieving Qatars Vision 2030 goals, he added.

The conference, which demonstrates Siemens Energys commitment to Qatars long-term goals, will provide a virtual platform for interactive conversation, knowledge transfer and best practice sharing between Siemens Energys leaders and local experts in generation, transmission, and industrial applications.



[February 01, 2021] Trust the Leader in Online School: Maine Virtual Academy Now Accepting Enrollments for 2021-2022 School Year

After an academic year like no other, Maine Virtual Academy (MEVA), a full-time online public-school academy serving students in grades 7-12 throughout the state, is welcoming students to enroll for the 2021-2022 school year. MEVA is the state leader in providing safe, alternative education options, while giving your student a personalized experience and providing them with what they need to succeed. MEVA is tuition-free to all students who reside in Maine, staffed by state-licensed teachers, and is an authorized online public-school program of the Maine Charter School Commission. They offer a personalized approach to learning, delivering rich, engaging curriculum designed to assist students who seek alternative pathways to education. "Students of all ages need consistency and an opportunity to shine; MEVA can provide them with both," said Dr. Melinda Browne, head of schol. "There's no doubt this past school year was unlike any other, but our technology and student-focused curriculum will give your children the advantage they need to succeed at the next level."



Students choose online school for a variety of reasons including advanced learning, a bullying-free environment, and the ability to support extracurricular pursuits or medical needs. MEVA's online platform gives students the opportunity to pursue their academic goals in a supportive environment and at an appropriate pace for their learning style. MEVA is now accepting enrollments for the 2021-2022 school year. Families are encouraged to attend online information sessions hosted by the school. More information, how to enroll, and a schedule of upcoming events can be found at https://meva.k12.com/.

About Maine Virtual Academy Maine Virtual Academy (MEVA) is a full-time online public charter school that serves students in grades 7 through 12. Authorized by the Maine Charter School Commission, MEVA is available tuition-free to students in the state of Maine and utilizes the curriculum from K12 Inc., a Stride company (NYSE: LRN), the nation's leading provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs for grades K-12. For more information about MEVA, visit meva.k12.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005003/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
It is the month of roses, balloons, heartstrings and all things love with Valentine's Day just around the corner. However, thanks to Bollywood, there are some celebrity couples whose mushy love screams 'Valentine' every single day. Let's look at some of these Bollywood celebrity couples who will make you want to leave your 'single' tag at once.

1- Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh

Here is one couple who always brings a smile to the faces of their beloved 'DeepVeer' fans. Be it their dreamy wedding in Lake Como or their social media PDA, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone have couple goals written all over their fairytale romance. The two never fail to celebrate each other's achievements too. Who can forget Ranveer thanking Deepika for being in his life while accepting an award while the latter got teary-eyed? If that was not enough, the Gully Boy actor also flew down to Canada to surprise his lady love while she was shooting for XXX: Xander Cage.

2- Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma

The new parents in the town, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have several reasons to be on this list. The two never fail to teach their fans one or two lessons about love, togetherness and companionship. Be it spending some quality time with each other or being each other's solid rock. During their pregnancy, Virushka fans got many occasions to go gaga over them. Not to forget, the couple has recently shared a glimpse of their adorable baby girl, Vamika with their fans.

3- Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas

The nation got its 'International Jiju' when our Desi Girl, Priyanka Chopra tied the knot with 'Videshi Munda' Nick Jonas. However, that was not the end of their dreamy love saga as the two went on to paint the town red with their mushy romance, be it on social media or at their several public appearances together. From lauding each other's professional achievements to starring in Jonas Brothers' music videos together, Priyanka and Nick's relationship calendar read as 'Valentine's Day' every day. Priyanka also called the quarantine phase as a 'real gift' while speaking to USA Today since she got to spend some considerable period of time with Nick.

4- Varun Dhawan and Natasha Dalal

The newlyweds had netizens gushing over their intimate yet endearing wedding ceremony in Alibaug. The fact that their innocent childhood romance has finally culminated into marriage made people cheer for true love all over again. The two have always given major relationship goals, be it during their public appearances or every time Varun heaped praises on his ladylove and now wife, Natasha.

5- Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt

Here is one couple who have managed to keep their relationship under wraps but yet have fans swooning over them whenever they are spotted together. Cupid struck Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt on the sets of their film, Brahmastra. Since then, there was no looking back for the couple. Be it Alia proclaiming her love for Ranbir while accepting her award to the couple bonding with each other's families, it seems that every day is Valentine's Day for them.

6- Arjun Kapoor and Malaika Arora

Arjun Kapoor and Malaika Arora have proved that love can conquer all the negativities and incessant brickbats. The two have time and again given major couple goals, be it through their social media PDA or by their supportive interviews for each other. The two have only thrived stronger in their relationship as they battled some trolls and judgement towards their relationship.

7- Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan

This beautiful couple has been married for 12 years now, but it seems they are falling for each other every day. Be it showering praises on each other on social media or lauding their professional achievements, Aishwarya and Abhishek have taught how to sail through marital bliss in the most amiable and tender manner. The two are also parents to their lovely daughter, Aaradhya Bachchan.

8- Kriti Kharbanda and Pulkit Samrat

These two give out literal Valentine vibes every day as they celebrate all the beautiful aspects of their relationship on social media. Be it playing the piano together during the lockdown or taking road trips with their pet dog, Pulkit and Kriti's love saga is simply 'aww-adorable' to witness. If that is not enough, Kriti's post on Pulkit's birthday recently had fans drooling over their mushy PDA all over again.

9- Natasa Stankovic and Hardik Pandya

Lastly, this adorable couple never fails to spill romance on our social media feed with their sweet posts for each other. If their romantic engagement ceremony on a yacht was not enough, Hardik and Natasa have gone on to celebrate every fond moment in their relationship together including the birth of their son, Agastya. The couple also celebrated their first anniversary together amidst red streamers, cake and all things love.

So that was our list of some of these beautiful B-town couples who shell out major Valentine vibes every day. Did we miss out any other couple who should have been on this list? Let us know in the comment section.

Also Read: Anushka Sharma And Virat Kohli Name Their Daughter Vamika; Actress Says 'Our Hearts Are So Full'

Also Read: Deepika Padukone On Husband Ranveer Singh As An Actor: He Is Probably The Best We've Had In A Really Long Time
Kilkenny TD Kathleen Funchion has said reports that survivors testimonies to the Mother and Baby Homes commission report have been destroyed are very alarming.



Several survivors have come forward to express their shock that the commission has said it has destroyed their testimonies. Their legal representatives say this was not made clear to them at the time they were engaging with the commission," said Deputy Funchion.



This is very alarming. The commission must urgently clarify if this has happened, how many survivors this has affected and why this has been done?



Survivors shared their often deeply personal stories with great courage and bravery, despite how upsetting this was. They were determined to ensure the truth came out.



The Sinn Fein spokesperson on Children said that if it were the case that testimonies had been destroyed, it was another example of survivors being treated with contempt by the commission.

"The commission and the government have repeatedly added to survivors distress with how they have handled this report through media leaks, disrespectful language and poor consultation," she said.



Last week, in my capacity as Chair of the Oireachtas Childrens Committee I invited the Chairperson of the commission report to appear before the committee. This issue is among those that I will be asking Judge Murphy to urgently address at the committee. Survivors cannot continue to be treated with such little respect.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aldean has joined forces with Harper Ellis Style to create a collection of clip-in hair extensions with a focus of finding your beauty icon within. The @xobrittaldean Instagram account gained over 100K followers just days after Aldean made the announcement of something coming.

Brittany Aldean wearing her new clip-in hair extensions in the color The Brittany

The beauty guru's new endeavor will initially include seven brass-free colors formulated by top color specialists in the industry in what Aldean is calling the Icon Collection. The seven colors will include The Everest, The Maui, The Dolly, The Posh, The Brittany, The Havana, and The Romanintentionally named by Aldean. "The Maui is for my dimensional golden blondes, and it reminds me of the golden sunsets in Hawaii where Jason and I spent our honeymoon," said Aldean.

Each color will come in two lengths, 16 inches, and 22 inches, and will feature color-coded clips with a color key for insertion. The clip-in hair extensions will also include a silicone band that will allow the hair to lay flat for comfort. The wefts are 100% human Remy hair and double drawn from root to end to provide quality and thickness throughout.

"I've always trusted my stylists to take care of my hair, and I want everyone to get that same amazing advice as wellbut from the comfort of your own home. This past year has been hard on so many of us, and I want everyone who wears these clip-ins to gain back their confidence they might have lost. I truly want you all to feel like a beauty icon," said Aldean.

While the Icon Collection covers the more popular hair color trends, a Classics Collection will release in the Spring to expand the availability of color matching. "I want to keep all hair colors in mind so that everyone can find their inner beauty icon," said Aldean.

Pre-sale of the Icon Collection launches Feb. 1, 2021, with limited quantities available. Shop the colors and view the hair by visiting xobrittaldean.com.

Follow Britt by Harper Ellis Style on Instagram at xobrittaldean.

About: Britt by Harper Ellis Style is a beauty brand curated with love by Brittany Aldean and designed to inspire the beauty icon in you.

Contact:

Caroline Kalentzos

[email protected]

804-939-7674

Related Images

xo-britt-aldean.jpg

Xo Britt Aldean

Brittany Aldean wearing her new clip-in hair extensions in the color The Brittany

Related Links

Website

Instagram

SOURCE Brittany Aldean

At the Karowe mine, Botswana, they have unearthed the second largest complete diamond in just one month. The stone found is a 378 carat gem quality diamond.

The company that found it, Lucara Diamond , based in Vancouver, Canada, has described it as "magnificent and superb ." As for the first intact diamond, this was discovered on January 15, 2021 and consists of 341 carats.
Even as more districts reopen their buildings and President Biden joins the chorus of those saying schools can safely resume in-person education, hundreds of thousands of Black parents say they are not ready to send their children back. That reflects both the disproportionately harsh consequences the virus has visited on nonwhite Americans and the profound lack of trust that Black families have in school districts, a longstanding phenomenon exacerbated by the pandemic.

It also points to a major dilemma: School closures have hit the mental health and academic achievement of nonwhite children the hardest, but many of the families that education leaders have said need in-person education the most are most wary of returning.

That is shifting the reopening debate in real time. In Chicago, only about a third of Black families have indicated they are willing to return to classrooms, compared with 67 percent of white families, and the citys teachers union, which is hurtling toward a strike, has made the disparity a core part of its argument against in-person classes.

In New York City, about 12,000 more white children have returned to classrooms than Black students, though Black children make up a larger share of the overall district. In Oakland, Calif., just about a third of Black parents said they would consider in-person learning, compared with more than half of white families. And Black families in Washington, Nashville, Dallas and other districts also indicated they would keep their children learning at home at higher rates than white families.

Last summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 62 percent of white parents strongly or somewhat agreed schools should reopen that fall, compared with 46 percent of Black parents, even though both groups expressed the same level of concern about the quality of their childrens education.
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 two studies being showcased in this webinar will provide a big-picture view of how the ePlex BCID Panels are improving rapid blood culture diagnostics.

In this webinar, Dr. Yvan Caspar from Grenoble Alpes University Hospital in France will describe in detail two complementary studies performed at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Grenoble Alpes (CHUGA) using the trio of ePlex Blood Culture Identification Panels from GenMark Diagnostics for detection of bloodstream infections caused by gram-negative, gram-positive, and fungal pathogens. He will discuss the results of a retrospective study that assessed the analytical performance of the ePlex BCID Panels and the potential clinical outcomes based on these results.

Dr. Caspar will then highlight initial data that has been collected and analyzed from the HEMOFAST prospective randomized clinical trial, which is a clinical and medico-economic evaluation of the ePlex BCID Panels for the diagnosis of bacteremia and fungemia compared to conventional microbiology. While the trial is still in progress, preliminary data will be presented to provide a glimpse into the benefits of the ePlex BCID Panels.

As the body of scientific literature for faster identification and management of bloodstream infections grows, the data generated at CHUGA continues to expand the evidence supporting the clinical utility of these technologies. The two studies being showcased in this webinar will provide a big-picture view of how the ePlex BCID Panels are improving rapid blood culture diagnostics.

Register for this webinar to learn about how management of patients with bloodstream infections can be improved with the latest blood culture identification technology.

Join Yvan Caspar, PhD, PharmD, National Reference Center for Francisella, Grenoble Alpes University Hospital for the live webinar on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at 12pm EST (5pm GMT/UK).

For more information, or to register for this event, visit The Big Picture of Rapid Blood Culture ID: A Retrospective Clinical Analysis Building to a Prospective Clinical Trial.

ABOUT XTALKS

Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year, thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers.

To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.com

For information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/


VATICAN CITY, FEB 1 - Pope Francis will celebrate the United Nations' first International Day of Human Fraternity on February 4 with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed at Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, with the participation of the Grande Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres and other personalities, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue said Monday. On the occasion, the Zayed Prize for Human Fraternity will be awarded, which is inspired by the historic Document on Human Fraternity Francis signed with the grand imam of al-Azhar in Abu Dhabi during his first-ever visit to the Arabian peninsula in February 2019. The meeting and the award ceremony will be streamed in several languages starting at 14:30 (Rome time) - 13.30 (GMT time) - by Vatican News, the multimedia information portal of the Holy See, and broadcast by Vatican Media. "This celebration responds to a clear call that Pope Francis has been making to all humanity to build a present of peace in the encounter with the other," stressed Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot MCCJ, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. "In October 2020, that invitation became even more vivid with the Encyclical Fratelli tutti. These meetings are a way to achieve true social friendship, as the Holy Father asks of us," he added. The date is no coincidence. On 4 February 2019, during an Apostolic Journey the Pope made to the United Arab Emirates, together with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar (Cairo), Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, they signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. The Pope and the Grand Imam spent almost half a year drafting this Document before announcing it together during such a historic visit. A few months later, the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity was established to translate the aspirations of the Human Fraternity Document into sustained engagements and concrete actions to foster fraternity, solidarity, respect and mutual understanding. The Higher Committee is planning an Abrahamic Family House, with a synagogue, a church and a mosque, on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. It established an independent jury to receive nominations for the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity and choose winners whose work demonstrates a lifelong commitment to human fraternity. The 2021 prize will be awarded on 4 February. On 21 December 2020, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 4 February as International Day of Human Fraternity. "In this decisive phase of human history, we are at a crossroads: on the one hand, universal fraternity in which humanity rejoices, and on the other, an acute misery that will increase the suffering and deprivation of people," Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Salam, secretary general of the High Committee of Human Fraternity, underlined during his presentation of the encyclical Fratelli tutti on 4 October 2020. Pope Francis has encouraged the Holy See to join in the celebration of International Human Fraternity Day under the leadership of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. In the January edition of the Pope's Video, "At the service of human fraternity," the Holy Father highlights the importance of focusing on what is essential to the faith of all faiths: worship of God and love of neighbour. "Fraternity leads us to open ourselves to the Father of all and to see in the other a brother, a sister, to share life, or to support one another, to love, to know," Pope Francis emphasises in the video. The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue was instituted in 1964 by Pope Paul VI with the aim of working on relations and dialogue between the Catholic Church and the faithful of other religions. It is currently chaired by Cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot. Among its main activities, it collaborates with bishops and Episcopal Conferences on matters related to interreligious dialogue; it holds meetings, visits and conferences with leaders of other religions; and it publishes various materials to promote dialogue between different faiths. The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity is made up of different international religious leaders, scholars and cultural leaders who were inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity and are dedicated to sharing its message of mutual understanding and peace. Their main work is to act concretely according to the aspirations of the Document on Human Fraternity and to spread the values of mutual respect and peaceful coexistence. The Secretary General of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity is Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel Salam. (ANSA).
Published:

1 February 2021



Image of the letter that every household in the UK received from the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, during the coronavirus pandemic in the UK.

Britain inherited from World War II a command and control state; a state that could govern. Whitehall was well-practised in strategic planning, good at the rapid and efficient mobilisation of resources and people, and it regularly took authoritative, direct action to meet societys needs.

Back then, the state could deliver what democratically elected politicians asked of it  to build the NHS, for instance  because it retained the powers, people and resources to do so.

Today, after 40 years of reform, the command and control state has been replaced by a regulatory state. Decision-making has shifted from parliament to an archipelago of some 400 arms-length quangos, employing more than 278,000 people and costing 205 billion per year. Moreover, the states assets  its capacity to execute policy on its own accord  have been outsourced or rationalised.

As the regulatory state has grown, its ambition has shrunk. Politicians no longer offer grand visions of the future, just technocratic tweaks. Having dismantled or sold off the levers of power, they downplay public expectations, insisting there is no alternative.

The outsourcing of responsibility and decision-making is clear with respect to the NHS. After successive reforms under governments of all stripes, the Department for Health and Social Care no longer has operational control. Responsibility has been outsourced to dozens of quangos and local commissioners, operating within a fragmented internal market, with scant strategic oversight.

Britains pandemic preparations followed the same approach. The governments latest strategy, issued in 2011, created no additional capacity to deal with an outbreak: no extra laboratories, no spare hospital beds, no new manufacturing centres to supply medical equipment, no new stockpiles of PPE. In true regulatory state style, it merely established bureaucratic guidelines that outsourced all the real work to local government, healthcare providers and others, gathered in local resilience fora.

Indeed, key capacities were actually undermined. While public health laboratories were first centralised and downsized under New Labour, the Conservative-LibDem government devolved public health responsibilities to local government, whose funding was then cut by 700 million from 2015 to 2019.

Years before Covid-19, the UK government tested the regulatory state to see if it could withstand a pandemic. It could not. In 2016, Exercise Cygnus war gamed a pandemic, finding that local agencies had not or could not develop the capacities and strategies needed.

Some organisations named in the 2011 pandemic strategy document no longer existed, while others had yet to develop any plans. Capacity in health and social care was rapidly overwhelmed in the simulation, with participants forced to ration treatment, discharge patients into care homes, dig mass graves, and turn desperately to the voluntary sector and armed forces.

The official report from the exercise concluded that Britains plans, policies and capability were not sufficient to cope with a severe pandemic. However, the report was stamped official  sensitive and put on a shelf to rot. It was only officially published in October 2020, following pressure from the Telegraph and other newspapers.

When Covid-19 finally hit, many were baffled by the governments initially low-key, business-as-usual response, blaming Boris Johnsons indecisiveness or the idiosyncratic views of advisors like Dominic Cummings. In fact, ministers were just following the agreed playbook and the diminished ambitions of Britains regulatory state.

The 2011 pandemic strategy stipulated it would not be possible to halt the spread of a new pandemic and it would be a waste of public health resources and capacity to attempt to do so. Instead, the strategy prioritised business as usual, anticipating healthcare rationing and 210,000 to 315,000 excess deaths over a fifteen-week period. This plan, hatched by technocrats without democratic debate, could not survive contact with public opinion. No wonder the Cygnus report was buried.

Political failure was compounded by institutional failure, as the hollowed-out regulatory state all but collapsed. Test-and-tracing was abandoned on March 12, as the system could only conduct five tests per week. NHS surge planning, on which the 2011 strategy relied so heavily, led to the discharging of over 25,000 elderly patients into care homes by mid-April, seeding the virus directly into the most vulnerable part of the population. By May, more than half of Englands excess deaths had occurred in care homes.

Meanwhile, the outsourced NHS procurement system failed miserably, as private firms relying on just-in-time delivery faced surging demands and collapsing global supply chains. Even the pandemic PPE stockpile had been outsourced to a private company. Their warehouses lacked key equipment like gowns, and 45 per cent of their supplies had expired on the shelf. Resultant shortages were linked to over 8,000 cases and 126 deaths among health and social care workers.

The governments panicked retreat into lockdown symbolises the failure of Britains regulatory state. In a desperate attempt to devise new policies and institutions, the government has had to rely on the very same management consultants and outsourcing firms that have eroded the states command and control capacities.

McKinsey was brought in to define the vision, purpose and narrative of a new NHS Test and Trace service, which was then staffed by over 2,300 consultants  outnumbering the civil servants at the Treasury and Department for Trade. Companies were given contracts to supply food to shielding households and school children, delivering small and sometimes barely edible portions. PA Consulting led the ill-fated ventilator challenge, delivering just four per cent of its target before the first wave peaked.

Deloitte, architects of the disastrous outsourcing of NHS procurement, were tasked with establishing new supply chains. As the National Audit Office found, the firm largely pushed aside domestic offers of help, instead spending hundreds of millions of pounds on overseas procurement. By July 2020, Britain had spent 12.5 billion on items that would have cost 2.5 billion in 2019, and may now be saddled with five years of surplus supplies.

Criticism of contracts awarded to cronies and itinerant middlemen, while justified, is a distraction from the bigger picture. The more disturbing conclusion is that the British state is so lacking in basic vision and leadership, its bureaucratic institutions are so divorced from meaningful delivery capacities that it cannot even provide security to its own citizens.

This is not a product of one governments incompetence. It reflects deep-seated changes in the way state power is conceived and organised  by political parties of left and right, not just in Britain but in many other advanced economies. A system built around dispersing responsibility, accountability and control is, unsurprisingly, irresponsible, unaccountable, and not in control of its fate.

While Britains experience has been mirrored across the West, it stands in stark contrast to countries that have retained aspects of the post-war command and control state, including Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, and even developing countries like Vietnam. These states have not simply outsourced decision-making and delivery to quangos and private firms. They have retained and built their own public health capacity, centrally and locally, while exerting power over vital businesses, instead of becoming dependent upon them.

South Koreas experience is particularly instructive. After experimenting with pro-market healthcare reforms, it had the worlds second-worst experience of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome in 2015. Subsequently, it reversed these reforms. The government established the Korean Centre for Disease Control, with the resources and staffing needed to contain pandemics. It created a dedicated infectious diseases hospital, and funded isolation wards, laboratories and quarantine facilities nationwide. As part of its wider economic planning, the state also invested billions of dollars into biotech and healthcare development, protecting strategically important manufacturing and R&D capacity.

When Covid-19 struck, the states surveillance and containment institutions functioned well, limiting the number of cases to 75,000, with only 1,349 deaths so far. The state-backed biotech sector has also provided plentiful supplies of medical equipment and even new innovations in rapid testing and therapies, which are now being exported worldwide.

The experience of South Korea  a developing country as recently as the 1990s  should be deeply chastening. When Britain finally escapes this nightmare of rolling lockdowns, we must completely rethink how we organise the state. We need a democratic state that is prepared to exercise authority, mobilise resources, and be accountable for its decisions  not a failed array of quangos, management consultancies and outsourcing firms.

Lee Jones is Reader in International Politics at Queen Mary University of London.

This piece was originally published by The Telegraph.

Note: This article gives the views of the author, and not the position of the Mile End Institute or Queen Mary University of London.
To give a push to its Atmanirbhar Bharat policy, the Centre on Monday unveiled a revised structure that will effectively increase duties on a wide range of items.

The upward revision in rates, effective from Tuesday itself, are intended to curb import of auto components and agri produce. In sectors like electronics, they may lead to further price hikes in the coming months.

In the Budget for 2021-22, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced higher import duty rates on over a dozen handset and automobile components.

Key electronic components like printed circuit board assembly, camera module and connectors will now attract 2.5 per cent duty.

In the automobile sector, rates for dozens of items, like safety glasses, parts of the signalling equipment, brakes and ignition wire sets have been raised to 15 per cent from 10 per cent.

Further, import of a vast number of items in the agri sector, fabrics, gems and jewellery, plastics, chemicals and leather have been made unattractive by hikings duties on them.





ALSO READ: Budget 2021: Easier compliance, tax administration to boost revenue

According to industry stakeholders and experts, some revisions are aimed at boosting the governments localisation of production plan. Others have been introduced to protect local producers and manufacturers against cheaper imports from countries like China.

In the electronics sector, for example, steeper import duty rates are a precursor to upcoming schemes under the production-linked incentive (PLI) plan. The finance minister has already hinted at bringing 13 sectors under the PLI. These hikes are part of the broader plan to push local production of electronics and auto components. In the short term though, these may lead to price rise, said Bipin Sapra, tax partner at EY India.

Executives from the handsets industry  that is grappling with steep rise in component prices  said the move will further increase pressure on manufacturers.

The mobile and electronics sector should have been spared from the general removal of exemptions where there was zero per cent import duty. The hikes are also not in line with the consultation held with the industry and recommendations of the subject ministry and experts, said Pankaj Mohindroo, president of Indian Cellular and Electronics Association.

ALSO READ: Union Budget 2021: Need to move beyond the chant for real effect

The move will push the industry back on the exports front, he felt.

Rushabh Doshi, research manager at Canalys, said given the price hike the industry is already taking, vendors will have to find creative ways to ensure that the additional duty is not passed on to consumers.

In the auto sector, the hikes are intended to curb cheaper imports and streamline the duty structure. The government has targeted only a few segments of imports where local substitution already exists or is possible, said an executive of a component manufacturer.

According to Deepak Jain, president, Automotive Component Manufacturers Association, increase in basic on select auto components will encourage local

Customs duty on compressors, used in refrigerators and air conditioners, have also been raised but it will have little impact on the price, said B. Thiagarajan, managing director, Blue Star.





ALSO READ: Budget 2021: Agri infra cess of Rs 2.5 on petrol and Rs 4 on diesel

Moreover, the extension of duty exemption on steel and copper scrap will mitigate much of the hike in duty.

Duty changes in the agri and fabrics sectors are mostly intended to protect local producers, said experts. According to Shivendra Nigam, chief financial officer (CFO), Cantabil Retail, while raw material prices have gone up by 5-10 per cent recently, the 5-10 percentage points duty hike on cotton, silk and cotton waste will help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

A large number of agri produces have been made costlier to import. Apples, maize bran, peas, kabuli chana, Bengal gram, lentils, crude edible oils (palm, soybean and sunflower) and fish feed will attract lower duties. But an additional cess has been levied on these goods  in the range of 20 to 50 per cent  which takes the effective import duty rates to same or higher levels than the existing rates.

On imported liquor, which used to attract a steep 150 per cent duty, rates have been brought down to 50 per cent, accompanied by an additional 100 per cent cess. This will keep prices in check, said Abneesh Roy, executive vice-president at Edelweiss Securities.

On gold, import duty was hiked from 10 per cent to 12.5 per cent in July 2019. In the Budget, effective duty, including agri cess, has been brought down to 10 per cent.
In early 2020, as the coronavirus began to ricochet around the world with terrifying consequence, Harish Pillay decided to do whatever he could to help stop the spread.

The software engineer, who lives in Singapore, heard the government was designing an app to track the virus so he emailed the minister in charge and asked how he could help. He was part of a fellowship of developers and engineers who volunteered their services, ready to pitch in on a solution.

"The problem was being solved by creating this tool, but there were aspects of trust and confidentiality which also needed to be addressed," said Pillay, who has worked on Red Hat's open-source software much of his career and fervently believes in transparent technologies. "We understand all of these things. Let the community help you do the right thing."

In the beginning, Singapore was held up as a model for other nations. As the government encouraged people to download the TraceTogether app to their smartphones, it published the source code and promised strict limits on data use. Developers from around the world pitched in to hone and debug it in real time.

Now the early optimism is fading. Public support took a hit after authorities disclosed in January that police had used the app's data in a murder investigation -- only months after the minister in charge vowed it would be used only for covid containment. The government issued a rare apology. But rather than back down, it plans to formalize the ability of police to access such data in specific cases, introducing the proposed legislation in parliament Monday.

Pillay had put aside his politics as a member of the opposition Progress Singapore Party to be part of the TraceTogether campaign, but he's become concerned.

"I felt disappointed," he told Bloomberg News. "The trust factor that was there was reduced."

Now Singapore could become a very different kind of model. After countries from the U.S. to Australia to Israel collected reams of data during the pandemic, largely with public support, they may start to see uses for that information beyond the original intent.

"Singapore is saying to other governments, with a wink and a nod, that we've done it and you can do it too," said Phil Robertson, the deputy director in Asia for Human Rights Watch. "Many countries look to Singapore as a success story, so they think whatever Singaporeans do must be good, and that's a problem."

Singapore has tried to explain the changes. The legislation would allow access to contact tracing data under seven categories of serious crime including murder, rape and drug trafficking. In response to queries, a government spokesperson referred to Minister Vivian Balakrishnan's comments in January.

"The police must be given the tools to bring criminals to justice, and protect the safety and security of all Singaporeans," he said at the time. "Especially in very serious cases, and where lives are at stake, it is not reasonable for us to say that certain classes of data should be out of reach of the police."

He added that TraceTogether data is automatically purged after 25 days and that the whole program will be retired once the covid-19 pandemic is over.

A government minister said in January TraceTogether is used by about 78% of Singapore's residents, or about 4.2 million people. A smartphone app and token use Bluetooth technology to gauge the distance between users, allowing the government to notify them if they've been in contact with someone who's tested positive for the virus.

Initial acceptance from the general public was sluggish, with downloads of the app hovering at around 20%. The slow pace paralleled a general wariness that coursed through the region, amplified by breaches in data security that governments in other countries struggled to address.

In South Korea, private sector contact tracing apps became increasingly invasive - one provided the exact location of every place of business or home visited by a positive case - and government workers are able to review hundreds of hours of surveillance camera footage and go through mobile phone and credit card transactions to track people down.

In China, a digital website reported last December that hackers were able to breach Beijing's health code system and access government ID numbers and sell them online; such ID numbers are used to access a person's coronavirus test records.

There has been pushback from the public. In Thailand, the government was forced to back off of a threat from the spokesman for the government pandemic center that anyone found to have tested positive without downloading the virus tracking app would face jail time.

In Malaysia, the health ministry mandated businesses destroy the personal records of visitors to their premises within six months after government-ordered tracing ended.

In Israel, the Supreme Court banned the country's intelligence agency from using technology to track covid-19 cases.

In Australia, federal legislation was passed to prevent data collected in the country's covid app from being used for any purposes beyond contact tracing.

The World Health Organization has issued guidelines to governments on the "ethical" considerations of using tracking technologies for contact tracing. Member states are obliged to develop surveillance systems to capture "critical data" to monitor the virus, "while ensuring that such systems are transparent, responsive to the concerns of the communities, and do not impose unnecessary burdens, for example infringements on privacy," the guidance issued in May 2020 reads.

One major risk from governments seeking to expand their use of covid-19 tracking data is that people will be deterred from participating.

"Is this one of the laws of unintended consequences where it reduces the usage rate and be worse for society?" said Troy Hunt, an information security expert and the creator of the data-breach aggregation service, "Have I Been Pwned."

He points out that governments can present virus technologies as benign and then reverse legislation or regulations later. The risk of Singapore's move is that it shows not just governments, but citizens as well, how easily changes can be made.

"There is a slippery slope, where data retention periods are increased because it does add value to law enforcement, and suddenly the scope of the privacy risk changes so much more," he said.

Singaporeans tend to be sanguine about such moves when it comes to their government, but unusually forceful arguments have broken out over the proposed legislation. When one local posted online that he thought concerns were overblown and privacy overrated, he triggered fierce blowback.

"The government is using covid-19 as an excuse to put in place social engineering and public surveillance platforms and policies that ordinarily would never have been considered nor publicly palatable," wrote Andy Wong, a 27-year-old freelance defense writer and risk analyst. "I wonder how many sane foreigners will want to work in a country like that."

He wrote that Singapore, with its high quality of life and tough government, is sometimes described as Disneyland with the death penalty, but he worries it will become "North Korea with a smile."

The episode is "a massive betrayal of trust for ordinary citizens like myself," he told Bloomberg News.

Jonathan Kok, an intellectual property lawyer in Singapore, said there was limited value to the data that police could get from the contact tracing app for their investigations. A person's interaction history provided circumstantial evidence at best, he said.

"So, the data has really limited use. I'm just surprised why the police want to go through all that trouble to collect data when it only shows you who that person was with within the last few weeks or so," he said.

"Many people have written in and said they may just turn on the device when they need to go out instead of having it run all the time. That's not going to help the national effort to contain the virus," he added.

As for Pillay, he spent his compulsory national service as a police officer, so he understands the context of using the data in rare and exceptional cases. But police have plenty of other ways to get data for their investigations, including CCTV footage and cellphone tower records.

"It's less than ideal to have specific instances where the TraceTogether data could be accessed," he said. "This will be a tarnished gold standard."
The Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) supports the annulment of all special pensions, Deputy Prime minister Kelemen Hunor, the head of this political formation, said on Monday.

"We will support the cancellation of all special pensions, without any distinction. We will not support another variant," Kelemen Hunor said in Parliament.

Asked if he supported the USR (Save Romania Union)'s version of the elimination of special pensions for dignitaries, the UDMR head showed that there was no coalition agreement on this issue.

"That's their opinion, there's no agreement in the coalition. Every citizen is equal before the law," said Kelemen Hunor, who added that special pensions should be eliminated for all social and professional categories.

Kelemen Hunor added that there is no agreement in the coalition on freezing pensions either.

"There is no agreement on pension freeze. In the government programme and in the discussions before we formed the Government, we have made a commitment that pensions will increase in 4 years with that 40-something percent, as the law stipulates, not in a year. (...) Depending on the budgetary possibilities, there must be an increase this year too," he added.
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
Were committed to doing our part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 with convenient, accurate testing options with fast results.

US BioTek Laboratories, a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) and CAP-accredited laboratory, announces that it has launched an At-Home COVID-19 Test available directly to individuals. The test utilizes RT-PCR technology to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a patient-collected saliva sample. Less invasive than nasal or oral swabs, the saliva-based test enables patients to collect their sample in the safety and comfort of their home without the supervision of a healthcare professional. The test leverages two established FDA authorized testing protocols linked by a US BioTek lab developed test (LDT) that has been validated to produce results with 96% accuracy.

The US BioTek At-Home COVID-19 Test is available in 47 states to individuals aged 18 and up. The tests are $119 each, with volume discounts available for multiple samples shipped back in the same package. Tests may be purchased on the companys website at: https://www.usbiotek.com/at-home-covid-19-test. Once ordered, collection kits are shipped within one business day; MD-reviewed test results can be viewed in a secure portal within 36 hours of laboratory receipt of samples.

There is reason to be optimistic with the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines, but it is important that we remain vigilant as cases still continue to rise, said Jack Frausing, CEO of US BioTek Laboratories. At US BioTek, were committed to doing our part to mitigate the spread of the virus by providing convenient, accurate testing options with fast results.

Best known as a provider of immunology profiles used to identify food and airborne allergies and sensitivities, US BioTek added coronavirus testing capabilities in April 2020, when the need for greater testing capacity became apparent. The company offers FDA-authorized diagnostic (RT-PCR) and antibody tests for use by licensed healthcare providers, as well as drive-up testing for individuals at its Shoreline, Washington facility. US BioTek is a trusted pre-travel testing partner to Hawaiian Airlines and the Chinese Consulate.

Details and order information for US BioTeks At-Home COVID-19 Test can be found on the companys website at: https://www.usbiotek.com/at-home-covid-19-test.
Prime Minister Florin Citu on Monday stated that Romania cannot afford to waste even one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and specified that the information according to which 70,000 people would have been immunized without being scheduled is "unsupported" by the actual data, as reported by AGERPRES.

"Here things must be very clear: we do not allow ourselves to waste any dose of vaccine. (...) This information, as I understood from Mr Gheorghita, is not supported by the actual data. The data show that there were almost 1,000 or so people who have been vaccinated and 1,300 people outside the country. So we cannot talk of 70,000, since they are 1,300 and I think that there is an explanation for each case. I repeat, for us, it's very important to have as many people as possible vaccinated. This is, in fact, the only purpose of the vaccination campaign. And not to have discussions about X or Y being vaccinated. We need to vaccinate as many people as possible, this is the only way we can eliminate the pandemic," said Citu, before the meeting of the Executive Bureau of the PNL (National Liberal Party).

He pointed out that the rescheduling for vaccination due to the manufacturer's non-compliance with the delivery schedule is already done.

"The rescheduling has already been done, so we cannot talk of any rescheduling right now. The doses that come today are already scheduled. The situation that Romania is going through related to the vaccines is the same for everyone. Under these conditions, however, Romania manages to vaccinate faster than "many countries in the EU. And we will keep this up. You know very well that AstraZeneca was approved in February. We will receive from AstraZeneca, I don't know, like 800,000 vaccines, they will come in February. We are starting to reach the pace we wanted. We will maintain this pace, and Mr Gheorghita said the same. Our target is to have 10.4 people vaccinated by the end of September, with two doses each, explained the Prime Minister.

Florin Citu stated that any additional dose to be received will be given with priority to people over 65 years old.

"This can only be done if additional doses come from Pfizer or Moderna. The ones from AstraZeneca are for people under 55, so they can't get into this strategy. If additional doses come and if Pfizer supplements this month what it reduced last week, of course that people over 65 will have priority during this period, but we still don't have this information and we cannot talk about a change of strategy at the moment," he said.

There were reports in the media that a non-bailable arrest warrant has been issued against director S Shankar by the Metropolitan Magistrate Court II in Egmore, Chennai. The warrant was said to have been issued as the director and his advocate failed to appear in the hearings for the case involving his film Enthiran. For the unversed, Shankar has been facing a plagiarism case for a few years after writer Arur Tamilnadan complained that the director copied his story idea in the 2010 film starring superstar Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai.

However, the director has come out and issued an official statement denying the arrest warrant reports. He said that he was shocked to see the false news of a non-bailable warrant being issued against him by the Magistrate Court.

He went on to add, "My advocate Mr Sai Kumaran has approached the Honourable Court today and brought this to the Court's attention. The Learned Judge was pleased to immediately confirm that no warrant has apparently occurred due to a glitch in the online court reporting, which is presently being corrected.

Shankar further said, I am very surprised to see such false news being circulated without any verification, and the same has caused needless anguish to my family and well-wishers. I request this clarification will be carried by all media to ensure that such false news does not spread any further."

ALSO READ: Yash To Join Hands With Ram Charan For Shankars Project After KGF Chapter 2?

ALSO READ: Indian 2: Kamal Haasan Starrer To Get Postponed Due To THIS Important Event In Shankars Life?
Its easy to see why Lord Edward FitzGerald might capture a persons imagination. Born in 1763 in Carton House, Maynooth, he was an Irish aristocrat who served in the American War of Independence, and later fought for an independent Irish republic, leading an insurrection thanks to men he met during the French Revolution. Charismatic, handsome, well-travelled and eloquent, FitzGerald also enjoyed several romances, despite the enduring love of his wife, Pamela.

Author, poet and history buff Laura McKenna, naturally, was taken with his extraordinary life from the get-go.

Its an incredible story, she says. In fact, Im surprised there havent been more novels written about him. He was even loved by his enemies, who were willing to forgive him quite a lot. And in reading about his marriage to Pamela, they appeared to genuinely have an intense love for each other.

When McKenna delved further into his life, she discovered another intriguing figure, Tony Small. Biographer and historian Stella Tillyard had written extensively of Smalls life with FitzGerald. Once McKenna discovered Small in particular, inspiration struck. In the end, she was compelled to write Words to Shape My Name; a historical fiction novel with Small and FitzGerald at its centre.

Small was an American slave who had saved Lord Edward on a South Carolina battlefield in 1781 and nursed him back to health. From there, he became a constant companion and valet to Lord Edward, living with him not just in the US, but also in Paris, Dublin and Kildare.

I was so greedy to find out more about him, McKenna says. I really did start to wonder what life would have been like for him back then.

She soon discovered that, as a person of colour living in Dublin in the late 18th century, Small was not alone. I researched what life would have been like for black people at the time  would Tony have felt isolated here? And the answer was that no, there were other people of colour living here, McKenna says. They were certainly treated with interest, but this was before the years when deliberate racism and othering of black people came in, which was an active policy to promote the continuation of slavery and protect imperial interests.

In a novel of breathtaking scope and with vivid detail, Words to Shape My Name charts the journey of Harriet Small, the daughter of Tony Small. In 1857, Harriet realises that she has been left a collection of papers, detailing her fathers story of his life escaping slavery, then working alongside FitzGerald in the 18th century. FitzGeralds sister, Lady Lucy, had commissioned Tony to write his life story in the form of a slave narrative.

In researching the Small family, McKenna found more treasures than she could have ever hoped for.

One thing that really hit me was discovering a photo of [Smalls] granddaughter  I cried when I saw it, McKenna says. To get something that close to him was just incredible.

Harriet wasnt there in the first draft, but I discovered that Tony Smalls grandson was eventually transported to Tasmania for seven years, she adds. Theres an Old Bailey record, when Harriets son was prosecuted, where she gave evidence. Her voice came through, she was such a strong person and sounded truly amazing. She was one of the first women to apply, under new marriage legislation, for a divorce in 1857. She came from a very poor start, so it fascinated me that she had both the means and the gumption to do that.

Writing characters of colour, and writing about the slave narrative, certainly gave McKenna pause for thought. A certain question has moved to the fore in fiction writing in recent times; who has the right to write what kinds of narratives? In 2020, Jeanine Cummins novel American Dirt, for instance, detailing a journey of Mexican immigrants towards the American border, quickly became the subject of controversy. The book has been called appropriative for incorporating a Mexican perspective into a book written by a woman who identified as white.

Expand Close Words to Shape My Name by Laura McKenna / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Words to Shape My Name by Laura McKenna

McKennas novel was written within a PhD for creative fiction at University College Cork, and her critical paper examined the ethics and aesthetics of voice in fiction.

It more than crossed my mind, she says, when I ask her about writing about the slave narrative. I spent a lot of time considering this. I wrote the novel as part of my PhD and read up about cultural appropriation [in literature], what one has to pay attention to, and the ethical consideration for writing it was critical. With regard to voice, I really had to think about it, and we all have many different voices. Theres no one definite approach. I think servants would have been adept at wearing masks, which they ditched in family or intimate settings.

Originally trained as a child psychiatrist  a job she loved  Cork-based McKenna had long harboured ambitions to write creatively.

A masters at University College Dublin, completed eight years ago, soon saw her gaining plaudits for her work. Her first (unpublished) novel was, like Words to Shape My Name, a Novel Fair finalist. It was also longlisted for the Bath Novel Award and the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize in 2016. Lauras short fiction has won the Penguin/RTE Guide Award and was shortlisted in the Doolin Short Story Competition among others. She has also been nominated twice for a Hennessy Literary Award (New Irish Writing) in poetry and also for a Forward Prize (single poem).

McKenna is a firm advocate of using creative-writing courses as a way to complete a work. They really do make you write, she says. You produce something, and deadlines give you something to work on. Whats brilliant for me is that they opened up a whole new world of really good friends, and at my age, to get a new group of friends is fantastic.

After the release of Words to Shape My Name comes yet another stint of glorious research: this time, a deep dive into womens experiences in the early 19th century.

Your research is never really done, McKenna smiles. Just reading about other peoples lives is fascinating; its interesting how your assumptions about certain people can be upended. I swore Id never do another historical novel, but I cant help it.

Words To Shape My Name by Laura McKenna, published by New Island books, is out now.
Ten U.S. states have already passed "heartbeat bills," and according to some lawmakers, it's time for Texas to catch up.

Texas' Republican lawmakers have promised to back a heartbeat bill, which would make abortions illegal as soon as the embryonic or fetal heartbeat can be detected. They've also been urged to challenge the Roe v. Wade decision, as reported by Texas Tribune's Shannon Najmabadi.

SMALL WINS, BIG GAINS: Supreme Court wipes case law supporting Texas abortion halt

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are at the very center of what it means to be an American, said bill author and senator Angela Paxton, as reported by Najmabadi. I believe there always has been and always will be energy from Texans to promote and protect life.

In most cases, the "heartbeat bill" bans women from having an abortion even before they find out they're pregnant.

Politicians have no right to make such deeply personal decisions for a woman and her family, said Texas state senator Wendy Davis (D) in an interview, as reported by Najmabadi. Davis firmly believes that a woman's decision to have an abortion should be given the same level of respect and privacy as any other medical decision.

Davis made headlines in 2013 after her 13-hour filibuster of abortion restriction legislation. In her book "Forgetting to be Afraid," she revealed two abortions of her own that took place in the 1990s.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Texas bans abortions after 20 weeks unless the mother has a life-threatening medical condition or the fetus has a severe abnormality. After 16 weeks, abortions can only be performed at an ambulatory surgical center or hospital.

The state also requires women to undergo a sonogram and receive state-mandated paperwork about medical risks, adoption alternatives and developmental stages of the fetus.

Other Texas Senate bills targeting abortion rights this session include a measure that would prevent women from receiving government assistance in the case of a multi-day journey to have an abortion, as reported by Najmabadi. Another bill calls for the appointment of attorneys to represent fetuses when minors go before a judge to get an abortion without their parents consent.

"This is somebody trying to check a box on a political scorecard," said Houston Democratic Senator Carol Alvarado, as reported by Najmabadi. I stand strong and firm that women should have control over their own bodies and their own destiny.

Based on a 2019 study from the Texas Tribune and University of Texas, 48 percent of voters support lawmakers' decision to make abortions illegal after six weeks.
Emirates Airline says it will now conduct rapid COVID-19 tests for Nigerian travellers at the Lagos and Abuja airports before departure. ...

Emirates Airline says it will now conduct rapid COVID-19 tests for Nigerian travellers at the Lagos and Abuja airports before departure.





The test is not the same as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test required to travel abroad.

In a travel protocol update, the airline said effective February 1, the tests will be carried out at the airports four hours before departure.

PCR and antigen tests are commonly used to test for the presence of the coronavirus.

Antigen tests look for protein on the surface of the coronavirus to ascertain its presence while PCR tests collect genetic material called RNA that instructs the virus to make these proteins.

Passengers are required to pay N36,800 for the test at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, and N25,800 at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport on Abuja.

The tests will be conducted at the Mobi health booth in the check-in areas of both airports.





In addition to the COVID-19 PCR test certificate required for transit through Dubai and final destination, passengers are required to carry out a rapid COVID-19 antigen test within four hours of departure effective February 1, 2021, the update read.

Facilities for antigen testing are available at the Lagos and Abuja international airport departure levels.

Please be advised that passengers are to arrive at the airport to carry out the Rapid COVID-19 antigen tests first before check-in. Results will be out within 15 to 20 minutes. Upon having a negative rapid test result, passengers may proceed to the check-in counter.

This development is coming barely a week after the presidential task force on COVID-19 announced that the virus strain first reported in the UK has been found in Nigeria.





United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities have already banned transit flights conveying Nigerians from its airports while Nigerians on transit flights operated by UAE carriers are confined to the airports.
Representative image

The WHO experts, probing the origins of the COVID-19, on Sunday visited the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, where the deadly coronavirus was presumably transmitted from animals to humans in the late 2019 and spiralled into a pandemic.

The wet market was where a variety of live animals were traded until it was shut down following fears that the coronavirus had jumped to humans either from bats or pangolins.

Very important site visits today - a wholesale market first & Huanan Seafood Market just now. Very informative & critical for our joint teams to understand the epidemiology of COVID as it started to spread at the end of 2019, Peter Daszak, a zoologist with the US group EcoHealth Alliance and a member of the WHO team, tweeted on Sunday.

Though the market remained shut and cleaned up after the coronavirus cases surfaced in Wuhan in December 2019, the visit is still important to get a feel of what flow of goods, people were, Daszak was quoted by CBS news network.

The visit which took place amid tight security assumed significance as the market was widely presumed to be the source of the virus though Chinese official media in recent months questioned the premise.

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

While permitting the 14-member WHO team of international scientists to study the origin in Wuhan after considerable delay and controversy, China claims that the virus has emerged from various places in the world while it was the first to report it.

Although the Huanan seafood market has been sealed off, experts believe that there is still plenty to see and experience there.

"(We hope to) understand the setting, see the places where cases were linked, reconstruct the initial event there, search for records of animals, products traded there. And possibly talk to some of the merchants who were there at that time," Peter Ben Embarek, who leads the WHO team, told the state-run Global Times.

After the visit to Huanan Seafood Market, it is to be seen whether the international team would be permitted to visit the controversial Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), where former US President Donald Trump alleged that the virus might have escaped into the open.

Trump had asked China to permit an inquiry amid emphatic denials from Beijing.

The itinerary of the WHO team has not yet been announced. They were expected to be in Wuhan for about a month.

Earlier the team of international experts, which was constituted by the World Health Assembly (WHA), the governing body of the WHO to probe the origins of the virus, had exchanges with medical workers and early COVID-19 cases in Wuhan, China's National Health Commission said on Sunday.

The team, on a visit to Wuhan for scientific cooperation with its Chinese counterparts on tracing the origins of the novel coronavirus, visited several places, including Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine and Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, where some of the earliest COVID-19 patients in Wuhan were treated, said Mi Feng, commission spokesman, was quoted as saying by the official China Daily.

They also visited a food distribution centre for the Chinese city of Wuhan during the 76-day lockdown last year.

The team, accompanied by large number of Chinese officials, also walked through sections of the Baishazhou market stated to be one of the largest wet markets in the city.

On Saturday, they visited a museum exhibition dedicated to the early history of the emergence of coronavirus.

China, while offering to cooperate with the WHO team, maintained that the visit is part of global study about the origins of the coronavirus and not an investigation.

I'd like to stress that the exchanges and cooperation on origin-tracing between WHO experts and Chinese professionals are part of a global study, not an investigation, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told media briefing in Beijing on Friday.

The WHO experts' field work itinerary and plan for exchanges are crucial to serious, prudent scientific studies. The two sides will follow the prior consensus and make science-based arrangements in light of the features of the virus and the epidemic situation, he said.

As far as I know, the expert panel will visit all the places you named, he said, replying to a question whether China guarantees that the team receives full access to scientific data and medical records.

Since officials and journalists are neither scientists nor specialists after all, we need to entrust the experts with the very professional task of origin-tracing, give them enough time, space, trust and support to advance cooperation, and minimise unnecessary attention and disturbance, Zhao said.

According to the Johns Hopkins coronavirus tracker, there are 102,663,887 COVID-19 cases worldwide with 2,221,737 deaths.
A cyclist bikes past a signboard with an image of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi (AP)

The military has taken control of Myanmar for one year, as reports claimed many of the countrys senior politicians  including Aung San Suu Kyi  had been detained.

Officials claimed there is a section of the military-drafted constitution that allows the armed forces to take control in times of national emergency, following concerns over recent elections.

Here is a timeline of events in the history of Myanmar since it gained independence.

Expand Close Supporters of the Myanmar military in Yangon (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Supporters of the Myanmar military in Yangon (AP)

 January 4 1948: The country then known as Burma gains independence from British colonial rule.

 1962: Military leader Ne Win stages a coup and rules the country through a junta for many years.

 1988: Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of an independence hero, returns to her home country as pro-democracy protests erupt against the junta. Security forces open fire on demonstrators in August protests, and hundreds are killed.

 July 1989: An increasingly outspoken critic of the junta, Ms Suu Kyi is put under house arrest.

 May 27, 1990: The National League for Democracy (NLD), founded by Ms Suu Kyi, wins a landslide victory in elections, but the military refuses to hand over power.

Expand Close A screen showing the news on Myanmar in Tokyo (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A screen showing the news on Myanmar in Tokyo (AP)

 October 1991: Ms Suu Kyi is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her peaceful struggle against the regime.

 November 7 2010: A pro-junta party wins Myanmars first elections in 20 years, a vote that was boycotted as unfair and rigged in its favour.

 November 13 2010: Ms Suu Kyi is freed from detention after spending long periods of the past two decades under house arrest.

I condemn the coup and unlawful imprisonment of civilians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, in Myanmar. The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) February 1, 2021

 2012: Ms Suu Kyi wins a by-election and takes her seat in parliament, holding public office for the first time.

 November 8 2015: The NLD wins a sweeping victory in general elections, the first to be held openly held since 1990.

The military retains significant power under a constitution that also bars Ms Suu Kyi from the presidency, but the position of state counsellor is created for her to lead the government.

 August 25 2017: Insurgents attack military outposts in the western state of Rakhine, killing dozens.

Expand Close The military say they will take control under emergency measures for one year (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The military say they will take control under emergency measures for one year (AP)

The military responds with a massive crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim population, who begin fleeing by the hundreds of thousands into Bangladesh.

 December 11 2019: Ms Suu Kyi defends the military in a case at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, denying it had committed genocide.

 November 8 2020: Myanmar holds elections, with the NLD capturing an outright majority in parliament.

 January 29 2021: Myanmars election commission rejects the militarys allegations of fraud in the elections, finding no evidence to support the claims.

 February 1 2021: Myanmar military takes control of the country for one year, citing the governments failure to act against its claims of voter fraud and refusal to postpone the November elections because of the coronavirus crisis.

Her party says Ms Suu Kyi is again placed under house arrest.
(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 1 - Ex-premier Matteo Renzi has promised to explain his controversial trip to Saudi Arabia last week once Italy's government crisis is over.

Senator Renzi, whose centrist Italia Viva (IV) party triggered the crisis, has come under heavy fire for interviewing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the country's annual Future Investment Initiative (FII) event in Riyadh.

At one point Renzi said he thought the Middle Eastern country could be the home of a "New Renaissance".

Critics highlighted the country's human rights record and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

Anti-mafia writer Roberto Saviano said via social media at the weekend that "Matteo Renzi should have the dignity to leave our country's public life".

Renzi has said he will give a press conference the week after the end of the government crisis to explain his "international positions" and his ideas about Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

Last week Italy halted the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over their involvement in the conflict in ravaged Yemen. (ANSA).


Heather L. Rosing, CEO and President Heather, Art, Susan, and the rest of our board are incredible leaders who have truly grown within. Even during these uncertain times, our leadership team will do amazing things in the years ahead.

Klinedinst PC is pleased to announce that Heather L. Rosing has been named Chief Executive Officer and President. Ms. Rosing is the firms second ever CEO, and the first female CEO. She takes over from founder John D. Klinedinst, who led the West Coast law firm for nearly four decades.

In addition to naming Ms. Rosing as CEO and President, the firm announced Arthur S. Moreau, III as the firms Chief Financial Officer, and Susan S. Nahama as Chief Operational Officer. Ms. Nahama will also continue in her current role as Managing Shareholder of the San Diego office.

From May 1, 1983 when we opened our doors for the very first time, our core mission with our team has been focused on building dynamic leaders from within, said Mr. Klinedinst. Heather, Art, Susan, and the rest of our board are incredible leaders who have truly grown within. Even during these uncertain times, our leadership team will do amazing things in the years ahead.

Ms. Rosing is a proven leader who brings 25 years of leadership in the legal industry to the role. The recipient of numerous accolades, Ms. Rosing was among a small group of lawyers recently named Lawyer of the Decade by the Daily Journal.

Within the firm, she has held the role of Chief Financial Officer for the past 15 years. Ms. Rosing, a certified specialist in legal malpractice law, is the long-standing Chairperson of the firms Professional Liability and Ethics Practice Group. Known for her skill and advocacy, Ms. Rosing represents lawyers and other professionals across the State in litigation, arbitration, and other disputes. She also advises law firms on ethics and risk management, and serves as an expert witness on issues pertaining to attorney conduct.

Ms. Rosing has proven leadership skills through her work in the legal community, including her service as president of the San Diego County Bar Association, vice-president of the State Bar of California, the inaugural president of California Lawyers Association, and president of two different bar foundations. As CEO, Ms. Rosing will provide strategic leadership in establishing and implementing organizational vision and strategy, including in the critical area of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Mr. Klinedinst will continue to serve in the newly-formed role of Chair Emeritus. He focuses his practice on litigation, including professional liability, business litigation, and intellectual property disputes. Mr. Klinedinst has also been certified as a specialist in Legal Malpractice Law by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. San Diego Business Journal recognized Mr. Klinedinst as Most Admired CEO in 2011, 2017, and 2019. He has also been recognized by many other organizations including Martindale-Hubbell, Super Lawyers, Pasadena Magazine, and others.

John has successfully led the firm for 37 years, and we are thankful for all the opportunities he has created, said Ms. Rosing. His focus on cultivating top-caliber attorneys who excel in client service has been a winning formula for many years. Klinedinst is well-positioned to meet the diverse legal needs of our clients now and in the future, thanks to Johns vision.

Klinedinst CFO Art Moreau has been an integral part of the firms success since joining in 1995. He is a former naval aviator, an advocate for public service, and an experienced litigator who just celebrated 25 years with the firm. In his practice, Mr. Moreau uses his business acumen to counsel and defend businesses in areas of real estate, land use, and construction. As CFO, his experience and business acumen will contribute to the firms continued success.

Susan Nahama takes over the role of Chief Operating Officer. Ms. Nahama has been a Shareholder since 2000, and Managing Shareholder of Klinedinst San Diego since 2018. As COO, she will be responsible for day-to-day management, including human resources, operations, financial performance, and team-building across all five offices. Ms. Nahama works in tandem with all of the firms offices and departments to build innovative infrastructure, efficient operations, and an exceptional workplace culture. She has extensive experience in a broad range of civil litigation, with a focus on all aspects of professional liability.

These leadership changes become effective February 1, 2021.

The firm congratulates Ms. Rosing, Mr. Moreau, and Ms. Nahama on their promotions, and thanks Mr. Klinedinst for his many contributions and for his continued service. To learn more about each attorney, please visit:

http://www.klinedinstlaw.com/profiles/

About Klinedinst

Klinedinst is the go-to firm for clients looking for litigation, trial experience, transactional representation, and legal counsel. The firms offices in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, Irvine, and Seattle service the West Coast. What sets Klinedinst apart is the relationships our attorneys foster with each and every client. Klinedinst lawyers are indispensable strategic partners to business leaders, helping to achieve objectives and create proactive solutions to resolve the many legal challenges that businesses are confronted with every day. Whether vigorously advocating for clients in court, or guiding business transactions and negotiations, Klinedinst is the trusted legal advisor to have by your side.
An elite Melbourne boys' private school has sparked outrage after its deputy principal told students that Australia Day is 'Invasion Day' and isn't a date that should be celebrated.

Meg Adem from Brighton Grammar made the comments during an assembly with hundreds of pupils last week on their first day back at school.

Dozens of students at the $32,000-per-year school reportedly 'gasped' at Ms Adem calling January 26 'Invasion Day'.

'It was really awkward when we were told not to celebrate Australia Day,' a teenage student at the school told The Herald Sun.

Meg Adem from Brighton Grammar made the comments during an assembly with hundreds of pupils last week on their first day back at school

There have long been debates about the celebration of the day, with many Aussies saying it is linked to the killing of Indigenous people and the 'colonisation of an ancient culture'

'I've celebrated it for many years of my life, ever since I was born and it really hurt my feelings,' he said.

'The entire school was surprised, there were lots of gasps and she said 'Australia Day was not a day to be celebrated'.'

Parents also slammed Ms Adem for not keeping a neutral stance on the contentious issue.

One parent said the speech was a 'foolish start' to the school year by saying something so 'divisive'.

'Our boys are there to be educated not indoctrinated,' the parent, who wished to not be named, said.

A spokeswoman for the school defended the deputy headmaster's sentiment and said Ms Adem was simply recognising different perspectives regarding Australia Day.

There have long been debates about the celebration of the day, with many Aussies saying it is linked to the killing of Indigenous people and the 'colonisation of an ancient culture'.

January 26 marks the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet into Port Jackson in 1788, but is noted by many Indigenous Australians as the start of a campaign of genocide and land grabs.

Almost half of Australians are opposed to changing the date from January 26 while just 28 per cent want to move the day, according to a new Ipsos poll released last week.
Vietnamese police on Saturday captured a man for unlawfully transporting more than $86,000 in cash across the border to Cambodia for a very small fee.

Officers are keeping Nguyen Van My, 49, and Do Thi Le, 42, in criminal detention on charges of illicitly carrying foreign currencies across the border, police in Vietnams An Giang Province, which borders Cambodia, said on Sunday.

Police officers had seen My suspiciously moving in a field along the Vietnam-Cambodia border and thus arrested him at 8:40 am on Saturday.

Nguyen Van My sits in a police station in An Giang Province, Vietnam. Photo: Minh Phuoc

They found that the man was shouldering a plastic bag that contained nine straps of U.S. dollars worth $86,200.

My admitted to police officers that he had been hired by Le, from An Giangs Chau Doc City, to bring the cash to a stranger in Cambodia for a fee of VND200,000 ($9).

Le also confessed the wrongdoing at the police station.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Home Search ICH Question Everything! Purpose and Intent of this website: Why the US Deep State wont forgive Russia and Iran By Pepe Escobar January 31, 2021 " Information Clearing House " - In a stunning interview to the Beirut-based al Mayadeen network, Hezbollahs secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah has outlined how Maj Gen Qassem Soleimani  assassinated by an American drone strike at Baghdad airport a litle over a year ago  was instrumental in convincing Russia to help Syria militarily in its war against Salafi-jihadis. Here is the interview on video, and heres the video and transcript. Nasrallah sets the stage for the crucial visit by Maj Gen Soleimani to Moscow in 2015, when he had a two-hour face-to-face meeting with President Putin: (In this meeting) he (Soleimani) presented a (comprehensive) strategic report to (Putin) on the situation in Syria and the region, (and explained) the proposed idea and the expected results. Of course, (in the meeting) he used a scientific, objective, military and battlefield language, (and based his statements) on maps, land areas, numbers and statistics. At this meeting, President Putin said to Hajj (Qassem): I am convinced, and the decision (for a Russian military effort in Syria) was made. This is what I heard from Hajj Soleimani. Nasrallah also makes an important precision: the whole process was already in motion, at Syrias request: Look, I am somewhat objective and rational. I do not like to create myths. It is not accurate to say that Hajj Qassem Soleimani (alone) is the one who convinced Putin to intervene (in Syria). I prefer to say that through his strategic reading (of events), argumentation, compelling logic, and charismatic personality, Hajj Qassem Soleimani was able to provide an outstanding addition to all the previous efforts that led Russia to take the decision to come to Syria. Great efforts were made (before) and many discussions were held, yet President Putin reportedly remained hesitant. Nasrallah adds that Soleimani, was skilled in (the art of) persuasion and had (impeccable) logic . He did not shame Russia into (joining the war), nor did he use (empty) rhetoric. Not at all. He used a scientific language, as he explained the (possible) military and battlefield outcomes, as well as the political outcomes for the (Russian) intervention (in Syria). Its all about ground intel Now lets put this all in context. Putin is a master geopolitical chess player. Nasrallah observes there were a number of relevant military, security and political officials at the meeting. This implies Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and most of all top strategist Nikolai Patrushev. All of them were vey much aware by 2015 that the ultimate target of having ISIS/Daesh fester in Syria  in tandem with the notorious Assad must go campaign  was to create the conditions for a fake Caliphate to reach power, spread to the Caucasus, and destabilize Russia. That was encapsulated in the Russian formula its only 900 km from Aleppo to Grozny. Soleimanis merit was to produce the definitive sales pitch. Based on his vast on the ground experience, he knew that a resistance front alone would not be enough to protect Damascus. The secret of this two-hour Moscow meeting is that Soleimani must have made crystal clear that the next stage for the fake Caliphate would be directed against Russias soft underbelly, and not Iran. Moscows decision caught the Pentagon and NATO proverbially sleeping: Atlanticists were not expecting a tight Russian air force contingent and a squad of top military advisers to be deployed in a flash to Syria. But arguably the political decision had already been made. Such a complex military operation needs exhaustive planning  and that took place before Soleimanis visit. Moreover, Russian intel knew all the details about the state of war on the ground and the glaring overextension of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA. What Soleimani brought to the table was absolutely priceless coordination: Hezbollah commanders, IRGC advisers, assorted Iranian-led militias, in conjunction with the Syrian Tigers, as the leading shock troops, seconded by Russian elite Special Forces, intervening either in the desert or in saturated urban areas  all able to pinpoint to surgical Russian air strikes against ISIS/Daesh and those reconverted al-Qaeda moderate rebels. Soleimani knew that to win this war he needed air power  and he finally managed to pull it off, as he coordinated to perfection the on the ground/intel work of several armies and the top echelons of the Russian General Staff. Starting on this fateful 2015 meeting, the alliance between Soleimani and the Russian military evolved to ironclad proportions. Later on, the Pentagon and NATO were very much aware how Soleimani, always the supreme battlefield commander, was closely working with both Baghdad and Damascus to definitively expel US boots from Iraq. That was the main not so secret reason for his assassination. All of the above explains why US neocons and powerful Deep State factions will never forgive Iran and Russia for what happened in Syria  irrespective of further actions by the handlers of the new hologram administration in Washington. Signs, so far, point to proverbial, non-stop demonization of Russia; Trump administrations illegal sanctions against Iranian energy exports remaining in place; and no prospect of admitting that Russia, Iran and Hezbollah prevailed in Syria. Pepe Escobar is correspondent-at-large at Asia Times . His latest book is 2030 . Follow him on Facebook .- - " Source " - Post your comment below Registration is necessary to post comments. We ask only that you do not use obscene or offensive language. Please be respectful of others. See also Search Information Clearing House The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load.
British comedian Bill Bailey (Black Books, Never Mind the Buzzcocks) will host Patriot Brains coming to SBS VICELAND this year.

Due to film soon in New Zealand, the comedy panel show features teams of Kiwi and Australian comics who will battle over Trans-Tasman rivalry: Who has the best road movie? Whos got the most confusing outdated law still in effect? And which country has the better Prime Minister?

I am very much looking forward to hosting Patriot Brains, and a chance to referee a spirited international debate between two rival countries, which could end up as a right old ding-dong. A ding-dong which I hope to be thought-provoking, informative and hilarious, he told stuff.co.nz.

Visas and MIQ stays have been confirmed for everyone travelling to New Zealand to take part in filming. It premieres on TVNZ after Easter but dates for SBS VICELAND have not been announced.

Related
Kate Garraway has revealed she is uncertain about Derek Draper's future, 10 months after he contracted Covid.

The Good Morning Britain host, 53, has often spoken candidly about her husband's ongoing fight and supporting their two children Darcey, 14 and William, 11, since he was diagnosed with the potentially deadly virus in March last year.

Speaking on the 5 Years Time podcast this week, Kate confessed that after months of uncertainty, she is still unsure if Derek will recover, but is continuing to hold out hope.

Uncertainty: Kate Garraway has revealed she is uncertain about Derek Draper's future, 10 months after he contracted Covid (pictured in December 2019)

She explained: 'It's been really tough for us. Derek got really sick in the beginning of March...

'Even though we're hoping he can recover, it's taking a very, very long time. We don't know how much he can recover. So that's impacted on us obviously dramatically. So, it's been really difficult.'

Revealing that she had a more positive outlook this year, she added: 'Everybody is hoping 2021 will bring just a bit of hope and relief.

'The vaccine is here now, so everybody is hoping that will help Covid, I think, and help us regain some normality.'

Kate also noted that returning to work on GMB and hosting Smooth Radio has provided a welcome distraction amid her personal crisis.

Candid: The Good Morning Britain host, 53, has often spoken candidly about her husband's ongoing fight since he was diagnosed with the potentially deadly virus in March last year

While Derek no longer has coronavirus, the virus has left him suffering from multiple health conditions including diabetes and holes in his heart and lungs.

Back in September, he passed the grim milestone of becoming the longest patient battling coronavirus in hospital in the UK, with doctors telling Kate that Derek's infection was the 'highest they had seen in a patient who had lived'.

Although Derek continues to fight his illnesses, doctors have warned that he may 'never come out of a coma'.

Speaking on GMB last week, Kate's colleague Piers Morgan, 55, urged viewers to take the virus seriously and made the stark revelation that Derek remains in perilous condition.

In his desperate message to viewers, Piers said: 'We know from our colleague Kate Garraway, whose husband is still in a coma from Covid. He may never come out of that coma. She's been told this, and it's heartbreaking.'

Struggle: While Derek no longer has Covid, the virus has left him suffering from multiple health conditions including diabetes and holes in his heart and lungs (pictured December 2019)

Just days before, Kate gave a heartbreaking update on her husband's ongoing battle with Covid-19, saying 'his body has been ravaged' by the virus.

Kate spoke to Piers and Susanna Reid about her upcoming book which will detail the last year of her family's life, admitting she's been feeling 'physically low and at the end of my tether' since Christmas.

'Derek's still ravaged from the effects of Covid from way back in March, his recovery is incredibly uncertain,' Kate explained.

She added that she's working with Derek's medical team to come up with new treatments but she's finding the scale of the current Covid death rate 'unbearable'.

'I'm trying to look for new things and new ways and talking to doctors about what we can do for him meanwhile people are still dying in extraordinary numbers - people that aren't older and haven't got underlying conditions, it's unbearable.'

She added to Piers that he inspired her to write her book The Power Of Hope after he told her to keep a diary since the early days of Derek's illness:

Tough year: Kate will release a book about her struggle, The Power Of Hope, in April

'You and Susanna say: "You're just an inspiration to keep going", and I thought if I could tell my story and some of the people that have helped me then maybe that will be helpful for people.'

Kate took to Instagram to share the front cover of her 'raw and emotional story', The Power Of Hope, about her husband's 'long fight'.

Kate told her followers Derek's 'journey is far from over' and the family are working out what their 'new future will look like'.

She wrote: 'Hello everyone - I've not been on here for a while as I've been taking time to gather myself and focus like everyone else on getting through this latest lockdown.

'The pandemic is far from over and so is Derek's journey but I have decided to share our story and what's helping to keep me going, as we all try to work out what our new futures will look like.

'I am really hoping that it will help you with all that you are going through.'

In August, Kate revealed she was writing a self-help book but explained that she was given the deal before Derek's illness and was tweaking the book to include 'insights' from the ordeal.

Derek has regained minimal consciousness from his medically induced coma and while he has not been speaking, he heartbreakingly mouthed the word 'pain' in October last year.

Finally: Kate's children, daughter Darcey, 14 and son William, 11, finally got to visit their father in hospital in December (pictured in 2018)

Kate's children finally got to visit their father in hospital in December.

She admitted the family reunion was 'heightened with emotion' because her children saw how Derek was 'very changed' by his battle with the virus.

She explained: 'It was very heightened with emotion, because he's very changed.

'So all the routines that we'd normally do, it was one of those moments that it was so wonderful but also it amplified how sad everything was. And how different it is.

'But it was still fantastic, and we're very grateful to have had that opportunity.'

Kate has been unable to see Derek due to new restrictions introduced during the third lockdown, which bans any visitors on the COVID-19 ward where he is recovering.
Concerns raised over weekend crowds as most Italian regions re-classified as lower-risk yellow zones from 1 February.

Italy's health minister Roberto Speranza called for the "utmost caution" as the majority of Italian regions become yellow zones today, with less stringent rules under the tiered system of coronavirus restrictions.

Speranza said that yellow zones do not mean "escaping danger" and warned that the greatest caution would be required to avoid "going backwards compared to the progress made in recent weeks."

The minister's warning comes as the Italian media published images of crowds in Rome and Milan over the weekend, following the announcement on Friday night that covid-19 restrictions would be eased.

This prompted Agostino Miozzo, coordinator of the government's technical-scientific committee (CTS), to remind people that returning to yellow zones "does not mean normality."

Miozzo repeated that it was essential to "avoid gatherings" since there is "absolutely the real risk that the curve will rise rapidly towards numbers that are difficult to manage."

Italy's commissioner for the coronanvirus emergency, Domenico Arcuri, also sounded the alarm over the crowds, warning that if people "automatically pretend that nothing has happened" then "we will lose control of the epidemic again."

"The virus has not been defeated but it is still circulating" - said Arcuri - "We must all understand that we cannot lead the normal life we were used to, it is not yet time."

The Italian regions passing from medium-risk orange to lower-risk yellow zones today, 1 February, include Lazio (Rome), Lombardia (Milan) and Veneto (Venice).

Photo ANSA
A headteacher at an exclusive private school has made history by coming out as gay and discussing his sexuality in a virtual school assembly on Monday.

Nicholas Hewlett, headteacher at the 18,000-a-year St Dunstan's College in Catford, told students and staff that he is 'happily gay and in a same-sex relationship'.

It is thought that the announcement to students by a headteacher is the first of its kind in educational history.

The 41-year-old's assembly marks the start of the school's LGBTQ week and the beginning of LGBTQ History Month.

Exploring the school's history, he told the real-life story of a former teacher at St Dunstan's who in the 1980s faced criticism for being an openly gay educator.

But he said the school had now 'moved on to such an extent' that it now had a headteacher who was openly gay.

Announcing his sexuality to the students, he said: '(Now) I, as the headmaster, can be comfortable to share with you today that I am happily gay and in a same sex relationship.'

Nicholas Hewlett (left), who announced he was gay to his students on Monday, with his husband Alberic Elsom (right)

Headmaster Nicholas Hewlett (pictured) told students and staff at St Dunstan's College, Catford that he was gay and happily married

He later urged pupils to 'have the courage to be true to yourself' and 'allow others to be true to themselves also', before adding 'it's okay not to know who you are just yet'.

And he urged to pupils that sexuality should 'never ever be seen as a barrier to success'.

Mr Hewlett had earlier in the assembly told the story Martin Preston, a former pupil turned teacher at St Dunstan's - where he taught religious education and Russian between 1960 and 1980.

He said Mr Preston, who was a Baptist minister and Anglican priest, had been 'outed for his sexuality' by the then-editor of magazine Private Eye.

But he said that pupils 'rallied around' revered Mr Preston and supported him, a move he said went 'against the culture norms of the time' and, he added, apparently against the views of the then-headmaster.

Mr Hewlett said Mr Martin, who passed away last month aged 89, would 'have been delighted' that it was LGBTQ week at the school.

'And that these days St Dunstan's being gay or having any form or having any form of different sexual identity does not carry with it the same stigma, need for such attention, the need for controversy,' Mr Hewlett added.

The headteacher said he was inspired to make the speech after being impressed with a student's courage in discussing their own sexuality which left him feeling determined to be honest about his situation.

Ahead of today's announcement, Mr Hewlett told the Times: 'My only regret is not doing it earlier, because seven years of children will have gone through the school without the benefit of a role model.

'The message is simply have the courage to be true to yourself.

'There will be kids who are struggling with their own sexuality and who would benefit from knowing that you can be happy and gay, and I have a privileged position to show them that.

'I felt that I owed it to the pupils to be open and courageous too. I am inspired by them.'

The headteacher, who now leads St Dunstan's College in Catford (pictured), says he was inspired by his own students' courage and strength and his only regret is not doing it sooner

Announcing his sexuality to the students, he said: '(Now) I, as the headmaster, can be comfortable to share with you today that I am happily gay and in a same sex relationship.'

The headteacher said when he first became a teacher, he was warned that his sexuality would be a barrier to a successful career.

But he said society had come a long way since he was a student in the 1990s.

He added: '15 years ago, I was told by a senior colleague in the school I was then working in that, as an openly gay man, it would be virtually impossible for me to become a headmaster.'

He said he hopes the announcement will be met with a positive reaction by students at the school who he hopes may cheer or wave rainbow flags in support.

Addressing his decision to go public, the headmaster wrote on Twitter: 'If it can help just one young person feel more comfortable in their skin, it is surely an act worth doing.'

The Department for Education told the Times: 'We trust teachers and school leaders to make decisions about what's appropriate to discuss with pupils.

'By the end of secondary education, all pupils should receive teaching on LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] relationships. Schools are free to determine how they do this.'
Brazils federal government will require winners of an upcoming 5G spectrum auction to build a high security wireless network for its exclusive use, according to an order published late Friday.

The requirement is one of the new guidelines for the auction that the government is planning for 2021.

While the decision doesnt mention Huawei Technologies Co., it erases the likelihood of banning any company from the auction, which had been a possibility for the Chinese tech giant, a person familiar with the communication ministrys decision making said.

The move comes as Brazil needs to access large amounts of Chinese supplies for vaccines to combat Covid-19. Brazil has the worlds second-highest tally of fatalities, after the U.S.

President Jair Bolsonaro told reporters on Saturday that the 5G auction will not be used as a bargaining chip in global negotiations, O Globo newspaper reported. He said no decision has been made yet, adding that Communications Minister Fabio Faria will visit countries interested in the matter next week.

Companies that will build the network for the governments exclusive use must have equipment suppliers with transparency and compliance patterns in line with those required by Brazils stock market, according to a statement on the Communications Ministry website.

Also read: Bharti Airtel announces 5G ready network in Hyderabad

The network for the governments exclusive use will be managed by state-owned Telebras, the person said. The main purpose is ensuring governments data confidentialy.

We are talking about data that concern public security and the defense of our country. For this reason, our effort to enable the construction of this secure network will belong to the Union, Communications Minister said in the statement.

President Lobbyist

The governments decision includes other requirements for the auction winners, such as the installation of a mobile internet coverage on federal highways, and fiber optics in lightly-populated areas, primarily in the nations North and Northeast.

Huawei declined to comment on the new guidelines for the auction. Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported that the Chinese firm had hired former President Michel Temer this month to help its lobbying efforts.

The idea of making a private network for the federal government is a preliminary step toward drafting broader rules on the 5G network in Brazil and appears to be good news for Huawei, a person close to Huaweis thinking said. The company declined to comment.

The Trump administration urged Brazil and other allies to block Huawei components in their 5G networks, saying they facilitate intellectual property theft and spying by Beijing. But the government faced resistance from Brazils main wireless companies, which already use Huawei equipment. The carriers argue that a ban on the Chinese company would push their costs higher. Months ago, China said Brazils business reputation was at stake on the 5G auction decision.

Ties between Brazil and China were strained by Bolsonaros criticism of Beijing while on the campaign trail in 2018; he later warmed up to Chinese leader Xi Jinping during a trip to Asia. But tensions have flared again amid anti-China rhetoric adopted by Bolsonaros allies, including his son and Lower House Representative Eduardo Bolsonaro, and the Foreign minister Ernesto Araujo. This week, Brazilian Vice President Hamilton Mourao said Araujo may be replaced soon in a cabinet shake up.

China overtook the U.S. as Brazils top trading partner a decade ago as Beijings appetite for Brazilian commodity exports like soybeans soared.

Written by Tatiana Freitas, Samy Adghirni, and Simone Preissler Iglesias.
TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EasySend, the no-code platform for building and optimizing digital customer journeys, announced today the appointment of Jim Moran and Gene Crawley as its newest Advisory Board Members. Moran and Crawley will utilize their comprehensive backgrounds in scaling companies at the forefront of innovation and delivering innovative customer experiences, respectively, to steer EasySend through its pivotal growth stage.

Jim Moran joins EasySend following 23 years of experience as a technology executive and board member at 30 companies  including those acquired by DocuSign and Pegasystems. Having achieved four successful liquidity events to-date, Moran has vast experience scaling companies into large organizations. He is also well versed in developing go-to-market strategies for low-code/no-code platforms and digitial customer experience solutions  which will surely serve to bolster EasySend's standing in the market.

Gene Crawley is an esteemed technology executive and board member with over 25 years of experience delivering innovative customer experience and digital transformation. He is particularly adept at introducing accuracy and efficiency in self-service and assisted-service customer journeys that consistently yield high customer satisfaction (CSAT) and net promoter scores (NPS). His mastery in engineering and architecture integration solutions serve him well across many industries including insurance, telecommunication, consumer products, and more.

"Today, almost a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, companies - in the financial and insurance industries especially  who are looking to gain a competitive edge and or stay afloat are turning to no-code solutions," said CEO and Co-Founder of EasySend, Tal Daskal. "Having experienced technology executives and board members such as Jim and Gene will give us the drive and expertise that we need to continue to meet this growing market demand head-on with great efficiency and business finesse. We're proud and honored to have these movers and shakers join our ranks."

"I'm thrilled to be joining EasySend at such an important juncture in both the company's strategic growth and in the digital transformation era," said Moran. "I look forward to helping EasySend achieve its maximum potential through my role as an Advisory board member."

"EasySend has already achieved so much to-date and has proven itself as a no-code digital transformation leader," said Crawley. "With my professional experience, I hope to bring EasySend to even greater heights of operational and customer service accuracy and efficiency."

EasySend's no-code platform enables companies to tranform manual, paper-based processes into digital journeys. These digital journeys can be built, analyzed, and optimized by non-technical staff without any coding via a simple drag-and-drop interface. This frees up IT teams from day-to-day maintenance issues and empowers employees across the enterprise to create an outstanding digital customer experience in as little as a few days.

About EasySend

EasySend is leading the charge for a digital future by empowering insurance carriers, banks, and financial services to transform manual, paper-based processes into powerful digital experiences on any device. EasySend empowers enterprises to deliver new digital journeys faster and improve the customer experience at a fraction of the cost with their innovative no-code development platform. By harnessing AI and machine learning, EasySend enables real-time insights into customer interactions, allowing processes to be optimized quickly and easily. The company was founded in 2016 and has offices in the U.S., Germany, and headquarters in Tel Aviv, Israel. For more information, visit https://www.easysend.io/ .

Media Contacts:

Headline Media

Justine Rosin

[email protected]

US:+1 917 724 2176

SOURCE EasySend
Jim Allister has issued a fresh rallying call for unionists to work to disrupt the "wicked" Northern Ireland Protocol.

The TUV leader said derailing the mechanism through political protest must be a priority for the pro-union community.

It came as a senior loyalist warned that unionism needs to unite in a peaceful way over its opposition. Billy Hutchinson said the response had to come through politics.

A top police officer warned last week that discontent over regulatory barriers was growing.

In an appeal to unionist leaders, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said it was time to show leadership and dial down the "anti-EU rhetoric".

The NI Protocol, which is part of the Withdrawal Agreement, is designed to allow the free movement of goods from the EU into Northern Ireland, preventing the need for a hard border on the island of Ireland.

However, it has led to a de facto Irish Sea border, angering unionists.

Anti-protocol graffiti as well as low-level intelligence and social media monitoring have provided early pointers to unionist discontent, the PSNI has said.

Mr Allister has called for work implementing the protocol to be abandoned.

Yesterday he said the EU's move to trigger Brexit measures to control the export of coronavirus vaccines into Northern Ireland was a further lesson in the "imperative of acting now to unstitch this wicked protocol".

"Derailing the protocol is a task which should trump everything else for anyone who cares about the Union. Let it bed in and we are on a conveyer belt out of the Union," he said.

Mr Allister said this should follow purely peaceful and political steps, such as non-cooperation with the Irish Republic.

He added: "It is about unionism working together to make the operation of the protocol so uncomfortable for the British government and EU that they see it as unworkable and have no option but to replace it." Unionist non-cooperation with Dublin could be "powerful leverage", he said.

On Friday Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken urged calm amid rising tensions within unionism. Mr Aiken said: "Do not put yourself in the position where you're going to get a criminal record just for the sake of Boris Johnson and his Irish Sea border."

Yesterday Mr Hutchinson also called for cool heads, adding: "I do not want to over or under-play the anger. It is there and we really need to listen to that anger and we also need to make sure that it is turned into a positive way forward.

"We need to show people who are unionists that unionism is united in every way around this and that the only way forward is by using political means.

"If people need to protest then we need to make sure it is done in a peaceful way so others cannot hijack it."

With Northern Ireland continuing to follow the EU's rules on trade, it has led to extra paperwork at the ports on trade from the rest of the UK to here.

Mr Hutchinson, the PUP leader, said: "There is a very definite anger out there.

"No matter where you live, in a village or a town or a city, that anger is there and a lot of it is based around the fact that they did not understand what was happening when they voted for Brexit."

He added: "This must be a decision and a way forward that comes from political unionism."

Meanwhile, Mr Eastwood, the Foyle MP, has urged all political leaders to work together to make the protocol work.

He said: "I am making a direct call to unionist political leaders to refrain from such commentary and to dial-down the rhetoric which we've heard since Friday evening. Some commentary and actions in recent days are among the most knee-jerk we've heard in many years."
VANCOUVER, BC and TORONTO, ON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. ("West Fraser") (TSX andNYSE: WFG) and Norbord Inc. ("Norbord") today jointly announce that they have completed the previously announced transaction (the "Transaction") whereby West Fraser has acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Norbord (the "Norbord Shares"). Under the terms of the Transaction, holders of Norbord Shares received 0.675 of a common share of West Fraser (the "West Fraser Shares") for each Norbord Share held.

"Today marks a new era for all West Fraser employees and shareholders with the completion of the Norbord transaction. The combination of two top-calibre employee teams manufacturing sustainable products that are essential for a low-carbon economy positions West Fraser well going forward," said Raymond Ferris, President and Chief Executive Officer of West Fraser.

Management and Board Changes

Raymond Ferris will continue as the President and Chief Executive Officer and Chris Virostek will continue as the Vice-President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Peter Wijnbergen, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Norbord, has been appointed President, Engineered Wood and Sean McLaren, Vice-President, U.S. Lumber, has been appointed President, Solid Wood. Marian Lawson and Colleen McMorrow, directors of Norbord, have also been appointed to West Fraser's Board of Directors.

Listing of West Fraser Shares on NYSE and Delisting of Norbord Shares

As previously announced, West Fraser has received the approval of the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") to list the West Fraser Shares on the NYSE. The West Fraser Shares will commence trading today on the NYSE under the stock symbol "WFG". Concurrent with the commencement of trading on the NYSE, West Fraser's stock symbol on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") will be changed to "WFG".

The Norbord Shares will be delisted from the NYSE prior to commencement of trading today, with delisting from the TSX expected to follow at the close of markets on February 2, 2021.

Information for Norbord Shareholders

Registered holders of Norbord Shares are reminded that they must properly complete, sign and return the letter of transmittal to AST Trust Company (Canada), as depositary, in order to receive the West Fraser Shares they are entitled to in connection with the Transaction. Holders of Norbord Shares ("Norbord Shareholders") who hold their shares through a broker, investment dealer or other intermediary should carefully follow the instructions provided by such broker, investment dealer or other intermediary in order to receive the West Fraser Shares they are entitled to in connection with the Transaction.

Norbord Shareholders who have questions or require assistance with submitting their Norbord Shares may direct their questions to AST Trust Company (Canada), by telephone at (416) 682-3860 or (toll free in North America) at 1 (800) 387-0825, or by email at [email protected].

WEST FRASER PROFILE

West Fraser is a diversified wood products company producing lumber, LVL, MDF, plywood, pulp, newsprint, wood chips, other residuals, and energy with facilities in western Canada and the southern United States. West Fraser Shares currently trade on the TSX and NYSE under the symbol: "WFG".

NORBORD PROFILE

Following completion of the Transaction, Norbord became a wholly-owned subsidiary of West Fraser. Norbord is a leading global manufacturer of wood-based panels and the world's largest producer of oriented strand board (OSB). In addition to OSB, Norbord manufactures particleboard, medium density fibreboard and related value-added products. Norbord has assets of approximately $2.1 billion and employs approximately 2,400 people at 17 plant locations (15 operating) in the United States, Canada and Europe.

NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION

Certain of the statements and information in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things:

listing and trading of the West Fraser Shares on the NYSE;

delisting of the Norbord Shares from the NYSE and TSX; and

expected date of change of the West Fraser stock symbol on the TSX.

These forward-looking statements and information reflect West Fraser's and Norbord's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by West Fraser and Norbord, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. West Fraser and Norbord caution readers that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release and West Fraser and Norbord have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Among the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and information are the following:

the ability of West Fraser to satisfy all conditions relating to the listing and trading of the West Fraser Shares on the NYSE;

the ability of West Fraser and Norbord to effect the delisting of the Norbord Shares from the NYSE and TSX; and

the ability of West Fraser to effect the change in West Fraser's stock symbol on the TSX.

Certain of these factors are identified under the captions "Risk Factors Relating to the Arrangement and West Fraser" in the management information circular of West Fraser, dated December 15, 2020 and sent to holders of West Fraser Shares in connection with the Transaction and "Risks Relating to the Arrangement and the Combined Company" in the management proxy circular of Norbord, dated December 15, 2020 and sent to Norbord Shareholders in connection with the Transaction. Although West Fraser and Norbord have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Investors are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements and information are designed to help readers understand management's current views of the company's near and longer term prospects and may not be appropriate for other purposes. West Fraser and Norbord do not intend, nor do they assume any obligation, to update or revise forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, changes in assumptions, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law.

U.S. Securities Matters

None of the securities to be issued in connection with the Transaction have been or will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws. The West Fraser Shares issued in connection with the Transaction have been issued in reliance upon available exemptions from such registration requirements pursuant to Section 3(a)(10) of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable exemptions under state securities laws. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.

SOURCE West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.

Related Links

www.westfraser.com


The UK's largest Islamic group has chosen a 29-year-old human rights law graduate as its first ever female leader.

Zara Mohammed, from Glasgow, has become the first woman Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) after a week of voting.

Training and development consultant Ms Mohammed said she hopes her election will 'inspire more women and young people' to take on leadership positions as they are 'the future of this organisation'.

Ms Mohammed - who has worked with several Scottish charities - has shared pictures of her posing with Sadiq Khan and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

In a photo taken during a dinner in June 2019, she said getting a selfie with the London Mayor was her 'favourite' part of the evening.

Following her election, Mr Khan took to Twitter to congratulate her, writing: 'Terrific to see Zara Mohammed elected as the first woman Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain.'

In 2016, she became the first female president of the Federation of Student Islamic Organisations (FOSIS).

The UK's largest Islamic group has chosen 29-year-old human rights law graduate Zara Mohammed (pictured) as its first ever female leader

Ms Mohammed, from Glasgow, has become the first woman Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) after a week of voting. Pictured: Ms Mohammed and Sadiq Khan

Zara Mohammed: Hopes her appointment will inspire women but critical of Prevent strategy Zara Mohammed, from Glasgow, has become the first woman Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) after a week of voting. Training and development consultant Ms Mohammed said she hopes her election will 'inspire more women and young people' to take on leadership positions as they are 'the future of this organisation'. She graduated from the University of Strathclyde with a master's degree in human right's law in 2014. In 2016, she became the first female president of the Federation of Student Islamic Organisations (FOSIS). She has been critical of the Government's anti-extremist Prevent strategy, claiming it puts students 'under the microscope'. She went on to serve as an assistant secretary general for the MCB - the UKs largest umbrella body of mosques, Islamic schools and Muslim associations. In 2019, she became the head of media and communications at the Muslim Council of Scotland. Advertisement

Ms Mohammed has been critical of the Government's Prevent counter-terror legislation - which aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

Speaking about it in 2016, she said: 'Prevent is a perfect example where something was made without any kind of context and we're always willing and open for a conversation and discussion and it's our job to make sure that voice is heard.

'There's so much negative press now, at university people should be able to be themselves and not under a microscope of Government legislation, and for me my whole vision and aim this year is to help develop confident Muslim students.'

Several people convicted for terror offences attended British universities. Further-education centres are now required to look out for signs of radicalization.

Ms Mohammed added in her interview with Buzzfeed: 'I think the government needs to understand what Muslims students need, and how they're being affected by this legislation and if we want good citizens and good British Muslims, UK-wide Muslims, then we have to make sure that we celebrate the good and the achievements.'

She previously served as an assistant secretary general for the MCB - the UKs largest umbrella body of mosques, Islamic schools and Muslim associations.

Ms Mohammed is also the first Scottish leader of the organisation in its history.

She has a master's degree in Human Rights Law from the University of Strathclyde and was the head of media and communications at the Muslim Council of Scotland prior to taking on her latest role.

Following her election, Ms Mohammed said: 'My vision is to continue to build a truly inclusive, diverse and representative body; one which is driven by the needs of British Muslims for the common good.

'Being elected as the first female secretary general is quite an honour and I hope it will inspire more women and young people to come forward to take on leadership roles.

'They are the future of this organisation and our society.'

Following her election, Mr Khan took to Twitter to congratulate her, writing: 'Terrific to see Zara Mohammed elected as the first woman Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain'

Ms Mohammed - who has worked with several Scottish charities - has shared pictures of her posing with Sadiq Khan and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (pictured)

In a photo taken during a dinner in June 2019, she said getting a selfie with the London Mayor (pictured) was her 'favourite' part of the evening

The MCB - which elects a new secretary general every two years - was previously headed by Harun Khan, who has completed his maximum four-year term.

Mr Khan said: 'It has been a privilege and honour to serve our communities over the past four and a half years as Secretary-General of this great national institution.

'There have been some amazing achievements during my tenure which stand testament to the dedication of volunteers, staff and our members.

'I wish the very best of success to Ms Zara Mohammed  may she continue to lead this organisation to greater heights for the betterment of our communities across the country.'
Even with a handful of available treatments efforts, to repurpose other drugs or discover new ones have not had much success

Nearly a year into the coronavirus pandemic, as thousands of patients are dying every day in the United States and widespread vaccination is still months away, doctors have precious few drugs to fight the virus. A handful of therapies  remdesivir, monoclonal antibodies and the steroid dexamethasone  have improved the care of COVID patients, putting doctors in a better position than they were when the virus surged last spring. But these drugs are not cure-alls and are not for everyone, and efforts to repurpose other drugs or discover new ones have not had much success.

The government poured $18.5 billion into vaccines, a strategy that resulted in at least five effective products at record-shattering speed. But its investment in drugs was far smaller, about $8.2 billion, most of which went to just a few candidates, such as monoclonal antibodies. Studies of other drugs were poorly organized.

The result was that many promising drugs that could stop the disease early, called antivirals, were neglected. Their trials have stalled, either because researchers could not find enough funding or enough patients to participate.

At the same time, a few drugs have received sustained investment despite disappointing results. There is now a wealth of evidence that the malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine did not work against COVID. And yet there are still 179 clinical trials with 169,370 patients in which at least some are receiving the drugs, according to the COVID Registry of Off-label & New Agents at the University of Pennsylvania. And the federal government funneled tens of millions of dollars into an expanded access program for convalescent plasma, infusing almost 100,000 COVID patients before there was any robust evidence that it worked. In January, those trials revealed that, at least for hospitalized patients, it does not.

The lack of centralized coordination meant that many trials for COVID antivirals were doomed from the start  too small and poorly designed to provide useful data, according to Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. If the government had instead set up an organized network of hospitals to carry out large trials and quickly share data, researchers would have many more answers now.

New antiviral drugs might help, but only now is the National Institutes of Health putting together a major initiative to develop them, meaning they will not be ready in time to fight the current pandemic.

This effort will be unlikely to provide therapeutics in 2021, Dr. Francis Collins, head of the NIH, said in a statement. If there is a COVID-24 or COVID-30 coming, we want to be prepared.

Even as the number of cases and deaths has surged around the country, the survival rate of those who are infected has improved significantly. A recent study found that by June, the mortality rates of those hospitalized had dropped to 9% from 17% at the start of the pandemic, a trend that has been echoed in other studies. Researchers say the improvement is partly because of the steroid dexamethasone, which boosts survival rates of severely ill patients by tamping down the immune system rather than blocking the virus. Patients may also be seeking care earlier in the course of the illness. And masks and social distancing may reduce viral exposure.

When the new coronavirus emerged as a global threat in early 2020, doctors frantically tried an assortment of existing drugs. But the only way to know if they actually worked was to set up large clinical trials in which some people received placebos and others took the drug in question.

Getting hundreds or thousands of people into such trials was a tremendous logistical challenge. In early 2020, the NIH narrowed its focus to a few promising drugs. That support led to the swift authorization of remdesivir and monoclonal antibodies. Remdesivir, which stops viruses from replicating inside cells, can modestly shorten the time patients need to recover but has no effect on mortality. Monoclonal antibodies, which stop the virus from entering cells, can be very potent, but only when given before people are sick enough to be hospitalized.

Hundreds of hospitals and universities began their own trials of existing drugs  already deemed safe and widely manufactured  that might also work against the coronavirus . But most of these trials were small and disorganized.

In many cases, researchers have been left on their own to set up trials without the backing of the federal government or pharmaceutical companies. In April, as New York City was in the throes of a COVID surge, Charles Mobbs, a neuroscientist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, heard about some intriguing work in France hinting at the effectiveness of an antipsychotic drug.

Doctors at French psychiatric hospitals had noticed that relatively few patients became ill with COVID-19 compared with the staff members who cared for them. Researchers speculated that the drugs the patients were taking could be protecting them. One of those drugs, the antipsychotic chlorpromazine, had been shown in laboratory experiments to prevent the coronavirus from multiplying.

The doctors tried to start a trial of chlorpromazine, but the pandemic ebbed  temporarily, it turned out  in France by the time they were ready. Mobbs then spent weeks making arrangements for a trial of his own on patients hospitalized at Mount Sinai, only to hit the same wall.

We ran out of patients, he said.

If doctors like Mobbs could tap into nationwide networks of hospitals, they would be able to find enough patients to run their trials quickly. Those networks exist, but they were not opened up for drug-repurposing efforts.

Many scientists suspect that the best time to fight the coronavirus is early in an infection, when the virus is multiplying quickly. But it is particularly hard to recruit trial volunteers who are not in a hospital. Researchers have to track down people right after they have tested positive and find a way to deliver the trial drugs to them.

At the University of Kentucky, researchers began such a trial in May to test a drug called camostat, which is normally used to treat inflammation of the pancreas. The scientists thought it might also work as a COVID-19 antiviral because it destroys a protein that the virus depends on to infect human cells. Because camostat comes in pill form, rather than an infusion, it would be especially useful for people like the trial volunteers, many of whom lived in remote rural areas.

But the researchers have spent the past eight months trying to recruit enough participants. They have had trouble finding patients who have recently received a COVID diagnosis, especially with the unpredictable rise and fall of cases.

This has been the source of the delays for essentially all of the trials around the world, said Dr. James Porterfield, an infectious disease clinician at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, who is leading the trial.

While doctors like Porterfield have struggled to carry out studies on their own, a few drugs have become sensations, praised as cure-alls despite a lack of evidence.

The first supposed panacea was hydroxychloroquine, a drug developed for malaria. Television pundits claimed it had healing powers, as did former President Donald Trump. Rather than start one large, well-designed trial across many hospitals, doctors began a swarm of small trials.

There was no coordination and no centralized leadership, said Ilan Schwartz, an infectious disease expert at the University of Alberta.

Nevertheless, the FDA gave the drug an emergency clearance as a treatment for people hospitalized with COVID. When large clinical trials finally did begin delivering results, it turned out that the drug provided no benefit  and might even do harm. The agency withdrew its authorization in June.

Many scientists were left embittered, considering all that work a waste of precious time and resources.

The clear, unambiguous and compelling lesson from the hydroxychloroquine story for the medical community and the public is that science and politics do not mix, Dr. Michael Saag of the University of Alabama at Birmingham wrote in November in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Now another drug is becoming popular before there is strong evidence that it works: the parasite-killing compound ivermectin. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who extolled hydroxychloroquine in April, held a hearing in December where Dr. Pierre Kory testified about ivermectin. Kory, a pulmonary and critical care specialist at Aurora St. Lukes Medical Center in Milwaukee at the time, called it effectively a miracle drug against COVID-19 . Yet there are no published results from large-scale clinical trials to support such claims  only small, suggestive ones.

Even if the federal government had set up a centralized trial network, as it is trying to do now, scientists would have still faced some unavoidable hurdles. It takes time to do careful experiments to discover promising drugs and then to confirm that they are really worth investigating further.

It is unclear how the Biden administrations new drug-testing effort will choose which drug candidates to support. But if trials begin in the next few months, it is possible they could reveal useful data by the end of the year.

Pharmaceutical companies are also beginning to fund some trials of repurposed drugs. A study published this past week in Science found that a 24-year-old cancer drug called plitidepsin is 27 times more potent than remdesivir at halting the coronavirus in lab experiments. In October, a Spanish drug company called PharmaMar reported promising results from a small safety trial of plitidepsin. Now the company is preparing to start a late-stage trial in Spain to see if the drug works compared with a placebo.

Pharma giant Merck is running a large, late-stage trial on a pill called molnupiravir, originally developed by Ridgeback Biotherapeutics for influenza, which has been shown to cure ferrets of COVID-19 . The trials first results could emerge as early as March.

Carl Zimmer. c.2021 The New York Times Company
Members of the Christ Embassy Church, Love World Arena in Accra complied with the COVID-19 safety protocols during church service on Sunday.



The church royal guards were spotted at their entrance as early as 0830 hours checking the temperature of all members before entering the church premises.



They ensured that all members either washed their hands with soap under running water or sanitized their hands and wore their nosemasks properly.



Chairs in the church hall were also arranged with social distancing.



Pastor Biodun Lawal, Regional Pastor for Christ Embassy Ghana in a sermon, advised members not be afraid of contracting the virus, but adhere to the safety protocols as COVID-19 cases continued to rise.



The latest update on the Ghana Health Service (GHS)website said the country has recorded 3,940 active cases with 390 deaths and 59,553 people recovered out of 63,883 cases recorded so far.



The Ghana Medical Association (GMA)in a statementissued earlier on called on government to place a ban on church services, funerals and other social gatherings.



The association said with the current trend, where an average of 600 persons tested positive for the virus a day, a review of the imposition of restriction was inevitable.



It said the non-adherence to the COVID-19 preventive measures has the potential to further escalate the spread of the disease hence, government should impose stricter measures in the fight against the pandemic.



The GMA has however threatened to embark on a strike should government fail to impose restrictions on social gatherings as the surge in active COVID-19 cases persisted.



Coronaviruses are said to be a large group of viruses that are common among animals.



In rare cases, they are what scientists call zoonotic, meaning, they can be transmitted from animals to humans, according to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.



They are said to be the cause of dangerous diseases with incubation period between 4-6 days.



Signs and symptoms are; fever, runny nose, cough, sore throat, and possibly a headache.

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
More investors are considering start-ups for their potentially strong returns - and a tempting 30 per cent tax break - but the sector says it still needs almost 7billion to reach its potential.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme is a government-led scheme that helps younger, businesses raise finance by offering investors generous tax reliefs, including income tax and capital gains relief and some protection against losses, in return for such high-risk investing.

Alex Davies, chief executive of Wealth Club, a tax-efficient investing platform said demand from investors has been suprisingly strong over the past year, with people choosing to back firms using technology to drive their business.

Among the popular firms on Wealth Club has been Pavegen, a company that generates clean energy and data from footsteps.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme Association has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak with a seven point 'wish list' that will help Britain's start-ups

Despite interest from investors remaining robust, according to the Enterprise Investment Scheme Association, more than 6.5billion of private sector equity investment is desperately needed.

Meanwhile, the trade body also found that economic uncertainties caused by both Covid-19 and Brexit, have led to a further shortfall of over 350million.

Mark Brownridge, director general of the EISA, said: 'As we exit the current pandemic it has never been more important for the Chancellor to incentivise private investment in the countrys fast growth businesses.'

Investors can access companies by investing in an EIS fund which offers a simple way of accessing a portfolio of early-stage businesses, or start-ups.

Investors can claim EIS relief on up to 1million worth of investments in qualifying companies per person per year.

This cap rises to 2million if you're investing in knowledge-intensive businesses, such as those in the life sciences sector.

But despite the sector's plea for more funding, things do appear to be going in the right direction.

Alex Davies, chief executive of Wealth Club, a tax-efficient investing options platform, said its customers have ploughed a huge 32million into EIS and SEIS so far this year, up from 21.9million during the same period in the last tax year.

'Had you asked me in March last year about the prospects for EIS, I would have been pretty negative. I would have also been totally wrong,' he said.

'As it's transpired, since mid-April 2020 we have seen a huge appetite for EIS from investors'.

Alex Davies of Wealth Club said 2020 saw huge appetite for EIS from investors

Alex said businesses that have been most in demand are those with technology at the heart of what they do.

Other favourites at WealthClub include EnterpriseAlumni, a Facebook of sorts for ex-staff of large corporates and Inotec, a 'medtech' firm which has developed a device that treats serious chronic wounds, already used by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Alex added: 'There are a number of reasons for the increase in EIS investment. Firstly, investors believe small businesses are more likely to adapt and prosper as a result of the crisis rather than large ones.

'Secondly, investors see others across the pond making huge sums from technology stocks.

'In the UK, you wont see these types of business in the main listed markets, so investors could miss out unless they look beyond them.'

'Furthermore, many investors believe tax is going to go up so want to invest as tax efficiently as possible whilst they can.

'Finally, with investors stuck at home all the time, there's no doubt they have much more time on their hands to review their investment portfolios.'

EISA's wish list for Rishi The EISA has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak with a seven point 'wish list' ahead of the forthcoming budget, detailed as follows:  Increase the limit for the Seed investment stage from 150,000 to 250,000.  Provide confirmation that the schemes will continue beyond the current 2025 sunset, to give both businesses and investors the reassurance that they need to remain confident of ongoing funding.  Amend the EUs State Aid and Risk Finance Guidelines. Brownridge said 'having left the EU, there are clearly changes to the State Aid legislation, which urgently need clarifying'.  Change the current restrictions on businesses using the EIS and SEIS schemes from the age of the business to the size of the business, with the objective of opening the schemes to more businesses and enabling more growth and employment as a result.  Reduce the administration burden for businesses looking to use the schemes. Brownridge added: 'The current guidelines have been put together over the past 25 years and are now too complicated and cumbersome for most early stage businesses. 'Reducing both the complexity and administration would help to drive the use of the schemes.'  At the same time as reducing the administration and complexity, address technical inconsistencies that arise when one EIS supported business buys another that has benefited from SEIS investment.  Make more businesses and investors aware of the schemes. 'Whilst businesses understanding of the various types of alternative funding is improving, there is still plenty more that can be done to highlight the importance of EIS and SEIS in providing the necessary growth funding that may well not be available from other more traditional sources,' said Brownridge.

The EISA is responsible for advising the government on the best conditions to encourage private investors to support growth businesses.

While the scheme has raised over 22billion for over 30,000 businesses since its launch in 1994, the trade body said there is still an 'investment gap' that needs to be addressed.

Lord Howard Flight, chair of the EISA, said: 'Ensuring the businesses with real growth potential have access to the investment they need is critical to the UKs recovery from the current pandemic.

'The SEIS and EIS schemes will play a major part in attracting the all-important private sector investment, and we look to the Chancellor to do all he can in his forthcoming statement to simplify, promote and extend the terms of the schemes so that we can be sure that every pound of investment is put to good use.'

A potential win for start-ups and investors

Additionally, all the old drivers of EIS business remains strong, such as restrictions on pensions for higher earners and tax increases on buy to let investment and dividends.

Alex added: 'EIS is a fertile hunting ground, provided youre happy to invest early stage and the risks that entails.

'For the right type of people, such as wealthier and more sophisticated investors, EIS investments can be hugely attractive.'

But EIS isn't just potentially good for the investor. It's been pivotal in ensuring start-ups in the UK can reach their potential.

Under EIS, small businesses can raise up to 5million each year, and a maximum of 12million in the companys lifetime.

This also includes amounts received from other venture capital schemes. The company must receive investment under a venture capital scheme within 7 years of its first commercial sale.

Since its inception 25 years ago, the scheme has helped over 30,000 SMEs and has raised more than 22billion.

Investment into SMEs creates jobs and because of the types of businesses the money goes into, namely fast-growing tech enabled businesses, these tend to be high value jobs.

Alex said: 'Creating lots of high-value jobs, lots of higher-rate taxpayers and lots of economic growth is a win for investors, companies and the economy.'
UW in the News

State, national and international media frequently feature the University of Wyoming and members of its community in stories. Here is a summary of some of the recent coverage:

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle republished an article that quoted a number of experts on whether Wyoming residents will get the COVID-19 vaccine. Discussing the economic side, UW economist Rob Godby said it is possible that the longer people resist being vaccinated, the longer the pandemic will last -- and the greater the economic fallout will be.

UW and the states seven community colleges are launching a collaborative effort to better prepare Wyoming students for the states evolving economy and encourage entrepreneurship. Wyoming Public Radio, Cowboy State Daily, Oil City News, Wyoming News Now, The Casper Star-Tribune (CS-T) and KFBC Radio reported that Gov. Mark Gordon and UW President Ed Seidel announced the Wyoming Innovation Network, a joint effort by all of the schools to focus more on Wyomings economic needs. SweetwaterNOW published UWs release on the initiative.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Sheridan Press and Sheridan Media published UWs release noting that UW and Wyomings community colleges have launched a new website designed to make it easier to plan and manage college credit transfer.

A recent UW study shows how President Joe Bidens 60-day moratorium on new oil and natural gas leases and drilling permits will affect Wyomings economy. According to a Wyoming Tribune Eagle article, Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow said the ban also would defund Wyomings public schools that rely on those tax dollars. National Public Radio, Bloomberg Law, The CS-T, Denver Business Journal and Energy in Depth published related articles citing the UW study.

Nextgov quoted Ed Synakowski, UWs vice president for research and economic development, about a new supercomputer that will launch next year at the National Center for Atmospheric Research-Wyoming Supercomputing Center in Cheyenne. The $35 million supercomputer will help researchers study Earth system science. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published a similar article.

Matt Kauffman, director of the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit at UW, was interviewed for a Pew Charitable Trusts article on how different agencies are collaborating on using the latest technologies involving GPS-enabled collars to track big-game migration patterns in real time.

Reuters quoted UW law Professor Michael Duff, a labor relations expert, for an article focusing on the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act. The measure is a public health emergency act that shields from liability makers of countermeasures such as diagnostic tests, protective gear and vaccines. The PREP Act is mentioned in a nursing home death involving a COVID-19 patient, which was the focus of the article.

UW was ranked No. 6 in College Magazines annual list of the Top 10 Safest Colleges and Campuses in the United States. The ranking is based on criteria such as on-campus violent crime reported, the citys annual violent crime and on-campus housing availability.

K2 Radio published UWs release noting that the university will offer a limited number of free COVID-19 tests to members of the public who are not displaying symptoms of the infection beginning this week.

UW graduate Emily Wood, from Granite Canyon in Laramie County, recently received the prestigious USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published UWs announcement.

Cowboy State Daily noted that exonerated Central Park Five member Yusef Salaam is next weeks Martin Luther King Jr. Days of Dialogue (MLK DOD) keynote speaker. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published UWs release announcing that political strategists Donna Brazile and Ana Navarro also will present during MLK DOD.

Registrations are now being accepted for next months virtual GRO-Biz conference. Sheridan Media published UWs release on the announcement.

The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published UWs release noting that the six-week Entrepreneur Essentials program offered by the university and Central Wyoming College will provide Wyoming residents with knowledge and tools to be successful entrepreneurs.

A total of 18 nonformal world language and culture courses will be offered through UWs World Language and Culture Program this semester. Hits 106 and The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published UWs release on the notification.

The Rocket Miner published UWs release noting that the American Heritage Center is providing additional digitized sources to be used for Wyoming History Day and the public.

UW psychology Professor Sean McCrea spoke with Wyoming Public Radio on why people do not wear masks on a consistent basis during the ongoing pandemic.

Laramie Live and K2 Radio published UWs release noting that energy experts will be on a panel Tuesday to discuss the Biden administrations executive orders for halting oil and gas leases.

UW College of Education Professor Andrea Burrows recently was named the Outstanding Science Teacher Educator of the Year by the Association for Science Teacher Education. The Wyoming Tribune Eagle published UWs release.
You are here: World

 Flash

The Myanmar President's Office declared a state of emergency which will last for one year after the military detained government leaders including the state counsellor and president on Monday.





The declaration signed by First Vice President U Myint Swe, who is serving as the acting president, was announced on the military-owned Myawady TV.





The state power will be handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Min Aung Hlaing, the statement said.





Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials were detained by the military earlier in the day.




Far more is now sitting in the coffers of a new political action committee, Save America, that Mr. Trump formed after the election and that provides him a fat war chest he can use to pay advisers, fund travel and maintain a political operation. Mr. Trumps new PAC had $31 million in the bank at the end of 2020 and an estimated $40 million more sitting in a shared party account waiting to be transferred into it.

Mr. Trumps extraordinary success raising money came mostly from grass-roots and online contributors drawn to his lie that the election result would soon be somehow wiped away. Only about a dozen donors gave $25,000 or more to one of Mr. Trumps committees after Nov. 24. (The lone six-figure donation came from Elaine J. Wold, a major Republican donor in Florida.)

Sophisticated donors are not dumb, said Dan Eberhart, a major Republican donor who has supported Mr. Trump in the past. They could see through what Trump was trying to do.

A spokesman for Mr. Trump did not respond to a request for comment.

One of the few five-figure checks deposited in December came from the National Fraternal Order of Police PAC. But its executive director, James Pasco, said the group had actually issued the $25,000 donation in early November. He said he did not know why it hadnt been cashed until December.

The optics of this are terrible, Mr. Pasco lamented. We in no way questioned the election at any point, or were involved in an effort to forestall the results.

[February 01, 2021] TAMUC Partners with Revature for Technology Certification Opportunities

Revature is the largest employer of entry-level technology talent in the United States, providing services to Fortune 500 companies, government organizations and more. The company has trained more than 7,000 software engineers in 54 technical disciplines, and recruited talent from 700 universities in 48 states. The partnership between Revature and Texas A&M University allows A&M-Commerce to provide technology certifications through the Revature Accelerator Program, which allows college seniors to attain the skills needed to embark on a fulfilling career in the technology sector. This free program will be available to any A&M-Commerce student entering their final semester before graduation. Participants will primarily focus on the foundational coding and object-oriented programming concepts necessary to kick off a career in software development and engineering. A 10-15 hour weekly commitment will be required for the entire semester to prepare for the final exam. Students will also become eligible for a placement bonus if they apply and are hired at Revature following completion of the program. A&M-Commerce President, Dr. Mark Rudin, touted the partnership with Revature as something that can enhance the career readiness of students. "We value and prioritize strong industry partnerships that boost our students' career readiness," Rudin said. "Our collaboration with Revature will provide important, hands-on coding and tech experience and great career opportunities for our students. We look forward to working with this impactful company." Dr. Yvonne Villanueva-Russell, dean of the College of Innovation and Design at A&M-Commerce, stated that this will be great asset to students of all disciplines.



"The College of Innovation and Design is committed to the university's strategic plan of student preparedness by offering workforce-leaning certificates and academic degrees," Villanueva-Russell said. "Career Development serves as a bridge to industry for students across all of our academic disciplines. What is most exciting about this opportunity is that students in history, agricultural sciences, education or the STEM fields have an equal opportunity to participate in this program to broaden and add value to their education." Revature CEO, Ashwin Bharath, stated the company is ready to get to work.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with A&M-Commerce, a leading public institution in North Texas, and an area with tremendous demand for emerging technology talent," Bharath said. "We remain committed to training the future tech workforce of tomorrow, and our partnership provides students with a unique opportunity to increase their employability and accelerate their career as tech professionals, while simultaneously completing their degree." A&M-Commerce seniors interested in the program can visit revature.com/tamuc About Revature Revature is the largest employer of emerging technology talent in the U.S. and the talent development partner of choice for Fortune 500 companies, government organizations and top systems integrators. Since its founding, Revature has trained over 7,000 software engineers in 54 technical disciplines, recruited talent from 700 universities, and deployed them to blue chip companies throughout the U.S. Revature's mission is to create a pathway for qualified candidates from diverse experiences and educational backgrounds to reach their potential as technology professionals. Graduates of the Revature program work on innovative, challenging and rewarding software development projects across the United States. Revature has committed to training one million developers over the next decade. Learn more at www.revature.com and follow @WeAreRevature on Twitter (News - Alert) and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005254/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

[February 01, 2021] Nozomi Networks Tops 100% Revenue Growth

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nozomi Networks Inc., the leader in OT and IoT security, today announced record 2020 growth and tremendous momentum moving into 2021. As industrial and critical infrastructure cybersecurity threats made operational resilience a top priority for large enterprises around the world, the company experienced 110% growth in annual recurring revenue (ARR) and doubled its customer base with a 90% increase in new customer revenues. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation, sped industrial connectivity and driven requirements to support remote work. In response, large enterprises turned to Nozomi Networks to implement projects to secure their operations and address emerging threats to the supply chain.

In 2020 Nozomi Networks market share neared 50% among the worlds top pharmaceutical, oil and gas, electric utility and mining operations. The number of devices monitored by Nozomi Networks solutions skyrocketed by more than 5,000% as the company successfully expanded its market to include IoT network cybersecurity. Continuing its commitment to innovation, the company launched Vantage, the first SaaS-based OT and IoT network visibility and security solution.



While our growth is truly extraordinary given the challenges of 2020, what makes the Nozomi team most proud is how we helped customers survive and thrive this past year, said Nozomi Networks CEO Edgard Capdevielle. As pharmaceutical companies raced for a vaccine, they knew that cybersecurity for their research, manufacturing and remote workers was essential. They turned to Nozomi Networks for help and we delivered. In other industries from automotive to advanced manufacturing, to transportation systems, energy companies and smart cities, Nozomi won new customers and grew our deployments with existing clients. Multimillion-dollar deals are now the norm. According to Gartner Research, operational resilience is the top priority for security professionals, and organizations are looking to converge all their security and safety disciplines to support this renewed focus. Advances in cloud and edge computing, robotics, embedded software, artificial intelligence (AI) or the emergence of 5G technology are all opening new digital transformation frontiers, but also new security and safety challenges that straddle the cyber and physical worlds in operational or mission-critical environments.* Nozomi Networks responded early with AI-powered network visibility and security solutions that integrate and work cross IT, OT, edge, and cloud environments. Vantage, the companys recently announced SaaS-based offering, and subscription pricing options across the companys entire product portfolio, make it possible for customers to leverage cloud-based industrial cybersecurity that enables them to scale quickly while minimizing complexity and cost.



While our deployment teams brought thousands of sites online, our engineers paved the way for the future with the introduction of Vantage, our cloud-based SaaS offering, said Andrea Carcano, Nozomi Networks Co-founder and CPO. Now customers can get Nozomi Networks industry leading security and visibility solutions via the cloud, which enables them to scale quickly while minimizing complexity and cost. Although 2020 was both challenging and extraordinary, 2021 will be even more exciting as customers use our innovations to speed the path to a modern and digitally transformed world. 2020 growth highlights include:

Revenue 110% growth in annual recurring revenue (ARR)

90% increase in new customer revenue Customers 100% customer growth

100% customer retention

89 NPS score for customer satisfaction

85% win rate in Proof of Concepts (PoCs)

Industry leader for third consecutive year in Gartner Peer Insight Reviews

Partners Forged new strategic partnerships with Honeywell, In-Q-Tel, Telefonica, ABB, AWS, Deloitte, EY, Google, ServiceNow and Yokogawa, which when combined with prior partnerships create the strongest partner ecosystem in IT/OT/IoT

Now partnered with:

 The worlds 5 largest IT cybersecurity companies

 7 of the worlds 10 largest industrial automation companies

 5 of the worlds top 10 consulting companies

 The worlds 5 largest IT cybersecurity companies  7 of the worlds 10 largest industrial automation companies  5 of the worlds top 10 consulting companies 1,000+ Certified Nozomi Networks Engineers across the partner ecosystem

Teamed with Lockheed Martin to propose an F-35 Cyber Center of Excellence in Switzerland

Joined forces with Maryland Innovation and Security Institute (MISI) and Dreamport to bolster U.S. Department of Defense supply chain and manufacturing base with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Strategic Partner and Customer Investments Government intelligence investor In-Q-Tel

World-leading telephone and mobile network provider Telefonica

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) investment arm, Forward Investments

Organizational Leadership Added cybersecurity veteran Barmak Meftah to Nozomi Networks Board of Directors

Expanded the executive leadership team to include CRO Stephen Driggers, Vice President of Americas Chris Dell and Head of People and Culture Alan Berusch About Nozomi Networks

Nozomi Networks is the leader in OT and IoT security and visibility. We accelerate digital transformation by unifying cybersecurity visibility for the largest critical infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, mining, transportation, building automation and other OT sites around the world. Our innovation and research make it possible to tackle escalating cyber risks through exceptional network visibility, threat detection and operational insight.

www.nozominetworks.com *Gartner Research, Market Guide for Operational Technology Security, 13 January 2021. Press Contacts:

Jil Backstrom

jil.backstrom@nozominetworks.com - 303.913.1650

Follow the Nozomi Networks Blog

Follow @nozominetworks on Twitter

Visit and follow the Nozomi Networks Corporate Page on LinkedIn



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 1 : Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced Rs 65,000 crore support for the development of 1,100 km of National Highway (NH) roads in Kerala.

The Minister also announced Rs 1,957 crore for the development of the second phase of Kochi Metro. The second phase will lead to the extension of 11.5 km of Kochi Metro.

The budget proposal by Sitharaman for exemption of people above 75 years from filing Income Tax (IT) returns has gone down well with the senior citizens. The exemption is for pensioners as well as those getting interest from bank deposits.

A.N.K. Nair, a retired official with the Indian Railways, while speaking to IANS said, "This is a good decision on the part of the Union Finance Minister. Allowing senior citizens above 75 years not to submit the Income Tax returns is a big relief to many of us." Premanand, an engineer and the owner of a Vedic mathematics start-up, while speaking to IANS said,"The Union Finance minister has announced huge financial support to the start-ups and I have to study in detail about the allocations. However, on a first look, I feel that people like us will be benefitted".

The budget proposal of a single-person Non-Resident Indian (NRI) company has also been accepted well in Kerala which has a robust NRI population.

Sajeev Thomas, a Dubai-based NRI who is now in Thiruvananthapuram, said,"It's a good decision, one can start a company individually. As I don't know the details of the proposal, I have to check and study it in detail and will then venture into it as I am planning to return to my hometown here and open a new company." Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and Kerala Public Works Department (PWD) Minister, G. Sudhakaran, while speaking to the media said, "The allocation of Rs 65,000 crore for the highway roads development in Kerala is a welcome move. The excellent work the state government has done in completing the Alappuzha by-pass will be one of the reasons for this allocation it seems. I will have to study the budgetary allocation in detail for further comments." State Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Issac was unavailable for comments.

Kerala unit Congress President Mullappally Ramachandran while speaking to IANS said, "I have not seen the budget in detail but the Modi government moving ahead with disinvestment policies is indeed leading to a major crisis for the country. This is not correct financial management and the government is trying to disinvest LIC which is a profit-making body." The reduction in customs duty on gold from 12 to 10.5 per cent will help to bring down gold prices in Kerala which is one of the highest consumers of gold.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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.
Next Story : Moheys Wedding Collection Sets The Tone For The Bridal Season

Image: InstagramAnother eligible bachelor of movie town is now officially off the market! The original student of the year is no more a student or a bachelor, he is now well into his way into a married mans life. When the news broke out that childhood sweethearts would be tying the knot in Alibaug across three days of ceremonies, Instagram and the paparazzi of B-Town went out of whack. Pictures of the Dhawan family, friends and videos of photographers hounding his wedding destination were all we could see for the last three days. While we wish a hearty congratulations and happy married life to both the newlyweds, lets dive into their relationship timeline:Image: Instagram We all very know the Coolie No. 1 actor, however, theres not much that we know about Dalal. Quite reticent and media-shy, Natatsha Dalal is a fashion designer graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology from New York,and runs her own clothing line Natasha Dalal Label. In fact, her bridal outfit is from her own label itself.Image: Instagram Dhawan and Dalal knew each other since childhood as they went to the same school and their families often bumped into each other at social gatherings. It is stated, as per various reports online, that after graduating from Bombay Scottish High School, they met at a music concert and the sparks started flying from thereon. Dalal shared that they were friends for the longest time and started dating only when she moved to New York to pursue her studies, in an interview with a leading magazine.Image: Instagram Dhawan is quite guarded when it comes to his personal life especially when they started out. However, on Koffee With Karan Season 6, when he appeared alongside Katrina Kaif, he publicly confirmed that they were a couple when Karan Johar prodded about it; putting all rumours and link-ups to rest.Image: Instagram New Years getaways and parties of celebrities have always been a grand affair. Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan going to Gstaad or Priyanka Chopra Jonas spending it on a yacht with Nick Jonas. On such a similar getaway to bring in 2020, Varun Dhawan and Natasha Dalal, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli, and Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan crossed paths in the Swiss Alps of Gstaad. In a way, the Dhawans made their relationship Instagram official with the volley of pictures that were thrown at our feeds!Image: Instagram Now with years of dating and friendship behind, Dhawan and Dalal have finally tied the knot amongst close family, friends and the social media stalking their every whereabouts. Looking resplendent in Manish Malhotra, Varun Dhawan looked like the million dollar groom and put his bachelor times in Alibaug!Heres to the couple in love, a very happy married life!
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 15:15:37|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

CHANGCHUN, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Hongqi, a car brand under China's leading automaker FAW Group Co., Ltd., posted rising sales in January.

The brand registered more than 32,500 units in vehicle sales last month, up 158 percent year on year, according to FAW Group.

Hongqi, meaning "red flag," is China's iconic sedan brand. Established in 1958, the brand has been used as the vehicle for parades for national celebrations. It registered a new sales record in 2020, with the number of vehicles manufactured and sold both exceeding 200,000 units.

Founded in 1953 in the northeastern city of Changchun, capital of Jilin Province, FAW Group is regarded as the cradle of China's auto industry. Enditem
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.


December 2020 Quarterly Activities and Cashflow Reports

Melbourne, Feb 1, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Cohiba Minerals Limited ( ASX:CHK ) provide the December 2020 Quarterly Activities Report & Appendix 5B.Highlights for the December 2020 Quarter:- Drillhole HWDD03 was completed to a depth of 1,179.7 m (assays pending).- Drillhole HWDD04 was completed to a depth of 1,464.7 m (assays pending).- Drillhole HWDD01 was completed to a depth of 1,182.9 m.- The Company exceeded its $1.5M expenditure milestone to secure 80% ownership of the Olympic Domain tenements and notified Olympic Domain of its intention to exert its right.- Completion of a heavily oversubscribed Share Purchase Plan with $9.38 million received in applications and acceptance of $5.79 million following scale back.- The Mining Plan and Mine Closure Plan for the Pyramid Lake Gypsum Project neared completion. An update is required for the Invertebrate Study which is underway.Cohiba Minerals Limited provides below an update in relation to the exploration activities carried out during the December 2020 quarter.To view the report, please visit:About Cohiba Minerals Limited

Cohiba Minerals Limited (ASX:CHK) is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange with the primary focus of investing in the resource sector through direct tenement acquisition, joint ventures, farm in arrangements and new project generation. The shares of the company trade under the ticker symbol CHK.

The Company recently acquired 100% of the shares in Charge Lithium Pty Ltd, which holds exploration licences in Western Australia.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on July 15, 2019. (Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images)

13 Republicans Demand Ocasio-Cortez Apologize for Claim Cruz Almost Had Me Murdered

A number of GOP House members are urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi to require Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to retract her Twitter statement about Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), in which she said Cruz almost had me murdered.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) led 12 of his colleagues to write a letter to the Speaker about the issue and require that the self-described Democratic socialist apologize for the comment she made in the post last week.

In the Jan. 28 post, Ocasio-Cortez said she would not work with Cruz on the Robinhood Scandal because he was to blame for the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol in which the New York representative claimed she was almost killed.

I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where theres common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago. So, you can sit this one out. Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that arent trying to get me killed. In the meantime, if you want to help, you can resign.

Some of Ocasio-Cortezs Republican colleagues say she went too far.

It has come to our attention that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez sent out a tweet in which she accused Senator Cruz, in essence, of attempted murder, the letter states. We believe this is completely unacceptable behavior for a member of Congress to make this kind of scurrilous charge against another member, in the House or Senate, for simply engaging in speech and debate regarding electors as they interpreted the Constitution.

We ask you to call on her to immediately apologize and retract her comments. It is our sincere hope that we all stop this heightened rhetoric and move forward to actually do the work the American people sent us here to do, they continue.

Ocasio-Cortez did not immediately return a request for comment.

The Speakers office did not return a request for comment about the GOP members letter, but she has criticized Republicans who stood up for President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 breach.

In a Jan. 31 press statement, Pelosi went as far as comparing the Jan. 6 incident to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

At least in 9/11, it was unifying, and there was no question that everyone was sympathetic to those who lost their loved ones, their families, and the rest, and that we would get to the bottom of it, Pelosi said.

Pelosi added, To just say, Well, whats the big deal? Lets just turn the page. Turn the page? No, I dont think so.

During the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress where the Electors were being certified, two-thirds of House Republicans filed an objection against electors in states where irregularities were found related to the vote count.

According to a Congressional Research Service, the U.S. Constitution has a procedure under Section 15 for making and acting on objections to the counting of one or more of the electoral votes from a state or the District of Columbia.

Other members who signed the letter to Pelosi are Reps. Randy Weber (R-Texas), Pat Fallon (R-Texas), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Jody Hice (R-Ga.), Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), Pete Sessions (R-Texas), Michael Burgess (R-Texas), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.), Yvette Harrell (R-N.M.), and Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.).
Telestax Brings CPaaS Functionality to NEC Customer Base

By Luke Bellos , Editor, Business VoIP

Telestax and NEC Corporation of America reached an agreement, to bring CPaaS capabilities to NECs customer base.

Telestax, the Austin-based CPaaS enablement company, previously had a working relationship with NEC to deliver SMS technology into NEC UC-Suite, the companys integrated unified communications solution. The new deal will allow Telestax to continue to provide SMS services, along with additional features to improve communications and create new digital channels

By working with Telestax, we can now deliver the best CPaaS capability to this critical market we already know so well. Thanks to the Telestax business model, it has been simple to integrate and white label their CPaaS platform into a full NEC experience. The Telestax offerings are designed for companies like ours that are strategically focused on rapidly bringing programmable cloud communications to the market.

The CPaaS platform created by Telestax will now feature The NEC UC-SUITE UNIVERGE SV9100 Contact Center application, which will allow SMS compatibility on any fixed line. Employees and customers will be able to use text messages the same way they would use internal chat messages, making customer service and support much easier. The NEC Front Desk Assistant will also be included, allowing contactless check-ins using biometrics and automated messaging for guest arrivals.

The Telestax turnkey applications will include new features as well, such as number masking for private communications for phone calls and texting. Smart 2FA is also enabled, which gives users the ability to create one-time passwords, as well as two-factor authorization for more secure portals and account data.

As soon as we partnered with Telestax, we were off to the races in bringing API-based functionality to our products, customers, and channel partners, said Menghani. And we are absolutely not done. We are already working on several new cloud features and products with Telestax using their innovative voice and messaging capabilities.

Please enable JavaScript to view the

Edited by Maurice Nagle
Health authorities and police will continue to use the Four Points hotel in the Perth CBD as a quarantine facility while investigating how a security guard caught the more contagious UK COVID-19 strain while working there last week.

WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said he had not received any advice from WA Health to suggest they stop using the hotel, where four COVID-positive cases are staying, including two UK variant cases and one case with the South African strain.

WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said the hotel would continue to be used. Credit:Hamish Hastie

What were doing is examining the procedural issues about how the security guard got infected but there is no information thats been presented to me to say the hotel is unsuitable, he said.

On Monday, Arsiyanti Ardie, who is in quarantine at the Four Points, raised concerns that air-conditioning was shared between rooms after she smelled cleaning products being used in other rooms on her floor.
Mr. Cohen argued that GameStop could thrive by cutting real estate costs and making the companys online offering more attractive. It would have competitive pricing, broad gaming selection, fast shipping and a truly high-touch experience that excites and delights customers, he wrote.

A representative for Mr. Cohen, who was appointed to the retailers board this year along with two other executives, declined to comment.

Even analysts who think GameStops stock has become a bubble said that the company has some things going for it. Mr. Pachter, the Wedbush analyst, said that George Sherman, who was appointed GameStops chief executive in 2019, had strengthened its finances, giving his team time to attempt a turnaround.

Mr. Pachter says the shift to downloading games from the internet is not as big a threat to GameStop as it looks. The company has a solid business in allowing customers to trade in old games that keeps people coming into its stores. For that reason, its not Tower Records, he argues, referring to the music store empire whose parent company declared bankruptcy in 2004.

Gamers love to gripe about GameStops trade-in prices, saying the company sometimes pays less than $2 for them. Yet GameStop also occupies a nostalgic niche, reminding people of a time when browsing for bargains or searching for the newest hit gaming title entailed a trip to the mall. So what if the stores had an aesthetic that might best be described as the opposite of Apples sleek, minimalist outlets?

Aaron Littman, a dog walker in Manhattan, is a regular customer because GameStop stores have a good selection of used games, which he buys when his 6-year-old son visits. I stock up on the ones he really likes, Mr. Littman said on Friday outside a GameStop on 14th Street in Union Square.

With its future far from certain, GameStop could take advantage of the mania in its stock by issuing new shares. That would bring in a considerable amount of new money that could be used to reduce debt and give it resources to invest in its business.
Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp are currently confusing people since they don't know which one can offer a more secure service. Some prefer Signal to use because Elon Musk suggested it previously on Twitter, while others are using Telegram.

Also Read: iOS 14 New BlastDoor Messages App Security Could Block Hackers' Brute Force Attacks

But, which one is better than the other? To help you further, here are each of their security features so that you can know which one can better suit your daily life and protect your sensitive data.

According to CNET's latest report, Signal is currently the best app that can secure your conversation and protect your sensitive data. Why? Because it is using a security feature called end-to-end encryption or E2E encryption.

Why Signal is the best one of them

Thanks to the E2E encryption, experts are currently suggesting using Signal as people's means of communication. Elon Musk also highly recommended it. He even posted a tweet to promote the app.

If you haven't used it yet, Signal is a typical one-tap install app that can be installed from Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store. It works just like the usual text-messaging app.

One of the greatest security features of Signal is that it can send fully encrypted video, audio, picture, and text messages. This means that the company's employees can't see the conversation on the end of the sender and receiver's accounts. Here are other features of Signal.

Free, no ads, funded by nonprofit Signal Foundation

Does not collect data, only your phone number

Encryption: Signal Protocol

Fully open-source

However, if you still want to try the remaining two apps, here are their features which you can compare with Signal.

WhatsApp and Telegram's security features

Telegram

Telegram is still used by many employees from different companies across the globe. If you will compare it with the other two messaging apps, security experts explained that it falls in between. It can collect your IP address, which is not conducted by Signal. Telegram also doesn't offer E2E encryption, which is the most important feature for a complete secured app. To give you more idea, here are its key features;

Free, forthcoming Ad Platform and premium features, funded mainly by founder

Data linked to you: Name, phone number, contacts, user ID

Encryption: MTProto

Only partially open-source

WhatsApp

WhatsApp is less secured compared to the other two apps mentioned above. Some users already uninstalled it ever since it released its new user data sharing policy. Why? Because the Facebook-owned app is now requiring its users to allow it to share their sensitive information with FB. Although it has the same encryption protocol as Signal, its version is one of the few open-source parts of the platform. If you want to know how unsecure it is, Jeff Bezos's smartphone was previously hacked because of his WhatsApp account. Here are the app's features you need to check;

Free; business versions available for free, funded by Facebook

Not open-source, except for encryption

Data linked to you: Too much to list (see below)

Encryption: Signal Protocol

What to look for in a secured app

Android Developer's previous report explained that there are certain factors that app creators should consider to make a secured app. Users should also look for these features if they want a secured application. Here are the exact features you need to look for;

Technologies like ASLR, NX, ProPolice, safe_iop, OpenBSD dlmalloc, OpenBSD calloc, and Linux mmap_min_addr to mitigate risks associated with common memory management errors.

An encrypted file system that can be enabled to protect data on lost or stolen devices.

User-granted permissions to restrict access to system features and user data.

An application framework with robust implementations of common security functionality such as cryptography, permissions, and secure IPC.

Application-defined permissions to control application data on a per-app basis.

The Android Application Sandbox, which isolates your app data and code execution from other apps.

For more news updates about other apps that can protect your sensitive info, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: iOS 14 New BlastDoor Messages App Security Could Block Hackers' Brute Force Attacks

This article is owned by TechTimes.

Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Former Real Housewives of Dallas star LeeAnne Locken is opening up about why she exited the show after five years.

Speaking on podcast Chanel In The City with Chanel Omari the 53-year-old, who left the Bravo show last year, accused her former castmates of 'attacking her' and making her a scapegoat

Locken said the stress became too much with her costars picking fights with her.

Former RHOD LeeAnne Locken has opened up about the toxicity among her castmates after leaving the show last year

'I was always going to be the target and I was always going to be their scapegoat for, I don't have much going on. So let's fight with Leanne and you know, you can, every article that you read about Dallas, all roads lead back to Leanne.' Locken told Omari.

'And I just honestly don't think people understand the amount of stress that can cause on one human. It wasn't my job to carry that show. It never should have been my job, but because some other cast are lazy, it became, they forced it on me.

'And then they attacked me for being right. And I just got to a point where the toxicity level was just too much, you know, look, I, I'm not perfect. I made a ton of mistakes on that show, but I grew a ton on that show and I hope that the audience saw me grow and grew with me because that was my goal.'

Locken opened up on the podcast Chanel In The City with Chanel Omari

'I was always going to be the target and I was always going to be their scapegoat for, I don't have much going on. So let's fight with Leanne and you know,' Locken said

'Then they attacked me for being right. And I just got to a point where the toxicity level was just too much, you know,' Locken said

Locken did say she would consider returning to the show, but only if it was with a completely different cast.

'There would have to be several removals before I would go back only because the way that I learned to uplift and encourage and inspire is by sharing my life.'

In 2019, Locken came under fire for making a racially insensitive comment during a cast trip to Thailand.

While talking about Kary Brittingham, Locken said: 'The little chirpy Mexican has to have her way.'

She took to Twitter to apologize after fan backlash.

'I just honestly don't think people understand the amount of stress that can cause on one human. It wasn't my job to carry that show. It never should have been my job, but because some other cast are lazy, it became, they forced it on me'

Locken said she will only go back to the show if it's a totally different cast: 'There would have to be several removals before I would go back only because the way that I learned to uplift and encourage and inspire is by sharing my life.'

LeeAnne wrote: 'I am deeply sorry to those that I have hurt or offended with some of my comments on Real Housewives of Dallas Season 4.

'It was never my intention to hurt anyone and I will use this as a learning experience to be more aware of my comments in the future.

'My commitment to moving forward is to continue my work fighting for quality and acceptance of all humans.'

Reflecting on the incident Locken told Omari, 'I learned from it and I grew from it. And I realized that it's about respecting one another. And you know, I think that's the most important thing. We don't grow without learning to respect one another.

'And if you look at all the movements that are happening today, they're happening because people don't feel respected. And so for me, I just want to say, I, I think the biggest example of how much I respect all ethnicities, race, sexual orientation is my LGBTQ advocacy.'
The restoration of transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan is envisaged by the Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement that stopped the war in Nagorno-Karabakh on November 10.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian decided to set up a trilateral working group for that purpose when they met in Moscow on January 11. They said it will submit by March 1 a timetable of measures envisaging the restoration and construction of new transport infrastructure facilities.

The group co-headed by deputy prime ministers of the three states held its first meeting in the Russian capital on Saturday. A Russian government statement said it decided to form two expert subgroups that will deal with transport issues and border controls.

The truce agreement specifically commits Yerevan to opening rail and road links between the Nakhichevan exclave and the rest of Azerbaijan that will presumably pass through southeastern Armenia. Armenia should be able, for its part, to use Azerbaijani territory as a transit route for cargo shipments to and from Russia and Iran.

Visiting Yerevan last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said his country looks forward to establishing a rail link with Armenia.
Online discussion to reassure minority groups vaccination is safe

PEOPLE from minority groups in West Berkshire are being urged to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

A webinar to talk about concerns surrounding the vaccines and to debunk misinformation is being held next week.

The event is being organised by Community United in conjunction with West Berkshire Councils Public Health team.

Community United West Berkshire is a not-for-profit community organisation established to benefit people of ethnic background, refugee communities and other marginalised, vulnerable adults, young adults and children in West Berkshire.

The event follows misinformation among ethnic minority communities leading to concerns about the uptake of the vaccine.

Community United directors Alice Kunjappy-Clifton, Carol Jackson-Doerge and Julian Swift-Hook said that cultural elements could be playing a part and that they wanted to debunk some of the myths.

Mrs Kunjappy-Clifton said that the team had been busy working to inform the ethnically diverse community and this was "more important now, especially with the testing and the vaccine".

She said: "Its about getting the message right and at the same time addressing their concerns, which are cultural and historical.

"Its been fast-paced. Its not been easy, but the community needs that information."

Mrs Jackson-Doerge said: "Within the BAME community theres a lot of mistrust of the vaccine and a lot of this goes back to a cultural dynamic.

"A lot of their communities get their information from their own countries."

She said that the speed of vaccine being developed, along with cultural elements, could be a cause but Community United was addressing how accurate information could be disseminated.

She said: "They are not hearing the same thing we are.

"It could be lingual, it could be cultural, you cant single something out and say thats the reason, its complex.

"The learning outcome from Covid is understanding cultural identity."

Mr Swift-Hook said: "Theres a lot of concern about coronavirus in all areas of the community, but these communities seem to be getting some very concerning and inappropriate messages about the vaccine."

He said that most of the messaging about the virus and the vaccines were being shared within social media and family echo chambers.

"With that in mind, its understandable that people are concerned, and if you factor in additional language issues where English is not their first language they cant assimilate the information coming to them from the UK."

Mr Swift-Hook said that some people within ethnic minority communities had a reluctance to go to the police or engage with the authorities because of "a cultural approach or their experience of working with the police in another country, which has not necessarily gone well".

He said: "As a non-government, non-police, non-statutory organisation, its easier for us to be talking to communities, particularly considering our own diversity and our own diverse backgrounds supporting communities in general."

The resounding message was to receive the vaccine.

Mrs Kunjappy-Clifton, who also works for Healthwatch West Berkshire, said: "If they get the appointment, go for it."

Mrs Jackson-Doerge said: "The key message is that its safe to take the vaccine on many levels.

"Its protecting the community and protecting their family."

Lets Talk about the Covid-19 Vaccine Concerns will be held between 6.30pm and 8pm on Thursday, February 4

Contact info@communityunited.uk for more information.
Delhi Police has now made special steel sticks (lathi) which will be effective for dealing with the rioters attacking with the sword. At present, 50 such steel sticks have been made but more can be made if the need arises.

A Delhi Police official told Zee News that while protesters at the Delhi border were taking out the tractor parade on January 26, many tractors broke through the fixed route and entered Delhi. The rioters hoisted the religious flag on the ramparts of the Red Fort and were also dangling swords there.

The rioters who entered forcibly in Delhi had swords, iron rods and other weapons in their hands. When they were stopped by policemen, they were attacked and even stoned.

About 384 policemen were injured in this violence. Most of the policemen were injured in the Red Fort violence. SHO PC Yadav who was on duty there was also attacked with a sword. Many policemen are still admitted in the hospital.

The police officer said that special steel sticks have been made to deal with such rioters. About 30 sticks have been given to the Shahadra District and about 20 sticks have been sent to the East District. When the situation is getting out of control and they have weapons like a sword. A police officer told that when the rioters were wielding a sword on the police, it was difficult to stop with wooden sticks.

Meanwhile, on January 29, SHO Alipur Pradeep Paliwal was attacked with a sword. If such steel sticks were there, the sword could be controlled, added the official.
For the first time, scientists have calculated the global impact of human activity on animal movement, revealing widespread impacts that threaten species survival and biodiversity.

While it has been shown that activities such as logging and urbanisation can have big impacts on wildlife, the study by scientists at the University of Sydney and Deakin University in Australia shows that episodic events such as hunting, military activity and recreation can trigger even bigger changes in animal behaviour.

"It is vital we understand the scale of impact that humans have on other animal species," said lead author Dr Tim Doherty, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Sydney. "The consequences of changed animal movement can be profound and lead to reduced animal fitness, lower chances of survival, reduced reproductive rates, genetic isolation and even local extinction."

The study is published today in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

Key findings include:

- Changes in animal movement in response to disturbance are common - Episodic human activities such as hunting, aircraft use, military activity and recreation can cause much greater increases in movement distances than habitat modification such as logging or agriculture - Episodic disturbances force a 35 percent overall change in movement (increase and decrease); habitat modifications force a 12 percent change - Increases in animal movement averaged 70 percent - Decreases in animal movement averaged 37 percent

The study points to a global restructuring of animal movements caused by human disturbance, with potentially profound impacts on animal populations, species and ecosystem processes.

"Movement is critical to animal survival, but it can be disrupted by human disturbances," Dr Doherty said. "Animals adopt behavioural mechanisms to adjust to human activity, such as by fleeing or avoiding humans, travelling further to find food or mates; or finding new shelter to avoid humans or predators."

In some cases, human activity forced a reduction in animal movement, the study found, because of increased access to food in human locations, reduced ability to move from modified habitat or restrictions to movement by physical barriers.

"As well as the direct impact on animal species, there are knock-on effects," Dr Doherty said. "Animal movement is linked to important ecological processes such as pollination, seed dispersal and soil turnover, so disrupted animal movement can have negative impacts throughout ecosystems."

POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Dr Doherty, who started this research at Deakin University before moving to the University of Sydney, has said the findings have important policy implications for managing animal biodiversity.

"In marine environments and landscapes relatively untouched by human impact, it is important that habitat modification is avoided," said Dr Doherty from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences in the Faculty of Science.

"This could involve strengthening and supporting existing protected areas and securing more areas of wilderness for legal protection."

The study says it might be easier to reduce the impacts of episodic disturbances by carefully managing certain activities, such as hunting and tourism, in wilderness areas, especially during animal breeding periods.

"Where habitat modification is unavoidable, we recommend that knowledge of animal movement behaviour informs landscape design and management to ensure animal movement is secured," Dr Doherty said.

He said that reducing negative impacts of human activity on animal movement will be vital for securing biodiversity in an increasingly human-dominated world.

"Further research is needed to better understand the impact of habitat modification on animal movement in rapidly developing parts of the world," Dr Doherty said.

The research compiled and analysed 208 separate studies on 167 animal species over 39 years to assess how human disturbance influences animal movement. In more than one-third of cases, animals were forced into changes that saw movement increase by more than 50 percent.

Species covered in the study range from the 0.05 gram sleepy orange butterfly to the more than 2000 kilogram great white shark. There were 37 bird species, 77 mammal species, 17 reptile species, 11 amphibian species, 13 fish species and 12 arthropod (insect) species covered.

###

DOWNLOAD photo of Dr Tim Doherty and photos of species listed below at this link.

RESEARCH PAPER available on request. DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01380-1

INTERVIEWS

Dr Tim Doherty | ARC DECRA Fellow School of Life and Environmental Sciences | The University of Sydney tim.doherty@sydney.edu.au | +61 431 961 310

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Marcus Strom | marcus.strom@sydney.edu.au | +61 423 982 485

DECLARATION

Dr Tim Doherty was funded by an Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from Deakin University and a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award from the Australian Research Council. The researchers acknowledge use of the University of Sydney's high-performance computing cluster, Artemis.

The researchers acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nations as traditional custodians of the land on which the review was conducted.

Animal movement examples

Africa

Spotted sand lizard (Pedioplanis lineoocellata): in South Africa, lizards in overgrazed areas moved more frequently and over larger distances than those in less disturbed areas.

Lemurs (Propithecus edwardsi): in Madagascar home range size of lemurs (Milne-Edwards' Sifaka) was 56 percent higher in logged compared to unlogged forests.

Asia

Golden jackal (Canis aureus): the home range size of jackals near villages was 68 percent smaller than those in more natural areas.

Japanese squirrel (Sciurus lis): range size increased as the amount of suitable habitat in the landscape decreased.

Australia

Squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis): in Brisbane gliders living near roads and residential areas had smaller home ranges than those living in the interior or remnant bushland.

Mountain brushtail possum (Trichosurus cunninghami): in central Victoria daily movement distances of male possums were 57 percent higher in linear roadside remnants compared to large forest fragments.

White-browed babbler (Pomatostomus superciliosus): in the WA Wheatbelt babblers living in linear remnants had smaller breeding ranges than animals living in larger patches.

Europe

Moose (Alces alces): in Norway military manoeuvres caused an average 84 percent increase in moose home ranges; exposure of moose in Sweden to back-country skiers caused a 33-fold increase in movement speeds in the first hour after disturbance.

Badgers (Meles meles): in Britain, badgers increased their movements in response to a culling program.

North America USA

Elk (Cervus canadensis): hunting caused increases in movement rates.

Texas tortoises (Gopherus berlandieri): moved shorter distances and had smaller home ranges in response to livestock grazing.

River otters (Lontra canadensis): had larger home ranges in areas polluted by an oil spill compared to those outside this area.

Canada

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus), or reindeer: noise from petroleum exploration caused increases in movement speeds.

Black bears (Ursus americanus): oil development in Alberta caused both increases and decreases in bear movement, depending on season and reproductive status.

South America
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.
When the restrictions are relaxed, we and our partners will act as soon practical to arrange and continue these discussions"

Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd ( ) ( ) told investors that its 50%-owned joint venture company Shoreline CanOverseas Petroleum has extended the completion date of its agreement with Essar to April 30, 2021.

Following initial agreement in August 2020 the parties have been working to resolve their disputes.

"ShoreCan and Essar Mauritius, the shareholders of COPL's Nigerian Affiliate, are engaged in the process to reach completion to the agreements announced on August 4th. As we indicated in October of last year, face to face or in person meetings are required, said Arthur Millholland, COPL chairman in a statement.

He added: Sub-Saharan Africa is currently in the midst of battling new virulent mutant strains of the virus, as are other jurisdictions, without the public health care systems that we rely on. When the restrictions are relaxed, we and our partners will act as soon practical to arrange and continue these discussions.

Once the terms of the extension of the OPL 226 are in hand, the company's Nigerian Affiliate will determine an operational schedule going forward and the timing for its execution.

More recently, in December, COPL inked what was described as a game-changing acquisition, picking up Atomic Oil & Gas LLC.

The transaction has a reported deal value of US$54mln - comprising a US$1mln deposit, US$26mln of assumed debt, US$23mln of debt and cash payments, plus US$4mln in shares. It delivers producing assets in the US state of Wyoming, the Barron Flats Shannon Unit (57.7% owned by Atomic) and Cole Creek Unit (66.7% owned by Atomic).

Millholland said: At present the company is focused on completing the Atomic acquisition, and then executing a plan to increase the oil production and value of the Atomic assets. All of this will be a great benefit to our shareholders in 2021."

RAVENNA, FEB 1 - A 53-year-old Italian woman got 21 years in jail Monday for stabbing her 61-year-old Italian partner to death at their piadina stand on the Ravenna coast in August 2019. Mail Conti, born in Milan and resident at Travo near Piacenza, was found guilty of murdering Leonardo Politi, from Piacenza, on the night of August 12-13 that year. The woman said she had been defending herself from the umpteenth episode of drunken domestic violence by Politi. (ANSA).
AstraZenecas early trials didnt include as many older people as younger people. Credit: Shutterstock

Last week, a German vaccine advisory committee recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine only be used in 18-64-year-olds, citing a lack of data on the efficacy of the vaccine in people over 65.

Subsequently, the European regulator, the European Medicines Agency, conditionally approved the vaccine for anyone over 18.

What can we make of this? Should we be giving this vaccine to older people or not?

While we don't yet have all the data we'd like, we don't have reason to believe this vaccine won't be at least somewhat effective in older adults. To exclude them from receiving it wouldn't necessarily be the right approach.

The recommendation

STIKO, a German vaccine advisory committee that reports to the country's government, was responsible for the draft recommendation which caused the stir. It released a similar final recommendation at the weekend.

While the German government may elect to follow STIKO's advice or the European Medicines Agency's guidelines, the latter's approval carries significant weight. Equivalent to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia, this body decides which vaccines may legally be supplied in Europe.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has already received approvals, not singling out older age groups, from multiple international regulators, including those in the United Kingdom, India and Mexico.

Why did STIKO make this recommendation?

STIKO's advice is based on the fact it didn't have enough data to definitively say whether the vaccine will work in older peoplenot because it won't.

According to the data we have so far from AstraZeneca's phase 3 trials, only two out of 660 people in the trial aged over 65 got sick with COVID-19. Two sick people isn't enough for a strong statistical analysis.

AstraZeneca initially enrolled younger people in its trials, with older people enrolled only later. So data on older people in the original trials and another trial in the United States are still on the way.

What do we know about the vaccine?

We have very good safety data for the AstraZeneca vaccine in older people. Older people actually have significantly lower levels of early side effects after vaccination. This makes sense, as older people's immune systems don't tend to react as strongly to vaccines, which would reduce many of these early side effects.

But the vaccine has been shown to induce strong immune responses in older people, which are likely to provide a degree of protection. The European Medicine Agency's press release on their decision refers to a reasonable likelihood of protection based on this data.

So, just looking at immune responses, it's reasonable to anticipate the AstraZeneca vaccine will be of some benefit, at least, to older people.

What do we know from other vaccines?

Often, vaccines aren't as effective in older people as compared to younger people, because their immune responses can be less robust. For example, in 2010-2011 in the US, the flu vaccine was 60% effective in the general population, but only 38% effective in people over 65.

There's more information on efficacy in older people for other COVID-19 vaccines. Notably, the Pfizer vaccine maintained efficacy of 93.7% for people over 55, compared to 95% overall. Accordingly, it would be reasonable to prioritize the Pfizer vaccine for older people.

But we're beginning to see that vaccine supply and distribution can be unpredictable, with supply issues for Pfizer and AstraZeneca starting to affect vaccine rollout.

Importantly, all COVID-19 vaccines assessed so far, including the AstraZeneca vaccine, provide a high level of protection against severe disease and death across variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Limiting access limits options for older people

The question that advisory committees and regulators are weighing up is, should the AstraZeneca vaccine, or any vaccine, be recommended for older people if we know:

the vaccine has low risk of side effects

the vaccine has a fair but unconfirmed likelihood of providing some benefit

COVID-19 has a higher likelihood of severe disease and death in the demographic.

This is tricky to navigate and advice may differ across different vaccines and countries. For example, China is delaying vaccine rollout to older people while it waits for more data.

But conditional approval is a reasonable path to take. It allows for some uncertainty and maintains contact with the manufacturer. It also recognizes that the likely benefit of giving older people any available vaccine could outweigh the hypothetical risk that it might not work in the midst of a crushing pandemic.

In any case, approvals from regulators, such as the European Medicines Agency and the TGA, have the most impactdefining who the vaccine can be supplied to in a country.

If regulatory guidelines are kept open to all age groups above 18, it will facilitate access to vaccines for many people who could benefit from them. The next steps are distributing these vaccines, and educating and updating the public with the latest information as it comes to hand.

Crucially, we should support older people in vaccine decisions with two things; good information and easy access to an array of safe, protective vaccines.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
A 29-year-old man who stabbed a stranger in the head and "destroyed his life" by leaving him with a significant brain injury and a lifelong disability, has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.



Passing sentence at the Central Criminal Court this Monday, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said that it was a "shocking and horrific act", which had devastating consequences for the victim Eoin Casey and left him with an "appalling life-threatening injury". "His recovery is arduous and requires an enormous amount of resilience. It is a daily struggle and his enjoyment of life has been compromised," he added.

The judge highlighted that offences involving the use of knives need to be discouraged.

Referring to the defendant Thomas Power, Mr Justice McDermott noted that he had destroyed Mr Casey's life and undermined his normal enjoyment of things.

The court heard during Power's sentence hearing last week that the knife penetrated victim Mr Casey's skull, leaving the tip of the weapon inside.



In a letter of apology to the victim, Power said he did not expect his apology to be accepted by Mr Casey but said what he had done was "utterly inexcusable".

Power, formerly of Alderwood Avenue, Caherdavin in Limerick pleaded guilty last November to assaulting Mr Casey (25), causing him serious harm in the early hours of August 20, 2018 at Woodbine Avenue in Caherdavin.

Power had also pleaded guilty to assaulting Aaron Grant, causing him harm, on the same occasion.

The court has heard that the two groups of men had been out celebrating separately that day after Limerick's victory in the 2018 All-Ireland hurling final. Both groups encountered each other through a "chance meeting" in the Caherdavin area of Limerick city as they made their way home for the night and there was "no history between them".

Power "received a blow" from Mr Casey, which was not of a significant nature but caused him to stumble. The defendant then left to retrieve a knife from his girlfriend's house, which was less than 200 metres away, before returning to Woodbine Avenue to attack the two men.

Mr Casey had to spend five months in a rehabilitation centre in Dun Laoghaire in Dublin and has been receiving "ongoing" medical treatment. His communication skills are "very problematic", he has dyspraxia of speech and his reading and writing skills are also affected. Responsibility for his care is now shared between his parents and brother.



Referring to the emotional victim impact statement given by the brother of Mr Casey, Martin Casey, Mr Justice McDermott said he had "eloquently and movingly" described his brother's suffering. "He states the accused took away his brother's ability to work and stole his sense of purpose in life," he remarked.



Martin Casey said in his victim impact statement that he will never be able to erase the image of his brother from his mind and he never knew a human's head could swell so much and be so disfigured. "We know a part of him died that night and it would never be like it used to be. He will never tie his own laces again or text a girl, never be able to remember his mobile number, simple everyday things we think nothing of. Eoin needs help with simple, everyday things now," he said.

Power has six previous convictions, which are mainly public order matters and he has one minor conviction for possession of cannabis.

Power was sentenced to nine years in prison with the last 18 months suspended for assault causing serious harm and two years for assault causing harm.

The mans sentences are to run concurrently and were backdated to January 20, 2021.
DUBLIN, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "North America Automotive Windshield Washer System Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Component and Vehicle Type" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The North America automotive windshield washer system market is expected to grow from US$ 1,400.9 million in 2019 to US$ 1,469.4 million by 2027; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2020 to 2027.



Combination of superior components in washer system to gain traction is expected to upswing the North America automotive windshield washer system market. Due to technological advancements in automotive vehicles, operation and efficiency of electronic components, including the washer system, have significantly improved.



As a result, the electronically operated washer systems swiftly gained prominence among the automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and they continue to attract technical advancements that aid in the system's reliable operation during ambient temperature conditions. Typically, fluid reservoir, pump, hose, connector, nozzles, and wipers are among the most prominent components in washer systems provided by several leading market players across North America. However, several market players continue to develop innovative and efficient washer systems with advanced and superior components, such as sensors, chips, and materials that provide enhanced performance capabilities, specifically in ambient weather conditions.



For instance, McLaren developed a specialized ultrasonic enabled force field as an alternative to the windshield wiper. Continuous research and development initiatives by market players would potentially boost the North America market's growth during the coming years. Advantages of superior components in washer systems, such as improvement in efficiency and enhanced performance, are expected to increase the demand for windshield washer systems in coming years, which would drive the North America automotive windshield washer system market.



Based on component, the pumps segment led the North America automotive windshield washer system market in 2019. The wash pump's main aim is to pump the water and cleaning solution from the reservoir to the jets at the lowermost of the windscreen or rear window. Another function of a windshield washer pump is to move the fluid from the reservoir, coming out from hoses, into the nozzles, and finally to the windshield. The pump is motorized through a motor integrated with it. Hella manufactures two distinct types of pumps for windshield and headlamp.



Various OEMs across North America are offering pumps as an aftermarket product, which would also contribute to positive growth of the North America automotive windshield washer system market over the forecast period. The pump is the most important component of the windshield washer system due its fluid pumping and moving operations. Therefore, surge in different types of pumps would increase the demand for windshield washer system, thereby driving the North America automotive windshield washer system market.



Denso Corporation; dlhBOWLES; DOGA; HELLA GmbH and Co. KGaA; Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG; Mergon Group; MITSUBA Corporation; Robert Bosch GmbH; Trico Products Corporation; and Zhejiang Zhenqi Auto Parts Corp., Ltd. are among key players operating in the North America automotive windshield washer system market.



Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology



4. North America Automotive Windshield Washer System Market Landscape

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 North America PEST Analysis

4.3 Ecosystem Analysis

4.4 Expert Opinion



5. North America Automotive Windshield Washer System Market - Key Market Dynamics

5.1 Market Drivers

5.1.1 Rise in Number of Automotive Sales

5.1.2 Combination of Superior Components in Washer System to Gain Traction

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 Issues Associated with Durability of Components

5.3 Market Opportunities

5.3.1 Progressive Technological Innovations for Sustainable Advantage

5.4 Future Trends

5.4.1 Better Performance in Cold Weather Conditions

5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints



6. Automotive Windshield Washer System Market - North America Analysis

6.1 North America Automotive Windshield Washer System Market Overview

6.2 North America Automotive Windshield Washer System Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

6.3 Market Positioning - Five Key Players



7. North America Automotive Windshield Washer System Market Analysis - By Component

7.1 Overview

7.2 North America Automotive Windshield Washer System Market Breakdown, By Component, 2019 & 2027

7.3 Hose and Connectors

7.4 Nozzles

7.5 Wiper

7.6 Reservoirs

7.7 Pumps



8. North America Automotive Windshield Washer System Market Analysis - By Vehicle Type

8.1 Overview

8.2 North America Automotive Windshield Washer System Market Breakdown, By Vehicle Type, 2019 & 2027

8.3 Commercial Vehicle

8.4 Passenger Vehicle

8.5 Off Road Highway Vehicle



9. North America Automotive Windshield Washer System Market - Country Analysis



10. North America Automotive Windshield Washer System Market - COVID-19 Impact Analysis

10.1 North America: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic



11. Industry Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Market Initiative

11.3 New Product Development



12. Company Profiles

Denso Corporation

dlhBOWLES

DOGA

HELLA GmbH and Co. KGaA

Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG

Mergon Group

MITSUBA Corporation

Robert Bosch GmbH

Trico Products Corporation

Zhejiang Zhenqi Auto Parts Corp., Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/92yfjw

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


New Delhi, Feb 1 : The Supreme Court on Monday asked WhatsApp to file its response on a plea seeking a direction to the NPCI and the RBI to ensure that data collected on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platforms is not shared with their parent company or any other third party under any circumstances.

Senior advocate Krishna Venugopal, appearing for petitioner, Rajya Sabha member Binoy Viswam, submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde that in the previous hearing, the court had asked the company if Israeli sypware Pegasus has breached their systems.

Venugopal cited that it was wrongly stated this issue was not pleaded in the petition and added that till date, Facebook and WhatsApp have not filed a counter-affidavit in the matter.

He said that his client's petition has been pending for months, and the top court should ask Facebook and WhatsApp to file a counter-affidavit.

The bench, also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, noted that if WhatsApp does not file the reply, then the averment made by the petitioner will be taken as accepted.

Several interlocutory applications have been filed in the plea. These applications seek direction to frame regulation to ensure that data collected on UPI platforms is not exploited.

Senior advocate Arvind Datar, representing WhatsApp India, contended before the court that no formal notice has been issued to it in the plea for impleadment in the matter.

Senior advocate V. Giri, representing the RBI, submitted that the Central bank has already filed its reply in the matter. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, also appearing for WhatsApp, submitted that his client has received all necessary permissions.

The top court observed that the plea should be tagged with similar plea pending and asked the Centre to file an affidavit in the issue connected with spyware. Concluding the hearing in the matter, the bench told WhatsApp counsel that pleas challenging its new privacy policy are pending before the court.

The bench has scheduled the matter for further hearing after four weeks.

The Reserve Bank of India has told the Supreme Court that the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) allowed WhatsApp to "go live" on UPI only after ensuring it was fully compliant with its circular.

The central bank also stressed the onus is on the NPCI to respond on the status of compliance of WhatsApp, Google and Amazon with the system rules/procedural guidelines governing the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

In an affidavit, seeking dismissal of Viswam's plea, the RBI said: "NPCI is the system provider of UPI and, therefore, comes under the regulatory radar of the RBI. Since it was NPCI that allowed Amazon, Google and WhatsApp to operate under UPI, the responsibility to ensure that these entities comply with all the rules/regulations/ guidelines governing UPI lies with the NPCI." Viswam, in the plea, sought protection of data of transactions made over UPI. He contended that the RBI and the NPCI instead of fulfilling their statutory obligations are compromising the interest of Indian users by allowing the non-compliant foreign entities to operate its payment services in India. The plea seeks response from the RBI and the NPCI to ensure that the data of Indian citizens collected on UPI platforms was not misused by WhatsApp, Google and Amazon.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Chemicals giant Bayer announced Monday it will produce from 2022 a coronavirus vaccine that fellow German pharmaceuticals company CureVac is developing.

"I am happy to tell you that we have the necessary capacities to produce CureVac's mRNA-based vaccine," Bayer's head of pharmaceuticals Stefan Oelrich told reporters.

He added that the company aimed to produce 160 million doses in the first 12 months.

The announcement came hours before German political leaders and vaccine makers were to meet amid ongoing frustration over the EU's sluggish inoculation campaign.

"Our discussions with the government have made it clear that vaccine availability must be increased," said Oelrich, on a call alongside German health minister Jens Spahn.

While Bayer had no experience producing vaccines, the company did offer "strong know-how in the development of biotech products", he added.

CureVac's mRNA vaccine is yet to receive the green light from regulators, but health minister Spahn said Monday it was "on its way to approval in the coming weeks".

CureVac began the final Phase III trials of its vaccine candidate in mid-December, involving more then 35,000 volunteers in Europe and Latin America.

CureVac CEO Franz-Werner Haas said his company would also produce several hundred million doses of its own vaccine by the end of 2021.

The German government in June took a 23-percent stake in the company for 300 million euros ($369 million). It also provided a 252 million euro grant for coronavirus research.

CureVac made international headlines in March when rumours surfaced that then US president Donald Trump wanted exclusive US access to its coronavirus vaccine, a claim both sides denied.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said that globally, spending on healthcare infrastructure and vaccines has given countries and their economies the best chance at fighting COVID-19

New Delhi: Leading vaccine manufacturers Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech on Monday applauded the government's increased allocation for the healthcare sector and on providing Rs 35,000 crore towards COVID-19 vaccination in 2021-22 fiscal.

"I have provided Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccine in this year 2021-22. I'm committed to provide further funds if required. The Budget outlay for health and well being is Rs 2.23 lakh crore in 2021-22 as against BE of Rs 94,452 crore and marks an increase of 137 percent," she said while presenting 2021-22 Budget in the Lok Sabha.

Commenting on the budget announcements, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said that globally, spending on healthcare infrastructure and vaccines have given countries and their economies the best bang for their buck.

Investments in these areas have prevented hospitalisations and resulted in a healthier and more productive workforce, thereby leading to an efficient economy, he added.

"Therefore we welcome the FM's emphasis on healthcare spending, and immunisation especially for COVID-19 and the pneumococcal vaccines as this will help India recover rapidly from this pandemic. Hopefully, this will also encourage more innovation and expansion in the sector," Poonawalla said.

In a similar vein, Bharat Biotech Chairman and MD Krishna Ella said, "It's a great step ahead, and far-reaching budget announcement, providing Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccination in 2021-22".

The finance minister's commitment for providing more funds in order to contain the coronavirus pandemic spread in the country and to provide an effective, smooth path for the vaccination scheme will help contain, and lead the nation towards accomplishing a COVID-19 disease free Bharat, he added.

"The layout plan of a Rs 64,180 crore spending plan for healthcare over the next six years to be spent on primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare, in addition to the National Health Mission is also a welcome move, which will strengthen public health services as 17,000 rural and 11,000 urban health and wellness centres and integrated public health labs to be set up in each district", Ella said.

The government's focus on three areas - preventive health, curative health and well-being, is also very reassuring, he added.

India had earlier in January approved two vaccines  Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, 'Covishield' manufactured by SII and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin  for restricted emergency use.

The country launched its COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the world's largest vaccination drive.
A virtual bass fishing tournament to benefit the KJAE Milliken Outdoor Scholarship will be held May 14-16. PHOTO:FCA

Fishing Tournament to Benefit 'KJae' Scholarship

By West Kentucky Star Staff

a local representative with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and West Kentucky FCA Outdoors. Lawson's nephew, KJae Milliken, was killed in a shooting last December in Graves County.



Adult, High School, College Team (Group of 6), and Youth (12 and Under).

All smallmouth, spotted and largemouth bass will be accepted. Anglers are allowed to fish in any private or public water.

MAYFIELD - A three-day virtual bass fishing tournament benefitting the KJae Milliken Outdoor Scholarship gets started today.The tournament is being spear-headed by Brad Lawson,Lawson said KJae was and avid fisherman and hunter. He said KJae had even created his own YouTube channel.The tournament will feature four divisions:There will be daily prizes each night, and division prizes will be handed out at the awards ceremony.
Chief Justice John Roberts was annoyed.

The position that the United States is advancing today is different from the position that the United States previously advanced, he told a lawyer in the solicitor generals office, the elite unit of the Justice Department that represents the federal government in the Supreme Court.

The Obama administration had filed a brief disavowing a position taken by its predecessor, saying it was the product of further reflection.

That is not the reason, Roberts said. It wasnt further reflection. The new position, he said, was prompted by a change in administrations.

The rebuke was in 2012, but its memory lingers in the solicitor generals office, where the Biden administration will soon have to decide whether to disavow positions taken by its predecessor in major cases, including ones on health care and voting.

In an office that prizes its reputation for credibility, consistency and independence, solicitors general of both parties have said they are wary of veering from positions staked out by their predecessors.

Justice Elena Kagan, who was former President Barack Obamas first solicitor general before joining the court, has said, for instance, that a change in position is a really big deal that people should hesitate a long time over.

But a new law review article presents a dissenting view, concluding that the Biden administration need not fear announcing bold reversals of stances taken by the Trump administration. It was written by Michael R. Dreeben, who worked in the office for more than 30 years, most of them as the deputy solicitor general responsible for criminal matters, arguing 105 cases in the Supreme Court. He also served on the staff of Robert Mueller, the special counsel who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The new administration should be not reluctant to give the court better views of what it thinks the law is because of undue concern about positional consistency, Dreeben, who is now a lawyer with OMelveny & Myers, said in an interview. The court will understand that new administrations have new views, particularly coming on the heels of the Trump administration, which in many ways pressed a radical vision of its jurisprudential agenda on the court that a successor administration is entitled to push back on.

The article, published in The Yale Law Journal last month, contrasted the Obama administrations rare reversals to the Trump administrations frequent and stark ones.

The Obama administration swept into office following eight years of Republican rule, and ample areas existed for revision and change, Dreeben wrote. But President Obamas solicitors general took a highly restrained approach to reversing the positions of their Bush predecessors. During President Obamas first term in office, no cases featured overt reversals of positions taken in the Supreme Court.

The Trump administration took a different approach, Dreeben found. It flipped positions in four major cases in a single year in its first full Supreme Court term, including ones on workers rights and voting rolls.

The reversals were abrupt and appeared strikingly at odds with institutional norms, he wrote. But they were presented candidly as a product of a change in administrations and, with one exception, were not the subject of discussion when the cases were argued.

Why so little comment compared to the Obama-era changes? Dreeben asked. Perhaps the muted response reflected the courts acceptance that of course a new administration will take new views.

Or perhaps, he wrote, referring to the solicitor generals office by its initials, some justices simply agreed with OSGs new positions, while others wanted to engage with those positions on the merits rather than shadowbox with OSG. But a third possibility exists: OSGs change of position on its interpretation of the law, if explained candidly, is simply not worthy of comment to the court.

The most pressing question for the Biden administration for now is whether it should change the governments position in the latest challenge to the Affordable Care Act. In a brief filed last year, the Trump administration told the justices that a revision to one provision of the law meant that the entire statute must fall. That is, of course, at odds with President Joe Bidens support for the law.

In a recent public conversation webcast by Georgetown Universitys law school, Paul Clement, who was the solicitor general in the George W. Bush administration, and Neal Katyal, who was the acting solicitor general in the Obama administration, agreed that the case, which was argued in November, was a promising candidate for a change in positions.

The lawyer on the receiving end of Roberts rebuke in 2012, Joseph Palmore, now a lawyer with Morrison & Foerster, remembers it vividly.

We had included a footnote  Footnote 9 in the brief  noting a change of position, and we used a phrase that had been commonly used by the office until then, which was upon further reflection, he said. My understanding is that after my experience, the office no longer uses that formulation of words when changing a position.

I was the unlucky lawyer who happened to be at the podium when the chief said what he said, he added. I think the message was meant more for the solicitor general, not for me.

The message was received. When the Trump administration announced new positions in Supreme Court briefs, it was blunt. After the change in administration, a typical brief said, the office reconsidered the issue and has reached the opposite conclusion.

The administration prevailed in that case, on workers rights, as it did in the three others discussed in Dreebens article.

The chief justice, who once served in the solicitor generals office, might have been making a limited point in 2012, about candor. Indeed, he might have been remembering a joke inside the office: that upon further reflection actually means upon further election.

Adam Liptak c.2021 The New York Times Company

Finance Minister on Monday announced the execution of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV-C51) launch under the public sector undertaking - New Space India Limited. The announcement was made as Sitharaman tabled the Union Budget for FY 2021-22 in the Parliament.

"The New Space India Limited, a PSU, under Department of Space will execute the launch of PSLV-C51 carrying satellites from Brazil and India," the finance minister told the Parliament.

The finance minister also mentioned Chandrayaan-3, a successor to the Chandrayaan-2 mission to the far side of the moon, in her Budget speech. "2021 will be the year of Chandrayaan-3", the finance minister said as she began her third Budget presentation.



ALSO READ: Union Budget 2021 LIVE: Rs 2.5 per ltre farm cess on petrol, Rs 4 on diesel

The government allocated Rs 4,000 crore to study the oceans and explore the oceanic biosphere. Sitharaman said, "our oceans are a storehouse of living and non-living resources, to understand this realm we will launch deep mission with a budget outlay of over Rs 4,000 crore over five years."

The mission will cover deep survey projects for the conservation of biodiversity.



Finance Minister holds a case containing a tablet device, during the Budget Session of the Parliament

She further added that as part of the ambitious Gangnyaan mission, four Indian astronauts are being trained in Russia on generic space flight aspects. The first unmanned launch is slated for December 2021. The Gaganyaan is a crewed orbital spacecraft expected to carry three astronauts into space for at least seven days. The spacecraft is likely to consist of an orbital module which will have a service and a crew module. The mission is estimated to cost around Rs 10,000 crore. The GSLV Mk-III, now called LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3), will be deployed for the launch.



ISRO's PSLV-C50 rocket launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Thursday.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) in a joint partnership with Roscosmos is undertaking the training of four Indian Air Force pilots for the proposed manned mission which will take place following the unmanned mission. A date for manned mission is yet to be issued.

has outlined its plan for the next decade in line with global directions. The space agency is planning to work on developing a heavy-lift launch vehicle, semi-cryogenic stage, reusable launch vehicle, advance propulsion, next-generation avionics, advance materials, dynamic space applications and efficient integration of space-based services as well as advanced space science missions.
Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairperson of the defunct Pension Reformed Task Team (PRTT), has hired a new Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), to lead his defence team in his ongoing money laundering trial involving N2billion.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the SAN, Sani Katu, appeared in the case at the Federal High Court in Abuja for the first time on Monday.

This came nearly two months after another SAN, Joe Kyari-Gadzama, who was leading the team, withdrew his appearance, and another lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, decided to stop representing Mr Mainas company, the second defendant in the case.

Argument

At the resumed hearing on Monday, Mr Katu appealed to the judge, Okon Abang, to adjourn the case to enable him prepare for his clients defence.

However, Mohammed Abubakar, who is prosecuting for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), opposed the application for adjournment.

Mr Abubakar said the request for adjournment was tantamount to the defence asking for an order for stay of proceedings which is prohibited by law.

The prosecutor also recalled that there was a subsisting order of the court directing the trial to proceed in the absence of Mr Maina, adding that adjourning the case at Mr Mainas instance would be a violation of the said order.

Responding, Mr Katu said he was not applying for an order of stay of proceedings, but was only asking for time to prepare for his clients defence.

I am seeing the defendant applicant (Maina) for the first time now. I have not gone to prison to see him, he said.

Ruling

In his ruling, the trial judge, Okon Abang, granted the adjournment.

The court must look at the justice of the case and take a decision that will take into consideration the competing rights of parties, he held.

The judge adjourned till February 19 for Mr Maina to open his defence and for the hearing of all pending applications.

Mainas bail application

Mr Maina has a pending bail application which he filed after the judge ordered his remand till the end of his trial on December 4.

In the course of his trial, Mr Maina had jumped bail and fled to the Republic of Niger last year.

In his absence, Mr Abang revoked his bail, ordered his arrest and directed that his trial would proceed in his absence.

Mr Maina was later arrested and produced in court on December 4.

At the December 4s proceedings, Mr Abang ordered his remand till the end of his trial.

A lawyer, Anayo Adibe, whom Mr Maina hired shortly after his former defence team withdrew from the case, had later in December filed a fresh bail application which was anchored on the grounds of the defendants alleged ill health.

ADVERTISEMENT

The EFCC filed an objection to the bail application insisting that Mr Maina was only feigning ailment.

Charges

The EFCC had on October 25, 2019 arraigned Mr Maina and his firm, Common Input Property and Investment Ltd (2nd defendant).

He pleaded not guilty to the 12 counts of money laundering involving N2 billion in pension funds.


The business community has welcomed the news of UAE's amendment to its citizenship law, which now allows citizenship to be granted to select professionals who want to invest in the country.

As the first Arab nation to implement this policy change, it will allow the UAE to benefit from a financial boost and attract highly skilled individuals and expatriates to contribute to its economy.

This amendment to their citizenship laws has been hailed as an innovative step by the Citizenship by Investment community and is one that will make it easier for those eligible to become UAE citizens. It also highlights the step forward in more countries recognising the benefit of allowing dual citizenship rather than seeing it as a drawback. The new policy will specifically apply to expat investors, doctors, scientists, engineers and artists as well as their families. It will also apply to those who have lived and worked in the UAE for decades in recognition of their contribution.

"This is a hugely progressive step for the UAE. This new law will bring in a wealth of investment and skills thereby allowing the UAE to diversify their income options. It now acknowledges individuals and families who positively contribute to the overall Emirati community. For investors, the need for global mobility, particularly when it comes to business, has been brought to the fore in the past year due to Covid-19 and all the restrictions it imposes. This makes Citizenship by Investment a win-win situation for the UAE and investors alike making for a stronger economy and an attractive country to invest in," said Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners, a legal advisory firm specialising in Citizenship by Investment solutions.

For close to a decade, the UAE has seen the steadying decline in the use of fossil fuels and have therefore needed to expand their options and policies to ensure they remain prosperous. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has described the decision to amend the nation's citizenship law as one that will contribute to the continued development of the UAE.

Citizenship by Investment has for decades provided countries and individuals with the mutually beneficial opportunity to become a citizen of that country and to contribute to its economy. For individuals, it provides numerous benefits including the opportunity to invest in real estate, provide a more stable and safe life for family, financial freedom and it opens doors to many visa-free travel options. For countries, it allows them to attract skilled individuals who want to invest and contribute to their growth and economy. St Kitts & Nevis established the first Citizenship by Investment programme back in 1984 and has allowed the nation to flourish.

"The UAE is pioneering the way forward for other countries in the Arab nation. The landscape of Citizenship by Investment is changing, with more countries identifying it as a real opportunity to bring in needed income. The UAE is already seen as a central hub for business and will no doubt become an even more attractive option now that more individuals could be granted citizenship. With due diligence in place and select investment options in real estate, it will be interesting to see how this new policy helps to shape their economy. As an industry we are delighted to see more countries amending their citizenship laws, allowing dual citizenship and ultimately helping transform individuals into more global citizens," said Paul Singh, Director as CS Global Partners. - TradeArabia News Service
Looks like the beginning of a new month in 2021 has left Deepika Padukone in a happy state. The actress who has been a lying little low on her social media, shared a new picture on her Instagram and got her fans super-excited. In the picture posted by Deepika Padukone we see blushing pink in an ethnic white Indian wear. Now we wonder if the photographer for this click is Ranveer Singh and he has cracked her up as usual and has left the actress blushing.

The actress captioned the picture saying February, and added starry-sparkles and looks like Deepika has some exciting new project to kickstart this month. Take a lookDeepika Padukone was clicked all over the city over the weekend making sure she makes the best use of her free time. She was clicked at a food mart doing some grocery shopping for herself and later she was clicked with hubby Ranveer Singh, meeting some friends at a Japanese eatery in Bandra.



Deepika Padukone has a string of mega releases lined up in the coming months. She is currently shooting for Pathan with Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham. She has next Fighter with Hrithik Roshan and also her pan-India film with Prabhas. She has the remake of The Intern also in the pipeline. And speaking about 2021 she has a cameo in Ranveer Singh starrer 83 and then Shakun Batras next. A superb line-up indeed.




By Kim Bo-eun







KT has partnered with the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) to build overseas internet data centers, the telecom firm said Monday, with the two firms signing a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) the same day.







The company is seeking to set up the data centers in industrial centers and smart cities, based on its expertise in that segment. KT currently operates 13 data centers in Korea, including Seoul's largest hyper-scale data center in Yongsan, which opened in November.







The two companies plan to install KT data centers in industrial centers that LH has built overseas. KT intends to offer services in digital transformation to Korean and foreign companies in the industrial complexes.







LH's role is to expand customer-tailored infrastructure for the firms in the complexes to heighten their competitiveness in information and communications technology.







It has been scaling up its business in overseas smart cities and industrial complexes, backed by the government's plan to globalize its Korean New Deal project. The government unveiled a 160 trillion won project in July 2020 to create 1.9 million jobs by 2025 in the digital and green sectors.







The state-run firm is seeking to undertake 35 projects in 19 countries, starting with the Korea-Myanmar Industrial Complex that kicked off in December last year.







"LH will help companies in overseas industrial complexes innovate by using our digital platform capabilities," KT's head of global business Moon Sung-wook was quoted as saying in a press release. "We will develop specific digital transformation strategies according to each market, contributing to the vitalization of industrial complexes overseas."







LH's head of global business Lee Yong-sam said, "We are anticipating synergy to be created with LH's expertise in developing new cities and industrial complexes and KT's differentiated capabilities in information and communication technology. We plan on expanding cooperation with related firms abroad to help Korean companies' entry into foreign markets."




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.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  As a major winter storm impacts New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other state officials announced transit shutdowns Monday with more possible to come.

Outdoor subway service around the city will be suspended as of 2 p.m., but the Staten Island Railway will remain in operation until further notice, New York City Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg said during a press conference.

For now, the ferry continues to run regularly, and the Staten Island Railroad has been able to keep up with their snow removal, she said. That said, prepare for us to have to suspend service at some point, so head home and dont head out if you dont need to.

Currently, the Staten Island Ferry is running on an hourly schedule due to white out conditions and high winds, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.

Due to white out conditions and high winds the #StatenIslandFerry will be operating on an hourly schedule until further notice. #SIFerry pic.twitter.com/R8HkMKLNqe  NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) February 1, 2021

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman Pat Foye said the upper level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is closed, and that empty and tandem tractor trailers are banned from all MTA bridges and tunnels.

At the height of the storm, the governor said the state expects to see an excess of 2 inches per hour, rendering Department of Sanitation snow plow efforts all the more difficult.

Buses remain in operation on reduced schedules, but are subject to further closures as snow continues to accumulate. The Long Island Railroad and Metro-North Railroad systems will also be shutdown in the early evening.

Multiple Staten Island local and express bus routes are being detoured because of safety concerns from the storm. More info on all MTA delays, detours, and scheduling updates can be found on the authoritys website.

The @MTA will suspend outdoor subway service starting at 2pm. Buses are running now but are subject to suspension depending on the weather.@LIRR and @MetroNorth trains will shut down this afternoon.



NYers should also plan on road closures in Westchester and Long Island.  Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) February 1, 2021

DSNY Commissioner Edward Grayson said during a morning press conference with Mayor Bill de Blasio that the departments goal for the day is keeping roadways passable.

Now, I want to make one thing very clear: A passable roadway is not blacktop, he said. In a storm like this, itll be quite some time before everyone can see blacktop on their street.

But make no mistake, we are out there. We are going to come, on a slow, methodical approach, to hit every street in the city multiple times.

I cannot stress that enough. It will take multiple passes during this prolonged period of active snowfall. So we please ask everyone to heed the guidance and stay off the road.

You can get the plow status of any NYC street by visiting the online plow tracker at plownyc.cityofnewyork.us/plownyc/.

Cuomo said further transit closures are possible across the state, including to major highways like the Long Island Expressway and Northern State Parkway.

If the storm comes as projected, the plows will not be able to keep up, and we could very well close those roads, he said. If you are planning on getting home one of those roadways, would leave as soon as possible, because they could very well close in the next few hours.
Washington: The Biden administration has signed a $300 million ($US230 million) deal with Australian firm Ellume to dramatically ramp up the production and distribution of rapid at-home COVID-19 tests in the US.

The deal between Ellume, the Department of Defence and the Department of Health and Human Services includes the purchase of 8.5 million COVID-19 tests that will be distributed across America.

In December Ellume became the first company to win approval from US regulators to sell rapid at-home COVID-19 tests that dont require a prescription.

Ellume chief executive Dr Sean Parsons CEO with a home COVID test. Credit:Attila Csaszar

Andy Slavitt, a senior adviser to the White House COVID-19 response team, said on Tuesday (AEDT) that the Brisbane-based company is expected to produce 19 million tests a month by the end of the year.
Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2021 -- HTF Market Intelligence released a new research report of 39 pages on title 'Russia Reinsurance - Key Trends and Opportunities to 2024' with detailed analysis, forecast and strategies. The study covers key regions and important players such as Russian National Reinsurance Company, Scor Re, Alfa Strakhovanie, Russian Reinsurance Company.



Request a sample report @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/3053111-russia-reinsurance-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2024



Summary

HTF MI' Russia Reinsurance - Key Trends and Opportunities to 2024' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into Russian reinsurance segment.



This report provides a detailed outlook by product category for the Russian reinsurance segment.



It provides values for key performance indicators such as premium ceded and cession rates, during the review period (2015-2019).



Companies Mentioned in the Report

Russian National Reinsurance Company, Scor Re, Alfa Strakhovanie, Russian Reinsurance Company



View Detailed Table of Content @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/3053111-russia-reinsurance-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2024



The report brings together HTF MI research, modeling and analysis expertise, giving reinsurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of reinsurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations, and recent changes in the regulatory structure.



Key Highlights

- Key insights into the dynamics of the Russian reinsurance industry.

- A comprehensive overview of the Russian economy, investment opportunities and enterprise structure.

- Russia insurance regulatory framework's evolution, key facts, taxation regime, licensing and capital requirements.

- Russia reinsurance industry's market structure giving details of premium ceded along with cession rates.

- Details of the mergers and acquisitions in the Russian reinsurance industry.

- Details of the competitive landscape, M&A and competitors' profiles.



Scope

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the reinsurance segment in Russia -

- It provides historical values for Russian reinsurance segment for the report's 2015-2019 review period.



Reasons to Buy

- Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Russian reinsurance segment, and each category within it.

- Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Russian reinsurance segment.

- Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories.

- Gain insights into key regulations governing the Russian insurance industry, and their impact on companies and the industry's future.



Get Customization in the Report, Enquire Now @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/3053111-russia-reinsurance-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2024



Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Executive Summary

Chapter 2 Economy Overview

Key Macro



....Continued



Buy this report @ USD3999 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=3053111



Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.



About HTF Market Report

HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the "Accurate Forecast" in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their "Goals & Objectives".



Contact US :

Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)

HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited

Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ

New Jersey USA  08837

Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218

sales@htfmarketreport.com



Connect with us at LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter
MONTGOMERY, Ala., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Montgomery Education Foundation(MEF) is ramping up efforts toward the public charter school conversion of Davis Elementary with the help of Phalen Leadership Academies (PLA) , one of the largest African-American led and operated school turnaround networks in the nation.

Phalen Leadership Academies is a transformative leader in education working to turn failing schools into A-rated schools. Learn more at PhalenAcademies.org.

Davis Elementary will be converted into a public charter school this fall. The school will remain under Montgomery Public Schools (MPS) and all students zoned for Davis will have guaranteed enrollment. Parents should expect to see enhanced curriculum, dedicated teachers, integrated technology, and a road map to improve student achievement. Transportation, food service and building custodians remain the same through MPS.The work will begin with Davis Elementary School next school year. Nixon Elementary and Bellingrath Middle schools will follow to create a continuum for students from kindergarten to 8th grade.

MPS Superintendent Dr. Ann Roy Moore shared, "MPS is moving forward with great success throughout the system and we're looking forward to seeing amazing things grow from this relationship."

Ann Sikes, the Executive Director of MEF who helped lead conversion efforts agrees. "MEF is committed to supporting MPS in their work to improve success for all students. The opportunity to add partnership conversion schools within the district is exciting. This is monumental for both the children of our community and for the growth of our community. This partnership is based on growing student success while working within the district, keeping students and resources within the district in their neighborhood schools. The addition of this innovation work by the District to their overall plan for improvement is to be applauded."

Sikes says that the nationwide search for a school management organization was focused on finding a partner capable of delivering the highest quality instruction and services for our children, who believes in the ability and potential of our students, a partner who could live up to the essential elements of MEF's school application: High Expectations, Academic Rigor, Social-Emotional Learning, Extended Learning Time, Professional Development, and Cultural Responsiveness. After extensive due diligence, deep evaluation, and community input. Phalen Leadership Academies (PLA) fit the bill and was selected to lead school conversion and transformation efforts. PLA has a strong history of transforming multiple F-rated schools into A-rated schools.

"Our organization was created to dismantle what often can be insurmountable odds for our children living in underserved communities," said PLA Founder and CEO Earl Martin Phalen . "Montgomery is a place of inspiration for me, and for my parents. The work that started here has inspired my life's work. We look forward to deploying our passion, our resources and expertise in service to and with families in Montgomery. We will connect with the faculty and staff, parents, and community stakeholders to work together to transform these schools and provide our children with the bright futures that they deserve."

Beginning its charter work in Indianapolis in 2013, PLA has since collaborated with districts in Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Michigan to see remarkable improvements in areas such as student reading growth, math achievement, suspension rates, and academic performance on state testing when compared to peer schools in those districts serving the same demographics. PLA overwhelmingly serves scholars whose backgrounds are African-American, Latinx, and low-income.

Under this school conversion model, current teachers at the school have the first opportunity at new instruction positions, and all state employee health and retirement benefits remain unchanged. Equally important is that current students are guaranteed a seat at the PLA managed schools -- keeping Davis, Bellingrath and Nixon as strong neighborhood schools.

With the passing of the local property tax increase to better fund public schools, and the innovative initiatives that have seen MPS improve its academic outcomes at 70% of its schools, MPS is highly optimistic about the potential of this partnership and the improvements being made across the district.

Davis elementary will open its doors as a school under PLA in the fall of 2021, followed by Nixon and Bellingrath in the fall of 2022. In the coming months, Davis staff, families and community members can expect a welcome from PLA and opportunities to connect with the school's leaders virtually. Individuals interested in applying to Davis Elementary for next school year can do so at TeachPLA.org . Parents will receive re enrollment information in the spring.

SOURCE Phalen Leadership Academies

Related Links

www.phalenacademies.org


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.
Nine people reportedly died after al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents stormed a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu, battling security forces until the early hours of Monday, according to the statement of a police spokesman.

A suicide car bombing on Sunday evening was followed by a shootout between al Shabaab militants and security forces at the Hotel Afrik. "The operation is over now. Nine people including four attackers died and over 10 civilians were injured," Sadik Ali, told the media from the scene and via Facebook.

The attack on a hotel in the heart of the heavily fortified city comes as Somali politicians wrangle bitterly over delayed elections and follows the withdrawal of around 700 U.S. military personnel last month. The U.S. troops were largely supporting Somali special forces known as Danaab who are skilled at complex operations against high level al Shabaab targets.

They also enjoyed considerable support from the Americans, including air support and medical evacuations, and some Somali politicians have raised fears the pullout ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump could weaken the fight against al Shabab. The insurgency has battled since 2008 to overthrow Somalia's internationally-backed central government and establish its rule, based on its own harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

Times of political turmoil have also traditionally provided a boost to the insurgency, as security chiefs may be ordered to concentrate on political rivals rather than al Shabaab. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble said in a statement that former military general Mohamed Nur Galal was among those killed in Monday's attack.

Car bomb explosion targets peace affairs ministry official in Kabul

Russia can go to court to protect Nord Stream 2 construction: Medvedev

Maldives' foreign minister receives made in India vaccine
TOAZ owners move to bankrupt Tomet dismissed on appeal

 flickr.com/ wp paarz

10:24 01/02/2021

MOSCOW, February 1 (RAPSI)  The Eleventh Commercial Court of Appeals in the city of Samara has dismissed an appeal filed by PJSC Togliattiazot (TOAZ) against determination of the regional commercial court dismissing its claim to bankrupt OOO Tomet, the court has informed RAPSI.

The court of appeals affirmed that the enterprise was not a legitimate claimant in the Tomet bankruptcy case; moreover, the court confirmed the Uralchems powers as a recoverer of the damages suffered by Togliattiazot, and recognized that its claims to Tomet in the amount of 77.3 billion rubles (about $1 billion at the current exchange rate) in favor of Togliattiazot and 10.3 billion rubles ($135 million) in favor of Uralchem itself were lawful.

Thus, Vladimir Makhlai and Sergey Makhlai, beneficiary TOAZ owners, failed to challenge the introduction of the observation procedure at Tomet and cancel the appointment of Anatoly Selishchev as its bankruptcy commissioner. By March 1, 2021, Selishchev is to complete an internal audit at Tomet and prepare a report on the financial standing of that enterprise.

The majority shareholders of PJSC Togliattiazot are obliged to reimburse these amounts of damage in accordance with the verdict of the Komsomolsky District Court of Togliatti dated July 7, 2019. It should be reminded that this court found the Makhlais and their foreign partners in absentia guilty in a criminal case over a large scale fraud (Article 159.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) committed by the way of embezzlement of TOAZ products in 2008 through 2011. Tomet was a defendant in this criminal case.

In accordance with rulings of Moscows Basmanny District Court of April 21, 2017, and Togliattis Komsomolsky District Court of February 27, 2013, an attachment still in force was imposed on the Tomet fixed assets, its plot of land designated for the expansion of its core production facilities. On September 15, Tomet was prohibited to carry out any registration procedures as to disposal of its vehicles by an enforcement officers freezing order.

According to investigators, Tomet is controlled by Hong Kong-based offshore Triumph Development owned by the Makhlais Swiss partner Andreas Zivy (in July 2019 he was found guilty in absentia of large scale fraud by a judgment of the Komsomolsky District Court of the city of Togliatti).

Several years ago TOAZ in violation of the law and at rock-bottom price was stripped of its most valuable assets, ammonia unit No. 7 and two methanol units. The essence of the scheme was that the equipment itself remained in the territory of TOAZ, the enterprise continued to bear the costs associated with repairs, servicing, and supply of raw materials of the equipment transferred to Tomet, but only major owners of TOAZ, the Makhlais and Zivy, profited from it.

Formally, Tomet became one of the top five producers of methanol in Russia, although this company was not present on the market, since transactions were made with TOAZ products. At present, the circumstances of how TOAZ assets were transferred to Tomet are investigated in the framework of a criminal case under Article 210 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, that is, the establishment of a criminal society or participation therein. The suspects in the case are the Makhlais, Zivy, and other persons affiliated with TOAZ, totally more than 10 individuals.

The Makhlais have time and again demonstrated their intentions not to comply with the court judgement adverse to them. As noted by lawyers monitoring the process, about a year ago the Makhlais decided to bankrupt Tomet under their own supervision planning to recompense TOAZ damages in a way, which would permit them to keep their money and multibillion assets of Tomet stolen from TOAZ.

For these purposes, in early 2020 Tomet stopped paying TOAZ for the services provided and intentionally accumulating the respective debt. Moreover, lawyers say, the Makhlais began to increase Tomet creditor indebtedness via their Togliattikhimbank and RTS bank; the indebtedness grew rapidly and soon made over 1.5 billion rubles ($19,7 million).

By the autumn of 2020, the Makhlais could drive a profit-making enterprise with reasonably good commercial viability (as the costs were borne by TOAZ) to a pre-bankruptcy state. So, last September TOAZ turned to courts seeking declaration of Tomet bankruptcy. Its CEO Vladimir Chabrov stopped production and ceased to pay wages and salaries.

A week later after TOAZ had filed its claim, Uralkhem was forced to make its own move seeking bankruptcy of Tomet so to prevent the disappearance of Tomet assets and funds in new offshores of the Makhlais and undertaking, as prescribed by the court, to recover the 77 billion rubles ($1 billion) damages in favor of Togliattiazot.

On November 25, 2020, the commercial court examined both petitions. Against the will of the Makhlais, TOAZ was ruled not to be a legitimate claimant, since TOAZ representatives had denied that the enterprise suffered any damages and did not admit it was necessary to recompense them during the trial in the fraud case.

Lawyers believe that the Togliattiazot management acted in bad faith when submitting the petition seeking to recognize bankruptcy of the debtor and basing their demands on the final judgement, which, in turn, is challenged by the same Togliattiazot. The management pursues the only aim  to prevent the satisfaction of the creditors claims, even those submitted by Togliattiazot itself. The actions of Togliattiazot cannot be seen as reasonable and in good faith, since the contradiction between the position it takes with respect to the civil claim in the framework of the criminal case and in the framework of the bankruptcy case results in impossibility to act as a processual claimant in the Tomet bankruptcy case, since the lack of interest on its part in complying with the court ruling and the fact that it gave up its demands in favor of Togliattiazot in the framework of the court hearings on the civil claim clearly indicate that Togliattiazot acted in abuse of law when petitioning about bankruptcy of its affiliated person.

The claim of Uralchem was granted, the observation procedure was introduced at Tomet, Anatoly Selishchev became the bankruptcy commissioner. For Tomet, these judgments meant the return to the business as usual situation.

According to Dmitry Tatyanin, the Chief Legal Officer of Uralchem, the company is interested in stable operation of Tomet. The introduction of the observation procedure in the framework of the current legislation is a necessary and efficient measure aimed at the rehabilitation of the debtor enterprise. There will be released blocked earlier settlement accounts of the company, what will permit Tomet company to continue its proper production and financial operations, meet its commitments vis-a-vis its Russian and foreign partners, pay wages and salaries, and meet its social commitments. We hope that the bankruptcy commissioner will be able to bring under his control the situation at Tomet, prevent unreasonable expenditures and withdrawal of the enterprise assets.

Nevertheless, a series of suspicious industrial accidents putting out of operation both methanol units, which took place last December, made Tomet employees and mass media outlets to allege a planned sabotage attack on the part of the Makhlais. It could be aimed to undermine court judgements on the recovery of damages suffered by TOAZ from Tomet. According to lawyers, the decision of the Eleventh Commercial Court of Appeals thwarts attempts to conceal one crime behind others.

Earlier, Uralchem stated that it is not interested in the suspension of production and the bankruptcy of Tomet. In order to counteract such developments and to ensure stable operation of the debtor enterprise, in October of 2020 the company developed constructive proposals aimed to resolve the situation and as soon as possible to solve the problem created by the management and owners of Togliattiazot and Tomet. At present, as experts observe, Tomet for the first time in its history has the opportunity to operate in the healthy environment without control of Russian and foreign criminal elements.





Denton, TX (76205)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 79F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Heather Hutt, a former Senior Advisor & State Director for then-U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, who served as Californias first Black U.S. Senate State Director, officially launched her campaign for California State Assembly District 54. In addition to formally announcing her campaign, Hutt also rolled out several high-profile endorsements from a majority of current and former members of the California Legislative Black Caucus: Assemblymember Autumn Burke

Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer

Assemblymember Mike Gipson

Assemblymember Jim Cooper

Senator Isadore Hall (Ret.)

Senator Kevin Murray (Ret.)

Assemblymember Willard Murray (Ret.) Heather Hutt released the following statement as she formally entered the race for Assembly District 54: I first would like to commend Sydney Kamlager-Dove for her exceptional service on behalf of the 54th District; its clear that she has been an extraordinary leader during this extremely difficult time, advancing innovative solutions and uplifting the most vulnerable in our community. I know she will be a wonderful State Senator. ADVERTISEMENT These past four years, it was my honor to serve our trailblazing new Vice President Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate, where I saw her bold and visionary leadership up close. Her consummate commitment to public service, record of fearless advocacy, and shattering of glass ceilings were unbelievably inspiring to watch every single day, particularly as she historically ascended to the Vice Presidency. In the Senate, I was our states conduit between the U.S. Capitol and California, working to provide critical aid to Californias small businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, eliminate inequities in our healthcare system, and combat the Trump Administrations assault on Dreamers. Now, I am eager to continue this service in the community I grew up in. This district has been my home my entire life. Im running for State Assembly because I am committed to making sure the people in the 54th District have an effective, unrelenting advocate that delivers on our communitys wide variety of needs during this challenging time. This includes COVID-19 relief resources, rebuilding our small business community, helping to lift up working families, and strengthening the safety net for our most vulnerable. In Sacramento, Ill fight for these critical relief efforts and more, including climate justice and ensuring our healthcare, housing, and education systems are more equitable for all Californians. It would be an honor to serve as the peoples voice across the 54th District in the California State Assembly. Join me and lets help revive the California Dream. Upon learning of Hutts bid for State Assembly, several current and former members of the CA Legislative Black Caucus released the following statements endorsing Hutts campaign: I am very excited to endorse Heather Hutt for Assembly because she has the experience and proven track record needed to advance a working family agenda as we address the unprecedented crises facing California. Heather is a mother who personally knows the trauma of having her sons the victims of gang violence. As Chair of the Public Safety Committee, I know that her real-life trauma of having a son shot by a gang bullet and her advocacy for smart justice reforms will be essential in Sacramento. Heather has my full and enthusiastic support.

-Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer, CA Legislative Progressive Caucus Co-Founder ADVERTISEMENT Im excited to endorse Heather Hutt for Assembly, because her unique background gives her the ability to deeply understand the everyday challenges facing the people in her community. Heather is the real deal, and I am proud to endorse her for State Assembly.

-Assemblymember Mike Gipson We need Heather Hutt in the State Assembly, an effective and forward-thinking leader. Her background is expansive, including deep experience in public service, running a small business, being a mom and a public advocate. I know that this experience gives her the wide-ranging perspective needed to be an effective representative, and I look forward to helping her get elected.

-Assemblymember Autumn Burke Heather is battle-tested, tenacious, and has the vision and life experience needed to deliver for Californias working families at this incredibly challenging moment. Im excited to endorse her bid for the Assembly, because having her proven leadership in Sacramento is more important than ever.

-Assemblymember Jim Cooper Heather is like family to me. Shes worked alongside me for nearly a decade, fighting for working people and marginalized communities. Ive witnessed firsthand her heart, grit and unyielding passion for lifting up all communities. Heather has my enthusiastic endorsement and I plan to do everything I can to ensure she wins this race.

-State Senator Isadore Hall (Ret.) Heather Hutt was born and raised in Los Angeles and has dedicated her life to Democratic activism, public service, and the community. Heather recently served as the first Black U.S. Senate State Director in Californias history, and in her capacity serving Senator Harris, was the principal representative among constituents and elected leaders throughout California. She used her position to stand up for women by bringing together healthcare professionals to discuss implicit bias in health care, especially for women and women of color as well as advocating for DACA recipients and fighting against the Trump Administrations assault on Dreamers and immigrants. Prior to her work in the U.S. Senate, Heather championed environmental justice policy changes for Watts and South Los Angeles while serving as the District Director for California State Senator Isadore Hall. She also organized the Assembly Select Committee on Community Resources Impacted by AB109 Re-Entry as well as the Assembly Select Committee on Human Rights, Diversity and Race Relations. Through her work as a California Democratic Party delegate and Treasurer of the CDP Black Caucus, Heather has been an activist and organizer working tirelessly to ensure civil rights, human rights, womens rights, equality, economic and social justice for all people. In addition, she launched the VOTE LA campaign, LA Cities Clean Air-Clean Water campaign, and shaped critical outreach to pass the Durbin Bill which provided aid for small businesses. Heather is also the single mother of three sons. Heather Hutt is a candidate for the California State Assemblys 54th District, which includes the communities of Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw, Culver City, Ladera Heights, Leimert Park, Mar Vista, Mid-City Los Angeles, Palms, West LA, Westwood and Windsor Hills in Los Angeles County. For more information, visit www.heatherhuttca.com.
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
The Chief Executive Officer for the Accra Digital Center Kofi Ofosu Nkansah has said that any politician who desires to go very far must empower young people in every sphere. He said selfish people in politics will never succeed.



According to him, as a politician, you should always have the wellbeing of the people around you at heart because that is how youll succeed.



Citing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as an example, he indicated that he was cut to succeed because he had the people who were closer to him at heart and ensured that they achieved greatness in their careers and in politics.



He said in a post he shared on Facebook that In Politics, if you want to grow, one of your first checklists should be how you treat those in your immediate surroundings. If you cant treat your own office staff well and you want to chop big post, 3nfa. I know someone who wanted to be a Presidential candidate and even his own driver was saying behind him he is P33p33 so people shouldnt vote for him.



You see how the President has mentored and tutored many who came into contact with him both in his Law Practice and Politics?



He was always going to succeed with such a kind heart. You cant succeed Politically if you are selfish. Charity, they say, begins at home.









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 US government is investing more than $30 million under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to boost domestic processing capabilities for light rare earth elements, the Department of Defense said on Monday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2021) The US government is investing more than $30 million under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to boost domestic processing capabilities for light rare earth elements, the Department of Defense said on Monday.

"Lynas Rare Earths, the largest rare earth element mining and processing company outside of China, has been awarded a Defense Production Act Title III technology investment agreement to establish domestic processing capabilities for light rare earth elements (LREE)," the Defense Department said in a press release.

LREEs are critical to numerous defense and commercial applications, including petroleum refining, glass additives, and magnets used in electric vehicle drivetrain motors and precision-guided munitions, the release said.

"Upon completion of this project, if successful, Lynas will produce approximately 25 percent of the worlds' supply of rare earth element oxides. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary Lynas USA, Lynas will establish LREE separation capacity in Hondo, Texas," the release added.

Under the technology investment agreement, the Department of Defense is contributing $30.4 million to the project. The Hondo, Texas facility will complement Lynas' existing Australian and Malaysian operations and is expected to be co-located with the proposed Heavy Rare Earths separation facility, according to the release.
Melania Trump was former President Donald Trump's first phone call after every rally and she'd shower him with glowing praise and tell him how 'wonderful and great' he is, her former friend and adviser says.

Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who was once an adviser and close confidante to Melania, 51, has revealed that it was a ritual for Trump and Melania to speak on the phone after public events and she'd boost his ego.

'I believe their way of showing affection towards one another is her telling him how wonderful and great he is,' Winston Wolkoff said on the Hollywood Life podcast this week.

'She was always his first phone call, always, no matter where she was. And the first thing hed say was: "Hey Baby, how'd I do?" Like he wants her approval,' she added.

Melania Trump was former President Donald Trump's first phone call after every rally and she'd shower him with glowing praise and tell him how 'wonderful and great' he is, her former friend and adviser says

'She was always his first phone call, always, no matter where she was. And the first thing hed say was: "Hey Baby, how'd I do?" Like he wants her approval,' Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who was once an adviser and close confidante to Melania, said

Trump hosted a myriad of raucous rallies before his red-capped MAGA supporters, but then-First Lady Melania was noticeably absent at many of them, especially towards the end of his presidency.

Winston Wolkoff said she was still supportive from behind the curtain despite public speculation.

'She tells him how it is but she also makes sure to elevate him and embrace what hes doing, because that is who she is,' she explained.

Melania and Trump pictured together at a campaign rally in Tampa, Florida on October 29, 2020

Since leaving the White House as Melanias aide Winston Wolkoff has written a book entitled: 'Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady, which has offered an intimate look into the Trumps' marriage.

In her book Winston Wolkoff said Melania would skirt talking about her marriage directly and would 'shine the light over here so you dont see whats going on over there.'

Speaking on several videos that have emerged showing Melania swipe her hand away from Trumps, Winston Wolkoff said the action was less about the state of their marriage and more of a distraction from 'whats going on.'

Winston Wolkoff said that rumors about a divorce between the two are misguided and that there is genuine love between the two.

'I didnt realize that, but when you see their eye contact and the seduction through that gaze, its more about that than I think anything else,' she said.

The conversation is one of several secretly recorded by Melania's former friend and aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff. She recently published a tell-all book about the Trumps entitled: 'Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship With the First Lady'

Since leaving office the couple have moved to Trump's luxury Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

Winston Wolkoff said she wrote the book to tell the public the truth about who Melania is.

'Throughout the years, Melania controlled her image, created her fairytale narrative, and remained an enigma, which enabled her to play make believe. I felt it my civic duty to stop protecting her and to unearth the "most mysterious First Lady," the world has ever known,' she said.

'By sharing my history with her, I unmasked her true identity and revealed an unvarnished portrait of a woman whose veneer Ive stripped off, leaving nothing but an "unapologetically, skin-deep" woman,' she added.
By Gabrielle Russon; Orlando Sentinel (TNS)

Disney World will still require visitors to wear facial coverings even if they are vaccinated from the coronavirus, the theme park said in a safety rules update.

Disneys policy falls in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions recommendation that people should keep covering wearing masks and maintain social distance after they receive the vaccines.

Not enough information is currently available to say if or when CDC will stop recommending that people wear masks and avoid close contact with others to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, the CDCs website said. Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide in real-world conditions before making that decision.

Universal also plans to keep mask rules in place, said spokesman Tom Schroder.

We continue to follow all our enhanced health and safety protocols and will continue to require our guests to wear facial coverings, Schroder said in a statement.

SeaWorld Orlando did not provide a response when asked about its policy Friday.

Since reopening in July, the Disney World theme parks have required masks and regularly evolved their safety rules whether it was to ban neck gaiters or not allow visitors to eat or drink while standing in certain ride lines. The company has previously said its keeping a 35% attendance cap to limit crowds.

In Orange County, the coronavirus remains a health concern.

State health officials are on alert this week after saying they detected the first documented cases of a mutated form of COVID-19 in Orange and Seminole counties, which is believed to be more contagious than other strands of the coronavirus.

We need to immunize as many people as possible before this virus mutates, said Dr. Raul Pino, the top state health official in Orange County at a Thursday press conference. The concern is it could continue to mutate and some of the mutations could bring resistance.

Disney confirmed in mid-January the company is in talks with the state to use space on Disney World property as a large-scale vaccine distribution site. Neither Disney nor the state has announced details or a definite plan.

At Disneyland in California, thats already underway. The company is working with officials there to use a parking lot at the shutdown theme park resort for a massive vaccination center that can handle large numbers of people.

Currently in Florida, Publix stores are among the outlets offering vaccines, which has drawn some critics who complain appointments are snatched up with rapid speed.

Hang in there, theres going to be more opportunities, Gov. Ron DeSantis said recently.

2021 Orlando Sentinel. Visit at orlandosentinel.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A Belarusian model who claims her Texan tycoon ex-husband still owes her 5.7million is preparing for another round of their long-running High Court battle.

Alesia Vladimirovna Haskell, 40, began legal action against Preston Haskell IV, 54, in 2016 after their marriage collapsed due to his unfaithfulness and 'abuse of cocaine and alcohol', a top family judge said.

US-born Mr Haskell was ordered to shell out about 5.7million to the mother of his three children, paid in installments, in early 2020.

Mr Haskell claimed at the time that he had nothing to give his ex-wife as he owed 55million to others - and was only getting by due to bail-outs from his super-rich father.

But the judge said Mr Haskell was enjoying a high standard of living at the time.

He asked his wife to sell her 100,000 engagement ring to pay for her upkeep - an act the judge slammed as 'bordering on the grotesque'.

Lawyers representing Mrs Haskell today told another judge that she is still owed money.

Mrs Haskell says Mr Haskell should be given a prison sentence if he does not pay - but her former husband disagrees.

Alesia Vladimirovna Haskell (right) began legal action against Preston Haskell IV (left) in 2016 after their marriage collapsed due to his unfaithfulness and 'abuse of cocaine and alcohol', a top family judge said

Mr Justice Moor oversaw a virtual hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London today - and said he aimed to reconsider the case on May 17.

Mr Haskell did not attend today's hearing because he is in South Africa, a judge was told, but he has been ordered to attend the hearing in May.

Mrs Haskell says Mr Haskell should be given a prison sentence if he does not pay - but her former-husband disagrees.

The couple enjoyed a lavish lifestyle during an 11-year relationship, but their marriage was blighted by his 'serial infidelity' and drink and drug use, a court heard last year.

Mr Haskell threw 1m parties and socialised with the rich and famous.

Mr Haskell claimed last year that he had nothing to give his ex-wife (pictured) as he owed 55million to others - and was only getting by due to bail-outs from his super-rich father

His wife was a member of the exclusive 5 Hertford Street club, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had their first date.

He made his 160m fortune in the property and restaurant business.

Mr Haskell supported his wife for two years after their split in 2016 but in 2019 - when he realised they were not going to get back together - he denounced her as a 'gold-digger,' the judge said.

After a week-long court battle in 2020, Mr Justice Mostyn ordered Mr Haskell to shell out sums totaling about 5.7million to the mother of his three children.

The ruling came after the judge saw social media posts from Mr Haskell, including one of the tycoon boasting about his 'beautiful year' and posing with a 400 bottle of vintage red wine.

Mr Justice Mostyn, sitting in the Family Court in London, said that despite Mr Haskell's claim to have no ready cash, the evidence painted a picture of a man enjoying a high standard of living.

The Hugh Court (pictured) last year heard that the tycoon, 53, and his 39-year-old wife had met and married in Moscow in 2003

The court heard that the tycoon and his wife had met and married in Moscow in 2003 - but had a 3.3million family home in Chelsea later on.

Mr Haskell, whose father built a US construction empire, and his personal style consultant wife moved to London in 2013.

'After their arrival in London in September 2013, the parties enjoyed a superior lifestyle dwelling, in high-quality rented accommodation,' said the judge said last year.

'Unfortunately, the marriage was blighted by the husband's serial infidelity and abuse of cocaine and alcohol.

'The wife issued a divorce petition on 24 November 2016 and commenced her claim for financial remedies on the same day.

'On 21 December 2016, the parties physically separated, and although they discussed reconciliation they never cohabited again.'

The judge said Mr Haskell had continued supporting his ex, while himself enjoying a 'high lifestyle' during 2018.

But he continued: 'In January 2019, the husband reached the conclusion that a reconciliation was not going to work and announced that the parties would proceed to a divorce.

'At that point, everything changed. His attitude to the wife became unremittingly punitive.

The couple moved to London in 2013 and moved into a 3.3 million home in Chelsea, pictured

'He denounced her as a gold-digger and began a process of financial attrition which has led to the present dire situation where the wife and children are shortly to be evicted from their home in central London and made homeless.'

Mr Haskell began claiming he had no money and their lives would have to change, as re-focusing of his business interests had left him without ready cash.

In January last year alone, he cancelled the lease on their home and told her she had to get her own phone contract.

He also cancelled her membership of the exclusive 5 Hertford Street club.

'In contrast, his American Express statement records that, in the month up to 22 January 2019, he had spent on that card alone nearly $19,000,' said the judge.

Mr Haskell had displayed 'insidious coercive control,' demanding that she account for everything she spent and get his written permission before withdrawing money from her account', he added.

In March 2019, a High Court judge ordered that he pay her 45,700-per-month in maintenance, more than double what Mr Haskell had offered to give.

But he failed to stump up all the cash and, by the time of the hearing of the divorce battle in January 2020, he owed her 310,000 in unpaid back maintenance.

The judge said Mr Haskell's business affairs may be in a state of flux, but rejected his claim that he is in a 'dire' financial situation.

'What was the husband doing, or not doing, from March until December 2019?' he said.

'He did not sell any of his assets. Nothing has been disposed of. He continued to enjoy his high lifestyle.

'Thus, the wife was able to establish by looking at the husband's postings on social media that he was on holiday in South Africa in April (when he posted a picture of himself paragliding with the caption 'life is beautiful'); in Turkey in May; in St Tropez in June; in Ibiza in July; in Switzerland in July in order to attend a party hosted by the US ambassador to that country; and in December...at his beautiful home in Cape Town.

'On 31 May, 2019, he posted a picture of himself holding a bottle of Chateau Haut-Brion 1966 with the caption: "It was a beautiful year".'

Through companies and a trust, he owns a 'magnificent' 6.5million villa with 'outstanding' ocean views in Cape Town and another 'fine villa' worth about 1million in Johannesburg, the judge added.

'No attempt has been made to sell either of these properties,' he said.

'If the husband's financial position was really as dire as he proclaims, these would be the first to go under the hammer.

'The husband maintains an office in Moscow where he employs numerous members of staff. Not one has been let go in this supposed time of crisis.'

He continued: 'I do not take into account any value of the wife's engagement ring.

'The husband was very keen that I should do so, asserting that it was worth perhaps 100,000.

'It is bordering on the grotesque that the husband should be expecting the wife to liquidate this ring.'
Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters.

Story by Rebecca Moss of Spotlight PA

Sandra Huffman was cleaning St. Lukes hospital in Quakertown, gloved and maskless, when she got sick last March. It felt as though a film of spiderwebs had caked her throat, she said. At 54, she was sleeping upright in bed, breathing through a borrowed nebulizer, and drinking an old family remedy of fat Spanish onions congealed in sugar.

She sold her 86 Chevy Mallard RV, then her mothers gold jewelry. By late summer she was collecting cans for scrap metal. Huffman did not know that a federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, administered by the state, would provide money for people like her until October.

Trying to get a job without a vehicle in rural PA, it is scary, Huffman said. We just basically sold or traded everything we owned. There wasnt a lot of information that filtered down to us. Thats how we got by.

Pandemic unemployment benefits were a lifeline to Huffman and more than 400,000 other Pennsylvanians who dont qualify for traditional unemployment. But payments stalled the day after Christmas because former President Donald Trump delayed their extension. Then, Huffman said, her claim disappeared from the states unemployment computer portal  a system that dates back to 1968.

Since then, its been a long and painful January for Huffman and those like her.

For a month, Pennsylvanians have been living without that support  a minimum $195 a week. State officials blame the lapse in the CARES Act and the fact that the federal government did not send instructions to the state on how to administer the new law until Jan. 11. It wasnt until Jan. 22 that the state Department of Labor and Industry began accepting and paying out those claims. But claimants are still facing numerous bureaucratic hurdles, and many have still not received payment for all of the weeks they missed.

Whatever Ive ever done in my life, I count on when I open my refrigerator the light goes on, Huffman said. I need responsible people to take care of that stuff.

Lawmakers, experts, and union leaders agree that Pennsylvanias unemployment compensation system needs massive overhauls, but that is unlikely to be enough to address the current unemployment crisis, if it happens at all. True relief will only begin when the virus is under control, economists say.

Over the last several months, the state Labor Department has increased staff by 165% as stressed employees worked overtime, but its still struggling. More than 83,000 new claims were filed last week alone, with over 67,000 people contacting the department for help, according to state statistics.

I am very empathetic, acting Labor Secretary Jennifer Berrier said during a news conference Tuesday, admitting problems have persisted in the claims system and staffing levels. We realize people are suffering and we want to help.

Between federal relief and unemployment compensation, the department has had to process more than 5 million claims since the pandemic began. At the height of the unemployment crisis at the start of May, it was receiving roughly one million claims each week, as Gov. Tom Wolf temporarily shut all non-essential businesses. This rush was more than three times the amount filed during the peak of the Great Recession in 2009. Phone lines jammed and the website for the Department of Labor and Industry crashed repeatedly as sick and economically strained Pennsylvanians scrambled to access benefits.

Rep. Timothy ONeal, (R., Washington), who called for an investigation into the agency in June but failed to gain support from House leadership, said the agency was slow to respond, and constituents, desperate for help, inundated him and other lawmakers. One woman said she resorted to feeding her family with dog food.

The department, with their antiquated system, wasnt ready. They werent ready for any stress on the system, especially the magnitude we ended up seeing, ONeal said. This safety net throughout the Commonwealth was simply failing.

Feeling the strain

The Department of Labor and Industry has long been hamstrung by funding problems and a system thats over 50 years old. In December 2016, the agency laid off 500 staffers and closed several unemployment centers. The following April, then-Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said the agency failed to keep track of its finances while estimating it would need an additional $159 million over the next four years to keep the remaining operations running, update infrastructure, and address its state of chaos.

Since the pandemic hit in March, the agency has added 775 new workers, though they say they are still under unrelenting stress after months of overtime. The department has also delayed implementing a new computer system, meant to launch first in 2019 and then last October, for fear any glitch would further compound problems. Officials now say they hope to launch it this spring.

For Shawn Domenico, who has worked for the state Labor Department in Pittsburgh since 2010, processing so many claims  especially for people that might not qualify despite their evident need  has made his work devastating.

He saw the department grapple with the fallout of the Great Recession and the funding deficit in 2017. But nothing has compared to 2020, he said.

Domenico took a leave in September to work for his union, advocating for labor staff. The prior months left the 46-year-old feeling broken, physically and mentally. He had been processing claims up to 12 hours a day, 6 or 7 days a week. He gained weight and said he couldnt think straight.

And it still wasnt enough, he said. You feel guilty. No matter how much you worked the backlog got bigger, the people you dealt with were waiting longer and longer and there was no way to fix it.

In a Facebook support group for unemployed Pennsylvanians with 8,600 members, users have posted questions they have been unable to get answered by the Department of Labor. When someone does get through to the agencys chatline, they post an urgent message in the forum to try to help several people get their questions answered at once.

They want to know how to get missing weeks of back pay, how to restart claims after being disqualified, and, most urgently, how to get through to someone.

Call on Thursday or Friday, some members suggest, or start at 7:55 a.m. and just keep dialing.

I will pay someone to get on the phone, one member wrote.

Sandra Huffman, shown here at her home in East Greenville, Pa., has been unemployed since April when she got sick while working a hospital cleaning job. She has been receiving money from the coronavirus assistance fund, but has struggled during a monthlong gap in benefits.

A triple whammy

When the unemployment system was established in 1935 under the Social Security Act, it was a concept designed for male manufacturing workers, said Stephen Herzenberg, economist and executive director of Keystone Research Center.

We need to take a harder look at our unemployment insurance system, Herzenberg said.

Instead of creating a more robust framework to fund unemployment reserves, decades of policies made it more difficult to qualify for benefits. These decisions disproportionately harmed women and people of color who were already disenfranchised by a system not built for them, he said.

Traditional unemployment requires a certain level of earnings and consistent employment. Low wage and temporary workers, who are more frequently women and people of color, are often ineligible. As of last March, fewer than 40 percent of unemployed workers in Pennsylvania qualified for benefits, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center.

In addition to applying through an unwelcoming system, women and people of color are also concentrated in the industries most impacted by the pandemic: they work in hospitality and retail, and high-risk workplaces like nursing homes.

While 3.9 percent of women were unemployed in Pennsylvania at the end of 2019, compared to 4.3 percent of men, that rate more than doubled to 9 percent by November of 2020, and 8.7 percent of men. At the peak of pandemic claims in May, more than 22 percent of women were unemployed compared to 19 percent of men.

Undocumented immigrant workers are subject to a third tier of harm, Herzenberg said, because they are excluded from government benefits altogether. As a result, With respect to women and people of color, the pandemic brought with it what we call a triple whammy, Herzenberg said.

Since November 2019, the states retail and hospitality industry experienced the sharpest cuts, losing 175,900 jobs, more than 30 percent of the jobs lost, followed by education and health services. Finance and construction jobs experienced the smallest percent loss, at 2.5 percent of job loss or less.

Black workers in Pennsylvania were more than twice as likely to face joblessness than white workers as a result of the pandemic, and rates were nearly as high for Hispanic workers, according to an analysis by Pennsylvania State University researchers.

Those without a college or high school degree, and people with disabilities, also experienced much higher rates of unemployment, according to state data released in December.

All those factors  of education, career, and access to infrastructure  studies have shown are associated with structural racism, said Timothy Kelsey, a professor of agricultural economics at Penn State, who led the research. We strongly suspect those issues underline the differences here.

The privilege of working from home

As most businesses shut down last year, Latrinia Gaston, at 46, kept her job cleaning a PNC bank building and at a call center in Allegheny County, but work became a constant source of fear. People in the building contracted the coronavirus regularly, she said.

Daily, she felt, just anxiety, just afraid, she said. You dont want your kids to be impacted by nothing, you want to make sure they are safe.

She stayed alert at work and kept six-feet from those around her, wearing a mask and goggles. Then in mid-December, she felt an unusual headache strain behind her eyes and tested positive for the coronavirus. Her husband, who also cleans on a night shift, tested positive, too.

Fatigued, nauseous, and short of breath, she cared for her husband and her son, Kane, who is 12 and has ADHD. To help him with his school work, theyd put on gloves and talk through masks in the hallway.

ISS, the cleaning company she works for, paid for two weeks of sick leave and wouldnt let her return to work without a negative test. But she tested positive again in the third week. Neither she nor her husband was paid, and she filed for unemployment.

Their mortgage was due and she needed groceries. She worried the headaches brought on by the virus might never go away.

Its a lot, she said. Its more stress and anxiety than anything because we dont have money coming in.

Domenico, the claims officer, said there were so many people filing that he had little time to help or direct people whose claims were filed through the wrong program or did not qualify at all. Federal guidelines also continued to change the rules for how to process claims through various pandemic assistance programs.

He said the Labor Department staff feels that if it goes on for much longer they arent going to be able to help people because the system just isnt working.

Over the summer, he biked to work at a building that abutted the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. He watched the long lines of people encircle the building, a need so great the food bank had to put down new gravel to expand the pathway where people could wait.

You are exhausted and you are looking out at a world of people who cant feed themselves and you cant help them, Domenico said. You begin to wonder what is going on.

The existing system failed to imagine the pandemic, he said.

Traditional unemployment insurance requires people to seek work at a time when governments are urging people to stay home. Some unemployed Pennsylvanians, union leaders, and economists like Herzenberg said the previous administrations, particularly at the federal level, have failed, and they hope the Biden administration takes a stronger approach.

At the state level, bills to eliminate the wage gap in Pennsylvania  where women make roughly 80 percent of a mans salary, and women of color even less  have gone nowhere. Though senators who support these changes hope that, with new female lawmakers in the legislature, and Kim Ward (R., Westmoreland) leading the state Senate, these bills could gain more traction.

Rep. Joe Ciresi (D., Montgomery), who has also called for an investigation into the unemployment system, said the legislature needs to figure out what went wrong with the agency and how to help people move forward.

These are our taxpayers, Ciresi said. We have an obligation to make sure these departments are well-funded and well-staffed and that is where the ball dropped.

100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Become a member today at spotlightpa.org/donate.

More from PennLive

Children are susceptible to COVID-19 and some nasty long-term effects: What you need to know

Want the COVID-19 vaccine? Heres why main central Pa. providers dont even have appointments



tech2 News Staff

TATA Group's newly launched medical venture Tata Medical & Diagnostics is reportedly in talks with Moderna to bring its COVID-19 vaccine to India after conducting clinical trials to ensure its safety and efficacy. The Economic Times reported that the dialogue is still in its early days and that sources have said that the company would partner up with the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) to carry out the necessary clinical trials of Modernas vaccine candidate in India.

The Director-General of CSIR Shekhar C Mande told The Print, "We are in talks with Moderna to understand the science behind their vaccine and how it works on the human body. Till now, the discussions are scientific in nature".

The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad has the capacity to develop this vaccine very quickly  within weeks, Mande said.

When asked about Indian pharma companies interested in, Mande said I dont know if Wockhardt has shown interests or even if Tata Sons has pitched in. We have worked with Tata Sons in the past. We will be delighted if they are interested to take part in this. Also, IIL could work.

So even though Moderna's vaccine has been approved by the US, UK and France and is being used in inoculation drives around the world, it is still important that the vaccine is tested in India. This is because not everyone will respond to a vaccine in the same way and that applies to people from the same race and even more so for people from different races. Health authorities need country-specific data to give their approvals and ensure the vaccine will not have any adverse effects on their people.

The bridge trial, as it is called, gives a country access to a vaccine that otherwise would've taken a long time to reach them. This is an important aspect especially in a crisis situation like COVID-19.

This is also the reason Russia's COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V needs to complete a Phase 3 trial and have partnered up with Hyderabad's pharma company Dr Reddy's and why AstraZeneca tied up with Serum Institute of India to conduct the Oxford vaccine trials and produce it in India. Johnson & Johnson have also tied up Biological E to conduct a trial in India.

The other reason, according to a Reuters report, is that India has made it mandatory for any vaccine maker to conduct a clinical trial in the country before it will get a chance to be approved.

According to the ET report, "exploratory talks have started between Tata Medical & Diagnostics and Moderna and concrete plans will be finalised once government approvals for private sector participation come in".

India has approved two COVID-19 vaccines  Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and Serum Institute of India's Covishield  for emergency use. According to NITI Aayog Member Dr VK Paul, India has six vaccine clinical trials that are currently going on in the country.

About Moderna vaccine

The Moderna vaccine is based on mRNA technology and evidence from its clinical trials for its COVID-19 vaccine shows that it was 94 percent effective at preventing lab-confirmed COVID-19 in people who were given two doses and had no history of the infection. Moderna's vaccine candidate 'mRNA-1273' is believed to offer protection against the virus for 'several months' according to World Health Organisation (WHO) but according to the company's CEO Stephane Bancel, immunity against the vaccine can last for a couple of years.

The vaccine is given in two doses 28 days apart and can be extended to 42 days. It has shown to be effective around 14 days after one receives the first dose. The vaccine needs to be kept frozen between -25C and -15C, which is similar to a normal freezer if its not being used immediately. Each vial contains enough doses to vaccinate 10 people. According to a Time report, the vaccines needs to be thawed before it is used and once thawed, the unopened vial needs to be used within 30 days. Once a vial is punctured, it needs to be used within six hours.

The vaccine was not tested in pregnant or breastfeeding women and more studies need to be conducted to know if it is safe for them. The US's Centre for Disease Control (CDC) said it is a woman's personal choice. The vaccine is also not supposed to be given to children under the age of 18 years as those studies are needed to be conducted as well.

According to the clinical trial data, WHO says the vaccine is safe and effective in people with known medical conditions hypertension, diabetes, asthma, pulmonary, liver or kidney disease, as well as chronic infections that are stable and controlled.

The most common side effects, according to the CDC, from getting the vaccine are pain in the arm you got the shot along with swelling and redness. Other effects throughout the body are chills, tiredness and headache.
With a rose ceremony looming, ABC says The Bachelor Matt James has some tough conversations in the next episode.

The Bachelor will air 8-10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1, on ABC.

ABC says, James is making it clear to the house that toxic behavior wont fly; but not everyone takes that news to heart and one woman finds herself in an emotional spiral of denial.

Later, the group date showcases Matts country roots and reveals who is comfortable getting down and dirty. Two one-on-one dates lead to a shopping spree for one woman and a delicious home-cooked meal for the other.

There are 20 women remaining. They are:

Abigail, 25, a client financial manager from Beaverton, Ore.

Anna, 24, a copywriter from Chicago, Ill.

Bri, 24, a communications manager from San Francisco, Calif.

Brittany, 23, a model from Chicago, Ill.

Catalina, 29, former Miss Puerto Rico from Caguas, Puerto Rico

Chelsea, 28, a runway model from Brooklyn, N.Y.

Jessenia, 27, a social media marketer from San Antonio, Texas

Katie, 29, a bank marketing manager from Renton, Wash.

Kit, 21, a fashion entrepreneur from New York City, N.Y.

Lauren, 29, a corporate attorney from Miami, Fla.

Magi, 32, a pharmacist from Adwa, Ethiopia

Mari, 24, a marketing director from Odenton, Md.

Michelle, 27, a teacher from Edina, Minn.

MJ, 23, a hairstylist from Hudson, Ohio

Pieper, 23, a graduate student from Happy Valley, Ore.

Rachael, 24, a graphic designer from Cumming, Ga.

Ryan, 26, a dancer and choreographer from Brooklyn, N.Y.

Serena C., 24, a flight attendant from San Francisco, Calif.

Serena P., 22, a publicist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Victoria, 27, a self-described queen from Los Angeles, Calif.

James, 28, is a real estate broker and the first Black bachelor.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament on Monday announced that the government will amend the Insurance Act, 1938 to increase the permissible FDI limit from 49% to 74% and allow foreign ownership and control with safeguards,

Under the proposed new structure, the majority of Directors on the Board and key management persons would be resident Indians, with at least 50% of Directors being Independent Directors, and specified percentage of profits being retained as general reserve.

Stressed Asset Resolution by setting up a New Structure

The Finance Minister presenting the Union Budget 2021 stated that an Asset Reconstruction Company Limited and Asset Management Company would be set up to consolidate and take over the existing stressed debt and then manage and dispose off the assets to Alternate Investment Funds and other potential investors for eventual value realization. The move will help the Public Sector Banks to manage their stressed assets.

Recapitalization of PSBs

In order to consolidate the financial capacity of Public Sectors Banks, the Government has proposed further recapitalization of Rs. 20,000 crore during the fiscal 2021-22.

Deposit Insurance

The Finance Minister further stated that the Government had, last year, approved an increase in the Deposit Insurance cover for bank customers from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 5 lakhs. In order to help depositors of banks that are currently under stress, the Government will move an amendment to the DICGC Act, 1961 in the current Parliament Session to streamline the provisions, so that if a bank is temporarily unable to fulfil its obligations, the depositors of such a bank can get easy and time-bound access to their deposits to the extent of the deposit insurance cover.

Live TV

#mute

To improve credit discipline while continuing to protect the interest of small borrowers, for NBFCs with minimum asset size of Rs. 100 crores, the minimum loan size eligible for debt recovery under the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002 is proposed to be reduced from the existing level of Rs. 50 lakhs to Rs. 20 lakhs, the Minister 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.

404

  

              
The rising cases of indiscipline among school-going children in Kenya have led to calls for corporal punishment to be reintroduced.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education Prof George Magoha last week recommended reintroducing the cane, sparking a national conversation. Speaking in Kisii, Prof Magoha attributed students unrest in schools and attacks on teachers to the withdrawal of the cane as a punishment tool.

I may appear old school but I think we are at a time when we need to discuss how we can bring sanity in our schools and maybe bring the cane on board once more, said the Prof.

However, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has opposed the cane, saying it would only make matters worse.

We will not accept the return of corporal punishment which will put our teachers in conflict with the learners. If they want to return it, let them post police officers to schools who will be doing the caning job because these teenagers are likely to kill the teachers, said KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion.

Speaking at Afraha High School in Nakuru, Sossion said indiscipline among learners is a result of a lack of parental responsibility.

According to Sossion, boarding schools be abolished instead to allow parents to spend more time with their children.

Parents have a greater responsibility in the upbringing of their children. It is time for this country to abolish all boarding schools and have state-of-the-art day schools.

Last years long break has exposed how parents have abdicated their roles on parenting. We want the parents to regain their skills of guiding their children after work as the work of the teachers is to impart knowledge and values between 8 am to 5 pm, he said.

This should be the best reforms alongside employing more teachers and ensuring we have state of the art facilities in the schools, Sossion added.

The teachers representative also noted that a section of education stakeholders would likely oppose the proposal to abolish boarding schools.

We know this is a lucrative business. If the investors resist, they should be ready for the chaos experienced in the past weeks of arson and assault that have left schools counting losses, said Sossion, adding that developed countries have fully adopted the day school system.

Europe and the United States are doing this. We shouldnt continue to live with the colonial mentality that girls should be confined in schools to avoid circumcision and to stop boys from engaging in cattle rustling and other alike activities, he said.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Many people are practicing better hand-washing and sanitation practices in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Continuing these habits has potential to mitigate risks associated with foodborne illnesses. (Photo courtesy of rawpixel)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  The COVID-19 pandemic has led to many people practicing better hand-washing and sanitation practices in their homes to stop the spread of the virus. A team of food scientists led by Purdue University believes that poses an opportunity to thwart foodborne illnesses.

There is no evidence that the SARS-Co-V-2 virus is spread through food, said Yaohua Betty Feng, an assistant professor in Purdues Department of Food Science. Still, the practices that health officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are pushing to stop the virus spread are the same as those that can eliminate risks associated with foodborne Salmonella, E.coli, Listeria and other pathogens.

If you look to the CDC, they will tell you to wash hands for 20 seconds and clean surfaces with soap and water and sanitize them, Feng said. These are important practices for stopping the spread of COVID and would serve us well if people continue them when the pandemic comes to an end.

The key, Feng said, is to make sure that the information youre getting is correct, and that isnt always the case. The team analyzed 85 YouTube videos  from the U.S. and Canada, in English and with 500 or more views  that promote food safety as part of the strategy to mitigate the COVID-19 risk. Feng and Wenqing (Wennie) Xu, an assistant professor in the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences at Louisiana State University AgCenter, reported in the Journal of Food Protection that many videos, even when citing accurate sources like the CDC, didnt always present the correct information to audiences.

About 69% of videos presented hand-washing procedures, but in only 41% of those did the hosts use soap. Less than one-third mentioned hand sanitizer. Of those who washed produce, 16% used soap and 12% used other chemical cleansers, which do not meet CDC guidelines of using only water. Soaps and cleansers raise the risk of causing diarrhea if not rinsed properly.

CDC guidelines recommend following four simple steps for reducing the risk of food poisoning  clean, separate, cook and chill:

Clean: Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and running water before, during and after preparing food and before eating; wash utensils, cuttings boards and counters with hot, soapy water; and rinse raw fruits and vegetables under running water.

Separate: Use separate cutting boards for raw meats, poultry and seafood, and keep these raw foods away from other ready-to-eat foods while shopping and in the refrigerator.

Cook: Ensure that all foods are cooked to the proper temperature, which varies between 145 degrees and 165 degrees depending on the type of protein.

Chill: Place perishable foods inside a refrigerator set to 40 degrees or lower within two hours; and thaw foods in cold water, the refrigerator or a microwave, but never alone on the countertop.

Feng said that while many of the YouTube videos offered correct information, its important for viewers to check the sources cited and ensure theyre following proper recommendations.

While COVID doesnt seem to be spread through food, many people are taking precautions with their food to protect themselves from the possibility. These actions will also keep them safe from common foodborne pathogens, Feng said. I hope that people get into the habit of washing hands and cleaning surfaces and keep them up. I encourage anyone who wants to keep themselves safe from these pathogens to do their homework, get accurate information and follow best practices.

I encourage social media influencers to be more accurate and use science-based information when developing public health messages for the audiences that trust and follow their recommendations,.

The USDAs National Institute of Food and Agriculture partially supported Fengs work.

Writer: Brian Wallheimer; 765-532-0233; bwallhei@purdue.edu

Source: Yaohua Betty Feng; 765-494-0331; yhfeng@purdue.edu

ABSTRACT

Exploring Food Safety Messages in an Era of COVID-19: Analysis of YouTube Video Content

Merlyn Thomas, Peyton Haynes, Juan Archila, Mai Nguyen, Wenqing Xu, Yaohua Feng

Although SARS-CoV-2 is not a proven foodborne pathogen, the COVID-19 pandemic has put the food system on alert. Food safety is identified as an important pillar in mitigating the crisis. Therefore, understanding how popular media are used as a vital disseminator of food safety and health information for public use is more important than ever. YouTube deserves particular attention as one of the most highly trafficked websites on the internet, especially as it has been blamed for spreading misleading or untrustworthy information during the pandemic that contradicts validated information. This study evaluates the food safety information and practices circulated on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic and their alignment with government agencies recommendations. A search for videos on YouTube was conducted using the keywords Food and COVID-19, Food safety and COVID-19, and Groceries and COVID-19. After applying a series of inclusive and exclusive criteria, a total of 85 different videos from the United States and Canada were evaluated. More than half (59%) of the videos presented handwashing procedures, less than a third (22%) showed kitchen disinfection, and most (69%) showed concern for take-out or grocery store practices. Multiple and different produce washing procedures were also shown throughout videos. Food was not considered hazardous by 33% of the videos, but 20% mentioned that food packaging is potentially hazardous. Most videos cited government agencies and had a host or guest who was a healthcare professional or professor/expert. Of the overall citations, three videos were not aligned with a government agencys guideline or information cited; two were presented by a healthcare professional. These findings demonstrate the need to develop educational interventions that increase YouTube video hosts and guests awareness of social media use as a tool for food safety dissemination and the need to provide trustworthy sources.

Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415;

Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu

Agriculture News Page



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.

"Animalia: An Anti-Imperial Bestiary for Our Times," co-edited by Illinois history professor Antoinette Burton, examines the roles that animals played in the British Empire - both in advancing and in disrupting British imperial power.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Animals played a central role in the British Empire. Sources of food and labor, animals symbolized the power of the empire. They also hindered the efforts of the British to control colonized lands, and they destroyed ecosystems.

A new book examines their relationships with imperial authorities and colonists through essays about 26 animals - one for each letter of the alphabet, from Ape and Boar to Yak and Zebu - and how those human-animal relationships reflect on the empire's presumption of racial supremacy. "Animalia: An Anti-Imperial Bestiary for Our Times" was co-edited by Antoinette Burton, the director of the Humanities Research Institute and a history professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Burton contributed two essays.

"Animalia" offers a counternarrative of empire in examining the disruptive force that animals presented to imperial expansion. Burton and co-editor Renisa Mawani, a sociology professor at the University of British Columbia, wrote in the book's introduction that animals "did pose recurrent challenges to modern British imperialism, interrupting the best-made plans and reminding would-be colonizers on a regular basis that the terrains they sought to conquer were not uninhabited but were populated both by humans and by unruly animal species that refused to go away."

The book connects critical race studies and animal studies in looking at human-animal relations and how racial assertions of supremacy played out in animal form. British imperialists coming into a new environment expected to be the dominant species and to impose their will on native populations and native animal species, Burton said.

"You can't disentangle white supremacy from species supremacy," she said. "There was a lot of white supremacist violence happening in the British Empire. But some of that was being thwarted in small, ordinary ways by animals. Some of them are quite spectacular examples of how the animal world worked against the empire."

The lion has long symbolized the British monarchy, and its iconography often features a lion wearing a crown or holding a scepter, Burton wrote in her essay "L is for Lion."

"The lion conjured 'might is right' by linking imperial power with the hierarchy of natural law in the animal kingdom," she wrote.

Lion hunting became associated with coming of age for certain white men. Burton recounted the story of the man-eating lions of Tsavo, Kenya, that were attacking laborers on a railway project before being killed by a British railway engineer with the help of his local scout. A fictionalized account of the story appeared in the 1996 film "The Ghost and the Darkness."

"Intended as a tale of derring-do, 'The Man-Eaters of Tsavo' also tells stories of struggle, reversal, near failure and one small, fleeting win for the lion population," as one lioness escapes being killed, she wrote.

Mosquitoes that transmit malaria and yellow fever were seen as "tiny, mobile threats to a British sovereignty," and mosquito control was considered necessary for expanding colonial development. The British devoted significant resources to controlling the transmission of parasites and viruses via mosquitoes, while Indigenous people and enslaved Africans took advantage of their immunity to yellow fever to challenge colonial rule, according to the book's essay on the insect.

Scorpions were a common feature of household life in the British colonies, and they also were used as a metaphor for agents of anti-colonial struggle, Burton wrote in her essay on that creature.

"Because of their potentially deadly stings, scorpions were feared and even loathed. They were also seen as 'enemies,' 'combatants,' and in some contexts, instruments of war," she wrote. "The scorpion was a commonplace colonial menace that brought all kinds of danger to the doorstep."

The book looks at jackals in southern Africa, which preyed on small livestock and were made stronger when efforts to eradicate them resulted in more adaptable animals surviving.

Cattle were a source of food and labor, as well as a symbol of agricultural progress, wealth and status, and domesticity. As Indigenous lands were transformed into grazing lands, cattle functioned as "agents of colonization in their own right" - a new way to dispossess Indigenous people of their lands and natural resources, according to the essay describing cattle's role in the empire. They initiated processes of deforestation that continue today. British imperial pursuits were among the causes of climate change, Burton and Mawani wrote.

The style of the book - an illustrated ABC text - was popular during the Victorian era. Interest in zoology was soaring during that age of exploration and conquest, and books celebrating animal life were plentiful. The format is more accessible than an academic monologue, Burton said. The essays cross-reference other entries, allowing readers to jump to different sections and making it easier to find connections between species and geographical locations.

"The form is different and playful, but the content is deadly serious," Burton said. As the British Empire attempted to legitimize its supremacy through a mastery over animals throughout its territories, "the real story is in the struggle over whether and to what extent such supremacy was actually achieved."

###

Editor's note: To contact Antoinette Burton, email aburton@illinois.edu.

"Animalia: An Anti-Imperial Bestiary for Our Times" was published by Duke University Press.

Burton is also the author of "An ABC of Queen Victoria's Empire" and "The Trouble With Empire," as well as other books on British imperialism.


Cassidy Vandepol and Kayla Barrett of Aqua-Tots Lexington present Shantae Bruce of Big Brothers Big Sisters with a check for 1,302 swim lessons donated through the Swim Lesson Donation Drive. Everything we do is about creating life lessons for children, and some of the best life lessons are learned through generosity.

Aqua-Tots Swim Schools, the worlds largest swim school franchise, is celebrating the donation of over 10,000 swim lessons, a value of $250,000, to families in need across the United States. Twenty franchise locations participated in this effort, allowing swim school families to gift lessons to selected charitable organizations.

At Aqua-Tots, one of our core values is relationships over profits, said Jamie Cartledge, franchise owner of Aqua-Tots in Peoria and Surprise, Arizona. Everything we do is about creating life lessons for children, and some of the best life lessons are learned through generosity. During the month of February, there is no better time to share the love of safe swimming with children in our communities.

The Swim Lesson Donation Drive, held in November and December of 2020, was an opportunity for families in participating schools to donate unused make-up lessons they had accrued throughout 2020. Others were given the opportunity to purchase lessons for donation. In total, 10,125 lessons were gifted.

When we presented this opportunity to the families in our schools, we were overwhelmed with how they stepped up to serve children, said Lindsay Thayer, franchise owner of Aqua-Tots Lexington, Louisville, Dayton and Indianapolis. Their willingness to donate swim lessons to families in need really shows the heart of the greater Aqua-Tots community. Weve always been proud to be a part of this family, but today, we are prouder than ever.

Aqua-Tots Swim Schools has been the leader in the swim instruction industry since 1991, offering comprehensive swim curriculum for children as early as four months old. With locations in 14 countries, families all over the world experience the dedicated, year-round, indoor swim facilities where their children can become safe and confident swimmers by completing the proven Aqua-Tots curriculum.

Water safety remains as important as ever, even amidst the pandemic. According to Pediatrician Ben Hoffman, chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Injury, Violence & Poison Prevention, As children are at home more due to social isolation recommendations, they may have more access to pools, bathtubs, and other sources of water  all of which pose a drowning risk.

In fact, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death among children ages one to four years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and swim lessons drastically improve this reality. Participation in formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88% among children in the same age group, according to the National Institutes of Health.

2020 was a challenging year, said Aqua-Tots CEO Craig Wright. Franchise owners all over the world were faced with the reality of temporarily closing their doors during the coronavirus pandemic. Because of their commitment to swim lessons and the value they place on families, all locations offered free make-up lessons to get children back on track when schools reopened. To see those same families pay it forward to children who may not be able to take swim lessons has been remarkable to witness.

Each participating franchise location chose charitable organizations as the recipients of the donated swim lessons. Those organizations will in turn select deserving families to take part in the classes at their local Aqua-Tots Swim Schools. The organizations include but are not limited to: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Child Savings Institute, Community Alliance Against Family Abuse, Children's Home Society of Idaho, Families in Transition of West Georgia, WIC, Arrow Child & Family Ministries, America's Angels, Inc, Foster Adopt Connect, Creighton Community Foundation, Arizona Department of Child Support Services, Adelante Healthcare, and Dystart Community Center.

Aqua-Tots Swim Schools is committed to keeping families safe and healthy while at swim lessons, and they have implemented the Aqua-Tots Full Circle of Safety to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in their facilities. Preventative measures include enhanced cleaning procedures, face shields for swim instructors, masks for swim school staff and social distancing measures in the lobby.

A properly maintained and sanitized pool is also considered a safe environment for children and families. According to the CDC, they are not aware of any scientific reports of the virus that causes COVID-19 spreading to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, or water playgrounds. Plus, proper operation of public pools, hot tubs, and water playgrounds (such as at an apartment complex or owned by a community) and disinfection of the water (with chlorine or bromine) should inactivate the virus. The Aqua-Tots pool contains a commercial sanitation and filtration system which maintains the proper chlorinated levels.

About Aqua-Tots Swim Schools

Aqua-Tots Swim Schools serves over 115 communities worldwide, offering dedicated, year-round, indoor swim instruction, community outreach and drowning prevention education to children of all abilities from four months to 12 years old. As the worlds largest swim school franchise, their hand-selected instructors are passionate about teaching children how to remain safer in and around the water, using tried and true curriculum, 30 years in the making and trusted worldwide to teach 2.9 million swim lessons annually. To learn more, visit http://www.aqua-tots.com.
Glorinah Khutso Mabaso from Pretoria has been named the winner of the Trenery 2020 Print Competition, and her striking fabric design will feature internationally in Trenery's February 2021 collection. She will also travel to France to attend a two-week design course at the Paris College of Art.

Glorinah Khutso Mabaso

Design inspiration

Mabasos winning print 'Rain Maker'

Young diamond jewellery designers called to enter Shining Light Awards The Shining Light Awards invites promising young diamond jewellery designers from Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa to showcase their talent...

Showcasing SA talent

Trenerys Australian team was so impressed with the breadth of design talent that they also selected two runner-up designs  by Primrose Charmz, 29, and Agrippa Hlophe, 31  to also appear in Trenerys February range.The Print Competition competition forms part of the fashion brand's commitment to supporting aspiring talent in the South African art and design community.The competition was open exclusively to emerging local designers, who were tasked with creating a unique print with a distinct, modern South African interpretation of a sophisticated summer traveller. More than 400 entries were judged by an expert panel that includededitor Steve Smith, CEO of the Norval Foundation Elana Brundyn, and the Australia-based Trenery design team.The entries surpassed our wildest imaginations. There was an interesting variety of submissions to choose from, but the eventual winners were chosen for their standout designs that also fulfilled the brief. Glorinahs winning print is bold and eye-catching yet stays true to Trenerys ethos of timeless, modern simplicity, says senior textile designer Bree Dhaliwal.Mabasos winning print, 'Rain Maker, was inspired by the first Rain Queen, Maselekwane Modjadji, of the Balobedu people from Limpopo. Her design uses a combination of repetitive lines and circles to reflect raindrops running down a glass window.I have always loved history and ancient civilisations. As the only female ruler in the region from 1800-1854, Maselekwane Modjadji was a respected leader in an era when women were not given leadership positions in society. Trenery gave me an incredible platform to represent and visually re-awaken the heritage of these people," says Mabaso.An interior design and decorating graduate of the Design School of South Africa, Mabaso has worked for architectural firms and has been recognised for her design excellence in interiors. In 2015, she founded Renaissance, a studio focused on interiors and wallpaper design.The Rain Maker print got a unanimous vote from all judges, and we are absolutely thrilled to showcase Glorinahs talent to the world, says Elouise Brink, Trenerys senior marketing manager in South Africa.It was important to us that the winning designers had a meaningful experience. As part of their prize, they worked closely with the Australian team to learn the step-by-step process involved in transitioning their designs into screen or digitally printed fabric, and finally into pieces for the Autumn/Winter 2021 collection," explains Brink.Trenery has made it a priority to support young, creative South African talent with its previous Trenery Guild collaborations.We are well known for our rich artisan prints and our partnerships with skilled hand block craftspeople in India. In Africa, fabric prints are also a type of artistry used to tell a story  bright colours and patterns represent beliefs, traditions, and desires. It was an obvious progression for us to look to our local design community for inspiration, and to use the competition as an opportunity to showcase South African talent on a global platform," adds Brink.The Trenery Print Competition design capsule will be available in store and online from 1 February 2021.
TOKYO and CAMBRIDGE, England, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sosei Group Corporation ("the Company"; TSE: 4565) announces it will apply its world-leading structure-based drug design (SBDD) expertise and platform to ion channels for the first time through a new strategic collaboration with Metrion Biosciences Limited ("Metrion"), the specialist ion channel CRO and drug discovery company.

Ion channels are a class of integral membrane proteins that regulate the flow of ions across the cell membrane as a means of conducting signals between cells and their environment. They are well established drug targets, particularly in neurological and cardiovascular diseases, but many remain undrugged or poorly drugged, and may be tractable to structure-based approaches.

The collaboration aims to demonstrate the potential of Sosei Heptares' SBDD technologies to address disease-associated ion channels and work towards establishing a leadership position in this area, in a similar way that it has done for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).

As a first step, Sosei Heptares and Metrion will combine their respective capabilities in a drug discovery program to identify novel, highly specific drug leads for further development against a single ion channel associated with neurological diseases.

Metrion will contribute intellectual property, know-how and use of screening models for the nominated ion channel target. Sosei Heptares will apply its technologies for structure determination studies and SBDD. Sosei Heptares will have exclusive, full global rights to all molecules identified and directed to the targets for development by Sosei Heptares. No further financial details are disclosed.

Rob Cooke, Chief Technology Officer of Sosei Heptares, commented: "We are extremely pleased to enter this collaboration with Metrion in the hugely exciting area of ion channels. Their experience enables us to extend our world-leading expertise in Structure-Based Drug Discovery for GPCRs to other membrane proteins where structural input to drug discovery has been more limited. This strategic technology collaboration is the latest in a series we have made with highly innovative companies in recent months designed to strengthen our platform and enhance our discovery and partnering opportunities. In addition to Metrion, these collaborations with Captor Therapeutics in targeted protein degradation and with PharmEnable to access proprietary artificial intelligence-enabled and medicinal chemistry technologies are a key factor to drive our future growth ambitions."

Andrew Southan, Chief Executive Officer of Metrion Biosciences, added: "Resolving the 3D structure of ion channel proteins has great potential to accelerate the discovery of potent, selective new drugs targeting this highly important class of human proteins. This opportunity to combine Metrion Biosciences' depth of target class knowledge and assay expertise with Sosei Heptares' Structure-Based Drug Discovery capabilities has considerable potential to achieve scientific and commercial breakthroughs in this field. On behalf of the entire Metrion team I would like to thank Sosei Heptares for selecting Metrion Biosciences for this work and we look forward to a successful alliance."

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

About Metrion Biosciences

Metrion Biosciences is a specialist ion-channel contract research organization and drug discovery business. The Company provides customers with access to a range of high-quality ion channel assays on a fee-for-service or collaboration basis. Metrion Biosciences' ion channel expertise includes an industry leading panel of in vitro cardiac ion channel safety assays, translational native cell and phenotypic assays for neurological and cardiotoxicity testing, and a range of other ion channel screening services such as cell line development and optimization. Metrion Biosciences is able to provide tailored assay formats, data analysis and reporting solutions, effective project management and quality assured data packages.

For more information, please visit www.metrionbiosciences.com

LinkedIn: @metrion-biosciences | Twitter: @metrion_biosci

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]

Citigate Dewe Rogerson (for Sosei Heptares)

Yas Fukuda  Japanese Media

+81 (0)3 4360 9234 | [email protected]

Mark Swallow, David Dible  International Media

+44 (0)20 7638 9571 | [email protected]

Metrion Biosciences

Katie Odgaard  Zyme Communications

+44 (0)7787 502 947 | [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://www.soseiheptares.com/


Two years ago, Teresa Gil took up hiking to help her heal from a severe life-threatening condition that she says could have killed her if she didn't undergo surgery.

In 2014, the local woman began to struggle breathing, eating and even speaking. For years, doctors diagnosed Gil with asthma and started her on strong pain medication she said she shouldn't have taken, such as a heavy dosage of steroids that left her tired and groggy.

With limited mobility and struggling to participate in day-t0-day activities, Gil said she wasn't well and suffered from depression. She noted she hated how she couldn't play with her five children. Gil's health declined steadily for four years and in July 2018, while teaching vacation bible school, everything went dark.

"I lost my vision completely," the 52-year-old Gil said. "I couldn't see. I was seeing black. [Doctors} kept telling me it was my asthma, but it couldn't have been. I was literally dying. I couldn't complete a sentence without gasping for air."

RELATED: Hiking the trails at the 'the cleanest little park in Texas'

After a CT Scan and an MRI, Gil learned her airway had narrowed by 80 percent. Her doctor said she was breathing through a straw when it should have been much wider. She was diagnosed with trachea stenosis, which is a narrowing of the windpipe that can occur after radiation therapy, prolonged use of a breathing tube, or other procedures. Her doctor believes the diagnosis stemmed from her rheumatoid arthritis.

"I've been living with rheumatoid arthritis for 28 years, so they said it attacked not only my joints but also my organs and tissues," Gil said.

Within a month after temporarily losing her vision, Gil's doctor recommended laser tracheal surgery to reconstruct her airway. The procedure uses lasers to remove scar tissue.

After six months of recovery, Gil started to feel like herself again, ready to enjoy her life, her family, and her love for the outdoors.

Since January 2019, Gil has walked, hiked, and jogged at local and state parks every weekend. Her list grew to include about 20 state parks and 40 local parks, and counting.

READ ALSO: Hiking San Antonio: Indigenous heritage and art combine at Comanche Lookout Park

"I have to be outside now," Gil said. "It gives me so much joy to be able to enjoy nature without struggling to breathe. Hiking is a stress reliever. It recharges you. It renews you. It calms you. It's peaceful. It's therapeutic."

Along the way, Gil said she also lost 28 pounds, which she calls a perk as she picked up the activity to relieve stress and alleviate her rheumatoid arthritis.

Gil first started her journey at Gardner State Park, her now-favorite Texas park because of the sights of the Frio River. In San Antonio, Gil said she enjoys McAllister Park thanks to the friendly people, the acreage and wildlife.

"San Antonio has some amazing parks and trails," she said. "We try to hike and walk new ones every week. Mud Creek Park is also another good one we like."

For those interested in hiking, Gil recommends starting slow if you're a beginner and asking your doctor for permission if you have a disability. She recommends picking up the speed and hiking longer once you've established a routine. She started off hiking 2 to 3 miles in about three hours. Now, she can do that mileage in 45 minutes.

"This activity can do so much for you," she said. "It will increase your endorphins, energy. It will bring you peace and serenity. My friends always ask me what I'm on because of my energy. I'm not on anything. I just hike."

Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre
According to Nordea, Israels very successful vaccination programme is starting to deliver strong evidence of progress in cutting coronavirus cases. The bank expects that the UK will also see this positive trend, especially in the second quarter of this year, which will give an important boost to the Pound Sterling.

Israeli vaccination success bodes well for UK Q2 outlook

Nordea looks at global coronavirus developments with an emphasis on vaccines. Israel has been the most successful country in vaccinating its population and the bank looks at this programme to assess whether there are implications for other major countries.

Israel has now vaccinated over 50% of its population.

Nordea comments; The Israeli vaccine lab is now slowly but surely producing convincing real-time evidence of the vaccine working. The average age of hospitalized patients in Israel is falling and the amount of new cases among those vaccinated is dropping fast.

Above: Israel hospitalisations chart

The UK has been the most successful country in Europe in terms of vaccination numbers. According to the UK government, the UK administered record number close to 600,000 on Saturday and over 9 million people have received the first dose which is close to 14% of the population.

In contrast, the EU has a whole has vaccinated less than 3% of the population and is embroiled in a row with Astra Zeneca over delivery of vaccines.

If the UK is able to mirror these results with a time-lag of 2-3 months, which seems rather likely, then GBP could be the next gainer from the vaccine competition.

Global success would also boost risk appetite

Nordea also takes a bullish stance on the overall vaccine outlook.

We remain convinced that the Western World will be mostly without domestic restrictions already by April which is markedly before consensus, but it will likely take another 4-6 weeks before this story gains tailwind.

The UK currency remains sensitive to trends in global risk appetite and global growth conditions.

If global risk appetite secures a boost from vaccine developments, the Pound would also be likely to gain a boost.

The Pound Sterling has made further progress on Monday with the Euro-to-Pound (EUR/GBP) exchange rate dipping to 8-month lows just above 0.8800 before a slight correction.
The on Monday appealed to people not to believe in rumours about illegal detention of farmers protesting against three new agri laws and asserted that the investigation is being carried out in a fair and transparent manner.

PRO Eish Singhal said 44 FIRs have been registered and 122 people arrested till now.

The information about the cases concerned has been updated on the official website of the as per guidelines of the Supreme Court to facilitate the public, he said.

The kin of those arrested can also seek information from the police stations concerned.

"We appeal to the public to not believe in rumours. Investigation carried out by the Delhi Police is transparent and fair," Singhal said.

According to the police, 394 police personnel were injured while 30 police vehicles were damaged in the violence during the farmers' tractor parade on Republic Day.

Taking to Twitter, the Delhi Police said, "There are various rumours being spread about illegal detention and missing of many farmers post January 26 violence. Delhi Police has registered 44 cases and arrested 122 persons so far."



"Their details are available on Delhi Police website. No one has been illegally detained by the police," it added.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at the border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur with deployment of additional security forces and placement of multi-layered barricades and barbed wires amid apprehensions of more farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh joining the protest.

(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 sister of an Oregon man who died of asphyxiation in a Eugene police car after wrapping a seatbelt around his neck has filed a $9 million wrongful death suit against the city and police department.

The federal civil rights suit alleges police failed to recognize that Michael Amador Sanchez, 34, was suffering from a mental health crisis, failed to properly secure him in the patrol car to monitor his conduct in the rear seat or summon an ambulance to properly care for him.

The suit, filed by his sister Isabel M. Mihalich in U.S. District Court in Eugene Friday, seeks $6 million in non-economic damages and $3 million in economic damages, as well as unspecified punitive damages, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

Sanchez had a diagnosis of bipolar disease with psychotic features and had run-ins with police before his Jan. 30, 2019 arrest, according to the suit.

Eugene police declined comment on the suit. After Sanchezs death, Eugene police Chief Chris Skinner released a statement, calling it a tragic circumstance.

Eugene police arrested Sanchez on an accusation that he had lit a fire in a wheelbarrow outside a business. Once in the police car back seat, he wedged himself in the floorboard, lying on his side, with his legs on the seat and head on the floor, the suit says.

A seat belt wasnt put on Sanchez because he kept kicking at officers and thrashing, according to Melinda McLaughlin, Eugene police spokeswoman.

With his hands and feet bound, Officer Carlos M. Jones drove him to a hospital and after some minutes, the officer noticed Sanchez became quiet and wasnt responding, according to the lawsuit.

When Jones arrived at the hospital, the suit says, he went inside to speak with a nurse. Another officer who was following them found Sanchez unresponsive, according to the suit. A nurse found a seatbelt had become wrapped around his neck twice, the suit says.

Emergency medical personnel restarted his heart, but he never regained consciousness and died on Sept. 18, 2019, according to the suit.

According to a statement from Eugene police, Sanchez was able to remove the flexible restraints around his feet and was able to place a seatbelt around his neck, even while handcuffed.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Law Enforcement Oregon





Haiti - FLASH : Nearly 1,000 cameras monitor the Dominican border





In addition to the pilot electronic perimeter project underway in Montecristi by the Israelis https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32908-haiti-flash-the-dominican-republic-will-test-an-israeli-system-of-electronic-border.html , the Dominican Armed Forces are adding modern electronic equipment to increase control of illegal cross-border trafficking of people and goods.



Thus, 290 new cameras for military surveillance with thermal detection and night vision positioned at strategic locations, are added to the 687* cameras already in place since the end of 2019 (* source, Lieutenant General Ruben Paulino Sem, Dominican Minister of Defense under Medina). Or nearly 1,000 cameras in total.



In addition to this device, there is a fleet of drones equipped with the latest technology and night vision cameras. Some of these drones can stay in the air 24 hours a day powered by a wire connected to the ground, while others are self-contained and have a range of up to 100 km. All these drones retransmit the images of their camera to monitoring stations on the ground or for some by internet, to the headquarters in Santo Domingo



The Lieutenant General of the Dominican Army and Minister of Defense Carlos Luciano Diaz Morfa, assured that the armed forces, mainly the specialized units, continuously improve their strategies, methods and equipment within the framework of the surveillance of the border, which is one of the main missions within the framework of its responsibility to ensure national security.



He said that currently the Ministry of Defense maintains 9,748 troops deployed as part of border surveillance.



The motorized patrol has 128 mobile units and 18 vehicles to patrol very difficult terrain.



The Air Force supports surveillance from its detachments at Cabo Rojo airport (Pedernales) and Dajabon with three planes and 83 members for the air patrol.



At Manzanillo and Cabo Rojo, the Navy conducts naval border patrols with 82 members, 11 ships and 53 crew members plus a detachment on Beata Island.



120 members of the intelligence directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (J2) work for military intelligence tasks.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32908-haiti-flash-the-dominican-republic-will-test-an-israeli-system-of-electronic-border.html



SL/ HaitiLibre


















Gardai are appealing to the public for any information on the whereabouts of a missing teenage boy in Meath.

Kristians Briedis, (14), has been missing from his home in Summerhill since January 28, 2021.

He is described as being around 5ft 3ins in height (161cm), with a slim build, along with short brown hair.

Read More

When he was last seen, Kristians was wearing a black padded puffa jacket, a short sleeved red t-shirt, and black tracksuit trousers.

He is known to frequent the Drogheda and Kells area.

Anyone with any information regarding the missing teen should contact the Trim Garda Station at 046-948-1540, or the Garda Confidential Line at 1800-666-111. Alternatively, they can contact any other Garda station.
Elizabeth Sobinoff has vowed never to forgive her former groom, Sam Ball, after he fat shamed her.

Appearing on the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion, which aired in Australia on Monday night, the 29-year-old was still furious at the long-lasting impact of the comments made by the 27-year-old fitness enthusiast.

Lizzie, becoming emotional, recounted: 'He never gave me the time of day. I can't forgive how I was treated that way.

Drama: Elizabeth Sobinoff (pictured) has vowed never to forgive her former groom, Sam Ball, after he fat shamed her. Appearing on the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion on Monday, she was still furious at the long-lasting impact of the comments made by the fitness enthusiast

'It does need to be said. His comments, the weight comments, have still trickled over. I never escaped that, and I don't think I ever will be able to escape that.

'Every day, every day walking down the street - not a day goes by my weight is not questioned thanks to this person.

'I will never forgive that person. For not apologising, and acting like, oh, it's not a big deal. It is. Every day, I can never escape that - being the former fat girl.'

Anger: 'Not a day goes by my weight is not questioned thanks to this person. I will never forgive that person. Every day, I can never escape that - being the former fat girl,' she said

No love: Lizzie failed to find love with Sam (right) in show's sixth season in 2019, and he came under fire for fat-shaming her on their wedding day

She went on: 'I look different now, but I can't ever leave that behind. No matter what. And so he does not deserve anything, to be honest. No. I will never forgive that behaviour. Ever.'

In between seasons six and seven, Lizzie lost 10 kilos and changed up her look, dyeing her blonde hair brunette and opting for a bronzed tan.

She failed to find love with Sam in show's sixth season in 2019, and he came under fire for fat-shaming her on their wedding day.

Oh dear: 'I've never really dated girls as big as Elizabeth to be honest. It's obviously a topic that's troubled her in the past,' he said

Nope! Sam also sparked outrage after revealing his plans to help Elizabeth lose weight. 'Maybe I'll get her running in the mornings... We'll get her going,' he said. Sam is pictured recently

'I've never really dated girls as big as Elizabeth to be honest. It's obviously a topic that's troubled her in the past,' he said.

Sam also sparked outrage after revealing his plans to help Elizabeth lose weight after their televised nuptials.

'She's got a beautiful face... Maybe I'll get her running in the mornings... but she'll be right. We'll get her going,' he said.

Lizzie went on to find love with Seb Guilhaus when she returned to Married At First Sight last year, but the pair have since split.
DENVER, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services, announced today that Stephen Browning, P.E., has joined the firm as Senior Vice President  Federal Markets. In this role, Mr. Browning will provide leadership to develop, support and execute Michael Baker's work with U.S. Federal Civilian Agencies and its U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Civil Works portfolio, while growing the company's entire Federal portfolio.

"With decades of experience in program management, engineering and construction, including leadership of some of the world's largest and most challenging infrastructure programs, Stephen will be instrumental in helping Michael Baker meet the increasingly complex and far-reaching needs of our Federal clients," said James E. Koch, Ph.D., P.E., Senior Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director and Federal Executive at Michael Baker International.

Prior to joining Michael Baker, Mr. Browning served as the Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Energy's Legacy Management Program at Navarro Research and Engineering, where he was responsible for long-term maintenance, asset management, archives and information management for more than 100 sites. He also previously served as Senior Vice President and Client Account Manager for federal, national governments and defense contractors at CH2M Hill (now Jacobs). Earlier in his career, Mr. Browning was Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Weston Solutions, and Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer and Director of Programs at MWH Global (now Stantec).

Before joining the private sector, Mr. Browning served 23 years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and 11 years as a member of the Senior Executive Service, with assignments across the U.S., Korea, Germany, Kuwait and Iraq. He also deployed to New York City immediately following the September 11, 2001, attacks to lead the USACE emergency response activities, including Urban Search and Rescue Operations, structural analysis and debris removal and disposal, before assuming the role of Senior Federal On-Scene Lead for Response and Recovery.

Mr. Browning served as Senior Executive Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and earned a Master of Science degree in Geotechnical Engineering and a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University.

About Michael Baker International

Michael Baker International is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services. The firm's Practices encompass all facets of infrastructure, including design, civil engineering, planning, architecture, environmental, construction and program management. For more than 80 years, the company has been a trusted partner, providing comprehensive services and solutions to commercial clients and all branches of the military, as well as federal, state and municipal governments. Embracing emerging technologies and the latest innovations  like intelligent transportation and design-build project delivery  Michael Baker is an industry leader that delivers expertise and quality. The firm's more than 3,000 employees across nearly 100 locations are committed to Making a Difference for clients and communities through a culture of innovation, collaboration and technological advancement. To learn more, visit https://mbakerintl.com/.

Contact: Julia Covelli

[email protected]

(866) 293-4609

SOURCE Michael Baker International

Related Links

http://www.mbakerintl.com


The Bank Norwegian credit card, in cooperation with Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA (NAS) and Norwegian Reward AS, is one of the largest credit card reward programs in the Nordic region, with approximately 1.3 million credit card customers. The program offers CashPoints which may be used for paying air line travels with Norwegian Air Shuttle, in parts or in full.

Following the ongoing NAS restructuring process, NAS has today announced to their customers that holders of CashPoints will not be able to earn and spend CashPoints until after the reconstruction and examinership process.

However, Bank Norwegian customers will continue to earn CashPoints under the existing agreements on purchases made by their Bank Norwegian credit card.

As an alternative, due to the consequences on CashPoints as well as the ongoing effects from Covid-19 and travel restrictions, Bank Norwegian will also offer our customers a choice of temporary cashback. Cashback will be offered on purchases made with the Bank Norwegian credit card. The customers may choose between CashPoints and cashback online or in the Bank Norwegian app. The cashback offer will be available until further notice.

There are no significant changes in the financial exposures to NAS since previous updates, at latest in our general investor presentation from 11 December 2020, published at https://www.banknorwegian.no/Omoss/InvestorRelations and www.newsweb.no.





Contact persons:

Head of Treasury, Mats Benserud; phone +47 95891539; mbe@banknorwegian.no

CFO Klara Lise Aasen; phone +47 47635583; kaa@banknorwegian.no





For questions regarding the Norwegian reward program please contact NAS.





This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act


The indictment doesnt say whether, as in past GD prosecutions, the government has recordings of alleged discussions of gang business. Hoovers attorney argues that prosecutors included Hoovers name in the indictment gratuitously and without basis in an attempt to thwart his chance of a reduced sentence. The attorney, Justin Moore, wrote in a statement, This is a 70-year-old man in the twilight of his years, who has serious medical complications, and is seeking release to finally be with his wife, children and grandchildren after nearly 50 years of separation. To have his name continuously thrown into the affairs of others and to be used as a scapegoat for criminal activity he has no connection to needs to cease.
People desperate to hang on to a bit of festive cheer during the gloomiest lockdown so far have been sharing photos of their Christmas decorations - nearly six weeks after December 25th came and went.

BBC Breakfast News presenter Louise Minchin shared a photo of her ornately decorated real tree - still going strong - on Twitter and was inundated with photos of other yuletide decorations that haven't yet been taken down by owners keen to keep the Christmas sparkle alive.

Decorations are traditionally taken down before Twelfth Night, which falls on January 6th - but today marks a whopping 38 days since families were allowed to briefly congregate to celebrate to carve up the turkey and exchange gifts.

Scroll down for video

Christmas in February...nearly six weeks after we celebrated Christmas, BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin revealed her real fir is still going strong and that she'd kept her decorations up to 'cheer me up'

Hoping to 'bring a smile': Minchin told her 198,000 Twitter followers that she had decided to keep her tree up...and it was now 'keeping her going'

The presenter told her 198,000 followers on social media: 'The weather is miserable so I have turned these lights on again to cheer me up.

'The Christmas tree keeping me going, I hope it brings a smile to some of you too.'

Others quickly shared their own snaps of their still-twinkling lights.

@BernardeRooney's bedecked tree looked just as it might have in early December, festooned in shiny red decorations and strings of white lights.

They wrote: 'Beautiful Christmas tree Our tree is still going strong too.'

@Bidermann41 added a snow-covered outdoor tree, saying: 'We still have our tree and lights going.'

A tree for all seasons: This trendy tree is staying put until at least Easter

Welcome to February Covid-style! Two Twitter users who hadn't yet taken down their Christmas decorations agreed with Louise that keeping them up had helped stave off the lockdown blues

Festooned in shiny red decorations and strings of white lights, this real Christmas tree is still going strong, said owner @bernarderooney

This conservatory with a view, shared by @TaylorCharl111, was still bedecked with coloured lights

This golden-hued faux tree offers a warm glow during the latest - and arguably dreariest - lockdown

A snow-dusted bistro set radiates the festive season and is 'helping to cheer things up'

Some 38 days may have passed since we gathered briefly to carve the turkey and exchange gifts...but some people are hanging onto the joy of yuletide

This colourful effort is coming down on Candlemas, which falls this year on Tuesday 2nd February

@karenelliston added: 'Lovely! Weve kept the window lights up here and it is certainly helping to cheer things up.'

@jood2401 suggested their trendy tree was staying put for a while: 'This has become a Birthday tree, then itll be a Valentines tree, then an Easter tree.'

One family had set a date to take their tree down, Candlemas, a holy day in the Christian calendar which commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

@donlinch explained: 'We are keeping ours up until Candlemas, which is Tuesday.'
Google has been warned its threat to shut down search in Australia will not deter the Morrison government from its proposed media compensation laws, as the Prime Minister confirmed Microsoft was confident it could fill a gap in the market.

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher cast doubt over whether Google would follow through on its ultimatum and said the government intended to proceed with legislating its news media bargaining code.

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said Googles threat to shut down search to Australian users could provide an opportunity for Microsoft to expand its operations. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The mere fact a particular business says we dont like that, if you do that, well exit the

market  were not going to be deterred by that, Mr Fletcher told ABC TV on Monday.

Google has threatened to turn off its search engine in Australia if the proposed code becomes law, while Facebook has said it would be forced to remove news articles from its main app.
Robinhood CEO Denies Conspiracy Theory That Hedge Funds Pushed GameStop Trading Halt

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev on Jan. 29 pushed back against the conspiracy theory that hedge funds prompted the mobile brokerage companys decision to restrict users from purchasing shares in GameStop.

Members of Congress have in recent days called for an investigation into whether there was collusion by hedge funds and platforms like Robinhood, after purchases of hot stocks like GameStop, KOSS, and AMC were restricted by various platforms.

Shares of video game retailer GameStop Corp. have soared 1,625 percent since the start of January. Driving the rally are individual investors, many whom have been at home for the last 10 months because of pandemic-related lockdowns. Many have turned to online forums like WallStreetBets on Reddit and are buying the stocks, some as a form of protest against what they see as unscrupulous behavior by hedge funds.

Tenev on Friday described the assertion that there was collusion by hedge funds and platforms like Robinhood as a conspiracy theory.

A man walks in front of a GameStop store in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of New York City, on Jan. 27, 2021. (Nick Zieminski/Reuters)

I think Ive over and over again said that its not true, Tenev said. Our decision to temporarily restrict customers from buying certain securities had nothing to do with a market maker or a market participant or anyone like that putting pressure on us or asking us to do that.

It was entirely about market dynamics and clearing house deposit requirements, as per regulation, he added.

Look, I think weeveryone at Robinhood operates this company with integrity and, first and foremost, looking out for our customers, the individual investors, and their best interests, Tenev said in a separate interview with Yahoo Finance when asked what discussions he has had with lawmakers.

Of course, we are constantly in communication with our regulators and with lawmakers. And we continue to do so. And you know, I look forward to having conversations with anyone about this.

Because I think, obviously, its highly technical and involves settlement mechanics, as you guys saw in some of your other conversations. And I think Robinhood made the right decision here, he added.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday issued a rare joint statement from its acting chair and commissioners. It said it was working closely with other regulators and stock exchanges to protect investors and to identify and pursue potential wrongdoing and would closely review actions  that may disadvantage investors or hinder their ability to trade stocks.

I think if you look at this entire situation, its a novel situation, Tenev told Fox News. A relatively small number of stocks have gone viral on the Internet. And as things that go viral on social media and the Internet do, theres an exponential growth in interest. And so we have to be prudent. And we have to have a prudent risk management. And thats what the firm did.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.

State Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr., New Jerseys highest-ranking Republican state lawmaker, announced Monday he will not seek re-election to the state Legislature this fall, two months after he narrowly lost an election for Congress.

The announcement immediately stirred speculation that Kean, the son of former Gov. Tom Kean, would try again to oust Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-7th Dist., in 2022. The 2020 race was so tight that both candidates began raising money for a possible recount before Kean conceded more than two weeks after Election Day.

Kean, R-Union, did not mention a possible House campaign in announcing that he wouldnt seek re-election after two decades in the Legislature, and his campaign spokesman, Harrison Neely, did not respond to a request for comment.

As for his successor in Trenton, state Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, R-Union, told NJ Advance Media Monday that he plans to run for Keans state Senate seat in November.

I still believe there is a place for a moderate Republican, said Bramnick, Keans longtime district mate, who announced last month that he would not run for governor this fall. Thats one of the reasons Im continuing to run.

Kean polled more than 49% of the vote in his loss Malinowski, a first-termer who had ousted five-term Rep. Leonard Lance during 2018s Democratic wave.

In 2020, Kean was the only House Republican challenger able to amass a sizable war chest, taking in $3.9 million through Dec. 31, though was out-raised almost 2 to 1 by Malinowski, who brought in $7.5 million.

Nobody knows Jersey politics like NJ.com. Add your email now and dont miss a story.



Public service will always be a part of who I am and how I live my life, but after thoughtful discussion with my family, I have decided not to seek re-election for the State Senate in the 21st legislative district, Kean said in a statement Monday.

It has been an honor to serve these communities and I will always cherish the countless friendships and memories we have made together, the 52-year-old Westfield resident said. I am committed to continuing a bipartisan approach as a leader throughout the remainder of this term and will work every day to deliver solutions for my constituents.

Kean was elected to the state Assembly in 2001 and moved up to the Senate in 2003. He has spent five terms in the upper house, representing the 21st legislative district, which includes parts of Morris, Somerset, and Union counties. Kean has served as the Senate Republican leader since 2008.

New Jersey has no finer public servant than Tom Kean Jr., who has fought relentlessly for good government, bipartisan agreement, and policies that benefit every day New Jerseyans throughout his distinguished career, state Republican Chairman Michael Lavery said. We wish him the best in whatever comes next, and thank him for his service to our state.

Praise for Kean was bipartisan. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said the lawmakers has ably carried on the legacy of service that runs deep in his family.

We wish Tom all the best as he transitions out of the Statehouse and to a new chapter, Murphy added.

Skipping a re-election bid for the state Senate would give more time and energy to focus on a 2022 race against Malinowski.

If he does run for the House again, it would be Keans fourth attempt to head to Washington. Besides the race against Malinowski, he lost a 2000 race for the Republican nomination for the 7th district House seat and a 2006 bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. His U.S. Senate campaign committee remains in existence 15 years later and still owes Kean $112,000.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com.


We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
Married At First Sight star Cyrell Paule and her ex-Love island star beau Eden Dally welcomed their first child, Boston, in February last year.

And on Monday, the 31-year-old lashed out at her fellow co-stars who questioned her parenting skills.

Uploading a lengthy post to her Instagram, Cyrell wrote: 'Suck on my breastfeeding titties!!!'

'Suck on my breastfeeding titties!' Married At First Sight star Cyrell Paule, 31, (pictured) has lashed out at her co-stars for questioning her parenting during the Grand Reunion special

'To the contestants that questioned, judged or made a comment about my parenting on tonight's reunion episode,' she began.

'To the half of you that do have kids, Why dont you worry about your child and Ill worry bout my own?'

Cyrell went on to say 'to the other half that had the nerve to comment when you dont even have child, maybe if you had a child you would know how I feel'.

Defensive: Uploading a lengthy post to her Instagram, Cyrell wrote: 'To the half of you that do have kids, Why dont you worry about your child and Ill worry bout my own?' Pictured with partner Eden Dally, and son Boston

'When you can point out to me the PERFECT parent then I will gladly shut my mouth.'

The brunette continued that she proudly owned up to her actions, when others haven't.

Cyrell explained she didn't return to the the Channel 9 show to be seen in a new light, and urged haters: 'Before you point your finger, make sure your hand is clean. I am who I am and I f***n love me.'

'Words are remembered': It comes as her beau Eden took to his own social media account to defend Cyrell. 'People forget words hurt, words are remembered and they do leave a scar,' he wrote

She concluded her post writing: 'Apparently the contestants were FEARFUL of their safety with me. Guys I threw WINE not a grenade. Lets not be so dramatic... dont worry u all got an extra 5 mins of fame. Trying to put it over the Cyclone.'

It comes as her beau Eden, took to his own social media account to defend Cyrell for throwing a glass of white wine at her co-star Jessika Power during the reunion.

Uploading a photo alongside their old son, Boston, he wrote: 'Cyrell had built up anger and truthfully I feel Jess got off lightly speaking about a mother's son like that.'

He continued: 'Cyrell was the only real one in that room and made it worthwhile to watch. She threw wine at Jess because she was provoking her.

'When you become a parent you will understand, until then it's just words. But people forget words hurt, words are remembered and they do leave a scar.'

IMD predicts widespread rain, thunderstorms over northwest India this week

India

oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P

New Delhi, Feb 01: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday said that widespread thundershowers are expected over the plains of northwest India from February 3 to 6.

A fresh Western Disturbance (WD) is likely to affect Western Himalayan region from tonight. Under its influence, scattered rain/snow with moderate thunderstorm and lightning is likely over the hills during February 1 and 2.

Will Budget 2021 go beyond 'bahi-khata'? All eyes on Sitharaman's 'Economic Vaccine' coming on Monday

In quick succession, another WD is also likely to affect Western Himalayan Region from February 2 and plains of northwest India from February 3.

Due to the Western Disturbance, scattered to fairly widespread and moderate rain/snow with isolated thunderstorm and hail is likely over the Western Himalayan region during February 3 and 5.

Due to interaction of southwesterlies associated with the Western Disturbance and lower level southeasterlies from the Bay of Bengal, widespread light to moderate rain/thundershowers is likely over the plains of northwest India and adjoining Central India during February 3 to 6 with maximum intensity on February 4.

Chhatrapti Shivaji was a 'Kannadiga', says Karnataka Deputy CM Govind Karjol

Severe rains and thunderstorms are also expected over adjoining Central India during February 4 and 5 and over adjoining east India on February 6.

Dense to very dense fog was observed on Monday at isolated places over Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Visibility recorded at 5.30 am today was less than 26 m over Bareilly, Bahraich, Lucknow, Sultanpur, Gorakhpur; less than 50 m at Varanasi, Patna, Bhagalpur, Purnea, Agartala; less than 500 m at Palam and Safdarjung in Delhi.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, February 1, 2021, 9:35 [IST]

Longtime pals and business partners Natasha Lyonne and Maya Rudolph discussed 'taking the reins' of their projects while twinning in matching Saint Laurent pussy-bow blouses.

'40 is the beginning for so many of the women in my life. It's such a false idea that's drilled into us, which is that we should tap out at 25,' 41-year-old Natasha said in the February edition of Harper's BAZAAR.

'Nora Ephron directed her first movie at 40, and that's f***ing awesome...And I think that's really what we want to do as a company, is support other people and carve out that space for them.'

HBIC: Longtime pals and business partners Natasha Lyonne and Maya Rudolph discussed 'taking the reins' of their projects while twinning in matching Saint Laurent pussy-bow blouses

Lyonne added: 'It is big-boy s*** to take the reins. It felt terrible being told what amount of space I was allowed to occupy in the creative realm. It was not sufficient.'

It took motherhood for 48-year-old Maya - who has four children with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson - to 'shed the bulls***' and realize what was truly important.

'I think having a child was really helpful to ground me solidly in a place of "These things need to get done,"' Rudolph told the mag hitting newsstands Tuesday.

'I'm sure there are some creative people out there who love to get it done and get the f*** out, and they're not there to make friends. But I'm there to make friends.'

41-year-old Natasha said in the February edition of Harper's BAZAAR: '40 is the beginning for so many of the women in my life. It's such a false idea that's drilled into us, which is that we should tap out at 25. Nora Ephron directed her first movie at 40, and that's f***ing awesome'

'I'm there to make friends': It took motherhood for 48-year-old Maya - who has four children with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson - to 'shed the bulls***' and realize what was truly important

Bosses: In 2018, the talented twosome co-founded their production company Animal Pictures, and they're developing projects like Amazon series Desert People starring Alia Shawkat

In 2018, the talented twosome co-founded their production company Animal Pictures, and they're developing projects like Amazon series Desert People starring Alia Shawkat.

'The truth is, of course, that the real reason, at least for me, of this company is I just wanted to spend more time in this life with you in a substantive way,' Natasha told Maya.

Rudolph chimed in: 'I think there's a natural inclination that women have to create community. There are men in my life and in my community, but the female relationships that I've had for so many years, that have kept me very filled, they are wells that I continue to go to. Thank God for text chains. I have these text chains that really give me life and keep me grounded.'

Fans can next expect the two-time Emmy winner to reprise her role as Vice President Kamala Harris in the 46th season of NBC's Saturday Night Live.

Which week will it be? Fans can next expect Rudolph to reprise her role as Vice President Kamala Harris in the 46th season of NBC's Saturday Night Live

'That girl being played by @MayaRudolph on @nbcsnl? That girl was me': The groundbreaking 56-year-old politician famously gave the two-time Emmy winner her seal of approval in 2019

The groundbreaking 56-year-old politician famously gave Maya - who was an SNL castmember from 2000-2007 - her seal of approval back in 2019.

Lyonne is currently hard at work developing the second season of her Groundhog Day-style Netflix series, Russian Doll.

The four-time Emmy nominee next portrays screen star Tallulah Bankhead in Lee Daniels' drama The United States vs. Billie Holiday, which premieres February 26 on Hulu.

Deja vu: Lyonne is currently hard at work developing the second season of her Groundhog Day-style Netflix series, Russian Doll
On 29 January, the Delegation of the European Union in Azerbaijan organised a presentation for the project Agriculture Initiatives to Generate Sources of Income in the Telishli Eco-Migrant Community which was formed as a result of the floods of the Kura River in 2010 in the Imishli-Kurdemir area. As Caucasus Watch reports, the project was implemented by the public environmental organisation Ruzgar. Presenting its results, the head of this NGO Islam Mustafayev said that the project had five points: 1) increasing the yield of pastures and improving the irrigation system; 2) creation of a carpet weaving shop; 3) organisation of a roadside cooperative service for the sale of products produced in the community; 4) the breeding of goats of the Aleppo variety; and 5) restoration of the lake for fish farming.

Mustafayev said that residents of these two villages faced environmental and social problems as a result of floods in 2010. The government has built a new village for these eco-migrants; a total of 104 houses were built. Residents' incomes have plummeted due to the effects of the floods. However, the project has created jobs for community members, laying the foundation for future sources of income, he underscored.

Speaking at the event, the head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Kestutis Yankauskas noted that the project ended with great success and expects the project's results to be long lasting. This project is one of eight EU projects in Azerbaijan for the development of rural areas. Our projects cover more than 5 thousand people in 30 regions of Azerbaijan. Many family farms are involved in the projects. The projects have shown once again that they have great success when civil society is involved in them, the diplomat said.

Yankauskas also spoke on other projects between the EU and Azerbaijan. He noted that the current two-year programme, in agreement with the Azerbaijani government, is primarily focused on eliminating the negative effects of the pandemic on the socio-economic sphere. Taking into consideration of the existence of EU financial instruments regarding Azerbaijan, the financial priorities will be determined for the next 5-7 years. The sphere of conducted work is wide. We will work on the civil society project, continue our work on regional development, and will succeed, he emphasised. He added that the EU has currently several projects in Azerbaijan which assist in phytosanitary inspections and cooperate with these organisations, and the program that supports socio-economic development of Lankaran region.

Yankauskas also mentioned the potential export of Azerbaijani tomatoes to the EU. Azerbaijani tomatoes should be exported not only in one direction but also to many directions. For example, Azerbaijan is very successful in hazelnut exports and several European countries are included in [their] export market... In order to apply this practice in tomato exports, the quality should be strictly controlled. The control system for hazelnut export is excellent. Of course, if the same level control is applied to tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables, their export to the EU can be implemented. Azerbaijani tomatoes should be in European markets, he noted.

According to the latest agriculture trade indicators, Azerbaijani exports to the EU market amounted to 61 million, while the import of EU agricultural products amounted 167 million. 95% (57 million) of the Azerbaijani agricultural exports to the EU were tropical fruit, fresh or dried nuts and spices, while other products had a minor impact within the EU market.
Milwaukee Public School Board unanimously approved a plan to begin the phased reopening of schools at their board meeting last Tuesday. The plan allows for 300 special needs students and their teachers to voluntarily return to in-person instruction on February 8. Further, it sets tentative return dates in mid-April for roughly 4,300 teachers and 75,000 students.

Under the proposal, 23,000 Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd grade students will return on April 12, 32,000 3rd through 8th graders on April 19, and finally 19,000 high school students will return on April 26. A similar tiered reopening schedule was utilized in Chicago and other districts to divide educators and attempt to stifle opposition. In Chicago, Pre-Kindergarten and Special Education teachers were ordered back into the classroom on January 4th while the rest of the district is remote.

The proposal is incredibly reckless and unnecessary, as it would have students back for little over a month before the school year ends.

Demonstration in Chicago, January 15, 2021 [Photo: Milwaukee Teachers Education Association/Flickr]

The board will meet again in March to determine whether to fully reopen in April or postpone based on the prevalence of COVID-19 and the state of vaccination of the population. The Wisconsin Department of Health will allow educators to begin receiving the vaccine on March 1. However, it could be weeks before the vaccine is available.

The slow nationwide roll-out of vaccines is particularly sluggish in Wisconsin. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 0.8 percent of the states overall population has received the first dose of the vaccine.

Last week Milwaukee received 2,200 doses, only 44 percent of its weekly request. Wisconsin is receiving 70,000 doses per week, approximately one-third of the amount needed to achieve the states goal of vaccinating 80 percent of the population by June. At the current rate, it will take roughly two and a half years to reach this goal.

The Boards decision comes after an outpouring of support to continue remote learning. In a district-wide survey last week, 39 percent of parents stated that they would prefer to continue with virtual learning this school year for my child. A petition against reopening received over 3,800 signatures.

A written comment submitted to the meeting stated, By asking teachers and students to return to in-person instruction, you are asking them to accept some form of lossparents will get sick from their children and die. Without question, as we see nationwide, teachers will also get sick, their families will get sick, and we will see more fatalities in our community of educators. This is not acceptable. Keep public schools closed for in-person instruction until next fall when we will hopefully be in a better position to safely reopen.

Milwaukee Public Schools is the second largest school district in the Midwest and the 46th largest in the US. To force children and teachers back into classrooms during a pandemic would lead to a sharp increase in cases. School buildings have an average age of 87 years and many have dilapidated air circulation systems.

Underscoring the economic motive underlying the reopening of schools, documents obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reveal a direct line of communication between the Milwaukee Health Department and Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce. Senior lobbyist and longtime Republican Party operative Steve Baas has worked closely with health officials to influence reopening guidelines.

In one revealing email, Baas compared schools to child care. I am confused as to why in Phase 4 child care can operate at 75% but schools are still shut down. In a very real sense, schools are just academic child care. The ages change and the things theyre playing with or learning with change, but the epidemiological dynamics are the same  numbers of children in space with adult supervision.

Baas gives a crude expression to the capitalist class universal disdain for public education, while openly stating that the driving force behind school reopening is so that adults can return to work.

Wisconsin has had over 565,000 COVID-19 infections and over 6,300 deaths. One of these deaths includes the husband of a Kenosha public school teacher. Jim Hoffman, age 62, tragically passed away after contracting the virus from his wife Jeanne. Speaking to Kenosha News, Jeanne Hoffman said This did not need to happen to my husband. As much as one might hope otherwise, it is naive to believe that a district our size is equipped to keep people safe in any meaningful way.

Situated 45 minutes south of Milwaukee, Kenosha Public Schools is the states third largest district and the largest to offer in-person learning as an option. Hoffman, a Special Education teacher, was assigned a group of three students.

As the seven-day COVID-19 test positivity rate has dropped to a still highly elevated 19.3 percent, the Wisconsin legislature is now set to overturn the states mask mandate. Two weeks ago, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services detected the first known case in the state of the more contagious COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.7. As the state continues to open up businesses and schools, the emergence of this variant could lead to skyrocketing cases.

While MPS has slightly postponed school reopenings, teachers should have no illusion that this schedule wont be moved up. The Biden administration has made reopening schools within 100 days a key priority and has the full backing of the teachers unions including the National Educators Association (NEA), the parent organization of the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA).

For its part, the MTEA is disarming teachers with the illusion that schools can be safely reopened. MTEA Executive Board President Amy Mizialko was one of the signatories to a love letter to Joe Biden in December, which congratulated Biden and endorsed his plan to reopen schools amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic, while encouraging him to utilize racialist and identity politics.

It is crucial that Milwaukee teachers, school workers, parents and students unite with their counterparts across the state and begin building a Wisconsin Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee to shut down all non-essential production and definitively halt in-person learning throughout the state.

Such committees have been formed in Chicago, New York City, Texas, Alabama and other cities and states across the US, united as a network through the Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee. This is the only organization fighting to unify education workers, students and parents across state lines in preparation for a nationwide general strike to close all schools and nonessential workplaces and provide full income protection and resources for all workers.

We call on all Milwaukee and Wisconsin educators who agree with this perspective to get involved and sign up today at wsws.org/edsafety!



Successful Poultry Trial

Melbourne, Feb 1, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Anatara Lifesciences ( ASX:ANR ) is pleased to announce successful completion of the poultry challenge trial "Efficacy of ANR-pf on the performance of broilers subject to subclinical and necrotic enteritis challenges".ANR-pf is Anatara's proprietary enriched formulation for poultry in water, designed to allow the full delivery of key additives in a quick and flexible dosing method on-farm even when stock illness is a concern. The study was a randomised, placebo controlled trial. The parameters analysed were bird weight gain (WG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and more complex analysis such as an intestinal lesion score of necrosis and ulceration, and oocyst count in the excreta.Necrotic enteritis (NE) in broiler chickens is a common disease found in all poultry-growing areas of the world which can be controlled by antibiotics. Increasing concerns regarding antibiotic resistance and the presence of drug residues in bacteria during animal production have led many countries to ban the use of antibiotic growth promoters in animal feed. There is a consensus that the sub-clinical form of the disease is more important than the clinical form because it may persist in broiler flocks without overt clinical manifestation. Moreover, due to the large hidden economic costs associated with sub-clinical NE, and also because of the high risk of pathogen transfer to the food chain, this problem is perceived amongst the industry and public health experts as a major issue. With a European ban and worldwide phasing-out of in-feed antibiotics, the focus on alternative strategies has increased to secure chicken health and thus the efficiency of poultry production.In the presence of a necrotic enteritis challenge, ANR-pf in water provides a positive effect on both performance and health as measured by lesion scores and the shedding of oocysts compared to untreated birds. Lesion scores measure the extent of necrosis and ulceration resulting from necrotic enteritis. Oocysts are a stage in the life cycle of coccidian parasites. An oocyst count is a measure of the extent of coccidiosis. Mild coccidiosis is a predisposing factor to induce necrotic enteritis.When analysed over the entire experimental period (0-35 days), treatment with ANR-pf in water provided benefit when compared to untreated birds in weight gain (p=0.007), feed intake (p=0.039), as well as lesion scores in both the jejunum (p=0.040) and ileum (p=0.035), and oocyst shedding (p <0.05). The difference in feed conversion rate was also improved, though failed to reach statistical significance.CEO Steve Lydeamore said, "While this was an initial study, the results we have seen are extremely encouraging and point to a potentially commercially valuable product for development. Further work to optimise the dose and dosing regimen will help to cement the product's value."About Anatara Lifesciences Ltd

Anatara Lifesciences (ASX:ANR) is developing and commercialising innovative, evidence-based products for gastrointestinal health where there is significant unmet need. Anatara is a life sciences company with expertise in developing products for animal and human health. Anatara is focused on building a pipeline of human gastrointestinal health products. Underlying this product development program is our commitment to delivering real outcomes for patients and strong value for our shareholders. For more information, please visit www.anataralifesciences.com.
Two graduates from the UKs University of Salford have launched a business providing pre-recorded announcements and background music for commercial aircraft. The aim of the business, Nuntiare Media, is to offer an end-to-end production service providing scripting, translation, voice recording, technical processing and delivery, for tasks such as safety briefings and emergency messages, welcome greetings, duty-free sales offers and general passenger notifications, all offered in several languages.

') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // -->

Company co-founder David Bilsborough, who graduated from the universitys MSc Audio Production course in 2015, identified an opportunity in the market for the dedicated end-to-end production of pre-recorded announcements for airlines. He then set up Nuntiare Media with his business partner, Daniel Bottomley, a graduate of the universitys BSc Professional Sound & Video Technology course, shortly after the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Indeed pre-recorded announcements are proving important for flights during the Covid-19 pandemic, as they can be used to keep passengers informed and up to date with any relevant health and safety advice whilst onboard and with any regulations relating to the destination airport and country.

When production is complete, the output is then quality tested to ensure it complies with the relevant specifications set out by system manufacturers and industry bodies. Once the project is complete, the client receives the media, either digitally or in a physical media format, and the announcements can then be loaded to onboard reproduction systems and played in the cabin during flights.

Daniel Bottomley explained the inspiration behind the offer: Following my studies at Salford I worked as a recording engineer for a period of time before searching for something more technically unique. I then started work at an aviation media content service provider, working in their legacy systems department with Daniel. In spring/summer 2020 that company reassessed its business structure and looked to move away from the area we operated in, so we formed Nuntiare Media and pitched to take this work, both from and in partnership with them, providing the opportunity to build this new company.

Nuntiare Media, based in the Sharp Project in Manchester, was set up with a little advice and support from Launch @Salforduni, the University of Salfords business incubator programme. The company has already worked with companies from the Middle East, Asia, America and Europe, with airlines including Etihad Airways, Tigerair Taiwan and Viva Aerobus.
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.
At least three homes are believed to have been destroyed, as residents flee an out-of-control bushfire in the small town of Wooroloo near the Perth Hills.

Western Australia's Department of Fire and Emergency Services has issued an emergency warning for the blaze which is moving fast in a northwesterly direction.

Aerial footage shows the fire had already claimed at least one house and another structure, and is burning close to a number of other properties.

At least three homes have been burnt, as residents flee an out-of-control bushfire in the small town of Wooroloo near the Perth Hills. Some have been told it's too late to leave

An evacuation centre has been set up at Brown Park Recreation Complex on Amherst Road in Swan View. Pictured: the Wooroloo fire seen from Perth's north-eastern suburbs

The Wooroloo fire as seen from a home in Swan View, in Perth's eastern suburbs earlier on Monday afternoon

DFES incident controller Murray McBride told the ABC another two houses were believed to be destroyed and one fire truck incinerated.

A firefighter was also injured, suffering minor burns but was continuing to help fight the blaze, he said.

For people east of Bailup Road and west of Toodyay Road, the DFES said it's too late to leave.

Black ash was raining down across Perth all the way to the coast on Monday evening as a bushfire burnt out of control through the small outer suburbs town of Wooroloo

'Leaving now would be deadly.'

'You need to shelter in your home in a room away from the fire front and make sure you can easily escape.'

Residents are advised to close all doors and windows and turn off evaporative air-conditioning.

People west of Bailup Road should leave if the way is clear by travelling north along Bailup Road or Mayo Road.

An evacuation centre has been set up at Brown Park Recreation Complex on Amherst Road in Swan View, in Perth's eastern suburbs.

Wooroloo falls into the Perth Metropolitan area which is subject to a five-day lockdown due to a COVID-19 community outbreak.

WA BUSHFIRES - what you need to know HIGH RISK areas include: parts of Wooraloo, Bailup, Gidgegannup, Wundowie, Walyunga National Park in the shires of Mundaring and Northam, and the City of Swan ROAD CLOSURE UPDATES: For people east of Bailup Road and West of Toodyay Road: it's too late to leave For people west of Bailup Road, if you are not prepared or you plan to leave, leave now if the way is clear by travelling north along Bailup Road or Mayo Road. Source: Emergency WA. Information current as of 7.19pm Monday, 1 February, Perth time Advertisement

DFES said anyone forced to leave their homes should wear a mask and continue to follow precautions, including maintaining appropriate physical distancing.

Firefighters are battling the blaze with aerial support and a number of roads have been closed.

Shocked Perth residents posted photographs of the smoke to social media as it stretched in a pall across the city to the west coast before sunset on Monday evening.

'Just had ash raining down in Joondalup from the fire in Perth hills,' wrote Mark Pearce on Twitter.

'Hope everyones OK up there.'

Paramedic Adam Dagnell said ash from the fire was falling on the coast, and tweeted an eerie video showing the brown sky with its blank sun ringed by ruby red smoke.

Worried Perth residents looked to the weather forecast for tomorrow as the sun set on Monday, seeing hot temperatures forecast with dry easterly winds.

'Tough conditions for the firefighters,' wrote Neil Bennet on Twitter along with a picture of a huge pall of smoke staining the sky over his Perth home.

'Hopefully they can get it under control tonight, as the conditions tomorrow will be hot again with dry E'ly winds.'

The Bureau of Meteorology website shows a top of 37C on Tuesday with an overnight minimum of 23C.

A 'very high' fire danger is forecast for the Perth Hills, and a 'high' fire danger for the Perth coastal plain with winds tending easterly up to 30 km/h shifting south to southwesterly during the afternoon.

California-based disaster monitoring artificial intelligence platform Maidai.ai began monitoring the fires from space, showing the smoke rising in real time.
Jerusalem:

Describing Indias ties with Israel as special, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that his visit - the first-ever by an Indian premier to the country - will lead to further cementing of bilateral ties and cooperation in key areas including counter-terrorism.



My visit comes at a special moment- we mark 25 years of the establishment of relations between India and Israel this year, Modi said on the eve of his three-day visit to Israel.



In an interview to the pro-government daily Israel Hayom, Modi said his visit was based on the deep centuries-old connection between our two peoples.



I share the opinion of many of my people, who see Israel as a beacon of technology, as a country that has managed to survive even though the odds were against it.



Modis visit is expected to focus on forging new defence and cyber security ties, two areas in which Israel has sought to portrays itself as a world leader, the daily said.



Separately, in an email sent to Israelis who subscribe to his newsletter, Modi said Indias ties with Israel are special. Modi said his visit will lead to further cementing the ties between the two countries, according to Jerusalem Post.

ALSO READ: PM Modi to get unprecedented welcome in Israel; Netanyahu to escort him on all locations



India is the worlds biggest importer of defence equipment, and Israel has become one of its major suppliers. Israeli media have reported that the two countries see more than USD 1 billion in defence deals each year.



Modi said his government is determined to improve ties between India and Israel and raise them to new levels. Noting that the frequency of high-level exchanges has gone up over the last three years, Modi said that no Indian president or prime minister had visited Israel before President Pranab Mukherjee visited in 2015.



My visit has its own significance as this is the first time ever that an Indian PM is visiting Israel. I am confident that my visit will lead to further strengthening of our relations in different areas and also open up new priorities for cooperation, Modi told Israel Hayom.



Our goal is to conduct dialogue with Israel in a manner that improves the lives of the citizens of both countries, said Prime Minister Modi, who last visited Israel a decade ago when he was chief minister of Gujarat with a delegation to learn about Israeli agriculture.



I am happy to return after more than a decade, and I look forward to seeing the developments and advances Israel has made in this time, Modi said. He lauded Israel for transforming itself from being a water-deficient country to a water-surplus country and hailed its other amazing accomplishments.



Asked whether Israel and India facing the same threat of terrorism, Modi said that terrorism is a global menace and two countries are not immune to it either.



We are in full agreement that elements which perpetrate violence on innocent people should not be allowed to flourish. Cross-border terrorism is a major challenge for us. Divisive forces across our border are trying to disrupt the unity of our nation.



These troublemakers often misuse religion as a tool to misguide youth in our country and our regions. Terrorism should not be equated with any particular religion. India and Israel could cooperate even more closely and complement each others efforts to fight with the menace of terrorism, he told the Israeli daily. When asked whether he is ardent supporter of the capitalist system and wants to liberalise the economy, Modi said he does not believe in any -isms.



I, and my government work with the motto of Together with all, development for all, he added. Modi said Israel could be a technology partner in the process of Indias transformation.



Israels capabilities offer a good match for our flagship schemes like Clean Ganga and Smart Cities. Israeli technologies could also be used to improve the quality of lives of hundreds of thousands of people in our country if Israeli innovators remodel their products according to the needs of our rural population, he added.



We are not looking at a traditional import-export relationship with Israel. It is more than a buyer-seller relationship. We are more interested in a tech-based partnership with an emphasis on Make in India, he added.

ALSO READ: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu gets ready to host PM Narendra Modi, talks on cyber security expected

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.

Per capita income, population volume and density, the structure of cities, transport infrastructure or whether districts have their own schools are all factors that can affect the spread of COVID-19. This has been confirmed by a study carried out in 73 districts in Barcelona by researchers from the departments of Geography and Economics of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, the results of which have been published in the Journal of Public Health. The research reveals that the analysis of the characteristics of every district can facilitate decisions on the specific measures to be applied to individual districts in an attempt to effectively reduce the rate of infection.

To carry out the study, the researchers analysed the data provided by the Public Health Agency of Barcelona on the 41,606 people who were infected with the coronavirus during the first two waves of the pandemic in the 73 districts of the capital. Work was done in two different time periods to differentiate the two waves: the first was from 26 February to 15 July and the second was from 16 July to 16 October. This information showed how the individuals in the city were distributed and whether the positive cases followed some sort of territorial pattern in the sense that levels would be low or high in neighbouring districts.

The study found that the characteristics of every district had a direct impact on the spread of the virus. "The results of the model are clear: particular characteristics show that the virus has particular effects in both waves: for example, the higher the population density is, the more cases there are, and the higher the average income is, the fewer cases there are," explains Josep Maria Arauzo, professor of the URV's Department of Economics and one of the authors of the study.

But the study also shows that in the two waves the collective behaviour of the population was different, which may explain why the virus spread differently in different areas. In this regard, the population structure plays a key role since in the first wave the percentage of positive cases was highest among senior citizens. However, as soon as greater social interaction was allowed and the shortcomings of managing nursing homes had been detected, the highest numbers of infections were found in those districts with a younger population while the number of infections in districts with older populations decreased. "We also observed that the presence of educational institutions increased the number of infections, not because of organisational in these institutions but because of the interactions that took place outside them," points out Aaron Gutierrez, a researcher from the URV's Department of Geography.

"The study shows the importance of taking local differences into account when adopting measures to efficiently combat the pandemic since if the same measures are applied equally in all places these differences will mean that their effects are quite different," concludes the researcher Antoni Domenech.

###
The hottest new app of 2021 appears to be social networking app Clubhouse which has seen an influx of interest in recent weeks.

It could become a money spinner for amateur social media enthusiasts and entrepreneurs who are good orators and develop a respectable following.

We have spoken to some people who claim to have made thousands of pounds from the app already including Shaa Wasmund MBE, but also outline some of the pitfalls of Clubhouse.

So what is it? Harvey Morton, digital expert and founder of HarveyMorton.Digital explains: 'It's an audio-only social networking app where you can join discussions about various topics that are happening at that time, as well as viewing which topics are scheduled for viewing later.'

Clubhouse is currently only available for Apple users but they founders are developing an Android app

It also gives users the opportunity to create their own audio-only clubs and rooms where they can start a conversation about anything.

Morton says: '2020 was the year that everyone started a podcast, but if you've ever fancied yourself as a podcast guest or host, Clubhouse is like a giant interactive podcast discussion.

'Rooms that I've visited have been based on topics from meditation and self-care to investing.'

The app's founders, Rohan Seth and Paul Davison, created its parent company Alpha Exploration Co at the beginning of 2020 but have kept themselves out of the press.

The app is only available to Apple users, but the founders have said that they are developing an app for Android in the future.

The app was initially open to an elite few and was frequented by celebrities, influencers and multi-millionaire entrepreneurs.

The app is still invite-only but it has opened up to more users  who in turn can add friends and family with a limited number of invites - as the founders try to expand the platform.

Over the next couple of months, the founders will add certain features that will enable them to monetise the platform.

A couple of forms of monetisation are currently being considered but it will also enable users of the platform to create a side income.

Harvey Morton, digital expert and founder of HarveyMorton.Digital warns Clubhouse users to tread carefully as he has heard of users being scammed out of money.

How could you make money?

1. Investment

There are plenty of Dragon's Den-style rooms on Clubhouse moderated by celebrities, serial entrepreneurs and investors.

These include rooms with names like 'No BS Business 6-7-8-9 figures Scaling' and 'The roundtable  new trends, biz ideas & opportunities'.

The agenda of these rooms vary but generally  just like Dragon's Den - moderators invite the audience up to pitch their business ideas to the 'stage' of influencers and entrepreneurs looking to invest.

The audience is also encouraged to ask for advice on how to expand, market and promote their businesses.

But the downside is that the advice and feedback can be quite brutal. It's vital to have a thick skin to handle the criticism and to come prepared if you're going to appeal to any investors.

Also, if you are tempted to invest money in anything or spend in anyway through people you meet on the app, please read our warning at the bottom of the article.

I've made over 20,000 from Clubhouse Shaa Wasmund MBE, serial entrepreneur and author of 'How to fix your Sh*t' says she's made over 20,000 on Clubhouse in less than a month by promoting her digital course, which costs 47, through the app. She advises others thinking of doing the same not to oversell. 'If you come into the room and there is just direct or even subtle selling, I don't think it works. 'My first goal is to provide genuine help for small businesses owners. It's something I've done all my life, which is what I got an MBE for. 'The second is creating engaged audiences. I want to create rooms that no matter what their background they can raise their hands and ask questions. 'The monetisation is a by-product - people can see what you intend to do. Would you go back to those rooms that oversell? No  it would be foolish.' Shaa Wasmund MBE says it's important not to oversell on Clubhouse as people would be able to see through your intentions

2. Brand partnerships

For business owners there are several opportunities to connect with other entrepreneurs to create brand partnerships.

There are several networking rooms for entrepreneurs where you can propose this either by 'putting your hand up' to get up on stage and stating your proposal or by contacting entrepreneurs that are open to partnerships directly.

If you come into the room and all there is direct or even subtle selling, I don't think it works. Shaa Wasmund MBE Shaa Wasmund MBE

3. Sponsored rooms

If you have established yourself as a credible speaker or expert in your field, you may be sponsored by companies to create or attend a room where you are an expert on the panel.

4. Membership fee

Clubhouse 'clubs' are groups that members can create and join. They can be aligned to interests, such as 'entrepreneurship', 'media' or 'sports'.

They're not too dissimilar to Facebook groups but are, of course, audio-only.

There's talk that club creators will be able to charge a membership fee in the future. It hasn't yet been established how much club creators could charge for this, but fees would vary based on the popularity of the club.

I've sold spots on my 1,500 mastermind programme Helen Pritchard, entrepreneur and co-creator of breakfast show 'Breakfast Minus the Bull*hit' on Clubhouse joined Clubhouse over a month ago. Within two weeks she'd created a 'Loose Women type' breakfast show with co-hosts and entrepreneurs: Julie Creffield and Gemma Went. She says: 'Myself, Gemma and Julie have all sold things and made money as a result of Clubhouse. People have clicked through from our Clubhouse profiles and direct messaged us on Instagram  asking for details of our paid-for products and services. Entrepreneur Helen Pritchard says she's made money by promoting her Mastermind Programme on Clubhouse 'In addition to running the breakfast show, I've hosted pop-up rooms  talking about LinkedIn  and people have gone on to buy my Mastermind Programme for 1,500 within a couple of days. 'We leverage Clubhouse by having a very clear call to action in our bio and posting it around our social media channels to get people to come and listen to the show. 'It's about being consistent  showing up at the same time every day, as well as each of us having our own rooms on our individual topics of expertise.'

5. AMA (Ask me anything)

If you're an expert in your field, you could create a room and charge people a fee for answering their personal or business questions.

The Clubhouse app doesn't yet have the ability to send and receive payments, but some moderators have accepted payments via the Cash App.

6. Networking

There are a plethora of experts on the Clubhouse app including small business owners, multimillionaire CEOs, tech giants and celebrities that you could approach through the rooms they created.

Many list their other social media accounts  typically Twitter and Instagram. Some even invite users to connect with them, send them direct messages (DMs) for tips and advice or possible job opportunities.

I got paid within two weeks of joining Clubhouse Stephanie Cronin, founder of Summers Photography says that two weeks after she joined she's been asked to collaborate on a paid for membership for women in business, run photography courses for craft groups looking to develop their product photography and received enquiries about personal brand photo shoots. Stephanie Cronin, founder of Summers Photography says she was able to secure business within two weeks of joining Clubhouse She says: 'I've been offered podcast guest interview slots which will help grow my audience and therefore my client base. 'My strategy is to use the platform to create rooms on business photography, to feed to my newsletter list and offer my courses, support and shoots. 'It is all so new, but I think it has super potential as the listeners are invested with their time and will want to make worthwhile connections and do business with the person behind the website through authentic conversations.'

7. Become a panellist

Being invited on the 'stage' is possible for anyone. Morton explains: 'You can come and go from chat rooms as you like, and some discussions get quite heated so it's certainly not for everyone.

'The chat rooms are like Zoom but without any video. If you want to share your input, you must be a panellist or raise your hand and join the stage of speakers.'

If you have enough followers or influence you may be invited to a club or room as a panellist and get paid for speaking.

8. Charge an 'entrance' fee

This feature is not yet available, but the creators are considering giving moderators the ability to charge people for attending the room.

How much someone could charge in terms of an entrance fee is not yet clear, but this would depend on the popularity of the moderators and the topic.

9. Talk about your product/service

My strategy is to use the platform to create rooms on business photography, to feed to my newsletter list and offer my courses, support and shoots. Stephanie Cronin, founder of Summers Photography Stephanie Cronin, founder of Summers Photography

If you're an entrepreneur with a product or service, you could talk about it and the value it offers in the rooms and clubs that you join on Clubhouse.

But be careful not to make it all about you or to make the discussion constantly about your sell because you don't have a captive audience.

Helen Pritchard warns: 'I'm seeing in a lot of rooms where people think it's a free for all to promote themselves.

'What I love about Clubhouse is the "leave quietly" button. It's a great tool that allows you to leave discreetly if you don't like what you're hearing.'

10. Tips

Tipping may be possible through the Clubhouse app soon. But tips won't be guaranteed  it would all depend on the value you gave during your talk.

But it could be an invaluable money earner. Thea Paraskevaides, creative director and co-founder of Beaumont Music: 'I've been at the regular "Founder's Townhall" meetings on Sundays and the idea of subscriptions to clubs and tipping was mentioned.

'I love this because the experts I bring in for my talks can be tipped, which makes the whole thing sustainable.'

I've made sales from individuals that come into my rooms Thea Paraskevaides has been on Clubhouse since December and has started a community of classical musicians. She says: 'I'm a business owner but have lots of connections within the industry and as such have been doing bi-weekly talks on various topics. 'The wonderful thing about it is I get to intro myself at the beginning of each session and describe what my company is. I have identifiable sales from individuals that have come into my rooms - which is great. Thea Paraskevaides, creative director and co-founder of Beaumont Music, says she's made sales from individuals that have entered her 'rooms'

11. Content creation

Writing clubhouse bios that can help members to promote their products or services and help to ramp up their following is another potential earner for those qualified in copywriting.

12. Getting a grant

According to some reports, the founders are keen on introducing a grant program to support emerging creators on the app.

It's not the first time that a social media networking site has ring-fenced funds to help start-ups.

Last year, for instance, TikTok launched a $200million (145million) Creator Fund. It's important to verify how such funds work and what criteria the platform is looking for.

In a blog posted in October last year, TikTok said: 'Creators receive funds based on a variety of factors from their videos, and creators will know that performance on TikTok is dynamic - it changes naturally - so your funds will ebb and flow in the same way.'

Stay vigilant...

Like all social media sites and the internet in general, Clubhouse will not be immune to trolls and scammers who attempt to swindle people out of their hard-earned savings.

Morton says: 'I've seen reports on Twitter of shady business professionals using the platform to flog their e-books and courses, and there are a few reports of users being scammed out of money.

'I would advise that users are vigilant and if they do want to conduct a transaction with someone they meet on Clubhouse, do your research and use a platform like PayPal to pay where you are protected.'

We have attempted to contact the founders of Clubhouse for comment.

Is it just a fad?

In the beginning the Clubhouse app drew in A-listers such as Ashton Kutcher, Jared Leto and rapper Ja Rule to name but a few. But such appearances appear to have waned according to some early adopters.

Tim Hague, founder of online learning platform Tiger and Tim, who was an early adopter of Clubhouse says: 'The celebrities were nowhere to be seen when I was using it and I was using before the majority were invited in the last four to six weeks.'

But Hague believes that the hype created by the founders was enough to draw in the crowds and the attention they needed. 'The fear of missing out marketing strategy by Clubhouse was very smart.

'Name me a human on the planet who doesn't like something that feels special because it's not easy to obtain.'

Morton adds: 'We can expect to see features like using the app to create your own discussion clubs and conferences, and even potentially selling your own expert opinion to form part of public discussions.

'If you've not downloaded Clubhouse yet, it's certainly worth exploring, and a great way to learn new things.'
UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelets recent report on Sri Lanka has recommended war crime probes and targeted sanctions, including asset freezes and travel bans, on those credibly accused of human rights violations.

The 17-page report was prepared for the upcoming 46th session of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and made public on January 27. The next session of the UNHRC is scheduled to begin at the end of February and continue until March 19.

Bachelets report contains proposed options for member states to advance criminal accountability of Sri Lanka and refer it to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Member states, it says, can actively pursue investigation and criminal prosecution committed by all parties in Sri Lanka before their own national courts.

Police arrest a protestor during June, 2020 protest against George Floyd killing [Credit: WSWS]

The report refers to the militarisation of the Sri Lankan state apparatus noting the appointment of serving and former senior officers to key government positions; the removal of constitutional safeguards; harassment of journalists and human rights activists; and the forcible cremation of all who have died from COVID-19. The UNHCR report describes these actions as curbs on civilian affairs and human rights by President Rajapakses government.

The war crimes cited in the report relate to the Sri Lankan military attacks during the final months of the bloody conflict against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The separatist organisation was defeated in May 2009.

UN experts have estimated that at least 40,000 civilians died in brutal indiscriminate attacks by the army. A number of LTTE leaders who surrendered were killed in cold blood, while hundreds of youth who gave themselves up to the army have been disappeared.

President Gotabhaya Rajapakse, who was defence secretary under Mahinda Rajapakse, his older brother and then president, oversaw these military operations.

Successive Sri Lankan governments committed numerous war crimes during the 30-year communal conflict which began in July 1983. The final years of the war, which were re-launched in 2006 by the Mahinda Rajapakse regime with the backing of imperialist powers, including the US and India, saw an intensification of atrocities committed against the Tamils.

The brutal repression not only occurred in the war zones in Sri Lankas north and east but in the south where journalists and others who criticised the government were abducted, disappeared or killed.

Like all its predecessors, the current Rajapakse regime vehemently denies all war crime allegations and calls for legal immunity for all military officers. Colombo attempts to cover up its own crimes by pointing to the anti-democratic and terror methods used by the LTTE against Tamils, Sinhalese and Muslims.

The chief responsibility for the war, however, lies with the Sri Lankan ruling elite and its successive governments since 1948 which have consistently used anti-Tamil chauvinism to prop up bourgeois rule by dividing and weakening the working class along ethnic lines.

Bachelets report comes amid US moves to present a new human rights resolution on Sri Lanka in order to pressure the Rajapakse regime remain within Washingtons geostrategic orbit. The US has insisted since Rajapakse was elected president in November 2019 that Colombo remains integrated into its anti-China war push. This agenda was carried forward during President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghes administration.

Sirisena became president in 2015 in a regime-change operation orchestrated by the US to replace the former President Mahinda Rajapakse. Washington was hostile to Mahinda Rajapakse regimes close relations with Beijing for investment and military equipment supplies during the war.

The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe regime immediately shifted Sri Lankas foreign policy in favour of Washington and began strengthening ties and operations between Sri Lankan armed forces and the US military.

In return, Washington helped to pass a resolution in the UNHRC in October 2015 that assisted Colombo to suppress calls for an international war crimes investigation by agreeing to domestic inquiries into the human rights abuses through Sri Lankan tribunals. These tribunals were never established.

Washington and India, its regional strategic partner, are deeply concerned about the return of Gotabhaya Rajapakse and Mahinda Rajapakse to power. At the same time the COVID-19 pandemic has sharply impacted the heavily-indebted Sri Lankan economy forcing the Rajapakse regime to increasingly turn to China for investment and loans.

Over the last month, the core UN group on Sri LankaBritain, Canada, Germany, Macedonia and Montenegrohas announced that it plans to present a resolution in the UNHRC on human rights violations.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted last week that we are carefully reviewing the significant report on Sri Lanka from the UNHRC. Sri Lankas future, he said, depends on respecting rights today and taking meaningful steps to deal with the past.

US concerns about human rights and similar statements from other major powers, who have all engaged in numerous documented war crimes and other atrocities, are cynical and hypocritical.

US imperialism, which is at the centre of the global crisis accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic, is aggressively pursuing its efforts to reassert its global hegemony. This is being continued and intensified under US President Bidens administration.

Tamil parties in Sri Lanka, including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Tamil National Peoples Front (TNPF) and the Tamil Peoples Alliance, have rallied behind the latest US-led human rights charade.

US and UK diplomats have discussed the new human rights resolution with the TNA leadership, as well as leaders of the TPA and TNPF. Together with civil society groups, these parties have written to the UNHRC president calling for a war crimes probe in Sri Lanka and for it to be referred to the ICC.

In 2015, the TNA supported the US-led regime-change operation in Colombo and acted as a de facto partner of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government. The Tamil nationalist parties fully support the geo-political and military build-up against China. Their support for the human rights concerns of the international communitya euphemism for the US and other major powersis an attempt to secure international backing for devolution of power to the Tamil bourgeoisie in the north and east.

Responding to the UNHRC report, Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Admiral Jayanath Colambage told the Sunday Times that nothing has been proven against those accused of war crimes. Sri Lanka is much more peaceful and stable than any of the countries trying to discredit us, he declared.

Colambage admitted that the UNHCR report was worse than previous ones but insisted that nearly all the commitments to the earlier UNHCR resolution, apart from the establishment of a judicial mechanism, had been fulfilled by the previous administration. He then claimed that the report had been influenced by shadow reporting from here and the Tamil diaspora.

The Rajapakse regime rejects all the war crimes allegations and consistently accuses the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration of betraying the military. In March last year, President Rajapakse announced that Sri Lanka was withdrawing from the UNHRC resolution passed in October 2015.

The Rajapakse administration is acutely nervous about the intensifying US-led pressure and is anxious to avoid any war crime probe.

On January 22, Rajapakse appointed a new three-member Commission of Inquiry headed by a retired Supreme Court judge. Its task is to find out whether previous commissions revealed any human rights violations and examine whether their recommendations were carried out. This is another desperate manoeuvre to buy time. Two previous commissions were appointed by the former President Mahinda Rajapakse regime in response to previous US pressure.

On January 24, Colambage told the Sunday Observer: We want to engage with the UNHRC [and] maintain cordial relations with the US. I think the US should engage with Sri Lanka constructively.

The core group on Sri Lanka, he said, proposed a consensual resolution that would give us another year to implement human rights commitments [I]f we are to agree to that the text of the resolution should be drafted jointly. We are now waiting to see the text of the new resolution.

The UN Human Rights High Commissioners report and all the behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing make clear that Washington will stop at nothingincluding another regime-change operation or dragging Sri Lanka to the ICCto ensure Colombo remains in line with its war plans against China.
EDISON, N.J., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CS Energy, a leading integrated energy firm that designs and builds optimized projects in the solar, storage, and emerging energy industries, has launched an employee-led effort to support, as well as increase the number of women on its team and within the broader renewable energy industry.

CS Energy

In spite of the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic, a group of female employees, with the support of executive management, launched CS Energy's Women in Renewable Energy (CS Energy WiRE) program in the spring of 2020. CS Energy WiRE aims to engage the female employees at CS Energy and provide them with the tools needed to grow and advance through a network of support and mentoring. The group is designed for all female employees across the various departments to collaborate and grow both professionally and personally.

"Despite the pandemic, the spark was there," said Dawn Robinson, Director of Human Resources and Communications and founding member of CS Energy WiRE. "CS Energy is making a big difference with a top-down approach embracing and encouraging diversity within the company. Our leadership wasted no time in providing the resources needed to launch the group."

The number of women employed in STEM fields is low, and is especially low in renewable energy. "18 percent of CS Energy's workforce are women, including 20 percent in our executive team. Our goal is to keep improving participation through this initiative," said Janani Ramkumar, Director of Pre-construction and founding member of CS Energy WiRE.

CS Energy WiRE plans to increase CS Energy's ranks of female employees by 10 percent over the next year. The path to achieve that goal involves increasing more female participation in career fairs, developing mentorships, and encouraging network outside the company walls. The group has established a leadership team comprised of employees from a variety of departments and experience levels. That team has led the group through internal networking events and an external Town Hall, where female CS Energy leadership joined forces with the National Girls Collaborative Project to reach women and encourage them to pursue careers in sustainability, engineering, and renewable energy.

CS Energy has already been recognized as one of the Best Places to Work in New Jersey, in part because the company provides paid time off for volunteer work, allows flexible work schedules, and offers parental leave for both men and women. These benefits, which are not yet universal in the construction industry, are often called for by women in the workforce.

"There is so much opportunity for women to thrive in the exciting fields of renewable energy, engineering, and construction," said Diana Palazzi Mery, Executive Vice President of Accounting & Finance for CS Energy. "We're working to create a program that we hope will be a powerful tool to advance their success." Palazzi Mery is the first woman on the company's executive leadership team, and one of CS Energy WiRE's founding members.

About CS Energy

CS Energy is an industry-leading engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) energy firm that designs and builds optimized projects in solar, energy storage, and emerging energy industries. CS Energy's attention to detail, flawless execution and highly talented workforce has enabled the company to successfully design and install over 1 GW of solar projects across the United States. CS Energy leverages strong relationships with solar developers, IPPs, utilities, off-takers, suppliers, and landowners to help our customers streamline the project development process, lower project costs, and create value for all stakeholders. Majority-owned by Ares Infrastructure and Power, CS Energy has an experienced and committed management team and the financial resources required to continue expanding its solar and energy storage business as a trusted and long-term partner.

CS Energy Media Contact:

Kevin Magayah

732.484.2432

[email protected]

SOURCE CS Energy
The alert on the Newcastle Road at Seaforde

Police investigating the suspicious device found following a security alert in Seaforde over the weekend have confirmed it is a suspected component part of a mortar. PACEMAKER BELFAST

A suspicious device recovered following a weekend security alert in Co Down is part of a mortar, a PSNI district commander has revealed.

Residents were forced to leave their homes for a period in Seaforde, near Newcastle following the discovery of a suspicious object on the Newcastle Road by a member of the public last Saturday.

The PSNI confirmed on Monday the recovered item is a suspected component part of a mortar.

District Commander Superintendent Norman Haslett said: Following forensic examination we can confirm the device is suspected to be a component part of a mortar although no explosives were found within the device.

"Whilst at this stage, it is too early to attribute ownership to any particular grouping, it is my belief that dissident republican terrorists are responsible."

In a separate incident at the weekend, fireworks were discovered to have been behind two security alerts in Ballymoney last Sunday.

A stretch of the B66 Bann Road, between Agivey and Bendooragh was closed in both directions after police were alerted to the scene.

Officers also closed the Glenstall Road and the Balnamore Road after being alerted to a second suspicious object near Agivey bridge.

A total of three suspicious objects were found in the area.

Police and Ammunition Technical Officers (ATO) attended the scene and after examination two of the objects were found to be fireworks and the third object was nothing untoward.

Press Release

1 February 2021

Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the region, with hotels across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Turkey, today announced additions to its burgeoning pipeline for the next three years, comprising eight new landmark developments. Significant hotel signings and new agreements will take place in Manama, Bahrain and Jubail in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, alongside further expansion in the UAE, Qatar and Turkey.

Advertisements

The announcement, which will deliver more than 2,650 keys to market, signals a new phase of recovery for the hospitality specialist, which despite a challenging year, witnessed a positive rebound in business in Q4 2020.

"Building on this momentum and leveraging our highly effective core business model, inherent operational strength and our sustainable blueprint for regional expansion, Rotana is well-positioned for continued growth and success in 2021 and beyond," said Rotana President and CEO Guy Hutchinson.

The Middle East is the focus of the group's initial signings given it has proven remarkably robust during the pandemic and continues to pursue ambitious multi-sector growth plans. The recent restoration of ties with Qatar is set to positively impact intra-regional travel, trade and contribute toward the recovery of the region's tourism sector. Furthermore Rotana also remains committed to consolidating its portfolio in the UAE, a cornerstone of success for the home-grown hospitality brand.

"We are extremely confident the UAE will remain one of the safest countries in the world for domestic and international travel. With the launch of the first federal domestic tourism campaign boosting the country's local tourism contribution to more than AED80 billion, coupled with the vigorous nationwide vaccine drive and steady growth in inbound tourism, the outlook for the industry is bright," added Hutchinson.

As one of the fastest-growing tourism markets in the world, Saudi Arabia continues to be a focal point for expansion and a five-star Rayhaan Hotels & Resorts property will be added to the portfolio in the third quarter of 2021, representing the group's eighth operating hotel in the Kingdom. Located in Jubail, a city in KSA's Eastern Province, the property will add 407 keys to Rotana's portfolio and cement the group's status as one of the most dynamic players in the region's upscale segment.

Sustaining strong growth momentum in the coming year and solidifying its presence in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Rotana signed an agreement under its trend-setting hybrid hotel-residence brand, Residences by Rotana, in Manama. Set to open in 2022, the property will feature 483 keys and provide a highly sought-after branded residences option for the long-stay market. The group will also enhance its proposition for long-stay travellers in the city, introducing a 220-key Arjaan Hotel Apartments by Rotana, with a planned opening date of 2023.

Rotana has also penned two deals in Qatar, with the aim of supporting the country's economic diversification strategy and its vision to attract seven million visitors by 2030. The group recently took over the management of the 250-key Sedra Arjaan by Rotana, located in the heart of Doha, The Pearl Island, and signed a hotel management agreement under the Centro Hotels brand, with a stylish 350-key property set to add a new dimension to Doha's vibrant hospitality scene by 2023.

Strengthening its leadership position in the UAE, Rotana has signed a hotel management agreement under the Rotana Hotels & Resorts master brand. Expected to open in 2023, the property, which is located in Dubai, will boost the group's number of residential and hospitality units in the country by 295 keys.

Further extending its footprint in the European side of Istanbul, Rotana will also be managing two new properties in the heart of the city: Bomonti Arjaan by Rotana and Bomonti Residences by Rotana offering 650 units which are set to open doors to guests in 2022.

"The first of many announcements for Rotana over the coming months, the eight new property signings represent another major milestone in the group's development strategy" concluded Makram El Zyr, Corporate Vice President Development.
Amid the prolonged farmers' protest, where farm unions have demanded a separate Act on MSP and the withdrawal of three agri laws, it is therefore expected the Centre will keep a special focus on the agricultural economy in this year's Budget. It must be noted that when India's GDP shrank by 23.9 per cent in the June quarter of FY21, only the agricultural sector emerged as a silver lining registering a 3.4 per cent growth.

Dr Arun Singh, Global Chief Economist, Dun & Bradstreet said he has anticipated that "the government will reiterate its commitment to continue the MSP system in the Budget. It would also seek to increase the scope of the current form of MSP by guaranteeing some specified quantity for procurement under MSP, in view of the farmers' protest".

You can catch all the updates on Budget Session 2021 here.

According to the rating agency ICRA, the government could allocate funds towards the agricultural chain to improve productivity and reduce post-harvest losses. The budgetary allocation is also expected towards crop insurance schemes, irrigation infrastructure schemes, promoting soil health, and availability for farm credit amongst others.

Singh also suggests that government should try to revamp the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) scheme and relook at the structural, logistical, and other obstacles, and try to reverse the trend of farmers and states leaving the scheme.

Also read: Budget 2021 Live Updates: Will Modi govt deliver a budget like never before?

"The government has made the PMFBY scheme voluntary for farmers. This needs to be withdrawn as it will reduce the crop insurance cover further," Singh added.

On Cattle insurance, Jatin Singh, Co-founder of GramCover said: "We expect the removal of GST from cattle insurance and other microinsurance products in the upcoming Budget 2021. Removal of GST will bring down the cost of insurance policy, making it affordable for farmers and cattle owners".

It is also anticipated that the government may roll out its ambitious Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for fertiliser, offering direct subsidy transfer into the accounts of farmers. Timely release of the additional allocation for the fertiliser will enable clearance of the subsidy backlog.

The government may also focus on lowering the import duties on raw materials like phosphoric acid and ammonia to improve competitiveness.

In 2020, during the coronavirus outbreak, the government announced a slew of packages for farmers under the Aatma Nirbhar initiative. The Centre claimed to provide Rs 2 lakh crore concessional credit to PM-Kisan beneficiaries through Kisan Credit Cards. The Finance Ministry informed that 110.94 lakh KCC with a limit of Rs 1,07,417 crore got sanction till December 4.

Additionally, the Agri Infrastructure Fund was approved by the Union Cabinet on July 8, 2020. According to the Centre, within 30 days after the Cabinet formally approved the scheme, the first sanction of Rs 1,128 crore was made to over 2,280 farmer societies.

The government also approved Rs 20,000 crore for fishermen under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana last year in May. Rajamanohar Somasundaram, CEO and Founder of Aquaconnect said that India stands as the second-largest fish producer in the world but the true potential of inland fisheries has to be realised. According to Somasundaram, "Credit Guarantee Instrument to be created to address minimum price protection for Shrimp Farmers based on mutual agreement between Farmer and Shrimp Exporter. This is to insulate Farmers from International price fluctuations since 99 per cent of the shrimp produced in India are exported". He also said in order to expand the market for shrimps. " Mission mode program with 'Market Support Fund' to be created to position India Shrimp in EU, South Africa, Australia & South Korea. The fund can be operated by entities like the Seafood Exporters Association of India," Somasundaram added.

Moreover, in the times of digitalisation in every sector, experts and organisations working in the agricultural sector are also hoping that the Centre might focus on the need of technological advancement in the sector. Taranjeet Singh Bhamra, CEO and Founder of AgNext said, "There is a need for more integrated technological solutions to digitise the agriculture supply chain to make it more resilient and sustainable. India's Research & Development (R&D) budget in agriculture is abysmally low and the government should scale-up investments to build more solutions for agriculture in partnership with AgTech players in the market".

Further, with migrant workers returning back to their home states during the pandemic, the demand for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) has increased substantially. According to Singh, "In FY21, 99 million workers worked under MGNREGA as compared to 78.9 mn workers in FY20. Given that the demand for MGNREGS continues to remain elevated". He said that the Budget is expected to propose increased allocation for the scheme.

Also read: Budget 2021: Date, speech time, sector-wise expectations; everything you need to know
New York, Feb 1 : An Indian origin law enforcement officer in California has been arrested in connection with allegations that he had faked a shooting incident and claimed that his body camera stopped the bullet, according to officials.

Detectives found evidence that Sukhdeep Gill, a Sheriff's Deputy in Santa Clara County, had "fabricated" the incident and was arrested on January 29, the Sheriff's Office said.

The incident took place in January 2020 and he was hailed at that time as a hero who had a miraculous escape.

Gill had claimed that when he was parked in his official vehicle on a rural road, he was ambushed and shots were fired at him.

One of the shots was blocked by the body camera, which is worn by law enforcement personnel to record their actions, he had said.

Detectives conducted an extensive investigation into the incident over the course of a year before making the conclusion that the ambush and the shooting was faked, according to the Sheriff's Office.

It added that local prosecutor intended to charge him with making a false report and vandalism for damaging the vehicle and the camera.
There was a telling moment bound up in an awkward pause during a parliamentary hearing on Friday into a climate change bill proposed by the independent MP Zali Steggall.

Liberal MP Trent Zimmerman asked a witness  Dr Angela Frimberger, a biologist turned climate activist  whether it was reasonable for a government to direct independent expert advisers to not provide them with advice that they did not want to hear and had no intention of acting upon.

Zali Steggalls proposed climate change bill has broad support, but is very unlikely to become law. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The exchange was significant because in the unlikely event Steggalls bill became law, it would legislate a net-zero emissions by 2050 target and create an independent climate change commission to provide the government with advice on how to reach that goal. Zimmermans point was, should such a commission be created, why shouldnt the government of the day order it not to provide advice over the reinstitution of a price on carbon, given neither party wanted to pursue such a policy?

I would have thought it was not an unreasonable proposition to say that a government could indicate to a commission the parameters it was prepared to consider so [the commission] did not go down the path of providing advice that would have no functional reality in policy, Zimmerman said.
Last year when a number of players in the creative industry such as actor John Dumelo and former MUSIGA President, Bice Osei Kuffour (Obour), made a push to enter Parliament, there was hope in some circles.

The optimism was due to the expectations that issues concerning the industry would now get a chance to be highlighted.



However, they were all unsuccessful in their bid and for Highlife musician Kofi Kinaata, this is unfortunate and more must be done to push creatives into the law making process.



If we want to be heard and our demands met, then we need to push our people into Parliament so they can speak for us. Because we do not have our representatives there, no one speaks for us.



Can you imagine what would have happened if John Dumelo, Ebi Bright, Obour and the other creatives all made it to Parliament? Some of the things the creative industry needs would have been provided because they would highlight our issues, he told Graphic Showbiz recently.



Kofi Kinaata said deliberate steps have to be taken to get creatives into Parliament by campaigning for those who are bold to declare their intentions to contest.



I was not happy when I saw celebrities campaigning for other candidates instead of using their popularity to campaign for their own, he said.



Related articles:



John Dumelo should be encouraged  Trigmatic



Winning VGMA Songwriter three times proof of hard work - Kofi Kinaata





He explained that the reason why issues concerning the creative industry were trivialised was because players did not have anyone in the decision making places to effectively speak for them.



For instance, John Dumelo stood a better chance of explaining to Parliament the need to put in money to help the movie industry bounce back if he were there. Obour on the other hand could have spoken on behalf of the musicians. But without them in Parliament, who cares about our issues, he said.



Asked if he would like to go into politics or contest to be a member of Parliament, Kofi Kinaata said not now.



I dont think I am ready for politics now. Maybe in some years to come but not now. However, I support 100 per cent, any showbiz person who is interested in politics, he said.



Musically, Kofi Kinaata, who just dropped his latest single Something Nice featuring Nigerian artiste Patoranking, said he would be doing more international collaborations.



After making the name in Ghana, I need to step out of my comfort zone, hence the decision to do more collaborations. I have a number of musicians I intend collaborating with and it is going to be fire, 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

Ryanair chief executive Michael OLeary today launched an extraordinary attack on public health experts and urged them to get the finger out.

Mr OLeary was speaking on RTEs Morning Ireland as his company revealed it expects to post a full-year loss of nearly 1bn.

The airline boss slammed Nphet and Dr Tony Holohan and accused the national broadcaster RTE of pandering to the misinformation coming out of Nphet.

Mr OLeary accused Nphet of disseminating misinformation and scare stories as well as causing mass hysteria about international travel.

However, Mr OLeary did not go into detail on what misinformation he believed Nphet had spread.

Read More

Mr OLeary said there arent lots of young people getting sick and going to hospital and said: Part of this is due to Nphet miscommunication, their daily press conference trying to terrify the population. The reality is the UK will have everyone over 50 vaccinated by March, Ireland needs to catch up, hopefully by the end of June.

Nphet, and the Chief Medical Officer [Dr Tony Holohan] if he was doing his job properly, should be holding a daily press conference announcing how many people have been vaccinated, not issuing scare stories of numbers of people in hospital. Hes the CMO, he should be dealing with the vaccine as vaccination is the way out of this Covid crisis, not these failed lockdowns, Mr OLeary continued.

The airline tycoon said there would be a dramatic reduction in Covid hype on RTE once everyone over 50 is vaccinated, which he predicted by the end June, saying he expects to see a dramatic recovery this summer.

If Europe and Ireland get their act together and catch up, we should be out of these lockdowns by June, and RTE will have to move on and talk about something else, Mr OLeary said.

Mr OLeary said Ryanair would not be asking customers for proof of vaccinations.

Mr OLeary said that when all over 50 are vaccinated, there will be a dramatic reduction in deaths, hospitalisations and sickness as vast majority of young people are asymptomatic.

OLeary said the tone of Ryanairs jab and Go campaign was perfectly correct even though Ireland saw 1,000 deaths and 100,000 cases of Covid-19 in January.

It was the right time to be sending that message, we need some optimism in Ireland, instead of the daily doses of pessimism being delivered by Nphet and RTE.

What we need is to look forward to a post-vaccination date, which should be in the second quarter of this year, when Ireland begins to roll out vaccinations and Nphet would do a much better job if it actually focused on vaccinations and we had a daily announcement from Nphet with the number of people vaccinated, the Ryanair boss said.

Asked about airline campaigns in recent weeks, Dr Holohan described them as not particularly responsible.

Mr OLeary said he now concedes Easter will be a write-off due to the delayed vaccination programme, but said he expects to still see millions of people travelling to the beaches of Europe in July, August and September.

I expect it to be a dramatic recovery this summer off the back of a successful vaccine rollout in the UK, 50pc of their population will be vaccinated by the end of March, Europe and Ireland needs to get its act together and catch up. If 50pc of our population is vaccinated by the end of June, which we expect, we see a strong recovery for summer holidays in July, August and into September, he added.

When asked about customer refunds and claims on social media from customers saying they had not yet been refunded, Mr OLeary said:

Every customer that has requested a refund for us has received it. If I look on social media I see Donald Trump telling us he has won the election.

We have no backlog on refunds, all the refunds have been issued, he continued.

Mr OLeary anticipated a reopening and resurgence of business at Shannon Airport for Ryanair, but was more downbeat on Cork.

He said once the Irish government and Nphet get the finger out...we expect it to be a very strong recovery at Dublin and Shannon.

We dont think there will be a big recovery in Cork as there is still a very high cost of operations in Cork. In fact, Cork Airport is talking about price increases and there will not be a rapid recovery in airports where prices are increasing. We need much lower access costs if we are to restore Irish tourism.

Irish tourism isnt going to survive on a bunch of staycations, we need to welcome back European visitors and we need to get away from the mass hysteria created by Nphet on international travel, when the four counties with the highest rate of Covid in the country are the border counties.

Most of the international travel that Nphet worries about is coming across the border with the north of Ireland. It isnt coming on non-existent flights into Dublin Airport, 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.
At a time Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a standoff in eastern Ladakh, the government on Monday increased the capital outlay for the armed forces by nearly 19 per cent while allocating a total of Rs 4.78 lakh crore for defence budget for 2021-22 as against Rs 4.71 lakh crore last year. Rs 1.35 lakh crore has been set aside for capital expenditure that includes purchasing new weapons, aircraft, warships and other military hardware, according to the Union Budget presented in the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The capital outlay in the defence budget 2020-21 was Rs 1.13 lakh crore. In a tweet, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sitharaman for increasing the defence budget to Rs 4.78 lakh crore and said the nearly 19 per cent hike in the capital expenditure is the highest-ever increase in the last 15 years.

Congratulations to Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman for presenting the first Digital Budget which lays the strong foundation for a Self-Reliant India. Inspired by PM Shri @narendramodis vision of Inclusive Development this Budget will expedite Indias economic transformation. Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 1, 2021

The defence minister also expressed happiness over Sitharaman's budget proposal to open 100 new Sainik schools. The total outlay of Rs 4.78 lakh crore included an allocation of Rs 1.15 lakh crore for payment of pensions. Significantly, the allocation for payment of pension has come down as it was Rs 1.33 lakh crore in the previous budget.

Excluding the pension outgo, the total revenue expenditure, which includes expenses on payment of salaries and maintenance of establishments, has been pegged at Rs 2.12 lakh crore. Military experts expressed satisfaction on the overall allocation considering the adverse impact of the coronavirus-triggered pandemic on the economy, though, they said, India will have to gradually increase defence spending to deal with increasing external threats.

"I am satisfied with the total allocation to the armed forces considering the state of the economy in view of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic," said Dr Laxman Behera of the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. He said the increase of around Rs 22,000 crore in capital outlay is a welcome move which will help the three services in carrying on with their modernisation drive.

"I specially thank PM and FM for increasing the defence budget to Rs 4.78 lakh cr for FY 21-22 which includes capital expenditure worth Rs 1.35 lakh crore. It is nearly 19 per cent increase in defence capital expenditure. This is the highest ever increase in capital outlay for defence in 15 yrs," Defence Minister Singh tweeted.
Expressing "deep concerns" at reports that military is seeking to seize control of the country, Australia on Monday called on the army to respect the rule of law and release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully.

In a statement, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Canberra strongly supports the peaceful reconvening of the National Assembly, consistent with the results of the November 2020 general election.

Earlier it was reported that State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, and other senior officials had been detained by the military in early morning raids.

"The Australian Government is deeply concerned at reports the military is once again seeking to seize control of Myanmar and has detained State Counsellor Daw and President U Win Myint," the statement read.

Asserting that Australia is a long-standing supporter of Myanmar and its democratic transition, Payne said: "We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully."

"We strongly support the peaceful reconvening of the National Assembly, consistent with the results of the November 2020 general election," she added.

Earlier, the United States also reacted to the situation in Myanmar saying it is alarmed by reports that the Myanmar military has taken steps to undermine the country's democratic transition, including the arrest of Suu Kyi and other civilian officials in Burma.

(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 Kent strain of coronavirus does not cause different symptoms or a more severe Covid-19 illness than earlier variants, experts have claimed.

King's College London researchers say they found 'no significant difference' in disease suffered between regions where the variant was widespread in December  London, South East and East of England  compared to those further north, where it was yet to gain a foothold.

This suggests the strain  dubbed B.1.1.7  may not be more deadly than the original virus and that an alleged higher risk of death could be linked to other factors.

Sir Patrick Vallance sparked a row over the variant in January when he told the public at a Downing Street press conference that it appeared to be more deadly but that there was 'huge uncertainty' about it.

Scientists said no proof had been offered that this was the case and No10's evidence was not published until hours after the briefing, with it showing there was wide variation in scientists' estimates of how deadly it is.

Sir Patrick said that data suggested the new variant could kill 13 or 14 of every 1,000 men over the age of 60 who caught it, compared to 10 in 1,000 of the old variant.

A top scientific group advising the Government, Nervtag, has said there is a 'realisitc possibility' the Kent variant could be more deadly, but this is not confirmed.

There were concerns that it may get around vaccine-triggered immunity but studies have put these to bed and found jabs should be just as effective against it.

Another concerning variant, from South Africa, has also been found to be vulnerable to the antibodies sparked by vaccines but they may be less effective against it. Research is ongoing into variants originating in Brazil but there are not yet suggestions that any of the above are more deadly than the original virus.

The Kent variant is now the dominant variant in the UK and more than 100 cases of the South African strain have been identified here.

Above are the number of hospitalisations by region in England and Wales (left) and the number of symptoms suffered during infections by region (right). Scientists say there was no significant difference between areas with high and low prevalence of the Kent variant, suggesting it does not trigger more severe infections

Data was also collected on the duration of infections in regions with high and low prevalence of the Kent variant. This also indicated no significant differences in disease suffered

Above are the symptoms of the virus from positive tests split by type. The NHS only recognises three signs of coronavirus - high temperature, new continuous cough and loss of taste and smell - but experts say there are 14 key symptoms

Dr Mark Graham, an epidemiologist at King's College London who led the study, told MailOnline there was still uncertainty around whether the Kent variant is deadlier and more evidence is needed.

'However, our paper does add to the growing body of evidence that the new variant is more transmissible than the old variant,' he said.

'This is actually more worrying than an increase in the new variant's mortality - because of the exponential nature of spread, a more transmissible variant will lead to a lot more people getting Covid, and thus a lot more people dying.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS? Below are the most common symptoms of coronavirus as reported by 4,182 people who tested positive for the disease. They entered their symptoms into the Covid Symptom Study app. Symptom % of individuals ever experiencing symptom Fatigue Headache Loss of smell Persistent cough Sore throat Fever Shortness of breath 85.9% 77.2% 60.3% 53.7% 52.6% 46.5% 44.1% Unusual muscle pains 42.3% Skipped meals Chest pain Hoarse voice Diarrhoea Severe fatigue Abdominal pain Delirium Severe shortness of breath 41.8% 40.2% 34.7% 32% 25.4% 25.3% 17.5% 10% Advertisement

'So an increase in transmissibility of 35 per cent (as suggested in the study) could cause more deaths than an increase in the strain's deadliness by, say 35 per cent.'

This is because you would expect there to be a proportionate increase in deaths that is in line with how much cases increase by.

For example, with a 0.1 per cent death rate you would expect 10 deaths for every 1,000 cases.

But if there were 1,300 cases  a 30 per cent increase  there would be expected to be 13 deaths  also a 30 per cent increase, up from 10  even though the variant was no more deadly.

But Dr Graham added they had found the brutal lockdown had curbed the spread of the virus and forced the second wave to shrink, protecting more Britons from the disease.

There had been concern the measures would not be able to block the transmission of the virus because it is more infectious.

Dr Claire Steves, who was involved in the study, said it showed the Kent variant 'does not appear to alter symptoms, severity or duration of Covid when we take account of the changing seasons and age of people affected'.

She added: 'Its important to emphasise the range of symptoms both the new and the old variant can cause, such as headaches and sore throat, in addition to the classic triad of cough, fever and loss of smell.'

The scientists looked at data from 55,000 Brits who had been infected with Covid-19 between September and December for their study.

The cases were extracted from the ZOE Covid Symptom Study App, where users log daily whether they are well and what symptoms they are suffering so scientists can track the pace of the outbreak.

Researchers checked each for 14 symptoms, the total number of symptoms to indicate the severity of the disease and whether warning signs lasted 28 days or more.

They also counted self-reported hospitalisations and possible re-infections, where two separate positive tests were recorded 90 days apart.

These were then split by region and matched against the estimated prevalence of the new variant across each using data from COG-UK genomics, which tests 10 per cent of all swabs to map the spread of new types of the virus.

The data also showed there was 'no difference' in the proportion of reinfections and hospitalisations.

As many as 249 suspected reinfections were noted in the study, or 0.7 per cent of the total, which was the same as was expected with the old variant.

Above is the incidence of the old virus and new strains by region (left) and the estimated R rate for those regions by time (right). B.1.1.7 indicates the Kent variant. Scientists say the new variant pushed up the R rate by a third because it is more transmissible

Scientists think the variant is more transmissible because of differences on its spike proteins - which it uses to invade cells

What do we know about the Kent variant? Name: B.1.1.7, formerly VUI-202012/01 Where did it come from? The variant was first found in Kent and can be traced back to September 2020. Scientists noticed that it was spreading in November and it was revealed to the public in December. What makes it new? The variant, which is a version of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes Covid-19, has a series of mutations that change the shape of the spike protein on its outside. The main one is known as N501Y. This appears to make it better able to stick to the cells inside the body and makes it more likely to cause infection and faster to spread. How did that happen? Viruses, particularly ones spreading so fast and in such huge numbers, mutate all the time. To reproduce they basically force living cells to copy and paste the viral genetic code, and this can contain errors that lead to slightly different versions of the virus. Often these mutations make no difference but, if they make the virus stronger, they can stick around for further generations and become the norm. What can we do about it? Nothing much. People who catch the virus won't know which type they have, and it will still cause the same symptoms and illness. Officials can try to contain it by locking down the areas where it is most prevalent, but if it is stronger than other versions of the virus it will eventually spread everywhere and become dominant as long as people continue to travel. Will our vaccines still work? Yes, it's very likely they will. Scientists on SAGE are fairly sure the mutations the Kent variant carries do not significantly affect how well the immune system can handle it. People who have a vaccine modelled on an older version of the virus, or who have been infected with Covid-19 before, are likely to be immune to it. This is because the main mutations are only on one part of the spike protein, whereas the immune system is able to target various other parts of the virus. Advertisement

This is yet more evidence the Kent strain cannot get around antibodies triggered by the vaccine or previous immunity.

They also found the new strain could push up the reproduction rate (R rate) by a third, because it is more transmissible.

This will trigger more cases of the virus and lead to a higher number of hospitalisations because more people are catching the virus.

The study has been published as a pre-print and is yet to be checked by other scientists.

Professor Tim Spector, an epidemiologist from Kings College London who heads up the ZOE app, said the data was also a promising sign that the strain could not get around immunity triggered by the vaccines.

He said: 'A key question was whether immunity would be lost with the new strain. Our analysis found that of every 1,000 people previously infected with the virus, only seven got reinfected and this rate was not affected by the new Kent variant.

'Its reassuring that reinfections are still really rare many months after previous infection, suggesting that both natural immunity and vaccines will be effective against this new strain.

'This research highlights the unique value of the ZOE app in understanding the impact of new coronavirus variants across the population in a matter of weeks, and we need our app users to help us maintain vigilance against further new strains as they emerge.'

The NHS only recognises three symptoms of coronavirus, although scientists say there are many others that should be included.

The ZOE team says it has identified 14 others and is calling on the NHS to recognise more so that more infections can be caught in the early stages - limiting the risk of the virus being passed on to others.

It comes after the Government's top scientific advisers told ministers to ask people to wear masks in crowded outdoor spaces like parks and playgrounds to limit the spread of the Kent variant.

Papers released by Sage, the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies, say advice on the use of face coverings should be strengthened so rules are applied more 'consistently and effectively' in the fight against the Kent variant of coronavirus.

While shops and offices are strictly enforcing mask wearing already, the document, drawn up on January 13, says people should consider protecting themselves in 'outdoor spaces where it is difficult to maintain distance'.

The paper, put together by Sage's Environmental Modelling Group, says that risks of infection are very high in 'semi-enclosed spaces' such as 'covered seating areas, transport shelters or street market stalls'.

The call to strengthen rules around face covering hopes to prevent the spread of the Kent variant, which may be up to 70 per cent more infectious.

A SAGE paper that followed Sir Patrick Vallance's warning that the variant is more deadly cited three studies: A London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine study (left) based on 2,583 deaths that said the hazard of death within 28 days of test for the mutant strain compared with non-mutant strains was 35% times higher An Imperial College London study (centre) of the Case Fatality Rate of the new mutant strain that found the risk of death was 36% times higher A University of Exeter study (right) that suggested the risk of death could be 91% higher. Both the Exeter and the Imperial studies were based on just 8% of deaths during the study period
DOD funds research to expand development of form-fitting circuitry

Monday, Feb. 1, 2021
Richard Baker, 56, was jailed in June 1999 for a string of rapes and other sex crimes

A DJ who become known as one of Britain's worst sex offenders has been denied parole.

Richard Baker, who was jailed in June 1999 for a string of rapes and other sex crimes, is not safe to be released from prison, the Parole Board decided.

Over eight months the then 33-year-old attacked young women and girls in London, Essex and Sussex - threatening to kill them if they called the police.

Baker, from Bodmin in Cornwall, wept when he was handed four life sentences after a judge described him as 'depraved and wicked' and a danger to women.

Police suspect him of raping more than 100 women, including scores of teenagers.

In 2016, another six years was added to his sentence for possessing and making indecent images of children.

Baker was given a further jail term in 2016 after a tablet containing hundreds of images of children being raped was discovered hidden behind a wooden picture frame in his prison cell

This came after a tablet computer containing hundreds of images of children as young as four being raped was discovered hidden behind a wooden picture frame in his prison cell.

Baker had downloaded images and videos after becoming obsessed with child rape over five months at a medium secure mental health unit in Milton Keynes.

Computer experts discovered he had regularly visited illegal pornographic websites featuring young children.

After a hearing last month taking evidence from officials, medical experts and victims, the Parole Board decided it was 'not satisfied that Mr Baker was suitable for release'.

A document detailing the decision said: 'Although Mr Baker's prison conduct had been generally good, there was also broad agreement amongst all the witnesses that he was not yet suitable to be released on licence.

Experts found Baker had regularly visited illegal pornographic websites featuring young children after the tablet was found inside this picture frame (the front of which is pictured)

'And he was not recommended for transfer to an open prison.'

Although he had taken part in work to address his behaviour while in jail, it was decided more work was 'necessary' as there had been 'little progress' since the last review.

Now 56, this is the third time Baker has been reviewed by the Board and he has already spent an extra nine years behind bars.

He will be eligible for another parole review in due course.

In 2016, Judge Francis Sheridan told Baker at Aylesbury Crown Court that he would be a 'very old man' before he was released if it ever happened.
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 worlds richest man Elon Musk has grilled the chief executive of US trading platform Robinhood over the GameStop sharemarket battle in an interview on private social network Clubhouse.

Smartphone friendly trading platform Robinhood came under fire after it stopped its users from buying more GameStop shares last week however chief executive Vlad Tenev said this only occurred after Robinhood received a $US3 billion ($3.8 billion) demand for capital from US regulators.

Elon Musk discussed GameStop on networking app Clubhouse on Monday night. Credit:AP

Musk is the founder of electric car maker Tesla and rocket company Space X with a net worth estimated at over $US194 billion and has inserted himself into the sharemarket battle over GameStop being waged between short selling hedge funds and retail investors.

Spill the beans, man, Musk said to Tenev on Clubhouse. What happened last week? Why couldnt people buy the GameStop shares? The people demand answers, and they want to know the truth.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1) Authorities should release the real list of university students recruited by communist groups and were killed in operations, Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa said Monday in a statement expected to provoke renewed criticisms against red-tagging.

Inamin naman ng AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] na nagkamali sila ng paglabas ng mga estudyante na namatay kuno sa engkuwentro pero buhay pa," Dela Rosa said in an interview with CNN Philippines The Source. "Pero dapat palitan nila iyong ng totoong listahan; meron namang totoong list na namatay na mga estudyante  kadami."

[Translation: The AFP admitted they publicized a wrong list of students that allegedly were killed in encounters, but were still alive. But they need to replace that with the real list, because there really is a list of students who got killed there are so many.]

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier announced he was relieving the militarys intelligence chief from his post following the publication of an erroneous list of individuals tagged as members of the New Peoples Army.

The AFP, amid backlash, has apologized to alumni of the University of the Philippines whose names were included in the list, and assured that probe is underway to determine how it got published.

READ: UP alumnus tagged in military's NPA list open to dialogue, but seeks reform within AFP

Security officials earlier drew flak for red-tagging students of various universities, as authorities claim that some institutions have been hotbeds of communist recruitment. Senator Ping Lacson later said that the proposal to criminalize red-tagging may now be considered due to the recent mounting controversies.

Meanwhile, Dela Rosa again reiterated his stand on the issue of the abrogation of the UP-DND accord, claiming the 1989 agreement was only being used as a shield for communist groups recruitment within UP campuses.

UP is a government institution, at bakit ang gobyerno bawal pumasok diyan? questioned Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief. "Yun ang sa akin, matagal na itong pinagsamantalahan ng kaliwa  itong agreement na ito."

[Translation: UP is a government institution, why is the government not permitted to enter the campus? For me, the leftist groups have long been taking advantage of this agreement.]

William M. McSwain, who last month stepped down from his position as the top federal prosecutor in the region, is joining one of the regions top law firms, Duane Morris LLP.

McSwain, 51, was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017 as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and served three years before resigning on Jan. 22. McSwain, a Republican, stepped down following the election of Democratic President Joe Biden. The president appoints all U.S. attorneys.

On Monday, Duane Morris announced that McSwain would be joining the firms trial practice group, where he will focus on white-collar defense and government investigations.

This is a great day for Duane Morris and our clients, said Matt Taylor, CEO of the Philadelphia-based firm with almost 900 lawyers. One of the cornerstones to growing strategically is to bring on marquee talent in key practice areas. Bill McSwain is marquee talent.

Hes a straight shooter, a very humble guy, and an incredibly hard worker, Taylor said.

As U.S. attorney, McSwain oversaw all federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation in the region. He cast himself as a bulwark against what he called a culture of lawlessness.

In between high-profile battles with Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, McSwains office secured indictments against labor leader John Johnny Doc Dougherty and City Councilmembers Bobby Henon and Kenyatta Johnson. Their trials are pending.

McSwain personally argued in court against supervised injection sites proposed to help heroin addicts avoid overdoses and sickness.

Under McSwains tenure, the U.S. Attorneys Office logged a 40% increase in its criminal indictments. He also set up two new units to go after white-collar crime: one to charge criminals whose offenses involved federally funded medical care, and another to file lawsuits against people who stole from the government.

In a statement, McSwain said he was joining Duane Morris because he believes in Taylors vision for the firm and wonderfully upbeat, positive approach.

A former infantry officer and platoon commander in the Marines, McSwain said he was looking forward to new rounds of battle representing defendants.

Being on the receiving end of a government investigation of any sort can be an extremely stressful experience for businesses and individuals, McSwain said. I look forward to bringing my own experience and credibility to helping Duane Morris clients navigate that world.


As part of the spin-off agreement with Fourth Wave, GST will receive all commercial rights to the GeoSolar Plus technology and patents in exchange for the issuance of approximately one share of GST common stock for each 4 common shares of Fourth Wave.

The shares of GST common stock will be issue do current Fourth Wave shareholders, subject to a successful transaction close and other considerations. Fourth Wave shareholders will continue to retain their shares in the Company.

The GeoSolar Plus ("GSP") system is designed to significantly reduce energy consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions in residences and commercial buildings, while improving indoor air quality by improving the building envelope, reducing energy loads, and generating on-site renewable solar energy. The GSP system is comprised of a number of system components including solar/PV and geothermal and produces more clean energy than it produces with no carbon.

GST plans to move its headquarters to Arvada, Colorado there it will concentrate on the development of a national sales program to market the GeoSolar Plus system for new and existing homes.

GST has also assembled a robust management team with both solar and geothermal and capital markets experience. Veteran public company executive and former Chairman and CEO of Piper Aircraft Company, Stone Douglass, has been appointed CEO of GST. He will be joined by Kevin Garvin, a former regional Marketing Director for Tesla/SolarCity (TSLA) for ten years, who will be Director of Business Development

Residential and commercial buildings create approximately 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions and have become a major target of climate activists on the path to a low or zero carbon future. Only 3% of the 80 million homes in the U.S. have been converted to solar powered clean energy,

"Now is the ideal time for this strategic spinoff, allowing both companies to participate in the dynamic growth in the coming Green Revolution." Stated Joseph Isaacs, CEO of Fourth Wave. "We believe the GeoSolar Plus technology will make GST a very exciting public company and give Fourth Wave shareholders an opportunity to retain an important equity position in a second fast growing company."

The spin-off of GST is subject to the effectiveness of a registration statement that GST will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The date for determining which shareholders of FWAV will receive shares of GST in the spin-off will be determined shortly before the effective date of GST's registration statement. This Press Release is not an offer of any securities of GST and GST is not soliciting offers to acquire any securities of GST.



Fourth Wave Preparing to Acquire Solar Tile Company

In addition to the GeoSolar Technologies spin-off, Fourth Wave has entered into a Letter of Intent to acquire DeSol Power Tiles, a solar roof system provider that manufactures and installs a patented solar roofing system of tiles in lieu of traditional solar panels. Additional details can be found in the Company's announcement press release issued in October. Fourth Wave is projecting the transaction will close in the first quarter of this year. It is expected that GST will become an important customer for the DeSol tiles in its retrofit projects.

About Fourth Wave Energy Inc.

Fourth Wave Energy is a Silicon Valley based climate change solution company that plans to acquire and develop companies that have innovative products and solutions to the carbon problem. The Fourth Wave management team is focused on developing scalable solutions to the decarbonization of buildings.

Company Contact:

Fourth Wave Energy

Phone: 408-213-8874

www.fourthwaveenergy.com

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Fourth Wave Energy, Inc.

Related Links

https://fourthwaveenergy.com/


A Russian court has placed Kira Yarmysh, the press secretary of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny, under house arrest until March 23 as a "restraining measure."

The Basmanny district court on February 1 approved the measure as requested by Russia's Investigative Committee, saying Yarmysh had violated health and safety measures enacted to stem the spread of the coronavirus by calling for mass protests to support the Kremlin critic and anti-corruption campaigner.

Yarmysh and several other Navalny associates were originally detained on January 21 and charged with calling for the unsanctioned rallies on January 23. On January 22, a court ruled she should be held in jail for nine days.

Oleg Navalny, Aleksei's brother; Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK); and Oleg Stepanov, the coordinator of Navalny's Moscow headquarters, have already been placed under house arrest until March 23 on similar charges.

Navalny was arrested on January 17 -- and later sent to pretrial detention -- upon his arrival from Germany, where he was treated for a poison attack in Siberia in August 2020, for which he has blamed the Kremlin. The Kremlin has denied any involvement.

Navalny was charged with violating probation related to an embezzlement case that he has called politically motivated.

A court will hold a hearing on February 2 to hear arguments on whether to change Navalny's suspended 3 1/2-year sentence, which ended on December 31, into real jail time.

Navalnys team called for mass rallies across Russia on January 23 to protest his arrest and detention.

Tens of thousands heeded the call and took to the streets across the country, and then again on January 31.

Police have cracked down on the protesters, detaining thousands of them -- sometimes using brutal force -- on both days.
A woman jailed for poisoning her partner with a toxic cocktail of drugs, including morphine, valium and tramadol, has had her murder conviction overturned.

Wendie-Sue Dent, 62, denied killing her de facto husband David Lawrence in December 2015 to claim his $300,000 estate.

But she was found guilty by a South Australian Supreme Court jury in April last year of murdering Mr Lawrence inside his Morphett Vale home, south of Adelaide.

The prosecution had alleged Dent, who lived at Dapto in NSW's Illawarra region before her arrest, administered Mr Lawrence a mixture of dangerous medications that had all been prescribed to her.

Wendie-Sue Dent (pictured) was found guilty of murdering her partner by a South Australian Supreme Court jury in April last year but the Court of Criminal Appeal has quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial

Dent (left) denied killing her de facto husband David Lawrence (right) in December 2015 to claim his $300,000 estate

A post-mortem examination revealed the toxic levels of morphine alone were enough to kill the 62-year-old.

But in a judgment on Monday, the Court of Criminal Appeal quashed her conviction and ordered a new trial.

The court found that directions to the jury about the lies told by Dent before and after her partner's death were inadequate and may have led to a miscarriage of justice.

Those lies related to her personal history, the authenticity of certain documents and the circumstances of Mr Lawence's death.

'In a very real sense, lies told by the appellant were front and centre on the prosecution case,' Justice Trish Kelly said in her reasons for allowing Dent's appeal.

'The complexity and interaction of the various categories of lies required clear and careful directions.'

Dent, who lived at Dapto in NSW's Illawarra region before her arrest, has been remanded in custody and will be back in court later this week

However, Justice Kelly said there remained a 'substantial body' of circumstantial evidence against the accused and a 'very strong' prosecution case.

She said in all of the circumstances it was open to a properly instructed jury to conclude that Dent had administered the drugs with the necessary intent of killing her partner.

Justice Greg Parker said the shortcomings in the directions given in relation to the issue of Dent's lies might have affected the jury's assessment of the defence case.

'Accordingly, I cannot be satisfied that a substantial miscarriage of justice has not occurred,' he said.

Dent was remanded in custody and will return to court later this week.
A medic arranges swab samples taken for a mass testing for the new coronavirus in Hanoi, April 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh.

A South African woman who arrived in Hanoi in December with Covid- 19 has been found infected with the highly contagious coronavirus variant that originated in her country.

The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on Sunday said the 25-year-old is the country's first patient with the mutated strain.

She landed on December 19 on a flight from South Africa, was quarantined on arrival, tested positive for the disease, and was admitted at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

Her samples were sent to the institute for genetic sequencing, and the results showed she was infected with B.1.351/501Y, which was first found in South Africa before spreading to 31 countries and territories.

Scientists said it is even more transmissible than the highly infectious U.K. variant.

On January 2 a Vietnamese woman returning from Britain was found to be infected with the coronavirus strain first discovered in the U.K., which is considered 70 percent more contagious than previous strains.

Vietnam has closed its borders but allows a limited number of flights to bring back its citizens from overseas or carry foreign experts but all have to be quarantined for 14 days.

Last month the government banned flights from countries like the U.K. and South Africa that have recorded mutations of the new coronavirus.

Vietnam is currently battling a new outbreak, with 240 cases confirmed since it emerged in northern Vietnam on Thursday.

It has spread to nine provinces and cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong.

Vietnam has recorded 1,819 cases and 362 are currently active.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : Acting on fake news about resignation of police personnel, the Delhi Police have arrested one person from Rajasthan.

The police said a mischievous social media campaign had been going on for the last two days, propagating rumours regarding disaffection in police ranks.

"Old, unrelated videos were being posted with fake news of resignation of police personnel. Acting on such fake news, the CyPAD Unit of Delhi Police registered a criminal case and has arrested Om Prakash Dhetarwal of Churu District of Rajasthan," said Anyesh Roy, DCP, Cyber Crime.

The accused had created a Facebook account by the name of 'Kisan Andolan Rajasthan' and had shared an old video from September 2020 of Home Guards of another State, portraying it as a reaction of Delhi Police personnel to the recent farmers' agitation.

"Further arrests in the case are likely soon. Citizens are advised to avoid sharing or posting any such content without verifying its authenticity," the officer 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.
"We are truly excited we have arrived at this important depth to case the first section of our well in Israel, then will slim down to a 17  inch bit," expressed Zion Oil & Gas CEO, Robert Dunn. "We believe that now is the time to allow investors to partner with us further with our new Unit Program as we move forward with the MJ-02 well and our other 2021 exploration plans."

ZION NEARS COMPLETION OF FIRST OF FOUR DRILLING SECTIONS

"Drilling a 22-inch diameter hole more than a half-mile into the earth, through difficult lithology, and on time is a great accomplishment, especially during a worldwide pandemic, and sets a great foundation for the remaining drilling program," Zion's VP of Operations, Monty Kness, stated. "The investment in a drilling rig capable of handling this wellbore schematic puts Zion in a much better position to meet its drilling objectives than ever before."

Zion's drilling crew, which was assembled from eight countries during a pandemic, is nearing completion of the first section of the MJ-02 drilling campaign at a depth of approximately 3,000 feet. The drilling crew will complete a set of downhole measurements (wireline logging) before running the first section of the casing.

The crew will then hang the casing and cement it in place, and then Zion will commence drilling the second section of the well. As the wellbore tapers down and becomes a smaller hole, the rate of penetration will likely increase.

MEGIDDO-JEZREEL UNIT PROGRAM

"To accomplish our 2021 exploration plans, we still need investor support in Zion," stated Zion Founder and Chairman, John Brown. "We are moving forward in faith, as we have been led (Exodus 14:15)."

Details:

Investors may participate starting Monday, February 1, 2021 .

. This Unit Program will end on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 , and will not be extended.

, and will not be extended. The cost of each Unit will be $250.00 for new and existing Direct Stock Purchase Plan investors.

for new and existing Direct Stock Purchase Plan investors. Each Unit purchase will provide the investor with $250 of ZN common stock (at the day's high-low average) and 25 $1.00 Warrants.

of ZN common stock (at the day's high-low average) and 25 Warrants. Warrants are exercisable on the 60 th day following the end of Unit Program and remain exercisable for two years ( May 16, 2021 , to May 16, 2023 ).

day following the end of Unit Program and remain exercisable for two years ( , to ). If investors sign up for Zion's automatic monthly investments (AMI) in addition to purchasing a Unit during this Unit program, then they will receive 10 $1.00 Warrants. Current subscribers are eligible for these additional warrants if they choose to participate in this unit purchase. (For more details on the automatic monthly investments (AMI), see Zion's Prospectus.)

Warrants. Current subscribers are eligible for these additional warrants if they choose to participate in this unit purchase. (For more details on the automatic monthly investments (AMI), see Zion's Prospectus.) This Unit Program is available through Zion's website. Investors may go to https://www.zionoil.com/dspp to purchase electronically online or to print and mail their investment.

Zion Oil & Gas, a public company, traded on OTCQX Best Market, explores for oil and gas onshore in Israel on their 99,000-acre Megiddo-Jezreel license area.

"The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Deuteronomy 31:8

"Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you."

Isaiah 12:5-6

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: Statements in this communication that are not historical fact, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Zion's operations; Zion's ability to continue as a going concern; operational risks in ongoing exploration efforts; the timing and completion of the processing, interpretation of the results and plans contingent thereon off the 3-D seismic survey; regulatory approvals needed for the rig's operation; the effect, if any, of the coronavirus pandemic on the timing of the operation of the well, and liquidity for shareholders on OTCQX are forward-looking statements as defined in the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that are subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other unpredictable factors, many of which are described in Zion's periodic reports filed with the SEC and are beyond Zion's control. These risks could cause Zion's actual performance to differ materially from the results predicted by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in Item 1A in Zion's Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference, and other factors as may periodically be described in Zion's filings with the SEC. Zion can give no assurance that the expectations reflected in these statements will prove to be correct and assumes no responsibility to update these statements.

Contact Info:

Andrew Summey

VP, Marketing and Investor Relations

Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. (OTCQX: ZNOG)

12655 North Central Expressway, Suite 1000, Dallas, TX 75243

Telephone: 888-891-9466

Email: [email protected]

www.zionoil.com

SOURCE Zion Oil & Gas, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.zionoil.com


Zelensky: Six Ukrainian sailors of Stevia ship captured by pirates in Nigeria released

On Saturday, six Ukrainian sailors, members of the crew of the ship Stevia, who were held captive by pirates in Nigeria were released, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

"Today, six Ukrainian sailors - members of the crew of the ship Stevia, who were held in pirate captivity in Nigeria for a month and a half, have been released," Zelensky wrote on his Instagram on Saturday evening.

According to the head of state, Ukrainians are now safe.

"We look forward to their early return to the homeland!" the president said, thanking the Ukrainian diplomats for their participation in the release of Ukrainian sailors.

As reported, on December 19, in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, armed pirates hijacked the Stevia and took hostage eight members of its crew, including six Ukrainians.

The Delhi Police have dug ditches and spread razor wire across main roads into New Delhi to prevent protesting farmers entering the capital as the finance minister delivered the government's annual budget in Parliament.

Internet and messaging services were blocked in several neighbourhoods on the outskirts where protests turned violent last week, and security was stepped up around Parliament and other important government offices in the central district.

Extensive security arrangements ensured at Tikri Border. pic.twitter.com/lqMIyAvaqt  Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) February 1, 2021

WATCH: A small report from Tikri Border. Roads dug up, big boulders put and now big nails plastered on streets to stop farmers and tractors from entering the national capital.



I report. pic.twitter.com/VOaxHYSbwo  Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) February 1, 2021

"The government has increased security to avoid any clash or violence when parliament is in session," said a senior official who didn't wish to be named in line with official policy.

"The idea is to keep everyone safe and avoid any escalation in tensions."

The farmers had earlier announced a march to the Parliament on February 1, the day of the Union Budget. However, the decision was withdrawn after the tractor rally became violent on Republic Day.

BCCL

On January 26, a farmers' procession turned violent, as some protesters broke away from a rally of tractors to storm into the historic Red Fort complex after breaking through barricades and clashing with police.

In the past few days, more farmers have arrived along with their tractors to join their protesting colleagues at the three major protest sites near New Delhi.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Theoretical physicists of the PRISMA+ Cluster of Excellence at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz are working on a theory that goes beyond the Standard Model of particle physics and can answer questions where the Standard Model has to passfor example, with respect to the hierarchies of the masses of elementary particles or the existence of dark matter. The central element of the theory is an extra dimension in spacetime. Until now, scientists have faced the problem that the predictions of their theory could not be tested experimentally. They have now overcome this problem in a publication in the current issue of the European Physical Journal C.

Already in the 1920s, in an attempt to unify the forces of gravity and electromagnetism, Theodor Kaluza and Oskar Klein speculated about the existence of an extra dimension beyond the familiar three space dimensions and timewhich in physics are combined into 4-dimensional spacetime. If it exists, such a new dimension would have to be incredible tiny and unnoticeable to the human eye. In the late 1990s this idea has seen a remarkable renaissance, when it was realized that the existence of a fifth dimension could resolve some of the profound open questions of particle physics. In particular, Yuval Grossman of Stanford University and Matthias Neubert, then a professor at Cornell University, showed in a highly cited publication that the embedding of the Standard Model of particle physics in a 5-dimensional spacetime could explain the so far mysterious patterns seen in the masses of elementary particles.

Another 20 years later, the group of Matthias Neubertsince 2006 on the faculty of Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz (Germany) and spokesperson of the PRISMA+ Cluster of Excellencemade another unexpected discovery: they found that the 5-dimensional field equations predicted the existence of a new, heavy particle with similar properties as the famous Higgs boson but a much heavier massso heavy, in fact, that it cannot be produced even at the highest-energy particle collider in the world: the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European Center for Nuclear Research CERN near Geneva (Switzerland). "It was a nightmare", recalls Javier Castellano Ruiz, a Ph.D. student involved in the research, "we were excited by the idea that our theory predicts a new particle, but it appeared to be impossible to confirm this prediction in any foreseeable experiment."

The detour through the fifth dimension

In a recent paper published in the European Physical Journal C, the researchers found a spectacular resolution to this dilemma. They discovered that their proposed particle would necessarily mediate a new force between the known elementary particles (our visible universe) and the mysterious dark matter (the dark sector). Even the abundance of dark matter in the cosmos, as observed in astrophysical experiments, can be explained by their theory. This offers exciting new ways to search for the constituents of the dark matterliterally via a detour through the extra dimensionand obtain clues about the physics at a very early stage in the history of our universe, when the dark matter was produced. "After years of searching for possible confirmations of our theoretical predictions, we are now confident that the mechanism we have discovered would make the dark matter accessible to forthcoming experiments, because the properties of the new interaction between ordinary matter and dark matterwhich is mediated by our proposed particlecan be calculated accurately within our theory" says Matthias Neubert, head of the research team. "In the endso our hopethe new particle may be discovered first through its interactions with the dark sector." This example nicely illustrates the fruitful interplay between experimental and theoretical basic sciencea hallmark of the PRISMA+ Cluster of Excellence.

Explore further New theory on the origin of dark matter

More information: Adrian Carmona et al, A warped scalar portal to fermionic dark matter, The European Physical Journal C (2021). Adrian Carmona et al, A warped scalar portal to fermionic dark matter,(2021). DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-021-08851-0
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
ADVERTISEMENT

Oil and gas producer, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, is on course to complete its ANOH Gas Processing Plant, jointly owned with the Nigerian Gas Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), after raising $260 million debt from a syndicate of seven banks.

Seplat and the Nigerian Gas Company had prior to obtaining the $260 million, provided $420 million between them as equity contribution to fund the 300 million standard cubic feet per day capacity plant, Seplat said in a note seen by PREMIUM TIMES Monday.

Zenith Bank Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, United Bank for Africa Plc, FirstRand Bank Limited (London Branch)/RMB Nigeria Limited, FCMB Capital Markets Limited and The Mauritius Commercial Bank Limited mobilised the $260 million funding.

Funding commitments of more than US$450 million were received by the company, which is a significant oversubscription and a strong sign of confidence in the project, said Seplat, which is dual-listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

The development of the facility is now envisaged to cost no more than $650 million, which is 7.1 per cent shy of the initial estimation of $700 million.

Seplat, Nigerias most capitalised energy firm, and NNPC launched the ANOH project in 2017 and look to deliver its first supply in 2022.

Seplat is ramping up investments in gas to rebalance revenue following a steep fall in oil demand triggered by the double whammy of an oil price crash in April and the pandemic outbreak.

READ ALSO: Seplat to sell crude to private refinery in Imo

Nigeria intends to reduce its dependence on crude by attracting investors to its over 200 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves, an aspiration Seplat believes the ANOH plant can help achieve by speeding up the transition from small-scale diesel generators to cleaner, less expensive fuels such as natural gas for power generation.

Once operational, AGPC will be a significant supplier of gas to Nigerias power sector, supporting local employment and the cleaner generation of power for Nigerian homes and businesses, said Okechukwu Mba, managing director of ANOH Gas Processing Company.

We conservatively estimate that the gas from AGPC will be enough to generate electricity for more than 5 million people.

Shares in Seplat closed trade in Lagos on Monday at N495 per unit, up by 1.02 per cent and in London at 75.20 GBX, up by 2.45 per cent.
The Delhi government has revised guidelines related to public gatherings at social, cultural and religious events. According to the latest guidelines, maximum 200 people can attend social, cultural and religious events such as weddings and funerals in a closed venue. There, however, is no cap announced in case of an open space.

This development comes after the banquet and tent house owners urged the state government to raise the cap on number of people allowed at gatherings from 50. They said that COVID-19 situation in Delhi is under control as of now.

Banquet owners say they have faced huge losses due to the cap imposed on the number of guests allowed for gatherings, which were imposed in November 2020 given the uptick in COVID-19 cases across the national capital.

Meanwhile, Delhi has reported total 6, 35,096 COVID-19 cases with 140 fresh cases on Sunday. Out of these, 6,22,882 people have recovered from coronavirus whereas 10, 853 people have succumbed to it. There are total 1,361 active coronavirus cases in the national capital as of Monday, 09:00 am.

Also read: PM-KISAN sops reached 20 lakh undeserving beneficiaries: report
A Mexican man who was being held at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Georgia died from complications of COVID-19, federal authorities said.

Felipe Montes died early Saturday at a hospital in Columbus from 'cardiopulmonary arrest, secondary to complications of coronavirus disease,' according to an ICE news release.

The 57-year-old entered ICE custody on December 28 and had been held at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin until January 10, when he was admitted to Piedmont Columbus Regional.

According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, nine undocumented immigrants who tested for COVID-19 in custody of the federal agency have died. At least four who were infected with the coronavirus at Stewart Detention Center (pictured) in Lumpkin, Georgia, have died. Felipe Montes, a 57-year-old from Mexico, had been in custody of ICE since December 28 and had been held at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin until January 10, when he was transferred to Piedmont Columbus Regional in Columbus. He died on Saturday

Cipriano Chavez is one of four undocumented immigrants who were infected with the coronavirus while being held by ICE at Steward Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, before he died September 29, 2020, just two months after a judge had ordered his release. The 61-year-old Mexican suffered from lymphoma, diabetes, kidney disease and hypertension, according to BuzzFeed

Montes was the fourth detainee held at the southwest Georgia immigration detention center to die after testing positive for COVID-19, according to ICE's website.

'ICE is firmly committed to the health and welfare of all those in its custody,' ICE said, 'and is undertaking a comprehensive, agency-wide review of this incident, as it does following all deaths in custody.'

A total of nine people who tested positive for the coronavirus have died while in federal immigration custody.

On May 6, Carlos Escobar, a 57-year-old native of El Salvador, became the first undocumented immigrant to died in custody of ICE after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Guatemalan national Santiago Baten-Oxla, died on May 26 at Piedmont Columbus Regional after contracting the virus while in detention.

Jose Guillen Vega, a 70-year-old Mexican man, also died at the same medical facility on August 12 after spending almost two weeks hospitalized and battling a COVID-19 infection. He suffered from diabetes and hypertension.

Cipriano Chavez, a 61-year-old Mexican, who according to BuzzFeed suffered from lymphoma, diabetes, kidney disease, and hypertension, died from COVID-19 on September 19, only two months after a federal judge had ordered his release.

Carlos Escobar, a 57-year-old native of El Salvador, died May 6, 2020, becoming the first undocumented immigrant to die in custody of ICE after testing positive for the coronavirus

The Stewart Detention Center had recorded a total of 474 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as January 27, second only to La Palma Correctional Facility in Eloy, Arizona, which had 544 confirmed cases.

ICE has 518 detainees who are currently being treated for the coronavirus.

A report issued in December by the Detention Watch Network found that ICE's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic inside its detention centers lead to more than 245,000 infections in the US.

The 'Hotbed of Infections' study said that ICE's long history of medical neglect and poor conditions within its prison system - including centers which are privately owned - opened the door to at least 7,851 positive cases within its undocumented immigrant inmate population.

The Detention Watch Network's report discovered that by August 1, at least 5.5% of the coronavirus infections in the United States were attributed to ICE.

'The impact of ICEs failure to adequately respond to the pandemic was far reaching and multilayered,' the analysis says.

Huawei today announced it would create a further 110 new jobs in Ireland by the end of 2022, bringing to at least 310 the total of new jobs it will have added over a three year period from 2019 to 2022  more than doubling its workforce in that time.

The company will invest 80 million in Irish research and development (R&D) over the next two years to support its growing business in Ireland.

Over the past 15 months, Huawei has created 200 jobs in Ireland, as well as investing 60 million in R&D. In the next two years, Huawei will invest a further 80 million in R&D in Ireland, doubling its commitment from 2019.

The new jobs will meet sustained growing demand for Huaweis products and services across its sales, R&D, IT development and in its consumer division. The jobs will be mainly based in its Dublin headquarters and across operations in Cork and Athlone.



Huawei has a broad range of activities in Ireland, where it serves all of the major telecommunications providers with products and business solutions. Huaweis R&D operations in Ireland work closely with Science Foundation Ireland research centres including Adapt, Connect and Lero while also having partnerships with DCU, Trinity, UCD, UCC and UL. Its R&D efforts in Ireland focus on the areas of video, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), site-reliability engineering and 5G consumer use cases.



Welcoming the news, Tanaiste & Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said, "The news that Huawei will create 110 new jobs is most welcome. The company is creating new jobs at a time when we really need them with so many people out of work. Despite all the current uncertainty and challenges, Ireland continues to attract top class investment from global technology companies. These 110 jobs, which come in addition to the 200 created over the past 15 months, will be accompanied by an 80m investment in Irish research and development. I wish the company the best of luck with this expansion."



Huawei Ireland Chief Executive, Tony Yangxu added, "Todays announcement is testament to the strength of those, as well as the ongoing success of our research and development programme, to which we committed 70 million in 2019. Our story in Ireland is one of mutual success, as we assist with the national digital transformation and Ireland continues to grow its international reputation as a pro-business environment with great talent available."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

(Photo : Screenshot from YouTube/ FRANCE 24 English) Carmat Artificial Heart will launch in Europe soon to serve patients with heart faliure.

Billed as the world's most advanced artificial heart, the Carmat artificial heart will soon be launched by Carmat, a med-tech startup company based in France. The said product will arrive in Europe in the second quarter of 2021.

Carmat Artificial Heart Is a New Hope for Those with Heart Failure

In a report by France 24 on January 14, Carmat is now moving to sell its artificial heart called 'Aeson' this year. Moreover, the Carmat artificial heart is just similar to a real heart, and the only difference is it relies more on sensors and other biotechnological materials.

"The idea behind this heart, which was born nearly 30 years ago, was to create a device which would replace heart transplants, a device that works physiologically like a human heart, one that's pulsating, self-regulated and compatible with blood," Stephane Piat, Carmat's CEO, said in an interview with Reuters.

According to a survey conducted in Europe, an approximate number of 2,000 patients with heart failure are now in line to receive the Carmat artificial heart soon.

For those who have biventricular heart failure that is already on the late stage, this artificial device will act as a substitute heart which can last for years in usage.

Read Also: 'Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2:' Nintendo Super Switch Rumored to be Launched Together

According to Gizmodo, Dr. Vladimir P. Demikhov was the first one to perform the first total artificial heart transplant, which dated more than 80 years ago. Since then, experts are finding ways to implant the artificial heart permanently in the patient.

While other total artificial hearts only last for some time, Carmat's artificial heart is said to be entirely implantable to the patient. The device will be decorated with sensors, and in the case of a make-shift blood flow, hydraulics will also be applied.

Not only the mimicry of the real human heart is beyond perfect, but it will also decrease the possibility of blood clots in animal tissues which are exposed under chemical treatment.

Carmat artificial heart is also totally adjustable. If you want to sleep, it could be lowered or if you want to exercise, you would want to increase its blood flow.

While the average weight of the heart is 345.9 g and 285.1 g for men and women respectively, Carmat's product is said to weigh 900 grams, which is thrice the weight of a human heart. Like any other devices, it is a battery-powered equipment which could run up to four hours.

Surprisingly, Carmat's total artificial heart should last for five years. By then, a heart-failure patient will still enjoy living the normal way like others do.

Still, SynCardia remains to be the sole company to have their total artificial heart approved by the FDA across Europe and North America.

Components and Advantages of Carmat over SynCardia

In an article by Gilmore Health, Carmat's artificial heart has three components:

1. A prosthesis that is implantable. Its compositions are as follow:

pumps

sensors

valves

cables

2. An external hardware which can be sealed in a pouch.

3. A controller which is used for monitoring the function of the device. It is utilized by the med-tech team.

Carmat's advantages:

1. Carmat's artificial heart is noise-free while Syncardia's device will generate noise due to the fact that it is controlled through an airflow system.

2. There's no need anymore for the patients to intake medicines that will make their blood thinner when it comes to Carmat's device. SynCardia used to do that.

3. An external actuator is no longer needed in Carmat because it already has an integrated internal actuator.

Time will come that biotechnology will be at par with the gadgets that we use at home like our smartphones. For the meantime, let's watch how the world develops a world-class device that took 27 years to create, which will change our lives forever.

Related Article: Artificial Hearts Are Saving 3 In 4 Patients Awaiting Transplants

This article is owned by Tech Times.

Written by Joen Coronel





 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.


"It was never supposed to happen this way," says New York designer Yuri Lee Keown. She had planned to come to Kilkeel in spring last year to marry her fiance Thomas Keown, but thanks to the pandemic she found herself stranded in Northern Ireland, unable to go ahead with long-held plans to return to the States to launch a fashion line.

Instead, she found herself debuting her Love Wonky brand from a sheep farm in the Mournes and recruiting her mother-in-law's friends to knit hats and scarves that retail for up to $200 in the States.

The 38-year-old designer, who is of Korean descent, has been part of the industry for 17 years, working for big names such as DKNY, Victoria's Secret and Anthropologie.

A few years ago, she began working for the sustainable lifestyle brand Amour Vert in San Francisco. The brand expanded hugely in the following years, with Yuri becoming a designer with the right car, the right apartment, the right social circle and "the right metrics".

Once she had acquired all those things, however, she encountered the age-old problem of finding they weren't as fulfilling as expected.

"Three years ago, something broke in me. I thought 'This isn't the way I want to live', even though I was doing fashion in a kinder way," Yuri says.

"I had achieved all the goals I had set out to be 'successful'. I lacked nothing materially, but my life lacked purpose and meaning.

"I was a part of an industry that was very good at telling you what you needed to look sexier, cooler, smarter, but I didn't know how to make my own life more meaningful.

"I had seen the worst of the fashion industry and the ways in which people who produce the things we wear are exploited and mistreated.



Expand Close A model wearing pieces from Yuris new fashion line / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A model wearing pieces from Yuris new fashion line

"I believed there was a better way and I wanted to use my experience to help find it.

"I had no idea how, so I quit my job, put my things into storage and set out on a journey, spending six months in Africa and India.

"I didn't know how, but I knew I had to do something that helped people who weren't me."

It was around this time that she fell for Northern Ireland-born Thomas Keown, whom she met at a friend's wedding in Brooklyn.

When she was looking for an organisation to volunteer with, someone suggested she contact Thomas, the co-founder of the Many Hopes organisation, a non-profit based in Manhattan and London which aims to rescue children from poverty and abuse and equip them with the tools to tackle injustice.

When she met up with Thomas, things did not go as planned. She soon realised that her skills as a fashion designer were not what Many Hopes needed, but the meeting did lead to the start of their relationship.

"While he was very gentle in letting me down, the next time we were in New York, we met up and talked a little bit more," Yuri says.

"That's how our relationship began - with a series of noes.

"In so many ways, he said that their work was with orphans and they can't have people coming in and out of their lives.

"When I came back from my travels, I wanted to be really conscious of how much I didn't know and (I wanted) to offer something that people would need. I would try to learn from our conversations."

After travelling around and making connections with organisations in other countries, Yuri realised that while many women in developing countries were unable to access schooling, they had often learned craft skills from the older generations that could be adapted to earning a living.

Her intention was to work closely with women in Latin America to create beautiful handmade garments that could be sold via her Love Wonky brand, while at the same time generating employment.

The plan was to launch a partnership with a non-profit in Bolivia in 2020, followed by another non-profit in Guatemala this year, but Covid changed everything.

"I was going to go back to work with the women and collaborate on designs and do sampling, then the pandemic hit," Yuri explains.

At the same time, her Kilkeel wedding plans were thrown into disarray.



Expand Close Yuri Lee Keown with knitters Elizabeth Graham and Esther Spiers in Kilkeel Stephen Hamilton / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Yuri Lee Keown with knitters Elizabeth Graham and Esther Spiers in Kilkeel

"The plan was to get married in May. My family was coming from Korea and we had a bunch of friends coming from the US," she tells me.

"I started hearing about Covid in Korea in mid-February, so in April I decided to come to Northern Ireland a little bit early to see what the situation was like and monitor things.

"But come April last year, we had to cancel all our plans because everything was shutting down. We were supposed to have our wedding in Thomas's home church in Kilkeel and have the reception at the Green Cottages, but it was postponed to September and then it was going to be postponed to May this year."

Adding to their problems was Donald Trump's decision to close the US's borders to non-essential workers, meaning Thomas was unable to return to New York.

"The choice for me was between going back to the States by myself or staying in Kilkeel, where I don't have a community. I couldn't even drive," Yuri explains.

"It felt like a bit of a hard decision, but what I hadn't anticipated was just how warm the community was here.

"I really love it here, which is surprising because I've always lived in big cities like New York or Seoul. I've never even lived in a house before."

Thomas adds: "We ran into a thousand administrative and legal issues that would have been comical if they weren't so hard and frustrating.

"Weddings were banned here, so we thought we'd go and get married in America instead, then America closed the borders to Europeans, so Yuri could go there, but I couldn't.

"The next option was to do it here later, but then we realised Yuri's visa would expire before we could do that. She was already here, so it was very hard to get a wedding visa to enter a country she was already in.

"Later, weddings were allowed outdoors, but the Church of Ireland can only marry people inside church buildings.

"Finally, we got a ceremony in front of seven members of my family and two iPhones Zooming to Korea."

Yuri's plans for launching her new brand had been thrown into disarray by the pandemic, in part because the women she was working with lived in remote areas and were unable able to move around because of Covid roadblocks.

Even if they had been able to continue working, they were unable to move their products.

Because of the lack of work and tourism in their area, their income was badly hit.

Yuri remembers receiving a text from one of the women she was working with in Bolivia who was trying to care for four children with no income.

"These were people I'd spent time with and I wanted to help in some way," she says.

Inspired by the women in Thomas's family, Yuri came up with the idea of recruiting local knitters to create handmade garments that could be sold and the profits used to generate employment in Latin America.

"Since moving to Kilkeel and seeing how many people here want to help the less fortunate around the world, seeing how many people love to knit and knowing how many people in the States desire handmade goods, this idea jumped out as a win for everyone," she says.

"The idea first came about because of Thomas's grandmother, Sadie, who despite never leaving Northern Ireland, knitted almost every night for 80 years for premature babies in Malawi that she would never meet.

"I wondered if there might be more Sadies around - and, goodness, there were."

She started off with two or three Kilkeel ladies knitting hats and scarves to sell under the Love Wonky brand. The idea quickly caught on.

"That turned into five, six, seven and all of a sudden we had 20 ladies knitting for us. They're so fast that I was surprised. The demand has been surprising. I think people really like that it's hand-knit and they like the fact that when they purchase, it's going to a good cause," Yuri says.

One of her volunteer knitters, Ruth Johnson, describes the project as a "win, win, win".

"It's a win for the ladies in Northern Ireland to be able to help someone else, a win for the ladies in Guatemala and Bolivia to gain steady employment, and a win for the customer who gets a beautiful hat that also helps someone," she says.

Rathfriland knitter Elizabeth Watterson, who has been knitting for Love Wonky since October, adds: "It's nice to know you can sit on your sofa with your fire lit, knit a wee bit and realise that you are helping another lady in another country and there's a reward in doing it: a wee satisfaction for yourself."

Yuri named the brand Love Wonky because she believes the beauty of handmade products lies in their imperfections.

"We believe that handmade goods carry a soul that factory made goods never can," she explains.

"We believe that your clothes should be as unique as you are and that every purchase you make can and should make a difference.

"To be able to do something that we enjoy doing anyway and also know that it is helping a woman on the other side of the world gives our knitters a good feeling."

While Yuri is delighted with her brand's performance, she's also loving life in Kilkeel.

"I'm learning new words and pronunciations, that soda bread is something that exists and that you can never drink too many cups of tea," she says

"The difference between the pace of life and the attitude of people here, I just love it, even the little things like waving at people over the steering wheel when you meet them driving.

"Wherever Wonky goes in the decades ahead, it will always be the kindness of Northern Ireland that started it.

"That this was also able to provide ladies with something meaningful to do with their time and skill during lockdown is so perfect for what Wonky seeks to be in the world."

To learn more about Yuri's fashion brand, visit www.lovewonky.com

WASHINGTON (AP)  A group of Senate Republicans called on President Joe Biden to meet them at the negotiating table as the newly elected president signaled he could move to pass a new $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package with all Democratic votes.

Ten Senate Republicans wrote Biden in a letter released Sunday that their smaller counterproposal will include $160 billion for vaccines, testing, treatment and personal protective equipment and will call for more targeted relief than Bidens plan to issue $1,400 stimulus checks for most Americans.

In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support, the Republican lawmakers wrote. Our proposal reflects many of your stated priorities, and with your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support.

The call on Biden to give bipartisanship negotiations more time comes as the president has shown signs of impatience amid growing calls from the more liberal wing of his party to pass his $1.9 trillion legislation through budget reconciliation, a process that would allow him to move the massive bill with only the support of his Democratic majority.

The Republican lawmakers did not provide many details of their proposal. One of the signatories, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, said that their package would cost a fraction, about $600 billion, of the Biden plan.

Winning the support of 10 Republicans would be significant for Biden. If all Democrats were to support an ultimate compromise bill, the legislation would reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to pass legislation under regular Senate procedures.

If you can't find bipartisan compromise on COVID-19, I don't know where you can find it, said Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who also signed the letter.

The other GOP senators pushing the effort are Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Todd Young of Indiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

Brian Deese, the top White House economic adviser who has been leading the administrations outreach to Congress, said administration officials were reviewing the letter. He did not immediately commit to Biden meeting with the lawmakers.

Deese signaled the White House could be open to negotiating with Republicans on their proposal on further limiting who would receive stimulus checks. Portman suggested on Sunday that the checks should be limited to individuals who make no more than $50,000 per year and families who make $100,000 per year.

Under the Biden plan, families with incomes up to $300,000 could receive some stimulus money.

That is certainly a place that were willing to sit down and think about, are there ways to make the entire package more effective? Deese said.

As a candidate, Biden predicted his decades in the Senate and his eight years as Barack Obama's vice president gave him credibility as a deal maker and would help him bring Republicans and Democrats to consensus on the most important matters facing the country.

But less than two weeks into his presidency, Biden showed frustration with the pace of negotiations for relief at a time when the economy is showing further signs of wear from the pandemic. Last week, 847,000 Americans applied for unemployment benefits, a sign that layoffs remain high as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage.

I support passing COVID relief with support from Republicans if we can get it. But the COVID relief has to pass  no ifs, ands or buts, Biden said on Friday.

In the letter, the Republican lawmakers reminded Biden that in his inaugural address, he proclaimed that the challenges facing the nation require "the most elusive of things in a democracy: Unity.

Cassidy separately criticized the current Biden plan as chock-full of handouts and payoffs to Democratic constituency groups."

You want the patina of bipartisanship ... so thats not unity," Cassidy said.

Jared Bernstein, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said that Biden remains willing to negotiate but that White House officials needed to see more details from Republicans about their plan. At the same time, Bernstein pressed the Biden administration's argument that doing too little to stimulate the economy could have enormous impact on the economy in the near and long-term.

Look, the American people really couldnt care less about budget process, whether its regular order, bipartisanship, whether its filibuster, whether its reconciliation," Bernstein said. They need relief, and they need it now.

Both Portman and Deese spoke on CNNs State of the Union. Cassidy and Bernstein spoke on Fox News Sunday."
Supply of vaccines from COVID-19 to Ukraine will begin in two weeks with involvement of private logistics companies - Dpty health minister

The delivery of vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech to Ukraine within the framework of COVAX will begin in two weeks with the involvement of private logistics companies, Deputy Health Minister Ihor Ivaschenko said during a press briefing in Kyiv on Monday.

"Ukraine will receive vaccines in two weeks. Ukraine was included in the list of countries to which the global COVAX initiative will provide vaccine in the first wave of distribution. (...) The provision of the cold chain, which requires ultra-low storage temperatures, will be carried out with the involvement of private logistics operators, and carried out at the expense of international technical assistance," he said.

The deputy minister added that Ukraine, by February 14, intends to submit a request to increase the number of vaccines produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, which are planned to be received in the second quarter under COVAX.
Myanmars military staged a coup Monday and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi  a sharp reversal of the significant, if uneven, progress toward democracy the Southeast Asian nation has made following five decades of military rule.

An announcement read on military-owned Myawaddy TV said the military would take control of the country for one year. It said the seizure was necessary because the government had not acted on the militarys claims of fraud in Novembers elections  in which Suu Kyis ruling party won a majority of the parliamentary seats up for grabs  and because it allowed the election to go ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The takeover came the morning the countrys new parliamentary session was to begin and follows days of concern that the military was plotting a coup. The military maintains its actions are legally justified  citing a section of the constitution it drafted that allows it to take control in times of national emergency  though Suu Kyis party spokesman as well as many international observers have said it amounts to a coup.

It was a dramatic backslide for Myanmar, which was emerging from decades of strict military rule and international isolation that began in 1962. It was also a shocking fall from power for Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate who had lived under house arrest for years as she tried to push her country toward democracy and then became its de facto leader after her National League for Democracy won elections in 2015.

While Suu Kyi had been a fierce antagonist of the army while under house arrest, since her release and return to politics, she has had to work with the countrys generals, who never fully gave up power. While the 75-year-old has remained wildly popular at home, Suu Kyis deference to the generals  going so far as to defend their crackdown on Rohingya Muslims that the United States and others have labeled genocide  has left her reputation internationally in tatters.

For some, Mondays takeover was seen as confirmation that the military holds ultimate power despite the veneer of democracy. New York-based Human Rights Watch has previously described the clause in the constitution that the military invoked as a coup mechanism in waiting.

The coup presents a test for the international community, which had ostracized Myanmar while it was under military rule and then enthusiastically embraced Suu Kyis government as a sign the country was finally on the path to democracy. There will likely be calls for a reintroduction of at least some of the sanctions the country had long faced.

The first signs that the military was planning to seize power were reports that Suu Kyi and Win Myint, the countrys president, had been detained before dawn.

Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for Suu Kyis party, told the online news service The Irrawaddy that in addition to Suu Kyi and the president, members of the partys Central Executive Committee, many of its lawmakers and other senior leaders had also been taken into custody.

Television signals were cut across the country and passenger flights were grounded, as was phone and internet access in Naypyitaw, the capital. Phone service in other parts of the country was also reported down, though people were still able to use the internet in many areas.

As word of the militarys actions spread in Yangon, the countrys biggest city, there was a growing sense of unease among residents who earlier in the day had packed into cafes for breakfast and went about their morning shopping.

By midday, people were removing the bright red flags of Suu Kyis party that once adorned their homes and businesses. Lines formed at ATMs as people waited to take out cash, efforts that were being complicated by internet disruptions. Workers at some businesses decided to go home.

Suu Kyis party released a statement on one of its Facebook pages saying the militarys actions were unjustified and went against the constitution and the will of voters. The statement urged people to oppose Mondays coup and any return to military dictatorship. It was not possible to confirm who posted the message as party members were not answering phone calls.

The militarys actions also received international condemnation and many countries called for the release of the detained leaders.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed grave concern and alarm over the reported detentions.

We call on Burmese military leaders to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections, he wrote in a statement, using Myanmars former name.

The office of the U.N. secretary-general called the developments as a serious blow to democratic reforms.

A list of people believed to have been detained, compiled by political activists, included several people who were not politicians, including activists as well as Suu Kyis lawyer. Those detentions could not be confirmed.

The military TV report said Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing would be in charge of the country, while Vice President Myint Swe would be elevated to acting president. Myint Swe is a former general best known for leading a brutal crackdown on Buddhist monks in 2007. He is a close ally of Than Shwe, the junta leader who ruled Myanmar for nearly two decades.

In a later announcement, the military said an election would be held in a year and the military would hand power over to the winner.

The military justified its move by citing a clause in the 2008 constitution, implemented during military rule, that says in cases of national emergency, the governments executive, legislative and judicial powers can be handed to the military commander-in-chief.

It is just one of many parts of the charter that ensured the military could maintain ultimate control over the country. The military is allowed to appoint its members to 25% of seats in Parliament and it controls of several key ministries involved in security and defense.

In November polls, Suu Kyis party captured 396 out of 476 seats up for actual election in the lower and upper houses of Parliament.

The military has charged that there was massive fraud in the election  particularly with regard to voter lists  though it has not offered any proof. The state Union Election Commission last week rejected its allegations.

Concerns of a takeover grew last week when a military spokesman declined to rule out the possibility of a coup when asked by a reporter to do so at a news conference on Tuesday.

Then on Wednesday, the military chief told senior officers in a speech that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. An unusual deployment of armored vehicles in the streets of several large cities also stoked fears.

On Saturday and Sunday, however, the military denied it had threatened a coup, accusing unnamed organizations and media of misrepresenting its position.
Dare County Republican Party Declaration

31 January 2021

The Republican Party of Dare County, North Carolina, believes we are living in unprecedented, frightening political times. We also believe that to remain viable as a major political party, Republicans must defend and preserve those key principles on which we stand. As such, we present this declaration with the expectation that our party leaders and elected representatives will support and defend these principles.

Our nation is deeply divided. Although the 2020 Presidential election is over and Joe Biden is President of the United States, many Americans remain opposed to the radical left-wing socialist policies he is pursuing by fiat. His administration will attempt to enact policies that advance this radical agenda. These policies threaten to undermine the very principles that define our nation and what we stand for.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

It is very troubling that we feel the need to define this as one of our principles. This is a foundational freedom that all Americans should defend. Sadly, many democrats no longer choose to do so. Further, the coordinated effort by broadcast and print mainstream media, plus social media monopolies, has resulted in the collective censorship of political opponents.

The effect is essentially a new state run propaganda network controlled by Democrats. They alone will decide whose speech is allowed and whose is deemed dangerous. This is chilling to us and cannot be allowed to continue.

THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS

Enacting excessive taxes on firearms and ammunition is a thinly disguised attack on our second amendment. We demand our leadership fight against these efforts with all available means at their disposal.

BORDER SECURITY

We welcome and celebrate the many contributions to our country from immigrants. We want to be clear; we support legal immigration and oppose illegal immigration. No nation can survive without legal borders, and we demand ours be protected.

ELECTION INTEGRITY

Free, fair, and honest elections are the heart of any democracy. We recognize that elections are the responsibility of states, and we oppose any effort to move control of elections to the federal government. We further expect our representatives in Raleigh to enact laws to prevent voter fraud and to protect the electoral process.

EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER THE LAW

We demand adherence to the rule of law, due process, presumption of innocence and the right to a vigorous defense. In the last four years, we have witnessed selective prosecution by the Department of Justice whereas republicans are prosecuted for the same acts committed by high-ranking democrats, and, yet their crimes go ignored. This politicization of the criminal justice system is dangerous to our nation.

Today evidence of two systems of justice is growing and is eroding trust in our judicial system. For example, the second impeachment of President Trump by the House of Representatives was conducted without evidence or witnesses and ignored due process. It was political theater. A potential future trial in the Senate, conducted without legal jurisdiction or constitutional precedent, would be outrageous. The Senate has no authority to prosecute a private citizen.

To conclude, we will not be silenced, nor intimidated, nor reprogrammed. We expect all Republicans, all Americans, to defend these principles. To stand united and uncompromising for one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Either these words mean something of value, or they do not. As someone once asked If not us, who? If not now, when?


Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal (Image: PTI)











Follow Moneycontrol's Union Budget 2021 live coverage here.











Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday presented the Budget for 2021-22 in Parliament. Following are the reactions of industrialists to budget proposals:

Vedanta Resources Executive Chairman Anil Agarwal tweets: "Congratulations to @narendramodi and FM @nsitharaman for a very reformist #Budget2021 with many big ideas including strategic disinvestment of two public sector banks & one insurance company. Thrust on infrastructure will boost growth."

Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra tweets: "In a time of unprecedented economic stress, the Govt''s responsibility was to spend enough to revive the economy or else face enormous human suffering. So I had one expectation from this budget: that we should be very liberal in terms of the targeted fiscal deficit. Box ticked."

RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka tweets: "Combination of Pujara & Pant innings - consistency and flamboyance! Steady focus on infra, commercial laws, ease of business with big shots of monetising PSU assets, new divestments, insurance FDI. India won in Australia. Now India shall rise above in new world order!"

: Overall, a reassuring Budget with no negative surprises that has buoyed overall sentiment.
Less than a month after enrolling her daughter and stepson in face-to-face classes at Fort Bend ISD, Zoraida Castillo received a notice Saturday that their two campuses would temporarily close amid six combined cases of COVID-19 among students and staff.

If Castillo and her family of five remained in their previous district, Katy ISD, her daughter and stepson likely would not face a disruption. Katy has kept nearly all of its roughly 70 schools open since September while also reporting some of the Houston areas highest COVID case rates.

Its stressful that theyre closing the school, but Im glad they are, Castillo said Monday afternoon as she waited to pick up her first-grade stepson from Seguin Elementary School. Just taking a week or two weeks to let it cool down or die down, I agree with taking that time off.

The differing approaches in two of the regions largest districts illustrate the local patchwork of COVID-19 campus closure decisions during the pandemic, a mishmash resulting from a lack of clear scientific consensus or overarching mandates specifying when in-person classes should be canceled.

Faced with daily calls to shutter campuses, superintendents and school leaders across the state are creating their own methods for deciding when to temporarily move classes online. Their approaches can diverge greatly, often reflecting each local communitys tolerance for COVID-19 risk.

Theres a lot of politics around this, and so many of the numbers and decisions are based on politics and perspectives outside of science, Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Charles Dupre said. Were never going to have full agreement.

Under current Texas guidelines, public school districts must provide in-person classes to all families who want it, though superintendents can cancel face-to-face instruction briefly due to on-campus COVID cases or significant staffing issues. However, state officials have not set concrete metrics outlining how many COVID cases must occur to warrant a campus closure.

Harris County health authorities have issued recommendations outlining when they believe school facilities should be closed, but those guidelines are not legally enforceable following an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott. The Harris County recommendations, if enforced, would have resulted in the cancellation of all in-person classes to date, an outcome that many Houston-area superintendents oppose.

In the absence of definitive science or directives, some Greater Houston superintendents have established detailed COVID safety protocols for their districts. Many require increases in social distancing, overnight cleaning or the closure of individual classrooms when a few COVID cases are identified.

Discretion v hard rules

When taking one of the more drastic steps, the brief shutdown of a campus, some districts employ hard-and-fast rules while others use their discretion.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Families of campus staff lost to COVID grapple with school risks

In Fort Bend ISD, where about 20 of the districts 80-plus schools have temporarily moved online in the past several days, Dupres administration is making campus closure decisions based on staff availability. This approach, Dupre said, eliminates the debate over case count thresholds or other politically-charged COVID metrics.

While case rates are low at some recently closed Fort Bend ISD campuses, Dupre said the tallies do not capture the number of employees required to quarantine due to possible COVID exposure. Nearly 10 percent of Fort Bend ISD teachers were absent, on average, each school day in the first three weeks of January, up from 4 percent in October.

Were struggling to cover our classes, Dupre said. We do not have enough substitute teachers right now. Were sending any available body from central administration to monitor classes, to keep kids safe and support the schools.

For Terry Spurs, the decision to briefly shutter Fort Bend ISDs Willowridge High School last week made sense once he understood the rationale. Spurs daughter, a sophomore, returned to Willowridge High for the second semester after remaining online-only to start the year.

If its only eight cases, but youve got a bunch of teachers out, you cant have class, Spurs said. That number might be low, but in Fort Bend, theyre real strict in regard to COVID stuff.

In Houston ISD, the states largest district, administrators declared closure decisions would be made on a case-by-case basis after examining all the evidence and the totality of the circumstances in consultation with Houston Health Department officials. HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan said her staff analyzes the number of confirmed cases, the number of people who came in contact with infected individuals and the locations where COVID-positive persons spent time on campus, among other factors.

Then that decision is made if we just need to make sure we get everything thoroughly cleaned overnight and reopen the next morning, or if we need to close for a number of days because we still need to do some follow-up as it relates to contact tracing, Lathan said. To date, HISD officials temporarily have shuttered several campuses due to COVID-19, often citing an unspecified number of confirmed cases among students and staff.

Numbers-based approach

In Katy ISD, the regions third-largest district, administrators took a more numbers-driven approach, deciding that schools must temporarily close if more than 10 percent of on-campus students and staff have active COVID cases. District officials also may briefly shutter a campus following recommendations from federal, state, county or city health authorities.

The 10 percent threshold, however, is higher than some other districts with case rate thresholds. In Pearland ISD, for example, campuses must temporarily close if 2 to 5 percent of on-campus students and staff report active COVID cases.

Katy officials did not respond to questions about why they set a 10 percent benchmark. About 0.7 percent of on-campus students and 1.5 percent of staff in Katy report active COVID cases as of Monday, according to data published online by the district. None of Katys campuses are close to eclipsing the 10 percent threshold, though Cinco Ranch Junior High School went online-only Monday after reporting 38 active student cases and seven active staff cases.

Chelsea Duran, whose eighth-grade son joined more than 900 Cinco Ranch Junior High students attending in-person classes, said she supported Katy officials keeping the campus open until the past couple of weeks.

For the amount of kids at the junior high, I think (active cases) in the teens is OK, Duran said Monday. But I do think anything above 20, 25 is definitely uncomfortable. Its not even the number, but how quickly the number is rising.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Texas students are losing ground during the pandemic. What will schools do?

Even in communities more concerned about the health implications of reopening schools, often due to higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths in those areas, campus closures are rare.

The city of Houstons local health authority, David Persse, said COVID mitigation efforts in schools have been been very, very effective, though occasional issues arise in classrooms with larger numbers of students.

Although Houston-area schools are reporting thousands of active cases among students and staff, Persse and other local health officials have said they believe the vast majority of transmission occurs off-campus. To date, Persse has not used his legally-authorized power as a local health authority to temporarily close a campus to stop a COVID outbreak.

If were seeing the school is the place where the virus is spreading, then Ive got to do something like that, Persse said. But if were finding that its spreading in the community or other places outside the school, then were not solving the problem by closing a school. Were only hurting the kids.

jacob.carpenter@chron.com
Janet Yellen, the woman in charge of running the worlds largest economy - just savour that thought for a moment - was considered by Donald Trump to be too short to hold high office.

When her term in office as head of the United States Federal Reserve came to an end in 2018 (she had been appointed by Barack Obama in 2014), President Trump praised her publicly. Privately, however, he felt that at 5ft 3in, and despite her glittering academic career and fine record of public service, she wasnt quite up to the job. Literally. So she was replaced, by a tallish man, and she went off to be an academic again, with a post at the prestigious Brookings Institution, ready to see what might in due course turn up. (As it happens, the average height for a female in the USA is 5ft 4in, so she isnt even that short). She didnt have to wait so long for her personal fortunes to improve - 3 November 2020, to be precise, and last Wednesday she was sworn in as treasury secretary by vice president Kamala Harris.

President Trumps heightism over the head of the Fed was unprecedented, as far as we know, in modern times, but Ms Yellen has many more, happier, firsts to her name. She is the first woman to lead the US Treasury, just as she was the first female chair of the Fed. She was the first person to have held both positions, plus a couple more at the apex of economic life. She was also the first woman chair of the presidential council of economic advisers, under Bill Clinton, a post which she held from 1997 to 1999. She was last year the president of the American Economics Association, and thus informally regarded as the best in the trade by her peers, and a further great honour - the economists economist. The only thing she lacks, so far, is a Nobel Prize, but not to worry because her hubby George Akerlof, won one back in 1970. Maybe predictably, given the trends, their son Robert is an academic economist. Janet met George during an earlier spell when she was employed by the Fed, when they met in the canteen. They married in 1978.
A Senior Law Lecturer and anti-gay rights convener, Moses Foh-Amoaning says it is surprising for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to drop Essikado/Ketan Constituency MP in the Western Region, Joe Ghartey from his current government.



President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did not reappoint Joe Ghartey, Minister for Railways Development to serve in his second government despite his sterling performance at the post in his first term.



Mr. Ghartey was replaced by former Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu, but many including lawyer Moses Foh-Amoaning have maintained that he shouldnt have been dropped.



Joe has done well enough he said in an interview with Paul Adom Otchere.



Adding that, I dont know whether his earlier comment [presidential ambition] caused him.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
As a child, I was taught the importance of never buying anything you couldnt afford or pay for immediately.

Those values have become an important part of my life. As an adult, I am diligent about paying bills on time and never paying a finance charge.

Although my children and many of our friends pay their bills online, we have resisted. I believe it is important to support the U.S. Postal Service. Im one of those dinosaurs who still sends handwritten thank-you notes as well as birthday and anniversary cards by mail.

All of this, however, is about to change. We became very concerned about the Postal Service this past summer when many mail-sorting machines were removed and overtime hours of postal workers were cut back.

There also was a concern that absentee ballots would not be delivered in time.

Since the election and after the holidays, things have only gotten worse. Documents that were sent to our home in West Ashley from Mount Pleasant took two months to arrive.

We have received late charges on several of our bills, which were paid immediately but not delivered in time.

Holiday cards sent to family members in early December were not received for more than a month. The final straw was getting an email notification of a late charge for a bill we have not yet received.

Until the USPS improves delivery, replaces sorting machines and hires extra workers or gives overtime, were finished.

ELLEN NADLER

Pixley Street

Charleston

Give voiceless a voice

In a time of advocacy for everyones voice to be heard, and many times zealously and passionately, there is too little said about the most silent, vulnerable and defenseless among us: the unborn. This is the elephant in the room. Or, more so, the tragedy of millions of babies who have been aborted.

Regardless of ones personal position, there is no denying the unborn is still a life. A worthy, valuable life, and their life matters.

To not give full voice or comprehensive coverage to the fetal heartbeat bill that has been passed from the S.C. Senate to the House speaks to our selective mercy.

We decide who matters. We decide whose voice matters. We decide who is worthy of our advocacy and activism.

Even those who have committed the most grievous crimes are afforded an attorney. Yet, in many cases, the unborn arent even considered when taking up legislative actions pertaining to them and impacting their lives or the ending and elimination of their lives.

Instead, we tend to view it as one more archaic attempt by those we dismiss, condemn and ridicule to control everyone elses life. When, in fact, they are standing for life.

We may all have different opinions on the very polarized and debated issue of abortion.

But that doesnt mean that we must silence the voice of not only the unborn but those who advocate for the voiceless.

JACKIE MORFESIS

Gilmore Road

Charleston

Abortion bill overreach

I would like to thank state Sen. Sandy Senn for reminding Sen. Richard Cash about an element of our democracy that continues to escape him, namely the separation of church and state.

Sen. Cash has the freedom to behave according to the tenets of his religious beliefs, but he does not have the right to impose those beliefs on others.

It would be most interesting to see his reaction if one of his Senate colleagues held up a Torah or a Koran to justify a course of legislative action.

Additionally, an amendment to the abortion ban bill placing reporting requirements on physicians can only be characterized as excessive governmental overreach and a violation of the doctor-patient relationship.

The attention devoted to this highly charged, distinctly individual and already settled issue comes at the cost of ignoring issues that have much greater day-to-day effects on the citizens of South Carolina.

I would suggest that advocates from both sides continue their private efforts to advance their respective cause and reject the assistance of government.

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!

Dr. JOSEPH CARASTRO IV

Bower Lane

Johns Island

Bike lane lacks safety

In a Tuesday editorial, readers were informed of the protected bike lanes that the city of Charleston and state Department of Transportation are creating on Brigade Street.

As this has been of interest to me for a long time, I eagerly read it but now Im puzzled: Where is the protection from 2- to 4-ton vehicles that are referenced?

The editorial states: The change includes new crosswalk markings more visible to drivers, including pavement marking.

Also, at Meeting and Brigade streets, which are Brigades most dangerous intersection, there will be flashing beacons to warn motorists that they must yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk, as well as curb extensions to reduce the distance pedestrians must walk in the street.

The editorial also says, The Brigade work will include green paint delineating the bike lane, an increasingly common feature in other cities, but one that is new to South Carolina.

The only protection offered by these new bike lanes is some green paint and flashing lights at the intersection.

Is this magical green paint? Is it particularly visible at night?

Is there no physical barrier between people riding with their bodies exposed to traffic and the massive vehicles that routinely drive along that street?

Forgive me if Im underwhelmed. Maybe the editorial writers, city leaders and the DOT project designers should ride out there to see if they think thats adequate, because, to me, it doesnt sound like it.

GLORIA B. JENKINS

Stonewood Drive

Charleston

Teachers before elderly

Why am I, based solely on my age, ahead of teachers for the COVID-19 vaccination? Im 70. Every leaf eventually falls off the tree. Ive had a wonderful life and lived to an age seldom reached in the history of the world.

Lets get our priorities straight and get teachers vaccinated. South Carolina is vaccinating people over age 80, some with a poor quality of life who may never get out of bed. Thats not compassion. Its stupidity.

TOM NEELY

Smythe Street

Daniel Island

Vaccine system flawed

I read with interest the article about special dispensation for companies that want their employees vaccinated because they are essential workers.

It seems some are being moved to the front of the line.

I am a 68-year-old two-time cancer survivor with diabetes, high blood pressure and Rh negative blood type.

I have made several phone calls and found there is no option for me to be vaccinated. If I were in charge of the program, I would want to get a person like me vaccinated as I could possibly cost the system a lot of money if infected, not to mention another death.

Whos running this show?

DEDE WARREN

Daffodil Lane

Mount Pleasant
Politicians in France have started debating a bill aimed at tackling the so-called 'Islamist takeover bid,' as one of the country's most senior figure branded extremism a 'disease'.

President Emmanuel Macron has pushed through the controversial new bill which would tighten rules on a range of issues including religous-based education and polygamy.

It comes after a spate of attacks in France that were blamed on extremists last year.

Two weeks of tense debates are expected to be held at the lower house National Assembly - with both sides raising concerns with the legislation.

While politicians on the left fear it stigmatises most Muslims, the right argues that it fails tackle core issues.

President Emmanuel Macron has pushed through the controversial new bill which would tighten rules on a range of issues including religous-based education and polygamy

The legislation is dubbed the anti-separatism bill as ministers fear radical Muslims are creating communities separate from France's staunchly secular identity.

It has been bitterly criticised in Muslim countries.

'Our country is sick from separatism, above all Islamism which is damaging our national unity,' Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told parliament.

'You have to know what to call the disease, you have to find the medicine,' he added. 'This text does not fight religions but the Islamist takeover bid,' he added.

The law was in the pipeline before the October killing of Samuel Paty, a junior high school teacher who was beheaded in the street after showing cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in a class.

But the killing, committed by an 18-year old Chechen after a virulent social media campaign against the teacher, gave fresh impetus to the bill.

It prompted the inclusion of the specific crimes of online hate speech and divulging personal information on the internet.

Under the legislation, doctors also would be fined or jailed if they performed a virginity test on girls.

Polygamy is already outlawed in France but the new law would also ban authorities from issuing residency papers to polygamous applicants.

The killing of teacher Samuel Paty after he showed cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed to his class, gave fresh impetus to the bill

Paty's death came amid a spate of jihadist-inspired attacks in France this year, including a knife assault outside the former offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and deadly stabbings at a church in Nice.

Macron has become a figure of hate in some Muslim countries and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the draft law an 'open provocation'.

In France, far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon opposes a text that he says 'stigmatises Muslims'.

On the right, the parliamentary group leader of The Republicans Damien Abad said the text ignores issues such as radicalisation in prison and migration.

Meanwhile French far-right leader Marine Le Pen - who analysts believe will be Macron's main rival in 2022 elections - last week outlined her own plan, which include a ban on Muslim headscarves in all public places.
The Union Budget 2021-22 sets up a roadmap for spending more in the next few years without worrying about fiscal deficit and higher public debt. The government has also set a five-year long fiscal consolidation path to 4.5 per cent fiscal deficit by 2025-26. This means the government expansionary fiscal stance to support the growth will continue. The growth has been a casualty in the last few years with Covid outbreak compounding the problems. The economy is expected to rebound with 11 per cent GDP growth in 2021-22 from a contraction of 7.7 per cent in 2020-21. The GDP plunged to 4.2 per cent in 20219-20. The growth has been on a decline from a high of 8.3 per cent in 2016-17. The assumption is that if the growth comes back even with higher debt and fiscal deficit, the higher GDP will push up revenues and also neutralise higher fiscal deficit and also higher government borrowing because of denominator effect. The budget has also introduced a new institutional structure like DFI and bad bank to support the industry.

Higher capital expenditure

The government has continued with higher total expenditure in 2021-22 with outlay at Rs 34.83 lakh crore. There is a marginal increase of around 1 per cent over revised estimates of 2021-21. In fact, the total expenditure increased big time by 28.44 per cent in 2020-21 as against Rs 26.86 lakh crore in 2019-20. The capital expenditure, which is a key parameter, showed a 31 per cent rise in 2020-21 at Rs 4.39 lakh crore. The capital expenditure has been proposed at Rs 5.54 lakh crore in 2021-22, which is again a 26.19 per cent rise over the revised estimates for 2020-21. The focus of capex is on infrastructure, ports, road building, which should result in higher job generation. The focus is also on domestic market with Atmanirbhart Bharat, performance-linked incentives and mega textile parks, healthcare and rural India.

Longer fiscal consolidation path

The government has set a five year long fiscal consolidation path to 4.5 per cent fiscal deficit by 2025-26. The fiscal deficit of 9.5 per cent in 2020-21 and 6.8 per cent of GDP in 2021-22 crosses the level of global financial crisis. In fact, the fiscal deficit numbers are much above the market expectations. The fiscal deficit is pegged at 9.5% of GDP in 2020-21 and is estimated at 6.8% of GDP in 2021-22. Clearly, the government is focussing on supporting economic recovery even at the cost of higher public debt or rating action from global agencies. The government spending was very much needed to sustain economic recovery post the Covid lockdown.

The Economic survey 2021 has also said that any deviation from the path of fiscal consolidation may be short lived as the fiscal indicators rebound with recovery in the economy. The survey had called for boosting GDP growth which would be important for enabling a sustainable fiscal path in medium term.

Return of DFI model to support infra financing

The Union Budget 2021-22 has proposed setting up of a Development Finance Institution (DFI) with a capital of Rs 20,000 crore. The government has also set an ambitious lending target of Rs 5 lakh crore in the first three years. The proposed new DFI would certainly go a long way in helping infra projects, but it will definitely require more funding support from the market as it scales up. It is not clear how the proposed DFI will get long term funds in future. Learning from the mistake of earlier DFIs, the new DFI will needs risk mitigation strategies because of credit concentration in few sectors which would put the institution at risk in view of any adverse event

Free up banks capacity by setting up a bad bank

The budget has also proposed setting up of a bad bank under the ARC (asset reconstruction company), AMC (asset management company) and AIF (alternative investment funds) model to acquire, manage and turnaround bad loans. This will free up the capacity of banks to focus on productive areas. Currently, the banks have gross NPAs of around 7 per cent which is expected to rise to 15 per cent by September this year if the situation deteriorates. The Covid disruption has already created a lot of stress in the banking system. The bad bank will go a long way in housing the assets of national importance - the power assets, roads, steel and other infrastructure assets. These assets will have value for banks in future and also the country.

But there are challenges for the government in supporting bad bank. Clearly, there is no room for using taxpayers' money for setting up a bad bank. The capital should come from private funds. There are already global distressed funds interested in India. There are also private equity players which the government should rope in.

Also read: Budget 2021 Live Updates: Sitharaman flags 2 major features of Budget -- infrastructure and healthcare boost

Also read: Budget 2021 speech highlights: IPO of LIC to come in 2021-22, says FM
For weeks, CTU leaders have been howling about how unsafe CPS schools are without producing any kind of evidence to back up their claim. They had been relying on that claim to convince teachers to not show up for work Tuesday when CPS was supposed to resume K-8 in-class instruction on a hybrid basis for 62,000 students. On Monday, however, CPS called for a cooling-off period, saying teachers and students would be allowed to continue remote learning Tuesday and Wednesday, while negotiations to reopen continue.
MANCHESTER, N.H., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Newforma, the leading provider of Project Information Management (PIM) software for architects, engineers, contractors, and owners (AECO) worldwide, announces that Brett Adamczyk has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer.

As COO, Brett is responsible for directing Newforma's Services, Support, Financial, and Operations organizations. Prior to joining Newforma, Brett served in multiple leadership and executive roles and most recently served as Vice President of Finance and Strategy for COX Media Group, an Apollo Global Management portfolio company.

"I'm excited to join an experienced team that is a leader and pioneer in the AECO industry," explains Brett. "I look forward to helping Newforma expand its footprint in the AECO and PIM software markets while working with our existing clients to maximize the value the Newforma suite of products and services provides."

Newforma is also announcing the promotion of Slater Latour to Chief Marketing and Product Officer. In June 2020, Slater joined Newforma's senior leadership team as the Vice President, Strategy and Operations. In his role, Slater will lead Newforma's marketing, product management, and development teams to focus on advancing Newforma's presence in the AECO industry.

"As we look forward to our journey over the next five years, Brett's experience in private equity, business development, and finance will aid us with Newforma's strategic growth initiatives." said Brock Philp, CEO of Newforma. "At the same time, we are proud that we will continue to benefit from Slater's experience in his new role."

About Newforma

Newforma's industry-leading Project Information Management (PIM) software streamlines communication, manages files and simplifies construction administration for architects, engineers, contractors, and owners. Our software will reduce the amount of time spent on administrative tasks, streamline project workflows and power real-time collaboration for project teams. Newforma software has more than 122,000 users in more than 1,200 firms. For more information, visit www.newforma.com.

SOURCE Newforma
Mumbai, Feb 1 : Actor Adil Hussain has opened up on his recent shoot in Birmingham amid Covid protocol post lockdown, for the British-Indian film Footprints On Water. The film tells the story of an illegal immigrant in the UK who is frantically searching for his missing daughter while evading the police.

"Keeping the backdrop of the story aside, the emotion of a father and his responsibility towards his daughter are universal. Here, in the film, the predicament is such that this father cannot go to the police to seek help because he is an illegal migrant. He is helpless and cannot take legal support. It is interesting how his emotion plays out and how desperate he feels," Adil told IANS.

A directorial venture of Nathalia Syam, the story is by Neetha Syam.

"Nathalia is a delight to work with. She has a clear vision and close connection with the story of the film. She is well-versed with reality. On one hand, while the actors were given freedom to bring their own interpretation, Nathalia has a careful eye on maintaining the emotional graph and texture of the story so that we maintain the sense of authenticity of the story and characters. It was quite an interesting process to indulge in," Adil said.

Lena Kumar portrays the missing girl's stepmother while Nimisha Sajayan plays the girl. Nimisha, incidentally, was the lead of the 2019 Venice Film Festival title, Shadow Of Water.

The team finished their England schedule recently.

"We shot it is Birmingham, and we got support from British Film Institute (BFI) and the local film council. We had to stay in a bubble during the entire schedule. It is new normal and we are getting used to it, wherever we go. Yes, initially it was strange but we human beings naturally get used to these things," said Adil, about the shoot.

The makers are looking for a theatrical release for the film, according to film's London-based producer Mohaan Nadaar. "We want to take the film to festivals and premiere it along with the best in the world. We have a three-day schedule in Kerala in February and will be fully ready by April-end. We plan a release theatrically," he said.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)


YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Health of Armenia has confirmed the use of Russian Sputnik V vaccine, ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Ministry.
Teslas Sydney-based chairman Robyn Denholm says she wants to learn more about the role of green hydrogen as an alternative energy source despite the electric car makers chief executive, Elon Musk, dismissing the technology as crazy.

Hydrogen has been promoted as a fuel alternative for transport, and car makers Toyota and Hyundai have both developed hydrogen transport cars. However, Teslas founder Mr Musk last week described hydrogen as a big pain in the arse and a crazy alternative to battery electric vehicles.

Ms Denholm was appointed as chair of the $US752 billion ($985 billion) electric car maker in 2018 and is often seen as serving as a crucial counterbalance at the car maker to Mr Musk.

Tesla's Australian chairwoman Robyn Denholm. Credit:Ben Rushton

Im on the board of Tesla, I understand electric vehicles, I understand energy systems but theres always been this debate about hydrogen and Ive heard about it and read a little bit about it, she said. I wanted to understand more about why people think that hydrogen can be a green, a renewable energy source in the future.
To the Editor:

Re Children Need to Be Back in School Now (column, Jan. 29):

David Brooks seems to be missing the central point. If you vaccinate the teachers, they will happily return to the classroom.

No teacher I know (and I am one) prefers remote teaching. The private and some public schools that are operating safely are able to do so because they have the facilities and resources, but most schools do not. Why do you think the unions dont want to open these schools? Because they are not safe!

Most teachers come into contact with 20 to 40 people per school day, inside, in close quarters. Is that a risk you would want to take, Mr. Brooks? Further, some teachers need to commute to their jobs on public transportation.

I live in New York City; Im 59 years old. I would not step on a bus or train without a vaccine. Please stop maligning teachers and unions when they are not the problem. Teaching is not a job done easily from home. The pandemic has been a nightmare for teachers as well as students and their parents.
BYD has confirmed its first pure-electric fleet order in Romania.

A total of nine pure-electric BYD 12-metre eBuses have been ordered by the Municipality of Buzau, to be operated by Transbus Buzau in the South East of the country.

The majority of the vehicles will be manufactured at BYD's production facility in Komarom, in neighbouring Hungary.

The news follows deliveries in Germany last summer when 22 eBuses  also 12-metre models  entered service in Gelsenkirchen and Bochum and also in Hungary with ten eBuses for the city of Pecs.

BYD's 12-metre model eBus is the company's best-selling model in Europe and features single-charge capability.

"We're delighted to have signed this important contract for the city of Buzau, and accessing European funds to improve the quality of life in our city," said Buzau Mayor, Constantin Toma. "We want to improve public transport in Buzau as much as possible. "Pollution is a problem due to the very large number of cars. In the last four years, the number of cars has doubled."

For her part, BYD Europe MD, Isbrand Ho, added: "From Portugal in the West and now to Romania in the East and also to the North, BYD continues to expand into markets the length and breadth of Europe. We are delighted to bring zero-emissions public transport in Buzau.

"I am confident this local operation will serve as a template for other Romanian towns and cities to introduce eMobility for their own citizens and to realise the benefits of safe, reliable, comfortable and, above all, clean public transport."
Vienna: Austria will significantly tighten its border controls to prevent arrivals from importing new variants of the coronavirus, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Monday.

Speaking at a news conference on the loosening of the countrys lockdown, Kurz did not say specifically what steps would be taken but mentioned the so-called Brazilian variant, which has not been identified in Austria yet.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has ordered tighter border controls. Credit:AP

Britains Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK needs to contain the spread of the South African variant of the coronavirus by identifying new cases through mass testing in areas where cases unconnected with travel have emerged.

There is currently no evidence to suggest this variant is any more severe, he said. But we need to come down hard on it and we will.
Today, more Americans hope to receive a COVID-19 vaccine than current vaccine supply will allow. Consequently, although President Joe Bidens initial promise to dole out 100 million vaccine doses in 100 days would require a ramp-up in vaccine allocation, some consider the promise to be insufficient to meet current levels of demand and put the pandemics spread into decline.

The current mismatch between vaccine demand and supply, however, may be short-lived. Despite concerns about lagging vaccine allocation for front-line health care workers and other vulnerable groups, health experts are optimistic that public demand for a COVID-19 vaccine will remain high in coming months as more vaccine doses become available.

While it is clear that many political leaders expect public demand for a coronavirus vaccine to be strong, whether or not expectations can live up to reality is an open question. In fact, there is some evidence to suggest instead that large segments of both the public and health care workers do not intend to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Figuring out whether or not some people are less likely to get vaccinated  and their reasons for not getting vaccinated  can help political leaders and health professionals better anticipate vaccine demand. If some social, political and other demographic groups are more (or less) likely to intend to get vaccinated than others, demand for a vaccine may be higher (or lower) in vaccine distribution networks that primarily service vaccine-hesitant groups.

Additionally, understanding why some individuals are more likely to refuse vaccination than others can help inform health communication efforts to increase vaccine uptake. For example, if some Americans intend to refuse to get vaccinated due to concerns that the vaccine is not safe, health communicators can target these groups with easy-to-understand information about how scientists determined that the vaccine is safe.

In a recent peer-reviewed study, we provide important insight into what public demand for a coronavirus vaccine could actually look like, once most Americans have the opportunity to get vaccinated. Just as important, we detail reasons certain Americans do not intend to get vaccinated.

Some Americans more likely to get vaccinated

We studied Americans COVID-19 vaccination intentions in a large, demographically representative online survey of 5,009 U.S. adults, conducted in June 2020. We measured vaccination intentions by asking respondents whether or not they would pursue getting vaccinated for the coronavirus if a COVID-19 vaccine became available.

Our study found that almost a third (31.1%) of respondents did not intend to pursue vaccination. This is concerning, given that recent epidemiological estimates suggest that up to 70% of Americans must become immune to COVID-19 in order to put the pandemics spread into decline.

We also found strong differences in vaccination intention between key demographic groups. Notably, we found that 35.7% of women (vs. 26.3% of men), 42.9% of Black people (vs. 28.6% of white people), and 37.8% of conservatives (vs. 33.4% of independents and 24.1% of liberals) intended to forgo vaccination.

Why will some people refuse a COVID-19 vaccine?

Our study provides new insights into the reasons that some Americans do not intend to get vaccinated against COVID-19. We found that concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine were the most consistent reasons for forgoing vaccination. We also found that portions of the American public did not intend to pursue vaccination because they lack health insurance, lack the financial resources they believe they need to be vaccinated or because they have already had COVID-19.

Our study also found considerable evidence that the reasons for not vaccinating were not the same for everyone. For example, women were more likely than men to say they would forgo vaccination due to concerns about safety and effectiveness. Additionally, we found that Black people were more likely to skip vaccination than white people due to perceived safety and effectiveness issues as well as concerns related to the cost of vaccinating and a lack of health insurance.

[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversations newsletter.]

What this all means for vaccine uptake

Together, our findings point to two key takeaways as the U.S. pushes to rapidly vaccinate its population against COVID-19. First, political leaders and public health experts need to recognize that what appears to be considerable public demand for the COVID-19 vaccine right now may be more modest in the coming months, as more Americans have the opportunity to get vaccinated. In its place, experts will be faced with the new challenge of convincing hesitant groups to get vaccinated in order to reach herd immunity and end the pandemic.

Second, our results demonstrate that in these efforts to vaccinate the hesitant, a one-size-fits-all approach to health communications will be insufficient. While health communications aimed at emphasizing the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine will be important, for some groups, it will be just as important to emphasize that Americans can be vaccinated against COVID-19 for free, regardless of insurance status. Developing these communications and identifying appropriate messengers to deliver this information will be vital to stopping the pandemic.

Timothy Callaghan, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M University School of Public Health, Texas A&M University and Matt Motta, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Oklahoma State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
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 drilling results continue to support the development potential of the companys large Kalkaroo copper-gold deposit in north-eastern South Australia, near Broken Hill.

The Kalkaroo project will be eligible for a new mine reduced royalty rate of 2% for the first five years of production

( ) (FRA:FWL) has reported further economic-grade copper and gold drilling results in the last three reverse circulation (RC) drill holes from its 2020 West Kalkaroo drilling campaign.

The three holes were drilled into the fault intersection zone that lies to the east of the planned gold open pit at West Kalkaroo, an area which is considered favourable for vein and breccia style copper-gold mineralisation due to greater fracturing intensity caused by the combined fault dislocations.

Key intercepts returned from the fault intersection zone, in part lying outside of the current Kalkaroo JORC Mineral Resource envelope, include:

16 metres of 1.31 g/t gold from 69-85 metres;

10 metres of 1.51 g/t gold from 102-112 metres; and

13 metres of 1.37% copper and 0.55 g/t gold from 133-146 metres.

Consistently mineralised intersections

Havilah technical director Dr Chris Giles said: Kalkaroo continues to deliver consistently mineralised copper and gold drilling intersections.

These results confirm a continuous gold-copper mineralised zone over 100 metres wide in the fault intersection zone, with substantial scope to materially increase resource tonnages in this part of the Kalkaroo deposit.

Kalkaroo is a structurally controlled, replacement style disseminated sulphide copper-gold deposit of similar type to that found in the Paterson Province in Western Australia, such as the Winu and Havieron copper-gold deposits, and compares favourably with these large new discoveries.

Our primary focus remains on advancing the West Kalkaroo gold open pit towards development during 2021, subject to receipt of required approvals and financing.

Drillhole cross-sections in the fault intersection zone and the planned West Kalkaroo gold open pit outline (blue) - which is being advanced towards development during 2021 subject to approvals and financing.

Looking forward

Drilling at Kalkaroo during 2021 will initially focus on sterilisation drilling in the vicinity of planned West Kalkaroo mining infrastructure (processing plant, waste dump).

Further exploration drilling along the main Kalkaroo fault to the east will be undertaken subject to drilling rig availability, due to the good prospects for extending the fault-controlled mineralisation in this direction.

Notably, the West Kalkaroo project economics will be assisted by a recent decision by the South Australian government that the Kalkaroo project will be eligible for a new mine reduced royalty rate of 2% for the first five years of production.
One of Queenslands top cops believes neglectful parents are to blame for youth crime, saying they have forced police to act as babysitters through the night.

Speaking in Townsville, Deputy Commissioner Paul Taylor said it was a tragedy that children as young as eight were out at all hours of night, no guardianship whatsoever.

Regional Queensland police Deputy Commissioner Paul Taylor. Credit:QPS

Police are not babysitters, OK? he said.

Police are running around chasing these kids when they should be at home in bed, getting up early and going to school and getting that education which will ultimately make them productive citizens.
Interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans was common, reanalysis of thirteen 48,000-year-old Neanderthal teeth from Jersey has revealed.

The teeth were first uncovered between 191011 from the top of a small granite ledge within the La Cotte de St Brelade cave by archaeologists with the Societe Jersiaise.

While the teeth had been assumed to come from a single Neanderthal, fresh analysis by British researchers has now concluded they came from at least two individuals.

Moreover, the teeth from both share traits that are distinctive of modern humans  suggesting that a shared ancestry was likely common among this population.

For example, the cervix  the 'neck' of the tooth  was shaped like those of humans, while other features typical of Neanderthals like a transverse crest were lacking.

Early work at the cave site  which continued into the 1920s  recovered more than 20,000 stone tools of a Middle Palaeolithic design associated with Neanderthals.

Recent analysis of deposits in the cave suggested that the teeth likely date back to up to 48,000 years ago  only some 8,000 years before Neanderthals died out.

This means that the La Cotte de St Brelade teeth may potentially be some of the most recent Neanderthal remains known to date.

While signs of interbreeding have previously been identified in eastern Europe, the findings mark the first time that signs of interbreeding have been discovered so deep into western Europe.

Interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans was common, reanalysis of thirteen 48,000-year-old Neanderthal teeth (pictured) from Jersey has revealed

While the teeth had been assumed to come from a single Neanderthal (like pictured), fresh analysis by British researchers has now concluded they came from at least two individuals

'Modern humans overlapped with Neanderthals in some parts of Europe after 45,000 years ago,' said paper author and physical anthropologist Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum.

Given this, he explained, 'the unusual features of these La Cotte individuals suggest that they could have had a dual Neanderthalmodern human ancestry.'

'This idea of a hybrid population could be tested by the recovery of ancient DNA from the teeth, something that is now under investigation.'

Three-dimensional X-ray  or 'microtomographic'  scans of all the La Cotte de St. Brelade fossil hominin specimens taken by researchers have been made publicly available to view on the online resource The Human Fossil Record.

'Through our collaboration with Jersey Heritage anyone can examine these fossils virtually,' said paleoanthropologist Matt Skinner of the University of Kent.

People can 'download surface models and 3D print them if they want to have their own high-resolution copies for teaching or just to put them on their mantlepiece.'

'They are the next best thing to the fossils themselves,' he concluded.

The teeth were first uncovered between 191011 from the top of a small granite ledge within the cave by archaeologists with the Societe Jersiaise led by E.T. Nicolle, pictured here next to a ledge thought likely the one on which the teeth were found

The teeth from both share traits that are distinctive of modern humans  suggesting that a shared ancestry was likely common among this population. Pictured, an upper fourth premolar seen here under normal light (top), as a surface model (middle) and CT cross-section (bottom)

'This work offers us a glimpse of a new and intriguing population of Neanderthal people and opens the door to a new phase of discovery at the site,' said archaeologist and dig leader Matt Pope of the University College London.

Further excavation at the cave site began in 2019.

'We will now work with Jersey Heritage to recover new finds and fossils from La Cotte de St Brelade, undertake a new programme analysis with our scientific colleagues, and put in place engineering to protect this very vulnerable site for the future.'

'It will be a mammoth project and one to watch for those fascinated by our closest evolutionary relatives.'

Recent analysis of deposits in the cave, pictured, suggested that the teeth likely date back to up to 48,000 years ago  only some 8,000 years before Neanderthals died out

'La Cotte de St Brelade is a site of huge importance and it continues to reveal stories about our ancient predecessors,' said Jersey Heritage curator, Olga Finch.

'Jersey Heritage has made a big investment to secure La Cotte against the challenges posed by climate change,' she added.

'Work continues to find the funding for further protection and research at this ancient site, where so much more waits to be discovered.'

The full findings of the study were published in the Journal of Human Evolution.

The teeth were first uncovered between 191011 from the top of a small granite ledge within the La Cotte de St Brelade cave by archaeologists with the Societe Jersiaise

'Modern humans overlapped with Neanderthals in some parts of Europe after 45,000 years ago,' said paper author and physical anthropologist Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum. Given this, he explained, 'the unusual features of these La Cotte individuals suggest that they could have had a dual Neanderthalmodern human ancestry'
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.
TICKERS: BSK; BKUCF

Source: The Critical Investor for Streetwise Reports (1/31/21)

The Critical Investor delves into Blue Sky Uranium's projects in Argentina.



1. Introduction

Last year has been a quiet year with the COVID-19 pandemic restricting most exploration activities in Argentina, but the situation has changed since November 2020, and Blue Sky Uranium Corp. (BSK:TSX.V; BKUCF:OTC) is back in business again, ready to advance its flagship Amarillo Grande uranium project. The company received a tailwind from positive sentiment for uranium companies in general, which has been fueled by several reasons. The most important one has been the U.S. Senate approving a bill which requires the U.S. holding a domestic reserve of uranium; another one has been the shutting down of operating mines like Cigar Lake, and reducing further development and production of mines in Kazakhstan. This and other causes resulted in a higher spot price for U3O8 in 2020, as is shown on this chart from the Cameco (CCO.TO) website:

This in turn lifted uranium junior stocks considerably after the March COVID-19 market crash, but as can be seen in the following 1 year comparative chart showing the five largest uranium mining stocks with a North American listing and Blue Sky Uranium itself, the U.S. uranium reserve bill ignited a real fire in December:



Multiple uranium company chart 2020 (Source: tmxmoney.com)

As the owner of a low cost uranium project in Argentina, Blue Sky Uranium also saw a 46% increase in share price over 2020, and received lots of interest from investors. Management didn't hesitate too long, announced a private placement of C$3.51 million @ C$0.13 and a full 3 year (C$0.25 exercise) warrant on December 29, 2020, and closed it heavily oversubscribed at January 26, 2021. A full treasury allows the company to advance its district scale Amarillo Grande uranium-vanadium project in the mining friendly Rio Negro Province in Argentina, as the company plans on expanding the existing NI43-101 compliant resource as much as possible, and is working on a Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS). I expect a larger project to have improved economics, which are already pretty solid for a uranium project, as production costs are in the lowest quartile of the industry. What this could mean for investors will be discussed in this article.

All presented tables are my own material, unless stated otherwise.

All pictures are company material, unless stated otherwise.

All currencies are in US Dollars, unless stated otherwise.

2. Company

Blue Sky Uranium is an exploration and development company, focusing its uranium and vanadium exploration efforts on southern Argentina, with 100% control of more than 300,000 hectares of mining tenures. The company is a member of the Grosso Group, lead by Joe Grosso, and is a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993.

The company's Amarillo Grande Uranium-Vanadium Project in the Rio Negro province is a district-scale uranium discovery and includes the flagship Ivana project, containing the country's largest NI 43-101 resource estimate for uranium, with a significant vanadium credit.

Blue Sky Uranium currently has, after closing the recent financing, 162.11 million shares outstanding (fully diluted 224.977 million), 46.7 million warrants (the majority is due @C$0.250.30 in 2022 and 2024),and several option series to the tune of 16.17 million options (C$0.250.30, expiring in 2023 and 2026) in total, which gives it a market capitalization of C$28.4 million based on a January 29, 2021, share price of C$0.175. Addition: on January 29, 2021, the company issued 12 million options with an expiry date of January 27, 2026, and an expiry price of C$0.25. As an explanation for the rather generous amount, CEO Nikolaos Cacos had this to say: "Stock options are an integral method of incentivizing a teamespecially one as dedicated and talented as Blue Sky's. The last time we granted options was over three years ago. As we embark on a new key phase for the company to expand our current resources and, potentially, add considerable new value, the Board felt it was the right time to ensure that those carrying out all this work are incentivized and can share in the success of the company's growth."

As we have seen recently, the company has no trouble raising cash, and this kind of money goes a long way for exploration (drilling) at its Amarillo Grande project, as all mineralization is near surface, at a maximum depth of just 30 meters. The share price keeps hovering at relatively low levels, but picked up somewhat as mentioned due to the U.S. reserve bill:



Share price; 1 year time frame (Source: tmxmoney.com)

This low pricing is predominantly related to the current low uranium prices for spot and contract, rendering almost all uranium projects worldwide uneconomic as mentioned. The uranium market itself is a very untransparent and therefore complex market to understand and surely forecast, but I will try to make things a bit more insightful in the next paragraph.

The management team of Blue Sky Uranium is also the core of the Grosso Group team, and is led by President and CEO Nikolaos Cacos, who has been with the Grosso Group since inception in 1993, and a director of Blue Sky Uranium since 2005, and a director of Golden Arrow Resources since 2004 and president and CEO of Argentina Lithium since 2013. All three companies are members of the Grosso Group, and operate in Argentina. CFO Darren Urquhart isn't that long with the group but also closely involved like Cacos as he is CFO of all three companies. With all three companies there is a specific metal specialist geologist on board, and with Blue Sky it is Guillermo Pensado, the VP of Exploration and Development, who has over two decades of experience in exploration and economic project assessment in the Americas, with most of it focused on uranium.

When we are talking about the Grosso Group, there is no way we can go around the founder and chairman, Joseph (Joe) Grosso. He became one of the early pioneers of the mining sector in Argentina in 1993 when mining was opened to foreign investment, and was named Argentina's 'Mining Man of the Year' in 2005. His knowledge of Argentina was instrumental in attracting a premier team, which led to the acquisition of key properties in Golden Arrow Resources' portfolio, of which the development of Chinchillas eventually resulted in a JV with SSR Mining. He has successfully formed strategic alliances and negotiated with mining industry majors such as Barrick, Teck, Newmont, Viceroy (now Yamana Gold) and Vale, and government officials at all levels. At the moment he is the chairman of Blue Sky Uranium, a director of Argentina Lithium, and executive chairman, CEO and president of Golden Arrow Resources, which is the flagship company of the Grosso Group. To me, Joe Grosso is instrumental and successful in managing any jurisdictional risk in Argentina, and very important for Blue Sky Uranium in this role.

Another important person is director David Terry, PhD Geo, who is an extremely knowledgeable geologist, has been with the Grosso Group for a long time, and currently is a CEO of Genesis Metals, and director of Golden Arrow Resources, Great Bear Resources and Aftermath Silver.

So far for management, let's have a look at the commodity in focus, which is of course uranium.

3. Uranium

Uranium (chemical element U, better known as U3O8) is the fuel for nuclear power plants. Many industrialized nations are heavily dependent on nuclear power generation, with nuclear electricity representing a major component in such countries as the United States (21%), Hungary (36%), Sweden (46%), and particularly France (78%). Japan used to be one of the biggest nuclear electricity producers (34%), but since the Fukushima disaster in 2011 all nuclear reactors have been shut down. Since Q3, 2014, Japan is slowly restarting reactors again.

As renewable energy (wind, water, solar) is becoming increasingly important, but it's main issues are its lack of continuity and directly connected to this a power grid that can absorb the shifts in energy levels, society needs sufficient base load power, and coal and nuclear can provide this certainty, and therefore will not go away anytime soon, especially nuclear since coal has been developing an increasingly negative environmental image.

Worldwide, 440 reactors supply about 10% of the world's energy requirements. In addition to this, 53 nuclear reactors are in various stages of construction worldwide, with Asia leading the pack, with China constructing 11 and India constructing 7 of these new reactors. There are also a number of reactors being phased out, so the nuclear utility fleet is expected to see a small annual increase.

These utilities buy uranium from producers, via long term contracts. World uranium production used to be dominated by Kazakhstan, Canada and Australia which, together, produced about 74% of annual mine supply in 2019. These countries are followed by Niger, Russia and Namibia. These leading producers combined account for approximately 95% of worldwide mine production. An important development in this regard are the production cuts by Cameco and Kazatomprom as a reaction on ongoing low uranium oxide prices. In 2019, world production of uranium came in at 142.3M lb of uranium, and figures of 2020 are not in yet, but are expected to be 129M lb according to consulting firm UxC. This actually seems a high forecast to me but we will see. The four largest producers for capacity are Kazatomprom, Cameco, Orano (former Areva) and ARMZ-Uranium One.

Cameco even shut down its last remaining operation Cigar Lake in 2020, for the second time that year due to COVID-19 measures, and ceased production completely. As a consequence, Cameco has been buying at the spot market since 2019 to fulfill its contract obligations. This led me to believe that the current spot prices, which are low compared to costs of production, are actually artificially kept at higher levels, because of producers like Cameco but also Kazatomprom buying at the spot market. They are not the only ones doing this, as for example traders, banks and hedge funds are buying uranium oxides left and right in order to speculate on future price increases.

Other operations around the world also saw COVID-19 induced production cuts, although marginally. Mines that are forecasted to halt production soon are Ranger in Australia and Arlit in Niger, and this is expected to have a meaningful impact on spot pricing.

Although current production is only 7580% of current demand and has been lowering for several years now, and there has been no demand destruction, spot and contract pricing remains at low levels. In general, US$60/lb U3O8 is believed to be the minimum threshold to bring most idled operations back online again, or start up new mines, but the current spot price lags at US$30.20/lb, and the contract price at US$35/lb. This remarkable situation can only exist because utilities, the primary buyers of uranium oxide, have large multi-year stockpiles, as they cannot afford the risk of shutting reactors down due to lack of fuel. In addition to this, closed Japanese utilities keep selling on the spot market. On an important sidenote, fuel accounts only for 23% of the operating costs of a utility, so in my view they don't care less if prices hover at US$20, US$30, US$60 or US$100/lb, and are certainly not waiting until spot prices are rising as other market commentators have been implying.

The million dollar question was, is and always will be in the uranium sector: when the utilities will start coming back to the contract market in order to arrange new long term supplies, usually for 5 to 10 years? When this happens, it is anticipated that demand will outstrip supply in such a way that spot and contract prices will have to rise substantially, as current halted mines can't be switched on quickly enough.

These restarts take time, to the tune of 0.752 years, and when Japanese selling on the spot market has dried up and utilities start buying, there is no time. Although I believe there could be a spike in pricing again, it is also my opinion that we will not see the extremes of 2007, with spot prices going to US$136/lb and contract prices to US$95/lb:

As Kazatomprom seems to have control over supply these days, as it can increase production relatively quick and easy, I do believe that it will find a way to increase production at such pace that an eventual peak in spot prices will not supersede US$60-70/lb U3O8, and contract prices will remain at US$50/lb U3O8 or lower. In this way it prevents most undeveloped projects from being financed, as the very best projects need a long term US$50/lb price, and the average project US$6065/lb, so Kazatomprom would remain in control.

For now the most important development on the short term will be the confirmation of the Biden presidency of the U.S. uranium reserve bill, signed by his predecessor Trump. Biden has stated in the past that he is a supporter of implementing SMR (small) nuclear reactors. Notwithstanding this, the first utility signing a long term supply contract will be the real game changer for the mining industry.

Let's have a quick look at the situation in the jurisdiction where Blue Sky Uranium is operating. Argentina has no current uranium production on home soil, and requires 100% importation of its uranium supply. The country has three nuclear reactors generating about 5% of its electricity; its current annual consumption is approximately 300 tonnes U3O8 (or 660,000 lb U3O8). As shown below in an outdated but still relevant chart sourced from the Mining and Energy Industry of Argentina, the price paid for uranium was much higher than the international market price for uranium:

It doesn't look like this situation will be adjusted anytime soon in Argentina and provides an excellent future environment for Blue Sky Uranium and the Grosso Group to negotiate with the government on long term off-take contracts for its Amarillo Grande project. After focusing on the macro environment for uranium, it is time to look at the project itself.

4. Amarillo Grande Project

The Amarillo Grande Project, located in the Rio Negro Province in Argentina, covers over 300,000 hectares of mineral exploration rights. The province has a 38 out of 76 ranking on the latest Fraser Institute Survey of Mining Companies. Within this, the Ivana group of properties containing the flagship Ivana project covers over 118,000 hectares north of Valcheta City in Rio Negro Province. It is the southernmost property along the 145 kilometer NW-SE trend, of which only 7,000 hectares have seen recent exploration, that contains not only the Ivana deposit but also a series of airborne radiometric anomalies that represent future exploration targets.

The remaining 111,000 hectares also represent a lot of potential for multiple blind deposits, related or not to superficial anomalies according to management. The project has year-round access through a well-maintained gravel road network, in an area of very low population density. The project is in a semi-arid topographical depression, close to 100 meters below the elevation of Valcheta City (25km south of the Ivana deposit and the location of the regional office of Blue Sky Uranium), with low rainfall, and within a closed hydrologic system. Therefore, any mining and processing activity developed in the area would likely have a low potential risk to local fresh water aquifers.

Blue Sky Uranium has been exploring the Amarillo Grande Project since 2006, and came up with interesting results for the initial Anit and Santa Barbara targets. Lots of historical RC drilling returned widespread uranium and vanadium mineralization:

Management never completed a resource estimate on Anit, as the uranium market went into a downward cycle, following the 2011 Fukushima incident, and focused on Ivana when things normalized, but based on these historical exploration results and size, I would like to estimate a mineralized envelope of 4,000 x 500 x 2.3m x 2.1t/m3 = 9.66Mt, which would result in 6.3M lb U3O8 and 15,78M lb V2O5.

The later discovered Ivana deposit is the most economic project so far and therefore probably the first to be developed, but management hasn't forgotten about the other two projects, or the various radiometric anomalies along the 145km long potential exploration trend. The Ivana deposit is a surficial deposit with a NI43-101 compliant Inferred resource of 22.7M lb U3O8 and 11.5M lb V2O5:

According to management, this new district may be hiding multiple blind deposits, and its potential may be not only at surface but also in depth, as suggested by Areva in its exploration program. The Blue Sky exploration team, armed with the experience of the Ivana deposit discovery and the development of an exploration model to be applied all over the district, is now focused in the re-assessment of the Anit and Santa Barbara surficial mineralizations, as well as the several radiometric anomalies in between. Management thinks that those areas may represent the superficial expression of multiple blind, deeper and higher grade roll front deposits representing an estimated potential for about 100M lb U3O8 along the entire district. I asked them specifically how they got to this concept. This is their explanation and in my view the key to the story:

"The surficial mineralization is the indicator itself because roll front deposits, or the uranium comprised in those deposits, can be remobilized by oxidized ground waters and precipitated as surficial mineralization near surface. This is the model observed at the Ivana deposit. Therefore, the several radiometric anomalies along the 145km long district, including Santa Barbara and Anit, may be indicating deeper blind deposits."

The Ivana deposit contains layers of poorly consolidated sediments that are calcareous, but the strength of the calcite cement is far from being considered calcrete. The absence of these calcrete layers improves metallurgical recovery a great deal. The primary uranium mineralization at Ivana also has considerable similarities to sandstone-hosted uranium deposits in other locations, particularly basal-channel sandstone-hosted uranium deposits, and appears to be related to a redox boundary of possible regional extent.

Uranium deposits of this type formed along regional redox boundaries can reach large sizes, as at Inkai, Kazakhstan, where the proven and probable reserves are about 270 million pounds of U3O8 at a grade of 0.03% U3O8, and in situ recovery (ISR) production at these deposits (JV of Cameco and Kazatomprom) currently dominates global supply.

Of course, this doesn't directly imply that Ivana could get very large as well, but as Blue Sky Uranium has traced uranium on a district scale trend here, this could indicate significant potential in that direction. The company has staked 145km of claims now, covering almost a complete anticipated redox boundary front:

The Ivana uranium-vanadium deposit is currently considered a hybrid, in part a surficial deposit, and in part a sandstone-hosted deposit. It has the following features:

Hosted by loosely consolidated sediments from surface to just 24 meters depth; mining via open-pit methods

Oxidized uranium-vanadium mineralization amenable to upgrading by simple wet scrubbing and screening and alkaline leach processing

The Ivana deposit remains open for expansion and additional near deposit (or brownfield) exploration resource potential exists in the Ivana area

The company completed a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) on the Ivana deposit at February 27, 2019. The report described an open pit operation with a 13 year life of mine (LOM), a 6,400 tonne per day throughput and a strip ratio of 1.1:1.

Overall recovery of uranium oxide is 84.6%, and of vanadium pentoxide 52.5%, which is solid. The annual production is 1.35M lb U3O8 on average, which would make Ivana a relatively small uranium project, but as mentioned management sees potential to increase the total amount of pounds to about 100M lb. The PEA shows decent economics for a uranium project: at US$50/lb U3O8 and US$15/lb V2O5 the post-tax NPV8 is US135.2M, IRR is 29.3% and capex is US$128.05M. The sensitivity looks like this:

So despite the low grade mineralization, the Ivana project manages to become economic at US$50/lb U3O8, ranking it in the lowest quartile of projects under development, whereas many peer projects or mines in care and maintenance need US$6065/lb U3O8 nowadays. The McArthur Mine of Cameco might even need higher uranium prices, as it needs a pretty expensive upgrade before production can resume. Beneficiary factors for Ivana are of course the very near surface mineralization and low strip ratio, and the very soft host rock.

Because of the vanadium by-product of about 10% of revenues, the all-in sustaining costs are pretty low, at US$18.27/lb U3O8. This means as long as the Ivana project gets financed and put into production, it could endure Argentinian uranium oxide contract pricing as low as US$20/lb.

The base case price for vanadium was set at US$15/lb, which looked realistic when the PEA was released, but unfortunately is no longer applicable as it trades at US$7/lb at the moment, meaning revenues would drop 5%. Running a quick back of the envelope estimate, I expect after-tax NPV8 to drop to about US$120 million, and IRR to 27%, which are still very decent numbers and still imply a lowest quartile producer. So the vanadium isn't really that important to the project. Vanadium could be an interesting contribution in the future, as vanadium pricing showed some extreme spiking over the longer term:

As can be seen, US$15/lb is relatively high compared to long trading price levels, and since 20052006 it seems to revert back to US$56/lb after spikes. Notwithstanding vanadium pricing, if Blue Sky Uranium does manage to delineate 100M lb U3O8, it isn't unrealistic in that case to double or even triple production capacity and double LOM. In this case some economies of scale could kick in, and despite expected lower average grade and increased capex, the post-tax NPV8 should be able to come in at least around US$300350 million, with the IRR roughly estimated at 2527% as well, maybe higher depending on the amount of higher grade ore the company could delineate in the future.

The company is proceeding with the expansion of the current resource and setting up work programs for the upcoming PreFeasibility Study (PFS), and for this it is not allowed to include Inferred resources, so these need to be converted. The current resource looks like this in the following schematic map projecting drill holes as well:

The following section shows a slice exaggerated in height, as it is spread out and relatively thin:

The current drill spacing of 100 x 200m appears to be adequate to update Inferred into Indicated resources but this is up to the geologists; however, more extensive bulk density testing is needed before the resource can be moved to the Indicated category.

Blue Sky Uranium also has numerous projects in the Chubut province. Situated directly south of Rio Negro, Chubut hosts several uranium deposits, however, none is currently in production and the provincial government has enacted restrictions against open-pit mining. The company's projects in this area, Sierra Colonia, Tierras Coloradas, Regalo and Cerro Parva, comprising more than 150,000 hectares of 100% controlled mining properties, are shelved now because of this.

For now, Blue Sky Uranium is planning RC drilling to expand the Ivana Central and North zones. For Ivana East and Cateo Cuatro, targets are being advanced toward drill testing. Management also plans to look for potential for in-situ recovery (ISR) zones at a larger depth, but no deeper than 150 meters, in analogy with the Kazakh deposits. Furthermore, the company will be looking into restarting drilling at Anit and Santa Barbara.

5. Conclusion

The recently signed U.S. uranium reserve bill has injected the uranium juniors with fresh energy. As more and more operating uranium mines are put on care and maintenance, and demand keeps increasing steadily, many experts feel the point of utilities finally starting to arrange long term contracts is coming near. The markets are sharing this positivism, and Blue Sky Uranium capitalized on it by closing an impressive C$5.46M financing, which is enough to take the company through a busy year of advancing Ivana toward resource expansion and starting preparation for a PFS.

The company has a few robust advantages over many other uranium developers: in Argentina uranium oxide is imported at a much higher price than used at the international markets; its Ivana PEA already indicates a profitable project at US$50/lb U3O8, which places Blue Sky Uranium in the lowest quartile of developers and producers; and lastly it has substantial growth potential as management believes it could expand the existing resource up to four times. If it will succeed remains to be seen, but I like its chances.

If you are interested to hear more from management, they will be presenting a webinar on February 2, 2021, at 4:05PM EST together with Amvest Capital, and if you want to participate you can sign up through this link:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5598786188867828237?source=co

If for some reason signing up doesn't work or if you have other questions, feel free to contact management per the contact details on blueskyuranium.com.

I hope you will find this article interesting and useful, and will have further interest in my upcoming articles on mining. To never miss a thing, please subscribe to my free newsletter on www.criticalinvestor.eu in order to get an email notice of my new articles soon after they are published.

The Critical Investor is a newsletter and comprehensive junior mining platform, providing analysis, blog and newsfeed and all sorts of information about junior mining. The editor is an avid and critical junior mining stock investor from The Netherlands, with an MSc background in construction/project management. Number cruncher at project economics, looking for high quality companies, mostly growth/turnaround/catalyst-driven to avoid too much dependence/influence of long-term commodity pricing/market sentiments, and often looking for long-term deep value. Getting burned in the past himself at junior mining investments by following overly positive sources that more often than not avoided to mention (hidden) risks or critical flaws, The Critical Investor learned his lesson well, and goes a few steps further ever since, providing a fresh, more in-depth, and critical vision on things, hence the name.

[NLINSERT]

Disclaimer: The author is not a registered investment advisor, and has a long position in this stock. Blue Sky Uranium is a sponsoring company. All facts are to be checked by the reader. For more information go to www.blueskyuranium.com and read the company's profile and official documents on www.sedar.com, also for important risk disclosures. This article is provided for information purposes only, and is not intended to be investment advice of any kind, and all readers are encouraged to do their own due diligence, and talk to their own licensed investment advisors prior to making any investment decisions.

Streetwise Reports Disclosure:

1) The Critical Investor's disclosures are listed above.

2) The following companies mentioned in the article are sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.

4) The article does not constitute investment advice. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional and any action a reader takes as a result of information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports.

5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the decision to publish an article until three business days after the publication of the article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Aftermath Silver and Blue Sky Uranium, companies mentioned in this article.

Charts and graphics provided by the author.
DETROIT, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocket Mortgage, America's largest mortgage lender, today announced it will double down, debuting two new commercials during Super Bowl LV. The new spots mark the fourth year the company has advertised in the Super Bowl. This year's ads will showcase both the company's technology platform and the important role that local mortgage brokers play in helping Americans achieve the dream of homeownership. The campaign debuts at a time when home means more than ever due to the effects of COVID-19.

The commercials will feature superstar comedian Tracy Morgan, along with an action star, athletes and influencers demonstrating why it's important to use Rocket Mortgage in the homebuying process. One ad will feature the innovative Rocket Mortgage app, while the other will showcase the crucial role that independent mortgage brokers play in the mortgage financing world, serving as trusted advisors and leaders in their communities. Teasers for the advertisements will be released on the Rocket Mortgage YouTube channel and social media pages throughout this week.

"COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the way people think about their homes," said Jay Farner, CEO of Rocket Mortgage. "After nearly a year of many people living, working, exercising and learning from home, the pandemic has brought new meaning and significance to the place where we live. With our 2021 Super Bowl spots, we are bringing awareness to the importance of home and demonstrating how we continue to enable more Americans to achieve the dream of homeownership  whether through our digital solutions, our skilled mortgage bankers or mortgage brokers in local communities across the country."

Despite the ongoing pandemic, homeownership was strong throughout 2020 as Americans looked to move into larger houses, find places with more spacious yards and upgrade their existing residences. Another result of COVID-19 was a heighted interest in leveraging digital resources to complete formerly in-person tasks. Application volume through Rocket Mortgage's self-serve online experience grew significantly faster than overall volume through the first three quarters of 2020. In fact, during the third quarter, Rocket Mortgage delivered more home purchase approval letters through its digital experience than any quarter in company history.

The continued growth of the housing market comes in the wake of a pandemic that has created unprecedented health care and economic challenges throughout the country. Rocket Mortgage was proud to spearhead several initiatives focused on supporting its communities and keeping its team members, clients and neighbors safe.

"At Rocket Mortgage, we, and our family of companies, follow a 'for-more-than-profit' philosophy that acknowledges that our businesses and communities are inextricably linked," said Laura Grannemann, Vice President of the Rocket Community Fund  the philanthropic arm of Rocket Mortgage. "Detroit is our hometown, and we are proud to have leveraged our business tools to drive as much impact and resiliency as possible in the city during this difficult time. Through our work, we have been able to support the distribution of essential resources, prevent eviction and homelessness, and even establish a drive-thru testing site and centralized scheduling center for vaccine distribution throughout southeast Michigan."

The Rocket Community Fund has also extended support to its hometown of Detroit by donating more than $10 million, along with the Gilbert Family Foundation, to local non-profits to address the impact of COVID-19 on residents. That includes efforts from the company's team members who have contributed more than $300,000 to non-profits out of their own pockets, which was matched by the Rocket Community Fund, for a total of $622,416.

The Rocket Community Fund is also donating $545,000 to Habitat for Humanity to support their neighborhood revitalization program in Cleveland, Charlotte and Phoenix  three other Rocket Mortgage home cities. The funds will help more families recover from the housing crisis, which was accelerated by the pandemic.

Tune in to Super Bowl LV at 6:30 p.m. EST, Sunday, February 7, on CBS to see Rocket Mortgage's commercials.

About Quicken Loans/Rocket Mortgage

Detroit-based Quicken Loans, the nation's largest home mortgage lender and a part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), enables the American Dream of homeownership and financial freedom through its obsession with an industry-leading, digital-driven client experience. The company closed $213 billion dollars of mortgage volume across all 50 states in the first three quarters of 2020. In late 2015, Quicken Loans introduced Rocket Mortgage, the first fully digital mortgage experience. Currently, 98% of all home loans originated by Quicken Loans utilize Rocket Mortgage Technology.

Quicken Loans moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010. Today, Quicken Loans and Rocket Companies employ more than 22,000 full-time team members nationwide. The company generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Phoenix and operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit. Quicken Loans ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction for primary mortgage origination by J.D. Power for 11 consecutive years, 2010  2020, and also ranked highest in the country for customer satisfaction among all mortgage servicers seven consecutive years, 2014  2020.

Quicken Loans was once again named to FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list in 2020 and has been included in the magazine's top 1/3rd of companies named to the list for the past 17 consecutive years. In addition, Essence Magazine named Quicken Loans "#1 Place to Work in the Country for African Americans."

For more information and company news visit QuickenLoans.com/press-room.

SOURCE Rocket Mortgage
A right-wing political grouping was embarrassingly ambushed by gardai while holding an illegal gathering at a famed War of Independence battle site.

Ahead of the 100th anniversary of the celebrated Clonfin Ambush, gardai shut down the unauthorised meeting.

A file is being prepared for charges to be brought for potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations banning gatherings and limiting travel to 5km from homes.

Six people were spoken to by gardai about their presence at the event in Co Longford.

A car driven by one of the group was seized for not having correct tax, insurance and NCT discs.

Read More

The ambush, which took place on February 2, 1921, is one of the most famous engagements of the War of Independence.

The IRA ambushed two lorry-loads of British Auxiliaries at Clonfin. In the gun battle that followed, four auxiliaries were killed and eight were wounded.

In a rare development, the British troops surrendered and their weapons were seized.

However, the IRA commander of the flying column, Sean MacEoin, was praised for treating the wounded soldiers and the respect he showed to the troops who surrendered.

The ambush was a major success for the IRA and the treatment of the soldiers who surrendered was both commended and employed as a propaganda tool. The tactics employed by the flying column in carrying out the ambush have also been cited by military historians. General MacEoin, known as the Blacksmith of Ballinalee, was one of the best-known IRA leaders of the war.

He went on to become a TD, Minister for Defence and Justice and the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces.

British forces retaliated for the attack, burning houses and farms in the area and killing an elderly farmer.

When General MacEoin was captured later that year by the British forces, three auxiliaries who were involved at Clonfin testified at his court case that he had treated them and the wounded humanely.

The battle site at Clonfin now has a monument built to mark the event.

In line with Covid-19 guidelines, an official virtual commemoration of the famous battle has been recorded and will be broadcast next Sunday.

But the right-wing grouping had no permission to hold their unauthorised event yesterday afternoon. A number of prominent right-wing figures are understood to have been present.

A Garda spokesman said: Gardai received reports of a breach of Public Health Regulations at Clonfin, Granard, Co Longford, this afternoon, Sunday 31st January 2021.

Upon arrival, six persons were present, all those present were spoken to by An Garda Siochana. A file will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecution in relation to any potential breaches of Public Health Regulations. A car was seized at the location under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act.
People with appointments still had to wait in long lines at the Gloucester County COVID-19 vaccine site at Rowan College South Jersey in Deptford, N.J., on Jan. 21. Elizabeth Robertson/Philadelphia Inquirer

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his "path-breaking" visit to Israel on Tuesday with his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu extending an extraordinary welcome and asserting that "even sky is not the limit" in the cooperation between the two countries.

Modi, the first Indian prime minister to visit the Jewish nation, was received at the Ben Gurion airport by Netanyahu who said in Hindi, "aapka swagat hai, mere dost" (welcome, my friend).

Here are the five major points-

'Aapka swaagat hai mere dost', says PM Netanyahu welcoming PM Modi in Hindi

We are cooperating to secure our societies against common threats such as terrorism: Modi

Alongside building a partnership for shared economic prosperity, we are also cooperating to secure our societies: Modi

I am keen to interact with Indian diaspora in Israel, including large number of Jews of Indian origin: Modi

Formula for success simple, it's I-squared &T-squared, equals Indian talent and Israel technology, equals India-Israel ties for tomorrow: Benjamin Netanyahu

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Farmers have kickstarted the annual #Februdairy initiative to celebrate all things dairy following a turbulent year for the industry.

This year's month-long celebration, launched on Monday (1 February), sees the hashtag #Februdairy as the main focal point across social media platforms.

Farmers and the wider public have started sharing tweets, Instagram photos and Facebook posts to promote British dairy to a wider audience.

Nutritionists also take the time to educate the public on dairy's positive impact on health, such as the presence of nutrients such as calcium, potassium, and vitamin D.

This year's Februdairy follows a difficult twelve months for the nation's dairy producers, who saw the unprecedented market pressures of the pandemic.

But some positives were seen as a consequence of lockdown: the UK's first dairy TV campaign for 20 years helped drive 11.2 million litres of additional liquid milk sales, and the traditional British milkman even made a comeback.

Janet Finch-Saunder, the Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, welcomed this year's initiative as it 'crucially backed' Britain's rural communities.

Popped up to the shop this morning to grab a couple of litres of fresh milk from a local dairy farm who supply us. Something about dispensing your own milk into reusable glass bottles that makes it all the more satisfying #februdairy #regenben #shoplocal #freshmilk pic.twitter.com/3BHVh9o7Hb  Ben Taylor-Davies (@bentd76) February 1, 2021

"After their hard work to keep us fed throughout the pandemic, it is only right that we begin to give back," she said.

In my own constituency of Aberconwy, we are blessed to have access to some truly delicious and fine local dairy produce, including Llaeth y Llan yogurts and cheeses from South Caernarfon Creameries and the Snowdonia Cheese Company.

"I encourage you all to make a special effort to try these delicious foods, and support the industry this month.
Angelia Jolie discussed raising her 'resilient' children as she graced the cover of British Vogue's March issue.

In the new interview, the actress, 45, admitted she doesn't view herself as 'a traditional stay-at-home mum' as she was 'was never very good at sitting still', but credited her six kids for 'helping' her motherhood journey.

The screen star - who co-parents Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14, and 12-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox with ex Brad Pitt - also reflected on 'healing' her family following a 'hard' few years, and 'hitting my stride' in her fifties.

''Well, I was never very good at sitting still': Angelia Jolie discusses raising her 'resilient' children as she graced the cover of British Vogue's March issue

On juggling her career with looking after her kids, the Tom Raider icon - who posed for an accompanying shoot at her $25million (18.2million) Los Angeles home - told the publication: 'Well, I was never very good at sitting still.

'Even though I wanted to have many children and be a mom, I always imagined it kind of like Jane Goodall, travelling in the middle of the jungle somewhere. I didn't imagine it in that true, traditional sense.

'I feel like I'm lacking in all the skills to be a traditional stay-at-home mom. I'm managing through it because the children are quite resilient, and they're helping me, but I'm not good at it at all.'

The humanitarian has been single ever since she separated from fellow thespian Brad, 57, in September 2016, following two years of marriage and a 12-year relationship.

'I'm not good at it at all': The actress, 45, admitted she doesn't view herself as 'a traditional stay-at-home mum' as she touched on her 'hard' few years and approaching her fifties

'They're helping me': The screen star co-parents Maddox, 19, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 14, and 12-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox (pictured in 2019) with ex Brad Pitt

The former couple are said to be 'in a better place' after battling over finances and the custody of their children.

Confessing she 'doesn't know' whether she's currently happy, Angelina insisted she has a positive outlook on the future.

The Girl, Interrupted star shared: 'The past few years have been pretty hard. I've been focusing on healing our family. It's slowly coming back, like the ice melting and the blood returning to my body.

'I'm looking forward to my fifties - I feel that I'm gonna hit my stride in my fifties. Though we were on the trampoline the other day, and the children said, ''No, Mom, don't do that. You'll hurt yourself.'' And I thought, ''God, isn't that funny?''

'The past few years have been pretty hard': The humanitarian has been single ever since she separated from fellow thespian Brad, 57, in September 2016 (pictured in 2011)

'There was a day I was an action star, and now the kids are telling me to get off the trampoline because I'll hurt myself.'

On championing the 'spirit of the youth', the filmmaker added: 'Maybe it's just the young punk in me but I like the spirit of the youth. I believe they can see right and wrong with more clarity.

'I see a lot of older people making excuses for certain behaviours, and it tends to be the younger person who is quicker to say, ''But this is simply wrong, and we stand against it.'' I've wanted to remain that person.'

The Unbroken star also touched on her role as the special envoy from the UN Refugee Agency.

'I've been focusing on healing our family': The former couple are said to be 'in a better place' after battling over finances and the custody of their children (pictured in 2015)

Angelina shared: 'I started in my early twenties, putting on my boots and backpack, and going out to try and figure out what the hell was going on in the world.

'I tried to give myself a broader education than Id had at school. I grew up in a very empty place, in many ways, so had to go to find a wider understanding.'

The activist went on to admit she believes the perception of refugees has 'worsened' over time, explaining: 'We speak as if refugees are a burden. But theyve had to adapt. They have a different skill set, a different look in their eye.

'Theyve confronted their own humanity in such a profound way. Theyve stood up to oppression. We should honour their fight. Honour the people whove fled bombs and protected their kids.'

'I'm gonna hit my stride in my fifties': Confessing she 'doesn't know' whether she's happy, the Girl, Interrupted star insisted she has a positive outlook on the future (pictured in 2019)

Stressing the importance of teaching global citizenship to her kids, she added: 'They are from across the globe. When I see Mad in Cambodia, its his home.

'He is a Cambodian man, and at the same time, he is also an American citizen and a global citizen. But its not just important for him to go there, its important for his siblings to go there, too.

Out soon! See the full feature in the March issue of British Vogue from February 5

'Weve been very blessed to have a family of different cultures and races. We are all learning from each other.'

The Maleficent star first took on her humanitarian duties following her trip to Cambodia for Tomb Raider back in 2000.

She visited the Asian country - where she met and subsequently adopted Maddox with ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton - for a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) field mission.

The TV and film star later travelled to Pakistan, where she donated $1 million (821,980) in response to an emergency appeal.

Angelina - who co-founded the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative nine years ago - has since taken a hands-on approach in promoting a number of causes, including education, women's rights and conservation.

All 27 international Vogues are dedicating their March issues to Creativity. Each issue is a celebration of those who encourage us to look at life in a new way, featuring portfolios of the brightest young stars in fashion, music, art and film, alongside inspiring editorials and extraordinary fashion through each Vogues local lens.

See the full feature in the March issue of British Vogue available via digital download and on newsstands Friday 5th February.
Jim Newell: Welcome to the first-ever Biden-era edition of Congress Chat, the visually alliterative name I have just now given this sporadically recurring series about deal-making in our national legislature. This will be the first such conversation, then, where I will feel comfortable in it having a longer shelf life than 20 minutes, because the current presidentby all accountsdoes not screw up carefully laid and coordinated legislative strategy on Twitter for attention. It is unlikely that he even knows how to use Twitter, or the internet, or possibly television on demand. God bless.

Advertisement

The administrations first major legislative proposal is another coronavirus relief bill. Biden has requested a $1.9 trillion bill including another round of checks, increased and extended unemployment benefits, state and local aid, a national vaccine plan, money for schools, an expanded child tax credit, a $15 minimum wage, and other delicious items. There was no interestnonefor such an investment on the Republican side, and so Democrats began preparing to use the budget reconciliation process, which would allow them to pass such a bill, under certain constraints, with a simple majority.

Advertisement

Advertisement

This weekend, however, a group of 10 Republicansjust enough to help Democrats beat back a filibusterintroduced a $619 billion counterproposal. That gang, led by its fearsome nomadic warlord, Sen. Susan Collins, is scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden late Monday afternoon.

Advertisement

Jordan, could you briefly explain what the Republicans are offering and give us your initial thoughts on whether Democrats should entertain this?

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.

Jordan Weissmann: Sure. But first, Id just like to second what a relief it is that we can now shoot the shit about legislative sausage-making without having to psychoanalyze Donald Trump from afar. Instead, we can focus on psychoanalyzing Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, both of whom are ostensibly rational actors who read bills and are plugged in to at least a near-approximation of objective reality.*

Anyway, I think the main thing Republicans are offering right now is 10 potential votes on a piece of paper that says COVID relief.

Its an upgrade from where bipartisan discussions started. For a while, the efforts by moderates in Congress were led by a gang of 16 that only included eight Republicans, who on their own would not have been able to break a filibuster. This gave Democratic leaders essentially no incentive to veer from their plan to pass a bill through the budget reconciliation process, since all Republicans could offer was a chance for Joe Biden to claim a bipartisan accomplishment in return for slicing down the size of the package.

Advertisement

Advertisement

The addition of Sens. Thom Tillis and Mike Rounds to the club means that, in theory, this group could push a relief bill over the finish line with a full 60 votes, giving Democrats reason to at least consider negotiating with them. But the opening bid theyve made leaves a lot to be desired.

Jim: Right. Its not in the same ballpark, or even the same sport, and consists of substantially lower sums and a narrower scope than what Democrats are pursuing. Theres nothing for state and local aid, for example, which may not be the sexiest item in Democrats wishlist but may be the most important.

The generous way to look at this is Republicans are showing Biden what the bipartisan market will bear. In doing so, though, they make the decision for Biden simple: The offer is not a workable number, given what Democrats have promised, so it confirms the necessity of moving the package through reconciliation. In a world of adults, there would be no need for everyone to get so worked up about this. Its a business decision. What I suspect will happen (/is happening) is Republicans, having introduced an offer they knew was too skimpy for Democrats to engage with, will scream that Democrats poisoned the well on Bidens unity message by trying to pass their own bill with their own votes. And if Republicans have no fingerprints on it, they give themselves permission to message against it as some big government power grab or whatever their pollsters settle on.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Jordan: I think theres a strong chance youre right, though obviously something could emerge from this afternoons talks. The way I see it, there are basically two conceivable paths to a bipartisan deal, neither of which Republicans seem committed to.

The first would be for GOP moderates to agree on a bill that ticks off most of the Democrats major prioritiesincluding unemployment insurance, checks, aid for state and local governmentbut spends a bit less money on each of them, while ditching some of the bells and whistles Biden tacked onto his proposal, like beefing up Obamacare subsidies or increasing the minimum wage. That would require them to swallow some things they dont particularly wantlike the (not actually just for) blue state bailouts their party spent months warning aboutbut would give the gang a chance to paint itself as a group of responsible actors cooling off the Democratic Partys supposedly wilder, spendthrift impulses, while Biden would get a chance to make good on his promise of bipartisanship.

Advertisement

The second path would be for Republicans to agree on a much narrower bill covering the items both sides more or less like, at funding levels that are at least in the same galaxy as what Democrats have proposedbasically vaccines, checks, and extending federal unemployment insurance programs past March, since were clearly going to need them longer.

Advertisement

The idea here is that youd get a quick bipartisan piece of legislation, and then Democrats could do the stuff Republicans hate later on in a reconciliation bill of their own. Theres a real potential upside to that for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Biden, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, having to do with parliamentary strategy (without getting into the dull details, it might free up an extra reconciliation bill for other priorities, depending on exactly how they played things).

Advertisement

But Republicans arent really offering either of those options. Instead, they served up a narrower bill that spends less on each priority it does address, and would require Democrats to break campaign promises they made during the Georgia runoffs (particularly when it comes to stimulus checksRepublicans want to deliver $1,000 compared with Democrats $1,400, and to send them to a significantly smaller number of households). The menu is limited, and the portion sizes are terrible.

Jim: If the Republican group had opened with something in the neighborhood of a trillion or a little bit more, it may have made that pathway more enticing for Democrats. Then you would have negotiable numbers. I dont think Republicans real leverage is necessarily the message that Biden isnt living up to his unity pledge, which is more designed to work the refs inside the Beltway, like the Washington Post editorial board. Their more effective argumentand one that I dont think is fully appreciated yetis how difficult reconciliation is going to be for the Democrats. Both the procedural hurdles and then getting a bill that all 50 Democrats can agree to. The price tag is likely going to come down anyway to appease Manchin and Sinema. So if Republicans had introduced an offer that you could foresee leading to a bipartisan endgame of around $1.4, $1.5 trillion, it wouldve been much more appetizing for the administration. But Republicans dont have 10 votes for something like that, and may not have any.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

As for the second option of splitting it up, what I understand from the Hill is that Democrats are leery about plucking out all of the popular stuff and passing it quickly, because then it makes the remaining parts more difficult to pass later on.

Jordan: Possibly! I think state and local aid is pretty popular. But the procedural difficulties with reconciliation are also a big part of the reason Democrats dont want to waste time if Republicans show up with an offer they dont believe is serious.

Senate leaders think that they need to get rolling on a reconciliation bill this week, or the process runs into the impeachment trial. And if that happens, the country could find itself getting close to March (and the next cliff when unemployment insurance runs out) without additional aid. So there isnt a lot of time to sit at the table while Susan Collins beseeches Biden to think about unity.

Advertisement

AlsoI cant emphasize this enoughthe top-line numbers arent the only problem here. If Biden accepted anything remotely similar to the Republican plan for checks, the left would go nuts. You remember $1,400 =/= $2,000gate!

Advertisement

Jim: Right, and thats also why just split off vaccines and checks and pass it on a quick bipartisan vote doesnt work either. Republicans wouldnt want the same vaccines-and-checks legislation that Democrats want.

Jordan: So lets assume the chances for a bipartisan bill die a quick death after today. How do you think Joe Manchin reacts? (Thus begins the psychoanalysis portion of the chat.)

Jim: Yes, let us delve INTO THE MIND OF A MANCHIN 

Advertisement

Jordan: Camera cuts to a smoldering brick of coal.

Jim: If youre the swing vote on a party-line piece of legislation, you have incredible power to shape that legislation. He can effectively name his price if the bidding is upward. (If his price is that he wants to spend less, then he would have to contend with, say, Bernie Sanders, who could withdraw his own support.) But one reason you see moderates wanting the bipartisan path is that, politically, it gives them cover. Theres going to be a vote-a-rama to pass the budget resolution that tees up reconciliation, for example, and that allows Republicans to force unlimited, tough amendment votes on moderate and vulnerable members. If theres something unpopular in the packageand Republicans will work diligently to ensure that something is made to be unpopularall centrist and vulnerable members will be tagged as the Deciding Vote for whatever it is (Full Communism). Its not just Manchin, whos been long signaling that he wont run for reelection anyway. Its Sinema, too. Maybe its Mark Kelly, whos up for reelection in Arizona in 2022. Hes so new that I havent determined his vibe yet. So reconciliation gives fence-sitters great policymaking opportunities but also a lot of political headaches. There are self-preservation reasons for Manchin and Sinema to vow never to get rid of the filibuster.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Jordan: I have heard  rumors  about Mark Kelly.

Jim: Unverified gossip? Do share in this public forum!

Jordan: I would never repeat thirdhand, off-the-record chitchat. But Ill just say that the desert does not appear to be a hospitable environment for democratic socialism.

Jim: In other words, maybe we should expect his politics to reflect his political circumstances? HOW DARE HE!

Jordan: Anyway, the vote-a-rama could require a bit of pain, but its never clear to me how much those tough amendment votes really matter in the scheme of things.

Meanwhile, it looks like Jim Justice, the Republican governor of West Virginia, just gave Manchin all the political cover he could ever want by saying Congress shouldnt worry about spending huge sums of cash. Actual quote: If we actually throw away some money right now, so what!?

Advertisement

Jim: Its enough of a pain that Manchin would prefer to see through this unlikely marriage of Joe Biden and Mike Rounds.

Jordan: That may be. The flip side is that the relatively new moderates also know they owe Chuck Schumer, who basically sits atop the Senate fundraising machine, and right now seems like he has very little patience for delay.

Jim: Well, Schumer needs them, too. The bigger point here is just that whenever you move to a party-line path without buy-in from the minority, the minority will do whatever it can to make your life hell. Vulnerable members dont love that. That the project Democrats are embarking on, though, is giving people money without offsetting the cost, it seems like a pretty worthwhile trade-off. There arent the knotty downsides of tax or health care reform here, which creates winners and losers.

Jordan: The one thing that actually unifies Americans: the joy of getting cold cash in the mail (or wired via direct deposit).

Correction, Feb. 1, 2021: This article originally misspelled Kyrsten Sinemas first name.

A Christian nurse was reportedly tied up and tortured by a mob at a Pakistani hospital after a Muslim colleague falsely accused her of blasphemy.

Tabitha Nazir Gill, 30, was attacked and beaten by staff at the Sobhraj Maternity Hospital in Karachi where she has worked for nine years, Rabwah reports.

The head nurse was allegedly falsely accused of blasphemy after she challenged a coworker for accepting money from a patient.

Gill is said to have implemented a rule which stops staff receiving money from people using the hospital services.

After seeing a Muslim coworker breaking the order, she told them about their breach and the member of staff subsequently accused them of blasphemy.

Tabitha Nazir Gill, 30, was reportedly tied up and tortured by an angry mob at the hospital where she has worked for nine years in Karachi, Pakistan

Footage from the hospital has emerged on social media which shows a group of people in the hospital hitting the woman.

Several woman can be seen surrounding her, smacking her while another appears to hit her with a stick-like object.

One man in the angry mob can be seen attempting to climb through a window to get to the woman before they gain access to the room she is in.

There are also claims that she was tied up by the angry mob, tortured and locked inside a room before being taken to the police station.

A coworker falsely accused Gill of blasphemy after she challenged her for reportedly breaking the rules and accepting money from a patient

Journalist Naila Inayat tweeted: 'Gill on Thursday was beaten up by hospital staff who alleged she passed derogatory remarks.

'Police dismissed charge earlier as vendetta. Today police registered case after mob surrounded the station.'

Pakistan has strict blasphemy laws which carry a death penalty for people who insult the Prophet Muhammad, Islam, the Quran or certain holy people.

An overwhelming 98 per cent of the population follows Islam and critics say the law targets members of other religious groups including Hindus and Christians.

Domestic and international human rights groups say blasphemy allegations have often been used to intimidate minorities and settle personal scores.
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.

From camping out during a thunderstorm as a sixth grader in small-town Alabama, to serving as CEO and Scout Executive of the Sam Houston Area Council, Tom Varnell has dedicated 36 years of his life to serving the Boy Scouts of America.

His next mission? Retirement.

Working with the Boy Scouts after Scouting as a child was not Varnells original plan. In college, hed hoped for a position with the Central Intelligence Agency. Hed become an Eagle Scout, the organizations highest achievement, shortly before his 14th birthday; but dropped out not long afterward. For many years afterward, his Scouting days were an afterthought.

Varnell had not thought about Scouting for years, until he came across an opportunity at a job fair as a district executive for the Scouts Birmingham Area Council in Alabama just before graduating college.

In college, I knew I wanted a career where I could serve my country, Varnell said in a statement.

The job posting was for the business side of Scouting, and Varnells college degree matched the profile perfectly. He got the job, initially planning to stay only for a few months, but something changed.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston celebrates Archbishop Fiorenza's 90th birthday (with a drive-thru, of course)

While I was in that district executive position, I came to understand, for the first time, the aims and methods of Scouting and how Scouting impacted me in ways I had not ever thought of, Varnell said. When I was a Boy Scout as a youth, I was just having fun camping and working on merit badges. I did not realize at the time that, with every campout, I was learning how to work with a team of people (my patrol), to plan, to budget, to problem solve and to (persevere).

Then one day his phone rang with a job opportunity as an analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency working at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

However, by the time that call came, I had found my career, which allowed me to serve my country, and it was with the Boy Scouts of America, Varnell said.

Over the past three decades, Varnell has worked in four different area councils for the Scouts: Birmingham, Ala.; Baton Rouge, La.; Austin; and finally Houston.

Clay Williams, director of the Sam Houston Area Council, said Varnell initially recruited him to help with the organization as an adult 10 years ago  along with Williams former scoutmaster, Stan Stanley.

Stan Stanley tracked down my mom one day after church and found out how to get a hold of me, Williams said. What I learned is that when Tom Varnell, your old scoutmaster and your mom conspired to invite you to volunteer for Boy Scouts, theres no saying no.

Williams and Varnell worked closely in 2020 due to the pandemics effect on operations and fundraising, along with the organizations recent bankruptcy filing. One of the biggest projects theyve worked on together is Camp Strake, the councils flagship camp, which was founded in 1943 and originally located south of Conroe.

Varnell said over the years, urban encroachment and pollution changed the environment from rural to suburban. In 2012, the property was sold; Camp Strake relocated to Cold Spring this past fall.

The project was an eight-year effort, with teams coordinating land procurement, project definition, camp design and camp construction to build the scouts own small town  including its own domestic water and wastewater treatment plants. Roads were built and power had to be brought in before construction could begin on buildings, Varnell said.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Sewing: How a high school nun became my unlikely mentor and the light that guides me forward

Although the camp had to delay its summer 2020 opening due to the pandemic, weekend camping for Scouts was offered and a winter camp was conducted over the winter holidays.

This was a huge project in which the Sam Houston Area Council is making a nearly $92 million long-term investment for the Houston Region with Camp Strake, he said.

The commitment of everyone involved simply speaks to the importance and impact that Scouting continues to have in our community, Varnell continued. Camp Strake is the largest project ever taken on by a local council, and we are proud to have the crown jewel of Scouting right here in the Sam Houston Area Council.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo serves on the board of directors for the Sam Houston Area Council and has been a Scout for years. He also worked with Varnell when they were both located in Austin; Acevedo said the organization helped get boys from disadvantaged communities in Austin more involved with Scouting, leading to increased high school graduation rates.

What we did there is that we actually created troops in schools like (Varnell) has done here in Houston, in these (Austin) neighborhoods. So kids that live in the neighborhood, attend those schools, can have the services  and the opportunities provided by Scouts, right there in the neighborhood, Acevedo said. It even included helping with homework, helping with projects  I think that has been huge, and really helped. The fact that the police departments in both Austin and here have been involved has really helped bridge the gap and helps us enhance trust and build trust, which is so important, especially in this day and age.

Acevedo said Scouting is starting to be more reflective of Houstons big melting pot, especially among volunteers and professional staff.

Varnell said he still remembers a young boy named Maurice he met while in Birmingham one summer. Maurice  whose nickname was Worm, due to his small stature  had a rough upbringing where it was not uncommon for (him) to have to duck from nearby gunshots while in his apartment, Varnell remembers

I recognized that Maurice and boys like him did not have the opportunity to see and learn from the positive environment I had when growing up and that Scouting provides. Maurice inspired me, and ever since meeting him, I have had a passion to provide the Scouting program to youth in our inner-city areas, Varnell said. We here at the Sam Houston Area Council not only have made a commitment to serve this at-risk and underserved population, we believe it is our responsibility. I am proud of that.

As for life after his years on the council, Varnell will stay involved in the Boy Scouts. His children grew up in Scouting and his own father served as a troop volunteer when he was in the program.

I will always be a Scouter and do plan to find a volunteer role post-retirement, Varnell said. I believe so strongly in Scouting and the Sam Houston Area Council whose vision statement is leading youth to lifelong values, service and achievement.

Jordan R. Miller is a Houston-based freelance writer.
SELBYVILLE, Del., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Market Insights, Inc. has recently added a new report on the outboard engines market which estimates the market valuation for outboard engines will cross US$ 13 billion by 2027. The rising government interest in developing boating infrastructure to support recreational activities and enhance tourism will further drive outboard engines industry size.

Outboard Engines Market size is expected to exceed USD 13 billion by the end of 2027, according to a new market research study published by the Global Market Insights, Inc.

The military segment will observe over a 4.5% CAGR in the outboard engines market size owing to increasing outboard engine adoption in rigid-inflatable boats (RIB) for patrolling and rescue operations. Diesel outboard engines are preferred in military applications owing to enhanced safety features compared to petrol outboards. Additionally, outboard engines enable defense organizations to improve the military amphibious reconnaissance system.

Request for a sample of this research report at https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/4386

The outboard engine manufacturers including Cox Powertrain are adopting additive manufacturing in their component production to increase production rates owing to a higher demand for outboard engines. Additive manufacturing-enabled manufacturers will offer cost-effective products to customers owing to waste minimization and ease in complex part production. Stringent emission norms and updated weight test requirements are pressurizing industry players to invest in R&D projects.

Fluctuating raw material prices owing to trade disputes between the U.S. and China are posing threats to engine manufacturers. Major market participants are engaged in partnerships with boat manufacturers to gain a competitive edge over other companies; for instance, in November 2018, Cox Powertrain entered into a strategic partnership with Metal Shark Boats, a commercial maritime boat manufacturer. This strategy enabled the company to strengthen its position in commercial applications. Additionally, it enabled the company to enter the military segment.

In 2020, Europe held around 20% share in the global outboard engines market, which is mainly attributed to increasing tourism along with a strong presence of boat manufacturers across the region. Rising boat show activities along with the launch of new outboard in such events will further support market growth. For instance, in January 2018, Suzuki Marine launched DF325A motors during the Dusseldorf International Boat Show.

The key market players of outboard engines are focusing on investment in R&D to acquire advanced technology to cater to the increasing demand from the outboard engines market. For instance, in September 2018, Tohatsu Corporation completed the construction of its R&D facility in Tokyo, Japan. This facility is designed in accordance to facilitate the research and development of outboard motors and portable fire pumps, enabling the company to introduce innovation in its products.

Some major findings of the outboard engines market report include:

The increase in disposable income in the emerging economies, such as India, China, Australia, and an upsurge in the number of people preferring leisure boating activities have led to the rise in the outboard engine demand across Asia Pacific.

Request for customization of this research report at https://www.gminsights.com/roc/4386

Many manufacturers are focusing on the development of more lightweight and compact outboard engines to minimize energy consumption. Additionally, the usage of the preheating process enabled manufacturers to save around 20% natural gas in melting scrap aluminum and thereby offer cost-saving in engine part manufacturing.

Manual ignition outboard engines are growing at a considerable rate owing to low costs and wide applications in low-powered boats. Advancements in technologies including twist-grip throttle for ease in maneuverability and developments in the motor to start efficiently in all weather conditions will support segment growth.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected global boat production owing to stringent lockdown and social distancing norms by several government authorities. Moreover, the average halt duration of outboard engine manufacturing plants across the world is nearly 20-30 operational days, which is likely to affect the overall sales of outboard engines in 2020.

Partial chapters of the report's table of contents (TOC):

Chapter 3 Global Outboard Engines Industry Insights

3.1 Industry segmentation

3.2 COVID-19 impact on outboard engines industry

3.3 Industry ecosystem analysis

3.3.1 Raw material suppliers

3.3.2 Manufacturers

3.3.3 Profit margin trends

3.3.4 Distribution channel analysis

3.3.5 End-users

3.3.6 Vendor matrix

3.4 Pricing analysis (including COVID-19 impact)

3.4.1 Regional price trends

3.4.2 Cost structure analysis, 2019

3.5 Technology landscape

3.5.1 Burn Control

3.5.2 Boosted Low Speed Torque (BLAST)

3.6 Regulatory landscape

3.6.1 North America

3.6.2 Europe

3.6.3 Asia Pacific

3.6.4 Latin America

3.6.5 MEA

3.7 Industry impact forces

3.7.1 Growth drivers

3.7.1.1 Increasing recreational boating activities

3.7.1.2 Rising production and sales of yachts

3.7.1.3 Improved economy and the rising government funding for infrastructure development

3.7.1.4 Growing tourism sector along with the strengthening distribution network

3.7.1.5 Increasing disposable income along with surging import & export activities

3.7.2 Industry pitfalls & challenges

3.7.2.1 Prohibitive prices of modern outboard engines

3.8 Innovation & sustainability

3.8.1 3D Printing

3.8.2 V8 425 XTO offshore engine

3.9 Growth potential analysis, 2020

3.10 Porter's analysis

3.11 Competitive landscape

3.11.1 Top player's analysis, 2020

3.11.2 Strategy dashboard

3.12 PESTLE analysis

About Global Market Insights

Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision-making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.

Contact Us:

Arun Hegde

Corporate Sales, USA

Global Market Insights, Inc.

Phone: 1-302-846-7766

Toll-Free: 1-888-689-0688

Email: [email protected]

Related Images

outboard-engines-market-size-worth.jpg

Outboard Engines Market size worth over $13 Bn by 2027

Outboard Engines Market size is expected to exceed USD 13 billion by the end of 2027, according to a new market research study published by the Global Market Insights, Inc.

Related Links

Marine Diesel Engine Market

Automotive and Transportation Industry Insights

SOURCE Global Market Insights, 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.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
BATON ROUGE, La.  The FEMA Community Education and Outreach (CEO) staff for mitigation is hosting free webinars on ways to make future natural disasters less severe, dangerous or damaging to your home and family.

CEO will conduct the Internet webinars Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout February. Each session will be given twice a day, at 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

To register for the sessions, go to https://fema.connectsolutions.com/admin/show-event-catalog?folder-id=172559520.

This weeks topics are:

What is Mitigation and Preparedness? CEO specialists will define mitigation and explain how to reduce future risk. (Feb. 2.)

Working with Seniors Before the Storm: Specialists will talk to seniors about creating a plan for what is needed in the event of a disaster and what to discuss with children and/or other family members. (Feb. 4.)

Topics to be covered over the next few weeks are:

Retrofitting Roofs/Homes in High Wind Regions: Specialists will talk about ways to harden the home to lessen the impact of wind. (Feb.9.)

Water-Resistant Building Materials: Specialists will discuss the benefits of using water-resistant materials for repairs. (Feb. 11.)

Elevating Your Home, Including Mobile Homes: Specialists will talk about the basic requirements of elevating a house or mobile home and discuss what buildings may be elevated. (Feb. 16.)

Basic Mitigation for Volunteers: Specialists will review mitigation techniques like muck outs, demolition and repair with volunteer agencies and explain how using mitigation techniques when repairing or rebuilding can strengthen homes against future disasters. (Feb. 18.)

Mitigation Overview for Veterans and Military Families: Specialists will provide an overview of mitigation techniques and review important information about selecting a contractor. (Feb. 23.)

How to Clean Up After a Flood: Specialists will provide safety tips on cleaning a home or business from flood waters. (Feb. 25.)

If you are unable to attend, the sessions will be recorded, and the recordings will be uploaded to the Louisiana Mitigation Web Link: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/lamit.

The Adobe Connect Platform is used for these sessions. To make sure you are fully able to participate, please test your computer by clicking on: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm. If there is a problem with your connection, there are troubleshooting tips you may use.

If you have any questions, phone 833-FEMA-4-US or 833-336-2487.

For the latest information on Hurricane Laura, visit Louisiana Hurricane Laura (DR-4559-LA).

For the latest information on information on Hurricane Delta, visit Louisiana Hurricane Delta (DR-4570-LA).

For the latest information on Hurricane Zeta, visit Louisiana Hurricane Zeta (DR-4577-LA).

Follow the FEMA Region 6 Twitter account at twitter.com/FEMARegion6.

A bipartisan group of New Yorkers is targeting Rep. Nicole Malliotakis in the latest effort aimed at tying pro-Trump Republicans to the Capitol siege.

Why it matters: While Republicans are desperately trying to turn the page on former President Trumps actions and the deadly events of Jan. 6, Democrats and other Trump opponents plan to keep linking the party to the Capitol insurrection ahead of the 2022 midterms.

Support safe, smart, sane journalism. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here.

Driving the news: Several political action committees focused on Republicans who voted against certifying Joe Biden's win have emerged since the assault on the Capitol.

A separate group of Democratic strategists and organizers also has formed JOSHPAC, or Just Oust Seditious Hacks PAC. It's targeting Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) for joining House Republicans in objecting to the Electoral College vote.

At least 13 top U.S. companies have said they won't donate to Republicans who voted against the certification, according to a CBS report.

The background: Malliotakis unseated Democrat Max Rose in a rare swing district in New York City that encompasses parts of southern Brooklyn and Staten Island.

Some of her constituents are now going up with a $50,000 digital ad buy. They say they plan to raise hundreds of thousands more for their effort.

The Nicole Is Complicit PAC, or NICPAC, created a video that starts with a snapshot of the rioting and ends with a CNN interview between Malliotakis and Erin Burnett. During that conversation, the news anchor pressed the freshman about her vote objecting to certifying Bidens win.

"This is the beauty of democracy," said Malliotakis in a statement to Axios.

Of note: Some Republicans also are using messaging campaigns to distance themselves from members in their own party.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), one of 10 Republicans to vote in favor of Trumps second impeachment, also introduced a PAC targeting "poisonous extremism."

"This is not the Republican road and now we know exactly where this new and dangerous road leads," Kinzinger said in a six-minute video announcing his PAC. "It leads to insurrection and an armed attack on Congress."

Separately, Trump ally Corey Lewandowski is using PAC money to target Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) for her own vote to impeach Trump last month.

Be smart: sign up FREE for the most influential newsletter in America.
The Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, and former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2019 election, Olufemi Lanlehin, have disagreed over the security challenges rocking the state.

While Mr Lanlehin in a statement on Sunday accused Mr Makinde of handling security challenges in Oyo State with levity, the governor accused opposition leaders of sponsoring alarming statements on security in order to scare investors.

I have observed, with deep concern, the rising wave of insecurity in Oyo State, advertised in the increasing cases of murder, armed robberies, kidnappings and all sorts of criminal activities, that have now become almost a daily occurrence. It appears Oyo State is descending into the Hobbesian state of nature where life is nasty, brutish and short, Mr Lanlehin, a former senator representing Oyo South, said.

He argued that Mr Makinde is handling security challenges in the state with negligence which forced Sunday Igboho, an acclaimed activist to take laws into his hands by evicting herders in Ibarapa axis of the state.

From Ibadan to Oyo, Ogbomoso to Oke-Ogun, and then Ibarapa, nowhere can be labelled safe and peaceful, presently in the state. More baffling, is Governor Seyi Makindes inept handling of the entire situation, particularly his laid-back, reactive and indecisive approach to tackling the most basic of challenges his administration can ever face.

The recent incident, whereby Chief Sunday Adeyemo, fondly referred to as Sunday Igboho, gave an ultimatum to the Seriki Fulani in Igangan, is a case in point. With available information, one cannot but criticise Governor Makinde for his hasty, hollow and one-sided statewide broadcast on the incident, and his biased upbraiding of Sunday Igboho, without as much as showing empathy with the victims of the rape, kidnappings, murder, farmland destruction and other heinous crimes allegedly perpetrated by some criminal elements within the herders community, under the guise of working as herdsmen.

As usual, the governor was just being politically correct, and excessively populist in that broadcast of his, when he should have been balanced, and not appear to pander to the whims and caprices of the supposed afflicters.

Why couldnt he have invited both parties to a meeting and set in motion the process to an amicable resolution, or even pay an on-the-spot assessment to Igangan, instead of rushing to broadcast his jaundiced opinion?

Mr Lanlehin said till date, there is no evidence of the governor personally visiting Ibarapaland, in his capacity as the states chief security officer.

In courage and valour, Sunday Igboho was forced to defend the people of Ibarapa, in their hour of distress, in the true demonstration of an Akinkanju Yoruba Omoluabi, at a time government; legally recognised to do so, has shown crass ineptitude and grave impotence. Although one would advise that Chief Sunday Adeyemo sheathe his sword and give Seyi Makinde another opportunity to pull himself up by his bootstraps, and rise up to the occasion.

Let me advise Governor Makinde not to be carried away, neither by the euphoria of office, nor the allure of power, but instead, be guided by deep introspection, wise counsel and an abiding devotion to the protection of the lives and properties of the people of Oyo State, which he swore to, on inauguration, about two years ago, he noted.

Makinde responds

In his response to Mr Lanlehin, Mr Makinde said the former senator is one of the opposition leaders raising an unnecessary alarm over security issues in order to derail Oyos economy and also chase investors.

The governor reacted in a counter statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa.

He said, the opposition leaders penchant to raise the alarm around (the) issue of insecurity and exaggerate the same beyond the realm of reality is a ploy to create fear in the minds of residents of the state and slow down its thriving economy.

He wondered whether Mr Lanlehin was sleeping when his principal met with security operatives and preached against trying to profit from insecurity.

The whole nation applauded Governor Seyi Makinde for leading the states economy out of the difficult situation he met it in 2019. Rather than allow the economy stagnate, verified statistics indicated that the governor grew Oyo State economy by as much as 26 per cent last year despite the spiral effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And that is beside the landmark developmental projects that all can see across the state. But it is obvious that the opposition in Oyo State is unhappy with the developmental strides of the Makinde-led administration in the state and that they will do anything to drag attention to pockets of insecurity situation, which the administration is striving daily to bring under control.

Rather than join hands with the Governor to find lasting solutions to the incidences of crime and criminality occasioned by the general failure of the APC-led Federal Government to secure Nigerian borders and stop the influx of bandits and criminal elements, leaders of the APC have been gloating over such instances.

ADVERTISEMENT

It is a clear signal of the measure of the evil they wish the state and an obvious demonstration of their unpatriotic conducts. Whereas cases of insecurity are widespread across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT Abuja, it is disheartening that only the opposition in Oyo State including Chief Lanlehin has been known to attempt to grab the headlines in celebration.
Former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, his deputy, Avi Berkowitz, as well as former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer, have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their roles in negotiating four normalization deals between Israel and Arab nations.

Attorney Alan Dershowitz, professor emeritus of Harvard Law School, nominated the four Trump-era officials on Sunday, for their roles in negotiating the deals, known as the Abraham Accords.

These Accords, which have brought about normalization between Israel and several Sunni Arab nations, fulfill all the criteria for the prize, Dershowitz wrote in his nomination letter, as cited by the Jerusalem Post.

They hold the promise of an even broader peace in the Middle East between Israel, the Palestinians and other Arab nations. They are a giant step forward in bringing peace and stability to the region, and even to the world, he wrote.

The normalization deals were announced in a four-month span between mid-August and mid-December of last year and were lauded by many as the most significant diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East in 25 years as the region girds for a prolonged confrontation with Iran.

Iran tensions remain high, with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying in a speech at the National Press Club in mid-January that the al-Qaeda terrorist group has a new headquarters there.

Al-Qaeda has a new home base, it is the Islamic Republic of Iran, said Pompeo. As a result, [Osama] bin Ladens wicked creation is poised to gain strength and capabilities.

We ignore this Iran-al-Qaeda nexus at our own peril. We need to acknowledge it, we must confront it. Indeed, we must defeat it, he said, adding that this axis poses a grave threat to the security of nations and to the American homeland itself.

The Abraham Accords have been hailed as enabling a more responsive strategic posture with respect to the threat posed by Iran.

The recent Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain both reflect and augur a growing strategic alignment between Israel and key American partners in the Middle East, driven primarily by the worsening Iranian nuclear and regional threats, the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), a pro-Israel think tank based in Washington, said in a statement.

In a November report (pdf), JINSA urged the Trump administration to further strengthen its efforts to contain Iran by moving Israel to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility from the U.S European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility, which the Pentagon did on Jan. 15.

It also could enable Israel, U.S. forces in the Middle East, and Arab partners to begin or deepen regional cooperation on missile defense, exercises, strategic planning, intelligence sharing, and other critical military activities, JINSA said in a statement explaining the rationale for moving Israel to CENTCOM, while noting in its report that the move would bolster Israels ability to defend U.S. and Arab partners interests by continuing to be the tip of [the] spear against Iran and its proxies.

Kushner, who is former President Donald Trumps son-in-law, and Berkowitz, who was the Middle East envoy, were key figures in negotiating deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

Dershowitz, in his letter to the Nobel committee, said he wanted to emphasize the enormous contributions to peace made by Jared Kushner, Avrahm Berkowitz, David Friedman, and Ron Dermer, insisting that these men played especially important roles, in the peace deals.

Kushner and Berkowitz traveled all over the region, meeting with leaders and their associates, advocating for peace and nailing down all the details, Dershowitz wrote.

In a statement, Kushner said he was honored to be nominated for the prize, which will be awarded in October.

President Joe Bidens administration is expected to review all national security deals struck during the Trump administration, including arms packages for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From The Epoch Times
In this Dec. 17, 2019, file photo, Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks during a joint press conference with Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc after their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. AP



Reports says a military coup has taken place in Myanmar and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained under house arrest.



Online news portal Myanmar Now cited unidentified sources about the arrest of Suu Kyi and her party's chairperson early Monday and did not have further details.



All communications to Naypyitaw appeared to have been cut and Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party could not be reached.



Myanmar lawmakers were to gather Monday in the capital Naypyitaw for the first session of Parliament since last year's election, with tension lingering over recent comments by the military that were widely seen as threatening a coup.





In this Oct. 29, 2020, file photo, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi casts her ballot during advance voting at the Union Election Commission office in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. AP-Yonhap



Suu Kyi captured 396 out of 476 seats in the in the combined lower and upper houses of Parliament, far above the 322 needed to secure a majority. But the army-drafted constitution of 2008 grants the military 25% of the total seats, enough to block constitutional changes. Several key ministerial positions are also reserved for military appointees.



The 75-year-old Suu Kyi is by far the country's most dominant politician, and became the country's leader after leading a decades-long nonviolent struggle against military rule.



The military, known as the Tatmadaw, charged that there was massive voting fraud in the election, though it has failed to provide proof. The state Union Election Commission last week rejected its allegations.



Amid the bickering over the allegations, the military last Tuesday ramped up political tension when a spokesman at its weekly news conference, responding to a reporter's question, declined to rule out the possibility of a coup. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun elaborated by saying the military would ''follow the laws in accordance with the constitution.''





Myanmar military commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, wearing a protective face mask, leaves after delivering a speech during a donation ceremony by Myanmar military for the ongoing pandemic of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Yangon, Myanmar, 10 July 2020 (reissued 01 February 2021). EPA-Yonhap




Dhaka, Jan 24 (UNI) The trial application of corona vaccine in Bangladesh will start from Wednesday, Health Secretary Abdul Mannan told media.

He said this while visiting Shyamoli Kidney Institute in the capital on Saturday. The secretary said the trial of the vaccine would begin with a nurse at Kurmitola General Hospital. Which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Earlier, last Thursday (January 21), India's corona vaccine Covishield arrived in the country in 18 boxes of 2 million doses. The boxes were taken from the airport in two freezer vehicles to the Warehouse of the Department of Health. Later, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thanked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for gifting the 2 million doses of coronavirus vaccine. He also said that all preparations have been made for the vaccination program.

According to the government, six million people will receive the corona vaccine in February, which will be given simultaneously in government hospitals all over the country. There will be no centre outside the government hospital considering the side effects. One has to apply for the vaccine through the app. The ICT department will hand over the app called 'Suraksha' to the health department on January 25.

60 million people under the age of 18, including 36 per cent of the country's population, will be out of the vaccine. Then on January 25, another five million doses are expected to come through Beximco.

UNI XC MAZ RHK1432
ADVERTISEMENT

South Africas first batch of the coronavirus vaccine from the Serum Institute of India left Mumbai on Monday morning, with President Cyril Ramaphosa set to personally welcome the plane in Johannesburg.

The first million shots of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine will be used to inoculate health care workers over the next three months. The second batch of 500,000 doses is scheduled to arrive later this month.

Vaccination is a critical defence against Covid-19 and herd immunity will enable South Africa to intensify its effort to secure greater levels of public health and reconstruct our economy.

The arrival of the first vaccine is an outcome of partnership between government and social partners in the country, including the private sector, as well as our interactions with partner governments, the World Health Organisation and the Pharmaceutical industry in the country and abroad, acting presidential spokesperson Tyrone Seale told Sputnik.

Meanwhile, the health ministry says that once the vaccine arrives, samples will be taken to the laboratory for quality assurance checks.

In a comment to Sputnik, the African Unions health agency has welcomed the news of the first batch arriving in South Africa, but expressed concerns about the continents other countries.

It is a good thing and it is a relief. Our concern is how will countries that are unable to procure in Africa do the same.

As Africa CDC, we are in the process of procuring for a number of other African countries through pool procurement.

Although other African countries are already procuring for themselves, we are here to assist by providing additional costs, the principal communications officer at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, James Ayodele, said.

South Africa has the largest COVID-19 tally on the continent. The country has so far logged over 1.4 million cases, including almost 1.3 million recoveries and some 44,000 deaths.

(NAN)




gettyimagesbank
The Berejiklian government committed $20 million to the Riverina Conservatorium of Music in Wagga Wagga without a business case or formal assessment, a parliamentary inquiry has heard.

Leading arts bodies representing thousands of artists and performers across the state also criticised the adequacy, integrity, and lack of transparency of the governments arts funding process.

Peak arts bodies say the industry has lost faith in the NSW governments grants process. Credit:Janie Barrett

Inadequate funding and unclear decision-making were helping drive artists out of the industry, interstate or overseas, they said. The perception of ministerial influence and lack of feedback to artists also undermined the integrity of the funding system.

The NSW upper house inquiry was called over allegations of grant rorting.
Nearly 21,000 Louisiana businesses received more than $262 million in grants to help them weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, under a program managed by state Treasurer John Schroder and financed by lawmakers with federal aid.

The grants averaged about $12,650, the Republican state treasurer said of a program that ended in December after it ran out of cash and hit a federally mandated deadline to spend the coronavirus money.

The Main Street Recovery Grant Program kept businesses open, Schroder said Thursday. It gave businesses a fighting chance.

Of the 20,751 businesses that received grants, Schroder said nearly half had gotten no assistance from other federal grant programs created by Congress to help struggling companies. Grants went to retailers, restaurants, construction companies, real estate rental businesses, manufacturers, agriculture businesses and more. A full list of the grantees is available on the treasurers office website.

The states grant program denied nearly 14,000 Louisiana businesses because they didnt meet criteria set by state lawmakers. Another 6,000 applicants were deemed eligible, but the program had no money to give them.

Lawmakers set aside $275 million in federal coronavirus aid for the program, which offered grants up to $15,000 to help businesses with expenses related to the pandemic. Schroders office spent more than $12 million  slightly less than the $15 million lawmakers made available  for administrative costs.

To be eligible, businesses had to be located in Louisiana. They couldnt have had more than 50 full-time workers as of March 1, 2020, before Louisiana saw its first confirmed case of COVID-19. They couldnt be a subsidiary of or owned by a larger company with more than 50 full-time employees.

Lawmakers guaranteed that $40 million must be spent on grants to assist minority-owned, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses. Schroder said four times that amount, $161 million, went to businesses in those categories.

Of the nearly 21,000 grant recipients, Schroder said 166 companies submitted fraudulent applications and shouldnt have gotten assistance. The treasurers office is demanding they return the $1.5 million they received, and 107 were turned over to the states inspector general for further fraud investigations.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Louisiana Commercial Lines Business Insurance Small Business
Twitter is abuzz with memes and jokes ahead of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's presentation of the Union Budget 2021-22 on Monday in Parliament.

She is presenting her first paperless union budget and this is her third budget under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

While anxious people sit glued to the television sets and social media to hear about the governments plan to spend their money for the next year, here are some memes and jokes doing the rounds on social media about the Union Budget 2021:

CA and commerce students after explaining #Budget2021 to Science

students : pic.twitter.com/zjvclpvzxw  Rehaan  (@sarcasticomega) February 1, 2021

#Budget2021



Finance minister present the Union budget for 2021-22 today.



Commerce students:- pic.twitter.com/7IYqcO32ET  Prince Prabhakar (@Prince_P007) February 1, 2021

My commerce friends are talking about #Budget2021



Me : pic.twitter.com/0QJ1OhAEqx     (@sarcasm_mansion) February 1, 2021

#Budget2021

*Explanation of budget*



CA and commerce field vale :- pic.twitter.com/yVYMdJ5SZm  Dhavan kadia (@The_1_tweets) February 1, 2021

The budget comes at a time when India is battling the COVID-19 pandemic and the economy is reeling under the after-effects of the nationwide lockdown.

Sitharaman has raised hopes by stating that Budget 2021-22 will be a Budget like never before. Expectations are high that the government will boost economic revival by focusing on infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, rural economy, MSMEs sectors impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions.

As per the latest developments, Sitharaman, in her Budget 2021 speech has said that two or more Covid-19 vaccines will arrive.

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister has also said that the government is committed to the welfare of farmers, which was followed by sloganeering in the parliament.

Latest developments

In the budget presented today, India's Agri Credit Target was raised to Rs 16.5 lakh crore. It was announced that 1.54 crore farmers have benefited from MSP in paddy and wheat in FY21 vs 1.24 crore YoY.

The amount paid to farmers for wheat in FY21 was Rs 75,060 crore vs Rs 62,802 crore in FY20, and for paddy in FY21 seen at Rs 1.72 crore vs Rs 1.41 lakh crore in FY20, the Finance Minister said.

Amount paid to farmers for pulses in FY21 stood at Rs 10,530 crore vs Rs 8,285 crore in FY20.

Unlike in the past, when agriculture often got no more than mere lip service, this time around, Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman took care to ensure her Budget prioritises farmers.

The announcements come amid ongoing farmers agitation to protest against the new farm laws passed by the government. Several rounds of discussions have ended without a resolution.
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
Inequality has spanned across every inch and industry in America, from voting rights to equal pay, and the field of medicine is no exception. At Karmanos Cancer Institute, we acknowledge the disparities and inequities that Black cancer patients face. Since our founding, we have been committed to understanding these issues and leading changes that can shape a better future for underserved populations and all individuals fighting cancer.

The cancer burden facing the African American population is undoubtedly significant.

According to the American Cancer Society, African Americans have the highest death rate and shortest survival of any racial and ethnic group in the United States for most cancers.

for most cancers. A report conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health showed that from 2012-2016, Black women were 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than non-Hispanic white women, despite similar rates of diagnosis.

In men, African Americans have lower five-year survival rates for most cancers compared to non-Hispanic white men.

Additionally, fewer Black patients participate in clinical trials than other groups. A ProPublica analysis of data from the FDA found that in 2015, fewer than five percent of patients participating in 24 of 31 clinical trials for cancer drugs were African American.

SEER

Gathering and understanding data is critical in addressing the inequities faced by ethnic minorities. To capture critical data, Karmanos began working with the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program (SEER) in 1973, as one of the original nine registries. Karmanos contributes approximately 38 percent of the national cancer incidence and survival data for African Americans. The SEER registry is not only used for descriptive studies; it provides a population-based source of cases for case-control and case-case comparisons.

Community Engagement

Karmanos also engages with diverse communities through the Office of Cancer Health Equity and Community Engagement (OCHECE), whose mission is to eliminate cancer health disparities in Michigan by promoting community-engaged research and evidence-based strategies throughout Karmanos' 46-county catchment area. OCHECE programs include Michigan Cancer HealthLink, an academic-community partnership created to build community capacity to collaborate in cancer-related research. Michigan Cancer HealthLink has eight Cancer Action Councils in six cities in southeast Michigan. Five of these CAC represent neighborhoods or regions, three of which are predominantly African American, while other councils represent populations, specifically LGBTQ adults, Arab Americans and African American men. Through these Councils, Karmanos researchers can hear the voices of those in various populations so they may design research and solutions to suit the needs of cancer patients.

OCHECE also oversees a Research and Advocacy Consortium (RAC). This growing network includes more than 30 faith-based, social service and public health organizations. The RAC works with OCHECE to support evidence-based interventions to improve cancer outcomes; inform diverse communities about clinical trials, cancer control, prevention, screening, and treatment; aid in disseminating and implementing research discoveries; and advancing health policy recommendations.

Karmanos Research

In addition to the work of the OCHECE, many individual researchers at Karmanos study disparities in health care and propose novel solutions.

Susan Eggly, Ph.D., professor and a member of the Population Studies and Disparities Research Program at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University (WSU) School of Medicine, focuses her research on the ways that patients and providers communicate, particularly around clinical trials. She leads the Partnering Around Cancer Clinical Trials (PACCT) study, which encourages physicians to offer trials to all eligible patients using high-quality, patient-centered communication. The study's overall goal is to test two communication interventions, one for patients and another for physicians, to increase the rates at which Black and white men with prostate cancer participate in clinical trials based on informed decisions.

With permission from patients, family members and providers, clinical interactions are recorded and reviewed to better understand and improve patient-physician communication. In addition, videos from these interactions are re-enacted and used to provide evidence-based instruction to both providers and patients. These videos are utilized in training modules, which include techniques and instruction for better care. As a result, Dr. Eggly received the Anthony and Joyce Danielski Kales Endowed Faculty Award for Innovative Cancer Researcher for her work. Thus far, 16 Karmanos network locations in Michigan have benefited from using these videos and reported positive results. These latest training modules will soon be available nationwide.

Lauren Hamel, Ph.D., assistant professor and member of the Population Studies and Disparities Research Program at the Karmanos Cancer Institute and Wayne State University School of Medicine, also works towards greater understanding of disparities in cancer care. Along with her team, she identified discernable patterns of behaviors between African American patients with cancer and their oncologists by measuring discrete behaviors like smiling, eye gaze and leaning in that could potentially be modified to help physicians connect with their patients, especially minority patients.

Isaac Powell, M.D., member of the Genitourinary Oncology Multidisciplinary Team, is another Karmanos team member who has dedicated his research to understanding disparities. He focuses on the many ways prostate cancer impacts African Americans in comparison to other ethnic groups. He was principal investigator of the African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer (AAHPC) study to recruit families to identify genes associated with hereditary prostate cancer. This group continued their study with the International Consortium Prostate Cancer Genetics (ICPCG) group to compare hereditary prostate cancer genetic results among African American men from AAHPC families to other ethnicities and other centers around the world. He has also collaborated with Harvard University and Cornell University researchers to report the whole exome sequencing of prostate cancer and potential racial differences, which showed that prostate cancer among African American men grew faster than among other ethnicities. His work identified genes associated with advanced prostate cancer that are more expressed among African American men than European American men.

Health Equity Book Club

In addition to quantitative data, it is important to acknowledge the nuanced experiences, cultural complexities and individual narratives that African Americans report about their health care. One way that Karmanos is opening a dialogue about these stories is through the Health Equity Book Club. Held quarterly, this program aims to educate health care providers on the history of systemic racism in medicine and to set the stage for developing strategies and interventions to eliminate the impact of racial inequities in medical practice and society. This is done through the reading and discussion of texts that explore a range of topics related to equity in health care.

The group's first read was "Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present," a 2007 book by Harriet A. Washington that presents a history of the medical industry's shocking mistreatment of African Americans throughout history, from the era of slavery to now. Led by a diverse group of leaders from Karmanos and Wayne State University (WSU), 115 readers attended this virtual discussion. Over the course of conversation, emotional and disturbing passages sparked deep conversation. The meeting concluded with discussion about steps that can be taken to build trust between medical providers and the African American community.

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives for Karmanos Employees

In addition to the work we do to understand and serve our African American patients' needs, Karmanos is committed to providing an inclusive environment for its employees. In 2020, Karmanos formally launched a Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Led by this committee, Karmanos integrates best practices in diversity, inclusion and cultural competence. The Committee is comprised of members from many different areas of the organization, from leadership and administration to clinical staff and researchers. In addition to core members, the committee works with department leaders in identifying staff members to participate in initiatives to broaden the scope of voices and ideas.

While much is being done at Karmanos to remedy the social and medical inequities experienced by African Americans, there is more work ahead. We are proud of the work we conduct and will continue to fight against disparities with the same fervor that we use to fight against cancer so our impact can grow. Black History Month reminds us to reflect on the past, but to repair systems that are broken, we must take action in the present to create a more equitable future. Karmanos will continue its commitment to serving the African American community with outstanding research and care. We will never stop striving for equality.

SOURCE Karmanos Cancer Institute

Related Links

www.karmanos.org


The Lach Huyen International Gateway Port area

Late January 2021, after two weeks of appraising the investment plan of container terminals 5 and 6 at Lach Huyen International Gateway Port area, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) reported its findings to the prime minister.

Accordingly, the project in the northern port city of Haiphong that was proposed by HATECO Group meets the requirements to be approved in line with the prevailing rules.

The MPI proposes that the prime minister considers and approves the investment plan of the project in line with the Law on Investment, stated the report.

To be located on Cat Hai Island belonging to Dinh Vu-Cat Hai Economic Zone, the project costs VND6.425 billion ($279.35 million) and will include two container terminals capable of accommodating vessels of 100,000 deadweight tonnage. The first phase is expected to be carried out by 2025, and the second phase from 2030.

According to Haiphong Peoples Committee, if carried out successfully, the project is expected to greatly contribute to the state budget. More importantly, the project joins the cluster of advanced container terminals accommodating mainline vessels, bringing goods from Northern Vietnam to Europe and North America without transit in Singapore or Hong Kong, noted a document signed by committee Chairman Nguyen Van Tung and sent to the MPI in December.

The decision is deemed a valuable opportunity for HATECO to invest in two of the six container terminals under Lach Huyens 2020-2030 development plan. According to the Ministry of Finance, HATECO has equity of VND5.1 trillion ($221.74 million) and important indicators like return on assets and return on equity are positive, going some way to help meet the investment requirements.

If HATECO officially wins the investment ticket, the group will become the first private-run company in Vietnam to join a local deep-seaport market that has been dominated by foreign investors or state-owned seaport operators in which the state holds controlling stakes.

In 2018, the first two foreign-invested terminals at Lach Huyen International Gateway Port were put into operation through a joint venture between Saigon Newport Corporation, MITSUI O.S.K Lines Ltd. of Japan, Wan Hai Lines Ltd. of Taiwan, and Itochu Group also from Japan, making them the first public-private partnership port project. The venture made conditions for sea transportation between northern Vietnam and neighbouring countries more favourable.

The two other terminals, 3 and 4, are under consideration for approval for Haiphong Port JSC, a member of state-owned shipping giant Vietnam Maritime Corporation, as an investor.

The developments illustrate the strength of Vietnamese firms, with improvements in their financial and professional capacity showing they could compete with strong foreign players in the seaport industry.

According to the Ministry of Transport, investment by world-leading corporations such as Hutchinson, PSA, DP World, and SSA has changed Vietnamese seaports, especially Cai Mep-Thi Vai port. It is now the most attractive segment in the transport sector thanks to its ability to control revenue sources.

Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The told VIR, Another potential scheme for private investors is Tran De Port, which plays a special and important role in the Mekong Delta region. We are planning to report to the prime minister about this, as some domestic investors have expressed interest in the project.

A number of international financiers have sought opportunities to invest in Vietnamese seaports in recent times. In 2019, Thailands Thoresen Group expressed interest in acquiring a 65 per cent stake in Cai Cui-Can Tho Port in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho.

Before that, many other investors from Japan, the US, and South Korea have also expressed strong interest in acquiring state stakes in ports in Haiphong, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang.

At present, over 90 per cent of imports and exports in Vietnam are made via seaports. According to the Vietnam Maritime Administration and the countrys seaport development master plan in 2021-2030 with a vision towards 2050, investment in infrastructure is estimated to require VND100 trillion ($4.35 billion). This will bring about more opportunities for financiers, with domestic and international ventures enjoying equal potential.
For 20 years, I've owned and managed a 27-room boutique hotel, the Adam's Inn, named after our Washington neighborhood of Adams Morgan. In March - usually the start of our busy season - the coronavirus pandemic hit, and business went off a cliff. I was forced to lay off two-thirds of my staff; my remaining five staff members chose to work significantly reduced hours rather than go on unemployment.

We stayed open, hoping that business would turn around. It did not. Our revenue for the year 2020 was down by 80 percent; for nine weeks in the spring, only one room was occupied. Federal loans helped us stay afloat through July, but since then I only went deeper in the red.

We were banking on January: No matter who won, presidential inaugurations are by far our most lucrative events, and this one might be our only revenue opportunity for some time. Soon after Election Day, people started booking rooms for the week of Jan. 20 - all Democrats, we assumed. Then, over the next few weeks, rooms started filling up on an unexpected date: the middle of the first week of January. I realized that people were coming to town for President Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally.

I'm a lifelong Democrat. Although they're apathetic to politics in general, and often say there's no difference between Democrats and Republicans, all my staff oppose Trump. Most are people of color who emigrated from Asia, Africa and Central America. Yet when I asked each of them if they wanted to temporarily close rather than rent to Trump supporters, they thought I was joking. For them, there was no choice. We had to stay open out of financial necessity.

I warned them that the rallygoers would be avid Trump fans and might have extremely anti-immigrant beliefs. They told me that they couldn't care less about what the guests believed. My staffers were struggling to make ends meet, and this would be the most money they made in months. As the owner, lost income means that I have to tap more loans. But for the hotel's workers - front office staff, maintenance staff, housekeepers - closing meant lost hours, lost wages, an emptier grocery cart.

On the evening of the Jan. 6 riots, we saw posts on social media saying that we had rented rooms to a few Proud Boys, a far-right group with a history of violence. One employee later told me that a few guests had come back to the inn late at night, boisterous and drunk, struggling with their keys. When helped to their two rooms, they cheerfully introduced themselves as Proud Boys. Until then, none of us knew that our hotel guests were members of the group.

But the next morning, my front office staff was greeted by angry callers berating us for not closing the hotel. Our phones rang all day with belligerent calls, some from people in our neighborhood, saying we were endorsing racism and xenophobia by renting rooms to the rallygoers. I told my staff, who were confused by the vitriol, not to argue with the callers. Rather they should let the callers know that in the future, we'd be happy to turn down patronage from any potentially offensive guests, on one condition: The callers had to cover the forfeited income and lost wages. There were no offers. "That's not the point," one huffed, before hanging up.

The paradox is twofold. While my employees are the targets of Trump's bigotry, a paycheck matters to them far more than the politics of our guests. Meanwhile, those so quick to cast judgment on us for hosting Trump supporters are patronizingly blind to the actual perspectives and circumstances of the people they think they're defending. If I closed my inn to make a statement, I'd be putting my own self-righteousness and politics ahead of my employees' wishes and dire financial needs. Unlike many of us, they don't have the luxury of investing their energy in symbolic political gestures. The stress they have about providing for their families is overwhelming. Compared with that pressure, other people's political rhetoric - no matter how offensive or bigoted - seems trivial.

This month, after 46 years in operation, Adam's Inn will close - another small business falling victim to the pandemic. Nearly all our reservations for the inauguration were canceled because of security concerns. Four of my employees will be out of work for the first time in two decades. For the first time in their lives, they will be forced to rely on government assistance to stay afloat.

If there's even a faint silver lining to this situation, it's that my employees might be more politically engaged in the future. One of my housekeepers asked why her stimulus check was delayed; a former employee asked why his unemployment compensation had decreased. Though ordinarily we don't discuss the news, I talked with them about the debate over the size of the next stimulus package and how Republicans in Congress were trying to cut their aid.

If nothing else, this experience might make it clearer to my employees where they should direct their frustrations. Perhaps the indignant people who rang our phones off the hook can gain more clarity, too.

- - -

Crain owns and manages Adam's Inn. Previously, he worked as a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee and as finance director for Sen. Robert Torricelli, D-NJ.
Editor's Note: 'Children of Liberalisation' is a News18 series tracking the Union Budget expectations from 30-year-olds across different sectors, from the prism of 30 years of economic liberalization in India.

It has been a hard year for those of us in healthcare. The coronavirus pandemic tested the healthcare system in India to its maximum capacity. 2020 has taught us a lot and in terms of those of us in the healthcare sector, it has brought forth a number of priority points for the healthcare sector. Initially, the prevention of diseases and the immunization sector was our main goal. But since the pandemic - and we may expect many more such pandemics in the future - we need to understand that the healthcare sector is quite well equipped to tackle any healthcare crisis.

Boosting private-public models

The coronavirus has revealed the importance of private-public partnership models and the role private enterprises play in healthcare. The private sector makes up for 60-70 percent of the healthcare infrastructure. When it comes to dealing with a pandemic, their involvement is very important. We saw how the government boosted private enterprises during the pandemic by bringing them in the loop, be it through subsidizing facilities and price capping with regard to the rate of the beds per day, or PPE suits or the rate of consumables required by Covid-19 patients. This is essential for the healthcare system to cope with such situations not just at present but in the future as well. The upcoming budget thus needs to focus on the private-partner model of working.

No GST on Masks and sanitisers

Budget 2021 also needs to look at preventive healthcare. This includes the development of all sectors that contribute to the consumables by patients in case of a pandemic. Masks and sanitizers became essential during the Covid-19 pandemic in a major way as they constituted consumables the were needed for the preventive part of the pandemic. Last year, the government managed to ensure easy availability of such items by encouraging small, middle, and large scale industries to produce them and also by employing price capping techniques that made them affordable. Nevertheless, the GST rate on a ventilator is 12 percent, in case of masks it is five percent and on test kits, it is 12 percent. As much as 18 percent GST is applicable on sanitizers while the GST it on PPE kits is 5 percent. In case they cost more than Rs 1,000, the applicable GST rate is as high as 12 percent. It would help the healthcare system as a whole if the government reduced GST on items like masks, gloves, caps and sanitizers by categorizing them as essential items

Non-cash benefits for healthcare employees

2020 has been a tough year for healthcare professionals. The pandemic meant extremely long working hours, staying away from family, and even putting their lives along with one's own in danger. And yet, the pandemic seemed to bring out the best in healthcare professionals. But there was also a cost. My husband and I are both doctors and our two children spent much of last year at home by themselves. Is there a human cost to healthcare? Yes. Can it be reflected in the Budget of a country? Yes. Last year saw several healthcare workers go on strike against extended working hours, non-payment of salaries or lack of holidays. While all of us understand the strained economy of the healthcare sector at present, it is important to allow "covid warriors" time and resources to relax as well. And these can be not just through cash boosts in terms of salaries but other benefits such as fixed holidays, better health insurance plans and so on. These benefits need to apply not just to doctors but also to hospital staff or Group D, who are as much covid warriors as doctors and nurses themselves.

The idea is to think about the betterment of the mental and physical health of those involved in the healthcare sector.

Digitalization and R&D

The Covid-19 pandemic saw many mortalities and emergency situations. At Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital itself, we treated over 4,000 Covid-19 patients. And as a professional working through it all, I can vouch that digitization helped our country get through the pandemic. Thanks to the meticulous interlinking of data points from across states, healthcare professionals were able to piece together the needs of the patients across cities and states. This, in turn, led us to ascertain the availability of beds for patients. The pandemic exhibited how technology could be used for the benefit of patients. Not just for doctors, digitisation also allowed patients to connect with doctors at a time when physical contact was at a premium. While the impact of Digital India was commendable when it came to the handling of the pandemic, furthering digitisation of public sector hospitals and healthcare services should be of utmost priority under Budget 2021.

Another aspect that the pandemic has brought attention to is the research and development wing. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown the world the importance of research and development in countering infectious outbreaks. And we know that the coronavirus pandemic may not be the last one. The only thing that can help us prevent something like this from happening in the future is more and more research. Not just India but all governments at this point need to start taking research seriously, especially in terms of mastering immunization techniques that can help humans survive unknown health crises like Covid-19. This is not the first time that humans have been befuddled by an unknown disease. And it won't be the last.

Dr Namrata Makkar is the Deputy Medical Superintendent at Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital. The piece has been written as told to Rakhi Bose.
CANBERRA, Australia - Australian media companies admitted in court Monday they breached a gag order in publishing references to Cardinal George Pells since-overturned convictions in 2018 for child sexual abuse. The plea agreement avoids any journalist being sent to prison.

FILE - In this Nov. 30, 2020, file photo, Cardinal George Pell poses for a picture during an interview with the Associated Press inside his residence near the Vatican in Rome. Australian media companies admitted in court Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, they breached a gag order in publishing references to Cardinal George Pells since-overturned convictions in 2018 for child sexual abuse. The plea agreement avoids any journalist being sent to prison.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

CANBERRA, Australia - Australian media companies admitted in court Monday they breached a gag order in publishing references to Cardinal George Pells since-overturned convictions in 2018 for child sexual abuse. The plea agreement avoids any journalist being sent to prison.

Dozens of companies, reporters and editors were charged with contempt and breaching a suppression order over their coverage of the convictions, which were banned from publication in Australia until February 2019.

Such suppression orders are common in the Australian and British judicial systems. But the enormous international interest in an Australian criminal trial with global ramifications highlighted the difficulty in enforcing such orders in the digital age.

No foreign news organization has been charged with breaching the suppression order. The U.S. Constitutions First Amendment would prevent such censorship in the United States, so attempting to extradite an American for breaching an Australian suppression order would be futile.

Pells five convictions have since been overturned by the High Court and he has returned to the Vatican after spending 13 months in prison.

The media businesses and journalists had been on trial in the Victoria state Supreme Court in Melbourne since November last year. The trial began two years after charges were first laid.

But the case was resolved on Monday after the 12 corporations agreed to plead guilty to 21 charges of breaching a suppression order made by the trial judge.

Lawyers entered formal guilty pleas on behalf of companies including News Corp., Nine, former Fairfax publications, Mamamia and Sydney Radio 2GB.

In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining 58 charges, including 46 against individual reporters and editors.

No Australian media company published a straight news report of Pells convictions, but some directed their audiences to international online reports.

Melbournes most popular newspaper, Herald Sun, published a white headline CENSORED across a black front page.

The world is reading a very important story that is relevant to Victorians, the newspaper said, referring to residents of Victoria state.

The newspaper said it was prevented from publishing details of this significant news.

Prosecutor Lisa Di Ferrari told Justice John Dixon, who had been hearing the trial without a jury, that given the acceptance of responsibility by the corporations, it was in the public interest to withdraw the remaining charges.

The court was told the media companies would pay the legal costs of the prosecution. A pre-sentence hearing will begin next week on Feb. 10.

It is not clear what financial penalties the businesses could face. But several high-profile journalists had faced the prospect of serving prison sentences if they had been convicted.

The details of Pell's first trial were suppressed to prevent prejudicing jurors in a second child abuse trial that Pell was to face three months later.

That second trial was cancelled due to a lack of evidence so the suppression order was lifted.

Because there was no second trial, no one is alleging that breaching the suppression order caused any harm. But lawyers agree that an absence of harm will not be a factor in determining punishment.
Microsoft is confident it can fill the void left by Google if it carries out its threat to remove its search engine from Australia, the country's prime minister said on Monday.

A Google executive told a Senate hearing last month that it would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government goes ahead with a draft law that would make tech giants pay for news content.

Scott Morrison said he has spoken to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella about its search engine, Bing, filling the space.

'I can tell you, Microsoft's pretty confident' that Australians would not be worse off, Morrison told the National Press Club of Australia.

'These are big technology companies and what's important to Australia, I think, is that we set the rules that are right for our people,' Morrison said.

He added that having a 'sustainable' news environment that is 'supported commercially' is vital to the functioning of democracy.

Microsoft is confident it can fill the void left by Google if it carries out its threat to remove its search engine from Australia, the country's prime minister said on Monday [Stock photo]

Although Bing is Australia's second most popular search engine, it has only a 3.6 per cent market share, according to web analytics service Statcounter. Google says it has 95 per cent.

Nadella initiated the Zoom conversation with Morrison, The Australian newspaper reported.

A Microsoft statement confirmed that the online meeting had taken place last week but released no details of the conversation.

'We recognize the importance of a vibrant media sector and public interest journalism in a democracy and we recognize the challenges the media sector has faced over many years through changing business models and consumer preferences,' Microsoft said.

'With respect to the current controversy over a potential code of conduct governing Google and Facebook, Microsoft is not directly involved and we wouldn't want to comment on that ongoing process involving the ACCC and those companies,' the statement added, referring to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the national regulator that devised the draft law.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) said said he has spoken to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella about its search engine, Bing, filling the space and that 'Australians would not be worse off' if Google made its search engine unavailable in the country

A Google executive told a Senate hearing last month that it would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government goes ahead with a draft law that would make tech giants pay for news content [Stock photo]

The mandatory code of conduct proposed by the government aims to make Google and Facebook pay Australian media companies fairly for using news content the tech giants siphon from news sites.

There are no plans to make smaller search engines such as Bing pay for linking users to Australian news, but the government has not ruled that option out.

Google has faced pressure from authorities elsewhere to pay for news. Last month, it signed a deal with a group of French publishers paving the way for the company to make digital copyright payments.

Under the agreement, Google will negotiate individual licensing deals with newspapers, with payments based on factors such as the amount published daily and monthly internet site traffic.

But Google is resisting the Australian plan because it would have less control over how much it would have to pay.

Under the Australian system, if an online platform and a news business can't agree on a price for news, an arbitration panel will make a binding decision on payment.

Morrison said he would like to see 'more alignment between the world's economies' on such antitrust and competition policy issues.
By Mike Spector (Reuters) - The chief executives of ExxonMobil Corp and Chevron Corp held preliminary talks in early 2020 to explore combining the two largest U.S. oil producers in what would have been the biggest merger of all time, according to people familiar with the matter. The discussions, which are no longer active, are indicative of the pressure the energy sector's most dominant companies faced as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and crude prices plunged. The talks between Exxon Chief Executive Darren Woods and Chevron CEO Mike Wirth were serious enough for legal ...
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 Xinjiang Textile Industry Association on Sunday issued a report reviewing the history and development of Xinjiang's cotton textile industry, and refuting Western criticism of the so-called "forced labor".

"The industry secures the livelihoods of millions of people in Xinjiang, including cotton growers, cotton textile workers and their family members, improves their lives, and promotes the realization of their economic and social rights," the report said.

In Chapter VI, the report highlights people's rights, saying that "putting people first" was and will remain Xinjiang's cotton textile industry's primary social development goal and fundamental social responsibility.

The industry will "continue to ensure employees' will and freedom in all modes of employment, respect employees' will and occupational choices, and promote the market mechanism to play a leading role in allocating labor resources," according to the report.
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Copyright  2021

Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  An equestrian center near Santa Fe is up for sale and owners are blaming it on restrictions intended to slow the spread of COVID-19 imposed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

HIPICO Santa Fe, located on South Polo Drive, said in a news release last week that restrictions imposed by the governor led to the closure of most its operations and the cancellation of events, resulting in a 97% decrease in revenue during 2020. Owners of the property say they would rather not sell it, but they would need investors to keep it going.

The 81 acres west of the Santa Fe Regional Airport is listed by Fay Ranches Inc., a Montana-based brokerage firm specializing in ranch property, for $4.96 million. The price includes more than 46,000 square feet of covered space, including an indoor arena and multiple barns. There are also three single-family homes, a clubhouse, storage buildings, several outdoor arenas, polo grounds and an RV park.

In June, HIPICO Santa Fe announced it would cancel its annual Summer Series consisting of hunter/jumper equestrian competitions because it had been denied an exception to the public health order pertaining to mass gatherings, despite submitting what it felt was an effective Safe Practices plan to the Department of Health. The plan would have reduced the number of people on the property to between 25 and 220 at any given time, HIPICO co-owner Phyllis Gonzales told the Journal at the time.

Without the Summer Series, HIPICO Santa Fe as a venue would not exist, Gonzales said. The loss of $2.5 million in gross revenue to HIPICO is simply not one that we can recoup through small events throughout the year.

HIPICO was able to host some small rider clinics and training days and even got into the music business by partnering with AMP Concerts to serve as a venue for a drive-in concert series, but the income from these events was far less than the projected 2020 revenue required to sustain operations and meet lender obligations, the release said.

State records show HIPICIO applied for and received $25,000 in CARES Act funding.

A Governors Office spokeswoman stood by the restrictions and said it would have been unsafe and unfair to other entities to allow HIPICOs Summer Series to go on.

Large gatherings remain unsafe due to the risk of viral spread. That is the unfortunate reality, said governors spokeswoman Nora Meyers Sackett, adding that more than 3,100 New Mexicans have already died from COVID-19 and thousands more have suffered debilitating effects that could last for years. The pandemic has been difficult for all of us, including for the families who have lost loved ones and the businesses who have been unable to operate in the same way as years past due to the health risks posed by the virus.

Current HIPICO owners want to hang onto the property.

We have been in negotiations with our lender since the pandemic began, when every one of our large events scheduled for 2020 had to be canceled due to the public health order issued by the governor, co-owner Guy McElvain said. Unfortunately, we were not able to reach a successful arrangement with our lender that would allow us the long-term stability to recover financially at this point.

Brian Gonzales, another owner and Phylliss husband, said the agreement with the lender requires them to list the property for sale. He said they are looking into expanding the RV park into a year-round operation and are seeking equity investors in the property.

Both of these options would give us the capital we need to continue our operations, he said.

The Gonzaleses and McElvain bought the property, which was going through foreclosure, from Los Alamos National Bank in 2014. An article in the Santa Fe New Mexican at the time said the property was originally listed at $3.9 million but the price was reduced to $2.9 million.
The Delhi Police has diverted vehicular traffic at Akshardham towards Noida on Monday morning due to the farmers' ongoing protest at Ghazipur (Delhi-Uttar Pradesh) border.

Due to heavy traffic congestion, the Delhi Traffic Police took to Twitter to update about the diversion points.

"Sir Diversion Point

1. Akshardham Setu towards Akshardham , NH-9

2. Max Hospital cut NH-24 towards Hassan Pur depot

3. Ghazipur Round about towards Anand Vihar

4. Paper market towards Mayur Vihar Phase-3 to avoid Murga Mandi

5. Kondli pul towards Ghazipur Round about.

The above diversion point have been open at 10:05 AM

And

From the point of

1.

National Highway no 9

National Highway no 24

Open from UPPER side U.P Gate towards Ghaziabad, Meerut, Hapur.

2. Both carriageway at the point of Delhi Toll towards Delhi, and U P.

Open now.

6. Both carriageway under Akshardham Setu Pandav Nagar."

Sir Diversion Point

1. Akshardham Setu towards Akshardham , NH-9

2. Max Hospital cut NH-24 towards Hassan Pur depot

3. Ghazipur Round about towards Anand Vihar

4. Paper market towards Mayur Vihar Phase-3 to avoid Murga Mandi  Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) February 1, 2021

The protest at the Ghazipur border entered its 66th day on Monday.

Security has been beefed up as farmers continue to reach make their way to the protest site for the past two to three days.

Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws: 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.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Renovators upgrading their toilet can save themselves a lot of strain with a little-known service offered by Bunnings.

Replacing your old toilet can often be a costly and complicated process because once you purchase a new toilet, you then have to uninstall and dispose of the old one appropriately.

Finding the right plumber and knowing where to look for the best price can also be very time consuming.

Renovators looking to upgrade their toilet can now do so without too much strain thanks to a partnership between Bunnings Warehouse and Hipages (stock image)

But now Australian tradie website Hipages has teamed up with the hardware giant to provide a one-stop shop for homeowners looking to revamp their bathroom.

Customers who purchase a new dunny can pay a $275 fixed fee to have the upgrade installed and get the old one taken away.

The time-saving measure was rolled out in 2018 and has been used by hundreds of Aussies looking for a new throne.

Hipages boss David Vitek said the service aimed to help Australians easily book a qualified, local tradie online.

'Bunnings customers simply purchase the installation in-store with their toilet suite, then follow a simple process to connect with a Hipages tradie,' he said.

The Australian tradie website has teamed up with the hardware giant to provide a one-stop shop for homeowners looking to revamp their bathroom. Pictured: A Bunnings Warehouse store

How it works 1. The customer purchases a back to wall or close coupled toilet suite at a Bunnings Warehouse store and can add a $275 hipages toilet installation voucher at the checkout 2. Using their unique voucher code, the customer then organises a time with a hipages plumber to install their toilet suite. Booking can be made online, in store at the Special Orders desk or over the phone 3. The hipages plumber installs the toilet at the time agreed, removing the old unit for disposal. Advertisement

But though the service has caused quite a splash, one customer warned that she was charged $235 more than the fixed fee.

Although Hipages collaborates with over 4,000 plumbers nationwide who go through a vetting process, which includes license and ABN checks, the woman on claimed that her toilet installation did not appear to be above board.

She said there was no official bill or invoice and that she was asked to pay cash on the spot.

The woman also said the tradie got rid of the toilet in a commercial business dumpster one street away.

'The Bunnings Warehouse Toilet Installation Promotion seems more like a scam. That is not a good deal,' she said.

But Bunnings is adamant the service is making life easier for those looking to renovate their bathroom.

The company also stated that after the woman's complaints was brought to their attention, she 'received a full refund of the additional charge'.

'This is an exciting offer for Bunnings customers and local tradies across Australia, making it easier and more affordable for customers to update their bathroom and connect with local tradies to assist with those jobs that require a licensed tradesperson,' managing director Michael Schneider said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said the Biden administration is considering possible action against Russia, a day after police used batons and tasers against protesters demanding the release of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.

In a TV interview aired on February 1, Blinken said he was "deeply disturbed by the violent crackdown."

He also said in the wide-ranging interview that China acted "egregiously" to undermine Hong Kong and warned Iran was months away from the ability to produce the fissile material needed for a nuclear weapon.

Russia's Foreign Ministry claimed that Washington was behind the protests, alleging a "gross intervention in Russia's affairs."

"The Russian government makes a big mistake if it believes that this is about us," he said in the interview with NBC News. "It's about them. It's about the government. It's about the frustration that the Russian people have with corruption, with autocracy, and I think they need to look inward, not outward."

In the interview, taped on January 31, Blinken did not commit to specific sanctions against Moscow. He said he was reviewing a response to the actions against Navalny, as well as Russian election interference in 2020, the Solar Wind hack, and alleged bounties for U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

"The president could not have been clearer in his conversation with President [Vladimir] Putin," Blinken said of Joe Biden's telephone call last week with the Russian leader.

On Iran, Blinken warned that Tehran was months away from being able to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon, saying it could be only "a matter of weeks" if Iran continued to lift restraints in the nuclear deal.

He said the United States was willing to return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal if Iran does and then work with U.S. allies and partners on a "longer and stronger" agreement including other issues. Pressed about whether the release of detained Americans, which was not part of previous negotiations, would be an absolute condition for an expanded nuclear treaty, he did not commit.

"Irrespective of...any deal, those Americans need to be released. Period," he said. "We're going to focus on making sure that they come home one way or another."

Regarding China, Blinken said that despite World Health Organization inspectors on the ground in Wuhan, Beijing is "falling far short of the mark" when it comes to allowing experts access to the sites where the coronavirus was discovered.

He called China's lack of transparency a "profound problem" that must be addressed.

Blinken said the Biden administration would be looking to see whether the U.S. tariffs imposed on Chinese imports by the previous Trump administration were doing more harm to the United States than to their target.

He also criticized Chinese actions in Hong Kong, where he said China had acted "egregiously" to undermine its commitments to the semiautonomous island.

Under a sweeping national security law criminalizing secession and subversion, pro-democracy demonstrators have been swept up in waves of arrests.

With reporting by Reuters
Trump Names New Lead Lawyers for Impeachment Defense Team

Former President Donald Trump on Jan. 31 named two attorneys who will lead his impeachment defense legal team.

The two lawyers who will represent the former president in next weeks Senate trial are David Schoen, an attorney from Alabama, and Bruce Castor Jr., a former prosecutor in Pennsylvania.

The announcement follows media reports citing anonymous sources that said a group of attorneys from South Carolina were no longer participating in the defense.

South Carolina-based lawyer Butch Bowers had previously been tapped to lead the presidents legal team but parted ways over differing opinions on the direction of the defense arguments, the reports said. Other lawyers on the team who also reportedly exited were Deborah Barbier and former federal prosecutors Greg Harris, Johnny Gasser, and Josh Howard.

The lawyers didnt immediately respond to requests by The Epoch Times to confirm their departures.

Jason Miller, a Trump adviser, confirmed the reports of a reshuffle on Jan. 30, saying that the final decision on our legal team hadnt yet been made.

On Jan. 31, Trumps office released a statement saying that Schoen and Castor would be leading the team, and that Schoen had already been working with Trump and other advisers in preparing for the trial.

It is an honor to represent the 45th President, Donald J. Trump, and the United States Constitution, Schoen said in the statement.

The new team has about a week to strategize what direction it will take in the defense. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin next week.

Republicans have begun uniting behind the argument that the Senate impeachment trial of a former president is unconstitutional, a question that has sparked heated debate among legal scholars and lawmakers.

Dem. efforts to impeach a pres. who has already left office is unconstitutional & so bad for our country. In fact, 45 Senators have already voted that it is unconstitutional, Miller wrote on Twitter.

On Jan. 26, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) raised a point of order on the Senate floor, forcing the chamber to take a stance on the constitutionality of the upcoming proceedings. The Senate ultimately voted 5545, meaning that, while the trial will go ahead, it revealed that nearly half of the chamber believes the proceedings are unconstitutional.

Castor said the trial is expected to test the strength of our Constitution.

The strength of our Constitution is about to be tested like never before in our history. It is strong and resilient. A document written for the ages, and it will triumph over partisanship yet again, and always, he said in the statement.

Castor previously served as a solicitor general and as acting attorney general of Pennsylvania.

The Democrat-controlled House on Jan. 13 voted 232197 to impeach Trump on a single article of impeachment, alleging that the president incited an insurrection that caused the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6.

The impeachment, which was completed in a single seven-hour session, has been criticized by Republicans for its expediency and lack of due process.

Although Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is forging ahead with the trial, the 5545 vote on Pauls order could be an indication that a Trump conviction is unlikely, since a two-thirds majority is needed to convict.
Noodle soups are a year-round favorite for me, but I realize that for many people, the chilly wintry months are when the brothy, warming comforts of noodle soup sooth the soul as they warm the body. Many people know and adore Vietnamese pho and I've certainly done my best to boost its value and versatility, but that's not the only noodle soup I treasure.

Once you've explored pho on this website or via The Pho Cookbook, push forward into the Vietnamese repertoire! There's bun bo Hue, which is featured on the cover of my first cookbook and doable via the pressure cooker in Vietnamese Food Any Day. But there are other splendid Vietnamese noodle soups waiting to further your culinary adventure. And since Chinese cuisine informs a lot of Viet cooking, I also have a soft spot for Chinese noodle soups! On this post are eight recipes for you to try.

Vietnamese Noodle Soups

Hu Tieu Nam Vang - is the classic southern Vietnamese noodle soup. Pictured above and below, it's a crazy surf-and-turf combination that's vibrant in color, flavor and texture. To learn more, take a deep dive into the hu tieu world via this post that includes a recipe for one of Vietnam's most beloved noodle soups.

Chicken and Bamboo Shoot Rice Noodle Soup (Bun Mang Ga) is a northern Vietnamese favorite, especially during the lunar new year that's coming up on February 12, 2021 when the Year of the Ox kicks off. The broth is enriched by chicken and dried bamboo shoot, which you may be familiar with in Japanese ramen. For bun mang ga, there's a fair amount of bamboo shoot used to impart earthy umami, chewy texture and a delicate sweetness. You could simmer duck or pork shank instead but chicken is prized for Tet.

Vegan Crab and Rice Noodle Soup (Bun Rieu Cua Chay) is a faux take on a crab and rice noodle soup. The method of coagulating soy milk is fun, and the result is a light and refreshing, tomato-ey super slurpable bowl!

Kien Giang Fish and Shrimp Rice Noodle Soup (Bun Ca Kien Giang) - And since we're not able to travel far these days, make this sunny Mekong Delta noodle soup. It's absolutely delicious and involves some cool techniques and interesting ingredients. Yes, bun ca Kien Giang has garnishes that include cucumber to refresh and brighten. It's got plenty of southern Viet funk, so make the noodle soup and extend your Vietnamese adventures to the far southern reaches of the country.

Chinese Noodle Soups

Bourdain Tribute Wonton Noodle Soup was indeed inspired by the late Anthony Bourdain. I developed the recipe after watching an episode of his show, which took me back to a Hong Kong that I experienced in the early 1990s. Of course, his show didn't exist then but the episode had plenty of impressions of the essence of Hong Kong culture and cuisines.

Informed by cooking teacher and cookbook author, Florence Lin, this Instant Pot Sichuan Spicy Beef Noodle Soup is quicker to make that a long simmer on the stove. The broth is beefy but not too heavy duty, which means it'll satisfy you but not weigh you down.

There are many Sichuan influences in Taiwan (e.g, there's a less spicy version of douban jiang in Taiwan!) and Lorna Lee highlighted the regional impact in her cookbook years ago. I made her Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup to get a sense of how Chinese flavors migrate. If Sichuan food is overly intense for you, try Lorna's. You'll experience similarities and differences. I find it mellower and friendlier. Just like Viet pho, Chinese beef noodle soup isn't one note!

And you can mix proteins up! This Spicy Beef and Tofu Skin Noodle Soup from Fuchsia Dunlops cookbook, Every Grain of Rice (one of my favorite Asian cookbooks), showcases something I love to do nowadays -- cut back on meat consumption but not totally cut it out! She uses tofu skin to add chewy texture and earthy flavor to the bowl. It's lighter and definitely not dull!

And, if you need more inspiration and recipes, check my cookbooks and other favorite Asian cookbooks.
A body has been found in the search for a young woman who went missing while snorkelling at Altona beach on Saturday.

The 20-year-old, from Ashwood in Melbournes east, was in the water with friends about 100 metres from shore when she disappeared from view while near the pier on Saturday about 11.15am.

Divers enter the water on the third day of a search for a missing snorkeller. Credit:Jason South

A search, involving specialist divers, water police and the air wing, was launched on Saturday and continued on Monday morning.

A body was recovered from the water about 10.30am.
A Democratic-led House panel is launching a probe into coronavirus outbreaks at meatpacking plants and whether the Occupational Safety and Health Administration adequately enforced worker safety rules.

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., chairman of the House select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis, sent letters Monday to Tyson Foods Inc., Smithfield Foods Inc., and JBS USA requesting information on the number of sick employees, facility closures, safety measures and leave policies for when workers tested positive. Nearly 54,000 workers at 569 meatpacking plants in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 270 have died, Clyburn said in the letter.

Meatpacking companies "have refused to take basic precautions to protect their workers, many of whom earn extremely low wages and lack adequate paid leave, and have shown a callous disregard for workers' health," the letters to the companies said.

Clyburn also asked OSHA to explain the relative lack of citations and penalties issued against meatpacking plants under the Trump administration even though the facilities became an epicenter of spread for the virus.

"OSHA issued penalties related to the coronavirus totaling over $3.9 million, but the agency issued only eight citations and less than $80,000 in penalties for coronavirus-related violations at meatpacking companies," the letter said.

Tyson, Smithfield, JBS and OSHA did not immediately respond to requests to comment.

The spreading virus made meat plants one of the early hot spots in the U.S. pandemic, forcing facilities to shut down temporarily. Meat companies spent hundreds of millions to install workstation dividers, sanitizer stations, temperature scanners and to add medical personnel.

The North American Meat Institute said the industry has spent more than $1.5 billion on "comprehensive protections instituted since the spring."

The low penalties have drawn criticism from Democrats, including Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Cory Booker of New Jersey. Lawmakers have pointed to the meatpacking industry, an early coronavirus epicenter, as an example of how companies have failed to protect poorly paid front-line employees.

OSHA has defended the size of the fines. In reference to a $13,494 fine against Smithfield Foods -- after 1,300 workers at the meatpacker's Sioux Falls, South Dakota, plant tested positive for the virus, 43 were hospitalized and four died between March 22 and June 16 -- OSHA said it was the maximum penalty allowed by law.

Clyburn set a Feb. 15 deadline for OSHA staff to brief lawmakers and for the companies respond with the requested data.
Advertisement

Britain today recorded the fewest daily coronavirus deaths since December, with officials posting just 406 more victims as the second wave continues to decline.

Department of Health figures also show cases are continuing to fall, hitting a seven-week low of 18,607 positive tests.

For comparison, 22,195 infections and 592 deaths were recorded last Monday, meaning cases have fallen by 16.2 per cent week-on-week and deaths by 31.4 per cent.

Government data also revealed another 322,000 Covid vaccines were dished out on Sunday, meaning 9.3million Britons have now received their first dose. No10 promised to vaccinate 13.9million of the most vulnerable by mid-February, in order to begin easing lockdown restrictions.

It was also revealed today that door-to-door coronavirus testing is being launched across eight parts of England amid fears the South African variant causing panic around the world is now spreading in the community. In a desperate attempt to keep track of the mutated virus that experts fear could hamper vaccines, health officials will visit homes in Surrey, the West Midlands, London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire.

Boris Johnson today insisted lockdown is working and vaccines are effective against coronavirus variants  as he held out hopes summer holidays can happen this year. The Prime Minister struck a positive tone as he visited a vaccination site in Yorkshire, saying there was evidence of a 'flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations'.

After a leaked Cabinet Office report hailed the 'stabilising' situation, he also stressed that the Government believes all the jabs being used in the UK are effective against all variants. And after mixed messages from ministers he said he was 'optimistic' that Britons will be able to go on summer breaks.

Door-to-door mass tests of 80,000 people amid fears South African Covid variant is spreading in the UK Door-to-door coronavirus testing is being launched across eight parts of England amid fears the South African variant causing panic around the world is now spreading in the community. In a desperate attempt to keep track of the mutated virus that experts fear could hamper the current crop of vaccines, health officials will visit homes in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire. More than 80,000 over-16s will be targeted as part of the huge surveillance scheme and residents will be asked to take a test regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. Local health bosses will go door-to-door, as well as police officers, firefighters and council workers. As well as knocking on doors and asking residents to take tests there and then, extra mobile swabbing units will be deployed to all eight postcodes and home testing kits will be available to order online for residents to do themselves. Public Health England has already spotted 105 cases of the 'B.1.351' South African variant since December 22, including 11 people  scattered across the eight areas receiving extra testing  who were struck down with the virus but had no history of international travel. PHE said an 'extensive contact tracing investigation' had been carried out to isolate the 11 patients' close contacts. There is currently no evidence that the variant causes more severe illness and early studies suggest the current crop of jabs are good enough to protect against it. Advertisement

In other dramatic coronavirus developments today:

Boris Johnson said lockdown was working and vaccines are effective against Covid variants, but warned it is too early to take 'foot off the neck of the beast';

Ministers are believed to be considering giving spare vaccines to Ireland in the coming months after the EU staged a humiliating climbdown on its threat to ban exports;

Britain could be back to something close to pre-coronavirus life as soon as the summer thanks to the UK's vaccine juggernaut, according to a top scientist;

It has been claimed Matt Hancock vetoed a deal to manufacture a British vaccine in the United States because it did not guarantee the UK would get the first supply of jabs;

Rishi Sunak has been warned against a money-raising Budget next month with the tax burden at a 70-year high and the manufacturing recovery stalling.

More than 80,000 over-16s will be targeted as part of the huge surveillance scheme and residents will be asked to take a test regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. Local health bosses will go door-to-door, as well as police officers, firefighters and council workers.

As well as knocking on doors and asking residents to take tests there and then, extra mobile swabbing units will be deployed to all eight postcodes and home testing kits will be available to order online for residents to do themselves.

Public Health England has already spotted 105 cases of the 'B.1.351' South African variant since December 22, including 11 people  scattered across the eight areas receiving extra testing  who were struck down with the virus but had no history of international travel.

PHE said an 'extensive contact tracing investigation' had been carried out to isolate the 11 patients' close contacts. There is currently no evidence that the variant causes more severe illness and early studies suggest the current crop of jabs are good enough to protect against it.

Experts fear there could be hundreds more cases already in the UK because PHE only analyses one in 10 random positive samples and the strain cannot be spotted in standard PCR tests. All of the swabs confirmed to have Covid will be sent to labs for further testing.

Health officials are anxious not to let another Covid variant run rampant, after Britain struggled to get a grip on the Kent strain which sparked a devastating second wave that plunged England into its third lockdown at the start of January.

In a desperate attempt to keep track of the South African variant that experts fear could effect the current crop of vaccines, health officials will carry out swabs in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire

Boris Johnson says that lockdown IS working and vaccines ARE effective against Covid Boris Johnson today insisted lockdown is working and vaccines are effective against coronavirus variants - but warned it is too early to take our 'foot off the throat of the beast'. The PM struck a positive tone as he visited a vaccination site in Yorkshire, saying there was evidence of a 'flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations'. After a leaked Cabinet Office report hailed the 'stabilising' situation, he also stressed that the government believes all the jabs being used in the UK are effective against all variants. And he said he was 'optimistic' that Britons will be able to go on summer holidays this year. But Mr Johnson dodged committing to any timetable, amid fears that the South African version of the disease is transmitting in the community. Two people in Surrey have tested positive for the variant of coronavirus, despite having no links to travel or previous cases of the strain - with 'surge testing' being carried out in the area to check the scale of the problem. In total the Department of Health says 105 cases have now been found in the UK. The PM told reporters on his visit to the vaccination hub in Batley: 'We are starting to see some signs of a flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations. 'But don't forget that they are still at a very high level by comparison with most points in the last 12 months, a really very high level. 'So the risk is if you take your foot off the throat of the beast, as it were, and you allow things to get out of control again then you could, alas, see the disease spreading again fast before we have got enough vaccines into people's arms. 'That's the risk.' Advertisement

Like the Kent variant, the South African version carries the N501Y mutation which makes it far more transmissible than the original Covid strain. And it has additional mutations on its spike protein which scientists fear will make it difficult for the immune system to recognise, even in vaccinated people. But early tests have shown the current crop of vaccines still work against the variant but may be slightly less effective.

Ministers have already banned travel from South Africa and surrounding countries in response to the threat. In response to the ever-growing threat of dangerous new variants, the Government last week ordered mandatory hotel-quarantines for arrivals from 30 'red list' countries  including Portugal and South Africa.

The PCR test  considered the gold standard method worldwide  looks for three genes present on the original virus that came out of China, the S gene, N gene and ORF1ab. Health officials are able to spot the Kent strain with regular PCR because that variant is missing the S gene.

But the South African version is much harder to track because it shares all three genes with the original strain so PCR results cannot differentiate between the two, meaning researchers need to manually sequence each sample in a laboratory.

PHE sources claimed today they were 'not expecting a surge in cases' because the strain is no more transmissible than the dominant Kent one currently plaguing the country, so it has no 'evolutionary edge' over it. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said this morning he was 'confident' that all the vaccines the UK has ordered will 'provide a high degree of immunity and protection against all variants'.

But Labour said it was 'deeply worrying' that the South African strain appeared to be spreading in the community, claiming it 'shows the UK Government's quarantine system is not working'.

It comes as Boris Johnson today insisted lockdown is working and vaccines are effective against coronavirus variants - but warned it is too early to take our 'foot off the throat of the beast'.

The PM struck a positive tone as he visited a vaccination site in Yorkshire, saying there was evidence of a 'flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations'.

After a leaked Cabinet Office report hailed the 'stabilising' situation, he also stressed that the government believes all the jabs being used in the UK are effective against all variants. And he said he was 'optimistic' that Britons will be able to go on summer holidays this year.

But Mr Johnson dodged committing to any timetable, amid fears that the South African version of the disease is transmitting in the community.

The PM told reporters on his visit to the vaccination hub in Batley: 'We are starting to see some signs of a flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations.

'But don't forget that they are still at a very high level by comparison with most points in the last 12 months, a really very high level.

'So the risk is if you take your foot off the throat of the beast, as it were, and you allow things to get out of control again then you could, alas, see the disease spreading again fast before we have got enough vaccines into people's arms. That's the risk.'
Hyderabad, Feb 1 : Leading health sector players on Monday hailed the Union Budget 2021-22 for increased allocation to the sector and new schemes.

Healthcare providers welcomed the announcements made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to give a push to the health sector.

Apollo Hospitals Group Chairman Dr. Prathap C. Reddy said the ground-breaking focus on health will provide access to medical care for all in our country, fuel job creation and boost economic momentum.

"The Covid-19 pandemic was an unprecedented medical crisis and it underlined the importance of building a resilient healthcare infrastructure. Today, the Finance Minister said health is her first pillar and her announcements to develop primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare systems, gladdened my heart," he said The allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for Covid-19 vaccines and more if required, makes our glorious nation stand tall as a model for the world, he added.

Dr Reddy called for looking at the next crisis of non-communicable diseases, which will be responsible for 80 per cent of deaths and cause a $3.8 trillion burden to the country by 2030.

Apollo Group President Dr K. Hari Prasad said that the pandemic propelled health into the forefront and this is aptly reflected in the Budget. "The outlay towards prevention, treatment and wellness is welcome and should impact the health indices positively. Almost the entire budget is targeted at public healthcare infrastructure and facilities and talks about enhancing primary, secondary and tertiary care. This must improve public healthcare infrastructure and services which is a welcome phenomenon," he said.

He, however, noted the budget has been silent on certain critical aspects of healthcare and hoped that the same will be addressed in due course. Health Insurance Premiums are increasing and increasing the premium amount for tax exemption would have been a great initiative to increase the number of people covered by health insurance, he said.

Global healthcare advisory firm Access Health International's India Country Director Dr Krishna Reddy said that with 137 per cent increased allocation, health got the needed thrust to strengthen public health, preventive care, primary health care and emergency care.

"Increased allocations to other social determinants of health- education, clean cooking gas, clean air, clean surroundings, clean drinking water to every household will have greater impact on health in addition to increased health outlays," he said.

Gleneagles Global Hospitals Cluster COO Dr Mervin Leo welcomed the Budget and the allocations made to the health sector. "Finance Minister's announcement to spend more on primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare over the next six years is much appreciated," he said.

The Finance Minister announced that Rs 64,180 crore will be invested over six years to improve primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare.

"Her focus on improving rural and urban health infrastructure in addition to the existing National Health Mission will certainly see many new initiatives coming up, which will help improve the health index of people in the country," he said.

Prime Minister's Atmanirbhar Swasthya Bharat Yojana (ANSBY) is a great step forward in these times to boost the rural health infrastructure, where public health is in dire need of funding, said Medicover Group of Hospitals Chairman and Managing Director, Dr Anil Krishna.

"The Rs 64,180 crore funding as part of ANSBY will also make the nation ready for the emergency handling of Covid-19 pandemic situations," he said.

"The government's decision to increase the budgetary allocation towards health sector is a welcome move, and a much needed one for the times we are in," Continental Hospitals CEO Dr. Riyaz Khan said.

He believes that increasing Foreign Direct Investment limits into the sector and the proposed IPO of Life Insurance Corporation will surely strengthen insurance sector in India, which is much needed to ensure world-class healthcare reaches maximum citizens. "Separate allocation towards Covid-19 vaccination for a six-year period is a compassionate move on part of the Finance Minister," he said.

SLG Hospitals ED D.V.S. Somaraju said the Budget announcements are likely to have a hugely positive impact in the short and long terms and provide the much-needed impetus to the health sector.

"Problems associated with Covid-19 pandemic will last for certain period, and the government needed to step up to mitigate the situation efficiently, and the Finance Minister, through her Budget proposals, tried doing the same to a certain extent. Indian healthcare is moving in the right direction; but needs government and investment support to speed up the process of providing best possible healthcare across the country," he said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The National Transportation Safety Board has announced that it is investigating a house fire that killed four people, including two firefighters, in the northwestern part of the state.

The agency launched the investigation because the fire on Jan. 29 involved a natural gas pipeline, spokesman Peter Knudson said. The NTSB investigates pipeline accidents, he said.

The blaze was reported just after 3 a.m. Friday in Waynoka, about 110 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, Assistant Oklahoma State Fire Marshal James Fullingim said.

The fire was reported by a person reportedly trapped in a bedroom of the home, Fullingim said, and two firefighters who arrived at the scene entered the home and found a man and woman in the bedroom.

The four died as the firefighters tried to remove the occupants from the home.

We dont know exactly what happened, Fullingim said. One firefighter was trying to locate an exit route out of the house.

The names of the four were not immediately released. Fullingim said both firefighters were male and the two inside the home were a male and a female.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, Fullingim said.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Oklahoma Transportation

military on Monday declared a state of emergency in the country for one year, hours after detaining civilian leaders including State Counsellor and President U Win Myint.

The state-run Radio and Television (MRTV) announced on its social media page that it was no longer working on Monday morning, Xinhua reported.

Telecommunications in the capital city of Naypyitaw and some other regions and states are also being cut off.

In the early morning raids, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials have been detained by the military.

Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) told Xinhua: "I received internal reports about our state counsellor and the president being taken by the military. As far as I was informed, Shan State's Planning and Finance Minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin, Kayah state's NLD chairman Thaung Htay and some NLD representatives of the Ayeyarwady region's parliament have been detained."

"Two members of Central Executive Committee of the party were taken and I am also waiting to be detained as I was informed by our members that my turn will come shortly," he said.

This comes in wake of the tensions between the government and the military stoking fears of a coup. The country was under military rule till 2011. Suu Kyi spent many years under house arrest, according to media reports.

The newly-elected lower house of the parliament was due to convene on Monday however the military called for a postponement. Media reports also suggest that telephone and internet lines in Naypyitaw, the country's capital, have been suspended.

According to Sputnik, In January, Myanmar's military raised the prospect of a coup d'etat after what they believed was widespread voter fraud during the November 8 election, which was the country's second general election since the end of military rule in 2011.

(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.)
High Court judge, Justice Clement Phiri, has died.

The state-controlled Herald newspaper quoted Chief Justice Luke Malaba as saying Zimbabwe has host one of the sharpest brains in the countrys judiciary arm of the government.

Malaba said, An astute but unassuming Judge, he will be fondly remembered for his immense contribution to the development of the Zimbabwean jurisprudence in the thirty-four years he was part of the justice delivery system. The Zimbabwean Judiciary is poorer without him.

The government also announced the death of Rosemary Siyachitema, who was the executive director of the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe and board member of the Zimbabwe Newspapers Group. She succumbed to COVID-19.

Former Zanu PF administration secretary and Cabinet Minister, Saviour Kasukuwere, also announced on Twitter the death of Tendai Savanhu, who he said tested positive for COVID-19 before his death.

Savanhu is also the former Mbare East Member of Parliament.
by Francis Khoo Thwe

Soldiers control the country; internet and phones blocked. The coup d'etat comes after the stunning victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) in the elections last November. The army claims fraud. The military will force new elections within a month. The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, condemns the detentions carried out by the military. United States issues condemnation, China keeps it silence.

Yangon (AsiaNews)  Myanmars military leaders declared a state of emergency this morning and entrusted all powers to the commander of the armed forces, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. According to fragmentary information, the head of the secular government, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, are being held in Naypidaw along with other leaders.

The coup against the government comes after the landslide victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) in the elections last November, where the military party gained only 25 seats in parliament, against the Nlds 346.

Observers say the military's fear of a change in the constitution that could cause them to lose power in parliament - where they already hold 25% of seats by law - first pushed them to declare there was "fraud" in the elections, and today to a coup.

The first meeting of parliament with the new composition was scheduled this morning, with an absolute NLD majority.

National television has been blocked, as have the internet and many telephone carriers. Hordes of soldiers guard the streets of Naypidaw and Yangon.

According to military television, the state of emergency will last at least a year. Personalities in Yangon predict that the military will force new elections within a month.

The military oligarchy has had power over Myanmar since a coup d'etat in 1962. Popular demonstrations and international pressure led to a rewrite of the constitution in 2008 and in 2011 to the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, who was held under house arrest from 1989 to 2010. In November 2015, the NLD won the first free elections in 25 years.

The constitution, however, guaranteed the military power in parliament and in society: all industries, businesses, natural wealth and relations with foreign countries are still managed by the military, making any transition to greater democracy difficult.

In all these years, Aung San Suu Kyi - awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 - has had a mediating function between the power of the military and the international community. She has been criticized for not having rigorously condemned the violence of the army against Rohingya refugees, the Muslim population of the Arakan region, also disliked by many sections of the Burmese population.

Last week, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, now in power under the state of emergency, had threatened a revocation of the constitution in case of risks of disintegration of "national solidarity" in the country.

More than two weeks ago, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Myanmar. According to observers, China will not be happy with the turn of events. But so far Beijing is silent. But according to Murray Hiebert, a Southeast Asian policy expert, Myanmar will always receive support from China, which has often been the junta's only supporter in the past.

The United States immediately condemned the coup, which "blocks the democratic transition". The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, also "strongly" condemned the detentions carried out by the military.
The two lawyers Donald Trump hired at the last minute to defend him at his Feb. 9 Senate impeachment trial are no strangers to controversial cases but are generally regarded as straight-shooters who wont push the former presidents wild claims of election fraud claims.

David Schoen and Bruce Castor came on board Sunday after a previous legal team headed by South Carolina lawyer Butch Bowers quit after barely a week, reportedly over Trumps insistence that they base his impeachment defense on arguments that the 2020 election was stolen.

But Schoen told The Washington Post on Sunday he would not make fraud arguments, and a former colleague said he couldnt see Castor touching Trumps preposterous claims either.

Hes smart and he knows its bull, said David Keightly, who worked with Castor in the district attorneys office of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

DAVID SCHOEN

Though Schoen has disavowed claiming the election was stolen, hes no stranger to politically charged arguments. Its likely Trump turned to the Alabama solo practitioner based on his work last year on behalf of the former presidents longtime ally Roger Stone.

Representing Stone in his appeal of his November 2019 conviction for witness tampering and lying to Congress during the probe into Russian election interference, Schoen quickly adopted Trumps claim that the case was part of a massive witch hunt perpetrated by corrupt prosecutors.

Its the kind of case Trump may want to make against the House majoritys charge that he incited the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection that left five people dead. Schoen never found out if his argument for Stone was persuasive though  Trump commuted his allys 40-month sentence in July and then granted him a full pardon in December.

Schoen didnt immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Seth Ginsberg, Stones other lawyer on the appeal case, praised Schoen in an email Monday, saying, David is an intelligent, hardworking lawyer who I am sure will provide solid representation to his client.

Stone likewise praised his former lawyer. David Schoen is one of the most brilliant attorneys I have ever met because he understands the dynamics of both the law and politics and how they interact, the political operative said.

On his website, Schoen says he is known for using creative, novel legal theories not previously recognized to score wins in court over more than three decades, in cases ranging from racketeering and international organized crime to securities violations and money laundering. He has previously defended clients in criminal cases including murder and rape.

BRUCE CASTOR

A longtime prosecutor specializing in murder cases, Castor, 59, is perhaps best-known now for his role in a sexual assault case. In 2005, when he served as district attorney for suburban Montgomery County, just outside Philadelphia, Castor declined to prosecute Bill Cosby after Temple University employee Andrea Constand came forward with allegations that the comedian had drugged and assaulted her at his mansion. Castor said the evidence was insufficient.

The decision likely cost him when he tried to reclaim the district attorney job in 2015 after a stint as county commissioner. After Cosby was charged with assault, Castor was forced into the uncomfortable position of witness for the defense. He testified that hed struck a secret non-prosecution agreement with Cosby and that he thought Constands claims wouldnt withstand scrutiny at trial. Cosby was convicted on three counts of assault and sentenced to three to 10 years in prison.

Though a Republican, Castor in 2016 became a top deputy to then Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, a Democrat. He then served briefly as acting state attorney general when Kane was forced to resign after being convicted of perjury. Castor, who did not respond to a request for comment, now works in private practice for a law firm in Philadelphia.

I dont think Bruce is an ideologue, said Keightly. I think hes a good lawyer and hell do a good job for Trump.

Castors home turf of Montgomery County and other Philadelphia suburbs were the focus of a number of Trump campaign lawsuits aimed at overturning the states election results. Such areas, which strongly favored Democrats, were largely responsible for delivering Pennsylvania to President Joe Biden.



(Meghan Tribe contributed to this report.)

___

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2021 Bloomberg L.P.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
"Our employees have told us their student loan debt is a huge source of stress. We hope that this new benefit will lessen some of that worry and help them pay off that debt more quickly," said David Donald, Co-founder of PeopleShare . "This is our way of paying back the investment our employees have made in themselves."

According to US News and World Report, about 70% of college graduates have student loans, with the average person leaving school with over $30,000 of debt. Many companies offer a tuition reimbursement program, but less than 1 in 100 companies repay their employees' student loans at the level PeopleShare is providing.

"Our employees are the heart and soul of our company. This will help us get the best people to work and stay at PeopleShare. This benefit is the next step to show our employees just how much we care," said Ryan Clark, Co-founder of PeopleShare.

This news comes in the wake of many recent initiatives and accomplishments of the company, including:

Named on Forbes 2020 America's Best Professional Recruiting Firms List

Voted Best Place to Work in PA 2020  Central Penn Business Journal

Voted Best Place to Work for 12 consecutive years  Philadelphia Business Journal

About PeopleShare: Since 2005, PeopleShare has grown to 31 offices across six states. PeopleShare is a staffing company that provides workers with skills and experience to companies that need people to "hit the ground running." For more information about PeopleShare, visit: www.peopleshareworks.com

SOURCE PeopleShare

Related Links

http://www.peopleshareworks.com


[February 01, 2021] ThoughtWorks Acquires Leading Finnish Consultancy Fourkind

CHICAGO, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ThoughtWorks, a global software consultancy, today announced its second acquisition in 2021 and has agreed to acquire Fourkind , a privately-held Finnish consulting services firm that combines machine learning and data science with strategy, design and engineering. This acquisition will grow Fourkind and expand ThoughtWorks' European footprint Founded in 2017 in Helsinki, the company now has a 40-strong team of data scientists, machine learning experts, designers, engineers and strategists and has worked with 80+ organizations in 10+ countries. Fourkind's 40 employees will continue to operate from their existing premises in Helsinki and Amsterdam. The founders and leadership team will remain in post after the acquisition to grow and evolve the business. "We have been on the hunt for a company that will help us accelerate growth in our key strategic focus areas of daa, digital transformation, enterprise modernization and customer experience. We are delighted that Fourkind will be joining the ThoughtWorks family. The Fourkind team's blend of machine learning, data science, strategy, design and engineering has helped their clients lower the perceived risk of adopting new approaches to artificial intelligence. We were impressed with their track record of delivering significant return on investment for their clients' AI and machine learning investments. We believe that our complementary strengths and culture make Fourkind and ThoughtWorks a winning combination," said Guo Xiao , president and chief executive officer, ThoughtWorks.



"When we set up Fourkind, our vision was to help forward-looking organizations create futureproof services and products. We are most well known for groundbreaking innovation in utilizing machine learning in ways that are breaking boundaries of what has previously been considered possible. We believe that being part of ThoughtWorks will offer us the opportunity to grow faster and be part of an agile and successful global team of like-minded passionate technologists who want to make an extraordinary impact in the world," said Jonne Heikkinen, managing director & one of the founding partners, Fourkind. This acquisition will grow Fourkind and expand ThoughtWorks' European footprint and significantly improve ThoughtWorks ability to support and service clients in Finland, the Netherlands and the Nordics.

About Fourkind

Fourkind helps forward-looking organizations create futureproof services and products. We always prioritize results over process and performance over hype. Whereas we're most known for groundbreaking innovation in utilizing machine learning and data science for our clients' benefit, what fuels it all is our passion for results. Since founding the company in 2017 in Helsinki, our 40-strong team of data scientists, machine learning experts, designers, engineers and strategists has worked with 80+ organizations in 10+ countries. About ThoughtWorks

We are a software consultancy and community of passionate purpose-led individuals, 7,000+ people strong across 48 offices in 17 countries. Over our 25+ year history, we have helped our clients solve complex business problems where technology is the differentiator. When the only constant is change, we prepare you for the unpredictable. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thoughtworks-acquires-leading-finnish-consultancy-fourkind-301218517.html SOURCE ThoughtWorks

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  A firebrand conservative Virginia state senator seeking the Republican nomination for governor filed a federal lawsuit Monday that seeks to undo her legislative colleagues' recent decision to censure her for an alleged pattern of unacceptable conduct.

In a bipartisan vote last week, the Virginia Senate approved a measure rebuking Sen. Amanda Chase over a series of incendiary incidents during her tenure, including remarks in which she seemed to voice support for those who participated in storming the U.S. Capitol last month. The decision to pass the censure resolution followed a long debate that featured scathing criticisms of Chase from both Democrats and Republicans.

In the lawsuit, Chase argues that she is being "singled out and selectively penalized for taking unpopular political positions."

Chase alleges that she has suffered "public embarrassment, humiliation, mental anguish and loss of seniority" because of the censure and has been negatively impacted in her candidacy for higher office.

Democratic Sen. John Bell, who sponsored the censure resolution, said while Chase has the right to seek remedy through a lawsuit he is confident the court will deny her requests.

Last month, Chase used a floor speech to defend Ashli Babbitt, a woman who was fatally shot by U.S. Capitol Police during the January insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Chase herself is one of many state lawmakers from around the country who attended a rally shortly before the attack on the Capitol, but she was not part of the group that later stormed the building.

We remember Ashli, and the three who died of medical emergencies and the Capitol Police officer who died during the chaos at the Capitol. These were not rioters and looters, these were patriots who love their country and do not want to see our great republic turned into a socialist country, she said at the time, sparking an outrage.

She later said that when she referred to patriots, she meant people she was standing with at the nonviolent rally before all the mayhem took place, including veterans and police officers.

Story continues

Chase had previously called for martial law to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. She repeated former President Donald Trumps baseless claims of election fraud, and lost access to her Facebook account after falsely blaming leftist activists for the Capitol insurrection.

The censure resolution also took aim at Chase for calling the Democratic Party of Virginia racist to its core," for berating a Capitol Police officer amid a dispute over parking, and for making offensive remarks about the Senate clerk, Susan Clarke Schaar.

The lawsuit, which Chase threatened to file last week, seeks an injunction preventing the Schaar from allowing the publication of the censure resolution in the chamber's official journal.

It also asks the court to issue a judgment that the censure violated Chase's First Amendment rights and order the expungement of the censure. Chase, who was recently demoted in seniority, is also seeking to have her rank restored.

Named as plaintiffs are Schaar, and the Senate of Virginia through Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, who in his role presides as the president of the chamber and oversees its daily work.

Schaar declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Fairfax spokeswoman Lauren Burke said in a statement: "The right to due process for all is of paramount importance in our system. We will await the courts review of this matter.

The lawsuit notes that Fairfax warned the senators last week about a procedural issue with the resolution, saying the item was not properly before them. The senators voted to go ahead with the censure anyway.

Partially on those grounds, Chase argues in the lawsuit that her rights were violated.

Bell said Chase was given the chance to apologize and denounce and condemn white supremacists and anti-Semitic groups who sought violence at the Capitol, and she chose not to do that.

She was definitely given due process along the way, and myself and everyone else gave her a chance to speak her piece, he said.
Amid the prolonged border tensions with China, it is highly anticipated that the government might boost defence spending in Budget 2021.

In the previous budget, the defence sector had received a marginal increase of 1.82 per cent in fund allocation. Last year, the government allocated Rs 4,71,378 crore to the defence sector, including expenditure for salaries of armed forces and civilians, pensions, modernisation of armed forces, among others.

However, the pension bill was almost $18 billion out of the total of $63 billion.

If pension was removed, the budget allocation shrunk to Rs 3.37 lakh crore, which forced armed services to cut back on procurement and modernisation plans.

In October 2020, the government removed expenditure curbs on defence spending, but some big-ticket projects are still pending.

The size of the Defence Industry, including Aerospace and Naval Shipbuilding Industry, is currently estimated to be about Rs 80,000 crore (2019-20). While the contribution of the Public Sector is estimated to be Rs 63,000 crores, the share of the Private Sector has steadily grown to Rs 17,000 crore over the years.

The government is aiming to achieve a turnover of Rs 1,75,000 crore (US$ 25 billion) including the export of Rs 35,000 crore (US$ 5 billion) in Aerospace and Defence goods and services by 2025.

It is also eyeing to reduce dependence on imports and take forward "Make in India" initiatives. In addition to this, the government is planning to create an environment that encourages R&D, rewards innovation, creates Indian IP ownership, and promotes a robust and self-reliant defence industry.

As per the latest list of the 25 largest arms companies in the world released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, three Chinese state-owned companies have dominated the top-10 ranks. China is now the world's fifth-largest arms exporter behind the US, Russia, France, and Germany.

In contrast to this, India is the world's second-largest arms importer despite being the third-largest military spender. This means it is imperative that focused attention is laid on the promotion of exports of Indian defence products.

Also Read: Budget 2021: Will COVID-hit aviation sector get a revival package?

Also Read: Budget 2021: Will FM Sitharaman balance between growth and inflation?
COLUMBIA  Top officials at the South Carolina Republican Party voted Saturday to censure U.S. Rep. Tom Rice for his vote to impeach former President Donald Trump, delivering a rare formal reprimand to one of their own congressmen.

The S.C. GOP executive committee approved a censure resolution that criticized Rice, a Myrtle Beach Republican starting his fifth term in Congress, for participating in a process that they argued unfairly pinned blame on Trump for inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol, party officials told The Post and Courier.

"In the first and most consequential vote of the new session, Mr. Rice sided with (Democratic House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and the unprincipled Leftists by voting to impeach the President, betraying the Republican voters that supported Mr. Rice enthusiastically during the last two election cycles," the resolution said, according to a copy obtained by The Post and Courier.

Rice told The Post and Courier that he still stands by his impeachment vote even after the state party censure. He criticized the S.C. GOP leadership for not seeing how Trump stirred up protesters and failed to do enough to condemn the rioters as they ransacked the U.S. Capitol building to halt Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results.

I think the South Carolina Republican Party has forgotten its own creed that says, I will cower before no man save my God. It seems to me they are cowering before Donald Trump, Rice said. If the president who did what Donald Trump did that day and sent a mob to stall Congress and the result was an attack on the legislative branch of the United States government, that is a clear violation of the constitution. Its absolutely a high crime or misdemeanor. I dont care if the president that does that is Republican or a Democrat, Im voting for impeachment.

Rice, who will likely face a fierce primary challenge to keep his seat even after supporting Trump's presidential campaigns and fiscal policies, said he will continue to work S.C. GOP leadership after his censure, though he wished party leaders spoke with him before the vote Saturday.

The S.C. GOP censure was approved by voice vote, with 43 members in favor of the resolution, no members against and two abstaining, according to S.C. GOP spokeswoman Claire Robinson. Voting members hailed from 41 of the state's 46 counties.

While the symbolic move carries no further penalty, it represents an extraordinary rebuke for a sitting GOP congressman by the state party and further demonstrates the extent of the political fallout Rice is facing among Republican activists in his home state and his district that covers the Pee Dee.

The last time the S.C. GOP voted to censure a high-profile elected official in the state came over a decade ago, when they approved one for then-Gov. Mark Sanford after he admitted going secretly on a multi-day excursion to Argentina to carry out an extramarital affair.

S.C. GOP chairman Drew McKissick, who immediately expressed frustration with Rice shortly after the impeachment vote, said Saturday's censure shows disapproval from the grassroots of the party.

"This is the kind of thing you've come to expect from Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat leadership, but it was really disappointing to see any Republicans approve of it, participate in it in any shape, form or fashion, and I think it plays into the Democrats' game," McKissick said.

McKissick said he does not believe Trump deserves any blame for the violence at the Capitol, pointing to reporting in the weeks since that suggests the riot was planned in advance of Trump's speech on the National Mall. Trump repeatedly touted the planned protest on his Twitter feed, encouraging supporters to come to a "wild" rally.

The S.C. GOP executive committee also unanimously voted in favor of a resolution condemning all political violence.

South Carolina is not the first state in recent weeks that has seen the state GOP censure Republican officials for splitting with Trump.

The Arizona GOP voted last week in favor of similar resolutions for former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake and Cindy McCain, the widow of the late longtime U.S. Sen. John McCain, for criticizing Trump. They also censured Gov. Doug Ducey for the emergency restrictions he put in place during the coronavirus pandemic.

Some pro-Trump Republicans in Massachusetts are also seeking to censure their GOP Gov. Charlie Baker for supporting the impeachment.

Sign up for our Myrtle Beach weekly update newsletter. Sign up for weekly roundups of our top stories, news and culture from the Myrtle Beach area. This newsletter is hand-curated by a member of our Myrtle Beach news staff. Email

Sign Up!

Rices vote to impeach came as a shock to many across his heavily Republican district and beyond, given the congressmans long track record of supporting Trump.

He campaigned for Trump during both the 2016 and 2020 election cycles and was involved in the creation of tax reform initiatives that became one of Trump's most cherished accomplishments in office.

But on Jan. 6, when hundreds clad in Trump-branded apparel broke into the Capitol Building in an attempt to stop Congress from approving the 2020 election results, Rice said he changed his mind on the presidents fitness to lead.

Following the riots, Rice still supported objecting to the election results out of concern that some election laws were changed without the constitutional authority to do so.

But in the days following that vote, Rice said he grew increasingly frustrated at Trumps lackluster response to the violence, the deaths of police officers and his lack of support for Vice President Mike Pence.

On the day of the impeachment vote, Rice said he wished the articles of impeachment were never brought to a vote. But when asked to vote on if he thought Trump should be president or not, he was one of 10 Republicans to break party lines and support impeachment.

He was the only Republican in the South to vote in favor of impeachment, and the only member of Congress to support both the objection of the election results and subsequent impeachment.

Horry County GOP Co-Chair Dreama Perdue said she and other county chairs began the process of censuring Rice immediately after hearing about his vote. She said she wanted it formally on record that the party doesnt support Rice turning against Trump.

The resolution was drafted by Republican Party officials throughout Rice's district and first approved by the Marion County GOP, which then sent it up to the state committee for a vote.

Rice hasnt faced primary challengers in the last couple election cycles, but that is certain to change in his upcoming campaign.

Within hours of his impeachment vote, other Republican politicians in the area, including Horry County School Board Chairman Ken Richardson, began publicly mulling the idea of running for the seat in 2022.

State Rep. William Bailey, R-Little River, formally declared he has created an exploratory committee to primary Rice this week, and more candidates are expected to announce in the weeks and months ahead.

Bailey applauded the S.C. GOP's "historic vote" Saturday to censure Rice, saying Rice's impeachment vote "showed the people of his district and South Carolinians across the state that he no longer represents their interests.

Given that Rice is expected to face multiple challengers, McKissick said he does not anticipate the state party will get involved in the primary in a direct effort to oust him from office.

During a contentious telephone town hall meeting with voters this week, Rice said he voted his conscience, acknowledging the move could cost him reelection but saying he hopes voters respect that he will stand up for what he thinks is right.
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has picked up a new job job as an investment banker after leaving posts at the Evening Standard and BlackRock.

Mr Osborne, 49, served in David Cameron's Cabinet between 2010 and 2016, before Theresa May became prime minister.

He then served as a backbench MP until the 2017 General Election, while taking up new roles in media and banking.

Last year he was promoted from editor to editor-in-chief at the London Evening Standard.

He has now left the role, as well as a 650,000-a-year, one-day-a-week position he held at US fund manager BlackRock.

George Osborne served in David Cameron's Cabient from 2010 to 2016, since then he has taken on a number of high-profile jobs, some of which boast a six-figure salary. He is expected to leave the Evening Standard and BlackRock in March to join banking firm Robey Warshaw

According to the FT, he has quit both roles to become a full-time banker at investment firm Robey Warshaw.

His position is expected to involved helping with the boutique bank's largest clients, which include Vodafone, BP and energy company Centrica.

Mr Osborne's Twitter bio still describes him as 'Evening Standard Editor-in-Chief, Northern Powerhouse Partnership Chair & former Chancellor'.

The father-of-two told the FT: 'Robey Warshaw is the best of the best, advising great businesses on how to grow, and Im proud to be joining this first-rate team.'

His appointment is the first expansion of the bank's partnership since it was founded in 2013.

He will join Sir Simon Robey, Simon Warshaw and Philip Apostolides

Mr Osborne, 49, received a 650,000-a-year salary for working one day a week at US investment firm BlackRock. He is leaving the post to join Robey Warshaw, a London banking firm that has made 207million in profit since opening in 2013

In a statement, the bank said: 'We believe that George will significantly enhance the advice we give to clients. He brings differentiated experience and expertise to our team from his leading roles in global finance over the past decade.'

The exclusive bank has 13 staff and made profits of 207million since opening.

Mr Osborne will remain chair of the advisory board at Exor, a holding company for Italian billionaires the Agnelli to manage its interests.

He is expected to leave BlackRock and the Evening Standard in March.

Mr Osborne later said: 'Ive loved my time at the Evening Standard.

'Editing the paper was everything I hoped it would be - and more. The team there are among the most dedicated people Ive had the pleasure to work with, and its the readers who drive us to produce great news and entertainment.

'I am hugely grateful to Evgeny Lebedev to giving me the chance to edit one of the great newspapers at such a dramatic, news-packed time in our countrys history. I know the Standard has a strong future ahead of it.'

The Evening Standard's CEO, Charles Yardley, added: 'We thank him for everything he has helped the Evening Standard achieve over the last four years.

'We wish him well in his new role.'
Nathalie Grogan is a research assistant in the Military, Veterans, and Society Program at the Center for a New American Security in Washington, D.C.

Last year was an unprecedented year for domestic deployments of the National Guard.

While Guardsmen were tasked all year with responding to state and federal emergencies, providing COVID-19 testing and vaccine support and augmenting law enforcement for civil unrest, perhaps their most visible mission has been providing security for the presidential inauguration.

Scenes of some of the 26,000 uniformed troops sleeping in the U.S. Capitol complex, guarding national monuments and blocking off usually busy downtown streets dominated news sites around the country and the world.

As the Biden administration enters its third week, the threat has passed and, along with it, the need for Guardsmen outside of the District of Columbia National Guard to monitor the situation. The time has come for Guardsmen to return home and take up their state mission and civilian employment.

The mobilization of Guard members to protect the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2021, demonstrates the flexibility required and the stresses placed upon the National Guard in recent years. The dual mission of the National Guard was especially tested in the run-up to the 59th presidential inauguration due to competing threats against both the U.S. Capitol and state capitols across the country.

Members of the National Guard from all 50 states and three territories (Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) streamed into the nation's capital to join the District of Columbia National Guard in responding to threats against the presidential inauguration after the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. At the same time, members of the National Guard who had not been sent to Washington, D.C., were tasked with a similar mission: protecting state capitols and legislatures from copycat attacks.

Fortunately, the Biden-Harris inauguration encountered no security threats or incidents, and state capitals across the country experienced only mild protest activity. Leading up to Jan. 20, however, governors were under pressure to balance competing security requirements: sending their state's guardsmen to Washington, D.C., while threats against the state capital necessitated a National Guard presence internally. Such a challenge is not unprecedented; historically, there have been several incidents of conflict between the National Guard's dual mission of state and federal support. During the early years of the Global War on Terror, the National Guard experienced its largest activation effort since World War II, leading to delays in readiness and lower numbers available for state-level emergencies.

As state governments begin to recall their National Guardsmen from D.C. following the successful presidential inauguration, it is important to remember the stress placed on Guardsmen fulfilling their dual state and federal mission. In that vein, recent calls by elected officials such as Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., ask an important question: What is the role of the National Guard when federalized?

As demonstrated in the Jan. 6 insurrection, the National Guard cannot by itself be an emergency response force, as Guardsmen are not waiting in their home states to be called up immediately by the federal government to respond to a crisis several states away. The reality of Guardsmen who juggle part-time service with civilian employment makes immediate deployments unrealistic in most circumstances.

While the National Guard is extremely effective in its missions, it is ultimately not a law enforcement body under the restrictions and conditions of the Posse Comitatus Act. The responsibility for law enforcement in the District of Columbia falls under the jurisdiction of the D.C. Metropolitan Police, the Capitol Police when appropriate, and the District of Columbia National Guard when necessary.

National Guardsmen from around the country dealt with a long series of crises throughout 2020 -- from supporting health professionals with the COVID-19 pandemic since March; to popular protests and civil unrest across major cities, including D.C., in June and July; to fighting wildfires in Colorado and California in August; to election security in November; and now to defending American democracy itself in January 2021.

As the complexities of supporting thousands of out-of-state Guardsmen continue to make themselves known, through COVID-19 exposure and logistical wires being crossed, Guardsmen would be put to better use by supporting their state mission and letting law enforcement monitor the nation's capital.

The events of 2020 have certainly affected the National Guard, and we must be careful not to stress the component so much that Guardsmen will find it difficult to respond to the next emergency.

-- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Just 80 days.

Thats all it took for Arizonas law legalizing the sale of recreational cannabis to go from the ballot box to dispensary storefronts.

On Jan. 22, tens of thousands of Arizonans lined up outside more than 70 dispensaries across the state for the first day of recreational cannabis sales, less than 12 weeks after voters approved Proposition 207.

In an environment where states like Oregon and Colorado each took the better part of a year to launch recreational programs after voters or lawmakers approved programs, Arizonas rapid timeline stood out.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

As New Mexico lawmakers continue to look at the possibility of legalizing recreational cannabis here, can we emulate our neighbor to the west?

The short answer? Probably not, but that doesnt mean New Mexico is inevitably going to fall behind.

While we were slow to take up the challenge from Colorado, I think we will be able to compete step for step with Arizona, said Duke Rodriguez, founder of Ultra Health, the largest chain of dispensaries in New Mexico.

Cannabis legalization remains a priority for a number of New Mexico lawmakers, along with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. During her State of the State address last week, Lujan Grisham said she expects the industry to bring tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in revenue to New Mexico.

Rodriguez, an Arizona resident who managed a pair of dispensaries in southeast Arizona before committing to operate solely in New Mexico, said the Grand Canyon State had advantages over the Land of Enchantment, due to the structure of its medical program.

Arizonas medical cannabis program, established three years after the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act in New Mexico, had more than 295,000 patients enrolled at the end of 2020, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services  nearly three times New Mexicos total. Additionally, Arizonas program allows cardholders to purchase up to 2 ounces every two weeks, much more than New Mexicos program allows over the same period.

Because of larger number of patients and less restrictive rules, Rodriguez said Arizona was already growing significantly more cannabis than New Mexico, making it easier to serve recreational customers when they were allowed to do so.

Weve kind of been more reactive, they were proactive, Rodriguez said.

As of the third quarter of 2020, New Mexico producers were licensed to grow 51,250 cannabis plants, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.

Rodriguez, who has long advocated for recreational cannabis in New Mexico, said the state would need roughly 12 times as many plants to serve a robust recreational market in the state.

Cultivators have to get bigger, faster, stronger in a very short time frame, Rodriguez said

Another issue is the process of legalization. Ben Lewinger, executive director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, said Arizona approved recreational cannabis via ballot measure, where more of the rules were written into statute.

Any legalization effort in New Mexico, on the other hand, would be passed by lawmakers, and Lewinger said it would likely require a task force to develop rules around licensing, applications, fees and other details.

Our process, by nature, is going to be a little more time-intensive, Lewinger said. But the benefit is, were going to have a little bit more control.

So, if legalization does pass during the 60-day session, how long before New Mexicans could buy cannabis without a card? Ever the optimist, Rodriguez said he could see sales going live by this fall, if the state takes steps to loosen restrictions on the medical industry.

I think its pretty clear were on a course to having this thing launched, and launched pretty quickly, Rodriguez said.

Lewinger took a more conservative view, noting that it would take time to set up rules and cope with unexpected challenges that go along with setting up a brand-new industry.

We dont know what we dont know, he said.

With that in mind, Lewinger said Jan. 1, 2022, could be a realistic start date, giving the state a chance to set up workable rules and growers a chance to scale up production.

Whatever the time frame, Rodriguez said New Mexico does have some innate advantages over its western neighbor if and when recreational cannabis passes. The state has enough dispensaries to match Arizonas first wave of applicants, and its proximity to the Lone Star State would likely mean a flow of Texans that would help boost sales.

While Arizona is a state that has significant tourism, theyre not matching New Mexico as to population potential, Rodriguez said of the states proximity to Texas.

Stephen Hamway covers economic development, health care and tourism for the Journal. He can be reached at shamway@abqjournal.com.
Two Kenyan MPs have exchanged blows at a funeral after one of them insinuated that the other was corrupt.



"We have several leaders here in the company of our deputy president who have a tainted life. These are fraudsters who should not be allowed to take up any leadership position," said Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati, Standard news site reports.



MP Sylvanus Osoro, who had just addressed mourners, jumped from his seat and confronted Mr Arati and a scuffle broke out.



It's unclear if Mr Osoro was punched, shoved or kicked but a picture shared online showed him sitting on the ground but with enough clues to suggest he didn't get there willingly.









Standoff at a funeral in Kisii being attended by DP Ruto & ODM leader Raila as MPs Simba Arati and Sylvanus Osoro clash pic.twitter.com/3Aao0xBDev

 Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) February 1, 2021

Mr Osoro is an ally of Deputy President Willian Ruto while Mr Arati is a strong supporter of opposition leader Raila Odinga, both of whom were present at the funeral.They are seen as the leading contenders in next year's presidential election and have been engaging in an intensified war of words at political rallies and funerals.A campaign to change the constitution is the latest issue that has them and their political lieutenants engaged in popularity contests which sometimes, as on Monday, have turned physical.

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
Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi has completed his move to Schalke after terminating his contract at the Emirates.

The German international returns to his homeland as a replacement for Ozan Kabak, who sealed a move to 1.5m loan move to Liverpool late on deadline day.

Mustafi, who joined Arsenal from Valencia in 2016 for 35million, had fallen out of favour under Mikel Arteta and had only featured nine times in all competitions.

Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi (pictured) is in line to replace Ozan Kabak at Schalke

Schalke have given the 28-year-old a contract until the summer.

Mustafi made 151 appearances for the Gunners, scoring nine goals in his five years at the club.
EMILY ST. LAWRENCE, Chariho girls lacrosse, senior: St. Lawrence tied a school record for goals in a game with nine in a win over Smithfield. St. Lawrence scored 17 goals for the week and has 32 for the season.

CARLY CONSTANTINE, Stonington softball, sophomore: Constantine singled home Shea OConnor with the winning run to hand Waterford, the states No. 2 ranked team at the time, its first loss of the season. For the week, Constantine was 5 for 15.

GREG GORMAN, Westerly baseball, junior: Gorman, a junior, hit a massive home run in a win against Barrington. The homer went over the fence in center field and landed in a nearby road. Gorman was 3 for 3 with four RBIs in the game. He is hitting .571 with 10 RBIs for the season.

BRADIN ANDERSON, Wheeler baseball, freshman: Anderson, a freshman, pitched a complete-game shutout to beat Grasso Tech. Anderson struck out three to earn the first win of his varsity career.

Vote

View Results
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned against the increasing influence of large technology companies, which he said are competing with states.

His comments came as Russia ramps up pressure on the activities of foreign internet companies, which are not subject to state censorship unlike the majority of the countrys media outlets.
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.
BLACKROCK LATIN AMERICAN INVESTMENT TRUST PLC (the "Company")

LEI: UK9OG5Q0CYUDFGRX4151

Voting Rights and Capital (Article 15 Transparency Directive, DTR 5.6)

In conformity with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule 5.6.1R, the Company would like to notify the market of the following:

As at 31 January 2021, BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc's capital consists of 39,259,620 Ordinary Shares of 10 cents each, carrying one vote each, excluding 2,181,662 ordinary shares held in treasury.

As at 31 January 2021, the total number of voting rights for Ordinary shareholders in BlackRock Latin American Investment Trust plc is 39,259,620.

Shareholders should use 39,259,620 as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the Company.

All enquiries:

Sarah Beynsberger

BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, Company Secretary

Tel: 0207 743 2639

1 February 2021
ZHENGZHOU, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Ruins of two moated cities dating back some 4,000 years have been found in a relics site in central China's Henan Province, local authorities said.

Archaeologists discovered two juxtaposed square-shaped cities, each surrounded by a moat, at the Yusi site in the city of Mengzhou. The one located on the east covers an area of about 60,000 square meters while the one on the west measures some 20,000 square meters, according to Zhang Xiaohu with the Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology of Henan.

"It is worth noting that the depth of the moats exceeds 12 meters, which is too deep for normal defensive functions, indicating the importance of the two cities at that time," said Liu Haiwang, director of the institute.

An excavation drive was launched last April on the Yusi site, which covers an area of 1.5 million square meters and boasts cultural relics of various ancient dynasties. With the discovery of the two cities, Erlitou cultural relics have been found for the first time in northern and western Henan Province, experts noted.

Erlitou culture could be traced back 3,500 to 3,800 years in ancient China's late Xia (around 2070 BC-1600 BC) or early Shang (around 1600 BC-1046 BC) dynasties. It was named after the Erlitou relics site in the city of Yanshi, Henan Province. The culture spread widely throughout Henan and Shanxi provinces and later arrived in Shaanxi and Hubei provinces.

[ Editor: WPY ]
ADVERTISEMENT

The police on Saturday arrested a man, Bilyaminu Abdullahi, for stabbing his ex-wife, Shafaatu Sule, moments after a Shariah court dissolved their marriage.

The police said the incident occurred in Rano Local Government Area of Kano State.

The court had also ordered the woman to pay Mr Abdullahi N20,000 as a refund of her bride price.

But the decision did not go down well with Mr Abdullahi so he pulled out a knife and stabbed his now ex-wife and her brother, Adamu Saleh.

Mr Abdullahi had pleaded with the court not to dissolve the marriage.

The police spokesperson in Kano, Abdullahi Kiyawa, said Mr Abdullahis violent reaction happened in the court premises shortly after the court ruling.

Mr Kiyawa said the suspect later expressed regret after his arrest, saying he took a wrong decision because he was emotional following the court verdict.

He reportedly insisted he did not want separation from his wife.

Mr Saleh had supported the dissolution of his sisters marriage over alleged domestic violence.

According to the police, the suspect said another court had refused a petition from his in-laws for the dissolution of the marriage after he told the court that he still loves his wife.

He accused Mr Saleh of interference in his marriage.

Her brother came and took her away. I went to their house but they chased me away. I also sent my trustees to intervene, but that also did not yield the desired result as they insisted on divorce, which I refused, Mr Kiyawa quoted Mr Abdullahi as saying in his statement to the police.

Ms Sule had cited lack of care, physical assault and disrespect for her parents as the grounds for seeking divorce.

Mr Kiyawa said the police commissioner, Habu Sani, had ordered the case transferred to the criminal investigation department for investigation and prosecution.
The United States led governments around the world in calling for the restoration of Myanmars democracy on Monday after the military staged a coup, arresting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other politicians.

The United States will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

She added that the US opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of the November elections, which handed Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) an overwhelming landslide, but sparked allegations of vote irregularities by the routed military-backed party.

Newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also called on Myanmars military to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on November 8.

Before the coup, Washington, alongside several other Western nations, had urged the military to adhere to democratic norms in a January 29 statement that came as the commander-in-chief threatened to revoke the countrys constitution.

 Australia 

We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said.

 India 

We have noted the developments in Myanmar with deep concern. India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar. We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld, Indias Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

 United Nations 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the militarys detention of Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders.

These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

 Singapore 

Singapores Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed grave concern about the latest situation in Myanmar, adding hopes that all parties would exercise restraint.

The city-state advised Singaporeans in Myanmar to stay vigilant in view of the fluid situation.

 Canada 

Bob Rae, Canadas ambassador to the United Nations, tweeted that Myanmars military wrote the Constitution this way so they could do this.

The Constitution of 2008 was specifically designed to ensure military power was deeply entrenched and protected, he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

RFI is Premium Times syndication partner. We have permission to republish.
A wartime painting by Sir Winston Churchill is to be sold at auction.

The landscape, titled Tower Of The Koutoubia Mosque, is thought to be the only painting the former prime minister did as he led the country through the Second World War.

The 1943 work depicting the mosque in Marrakech, Morocco has been valued at between 1.5 million and 2.5 million by the Christies auction house and is being sold by the actress Angelina Jolie.

Expand Close Sir Winston Churchill (PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Sir Winston Churchill (PA)

It was gifted by Sir Winston, who was a keen painter, to then US president Franklin D Roosevelt as a memento of the pairs visit there following the Casablanca Conference of 1943, Christies said.

Nick Orchard, head of the modern British art department at the auction house, described the work as a historically significant painting.

Tower Of The Koutoubia Mosque was created following the Casablanca Conference where it was agreed by the Allied forces that only complete surrender by the Axis powers would be acceptable, he said.

It is the only work that Churchill painted during the war, perhaps encouraged by the recent progress made by the Allies in what he considered to be one of the most beautiful countries he had encountered.

Tower Of The Koutoubia Mosque is therefore arguably the best painting by Winston Churchill due to the significance of the subject matter to him, and the fact that it highlights the importance of the friendship between the two leaders.

The gifting of the work to Roosevelt underlines the fact that Churchill held the American president in such high regard and points to their joint efforts in guiding the Allied powers to the outcome of the Second World War.

Christies said Sir Winston created around 45 paintings depicting Moroccan landscapes after he was encouraged to visit the country by his art tutor Sir John Lavery.

However Tower Of The Koutoubia Mosque is the only painting the wartime leader created between 1939 and 1945, according to the auction house.

Throughout his life Sir Winston produced hundreds of canvases and his work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy.

Tower Of The Koutoubia Mosque will be sold on March 1.
H_art the Band members Wachira Gatama(Skoko), Kenneth Muya(Kenchez) and Mordecai Mwini spoke to Kenyanvibe.com about what makes them tick.

SKOKO  The Poet and CEO of the band

What would you say brings out your uniqueness?

My uniqueness comes from embracing who I am

What has been your secret to getting this far?

Focus. Ive always wanted better for myself. I push for that better, not waiting for things to magically fall into place. I intentionally work at getting the most out of life. That said, I still endeavor to live one day at a time and find the balance between living and appreciating the fact that I am alive.

What expectations do you have of your current project, Simple Man?

I want someone to pause for at least 30 minutes of their lives and get lost in another world  that world that they dream of, what they would want for their own lives.

What are you most grateful for?

Life and good health

What has helped you grow as a band?

Being disciplined in time management. We are intentional about what moves we are making towards growth and we work at this daily. That means, we have an action plan that governs how we spend our days.

What are your dreams for H_art the Band?

Creating systems that work. Music is a wonderful work of art. However if one does not manage it as a business, then there will be no longevity. My dream is to establish systems that help us live off what we are creating now in years to come; to build wisely while we yet have the vibrance.

MORDECAI  The Music Man and Book Keeper

How would you describe your creative process when it comes to music composition?

That process depends on where I am. I pay attention to what is happening around me and within me. Sometimes as I play my guitar, a tune is born and with it, some lyrics. I cant say my creative process is cast on stone. I dont have one specific way in which music is created. Ill think of something here, watch something there, hear someone say something over lunch. All these different experiences are enriching my perspective on something; the pieces of the puzzle are coming together. I am also part of a team, which means that as I listen to the input of others, something magical is born because it is watered by other perspectives.

What would you say has put you ahead of the pack as a band?

Wanting it that bad. When we wrote Uliza Kiatu, which was our first song, we walked around daily for close to 2 years seeking to play gigs for free. When we finally released the track, there were quite a number of people who had watched us play live. That gave us mileage.

Hunger is a prerequisite for achieving whatever one wants in life. How bad do you want it? Whatever your it is? In retrospect, there were people who were divinely placed on our path to assist us along this journey. Our success this far has not been without much help even from strangers.

Why are you so fascinated by music?

Because it speaks to the heart, it a universal language that transcends our differences as people of diverse tribes, nations and races. One can listen to a song produced in South Africa, not understand a word yet feel a strong connection to that piece of art.

At what point did you discover that your fascination in music wasnt just for enjoyment, it was your path of purpose?

My parents had a musical inclination, so I grew up in an environment where music was appreciated.

What are most grateful for?

The fact that I am alive and sane

Why are you a vegan?

Its a choice I made a couple of years ago. For health purposes and other personal reasons

How have you handled the rough chapters of life?

By taking one day at a time. I have found that there are things that just get sorted out by me just letting go.

KENCHEZ  The Actor and Fashion Designer

What has been the inspiration behind you pursuing this path?

One thing led to another. I started out by acting. We used to act in theatres with Skoko, thats where we met. We would play my guitar in the streets of Nairobi just to unwind, but this would attract a lot of attention, especially from ladies. They would often ask what the name of our band was. There was no band, just 2 guys enjoying music. We later met Mordecai and as they say, the rest is history.

My grandfather was famous for playing litungu, a 7-stringed instrument popular in the Luhya community. Maybe I got my musical inclination from him, just saying.

How would you describe your journey thus far?

The journey has had its ups and downs. There are times I felt like we were not appreciated because certain people didnt see the value of what we carried but there are also times when this gift opened doors for us. In all, Im grateful for the far weve come even as I appreciate the fact that there remains room for much growth.

Whats your take on the subject of purpose?

I think it is important for one to find themselves. It might take a while because the kind of system we have been brought up in doesnt teach or encourage us to discover our gifts early but it is important to be open to understanding what we are good at. For one to build anything, being intentional has to be part of the equation. You cant build if you dont truly know what you want or what you are wired to thrive in.

What would you say is the importance of being in a creative camp, such as the one you have just come from?

For one, working in an environment with minimal distractions helps us to achieve so much more. Working with Cedo is also a major plus. Cedo listens. He pays attention to what we really want and is attuned with our vision and passion as a band. He also has an amazing work ethic that makes it easy for us to work with him.

If you could change one thing about your life what would it be?

I would have preferred to grow up in a stable environment. I moved schools a lot and watched my parents constantly fight over things I did not understand. I love them to pieces but I wish they would have found a way of sorting out their differences without putting me in the middle of their tags of war, even if it meant agreeing to disagree.

How do you deal with conflict in the group?

Communication. We dont keep grudges, if one of us is unhappy with how matters are being handled, we lay the issue on the table and discuss it like adults. We respect each others opinions and preferences. We work at not crossing certain boundaries that would offend any member of the group. The fact that we have natural chemistry as a band helps a lot. We think alike in many ways. This makes decision making easy.

What is your personal secret to growth?

Im very intentional when it comes to creating an environment that allows for growth. Im also very deliberate on who I hang around most of the time. Your company determines the trajectory of your life, thats a fact.

What are your dreams for H_art the Band?

To see us run a conglomerate some day; have a centre for creative minds, a company that offers Creatives mentorship and support on the business side of art, a fashion line, a company that offers professional songwriting services just to mention. This comes from my analysis of diversity in the strengths of talent and ability that each of us within the band carries.

What are you most grateful for?

Life and friendship
Liberty Steel Group has completed due diligence on Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe and, based on the results, has submitted a firmed up bid for its acquisition , the UK-based steel company told Fastmarkets on January 25.









On January 28, ArcelorMittal increased its official offers for HRC to 750 ($910) per tonne ex-works across the EU , up by 20 per tonne from previous offers. And Swedish steelmaker SSAB has been targeting a 40 per tonne price rise, sources said earlier last week.In addition, market sources said that Italian re-roller Marcegaglia has increased its HRC offers to 760 per tonne ex-works.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe , at 712.50 ($862.83) per tonne on January 29, up by 1.25 per tonne week on week, and by 47.50 per tonne month on month.The calculation of Fridays index was based on achievable prices heard at 700-740 per tonne ex-works and bids heard at 700-720 per tonne ex-works.Fastmarkets weekly price assessment for steel HRC, domestic, exw Southern Europe , was 700-710 per tonne ex-works on January 27, compared with 700-715 per tonne a week earlier.The assessment was based on achievable prices and the lower end of offers heard at 700-720 per tonne ex-works.Producers bullish tactics have been supported by solid demand and by supply remaining tight, as well as the lack of cheaper imported alternatives for buyers.Producers in the North of Europe have been reported to be offering either late-second-quarter-rolling HRC or to be completely sold out for second-quarter production. Italian steelmakers, in the meantime, have been offering and trading April-May rolling coil, according to market sources.Several market sources said that buyers were struggling to get material from domestic mills and that lead times were getting longer.Buyers were still concerned about possible price decreases later in the first quarter and will therefore try to limit their purchase volumes. But those who need to re-stock will probably have to pay higher prices in the short term.Some market participants preferred to wait and see what the market trend will be in late February, when Chinese mills return from the Lunar New Year holiday on February 11-17.Some lower import offers to the European market also weighed on sentiment. Overseas offers, however, were still not competitive with domestic prices, while lead times were similar or longer than those from European mills.The latest offers of HRC from Russias Severstal have been heard at 699 per tonne cfr Antwerp, including anti-dumping duty of 17.60 per tonne.In Southern Europe, offers of HRC from Japan have been heard at 680-685 per tonne cfr, from India at 680-690 per tonne cfr, from Egypt at 680 per tonne cfr and from Serbia and Russia at 680-700 per tonne cfr.Two sources said that an Italian re-roller has booked several vessels loaded with HRC from China at $700-705 per tonne cfr.Market participants believed that this material was to be processed into hot-dipped galvanized coil for re-export to the UK and the United States. In this situation, anti-dumping duties would not be applied to the material because it will be processed and re-exported, and because of this, the price was not included in the assessment.A dozen EU member states have called on the European Commission to extend the safeguard measures on steel imports that are due to expire on June 30 this year, according to a letter seen by Fastmarkets on January 26.Last week, SSAB said that it no longer planned to acquire the IJmuiden plant in the Netherlands from Tata Steel.
No preparations for a summit meeting of the UN Security Councils quintet (the five permanent members) are on track at the moment, but some work on this issue is afoot, in the US as well, Deputy Chairman of Russias Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said.

"No preparations are in progress at the moment, but in general the question was discussed in the telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Joe Biden," he said. "The American counterparts said they would work on it. Well, may they go ahead," TASS cited him as saying.

Medvedev is certain that such a meeting, proposed by President Putin, will certainly make sense, because it would bring together "countries that have major influence on world processes, victors in World War II and permanent members of the UN Security Council."

Putin came out with an idea of holding a meeting of the leaders of the five permanent UN Security Council members on January 23, 2020. All other countries in the quintet - China, France, the United States and Britain - supported this proposal. However, the novel coronavirus pandemic put the plans for face-to-face meeting on hold. Russias permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said Moscow remained ready for the event and was waiting for the new U.S. administrations response to this initiative.
The Associated Press

After a two-week quarantine, the real work can begin. Maybe. A World Health Organization team of researchers has emerged from their hotel for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The visit has been shrouded in secrecy: The WHO tweeted Thursday a few details of what they will do, but its unknown how much access China will give the researchers to the sites they want to visit and the people they want to talk to.

Why is the team in China?

Scientists hope that information on the earliest known cases of the new coronavirus  which was first identified in Wuhan  will help them better understand where it came from and prevent similar pandemics in the future.

Researchers around the world are eager for access to samples taken from the Huanan Seafood Market, which had an early outbreak, and Wuhan hospital records.

The WHO said in its tweets that the team would meet with Chinese scientists on Friday before starting field visits in and around Wuhan. It plans to visit hospitals, laboratories and markets, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the Huanan market and the Wuhan Center for Disease Control laboratory, the WHO said. It said the team would speak with early responders and some of the first patients.

A laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology that was built after the 2003 SARS pandemic maintains an extensive archive of genetic sequences of bat coronaviruses. U.S. officials in the previous Trump administration suggested without offering evidence that the virus could have escaped from the institute.

Experts say its unlikely the new coronavirus emerged from the lab in Wuhan and overwhelmingly say analysis of the new coronaviruss genome rules out the possibility that it was engineered by humans.

The market and other places where early cases emerged remain important because the virus is constantly evolving, as the new variants identified in the United Kingdom and South Africa show.

What do researchers hope to learn?

Wuhan is where COVID-19 cases were first detected, but it is highly possible the virus came to the industrial city of 11 million people from elsewhere.

Genetic sequencing shows the new coronavirus started in bats and likely jumped to another animal before infecting humans. The virus that is the closest known relative of the one that causes COVID-19 has been found in bats in a mine shaft nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) southwest of Wuhan, near Chinas border with Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. The Associated Press was blocked from visiting the mine.

People began falling ill in Wuhan in December 2019, and many had links to the seafood market. Scientists initially suspected the virus came from wild animals sold at the market, prompting China to crackdown on the wildlife trade.

But the subsequent discovery of earlier cases challenged that theory. Chinas CDC said samples taken from the market indicate it was likely a place where the virus spread, not where it started. The WHO teams ability to further our understanding of the virus  and its credibility  could hinge in part on getting access to those samples.

Studying the genes of the earliest known cases in Wuhan could provide clues to how it got from bats to people and whether it was through a mammal such as a bamboo rat or a civet.

What obstacles does the team face?

The big question is what China will allow the researchers to see and do. The ruling Communist Party is concerned the research could shed light on its handling of the virus that could open it up to international criticism  and even demands for financial compensation if it is found to have been negligent.

China has stifled independent reports about the outbreak at home and published little information on its research into the origins of the virus. An AP investigation found that the government has strictly controlled all COVID-19-related research and forbids researchers from speaking to the media.

Another AP investigation found WHO officials privately complained that China had dragged its feet on sharing critical information about the outbreak, including the new viruss genetic sequence, even as the U.N. health agency publicly praised China for what it called a speedy response.

China, stung by complaints it allowed the disease to spread, has suggested the virus could have come from abroad. A government spokesperson has said the origins hunt will require work beyond Chinas borders, including in bat habitats in Southeast Asian nations. An expert on the WHO team has suggested the same thing, and this is a possibility researchers are exploring.

When will know the answers?

The search for the origins of COVID-19 is likely to take years. It took more than a decade to find the origins of SARS, and the origins of Ebola, first identified in the 1970s, remain elusive. But knowing where the virus came from could help prevent future outbreaks of viruses that cross to people from wild animals.
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
Barometers traded with robust gains in afternoon trade. At 13:31 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, jumped 1836.11 points or 3.97% to 48,121.88. The Nifty 50 index surged 507.90 points or 3.73% to 14,142.50.

Shares rallied as there was no COVID-19 tax in the Union Budget. The budget offered huge stimulus to infrastructure, capex, healthcare and boosted the credit flow by taking out the toxic assets of the banking system and supported growth on an overall basis.

In broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 2.19% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 1.39%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1773 shares rose and 1022 shares fell. A total of 177 shares were unchanged.

IndusInd Bank (up 11.47%), ICICI Bank (up 10.96%), SBI (up 8.60%), Bajaj Finserv (up 8.45%) and UltraTech Cement (up 7.40%) were the top Nifty gainers.

UPL (down 4.79%), Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (down 4.06%), Tech Mahindra (down 2.19%), Cipla (down 0.56%) and Wipro (down 0.19%) were the top Nifty losers.

Union Budget 2021:

Finance Minister Nirmala Sithatraman concluded the budget speech for 2021 and tabled the 15th Finance Commission Report before Lok Sabha. The government proposed farm cess of Rs 2.5 per litre on petrol and a cess of Rs 4 per litre on diesel.

The FY21 fiscal deficit at 9.5%. As part of this, the government will borrow another Rs 80,000 crore in the next two months of this year alone. For FY22, the fiscal deficit is pegged at 6.8% of GDP. The gross borrowing will be Rs 12 lakh crore. The total expenditure for FY21 has settled at Rs 34.50 lakh crore. For FY22, total expenditure is pegged at Rs 35 lakh crore.

FM said the government hopes to get to back to fiscal consolidation path by FY26. Fiscal deficit will reach below 4.5% by FY26.

FM laid out a Rs 64,180 crore spending plan for healthcare over the next six years. This will be in addition to National Health Mission.

Government will launch a voluntary scrappage policy for vehicles aimed at reducing vehicular pollution. Vehicles will undergo fitness test after 20 years for personal vehicles, 15 years for commercial vehicle to reduce vehicular pollution.

The FM said the central government aims to garner Rs 1.75 lakh crore through divestments in 2021-22. All divestments announced so far are to be completed in FY22. BPCL, CONCOR, Pawan Hans, Air India divestments to be completed in FY22.

The government has raised the limit for foreign direct investment (FDI) insurance sector to 74% from 49% with safeguards.

Sitharaman said that there is a need to clean up bank books. She announced Rs 20,000 crore in FY22 for recapitalisation of public sector banks.

The government will allow sale of distressed assets to Alternate Investment Funds (AIFs). Further, asset reconstruction and management company will be set up for stressed assets.

The NCLT framework will be strengthened to implement e-courts. Urban Swachh Bharat 2.0 Mission is to be launched at outlay of Rs 1.41 lakh crore over 5 years. Finance minister announced an outlay of Rs 2.87 lakh crore for Jal Jeevan Mission.

Sitharaman said: To further augment road infra, more economic corridors are being planned. FM announced 3,500 km of national highway works in Tamil Nadu at an investment of Rs 1.03 lakh crore, 1,100 km of national highway works in Kerala at an investment of Rs 65,000 crore and 675 km of highway works in West Bengal at a cost of Rs 25,000 crore.

The FM said NHAI and PGCIL will set up INVITs will attract global funds. A national monetizing pipeline for brownfield assets will be set up.

FM said it will allocate Rs 1.1 lakh crore to Indian Railways in FY22. Of total Rs 1.07 lakh crore of provision to Indian Railway in FY22 is for capital expenditure.

Sitharaman also announced the addition of 100 cities to the City Gas Distribution network boosts stocks. Pipelines of GAIL (India) Ltd, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and HPCL will be monetised, says FM in Budget for 2021-22.

FM said the Government of India has set aside Rs 15,700 crore for small and medium scale enterprises. The Government has also set up credit target of Rs 16.5 lakh crore for FY22. FM said the government will also develop five major fishing harbours to hubs for economic activity.

FM announced reduction in customs duty uniformly to 7.5% on semi, flat and long products of non-alloy, alloy and stainless steel. FM also announced exemption duty on steel scrap till March 2022 To provide relief to copper recyclers, reducing duty on copper scrap from 5% to 2.5%

Further, Sitharaman announced that senior citizen above 75 years of age with only interest income will not have to file income tax return.

FM proposed a new scheme to support augmentation of public bus transport. The government would provide Rs 18,000 crore to support the bus transport scheme.

Sitharaman unveiled a scheme for setting up mega textile parks in the country, as part of the Centre's efforts to position India as a fully integrated, globally competitive manufacturing and exporting hub for the sector.

"A scheme of mega investment textile parks will be launched in addition to the PLI scheme," the FM said. She informed that 7 mega textile parks will be launched in three years as part of the scheme. The mega textile parks will have integrated facilities and quick turnaround time for minimizing transportation losses, eyeing big-ticket investments in the sector.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ambassador of Ukraine to Egypt Yevhen Mykytenko met with Speaker of the Senate of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Wahab Abdel Razek to discuss political cooperation between the two countries.

The conversation took place in the presence of Senate General Secretary Mahmoud Etman and Deputy Foreign Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Assem Hanafy on January 31, 2021, the press service of the Ukrainian Embassy in the Arab Republic of Egypt reported.

The parties discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, scientific and humanitarian fields.

Moreover, the interlocutors underlined the importance of exchanging visits of parliamentary delegations.

Mykytenko handed over a letter to the Senates speaker from the chairman of the Ukrainian parliament, Dmytro Razumkov, congratulating him on taking office as head of the recently reestablished and newly elected upper house of the Egyptian parliament.

ish
A blockaded road to Myanmar's parliament in Naypyitaw on Monday after the military detained the country's leaders. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Myanmar's military staged a coup on Monday.

Members of the ruling National League of Democracy, including Aung San Suu Kyi, were detained.

Images from across Myanmar capture the moments immediately before and after the coup.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Some of the residents of Yangon were doing yoga in the park when the coup happened.

Trucks and tanks carrying military personnel rumbled through both the streets of Myanmar's largest city and the location of what was to be the first meeting of the newly elected parliament on Monday.

Myanmar's military, known as the Tatmadaw, announced via its television channel Myawaddy TV that it would be taking control of the country for the next year.

The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party had lost the country's November election by a landslide to the ruling National League for Democracy.

In response, the military alleged widespread election fraud, claiming there were 8.6 million instances of "voter irregularities." An independent election commission found no evidence of fraud, the Associated Press reported.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party on Tuesday gathered an independent election commission to investigate claims of election fraud, and the commission rejected the claims, recertifying the mass National League for Democracy win.

Brig. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, a military spokesman, said the Union Solidarity and Development Party wouldn't rule out staging a coup - and less than a week later, the group did just that.

Below, a look at the moments leading up to and after Myanmar's military coup.

Monday was supposed to be the first official meeting of the newly elected parliament, with the National League of Democracy claiming a majority 396 out of 476 parliamentary seats.

An NLD supporter in Yangon decorated her shop with the party's flags on Saturday ahead of the parliament's reopening. Sai Aung MAIN / AFP via Getty Images

In comparison, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won just 33 seats.

Just two days before the coup, signs heralding the incoming NLD leaders were up around Yangon.

Story continues

Commuters near pro-NLD banners on Saturday. SAI AUNG MAIN/AFP via Getty Images

On the morning of the coup, some residents of Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, were doing yoga in the park.

People at the Mahabandula Park in Yangon on Monday. AP Photo/Thein Zaw

On the military-controlled Myawaddy TV station, an announcer declared a yearlong state of emergency.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

The military immediately detained key figures of the NLD, including the civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.

A vendor walking past a poster of Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon on Saturday. SAI AUNG MAIN/AFP via Getty Images

The NLD had been in power since 2015.

The party is led by Aung San Suu Kyi, an activist who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 while she was imprisoned by military authorities.

Though she was then hailed as a humanitarian hero, the Rohingya Muslim ethnic minority faced deadly persecution with her in power.

Soon, military vehicles could be seen stretching out across Yangon's streets.

Police forces in the downtown area of Yangon on Monday. Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

The police have been under the leadership of Myanmar's military since 1995 and helped lead forces through Yangon.

The Myanmar police have been cited numerous times by human-rights groups for their brutal treatment of civilians.

Police forces in the downtown area of Yangon on Monday. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Source: Human Rights Watch

Nearly 230 miles away, in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw, troops with trucks and tanks blockaded the roads to the country's parliament.

Soldiers guarding a blockaded road to Myanmar's parliament in Naypyitaw on Monday. STR/AFP via Getty Images

As news of the coup spread, people lined up at banks in anticipation that access to their accounts would soon be frozen.

People lined up at an ATM outside a closed branch of KBZ Bank in Yangon on Monday, with banks closed for the day in Myanmar after the military coup. Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

The people of Myanmar are no strangers to coups. In 1962, the military commander Ne Win led a coup that kept the Burma Socialist Programme Party in power for 26 years.

Military leadership continued until 2010, when a civilian government was installed.

The streets of Yangon emptied out.

Yangon City Hall on Monday. Photo by STR / AFP via Getty Images

The city of more than 5 million people was known as Rangoon while under British colonial rule.

Residents of Yangon who were worried about access to food stockpiled basic supplies.

A man with a sack of rice on Monday. AFP via Getty Images

It was reported that the military temporarily cut off access to banks, markets, and the internet during Monday's coup.

Supporters of the military gathered in the streets in front of Yangon City Hall to celebrate.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

Protesters across Asia demonstrated in support of Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD.

Myanmar activists held portraits of Aung San Suu Kyi outside the United Nations University in Tokyo on Monday. PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images

Leaders around the world have decried the coup, with the White House saying in a statement: "The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Monday asked instant messaging app to file response on a plea seeking a direction to the RBI and the NPCI to ensure that data collected on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platforms is not shared with their parent company or any other third party under any circumstances.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said if does not file its reply, then the averment made in the writ petition filed by petitioner Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam will be taken as accepted.

Several interlocutory applications have been filed in the plea which also seek direction for framing regulation to ensure that data collected on UPI platforms is not exploited or used in any manner other than for processing payments.

Senior advocate Arvind Dattar, appearing for India, said however no formal notice has been issued to it in the plea for impleadment in the matter.

Senior advocate V Giri, appearing for Reserve Bank of India, informed the top court that they have filed their reply in the matter.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, also appearing for WhatsApp, said 'WhatsApp Pay' has received all necessary permission.

Senior advocate Krishna Venugopal, appearing for the petitioner, said the last time the court asked the company if Israeli sypware Pegasus has breached their system, it stated that the issue was not pleaded in the petition, which is wrong.

The bench said that it proposes that the petition be tagged with a similar plea pending in the top court and asked the Centre to file an affidavit on the issue of spyware.

Venugopal said that till date and WhatsApp have not filed a counter-affidavit in the matter, despite the petition being pending for months and they should also be asked to file counter-affidavit.

At the fag end of the hearing, the CJI told the counsels for WhatsApp that pleas challenging its new privacy policy are pending before the and posted the matter for further hearing after four weeks.

In its affidavit, the RBI has told the top court that it has no responsibility to conduct audit of members of United Payments Interface (UPI) ecosystem and responsibility to ensure that private firms like Google and WhatsApp comply with norms lies with Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

The RBI also said that the matters related to data privacy and data sharing are the domain of the central government.

It also sought dismissal of the PIL filed by Viswam seeking direction to it to frame regulation to ensure that data collected on UPI platforms is not exploited or used in any manner other than for processing payments.

The affidavit said: It is submitted that RBI's directions issued vide circular dated April 6, 2018 on storage of payment system data pertain only to payment date storage and not sharing or privacy.

RBI has not issued any instructions on data sharing by TPAPs (Third Party Application Providers) or the participants of UPI. Matters related to data privacy and data sharing come under the domain of Government of India.

It said that since NPCI is the owner and operator of the UPI, it would be more appropriate for them to respond on the status of compliance of WhatsApp with the system rules /procedural guidelines governing UPI".

Earlier, WhatsApp had denied in the court the allegations that its data can be hacked by Israeli sypware Pegasus, which had led to a controversy last year over breach of privacy following claims that Indian journalists and human rights activists were among those globally spied upon by unnamed entities.

Prior to this, the apex court on October 15, last year had issued notice to RBI and others on the plea of Viswam seeking direction for framing regulation to ensure that data collected on UPI platforms is not exploited or used in any manner other than for processing payments.

It had also sought responses of the Centre, RBI, NPCI and others including Google Inc, Inc, WhatsApp and Amazon Inc on the plea.

The RBI and NPCI have permitted the three members of 'Big Four Tech Giants' i.e. Amazon, Google and Facebook/WhatsApp (Beta phase) to participate in the UPI ecosystem without much scrutiny and in spite of blatant violations of UPI guidelines and RBI regulations, the plea has claimed.

The plea has alleged that this conduct of RBI and NPCI put the sensitive financial data of Indian users at huge risks, especially when these entities have been continuously accused of abusing dominance and compromising data, among other things.

It said these allegations have become particularly worrisome at a time when India has banned host of Chinese applications on the ground that those applications were or could be used for data theft and could lead to security breaches.

It has further sought a direction that RBI and NPCI should ensure that WhatsApp is not permitted to launch full scale operations of 'WhatsApp Pay' in India without fulfilling all legal compliances to the satisfaction of the court regarding requisite regulatory compliances.

(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.)
GODFREY  The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis is investigating what is being called a double homicide at the scene of a fire on Wedgewood Avenue in Godfrey, one of two crime-related fires reported about two hours and three miles apart Monday morning.

Two victims  identified as a person in their 50s and another in their 60s  were found at the scene of the Godfrey fire in the 2300 block of Wedgewood Avenue.

Madison County Chief Deputy Sheriff Maj. Jeff Connor confirmed the investigation at a press conference Monday afternoon. Connor also is a commander with the Major Case Squad.

He said the two incidents appear unrelated.

At this point we have no reason to believe these two are associated with each other, Connor said. I just want to clarify these are two separate incidents.

Firefighters initially responded to the Godfrey scene at about 6:05 a.m. for a report of smoke and fire from the residence and the front door was open. After the fire was put down the two bodies were discovered inside the house, according to Connor.

He said the Major Case Squad, under the direction of Madison County Sheriffss Department Lt. Brian Koberna, was activated. About 29 investigators are taking part.

The other incident occurred at about 3:59 a.m. Monday when deputies responded to an incident in the 6500 block of Alpha Drive in rural Fosterburg.

Deputies went there and determined there was a domestic situation going on and they were retrieving seven children from the house when they found out the suspect was inside and actually set the house on fire, he said.

Nobody was injured at the scene, Connor said. That incident is under investigation by the sheriffs department.

Multiple fire departments responded to both incidents.
Are You A "Just Keeping Busy" Car Guy: Start Being Productive Again As An Investing Partner In The Auto Channel

You've Worked Your Ass Off, Have Fun With The Auto Channel, Be A Contender, Take Your Shot.

Don't slip quietly into the night. Have Fun! You Can't Take It With You! But You Can Acquire Accredited Car Guy Status From A Partnership Investment Made In The Auto Channel Team

For more than 25 years The Auto Channel, the Internet's original interactive editorial automotive web site has published what many consider the web's best independent editorial automotive information, shopper research and entertaining auto content, with the opportunity for much more. The Auto Channel was created, designed, maintained, managed and produced by tribal elders, the web's most experienced team of writers, producers, engineers, video producers, artists and conceptualizers of any commercial web site in the world.

To a person our team members love what The Auto Channel allows them to do and loves what it does for them. We'll bet you don't feel the same way about your retired life. What a shame...but The Auto Channel can change that. We are looking for an active investor partner to join us in the fun of creating and producing more of our wonderful automotive content...content that we plan to monetize by licensing it to thousands of Digital Shift local auto dealers, thereby replacing our historic advertising revenue that a Covid 19 "new normal" can generate in our near term traditional digital publishing future.

And If you need a traditional ROI rationale for investing in The Auto Channel, an ROI of more than just energizing your life, while having fun now while you are able to...here it is.

CarMax, America's number one used car dealer recently purchased Edmunds for 450 Million bucks to guarantee them an ongoing source of proprietary editorial content and shopper research tools to compete more aggressively for site viewers with local car dealers. They know that in the future the buying and selling of vehicles and automotive services digitally will need to competitively match consumer's web site expectations. Shoppers and researchers will respond positively to full service sticky automotive web sites that deliver deep, relevant and helpful information to enhance their user experience. A total end-to-end on-line encounter that meets expectations of both desirable transactional and relevant original (expensive to produce) editorial.

According to Bill Nash, CarMax president and CEO: "Edmunds proprietary content, comprehensive automotive market insights and streamlined user experience across the car buying and selling journey will allow us to deepen our engagement with customers shopping online."

But unlike the Edmunds content which will be used to directly compete with local dealers, The Auto Channel envisions its 26 years of content becoming a competitive element in thousands of local individual dealership web sites, just one dealer per brand per market at a low monthly subscription fee.

The Edmunds deal has set the bar for the valuation of similar automotive content and research sites. After 26 years of self-funding we understand that in order to fund new initiatives and maintain The Auto Channel we must adjust our financial thinking and recognize that unlike in the past we can't generate sufficient capital from our ad driven business model.
Development continues to rise around Tomball and Magnolia, with thousands of homes scheduled to be built in 2021.

Data from the city of Tomballs community development department shows there are 18 different residential developments either undergoing construction, in the design phase, or applying for rezoning. Those 18 developments add up to more than 2,200 homes.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Tomball library continues serving through pandemic as HCPL system celebrates centennial

A lot of those have already started and some are in the design phase, Tomball Community Development Director Craig Meyers said. We get applications or discussions about new residential developments all the time.

More Information Tomball developments: Alexander Estates, along Spell Road Arrowhead Properties, along Baker Drive Bethel Heights, adjacent to Hunterwood Cherry Pines, along South Cherry Street Cherrywood Estates, along South Cherry Street Copper Cove, along South Cherry Street Estates on Hufsmith, along Hufsmith Road Grand Junction, along Hufsmith Road Peltier Place, along William Juergens Road Pine Trails, along Brown Road Raburn Reserve, along South Persimmon Street Raleigh Creek, along Zion Road Reserve at Spring Lake, along Zion Road Sydney's Park, along Brown Road Timber Trails, along Hufsmith Road Tomball Estates, along Hicks Road Winfrey Tract, along Hicks Road Wood Leaf Reserve, along Theis Lane Magnolia developments: Magnolia Ridge, along Rogerdale River Drive Audubon, along Mill Creek Road Mill Creek, along Highway 249 and Hardin Store Road Escondida Ranch, along FM 1774 Mustang Ridge, along FM 1774 and FM 1488 Satterwhite, along Kelly Road and Stubby Lane Magnolia Place, near FM 1488, FM 149 and Spur 149 Heritage Green, allong FM 1488 and Spur 149 See More Collapse

The development is happening all around the city, with some developments popping up on the south side of town, some on Cherry Street close to downtown and others closer to Texas 249.

If you want to say its in a specific area, all of the new residential developments have been to the east of the tollway, nothing on the west, Meyers said. Theres just more available land, I would say, on the east side. And obviously, the east side is much more convenient with the existing growththeres more retail, the downtown is on the east side. More of the city is centered on the east side of the tollway.

Magnolia isnt seeing quite as much development but is still seeing eight new neighborhoods opening in 2021.

There is a lot of new growth in Magnolia all over, Magnolia City Administrator Don Doering said. More developments are happening every day.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Society of Samaritans to expand food pantry, increase office space

Many of the developments, similar to Tomball, line up along Highway 249, like Mill Creek Trails and Audubon, or along FM 1774 like Magnolia Ridge and Mustang Ridge.

Greater Magnolia Parkway Chamber of Commerce President Sandy Barton said these developments are coming up on land thats been owned for a while and are being built now because of the increase in people looking to move to Magnolia.

We have a lot of great businesses that have been in Magnolia for an extended period of time and we have a lot of new ones coming online, Barton said. I think businesses will continue to develop as these residential developments come online.

With residential development, there are several other benefits that come to the community as well, Barton said, like additional jobs and tax revenue and a more active economy.

Were very pleased to see the developments that are coming online because we feel theyre also going to bring additional business development with them, Barton said.

Bruce Hillegeist, Greater Tomball Chamber of Commerce president, said the massive development happening in Tomball is great news for the town. Its a change for him as well, as hes lived in Tomball all of his life and has always seen it change gradually.

Really, that just speaks very well to Tomball ISD and our private schools and the college, Hillegeist said. Its gonna be good for retail and restaurants and we welcome growth. Were not NIMBYs (not in my backyard); we want to share our home with others and its exciting for us to be able to welcome new people to our community. We are like a family here and our family is growing exponentially.

Hillegeist cited a story City Manager Rob Hauck told him about a home going up for sale in Tomball and receiving 15 offers on the first day.

That just shows you the magnitude of people who are looking at the north/northwest communities like Tomball in which to live and raise a family or to make it their retirement years, he said.

In the Tomball Chamber of Commerces recently published magazine, Hillegeist said it had census data which showed the city had a population of 1,173 people in 1960. Now, more than 12,000 people live in Tomball, and he said that number is expected to go up to 20,000 people by 2030.

All the hundred-plus years but then in just the next nine years its gonna just about double in size, he said. Change is gonna happen and were gonna make all that change good.

paul.wedding@hcnonline.com

The silence from Republican leaders has been deafening. That cant continue if the party has any hope of reclaiming conservatism from nihilistic rot  something every American should be rooting for to maintain a healthy two-party system. Ms. Greene is now a member of the House of Representatives, with a prominent platform and real power to have impact on peoples lives. She has a responsibility to act  and speak  in the best interests of the American public and of the Constitution she has sworn to serve and defend. Peddling grotesque lies, cheering talk of political violence (which she claims to oppose) and fomenting sedition run counter to her oath of office.

With each new revelation, the calls to discipline Ms. Greene grow louder. Representative Jimmy Gomez, a Democrat from California, plans to introduce a resolution calling for her expulsion from Congress, which had at least 50 members signed on as of Friday. This approach is unlikely to succeed. While the Constitution gives both chambers of Congress wide latitude to punish members, expulsion, which requires a two-thirds majority to pass, has been used rarely over the centuries. Lawmakers prefer to leave it to voters to hand down such a sentence.

Representatives Nikema Williams of Georgia and Sara Jacobs of California plan to introduce a resolution to censure Ms. Greene. This penalty is imposed more frequently and requires only a simple majority to pass. It is meant to serve as a badge of shame. Of course, Ms. Greene, who revels in shamelessness, might well wear it as a badge of honor  evidence that a corrupt, elitist political establishment was out to get her.

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida is among those calling for a more appropriate punishment: stripping Ms. Greene of her committee assignments. Critics are particularly incensed by Ms. Greenes being placed on the education committee, in light of her deranged theories on school shootings.
What do you think about our new website?

Share your opinion
RAMATEERTHAM: The 10th century Sri Kodandarama Swamy temple atop Bodikonda hill in Nellimerla of Vizianagaram district, which drew attention of the entire nation for wrong reasons, is set to regain its past glory with the state government planning to spend Rs 3 crore on its development and renovation.

The temple is mostly visited by farmers of north coastal Andhra. Every pilgrim makes it a point to visit the Kodandarama Swamy either at the beginning or end of their pilgrimage to the area. Many villagers come from far away in bullock carts and stay at the temple for four days to celebrate Maha Sivaratri and Ramanavami.

When news about decapitation of the statue spread, it was farmers who were the most hurt, stated Ch. Rama Raju, a structural engineer by profession, whose family has been living in Ramateertham since four generations. Another local resident Vekatalakshmi, who is in her 60s, said during her childhood, there was a hot spring in the middle of the pond. It was then believed that idols of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Seetha installed at the temple had been found in the ponds deep water. Pusapati Gajajapthi Rajus family thought it was a blessing for the local people and built a temple there.

Both temples of Ramaswamy and Srikodandarama Swamy attract thousands of pilgrims in the post harvest season till Ramanavami. Noted historian and former department of history and archaeology chief Prof K. Suryanarayana said inscriptions of Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism (Durga) dated from 10th Century have been found atop the Bodikonda hill. This has been confirmed by British archaeologist Prof Alexander Rea, who worked mainly in South British India, in 1908, he stated.

Assistant commissioner of Ramateertham Devasthanam, Ch. Ranga Rao said they are trying to revive the rich religious traditions of Hinduism at the temple. He said since it is difficult to go up the hill using the existing steps, structural engineers are planning to lay a road to the temple. He said the sanctum sanctorum of the temple will remain the same, while new structures for the God and people will be built around it. In addition, there will be a yagasala and kalyanamandapam with all facilities. Idols of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Seetha have been consecrated recently at Balalayam. They will be shifted to Bodikonda temple after completion of renovation works at the temple, Ranga Rao underlined.

Tourism officials said after its renovation, the temple will be added to the pilgrimage circuit comprising Simhachalam temple, Suryanrayana Sun Temple and Srikurmam temple in Srikakulam district.
A 'Peeping Tom' who fell through the ceiling of a women's locker room in a Virginia gym has been arrested, police said.

Brian Anthony Joe, 41, landed on a woman changing in the Onelife Fitness Center in Stafford at 1.15pm on Saturday.

Stafford County Sheriff's Office said he had fallen ten feet into the locker room where he was then cornered by women.

Brian Anthony Joe (pictured) has been arrested after allegedly falling through a gym ceiling while spying on women changing

Officers said: 'The female was checked for injuries by rescue personnel at the scene, but she was not transported.'

While they waited for police, the women in the gym trapped the man in the room leaving him unable to escape.

Once officers arrived, Joe, who was also uninjured in the fall, was arrested.

The 'Peeping Tom' landed on a woman changing in the Onelife Fitness Center in Stafford at 1.15pm on Saturday

Joe, from Woodbridge, has been charged with burglary, three counts of spying into a building, and vandalism.

He is being held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail.

An investigation is ongoing.
Beijing:

China on Monday dismissed Defence Minister Arun Jaitleys remarks that India of 2017 is different from what it was in 1962, saying it too is different and warned that Beijing will take all necessary measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty.



Jaitley, who responded to Chinas oblique reference to the war the two countries had fought 55 years ago and asking India to learn from historic lessons, had said, If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different and India of 2017 is different.



He had also said the current standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Sikkim sector was triggered by Beijing. Responding to Jaitleys remarks, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, He is right in saying that India in 2017 is different from 1962, just like China is also different.



He said the border between the two nations in the Sikkim sector is well demarcated under the 1890 Sino-British Treaty.



I would like the Indian side to respect the 1890 treaty immediately and pull back the border troops which have crossed into Chinese territory back to the Indian side of the boundary.



China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its territorial sovereignty, he warned. China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Doka La area near the Bhutan trijunction for almost a month.



Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on a treaty signed with the Chinese in 1898. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.



Geng also accused India of using Bhutan as a cover up for the illegal entry into the Dokalam area over which Bhutan has lodged a protest with the Chinese government.



In order to cover up the illegal entry of the Indian border troops, to distort the fact and even at the expense of Bhutans independence and sovereignty, they try to confuse right from wrong, that is futile, Geng said.



He said China has no objection to normal bilateral ties between India and Bhutan but firmly opposed to the Indian side infringing on Chinese territory using Bhutan as an excuse.



Geng said the Bhutanese side does not know previously that the Indian troops entered into the Dokalam area, which is not in line with what is claimed by the Indian side.



Asked whether any talks are going on between India and China to resolve the Sikkim standoff, Geng said, After the illegal entry of border took place, China has lodged solemn representations at different levels with the Indian side in Delhi and Beijing.



The line of diplomatic communication between two sides is open and smooth, he said.



Ahead of the Foreign Ministry briefing, state-run Global Times quoted experts as saying that China will resolutely safeguard its sovereignty in the border conflicts with India even at the cost of war.



As the standoff at the Dokalam area continued for the third week, the longest between the two sides, the official media and the think-tanks here said that war is possible if the conflict between India and China is not handled properly.



Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.



China is also different from what it was in 1962, Wang Dehua, a professor at the Shanghai Municipal Centre for International Studies, told the daily, reacting to Jaitleys comments.



Wang claimed India has been treating China as its biggest competitor since 1962, as both nations share many similarities such as huge populations and both are developing countries.

ALSO READ | Sikkim standoff: Indias actions in Doklam effort to show US its firm determination to constrain Chinas rise



There could be a chance of war if the recent conflict between China and India is not handled properly, observers said, noting that China will resolutely defend its territory and safeguard the border, the Global Times report said.



In 1962, China fought a war with India after the latter encroached on Chinese territory, resulting in the deaths of 722 Chinese troops and 4,383 Indian soldiers, the daily said.



Experts called on both sides to resolve the conflict through dialogue and negotiations, it said.



Both sides should focus on development rather than conflict or war, Zhao Gancheng, director of the Centre for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the newspaper.

ALSO READ | Sikkim standoff: China posts map showing India, Bhutan territory as its own part of land



He said a conflict between the two sides may give other countries a chance to take advantage, for example, the US. India should change its hostile attitude toward China as a good relationship is beneficial for both sides, Wang said.



The Chinese experts also took exception to reports that Indias Defence Ministry is surveying the China-India border in order to build an all-weather railway corridor with broad-gauge network for swift movement of troops and weaponry.



India is trying to catch up with China in the construction of frontier defence, Zhao said.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Ash Williams' lawyer appeared before Newtown Local Court on Monday to enter a not guilty plea to a criminal charge (intentionally record intimate image without consent) on her client's behalf.

And just hours earlier, the comedian had been spotted partying in Sydney to celebrate the finale of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

Despite his pending court date, Williams, 38, appeared to be in high spirits as he left the show's ongoing celebrations at about 1am.

Night out: I'm a Celebrity's Ash Williams was spotted holding hands with a mystery woman at the finale after-party in Sydney on Sunday night - just hours before his lawyer pleaded not guilty on his behalf in court to a criminal charge

Williams was earlier seen leaving the initial filming with a mystery woman.

The reality star looked comfortable around the woman as they held hands.

The woman was wearing a black jumpsuit with Channel 10-branded wristbands and lanyards.

Holding hands: Earlier in the night, he was spotted with a brunette female, believed to be the same woman, after the I'm a Celebrity finale went to air

Williams pleaded not guilty to recording intimate images of a woman on Monday when his matter was mentioned before Newtown Local Court.

He is alleged to have been engaging in phone sex with a woman via Facetime when he took screenshots of her without her knowledge - and then sent them back to her.

Williams denies any wrongdoing and his lawyer Lauren MacDougall appeared in court on his behalf to formally enter a not guilty plea to the criminal charge.

Charged: I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! contestant Ash Williams, 38, has pleaded not guilty to recording intimate images of a woman without her consent

The incident allegedly took place in November, while Ash was in lockdown ahead of his debut on I'm a Celebrity.

'In November 2020, officers from the Inner West Police Area Command received a report of an offence allegedly committed by a 38-year-old man,' NSW Police said.

'Following further investigations, the man was charged with intentionally record intimate image without consent on Friday, 18 December, 2020.'

Williams said the allegation had left him feeling 'shocked and confused'.

'I'm really upset': Williams said the allegation had left him feeling 'shocked and confused'

'I was completely blindsided by the allegation and I propose to defend the charge. Im really upset by the allegation and Im distressed about the impact its had on members of my family, particularly my mum,' he told The Daily Telegraph.

'It involves someone I was in love with and had been seeing faithfully in a committed and long-term relationship. The allegation has left me feeling shocked and confused. I dont propose to make any further comment and look forward to resolving the matter in court.'

Williams' matter is due to return to Newtown Local Court on March 23, 2021.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken sharply condemned Russia's over crackdown on protesters supporting jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny as 'deeply distrubing' and said the United States was reviewing possible responses.

In a new interview, Blinken also acknowledged that the domestic situation in the U.S., as the nation continues its power transfer after the Capitol riot, presents a challenge as the nation tries to boost democracy and human rights abroad.

But he said the U.S. was still leading by example as it dealt with the issue. 'We're doing it in fully daylight with full transparency. We're grappling with our problems in front of the entire world,' he told NBC's 'Today' show.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Moscow's crackdown on protesters calling for the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, telling the 'Today' the crackdown was 'deeply disturbing'

Blinken told the network he was 'deeply disturbed by the violent crackdown' on Russian protesters on Sunday and arrests across the country of people demanding the release of Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. More than 5,300 people were detained in a massive show of force.

We are deeply disturbed by this violent crackdown against people exercising their rights to protest peacefully against their government, rights that are guaranteed to them in the Russian constitution,' he said.

'The arrests, the violence used by police is deeply disturbing. And of course, the arrest of Mr. Navalny itself which apparently triggered this is also profoundly disturbing to us,' he continued.

'But I think the Russian government makes a big mistake if it believes that this is about us. It's not. It's about them. It's about the government. It's about the frustration that the Russian people have with corruption, with autocracy, and I think they need to look inward, not outward and hopefully take into account what they're hearing from their own people. Mr. Navalny is giving expression to the voices of millions and millions of Russians. And that's what this is about,' he said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Moscow would ignore Blinkens comments and warned Washington against imposing any new sanctions.

Police detain a man during a rally in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny on January 31, 2021 in Moscow, Russia

People take part in an unauthorized rally in support of Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny in Komsomolskaya Square

Police detain protesters during an unauthorized protest rally against the of jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny

Blinken also spoke about the MAGA riot in the Capitol, saying the U.S. was dealing with the issue with transparency even while carrying the banner of democracy

Blinken made the comments in a sit-down interview with NBC News

Blinken did not commit to specific sanctions against Moscow in the interview, taped on Sunday. He said he was reviewing a response to the actions against Navalny, as well as Russian election interference in 2020, the SolarWinds hack and alleged bounties for U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

'The president could not have been clearer in his conversation with President Putin,' Blinken said of President Joe Biden's telephone call last week with the Russian leader.

Blinken also took issue with China's actions in Hong Kong, saying it acted 'egregiously' to undermine the island and said the United States should accept people fleeing the crackdown there.

'If they're the victims of repression from Chinese authorities, we should do something to give them haven,' he said.

He also cited China's lack of transparency with regard to coronavirus as a 'profound problem', saying Beijing is falling far short in allowing experts access to the sites where the coronavirus was discovered.

Blinken warned Iran was months away from the ability to produce the fissile material needed for a nuclear weapon.

He told NBC it could be only 'a matter of weeks' if Iran continues to lift restraints in the 2015 nuclear deal that the United States pulled out of under President Donald Trump.

On North Korea, Blinken said additional sanctions could be used in coordination with U.S. allies as a way toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Other tools include unspecified diplomatic incentives, he said.
BSH Home Appliances Corporation in exclusive group of companies that meet the Top Employers Institutes strict criteria for exceptional employee offerings

BSH has received this annual certification since 2016, consistently upholding an environment of growth and success for its team members nationwide

IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BSH Home Appliances Corporation has been recognized by the Top Employers Institute as a Top Employer 2021 in the United States of America. BSH has received this award for the sixth consecutive year, highlighting the companys commitment to creating a collaborative environment that inspires and supports employees while nurturing and developing talent through all levels of its organization.

The Top Employers Institute program certifies organizations based on the participation and results of their HR Best Practices Survey. This survey covers six HR domains consisting of 20 topics such as People Strategy, Work Environment, Talent Acquisition, Learning, Well-being and Diversity & Inclusion and more.

BSH Home Appliances is honored to be among an exclusive group of companies that met the Top Employers Institutes strict criteria for outstanding human resource policies and practices, said Marlies van der Horst, Head of Human Resources, BSH Home Appliances Corporation, Region North America. Earning Top Employers United States of America certification for the sixth consecutive year is a testament to our companys consistent commitment to maintaining an environment of employee engagement and a better world of work.

Top Employers Institute CEO David Plink says: Despite the challenging year we have experienced (which has certainly made an impact on organizations around the globe), BSH Home Appliances has continued to demonstrate the power of putting their people first in the workplace. We are proud to share this years announcement and congratulate the organizations who have been certified in their respective countries through the Top Employers Institute program.

To learn more about the Top Employers Institute and the Top Employers Certification, visit: www.top-employers.com. To learn more about BSH Home Appliances, please visit: https://www.bsh-group.com/us/.



About BSH Home Appliances Corporation

BSH Home Appliances Corporation produces and markets small and major home appliances that are known across North America for their high-quality and superior innovation. BSH sells its Gaggenau, Thermador and Bosch branded products throughout North America, through distributors, independent appliance dealers, national and regional retailers, builders and large buying groups. BSH Home Appliances Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of BSH Home Appliances Group, headquartered in Munich, Germany, the largest manufacturer of home appliances in Europe and one of the leading companies in the sector worldwide. Manufacturing facilities are located in New Bern, North Carolina, and LaFollette, Tennessee. BSH Technology and Development Centers are located in Oak Ridge and Caryville, Tennessee and New Bern, North Carolina. https://www.bsh-group.com/us/

About Top Employers Institute

Top Employers Institute is the global authority on recognizing excellence in People Practices. We help accelerate these practices to enrich the world of work. Through the Top Employers Institute Certification Program, participating companies can be validated, certified and recognized as an employer of choice. Established 30 years ago, Top Employers Institute has certified over 1 600 organizations in 120 countries/regions. These certified Top Employers positively impact the lives of over 7 million employees globally.

Top Employers Institute. For a better world of work.

www.top-employers.com

Contact:

Debbie Ehrman

Finn Partners

310-882-4016

deborah@finnpartners.com

In a weekend statement, the NGOs representing Armenia in the Civil Society Forum of ex-Soviet states involved in the EUs Eastern Partnership program said the EU should seek the conflicts resolution based on the so-called Madrid Principles, a framework peace accord put forward by the United States, Russia and France in 2007.

The statement called on the EU to help Karabakhs civilian population and, in particular, people who fled their homes during the recent war described by it as an aggression by Turkey and Azerbaijan against the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. It said the 27-nation bloc should initiate an international investigation into war crimes committed by Azerbaijani and Turkish forces during the six-week hostilities stopped by a Russian-brokered ceasefire on November 10.

The NGOs also hit out at Russia, saying that it has not fulfilled some of its obligations stemming from the ceasefire agreement.

In addition  the Russian peacekeeping mission in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) has no international mandate, its legal basis is unknown  The powers and rights of the mission are not known either, which severely limits the capabilities of that mission to fulfill its commitments and accountability in ensuring the security of the local Armenian population, they said.

The EU, the statement went on, should therefore seek the deployment of UN-backed international peacekeeping forces to Karabakh alongside about 2,000 Russian soldiers already stationed there.

The political leaders of both Armenia and Karabakh regularly praise Moscows role in stopping the war and preventing its resumption. They have also described the presence of the Russian peacekeepers as the decisive factor behind the return of tens of thousands of ethnic Armenian refugees to Karabakh.
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dosh , the fastest-growing automatic cash back platform that connects thousands of brands and retailers to millions of consumers, today announced a nationwide program that will offer a free advertising campaign to Black-owned businesses trying to spur sales as they reopen their brick and mortar locations throughout 2021.

This program builds upon what Dosh first launched for Austin-based Black-owned businesses in June of 2020 as a way to address the significant impact COVID-19 was having on the small business community in general, and Black-owned small businesses in particular. This new, nationwide program invites all Black-owned businesses to join Dosh for a free 30-day advertising campaign, which will allow them to offer customers automatic cash back on in-store purchases when using their Dosh-linked card. Dosh will waive their marketing fee and fund the cash back, usually paid by the merchant, up to $500 so there will be no cost to the merchant whatsoever and no obligation to go beyond the 30 days.

"As we look forward to our country and our small businesses fully reopening, we want to play a role in helping businesses get back on their feet and drive sales in their stores," said Dosh CEO, Ryan Wuerch. "As a company invested in supporting small businesses and in building a more equitable system, it's important that we're there doing all we can to drive foot traffic to Black-owned small businesses as they reopen their storefronts."

Interested business owners can learn more about qualifying for the program and sign up here .

As a part of the Fintech Equality Coalition , Dosh is committed to creating a more equitable financial ecosystem in ways that support, promote, uplift, and take the lead from members of the minority communities for whom we seek equality.

About Dosh

Dosh is the fastest-growing cash back platform that automatically puts money into the wallets of consumers whenever they shop, dine or book hotels. The company is built on the vision to democratize advertising for the benefit of people everywhere. Dosh connects merchants with consumers, allowing them to give cash back directly instead of inefficiently spending that money on traditional advertising. Dosh's mission is to positively impact people's lives by moving billions of dollars to millions of people.

SOURCE Dosh

Related Links

https://www.dosh.com


Mumbai, Feb 1 : Actor Sonu Sood will organise residential accommodation for a group of elderly people whose video of being mistreated had gone viral on social media recently.

Recently, a video surfaced showing a group of elderly people in Madhya Pradesh being mistreated by employees of the local municipal corporation, packed in a bus and dumped in the outskirts of Indore, on the Indore-Dewas highway. The video created a furore on social media. Netizens strongly reacted to the atrocities committed on the elderly and took to their social networking accounts to express their anger and discontentment.

Sonu has now come forward to extend a helping hand. In a video message, the actor urged everyone residing in Indore to join him in providing a safe space for the old.

In a video message, he said: "Yesterday, I had come across this piece of news where the elderly were ostracised from the city and dumped in the outskirts. I would like to urge my brothers and sisters from Indore to come together and work towards providing a roof over their heads. I want to give them their rights back. I would also like to distribute food and drinking water to them. All this will be difficult to achieve without your help. This should be a lesson to all the children out there who have left their aged parents. They should hold them close and take care of them. Dear citizens of Indore, let us come together and set an example so that the elderly are never left to feel lonely and helpless. I will try to give them their rights back. This should be a lesson to all the children out there who have left and ostracised their aged parents. They should hold them close and take care of them." Sonu has also offered to build houses and arrange for food, water and other essential supplies for the affected elderly.
The companies are preparing for a potential listing of the joint venture on a recognised stock exchange under the name of Kanye Resources

PLC ( ) said a combined airborne electromagnetic (AEM) and magnetic geophysics survey will be carried out at the South Ghanzi project.

The project, which is a 50-50 joint venture with ( ), includes two prospecting licences in the Kalahari Copper Belt in Botswana that cover an area of 1,294 sq km.

Alongside ongoing soil sampling and ground survey programmes, Kavango has signed a contract with SkyTEM Surveys, an airborne geophysical survey company, to fly 1,173 km of AEM and magnetic geophysics survey over the project.

These two techniques have been instrumental in helping other companies identify copper mineralisation and copper deposits in the KCB and the joint venture team believe the chances of drilling success will be increased by analysing combined data of geological structures, ground conductivity and surface soil geochemical anomalies.

Given the acceleration of exploration programmes, the two partners expect to begin work on an environmental management plan imminently and are preparing for a potential listing of the JV on a recognised stock exchange under the name of Kanye Resources Pty Ltd in Botswana and Kanye Resources Ltd in England.

Paul Johnson, Power Metal Resources chief executive, said: Both Kavango and Power Metal are eager to push ahead with ground exploration in the KCB, with the South Ghanzi Project demonstrating geological features similar to recent major copper/silver discoveries in the area.

We now intend to conduct an airborne electromagnetic and magnetic geophysics survey in parallel to ongoing ground exploration work which includes intensified soil sampling around target areas.

He said doing will speed up the exploration process at what is felt to be a key stage, with the aim of fast-tracking the delineation of initial drill targets.

Johnson added: Having seen the benefits of a major discovery in the KCB previously, I am personally keen that we continue to push-on at pace.
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.
Baker: Bay Staters Working from Home Could Make Nor'easter Less Problematic

BOSTON  As the state geared up for the first major snowfall of 2021, the pandemic factored in -- but, for once, not always as a negative.

Gov. Charlie Baker and other administration officials met with the media Monday morning to talk about the commonwealth's preparedness for a Nor'easter expected to dump more than a foot of snow on Berkshire County.

Asked what was different about planning for this storm versus past weather events, Baker admitted that there is a small upside to dealing with a Nor'easter in a time when many Bay Staters already are doing their best to stay home as much as possible.

"The fact that so many people have the ability or have been primarily working remotely for a long period of time means that one of the things you worry about the most, which is everybody deciding to go home from work at exactly the same time all the plows hit the streets, is just not the kind of concern it would traditionally be," Baker said.

"The timing of this storm normally would make everyone nervous in the pre-COVID days because you would have a storm that would start around noon. What would happen is everyone would come into the office early to get as much of their day done as they possibly could. And everybody would be planning to leave between 1 and 3, which is exactly the same time snow would be picking up with respect to inches per hour and at exactly the same time that DOT would be pouring resources out onto the streets to plow."

That is not to say that COVID-19 pandemic is completely positive with respect to emergency preparations.

Acting Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler said that, like any other businesses, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority have to account for impacts to their workforces due to the novel coronavirus.

"Let's talk first about the MassDOT side," Tesler said. "We have good staffing for this event. We have been working with staff rotations and other measures to make sure we can fully staff and fully respond to this event.

"Like all organizations, we are impacted and taking all the necessary precautions and protocols. But we're confident we have the staffing for this event. Likewise, the MBTA does have staffing impacts due to the pandemic  but has sufficient staffing to respond to this."

In terms of the pandemic itself, the early February storm hit just as the commonwealth rolls out the next phase of its COVID-19 vaccination program.

Baker said the commonwealth's mass vaccination sites are doing their best to accommodate people who made appointments for Monday, but he said schedules would need to be readjusted.

"Most of these folks are going to try to reschedule people this week," Baker said. "It's going to depend to some extent on how much they can get done today and how much they need to reschedule later on.

"Fenway [Park] opened this morning and sent a message out to their folks saying: If you have an appointment, come on in and we'll do what we can to get you taken care of, even if you show up early relative to when your appointment is supposed to be.

"I think the big goal for the mass vax sites is to try to get as many of the folks who are scheduled today through, and they've been talking to people all morning about that. Folks who are nervous about traveling given the storm and all the rest, they will do what they can to get them rescheduled this week."
(CNN)  Record numbers of protesters were detained in Russia on Sunday, as demonstrations erupted across the country in support of detained opposition leader Alexey Navalny.

At least 5,045 people were detained, with more than 1,600 in Moscow alone. That marks a record-high in detentions since 2011, when OVD-Info, an independent site that monitors arrests, started recording such figures.

Among those detained on Sunday was Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, who was later released.

Navalny's team has said that the "next stop" for demonstrations will be on Tuesday, when a Moscow court considers Navalny's case on fraud charges and establishes whether his suspended sentence should be replaced with a real jail term.

"Today's protest is over, but we continue to fight for Alexey Navalny's freedom," the team posted on their Telegram channel at 6:20 p.m. local time.

Navalny was detained on January 17, moments after arriving in Moscow, following months of treatment in Germany after being poisoned in August 2020 with nerve agent Novichok. He blamed the poisoning on the Russian government, an allegation the Kremlin has repeatedly denied.

Protests across country

Earlier on Sunday, supporters of Navalny said they were planning protests in at least 120 cities across the vast country, starting at noon local time in each location.

Protesters in Moscow planned to march down to the Matrosskaya Tishina detention center where Navalny is being held in custody, according to a CNN team on the ground. Local authorities were closing metro stops one after another leading up to the detention center in the city's northeastern Sokolniki neighborhood.

Before her reported detention, Navalnaya posted a picture on Instagram showing her taking part in a protest in the area. "It's great in Sokolniki today!" Navalnaya said in the caption, alongside a photo showing her, hands raised, followed by a column of people.

Navalnaya was detained "during a peaceful walk" by police officers who did not identify themselves or provide any reason for the detention, according to Vyacheslav Gimadi, head of the legal department of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK).

She has since been released, Grimadi told CNN.

Live video feeds and social media videos Sunday showed crowds of people gathering in a number of cities, chanting "Putin is a thief," in reference to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In the Russian city of Novosibirsk, in Siberia, live video showed police detaining drivers who were honking their car horns in support of the protesters. In response, demonstrators were heard chanting: "Let them go!"

People could be seen with their elbows linked, forming chains, chanting "Freedom!" and "Give back our money!" as they stood in front of the city hall in the center of Novosibirsk. Rows of riot police were standing in front of them.

Protesters marching along the snowy streets could be heard chanting: "Russia without Putin!" and "one for all, and all for one."

Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs earlier warned Russian citizens not to take part in the "unauthorized" protests. "The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia calls on citizens to refrain from participating in unauthorized protests," the ministry said in an Instagram post.

Russian federal law requires organizers to file an appeal with local authorities at least 10 days in advance to obtain permission to hold a protest.

Police detentions in Moscow

Navalny's team announced via its social media accounts new gathering points for protesters in the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg after Russian authorities blocked off certain streets and metro stations ahead of the rallies.

Earlier in the week Navalny's team said demonstrators in Moscow would gather in Lubyanka Square, home to the headquarters of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

A joint investigation last month by CNN and the investigative group Bellingcat implicated the FSB in Navalny's August poisoning, piecing together how an elite unit at the agency followed Navalny's team throughout a trip to Siberia, at the end of which Navalny fell ill from exposure to military-grade Novichok.

Russia has denied involvement in the case.

Security forces could be seen out in force in the city's streets, including Lubyanka Square, on Sunday.

CNN's team in Moscow saw police detaining protesters in an apparent attempt to stop the protest in the capital getting under way.

Rebecca Ross, spokewoman for the US Embassy in Moscow, urged Russia to respect international human rights as protests take place across the country.

"Ahead of planned protests in support of @Navalny, Russian authorities preemptively detained activists & journalists, & blocked off Moscow city center. Reports of hundreds of protesters detained today in Russia. Russia must respect international #humanrights commitments," Ross tweeted Sunday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also tweeted early Sunday condemning "persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight."

"We renew our call for Russia to release those detained for exercising their human rights," he continued, referring to Navalny.

The Russian Foreign Ministry in turn accused the US of "gross interference" in the internal matters of Russia, saying Blinken was supporting the "violation of law" in a statement posted on its official Facebook page.

"There is no doubt that actions aimed at encouraging protests are part of a strategy to hold Russia back," the ministry said. "We demand an end to interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states."

Authorities announced ahead of Sunday's protests that certain streets in the center of Moscow would be closed off, seven metro stations would be shut and that no alcohol could be sold in glass containers all day.

Additionally, the Moscow mayor's office said that cafes, restaurants and other catering facilities would be closed in the city center on Sunday, according to Russian state media agency TASS.

Sanctions urged

More than 2,100 people, including Navalnaya, were arrested last weekend at rallies in nearly 100 cities, according to OVD-Info.

Ahead of the latest protest, Navalnaya posted a photo on Instagram of her family. The picture features family members, including her husband Alexey and his brother, Oleg Navalny, who was detained earlier this week in Moscow.

"If we are silent, then tomorrow they will come after any of us," she wrote in a post accompanying the photo, referring to Russian authorities.

Navalnaya also made a reference to Putin and an investigation by Navalny's FBK into Putin's wealth and a luxurious palace he allegedly owns on the Black Sea.

"In a 16-storey bunker with an aqua disco, a random frightened person is the one who decides our fate -- he might decide to jail one and to poison another one," she wrote.

The FBK has urged US President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on at least eight high-profile Russian figures it says are close to Putin.

FBK executive director Vladimir Ashurkov, who signed the letter, told CNN on Saturday that the foundation was calling on the United States to put pressure on Putin to release Navalny.

Journalist and campaigner Zhanna Nemtsova, the daughter of murdered Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, said Sunday she believed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny "will be locked away in prison for many years."

"The only way to support Alexey Navalny is to take to the streets," Nemtsova, who has joined the protests in Moscow, told BBC radio. "We have no choice, and it is what can partially guarantee Navalny's security while he's in prison," she said.

"Lots of people have nothing to lose, especially young people," Nemtsov told the program, when asked about the hopes of the thousands of people who have been protesting across Russia since Navalny's arrest.

"We are experiencing another economic downturn. In many cases, if you want to pursue a decent career, you have to be loyal to the government. Of course, it is very depressing for many people," she added.

Nemtsova's father, former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov, was assassinated on a Moscow bridge within sight of the Kremlin in 2015. Nemtsov was then considered the most visible leader of the Russian opposition. Five Chechen men were handed prison sentences for his killing in 2017.
Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and thanked him for keeping the country's diplomats safe after a minor blast outside the country's embassy in the national capital last week.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today by telephone with Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi and thanked him for his government's efforts to safeguard Israeli representatives in the aftermath of the terrorist event near the Israeli Embassy in India," read a tweet from the Israeli PM's handle.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke today by telephone with Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi and thanked him for his government's efforts to safeguard Israeli representatives in the aftermath of the terrorist event near the Israeli Embassy in India.  PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 1, 2021

Also Read | How India can fight vaccine hesitancy

The two leaders also spoke about the extensive coronavirus vaccination drives launched in their countries to combat the viral disease. The two leaders discussed possible cooperation in the production and supply of vaccines to Israel and the mutual recognition of certificates of vaccination.

Prime Minister Netanyahu congratulated Indian Prime Minister Modi on the production of vaccines in his country and the start of the vaccines operation there. The latter congratulated Prime Minister Netanyahu on the successful vaccines operation in Israel," another tweet said.

Explosion in New Delhi

A low-intensity blast was reported near the Israel embassy in New Delhi on the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Israel. The blast took place at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road, about 1.4 kilometres (1 mile) from the embassy.

The explosion was caused by a "very low-intensity improvised device" police said, adding that there were no injuries.

The explosion damaged the window panes of three nearby parked cars, Delhi Police Additional PRO Anil Mittal said in a statement. "Initial impressions suggest a mischievous attempt to create a sensation," the statement added.

Officials investigating the IED blast outside the Israeli embassy have said their probe is still not conclusive but the needle of suspicion is pointing towards Iran with local involvement.

After the blast, Netanyahu had expressed "full confidence" in the Indian authorities in ensuring the safety of Israelis and Jews in India.

Netanyahu asked to convey to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi that Israel has "full confidence that the Indian authorities will do a thorough investigation of the incident and ensure the safety of Israelis and Jews who are there", Israeli national security advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat had said.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  The Chinese embassy in Manila brushed aside claims that Chinas new law, which authorizes its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels entering contested waters, is a threat of war.

The embassy on Monday said the measure is a normal domestic legislative activity of China and conforms to international conventions and practices. It added that the law "doesn't specifically target any certain country and bears no change in Chinas maritime policy.

The statement came days after the government filed a diplomatic protest against China, saying its new law is a verbal threat of war to any country that defies it. Malacanang also previously asked China to refrain from any use of force that could spark tension, and instead adhere to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Enacting such a coast guard law is not unique to China, but a sovereign right to all, the embassy said. Many countries have enacted similar legislation. It is the Philippine Coast Guard Law of 2009 that established the PCG as an armed and uniformed service. None of these laws have been seen as a threat of war.

China maintained it is committed to upholding peace in the South China Sea. The East Asian giant is negotiating with other claimant Southeast Asian nations for a Code of Conduct, which will determine actions parties can take in disputed waters.

The embassy said the criticisms were born out of misinterpretation of the legislation, as it also denounced what it called as false accusations against China.

Some forces in the Philippines, either for their own political interests or out of prejudice toward China, have not only misinterpreted China's normal legislation, but also fabricated and spread relentlessly fake news, it said.

It pointed out recent reports of the China Coast Guard allegedly harassing Filipino fishermen, which it claimed as untrue.

READ: Filipino fisherman recalls being blocked by China Coast Guard ship

They have also gone as far as to sensationalize the entry of a Chinese scientific survey ship into Philippine waters as an intrusion, it added.

According to reports, a Chinese survey ship was spotted off the coast of Bato, Catanduanes since Jan. 28 and was said to be operating without permit. The embassy, however, explained that the vessel is only seeking humanitarian shelter in Philippine waters due to unfavorable weather and sea conditions in the Pacific, where they are scheduled to conduct research mission.

A maritime law expert earlier warned of a possibility of China's increased pace in asserting its sweeping claims over the South China Sea. Despite the 2016 arbitral ruling which recognized Manila's sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone that Beijing contests, the expert said China continued to carry out law enforcement patrols in the West Philippine Sea. He also urged the national government to join forces with allies in pushing back against the new Coast Guard Law, which he said could possibly make way for acts of aggression.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  The House of Representatives passed on Monday two measures giving President Rodrigo Duterte authority to defer contribution increases by the Social Security System and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation.

Lawmakers voted 227-6 for House Bill No. 8461, and 228-6 for House Bill No. 8512, meant to suspend PhilHealth and SSS increases, respectively.

Both contribution hikes came under fire with the public calling it untimely given the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Neither office has released a statement on the matter.

In December, PhilHealth explained the increase was meant to "ensure sufficient funding for the health care of its 110 million members as mandated by Republic Act No. 11223 or the Universal Health Care Law."

The premium rate will be increased to 3.50% from the current 3.00%.

"The premium adjustment is provided for in Section 10 of the UHC Law and its implementing rules and regulations, the guidelines of which are contained in Circular 2020-005 published by PhilHealth on March 5, 2020," said PhilHealth.

Last month, President Duterte ordered to delay the increase in PhilHealth contributions.

"May I suggest to the PhilHealth chairman, si Dante Gierran...huwag muna ngayon. No increase in contributions. I will look for the money to fill it up," he said in an address on Jan. 4.

[Translation: May I suggest to the PhilHealth chairman, to Dante Gierran...not now. No increase in contributions. I will look for the money to fill it up.]

Duterte said it was the government's job to make people's lives easier "at this time."

Meanwhile, the SSS was set to implement a 1% hike in members' monthly contribution effective January 2021.

Finance Secretary and Social Security Commission Chairman Carlos Dominguez III said the monthly contribution will increase to 13% from the current 12%, but will not exceed the prescribed maximum monthly salary credit or MSC, adding the hike would ensure the long-term viability of the social pension fund and increase the benefits enjoyed by its members.

On Jan. 26, the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises passed a bill allowing the deferment of a higher monthly SSS contribution.
The Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA) on Monday urged the Indian government to honour its international commitments to the Commonwealth and the United Nations and ensure that the media is free to play its constitutional role as a guardian of the public interest and in holding elected governments to account.

The CJA, a 43-year-old organisation advocating press freedom, called on the relevant authorities to withdraw the First Information Reports (FIRs) issued against leading editors and journalists for their coverage of the farmers' protest in Delhi on January 26.

The CJA is particularly alarmed at the use of laws pertaining to sedition and criminal conspiracy against journalists who were simply doing their job, reporting events as they happened. Many of these laws are of colonial origin and in urgent need of reform, reads the CJA statement.

The CJA urges the government to act firmly to protect those journalists who face harassment online and offline, death threats, violence and even assassination in the course of their work and to end the impunity enjoyed by their attackers. India's reputation as the world's largest democracy is increasingly at risk as cases of arbitrary arrests and prosecutions multiply, it adds.

The statement is the latest from journalists' groups after farmers' protests in Delhi turned violent on the Republic Day when protesters broke into the Red Fort complex resulting in one death and hundreds of injuries.

Journalists are among those arrested or facing charges in relation to the protests against the government's proposed agricultural reforms.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and the six journalists -- Mrinal Pande, Rajdeep Sardesai, Vinod Jose, Zafar Agha, Paresh Nath and Anant Nath -- have been booked by police, including in BJP-ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, over their allegedly misleading tweets on the violence during the farmers' tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day.

Freelance journalist Mandeep Punia and Dharmender Singh (with Online News India) were detained by Delhi Police Sunday evening for allegedly misbehaving with personnel on duty.

While Singh was later released, the police arrested Punia on Sunday.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A report into Brisbanes hotel quarantine outbreak in January, which triggered a national health emergency, is set to be made public this week and could hold clues into how the latest coronavirus outbreak in Western Australia spread.

A breach at Brisbanes Hotel Grand Chancellor forced the city into a snap three-day lockdown on January 8, after six cases of the highly contagious UK strain were traced back to the same level of the CBD hotel.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette DAth was expected to release the quarantine investigation report this week.

Police and health authorities have been scouring the limited CCTV footage, interviewing hundreds of staff and guests as well as swabbing elevator buttons and walls of the hotel rooms.

Queensland authorities initially speculated the virus might have spread through the airconditioning system, although that was yet to be confirmed.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will add $308 million in requested funds for the Oroville Dam spillway reconstruction and emergency response, according to the Department of Water Resources.

The additional $308 million comes nearly four years after the Oroville Dam spillway cracked after heavy rain.

FEMA committed $260 million to help with repairs to the lower portion of the main spillway and other work in response to the emergency.

FEMAs public assistance program will reimburse applicants up to 75% of eligible costs associated with a federally declared disaster.

RELATED: 3 YEARS LATER: OROVILLE DAM SPILLWAY BROUGHT MASS EVACUATIONS

The Department of Water Resources plans to reimburse $630 million of the $1.2 billion for the spillway incident through the public assistance program.

We appreciate the continued hard work of our partners at FEMA and the California Office of Emergency Services, as well as our representatives in Congress, to ensure California received these funds, said Ted Craddock, Department of Water Resources Deputy Director of the State Water Project.

The Department of Water Resources continues to work with Cal OES and FEMA to secure additional reimbursement funds for work on the emergency spillway.
European beach holidays could be back this summer, Ryanair's top boss has today predicted - but only if the success of Britain's vaccine roll-out continues.

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of the budget airline, said he believes there could be a huge surge in demand for flights to Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal this summer.

In a message of optimism, he predicted that the Covid-hit travel and hospitality industry could finally 'return to normal' by the end of this year - due to a 'pent-up demand' from beach-deprived Britons.

But, speaking on the day the Irish low-cost carrier announced expected losses of 800million across 2021, he warned the boom was dependent on the success of the UK's Covid vaccine roll-out.

So far almost nine million Britons have received their first dose of a Covid jab - with the Government currently on track to have everyone over the age of 50 vaccinated by the end of March.

And Mr O'Leary believes ministers should lift travel restrictions once Britain's most vulnerable have been protected.

The optimistic message comes as in other travel-related news:

Influencers and social media stars flocked back to the UK from Dubai before new travel restrictions were introduced;

Celebrities head to Mexican resorts bars and beaches as influencers' favourite Middle East haunt falls under travel ban

Heathrow passengers face even LONGER queues as passport control staff vote to strike over ban on shift swapping;

Britons can still return on indirect flights from the UAE but business trips are no longer considered essential;

UK residents must self-isolate at home with the rest of their household for ten days if returning from the UAE;

Those arriving from red list countries face having to quarantine in airport hotels for ten days from February 8

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of the budget airline, said he believes there could be a huge surge in demand for intra-European flights this summer

Ryanair is expecting to lose 800million in 2021 as bosses of the budget airline brace for the 'most challenging year' in the airline's 35-year history

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. 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. Heathrow: 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. Advertisement

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, Mr O'Leary said: 'We are heartened by the fact that the UK is expecting to vaccinate all the over-50s by the end of March, Europe is probably running a couple of months behind that by the end of June.

'So we think once all those high risk groups have been vaccinated, then travel restrictions should be removed, particularly on short haul intra-European travel and we expect there to be a strong recovery of beach holidays and family beach holidays going to Europe this summer.

'A huge amount of capacity has been taken out of the system, I think with the vaccine roll-out programme there will be a very strong return of pent-up demand for air travel and less capacity there to accommodate that demand, so I think that's so important that today Ryanair is announcing a return to growth this summer.

'We will return with lower fares, better deals for families, and I think very strong return to travel and normality in the travel and the hospitality sector by the end of 2021.'

His comments came as it was announced Ryanair is expecting to lose 800million in 2021 as bosses of the budget airline brace for the 'most challenging year' in the airline's 35-year history.

With Covid continuing to 'wreak havoc across the industry', bosses of the Irish low-cost carrier are 'cautiously guiding' a net loss of between 750million and 838million.

However, the airline said it would be in a position where it could 'capitalise on the many growth opportunities' after the pandemic, 'especially where competitor airlines have substantially cut capacity or failed'.

Today the company announced third-quarter losses of 270million on Monday.

Bosses added that in the three months to December, 8.1 million passengers used Ryanair, compared to 35.9 million in the same quarter in 2019.

The loss for the quarter contrasts with an 78 million profit after tax in the same period a year before.

The company said: 'FY21 will continue to be the most challenging year in Ryanair's 35 year history.

'Recently announced Covid lockdowns and travel restrictions across the EU & UK will reduce forecast FY21 traffic to between 26m and 30m (previously 'up to 35m'), with more risk towards the lower end of the range.

'While Q4 visibility remains limited due to uncertain and constantly changing Covid-19 travel restrictions, European government lockdowns, the timing of the rollout of vaccines across the EU and a very close-in booking curve, we are cautiously guiding an FY21 net loss (pre-exceptional items) of between 850m euros (750m) and 950m euros (838m).'

Mr O'Leary said he hopes the Covid-hit travel and hospitality industry could finally 'return to normal' by the end of this year. Pictured: A near empty North Terminal at Gatwick Airport at a usually busy Christmas time last year

Michael O'Leary urged ministers to lift travel restrictions once Britain's most vulnerable residents had been vaccinated - which the Government hopes to have achieved by the end of March. Pictured: Arrivals at Heathrow on Friday

Compared with the same quarter in 2019, revenue fell 82 per cent from 1.69billion to 0.3billion, and operating costs also fell 63 per cent from 1.6 billion to 0.59 billion.

The firm said: 'As we look beyond the Covid-19 crisis, and vaccinations roll out, the Ryanair Group expects to have a much lower cost base and a strong balance sheet, which will enable it to fund lower fares and add lower-cost aircraft to capitalise on the many growth opportunities that will be available in all markets across Europe, especially where competitor airlines have substantially cut capacity or failed.'

The message of optimism comes as Priti Patel warned last month that it was 'far too early' to think about booking a holiday abroad this summer.

Fines for holidays with police checking your passport at the airport How can the Government stop Britons from going on holiday? Lockdown rules already ban people from international travel unless it is for work. Leaving home is only permitted for a small number of reasons. Under the lockdown laws introduced at the start of January and which will run until March 31, people in England are allowed only to leave the house for a very slim range of activities. But the rules, which are largely the same as for the second lockdown in November, also ban foreign leisure travel, just as they prohibit domestic leisure travel. What happens if I want to travel abroad? People wanting to leave the UK will have to fill out a form giving the reason for their trip. Anyone who turns up at ports and airports without a valid reason for travel will be directed to return home and may face a fine. Priti Patel said today: 'Going on holiday is not a valid reason, so we will introduce a new requirement so that people wishing to travel must first make a declaration as to why they need to travel. 'This reason for travel will be checked by carriers prior to departure.' Travel operators are also expected to face fines if they fail to inspect these forms. What will I have to prove if I went to travel? Work trips are allowed, so you will have to show some proof that your flight or sea crossing is vital for your employment. However, there are a range of other reasons for 'essential travel. These are the same at the reasons for leaving your house: medical care, to escape harm, compassionate visits - for example a funeral - and weddings. The list of travel exemptions will be urgently reviewed so that only the most important and exceptional reasons are included. Who is going to enforce these rules? It is not clear whether airlines and other travel operators will have the unilateral ability to decide whether someone has given a genuine reason for a trip on their forms, or it will end up being referred to police. There will also be an increased police presence at ports and airports, fining those in breach of the stay at home regulations. Why is this being highlighted now? The Home Secretary lashed out at social media influencers who have been posting images of themselves in sunny parts of the world like Dubai during the lockdown. Many have claimed they were travelling for work, but have attracted a backlash from people stuck at home after also enjoying the nightlife and beaches. Ms Patel also singled out people 'turning up with their skis' at London's St Pancras station to catch the Eurostar to European resorts, adding: 'That is clearly not acceptable.' Advertisement

The Home Secretary said she would not be drawn on speculation as to when tight travel restrictions could be lifted in the UK.

Even tighter restrictions have since been put in place due to concerns over new mutant strains of Covid - which experts fear could impact on the effectiveness of the UK's vaccine roll-out.

Ms Patel last week heralded a huge squeeze on 'non-essential' journeys as she revealed that even during lockdown individuals had been flouting the rules - including by turning up to go abroad carrying skis.

In a statement to MPs she said such people now face being sent home again, and will have to fill out a legal declaration saying that they are going for essential purposes.

'Going on holiday is not a valid reason to travel,' she swiped.

Lockdown rules already ban people from international travel unless it is for work. Leaving home is only permitted for a small number of reasons.

Ms Patel also declared that Britons returning from around 30 'red list' Covid countries will be forced to quarantine in hotels for 10 days at their own expense.

MailOnline understands that hundreds of arrivals each day are expected to be escorted directly from airports to rooms, where they will have to stay for the duration of their isolation and pay a bill estimated at 1,500 - although ministers hope the numbers will 'fall through the floor' as people avoid coming to the UK.

It will only affect British travellers, as foreign citizens who have been in the red list countries are already banned from entering altogether.

However models, social media influencers and reality TV stars defiantly stayed at the poolside in Dubai and Abu Dhabi after thousands of other British travellers raced home to beat the travel ban, which began last Friday.

The likes of Mia Sully from Absolutely Ascot and Love Island stars Joseph Garratt and Anton Danyluk were pictured on Instagram enjoying life in the sunshine today, despite the UK Government adding the United Arab Emirates to the so-called red list of countries from where travel to Britain is prohibited during the coronavirus pandemic.

Others including Only Fans model Honey Evans from Leeds said they would stay out in Dubai despite the ban. She tweeted: 'Flights from Dubai to the UK are banned. Guess I have no choice but to stay out here. Shame.' Following a backlash, Ms Evans later added: 'So many people giving me s*** for being in Dubai.'

Due to border closures caused by Covid-19, Dubai to London was the world's busiest international route in January with 190,365 scheduled seats this month. In normal times the busiest route to and from London is New York City.

Many Britons are staying out in Dubai because they know they will only have to quarantine at home for ten days upon their return - and a rule forcing them to stay in a hotel will not come in until February 8 at the earliest.

But some said they had just managed to get home just before the ban on direct inbound passenger flights from the UAE to Britain came into effect at 1pm today.

Dubai, which is home to some 240,000 British expats and is a major tourist destination for UK travellers, is likely to face a major economic hit from the travel ban.

Meanwhile the flight and hospitality industry continues to face a squeeze due to Covid travel restrictions.

More than 1,000 workers at Gatwick Airport are to lose their jobs after Norwegian Air axed its long-haul operation, it was announced earlier this month.

The cash-strapped carrier announced it is abandoning long-haul flights, many of which fly out of the airport in Crawley, West Sussex.

The move will lead to the loss of 1,100 pilot and cabin crew jobs based at Gatwick Airport.

The latest blow to the travel industry came as last year 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.

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.

However there is hope for the future, with Britain's vaccine roll-out currently on target. The Government hopes to vaccinate everyone over the age of 50 by the end of March.

So far, nine million people in Britain have been given a first dose, and, of those, half a million have been given their second dose.

In another sign of good news, the coronavirus crisis in hospitals across the UK has 'stabilised' and staff are no longer having to plan for extra capacity, an intensive care doctor has said.

Every elderly care home resident across England has now been offered their first Covid vaccination, as figures showed another record-breaking day for jabs across the UK

But Professor Rupert Pearse from the Intensive Care Society said 2021 is going to be 'another very hard year' and warned of the mental health impact on NHS staff.

There are currently nearly 35,000 people in hospitals in the UK and 3,832 patients on ventilators, according to the latest official figures.

Prof Pearse also said the second wave of Covid-19 cases has gone on 'for more than three months now' compared to the eight-week long first wave - and hinted it could be a further three months before admissions 'settle'.

Meanwhile, figures show daily positive Covid tests have fallen by 31 per cent in the past week to 23,275, with hospital admissions down by 16 per cent over the same period, and deaths down six per cent to 1,200.
A man has been arrested for allegedly transporting immigrants in a water truck, according to an arrest affidavit filed on Monday.

A water truck arrived at about 7:08 a.m. Jan. 28 at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on U.S. 359 near Bruni. Authorities identified the driver as Felix Garza, a U.S. citizen. He allegedly showed nervous behavior by gripping the steering wheel tightly with both hands and not making eye contact.

Garza stated he was on his way to Hebbronville. He allegedly added that he thought he had water and that it was his first time going there. Garza stated that he did not have an identification when an agent asked for one. The agent noticed that Garza started fidgeting in the driver seat.

Then, a K-9 unit allegedly alerted to possible contraband in the rear area of the water truck. Agents referred the vehicle to secondary inspection. Further inspection of the vehicle revealed eight individuals hiding in a compartment inside the water truck. All were determined to be immigrants who were illegally present in the country.

Garza allegedly agreed to provide a post-arrest statement without an attorney present. Garza further stated that two individuals approached him at a restaurant in Laredo. They told him the work would involve driving a water truck. Garza stated that the two individuals did all the arrangements.

Garza picked the water truck rental in San Marcos and drove it to Laredo. He was escorted to a house in a residential area where he dropped off the truck. The two individuals took him to pick up the water truck the next morning.

Garza stated the illegal (immigrants) were already inside the water truck and he was instructed to drive to Hebbronville, Texas. Garza stated he was going to drive the illegal (immigrants) past the checkpoint and drop them off in Hebbronville, Texas. Garza stated he was going to get paid $800 per illegal (immigrant) and that he knew there were illegal (immigrants) in the water truck, states the affidavit.

Garza was charged with transport, attempt to transport and conspire to transport immigrants.

Egypts participation in the Expo 2020 Dubai, set to be held next October, is expected to be outstanding, said the UAE Minister for State for International Cooperation Reem Al-Hashimi in an interview with Al-Ahram.

Expo 2020 Dubai was scheduled to be held last year but was postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. It is set to be held this year with the same name.

The Dubai Expo is the latest in the list of world expositions organised since 1851 every five years in different countries and under different names. It is held by the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

These expositions gather people of different nations with the aim of finding solutions to pressing challenges through immersive and engaging activities.

The Dubai Expo will highlight the sub-themes of opportunity, mobility, and sustainability.

Continuous coordination is taking place at the highest levels between Expo 2020 administration and the Egyptian side to provide all means of support and make a success of the Egyptian participation, Al-Hashimi, also managing director of the expo, said.

"We are confident that the Egyptian participation will be special due to Egypts exceptional experience acquired through participating in earlier versions of this international event," Al-Hashimi said.

Al-Hashimi highlighted the significance of the event, which is held for the first time in the Middle East, to the Arab region.

She said the world exposition focuses on the need to achieve sustainable economic development through boosting innovation, empowering youth, and working on finding solutions to existing challenges.

The minister said such themes will have a positive outcome and help create a better future for the region and the world.

The UAE has been working, since Dubai has been named as the host of the exposition, on organising it in an exceptional framework to introduce an inspiring and impressive experience, she said.

Al-Hashimi added that the UAE wants this experience to achieve the aspirations of the region, express the regions identity, and bring out its capabilities before the world.

Short link:


The Ghana Police Service has commenced investigations into events leading to the death of the Half Assini District Commander of Police, Supt Cyprian Zeno Zenge, at the porch of his bungalow in the early hours of last Saturday.

Preliminary investigations by the Western Regional Crime Scene Team allege suicide, indicating that the officer used his side pistol to kill himself.



The police found the gun reportedly used by the late officer, as well as a purported suicide note he left behind.



They did not, however, disclose the content of the note.



Statement



In a statement, the Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, said Supt Zenge was found dead, with gunshot wounds, at his residence about 7 a.m. last Saturday.



The Regional Crime Scene Team has already visited the scene where he was found sitting in a blue chair, with a gunshot wound on his forehead, his pistol beside him on the floor and one spent ammunition under the chair, it said.



It added that although preliminary investigations point to suicide, investigations are still opened to unravel the true circumstances leading to the death of the officer.



It said the officers death had since been communicated to his family, while the body had been moved to the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital in Takoradi for autopsy.



The statement appealed to all to be circumspect in their reportage or commentary on the incident in order not to offend the sensibilities of the grieving family.



Reaction of community



The news of the officers death came as a shock to community members, who described him as a simple man who, despite the availability of his official vehicle, usually walked home after work, smiling and greeting people on his way.



Some also claimed they had seen the officer at the Half Assini transport terminal in the evening of last Friday, on his way to Takoradi, but he (Sup. Zenge) had to return home because the Takoradi-bound vehicle did not get enough passengers.



They said they were shocked to hear of his death the next day.



About Supt Zenge



The 57-year-old Supt Zenge was a native of Nandom in the Upper West Region.



He was posted to the Jomoro municipality as the District Police Commander in 2017.



He had earlier served as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the Greater Accra Regional Police Command.









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
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing Market Growth & Trends

The global biopharmaceuticals contract manufacturing market size is expected to reach USD 25.1 billion by 2028 registering a CAGR of 5.7%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing biopharmaceutical pipeline and lack of adequate manufacturing capabilities are two key factors that are driving partnership between large molecule manufacturers and Contract Manufacturing Organizations (CMOs). Contract manufacturers are engaged in broadening their service portfolio to meet the company demands with respect to regulatory standards and new services.

The reliance of companies on CMOs for the production of biologics and biosimilars is expected to rise over the forecast period as a consequence of changes adopted by the CMOs. This is evident through growing investment in collaborations of companies with CMOs as well as continuous efforts taken up for expanding the service portfolio.

The supply chain of biopharmaceuticals remained robust and was largely unaffected worldwide during the coronavirus outburst. Also, biopharmaceutical contract manufacturers are observing increased demand related to the Covid-19 vaccine and therapeutics. Thus, the future holds numerous opportunities for the global market. For instance, in 2020, AstraZeneca and Oxford Biomedica signed a one-year clinical and commercial supply agreement for the manufacturing of AstraZenecas Covid-19 vaccine candidate, AZD1222.

The future growth of CMOs is highly dependent on the promising opportunities offered by the biopharmaceutical industry, the bioprocessing industry, and the contract service industry. Expansion of fill-and-finish services and increasing robustness of venture capital investments for the life science sector are two important opportunities that are anticipated to drive the market. For instance, in 2019, Shanghai HaiHe Biopharma Co. Ltd. raised USD 146.6 million as venture capital for its large cancer drug portfolio, which they shall utilize along with their outsourcing partner Zhejiang Jiuzhou Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

Request a free sample copy or view report summary: Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing Market Report

Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing Market Report Highlights

Mammalian-based biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing captured the largest market share of over 59% in 2020 owing to the high penetration of mammalian expression system for biologics development

Out of all the services offered in this market, process development contributed to the largest share in 2020 owing to high capital investment, especially in the downstream process

The complexities associated with regulatory approval and good manufacturing practice pronounces the demand for the established contract manufacturers to ensure compliance with regulatory standards

The biologics contract manufacturing segment dominated the global market in 2020 owing to higher demand for biologics production

However, the biosimilar segment is estimated to register the fastest CAGR from 2021 to 2028 due to cost-saving advantages associated with biosimilars development

North America was the dominant regional market in 2020 due to the presence of an effective regulatory framework for biologics development in the U.S.

However, Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing regional market from 2021 to 2028 owing to emerging countries, such as India and China, incorporating developments to sustain the competition

Several international companies are seeking outsourcing of biopharmaceutical production to Asian countries owing to the continuous expansion of Asian CMOs that offer services at a less price, as compared to the service providers based in western countries

Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing Market Segmentation

Grand View Research has segmented the global biopharmaceuticals contract manufacturing market on the basis of source, service, product, and region:

Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing Source Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Mammalian

Non-mammalian

Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Process Development Downstream Upstream

Fill & Finish Operations

Analytical & QC Studies

Packaging

Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

Biologics Monoclonal Antibodies (MABs) Recombinant Proteins Vaccines Antisense, RNAi, & Molecular Therapy Others

Biosimilars

Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

North America US. Canada

Europe Germany France

Asia Pacific China India

Latin America Brazil

Middle East & Africa South Africa



List of Key Players in Biopharmaceuticals Contract Manufacturing Market

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH

Lonza

Inno Biologics Sdn Bhd

Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH

JRS Pharma

AGC Biologics

ProBioGen

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies U.S.A., Inc.

Toyobo Co., Ltd.

Samsung BioLogics

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Binex Co., Ltd.

WuXi Biologics

AbbVie, Inc.

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, struggling to salvage a once-bright political future dimmed by his mishandling of the covid crisis, tapped nonprofit health insurer Blue Shield of California last week to allocate the state's covid vaccine.

The company has thus far said little about how it plans to reorganize a gargantuan and complicated vaccination campaign that has befuddled and frustrated public health officials and vaccine seekers alike.

The agreement with Blue Shield was made under an emergency authorization, circumventing the customary bidding process. Kaiser Permanente, California's largest health plan, will sign an agreement with the state to manage vaccinations for its 9 million members and provide additional assistance to the broader effort. (KHN is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.)

Blue Shield's job will be to assemble a statewide vaccination network and "allocate vaccines directly to providers to maximize distribution efficiency," according to a statement from the California Health and Human Services agency.

Newsom hopes that replacing the patchwork of county-by-county efforts with a centralized system will accelerate the pace of vaccinations.

The vaccine rollout has been plagued by early stumbles, including confusing appointment systems; shifting rules on vaccine eligibility; long lines that have kept older people waiting for hours, leading some to abandon their quest and go home unvaccinated; and faulty data collection that left state officials unable to say whether Newsom had met his goal of administering 1 million doses in 10 days.

Some health care experts cautiously welcomed the new plan, saying Blue Shield could help bring more structure and efficiency to the enterprise of vaccinating California's nearly 40 million residents.

Blue Shield is the third-largest health insurer in California, after Kaiser Permanente and Anthem Blue Cross. It contracts with a large number of hospitals, medical groups, pharmacies and other providers across the state. Newsom is counting on the insurer's extensive web of relationships to help get vaccines out more quickly and effectively.

Since Blue Shield "has got an organization with a statewide footprint and knowledge of the geography and the population, it seems they could think through all the scheduling and logistics," said Glenn Melnick, a professor of health economics at the University of Southern California's Sol Price School of Public Policy.

Critics said Blue Shield may not be up to the task, and some suspected the decision was not entirely unrelated to the fact that the insurer has been a major Newsom donor.

Here are answers to five key questions about Blue Shield's participation in the covid vaccination program:

1. Is Blue Shield up to the task?

Time will tell. Despite its experience and clout in the health care industry, Blue Shield has never attempted anything of such magnitude  with so much riding on it and so many eyes watching.

Skeptics note that Blue Shield's track record in delivering health care to its enrollees has not always been stellar. Its rollout of Affordable Care Act health plans in 2014 was beset by errors, and it has been fined by regulators for improper coverage cancellations and consumer grievance violations, among other things. In 2015, it lost its state tax-exempt status following a controversy over large premium hikes and its hefty financial reserves.

In 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, Blue Shield had the second-highest rate of consumer complaints  after UnitedHealthcare  among the nine largest California health plans regulated by the state's Department of Managed Health Care. And it got the lowest possible score on access to care in the 2019-20 health plan ratings by the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

2. Was Newsom's decision politically motivated?

It's hard to say definitively without having been a fly on the wall, but Blue Shield is on very good terms with the governor.

It gave about $1 million to support Newsom's 2018 gubernatorial bid, according to filings with the California Secretary of State Office. Last year, the company contributed an additional $31,000 to Newsom's 2022 campaign for governor, as well as $269,000 to his ballot measure committee.

"The reality, I think, is that it reflects the tight relationship Blue Shield has built with Newsom, not its capabilities," said Michael Johnson, a former Blue Shield executive who resigned from the company in 2015 and is now one of its fiercest critics.

In addition, Blue Shield's CEO, Paul Markovich, was co-chair of Newsom's covid testing task force from March to June last year - experience that some health care experts cited as an asset in the insurer's new role.

Another possible factor in the governor's decision to shake things up is his political need to turn things around quickly, with an effort to recall him gaining momentum from the vaccination chaos.

3. Is Blue Shield well placed to accomplish the equitable distribution of vaccines to underserved communities that Newsom called "the North Star" of the new centralized system?

These communities are not among Blue Shield's core constituency. It has a small presence in Medi-Cal, the state-funded insurance program for people with low incomes  and only in Los Angeles and San Diego counties. But it does have relationships with numerous hospitals and other providers that serve Medi-Cal patients. It will also need to collaborate with the state's counties.

"Its critical that Blue Shield be required to work hand in hand with local public health jurisdictions to reach vulnerable populations that do not have the same level of access to traditional health care," said Sara Bosse, director of Madera County's Department of Public Health.

4. What could have motivated Blue Shield to tackle such an onerous assignment?

Its payment from the state will be at cost, so there's no apparent profit motive. Though Blue Shield could theoretically leverage its vaccine decision-making power to the advantage of its own business, health care experts doubt it would behave in such a cynical manner.

"Our goal is to do all we can to help overcome this pandemic, and it is our commitment to do that work at cost without making a profit from the state," Blue Shield said in a news release Friday.

Melnick said he knew of no other health plan in the country that has jumped in to help public officials with testing or vaccinations. If Blue Shield succeeds, "it could be an answer for a lot of states and could put pressure on other plans to step up," he said. By the same token, Blue Shield will probably catch the blame if vaccine supply shortages continue.

Johnson, the former Blue Shield executive, suggested a motive other than pure selflessness. "I think the biggest value to Blue Shield is the prestige of it," he said. "It implies Blue Shield has the skill and integrity to be entrusted with something this vital to tens of millions of people."

5. How will Blue Shield's results be measured?

It shouldn't be too difficult to determine whether the insurer is meeting two key goals the state set for it: to speed up the pace of vaccinations and to focus in particular on underserved communities. Both can be measured.

The bar for success is pretty low, Johnson said. "The whole thing has been managed so disastrously," he said, "that it wouldn't be difficult for Blue Shield to improve on the state's performance thus far and come out of this looking like it did a good job."

California Healthline political correspondent Samantha Young and KHN correspondent Anna Almendrala contributed to this report.
Budget 2021: Rs 3,726 crore allocated for forthcoming Digital Census

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Feb 01: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced Rs 3,768 crore for the first digital census. Presenting the Union Budget for 2021-22, she said the government is also working on a national language translation initiative.

Union Budget 2021: Direct taxes unchanged but healthcare and infrastructure get a push|Oneindia News

"For this monumental milestone marking task, I have allocated Rs Rs 3,768 crore for Financial Year 2021," Sitharaman said.

It may be recalled that Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the 2021 census will be conducted through a mobile phone application, moving away from traditional pen and paper to give Digital India a boost.

The census will have its reference date as March 1, 2021, but for snow-bound Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand it will be October 1, 2020, Shah said.

"Census data will be collected through a mobile app. This is for the first time that the mobile app will be used for the census exercise. India will be moving from the pen and paper census to digital data, which will be a big revolution in the country's census exercise," he said.

Union Budget 2021: Full list of schemes announced by Finance Minister

Referring to the 2021 census, he said the data will help in future planning of the country, especially for development initiatives and welfare schemes, and it will be a 'Jan Bhagidari' (people's participation) exercise.

"India's total 130 crore population should be informed about its benefits. How, the census data could be used for future planning, development initiatives and welfare schemes. The utilisation of census data is multi-dimensional and will be a significant contribution to the nation's progress," Shah said.

The home minister also said the census will help in demarcating boundaries of municipal wards, assemblies and Lok Sabha constituencies.

He appealed to census officials to carry out the exercise sincerely as this is an opportunity for them to do 'Punya' (holy deed), which will help in nation building.
An easy-to-read display showing all relevant information for a specific area is available via a mobile app for smartphones or other handheld devices. This provides interactive functionality, enabling users to zoom in for more details, for example, or show additional information. Credit: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

The world is having to feed an increasing number of mouths. Studies indicate that global population will rise to over nine billion by the year 2050. In response, Bayer AG is researching resistant cereal varieties and enhanced crop protection. A new 24-hour monitoring system from the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE will help protect the fields where these test crops are grown and thereby safeguard this time-consuming and cost-intensive research.

It is no easy task feeding the world's growing populationespecially with the challenges posed by climate change. Bayer AG is therefore conducting research into resistant cereal varieties and improved crop protection. These trials are conducted on leased estates and fields that are publicly accessible. As such, there is always the risk that unauthorized persons will intrude and cause damage, by destroying plants, for example, or introducing other species. If not immediately detected, this can set a project back and result in significant financial losses. It is therefore vital that any suspicious activity is discovered as quickly as possible, so that any damage can be checked right away. Yet conventional monitoring systems are unsuitable. This is because test fields are far apart, out of the way and rotate after a year. Crucially, too, there is usually a lack of communications infrastructure.

Low-cost, flexible monitoring around the clock

Working from its headquarters in Wachtberg, near Bonn, the Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE has developed a system that solves this problem: SensFArM (Sensor-Based Flexible Area Monitoring). "Our system is flexible, scalable, robust and user-friendly," explains Arne Schwarze, research group manager at Fraunhofer FKIE. "It's also the first to enable around-the-clock monitoring." The system must meet three principal requirements. First of all, it must be able to distinguish between vehicles, people and animals. Is that a person in the field or just a deer? Second, the system must be able to localize the disturbance. Where exactly is the person? Third, it must be able to track the movements of an intruder person across the field. This revels whether the whole field is affected or only certain areas.

The system includes an electro-optical camera, an infrared camera and seismic sensors that are buried in the ground and create a network to detect any vibrations. "We can also connect up other types of sensor, including mobile sensors fitted to a drone," Schwarze explains. The information from these sensors is then combined by means of a data fusion algorithm. This pools the strengths of different types of sensor data and thereby avoids false alarms. For example, the motion sensor in the optical camera will react merely to the shadow of a cloud moving across the field. But by adding data from the infrared camera, which only reacts to sources of heat, a more complete picture can be formed. The algorithm also takes account of the conditions under which specific sensors deliver reliable results. "When it's dark, for example, infrared data is more im-portant than optical data," says Schwarze. Time is another key consideration when it comes to assessing risk: if a person dashes into a field to fetch a dog that has discovered a dead rabbit, this is a completely different situation to when an intruder deliberately walks through a crop and shows no sign of leaving.

In the security operation center (SOC), security personnel analyze sensor data that is processed by a data fusion algorithm. Credit: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Measurement campaigns, testing and a final demonstration were conducted at locations including a Bayer experimental station. This enabled FKIE researchers to collect important data for further development of the solution. Credit: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

End-to-end workflow: detection, classification, documentation

The system provides detection, classification and documentation. Security personnel watching the monitors receive onscreen notification of any suspicious event. The system informs them who or what is in the field and assesses the level of risk. In the first instance, the security personnel can take a look at the situation themselves by inspecting video images from the field. After analyzing all the available information, they can then initiate appropriate measures, such as informing certain company employees, dispatching a patrol unit to intervene, or notifying the police. Last of all, the security personnel logs the incident in the system and evaluates the degree of risk: high, medium or negligible. This documentation enables members of the company's own security service to evaluate the incident at a later point in time.

Successful trials

The system has already completed two trials, each lasting a week, at a Bayer location. The final proof of concept demonstration involved a range of scenarios, including the intrusion of unauthorized persons onto the test field. Back in the security operation center, security personnel from Securitas, the security service provider commissioned by Bayer, were able to enact the entire response procedure. In the future, Securitas intends to offer security services built around this new system. This is because the sensor technology can be combined to accommodate many different kinds of challenges that usually defeat conventional monitoring systems. For example, the system could be used to enhance the protection of substations, which in future are to be upgraded with additional technology.

Explore further Safety assistance system warns of dirty bombs
Rigorous, in-depth third-party certification process ensures user experience meets all Microsoft-defined quality and security parameters

MELBOURNE, Australia, and DALLAS, Texas, Feb. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dubber today announced that it is among the first Unified Cloud Call Recording solutions to achieve compliance call recording certification for Microsoft Teams. To be certified under the Microsoft program, companies are required to submit their solutions for rigorous third-party approved testing for quality assurance, performance within the Microsoft Azure environment, interoperability and compatibility with the Teams user experience, security and compliance, marketing and customer support.

Achieving Teams Certification for the Dubber Unified Call Recording (UCR) solution means service provider partners, channel partners and enterprises are ensured of a trusted solution that has met the highest levels of testing for the Teams platform. Spanning several months of rigorous testing, Dubber's solution met and, in many instances, exceeded the parameters of the certification process for voice, video, and screen share. As a part of the certification process, Dubber will also be included in the Microsoft AppSource Marketplace for compliance.

"Achieving Microsoft Teams Certification for Compliance is a significant first for Dubber and our partners. Successfully completing this rigorous level of testing, our service provider partners and enterprise users can be confident the Dubber platform will meet their requirements for security and compliance call recording on the Teams environment. The Teams compliance certification is especially significant for our customers in the banking, government, insurance, and financial services environments who are often under legal mandates to record and store call recordings. With Dubber, they can eliminate costly on premises and cap-ex intensive solutions and meet their obligations for Teams users in call center, branch and work-from-home environments simply, easily and with confidence," said Adrian Di Pietrantonio, EVP, Global Platforms & Partnerships, Dubber.

Mike Ammerlaan, Director, Microsoft 365 Ecosystem at Microsoft Corp. said, "Our partners are an essential part of meeting our customers' communication and collaboration needs with Microsoft Teams. We are pleased to have Dubber successfully complete the Teams compliance recording certification process. This can help their customers  especially in the financial services sector  stay compliant and meet their call recording obligations for calls placed in Teams."

Background:

As a part of the certification process, Dubber is listed in the AppSource Marketplace here:

https://appsource.microsoft.com/en-us/product/web-apps/dubbercorp1603082091027.dubber01?src=wnblogjan2018&tab=Overview

About Dubber:

Dubber is unlocking the potential of voice data from any call or conversation. Dubber is the world's most scalable Unified Call Recording service and Voice Intelligence Cloud adopted as core network infrastructure by multiple global leading telecommunications carriers in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Dubber allows service providers to offer call recording for compliance, business intelligence, sentiment analysis, productivity and more from any endpoint. Dubber is a disruptive innovator in the multi-billion-dollar call recording industry, its Software as a Service offering removes the need for on premise hardware, ties to specific applications or costly and limited storage.

Dubber on Microsoft URL: https://www.dubber.net/microsoft-teams-customer/

Reseller URL: https://www.dubber.net/microsoft-teams-reseller

SOURCE Dubber
NEW DELHI : With just a few hours to go before finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces the Union Budget for fiscal 2022, heres a list of stocks that maybe in focus today:

ICICI Bank: The Mumbai-headquartered lender on Saturday reported a 17.73 % jump in its December quarter consolidated net profit to 5,498.15 crore, helped by a jump in core income but experienced a surge in bad assets from its retail loans. On a standalone basis, ICICI Bank showed a 19.12% rise in the post-tax profit to 4,939.59 crore for the reporting quarter, up from 4,146.46 crore in the October-December 2019 period.

Tech Mahindra: IT services exporter Tech Mahindra reported a 14.3% jump in its December quarter net profit at 1,309.8 crore driven largely by improving profit margins while the revenues remained stable. The Mahindra Group company had registered a net profit at 1,145.9 crore in the year-ago period and 1,064 crore in the preceding September quarter.

Shree Cements: The company posted over two-fold jump in consolidated net profit to 631.58 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2020. It had reported a net profit of 311.83 crore in October- December period a year ago, Shree Cements said in a filing to BSE.

Bharti Airtel: The board of directors of the company in its meeting scheduled on 3rd February will consider routine financing/ re-financing strategies and any consequent raising of capital through various instruments subject to applicable statutory approvals, Bharti Airtel said in a BSE filing.

Amber Enterprises: The company reported a revenue of 765 crore in Q3FY21 versus 788 in the Q3FY20. Operating EBIDT stood at 62 crore in the quarter ended 31 December against 52 crore in the same quarter of the previous fiscal. PAT rose marginally to 28 crore in the period under review from 25 core in Q3FY20.

Vedanta: The company on Friday reported a 59% jump in its consolidated profit to 4,224 crore for the quarter ended on December 31, 2020. Vedanta Ltd had posted a profit after share in profit/loss of jointly controlled entities and associates of 2,665 crore in the year-ago period, Vedanta said in a regulatory filing to the BSE.

Cipla: Drug major Cipla reported an over two-fold increase in consolidated net profit to 751.61 crore for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 on account of higher revenue from operations. The company had posted a net profit of 339.38 crore for the corresponding period of the previous financial year.

Happiest Minds Technologies: The company has signed definitive agreements to acquire US-based Pimcore Global Services for $8.25 million (about 60 crore). Houston-based Pimcore Global Services is a digital e-commerce and data management solutions company.

Coromandel International: Crisil has reaffirmed its rating on the Coromandels commercial papers and bank loan facilities worth 11,000 crore. The rating agency has maintained A1+ on commercial papers worth 2,000 crore; AA+/Stable on long-term loan facilities and A1+ on short-term loan facilities worth 7,000 crore.

SJVN: State-owned SJVN Ltd has bagged a 679 MW hydro-electric project in Nepal, the power ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
It justified the coup by alleging 'huge irregularities' in the November polls that the election commission had failed to address

A group of Myanmar activists hold the portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi during a protest outside UN building in Tokyo on February 1, 2021 following a military coup in the country by a general after arresting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior officials. (Philip FONG / AFP)

Yangon: Myanmar's military staged a coup on Monday, detaining democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and declaring it had taken control of the country for one year under a state of emergency.

The intervention followed weeks of rising tensions between the military, which ruled the country for nearly five decades, and the civilian government over elections in November last year that Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won easily.

Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained in the capital, Naypyidaw, before dawn, party spokesman Myo Nyunt told AFP, just hours before parliament was meant to reconvene for the first time since the elections.

"We heard they were taken by the military... with the situation we see happening now, we have to assume that the military is staging a coup," he said.

The military then declared, via its own television channel, a one-year state of emergency and announced that former general Myint Swe would be acting president for the next year.

It justified the coup by alleging "huge irregularities" in the November polls that the election commission had failed to address.

"As the situation must be resolved according to the law, a state of emergency is declared," the announcement said.

The military moved quickly to stifle dissent, severely restricting the internet and mobile phone communications across the country.

In Yangon, the former capital that remains Myanmar's commercial hub, troops seized the city hall just ahead of the announcement, according to an AFP journalist.

Elsewhere, the chief minister of Karen state and several other regional ministers were also held, party sources told AFP.

Swift condemnation

The United States, the United Nations and Australia quickly condemned the coup, calling for a restoration of democracy.

"The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

Australia said the military was "once again seeking to seize control" of the country.

"We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully," Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said.

Myanmar's polls in November were only the second democratic elections the country had seen since it emerged from the 49-year grip of military rule in 2011.

The NLD swept the polls and was expecting to renew the 75-year-old Suu Kyi's lease on power with a new five-year term.

Suu Kyi is an immensely popular figure in Myanmar for her opposition to the military, having spent the best part of two decades under house arrest during the previous dictatorship.

But the military has for weeks complained the polls were riddled with irregularities, and claimed to have uncovered over 10 million instances of voter fraud.

It had demanded the government-run election commission release voter lists for cross-checking -- which the commission did not do.

Last week, military chief General Min Aung Hlaing -- arguably the country's most powerful individual -- said Myanmar's 2008 constitution could be "revoked" under certain circumstances.

Myanmar has seen two previous coups since independence from Britain in 1948, one in 1962 and one in 1988.

Suu Kyi's previous opposition to the military earned her the Nobel peace prize.

But her international image was shredded during her time in power as she defended the military-backed crackdown in 2017 against the country's Muslim Rohingya community.

About 750,000 Rohingya were forced to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh during the campaign, which UN investigators said amounted to genocide.

Suu Kyi went to the United Nations to defend Myanmar against the allegations.

Suu Kyi was only ever de facto leader of Myanmar as the military had inserted a clause in the constitution that barred her from being president.

The 2008 constitution also ensured the military would remain a significant force in government by retaining control of the interior, border and defence ministries.

But to circumvent the clause preventing her from being president, Suu Kyi assumed leadership of the country via a new role of "state counsellor".

"From (the military's) perspective, it has lost significant control over the political process," political analyst Soe Myint Aung told AFP.
Scotland and the West Midlands were among the worst hit by the first brutal coronavirus lockdown, new figures showed today.

The impact on GDP between April and June last year was worse north of the border, where it fell by 19.4 per cent, compared to 19 per cent across England.

The West Midlands was the worst affected English region, with activity plunging 21 per cent over the quarter, while the South East and East also endured massive falls.

However, some parts of the UK escaped significantly more lightly than others, with London losing 16 16.6 per cent, while in Wales the figure was 15.1 per cent and in Northern Ireland 13.6 per cent.

The varying picture emerged in a breakdown released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today.

The varying picture for the second quarter last year emerged in a breakdown released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today

The UK economy as a whole dived by 18.8 per cent between April and June last year, as the first wave of 'stay at home' restrictions were in force to tackle Covid.

It came after a 2.8 per cent fall between January and March - meaning that overall the country is expected to have suffered the worst recession in 300 years.

The latest GDP data up to November show that output is still around 8.6 per cent lower than before the pandemic hit.

But the gap between the impact on different parts of the UK have been underlined by the latest figures.

Scotland, where Nicola Sturgeon has taken a harder line on lockdown, saw a 19.4 per cent reduction, while England was down 19 per cent.

All nine English regions showed negative growth over the three months.

The West Midlands had the biggest fall of 21 per cent, while the East of England was also badly hit with 20.9 per cent, the South East 20.6 per cent and the North West was 20.3 per cent lower.

But there were smaller declines in London and the North East, where activity fell by 16.6 per cent and 17.5 per cent respectively.

Scotland was the worst affected of the home nations in the second quarter last year

The UK is feared to be on track for a double dip recession after GDP figures for November showed a fall of 2.6 per cent amid renewed lockdowns. In this chart, 100 represents the size of the economy in 2018

Last week the IMF downgraded its forecast for UK growth this year to 4.5 per cent as renewed coronavirus lockdowns smother the recovery.

The respected body slashed estimates for the British economy by 1.4 percentage points from its October figure, as well as predicting more gloom for European countries.

However, it said the rollout of vaccines should mean a stronger performance globally, with the US and Japan in a better position than expected.

The grim picture emerged as the UK looks on track for a double dip recession, with draconian restrictions once again wreaking havoc on businesses.

In percentage terms growth will be high by historical standards over the coming years, but only because the scale of the downturn last year was so huge that the economy is starting from a lower base.

The IMF estimates the UK was the worst-hit of the world's seven largest advanced economies last year, suffering a 10 per cent decline.

Only Spain - which is outside the top seven - suffered more with a 11.1 per cent fall, although there have been questions about how comparable the international figures are.

The Bank of England forecast in November that the UK economy would regain its pre-pandemic level in the first quarter of next year.

UK GDP is expected to recover by 4.5 per cent this year, compared to the 5.9 per cent the IMF anticipated before.

Brexit disruption in the first quarter this year is also likely to reduce output by around 1 per cent, according to the updated World Economic Outlook.

But the prospects for 2022 appear better, with a 5 per cent expansion on the cards.

The Court of Final Appeal has decided to reserve judgement before ruling on Lais bail application. Cardinal Zen lined up for the hearing. Prosecutors argue against bail on national security grounds. Lais defence team urges the court to uphold the presumption of innocence. Applications to move to the UK have started; 7,000 people have already fled because of the repression.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews)  Jimmy Lai has been remanded in custody again. The Court of Final Appeal is reserving judgement today before deciding on his bail application for release.

On 23 December 2020, High Court granted Lai bail placing him under house arrest. On 31 December 2020, the Court of Final Appeal ordered him back to prison after the government's appeal to his release on bail.

Around 50 press members and more than a hundred citizens, including Cardinal Joseph Zen, queued up to observe the trial since early hours. Foreign diplomats were not allowed inside.

The 73-year-old owner of the Apple Daily newspaper, who has criticised Hong Kong and mainland political leaders, has been accused of "collusion" with foreign forces, an offence introduced by a national security law imposed by Beijing.

The prosecutions case is based on interviews Lai granted to foreign newspapers. He is also charged for allegedly calling on foreign governments to sanction Hong Kong leaders for their actions against the pro-democracy movement.

The media magnate was taken into custody on 3 December on charges of fraud and held for a while in a maximum security prison with gangsters and bosses of the local underworld. The trial is scheduled to begin on 16 April; if convicted, Lai could get life imprisonment.

Three of the five judges on the Court of Final Appeal were selected by Chief Executive Carrie Lam. For the prosecution, Lais offences threaten national security and for this reason, he should not get bail.

Lai's lawyer has dismissed the argument, noting that the courts decision must take into account general principles such as the presumption of innocence and the right to liberty.

According to the High Court, bail was justified because Lai just expressed his opinions and made no demands on foreign governments; there were also valid reasons to believe that he would not violate the terms of his release.

Bail included the obligation to stay at his residence, as well as a ban on giving interviews, using social media and meeting foreign political and diplomatic officials.

The adoption of the security law in June dealt a severe blow to Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement, whose scope for free action as guaranteed under the territorys Basic Law and agreements with the United Kingdom is shrinking more and more.

The United Kingdom returned Hong Kong to China in 1997. The latter pledged to maintain the territorys broad autonomy until 2047 on the basis of the principle "one country, two systems".

To help Hong Kong citizens who fear losing their democratic freedoms, the British government announced yesterday that people with British National Overseas (BNO) status can come live and work in Britain.

Around 2.9 million Hong Kongers with BNO status holders are believed to be eligible to apply for the visa, with a further 2.3 million eligible dependants. Since July 2020, some 7,000 have already moved to the United Kingdom.

UK authorities predict up to 154,000 Hong Kongers could arrive over the next year, with the number rising to as many as 322,000 over five years. China called the British move a gross interference in its internal affairs.
Kanonji-shi, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- - As a food company with more than 40 years of industry experience and operation in the Japanese landscape, Sanuki Bussan understands the nitty-gritty of producing healthy food that is 100% made from wheat.



The company has put everything in place to launch in the US in January 2021. Since its establishment in 1978, Sanuki Bussan, Co has been manufacturing and distributing dried noodles with Sanuki Udon as the vital product all over Japan and some other countries of the world.

The Japanese food company has so many products to its name, but the first to be introduced to the United States is Udon from the Udon Prefecture. The product is exclusively made from Sanuki no Yume, a type of wheat produced in Kagawa Prefecture, also used to make Sanuki Udon.

The new product was carefully produced through the traditional method, where the dough is stretched out and cut into noodles after it has been left to age for some time. The Udon from the Udon Prefecture has a very rich wheat flavor, tough bite, and an elegant and smooth mouthfeel.



Udon from the Udon Prefecture product was born due to the companys desire to produce delicious Udon noodles made locally in Sanuki, unlike every other type of noodles made with foreign wheat from Australia. Hence, Sanukibussan Co.,Ltd tried to make the first version of Udon in 2000 through so many trials and errors at the Agricultural Experimental Station in Kagawa Prefecture.

The company finally got it all right in 2009, and that gave birth to the second-generation variety of Sanuki no Yume. The Udon from the Udon Prefecture that is being launched into the US is 100% locally made from Sanuki with lots of health benefits.

Though more than 85% of dried Udon on the market are made with foreign wheat, Udon from the Udon Prefecture is thoroughly manufactured from local Sanuki in Kagawa Prefecture.

Kama-age Udon:

Kake Udon:

Zaru Udon:





Amazon Product link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H1TX5YY?ref=myi_title_dp





About Sanukibussan Co.,Ltd

Established in 1978.

Manufacturer and distributor of dried noodles with Sanuki Udon as the key product.

Has sales channels all over Japan and other countries.

Main products include Udon from the Udon Prefecture which uses 100% wheat from Kagawa Prefecture, Sanuki Udon Made Using Domestically Produced Wheat which uses 100% wheat from Japan, as well as Premium Shodoshima Hand-Pulled Somen and Premium Handa Hand-Pulled Somen which are made using 100% wheat from Hokkaido.





Company Profile

Company Name: Sanukibussan Co.,Ltd

Address: 1350 Hagiwara, Onohara-Cho, Kanonji-shi, Kagawa Prefecture

Representative: President and CEO Michiaki Yuge

Date of Establishment: August 1978

Business Area: Manufacture and sale of dried noodles

Website: https://sanukibussan.co.jp/

For inquiries from customers and the press regarding this release, please contact:

Global brand Inc. / JAPAN

+81-80-9644-4222

Website: http://globalbrand.co.jp/usa/

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/Global-Brand-102715218383091?_rdc=1&_rdr

Instagram: https://instagram.com/global.brand_

For the original news story, please visit https://www.prdistribution.com/news/sanukibussan-co-ltd-launches-udon-from-the-udon-prefecture-in-the-united-states.html
Black, Latino and Asian students in San Francisco as well as those from low-income families have lost significant academic ground compared with wealthier and white students during the pandemic, according to new data released by the school district.

Black and Latino students were also more likely to be absent at least 60% of the time during the fall semester.

Asian students overall, while losing more academic ground than whites, started from a point of generally outperforming all other demographics, including whites. Groups that were lagging tended to fall further behind.

The academic update from the district comes amid the ongoing debate about when and how to reopen schools, with local and state health officials as well as Gov. Gavin Newsom, federal leaders, legislators and many parents pushing to get students back in classrooms as soon as possible.

Academic difficulties are just one of the challenges for children across the demographic spectrum, with mental health, eating disorders and emotional scarring adding to a devastating picture, health experts say.

In San Francisco, the data shows a stark contrast in how different students are performing in distance learning  something education experts have predicted given the lack of technology, working status of parents and other issues disproportionately affecting low-income families or people of color.

There are so many kids in this pandemic who just havent been heard from at all, said Dr. Jeanne Noble, UCSF director of COVID response, adding that reopening schools is critical and can be done safely. Every place you look  signs of social phobia and isolation all the way up to suicide attempts  screams crisis.

The learning loss and attendance issues offer insight into what schools will be facing when they do reopen, officials said. Children who are struggling will likely fall below grade level in academics, missing key foundational skills needed to advance.

We are concerned the gap has widened, especially in elementary schools, said San Francisco Unified School District spokeswoman Gentle Blythe, adding that supports are in place for the most under-served youth. But we know remote doesnt replace in person when it comes to serving our students. We want to return to (school) sites as quickly as possible.

School board President Gabriela Lopez did not specifically address the problem of learning loss, but she said that parents are doing an amazing job helping their students and that learning has not stopped during the pandemic  rather, it is just different.

They are learning more about their families and their cultures, spending more time with each other, Lopez said. Theyre just having different learning experiences than the ones we currently measure, and the loss is a comparison to a time when we were in a different space.

Yet, San Franciscos statistics offer confirmation that learning difficulties exist among students, especially those who struggled before the pandemic, district administrators said.

The district has yet to reach an agreement with labor unions on the conditions required to reopen, but it has moved forward with the application to bring the youngest and most vulnerable students back first, with city health department inspections of school sites and classrooms beginning.

The school board has come under fire from city and state public officials in recent weeks for its attention on renaming 44 schools and other issues instead of focusing on reopening.

Board members have responded that they are capable of working on more than one issue at a time.

The district also announced in recent days that it is unlikely the vast majority of middle and high school students will return this school year.

As we plan for our return, we are prioritizing student populations least served by distance learning, Blythe said. At the same time, were planning how to maximize summer learning.

The district plans to meet students where they are, which includes different skill levels and learning styles, she added.

The results of the fall learning assessments show that students span an even wider spectrum of abilities than before the pandemic.

The data show how students were expected to perform in reading based on last years performance, and whether they met those expectations.

In fourth and fifth grades, all students except white, multiracial and special education students not only failed to meet skill levels expected for their demographic group but missed that mark significantly, district officials said.

Math assessments showed a similar pattern, although the differences were not as stark.

The assessments were administered during online class time for elementary students, but in many some cases middle and high schools students took the tests at home on their own time and without supervision. The older students showed less learning loss across all demographics.

The district also tested for proficiency rates in reading and math, which showed some slight declines among some groups of students and slight upticks among others. But officials noted that participation rates in the proficiency assessments were significantly lower in the fall than in previous years, which could skew the results.

Absenteeism was also a significant issue in the fall, with 910 of the districts 53,000 students missing more than 60% of classes, the district said. Seventy percent of those were from low-income families  a disproportionate share compared with overall enrollment  while 75% were Black or Latino.

San Francisco Supervisor Hillary Ronen has proposed forming a city and school district commission to come up a plan to help address the learning loss and other impacts of the pandemic on children.

Her plan also includes raising upward of $2 million from public and private funding to pay for summer school, tutoring, smaller class sizes or whatever is needed.

The school district data from the fall is devastating, and its a call to action, she said. We are failing them right now as a society. This is families of color having the least secure housing, the least secure jobs. If youre a parent and youre worried about keeping a roof over the head of your child and putting food on the table, thats going to take precedent over remote learning.

It is systemic racism, and the solutions do not lie with the school district alone, she said.

Lets all wake up, she said, and stop pointing fingers at each other and start working together to address this head-on.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
Jay Janner/AP

Gov. Greg Abbott will give his State of the State address at 7 p.m. Central time Monday. You can watch it live here, courtesy of our partners at KXAN-TV in Austin.

The State of the State speech is Abbotts time to lay out his priorities for the 2021 legislative session. Issues he designates as emergency items during the speech will allow lawmakers to pass bills related to those subjects earlier, lifting the usual constitutional limitation that prevents the Legislature from passing bills within the first 60 days of the session.
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Press Release

February 1, 2021 Senate adopts resolution expressing condolences to the family of former Sen. Ziga The Senate adopted a resolution expressing its profound sympathy and sincere condolences to the family of former Sen. Victor Ziga who passed away last January 31, 2021 at the age of 75. Senate Resolution No. (SRN) 630, introduced by Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III and Majority Leader Juan Miguel "Migz" F. Zubiri, was adopted during the hybrid plenary session Monday, February 1, 2021. "We will miss him but his memory and his legacy will always remain in the halls of the Philippine Senate," said Sotto. Zubiri said Ziga was instrumental in the passage of important measures such as Republic Act (RA) 6728, or GATSPE, which provides government assistance to students and teachers in private educational institutions; RA 6948, which standardizes and upgrades the benefits of military veterans and their dependents; RA 6957, or the "Build-Operate-Transfer Law"; RA 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991; RA 7395, or the "Magna Carta of Public Health Workers"; and RA 7432, which grants benefits and special privileges to senior citizens. He said Ziga also authored and co-authored 295 bills and resolutions, the most notable of which was the measure which sought to require all primary and secondary schools to integrate the teaching of the dangers of drug dependence and drug abuse in their curriculum, and the bill which sought to prohibit the manufacture, distribution, and sale of cigars and cigarettes without the warning "Smoking is dangerous to your health" printed on their labels, packs, cartons, or packages. According to Zubiri, Ziga rose to national prominence when he won in the 1984 Batasang Pambansa elections at the age of 39, despite running under the opposition banner. Zubiri said that as Assemblyman, the late senator introduced measures which sought to establish the National Rehabilitation Center for drug addicts and increase the minimum monthly basic salaries of public school teachers. He said that during Ziga's stint as senator, he served as chairman of the Committee of Public Works and Highways and as Vice-Chairman of the Committees on Agriculture and Food, Public Services, and Tourism, and was member of 12 other committees. Ziga also served as a member of the Commission on Appointments and the Senate Electoral Tribunal. Zubiri said that even after retiring from politics, Ziga continued to serve his fellow Filipinos who have less in life by involving himself in typhoon relief operations and civic organizations such as the free Medical Eye Specialist Mission and the Medical Mission of the Philippine General Hospital. "The passing away of a great and dedicated public servant, who had established standards of excellence in and devotion to public service, is a great loss to the nation," Zubiri added.
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
Shareholder of Motor Sich PJSC, Chinese Beijing Skyrizon Aviation Industry Investment Co. considers the sanctions imposed by Ukraine against Skyrizon and related persons for three years to be unreasonable and calls them the main goal of preventing investments in Motor Sich.

Skyrizon, as a shareholder of Motor Sich, will be unlawfully deprived of its legal rights, obligations and commitments, and the company will also be forced to interrupt the generally accepted business relationship with the Ukrainian Motor Sich company, which will entail huge irreversible losses, the company said in a statement on the website, created to attempt to hold a meeting of shareholders of PJSC on January 31, which turned out to be unsuccessful.

Skyrizon also believes that such actions by Ukraine coincide with the goal of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce, which on January 14 this year put Skyrizon on the Military End-User (MEU) List.

The state of Ukraine rejected the results of the previous negotiations and completely ruled out any possibility of reconciliation between the two sides, the company said.

Skyrizon said that, starting in July 2017, it began negotiations with the state of Ukraine in the hope of "settling misunderstandings and amicably resolving the investment dispute," but on December 9, 2020, it began international investment arbitration against Ukraine and has already received an official response. "The parties are negotiating and plan to participate in the arbitration process," the company said.

The Chinese company also said that on January 13, it succeeded in challenging the refusal of an investigator from the State Bureau of Investigation to recognize Skyrizon as an injured party in the Pechersky District Court on January 13 in the case initiated early November last year on its complaint against the SBU.

According to the company, such actions on the part of Ukraine may scare off other potential investors and worsen the situation in the aircraft industry.
Burma's leader Aung San Suu Kyi is seen as she inspects and watches the vaccination processes to health workers at hospital in Naypyitaw, Burma on Jan. 27, 2021. (Aung Shine Oo/AP Photo)

Military Takes Control of Burma, Detains Aung San Suu Kyi

NAYPYITAW, BurmaBurmese military television says the military has taken control of the country for one year.

An announcer on military-owned Myawaddy TV made the announcement Monday morning. The announcement follows days of concern about the threat of a military coup and comes as the countrys new Parliament session was to begin.

The Irrawaddy, an established online news service, reported that State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, the nations top leader, and the countrys president, Win Myint, were both detained in the pre-dawn hours of Monday. The news service cited Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for Suu Kyis ruling National League for Democracy party.

Its report said that the partys Central Executive Committee members, lawmakers and regional Cabinet members had also been taken into custody.

The army said it had carried out the detentions in response to election fraud, handing power to military chief Min Aung Hlaing and imposing a state of emergency for one year, according to the statement on Myawaddy TV.

The voter lists which were used during the multi-party general election which was held on the 8th of November were found to have huge discrepancies and the Union Election Commission failed to settle this matter, the statement said.

Although the sovereignty of the nation must derive from the people, there was terrible fraud in the voter list during the democratic general election which runs contrary to ensuring a stable democracy. A refusal to settle the issue of voter list fraud and a failure to take action and follow a request to postpone lower-house and upper-house parliament sessions is not in accordance with article 417 of the 2018 constitution that refers to acts or attempts to take over the sovereignty of the Union by wrongful forcible means and could lead to a disintegration of national solidarity.

Due to such acts, there have been a lot of protests going on in townships and cities in Myanmar to demonstrate their mistrust toward UEC. Other parties and people have also been found conducting different kinds of provocations including displaying flags which are very damaging to national security.

Unless this problem is resolved, it will obstruct the path to democracy and it must therefore be resolved according to the law. Therefore, the state of emergency is declared in accordance with article 417 of the 2008 constitution.In order to perform scrutiny of the voter lists and to take action, the authority of the nations law making, governance and jurisdiction is handed over to the Commander in Chief in accordance with the 2008 constitution article 418, sub article (a).

The state of emergency is effective nationwide and the duration of the state of emergency is set for one year, starting from the date this order is announced in line with article 417 of the 2008 constitution.

Phone and internet access to Naypyitaw was lost and Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party could not be reached.

Burmas State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi leaves after paying her respects to her late father during a ceremony to mark the 73rd anniversary of Martyrs Day in Yangon on July 19, 2020. (Ye Aung Thu/Pool via Reuters)

The United States, Australia, and others were concerned by the reports and urged Burmas military to respect the rule of law.

The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the countrys democratic transition, including the arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials in Burma, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement from Washington. She said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the reported developments.

The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Burmas democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed, the statement said. Burma is also known as Myanmar.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for the release of Suu Kyi and others reported to be detained. We strongly support the peaceful reconvening of the National Assembly, consistent with the results of the November 2020 general election, she said.

Burmese lawmakers were to gather Monday in the capital Naypyitaw for the first session of Parliament since last years election.

Online news portal Myanmar Now cited unidentified sources about the arrest of Suu Kyi and the NLDs chairperson around dawn and did not have further details. Myanmar Visual Television and Myanmar Voice Radio posted on Facebook around 6:30 a.m. that their programs were not available to broadcast regularly.

The 75-year-old Suu Kyi is by far the countrys most dominant politician, and became the countrys leader after leading a decades-long nonviolent struggle against the military juntas rule.

Suu Kyis party captured 396 out of 476 seats in the combined lower and upper houses of Parliament in the November 2020 polls, but the military holds 25 percent of the total seats under the 2008 military-drafted constitution and several key ministerial positions are also reserved for military appointees.

Burmese military vehicles are seen inside City Hall in Yangon, Burma, on Feb. 1, 2021. (Stringer/Reuters)

The military, known as the Tatmadaw, charged that there was massive voting fraud in the election. The state Union Election Commission last week rejected its allegations.

Amid the bickering over the allegations, the military last Tuesday ramped up political tension when a spokesman at its weekly news conference, responding to a reporters question, declined to rule out the possibility of a coup. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun elaborated by saying the military would follow the laws in accordance with the constitution.

Using similar language, Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing told senior officers in a speech last week that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. Adding to the concern was the unusual deployment of armored vehicles in the streets of several large cities.

On Saturday, however, the military denied it had threatened a coup, accusing unnamed organizations and media of misrepresenting its position and taking the generals words out of context.

On Sunday, it reiterated its denial, this time blaming unspecified foreign embassies of misinterpreting the militarys position and calling on them not to make unwarranted assumptions about the situation.

Reuters contributed to this report
KYODO NEWS - Jan 31, 2021 - 19:45 | All, World, Japan

Japan has proposed to the administration of new U.S. President Joe Biden signing a tentative one-year deal on sharing costs for hosting American troops while negotiations on a longer-term agreement continue, government sources said Sunday.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi suggested the move during a phone call last week with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and discussions at the working level have also gone in the same direction, the sources said, adding Washington has voiced support for the idea.

Tokyo shoulders part of the cost of stationing around 55,000 U.S. military personnel in Japan under a bilateral security treaty, also known as host nation support, and the current five-year deal is set to expire in March.

Working-level talks on a fresh agreement began in November under former President Donald Trump, who had criticized the alliance as one-sided and pressured Tokyo to vastly increase its burden, but were put on hold until Biden's administration was up and running.

With another round of negotiations set to take place this week, going forward Japan is looking to emphasize its contributions in new domains including outer space and cybersecurity as well as strengthen the alliance in the face of security challenges from China and North Korea.

Japan has earmarked roughly 200 billion yen ($1.9 billion) in its draft initial budget for fiscal 2021 for hosting American troops, about the same amount as the previous year.
Finance Minister takes the stage to present the Union Budget 2021-22.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 recited Rabindranath Tagore's poem during her Budget 2021 presentation in the Parliament.

Quoting the legendary poet she said: "Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark."

FM's decision to kick-start her presentation with a poem by Tagore comes at the backdrop of ruling party BJP eyeing a victory in the elections scheduled to be held in April-May in the eastern state. In a bid to capture Bengal, the party has already rushed a battery of its top leaders and ministers to address campaigns and rallies with the polls insight.

Follow Moneycontrol's Budget 2021 live coverage

Last week leaders from Bengal's ruling party TMC joined the saffron party after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi.

Reacting to the development, senior TMC MP and party spokesperson Sougata Ray said, "Those who left don't have a long political history, and most of them were inducted into the party by (Chief Minister and party supremo) Mamata Banerjee. In the future, the TMC will be careful."
Pennsylvania Senate Republican leadership on Monday called for an investigation into the bungling of a constitutional amendment process intended to offer legal recourse to adults sexually abused as children.

A number of Senate Republicans excoriated Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, who on Monday announced she would resign after it was reported that her department made a major procedural mistake that is set to cost the viability of the constitutional amendment.

It is disgraceful that Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar failed in her constitutional duty to advertise a proposed constitutional amendment for child sex abuse victims, said Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward. Her dereliction of duty has failed these victims, failed voters who would have had a voice this spring, and failed the commonwealth.

This disastrous scenario demands a full investigation. I will be asking our members to conduct their own hearings to determine how this could have happened. Kathy Boockvars resignation does not absolve her of the legal responsibilities she possessed.

Lawmakers learned Monday that a procedural mistake by the Department of State had imperiled the proposed amendment, which had cleared the House last week, and was slated for a Senate vote this week. The measure would give voters the power to decide whether the constitution should be amended to allow for a retroactive period for victims to seek civil court action against predators.

Because of the error, the earliest the amendment can appear on a ballot would be 2023. Lawmakers and advocates had hoped voters would get the chance to approve the amendment this spring.

The Secretarys dereliction of duty has put us back to square one, Ward said.

Measures to amend the state Constitution must pass the General Assembly in two consecutive sessions, and then go to voters for final approval. Lawmakers approved the amendment to create a window for abuse survivors in the last legislative session. But since the measure wasnt advertised properly, lawmakers must approve it in this two-year session and again in the 2023-24 session. So the earliest the proposed amendment could appear on a ballot is in spring 2023.

Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne County, chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called for a full investigation into the Wolf administrations failure to shepherd the measure properly.

This is a catastrophic and epic failure on the part of the Wolf Administration and officials responsible for protecting our most vulnerable citizens, said Baker, who has called the proposed measure a priority for her chamber.

This is further tragedy and indignity inflicted on victims of abuse who have already suffered for too long without access to justice or closure. This is heartbreaking from a human standpoint, when so much advocacy and effort is instantly erased.

Baker scolded state leadership for inexcusably failing miserably at the simplest administrative function.

There is nothing comparable in our experience, she said. How do you overlook a responsibility that is outlined in the state Constitution? How do you overlook the most monumental of the amendments to be advertised? Legal must review the content of the description of the amendment. Where were they?

Baker said the blunder far exceeded a mistake.

To attempt to call this a mistake is to mischaracterize the gravity of the offense, she said. Few Pennsylvanians are going to settle for any claim of isolated incompetence either. This warrants investigation by law enforcement and scrutiny through legislative hearings. There are many of us who want to know how and when this was uncovered, in addition to why it happened.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman, R-Centre, elaborated on his past critical scrutiny of Boockvar.

I have been saying for a long time that Secretary of State Kathy Boockvars ineptness has been detrimental to Pennsylvania, he said. This is just one in a series of disasters throughout her tenure. This time, Secretary Boockvar has failed the survivors of child sex abuse and disregarded the will of the people. At best, this was incompetence. At worst, this was malfeasance.

Boockvar took responsibility for the departments error, noting her leadership over the past three years to provide a fair election.

Ive always believed that accountability and leadership must be a cornerstone of public service, she said. While I only became aware of the mistake last week, and immediately took steps to alert the administration to the error, I accept responsibility on behalf of the department.

Some Democratic lawmakers have said a quicker solution is to pass legislation to create a window for survivors to file claims. Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement he would work with the General Assembly if lawmakers opted for a bill to provide a time period to aid victims.
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.

Todd Bentley declared not qualified for leadership after review of ungodly and immoral behavior

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A team of evangelical leaders including host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program, Michael Brown, declared Fresh Fire USA leader Todd Bentley not qualified for leadership Thursday after an investigation found allegations of ungodly and immoral behavior against him credible.

Based on our careful review of numerous first-hand reports, some of them dating back to 2004, we state our theological opinion and can say with one voice that, without a doubt, Todd is not qualified to serve in leadership or ministry today, said the leaders in an official statement shared by Brown on Facebook.

There are credible accusations of a steady pattern of ungodly and immoral behavior, confirmed by an independent investigators interviews dating from 2008 up through 2019, along with other testimonies dating back to 2004. And while we only took into account first-hand reports, there are many other second and third-hand reports repeating the same accusations, often from people in different parts of the country (or, world) who had no connection between them, other than their interaction with Todd, the statement said.

Other leaders on the panel with Brown were: Joseph Mattera, overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church, Brooklyn, New York, who also serves as convener of the U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders; James W. Goll, founder of God Encounters Ministries in Franklin, Tennessee; Jane Hamon, co-pastor of Vision Church at Christian International in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida; Bishop Harry Jackson, senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland; and Don Finto, pastor emeritus at Belmont Church in Nashville, Tennessee.

Stephen Powell, an estranged protege of the popular and controversial faith healer, first highlighted sexual misconduct allegations against the Fresh Fire USA leader last summer that included international encounters.

Powell, who leads the Lion of Light Ministries, alleged that Bentley has a perverse sexual addiction that drove him to prey on interns in 2013 and beyond.

He said he got a mandate from God to call wayward Christian leaders to repentance while alleging that Bentley has an appetite for a variety of sexual sins, including both homosexual and heterosexual activity. He also accused the evangelist of indulging in an open marriage with his wife, Jessa, and further criticized Bentleys restoration process stemming from moral failure in 2008.

In their statement Thursday, the religious leaders said as a part of their investigation into the allegations they sought to hear Todd's side directly, but he declined to answer a list of 60 questions compiled by the investigator after initially agreeing to respond.

Todd required the investigator to submit the questions through his attorney, after which he ceased communicating with Dr. Brown or the investigator, the statement said.

Sadly, we see no signs of true, lasting repentance. Instead, we see a steady pattern of compromised behavior, including credible accusations of adultery, sexting (including the exchanging of nude pictures or videos), vulgar language, and substance abuse, the panel said.

In our view, this disqualifies Todd from public ministry until such time that he has demonstrated true, lasting fruits of repentance, which would include: the breaking of these long-term, sinful habits; public acknowledgment of his sin, without equivocation, including asking forgiveness of those he sinned against; and submission to local church leadership until trust had been rebuilt. This would likely take a period of years, they continued.

Bentley responded defiantly in a Facebook Live broadcast Thursday, arguing that he does not have a drug or sexual addiction but did admit to texting and sexting. He also noted that he stepped down from his public ministry six months ago and started a private marketplace company.

He also said Brown had promised to exonerate him in the investigation which he called a sham.

Dr. Michael Brown has spun this to be what it wasnt, Bentley said while claiming that he was threatened with blackmail prior to the revelations over the summer.
An NHS worker has been branded a 'legend' after he was spotted sashaying out of a ward in the background of a TV report.

Craig Richardson, who has worked at Royal Bolton Hospital for a year, became a viral sensation for his sassy strut caught on camera by ITV Granada Reports.

A clip of the moment was shared to Twitter, where it racked up more than 17,800 retweets and 104,200 likes.

Craig also shared the video to his TikTok account over the weekend, captioning it: 'It's my walk for me. I knew in that moment it was my time to shine.'

Craig Richardson, who has worked at Royal Bolton Hospital for a year, became a viral sensation for his sassy strut caught on camera by ITV Granada Reports

Speaking to Granada Reports, Craig told how it's important to him to help 'keep spirits up' among his team and his patients.

'They all love it though, I go in and I make them feel happy and stuff. We hydrate them and we make them feel better,' he said.

'We just don't know what's what and what's coming next do we really? We try and keep spirits up, it's what we need to do, as a team we just all collectively look after each other.'

Social media users likened Craig to contestants on BBC Three's RuPaul Drag Race, while others praised his upbeat attitude, with one dubbing him 'a little ray of light in these dark times'.

Speaking to Granada Reports, Craig told how it's important to him to help 'keep spirits up' among his team and his patients

One Twitter user commented: 'You're a legend x we need people like you to brighten our days and sprinkle your sparkle.'

Another joked: 'Condragulations you are the NHS's next drag superstar! You've won a months worth of nationwide clapping at 8pm.'

'Omg nailed it,' enthused another, while one remarked: 'Now that is really walking the walk. Good luck and God bless all people that work on hospital wards.'

'He's trying to cheer people up on a ward which must be terrifying to be on. Good for him,' another praised.

Granada Reports visited Royal Bolton, which serves a large catchment area, to highlight the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Social media users likened Craig to contestants on BBC Three's RuPaul Drag Race, while others praised his upbeat attitude, with one dubbing him 'a little ray of light in these dark times'

The hospital is one of the region's busiest, and staff have said the care they are able to give patients is suffering due to them being so stretched.

Less than a month after moving from his job in a care home to the hospital, Craig told how it began to take in Covid patients, which made the job 'dramatically different'.

Staff are currently looking after more than 130 patients in intensive and critical care, across five new Covid wards.

Last month 78 people died, bringing the total in the hospital to 571, ITV reports.

She first stepped foot onto the cobbles as a wide-eyed nine-year-old back in 2011, playing the adopted daughter of Eddie and Anna Windass.

And Ellie Leach admitted that she 'definitely didnt imagine' portraying Coronation Street's Faye Windass 10 years later as she remarked: 'I feel like I've been there my whole life.'

In a new interview, the actress, 19, reflected on her decade-long role and said she hopes she stays in her job 'forever'.

Soap star: Ellie Leach admitted that she 'definitely didnt imagine' she'd still portraying Coronation Street's Faye Windass after 10 years as she remarked: 'I feel like I've been there my whole life'

During her 10 years on the Manchester-based soap, Ellie has been part of some huge storylines, most notably her character Faye giving birth to a daughter aged just 12.

While most recently, she's had to endure the a sexual assault at the hands of her sleazy boss Ray Crosby.

Looking back on her time on the show, Ellie told The Mirror: 'It is crazy to think it is 10 years. It has gone so fast but I also feel like I have been there my whole life.

Young star: She first stepped foot onto the cobbles as a wide-eyed nine-year-old back in 2011, playing the adopted daughter of Eddie and Anna Windass

'For what time I can remember, Corrie has been my life. As a child, you just cant believe it. You dont really know at that age what is happening. Really surreal.'

She added: 'I definitely didnt imagine I would still be here 10 years later. I am the type who doesnt like to think too far into the future. I hope I am there forever.'

The beauty gushed that being part of the Corrie cast is an 'amazing job' and she 'loves' being there.

Looking back: In a new interview, the actress, 19, reflected on her decade-long role and said she hopes she stays in her job 'forever'

And while joining the iconic soap at such a young age may have been daunting, Ellie luckily had the guidance of her older cousin Brooke Vincent, 28, who plays Sophie Webster.

Ellie told the publication that Brooke - who is currently on maternity leave - was quick to offer her support and advice after learning that she'd got the role, telling Ellie that she was there for her if she needed anything.

With regular appearances on prime time TV, Ellie has become a household name, but she insists that she's been 'kept grounded' by her mum and dad.

Reflecting: 'For what time I can remember, Corrie has been my life. As a child, you just cant believe it. You dont really know at that age what is happening. Really surreal'

Long time role : 'It is crazy to think it is 10 years. It has gone so fast but I also feel like I have been there my whole life'

She went on to say that she 'wouldnt be any different' thanks to the 'guidance' from her parents.

Adding that she has her head firmly 'screwed on' thanks to growing up in the TV industry and working with adults from a young age.

Meanwhile, there's some dramatic times times ahead for Ellie's character Faye amid the repercussions on her recent attack on Adam Barlow.

Big story: During her 10 years on the Manchester-based soap, Ellie has been part of some huge storylines, most notably her character Faye giving birth to a daughter aged just 12

The waitress wrongly lashed out at Adam think he was Ray, resulting in the lawyer ending up seriously ill in hospital.

Her brother Gary Windass took the blame for the attack, but a guilty Faye later handed herself into the police and confessed the truth.

But what does the future hold for Faye? Viewers will just have to wait and see.
World Health Organization (WHO) investigators probing the origins of the coronavirus in China are unlikely to be allowed to meet with critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s handling of the early stages of the pandemic, an overseas-based rights group said on Monday.



The team visited two disease control centers on Monday that had an early hand in managing the outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.



Since emerging from a 14-day quarantine period, the team -- which has said it isn't trying to apportion blame for the pandemic -- have also visited hospitals and a seafood market linked to an early cluster of cases.



But the Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) group said that even if the group were to try, they would have problems talking to anyone offering a different view from the government's official narrative.



"Even if they try, the WHO experts would have difficulties finding anybody to talk to, from whistleblowing doctors, citizen reporters, to victims families, or any critics of the Chinese governments handling of the coronavirus outbreak," CHRD said in a report on its website.



Rather, the authorities have been suppressing information and penalizing dissent, it said.



"Citizen journalists who went to Wuhan in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak to report from the frontlines have either gone missing or went to jail," it said.



"The exact whereabouts of Fang Bin and Chen Qiushi remain unknown; Zhang Zhan was sentenced to 4 years in jail; and Chen Mei and Cai Wei, who tried to preserve censored COVID information, are still detained."



It added: "Outspoken critics of President Xi Jinping for his handling of the pandemic are locked up  Ren Zhiqiang received 18 years in jail, Guo Quan and Xu Zhiyong remain in pretrial detention."

Disappeared, presumed detained



The group also cited the cases of two women who spoke out about vaccine safety who have "disappeared," and are presumed detained by the authorities.



Hua Xiuzhen was last seen on Jan. 13 in Shanghai, escorted away by Yangpu district neighborhood committee officials, while He Fangmei went "missing" in Henan province on Oct. 9, it said.



"What the two missing women have in common is their tenacious campaign for transparency in the governments vaccination programs and their efforts to seek accountability," CHRD said.



The WHO team is looking for large quantities of evidence including animal samples, genetic analysis, and epidemiological studies that will help it pin down the origins of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.



According to Reuters, no full itinerary for the groups field work has been announced, and journalists covering the tightly controlled visit have been kept at a distance from team members.



However, the WHO tweeted last week that the team would include a visit to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which carries out research into bat coronaviruses, sparking speculation that there is a link with its activities and the emergence of COVID-19 in the same city.



"Field visits will include the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Huanan market, Wuhan CDC laboratory," the agency said via its Twitter account, adding that the team would speak with some of the first people to be confirmed as COVID-19 patients.

Seafood market reorganized



Political commentator Fu Shenqi said city authorities have "reorganized" the South China Seafood Market linked to the start of the first outbreak beyond recognition.



"Equipment, materials, and data in P4 laboratories have been . . . hidden and the hospitals are fully prepared for these visits," Fu said in a commentary broadcast on RFA's Mandarin Service.



"What is there left for the experts to investigate?" he said, adding that the team is fully expecting this.



"The WHO doesn't want the international community to have high expectations for this investigation," Fu wrote. "Official CCP rhetoric is even clearer that this isn't an investigation, but more of a collaboration ... with Chinese experts on the origins of the virus."



"We can expect the WHO to go through the motions with this probe ... and China wants it to conclude that the source of the virus wasn't in Wuhan," Fu wrote.



Despite speculation around the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Beijing has repeatedly tried to change the narrative around the origins of the coronavirus, with state-run media frequently suggesting that it was brought to the country from somewhere else.



Fu said a vaguely worded report from the WHO team would be most likely to win the approval of the Chinese government.



China recorded more than 2,000 new domestic cases of COVID-19 in January, the highest monthly total since the final phase of the initial outbreak in Wuhan in March 2020.



Two people died of the disease in January, the first fatalities in several months.



Meanwhile, travel bans and quarantine restrictions are being implemented nationwide ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations starting Feb. 12, with schools only operating online, and government incentives offered to people who stay put and don't travel back to be with relatives for the festive season.



Reported by RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
President Joe Biden spent his first day in the White House signing a spate of executive orders aimed at undoing the policies of the Trump administration. One of them sparked outrage on Facebook over its effect on American jobs.

On Jan. 20, Biden signed an order that revoked the permit for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. In a Facebook post published the same day, one user said the move would cost thousands of jobs.

"By revoking the Keystone pipeline permit, Biden is destroying 11,000 jobs and roughly $2 billion in wages," the post says. "Democrats couldnt even get through Day 1 without killing jobs for middle class Americans."

The post was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

Weve seen several similar posts offer other figures for how many jobs were lost as a result of Bidens executive order, ranging from 12,000 to 83,000. So we wanted to take a closer look.

TC Energy Corp., the Canadian company that owns the Keystone XL pipeline with the Alberta government, has said more than 1,000 people are out of work because of Bidens executive order. The 11,000 and $2 billion figures cited in the Facebook post are estimates published by the company, but most of the jobs would be temporary.

We reached out to the user who published the post for their evidence, but we didnt hear back.

What Bidens order does

The Keystone XL pipeline is an international project years in the making. Without support from the U.S. government, its effectively halted.

The 875-mile pipeline would carry a heavy crude oil mixture from Western Canada to Steele City, Neb., where it would connect with another leg stretching to Gulf Coast refineries.

Bidens order revokes the permit that was granted March 29, 2019, by then-President Donald Trump on the grounds that it is harmful to the environment.

While an 11-volume State Department report on the Keystone XL pipeline found in 2014 that it would not significantly contribute to carbon pollution, critics say the project threatens Albertas rivers and forests. And the project has become a symbol for the political debate over fossil fuels.

The Obama-era State Department had denied TC Energys request for a permit in 2015. Trump revived hopes for the project once he took office, ultimately approving it with an executive order. Construction began in April 2020, but that same month, a federal court said that the project had to go through a full endangered species review. TC Energy appealed the ruling, but the Supreme Court upheld it in July.

Before Biden signed his executive order, only a 1.2-mile section of the pipeline had been completed in Montana near the U.S.-Canada border.

Thousands of lost jobs, but most are temporary

Over the past several years, weve fact-checked many claims that the Keystone XL pipeline would create thousands of American jobs. Several of them lack context about the duration and nature of these positions, and this Facebook post is similar.

In a Jan. 20 statement, TC Energy said Bidens order "would directly lead to the layoff of thousands of union workers." It did not specify exactly how many jobs would be lost.

President Richard Prior told the Associated Press that the layoffs would number more than 1,000. We reached out to TC Energy for more information, but we havent heard back.

The 11,000 figure in the Facebook post appears to stem from an Oct. 28 press release on the pipelines website.

In October, TC Energy awarded contracts to six American union contractors to build the Keystone XL pipeline in three states in 2021. Those contractors were "responsible for hiring 7,000 union workers."

RELATED: Keystone XL pipeline: Unbuilt, opposed by Biden, mired in lawsuits

"When combined with additional 2021 contracts to be announced later, the total number of American union workers constructing Keystone XL in 2021 will exceed 8,000 and $900 million in gross wages," the release said. "In total, Keystone XL is expected to employ more than 11,000 Americans in 2021, creating more than $1.6 billion in gross wages."

Thats close to what the State Department found in its 2014 report.

In the report, the agency wrote that 10,400 estimated positions would be for seasonal construction work lasting four to eight-month periods. Since the State Department defines "job" as "one position that is filled for 1 year," that would equate to approximately 3,900 jobs over a two-year period.

In short: Most of the estimated jobs were temporary.

The State Department forecasted that no more than 50 jobs, some of which could be located in Canada, would be required to maintain the pipeline. Thirty-five of them would be permanent, while 15 would be temporary contractors.

We reached out to the White House for a comment, but we havent heard back.

Our ruling

A Facebook post says that Bidens executive order revoking the Keystone XL pipeline "is destroying 11,000 jobs."

That number is an estimate, and the claim lacks context about the longevity of Keystone jobs.

TC Energy said more than 1,000 people are out of work because of Bidens executive order. In October, the company said it expected to employ more than 11,000 Americans in 2021 and generate more than $1.6 in gross wages.

But both TC Energy and the State Department have said the majority of those jobs would be temporary. A 2014 report found that the company would need only 50 employees to maintain the Keystone XL pipeline once its finished, 35 of them permanent.

Temporary jobs are still jobs. But this post could leave the wrong impression without full context. We rate it Half True.
One declined to prosecute Bill Cosby for rape, trading lawsuits instead with his alleged victim; another considered defending alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

The two lawyers former president Donald Trump has hired to defend him in his Senate impeachment trial are confident, tough and media-honed criminal case experts who could liven up what is already set to be a nationally televised spectacle.

A day after breaking with his original legal team, reportedly over strategy, on Sunday Trump named David Schoen and Bruce Castor to represent him at the trial.

They have one week to muster a strategy to ensure that the ex-president receives enough support from Republican senators to avoid conviction, for the second time in one year.

That should be easy: conviction requires a two-thirds majority of the 100-member Senate, and already 45 of the 50 Republicans have signaled they believe trying Trump after he has left office is unconstitutional.

But according to reports, Trump has been adamant about arguing the case that President Joe Biden's election win was based on fraud.

That claim, despite there being no evidence to support it, propelled the violent assault on the US Capitol that forced Trump's vice president Mike Pence to go into secure hiding and left hundreds of members of Congress fearing for their safety.

Arguing such a case could conceivably erode some of the already tenuous Republican support for Trump. The strategy reportedly contributed to the split with his original defense team.

- Constitutionality question -

The turmoil with his legal team may have persuaded Trump to change his mind on the strategy.

"The strength of our constitution is about to be tested like never before in our history," Castor said in the statement issued by Trump to announce the new line-up.

Schoen reiterated that stance in an interview with Fox News on Monday, saying the impeachment trial is "tearing the country apart at a time when we don't need anything like that."

Story continues

The two attorneys will face prosecutors -- Democrats from the House of Representatives -- arguing the single charge of "incitement of insurrection."

They allege that Trump fostered sedition by stoking the January 6 attack on the Capitol that left five people dead and halted, for several hours, Congress' certification of Biden as the election winner.

Trump had earlier called for the process to be stopped.

Both attorneys have deep court experience.

Schoen is a trial lawyer from Atlanta, Georgia, with a record of picking up notorious cases and clients. He helped convicted Trump political advisor Roger Stone in his appeal case, before Trump pardoned Stone.

He was also in discussions to represent Epstein before he committed suicide ahead of his trial for sex trafficking of minors.

"I represented all sorts of reputed mobster figures," Schoen told the Atlanta Jewish Times in an interview last year, pointing to organized crime figures from Russia, Israel and Italy.

Castor, 59, spent much of his legal career as a prosecutor in Pennsylvania, rising from the county level to become the top state attorney.

He was criticized for declining in 2005 to prosecute the mega-celebrity Cosby for rape, saying the evidence against him was too weak to win a trial. He went on to trade defamation lawsuits with the alleged victim, Andrea Constand.

The case moved forward under Castor's successor, and Cosby was convicted in 2018.

After Trump's original five lawyers dropped out on Saturday, the need to assemble a new team was urgent. The ex-president needs to submit a formal response to the summons to trial on Tuesday.

On February 8, his team then needs to submit a pretrial brief, opening the way for arguments to begin, probably a day later.

The change in the defense team so close to trial, said George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, should lead to a postponement.

"A week is clearly insufficient to prepare a defense," he said on Twitter.

But with Trump's acquittal widely considered a foregone conclusion, it might not matter.

pmh/ec/to/jfx
Two new offshore duty-free shops opened on Sunday in Haikou, capital of south China's island province of Hainan, raising the number of duty-free shops in the province to nine.



The nine shops, run by five entities, bring a pattern of differentiated competition to the duty-free market, which will be a great boost to the building of Hainan into an international tourism and consumption destination.

The Global Premium Duty Free Plaza, run by a local company, is located in a large shopping center in downtown Haikou. The products on sale include electronic products, perfumes, cosmetics, sunglasses and imported wine, among others.

The plaza launched its first phase on Sunday, with its second and third phases due by the end of June and September this year, respectively.

The other duty-free shop, run by a company based in the southern city of Shenzhen, offers nearly 500 international brands in a shopping area of 20,000 square meters.

Yang Jun, vice general manager of Hainan Development Holdings Co., Ltd., which runs the Global Premium Duty Free Plaza, said Hainan's offshore duty-free shopping has entered a new era of development with a growing number of shops.

"We will join hands with other shop operators to expand Hainan's offshore duty-free market, attract more Chinese to spend in Hainan rather than in the overseas markets, and promote the consumption upgrading of the Hainan free trade port," Yang said.

Among the nine duty-free shops, three opened in the tropical resort city of Sanya on Dec. 30, 2020, one in Sanya Phoenix International Airport and the other two in downtown Sanya, adding to the previous one at Haitang Bay.

For Zhu Mengxia, the two newly-opened shops in downtown Sanya are better located and more convenient. "We now have more choices and better opportunities to hunt for bargains," she said.

Wang Jiansheng, chairman of the Hainan Tourism Development Research Association, said, "competition impels duty-free companies to enrich products and improve services. Their competitive advantages will help build Hainan into a globally influential tourism and consumption destination, and further attract back home more overseas spending by Chinese consumers."

The China Duty Free Group (CDF), which used to dominate Hainan's duty-free shopping market, has taken steps to face the competition.

Gao Xujiang, executive director of Sanya Downtown Duty Free Store Co., Ltd., affiliated to the CDF, said the company is expanding and upgrading its duty-free shop to create a more spacious business area and offer better services.

Gao said it has also taken a slew of measures to better serve consumers, including increasing staff to handle complaints and after-sales services, and enhancing the efficiency of delivery.

Liu Feng, director of the Research Center for Free Trade Port with Chinese Characteristics of Hainan Normal University, said that the CDF has obvious advantages in the supply chain, marketing and operations due to having engaged in the duty-free market in Hainan for many years.

"Even if a competition pattern has been formed, the CDF's dominant position in Hainan's tax-free market will not change in the short term," said Liu.

Starting July 1, 2020,Hainan has increased its annual tax-free shopping quota from 30,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan per person. The categories of duty-free goods have been expanded from 38 to 45, with electronic products such as mobile phones and laptops added to the duty-free list.

The previous tax-free limit of 8,000 yuan for a single product has been lifted, and the number of categories with a single-purchase quantity limit has been significantly reduced. The duty-free purchase limit for cosmetics has also been raised from 12 items to 30.

Official data shows sales of offshore duty-free shops in the province exceeded 32 billion yuan (about 4.98 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020.

Following the policy upgrade, the average daily duty-free sales had hit 120 million yuan by the end of 2020, an increase of more than twofold year on year.

The potential of Hainan's duty-free shopping is far from being fully tapped. The duty-free shopping industry on the island is likely to become a 100-billion-yuan industry in the next few years after duty-free sales doubled in 2020, insiders said.

"Hainan's duty-free market has huge potential," said Xie Zhiyong, general manager of Hainan Tourism Investment Duty-free Co., Ltd.

Xie said that competition will definitely benefit consumers, and duty-free shopping will become an important attraction for tourists, which will lead to the development of Hainan's tourism industry and exponential growth for duty-free shopping sales.
A Facebook logo is displayed on a smartphone in this illustration taken on Jan. 6, 2020. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Facebooks Supreme Court Overrules It, Orders Banned Posts Restored

Facebooks new Supreme Court ruled against Facebook four out of five times in its first batch of content-moderation rulings released to the public.

The companys recently staffed Oversight Board enjoys an independent funding stream and the company cant fire its members. Facebook has vowed to obey the boards rulings unless contrary to law.

Facebook currently has 2.7 billion users worldwide and 15,000 content moderators, according to Ars Technica.

The rulings dealing with takedown decisions by content moderators, who reportedly work in sweatshop conditions, offer some insight into Facebooks byzantine, seemingly arbitrary content-moderation process in which the company deletes posts, offering vague justifications for the censorship, or without explaining why.

Conservatives say Facebook engages in viewpoint discrimination and frequently censors posts on topics of interest to them such as election fraud and the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, the CCP virus that causes the disease COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, and the transgender movement. In July 2019, Facebook banned The Epoch Times from advertising, without giving clear reasons for doing so.

Facebook removed a post with the Declaration of Independence in it in 2018 on the grounds that Americas founding document was hate speech; it soon reversed that decision after a public outcry.

Before that, Facebook took down the iconic 1972 Napalm Girl photograph showing children running from a bombed-out village during the Vietnam War, citing its policy against child nudity.

The company reversed that decision, too.

After hearing from our community, we looked again at how our Community Standards were applied in this case, Facebook said, acknowledging the history and global importance of this image in documenting a particular moment in time.

In September 2019, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg unveiled his plan to create the board.

If someone disagrees with a decision weve made, they can appeal to us first, and soon they will be able to further appeal this to the independent board, he wrote in a letter at the time. As an independent organization, we hope it gives people confidence that their views will be heard and that Facebook doesnt have the ultimate power over their expression.

Board members serve a maximum of three three-year terms each and are paid an amount that the company hasnt disclosed. The company is allowed to seek an automatic and expedited review in exceptional circumstances, when content could result in urgent real-world consequences, such as, for example, if someone were live-streaming a murder.

In the only Oversight Board ruling dealing with a user from the United States, Case Decision 2020-005-FB-UA, that body reversed Facebooks decision to take down a post that the company had claimed violated its Community Standard on Dangerous Individuals and Organizations.

In October 2020, a user had posted a quotation that was incorrectly attributed to Joseph Goebbels, the Reich minister of propaganda in Nazi Germany. It wasnt accompanied by Nazi symbols or even a photograph of Goebbels, who killed himself in 1945 as the Soviet Army was closing in on his location in Berlin. The quotation, in English, claimed that, instead of appealing to intellectuals, arguments should appeal to emotions and instincts, and that truth does not matter and is subordinate to tactics and psychology.

The user, who wasnt identified in the case decision, said his or her intent was to draw a comparison between the sentiment in the quotation and the presidency of Donald Trump. The board held that the quotation did not support the Nazi partys ideology or the regimes acts of hate and violence, adding that comments on the post from the users friends supported the users claim that he or she sought to compare the Trump presidency to the Nazi regime.

Facebook claimed that posts sharing a quotation attributed to a dangerous individual are treated as expressing support for them, unless the user provides additional context to make their intent explicit. The company said it removed the post because the user didnt make clear that they shared the quotation to condemn the purported author of it, to counter extremism or hate speech, or for academic or news purposes.

The Oversight Board determined that these rules were not made sufficiently clear to users.

The board didnt rely on the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects free speech in the United States, instead referencing documents adopted by international bodies, such as the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

In Case Decision 2020-002-FB-UA, the board overturned Facebooks decision to take down an October 2020 post from a user in Myanmar who wrote that Muslims have something wrong in their mindset, arguing that Muslims should be more concerned about the genocide of Uighurs in China and less focused on hot-button issues like French cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad.

The post featured two widely shared photographs of a Syrian toddler of Kurdish ethnicity who drowned attempting to reach Europe in 2015.

Facebook removed the post as anti-Muslim hate speech but the board allowed it, determining that it should be viewed as commentary on the apparent inconsistency between Muslims reactions to events in France and in China. The board found that while the post could be deemed offensive, it did not reach the level of hate speech.

In Case Decision 2020-003-FB-UA, the only board ruling in favor of Facebook so far, the body held a November 2020 post claiming Azerbaijanis are nomads and have no history compared to Armenians and that urged an end to Azerbaijani aggression and vandalism, was properly banned as hate speech.

The post was made during an armed conflict last year between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The user posted historical photographs described as showing churches in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Russian wording accompanying the photos claimed that Armenians built Baku and that this heritage, including the churches, was destroyed.
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 ANTONIO, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With Valentine's Day just around the corner, couples across the country are prepping to make this big day special for their significant other. But during the other 364 days of the year, that special someone in their life may come in second to a special someTHING.

Many people own prized possessions they consider their "One True Love," whether it be a car, a collection of shoes or military gear. In a survey conducted by KRC Research, more than half of respondents under age 34 admit they own a possession they'd describe as their true love, including three out of five Gen Z participants. Meanwhile, roughly a third of Gen Z and Millennial adults can think of a prized possession their partner loves more than them.

While everyone has a prized possession, the survey also found nearly three out of four adults under 34 don't have their most prized possession covered by insurance, even though everyone's One True Love is unique and invaluable. So on Valentine's Day this year, and to emphasize the importance of auto and personal property insurance, USAA is encouraging people to share their most prized possessions, or their inanimate One True Love, via Twitter and Instagram for a chance to win a prize package worth up to $5,000.

How the Contest Works

Participants must be 18 or older and submit a short entry explaining their One True Love (non-human), accompanied with a photo, using the hashtag #USAAOneTrueLove on Twitter and Instagram. Entries must fit into one of three categories: In the Home, Auto or Military. A panel will select nine finalists, or three per category. The finalists will be notified via Twitter or Instagram. The nine finalist photos will be shared here and voted upon by the public to determine the three winners, based on popular vote. The winners will be notified via Twitter or Instagram. The One True Love contest is open to any US resident. Contest entry is only valid on Twitter and Instagram. Only self-submissions will be considered for finalists or winners.

Key Contest Dates

Feb. 1 : Contest opens for submissions

: Contest opens for submissions Feb. 7 ( 11:59 p.m. ET ): Contest closes and panel selects nine finalists

( ): Contest closes and panel selects nine finalists Appx. Feb. 8 : Finalists notified

: Finalists notified Feb. 12-14 : Contest is open to public vote to select grand prize winners

: Contest is open to public vote to select grand prize winners Feb. 14 ( 11:59 p.m. ET ): Voting closes

( ): Voting closes Appx. Feb. 19 : Winners are announced

Prize Package

The winners will receive a photoshoot with their One True Love and a vacation prize package worth up to $5,000 for themselves and one other person, whenever travel safely resumes and up to two years from announcement of winner.

To learn more about the contest and to view the rules, please visit usaa.com/onetruelove.

About USAA

Founded in 1922 by a group of military officers, USAA is among the leading providers of insurance, banking and investment and retirement solutions to nearly 13 million members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served and their families. Headquartered in San Antonio, Tex., USAA has offices in seven U.S. cities and three overseas locations and employs more than 35,000 people worldwide. Each year, the company contributes to national and local nonprofits in support of military families and communities where employees live and work. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@USAA), or visit usaa.com.

Contact: USAA Media Relations

[email protected]

210-498-0940

USAA on Twitter: @usaa

SOURCE USAA

Related Links

https://www.usaa.com


KERRVILLE, Texas, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- New Haven Assisted Living is now the owner of a 48-unit memory care facility at 747 Alpine Drive, which was formerly known as Villaggio of Kerrville.

New Haven Assisted Living has been serving Texas since 2013, where they have a total of 10 facilities, including the newest acquisition in Kerrville Texas.

"New name, same great care," says Justin Yarmark, CEO of New Haven. Yarmark will add its specially-crafted memory care programming to the facility and implement the personalized care services that New Haven is known and recognized for, being named Best Assisted Living year after year. "Our focus is providing dignified care, compassion and respect in a community that services one another," says Yarmark.

Yarmark stated, "New Haven's standards and strong leadership during the pandemic has enabled us to reach out and help more and more seniors. Our goal as a team is to assist our seniors and families in finding a safe and dignified memory care option during these challenging COVID-19 times."

About New Haven Assisted Living - New Haven is a luxury assisted living and memory care residence with 10 locations across Texas. New Haven invites residents to enjoy days filled with relaxation and ease of living, along with the finest in accommodations and senior care in a boutique style setting.

SOURCE New Haven Assisted Living & Memory Care

Related Links

https://newhavenassistedliving.com


South Africa: Rhino poaching declines in 2020

South Africa saw a marked decline in rhino poaching during 2020, with the killing of rhino declining by 33%.

While the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the battle to beat the COVID-19 pandemic contributed in part to the decrease in rhino poaching in 2020, the role of rangers and security personnel who remained at their posts, and the additional steps taken by government to effectively deal with these and related offences, also played a significant role, said Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister, Barbara Creecy on Monday.

During the various lockdown alert levels in 2020, the movement of alleged poachers and rhino horn smugglers was curtailed.

Alongside this, the steps to address rhino poaching and wildlife crime across the country were aligned to both the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros and the principles set out in the draft National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (NISCWT).

After 10 years of implementing various strategies to combat rhino poaching by local poachers, who are recruited and managed by crime syndicates, South Africa managed to arrest the escalation of rhino losses, and has now seen a year-on-year reduction in the number of poached rhinos.

While this success should be celebrated as a moderate win, we cannot become complacent as the escalating demand in consumer countries ensures a lucrative black market trade and thus relentless pressure on all resources to combat this organised crime.

To move from the current moderate win to a strong win, we are focusing on a more proactive and integrated approach that builds on existing initiatives and blurs the distinction made between national, provincial and private parks, while increasing situational awareness.

This Integrated Wildlife Zone approach prevents borders and boundaries from inhibiting planning and implementation to achieve maximum benefit, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries said in a statement.

During 2020, a reported 394 rhino were poached for their horn in South Africa. This is 33% less than the 594 killed in 2019. This marks the sixth year that rhino poaching has continued to decrease in South Africa.

During 2020, the Kruger National Park experienced 1 573 poacher activities, a decrease of 21.9% in comparison to the number in 2019, which was 2 014.

During 2020, a total 247 rhino were poached for their horns in South African National Parks - 245 in Kruger National Park and two in Marakele National Park.

A total of 16 elephants were poached for their ivory in the Kruger National Park during 2020, a decrease of 48.39% compared to the 31 killed in South African National Parks (Kruger National Park and Marakele National Park) in 2019.

During the COVID-19 hard lockdown period, we had a significant reduction in poacher incursions into the KNP. However, that changed later in the year as the lockdown levels eased and a significant spike in poaching in the KNP was experienced towards the end 2020, especially during December, the department said.

Arrests

A number of successful arrests and prosecutions have also been recorded in the past 12 months, giving credence to the integrated work of law enforcement agencies, including the police, the Hawks, SANParks, the Environmental Management Inspectorate (Green Scorpions), customs officials, SANDF, provincial park authorities and the National Prosecuting Authority.

From January to December 2020, a total of 66 alleged poachers were arrested within the Kruger National Park.

A total of 90 people were arrested for rhino poaching and rhino horn trafficking outside the KNP, and more than 25 major investigations were undertaken across the country.

A total of 45 cases were finalised with a verdict, while 44 convictions were obtained, representing a remarkable 97.8% conviction rate. The 44 convictions include 69 convicted accused.

Countries working together, sharing of information and investigations to combat wildlife trafficking remain a key to the success in combating wildlife trafficking.

Within the region, information sharing between Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe continues to result in positive outcomes, while engagements with Vietnam have seen rhino samples submitted to the RHODIS DNA database for analysis and further investigation.

Malaysia and Singapore have also greatly assisted in several investigations and the submission of rhino horn samples to RHODIS. Information sharing between South Africa, China and Hong Kong has begun to further enhance the ability to combat rhino horn trafficking.

NGOs and donors have identified various community developmental programmes, including awareness programmes, in provinces such as Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the North West, in collaboration with its partners, SANParks, provincial governments and neighbouring countries.

Members of the public can report any suspicious activities around wildlife to the environmental crime hotline on 0800 205 005 or the SAPS on 10111.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.


Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) speaks to the media before the weekly Senate Republican lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Nov. 10, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

US Senator Criticizes WHO for Supporting Beijings COVID-19 Propaganda

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) criticized the World Health Organization (WHO) on Jan. 31 after the health bodys investigators visited a Chinese propaganda exhibition on Jan. 30.

The WHO team is currently in the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreak last year, investigating the origins of the pandemic. The CCP virus is responsible for causing the disease COVID-19.

Investigators began work on Jan. 28 after completing their mandatory quarantine. Since then, the team has visited areas including two local hospitals, a seafood market, and the exhibition.

The cavernous exhibition, which opened in October 2020, according to Chinas state-run media, displays the CCPs propaganda about its early responses to the pandemic. The content and narratives displayed all praise the CCPs leadership in controlling the spread of the virus.

Evidence points to the virus as having originated from Wuhan before spreading to countries and regions around the world.

Unbelievable. The @WHO continues to give oxygen to CCP propaganda and COVID lies. Bidens Admin should rethink rejoining the WHO without significant reform and reassurances they will stop parroting General Secretary Xi, Scott wrote on Twitter.

The CCPs initial coverup of the virus outbreak has been well-documented. The regime silenced eight doctors, among them ophthalmologist Li Wenliang, after they tried to warn the public of a new form of pneumonia spreading in Wuhan in late 2019.

The WHO initially parroted Beijings claim that the virus wasnt contagious, dismissing an email warning from Taiwan.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he was pulling the United States out of the WHO on May 29, 2020, saying that the WHO had refused to act on reforms recommended by the United States, including proving its independence from the CCP.

Trumps decision was overturned on Jan. 20, when President Joe Biden signed an executive order halting the United States withdrawal from the United Nations body.

There are already signs that the Chinese regime is using the visit by WHO experts to promote its coronavirus narrative.

On Jan. 29, in a daily briefing, Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian denied that the WHO experts in China were there to conduct an investigation.

Id like to stress that the exchanges and cooperation on origin-tracing between WHO experts and Chinese professionals are part of a global study, not an investigation, Zhao said.

On Jan. 31, Chinas state-run mouthpiece the Global Times posted to Twitter its report on WHO experts visiting the Huanan Seafood Market. It made an unsubstantiated claim that the initial outbreak in Wuhan might have originated from imported frozen food.

In response to such claims from the CCP in June 2020, the WHO stated in August 2020 that there is no evidence people can catch COVID-19 from food or food packaging.

China has also tried to pin the blame for the pandemic on countries including the United States, Italy, and India. For example, in March 2020, Zhao accused the U.S. Army of bringing the virus to Wuhan.

Before their investigation began, WHO investigators were warned that they must be able to counter Chinas disinformation efforts, according to a Jan. 28 article published on The Strategist, a commentary and analysis website run by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) think tank.

The WHO investigation team, and the international community more broadly, must be willing to counter any narrative that obscures the origins of COVID-19, the article states.

The article was written by Yan Bennett, assistant director of the Paul and Marcia Wythes Center on Contemporary China at Princeton University; and John Garrick, a university fellow in law at Australias Charles Darwin University.

The WHO research team faces serious challenges in seeking truth from facts because the Chinese Communist Party under Xi Jinpings leadership forcefully guards official narratives against critical commentary, especially when it comes from the international community, the authors states.
Police on Monday arraigned a 24-year-old house help, Akpan Joseph, before a Badagry Magistrates Court in theft for allegedly stealing US$60...

Police on Monday arraigned a 24-year-old house help, Akpan Joseph, before a Badagry Magistrates Court in theft for allegedly stealing US$600 (N240,000) from his employer.

Joseph is facing a count charge of theft.

NAN reports that the Police prosecutor, ASP Akpan Nkem, told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offence sometimes on Nov, 2020, at No 1, Victor Close, Iba area of Lagos.

Nkem said the defendant stole US$600, an equivalent of N240,000 belonging to one Victor Ekeleme, the complainant.

The accused who was working as house help for the complainant disappeared with the money, but was later found and handed over to the police for prosecution.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Ruling, the chief Magistrate, Mr Patrick Adekomaiya, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

Adekomaiya adjourned the case until March 3 for mention.
~ Says cuts against basic human rights ~

PHILIPSBURG:-- -Independent Member of Parliament Christopher Emmanuel on Sunday said that President of WICLU Claire Elshot-Aventurin confirmed what he has been saying all along; that the Prime Minister and her government lied when they said they invited the unions to discuss legislation that would see workers salaries and benefits cut.

Elshot-Aventurin was also quoted in the media as saying that it is not true that the unions refused to return for further negotiations which led to government being forced to deviate from the requirement that it needed an agreement for the salary cuts. The union leader went as far as to call it a blatant lie, which I have no doubt that it is, Emmanuel said.

The Prime Minister and her government have been feeding this line to the people as a justification for skipping the unions, the legal representatives of workers. I always knew it was a blatant lie and now we know it is, the MP said. When the PM and/or the Minister of Finance is asked, all we got is excuses, lies, and contradicting stories.

MP Emmanuel stressed that the governments actions are a gross violation of not just workers rights, but human rights in general. He said the government is forcing cuts on workers in contravention to the same international conventions to which the Dutch government subscribe and hold up high as one of their pillars of respecting human rights.

Cutting workers salaries and benefits while having the CFT proudly announce in our local media that it believes that more taxes should be levied on the people of St. Maarten is inhumane and downright criminal, the MP said.

He added that article 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights prescribes that countries that adopt this covenant (Holland included) recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of just and favorable conditions of work. Additionally, he said, the same covenant calls for, among other things, fair wages and equal remuneration for work of equal value without distinction of any kind, a decent living for workers and their families, equal opportunity for everyone to be promoted in his employment to an appropriate higher level and rest, leisure and reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay, as well as remuneration for public holidays.

The government of St. Maarten is in violation of this international covenant by attempting to pass legislation that literally goes against provisions that protect worker rights. The same government boldly told the Dutch that it would not adopt any legislation if it goes against local or international laws and/or conventions. The Netherlands is also in violation for forcing such measures on St. Maarten. Yet here we are. And it is all based on lie after lie after lie, the MP said.

He said the government must also stop insulting the intelligence of its people by telling them they had no choice but to accept cuts as a condition for liquidity support. What does making life harder or people have to do with reforms? We all agree that there are areas of government that could use some reform. The waste in government is high and even the unions presented options of where the government could save without salary and benefit cuts. The savings from these cuts do not justify or validate the governments excuses for the cuts, MP Emmanuel said.

You had a choice. Saying we had no choice is a cheap cop-out of cowards. And in terms of a whole government actually saying that to its people, borders on treasonous behavior towards your people, he concluded.
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.
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.

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 new Colorado law allowing individual police officers to be sued will soon get a big test.

Four Black girls who were mistakenly detained by Colorado police at gunpoint over a suspected stolen car filed a civil lawsuit against police and the city of Aurora last week in the Arapahoe County District Court. One of the girls mother, the driver of car that turned out not to be stolen, is also a plaintiff in the case.

Under the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act, a police reform law passed last June following protests over racial injustice in 2020, officers can be held financially liable for any judgement awarded in the case.

The incident in August 2020 attracted national attention after a video of the four girls being detained was posted on social media.

Aurora police apologized after the video taken by a bystander showed the girls in a parking lot with the 17-year-old and a 12-year-old lying on their stomachs with their hands cuffed behind their backs. A 14-year-old girl was lying next to the 6-year-old also on their stomachs next to the car.

The traffic stop occurred in Aurora, where officers are also being investigated following the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain after he was placed in a chokehold last year.

How private insurance may come into all of this isnt yet clear. It was not immediately known if the individual officers named in the lawsuit have insurance, and Aurora is self-insured and is not part of an insurance pool, according to city spokesman Ryan Luby.

When the Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity Act passed it added liability exposure to individual officers. Some in the Colorado insurance community questioned if private insurance would cover officers sued while performing their job dutieseven if the department or officers were held legally liable for their actions.

Liability coverage, assuming it would be under homeowners insurance, doesnt cover deliberate or intentional acts.

Each officer could potentially be liable for $20,000.

The suit names five Colorado officers, and the city of Aurora.

Without any justification, Aurora Police Department Officers Kwon, Mason, Dasko, Moen, and Drexel (Officer Defendants) seized Plaintiff Brittany Gilliam and the four minor Plaintiffs accompanying her, the suit states. The Officer Defendants did so in the most horrifying and terrifying way: by pointing loaded guns at Plaintiffs and forcing them out of their car at gunpoint. Officer Defendants then forced the minor Plaintiffs to lie face-down on the ground.

The action is against Aurora and the police officers for unlawful seizure, excessive force, and the denial of equal protection of the law, in violation of the Colorado Constitution.

The suit, which says that none of the officers were disciplined over the mater and continue to work as police officers in the city, seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, economic damages to be established at trial, compensatory damages, punitive damages, a formal written apology from each defendant, policy changes and disciplinary action.

David A. Lane, with Killmer, Lane & Newman LLP, is one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs.

He noted that the suit calls out a number of past incidents of alleged discriminatory behavior by the local police.

Were going to show Aroura has a pattern of racist law enforcement, Lane said. We want to teach Aurora a lesson. We want to change their behavior.

Marc Sears, president of the Fraternal Oder of the Police in Aurora, did not respond to requests for comment.

Luby said the city is still analyzing the lawsuit and that it would be improper to comment on pending litigation.

He provided the following statement on behalf of the city:

City leadership and Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson have previously expressed that this incident is not reflective of their expectations for the Aurora Police Department. Chief Wilson has apologized to Ms. Gilliam directly and offered to cover the cost of providing age-appropriate therapy to the children involved. Though the officers followed protocol and adhered to their training at the time of the incident, Chief Wilson and city leadership recognized officers need to have discretion and the ability to deviate from that process when different scenarios present themselves. Aurora has since adjusted its training practices by allowing officers to have more discretion when contacting suspected stolen vehicles.

Lane also believes it wont be difficult to show the wrongdoing in this case.

Its all on video, Lane said. Theres really no factual disputes here.

He said that so far, the officers have escaped punishment or accountability.

The 18th Judicial District Attorneys Office reviewed the incident involving and declined to file charges against any of the involved officers.

They dont admit wrongdoing, Lane said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Topics Law Enforcement Colorado
Kolkata: Former West Bengal minister and TMC MLA Rajib Banerjee has been provided with Z category security in West Bengal. The order comes from the Ministry of Home Affairs after the leader joined BJP. Also, the former Bengal minister has also been provided with Y+ category security across the country.

After resigning from the ruling TMC last week, Banerjee joined the BJP on Saturday. Four other TMC leaders who were disgruntled with the TMC, MLAs Prabir Ghosal and Baishali Dalmiya, former Howrah Mayor Rathin Chakraborty and actor Rudranil Ghosh joined the saffron party on Saturday in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The MLA from Domjur had been showing his unhappiness against a section of the TMC party leaders over the past few weeks.

His exit comes after a string of TMC leaders and legislators who recently quit the Mamata Banerjee camp and joined the BJP ahead of the scheduled assembly election in April-May.

The security cover provided to Banerjee comes after vehicles of BJP leaders was attacked in Bengal in December 2020. BJP leaders JP Nadda and Kailash Vijayvargiyas convoys were attacked after which Vijayvargiya was provided with Z category security.

Earlier on December 19, political heavyweight Suvendu Adhikari, along with 35 party leaders had joined the BJP during Amit Shah's rally in Medinipur.

Live TV
AN investigation is underway into the sudden death of a man discovered unresponsive in a garda station at the weekend.

The Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) has appealed for witnesses in relation to its investigation into the circumstances of the death of a man in Drogheda, Co Louth on Sunday, 31 January 2021.

The man was arrested in the area of Trinity Street, Drogheda at around 12.30pm Sunday afternoon and brought to Drogheda Garda Station. He was found to be unresponsive shortly afterwards and was brought by ambulance to hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.

He was taken to the local garda station and put into a holding cell about 1pm. Its believed that minutes later he was discovered unconscious in the cell.

Gardai administered CPR and the man was then brought by ambulance to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The Garda Ombudsman has been notified and investigators attended the scene.

A Garda Superintendent referred the matter to GSOC in accordance with section 102 (1) the Garda Siochana Act, 2005.

After carrying out an initial assessment, it was decided gardai would continue to take the lead in the case, a spokesman said.

A full investigation will be carried out to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the death of the man.

Arrangements are being made with the coroner for a post-mortem examination to be carried out. Enquiries are ongoing, the garda spokesman added.

A spokeswoman for the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) said it had received a referral in relation to the sudden death.

Gsoc received a referral from a Garda Superintendent yesterday afternoon in relation to the death of a man who had been arrested on Trinity Street, Drogheda, a short time earlier. (The referral was made in accordance with section 102 (1) of the Garda Siochana Act, 2005.)

Gsoc has been informed that the man was found to be unresponsive minutes after being put in a cell at Drogheda Garda Station at 1pm yesterday. Gardai administered CPR and an ambulance was called. The man was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, and pronounced dead a short time later.

The matter is currently under examination by Gsoc, the spokeswoman added.

Potential witnesses who may have information in relation to the death or who were in the vicinity of Trinity Street, Drogheda before 12.40pm Sunday 31 January are asked to ring the GSOC witness appeal line at 1890 600 800.





Todd Carr Any great home improvement experience requires top-notch customer service, high-quality work and exceptional communications. Thats what Im looking forward to bringing to this business and to this industry. - Todd Carr

Before COVID-19 hit, Todd Carr was managing hospitality teams, helping corporations host impressive and seamless events, and even wrangling the demands of brides. Now hes looking forward to using his more than 20 years of events, management and customer service experience as the owner of a new business  Fresh Coat Painters of Metro Chicago.

My level of experience working with clients, managing teams and exceeding expectations makes me uniquely qualified to run a home improvement company. While it may not seem like there are many parallels between the two industries, the truth is that any great home improvement experience requires top-notch customer service, high-quality work and exceptional communications. Thats what Im looking forward to bringing to this business and to this industry, Carr said.

Fresh Coat Painters of Metro Chicago serves the South Loop, West Loop, Downtown, River North and the surrounding areas. The new company offers painting services including interior and exterior painting, sealing and staining; popcorn ceiling removal; garage epoxy; drywall repair; agricultural repair; gutter cleaning and more. Fresh Coat Painters has a 24/7 receptionist, online scheduling and free detailed quotes, and they only use high-quality materials.

As part of the companys commitment to customer service, Fresh Coat Painters offers a 3-3-3 customer service pledge, which means calls will be answered by a live person within three rings, a quote will be delivered within three days (customer schedule permitting) and the job will be started within three weeks. Fresh Coat Painters has a national product partnership with Sherwin-Williams, so products are guaranteed to be high quality.

When COVID-19 put a halt to hospitality industry, I realized I had an opportunity to do something new and to be an even bigger part of this community. My parents owned a franchise late in their careers, so I started researching and Fresh Coat Painters spoke to me. From the logo to the mission to the services, I felt like it was a perfect fit for me and for Metro Chicago, Carr said.

Fresh Coat Painters was founded in 2004 as part of Strategic Franchising Systems. Since 2015, Fresh Coat Painters has been included in the Bonds Top 100 and named to Entrepreneur Magazines Franchise 500 list. Fresh Coat Painters is also part of the International Franchise Association, the Small Business Associations Franchise Registry, VetFran and Minority Fran. Fresh Coat Painters of Metro Chicago is bonded and insured.

For more information about Fresh Coat Painters of Metro Chicago, call 855-912-6928, email TCarr@FreshCoatPainters.com or visit http://www.FreshCoatPainters.com/Metro-Chicago.
A London cafe boss from Albania who is accused of smuggling heroin across Europe as part of a major drug trafficking ring will be extradited to Italy.

Taulant Stoica, 34, is accused of smuggling drugs from the Netherlands into Italy between December 2015 and February 2016.

He allegedly conspired with 38 others who helped transport and distribute the Class A drugs into Italy.

Prosecutors claim the father of four of Brampton Road, Bexleyheath, Kent, fled to the UK and set up Roma Milano Cafe in Lea Bridge Road, Walthamstow, east London, as a front to avoid arrest.

Taulant Stoica, 34, is accused of smuggling heroin from the Netherlands into Italy and prosecutors claim he set up Milano Cafe in Lea Bridge Road, Walthamstow, London, as a front to avoid arrest

But Stoica, who entered the dock wearing a Louis Vuitton face mask, claimed an official document sent to him by his Italian lawyer confirmed the arrest warrant had been dropped.

Stoica, earlier granted bail after he paid a 20,000 surety to Westminster Magistrates Court, spoke to confirm his name and age through an interpreter.

Louisa Collins, defending, said: I received a communication this morning that the EU arrest warrant has been withdrawn.

Ive been sent a document by Mr Stoicas Italian lawyer, there is an order that has been provided and its dated todays date, the 1 Feb 2021.

The hearing took place on 28 January. The decision I think was made on that date but a formal copy of the order was made this morning.

I dont have a translation of that document.

The end of it seems to suggest the EU arrest warrant seems to be revoked.

Stoica, earlier granted bail after he paid a 20,000 surety to Westminster Magistrates Court

Amanda Bostock, for the Italian government, said the Crown Prosecution Service had not received confirmation about the decision to revoke the arrest warrant.

Addressing the judge, Ms Bostock said: Sir, we made contact with the Italian liaison magistrate but she was not aware of a request for the EU arrest warrant to be withdrawn.

District Judge John Bristow told Stoica: I first heard the extradition hearing on 7 December last year. I was not able to hand judgment down on 6 January because I had not received by that date a confirmation that the arrest warrant in Italy had been withdrawn.

As you know, I indicated to you on 6 January that I would hand judgment down today unless it had been conclusively proved that the European arrest warrant had been withdrawn by the Italian authorities.

Despite what Ms Collins has submitted on your behalf, and despite her best efforts this morning, I am not persuaded that I can be clear that the European arrest warrant has been withdrawn by the Italian authorities.

Stoica, who denies drug trafficking, has had his passport surrendered to the police. Picture: Stock

I am sure that the Italian authorities have made a decision to prosecute you.

I am sure that your extradition to Italy is compatible with your convention right to respect for your private and family life. I am sure that extradition would not be disproportionate and so accordingly, I order your extradition to Italy.

The judge ordered Stoica not to enter any international travel hubs, or apply for international documents or be in possession of any such documents.

He was bailed on condition he resides at his home address, observes an electronically monitored curfew from midnight to 4 am, and keeps with him at all times a mobile, and answers any incoming calls.

Stoicas passport has been surrendered to police.

Judge Bristow added: If the UK authorities ask you to surrender at any given time, must do so.

Stoica denies drug trafficking. He has seven days to appeal the judges decision or he will be removed to Italy.
Kolkata, Feb 1 : Another Trinamool Congress legislator from Diamond Harbour in West Bengal's South 24-Parganas district Dipak Haldar resigned from the state's ruling formation on Monday, a day ahead of Bharatiya Janata Partys newly inducted leader Suvendu Adhikari's mega rally in the district.

Haldar tendered his resignation by speed post to the Trinamool Congress' state headquarters at Topsia.

Speculation is rife that he might join the BJP at a rally that is scheduled to be held at Baruipur on Tuesday, sources said.

Haldar was known to be a close associate of rebel TMC leader and former Kolkata mayor Sovan Chattopadhyay who also defected to BJP in Bengal. The two-time Trinamool lawmaker is from Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee's Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency.

His resignation from the party is seen to be a significant move ahead of the forthcoming state Assembly polls as the BJP is trying to make a dent into Abhishek's vote bank.
Aspen, CO (81611)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 72F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 44F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

The military, in recent days, had tried to argue in the Supreme Court that the country's 2020 election results were fraudulent and threatened to 'take action'

The military of Myanmar overthrew the countrys fragile democratic government in a coup detat Monday, arresting civilian leaders, shutting off the internet and cutting off flights.

The coup returns the country to full military rule after a short experiment in quasi-democracy that began in 2011, when the military, which had been in power since 1962, implemented parliamentary elections and other reforms.

What led to the military coup in Myanmar?

Parliament was scheduled this week to hold its first session since the countrys 8 November elections, in which the National League for Democracy, the countrys leading civilian party, won 83 percent of the bodys available seats.

The military refused to accept the results of the vote, which was widely seen as a referendum on the popularity of Aung San Suu Kyi. Suu Kyi, the head of the NLD, has been the countrys de facto civilian leader since taking office in 2015.

The new Parliament was expected to endorse the election results and approve the next government.

The possibility of the coup emerged in recent days. The military, which had tried in the countrys Supreme Court to argue that the election results were fraudulent, threatened to take action and surrounded the houses of Parliament with soldiers.

How was the coup carried out?

The military on Monday detained the leaders of the governing NLD party and Myanmars civilian leadership, including Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, along with Cabinet ministers, the chief ministers of several regions, Opposition politicians, writers and activists.

The coup was effectively announced on the military-owned Myawaddy TV station when a news presenter cited the 2008 constitution, which allows the military to declare a national emergency. The state of emergency, he said, would remain in place for one year.

The military quickly seized control of the countrys infrastructure, suspending most television broadcasts and canceling all domestic and international flights, according to reports.

Telephone and internet access was suspended in major cities. The stock market and commercial banks were closed, and long lines were seen outside ATMs in some places. In Yangon, the countrys largest city and former capital, residents ran to markets to stock up on food and other supplies.

Who is Aung San Suu Kyi?

Suu Kyi came to power as state councilor in 2016 after the countrys first fully democratic vote in decades.

Her ascension to leadership was seen as a critical moment in the transition of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, to democracy from military dictatorship. Suu Kyi, the daughter of the countrys independence hero General Aung San, spent more than 15 years under house arrest.

Her time in detention made her an international icon, and she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

Since her release, her reputation has been tarnished by her cooperation with the military and her vociferous defense of the countrys deadly campaign against the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority group. In 2019, she represented the country at a trial in the International Court of Justice, at which she defended Myanmar against accusations of ethnic violence.

Many believed Suu Kyis cooperation with the military was a pragmatic move that would hasten the countrys evolution to full democracy, but her detention Monday appeared to prove the lie in the militarys commitment to democracy.

Who is Senior General Aung Hlaing?

The military said it had handed power to the army chief, Senior General Aung Hlaing.

The move prolongs the power of Aung Hlaing, who is supposed to age out as army chief this summer. His patronage network, centered on lucrative family businesses, could well have been undermined by his retirement, especially had he not been able to secure a clean exit.

Under the former power-sharing agreement, Aung Hlaing presided over two business conglomerates and was able to appoint three key Cabinet members who oversee the police and border guards.

The military never fell under the control of the civilian government. In recent years, the army, with Aung Hlaing at the helm, has overseen campaigns against several of the countrys ethnic minority groups, including the Rohingya, the Shan and the Kokang.

Russell Goldman c.2021 The New York Times Company
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 23:52:00|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

YANGON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar military announced a major cabinet reshuffle hours after the country declared a state of emergency on Monday.

Under the cabinet reshuffle, new union ministers were appointed for 11 ministries while 24 deputy ministers were removed from their posts, a televised statement from the military said.

The newly appointed ministers are for ministries of foreign affairs, union government office, defence services, border affairs, planning, finance and industry, investment and foreign economic relations, among others, according to the statement.

The 24 deputy ministers who were removed from their posts include those from the state counsellor office, union government office, planning, finance and industry, investment and foreign economic relations, international cooperation, information, religious affairs and culture, among others.

The move came after the President's Office declared the state of emergency for one year and the legislative, executive and judicial powers were handed over to the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services earlier Monday. Enditem
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Indian government's efforts to safeguard Israeli diplomats following the recent terror attack near the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Modi on Monday had called Netanyahu assuring him of safety and security of Israeli diplomats in India. The official Twitter handle of Israel's Prime Minister confirmed it, saying that Prime Minister Modi reiterated that India "would continue to cooperate with Israel in the fight against terrorism".

A statement issued by the government said that Modi spoke to Netanyahu on the phone, conveying his strong condemnation of the attack near the Israeli Embassy here on January 29.

India accords the highest importance to the safety and security of Israeli diplomats and premises, and would deploy all its resources to find and punish the perpetrators, Modi assured Netanyahu.

Both leaders expressed satisfaction about the close coordination between Indian and Israeli security agencies in the case.

Modi and Netanyahu also briefed each other about the progress in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in their respective countries, and discussed possibilities of further collaboration in this regard, as per the statement.
Cebuanos that are looking to buy an all-new Geely can now head to the automaker's newest showroom. Sojtiz G Auto Philippines (SGAP), the official distributor of Geely cars in the country, has opened another dealership in the country.

Officially opening its doors is Geely Cebu, serving as the second dealership opened by SGAP this 2021. Owned and operated by the Gateway Group of Companies, the newly-opened dealership will provide both sales and servicing of Geely vehicles in Cebu.

I wish to congratulate Gateway group for opening this flagship Geely showroom in Cebu. I am sure that the shareholders and management of Gateway Group are proud of this as this dealership was built in your very own hometown, said Mikihisa Takayama, SGAP president.

Takayama added that not only will Cebuanos be impressed with the world-class facilities of Geely Cebu, but they will also be enticed by the latest vehicles on display. These include the hot-selling Coolray, the three-row Okavango, and the sleek-looking Azkarra.

Markane Goho, Gateway Group president, said that he is confident that Geely will be another successful brand in the country.

We foresee that Geely will soon be another successful brand in the local auto industry which is the reason why we are confident in working with SGAP to open more outlets for this fast-rising auto brand, added Goho.

Geely's latest dealership is located at M.C. Briones Street, Maguikay, Mandaue City, Cebu. It's open Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM  6:00 PM.
The Myanmar military's seizure of power on Monday follows weeks of tensions with civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her government.

Suu Kyi and other top civilian leaders were taken into custody by soldiers on the same day as the first new parliamentary session was due to be held since a national election last November.

Here's what we know so far:

- How did the crisis begin? -

Suu Kyi remains an immensely popular figure in Myanmar despite her international reputation being deeply tarnished over a crackdown on the country's stateless Rohingya minority in 2017.

Her National League for Democracy (NLD) party swept last year's poll in a landslide, winning by an even greater margin than the 2015 vote that brought the former Nobel laureate to power.

But the country's military, which has ruled Myanmar for most of the last 60 years, says the vote was plagued by irregularities.

It claims to have uncovered more than 10 million instances of voter fraud and has demanded the government-run election commission release voter lists for cross-checking.

Tensions grew after General Min Aung Hlaing -- the head of the military and arguably Myanmar's most powerful individual -- gave a speech warning that the country's constitution could be "revoked" if it is not respected.

Last week army tanks were also briefly deployed on the streets of commercial hub Yangon, the capital Naypyidaw and elsewhere, along with protests against the election result by pro-military supporters.

- What's the current state of play? -

The army has declared a state of emergency and says it will take power for 12 months.

Myint Swe, a former general who ran the powerful Yangon military command and the current vice-president of Myanmar, will become acting president for the next year.

But it appears he will not be the one running the show.

In a statement read out on military-run Myawaddy TV and signed by Myint Swe, he said "legislative, judicial and executive powers" have been handed over to Min Aung Hlaing -- effectively returning Myanmar to military rule.

Story continues

The army later pledged to hold fresh elections after the year-long state of emergency.

"A free and fair multiparty general election will be held and then state responsibilities will be handed over to the winning party," a statement on the army's official Facebook page said.

- Has this happened before? -

Myanmar has been ruled by military regimes for most of its history since independence from former colonial power Britain in 1948.

General Ne Win ousted a civilian administration in 1962, saying it was not competent enough to govern.

He ran the country for the next 26 years but stepped down in 1988 after huge nationwide protests against economic stagnation and authoritarian rule.

A new generation of military leaders took command a few weeks later, citing the need to restore law and order in the country.

Junta leader General Than Shwe stepped down in 2011, handing over power to a government of retired generals after adopting the country's current constitution.

- Will the constitution stand? -

The 2008 constitution carved out a powerful ongoing political role for the military, giving it control of the key interior, border and defence ministries.

Any changes need the support of military lawmakers, who control a quarter of seats in the country's parliament.

Its guarantee of military power makes the constitution a "deeply unpopular" document, according to Yangon-based political analyst Khin Zaw Win.

Suu Kyi and her government have been trying to amend the charter since winning the 2015 election, with little success.

During the last term she circumvented a rule that prevented her from assuming the presidency by taking the de facto leadership role of "state counsellor".

This loophole is one of several the military did not foresee, political analyst Soe Myint Aung said.

"From their perspective, it has lost significant control over the political process," he told AFP.

-- What happens next?--

The constitution says a state of emergency can be declared for up to a year -- a timeline the military appeared to be in agreement with on Monday.

But given the institution's near-total control of the country, that timeframe remains up in the air.

No matter what happens next, the general will try "to stack the game in his favour", said Herve Lemahieu of Australia's Lowy Institute.

Meanwhile, Suu Kyi had issued a pre-emptive call for people to reject any military takeover before she was detained on Monday, her party said.

According to a post on the official Facebook page of the chair of the National League for Democracy, she had called on people "not to accept a coup".

burs-dhc/leg
Through this program, the brand will encourage everyone to invest in a diverse portfolio of unscripted nights, last-minute plans and good times spent laughing and loving with a Stella Artois in hand and those dearest to you. The return? Accruing fond memories together that will be savored for a lifetime.

"Over the last year, many of us have found the value of investing our heartbeats and time in each other and discovered all kinds of new ways to come together safely to make memories," said Lara Krug, VP of Marketing, Stella Artois. "Well into the new year now, we want to inspire everyone to keep hedging their bets in shared moments together, so we're taking the campaign to an exceptionally poignant platform that has long brought people together, Super Bowl LV."

An Unforgettable Bond: Stella Artois & Lenny Kravitz Bring "Heartbeat Billionaire" Film To Super Bowl LV

To get everyone in on the value of investing in each other, Stella Artois collaborated with Grammy Award-winning rock musician Lenny Kravitz for the new film, "Heartbeat Billionaire," airing during Super Bowl LV on Sunday, February 7.

In the musical film, Lenny Kravitz's message of love is delivered via poetic spoken word as the beloved rocker plays to the (heart) beat of his own drum and guitar. As his famous song "It Ain't Over Til It's Over" chimes in, Kravitz is transported to the brand's animated and colorful interpretation of The Life Artois - the Stella Artois mindset of savoring life together with those who matter most.

"This life is short, and while we're all given the opportunity to live through 2.5 billion heartbeats, each one is special and should be treated as such," said Lenny Kravitz. "It's a very powerful message and it comes at a very special moment for everyone to pause and marvel at life's true riches - our time with each other."

Tune in now on the Stella Artois YouTube page to view "Heartbeat Billionaire." As part of Anheuser-Busch's commitment to build a more sustainable future, the film has earned the Gold Green Seal by the Environmental Media Association and follows the guidelines for sustainable production of TV, movies and events.

Art Not Ads: Taking Reimagined Investment Advice To The Streets Through Creative Out-Of-Home

Outside of the film, Stella Artois will spread low-risk, high return investment advice across the country via fresh out-of-home. Overlaid with beautiful illustrations from The Life Artois, the brand shows the juxtaposition of typical business counsel reimagined as tips for savoring life together.

Such insider trade secrets include:

How do you invest in shares in The Life Artois? By sharing a meal over a Stella Artois with someone you love.

What's the best way to invest in networking in The Life Artois? By opening your windows to your neighbors in order to connect with each other from afar.

What's the smartest way to invest in late hours in The Life Artois? By enjoying an evening of cheersing together with Stella Artois and friends.

Kicking off last week, the investment advice threaded through the brand's Twitter page and continues today with opportunities to join the conversation. Tag a friend who you want to invest in, and @StellaArtois may just send you a complimentary round of beer to savor together.

Extending through March, the "Invest Your Heartbeats In The Life Artois" 360 marketing campaign will live on television, online, on social, in OOH and culminate with a soon-to-be-dropped announcement that will keep people investing in each other through winter with special incentives and unforgettable experiences.





For more information and program updates, follow @StellaArtoisUSA on Instagram and Facebook and @StellaArtois on Twitter.

About Stella Artois

Stella Artois is part of a brewing tradition dating back to 1366. It is the winner of the 2019 World Beer Award for World's Best International Lager and is present in 95 countries. Stella Artois is a bottom filtered, blonde pilsner. It is thirst quenching with a malty middle and crisp finish delivering a full flavor and a hint of bitterness. Stella Artois is best enjoyed served between 37.4- and 41-degree Fahrenheit and should be served in the unique Stella Artois Chalice according to the 9-Step Pouring Ritual to guarantee a perfect experience of this gold standard lager. Visit www.stellaartois.com for more information.

About Anheuser-Busch

For more than 165 years, Anheuser-Busch has carried on a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. Today, we own and operate more than 120 facilities, including breweries, wholesaler distribution centers, agricultural facilities and packaging plants, and have more than 19,000 colleagues across the United States. We are home to several of America's most recognizable beer brands, including Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob ULTRA and Stella Artois, as well as a number of regional brands that provide beer drinkers with a choice of the best-tasting craft beers in the industry. From responsible drinking programs and emergency drinking water donations to industry-leading sustainability efforts, we are guided by our unwavering commitment to supporting the communities we call home. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com or follow Anheuser-Busch on LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook and Instagram .

Press Contacts

Laura Alito

[email protected]

Marisa Molbogot

[email protected]

SOURCE Stella Artois
In 2020, Vietnam recorded the highest disbursement rate for public investments. The country aims to distribute US$119 billion over the next four years.

Public investments are a key component of Vietnams economic recovery particularly since private investment and consumption have lagged in 2020. GSO estimates that for every 1 percent increase in public investments, GDP rises by 0.06 percent.

The focus of public investments has been Vietnams transport infrastructure and connectivity constraints. In the medium-term, foreign firms participation in public-private partnership projects particularly in connectivity infrastructure projects is likely to increase.

Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has estimated that in 2020 average disbursement rates for public investment exceeded 90 percent. This compares to 67 percent in 2019 and 66 percent in 2018. The 2020 target for public investment was set at US$27 billion.

Over the next four years, Vietnam has set a public investment budget of US$119 billion. This capital expenditure by federal and local government represents the ability and intention of the Vietnamese government to plan, coordinate and expedite public investment objectives.

In 2019 Vietnam introduced the Law on Public Investment, which is expected to accelerate decentralization, increase accountability and contribute to higher efficiency in public investment. In addition, public investment is a key component of the MPIs Socioeconomic Development Plan 2021-2025.

Public investment is a key component of the post-pandemic recovery and is expected to be targeted at infrastructure assets that increase intra-regional connectivity. Going forward, it is also expected that foreign capitals participation in these projects is likely to increase and opportunities for public-private partnerships could attract foreign firms into sectors such as transport and infrastructure.

Vietnam Briefing discusses three reasons why public investment plans in Vietnam impact foreign investors in the country.

1. Contribution to GDP: Positive spill-overs

Amid the pandemic, a slowdown was witnessed in key drivers of economic growth such as consumption and private investment. Despite these effects, the country recorded a 2.9 percent growth rate in 2020. This economic expansion was a result of not only higher public investment but also greater efficiency in the distribution of funds.

Increases in public investment are associated with positive spill-overs such as increases in aggregate demand, investor confidence, and local economic activity in regions where the investment is targeted. For example, public investment resulted in 6.7 percent growth in the Vietnamese construction industry in 2020. In turn, this increased demand for materials, technology, and labor.

Therefore, these spill-overs contribute to the economy at large. The General Statistics Office (GSO) estimates that for every 1 percent increase in public spending, GDP rises by 0.06 percent.

The public investment agenda has consequently played a key role in Vietnams economic recovery in 2020 and it is likely that over the next four years, similar spill-over effects are observed in sectors such as construction, transport, utilities, and materials.

2. The connectivity agenda

A significant portion of these public investments are targeted at key connectivity projects. These include the national coastal network, My Thuan bridge, Cat Linh  Ha Dong urban railway, and the eastern cluster of the North-South Expressway among others.

The North-South Expressway project covers 654 km, 13 civil work packages, and has an estimated value of US$5 billion. Included in the 2021-2025 public investment plan are three key projects of this expressway: the Mai Son-National Highway No.45, Vinh Hao-Phan Thiet, and Phan Thiet-Dau Giay. The government expects these three projects to significantly alleviate congestion pressure, meet mobility demand and reduce transport cost, and time for companies operating in the country. Likewise, the national coastal road has been a key component of the governments attempt to invest in connectivity and transport infrastructure.

This focus on connectivity and transport infrastructure is a welcome move for foreign investors who seek to maximize their efficiency gains from Vietnam. In recent years, many of the nations highways, airports, and ports have experienced congestion and rising demand pressure.

3. Opportunities for foreign firms and public-private partnerships.

In addition to increasing volume and efficiency in public investment, Vietnam also plans to increase private and foreign capitals participation in these projects.

The main channel for this is public-private partnerships under the Ministry of Transport and sub-entities such as Directorate for Roads of Vietnam, the Vietnam Railway Authority, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam.

Recently, Vietnam introduced a new law governing public-private partnerships. The law includes a focus on five sectors: transportation, healthcare, education, transmission grid, and water. PPP projects in these sectors will also be extended preferred corporate income tax, preferential land use fee structures, and credit support.

The law also indicates that to qualify as a PPP project, a minimum investment capital commitment of US$ 8.5 million is needed, with the state restricted to 50 percent of the project value. In order to increase the attractiveness of the PPP model for foreign firms, the government has also signaled a willingness to offer guarantees of access to and patterns of land use.

It is expected that the new PPP law could result in average annual construction growth of 6.8 percent between 2021 and 2029. This could increase market opportunities in consulting, design, construction, project management, and high-value industrial goods. Currently, companies from South Korea, Japan, and China are active participants in the transport infrastructure market and it is likely that a broader range of foreign firms participate in these projects in the medium-term.
Alabama has launched a website where state residents can make appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine, check their eligibility and locate drive-thru and walk-in vaccine clinics in their area.

The website from the state Department of Public Health, which can be accessed here, walks Alabamians through whether they are eligible to be vaccinated at the moment. If eligible, residents are able to make an online appointment in their county. If their county is not taking online appointments, they are directed to locations for drive-thru and walk-in clinics overseen by their county.

Alabamians who are not eligible for the vaccine can also choose to get an email confirmation when their vaccine group is eligible.

The state is currently in Phase 1b of its vaccination plan, which includes Alabamians 75 and older. The Phase 1a group, which includes long-term care residents, first responders, doctors, nurses and pharmacists, is also still receiving the vaccine.

The website also includes information on what to expect when you arrive for your vaccination appointment.

Next week, Alabama is including any resident 65 and older along with first responders, grocery workers, judges and other occupations to its vaccine plan, which it said will add more than 1 million eligible residents.
Niamey:

Nine people were killed and several kidnapped following an attack in Southeastern Niger by suspected Boko Harams members, local authorities said on Monday.



The attack happened last night, between 2100-2200 GMT. About 30 to 40 women and children were taken by the assailants, local mayor Abari El Hadj Daouda told AFP, adding that Nigerien authorities were headed to the area to investigate.



The attack took place in Kabalewa, a village near the southeastern Niger city of Diffa, which is close to Nigeria the second such attack in the village in a week.

ALSO READ: Nigeria releases 82 Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists about three years back



On Wednesday, two women bombers blew themselves up in a refugee camp in the town, killing two other people and injuring 11, in an act also blamed on Boko Haram Islamists.



Boko Harams insurgency began in northeast Nigeria and has spread to Chad, Cameroon and Niger, claiming more than 20,000 lives and displacing 2.6 million people.



The groups members have since 2015 been staging regular attacks in the Diffa region, where Niger has declared a state of emergency. There are more than 300,000 refugees and displaced people sheltered in the area, but authorities said they are planning to transfer thousands of refugees and displaced to camps farther from Nigerias border.

ALSO READ: Boko Haram leader Shekau injured, his deputy killed in air strike in northeast Nigeria

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The total outlay of Rs 4.78 lakh crore included an allocation of Rs 1.15 lakh crore for payment of pensions

New Delhi: At a time Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a standoff in eastern Ladakh, the government on Monday increased the capital outlay for the armed forces by nearly 19 percent while allocating a total of Rs 4.78 lakh crore for defence budget for 2021-22 as against Rs 4.71 lakh crore last year.

Rs 1.35 lakh crore has been set aside for capital expenditure that includes purchasing new weapons, aircraft, warships and other military hardware, according to the Union Budget presented in the Lok Sabha by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The capital outlay in the defence budget 2020-21 was Rs 1.13 lakh crore.

Follow LIVE Updates on the Union Budget 2021 here

In a tweet, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sitharaman for increasing the defence budget to Rs 4.78 lakh crore and said the nearly 19 percent hike in the capital expenditure is the highest-ever increase in the last 15 years.

The defence minister also expressed happiness over Sitharaman's budget proposal to open 100 new Sainik schools.

The total outlay of Rs 4.78 lakh crore included an allocation of Rs 1.15 lakh crore for payment of pensions. Significantly, the allocation for payment of pension has come down as it was Rs 1.33 lakh crore in the previous budget.

Excluding the pension outgo, the total revenue expenditure, which includes expenses on payment of salaries and maintenance of establishments, has been pegged at Rs 2.12 lakh crore.

Military experts expressed satisfaction on the overall allocation considering the adverse impact of the coronavirus -triggered pandemic on the economy, though, they said, India will have to gradually increase defence spending to deal with increasing external threats.

"I am satisfied with the total allocation to the armed forces considering the state of the economy in view of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic," said Dr Laxman Behera of the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

He said the increase of around Rs 22,000 crore in capital outlay is a welcome move which will help the three services in carrying on with their modernisation drive.

"I specially thank PM and FM for increasing the defence budget to Rs 4.78 lakh cr for FY 21-22 which includes capital expenditure worth Rs 1.35 lakh crore. It is nearly 19 per cent increase in defence capital expenditure. This is the highest ever increase in capital outlay for defence in 15 yrs," Defence Minister Singh tweeted.
Weeks after Chris Diaz stepped down following two terms as Harris County Precinct 2 constable, a mystery remains: What happened to tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash?

Eleven months after the Houston Chronicle first reported irregularities in Diazs campaign finance reports, the required disclosures remain riddled with errors and fail to account for the whereabouts of more than $60,000 in contributions the constable reported receiving.

I cant say Ive ever seen a mistake that large, if it is in fact a mistake, Austin campaign finance attorney Roger Borgelt said. Thats a rather large discrepancy in my experience, and Ive looked at dozens of these.

Diaz has yet to file his most recent campaign finance report, which was due Jan. 15, according to the Harris County Clerks Office.

The former constable and his campaign treasurer  his wife, Ana  did not respond to requests for comment. Harris County Precinct 3 Constable Sherman Eagleton hired Diaz as a deputy in early January.

Candidates and elected officials in Texas are required to regularly file campaign finance reports detailing political contributions and expenses. The reports are supposed to provide some transparency to the public on how political campaigns are financed and managed and ensure candidates follow the rules established by the Texas Ethics Commission.

There are no restrictions on how much Harris County candidates can accept from individual donors, and since campaign accounts also can be used to supplement an elected officials office budget, few limits exist on how political donations may be spent. Harris County officials recently have billed their campaigns for restaurant tabs, artwork, vehicle leases and foreign travel. One even invests donor money in the stock market.

Max, max

Diaz stands out because his reports literally do not add up. A Chronicle analysis of the 23 reports the constable filed while in office found that he reported $556,210 in contributions and $488,041 in expenses from Jan. 1, 2013, though June 30, 2020. Subtracting the $6,514 cash on hand Diaz reported on his most recent filing last July, $61,655 remains unaccounted for.

In addition to the accounting inconsistencies, the reports contain numerous misspelled donor names and job titles, including several instances in which a donors first name is missing. On one form, a donor is listed only as Max, max.

On seven of Diazs reports, the listed contribution total is more than $1,000 higher than the actual sum of donations shown. In July 2013, Diazs donations totaled $6,134 more than the sum he listed. The sum of donations on the July 2014 report was $5,174 higher than the amount shown.

Last October, Diaz took the unusual step of amending four reports filed in the past four years. In three, he said the expenses of $13,469 and $6,549 at Sams Club and $4,097 at Edible Arrangements were actually $135, $66 and $41, owing to misplaced decimal points.

By decreasing those expenses, Diaz added almost $24,000 to the total unaccounted for by his campaign.

Borgelt said candidates often file sloppy campaign finance reports, though the high-dollar disparities on Diazs disclosures are unusual. The Texas Ethics Commission has limited power  it cannot investigate beyond reviewing a candidates filings  but Borgelt said the regulator could determine whether Diaz has broken the law. The TEC can issue fines of up to $10,000, though its record of collecting from violators is mixed.

I do think they do a good job of addressing the complaints they receive, Borgelt said. I think, perhaps, their firepower in addressing them is somewhat limited.

The TEC told the Chronicle in December it had no communication with Diaz in 2020. The Harris County District Attorneys Office, which in December announced several charges related to political campaigns, declined to say whether Diaz ever was under investigation.

The double Jerry

Diaz has been embroiled in several ethics issues since he first was elected in 2012 to represent the east Harris County precinct.

The constable had at least 10 boxes of T-shirts donated for Hurricane Harvey victims printed with the Precinct 2 logo and the words Team Diaz, a 2018 KHOU investigation found. He threw some of the shirts to crowds at a St. Patricks Day parade in Jacinto City, where his wife serves as mayor.

Diaz defended the shirt printing as community outreach that was the idea of one of his lieutenants.

Last year, more than a dozen current and former Precinct 2 employees told the Chronicle Diaz had pressured them to contribute to his campaign. They described a work environment in which Diaz blurred the boundary between the constables office and his campaign and said he sometimes appeared more interested in ensuring his re-election than policing his working-class, predominantly Latino precinct.

And then there is the curious case of the 2020 Democratic primary for constable, which included two challengers named Jerry Garcia.

The first Garcia was a lieutenant in a neighboring constable precinct. The second, who entered the race on the day of the filing deadline, was a vessel repairman on the Houston Ship Channel and a cousin of Diazs wife.

Lt. Garcia alleged Cousin Garcias candidacy was a ploy by Diaz to dupe voters into voting for the wrong candidate. Diaz told the Chronicle in December 2019 he had nothing to do with his relatives decision to run against him.

Cousin Garcia did not formally campaign nor bother to set up a website or social media pages. He received 9 percent of the vote in the March primary, which helped keep top vote-getter Lt. Garcia below the 50 percent threshold needed for an outright win. Garcia defeated Diaz in the July primary runoff.

Houston elections attorney Gerald Birnberg said that while morally reprehensible, recruiting a straw candidate for an election with the intent to deceive voters is permitted under Texas law.

So long as the transaction was truthfully reported, the mere act of creating confusion is not in and of itself illegal, Birnberg said.

Eagleton, the Precinct 3 constable, said he was aware of ethics questions surrounding Diaz when he hired him. Since no allegations have been proven, he said he is giving Diaz the benefit of the doubt.

I sure hope he doesnt bring any baggage over to my office, because I was just trying to be nice and keep him on the payroll, Eagleton said.

zach.despart@chron.com

twitter.com/zachdespart
A CASTLECONNELL creative and historical writing competition has unveiled a remarkable story connecting the village to Napoleons death mask.

A death mask is a likeness of a person's face after their death, usually made by taking a cast or impression from the corpse

Castleconnell is steeped in history and heritage but when organisers asked for historical stories and tales of hidden history in a story competition no one could have foreseen such an amazing true story to be told.

The competition was judged by local resident and one of the most highly respected writers and poets in Ireland, Stephen Murphy. Described as the new bard of the country by none other than President Michael D. Higgins, Stephen had the arduous task of sieving through the entries but was satisfied that there was one clear winner, with three other stories claiming the top prizes.

First place went to Napoleon's Death Mask (see below), written by Barbara Hartigan - a lady better known for having a paint brush than a pen in her hand but is equally talented with both. She received a family membership to River Leisure Club. In second place was Mary OFarrell, who wrote We Live in Hope. She won a Cunninghams SuperValu hamper. Paul OConnor is off on his travels when he can with family tickets from Irish Rail for his story, Saturday Morning Walk. Fourth place went to Conor Goreys The War of Independence. It garnered him a 50 voucher from the Credit Union.

The competition was held to celebrate the launch of a new website called Castleconnell Infopedia. This joint venture between ACM and Love Castleconnell was supported by Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht and Audience Engagement Funding Scheme.

With regard to the winning entry, Stephen said: Already, by the end of the first paragraph, there's a great sense of the fiery Annie Hartigan and the scene set around her, which continues throughout the story. It's both really well told, and a deeply fascinating tale about the history of the area - Napoleon's death mask isn't something you'd expect to show up in a trunk upstairs in a house in Castleconnell! And it's recounted with such precision that it left me wondering how whoever wrote this had such accurate descriptive detail for the story as it happened.

Nicky McNamara, of Love Castleconnell, said they were delighted by the huge response to the competition.

The stories will be published on the website for all to read. We also had a fantastic response to our questionnaire, which is invaluable for people to be able to share their thoughts. We are still encouraging people to contribute to this. The aim of which is give the general public the ability to offer feedback and offer opinions on how to improve life within the village, said Nicky.

Infopedia.ie is a Living Encyclopedia designed to capture and preserve information about the community and the surrounds.

Napoleons Death Mask by Barbara Hartigan

Annie Hartigan, was a small fiery, red-haired, dressmaker who lived all her life in Railway Cottage, now refurbished and renamed Sloe Berry Cottage, next to the Garda station in Castleconnell.

One day in the 1950s Edward Hartigan, her nephew, was working in the house accompanied by his youngest son Leslie.

Bored and with childish curiosity Leslie climbed the stairs onto the small landing and noticed a large antique leather trunk pushed beneath the eaves. On lifting the lid he felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck as a ghostly white decapitated, disembodied head peered out from the darkness.

Dropping the lid, he fled down the stairs and out into the sunlight.

Having recovered from the shock, Leslie persuaded his Dad to come with him to investigate further. They discovered that the head was accompanied by a newspaper cutting, which stated in bold print, Napoleon's death mask missing. and a hand written letter, which stated that Napoleon's death mask had been handed to Major Thomas Gilley on a ship in the Mediterranean in 1821, the year that Napoleon died.

Major Gilley was a friend of the Hartigans and when he died his wife gave the death mask to Patrick Hartigan, Edward's father and Leslies grandfather.

Annie, now in poor health moved in to Ingoldsby, to live with Edward and his wife Edith.

Canon James Pennefather, the Church of Ireland Rector of All Saints Church, Castleconnell, was a regular caller to Ingoldsby and on one of these visits he was shown Napoleons death mask and its accompanying certification of authenticity. Being both amazed and intrigued he suggested that Judge Gamble, who had recently retired to live in Ballinacourty House, might be asked for an opinion as to who could be interested in appraising this unique find.

Judge Gamble, made contact with a Baron de Brie in London who expressed interest in the information.

The mask and the handwritten letter were wrapped and transported to London by Judge Gamble.

A few weeks passed and the Judge returned, without the mask and the handwritten letter but with an offer of 24 guineas, which was to be divided between Annie, Edith and Edward. Edward did not want to sell but was overruled by the two ladies and the 24 Guineas were duly paid, divided three ways and the deal done.

Not long afterwards Castleconnell village was invaded by a number of French reporters and media officials who all wanted to investigate the whereabouts of Napoleons death mask that, having been bought in a London auction, had just been installed in pride of place in the Musee de Armee, at the Invalides in Paris.

Annie Hartigan died on the 10th of February 1961.

In July 1971, Leslie and his new wife Barbara, visited Paris and found the mask in close proximity to Napoleons Tomb and his beloved horse, not hiding in a dusty, leather trunk, but proudly displayed in a glass cabinet on rich red velvet, the same face that had once so terrified a small boy, now bearing the inscription.

Napoleons Death Mask, recovered in a small cottage in the south of Ireland.

Major Thomas Gilley, lived out his days in Castleconnell, in Rock Lodge, and was laid to rest in an elaborate grave at the rear of All Saints Church, marked by a wonderfully crafted monument, which he created for himself, finished, except for the date of his death,

(Easter Day 1869 aged 63.) which was carved and completed by his son, also Thomas Gilley.

Napoleons Death Mask, has now been relocated to the Maison Bonaparte, in Ajaccio, in Corsica.

Cest la vie.

Barbara Hartigan
Biden energy policies help China, hurt US

The Biden regime's energy policies are helping the Red Chinese while hurting American workers and companies. Many of them have been rammed through with executive orders of questionable legality. Stopping the Keystone Pipeline has gotten the most attention, with its destruction of thousands of good paying American jobs and its damage to our energy independence, but it is hardly the only Biden action.

Biden has ratified an international treaty, the Paris Climate Accord, by executive fiat, without the Constitutionally required Senate approval. This treaty not only calls for the US to pay out billions of dollars to other countries, but it sets up environmental rules that give Chinese industry a huge advantage over American industry by giving them lots of breaks intended for developing nations.

Biden's "green energy" plans will send lots of business to China, which makes most of the wind turbines and solar panels, as well as producing the rare earth mineerals necessary to make them work, but at the same time raise electric rates for American consumers and business. China, itself, is building lots of cheap and dependable coal fired electric capacity while Biden is pushing the expensive and unreliable wind and solar on the US.

Biden is cutting oil and gas leases on federal lands, again working to destroy America's energy independence that was gained under President Trump. This is one of the reasons for the 12% gas price hike that happened after Biden's order.

Biden has also reversed a Trump executive order and has allowed the Chinese to again be involved in America's electric infrastructure, a huge threat to our national security..

Hunter Biden had major deals with key players in the Chinese energy industry, many with ties to the ChiCom government, and still owns stock in those companies. Is the Hunter connection the reason that Biden is being so generous with America's biggest adversary, the Communist Chinese when it comes to energy policy?

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
India has developed two vaccines two-fight coronavirus. The nation is also supplying vaccines to other countries to assist them in fight against the global pandemic. India under the 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative has planned to export the vaccines to other countries to inoculate people against the shortfall in the availability of vaccines. India also planned to commercially export coronavirus vaccine to Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Canada, Mongolia and other countries. After supplying vaccine to many countries, a consignment of Indian-made vaccines arrived in Kuwait in the early hours of Monday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shared this information on Twitter. He added that it shows the close friendship and strong ties between the two nations. His Tweet reads, "Made in India vaccines now reach Kuwait. Valuing our close friendship and strong ties."

Under Neighbourhood First policy, India has rolled out Indian-made Covishield vaccines to several countries including Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh and Nepal to aid the fight against the corona pandemic. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the capacity to produce vaccines of India is one of the 'best assets that the world has today'.

Also Read:

Ireland reports 1,247 new coronavirus cases

China administers over 24-million COVID-19 doses

Assam: ABSU seeks introduction of Bodo department in Delhi University
Escooters, which often have a range of between 15km and 25km, are to be legalised.

Electric scooters will soon be legal to use in Ireland without car tax, insurance or a drivers licence, the government today signalled.

Communications Minister Eamon Ryan has approved draft legislation which will regularise escooters and electric bikes as commonly accepted means of transport.

While there are thousands of escooters being used in Irish cities, at present the devices are legally classed as mechanically propelled vehicles, categorised in a similar way to motorbikes. That means that to use one legally requires a drivers licence, motor tax and insurance. Gardai regularly turn a blind eye to people using the devices round towns and cities, although some escooter owners have complained on social media about their vehicles being seized.

Read More

E-scooters have become an increasingly popular form of personal mobility in a short period of time, said Minister Ryan. However, these devices are not legal under current Irish road traffic law. I am implementing the commitment in the Programme for Government to regulate their use by including amendments in the upcoming Road Traffic Bill so that they can be used in a safe manner.

Mr Ryan said that the legislation will provide for a new vehicle category, known as Powered Personal Transporters (PPTs). If passed, this will include escooters and similar devices. Tax, insurance and driving licenses will not be required, he said.

The new law would also reclassify electric bicycles mainly in the same way as pedal cycles, while more powerful models will be classified as light mopeds, requiring tax, insurance and a licence.

He said that ebikes would now be legislated for using EU standards as a reference point.

Escooters typically cost between 250 and 800, with ranges of between 15km and 30km between charges. They usually have a top speed of between 15kph and 25kph.

The move has already sparked a flurry of interest from companies that rent scooters commercially in cities.

"We are currently operating scooter-sharing services in several locations across the UK and were looking forward to bringing our service to Ireland once this legislation is approved into law," said Charlie Gleeson, CEO and founder of Zipp Mobility, an Irish 'micromobility' operator based at NovaUCD. "We are already talking to a number of local authorities about shared schemes and we look forward to progressing these conversations in the weeks and months ahead.

The taxi firm Free Now, formerly Hailo, has previously expressed an interest in launching an escooter rental service in Dublin. One of Europe's largest scooter-sharing firms also welcomed the government's move.

This is a hugely welcome step from the Irish Government and we are confident that, if given the green light and introduced with the highest possible safety standards for all road users, e-scooters can offer major benefits to Irish cities and their residents," said Fred Jones, Northern European general manger for Softbank-backed Tier.

However, others have received the news with a degree of dread.

"Are we going to end up with rental companies littering our cities with these in the near future?" asked Paul Madden on social media.

This view was echoed by others.

"I hope local councils go to Stockholm and see the city littered with them," said Padraic Cleary on Twitter.






Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi (L) signed a joint declaration establishing diplomatic ties with Kosovo during a ceremony held over Zoom with his counterpart from Kosovo, Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla, at Israel's foreign ministry in Jerusalem

Israel and Kosovo established diplomatic ties on Monday, with the Muslim-majority territory recognising Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital, putting it at odds with the rest of the Islamic world.

Israel has since August normalised ties with four Arab nations under a series of deals brokered by former US president Donald Trump, collectively known as the Abraham Accords.

But the majority-Muslim parties to those accords -- the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan -- have all said their diplomatic missions will be in Tel Aviv, in line with a global consensus against recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital until the Palestinian conflict is resolved.

In exchange for setting up its mission in Jerusalem, Kosovo gets recognition from Israel, as it seeks to further legitimise its 2008 declaration of independence from its former war foe Serbia.

Officials on Monday signed joint declarations separately in Jerusalem and Pristina, due to coronavirus restrictions.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said the ceremony marked "the first time in history that diplomatic relationships are being established over Zoom".

He added he had approved Kosovo's "formal request to open an embassy in Jerusalem".

- 'Historical bond' -

Kosovo's prime minister Avdullah Hoti said that the agreement means Pristina is "further consolidated in the international arena and with friends in the Middle East."

The territory's top diplomat, Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla, thanked Israel for becoming the 117th country to recognise its independence, joining much of the Western world.

China, Russia and five European Union members have not granted recognition to Kosovo.

"Kosovo has waited for a very long time to establish diplomatic relations with Israel," Haradinaj-Stublla said.

"We mark a new chapter in the historical bond between our two countries who have witnessed a long and challenging path to existing as a people and to becoming states," she added.

Haradinaj-Stublla also thanked Trump, who announced in December 2017 that Washington would move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a US policy reversal that remains at odds with the position of other world powers.

Trump's successor, President Joe Biden, has said he does not intend to overturn that controversial relocation, which was carried out in May 2018.

But Biden's presidential campaign indicated his administration would seek to reopen a mission in east Jerusalem to engage the Palestinians, who consider the eastern part of the city as the capital of their future state.

- Serbia's 'pain' -

Biden's administration on Monday applauded the agreement between Israel and Pristina as a "historic day" that would benefit all regions involved.

"When our partners are united, the United States is stronger," State Department spokesman Ned Price wrote on Twitter.

"Deeper international ties help further peace and stability in the Balkans and Middle East."

In September, Trump announced at a summit -- originally organised to strike a deal between Kosovo and Serbia -- that Kosovo and the Jewish state would establish diplomatic ties.

The most standout elements of that gathering were an announcement by Kosovo that it would indeed mutually recognise Israel, and Serbia saying it would follow Washington's lead in moving its own embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

So far, however, Serbia has failed to honour its pledge, with some officials claiming the deal was non-binding.

Ashkenazi said Israel was committed to working towards a "stable Balkans".

But Monday's ceremony could have diplomatic consequences.

Briefing journalists this week, the head of the Balkans division at Israel's foreign ministry, Dan Oryan, said recognition of Kosovo causes the Serbs significant "pain".

In one of Europe's most intractable disputes, Serbia has refused to recognise Kosovo's declaration of independence since the province broke away in the bloody 1998-99 war that was ended only by a NATO bombing campaign against Serb troops.

More than 13,000 people died in the war, mostly Kosovo Albanians, who form a majority in the former Serbian province.

The two Balkan protagonists have been in EU-led talks for a decade to normalise their relationship, but little progress has been made.

With a pandemic afoot and a controversial school reopening plan on the table, city parents, teachers, and concerned citizens have plenty to say to the Philadelphia school board.

Because of changes to the school boards public comment policy, there are now limited slots in which to say it.

Its a step backward, said Tatyana Roldan, a senior at Northeast High School. If you say they want to hear us, why are you silencing us?

The board recently shifted its strategy overseeing the Philadelphia School District, shaking up board meetings, and adding more time on scrutinizing academic achievement. It also moved to limit the number of speakers  from no limit to 10 students and 30 members of the public  and cut from three minutes to two the amount of time each can address the board.

 READ MORE: Will Phillys third attempt at school reopening stick? Teachers are wary and parents are split.

The changes, board president Joyce Wilkerson said, aim to amplify diverse voices: Students and new speakers are prioritized.

Wilkerson has said this was in part a reaction to a meeting in last July, when opponents of in-person school reopening packed a virtual board session that lasted eight hours and included public comment from more than 100 people. Nearly all of the speakers blasted Superintendent William R. Hites reopening plan, which was ultimately scotched. Wilkerson said those speakers did not reflect the sentiments of the entire community.

It turns out there was a whole community that wanted their kids to go back, she said. Just relying exclusively on those people who speak out at board meetings has not been as effective as we need it to be to make decisions as a board.

Around the region and across the country, guidelines vary; Seattle allows up to 25 speakers; Chicago 30; Pittsburgh, Central Bucks and Downingtowns policies allow unlimited speakers.

 READ MORE: Phillys school reopening plan is put on hold after an outcry: We should not have to teach students to death

Philadelphias school board also collapsed its committee structure, which allowed for the public to weigh in on business before it was voted on. But it is adding several community conversations, hosted by the boards Parent and Community Advisory Council, for the purpose of hearing feedback from the public, and answering questions about agenda items in writing before meetings.

Jesse Gottschalk, a district teacher, said he understood the boards larger intentions.

But what we see is you replacing this public forum with smaller ones and new procedures that you have full control over, Gottschalk, a teacher at Lea Elementary, said at Thursdays meeting. Teachers, students, and parents were hopeful that the end of the state-controlled School Reform Commission in 2018 would mean the communitys voices would be heard, he said, but the administration continues to fail in issues big and small at authentic engagement and meaningful collaboration with these stakeholders, to their own harm.

 READ MORE: Most Philly kids off track on reading; school board grills Hite

At Thursdays meeting, too much time was given to board voices, retired teachers Lisa Haver and Karel Kilimnik  founders of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools  said in a letter sent to the board Monday. No members of the public were heard from until nearly three hours into the evening meeting, discouraging parents with children to care for and teachers with lessons to plan from speaking out.

The board should not be using this time of public isolation to shut the public out even more, Haver and Kilimnik wrote.

The new policy feels like a slap in the face, Youma Diabira, a senior at Central High School, said in an interview.

They never regard our opinions, she said of the board and district leaders. They never take into consideration how we feel, and it shows in a lot of the things that they do.

Board member Mallory Fix Lopez said she understands that in many ways, perception is reality and some see the changes as stifling public voice. But, she said, ultimately, she and other board members see the new steps as critical to helping them make larger changes in the district.

I think, said Fix Lopez, that theyre going to see how their testimony goes into action.
The Rs 230-crore reduction in the budgetary allocation to the has drawn flak from environmentalists who say it may slow down or completely halt green initiatives.

Besides the shrunk budget, they also feel that the Centre has not clarified how a separate amount of Rs 2,217 crore, set aside for tackling in 42 cities with minimum population of one million, will be utilised.

"The total budget allocated for the ministry this year is Rs 2,869.93 crore while last year it was Rs 3,100 crore. This implies that a number of environmental measures could be slowed down or halted," said Avinash Chanchal, a Climate Campaigner for the Greenpeace India.

"The government has allocated Rs 2,217 crore to tackle in 42 urban cities and introduced a voluntary vehicle scrapping policy. But it isn't clear how these funds would be utilized to resolve the pollution crisis, he said.

In the previous budget, he said, the government had announced Rs 4,400 crore for clean air, but there is no information on public platform on how this fund was utilized.

Vikrant Tongad, an environmentalist and the founder of NGO SAFE (Social Action for Forest and Environment), said this reductions may have an adverse impact on environment-friendly intiatives.

"By reducing the amount, the government is making clear that it is not serious about the environment," Tongad said.

The budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also reduced the sum allotted to the climate change action plan by Rs 10 crore to Rs 30 crore.

Shuchin Bajaj, the founder and director of Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, expressed hope the government will re-look and assign more funds for it.

Environment is the basic necessity of good health. We may have been looking at health in the COVID-19 scenario but we forget that climate change is one of the biggest health factors affecting the communities in the years to come and also has the potential of creating much bigger disasters than COVID-19.

So, we must keep working on the climate change action plan as much as possible. I am sure the government will have a relook and will assign more funds in fighting climate change in the near as well as distant future, Bajaj said.

Experts also felt that the amount of Rs 470 crore allocated for "Control of Pollution" out of Rs 2869.93 crore, was not enough.

The Budget document mentions that under Control of Pollution', a total of 470 crore are allocated for 2021-22. This includes providing financial assistance to Pollution Control Boards/Committees, funding to National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). There are 122 cities presently under NCAP and the allocation for it is merely around Rs 470 crore, which is clearly not enough," Chanchal said.

According to Greenpeace India's annual Airpocalypse report 2020, 231 cities out of 287 had PM10 levels exceeding the 60 g/m3 limits, prescribed under National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by CPCB, implying that all these cities/towns belong to the non-attainment list.

"The NCAP needs to include all these polluted cities. This would require an increased budget allocation for tackling the 'pollution control'," he said.

The central government and local authorities must come up with a public platform where all actions under 'control air pollution' plan are updated and are available. This will ensure transparency and efficiency," Chanchal said.

Expressing disappointment over the reduced budgetary allocation for clean air, Jai Dhar Gupta, the Founder and CEO of Nirvana Being (a protective solutions company) and Founder of the Citizen Movement, 'My Right to Breathe', said is a far greater health emergency than COVID-19.

"I have to mention that I am disappointed by the reduced allocation for Clean Air. Air pollution is a far greater public health emergency than COVID; while COVID claimed 1.5 lakh lives in 2020, air pollution is responsible for about 18 lakh deaths across India.

However, I do want to highlight other things in the budget that will impact the environment positively such as the voluntary vehicle scrapping policy and allocation for waste management to reduce plastic waste, Gupta said.

In her budget speech, Sitharaman also announced a voluntary vehicle scrapping policy, to phase out old and unfit vehicles as per which vehicles will undergo fitness tests in automated fitness centres after 20 years in case of personal vehicles and after 15 years in case of commercial vehicles.

The minister also proposed to provide additional capital infusion of Rs 1,000 crore to Solar Energy Corporation of India and Rs 1,500 crore to Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency. She also announced the extension of the city gas distribution project to 100 more districts.

Welcoming this announcement, Suyash Gupta, the Director General, Indian Auto LPG Coalition, said he hoped the city gas project is diversified to include Auto LPG along with CNG which is the current focus.

Despite being one of the cleanest and most easily available gas, Auto LPG remains highly under-utilized in India's transport sector.

Inclusion of Auto gas in the city gas distribution project will not only allow a wider choice for consumers but will also be a major boost to efforts to clean up the environment. We absolutely need a low hanging fruit like Auto LPG, which can be implemented immediately. With 14 of the world's top 20 most polluted cities in India, we cannot wait until the next decade to breathe cleaner air, 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.)
AN Irish expat has been accused of ordering his dog to attack two police officers in Marbella.

The unnamed suspect, who is also accused of punching and kicking both officers, was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning.

According to a report in the Olive Press, the Irishman, described as "young", was walking his dog around the Lindavista urbanisation at around 3:30am.

A plain-clothed Policia Local unit, driving in a camouflaged car, pulled up next to the man before getting out of the vehicle and asking him to identify himself.

Read More

The two officers revealed that they were police and that they were on patrol for rule-breakers of the current Covid-19 restrictions.

The young man, "who only spoke English", allegedly told officers he was not carrying ID but that his home was on the same street.

They escorted him to his house and waited for him to return with the documents, but when he came back outside he allegedly began recording the police on his phone  an illegal act in Spain.

The Irishmans mother is then reported to have come outside with the dog.

That is when the young man is said to have ordered his dog to attack the officers.

Back up arrived and the young man was subdued and cuffed before being taken to a police station, where he refused to testify, police said.

The dog bit one on the left hand and the other on the knee. Both had to go to the emergency room and are on leave due to their injuries. They also had to receive a tetanus vaccine.

The Irishman is being charged with breaking the curfew, attacking a policeman, resisting arrest and disobeying authority.
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.
[February 01, 2021] CURO To Acquire Flexiti, A Leading Canadian POS/BNPL Lender, For $121 Million

CURO Group Holdings Corp. (NYSE: CURO) ("CURO"), a market leader in providing credit to non-prime consumers, today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Flexiti Financial Inc. ("Flexiti"), an emerging growth Canadian POS/BNPL provider. Under the terms of the agreement, CURO will acquire Flexiti for cash at closing of $85 million. The transaction also includes contingent consideration of up to $36 million based on the achievement of risk-adjusted revenue and origination targets over the next two years. The acquisition of Flexiti further diversifies CURO's revenue mix by product and geography and accesses the full spectrum of Canadian consumers by adding an established omni-channel private label credit card platform and POS financing capabilities. Flexiti primarily serves prime consumers and the combination presents significant revenue and earnings growth opportunities by using CURO's expertise to expand Flexiti's non-prime product offerings. The transaction also provides the opportunity to leverage CURO's loan servicing experience to improve Flexiti's profit margins. The combination of CURO and Flexiti brings together two complementary businesses with like-minded management teams to serve prime and non-prime Canadian consumers directly or at the POS. In connection with the transaction, Flexiti refinanced and expanded its nonrecourse asset-backed warehouse financing facility from $296 million to $390 million. Flexiti, one of Canada's fastest growing companies, is a privately-held POS lender headquartered in Toronto, offering customers flexible payment plans at retailers that sell goods such as furniture, appliances, jewelry and electronics. Flexiti is experiencing strong growth with originations increasing from C$49 million in 2017 to over C$290 million in 2020. Through the company's award-winning BNPL platform and proprietary technology, customers can be approved instantly to shop with their FlexitiCard, which they can use online or in-store to make multiple purchases, within their credit limit, without needing to reapply. In 2020, Flexiti was recognized by The Globe and Mail (Canada's Fastest Growing Companies- ranked 6th), Canadian Business (Growth List - ranked 3rd), Deloitte (Technology Fast 50 TM - ranked 6th) and The Financial Times (News - Alert) (The Americas' Fastest Growing Companies - ranked 29th, 2nd in Canada). "Flexiti is one of Canada's fastest-growing BNPL providers with a market-leading omni-channel FinTech platform. This acquisition serves as an important milestone for CURO's continued value creation in Canada allowing the company to serve customers across all channels and with an expanded product set," said Don Gayhardt, President and Chief Executive Officer of CURO. "CURO has been focused on M&A opportunities that align with our key strategic growth areas in Canada and cards, and this acquisition accelerates our progress on both fronts. Beyond the compelling strategic rationale and enhancements this transaction brings to our long-term growth strategy, Flexiti is a strong cultural fit for CURO. Credit risk management is a core competency for both companies that seek to optimize the balance between growth and prudent credit risk management to maximize long-term profitability. Both companies structure their businesses around the value of the omni-channel model, and continually enhance their product suites to best meet the evolving needs of their customers. Flexiti's management team and technology are first-rate and the company is well-positioned to execute on a strategic plan that calls for continued rapid origination growth. I'm excited to welcome Flexiti to the CURO team and look forward to creating value for all of our stakeholders." Peter Kalen, founder and CEO of Flexiti, said, "Flexiti continues to grow at a rapid rate and this transaction will enable us to accelerate our growth trajectory. I am tremendously proud of the success that Flexiti has achieved in its seven years of operations and I have no doubt we are better positioned than ever to provide great BNPL offerings to our retail partners and cardholders. Through this acquisition, Flexiti will leverage CURO's financial strength, lending expertise and leadership across the credit spectrum to strengthen Flexiti's position as a leading Canadian BNPL solution provider." Timing and Approvals The transaction has been approved by the Board of Directors of each company and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021, subject to customary Canadian regulatory approvals. Advisors



Investor Call

CURO and Flexiti will hold a joint conference call to discuss the transaction at 8:30 am ET today. The call will include a discussion of the transaction followed by a question and answer session with management from CURO and Flexiti. Conference Call Information: The live webcast of the call can be accessed at the CURO Investor Relations website at http://ir.curo.com/. You may access the call at 1-866-807-9684 (1-412-317-5415 for international callers). Please ask to join the CURO Group Holdings and Flexiti call. A supplemental investor presentation providing more details on Flexiti and the acquisition is available in the "Events & Presentations" section of CURO's Investors website at https://ir.curo.com/events-and-presentations. Archive: A taped replay of this call will be available until February 8, 2021. Eastern Time. You may access the conference call replay at 1-877-344-7529 (1-412-317-0088 for international callers). The replay access code is 10152172. An archived version of the webcast will be available on the CURO Investors website for 90 days. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding projections, estimates and assumptions about the impact of the transaction on us, including our belief that the acquisition enhances long-term growth and financial and risk profiles, further diversifies our revenue mix and creates value for our stakeholders; the revenue, earnings and origination growth opportunities and improved profit margins for Flexiti following combination; Flexiti's projected 2020 originations; and the expected timing of the acquisition. In addition, words such as "guidance," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "forecast," "step," "plan," "predict," "focused," "project," "is likely," "expect," "intend," "should," "will," "confident," variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The ability to achieve these forward-looking statements is based on certain assumptions, judgments and other factors, both within and outside of our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including: the inability of the parties to successfully or timely consummate the proposed transaction, including the risk that any required regulatory approvals are not obtained, are delayed or are subject to unanticipated conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the proposed transaction; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction; risks relating to the uncertainty of projected financial information; the effects of competition on the combined company's future business; our ability to attract and retain customers; market, financial, political and legal conditions; the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the combined company's business and the global economy; our dependence on third-party lenders to provide the cash we need to fund our loans and our ability to affordably access third-party financing; errors in our internal forecasts; our level of indebtedness; our ability to integrate acquired businesses; actions of regulators and the negative impact of those actions on our business; our ability to protect our proprietary technology and analytics and keep up with that of our competitors; disruption of our information technology systems that adversely affect our business operations; ineffective pricing of the credit risk of our prospective or existing customers; inaccurate information supplied by customers or third parties that could lead to errors in judging customers' qualifications to receive loans; improper disclosure of customer personal data; failure of third parties who provide products, services or support to us; any failure of third-party lenders upon whom we rely to conduct business in certain states; disruption to our relationships with banks and other third-party electronic payment solutions providers as well as other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These projections, estimates and assumptions may prove to be inaccurate in the future. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict with regard to timing, extent, likelihood and degree of occurrence. There may be additional risks that we presently do not know or that we currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual future results. We undertake no obligation to update, amend or clarify any forward-looking statement for any reason. About CURO CURO Group Holdings Corp. (NYSE: CURO), operating in two countries and powered by its fully integrated technology platform, is a provider of credit to non-prime consumers. In 1997, the Company was founded in Riverside, California by three Wichita, Kansas childhood friends to meet the growing consumer need for short-term loans. Their success led to opening stores across the United States and expanding to offer online loans and financial services across two countries. Today, CURO combines its market expertise with a fully integrated technology platform, omni-channel approach and advanced credit decisioning to provide an array of credit products across all mediums. CURO operates under a number of brands including Speedy Cash, Rapid Cash, Cash Money, LendDirect, Avio Credit, Opt+ and Revolve Finance. With over 20 years of operating experience, CURO provides financial freedom to non-prime consumers. About Flexiti Flexiti is one of Canada's fastest-growing point-of-sale lenders, offering customers 0% interest financing at retailers that sell big-ticket goods like furniture, appliances, jewelry and electronics. Through its award-winning buy-now-pay-later platform, customers can be approved instantly to shop with their FlexitiCard, which they can use online or in-store to make multiple purchases, within their credit limit, without needing to reapply. Accepted at nearly 6,000 locations and ecommerce sites across Canada including The Brick, Leon's, Staples (News - Alert) , Sleep Country, Wayfair, Birks and Peoples Jewellers, Flexiti aims to make our customers' lives more affordable and help our retail partners grow their sales by offering flexible financing options. Flexiti's technology platform is recognized as market leading, winning ACT (Advanced Card Technologies) Canada's 2015 Technology Innovation Award for Payments Benefiting Merchants. In 2017, Flexiti was recognized in North America as the Leading Emerging Fintech by LendIt. In 2019, Flexiti was named Canada's 11th fastest growing company by The Globe and Mail, ranked 7th in the Deloitte (News - Alert) Technology Fast 50TM program, and 40th in Deloitte North America Technology Fast 500TM. In 2020, Flexiti ranked 29th in The Americas' 500 Fastest Growing Companies by the Financial Times, 6th in The Globe and Mail's Canada's Top Growing Companies, 3rd on the 2020 Growth List and 6th and 39th on Deloitte Technology Fast 50TM and Fast 500TM, respectively. For more information, visit www.flexiti.com. (CURO-NWS) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005253/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Nationwide Retirement Institute survey finds 71% of millennial parents currently do not have a will. Of those that do have a will, the COVID-19 pandemic was the second most common reason for creating one (39%), along with having new children (40%) and getting married (38%).

According to the survey of 500 millennial parents (26 to 40 years old) conducted between December 11  December 15, 2020 by Edelman Data and Intelligence, millennial moms are more likely to indicate having children (47% v. 33%) as their biggest trigger for creating a will, while millennial dads are more likely to point to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated death rates (51% v. 26%) as their main reason for creating a will.

"The pandemic is causing many millennial parents to feel a sense of urgency to prioritize their health and financial plans  including making sure their family is protected," said Holly Snyder, president of Nationwide's life insurance business. "One of the greatest gifts you can give your children is having a will in place."

To help Americans protect what's most important, Nationwide has partnered with digital estate planning platform FreeWill to offer a free online tool for creating a will.

Barriers to creating a will

So why do so many millennial parents not have a will? The biggest barriers to creating one are uncertainty around how to create one and misconceptions about why they are needed. Among those who don't have a will, 30% of millennial parents agree they don't know enough about wills, don't know where to go to start one (29%) and feel they are too healthy (26%) or too young (21%) to need one.

Millennial moms are more likely than millennial dads to both have a will (35% v. 24%) and to answer correctly questions related to coverage. Interestingly, millennial dads are more likely to feel they are too young (27% v. 10%) and too healthy to create a will (33% v. 15%) than their female counterparts.

"A third of millennial parents believe a will is only for people who have children and 61% believe that an attorney is required to prepare a will," Snyder said. "The reality is a will is important for all adults  no matter your age, health or if you have children  and you do not need an attorney to prepare one."

Resources for creating a will

The good news is millennial parents are open to creating a will with the right resources. More than four in five say they would create a will if they could do it easily online (84%) and that they would use a free tool to help create a will if it was made available to them (82%).

In partnership with FreeWill, Nationwide is offering a free online tool for creating a will that is open to the public. Anyone can go to https://www.freewill.com/nationwide to create a will in about 20 minutes.

"Our survey reveals 17% of millennial parents think that it takes a week or more to prepare a will," Snyder said. "In reality, creating a will is quick and easy. Using Nationwide's online tool, created in partnership with FreeWill  just fill out the information, print out the forms and sign the forms with witnesses to make it official."

Methodology:

Edelman Data and Intelligence (DxI) conducted the online survey of 500 millennial parents (26 to 40 years old and have one or more children) with an annual household income of $75,000 or more. Fieldwork for the survey was completed between December 11th-15th, 2020.

About Nationwide:

Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About FreeWill:

FreeWill is an award-winning social venture founded by graduate students at Stanford University in 2016, with the help and support of many of the world's leading experts in law, design, and philanthropy. FreeWill offers a full range of online estate planning tools including wills, living wills / advance healthcare directives, financial powers of attorney, and revocable living trusts for free. They also make it easy to leave money to charity, helping over 200,000 families leave over $2B in gifts to support important causes. For more information visit www.FreeWill.com.

This material is not a recommendation to buy, sell, hold, or rollover any asset, adopt an investment strategy, retain a specific investment manager or use a particular account type. It does not take into account the specific investment objectives, tax and financial condition or particular needs of any specific person. Investors should work with their financial professional to discuss their specific situation.

This information is general in nature and is not intended to be tax, legal, accounting or other professional advice. The information provided is based on current laws, which are subject to change at any time, and has not been endorsed by any government agency.

Nationwide, Edelman, FreeWill Co. and any referred attorney are not affiliated. Nationwide does not endorse any referred attorney.

Nationwide Investment Services Corporation (NISC), member FINRA, Columbus, OH. Nationwide Retirement Institute is a division of NISC.

Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, Nationwide is on your side and Nationwide Retirement Institute are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company  Nationwide 2021

NFM-20537AO

Contact:

Charley Gillespie

[email protected]

SOURCE Nationwide

Related Links

http://www.nationwide.com


Just before 11 p.m. on Jan. 23, prosecutors said, three individuals approached a 20-year-old woman in the parking lot of the Popeyes restaurant on Lake Street in Addison. Two of the individuals were armed. They threatened to kill the woman unless she gave them her cellphone, cash and car keys, which she did, prosecutors said.

Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

The global Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide Market report offers a comprehensive analysis of current trends and future opportunities. This report is responsible for quantitative estimation and foreseen future for upcoming years based on the recent companies strategic moves and historical data. Further, the market report is categorized into different segments, regions, and countries level. This report also provides competitor analysis with its market share and developments.

The final report will cover the impact of COVID-19 on this industry.

The global Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide 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 2021 to 2026.

Click here to get a Sample PDF Copy of the Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-31741

According to this latest study, the 2020 growth of Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide will have significant changes from the previous year. By the most conservative estimates of global Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide market size (a most likely outcome) will be a year-over-year revenue growth rate of xx% in 2020, from US$ xx million in 2019. Over the next five years, the Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide market will register an xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ xx million by 2025.

This Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide 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 Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide market by type, application, key manufacturers, key regions, and countries.

The key manufacturers covered in this report: Breakdown data in Chapter 3.

Tosoh (Japan)

Prince (US)

Tronox Limited (US)

Cegasa (Spain)

Mesa Minerals Limited (Australia)

Golden Mile GmbH (Germany)

Moil (India)

Xiangtan Electrochemical (China)

Guiliu Chemical (China)

CITIC Dameng Mining (China)

Guizhou Redstar (China)

Weixin Manganese Industry (China)

Others

To inquire about report customization, feel free to reach out to our team of expert analysts @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/ask-questions-31741

This study considers the Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments:

Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2016 to 2021, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2026 in section 11.7.

Alkaline Battery Grade EMD

Zinc Manganese and Zinc-Carbon Battery Grade EMD

Lithium-Ion Battery Grade EMD

Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2016 to 2021, in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2026 in section 11.8.

Batteries

Others (like Water Treatment)

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 Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-31741

Research Objectives

To study and analyze the global Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, type and application, history data from 2016 to 2020, and forecast to 2026.

To understand the structure of the Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide market by identifying its various subsegments.

Focuses on the key global Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide 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 Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide 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 Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide 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-electrolytic-manganese-dioxide-market-research-report-highlights-on-future-development-2026/
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  After President Joe Biden revoked Keystone XLs presidential permit and shut down construction of the long-disputed pipeline that was to carry oil from Canada to Texas, opponents of other pipelines hoped the projects theyve been fighting would be next.

The Biden administration hasn't specified what action it might take on other pipelines, but industry experts doubt there will be swift changes like the one that stopped Keystone. They say the Keystone XL move on Biden's first day fulfilled a campaign promise and was symbolic for a president who has made climate change a national security priority and has called for a dramatic increase in cost-competitive renewable and clean-burning energy.

I think generally we can expect more rigorous environmental reviews, more scrutiny and so forth. But I would be very surprised if Biden were to take any action of the executive order type, said Ben Cowan, an environmental law attorney who advises clients on permitting for pipelines and other energy projects.

A look at some other high-profile pipeline projects and what actions Biden might take:

DAKOTA ACCESS

Opponents of the Dakota Access pipeline, which carries oil from North Dakota to a shipping point in Illinois, want Bidens U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to shut it down.

A federal appeals court ruled last week that the project must undergo a more thorough environmental review, known as an environmental impact statement, but it declined to shut the line down while the review is completed.

Texas-based pipeline owner Energy Transfer maintains the line is safe. But pipeline opponents say the ruling means it is operating with an invalid permit.

The Army Corps faces a Feb. 10 hearing where it must tell a federal judge how it expects to proceed without a permit granting easement for the 1,172-mile (1,886 kilometer) pipeline to cross beneath Lake Oahe, along the Missouri River. The Standing Rock Sioux, who draw water from the river, have said they fear the line will someday fail and pollute the water and land.

This pipeline doesnt have a permit and its operating in violation of law and the court expects the Corps to do something about it, said Jan Hasselman, an attorney for the tribe. He said the Corps could halt the pipeline's operations until the environmental impact statement is completed.

The White House said in a statement it was reviewing the Dakota Access decision and is committed to complying with all legal obligations, including consulting with tribal nations before making any decision that would affect tribes or their land.

The Army Corps didn't respond to a message.

ENBRIDGE LINE 3

Opponents of the Line 3 replacement pipeline in Minnesota are stepping up pressure on Biden. More than 100,000 people have signed a petition  promoted by Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York  calling on Biden to revoke a water permit. Opponents also marched Friday to the Corps' St. Paul office.

Andy Pearson, the Midwest tar sands coordinator for the climate advocacy group MN350, said Line 3 is similar to Keystone XL in its makeup  it carries tar sands oil from Canada  but the federal permitting issues are similar to what Dakota Access faces.

Line 3 starts in Alberta and clips a corner of North Dakota before crossing northern Minnesota en route to Enbridges terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. The 337-mile (542.35-kilometer) line in Minnesota is the last step in replacing a deteriorating pipeline built in the 1960s. The replacement will follow a different route in some places and carry more oil.

Pearson and others said revocation of Line 3s presidential permit at the U.S.-Canada border is unlikely because the line is already in place there. Instead, opponents are targeting the lines federal water permit, saying in a lawsuit that the Corps failed to address environmental issues or conduct a federal environmental impact statement when the permit was granted.

Pearson said Biden should put the pipeline on hold and make sure a thorough environmental review is done.

Enbridge Energy said Bidens decision on Keystone will have no impact on Line 3 or a similar Line 5 project in Michigan. Unlike the Keystone project, lines 3 and 5 are currently operating, the company said, and the Line 3 replacement was ordered by a consent decree during Obama's administration.

LINE 5

Line 5 is part of Enbridge's Lakehead network, which carries oil and liquids used in propane from western Canada to refineries in the U.S. and Ontario. Line 5 moves about 23 million gallons (87 million liters) daily from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Ontario, traversing parts of northern Michigan and Wisconsin.

Enbridge wants to replace the section beneath the Straits of Mackinac, which connect Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, with a new pipe housed in a tunnel that would be drilled beneath the straits.

Pipeline opponents want Biden to publicly support Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's order to shut down the existing pipeline in May. Whitmer says the company violated the terms of a 1953 easement that allowed the line on the lake's bottom. Enbridge is fighting her order in court.

Opponents also want the Corps to reject Enbridge's application for a permit to build the proposed tunnel, and they are seeking a full environmental review. Corps officials previously said they were studying how Whitmers order might affect their review of Enbridges application.

MOUNTAIN VALLEY

The Mountain Valley Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline that would run about 300 miles (483 kilometers) from northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia. Some sections of it are under construction but others are blocked because of court disputes over federal permits.

David Sligh, conservation director for Wild Virginia, said leaders of the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife Service have to decide how they will handle legal challenges to permits approved during Trump's administration. Meanwhile, Mountain Valley Pipeline is seeking individual Corps permits to cross numerous bodies of water  after one broad permit was stalled in court. Sligh's group is hopeful that the Corps will reject the new applications.

Agency leaders, he said, work directly for the president and they have a responsibility to show they are doing what is in the broader public interest rather than the fossil fuel interest."

Mountain Valley spokeswoman Natalie Cox said regulators and courts have thoroughly scrutinized the pipeline and that natural gas is needed as part of the transition to a lower-carbon economy.

Cowan said Mountain Valley could come under even more scrutiny because the man Biden picked to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Michael Regan, expressed opposition to the project when he led the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

It just faces a lot of headwinds in its permitting process generally, Cowan said. And the regulatory climate is certainly not going to be any kinder to it now than it was.

Cowan said in general, legal and regulatory challenges have made companies think twice about investing in new pipelines. The 600-mile (965-kilometer) Atlantic Coast Pipeline across West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina was canceled last summer after legal challenges prompted permit dismissals or suspensions and led to construction delays and ballooning costs that brought the estimated price tag to $8 billion.

I think a lot of people are questioning, frankly, whether its worth it anymore," he said.

___

Follow Amy Forliti on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/amyforliti
Deep Six president Nick Kruczaj, an Air Force veteran and cannabis entrepreneur, remarked, "Delta 8 has done wonders for our customers in other regions, including Pennsylvania's Philadelphia area. We're thrilled to have the freedom to bring helpful, natural THC 8 to South Carolina."

No state marijuana program? Not a problem in the Florence area.

He added, "With the success of CBD products in our South Carolina location, we had a great opportunity to expand and bring Delta 8 THC dispensary know-how to Florence and to give people the chance to experience these full relaxation & mood lifting effects for themselves. We'll also continue to carry CBD products for cannabis treatment seekers who don't wish to experience the 'high'."

Magnolia Mall Deep Six customers report using Delta 8 THC for everything from PTSD to simple relaxation, and that they enjoy a soothing, clear-headed "buzz" without the slack-jawed paranoia & anxiety that traditional Delta 9 THC cannabis can cause when consumed.

Deep Six's location in Magnolia Mall, just a short drive from Timmonsville and Darlington, began by serving their community with a range of hemp-derived vape, oil tincture, and edible forms. The stores' new Rewards program provided a means to thank their more loyal customers directly - with discounts, exclusive sales, and more. Combined, these have transformed Deep Six from a curious convenience to a communicative, welcoming retail operation with consistent and dedicated customers in every area that they touch.

"Florence residents owe it to themselves to try Delta 8," said Benton Purtle, Operations Manager of Deep Six CBD. "I use a Delta 8 micro dose as a more natural alternative to attention medications such as Ritalin. I've battled with ADHD for my entire life - Delta 8 THC oil tincture, used consistently in very small doses, helps me to maintain focus in my daily professional and personal lives."

SOURCE Deep Six

Related Links

https://www.deepsixcbd.com/


South Africa: President Ramaphosa to address Mining Indaba

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the COVID-19 pandemic as a health, humanitarian, social and economic crisis, which African countries are responding to collectively. COVID-19 has affected all the countries on the continent. To date, there are more than 3.5 million confirmed cases in Africa, and more than 88 000 people have died.... See more
An American Christian magazine's Twitter account has been suspended following a statement saying that Biden's transgender nominee is a man who believes that he is a woman.

Twitter suspended The Daily Citizen's account after the latter's tweet on Jan. 19 describing Rachel Levine, Biden's nominee for assistant secretary of health and was born Richard, as "a transgender woman, that is, a man who believes he is a woman." The statement includes a link of an article about his nomination, The Christian Post reported.

This resulted to having the magazine's account locked out by the social media organization, saying that the former's tweet is in violation of the latter's rules prohibiting "hateful conduct." The publication reportedly appealed but was told that the account will remain in suspension unless the tweet is deleted.

"Hi The Daily Citizen, your account, @FocusCitizen has been locked for violating the Twitter Rules. Specifically for: Violating our rules against hateful conduct. You may not promote violence against, threaten, or harass other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease. Please note that repeated violations may lead to a permanent suspension of your account. Proceed to Twitter now to fix the issue with your account," Twitter said in its email to The Daily Citizen.

The magazine replied to the social media company saying that other media outlets have reported about Levine's nomination and stated in their reports that he was born a man and remains such but believes that he is a woman. The Daily Citizen also contended that it did not promote violence.

"As a Christian organization, we would never do so. We simply explained to our readers the appointment and defined what transgender women are - those born male who believe they are a woman, regardless of whether they have had opposite-sex hormones or surgeries. We believe Twitter's blocking of this tweet and lockdown of our account discriminates against Focus on the Family's The Daily Citizen on the basis of our religious affiliation," the publication stated.

Twitter dismissed The Daily Citizen's appeal insisting on the magazine's violation of the rules for its users.

The social media company's censorship goes beyond religious or philosophically conservative accounts.

In 2018, Twitter permanently suspended Canadian journalist Meghan Murphy after tweeting that "men aren't women." Days after, the social media giant updated its policies forbidding users from "dead-naming" or tweeting a transgender person's birth name and using biologically correct pronouns of people who identify as transgenders.

Transgender advocates says that using "he" to describe a man who identifies as a woman is "misgendering."

Trans-activists, on the other hand, said that dead-naming and misgendering translate to "abuse" and "violence."

Murphy wrote that while the social media site permits death threats and graphic pornography on its platform, which she said she had reported, Twitter does not allow her "to state very basic facts, such as 'men aren't women'."

"This is hardly an abhorrent thing to say, nor should it be considered 'hateful' to ask questions about the notion that people can change sex, or ask for explanations about transgender ideology," the journalist further said.

The Daily Citizen is a publication of the Focus on Family, a global Christian ministry. The magazine revealed that in October 2020, Facebook censored its article about mask wearing, Premier Christian News wrote.



School meals, often the one nutritious daily meal that children get, must be prioritized in school reopening plans

More than 39 billion in-school meals have been missed globally since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic due to school closures, according to a new report released today by the UNICEF Office of Research  Innocenti and the World Food Programme (WFP).

COVID-19: Missing More Than a Classroom notes that 370 million children worldwide  many of whom are reliant on school meals as a key source of their daily nutrition  have missed 40 per cent of in-school meals, on average, since COVID-19 restrictions shuttered classrooms.

Despite clear evidence that schools are not primary drivers of COVID-19 infections, millions of children are facing school closures around the world, said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. Children who depend on schools for their daily meals are not only losing out on an education but also on a reliable source of nutrition. As we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and await vaccine distribution, we must prioritize the reopening of schools and take action to make them as safe as possible, including through renewed investments in proven infection prevention measures like clean water and soap in every school around the world.

Latest estimates show that 24 million schoolchildren are at risk of dropping out of school due to the pandemic  reversing progress made in school enrolment in recent decades. School feeding programmes can provide incentives for the most vulnerable children to return to school.

Missing out on nutritious school meals is jeopardizing the futures of millions of the worlds poorest children. We risk losing a whole generation, said WFP Executive Director David Beasley. We must support governments to safely reopen schools and start feeding these children again. For many, the nutritious meal they get in school is the only food they will receive all day.

During the pandemic, there has been a 30 per cent overall reduction in the coverage of essential nutrition services including school feeding, micronutrient supplementation, and nutrition promotion programmes in low- and middle-income countries, as well as programmes for the treatment of severe malnutrition in children. During nationwide lockdowns in some countries, all school feeding programmes were cancelled.

Global data on the overall impact of school closures on childrens nutrition is limited. However, country-level studies, previous knowledge of the impact of crises on food security and nutrition, and existing nutrition deficits among school-age children and adolescents are cause for significant concern, the report says.

In Sri Lanka, even before COVID-19 became a global pandemic, malnutrition has been a public health concern. According to the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey, wasting (acute malnutrition) affects 1 in 6 (15 per cent) children below the age of five. Furthermore, one in ten (10 per cent) of school children aged 6-12 years suffer from anaemia. Another study conducted by the Medical Research Institute, UNICEF, WFP and the Ministry of Health in 2017 shows that 40 per cent of children aged 6  12 years were too thin (wasting) and 22 per cent of adolescents aged 10  18 years were iron deficient, with girls displaying an iron deficiency rate three times higher than boys of the same age (National Nutrition and Micronutrient Study of School Adolescents in Sri Lanka  MRI, 2018).

With school closures enforced as a measure to curb the spread of the pandemic, nearly 1.1 million school children were unable to receive their daily meals in school. These free meals are a lifeline to many families, greatly helping to mitigate hunger and malnutrition.

Schools meals are not only vital in ensuring childrens nutrition, growth and development, they also provide a strong incentive for children  especially girls and those from the poorest and most marginalized communities  to return to school once restrictions are lifted. The longer children are out of school, the greater the risk that they will drop out of education altogether. Girls face the added risk of forced transactional sex or early marriage.

WFP has been supporting governments to adapt their school meals programmes during school closures. In Sri Lanka, WFP together with the Ministry of Education helped supply take home rations to approximately 78,000 school children as an alternative method of providing food security to children during this period. The take home packs provided one months worth of rations to help families cope with the impacts of COVID-19 and safeguard childrens health and nutrition during school closures.

Since the start of the pandemic, UNICEF has supported national governments to maintain the continuity of nutrition services for school-age children and adolescents. In 2020, nearly 25 million school-age children and adolescents benefitted from programmes for the prevention of anaemia. Tailored to context, most of these programmes combined nutrition education and counselling, supplementation with iron and other essential micronutrients and deworming prophylaxis. In Sri Lanka UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Education to develop guidelines and provide orientation for teachers to provide psychosocial support to children, as well as promote the emotional wellbeing of teachers themselves.

UNICEF and WFP are urging governments to prioritise schools for reopening while making sure that the health, food and nutritional needs of children are met through comprehensive, high-quality school feeding programmes.
February 1 is Auto Insurance Day and Michiganders are Seeing Substantial Savings Under the New Auto Insurance Law

Media Contact: Laura Hall, 517-290-3779, halll17@michigan.gov

Consumer Hotline: 833-ASK-DIFS, autoinsurance@michigan.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 1, 2021

(LANSING, MICH) With Michiganders seeing significant savings and additional important consumer protections under Michigans new auto insurance law, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared February 1 as Auto Insurance Day in Michigan. The success of the new bipartisan auto insurance law was a highlight of the Governors Jan. 27 State of the State Address.

This new auto insurance law is making a real difference in the lives and budgets of Michiganders, said Governor Whitmer. With new savings and additional consumer protections, Auto Insurance Day is an ideal opportunity to review your existing coverage, shop for a new policy, or to get covered if youve previously gone without auto insurance.

Michigans historic bipartisan auto insurance reform law, which Governor Whitmer signed into law in 2019, lowered costs for Michigan drivers, while maintaining the highest coverage limits in the country and strengthening consumer protections. For policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2020, drivers can choose the amount of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) medical coverage thats right for them, and the law mandates statewide average savings for PIP medical premiums for 8 years. In addition, there is an amnesty period, through January 1, 2022, for those who have gone without auto insurance coverage to apply for a policy without paying a penalty or increased premium because they did not previously have coverage.

Michiganders across the state are taking advantage of these new savings, new protections, and the insurance amnesty period. During the State of the State Address, Krysten Jones, 34, of Detroit, shared that under Michigans old law, it cost more than $550 per month to cover her two vehicles. Despite her clean driving record, she was unable to afford the coverage required to legally drive her vehicle and to protect her family in the event of an accident. When the new auto insurance law went into effect, she was able to lower her premium to $150 per month to cover both cars.

Before the bipartisan auto insurance law that Governor Whitmer signed, I decided to take my chances and go without coverage, said Jones. I was willing to take that risk, but at midnight when Governor Whitmers new law went into effect, I went online and signed up for coverage. Now my rates have dropped by nearly $400 a month.

Not only is Krystens family saving nearly $5,000 a year, but Krysten does not face the risk of being pulled over without proof of insurance and her family is now protected in the event of an accident.

Michigans auto insurance industry is regulated by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS). DIFS also provides consumers with insurance shopping tips, financial literacy education, outreach, and consumer protections including the ability to file complaints against auto insurers and agent.

We are committed to ensuring consumers like Krysten are empowered to choose the coverage that meets their needs and budget under Michigans new auto insurance law, said DIFS Director Anita Fox. The average statewide savings under the new law have exceeded statutory requirements, and DIFS is available to support consumers who have questions, concerns or complaints about their auto insurance.

Educational resources, sample forms, instructional videos and a schedule of virtual town hall events, including one scheduled for noon on Feb. 1, are available for drivers to learn more about the new law at Michigan.gov/AutoInsurance. In addition, DIFS continues to operate its dedicated, no-fault hotline with calls being answered Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Drivers can call 833-ASK-DIFS (275-3437) or email autoinsurance@michigan.gov for assistance.

The mission of the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services is to ensure access to safe and secure insurance and financial services fundamental for the opportunity, security, and success of Michigan residents, while fostering economic growth and sustainability in both industries. In addition, the Department provides consumer protection, outreach, and financial literacy and education services to Michigan residents. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/difs or follow the Department on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

####
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday on the situation in Myanmar, following the coup by the country's military, according to an official calendar of events.

The meeting, to be held by videoconference, will take place behind closed doors, says the calendar -- which was approved Monday by council members.

Short link:




LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In an action being celebrated on both coasts, St. Anne'sone of Los Angeles' most highly-regarded social services agencieswas proudly accepted into the community of the Felician Sisters of North America, Our Lady of Hope Province in Pennsylvania. This important new relationship ensures that St. Anne's mission of working together to build safe, nurturing and resilient families will continue for generations to come.

"In a time in our world when it feels like there is so much uncertainty, it is heartening to know St. Anne's is certain about our commitment to continue providing all of the dynamic programs and quality services we have offered for years," remarked Lorna Little, president and CEO of the 113-year-old organization. "This new relationship with the Felician Sisters symbolizes the continuation of the support and services we have provided to our clients and program participants in the past and upholds the opportunities for services to those who come through our doors in the future."

"There will be not be any changes for those receiving services and support from St. Anne's or to its daily operations," assured Little. "We will continue to be served by our passionate local board and leadership team, as well as through the generous support of many devoted employees, volunteers and donors, for which we continue to be grateful."

St. Anne's continues to remain unique in Los Angeles by offering comprehensive services to children and families of all faiths. Historically, Sisters serve people in need and just as St. Anne's met the needs of its time during the last 100-plus years, its mission will continue well into the future.

St. Anne's Name Change

To better reflect the array of wrap-around services that the nonprofit St. Anne's has been offering since its founding, the legendary nonprofit is being renamed St. Anne's Family Services. St. Anne's opened in 1908 as St. Anne's Maternity Home and has subsequently expanded its services to aid vulnerable populations in the Los Angeles region. Today, St. Anne's Family Services assists 2,200 clients annually, guiding individuals from pregnancy to parenthood and childhood to adulthood.

"While our updated name reflects the evolution of our expansive scope of services, we believe being part of the Felician Sisters community of ministries helps strengthen our commitment to our families and community members who come to us from diverse racial, ethnic and faith backgrounds," said Little. "We are thrilled to have had such empowering and forward-thinking leadership with the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart for more than 80 years, and we look forward to the next phase of our journey with the Felicians."

Seeking a Successor

The St. Anne's sponsorship transfer follows a multi-year search for a successor by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Illinois, which served as St. Anne's sponsor for more than eight decades. With the Felician Sisters, the Franciscan Sisters found a Franciscan-based congregation that shares its values of faith in action.

"We served for 80 years as sponsor for St. Anne's. It's like our baby grew up. Today, St. Anne's is successful, stable and just full of life," said Sister Joyce Shanabarger, General Community Leader of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart. "Now is the time for us to transfer sponsorship to ensure the future of this important urban ministry. It is what is the best for St. Anne's. And, while sponsorship is changing, our love for St. Anne's will never diminish but only will continue to grow."

St. Anne's and the Felician Sisters of North America were both born out of a profound desire to minister to society's most vulnerable people. In explaining their compatibility and growing its ministry with the addition of St. Anne's Family Services, Sister Mary Christopher Moore, Provincial Minister of the Felician Sisters of North America, said: "Our foundress, Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska, began her ministry by providing compassionate care to women and children in need, so it is a privilege for us now to welcome St. Anne's, an organization with a mission so aligned to our own, into the Felician family. We feel blessed that the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart entrusted us with the sponsorship of their beloved ministry as it continues and expands its impact on the Los Angeles County community."

With the addition of St. Anne's Family Services, the Felician Sisters today supports more than 40 ministries throughout North America.

About St. Anne's Family Services

St. Anne's Family Services achieves its mission by working together to provide high-quality supportive housing programs, early childhood education, mental health and family-based services to 2,200 families annually across Los Angeles County. St. Anne's Family Services has grown into a premiere social service agency  from its humble beginnings more than 100 years ago as a home for pregnant young women with nowhere to turn. Today, it rises to the challenge of meeting the ever-changing needs of Los Angeles' most vulnerable populations by offering an array of comprehensive services that promote the well-being, safety, resilience and ongoing achievement of the children and families it serves. For more information, visit https://stannes.org/.

About the Felician Sisters and Our Lady of Hope Province

The Felician Sisters of North America is a community of consecrated women religious, inspired by the spiritual ideals of their Foundress Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska and that of St. Francis of Assisi. The Felician Sisters live in community, dedicating their lives to God and the Churchalways striving to live and share the Gospel message through lives of prayer and service as they cooperate with Christ in the spiritual renewal of the world. The Provincial House in Beaver Falls, Pa., serves as the administrative hub of Our Lady of Hope Province. The offices of the Provincial Council members are located at the Provincial House, as are many of the administrative offices for the Province. Our 455 Sisters live and serve across the United States, Canada, and Haiti. For more information, visit https://www.feliciansistersna.org/.

SOURCE Felician Sisters of North America, Our Lady of Hope Province; St. Annes Family Services

Related Links

https://www.feliciansistersna.org/


Renewable energy firm Amarenco expects to complete construction of eight solar farms in Ireland by the end of the summer as it gears up for the Governments next renewable energy support scheme (RESS) auction, according to co-founder and chief executive John Mullins.

The projects will cost a total of about 32m to build.

Irish company Amarenco will seek approval for about 30MW of projects in the auction process that kicks off in April. It will be the second such auction managed by semi-State transmission operator EirGrid. The first auction saw 114 projects apply for support under the RESS.

The scheme was introduced to help Ireland meet a target of generating 70pc of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030.

Read More

The auction awards successful projects capacity on the electricity network and a guaranteed price for the electricity they generate.

Mr Mullins said he hopes Amarenco will be successful in with all its planned projects in the auction, which will include solar farms across Co Cork and Co Waterford.

He said the company is just about to finalise financing for the construction of its first 40MW of projects here. He declined to name the institution bankrolling the projects.

Were hoping to have the physical construction of those assets completed by August, he said. Its up to the ESB to connect them, so were having discussions with them about that.

Modules for the solar farms have already been ordered from China, with Amarenco having plumped for Trina as module provider.

The eight solar farms, each of which will generate up to 5MW of power, are all located in Co Cork.

Were hoping to start construction at the end of March, said Mr Mullins, who is a former chief executive of Bord Gais.

Amarenco also has assets in France and Iberia and is targeting development in locations including Oman, Thailand, Taiwan and Egypt.

Amarenco expects to have as much as 500MW of projects under construction or in final development in Iberia by the end of this year.

It anticipates having 30GW of projects operational by 2030 and 50GW by 2050, with markets outside Ireland providing major opportunities for the group. The solar company recently bought a 50MW solar farm in Spain and acquired 148MW of projects in Portugal.
A major nor'easter traveling toward the East Coast is expected to affect 110 million people, bringing heavy snow, rain and high winds.

The storm, which forecasters predicted will last until at least Tuesday, had already dumped a half-foot of snow in the Midwest by Sunday morning. Snow will continue in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as the system travels east.

About 1 in 3 people in the U.S. were under winter storm watches or winter storm warnings.

Image: Snow in Mechanicsville, Va. (Joe Mahoney / Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

New York City should expect snow all day Monday, forecasters said. New Jersey declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted that much of the region will get 18 to 24 inches of snow.

The Poconos, the lower Hudson Valley, eastern Pennsylvania and parts of Long Island and western Connecticut should also expect around up to 2 feet of snow.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

It will be the largest storm in years in the Washington, D.C., area, where snow has already begun. Residents around Baltimore and Washington should expect 4 to 9 inches of snow Sunday, the National Weather Service said. The snow near the nation's capital is expected to mostly end by midnight.

Parts of North Carolina and Virginia had snowfall, as well. The heaviest downfall is expected in southern New England and the tri-state area.

By Tuesday, the snow is expected to move north, blanketing much of New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

"Make alternative plans for Monday right now," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday. The city canceled vaccine appointments Monday and encouraged people to avoid travel, as well as warned residents about possible power outages caused by strong winds.
A mining industry push to remove community groups right to mount legal challenges to major project approvals has been slapped down by a review of national environment laws.

In their submissions to the once-a-decade review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act led by former competition tsar Graeme Samuel, mining lobby groups said legal challenges under Commonwealth law should not extend to community members.

Coal mine expansions feature prominently in the list of projects that have been challenged in court over their compliance with national environment laws under the EPBC Act. Credit:Peter Braig

However, Mr Samuel, a former Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair, said community appeal rights were a fundamental foundation of Australias democracy.

To characterise these types of actions as lawfare misrepresents the importance of legal review in Australian society, his report, released last week, said.



WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden has agreed to meet a group of 10 Republican senators who have proposed spending about one-third of the $1.9 trillion he is seeking in coronavirus aid, though congressional Democrats are poised to move ahead without Republican support.

Bloomberg reported late Sunday that the meeting will be Monday afternoon in the Oval Office.

The invitation to the White House came hours after the lawmakers sent Biden a letter urging him to negotiate rather than try to ram through his relief package solely on Democratic votes. The House and Senate are on track to vote as soon as this week on a budget resolution, which would lay the groundwork for passing an aid package under rules requiring only a simple majority vote in the closely divided Senate.

The goal is for passage by March, when extra unemployment assistance and other pandemic aid expires. The meeting offered by Biden would amount to the most public involvement for the president in the negotiations for the next round of virus relief. Democratic and Republican lawmakers are far apart in their proposals for assistance.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that Biden had spoken with the leader of the group, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. Though Biden is wanting a full exchange of views," Psaki reiterated that he remains in favor of moving forward with a far-reaching relief package. A meeting could come in a matter of days.

With the virus posing a grave threat to the country, and economic conditions grim for so many, the need for action is urgent, and the scale of what must be done is large," Psaki said.

+15 Vaccinating for coronavirus is a challenge in rural parishes. Here's how they're making it work VACHERIE  Ralph and Rose Kliebert slowly walked from the St. James Parish Reception Hall on River Road to the waiting car being driven by their son.

In challenging Biden to fulfill his pledge of unity, the group said in its letter that its counterproposal will include $160 billion for vaccines, testing, treatment and personal protective equipment and call for more targeted relief than Bidens plan to issue $1,400 stimulus checks for most Americans.

Winning the support of 10 Republicans would be significant for Biden in the 50-50 Senate where Vice President Kamala Harris is the tie-breaker. If all Democrats were to back an eventual compromise bill, the legislation would reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to overcome potential blocking efforts and pass under regular Senate procedures.

In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support, the Republican senators wrote. Our proposal reflects many of your stated priorities, and with your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support.

The plea for Biden to give bipartisan negotiations more time comes as the president has shown signs of impatience as the more liberal wing of his party considers passing the relief package through a process known as budget reconciliation. That would allow the bill to advance with only the backing of his Democratic majority.

The Republicans did not provide many details of their proposal. One of the signatories, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, said that it would cost about $600 billion.

If you can't find bipartisan compromise on COVID-19, I don't know where you can find it, said Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, who also signed the letter.

Inside J&J's coronavirus vaccine study: New Orleans reporter details 'guinea pig' experience Two days after Hurricane Zeta barrelled through New Orleans, I fumbled through the dark hallways of a private medical research lab in Metairie

But even as Biden extended the invitation to the Republican lawmakers, Psaki said that $1,400 relief checks, substantial funding for reopening schools, aid to small businesses and hurting families, and more is badly needed."

As leading economists have said, the danger now is not in doing too much: it is in doing too little," Psaki said. Americans of both parties are looking to their leaders to meet the moment.

Biden also spoke on Sunday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who are facing a growing push from the more liberal Democratic members to move forward with Biden's legislation with or without Republican support.

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

The other GOP senators invited to meet with Biden are Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Todd Young of Indiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

Brian Deese, the top White House economic adviser who is leading the administrations outreach to Congress, said earlier Sunday that administration officials were reviewing the letter. He did not immediately commit to a Biden meeting with the lawmakers.

But Cedric Richmond, a senior Biden adviser and former Louisiana congressman, said the president is very willing to meet with anyone to advance the agenda." When asked about the senators' plan, Richmond said, This is about seriousness of purpose.

Deese indicated the White House could be open to negotiating on further limiting who would receive stimulus checks. Portman suggested the checks should go to individuals who make no more than $50,000 per year and families capped at $100,000 per year.

Under the Biden plan, families with incomes up to $300,000 could receive some stimulus money.

That is certainly a place that were willing to sit down and think about, are there ways to make the entire package more effective? Deese said.

As a candidate, Biden predicted his decades in the Senate and his eight years as Barack Obama's vice president gave him credibility as a deal-maker and would help him bring Republicans and Democrats to consensus on the most important matters facing the country.

But less than two weeks into his presidency, Biden showed frustration with the pace of negotiations at a time when the economy exhibited further evidence of wear from the pandemic. Last week, 847,000 Americans applied for unemployment benefits, a sign that layoffs remain high as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage.

I support passing COVID relief with support from Republicans if we can get it. But the COVID relief has to pass  no ifs, ands or buts, Biden said on Friday.

In the letter, the Republican lawmakers reminded Biden that in his inaugural address, he proclaimed that the challenges facing the nation require "the most elusive of things in a democracy: Unity.

Cassidy separately criticized the current Biden plan as chock-full of handouts and payoffs to Democratic constituency groups."

+3 The coronavirus vaccine effort is at a crawl in Louisiana nursing homes, but not for lack of doses Only about a quarter of Louisiana nursing home workers who have been offered vaccines have accepted the shots so far, as the federal effort to

You want the patina of bipartisanship ... so thats not unity," Cassidy said.

Jared Bernstein, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said Biden remains willing to negotiate but that officials needed to see more details from Republicans. At the same time, Bernstein pressed the administration's argument that doing too little to stimulate the economy could have enormous impact on the economy in the near- and long-term.

Look, the American people really couldnt care less about budget process, whether its regular order, bipartisanship, whether its filibuster, whether its reconciliation," Bernstein said. They need relief, and they need it now.

Portman and Deese were on CNNs State of the Union, and Deese also was interviewed on NBC's Meet the Press. Cassidy and Bernstein appeared on Fox News Sunday" and Richmond was on CBS' Face the Nation."

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget 2021-22 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at 11 am on Monday (February 1), the Union Cabinet will hold a meeting at 10:15 am. The Budget will be presented at 11 am in Parliament.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday that the budget session, which started on January 29, will take up 38 legislative items. The first part of the budget session will continue till February 15. The second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8.

Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour.



Also Read: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to present Union Budget 2021 today

Union Budget 2021 will telecast LIVE primarily on Lok Sabha TV. However, it will be available on Rajya Sabha TV and state broadcaster Doordarshan as well. The LIVE stream will also be available on Lok Sabha TVs official YouTube channel too.

Live TV
MCLEAN, Va., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SpaceLink, a company that is redrawing the map of space connectivity, announced it continues to grow a highly accomplished team to implement its business strategy for a game changing satellite relay service. Following a previous announcement of its top executives, SpaceLink added seven more industry leaders to its team. They bring deep expertise in technical and business operations to drive forward the space relay service that provides secure, continuous, high-capacity service between LEO spacecraft and the ground.

Among the names that are familiar to many in the satellite and telecommunications industry, Dr. Larry Alder joins the team as Senior Vice President of Products & Services following more than a decade at Google and more recently several years as Chief Operating Officer at OneWeb. David Nemeth, who was previously at OneWeb, was named Senior Vice President of Systems Engineering, and Craig Moll, who was the Founder and President of PATHFINDER Space Advisors, is SpaceLink's Vice President of Commercial Business Development.

Additional leaders joining the team include Lenny Low, who is the Vice President of Space Segment. Tom Leisgang is the new Vice President of Ground Segment. David Pattillo is now Vice President of Spectrum Management, and Doug Kotval is the company's Vice President of Supplier Management.

"SpaceLink has attracted some of the industry's top professionals who are inspired by our business strategy and the opportunity to contribute to this game changing data relay service," said David Bettinger, Chief Executive Officer at SpaceLink. "We've put together a dream team with the perfect blend of backgrounds and experience to drive our vision forward. Demand for fast access to data in near Earth orbit will continue to grow and SpaceLink will be ready with the capacity needed to serve next-generation systems."

SpaceLink is a subsidiary of Electro Optic Systems of Australia (EOS) and benefits from financing, support, and advanced technology from its corporate parent, including optical communications. With significant spectrum rights in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), the relay system will optimize access to imagery from Earth observation satellites and will provide continuous communications for human spaceflight. It will provide a secure connection for the defense and intelligence communities and fast data transfer for space agencies.

SpaceLink continues to build its team and is recruiting engineering talent with a focus on satellite network, ground, and antenna systems. Visit our careers page at www.eosSpaceLink.com where more information is available.

About SpaceLink

SpaceLink is headquartered in the Washington DC area, with offices in Silicon Valley and secure facilities collocated with sister company EOS Defense Systems USA, Inc. in Huntsville, Alabama. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Electro Optic Systems Holdings Limited, a public company traded on the Australian stock exchange.

SOURCE SpaceLink

Related Links

http://www.eosSpaceLink.com


(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 1 - Italy is working for the release from detention in Egypt of Egyptian Bologna university graduate student Patrick Zaki, who has been held since February 7 last year on charges of inciting protests in the African country, the Italian foreign ministry said Monday.

The ministry said Zaki is "the only one who is being constantly monitored by a group of foreign countries thanks to the Italian initiative".

It added "in the last few days the foreign ministry, via its embassy in Cairo, has continued to raise awareness in the local authorities on the case in question, in order to favour the prompt release of the young student".

The foreign ministry underscored that Monday's hearing on extending Zaki's preventive custody took place in his presence and in that of his lawyers.

An Italian embassy functionary was also there within the framework of the trial monitoring programme coordinated by the European Union.

The outcome of the hearing, the ministry recalled, is expected Tuesday. (ANSA).



Budget 2021 speech highlights: IPO of LIC to come in 2021-22, says FM

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says preparation of this Budget was taken under circumstances like never before

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to announce steps to further boost the economy and create jobs in her third Budget speech today

Primary school teachers in Edo State on Monday stayed away from public schools as directed by the the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in the state, despite a restraining court order.

The Edo State Government on Monday secured the restraining order from the National Industrial Court in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

The teachers are on an indefinite strike over what they described as the state governments failure to meet its 10-point age-long demands.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the demands include payment of the 2013 to 2015 promotion arrears of teachers in Oredo, Orhionmwon, and Uhunmwode local government areas of the state.

The teachers also want a guarantee that they would get their salaries on or before the 27th day of every month as already directed by Governor Godwin Obaseki and the correct implementation of the 30 percent special allowance for teachers in schools with special pupils and all the arrears paid, among others.

The Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie, had earlier ordered teachers in public primary schools and school heads to resume academic activities on Monday or risk forfeiture of salaries.

There were no teachers found in most of the public primary schools in Benin City visited by a PREMIUM TIMES reporter on Monday.

Some officials of the local education authority and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) were sighted addressing pupils in some of the schools.

At Ogbe Primary School, off Airport Road in Benin City, for instance, the school gates were shut, while a few pupils were seen loitering the area until officials of the Public Works Volunteer (PUWOV) arrived and forced the gate open to allow pupils into the empty school premises.

About 20 pupils were led into a classroom by an official said to be from the local education authority.

Also at Asoro Primary School, along Sakponba Road, a PUWOV officer was standing by the gate while a classroom was opened for pupils with a woman attending to them.

The woman did not identify herself, whether she was a teacher or a SUBEB official.

At Emokpae Model Primary School, along Mission Road, four women suspected to be teachers were sighted at the school, while pupils were seen in two classrooms.

At Agbado Primary School, along Akpakpava Road, there were no pupils. Three officials, apparently from SUBEB and the local education authority, were seen in the school.

The officials said they were on the ground, waiting for the pupils to resume.

At Igbesamwan Model Primary School, off Akpakpava Road, four education officials said they attended to a few pupils that were present in the school.

The Secretary to the State Government, Mr Ogie, was sighted at Emokpae Model Primary School, apparently assessing the teachers compliance to the state government directive on school resumption.

Mr Ogie, who spoke to a few teachers, urged them to carry on with their duty.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mr Ogie told the teachers it was not a crime for some of their colleagues to protest, but that it was also not right for the protesters to deprive others of carrying out their duty.

I am here to ensure that nobody disturbs you. Anybody has a right to protest or agitate, but you cannot ask others that are ready to work not to work, he said.

Teachers in public primary schools in other parts of the state such as Auchi, Owan East, Ovia South- West, Ovia North-East local government areas complied with the NUT stop-work directive.

At Azama Primary School, Jattu, the head teacher was not on duty, only one teacher was present at 10 a.m.

It was the same situation at Ebienafe Primary School in Auchi where pupils were seen loitering the school premises.

At Omogba Primary, Uzairue, the pupils were already on their way home by 11a.m. when the chairman of the local government council visited the school, as there were no teachers present to coordinate their affairs.

The council chairperson, Imonofi Inusa, said he was not happy with the development. I have told the security agencies to go round and check that the schools properties are intact and that nobody should tamper with them, he said.

My message to the teachers is that by tomorrow if they fail to report to the school, we shall know the necessary action to take, he added.

Assistant Secretary-General of NUT, Edo State, Mike Modesty-Itua, described the strike as a total success across the 18 local government areas in the state.

Mr Modesty-Itua, who commended teachers for the compliance, urged them to remain resolute in the fight for freedom until otherwise directed by the union.
A woman whose brother murdered their mother when she tried to break free after he isolated her from her other children and gained control of her finances has revealed how her mum was totally under his spell.

Lorraine Bristow, 32, from Dunfermline in Scotland, told Channel 5's Countdown to Murder, airing tomorrow at 9pm, how her brother Ross Raggart violently assaulted her in front of their mother who was so in his control that she did nothing to stop him.

A few years later in 2015, Ross beat, dragged and strangled Carol, 54, before hiding her body at a caravan park, and pretending for weeks that she had gone missing - actively participating in the search for her, while spending her money and pawning her belongings.

Lorraine recalled how Ross manipulated Carol and drove other family members away in order to take advantage of his mother's trust and get her to give him money.

Ross Taggart is currently serving a life prison sentence for the murder of his mother, but is in charge of her estate and taunts his relatives from jail.

Ross Taggart, left, is currently serving a life prison sentence for the murder of his mother, Carol Taggart, right, in 2015 in her family home of Dunfermnline, but is in charge of her estate and taunts his relatives from jail

Lorraine Bristow, 32, from Dunfermline in Scotland, opened up about the murder of her mother Carol Taggart by her brother Ross Taggart in 2015 at the family home

Grief-stricken Lorraine, who had to identify her mother's body by the tattoo of a purple rose on her wrist, said her brother dragged her around the house after a night out when she was in her 20s, in front of Carol.

She explained Carol did nothing to help her escape Ross's wrath.

'My mum was there and didnt stop it. Too scared? I dont know,' she said.

'I honestly dont know why she was so protective of Ross. It was a strange relationship. She would listen to everything he said. I felt like the third wheel. I dont get why he was the blue-eyed boy,' she added.

Ross beat his mother, dragged her body to a caravan and strangled her before hiding her body under a neighbourhing caravan (pictured: his mugshot)

The documentary will reveal how Ross manipulated Carol into giving him more money and schemed to isolate her from her other children, so he could exercise his control over her.

The mother and son duo scarcely did anything without each other, and Carol changed her will to make him the main beneficiary and executor of her 350,000 estate.

It is believed Ross killed Carol after she confronted him and tried to break free of his controlling behaviour.

Lorraine said she 'collapsed' when she heard her mother had been found dead, three weeks after Ross reported her missing.

Ross had in fact killed Carol after an argument erupted at the mother-of-three's home, which led him to strike her repeatedly, to the point where she lost consciousness.

Carol, a mother-of-two, had fallen under the control of Ross and was sustaining him financially

Thinking Carol was dead, he dragged her body from her house to the caravan that she owned, where he strangled her and then hid her body under a neighbourhing caravan.

The next day, he drove his mother's car to the house of a woman he knew from a dating app, whom he met for sex. He later dumped the car.

Ross's relatives who knew him expressed their disgust at his actions following the murder of Carol.

'This explains the type of person Ross is. Ross went to Edinburgh, bought himself trainers, and he took himself for a meal. Who takes themselves on a date, buys themselves things, with their mum's credit card who's missing?' said Carol's son-in-law.

'There is clearly no remorse for his action. He has quite callously murdered his mother and then goes on to start spending her money, it's like a free for all,' said consultant forensic psychologist Dr Vicky Thakordas-Desai.

Scottish journalist Gordon Chree said: 'This was someone who, having killed his mother in quite a violent way and hidden her body, was able to complete detach from that and go about living what appeared to others a normal life.'

After spending money from his mother's credit card, Ross placed a called to 101 to report that Carol had gone missing and inform the family.

However, his relatives immediately grew suspicious he was somehow involved in their mother's disappearance.

'I knew in my gut he had done something and that he was lying,' Lorraine said.

'There's no way your mum's left the house, no way, it's her house,' Carol's former partner Shaun said, adding: 'He's up to his neck in this. There was something amiss.'

Ross used his mother's credit card on several occasions after he killed her and reported her missing

But to the public, Ross was perceived as a worried son searching for his mother, sharing updates on social media and thanking the community for their support.

'He has successfully manipulated the situation to his own advantage,' Dr Vicky Thakordas-Desai added.

A tearful Lorraine said hearing that her mother's body had been found was 'everybody's worst nightmare,' and that she had to identify the body using a tattoo.

Ross, who had been pawning his mother's belongings, was arrested a few days after Carol's body was found.

Shaun and Lorraine revealed the murder suspect smirked and laughed during their testimonies at his trial, and would give unsatisfying answers to questions, even snapping at the lawyer on occasion.

Ross maintained his innocence throughout the trial, but evidence was building up against him.

A view of the caravan park in Dunfermline where Carol's body was found nearly three weeks after her murder

He was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison for Carol's murder.

However, the nightmare is not over for Shaun and Lorraine: Ross, Carol's murderer, is allowed to remain the executor of her will.

While Carol's home has been sold, he remains in charge of her estate. He legally cannot inherit from her, but can control her assets from his prison cells.

Ross has denied his family access to Carols property to collect sentimental items such as photographs and videos, and bills have mounted up at her caravan, but he refuses to do anything about it.

'He's the executor of her estate after brutally murdering her. It's nuts, absolutely nuts,' Shaun said.

'It's raw because he's getting to control, still from that prison cell,' Lorraine said.

Countdown To Murder airs tomorrow night at 9pm on Channel 5.
A group of Republicans in Georgia has launched a campaign to preemptively counter former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams in the event she decides to run against Governor Brian Kemp in 2022.

The "Stop Stacey" committee said it would work to "prevent a complete left-wing takeover of Georgia".

The campaign is headed by a former Kelly Loeffler staffer and a Republican strategist and ally of Mr Kemp.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported the group's intentions.

"After losing the White House and United States Senate in 2020, grassroots Republicans across Georgia and America are standing together to stop radical Stacey Abrams," Jeremy Brand, the strategist, said.

The group told Fox News it has already raised six figured in its initial funding, but wanted to outmatch Ms Abram's own fundraising network.

"We will do whatever it takes to expose Stacey Abrams' radical network, highlight her dangerous agenda, and ultimately defeat her  and her left-wing candidates  at the ballot box," Mr Brand said.

Ms Abrams was credited as a major driver of liberal voter turnout that saw Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock oust incumbent Republican Sens. David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler, respectively.

After losing to Mr Kemp by only 55,000 votes, Ms Abrams began fighting to overcome voter suppression policies, specifically by helping new voters register.

A spokesperson for the New Georgia Project, Nse Ufot, said Ms Abrams was critically important to the election outcomes in that state.

"Stacey has tirelessly worked to get Joe Biden and the Democratic National Convention to pay attention to Georgia, spending years organising and strategising to make sure Georgians have their voices heard at the polls," she said.

Republicans fear Mr Kemp is especially vulnerable after Donald Trump questioned his loyalty and held him responsible for the state going to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

Mr Trump incorrectly claimed that there was massive voter fraud in Georgia, despite state Republican election officials insisting the election was legitimate.

A new poll from the state suggests more than half of surveyed Georgians disapprove of Mr Kemp's performance. In a similar poll, it was found that the same number  51 per cent  of people surveyed voters hold favourable views of Ms Abrams.
New Feb 1 : Opposition parties have given a suspension of business notice in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday over the farmers' agitation.

The notice has been given by Congress Deputy leader in the house Anand Sharma and CPI MP Binoy Viswam.

The Opposition has demanded suspension of the business and also repealing of farm laws. Earlier, as many as 18 opposition parties had boycotted the President's address on Friday.

The Opposition said that the laws were passed amid a din and now should be repealed as demanded by the farmers.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad had said on Thursday, "The only issue for the boycott is farm laws. " At joint statement by the opposition parties said, "India's farmers have been collectively fighting against the three farm laws, arbitrarily imposed by the BJP government that threatens the future of the Indian agriculture which sustains over 60 per cent of India's population and the livelihood of crores of farmers, sharecroppers and farm labour.

"Lakhs of farmers have been agitating at the gates of the National Capital of Delhi braving biting cold and heavy rain for the last 64 days for their rights and justice. Over 155 farmers have lost their lives. The Government remains unmoved and has responded with water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charge," the statement further said.

However,during the all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, ahead of the Budget session of Parliament, the Prime Minister had said that the government still stands by the proposal given to the protesting farmers of suspending the three contentious farm laws for 18 months.
Close

New research suggests that early life that evolved out of the ocean depths might have evolved to survive the acidic volcano environments, and it could help scientists understand ancient environments on Mars.





Many wouldn't consider acidic lakes in the shadow of a volcano as a conducive habitat. However, early creatures that abandoned the sea would disagree.

Early Days of Life

Many vital information on how the earliest days of life on land thrived is lost to us. What geologists know is that roughly 3 billion years ago, during the Mesoarchean Era, the first continents emerged from the oceans and were soon covered in life.

Unfortunately, only a few rocks that recorded details of the era's environment survived.

Keyron Hickman-Lewis, a geologist from the Natural History Museum, London, says, "It's unfortunate because the era was a major juncture in Earth history."He explains that major geobiological and geological revolutions happened during the Mesoarchean Era.

Today, researchers led by Andrea Agangi from the Akita University, Japan suggested that shortly after life emerged from the seas they quickly adapted to survive in acidic volcanic lakes.

The research published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters stems from the geochemical analysis of 3 billion-year-old sedimentary rocks from the Witwatersrand Basin in South Africa.

Despite the study not being the first or oldest evidence of life, they reveal a new habitat where early microbes might have adapted.

Hickman-Lewis says, "It implies that at this crucial juncture, there was diverse life."

ALSO READ: Researchers Discover 'Exquisitely' Preserved Skull of a Dinosaur that Lived Over 70 Million Years Ago





Agangi and his colleagues focused on the Dominion Group, rock formations that assembled during the Mesoarchean Era on what some refer to as the oldest crust on the planet--south Africa's Kaapvaal Craton. Although the Dominion Group consisted of mostly volcanic rocks, researchers were intrigued with the bed of sedimentary rock local miners know as Wonderstone.

In three quarries, the team found walls of Wonderstone that can reach up to ten meters tall. It mostly consisted of shales and sandstones, which researchers interpreted as debris of erosion from the volcano that skin into a large lake. The lake is estimated to have existed tens of millions of years after continents emerged from the sea.

Agangi explains, "The Wonderstone is dark, almost black, and soft. It can easily be crushed by a knife." He explains that the color comes from carbon-rich materials interspersed between rock grains.

Despite miners exploiting Wonderstone deposits for several decades, the origins of the carbon-rich material remained a mystery.

Upon investigation, researchers discovered that the carbon in the rocks came from dead microorganisms. They also discovered that the carbon profile matched profiles of methane-producing organisms known as methanogens.

These microbes belong to an ancient domain called Archaea that are known for their ability to survive harsh conditions.

The resiliency of life forms made sense for researchers as minerals disperse throughout the Wonderstone like pyrophyllite and marcasite indicated that the lake was probably acidic.

RELATED STORY: Slow Demise of the Devonian Era





Check out more news and information on Paleontology on Science Times.
Travelers flying through Oakland International Airport can pick up a Covid-19 test at newly installed vending machines.

Priced at $149, the At-Home Saliva RT-PCT tests are being sold at contactless kiosks in both of the airport's terminals, airport officials said.

It is the first US airport to offer Covid-19 tests in vending machines, according to a press release from the airport.

"Oakland international Airport is helping our travelers navigate this global pandemic by providing more testing options," said Bryant L. Francis, Port of Oakland Aviation Director in a statement.

He said travelers still need to be aware of quarantine rules and restrictions at their destinations.

The self-administered tests were designed by digital health company Wellness 4 Humanity, the release said.

Travelers will collect a saliva sample and then send it in for testing via FedEx. They'll get the results back through an app on their phone.

Results are ready within 24 to 48 hours, according to Wellness 4 Humanity's website.

The airport said these tests will not work for travelers, who need a negative test before flying to Hawaii, but they have other testing facilities available.

Airport spokesman Roberto Bernardo told CNN that the tests are designed for travelers flying into Oakland after a trip. Other passengers should get tested by their primary care provider at least three days before their flight.

"These saliva at-home test kits are for those who are arriving at the airport," Bernardo said in an email. "We know there are folks who have concern that they may have been exposed to COVID during their travels. They can use these tests when get home."

Hong Kong installed vending machines at public transit stations in December to distribute free Covid-19 tests to commuters, according to a government news release.

The University of California Santa Barbara has put in similar vending machines on campus to give students and staff better access to free tests.
Pound Sterling (GBP) exchange rates dipped lower on Friday as global equity markets lost ground. There has, however, been fresh support on Monday with the Pound-to-Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate close to 32-month highs while the Pound-to-Euro (GBP/EUR) exchange rate has posted net gains to trade around 1.1325 and within reach of 8-month highs posted last week.

Optimism over the UK vaccine programme has continued to provide net support despite further substantial tensions surrounding the destabilising impact of retail activity across global markets.

The cheap valuation has also provided support despite significant reservations over underlying UK fundamentals.

Global volatility remains high, dramatic retail flows in focus

Overall market volatility has remained high with further sharp moves in equities triggered by the retail frenzy interest in buying stocks where short sellers had big positions.

These moves have continued to have ramifications for currency markets and exchange rates with equites moving sharply lower on Friday. There was a tentative recovery on Monday which hampered potential dollar demand, although uncertainty remained intense.

Ray Attrill, head of forex strategy at National Australia Bank commented; What happens in the next one day to one week to one month is probably in the hands of risk sentiment. If we do see a deeper equity correction, Ive got no doubt that the U.S. dollar can show a little bit more strength.

If volatility remains elevated, there will inevitably be a significant Pound impact.

Bank of America expressed surprise that the Euro had not weakened further due to negative euro-zone developments and sees scope for further net losses.

"We suspect that the main reason is that real money, who is long EURUSD, has not capitulated, at least not yet. Hedge fund positioning has been much lighter. Both have now stopped selling the USD, but have not started selling the EUR. We have started flagging positive medium-term USD risks."

BoE decision due on Thursday

The Bank of England will release its latest policy decision on Thursday.

TD Securities base case is that the bank will not move to negative rates. While not our base case, a signal these are on the near-term horizon should send the GBP sharply weaker. Beyond this, however, we think GBPs recent phase of relative outperformance may be coming to an end as its adverse positioning and valuation factors become a more pressing concern."

Citi Economics does not expect that the Bank of England will make policy changes this week. Nevertheless, it also considers that it will set out a path towards negative rates with a move by August at the earliest.

Hedge funds not yet buying the Sterling story

The latest COT data from the CFTC recorded a decline in long Pound Sterling positions to 8,000 contracts from just below 14,000 the previous week.

The drop in long positions suggests that hedge funds have not been buying Sterling over the past few weeks despite gains in the spot market and solid underlying sentiment. This also suggests that there has been strong underlying support from longer-term funds as cheap valuations encourage buying.

This element could trigger a fresh round of support for the Pound if funds decide to jump in.

ING maintained a positive stance on the Pound; With the currency being undervalued based on our medium-term BEER fair value model (around 7% against both USD and EUR), the valuation gap should continue closing throughout the year and GBP/USD is set to continue gradually appreciating (above GBP/USD 1.50 by the year-end).
Mumbai, Feb 1 : Defender Sarthak Golui and midfielder Sourav Das have left the Mumbai City FC and have joined SC East Bengal, Mumbai City announced on Monday.

Sarthak Golui joined the Club ahead of the 2019-20 season and made 17 appearances across a season and a half for Mumbai City, scoring his only goal in the Islanders' colours against FC Goa in his debut campaign.

Sourav Das, who also signed for the Islanders at the start of the 2019-20 campaign, made eight appearances for the Club during his time at Mumbai City.

All of us at Mumbai City would like to thank Sarthak and Sourav for their commitment and their contributions to the Club and wish both of them the very best for the future.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) today filed a lawsuit in federal court against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking a responce to NRDCs petitions to ban two hazardous pesticides used in popular pet flea treatment products.

Flea collars are designed to leave chemical residue on pets fur to combat pests, but through contact, children are susceptible to ingesting these toxins.

Due to concerns that the products can harm childrens brains and nervous systems, the agency has severely restricted household use of other known neurotoxic pesticides. But it continues to allow neurotoxic propoxur and tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP) to be used in flea treatments for dogs and cats. NRDCs lawsuit seeks to force the EPA to respond to NRDCs petitions to cancel all pet uses and manufacturer registrations of these two chemicals.

These flea collars leave a toxic residue on pets fur, exposing children to chemicals which can have harmful effects on their brains, similar to those from lead said Miriam Rotkin-Ellman, senior scientist with NRDCs health program. Luckily, there are less-toxic alternatives readily available to control fleas."

"Nearly a decade has passed since NRDC urged EPA to get these toxic chemical collars off store shelves, but the agency continues to drag its feet," Rotkin-Ellman continued. After all, EPA decided long ago that nervous system-damaging chemicals shouldnt be used indoors, so why is it OK to put them on our pets?

Flea collars are designed to leave pesticide residues on pet fur, exposing people to the chemicals they contain when they play with their pet or touch pet bedding. Once on a childs skin, the pesticide is absorbed through the skin or it can be ingested when a child puts their hand in their mouth. Propoxur and TCVP are types of pesticides that are known to be toxic to brain development, nervous system communication and can cause cancer. Children are particularly vulnerable because their smaller bodies are still developing and their activities, such as putting their hands in their mouths after petting animals or playing, increase the likelihood and amount of these pesticides that can enter their bodies. In large doses, these chemicals can also harm or kill dogs, cats and in extreme poisoning cases, even humans.

To protect against exposure to these chemicals, NRDC recommends avoiding flea collars brands that use them, including:

Sergeants Pet Care Products, Inc.

Wellmark International

Hartz Mountain Corporation

NRDC has updated its Green Paws product guide, which encourages consumers and pet owners to use safer methods of pet flea control. NRDCs Green Paws guide also ranks more than 125 flea and tick products based on ingredients, categorizing them by the level of their potential health threat to people and animals.

Background:

Prior to todays lawsuit filing, the EPA failed to respond to NRDC petitions seeking a ban on these two chemicals. NRDC first petitioned the EPA to cancel propoxur uses in pet collars in 2007. In 2009, NRDC released its Poison on Pets II report, which found that high levels of pesticide residue can remain on a dogs or cat's fur for weeks after a flea collar is put on an animal. Residue levels detected in this study were found to be high enough to pose a risk to the neurological system of children at levels that greatly exceed EPA's acceptable levels. In conjunction with the report, NRDC filed a supplement to its petition.

In 2010, the EPA published an initial exposure assessment based on a new estimated residue level. In that assessment, the EPA determined that the risks to children from exposure to pets wearing propoxur flea collars were of concern to the agency. NRDC filed yet another supplement to its petition in 2011 in response to that new assessment. To date, no final decision has been made on the petition, although the EPA has indicated that they expect to issue a revised exposure assessment soon.

For TCVP, NRDC filed a petition in April 2009 to cancel all uses of the chemical in pet collars. To date, the EPA has not responded to that petition either.

Visit EcoWatchs HEALTH page for more related news on this topic.
Friedensburg

An American Red Cross blood drive is set for noon to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12, at the Friedensburg Fire Company, 1357 Long Run Road. People 17 and older (16 with parental consent), weighing at least 110 pounds and in general good health are urged to donate blood. To make an appointment, go online to RedCrossBlood.org or call 800-733-2767.

Pottsville

In its Conservancy Chirps newsletter, the Schuylkill County Conservancy, 1206 Ag Center Drive, touted the WeConserve PA virtual conference to be held March 24-25. WeConservePA is accepting registrations for the event. To register, people may go online to https://weconservepa.org/event/weconservepa-conference-2021. The conference, according to the newsletter, is Pennsylvanias premier networking, training and inspirational event for those involved with private and public land conservation.

Pottsville

John Matulevich, a human performance scientist and owner of Ruthless Performance, Pottsville, recently addressed members of the Pottsville Rotary Club during a virtual meeting via Zoom, according to the club bulletin. In 2019, Matulevich cycled 4,000 miles from San Francisco, California, to Pottsville, to raise money for animal rescues. For the Rotarians, he gave a slide presentation and narrative about the cross-country trek that took 43 days. Now, Matulevich is planning a world-record attempt by paddle boarding from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Florida, a trek of up to 120 miles depending on ocean currents, to raise money and awareness for clean water initiatives.

Schuylkill Haven

Rainbow Hose Company No. 1 has several events on its agenda for February, including Taco Tuesdays from 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 2, 9, 16 and 23; Super Bowl Sunday wings from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, and a breakfast from 7 a.m. to noon Sunday, Feb. 21. For more information, email rainbowhoseco1@gmail.com.
A painting of Dante from the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence - Getty

As Italy commemorates the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante, a descendant of Italys most celebrated poet wants him to be pardoned of the heinous crimes he was accused of.

Born into a noble family in Florence in 1265, Dante Alighieri found himself on the wrong side of the bloody feud between the rival Guelph and Ghibelline factions.

He was accused of crimes that included fraud, extortion, embezzlement and perjury. When he failed to turn up to face trial, he was sentenced to be burnt at the stake.

Anxious to avoid such a fate, he fled into exile in 1302 and never saw Florence again, despite making repeated requests to be allowed to return.

He settled in Ravenna where he wrote much of his masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, and died there in 1321.

Now one of his descendants is exploring the possibility of the poet being granted a pardon  both for the initial crimes he was accused of and the death penalty that was then handed down by magistrates.

Dante is regarded as the father of the Italian language - Getty

They were politically-motivated trials and the exile and death penalties inflicted on my dear ancestor are unjust, said Sperello di Serego Alighieri, who is an astrophysicist by profession.

They have never been canceled, in contrast to what happened with Galileo Galilei. So if the law permits it, we will ask for a review.

He has the backing of Alessandro Traversi, a law professor in Florence, who says the idea of a pardon after seven centuries is not so outlandish.

He points to the Italian penal code, which says that sentences can be revised if new evidence emerges that can demonstrate the innocence of the protagonist.

To that end, the two men are organising a conference in May that will involve jurists, judges and historians, to discuss the feasibility of a pardon.

It will involve some heavy-hitters from the Italian legal world, including a judge from the Supreme Court in Rome and a procurator-general.

Well be asking ourselves if the sentences against Dante were the result of regular judicial proceedings or were they the poisoned fruit of politics, which exploited the justice system to bring down an adversary, Prof Traversi told Corriere della Sera newspaper.

Story continues

A statue of Dante in Verona in northern Italy - Shutterstock

Not everyone is convinced that Dante, known in Italy as Il Sommo Poeta or the Supreme Poet, needs a pardon.

Its lovely to think that there are still descendants of Dante, and perhaps it is right to cancel the convictions that were inflicted on him, said Aldo Cazzullo, a journalist and commentator. But his memory does not need it. Dante is the true father of Italy because he gave us not just our language but a sense of ourselves.

The story of a pilgrims journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise, Dante used The Divine Comedy to satirise his enemies and lament the factionalism of Florentine politics.

Dantes death sentence was signed by Cante de Gabrielli, a magistrate who originally came from Gubbio in Umbria.

Five years ago, the town asked to be forgiven for playing a part in the poets persecution and exile.
When police arrived, the two men split up and fled. The first man, William Oiler, 40, of Blue Island, was taken into custody minutes after being tracked by a K-9 team. He had an active warrant for his arrest out of Illinois for parole violation on an original charge of aggravated battery, police said.
Two additional coronavirus variants have been discovered in the Bay Area, making even more urgent Californias commitment to a faster and more efficient distribution of vaccinations across the state.

The variants, which originated in Brazil and the United Kingdom and have spread to numerous countries, were identified in the Bay Area by scientists at Stanford Universitys Clinical Virology Lab, spokeswoman Lisa Kim confirmed Sunday. She provided no information on the location of the infections but said they were reported to public health authorities on Thursday from samples collected less than two weeks prior to reporting.

The spread of the coronavirus mutations comes as California is turning over vaccine distribution to the Oakland-based health insurance company Blue Shield, with assistance from Kaiser Permanente, in an effort to speed up what has been among the slowest vaccination rollouts in the country.

The plans for a faster and more effective vaccine distribution, however, may be thwarted if Kaiser Permanente, the Oakland-based hospital and health insurance chain that counts nearly a quarter of Californians among its customers, cannot get vastly more vaccine than it has been able to procure.

Kaiser officials say theyre hopeful that their supply will grow now that the state has tapped Blue Shield and Kaiser to take over in a transition expected over the next few weeks.

We need more vaccine to be available in the coming weeks, as we broaden vaccine prioritization from health care workers to people over 75 years of age and other eligible populations, a Kaiser spokesperson said Sunday, a day after CEO Greg Adams told members that Kaiser has received only a fraction of the vaccine needed to vaccinate its health care workers and members.

The work that we, Blue Shield, and the state are embarking on is squarely aimed at getting Californians vaccinated as quickly as the supply allows, the spokesperson said in an email Sunday. He predicted progress and said that ultimately, success will rely on increasing the amount of vaccine received in California.

Asked whether the shortage of supply will impede Kaisers ability to aid in the statewide distribution, Darrel Ng of the states COVID-19 vaccine task force said Sunday, The largest factor in any entitys ability to get more vaccine is the overall supply of vaccines. California is constricted by the supply provided by the federal government.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious-disease specialist at UCSF, said the shortage may also be concerning as Kaiser and Blue Shield have responsibilities to their own patients.

More for you Local Coronavirus live updates: Bay Area sees plunge in...

Whenever you have an organization that is not the government, that is not the Department of Public Health, in charge of the distribution, youre going to have biases, whether or not you know it or not, Chin-Hong said.

State officials have praised Blue Shield and Kaiser as experienced California nonprofits that can help the state face the nearly unprecedented health crisis and vaccinate its population toward a goal of resuming economic normality and reopening of schools.

Data released by the state over the weekend show that providers have sped up administering the vaccine doses they do receive from the state. More than 3.4 million shots have been administered, the data show. That represents about 72% of the more than 4.7 million doses the state has distributed to counties and providers. State officials caution that the numbers may not reflect the precise picture due to lag in reporting time.

Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez
Col. Rodney B. Henney, the final commander of the Laredo Air Force Base, passed away on Dec. 29 at age 92.

Henney was born in Pasadena, California, attended Occidental College and the University of Utah, and joined the Marines before transitioning to the Air Force.

He began pilot training in Laredo not long after the base was reactivated in the early 50s, according to his daughter, Violet Marlowe Henney. And in 1957 he met and married Laredoan Josephine Beaubien.

He loved Laredo, No. 1 because of the people, his daughter said. ... He loved the hunting and the fishing and the friends. They really had a good life there.

Henney was an outdoorsman who loved to water ski on Lake Casa Blanca. In 1955 he took a leave of absence to join the U.S. Olympic Alpine Ski Team, but took a bad fall, which eliminated him from competing in the Olympics.

He was drawn to speed, his daughter said. The Henneys moved to Little Rock for a few years where he piloted the B-58 Hustler, a high speed bomber that allowed him to break the sound barrier. Henney was also intercept pilot during the Cold War, Violet said.

He came back to Laredo to help close the base in 1973, then finished his career in the Air Force as vice base commander for Lowry Air Force Base.

But Henney returned to Laredo around 1976, his daughter said, where he started a new career at Laredo National Bank as vice president and director of human resources. He ended up working for the bank for around 25 years, Violet Marlowe Henney said.

Her parents lived in Laredo until 2012, when they moved to the Air Force Village in San Antonio. In his retirement, Henney fished, hunted and snow skied often. He skied until he was 88, Violet said.

He had such a zest for life. ... He was just so positive, hes always been like that, she said.

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com

Line of Duty star Adrian Dunbar has revealed his love for family holidays in a tacky but fantastic Co Donegal town.

The Enniskillen-born actor has also said he was a bit worried about fitting back into the uniform of Superintendent Ted Hastings for the hit shows sixth series, which was filmed in Northern Ireland due to be broadcast soon.

He said on BBC Radio Fours Saturday Live yesterday: Now and again you can find a place that has just stood still.

When I go into Bundoran, to this day, I remember one summer all of us packed into the car, going along the Loughshore Road.

The Army were stopping people and this traffic was backed up to get across the border and it was a really warm day so all the cars were overheating.

By the time we got to Bundoran our car, this Mark 2 Cortina, had literally just fallen apart and I remember one of the wings fell off just as we came up to this garage.

So my father just turned the car directly into the garage and the car fell apart, literally. That garage is still there.

But we always had fabulous holidays in Bundoran, its a great spot, its tacky but its fantastic.

Mr Dunbar recently returned to the west coast of Ireland for a new two-part series for Channel 5, Adrian Dunbars Coastal Ireland, which airs on Thursday at 8pm.

We spent all our summer holidays in Donegal and Sligo, once Im out there Im on holiday...the west coast in particular is full of drama, its an incredible place, he said.

Incredible light, incredible cliffs, so getting the opportunity to get out there and do something... its a gift.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) in the Senate subway area of the Capitol before President Donald Trump's State of the Union address in Washington on Feb. 4, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

GOP Senators to Meet Biden at White House to Discuss Pandemic Relief Plan

A group of GOP senators will meet with President Joe Biden on Monday after he invited them to the White House following their request for a meeting to propose an alternative CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus stimulus package.

We appreciate the presidents quick response to our letter, and we are pleased to accept his invitation to the White House tomorrow afternoon to discuss the path forward for the sixth bipartisan COVID-19 relief package, the GOP senators said in a joint statement.

Biden on Sunday invited the group of 10 senators to meet with him for a full exchange of views after receiving their letter, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

The lawmakers said they had developed their own framework for a COVID-19 relief package, which they say builds on previous relief bills that had passed with bipartisan support.

Our proposal reflects many of your stated priorities, and with your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support. We request the opportunity to meet with you to discuss our proposal in greater detail and how we can work together to meet the needs of the American people during this persistent pandemic, they wrote.

Their proposal came after Biden said hes open to passing portions of his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief proposal via reconciliation if Republicans reject the measure. That includes $1,400 stimulus checks, unemployment assistance, and funding for local and state governments.

The senators said in their letter that while parts of the proposal mirror Bidens plan, their proposal includes more targeted assistance.

We propose an additional round of economic impact payments for those families who need assistance the most, including their dependent children and adults. Our plan also includes extending enhanced federal unemployment benefits at the current level and fully funding your request for nutrition assistance to help struggling families, the letter states.

Biden said on Friday that he would like to receive support from Republicans for his proposal but indicated that it would pass even without their support.

I support passing COVID relief with support from Republicans if we can get it. But the COVID relief has to passno ifs, ands, or buts, he said.

The administration is open to the idea of targeting stimulus checks to those making under a certain amount as well as other ideas, Brian Deese, an economic adviser to Biden, said on CNNs State of the Union.

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on health care in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Jan. 28, 2021. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)

We are open to looking at how to make the entire package effective at achieving its objective, including providing support to families with children, providing direct child tax credits to families that have children and who have been hit the hardest in this crisis, he said.

Asked whether Democrats would agree to remove a minimum wage increase from the package, Cedric Richmond, an adviser to the president, said he wouldnt negotiate on TV.

The minimum wage has been expanded or increased during times of crisis before. Its been increased under Republican presidents and Democratic presidents. And its a great way to lift people out of poverty. And if you think of all the frontline workers that are out there risking their lives every day, who probably have not been vaccinated yet. So, youre talking about grocery store clerks and everyone else, he said on CBS Face the Nation.

Psaki said in her statement that the scope and size of Bidens proposal are necessary to counter the pandemic.

With the virus posing a grave threat to the country, and economic conditions grim for so many, the need for action is urgent, and the scale of what must be done is large, she said.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) indicated last week that Democrats were willing to move forward with the next CCP virus relief package without Republicans and would potentially start the process next week.

The dangers of undershooting our response are far greater than overshooting, he said, adding that the Senate as early as next week will begin the process of considering a very strong COVID relief bill.

The new CCP virus relief bill comes just one month after Congress passed a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill, which includes a $600 direct stimulus payment to most Americans making up to $75,000 per year, and $1,200 to couples making up to $150,000, with payments phased out for higher incomes.

Some Republicans are questioning the need for a large spending package just a month after the $900 billion relief package.

The senators who signed the letter include Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Rob Portman (R-Ohio).

Jack Phillips and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. This article has been updated to include a response by the group of 10 senators.
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
Trouble and worries.

Those two words expressed yesterday by the father of kidnapped Andrea Bharatt sum up his state of mind as he waits in agony for a phone call from the kidnappers or a police breakthrough in the case.

Andrea, 22, a clerk at the Arima Magistrates Court, has been missing since Friday evening after she boarded a taxi from Arima for home with a friend. The friend was dropped off at her home but Andrea was not.
Matt Damon arrived in Australia with his wife and family in January ahead of filming on Thor: Love and Thunder.

After completing mandatory quarantine at a private mansion, the Hollywood actor, 50, was enjoying his freedom with a stroll in the seaside town of Byron Bay, NSW.

The Good Will Hunting star walked along the famous Byron Bay Lighthouse trail on Monday, and blended right in with the locals.

In town: Matt Damon (pictured) arrived in Australia with his family in January ahead of filming on Thor: Love and Thunder

Matt looked relaxed, taking in the sights of Wategos beach as he hiked the popular fitness track.

The star was dressed casually in a black Moto-Works t-shirt with a faded print along the front. He added a pair of matching dark shorts and a pair of trainers.

With the summer weather hot and steamy, Matt shielded his famous face with a pair of sunglasses and a black cap.

Out and about: After completing mandatory quarantine at a private mansion, the Hollywood actor, 50, was enjoying his freedom with a stroll in the seaside town of Byron Bay, NSW

Casual: The Good Will Hunting star walked the famous Byron Bay Lighthouse trail on Monday, and blended right in with the locals

Lovely: Matt looked relaxed, taking in the sights of Wategos beach as he hiked the popular fitness track

Chill: The star was dressed casually in a black Moto-Works t-shirt with a faded print along the front

Sporty: He added a pair of matching dark shorts and a pair of trainers

The Contagion star took nothing with him for his walk but for a pair of car keys which he carried in his hand.

The Damon family arrived in Australia via private jet earlier this month and immediately moved into an Airbnb rented mansion.

They paid for their own private security, police monitoring, hospital-grade cleaning, staff, meals and regular medical checks.

Sun safe: With the summer weather hot and steamy, Matt shielded his famous face with a pair of sunglasses and a black cap

Low key: The Contagion star took nothing with him for his walk but for a pair of car keys which he carried in his hand

Incoming: The Damon family arrived in Australia via private jet earlier this month and immediately moved into an Airbnb rented mansion

Safe: They paid for their own private security, police monitoring, hospital-grade cleaning, staff, meals and regular medical checks

Keen: Matt previously said that he was looking forward to 'call Australia home' ahead of his trip Down Under

At the time, Concierge Doctors CEO Dr Zac Turner told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'The family will be entirely segregated for the period of their quarantine and will participate in standardised testing and monitoring, in full compliance with current NSW Government requirements.'

Dr Turner added that NSW Police would be present to ensure quarantine was enforced.

Meanwhile, Matt previously said that he was looking forward to 'call Australia home' ahead of his trip Down Under.

'I'm so excited that my family and I will be able to call Australia home for the next few months,' Matt said.

Nice if you can! 'I'm so excited that my family and I will be able to call Australia home for the next few months,' Matt said

Hard at work: 'Australian film crews are world renowned for their professionalism and are a joy to work with so the 14 days of quarantine will be well worth it,' he added

Star power: Matt is gearing up to appear in the upcoming Marvel film Thor: Love and Thunder, which is being filmed in Sydney

'Australian film crews are world renowned for their professionalism and are a joy to work with so the 14 days of quarantine will be well worth it,' he added.

Matt is gearing up to appear in the upcoming Marvel film Thor: Love and Thunder, which is being filmed in Sydney.

Also appearing in the film are fellow Hollywood heavyweights Natalie Portman, Chris Pratt, Christian Bale and Chris Hemsworth.

PEOPLE

TekSynap adds new growth chief

Reston, Virginia-based TekSynap has hired nearly 35-year federal sector veteran and former Bluewater executive Pete Brady as chief growth officer.

Brady most recently helped lead Bluewater through its growth and subsequent sale to Tetra Tech in the fall of 2020.

His private career also includes roles at ManTech, Merlin International, Cisco and Sprint. He is also a retired Army officer who served multiple combat tours on three continents.

TekSynap touted Bradys experience in programs for enterprise IT, cybersecurity, mission systems and operations planning.
The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said COVID-19 tests in public health facilities are not for travel purpose, but only for people with symptoms of COVID-19.

The governor said on Sunday this while giving an update on COVID-19 management in the state.

Although COVID-19 testing is free at public facilities, the governor said it is only for those who have symptoms such as fever, cough, cold, inability to smell or taste, headaches or general body weaknessor those who have come into close contact with anyone with the symptoms.

Testing at our public health facilities cannot be used for travel purposes. Anyone wishing to test as a requirement for travel or other work-related requirements must do so at any of the 21 private laboratories accredited by Lagos State for COVID testing, Mr Sanwo-Olu said.

The governor did not elaborate further on why results approved at public facilities cannot be used for travel purposes.

COVID-19 test is a requirement for international travellers at international airports in Nigeria.

The Lagos state government had earlier approved private laboratories for COVID-19 testing where non-essential COVID-19 tests can be carried out. The test costs about N50, 000 at the private laboratories.

Lagos State has 21 private and 4 public health laboratories accredited for COVID-19 testing. So far, a total of 316,801 samples have been tested, with 47,871 diagnosed as Positive.

Oxygen usage

Speaking on oxygen usage by COVID-19 patients in the state, Mr Sanwo-Olu said oxygen is administered free of charge at government-owned health facilities.

The Government wishes to reiterate that oxygen is free at all Lagos State-owned COVID-19 Treatment Centres. The Lagos State Government does not charge for the use of oxygen in its centres.

Considering that oxygen demand has spiked to between 300 and 400 cylinders per day across state-owned treatment facilities, the Government is working hard to ensure that availability and supply are very easily able to meet and even surpass this demand, he said.

Mr Sanwo-Olu added that the state is constructing a second oxygen plant at the Gbagada General Hospital and this will come on-stream within the next seven days.

The new oxygen plant will boost the in-house capacity and availability of oxygen across all State Government managed treatment centres, he said.

The governor disclosed that as of January 29, Lagos State has recorded 47,871 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 34,094 have recovered in community, while 9,856 are currently active in the community.

Over the last 12 months, about 3,988 COVID-related patients have been admitted into the various care centres across the State; with a registered fatality rate of approximately 0.63% (301 deaths), he said.

The governor also disclosed that the test positivity ratio for January is 24 per cent, in which one out of every four tests conducted returns positive, which is the highest monthly average recorded in the last six months.

Mr Sanwo-Olu encouraged patients that are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms of COVID-19 to take advantage of the established telemedicine service, EKOTELEMED, as 5,000 patients have been reached through the initiative so far.

EKOTELEMED is manned by well-trained medical personnel and is available on a toll-free line, 08000EKOMED (08000356633).

ADVERTISEMENT
The role of policing in the United States is being hotly debated, with many liberal activists calling for reductions in police funding. Although advocates of defunding the police have failed to win over the general public, the political climate in certain Democratic-leaning cities, combined with the budget constraints imposed by COVID-19, has already succeeded in thinning the ranks of police departments in some parts of the country.

In Minneapolis, the epicenter of last years protests and riots, over 100 officers left the ranks of the citys police, more than double the number in a typical year. In Seattle, another hub of protests last year, the level of police attrition is unprecedented.

The long-term impact of police reductions in these specific cities is at this point unclear. However, a study published in December in Justice Evaluation Journal offers some evidence that rapidly depleting the ranks of a citys police force can in some circumstances have deadly consequences.

Eric Piza, of John Jay College of Criminal Justice at CUNY, and Vijay Chillar, of the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University, looked at police layoffs against the backdrop of the Great Recession of 200809.

Theres a large body of research that has looked at the relationship between police-force size and crime, but most of it has analyzed the effect of incremental changes in officer numbers, Piza told me about why he pursued this research. Large changes, such as what occurs with layoffs, hadnt been analyzed before. Therefore, we felt that research on the effect of large, sudden reductions to a police force was needed in the field.

During that period, New Jerseys two largest cities, Newark and Jersey City, faced severe budget stress as a consequence of the downturn in the economy.

Both cities contemplated large police layoffs in response. In Jersey City, the local police union and city officials were able to reach an agreement that averted layoffs; in Newark, labormanagement negotiations were not as successful, resulting in the layoff of 167 recently hired officers, a total of 13 percent of the force.

Story continues

Piza and Chillar used the examples of Jersey City and Newark as a natural experiment, examining their crime rates between 2006 and 2015 and looking to examine the impact of Newarks layoffs on its levels of crime.

Although no natural experiment is perfect, the similarities between the two cities made them comparable for purposes of the study. The researchers note in their paper that as New Jerseys two largest cities, Newark and Jersey City are more similar to one another than any of the other municipalities in the state in regards to police force size, pre-layoff resources, and pre-layoff crime levels.

They noted that both property-crime and violent-crime rates continued to decline throughout the period they studied in Jersey City. In Newark, however, violent-crime rates increased after the layoffs. Using statistical models, Piza and Chillar estimate that there were approximately 108 . . . additional violent crime incidents per month resulting from the layoffs, while there were also an additional 103 property-crime incidents each month.

One possible culprit for the increase in crime following the layoffs was the decision of the Newark Police Department (NPD) to curtail the use of hot-spots policing, which involved assigning officers to proactively police the citys crime hot spots during the majority of their shifts. From 2006 to 2009, hot-spots policing was a major feature of the departments activities, but budget constraints and layoffs forced the NPD to discontinue this form of policing, as personnel were needed elsewhere.

Its also possible that the sudden and dramatic decrease in police officers harmed the forces morale, contributing to a reduction in policing quality. Piza and Chillar point to a 2018 study that found that teacher layoffs in the state of Washington led to less teacher productivity.

Whatever the reason, the study clearly shows a relationship between layoffs and a spike in crime in Newark, one that did not take place in similarly situated Jersey City.

Piza advised caution on drawing larger lessons from the study and suggested that layoffs dont necessarily have to lead to higher crime levels if they are done in a more strategic way that allows departments to continue crime-control practices that work.

The layoffs werent part of any larger efforts to reimagine public safety, which are occurring currently, he told me. With that said, I dont think reducing police-force sizes needs to automatically result in more crime, as long as police cuts are supplemented with resources that can help maintain evidence-based crime-control practices.

But its unclear whether the cuts were seeing across the country are being done in a judicious environment or whether theyre a knee-jerk response to the political moment that is taking place around the country.

We know for instance that Austin, Texas, cut a third of its police budget, and New York City disbanded a plainclothes anti-crime unit. These cuts are coming at a time when many American cities have experienced a huge increase in homicides and shootings. Some locales, such as Wilmington, Del., saw a record number of homicides last year. St. Louis, Mo., long one of Americas most violent spots, saw its highest rate of killing in 50 years.

Since the advent of smartphones and social media, were all intimately aware of acts of unjustified police violence and brutality. But we should contextualize any policy responses we take, carefully weighing costs and benefits. The Piza and Chillar study shows that a sharp and sudden reduction in police staffing can have disastrous consequences for a community, leading to more needless death.

More from National Review
The FCC leveled a nearly $10 million fine against a Montana man who it said made racist and threatening robocalls. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

The FCC fined Scott Rhodes $9.9 million for making thousands of racist and threatening robocalls.

Targets of the calls included Black and Jewish politicians, as well as a murder victim's family.

"In this instance, not only were the calls unlawful, but the caller took them to new levels of egregiousness," the FCC said.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Federal Communications Commission said it fined a Montana man $9.9 million for making racist and threatening robocalls that targeted Black and Jewish politicians, the family of a murder victim, and residents of Charlottesville, Virginia, in an attempt to influence a jury in a murder case against an avowed neo-Nazi.

Scott Rhodes made thousands of calls using an online platform to manipulate caller ID so the calls appeared to be from local numbers, a technique known as "neighbor spoofing." The FCC said it was this tactic combined with the content of the calls that resulted in the fine, citing the Truth in Caller ID Act.

"The law is clear: Spoofed caller ID robocalls used with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or cheat recipients is unlawful. And the American people are sick and tired of it," Ajit Pai, the FCC chairman at the time, said in the January 14 announcement of the fine.

"In this instance, not only were the calls unlawful, but the caller took them to new levels of egregiousness," Pai said.

The report from the FCC outlines thousands of robocalls that Rhodes, 51, made from different states in 2018, many of which had been covered by local and national outlets at the time.

In one anti-Semitic robocall campaign targeting Californians, Rhodes encouraged people to vote for a Senate candidate in order "to rid America of the traitorous Jews," naming Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Other calls made to Georgians impersonated Oprah Winfrey to target then-gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams using racist language, including a reference to Aunt Jemima.

Story continues

"This is the magical negro, Oprah Winfrey, asking you to make my fellow negress, Stacey Abrams, the governor of Georgia," the call said.

Another set of racist calls in Florida targeted Andrew Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee at the time and the state's first Black gubernatorial candidate.

The FCC report said Rhodes also sent calls to citizens of Charlottesville, Virginia, in an attempt to influence the jury in the trial of James Fields, an avowed white supremacist. Fields is now serving life in prison for driving his car into a group of anti-racism protesters and killing Heather Heyer.

The robocalls, aimed at places where potential jurists resided, included false information about Heyer's death, "claiming that she died of a heart attack rather than blunt force trauma from the impact of the car," according to the FCC.

Rhodes also made robocalls to people in Iowa after reports that a local college student, Mollie Tibbetts, was killed by a person living in the US illegally. Rob Tibbetts, the woman's father, received the robocall one week after her body was found.

Tibbetts told The Des Moines Register that the call was "unbelievably painful." It contained racists remarks about immigrants, including the phrase "kill them all." Tibbetts said he notified the FBI but the bureau said it could not do much, citing the right to free speech.

In Idaho, Rhodes made threatening calls about the publisher of a local newspaper, the Sandpoint Reader, which identified him in early 2018 as the person spreading racist propaganda at a local high school.

The FCC gave Rhodes 30 days to pay the fine. If he does not, it could refer the case to the Department of Justice.

In response to the FCC findings, Rhodes claimed it was a "politically motivated gross overreach of FCC authority."

Read the original article on Insider
Rescue workers try to extinguish a fire caused by an explosion in the town of Azaz, Syria (AFP or licensors)

In the wake of the decade-long conflict in Syria which has led to the death of many people, including children, UNICEF calls for the security of civilian areas and reminds the conflicting parties of their obligation to protect children.

By Vatican News staff writer

The UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) has called on all of the parties involved in the conflict in Syria to respect their obligations to protect children at all times and refrain from violence in civilian areas.

In a statement on Sunday, Bo Viktor Nylund, UNICEF Representative in Syria, decried the loss of human lives in the country.

One 12-year-old girl was reportedly killed in an attack in Azaz, northern rural Aleppo on Sunday. Among the scores of people injured were two other boys  one of them less than a year old, UNICEF said.

Another three children were killed in an explosion in the town of Afrin, also in northern rural Aleppo on Saturday, said the statement.

Ten years into the conflict, UNICEF notes, children continue to be the hardest hit by unprecedented destruction, displacement and death. They have lost their lives, homes and childhoods. It is high time that the violence in Syria comes to an end.

With these recent attacks, approximately 22 children have been killed since the start of this year, a stark reminder that violence continues in Syria and children continue to be in danger day in, day out.

Education and basic services disrupted

A separate statement issued by UNICEF on 24 January highlighted the negative effects of the long-running violence on education in Syria, pointing out that more than half of children in the country are deprived of education.

Inside Syria, there are 2.4 million children out of school, nearly 40 percent are girls, the statement read.

At the same time, there have been nearly 700 attacks on education facilities and personnel since the verification of grave violations against children began. Presently, one in three schools in Syria can no longer be used because they were destroyed, damaged, or are being used for military purposes.

Meanwhile, in some other areas, basic services and civilian infrastructure continue to come under attack even as the country battles with other difficulties exacerbated by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
The University of Sydney has been blasted for wasting taxpayers' money on a week-long festival involving human trees and witches with broomsticks casting spells.

The university's Sydney Environment Institute collaborated with artist Janet Laurence for Requiem, a series of performances as part of the Sydney Festival last month.

Requiem was billed as a way to mourn the loss of flora and fauna following Australia's deadly summer bushfires of 2019-20 with a program delivering 'the aesthetics and ethics of care and healing'.

The University of Sydney has been slammed for its involvement in Requiem, a series of performances for the Sydney Festival, which included an event from the Dirt Witches (pictured)

Another performance as part of Requiem saw a group dressed as trees marching down Sydney's Oxford Street banging tambourines

The series included Hommage by the Tree Veneration Society where members - dressed as human trees complete with branches - marched down Oxford Street as they banged a tambourine.

The event culminated with a performance by Dirt Witches, 'a collective who stand up against acts of systemic environmental destruction through creative expression'.

They performed a 'contemporary, environmentalist incantation in memory of the bushfires'.

The Dirt Witches, dressed in black capes and cowles, gathered around a pile of burnt wood branches and sticks salvaged from the fires.

The sticks were scripted with phrases such as 'the privilege of breath' and 'the price of disconnection'.

The Institute of Public Affair Foundations of Western Civilisation director Dr Bella d'Abrera said the university had 'made a laughing-stock of the humanities' and was baffled as to why they had got involved.

'In reality, Requiem was a bizarre mishmash of semi-Christian, paganistic rites and rituals, centred around the worship of Mother Earth,' she told the Daily Telegraph.

'If you needed any more proof that climate change has become a religion, then you need go no further than the University of Sydney's Environment Institute.'

The university was blasted by Institute of Public Affair Foundations of Western Civilisation, with its director saying the event made them the 'laughing stock of the humanities'. Pictured, the the Tree Veneration Society

The 'witches' also gathered around burnt wood inscribed with phrases such as 'seven billion burnt trees' and 'breathing in brokenness'

But the university hit back, saying they had 'a proud history of encouraging and defending free speech'.

'We think it's important to share our research and education in ways that are accessible to everyone and participating in activities like Sydney Festival allows us to do that in a cost-effective way,' a statement from the university said.

The university said its Sydney Environment Institute was one of seven partners for the event and only contributed to some activities.
A hot potato: Amazon Ring's partnerships with police and fire departments that allow them to request users' security camera footage has brought plenty of controversies. But the company isn't slowing down the programquite the opposite. A new report reveals that 1,189 departments joined last year, bringing the total to 2,014.

The Financial Times reports that the number of local police and fire departments added to Ring's Neighbors Portal program in 2020 was more than double the 703 new additions from a year earlier. In 2018, just 40 signed up. There are now only two states in which no departments participate: Wyoming and Montana.

Police and fire services taking part in the program requested videos for more than 22,235 incidents last year. Amazon notes that customers can opt-out of receiving requests from police, but subpoenas, search warrants, and court orders can still be used to access footage from users opting to deny requests.

Police made 1,900 requests for data that users had denied to them, and Amazon, which has the final say on whether to hand anything over, agreed to 57 percent of these. While that's lower than the 67 percent it complied with during 2019, the number of these requests increased 150 percent in 2020.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has warned that while some owners may be okay with sharing their footage, it's possible that neighbors and passers-by could be caught on camera, essentially creating a "massive and unchallenged" surveillance network.

Those unconcerned about the program's privacy aspects might feel safer knowing police have another tool in their arsenal, but an NBC News report from February 2019 found it wasn't beneficial when investigating severe crimesmost of the arrests that used Ring footage were for low-level, non-violent property crimes.
A cyclist bikes past a signboard with an image of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Yangon, Myanmar, on Jan. 29, 2021. (Thein Zaw/AP Photo)

Burmese Military Denies Coup Threats Over Vote Fraud Claims

NAYPYITAW, BurmaBurmas military on Saturday denied its chief was threatening to stage a coup over complaints of election fraud, saying the media had misinterpreted his words.

Political tension in the Southeast Asian nation soared this past week after a spokesman for the military, which had ruled Burma (also known as Myanmar) for half a century, said a coup could not be ruled out if its complaints of widespread fraud in Novembers election were ignored.

The commander-in-chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, told senior officers in a speech Wednesday that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. Adding to the concern was the unusual deployment of armored vehicles in the streets of several large cities.

Saturdays statement from the military, known as the Tatmadaw, said that some organizations and media wrote without foundation that the military threatened to revoke the constitution. The statement said Min Aung Hlaings speech was taken out of context, and was actually an observation to senior officer trainees on the nature of the constitution.

The ruling National League for Democracy party captured 396 out of 476 seats in the Nov. 8 election, allowing it to form a government led by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi for another five years. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won only 33 seats.

The military has publicly complained several times of electoral fraud and called on the government and the Union Election Commission to review the results. It has said it has found 8.6 million irregularities in voter lists in 314 townships that could have let voters cast multiple ballots or commit other voting malpractice.

The election commission said there was no evidence to support the fraud claims.

Buddhist monks hold placards as they participate in a rally protesting election results by supporters of the Burmese military and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party near Shwedagon pagoda, in Yangon, Myanmar. on Jan. 30, 2021. (Thein Zaw/AP Photo)

Parliaments new session is set to open Monday in the capital Naypyitaw.

The military ran Burma for some 50 years before beginning a transitioning to democracy in 2010. The current constitution ensures the countrys generals maintain considerable influence in the countrys affairs by guaranteeing them a quarter of the seats in parliament and control of a number of key ministries.

Alarmed diplomatic missions in Burma reacted Friday to the militarys statements by issuing a joint statement urging calm.

We urge the military, and all other parties in the country, to adhere to democratic norms, and we oppose any attempt to alter the outcome of the elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition, said the statement issued by the EU, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and others.

Peaceful protests have been held in the past few days by supporters of the military and the Union Solidarity and Development Party. In Yangon, the countrys biggest city, about 1,000 demonstrators gathered Saturday next to the famous Shwedagon pagoda.

The military has not been alone in criticizing the election.

Independent rights groups before and after the polls criticized the disenfranchisement of Rohingya Muslims and the cancellation of the vote in some areas.

The election commission cited the dangers of ongoing combat between government forces and ethnic minority guerrillas, but critics suggested specific areas were singled out for cancellation because they were certain to elect lawmakers from parties hostile to Suu Kyis government.

By Aung Shine Oo
An e-bike includes an electric motor that makes pedalling easier, particularly uphill or over longer distances. The City of Kelowna is considering granting an exclusive e-bikeshare contract to a service provider this year.
Kosovo normalises Israel ties Pristina to open embassy in Jerusalem

(ANSA-AFP) - JERUSALEM, FEB 1 - Israel and Kosovo established diplomatic ties on Monday, with the Muslim-majority territory recognising Jerusalem as the Jewish state's capital, putting it at odds with the rest of the Islamic world. In a ceremony held over Zoom in Jerusalem and Pristina, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and his counterpart from Kosovo Meliza Haradinaj Stublla signed a joint declaration establishing ties. Ashkenazi said he had approved Kosovo's "formal request to open an embassy in Jerusalem." Israel last year inked a series of deals brokered by former US president Donald Trump to establish diplomatic relations with Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. Those agreements, known collectively as the Abraham Accords, triggered criticism in many majority-Muslim countries. But the Arab parties to the Abraham Accords have all maintained that their diplomatic missions in Israel will be in Tel Aviv. That position is in line with global consensus against recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital until the Palestinian conflict is resolved. In September, Trump announced at a summit originally organised to strike a deal between Kosovo and its former war foe Serbia that Kosovo and the Jewish state would establish diplomatic ties. But the most eye-catching part of the summit was an announcement by Kosovo that it would mutually recognise Israel, and Serbia saying it would follow Washington's lead in moving its embassy to Jerusalem. So far, however, Serbia has failed to honour its pledge, with some officials claiming the deal was non-binding.



Kosovo also said it was ready to set up its Israel mission in Jerusalem, in exchange for Israel's recognition, as it seeks to further legitimise its 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia and statehood. (ANSA-AFP).





 Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved
Britain made a formal request to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) on Monday, seeking membership of the 11-country deal to open new avenues for post-Brexit trade and influence.

Announcing the move, trade minister Liz Truss said it would create jobs, help rebuild the global trading system and position Britain "at the heart of some of the worlds fastest-growing economies".

It comes at a moment of significant economic upheaval for Britain whose 2016 decision to exit the European Union became a reality at the start of the year, and has made trading with its nearest neighbour more expensive and complicated.

Britain argues that the principal economic benefit of leaving the EU is the freedom to strike trade deals around the world, and is trying to position itself as the leading advocate of free global trade after a period of increased nationalism.

"It is important that we take a stand to support multilateralism and the global trading system, there has been too much undermining of the rules-based order," Truss said during a call with her Japanese and New Zealand counterparts.

The CPTPP removes 95% of tariffs between its members: Japan, Canada, Australia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Singapore, Mexico, Peru, Brunei, Chile and Malaysia.

Unlike the EU it does not impose laws on its members, it does not aim to create a single market or a customs union, and it does not seek wider political integration. Britain's application was welcomed by members, including current chair, Japan.

But few see the agreement as generating a surge in trade: access is expected to take more than a year to negotiate and Britain already has, or is close to reaching, trade agreements with its largest members.

"I wouldn't expect it to be transformative for the UK economy," said James Kane, associate at the Institute for Government.

Supply Chains

Britain's trade with the entire CPTPP amounted to 111 billion pounds in 2019, slightly less than its trade with Germany over the same period, and just over a 10th of trade with the entire EU. Britain still trades on tariff-free terms with the EU, albeit with additional administrative barriers.

The CPTPP agreement would lock in market access for trade in services - an area for competitive advantage for Britain - but do little to further liberalise those markets.

Nevertheless the decision to join CPTPP is seen as one that has few downsides: trade could increase, supply chains involving member countries would be simpler, and it could give Britain greater influence.

Sam Lowe, senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said accession could be a useful counterpoint to those who thought Brexit was a nationalist policy and a retreat from the world stage.

"Even signalling that the UK wants to join the CPTPP is a useful global signal that the UK is still interested in rules based trade, is still interested in working together with others," he said.

Post Brexit, Britain is tilting its foreign and economic policy towards the fast growing Asia-Pacific economies, and the CPTPP could provide London with some counterbalance to China's influence in the region.

Truss has accused China of damaging the global trading system by heavily subsiding state enterprises and some see the CPTPP, which has rules against such practices, as a way to further that free trade agenda - albeit one which has so far had little impact on Beijing.

"It's a signal of intent that they want to be involved in that region more politically, economically, militarily," said Kane.

"There is a sort of grand vision of the UK as a balancing power, helping to stabilise the Asia-Pacific region, and constructing rules to constrain the rise of China."

Short link:


The alliance of Central African armed groups that control a large swath of the country will not make concessions to the government and UN troops despite the president's call for national reconciliation, its spokesman told Sputnik in an interview

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2021) The alliance of Central African armed groups that control a large swath of the country will not make concessions to the government and UN troops despite the president's call for national reconciliation, its spokesman told Sputnik in an interview.

The impoverished country has been mired in sectarian violence since a Muslim-majority coalition ousted President Francois Bozize in 2013. Pro-Bozize Christian militias clashed with the coalition forces, killing and displacing thousands.

Fighting renewed after Muslim-backed President Faustin-Archange Touadera narrowly won a new term in December. Touadera and UN peacekeepers say Bozize is backing the rebels, although he denies it. The president called for a return to peace after the nation's top court certified his victory in mid-January.

"As long as Touadera continues calling us terrorists, warmongers and [saying] that he would continue fighting us in the extreme, that is not for peace, that is not for dialogue... We will continue our operations as previewed until successful completion," Aboubacar Siddick Ali, a spokesman for the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), told Sputnik.

The coalition was formed in November from six major rebel groups and is in talks on adding another one. The government and UN forces have recently won several victories against the militias, stopping them from choking off the capital Bangui, and recapturing the southern city of Bangassou.

Siddick Ali told Sputnik that CPC was unfazed by this string of defeats and was not intimidated by the plans of the 13,000-troop UN peacekeeping force MINUSCA to bring in reinforcements, which were announced after seven peacekeepers were killed in clashes in less than a month.

"We don't want to fight against MINUSCA, every time it is MINUSCA who search to fight and to create a clash... If they want to increase the amount of troops it's their right. We have a mission to accomplish," the CPC spokesman said.

Resurging violence has triggered another mass exodus, compounding an already severe refugee crisis. Humanitarian organizations have been forced to suspend much-needed aid. MINUSCA said it held Bozize and allied militias responsible for the "serious consequences on the civilian population."

Siddick Ali argued that militias were not targeting civilians, despite the United Nations' arguments to the contrary. He said the alliance's main goal was to bring democracy to the African nation and repair the country's war-torn "social tissue."

"CPC has an order not to touch civilians; we don't want to go walking on the dead... We need to find a solution and have a legitimate power," he said.

Siddick Ali claimed that CPC had a large grassroots support, as only every other citizen could cast their vote in last month's elections. The country faces a no less tumultuous legislative election on February 7.

"Those who support us are bigger in numbers than those who voted for Touadera... We will make him resign from his post and then organize a transition in order to well prepare the future elections... We will find a way for all the Central Africans to agree," the spokesman said.
Burma After Coup, Myanmar Military Says It Will Hold New Election

Myanmar soldiers and an armored personnel carrier are seen on the road to the Parliament and Presidents Office in Naypyitaw, the capital of Myanmar, on Feb. 1, 2021. / The Irrawaddy

YANGONMyanmar military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said the military would hold a new election as soon as it completes implementing emergency provisions, military mouthpiece Myawaddy TV announced after Myanmars armed forces staged a coup detat early on Monday morning.

After the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) issued a statement in the morning announcing that it had taken control of the country and declaring a one-year state of emergency, the commander-in-chief said the military would hand power to the winner of the election.

During a meeting of the new National Defense and Security Council (NDSC) attended by acting President U Myint Swe, Snt-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said that while taking over the country, the military would follow the provisions of the military-drafted 2008 Constitution and existing laws that do not violate it. Acting President U Myint Swe served as vice president in the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government.

Two quasi-civilian governments served one term each over the past 10 years following the introduction of military-led reforms. The new Parliament (which has now been dissolved) was slated to begin its first session on Monday.

Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, the NLDs chief ministers and ministers of the states and regions, and some of the NLDs Central Executive Committee (CEC) members were detained a few hours before the takeover was announced.

The government guesthouse housing lawmakers in Naypyitaw was closed by soldiers who arrived in trucks. Internet access was cut off in the early morning and then restored in some places just before noon, but mobile phone services have been cut off across the country since early in the morning.

Just a few hours before the new Parliament was set to convene, acting President U Myint Swe declared the country to be under a nationwide state of emergency for one year under Article 417 of the 2008 Constitution. He said the countrys legislative, administrative and judicial powers had been transferred to the militarys commander-in-chief, in accordance with Article 418 of the charter.

Defending its action, the military claimed it had found more than 10 million irregularities in connection with voting in the Nov. 8 general election that served as indicators of potential voter fraud in all states and regions. It said the number was equivalent to more than 25 percent of the eligible voters in the election.

The military said that due to the governments failure to take steps to resolve the militarys claims of electoral fraud, the NLDs move to form a new government and convene a new Parliament amounted to an attempt to forcibly seize state power as defined under Section 40(c) and Section 417 of the Constitution.

It said the Union Election Commission (UEC) failed to address the voter list irregularities, and added that it was forced to act because the Parliament and government had rejected the militarys demands, including that an emergency session of Parliament be called and that the government convene the NDSC.

Last week, the UEC rejected all of the militarys claims of electoral fraud in the November general election, including its allegations of voting malpractice and that people had voted more than once in some cases.

The NLD won Myanmars Nov. 8 general election in a landslide. NLD candidates won 920 of the 1,117 elected seats nationwide, including seats in both houses of the bicameral Union Parliament and the state/regional parliaments, as well as ethnic affairs minister posts.

You may also like these stories:

Myanmar Military Seizes Power

Myanmar Military Arrests National Leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint
Even as more infectious variants of the coronavirus spread through the country and vaccine distribution lags, Fiesta San Antonio officials still hope they can hold the 10-day event in June, two months later than the traditional April start.

The pandemic wiped out the massive festival and its dozens of events last year. The Fiesta San Antonio Commission, eyeing a potential easing of the crisis this spring, said Monday that it is moving this years celebration to June 17-27.

Fiesta officials say they are relying on scientific models that indicate the contagion will slow by then. But those models can be unreliable  especially months in advance  and some of the events main attractions have already pulled out, citing safety concerns.

Organizers of the two big street parades that draw hundreds of thousands of spectators  the Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau  canceled both attractions for this year. The decision follows the announced cancellation last month of Oyster Bake.

We appreciate the public being part of our parade very much, and we look forward to seeing them in 2022, said Robert Cuellar, president of the Fiesta Flambeau Association. Hopefully this pandemic will be over with, and hopefully we can go back to a somewhat normal way of life.

I say somewhat because we lost three of our members already to COVID, Cuellar continued. I hope we dont have any more.

As the coronavirus began to spread across Texas last spring, Fiesta officials initially postponed the festival until November, before deciding to cancel it entirely  for the first time since World War II.

Officials are optimistic that this year might be different. But that will come down to residents behavior, proliferation of the more infectious coronavirus variants and whether the virus is under control by June.

State and county leaders also would have to change pandemic restrictions that currently ban large gatherings. At present, gatherings are limited to no more than 10 people.

Right now, under the governors order, you wouldnt be able to hold these types of events, said Baltazar Walter Serna, president of the Fiesta San Antonio Commission. Thats going to have to change as well, too.

With less than five months until the festival, there are still a lot of unknowns. But the one thing that is clear is that if Fiesta does move forward in June, it could look much different than in previous years, with occupancy limits, physical distancing rules and mandatory mask-wearing.

Serna said its too early to know what those requirements will be. And if the virus continues to spread dangerously, the event could be postponed or canceled again. At this point, he said, event organizers dont know when they would decide to make that call.

Yet some of the nations leading infectious disease experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have predicted that life wont return to normal until fall. Its dependent on whether lagging vaccination efforts ramp up enough by then so communities reach herd immunity: when enough people are immune to a disease to make its spread unlikely.

Serna said Fiestas leaders arent using that threshold to decide whether to plan events. Instead, theyre watching other measures that shed light on the severity of the pandemic, such as the portion of COVID-19 tests that come back positive and the number of patients in local hospitals.

Theyre models, and we have to be cognizant of that, Serna said. We have to hope and pray  and not only for Fiesta, for the country  that this thing does begin to dissipate.

marina.riker@express-news.net
[February 01, 2021] Canon Solutions America, Inc., Offers welloStationX Temperature Screening Station

MELVILLE, N.Y., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Canon Solutions America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., today announces welloStationX, the only automated, FDA-cleared no-touch clinical thermometer. The welloStationX is an accurate, real-time temperature monitoring station which merges health technology and screening practices together. Designed to quickly read the temperatures of individuals entering a communal space to help reduce the risk of spreading germs, this device can be ideal for office buildings, schools, places of worship, as well as other shared environments. Wello, Inc., the Dallas, Texas-based company behind welloStationX, is not new to the temperature monitoring landscape. The company's founder, Rik Heller, developed the welloStationX in 2014 in response to the Ebola virus crisis. Since that time, safety-conscious businesses in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, government, and more have used the welloStationX to support high productivity and help avoid outbreaks that could lead to costly shutdowns. "By proactively detecting people with elevated body temperatures in a completely self-service fashion, we can help stop the spread of infection and keep employees safe. We're extremely confident in the effectiveness of this method," said Rik Heller, Wello's founder. "We're pleased to partner with Canon Solutions America, Inc., to bring the welloStationX to their customers. It's one more step forward in our mission to help end the spread of contagious illnesses." Utilizing a biomedical infrared sensor, a welloStationX user's temperature is recorded in three seconds. If an individual registers a normal body temperature below the threshold (default of under 99.5 F), an "I'm Wello" identification sticker is dispensed. When a temperature above the threshold is detected, no sticker is issued and an alert is sent to designated facility personnel. As the welloStationX kiosk scans temperatures and collects data, the Wello portal helpsconfigure the information to meet an organization's needs, providing invaluable data when and where it matters most.



As of January 2021, the welloStationX has performed more than seven million temperature scans. Since fever is one of the leading indicators of infection and best predictor of contagiousness, Wello is helping to keep workers safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic through temperature and infectious disease monitoring. The welloStationX can help deliver peace of mind to business leaders and their employees by providing:

Clinical accuracy, verified by clinical testing

Privacy-conscious temperature screening data

Touchless monitoring alleviates the need for staff dedicated to temperature screening.

Predictive analysis indicators can alert staff members to potential outbreaks "Canon Solutions America, Inc., is proud to offer the innovative welloStationX solution to our customers," said Peter P. Kowalczuk, president, Canon Solutions America, Inc. "In today's ever-changing environment, safety is a paramount concern. This solution supplies a protective and proactive method to enhance safety protocols by screening potentially infected individuals while gathering and storing critical health information in order to help ensure the wellbeing of those entering shared environments. With this kind of powerful technology, we're in a position to help organizations safeguard their staff and visitors while also maintaining productivity." For more information about welloStationX and other technologies to help enhance your workplace protocols, visit csa.canon.com. About Wello

Founded in 2014 and born from the founder's experience fighting Ebola, Wello, Inc. is the company behind the welloStationX. The product is the only automated, FDA-cleared touchless clinical thermometer and is used by safety-conscious employers to scan individuals for elevated temperatures that could indicate fever, helping to minimize the risk of outbreaks in their facilities. With clinically tested accuracy, Wello is committed to helping organizations prevent outbreaks, stay fully operational, and build a culture of wellness. welloinc.com About Canon Solutions America, Inc.

Canon Solutions America, Inc. provides industry leading enterprise, production, and large format printing solutions, supported by exceptional professional service offerings. Canon Solutions America, Inc. helps companies of all sizes discover ways to improve sustainability, increase efficiency, and control costs in conjunction with high volume, continuous feed, digital and traditional printing, and document management solutions. A wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., Canon Solutions America, Inc. is headquartered in Melville, NY and has sales and service locations across the U.S. For more information on Canon Solutions America, please visit csa.canon.com . Canon Solutions America, Inc. Website:

csa.canon.com For sales info/customer support:

1-844-443-INFO (4636) Canon is a registered trademark of Canon Inc. in the United States and elsewhere. All other referenced product names and marks are trademarks of their respective owners and are hereby acknowledged.  2021 Canon Solutions America, Inc. All rights reserved. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canon-solutions-america-inc-offers-wellostationx-temperature-screening-station-301219309.html SOURCE Canon Solutions America

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
As debate on bail reform continues to roil Texas politics, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt on Monday announced legislation to limit the use of personal recognizance bonds and impose stiffer cash bail limits on defendants charged with multiple felonies.

America is the land of second chances, but that doesnt mean you get a third, fourth or fifth chance to then go out and commit some serious offense like shooting a deputy sheriff or killing a citizen of Harris County, said Bettencourt, R-Houston, introducing Senate Bill 532.

The so-called Caitlynnes Bill is named after Caitlynne Infinger Guajardo, who police say was killed in 2019 by her husband, Alex Guajardo, who was out on bond after being charged with assaulting her.

Bettencourt announced the news Monday morning at Crime Stoppers of Houston, where he was joined by Republican state Rep. Dan Huberty, local law enforcement labor leaders, City Council member (and bail bondsman) Michael Kubosh, several community advocates and relatives of homicide victims in Houston and Harris County.

He said the bill would prohibit magistrates from releasing a defendant on a personal recognizance bond (meaning the person doesnt have to post money in order to be released) for offenses committed while already out on an existing PR bond, or on a felony offense when two or more felony charges are pending against the defendant.

His proposed legislation also sets a minimum bail of $10,000 per offense in cases where the defendant is accused of three or more prior felonies.

During his news conference, Bettencourt criticized Harris County judges for releasing defendants on low bonds.

Bail reform is one thing, but bond destruction is another, he said. The pendulum has gone too far in this area.

Opponents of bail reform have raised Guajardos death as an example of problems with how Harris County treats defendants accused of serious crimes. Guajardos husband had previously been charged with drunken driving and had recently been arrested on charges of assaulting her. Soon after his arrest, he was let out of jail on a PR bond. He is accused of stabbing her to death days later.

These PR bonds are being handed out like popcorn. These criminals are laughing at Harris County and our justice system. It has to stop, said Melanie Infinger, mother of Caitlynne. I knew that my daughters death was preventable.

The legislation drew support from Harris County law enforcement leaders, including Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who said she supported the proposed legislation.

"Violent offenders who commit more crimes while on bail should not be repeatedly released to prey on innocent people, Ogg said.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez also expressed tentative support for Bettencourts bill, saying the current system leads to inconsistent application of bond and said he supported efforts to use risk-based assessments to determine how the state detains defendants.

Judges should have more discretion, he said. Sometimes theyre limited in who they can hold with no bond.

The proposed legislation drew immediate pushback from Democratic lawmakers, who said it appeared to be a bill written by bail bondsmen that promises a quick fix to a complex issue.

Its just flawed on its face and its unfortunate Crime Stoppers of Houston lends its good name to a bill that will not improve public safety, said state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, who called the bill soft on crime and said it fails to address real problems preventing judges from detaining violent criminals.

Whitmire said the bill does not acknowledge the realities of the Texas Constitution.

If youre a high-risk danger to the public, you should receive no bond, he said. I dont know anyone who would argue that, but the Constitution of Texas guarantees a bond. Its outdated and should be changed.

In response to Whitmires criticism, Bettencourt defended the bill, saying it was written without input of any bail bond influences.

Without a constitutional amendment, that is as far as the law can go because bail is constitutionally guaranteed, Bettencourt said.

State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, argued that cash bond is why people get stuck in jail and said the proposed legislation would potentially prevent people from returning to work or caring for their families after a run-in with the law.

Nick Hudson, policy and advocacy strategist for the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement that Texas needs reform to its broken bail system.

Its not just, smart, or safe to decide whether to release someone from jail based on how much money they can pay, he said. Bills like this one would move Texas backward by increasing wealth-based incarceration, especially for Black and brown Texans. Overall, this increases costs to taxpayers without improving safety.

But labor leaders for the countys law enforcement officers at the news conference argued that Harris County has become a safe haven for criminals.

The proposed legislation comes as Harris County and Houston both weathered sharp upticks in homicides in 2020, mirroring a nationwide trend.

Andy Kahan, Crime Stoppers of Houstons director of victim services and advocacy, has said many murders have been committed by defendants out of jail on a personal recognizance bond, on multiple felony bonds or after forfeiting their bond.

Veteran criminal defense attorney Patrick McCann criticized law enforcements description of Harris County as a haven for criminals. He characterized Bettencourts proposed legislation as a plea to the return of the days of cowboy justice.

Thats something they come up with from their imagination because they are struggling to adapt to modern times, he said. They cant handle increased civilian scrutiny and increased community policing methods theyre being forced to adopt.

But he said he agreed with one of the proposed laws provisions.

If youre dumb enough to blow a PR bond, you probably dont need to be out with rest of us, he said.

st.john.smith@chron.com
This week's military coup in Myanmar is not just another episode of repression and regression in a remote Asian country that is now disappearing once more behind a bamboo curtain.

Terrifyingly, it is the latest symptom of a growing global trend away from democracy.

For decades, Myanmar's most famous daughter, the steely Aung San Suu Kyi, was a world-wide symbol of how peaceful protest could undermine a deeply entrenched military dictatorship.

Fallen idol: Aung San Suu Kyi's support abroad dwindled after she defended the army

The Nobel Peace Prize winner, whose late husband was British historian Michael Aris, spent nearly 15 years in detention between 1989 and 2010, before leading her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), to a landslide win in the country's first fully democratic election in 2015.

Myanmar's generals, under pressure from the US and the UK, seemed content to abide by the result  but they struck a behind the scenes deal whereby Aung could run the government but they would remain in charge of security and keep their privileges.

Within two years, the high price Aung had paid for her role as State Counsellor was clear to see when the military embarked on a murderous ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, claiming they were targeting 'militants'. Her refusal to condemn or apologise for it appalled many of those who had been her greatest admirers.

A Rohingya refugee feeds her child after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border

She even went to the World Court in the Hague as a defence witness for the army. Suddenly, her status as a heroine of human rights shrivelled before our eyes.

The generals were, of course, practised and cynical strategists. By drawing Aung into defending their crimes, they undercut her support abroad and left her government isolated.

Yet despite worldwide criticism of her actions, Aung, now 75, and the NLD remained popular within Myanmar and secured a majority in the November 2020 elections. This time the generals were less compliant, claiming widespread voter irregularities but failing to provide any evidence.

Aung has long played a cat-and-mouse game with the military but on Monday she was reminded that politics in Myanmar is a more sinister game of snakes and ladders.

On the very day that NLD members gathered in the capital to take their seats as the majority in parliament, she and they were taken into custody. Last night a curfew was imposed and troops were patrolling the streets.

Boys scavenge for items among the remains of burnt houses at a camp for displaced Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar

This time it is not just Aung's own political career that the generals are trying to snuff out, which was their aim during the long years of her detention, but the democracy she brought to her country. If she has disappointed the hopes vested in her, it is the ordinary people of Myanmar who will suffer the consequences of her overthrow.

And who, apart from the military will benefit from the coup? It is undoubtedly Myanmar's superpower neighbour China which increasingly plays the role of global guarantor of one-party states and military dictatorships, especially in Asia.

Myanmar's other neighbours are split. Democratic India condemns the coup, but Thailand and Cambodia say it is 'an internal affair'  code for 'carry on'.

That should come as no surprise. Thailand's own 'democracy' is a sham, with its army picking election winners, while Cambodia's longest serving prime minister is Hun Sen, a former commander in the brutal Khmer Rouge.

For the wider world, though, Myanmar's coup is yet further evidence of democracy in retreat. While former US president Donald Trump never let human rights get in the way of a deal with other countries, Joe Biden's team have talked about reviving the promotion of democracy around the world.

Now, less than two weeks after his inauguration, here is a flagrant challenge to the new President's principles and the question: Can his White House roll back the tyrannical tide now washing around the world?

Mark Almond is director of the Crisis Research Institute, Oxford.

PM blasts Myanmar coup as army rounds up opposition

By Richard Sheers and Arthur Martin

World leaders condemned Myanmar's military chiefs after they grabbed power and seized Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson attacked the 'unlawful imprisonment' of the 75-year-old Nobel laureate and dozens of other civilian leaders who were detained in army raids.

As the former British colony was once again plunged into chaos, Mr Johnson said 'the vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released'.

Protests: Clashes outside the Myanmar embassy in Thailand

The Government summoned Myanmar's ambassador in London to demand the immediate release of all those detained, the Foreign Office said.

The UN said that at least 45 people had been detained 'at this critical and frightening time'. The Security Council was due to hold an emergency meeting today.

In the US, President Joe Biden called on the country's army to back down or face 'appropriate action'.

He urged: 'The international community should come together in one voice to press the military to immediately relinquish the power they have seized.'

The European Commission, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia joined in criticism of the coup.

In Thailand, riot police broke up protests outside the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok. The coup unfolded just hours before the opening day of the country's new parliament under Miss Suu Kyi's party, the National League for Democracy.

The military claims to have evidence of widespread fraud during November's election when the NLD won 396 out of 476 seats.

Show of force: Armoured car patrols the capital Naypyitaw

A statement on military TV, the only station allowed to broadcast, said authority had been given to army chief General Min Aung Hlaing and a one-year state of emergency had been declared. After that, the military claimed it would recognise the results of a new election.

It means the country of 54million, formerly called Burma, is once more isolated from a world it rejoined a decade ago when democratic elections put Miss Suu Kyi in charge, albeit with the military at her side.

In a statement written in anticipation of a coup, she warned that the armed forces would put the country 'back under a dictatorship'. She said: 'I urge people not to accept this to protest.'

It is believed she is being held at the same property where she lived under house arrest for 15 years until 2010.

Citizens awoke yesterday to find telephone lines and internet signals cut and tanks and roadblocks in the capital, Naypyitaw.
Street View, for example, provides users with street-level imagery right on their desktops and mobile devices. Because it has become such an important part of Google Maps, the search giant wants to make the experience as smooth as possible. Even on a smaller screen, that is.As discovered recently, the Street View mode in Google Maps now comes with a split-screen mode, which allows you to do two things at the same time.First, you can browse Street View and explore the location you selected, and second, you can see the region on Google Maps to figure out the orientation and view street names and everything else.This is an experience similar to the one on desktop, and its pretty clear Google wants to make using Street View more straightforward on mobile too. The biggest benefit of this update is that Google Maps now allows you to easily tell which way youre facing or moving in Street View mode; otherwise, it might actually be hard to figure this out especially if you dont know the area.At this point, however, the feature appears to be exclusively available for Android users, but whats more, Google is silently rolling out gradually to devices out there with a server-side switch.In other words, you may not get the new Street View split-screen mode even if youre running the latest Google Maps version on your Android device, so the only option right now is to just wait for Google to complete the rollout.The company hasnt officially announced this update, so we dont know if and when it is supposed to land on iPhones too.
Financial company Investohills Vesta LLC denies accusations of violation of the rights of Slovak investors and seizing of an office building located at 69, Kyrylivska Street in the Podilsky district of Kyiv.

"In October 2020, the company turned to Ambassador of the Slovak Republic in Ukraine Marek Safin with a request to help in dialogue with investors. In addition, Investohills Vesta sent appeals to parliamentary committees, in particular to one of the subcommittees of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy, and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nevertheless, we have not received proper answers to any of the appeals," Investohills Vesta said in a press release, noting that it also addressed Slovak investors for negotiations.

According to the company, the office building in Podil was illegally withdrawn from the pledge on a loan from OJSC Bancomzvjazok, which is the debtor of Ukrprofbank, and transferred to Frunze 69 LLC and its beneficiaries, citizens of Slovakia Richard and Juraj Duska in 2015.

At the same time, the SBU is investigating into the fact of the withdrawal of assets of Ukrprofbank, in which Investohills Vesta was recognized as a victim, the company said.

At the same time, in March 2020, Investohills Vesta redeemed the rights of claim against the debtors of Ukrprofbank at the public auction held by the Deposit Guarantee Fund, and in October 2020 registered the ownership of the office building as a mortgage holder, which was later canceled by an order of the Ministry of Justice.

"The company filed a claim with the debtor and the new mortgage provider (Frunze 69 LLC) for an amount exceeding UAH 117 million. Since the debtor did not fulfill its loan obligations, the notary Maksym Yudin registered the ownership of Investohills Vesta to the property complex against repayment of debt on a loan," the financial company said.

In addition, according to the decision of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv dated November 10, 2020, the order of the Ministry of Justice was suspended, and on January 21, 2021, the court again terminated the registration actions of the Ministry.

"Private notary V. Bryhida restored ownership of Investohills Vesta on the basis of the ruling of the economic court of Kyiv dated January 21, so his actions cannot be considered illegal. If we make a legal analysis of the events, then it was illegal to cancel the record of the Ministry of Justice about the ownership of Investohills Vesta to the property complex dated October 5, 2020," the company said in the press release.

Investohills Vesta focuses on the fact that it has repeatedly stated its position to each participant of the interested parties, but the other side was not accepted for consideration either during meetings of the ad hoc commission of Verkhovna Rada and was not announced at a press conference," the company said.

#ChangeTheHeart will be a unique, national service led by Aunty Jean Phillips and Aboriginal Christian Leaders simulcast on television, online, and on radio. Monday, 25 January 2021 at 7:30 pm AEDT.

For we are ONE and free

Small changes I believe can make a big difference in working towards true reconciliation in Australia. This is just the start- the changing of ONE word can begin a change of heart.

From January 1 2021, the Australian national anthem changed. In November 2020, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian proposed changing one word in the opening couplet, from "we are young and free" to "we are one and free", to acknowledge Australia's Indigenous history. The proposal was supported by the federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, and in December 2020 Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that this change would be adopted from 1 January 2021, having received approval from Governor-GeneralDavid Hurley.

"Advance Australia Fair was created by the Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds McCormick, the song was first performed in 1878 and sung in Australia as a patriotic song. It replaced "God Save the Queen" as the official national anthem in 1984, following a plebiscite to choose the national song in 1977. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_Australia_Fair)

Statement from the heart

The Uluru Statement from the Heartwas released on 26 May 2017 by delegates to the First Nations National Constitutional Convention, held over four days near Uluru in Central Australia. The Convention was held after the 16-member Referendum Council, appointed in 2015, had travelled around the country and met with over 1,200 people.

The statement was issued after the Convention, and calls for a "First Nations Voice" in the Australian Constitution and a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of "agreement-making" and truth-telling between the Australian Government and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. (Makarrata is a Yolngu word approximating the meaning of "treaty".)

The statement references the second part of the 1967 referendum, which (after passing) brought about changes to the Constitution of Australia to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in population counts, and gave the Federal Government the power to make laws for Indigenous Australians in the states.

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uluru_Statement_from_the_Heart)

#ChangeTheHeart

There is no better time for Australian Christians to lead the country in accepting the truth of our nations history, including the past and current treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. By acknowledgement, we are honouring something with our intention to change and giving something our attention.

Jesus was so adept at turning His thoughts, His ideas and His heart of compassion towards people. He acknowledged their pain and suffering, giving them His full attention. So often He reminded His followers to acknowledge the least of these and help those in society often deemed unworthy or who live in ways that made people feel awkward. When protests happen, regardless of the issue or political slant of these protests, I often think Jesus would be among these people, listening with kindness and faith.

Many people have experienced pain and oppression, on many sides of politics and life, yet I sense Jesus would be extending His love and compassion to all. Surely, He would not advocate and support the violence of these protests in 2020 or at the start of 2021? By this all people will know we are His disciples, that we have love for one another. Not hate, not anger or a willingness to cause pain. I hope and pray people look for ways to acknowledge the unfortunate, oppressed and downtrodden, by standing alongside them, remembering our past and always seeking a way forward together.

In this spirit, Aboriginal Christian leader, Aunty Jean Phillips, invites Australians to pray as we approach January 26  a day of mourning for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters. Since 2017 these services have been held in every state and territory with the support of the Common Grace movement.

Aunty Jean has been educating Australian Christians for decades on the true history of these lands now called Australia. Aunty Jean has said to many Australian Christians, Your history is our history, our history is your history.

What do I do?

As Aunty Jean would tell you, the cross has all the answers and prayer is just so important. These services have been a rallying way that non-Indigenous peoples can come to learn and acknowledge the true history of our nation, to lament the injustices and present-day disadvantages facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters and to pray, for a nation built on truth, justice, love and hope.

At the beginning of 2020, over 3,000 people answered Aunty Jeans call to prayer and gathered at 23 services. For 2021, is the opportunity for the biggest ever #ChangeTheHeart prayer event. On Monday, 25 January 2021 a televised #ChangeTheHeart service will be broadcast on ACCTV, streamed on commongrace.org.au and with a simulcast on radio networks across these lands now called Australia.

I love the heart of the Common Grace movement who have led this pursuit of justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They are Australian and want to be a people who pursue Jesus, alongside justice. Their phrase, Together for the common good, finding common ground and sharing in common grace makes me want to continue to change and be more like Jesus.

How would Aunty Jean most likely respond to the question, How do we fix [insert past or present problem here]?

The cross has all the answers!

The DUPs Sammy Wilson has launched a scathing attack on the BBC after claiming it has gleefully reported on the trading difficulties facing Northern Ireland after Brexit.

As part of the Northern Ireland Protocol, companies here have been forced to complete extra documentation to get goods into the country resulting in many supermarkets being unable to supply regular items.

East Antrim MP and the DUPs Brexit spokesperson Mr Wilson, has previously been critical of the BBC, while his party colleague Gregory Campbell previously expressed concerns over the broadcasters lack of transparency.

Speaking to Calvin Robinson, who is a campaign champion for the group Defund the BBC, on YouTube, Mr Wilson said he calls the broadcaster the Biased Broadcasting Company because he doesn't think theres anything British about it.

Read More

When you think of the people who dominate the BBC now - the almost unconscious bias towards our own country - and you look at the way during the whole Brexit debate as well, the BBC was almost like a broadcasting organisation for the European Union rather than for the British electorates point of view, stated Mr Wilson.

I think there is almost an embarrassment [to be British] - this is old fashioned, were internationalists now, we dont belong to any country, we belong to a federation of countries etc.

Thats the kind of modern view which the BBC thinks they should be perpetuating, whereas most people are proud of the country of which the belong and rightly so.

I think the BBC tried to educate that out of us or brainwash that out of us.

Mr Wilson added that the UK Government treated Northern Ireland disgracefully when it agreed to the Withdrawal Agreement and the Northern Ireland Protocol.

He felt that the subsequent reporting by the BBC used that as an almost after the match commentary to say, we told you so and Brexit was wrong.

I think they almost gleefully report on the difficulties which are being caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol, continued Mr Wilson.

There are difficulties, theres huge difficulties, despite what the Secretary of State, the Prime Minister and everyone else has said.

There has been a border drawn between Northern Ireland and the rest of the country of which we belong.

That border is having a significant impact on peoples lives on a day to day basis. Its having an impact on businesses and I think were only beginning to feel the impact of it.

The European Union is determined that it will stay that way, but the BBC, rather than simply reporting this is what has happened and look for commentary on what could be done to change it, is always putting an emphasis on this is what Brexit has brought about.

I think that they're glad that this has happened and allows those within the BBC, who wish to continue the Brexit battle, to say we were right and you were wrong.

The BBC has been asked for a response to Mr Wilsons comments.
Nasser Sultan stormed out after he was asked to leave the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion dinner party, which aired in Australia on Sunday night.

He returned for part two of the special on Monday night, but when the 53-year-old was unapologetic over his online attacks on fellow MAFS cast members, Michael Brunelli hit out in anger over his behaviour.

In an 'open letter' shared to Instagram after the special aired, Michael, 30, did not hold back, slamming Nasser as a 'troll' and a 'narcissist'.

Hitting back: Michael Brunelli (pictured) has written an open letter to Nasser Sultan, slamming his trolling of fellow MAFS stars, after the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion on Monday

Micheal wrote: 'I spoke up last night not only for those around the dinner table, but every person who has experienced online trolling.

'Most people aren't afforded the luxury of confronting their troll in person, mainly because trolls like you are too scared to meet in the real world.

'However, with you it's less about being scared and more about you being a straight up narcissist to think this wouldn't happen when you walked in.

Micheal wrote: 'You are weak. You are a coward. You are nothing... Narcissists don't win. Trolls don't win. You didn't win. But the saddest part of all of this is that you don't see it like that. You are trying to play the 'victim'.' Nasser is pictured

'You claimed it was an 'attack' on you. It wasn't. It was the real-life consequences of your actions. And you ran away. Literally. With your tail between your legs. Why?

'Because you are weak. You are a coward. You are nothing. I truly hope that anyone that has ever been trolled took satisfaction in watching you run out of the dinner party, because I know I did.

'Narcissists don't win. Trolls don't win. You didn't win. But the saddest part of all of this is that you don't see it like that. You are trying to play the 'victim'. To think you can talk about someone's unborn child and then cry when they confront you.

He went on: 'You are the only person that doesn't see that what you do is wrong. You're in your 50s. You have no discernible skill or talent. You are desperate for attention. Your self-worth is driven by 'likes' and 'comments'.' Micheal is pictured with Martha Kalifatidis

'No f*cking way. You are the only person that doesn't see that what you do is wrong. You're in your 50's. You have no discernible skill or talent. You are desperate for attention. Your self-worth is driven by 'likes' and 'comments'.

'A part of me genuinely feels sorry for you. Because the life you lead can't be fulfilling. You just look scared. And I know you will continue to talk about me and others online.

'But Australia isn't interested in your voice, your 'commentary' or your bulls**t.

Michael added: 'A part of me genuinely feels sorry for you. Because the life you lead can't be fulfilling. You just look scared. And I know you will continue to talk about me and others online.'

'Because at the end of the day, and forever onward (or at least until you're forgotten about tomorrow), you will be known as the little coward who ran when confronted in real life. Looking forward to hearing back from one of your seven fake profiles.'

During the episode on Monday, Nasser insisted he wasn't a troll, and simply made the comments because he was a media personality.

'My name's in the headlines. I do a lot of radio stuff now for reality TV. It's like I'm the go-to man. It's like, "I'll ring Nasser, and see what he thinks about it." I'll make a comment on the lipstick or something,' Nasser said in his defense.

Chatty: During the episode on Monday, Nasser insisted he wasn't a troll, just a media commentator. 'My name's in the headlines. I do a lot of radio stuff now for reality TV. It's like I'm the go-to man,' Nasser said in his defense

Furious, Michael threw his arms up in frustration, and insisted what Nasser does is wrong and hurtful.

The night before, Nasser was thrown out of the dinner party after refusing to say sorry for the cruel things he'd said on Instagram.

Storming out, he said: 'I don't need to put up with this s**t' before vowing to continue 'attacking' the cast online.

Not amused: Furious, Michael threw his arms up in frustration, and insisted what Nasser does is wrong and hurtful. Michael is pictured with his co-stars on Monday

'If they don't wanna hear it, they can all p**s off. I don't need this s**t. Some stupid reunion bulls**t. It's not a reunion. It's an "attack Nasser".

'I'm not gonna put up with it. I'll keep attacking them. Do you know what? They're plebs. Nobodies.

'I'm a rock star. I'm the people's celebrity. I am Mr Reality. They can kiss my Arabic hairy a*s!' he added before jumping in a car and speeding off.

Back at the dinner party, the cast agreed that they were happy to see Nasser leave, and were glad to have stood up to a 'troll' and 'bully'.
Our promises to take him to the museum the day it opened up again turned to promises to go back as soon as its safe. In the summer, his younger brothers 2nd birthday also came and went, the sixth family birthday party held over Zoom. Our two kids started playing grocery store, in which one of them would gather a bag of food, ring the doorbell and holler Instacart delivery! Our younger one asked me the other day what a grocery store looks like.
ATB Aurora/Qamun Crowleys record of dependability and high performance will add a new chapter under this contract when Aurora/Qamun enters service to the government and military.

Crowley Solutions has been awarded the five-year contract to deliver military specification fuel to the Eareckson Air Station located on the remote Aleutian Island of Shemya, Alaska.

Under the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency-Energy contract, beginning in 2021, Crowley will provide lightering and transportation of 4 million gallons of fuel annually for the radar and aircraft refueling station and its 180 military, contractors and civilians who operate it.

Crowley has consistently transported and delivered the fuel since 1956 to the base 1,200 miles from Anchorage in the remote western reaches of the Aleutian Island archipelago. The U.S. government has counted on the companys experience and innovative logistics capabilities in remote and austere environments, including a unique over-the-shore evolution successfully developed and executed by Crowley in 2020 as featured in this video. However, under the new contract term, Crowley will provide transformational improvements and cost efficiencies through the utilization of the companys new, purpose-built articulated tug-barge (ATB) in a joint service by Solutions and Crowley Fuels, the companys Alaska-based fuel transportation and distribution business unit.

The 55,000-barrel-capacity (2.3 million gallon) ATB Aurora/Qamun will serve the air station and Crowleys customers throughout western Alaska and the Arctic. The 410-foot ATB is specifically designed to meet Ice Class and Polar Code requirements in order to safely and effectively operate in Western Alaska year-round.

Crowleys record of dependability and high performance will add a new chapter under this contract when Aurora/Qamun enters service to the government and military, said Sean Thomas, vice president, for Crowley Solutions. It is an honor to continue serving our warfighters by safely providing value through a resilient and dependable supply chain whenever and wherever they need fuel.

We appreciate the confidence the government continues to show in Crowley. The new contract award reflects the proficiency and skill of the dedicated men and women of Crowley Fuels, and the strong collaboration by the Fuels and Solutions teams, said Rick Meidel, vice president and general manager, Crowley Fuels.

The ATB, which was designed by Crowley Engineering Services powered by subsidiary Jensen Maritime, is undergoing its final outfitting prior to entering service this year. The tug  whose launch was captured in this video -- is being constructed by Master Boat Builders of Bayou La Batre, Ala. The barge is being built by Gunderson Marine LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Greenbrier Companies, Inc., in Portland, Ore.
Corn roots are shown here in the greenhouse. Root segments from each of the corn and wheat genotypes were collected, measured and tested for tensile strength and root tip bending force. Credit: Hannah Schneider, Penn State

A previously unknown root trait allows some cereal plants to grow deeper roots capable of punching through dry, hard, compacted soils, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest that harnessing the inherited characteristic could lead to crops better able to deal with a changing climate.

"This discovery bodes well for American and global agriculture because the trait helps corn, wheat and barley grow deeper roots, which is important for drought tolerance, nitrogen efficiency and carbon sequestration," said Jonathan Lynch, distinguished professor in plant science. "Breeding for this trait should be helpful in developing new crops for climate mitigation."

Called multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma by the researchersor MCSthe phenotype is characterized by small cells with thick walls just beneath the surface of the roots. Roots with the MCS genotype have a greater concentration of lignina complex organic polymer that is important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark, that lends rigidity.

More lignin gives the MCS roots greater tensile strength and greater root tip bending force compared to non-MCS genotypes. This added rigidity helps roots penetrate hard soil layers.

The findings of the root anatomy study, published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are striking. Corn genotypes with MCS had root systems with 22% greater depth and 39% greater shoot biomass in compacted soils in the field compared to lines without MCS.

Twelve wheat genotypes and six corn genotypes were grown in a greenhouse at the University Park campus. Large growth containers, or "mesocosms," were set up with a compacted soil layer to determine which roots penetrated the hard substrate. Credit: Hannah Schneider, Penn State

Soil compaction reduces porosity, limits water infiltration, reduces aeration and restricts root growth by presenting a physical impediment, noted lead researcher Hannah Schneider, postdoctoral scholar in Lynch's research group in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

"Compacted soil layers constrain crop productivity by restricting root growth and exploration in deeper soil layers, which in turn limits access to nutrients and water," she said. "Plants with roots that are able to penetrate hard soil and forage deeper have an advantage in capturing water and nutrientsultimately performing better in drought or low soil fertility."

The study included both field and greenhouse components to assess root-penetration ability in compacted soils.

Scientists conducted two field experiments to study root growthone at the Apache Root Biology Center in Willcox, Arizona, and the other at Penn State's Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs. At each location, researchers grew six corn genotypes contrasting in root lignin content. Each field experiment involved compaction and noncompaction treatments.

When the corn flowered, soils were cored near randomly selected plants to assess root growth. The roots of two plants per research plot also were dug up and evaluated, and shoot biomass was collected.

Called multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma by the researchers -- or MCS -- the phenotype is characterized by small cells with thick walls just beneath the surface of the roots, as shown by these images captured by the researchers using laser ablation tomography. Roots with the MCS genotype have a greater concentration of lignin -- an organic polymer that lends rigidity. Credit: Hannah Schneider, Penn State

Twelve wheat genotypes and six corn genotypes also were grown in a greenhouse at the University Park campus. Large growth containers, or "mesocosms," were set up with a compacted soil layer to determine which roots penetrated the hard substrate. After more than a month's growth, root segments from each of the corn and wheat genotypes were collected, measured and tested for tensile strength and root tip bending force.

This research utilized laser ablation tomographyknown as LATto visualize the anatomy of roots from plants in the study. Lynch's research group developed the unique technology in 2011 for other root-analysis applications. Researchers using LAT can measure the light spectra given off by different cells cut by the laser to differentiate between various tissues.

Genetic variation for MCS was found in each of the cereals examined by the researchers, and heritability was relatively high, they reported, suggesting that this trait can be selected in breeding programs. Of the plant lines reviewed in this study, MCS was present in 30 to 50% of modern corn, wheat and barley cultivars.

The implications of corn crops growing deeper roots to range farther for water and nutrientsand as a consequence producing larger yieldswould be immense in regions where the populace is food-insecure, Schneider pointed out. That is especially true in the face of a changing climate that is making vast areas more drought-prone.

"We observe MCS in corn, wheat, barley and many other cereal crops, and our work suggests that many of the benefits of MCS may be analogous across different species," she said. "MCS could be an important trait for stress tolerance and increased yields in cereal crops."

Explore further Hard to crack research reveals how crop roots penetrate hard soils

More information: Hannah M. Schneider el al., "Multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma enhance root penetration in compacted soils," PNAS (2021). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Hannah M. Schneider el al., "Multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma enhance root penetration in compacted soils,"(2021). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2012087118
Providing MSP 50% more than production cost, says Agriculture Minister Tomar

Uttar Pradesh government all set to present first paperless budget today

Budget has broadened efforts to link education with employability: PM Modi

Budget 2021 is 100% visionless says TMC

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 01: The TMC lashed out at the Centre over the Union Budget on Monday, saying it was 100 per cent "visionless" and its theme was "sell India."

Union Budget 2021: Direct taxes unchanged but healthcare and infrastructure get a push|Oneindia News

The remarks came after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman read out the Union Budget speech in the Lok Sabha.

"India's first paperless budget is also a 100% visionless budget. Theme of the fake budget is Sell India!" TMC spokesperson Derek O'Brien said. "Railways: sold, Airports: sold, Ports: sold, Insurance: sold PSUs: 23 sold!"

FM Sitharaman fulfilled all the expectations: NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar on Budget 2021

O'Brien claimed common people and farmers were ignored, adding that the Budget would make the rich richer and the poor poorer, while the middle class got "nothing".

The Rajya Sabha MP also highlighted statistics to show how West Bengal had developed rural roads.

"Rural roads: 39,705 km rural roads till 2011. 88,841 km rural roads developed between 2011-20," he said, adding that the state was No. 1 in rural roads.

"What Bengal did yesterday, Centre only talks today: Budget 2021 promise 625 km roads in Bengal. Bengal government (2018-19) New roads of 5111 km, top performer in country. additional 1165 km constructed in 2019-20," he said.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, February 1, 2021, 14:29 [IST]
Sunday, January 31, 2021

Eight philanthropy experts were invited by grants management software company Submittable to share their insights on grantmaking trends to expect in 2021. I am honored to be one of them! Below Ive re-posted the trends I foresee. Be sure to read the full blog post to learn what Edgar Villanueva, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, Aaron Dorfman, Yolanda Coentro, Sam Caplan, Jen Bokoff and Adam Liebling] suggest you do (or avoid) this year.

This whole notion of getting back to where we were doesnt exist. Disruption and volatility are the status quo.

According to Putnam-Walkerly, the events of 2020 increased the speed of giving, while improving the ease of giving (and applying for) grants.

So many funders have held onto tight practices and policies and expectations for so longnothing like a major crisis to make you realize how silly some of them are.

Putnam-Walkerly cites many examples of groups getting money out the door with amazing speed and dramatically reduced oversight, including Moses Taylor Foundation, Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, and the Greater Cleveland Covid-19 Response Fund. She further commends the move in 2020 toward offering more core operating support.

There is new recognition around trusting the nonprofit leader to know whats going on and whats needed and allowing them to make real time adjustments.

She also points to new awareness and focus on racial justice and racial equity, noting that more abundant resources are available to support this, built on groundwork laid by groups like Policy Link with a long-standing focus on these issues.

Theres so many more resources today compared to five years ago to help philanthropy address racial justice and racial equity issues. And after 2020, theres a lot more readiness and awareness and understanding among funders.

In 2021, Putnam-Walkerly urges grantmakers to avoid the strong pull towards getting back to normal.

The crisis has made it abundantly apparent that we cant afford to spend a year on strategic planning because by the time youve created your plan, the world will have changed.

You know, there is no new normal because there really never was a normal. So this whole notion of getting back to where we were doesnt exist. Disruption and volatility are the status quo.

According to Putnam-Walkerly, strategy has emerged in 2021 as being especially important as a grantmaking trend for three reasons.

First, I think any organization going into the crisis that had clarity on its strategy and its priorities fared better because they had a framework in which to make decisions and adjustments. Secondly, no strategy that existed before this crisis could possibly remain intactpull out that strategic plan and see what still makes sense and what needs to be added, abandoned, and tweaked.

Lastly, the crisis has made it abundantly apparent that we cant afford to spend a year on strategic planning because by the time youve created your plan, the world will have changed. Rapid strategy development, with the assumption that youll have to course correct along the way, is the best approach, she says.

This article was reposted from the blog Innovative Giving: Grantmaking Trends & Insight from 8 Experts.

Sorry, no valid subscriptions were found for this Publication. Please select from an option below to start a subscription.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!

24 Hour Access
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
Travelers will be required to wear masks or face the penalties of violating federal law as part of a new CDC order.

The order will go into effect on Monday at 11:59 p.m.

Travelers and operators of public conveyances like buses, trains, planes and ride-sharing services are required to wear a mask that covers their mouth and nose while waiting for, boarding, traveling on, or disembarking public transportation, according to the order. People must also wear masks when entering or on the premises of a transportation hub -- such as an airport, seaport or train station -- in the United States.

Additionally, the order -- which the CDC says is aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus -- specifies the requirements that these masks must meet and says bandanas, scarves and ski masks won't be good enough.

While it may seem like a major move, it really doesn't change much locally.

Officials at Huntsville International Airport said Sunday that county and state mandates have been enforcing the same thing since the summer.

"Prior to that, we had strongly encouraged that people wear masks, Jana Kuner, the airports public relations manager, said. So we've been doing this for a long time and our passengers are certainly familiar with being asked to wear a mask and most people are compliant."

The order will also be nothing new for ride-sharing services, with both Uber and Lyft implementing their own mask requirements several months ago.

Now, with failure to comply elevated to a federal offense, people in the community are hoping this shows the gravity of the situation and puts more masks on faces.

"Federal carries a little different tone obviously than state does, Bob Rieder said. So yeah, I think so. I think that'll send a different and more serious message.

"I hope they do, I hope it's more serious than just, 'Hey, can you please wear your mask? Katt Bryant said.

ATLANTA, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Women in Technology (WIT) announced the launch of their Virtual Career Fair with Title Sponsor, Honeywell, on Saturday, February 6th.

"Empowering girls and women to enter STEM careers is near and dear to me. This is an era of technology and the gender disparity is alarming. I am excited for the WIT Virtual Career Fair. Events like this open the aperture for girls to explore various avenues that can expand their awareness of all the opportunities that exist within the vast areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics."  Sheila Jordan, Honeywell Chief Digital Technology Officer

WIT Members will have the opportunity to sign up for one-on-one live video chats with Georgia's top employers, as well as take part in live professional development sessions. Event Sponsors receive a virtual booth and have an opportunity to showcase who their companies are, what services they offer and the job opportunities they have available to thousands of Women in Technology (WIT) Members.

"We are incredibly excited to bring our WIT community and sponsors together knowing they will find solid connections, potential employment, and networking opportunities." Paula Bolton, Chief Marketing and Program Officer at WIT.

For more information about the Women in Technology (WIT) Virtual Career Fair go to bit.ly/WITVirtualCareerFair or contact Penny Collins [email protected] .

About Honeywell

Honeywell (http://www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

About Women In Technology

Women In Technology (WIT) empowers and educates women and girls about opportunities in science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM) by educating middle and high school girls, and young women in college, and by sharing the stories of successful professional women in STEAM. Our team of more than 300 volunteers delivers professional development and networking opportunities to our more than 3,000 professionals, and programs at no cost to more than 1,500 students. From the classroom to the boardroom, WIT is committed to bringing the best STEAM content and programming to women and girls in Georgia.

SOURCE Women in Technology Inc

Related Links

https://www.mywit.org


No matter how excited you are about getting your vaccine, the Better Business Bureau is warning you: Avoid sharing photos of your Covid-19 vaccine cards.

"Unfortunately, your card has your full name and birthday on it, as well as information about where you got your vaccine," said the BBB in a news release. "If your social media privacy settings aren't set high, you may be giving valuable information away for anyone to use."

Another issue with sharing your vaccination card on social media is that it makes it easier for scammers to create imitation cards that they can sell, like some did in Great Britain, according to BBB, a non-proft that works to expose fraud and provide information to consumers.

Instead of posting the vaccination card, you can share you vaccine sticker instead, the BBB suggests, and review your social media settings to make sure you know who can see your information.

The Department of Defense released the first images of a Covid-19 vaccination record card and vaccination kits in December.

Vaccination cards will be used as the "simplest" way to keep track of Covid-19 shots, said Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of the Immunization Action Coalition, which is supporting frontline workers who will administer Covid-19 vaccinations.

Vaccination clinics will also be reporting to their state immunization registries what vaccine was given, so that, for example, an entity could run a query if it didn't know where a patient got a first dose.

More than 31 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in the United States, according to data published Sunday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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 the capital Kabul on Monday, an Afghan peace ministry official reportedly sustained minor injuries in a bomb blast, police said, the latest in a recent series of attacks on civilian targets.

Killings by small, magnetic bombs attached to the undercarriages of vehicles, as well as shootings, are unnerving Afghan officials, activists and journalists, and they are on the rise despite negotiations to end two decades of war.

The latest explosion occurred near an armoured vehicle that was taking Khoshnood Nabizada, a peace ministry official who is also editor in chief of the local Khaama Press agency, to work, Kabul police said.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan condemned the attack. "Today's targeted attack in Kabul against a senior official involved in the peace process is another deplorable incident, akin to an attack on the peace process itself," UNAMA said on Twitter.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Government officials generally blame Islamist Taliban insurgents for all targeted killings, a tactic senior security officials and Western diplomats say is meant to instil fear while avoiding large-scale civilian casualties. In a separate attack in Kabul on Monday, a bomb attached to an army vehicle in a western district of the city killed one officer and a civilian, police said.

Bombings in recent weeks have targeted politicians, security officials, human rights activists and journalists. The Taliban and the Afghan government have been negotiating in Qatar to reach a peace deal. Those talks resumed in January after an almost month-long break, but negotiators and diplomats say there has since been little progress.

Tax Holiday for Startups Extended by 1 Year

We allowed Leeds United to play their game: Barnes

South Africa reports 4,525 new corona cases
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
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.
According to the company, the drilling results confirmed its view that the project is highly prospective but significantly underexplored.

Miramar Resources Limited ( ) has outlined regolith gold anomalism over four kilometres within a mineralised structure during recently concluded aircore drilling at the companys 80% owned Gidji JV Project in Western Australia.

The company intersected visible gold in a quartz vein and highlighted multiple targets including one with apparent similarities to the 10 million ounces Paddington deposit.

The recent aircore drilling program comprised 96 holes, was completed on a nominal 400 x 100 metres spacing, and holes were drilled to blade refusal.

Significant results from the recent program include:

8 metres at 495 parts per billion (ppb) gold from 56 metres, including 4 metres at 925 parts per billion from 56 metres;

8 metres at 194ppb from 52 metres;

8 metres at 184ppb from 44 metres; and

4 metres at 177ppb from 40 metres and 4 metres at 190ppb from 56 metres.

Highly prospective but significantly underexplored

Miramars executive chairman Allan Kelly said the results confirmed the Companys view that the Gidji JV project was highly prospective but significantly underexplored.

He said: Our maiden aircore programme, the first drilling at Gidji since 2013, has defined a mineralised structure over several kilometres and highlighted several new targets, including one with apparent similarities to the 10 million ounces Paddington deposit, located 10 kilometres further north within the same structure.

Despite its prime location, the previous drilling within the Gidji Project has mostly been shallow with only a handful of RC drill holes across the entire project area.

We effectively need to disregard much of the previous drilling and treat the project like a new greenfields exploration opportunity.

In addition to the potential for a northern extension to the existing Runway deposit, we believe there are multiple drill targets that may present similar, if not better, opportunities for the discovery of an economic deposit at Gidji.

Aircore drilling program

The recent aircore drilling program comprised 96 holes, was completed on a nominal 400 x 100 metres spacing, and holes were drilled to blade refusal.

Most of the existing historical holes are angled, shallow and, in the case of the previous RAB holes, only had the bottom of hole samples.

The recent aircore holes were drilled vertically, the entire hole was sampled and, in general, the new holes penetrated deeper than the previous drilling.

Two new targets highlighted within N-S structure

The recent aircore drilling has highlighted a mineralised N-S trending structure and two new targets where this structure intersects NW trending geology and/or regional structures.

At the northern end, the N-S structure crosscuts a northwest-trending sequence of sediments, mafic and ultramafic rocks within the Boorara Shear.

A series of shallow RC holes drilled on one line by previous explorers had intersected shallow west-dipping supergene and/or primary gold mineralisation however most of the surrounding holes were shallow and/or ineffective.

Preparation for follow-up drilling underway

Given the very encouraging results from the first campaign, the company has decided to immediately follow up the recent aircore drilling at Gidji with a second campaign of approximately 10,000 metres which will infill the drill spacing to approximately 200 metres x 50 metres.

Resampling of significant 4-metre composite samples from the first phase programme has already been undertaken with the 1-metre re-split samples recently submitted for priority analysis.

Pegging of the proposed phase 2 drill lines has been completed and clearing will be undertaken in coming weeks.

The company has completed site preparations for 1-2 initial diamond holes at the Eight Mile target testing the potential for a northern extension to the Runway deposit and is currently sourcing a suitable rig.

Tenements grant pending

Kelly said that about half of the Gidji JV project tenements were still to be granted.

He said: The applications pending grant include a significant additional strike length of the Boorara Shear and the highly prospective dilational jog target.

The company looks forward to having the remaining tenements granted as soon as possible so we can systematically explore this highly prospective land package.
President Joe Biden has been busy signing more than 40 executive orders and memoranda in the past few days. But he still failed to make good on one of his key campaign promises: $2,000 stimulus checks.

Daily Wire noted that in a trip to Georgia backing two Democratic candidates in early January, Biden promised stimulus checks worth $2,000 to Georgians if the Democrats will win in Senate runoffs that week.

In his speech, Pres. Biden said: "that money will go out the door immediately to help people who are in real trouble." But so far, no stimulus check of that amount has reached people.

As the coronavirus pandemic tests people's patience, many grew unhappy with how Biden fell short of this promise, taking their frustrations to Twitter. There, they complained and used the hashtag #BidenLied which didn't take long to start trending.

Read also: Republican Senators Introduce Bill to Stop States Giving Driver's Licenses to Illegal Immigrants

#BidenLied trended, and the complaints about the stimulus checks only came after the Democratic Party tweeted about Biden's plan on distributing $1,400 stimulus checks to American families, in addition to the $600 stimulus checks that were approved earlier.

"@POTUS will build on the $600 down payment provided by Congress last year, sending an additional $1,400 to households across America, totaling direct payments to $2,000 per person," the tweet said.

White House Scales Down Stimulus Checks for Some Families

The White House expressed openness in scaling down stimulus checks for families that make more than $150,000 per year, a senior administration official said. However, the Biden administration is set on retaining months of unemployment insurance access or funding for schools, said a report on ABC 7 KVIA.

The official also told CNN that if the counter-proposal by the Republicans moved forward, lawmakers would start negotiations again in two months.

The GOP is considering a $600 billion plan for the economic stimulus and relief package, something that the current administration is not open to, even though they were willing to make their $1.9 trillion smaller.

Reports said that the Republicans' stimulus proposal was the most significant response yet to the administration's relief package. But with more than a trillion dollars difference, the proposal will likely face opposition to Democrats in the House.

Republicans' Stimulus Package Includes More Direct Checks

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said on Sunday that the Republicans' stimulus package would include direct payments "targeted" to families in need, reported Fox Business.

According to Cassidy, Biden did not consult with his bipartisan group of senators, known as the "sweet 16," when he put forward his $1.9 trillion relief package.

"The President's team did not reach out to anybody in our group, either Democrat or Republican when they fashioned their proposal," Cassidy said. He then pointed out that if Biden really wanted to have unity in the country, he "ought to start with a group that's shown it's willing to work together for a common solution."

Related story: Fact Check: Did Biden Say That Signing Lots of Executive Orders Makes President a Dictator?

Cassidy sent a letter to Biden on Sunday with nine other Senate Republicans-Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Rob Portman, Shelley Moore Capito, Todd Young, Jerry Moran, Mike Rounds, and Thom Tillis-with information about their stimulus package proposal.

Talking to New York Daily News on Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the Republicans' stimulus proposal was insufficient and they should "negotiate with us, not make a take-it-or-leave-it offer."

Cassidy sent a letter to Biden on Sunday with nine other Senate Republicans-Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Rob Portman, Shelley Moore Capito, Todd Young, Jerry Moran, Mike Rounds and Thom Tillis- with information about their plan.

Talking to New York Daily News on Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the Republican plan was insufficient and they should "negotiate with us, not make a take-it-or-leave-it offer."
Ahead of Union Budget 201, the market witnessed continuous selling throughout the truncated week ended January 29 amid volatility due to monthly expiry, FII selling, and weak global markets. Meanwhile, market participants also booked profit ahead of the Budget to be presented later in the day.

Last week, BSE Sensex slipped 2,592.77 points or 5.3 percent to end at 46,285.77 and while the Nifty50 fell 737.3 points or 5 percent to finish at 13,634.60 levels.

The BSE Large-cap Index slipped 5 percent dragged by the Piramal Enterprises, Maruti Suzuki India, Tata Motors, and Dr. Reddys Laboratories, while Grasim Industries, Axis Bank, Cipla, and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries ended with marginal gains.

BSE Mid-cap Index declined 3.6 percent with Info Edge India, Kansai Nerolac Paints, Aditya Birla Fashion, Vodafone Idea, Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services shed 10-18 percent, while gainers were Shriram Transport Finance Corporation, Cummins India, TVS Motor Company, Colgate Palmolive (India) and Supreme Industries.

BSE Small-cap index shed 2.3 percent dragged Chennai Petroleum Corporation, Dewan Housing Finance Corporation, Vakrangee, Apollo Tyres, Astec Lifesciences, DCB Bank, Ramkrishna Forgings, and Suven Life Sciences. However, gainers were IIFL Finance, Majesco, Cosmo Films, Solara Active Pharma, and Salasar Techno Engineering.

On the BSE Sensex, Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Housing Development Finance Corporation were the top losers in terms of market value, while Axis Bank, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, and ICICI Bank added most of their market value.

On the sectoral front, Nifty IT, Auto and Energy lost more than 6 percent each and Infra sector lost 5 percent.

In the last week, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold equities worth Rs 12,096.69 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought equities worth Rs 3,788.98 crore. However, in the month of January FII bought equities worth Rs 8,980.81 crore and DII sold equities worth Rs 11,970.54 crore.

In the last week, the Indian rupee ended flat at 72.95 per dollar on January 29, against its January 22 closing of 72.97 per dollar.

Five days of the selloff on D-Street pushed Sensex and Nifty50 below crucial support levels. The average market capitalization of the BSE-listed companies fell by about Rs 10 lakh cr in just five sessions. The market capitalization of the BSE-listed companies fell from Rs 197.70 lakh cr to Rs 188.13 lakh cr as of January 28, 2021.

Wild gyrations cannot be ruled out on Budget Day; hence, traders prefer to trade light. The next big support for the index is placed around 50-Days EMA placed at 13700 levels. A break below this level could fuel further selling pressure.
Posted Sunday, January 31, 2021 5:36 pm

Twenty-two Clark County Sheriff's deputies secured a Vancouver hospital Friday evening after a group, including some who were armed, gathered to demand the release of a patient, who was discharged later that night.

At least one person was pepper-sprayed and another pushed by deputies guarding the entrance of the Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center emergency room. No arrests were made, but the incident drew wide attention after video was posted on the YouTube channel of Ammon Bundy, who led the 2016 seizure and occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.

People in the crowd  few wearing masks and at least some who self-identified on the video as being members of People's Rights, an affiliation of militia groups, far-right extremists and anti-mask and anti-vaccine activists that has railed against coronavirus restrictions and with which Bundy is closely associated  asserted that the patient was being held against her will for refusing to take a COVID test. They screamed at hospital personnel from outside the emergency room, demanding her release and alleging "medical kidnapping."

The Sheriff's Office said in a statement Saturday that the patient, identified by people in the crowd as a 74-year-old woman, had refused a COVID test and had been "placed in 24-hour quarantine for protection while receiving medical treatment." In the video, people in the crowd said the patient was being treated with fluids and prescribed antibiotics for a urinary tract infection. They said the patient had had a brain tumor and was easily confused and needed support from her daughter, who they said held medical power of attorney.

The Sheriff's Office stated that the patient told a deputy earlier Friday "that she wished to remain in the hospital in order to receive treatment," but at nearly 8 p.m. requested to leave. She was released about 45 minutes later and the crowd dissipated, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Earlier, the live-streamer called for "all hands on deck," repeatedly encouraging supporters to come to the hospital and deluge it and the Sheriff's Office with phone calls demanding the patient's release. The video had been viewed more than 56,000 times by Saturday night.

As the crowd around the hospital entrance grew in number and agitation, hospital security personnel requested additional sheriff's deputies and the hospital went into lockdown, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The Sheriff's Office said in its statement that the "main focus" of its presence "was to prevent an onrush of persons entering the hospital and to ensure the safety of the patients and staff at the hospital." The Sheriff's Office said some people who arrived at the hospital were carrying firearms and gas masks. The Sheriff's Office estimated the crowd at 15 to 20, though the live-streamer estimated at one point as many as 30.

The statement described an attempt by people in the crowd to "force their way into the hospital when the doors were opened to admit an unrelated person needing medical treatment." The livestream showed a brief confrontation in which deputies pushed people back from the doors, including a woman identified in the video as the patient's daughter, who moments earlier had been asking to talk to them. A moment later a man tried to enter the hospital. A child can be heard screaming, "Dad, Dad," in the background as the man is pushed back. According to the Sheriff's Office, he was told to leave or be pepper sprayed. He stayed and was sprayed in the face through the door with the chemical irritant.

A summary of the event on Bundy's YouTube page said both the patient and her daughter  described by the Sheriff's Office as the person who originally called 911 about the incident late Friday afternoon  arrived at the hospital around 10 p.m. Thursday. The patient did not have flu-like symptoms and was not willing to take a COVID test, according to the summary. They both wore masks, the summary continued, though the daughter did not appear masked in the livestream as she sought access to the hospital to see her mother Friday evening.

There was apparently confusion about whether the patient was tested, according to the Bundy summary, which also alleged the daughter was denied access to her mother on Friday.

On Sunday morning, Legacy Health spokesperson Vicki Guinn said the hospital was back to normal operations.
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.

All international air travellers arriving Ontario, at Toronto Pearson International Airport, are now required to take a mandatory PCR COVID-19 test.

Anyone who refuses to take the test will be subject to a $750 fine. Ford said at a press conference on Friday that the province plans to implement testing protocols at land border crossings as soon as possible.

While the federal government announced that mandatory arrival testing of international travellers will be put into place in the coming weeks, in addition to a required three-day hotel stay as travellers wait for their test result, Ford said the time frame is too long. The premier said this testing rule is meant to be a stop gap to prevent new COVID-19 cases from coming into Ontario, particularly variant cases.

This comes after the province confirmed five cases of B117 COVID-19 variant, first detected in the U.K., in Ontario's voluntary testing program at Toronto Pearson airport.

The new airport test requirement is part of the Ontario governments six-point variant action plan, which also includes increasing lap capacity identify variants in positive COVID-19 samples, testing of asymptomatic contact of a case and rapid testing in high-risk settings.

On Friday, the provincial government said it will not consider lifting any public health and workplace safety measures at this time, until more information on variant spread is known and overall trends in public health indicators improve.

Check out our COVID-19 in Canada topic page for latest news, tips, health updates, cases and more.
Fashion answered the call for more personal protective equipment when the pandemic had doctors and a locked-down populous scrambling last year. Now the industry wants a little help in return from Washington.

A group of four key trade groups sent a letter to Congressional leaders Monday, staking their claim in negotiations for the mammoth stimulus bill being hammered out on Capitol Hill. Signing on to the letter were the chief executives officers of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, Accessories Council, Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Travel Goods Association.

More from WWD

In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, our members suspended/limited operations in line with global health guidelines to protect their workers and consumers. Additionally, these same members repurposed facilities, factories and supply chains to produce and quickly distribute personal protective equipment and other urgently needed medical materials, said the letter, addressed to the House and Senate leaders in both parties.

We appreciate the recent stimulus measures, however, there are several other opportunities to help the retail and manufacturing sector, the letter said. Today, we urge you to take additional steps as part of the next COVID-19 stimulus package, currently under consideration in Congress.

Specifically, they called for:

 A federally backed short-term trade credit facility to backstop the trade credit insurance industry that many businesses rely on.

 Limited legal liability protection shielding businesses from unfair lawsuits tied to the pandemic.

 Incentives that would help companies induce people back to work during the pandemic.

 Tax credits to support efforts to keep workers and consumers spending, such as store and office retrofits and PPE purchases.

 Duty drawbacks that would encourage companies to donate excess merchandise to charities.

Story continues

On that last point, the letter said: Creating such a provision would be a win-win, enabling companies to unlock much-needed funds currently trapped in the surplus inventory created by the crisis, while at the same time helping Americans negatively impacted by the pandemic with donations of clothes and shoes they need for themselves and their families.

Although there is some light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel, with at-risk groups being vaccinated and the promise of a big U.S. ramp-up in the vaccine program, companies are still struggling to get by.

The first round of retail bankruptcies last year was fed by companies that were already on the edge financially. But as consumers continue to change their spending patterns and pull back, others are starting to fail. Most recently, Belk said it would reorganize its debt with a bankruptcy filing, although vendors are expected to continue to be paid.

Fashion companies and groups have been calling for more stimulus from Washington to support businesses and consumers since the summer, but the effort got mired down in the presidential election and is now being pushed through a Congress that is narrowly controlled by Democrats and gearing up for former President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial in the Senate following the deadly storming of the Capitol last month.

More from WWD:

PVHs New CEO Stefan Larsson Takes Charge

Jill Ramseys Hunt to Buy E-commerce Brands

AI Contract Negotiations Come to Big Business
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
Barometers traded with robust gains in afternoon trade. At 12:53 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, jumped 1225 points or 2.65% at 47,511.07. The Nifty 50 index surged 346.2 points or 2.54% at 13,980.45.

Shares rallied after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday proposed a sharp rise in capital expenditure for the next fiscal to Rs 5.54 lakh crore, from Rs 4.39 lakh crore in the current financial year.

In broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.51% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.41%.

The market breadth was positive. On the BSE, 1587 shares rose and 1123 shares fell. A total of 188 shares were unchanged.

Union Budget 2021:

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Union Budget 2021-22 today announced that fiscal deficit in FY21 is pegged at 9.5% of GDP. Meanwhile, the FY22 fiscal deficit target is at 6.8% of GDP. "Will need another Rs 80,000 crore for which we will approach the market in next two months," FM said. FY22 gross borrowing target is at Rs 12 lakh crore. FM said the government hopes to get to back to fiscal consolidation path by FY26. Fiscal deficit will reach below 4.5% by FY26.

The central government aims to garner Rs 1.75 lakh crore through divestments in 2021-22. All divestments announced so far are to be completed in FY22. BPCL, CONCOR, Pawan Hans, Air India divestments to be completed in FY22.

FM announced voluntary vehicle scrapping policy. Vehicles will undergo fitness tests after 20 years for personal vehicles and 15 years for commercial vehicles. The government has raised the limit for foreign direct investment (FDI) insurance sector to 74% from 49% - with safeguards.

Finance minister said that there is a need to clean up bank books. She announced Rs 20,000 crore in FY22 for recapitalisation of public sector banks. The government will allow sale of distressed assets to Alternate Investment Funds (AIFs).

Further, asset reconstruction and management company will be set up for stressed assets. The NCLT framework will be strengthened to implement e-courts. Urban Swachh Bharat 2.0 Mission is to be launched at outlay of Rs 1.41 lakh crore over 5 years. Finance minister announced an outlay of Rs 2.87 lakh crore for Jal Jeevan Mission.

FM laid out a Rs 64,180 crore spending plan for healthcare over the next six years. FM further added that this will be in addition to National Health Mission.

The FM said HAI and PGCIL will set up INVITs will attract global funds. A national monetizing pipeline for brownfield assets will be set up.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: To further augment road infra, more economic corridors are being planned. FM announced 3,500 km of national highway works in Tamil Nadu at an investment of Rs 1.03 lakh crore, 1,100 km of national highway works in Kerala at an investment of Rs 65,000 crore and 675 km of highway works in West Bengal at a cost of Rs 25,000 crore.

FM said it will allocate Rs 1.1 lakh crore to Indian Railways in FY22. Of total Rs 1.07 lakh crore of provision to Indian Railway in FY22 is for capital expenditure. FM said the budget will also support augmentation of public bus transport. Rs 18,000 crore will be provided to support bus transport scheme.

Sitharaman also announced the addition of 100 cities to the City Gas Distribution network boosts stocks. Pipelines of GAIL (India) Ltd, Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and HPCL will be monetised, says FM in Budget for 2021-22.

FM said the Government of India has set aside Rs 15,700 crore for small and medium scale enterprises. The Government has also set up credit target of Rs 16.5 lakh crore for FY22. FM said the government will also develop five major fishing harbours to hubs for economic activity.

FM announced reduction in customs duty uniformly to 7.5% on semi, flat and long products of non-alloy, alloy and stainless steel. FM also announced exemption duty on steel scrap till March 2022 To provide relief to copper recyclers, reducing duty on copper scrap from 5% to 2.5%

Further, Sitharaman announced that senior citizen above 75 years of age with only interest income will not have to file income tax return.

Buzzing Segment:

Shares of city gas distributors (CGD) were in demand after central government announced plans to add another 100 cities to the city gas distribution network. Indraprastha Gas (up 1.84%), Adani Total Gas (up 1.31%) and Mahanagar Gas (up 1.04%) edged higher while Gujarat Gas declined 1.62%.

Numbers to Track:

In the foreign exchange market, the partially convertible rupee depreciated to 73.0750 compared with its previous closing of 72.96.

The yield on 10-year benchmark federal paper rose to 6.034% from its previous closing of 5.949%.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday, handed over a cheque of Rs 1 crore as ex-gratia compensation to the family of slain Punjab Police Constable Jagmohan Singh, who had unfortunately got killed in the line-of-duty in Manuke Gill, Moga in June, 2020.

A 2011 batch Punjab Police Constable Jagmohan Singh, 46, a resident of village Manuke Gill in Moga, died after a criminal opened fire at the police team that reached Khosa Pando village of Moga in connection with a complaint of arson on June 8, 2020. Prior to joining the Punjab Police, Jagmohan had also served in the Indian Army.

Captain Amarinder Singh

Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, accompanied by Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Dinkar Gupta, handed over cheque of Rs 1 crores to Sukhwinder Kaur, widow of Martyr Jagmohan Singh, at Punjab Civil Secretariat here today. The CM also promised a job to the son of the police martyr, who was also present today, as soon as he completed his 10+2 education.

Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said that though no amount of money could compensate the loss, the Punjab government always stood with the families of martyrs.

Chief Minister said that the compensation amount was given by the HDFC Bank under the Special Insurance Cover of Rs 1 crore for the Punjab Police Personnel in case they died in the line of duty. This amount is apart from the other benefits funds being given under government rules to the next of kin of martyr, he clarified.

Captain Amarinder SinghDGP Gupta appreciated the HDFC Bank for the launch of the Scheme for Special Insurance Cover of Rs 1 crore for line-of-duty deaths to compensate the family members of Punjab Police martyrs. It is pertinent to mention that the Special Insurance Cover of Rs 1 crore for line-of-duty deaths was the initiative of the Punjab Police led by DGP Dinkar Gupta.

Its the only scheme of its kind in the country for the benefit of police personnel of the border State of Punjab which is faced with major national security challenges, including a continuous influx of weapons and drugs from across the border.

Under this scheme, HDFC had signed an MoU with the Punjab Police in May 2020 to provide free Special Insurance Cover of Rs 1 crore for line-of-duty deaths (upto a maximum of 5 claims per year) for acts performed by Punjab Police personnel done (a) in apprehension of terrorist/militant and members of organized criminal gangs/smugglers/drug suppliers (b) combating terrorist attacks (c) prevention of heinous/serious crime (d) in preventing loss of life and property (e) performing a search and rescue mission as in various kinds of natural and manmade disasters.

Subscriber content preview

MOUNT VERNON (AP)  The U.S. Navy has been granted permission to conduct special operations training at some Washington state parks, with mitigation requirements specific to each park, officials said.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission voted 4-3 on Thursday in favor of the training, The Skagit Valley Herald reported Thursday. The seven-member commission is set to review its decision after 90 days.





. . .
Mumbai, Feb 1 : Filmmaker Kunal Kohli says his upcoming romantic spy thriller Lahore Confidential is narrated from the point of a woman, which makes it an unconventional film.

"The main thing different about Lahore Confidential is the fact that it is from the point of view of a woman and it places a woman equally at the centre of the stage," Kohli said.

"(It is) the stage of a job, stage of a spy, a stage of equal rights, a stage of everything where finally women are at par, and every step of the way," he added.

Lahore Confidential revolves around an Indian woman who, amidst her mundane routine and love for Urdu literature, finds herself on intelligence duty in Pakistan. The film is based in Pakistan and mixes a sense of patriotism and thrills with old school romance.

The film features Richa Chadha and Karishma Tanna and will premiere on Zee5 film on February 4.
Thousands of people from across New Zealand celebrated the upcoming Chinese New Year at the 2021 Chinese New Year Festival and Market Day event in Auckland on Saturday.

The annual event, one of the largest Chinese New Year celebrations in New Zealand, was joined by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, Opposition leader Judith Collins and many distinguished guests.

In her keynote speech, Ardern said that the 2021 Chinese New Year represented an opportunity to acknowledge the past year and to look forward to 2021 with optimism and with hope.

People born in the year of Ox, are known to be honest, consistent, hardworking and generous. Those character traits of the Chinese community, who have joined New Zealand and contributed to New Zealand for over 170 years with all of those many traits, said Ardern.

Ardern also mentioned the economic ties between New Zealand and China, particularly the New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement upgrade that was signed this week.

Alongside the renewed commitment to our people-to-people links, stands our on-going commitment to our economic and trade ties, which are equally long and deep and important to us, said Ardern.

It is a really important milestone for both countries, and shows the strength of our relationship, said Ardern.

Ruan Ping, Chinese consul general in Auckland, said in his opening remark that New Zealand was now well positioned for post-pandemic recovery.

For 12 years, The China-New Zealand FTA has brought huge benefits to both countries and peoples. The upgrade protocol involves multiple areas such as trade, investment and rules, making China-New Zealand free trade more efficient. I am convinced that by working together, China and New Zealand will achieve more tangible results in pragmatic cooperation and friendly relations, said Ruan.

Traditional Chinese performances including lion and dragon dances, Wushu performances, face-changing performance, magic shows, singing and dancing were showcased in the celebration.

Free facemasks and hand sanitizers were provided during the event to the general public for additional safeguarding people's health, although facemasks were not mandatory by government regulation. People were also encouraged to scan the NZ COVID Tracer App for contact tracing.

New Zealand is currently at COVID-19 Alert Level One with no restriction on public gathering.


A devout Christian actress is suing a theatre and her agents for 128,000 after she was dropped following an alleged homophobic post on Facebook.

Seyi Omooba, 25, is claiming claiming religious discrimination and a breach of contract against the Leicester Curve Theatre and her former managers Global Artists Agency.

She was appealing virtually at a Central London Employment Tribunal represented by the Christian Legal Centre.

It follows her firing from the adaptation of the Alice Walker novel, The Colour Purple, just a day after she was cast as the lead character of Celie in 2019.

It came after another actor challenged her over a 2014 Facebook post where she said she 'did not believe homosexuality is right'.

Hamilton star Aaron Lee Lambert messaged her 'Seeing as you've now been announced to be playing an LGBTQ character, I think you owe your LGBTQ peers an explanation. Immediately.'

But lawyers acting for Ms Omooba told the tribunal today the sexuality of Celie, who is often read as having a lesbian relationship, is ambiguous and open to interpretation.

Miss Omooba is claiming discrimination and breach of contract over her sudden sacking

And today it emerged that Ms Omooba had previously told her agents she would refuse to play a gay character.

Her lawyers say she did not understand Celie to be a lesbian, that the character's sexuality was ambiguous, and that Ms Omooba was not explicitly told she would have to play a gay role.

Her representative, Pavel Stroilov, said: 'The best known interpretation is the film by Steven Spielberg.

'In the film the lesbian theme is not present at all, there is one kiss between the female characters which can be interpreted in all sorts of ways.

'It is in no way obvious and was never made clear to claimant that she was expected to play a lesbian character. She was never asked explicitly to play this character as a lesbian.

'It's, with respect, absurd to suggest it's for an employee, an actor, to go and inquire with an employer whether or not they interpret this play differently from Steven Spielberg.'

Actor Aaron Lee Lambert, a Hamilton star, shared a Facebook post she wrote seven years ago

Mr Lambert put the post on Twitter and tagged her in to challenger her over her remarks

Tom Coghlin QC, for the Leicester Theatre Trust, suggested Ms Omooba's position amounted to 'repudiatory breach of contract' and meant her dismissal was not 'unwanted conduct'.

He told the hearing: 'The role that she complains about being dismissed from is one that she would have refused to play in any event.

'Her choice was to resign or be dismissed and she chose to be dismissed.

'We say quite simply that the claimant took the role of Celie when she knew or should have realised there was at least a significant likelihood that she would refuse to play that role.

'She didn't check with the responders or director whether Celie would be interpreted in the usually understood, way which was as a gay character.

'The musical is not the film, they are different works with a common source, which is the novel.'

The Colour Purple is a Pulitzer prize-winning novel written by Alice Walker in 1982.

Ms Omooba's scandal exploded after alleged 'homophobic' comments she made in 2014 resurfaced

Actor Aaron Lee Lambert, who stars in the West End production of Hamilton, shared the Facebook post she wrote seven years ago.

Devout Christian Omooba quoted the Bible and said she did 'not believe homosexuality is right'.

Miss Omooba had been announced for the role of Celia on March 14, 2019.

That same day she went with her father Pastor Ade Omooba, an eminent international Christian campaigner and Christian Concern's co-founder, to Buckingham Palace to receive his MBE.

But the next day Mr Lambert, who does not know her, discovered her social media posting from five years earlier and put it on Twitter, tagging her in.

He had particularly objected to her views because the character of Celie is seen by some readers as being gay.

He asked in his tweet: 'Do you still stand by this post? Or are you happy to remain a hypocrite? Seeing as you've now been announced to be playing an LGBTQ character, I think you owe your LGBTQ peers an explanation. Immediately.'

Ms Omooba is adamant she is not homophobic and has also denied that the character is a lesbian.

Her legal team claim that she has been abused on social media since the row broke out.

She previously said: 'I just quoted what the Bible says about homosexuality, the need for repentance, but ultimately God's love for all humanity.

'I stand by what I wrote, but had I known that it would have come to this, I would have set my account to the privacy mode.'
The tiny South American countries of Guyana and Suriname are the focus of Latin Americas latest oil boom. A slew of oil discoveries by ExxonMobil since 2015 in its offshore Guyana Stabroek block which now sees the global energy supermajor estimating that the block contains over eight billion barrels of recoverable oil resources has captured the international oil industrys attention. This is not only because of the sheer volume of discoveries, but also due to the extremely low breakeven prices, estimated to be $35 per barrel and falling, associated with drilling in offshore Guyana. By some estimates, breakeven prices in the Stabroek block have already fallen below $35 per barrel. The Liza phase two development, which comes online next year lifting production capacity of the Liza oilfield to 340,000 barrels daily, is expected to pump crude oil at a breakeven price of an extremely low $25 a barrel. The quality of the discovered crude oil is also another factor explaining the considerable interest in the Guyana-Suriname Basin. Exxon is pumping relatively low sulfur content light API gravity crude oil at its Liza-1 oilfield in the Stabroek Block and after receiving approval from Guyanas government for its Payara project expects to be pumping 750,000 barrels daily by 2026. The energy supermajor is planning to install up to 10 FPSOs in the block with five operational by the end of 2026.

In a global operating environment where cost cutting is a key focus for oil companies in the wake of the March 2020 oil price crash, demand for lighter sweeter crude oil grades is climbing and the popularity of offshore Guyana is soaring. Even Exxons latest disappointing drilling results in Guyana have done little to curb that growing interest. During November 2020, Exxon announced that while it had discovered the presence of hydrocarbons at the Tanger-1 well in the Kaieteur block, which neighbors the Stabroek block, the find was not economic to operate on a stand-alone basis. That was followed by the integrated oil supermajor failing to find oil at the Hassa-1 exploration well drilled in the prolific Stabroek block earlier this month. Earlier this month Exxon announced the spudding of the Bulletwood-1 well in the offshore Guyana Canje block, which is adjacent to the Stabroek block. The integrated oil company which owns a 35% interest in the block is also the operator and the remainder is owned by Total also with a 35% stake, JHI Associates at 17.5%, and Mid-Atlantic Oil & Gas owning the remaining 12.5%. This is the first well being drilled on the Canje block and it is targeting a Liza style late Cretaceous and Campanian age geological formations estimated to contain prospective oil resources of around 500 million barrels. The hope is that despite the recent setbacks for Exxon in offshore Guyana the company can repeat the runaway success it experienced with the Stabroek block.

Related: Will U.S. Shale Finally Reward Shareholders?

It is not only Guyanas portion of the Guyana-Suriname Basin where major oil discoveries are being made. At the end of 2020, Exxon and partner Malaysian national oil company Petronas announced oil had been discovered at the much-hyped Sloanea-1 exploration well in Block 52 offshore Suriname. Apache and partner French oil supermajor Total, which is now the operator, have had to date outstanding success at Block 58 offshore Suriname. Since January 2020 they have made four discoveries, the latest being in January 2021, of what Apache described as light to medium API gravity oil which amount to world class hydrocarbon resources. According to investment bank Morgan Stanley, the 1.4-million-acre Block 58 holds potential oil resources of up to 6.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent. That number accords with Exxons experience with the Stabroek block and is supported by the spate of discoveries made by Apache and Total. While Apache and Total both hold a 50% interest in the block, Surinames national oil company Staatsolie has the contractual right to farm-in and gain a 20% stake at an estimated cost of $1 to $1.5 billion. As far back as August 2020, Staatsolie was reputedly considering exercising that right.

Oil industry consultancy Rystad Energy, last year, projected that Block 58 and new projects in Surinames waters potentially have a breakeven price of $45 per barrel. That number, like in offshore Guyana, will fall as expertise, technology and infrastructure improves. It is speculated that the breakeven price for offshore oilfields in the Guyana-Suriname Basin could eventually be as low as $23 per barrel, making operations highly profitable even at $55 per barrel Brent. That compares to $46 to $52 per barrel for the major U.S. shale oil basins and a 2021 fiscal breakeven price of just under $68 a barrel for Saudi Arabia. Those numbers alone make Suriname a compelling location for global oil majors to invest. The attractiveness is further amplified by Surinames government offering favorable production sharing contracts with 30-year terms, considerably longer than many other jurisdictions. Paramaribo has established a royalty rate of 6.25% which, while higher than neighboring Guyanas 2%, is still lower than most other jurisdictions where the global average is 10% to 15%.

For those reasons, Guyana and Suriname have a competitive advantage over many other oil-producing jurisdictions, especially in a world where a crude oil supply glut is weighing heavily on prices and demand is expected to peak in less than a decade. The Guyana-Suriname Basin and its considerable petroleum potential will become the hottest offshore drilling location globally, attracting considerable investment from foreign oil companies. The favorable conditions in the Guyana-Suriname Basin, coupled with a long running global crude oil supply glut and diminishing demand means this may be the last major oil boom ever witnessed.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Chennai:

The Madras High Court on Monday asked the Tamil Nadu government to clear its stand on a plea to ban the use of late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaas photograph in government advertisements because she had been convicted in a corruption case.

While issuing notice to the government for its stand on the plea by Traffic Ramaswami, a noted public interest litigant, a bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, however, refused to pass any interim order on the petition and adjourned the hearing on it for five weeks.

Seeking a direction to the state government not to use Jayalalithaas photograph, the petitioner submitted that the Supreme Court had in its judgement stated that she was convicted in the disproportionate assets case.

The government is openly giving advertisements with her photographs spending from public exchequer, he claimed.

It gives a wrong signal as the successive governments may also follow the same in future by spending public fund, he added.

Also Read | Confident that rival factions of AIADMK will re-unite: TN Forest Minister

On February 14, the Supreme Court had restored in toto the judgement and findings of the trial court in Bengaluru which held all the accused, including Jayalalithaa, guilty in the corruption case.

The apex court, however, had abated the proceedings against Jayalalithaa in view of her death on December 5 last year.

Jayalalithaa, her close aide and AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala and two others were accused of amassing disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 66.65 crore during her first term as the chief minister from 1991 to 1996.

Also Read: Five police teams formed to probe murder of Jayalalithaas security guard

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
ADVERTISEMENT

A veteran journalist and politician, Tony Momoh, is dead.

Mr Momoh, 81, died on Monday according to family sources.

Mr Momoh served as the information minister between 1986 and 1990 during the Ibrahim Babangida military dictatorship.

He started his career with the old Daily Times newspaper in 1962 and later rose to be the papers editor. He was until his death a member of Nigerias ruling party, APC.

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed grief at his death, describing Mr Momoh as his long time ally.

Reacting to the passage, President Buhari said Mr Momoh stood with him through thick and thin, adding: His brand of loyalty is very rare in the politics of today. I will greatly miss him.

The president, in a statement by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina, recalled that as chairman, Media and Publicity of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) Campaign Organisation in the 2003 and 2007 elections as well as Chairman of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the late Auchi prince contributed in no small measure to the growth and strengthening of the organisations, leading to the eventual formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

President Buhari commiserated with the media industry on the loss of a veteran who put in a lot to raise the bar of the profession in various ways as editor, manager, administrator, President and Trustee of the Guild of Editors, urging them to sustain his legacies.

While also condoling with the Auchi Kingdom, the government and people of Edo State on this great loss, the president prayed that God will grant the departed eternal rest and comfort family, friends and political associates in this period of grief.
Nearly $738,000 of the total figure was provided by its subsidiary Hashoff, which posted a 70% bump in revenue compared to the same quarter in 2019

DGTL Holdings Inc ( ) (OTCQB:DGHTF) revealed its 2Q financials on Monday that showed the company generated nearly $1.3 million in revenue off the back of growing demand for Content-as-a-Service platforms.

The New York City-based integrated media company said that around $738,000 of the total figure was thanks to its subsidiary Hashoff, which posted a 70% bump in revenue compared to the same quarter in 2019.

For the current 2020 fiscal calendar, revenue through to November 30, 2020, was $3.7 million compared to $2.3 million in the same quarter a year earlier, while for the six-month period to end November 30, 2020, DGTL posted nearly $2.4 million in revenue compared to $1.4 million in the same period a year prior.

DGTL told shareholders that the company attributes the growth in revenue to the implementation of a three-year revenue growth plan and the positive results Hashoff's client's experience. The company said that Hashoff has also benefited from heightened market demand for CaaS (Content-as-a-Service) platforms, which allows its new and existing global brand customers to operate large-scale digital and CaaS marketing campaigns remotely, in a more effective, and cost-efficient way.

CaaS is a model where the service provider delivers the content on-demand to the service consumer via web services that are licensed under subscription.

"We are pleased with the continued revenue growth of our first SaaS acquisition, DGTLs founder John Belfontaine said in a statement. We anticipate continued momentum from Hashoff LLC via new business development and customer acquisition.

DGTL acquires and accelerates digital media, marketing and advertising technology companies powered by artificial intelligence.

Contact Angela at angela@proactiveinvestors.com

Follow her on Twitter @AHarmantas
In the end, as far as the courts are concerned, there won't be any justice for victims or the faithful following horrific allegations against an old school Kansas City priest.



Let's not forget that the local church has paid out BIG BUCKS and endured an overall decline thanks to his tarnished legacy.



Here's a highlight from a recent statement from the Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph on allegations of sexual abuse by Bishop Joseph Hart:



This case is of special interest to the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph because several of the accusations against Bishop Hart originated from our diocese, dating to the time when he served here as a priest prior to becoming a bishop in Cheyenne in 1976.



The canonical rebuke stated that Bishop Hart remains prohibited from presiding or participating anywhere in any public celebration of the Liturgy and also that he not to have any contact with minors, youth, seminarians and vulnerable adults. . . .



While a decision has been rendered, we must not lose hope. The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable and to the ongoing work of accompanying survivors on the path to healing. I invite all the faithful to join me in prayer, particularly for all those who have been directly wounded by clerical sexual abuse, themselves and their families, and for the Church.

The latest . . .



Trib.com: Wyoming attorney general won't charge retired bishop accused of abuse



Developing . . .


Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-02 00:30:14|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a gathering and conveys festive greetings to leaders from non-Communist parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, as well as public figures without party affiliation, ahead of the upcoming Spring Festival at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 1, 2021. Monday's gathering was also attended by Wang Yang, who is the chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, and Vice Premier Han Zheng. They are both members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday met leaders from non-Communist parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), as well as public figures without party affiliation, ahead of the upcoming Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, conveyed his festive greetings on behalf of the CPC Central Committee to those non-CPC personages and the vast number of members of the united front.

The year 2020 has been an extraordinary year in the history of New China, Xi said, adding that the country faced situations and tasks that were grave and complicated, and challenges and risks that were unprecedented.

However, led by the CPC Central Committee, the Party and the Chinese people stayed united and overcame the difficulties together, Xi said, noting that China has achieved major strategic achievements in containing COVID-19, taken the lead in achieving positive economic growth, and accomplished the poverty eradication tasks on time.

The country also saw the successful conclusion of the 13th Five-Year Plan, drew up the blueprint for the 14th Five-Year Plan, and made historic achievements in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Xi said.

"We owe the achievements to the Party's strong leadership, as well as the strong unity and hard work of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, including members of other political parties, the ACFIC and public figures without party affiliation," Xi added.

He emphasized that the year 2021 marks the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan, with the country embarking on a new journey of fully building a modern socialist country. Also, grand celebrations will be held to mark the CPC's centenary.

Xi expressed the hope that non-CPC personages will contribute their suggestions on the new development stage, philosophy and paradigm.

He also called upon them to preserve the political character of pursuing the common goal with unity and working together with the CPC.

Xi announced that a campaign will be launched this year within the CPC on studying the Party's history.

He urged people from other political parties and public figures with no party affiliation to view the CPC's centenary as an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to cooperation with the Party and enhance their self-improvement.

Monday's gathering was also attended by Wang Yang, who is the chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, and Vice Premier Han Zheng. They are both members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Enditem
About half the people reading this were first exposed to superhero comics via out-of-context panels used as internet memes, and the other half feels incredibly old right now. But if you look up the original issues, you'll often find that the memes were actually underselling the glorious stupidity and insanity of these comics, like the one where ...

8 There's A Comic Full Of The Joker's "Boners"

The Famous Meme:

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

The fact that the word boner used to mean "stupid mistake" and now means "erection" turns the Joker into an exhibitionist.

DC Comics "In fact, stop calling me 'Joker.' I'm going to become the Boner."

The Not-So-Famous Context:

Sooner or later, everyone with an internet connection is exposed to the "I'll show them how many boners the Joker can make" panel. What you might not know is that the Joker actually made good on his promise, because this issue is packed with more confusing boners than a bumpy bus ride:

DC Comics

In the story, the Joker not only pulls off a series of crimes based on famous boners (as in, blunders) from history, but he also tries to "force" Batman into a boner of his own. Robin and Commissioner Gordon are quite worried about the boner the Joker has in store for Batman, but Batman doesn't seem terribly concerned about the veritable bonerstorm coming his way.

DC Comics "This can't go on. I am ordering you to take this gun and shoot him in the boner."

Continue Reading Below Advertisement

In order to stop the Joker, Batman and Robin decide to "study the great boners of all time." It's hard work, but it eventually pays off.

DC Comics "You take the Kamasutra, I'll look at the collected works of Ron Jeremy."

The story ends when the Joker gets so distracted thinking about Batman's boner that he fails to notice his own, which is also the exact plot of 80% of Greek tragedies.
Dustin Diamond as Screech Powers in a Season 4 promotional photo for "Saved by the Bell." (Paul Drinkwater / NBCUniversal )

Condolences and fond memories flooded social media Monday morning following the death of Dustin Diamond, the actor best known for his role as lovable nerd Samuel "Screech" Powers in 90s sitcom Saved by the Bell.

Fans and fellow actors  including former costars Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen and Mark-Paul Gosselaar  were among the first to react to Diamonds death, which came a few weeks after he completed his first round of chemotherapy treatment after being diagnosed with small-cell carcinoma. Diamond was 44.

"The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted," Lopez wrote on Twitter, before offering prayers for Diamond's family.

Thiessen echoed those thoughts, tweeting, "Life is extremely fragile and its something we should never take for granted. God speed Dustin."

Gosselaar shared a favorite memory of working with Diamond on "Saved by the Bell."

"Looking back at our time working together, I will miss those raw, brilliant sparks that only he was able to produce," he wrote. "A pie in your face, my comrade."

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.

Tori Spelling, who played Screechs bespectacled girlfriend, Violet Bickerstaff, posted a tribute to the actor on Instagram.

In the caption accompanying a photo of the on-air couple, Spelling wrote: "Before there was David and Donna, there was Screech and Violet," a reference to her role on Beverly Hills, 90210."

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

"Dustin was my first on-screen kiss," she added. "He welcomed me with open arms onto the set of Saved By the Bell. As one can imagine being the newbie on a hit show was overwhelming for a 14-year-old girl. He not only showed me around but made sure I was always ok."

Spelling lamented that they did not keep in touch after the show, then wrote: "Im glad hes out of pain."

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, who played Jessie Spano on "Saved by the Bell," also posted on Instagram, writing: "I'm grateful to have gotten to create with Dustin when we were at the beginning of our dreams coming true. I will hold onto those sweet memories and the laughs we shared."

Story continues

Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle (Screech's years-long crush), has yet to react publicly to Diamond's death. However, , she shared a photo of herself with the actor on Instagram when it was revealed he had been hospitalized. The caption read: "Id like to take the time to send special love and special best wishes to Dustin Diamond, who is one of my dearest friends. Dustin, all the many in your close circle who know you to be the great person that you are, are truly pulling for you and praying for the best outcome."

Fans likewise took to social media Monday to recall their favorite "Screech" moments, underscoring the joy Diamond brought to their lives. Heres a look at how he'll be remembered:

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.

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.

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 story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
IRVING (dpa-AFX) - The chief executive officers of Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) and Chevron Corp. (CVX) discussed about combining the oil giants after the pandemic shook the world last year. It could be among the largest corporate mergers ever, the Wall Street Journal reported citing people familiar with the matter. The Journal described the negotiations between the companies as 'preliminary' and not 'ongoing' but could come back in the future.' Such a deal would reunite the two largest descendants of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil monopoly, which was broken up by U.S. regulators in 1911, the report said. A combined company's market value could top $350 billion. Exxon has a market value of $190 billion, while Chevron's is $164 billion. 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.
An opportunity for a new beginning between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been presented by Joe Bidens presidency, two leading Saudi and Iranians close to their diplomatic leaderships proposed in an op-ed article in The Guardian. The article, co-written by Abdulaziz Sager, the Saudi Arabian chairman and founder of the Gulf Research Center, and Hossein Mousavian, a former senior Iranian diplomat and now a nuclear specialist based at Princeton University, is a backchannel initiative that has been underway privately for months.

Their discussions may have been approved by serving diplomats in both capitals and may even signal a new willingness on both sides to use the advent of the Biden presidency to explore an end to the years-long enmity between the two countries. In the article, Sager and Mousavian warned of the consequences if Saudi and Iran remain in conflict. They said that the two countries remain at the mercy of a single miscalculation that could turn the protracted cold war between the states hot, potentially ushering in disastrous consequences for the entire region.

READ: Saudi Arabia Urges Citizens To Comply With Restrictions As COVID-19 Cases Surge

They two officials also claimed that both countries perceive the other as seeking to dominate in the region, with Riyadh convinced that Iran is trying to encircle the Kingdom with it allied proxy supporters while Tehran views Saudi as in alliance with the US to undermine the Islamic Republic. They said that Riyadh charges Iran with interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign states like Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrain and Iraq. Tehran, on the other hand, sees Saudi Arabia doing the same in the aforementioned countries.

Iran-Saudi Arabia relations

Sager and Mousavian urged the two sides to agree a set of principles around non-interference, the inviolability of national boundaries, rejection of violence, respecting the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, respect for religious minorities and abandonment of the use of proxy forces to advance national interests. The authors also stressed postponing de-escalation would be a grave mistake as the region has proved time and again that on the rare occasion that opportunities for constructive dialogue present themselves, they must be grasped swiftly before they vanish. Further, both of them admitted that the task may seem impossible, but claim that both sides have taken steps to show they are willing to avoid an inescapable zero-sum confrontation.

READ: Saudi Arabia Extends COVID-19 Travel Ban Till May 17 As Precautionary Measure

Amid the tensions between the two nations, it is worth noting that Iranian foreign minister, Javad Zarif has hinted at a new approach. In an interview with Iranian newspaper Etemaad, Javad accepted that opportunities with Riyadh had been missed. But he added that it was imperative that Iran was the pioneer in this enterprise. Javad said that Iran has no territorial claim or interest in accessing the natural resources of other regional countries, therefore, it is Iran that can initiate this effort from a position of wealth. We shouldnt wait for others, he added.

READ: Iran Rejects Dialogue On Negotiation For 'new Parties' In Nuclear Deal

READ: Iran Executes Baluch Militant For Killing Two Revolutionary Guards Five Years Ago
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
These projects would be undertaken through public private partnership (PPP) mode, Sitharaman said in her speech in the Lok Sabha

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced seven port projects worth more than Rs 2,000 crore investment.

These projects would be undertaken through public private partnership (PPP) mode, Sitharaman said in her Budget 2021 speech.

The finance minister said that she proposed "seven port projects worth more than Rs 2,000 crore via public private partnership mode".

India has 12 major ports under the control of the central government -- Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), VO Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With origins dating back to 1884, The MIT Symphony Orchestra's central mission is the cultural enhancement of education at MIT by promoting music performance at the highest level of artistic excellence among MIT students, by nurturing new works and young artists, by developing and sustaining the widest possible audience. Having collaborated with musicians from New England Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music having brought together 200 international musicians, the orchestra features neo-contemporary music by renowned guest artists at the Kresge Auditorium.

Sumeet Sarkar Jonathan Smithers

Sumeet Sarkar is an Emmy Award-winning violinist, composer and orchestral manager of the MIT Orchestra with multi-Grammy winning artist Jacob Collier. He is an active film composer based in Los Angeles with works released on Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon including the 2020 Emmy Nominated Documentary "Home" and the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Documentary. His recent works aim at music therapy for mental health awareness through ambient and orchestral compositions.

Assisting Sumeet Sarkar and the Orchestra, Mr. Smithers will join as a co-writer, producer, mix engineer and studio guitarist include:

Cymatic Chronicles Vol. 3  a full-length album dedicated to mental health awareness and the issues surrounding it. Its purpose is to provide support to those dealing with such issues, meaning that we would need to approach the music as such.

Cymatic Chronicles Vol. 4  this collection of soundtracks for placement in a film will be recorded by a live orchestra at Balboa Studios, Los Angeles.

Cymatic Chronicles Vol. 5  a collaboration with the MIT Media Centre for a performance centered around music in augmented reality. This will see the production of music in an interactive form and will be recorded by a live orchestra at Balboa Studios, Los Angeles and Boston Massachusetts.

MIT Orchestra featuring Jacob Collier  the third and fourth productions of the MIT Orchestra feature multi-Grammy award-winning artist, Jacob Collier. Mr. Smithers will play the leading role of musician and session guitarist to play arrangements of Collier's music alongside Collier, as well as an extensive orchestra to be performed at the Kresge Auditorium.

Jonathan Smithers is an internationally acclaimed musician with extensive achievements ranging from live performances to original compositions for digital projects with hundreds of thousands of views streamed on Twitch. Smithers released his debut album "Honeybee" in 2019. The album and title track "Honeybee" were hailed as "proof of his uncompromising artistry." Mr. Smithers' leading projects involve his collaborations with the Hermitcraft server (part of the Minecraft phenomenon) a family of YouTube Creators with over 30 million subscribers combined.

As in-demand musician, he has collaborated with leading musicians, composers and creators, including Emmy award winning composer Richard Hartley; Paul Petersen and Patric van Blerk, founders of the label Cape Town Sound; renowned Multi-instrumentalist and Cape Town Jazz vocalist, arranger & band leader, Dave Ledbetter; and performances with Jesus Molina and Ronan Skillen. His impressive achievements have been featured by publications in the U.S. and internationally in Texx & the City, The Aesthete, Popshopfm, and the Hermitcraft Reddit.

Media Contact:

Sumeet Sarkar | Composer | Violinist | [email protected] | (818) 279-5682

SOURCE Sumeet Sarkar
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

CEMEX assumes no obligation to update or correct the information contained in this press release. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. CEMEX intends these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in the U.S. federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements reflect CEMEX's current expectations and projections about future events based on CEMEX's knowledge of present facts and circumstances and assumptions about future events, as well as CEMEX's current plans based on such facts and circumstances. These statements necessarily involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from CEMEX's expectations. The content of this press release is for informational purposes only, and you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. CEMEX is not responsible for the content of any third-party website or webpage referenced to or accessible through this press release.

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


The Cyprus District Court of Nicosia, under a suit of Investohills Vesta Financial Company, prohibited any operations with the assets or property of Kagerol Holdings Limited registered in Cyprus and owned by the citizen of the Russian Federation Ashot Malkhasyan, which owns the Gorky Balaklava Mine named.

According to a press release from the financial company, until the end of 2014, Kagerol Holdings Limited was part of the Smart Holding of Ukrainian businessman and MP Vadim Novinsky and controlled PJSC Balaklava Mine, which is now in the occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

This allowed the debtor to avoid fulfilling his obligations for a long time. Involvement of international mechanisms for freezing the debtor's assets will make the debt collection or negotiated settlement procedure more efficient.

At the same time, Investohills Vesta in February 2019 acquired a pool of assets of the bankrupt Bank Forum from the Deposit Guarantee Fund, among which there are debts of enterprises of the former shareholder of the bank Vadim Novinsky.

Thus, Investohills Vesta became the legal successor of the right to claim for loans of PJSC Balaklava Mine with decisions of the Ukrainian courts confirmed that the debt amounts UAH 440 million.

In turn, the founder and managing partner of the financial company, Andriy Volkov, in an interview with km.ru, said that the company returned UAH 2 billion to the state in two years, as of the end of 2020. This money was received not only by the state, but also by bank depositors  through the Deposit Guarantee Fund, he said.

At the same time, the financial company was engaged in blocking problem assets in the territories of Donbas and Crimea.

"The largest case in this direction remains the Balaklava Mine in Sevastopol. In 2019, Investohills Vesta bought out the assets of the bankrupt Forum bank, including the debts of the companies of its former shareholder Vadim Novinsky. This is about UAH 440 million. At least, this amount was confirmed by the national courts. As the legal successor of the right to claim for the loans of the mining company, we secured the blocking of the assets of Kagerol Holdings Limited in the Cyprus court," Volkov said, adding that this company belongs to Novinsky's brother and controls the mine, which was re-registered in accordance with Russian law.

Referring to the situation with the return of debts of other banks, in particular those belonging to Kostiantyn Zhevaho, the managing partner said that "this is a very voluminous case, which is complicated by attempts to evade payment of debts through various schemes."

"One of them is the delay in bankruptcy proceedings. For example, in the case of Rosava tire maker, the case has been dragging on since 2018. It was around this time, a year ago, when Investohills Vesta acquired the rights to claim UAH 2.7 billion of loans issued to Rosava, and over UAH 13 billion, which were issued to other companies related to Zhevaho. In these transactions, Rosava was a surety. However, the Kyiv regional economic court sided with the debtor and refused our claims. The case is being dragged out by additional claims filed by firms from the Zhevaho pool. With one of these  Premiori  we have reached the Supreme Court. Now it is problematic to predict when and how the proceedings will end, but we consistently stand our ground and use all the tools available to us," Volkov said.

The main assets of Smart Holding in Crimea were the Gorky Balaklava Mine (Sevastopol), the Yevpatoria and Saki Building Materials Plants, which were part of Smart-Nerudprom.
LONDON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Global travel risk management and international medical and security assistance provider, Healix International, has won an Open Procurement Procedure to be appointed by the UK Government to look after the global healthcare of its 25,000 travelling and overseas workers until 2025. The contract, under the One HMG banner, is the third successive renewal with Healix International and means it is now entering its tenth year of 24/7 365 day care for government staff and their families overseas. Working for 19 different departments including the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the 5 year contract also includes an option to extend for a further two years, until 2027.

Central to the renewal of the Healix International contract was the commitment to ensure that government staff and their families receive a level of care equivalent to the NHS, even though healthcare in many of the countries in which they work operates at lower standards. The comprehensive health screening of UK government staff and their families before they go abroad was another crucial facet of the contract, ensuring that medical risks are anticipated and mitigated against wherever possible. The low level of medical repatriations carried out over the last contract period is testament to the effectiveness of the Healix screening process, combined with the high quality local medical support where it is needed.

As part of the five year contract Healix also delivers occupational health support for staff from FCDO and FCDO Services, two key government departments, as well as mental health support for all government employees abroad. Greater focus has been placed on digitisation of processes, including the creation of a brand new One HMG global healthcare hub, enabling government staff and families to access all the medical resources they need from one centre of excellence.

"UK government staff and families live and work in over 190 different countries, with varying degrees of local medical care", explained Russell Smith, Director of Government Services, Healix International. "It's vital, therefore, that they know they and their families can access the healthcare support they need  to the same standards they would expect if they were in the UK. We like overseas staff and their families to think of us as their overseas GP, where they can access all levels of primary and secondary medical healthcare just when they need it."

The far-reaching package of care will incorporate:

Medical screening and risk mitigation for all travellers, overseas staff and their families

Elective and non-elective primary and secondary healthcare globally

Medical advice and second opinion

Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation

On-going medical case management

Ability to provide medical staff at overseas locations if required

Occupational Health for FCDO and FCDO Services employees abroad and in the UK including psychological assessments and remote support in the more difficult environments.

Mike Webb, CEO of Healix International added: "Now in our tenth year of working for the British government, I believe that the success of our longstanding relationship is down to keeping one step ahead of the changing requirements needed to keep the government's overseas staff and their families, and their travelling workers, supported across all aspects of their healthcare. In particular, as awareness of mental health issues increasingly comes to the forefront of society, we're delighted to be extending the range of services we provide to government workers to include mental wellbeing support.

"This latest renewal of our contract will also see us capitalise on digital innovation to provide government staff and their families with an ever-more streamlined process to access information and medical assistance when they need it. Combined with our cost containment expertise, this means we can give government departments the confidence that the right care is provided to their employees whilst effectively managing their healthcare budgets."

About Healix International

Healix International is a global provider of travel risk management and international medical, security and travel assistance services. Working on behalf of multinationals, governments, NGOs and insurers they look after the welfare of expatriates, travellers, offshore workers and local nationals in every country of the world. Healix provide a comprehensive, integrated range of solutions to help safeguard the health and security of their clients' employees, providing a single point of contact to access the expertise and help they may need, wherever they are in the world, 24/7.

www.healix.com

SOURCE Healix International
LAPLACE, La. - Louisiana's River Parishes Tourist Commission (LARPTC) will commemorate the 210th anniversary of the 1811 Slave Revolt with the unveiling of a dedicated 10-mile trail that spans from the 1811 Kid Ory Historic House where the uprising began on the night of January 8, 1811, when up to 500 enslaved people took up arms in one of the largest slave revolts in U.S. history, to Destrehan Plantation. New Orleans native and world-renowned actor Wendell Pierce provides the voice talent for a dramatized audio account of the 1811 Slave Revolt. The special press event will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 5, 2021, at Destrehan Plantation (outdoors near the gift shop), located at 13034 River Road in Destrehan, Louisiana.

Tourism leaders, which will include LARPTC Executive Director Buddy Boe, St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell, and St. John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard, will provide remarks recognizing the bravery of those who fought for equality against the ties of slavery and social oppression.

Who: LARPTC Executive Director Buddy Boe, LARPTC Board Chairman Garrett Monti, St. John the Baptist Parish President Jaclyn Hotard, St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell, community leaders and tourism officials.

What: Special Press Event to commemorate the 1811 Slave Revolt and Black History Month

When: 11 a.m. on Friday, February 5, 2021

Where: Destrehan Plantation, 13034 River Road, Destrehan, Louisiana, 70047 (The press event will also be streamed live on the LARP Facebook 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.
The Honourable Jennifer Coate AO speaks during COVID-19 Hotel Quarantine Inquiry in Melbourne, Australia on July 20, 2020. (James Ross - Pool/Getty Images)

Victorian Government Spent $7.7 Million on Inquiry Lawyers

The Victorian government spent more on lawyers representing them at the hotel quarantine inquiry than it did on the entire probe.

The inquiry, led by retired judge Jennifer Coate, cost a total of $4.8 million but was unable to identify a single person responsible for the fatal decision to use private security guards in hotels.

More than 18,000 COVID-19 infections and 800 deaths can be traced back to guards working at Rydges on Swanston and Stamford Plaza in May and June.

According to figures given to the Public Accounts and Estimates Committees (PAEC) COVID-19 inquiry, the government spent at least $7.7 million on legal representation.

The Department of Health and Human Services spent $6.25 million, the Department of Premier and Cabinet spent $1.01 million and the Department of Treasury and Finance spent $446,000.

The DPC and Treasury stated their legal fees will be reimbursed through insurance arrangements.

None of the departments could say how much Premier Daniel Andrews, ministers Lisa Neville and Martin Pakula and former health minister Jenny Mikakos spent on their personal legal representation.

Liberal MP Richard Riordan, the deputy chair of PAEC and shadow minister for scrutiny of government, said the government spent big on lawyers to avoid the truth coming out.

These lawyers were not hired to help reveal the truth, they were paid to provide departments and bureaucrats a get out of jail free card, he said in a statement on Feb. 1.

Every Victorian should be furious that Daniel Andrews has spent millions of taxpayer funds on legal defence to protect his government from being accountable.

Riordan said Victorians deserved to know who was was responsible for the key decisions and mistakes in the hotel quarantine program.

Private security guards are no longer involved in the states new-look hotel quarantine program, which started on Dec. 7.

Benita Kolovos in Melbourne
Clarification is being sought on the process that allows communications providers erect masts without public consultation after a mast was erected in Coolderry recently.

Cllr Peter Ormond told the Tribune he is seeking clarification regarding the process that allows communication providers erect masts without public consultation after he received several representations from local residents in Coolderry expressing concern regarding the location of a recently erected mast.

The Fianna Fail councillor stated he made several representations looking for improved broadband in Coolderry over the years and that any improvements in broadband would involve a public consultation process.

However, in the last number of weeks, the councillor said he received calls from residents stating that a large pole had been erected on the side of the road and no one knew anything about it.

I have contacted the planning and roads section of Offaly County Council to see what protocols were followed. The pole is now erected on the side of the road and people are angry that there was no public consultation regarding the present location."

"People are looking for answers as to who owns the mast, how many suppliers are going to use it, how long they propose to have it in its current location and the impact it will have on local dwellings.

Concluding, the councillor said that no one is against improved broadband facilities in the areas as it's a necessity going forward for people but added that prior consultation should have taken place with the community regarding the location.
DETROIT  The involuntary manslaughter conviction of a Detroit woman who is already out on parole was overturned by the Michigan appeals court due to bad jury instructions at her trial, The Associated Press reports.

Tonya Peterson, 31, was convicted and sentenced to prison in 2019 after a jury convicted her of involuntary manslaughter in the accidental drowning death of 11-month-old CaMya Davis, the report said.

In 2018, the child fell through a hole in a bedroom floor, landing in standing water and sewage in the homes basement, the AP reports. Seven children were living in Petersons home, and no adults were present during the incident.

Petersons rights were violated when Wayne County Judge Wanda Evans erroneously instructed the jury that (Peterson) had a legal duty to provide a safe environment to the victim, the appeals court said in its Thursday, Jan. 28, decision.

Although the conditions within defendants home were undeniably dangerous, defendant did not owe the victim ... a common-law duty of affirmative care to make the home safe, the court said.

Thats because Peterson didnt charge rent or have a business relationship with the childs mother, Dasiah Jordan, 29, the court said.

Peterson served 17 months in prison; she was released on parole in September. Jordan pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to a year in jail.

READ MORE:

Teens charged with murder in stabbing, carjacking of Uber driver

Police identify shooting victim, seek person of interest

5-year-old boy, man attacked by dogs in Detroit home

Restaurants reopen today for indoor dining  here are Michigans new rules

Michigan family mourns death of son they say was pushed to the breaking point by stop in high school sports

Michigans average gas prices are highest theyve been in a year
The three MPs first protested outside the Parliament House Complex and raised slogans against Centre alleging it is 'anti-farmer' and not listening to the voice of farmers

New Delhi: Congress MPs from Punjab, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Jasbir Singh Gill and Ravneet Singh Bittu, on Monday wore black robes in Lok Sabha during the presentation of the Union Budget to express solidarity with protesting farmers and against the three farm laws.

The three MPs from Punjab have been sitting on a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for two months now demanding the repeal of the three farm laws.

The three MPs on Monday first protested outside Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament House Complex and raised slogans against the government, alleging that it is "anti-farmer" and is not listening to the voice of farmers.

"We wore black clothes during the Budget presentation as a mark of solidarity with the protesting farmers and against the 'anti-farmer' attitude of this government which is not repealing the farm laws as demanded by the farmers," Gill told news agency PTI.

Various slogans were written on the black robes sported by the three MPs like 'farm laws responsible for death of farmers, should be repealed', 'black laws should be scrapped' and 'I am a farmer, I am a farm labour, please do not deceive me'.

FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES ON BUDGET 2021 HERE

Gill said since the Budget presentation was a constitutional function, they did not create any disturbance when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2021-22.

The three Congress MPs also met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi inside Parliament House and told him about their protest.

The Congress has been demanding the repeal of the farm laws and said it stood with the protesting farmers and their demands.

Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana, and parts of UP have been protesting at Delhi's borders for over two months now, demanding a rollback of 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.
At least nine top New York state health officials have left, resigned or retired in recent months amid concerns that experts in the Health Department are being sidelined and treated disrespectfully by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his response to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to The New York Times.

The Times said Cuomo has all but declared war on his own public health bureaucracy. Morale at the state Health Department plummeted during the pandemic and officials found themselves learning about Covid policy from the governors news conferences.

The recent departures came as the state prepared for and then stumbled through the early weeks of its vaccination campaign, according to the Times. The policy was largely set by the governors office after Cuomo shelved vaccine distribution plans health officials had been developing.

The departures include the deputy commissioner for public health, the director of the Health Departments bureau of communicable disease control, the medical director for epidemiology, the state epidemiologist and others.

Cuomo has made clear he felt he had no choice but to take over pandemic policy from state and local public health officials, according to the Times. He said they had no understanding of how to conduct large-scale operations like the vaccination campaign in the real world.

But the pattern occurred earlier in the pandemic too. It was the governors office that set policy on indoor dining, gym openings and capacity limits on social gatherings, the Times said.

Health officials also said they were not deeply involved on final decisions on allowing public events or the states Covid cluster zone strategy, according to the Times.

When I say experts in air quotes, it sounds like Im saying I dont really trust the experts, Cuomo said during a press conference on Friday. Because I dont. Because I dont.

In a statement to the Times, state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker called the pandemic a period of extraordinary stress and pressure and a different job than some signed onto. He acknowledged several staff members have left, but said others joined the department with the talents needed to confront the challenge at hand.

Ultimately, the states performance is the best measure of its success, Zucker said.

New Yorks vaccination campaign has improved after a tough initial rollout. And hospitalizations and the statewide positive test rate have both steadily declined in recent weeks.

Cuomo defended his actions to the Times.

If Times reporters think I push hospitals too hard and local governments too hard, I say Im a fighter for the people of New York and I believe Im saving lives, he said, according to the paper.

MORE ON CORONAVIRUS

Coronavirus in NY: Cases, maps, charts and resources

Will we have a NY State Fair in 2021? Taste of Syracuse? Plans are underway, but doubts abound

New York to allow wedding receptions up to 150 people with testing, Cuomo says

Feds turned NY Covid deaths in nursing homes into political football, Cuomo says

Complete coronavirus coverage on syracuse.com

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-282-8598
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 21:32:39|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

LUSAKA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A 25-year-old man has divorced his wife after finding sexual messages she has been sharing with her boyfriend on WhatsApp on her mobile phone.

A 40-year-old man told a court in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, of how he had to hire an information technician to hack into his wife's phone to record all conversations she had with different men.

These are some of the stories you find in two of Zambia's daily newspapers, the Times of Zambia and the Zambia Daily Mail in their Sunday editions.

The two newspapers have dedicated two pages on their Sunday editions to write stories from the local courts, which mostly deals with marriages, and stories on divorces are a daily occurrence in the editions.

This just goes to show a picture of how the institution of marriage has deteriorated in the southern African nation, sending people to ask what could have gone wrong.

Minister of Justice Given Lubinda said over 61,000 divorce cases were granted in local courts from the period 2016 to 2019 while over 1,000 divorce cases were granted in the high courts during the same period.

He said during a parliamentary session that the abuse of social media was one of the causes of divorces in the country and that people were finding it easier to get divorced in local courts than in any other court in the country.

A local organization, the Concerned Citizens for Justice and Human Rights has since expressed concerns at the increased levels of divorces in the country.

Friday Liteta, the organization's operations manager said the rise in divorce cases is a sign that couples were not being properly counseled before they enter into the institution of marriage.

The situation, he said, is one reason behind the increased number of street children in the country because divorces result in broken homes.

According to him, the Ministry of National Guidance and Religious Affairs should include a program on marriage counseling so that the country could see stable marriages.

"We are against divorces because of its negative consequences not only on families but society as a whole. It is one of the causes of street kids," he told local media.

Bishop John Mambo, one of the country's leading church fathers, said the rising divorce cases seen in the last four years are a reflection of decaying moral values in the country.

The clergyman said the situation calls for enhanced teachings to ensure stable marriages in the county, adding that having unstable families is reflected in unstable communities.

Nelson Banda, National Coordinator of the Zambia National Men's Network for Gender and Development, said the statistics is a source of concern when considering the population of the country.

According to him, united families are the bedrock of any nation and development hence the importance of putting in place measures to minimize the levels of divorces.

He has since called for a probe to establish reasons behind the many divorce cases in the country.

But for Elias Munshya, a lawyer, there is need to conduct a comparative analysis of the divorce cases over the years because the cases could be higher than reported.

According to him, some divorce cases go on without recourse to courts, according to a post on his Facebook page.

His views have been supported by Naomi Sampa, a 24-year-old student in Lusaka, who feels that the number could be higher as some cases do not go to court.

"This is sad though. The sad part about marriages is when you wake up and your partners don't want you," she said.

Lazarus Mbewe, another Lusaka resident believes that the high divorce cases are due to how marriages are instituted from the initial stage.

"The elders are not doing enough in sensitizing the couples on what marriage is all about and couples are rushing to marry without knowing each other," he said. 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
CINCINNATI, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Window Nation team is once again returning to their Buckeye State roots with the opening of the company's latest showroom at 11935 Tramway Drive, Suite B, Sharonville, adding new jobs and in-demand home solutions to the greater Cincinnati area. Services will extend to Kentucky and southeastern Indiana.

This marks the first Cincinnati showroom and 4th Ohio location for the company who also services multiple cities across Columbus and northeast Ohio.

Window Nation, the largest window replacement company in Ohio and 5th largest home remodeler in the country overall, is now open in Cincinnati. This marks the company's 4th Ohio-based location. The company, owned by Cleveland natives and brothers, Harley and Aaron Magden, will also service Kentucky and southeastern Indiana as well.

Window Nation co-founders and brothers Harley and Aaron Magden grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where their passion for the home improvement industry began at an early age. The Magdens are third-generation home solution experts who followed in their father's footsteps by opening their own company  now the largest window replacement company in Ohio and 5th largest nationwide. Combined, the brothers bring decades of home remodeling experience and have installed over 1 million windows to-date.

"Ohio will always be home and hold a special place in our hearts, so it's really special to have the opportunity to help more residents there," says Aaron Magen, Window Nation president. "We want to give back to our fellow Ohioans, as they have been given back to us over the years. They are truly some of the most supportive, friendly and genuine individuals we've met along our journey  and, we can't wait to get to know more of them throughout the Queen City."

Window Nation selected the Cincinnati region based on several factors, including the city's booming housing market. Cincinnati continues to see a rise in housing prices, as more residents invest in their homes. According to Zillow, Cincinnati was recently ranked third for the fastest home price appreciation among the 50 largest metro areas in the country, just behind Columbus and San Francisco. Home values in the Cincinnati area increased by more than 15 percent between 2019 and 2020. Zillow notes that the city's housing market will only continue to grow over the next two years.

The Cincinnati showroom will sell replacement windows to fit every style, as well as budget, and will have experts on hand to walk customers through the home renovation process, including vinyl options, colors, sizes, styles and more. Customers are encouraged to schedule an appointment prior to visiting the showroom. Window Nation team is following strict CDC guidelines including social distancing, enhanced cleaning practices, protective equipment and screenings for every appointment.

In an effort to ensure the safety of all customers, employees and their families amid COVID-19, the company is also offering residents the option to receive a virtual consultation and estimate via video conferencing. Homeowners can upload photos to receive precise measurements, and installs are completed outside with minimal disruption. Depending on a customer's individual preferences, needs and circumstances, Window Nation experts are still available to provide in- home consultations and education, while strictly adhering to CDC safety and sanitation guidelines.

In 2020, Window Nation was re-named the 5th largest replacement contractor in the U.S. by Remodeling Magazine and the second largest non-franchise window retailer, marking the fourth year in a row Window Nation was recognized as being in the top five. The magazine looks at nearly 100,000 home remodeling companies in the country and makes its decision based on revenue, growth, surveys, customer input and more. Qualified Remodeler Magazine ranked Window Nation as the seventh largest remodeling firm in the U.S. for its total gross sales, remodeling gross sales and the number of remodeling jobs completed annually. The company also earned a spot-on last year's Inc. 5000 list, being honored as one of the fastest growing private companies in the U.S. Other industry powerhouses, including Microsoft, Intuit, Oracle and Patagonia have also been recognized.

Beyond providing exceptional home expertise and customer service, the company plans to have an active presence in the local community to support and foster relationships with new customers, especially throughout these unprecedented times.

The Window Nation team currently services 13 other locations throughout the U.S., recently opening a showroom in Chicago. The company also plans to a showroom in Dayton this coming May.

About Window Nation:

Window Nation was started in 2006 by two brothers who literally grew up in the window business, learning about home improvement, customer care and the difference a quality window can make. The company provides an unsurpassed selection of premium windows, doors and siding installed by highly skilled, licensed professionals. The company has replaced over 1 million windows in Chicago, Boston, St. Louis, Kansas City, Maryland, Washington, D.C., northern Virginia, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Indianapolis, Charlotte, Columbus and northeast Ohio. Learn more here.

Contact:

Michelle Venorsky

for Window Nation

216.346.3988

[email protected]

SOURCE Window Nation
She recently moved back to the UK with her boyfriend Jason Statham and their little boy, Jack.

And Rosie Huntington-Whiteley treated her 12.1m Instagram followers to a very cute glimpse of her only child as she shared an adorable snap on Monday.

The model, 33, showed the toddler, three, all wrapped up in her The North Face x Gucci jacket, with only the tiniest peak of his face visible under the designer coat.

Adorable: Rosie Huntington-Whitely shared a very cute glimpse of her son Jack, three, hiding in her The North Face x Gucci jacket on Instagram on Monday

Rosie shared the sweet snap to both her grid and stories, along with the cheerful caption: Happy Monday!!!

The doting mums son could be seen sitting on a cream sofa as he peaked out of her jacket, with the sleeves poking out to the sides and hood up.

After sharing the image, Rosie was inundated with messages from fans saying the tot looked 'adorable' and leaving lines of heart emojis.

Rosie's last equally sweet image of Jack, posted two weeks ago, showed him relaxing on the floor with a red beanie hat - also from recent The North face x Gucci collection - covering his eyes as he enjoyed an apple.

Stylish mama: The model, 33, recently relocated to the UK from California with her boyfriend Jason Statham and their little boy

It comes after The Mail On Sunday reported that Rosie and her actor boyfriend Jason Statham have invested 15 million in three luxury homes in London.

They include a 5m, seven-bedroom mansion which Rosie and Statham  the star of 1998 crime caper Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels  are currently renovating.

The couple paid cash for the property, which they are using as their London home since moving back to Britain with son Jack after selling their 14m Malibu mansion late last year.

They have also splashed out 7.5m on a three-bedroom townhouse in Chelsea, which has been bought in the supermodel's name and which friends say they plan to rent out.

Trendy: Another snap shared to Instagram in January saw Jack relaxing in a red beanie hat from the North Face x Gucci collection

Their third investment is a 2.5m penthouse apartment at the exclusive Thames-side Chelsea Harbour development, which boasts stunning views of the capital along the river.

A friend told The Mail on Sunday: 'Rosie and Jason loved LA but as the saying goes, home is where the heart is. They knew it was time to return, especially as they were starting to think about school for Jack.

'The weather is a bit of a wrench for them as they both loved, and got used to, the California sunshine  but they are happy to be nearer to their families.'

Home is where the heart is: The former Victoria's Secret Angel has been in a long-term relationship with Jason since 2010 and they welcomed son Jack into the world in June 2017

The couple's impressive four-storey family home is close to where Statham once lived with former girlfriend Kelly Brook before they moved to the US to focus on their careers.

It is also understood that Jack has been put on the waiting list for a nearby school.

Speaking in Los Angeles in 2019 on her desire to return to the UK, Devon-born Rosie said: 'I have always seen a move back in the future, which I feel excited by. It'll be a new chapter.

'Since becoming a mother, I have found a growing desire to be close to my roots. I'm very proud to be British and I think the UK is a really special place to raise a family.'
Bengaluru, Feb 1 : After spending an anxious week, the residents of Prestige Song of the South, an upscale apartment in Begur, breathed a sigh of relief on Monday after the forest officials captured a leopard which was prowling inside the residential complex for over a week.

A range forest officer from the K.R. Puram division (Bengaluru Urban) was put in charge of the operation of rescuing the leopard after the forest department officials saw CCTV footage which showed the big cat visiting the apartment complex from the nearby Bannerghatta forest.

The leopard was first sighted in a CCTV footage on January 23, following which the forest officials and the police launched an operation to capture it.

Apart from launching a combing operation, the officials also used drones with cameras to follow the leopard's movement after it was spotted twice near the apartment complex. It was believed that the leopard had moved towards the Hulimavu lake.

The pressure to capture the leopard increased after the third sighting. The residential complex is surrounded by around 50 acres of vacant land with a lot of bushes and a rock hill, an ideal setting for leopards to hide.

Luckily, no report has been received of the big cat causing harm to the people.

In their attempt to capture the leopard, forest officials had set up a cage near the apartment complex off Koppa-Begur Road on January 24, but the big cat didn't fall for the trap.

"Later, the forest department decided to set up three more cages in the 50-acre space overgrown with bushes and shrubs. We finally saw the leopard trapped on Monday morning," an official said.

The leopard has been taken to a rescue centre in Bannerghatta and is expected to be released in a forest after the necessary check-ups.

"Our officers managed to trap the leopard successfully without harming the animal or any human. It was a simple operation, where being patient paid off," Deputy Conservator of Forest, S.S. Ravishankar, told reporters.

The officials said that they would see if other leopards are also visiting the area.

After the initial sightings, the residents of the apartment complex were told not to venture out early in the morning or late in the evening.

According to wildlife experts, leopards generally adjust easily to their new environment as unlike other big cats, leopards can live in different types of habitats.

With vanishing habitat and prey, they usually come at night to look for stray dogs, and generally don't attack humans, an official said.

This is not the first time that a leopard entered the human habitat in Bengaluru. In January 2019, a leopard was spotted on the ITC campus in Yelahanka. It was captured late at night before being relocated to the Bannerghatta National Park the next day.

On February 7, 2016, a leopard strayed into the premises of Vibgyor School at Whitefield. During the capture operation, wildlife scientist Sanjay Gubbi was attacked by the panicky animal. Some others also suffered minor injuries.

After Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka has the highest leopard population, according to a recently released report by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

As per the report, the entire Western Ghats landscape harbours 3,387 leopards of which 86 are in Goa, 1,783 in Karnataka, 650 in Kerala and 868 in Tamil Nadu.
MEDINA, Ohio --News Direct-- Minuteman Press International Inc

During his first year in business as Minuteman Press franchise owner in Medina, Ohio, Dave Wyatt was faced with the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. We reached out to local businesses early on to let them know we were there to help them in their time of need. They learned we were open as an essential business and that they could trust us, and that sparked our growth.

Minuteman Press franchise, Medina, Ohio  L-R: Eric, Production Specialist; Mary, Customer Service Rep; Sierra, Graphic Designer; and Dave Wyatt, Owner.

One of the ways Dave helped other local businesses when they needed it most was through their free initiative Bounce Back Medina. Bounce Back Medina simply connects local businesses with community members who are looking to shop local and support local. This is completely free and we also provide participating businesses with free COVID-19 awareness posters. This was our way of letting everyone know that we are all in this together and we will help in any way we can to lift each other up.

Dave also reached out to local bars and restaurants, providing them with 100 free printed menus. I knew they needed to make changes to their menus or simply needed to use them to reach out to customers, so I thought it was the right thing to do. They were very appreciative and once again they saw that we were there to help them at a critical time.

He also printed free 10-minute parking signs for all businesses in the square downtown. Curbside pickup became very big, and I just wanted to do my part to help other businesses adapt and stay safe.

Goodwill goes a long way to growing sales

As a result of his efforts in giving back and building authentic relationships with other local businesses he truly cares about, Dave has seen his sales grow 30% despite the challenges of the pandemic. Some of the businesses I reached out to through Bounce Back and these other giveaways have remembered us and stuck with us. They see that we can meet their printing and marketing needs. More importantly, they know I am there for them and that I can empathize with them since I am a local business owner too.

Story continues

At Minuteman Press Medina, Dave is able to provide high-demand products and services that local businesses need right now. He explains, We provide general printing services, custom branded apparel, wide format printing and signage, and direct mail campaigns. These are all items being ordered and used by our clients during the pandemic.

He continues, For example, we were honored to be able to help our graduating students last year by printing over 1,200 signs for families. We are proud to help keep businesses safe with social distancing signage and branded face masks. They can safely reach out to their target audiences through direct mail postcards as well as Dynamic Direct Mail, where people are contacted both through the mail and online.

Dave adds, We are local and we care about our community. We have that personal touch you wont find elsewhere, and you certainly wont find it online. You will not find another team to take care of your printing and marketing needs like we do at Minuteman Press Medina.

Dave also credits his local in-house staff of three employees who he is able to lean on to make sure his clients receive that personal touch and outstanding customer service. We have a great team that works well together. Sierra is our Graphic Designer; Mary is our Customer Support Rep; and Eric is our Production Specialist. I am humbled to have the support I do from them. As a business owner you want to be comfortable when you are away from the shop and they make it that way for me.

Furthering his local ties to the community, Dave makes sure to get involved and stay active. Community is so important. I am a Chamber Ambassador for the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce and also a member of the Wadsworth Chamber of Commerce. This allows me to get to know the new businesses as they are coming in or just joining the Chamber. I am a member of the Medina County Economic Development Corporation as well. I join as many networking groups as I can and still be comfortable with my time. Networking and growing relationships through the know, like and trust platform was key in thriving during this pandemic.

Printing will never go away but you must be more than a printer. You need to be a marketer, a designer, a promoter, and most importantly, a business partner. People need to trust you and your team. Once you have that trust, you have a customer for life. -Dave Wyatt, Minuteman Press franchise owner, Medina, Ohio

From the US Army to the American Dream of Business Ownership

Prior to owning his own business at the end of 2019, Dave Wyatt says, I spent 8 years in the Army as an Aircraft Electrician. I spent the next 19 years with Konica Minolta (16 years in service and 3 years in sales). During that time, I did a lot of training and calibrating equipment so I was in many different types of businesses. I saw independent print shops, UPS stores, and Minuteman Press franchises. When I decided to own my own business, I knew I didnt want to open without support so I went the franchise route.

Why Minuteman Press? Dave answers, What I liked about Minuteman Press from what I learned in research and what I saw while working for Konica Minolta is that they allow the personality of the business to shine. They offer the most flexibility in terms of how to run your franchise, so while I am following their system, I still feel like an entrepreneur. I didnt see that from other franchises and I also didnt want something like foodservice where Id be working long hours at night and on weekends. Having that freedom to be me and the Monday-Friday hours were huge along with their training and support.

Minuteman Press has guidelines and if you follow those guidelines you will be successful, but they also allow you the freedom to make many of your own choices when it comes the way that you actually run your business. During my search for a franchise, I felt many other franchisees were just glorified managers for their franchisors because they seemed to have very little freedom to make decisions on their own without corporate breathing down their backs. Between that, their training and support, the Monday-Friday hours, and their cap on royalties, I was sold. -Dave Wyatt

Dave expands on the ongoing local support he receives from Minuteman Press International. I have a great local support team in Regional Vice President Gary Nowak and Area Manager Rich DeRosa, who are only a call or email away. Everyone at Minuteman Press has been helpful during this pandemic and they have really shown me that they have my back with constant communications and additional marketing strategies.

He adds, Our Minuteman Press FLEX software system is also a huge game-changer for us. We have implemented customer dashboards, which allows for easy online ordering and reordering. If people come to me and say that they prefer online ordering, we make that available to them while also still being their local trusted provider they can still talk to and meet with. They can have the best of both worlds.

Advice for Others

Dave shares the following advice for others who are looking to own a business. He states, Ensure you have enough capital; my bank has been a good business partner and because of that I was prepared when the pandemic first hit. With that said, you cant be afraid to spend money in ways that will help you market and grow. Invest in people, inventory, and equipment where it makes sense. I also encourage you to study, read books, and listen to podcasts. Always be learning, and never stop.

For more information on Minuteman Press in Medina, Ohio, visit https://www.medina.minutemanpress.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com.

Contact Details

Chris Biscuiti

+1 631-249-1370

cbiscuiti@mpihq.com

Company Website

https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/army-veteran-dave-wyatt-grows-minuteman-press-franchise-in-medina-ohio-during-covid-19-pandemic-by-helping-local-businesses-421129202


Archaeologists in Israel say they have discovered the remains of an early mosque in the northern city of Tiberias. The Islamic prayer center is believed to date back to the earliest decades of the religion.

The mosques foundations were excavated just south of the Sea of Galilee by a team from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The scientists believe it was built about a generation after the death of the Islamic prophet Mohammad. That makes it one of the earliest Muslim religious centers to be studied by archaeologists.

Katia Cytryn-Silverman is an expert in Islamic archaeology at Hebrew University and is leading the excavation. She said, We know about many early mosques that were founded right in the beginning of the Islamic period. Other mosques dating from around the same time include the Prophets Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, the Great Mosque of Damascus in Syria and Jerusalems Al-Aqsa mosque. All are still in use today.

Cytryn-Silverman said that excavating the Tiberian mosque is a rare chance to study the early designs and structure of Muslim prayer centers.

When the mosque was built around 670 AD, Tiberias had been a Muslim-ruled city for a few decades. The city was named after Romes second emperor around 20 AD. It was a major center of Jewish life and research for nearly five centuries. Before Muslim armies captured the city in 635, Tiberias was home to one of many Christian holy places along the coast of the Sea of Galilee.

Until recently, little was known about the citys early Muslim past.

Archaeological excavations around Tiberias have stopped and started for the past 100 years. In recent years, the ancient city has started yielding other monumental buildings from its past, including a large Roman theater overlooking the water and a Byzantine church.

Since early last year, the coronavirus pandemic has stopped excavations and plant life has grown over the ruins. Hebrew University and its partners, the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology, plan to restart the excavation this month.

The first excavations of the site in the 1950s led researchers to believe that the building was a Byzantine marketplace later used as a mosque.

But Cytryn-Silvermans excavations went deeper beneath the floor. Coins and ceramics discovered in the foundations helped date them to around 660-680 AD. The buildings size and rooms looked similar to other mosques from the same time period.

The first mosque built in Tiberias stood side by side with the local Jewish and Christian worship centers. Cytryn-Silverman said the earliest structure of the mosque was more humble than a larger structure that replaced it 50 years later.

At least until the monumental mosque was erected in the 8th century, the church continued being the main building in Tiberias, she added.

Cytryn-Silverman says this supports the idea that the early Muslim rulers  who governed a mostly non-Muslim population  were more accepting of other religions.

They were not in a hurry to make their presence expressed into buildings. They were not destroying others houses of prayers, but they were actually fitting themselves into the societies that they now were the leaders of, she said.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Ilan Ben Zion reported on this story for the Associated Press. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

archaeologists  n. people involved in the science that deals with past human life and activities by studying the bones, tools, etc., of ancient people

foundations  n. usually stone or concrete structures that support a building from underneath

excavate  v. to uncover (something) by digging away and removing the earth that covers it

prophet  n. a member of some religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam who delivers messages that are believed to have come from God

yielding  adj. producing an indicated amount of something

Byzantine  adj. of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of architecture developed in the Byzantine Empire especially in the fifth and sixth centuries featuring the dome carried on pendentives over a square and incrustation with marble veneering and with colored mosaics on grounds of gold

ceramics  n. objects made of clay that have been heated to a very high temperature so that they become hard

humble  adj. not proud; not thinking of yourself as better than other people

erected  v. built
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has reportedly given GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy an ultimatum: remove Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) from her committee assignments in 72 hours or Democrats will bring the issue to the House floor.

Greenes appointment to the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Budget Committee sparked outcry last week from Democrats who say that she should be disqualified from serving on the committee over a recently unearthed video of a 2019 incident in which she harassed a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, saying the survivor was paid by George Soros, as well as a 2018 Facebook post in which she agreed that the Sandy Hook and Stoneman Douglas shootings were staged.

Greene, a freshman congresswoman, has taken on a controversial reputation over her belief in the QAnon movement, which claims, among other things, that former President Donald Trump and his allies are secretly working to expose a deep-state ring of child sex traffickers.

Last week she also came under fire after Media Matters unearthed a 2018 Facebook post in which Greene made unfounded claims about the cause of Californias wildfires. She alleged that the Rothschilds, a wealthy Jewish banking family that is frequently the subject of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, may have used a laser beam from space to spark a forest fire in order to profit from it.

She also supported threats of violence against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats before her election to Congress.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene must be held accountable for her reprehensible statements, and I am discussing with members the best course of action to do so, Hoyer said in a statement Monday.

A spokesman for McCarthy told Axios he is aware of Greenes statements, calling them deeply disturbing and saying the GOP leader plans to have a conversation with the Congresswoman about them. A meeting between McCarthy and Greene has still not been scheduled, according to Politico, but could happen as early as Tuesday evening.

Story continues

Though it is unclear how Democrats will move to oust Greene from the committees, top Democrats on Sunday discussed a straightforward motion that would go through the House Rules Committee, according to Politico.

A separate measure led by Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.) would remove Greene from any House panel slots.

Were focused on making sure that we can render powerless the poisonous nature of this member, Wasserman Schultz said Monday, before introducing her resolution. The House has to be able to take actions to police its own membership.

A number of House Democrats have expressed support for both a formal censure against Greene and for her expulsion from the House.

Meanwhile, McCarthy has not decided how to move forward and will not be swayed by Democrats, according to the report. Instead, he will base his decision on how his meeting with Greene goes later this week.

More from National Review
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On Jan. 27, WeRide, a Chinese autonomous driving startup, launched its self-driving bus on Guangzhou International Bio Island (Bio Island) and started offering trial rides to the public. Meanwhile, the startup kicked off the regular test of its Mini Robobus.

Jointly developed by WeRide and Yutong Group, the Mini Robobuswithout steering wheels, accelerators or brakes are intended for urban open roads. The vehicle is capable of efficiently handling various complex urban traffic conditions using the full-stack software & hardware solutions fully developed by WeRide.

In the meantime, WeRide signed an agreement with Guangzhou Public Transport Third Bus Co.,Ltd. to carry out strategic cooperation on the innovative operational models for self-driving bus.



WeRide launching Mini Robobus on Bio Island



WeRide announced on Jan. 14 it had completed a $310 million Series B funding round that was led by Yutong Group, a Zhengzhou-based commercial vehicle manufacturer.

The investors of this funding round also include CMC Capital Group, CDB Equipment Manufacturing Fund, Hengjian Emerging Industries Fund, Zhuhai Huajin Capital, Tryin Capital, Qiming Venture Partners, Sinovation Ventures and Kinzon Capital.

At the same time, WeRide announced the beginning of its Series C financing round.

The announcement came after the company said in late December 2020 it had raised $200 million from Yutong Group and the two firms would develop self-driving buses together.

Founded in Dec. 2017, WeRide is testing self-driving passenger vehicles in California and Guangzhou. It is now the only autonomous driving company to gain strategic investment from leading automakers of both commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles (the RenaultNissanMitsubishi Alliance).

.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  New Mexico water agencies are urging farmers to think twice about planting crops in what could be a tight water year. The state faces a big water debt to downstream users, and a multi-year drought is taking its toll.

The Office of the State Engineer recommends that farmers along the Rio Chama and in the Middle Valley that dont absolutely need to farm this year, do not farm, according to a staff report that Interstate Stream Commission Director Rolf Schmidt-Petersen presented to the Commission earlier this month.

Irrigation supply along the river from Cochiti Dam to Elephant Butte Reservoir is governed by the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. The district cut its 2020 irrigation season a month short, because there wasnt enough water to go around. A shorter season also helped deliver some river water to Elephant Butte as part of New Mexicos Rio Grande Compact obligations.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

In January, the district board voted to delay the start of the 2021 season until April 1, a month later than usual.

This year is on track to be a situation of water shortages and storage restrictions unlike any since the 1950s, said Mike Hamman, the districts chief engineer and CEO and an Interstate Stream Commissioner. The district also anticipates receiving as little as half the usual allotment of San Juan-Chama water.

The hydrology really started to shift in the early 90s, Hamman said. Weve got into this cycle of below-average, average, above-average years, and Ive noticed that our climatic conditions (limit) the available snowpack. That exacerbates things a little bit more now, where we need to have well-above-average snowpacks to address the poor watershed conditions that may have resulted from a poor summer rain period or fall moisture.

The Rio Grande is often pegged as a feast or famine river. And 2019 was a feast year, with spring flows so high they damaged levees and caused minor flooding.

But even in a good year, New Mexico must deliver a proportionate amount of water to Elephant Butte.

The more water the state receives, the more that must flow into the southern reservoir. That obligation, and El Vado Reservoirs limited storage capacity because of ongoing repairs, makes it difficult to save up for the famine years.

The river stretch between Bosque del Apache and Elephant Butte is a no mans land, Hamman said, with high-depletion areas that hamper efficient water delivery.

Regional farmers are advised to prepare for severe water shortages by exercising extreme caution in planting crops this spring and by using any available water only for the most essential uses.

If there are any silver linings to drought and water shortages, its that its an opportunity to get everybodys attention and make substantive change, Hamman said.

A drier year could prompt farmers to repair irrigation systems, enroll in fallowing programs to let their fields rest for a year, or plant fewer thirsty crops.

The current Rio Grande Compact water debt of about 100,000 acre-feet, or 32 billion gallons, restricts how much the state can store in reservoirs.

By the end of January, the state will have released about 3,200 acre-feet, or about 1 billion gallons, of debit water from El Vado and Nichols Reservoir near Santa Fe to Elephant Butte.

Last years monsoon season from May to September was the driest on record for New Mexico.

The Rio Grande could go completely dry this summer all the way from Angostura Dam north of Bernalillo through Albuquerque, especially if this year brings another lackluster monsoon season.

Thats a likelihood that could happen this year, and if it does, it will be a shock to the entire community, Hamman said. If it turns out better, great, but weve got to plan for the worst.

Last page in our playbook

The fail-safe options New Mexico relied on last year to stretch the Rio Grande water supply wont be available this year. This summer on the river may look like what water managers and environmental groups worked to stave off during last years hot, dry summer months.

The Middle Rio Grande didnt look good in July 2020. The MRCGD had just a few days of water supply left.

No water could have meant no irrigation for farmers, but also limited river habitat for endangered species, scarce drinking water supply for local communities, and meager flows for river recreation.

Then came word from the other Rio Grande Compact states of Colorado and Texas: New Mexico had permission to boost river flows by releasing a total of 12 billion gallons from El Vado Reservoir.

That was the last page in our playbook, or pretty darn close to it, Schmidt-Petersen told the Journal.

The release kept the Rio Grande from drying completely in the Albuquerque stretch and helped extend the irrigation season for central New Mexico farmers.

Colorado River water diverted via the San Juan-Chama Project also added to the trickling native Rio Grande flows.

Last summers massive release from El Vado was water that had been stored as assurance that the states Rio Grande Compact debt would be paid.

That water is gone. New Mexico still has to pay back the 12 billion gallons, plus any obligations accrued this year.

State Engineer John DAntonio said the drought is shaping up to be as severe as the conditions the state experienced in the 1950s.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams December 2020 emergency drought declaration could provide some financial relief for communities affected by the record-setting dry conditions.

There could be appropriated up to $750,000 for each eligible and qualified applicant that the governor may designate from the surplus unappropriated money in the general fund, if there is any, DAntonio said.

The state Drought Task Force would determine which organizations or local governments receive the money, which under the emergency declaration could be used for water conservation projects, to offset economic losses caused by the drought, or as a match for federal funding.

Gloomy forecast

New Mexico will endure another double whammy of limited water supply and growing Rio Grande Compact water debt if snowpack levels dont improve dramatically by early spring.

Statewide snowmelt runoff forecasts published Jan. 1 showed most of New Mexico at less than 80% of normal levels.

Since then, some snowstorms have brought much-needed moisture to the northern half of the state.

But New Mexico needs several months of above-average snow and rain to dig out of a drought before the hot summer months.

Those are stark numbers given that last year was quite dry and our reservoirs are drawn down in many of our basins, Schmidt-Petersen said.

Groundwater wells in the lower Rio Grande region of southern New Mexico supply water for municipal and agricultural uses when the river is low.

Thats not the same in the middle valley for all the farmers there, Schmidt-Petersen said. There are limitations on wells that have been in place for long periods of time, so some places can pump and some cannot, and similarly all the way up the Chama.

Rio Grande Compact issues and regional hydrology will be the focus of an Interstate Stream Commission study session on Monday, Feb. 1, at 3 p.m.

Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal.
The logo of the social media video sharing app TikTok is displayed on a tablet screen in Paris, France, on Nov. 21, 2019. (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images)

TikTok to Close Its Indian Operations, Incurring Mass Layoffs

After India recently announced its decision to permanently ban 59 Chinese mobile apps including video-sharing app TikTok amid rising border tensions with China, TikTok is reportedly ending its business in India and making layoffs.

TikTok issued a statement on Jan. 27 that given the lack of feedback from the government about how to resolve this issue in the subsequent seven months, it is with deep sadness that we have decided to reduce our workforce in India.

Business Today, an influential magazine in India, obtained an internal company memo in which TikToks Beijing-based parent company ByteDance told its 2,000-plus workforce in India that the firm would shut down its operations, due to the uncertainty of business prospects following the ban.

The magazine cited insider sources at ByteDance who said the staff in India will be reduced to skeletal staff in select departments such as legal, administrative, human resource, accounts etc, to facilitate the settlements and engagement with the government, according to Business Todays Jan. 28 report.

Entrackr, a tech news site, cited anonymous sources who said ByteDance would lay off 1,800 staff in the next two weeks, leaving a core team of less than 250.

India was once TikToks largest market, with more than 200 million users in the country.

In late May last year, Sino-Indian relations worsened dramatically as face-offs and skirmishes took place between Chinese and Indian soldiers at the disputed border region of Galwan Valley.

On June 29 last year, India declared it planned to ban 59 Chinese mobile apps including TikTok over national security concerns.

Members of the City Youth Organisation hold posters with the logos of Chinese apps in support of the Indian government for banning the wildly popular video-sharing TikTok app, in Hyderabad, India, on June 30, 2020. This month India permanently banned 59 Chinese apps including Tiktok. (Noah Seelam/AFP via Getty Images)

The Indian government said in a press release that those applications were engaging in activities prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order.

Nearly one month later, the scope of the ban was expanded to another 47 Chinese apps that were variants and cloned copies of those banned in June.

In September the same year, 118 additional apps of Chinese origin were forbidden in India, including the search engine app Baidu Search.

About two months later, another ban was placed on 43 Chinese apps, including DingTalk Lite, a working platform created by Chinese tech giant Alibaba.

India TV provided a complete list of 267 Chinese apps banned in India as of Nov. 24, 2020.

The Indian government allowed the Chinese app developers to explain their standpoints in terms of privacy and security requirements and to answer a series of questions.

However, Indian authorities were not satisfied with their responses.

Recently, the two countries had border clashes again.

On Jan. 25, Indias Ministry of Communication and Information Technology issued a new notice to permanently ban 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok and messaging app WeChat, according to Indian media reports.

On Jan. 28, the Chinese regimes Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Gao Feng criticized the Indian government for enacting the permanent ban, urging New Delhi to help bring the bilateral economic ties back to normal.

The United States has also placed TikTok under scrutiny.

As early as Dec. 17, 2019, the U.S. Navy banned TikTok from government-issued mobile devices, saying the popular short video app represented a cybersecurity threat.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem transits waters east of the Korean peninsula during a photo exercise including the United States Navy and the Republic of Korea Navy during Operation Foal Eagle on March 22, 2017. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kurtis A. Hatcher/Handout via Reuters)

In January 2020, the U.S. Army also declared a ban on TikTok from government-issued mobile devices.

Last year, former President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning TikTok, aimed at blocking Beijings access to large volumes of American data that could be exploited for intelligence operations and to enhance the regimes artificial intelligence tools. The ban is currently in the midst of being challenged in the courts.

Trump also issued another order, compelling ByteDance to turn ownership of the U.S. app to American shareholders. Trump had approved a partnership deal in principleTikTok would be allowed to continue operating in the United States and ByteDance would create a new company called TikTok Global, with U.S. companies Oracle and Walmart having stakes in the company.

On Sept. 18, 2020, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden said that TikTok was a matter of genuine concern, given its popularity in the United States and the potential for China to access U.S. user data. He also said that, if elected president, he would get cyber experts to go into it deeply to get the best solutions to deal with the risks associated with the app.

On Jan. 23, 2021, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated via Twitter that I encourage the Biden admin to stick to its concerns about CCP [Chinese Communist Party] social media companies like TikTok, which put our personal data & natl security at risk.

Frank Fang and Annie Wu contributed to this report.

WASHINGTON  With full control of the White House and Congress for the first time in a decade, Democrats are wrestling with how to use that power: Seek out Republican support in the name of bipartisanship, or swing for the fences.

Sen. Bob Casey wants home runs.

Im in the camp of go big or go home, the Pennsylvania Democrat said in an interview last week, before quickly adding a note of old-fashioned caution. Maybe the go home is a little harsh.

Casey, once positioned as a deliberate moderate, wants Democrats to push hard in the early days of President Joe Bidens administration, arguing that GOP support is unlikely and the needs of the moment are dire.

You have all these challenges ahead of us and I dont think we have any choice but to be proposing bold and transformative change, Casey said, pointing to the health and economic crises stemming from the coronavirus, the threat of climate change, and racial inequality. We just have so many things weve got to get done and majorities can be fleeting. They can evaporate in two years.

Casey, 60, said that he hopes solutions can be bipartisan but that he would support moving ahead without the GOP by using reconciliation  a Senate procedure that allows some bills to pass with a bare majority. Democrats could vote to begin that process as early as this week.

And hes open to eliminating the filibuster, the rule that requires most legislation to secure 60 votes out of 100, despite taking the opposite position in 2017, when President Donald Trump and Republicans held the levers of power. Casey signed a bipartisan letter that year urging against ending the filibuster.

 READ MORE: Bob Casey says hes open to killing the filibuster and advancing Bidens agenda without GOP support

Caseys aggressive posture mirrors the hard-charging approach from many Democrats who see a rare window of opportunity and are thirsty for big proposals after years of seeing their ideas stalled by the GOP.

It also matches Caseys personal evolution from a centrist Democrat who opposed tougher gun laws and same-sex marriage to one who reversed his views on both issues and has adopted more liberal positions and a more combative tone.

The senator, a rare Democrat who personally opposes abortion, has boasted about maintaining funding for Planned Parenthood. He railed against Trump, announcing that he would oppose any Supreme Court nominee in 2018 before the president even named one (it wound up being Justice Brett Kavanaugh). And last year Casey was one of just 23 senators to vote for a plan by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) to cut defense spending by 10%.

In 2017, some liberals dubbed him Woke Bob Casey. They were only half-joking.

Since first being elected in 2006, Bob Casey has certainly gravitated further and further left, and I would argue is almost unrecognizable ideologically from the Bob Casey who was [first] elected, said John Brabender, a Republican strategist who worked for Sen. Rick Santorum, the incumbent Casey defeated that year.

Caseys leftward progression isnt new  it has unfolded over nearly a decade, starting with a shift on guns after the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012. Until now, however, few of Caseys policy changes have resulted in action, since most have come amid divided government or Republican control in Washington. And they didnt hurt him politically (and maybe helped) in 2018, when the senator was overwhelmingly reelected.

Now, however, Casey is part of a razor-thin Democratic majority, and a close friend and fellow Scranton native is in the White House, offering a chance to make some of his ideas into reality  and a test of how far hes willing to push.

Were going to find out exactly what type of Democrat Bob Casey is today, Brabender said.

Even though Casey isnt up for reelection until 2024, Democrats hold on power, and Bidens leverage, will be on the line in the 2022 midterm elections, when voters will have their say on whether the new majority deserves to retain control.

Casey said hes approaching the next two years carrying lessons from the last time Democrats had total control, when President Barack Obama took office facing another crisis in 2009. He argued that Democrats made a mistake by trying to scale back their proposals for economic stimulus and health care in a mostly futile effort to draw Republican support. In the end, their bills were less ambitious and they still faced accusations of partisanship.

I just dont think we can repeat those mistakes, Casey said. We need bold, robust legislation and maybe by definition that means it wont be bipartisan.

He argued that Biden and fellow Democrats should seek out GOP votes, but not linger if they dont seem forthcoming. Even though Casey joined the Senate in 2007, this will be only the third year during Caseys tenure in which his party holds the White House, Senate, and House.

His comments to The Inquirer were made before a group of 10 Republican senators wrote to Biden on Sunday, offering a relief package about one-third the size of what the president has proposed, pitching the plan in the spirit of bipartisanship and unity.

Republicans, who blocked much of Obamas agenda after his first two years in office, argue that the aggressive push by Biden and Democrats undercuts the presidents mantra of unity. Most in the GOP see the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan as too big and larded with bad policy, such as a $15 minimum wage, which Republicans argue will destroy jobs.

If they wanted to find the common ground that we have between Democrats and Republicans, they could do that, said Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.), pointing to bipartisan deals over previous coronavirus relief packages. But if Democrats use reconciliation, its clear that theyre done with that.

Casey, hitting back at the GOP in general (though not Toomey specifically), said: These are the same people who either applauded or stood back when the president was signing the Muslim ban. There couldnt have been more efforts to divide and pull the country apart.

Republicans also used reconciliation to unilaterally advance their major legislative efforts under Trump, including his signature tax cuts.

 READ MORE: Pat Toomey is ready to work with Joe Biden. A little.

While Caseys evolution  on substance and tone  is notable for him, it has largely kept him inside the Democrats increasingly liberal mainstream.

Hes never gone against the grain, said Mark Dion, a Republican consultant who has worked on Pennsylvania campaigns. He may move further left on the issue, but hes not going to be the one out there waving the flag.

Democrats are fairly united around the broad scope of their coronavirus plan, but fissures between the partys left and center could emerge on issues such as climate change and other topics. Those debates could challenge Casey if hes forced to choose between paths in a 50-50 Senate where Democrats cant afford any defections (Vice President Kamala Harris can cast tie-breaking votes).

Several people close to Casey predicted he will likely look for the consensus position and usually land wherever Biden does.

Both of them, Biden and Casey, are practical, said Jim Brown, Caseys former chief of staff. A lot of their priorities would just naturally be parallel.

They also have a long and deep connection. The Bidens and the Caseys, thats a multigenerational relationship, Brown said.

The families arent just both from Scranton  theyre also from the same street. Biden was close with the senators father, Bob Casey Sr., when the elder Casey was governor of Pennsylvania and Biden was dubbed the states third senator.

And when the younger Casey arrived in the Senate, Biden, then chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, pushed party leaders to put Casey on the panel, as well, becoming a mentor, Brown said.

So when Biden launched his presidential campaign with a 6 a.m. tweet in 2019, Casey endorsed him at 6:37. When Biden formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president, Casey stood outside Bidens childhood home in Scranton to announce Pennsylvanias vote tally. And as Pennsylvanias vote count dragged on after Election Day, Casey repeatedly took to Twitter with videos explaining why he was sure Biden would win, with a map of the state as his backdrop.

Casey said he expects to have disagreements with Biden at times, though he couldnt name one that has come up yet.

 READ MORE: The Divided States of Pennsylvania: How one state embodies Americas political discord

Even as he voices support for more liberal efforts, the bills Casey personally writes rarely ruffle feathers, or grab big headlines.

He has worked to carve out a niche on childrens issues and named his personal focus, outside of the big-ticket bills, as kids, jobs, and seniors. His top personal legislative priority is a measure to significantly expand the tax credit for child care, arguing its even more urgent now that many people are struggling to return to the workforce. A version of his proposal is included in the Biden coronavirus package.

With opportunity at hand in the Senate, Casey said he has no intention of running for governor in 2022.

I have this job at least for four years, that Im aware of, he said.
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Defense Metals Corp. ("Defense Metals") (TSX-V: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE: 35D) is pleased to announce that it has received final property-wide high-resolution airborne LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging) survey results for its 1,708 hectare (4,220 acre) Wicheeda Rare Earth Element (REE) Property ("Wicheeda") near Prince George, British Columbia (BC).

The Wicheeda project has indicated mineral resources of 4,890,000 tonnes averaging 3.02% LREO (Light Rare Earth Elements) and inferred mineral resources of 12,100,000 tonnes averaging 2.90% LREO1. Flotation pilot-plant processing of a 26-tonne bulk sample of Wicheeda REE material yielded a mineral concentrate averaging 7.4% NdPr oxide (neodymium-praseodymium) critical magnet metals2.

Defense Metals retained Eagle Mapping Ltd. of Port Coquitlam, BC to collect LiDAR and color aerial photography over the Wicheeda REE Project (see Defense Metals news release dated November 18, 2020). Property-wide LiDAR survey data was acquired at a minimum density of 8 points-per-square-metre, in addition to high-resolution 13 cm pixel color aerial photography (Figure 1).

Craig Taylor, CEO of Defense Metals, stated: "Defense Metals is extremely pleased with the Wicheeda REE Property LiDaR survey results. This incredibly high-resolution dataset arms us with an enhanced property-wide terrain model. This level of precision is expected to positively impact project development efforts with respect to numerous ongoing studies including environmental baseline monitoring, geological modelling, and resource estimation; and looking forward to optimizing the siting of critical development infrastructure."

Figure 1. Wicheeda REE Deposit LiDaR Bare Earth Terrain Model Showing Diamond Drilling and Resource Block Model and Pit Shell (CNW Group/Defense Metals Corp.)

About the Wicheeda REE Property

The 1,708 hectare Wicheeda REE Property, located approximately 80 km northeast of the city of Prince George, British Columbia, is readily accessible by all-weather gravel roads and is nearby to infrastructure, including power transmission lines, the CN railway and major highways.

Story continues

Geologically, the property is situated in the Foreland Belt and within the Rocky Mountain Trench, a major continental geologic feature. The Foreland Belt contains part of a large alkaline igneous province, stretching from the Canadian Cordillera to the southwestern United States, which includes several carbonatite and alkaline intrusive complexes hosting the Aley (niobium), Rock Canyon (REE), and Wicheeda (REE) deposits.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this news release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Property has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC) Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB, a director of Defense Metals and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Raffle verified the data disclosed which includes a review of the analytical and test data underlying the information and opinions contained therein.

About Defense Metals Corp.

Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition of mineral deposits containing metals and elements commonly used in the electric power market, military, national security and the production of "GREEN" energy technologies, such as, high strength alloys and rare earth magnets. Defense Metals has an option to acquire 100% of the 1,708 hectare Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Property located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Defense Metals Corp. trades in Canada under the symbol "DEFN" on the TSX Venture Exchange, in the United States, under "DFMTF" on the OTCQB and in Germany on the Frankfurt Exchange under "35D".

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 news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This news release contains "forwardlooking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements relating to the completion of ongoing studies, plans for its Wicheeda Property, the advancement and development of the Wicheeda Property, the technical, financial and business prospects of the Company, its project and other matters. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of rare earth elements, the ability to achieve its goals, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, adverse weather conditions, failure to maintain or obtain all necessary government permits, approvals and authorizations, failure to maintain community acceptance (including First Nations), decrease in the price of rare earth elements, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate increase in costs, litigation, and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. The Company does not undertake to update forwardlooking statements or forwardlooking information, except as required by law.

1 Technical Report on the Wicheeda Property, British Columbia, effective June 27, 2020 and prepared by APEX Geoscience Ltd. (Steven J. Nicholls, B.A. Sc., MAIG and Kristopher J. Raffle, B.Sc., P.Geo) is available under Defense Metals Corp.'s profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) 2 See Defense Metals News Release date September 23, 2020

Defense Metals Corp. Logo (CNW Group/Defense Metals Corp.)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/defense-metals-receives-wicheeda-ree-property-lidar-survey-results-301218345.html

SOURCE Defense Metals Corp.
The government has brought further transparency in the fiscal deficit numbers by doing away with loans from the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) from the next financial year.

The government will provide Rs 2.54 trillion to FCI in the next financial year, wiping out its arrears. So far, the government used to give loans from NSSF to FCI, which did not account for the government expenditure.

For instance, it pegged this loan to FCI at close to over Rs 84,000 crore in the current financial year, which in fact was over Rs 60,000 crore lower from the Budget Estimates. The government provided NSSF loan in the range of Rs 70,000 crore-Rs 1.1 trillion to FCI in the previous four years.

Besides NSSF loan, extra budgetary resources are being used for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Rural to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore and rural electrification programme, UJJWALA (Rs 5,000 crore).

This might have also played its part in widening the Centre's fiscal deficit to 6.8 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) next year. However, the deficit was pegged at 9.5 per cent of GDP in the current financial year. If extra-Budget resources to the tune of Rs 1.26 trillion is also taken into account, the deficit would have ballooned to over 10 per cent of GDP in the current year, a rarity since the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act was enacted in the early years of the first decade of 2000.





ALSO READ: Budget creates space for supporting economy: CRISIL MD & CEO Ashu Suyash

However, extra budgetary resources are projected to fall drastically to Rs 30,000 crore in the next financial year. If this is also taken into account, the Centre's fiscal deficit would increase to 6.9 per cent of GDP in the next financial year. Extra-budgetary resources would be used for public agencies for specific schemes, if any, next financial year.





In fact, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Budget 2019-20 disclosed the borrowings of the government agencies that went towards funding the Centre's schemes and whose burden was on the Union government.

In Budget 2020-21, she went ahead and included the loans provided by the government to the FCI through NSSF.

"Taking a step further in this direction, I propose to discontinue the NSSF loan to FCI for food subsidy," she said.

Besides FCI, the government has been extending NSSF loans to the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council under the urban development and housing ministry. However, the loan extended was moderate at Rs 1,500 crore in the previous year and is pegged to reduce to Rs 1,000 crore in the revised estimates of the current financial year.

Metals and Mineral Trading Corporation of India was also given NSSF loan, but to the moderate amount of Rs 1,310 crore in 2019-20. No loan is being extended this year.
By Kim Ae-ran





The "Order of merit of the Italian Republic" (OMRI) was first established in 1951. Taking the form of the order presented by the president of Italy to individuals who have merit in each field, the medal used to be in the shape of a crown, but it has been in the shape of a star since 2001.



The Stella d'Italia award consists of special grade for a Knight of Grand Cross decorated with a grand cordon; first grade for a Knight of the Grand Cross; second grade for a Grand Officer; third grade for a Commander; fourth grade for an Official; and fifth grade for a Knight.



The medals are awarded to Italians or foreign citizens who have made a special contribution to promoting friendship and cooperative relations.



On May 6, 2019, soprano Jo Su-mi received the goodwill medal of the Knight, and on December 10, 2019, professor Choi Kyung-ran of Kookmin University received it as well.



On Jan.26, 2021, our Pauline sister Dorotea Elena D'Oto received the fourth grade for an Official of the Star of Italy.



Sister Dorotea was born in Italy on Oct.26, 1931, and came to Korea as a missionary in 1966 after the perpetual profession on March 19, 1956.



In the 1960s, 15 foreign missionaries came to Korea to lay the foundation of the Daughters of St. Paul. Among them, only one missionary sister Dorotea is still staying here in Seoul.



As a missionary, she spent her life in Korea through various fields such as visiting propaganda, the collective mission, renting and screening of films with a projector, the local superior and the delegate superior, provincial bursar and house management, and doing household work according to the needs.



Who would understand all the struggles of a missionary who tried her best to adjust herself to the culture and language of a foreign country? No words are proper to describe all the hardships and obstacles she had to face and undergo in the first period of the foundation.



The motivation for the honor is as follows: "In a time when there were so many poor people, Sr. Maria Dorotea Elena D'Oto devoted her life to spreading the teachings of the Catholic Church as a missionary in Korea, especially in the capital city of Seoul, Daegu, and Gwangju.



She greatly contributed to the formation of the early community of the Daughters of St. Paul, and she still lives in Seoul as a good example of life. Another motivation for awarding this Medal of Honor is to remember and thank the person who lets us see things that are easy to overlook and that we don't want to see. This sister who is with us right now is the one who testified this."



Luigi Di Maio, minister of foreign affairs, and Sergio Mattarella, president of Italy gave it to her on May 28, 2020. And Federico Failla, the Italian ambassador to Korea, was supposed to visit our Congregation on Dec. 13, 2020, when the closing thanksgiving Mass of the 60th foundation of the Daughters of St. Paul in Korea was celebrated by the Most Rev. Lasaro Heung-seek You, the Diocesan Bishop of Daejeon.



But the delivery of the medal was postponed due to COVID-19. And finally on Jan.26 this year, Ambassador Federico Failla visited us together with Nicola Del Medico, his first secretary, and Monsignor Mario Codamo, Councilor of the Italian embassy.





The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul (fsp.pauline.or.kr.) living and giving the Good News to the world by means of social communication.








NEW DELHI: India on Monday expressed deep concerns over the detention of top Myanmar leaders, including Aung San Suu Kyi, by the countrys military junta and said that the rule of law and democratic process must be upheld.

We have noted the developments in Myanmar with deep concern. India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar. We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld. We are monitoring the situation closely, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press statement.

We have noted the developments in Myanmar with deep concern. India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar. We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld. We are monitoring the situation closely: MEA pic.twitter.com/annipyQAh8  ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2021

Alarmed over the coup in Myanmar and the detention of the country's top political leaders, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, by the military junta, the US also said that it is monitoring the situation closely and threatened unspecified action if corrective steps are not taken to restore democracy.

"The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the country's democratic transition, including the arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials in Burma," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

"We continue to affirm our strong support for Burma's democratic institutions and, in coordination with our regional partners, urge the military and all other parties to adhere to democratic norms and the rule of law, and to release those detained today, Psaki said.

The US is alarmed by reports that Burmese military has taken steps to undermine countrys democratic transition, including arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi & other civilian officials in Burma. President Biden has been briefed by NSA: White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki pic.twitter.com/TIeKNVDinH  ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2021

President Joe Biden has been briefed by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, she said. "We are monitoring the situation closely and stand with the people of Burma, who have already endured so much in their quest for democracy and peace," Psaki said.

The United States expresses grave concern and alarm regarding reports that the Burmese military has detained multiple civilian government leaders, including State Counsellor Suu Kyi, and civil society leaders, US Secretary of State Tony Blinken said.

The reactions came after an announcer on Myanmar's military-owned Myawaddy TV declared on Monday morning that the military had taken control of the country for one year.

Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid, the spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy (NLD) said while confirming the development.

The detention of the senior leaders comes after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the powerful military, in the aftermath of an election the army says was fraudulent. The NLD claimed victory after an election in November 2020, the country's second democratic ballot since the end of military rule in 2015.

Since her party won a landslide victory in 2015, Suu Kyi, the 75-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been Myanmar's de facto leader and held the position of state counsellor.

But her international reputation has been tarnished in recent years by allegations of genocide against Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya population. Myanmar denies the charges and has long claimed to have been targeting terrorists.

Live TV
Identifies New Greenfields Sediment-Hosted Copper Prospects Piaui State, Nordeste, Brazil

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2021) - Mark Jarvis, CEO of Giga Metals Corp. (TSXV: GIGA) announced today that Giga has acquired exploration permits covering significant new regional sediment-hosted copper anomalies along the southern perimeter of the Parnaiba Sedimentary Basin in southern Piaui State, Northeast Region, Brazil. The Company has staked 24 exploration permits totaling 40,722 hectares in four properties along 80 kilometers of strike length in an area with known "Kupferschiefer-style" sediment hosted copper mineralization.

"Acquisition of this land package is the culmination of two years of research into the Sao Francisco Basin, thought to be a continuation of the African copper belt in the DRC," said Mr. Jarvis. "We started by sorting through a massive regional data set using the services of Vancouver based AI firm Minerva Intelligence Inc., then engaged Jon Hill and his team at Exploration Outcomes, based in Belo Horizonte, to manage Giga's operations and exploration in this underexplored area of Brazil."

The land package contains multiple, contiguous drainage basins highlighted by copper and other stream sediment geochemical anomalies including silver, barium, bismuth, cobalt, indium, antimony and thallium associated with sedimentary and carbonate rocks of the Neoproterozoic/Cambrian Araca Basin exposed along the southern fringes of the flat lying Parnaiba Basin.

Oxide and sulphide copper mineralization has been identified in groundwater well hole drill cuttings obtained from throughout the region. Analytical results from grab samples of groundwater well cuttings on Giga's Corrente Property range from anomalous to 3,110 ppm Cu and 5,790 ppm Cu (samples RK-106A and RK121A, respectively).

After initial identification of the region as a prospective area for sediment-hosted copper mineralization by Minerva's AI analysis, the Exploration Outcomes geological team supplied additional personal knowledge of previously observed copper occurrences in the region, leading to the identification of the Araca Basin as a target. A reconnaissance field visit to the region in October 2019 confirmed the presence of sediment hosted copper mineralization, including in the chips from three recently excavated water wells observed across 20 kilometres. GIGA then contracted JAW Consulting of Colorado to model available geophysical data sets (magnetics, gravity and radiometrics) to help delineate and prioritize target areas based on interpreted structural setting and depth to prospective target stratigraphy.

The new year brought multiple restrictions for fieldwork, including shut-downs due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but also 100-year flood events throughout southern Piaui State. Crews were only able to return safely to the area in the late fall of 2020.

The preliminary work program completed late in 2020 included the collection of 102 stream sediment samples and 24 rock grab samples in the Corrente and Parnagua permits blocks. Although stream sediment sampling was completed roughly at 1 sample per square kilometre and results are subdued, a broad cluster of the 67 samples collected in the Corrente Permit Block were anomalous in copper (8 samples; 12.5 - 48 ppm Cu), cobalt (4 samples: 11 - 17 ppm Co); barium (4 samples; 500 - 800 ppm Ba) thallium (4 samples; 0.5 - 1.0 ppm Tl). Sampling on the Parnagua Permit Block produced similar results, although at a lower density due to access problems and lack of time.

Nest steps for GIGA include increased density stream sediment sampling, follow-up prospecting and possible testing for copper mineralization using a water well drill. Geological mapping is required to fully identify the extent of the likely stratigraphic host rocks within the Araca basin, notably where they are exposed by structural windows associated with graben faults.

About Giga Metals

Giga Metals Corporation is focused on metals critical to modern batteries, especially those used in Electric Vehicles and Energy Storage. The Company's core asset is the Turnagain Project, located in northern British Columbia, which contains one of the few significant undeveloped sulphide nickel and cobalt resources in the world.

Giga is also exploring for copper, another critical battery metal, in Brazil.

Scientific and technical information disclosed in this document has been reviewed and approved by David Tupper, P. Geo., a Qualified Person consistent with NI 43-101.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

"Mark Jarvis"



MARK JARVIS, CEO

GIGA METALS CORPORATION

Tel - 604 681 2300

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.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this document which are not purely historical are forward looking statements, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future.

Forward looking statements in this news release include the Brazil project is prospective for copper, the Company's plans to undertake exploration activities at the Brazil Project and expend funds on it. It is important to note that the Company's actual business outcomes and exploration results could differ materially from those in such forward looking statements. Risks and uncertainties include that Giga may not be able to fully finance exploration at the Project, including drilling; our initial findings at the Project may prove to be unworthy of further expenditure; commodity prices may not support exploration expenditures at the Project; and economic, competitive, governmental, environmental and technological factors may affect the Company's operations, markets, products and share price. There are geopolitical risks because the Project is located in Brazil. Even if we explore and develop the Project, and even if copper or other metals or minerals are discovered in quantity, the project may not be commercially viable. Additional risk factors are discussed in the Company's latest Management Discussion and Analysis which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Except as required by law, the Company will not update these forward looking statement risk factors.

Suite 203 - 700 West Pender St., Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 1G8

T: 604-681-2300 E: info@gigametals.com W: www.gigametals.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73342
The Central Bank of UAE has slapped multiple millions of dollars sanctions on 11 banks operating in the country for facilitating money laundring, reports say.

The sanctions according to the Central bank were confirmed Jan. 24 and valued at 45.8 million UAE dirhams ($12.5 million).

The regulator did not reveal the names of the entities but said sanctions are pursuant to Article 14 of the Federal Decree Law No. (20) of 2018 on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism and Financing of Illegal Organisations (AML/CFT Law).

The financial sanctions take into account the banks failures to achieve appropriate levels of compliance regarding their AML and Sanctions Compliance Frameworks as at the end of 2019, it said.

Banks in the Gulf country appeared to have been given plenty of time to remedy the shortcoming and were informed of penalties in the event of failure.

They were informed in the middle of 2019 to comply before the end of that year.

Last month, Gulf Business reports, several banks across the country posted their financial results for 2020. Dubai lender Emirates NBD recorded a 52 per cent slide in net profit last year, while National Bank of Fujairah stated a net loss of Dhs475m for 2020, the media notes.
Netflix welcomed "The Dig" on its catalog of films, and it quickly became a big hit among fans and critics.

On January 29, "The Dig" finally arrived on the streaming giant.

The Simon Stone-directed film is based on the 2007 novel of the same name by John Preston. It tells the story of a group of excavators and what happened to them during the 1939 excavation of Sutton Hoo.

The treasure hunt drama features Carey Mulligan (Edith Pretty), Ralph Fiennes (Basil Brown), Lily James (Peggy Piggott), Johnny Flynn (Rory Lomax), Ben Chaplin (Stuart Piggott), Ken Stott (Charles Phillips), Archie Barnes (Robert Pretty) and Monica Dolan (May Brown).

Aside from these stars, critics offered several reasons why everyone should keep an eye on "The Dig" movie 2021.

The Director's Attention To Detail Is Crucial

The success of a certain film also depends on the director's work, and Stone did a great job on that.

On "The Dig Review" by Sheila O'Malley of Roger Ebert, she applauded Stone's in-depth research about the tragedy decades ago.

In the film, it can be seen that the characters were perfectly brief about how a dig must be done. They also showed how the artifacts can be discovered and removed from the dirt in real life.

This process gave its non-archaeologically-minded audience to see what it truly looks like to excavate.

"You believe in Fiennes' expertise. You believe in Peggy's too. The other element is the approach of war. RAF planes roar over the field with increasing regularity," she explained.

It Shows the Sad Beauty of Archeology

Chelsea Steainer of The Mary Sue noted how "The Dig" became a symbol for fleeting mortality on Earth.

According to the critic, the drama unveiled how one of the greatest archeological finds in English history offered surreal scenes to its viewers.

Although the event happened years ago, Stone and his team did it justice with beautiful visuals and emotional performances.

"The film evokes a simpler yet moving style of movie that wouldn't be out of place in the Merchant Ivory catalogue," she wrote. "If you love a British period piece with a dash of history, you won't find a better, more finely crafted film."

"The Dig" Is an Old, But Grand Story

People nowadays opt to watch coming-of-age films, but Stone's movie changed that perspective and invited more audience.

Per Rohan Naahar of Hindustan Times, the period drama proved that a film can have broad themes despite a restricted, short source of story.

"The Dig is a grand old film, unafraid to disinter distressing ideas; and unflinchingly idealistic despite not having any reason to be," the critic wrote.

See Now: Famous Actors Who Turned Down Iconic Movie Roles
Dumaguete City (CNN Philippines, February 1)  Negros Oriental recorded its first case of COVID-19 reinfection over the weekend.

Provincial IATF Ground Commander Dr. Liland Estacion on Monday said the patient is a 46-year-old frontliner working at the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Guihulngan City.

Estacion added the patient was symptomatic after testing positive last January 25 and has been admitted in a government isolation facility.

He was initially infected on October 30 last year during the transport of a COVID-19 patient from Guihulngan to Dumaguete City. He recovered days after and returned to work after finishing his required isolation.

Estacion explained that when a person is infected with COVID-19, the body will develop antibodies which can only last for at least three months, and might get infected again.

Researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, University of California, San Diego, and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in the United States have suggested that COVID-19 immunity can last for at least six months or much longer, when all components of the body's immune memory are taken into consideration. The study included 185 adults, ages 19 to 81, in the US who recovered from COVID-19. Most of the adults were mild cases.

As of February 1, the Department of Health-Central Visayas Center for Health Development recorded 1,479 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Negros Oriental where 844 are considered as active. Some 39 persons died and 596 individuals recovered from COVID-19.

CNN Philippines' Dumaguete correspondent Roy Bustillo contributed to this report.

VPLS, a cloud-to-edge computing and solutions provider, announces that ZR Systems (now VPLS) has ranked as one of the 2021 Best Places to Work in Hawaii by Hawaii Business Magazine. ZR Systems (now VPLS) has made several appearances on this annual list, which identifies organizations that help employees develop their full potential.

We are proud of our Hawaiian team and the local leadership who remain invested in growing and maintaining local talent, states Arman Khalili, CEO of VPLS. Last year was a year characterized by unprecedented stress and turmoil. In this challenging environment, the Hawaii team was able to provide an exceptional employee experience and fair and equal workplace, while ensuring employees felt stable and valued. I applaud everyone for creating such a positive workplace culture.

Our team has always been committed to excellent customer service and this achievement shows that our service-oriented attitude permeates both externally and internally," says Ricky Zheng, VP/GM of Hawaii and Pacific Islands. "I am pleased that we have created a positive and inspiring environment that attracts, retains, and empowers our people. I look forward to continuing to build and support this diverse and talented team."

As one of Hawaiis top employers, VPLS is continuing to expand its Aiea team, with roles open in engineering and help desk support. Employees enjoy generous benefits and perks, including career guidance, paid parental leave, and more.

About VPLS

VPLS is your trusted global provider for cloud-to-edge computing and technology services. For more information, please visit http://www.vpls.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.
Mumbai, Feb 1 : Actress Katrina Kaif has started shooting for her upcoming horror comedy Phone Bhoot in Udaipur. The actress shared the update with fans on Monday, with a video clip she posted on Instagram.

The clip captures Katrina sitting in a flight wearing a mask and face shield, ready to take off. She used emojis of a phone, a ghost and an airplane to update fans about her working trip.

Her co-stars Ishaan Khatter and Siddhant Chaturvedi took to Instagram Stories to share moments from the airport and the flight. Siddhant shared a picturesque image of Udaipur, revealing that the team is shooting in the city.

Image Source: IANS News

The film is directed by Gurmmeet Singh, and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani. Phone Bhoot has been written by Ravi Shankaran and Jasvinder Singh Bath.

-- Syndicated from IANS
A frat party at Santa Clara University attracted hordes of unmasked, un-distanced college students in parkas and winter garb, prompting school officials to create harsher mandates for those unwilling to abide by county health regulations.

At least 75 people were in attendance at the Jan. 23 daytime function, reported the school's student newspaper The Santa Clara, which first broke the news.

The event was meant to attract prospective "rushees" to California Phi, a fraternity unaffiliated with the university, the paper reported. If not, a Cal Phi leader told the paper, the fraternity could get shuttered. (The party was themed "Aspen in the '80s.")

Neither police nor other school authorities shut the event down  and despite the event taking place last week, it is unclear what repercussions students who attended have faced.

The frat party began to gain attention from Santa Clara University officials when Instagram shaming accounts at the school, such as @snitchscu, began gaining traction.

Jeanne Rosenberger, the vice provost for student life at Santa Clara, said in an email to students Wednesday that those "found to be responsible for hosting events on or off campus, participating in social gatherings ... or failing to abide by recommended isolation and quarantine recommendations" will be fined $500 and suspended.

"While most students have done an excellent job abiding by the important health directives, it is disappointing that others have blatantly disregarded those directives, to the detriment of other community members," said the email from Rosenberger.

She added that the university is "actively following up on each report" of an unauthorized event.

A representative for the university did not provide any additional comment to SFGATE.

The paper reports that parties have continued on unabated at campus for months despite the worsening pandemic, which has particularly affected the county.

As of Monday, Santa Clara County has reported 101,964 cases and 1,414 deaths  numbers that have only started to decline in recent weeks.

Its completely selfish to partake in this behavior," Gena Bruce, a college senior who lives near fraternities and has reported repeatedly waking up and falling asleep to loud music, told the Santa Clara.

"Im constantly struck with sadness at the lack of understanding of others."
A teenager who beat a rare form of cancer three times has died in her parents' arms from complications related to her COVID-19 diagnosis.

Aspen Deke, 17, from Missouri, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of four and spent much of her life fighting the disease.

After her diagnosis, Aspen had to undergo both a bone marrow transplant and CAR-T cell immunotherapy to help fight the disease, and she also endured four years of grueling chemotherapy.

The teenager overcame the disease time and time again - however in late November, her battle hit another obstacle when it was revealed that she had contracted COVID-19, and she had to be rushed to hospital.

17-year-old Aspen Deke, who beat a rare form of cancer three times, died in her parents' arms on Saturday after catching COVID-19

The teenager was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia at the age of four and spent much of her life battling the disease, undergoing four years of chemotherapy

She was taken to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, two weeks before Christmas, where she was put on oxygen while doctors battled to combat her high-grade fever, and worked to bring her oxygen levels up.

After a month, it seemed as though Aspen was getting better, and she was allowed to return home for a few days - however not long after, her symptoms worsened, and the high school junior was readmitted to hospital.

She was diagnosed with pneumonia in both of her lungs, and on New Year's Eve, Aspen was taken into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, where she was intubated and put on a ventilator.

Despite the best efforts of doctors, Aspen sadly died on Saturday after developing a condition called COVID-induced multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), which has similar symptoms to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock.

Writing in an update on a fundraising page set up to pay for Aspen's medical costs, organizer Aimee Loring explained that the condition made the teenager's treatment incredibly difficult to handle because the medicine that is typically used to deal with MIS-C can 'seriously interfere with cancer treatments'.

'And theres the fact that her immune system doesnt have the proper cells to defeat the COVID virus,' she continued.

Aspen (pictured) has since enduring both a bone marrow transplant and CAR-T cell immunotherapy to help fight the disease

On a fundraising page set up to help pay for the cost of her treatment, her family told how she tested positive for COVID-19 in late November and ended up being hospitalized

Aspen was rushed to Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, two weeks before Christmas, and had been in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit since New Year's Eve

Despite doctors' best efforts, Aspen's condition continued to decline, and on Saturday, she passed away.

In a heartbreaking message shared on the fundraising group on Saturday, Aimee shared the devastating news of Aspen's death, writing: 'At 6:40pm Aspen Deke passed away in the arms of her mom and dad.'

WHAT IS ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKAEMIA? Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is a type of blood cancer that starts from young white blood cells in the bone marrow. There are around 810 new cases in the UK every year. In the US, ALL affects approximately 1.7 adults per 100,000. Anyone can develop ALL, however, it mainly affects younger people. Many ALL symptoms are vague and flu-like, such as: Risks for developing ALL include exposure to radiation, smoking, being overweight and having a weak immune system. Research suggests being breastfed and exposed to childhood infections may reduce a person's risk. The main ALL treatment is chemotherapy. Patients may also have radiotherapy, steroids or bone marrow transplants. Source: Cancer Research UK Advertisement

'Thank you all for all your prayers and love and support. Please understand that we are processing a lot and won't be responding to texts or phone calls.

'Please keep the boys in your prayers. Thank you.'

Despite going through four years of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, Aspen's parents said that her COVID-19 battle was even more severe that her fight against cancer.

'At least with cancer, as bad as it sounds and it is scary, but theres a lot that you know about it. They can say, "This is how bad it is, this is what we are going to do. This is what we expect." But with this everything is unknown,' Aspen's father Eric told Fox4 before her death.

Because of her cancer battle, Aspen's immune system was not equipped enough to fight the virus.

In another message written on the fundraising site just days before Aspen's tragic death her father Eric said: 'I have to say I am so much more at peace being able to see our princess and spend good time with her.

'Especially now as she's been somewhat stable, for her. It's so hard when she just looks like it's a struggle so these days are amazing.

'I can't wait to see her eyes open again and hear that voice say, "I love you Daddy" and see how happy she will be to see momma and her brothers again.

'It's amazing to see her and spend this time with her. I love you sweet pea and thank you to everyone for all the prayers.

'For our friends who have helped so much by setting up things to help you all know who you are and to all of our friends who have reached out to help in any way from food to gift cards to words of encouragement and prayers and to Aspen's friends you all truly fill my heart with joy so thank you.'

You can donate here.

Hong Kong: 34 COVID-19 cases reported

The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating 34 additional cases of COVID-19, of which 29 are locally transmitted, including two more cases from Luk Yeung Sun Chuen in Tsuen Wan.

At a press briefing this afternoon, the centre's Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said among the local cases, eight have unknown sources of infection.

She noted that two of the newly reported cases are from Block R at Luk Yeung Sun Chuen, bringing the number of infection cases of the same block to 12.

Quarantine orders will be issued to asymptomatic residents of units 04 and 05 above the 18th floor of Block R and they will be taken to quarantine centres, while symptomatic residents will be sent to the hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, eight buildings in various parts of the city are listed on the compulsory testing notice, seven of which were included after tighter testing requirements came into effect.

Mandatory testing orders are now issued for residents of buildings with a single COVID-19 case with an unknown infection source, or if the virus is detected in sewage samples.

Among the five imported cases, two arrived from Indonesia and one from the Philippines, Dubai and Nepal.

For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Government's dedicated webpage.

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Chinese authorities have labelled a viral video 'fake' after it purportedly showed people walking 'like penguins' following an anal swab to test for the novel coronavirus.

Officials assured citizens that they would not waddle like the flightless birds after undergoing the medical procedure, which is being used in the country to screen COVID-19 cases.

No official explanation was given as to why people were filmed walking in the awkward manner.

A viral video purports to show people walking stiff-legged with their arms slightly open while leaving a hospital following an anal swab test. Chinese authorities have called the video 'fake'

China's quarantine centres have started to use anal swabs to test 'key people' for COVID-19, a doctor told state broadcaster CCTV.

Some experts believe that the method is much more accurate than a nasal or throat swab and can raise the chances of detecting the virus.

According to official instructions, the anal swab needs to be inserted about three to five centimetres (1.2 to 2 inches) into the patient's rectum and rotated several times to collect their sample.

It is understood that the test is carried out by a medical worker and takes about 10 seconds.

The video in question purports to show Chinese citizens walking stiff-legged with their arms slightly open while leaving a hospital.

It was allegedly filmed on January 28 in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province in northern China.

The clip had reportedly been viewed millions of times on various Chinese social media platforms before being taken down by internet censors.

The Shijiazhuang Internet Report Centre claimed that the trending footage had been edited and doctored. The video had reportedly been viewed millions of times on Chinese social media

Officials assured citizens that they would not waddle like penguins after having an anal swab

The Shijiazhuang Internet Report Centre claimed that the trending footage had been edited and doctored to spread 'rumour'.

In an official social media post on Sunday, the authority cited the municipal health department and a doctor to prove that the video was inauthentic.

The post admitted that Shijiazhuang medics had used anal swabs on hospitalised COVID-19 patients who also suffered from diarrhoea. But it added that the method had never been used during community mass testing.

The authority stressed that patients would not experience discomfort after the test.

Beijing's propaganda outlet the Global Times yesterday published an English article aiming to convey the official message to its readers.

Officials did not explain when and where the footage was actually recorded or why people were walking strangely in it.

Chinese capital Beijing began using the derriere detecting method during a mass testing drive last week after a nine-year-old boy tested positive for the virus.

According to official instructions, nurses need to insert the anal swab about three to five centimetres (1.2 to 2 inches) into the patient's rectum and rotated several times. A video widely circulated online shows a doctor holding a visual demonstration of the screening procedure

Some medics believe that traces of the novel coronavirus can linger longer in one's digestive system than in their respiratory system.

Therefore, anal swabs have a higher accuracy than throat and nasal swabs, said Dr Li Tongzeng, deputy chief physician of Beijing You'an Hospital.

'We found that some asymptomatic patients tend to recover quickly. It's possible that there will be no trace of the virus in their throat after three to five days,' Dr Li told CCTV.

'But the virus lasts longer in the samples taken from the patient's digestive tract and excrement, compared to the ones taken from the respiratory tract.

'If we conduct anal swabs for nucleic acid testing, it would increase the detection rates of patients and lower the chance of a missed diagnosis,' the expert added.

But the accuracy and efficiency of anal swabs remain controversial.

One expert told Global Times that nasal and throat swabs are still the most efficient tests as the virus has been proven to be contracted via one's upper respiratory tract rather than the digestive system.

'There have been cases concerning the coronavirus testing positive in a patient's excrement, but no evidence has suggested it had been transmitted through one's digestive system,' said Professor Yang Zhanqiu from Wuhan University.

China recorded more than 2,000 new domestic cases in January, the highest monthly total since the final phase of the initial outbreak in Wuhan last March. A medical worker is pictured taking a swab sample from a man to test for coronavirus in the city of Harbin on January 14

China has largely curbed domestic transmission of COVID-19 through strict testing and contact tracing.

Mask wearing in public is observed almost universally while lockdowns are routinely imposed on communities and even entire cities where cases are detected.

The latest outbreaks have been mostly in the frigid northeast, with 33 new cases reported nationwide on Monday in three provinces.

Despite that, China recorded more than 2,000 new domestic cases in January, the highest monthly total since the final phase of the initial outbreak in Wuhan last March.

Two people died of the disease in January, the first reported COVID-19 deaths in China in several months.

Schools have gone online and travel has been drastically cut. The government is now offering incentives for people to stay put during the Lunar New Year holiday this month.

Kin + Carta, a global digital transformation consultancy, is acquiring Cascade Data Labs, a Portland, Oregon-based company with a focus on data science, supporting the expansion of Kin + Carta's data transformation practice.

Cascade Data Labs offers end-to-end data science expertise across all of the interrelated disciplines required to execute and drive business value, including data integration, data architecture, data science, data engineering, and data visualization.

The firm strives to align all of the disciplines required to successfully execute a coherent vision of the end product while keeping a vigilant focus on driving value for the business.

"The acquisition of Cascade Data Labs is a big win for Kin + Carta," said Kelly Manthey, group chief executive for Kin + Carta Americas. "The organization has extensive experience delivering incredible value across numerous industry segments and a unique recruiting engine and culture that is able to source, develop, and retain scarce data science talent. We're excited to welcome the Cascade Data Labs team into the Kin + Carta Connective."

With a strong focus on helping executives make better, fewer, and faster decisions, Kin + Carta's data capability is expanding to accommodate the increased demand for data solutions.

The firm recently hired Cameron Royce Turner as its VP of Data Science, further strengthening its data capabilities and leadership team.

"At Cascade Data Labs, we developed a unique formula to deliver coherent value across data science, analytics, and engineering," said Josh Levin, co-founder of Cascade Data Labs. "We've successfully validated our vision, helping some of the world's most premier brands execute their highest-profile data transformation initiatives. As we evaluated options to scale our practice across the wider marketplace, Kin + Carta quickly surfaced to the top as a global platform with complementary capabilities across software development and digital transformation, and with leadership philosophies and company values closely aligned with our own."

Cascade Data Labs will continue to be based out of Portland and will support clients globally as the firm integrates on to the Kin + Carta Platform to serve existing Kin + Carta clients and reach new clients.

For more information about this news, visit www.kinandcarta.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.
(Natural News) The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is spreading loads of propaganda about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) all across social media, and thus far Big Tech is turning a blind eye to it.

In a nutshell, the CCPs Pizzagate-caliber, officially endorsed conspiracy theories, to quote The Daily Bells Ben Bartee, claim that the Chinese virus did not originate at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), and that its release is not the fault of the communist Chinese regime.

Even though there is now overwhelming proof that the CCP not only knew about the virus but had a hand in its creation and release, the regime is rewriting the narrative with the help of social media and the mainstream media.

One of the alternative facts being spread by the CCP with the blessing of corporate media is the hilarious claim that an American cyclist from Ft. Detrick, Md., imported the virus into China, causing it to spread and eventually become a global pandemic.

Since that time, Americans have been blamed by the CCP for keeping the communist virus in circulation because some of them do not always wear a mask or social distance from other humans at all times.

Wuhan, where the novel coronavirus originated, is now back to normal, for the most part. The United States, on the other hand, continues to face draconian lockdown measures, forced mask-wearing and mandatory small business closures.

For people in Wuhan, witnessing other countries struggling to keep the pandemic under control is bewildering, Yan is quoted as saying.

I find it hard to understand why the United States cant get the pandemic under control despite repeated attempts to roll out social distancing measures or strict lockdowns.

Coronavirus is a sadomasochistic humiliation ritual by the state against its subjects

As it turns out, the CCP has banned 300 studies from its science databases, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). All of them include research about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) that the CCP does not want people to know, so they had to be memory-holed.

One of the studies, co-authored by scientist, virologist and whistleblower Li-Meng Yan, addresses the issue of CCP censorship.

It is noteworthy that scientific journals have clearly censored any dissenting opinions that suggest a non-natural origin of SARS-CoV-28,22, Li-Meng, who was forced to flee communist China for telling the truth about the regimes lies, wrote.

Because of this censorship, articles questioning either the natural origin of SARS-CoV-2 or the actual existence of RaTG13, although of high quality scientifically, can only exist as preprints 5-9,19-21 or other non-peer reviewed articles published on various online platforms.

Li-Meng made an interview appearance with Fox News Tucker Carlson, explaining what she knows about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) coverup. Politifact responded with a hit piece decrying Li-Mengs claims as a conspiracy theory that has been debunked since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Truth be told, the NSFC database scandal has never once been scrutinized, let alone debunked. But who are we to let facts get in the way of the corporate medias pro-CCP agenda?

This agenda is further being propagated by the likes of Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates, who like the rest of the establishment insist that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) came about as a random mutation in bats.

No preponderance of evidence will make a difference, Bartee explains about the fix.

They, their peers, and the monied foundations they create fund scientific research and development. They decide what gets published  and what subjects are up for financial backing and institutional support in the first place.

More stories about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheDailyBell.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com

A prototype rocket from the US that's powered by biofuel passed its first major test flight on Sunday.

The rocket, called Stardust 1.0, was developed by a firm called BluShift Aerospace, which is based in Brunswick in Maine.

The 20-foot (six metre) prototype rocket reached an altitude of just over 4,000 feet (1,219 metres) during its maiden run, which was designed to test the rocket's propulsion and control systems.

Video footage shows Stardust 1.0 blasting off from the former Loring Air Force Base in the northern Maine town of Limestone, marking the state's first commercial rocket launch.

Stardust 1.0 was powered by nontoxic fuel that BluShift's CEO claims is so harmless he could 'give it to one [his] daughters' without it having any adverse effects.

Scroll down for video

STARDUST 1.0 SPECS Height: 20 ft. Lift Off (Full) Mass: 550 lb Recovery system: Drogue and main parachutes Maximum thrust: 2,000 lbf Maximum acceleration: 2 g Maximum altitude: 5,200 ft. Maximum payload mass: 8 kg Rocket engine type: Hybrid Fuel: Proprietary, non-toxic, bio-derived solid fuel Oxidiser: Non-toxic, non-cryogenic pressurised liquid Advertisement

BluShift is developing a line of rockets powered by sustainably farmed, bio-derived, carbon-neutral fuel to launch 'nanosatellites' into space for other firms.

These so-called 'Cube-Sats' can be as small as 10 centimetres by 10 centimetres.

'There's a lot of companies out there that are like freight trains to space,' said BluShift CEO Sascha Deri.

'We are going to be the Uber to space, where we carry one, two or three payloads profitably.'

Stardust 1.0 and other BluShift rockets in development use a proprietary biofuel blend sourced from farms that will not pose hazardous risks during storage or handling.

'It's a very nontoxic fuel, I like to say that I could give it to either one of my little daughters,' said Mr Deri.

'Nothing bad would happen to them, I swear,' he said. 'So it's very much nontoxic [and] it's carbon neutral.'

Representatives from BluShift said they don't generally anticipate being able to launch from Brunswick, where they are headquartered, because of population density in the area.

The firm is therefore launching further north in the US state, in the small town of Limestone near the border with Canada.

Pictured, the unmanned rocket lifts off in a test run on Sunday. It's the first commercial rocket launch in Maine's history

An attempted test launch in Limestone earlier in January was postponed because of weather.

Sunday's launch was also held back by a couple of false starts, but event organisers described the eventual 3pm liftoff as 'perfect'.

Stardust 1.0 carried a science project by students at Falmouth High School nearby to measure flight metrics such as barometric pressure, as well as a special alloy that's being tested by a New Hampshire company.

It also carried a Dutch dessert called stroopwafel for the software development company Rocket Insights in homage to its Amsterdam-based parent company Dept.

Organisers of the launch said the items were included to demonstrate the inclusion of a small payload.

Members of BluShift prepare for a test launch of a 20-foot rocket prototype, Thursday, January. 14, 2021, in Limestone, Maine. The company hopes to eventually use similar rockets to launch small satellites

BluShift says it has created special, fully modular hybrid rocket motors, referred to as MAREVLs (Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch).

The hybrid propulsion system that relies on solid fuel and a liquid oxidiser passing either through or around the solid fuel.

The result is a simpler, more affordable system than a liquid fuel-only rocket.

'Hybrid rocket motors have several advantages that made BluShift choose them for the MAREVL,' the company says.

'Compared to liquid engines hybrids only have one liquid system to handle (the oxidiser) therefore there is half as much weight and complexity from plumbing and valving.

'Hybrid rocket motors are safer than most liquid and solid propellant motors.'

The company has spent $800,000 (584,000) on research and development, with some of the money coming from a NASA grant won in 2019.
A new year has already featured more than a few setbacks for Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his oft-repeated statements that New York mobilized a nation-leading response to the coronavirus pandemic based on science and facts. Problems have hampered the distribution of vaccines across the state, and New York has fallen behind many states in the percentage of distributed vaccines that have actually been administered. Daily deaths remain in the triple digits. While recent data shows caseloads are dropping, the governors political problems keep getting worse.

The New York Times reported that his micromanaging tendencies have driven nine top public health experts out of state government. State lawmakers had been increasingly vocal about his handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic before state Attorney General Letitia James released a scathing report that nursing home deaths were undercounted by the state by as much as 50%. Reports of racial inequities in the vaccine distribution effort continue to surface despite Cuomos assertions that the situation is improving. I think New York was the first state to predict this was going to happen, Cuomo told reporters Monday of ongoing problems with distributing vaccines. We have greatly increased access  but there is still this trust (issue with vaccines) and cynicism.

Recent polling shows the governor still remains popular, but recent setbacks suggest that the governor has receded somewhat from the political heights he reached last year. A lot of it has to do with how Cuomo compared to the president. There were more than a few examples of how Cuomo looked good last year compared to then-President Donald Trump, whose rejection of scientific expertise undoubtedly made the pandemic worse. President Joe Biden, however, is now creating a very different juxtaposition between the respective heads of the New York state and federal governments.

Biden has been emphasizing transparency and public health expertise while the governor has faced criticism for withholding data on nursing home deaths and the racial breakdown of the people whove received vaccines. When I say experts in air quotes, it sounds like Im saying I dont really trust the experts, Cuomo said at a Friday virtual news conference. Because I dont. The #PresidentCuomo of 2020 was saying very different things. Be smart, follow the numbers, follow data, talk to experts, he said in April during one of the many press conferences that helped win him an Emmy Award.

Television appearances might also have diminishing returns for the governor. Trump would create controversies on nearly a daily basis via his media appearances and tweets. Biden has yet to give any sit-down interviews since becoming president, letting agency heads and leading scientists like Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, take the lead on informing the public. Cuomo, meanwhile, remains the undisputed center of the states COVID-19 briefings, which members of the state Capitol press corps have criticized as tightly controlled by the governor.

Cuomo has his own way of explaining his way of doing things. What the media called a scathing report on nursing home deaths and efforts by the Cuomo administration to withhold data, the governor said actually showed how his administration wasnt hiding anything. Of reportedly missed opportunities to distribute vaccines faster, the governor said were evidence of just how well Cuomo was doing at rising to the challenges of COVID-19. If Times reporters think I push hospitals too hard and local governments too hard, I say Im a fighter for the people of New York and I believe Im saving lives, Cuomo told The New York Times in response to questions about how he has overruled public health experts and local officials throughout the pandemic. Ongoing declines in hospitalizations and infection rates suggest that, despite some political setbacks, the governor remains on the cusp of getting some very big things done. Were focused on fighting this pandemic and getting the vaccines and funding New Yorkers need and deserve from Washington  period, Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi told City & State in an email. Were (leaving) the palace intrigue to others.

After this story was published, Azzopardi provided an additional statement about the state lagging behind other states in terms of administering the vaccines that it has received: The CDC website overstates the number of vaccines that are actually in the states possession and includes some second shots that you have to wait to administer and also includes data form the federally run nursing home program that routinely lags behind the state.

The change in federal leadership last month marked a new beginning in the states response to the pandemic in many ways. There are no longer daily controversies over Trumps treatment of his native state. An announced increase in vaccine supplies to the Empire State highlighted how Cuomos personal friendship with Biden (who he sort of endorsed early in the 2020 Democratic primaries) might be paying off. His chances of getting billions in new funding from the federal government are looking better than ever as the April 1 state budget deadline looms. Yet, Bidens arrival to the White House also brought the beginning of the end of Cuomo as the all-powerful pandemic fighter.

Critics no longer have to consider how the governors approach contrasted with Trumps. The reputation that Cuomo cultivated for years as a can-do crisis leader is taking a hit as political controversies over vaccines, nursing homes and other aspects of the states response continues to rage. State lawmakers appear unlikely to strip the governor of his emergency powers before they expire at the end of April, but it is looking more and more like New Yorkers are just months away from seeing a very different type of pandemic response. The big question is who  whether they be state legislators, local leaders or anyone else  will be joining Cuomo as the top decision-makers as the push continues to end the pandemic once and for all.
 Flash

At least nine people have died and several more have been reported missing after two boats capsized on Saturday afternoon off the Pacific coast of Colombia, Mayor Emilsen Angulo of the municipality of Tumaco in the Narino department confirmed on Sunday.

"At this time, we have formally identified nine people who lost their lives in this unfortunate tragedy," Angulo said, adding that several of the fatalities were minors.

The Rear Admiral of the National Navy, Jose Espitia, said that 35 people were rescued and that a coordinated investigation between the police, the armed forces, and other authorities is underway to discover the cause of the accident.

"We are continuing to work, with the first priority being minimizing the pain that this tragedy has caused for families due to the loss (of life) and the uncertainty of the situation in which they find themselves," he said.

The rear admiral said that authorities are continuing to search for the missing persons, who were part of a group being transported by two boats that departed Saturday afternoon from a pier in the Las Palmas neighborhood.

According to witnesses, the boats were ferrying about 50 people to San Jose del Guayabo for a birthday party, but the vessels capsized due to bad weather and high waves.
Neobiosis work includes producing regenerative tissues, cells and extracellular vesicles for research and clinical trials. The human body has the natural ability to repair itself, for instance healing a cut to the skin. The goal with regenerative medicine is to harness that natural ability and apply it to more chronic conditions, such as heart disease or osteoarthritis.

Offering the potential to revolutionize healthcare, a new regenerative medicine firm, Neobiosis, is launching at the University of Florida Sid Martin Innovate Biotechnology Institute in Alachua, Fla. Moving beyond disease management, regenerative medicine aims to harness and redirect the bodys natural ability to repair itself. This kind of disruptive thinking perfectly aligns with the philosophy of JOTO PR Disruptors and it is why they signed the new, cutting-edge R&D scientists.

From prenatal surgical interventions to treatments for lifelong degenerative and disabling conditions, Neobiosis is poised to be a groundbreaker in the field of regenerative therapy, Karla Jo Helms, Chief Evangelist and Anti-PRTM Strategist for JoTo PRTM, said.

The human body has the natural ability to repair itself, for instance healing a cut to the skin. The goal with regenerative medicine is to harness that natural ability and apply it to more chronic conditions, such as heart disease or osteoarthritis. (1) Of particular interest is the potential to address the inflammation COVID-19 patients suffer during and post-COVID-19 infection (AKA Post-COVID Syndrome).

Neobiosis work includes producing regenerative tissues, cells and extracellular vesicles for research and clinical trials from amniotic fluid and cord blood, both of which have shown amazing potential to help heal damaged cells, organs or tissueswithout surgery. As a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), Neobiosis will work within the FDAs current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations for any of the Investigational New Drugs (IND) they develop, including one under consideration which will treat the inflammatory aspects associate with COVID-19, while promoting tissue repair.

Neobiosis efforts will be aided by the labs connection to the University of Florida Sid Martin Innovate Biotechnology Institute, which was recently awarded, for the third year in a row, the Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year award, the International Business Innovation Associations (InBIA) highest honor. (2)

At JoTo PR, we have long specialized in healthcare technology and its ability to transform markets, said Helms. Our goal as Anti-PR strategists is to help innovative companies, such as Neobiosis, gain more mind and market share as they change the status quo for the greater good.

About JOTO PR Disruptors 

After doing marketing research on a cross-section majority of 5,000 CEOs of fast-growth trajectory companies and finding out exactly how they used PR, how they measure it, and how they wanted the PR industry to be different, PR veteran and innovator Karla Jo Helms created JoTo PR and established its entire business model on those research findings. Astute in recognizing industry changes since its launch in 2009, JoTo PRs team utilizes newly established patterns to create timely PR campaigns comprising both traditional and the latest proven media methods. This unique skill enables them to continue to increase the market share and improve return on investment (ROI) for their clients, year after yearbeating usual industry standards. Based in Tampa Bay, Florida, JoTo PR is an established international public relations agency. Today, all processes of JOTO are streamlined PR services that have become the hallmark of the JoTo PR name. For more information, visit http://www.jotopr.com/.

About Neobiosis

Neobiosis, LLC is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) run by scientists focused on the science of regenerative medicine. The name Neobiosis means new life. They produce regenerative medicines from perinatal tissues, cells and extracellular vesicles (EVs) for research and clinical trials. Regenerative medicine taps into the bodys innate ability to heal itself relieving pain without opioids, being more cost effective and safer. Neobiosis is an FDA-registered CDMO operating under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards with cleanroom laboratories located in Alachua and Gainesville. Visit https://neobiosis.com/.

1 Center for Regenerative Medicine - About Regenerative Medicine. Mayo Clinic, 26 Feb. 2019, mayo.edu/research/centers-programs/center-regenerative-medicine/about/about-regenerative-medicine.

2 UF's Sid Martin Biotech Named Top Global Incubator for Record Third Time. The Business Report of North Central Florida, 29 June 2020, gainesvillebizreport.com/ufs-sid-martin-biotech-named-top-global-incubator-for-record-third-time/.
Hey Blake,

Ive heard stories and seen photos of Mardi Gras parades rolling through the French Quarter. What was the route?

Dear reader,

In pre-pandemic Carnival seasons, the small-scale, satirical parades of Krewe du Vieux and krewedelusion, along with several walking krewes, were the only parades allowed to wind their way through the French Quarter. Nearly 50 years earlier, though, large parades rolled through the Quarter.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, some krewes routes included St. Louis, Royal and Bourbon streets. Since Comus, Momus and Proteus held their Carnival balls at the French Opera House (at Bourbon and Toulouse), their routes ended there.

When that building burned in 1919, parades stopped rolling in the Quarter for about 15 years. The 1930 opening of the Municipal Auditorium prompted parades to enter the Vieux Carre again as many disbanded at the auditorium for their respective balls.

In 1972 (the last year of French Quarter parades), 12 krewes paraded in the Quarter, turning from Canal Street onto Royal and then turning left on Orleans Avenue to end at the Municipal Auditorium. Iris and Bacchus reversed the route, turning from Canal onto Rampart, then heading river-bound on Orleans Avenue and turning onto Royal, before heading back to Canal and disbanding near the Rivergate (where Bacchus held its post-parade Rendezvous).

The large size of Bacchus floats  combined with the growing size of parade crowds  generated serious concerns about French Quarter parades.

In a September 1972 article in The Times-Picayune, Deputy Police Superintendent Louis Sirgo said that 40 steel barricades were destroyed the previous Carnival because crowds were so large on Royal Street. Fire Chief Louis San Salvador said he would be the most relieved person in New Orleans if the city kept parades out of the Quarter. I think you can see what would happen if a man dropped a flambeaux on Royal Street, San Salvador said. There would be nowhere to go.

An advisory committee made up of krewe officials recommended a ban on French Quarter parades, and the City Council adopted it as official policy. The ban took effect with the 1973 Carnival season.

Blakeview: The Orpheum Theater marks its 100th anniversary this month February marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Orpheum, the downtown theater listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Winter storm warnings were in place for a large part of the Eastern United States on Sunday, from northwestern North Carolina to New York, with as much as two feet of snow and dangerous travel conditions expected in some places into Tuesday, forecasters said.

The heaviest snow will probably fall in northeastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey, according to Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster with the National Weather Service who is based in Baltimore.

Its pushing eastward and its starting to snow into the Mid-Atlantic up into the Northeast, Mr. Oravec said. And we do anticipate a pretty broad area of potentially heavy snows.

Snow is accumulating

The storm brought more than six feet of snow and heavy rain to California last week before moving through the Midwest, leaving about eight inches of snow in Chicago, the National Weather Service said.
Operation Homefront 2021 Cornerstone Award recipient, Tony Montalto. Montalto is the president and COO of the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation. It has been our honor to work with Tony Montalto on fulfilling Bob Hopes unwavering commitment to bring comfort to those who serve, - Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., President and CEO of Operation Homefront

Operation Homefront, the national nonprofit serving Americas military families, has presented its prestigious Cornerstone Award to Tony Montalto, President and COO of the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation. Operation Homefront presents this award to individuals who have gone above and beyond to help the organization accomplish its vital mission to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive, not simply struggle to get by, in the communities they have worked so hard to protect.

On behalf of the Bob and Dolores Hope Foundation, Mr. Montalto approached Operation Homefront in 2016 to offer their assistance in helping military families in Cleveland, Los Angeles and New York City  areas closely connected to the Hope family. Since then, the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation, under Mr. Montaltos leadership, has provided more than $1.7 million in support. Most recently, in 2020, the foundation financed a special challenge grant that served to kickstart ongoing assistance for military families facing financial disruption and hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has been our honor to work with Tony Montalto on fulfilling Bob Hopes unwavering commitment to bring comfort to those who serve, said Brig. Gen. (ret.) John I. Pray Jr., President and CEO of Operation Homefront. We are incredibly grateful to the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation as their generous support has allowed us to deliver on our promise to serve military families in their time of need.

Tony has committed enormous energy to helping preserve my fathers legacy of honoring our military, said Linda Hope, Chair and CEO, Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation. Generations of service members have been uplifted as a result and he is very deserving of this award that celebrates his resolve, through Operation Homefront, to help thousands of military families.

About Tony Montalto  President and COO, The Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation

For over 30 years, Tony Montalto acted as advisor and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to Bob Hope  the legendary actor, comedian, and humanitarian. After Mr. Hopes death in 2003, Mr. Montalto worked closely with Bobs wife, Dolores, to continue building the Bob & Dolores Hope Foundation. He provides ongoing development and implementation of the Foundations operational plan and works closely with Linda Hope and other board members to continue the Bob Hope Legacy and the philanthropic vision of Bob & Dolores Hope. Mr. Montalto has more than 50 years of experience as a CPA, providing financial services.

Instituted in 2015, Cornerstone Award recipients have included:



Gina Collins  former Chief Marketing Officer, Outback Steakhouse

Kathy Cox  former Senior Manager, Walmart Foundation

Chelle Davis - Manager, Investor Relations, Dollar Tree

Ed Delgado - CEO, The Five Star Group

Camille Jenkins - Vice President National Customer Relations, Meritage Homes Corporation

Marc Knowles - Global Military Team Leader, P&G

Mike Monroe - Director, Veterans Initiatives, A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation

Heather Prill - Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships & Programs, The Home Depot Foundation

Ken Ruff - VP, National Accounts, Beam Suntory

Rusty Smallwood - former AVP REO-Manager, JPMorgan Chase

About Operation Homefront: Founded in 2002, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive  not simply struggle to get by  in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Recognized for superior performance by leading independent charity oversight groups, over 90 percent of Operation Homefront expenditures go directly to programs that support tens of thousands of military families each year. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing and family support services to prevent short-term needs from turning into chronic, long-term struggles. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the support from thousands of volunteers, Operation Homefront proudly serves Americas military families. For more information, visit OperationHomefront.org.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene allegedly told a mother whose son was killed in the shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in 2018 that she doesn't believe the massacre was fake - despite her posts on social media.

Linda Beigel Schulman's 35-year-old son Scott Beigel, a geography teacher, was among the 17 victims who were shot dead in the attack nearly three years ago.

Greene, a Republican from Georgia and a vocal subscriber to QAnon conspiracy theories, came under fire last week after she suggested in social media posts that school shootings like the one in Parkland and another at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 were a 'hoax' intended to drum up support for gun control laws.

Schulman voiced her outrage over Greene's claims in an interview with MSNBC on Sunday, revealing that she'd spoken to congresswoman via Zoom call the day before.

'My first question to Congresswoman Greene was: "Do you really believe that Parkland and Sandy Hook were false flags and staged?"' Schulman said.

'That was a real important question to me. To this moment, I cannot fathom that somebody could say something like that.

'Her answer was unequivocally: "No, I do not."'

But when Schulman asked Greene if she would join her in the MSNBC interview so they could condemn conspiracy theories about school shootings being staged together, Greene declined, the mother claimed.

Scroll down for video

Linda Beigel Schulman, whose son died in the shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, spoke out against Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene in an MSNBC interview Sunday (pictured)

Greene, a Republican from Georgia and a vocal subscriber to QAnon conspiracy theories, came under fire last week after she suggested in social media posts that school shootings like the one in Parkland and another at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 were a 'hoax' intended to drum up support for gun control laws

BREAKING: Mother of Parkland school shooting victim reveals she spoke with Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene Saturday. Linda Beigel Schulman describes the conversation with MSNBC's Alex Witt.#MSNBCweekends pic.twitter.com/2mnqOb0Qah  MSNBC Live: Weekends (@MSNBCweekends) January 31, 2021

'It's wrong. It's just wrong. She should not be telling lies,' Schulman said when asked about her reaction to Greene promoting the conspiracy theories on 'Weekends with Alex Witt'.

Schulman described her conversation with Greene, which was set up by an unnamed member of Congress, as 'friendly and cordial' and that she wanted to trust the lawmaker, she couldn't.

'Did I believe Congresswoman Greene when she said Parkland and Sandy Hook were not false flags or staged events? Well, I very much wanted to,' Schulman said.

Schulman said Greene told her she does not believe the Parkland and Sandy Hook shootings were staged or 'false flags'

'Truth is power, and if Congresswoman Greene believes that Parkland and Sandy Hook were, in fact real events, she would be willing to say that publicly.

'And her failure tells me that for Congresswoman Greene, politics trumps truth, because lies and conspiracy theories are more important to her than honesty.'

'Unless she wants to get in front of the public and wants to right the wrong lies being espoused out there and wants to disavow the things that she said, no, I can't believe it.'

'Maybe inside of her she believes it,' she added in reference to the conspiracy theories. 'I don't know. I have no idea. I'm not inside of her.

'But you can  words are very powerful, but actions speak louder than words.'

Schulman said she opened the conversation by telling Greene she would be on MSNBC the following day and offered to keep the conversation confidential - but Greene told her it was okay to share what they discussed.

Seventeen people lost their lives when a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018. The file photo above shows students holding their hands in the air as they were evacuated from classrooms

'[Greene] has no right to negate Scott's heroism,' Schulman (right) said of her son Scott Beigel (left). 'She has no right to demean Scott's memory with her conspiracy theories'

'So I would like Congresswoman Greene, especially after our conversation, to publicly disavow her comments and apologize to those from Parkland and Sandy Hook who she has hurt and devastated with her words,' Schulman said of Greene (pictured on January 3)

Greene is facing fevered calls to resign and the possibility of expulsion from Congress after her social media activity came to light last week, revealing she had liked a number of posts calling to execute top Democrats and promoting wildly unfounded conspiracies.

Among the troubling posts was a video in which she harassed Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg, who became a prominent gun control activist with March For Our Lives after the massacre.

Many parents also lost their children in the Parkland shooting joined the resignation calls, including Fred Guttenberg, who referred to Greene as a 'depraved person who ran for Congress on a lie'.

'She has called Parkland a lie, Sandy Hook a lie, Las Vegas a lie and 9/11 a lie,' Guttenberg told MSNBC.

Referring to the video of Hogg, the father said: 'When you watch the video of her chasing David and the other kids down ... she's chasing children, and not only is she harassing them, she's telling them outright that: "I have a gun."'

Hogg has demanded that Greene to be stripped of her House committee assignments and for fellow Republicans to pull their support if she runs for re-election in 2022.

Schulman did not say whether she wants Greene to resign, but said an apology is needed.

'She has no right to negate Scott's heroism,' Schulman said. 'She has no right to demean Scott's memory with her conspiracy theories.

'So I would like Congresswoman Greene, especially after our conversation, to publicly disavow her comments and apologize to those from Parkland and Sandy Hook who she has hurt and devastated with her words.'

On Wednesday, a video went viral that showed now Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (back left and right) following Parkland survivor and gun control activist David Hogg (left) around Capitol Hill's campus, chiding him for his support of gun control measures

TAYLOR GREENE'S BIZARRE CLAIMS The California Camp Fire which killed at least 85 was caused by a space laser linked to the Rothschilds and the state's high-speed rail. PG&E admitted it was caused by a faulty power line and went into bankruptcy to fund a $13.5bn settlement and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin cut off a child's face while she was alive, Clinton wore it as a mask so the terrified child would produce 'adrenachrome' and then organized the killing of a cop who knew about it.

The Las Vegas massacre was organized by Democrats to help them ban guns and shooter Stephen Paddock was not a lone wolf.

There's no evidence of a plane hitting the Pentagon on 9/11.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre which cost the lives of 17 students was a 'false flag planned shooting.'

' I am told that Nancy Pelosi tells Hillary Clinton several times a month that we need another school shooting in order to persuade the public to want strict gun control.'

Seth Rich leaked Hillary Clinton's emails and was murdered in revenge by her aide John Podesta because the emails revealed that a D.C. pizza restaurant had a child-smuggling operation in its basement. It does not even have a basement.

The world is run by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles and the Q in QAnon exists and is the 'best chance to take them out.'

Barack Obama and Valerie Jarrett are Muslims.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced by a body double.

She wasn't the person who posted a call to assassinate Nancy Pelosi to her own Facebook page. Advertisement

Meanwhile Republican leaders under pressure to take some form of action against Greene have been largely quiet, in many cases dismissing her words as harmless.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson was pressed about how the party should respond to Greene in an interview with ABC News on Sunday but didn't give a firm answer.

'The people of her district elected her, and that should mean a lot,' Hutchinson, a Republican, said. 'They elected her, and she's going to run for re-election, and she'll be accountable for what she said and her actions.'

Asked directly about how Greene liked Facebook comments expressing support for executing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the governor said: 'I'm not going to answer that question as to whether she's fit to serve because she believes in something that everybody else does not accept.'

'I reject that,' he continued. 'But she's going to stand for re-election. I don't think we ought to punish people from a disciplinary standpoint or party standpoint because they think something a little bit different.'

Later in the interview Hutchinson added: 'I would not vote for her.'

Rep Adam Kinzinger (R - Illinois) said he would 'certainly' vote to remove Greene from the Education and Labor Committee but said he is 'not sure' about evicting her from Congress altogether.

'I think a district has every right to put who they want there,' Kinzinger told Meet the Press on Sunday.

'But we have every right to take a stand and say you don't get a committee, and we definitely need to do that.'

Kinzinger took his criticism a step further on Monday as he launched a new campaign to take the GOP back from influence of members like Greene and Donald Trump.

'The Republican Party has lost its way. If we are to lead again, we need to muster the courage to remember who we are,' the Illinois congressman said in a video announcing his Country 1st PAC.

'Republicans must say enough is enough. It's time to unplug the outrage machine, reject the politics of personality, and cast aside the conspiracy theories and the rage,' he added.

'The biggest danger right now is that we've become a party that dabbles  not just dabbles  we traffic in conspiracies and we traffic in lies.'

Rep. Adam Kinzinger launched new Super PAC to take Republican Party back from the influence of figures like Greene and Donald Trump on Monday

Sen Rob Portman (R - Ohio) also voiced support for a 'strong response' from the GOP on Sunday.

'Republican leaders ought to stand up and say it is totally unacceptable what she has said,' Portman told CNN's 'State of the Union'.

'I saw a couple videos over the weekend. And one had to do with violence, as I see it. And there is no place for violence in our political dialogue.

'By the way, there is no place for violence in our country. I mean, this is something that we have got to get away from. So, yes, I think people ought to speak out clearly.'

Portman said he 'wouldn't be surprised' if Greene was voted off committee but indicated that he doesn't think she should be expelled.

'I think that is the way to send a message,' he said. 'The voters who elected her in her district in Georgia ought to be respected. On the other hand, when that kind of behavior occurs, there has to be a strong response.'

Republican Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (left) said Sunday that the Party shouldn't punish Greene for pushing QAnon conspiracy theories, while Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio (right) called for his GOP colleagues to 'stand up' and condemn the congresswoman

Greene has publicly refused to take any responsibility for her inflammatory social media posts and comments, insisting that she is being targeted by Democrats.

'They are coming after me because I'm a threat to their goal of Socialism,' she said in a statement to CBS last week.

'They are coming after me because they know I represent the people, not the politicians.

'They are coming after me because like President Trump, I will always defend conservative values.

'They want to take me out because I represent the people. And they absolutely hate it.'

Greene also branded calls for her expulsion a 'witch hunt' in a town hall on Thursday, and on Saturday announced that Trump recently called her to express his support.

Greene is set to meet with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R -California) this week about the controversy, which he has not publicly commented on. McCarthy is pictured with Trump in Mar-a-Lago last week

Greene is set to meet with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R -California) this week about the controversy, which he has not publicly commented on.

'These comments are deeply disturbing, and Leader McCarthy plans to have a conversation with the Congresswoman about them,' Mark Bednar, a spokesman for McCarthy, said in a statement.

The chair of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, recently told the New York Times that she will not retaliate against Greene as she said the top GOP entity will 'stay neutral' as the 2022 primary campaign ensues.

'Majorie Taylor Greene is trying to distance herself from those things and there's going to be an investigation,' McDaniel said.

'I trust the voters. I have a lot of faith in the voters to pick who's best to represent them.'

McDaniel, the cousin of Senator Mitt Romney, said the RNC would step in if 'there's more egregious things,' like 'if there's a David Duke situation'.

She also said she trusts McCarthy to 'handle' Greene as calls step up for her to resign or, at the very least, be removed from the House Education and Labor Committee.

'She has said they're not from her,' McDaniel said of the QAnon conspiracies Greene subscribes to, like that the government is run by a left-leaning, devil-worshiping cabal of pedophiles and sex traffickers.
For full access, please log in, register your subscription or subscribe.

Try for 99 a month for two months, cancel or pause anytime.
Former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and his deputy, Avi Berkowitz, were nominated on Sunday for the Nobel Peace Prize for their work on Middle East peace.

The pair were recognized for four normalization deals between Israel and Arab nations known as the 'Abraham Accords.'

They were nominated by lawyer Alan Dershowitz, who was eligible to do so in his capacity as a professor emeritus of Harvard Law School.

Kushner, who is Trump's son-in-law, and Berkowitz, who was the Middle East envoy, were key figures in negotiating deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

Scroll down for video

Jared Kushner, pictured with wife Ivanka Trump, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

Kushner is seen on December 21 with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister

Donald Trump announced that Sudan will normalize relations with Israel on October 23

The deals were announced in a four-month span between mid-August and mid-December and were the most significant diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East in 25 years as the region girds for a prolonged confrontation with Iran.

Kushner said in a statement he was honored to be nominated for the prize.

President Joe Biden's administration is expected to review all national security deals reached during the Trump administration, including arms packages for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

There have been some complaints from lawmakers about the Morocco deal because to get Morocco to agree to it, the United States recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region.

Trump left office on January 20 under a cloud of controversy, potentially impacting whether the pair of aides would be awarded the Nobel.

There are few barriers to being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize: actually winning is a far tougher challenge.

Any member of parliament of government or university professor, plus directors of foreign policy institutes, past recipients of a Nobel Prize and members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee can nominate a person or organization.

The nominations require no invitation and as long they are entered before February 1 of the qualifying year, they will be accepted.

Alan Dershowitz, who served as Trump's legal counsel during his first impeachment, nominated Kushner and Berkowitz for the annual prize

Kushner's deputy, Avi Berkowitz, was nominated for the prize alongside his boss

Kushner speaks to journalists after Ambassador David Friedman unveiled a plaque designating the Jared Kushner Courtyard, at the US embassy in Jerusalem, on December 21

Last year 318 nominations were made, and the prize was won by the World Food Program.

Trump was nominated in 2018 and again this year - both times by far-Right Norwegian politician Christian Tybring-Gjedde.

The award's most famous recipients include Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa, but the broad criteria for nominations means that past nominees have included some controversial selections.

Adolf Hitler was nominated for the peace prize in 1939 by a member of the Swedish parliament. Reportedly submitted in satire, the nomination was withdrawn soon after.

A few years later, the Soviet leader Josef Stalin was nominated for the same award, twice: once in 1945, for his efforts ending World War Two, and again in 1948.

After nominations are submitted, the recipient is selected by a five-person Nobel Committee, which is appointed by the Norwegian Parliament.

The winner of the 2021 prize will not be announced until October.

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are pictured in Saudi Arabia in May 2017
Kansas confronts a voter reckoning on the sordid topic of abortion as faith leader denounce the new administration with over support of the controversial medical practice.

The latest . . .



Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said President Joe Biden's soul "is in jeopardy" during recent interview.

Money line . . .

Naumann was asked what he would say to Biden, a self-professed Catholic, if he had the opportunity.



I would say, Wake up. Think about what youre really doing here. I mean, his soul is in jeopardy, I believe, said Naumann.



You know, when they use euphemisms, when youre violating fundamental human rights you use euphemisms, and so you say this is health care for the poor, he continued. What other health care procedure does two people go in, one comes out dead and the other one scarred emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes even physically?

Take a look . . .

You decide . . .
Advertisement

WHERE IS DOOR-TO-DOOR TESTING BEING OFFERED? London W7: Hanwell N17: Tottenham CR4: Mitcham West Midlands WS2: Walsall East of England EN10: Broxbourne South East ME15: Maidstone GU21: Woking North West PR9: Southport Advertisement

Door-to-door coronavirus testing is being launched across eight parts of England where it is feared the South African variant causing panic around the world is spreading in the community.

In a desperate attempt to keep track of the mutated virus that experts fear could hamper the current crop of vaccines, health officials will join forces with local police, councillors and firefighters to visit homes in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire, to offer residents a swab.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said tonight people in those areas must take 'extra special precautions' amid the threat of an outbreak of the new, highly-infectious variant. Speaking at tonight's Downing Street press conference, he added: 'The stay at home message is there for everyone but in particular in those areas it's absolutely vital that people minimise all social contact and get a test when the opportunity arises.

More than 80,000 over-16s will be targeted as part of the huge surveillance scheme and residents will be asked to take a test regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. Mr Hancock said it was 'imperative' that people in these areas stay at home and get a test when it is offered to them.

As well as knocking on doors and asking residents to take tests there and then, extra mobile swabbing units will be deployed to all eight postcodes and home testing kits will be available to order online for residents to do themselves.

Public Health England has already spotted 105 cases of the 'B.1.351' South African variant since December 22, including at least 11 people  scattered across the eight areas receiving extra testing  who were struck down with the virus but had no history of international travel.

Mr Hancock said 'enhanced contact tracing' had been carried out to isolate the 11 patients' close contacts. There is currently no evidence that the variant causes more severe illness and early studies suggest the current crop of jabs are good enough to protect against it.

Experts fear there could be hundreds more cases already in the UK because PHE only analyses one in 10 random positive samples and the strain cannot be spotted in standard PCR tests. All of the swabs confirmed to have Covid will be sent to labs for further testing.

Health officials are anxious not to let another Covid variant run rampant, after Britain struggled to get a grip on the Kent strain which sparked a devastating second wave that plunged England into its third lockdown at the start of January.

Like the Kent variant, the South African version carries the N501Y mutation which makes it far more transmissible than the original Covid strain. And it has additional mutations on its spike protein which scientists fear will make it difficult for the immune system to recognise, even in vaccinated people. But early tests have shown the current crop of vaccines still work against the variant but may be slightly less effective.

Ministers have already banned travel from South Africa and surrounding countries in response to the threat. In response to the ever-growing threat of dangerous new variants, the Government last week ordered mandatory hotel-quarantines for arrivals from 30 'red list' countries  including Portugal and South Africa.

The PCR test  considered the gold standard method worldwide  looks for three genes present on the original virus that came out of China, the S gene, N gene and ORF1ab. Health officials are able to spot the Kent strain with regular PCR because that variant is missing the S gene.

But the South African version is much harder to track because it shares all three genes with the original strain so PCR results cannot differentiate between the two, meaning researchers need to manually sequence each sample in a laboratory.

PHE sources claimed today they were 'not expecting a surge in cases' because the strain is no more transmissible than the dominant Kent one currently plaguing the country, so it has no 'evolutionary edge' over it. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said this morning he was 'confident' that all the vaccines the UK has ordered will 'provide a high degree of immunity and protection against all variants'.

And Mr Johnson said he was convinced lockdown was now working and bringing even the fast-spreading variants of the virus under control in Britain, with an internal report leaked today revealing ministers believe the outbreak is 'stabilising'.

But Labour said it was 'deeply worrying' that the South African strain appeared to be spreading in the community, claiming it 'shows the UK Government's quarantine system is not working'.

In other dramatic coronavirus developments today:

Britain recorded the fewest daily Covid deaths since December with 406 more victims as cases continue to dive - hitting a seven-week low of 18,607;

Boris Johnson said lockdown was working and vaccines are effective against Covid variants, but warned it is too early to take 'foot off the neck of the beast';

Ministers are believed to be considering giving spare vaccines to Ireland in the coming months after the EU staged a humiliating climbdown on its threat to ban exports;

Britain could be back to something close to pre-coronavirus life as soon as the summer thanks to the UK's vaccine juggernaut, according to a top scientist;

It has been claimed Matt Hancock vetoed a deal to manufacture a British vaccine in the United States because it did not guarantee the UK would get the first supply of jabs;

Rishi Sunak has been warned against a money-raising Budget next month with the tax burden at a 70-year high and the manufacturing recovery stalling.

In a desperate attempt to keep track of the South African variant that experts fear could effect the current crop of vaccines, health officials will carry out swabs in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said tonight people in the eight affected areas must take 'extra special precautions' amid the threat of an outbreak of the new, highly-infectious variant. Boris Johnson said today he was 'confident' that all the vaccines the UK has ordered will 'provide a high degree of immunity and protection against all variants'

Surge testing kits for Covid-19 piled up in Woking fire station where Group Commander David Nolan (right) and Assistant Group Commander Tim Readings (left) are co-ordinating the roll out

WHY ARE SCIENTISTS SO SCARED OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT? The variant has mutations on its spike protein which scientists fear will make it difficult for the immune system to recognise, even in vaccinated people Real name: B.1.351 When and where was it discovered? Scientists first noticed in December 2020 that the variant, named B.1.351, was genetically different in a way that could change how it acts. It was picked up through random genetic sampling of swabs submitted by people testing positive for the virus, and was first found in Nelson Mandela Bay, around Port Elizabeth. Using a computer to analyse the genetic code of the virus  which is viewed as a sequence of letters that correspond to thousands of molecules called nucleotides  can help experts to see where the code has changed and how this affects the virus. What mutations did scientists find? There are two key mutations on the South African variant that appear to give it an advantage over older versions of the virus  these are called N501Y and E484K. Both are on the spike protein of the virus, which is a part of its outer shell that it uses to stick to cells inside the body, and which the immune system uses as a target. They appear to make the virus spread faster and may give it the ability to slip past immune cells that have been made in response to a previous infection or a vaccine. What does N501Y do? N501Y changes the spike in a way which makes it better at binding to cells inside the body. This means the viruses have a higher success rate when trying to enter cells when they get inside the body, meaning that it is more infectious and faster to spread. This corresponds to a rise in the R rate of the virus, meaning each infected person passes it on to more others. N501Y is also found in the Kent variant found in England, and the two Brazilian variants of concern  P.1. and P.2. What does E484K do? The E484K mutation found on the South African variant is more concerning because it tampers with the way immune cells latch onto the virus and destroy it. Antibodies  substances made by the immune system  appear to be less able to recognise and attack viruses with the E484K mutation if they were made in response to a version of the virus that didn't have the mutation. Antibodies are extremely specific and can be outwitted by a virus that changes radically, even if it is essentially the same virus. South African academics found that 48 per cent of blood samples from people who had been infected in the past did not show an immune response to the new variant. One researcher said it was 'clear that we have a problem'. Vaccine makers, however, have tried to reassure the public that their vaccines will still work well and will only be made slightly less effective by the variant. How many people in the UK have been infected with the variant? At least 105 Brits have been infected with this variant, according to Public Health England's random sampling. The number is likely to be far higher, however, because PHE has only picked up these cases by randomly scanning the genetics of around one in 10 of all positive Covid tests in the UK. This suggests that there have been at least 1,050 cases between December and January 27. Where else has it been found? According to the PANGO Lineages website, the variant has been officially recorded in 31 other countries worldwide. The UK has had the second highest number of cases after South Africa itself. But other nations where it has been found include South Korea, Sweden, France, Australia, Germany, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Norway, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, USA, Netherlands, Mozambique, Ireland, Botswana, New Zealand, Finland, Spain and the French island territory Mayotte. Will vaccines still work against the variant? So far, Pfizer and Moderna's jabs appear only slightly less effective against the South African variant. Researchers took blood samples from vaccinated patients and exposed them to an engineered virus with the worrying E484K mutation found on the South African variant. They found there was a noticeable reduction in the production of antibodies, which are virus-fighting proteins made in the blood after vaccination or natural infection. But it still made enough to hit the threshold required to kill the virus and to prevent serious illness, they believe. There are still concerns about how effective a single dose of vaccine will be against the strain. So far Pfizer and Moderna's studies have only looked at how people given two doses react to the South African variant. Studies into how well Oxford University/AstraZeneca's jab will work against the South African strain are still ongoing. Johnson & Johnson actually trialled its jab in South Africa while the variant was circulating and confirmed that it blocked 57 per cent of coronavirus infections in South Africa, which meets the World Health Organization's 50 per cent efficacy threshold. Advertisement

Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Labour's Shadow Home Secretary, said: 'This is deeply worrying. It shows the UK Government's quarantine system is not working with the country being exposed to dangerous strains of the virus and new cases now appearing.

'While door-to-door testing is welcome in areas where cases of the South African variant with no links to travel have been identified, how can the Home Secretary justify keeping our borders open to Covid, allowing around 21,000 people to arrive every day?

'Conservative MPs must vote with Labour today to secure our borders against Covid and help to prevent progress on the vaccine being undermined. The Government must also ensure that adequate isolation support is put in place for those required to self-isolate.'

Matt Hancock said it was 'on all of us' to contain the new South African variant within the community.

'It is not straightforward and as you say there may be further cases we don't know about yet and our genomic sequencing is in place to try to spot them,' he told a Downing Street press conference.

'The most important thing is that people in the postcode areas outlined need to take extra special precautions.

'It is absolutely vital that people in those areas minimise all social contact and get a test when the opportunity arises.

'It's a big effort getting this new variant essentially finding every single case of it, that is the goal.'

Mr Hancock added that the Government contact tracing system now finds 95% of contacts.

'It has built up to this very effective level,' he said.

In Woking, Surrey, a team of volunteers will hand deliver 9,000 PCR tests to homes from tomorrow and then collect them from doorsteps three hours later.

A spokesman Woking Borough Council said: 'Once the kits have been delivered the volunteers will return in about 3hours to collect them.'

Two cases of the South African coronavirus variant have been detected in Woking. Authorities want to know how far the variant has spread and is targeting residents living in the St Johns and Goldsworth Park areas of the town.

The nose and throat swab kits are being sent out by the Surrey Local Resilience Forum. Everyone over the age of 18 living in those areas is being asked to take the test, even those who have recently taken a test.

Helen Futter, 57, who lives in Goldsworth Park, said she has never had a PCR test but will happily take part when she receives her package.

She told MailOnline: 'Of course I will do the test. I think we will do anything that will help drive the virus away and we can get on with our lives. 'I've never had any symptoms so have not had to have a PCR test. I know friends who have had the virus and a neighbour who was a NHS porter died last year after being infected.'

Helen Sheldrake said: 'It makes sense to take part in the testing. I heard about it on the news and there are just a couple of people in the area who have the strain,' she said. 'I can't see anyone turning down as we are all in this together and anything that can drive down the virus has to be a good thing.'

People living in Southport, Merseyside, will be tested at mobile pop-up centres and by health volunteers going door-to-door. The programme will be rolled out from tomorrow and is being organised by Sefton Council.

Sefton's Director of Public Health, Margaret Jones said: 'Although it seems this new variant can still be combated through vaccination, it could be more transmissible, which means it could spread more quickly.

'That's why it is important we carry out this additional testing to try and identify it and to limit the number of us who might be exposed to it.

'We will be setting up dedicated test sites for the new variant and once they are in place, I would encourage everyone aged over 16 in the areas targeted to get tested as soon as possible, even though they don't have symptoms.

'This will help us find any cases of the new variant and help stamp it out.'

Ealing Council in West London has asked all residents living and working in parts of the borough to get at Covid test as soon as possible.

A testing centre has been set up in a local car park and extra staff are to be deployed there from tomorrow to cope with an expected surge in demand.

A Council statement revealed that the South African variant was discovered in a resident following random sampling by national test and trace officials and that they were notified about it last week.

The Council also revealed that over the coming week, free home tests will be delivered to every household in the identified area. Residents of all ages will be asked to complete the test and hand it back to a collection service.

The impacted area includes approximately 5,500 households in the W7 and W13 postcode areas of the borough.

The Council is also planning to hold a public meeting for residents later this week.

An official told MailOnline at the testing centre which is located in the Dean Gardens Car Park that around 100 people had been tested over a two-hour period when news of the South African strain of the virus became public.

He added: 'We're going to have two teams for the rest of the week because we are expecting a lot of people. The first part of the day was very quiet but when news got out about the South African strain there was a huge rush for testing.'

Many residents were disappointed however, after arriving for a test only to discover that the temporary testing centre closed at 3pm.

Ali Kelly, 52 said: 'The Council have got us all in a panic about this South African strain and it would have made sense for the testing centre to stay open for longer.

'I came down here as soon as I heard the news because I wanted to get a test and put my mind at rest. I suppose I'll have to come back tomorrow but it's quite ridiculous that at a time like this, the testing centre is closed.'

Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council said in a statement: 'I urge people living or working in the area with or without symptoms to get tested so that any others with this variant can be identified to protect them, their loved ones and the wider community.

'The government has told us that there is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness or that the regulated vaccine would not protect against it.'

So far Pfizer and Moderna's jabs, of which the UK has ordered 57million doses, appear only slightly less effective against the South African variant, according to lab studies by the jab makers published last week.

Even with the slight reduction in efficacy, the research strongly suggests the vaccines will still be able to kill off the new strain before it can cause serious illness.

Researchers took blood samples from vaccinated patients and exposed them to an engineered virus with the worrying mutations found on the South African variant.

They found there was about a noticeable reduction in the production of antibodies, which are virus-fighting proteins made in the blood after vaccination or natural infection.

But, in a boost to the world's immunisation efforts, the team said the number of antibodies produced was still high enough to kill the mutant strain.

Group Commander David Nolan with surge testing Covid-19 Kits (left) that arrived in Woking this morning (right)

A mobile testing site in Goldsworth Park near Woking, Surrey, where testing it being ramped up to clamp down on the South African strain

What variants are causing panic around the world? Kent variant Real name: B.1.1.7 When was it discovered? The variant was first found in the South East of England and can be traced back to September 2020. What mutations does it have? It has 23 mutations, some of which change the shape of the spike protein on its outside. The main mutation is known as N501Y. This appears to make it better able to stick to the cells inside the body and makes it more likely to cause infection and faster to spread. Why is it causing worry? UK studies have shown it is between 50 and 70 per cent more infectious than the regular strain, which has made it harder to control. Preliminary studies also show it is about 30 per cent more deadly than previous versions. How many people have caught it in the UK? It is the dominant strain in Britain and accounts for the majority of new cases. Brazil variant Real name: P.1 When was it discovered? In Tokyo, Japan, in four travellers arriving from Manaus, Brazil, on January 2. What mutations does it have? P.1 has 17 mutations, three of which are particularly concerning to scientists. Like the Kent variant, it also has the N501Y mutation which suggests it's more infectious and possibly more lethal. It also has a spike alteration named E484K, which scientists believe may be associated with an ability to evade parts of the immune system called antibodies. Researchers suspect this is the case because strains with this mutation have been shown to reinfect people who caught and beat older versions of Covid. Another key mutation in the variant, named K417T, has the potential to 'possibly escape some antibodies', according to British experts. This mutation is less well-studied and the ramifications of this are still being researched. Why is it causing worry? There have been a number of proven cases of people catching this variant after beating older versions of the virus. It strongly suggests the variant can evade natural immunity and possibly even vaccines. How many people have caught it in the UK? It's not. Public health officials and scientists randomly sample around 1 in 10 coronavirus cases in the UK and they have not yet reported any cases of the variant, but this doesn't rule it out completely. South African variant Real name: B.1.351 When was it discovered? Nelson Mandela Bay, in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, in mid-December. What mutations does it have? The South African variant carries 21 mutations, including E484K and N501Y. Why is it causing worry? Those two mutations suggest it is more infectious than the older version of Covid and raise the possibility of antibody resistance. However, Sir Patrick Vallance has said there is no reason the South African or Brazilian strains would become dominant in the UK, because they don't have any evolutionary edge over the Kent strain currently plaguing the country, which is just as transmissible. How many people have caught it in the UK? At least 105 Brits have been infected with this variant, though the number is likely to be far higher because PHE is only testing random positive samples. Advertisement

There are still concerns about how effective a single dose of vaccine will be against the strain. So far Pfizer and Moderna's studies have only looked at how people given two doses react to the South African variant, and Britain has decided to delay giving people two doses to get more people jabbed quickly.

Johnson & Johnson confirmed last week that its world-first single shot jab, which Britain has pre-ordered 30million doses of, blocked 57 per cent of coronavirus infections in South Africa, which meets the World Health Organization's 50 per cent efficacy threshold and hints that one shot may be enough to fend off the new strain. That jab is expected to be rolled out in the coming months once it seals approval.

Studies into Oxford University/AstraZeneca's jab, which Britain has ordered 100million doses of and is already dishing out to the most vulnerable, and the South African strain are still ongoing.

Reacting to today's announcement, Professor Jonathan Ball, a molecular virologist at the University of Nottingham, said: 'We know that some coronavirus variants might be less easily killed by antibodies raised against some of the existing vaccines, but the levels of immunity are hopefully still sufficient to prevent serious disease.

'But we can't be certain that vaccine immunity might not be adversely impacted, especially after a single dose, which is why it is important to try to prevent these variants from spreading widely.

'That will mean effective social distancing and identifying where the variants are currently circulating, so we can stop them in their tracks through effective testing, track and trace and isolating infected individuals.'

The South African variant carries 21 mutations, some of which change the shape of the spike protein, which the virus uses to bind to human cells, on its outside. The two worrying mutations it carries are known as E484K and N501Y.

N501Y appears to make it better able to stick to the cells inside the body and makes it more likely to cause infection and faster to spread. This is the same mutation found on the Kent variant, which is at least 50 per cent more infectious than regular Covid and possibly more deadly.

Scientists believe E484K may be associated with an ability to evade parts of the immune system called antibodies. Researchers suspect this is the case because strains with this mutation have been shown to reinfect people who caught and beat older versions of Covid.

Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, added: 'The presence of the 'South African' variant of the Covid-19 coronavirus in the UK has been recorded previously but has ultimately been linked to travel there.

'This variant not only appears to spread rapidly, but there is emerging evidence to suggest that it is less susceptible to immunity induced by the current crop of vaccines. The discovery of a handful of cases with no links to travel to Africa, indicates that it might be more widespread in the community than previously thought.

'Detecting this is a success story for the UK's coronavirus genome sequencing programme. This spread, even if small in scale, needs to be brought under control quickly, so Public Health England's house-to-house checks, and intensive testing are the right thing to do. Anyone testing positive for the coronavirus must isolate to stop the spread.'

Professor Rowland Kao, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology and Data Science, University of Edinburgh, said: 'The identification of cases of the SA variant in people with no obvious travel links (either travel themselves, or links to other known cases) suggest that, at the very least, they were infected while in the UK  i.e. there is evidence of local transmission.

'As only 5 per cent of cases are tested to determine if they are the variant, there is a high probability that further local cases are in circulation  making it more difficult at the spread of the variant can be contained.

'Surge testing, i.e where all residents will be offered a PCR test via post will aim therefore to identify variant clusters and extent of spread, but is highly dependent on individuals taking up those tests, as it remains a voluntary activity.

'As there is some evidence that current vaccines may be at least somewhat less effective against this variant, slowing its spread via surge testing and maintaining travel restrictions to prevent it jumping to other areas of the UK (if it has not done so already) will be important to keep COVID-19 infections continuing downwards at its current trajectory.'

It comes after Boris Johnson today insisted lockdown is working and vaccines are effective against coronavirus variants - but warned it is too early to take our 'foot off the throat of the beast'.

The PM struck a positive tone as he visited a vaccination site in Yorkshire, saying there was evidence of a 'flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations'

Mr Johnson dodged committing to any timetable, amid fears that the South African version of the disease is transmitting in the community

The PM struck a positive tone as he visited a vaccination site in Yorkshire, saying there was evidence of a 'flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations'.

After a leaked Cabinet Office report hailed the 'stabilising' situation, he also stressed that the government believes all the jabs being used in the UK are effective against all variants. And he said he was 'optimistic' that Britons will be able to go on summer holidays this year.

But Mr Johnson dodged committing to any timetable, amid fears that the South African version of the disease is transmitting in the community.

Eleven people across England have tested positive for that variant, despite having no links to travel or previous cases of the strain - with 'surge testing' being carried out in the area to check the scale of the problem. In total the Department of Health says 105 cases have now been found in the UK.

The PM told reporters on his visit to the vaccination hub in Batley: 'We are starting to see some signs of a flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations.

'But don't forget that they are still at a very high level by comparison with most points in the last 12 months, a really very high level.

'So the risk is if you take your foot off the throat of the beast, as it were, and you allow things to get out of control again then you could, alas, see the disease spreading again fast before we have got enough vaccines into people's arms. That's the risk.'

Asked about the issue with variants spreading, Mr Johnson said: 'We are confident that all the vaccines that we are using provide a high degree of immunity and protection against all variants.'

He said the vaccines could be adapted to deal with new variants if necessary.

'The fact is we are going to be living with Covid for a while to come in one way or another, I don't think it will be as bad as the last 12 months  or anything like  of course, but it's very, very important that our vaccines continue to develop and to adapt, and they will,' he said.

Revealed: The postcodes where health bosses will carry out door-to-door Covid tests W7: Hanwell (EALING) Hanwell is a middle of the road, middle class area in leafy West London, with a healthy mix of white and BAME residents. Some parts of the area have wide, tree-lined avenues and is quite sought after among young families. Hanwell has a growing population of youngish professionals, especially in the southern part, and a variety of bars and restaurants to serve them POPULATION: 29,000

BAME POPULATION: 60%

COVID CASES (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 27,223 (7,964.5)

COVID DEATHS (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 583 (170.6)

AB SOCIAL GRADE: 29%

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE: 570,000

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 19% N17: Tottenham (HARINGEY) Tottenham is a densely built-up, multiracial district situated six miles north of the Tower of London. It is most famous for its Premier League football club which plays at white Hart Lane in the centre of the area. Tottenham is home to some of the least affluent households in northern London, which means that rents are very affable compared with the rest of the capital. POPULATION: 64,000

BAME POPULATION: 80%

COVID CASES (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 19,315 (7,189.7)

COVID DEATHS (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 373 (138.8)

AB SOCIAL GRADE: 13%

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE: 380,000

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 30% CR4: Mitcham (CROYDON) Originally a village in the county of Surrey, Mitcham is a culturally diverse area within the London Borough of Merton. Mitcham's peaceful, semi-rural location attracts both retirees and families. It is the home of Mitcham Cricket Club which is reportedly the oldest cricket ground still in use, having been used since 1685. POPULATION: 58,000

BAME POPULATION: 71%

COVID CASES (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 28,326 (7,324.9)

COVID DEATHS (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 685 (177.1)

AB SOCIAL GRADE: 17%

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE: 385,000

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 22% WS2: Walsall (WEST MIDLANDS) Walsall has been majorly redeveloped and modernised since the 1970s and is still being constantly developed. The market town is home to some of the most highly deprived neighbourhoods in the borough of Walsall. Walsall is a culturally diverse town where people of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi background form the largest minority groups. POPULATION: 39,000

BAME POPULATION: 35%

COVID CASES (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 21,634 (7,578.2)

COVID DEATHS (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 622 (217.9)

AB SOCIAL GRADE: 8%

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE: 130,000

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 21% EN10: Broxbourne (HERTFORDSHIRE) The tranquil town was voted the most desirable commuter town by a survey by Hamptons International last year. The area includes mostly semi detached and detached homes and the average house price is 417,000. A train to Liverpool Street takes under half an hour. POPULATION: 17,000

BAME POPULATION: 14%

COVID CASES (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 8,518 (8,756.3)

COVID DEATHS (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 156 (160.4)

AB SOCIAL GRADE: 25%

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE: 460,000

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 11% ME15: Maidstone (KENT) The historic town's combination of rural riverside living and modern amenities make it a desirable place to live particularly for residents commuting to London. Maidstone is predominantly white and middle class. It lies 32 miles east-south-east of the capital. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it with Rochester and the Thames Estuary. POPULATION: 48,000

BAME POPULATION: 11%

COVID CASES (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 11,794 (6,863.9)

COVID DEATHS (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 281 (163.5)

AB SOCIAL GRADE: 21%

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE: 320,000

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 11% GU21: Woking (SURREY) The town of Woking in Surrey is predominantly white, middle class and is one of the main commuter towns in Surrey with residents having a 30 minute train journey into London. The area includes mostly semi detached and detached homes. The main employer is the McLaren racing car group while one of its most famous residents was singer Paul Weller from The Jam pop group. POPULATION: 4,200

BAME POPULATION: 26%

COVID CASES (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 5,970 (5,923.0)

COVID DEATHS (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 136 (134.9)

AB SOCIAL GRADE: 35%

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE: 455,000

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 11% PR9: Southport (SEFTON, MERSEYSIDE) Southport is a former Victorian seaside town which has traditionally been seen as more upmarket than Blackpool down the coast. Its MP is a Tory compared to most other seats in Merseyside which are mostly Labour. Southport has some large Victorian villas however there are pockets of deprivation. There is a Pontins holiday camp as well lots of other caravan parks. POPULATION: 43,000

BAME POPULATION: 8%

COVID CASES (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 21,268 (7,694.4)

COVID DEATHS (TOTAL, PER 100,000 PEOPLE): 593 (214.5)

AB SOCIAL GRADE: 19%

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE: 190,000

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE: 10% NOTES: Department of Health officials do not break down Covid cases or deaths by postcode, meaning the figures above are for the local authorities they belong to. Officials today insisted there would be 80,000 people who need to get tested across the eight postcodes - but only offered the simple postcodes. Other websites claim that the postcodes mentioned are home to around 300,000 people. AB social grade is the percentage of the population who are considered 'white-collar' middle-upper class. Source: www.postcodearea.co.uk Advertisement

Boris Johnson says lockdown is working and vaccines ARE effective against Covid variants as internal report hails 'stabilising' cases - but PM warns it is too early to take 'foot off the neck of the beast' amid fears South African mutant is spreading in UK

Boris Johnson today insisted lockdown is working and vaccines are effective against coronavirus variants - but warned it is too early to take our 'foot off the throat of the beast'.

The PM struck a positive tone as he visited a vaccination site in Yorkshire, saying there was evidence of a 'flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations'.

After a leaked Cabinet Office report hailed the 'stabilising' situation, he also stressed that the government believes all the jabs being used in the UK are effective against all variants. And he said he was 'optimistic' that Britons will be able to go on summer holidays this year.

But Mr Johnson dodged committing to any timetable, amid fears that the South African version of the disease is transmitting in the community.

Two people in Surrey have tested positive for the variant of coronavirus, despite having no links to travel or previous cases of the strain - with 'surge testing' being carried out in the area to check the scale of the problem. In total the Department of Health says 107 cases have now been found in the UK.

The PM told reporters on his visit to the vaccination hub in Batley: 'We are starting to see some signs of a flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations.

'But don't forget that they are still at a very high level by comparison with most points in the last 12 months, a really very high level.

'So the risk is if you take your foot off the throat of the beast, as it were, and you allow things to get out of control again then you could, alas, see the disease spreading again fast before we have got enough vaccines into people's arms.

'That's the risk.'

Asked about the issue with variants spreading, Mr Johnson said: 'We are confident that all the vaccines that we are using provide a high degree of immunity and protection against all variants.'

He said the vaccines could be adapted to deal with new variants if necessary.

'The fact is we are going to be living with Covid for a while to come in one way or another, I don't think it will be as bad as the last 12 months  or anything like  of course, but it's very, very important that our vaccines continue to develop and to adapt, and they will,' he said.

In other dramatic coronavirus developments today:

The PM struck a positive tone as he visited a vaccination site in Yorkshire, saying there was evidence of a 'flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations'

Mr Johnson dodged committing to any timetable, amid fears that the South African version of the disease is transmitting in the community

Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert and member of the Sage advisory panel, said the jab could introduce huge changes within months if the rollout continues apace.

Health chiefs will carry out door-to-door swabs in the Goldsworth Park and St Johns areas of Woking from today to seek out the mutant strain, regardless of whether people have symptoms or not. Households within the ME15 area of Kent will also be visited and asked to take a PCR test.

It comes after two Surrey residents tested positive for the South African variant despite having no travel links to the country  the first sign of community transmission.

The 'surge testing' will be done by local health chiefs, along with Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care. The surveillance scheme is expected to be broadened to Egham in the coming days.

Health officials are desperate not to let another Covid variant run rampant as Britain struggles to get a grip on the Kent strain which sparked a devastating second wave that plunged the country into its third lockdown.

So far there have been 105 cases of the South African variant, known as B.1.351, across the UK since December  but this is likely to be an underestimate because PHE only analyses one in 10 random positive samples.

The variant has mutations on its spike protein which scientists fear will make it difficult for the immune system to recognise, even in vaccinated people, and ministers have banned travel from South Africa and surrounding countries as a result.

But there is currently no evidence that the variant causes more severe illness and early studies suggest the current crop of jabs are good enough to protect against it. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today he was 'confident' that all the vaccines the UK has ordered will 'provide a high degree of immunity and protection against all variants'.

Ruth Hutchinson, director of public health for Surrey, said: 'This is a precautionary measure  the more cases of the variant we find, the better chance we have at stopping it from spreading further. By playing your part and taking the test, you'll be helping to keep your community and your loved ones safe.

'It's really important to say that there is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness, so you don't need to worry.

Dr Alison Barnett, regional director at Public Health England South East, said: 'The UK has one of the best genomic systems in the world which has allowed us to detect the variant originating in South Africa here in Surrey.

'I urge everyone offered a test to take it up to help us to monitor the virus in our communities and to help suppress and control the spread of this variant.

'The most important thing is that people continue to follow the guidance that is in place  limit your number of contacts, wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, keep your distance and cover your face. If you test positive by any method, you must isolate to stop the spread of the virus.'

Professor Adam Finn said a 'real effort' should be made to try to 'eliminate' the South African variant before it took hold.

Prof Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), told the BBC: 'A real effort needs to be made to make a circle around it and then eliminate it, if that can be achieved.

PM 'optimistic' about summer holidays Boris Johnson has give Britons more hope about summer holidays - despite refusing to give a timetable for easing lockdown. The PM said he is 'optimistic' people will be able to enjoy a break this year, provided the disease can be kept under control. 'I don't want to give too much concrete by way of dates for our summer holidays. I am optimistic  I understand the reasons for being optimistic  but some things have got to go right,' he said during a visit to Batley, West Yorkshire. 'The vaccine programme has got to continue to be successful. We have got to make sure we don't get thrown off course by new variants, we have got to make sure that we continue to keep the disease under control and the level of infections come down.' The premier's words were echoed by a top scientist, who said the UK could be back to something close to pre-coronavirus life as soon as the summer thanks to the UK's vaccine juggernaut. Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert and member of the Sage advisory panel, said the jab could introduce huge changes within months if the rollout continues apace. And he suggested that the lockdown could start to be eased some time next month as hoped - but will need to be done 'relatively gradually' and carefully to avoid a spike in cases. Advertisement

'I think that's a maybe but it is definitely worth a try.

'The other thing to do is to continue focusing on all the right people with the doses of the vaccines that we have got because the efficiency of the programme is entirely dependent on not just giving lots of doses out but giving the doses to the right people, the people most at risk of getting sick.'

After a shocking report warned that the pandemic could wipe 350billion off children's future earnings, Mr Johnson said that while the economy can bounce back strongly he is concerned about the impact on education.

'It is going to take a while for our country to bounce back completely from Covid. The economy, I think, can bounce back very, very strongly  the UK has immense natural resilience,' he said.

'The thing that really concerns me at the moment is education and the deficit in our children's education that we have run up as a result of these lockdowns.

'That for me is one of the major, major priorities for us  making sure that we ameliorate and repair the loss of time in the classroom, the loss of educational opportunities.'

He also gave a strong hint that England will not return to the 'tiers' system of varying local curbs when the third national lockdown eases.

He told reporters: 'It may be that a national approach, going down the tiers in a national way, might be better this time round, given that the disease is behaving much more nationally.

'If you look at the way the new variant has taken off across the country, it's a pretty national phenomenon.

'The charts I see, we're all sort of moving pretty much in the same sort of way, I mean there are a few discrepancies, a few differences, so it may be that we will go for a national approach but there may be an advantage still in some regional differentiation as well. I'm keeping an open mind on that.'

Mr Johnson said he is 'optimistic' people will be able to enjoy a summer holiday this year, provided the disease can be kept under control.

'I don't want to give too much concrete by way of dates for our summer holidays. I am optimistic  I understand the reasons for being optimistic  but some things have got to go right,' he said during a visit to Batley, West Yorkshire.

'The vaccine programme has got to continue to be successful. We have got to make sure we don't get thrown off course by new variants, we have got to make sure that we continue to keep the disease under control and the level of infections come down.'

The premier's words were echoed by a top scientist, who said the UK could be back to something close to pre-coronavirus life as soon as the summer thanks to the UK's vaccine juggernaut.

Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert and member of the Sage advisory panel, said the jab could introduce huge changes within months if the rollout continues apace.

And he suggested that the lockdown could start to be eased some time next month as hoped - but will need to be done 'relatively gradually' and carefully to avoid a spike in cases.

His optimism came after a weekend of mixed messages from ministers about what the summer will look like for lockdown-weary Britons.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock raised the hopes of millions yesterday as he said that he expected a 'Great British summer' powered by the success of the vaccine rollout.

But less than half an hour after his local BBC interview, Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was 'dangerous' for ministers to go on television 'making promises about people's summer holidays'.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programe this morning, Prof Tildesley said: 'The danger is that as we start to unwind controls we offset the gains we get from vaccinations so we need to be very careful.

'But if the vaccine rollout continues at high levels and we do find that actually these vaccines are good at blocking transmission as well as preventing severe infection, then we are in a good position.

Tax burden for Britons is at a 70-year high The tax burden is at a 70-year high amid warnings businesses face disaster if Chancellor Rishi Sunak moves to raise more money in next month's Budget. The Treasury is set to rake in 34.2 per cent of economic output in the next financial year, according to campaign group the TaxPayers' Alliance. The average tax burden  the amount of tax taken by the Treasury compared with the size of the economy  over the last five years has already climbed to 33.8 per cent, the highest since 1951. The Chancellor is believed to be considering a rise in capital gains tax as he tries to balance the books after the coronavirus pandemic. Business tax and fuel duty rises are also thought to be among the potential targets. But grim figures today show the UK's recovery already appears to be stalling, with activity in the manufacturing sector falling to a three-month low due to fresh lockdowns and post-Brexit supply chain disruptions. The CBI has been calling for the holiday on business rates to be extended further, with firms still under huge pressure. Advertisement

'And hopefully by the summer we can get back to something pretty close to what we have seen before the pandemic was normal.'

His optimistic outlook came as Ryanair's boss voiced his hope that European beach holidays could return this summer thanks to vaccines.

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of the budget airline, said he believes there could be a huge surge in demand for flights to Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal this summer.

His airline has already tried to advertise holidays this year with a 'jab and go' advert.

In a message of optimism, he predicted that the Covid-hit travel and hospitality industry could finally 'return to normal' by the end of this year - due to a 'pent-up demand' from beach-deprived Britons.

But, speaking on the day the Irish low-cost carrier announced expected losses of 800million across 2021, he warned the boom was dependent on the success of the UK's Covid vaccine roll-out.

So far almost nine million Britons have received their first dose of a Covid jab - with the Government currently on track to have everyone over the age of 50 vaccinated by the end of March.

And Mr O'Leary believes ministers should lift travel restrictions once Britain's most vulnerable have been protected.

Local elections due to take place on May 6 look like they will go ahead, after the Conservative Party told activists they should campaign without knocking on doors or delivering leaflets during the lockdown.

Last night it was revealed proxy voting rules are to be altered to accommodate people with coronavirus.

Currently people who wish to nominate a friend to vote on their behalf have to give six weeks' notice which would rule out many people struck down by the pandemic or forced to self-isolate.

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of the budget airline, said he believes there could be a huge surge in demand for intra-European flights this summer

Mr Hancock has long been a summer optimist despite the horrific coronavirus death rate. In December he revealed he had already booked his summer holiday

But the rules are to be changed to allow proxies to be nominated on the same day as a vote, as late as 5pm.

Appearing on BBC Politics East yesterday morning, Suffolk East MP Mr Hancock said he was confident that a high percentage of the UK population would have had their jab within the next six months, enabling a roll-back of restrictions that have been in place since the new year.

'In six months we will be in the middle of, I hope, a happy and free great British summer. I have a high degree of confidence that by then the vast majority of adults will have been vaccinated.

'That is not just the clinically vulnerable groups but then going to all groups, people like me - I'm in my 40s and healthy and we will have got though everybody. 'That will give a high level of protection.'

Speaking a short time later on LBC radio, Ms Truss said that the government's focus was on schools.

'We have to just focus on step by step and summer holidays, I'm afraid, are a lower priority than getting kids back to school,' she told the radio station.

'If there is one thing we have learnt during the coronavirus crisis so far, is how unpredictable things are, what things could emerge.

'I think it would be very dangerous for a government minister to go on your show making promises about people's summer holidays.'

She accepted that current rules which require quarantine and negative Covid tests would likely be 'quite permanent' and would be in place for the 'foreseeable future'

Later, speaking on Andrew Marr, she said there was a long way to go before the summer months.

The travel industry, both domestic and international, has been among the worst-hit by the repeated lockdowns over the past 10 months.

Mr Hancock has long been a summer optimist despite the horrific coronavirus death rate.

In December he revealed he had already booked his summer holiday, travelling to Cornwall with his osteopath wife Martha and their three children.

Speaking in the Commons Mr Hancock had said: 'I do have high confidence that the summer of 2021 will be a bright one without the sort of restrictions that made the summer of 2020 more restrictive. I've booked my holiday. I'm going to Cornwall.'
The Union Budget 2021 will be presented by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament on Monday at 11 am. This year's Union Budget will be extra special because Nirmala Sitharaman earlier had promised a "never before" like Union Bidget as the government plans 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 a newer perspective on vocational training and skill development

With a history of 161 years, the Indian Union Budget is known to be the largest budget in the world and it is prepared by the concerned department of economic affairs of the Ministry of Finance every year. Ahead of the Union Budget 2021 which is set to be presented in the Parliament at 11 am, here are some interesting facts about it.

READ | Union Budget 2021 LIVE Updates: FM Nirmala Sitharaman To Present A 'Budget Like No Other'

Interesting facts about Indian Union Budget

The First Budget

The first Union Budget of India was presented on February 18, 1860, Finance Member of the Viceroy's Executive Council of India, Scotsman James Wilson. Wilson is also known as the founder of The Economist as well as of the Chartered Bank, which later went on to merge with the Standard Bank in 1969.

The Budget Briefcase

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in 2019, abandoned the years-old tradition of the budget briefcase and switched to a more local "bahi khata" (ledger). Earlier, the budget briefcase used to be an integral part of the Budget Day and it was a tradition that was inherited from the UK, where it was started by budget chief Willian Gladstone, whose speeches were so long that a briefcase was needed to accommodate all his papers.

The Black Budget

The 1973-74 budget was presented during severe economic stress, coming in the wake of a failed monsoon and the 1971 Bangladesh war. It was termed the Black Budget for the deficit of Rs 550 crore it showed and the plan to nationalize general insurance companies and coal mines.

The Basement

Earlier the budget documents used to be printed at Rashtrapati Bhavan till there was a leak in 1950. The following year, budget document printing was shifted to a press on Minto Road and then to the basement of North Block, which then became the permanent venue for the printing press of budget paper.

READ | Boycott Storm In Budget Session Of Parliament: Govt Makes Appeal; Economic Survey Awaited

The Highest Number of Budgets Presented

Former Finance Minister Moraji Desai had presented 10 Union Budgets in the Parliament, which is the highest by a single Finance Minister followed by P Chidambaram with 9 budgets.

Longest Budget Speech

Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget 2020 speech is the longest in terms of duration in Indian history. She had begun her speech at 11 am and continued for close to 3 hours, ending at about 1:40 pm. The Finance Minister has spoken for approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes. Just when the last 2 pages of her speech were left, Sitharaman had opted to cut short her Budget speech as she felt unwell after speaking for a record 160 minutes in the Lok Sabha.

READ | Union Budget 2021: Pre-Budget Expectation Quotes From Leading Industry Experts

The longest Budget speech by words was delivered by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. During his tenure as the Finance Minister in 1991, Manmohan Singh's speech comprised of 18,650 words. Meanwhile, the shortest speech comprising of 800 words was given by Home Minister Patel in 1977 while delivering the interim Budget.

Union Budget Presentation Timings

Until 2000, the Budget was presented in Parliament at 5 pm on the last working day of February. But later in 2001, the Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha change the timings and since then the Budget is presented at 11 am.

READ | Union Budget 2021: Finance Min Nirmala Sitharaman To Present Economic Survey 2020-21 Today

Language

Until 1955, the Union Budget was presented in English. However, the Congress-led government in 1956 decided to print the Budget papers in both Hindi and English.

First Women Finance Minister

Indira Gandhi was the first women's Finance Miniter to present the Indian Union Budget in 1970.

First Paperless Budget

Marking a first, the Centre has decided not to print documents related to the Union Budget for the fiscal beginning of April (FY 2021-22). All MPs will get soft copies of the budget and Economic Survey that contains an account of the state of the economy. The Budget documents will be available on the Mobile App - Union Budget Mobile App after the completion of the Budget Speech by the Finance Minister in Parliament on 1st February 2021.

READ | Ahead Of Union Budget 2021, PM Narendra Modi To Chair Virtual All-party Meeting Today
A former Transit police officer was indicted by a Suffolk County grand jury last week in connection to an incident last April when authorities say he pinned a Black man face down on the ground with his knee and filed a report that was contradicted by video.

Nicholas Morrissey, 41, was indicted on charges of assault and battery, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, violating the victims civil rights and filing a false report, the Suffolk County District Attorneys office said. He is expected to be arraigned in Suffolk Superior Court on March 5.

On April 28, 2020, Morrissey was the first officer to arrive after Transit police were called to the Forest Hills MBTA station for a report of an intoxicated homeless person. Morrissey, prosecutors said, dragged the 63-year-old man from the bus and forcibly held his face down with a knee on the victims back for 20 seconds. Authorities said Morrissey pushed the mans head into the pavement and later dragged him out of the bus lane.

The man, who is known to MBTA police, suffered abrasions to his face that required a response from Boston EMS, authorities said.

In many cases, some individuals who regularly encounter police do so as the result of mental illness, substance use disorder, food and housing insecurity, or homelessness  all factors that make them more vulnerable and in greater need of assistance, District Attorney Rachael Rollins said in a statement. Every time an individual comes in contact with a member of law enforcement is a potential opportunity to provide assistance or access to services. Instead, Officer Morrissey is accused of physically assaulting the victim and using his position of trust and authority to actively cover up his criminal actions.

A second officer arrived at the scene and began speaking to the victim in an effort to de-escalate the situation, authorities said. The officer noted that the victim was bleeding from the forehead and appeared more agitated than in prior interactions.

This second officer exhibited the type and quality of care for the public that is expected and required from members of law enforcement, Rollins said. He, like the many other officers throughout Suffolk County that show compassion and empathy to people requiring assistance, should be commended.

A Transit police superintendent listened to radio transmissions of the incident in real-time and later checked for a use-of-force report, which should have been filed in accordance with the departments policy, prosecutors said. The superintendent found none.

Morrissey instead filed a report claiming that the victim lost his balance while attempting to spit at him, authorities said. The report also said Morrissey grabbed the man by the shoulders and redirected him before the man fell through the bus door and hit his forehead on the pavement, prosecutors said.

The claims in the report are not supported by security video or witness statements, authorities said.

Morrissey resigned from his position before any disciplinary action could take place.
Forget a photo album or a collection of precious keepsakes, remembering the life of a loved one has taken a decidedly Hollywood turn.

Well-heeled families are paying six-figure sums to have the life and times of a loved one crafted into a one-of-a-kind biopic, complete with archive footage and interviews with relatives.

Among them is the family of the Queen's beloved cousin Lady Elizabeth Anson, who died in November at the age of 79.

They have enlisted the help of royal wedding videographer Andrew Gemmell, who captured Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's big days.

Personal biopic: The family of the Queen's beloved cousin Lady Elizabeth Anson, who died in November at the age of 79, have commissioned a film about her life. Pictured, Lady Elizabeth Anson with the Queen and Prince Charles in 1995

Fresh-faced: Royal wedding videographer Andrew Gemmell will make a film about Lady Elizabeth's storied life. Pictured, Lady Elizabeth in 1970 (left) and 1969

Speaking to AirMail, Mr Gemmell explained he will carry out hours of Zoom-based video interviews with family members and friends - including, potentially, members of the Royal Family - in order to piece together the true spirit of Lady Elizabeth.

'I want to find those anecdotes that exist within the family but get lost unless someone like me comes to chat with them about itjust a soft conversation, but gently prodding them to open up,' he explained.

He added: 'I speak for certain, but I would be astounded if some members of the royal family wouldnt like to be involved. She was very, very well regarded, and they will see this as a wonderful way of commemorating her.'

The film will never be released but will be kept privately for the family to enjoy and pass down.

However the service comes at a price. Gemmell charges between 15,000 and 37,000 for a cinematic production, with rates increasing to six figures if on-location shoots are involved.

Gemmell, 51, is no stranger to working with the royal family having filmed four royal weddings. Celebrities including David Beckham and Sir Elton John have also commissioned the director to turn their family milestones into high-end movies.

Doyenne of parties: Lady Elizabeth Anson at the 70th Birthday party for King Constantine of Greece at Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece's residence in London in June 2010

There will certainly be no shortage of content when it comes to pulling together Lady Elizabeth's life story.

Born at Windsor Castle during World War II and with King George VI as a godfather, Lady Elizabeth grew up surrounded by, and on first name terms with, the royals.

Lady Elizabeth was royally connected (her mother, a Bowes-Lyon, was a niece of the Queen Mother) but she was also one of the Queen's closest friends.

When she married, the then 20-year-old Princess Anne was a bridesmaid, and her society cameraman brother Patrick (the Earl of) Lichfield, who gave her away, was  along with the Earl of Snowdon  the royals' go-to photographer.

For almost 60 years she presided over London's party scene with a ruthless efficiency. From royalty to celebrity her business, Party Planners, organised the capital's best and most lavish celebrations.

Royal pedigree: Mr Gemmell filmed the wedding of Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. He also filmed the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank

She hosted bashes for everyone from Baroness Thatcher and Sir Mick Jagger, to Tom Cruise and Bill Clinton. Weddings were a speciality: there was pop star Sting's to Trudie Styler to the slightly more reserved nuptials for Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece (to heiress Chantal Miller).

When Prince William married Kate Middleton in 2011, the Queen asked her to organise a party for all the visiting royal guests.

By then she was a veteran of royal party planning. No palace event, it seemed, was complete without input from Lady Elizabeth. She arranged the Queen's 80th birthday party and that to mark the 50th anniversary of her coronation.

In April, the Queen made Lady Elizabeth a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order as a sign of her personal esteem.

She died in November at the age of 79.
DID YOU KNOW ...

Mae C. Jemison is the first African American female astronaut. Her early life and education was quite astonishing.

She was born Oct. 17, 1956 in Decatur, Alabama. Mae is the youngest child of Charlie Jemison, a roofer and carpenter, and Dorothy (Green) Jemison, an elementary school teacher. Mae calls Chicago, Illinois her hometown because the family moved there when she was 3 years old. Her parents wanted to take advantage of the educational opportunities in Chicago.

Her parents were encouraging and supportive of her talents and abilities. She spent a lot of her time in the library reading about science, especially astronomy. She went to Morgan Park High School and became convinced she wanted to pursue a career in biomedical engineering. As a persistent honor student, she graduated in 1973 and entered Stanford University on a National Achievement Scholarship. Being involved in many extracurricular activities, such as dance and theater, did not hamper her educational achievement.

In 1977, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. Shortly after that, she was welcomed at Cornell University Medical College. During her years there, she expanded her outlook on life by studying in Cuba and Kenya and working at a Cambodian refugee camp in Thailand.

Jemison obtained her M.D. (medical degree) and in 1981 she interned at Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center and later worked as a general practitioner. She taught and did medical research and served as the Peace Corps medical officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia.

With such a tremendous background, Mae Jemison was not completely satisfied wither career choice. In 1985, when she returned to the United States, she made a career change and decided to follow her childhood dream. She applied for admission to NASAs astronaut training program. On June 4, 1987, Jemison became the first African American woman to be admitted into the NASA astronaut training program. After a year of training, she became the first African American woman astronaut. Her title was science mission specialist. Jemison finally flew into space on Sept. 12, 1992, with six other astronauts on board the Endeavor, mission ST547. With that, she became the first African American woman in space.

 Compiled by Shirley Madden, member of the Manistee Area Racial Justice & Diversity Initiative.

RELATED

HONORING BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Benjamin Banneker

SHIRLEY MADDEN: Celebrate Black History Month
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.

Victor Low says he was born in the hospitality field. His parents have been running a Chinese restaurant in a small village in Germany for 36 years. So Low's most recent job as a catering manager in the San Gabriel Valley was a natural progression.

But then he got laid off -- like so many other Angelenos in the food and hospitality industry -- and decided to quit the industry for good. "All my colleagues and me, we got hit so hard by this pandemic," Low said.

Now Low, who's 36, is back in school, working on an associate degree in cybersecurity at Pasadena City College. It's thought to be a pandemic-proof field with good wages. And, after only a year of classes, Low expects to have three certificates, in cybersecurity, network administration and help desk/user support.

In all, he estimates it'll cost him around $3,000.

"I'm just so excited to turn this page," he said, adding that he's thankful to PCC for giving him "the skills to make yourself valuable in this new world."

Computer support specialists are among 10 pandemic-proof, living wage occupations identified in a recent report from the Center for a Competitive Workforce, which provides job market analysis for L.A.'s community colleges.

The L.A. area is expected to have more than 1,100 job openings for computer support specialists each year through 2024, with entry-level wages of $44,900 a year. And yet, far fewer local students complete community college programs that would set them up to get those jobs, according to the report.

Five of the 10 frontline or essential jobs identified by the center generally require a year or less of higher education. These are:

Bookkeeping, accounting & auditing clerks

Licensed vocational and licensed practical nurses

Paralegals & legal assistants

Social & human service assistants

Computer user support specialist

Report author Shannon Sedgwick hopes the information will help current and prospective students -- especially those juggling family and other obligations -- to be aware of potential pathways to better-paying jobs that don't require a four-year college investment.

"There's this perception that everybody needs to have at least a bachelor's degree to be successful and that's not necessarily the case," said Sedgwick, who directs the Institute for Applied Economics at Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. (The CCW has also profiled many other middle-skill jobs.)

The data is also intended to help community colleges align their offerings with the needs of local industries.

The center also looked at promising high-skill positions in frontline industries. These include:

Accountants and auditors

Social workers

Financial managers

Market research analysts and marketing specialists

Software developers/Quality assurance analysts and testers

Even though employers often want to see a bachelor's degree for such high-skill jobs, Sedgwick said people already working in these fields, or with the proven skills that employers are looking for, may be able to get hired without a bachelor's degree.

(Jill Replogle/LAist)

Frontline Jobs: Pandemic-Proof But Often Risky To Health

Frontline industries in Southern California have provided a mixed blessing for many of their workers during the pandemic: stable employment that often comes with high risk of exposure to the coronavirus (think grocery store workers) and low wages.

According to the Center for a Competitive Workforce, during the first half of 2020, employment in the Los Angeles basin dropped 23.6% among non-essential workers, but just 6.3% among essential workers.

But many essential workers have the benefits of a stable, well-paying job and greater protection from virus exposure, including many of the jobs highlighted in the report.

Still, many essential workers will continue to be at-risk on the job.

According to the report: "Turning recommended safety guidelines into stricter policies and expanding access to personal protective equipment is a necessity. Businesses in these industries should also be encouraged to consider stronger social distancing, flexible worksite and workforce scheduling mechanisms and mask-wearing requirements."

Pandemic As Opportunity?

The vast majority of job losses in California during the pandemic have been among workers without a bachelor's degree, the state Legislative Analyst's Office reported in December.

Unlike in past recessions, the unemployed haven't flocked back to school for retraining -- yet. Some local community colleges lost nearly a quarter of their students last fall. Lack of childcare, job loss, health issues and the switch to online learning all contributed to the enrollment decline.

But with an eventual end to the pandemic in sight, many economic and academic leaders see a big role for colleges to retrain people whose jobs have vanished. "This is a moment to think about new pathways for adults as a solution to the pandemic-induced recession," said Danette Howard, chief policy officer at Lumina Foundation, which advocates for increased access to higher education.

Computer user support specialist is one the promising middle-skill jobs identified in a recent report from the Center for a Competitive Workforce. (Jefferson Santos via Unsplash)

Howard believes colleges should work toward offering "stackable" credentials, such as industry-recognized certificates, so that students can turn their education into jobs as they go. That way, if a student has to leave school before completing their bachelor's degree, say, because of a family emergency, "I would at least have that certificate," Howard said.

Currently, she pointed out, 5.7 million Californians have some college credit but no degree.

Federico Saucedo, interim dean of career education and workforce development at Glendale Community College, said understanding which job and wage possibilities lie at the other end of a college program is key to giving would-be students the confidence to commit -- especially workers displaced during the pandemic.

"At the top of their list is going to be stability," Saucedo said.

He said potential students also need to think about -- and ask academic counselors about -- the lifestyle and working conditions associated with a particular career path: Will I be able to work remotely? Will I have to work on weekends?

For Low, the former catering manager, a big motivation to switch from the hospitality field to cybersecurity lies in the answer to those questions. Catering often involves late nights and busy weekends, which could be hard to square with the family he hopes to start with his girlfriend.

He hopes his new career will give him more flexibility. "As you get older, you realize that time is probably your most valuable asset," Low said. "You understand that the people around you get older, and your parents, and you just want to be there for everybody."
POTTSVILLE  Cases involving an alleged rapist, a Megans Law offender and a man who purportedly unlawfully carried a gun and pointed it at police before being shot will dominate the two-week February criminal term in Schuylkill County Court, which will start Tuesday due to Mondays weather forecast.

Deputy Court Administrator John Richmond said 15 jury trials are on the schedule. The last jury was picked Friday afternoon, he said.

District Attorney Michael A. OPake said he is continuing the policy of trying the most serious cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of them are felony offenses, he said. Were certainly trying to be conscientious of the safety of the jurors. We only want them to come in to decide the felonies.

Keith S. McFarland, 41, of Palmerton, is charged with rape of a child, indecent assault, indecent exposure and corruption of minors.

Tamaqua police have charged McFarland with raping the girl, who is now 10, between January 2014 and September 2015 in what was then the defendants residence at 212 N. Greenwood St. in the borough. McFarland allegedly committed the rape while the girls mother and sisters were getting food from McDonalds, police said.

John J. Guman Sr., 59, of Pottsville, faces a charge of failing to register with the Pennsylvania State Police under Megans Law.

Pottsville police allege Guman did not register as required on Oct. 17, 2019. Guman has a conviction from 2011 for indecent assault that requires him to register for 10 years under the law, police said.

Jose E. Cruz, 34, of Allentown, is charged with prohibited possession of firearm, carrying a firearm without a license, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, unlawful possession of weapon, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and five counts of recklessly endangering another person.

State police at Schuylkill Haven charged Cruz with pointing his unlicensed and unlawfully possessed gun at police, resisting arrest and possessing both drugs and paraphernalia around 12:40 a.m. March 8, 2019, near 507 Mahantongo St., Pottsville.

Cruz ended up being shot by police during the encounter.

However, prosecutors no longer are pursuing one count of attempted first-degree murder, five counts each of assault of a law enforcement officer and attempted simple assault and 10 counts of aggravated assault.
Xiaomi was recently discovered to have passed a new patent via the Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co, Ltd., that aims to debut a new product, the Smart Glasses, that has phototherapeutic capabilities that bring light treatment. The device would go alongside smartwatches that are intended to detect different body statuses including heart rate and blood saturation

The popular Chinese consumer electronics and technology company, Xiaomi, has released a massive number of their products that constitute personal, home, and business uses, but this would be one of the firsts for health. Originally nicknamed as "Apple of China" because of the many products that aim to answer different uses like the Cupertino giant.

Xiaomi has debuted another wearable device that is intended for health and wellness, along with light therapy, that would be beneficial for people who have eye fatigue and brain diseases. Xiaomi's previous wearable device is a smartwatch that resembles the Apple Watch and features similar functions, including heart rate monitor, blood O2 saturation, blood pressure indicator, etc.

Read Also: 'Cyberpunk 2077' Johnny Silverhand Relationship: How to Raise Friendship to 70 Percent and Chippin' In Side Job Secret Ending!

Xiaomi Patents Smart Watch with Light Therapy

According to IT Home's report, Xiaomi's unnamed Smart Glasses would integrate 4detection and several therapeutic treatments that would help the users in different problems that only show themselves without warnings. Several brain diseases and mental illnesses from prolonged exposure to technology develop themselves through the years, but therapy can help in these problems.

The Xiaomi patent says that it would bring smart glasses and a smart glasses case with it, with speculations saying that the case would be a protective box that also provides charging for the eyewear. The patent details that it would emit therapeutic signals that focuses on phototherapy signals and wave signals.

Apart from light, it would also utilize sound waves to address mental illness, with the Smart Glasses being an all-in-one tool and wearable gadget that would help in fixing these issues that would manifest surprisingly. Sound waves would be emitted via Bone Conduction, which only requires the glasses to be placed at a certain location near the ears, not necessarily earphones.

Xiaomi New Smartwatch, Patent Unsure of Product Release

Patents are documents that do not necessarily mean that its debuted products would come for the consumer electronics' public release. Sometimes, patents only fall as prototypes but would be discontinued due to different factors as revealed by the company.

Moreover, the smart glasses was initially debuted by Huawei, offering only a fashion feature that can answer, take, and end calls via a series of buttons on the arms that extend to the ears. The same buttons can also play, pause, or skip music on the phone.

According to Gizchina, a new Xiaomi Smartwatch would soon debut, also adding more therapeutic properties, and joins the smartphone in delivering different processes and alerts to its users via wearable technology.

Related Article: New PlayStation Patent Allows Audience to Participate in VR Experience as Good or Bad Spectators

This article is owned by Tech Times





Written by Isaiah Alonzo

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The politicization of medicine in our race for a Novel Coronavirus cure By Charlotte B. Cerminaro





Listening to recent testimony from the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on the state of the pandemic, the striking contrast between politics, media propaganda and actual medical science was on full display. The scene has been re-enacted many times over this past year and would be just another argument about truth versus myth and money, except people's lives are at stake. On a very fundamental level, the physical and mental well-being of billions of humans, including their ability to feed and shelter their families, is threatened by a failure to listen to reason. The panic button has been pushed too many times by politicians, the media, and big pharmaceutical companies pushed by government grants. The simple, straightforward testimony of physicians and researchers on the frontlines of medical care is easily drowned out by name-calling, labeling and preaching, by those who benefit from general public fear and ignorance. It's not only tiresome, but a damaging, expensive and often fatal game. The power of emotional and political manipulation takes its toll on reality and those who need it most.



Since the early days of the pandemic many healthcare workers noted that anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant therapy for patients hospitalized with respiratory distress was effective, cost- and life-saving--often eliminating the need for ventilator assistance and longer hospital stays--with better outcomes. Despite reports from E.R. physicians and researchers on these outcomes, this relatively simple treatment remained a mystery and a well-kept secret for many months. The odd, almost parasitic behavior of the virus prompted healthcare workers in numerous, large-scale studies to use Ivermectin as prophylaxis. This antiviral, antiparasitic Nobel Prize winning drug was among many repurposed, FDA approved medications that were part of the arsenal in some of the hardest hit Latin American countries.



The most convincing testimony in the SHS meeting was by Pierre Kory, MD, a professor of Critical Care Medicine at St. Luke's and a frontline healthcare provider throughout the pandemic. His remarks were from personal experience and medical research and he was clearly fighting back strong emotions, the result of witnessing needless death and destruction. Despite the remarkable safety and efficacy of several FDA approved, repurposed drugs, the NIH and CDC refused to publish or promote them, while the world held its breath for the non-FDA approved, EUA (emergency use authorization) only vaccines. The reason? Those repurposed drugs are FDA approved for many other viral infections, but not COVID-19. Why weren't these promising medications heavily researched and promoted, while waiting for longer-term safety and efficacy results on vaccines? Most vaccines require years of research before they are widely distributed to the general public. Many lifesaving drugs for the deadliest diseases are held back for decades, the terminally ill volunteers denied emergency use even after safety and efficacy are proven.



According to Dr. Kory, significant research has already proven that Ivermectin is as effective for COVID prevention as it is for other viral and parasitic prophylaxis. Doctors and nurses working in ICU facilities throughout Latin America relied on it for their own protection: there were several published studies, including one with 1,600 healthcare workers taking Ivermectin and exposed to COVID who did not become ill, whereas the 1,600 who didn't receive Ivermectin, 58% became ill. Why have millions of people been kept in the dark, denied access to this Nobel Prize winning prevention? Instead, we have lockdowns, high infection rates, ICUs at full capacity and vulnerable populations at significant risk of mortality.



Before I fail to state the obvious, there are several biotech companies that already have vaccines which are proven effective against many varieties of coronavirus, including the one that causes COVID-19. They have been used for years, they have the same means of antigen production (weakened, altered or killed virus) and are safe. The pandemic panic has rushed an entirely new vector for viral antibody production into global distribution, with only months (not years) of data on safety. With millions of people in a state of fear (and little knowledge or access to other modes of prevention) they are putting a new technology in their bodies, assuming it's the same as their yearly influenza vaccine. It's not.



The new BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are made from modified Messenger RNA (mRNA) which is the single strand copy responsible for replicating the proteins encoded in double-stranded DNA. Specifically, the RNA segments coding for 2 separate viral "spike" proteins, which are then separated by a pair of amino acids. The molecule is then wrapped in a fatty acid "nano-capsule" to stabilize it and hold it in an unbonded state until it reaches the target--the host cell. The fatty acids break down readily, whereupon our own cells bind nucleic acid to the viral RNA, transcribe its code and synthesize the viral proteins within our cellular ribosomes. The presence of viral proteins within our cells causes the immune system to mount an attack against them. The issue isn't one of changing our own DNA, as some people fear, but of a slight mistake within our own immune system. Two common immune problems (severe allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis, and autoimmune reactions) are simply immune overreactions to a perceived threat. Since our own cells are producing the antigen, even a slight immune anomaly could potentially turn antibodies against area of production (autoimmune) or producing IgE antibodies instead of IgM and IgG causes allergic reactions.



It is possible that these new vaccines are as safe as any other. However, there is no way to know this and for the millions of people who have already taken the vaccination, only time will tell. Companies that produce vaccines are rarely held accountable for severe problems and since these have no track record beyond the past few months, we are gambling with our own immune systems and the quick mutations of this virus. In the meantime, politics have been the determining factor in treatment protocol and health outcomes, and media-fueled panic has driven an even bigger wedge between scientific reasoning and popular myth. We mustn't be the pawns in this deadly game of chance. Charlotte B. Cerminaro is a Juilliard-trained classical musician who, in addition to being a studio and orchestral musician, enjoys writing and has a degree in Molecular Biology.  2021

Home
A Bristol man was arrested over the weekend after federal prosecutors say he fought with police officers during the riot at the U.S. Capitol last month, leaving one officer with a concussion.

Ryan Samsel, 37, has been charged with assaulting a federal officer, obstructing law enforcement, and obstructing a legal proceeding, according to a federal indictment unsealed Monday. He was taken into custody Saturday, according to law enforcement sources. There was no indication that he had hired an attorney.

Prosecutors said Samsel traveled to Washington on Jan. 6 and can be seen in footage recorded during the riot. In the videos, Samsel walks past a fence erected near the Capitol and confronts a female officer behind a metal barricade, the indictment said.

Samsel and other rioters pushed and pulled on the barricade, causing it to topple onto the officer, who fell and hit her head on the ground and suffered a concussion, the indictment said. He then helped the officer up, telling her, We dont have to hurt you. Why are you standing in our way? according to the document.

 READ MORE: Bucks County gym owner charged in U.S. Capitol riot allegedly said: We were looking for Nancy to shoot her in the friggin brain

The officer, who was not identified, blacked out later that day and had to be rushed to a nearby hospital, prosecutors said.

Later, as rioters pushed closer to the building, Samsel was filmed fighting a group of officers in riot gear. At one point during the melee, he tried to wrestle a shield away from one of the officers, the indictment said.

Federal investigators identified Samsel through a law enforcement database: He is currently on parole for a 2016 assault conviction in Bucks County, and there is a warrant out for his arrest in connection with a separate assault in Burlington County, court records show.

They subpoenaed Samsels cell-phone records and found that he had traveled to Washington and back on Jan. 6, the indictment said.

Samsel was the second Bucks County resident  and at least the 11th Pennsylvanian  in recent days to be face criminal charges for rioting at the Capitol.

 READ MORE: A Pittsburgh-area QAnon supporter who told followers he was going to fight is charged in the Capitol attack

On Friday, federal agents arrested Dawn Bancroft, a Doylestown resident who owns CrossFit Sine Pari. Bancroft allegedly recorded herself and another woman, Diana Santos-Smith, inside the Capitol during the riot.

 We broke into the Capitol  we got inside, we did our part,  Bancroft said, according to the FBI.

Looking for Nancy to shoot her, she said at another point, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a video she filmed in the Capitol and sent to others, law enforcement officials said.

Bancroft faces federal charges of knowingly entering a restricted building, violent entry and disorderly conduct.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Periods of rain. High 53F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Overcast. Low 43F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.

Hotel Rottnest standing deserted on a summer weekend afternoon was only one of the strange sights and sounds on the island on Sunday as authorities abruptly ejected thousands of holidaymakers.

Soon after Premier Mark McGowans midday press conference, loudspeakers began to blare, telling patrons to leave as soon as possible.

Rottnest Island jetty was packed as authorities moved to evacuate people after the announcement WA was going into a five-day lockdown on Sunday.

There were more than 2000 people on the island at the weekend.

Rottnest staff darted door to door, checking all had heard the message, as people who had booked for the week began emptying fridges and throwing a weeks worth of food into whatever receptacles they could find.

Just days into his tenure, President Joe Biden already is grappling with a foreign policy crisis  a military coup in Myanmar  that could put his administration at odds with China, the country he has identified as Americas top long-term rival.

How Biden and his aides react  whether quickly, in concert with allies, or with a show of U.S. strength  could affect how the new U.S. administration is viewed on the global stage in the months ahead, especially as it is presented with the broader challenge of confronting the rise of authoritarianism in countries across the globe.

The situation also presents a rare opportunity for a staunchly bipartisan approach from Washington, D.C., given the interests of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress, many of whom have already expressed a desire to impose harsh sanctions and other punishments on Myanmars military leadership.

People familiar with the Biden administrations internal deliberations told POLITICO on Monday that U.S. officials appeared to be frustrated by the developments, not least because of the timing, and were scrambling to figure out how to coordinate, respond  domestically as well as internationally  and whether to call what happened a coup. One described the scene as chaos.

Late Monday, however, a National Security Council spokesperson dismissed such characterizations, saying the Biden administrations reaction has been clear-eyed, consistent and strong. The spokesperson, Emily Horne, pointed out, as one example of an orderly process, that the administration released three separate statements, including from Biden himself, within 14 hours of each other.

After weeks of hints and rumbles, the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, pushed out the still-nascent civilian government as the newly elected parliament was set to convene on Monday. One of the many notable civilian leaders detained by the military is Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and longtime pro-democracy activist. Suu Kyis reputation has been tarred in recent years by her unwillingness to criticize the military over its vicious crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, but nonetheless Suu Kyi is seen as a vital player in keeping democracy progressing in Myanmar, where she serves as the de facto leader of the government.

Story continues

In a statement Monday, Biden blasted the takeover and said the United States would review its sanctions policies toward Myanmar, also known as Burma, followed by appropriate action.

We will work with our partners throughout the region and the world to support the restoration of democracy and the rule of law, as well as to hold accountable those responsible for overturning Burmas democratic transition, Biden said.

He also noted that the U.S. would be taking note of those who stand with the people of Burma in this difficult hour. Asked during a press briefing on Monday whether that was a message to China, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said it is a message to all countries in the region and countries who, you know, will be asked to respond, or to consider what the appropriate response will be, in reaction to the events that have happened over the past couple of days.

The United States has for years encouraged the democratization process in Myanmar while seeking to pull it from Chinas orbit. U.S. lawmakers from both parties have strongly advocated for democracy in Myanmar, including through sanctioning the military, which ruled the country for decades.

The crisis now does really sort of crystallize the notion of competing models, the contrast between Bidens defense of democracy and [Chinese leader] Xi Jinpings maybe implicit or active support for authoritarianism, said Danny Russel, a former Asia hand during the Obama administration.

A crisis, a scramble and chaos

On Sunday evening and into Monday morning, U.S. officials at the State Department and National Security Council were scrambling to nail down the details of exactly what was happening in Myanmar.

The military leadership in a televised address early Monday, local time, said it had seized control of the government and was declaring a state of emergency for one year.

Two people familiar with the Biden administrations internal deliberations said one ongoing debate is whether the U.S. should immediately impose some costs on the Myanmar military, such as a raft of economic sanctions, or whether to try other steps first, such as sending a special envoy to the country to try to coax the generals off their current path.

Another ongoing discussion at the State Department is when to officially designate the military takeover as a coup, a word that has been absent from the administrations public statements so far. Invoking the term would require the U.S. to cut off aid to Myanmars government under the Foreign Assistance Act  the law states that the U.S. must "restrict assistance to the government of any country whose duly elected head of government is deposed by military coup or decree.

The U.S. does not provide much aid to Myanmars government to begin with, one Democratic lawmaker noted, with the bulk of the assistance going to non-governmental groups and civil society organizations. But declaring the takeover a coup would also have diplomatic implications that some at the State Department are wary of  officials within the East Asia bureau are warning against using the label, arguing that holding off could give the U.S. some leverage in persuading Myanmars generals to back down. But others say that reasoning is absurd.

Buddhist religious and military flags are waved by supporters including Buddhist monks onboard a vehicle on Feb. 1, 2021, in Yangon, Myanmar.

Any perception of hesitation, whether in the actions we take or the language we use, will make the Burmese military more confident, said the Democratic lawmaker. I would not make any decisions based on false hopes [of gaining leverage], he added. Holding back just makes us look weak.

Horne, the National Security Council spokesperson, said later in the day Monday that the situation in Myanmar has all the hallmarks of a coup and the State Department is now doing the required legal analysis to determine it as such. We will await the outcome, which will likely be very soon, far sooner than previous situations like this.

Biden administration officials are in touch with senior European officials about coordinating a response, one of the people familiar with the deliberations said. Both of the people said coordinating with U.S. allies in Europe as well as in Asia will be crucial to bringing pressure to bear on Myanmars generals, especially if China stands by the military leadership. The United Nations Security Council is expected to discuss Myanmar in a session Tuesday, and many expect China to stonewall any serious action in the wake of the coup.

Horne, the NSC spokesperson, noted that at the White Houses request, top U.S. military officials have reached out to Myanmars military.

We are in close touch with regional partners at a number of levels  many of whom have put out strong and consistent statements  and we are consulting with Republican and Democratic members of Congress on the way forward, she added.

One of the people familiar with the Biden teams deliberations argued that theres no time for shuttle diplomacy.

The U.S. can either act right away or give them an ultimatum and act tomorrow, but it needs to be one or the other, the person said.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers and aides see the issue as ripe for a rare bipartisan response, most likely in the form of a sanctions package that would incentivize a return to democratic rule, aides said.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has long championed democratic reforms in Myanmar, issued a statement Monday morning calling on the countrys military to immediately release Suu Kyi and turn back from this abyss. He said the Biden administration must take a strong stand and said the U.S. should impose costs on those impeding Myanmars democratic transition.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the incoming chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, explicitly called for strict economic sanctions to be imposed if the military does not pull back.

Asked to describe the appetite for swift congressional action, an aide said lawmakers could take initial steps on legislation as soon as this week. Senior State Department officials briefed members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as well as the House Foreign Affairs Committee later Monday afternoon.

The timing of the coup has prompted some annoyance within the Biden administration, which has been in power less than a month, people familiar with the deliberations said. One person used the word chaos to describe some of the back-and-forth. The people familiar with the discussions pointed out that top positions at places like the State Department  such as assistant secretaries of State for East Asia and for human rights  have yet to be filled on a permanent basis. Plus, some of the lower-level officials now in place are fairly new to the Myanmar beat, as is the U.S. ambassador to the country.

But Horne strongly pushed back against the notion of any chaos.

President Biden was briefed by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan last night less than an hour after first reports of unrest appeared, she said. The administration released statements by the White House spokesperson, the secretary of State, and the president all within 14 hours of one another, all making clear that the militarys seizure of power in Burma, the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials, and the declaration of a national state of emergency are a direct assault on the countrys transition to democracy and the rule of law.

A senior Biden administration official, meanwhile, took a dig at the previous four years, under the Trump administration, during which the national security decision-making process often appeared in disarray.

After the chaos weve seen in recent years when America decides to cast aside proper, legal process in foreign policymaking, we think its important to make policy by what our experts say and what events on the ground merit, not by the demands of the news cycle, the official said.

The early official statements from the Biden administration, released Sunday evening, hinted at divisions in how the United States should react.

The White House statement, from Psaki, demanded that the Myanmar military release detained civilian leaders and accept the results of a recent election. It also warned Myanmars generals that if they did not reverse the coup, the United States will take action against those responsible. The White House statement noted that Jake Sullivan, Bidens national security adviser, had briefed the president on the matter.

Secretary of State Antony Blinkens statement, meanwhile, expressed concern over the coup as well, but Blinken notably did not warn that the United States will take any steps to punish the perpetrators.

Russel, however, warned against drawing conclusions about internal fights over the policy. He noted that Blinken, Sullivan and other top officials, including top Asia official Kurt Campbell, know each other fairly well and are familiar with how to run national security decision-making processes.

Russel said the administration is not likely to see the dilemma in binary terms  especially when it comes to the issue of Chinas influence over Myanmar  and would probably opt for a set of policies with plenty of nuance. He pointed out, for context, that Myanmars generals are very nationalistic, and one reason they chose to pursue democratic reforms in the past was to get out of Chinas grip.

A test of Bidens commitment to democracy

Biden ran for the presidency promising to promote democracy and human rights on an international level. He chided former President Donald Trump for appearing to shirk on those areas and for showing authoritarian impulses at home, including looking for ways to overturn his loss to Biden.

Biden also pledged to stand up to China, whose rise on the global stage has led to a growing bipartisan consensus in Washington that the communist-led countrys authoritarianism is a long-term threat to U.S. influence.

Myanmars military ruled the country for decades. But in the 2000s, it began a democratization process that ultimately led to relatively free elections. Suu Kyi, whom the military kept under house arrest for many years, was freed, and in 2015 her party won general elections.

The United States under the Obama administration encouraged the democratic transition in Myanmar, and former President Barack Obama visited the country and lifted many sanctions that had been placed on it as incentives to keep up the progress.

The Myanmar military is alleging that elections held in November, and which Suu Kyis party overwhelmingly won, were marred by fraud.

The reality is that Myanmars democratic transition was never completed. Even after Suu Kyi and her partners won elections, the military retained control over key ministries and critical industries, and never submitted itself to civilian control. Its power has put Suu Kyi on the defensive.

In 2017, the Myanmar military waged a deadly crackdown on Rohingya Muslims, pushing some 700,000 of them into Bangladesh. Some international leaders and many experts have described its actions as genocide. But Suu Kyi has avoided criticizing the militarys actions.

Blinken has promised to conduct a review of whether the crackdown constituted a genocide. Under former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the State Department conducted such an investigation. But Pompeo chose not to say whether what happened was a genocide, a term with international legal implications.

One reason, State Department officials indicated at the time, is that Pompeo did not want to push Myanmar closer to China.
Medical staff take samples of employees at Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCMC, January 30, 2021. Photo courtesy of HCMC Center of Diseases Control.

Health authorities are testing all staff at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, the country's largest air hub, for Covid-19 amid the latest outbreak.

Medical staff from the city's Center of Disease Control took samples from 410 airport employees last Saturday, with testing expected to last until Feb. 7.

The move came after HCMC recorded a community transmission case, a 28-year-old man landing at Tan Son Nhat Airport on a flight from Hanoi. He had been to a wedding in Hai Duong, Vietnam's Covid-19 epicenter, together with a cousin, who was later confirmed a Covid-19 patient.

Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long told a government meeting last week he also proposed to test all employees at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, which neighbors Hai Duong Province.

Dozens of employees at Van Don International Airport in northern Quang Ninh Province last week were found infected with the novel coronavirus, prompting the government to close the airport until Feb. 13.

Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai, the country's biggest airports, have received hundreds of repatriation flights from abroad and special flights carrying foreign experts since the government imposed travel restrictions in March last year. Vietnam closed its borders but allows a limited number of flights to bring back its citizens from overseas or carry foreign experts but all have to be quarantined for 14 days.

Vietnam is currently battling a new outbreak, with 240 cases confirmed since it emerged in northern Vietnam on Thursday.

It has spread to nine provinces and cities including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong.

Vietnam has recorded 1,819 cases, with 362 currently active.
The former Edson Hotel may soon have lodgers again.

A proposal to turn the more than 90-year-old building into affordable lofts for seniors is one of three proposed developments requesting blessing from the Beaumont City Council before asking the state for tax breaks.

The other two proposals are for a 64-unit senior development at the site of the former Castle Motel on North 11th Street and a 72- to 80-unit family complex on Old Voth Road, said Beaumont Planning and Community Development Director Chris Boone.

The project review is part of an annual process undertaken by the council to determine which affordable housing projects to prop up through a resolution of support, a resolution of no objection or agreeing to waive city-related fees that would go into the permitting process.

Related: Seniors, natural disasters and lower incomes push need for affordable housing in SETX

The support gives these developments an extra boost when requesting tax breaks from the state.

Two projects presented to the council last year  Beaumont Trails, an 80-unit senior living complex to be located at Spindletop Square and North 13th Street, and Virginia Flats, a 110-unit complex at 2250 West Virginia St.  received support and ultimately were awarded the tax breaks.

The council has not yet decided on these projects, but a vote on exclusively supporting the Edson Lofts project is set for Tuesday. And at least one council member was particularly interested in the proposal at last weeks meeting.

I personally am very excited about this project, because it offers the opportunity to breathe some residential life downtown in one of the most prominent buildings that has been vacant for a long time, Councilman Mike Getz said during last weeks council meeting.

The 22-story Edson Hotel was completed in 1929 for $1.5 million, according to information from Beaumont Main Street. In 1955, the building was purchased by Gulf States Utilities and served as their headquarters and later an operations center for its successor, Entergy Texas.

Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox

Now, Dallas-based Provident Realty Advisors is proposing to create 110 senior units, although company representative Mark Feaster said they might find room for more during the renovation process. The complex would have a mix of market-rate units as well as affordable units at 30%, 50% and 60% of market rate. If the company is granted the tax breaks, those units would be required to remain affordable for 40 years.

Work to be done to the building includes demolishing office space to make room for the apartments and other amenities. He said the organization will be tied to the Texas Historical Commission and U.S. Park Services guidance for exterior renovations, but the hope is to return the building to its original look when it was a hotel.

The $28 million project, which is expected to be funded largely by equity raised through state, federal and historic preservation tax breaks, also includes the nearby Wilson Building, where he said most of the amenities would be located.

Well have meeting rooms, workout rooms, he said. Were hopefully going to be able to put a rooftop outdoor area on top of the Wilson Building that would have a gazebo and maybe an outdoor grill or something of that nature.

Should the project be approved, the company hopes to start construction in late 2021, which is expected to take about 18 months.

The council on Tuesday is set to vote on which projects to support and at what level. The states award of tax credits typically is announced in the summer and, ideally, approved projects would start construction next year, he said.

kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/KaitlinBain

Tel Aviv, Feb 1 : Aviv Kochavi, Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Force, met UN Interim Force in Lebanon's (UNIFIL) Commander Stefano Del Col to discuss the security situation in southern Lebanon.

According to the IDF, the meeting between the two top officials took place on Sunday during which they discussed security issues along the border between Israel and Lebanon, as well as the UNIFIL missions in the region, Xinhua news agency.

Kochavi also raised the "ongoing violations of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 by Hezbollah", it added.

In a Twitter post, the IDF said: "Throughout last year, Hezbollah continually violated UNSCR 1701 and other international resolutions. The IDF considers UNIFIL to be an important and significant factor in maintaining regional stability. We expect them to report, regulate, and enforce resolutions violated by Hezbollah." The Forces did not elaborate on the "violations", but Israel has long accused Hezbollah of building precision weapons.

Israel and Hezbollah once fought a full-fledged war in 2006.

It was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, Northern Israel and the Golan Heights.

The conflict resulted in the deaths of some 1,300 Lebanese people, and 165 Israelis.

It also displaced approximately one million Lebanese and 300,000-500,000 Israelis.

.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  In President Joe Bidens Jan. 20 inaugural speech, he singled out climate change as one of four national crises he will immediately focus on alongside the pandemic, the countrys economic downturn and racial inequality.

A cry for survival comes from the planet itself, a cry that cant be any more desperate or any more clear, Biden said.

After less than two weeks in office, the president has acted swiftly on his climate change priority, unveiling sweeping policy initiatives through executive orders that will have a profound effect on nearly every sector of the national economy. That includes direct impacts on all states, but especially on New Mexico as the countrys third-largest oil and gas producer.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

The presidents rapidly emerging policies are generating alarm among oil and gas producers, and opposition from Republicans in Congress who fear Bidens initiatives will inflict immense economic damage and massive job losses in the fossil fuel industry.

Environmentalists, however, widely applaud Bidens efforts as critical to stave off the worst impacts of climate change.

Paris, Keystone and more

Executive action began on Bidens first day through orders announcing the nations reentry into the Paris Accord on climate, cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline, federal review of more than 100 environmental policies enacted under former President Donald Trump to pave the way for rolling them back, and a 60-day halt on permitting for new oil and gas drilling leases on public lands.

On Wednesday, the White House followed up with the most comprehensive presidential decrees ever to combat climate change. The new order elevates climate considerations into an essential element of U.S. foreign policy and national security, outlining a whole of government approach to tackle climate issues through every federal agency.

The order confirms Bidens intent to host an international Leaders Climate Summit on Earth Day, April 22. It creates a new position, the special presidential envoy for climate, with a seat on the National Security Council. It orders the director of national intelligence to prepare a report on the security implications of climate change. It also directs all agencies to develop strategies for integrating climate considerations into their work.

Among other directives, Biden also ordered an indefinite pause by the Department of the Interior on all new oil and gas leases on federal land and water to permit a rigorous review and reform of the approval processes for fossil fuel development on public lands.

Carbon-free goals

The presidents new top climate officers say Bidens policies aim to fundamentally push the economy irreversibly down a carbon-free path, making it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for future administrations to reverse course, as happened under Trump.

I think we can achieve things in the course of the next four years that will move the marketplace, the private sector, global finance, innovation and research that in fact no one, no political person in the future, will be able to undo, said John Kerry, Bidens international climate envoy, in a White House press briefing Wednesday.

In fact, in a keynote speech Jan. 21 at the inaugural meeting of the B20  the G20s new dialogue forum with the business community  Kerry said Biden is setting an aggressive course to control global warming and reverse four wasted years under Trump.

That includes phasing out coal five times faster than in recent years, phasing in electric vehicles 22 times faster, increasing tree cover five times faster and ramping up renewable energy six times faster, Kerry said.

Industry response

The pace of change and lack of consultation with business leaders has alarmed the fossil fuel industry. The American Petroleum Institute warned the indefinite pause on oil and gas leases on public lands could be potentially devastating, depending on the policies that come out of the Interior Departments review of leasing and permitting processes.

But the industry is still open to working with the Biden administration, API president and CEO Mike Sommers told reporters in a national press call Wednesday with industry leaders from four states. New Mexico Oil and Gas Association executive director Ryan Flynn was one of the leaders on the call.

In a sharp reversal from previous API positions, Sommers said industry is willing to support new federal regulations to control methane emissions in natural gas production, and its open to discussing a federal price, or tax, on carbon emissions, especially through market mechanisms such as cap-and-trade.

API stands ready to work with the administration, particularly on the issue of methane, and look for other areas for common ground, Sommers told reporters.

Flynn said New Mexico could play a leadership role in pursuing dialogue, given local industrys collaborative approach in state-level efforts to develop new methane regulations and other environmental policies related to oil and gas production here.

In New Mexico, our industry has demonstrated its a willing partner in addressing climate change by coming to the table to engage in a productive way and not being obstructive, resistant, or antagonistic, Flynn told the Journal. We will engage, and we will support policies that at times are difficult for us.

But for that to happen, the Biden administration needs to take an inclusive approach, Flynn said.

Congress split

Congressional Republicans, however, are working to limit Bidens executive actions. Theyve introduced legislation in the House and Senate to reauthorize the Keystone XL pipeline, force Biden to report to Congress before he submits new emission-reduction targets under the Paris Accord and allow legislators to reject those targets through a joint resolution of disapproval.

Senate Republicans also introduced legislation Thursday to prohibit the president from blocking energy or mineral leasing and permitting on federal lands and waters without congressional approval.

New Mexicos lone congressional Republican, Rep. Yvette Herrell, plans to introduce matching legislation in the House.

Still, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., believes some Biden policies may win bipartisan support. In December, Congress approved an array of clean energy initiatives before Trump left office, including extension of existing tax breaks for wind, solar and carbon-capture projects; a new 30% tax incentive for offshore wind development; a new mandate for industry to reduce super-warming hydrofluorocarbon emissions by 85% over the next 15 years; and $40 billion for research and development of new carbon-free energy technologies.

That was quite possibly the biggest climate bill ever passed, and it was done in a bipartisan way, Heinrich told the Journal.  I will sit down with my colleagues to figure every path forward we can. I think a lot can be done without getting into a partisan food fight.

Green response

Environmentalists are celebrating Bidens new climate initiatives. WildEarth Guardians senior climate and energy campaigner Rebecca Sobel said Bidens far-reaching executive action on Wednesday marks a watershed moment.

President Bidens order promises to mark the first time the U.S. federal government commits to getting out of the business of selling fossil fuels and into the business of putting climate first, Sobel said in a statement. New Mexico officials should be grateful to the federal government for leading by example.
A Wisconsin pharmacist accused of deliberately destroying vials of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is a flat-Earther and 'very engaged in conspiracy theories', say colleagues.

Steven Brandenburg, 46, allegedly told a co-worker at Advocate Aurora Health Systems that the sky 'is a shield put up by the Government to prevent individuals from seeing God.'

He was arrested by officers with the Grafton Police Department on December 31 and he has since been investigated by the FBI, according to a warrant application obtained by Daily Beast.

Steven Brandenburg, 46, allegedly told a co-worker about his beliefs in conspiracy theories before he tampered with the Moderna vaccine box

The vaccines, which were not tampered with besides being removed from a refrigerator, were given to at least 57 patients

Brandenburg, left, has since been fired from his job and faces up to 10 years in prison

Brandenburg, a pharmacist at the hospital pharmacy, has been charged with first degree recklessly endangering safety, adulterating a prescription drug, and criminal damage to property.

Federal authorities allege that the pharmacist deliberately removed a box containing the vials from a refrigerator knowing it could ruin the vaccine  which was then given to at least 57 patients.

Dr. Jeff Bahr, president of Aurora Health Care Medical Group, said there is 'no evidence' Brandenburg tampered with the vaccine in any other way other than removing it from the fridge.

A warrant application to search Brandenburg's iPhone, laptop and a USB stick was filed in federal court by FBI Special Agent Lindsay Schloemer.

The warrant shows that investigators with the hospital interviewed a co-worker of Brandenburg named Sarah Sticker  who reportedly discovered the box of vaccines had been tampered with and turned him in.

'Sticker immediately suspected Brandenburg of removing the vaccine from the refrigerator because of his vocal convictions against the vaccine,' the warrant reads.

'Brandenburg has explained to Sticker that he does not believe the coronavirus is real, and he thinks the vaccine is going to harm people.'

Investigators interviewed a technician named Sarah Sticker who had allegedly reported Brandenburg

Sticker told investigators that Brandenburg was 'very engaged in conspiracy theories' and thinks that the vaccine is 'micro-chipped' to turn off some people's birth control while making others infertile.

'Sticker said that Brandenburg has been voicing his theories for months at work to anyone that would listen,' the warrant reads.

'Some of the conspiracy theories Brandenburg told Sticker about included: the earth is flat; the sky is not real, rather it is a shield put up by the Government to prevent individuals from seeing God; and Judgment Day is coming.'

Brandenburg admitted to investigators that he had tampered with the vaccine vials and explained that he believed the Moderna vaccine 'could hurt people and was not safe to administer,' according to the warrant.

'My actions were inexcusable and I deeply apologize for the harm I have caused,' Brandburg said in an email to hospital investigators documented in the warrant.

Brandenburg, pictured, allegedly said the sky is a 'shield put up by the government' to prevent people from seeing God

Brandburg then went into a litany of explanations for his behavior in removing the vaccines from their refrigerator.

'It's not an excuse but I have been under a tremendous amount of pressure in my life within the past two weeks and preceding 6 months,' Brandenburg wrote in the email, noting a 'very contentions divorce' and separation from his children.

'In the last two weeks I have been functioning on little to no sleep alternating with too much sleep from taking prescribed clonazepam when the lack of sleep was too much to bear.'

Clonazepam, also known by its brand name Klonopin, is used to treat seizures, panic disorder, and anxiety.

The pharmacist was also interviewed by the Grafton Police Department, who recorded the interview with a body camera, and admitted 'he is a conspiracy theorist,' according to the warrant.

'Brandenburg noted that he has had an interest in conspiracy theories for the past 7 years and was vocal at work about his beliefs,' the warrant reads.

Sticker also told investigators that Brandenburg carried a .45-caliber handgun to work 'in case the military came to take him away.'

Gretchen Brandenburg, his wife, said in court filings made on December 30 that he had a storage units filled with 'bulk food and guns.'

'I was so concerned about my safety and the safety of the children, that I left town for a period of time,' Gretchen wrote in the filings, obtained by WISN.

Gretchen also told the judge that Brandenburg thought 'the government is planning cyber attacks and plans to shut down the power grid,' according to the outlet.

Brandenburg has since been fired from his job and faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each charge after agreeing to plead guilty to two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products with reckless disregard.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that the government will facilitate setting up of a world class fintech hub in Gujarat International Finance Tec (Gift) city.

She also announced several tax incentives to the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at Gift city while presenting the Budget in Parliament.

These include tax holiday for capital gains from incomes of aircraft leasing companies, tax exemptions for aircraft lease rentals paid to foreign lessors, tax incentive for relocating foreign funds in the IFSC and tax exemption to investment division of foreign banks located in IFSC.

"The slew of tax incentives announced for GIFT IFSC in today's Union Budget have once again reaffirmed the Govt of India's commitment to develop GIFT IFSC as a global financial hub," Tapan Ray, MD & Group CEO, GIFT City, said in a statement.

"The tax announcement would help in attracting global players in the Fund business, aircraft leasing & financing business and offshore investment banking sector to set up their base in GIFT IFSC." He said that the development of world-class fintech hub at GIFT City will go a long way in promoting and developing Fintech start-ups. GIFT City would provide a platform to fintech firms to expand globally.

"The fintech hub will facilitate research, innovation and development of new age skills in fintech which will help in creating new job opportunities and attract quality talent to GIFT City," Ray said.

GIFT City is a planned business district that spans over 886 acres of land with 62 mn square feet of built up area which includes office spaces, residential apartments, schools, hospital, hotels, clubs, retail and various recreational facilities.

The city is located on the bank of river Sabarmati connecting Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

India is one of the fastest-growing fintech markets in the world. The fintech market in India is expected to reach Rs 6,207.41 billion by 2025, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.7 per cent during the 2020-2025 period, according to ResearchAndMarkets.
To the editor:

Stepping cautiously and hopefully into a New Year, we cannot let our guard down concerning the pandemic. Buckle up, this game is not over, and won't be over for months. We are being advised to view ourselves wearing a mask and observing social distancing until September. Earlier relief will be a lucky turn of events.

During the bubonic plague the unscientific advice was that cats were spreading the plague. The truth was that the cats were allies that were killing and eating the rats that were the real spreaders of the pathogen. In terms of COVID, we have been killing cats instead of exterminating rats.

Dismissing COVID as a hoax or no worse than a cold or the common influenza, permitting large indoor gatherings, making mask wearing optional have been mistaken solutions. Not wearing a mask in public is the rudest behavior one can do. It is rude because breathing on one another is the way the pathogen is passed on, especially with the new more infectious type of the virus. Not wearing a mask is like running a stop sign. You can get someone killed, and it could be you. There are resultant fines for running a stop sign, but so far we are only asking one another to volunteer to wear a mask as an act of self-love and care for our neighbors. It assumes that one is smart enough to not believe any president or ex-president, especially one who has told countless lies in four years, who dares to defy medical experts, recommend unfounded "cures" and tell you lies about your health. Public health policies must not be allowed to be warped by election hopes or any other political self-promotion.

HAROLD SLATER

Midland
NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberMDX , a leading healthcare cybersecurity provider delivering visibility and threat prevention for medical devices and clinical networks, today announced the appointment of industry veteran Azi Cohen as CEO of the company to build on record 300% YoY growth in revenue. As part of the announcement, the company is launching a new brand image and website as well as introducing a new architecture for healthcare security.

A veteran of the IT and cybersecurity industries for more than 25 years, Azi Cohen joins CyberMDX from WhiteSource Software, a global leader in open source security software, where he was the Co-founder & SVP Global Sales and successfully built the customer base to over 1,000 clients worldwide. Prior CEO and Co-founder Amir Magner passes the mantle to Azi so he can focus on expanding CyberMDX research, development and operations and extending its lead as an IoT Security innovator.

As part of the continued momentum for 2021, CyberMDX is introducing a new paradigm for medical network and device security called Device-Centric Risk Management (DCRM). The new architecture will center on a layered approach to cybersecurity that protects each device, driving remediation and mitigation directly on your medical and Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) assets.

In addition, CyberMDX also is live today with a rebranded website which provides a wide range of educational and technical resources on healthcare security. The company also introduces its new tagline - We protect the Things that protect Human Lives.

"Following a year of tremendous growth for us in 2020, we are now ready for the next phase of our global go-to-market strategy," said Amir Magner, President and Co-founder of CyberMDX. "Azi has a proven track record for accelerating companies in their growth stage so I'm delighted he has joined us as our new CEO. He will be based in our NY headquarters and I will be collaborating closely with him from our Product, R&D and Operations center in Tel Aviv."

"It's a great privilege to join CyberMDX," said Azi Cohen, CEO of CyberMDX. "It's clear from the major increase of ransomware attacks against hospitals and medical networks, that we must raise the bar for cybersecurity in the industry as a whole. For me, this was a big part of my decision to join. In addition to an amazing product and team, the primary mission to protect the things that protect human lives is one that compels me and has personal significance."

On top of the company's leading solution, CyberMDX also employs a highly accomplished Vulnerability Research and Analyst team. The team regularly works with medical device manufacturers, healthcare organizations, as well as government bodies in the responsible disclosure of security vulnerabilities. The threat intelligence team dedicates its efforts to defending hospitals and healthcare organizations from malicious attacks and in 2020 alone responsibly disclosed major vulnerabilities in medical devices such as patient monitors, 104 different radiological devices, as well as Dell Thin Wyse devices common to healthcare organizations.

CyberMDX 2020 Highlights

Increased revenue by over 300% YoY

Raised $20m in new funding

in new funding Major customer wins included a large multi-site health system serving more than 20 US counties in over 30 medical specialties, as well as new deployments in Canada , France , and Spain .

, , and . 100% renewal rate -- among them several expansions with increased deployment size and multi-year investments

Announced a major partnership with Royal Phillips to provide vendor-neutral solutions to protect connected medical systems and devices as part of Phillips' new integrated cybersecurity services

to provide vendor-neutral solutions to protect connected medical systems and devices as part of Phillips' new integrated cybersecurity services Expanded global footprint in Europe and Asia through major partnerships with Sham/Relyens and Verint Singapore

and through major partnerships with Sham/Relyens and Verint Singapore Announced CyberMDX Healthcare Security Suite availability on AWS marketplace

Announced integration with Microsoft Azure Security Center for IoT

Announced joint solution with Check Point - integrated with gateway and policy management

Named a leader in Forrester's New Wave report for Medical Device Security (2020)

Named Connected Medical Device Leader for North America (2020) by Frost & Sullivan.

(2020) by Frost & Sullivan. Included in the Gartner 2020 Market Guide for Medical Device Security Solutions Published 7 December 2020

About CyberMDX

CyberMDX is an IOT security leader dedicated to protecting the quality care of health delivery worldwide. CyberMDX provides cloud-based cybersecurity solutions that support the advancement of The Internet of Medical Things. The CyberMDX solution identifies endpoints and assesses vulnerabilities to detect, respond to, and prevent cyber incidents. Deployed worldwide, CyberMDX is designed to integrate with our customers' existing environments through its scalable, easy-to-deploy and agentless solution.

For more information visit cybermdx.com and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn .

Media Contact:

Lazer Cohen

[email protected]

347-753-8256

SOURCE CyberMDX
Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2021 -- A new business intelligence report released by HTF MI with title "COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Industry Market Report-Development Trends, Threats, Opportunities and Competitive Landscape in 2020" is designed covering micro level of analysis by manufacturers and key business segments. The COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market survey analysis offers energetic visions to conclude and study market size, market hopes, and competitive surroundings. The research is derived through primary and secondary statistics sources and it comprises both qualitative and quantitative detailing. Some of the key players profiled in the study are General Mills, Axiom Foods, The Kellogg Company, AMCO Proteins, Prinsen Berning, Quest Nutrition, VSI, Abbott Nutrition, Chicago Bar Company, Carbery Group, Optimum Nutrition, Dymatize, Transparent Labs, Nature Power, Clif Bar & Company, Atkins Nutritionals, The Balance Bar, Makers Nutrition, MARS, Atlantic Grupa, GymMax, Muscletech, NuGo Nutrition & Hormel Foods.



What's keeping General Mills, Axiom Foods, The Kellogg Company, AMCO Proteins, Prinsen Berning, Quest Nutrition, VSI, Abbott Nutrition, Chicago Bar Company, Carbery Group, Optimum Nutrition, Dymatize, Transparent Labs, Nature Power, Clif Bar & Company, Atkins Nutritionals, The Balance Bar, Makers Nutrition, MARS, Atlantic Grupa, GymMax, Muscletech, NuGo Nutrition & Hormel Foods Ahead in the Market? Benchmark yourself with the strategic moves and findings recently released by HTF MI



Get Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ : https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/2886557-covid-19-outbreak-global-protein-powders-bars-and-shakes-industry-market



Market Overview of COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes

If you are involved in the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes industry or aim to be, then this study will provide you inclusive point of view. It's vital you keep your market knowledge up to date segmented by Applications [Commercial & Industry, Bodybuilders, Pro/Amateur Athletes, Children & Others], Product Types [, Protein Powders, Protein Bars & RTD Protein Shakes] and major players. If you have a different set of players/manufacturers according to geography or needs regional or country segmented reports we can provide customization according to your requirement.



This study mainly helps understand which market segments or Region or Country they should focus in coming years to channelize their efforts and investments to maximize growth and profitability. The report presents the market competitive landscape and a consistent in depth analysis of the major vendor/key players in the market along with impact of economic slowdown due to COVID.



Furthermore, the years considered for the study are as follows:

Historical year  2014-2019

Base year  2019

Forecast period**  2020 to 2026 [** unless otherwise stated]



**Moreover, it will also include the opportunities available in micro markets for stakeholders to invest, detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product services of key players.



Enquire for customization in Report @: https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/2886557-covid-19-outbreak-global-protein-powders-bars-and-shakes-industry-market



The titled segments and sub-section of the market are illuminated below:

The Study Explore the Product Types of COVID-19 Outbreak- Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market: , Protein Powders, Protein Bars & RTD Protein Shakes



Key Applications/end-users of COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market: Commercial & Industry, Bodybuilders, Pro/Amateur Athletes, Children & Others



Top Players in the Market are: General Mills, Axiom Foods, The Kellogg Company, AMCO Proteins, Prinsen Berning, Quest Nutrition, VSI, Abbott Nutrition, Chicago Bar Company, Carbery Group, Optimum Nutrition, Dymatize, Transparent Labs, Nature Power, Clif Bar & Company, Atkins Nutritionals, The Balance Bar, Makers Nutrition, MARS, Atlantic Grupa, GymMax, Muscletech, NuGo Nutrition & Hormel Foods



Region Included are: North America (Covered in Chapter 7 and 14), United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe (Covered in Chapter 8 and 14), Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Others, Asia-Pacific (Covered in Chapter 9 and 14), China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Southeast Asia, Others, Middle East and Africa (Covered in Chapter 10 and 14), Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Others, South America (Covered in Chapter 11 and 14), Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, Chile & Others



Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report:

 Detailed overview of COVID-19 Outbreak- Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes market

 Changing market dynamics of the industry

 In-depth market segmentation by Type, Application etc

 Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value

 Recent industry trends and developments

 Competitive landscape of COVID-19 Outbreak- Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes market

 Strategies of key players and product offerings

 Potential and niche segments/regions exhibiting promising growth

 A neutral perspective towards COVID-19 Outbreak- Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes market performance

 Market players information to sustain and enhance their footprint



Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/2886557-covid-19-outbreak-global-protein-powders-bars-and-shakes-industry-market



Major Highlights of TOC:

Chapter One: COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market Industry Overview

1.1 COVID-19 Outbreak- Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Industry

1.1.1 Overview

1.1.2 Products of Major Companies

1.2 COVID-19 Outbreak- Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market Segment

1.2.1 Industry Chain

1.2.2 Consumer Distribution

1.3 Price & Cost Overview



Chapter Two: COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market Demand

2.1 Segment Overview

2.1.1 APPLICATION 1

2.1.2 APPLICATION 2

2.1.3 Other

2.2 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market Size by Demand

2.3 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market Forecast by Demand



Chapter Three: COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market by Type

3.1 By Type

3.1.1 TYPE 1

3.1.2 TYPE 2

3.2 COVID-19 Outbreak- Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market Size by Type

3.3 COVID-19 Outbreak- Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market Forecast by Type



Chapter Four: Major Region of COVID-19 Outbreak- Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market

4.1 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Sales

4.2 COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Revenue & market share



Chapter Five: Major Companies List



Chapter Six: Conclusion



Complete Purchase of Latest Version COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market Study with COVID-19 Impact Analysis @ https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=2886557



Key questions answered

- What impact does COVID-19 have made on COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes Market Growth & Sizing?

- Who are the Leading key players and what are their Key Business plans in the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes market?

- What are the key concerns of the five forces analysis of the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes market?

- What are different prospects and threats faced by the dealers in the COVID-19 Outbreak-Global Protein Powders, Bars, and Shakes market?

- What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?



Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.



Contact US :

Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)

HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited

Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ

New Jersey USA  08837

Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218

sales@htfmarketreport.com
As a warehouse manager at a Food 4 Less in Los Angeles, Norma Leiva greets delivery drivers hauling in soda and chips and oversees staff stocking shelves and helping customers. At night, she returns to the home she shares with her elderly mother-in-law, praying the coronavirus isn't traveling inside her.

A medical miracle at the end of last year seemed to answer her prayers: Leiva, 51, thought she was near the front of the line to receive a vaccine, right after medical workers and people in nursing homes. Now that California has expanded eligibility to millions of older residents - in a bid to accelerate the administration of the vaccines - she is mystified about when it will be her turn.

"The latest I've heard is that we've been pushed back. One day I hear June, another mid-February," said Leiva, whose sister, also in the grocery business, was sickened last year with the virus, which has pummeled Los Angeles County - the first U.S. county to record 1 million cases. "I want the elderly to get it because I know they're in need of it, but we also need to get it, because we're out there serving them. If we're not healthy, our community's not healthy."

Delaying vaccinations for front-line workers, especially food and grocery workers, has stark consequences for communities of color disproportionately affected by the pandemic. "In the job we do," Leiva said, "we are mostly Blacks and Hispanics."

Many states are trying to speed up a delayed and often chaotic rollout of coronavirus vaccines by adding people 65 and older to near the front of the line. But that approach is pushing others back in the queue, especially because retired residents are more likely to have the time and resources to pursue hard-to-get appointments. As a result, workers who often face the highest risk of exposure to the virus will be waiting longer to get protected, according to experts, union officials and workers.

The shifting priorities illuminate political and moral dilemmas fundamental to the mass vaccination campaign: whether inoculations should be aimed at rectifying racial disparities, whether the federal government can apply uniform standards and whether local decision-making will emphasize more than ease of administration.

Speed has become all the more critical with the emergence of highly transmissible variants of the virus. Only by performing 3 million vaccinations a day - more than double the current rate - can the country stay ahead of the rapid spread of new variants, according to modeling conducted by Paul Romer, a Nobel Prize-winning economist.

But low-wage workers without access to sick leave are among those most likely to catch and transmit new variants, said Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Because there are not enough doses of the vaccines to immunize front-line workers and everyone over 65, he said, officials should carefully weigh combating the pernicious effects of the virus on communities of color against the desire to expedite the rate of inoculation.

"If the obsession is over the number of people vaccinated," Besser said, "we could end up vaccinating more people, while leaving those people at greatest risk exposed to ongoing rates of infection."

The move to broaden vaccine availability to a wider swath of the elderly population - backed by Trump administration officials in their final days in office and members of President Joe Biden's health team - marks a departure from expert guidance set forth in December, as the vaccine rollout was getting underway.

A panel of experts advising the CDC recommended that the second priority group include front-line essential workers, along with adults 75 and older. The guidance represented a compromise between the desire to shield people most likely to catch and transmit the virus - because they cannot socially distance or work from home - and the effort to protect people most prone to serious complications and death.

People of color and immigrants are overrepresented not just in grocery jobs but also in meatpacking, public transit and corrections facilities, where outbreaks have taken a heavy toll. Black and Latino Americans are three to four times more likely than White people to be hospitalized and almost three times more likely to die of covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, according to the CDC.

The desire to make vaccine administration equitable was central to recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

"We cannot abandon equity because it's hard to measure and it's hard to do," Grace Lee, a committee member and a pediatrics professor at Stanford University's School of Medicine, said at the time.

On Wednesday at a committee meeting, Lee said officials need both efficiency and equity to "ensure that we are accountable for how we're delivering vaccine."

"Absolutely agree we do not want any doses in freezers or wasted in any way," Lee said.

But efficiency has won out in most places.

Some state leaders, such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, both Republicans, acted on their own, lowering the age threshold to 65 soon after distribution began last year. Others followed with the blessing of top federal officials.

Biden's advisers have said equity will be central to their efforts, calling access in underserved communities a "moral imperative" and promising, in a national vaccination strategy document, "we remain focused on building programs to meet the needs of hard-to-reach and high-risk populations." In the meantime, they have similarly encouraged states to broaden vaccine availability to a larger segment of their older populations without providing guidance about how to ensure front-line workers remain a priority.

Experts studying health disparities say prioritizing people over 65 disproportionately favors White people, because people of color, especially Black men, tend to die younger, owing to racism's effect on physical health. Twenty percent of White people are 65 or over, while just 9 percent of people of color are in that age group, according to federal figures.

"People are thinking about risk at an individual level as opposed to at a structural level. People are not understanding that where you work and where you live can actually bring more risks than your age," said Camara Phyllis Jones, a family physician, epidemiologist and past president of the American Public Health Association. "It's worse than I thought."

The constantly changing priorities have made the uneven rollout all the more difficult to navigate. There is confusion over when, where and how to get shots, with different jurisdictions taking different approaches in an illustration of the nation's decentralized public health system.

While praising the effort to expand access and speed up the administration of shots, Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, said increasing reliance on age-based eligibility "must not come at the expense of the essential workers helping families put food on the table during this crisis.

"Public health officials must work with governors in all 50 states to end the delays and act swiftly to distribute the vaccine to grocery and meatpacking workers on the front lines, before even more get sick and die," he said.

Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, said the only way to ensure front-line workers get the vaccines they need is to involve them and their union representatives in decisions about eligibility and access. Unions, she said, could also be tapped to conduct outreach in hard-to-reach communities, including those not conversant in English.

"Essential workers who've been on the front lines both in health care but also across the service and care sectors - child care, airline, janitorial, security - face extraordinary risk," she said.

Leiva, a 33-year member of UFCW Local 770, said the celebration of essential workers should come with recognition of their sacrifice, which is unevenly felt across racial groups. When the virus tore through the grocery store, she said, "every single one of them in that cluster was Hispanic."

But with hospitals dangerously full in recent weeks, and less than half of distributed vaccine doses administered, many states broadened their top priority groups to include older adults, hoping to lessen the burden on hospitals and expedite vaccine administration.

Protecting people 65 and older, officials say, saves the lives of those who face the gravest consequences and reduces the stress on intensive care units. Risk for severe covid-19 illness increases with age; 8 out of 10 deaths reported in the United States have been in people 65 and older.

Older people in the United States have also encountered enormous hurdles in gaining access to the vaccines. Faced with overloaded sign-up websites and jammed phone lines, they have sometimes spent nights waiting in line.

In more than half the states - at least 28, by one count - people 65 and older are in the top two priority groups, behind health-care workers and residents in long-term care facilities. As a result, front-line workers either fall behind the older group or are squeezed into the same pool, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis.

"When you make that pool of eligible people much bigger, you're creating much longer wait times for some of these groups," said Jennifer Kates, a senior vice president at the foundation.

Front-line workers often labor in crowded conditions. Some live in multigenerational households. By contrast, many older adults are retired, have greater access to sign-up portals and have more time to wait in lines outside of clinics, health officials said.

"The 65-year-old person who is wealthier and can stay home and isn't working and is retired and can ride it out for another two months ... is less likely to get infected than the person who has to go outside every day for work," said Roberto Vargas, assistant dean for health policy at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles.

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, announced Jan. 13 that the state was "significantly increasing our efforts to get these vaccines administered, get them out of freezers and get them into people's arms" by increasing the number of people eligible to receive shots. "Everybody 65 and over - about 6.6 million Californians - we are now pulling into the tier to make available vaccines."

On Jan. 25, Newsom said the state would move to an age-based eligibility system after vaccinating those now at the front of the line, including health-care workers, food and agriculture workers, teachers, emergency personnel and seniors 65 and older.

The abrupt changes confused local health officials.

Julie Vaishampayan, public health officer in San Joaquin Valley's Stanislaus County, said the county had just finished vaccinating health-care workers and was getting ready to reach out to farm laborers at a tomato-packing company and food-processing workers. When the state added those 65 and older, the county had to pivot abruptly,as it faced a quintessential supply-and-demand dilemma.

"There isn't enough vaccine to do it all, so how do we balance?" she said in an email. "This is really hard."

In Tennessee, teachers were initially promised access but then were told to wait until people 70 and older got their shots. The state's health commissioner, Lisa Piercey, said she was moving more gradually through the age gradations so as not to crowd out workers, treating the federal framework as guidance, which is often how officials have characterized it. "It's not an either/or situation," she said in an interview this month.

But with vaccine supply sharply limited, priorities had to be narrowed. By vaccinating older residents, she said, the state was also protecting its medical infrastructure by reducing the likelihood that older people, who are more likely to be hospitalized, would fall ill. Once there is more supply, she said, she would be able to amplify aspects of the state's planning geared toward underserved and hard-to-reach populations. "I can't wait to manifest that equity plan."

In Nebraska, the health department in Douglas County, which includes Omaha, prioritized older residents over "critical industry workers who can't work remotely" after the state expanded eligibility to residents 65 and older, according to a January news release. Meatpacking workers, grocery store employees, teachers and public transit workers were bumped lower in line.

Omaha's teachers union had wanted its approximately 4,100 members to get shots before the district resumes full-time, in-person instruction for elementary and middle school students Tuesday. Now, they must wait until late spring, said Robert Miller, president of the Omaha Education Association.

"The fear, it goes hand in glove with going back to school five days a week," he said, despite CDC reports that schools operating in person have seen scant transmission. "We've had some teachers who have multigenerational homes, who live in the basement, ... and they can't interact with their parents. We have some teachers who are staying at a different apartment away from their elder loved ones."

Some state leaders sought to defend broadening eligibility to more of the elderly population, saying it was consistent with efforts to address racial disparities. Illinois had reduced the age requirement to 65, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, said recently, "in order to reduce covid-19 mortality and limit community spread in Black and Brown communities." His office did not respond to a request for comment about how lowering the age threshold would have that effect.

In Massachusetts, state leaders announced Jan. 25 that people 65 and older and those with at least two high-risk medical conditions were next in line, ahead of educators and workers in transit, utility, food and agriculture, sanitation, and public works and public health.

That means Dorothy Williams, who runs a day-care center in a predominantly Black community where the infection rate is among the highest in Boston, has to wait. Her center stayed open throughout the pandemic, caring for children of essential workers, many of them in low-wage jobs in hospitals or nursing homes.

She recognizes the long hours and the exposure risks of those health-care aides. That means "we're exposed," she said, "each and every single day." She has been able to keep the coronavirus at bay, but two weeks ago, she had a scare that forced her to close and get everyone tested after a child became ill. The tests came back negative, but the fear remains.

"We are at risk," she said.

- - -

The Washington Post's Amy Goldstein contributed to this report.
A single-dose vaccine is a big advantage when most countries are struggling to get shots in arms more quickly.

Johnson & Johnson, the only major drugmaker developing a single-dose vaccine for COVID, announced Friday that its shot provided strong protection against COVID-19 , potentially offering another powerful tool in a desperate race against a worldwide rise in virus mutations. But the results came with a significant cautionary note: The vaccines efficacy rate dropped from 72% in the United States to 57% in South Africa, where a highly contagious variant is driving most cases.

Studies suggest that this variant also blunts the effectiveness of COVID vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax. The variant has spread to at least 31 countries, including the United States, where two cases were documented this week.

With these results, Johnson & Johnson became the fifth company supported by the US government to develop an effective COVID vaccine in less than a year, and the only one that doesnt need two doses  a big advantage when most countries are struggling to get shots in arms more quickly.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was extremely effective in preventing severe cases of COVID  including serious illness caused by the variant, the company said. Though less effective than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines now authorized in the United States, Johnson & Johnsons is still considered a strong vaccine by scientists. Annual flu vaccines, for example, are typically 40% to 60% effective.

This is a really great result, said Akiko Iwasaki, immunologist at Yale University. I hope this vaccine gets approved as soon as possible to reduce disease burden around the world.

Johnson & Johnson said that it planned to apply for emergency authorization of the vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration as soon as next week, putting it on track to receive clearance later in February.

This is the pandemic vaccine that can make a difference with a single dose, said Dr. Paul Stoffels, the chief scientific officer of Johnson & Johnson.

The companys announcement comes as the Biden administration is pushing to immunize Americans faster even with a tight vaccine supply. White House officials have been counting on Johnson & Johnsons vaccine to ease the shortfall. But the company may only have about 7 million doses ready when the FDA decides whether to authorize it, according to federal health officials familiar with its production, and about 30 million doses by early April.

The variant from South Africa, known as B.1.351, could make things even worse for the vaccine push. Given the speed at which the variant swept through that country, it is conceivable that by April it could make up a large fraction of infections in the United States.

The fact that at least four vaccines backed by the federal government seem to be less effective against the B.1.351 variant has unsettled federal officials and vaccine experts alike. Facing this uncertainty, many researchers said it was imperative to get as many people vaccinated as possible  quickly. Lowering the rate of infection could thwart the contagious variants while they are still rare, and prevent other viruses from gaining new mutations that could cause more trouble.

If ever there was reason to vaccinate as many people as expeditiously as we possibly can with the vaccine that we have right now, now is the time, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the governments top infectious disease expert, said in an interview. Because the less people that get infected, the less chance youre going to give this particular mutant a chance to become dominant.

As the United States scrambles to get enough vaccines, the country is turning into something of an evolutionary experiment. The B.1.351 variant is one of several that have arrived in the country or originated here, all with the ability to spread faster than other variants.

The pandemic is a lot more complicated now than it was a couple months ago, said Dr. Dan Barouch, a virus expert at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston.

Vaughn Cooper, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Pittsburgh, said that all the new variants were likely evolving quietly for months before bursting on the scene.

I think were going to see many stories like this, he said.

Federal regulators are also still waiting on data from Johnson & Johnsons new manufacturing facility in Baltimore that prove it can mass-produce the vaccine. The company is counting on that factory to help reach its contractual pledge to the federal government of 100 million doses by the end of June.

If Johnson & Johnson can deliver vaccines quickly enough to the United States, it might be able to help drive down cases before variants make things worse. Since the vaccine requires only a single shot  unlike the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, which require two  that delivery would translate into full coverage for 100 million people.

Johnson & Johnsons vaccine has another advantage that might help speed up the rollout. It can stay viable in a refrigerator for three months, while the two authorized vaccines have to be kept frozen. That gives the company an edge not just in reaching more isolated parts of the United States but also in getting the vaccine to remote areas of the world that could otherwise seed more aggressive mutants.

Still, Johnson & Johnson and other vaccine-makers must prepare for the B.1.351 variant or another one surging to dominance and demanding new vaccines.

Youve got to be nimble enough to be able to adapt by upgrading our vaccines that match the dominant strain, Fauci said.

Exactly when to make that switch will be a difficult decision, because the viruses are spreading unpredictably, and manufacturing new doses will be a huge undertaking.

The implications of that are big. You would not take that choice lightly, said John D. Grabenstein, a public health researcher with the Immunization Action Coalition, a nonprofit organization that disseminates information about vaccines. Its not doomsday. Its just that we are going to need a bigger boat.

Johnson & Johnsons announcement came one day after Novavax said an early analysis of its 15,000-person trial in Britain had revealed that the two-dose vaccine had an efficacy rate of nearly 90% there. But in a small trial in South Africa, the efficacy rate dropped to just under 50%.

Another federally backed vaccine-maker, AstraZeneca, has been authorized for emergency use in Britain and other countries and will likely have results next month from its trial in the United States. It has not released any information about the vaccines effectiveness against the variant but is expected to do so soon.

Johnson & Johnson presented only a summary of findings of its clinical trial. The vaccine was 85% effective in preventing severe disease in all three regions where the trial was run: the United States, Latin America and South Africa. After 28 days, none of the vaccinated participants who developed COVID-19 had to be hospitalized.

Unlike the messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, Johnson & Johnson uses an adenovirus, which normally causes the common cold. While adenovirus-based vaccines have been investigated for some three decades, they have yet to be licensed for use in the United States.

Johnson & Johnsons Ebola vaccine became the first approved adenovirus-based vaccine for any disease when European regulators gave it the green light in July. Astra-Zeneca and the University of Oxford used a different adenovirus for their coronavirus vaccine, which is now authorized in Britain and other countries. Russian scientists created their Sputnik V vaccine from adenoviruses as well.

Johnson & Johnson received $456 million from Operation Warp Speed to support its research. In July, the government agreed to purchase 100 million doses for $1 billion if it proved safe and effective.

That same month, the company moved into clinical trials, which found that a single shot produced a strong immune response, consistent with experiments done on monkeys. Johnson & Johnson began the final phase 3 trial in September, again using a single dose. It recruited volunteers in the United States, South Africa and Latin America.

Half of the volunteers received the vaccine and half received a placebo. The company then had to wait. Only when enough people in the trial got COVID-19 would an independent board of advisers look at the results to see how many sick volunteers were vaccinated  a process known as unblinding.

Late last year, surges of coronavirus infections accelerated the trial toward unblinding. In December, Johnson & Johnson decided it would not need to recruit 60,000 volunteers as it originally planned. It capped the trial at 45,000.

Like other vaccine developers, Johnson & Johnson was required by the FDA to also record information about adverse events experienced by the volunteers for the first few months after vaccination.

Barouch, who led the team that designed the vaccine and tested it on animals last year, had to wait for months for the unblinding.

Im thinking a lot about it, he said in a Jan. 11 interview. But, no, I dont have Champagne ready to go.

After he learned the results, Barouch said he was delighted.

I think this vaccine will have a public health benefit throughout the world, he said.

Johnson & Johnson is also moving forward with other trials of the vaccine to see how it can be improved. In December it began a trial with two doses. Fauci was optimistic that people who get a so-called prime boost may enjoy even more protection.

If they get a prime boost, its entirely conceivable that they can get up to 90-plus percent, he said.

In addition, Stoffels said that Johnson & Johnson was tailoring a version of its vaccine with a protein patterned after the B.1.351 variant. It could potentially deploy it in countries where that version of the virus was a threat.

Pretty much all vaccine developers now are having that conversation, said Dr. Peter J. Hotez, a vaccine expert with the Baylor School of Medicine and the creator of a different coronavirus vaccine.

Carl Zimmer, Noah Weiland and Sharon LaFraniere. c.2021 The New York Times Company
A one-off tax which aims to alleviate Argentinas destitute and battle the COVID-19 crisis came into effect on January 29. The tariff named Millionaires tax will now make it mandatory for all those owning assets worth 200 million pesos or more to pay a certain proportion of their income to the government. Argentina, a country of 44 million is battling a deep crisis which has forced over 40 per cent of its population below the poverty line.

What is Millionaires tax?

As per the Argentinian government, all residents who possess assets worth 200 million pesos ($2.3 million) or more will be bound to pay three per cent on assets declared within the country and over five per cent on assets held abroad. The law would apply to 12,000 Argentinians with the government aiming to collect over 3 billion. According to the BBC, all the proceeds would be used the Argentinian authorities to support medical services, air pandemic hit small and medium business, provide scholarships as well as provide natural gas to people off the energy grid.

Read:Indian Ambassador To Argentina Extends R-Day Greetings; Shares Video Of Bueno Aires City

The one of its kind law was brought in by countrys left-oriented president Alberto Fernandez. Last month, the bill was passed by the countrys 72 member Senate by a majority of 42 to 26. However, Centre-right opposition has blatantly spoken against the law describing it as "confiscatory."

Read:'Day Of Hope': Argentine Senators Vote In Favour Of Landmark Bill Legalising Abortion

Argentina has been badly hit by the coronavirus, with more than 1.9 million confirmed cases of infection and more than 47,000 deaths. The pandemic has hammered its economy the most, exacerbating the unemployment rate to 11.7 per cent. In its Annual report on economic inequality, Oxfam had lauded the bill highlighting that Argentina was showing the way towards progressive taxation of the rich as the key to an equitable recovery from the current crisis.

In another landmark decision, Argentinian parliament, in December 2020, voted in favour of a bill that would legalize abortions up to the 14th week of pregnancy. Although passed by the Chamber of Deputies by a large margin, the bill faced a tough competition in Senate. However, backed by the ruling government, the 72 members upper house eventually passed the bill with 38 in favour, 29 against and one abstention.

Read: Argentina Drops 'abortion Charges' Against Women, Makes Procedure Legal In Landmark Bill

Read:Dinosaur Fossils Found In Argentina Could Belong To The World's Largest Creature


After the mahapanchayat at Baraut in UPs Baghpat district, two more mahapanchayats are being planned in UPs Bijnor and Haryanas Jind districts to mobilise the growing support for the protesting farmers. (Photo:AFP)

New Delhi: With more farmers streaming into the protest sites at Delhis borders, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said on Sunday that the farmers unions were ready for a respectable solution, but they would never agree to anything under pressure. In Punjab, chief minister Amarinder Singh has called an all-party meeting on Tuesday to show unity with the protesters and evolve a consensus on the way forward on the three contentious agricultural laws.

As the stream of farmers heading for Delhis borders remained incessant on the 67th day of the massive agitation, Tikait said the Republic Day violence was part of a conspiracy and that the government should nab all those behind it. The violence on January 26 was part of a conspiracy. The tricolour is over and above everything. We will never let anyone disrespect it. It will not be tolerated.

Tikait, who is camping at the Ghazipur border and has now become the face of the agitation, also urged the government to release all those farmers who were arrested in connection with the tractor rally. The government should release our men and prepare an environment conducive for the talks, he said, adding: We will honour and respect the dignity of the Prime Minister. Farmers dont want that the government or Parliament to bow down before them But we will also ensure that the self-respect of farmers is protected. A middle way should be found. Talks should be held.

After the mahapanchayat at Baraut in UPs Baghpat district, two more mahapanchayats are being planned in UPs Bijnor and Haryanas Jind districts to mobilise the growing support for the protesting farmers. While the Bijnor mahapanchayat has been scheduled for Monday, the one at Jind will be held on Wednesday. Prominent western UP Gurjar leader Madan Bhaiyya has also extended his communitys support to the farmers.

The Punjab CM has called an all-party meeting to discuss the situation arising out of the recent developments, especially in view of the Republic Day violence, the Singhu border attack on farmers and the massive vilification campaign against them. He urged all parties in the state to join the meeting in a spirit of unity, in support of the farmers and in the interest of Punjab.

Singh said the crisis triggered by the farm laws was a matter of concern for the entire state and its people. Only through the collective efforts of all Punjabis, and all the political parties of the state, can the crisis be tackled effectively, and the farmers interests be protected. He went on to add: Our farmers are dying out there at Delhis borders for more than two months now. They are being beaten up by the police and assaulted by goons. They are being harassed and are being deprived of basic amenities.
Fiesta San Antonio has been postponed for the 2021 installment due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Fiesta Commission confirmed the event would be moved to June 17-27 on the official website.

RELATED: Fiesta Oyster Bake confirms 2021 cancellation due to COVID-19

The event traditionally takes place each April. Officials decided on a similar postponement plan in 2020, pushing the party to the fall, but that also was eventually cancelled. Oyster Bake, St. Mary's University's headliner event for Fiesta San Antonio, has already decided to cancel the 2021 event.

The commission said the postponement decision was made after consulting with Metro Health and Dr. Martin Makary, a consultant for the organization.

RELATED: 'We're back': Poteet Strawberry Festival planning for April, ticket info coming soon

"The Fiesta San Antonio Commission's goal has always been to conduct Fiesta in 2021. The June dates have been selected so that Fiesta can continue its mission of supporting many local non-profit organizations, while maintaining its #1 priority, the health and safety of all Fiesta's attendees, volunteers, staff and community," the commission said in a statement.

Makary shared his summer outlook in the announcement.

"Based on the current data on viral transmission, June is projected to be a very low point in the viral prevalence in the area, given the high levels of natural and vaccinated immunity we will achieve by May," he said in the statement. "The Fiesta San Antonio Commission and Mayor's office have appropriately prioritized safety in considering a modified Fiesta."

The release said the commission and city are working with Metro Health and participating organizations and vendors to determine health and safety protocols for the postponed Fiesta events.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the postponement is the "right move" in his statement.

"Through the ongoing vaccination program and our continuing efforts to suppress COVID-19, we are working to be in a better position by June," Nirenberg said. "We are deeply appreciative of the Fiesta San Antonio Commission's willingness to work with the city's health professionals to ensure San Antonio's safety."

This is not the first time Fiesta has been affected by world events. The celebration did not take place from 1942-1944 during World War II. It was also canceled in 1918, during World War I.

Madalyn Mendoza covers news and puro pop culture for MySA.com | mmendoza@mysa.com | @maddyskye
Damascus, Feb 1 : Three explosions rocked the rebel-held areas in northern Syria in the past 24 hours as protests erupted against the Kurdish militia.

Both civilians and militants were killed in the explosions on Sunday that hit the areas controlled by the Turkey-backed rebels in the northern and eastern countryside of Aleppo province, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

In Afrin city, eight people including four children were killed when a car bomb exploded in the Sinaa neighbourhood, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Sunday, six people, including two women and a child, died in a second car bombing near the cultural centre in the city of Azaz.

Also on Sunday, five rebels were killed when an explosion targeted their checkpoint in the Sukaraiyeh area, according to the Observatory.

About 64 people were wounded in the three explosions and the death toll could likely rise because of the number of critically wounded people.

Activists and official reports indicate that lawlessness and chaos have plagued the three areas hit by explosions for months.

Meanwhile in the northeastern province of Hasakah, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) opened fire to disperse protesters on Sunday, killing one and wounding three others, state news agency SANA reported.

Crowds of people took to the streets in Hasakah to protest against the siege laid by the SDF to government-controlled zones in the province.

SANA said the SDF set up more checkpoints in Hasakah and arrested a number of civilians.

The SDF has been laying a siege to government zones in Hasakah since January 19, preventing the entry of food and other necessary items.

Mazloum Abdi, commander-in-chief of the SDF, said on Sunday that the Syrian government "threatened a military operation" in Kurdish-controlled areas in Hasakah.

He revealed that an SDF delegation visited Damascus for talks with the government officials but the visit "wasn't successful".

The Syrian government has for long slammed the SDF for their alliance with the US forces in northeastern Syria.

In the eastern province of Deir al-Zour where the SDF controls a few areas in the countryside, protests also erupted on Sunday after the Forces arrested 20 men for compulsory military service.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The Delhi polic e announced on Monday that it will provide 25,000 compensation to its personnel who were grievously injured when violence broke out during the farmers' tractor parade on 26 January, reported news agency PTI.

In addition, 10,000 will be provided to the seriously injured policemen.

The police force had said earlier last week that 300 personnel were injured on Republic Day.

Also Read | How India can fight vaccine hesitancy

As many as 122 people have been arrested and 44 FIRs registered until now in connection with the violence, police said on Monday.

"Delhi police have filed 44 FIRs & arrested 122 people in connection with farmers' protest. We have provided the information on our website, anyone can see it," said the public representative officer of the force, Eish Singhal.

"Police have not detained anyone illegally. I appealed to people not to pay heed to rumours," he added.

The statement came in the backdrop of a plea in the Delhi High Court that is seeking the "release of all persons, including but not limited to farmers who have been illegally detained on or after January 26, in and around Singhu Border, Tikri Border and Ghazipur border."

The police has also sent over 50 fresh notices to people, including farmer leaders, after the tractor rally.

Violence at tractor parade

The tractor parade on Republic Day that was to highlight the demands of the farmer unions to repeal the three new farm laws turned violent as some protesters deviated from pre-approved routes, leading to clashes with the security personnel.

Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort while some of them hoisted religious flags on its domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts.

The Crime Branch of Delhi Police is investigating the matter and several teams have been formed to identify the culprits.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged three individuals with defrauding hundreds of retail investors out of more than $11 million through two fraudulent and unregistered digital asset securities offerings.

According to the SEC's complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, from approximately December 2017 through May 2018, Kristijan Krstic, founder of Start Options and Bitcoiin2Gen, and John DeMarr, the primary U.S.-based promoter for these companies, fraudulently induced investors to buy digital asset securities. The SEC alleges that, from approximately December 2017 through late January 2018, Krstic and DeMarr touted Start Options' purported digital asset mining and trading platform. According to the complaint, they falsely claimed Start Options was "the largest Bitcoin exchange in euro volume and liquidity" and "consistently rated the best and most secure Bitcoin exchange by independent news media."

The SEC also alleges that, starting in January 2018, Krstic and DeMarr promoted Bitcoiin2Gen's unregistered initial coin offering (ICO) of digital asset securities known as B2G tokens. According to the complaint, another individual, Robin Enos, working with DeMarr, drafted fraudulent promotional materials that Enos knew would be disseminated to the investing public. These materials allegedly contained numerous false statements, including that the B2G tokens would be deliverable on the Ethereum blockchain, that the invested funds would be used to develop a coin that was "mineable," and that the tokens would be tradeable on a proprietary digital asset trading platform at the platform's "launch" in early April 2018. In reality, the complaint alleges, these claims about the B2G tokens were false, Bitcoiin2Gen was a sham, and Krstic and DeMarr allegedly misappropriated millions of dollars of investor funds for their own personal benefit.

The SEC's complaint charges Krstic and Demarr with violating the registration provisions of Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act of 1933 and the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and Enos with aiding and abetting the antifraud violations listed above. The complaint seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement plus interest, penalties, and an officer-and-director bar against Krstic and DeMarr.

In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Department of Justice, Fraud Section, today announced criminal charges against DeMarr.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Alison R. Levine, Pamela Sawhney, and Jon A. Daniels of the Cyber Unit, and Diego Brucculeri and Christopher Ferrante of the SEC's New York Regional Office. The case is being supervised by John O. Enright and Ms. Littman. The litigation is being conducted by Richard Primoff, Ms. Levine, Ms. Sawhney, and Mr. Daniels. The Commission wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, the Department of Justice, Fraud Section, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service.
No. 7 | Hainan Airlines | The best airline in china, Hainan airlines is the largest civilian run air transport company in China.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2021 speech on February 1 proposed a tax exemption for aircraft leasing companies, a move that may finally see India getting its first player in this aviation segment.

Till now, the Indian aviation industry has been dominated by lessors from Ireland and Hong Kong.

"I think it is an excellent move, and will perfectly complement the efforts of the Ministry of Civil Aviation in getting GIFT City off the ground. Already there is no stamp duty (waived by Gujarat govt) so this is a very welcome move," said Nitin Sarin, Managing Partner of Sarin & Co, which specialises in aviation law.

Currently, it's 48 percent more expensive to do this from India than from Ireland.
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
Axios

Southwest Airlines won't yet resume its in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: The airline initially planned to resume the service June, but Sonya Lacore, Southwest's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free."Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego  Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
A team of Brazilian scientists has recently conducted genomic and phylogenetic analyses of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome to understand the viral evolution process better. Their analyses reveal that the E484K mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2 is present in three different lineages in four Brazilian regions and that the mutation may serve as a common solution for viral evolution. The study is currently available on the bioRxiv* preprint server.

Background

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a member of the Coronaviridae family, which are enveloped positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses with a larger genome size of about 30 kb. Since its emergence in December 2019 in China, researchers worldwide have sequenced almost 4,10,000 genomes of SARS-CoV-2 and have shared the information on the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) database.

Several genomic epidemiological studies of SARS-CoV-2 have been conducted, with the majority focusing on the mutations in viral spike protein, a surface glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 responsible for binding with the host angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and initiating the viral entry process. Studies are currently mainly focusing on three viral lineages, B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1. because of their significant impact on viral transmissibility and pathogenicity. Of these lineages, lineage P.1 is prevalent in Brazil with three mutations (K417T, E484K, and N501Y) in the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). In Brazil, many viral genomes harbor E484K mutation, which is associated with increased viral transmissibility and immune evasion.

In the current study, the scientists evaluated the mutation characteristics and phylogenetic relationships in currently known lineages in Brazil to understand the adaptive evolution process of SARS-CoV-2.

Histogram of frequent mutations observed in the Brazilian SARS-CoV-2 genomes harboring E484K mutation. Red labels above the bars indicate absolute nucleotide position and the blue labels indicate effects of these mutations in the corresponding proteins. As P.1 has only 19 genomes represented and multiple mutations, only main mutations of concern were highlighted. UTR: Untranslated region; Syn: Synonymous substitution; del: deletion; ORF: Open Reading Frame; Nsp: Non-structural protein; S: Spike; E: Envelope; M: Membrane; N: Nucleocapsid.

Important observations

The study findings revealed that SARS-CoV-2 variants with E484K mutation are widely distributed in many regions in Brazil. The mutation was introduced in Brazil in October 2020. Because the E484K mutation is found in different viral lineages simultaneously with other mutations, the scientists suggest that this particular amino acid substitution may act as a common driving force for viral evolution in different genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2. In the E484K mutation, a negatively charged amino acid (glutamic acid) is substituted with a positively charged amino acid (lysine). Thus, it can be expected that the mutation has a significant impact on viral sustainability and adaptive evolution.

The structural analysis revealed that a new site for ACE2 binding (amino acid 75) is generated because of the E484K mutation. This appears to create a significantly stronger interaction between ACE2 and the native binding site located at the RBD and ACE2 interface (amino acid 501).

A highly diverse range of genetic mutations was observed in all Brazilian lineages with E484K mutation. On average, about 19 and 30 mutations were observed in B.1.1.33 and P.1 lineages, respectively. Further genomic analysis of the most recently emerged lineage P.2 indicated that both P.1 and P.2 lineages are evolving rapidly and have been circulating in Brazil for a more extended period.

The analyses of new specific single substitutions were also carried out in the current study. One such mutation is A27V, present in the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the spike protein. Studies have suggested that mutations in the spike NTD can allosterically alter the spike RBD  ACE2 interaction dynamics and facilitate immune evasion. Moreover, evidence shows that viral lineages carrying E484K mutation are associated with increased escape from antibody-mediated neutralization. Although the actual impact of E484K and other substitutions on immune evasion is still not clear, the scientists suggest that E484K mutation is associated with increased viral fitness under natural selection pressure.

Study significance

Overall, the study indicates that the E484K mutation acts as a critical evolutionary event for different viral lineages in terms of increasing viral fitness. The E484K mutation could potentially increase the infectivity and immune evasion potency of SARS-CoV-2. According to the scientists, more studies investigating the effectiveness of anti-SARS-CoV-2 human sera against E484K mutated variants of SARS-CoV-2 are urgently needed.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Tokyo, Feb 1 : The Japanese capital city of Tokyo logged nearly 40,000 new Covid-19 cases in January, marking a record that doubled the number of infections in the previous month, figures released by the metropolitan government revealed.

The data released on Sunday showed a significant increase in infections before Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared the country's second state of emergency in the capital and surrounding prefectures on January 7, asking people to avoid unnecessary outings and calling on restaurants and bars to shorten opening hours, reports Xinhua news agency.

The metropolitan government reported 633 new Covid-19 cases in the capital city on Sunday, bringing the total number in January to 39,664 and the cumulative figure to 99,841.

In December 2020, the capital logged a total of 19,245 confirmed cases.

Although the cases have gradually shown signs of abating under the state of emergency, the capital city's medical system remains overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, Suga has been criticized for the government's lack of effective measures to maintain a sound medical system as there were a number of infected patients who died at home since they could not be hospitalised.

Suga is set to extend the current state of emergency in currently place until February 7 in 11 of Japan's 47 prefectures by as much as one month, according to local media reports.

As of Monday morning, Japan has reported a total of 386,742 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 5,654 deaths.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
RTHK: Biden tells Myanmar military to relinquish power

US President Joe Biden called Monday on Myanmar's military to relinquish power immediately and ordered a review to consider reimposing sanctions lifted due to the nation's transition to democracy.

"The international community should come together in one voice to press the Burmese military to immediately relinquish the power they have seized," Biden said.

"The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy," he said in a statement, using Myanmar's former name. "The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action." (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Huron and Tuscola counties continued to see their COVID-19 positivity rates, case numbers, and hospitalization go down for the third week in a row last week.

Huron County had 44 new cases and a positivity rate of 8.75%. Tuscola County reported 53 new cases and had a positivity rate of 7.7%.

As of Jan. 26, all eight Michigan Economic Recovery Council regions have had positivity rate decreases for one or more weeks, with the statewide case rate, 203 cases per million people, going down for 13 straight days. It is now 72% lower than the mid-November peak.

The state death rate, 6.2 deaths per million people, has been decreasing for five weeks and is 55% lower than virus second surge peak.

Related story: Over 2,000 COVID vaccines distributed so far, according to Hepfer

Ann Hepfer, the health officer for Huron and Tuscola counties, said in her update that a coronavirus variant that first emerged in the United Kingdom has been detected in Wayne County and the main University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor. The variant, known as B.1.1.7, can spread more easily between people, but has not been determined to be any more severe than the main strain.

The new variant is present in Michigan and we are at risk of seeing more spread of COVID-19, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive and chief deputy for health at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Everyone should do their part to end this pandemic. Get tested if you have been exposed, have symptoms, or recently traveled to an area with a new variant spreading. Make sure you are following all quarantine and isolation guidance. And do your part to prevent the spread of this virus by continuing to wear your mask, avoid gatherings, socially distance, and washing your hands.

Hepfer noted that because this new variant spreads more easily, it could increase the number of people who are hospitalized or lose their lives should it begin circulating widely in Michigan. It is possible there are more cases of this variant that have not been identified yet.

The Huron and Tuscola county health departments are continuing to vaccinate eligible individuals based on vaccine supply at hand. Currently, those eligible include those who are ages 65 and older, health care workers, police officers, first responders, pre-K through 12th grade teachers, and childcare centers and protective services workers.

Due to the shortages of the vaccine across the state, the health departments are reserving 75% of the vaccines for those 65 and older and the remaining 25% for school and day care providers.

The desire to receive the COVID-19 vaccine remains high, Hepfer said. Due to the limited supply, it can take up to six to eight weeks for eligible individuals to be contacted. We appreciate your patience.

Registration for getting the vaccine regardless of current eligibility can be done online at www.hchd.us for Huron County residents and www.tchd.us for Tuscola County residents. Health department staff will contact those registered when doses are available either by email, text, or phone call, where a time and date for vaccination can be chosen.

Please keep in mind we are only receiving a couple hundred doses of vaccine in a week, Hepfer said. That is not enough to get our communities vaccinated as fast as we would like. We are able to vaccinate with every available dose that we have within five days of receiving the vaccine.

At this time, Huron County has vaccinated 3,123 people with their first doses and 437 people with their second doses. Tuscola County vaccinated 4,133 people with their first doses and 425 people with their second doses. More updates about the COVID-19 vaccination process in the state can be found at www.michigansthumb.com/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker-huron.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 23:34:30|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

LUSAKA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities in Zambia on Monday expressed satisfaction with adherence to COVID-19 health guidelines as schools reopened in the southern African nation.

The Ministry of Health said a quick check of some schools found encouraging levels of adherence to the prescribed guidelines including screening, provision of hand-washing facilities as well as wearing face masks.

"We remain committed to ensuring that schools provide lessons with the utmost regard for the safety and well-being of our children," Health Minister Jonas Mulenga said in a release.

He however said a comprehensive report on the readiness assessment of schools for reopening will provide key insights into the measures that have been put in place for guideline adherence and monitoring.

A visit to some schools in Lusaka, the country's capital, revealed pupils being subjected to screening, told to wash their hands and put on face masks.

But the Zambian minister expressed concern over the flagrant and worrying disregard of public health guidelines in super spreader places like funerals, markets, shopping malls and public transport.

Meanwhile, the country recorded 825 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours bringing the cumulative figure to 55,042.

The cases were picked from 5,600 tests done while 17 people died during the same period bringing the total deaths to 780.

A total of 1,394 patients were discharged during the period bringing the total recoveries to 49,394. Enditem
Tom Hood, the longtime CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs, has joined the leadership team of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association). As executive vice president of business growth and engagement, Hood will report to Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, the Associations CEO.

Hood has served as CEO of the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA) since 1997. Prior to MACPA, Hood, CPA/CITP, CGMA, worked as a chief financial officer. He has been a longtime thought leader and driver of change among state CPA societies.

Jackie Brown, MACPAs chief operating officer for the past 23 years, will take the helm of the state society.

The Association also has acquired the Business Learning Institute (BLI) from MACPA. The acquisition of BLIs learning programs will enhance the Associations offerings to corporate employers in upskilling and reskilling their employees so they continue to meet ever-changing marketplace demands. Together, the Association and BLI will accelerate the introduction of new content for accounting and finance professionals globally. Hood will continue to provide leadership in supporting BLIs clients, products, and services throughout BLIs integration with the Association.

Toms vision and mission to help finance and accounting professionals grow in a changing business environment is well aligned with the Associations goals of powering trust, opportunity and prosperity for members, students, the profession and those they serve. He brings energy, insight, enthusiasm and a unique ability to facilitate connections, Melancon said. Tom will add value to our engagement with businesses and the accounting and finance professions, increasing our understanding of the challenges they face and how to best meet their needs.

Melancon added, We are proud of our reputation as a key source for accounting and finance professionals learning needs. BLIs content complements and enriches our current learning tools, further deepens our global offerings and helps expand our value proposition. This development is an important step in the Associations commitment to creating a strong and vibrant future for the profession and those it serves.

One focus of Hoods role will be partnering with Andrew Harding, FCMA, CGMA, the Associations chief executive of management accounting, to further professionalize management accounting and support professionals in obtaining their Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation in the Americas. This includes the Finance Leadership Program, an online learning program that teaches candidates the finance, business, people, and leadership skills needed to succeed in finance teams of the future.

The pace of change

Hood said his Association role and the BLI acquisition are opportunities to quicken and expand work to prepare businesses and their advisers for change and disruption. The pandemic has heightened the need for future-focused skills.

This pandemic truly has been the biggest disruption that Ive ever seen, and when I talk to members, they would agree with that, Hood said. On the other hand, I think its also the biggest opportunity for our profession globally. If you think about whats happened, the relief packages that are coming out from pretty much all over the world  and every one of those relief packages is being implemented through accounting, tax, and payroll systems, which are the wheelhouse of our entire profession.

Accountants have rallied amid uncertainty to help businesses survive whenever possible during the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, Hood said. Increasingly, businesses are seeking to forecast and strategize beyond COVID-19.

This is our opportunity now, as we look through the fog of COVID, we see the vaccines are on the horizon. No one knows exactly when well be able to get through it, Hood said. But now is the time for accountants and finance professionals to move from essential to indispensable.

 Kim Nilsen (Kim.Nilsen@aicpa-cima.com) is the JofA's publisher.
The two largest oil companies in the United States, Exxon and Chevron (NYSE:CVX), were in talks to merge amid the pandemic crisis last year, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing unnamed sources in the know.

The report noted that such a tie-up would be one of the biggest corporate mergers ever and create a company that could be worth more than $350 billion based on Exxons and Chevrons current valuations.

Yet such a deal, if it is still on the table, would also face considerable regulatory hurdles, the Wall Street Journals Christopher M. Matthews, Emily Glazer, and Cara Lombardo noted. The two companies are the largest descendants of the Standard Oil monopoly that the government broke up in the early 20th century, and a merger would undoubtedly raise some regulatory eyebrows.

Even if the Exxon-Chevron talks last year did not end in a deal, there were several large acquisitions in the U.S. oil space in 2020. The biggest was Conoco Phillips acquisition of Concho Resources for some $9.7 billion. Next, in terms of value, was Pioneer Natural Resources purchase of Parsley Energy for close to $8 billion, followed by Chevrons $5-billion acquisition of Noble Energy, which was another all-stock deal like the Conoco-Concho tie-up.

Of course, none of these deals could compare to a merger between Exxon and Chevron in terms of value or effect on the industry. It has been decades since a deal of this size has taken place. The last deals of this size was when Chevron merged with Texaco and Exxon merged with Mobil.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Chevrons CEO and chairman, Mike Wirth, was generally in favor of further consolidation in the oil space. Consolidation, according to him, would boost the efficiency of the industry.

As for larger-scale things, its happened before, Wirth told the WSJ in an interview at the release of the companys fourth-quarter results. Time will tell.

Meanwhile, this year U.S. producers are expected to continue shedding non-core assets as they streamline their operations in response to the new normal in supply, demand, and prices. More mergers may be on the table as some players in the field find it difficult to survive on their own.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
PHILIPSBURG:--- Foundation Catholic Education St. Maarten (aka SKOS) has been established since 1890. It is the competent authority for 8 schools. There are 6 Primary Schools and 1 English High School and six Early Childhood Stimulation Groups. The Foundation caters to over 2000 students and dedicated staff members.

The Foundation will be celebrating its annual Catholic Schools Week from February 1 through February 5th, 2021 to enhance the unity amongst our schools and to celebrate our 131st year of Catholic Education on St. Maarten. Some activities have been planned to highlight this occasion. Staff and students will attend Communion Services this weekend(Jan. 30 & Jan.31 ) dressed in their school uniforms.

This years theme is " We are called to be Courageous, for our God is Great!

During the week the staff and students will be challenged to be courageous in these difficult times. This will be possible because we trust in God, who is Great!

Students will be given the opportunity to view videos, listen, write or dramatize stories of courageous men and women in our community and in the world.

They will be encouraged to imitate these courageous qualities. These activities will be posted on the school's own Facebook page or website. Staff and students will also receive a video message with words of encouragement from our Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Adam Oleszczuk SVD. A theme song has also been composed by our music teacher, Mr. Dennis Amajan. The week will close on Friday, February 5, 2021, with virtual sessions for our staff. The students will have no school on that day. I wish the staff and students of the Foundation Catholic Education St. Maarten a spirit-filled week!

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.
Shares of tanked 19 per cent to Rs 191 on the BSE in the intra-day trade on Monday on the back of heavy volumes after the company said its joint Managing Director (MD) Anoop Kumar Gupta has been sent to 5 days custody of Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the AgustaWestland Money Laundering case.

"With reference to our earlier intimations from time to time, this is to inform you that the Joint Managing Director, Anoop Kumar Gupta, is detained by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) while cooperating with the investigation in the AugustaWestland case. He was subsequently sent to 5 days custody of ED as opposed to the 14 days sought vide the order of Special Judge, Rouse Avenue Courts dated 30 January 2021," said in an exchange filing.

The company further said Gupta has nothing to do with the AugustaWestland case. or Gupta was neither named in the charge-sheet/complaints nor has he been arrayed as an Accused in the Augusta Westland Case.

"We are confident that the above stated matter will be resolved and we will take appropriate legal action in due course," the company said.

Gupta was detained for further investigation into the affairs of Rawasi Al Khaleej General Trading (RAKGT) LLC, Dubai, where KRBL had indirect minority shareholding.

The transactions in question happened after 31 March 2009 when, KRBL had already transferred its entire indirect shareholding in RAKGT.

All transactions between KRBL and RAKGT after 31 March 2009 pertained to sale of rice. Such transactions were duly made through the proper banking channel and were disclosed in compliance with the law, the company said.At 10:41 am, KRBL was trading 16 per cent lower at Rs 199 on the BSE, as compared to a per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. The trading volumes on the counter jumped an over 10-fold with a combined 2.6 million equity shares having changed hands on the NSE and BSE till the time of writing of this report.
After two failed attempts, Vitrenko could again be nominated for energy minister

Government leadership could meet Rada leaders and chiefs of factions and groups prior to the decisive vote.

Reporting by UNIAN

If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter
A Swedish nurse recently hit a jackpot by winning the chance to watch a 60-movie film festival all by herself. Lisa Enroth, beat 12,000 film fans from across the world to win the completion which would now allow her to watch the Goteborg Film festival isolated from a lighthouse on an island off the Swedish coast. In the backdrop of the pandemic, the prestigious film festival would be streamed online instead of regular screenings at the cinema theatres.

'different kind of reality'

Enroth, who is a full-time nurse by profession Skovde, had worked rigorously during the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking to BBC, the frontline health worker said that she hoped to enjoy "being part of a totally different kind of reality for a week". Her opinion was doubled down by the organisers of the festival who stressed that they were particular in the quest for someone who could psychologically and emotionally enjoy the film festival.

Read: Sushmita Sen Unveils Invitation Of Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards

Read: Shameless Movie And THESE Other Films Premiere At New York Indian Film Festival

"We are overwhelmed by all the applications and the great interest worldwide. Out of more than 12,000 applicants from over 45 countries, we have now selected one person who has undergone interviews and tests. The chosen one is Lisa, a film enthusiast from Skovde who has worked hard as an emergency nurse on the front line in the fight against Covid-19 during the past year."

'The Isolated Cinema' on the island of Pater Noster is inaccessibly located at the very edge of the archipelago in one of Swedens most barren, windswept locations. Enroth, who told BBC that she had been drained by the pandemic, would now spend a week in total isolation from the outside world. Without phone or internet, she would be given only a tablet for limited periods, so she can record a daily video diary. In addendum, one other person will also be on the island for security reasons and will check in on her once a day. It had begun on January 30 and would end on February 6.

Read: Cannes Film Festival Postponed From May To July 2021 Due To COVID-19 Pandemic

Read: 51st International Film Festival Of India: Check Out Full List Of Winners
Visit will be first of a series of entirely digital programmes across EBRD regions

Georgia will be the scene of the first virtual visit by the new President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to one of the countries where the Bank invests. The visit will take place on 1st and 2nd February in an entirely virtual format over a two-day programme. As travelling and physical meetings continue to be disrupted by the pandemic, the EBRD President will leverage digital platforms, which have profoundly reshaped ways of working and international relations over the past year.

Ms Renaud-Basso said: I am very pleased to visit Georgia. The virtual format reflects both the EBRDs and Georgias agility and capacity to adjust to present circumstances. It is also a testimony to the strong relationships that the EBRD builds via its resident offices. I am therefore looking forward to the opportunity to reiterate the EBRDs commitment to Georgia and our strong support for the country in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. This was demonstrated by our record result in Georgia last year. We stand ready to make our contribution to a strong, sustainable and inclusive recovery. I do hope that travelling to this beautiful country will be possible very soon.

President Odile Renaud-Basso will meet the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabishvili, the Prime Minister, Giorgi Gakharia, the Minister of Finance and EBRD Governor, Ivane Matchavariani, the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure, Maya Tskitishvili, the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Natia Turnava, as well as the Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze.

Focusing on the economy, President Renaud-Basso will also speak with the Governor of the National Bank of Georgia, Koba Gvenetadze, as well as representatives of the business community. Meetings with donors, who are making an important contribution to Georgias development, and with civil society organisations will round off the programme.

The EBRD delegation will also include the EBRD Vice President, Banking, Alain Pilloux, the regional Managing Director, Matteo Patrone, and the EBRD Director for the Caucasus and Head of Georgia, Catarina Bjorlin Hansen.

Addressing urgent needs of the economy and laying the foundations for building back better, the EBRD invested a total of 630 million through 16 projects in Georgia in 2020, double the volume seen in the previous year. The Bank provided emergency liquidity and working capital to support viable private-sector companies. Keeping vital trade flows going, the EBRD reached a new record of 68.2 million for trade finance transactions in the country, involving three local partner banks.

The Bank continued to concentrate its support on the private sector, which accounted for 79 per cent of total EBRD investment in Georgia last year. The EBRD further increased its support for small and medium-sized enterprises with the provision of 135 million in loans to commercial banks for on-lending to local businesses for investments that will support the recovery and strengthen competitiveness.

The EBRD supported the healthcare sector with a US$ 25 million loan to Georgia Healthcare Group (GHG) to fund working capital and operational expenditure requirements for the groups critical role in fighting the coronavirus pandemic in the country, enabling GHG to adapt six major hospitals for Covid-19 patients as well as enhance its diagnostic capacities.

In the infrastructure sector, under the EBRD Green Cities urban sustainability programme, the Bank financed the modernisation of the Tbilisi metro, continued supporting modern municipal infrastructure in the town of Bakuriani as well as the delivery of modern buses to the cities of Gori, Kutaisi, Poti, Rustavi, Telavi and Zugdidi.

The Bank also intensified its engagement in sustainable energy by providing 90 million of finance to Georgian State Electrosystem, a national electricity transmission company, to further develop the countrys high-voltage grid.

The EBRD also continued to support regional connectivity and vital infrastructure with a 10 million loan to Georgian Air Navigation, the national provider of air traffic navigation and monitoring services in the country.

Complementing its investments, the EBRD continued to engage in policy dialogue. The Bank played an important role in leading the private and public sector dialogue through the Investors Council platform. The EBRD also provided technical support to the government to realise its green agenda and to adopt key energy efficiency laws.
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes claims that Bruno Fernandes has been "disappointing" in every single Premier League game against a Big Six team this season.

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes that Bruno Fernandes is yet to have a good game against one of the Premier League's Big Six this season.

The former Sporting Lisbon man has made a significant contribution in his first year at Old Trafford and already boasts 19 goal contributions - 11 goals and eight assists - in the current Premier League season.

However, a goal in United's 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur is his only contribution against a Big Six team in the league this season, although he did score a thunderous free kick against Liverpool in the FA Cup.

Nevertheless, Scholes wants to see more from Fernandes in the big games after United's 0-0 draw with Arsenal at the weekend, telling Premier League Productions: "[United] can't seem to win those games.

"When you're struggling against Sheffield United the other night, you're beaten by them and then you come to a big game, they just can't win them.

"They just can't find a way of doing it. Bruno Fernandes has been disappointing in every single one of them. He's had great numbers, great assists, great goals. In the last five games against big teams, he's had no goals, no assists.

"It's really worrying and that's why United are where they're at. They're in a good position tonight but it's not a position where you think 'this team will go on to win the league'.

"They've come to Arsenal, who aren't a great team, and they haven't won the big game. There is no desperation to win it either. I don't see them throwing bodies forward.

"Arsenal weren't a threat going forward, no [Bukayo] Saka, no [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang. United don't do enough to win these big games, they don't throw enough bodies forward and they don't have a desperation to win them and to go on to win the league."

United's goalless stalemate with the Gunners means that they are three points behind leaders Manchester City - who have a game in hand - in the Premier League table.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has allotted Rs 4.78 lakh crore to Ministry of Defence in the Union Budget for 2021-22 as against Rs 4.71 lakh crore in the previous year.

Out of this, Rs 1.35 lakh crore has been allotted towards capital expenditure, which relates to modernisation and infrastructure development of armed forces. While the budgeted estimate for capital expenditure in 2020-21 was Rs 1.13 lakh crore, it has been revised to Rs 1.34 lakh crore amidst the border tensions with China.

Check Budget highlights here

"The allocation under capital of Rs 1,35,060.72 crore for FY 2021-22 represents an increase of 18.75 per cent over FY 2020-21 and 30.62 per cent over FY 2019-20. This is the highest ever increase in capital outlay of defence in the last 15 years," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Excluding defence pension, the total allocations for the ministry for 2021-22 is at Rs 3.62 lakh crore, which is an increase of Rs 24,792.62 crore over 2020-21.

Defence pension has been revised to Rs 1.25 lakh crore for 2020-21 from the budgeted estimate of Rs 1.33 lakh crore. In FY22, defence pension has been budgeted at Rs 1.15 lakh crore.

"The capital allocation for DRDO has been increased to Rs 11,375.50 crore. This is an increase of 8 per cent over 2020-21 and 8.5 per cent over 2019-20. The allocation for Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been increased to Rs 6,004.08 crore which is 7.48 per cent increase over FY 2021-22 and 14.49 per cent over FY 2019-20," the statement said.

In a tweet, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the finance minister for the 19 per cent increase in defence capital expenditure.

I specially thank PM& FM for increasing the defence budget to 4.78 lakh cr for FY21-22 which includes capital expenditure worth Rs 1.35 lakh crore. It is nearly19 percent increase in Defence capital expenditure. This is highest ever increase in capital outlay for defence in 15yrs - Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) February 1, 2021

Praising the Budget, he said, it will usher India into a new era of inclusive growth and prosperity.

Click here for full coverage of Budget 2021

Also read: Budget 2021: Agri cess of Rs 2.5 per litre on petrol, Rs 4 on diesel
Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) looked absolutely delighted as she enjoyed a day out at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Monday.

The model, 33, couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she strolled along the promenade before joining friends including Vicki Lee on the shore.

She had two of her sons, Rocket, four, Racer, three, in tow, and carried the tot's clothing in her arms.

Free! Lara Worthington (nee Bingle) (pictured) looked absolutely delighted as she enjoyed a day out at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Monday

Lara looked very chic, albeit not very beachy, as she donned a crisp white shirt - cut at a crop-top length - with a few buttons undone.

The media personality added a pair of black skinny jeans which fit like a glove to her slim form.

A pair of retro sunglasses shielded her face, and the blonde wore her bobbed hair down and loose.

Stunner: The model, 33, couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she joined friends on the shore

Kid day out: She had her two of her sons, Rocket, four, Racer, three, in tow

Cool: Lara looked very chic, albeit not very beachy, as she donned a crisp white shirt - cut at a crop-top length - with a few buttons undone

Lovely: The media personality added a pair of black skinny jeans which fit like a glove to her slim form

Lara added a handful of accessories, including gold rings and earrings, as well as a watch, to complete her ensemble.

She chatted animatedly to her friends on the shore of the beach, taking off her shoes to enjoy the cool water on her feet.

The star then put on white sneakers as she left the sand with her friend Vicki and Vicki's family, before sitting and chatting with her pals beachside.

Pals: Lara was joined by friends including Vicki Lee as she strolled on the beach

Pretty: A pair of retro sunglasses shielded her face, and the blonde wore her bobbed hair down and loose

Friendly: She chatted animatedly to her friends on the shore of the beach, taking off her shoes to enjoy the cool water on her feet

Last year, it was reported that Lara planned to move back to Australia with her husband-of-seven-years, actor Sam Worthington, and family.

Lara and Sam have been based in the US with their family for years.

According to Who magazine last year, the couple decided to relocate back to their native Australia for an 'extended stay'.

The publication reported that the pair will be temporarily moving Down Under while Sam performs in the Sydney Theatre Company's production, Appropriate.

Details: Lara added a handful of accessories, including gold rings and earrings, as well as a watch, to complete her ensemble

Best foot forward: The star then put on white sneakers as she left the sand with her friend Vicki

Doting mum: Lara carried shoes and clothing that belonged to her young sons in her hands

The production will take place in March, and along with Sam's Avatar commitments in New Zealand, 'a more permanent move Down Under doesn't seem totally off the cards just yet'.

Lara entered hotel quarantine in January, and while inside, was already dreaming of better days.

The model shared a photo of the beach on Instagram, shortly after returning home to Australia.

Chats with friends: The model and her pals sat beachside and chatted in front of a graffiti wall

Back: Last year, it was reported that Lara planned to move back to Australia with her husband-of-seven-years, actor Sam Worthington, and family

Homeward: . Lara and Sam have been based in the US with their family for years

Although she didn't caption the post, Lara tagged the location as 'Sydney, Australia', after being whisked into mandatory hotel quarantine.

Sam and Lara share sons Rocket and Racer and welcomed their most recent addition, a baby boy, whose name is yet to be revealed, in 2019.

In an interview with Marie Claire, the doting mum said that she thinks her body was 'meant to have kids' and she would 'happily' have more in the future.
Exxon Mobil and Chevron discussed a possible merger last year as the coronavirus pandemic pummeled the industry and put extreme financial pressure on the two largest U.S. oil giants, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Talks between Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods and Chevron CEO Mike Wirth were preliminary and are no longer taking place, but if it had occurred, it would have been one of the largest corporate mergers in history, the WSJ said. Such a deal would have reconstituted John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil company, which was split up by U.S. regulators in 1911 into Standard Oil of California (now Chevron) and Standard Oil of New Jersey (now Exxon).
Everyone who interfered in U.S. elections should be held accountable under law  Zelensky

Parliamentarians of Ukraine, as well as everyone who was involved in interference in the elections in the United States, must be brought to justice, and criminal proceedings should be initiated on this fact, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said.

In an interview with the Axios HBO program, a translation of which was posted on the presidential website on Monday, answering a question whether it is worth the question of Ukrainian prosecution of MPs who facilitated Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election, Zelensky said: "It is worth, by all means. And not only in front of these MPs, but in front of everyone. I want a criminal case to be initiated in this regard."

The head of the Ukrainian state said the investigation due to the recordings of the conversation with Joe Biden who was a Vice- president at that time.

"[...] How this conversation was recorded, who recorded it, to whom it was transferred or sold  all this is being investigated by law enforcement agencies. There is already progress, and soon there will be results," Zelensky said.

At the same time, he emphasized the need to establish everyone who was involved in this.

"I really want all the names to be on this list and the sanctions list, regardless of what parties these people are deputies of. Therefore, the issue of deprivation of mandates, withdrawal from the party should be raised, but we must have the entire list  even those who held very high positions before my presidency," the President of Ukraine said.

"Everyone who interfered in the U.S. elections should be held accountable under the law," Zelensky said.

"We can be open, give the information that we have," he said, answering a question about whether the Ukrainian side will help in the investigation of cases in which Hunter Biden is involved.

The head of the Ukrainian state said that Ukraine is ready to help the United States in establishing the truth in the context of the investigation of the ties between Trump's personal lawyer Rudolph Giuliani and Russian agents in Ukraine.
Lobbying spending remained steady in 2020 amid partisan gridlock, a tumultuous election and the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

Lobbying spending nearly reached $3.5 billion in 2020, according to OpenSecrets review of lobbying filings, just falling short of 2019s record total. The final year of former President Donald Trumps term capped three straight years of relatively high lobbying spending, a departure from the final years of the Obama administration.

Lobbying spending totaled roughly $839 million from October through December, according to OpenSecrets initial review of fourth-quarter lobbying data. That figure will likely increase as firms file late reports.

The year kicked off with a record $941 million in lobbying spending in the first quarter, driven by an all-out lobbying push from every major industry to influence the initial COVID-19 stimulus package. Lobbying spending took a dip in the second quarter after many industries missed out on government aid. And spending stagnated in the third quarter as it became clear Congress would not come to another bipartisan stimulus agreement before the November election.

Much of 2020s lobbying activity revolved around proposed stimulus legislation to combat the virus and its damaging effect on the economy. The bipartisan CARES Act  the $2.2 trillion package Congress passed in March  and Democrats HEROES Act, which passed the House but not the Senate, became the second and third most lobbied non-appropriations bills of all time, respectively.

Some sectors had more to gain  and lose  from the pandemic than others. The health sector was the top lobbying spender in 2020, shelling out a record $615 million. Congress delivered massive windfalls to hospitals and the federal government awarded lucrative contracts to pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. The pharmaceutical industry spent a record amount on lobbying in 2020, and many companies hired lobbyists with close ties to Trump and congressional leaders.

Health care providers ultimately won an expensive lobbying battle against insurers over surprise medical bills last year. Congress included a measure in the year-end spending package that will use arbitration to determine how much insurers would pay medical providers when the patient isnt covered. Emergency services companies, physician groups and private equity firms backing them spent massive sums on lobbying and aired a $75 million ad campaign to oppose a different proposal that would have the government set rates.

The finance, insurance and real estate sector also spent a record high on lobbying in 2020, shelling out $539 million. That figure is boosted by the National Association of Realtors, which spent $84 million on lobbying, more than any other organization. Congress, whose members are heavily invested in real estate, included new tax breaks for real estate investors in the CARES Act. With the pandemic hitting renters and homeowners hard, Realtors pushed Congress to include mortgage and rental assistance in its stimulus packages.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent nearly $82 million on lobbying in 2020. Its the first time the business lobbying giant didnt claim the top spot among lobbying spenders since 2000. After spending tens of millions backing Republicans over the last decade, the Chamber made the rare step of endorsing congressional Democrats last year. It has also supported many of President Joe Bidens plans, including his proposed COVID-19 relief bill.

Tech giants Amazon and Facebook topped all other companies on lobbying spending in 2020, bested only by massive trade associations. Among Amazons recent hires is a lobbyist whose brother is a top Biden adviser. Those powerful companies and others in the tech industry have increased their presence in Washington each year, hoping to defeat calls from lawmakers on both sides to regulate or break up tech giants. Those proposals could gain traction under the Biden administration, which is expected to more strongly regulate Silicon Valley.

*

Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.

Karl Evers-Hillstrom joined the Center for Responsive Politics in October 2018. As CRPs money-in-politics reporter, he writes and edits stories for the news section and helps manage a team of diligent writers. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Karl graduated from State University of New York at New Paltz in 2016 with a B.A. in journalism. He previously worked at The Globe, a regional newspaper based in Worthington, Minnesota. His email is kevers@crp.org.

Featured image is from OpenSecrets
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
Covid: Baltic states among best in managing the pandemic "Hybrid regimes like Ukraine" least able to meet the challenge

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, FEB 1 - Baltic countries were among the best performers globally in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study produced by a leading Australian think tank, the Lowy Institute.



The 'Covid Performance' index is based on six indicators to evaluate which countries better managed the epidemic. Latvia, ninth in the general ranking that includes 98 countries achieved the best results among countries in Central- and Eastern Europe, with 77.5 points out of 100, followed by Estonia (11th with 76.4 points) and Lithuania (19th with 69.7 points). Slovakia ranked 22th (64.5 points), Greece 32th (58.4), Slovenia 33th (58.1), Austria 42th (52.8), Serbia 51th (46.8), Hungary 52th (46.3), Croatia 54th (45.9), Germany 55th (45.8), Poland 65th (38.4), Bulgaria 67th (37.4). At the bottom of the ranking, Romania (81th, 25.4 points) and Ukraine (90th, 20.7), among the countries most severely hit by the pandemic.



Italy ranked only 59th, with 40.4 points out of 100, while the best-performing countries according to the report are New Zealand (94.4 points), Vietnam (90.8), Taiwan (84.2) and Cyprus (83.3). At the other end of the scale, the United States (17.3), Iran (15.9), Colombia (7.7), Mexico (6.5) and Brazil (4.3), countries that failed in managing the pandemic, the study claims.



The researchers used several indicators for the ranking, in particular the number of confirmed cases, confirmed deaths, confirmed cases per million people, confirmed deaths per million people, confirmed cases as a proportion of tests, and tests per thousand people. The Institute also sorted the countries examined into categories, by regions, political systems, population size, and economic development, "to determine whether significant variations exist between different types of states in the handling of the pandemic." "No single type of country emerged the unanimous winner in the period examined," the 36 weeks that followed their hundredth confirmed case of COVID-19, the Lowy Institute said. However, "certain structural factors appear to be more closely associated with positive outcomes." For example, the report reads, "smaller countries proved more agile than the majority of their larger counterparts in handling the health emergency for most of 2020." Moreover, data from the report confirmed the arguments of the American political scientist Francis Fukuyama. Fukuyama stated that "countries with smaller populations, cohesive societies, and capable institutions have a comparative advantage in dealing with a global crisis such as a pandemic." The study also revealed that "countries with authoritarian models had no prolonged advantage in suppressing the virus," and that "democracies found marginally more success than other forms of government in their handling of the pandemic." "Many hybrid regimes, such as Ukraine and Bolivia, appeared least able to meet the challenge," the report said. (ANSA).





 Copyright ANSA - All rights reserved
Grenoble, France, February 1st, 2020 - Kalray (Euronext Growth Paris: ALKAL), a pioneer in intelligent processors, today announces its financial communication agenda for 2021. Each publication will be released after Euronext Paris market closing. This calendar of publication dates is for reference only, it is subject to change if necessary.

20 April 2021 : 2020 Year-End Results 10 June 2021 : Shareholders Meeting 12 July 2021 : Activity in the first half of 2021 15 September 2021 : 2021 Half-Year Results

ABOUT KALRAY

Kalray (Euronext Growth Paris - FR0010722819 - ALKAL) is a fabless semiconductor company, leading provider in a new generation of processors specialized in Intelligent Data Processing from Cloud to Edge. Kalray MPPA Intelligent Processors are able to capture and analyze on the fly massive data flows, and interact in real time with the outside world. These processors are capable of running demanding AI algorithms and simultaneously a wide set of different processing and control tasks such as intensive mathematical algorithms, signal processing, network or storage software stacks. Kalray's Intelligent Processors can be deployed in fast-growing sectors from Cloud to Edge: modern data centers, 5G telecom networks, autonomous vehicles, healthcare equipment, industry 4.0, drones and robots Kalray's offering includes processors, acceleration cards and a software suite, for a broad spectrum of customers such as next generation data center equipment manufacturers and service providers, system integrators and consumer product manufacturers such as car makers. Founded in 2008 as a spin-off of CEA French lab, Kalray counts among its investors: Alliance Venture (Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi), Safran, NXP Semiconductors, CEA and Bpifrance. Read more at: www.kalrayinc.com

INVESTOR CONTACTS

Eric BAISSUS

contactinvestisseurs@kalrayinc.com

Tel. +33 (0)4 76 18 90 71



ACTUS finance & communication

Jerome FABREGUETTES-LEIB

kalray@actus.fr

+ 33 1 53 67 36 78 MEDIA CONTACTS

Loic HAMON

communication@kalrayinc.com

Tel. +33 (0)4 76 18 90 71



ACTUS finance & communication

Serena BONI

sboni@actus.fr

Tel. +33 (0)4 72 18 04 92

------------------------

This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ".

- SECURITY MASTER Key:

lnBwZslmk2+annFqk5iXaZKVb5lkxpSYapTIlWNxaJ/Jb2xmlJuWaJqbZm9omGts

- Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com.

------------------------



 Copyright Actusnews Wire

Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free

Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-67366-pr_kalray_agenda_2021_en_vdef.pdf
Human rights experts at the United Nations have called for the "prompt" release of prisoners of war and other captives by Armenia and Azerbaijan from their recent conflict in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner in Geneva said in a statement on February 1 that the two countries should also move quickly to return the bodies of those killed to families for burial "with due respect for cultural customs."

Everyone deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the conflict should be returned to their homes, and relatives of those killed must be able to receive the mortal remains of their loved ones, in line with the cease-fire agreement signed on November 9, 2020, the experts said.

Failure to disclose information on the fate and whereabouts of missing persons and refusal to hand over the remains of the deceased may amount to enforced disappearance, which both Azerbaijan and Armenia have committed to preventing, they added.

Armenia and Azerbaijan fought a fierce six-week battle over the region until signing a Moscow-brokered deal to halt the hostilities on November 9.

Under a cease-fire agreement, a chunk of Nagorno-Karabakh and all seven districts around it were placed under Azerbaijani administration after almost 30 years of control by ethnic Armenians.

More than 4,700 people were killed in the flare-up of violence and the UN expert group said many are still unaccounted for.

We are alarmed at allegations that prisoners of war and other protected persons have been subjected to extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearance, torture, and other ill-treatment, the experts said.

No exceptional circumstances whatsoever -- whether a state of war, internal political instability, or any other public emergency -- may be invoked as a justification of torture and enforced disappearances, they said. Such acts, when perpetrated in armed conflict, may also constitute war crimes.

The experts added that they were also "seriously alarmed" at reports that corpses were desecrated and called on both sides to "treat dead bodies with dignity."

We appeal to the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan to carry out thorough, prompt, independent, and impartial investigations into allegations of serious human rights violations committed during the conflict and its aftermath in order to hold perpetrators to account and provide redress to the victims. These actions will facilitate truth, reconciliation, and healing, the experts 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.
Former Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. will lead former President Donald Trumps defense team as his second Senate impeachment trial gets underway next week.

Trump made the announcement  saying Castor will work alongside a new colead counsel, Alabama criminal defense lawyer David Schoen  in a statement issued late Sunday night. He lauded the new team for the significant national profiles and significant trial experience they will bring to his defense.

The decision came a day after it was disclosed that the former president had parted ways with his team of previous lawyers just days before the proceedings were set to begin, in a falling out over strategy.

In Castor  who made his name in the 2000s as Montgomery Countys telegenic, hard-charging top prosecutor only to see his status as a rising Republican star dim after a fractious stint in county government, a brief tenure as Pennsylvanias acting attorney general, a failed 2015 bid to reclaim his old district attorney post, and a chastening moment as a star defense witness in Bill Cosbys sexual assault trial  Trump is likely to find a defender who shares his penchant for theatrics.

One who once threatened that reporters who dared show up at his home uninvited would be met by his wife  and her gun. And one who still harbors bitter feelings after his own brush with what he once described as the will of the voters being overturned out from under him.

After his 2007 election to the Montgomery Countys Board of Commissioners when the boards two other members  Democrat Joe Hoeffel and Republican Jim Matthews, brother of former Hardball host Chris Matthews  forged a power-sharing agreement to keep Castor sidelined, he expressed his discontent by inviting visitors to observe that hed hung his certificate of public office over his toilet.

Castor, 59, of Lower Salford, did not return calls or e-mails seeking comment Sunday evening. He said in a statement that he considered it a privilege to represent the 45th president.

The strength of our Constitution is about to be tested like never before in our history, he said. It is strong and resilient  a document written for the ages, and it will triumph over partisanship yet again, and always.

And as he prepares to defend the first president in American history to ever face impeachment twice, Castor will need to draw upon his nearly 40 years of considerable experience in law, politics and the public arena.

 READ MORE: Castor looks back at 30 years in government

In a 2015 interview, he described his own rise through the ranks of the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office as meteoric. Less than a year after he was hired there in 1985, he was serving as second chair in a double death-penalty murder case.

Elected to lead the office in 1999, he used the platform for the next eight years to make himself a regular feature on TV newscasts as he oversaw high-profile murder prosecutions. Among them: Caleb Fairley, convicted of killing a woman and her baby; Guy Sileo Jr., convicted of shooting his business partner in Lower Merions General Wayne Inn; Rafael Robb, a University of Pennsylvania professor who pleaded guilty to bludgeoning his wife.

That public stature carried Castor to higher posts on the county commissioners board for an eight-year stint marked by continuous feuding with Hoeffel and Matthews, then better relations with his counterparts once they were replaced by Democrats Josh Shapiro and Leslie S. Richards. But throughout the period, Castor had his eye on even higher posts, including a 2004 run for attorney general and a brief period when he flirted with a run for governor.

But it was the one case Castor declined to prosecute during his days as DA that would come back to haunt him later in life.

In 2005, when Andrea Constand, an operations manager with Temple University, came forward to accuse the comedian Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting her at his Cheltenham mansion, Castor declined to prosecute.

Called as a defense witness when Cosby was eventually tried for that crime a decade later, Castor testified that he didnt believe Constand would stand up to scrutiny as a witness at trial and declared that he had struck a secret agreement with Cosby at the time that foreclosed any future prosecutions.

 READ MORE: Cosby case could rise or fall on 'Bruce's word'

That came as news to District Attorney Kevin R. Steele, who had defeated Castor in a bitter battle for the DAs seat just months before charging Cosby in 2015 and balked at his rivals assertions on the witness stand.

Castors story also failed to convince Montgomery County Judge Steven T. ONeill, who presided over the case and found that with no written agreement and only the former prosecutors testimony to go by, the deal  if it ever existed  had no binding force preventing Cosbys trial. Ultimately, ONeill wrote that he found Castors testimony to be uncredible and marked by numerous inconsistencies in his testimony.

Castor went on to sue Constand for defamation, a case later thrown out by a judge.

Since then, he has worked in private practice at the Center City law firm Van der Veen, ONeill, Hartshorn and Levin  which sued Trump last year over changes to the postal service it said raised concerns that mail-in ballots in the upcoming election could go uncounted.

But his past steps into the limelight will be nothing compared to the glare Castor will find himself in once Trumps Senate trial begins Feb. 9.

Republicans had been expected to argue that the former presidents trial is unconstitutional because he is no longer in office, though legal scholars have maintained that is no bar to an impeachment trial.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that Trumps falling out with his previous legal team centered on their unwillingness to pursue a different strategy that would continue to focus on his baseless claims that his reelection was stolen out from under him by widespread and systemic fraud.

It remains to be seen which strategy Castor will bring with him to Washington later this month.

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.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aviation attorneys from the law firm of Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost family members in the devastating Sriwijaya Air Flight 182 crash.

Our attorneys are coordinating with local investigators on the ground in Indonesia to uncover the cause of the Sriwijaya crash. If investigators find mechanical defects, negligence, or wrongdoing of any kind, we intend to hold those responsible to account for this preventable tragedy.

We also warn families not to be fooled by any attempts by the insurance companies for the airline or Boeing to sign any documents like they did in the Lion Air JT610 crash. After the Lion Air crash the defendants pressured unsuspecting heirs to sign complicated and shocking release and discharge forms that essentially stripped away their rights to pursue a lawsuit. You can read more about this below.

While the investigation is ongoing, our law firm is actively working to ensure that the legal rights of the victims' families are preserved and protected as they mourn. We believe these grieving families must receive critical information that may help them avoid the betrayal and disappointment experienced by the majority of the Lion Air Flight JT610 crash families.

Aviation attorney Clay Robbins has decades of experience advocating on behalf of airline crash victims. According to Robbins, one thing needs to be made clear to the SJ 182 families: Under Indonesian law, Sriwijaya Air is strictly liable to pay compensation to victims' families with no strings attached. This compensation is considered emergency money to take care of the families while their full legal rights are determined. Additional compensation may also be available through the work of an aviation attorney.

"If the investigation shows fault on the part of the airline or the aircraft manufacturer, Indonesian law provides for additional compensation against the responsible parties," says Attorney Robbins.

One issue highlighted in the investigation's early stages relates to the Boeing 737 500's automatic throttle. According to media reporting, a person close to the crash investigation said the plane's autothrottle produced more thrust in one of the engines than the other in the moments before the crash.

Significant differences in power between both engines would make commercial jets exceedingly difficult to control. Autothrottle malfunctions have caused other fatal crashes, including the 2009 crash of Turkish Airlines Flight 1951, a Boeing 737. According to the New York Times, "[d]ecisions by Boeing, including risky design choices and faulty safety assessments, also contributed to the accident on the Turkish Airlines flight."The Tarom Flight 371 crash in 1995 that killed 60 people also involved the autothrottle.

The 737 platform "has a history of autothrottle issues," Robbins says. "If that is what is involved and if it relates to a failure on the part of Boeing to remedy the logic and/or provide adequate pilot training recommendations, this tragedy may be yet another example of Boeing's failure to properly address operational safety problems involving this aircraft."

SJ 182 Families Should Not Feel Pressured to Sign Anything

Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman wants to alert the Sriwijaya crash families that the airline or its insurers may offer settlements that are drastically lower than the amount a case could get in a courtroom. Worse, Sriwijaya Air or its insurers could attempt to pressure these families into signing documents that provide the minimum compensation under the law in exchange for forfeiting their legal rights to pursue justice and compensation against those who may be responsible for causing the SJ 182 crash.

The forms, known as release and discharge forms, "could victimize the Sriwijaya Air crash victims' families for a second time by providing nothing other than the minimum amount of compensation the airline is required to pay them under Indonesian law," says Ronald L.M. Goldman, a board-certified attorney who has litigated aviation crashes for more than 50 years.

"If these forms are signed, the airline and all other potential defendants could avoid legal liability, even if they are found to be at fault. We are determined not to let that happen to these families who have already lost so much."

Our firm is all too familiar with these forms. Following the Lion Air Flight JT610 crash that killed 189 people, the insurance company for both the airline and Boeing sent release and discharge forms out to the victims' families. When the news broke that Lion Air families were being bullied into signing release and discharge forms, our firm offered to mount cases on their behalf "not only to set aside these unconscionable agreements but to fully vindicate their rights."

True to our word, our aviation attorneys secured justice and compensation for a Lion Air family who was misled into signing the despicable releases.

The pain and suffering that go with losing a family member in an airline crash are immeasurable. These families devastated by tragedy deserve all the compensation to which they are entitled without any strings attached. Without question, they have the right to pursue legal action against any parties responsible for causing the tragic crash that killed a member of their family, and our law firm would be honored to represent them.

Read more details here about SJ 182 families' legal rights and how not to be fooled by Sriwijaya Air or Boeing.

About Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman | International Aviation Attorneys

Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman is one of the most experienced aviation law firms in the world, with broad experience in complex choice of law issues. For more than 40 years, Baum Hedlund has represented nearly 800 passengers, crew, and victims in commercial airline and other aviation crashes and incidents across the globe. Our aviation attorneys have litigated more than 70 airline crash cases against 50 different airlines and 36 accidents involving Boeing aircraft. The firm is currently representing families who lost family members in the Lion Air JT610 and Ethiopian Airlines ET 302 crashes. Overall, the firm has won more than $4 billion in verdicts and settlements on behalf of its clients in multiple areas of practice.

Our past results do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of future cases.

SOURCE Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman

Related Links

https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com


Experts say Queensland should not count on hordes of tourists from southern states rushing north now the border with NSW has reopened, with pandemic uncertainty still causing concern for travellers.

Ahead of restrictions for travellers from greater Sydney being lifted on Monday, Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the government welcomed travellers from other states and encouraged them to spend time in Queensland during Easter.

Experts say Queensland cant expect pre-pandemic levels of tourists over Easter, with travellers changing their behaviour because of constant lockdowns. Credit:Photo: Dan Peled

Mr Hinchliffe pointed to the revenue from interstate visitors to Queensland in 2019, estimated to be about $735 million, with $350 million from NSW travellers, as a target for this years tourist season.

But experts said the state was unlikely to see revenues at that level for years, as tourists sought less risky forms of travel.

Steven Mana Trink is known as the " Feel Good Artist". His paintings and images are all abstract creations of high vibrational art that was created with a healing intention. It speaks to the greater parts of our being, our spirit, our soul and our multidimensional light bodies. It brings us into vibrational harmony and balance.

It all started in the year 2018, the time that Steven Mana Trink was faced with life altering challenges. His wife and soul partner had just passed away. The Mobile Urgent Care Medical Service that both he and his wife, Dr. Laura, had co-founded on the Big Island of Hawaii came to a halt and so did his only source of sustainable income. Then, suddenly, he found himself being air transported to a hospital on another islandwith a life-threatening illness; this all taking place within a couple of weeks.

The two years that followed were Trinks' greatest period of physical healing and spiritual growth. It was during this time, after spending six months in a critical care facility, that he chose to live alone in the solitude of his apartment. It was here that Steven Mana Trink first discovered the artist that resided within: the "Feel Good Artist" and the author of his newly published book, Navigating The Winds Of Change; A spiritual Guide to Embracing A Loving Life.

Trink who never painted before was divinely guided to follow the whispering voice of his heart and enrolled in an art therapy on-line course, Creative Alchemy TM. This unique quantum, creative holistic approach facilitates healing pain, traumas, symptoms, limiting beliefs and trapped vibrational frequencies. Trinks' intention was to address his trauma patterns using the processes that were shown to him as a means of treatment, in trust that he may be able to facilitate his healing and thrive in life. His inner artist emerged and over the next two years the creative and healing process showed him the way. He contributes the high vibrational energy of his art to be a major factor in healing his body of cancer. The images we view in his gallery today reflect those vibrations.

Trink first connects, through a form of meditation to his higher self. He shuns the use of brushes and employs only his hands, finger tips and tempera watercolor paint to express his inner vibration of love onto canvas or specialized papers. His colors, all-vivid, primary and high frequency are chosen by spirit. They project Radiance, Vibrancy and Celebration. Mana quiets his mind and puts aside any structured ideas. He then invites the silent emerging artist to guide him in the creation of the images he paints. The reflection of the healing frequency of Love that emanates from within his Heart is present in all of his creations. When we view his abstract paintings the wonderful feeling of Harmony, Peace and Joy is ignited and experienced within us.

Watch video of Steven Mana Trink discussing how he paints with only with his hands & fingers.

https://youtu.be/Rid40wytPvo

Listen to Steven Mana Trink's Interview on the Frankie Boyer Radio Show

https://stevenmanatrink.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/frankieboyerbothsegments.mp3

Website: stevenmanatrink.com

Email: stevenmanatrink@gmail.com

Phone: (310) 387-9233
The ongoing political turmoil in Nepal took a new twist on Sunday after three former Prime Ministers participated in a sit-in-protest to oppose the recent dissolution of the Parliament. Former Prime Ministers Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Madhav Kumar Nepal, and Jhalanath Khanal took to the streets of Kathmandu to call on the caretaker PM KP Sharma Oli to reinstate the parliament. This comes after Oli on December 20 dissolved the parliament and announced fresh elections in April and May.

Read: KP Oli's Troubles Mount; Nepal's Supreme Court Summons Caretaker PM In Contempt Case

The three former prime ministers, who are members of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), were joined in by some members of both the upper and lower house of the parliament. The trio has said they will not budge until Oli reinstates the House of Representatives. The stalwarts of Nepali politics have also warned against mass rallies in the coming days if their demands are not met by Oli. The recent demonstration was part of the series of protests that have been taking place in Nepal since the dissolution of the parliament.

Read: 'Peace, Progress & Prosperity For India': Nepal PM Oli Extends Greetings On Republic Day

The move came as surprise to many after President Bidya Devi Bhandari approved Oli's recommendation to dissolve the parliament last month. Oli's decision to dissolve the parliament was prompted by disagreements within the NCP, which he feared would be used against him during the winter session. Oli feared that members of his own party would try and table a no-confidence motion so he dissolved the parliament to escape the vote.

What led to the current turmoil?

Prior to the dissolution of the parliament, the ruling NCP had been struggling to keep the flock together with several factions formed within the party. NCP came into being after Oli and Dahal merged their respective parties into one entity following the 2017 national elections. Though Oli emerged as the most popular leader, his party was short of the majority required to form a government. Oli and Dahal, whose party was third in the elections, agreed to form an alliance based on a power-sharing agreement.

Read: Nepal PM Oli Expelled From Ruling Party: What Led To The Chaos? What's Next?

Under the agreement, both leaders agreed to share power for an equal period of time. However, after two years, Oli refused to give up the Prime Minister's position and instead tried to lure Dahal by granting him executive powers within the party, making him executive chairman of the ruling NCP. But people familiar with Nepal politics say that Oli never gave up his command over the party and continued to interfere in the internal affairs of NCP, which resulted in the formation of several factions.

What's next for Oli?

Since the dissolution of the parliament, Oli has been removed from the party and is facing numerous petitions in Nepal's Supreme Court. It is now up to the apex court of Nepal to decide whether the move made by Oli was constitutional. The court will make a decision on the basis of certain factors, including if there was a chance of forming a new government without dissolving the parliament. If the court approves Oli's move, the caretaker Prime Minister will remain until the next elections, and if it rules reinstates the parliament, he will likely be removed by a no-confidence vote.

Read: Nepal Election Commission Refuses To Recognise Either Faction Of Ruling NCP

(With inputs from ANI)


A company of developer Johnny Ronan claims the operators of Bewley's Cafe on Dublin's Grafton Street want the taxpayer to foot their rent obligations by suggesting they will donate the Harry Clarke stained glass windows in the premises to the Irish people.

Donation of a heritage item to the State attracts a tax credit of 80pc of its value which means Bewley's would be getting the taxpayer to fund its rent obligations, RGRE Grafton Ltd, landlord of the premises, has claimed.

RGRE has also rejected a proposal by Bewley's to offset the value of the windows in lieu of rent by selling them to RGRE.

Read More

RGRE has told Bewley's Cafe Grafton Street Ltd and Bewley's Ltd they "can't try to sell us what we already own".

The six windows, located on the ground floor, are estimated to be worth more than 1m, according to RGRE.

However, Bewleys argues the windows were never part of the property and have from time to time, subject to statutory requirements, been moved freely within the premises. They have been treated as ornamental decorative panels and have always remained in Bewley's ownership, they say.

On Monday, Mr Justice David Barniville admitted proceedings by RGRE Gafton against the Bewley's group companies, whose principal is Paddy Campbell, to the fast-track Commercial Court list. The case comes back in June.

In an affidavit seeking admission to the commercial list, RGRE Grafton CEO, Rory Williams, said the stained glass panels are believed to have been installed in 1929 having been commissioned by Ernest Bewley and have "formed part of the premises ever since".

The windows form part of the fabric and structure of the premises and are not "merely ornamental moveable chattels".

As tenant, Bewley's is required to pay RGRE more than 1.4m per year, a figure it has on a number of occasions unsuccessfully challenged, he said.

Last year, a dispute over non-payment of rent, due to Covid-19 closures, led to RGRE taking proceedings. These were settled following mediation with Bewley's paying some 749,000 due in rent, he said.

However, last December, John Cahill, director of Bewley's Cafe Grafton Street Ltd, wrote seeking the waiver of rent until next March and a reduction for the rest of the lease term of rent of 300,000 per annum or 10pc of annual cafe sales if higher.

He also offered to sell to RGRE the stained glass windows to cover that rent until the end of the lease in August 2022.

Mr Williams, who is also a solicitor, replied that Bewley's "can't sell what we already own". He also said RGRE "would not dream" of removing the glass panels.

Bewley's insisted the windows were never part of the 1987 sale of the building by Bewley's to one of the predecessors in title to the premises and subsequently was bought by RGRE.

Mr Williams also said Bewley's had expressed its intention to donate the windows to the people of Ireland, a move which would entitle Bewley's to a tax credit of 80pc of the value of the heritage item.

This "seemingly altruistic gesture appears in fact to be a further mechanism" to ensure that a third party - the taxpayer - discharges Bewley's rent obligation, he said.

Following requests of documentation to prove the ownership claim, which was not forthcoming, RGRE instituted proceedings.

It seeks orders and declarations, including that the windows form part of the premises, are owned by RGRE and any purported transfer of ownership by Bewley's is null and void.
Turkeys regional ventures, spurred by Ottoman nostalgia, have earned it a hostile Arab front led by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Though Turkeys ambitions have hardly translated into a success story, they have fueled a plethora of myths and falsehoods that both Turks and Arabs are feeding off.

In his comments on regional issues, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan often brings up the treaties that led to the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire or evoke the Ottoman legacy by, say, pledging Turkish citizenship to Lebanese Turks or speaking of one million ethnic Turks in Libya. For many in the Arab world, such statements are a signal that the Turks have designs on Arab lands and are eyeing a comeback. Maps of a Greater Turkey circulated by figures close to Erdogan have only fueled the suspicions.

The Erdogan-controlled Turkish press has similarly fanned Arab fears by marketing Ankaras regional moves with a heavy dose of hyperbole and nationalist bluster. Pro-government commentators theorize that the defense of Turkish borders begins in the Mediterranean, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, boasting that Turkey is building lines of defense on three continents. Many Arab journalists, too, paint an overblown picture of Turkey and its capabilities, though in an alarmist fashion. From the optics of both sides, Turkey looks like a Leviathan pervading a sprawling region  from Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Yemen to Libya, Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Mali and Senegal. Using the same toolbox, both sides are fanning enmity and deluding their respective publics.

Several years ago, for instance, pro-government Turkish news outlets hailed Sudans decision to lease its Suakin Island to Turkey as a development that profoundly changes the balance in the Red Sea. Although no Turkish base was there yet, they linked the island to the Turkish bases in Qatar and Somalia to celebrate a Turkish triangle in the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The same outlets, however, have neglected to follow up on the story, namely how Turkish ambitions on Suakin went down the drain after the overthrow of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Following the coup, the head of the military leadership was quick to assert that Suakin was an inseparable part of Sudan.

Its value cannot be measured with a material price. Its history cannot be sold, he said. The statement must have come as relief for the Egyptian press, which had claimed Turkey would use Suakin to topple Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, a nemesis of Ankara since ousting the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013.

In a fresh addition to the myths, The Arab Weekly reported Jan. 26 that Ankaras decision to extend the mandate of anti-piracy naval forces in the Gulf of Aden, Somalian waters and the Arabian Sea was part of its destabilizing agenda in Yemen and the Horn of Africa. According to the paper, Turkey has sought footholds in Somalia and Djibouti in a bid to obstruct the interests of Gulf countries and control commercial traffic in the Horn of Africa by taking control of ports on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in Somalia, Somaliland and Djibouti.

In reality, there is no evidence that Ankara is eying ports in Djibouti and Somaliland, even though Turkish companies operate the international airport and seaport in the Somali capital. Turkey has spoken only of establishing a commercial center in Djibouti, where Saudi Arabia, China, France and the United States have acquired military bases. As for breakaway Somaliland, Turkey opened a consulate there in 2014, but the UAE has been the essential regional power courting Somaliland, with Egypt apparently in tow.

The Arab Weekly also blames Turkey for undermining Saudi stabilization efforts in Yemen in order to achieve its strategic goals at the expense of continued chaos. Turkey also stands accused of expanding intelligence operations in Yemen under the cover of humanitarian aid missions and helping Muslim Brotherhood affiliates gain control of the oil-rich province of Shabwa and build a seaport there, all to advance its own interests.

Earlier reports by The Arab Weekly claimed the Houthis and the Brotherhood have colluded to seize Bab al-Mandab with Turkish backing and Turkey has supplied drones to and trained Brotherhood elements in Yemen.

All those claims appear to be overblown achievements credited to Turkey. If they were genuine, Erdogan would have hardly missed the opportunity to brag about them. The regional rivals have often tried to trip up each other and their rivalries have escalated into enmity, but Turkey's wins were not all that big.

For others like former Egyptian diplomat Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, Turkeys pursuit of military footholds in Sudan, Somalia, Qatar and Libya are part of a policy to encircle Egypt. Many believe Turkeys ambitions in Libya are not limited to that country but extend to its neighbors and beyond.

For Asharq al-Awsat columnist Abdulrahman Al-Rashed, Turkey is a threat to no less than 15 Arab countries. The Turks in Libya are the greatest threat to Egypt since the Camp David Accords, he wrote. Turkey will use Libya to blackmail the Europeans and threaten Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Sudan. Turkeys next war will be in Yemen.

Ankaras backing of the Muslim Brotherhood keeps the tensions alive. Asharq al-Awsats Hanna Saleh believes Turkey is drawing on neo-Ottomanism to build a Muslim Brotherhood crescent in parallel to the Persian crescent. For his fellow columnist Saleh al-Qallab, Erdogan has virtually pledged allegiance to the Muslim Brotherhood. Based on experience, this author would counter that Erdogans allegiance is to his interests alone. Since the Arab Spring, the Brotherhood has indeed become a tool of political influence for Erdogan, but his pragmatism means he might well show them the door down the road.

Score-settling over the Brotherhood aside, Turkeys efforts to expand its influence through economic, political and military ties can hardly be reduced to or explained away as animosity toward Egypt. Turkeys close ties with Sudan under Bashir or rapprochement with Ethiopia amid the latters water-sharing row with Egypt could have indeed felt like encirclement in Cairo. And indeed, Egypt lacks real leverage in many regions to which Turkey has reached out. Still, Egypt has the upper hand in reaching out to Arabs in regions of clashing interests. Encircling Egypt is simply beyond Turkeys capacity.

In a climate where any political, commercial or humanitarian contact is seen as a move of conquest by one side and invasion by the other, sparring has become inevitable. The Turkish side has come to look for a Saudi-Emirati hand behind any terrorist or piracy attack targeting Turkish interests. In June, for instance, the daily Yeni Safak, an Erdogan favorite, trumpeted, The UAE will attack Turkey in Somalia. According to the paper, The UAE has set an eye on Somalia after suffering a heavy defeat in Libya. Its objective is to drag [Somalia] back into chaos after the African country reached stability with Turkeys support. Thus, it will also take revenge from Turkey. Abu Dhabi, which had attempted a coup in Somalia in 2018, is now inciting terrorism via the autonomous Somaliland and Puntland. The same paper has claimed that after Bashir, Sudan has been collaborating with Egypt and Israel to curb Turkish presence in the Red Sea.

The notion of neo-Ottomanism may be a source of motivation for Erdogan, but it is now a fantasy without grounds. Erdogans moves to expand Turkish influence in the Middle East are hardly the product of a comprehensive, well-thought-out strategy backed with corresponding means and capabilities, as Turkish and Arab media portray them. Moreover, he may be running out of ammunition on this front, for he has recently turned to reviving ties with the European Union.

Turkey has hit a dead end in Syria despite its military buildup there, is unable to guarantee the future of its military cooperation and maritime demarcation deals with Libyas Tripoli-based government and is back to ground zero in its ties with Sudan. The significance of its base in Qatar is bound to diminish as Doha mends fences with its neighbors, while the one in Somalia is becoming an issue of polarization in Somali politics. In Yemen, Erdogan was so pro-Saudi at the outset that he advocated the intervention, but bilateral ties have since soured, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the center of the fallout. Still, Erdogan has remained respectful to King Salman and stopped talking about Yemen, an issue on which Turkey lacks a holistic policy.

The Saudis enjoy a vast network in Africa and even have a minister in charge of ties with African countries. King Salman sponsored the Eritrea-Ethiopia peace in 2019. Saudi influence on the littoral states of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden is beyond question.

In its positioning in Africa, Turkey has mainly meant to counter France and has often made mistakes like backing the controversial electoral board in the upcoming elections in Somalia and rushing to visit the military junta in post-coup Mali in September.

Turkeys ambition was to become a vibrant economic hub between continents, but it has ended up being a harbor for problem groups, exiles and fugitives. And the Turkish bases abroad are a gift of the desperation of host countries. They are bound to become contentious as the reasons for the desperation diminish. The gap between Turkeys ambitions and capabilities is growing, as is the gap between its rhetoric and the realities on the ground. Despite all the big talk, Turkeys trade volume with Africa remains at some $21 billion.
On January 6, a group of Trump supporters mobbed the United States Capitol in an attempt to disrupt democratic process. Five people died. The rioters were incited by former president Donald Trump, who has consistently spread misinformation and lies regarding the 2020 election.

Violent protesters loyal to President Donald Trump are confronted by US Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol, during the riots. Credit:AP

There has been a great deal of commentary on these events, and the investigations into the causes is just beginning. Certainly, the responsibility of social media, and the role of censorship in a post-truth era has been discussed at length. In a world where everyone can have a platform, the importance of teaching people how to be critical of what they see and hear online cannot be underestimated.

Oh, if only there was an already established set of academic disciplines that teach critical thinking, reasoning and communication! Imagine how wonderful it would be if there was a multi-disciplinary approach to study how people experience, understand and describe the world.

Luckily, the humanities exist. Unfortunately, the number of students studying these courses is decreasing.
A solar panel safety device designed to protect firefighters from electric shock is behind an alarming increase in rooftop blazes, with incidents jumping more than 500 per cent in the past three years while the rate of safety inspections has decreased.

Fire and Rescue NSW data shows firefighters attended 139 solar panel fires last year, compared to 22 in 2018 and 56 in 2019. There have already been 18 fires to January 26 this year.

The rise in rooftop fires comes as the rate of safety inspections declines. Credit:Fire and Rescue NSW

The national watchdog and firefighters are attributing the majority of incidents to direct current (DC) isolator switches  designed to isolate the solar panels from the rest of the house  with the federal Clean Energy Regulator proposing to make the mandatory devices voluntary later this year.

Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Graham Kingsland, from the Fire Investigation and Research Unit, said the increasing number of fires was concerning, and often resulted from water inflow caused by faulty installation or manufacture.
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 Liu Xuanzun

SHANGHAI, Feb.1 -- The second Type-054A/P frigate for the Pakistani Navy, made by China, was launched at the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai on January 29. Commodore Azfar Humayun, Chief Naval Overseer of the Pakistani Navy, attended the launch ceremony.

A representative of the Pakistani Navy said in an interview with the Global Times, a newspaper under the People's Daily of China, that the launch ceremony coincides with the completion of 70 years of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations and reinforces the tradition of mutual trust and friendship between both sides. He thanked the China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd. (CSTC) and the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard for their commitment and hard work in the difficult times of the ongoing global pandemic to keep this major program on track.

According the report by the Global Times, the Pakistani Navy said on January 29 that the four Type 054A/P frigates ordered by the Pakistani Navy in 2017 are currently under construction as planned, and the first one was already launched in August 2020 and is currently being outfitted in the Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard.
She is gearing up to welcome her first child with boyfriend Tom Daly.

And Elsa Hosk marked reaching her 38th week of pregnancy as she posed nude in an artistic snap on Monday.

Taking to Instagram, the 32-year-old Swedish supermodel showed off her burgeoning bump in a black and white selfie snapped in her bathroom.

Hey mama: She is gearing up to welcome her first child with boyfriend Tom Daly. And Elsa Hosk celebrated her 38th week of pregnancy as she posed nude in an artistic snap on Monday

Putting her bump front and centre, the Vogue cover girl arched her back and daintily crossed her legs - protecting her modesty with flower emojis.

She captioned the snap, '38 weeks', revealing she is due to give birth later this month.

As she prepares to welcome her firstborn, the Victoria's Secret Angel has been keeping busy doing up her new home.

Nesting: As she prepares to welcome her firstborn, the Victoria's Secret Angel has been keeping busy doing up her new home

Last year, Elsa moved out of her $3.5 million Manhattan apartment as she and her Danish beau left New York and moved to California.

The couple splashed out $4.3 million on a swanky home in South Pasadena designed by the Viennese-born architect Richard Neutra, Variety reports.

Although she may be settling into her new home, Elsa won't be staying put for long, as she revealed she plans to get back to her jet-setting model life as soon as she feels 'ready'.

On the move: Although she may be settling into her new home, Elsa won't be staying put for long, as she revealed she plans to get back to her jet-setting model life

Speaking in an Instagram Q&A last month, she spoke about her plans to return to modeling as she said she would 'for sure' go back to work when she was 'ready,' before saying she would ease into it.

Answering a series of fan questions Elsa also shared, 'I've actually gained more than the "recommended" for my weight but I'm not worried about it! It's what my body needs to have a healthy pregnancy.'

When one follower asked her if she has had an 'easy pregnancy,' she replied 'True!' before elaborating.

'I think I expected a nightmare pregnancy but I didn't have morning sickness or any pain anywhere.'

'I also didn't struggle with my body changing as much as I thought I would. I kinda loved it!

Elsa first announced that she and her boyfriend of five years were expecting in late September as she shared that the decision to have a baby was a reflection of what she felt 'in her heart.'
The economies of China and Singapore are among the most dynamic migration regions in the world. But Japan and Korea also rely on the immigration of skilled workers. The competition for qualified professionals sets several million people on the move in these regions every year. The role that skills and education play in mobility is now being investigated by scholars on East Asia from the universities of Frankfurt and Duisburg-Essen, the Free University of Berlin, and the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Multiethnic and Multireligious Societies in Gottingen. The junior research group coordinated by Goethe University will receive a total of more than 2 million euros from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) for the next four years as part of the "Small Subjects " funding initiative.

FRANKFURT. Aging societies in industrialised nations need skilled workers - specialists in the IT sector, in innovative start-ups, or from top universities. This applies to Germany as well as to the East Asian countries of South Korea, Singapore, China, and especially Japan. Because of their quality of life and lucrative renumeration, these countries are attractive for qualified migrants. But the recipe for success in the competition for the best brains is far from clear: What attracts well-trained specialists to Japan, South Korea, China, or Singapore? What facilitates, and what hinders the integration of skilled foreign workers? What social networks do skilled migrant workers develop? What role does their own initiative for further qualification, their ethnicity and nationality, their gender and multilingualism play? And what causes skilled workers to return to their home countries after years?

"If a country's immigration policy is to be sustainable," explains project leader Dr Ruth Achenbach from Goethe University, "then we need to know exactly what the perceptions of migrants are." The aim of the research project, which will receive funding by the BMBF of more than 2 million euros, is to examine the role of skills of migrant professionals. The researchers hope their findings will contribute to sustainable immigration policies in industrial nations.

In addition to Ruth Achenbach and Dr Joohyun Justine Park from the Interdisciplinary Centre for East Asian Studies (Goethe University), the academic team includes Dr Helena Hof (MPI Gottingen) as well as Dr Megha Wadhwa (Free University Berlin) and Dr Aimi Muranaka (University Duisburg-Essen). In addition, the researchers work with numerous external regional cooperation partners.

The research project will collect qualitative data in different East Asian countries over a period of three years. It will investigate the situation of East Asian start-ups in Japan and Singapore as well as East Asian professionals in South Korea; Chinese professionals in Japan, professionals who have returned to China, and Vietnamese IT workers and Indian professionals in Japan will also be interviewed. The Frankfurt sub-project also accompanies Chinese graduates of the 20 best Japanese universities from the beginning of their job-hunting to their first years on the labour market.

In the final year of funding, quantitative research will be conducted in the East Asin countries to test a theory developed from the qualitative research and previous migration research. In doing so, the researchers also aim to improve the dominant Western concepts of international migration research. Influenced by experiences of migration to America and Europe, these concepts assume that the economic situation in the country of origin and the country of immigration differ considerably. This is not necessarily the case anymore with East Asian labour migration and the project will differentiate between socioeconomic backgrounds of migrants.

The results of the empirical research as well as the development of theory will not only be published scientifically, but they will also be disseminated to the broader public. The project team's dissemination activities include workshops for high school teachers in the subjects of politics and economics, and the release of a documentary film.

The researchers hope that their project will strengthen the "small subjects" by linking the researchers' knowledge of these regions with current research questions from sociology, political science and economics, thus increasing the visibility of the small subjects.

###
(Image: News18 Creative)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has presented the most-awaited Union Budget for 2021-22 to reboot the economy. As per the Economic Survey-2021, the GDP for FY21 has contracted by 7.7 percent. However, the government has projected nominal GDP growth rate at 14.4 percent for FY22. As the government spending increased and revenue declined due to global pandemic, the fiscal deficit for FY21 was pegged to 9.5 percent of the GDP against the target of 3.5 percent. Nevertheless, the government has fixed the fiscal deficit target of 6.8 percent of the GDP for next fiscal.

Since time still demands higher spending and revenue is muted, the government has a tough challenge at hand. To face the challenges, disinvestment would be an important means for the government. As the government had been garnering on an average of Rs 0.56 lakh-crore since 2014 through disinvestment. The government has already mooted an overhauled policy for CPSUs with this aim, barring four strategic areas, other sectors were divested under the AatmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan in the last year. The cabinet committee of economic affairs had cleared CPSUs policy on January 27.

Budget 2021: Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates

As expected, the minister unveiled the public sector enterprises policy in Budget 2021-22. The government has planned to speed-up disinvestment programmes. The government has fixed the target to raise Rs 1.75 lakh-crore through the disinvestment 2021-22. The minister has proposed to divest two public sector banks and a general insurance company. The NITI Aayog has been asked to work on the next list of CPSUs for strategic disinvestment. The disinvestment of the IDBI Bank, Air India, BPCL, Shipping Corp, Neelanchal Ispat Nigam, etc is in the list of the government to divest in 2021-22. The government would also bring an IPO of LIC, and for the same the required legislation amendment would be brought in.

However, during the current fiscal 2020-21, the total proceeds of disinvestment and share buyback is at a five-year low of Rs 0.19 lakh-crore so far. It is only about 8 percent against the target of Rs 2.10 lakh-crore. Although, we have two more months in the current fiscal, but the target of disinvestment, like last year, looks impossible to achieve.

The government intended to divest the stake of BPCL, Air India, and the Shipping Corporation of India in the current fiscal. But it could not succeed even though the stock market was touching new heights.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the government to push the timeline to the next fiscal.

We have seen the case of Air India. Despite having 13 percent domestic market share and 19 percent international market share, it could not attract a single bidder in the first round. No one is ready to go for loss-making enterprises. The CPSUs require restructuring before going for divestment. As per the Public Enterprise survey 2018-19, there are 70 loss-making CPSUs. The loss-making enterprises have incurred a total loss of Rs 0.32 lakh-crore. It is 0.16 percent of nominal GDP. The top three enterprises: BSNL (47.1 percent), Air India (26.8 percent) and MTNL (10.7 percent), have claimed 85 percent of the total loss. In this backdrop, a revised mechanism for fast tracking closure of loss making CPSUs has to be worked out.

Thus, it would be interesting to see how the government achieve the target of disinvestment in the forthcoming fiscal year, as the pandemic is still an ongoing threat. However, the government has started to work in this direction. The government has already invited the expression of interest for Air India, BPCL and SCI.

We hope, unlike 2021, the government would be able to achieve the target in 2022.
Coming down hard on the Union Budget proposal to waive anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports from China and Indonesia, the industry body representing stainless steel makers has said the measure defeats the government's pet theme of Make in India.

"By way of announcing a temporary suspension of Countervailing Duty, the government has enabled irrational imports of stainless-steel finished products from China and Indonesia," Indian Stainless Steel Development Association said in a statement on February 1.

The Budget exempted duties on products like bars and rods of alloy steel, high-speed steel and several cold-rolled stainless steel flat products. While some of the anti-dumping duties have been revoked from February 2 to September this year, others will last till October.

The Association questioned the move, when investigations by Directorate General of Trade Remedies have proved the damage this can cause. The Directorate General helps in devising an 'effective trade defence mechanism' to protect domestic industry.

"Suspension of duties will undermine domestic manufacturing and open the floodgates for cheap imports of stainless-steel imports in total stainless consumption, thus damaging the Make in India movement and severely impact the employment generation in the country," the Association said.

Its President KK Pahuja called it "a big unintentional gift to Chinese companies" that will hit the domestic stainless-steel industry very badly.

"For Chinese companies in Indonesia, this translates into heavy flooding of Indian markets with duty-free imports under ASEAN FTA. Imports from Indonesia skyrocketed from just 8,601 MT in 17-18 to 76,102 MT in 2018-19 and 280,575 MT in 19-20," he said.

"The governments geopolitical stand on banning Chinese apps on one hand and easing bulk trade on the other to favour Chinese producers, where unfair trade practices have been proved, runs contrary to the Atmanirbhar Bharat and $5 trillion economy dream," Pahuja added.

He said the move will force domestic manufacturers to turn into traders.

The statement added that while stainless steel constitutes only three percent of the total steel requirement in the country, it comprised over 35 percent of MSME suppliers, "who will be hit adversely by this decision."
With a body size of just 13.5 mm, this Nano-Chameleon (Brookesia nana) is the smallest known male of the roughly 11,500 known reptile species. Credit: Frank Glaw

An international team, led by the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology (ZSM-SNSB), has discovered a minuscule new species of chameleon. The sole known, apparently adult male of the new species has a body size of just 13.5 mm, making it the smallest known male of the roughly 11,500 known non-avian reptiles. A comparison with 51 other chameleon species showed that the new species has exceptionally large genitals. The study was published in the open access journal Scientific Reports.

On an expedition in the North of Madagascar, a joint team of German and Malagasy scientists came across a new contender for the title of 'world's smallest reptile." They have named the new species Brookesia nana. "At a body length of just 13.5 mm and a total length of just 22 mm including the tail, the male nano-chameleon is the smallest known male of all 'higher vertebrates"' says Frank Glaw, Curator of Herpetology at the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology (ZSM-SNSB) and first author on the study. The female is larger at 19 mm body length and 29 mm total length. In spite of intensive efforts, the authors were only able to find two individuals.

"With the aid of micro-CT scansessentially three-dimensional X-rayswe were able to identify two eggs in the female specimen, and so demonstrate that it is an adult," says Mark D. Scherz of the University of Potsdam. To determine the sexual maturity of the male, the team looked at its genitals, which were well-developed. These structures are called 'hemipenes," and, like all other reptiles and snakes, are paired, and often have features that can be used to identify species.

The team also compared the size of the male Nano-Chameleon's hemipenes with 51 other chameleon species from Madagascar and found that the smallest chameleons tend to have the largest genitals, relative to their body size. Those of the Nano-Chameleon, for example, are 18.5% of the male's body size, making them the fifth largest of all the studied species. The record-holder for genital size in this group is Brookesia tuberculata, however, with hemipenes that are roughly a third of the male's body size.

The male Nano-Chameleon (Brookesia nana) is the smallest adult reptile that has ever been found. Credit: Frank Glaw

A possible explanation for this phenomenon may be the substantial size difference between the males and females, so-called 'sexual size dimorphism." In larger chameleons, males tend to be larger than females, but in small chameleons, the reverse is true. "As a result, the extremely miniaturized males of the small species need relatively larger genitals, in order to successfully mate with the larger females," explains Miguel Vences of the Technical University of Braunschweig.

"There are numerous extremely miniaturized vertebrates in Madagascar, including the smallest primates and some of the smallest frogs in the world, which have evolved independently," says Andolalao Rakotoarison of the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar. But why this species is so small remains a mystery. "The "island effect," that causes species on small islands to get smaller in body size, which has been invoked for other small chameleons, does not make sense in this case, because Brookesia nana lives in the mountains on mainland Madagascar," adds Fanomezana Ratsoavina, likewise of the University of Antananarivo.

"The closest relative of the new chameleon is also not the similarly tiny Brookesia micra, but instead the nearly twice as a large B. karchei, which occurs in the same mountains. That shows that this extreme miniaturization has arisen convergently in these chameleons," says Jorn Kohler from the Hessische Landesmuseum in Darmstadt.

The distribution ranges of most dwarf chameleons are very small, sometimes encompassing areas of just a few hectares. So despite only two individuals being known, it is expected that Brookesia nana likewise has a very limited range. "Unfortunately, the habitat of the Nano-Chameleon is under heavy pressure from deforestation, but the area has recently been designated as a protected area, and hopefully that will enable this tiny new chameleon to survive," says Oliver Hawlitschek from the Centrum fur Naturkunde in Hamburg.

Explore further Single no more: First females of a Madagascan chameleon described with modern technologies

More information: Frank Glaw et al. Extreme miniaturization of a new amniote vertebrate and insights into the evolution of genital size in chameleons, Scientific Reports (2021). Journal information: Scientific Reports Frank Glaw et al. Extreme miniaturization of a new amniote vertebrate and insights into the evolution of genital size in chameleons,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80955-1

Provided by Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns

The last day to register in person to vote in the March 20 primary election is Feb. 17. Anyone registering to vote in person will need identification with a parish address, said M. Dwayne Wall, the registrar of voters.

Office hours on Feb. 17 will be from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the office in Slidell will be closed for lunch from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

If registering to vote through Geaux Vote Online Registration, the last day to register is Feb. 27.

In addition, all mail registration applications must be received or postmarked by Feb. 17.

The Covington office is located at 601 N. Jefferson Ave., and the Slidell office is at 520 Old Spanish Trail, Suite 2F.

All parish voters can cast a ballot on a 1.69-mil, 10-year tax renewal to fund drainage projects in St. Tammany Parish, while voters in District 6 in eastern St. Tammany will select from the two candidates seeking to complete the term started by Richard Tanner, who died last summer.

There also are property-tax renewals being put to a vote in Fire Protection District 11 in the Pearl River area and Recreation District 6 in the Lee Road area. People in the Madisonville also can vote on a bond issue to finance projects at Coquille Park in Recreation District 14.

Livestock show moves to Gonzales

The LSU AgCenter is merging its southeast and south-central district livestock shows this year and staging the combined event at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales on Feb. 3-6.

That means some changes for exhibitors in St. Tammany and Washington parishes, who are accustomed to the show in Covington.

We normally have our show at the Fairgrounds in Covington, but the barns there are too small for the amount of social distancing required, said Beth Putnam, 4-H agent in Washington Parish.

St. Tammany's 4-H agent, Olivia Picard, said the change will cause some families to travel out of their area, while others who normally have to travel to the district show will get a break this year.

Our parish has become a little spoiled because ours kids dont have to travel, she said. So this year will give some of them who normally only show at parish and district shows to experience the bigger arena at Lamar-Dixon.

Picard said her exhibitors are excited to have the opportunity to participate in some events not available at the southeast show.

We dont have a district rabbit show or a premier exhibitor competition in Covington, and thats new for us, she said.

Putnam said the show will not be open to the public, but she is expecting increased participation and increased competition.

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

Another change this year is there will only be two support persons per child.

This will be the 86th annual Southeast District Livestock Show, and the show features a king and queen each year.

Wetlands curriculum moves resources online

The latest edition of the LSU AgCenters 4-H Youth Wetlands Program curriculum for Louisianas teachers has been released, according to the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

The program, an initiative funded by CPRA, provides no-cost wetlands lesson plans for students in the third through 12th grades. This years curriculum includes moving resources to an online platform and a content overhaul reflecting the 2017 revisions to Louisianas science standards.

The states most widely distributed Louisiana-focused wetlands curriculum has been a staple since its inception in 2007 when, in a post-Hurricane Katrina environment, CPRA recognized the importance of preparing the next generation to understand the value and functions of wetlands.

This curriculum is an important resource for our educators to empower the next generation to become the problem solvers and advocates we need to address the coastal land loss issues we face as a state, CPRA Chairman Chip Kline said.

The curriculum includes concepts such as wetland habitat, invasive species impacts, the multiple lines of defense concept, how oil spills affect wetlands, restoration techniques within the states coastal Master Plan and more.

Brian Gautreau, LSU AgCenter youth wetlands and education outreach program coordinator, is planning to expand curriculum content in the coming years.

With this online model of distribution and interaction, we can spend more time on the development of new lessons plans and outdoor activities keeping pace with current wetland issues and education research as well as ensure we are covering more of the Louisiana Student Standards for Science in a high quality manner, he said.

The Youth Wetlands curriculum can be accessed at youthwetlands.la4h.org. Previous editions are also available via the online platform.

For information about the program and its new online curriculum, email Brian Gautreau at bgautreau@agcenter.lsu.edu.

Gautreaux appoint to

conservation district

Karen K. Gautreaux of Mandeville has been appointed by Gov. John Bel Edwards to the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District. Gautreaux is the director of government relations for The Nature Conservancys Louisiana chapter and will serve as a nominee of the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District Board. The district's mission is to the "efficient administration, conservation, orderly development, and supplementation of groundwater resources" in a number of Baton Rouge area parishes.
At least five people were critically injured on Monday when a private car they were travelling in skidded off a bridge and fell into a ravine (nullah) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. The incident took place at Kralpora area early on Monday morning. A white colour Alto vehicle fell down into the water body at 7.10 am.

The Armys Road Opening Party (ROP) of the area and locals immediately swung into action and started a rescue operation. Army troops despite harsh winter and freezing cold water of the nullah, took off their boots and gloves and jumped into the freezing nullah to rescue injured civilians.

The doors of the car and windshield were broken to pull out the travellers--three men and two women--from inside the car. Later, all the injured people were rushed to a nearby hospital in Kupwara for treatment.

Locals have praised the quick response and assistance of the Army in their rescue mission.

DALLAS, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in honor of Black History Month, Neiman Marcus Group ("NMG" or the "Company") launches its "Celebrating Black History by Supporting Black Futures" campaign, focused on fostering Black excellence.

Through numerous long-standing and new partnerships, NMG is investing in the leadership of tomorrow in the various stages of academic and professional life: young student, college student, pre-professional, young professional, and professional. NMG has also announced the achievement of raising and donating $1 million over a three-year period to non-profit organizations that support Black communities across the U.S.

"Neiman Marcus Group is investing in a strong foundation of educational support, mentoring, and leadership skills, which are all crucial to the success of our communities," said Amber Seikaly, Vice President, ESG and Chief Communications Officer, Neiman Marcus Group. "We have a commitment to serving communities across the U.S., and we're thrilled to continue supporting organizations that build brighter futures."

As part of its three-year partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, NMG has pledged to continue fundraising in Neiman Marcus stores throughout February, with the goal to deliver more than $1 million towards the advancement of youth. With 4.6 million young people in Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 26 percent, or 1.1 million, are Black. Donations from NMG ensure all youth, including Black youth, receive the knowledge, skills, and experiences to prepare them for school, work, and life. Donations are also used to advance young emerging scholars interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

NMG has more than a century-long history of philanthropic partnerships within the community, demonstrating the company's core value of being "All Heart." Through its philanthropic foundation, The Heart of Neiman Marcus, the Company will continue to support Dallas Black Dance Theatre and begins a partnership with the 100K Mentor Challenge powered by ProMazo. The 100K Mentor Challenge, built by students for students during the COVID-19 pandemic, aims to provide 100,000 mentors for 100,000 underrepresented students over the next two years to ensure they have access to networking and mentorship opportunities. NMG associates coast-to-coast will make a meaningful impact on leaders of tomorrow by mentoring college students through this partnership.

In addition to philanthropic partnerships, NMG will continue to celebrate Black History Month by hosting Nikole Hannah-Jones, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter covering racial injustice for The New York Times Magazine and creator of the landmark 1619 Project, for an associate and customer-facing fireside chat with the company's Chief Legal Counsel, Tracy Preston. Customers can RSVP for the virtual event by visiting www.neimanmarcus.com/virtualevents. NMG will also donate to the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting in honor of Hannah-Jones.

As part of the Company's honor of Black History Month, Black-led businesses and designers of brand partners are highlighted through Neiman Marcus' "Spotlight on Diversity" story on NeimanMarcus.com. Black and minority-owned brands are also featured in a shoppable "Spotlight on Diversity" category on Neiman Marcus' website.

"NMG is a place where everyone belongs, where diversity is valued, and where showing up as your full and authentic self is expected," said Eric Severson, Chief People & Belonging Officer, Neiman Marcus Group. "As we progress on our Belonging journey, our people and their voices are a priceless way we highlight the excellence that makes up our company."

To read more about NMG's philanthropic work, visit The Heart of Neiman Marcus.

About Neiman Marcus Group

Neiman Marcus Group is a luxury, multibranded, omnichannel fashion retailer conducting integrated store and online operations under the Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus Last Call, and Horchow brand names. For more information, visit http://www.neimanmarcusgroup.com.

SOURCE Neiman Marcus Group

Related Links

http://www.neimanmarcusgroup.com


(Reuters) - Aung San Suu Kyi, who spent 15 years under house arrest in the struggle to bring democracy to Myanmar, has been detained along with other leaders of her political party in a military coup.

Beloved in Myanmar as "the Lady", Suu Kyi fulfilled the dreams of millions when her party won a landslide election in 2015 that established the Southeast Asian nations first civilian government in half a century.

But the Nobel laureate appalled the world two years later by denying the extent of a sweeping military-led crackdown against the Rohingya Muslim minority which forced hundreds of thousands to flee the country.

In Myanmar, Suu Kyi remains adored but she has failed to unite its myriad ethnic groups or end its decade-long civil wars. She also oversaw tightening restrictions on the press and civil society and has fallen out with many former allies.

The daughter of independence hero Aung San, who was assassinated in 1947 when she was two years old, Suu Kyi spent much of her young life overseas. She attended Oxford University, met her husband, the British academic Michael Aris, and had two sons.

Before they married, she asked Aris to promise he would not stop her if she needed to return home. In 1988, she got the phone call that changed their lives: her mother was dying.

In the capital Yangon, then Rangoon, she was swept up in a student-led revolution against the military junta that had seized power after her fathers death and plunged the country into a ruinous isolation.

Suu Kyi, the spitting image of the idolized Aung San and an eloquent public speaker, became the leader of the new movement, quoting her fathers dream to "build up a free Burma".

The revolution was crushed, its leaders killed and jailed, and Suu Kyi was imprisoned in her lakeside family home. Speaking her name in public could earn her supporters a prison sentence, so they called her "the Lady".

Slightly built and soft-spoken, she played a crucial role in keeping world attention on Myanmars military junta and its human rights record, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Aris died in 1997 but she did not attend his funeral, fearful she would not be allowed to return.

Story continues

For years, the army led a relentless smear campaign against Suu Kyi, whom they dubbed an axe-handle of the West.

During a brief release from house arrest in 1998 she attempted to travel outside Yangon to visit supporters and was blocked by the army. She sat inside her van for several days and nights, despite dehydration in the sweltering heat, and was said to have caught rainwater in an open umbrella.

She survived an assassination attempt in 2003 when pro-military men wielding spikes and rods attacked a convoy she was travelling in. Some of her supporters were killed or badly wounded.

The army again placed her under house arrest and from behind the gates, she gave witty weekly addresses to supporters, standing on rickety tables and talking about human rights and democracy under the watchful eyes of secret police. A devout Buddhist, she sometimes spoke of her struggle in spiritual terms.

FROM REVERED TO REVILED

In 2010, the military began a series of democratic reforms and Suu Kyi was released before thousands of weeping, cheering supporters.

In the West, she was feted. Barack Obama became the first U.S president to visit Myanmar in 2012, calling her an inspiration to people all around the world, including myself. U.S economic sanctions on Myanmar were eased, though Suu Kyi remained cautious about the extent of reforms.

With the 2015 election win, Suu Kyi became state counsellor, pledging to end civil war, boost foreign investment and reduce the armys role in politics. She also promised Western allies she would address the plight of the Rohingya who had borne the brunt of violent clashes with Buddhists, with hundreds of thousands detained in internment camps.

In August 2017, Rohingya militants attacked security forces and the military responded by burning hundreds of villages to the ground and carrying out mass killings and gang rapes. The United Nations said it was conducted with genocidal intent.

Suu Kyi said the military was exercising "rule of law" and appeared baffled and ignorant about the exodus of refugees. And while she had no power to direct the army operation, her government ordered burned land become government-owned land and oversaw the bulldozing of destroyed villages.

Global institutions and former advocates including the Dalai Lama publicly denounced her and many of the numerous accolades awarded to her were rescinded.

In 2019, she flew to the Hague to face charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice. She acknowledged the possibility war crimes had been committed but framed the crackdown as a legitimate military operation against terrorists.

(Reporting by Reuters staff; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
This year's Urology Match was another paramount year for females applying for, and matching, with urology programs, as a record-setting 120 of the 141 female participants (85 percent) matched with programs, compared to 105 of the 122 who matched last year.

Nearly 528 applicants wishing to specialize in urology registered for this year's Urology Residency Match. Of those who registered, 481 (91 percent) submitted preference lists, vying for a record 357 available positions across the country. When the matching algorithm was processed, 74 percent matched to a vacancy within 143 registered and accredited training programs in the United States, leaving no vacancies unmatched.

"The 2021 Urology Match not only had the most applicants we've seen since 2014, but also a record number of women matching with programs," said SAU President David F. Jarrard, MD. "The future of urology is bright indeed and I look forward to working with our newest residents when they begin training later this year."

Urology Match Day is an annual rite of passage for U.S. medical students and other applicants from around the world. Medical students begin the residency application process at the start of their final year in medical school. After applying to various registered programs across the country, select candidates are invited by programs for interviews, which are held in the fall and early winter. Once the interview period is over, both registered parties submit their preference lists to the AUA, which has performed the Urology Match annually on behalf of the SAU for more than 35 years.

"The AUA has been a proud part of the Urology Residency Match for decades and each year the program gets stronger and the applicants are more talented than ever," said AUA Board President Scott K. Swanson, MD. "Their ability to successfully complete their final year of medical school during one of the most dire public health crises in modern history is truly commendable. Today is a milestone event for these young physicians and our specialty."

Follow the excitement on #AUAMatch and #UROMatch

Results of the Urology Residency Match are closely watched as they can be predictors of future trends in physician workforce shortages and supply. View statistics on the 2021 Match and past Match results.

About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology and has more than 22,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research, and the formulation of health policy.

About the Society of Academic Urologists: Formed in 2016 when the Society of University Urologists and the Society of Urology Chairpersons and Program Directors merged, the Society of Academic Urologists (SAU), provides academic urologists with a forum to discuss, review and work toward resolving critical issues in all aspects of academic urology. Additionally, SAU maximizes benefits for educational urology programs, streamlines communications with the AUA, RRC, ABU, and other societies, as well as gives academic urology a voice in the AUA Match program.

Contact:

Christine Frey

[email protected]

443-909-0839

SOURCE American Urological Association
Tens of thousands of Russians turned out for protests for the second straight weekend, lambasting President Vladimir Putin and calling for the release of jailed opposition politician Aleksei Navalny two days before a court hearing that could put him in prison for years. RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson joins host Steve Gutterman to discuss.
Forage, Sheep Researchers Earn Honors from UWs Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station

A University of Wyoming scientist whose work springs from the needs of Wyoming forage producers and another whose focus is increasing sheep producer profitability have received outstanding research awards from UWs Wyoming Agricultural Experiment Station (WAES).

Anowar Islam, a professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, received the Outstanding Research Award. Whit Stewart, an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science, received the Early Career Research Award.

WAES is the research branch of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Islam joined UW in 2008 as an assistant professor and has received over $3.8 million in research funding.

Anowar Islam has evaluated the most critical needs of Wyoming forage producers and has responded to those needs with an aggressive research program that has had a significant impact on county extension educators and producers and, certainly, the scientific community, wrote Mark Marsalis, a professor and extension forage specialist at New Mexico State University.

Marsalis noted Islams research covers diverse crops and economic needs, including pasture, hay and silage operations, fertility, planting dates, seeding rates, herbicides, legume-grass mixes and alternative forages.

Islam has contributed considerable research effort toward uses of forages in reclamation and restoration efforts, and his new project is focused on regenerative grazing, with the aim of carbon sequestration, says Randa Jabbour, an associate professor in the UW Department of Plant Sciences.

He consistently explores the viability of several alternative crops for Wyoming production, Jabbour says. He is one of the national experts on lesser-explored alternative forages, with research on forage sorghum, kochia, sainfoin, birdsfoot trefoil, and the list goes on.

Islam became an associate professor in 2014 and was promoted to professor in 2019. He has published 46 peer-reviewed journal articles, and he has presented his research through hundreds of talks and posters. Additionally, he has mentored 10 graduate students.

His ability to design robust experiments provides critical information for the scientific community and applied performance data that pasture managers can use immediately, says Jim Heitholt, director of UWs Powell Research and Extension Center.

His work greatly affects the economics of hay and livestock operations, which is the primary driving force in Wyoming and much of the Intermountain West, Heitholt says.

Stewart, who joined the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources in 2017, also is the UW Extension sheep specialist.

He has emerged as a leader in the department in areas of research, extension and teaching, says Bledar Bisha, an associate professor and interim head of the Department of Animal Science.

Stewarts research is passionate about effecting positive change in the Wyoming and U.S. sheep industry through quality applied and basic research and, consequently, he has gained the respect and appreciation of producers and his colleagues alike, he says.

Stewarts training has spanned Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Wyoming.

His research has involved effects of trace minerals on immune function, utilization of novel feedstuffs and effects of sire breed on lamb quality.

Nominators note his collaboration with sheep researchers at multiple institutions allows an applied research focus aimed at enhancing the overall efficiency and profitability of U.S. sheep producers.

Stewart has received over $1.1 million in research funding. He has published 30 peer-reviewed journal articles, 23 proceedings, 22 abstracts and over 100 popular press and extension publications.

He sets the bar high and serves as an example for new faculty in the department as they take their first steps in building their research programs, Bisha says.
Rockwell Automation Wins Big at 34th Annual Control Engineering 2021 Engineers' Choice Awards

Rockwell Automation (News - Alert) , the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, is pleased to announce it has been honored at the Control Engineering 2021 Engineers' Choice Awards.

Control Engineering's 34th Annual Engineers' Choice Awards program is the premier award for new products in the automation, control, and instrumentation technology markets. The annual reader's choice program was created to provide Control Engineering's readers with information about the top new product in their fields.

The following eight products, all from separate categories, are recognized this year:

Allen-Bradley ControlLogix EtherNet/IP Communication Module

Winner: Network Integration - Ethernet Hardware, Switches category

Compact GuardLogix 5380 SIL 3 controller

Winner: Motion Control category

Plant PAx 5.0

Winner: Process Control Systems category

Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 6000T Medium Voltage Drive





Honorable Mention: Motion Control - Drives category

FactoryTalk AssetCentre

Honorable Mention: Software - Asset Management, Reporting category

FactoryTalk Linx Gateway

Honorable Mention: IIoT Connectivity - Software category

Kinetix 5300 Servo Drive

Honorable Mention: Motion Control - Drives, Servo category

Studio 5000 V33

Honorable Mention: Software - Control Design category

About Control Engineering

Control Engineering is the leader in connecting the global industrial engineering audience through coverage of and education about automation, control, and instrumentation technologies in a regionally focused, actionable manner through online and print media and in-person events. For more than 65 years, Control Engineering has been the recognized global information leader for automation engineers who design, implement, maintain, and manage control/instrumentation systems, components, and equipment. This audience continues to recognize Control Engineering as the leader in the field due to our comprehensive coverage of automation technologies and applications.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 23,500 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005153/en/
Verkhovna Rada Speaker Dmytro Razumkov disagrees with the initiative put forward by former president of Ukraine, Chairman of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group Leonid Kravchuk for holding a referendum on the issue of temporarily occupied Donbas and Crimea.

"With all due respect to Leonid Kravchuk, I do not think that a referendum should be held on this issue. Because ... everyone understands even without a referendum that the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea, the territory of the temporarily occupied parts of Luhansk and Donetsk regions is definitely the territory of Ukraine, and sooner or later they will return," Razumkov said at a briefing on Monday.

Razumkov added that there are other issues that could be put to a nationwide referendum. "We all know how much holding of a referendum costs, and I don't think it's worth spending money to confirm that again... There are other issues that can also be considered on a national referendum," he said.

As reported, ex-president Leonid Kravchuk said on the air of one of the Ukrainian TV channels that the issues concerning the temporarily occupied Donbas and Crimea should be put to the all-Ukrainian referendum.

According to him, it might be necessary to put this issue to a referendum so that people would say "how life should be organized in those Ukrainian territories that are not controlled by Ukraine today."

As reported, on January 26, the Verkhovna Rada passed the Law of Ukraine On Democracy Through All-Ukrainian Referendum.

ol

Many GPs fear a lack of Covid-19 vaccines for over-70s will cause turmoil as the supply will not meet huge demand among older people.

There are also concerns that a shortage of GPs in some parts of rural Ireland will result in delays in vaccinations. Dr Ken Egan, a Mayo GP, said he has been contacted by many of his colleagues whose practices are already inundated with calls from older people about the vaccine.

The former president of the Irish Medical Organisation said it could take 12 weeks to fully vaccinate all the over-85s, the first group of older people who are to be offered the two-shot vaccine later this month.

GPs are afraid the shortage of vaccines will cause chaos. It could lead to a lot of tensions between patients and doctors, he added.

Read More

The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly needs to be upfront with people and tell them they will get vaccinated but it will take longer.

It is also essential GPs get direction on how patients should be selected for the vaccine.

There will need to be guidelines on the priority order, added Dr Egan.

The first advertisements informing the over-85s that Covid-19 vaccinations are on the way appeared in newspapers yesterday telling people your GP will let you know when a vaccine is available and everyone will receive one when its their turn.

It is expected supplies of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, the first of which are to arrive next week, will only amount to 285,000 doses in February and March, down from the 600,000 which had been expected.

Although there were hopes last night that the number of doses arriving here could be increased after the EU announced that AstraZeneca agreed to deliver an extra nine million in the first quarter of the year. This could mean more than 90,000 extra doses for Ireland.

There are also hopes of an increase in deliveries from Pfizer BioNTech, although large numbers of health staff have still not been vaccinated.

Everyone who gets the vaccine needs two doses and the National Immunisation Advisory Committee will decide on the gap which can range from four to 12 weeks. The AstraZeneca vaccine is 60pc effective in people aged under 55 and there is a lack of data on the response of older people due to the smaller numbers involved in the trials.

However, it was licensed by the European Medicines Agency for people over 18 and it said it expects protection for older-age groups, although it is unclear what level it will be.

Meanwhile, Dr Ruairi Hanley, a GP in Co Louth, said the plan is for GPs to provide rapid vaccination clinics for the entire older population as more supplies of the vaccine become available.

GP surgeries may simply not be feasible in some parts of the country. The truth is that there is a GP manpower crisis in rural Ireland due to the unwillingness of many younger colleagues to practice medicine beyond the M50.

While I have no doubt that south Dublin would have no shortage of vaccinators, elderly people in rural Ireland may not be so lucky, said Dr Hanley.

"Delays may be inevitable as there are only so many hours doctors and nurses can work, given their existing practice commitments, he added.

He called on the HSE to arrange for vaccination centres where Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines would be offered instead of waiting for GPs to save the day.

There are 500,000 people over-70s in the country including 81,000 over 85 and 90,000 aged 80-84.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the roll-out to the over-70s will begin this month, with every effort being made to deliver the programme as rapidly and as safely as possible.

Ireland expects to have a total of 1.1 million vaccines doses between January and March.

As of Wednesday 161,500 doses were administered, 71,600 of which were first doses to residents and staff in long-term care facilities.


At first, Montrose resident Adam Garcia was nervous about joining a gym in the midst of COVID-19.

But when I called them up, the manager told me about everything theyre doing  the air filtration, the fogging method for disinfecting, he said. When you go, you have your mask on. There are sanitation wipes, and its not packed.

Because Houston Gym, on Durham Drive, was taking extra precaution, Garcia took a chance on a membership to support his New Years resolution.

He decided to buy the membership as a Christmas present to himself - and started going on New Years Day.

Im glad that I did, he said. I wanted to do this. I wanted to feel good for myself.

Heights resident Kelley Devine re-enrolled in her neighborhood gym Facet Seven in December. She also bought her son Nate, 18, a membership for christmas.

He started going immediately, she said.

On RenewHouston.com: A rare COVID side effect caused his tongue to swell, forcing a Houston surgeon to step in

Nate plans to join the Navy after graduation and having a place to exercise will help him prepare.

Facet Seven is only like three blocks from our house, said Devine, an artist who wanted to increase her strength for sculpture work. And its nice to be able to go, to show up and do something. Showing up is half the battle.

COVID and the New Year Rush

Devine isnt the only one who recently joined Facet Seven. Co-founder Jose Madrigal said membership was up 15 percent in January. And thats just the beginning. Madrigal said that membership usually ramps up even more in February and March. Pre-COVID, Januarys average bump hovered around 7 percent, before doubling in February.

At Timberline Fitness Studio, owner Dean Theriot explained that March and October tend to be the facilitys best months for new member signups.

Its usually very steady for us throughout the year, Theriot said. We dont normally have that January rush, but we are seeing more people come back.

At Life Time City Centre Houston, general manager Tomas Kobersky agreed that New Years resolutions no longer have the pull they once did to the gym.

People are more about the lifestyle, not the quick results or a quick fix, he said. If it happens to be in January, then great. Theres a boon in January, but its not double or triple the membership numbers like in years past.

Still, more members have been signing up lately, Kobersky said. He thinks the increase in vaccinations is helping.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston residents worry about where, when to receive their second vaccine doses

Were slowly getting a new wave of members coming in, he said. Its slight but noticeable enough to be exciting.

Its a balancing act, Kobersky explained.

While he hopes individuals will return to the gym and sign up for memberships, he also wants to keep occupancy low and keep everyone safe.

Confidence in returning

The International Health Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) released The COVID Era Fitness Consumer last October, surveying 1,171 adult gym members across the U.S. The study reports that 88 percent of those who have returned to their gym since it reopened are confident that the safety measures taken are sufficient.

At Planet Fitness locations across Houston, cleaning polices were updated and expanded, said Abby Belaire, manager of marketing and communications.

A touchless check-in was instituted so members could scan their phones to enter. The gym added a mask policy, ensured the correct social distancing and also created its Crowd Meter app, which tells users exactly how many people are at the gym at any given time.

At Life Time, Koberskys team enforces mask policies and social distancing, while also adding contact tracing and temperature checks to normal protocol.

The biggest change is our extensive cleaning policy Kobersky said. We clean almost every surface every 30 minutes or hour.

While the gym was closed in March and April, air filters were upgraded and machines spaced out.

We redesigned the entire club, Kobersky said. We walked every inch to make sure it was safe.

At Facet Sevens two locations, the shut-down was used to create Plexiglas cubicles throughout.

People can feel a little more separated between their neighbors, Madrigal said. Even in our busiest hours, were yet to be at 25 percent occupancy.

A difficult year for the fitness industry

Timberline Fitness Studio opened in the 1990s and last year, purchased its own building.

In March, Theriot had to close its doors for two months, as did all the other gyms in Houston. For all small businesses, he explained, that is a challenge.

This is killing us just like its killing the restaurants and bars, he said.

The IHRSA, when collecting data in the fall, forecasted that 25 percent of fitness centers could close by the end of 2020. Already, 15 percent of gyms and health clubs had shuttered by the third quarter of the year.

A global study conducted by RunRepeat in November surveyed 10,824 gym members in 116 countries, and found more than a third of all gym members had already canceled memberships or were considering canceling.

Nicholas Rizzo, a powerlifter and researcher at RunRepeat shared results, saying that of all the countries, Americans are the least likely to return to their gyms upon reopening.

In fact, 50 percent do not plan to go back.

When gyms reopened in April, Rizzo said only a third of their members had returned.

Facet Seven felt the loss.

The gym opened about 15 years ago, and the EaDo location about two-and-a-half years ago.

Then COVID hit, and it devastated us, Madrigal said. About 25 to 30 percent of members dropped out initially, and the company lost about 48 percent of its net revenue.

When Houstons summer surge hit, the gym lost even more members.

We were at 50 percent of where we had been before, Madrigal said. We were pretty worried that we wouldnt make it.

A PPP loan helped the gym get back on its feet.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Swanky? Yes. Sci-fi? No. Genomic fitness trend hits Houston

Now people are coming back to the gym, and I feel like theres a light at the end of the tunnel, Madrigal said.

Waiting with bated breath

According to the IHRSA survey, American health club and gym users are awaiting the opportunity to resume their fitness routine with bated breath. While at-home workouts satisfy some, many feel theyre no match for the health club experience.

Their data indicates that 85 percent of fitness club users switched up their exercise regimens during the pandemic - with 53 percent going for walks or runs and 33 percent watching at-home videos. Another 10 percent simply stopped exercising.

Even for the ones who soldiered on, it hasnt been easy. Fifty-four percent of those who had not returned to the gym were not satisfied with their new routines. And about half said they have a harder time getting motivated to work out without encouragement at the gym.

Returning to that healthy gym routine is important, Theriot said.

People care a little more about normalcy in their lives, he said. Its been so upended for the past year. Its become a big priority.

As people feel safer in increasingly smaller groups, Facet Seven co-founder Layn Chess notes that personal training has seen the biggest increase at the gym.

Others would rather not return

The pillar of fitness has long been gyms, Rizzo at RunRepeat said.

But that could be changing.

He found that exercise itself was on the rise during the pandemic. It just wasnt occurring in a gym setting.

In January, Rizzo completed a survey looking at 1,990 gym members from 120 countries to ascertain their plans for staying fit in 2021. He found that only 15.2 percent of current gym members think a gym membership is the best way to achieve their fitness goals in 2021. Thats a 63 percent decline from January 2020.

Theres a spike in the growth of at-home fitness, Rizzo said. There are some people who think that gyms are like the Blockbusters to Netflix.

He believes that these trends will push the fitness industry in new directions.

Theyre going to have to adapt, he said.

Already, gyms in Houston have changed their offerings to survive the pandemic.

At Facet Seven, for instance, members were able to borrow equipment to work-out from home.

Planet Fitness and Life Time began offering free video workout classes.

Theres motivation for people to get healthy now, Kobersky said. We just want people to be active and consistent.

Belaire at Planet Fitness agreed - adding that exercise is important for both physical and mental health.

The last year has been very taxing, she said. We believe that fitness is essential, and we want to help people stay moving.

Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.
New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday (February 1) announced a package of totalling Rs. 27.1 lakh to deal with COVID-19 pandemic under Atmanirbhar Package while presenting the Union Budget 2021 in the lower house of Parliament. This is the first paperless budget in the history of independent India.

Here are the key highlights of the Union Budget 2021-22:

The government has announced a package of totalling Rs. 27.1 lakh to deal with COVID-19 pandemic under Astmanirbhar Package. Aatmanirbhar package has accelerated the structural reforms across the country. India has started the nation-wide vaccination programme which is the largest in the world.

India has approved two vaccines (Covaxin and Covishield) and two more vaccines will be launched soon said Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman. The government will provide Rs. 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccination. The Finance Minister has committed to providing more funds.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman has proposed introduction of Aatmanirbhar Swastha Bharat health program with an outlay of Rs. 64,180 crores, this will act as an addition to the existing National Health Mission.

Finance Minister has given the main pillars of Union Budget 2021-22:

- Health and well-being

- Physical and financial capital and infrastructure

- Inclusive development for aspirational India

- Reinvigorating human capital

- Innovation and R&D

- Minimum government and maximum governance

Mission Poshan 2.0

The government will be launching Mission Poshan 2.0, Jal Jeevan Mission Urban will be introduced. Finance Minister said that " The urban Swachh Bharat Scheme will be implemented with an outlay of over Rs. 1.4 lakh crore.

Vehicle Scrapping Policy

The government has launched the voluntary scrapping policy in order to remove unfit/ outdated vehicles from the streets. Passenger vehicles beyond 20 years and commercial vehicles beyond 15 years will need to go through a vehicle fitness test.

Road development in Bengal gets Rs. 95,000 crore

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs. 95,000 crore for the development of roads in the state of Bengal. The still will conduct polls in coming months.

11,000 km of National highway infrastructure in 2021

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that " Government aims to complete 11,000 km of national highway infrastructure this year" Tamil Nadu gets a corridor of 3,500 km. Kerala will get 1,100 km which includes investment worth Rs. 65,000 crore. 675 km in West Bengal which costs Rs. 95,000 crore. 1,300 km in Assam promised over next three years.

Rs. 1.10 lakh crore allotted for Indian Railways

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs. 1.10 lakh crore to Indian Railways, Rs. 1.7 lakh crore is for the capital expenditure of the allotment.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Central fiscal funding to Bangalore Metro, Chennai Metro, Nagpur Metro, Kochi Metro, Nashik Metro projects across the nation.

Rs. 3.05 lakh crore for Power sector

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs. 3.05 lakh crore for the power sector in the country. Finance Minister added that 100 more cities will be added to the Gas distribution network in the next three years.

Gas pipeline project in Jammu and Kashmir

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a brand new gas pipeline project for the development of Jammu and Kashmir.

Rs. 20,000 crore for Public sector banks

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced further infusion of Rs. 20,000 crore for the public sector banks.

LIC IPO to launch this year

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that "The government plans to sell part of holding in Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) through an initial public offering (IPO) in the coming year. An amendment to the existing Act to facilitate the public offer."

Government committed to farmers welfare

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman amid the protest from opposition leaders said that " The government is committed to the welfare of farmers. The MSP has gone through a sea change. Over Rs. 75,000 crore paid to wheat farmers in the years 2020-21; 43.36 lakh farmers have benefitted from this."

Government to push Ujjawala scheme

The government will be extending the benefits of the Ujjawala scheme to additional 1 crore people. Ujjawala scheme provides LPG connections with a financial subsidy from the central government. The scheme benefits 12 crore households right now and will be extended further to provide clean and cheap cooking fuel.

Agriculture credit target to Rs. 16.5 lakh crore

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposes an increase in agriculture credit target to Rs. 16.5 lakh crore. Nirmala Sitharaman said that " The MSP regime has undergone a change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of the production across all the commodities. The total amount paid to paddy farmers surged to Rs. 1.72 lakh crore on 2020-21."

Disinvest target for FY2022 at Rs. 1.75 lakh crore

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman puts disinvestment receipts at Rs. 1.75 lakh crore for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2021. Two PSBs and one general insurance company to be disinvested, legislations and amendments to be introduced in this session.

National education policy

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that "National Education Policy got a good reception. Over 15,000 schools to be qualitatively strengthened under National Education Policy."

Rs. 1,500 crore for promotion of Digital Payments

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs. 1,500 crore for promoting a digital mode of payment.

Rs. 1000 crore for Assam, Bengal tea workers

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a special scheme for welfare of women and children in Assam and West Bengal. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs. 1000 for the tea workers in Assam and Bengal.

Rs. 3,768 crore for Census

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs. 3,768 for the census. The next census will be the first digital census in the history of Independent India.

Exemption for filling tax for elderly

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said " In the 75th year of independence of our country, we shall reduce the compliance burden on senior citizens. For senior citizens who only have a pension and interest income, I propose exemption of filling of income tax returns."

Live TV
Health officials are continuing to look at who needs to be considered for the different COVID-19 vaccine distribution phases.

Dr. Michael Kacka, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control's chief medical officer for COVID-19, said the state does not have enough vaccines for everyone who is identified in phase 1A. The first phase includes people who are 70 and older and mission-critical workers, such as doctors and nurses.

"So we will continue to look at our allocation plans as we move forward with this, begin to tweak it to make sure that we do get it to the people who need it the most," Kacka said Monday.

More than 400,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the state.

DHEC said Monday the state logged 2,130 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and just over 200 new deaths.

Because of a system upgrade issue, DHEC also on Monday announced 242 more confirmed and probable COVID-19 deaths from the last several weeks.

South Carolina is now close to reaching 400,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases. More than 6,500 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in the state since the start of the pandemic.

Statewide numbers

New cases reported: 2,130.

Total cases in S.C.: 398,892 confirmed, 47,024 probable.

New deaths reported: 210 confirmed, 32 probable.

Total deaths in S.C.: 6,564 confirmed, 719 probable.

Percent of ICU beds filled: 75.9 percent.

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!

Percent of positive tests, 7-day average: 24.4 percent.

How does S.C. rank in vaccines administered per 100,000 people? 33rd as of Sunday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hardest-hit areas

The three counties with the highest level of cases for their populations are Pickens and Greenville in the Upstate, and Williamsburg County in the Pee Dee, according to DHEC.

What about the tri-county?

Charleston County had 135 new cases on Monday, while Berkeley had 59 and Dorchester had 72.

Hospitalizations

Of the 1,842 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of Monday, 391 were in the ICU and 240 were using ventilators.

What do the experts say?

Authorities in South Carolina are not currently recommending people to "double mask" when out in public. Kacka said DHEC is looking at the science regarding double masking and will continue to monitor guidance that is released about it.

DHEC is still recommending that people wear one mask, observe physical distancing of at least 6 feet from other people, avoid crowds and wash hands. People are also encouraged to get tested for COVID-19 often.
Food deserts are one thing. Vaccine deserts are another.

Much has been written about the lack of grocers selling fresh fruits and vegetables in communities of color, a significant problem, but no one should tolerate disparities in government-provided access to life-saving immunizations against a deadly virus.

Yet, early data from vaccine distribution is showing that Black and Latino Americans, the very ones disproportionately affected by COVID-19, are being vaccinated at much lower rates than white people.

Lack of access to vaccines is just one factor  but a very important one  that appears to be contributing to the alarming gap in vaccination rates in communities of color, but the scope of the disparity is hard to determine because many states and local jurisdictions are not providing demographic data. Race and ethnicity information is missing for about 45 percent of the nearly 1.7 million Texans who have received at least one dose of vaccine.

Early numbers are enough to sound warning bells. And enough to persuade local health authorities to quickly expand efforts to connect communities of color with vaccines, even if it means bringing the shots directly to them.

Black Americans and Latinos are three times more likely to die from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus and four times more likely to be hospitalized than white Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yet, in Texas, where Black residents are 13 percent of the population, theyre only 4 percent of Texans who have received at least one vaccine dose, according to the states COVID-19 vaccine dashboard. That share is only 9 percent for Latinos, who are 40 percent of the population.

In 16 states that have released data by race and ethnicity, vaccination rates among white residents are as much as two to three times higher than for Black residents, according to an analysis by Kaiser Health News. The vaccination rates for Latinos are also smaller compared with the share of cases and deaths.

Texas health officials announced last week that they will begin requiring health care providers to report race and ethnicity data for COVID-19 vaccine recipients. That is welcome news. Accurate demographic information is key to ensuring that the most vulnerable communities are not being left out.

But that is only one step. Equitable vaccine distribution will require a holistic approach  one that includes everything from community outreach to locating sites in neighborhoods most in need.

Its true that some of the disparities in vaccine rates may be attributed to vaccine hesitancy fueled by mistrust in a medical system that has often failed to respond to the needs of Black and Latino communities and, at times, has actively mistreated patients of color.

Its also true that many vaccine hubs are far from communities of color and difficult to get to without a car. The labyrinthine online registration process for signing up for vaccines presents a barrier for anyone without easy Internet access or who is not computer savvy. Or for working people who arent able to spend hours hitting the refresh button.

Were glad to see that state and local officials are already planning solutions to the problem. After initially concentrating most vaccination hubs in affluent, majority-white neighborhoods, the state added 28 sites focused on the most vulnerable communities in their region.

Houston Health Department and Harris County officials told the editorial board that they are also putting measures in place to address vaccine disparity, including multilingual outreach campaigns aimed at easing vaccine fears and increasing education about the vaccines safety.

It is encouraging that Harris Countys plan includes the use of a network of promotoras, community health workers in predominantly Latino communities.

Both entities also plan to set up vaccine sites in underserved communities and to deploy mobile vaccine units once supply increases. That is crucial, since many low-income neighborhoods dont have the clinics, grocery stores and pharmacies being used for vaccine distribution.

We have a responsibility to make sure that every part of our community has access to something that will literally not only will save lives, but will be the linchpin to our ability to get our economy up and running again, Rafael Lemaitre, communications director for Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, told the editorial board. Our success will only happen if we reach every corner of our community.

And it will only happen if elected leaders and public health officials do all they can to urgently address the gaps. That includes thinking outside the box by offering rides to vaccination sites or setting up vaccine kiosks outside ethnic grocery stores. Put it all on the table.

Anything less will slow efforts to achieve herd immunity and leave already hard-hit communities at risk of being further decimated by COVID-19.
The Upper West Regional Police Command said it will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute any individual or group of persons who flout the Presidents directive on the COVID-19 safety protocols.



It said the police had revamped its patrol activities in the region to ensure that the presidential order, particularly on nose mask wearing, social distancing and closure of pubs, ban on funerals, weddings and concerts were observed to the letter.



Chief Inspector Gideon Ohene Boateng, the Upper West Regional Public Affairs Officer of the Ghana Police Service, said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa.



He said the Regional Police Commander, DCOP Francis Aboagye Nyarko, had ensured that his men were in town to enforce the directives.



Though no arrest has been made we hope that people will always adhere to the protocols, he stated.



Chief Inspector Boateng said they had been entrusted with the power to arrest and prosecute any individual who broke the protocols.



The law says we should arrest and prosecute, so if we meet you and you are not wearing we will arrest and prosecute you. But if we see you and you have it but not wearing we will advise you, Chief Insp. Boateng said.



He said the police, through their patrols, had realised that some members of the public had the nose masks in their pockets but refused to wear them.



They only rushed to wear the masks when they see the police approach, Chief Insp. Boateng said, and advised the public to desist from the act.



He said the police had also engaged the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and other transport operators to strictly observe the COVID-19 safety protocols and ensure their passengers did same.



Meanwhile, Alhaji Nuhu Mahama, the Upper West Regional GPRTU Industrial Relation Officer, said the Union was committed to ensuring strict adherence to all COVID-19 safety protocols.



The Union is committed to ensuring the safety of drivers and passengers, so we are enforcing the wearing of face mask and washing of hands at GPRTU stations before boarding the car, Alhaji Mahama 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
Police Investigative Specialist Kerry Torres works at her post in Santa Ana Police Department headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. (Courtesy of the Santa Ana Police Department)

Mom Doubles as Internet Child Crime Investigator for Santa Ana Police

In Santa Ana, California, Police Investigative Specialist Kerry Torres spends hours each day on the computer, scouring the darkest corners of the internet for traces of child pornography.

Then she goes home to her family. But every photo or video she has seen tells a story of abuse and exploitation; and they haunt her long after she clocks out.

To come home and to be a mom, and not bring it home and not let it affect me, thats always a challenge, Torres told The Epoch Times. Because sometimes I dont want to turn off my computer, sometimes I dont want it to be end of daybecause theres one thing more I could be doing.

Shy and reserved, Orange County native Torres didnt always picture herself becoming the Santa Ana Police Departments prime investigator for cracking online child exploitation cases, but she knew she wanted to use her computer skills to solve crimes.

Partners in Crime

Since the inception of the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) online task force last year, Torres has closed roughly 180 cases of child exploitation.

Theres probably nothing worse than what investigators have to watch and what we look at, Torres said. The whole job is a challengeto be able to do what I do, and give my 100 percent focus to my victims that are out there and that need help.

The investigator noted a sharp uptick in cyber tips after the stay-at-home orders began in March 2020. We started in March around 400,000, and hit over 1 million cyber tips as a task force by April, she said. These tips came from all over Southern California.

Torres doesnt work alone; she has her commander alongside her. The department also partners with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), a network of 61 agencies (federal, state, and local) and more than 4,500 officials investigating online crimes against children.

When its time to talk to a suspect, Torres and her partner head to the interrogation along with officials from an ICAC agencywith Torres at the helm during the questioning.

Most tips are assigned to her from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a central data reporting service for exploited children all over the country.

In 2019, NCMECs cyber tip hotline received 16.9 million reports relating to child sexual abuse material, online enticement, and child molestation. When NCMEC assigns a tip to its Southern California branch, officials comb through information and assign the investigation to the closest local agency.

Torres said she was assigned 56 tips in December alone. We just have a very large amount, unfortunately, of cyber tips that come through, she said. Its almost daily, sometimes a couple a day.

A Day in the Life

Every morning, Torreswho describes herself as a big list-personcreates a list of daily priorities, which include sorting documents, writing reports, and reviewing evidence.

Emotionally, the job is draining, she said, adding that she struggled when the initiative launched last year. I literally told myself, Either you can do this, or you cant, she said.

Ultimately, she decided to make the commitment. I really want to stop these people  so if this is the part that I get to play in helping literally the worlds most vulnerable population, then Im in.

Prior to working for the SAPD, Torres was employed as a social media dispatcher for the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department. The position allowed her to remain tech savvy, familiarizing her with social media and any new platforms that popped up.

Knowing the inner workings of websites and taking general computer knowledge to the next level are essential job skills, she said.

I really try and stay up on what the new technology is and all the new apps that are coming out, she said. In her line of work, understanding the difference between how Instagram works and relates information, and the difference between  Facebook and Reddit are vital, she said.

Torress position in the SAPD is unique because shes not a sworn officershes a civilian. Just because you cant be a sworn law enforcement officer, there are civilian options out there, and you can do this too, she said. There are limitations, she noted, but they dont get in the way of the job.

I get the case from the start, I work it all the way, [and] when it comes down to interviewing my guy, I get to do the interview, she said. Im doing everything the whole way through, so theres never really a portion of the case that I miss out on.

A Working Parent

The job has made Torres aware of helpful tools to monitor her kids online activity.

I think that parents really need to understand social media and whats out there, she said. I have children, and Im fairly tough on my kids, and I know that. But I mean, this is what I see every single day.

Torres doesnt allow cell phones in the bathroom and sets screen time limits for her children, who range from elementary school-age to teenagers.

My kids are closely monitored. We have conversations about the stranger danger, she said. If [parents] would have the conversations, if they would just keep the extra eye; its OK to monitor what the kids are doing online.

Because when theyre not being monitored is when these people are taking advantage of the children.

Parents should know what apps their children are using and who theyre talking to online, keep their devices in public areas of the house, and always make sure they know they need to tell an adult if anyone online makes them feel scared or uncomfortable.

She said one of the scariest parts of the job is finding out that suspects are definitely people that you see everyday.

I dont think that you could ever look at people and just pick them out. Theres no type, she said.

Listening to music eases the toll the job takes on her, she said; her current go-to artists are Billie Eilish and Halsey. But catching the culprits makes it all worthwhile.

I absolutely love what I do. And I love getting to arrest the people that are wronging these kids. Theres just nothing better, Torres said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1) If given an option, Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa said he would prefer being inoculated with the coronavirus vaccine of Sinopharm, a state-owned pharmaceutical giant in China.

Based on my personal research ko ay nakikita ko 'yung Sinopharm. Yun siguro ang gusto ko, kung merong available noon at io-offer 'yun, Dela Rosa said in an interview with CNN Philippines The Source.

[Translation: Based on my personal research, Ive been seeing the Sinopharm. Perhaps thats what I want, if there is supply available and if it will be offered.]

Dela Rosa cited the companys proven technology over time when it comes to developing products. However, he clarified that any vaccine will do as long as people get jabs.

I have experienced already kung papaano maging COVID patient, hindi basta-basta. Mahirap talaga so dapat magpa-vaccine tayo, the senator said.

[Translation: I have experienced already how its like to be a COVID patient, its not easy. Its difficult, so we should really have ourselves vaccinated.]

Sinopharm earlier announced that its vaccine is 79.34% effective. The products efficacy rate among the Asian ethnicity group also stands at over 79%, the companys local distributor earlier told CNN Philippines.
The reopening of special schools and special classes in mainstream primary schools has been agreed for the coming weeks.

Special schools will reopen on Thursday, February 11, and special classes in mainstream schools will open on Monday, February 22.

The Irish National Teachers Union (INTO) and Forsa, which represents special needs assistants (SNAs) have both given their backing to the plans.

The deal comes after two previous attempts collapsed.

Read More

This resumption will start with the partial reopening of special schools, where there may be a maximum of 50pc of pupils attending on alternate days.

All pupils in special classes in mainstream schools will return on February 22.

Detailed plans will be circulated to schools tomorrow.

They will include detailed information on the steps which need to be taken for the planned resumption of in-school support for pupils with special educational needs.

The agreement follows two weeks of intensive engagement between the Department of Education, the INTO and Forsa.

The INTO said as well as continuing to engage with the department on the limited reopening of special education provision, planning will also get underway for the wider reopening of schools.

In relation to special education re-opening, the INTO said it had secured a suite of necessary additional supports including:

Robust risk mitigation measures.

Augmented school support teams in all HSE areas to provide advice, contact tracing and bulk fast-track testing.

Flexible arrangements for staff in high-risk health categories to continue working from home throughout the interim programme.

Financial support for families who wish to transport their children to school for the duration of the programme.

The publication of school-based testing reports to inform our understanding of transmission rates in schools during the interim period.

High grade face masks to be provided to any teacher who seeks them.

Public awareness campaign designed to ensure compliance with public health advice in schools.

Clarity on the higher priority rating of special education staff within the vaccination schedule.

INTO president Mary Magner said the protocols and plans set out by the Department of Education offered a proportionate and limited reopening of special education provision, led by public health advice.

She said they provided critical protections for our members and deliver a carefully planned, phased return to the classroom for our most vulnerable pupils and their teachers.

We will continue to monitor the situation on the ground closely both ahead of the reopening and thereafter, to ensure that the weekly testing and tracing reports back up NPHETs conclusions.

She said that recognising that remote learning is particularly challenging for children with additional needs, the department had put in place a supplementary programme to support the education and/or care needs of pupils with complex needs.

An allocation of five hours per week of home-based teaching or care supports will be made available to eligible pupils.

She said this allocation was intended to supplement, and not replace, the remote teaching provided by the pupils school and can be provided by a teacher or SNA in a students home, at evenings and weekends.

Participation in the programme is voluntary for families, teachers and SNAs and must be delivered in accordance with Public Health Advice.

The fourweek, 20 hour programme can start from February 11 and can be used by families at any time up until the end of April.

Eligible pupils are:

Those enrolled in special schools and special classes in primary schools.

Pupils in mainstream schools who are accessing the highest levels of support in school at the School Support Plus/Support for a Few stage of the Continuum of Support (including pupils with Autism, Down syndrome, sensory impairments, and other disabilities.) This will include the pupils who were identified for the summer programme of 2020.

Schools have flexibility to identify pupils that require the highest level of support at any given time to ensure that those presenting with exceptional needs due to the current school closures can participate.

Egyptian promise

Published 01 February 2021

Lafarge Egypt is among the leading companies in the domestic building materials sector with a long-standing history in the country. Despite current market headwinds and the impact of COVID-19, Solomon Baumgartner-Aviles, the newly-appointed CEO of Lafarge Egypt, explains why the country holds much promise for the group globally and the MEA region, and outlines strategies for overcoming challenges. By Lafarge Egypt, Egypt.

With cement being a fundamental building block of global infrastructure, every day people around the world use LafargeHolcim solutions to build the vital bridges, roads, schools, tunnels and skyscrapers that are essential to the lives of people around the world.

For more than 109 years, the cement industry in Egypt has been accompanying and contributing to furthering the development of the domestic market and its citizens. The construction and building materials industry accounts for a large share of the Egyptian economy, estimated at 5.9 per cent. The cement industry alone contributes to about one per cent of total GDP and about 10 per cent of the Egyptian industrys GNP. It is also an important employer and source of employment for more than 250,000 workers, both directly and indirectly.

To continue reading this story and get access to all News, Articles and Video sections of the CemNet.com website, please Register for a subscription to International Cement Review or Login
Days after the minor blast the Israel Embassy in New Delhi, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday spoke to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and thanked him for his government's efforts to safeguard Israeli representatives.

A post in the Israel PM's official account said Modi noted that his country is "committed to the security of our people and added that India would continue to cooperate with Israel in the fight against terrorism".

Modi also conveyed his strong condemnation of the attack near the embassy and said India will deploy all its resources to find and punish the perpetrators. In his conversation with Netanyahu over phone, Modi assured him that India accords the highest importance to the safety and security of Israeli diplomats and premises, a PMO statement.

"Both leaders expressed satisfaction about the close coordination between Indian and Israeli security agencies in this context," it added.

Later, Modi tweeted, "Spoke to my friend PM @netanyahu and assured him that the attack near the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi will be fully investigated and perpetrators brought to justice."

A low-intensity blast had occurred outside the embassy on January 29. No one was injured. Some cars were damaged in the blast that occurred about 150 metres away from the embassy on Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road in the very high-security Lutyens' bungalow zone. The Israeli foreign ministry said all its diplomats and embassy staff in Delhi are "safe and sound".

The two leaders also briefed each other about the progress in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in their countries, and discussed possibilities of further collaboration in this area.

They also discussed possible cooperation in the production and supply of vaccines to Israel and the mutual recognition of certificates of vaccination.

(With PTI inputs)
A Christian pro-Trump influencer claims she has been 'silenced' by beauty retailer Sephora after the brand dropped her as a paid partner because of backlash over her political and religious views.

Amanda Ensing, 29, who boasts 1.4million followers on Instagram, regularly posts beauty and lifestyle videos while sharing her conservative views, and recently shared a paid-for YouTube video in which she listed her favorite skincare products from Sephora.

However, the video was posted in the wake of furious backlash over comments Ensing made about pro-Trump supporters storming the Capitol on January 6, with many fellow influencers criticizing her views.

She wrote; 'The left: I hate it here. America is embarrassing. Only we can riot & loot. Defund the police. Just do what the government tells you & don't ask questions.

'The right: Let's fight for freedom. We love the USA. Defend the Constitution. We support our Military & Law enforcement.'

Others have also accused her of spreading QAnon conspiracy theories to her large following.

Soon after Ensing shared her sponsored Sephora video, critics of her views began flooding the brand's social media with outraged comments, questioning why they had partnered with the influencer.

The influencer, pictured with her boyfriend Rafael Maio in Trump sweaters, regular shares her political views online

Amanda Ensing, 29, claims she has been 'silenced' by makeup brand Sephora because of her political and religious views

She came under fire recently for comments in the wake of pro-Trump supporters storming the Capitol on January 6

#BoycottSephora even started trending online and the makeup brand claims to have then cut ties with Ensing.

Sephora responded to one user on Instagram, saying: 'We were made aware that Amanda Ensing, an influencer contracted by one of our external vendors' campaigns, recently shared content on social media that is not aligned with Sephora's values around inclusivity.

'As soon as we were informed, we made the decision to cease all programming with Amanda and will not be engaging her for future partnerships.'

Ensing and her followers have since fought back, claiming the company cannot claim to be inclusive while silencing conservative views and 'smearing'' her character.

She shared a video on Instagram on Sunday in which she called out the brand, saying she was 'disgusted' with her treatment.

Ensing said: 'This is a video I never thought I would be having to make but the recent experience I've had with Sephora and what they did to me is not OK and I feel that I want to share my story and my truth and fill everyone in with what has happened.'

She said within hours of posting the video, she was asked to take it down by Sephora because of the online backlash.

Ensing shared a video on Instagram on Sunday in which she called out the brand, saying she was 'disgusted' with her treatment by Sephora

The company was immediately flooded with messages from customers who were outraged they had paired with the influencer

She said she has hired a legal team to fight her case and is demanding Sephora pay her for the video she made for them

She said: 'Not only did they request I take it down they also are responding to comments about my political views smearing my character.'

Ensing then showed a clause in the contract she signed with the makeup brand in which they said her deal could be terminated for spreading hate speech or violence.

She had asked Sephora if her views would be protected, saying: 'I have received hate from people due to my political ideologies for being conservative and also for being a Christian.

'Political and religious beliefs are our American rights but it seems that they have not been treated this way lately. The brands that I have worked with do not care about my political or religious beliefs and I would need a guarantee that the advertiser in this case will uphold an influencer's right to use their voice.'

Sephora replied: 'Sephora and rewardStyle respect differing views and this would only ever be referenced in extreme situations such as violence or hate speech.'

#BoycottSephora even started trending online and the makeup brand claims to have cut ties with Ensing

The influencer now claims she is being silenced just because of her conservative views.

She said: 'I have never done anything that is violent, I am not a violent person. I have never condoned violence and never will.

'I am first and foremost a Christian, Jesus Christ is my lord and savior. I am secondly American and I am thirdly Latina. I am not racist, I am not homophobic, I am not a white supremacist, I am not part of some violent group.

'It's so weird. I only started being called these things by trolls on the internet after I came out as supporting our President, after I came out talking about my conservative views and my religious views. If you're a conservative, you know what I'm talking about. We've been dealing with this for over a year now.'

The influencer claims in her 15-minute video seen by 900,000 people so far that other influencers have spread hate towards her but are not facing the same scrutiny and silencing

She said she has hired a legal team to fight her case and is demanding Sephora pay her for the video she made for them.

But she claims the makeup brand will only pay her if she signs a contract agreeing to stay silent about the controversy.

Ensing added: 'They want to pay me if I'll be quiet, if I stay silent, which seems to be a common theme with every conservative. I want you guys to realize what we're going through as a nation right now. So now I shouldn't get paid because of my political views?

'People have mocked my religion, my faith my political views, smeared me, called me terrible names and I am none of those things, all because I think differently than them.

'Is Sephora going to fire all of their conservative workers in their retail stores and their warehouses or upper management? How do you think all of your conservative customers and employees are feeling right now after seeing everything that you're doing to me and how you're speaking to me and about me online.'

'The moment you think differently you're not worthy to work or be represented by them. When did makeup become political?'

Many online have disputed Ensing's version of events, saying she has been 'canceled' for spreading QAnon propaganda

The influencer claims in her 15-minute video seen by 900,000 people so far that other influencers have spread hate towards her but are not facing the same scrutiny and silencing.

She said: 'What Sephora is doing is beyond disappointing and I don't only speak for myself, I speak for conservatives as well. It's beyond disappointing.

'Do you think that conservatives don't buy your makeup, don't wear makeup, are we not worthy because you say we don't align with your values of inclusivity.

To me, isolating millions of Americans because of their conservative political views from your store is the opposite of unity, the opposite of diversity.

'I will not be silenced. I will always stand for truth and what's right and stand firm in my faith and my beliefs.

Ensing promises to create her own conservative makeup brand where all values will be respected

'If Sephora thinks that conservatives are part of a dangerous group, you don't deserve a penny of our hard earned money. I will never support Sephora again.'

Ensing then promises to create her own conservative makeup brand where all values will be respected.

She said: 'We will change the industry and we will create a space, at least on my platforms, that is inclusive and accepting of everyone despite your political, religious or personal beliefs.

'No matter what side of the spectrum is on, to discriminate against someone because of their religious or political views is wrong. I am beyond disappointed, I am beyond disgusted in what Sephora has done and how they have acted and I will never support them again.'

Sephora said in a statement to MailOnline: 'We were recently made aware of concerning behavior by Ms Ensing on her social platforms. Most recently, she made light of the violence and tragic loss of life at our nation's Capitol last month.

'For this reason, we made the decision to cease all programming with her indefinitely, including having the video she created through an external vendor, taken down .

'Any claim that this decision was made on the basis of political or religious beliefs is inaccurate, we respect each individual's right to have their own perspectives and freedom of expression. However, Sephora reserves the right to terminate any partnership we deem inappropriate for our brand.

'Ms Ensing has also suggested that Sephora has attempted to silence her, which is not accurate. Sephora has not had any direct contact with Amanda or her legal team.

'Her contract, including but not limited to terms of payment and disclosure protocols are all handled by RewardStyle, a partner of Sephora. We take this seriously and are working to ensure all future influencer outreach, content and partnerships are subjected to tighter controls.

'At Sephora, we have made a commitment to build a beauty community that is welcoming, considerate, respectful and inclusive for all. These values will continue to guide every decision we make.'
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.
Ten Republican lawmakers have proposed to slice President Joe Bidens COVID-19 stimulus check plan by more than half, calling for checks of $1,000 instead of $1,400 and significantly cutting down the number of eligible recipients, arguing they want to focus on Americans who are truly struggling during the pandemic.

The Biden team wants to send $1,400 checks to American adults earning less than $75,000, and couples earning less than $150,000; the checks phase out incrementally, likely capped entirely for individuals making $99,000 and couples earning $174,000. Biden said last week that hes open to negotiating the income thresholds, but on Sunday night White House press secretary Jen Psaki suggested that $1,400 checks were badly needed along with a host of relief provisions.

The GOP compromise plan shrinks the checks to $1,000, with full amounts only going to individuals earning up to $40,000 and couples making up to a combined $80,000. The checks phase out incrementally, and individuals earning more than $50,000 and couples topping $100,000 would no longer be eligible for stimulus checks.

Lets focus on those who are struggling, Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio told CNN on Sunday. We really want to help those who need it the most. We need to be sure this is targeted.

Portman cited data showing those who earn more than $75,000 tend to save, instead of spend, the money, which conflicts with the intended purpose of the stimulus check, he argued. He also noted the Republican plan would extend bonus unemployment insurance through the end of June, but not September as Biden has called for. Costing about $130 billion, the GOP unemployment plan gives the government time to see how the economic recovery is playing out, Portman argued.

Spoke with @DanaBashCNN on @CNNSotu this morning about the need for Congress to work together on a bipartisan #COVID19 relief bill. Lets set politics aside and work together on this critical issue. pic.twitter.com/zOLOAIwcJR  Rob Portman (@senrobportman) January 31, 2021

Biden has pushed for college-aged students and disabled seniors claimed as dependents to qualify for additional stimulus checks; previous packages approved in March and December included $500 and $600 checks, respectively, for child dependents under the age of 17. The Republican compromise package calls for $500 checks for dependent adults and children. It also calls for no checks to convicted inmates.

The checks to Americans would total an estimated $220 billion in the GOP plan, compared to more than $400 billion in Bidens proposal.

The Republican lawmakers overall proposal totals $618 billion, according to The New York Times. The lawmakers, led by Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, wrote to Biden on Sunday requesting a meeting. Biden invited them to the White House and the group will meet on Monday.

In advance of todays meeting with President Biden, our group unveiled the details of our sixth Covid-19 relief proposal. We look forward to discussing the proposal with the President at the White House this afternoon.https://t.co/MErliN2meG  Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) February 1, 2021

As is, the GOP plan is unlikely to pick up support from Democrats in either chamber of Congress. Several progressives, including members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, are calling for substantial pandemic relief as well as monthly $2,000 checks. The Republican plan, meanwhile, is less than a third of the size of Bidens $1.9 trillion package, but Republicans are pressing Biden to deliver on his consistent calls for unity.

We have proposed a COVID-19 relief package thats capable of garnering bipartisan support, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, one of the 10 lawmakers calling for compromise, said Sunday. Its imperative that we work together to meet the needs of Americans during this pandemic.

We have proposed a #COVID19 relief package that's capable of garnering bipartisan support and request a meeting with the President to discuss our proposal in detail. It's imperative that we work together to meet the needs of Americans during this pandemic. https://t.co/9X09sTxHFt  Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) January 31, 2021

The compromise proposal includes $160 billion for direct COVID-19 response, including $50 billion for a massive expansion of testing, $20 billion for a national vaccine program, $30 billion for a disaster relief fund and tens of billions for provider relief and rebuilding and restocking the National Strategic Stockpile.

It also includes $20 billion to help schools reopen and $50 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program and economic injury disaster loan program.

Bidens plan includes more than $400 billion to cover $1,400 stimulus checks for millions of Americans; $400 billion for vaccines and to reopen schools; $35 billion to help local governments boost small businesses; and increased supplemental unemployment insurance, from $300 to $400, through September.

Bidens proposal also includes a push for a $15 federal minimum wage. While a non-starter for most Republicans, increasing the minimum wage has long been a goal of Democrats who argue the pandemic has helped put drastic inequity under the spotlight.

Lawmakers are pushing to seal a deal by March, when the boost to unemployment insurance runs dry and other provisions of the last COVID-19 relief bill expire.

Democrats could easily pass a costly, comprehensive bill in the House, but theyd typically require support from at least 10 Republicans in the Senate to get a package to the presidents desk.

If Democrats cannot garner bipartisan support, they could try to force much of the presidents plan through budget reconciliation  a move tying the COVID-19 bill to the annual budget process, which requires only a simple majority vote. In the case of a 50-50 tie, Vice President Kamala Harris could cast the deciding vote.

Related Content:
Optimus Prime and Winnie the Poohs friend Eeyore could not be more opposite sides of pop culture.

On the one hand, theres a Transformer who spends his life fighting off invading forces as a robot that disguises itself as a semi-truck. On the other, a dreary donkey who just wants to keep his tail on and sit in a state of perpetual self-loathing.

It may come as a surprise, then that the same actor voiced the two,

Peter Cullens career

RELATED: Avatar: The Last Airbender: Aangs Voice Actor Zach Tyler Eisen Does Keep Up With the Fandom

Cullen broke into Hollywood in 1967 and quickly became a go-to announcer, bit actor, and voice worker. From an appearance in Scooby and Scrappy-Doo to an uncredited voice role in 1976s King Kong remake, he put in the work and tried to make his name in a job that doesnt always get the recognition that its on-screen counterparts do. He became a staple of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup.

With hundreds of credits to his name, anyone who has watched a cartoon in the last 40 years has likely heard Cullens work on GI Joe, Spider-Man, Snorks, The Jetsons, Voltron, and other classics of their day. His recurring roles in Disney shows like Winnie the Pooh, and Gummi Bears didnt hurt, either.

Looking back at his career, however, two particular roles stand out.

Priming for the job

Peter Cullen | David Livingston/Getty Images

When Cullen was looking for his next big break, he found a listing for a show called Transformers. With zero knowledge of the project, he had to go off what he knew to stand out from the rest of those who wanted the role.

I auditioned like everybody else. I was told it was a hero, and I was told it was a truck, Cullen told NPR. I was living with my brother Larry at the time. He had returned from service as a Marine in Vietnam, and I told him one day I was going out to audition for a truck. And he says, A truck? And I said, Yeah, but hes a hero truck.

Directors wanted Cullen to play the role gently but heroically. He responded by summoning Larry, a man he described as strong and gentle. This one decision helped Cullen secure his most famous role. To this day, he remains the voice of Optimus Prime in films like Transformers and Bumblebee. Its a feat made possible by his hard work and ability to put his twist on jobs to him.

Cullens favorite

From Eeyore to Optimus, Spider-Man characters and rescue rangers, Cullens career goes back nearly 60 years, and his voice work helped define a whole generation of children who might not know his name but know the voices he provided on some of their favorite movies, series, commercials, and more.

However, while his career brought him several different places, Cullens heart will always go back to the robot that helped him become a star of the voice-acting world.

He was forced to choose a favorite role when NPR asked him to pick.

Well, Optimus Prime, No. 1. Hes my above-all favorite. The second one was Eeyore [from Winnie the Pooh]. I enjoyed doing Eeyore because he was simply charming, Cullen said, noting the fun he gets to have when seeing kids in t-shirts bearing his character. I get an awful lot of reactions from, especially, young kids, when I go up and just say [in Eeyores voice], Hello. Thanks for noticing me. And to see their faces light up, that to me is one of the great joys.

Thats what this is all about, Cullen might not get the same recognition as an actor who appears on the screen, but his voice is cemented into the minds of children, their children, and their grandchildren who grew up hearing him voice some of their favorite characters.

Now approaching 80, Cullen still gets behind the microphone from time to time, but no matter what he does, Eeyore and Optimus may continue to be his career-defining roles.
Kobie Parfitt (pictured), 43, is believed to have been murdered on April 28 - the last day police believe she was last seen alive

A woman charged with murdering mother of four Kobie Parfitt had walked free from jail days earlier after coping a sweet sentence over a brutal bashing.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal mum of two Shannon Jeffrey, 32, was sentenced to four months in jail on December 17, 2019 after breaching a two-year community corrections order she had received in March that year.

Police believe Ms Parfitt was murdered on April 28 and her body stuffed down a mine shaft.

Brendan James Prestage, 31, of Wendouree, has also been charged over the alleged murder.

County Court Judge Michael Bourke had cut Jeffrey loose despite her role in a brutal, ice-fueled attack on a man.

Jeffrey should have been a little over a year into her two-year community corrections order, which she was gifted to her by Judge Bourke, at the time of the alleged murder.

The experienced judge initially released Jeffrey on the community order despite her pleading guilty to having her boyfriend bash a man she had lured to her home.

Mum of two Shannon Jeffrey had only just walked free from jail when she allegedly killed Ms Parfitt.

Shannon Jeffrey is a notorious ice junkie who has been offending for more than a decade.

The 42-year-old victim had collapsed in the street after he was repeatedly bashed on December 21, 2015.

In releasing Jeffery in March, Judge Bourke said he was prepared to 'give Jeffrey a chance' because she had family support, a desire to raise her two children and the fact she had an awful relationship with her violent co-offender.

The body of Ms Parfitt was found last month, weeks after police scoured bushland along the Pittong-Snake Valley Road in Snake Valley.

Judge Bourke knew well Jeffrey had an extensive criminal history dating back to 2005 which in 2016 saw her jailed after she was caught travelling about with a sawed-off shotgun in her car.

Prosecutors knew too, but made no argument against jailing the violent junkie.

When given the chance in December, Judge Bourke cancelled the community order altogether and ordered she serve the four-month stint.

During her sentence in 2016, the court was told Jeffrey had a violent criminal history that included aggravated burglaries.

Jeffreys lawyer Magistrate Gregory Robinson said his client had dabbled with drugs since the age of 15, but had supposedly detoxed and sought help from services while on remand.

Police received a tip-off following a public appeal for information, which led them to believe she was last seen alive at a property on Hickman Street (pictured) in Ballarat, Victoria

The Missing Persons Squad detectives, with the assistance of police from the Search and Rescue Squad, had only began searching for Ms Parfitt after receiving a tip-off that she may have been murdered.

On December 14, Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper, of the Missing Persons Squad, said officers believed they were closing in on those responsible for Ms Parfitt's death.

'We have returned to the area a number of times as part of this investigation and will continue to return each time we receive new information,' he said.

'There are definitely people in the Ballarat community who know what happened to Kobie.

'We know she was last seen alive at a property in Hickman Street on 28 April however we are still yet to locate her body,' Inspector Stamper said at the time.

Last month, the Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard police alleged Ms Parfitt was murdered that same day.

The eight month search for Ms Parfitt had only become a homicide investigation in November after police received information indicating she was murdered.

Neither her phone or bank accounts had been accessed since she went missing.

Ms Parfitt, who was also a grandmother-of three, had become estranged from her family.

She was living in central Ballarat and had previously worked in disability support and aged care.

Her body was located last week in a mine shaft in the area where police had searched.

Detectives questioned a 31-year-old woman the following day in relation to the case, but no charges were laid and she was released.

Ms Parfitt (pictured) was a mother-of-four and a grandmother-of three but had become estranged from her family

Police searched an area of bushland along the Pittong-Snake Valley Road in Snake Valley (pictured) for the body of Kobie Parfitt before finding it down a mineshaft

In November, Ms Parfitt's mother Kathy Snowball made an impassioned plea for information from the public as to the whereabouts of her daughter, which led to a tip-off to police.

'We all need to know where she is and we need to bring her home,' she said at the time.

'So that we can tell her kids move forward, put her to rest, and so we can just remember the beautiful person that she was.'

It is understood Ms Parfitt's friends and family did not suspect foul play for some months due to her transient lifestyle.

She had last been seen by her mother in March, but was known to frequently bump into relatives in the centre of Ballarat.

'Now, they all they want is closure,' Ms Snowball said at the time.

Jeffrey refused to appear before the court for her brief filing hearing on Monday. .

She made no application for bail and was remanded in custody.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has initiated something that her predecessors shied away from doing for too long - privatisation of Public Sector Banks (PSBs). By announcing the specific plan to cut stake in two more PSBs in the Budget speech, Sitharaman has made her intent loud and clear and has set the ball rolling.

That, undoubtedly, is the biggest takeaway for banking sector in Budget 2021. Unveiling the divestment strategy, Sitharaman said the government will privatise all entities except in four sectors which will be tagged as strategic sectors. Even in those sectors, the government will keep to minimum ownership, the FM said.

In the banking sector, besides IDBI Bank, the government will cut stake in two more banks and one general insurance company, Sitharaman said in the Budget speech. This statement is significant in many ways. One, it shows the Narendra Modi-government's commitment for bold reforms. Two, if implemented successfully, the government is facilitating more private sector participation in the key sector.

Remember, privatisation of banks has been promised long by successive governments but there has not been much of a progress. This time, the government appears to be serious about the plan. PSU stocks have rallied post the announcements as investors cheered the proposal. Privatisation of PSBs has not been taken by governments also because this is a politically sensitive decision. Government will have to face the wrath of powerful trade unions which have strongly opposed the idea.

Government has an overwhelmingly huge presence in state-run banks ownership. Experts have opined that this cannot continue for long as government has no business to be in business.

Consider this: Presently government holds over 70 per cent stake in at least ten banks as on December, 2020. There are eight banks where government holds over 80 percent stake and in three banks, the government has ownership of over 90 per cent stake. These are Indian Overseas Bank, Uco Bank and Bank of Maharashtra.Privatisation has been argued as an effective way to bring in more market competition, bring in private capital and enhance the operations efficiency of the sector.

On Monday, after the FM announcement of divestment in two more banks, global rating agency Moodys said the decision will augur well for the sector.

The governments divestment of stakes in two public sector banks (PSBs) is credit negative for the banks involved, as it will reduce ongoing government support for them. Nevertheless, privatization can make those banks more market oriented, which will be positive for the industry as a whole, Moodys said.

Sidhharth Purohit, a senior banking analyst with Mumbai-based SMC Global securities, too said decision to cut stake in public sector banks is highly positive from a reforms-point of view. In the past too, we have heard similar announcements. But this time, the government has announced in the budget which shows a strong intent, said Purohit.

Having said that implementation of the divestment plan is key. Back in 2014, an RBI panel headed by P J Nayak, submitted a report recommending that government should exit ownership in state-run banks. But, the report has been largely ignored with respect to the privatisation part.

Comes the money, but not enough:

Besides the announcement on privatisation, the next big top priority item for the banking sector was the amount government earmarks for capital-starved PSBs. In the Budget, Sitharaman announced Rs20,000 crore for the fiscal year 2021-22. In the FY 2020-21 so far, an amount of Rs 5,500 crore has been infused by Government as fresh capital in PSBs through non-interest bearing special securities. Government has also infused capital through issue of bonds in 3 other banks namely IDBI (Rs 4,557 crore), EXIM Bank (Rs 5,050 crore) and IIFCL (Rs 5,297.60 crore), Sitharaman said.

The announcement of Rs20,000 crore has come as too little for PSBs which, according to Moodys, require around Rs2 lakh crore capital over the next two years to provide for bad loans, meet regulatory requirement and resume lending to large borrowers. The support to the banks for additional capital of Rs 20,000 seems small given the issues but divestment of the non-performing banks may compensate for that, said consulting firm Ernst and Young in a note on Budget.

Indian government has infused Rs3.16 lakh crore in PSBs over the last few years. In the last Budget, the government didnt announce any capital infusion for banks.

Bad banka big idea, finally!

The third critical announcement for banking sector is the creation of an asset reconstruction-asset management company announced in the Budget by the FM. This entity, called as a bad bank, will give a big reprieve to NPA-ridden banks by absorbing the toxic assets and freeing them to pursue fresh lending. The bad bank idea has been supported by senior bankers and other financial sector experts citing that the idea will help for quicker bad asset resolution. The recovery through debt recovery tribunals and Insolvency and bankruptcy code (IBC) mechanism has been limited to only a few large cases. A bad bank could help in better bad loan resolution through an ARC model. In May 2020, when the IBA submitted its proposal to a government but the concept didnt take off at that point.

Overall, the FM has offered a reformist blueprint for the banking sector in 2021 Budget, especially with respect to the privatisation agenda. The success of it will, however, depend on the execution of the plan.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lifeway Mobility is pleased to announce that it has invested in Gamburd, Inc., which has been a leading provider of accessibility solutions for people with limited mobility throughout California for over 18 years.

Gamburd is a licensed dealer of stairlifts, wheelchair lifts, residential elevators, ramps, step-in tubs and overhead lifts. It also offers bath safety equipment and other home modifications that improve their clients' wellbeing and independence. To learn more about Gamburd, visit www.gamburd.com.

Israel Gamburd, the company founder, together with his wife Regina and their experienced team, will continue in their current roles.

Israel said, "I've known Paul and the Lifeway team for several years. Their mission and values reflect the same commitment to customer satisfaction that has been the secret to Gamburd's success. Their marketing programs, operating systems and capital resources will enable our team to enhance our customer experience as we grow."

Lifeway Mobility President Paul Bergantino is excited to welcome Gamburd to the Lifeway family saying, "Israel is a true accessibility pioneer! The Gamburd team has extraordinary technical expertise and a tireless determination to satisfy each of their customers. It will be exciting to support their growth throughout California and the western states."

Gamburd will continue to serve over 250 cities throughout California from two locations:

Southern CA

12405 Montague Street

Pacoima, CA 91331

Phone: 888-902-2237

Northern CA

29400 Kohoutek Way, Suite 180

Union City, CA 94587

Phone: 888-902-2237

Lifeway Mobility is an accessibility solutions provider serving Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, southern New Hampshire, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, western Wisconsin and California. Lifeway Mobility offers a full selection of accessibility and safety equipment for people with mobility limitations, including stairlifts, wheelchair lifts, elevators, ramps, transfer lifts, and bath safety solutions. To learn more about Lifeway Mobility, visit www.lifewaymobility.com .

SOURCE Lifeway Mobility

Related Links

http://www.lifewaymobility.com


After nearly seventy years of service, Queen Elizabeth II has become the quintessential image of royalty for many. The London-native reigns as the Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. Still, people far outside her jurisdiction have become familiar with the monarchy  whether through the famous wedding of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, the stunning Windsor Castle, or the iconic hats of the Buckingham Palace guards.

Fans of the glamour associated with royal life would be wise to take a look at the Queens litany of properties. If you think the Queens headquarters is nice, you should see where she vacations: Scotlands Balmoral Castle.

Queen Elizabeth II | Ben Stansall/Getty Images

The Queen of the United Kingdom has reigned since 1952

RELATED: After Queen Elizabeth Dies, It Could Be Decades Before the British Monarchy Sees Another Woman on the Throne

In a monarchy that prioritizes male heirs, its shocking that Queen Elizabeth II ever achieved her title. Perhaps thats why shes hung onto the title for so long, despite her husband entering retirement in 2017.

As Biography recounts, the queens ascension to the throne was far from a straight path. When her grandfather King George V died in 1936, it was Queen Elizabeths uncle who was next in line to receive the crown. But Uncle Edward VIII had fallen in love with Queen Elizabeths future Aunt Wallis. Because Wallis was a divorcee, Edward had to abdicate the crown in order to pursue his relationship.

Suddenly, Queen Elizabeths father was made king. As the eldest of his two daughters, Queen Elizabeth found herself the heir apparent. She assumed the throne on February 6, 1952, after King George VIs passing.

Despite this expected route for Queen Elizabeths life to take, she seems to have adjusted quite well. She is adored by her people and has made herself quite at home inside Buckingham Palace. In fact, with her recent addition of an ATM, there seems to be no incentive for her to ever leave the glamorous, royal walls. No incentive, that is, except for all of her other incredibly luxurious homes.

Balmoral Castle is one of the Queens six properties

With six sprawling properties  ranging from palaces to castles, to estates  the Queen nearly has one residence for each decade of her reign. Some of the buildings serve as the Queens resting place when she makes visits to other bodies of her Commonwealth. According to Town & Country, Hillsborough Castle hosts the Queen when she is in Ireland, with Holyrood Palace serving as its Scottish equivalent.

But Holyrood isnt the Queens only Scottish dwelling. Balmoral Castle sits in Northern Scotland, surrounded by stunning countryside. Town & Country notes that the Queen is known to spend the last few weeks of her summer at the property, leading many to believe that its one of her favorite locales.

The luxurious property requires top-tier upkeep

RELATED: The Real Reason Princess Beatrice and Eugenie Must Pay Rent to Live at St Jamess Palace and Other Royal Residences

It takes a lot to earn the title of the Queens favorite summer home although favorite summer castle would perhaps be a more fitting moniker. The property is home to expansive grounds, stunning architecture, and decades of royal history. Fox Business estimates Balmoral is worth $140 million, but it takes a lot to maintain that value.

Ranker reports that the castle requires 3 million to run each year (equivalent to nearly $4.1 million). Allegedly, part of this exorbitant fee is paid for by renting out nearby cottages. Thats right  according to The Guardian, for just 690 a week, you could have Queen Elizabeth II as your landlord.
Community News Editor / Librarian

Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. She can be reached at jmaschino@berkshireeagle.com.
Sonali Kulkarni, Lead  Financial Services, Accenture in India, said, The investment outlay towards digital payments is a welcome inclusion in the Union Budget. As per a recent Accenture research report, in India, 66.6 billion transactions worth USD 270.7 billion are expected to shift from cash to cards and digital payments by 2023. This shift is expected to intensify the existing competition in the Indian payments space and ultimately, enhance consumer experience and convenience. However, the exact nature of the scheme of the outlay and its implementation will be instrumental in its success. We are seeing some notable innovation coming out of Indias fintech ecosystem  be it for digital payments, credit and risk management, underwriting or security. The initiative to set up a fintech hub in Gujarat International Finance Tech-City (GIFT) will spur investment and innovation designed to help financial institutions not just meet compliance requirements but also build more-personalized customer products and services. The move to set up a new asset reconstruction company and an asset management company to take care of stressed assets of banks will facilitate more options for banks to manage their NPAs as the true impact of the pandemic on NPAs is still unclear, and is expected to be fully known only by Q1 FY2022. The disinvestment and privatization related announcements related to the banking and insurance sectors will enable much needed capital infusion, and thereby, unlock new growth opportunities in FY 22.

Lt. Gen Dr. SP Kochhar, DG, COAI, said, We welcome the budget as it is pro-investment and pro-growth. It will provide the much-needed impetus to economic growth post the pandemic and will set us on the path to becoming Atmanirbhar Bharat. However, we are a bit disappointed that concerns of the telecom sector, which is the backbone of digital India, remained unaddressed. We were expecting a reduction in the burden of levies, such as LF and SUC on the telecom sector. The Government has also not considered the request of the Industry to exempt the GST from the payment of Govt Levies such as LF, SUC and spectrum installments etc. As the telecom operators are going to launch 5G services in the country, it is imperative that 5G enabled telecom equipment are available to them at a reasonable price. Thus, there was the need for a reduction in customs duties on telecom equipment. It would have been a much awaited relief if the government provided the right incentives to the sector. We will continue to engage with the Government in these areas in the times to come.

Vinu Cheriyan, CFO & Director Operation at Sennheiser India, said, For 2021-2022 Union Budget, the government has made some notable announcements that are aimed towards the overall development on the ease of doing business. The central government plans to create manufacturing global champions via PLI scheme in 13 sectors will help the manufacturing sector to double its growth rate, which will end up creating huge job opportunities across. Additionally, the Government of India has chosen a big infrastructure push by allocating budgets to construct national highways which will improve the connectivity in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. This will further help in ensuring seamless movements and deliveries across India, thus strengthening the overall development of industry and commerce, further giving a push to the audio accessories industry in India . We appreciate the governments initiatives and look forward to a fruitful year ahead.

Mr. Rajeev Singh, Managing Director  BenQ India, said, A very significant budget as India is coming out fast from effects of COVID 19, Government has given strong emphasis on spending on Infrastructure along with big push for Atmanirbhar Bharat. Alongside, there is no change in direct taxes largely which were moderated for companies last time. This will mean more money in the system and will act positively towards faster growth of economy. Government has also given additional push to education and skill development segment in the budget which will result in extensive use of technology which in turn will give a boost to virtual classroom and Blended and Hybrid Learning.

Mr. Ranga Reddy, CEO, Maveric Systems, said, The finance minister has given a boost to the economy through higher allocation to Infrastructure and health; thrust to the manufacturing sector and higher quantum to social welfare schemes. The governments move to earmark INR1,500 crore to provide financial incentives to boost digital payments is a positive step. This will massively help in giving a fillip to the digital payments ecosystem in the country. Financial technology will continue to serve as the backbone to help make this possible. The plan to increasingly use AI, ML, and data analytics in the year 2021 is very encouraging. While some rationalization has been done on indirect taxes, direct taxes have been left untouched save the withdrawal of tax benefits on merger and acquisition. Overall, I believe a very positive and bold step towards developing a strong foundation for a fast-paced economy.

Supria Dhanda, Vice President and Country Manager for India, Western Digital, said, I would like to congratulate the Government on its first paperless budget to push India in its digital journey. The economic survey highlighted Indias aspiration to compete on Innovation with the top ten economies. Allocation of INR 50,000 crore for the National Research Fund for next five years is a definite step towards boosting the research ecosystem in a coordinated way. Focus on Innovation and R&D, coupled with the PLI for electronic manufacturing schemes lays down a very strong foundation in building a self-reliant digital India. We are confident that the technology industry will join hands with the Government in its plan to enhance manufacturing capabilities and expand R&D centres.

Mr. Rahul Agarwal, CEO & Managing Director of Lenovo India, said, The six pillars of the Union Budget 2021 add enormous value to the economic relief post the pandemic issues and paint a futuristic picture for the new year. It has managed to address some of the key issues around Atmanirbhar Bharat, education and Digital India that presents significant business opportunities for global corporates such as Lenovo. With the PLI scheme announced along with the increased focus on Make in India in this budget, we are confident that it will encourage local manufacturing, and further bolster the local PC market. Lenovo will also support the government in enriching Indias economy, by boosting digital infrastructure in the field of education and additional focus on promoting inclusive development. The national education policy also creates an opportunity to build the Indian EdTech ecosystem to make it best across the globe for research & innovation, and empowers the citizens to scale up their skills.

Mr. Dipesh Kaura, General Manager, Kaspersky (South Asia), said, The budget for FY 2021- 22 was one with the aim to achieve and enhance our countrys top priorities, by investing in the healthcare sector and major infrastructures. Enhanced healthcare systems, extensive research and development, and major infrastructure developments are definitely the need of the hour and have been effectively taken care of by the budget allocation set by our FM. The goal to empower 15000 schools and adapt to a hybrid education model is also a very promising step taken towards the digital transformation of the country. However, to make this a success, securing the hybrid education system is equally important, especially in the near future. While pursuing a hybrid model of learning (in-person and remote), the educational sector continues to attract the attention of cybercriminals on the Internet. From July to December 2020, 270,171 users globally encountered various threats disguised as popular learning platformsan increase of 60% when compared to the first half of 2020. These numbers state the growing need for cybersecurity and why it is important to build a robust and secure digital infrastructure for the education sector. Similarly, cybersecurity tools will also be needed for the seamless functioning of advanced technologies like deep analytics and artificial intelligence that the government plans to use to identify tax evaders, fake billers and for the digital census. The newer technologies can be used considerably for sectors like BFSI, healthcare, education, and can help in extensive R&D, provided that they are used with utmost security so as to avoid their misuse by cybercriminals who are capable of creating more chaos than one can expect. It will be interesting to see Indias education and other sectors further progressing towards digitalisation in the next 1-2 years, and cybersecurity experts and companies like us will be glad to help the country secure this digital future at every step taken forward.

Mr. Vikas Garg, Chief Financial Officer at Paytm, said, The Finance Minister has presented a balanced budget that is aimed at maximum growth of all sectors in the coming year. The Rs.1500 crore proposed scheme to incentivize digital payments is a welcome move that will accelerate the growth of cashless transactions in our country. During the pandemic, digital payments emerged as one of the key enablers of empowerment at the grassroots and brought millions of people under the fold of the formal economy. Governments continued emphasis on increasing investment in Infrastructure, Insurance and digital payments will ensure financial inclusion of the masses.

Mr. Sanjay Gupta, Vice President and India Country Manager, NXP Semiconductors, said, The Union Budget 2021 has been the first-ever digital budget marking a major milestone in the digital journey of India. The budget has put the much-needed focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat and the need to grow the innovation and R&D sector in the country on a sustained basis. We are excited about the announcement of INR 50,000 crores for the National Research Foundation over the period of five years. This will surely boost the overall research and innovation ecosystem of the country. R&D is the lifeline for any organization and any country to continue to prosper in changing dynamic times. In India, we have to focus parallelly on design-in-India in addition to Make-in-India to continue to be ahead of the curve. Looking forward to having more and more companies leverage this increased R&D budget from govt and develop future researchers and Innovators. The voluntary vehicle scrapping policy would play a major part in phasing out the old and unfit vehicles thereby encouraging uptake in environment-friendly means of transport like electric vehicles. Overall, we are hopeful that Budget 2021 will propel India in the direction of becoming a global economic superpower.

Mr. S Sriram, Chief Strategy Officer at iValue InfoSolutions, said, Budget 2021 was positive given the challenge around higher fiscal deficit due to lower income. It is great to see emphasis on growth front keeping fiscal deficit priority low for the next 2-3 years. The key highlights of the budget include additional allocation to health and wellbeing in a Covid ravaged year with Rs 35,000Cr allocation to Covid vaccination with 4 Indian vaccines shortly. It is also great to see 35% enhancement of Government capital expenditure at Rs 5.54 lac Cr to revive economy around Road, Rail and Metro infrastructure. It is encouraging to see focus around disinvestment with 2 PSU banks and 1 Insurance company being planned for the year with Rs 1.75 lac Cr target. FDI in insurance enhancement from 49% to 74% augers well for a country with very low penetration. The voluntary vehicle scrapping policy is set to help auto sector and address the pollution challenges. While Rs 20,000Cr PSU bank recapitalisation looks on the lower side, reopening of IT assessment cases period reduction from 6 to 3 years should give comfort to tax payers on documentation. Planned LIC IPO should set the mood right on disinvestment. The government could have put more money in the hands of people to sustain the recovery along with sops to Business on CapEx investments.

Mr. Prashanth GJ, CEO at TechnoBind, said, Increased spend on Healthcare and Infra are welcome moves  as this will have a cascading effect on the economy in the medium term. Whether it is Highways or Railways the enhanced allocation is very encouraging. Also interesting is the Bad Bank which will help address the stressed assets through an ARC model. This will help keep the Banking system insulated from the spike of bad loans that are expected now  thereby allowing them to do business as usual by giving the much-needed support of credit in the system. The MSME allocation has been doubled  this too will help SME businesses in general which is a big market for us in the country. Support for furthering the idea of Digital India is also seen and it is very welcome  encouraging digital payments and the use of AI/ML in governance is exciting. Emphasis on Digital Payment is very good as this will go a long way in bringing in financial inclusion. Provisions in the GST and customs duty rationalization is something we look forward to.

Mr. Shibu Paul, Vice President  International Sales at Array Networks, said, The fiscal deficit for 2020-21 was estimated at 9.5% of GDP, the governments aim is to bring it down by 5% of the GDP by 2025-26 which is ambitious and certainly a welcoming initiative. The highlight in this budget is the announcement of the Asset Reconstruction Company and Asset Management Company to help banks tackle bad loans which have been a call by economists for many years. The significance given to the investments and initiatives in the infrastructure development with a few coming under the PPP model will boost the overall development which includes increased investment opportunity from various sectors. The governments proposal to use data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning-driven for the Ministry of Corporate Affairs database is a boost to the digitalization where the Version 3.0 of MCA-21 includes additional modules for e-scrutiny, e-adjudication, e-consultation and compliance management. Connecting more than 1,000 mandis into E-NAM is an excellent move. Setting up a separate administration structure for ease of doing business would help many organizations from various sectors. The faceless dispute resolution panel would help the citizens by keeping them safe from tax harassment. The importance given to healthcare sector to fight Covid and any future healthcare issues, the stress made in green energy projects like keeping aside Rs 1,000Cr for solar energy and Rs 1,500Cr for renewable energy along with voluntary scrapping policy and the weightage given to education has made this budget wholesome.

Mr. Gurpreet Singh, Managing Director at Arrow PC Network (Titanium Partners  Dell Technologies), said, Regressive rules had certainly affected the ease of doing business for many organizations and start-ups. However, the governments announcement of establishing a separate administrative structure especially for ease of doing business will help many organizations benefit in the future. Revision of the definition of small companies by raising the capital base to Rs 2 Cr from the current limit of Rs 50 lakh will give a big boost to companies affecting their monetary status. Though not much of changes have been made in terms of income tax slabs, the move to make changes in tax evasion has instilled confidence in common man that they would not be facing tax harassment. Earmarking Rs 1,500Cr for promoting digital mode of payment and changing the tax audit limit from Rs 5Cr to Rs 10Cr will benefit many and will allow transparency. Hiking of FDI from 49% to 74% is a good move. The announcement that the forthcoming census would be digital shows the governments initiative to practice what is being preached. On the other end, the emphasis on education, power and infrastructure sector will support the overall development of the nation.

Mr. Rajendra Chitale, CFO at Crayon Software Experts India, said, It is a welcoming move that the government is emphasizing on the implementation of data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning for the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) database. We also welcome the digitization process and the introduction of e-scrutiny, e-adjudication, e-consultation and compliance management in MCA 3.0. After the adversities of 2020, tax holiday for another year to startups is a commendable move for the government. Again, the tax audit bar raised to Rs 10 cr for those transacting 95 per cent digitally shows the governments commitment towards bringing in greater transparency. Apart from that the governments promise on removing GST anomalies and the amount of Rs 1,500 crore earmarked for a scheme to boost digital payments are other welcoming moves for a stronger digitized India.

Mr. V Satish Kumar, CEO at EverestIMS Technologies, said, The Union Budget 2021 augurs well for the economy and markets overall. With the aggressive investment, monetization, and recapitalization initiatives, the Government is taking steps towards getting the economy back on the rails. The focus on infrastructure, public transport, and highways will see a jump-starting of multiple tracks of the economy. For the IT Sector, this will translate into an increase in projects, business, and interventions that will be needed to support all these economic programs. Another good move for the IT sector was that the Tax holiday for start-ups has been extended by one year and exemption on capital gains on investment in start-ups extended by one year. India has always been a resilient economy and these efforts will provide the elevation we need to take off and lead in the coming years.

Mr. Sonit Jain, CEO of GajShield Infotech, said, Budget 2021 lays a strong foundation in Infrastructure, Health and Education. It provides a big boost in making India a leader in the World Economy and manufacturing hub of the world. Not only does it give an impetus to easing in doing business in India, it also gives a big push to rural development, which was impacted, the most, during the pandemic. The budget has a vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and will motivate Indian entrepreneurs to make products in India for the World. Overall it is a pro-growth budget and will further fuel the growth of Indian IT companies with its strong focus on Digital India.

Mr. Vivek Sharma, MD  India, Lenovo Data Center Group, said, This is a pro-growth, pro-technology budget with a vision to disinvest where required and re-energize infrastructure, healthcare, banking, and agriculture sectors through numerous employment and capital generating reforms. There is a strong focus on Digital India be it through setting a fintech hub at GIFT city, enhancing digital payments and use of AI, ML etc in governance, or making tax appellates faceless and tech enabled  all provide a solid foundation for a forward looking data-economy.

Mr. Ketan Patel, Managing Director  HP India Market, said, Todays budget announcement confirms governments focus on developing infrastructure and skills which will have short and long term benefits to Indian economy & people. From a technology point of view, the incentives for creating digital infrastructure, education and skilling spells out the governments intent on developing the countrys human capital. Steps like international collaboration to develop new skills will help Indian youth prepare for modern job requirements and make them global ready. The announcement of the National Digital Educational Architecture (NDEAR) is a welcome step, which will help build a Digital First mindset in the entire education system in India and help students and educators adopt new ways of learning and teaching. In addition, we welcome the doubled allocation for MSME sector which will incentivise digital transformation of our small businesses that are the backbone of our economy.

Mr. Rajesh Nambiar, Chairman and Managing Director for India, Cognizant, said, Coming as it does during an unprecedented global crisis, the Union Budget for 2021 is justifiably focused on resetting the Indian economy and enabling it to emerge from the shadows of a prolonged and unforeseen disruption. The accent on improving healthcare, manufacturing and infrastructure as part of Indias mission to drive greater self-reliance will not only create more employment opportunities, but also accelerate the countrys shift towards digital modernisation and transformation that have become a key competitive differentiator in the new normal for businesses and governments alike. Measures such as establishing a world-class fintech hub, and further incentivising start-ups will provide impetus to innovation, entrepreneurship and R&D in the country. Providing financial and tax audit incentives to promote digital transactions is a progressive step that will result in greater transparency and reduced compliance burden. Consistent with Indias towering role in todays knowledge economy, initiatives such as broadening foreign academic collaborations, leveraging synergies between various research institutions, universities, and colleges across India, amending the Apprenticeship Act to provide enhanced post-education apprenticeship and training opportunities to graduates, and moving towards implementing a Higher Education Commission of India will help enhance the quality of education as well as the vocational and industry skills available in the country. The proposed National Digital Educational Architecture is a welcome move to encourage a digital-first mind-set across the countrys education ecosystem for it to reinvent itself and rise to the learning and employability needs of the digital era. Leaving the tax rates alone signals a stable tax environment. Reducing the time limit for re-opening of assessment to three years, setting up a faceless income tax appellate tribunal, and strengthening the NCLT with e-Courts and a conciliation mechanism for contractual disputes will increase corporate and investor confidence by paving the way to greater transparency and expeditious action. There isnt much in the budget for the IT industry, a sector that has done outstanding work to keep essential services rolling in various parts of the world through immensely difficult circumstances. We were hoping for an announcement related to the easing of SEZ rules for the IT industry.

Mr. Rajesh Goenka, Director, Sales & Marketing, RP tech India, said, Overall it is a very pleasant budget without any surprises which is good because in the current scenario consistency and continuity is more important rather than having mere aspirations. This is overall a balanced budget and only enhances the momentum set by our prime minister and finance minister in the last two years. In terms of IT hardware industry, there is no major change, however, with the government investment, the overall market demand is likely to grow up. IMF has also forecasted the industry growth 11 to 11.5 per cent, which is good for the industry. So overall we are optimistic about the budget.

Mr. Hari Om Rai, CMD, Lava International Limited, said, It is a historic budget making a mark of the beginning of a new India. Government has given a clarion call to the industry with the announcement of creating global champions from India and backing this strategy with new, development finance institution. Now the responsibility shifts to the industry to not only dream but dream big and stand together with the government to make the country progress from poverty to wealth over the next three decades.

Dr. Rishi Bhatnagar, President, Aeris Communications, said, I believe that this budget has established the essentialism for the use of technology to make India Atmanirbhar and future ready. As this budget was presented digitally, it has laid the foundation of adopting and using disruptive technologies by all sectors in the country. Today, Artificial Intelligence and IoT technologies are being used by Aeris Indian enterprise clients not only to optimise operations, but also to plug revenue leakages, reduce NPAs and much more. This budget elaborated how the Government is using & promoting technology to achieve record GST collections this year, ensuring good governance and even enabling the very first digital census to be carried out this year, which is indeed a big revolution in Indias census exercise. This will make the process faster, eliminating human errors with the use of mobile application rather than pen and paper. Announcements were also made to enable a global competitive edge with natural growth, for instance, the policy on voluntary vehicle scrapping which will help control air pollution index across cities. This is in-line with our objective of promoting electric/battery-operated variants across the automotive and smart fleet sector.

Mr. Warren Harris, CEO & MD Tata Technologies, said, With a significant outlay on Infrastructure spend and the much-needed Vehicle Scrappage policy, the government of India has finally set the tone for recovery of Auto Sector which has been significantly impacted by the pandemic. This will not only help boost the demand for production of Commercial vehicles but also support the entire transportation ecosystem. Also, while it would have been good to see some more initiatives to promote Electric Vehicles in this budget, we are glad that the government has noted Indias critical role in the global automotive supply chain post COVID 19. Specific initiatives through Production linked schemes, creation of infrastructure for R&D and enabling skill development in new-gen technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) will help drive investment in Engineering and Research .

Mr. Vikas Khanvelkar , M.D, DesignTech Systems, said, This year budget is presented during unprecedented time as mentioned by Hon. Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman. As expected it aims to give a boost to economy by increasing expenditure in many sectors. Hence Fiscal deficit of 6.8% looks difficult but it is achievable through ambitious divestment program announced in the budget. Focus on health by providing Rs.64000 Crores for Swastha Bharat is a good move. Provision of Rs.35000 Crores for vaccination is also a very good step. On Industrial front, extending the already announced Production Linked Incentive Scheme for electronics sector to 13 more additional sectors by providing Rs.1.97 lakh crores over 5 years is a really welcome and great move to support Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative to increase domestic manufacturing. This will give a strong push to grow manufacturing sector and create job opportunities. Mitra scheme for creating world class companies in Textile field will help grow textile exports. Voluntary vehicles scrapping scheme is also very good for automotive sector which was long awaited. Overall I feel the budget is in the right direction to get our economy back on track to take India to 5 Trillion Economy.

Mr. Leo Joseph, Managing Director, Xerox India, said, As expected, the core needs of the economy, coming out of a pandemic-hit year, take prominence in the Union Budget 2021. However, long-term, the budget focuses on the D in India  standing for both development and digitization. The progressive budget lays the roadmap for greater digitization in governance. A budget presented and disseminated in a digital format for the first time to a digital census will pave the way for the government to serve citizens through technology and data more seamlessly. The promise of minimum government, maximum governance can only be realized through greater investments in technology and focus on greater R&D and innovation  which the budget does.

Mr. Rakesh Deshmukh, Co Founder and CEO, Indus OS, said, The announcement of the National Language Translation Mission is a much needed effort by the government to reach our citizens in the language they understand. At Indus App Bazaar, the usage of apps in Indian languages on our platform has increased 2.2 times last year. We believe that with an enhanced app store ecosystem we will be able to break linguistic barriers and adding more value to the next half a billion Indian customers. Moreover, for Atma Nirbhar Bharat to be successful, the focus should be on technology innovation as a whole. We appreciate the governments focus on innovation and R&D in the budget 2021.

Mr. Mike Chen, General Manager, TCL India, said, We do welcome the recent PLI scheme of the government. However, we need to ease up the duty imposed on raw materials keeping in mind the make in India thought. We should also be getting added incentives so that transformative measures can be taken. The industry contributes 25% of the countrys GDP.

Mr. Avneet Singh Marwah, Director and CEO of Super Plastronics Pvt. Ltd, a Kodak brand Licensee, said, Government intends to boost local manufacturing through its announcements in various PLI scheme in next five years. As part of consumer electronics, televisions should be considered to be included into the scheme. Also a dedicated Freight Corridor will be a game changer for supply chain of manufacturing. By spending on infrastructure, India will be competitive at global stage. Like metals, Govt should consider taking back customs duty on panels as there is increase of prices by 300% on the raw materials.

Mr. Rajiv Bhalla, MD, Barco India, said, The budget is a major step in the right direction. It outlays a strong focus on infrastructure, healthcare, capital spending, disinvestment, monetization, job creation and digitization. These measures are not only progressive and recovery-led, if implemented correctly would ease the burden on the economy and lead India towards the projected v-shaped growth and development. The budget talks about structural reforms in banking, enhancing debt financing and credit limits for businesses and asset monetization. This will lead to an increase in government spending, which, in turn will spur demand, therefore net positive for the industry. The several initiatives around job-creation, startups, reskilling, rural development and better quality of services to people are positive as a Nation cannot progress without care for the environment and inclusive all-round transformation.

Mr. Rishab Mehta, CEO & Founder, GrayQuest, said, This years Union Budget was in the spirit of do no harm in terms of any adverse policies being implemented. Broadly, the various decisions laid out in this years budget are more incremental rather than transformational in nature. Accessibility and affordability of education across the weaker economic strata of society has been a perennial challenge in our country, especially this year with the disparity increasing manifold due to lack of online education infrastructure both at school and student level. This years budget has indicated a good intention of progress in addressing this gap. Governments decision to strengthen over 15,000 schools under NEP, set up 100 new Sainik Schools, raise allocation for Eklavya schools in hilly areas etc. will provide a fillip to quality education. This budget has also laid down several measures which are further boosting the cause of both startups and especially fintech startups. Once again, we believe the steps taken relating to startups, although incremental in nature, point towards a long term policy goal of the government to signficantly boost the sector via favourable policies, albeit with incremental steps taken every year instead of a big-bang transformational reform. The decision to extend capital gains tax exemption by another year is another step in that respect. Specific to fintech, the setting up a world-class Fintech hub at Gift city will add impetus and government recognition to the growing relevance of Fintech companies in India, which is essential considering that it is a regulated sector.

Mr. Kartik Sharma, Co-Founder, DcodeAI, said, The governments continued efforts to boost the excellence of education in India is greatly appreciated. With an emphasis on strengthening the Nation First Policy in Union Budget 2021, the government will offer robust remedial solutions that are aligned with the vision of creating a thriving education ecosystem. With a focus on education for all, providing quality education through National Education Policy (NEP), collaboration with Japan for the sharing of technology and knowledge, skilling youth and launch of data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning driven MCA21 Version 3.0, the government have rolled out incentives to provide impetus to the activities and subsequently to the growth of EdTech as well as of skill-tech enterprises. Such incentives along with funding provisions will create space for collaboration amongst start-ups, especially in the education sector and open up new avenues of career growth for Indian professionals.

Dr. Yogesh Bhatia, Founder, Detel, said, We appreciate the Governments vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat post the most unprecedented year of 2020. Many domestic players were badly affected and expecting some strong moves by the government. The thrust on automobile sustainability by introducing voluntary scrappage policy will progress the auto sector significantly and curb pollution issues and soaring crude oil bills. This announcement will replace the 15-20 years old pollution causing vehicles and generate massive demand for e-vehicles in the market. We welcome the Indian governments move on long awaited scrappage policy and focus on better road infrastructure. We eagerly await for more details by the government.

Mr. Karthikeyan Natarajan, President and Chief Operating Officer, Cyient, said, Coming out of the pandemic year, the Finance Minister has laid down a well-rounded Budget. Focus on setting up of Fintech Hub at Gift City, enhancing digital payments and use of AI in governance  all provide a strong platform for Digital India. Allocation of Rs 50,000 crore towards National Research Foundation will work towards boosting Indias Innovation Quotient on the global map and is a welcome move. Allocation of funds as incentives for promoting digital payments is also a step in the right direction and a significant step in ease of doing business. Lastly, increase in allocation for highways and railways will lead to employment generation and boost the economic growth of the nation.

Mr. Ramanujam Komanduri, Country Manager, Pure Storage India, said, Budget 2021 looks promising and rightly focuses on public healthcare, given the disruption caused due to the pandemic. We are particularly excited about the Finance Ministers announcement of smooth delivery of digital services as part of the next wave of digital revolution. AI, ML, and Data Analytics are making greater inroads in India, as was observed in the budget. These are all essential elements of the modern data experience. We are looking forward to the next phase of Digital India which will be a big growth driver for businesses and individuals alike.

Mr. Nikhil Rungta, Country Manager, India, Verizon Media, said, This is a get well budget with an expansionary outlook and focused on growth. Given the times it might not be a radical budget, but it is practical and thoughtful, which will propel consumption and growth of business. This budget has also rightly signalled the need for greater inclusion in Indias workforce. Women being allowed to work in all sectors and in night-shifts with adequate protection, and social security benefits extended to gig workers will provide an impetus for women to step up their contribution towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Mr. Suman Reddy, Managing Director, Pega India said, As the first budget during recovery of the pandemic, we are optimistic that the slew of measures announced on healthcare and infrastructure will provide impetus to the economy. The agenda to focus on the six pillars including infrastructure, innovation and R&D clearly sets India on a path of recovery. In a significant break from tradition, Governments Atmanirbhar package focuses on increasing spend towards the creation of jobs and rural development, generous allocations for development schemes, handing more monetary benefits to the common man, and easing rules to attract foreign investments. Enhancing the digital backbone of the country, the announcement on the fintech hub at the GIFT -IFSC and R&D investment of 50,000 crores over 5 years will ensure that the overall research ecosystem of the country is strengthened with a focus on identified national priority thrust areas. The move to establish a National Digital Educational Architecture (NDEAR) in the context of a Digital First Mindset to ensure digital learning, as well as planning infrastructure, will empower the youth of the nation.

Mr. Sudhindra Holla, Director, Axis Communications, India & SAARC said, We are upbeat on the six pillars of the government agenda including focus on infrastructure, innovation and R&D that is all set to strengthen Indias power as a global digital hub. We are optimistic by the renewed focus on road safety with advanced traffic management system with speed radars, variable message signboards, GPS enabled recovery vans along with the outlay of  2.28 lakh crores for developing the highways, roads, and railways. Good to see pertinent steps taken to revitalize the economy with key focus on allocating budget for healthcare, metro railways, ports, airports, and logistics to boost urban infrastructure. These in turn will be stepping stones towards invigorating Smart Cities planning and urban development and help in generating more jobs.

Mr. Nikhil Rungta, Country Manager, India, Verizon Media, said, Taking insights from the learning curve of Covid-19, the government has done well to take appropriate measures to improve the lives of citizens and pave way for economic recovery. This is a get well budget with an expansionary outlook and focused on growth. Given the times it might not be a radical budget, but it is practical and thoughtful, which will propel consumption and growth of business. This budget has also rightly signalled the need for greater inclusion in Indias workforce. Women being allowed to work in all sectors and in night-shifts with adequate protection, and social security benefits extended to gig workers will provide an impetus for women to step up their contribution towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Mr. Balajee Sowrirajan, Managing Director, Samsung Semiconductor R&D (SSIR), said, We are very optimistic with the focus given on Innovation and R&D being identified as one of the key pillars, I believe Design for India will gain momentum and localization of product designs will lead towards an aspirational and Innovative India. These will lead to the next phase of inclusive growth with increased emphasis on skilling and job creation. Furthermore, with a significant increase in Capex from 4.39 lakh crore to 5.54 lakh crore, the Atmanirbhar Bharat Initiative will be strengthened with more focus on domestic manufacturing and production, laying the foundation for the 5 Trillion Dollar Economy by 2030.

Mr. Rajan Navani, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, JetSynthesys, said, Im happy to see the Union Budget 2021 is a forward-looking one, with massive spend commitment by the government across many sectors combined with large divestment and monetisation, along with the privatisation of two public banks and one insurance company. This is a great trajectory for banking in India. Also, the increase in FDI in insurance to 74% with management control will help in attracting FDI from the world, further boosting the economy. Im particularly excited about the governments commitment to set aside an outlay of INR 50000 Cr for the National Research Foundation, the setting up of a new Fintech hub, and an allocation to incentivise digital payments. Also, as we complete 75 years of independence, the move to exempt senior citizens over 75 years from filing tax returns if they are only on pension is a great tribute to their contribution to India. The budget also had a number of bold initiatives to simplify tax processes for businesses and honest tax-payers. The extension of the tax holiday and exemption of capital gains will also enable businesses and startups to focus on growing their business. Most importantly, the proposed use of data analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, optimising the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and tax portals, is indicative of the New India of 2022. I hope this forward-looking budget will help revive Indias economy, propelling it further towards a digitally empowered tomorrow.

Mrs. Kanika Agarrwal, Chief Investment Officer, Upside AI, said, The theme of the budget this time can be summarized in three words: infrastructure, disinvestment and capitalization. These are exactly the areas the government should be focused on so it will, as always, come down to execution. It is important to watch how the government executes its DFIs, PLI scheme expansion, asset reconstruction company, PSU recapitalization. Similarly, it is heartening to hear of the governments intention to minimum government, maximum governance. The overhaul of redundant customs duty structure, GST simplification, higher FDI in insurance, stronger NCLT, single Securities Markets Code and making tax assessments easier are all encouraging signs. Further, it has committed a larger outlay (albeit still only 2.5% of GDP terms) on infrastructure spending across rail and rural. We hope this will get employment back up as the country looks to fill the hole in the economy left behind by COVID. Disinvesting/ privatizing PSUs and insurance companies is the correct move. While the intention to privatize and disinvest has been there nearly every budget, given the difficulty the government has had with this target in the past, we remain cautious on how the centre will balance its books and manage the committed deficit. One area we wish the speech had paid more attention to is the governments AI/ ML strategy. Given the strategic significance of cutting-edge technology on our place in the world in the coming decade, it would have been good to encourage innovation via a scheme, sandboxes, etc in the budget speech. The devil remains in the details, but we are happy with the direction in which the government intends to move with this budget.

Mr. Vaibhav Lall, Founder  Khojdeal, said, The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked unprecedented havoc on the startup sector in the Indian ecosystem. There was a much needed support required by the cash-strapped industry from the Union Budget to take them out of the conundrum. We therefore welcome the FMs decision to extend the tax holiday and capital gains exemption incentives by one more year. Also the initiative to include 1 lakh digital villagers in the next 5 years is great news for businesses with penetration in tier 3 and tier 4 regions. Icing on the cake are the GST provisions provided for SMEs earning less than 5 cr  to file GST only once in the quarter of a year. The budget will not also provide much needed time for start-ups to get back up on their feet but also boost the overall performance of the SME sector.

Mr. Bhaskar Rao Abburu, CEO & Managing Director, iRam Technologies, said, We expected more from the Union budget 21-22. While the focus has been on infrastructure, FM has allocated Rs. 93,400 Crores for roads only, no allocation has been made for development of Smart Cities. Though FM talked about double digit growth of the manufacturing sector for India to become $5 Trillion economy, no roadmap has been laid out for the same. We also need more clarity on how Rs. 2217 Crores allocated for setting up 42 Urban centres to tackle pollution problem will be used. Change in definition of Small companies may benefit some Small-scale companies, provided more support for Small scale companies are announced.

Mr. Nitin Chavan, CEO, Aquapay Payment Technologies Pvt Ltd, said, We welcome the budget presented by the Finance Minister as we believe it offers much for the FinTech space. The proposal to set up Global FinTech Hubs at GIFT and the allocation of Rs. 1,500 crore for promoting digital modes of payment are both measures that will give the sector a boost. Moreover, the incorporation of one-person companies to incentivise innovation in start-ups and the focus on R&D in AI and ML should make for an even more vibrant and thriving start-up environment than we already have today. Lastly, the setting up of a separate Asset Reconstruction syndicate for dealing with NPAs is a much-needed measure. Together with recapitalisation of PSBs, it should set the stage for a much-needed clean up of bank balance sheets.

Mr. Manish Patel, Founder & CEO, Mswipe on digital payments, said, Small retailers and kiranas were instrumental in growing the share of digital payments in India and in providing easy payment solutions to their customers since the onset of COVID 19. The budget provision of Rs.1500 crore to incentivize digital modes of payments comes as a recognition of these very efforts and will go a long way in encouraging Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to switch to accepting digital payments. The announcement by the Honourable Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has met the industrys expectation of providing financial incentives that enable small businesses to adopt digital solutions. As Indias largest POS acquirer and end-to-end digital enabler of SMEs, Mswipe sees this as a great boost for digital payments infrastructure as well as growth in share of small businesses in online commerce. Further, the budget allocation of Rs.15,700 crore to support the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which is more than double of this years budget estimate, is also a positive step. Similarly, the proposed development of a world class fintech hub at GIFT-IFSC is yet another effort in the direction of placing India as a leading innovation ecosystem on the global fintech map.

Mr. Kunal Kislay, Co-founder, CEO, Integration Wizards Solutions, said, Union Budget 2021 has highlighted the governments focus in kickstarting the economy through boosting the infrastructure which in turn will create more jobs. Further, with a heavy budget of 5.4 lakh Cr, we can see the government recentering their attention towards building a stronger infrastructure via highways, railways, ports and energy, considering the high allocation towards MORTH. A robust tech integration would be needed in order to avert health hazards and keep a check on OSH. Additionally, promoting Atmanirbharta through extensive plans for the future of the retail and manufacturing sector which strengthens the fact that boosting the industrial sector was a key driving agenda of this budget. Out of the six pillars for the vision of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, Innovation and R&D stands to be pivotal for the enterprise tech sector. Through the 30-lakh-crore plan set up by the Finance ministry, improved credit access for enterprises is likely to bring about relief in the sector and also encourage the new entrants. The Tax audit threshold has been increased from 5 Cr to 10Cr, which is not a monetary gain but a convenience for MSMEs and startups. The Budget is focused on reviving the growth of our economy that was hampered by COVID.

Anu Prasad, Founder & CEO of India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS), said, The Education Budget 2021 comes as a much-needed respite for small charitable Trusts amidst post-COVID fund crunch and current compliance structure for the sector. The key focus areas in education: will be effective implementation of NEP, setting up of Higher Education Commission and International research collaboration. These resources and opportunities will empower the youth of our country and our country will benefit from the demographic dividend. The good news for the education sector is that; government channelized efforts towards digitization, be it the additional allocation for MGNREGS, aim for technology-driven education National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission. We strongly believe these efforts will converge into building a holistic blueprint for development on all human development indicators and benchmarks.

Jyotsna Chaman, Co-Founder, Vaaya, said, The COVID-19 pandemic has affected not only the revenues but also the operational functions of the retail sector. While mass-production suffered tremendously as the pandemic continued to spew its wrath, customization was also on a low. This ordeal arises owing to auxiliary issues such as mass job losses, decrease in purchasing power, et al. Overall- revenues declined but expenses were constant, if not hiked. Recuperating from this deep blow would definitely require support from the Union Budget. While Make in India is a well-thought out initiative, the prowess to carry it ahead comes from digital and man-power advancement, which are main asks from the budget. This would also help to ensure seamless supply chains that would add to profits. Additionally, there is also an immediate need to simplify as well as reduce GST slabs so as to ensure participation from the retail sector and increase collection. The rollout of National Retail Policy is long awaited and would provide a framework and direction to the Indian retail sector- another important expectation from the budget. Incentives can be rolled out to new entrants into the industry so as to encourage them to create a niche for themselves and also contributing to Indias economy on the whole.

About Vaaya: Vaaya is a sustainable and body-positive clothing brand that embraces simplicity, comfort, beauty and good design. Each garments story begins at the grassroot level, with handpicking the weavers, dyes, prints, pattern and style, bringing you a unique design that is reflective of traditional Indian artisanal skills fused with modernity. Each piece is handcrafted using indigenous weaves and handwork that stands at the intersection of local and global, classic and contemporary.

Dr. Ajay Data, Founder & CEO, VideoMeet, said, The announcement by the Honorable Finance Minister regarding the startups was much required at the moment and will help the fledgling startups with meager resources to continue with their business operations without worrying about the compliance with complex taxes. The announcement comes soon after Prime Minister announced setting up of Rs 10,000 crore fund for seed funding of startups. These moves by the government make the intent of government clear that it wants to promote entrepreneurship and help the enthusiastic young entrepreneurs in the country. The setting up of separate administration structure to promote ease of doing business is a laudable move by the FM. Also, as predicted startups were given importance under this budget, and the industry is poised to be greatly benefited with the Tax holiday extended by another year till 31 March 2022.

Mr. Dhruv Agarwala, Group CEO, Housing.com, Makaan.com and Proptiger.com, said, Amid a sharp improvement in consumer sentiment with regard to property purchases post the start of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the governments move in the Budget to extend the benefit of additional Rs 1.5 lakh tax deduction on home loan interest, until March 31, 2022, will act as a further impetus to the residential property sector. This move will augur well, especially for the affordable housing segment, which will also benefit from the decision to offer a tax holiday for affordable housing projects for one more year, to boost supply. The support announced today by the Honourable Finance Minister for rental housing too will go a long way in boosting the real estate market and will ease a lot of pressure points in the rental home market. This will also help migrant workers to a great extent and will support them in remaining in metros and other big cities during times of financial hardships such as the one presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the long-standing demand of the real estate industry to expand the definition of affordable housing so as to include homes priced more than Rs 45 lakhs in big metro cities, has sadly not been addressed. The infusion of lakhs of crores into Indias infrastructure segment, with a focus on improving connectivity, will be particularly beneficial for Indias housing sector. The proposed debt financing for REITs and InvITs, and the setting up of the Development Financial Institution for augmenting funds for infra and the real estate sector is expected to provide a major fillip to the sector, and will attract more investments in the sector. The proposed extension of the tax holiday for start-ups by one more year, a tax exemption for relocating funds to IFSC, and a tax holiday for the aircraft leasing business in GIFT city, are some of the other measures that would also help Indias real estate sector as a whole.

Mr. Gaurav Shinh, CEO & Founder, DAAS Labs, said, The Budget 2021-22 has left the data science community quite excited for what is to come. For me it was really interesting when the Government announced that it will launch multiple data analytics, AI, ML driven models for e-security, e-education, e- consultation, and compliance management. Also, the prospect of using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in GST Fraud Tracking is quite motivating and intriguing. The Governments continued support for the startup is quite uplifting as the Government is setting aside Rs 15,700 crore in FY22 and has reduced margin money requirement from 25% to 15% for startups. The proposal of extending the tax holiday for start-ups by one more year will also give more confidence to the entrepreneurs.

Mr. Sai Srinivas, Co-founder and CEO, Mobile Premier League(MPL), said, Governments budget announcement has been extremely encouraging for the start-up ecosystem in India. The extended exemption on capital gains for investments will definitely make more funds available for budding entrepreneurs and growing organizations alike. Digital payments infrastructure has played a very important role in the growth of the mobile gaming industry. It is very encouraging to see the governments efforts to strengthen digital payments through incentivization. The Rs 1,500 crore boost will further support migration of more people towards digital payments and will have a positive impact on the mobile skill gaming industry. The incentivizing of one person companies is especially heartening as it promotes the development of more game creators that will help in strengthening the gaming industry in India. The move has also allowed conversion of one-person companies to any other kind, reducing residency limit from 182 days to 120 days. India is at the cusp of creating a wave of mobile gaming unicorns, these measures only support that momentum. With these announcements acting as winds in our sails the Indian Gaming Industry can aspire to be the Global Hub of game development.

Mr. Aditya Narang, Co-founder & MD, SafeHouse Technologies, said, We see this budget as a great step for India to become one of the largest economies. This is absolutely a pro-technology budget with a focus on Atma Nirbhar Digital India. Given the scenario today, we look forward to the government incentivizing AI and Data protection. We hope to see introduction of legislation and regulatory bodies by the government for timely interventions to make cyber security accessible not only to establishments but also for individuals.

Mr. Rajesh Uttamchandani, Director, Syska Group said, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that for a 5-trillion-dollar economy, our manufacturing sector has to grow in double digits on a sustained basis. We welcome the measures exercised by the honorable Prime Minister Shri Modi Ji and his government in the Union Budget towards boosting electronic manufacturing in the country. The government led by Modi Ji has pledged an infusion of Rs 1.97 lakh crore on various PLI schemes over the next 5 years, starting this fiscal. This is in addition to the Rs 40,951 crore towards the PLI scheme to help expand and boost exports. Today, Indias manufacturing industry has tremendous potential to place the country on the global manufacturing map, simultaneously boosting several employment opportunities to Indias youth. Our manufacturing companies need to become an integral part of global supply chains. With a budget of Rs 15,700 crore, which is more than two times that of the previous year, this will help strengthen the MSME sector in terms of productivity development, technology adoption, strengthening of infrastructure and more. As a company, Syska has always been aligned with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat promoting sustainability through our products and creating new job opportunities. The budget has a positive, expansionary approach towards the manufacturing sector, which is reflected through the incentives and strengthening of the PLI schemes provided by the government.

Mr. Kishan Jain, Director at Goldmedal Electricals said, The Union Budget 2021 has provided massive opportunities for companies looking to set up manufacturing facilities in the country. Given our current economic situation across the globe caused by the pandemic, the Finance Ministers decision to infuse INR 1.97 lakh crore towards various PLI scheme is laudable in addition to the Rs 40,951 crore towards the PLI scheme to help expand and boost exports. As correctly stated by FM Nirmala Sitharaman, our manufacturing companies need to become an integral part of global supply chain. Further, the provision of INR15,700 cr towards the MSME sector, will provide a further fillip to the Governments flagship Make in India initiative. As a company, Goldmedal Electricals has always been at the forefront of introducing innovative and sustainable solutions that make our planet not only smarter but also sustainable for generations to come and support governments vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Mr. Niraj Hutheesing, Founder and Managing Director, Cygnet Infotech, said, We welcome the measures announced by the government of India in the Union Budget 2021. Significant capital expenditure in infrastructure and health care sectors will be a big asset for India. Promotion of digitization at large, and digital transactions particularly, is another positive aspect of the budget. There has been political will to take a big deficit for the next year. Simplifying the tax regime is another important aspect of this Budget. To ease compliance, the Finance Minister has increased the tax audit limit from 5 crore to 10 crores for the companies that conduct most of their business through digital modes. Additionally, the government is also planning to take steps to reduce inverted duty structures in GST and has proposed to review over 400 old exemptions in indirect taxes and will begin extensive consultation from October 2021. The budget also provided impetus on one of the most hard-pressing issues, namely tax evasion cases. The use of digital technologies such as automation solutions and data analytics tools can help in removing anomalies in the GST tax infrastructure and make it transparent to a great extent. All the measures announced today will further enable companies such as Cygnet Infotech to develop technology solutions for businesses to help them adhere to the taxation norms.

Mr. Gaurang Sinha, Director of Go-to-Market Strategy at Flock, said, We welcome the Finance Ministers announcement to introduce the scheme allowing 1-person company(s) for start-ups and innovators to be exempted from paid-up capitals and turnover norms, in the Union Budget today. This will enable India to develop new technologies and boost employment like never before. Additionally, the governments move towards boosting emerging technologies such as the internet of things (IoT), machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics, will accelerate the growth of our digital economy. Further, the adoption of video conferencing for various tasks by the Government will encourage the use and demand for professional communication and collaboration platforms. We believe that with all of these measures, this new decade looks great for the Indian start-up ecosystem.

Mr. Kapil Makhija, CEO, Unicommerce, said, We appreciate the governments continued push towards digitization and strong infrastructure. The focus on development of roadways, dedicated freight corridor and airports will provide a great boost to logistic sector enabling faster product movement across the country. The strong road and rail connectivity will also help in making e-commerce logistics more sustainable in smaller towns, leading to higher growth of the e-commerce sector. We are optimistic that the governments focus on encouraging digital transactions and strong push towards manufacturing in India, will boost the e-commerce growth in in the long run. The pandemic led to the acceleration of digitization across levels as online shopping became the new necessity and organizations were seen automating processes with technology solutions to bring in more efficiency. We are confident that upcoming e-commerce policy will provide further support to the industry and encourage MSMEs to join the e-commerce brand wagon.

Mr. Ramesh Mamgain, Country Manager, India and SAARC, Commvault, said, The Union Budget 2021 is sui generis considering that it is Indias first-ever Digital Budget. The gesture of doing away with the paper versions of Budget underlines governments commitment towards PMs Digital India vision. A renewed focus on infrastructure would mean accelerated technology adoption, which cannot be accomplished without data privacy measures, propelled by data protection. This approach would help in strengthening Indias data protection framework to protect individual information, with investments in key technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to secure cloud-based infrastructures. While the capital expenditure on the physical connectivity  road, railway and port  has been highlighted throughout, I am sure that digital connectivity will ultimately become a cornerstone of everything we do in the current times. Overall, it is an inclusive and pro-growth budget, presenting a balanced stance on the pathway to recovery.

Jaya Vaidhyanathan, CEO, BCT Digital, said, 2021 budget is more of an Infrastructure and Healthcare budget. Glad to see the stimulus to the economy keeping these spends in its core. Governance is also paid attention to. We would have loved to see some more announcements for the BFSI sector over and above the notable mentions like FDI limit being lifted for the insurance sector. And Interesting to see the conversation happening to see the shadow bad bank. While the Stressed assets are being moved to the asset recovery unit, we still have to wait and watch. It does make sense to take the assets to specialist to monetize it, but it also has the inherent risk of the bank just moving the bad assets rather than works on preventing issue of bad loans or prevents NPAs. So we have to pay attention to its execution. And it is also to be seen who is going to be at the helm of the asset recovery to ensure that execution happens in the right way. There was emphasis on governance issues , and it goes with the turf of independent directors. So overall largely infra and healthcare, things have not been shaken up much, and attention is paid to economic recovery, but it is yet to be seen if this is a V share or U shape recovery. Let us hope the budget is executed well.

Mr. Sunil Sharma, managing director  sales, Sophos India & SAARC, said, The Governments Union Budget 2021 is built on the foundation of new technologies such as Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning (ML) which will empower businesses with econsultation, escrutiny, and compliance management. This is surely going to enhance enterprise cybersecurity as AI has immense potential to bring in scalable and effective defenses against sophisticated attacks like ransomware. That said, this increased penetration of digital technologies brings with it additional cyber risks that one should be vary of. As per our recent survey, with 100% Indian businesses being concerned about their current level of cloud security, there is a need for initiatives that promote the development of cybersecurity skillsets. Additionally, this reskilling process should also take care of security of cloud environments which are the backbone of the accelerated digital transformation that India is witnessing due to the pandemic. While we welcome the Governments proposed steps in strengthening MSMEs that provide employment to millions of people, we need more impetus on building skilled cybersecurity professionals in the country. The Governments allocation of Rs. 3,000 crore towards skill development that will help reskill Indias youth and boost the overall economy, is a step in the right direction.

Mr. Varun Babbar, Managing Director, Qlik India, said, The Union Budget 2021 is truly a balanced and reformative framework that looks forward to bolstering an economy towards faster recovery and growth which was otherwise ravaged by the pandemic. We appreciate the governments vision of an Atma-Nirbhar Bharat by providing economic assistance through tax reliefs, incentives and new policies. Continued support in areas like education and technology as well as providing breathing room for startups through initiatives like providing tax relief for one more year will help to kickstart a resilient economy for all industries. The governments allocation of Rs. 1500 crores towards promoting digital modes of payment will also boost Indias digital payment infrastructure. Aligning with our focus to provide active intelligence and real-time analytics, the governments allocation for infusion of Rs. 20,000 crores will help to reform the countrys surge in digital payments for the post-pandemic future.

Mr. Dhruvil Sanghvi, Chief Executive Officer, LogiNext said, We welcome the incentives proposed by Honourable Finance Minister Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman. Strengthening global and national supply chains is of paramount importance for economic growth. The proposals to set up freight corridors across the country, as well as the proposal for a future ready rail system, along with development of national highways will bridge the gaps that currently exist, bringing in better connectivity between production and consumption markets. Furthermore, the push towards digitisation along with proposals of the one year tax holiday for startups and extending cap gains tax exemption for investment into start-ups shows the intent towards making it easier to do business in India and push forward on the technology wave.

Mr. Ravi B. Goyal, Chairman & MD, AGS Transact Technologies Ltd., said, Budget 2021 effectively addresses the impact of the pandemic on overall economy. The budgets significant concentration on healthcare, allied industries and economic revival is a welcome move and may provide much needed respite in the near future. The proposed recommendation of allocating INR 1500 crores is a constructive step towards strengthening the overall payments infrastructure and bridging the digital divide in the country. We await more details on how this allocation will be used effectively to accelerate the already remarkable growth of digital transactions in the country. We also laud the Governments move to set up a world-class fintech hub, Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT), which will spur innovation, growth as well as boost employment. Additionally, the introduction of two new metro technologies and steps towards building a strong transit ecosystem will go a long way in making India integrated economy.

Mr. Sameer Katole, CEO, Crossloop, said, The Honble Finance Minister laid major emphasis on enhancing domestic manufacturing of electronic equipment. The Union Budget 2021 has a strong focus towards the revival of the economy and extensive plans for Atmanirbhar Bharat. It shows extreme commitment towards a strong comeback for the sectors which faced major backlashes in 2020. The budget covered several demanding issues faced by the economy earlier and with an attention concerning startup community, the extension of tax holiday for start-ups by one more year is an important decision made. This will encourage the survival of startups and give them the required support for bounce back. Further, the increased spending on PLI for electronic manufacturing schemes is a positive sign. The 2.5% taxation on manufacturing of smartphone parts is also a vital decision as it will boost the inclusive growth of the country and further bring major changes in the consumer electronic and domestic manufacturing segment.

Mr. Sanjeev Singhai, Founder of wellnessta App, said, Kudos to our bold Prime Minister, under whose leadership the Honble Finance Minister continues to steer the Indian Economy through difficult times of the pandemic. The stamp of commitment to make India a $5 trillion economy is very evident in this budget as the FM continues with her economic reforms. New announcements to support MSMEs and Startups with policies and reliefs are welcome steps. The announcement of Rs. 10,000 cr fund to support private equity and Rs. 5,000 cr VC Funds for distressed MSME assets along with Rs. 15,700 cr provisions MSME sector showcases Government commitment to support these two sectors. Extension of tax holidays for a year and capital gain exemptions are a welcome step. This will significantly help MSMEs and Startups to regain the lost grounds due to pandemic, step up manufacturing, exports and to create more employment in the country.

Mr. Yashash Agarwal, CEO, Gamezop, said, The proposed broadening of the definition of Small Companies to include those up to Rs. 2 Cr. in paid up capital (as opposed to current limit of Rs. 50 lakh) as well those who have turnover of up to Rs. 20 Cr. (as opposed to Rs. 2 Cr. currently) is meaningful.Companies that qualify as Small Companies are subject to lesser number of compliances in conduct of board meeting, internal financial control reporting, annual return and financial statements, and so on. Hopefully, from here we will see further reduction in compliance burden for startups.

Mr. Surya Phadke, Chairman at Doot said, We welcome the Honble Finance Ministers scheme to allow 1-person company(s) for innovators/startups to be exempt from Paid-up capitals and other norms. Further, the change in the dividend distribution tax laws is welcome and we hope will attract more foreign retail investors in the start-up sector. The government has also marked a change in several sectors to go paperless and reduce the tax-payers involvement in filing of taxes & compliance documents. The tax holiday on capital gains for start-ups has been pushed forward to 31st march 2022 which provides an additional philippe to the start-ups in all sectors.

Mr. Samir Bhatia, Founder & CEO, SMEcorner, said, The Hon. Finance Minister has presented a budget which will provide tremendous stimulus to the economy, and in particular, the MSME segment. Increase in import duties for certain products and rationalization of duties in the case of many items manufactured by MSMEs will help local industry compete against imports and boost their revenues. Besides, other changes such as increasing the limit for tax audit to 10crs of annual turnover for digital MSMEs is a very welcome step. Overall, the budget will provide a major impetus to all sectors of the economy which was much needed. I give 100/100 to this budget!

Mr. Balakrishnan Anantharaman, Vice President and Managing Director, Sales, Nutanix India, said, The outlook for innovation from the 2021 budget remains strong, with a lot more focus on making an Atmanirbhar ecosystem. Today tech startup companies have become the backbone for the growth of the country, we are optimistic about the initiatives taken to strengthen Indias digital drive and to further amplify the digital economy. The impact of the pandemic has forced sectors that operate traditionally to change their models rapidly to support modern trends. Two-thirds (70%) of the public sector are of the opinion that COVID-19 has caused IT to be viewed more strategically in their organisations, and hence the budgets intention to push for innovation and R&D is one step in the right direction for the tech sector, in establishing a Digital First mindset throughout India.

Mr. Diwakar Nigam, Managing Director, Newgen Software, said, The first paperless union budget underlines our governments focus on three key areas, including innovation, skill development, and digital governance. The budget has come with encouraging announcements for the healthcare, infrastructure, and innovation ecosystem. The move to provide a greater impetus to R&D with an outlay of Rs 50,000 crore in the next five years will foster a culture of innovation, growth, and research. Furthermore, the focus on digital education, re-aligning the existing scheme of training programs, and partnering with UAE and Japan for skill development will help India in producing high-quality digital talent. The proposal to build a world-class fintech hub, digitization of railways, and first-ever digital census, reconfirms the governments emphasis on creating a digital economy. Furthermore, the emphasis on technology, such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning-driven platform to enable e-courts and compliance management will go a long way in accelerating the nations digital initiatives. Moving ahead, we look forward to the expansion of the scope of corporate tax across the board, simplification of GST, and special monetary incentives for product software companies.
* Username

This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely!
The Majority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament has debunked claims by the Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it did not support the motion to provide reliefs to students of public tertiary institutions.



The Majority also refuted assertions from the NDC that it did not want to build consensus on the issues.



Mr Alex Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader, said this at a press conference in Parliament over what he described as a populist journey by Mr Mahama Ayariga, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, to court public sympathy even before filing the motion in Parliament.



Mr Ayariga had filed a motion to request the President to take urgent steps to absorb the fees of students of public tertiary institutions for the 2000/2021 academic year.



The relief package was to include accredited private universities as part of the national COVID-19 alleviation measures being implemented by the Government.



On Thursday the House, by a majority vote, rejected the motion on grounds from the Majority Caucus that the Government had already intervened with the fee-paying situation with other relief packages.



Other reasons the Majority gave for rejecting the motion were that it was defective, lacked clarity and not specific with the reliefs being sought.



Mr Afenyo-Markin argued that the Majority was not in opposition of the motion but wanted the House to have a broader view of the matter by ensuring specificity.



If we really want to do something for the people of Ghanaat a time that businesses are suffering and collapsing and people have become unemployed, your main source is revenue, if you dont have, can you give, he added.



Mr Afenyo-Markin recalled that while the NPP was talking about the Free Senior High School Policy and its implementation, the NDC was then opposed to it.



He said if there was any government or political party to provide support in the area of education then it was the NPP, adding that the NPP had demonstrated that commitment and the track record.



Also, any relief that ought to be provided would be done in a manner that would get the real benefit of assuring parents and students that the government cared.

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
India skipper and his wife and actor Anushka Sharma, who were recently blessed with a baby girl, have finally revealed the name of their daughter.

Sharing the first-ever picture featuring their newborn, the much-in-love couple announced that they have named their daughter 'Vamika'. Anushka took to Instagram to post an adorable family picture and spoke about her experience of being a mother and how their daughter has taken their life to a new level.

She wrote, "We have lived together with love, presence, and gratitude as a way of life but this little one, Vamika has taken it to a whole new level! Tears, laughter, worry, bliss - emotions that have been experienced in a span of minutes sometimes! Sleep is elusive but our hearts are SO full. Thanking you all for your wishes, prayers, and good energy."

The newborn's name Vamika, which has elements from both parents' names, is another name for goddess Durga.

On January 11, Kohli and Anushka had welcomed their daughter at Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital. The India skipper had revealed the news on his Twitter handle while sharing that both baby and mother are healthy.

"We are thrilled to share with you that we have been blessed with a baby girl this afternoon. We thank you all for your love, prayers, and good wishes. Anushka and the baby are both healthy and we are feeling beyond blessed to start this new chapter of our lives. We hope that you can respect our privacy at this time. Love, Virat," he wrote at that time.

As soon as Kohli shared the news on Twitter, congratulatory messages flooded social media. From Priyanka Chopra to Saina Nehwal, celebrities showered the couple's little one with love and blessings.

Last year in August, the couple had announced that they were expecting their first child in January 2021. The duo got married in a fairytale wedding which was only attended by the couple's family and friends on December 11 in 2017. Post their nuptials in Italy, the couple hosted grand receptions in Delhi and Mumbai.

The couple had reportedly first met on the sets of a commercial and dated for four years before getting hitched.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Kohli is gearing up for the first Test of the four-match Test series between India and England, starting from February 05 in Chennai. The first two Tests will be played in Chennai before the action moves to the revamped Motera Stadium, Ahmedabad for the final two Tests.

On the other hand, Anushka, who was last seen in the 2018 movie 'Zero', co-starring actors Shah Rukh Khan and Katrina Kaif, has produced two acclaimed projects - Amazon Prime Video web series 'Pataal Lok' and Netflix movie 'Bulbbul'.

(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.)
Last fall, she revealed the happy news she is expecting her first child.

And on Monday, Ashley Tisdale showcased her growing baby bump in a mirror snap she shared to her Instagram.

The 35-year-old High School Musical actress snapped the image in the nude while in her bathroom.

Strike a pose: She revealed the happy news she is expecting her first child last fall. And on Monday, Ashley Tisdale showcased her growing baby bump in a mirror snap she shared to her Instagram

She captioned the image with: 'So much of the time we give our love to others. Let's start loving ourselves and our bodies in every shape and form. Our bodies do a lot for us every day and we neglect to acknowledge that. Thank your body and say I love you.'

Ashley had one hand covering her chest and the other holding her phone over her face, with her hair pulled back into a casual bun.

The former child star is expecting a baby girl with husband Christopher French, 38; she is due sometimes in the spring.

Ashley announced her pregnancy news on Instagram on Thursday, September 17, 2020.

Glowing: The 35-year-old High School Musical actress snapped the image in the nude while in her bathroom

She posted a photo of her and Christopher facing each other but looking down at her baby bump.

In October, Ashley announced she is expecting a baby girl via her social media page.

She shared a picture of her and Christopher cutting into a pink-filled cake, after revealing she had known the baby's sex for at least two weeks.

Baby news: Ashley announced her pregnancy news on Instagram on Thursday, September 17, 2020

The actress had worn a polka dot patterned dress with spaghetti straps.

She captioned it: 'This year has obviously been hard. For so many. Ups and downs, and an emotional roller coaster. I think this day was by far my favorite day EVER! I cried I was so happy.'

She also took a dig at couples who hosted sex reveal parties with dangerous and extreme methods of revealing the gender, which include adding colored explosives that even caused what became the massive Southern California El Dorado Fire.

Pink: In October, Ashley announced she is expecting a baby girl via her social media page

Ashley wrote: 'Ps for all you people going above and beyond for gender reveal parties. A cake with the color inside is JUST as rewarding as fireworks but SAFER!' adding the hashtag '#SheSoFrench.'

The star is about to reach the eight month of her pregnancy; she had revealed she reached six months in the beginning of December.

Ashley and Christopher married on September 8, 2014 in Santa Barbara, after dating for two years.

Happy: She shared a picture of her and Christopher cutting into a pink-filled cake, after revealing she had known the baby's sex for at least two weeks

San Francisco police arrested a man and woman from Daly City on Saturday in the death of an 84-year-old man who had been pushed to the pavement.

The victim died Saturday, police said, after being attacked about 8:30 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of Anzavista and Fortuna avenues in the Anza Vista neighborhood. A man had run up to him and shoved him before fleeing with a woman, police reported. Officers arrived to find the victim prone on the street and administered first aid before transporting him to a hospital. The victims name was not released.


By Sonali Paul

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A dozen Australian media firms have agreed to plead guilty for breaching a suppression order on reporting on the trial and conviction of former Vatican treasurer George Pell in 2018 for child sexual assault, a court heard on Monday.

Pell was cleared last year of the sexual abuse charges after spending 13 months in prison.

The cardinal was found guilty by a jury in December 2018 of sexually assaulting two choirboys, making him the highest-ranking Catholic official convicted on child sex crimes.

Reporting on the trial and verdict was gagged Australia-wide by the County Court of Victoria to ensure the cardinal got a fair trial on further charges he was due to face. Those charges were later dropped.

As part of the agreement announced on Monday, the state prosecutor said it was dismissing charges of sub judice contempt against all of the media firms and all charges against 15 reporters and editors at those newspapers, radio and television stations.

The surprise agreement was reached nearly two years after the charges were brought, nearly three months after the media trial began and 10 months after Pell was acquitted by the High Court.

Despite the Australian gag on reporting, foreign media published news on the outcome of Pell's trial, naming him and the charges.

Australian media then published reports saying they were unable to cover major news about an unidentified high-profile person, with some pointing out that the news was accessible online.

The state initially alleged that dozens of media, journalists and editors, mostly with News Corp and Nine Entertainment Co and its Fairfax arm, had breached the suppression order and interfered with the administration of justice in running those articles.

Breaches of suppression orders can be punished with up to five years jail and fines of nearly A$100,000 for individuals and nearly A$500,000 for companies.

DISMISS CHARGES

Some charges had been dismissed over the past two years, but 79 charges remained as of January.

Story continues

"The prosecution has resolved," prosecutor Lisa De Ferrari told the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday.

"Each corporate respondent has indicated that it will plead guilty in respect of each publication for which they are charged to contempt by breaching the proceeding suppression order," she said.

"Given the plea and the acceptance of responsibility in respect of each publication ... the director (of public prosecutions) has determined that it is in the public interest to dismiss the remaining charges."

The companies have also agreed to pay the costs of prosecution, she said.

The plea hearing has been set for Feb. 10-11.

Last week, former editor of the Age, Alex Lavelle, the first media witness to appear in the trial, told the court he ran a story only to explain why the newspaper could not cover the news that was being reported overseas, as the newspaper had received numerous queries from the public.

Readers were "wondering if the Age was part of a Catholic church conspiracy", Matthew Collins, the lawyer representing Nine Entertainment, told the court.

Lavelle said based on legal advice, he believed the article did not breach the suppression order.

A spokeswoman for Nine said in emailed comments: "Our decision to enter a guilty plea was important to protect our individual people, who were simply going about their jobs."

News Ltd, the Australian arm of News Corp, was not immediately available to comment.

(Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Robert Birsel)
An American comedian who spent three months travelling across Australia has revealed the 'simple gesture' he misses most about life Down Under - and it's likely to surprise you.

Casey Overby, 26, visited Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane in early 2020, before flying home to Alabama on March 23 after the Covid pandemic plunged Australia into lockdown.

One of Casey's 1.1million TikTok followers recently asked what he misses most about his time Down Under since returning to the US.

And while he felt many might expect him to rave about the beauty of Australian beaches, wildlife and sunsets, Casey said he reminisces about something entirely different.

'What I miss most about Australia is being called a "legend" for doing absolutely nothing,' he told fans in a video uploaded on January 29.

Scroll down for video

American TikTok star Casey Overby (pictured) spent three months travelling across Australia in early 2020 before the pandemic was declared

Casey said he was hailed a 'legend' for common courtesies such as holding doors open for the person behind and picking up a wallet after it was dropped on the ground.

'They'd walk past and say, "Oh absolute legend mate",' he said.

Casey said the consistent stream of compliments left him feeling 'pumped'.

The revelation, which has been viewed 33,600 times since it was posted online, has drawn delighted responses from Australian viewers.

'Australia is a community,' one woman replied, while a second added: 'We do love our compliments.'

'Aussies know how to uplift their kings and queens,' said a third.

But others were surprised by Casey's claim.

While he felt many might expect him to rave about the beauty of Australian beaches, wildlife and sunsets, Casey (pictured) said he reminisces about something entirely different

Casey (pictured) said the consistent stream of compliments left him feeling 'pumped'

Casey's top five Aussie slang terms 1. 'No dramas'  the Australian slang for 'no worries' or 'don't worry about it'. 2. 'Heaps'  the Australian slang term for a lot of something. 3. 'Yeah nah' or 'Nah yeah'  in Australian slang, the second word is what is implied. 4. 'Easy as'  the Australian way of saying something is very easily done. 5. 'Ferking hell'  the Australian way of expressing extreme shock. Advertisement

Many said they had expected him to miss chicken salt - a seasoning that originated in Adelaide, SA, in the 1970s before becoming the nation's 'favourite condiment' - or Australian coffee, which is widely regarded as superior to American blend.

'I thought you were going to say chicken salt,' one person wrote.

Another said: 'I was waiting for you to say our coffee.'

One man was confused by Casey's revelation, asking: 'Do people not say [legend] everywhere else?'
The fallout from the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol building is creating a new arena in the federal battle over gun rights.

Democrats, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, are raising the stakes in the latest battle by claiming concerns about an enemy from within the House of Representatives. The worries include lawmakers possessing guns inside the Capitol and complaints about increased security. Lawmakers are also denouncing colleagues who hold or have held sympathetic views toward far-right extremist groups and conspiracy theories.

Republicans, including members of Congress from Alabama, argue that they have long been permitted to carry firearms on the Capitol complex without any previous concerns. They believe they should remain able to do so and have no worries about being harmed by their fellow lawmakers.

Members have every right  as does every American  to protect themselves and carry a weapon where permitted, said U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville. I dont see any of my colleagues as a threat, so Im opposed to the added security to go onto the House floor.

The latest debate over security and gun rights at the Capitol is creating a new set of questions over whether elected leaders should be exempt from the same federal laws everyone else must abide.

It is interesting to think about who should be able to carry in the Capitol  just members? What about staffers? said John Donohue, a law professor and economist at Stanford University who is an expert on gun policy. Do the members who want to carry believe this will improve their safety or just help them get publicity that they think will help them politically? We should be emphatic about rejecting the latter motivation, but it is, of course, hard to prove this is what is going on (even though this is the most likely situation).

He added, How many of these would-be gun toters have any training? How many of them have anger management issues? Would carrying in the Capitol elevate risks or perceived risks for representatives like (New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez)?

Second Amendment rights

Alabamas mostly GOP delegation, in responses to AL.com, support measures to better protect themselves in or around the Capitol by having the ability to possess a gun. A 1967 regulation exempts members of Congress from a federal law banning firearms on Capitol grounds. The guns, however, are prohibited from the House floor.

Only one of the states nine-member congressional delegation would disclose to AL.com any of their own personal concealed carry status: A representative with Senator Tommy Tuberville said the freshman lawmaker does not own a concealed-carry permit in the District of Columbia.

Reps. Gary Palmer, R-Hoover, and Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, both told the conservative-leaning Daily Caller in 2016, that they have concealed carry permits. It was unclear if they possessed a permit to carry a gun in the District of Columbia, which does not legally recognize Alabamas concealed carry permit.

Brooks, who is facing censure in the House for his fiery speech ahead of the January 6 riot, told the publication that both he and his wife have a concealed carry permit to ward off potential terrorists and criminals.

Palmer, responding to a question about if he owns guns, replied, the question should be, how many?

In a statement to AL.com Friday, Palmer said he has the greatest confidence in the Capitol police and that he feels safe on Capitol Hill.

I have never felt it necessary to carry a weapon to the Capitol, said Palmer. However, I support the right of those who feel they are not adequately protected to do so on Capitol Hills and especially in the District of Columbia.

Brooks did not respond to AL.com for a request for comment. Senator Richard Shelbys office also did not respond to a request for comment.

Other Republican lawmakers disagree with measures that curtail gun rights on Capitol Hill, and they also frown upon added security measures on members of Congress.

Pelosi, after the January 6 riot and amid new threats directed at lawmakers, had magnetometers installed outside the House floor requiring all visitors to undergo screening or otherwise face hefty fines. The metal detectors alerted Capitol police to a gun in possession of Republican Maryland Rep. Andy Harris last week, and other members of the GOP have scoffed at having to walk through the new screening.

Palmer called the added security requirements a slap in the face to the Capitol police and nothing more than a political stunt by Pelosi as an attempt to embarrass Republicans.

Contrary to what Speaker Pelosi has said, Republicans are not the enemy, Palmer said. We are the staunchest allies of the American people, protecting their rights, their jobs and their hopes for the future.

U.S. Rep. Mike Roger, R-Saks, said he believes no ones Second Amendment rights to bear firearms should be infringed, especially not by Speaker Pelosi. And U.S. Rep. Jerry Carl, R-Mobile, said he felt it was absurd that Pelosi would infringe on our Second Amendment rights, noting that members of Congress have a right to bear arms and protect themselves like all other Americans.

Carl, like Aderholt, said he felt none of his colleagues are a threat.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, R-Enterprise, said he supports the ability of members of Congress to protect themselves while walking around in Washington, D.C.

His comment came after a video, released earlier this month by Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, generated a national stir after the freshman lawmaker said, I will carry my Glock to Congress. The video, posted on Twitter before the January 6 riot, cites D.C.s homicide rate and violent crime stats as one of the reasons why she feels the need to carry a gun.

Moore, in an emailed statement to AL.com, said, For more than 50 years, members of Congress have been permitted to carry firearms within the U.S. Capitol complex. Given the high crime rates in Washington, D.C., and the recent history of violent attacks and threats against members of Congress and Capitol police, members ability to defend themselves and others must remain intact.

Nonexistent trust

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., wears a "Trump Won" face mask as she arrives on the floor of the House to take her oath of office on opening day of the 117th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021. (Erin Scott/Pool via AP)AP

Democrats have different views and have grown alarmed over Republican attitudes in the weeks following the January 6 violence that erupted following a rally in support of President Donald Trump.

Alabamas lone Democratic member of Congress supports Pelosis security crackdown. A spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, said the lawmaker supports the increased security at the Capitol following the riots which she said were incited by both President Trump and other members of Congress.

House Democrats have twice, within the past month, written to Pelosi requesting tougher measures against guns on the Capitol grounds.

On December 15, 20 lawmakers  none from Alabama  urged Pelosi and Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, to ban members from carrying firearms on Capitol grounds. On Thursday, 32 members of Congress, including Sewell, wrote to House leadership about members facing an increase in threats of violence and death. They also called for regular security briefings, an independent review of security protocols and to keep members personal addresses private.

Pelosi blasted the GOP for recklessness in dealing with lawmakers who have threatened others, namely Georgia freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. A CNN report last week showed that Greene favored executing Democratic politicians, including Pelosi, in social media posts during 2018 and 2019.

Members of Congress  especially some of the new freshmen members  have not proven themselves credible when it pertains to the public safety of their colleagues, said Andrew Patrick, spokesman with the Washington, D.C.-based Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. Members of Congress  including one from Alabama (Brooks)  are under investigation for possibly assisting in the terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol. The level of trust between members is simply nonexistent right now as many officials fear safety from their own colleagues.

While lawmakers have been exempted of federal gun restrictions on Capitol Hill for 53 years, outside the Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C., its a different story. The District has among the strictest concealed carry requirements in the U.S., and concealed carry permits in Alabama are not reciprocal  meaning, they are not recognized  in Washington, D.C.

Alabamas concealed carry permit is reciprocal in 32 states.

According to the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, Alabama also has the highest percentage of residents with a concealed carry permit. The associations data shows that 1.1 million of the states residents, which is about 22% of the population, has a permit. Only Utah, with 21% of its residents owning a concealed carry permit, comes close.

Efforts are underway in Congress to get a national conceal carry reciprocity bill approved that would make the system uniform throughout the nation. But such passage is unlikely in a Democratic-controlled Congress where gun policy splits Republicans from Democrats.

No American should feel threatened or unsafe simply for going to work and they should be allowed to protect themselves, said Tim Schmidt, president & founder with the USCCA. Stripping responsible Americans of their right to self-protection only makes them and those around them less safe. Rather than criminalizing self-defense, we should be encouraging, educating and training more Americans to protect themselves and their families. Implementing national reciprocity for concealed carry permits would be a good first step.

Without reciprocity legislation, Alabama lawmakers who possess a gun on the Capitol complex but who then step off the federal property and walk around the District of Columbia, are breaking the law even if they have a concealed carry permit from Alabama. The lawmakers from Alabama would need a District of Columbia permit, which is often more difficult to obtain.

Patrick, with the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, said the lack of guns at the Capitol is for the best given the current political environment.

As evidence shows, the presence of a gun increases the likelihood of injury or death in a situation and given the hostility in Congress right now, it is irresponsible and dangerous to break house rules and engage in such destructive behavior, he said. Every single member of their staff must go through a metal detector each day to get to their job in their offices. These members can do the same and refrain from bringing guns as they cast their votes in the American peoples house.
UTICA, N.Y.  A snow emergency will go into effect in Utica Monday night at 10 p.m., as the region braces for a nor'easter that could bring up to a foot of snow to parts of the Mohawk Valley.

Drivers must remove vehicles parked on the streets by 10 p.m. to allow snow plows to clear city streets. Any vehicles parked on the on the street past 10 p.m. may be ticketed or towed at the owners expense.

The snow emergency will be in place until 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

Chenango, Madison, Otsego and southern Oneida counties are under a Winter Storm Warning until 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Northern Herkimer and northern Oneida counties are under a Winter Weather Advisory until Wednesday evening.
Advertisement

How the Isle of Man battled Covid March 2020: The Isle of Man government confirms its first two cases of Covid. Three days later it closes its borders to non-residents. May 2020: The island has its first Covid death. June 2020: After seeing no new Covid cases in weeks, the Isle of Man Government lifts all restrictions. It continues with its tough border measures. Those who are allowed in have to isolate for two weeks on their own. November 2020: The island records its first Covid death in six months. January 2021: A short circuit breaker lockdown is imposed after seven new cases are discovered. All schools, pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops close. The isolation period is extended to three weeks, reduced to two weeks after a negative test on the 14th day. February 2021: The lockdown measures are lifted after 20 days without an unexplained community case. Advertisement

The Isle of Man has today lifted all of its lockdown laws - with pubs, schools and shops reopened and social distancing and face mask rules scrapped.

The measures on the island - which has its own government - were lifted in the early hours of this morning after a 25-day circuit breaker lockdown came to an end.

It comes after health chiefs recorded just 15 active and isolated cases yesterday on the island - located in the middle of the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland.

But while the island's 50 pubs have been given the green light to throw open their doors, its borders - which have been shut since March - remain closed to all but residents and key workers.

The tight border controls and strict isolation measures helped keep the island, which is home to around 85,000 people, restriction free for months.

However an outbreak after the new year led to a 'short, sharp' lockdown being imposed. There have been a total of 434 cases and 25 deaths on the Isle of Man since the start of the pandemic.

Chief Minister, Howard Quayle MHK, today said: 'After almost a month of lockdown, this is the moment we have all been waiting for.

'The Isle of Man has achieved local elimination of the virus for a second time, meaning the risk of community spread of COVID-19 is extremely low.

'We beat the virus once and we have done so again.'

Mr Quayle praised residents on the island for the 'collective determination' and 'community spirit' which he said had helped them eliminate Covid from the island.

However he urged residents not to get complacent, adding: 'Although this is a moment for relief and celebration, we cannot let down our guard.

'We are seeing other jurisdictions that have achieved local elimination battling with outbreaks. We must remain vigilant.'

As lockdown measures are lifted on the Isle of Man:

Boris Johnson has today ordered Tory MPs to abstain in a Labour vote demanding an even tougher border crackdown to stop mutant Covid strains;

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has predicted that 'European beach holidays will be back this summer if success of Britain's vaccine rollout continues';

The UK has ordered 40million more doses of Valneva's Covid vaccine taking total order to 100million after the French firm started manufacturing in Scotland last week;

A top health boss warned the NHS will take months to return to normal after Covid pandemic because 'exhausted and traumatised' staff need a break;

The Army, NHS workers and Boris Johnson have lead thousands wishing Capt Sir Tom Moore, 100, a swift recovery as he battles Covid in hospital

The Isle of Man has today lifted all of its lockdown rules - including reopening pubs, schools and shops and scrapping social distancing and face masks. Pictured: The Seven Kingdoms in Douglas welcomed customers in at one minute past midnight this morning

Customers in the Isle of Man enjoy cocktails as the island lifts lockdown restrictions after a 25-day circuit breaker came to an end

A table of women enjoy their drinks in the Isle of Man on February 1, the day that pubs, schools and shops reopened and social distancing and face mask rules were scrapped

The island is home to around 85,000 residents and has approximately 50 pubs - which are now allowed to open

A woman is served in a bar as the Isle of Man lifts lockdown restrictions on Monday

While the island's 50 pubs have been given the green light to throw open their doors, its borders - which have been shut since March - remain closed to all but residents and key workers

A smiling barrister is pictured in the Isle of Man after lockdown restrictions were lifted on Monday

Under the new rules, gyms and restaurants will reopen and employees can return to work as normal in most settings.

Why does the Isle of Man have its own Covid rules? The simple answer is - the Isle of Man is not actually part of the UK. The island, like Guernsey and Jersey, is a British Crown dependency. It has its own parliament, its own government and its own rules. The UK, on behalf of the Crown, is ultimately responsible for its international relations, while also providing its defence. Advertisement

The majority of public services will return to normal operation in the coming days.

However strict border controls will remain in place. The Isle of Man is currently operating at its 'Border Level 4' - the third highest tier of restrictions.

This means Isle of Man residents and key workers are able to freely travel - air or sea with no limits on numbers.

Travel is banned for non-residents - though compassionate and contractual applications are considered.

But there is a mandatory 21 day self-isolation for those entering the island, or testing for release on day 14, with those isolating having to do so alone.

Meanwhile a vaccine roll-out on the island has begun. Health Minister David Ashford said everyone on the island will be offered a coronavirus jab by the end of September.

Those aged 50 and over would receive the jabs by the end of May.

With its strict border controls, the Isle of Man remained restriction free for almost seven months last year.

It closed its borders in March, before allowing residents and essential workers back into the country from July.

Under the new rules, gyms and restaurants will reopen and employees can return to work as normal in most settings. Above, a high street is packed with shoppers on the first day the lockdown is lifted

Mr Quayle praised residents on the island for the 'collective determination' and 'community spirit' which he said had helped them eliminate Covid from the island. Pictured: Residents on the Isle of Man return to the pub after lockdown is ended

The measures on the island, which is self-governing, were scrapped today after a 25-day circuit breaker lockdown came to an end. But while pubs have today thrown open their doors, the island's borders - which have been shut since March - remain closed to all but residents and key workers. Pictured left: A pub-goer on the Isle of Man enjoys a pint after the end of lockdown. Pictured right: A pub boss pulls a pint on the first day of the end of lockdown

Shoppers came out in force on Monday as lockdown restrictions lifted, allowing shops, pubs and restaurants to open

The majority of public services will return to normal operation in the coming days. However strict border controls will remain in place. Pictured: A resident on the Isle of Man returns to the pub for the first time since lockdown measures were introduced

Travel is banned to the Isle of Man for non-residents - though compassionate and contractual applications are considered. But there is a mandatory 21 day self-isolation on return or testing for release on day 14, with those isolating having to isolate alone

The island's circuit breaker lockdown was imposed after the new year, when an individual tested positive after completing their two weeks in isolation.

What is the Covid situation on the Isle of Man? Only 434 cases of Covid have been diagnosed in the Isle of Man since the pandemic began, official figures show. It means the island, which has a population of around 85,000, has only recorded 510 cases for every 100,000 people. By contrast, the rate in the UK  home to approximately 66million people  stands 11 times higher at around 5,714. But that figure will be even higher because it only takes into account people who got symptoms and asked for a test. Almost a third of infected patients will never develop any signs of being ill. Of those cases on the Isle of Man, 25 have died. It means the island has a death rate of 295.5 per million people  roughly five times lower than the UK. The Isle of Man's borders have been shut since March and remain closed to all but residents and key workers. It recorded no infections between May and the start of September. Officials on the island ordered a 25-day circuit-breaker lockdown shortly after the New Year, in response to a handful of new cases. As a result, it has only diagnosed two new cases in the past fortnight. Advertisement

The isolation policy of the island, which is a self-governing British Crown dependency, was also adapted.

The period of isolation was increased from two weeks to three weeks in mandatory quarantine or two weeks with three swab tests on day one, seven and 13.

The isolation rules are also strictly enforced, with several people having been jailed between March and October for breaching the regulations.

Dale McLaughlan, 28, was jailed for 25-mile journey from Scotland to the Isle of Man on a jet-ski to visit his girlfriend Jessica Radcliffe, 30, last month.

Meanwhile a woman who turned up drunk at her ex-boyfriend's home before throwing appliances worth 800 out of a top floor window was jailed for breaking Covid-19 laws.

Rosemary Burgess, 19, from Douglas, admitted entering someone else's home and causing damage during the island's lockdown. She was jailed for 20 weeks.

So far, the Isle of Man, which is home to around 85,000 people, has recorded 434 Covid cases since the pandemic began.

From those, 25 people have died. It means the island has a death rate of 295.5 per million people.

This is five times lower than the UK, which has 1,500 deaths per million people.

The lifting of restrictions on the self-governing Isle of Man comes as Boris Johnson last week revealed he has started work to lead the UK out of lockdown, as Covid cases continue to fall and the number of people vaccinated continues to rise.

The Prime Minister announced he was drawing up a blueprint setting out 'when and how we want to get things open again' once Covid figures are brought back under control.

The document is likely to be published around February 15, which is when the PM has pledged to review the current measures.

Government sources have suggested the plan is likely to include milestones concerning vaccinations and hospitalisations that have to be met before any grand reopening.

Schools are likely to be the first to open, no earlier than March 8.

Isle of Man teenager jailed for Covid-breach rampage By Luke May for MailOnline A woman has been jailed after breaking Covid rules by turning up drunk at her ex-boyfriend's house before throwing a TV, microwave and furniture out of a top floor window. Rosemary Burgess, 19, is said to have become furious after her partner left a comment on Facebook last Thursday. The teenager stormed round to her ex's home on the Isle of Man wielding a metal pole, before throwing 800 worth of items out of the window, a court has heard. Burgess, from Douglas, admitted to entering someone else's home and causing damage to property, as well as breaching Covid-19 rules. She was jailed for 20 weeks. According to the BBC, Burgess arrived at her ex-boyfriend's flat in Douglas at around 9.30pm last Thursday. Her arrival was already in breach of the island's lockdown rules. Advertisement

It is thought ministers will want to wait a month after schools have reopened before allowing any further loosening of curbs so they can consider the impact the return to classrooms will have on the R rate.

However, should the numbers allow, it is thought the Government could allow non-essential shops to reopen in April.

Pubs, bars and restaurants could be allowed to welcome back customers in some form one month after the reopening of non-essential shops.

One source said: 'It's at an early stage, but we are beginning to look at what the metrics and criteria will be when we are ready to start thinking about unlocking.

'What are the things that we need to get on top of before we can really get going, confident that we won't have to lock down again.

'Obviously that will include things like vaccination numbers, the rate of transmission and the numbers being treated in hospital.

'Then there is obviously the areas that we will want to prioritise for reopening first, with schools at the top of the list.'

Meanwhile Industry leaders have today urged Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to publish a roadmap to exit lockdown with retailers still 'in the dark' about when they might reopen.

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has written to Mr Kwarteng demanding the Government helps companies prepare by confirming when they can expect to re-open.

Meanwhile social media users in the UK were left looking over at the Isle of Man with envious eyes after hearing news of the ending of lockdown restrictions.

Dozens took to Twitter to share their longing to return to a pub or restaurant.

On Twitter user joked: 'Googling houses for sale Isle of Man...'

Another sharing an image of actress Embeth Davidtz peering over her glasses during the film Matilda, said: 'Me looking longingly at the Isle of Man right now.'

Others questioned why the UK couldn't achieve what has been achieved in the Isle of Man. One said: 'So that's what the inside of a pub looks like! Well done Isle of Man!

'If only the rest of the UK (sic) had been allowed to benefit from being an island! Who knew bluster and waffle wouldn't keep a pandemic at bay!'

Another added: 'If only the UK had been an island like the Isle of Man.'

It comes as coronavirus cases and deaths yesterday fell again in the UK on last week as the latest official figures suggest that the national lockdown is helping to suppress the virus.

Data from the Department of Health show that the UK recorded 21,088 daily Covid-19 cases today, down by 29.7 per cent from 30,004 cases last Sunday.

The same figures also show that daily Covid-related fatalities fell by 3.7 per cent from 610 deaths last week to 587 deaths today.

Last week Boris Johnson revealed he has started work to lead the UK out of lockdown, as Covid cases continue to fall and the number of people vaccinated continues to rise

Grim new graphs lay bare the dilemma facing Boris Johnson as officials try to work out how to reopen the country without causing a third wave of coronavirus infections, as SAGE recommends keeping social distancing measures in place until 2022

There are currently nearly 35,000 people in hospitals in the UK and 3,832 patients on ventilators, according to the latest official figures.

The second wave has seen bigger numbers of coronavirus patients in hospitals, with 21,684 patients during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic last April.

Another 598,389 Covid jabs are given out in UK - the highest total of the rollout so far - taking overall number of vaccinations to 8,251,146 Nearly 600,000 coronavirus vaccines have been given out in the past 24 hours in Britain, smashing the previous record of 491,970 jabs in a single day. The total number of people in the UK who have now received at least one dose of the jab, seen as the antidote for our way out of the pandemic, is 8,977,329. In England alone, nearly 550,000 vaccines were given, while a further 25,299 jabs were administered in Wales and 23,055 in Scotland. Figures for Northern Ireland have not been published. According to NHS England data, 7,792,996 were the first dose of the vaccine, a rise of 539,691 on the previous day's figures, while 458,150 were the second dose, an increase of 10,252, between December 8 and yesterday. This marks the highest number of jabs given to Britons so far as the government looks to bring the cycle of coronavirus lockdowns to an end by proceeding with its breakneck rollout of the vaccines. Advertisement

It comes as Public Health England said the impact of Covid vaccinations in the over-80s should be seen 'over the next two weeks'.

Dr Susan Hopkins, the Covid-19 strategic response director at the body, said rates a declining 'in all age groups' currently but it's 'a bit early to say' if the trend is due to the vaccine or more stringent lockdown measures.

Speaking to BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, Dr Hopkins said: 'What we would like to see is a divergence in the case rate in the over-70s and over-80s who have been vaccinated from the younger age groups, to show that they are declining faster.

'We have now hit 80 per cent of the over-80s being vaccinated and really fast numbers climbing in the under 80-year-old age group as well.

'We expect over the next two weeks to start seeing that impact of that vaccine in that age group, and also an impact on hospitalisation.'

Also today, intensive care doctors said the coronavirus crisis in hospitals has 'stabilised' and staff are no longer have to plan for extra capacity - but warned that 2021 is going to be 'another very hard year' for the nation.

The announcement follows reports that SAGE has advised the government to keep social distancing measures in place until the end of the year amid fears that reopening the country too quickly will prompt a third wave of infections.

New modelling passed on to No10 suggests that restrictions including the Rule of Six may have to remain in place until 2022, while coronavirus vaccines would need to be 85 per cent effective to prevent a surge in deaths if curbs were totally eased.

A downbeat paper commissioned by SAGE subgroup SPI-M and produced by the University of Warwick showed that the UK could experience a large spike in deaths if inoculation fails to significantly cut transmission of Covid-19 while draconian shutdown measures are relaxed.

It warns that a 'high uptake' of vaccinations is also vital to getting the country back to normal without risking a dreaded third wave of the disease, which has now claimed more than 100,000 lives according to official figures.

The paper also claims that even with Britain's breakneck jab roll-out well underway, the decline in deaths would be crushingly slow - and that even in a best-case scenario lockdown would have to be kept in place until June to prevent another significant spike in deaths.

Volunteers are trained by St John Ambulance instructors to administer Covid-19 vaccines at Manchester United Football Club yesterday

Lecturer Dr Jacquie White demonstrates drawing a solution into a syringe as she trains volunteer vaccinators to be deployed to assist in the national Covid-19 vaccination programme, in the Allam Medical Building at the University of Hull yesterday

'Only vaccines that offer high infection-blocking efficacy with high uptake in the general population allow relaxation of non-pharmaceutical interventions without a huge surge in deaths,' the paper recommends.

Lead researcher Dr Sam Moore said that even if vaccines do have a significant impact on reducing infections, the impact will not be seen 'for some time to come'. He added: 'So I think they have to relax slowly and we're going to have to be patient. 'And we need a very high uptake in order to have this effect.'

The modelling, which helps to explain why Boris Johnson is so reticent to end the third national coronavirus lockdown, comes amid renewed pressure from Tory backbenchers for a 'roadmap' out of lockdown.

So far the government's route out of the cycle of shutdowns initiated last March would see schools closed until at least March 8, with hospitality businesses including pubs and restaurants to reopen as far away as April.

But with Rishi Sunak mulling increases to capital gains tax to pay for the massive 400billion blackhole in public spending accrued during the pandemic and warnings that the economy could take a decade to recover, Tory MPs are likely to be rattled by the new graphs.

Taliban attacks in Kabul are rising and government officials, activists, and journalists are increasingly the target, a fresh report by a U.S. watchdog said.

The report comes as the Biden administration plans to take a new look at the peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban signed last February under President Donald Trump.

Enemy attacks in Kabul were higher than during the previous quarter," the report quoted U.S. forces in Afghanistan. They were much higher than in the same quarter last year.

The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, known as SIGAR, monitors the billions of dollars the United States spends in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

Across Afghanistan, Taliban attacks during the last quarter of 2020 were slightly lower than in the previous quarter but higher than the same period in 2019, according to the report, which was released on January 30.

The Taliban unleashed a wave of attacks in Afghanistan in December, including strikes in northern Baghlan and southern Uruzgan provinces over a two-day period that killed at least 19 members of the Afghan security forces. In Kabul, a roadside bomb struck a vehicle, wounding two, and a lawyer was shot in a targeted killing.

Resolute Support, the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, reported 2,586 civilian casualties from October 1 to December 31 last year, including 810 killed and 1,776 wounded, according to the SIGAR report.

The report said the proportion of casualties caused by improvised explosive devices increased nearly 17 percent in this quarter, correlating with an increase in magnetically attached IEDs or sticky bomb attacks.

The U.S. has been the prime backer of the Afghan government since it invaded the country soon after the September 11, 2001, attacks and overthrew the Taliban, which was running the country and harboring Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. The United States still spends about $4 billion a year to assist Afghan security forces.

The U.S. military said earlier this month that it had met its goal of reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan to about 2,500. Senior U.S. commanders are skeptical of the Talibans stated commitment to peace, though they have said they can accomplish their mission in Afghanistan at that troop level.

As the footprint of U.S. agencies continues to shrink, it will become more important that the U.S. and other donors perform aggressive and effective oversight of its dollars and programs," said Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction John F. Sopko.

With reporting from AP
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.
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.
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister has expressed his displeasure over the Union Budget 2021-2022 presented on Monday by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Sisodia stated that due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has exposed the poor public health care system of the country, it was expected the government would substantially increase the health care allocation in this year's Budget. He claimed that the Centre has reduced the health care budget instead.

The Minister further slammed the BJP-led Central Government alleging that it has bypassed the education and health sectors in this year's budget. "Covid-19 pandemic has led to a serious setback in our education system and therefore children should have provided additional allocation in education to take care of this loss. What we see is a reduction in the Ministry of Education budget by 6% (Rs 6000 Cr) - from Rs 99,312 Cr in BE 2020-21 to Rs 93,224 Cr in BE 2021-22," Sisodia claimed in a statement issued by his office.

He added, "The Finance Minister's announcement of a 137% increase in budget for healthcare and well-being is misleading and is an attempt to hide the reality that this government doesn't care for the health of the people. It has clubbed non-health schemes like clean air programme, water supply programme etc to show an overall increase in health expenditure."

Sisodia also slammed the Centre for reducing Agriculture Ministry's budget from Rs 1.55 lakh crore to Rs 1.48 lakh crore. "A time when unemployment is at its highest, the budget for jobs and skills ministry has also been reduced from Rs 5,400 crore to 3,500 crore, a reduction of 35%. It shows the government is completely apathetic towards the pain of the jobless," he added.

--IANS

pd/ash

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
When Riverdale takes its time-jump this season, Archie and his friends will be 20-something adults. Theyll all be living separate lives outside of their hometown. But a description for episode 5 hints Jughead and Veronicas problems will follow them back to Riverdale.

Riverdale stars Camila Mendes and Cole Sprouse | David Livingston/Getty Images

Veronica will be married when Riverdale flashes forward

With episode 4, Riverdale will take a seven-year time-jump into the future. Archie (KJ Apa), Betty (Lili Reinhart), Jughead (Cole Sprouse), Veronica (Camila Mendes) will all be adults, carrying on with their relationships and careers away from Riverdale.

As reported by Deadline, in this future timeline, Veronica will be married, but not to Archie. Chad Geko  played by actor Chris Mason  is described as a controlling and jealous husband with an Alpha dog personality. The Wall Street tycoon is not happy about Veronicas return to Riverdale, and he has an even bigger problem with her seeing Archie.

RELATED: Riverdale Graduation Episode May Set Up FP and Jelly Beans Departure

Jughead will have a new girlfriend in Season 5

In the second episode of season 5, Jughead revealed that he got into the University of Iowas writing program. This means hell be moving out of Riverdale for a few years. And if Jughead finds out about Archie and Bettys kiss, he may leave heartbroken. According to a 2020 call sheet for Riverdale, Jughead will move on with someone new during the time-jump.

A train-wreck-y hipster, Jessica is Jugheads live-in girlfriend, the call sheet said. Jessica makes no secret of the fact that shes done with their relationship since she can see that shes not as important to him as the book hes not writing. RECURRING GUEST STAR.

According to IMDB, Phoebe Miu will play Jessica. The actor was last seen on the Amazon series, Upload.

Veronica and Jugheads problems will follow them to Riverdale

When Riverdale takes its time-jump, most of the crew will be living away from their hometown. But in their absence, Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos) has turned the place into a ghost town. After learning about Riverdales dire new state, Archie will reach out to his old friends and ask them to come back home. But according to the synopsis for episode 5, The Fight for Riverdale High, Jughead and Veronicas problems will follow them.

Toni (Vanessa Morgan), Alice (Madchen Amick), Archie, and Kevin (Casey Cott) fight to keep Riverdale Highs doors open after learning that its budget had been cut by Hiram Lodge, the description reads. Veronica gets creative when she discovers Chad is having her followed. Jughead starts a new job after debt collectors show up in Riverdale.

Knowing Veronicas husband is the jealous type, its no surprise that he will have someone follow her. But its still unclear why debt collectors will put pressure on Jughead. Did he borrow money for a new book idea? Did he fail as a writer?

Luckily, fans will know soon enough. The CW show will take its time-jump after the high school graduation, in episode 4, Purgatory. Episode 5 will air on Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. EST.
Washington health officials are cautioning that anyone who visited a Camas hair salon earlier this month may have been exposed to COVID-19 and are urged to quarantine at home.

Visitors who went to Stellar Hair Design between Jan. 19 and 23, or on Jan. 26, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., may be at risk of contracting coronavirus, warn officials from Skamania County Community Health and Clark County Public Health.

Health officials have been unable to identify or notify those who may have been exposed and are unsure how many visitors went to the salon on those days.

People who were at the salon during those dates and times should quarantine for 14 days from their most recent visit, and monitor themselves for potential symptoms.

If anyone who has been to the salon develops symptoms, the person should remain isolated to avoid infecting others and get tested for COVID-19, the officials recommend.

--The Oregonian/OregonLive
Britain's government on Monday summoned Myanmar's ambassador in London over the coup by the country's military and the unlawful imprisonment of civilians, the Foreign Office said.

Myanmar Ambassador Kyaw Zwar Minn had been summoned to the Foreign Office, a ministry spokesperson said.

"The Minister for Asia, Nigel Adams, condemned the military coup and unlawful imprisonment of civilians, including Aung San Suu Kyi," Myanmar's leader.

Adams called for assurance over the safety of those detained and for their immediate release, the statement added.

And he called for Myanmar's National Assembly to be peacefully re-convened.

Earlier Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson posted on Twitter: "I condemn the coup and unlawful imprisonment of civilians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, in Myanmar.

"The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released."

The Elders, the group of former world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, called on the international community to exert pressure for an immediate return to civilian rule in Myanmar.

"This coup is yet another egregious violation of democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar," Mary Robinson chair of The Elders and Ireland's former president, said in a statement.

"The international community must make it clear that the military leaders who have seized power will be held accountable for their actions.

"Lasting peace and justice for all Myanmar's people will only come when the military gives up its unjustified political role and politicians oppose racism, religious discrimination and bigotry in all forms."

Monday's bloodless coup ended a decade of transition from outright military rule in Myanmar.

The generals justified the power grab by alleging fraud in the November elections that Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won in a landslide.

Their coup has sparked global condemnation, with the United States leading calls for democracy to be immediately restored.

Short link:


The foundation course exam was conducted from 8 to 14 December, while the final course exam was conducted from 21 November to 6 December

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is likely to release the CA November Result 2020 for the final course today (1 February). Candidates who gave the exam can check their result through the official site of ICAI - icai.org.

The CA November exam was conducted from 21 November to 14 December. The foundation course exam was conducted from 8 to 14 December, while the final course exam was conducted from 21 November to 6 December. The intermediate exam was conducted from 22 November to 7 December.

Ahead of the CA November exam, the ICAI had released an announcement for candidates who tested positive for COVID-19 and intended to appear for the examination. The ICAI has said it will take serious action against such candidates who not only endanger the health and safety of the candidates and exam personnel.

Here's how to check the CA November Result 2020:

Step 1: Candidates need to visit the official website icaiexam.icai.org.

Step 2: Once there, they need to click on CA November Result 2020 for final course link that is available on the homepage.

Step 3: Candidates will be redirected to a new page where they will have to enter login details.

Step 4: The result will be displayed on the screen and candidates must check the results and download the page.

Step 5: Candidates need to keep a hard copy of the results for future use.

According to an earlier notification by ICAI, for getting results through SMS< final examination candidates of the old course should type CAFNLOLD (space) XXXXXX (six-digit final examination roll number). For final exam candidates of new course, they should type CAFNLNEW (space) XXXXXX. Both should text it to 57575. The result websites, according to the notification are, http://icaiexam.icai.org, http://caresults.icai.org, http://icai.nic.in.
The American socialite who was embroiled in 'New York City's nastiest divorce' has revealed she plans to cross the Atlantic to make a splash on the London scene, dubbing herself the 'new Peggy Guggenheim'.

Libbie Mugrabi last year reached a divorce settlement with art collector David Mugrabi, whose family owns $5billion worth of art, including what is thought to be the world's largest collection of Warhols.

The couple, who did not sign a pre-nup before their lavish 2005 wedding, were fighting over their $72million Manhattan townhouse, $9million Hamptons estate, as well as portions of the vast private art collection.

The final settlement has never been disclosed but it was reported Libbie, who shares children Mary, 13, and Joseph, with David, asked for '$100million' and was 'very happy' with the amount she was given.

Speaking in the March issue of Tatler magazine, she revealed her share of the artworks include: 'Basquiat 1982, a Warhol Jackie Kennedy, Damien Hirsts and "a ton of stuff".'

Now Libbie plans to bring her art expertise, flair for socialising and large chequebook to London, where she wants to support institutions like the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Tate.

'NYC's nastiest divorce': Libbie Mugrabi last year reached a divorce settlement with art collector David Mugrabi, whose family owns $5billion worth of art, including what is thought to be the world's largest collection of Warhols. Pictured, Libbie and David in April 2018

London-bound! Now Libbie has plans to bring her art expertise, flair for socialising and large chequebook to London, where she wants to support institutions like the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Tate. Pictured, Libbie outside court in 2018 (left) and in an Instagram snap

She told the magazine she sees herself as the 'new Peggy Guggenheim' and said well-heeled Mayfair is the 'only area I can imagine living in'.

While visiting the UK for the interview, she made time to pop in to private members' clubs including Oswald's, Annabel's and Loulou's, but it seems she will still be based primarily in the US, where her children are at school.

Born to a plastic surgeon mother and father, Libbie was raised between New Jersey and Florida, where her parents had a home a few doors down from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago.

She was 22 and on holiday in Aspen, Colorado, when she met David, the youngest son of Israeli business mogul Jose Mugrabi and his wife Mary.

The couple enjoyed the high life together and at one point had 'a huge mansion in New York City... a big mansion in the Hamptons, cars coming out of my nose. A chef, a driver, three nannies, three cleaners and probably 30 vacations a year.'

Hamptons home: Libbie and David, who did not sign a pre-nup before their lavish 2005 wedding, were fighting over their $72million Manhattan townhouse, $9million Hamptons estate (pictured), as well as portions of the vast private art collection

Centre of the action: One of the Mugrabi pieces, a $500,000 sculpture by Keith Haring, was at the centre of the headline-making divorce proceedings, which started in 2018

David's older brother Alberto 'Tico' Mugrabi, 50, is married to Colby Jordan, daughter of billionaire John W. Jordan II, who is 23 years his junior.

The pair married in a lavish ceremony at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on the French Riviera in 2016 in front of guests including Princess Beatrice, Karlie Kloss and Owen Wilson.

When Jose and Mary die, their $5billion art collection will be passed down to their sons and their respective families. As well as Warhols, the family also owns multiple works by Picasso, Rodin and Damien Hirst.

Indeed one of the Mugrabi pieces, a $500,000 sculpture by Keith Haring, was at the centre of the headline-making divorce proceedings, which started in 2018.

Investing in art: Libbie, pictured in an Instagram snap, wants to support UK institutions

Striking a pose: The mother-of-two on a visit to Florida in October 2020

The morning after a Fourth of July party that year, Libbie claimed she woke to find her husband naked and asleep on top of a brunette house guest, who was also naked. The house guest later claimed 'nothing sexual' happened.

Divorce papers were filed, bringing their 13-year marriage to an end. Libbie claimed the couple spent some $3 million per year.

Libbie also accused David of physically assaulting her when he caught her trying to move a $500,000 Keith Haring sculpture out of their home.

The acrimonious exchanges let to the tussle being dubbed 'the nastiest divorce in NYC' in the tabloids.

After almost two years, the couple finally settled their divorce in August last year. They are now very amicable and co-parent their children.

Private collection: Libbie and David's daughter Mary poses in front of one of the family's Warhols. The Mugrabis are thought to own the world's largest collection of Warhols

Heir to the art: The Mugrabis' son Joseph stands in front of Christopher Wool's much coveted 1988 piece Apocalypse Now, which last sold in 2013 at auction for a little over $26million

The socialite has since been seen on the arm of Brock Pierce, a former child actor turned independent candidate in the 2020 US Presidential election. But Libbie made clear they're not in a relationship saying: 'I'm single, and I insist on being single'.

Explaining why she wants to support British galleries and museums, Libbie said it is as much for her children's benefit as for her own.

'Mary and Joseph are heirs to everything and they're going to get everything. So what are they going to do? These two little kids that have all this stuff? So we need to make sure they're involved in museums.'
While Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman suggested rationalisation of centrally sponsored schemes and central sector schemes, the outlay to these have in fact seen a sharp growth in 2021-22.

The number of centrally sponsored schemes have increased to 35 in FY22 from 30 in FY21 and central sector schemes have increased to 704 from 685 in the previous year. The new CSSs include Mission Shakti, Saksham Anganwadi, Poshan 2.0, and Rashtriya Pashudhan Vikash Yojana.

On the recommendation of the Fifteenth Finance Commission, we have undertaken a detailed exercise to rationalise and bring down the number of centrally sponsored schemes. This will enable consolidation of outlays for better impact, Sitharaman said in her Budget speech.

She announced a big-ticket new centrally sponsored scheme (CSS), PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, an outlay of about Rs 64,180 crore over six years. This will develop capacities of primary, secondary, and tertiary care health Systems, strengthen existing national institutions, and create new institutions, to cater to detection and cure of new and emerging diseases. This will be in addition to the National Health Mission, the FM announced.

Allocation to centrally sponsored schemes went up by 12.8 per cent in 2021-22 if compared with the Budget Estimate of 2020-21 (normal year assumption), which had seen growth of 9.8 per cent in the outlay. The allocation is, however, 1.7 per cent lower compared to the revised estimates of FY21, as the government had to increase spending to rescue the economy from the impact of the pandemic. Share of CSS marginally reduced to 10.94 per cent in FY22, compared to 11.1 per cent in FY21 budget estimates and 11.2 per cent in FY22.

While the Union government fully funds the central sector schemes, centrally sponsored schemes are jointly funded by the Centre and states.

There are six core of the core schemes that are the most important for the central government, including National Social Assistance Programme, and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.

Similarly, central sector schemes have seen a massive jump in allocation of 26.4 per cent compared to the Budget Estimates of FY21, which had seen a 9.8 per cent increase in allocation. However, compared to revised estimates of FY21, it is 16.7 per cent lower. Share of central sector schemes has increased to 30.1 per cent in the total expenditure in FY22, compared to 27.3 per cent allocated in the budget last year and 36.6 per cent in revised estimates of FY21.

If one looks at the expenditure profile and see the Budget allocation for centrally sponsored schemes, it seems that rationalisation is a work in progress. It makes sense from operational point of view that all programmes targeted at common focus area operating under different ministries or department to be consolidated into one scheme, said Devendra Kumar Pant, chief economist, India Ratings.





ALSO READ: Budget: Govt appears willing to take political risk ahead of Assembly polls

The Fifteenth Finance Commission in its report recommended that centrally sponsored schemes should be flexible enough to allow states to adapt and innovate. Top-down mandates and strictures on programme implementation are the antithesis of an open-source model, it said.

The report tabled on Monday also suggested that the CSS should grant states significant latitude to tailor implementation modalities to local realities. The new PMJAY (Ayushman Bharat) programme allows states to co-brand with their own schemes, to choose whether to adopt a trust or insurance mode, to use the Government of India IT system or their own, to adapt the benefit package and eligibility/coverage groups, and so on, it said.

The report said that the Centre can shift the focus of CSS and transfers away from line-items and activities and towards outputs and outcomes, with states being empowered to choose their own pathways to achieve results. Financing can be provided based on bilaterally agreed compacts related to specific objectives (for example, service delivery outputs or specific outcomes) instead of exhaustively discussed implementation plans, it said.

The report pointed out that the schematic transfers of the Centre in the form of CSS and CS to the states and Union Territories amounted to 12.81 per cent of the gross revenue receipts of the Union Government during the award period 2015-16 to 2019-20. For 2021-22 to 2025- 26, we have pegged the schematic transfers to the States to an average of 12.82 per cent of the gross revenue receipts of the Union Government, similar to the 14th Finance Commission period, it said.

In the 2015-16 Budget, the Centre had delinked eight CSSs, including the National e-Governance Plan, Backward Regions Grant Funds, Modernisation of Police Forces, and Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyaan (RGPSA), from its support. The sharing pattern was changed for 24 CSSs with sates having to contribute a higher share, while 31 continued to get full central sponsorship. The change was made in view of the higher devolution to states from 32 per cent to 42 per cent.

ADVERTISEMENT

The longest-serving academic staffer of the University of Ibadan, Nigel Henry, is dead.

This was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the Group of Academics and colleagues of the deceased at the university.

Mr Henry died on Saturday at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. He was 71 years old (December 14, 1950  January 30, 2021).

With a deep sense of sorrow but profound appreciation for a life well spent in academia, the Department of Classics announces the passing of Mr Nigel Henry, which regrettable event occurred on the night of 30 January, 2021, at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, the statement reads.

According to the statement, Mr Henry spent over four decades nurturing students in the various sub-disciplines of Classics, especially in Greek and Latin languages and Literature.

The group said he was an outstanding student of the highest order and bagged the M.A. (Classics) with First Class Honours (1969  73) from the University of St. Andrews, and B. Phil in Classics (197375) from the University of Oxford.

Mr Henry was reputed to have brought to Ibadan the best traditions of Classical scholarship, having been taught by eminently acclaimed scholars like Kenneth Dover and Prof. Hugh Lloyd- Jones.

Every current member of staff of the department is a former student of Mr Henry, says the statement.

We shall miss his fatherly tutelage and the inspiration he imbued in us as students of Classics, part of the statement reads.

The group described Mr Henry as a consummate interpreter of the ancient texts, who brought to life the intellectual atmosphere and cultural ambience of Graeco-Roman society in his teaching.

His sharp intellect and inimitable sense of humour were as much a pedagogical tool as they were a delight on their own, the group said.

It described the deceased as A teacher of teachers, who, until his final breath was both a mentor and a great friend to generations of students in the department and University-wide.

According to the group, Mr Henry never missed an opportunity for teaching whether in the classroom, the bar room or wherever the chance presented itself.

He lived the life of an ancient scholar attuned to the times in which he found himself, embodying the universitys motto by being a veritable fountain of knowledge, in addition to being a frothy jug of joy to all who called him friend or teacher.

To the end, he confronted life with a mixture of Epicurean verve and Stoic acceptance. We shall keep on learning from this great Latinist and Classicist,the statement reads.
One of the biggest announcements to look forward to on Budget 2021 would be India's vaccination drive. India has already started vaccinating its frontline and healthcare workers. The government has said that the vaccine would be provided free of cost for 30 crore frontline and healthcare workers but it is yet to be made clear if the coronavirus vaccine would be free for all beyond that. That would perhaps be one of the highlights of FM Nirmala Sitharaman's budget announcements.

The cost of free vaccination would, however, be heavy on the exchequer. Even when the two companies, Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India, are providing vaccine doses to the government on subsidised rates, vaccination costs for 1.3 billion people would be significant. On top of that the government must also take into account cost of infrastructure and logistics that would enable the drive.

COVID-19 VACCINATION COST

To put this in perspective, one must go back to the stimulus package rolled out by the government last year. Indian economy was already undergoing a slowdown period before the coronavirus lockdown dealt a heavy blow. With the entire country under stringent lockdown, the economy came to a grinding halt. The government, in order to push the economy back on track, announced a Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package. The stimulus took into account all sectors and industries and gave them a leg up. Even then, many experts believed that the government would be required to roll out more financial help considering the deep impact and the rupture of livelihoods of millions.

When the stimulus package was announced, coronavirus vaccine was still some months ahead. Now with the Rs 20 lakh crore bill as well as the vaccination drive, the government has a heavy burden to bear.

Serum Institute said that every dose would be given to the government at a subsidised rate of Rs 200. So, if 130 crore Indians are to be given Covishield then it would be Rs 52,000 crore. Bharat Biotech is offering the doses to the government for Rs 206, which would come to Rs 53,560 crore. A mix of both would also mean that the doses would come to be over Rs 50,000 crore. This does not take into account the logistical costs and cost of wastage. The government said that 10 per cent of coronavirus vaccines would go to waste.

India will also receive help from WHO-led COVAX global vaccine-sharing scheme. The alliance has assured help to poor and middle-income countries.

CORONAVIRUS CESS

In order to replenish its coffers, the government is likely to announce a coronavirus cess. Preliminary talks on revenue increasing measures have been held but the final decision is likely on February 1. Meanwhile, many states have already imposed a coronavirus cess. Punjab imposed the cess on liquor, while Jharkhand imposed it on minerals. Delhi imposed a cess on liquor too but subsequently removed it.

OPPORTUNITIES GALORE

What the Finance Minister along with the vaccination plan could announce are incentives for domestic pharma companies and homegrown healthcare product manufacturers. Mr. Nikhil Baheti, Global CFO, LAXAI Life Sciences said that the coronavirus that ravaged the economy also gave India an opportunity to become the supply partner for the world. "Every hurdle comes with an opportunity, higher the hurdle greater the opportunity. This unprecedented chaotic time too has come with a flip side of a huge opportunity to make India the preferred supply partner for the world. Government should use this opportunity and introduce a landmark budget helping this shift. Among other things it should focus on incentivising domestic Pharma purchases, push for Make In India, encouragement to start-ups and to facilitate better infrastructure. With proper measures, this Budget will play a major role in reducing the fiscal deficit and unemployment," he said.

Also read: Budget 2021 Live Updates: Nirmala Sitharaman ditches 'Bahi Khata' for 'Made in India' tab

Also read: Budget 2021: Date, time, sector-wise expectations; everything you need to know

MAHLABANENI  Game 5 residents feel dejected after they were removed from a place where they were evacuated to.

About 105 villagers were first placed at a local police station before being taken to Mahlabaneni Primary School where they lived for almost a week. This was after their houses were completely submerged in water, after the Usuthu River flooded as a result of the rains that came with Tropical Cyclone Eloise.

The cyclone entered through Madagascar and crossed to the Mozambican channel, spreading across Limpopo and KwaZulu Natal.

According to the residents, they were hastily taken aback as the situation at the village was terrible and cleaning the area needed additional time, especially because some houses were without doors and windows. They also said they feared that the rains were not over, hence they were not out of danger yet.

Lungile Mthembu said they had no choice, but to go back to the village despite the current condition there. Mthembu said they were given no alternative, but were told in no uncertain terms that they would be taken back. We would like to remain at the school until the cleaning is complete and the houses are back to a good state, she said.

Mthembu said they would have appreciated to remain at the school, while attending to their houses back at the village for a week before returning.

She said there was no clear reason why they were being removed from the school. The word from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) was that the water had cleared from the area and it was safe for us to return, said Mthembu.

Flats

According to Mthembu, she lost everything, including furniture and her rented flats, whose doors and windows were swept away by raging floods.

She said apart from her house, she had 10 apartments which she was renting out and only four tenants managed to return, while the rest were accommodated by relatives.

Mthembu stated that despite her loss, she had to dig deep in her pockets to fix the damaged flats and return her tenants. Maria Mahlalela also believed they had been hastily removed from the place of safety. Mahlalela was found clearing mud inside her house which was damaged by the floods. She said she had no clue on where the family would sleep as the dirt was difficult to remove.

We had no choice, but to come back to the mess as we have been removed from the place of safety by the authorities, she said.

Nomsa Mndvoti who is self-employed and earns a living by selling handcraft, said nothing had been spared from her house. Mndvoti stated that all her belongings, including a vehicle which she bought last year March, were damaged. She noted that her money, which she collected for rentals from her tenants, was also swept by the floods.

According to Mndvoti, she lost about E1 200 and thanked God that she had been able to recover E1 000. She said all her tenants had left following that the houses were also damaged. My child, I dont even know where I will begin. I am as good as dead, she said.






Washington, Feb 1 : NASA has quietly delayed its plan to award two high-profile crewed lunar lander contracts from late February to April 30.

According to the space agency, the delay is designed to give it more time to evaluate the bidders' proposals and to "preserve the ability to seamlessly transition" from the development phase, but it may not need the full extension period and could award the lander contracts earlier.

The extension also gives the companies more time to design and develop their lander systems, NASA said.

Elon Musk's SpaceX, a team of aerospace giants led by Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Leidos-owned Dynetics won a combined $967 million in seed funding from NASA last year to develop rival concepts for a human lunar landing system, The Verge reported on Sunday.

A delay was also expected as US President Joe Biden's team holds off on releasing any space policy, keeping the long-term fate of NASA's Artemis programme uncertain.

It's the space agency's first effort to spend money on astronaut moon landers since the Apollo programme in the 1970s, the report said.

SpaceX's lunar lander pitch to NASA is Starship, a roughly 16-storey tall fully reusable vehicle the company has been launching and landing in short, suborbital test flights -- called "hops" -- in Boca Chica, Texas. The company's chunk of development funds was $135 million.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin got the largest award, $579 million, to develop its Blue Moon lander. The company announced a "National Team" in 2019 comprising of Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper to work on the project. Dynetics got $253 million for its lander and has partnered with Sierra Nevada Corp.

Last week, NASA told the three contractors that an extension to their development contracts "will be required".

Under the Trump administration's timeline, the agency had planned to pick two of the three bidders in late February, giving a stamp of approval for two systems that would inevitably carry humans to the moon.

The Biden administration is yet to pick its NASA administrator or release any space policy objectives, but is expected to slow down the Artemis programme's sprint to the moon by 2024 -- a date widely viewed as unrealistic.
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.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Teamsters today are hailing the announcement of a settlement in a lawsuit with 31 Florida county supervisors of elections to help ensure Spanish-dominant voters educated in Puerto Rico can vote effectively.

The 10-year agreement entered into with the Florida counties is the result of the August 2018 lawsuit by civic engagement groups Faith in Florida, Hispanic Federation, Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, UnidosUS, and Vamos4PR, and individual Marta Rivera Madera, a Puerto Rican, Spanish-speaking voter living in Alachua County. The plaintiffs are represented by LatinoJustice PRLDEF, Demos, SEIU and Altshuler Berzon LLP with financial support from the Teamsters and several other unions.

"Democracy thrives in this country when all Americans can participate in it," Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said. "Our union is glad to have participated in this effort to expand the ability of U.S. residents to cast their votes at the ballot box and is pleased with the outcome."

The lawsuit, brought on behalf of all Spanish-dominant, Puerto Rican voters residing in 32 Florida counties, alleged that the counties' supervisors of elections held English-only elections that prevented Spanish-speaking voters from Puerto Rico from voting effectively, in violation of Section 4(e) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It is one of the largest suits ever brought under Section 4(e).

Under the agreement, the 31 counties approving the settlement agree to provide greater access to Spanish language ballots, voting materials, vote-by-mail request forms and ballots. They also agree to translate their election supervisor websites into Spanish and offer a county-specific hotline to assist Spanish-speaking voters during voting periods.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Ted Gotsch, (703) 899-0869

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Related Links

http://www.teamster.org



As the BJP-led NDA presents its second budget today, India Inc will be keeping a close eye on announcements concerning the industry that's badly beaten by the coronavirus pandemic. Despite some immediate relief measures announced by the Centre, many companies are still struggling to reach pre-Covid sale levels.

Industry representatives are hopeful that the Union Budget 2021 would play a vital role in achieving the objective of putting India on a sustained high-growth trajectory. In this year's budget, the Centre is expected to primarily focus on manufacturing, Atmanirbhar Bharat and healthcare as main themes, say reports. Agriculture and infrastructure may also receive a push.

For manufacturing, the Centre may give a further push to the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which has been quite a hit among companies eying investment in India. The industry body CII (Confederation of Indian Industries) has recommended a three-pronged strategy for Budget 2021, under which it has requested the Centre to focus around growth, fiscal consolidation and strengthening of the financial sector to stave off Covid-19 impact.

Also read: Budget 2021

"This year's budget comes at a time when the Indian economy is recovering from the unprecedented shock caused by Covid. The government has an unenviable task of ensuring a fine balance between supporting economic recovery and growth on one hand and ensuring macro-economic stability on the other," said Krishna Bodanapu, CII Telangana chapter chairman said.

The CII says the budget proposals should focus on growth, and alongside look at fiscal management for the next three years. "Government expenditure should be prioritised in three areas- infrastructure, healthcare and sustainability," it said.

Also read: Budget 2021 Live Updates: PM Modi chairs Cabinet meeting ahead of budget announcement

CII's other recommendations include graded road map towards competitive import tariffs over three years; towards encouraging domestic manufacturing; and to improve the financial strength of banks. FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) says the upcoming budget must prioritise growth-oriented measures over fiscal considerations. It also wants the government to launch a scheme on the lines of MGNREGA for urban poor. The Centre should also focus on increasing take-home salary for individuals, says the industry body.

"Consider making an employee's contribution to EPF voluntary (without making any change in the employer's contribution). Also, consider giving a three-year holiday for ESI contribution to both employers and employees," FICCI Telangana Council chairman T Muralidharan said.

The Centre has envisaged increasing public spend on healthcare to 2.5 per cent of GDP from around 1.3 per cent currently. FICCI wants the government to start spending an extra 0.5 per cent of GDP every year on health for the next five years.

Also read: Budget 2021: Date, speech time, sector-wise expectations; everything you need to know

Also read: Budget 2021 Highlights: Govt may impose Covid-19 cess on high-income earners
Animal lovers around the world are heartbroken over the death of a rare white kangaroo named "Angel."

Angel died on Friday in Victoria and since then messages and condolences have been coming in from around the globe. Caretakers of Angel expressed their gratitude for the hundreds of messages online lending support to them. They have been devastated by the loss. The rare animal was loved by so many. One South African expressed how heartbroken she was. "You touched me deeply," Someone from the United States also wrote.

The Kangaroo was taken care of in Little Urchins Sanctuary, and since her passing, the owner Kat Agar- Teehan has been unable to speak on her death. She rather wrote a message on a Facebook post expressing profound gratitude to everyone for their messages and support. "Thank you all. I'm so sorry I can't find my voice right now," she wrote. "My chest is heavy and I feel crushed".

Angel has been sick for some time, she gained public attention when her battle to live was featured on television. Since then she had gained sympathy from strangers around the globe. And they have sent encouraging words ever since. Someone in Nevada mentioned that Angel was close to her heart and she had been following the news of her struggles.

ALSO READ - [VIRAL VIDEO] Man Punched By Kangaroo On Christmas Day

Angel Was White Due To Leucism

Angel's white color was due to leucism. Leucism is a genetic condition, characterized by partial loss of pigmentation in animals. This condition can make the skin, feathers or hair of animals appear white or patchily colored. The pigment in the eyes however is not affected by leucism.

Kangaroos with this condition are rare, and Angel was one of the few. Another similar looking kangaroo was a kangaroo named "Cosmos" in a zoo in New York. Angel was taken in as an orphan and was the "poster child" for the sanctuary at Victoria's Reedy Creek . The Sanctuary specializes in taking care of Kangaroos in need of help.

She lived for two years and since being taken in, she had become popular amongst animal lovers. She had a lot of fans and was featured in Australian televisions and articles.

She Suffered From Kidney Failure and Peritonitis

Sarah Hart, who volunteered at Urchins Sanctuary mentioned to Yahoo News Australia that they had troubles getting a vet clinic to attend to her since the regular ones were closed. She had signs of stomach ache at night. Most vets didn't attend to wildlife, some were even rude in turning down Angels caregivers when they called and asked for medical attention. One said it was against their policy to admit kangaroos.

They finally made an appointment in a vet about one hour away from their location. But when they arrived, they faced another disappointment. They were turned down because the clinic had a more urgent case. After numerous attempt to getting a proper diagnosis failed, Angel eventually kicked the bucket. It was later found that she had suffered from Kidney failure and peritonitis.

According to Ms Hart, Kangaroos are misunderstood in Australia. They gain public attention abroad but people at home view them as pets. They are commercially hunted mostly for their skins. She maintained that the government negligence towards this shows that they don't care for Kangaroos as they do for other pets. She hopes that Angel's death would bring awareness to the plight of Kangaroos in the country.

RELATED ARTICLE - Kangaroo Meat Now Allowed For Consumption In Victoria, Australia

For more news, updates about Kangaroos and similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
Most of them pertain to statements he is accused of posting to Facebook, including one from 2017 that city officials allege was disparaging to Muslims, reading, Savages they all deserve a bullet in reference to a video of a woman being stoned to death. The post further stated, This is the reason MANY Americans are leary (sic) of a large segment of Muslims (sic) especially those who support Sharia law... This is the life many want to bring to this country.
Top Rated Attorney, Joseph P. Wilson, Founder of Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, Receives Exclusive Super Lawyers Designation Once Again

Joseph P. Wilson, Senior Tax Attorney and Founder of Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC, has been selected to the 2021 California Super Lawyers list. This exclusive designation is awarded only to a select number of accomplished attorneys, as less than five percent of attorneys in each state are selected by Super Lawyers. This is Mr. Wilson's second year in a row to receive this prestigious designation.

Mr. Wilson is a former IRS Attorney, Federal Tax Prosecutor, and California Franchise Tax Board Attorney. He has litigated a wide variety of civil and criminal tax cases in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Federal district court, U.S. Tax Court, California Superior Court, California Board of Equalization, California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and Property Tax Assessment Appeals Boards, in matters arising from various types of tax assessments, collection matters and criminal tax investigations.







Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC is an Orange (News - Alert) County law firm specializing in Federal and State tax audits, internal compliance, FBAR, offshore bank account disclosures, and criminal tax, including appeals, trials, and collections. The Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals have named Wilson Tax Law Group, APLC as one of the "Top 20 Boutique Firms in California".

Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters (News - Alert) , is a rating service of exceptional lawyers from over 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a patented multiphase process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area. The result is a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of extraordinary attorneys.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005006/en/
AS the white pirogue drifted in the waters just off Belle Garden in Tobago early yesterday morning, fishermen working nearby knew something was wrong.

What they saw in the small vessel stunned them.

Fourteen bodies, all of them male, along with a skull and other skeletal remains, were piled inside the vessel as it floated four miles off Belle Garden, police confirmed.

The bodies were all clad in tracksuits and green rain jackets and were severely decomposed, police investigators said.
Faculty inventors who created new technologies and applications to address COVID-19, malaria and literacy barriers are lauded in annual awards.

TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 1, 2021)  USF faculty researchers who invented technology to combat a global shortage of COVID-19 testing swabs, created a surveillance system for mosquito-borne diseases, and turned captivating, augmented reality technology into a tool to help bilingual children have been selected for this years Excellence in Innovation Awards.

Recognized this year are USF Morsani College of Medicine Associate Professor Summer Decker and Assistant Professor Jonathan Ford, who lead the development of a 3D-printed testing swab as the global pandemic created vast shortages of supplies; College of Engineering Professor Sriram Chellappan, who has developed a drone and artificial-intelligence enabled mosquito surveillance system; and College of Education Assistant Professor Sara Smith, whose MARVL learning app is captivating young students as they learn vocabulary words in a new language.

Our University of South Florida faculty continue to exemplify the power of research and innovation to improve lives, USF President Steve Currall said. This years award winners have helped address some of the most pressing challenges impacting our region, state, nation and world.

Meet this years winners:

At the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, global shortages of testing supplies hampered efforts to diagnose and track the spread of the disease. Seeing a desperate need to be met, Associate Professor Summer Decker and Assistant Professor Jonathan Ford of the Department of Radiologys 3D Anatomical Modeling and Printing Division lead a team that worked around the clock over a period of weeks to create a 3d-printed swab. Working with colleagues who are experts in infectious diseases, the team tested prototypes and performed a head-to-head clinical trial comparing the new 3D-printed swab and the traditional swab which showed the new tool is the equivalent, and in some cases better than, than the swabs that had been in use. Since then, more than 40 million swabs have been created in over 30 different countries and have been credited by health and political leaders for aiding the response. Dr. Summer Decker Dr. Jonathan Ford

Dr. Sriram Chellappan of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering is the lead inventor on a patent-pending drone and artificial intelligence-enabled system for mosquito surveillance. Working with colleagues at the USF College of Public Health, Chellappan and his research team developed a system that would automatically detect sources of disease-carrying mosquito habitats from drone videos taken in sub-Saharan Africa. The information is fed back in real-time to local public health officials to eradicate the habitats. The system is the foundation for the startup Digitomy, LLC, which is engaging with local mosquito control boards in Florida as well as the authorities in India and Brazil. The project recently received grant support from the National Science Foundation.

Dr. Sriram Chellappan Mosquito surveillance technology

Assistant Professor Sara Smith of USFs ESOL and Foreign Language Education programs, invented an application that aims to improve vocabulary instruction for English language and dual-language learners. The novel Multimedia Augmented Reality Vocabulary Learning app, dubbed MARVL, builds on physical vocabulary flashcards with animated, bilingual augmented reality "teachers" who coexist in the child's environment and provide bilingual instruction. She also established a USF start-up company, Marvlous, LLC, which is currently licensing and further developing the technology.

Dr. Sara Smith Marvl app

Each year, the Excellence in Innovation Awards recognizes faculty for their efforts in taking inventions to market through the creation of new startups; commercialization to their new technologies; and advancing the research and development process through publishing their work in prestigious journals and securing competitive grants to support their projects. USF is recognized as a global leader in invention and innovation, ranking eighth among U.S. public universities and 16th among universities worldwide in generating new U.S. patents, according to the National Academy of Inventors and Intellectual Property Owners Association.

Each awardee receives $2,000; this years awards cover a period of July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020.

Economic Impact Payments to American families started rolling out by mail and direct deposit at the end of December, but many eligible citizens are still on deck to receive payments. But theres a big surprise in store for eligible tax-paying women who file jointly with a male spouse: Your check will be addressed to your husband, and your husband only  not you.

When my familys check arrived in the mail, it was in the kind of generic-looking envelope that usually encloses credit card offers with fake John Doe cards gummed to the invitation letter. We didnt know what to expect this year since last years payment arrived as a check and others got direct deposits; the governments distribution method hasnt been consistent. I wouldnt have known a thing about this payment if I hadnt been standing next to my husband as he was leafing through his mail and grumbled something like looks like trash as he flung the discarded contents onto the kitchen counter. Well, if it hadnt been for little miss wifey, who decided to snoop and take a closer look, our full family EIP payment wouldve been headed for the recycling bin.

Once I realized what I had in my hands, I started scouring the envelope and card for details. Was this just my husbands payment, I wondered? Only his name was on the envelope and enclosed letter; yet, there was my name below his, printed on the debit card. I followed the instructions to activate the card using my Social Security number, only to find that my information was not valid. Only my husbands number could unlock those federal relief dollars.

For most women in straight couples, this invisibility isnt new or surprising. As humans, as citizens, as taxpayers and as breadwinners, were used to being regarded as someone elses appendage. And you dont need to go to Margaret Atwoods Handmaids Tale franchise for evidence of that fact; the former president told Michigan voters at an October rally, Were getting your husbands back to work, even though the Bureau of Labor Statistics had reported that four times more women than men were pushed out of the labor force the month before.

For women in abusive relationships, in the midst of a separation, or in marriages where money just isnt openly and honestly shared, this simple address label choice could have real material consequences. Studies show that working women spend a much higher percentage of their personal income on household and childrens needs than men do. On average, women use more than double the percentage of their paychecks to foot the bills for family food, clothing and medical expenses, compared to men.

With the EIP paying up to $600 to any person who has a valid work-eligible Social Security number, is not considered a dependent of someone else, and whose adjusted gross income does not exceed thresholds, and another $600 for each child under 17, the funds going to an average American family of four total more than $2,000. If a woman cant access that payment for herself and her children, the government cannot pride itself on helping American families. Theyre only helping men.

During a year when women are losing their jobs as they do the unpaid and vastly undervalued work of a welfare state, caring for and educating their children at home while school facilities sit empty and shuttered, and managing elder care for the most vulnerable populations, robbing women of the federal governments pittance of economic support is both an absurd travesty and a drop in the bucket.

Last year a MarketWatch column identified one wifes struggle with whats legally considered financial abuse when her husband refused to share the familys stimulus check made out in his name. The Moneyist suggested that the wife seek legal counsel, but never mentioned that the problem could be easily solved by a change in how the government issues and addresses its payments.

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have a chance to do better. If they are serious about their commitments to unity and equality, any future economic relief bills must include funding that can be accessed by married women just as easily as their male spouses. Thats an issue that cuts across households in both red states and blue.

It makes you wonder: if they were in my tax bracket, would Kamala Harris need to ask husband Doug Emhoff to open his mail and then shout out the last six digits of his Social Security number so she could dial it into the EIP activation line?

Last year was the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Half a century later, in 1974, the Senate passed the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, giving women the right to credit cards in their own names. This year, in 2021, will women get equal access to economic relief payments during a global pandemic? Thats a question that only time and Margaret Atwood can answer  unless Joe and Dr. Jill, and Kamala and Doug, get there first.

Emily Klein is a professor of English and gender studies at St. Mary's College. Her book, Sex and War on the American Stage, has been featured in the New York Times, Ms. and Vice. The views expressed here are her own and do not reflect the views of the college.
Televisions most popular host Kapil Sharma and wife Ginni Chatrath have been blessed with a baby boy this morning. The actor took to his Twitter profile to share the good news and thanked everyone for their prayers and blessings.



Kapil Sharma took to Twitter and said, Namaskaar we are blessed with a Baby boy this early morning, by the grace of God Baby n Mother both r fine, thank you so much for all the love, blessings n prayers love you all ginni n kapil. Now thats really sweet and we send out the heartiest congratulations to the couple. Kapil Sharmas famous and hit show The Kapil Sharma Show is going off-air for a short period. When he recently engaged with his fans on social media, and someone asked the reason why is he going offline, the actor had replied saying, coz I need be there at home with my wife to welcome our second baby."



Namaskaar AAAAAAAAAAAA we are blessed with a Baby boy this early morning, by the grace of God Baby n Mother both r fine, thank you so much for all the love, blessings n prayers AAAAAAAAAAAA love you all aAAAAiAAAAginni n kapil AAAAAAAA #gratitude AAAAAAAAAAAA  Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) February 1, 2021



Kapil Sharma and Ginni were blessed with their first kid in December 2019. They had welcomed a baby girl into this world and named her Anayra. The actor-host had even shared her pictures soon after on social media and welcomed Anayra Sharma to the world. Kapil Sharma will soon take a break from his show and concentrate on his daddy-duties.
(Newser)  The Trump family will have a rooting interest in the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. Jared Kushner has been nominated for the honor for his work in normalizing relations between Israel and four Arab nations, reports Reuters. The nomination of former President Trump's son-in-law came from attorney Alan Dershowitz, who has the clout to make a formal pick as a professor emeritus at Harvard. Dershowitz, who represented Trump at his first impeachment trial, also nominated Kushner aide Avi Berkowitz over the Abraham Accords, in which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco recognized Israel's sovereignty, per Business Insider. Other high-profile nominees this year include teen climate activist Greta Thunberg and Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, according to a separate Reuters story.

story continues below

"The Nobel Peace Prize is not for popularity," wrote Dershowitz, appearing to acknowledge his nomination will be controversial because of the Trump connections. "Nor is it an assessment of what the international community may think of those who helped bring about peace. It is an award for fulfilling the daunting criteria set out by Alfred Nobel in his will." For context, when the first deal between the UAE and Israel was struck, frequent Trump critic Thomas Friedman wrote that the deal was a "geopolitical earthquake" in a good way. It was close to being on par with Anwar Sadat going to Jerusalem and Yasir Arafat shaking the hand of Yitzhak Rabin, the New York Times columnist wrote at the time. The prize committee usually puts out a short list in the spring, with the winner to be announced in October. (Read more Jared Kushner stories.)
That hardware allows it to develop 1,000 horsepower and makes it easy for the car to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds.The Valhalla is not a motorcycle, though, because Aston does not make two-wheelers. Sure, we did have the AMB 001 track-only machine in 2019, but that only had the Aston Martin looks, as pretty much everything else was of Brough Superior Motorcycles make.But what if the British company did decide to go down the motorcycle path? Its a question weve already asked and already answered courtesy of our friends over at Australian insurance company Budget Direct : a cafe racer inspired by the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation.But the Valhalla is equally as inspiring, and a two-wheeler derived from this particular model would certainly be something worth talking about. So, the same group came up with this thing here: the Valhalla motorcycle, designed with a one-piece carbon-fiber upper body reminiscent of the cars lines, and riding on two of the wheels the performance-bred predator itself will soon be using.This being a rendering and all, were not being given any info of what engine the frame of the thing should hold. For reference, AMB 001s heart is a V-twin turbocharged engine good for 180 hp - and that on a bike that weighs just 180 kg (397 pounds). Or, alternatively, one could envision it as an electric machineWhatever your choice, the fact remains this two-wheeled Valhalla is something well never get to see. Its four-wheeled sibling, though, is expected to arrive later this year, as a limited-production car for the ages.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Kazakhstan began its coronavirus vaccination campaign Monday with top health officials receiving Russia's Sputnik V vaccine.

The ministry said that the first delivery of 22,000 doses of Sputnik V had arrived and would be distributed across the country of around 18.5 million.

Deputy health minister Erlan Kiyasov said he didn't "feel any sort of discomfort" after the Monday morning injection, witnessed by a pack of journalists.

"If we can get more than 50 percent of the population to immunity, we can finally return to a normal society without restrictions, without lockdowns," he said.

Kiyasov and fellow deputy health minister Azhar Giniyat will receive follow-up shots of the vaccine in 21 days, the ministry said Sunday.

Vaccinations with Kazakhstan's national vaccine, known as QazCovid-in and currently in third stage trials, are expected to begin sometime in March.

Kazakhstan is the first country in former Soviet Central Asia to roll out Sputnik V.

Neighbouring Turkmenistan has registered the Russian-made vaccine but has not announced the beginning of inoculations.

Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous country with around 34 million people, placed an order for up to 35 million doses of Sputnik V in September.

Russia registered the jabnamed after the Soviet-era satellitein August last year, before the start of large-scale clinical trials, leaving some experts wary.

Sputnik V's developers have since said the vaccine is more than 90 percent effective and several foreign countries have begun administering it.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
Andy Ngo fell to the concrete, bleeding from his ear. Vessels in his brain had burst, doctors later told him, and blood pooled on his brain. Ngo, a journalist, had been attacked by members of Antifa while covering one of the "antifascist" groups demonstrations in Portland in 2019.
Thousands of Michiganders were able to cut in line for the Covid vaccine after a loophole was discovered in the scheduling system. More than 2,700 people were able to book appointments before they were supposed to after a user managed to find a way to get past the vaccine priority group criteria, Michigan's largest healthcare system Beaumont Health said.

"The Beaumont team determined a user took advantage of an Epic scheduling tool vulnerability and shared an unauthorized scheduling pathway publicly. This allowed 2,700 people to 'cut in line' and register for an unauthorized vaccine appointment. Beaumont is cancelling all the appointments that used the unauthorized pathway," the organization said in a statement on Monday.

According to the state's guidance on Covid vaccinations, the goal is to inoculate 70 per cent of those over the age of 16 before the end of this year, a total of about 5.6m people.

IT firm Epic said in a statement that "this will not interfere with those who are currently eligible to schedule an appointment and receive a vaccine".

"We regret 2,700 people in our community became victims of this unfortunate incident," Beaumont Health Chief Information Officer Hans Keil said.

Beaumont said that the "incident did not compromise anyones personal medical record, nor did it allow outsiders access to any hospital records. The pathway simply allowed users to schedule an unauthorized appointment that circumvented the current Michigan mandates".

Read more: Follow live updates on the Biden administration

Michigan is not the only state where people have tried to skip Covid vaccine lines. The Boston Globe reported in early January that line-skippers were caught in the act after a link given to employers for their workers to be vaccinated was shared more widely than was intended. Health officials cancelled hundreds of appointments and took down links to registration forms after it was revealed that people ineligible in this phase of the vaccinations had signed up for appointments.

On Friday, young and healthy individuals got invitations to a mass vaccination event in St Louis, according to The St Louis Dispatch.

I was surprised by it, but filled out the form and got vaccinated because weve been told that when you get a chance to be vaccinated that you should. I didnt know if I turned down this opportunity if I would get booted from the citys vaccination list," 39-year-old Jessi Kniffen told the paper after being invited to get vaccinated by the City of St Louis Department of Health. Elderly Missourians and some with medical conditions that are supposed to put them at the front of the line said that they didn't get similar invitations.

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control, just under 50m doses have been distributed and over 31m doses have been administered. Over 5,5m people have received two doses.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
A winter storm headed to the Northeast late Sunday and could continue into Tuesday, plastering the corridor from Philadelphia to Boston with heavy snow.

Snow totals in that span could be 18 inches or more, depending on an influx of relatively mild air from the Atlantic Ocean.

The storm system has brought eight inches of snow in Chicago and was expected to approach the Canadian border on Sunday.

The low-pressure area that will bring the heavy snow, strong winds and potential for coastal flooding to the Northeast will spend Sunday getting organized in the Mid-Atlantic region, where snow was falling in the nation's capital. Washington was poised to receive more snow in one day than the city has seen in two winters.

The storm has brought wild weather across the Lower 48, first driving an atmospheric river ashore in California last week with extreme snow totals topping 100 inches in the Sierra Nevada. From there, it brought severe thunderstorms to the Southwest and tornado activity to Oklahoma, while a dust storm in its wake caused visibility to plummet Saturday in parts of Texas.

Now the main low-pressure area is transferring its energy offshore into a coastal system, also known as a nor'easter, that will intensify and move north up the coast.

Winter storm warnings for heavy snow were in effect from the mountains of North Carolina through southwestern Connecticut, while watches extend all the way to northern Maine.

- - -

Snowfall rates increased rapidly in Philadelphia as the offshore low-pressure system strengthened Sunday. Computer models showed a band of heavy snow forming between Philadelphia and Rhode Island on Sunday night into Monday.

Forecasters said milder marine air drawn inland could bring mixed precipitation to Philadelphia, including sleet or freezing rain, early Monday before it changes to rain and temporarily ends. Snow will fall most heavily immediately before that changeover, with rates of at least an inch an hour.

In New York, heavy snow was expected early Monday. Uncertainty remained about a potential changeover to a wintry mix or rain about midday.

If that transition does occur, snowfall amounts would stack up to a bit more than a foot. If not, more significant accumulations would be probable - perhaps 18 inches or more.

The National Weather Service included New York in an "extreme impact" zone on its outlook map, citing the potential for "extreme disruptions to daily life." Forecasters said most of the surrounding tri-state area can expect "major impacts" from the storm system.

In Boston, more than a foot of snow is expected.

President Joe Biden was briefed Sunday on the storm, according to the White House.

Some computer models suggest that cold air will remain entrenched in New York for the duration of the event, portending a historic snowstorm. Such heavy snowfall could shut down city streets and cancel flights at the region's major airports.

"Despite the fact that we are forecasting up to 18 inches of snow, these numbers are conservative" if you trust some computer models, wrote the National Weather Service office in New York.

If New York were to pick up 19.8 inches or more in 48 hours, it would qualify as one of the 10 heaviest snowfalls on record in the city. The top spot of 27.5 inches is held by a Jan. 22 and 23 storm in 2016.

"This weather will be serious. If you can stay home, stay home," Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, tweeted Sunday.

Snowfall amounts will vary significantly depending on where the narrow corridors of heaviest snowfall, known as snow bands, set up and stall. In the heaviest bands, rates of one to two inches per hour or more are likely. Eastern Pennsylvania is also likely to see heavy snow, including in places such as Harrisburg and Allentown.

Some areas in northern New Jersey could see more than two feet of snow as moisture from the Atlantic is drawn westward, directly into much colder air.

Snow will ease overnight Monday into Tuesday, but light snow is probable most of Tuesday morning into the afternoon.

The most snow could fall in New York City, while encompassing the southern Hudson Valley and most of central and eastern Pennsylvania.

- - -

Hartford, Conn., could get a foot of snow or more.

Farther northeast, in the Providence-to-Boston corridor, meteorologists were grappling with predicting the finicky rain-snow line. Snow will arrive there Monday midmorning, with the steadiest and heaviest precipitation occurring overnight before winding down midmorning Tuesday.

During the storm, the rain-snow line may wiggle near Interstate 95, with mixing possible in Boston and Providence.

Storm totals of 12 to 18 inches are expected just west of Boston, with the biggest wild card being the amounts in Boston itself and along the coastline. With onshore winds of up to 60 mph, tall waves and coastal flooding will affect the New England shoreline, leading to the potential inundation of vulnerable areas.

The storm is expected to spread snow into northern New England, benefiting ski areas in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Conditions will clear later Wednesday before milder weather late in the week.
Heathrow passengers could face even longer queues after passport control staff voted to go on strike over a ban on swapping shifts.

The Public and Commercial Services Union - the largest representative body for Border Force staff - has balloted members with 96 per cent of those who voted in favour of strike action.

Passengers flying into the UK have already been facing hour-long queues after new coronavirus measures were introduced that require them to have a negative Covid test before getting on the plane and complete a locator form, or face a fine of up to 500.

Heathrow passengers could face longer queues at passport control if industrial action by Border Force staff goes ahead over a ban on shift swapping. Pictured: Heathrow last week

And the potential industrial action, which is a result of 'unworkable' changes brought in late last year, could worsen the situation if Border Force staff go on strike.

While staff have previously been able to swap shifts with each other and request certain working days, changes now mean a fixed rota has been introduced.

The PCS union has claimed the new measures mean staff are unable to change shifts, a measure the Home Office says is to prevent unnecessary mixing between staff and maintain Covid-secure bubbles.

Shocking images shared to social media last week showed large crowds of travellers - including children and the elderly - waiting in lines without social distancing.

Witnesses said the queues took at least an hour to clear as Border Force officers checked each passenger's proof of a negative PCR test and their locator form.

Heathrow said it was impossible to enforce social distancing with the volume of passengers in the airport.

Meanwhile the Home Office insisted the airport had the necessary number of staff to get through the hoards of travellers - something which could change if the strike goes ahead.

The union says the result of these changes and the way they have been imposed has 'angered staff'.

The Public and Commercial Services Union said ban on shift swapping angered staff who fear for their job security if there is no flexibility in allocation. Pictured: queues at passport control

It added: 'Many are worried for their future work prospects in Border Force if there is no flexibility in shift allocation.'

A Home Office spokesman said: 'These temporary changes involve Border Force officers working in bubbles to protect themselves and the public from coronavirus.'

A spokesman for the union said strike dates will be announced in 'due course'.

This is just the latest strike action to hit the airport in recent weeks, with British Airways cargo handlers declaring nine days of strike action.

It started on December 25 and ended on January 2 after trade union Unite claimed its 840 members face pay cuts and changes to their terms and conditions.

It comes as the Government launched new measures to quarantine travellers from a number of countries deemed high-risk for Covid.

Home Office says the measures are part of Covid-secure practice to minimise mixing of staff

Home Secretary Priti Patel declared that Britons returning from around 30 'red list' Covid countries will be forced to quarantine in hotels for 10 days at their own expense.

MailOnline understands that hundreds of arrivals each day are expected to be escorted directly from airports to rooms, where they will have to stay for the duration of their isolation and pay a bill estimated at 1,500 - although ministers hope the numbers will 'fall through the floor' as people avoid coming to the UK.

It will only affect British travellers, as foreign citizens who have been in the countries are already banned from entering altogether.

Ms Patel herself is believed to have been pushing for a much tougher regime alongside Matt Hancock and Michael Gove, but was overruled after resistance from Rishi Sunak, Dominic Raab and Grant Shapps, and warnings it would 'kill' the aviation industry.
Agri and food companies on Monday hailed the decision to hike farm credit target and increase allocation for the ministry in the Budget, saying this will help in boosting farmers' income and overall growth of the sector.

Asserting that the government is committed towards farmers' welfare, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday proposed 10 per cent hike in the farm loan disbursal target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore, and introduced an agri infra and development cess of up to 100 per cent to create post-harvest infrastructure for improving farmers' income.

The minister also proposed higher allocation for Rural Infrastructure Development Fund and Micro Irrigation Fund, and extended Infrastructure Fund to APMCs for augmenting infrastructure facilities.

"2020 has been a year of exceptional and unprecedented challenges and has highlighted the critical importance of two core sectors, and healthcare. The Union has correctly called out the role of these two sectors in leading the nation's recovery and being catalysts to sustainable growth," said D Narain, Senior Bayer Representative, South Asia and CEO & MD, Bayer CropScience.

Higher allocations for both healthcare and agriculture with specific focus on building public health infrastructure, expansion of credit to farmers, additional allocation for rural infrastructure and micro irrigation are welcome moves, he said.

"These initiatives complement actions already initiated to double farmers' incomes and enabling wider healthcare access for the nation," Narain added.

Ram Kaundinya, Director General, Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII), said it is a status quo budget for agriculture in general and for seed industry in particular.

"Agriculture contributed significantly to our successful fight against COVID. But the sector did not get the needed attention in the budget. No transformative measures have been proposed," he said.

On the positives, Kaundinya said an increase in agricultural credit to Rs 16.5 lakh crore will help farmers in accessing more credit and Rs 10,000 crore for micro irrigation is also a good measure.

"Increasing import duty on cotton is a good measure that should help in improving domestic prices although we are no longer a major cotton importer. We are actually the largest exporter in the world, courtesy Bt Cotton driven increase in cotton production," he said.

Output marketing related measures like extending eNAM (National Agriculture Market) to 1,000 more mandis and making Agri Infrastructure Fund available for upgrading infrastructure in APMCs are welcome, FSII said.

On disappointments, Kaundinya said investments in research in agriculture are not addressed, especially since research and innovation is one of the six pillars of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and there is a need to scale up private sector investments in agricultural research.

Seed industry was expecting restoration of 200 per cent tax deduction of research expenses but it has not been met, he added.

The industry expected a major project to invest in scaling up domestic oilseeds production through incentives for farmers, use of modern technologies in crops like mustard, soybean and groundnut would be announced with an eye on reducing huge imports of edible oils, he said.

Maithili Appalwar, CEO, Avana, said: "The proposed outlay of Rs 2.87 lakh crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission supports our vision of water conservation and sanitation. With agriculture taking a centre stage in this year's Budget, we appreciate the government's pragmatic measures of an influx of Rs 10,000 crore as part of the micro irrigation corpus fund, a double since last fiscal."



Announcement of the agriculture credit target of Rs 16.5 lakh crore for FY22, green scheme as well as an increase in provision to rural infra development fund to Rs 40,000 crore from Rs 30,000 crore will ensure the spur in development and growth for farmers, Appalwar said.

Asitava Sen, CEO of CropLife India, the apex body of agrochemical industries, said: "The government's continued focus and commitment on doubling farmers' income by 2022 is very evident in the 2021 Union Budget."



With a view to reduce overall cost of production for farmers, he said the GST on agrochemicals could have been reduced from the current 18% to 12%.

"Further, the Government should provide 200% weighted deduction on R&D expenses by agrochemical companies to encourage innovation and introduction of new technologies," Sen 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.)
The coronavirus variants causing panic around the world may be starting in people with weak immune systems who spend weeks or months battling the virus, scientists have warned.

Doctors in the US revealed a Covid strain living in an immunosuppressed patient for 150 days changed so much that they could find 50 differences in its genetic code.

These changes, which happen randomly as the virus reproduces in order to spread, are what can drive changes in its shape which can affect the way the virus functions.

Fifty per cent of the alterations in the US patient occurred on the virus's spike protein, which it uses to bind to human cells, despite the spike accounting for just two per cent of the virus' genetic code.

The reasons researchers are concerned about this is because the spike protein is what the immune system targets when it tries to destroy the virus, so any major changes to it could make the current crop of vaccines less effective.

The US patient, a 45-year-old man from Boston, was also on a cocktail of antiviral and antibody therapies which may have put 'evolutionary pressure' on the virus to evolve to evade the immune response, according to Professor Ian Jones, a virologist at the University of Reading.

The study provides clues about how the three variants causing international alarm in the UK, Brazil and South Africa, may have originated. All three also have key changes on their spike proteins which make them either more transmissible, deadly or immune-resistant.

Coronavirus constantly mutates as it spreads between people and reproduces inside hosts but the majority of the changes make no difference to the way the virus looks or behaves.

Most people who catch the disease are able to recover within a fortnight, and remain infectious for an even shorter time, which gives the virus a tiny window to evolve and jump to other people.

But in people who struggle to shake off infection for months, such as cancer and transplant patients, coronavirus is given ample opportunity to genetically shape-shift and spread back into the population, Professor Jones told MailOnline.

People who are sick with Covid-19 for an exceptionally long time may be breeding grounds for new variants of the coronavirus to emerge, scientists say, because their continuous infection gives it opportunities to evolve (Stock image of staff at a hospital in London, England)

The patient in Boston was treated at Brigham and Womens Hospital after being admitted in spring last year, the Los Angeles Times reports.

He was diagnosed with a rare disorder called antiphospholipid syndrome in his twenties, which caused his immune system to attack his own organs and create deadly blood clots.

He had been prescribed immunosuppressive drugs which kept his immune system in check and prevented fatal overreactions  but the medicine meant his body was less able to fight off the coronavirus.

During his 154-day Covid battle he was admitted to hospital six times, including stints in ICU, before passing away from the disease last summer.

He was eventually put on three courses of the antiviral medication remdesivir, and one dose of Regeneron's experimental cocktail of monoclonal antibodies, blood cells which help the body fight off the pathogen.

HUGE OUTBREAKS WILL LEAD TO MORE VARIANTS EMERGING, SCIENTISTS WARN US scientists reported three homegrown 'super-covid' variants in as many days in January and experts say the world should brace for many more emerging in countries all over the world. And the more people get coronavirus, the more of these highly infectious variants will emerge, scientists believe. Experts theorise that 'super-covid' variants are only going to become more common as case numbers surge across the globe, because the more cases there are, the greater the number of people with rare, chronic infections will be - and these cases offer a unique opportunity for new, stronger COVID-19 variants to evolve. 'My (highly speculative!) hypothesis is that the emergence of these variant viruses arises in cases of chronic infection during which the immune system places great pressure on the virus to escape immunity and the virus does so by getting really good at getting into cells,' wrote Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center scientist Dr Trever Bradford wrote in a Thursday Twitter thread. Weaker immune systems allow the virus to stay in the body for a longer time, during which the immune system keeps fighting it. Duking it out with the immune system teaches the virus how to stick around better. Dr Bedford isn't the only one who thinks so. 'The uptick in mutations [we are seeing] is expected because there is more circulation of the virus, and more chances for a mutation to occur,' Dr Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist with the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation told DailyMail.com. And when people are infected for a long time, 'it is giving the virus an opportunity to mutate within the same host,' Dr Mokdad explained. He says scientists suspect that that is how the UK variant, B117, arose: 'A person who was infected for 12 days was the one who started this whole thing,' though that theory is yet to be confirmed. The more infectious B117 variant has become dominant in the UK. Similar variants have cropped up in South Africa, Brazil and the US. Now, the US has two other variants. So far, they all appear to likely be more infectious, but not more deadly. Scientists think vaccines will work against them, but that is the key question still looming over them. 'That's why this debate of cutting the dose [of vaccines] or only giving the first dose is very, very dangerous' Dr Mokdad says. 'You want [a vaccine] to knock down the virus very, very low. We don't want to get this virus used to something in small doses so the virus can develop immunity, we want to make sure that when the virus comes into contact with these immune antibodies, it loses every time, and fast.' Advertisement

Swabs taken from his nose and throat revealed that, compared with a sample taken during his first hospitalisation, the virus had changed in 20 places.

The genetic code, a sequence of 30,000 molecules, had changed in 11 places and nine parts of it had disappeared completely.

And following tests after he had been admitted to hospital multiple times kept finding dozens more of these changes every time his illness worsened.

Doctors weren't sure whether he kept getting sicker because his weak immune system couldn't destroy the virus or because it kept mutating so much that the white blood cells and antibodies couldn't recognise it as the same virus.

One doctor at the hospital that treated the man, Dr Jonathan Li, said this series of changes in the virus was basically a condensed, sped-up version of what happens as the virus spreads between people around the world.

And Boston immunologist Dr Bruce Walker told the LA Times that infection in a patient with a weak immune system that can't clear the infection on its own is 'the worst possible scenario for developing mutations'.

Doctors are also more likely to be put those patients with chronic Covid on a long course of drugs or therapies, which puts 'evolutionary pressure' on the virus, he added.

Professor Jones told MailOnline: 'Couple those two together, then you could give the virus much longer to select for changes that then evade therapies or immune responses.'

He added: 'Covid is normally an acute infection and most people clear it in about two weeks.

'Mutations are a ticking time clock, and in normal patients the virus has five days worth of throwing out mutants to see if they give an advantage.

'But in immuno-compromised patients that might be more than a month, which gives the virus much longer to accumulate mutations.

'It doesn't necessarily means these mutations will make virus any worse, but it increases the risk of one of them being able to [change the way it behaves].

'The added-on factor is that because immunosuppressed people may not be able to mount a natural immune response, it's possible they will then be treated with therapies.

'They are treated with antivirals like remdesivir, which seeks to inhibit virus replication directly, and the second one is therapeutic antibodies, which is given as an injection, giving immune compromised people the immunity they cannot gen themselves.

'Couple these two together then you could select for viruses that then evade either of those therapies  evading an antibody response or therapeutic response.

'The virus will then select mutations that would be an advantage in those environments.'

Once the virus accumulates a mutation that gives it an evolutionary edge over other strains inside an immunocompromised person, it still needs to spread back into the population to become widespread.

This means the host has to be 'well enough to cough or sneeze', according to Professor Jones, which makes makes the emergence of such variants even more unlikely.

The virologist said this highlights the need for stringent personal protective equipment (PPE) in hospitals, where most chronically-ill Covid patients end up during their battle with the disease, to halt the spread of dangerous variants in their tracks.

He added: 'If these patients are in hospitals and covered in PPE they are not going to transmit anything'.

The Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery has released its annual updated Hate Map, showing 838 groups that it classifies as hate groups and tracks nationwide Year in Hate and Extremism report.

That number dropped 102 from 2019 to 2020, as formal group meetings and membership dropped but hate-group activity amped up in online forums and on social media, said Margaret Huang, president and CEO of SPLC.

The 838 active hate groups operating across the United States in 2020 was a decrease from the 940 documented in 2019 and the record-high 1,020 in 2018, according to SPLC. But hate is just taking a different form from traditional organized groups, SPLC staff members said.

The threat is as high or even higher, from hate groups, even though the number of active organized groups dropped, Huang said in a call Monday with members of the media.

These groups are more a widespread social movement, said Susan Corke, director of the SPLC Intelligence Project. The reduction in the number of groups does not at reflect the fact that the threat is actually growing.

People with hate group ideologies have been shifting to decentralized platforms, Huang said.

For the past four years, hate groups had a friend in the White House with President Donald Trump, Corke said.

Its really a widespread social movement, said Cassie Miller, senior research analyst for SPLC. Miller said there has been a blurring of boundaries between the extreme right-wing activists and mainstream Republicans during the Trump years.

The SPLC identifies 20 of what it classifies as hate groups operating in Alabama, of the 838 it identifies nationwide.

The American Identity Movement operates statewide, they said; along with Asatru Folk Assembly, and Wolves of Vinland, both neo-Volksich group.

which is statewide; Great Millstone, a group with a chapter in Birmingham; Israel United in Christ, with a chapter in Birmingham; Israel United in Christ, with two chapters, in Birmingham and Mobile; the Israelites Saints of Christ, with a chapter in Huntsville; the League of the South neo-Confederate group, with a chapter in Killen; the Nation of Islam, with three chapters in Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile; the National Socialist Liberation Front, a neo-Nazi group, operates statewide; Occidental Dissent, a white nationalist group with a chapter in Eufaula; the Proud Boys, which operates statewide; the Southern Cultural Center, a neo-Confederate group with five chapters, in Wetumpka, Dothan, Northport, Oxford, Weogufka; the United Klans of America, a Ku Klux Klan group, which operates statewide;

The hate group count and analysis can be read online, along with an updated map showing the locations of hate groups nationwide, at www.splcenter.org.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin in response to the growing threat from home-grown extremists ranging from anti-government militias to far-right hate groups and white supremacists.

For three decades, we have attempted to sound the alarm about these groups, their growth and the dangers they pose, Huang said It is clearer now than ever that our nation faces an increasingly dangerous threat from home-grown extremists ranging from anti-government militias to hate groups and white supremacists.

The proliferation of internet platforms that cater to extremists allows individuals to engage with potentially violent movements like QAnon and Boogaloo without being card-carrying members of a particular group, SPLC staff said.

Boundaries have blurred and led to a loosely affiliated movement of far-right extremists who reject the countrys democratic institutions and pluralistic society, SPLC staff members say.

The insurrection at the Capitol was the culmination of years of right-wing radicalization, Corke said. Most recently, it was the product of Donald Trumps support for and encouragement of radicalized individuals and groups to buy into conspiracy theories about a stolen election.

The SPLC expects more of the same with Trump out of office.

Trump may no longer be in the White House, but the white nationalist and extremist movement he emboldened and incited to violence is not going anywhere  and may grow more dangerous to our country, Corke said.

In an SPLC survey in August, 29 percent of respondents said they personally know someone who believes that white people are the superior race. The poll also found that 51 percent of Americans thought the looting that occurred in several cities amid Black Lives Matter rallies was a bigger problem than police violence against Black people.

The SPLC in 2020 recorded nearly 4,900 incidents of racist flyers being distributed.

The decline in number of hate groups can be partly attributed to some groups discontinuing in-person activity because of the COVID-19 pandemic and hate groups increasingly being kicked off their mainstream social media platforms and communicating in encrypted chatrooms, making it harder to track their activities, SPLC staff said.

Another factor is the continuing collapse of the Ku Klux Klan, as younger extremists move into newer groups that do not carry the same stigma as a group long associated with white supremacist terror. In 2020, Klan chapters dwindled to 25, down from 47 in 2019 and down significantly from years past, when there were typically about 150 chapters in any given year.

Despite the decline of the Klan, there are now alternative hate groups such as The Proud Boys, which vandalized historically Black churches in Washington, D.C., during a pro-Trump demonstration in December and took part in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, SPLC staff said.

The number of white nationalist groups also declined from 155 in 2020 to 128 following posting huge growth during the Trump administration, SPLC staff said. They said the decline may reflect the fact that white nationalist groups, like neo-Nazi groups, are becoming more difficult to quantify as they proliferate online and use encrypted platforms.

Anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ hate groups, which are typically more successful than white supremacist groups at laundering their ideas into mainstream political discourse, saw their numbers remain largely stable, though their in-person organizing was curtailed due to the pandemic, the SPLC said.

The SPLC defines a hate group as an organization that, based on its official statements or principles, the statements of its leaders, or its activities, has beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics.
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 youve always dreamed of learning how to make cryptic crosswords (or to set or compose them, as our fellow puzzle lovers say in the U.K.), John Halpern, one of Britains most prolific and popular cryptic composers, will reveal the magic behind those twisted clues, along with New York Times Crossword editor Will Shortz.

Mr. Halpern will compose a cryptic crossword live, from start to finish, in the virtual event, which takes place Feb. 5 from 7-9 p.m. Eastern. Mr. Shortz will join in, adding commentary on what The New York Times looks for in its cryptics.

Ill be noting some of the fine differences between American and British cryptics, and flagging any Britishisms that might come up that American solvers might not know. The goal is to end up with a puzzle for publication in The New York Times, said Mr. Shortz.

The event is free, but a donation is requested. All the money raised will go to the New York Timess Neediest Cases Fund, which supports a global community of those suffering economic hardship. Mr. Halpern is donating his contributors fee to the fund as well.
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.
Covid-19 conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn has been slammed for a 'disgraceful' leaflet comparing Britain's vaccination programme to Auschwitz.

The brother of former-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, 76, came up with the 'concept' for a pamphlet which features a cartoon drawing of the Nazi death camp.

Above the gates leading into Auschwitz - where 1.2million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust - a sign reads 'vaccines are safe path to freedom'.

Below the cartoon is an Evening Standard article with the same headline and a caption reading: 'This cynical newspaper headline is in the tradition of the Nazi slogan "Arbeit Macht Frei" (work sets you free) whereas in reality, the truth is the opposite.'

Covid-19 conspiracy theorist Piers Corbyn has been slammed for a 'disgraceful' leaflet comparing Britain's vaccination programme to Auschwitz (pictured)

The brother of former-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, 76, (left) came up with the 'concept' for a pamphlet which features a cartoon drawing of Nazi concentration camp

Mr Corbyn is credited for the 'concept' and Alexander Heaton - who was charged with breaking Covid restrictions alongside Mr Corbyn during protests in May - for the art.

The leaflet - which has Mr Corbyn's name and website address on the back - has been pushed through the doors of homes in Barnet and Southwark, prompting outrage online.

The leaflet also appears in digital form on Mr Corbyn's website 'Stop New Normal' - which links directly to his fund to help pay off the fines incurred by repeated lockdown breaches.

Mayor of Lambeth Philip Normal shared a picture of the leaflet to Twitter and said: 'Antisemitism, racism, hate is not tolerated in my house, or this country, or the planet Earth.'

Auschwitz-Birkenau (pictured) was a concentration and extermination camp used by the Nazis during World War Two

The picture sparked outrage online, with many horrified onlookers slamming the spread of harmful disinformation and the comparison to the Holocaust as 'disgraceful.'

One user, Nick Pettigrew wrote: 'To be dangerously stupid about vaccines is one thing.

'But to use concentration camp imagery while you're doing it is disgraceful.'

Another commented: 'My great grandmother died of sepsis in a concentration camp.

The picture sparked outrage online, with many horrified onlookers slamming the spread of harmful disinformation and the comparison to the Holocaust as 'disgraceful'

'To equate life saving medicine with them is absolutely one of the most enraging things I've ever seen. Anti-semitism truly knows no bounds.'

A Jewish charity has slammed the leaflets as 'despicable' and said it is not about concerns over vaccines but about 'trolling Jews'.

Director of enforcement and investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism Stephen Silverman said: 'Piers Corbyn is an arch conspiracy theorist who was among the first to claim antisemitism allegations against his brother were part of an Israeli plot.

'Comparing the lockdown to the Auschwitz death camp, as former BNP leader Nick Griffin and others have done, is despicable.

'To deliberately distribute leaflets making that comparison is vintage Piers Corbyn harassment and baiting of Jews, and demonstrates that this is not about protesting lockdowns, it is about trolling Jews.'

Mr Corbyn was fined by police after leading a New Year's Eve anti-lockdown protest in Central London

Former-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was suspended from the party after saying anti-Semitism in Labour was 'overstated' in the wake of a damning Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism in the party.

The report ruled that the Labour party had broken equality law under his leadership.

But he was reinstated as a Labour member by the National Executive Committee following a meeting of a disciplinary panel three weeks later.

Another leaflet posted alongside the Holocaust comparison featured baseless and false claims that vaccines cause a range of conditions such cancer, autism and infertility.

Mr Corbyn, 73 was among 17 people who were arrested for breaching Health Protection Regulations at a demonstration at Speaker's Corner on January 2

Piers Corbyn has been arrested at lease twice in 2021 for repeatedly breaching lockdown to protest against lockdown measures intended to slow the spread of Covid-19.

On January 2, Mr Corbyn was among 17 people who were arrested for breaching Health Protection Regulations at the demonstration at Speaker's Corner, in Hyde Park.

A crowd of between 200 and 300 people gathered to protest against lockdown restrictions and their civil liberties being curtailed.

Former-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) was suspended from the party after saying anti-Semitism in Labour was 'overstated' in the wake of a damning Equality and Human Rights Commission report into antisemitism in the party

It came after Corbyn was fined and arrested on New Year's Day after leading a New Year's Eve anti-lockdown protest near the London Eye, in the centre of the capital.

Mr Corbyn a video of what was dubbed the 'NYE Party of Parties' on his Twitter feed, proclaiming: 'TOTAL SUCCESS! #NYEPartyofParties by London Eye.

'Over 1000 defied all threats +chanted #LetLondonLive! & #Corbyn4London after I announced I will stand for Mayor! Thank you +well done all!'

The conspiracy theorist has now been arrested at least five times since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and has received fines totalling more than 10,000.
(Natural News) One of the nations leading independent schools recently conducted a diversity audit to determine how woke its teachers are about sexual identity, social justice, and other far-left virtues.

The Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles brought in an outside consultant to quiz faculty on their compliance with progressive views in six categories of diversity: racial identity, religious identity, socioeconomic status, family structure, sexual identity, and disability status.

Teachers were asked to assess themselves in terms of how effectively they feel they convey each topic to their students. They were also asked to fill out a worksheet indicating how effectively they think their classes, regardless of subject matter, promote diversity.

The sheet specifically asked teachers to describe how their courses foster an understanding of systems of power and encourage students to develop tools for equity and justice.

In light of last summers racial justice protests, Harvard-Westlake thought it would be a good idea to analyze how effectively social justice ideology permeates class curriculum, and make adjustments accordingly.

All of Harvard-Westlakes roughly 200 teachers were given the worksheet as part of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) curricular review, which was initiated by the Glasgow Group, a Maryland-based consultancy that connects independent schools to professional diversity administrators.

Emphasizing language that is characteristic of contemporary DEI priorities, race, as one example, is described on the worksheet as a social construct that is used to group people together in relation to power and privilege. Family structure is likewise defined as anything that relates to various aspects of families, the way that they are organized and who makes up a family unit.

The implication with the latter is that all family structures, whether married, unmarried, divorced, or other, are all an equal part of diversity, and should not be looked at as better or worse than another.

Its all about vilifying white people and elevating people of color

This far-left approach to the curriculum structure has become commonplace across the country, including at bougie schools like Harvard-Westlake where tuition runs upwards of $40,000 a year.

Teachers at these schools routinely use gender-neutral pronouns, apologize for occupying native land, promote the idea that climate change is real, and advocate for domestic terrorist groups like Antifa and Black Lives Matter (BLM).

Its intrusive and completely inappropriate that Harvard-Westlake is demanding teachers get involved in indoctrinating students about things like family structure, and it shows how pervasive and revolutionary the goals are, a member of the schools community who chose to remain anonymous is quoted as saying.

This isnt really about George Floyd and racial justice  its about creating a new, extremist mission for the school that attacks our society and indoctrinates students with radical political views that are presented to them as uncontroversial and mainstream.

This transformation is being propelled by an ever-expanding workforce of DEI professionals, including the five DEI administrators that currently work at Harvard-Westlake. These administrators sent out a school-wide email back in the summer that discussed its new expanded antiracist agenda.

The Glasgow Group, by the way, is made up of 12 diversity professionals who make money spreading anti-white propaganda to the impressionable. The group actively foments anti-white racism while claiming to fight racism, all while discouraging healthy debate about sensitive subjects in favor of creating a culture of dialogue.

The group issued a statement before the election saying that it anticipated a range of emotional responses to the outcomes. The goal was to then validate this range of emotions and provide outlets for processing.

More of the latest news about student brainwashing at American institutions can be found at Propaganda.news.

Sources for this article include:

FreeBeacon.com

NaturalNews.com


Carpentaria-1 Core Results

Sydney, Feb 2, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Empire Energy Group Limited ( ASX:EEG ) ( OTCMKTS:EEGUF ) is pleased to update shareholders on the results of its formation evaluation program incorporating lab analysis recently received from W. D. Von Gonten & Co ("WDVG"), and to outline the implications for resource estimates and add details for Empire's forward work programs.Comments from Managing Director Alex Underwood: It was rewarding to report results of the Carpentaria-1 well in Q4 2020, particularly that we had encountered the thickest Velkerri Shale sequence in the Beetaloo Sub-basin. We also proved the existence of value-adding liquids-rich gas on the Beetaloo's depositional flanks. The core results recently received from WD Von Gonten & Co reinforce our view that the Velkerri Shale, and particularly its liquids-rich window within EP187, has world class potential and could replicate the transformative positive impact the shale gas industry had on the US economy and its energy position. The lab core analysis results demonstrate that the rock characteristics of the Velkerri Shale in our EP187 tenement are comparable to, and in many cases better than, those of the premier US shale plays. All the key technical attributes required for a potential commercial development are present as detailed in this announcement.Netherland Sewell and Associates has commenced analysis to update its independent resource assessment using the latest results. The principal goal of our upcoming fracture stimulation and flow testing program will be to flow hydrocarbons to surface, to measure which of the four target zones is likely to be the best producer, and the individual gas vs liquid hydrocarbon composition. The US shale experience shows that every basin is unique, requiring developed approaches to drilling and completion design. We expect this will also be the case for the Beetaloo, particularly given its geological age. To assist we are calling in the expertise of world-leading technical and operational experts to help us build our understanding of the resource in-house. We believe that this approach will drive the Company's operating capability and maximise the extent of future commercial success. Our team is working hard as we prepare for the upcoming fracture stimulation and flow testing program. We look forward to updating our fellow shareholders as the updated independent resource assessments are delivered, and as we execute the appraisal program.Core Analysis ResultsWDVG has now completed a series of laboratory tests on the core samples across the Middle Velkerri Shale sequences taken from Empire's recently drilled Carpentaria-1 well.The results (detailed further in the attached presentation) confirm that the Middle Velkerri Shale targets in Empire's EP187 have world class-rock characteristics and compare favourably to the premier US shale basins.Porosity, hydrocarbon saturation, non-clay component and total organic carbon all compare favourably, and the thermal maturity levels estimated demonstrate strong potential for liquids-rich gas production, particularly in the shallower zones. The target formation thicknesses measured in Carpentaria-1 were large compared to the major US shale plays and comparable to the Velkerri target shale thickness in the Tanumbirini-1 well drilled by Santos in the neighbouring tenement.The analyses focused on the Middle Velkerri A, Intra A/B, B and C shales, the zones Empire's technical team assess as having the greatest potential for commercial gas and liquids flows.A wider array of tests was done than initially anticipated, to allow Empire's technical team to better understand the gas and liquid hydrocarbon content of the core samples and the corresponding rock properties.Empire's technical team continues to analyse these results and incorporate them into its developing geotechnical model of the Middle Velkerri Shale within EP187.Updated Resource AssessmentThe core results are being collated with the downhole data gathered in the logging of Carpentaria-1 to feed into resource estimates for EP187.Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. ("NSAI") has been engaged to generate an updated independent prospective resource estimate for EP187 incorporating all of these results.Empire expects to update shareholders on the results of NSAI's assessment later in Q1 2021.2021 Work ProgramThe NT regulatory approval process for the hydraulic stimulation and flow testing of Carpentaria-1 across numerous target zones of the Middle Velkerri Shale is progressing well, with final approvals expected later in Q1 2021.Empire has also started the tendering process for the program and discussions are underway with several services companies. Shareholders will be advised as preferred contractors are selected.Detailed technical analysis using the full results of the Carpentaria-1 formation evaluation program to assess the optimal fracture stimulation and flow testing design is underway, and that program will test Empire's thesis that the Middle Velkerri Shale in EP187 can produce commercial hydrocarbons.Empire presently anticipates commencing the fracture stimulation and flow testing program in Q2 2021. The program will be funded from existing cash at bank.To view the results presentation, please visit:About Empire Energy Group Ltd

Empire Energy (ASX:EEG) (OTCMKTS:EEGUF) holds over 14.5 million acres of highly prospective exploration tenements in the McArthur and Beetaloo Basins, Northern Territory. Work undertaken by the Company since 2010 demonstrates that the Eastern depositional Trough of the McArthur Basin, of which the Company holds 80% has very considerable conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon potential. The Beetaloo sub-Basin, in which Empire holds a substantial position, has independently assessed world class hydrocarbon volumes in place with a major ramp up in industry activity underway to appraise substantial discoveries already made by major Australian oil and gas operators.

Empire Energy is an experienced conventional oil and gas producer with operations in the Appalachia region (New York and Pennsylvania). Empire has been successfully developing and producing oil and gas since 2006.
KABUL  Deputy and Acting Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab received Kazakh Ambassador Alimkhan Esengildiev to discuss the Afghan peace process and bilateral relations.

At the outset, Deputy and Acting Foreign Minister congratulated Kazakhstan for the recent successful parliamentary Election.

Discussing the Afghan peace, Mr. Nab touched on the importance of ceasefire and violence reduction in the second round of Afghan peace talks in Doha. He highlighted good bilateral relations and Kazakhstan's role in regional consensus-building and achieving lasting peace in Afghanistan and the region.

Kazakh Ambassador assured Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan's support to achieving regional consensus in preserving the gains made during the past two decades and sustainable peace in Afghanistan.
Currently the country averages over 153,000 daily cases and over 3,200 daily deaths, CDC data show.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Amid a slow and uneven rollout of vaccines and increasing concern about new coronavirus variants, key COVID-19 indicators show ease of the pandemic across the country, according to a weekly report of The COVID-19 Tracking Project.

For the second week in a row, new cases and hospitalizations dropped nationally, 14 percent for cases and 12 percent for hospitalizations.

However, cases and hospitalizations remain much higher than at any point before the fall and winter surge, according to the tracking project.

A total of 164,876 new cases and 3,532 deaths were reported across the country on Friday, according to the data updated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Saturday.

Currently the country averages over 153,000 daily cases and over 3,200 daily deaths, CDC data show.

People wearing face masks visit the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., the United States, Jan. 24, 2021. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua)

There were a total of 97,561 COVID-19 hospitalizations as of Saturday, the first time below 100,000 since Dec. 1 last year, according to the tracking project.

Tests have also declined for about 3 percent, which may mean that more cases are being missed.

COVID-19 deaths rose 7 percent this week, with states reporting a total of 22,797 lives lost to COVID-19, according to the tracking project.

Deaths lag behind cases. Even with cases falling across the country, there may be another week or more of very high death numbers to come, according to the project.

Nationwide, new cases among white and African Americans are down more than 10 percent compared to the previous week, and among Latino people more than 20 percent, the second week in a row with fewer new cases for all three groups.

Motorists line up to receive inoculation at a COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, the United States, Jan. 15, 2021. (Xinhua)

In California, the most populous state in the United States, COVID-19 deaths surge at record pace as cases decline.

An average of 544 people died every day in the last week, and on Saturday the state reached the grim milestone of 40,000 deaths overall, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The vaccine rollout in the United States has drawn great public attention since it started on Dec. 14 last year. Health experts and officials have blamed states for slow vaccine rollout.

About 29.6 million doses have been administered as of Jan. 30, according to CDC data.

The United States has recorded more than 26.09 million COVID-19 cases with over 440,000 related deaths as of Sunday noon, according to the real-time count kept by Johns Hopkins University.


JAY JANNER/AMERICAN-STATESMAN, MBR / TNS

The longshot lawsuit Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton brought to the Supreme Court to challenge and invalidate election results in four swing states wasn't drafted by Paxton, but by former President Donald Trump's lawyers, a detailed report from the New York Times revealed.

A report from the New York Times examining the 77 days Trump spent attempting to challenge the 2020 presidential election results reveals that a team of lawyers close to Trump's campaign drafted the lawsuit Paxton brought to the Supreme Court after Paxton was the only attorney general willing to do so.
Islamabad:

Pakistan Prime Ministers Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Tuesday said that Pakistan will not enter into any dialogue with India that excludes Kashmir. He asserted that Islamabad wants to settle all contentious issues through result-oriented talks.

Indian belligerent posturing and their desire to conduct dialogue on their own terms ie without Kashmir, will never be acceptable, said Aziz briefing a 20-member delegation of Kashmir Journalist Forum from PoK at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He said UN chief Antonio Guterres has expressed his concern over tension between India and Pakistan, called for a dialogue and offered to play role to help resolve Kashmir issue.

Aziz said Indias refusal to accept the role of the UN or good offices of the other leaders for reducing tension between India and Pakistan by resolving the Kashmir issue reflects Indian desperation to hide its crimes against humanity in the valley.

Pakistan wants to settle all contentious issues, particularly the Kashmir dispute with India through a sustained and result-oriented dialogue, he said.

He asked the UN, OIC and Human Rights Organisations to step up efforts to stop the bloodshed of Kashmiris and ensure early implementation of UNSC Resolutions.

Aziz said that protest in Kashmir has now entered a critical phase and the Indian propaganda of down-playing the Kashmir issue is also being defeated.

If there is nothing wrong then why there are over 700,000 fully armed Indian forces stationed? Why the entire media has been blocked?, he said.

He said despite the gravity of the situation on ground and persistent international pressure on India to resume dialogue with Pakistan with particular focus on Kashmir issue, Indian government has been trying to divert global attention from the situation in the Valley by heating up Line of Control and Working Boundary.

Also read: Pakistan approaches UN, international community to stop violence in Kashmir

Also read: Sushma Swaraj tells Pakistani man to get Azizs letter for medical visa



For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Caring Transitions Whether youre relocating a loved one or clearing out the house of someone who has passed, the Caring Transitions team can truly help ease the situation. - Grimm said

Steven Grimm is looking forward to serving his community in a different way through his new business  Caring Transitions of Manassas.

After retiring from a career with the United States Army and 15 years in federal civil service, Grimm wants to build a business and make a difference in the community. Caring Transitions speaks to me because it allows me to work with seniors and have a positive impact, he said.

I fully understand what families are going through. Weve relocated many times in life and have worked to provide the right space for an ill family member. I know its tough and we can help. Whether youre relocating a loved one or clearing out the house of someone who has passed, the Caring Transitions team can truly help ease the situation, Grimm said.

Caring Transitions is the professional and compassionate choice for senior moves, downsizing and online estate sales. Caring Transitions specially trained professionals handle every detail of their clients transition including decluttering, cleanouts, packing, move management, unpacking, resettling into your new home with both in-home and online estate sales. Caring Transitions of Manassas serves Manassas, Manassas Park, Nokesville, Warrenton, Aden, Catlett, New Baltimore, Independent Hill, Bristow, Woodlawn Meadows and the surrounding areas.

At Caring Transitions, we understand that you may be experiencing an emotional and stressful situation. Were here to help relieve that stress so you can focus on your family and get to the next step in your lives, Grimm said. My wife, Abeba, and I have retired to Manassas and we are looking forward to being an even bigger part of this community through Caring Transitions.

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.

Caring Transitions of Manassas is bonded and insured, and all employees are background checked. For additional information, call 571-365-7284, email CTManassas@CaringTransitions.com or visit http://www.CaringTransitionsManassas.com.

Shannon Group has been in talks with online retail giant Amazon about the possibility of locating a significant distribution facility and other infrastructure at Shannon Airport in what would be a major coup for the region.

The Irish Independent understands that talks have been under way for some time and have progressed to an advanced stage.

It comes as Amazon is poised to rent property in Dublin to use as a fulfilment centre.

That would be its first such operation in Ireland and would help the retailer to bypass issues caused by Brexit in servicing the Irish market. The 650,000 sq ft facility is located close to Baldonnell airfield.

Its believed that the plans under consideration by Amazon for Shannon Airport would involve a distribution node rather than a fulfilment operation.

Amazon said it doesnt comment on rumour or speculation.

The US company has invested more than 2bn in Ireland in the past decade and employs about 4,000 people here.

A spokesperson for Shannon Group, the semi-State company that operates Shannon Airport, declined to comment in relation to talks with the internet giant.

However, it confirmed that its been working on plans for a new landside/airside cargo facility that will be located on the Shannon Airport campus.

Read More

Shannon Group is uniquely positioned in that it has a significant supply of landside/airside development sites suitable for distribution of goods by both air and road, said the spokesperson.

In the past five years, Shannon Group has delivered one million square feet of new and refurbished aviation, office and manufacturing facilities.

Tenants to move to the Shannon Free Zone have included Jaguar Land Rover, Edward Lifesciences and MeiraGtx, a clinical-stage gene therapy company.

Shannon Groups commercial property company, Shannon Commercial Properties, has just kicked off the next phase of their development strategy for Shannon Free Zone, where they propose to develop 140,000 sq ft of new warehousing, distribution and manufacturing space, added a spokesperson.

Shannon Group has endured a difficult year, with the pandemic hitting core businesses including Shannon Airport and a number of tourist attractions it manages around the country.

Shannon Group chief executive Mary Considine said last month that the company is committed to rebuilding its business following the Covid crisis.

She said the pandemic has had a devastating impact on its airport and visitor attractions activities.

But with the right supports, the foundations for recovery exist within Shannon Group, namely our improved core airport infrastructure, vibrant property portfolio, strong tourism offering and vibrant aviation cluster, she added.

Shannon Group manages attractions such as King Johns Castle in Limerick, which it also owns, and Bunratty Castle. Other venues it oversees include the GPO Witness History Museum in Dublin, Malahide Castle and Newbridge House and Farm.

Its heritage sites welcomed just 302,000 visitors in 2020, a 69pc reduction on 2019. Shannon Airports passenger numbers fell 79pc to 352,000 last year.
Soon after Marc Wilson gets his second dose of coronavirus vaccine, he plans to resume one of his pre-pandemic joys: swimming laps with his friends. But most other activities - including volunteering at a food pantry and homeless shelter - will be off-limits until the outbreak is curbed and scientists know more about the threat of emerging variants.

"I can definitely broaden the things I do, but I still have to be quite cautious," said Wilson, 70, a retired accountant in Norman, Okla., who has diabetes and other health problems. "When your doctor tells you, 'If you get covid, you're dead,' that gets your attention real good."

The arrival of coronavirus vaccines is beginning to have an impact on everyday life, with millions of newly inoculated Americans eagerly anticipating a return to long-postponed activities and visits with sorely missed relatives and friends. But with Anthony S. Fauci, the nation's top infectious-disease expert, warning that vaccinations are not a "pass," the recently inoculated are engaged in a new round of complicated risk-benefit assessments. What can I safely do? Where can I go? And how do I interact with peoplewho are not vaccinated?

The answers aren't simple. In the meantime, the asymmetric nature of the rollout - with many older Americans and health-care workers receiving shots first, while tens of millions of others await their turns - is shifting relationships in families and in society more broadly. Grandparents who once hunkered down at home, most vulnerable to a virus that preys on the elderly, now are likely to be better protected than younger relatives who are waiting to be vaccinated.

Experts agree broadly on many issues people have questions about. But they differ on details and lack some important information. They still don't know, for example, whether people who are vaccinated can get asymptomatic infections and pass them on to those who are not inoculated - which is why they urge people to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing even after receiving their shots.Scientists also are racing to determine how much protection vaccines offer against the highly transmissible variants popping up in the United States.

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are about 95 percent effective against the original version of the virus and highly effective against a variant first found in Britain. New data show vaccines by Novavax and Johnson & Johnson also provide robust protection. But, based on early data, the vaccines appear less potent against a variant that was first identified in South Africa and has been found in the United States.

One thing is clear: Reports of mutated coronaviruses are fueling anxiety and confusion in a populace already worn out by conflicting advice on a pandemic that has been raging for nearly a year in the United States.

"It's brutally hard," said Robert Wachter, chief of the medicine department at the University of California at San Francisco. "For the past year, we have had our game plan for living and now we have these curveballs - the increased prevalence of the virus, the variants and the vaccines. We have all had to learn to be armchair epidemiologists and now we have these new realities."

Wachter, 64, who recently got his second shot, said he feels comfortable doing a few things he did not do before being vaccinated, such as going to the dentist and having his hair cut professionally, rather than by his wife, who has not been vaccinated. But he is careful to avoid doing anything that could increase her risk.

He does not plan to dine indoors with people outside his household, even if they are vaccinated, until the coronavirus is much less prevalent and not able to circulate freely. Earlier in the pandemic, experts thought such herd immunity could be achieved after 70 to 75 percent of people were vaccinated or had developed natural immunity from previous coronavirus infections. But the level of coverage may need to be even higher - 80 to 85 percent - if a more transmissible strain becomes dominant, a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday. That could delay herd immunity until the fall or later, scientists say.

Wachter and several older Americans who were recently vaccinated told The Washington Post that they consider themselves fortunate to have gotten the shots and realize navigating the uncertainties of a post-vaccine life is a good problem to have. Many are being conservative - birthday parties in crowded bars are not on their agendas - and using their new status to help others who remain unprotected, including adult children who previously had been anxious about their parents' vulnerability.

For months, Jan Solomon, 69, has been doing the grocery shopping so her 72-year-old husband does not have to go to the store. Now she and her husband, both of whom are getting vaccinated, are focusing on their 35-year-old son, who is temporarily living at their home in Washington and unlikely to be inoculated for months.

"We will definitely still wear masks, not go into restaurants and keep our distance" from others, she said. "We need to protect our son and don't want to be carriers."

Many public health experts say that while vaccinated people can enjoy a bit more freedom - flying while masked, for example, is far less of a risk after inoculation - behavior should not change much. Besides the concern that inoculated people might serve as carriers of the virus, they note a small number might still get covid-19 while the virus is circulating so widely, although the chances of hospitalization or death are low.

Melanie Swift, co-director of the Mayo Clinic's vaccination-distribution program, said she would not fly for pleasure, only for work. And, given the high level of virus in much of the United States, geriatrician June McKoy of Northwestern Medicine said even people who are vaccinated need to be careful when visiting inoculated elderly relatives, and should wear masks and sanitize their hands.

"The vaccine is not a get-out-of-jail-free card," she said.

Robert Califf, 69, a cardiologist and Food and Drug Administration commissioner during the Obama administration, agreed that people need to take precautions after being vaccinated. But he cautioned doctors against being overly rigid in their prescriptions for post-vaccine life. "People won't believe you," he said.

A few weeks after he and his wife get two doses of vaccine, they plan to fly from North Carolina to Colorado to see both sets of grandchildren and will use "testing, masking and modified social distancing" during the trip to keep risks low.

Some doctors say public health experts should emphasize the upside of vaccines and not dwell on what people can't do after being inoculated. "Doom-and-gloom messaging" is not an effective way to encourage people to get the shots, said Monica Gandhi, an infectious-disease specialist at UCSF. "You have to message hope and optimism."

She said she doesn't see a problem with two couples who are vaccinated having dinner indoors together - something Swift and some other doctors advised against until the pandemic is curtailed.

Gandhi said her parents, who are in their 80s, plan to fly to California to visit her after they are vaccinated and then go on to Boston to see her sister and brother. "It's the only thing they can talk about," she said, adding, "We need to recognize plain old loneliness. To think it isn't real belies the very process of evolution that led primates to gather together in groups. It is actually what makes us human."

She also doubts that people who have received both doses of the vaccines will be able to transmit much of the virus, and points to data from Moderna that showed a sharp drop in transmission after the first dose. Many other scientists say she may be right but that more data is needed.

As the debates among experts continue, many older people who are being vaccinated welcome the possibility of returning to favorite pastimes, hugging a loved one and taking better care of themselves.

Barry MacKichan, a 76-year-old software developer in Hillsborough, N.C., is eager to resume photographing wildlife from somewhere other than his backyard. He also hopes his daughter and three grandchildren, who live in New Zealand, will be able to visit him this summer, an annual tradition disrupted by the pandemic. That may not be until July, after the children are vaccinated.

In the meantime, MacKichan and his wife plan to continue to wear masks "in moral support for everyone else who has to."

Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Georgetown University's Center for Global Health Science and Security, welcomes that attitude. She is worried that unless people who are vaccinated continue to wear masks, the United States could become a two-tiered society in which people who are inoculated say, "I can do what I want." She added: "It causes a social hierarchy based on immune status, and that is bad news."

Erin Fusco, 45,a nurse and assistant professor at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, will soon receive her second dose of vaccine. Fucso has gone back to the gym she missed badly and uses the treadmill and weights. And she has scheduled a mammogram and a colonoscopy that she postponed last year.

But as for other pre-pandemic behaviors, she said: "I'm waiting for someone to tell us that it's safe." She said she wants politicians including New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, D, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, D, or President Joe Biden to authorize a return to normalcy.

Katie Clapp, 56, is more expansive about her post-inoculation plans. After she gets her second dose, she plans to restart horseback riding lessons for children at the stable she runs in Stillwater, Minn., to go out to dinner with friends and to visit a new grandchild in Malibu, Calif.

"I'm so excited," said Clapp, who got vaccinated at a Minneapolis clinic that had extra doses.

But she has become a bit more cautious as virus variants emerge. "If variants make the vaccines less than 95 percent effective, what does that mean?" she said. "Ninety-five percent to what percent?"

The answer to that question and others, experts hope, will come in the next several months, as vaccine makers and the government scrutinize the effect of the variants on the vaccines.

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told NPR recently that the government and industry are trying to stay "a step or two ahead" of the variants and that the manufacturers are coming up with new versions of their vaccines "just in case" they are needed.

In the meantime, he said, he continues to wear a mask and take other precautions even though he has been vaccinated.
An administrator in charge of New Jerseys only womens prison, who inmates and relatives say played a prominent role last month when some women said they were beaten by officers, previously was accused of at least three separate cases of misconduct. 

Inmates have sued Associate Administrator Sean St. Paul at least three times in the past seven years, according to federal court records. One said St. Paul broke his arm. Two others said he refused to stop officers from abusing other prisoners.

St. Paul also was suspended 20 days more than a decade ago for workplace discrimination, but after an appeal that charge was dropped, according to state records.

He is one of dozens of staff from the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility on paid administrative leave, according to William Sullivan, president of NJ PBA Local 105, the states largest corrections union.

St. Paul is the highest-ranking person to be suspended so far from the Hunterdon County prison, state and union officials said. His position is below the prisons overall administrator, who was on leave before retirement.

Several prisoners and their relatives say St. Paul was part of a Jan. 11 incident when, inmates allege, they were brutally attacked by staff, according to three letters written by prisoners and interviews with two inmates and other family members.

One woman told NJ Advance Media she was sexually assaulted by an officer.

Lawmakers have since demanded the commissioner in charge of the entire prison system be fired, and the governor appointed a special investigator to look into the incident.

St. Paul could not be reached for comment.

NJ Advance Media called, emailed and messaged phone numbers, email addresses and a LinkedIn account listed for St. Paul throughout last week. Nobody answered the door Friday at a property St. Paul owns and a lawyer who represented St. Paul in the discrimination case said he no longer works with St. Paul.

A prison spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment on St. Pauls role in the Jan. 11 incident or his record at the department.

I heard a bone crack

At least three male inmates in recent years have sued St. Paul, who previously worked in at least one mens prison in New Jersey.

Last year, a man accused St. Paul and two other officers of breaking his arm several years earlier, according to court records.

During a transfer, St. Paul was standing on top of me and stomping kicking beating on me, wrote Douglas Manning, who is in East Jersey State Prison for multiple charges, including sexual assault and manslaughter, according to prison records.

Manning said St. Paul twisted his arm and I heard a bone crack, according to the complaint. The lawsuit is ongoing.

A spokesman for the state attorney generals office, which represents the corrections department in court, declined to comment on that case.

In a 2018 complaint, Christopher Sperry said an officer beat him in retaliation for having filed a grievance.

Other officers soon arrived. St. Paul was part of a group that either actively participated in the attack or failed to intervene, according to the lawsuit.

Attorneys representing the corrections department have broadly denied his allegations in court. Sperry is in prison for robbery, and his attorney could not be reached for comment. The suit is ongoing.

A third male inmate said St. Paul condones and supports misconduct by officers he supervised.

Lemont Love said he once overheard St. Paul speaking with another staff member near a mail room, according to a 2015 lawsuit.

A Code 33 was called, which is when officers are summoned to stop a fight or assist with an unruly prisoner.

When St. Paul was told which inmate was the target of the call, he allegedly replied, Hes getting f----d up, hes getting f----d up.

St. Paul also knew of complaints accusing multiple officers of abusive behavior but he has failed to take disciplinary action against them or otherwise control their behavior, Love wrote.

Love is in prison for drug, assault and robbery charges, among others. He represented himself in the case, which was dismissed on procedural grounds.

Years prior, St. Paul was also suspended for 20 working days for violating the states workplace discrimination policy, according to records from the civil service commission, a bipartisan agency that oversees public employment in the state.

After St. Paul appealed the 2007 charge, the punishment was dropped to a written reprimand and he was given 20 days worth of back pay, records show. After another hearing, the written reprimand was thrown out too.

St. Paul then asked the civil service commission to give him more than $37,485 to reimburse his lawyer, David Heintjes. The agency denied his request, according to the records.

When reached by phone, Heintjes said he did not recall what accusation St. Paul originally faced.

Full disciplinary files for officers are not considered public records in New Jersey and typically only surface through lawsuits and civil service appeals, so its unclear whether St. Paul faced other discipline throughout his career.

The womens prison

In recent weeks, families of at least two of the women who were allegedly attacked say they had been trying to speak with St. Paul about complaints concerning several officers. The families hoped he would help.

He assured me he would handle it, one mother, who asked not to be identified out of fear of retaliation for her daughter, told NJ Advance Media.

The other woman never heard back from St. Paul, the second relative said.

Its unknown if St. Paul addressed the complaints about verbal and physical harassment from officers.

In early January, there were also multiple instances of inmates throwing fecal matter at officers, according to Sullivan, the union official.

On Jan. 11, officers tried to move several women from their cells, Sullivan said.

Many details of the cell extraction are still unknown, and prison officials have so far declined to provide more information, citing the pending criminal investigation.

One inmate, Ajila Nelson, said a group of armored officers barged into her cell in the prisons Restrictive Housing Unit, where women are held for disciplinary reasons.

They punched and kicked her and stripped off her clothes while she was handcuffed, Nelson said. Other women also said they were hurt in the process.

In a phone interview last week, Nelson said she saw St. Paul present while she was being attacked.

She also alleged that another officer grabbed her breast and put his fingers into my vagina.

NJ Advance Media does not normally name victims of alleged sexual assault, but Nelson said she wanted to come forward to increase public awareness, especially since other women have reported abuse at the prison over the years.

The mother previously in contact with St. Paul said her daughter suffered a concussion, whiplash, a split lip, bruises all over her back and knots on her head from the incident.

If the person that is supposed to help you when things like this go on is the person behind it all, then who do you turn to? the mother said about St. Paul.

Two women reported that after the alleged attack St. Paul threatened future retaliation if they misbehaved.

St. Paul allegedly said, they want to act up this will happen every night, according to a letter written by an inmate. NJ Advance Media is not naming the letters author to protect her from retaliation.

St. Paul was placed on paid administrative leave Jan. 15, according to state and union officials.

He joined the state payroll in 1991 and was making $128,195 as of September, according to online pension records.

He was appointed to a Prison Gang Violence Task Force in 2005, according to legislative records, and by 2018 hed earned the rank of lieutenant and was working at Northern State Prison, union records show.

He was associate administrator at the womens prison by the start of the pandemic, according to an internal memo.

The department announced a new Edna Mahan administrator, Patricia McGill, 10 days after staff were first suspended, according to another internal memo obtained by NJ Advance Media.

McGill was initially acting administrator and fully took the reins Monday, prison spokeswoman Liz Velez wrote in an email.

NJ Advance Media Research Editor Vinessa Erminio 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.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com.

Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters.

More than 5,000 people were arrested as tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny

Russian authorities mounted a massive effort to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the largest, most widespread show of discontent that Russia has seen in years.

Yet despite threats of jail terms, warnings to social media groups and notable displays of riot police, the protests again engulfed many cities yesterday.

Mr Navalnys team quickly called another protest in Moscow for tomorrow, when he is set to face a court hearing that could send him to prison for years.

Read More

The 44-year-old, an anti-corruption investigator who is President Vladimir Putins best-known critic, was arrested on January 17 on his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

Russian authorities have rejected the accusations.

He was arrested for allegedly violating his parole conditions by not reporting for meetings with law enforcement while recuperating in Germany.

The United States urged Russia to release Mr Navalny and criticised the crackdown on protests.

The Russian foreign ministry rejected the call as a crude interference in Russias internal affairs and accused Washington of trying to destabilise the situation in the country by backing the protests.

Police detained more than 5,000 people at protests held in cities across Russias 11 time zones, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests.

In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city centre, closing underground stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and shops to stay closed.

Mr Navalnys team initially called for yesterdays protest to be held on Moscows Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which Mr Navalny claims was responsible for his poisoning.

After police cordoned off the area around the square, the protest shifted to another central square a kilometre away. Officers were deployed in force at this location too, randomly picking up people and putting them in police buses.

But hundreds of others marched across the city centre, chanting Putin, resign! and Putin, thief!, a reference to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for the Russian leader that was featured in a widely popular video released by Mr Navalnys team.

Some later marched to the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Mr Navalny is being held, but met rows of riot police who chased them back and detained scores.

Nearly 1,500 people were detained in Moscow, including Mr Navalnys wife, Yulia.
January has been a month chockful of noteworthy historic moments including Georgia electing its first Black senator, Joe Biden being sworn in as the 46th president and Donald Trump becoming the first president to be impeached twice.

However, history books in the future will have plenty of content to review during the Trump administrations four years.

On Wednesday Jan. 6, a terroristic attack by an alt-right, pro-Trump extremist mob on the U.S. Capitol left four dead including a Capitol police officer. That same week, Trumps announcement of refusing to attend president-elect Joe Bidens inauguration was another first.

With men and women brandishing T-shirts declaring Civil War on Jan. 6, Dr. Jerry Thompson, TAMIU Regents Professor of History, believed the simple notion of repeating the 1860s conflict was absurd. Thompson believes that many who joined in the discussion of another civil war have little education in U.S history in comparison to the average American.

Thompson has written over 27 books that focus on the Civil War, specifically in South Texas. These include 2016s A Civil War History of the New Mexico Volunteers and Militia and 2006s Civil War and Revolution on the Rio Grande Frontier.

Thats only discussion among ignorant people who have no understanding or any comprehension of American history whatsoever, he said.

For better understanding of the severity of the notion, in 1864, the Battle of Cold Harbor resulted in 18,000 casualties. While the Capitol attack resulted in the death of members of the extremist mob, it also resulted in the death of a Capitol police officer.

Many of those who stormed the Capitol proclaimed it was in push for freedom and democracy. Ironically, they were attempting to upend straightforward election results.

Its perfectly absurd for those people to make any kind of reference to what happened as a civil war, Thompson said.

Throughout the week, photos and videos of men and women swarming the Capitol, trying to disrupt the electoral college counting and confirmation of Bidens victory were on the news cycle non-stop. Thompson referenced one person who was seen walking through the chaos at the Capitol waving a Confederate flag.

The Confederate flag has long been a controversial symbol that has been more proudly waved by Trump supporters in public these last four years. CNN reported that during the Civil War, the confederate flag never reached the perimeter of the Capitol like it did this month.

Just the idea that a mob can break into the Capitol is really sad, Thompson said.

Another first was posted on Twitter when Trump said that he would not attend the inauguration, a longstanding American tradition that Thompson called a peaceful, respectful transition of power from one party to another.

He referenced the Al Gore-George Bush transition, where the 2001 presidential race leaned to Bush by 500 votes, a far cry from the 7 million votes Trump lost to Biden. Thompson added that Throughout history, you can find other examples that.

Trump now joins John Addams and John Quincy Adams as those who did not share the peaceful and respectful transition of power.

This history that you and I are watching today is different than I have known, and I can remember all the way back to Harry Truman, Thompson said. And I have no doubt, no doubt whatsoever, that when the historians write history 100 years from now and they rank the presidents as they usually do, Trump would be right there, right at the very bottom as one of the worst presidents in American history.

Thompson is not alone as an NPR poll showed that approximately 47% of those questioned believe that Trump was one of the worst U.S presidents, and an additional 13% stated he was below average. Regardless, the poll continued to ask participants whether they felt the country was going in the right or wrong direction, with 75% of them believing it was going in the wrong direction.

Ultimately, Thompson said the future of textbooks will be very interesting as they are updated each year by nationally known historians. With how contentious Trump was for the entirety of his administration, including lambasting the Black Lives Matter movement, commending alt-right extremists and inciting a riot against the U.S. Capitol, Thompson believes that is what Trump will be known for in the years to come.
Army chaplain under investigation over Facebook posts critical of transgender troops

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A U.S. Army chaplain based in Texas faces an investigation after he made a social media post suggesting that transgender individuals are mentally unfit to serve in the military.

In a Jan. 26 tweet, the Armys Security Force Assistance Command announced that the recent comments posted to the Army Times Facebook page by Maj. Andrew Calvert regarding President Joe Biden's policy on transgender service members are under investigation.

How is rejecting reality (biology) not evidence that a person is mentally unfit (ill), and thus making that person unqualified to serve? asked Calvert as he commented on a Facebook post from the Army Times.

A Twitter user flagged Calvert's posts and argued that Calvert "cannot be trusted to support soldiers for another minute."

In his post, Calvert argued that there is "little difference" between those who believe in transgenderism and "those who believe and argue for a flat earth' despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary."

"The motivation is different, but the argument is the same," the chaplain stated. This person is a MedBoard for Mental Wellness waiting to happen. What a waste of military resources and funding!

In his Facebook profile, Calvert describes himself as a Christian, Husband, Father, Pastor, Army Chaplain. His profile also notes that he is employed as a brigade chaplain at the 3rd Security Force Assistance Brigade, located in Fort Hood, Texas.

In a subsequent Facebook comment, Calvert argued that his position was not extreme in the slightest.

The most nurturing counsel I can give to someone who is under the delusion of transgenderism (gender dysphoria) is to recommend professional counseling to assist in the healing process," Calvert reportedly wrote in the post. "To not do so, and merely pander to make-believe social whims of the moment, is not only damaging but idiocy.

Calverts Facebook posts came after Biden, who took office on Jan. 20, announced the reversal of President Donald Trumps ban on transgender troops serving in the military.

The former president cited the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail as the justification for his decision. By doing so, Trump reversed an Obama-era policy allowing openly transgender individuals to serve in the Armed Forces.

Additionally, the Security Force Assistance Command's post instructed members of the Army to Always remember to Think, Type, Post when it comes to engaging in conversation on social media platforms."

"We are soldiers 24/7 and that means always treating people with dignity and respect," the tweet reads.

A Christian professor has also faced consequences for his criticism of Bidens reversal of Trump's military transgender policy.

Professor Robert Gagnon of Houston Baptist University was locked out of his Facebook account for 24 hours after referring to transgender ideology as a religious cult and a pseudo-science in a comment defending a friends satirical commentary about Bidens reversal of the transgender military ban.

In addition to Calvert and Gagnon, prominent conservative organizations were also quick to criticize Bidens executive order.

Tony Perkins, president of the socially conservative activist organization Family Research Council, asserted that by signing the executive order, Biden was diverting precious dollars from mission-critical training to something as controversial as gender reassignment surgery.

Perkins added that the military cannot focus its efforts on preparing to fight and win wars when it is being used as a vehicle to advance the far-left agenda.

After considerable study, the previous administration found gender dysphoric people attempt suicide at about nine times the rate of the general population," said Lt. Gen. Tom Spoehr, the director of the conservative Heritage Foundations Center for National Defense.

"Service members diagnosed with gender dysphoria are also nine times more likely to have mental health encounters with a professional."

Spoehr contends that it would be "immoral" to place individuals at higher risk from mental injury in situations "where they are likely to experience extraordinary stress."

Calvert is hardly the first Army chaplain to face the prospect of punishment for holding to biblical Christian beliefs about marriage and sexuality.

Scott Squires, who served as an Army chaplain at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, faced the possibility of career-ending punishment in 2018 after telling a lesbian couple that they could not participate in a marriage retreat he was hosting because his religious beliefs taught him that marriage was a union between a man and a woman.

Ultimately, the couple was allowed to attend the retreat after another chaplain was tapped to host the event. While the U.S. Army initially recommended that Squires be charged with dereliction of duty, the chaplain was cleared of all charges a year later.
In recent weeks, the governor has repeatedly made it clear that he believed he had no choice but to seize more control over pandemic policy from state and local public health officials, who he said had no understanding of how to conduct a real-world, large-scale operation like vaccinations. After early problems, in which relatively few doses were being administered, the pace of vaccinations has picked up and New York is now roughly 20th in the nation in percentage of residents who have received at least one vaccine dose.

WASHINGTON - A federal judge on Monday vacated the Trump administration rule limiting which scientific studies the Environmental Protection Agency can use in crafting public health protections, overturning one of the last major actions taken by the agency before Joe Biden took office.

The ruling by Judge Brian Morris, chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, Great Falls, marked a victory for environmental groups and public health advocates. Two weeks before Biden's inauguration, the EPA finalized a rule requiring researchers to disclose the raw data involved in their public health studies before the agency could rely upon their conclusions.

The rule, which was made effective immediately, assigned less weight to studies built on medical histories and other confidential data from human subjects where the underlying information was not revealed. That sort of research - including dose-response studies, which evaluate how much a person's exposure to a substance increases the risk of harm - have been used for decades to justify EPA regulations.

Officials appointed by President Donald Trump, including then-EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, said the new rule would provide the public with greater insight on the scientific basis for new regulations.

But critics said the Trump administration aimed to impede or block access to the best available science, weakening the government's ability to create new protections against pollution, pesticides, and possibly even the coronavirus.

Three groups - the Environmental Defense Fund, the Montana Environmental Information Center and Citizens for Clean Energy - sued and last week Morris ruled that the agency acted improperly by issuing the rule under the Federal Housekeeping Statute, which allows for changes that are only procedural and not substantive. The Biden administration requested the judge vacate the rule and send it back to the agency.

The Biden administration is "pleased" with the ruling, said EPA spokeswoman Lindsay Hamilton, adding that the agency "is committed to making evidence-based decisions and developing policies and programs that are guided by the best science."

Monday's court decision, coming less than two weeks after the Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia struck down the 2019 rule that eased restrictions on power plants' carbon emissions, will make it easier for the new administration to unwind Trump-era environmental policies.

Environmental Defense Fund attorney Ben Levitan, whose group also challenged the emissions rule, said the recent rulings "just reinforced the fundamental unlawfulness of Trump."

"It's a hopeful sign that our environmental laws have survived the Trump administration," he added. "There's a real opportunity to implement the laws Congress passed and protect Americans from health and environmental harms."

Mandy Gunasekara, who was Wheeler's chief of staff, said she hoped Biden officials would build on the Trump administration's work even if they disagreed with its methods.

"The decision is unfortunate but does not change the goal of the science transparency rule, which I would urge the new administration to support: enhance the public trust in agency actions and improve regulatory outcomes," she said.

Darren Bakst, senior research fellow in agricultural policy at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said in an interview that the rule did not bar studies outright if they did not release their data, but "would provide less weight" to them. Even that provision, he noted, could be waived by the administrator on a case-by-case basis.

"It is a very narrow situation when there are confidentiality concerns," he said, adding that the rule aimed to strengthen the public's faith in the agency's work. "You don't know something's the best available science until you see what goes into that."

In one of his final interviews before stepping down, Wheeler faulted environmental groups for rushing to challenge his agency's work in court. "I have no problem with someone suing me if they take the time to read it and understand what the regulation does," he said last month. "The environmental groups have a terrible record of knee-jerk reactions."
A car bomb exploded at Kabul PD10 during the wee hours of February 1 near the office of Saadat Mansoor Naderi, Afghanistan's Minister of State for Peace Affairs. As per news agency ANI report, the security officials have informed that the blast was targeting an armoured vehicle that belonged to the head of Naderis office, Khushnood Nabizadeh in the Afghanistan capital. The incident reportedly took place at around 7:26 AM (local time) on Monday in the Shaheed roundabout in Kabul' PD10 after Nabizada's vehicle hit by an IED.

The law enforcement has reported that there were no casualties in the blast even though Nabizada and two of his children, were inside the car at the time car bomb exploded. The relatives of Naderis head of the office have reportedly confirmed that no one from his family including the driver was hurt. Mondays explosion came after gunmen fired on a car in northern Kabul earlier this month and killed two women judges who worked for Afghanistans high court, injuring the driver. It was also the latest attack in the Afghan capital during ongoing peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government officials in Qatar.

Read - Biden Admin Supports Talks Aimed At Finding Political Settlement To War In Afghanistan

Read - Fugitive Pakistani Militant Killed By Bomb In Afghanistan

US, NATO Allies 'strongly condemn' Taliban violence

The latest car bomb explosion in Kabul occurred a day after the United States along with its NATO allies on January 31 strongly condemned the continuation of violence, including the destruction of vital infrastructure in Afghanistan by the Taliban. A joint statement published by the US Embassy in Kabul said, The international community has invested heavily in energy, food security, water resources, and road infrastructure for the benefit of the Afghan people. We condemn the on-going destruction of vital infrastructure, including digging up roads, destroying cell towers, and blowing up energy stations by the Taliban.

These actions serve no purpose besides hurting the Afghan people who  largely due to decades of conflict -suffer from food insecurity and significant economic and development challenges, further exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic. The Taliban must understand that their violent, destructive actions outrage the world and must cease if peace is to come to Afghanistan, it added.

Read - US, NATO Allies 'strongly Condemn' Continued Violence By Taliban In Afghanistan

Read - Joe Biden Urged To Help Secure Release Of Abducted US Citizen In Afghanistan

Image: Saadat Mansoor Naderi/Twitter
Why would China want DNA of American citizens? Because whoever has the data controls the system. While China may have been (or not?) thwarted in the U.S., it has set up testing labs all around the world which collect DNA samples.  TN Editor

CBS News on Friday published details of an upcoming 60 Minutes segment on Chinese biotech firms reportedly attempting to harvest DNA from Americans using coronavirus tests.

According to U.S. intelligence officials, a Chinese offer to build testing facilities in the United States in the early days of the pandemic was turned down based on their warnings about the security risks.

The focus of the CBS story is the BGI Group (earlier known as the Beijing Genomics Institute), a Chinese biotech firm that offered to set up coronavirus testing laboratories in Washington, New York, California, and at least three other states. The company made some smaller-scale offers to assist with coronavirus testing.

BGI produced millions of coronavirus test kits for sale around the world and was paid millions to build test labs in numerous countries, including key U.S. allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. government was suspicious of the big push for Chinese testing technology, warning as far back as the spring of 2020 that Chinese companies could be seeking to harvest sensitive data from foreign customers desperate to increase their coronavirus testing capacity.

One U.S. official told Bloomberg News in May 2020 that BGI was the Huawei of genomics, referring to the Chinese telecom giant that has been blocked from some Western networks due to concerns about Chinese intelligence using the companys technology to conduct surveillance and espionage. As with Huawei, BGI insists it is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government and promises its customers their personal data will be secured.

60 Minutes interviewed William Evanina, former director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), who said the warnings his office issued about Chinas use of coronavirus testing to collect data about foreign citizens were justified. Evanina said he was glad he was able to talk American governors out of allowing BGI to build testing labs, and he insisted that despite the companys denials, it is linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).

We put out an advisory to not only every American, but to hospitals, associations, and clinics. Knowing that BGI is a Chinese company, do we understand where that datas going? he said.

Evanina and other security experts warned specifically about the danger that if China can collect tremendous amounts of medical data about Americans, including their DNA, it could be able to monopolize the production of diagnostic equipment and medicines needed to treat them, gaining increasing amounts of leverage over the U.S. population, its government, and American industry.

60 Minutes pointed out that the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic has already demonstrated how this process works, as the world has become dependent on Chinese-made protective equipment. Evanina said Chinese firms are buying up American biotech companies to gain access to their data. He also mentioned the potential threats to privacy from seemingly innocuous services like genealogy companies that use DNA testing to trace family trees  a concern that has grown serious enough for the U.S. military to instruct service members to avoid using them.

You have probably five or six healthcare companies the last five years who have been, I would say, penetrated, exfiltrated, hacked by China. Current estimates are that 80% of American adults have had all of their personally identifiable information stolen by the Communist Party of China, he warned.

What happens if we realize that all of our future drugs, our future vaccines  are all completely dependent upon a foreign source? If we dont wake up, well realize one day weve just become health care crack addicts and someone like China has become our pusher, FBI special agent Edward You, who has a background in biochemistry, told 60 Minutes.

Evanina made similar comments at a virtual forum hosted by the Washington Post last week, warning that China (and Russia) are using everything from economic leverage to cyber-attacks and real-world espionage to take control of the global supply chain for Chinese coronavirus vaccines.
The Trump presidency: A one-term postmortem

By Mark Alexander



In a better world, I would be writing this column in January of 2025, shortly after the inauguration of President Mike Pence. But alas, in the world we live in, I'm sorting through some 60,000 words in the notes I've compiled over the last two months. That's about 60 average pages in your favorite book  just a tad over what I strive for in my typical column.

But this isn't a typical column.

What follows is a compilation of observations and references regarding the election, administration, and unfortunately the defeat of Donald J. Trump after one tumultuous term as president by the corrupt socialist Democrat Party regime.

Astoundingly, Trump was displaced by a dullard baked potato, Joe Biden, who has accomplished virtually nothing to make America a better place for those he ostensibly has represented over the course of his almost five decades as a Beltway politician. But as I have argued, the Biden ticket is actually headed by the leftist who will soon replace him, Kamala Harris.

I have divided my observations into several categories in order to be as concise as possible about Trump's four years as president.

TRUMP THE CANDIDATE:

A quick review of my early columns about primary candidate Donald Trump reveals that my greatest concern was that of his character  it was not comparable in the least to George Washington or Ronald Reagan. Full disclosure: I was firmly in the Ted Cruz camp, with Marco Rubio as a running mate.

Soon after Trump became the Republican nominee in 2016, I contacted a longtime friend who had security responsibilities for Trump and his family, and I asked him what I needed to know about his boss. He said that Trump's personal interactions with people, be they friends or his employees, are totally different from his public persona  that there was a deep shared respect and loyalty among those who knew him best.

Ahead of the election, I wrote about why I was voting for Trump  as if I would've ever considered an ounce of support for Hillary Clinton. I responded to inquiries from conservatives that I was confident that Mike Pence, whom I first met decades earlier, would not have joined Trump's ticket if he were not confident that Trump would take the country in the right direction. And I was totally confident that Trump would follow through on his commitment to nominate constructionist jurists to the Supreme Court.

Within a month of Trump's shocking Electoral College victory over Clinton, it became clear that his administration was shaping up to be the most conservative and consequential in decades, what I called a "Reagan revival." But even so, I still had concern about his "New York values" and wondered whether his presidency would be hamstrung by his brash bravado.

But we praised his administration's policies, if not his character, from day one. Ironically, in the years that followed, we regularly and simultaneously took fire from those claiming we were either "too pro-Trump" or "too anti-Trump." I guess that's indicative of being devoted, first and foremost, to American Liberty above any politician or party affiliation.

TRUMP THE PRESIDENT:

Perhaps Trump's most obvious leadership "style" was that he was a bomb dropper. As I wrote shortly after he took office in 2017: "The day he arrived in DC, he dropped a bomb on the status quo in Congress and its special interests. He dropped a bomb on the regulatory behemoths and their bureaucratic bottlenecks. He dropped a bomb on the trade and national security institutions and alliances that failed miserably over the previous eight years. And he dropped a bomb on all the pundits and mainstream media outlets."

The net results of Trump's take-no-prisoners style is that he left office with an extraordinary list of accomplishments eclipsing those of any president since Reagan.

In addition to that lengthy list of the Trump administration's record, Nate Jackson, along with a handful of editors, compiled a "Trump Legacy" series on the administration's record: Foreign Policy Achievement; Blacks, Hispanics, and Blue-Collar Workers; Trump's Deregulation Record; Domestic Policy Achievement; and Political Impact.

Suffice it to say that in one term, President Trump's accomplishments rivaled those of the most effective two-term presidents.

TRUMP THE TARGET:

No president has ever been more relentlessly assailed by the enemies of Liberty than Donald Trump. The deep-state coup against Trump was not broad but it was certainly deep.

Orchestrated by his predecessor, Barack Obama, whose fingerprints are all over the coup crime scene, in collusion with Hillary Clinton and her co-conspirators who fabricated the "Russian Collusion" charade, the effort to undermine the Trump administration from within was staggering in its callous defiance of the law.

While the cutouts in this operation have been exposed, it is former FBI Director James Comey and former CIA Director John Brennan who should be indicted for their roles in setting up the fake FISA warrants that seeded the entire conspiracy.

I've taken some shots in regard to my consistent use of "deep state" and "coup," but the fact is this was a deep-state coup, as the most recent evidence about the origins of Crossfire Hurricane, the early layup for taking down Trump, reveals.

When Robert Mueller's investigation fell flat, it led to Coup d'Etat 2.0, the phony effort to impeach President Trump for what Joe Biden actually did in Ukraine. Of course, that effort also failed.

Of course, the Demos' agenda received 24/7/365 assistance from their Leftmedia propagandists and their Big Tech silencers. Mainstream and social media platforms are the primary propagators of "fake news," such adulteration being the "true enemy of the people." And with Biden/Harris in office, now herds of so-called "journalists" are promoting the suppression of free speech, when it is speech that does not comport with their political or social views.

As I have often pondered, consider what the American political landscape would look like if the mainstream and social media platforms were actually politically neutral, or if they actually affirmed the First Amendment.

TRUMP THE MISCOMMUNICATOR:

If you are among the small number of Trump supporters who are not capable of reading well-reasoned criticism without emotionally decompensating, skip this section...

Donald Trump made all things political all the time, and he was omnipresent  he never gave his social media accounts a much-needed rest. The Democrats and Leftmedia had Trump's number; they knew how to trigger him, and they mastered it.

Soon after his inauguration, seeing the train wreck around the bend, I wrote, "Memo to POTUS: Stop Swapping Stupid With Jackasses." The point was that Trump's endless cycle of inane insults was a significant obstacle to his agenda, and he can be his own worst enemy and was engendering a meteoric rise in those who hated him.

It was as if he thrived on the "Trump Derangement Syndrome" his social media posts inspired. But the result would ultimately prove to be his "Achilles Heel."

While some of his supporters reveled in his blistering attacks against Democrats and Leftmedia talkingheads, too often Trump's relentless attacks drifted into fratricide, which served only to undermine his leadership and foment division and hate. The brashness and brawn that made President Trump an effective bomb dropper dominated his social media bombs. But with a modicum of self-restraint, he could have gained much more ground with a broader constituency, while still keeping his base fired up. He would have benefited from a broader application of Ronald Reagan's wise counsel  his "Eleventh Commandment" against fratricidal attacks: "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican."

As for Trump's relentless and unmitigated self-aggrandizement, I'm reminded of Aslan's wise advice to Prince Caspian in in C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia: "If you had felt yourself sufficient, it would have been proof that you were not."

But what hurt Trump most was his erratic communications during the course of the ChiCom Virus pandemic this past year. In April I warned, "Mr. President, Don't Be the Poster Child for CV19 Misery," but his self-destruction was evident, and the corrupt mainstream media was only too happy to oblige. The media helped Demos hang COVID-19 around Trump's neck like an albatross.

To that end, a wise friend and a very astute political observer, Cal Thomas, offered this observation: "Last August, Trump was questioned at a White House press briefing about polls showing his popularity was declining. Asked to explain, he responded, 'Nobody likes me. It can only be my personality. That's all.' It was a rare moment of transparency for him."

Cal continued: "There is still a remnant of old-fashioned values my grandparents' generation embraced and tried to instill in their descendants. One was not to belittle, demean, talk down to, or call other people names. Trump has consistently ignored that advice. While a large number of Americans still support him and the number who voted for him far outpaced any other Republican presidential candidate, or incumbent president, it wasn't enough. The reason can only be his personality. Most Americans expect a certain amount of dignity emanating from one who temporarily holds our highest office. Could Trump have achieved all he has without the name-calling? I think so."

Rarely do I agree with WaPo political analyst Charles Lane, but I agree with every word of this recent assessment: "I was just reminded by how much more his celebrators might have to celebrate if the president had managed to modulate his behavior and behave decently, and speak in a civil tongue even in the face of a lot of criticism  much of which was, inevitably, unfair. He might have been reelected if he had been able to manage his impulses and personality. ... Those who are disappointed that he has been defeated ought to consider how much he has been his own worst enemy over the last four years."

If then-President Trump could have mastered a degree of consistency and humility in his ubiquitous communications, I believe he would be in his second presidential term. It was Donald Trump's election to lose, and he did. He did not lose because of something he did this year, but because of what he did not do over the last four years: listen to wise voices about moderating his caustic and chaotic communications. He would not have lost a single core voter over that moderation, but he did manage to incite a massive groundswell of opposition that cost him  and all of us who have backed him over the last four years  the continuation of his administration's policies, which have in virtually every area served our whole nation well.

Elections are almost all about personality, 90% the person and 10% the policy. Trump did not understand that his efforts to rally supporters rallied far more adversaries.

TRUMP'S REELECTION BID:

As Joe Biden himself declared, in a colossal political gaffe: "We have put together, I think, the most extensive and inclusive voter fraud organization in the history of American politics."

And they did just that.

In 2016, with a 55.7% voter turnout, Trump managed to defeat Clinton with 46.1% of the popular vote (62,984,828) to her 48.2% (65,853,514), but amazingly he managed to win 304 electoral votes to Clinton's 227.

In 2020, with a 66.7% voter turnout, Biden defeated Trump with 51.3% of the popular vote (81,268,757) compared to Trump's 46.9% (74,216,722), for 306 electoral votes over Trump's 232. (Libertarian Party candidate Jo Jorgensen received 1.2% (1,865,873).)

Not since Herbert Hoover lost to Franklin Roosevelt in 1933 has a Republican presidential loss left the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives under Democrat control.

A New York second after the election results were in, Trump protested: "This election was stolen. It was a rigged election, 100 percent, and everyone knows it. It's going to be that I got about 74 million votes, and I lost? It's not possible."

As I noted previously, Trump inspired seven million more Democrat votes than he was able to garner for himself. He energized his opponents, though I should note that in key swing states the numbers were very close.

Fact is, Trump was not wrong about the election being rigged, but his claim about voting-machine irregularities was not how the Democrat Party rigged it. As it turns out, voter fraud was the Demos' final coup against Trump. But the fraud was perpetrated by way of what I outlined in "The Left's Bulk-Mail Ballot Fraud Strategy." The Democrats beat Trump on the ground with their bulk-registration and bulk-mail balloting strategy, including the receipt of millions of votes that were undocumented by any reasonable standard of identification. It worked, and it will work in future elections if it goes unchecked.

Prior to the November election defeat of Trump along with otherwise mixed results, I declared that the Democrat bulk-mail balloting and ballot harvesting programs opened the election to massive fraud. There is no way to adequately verify the identification of those receiving or returning bulk-mail ballots. There is no way to authenticate ballot signatures, which requires a substantial level of expertise.

Recall that the Democrats made reference to the "red mirage" ahead of the November election, noting that initially it would look like Trump had won in some states but that would change when the bulk-mail ballot totals were calculated. That's exactly what happened.

To fully comprehend the Demos' fraudulent bulk-mail strategy, consider the following voter regulations as proposed by Nancy Pelosi in House Resolution, the grossly misnamed "For the People Act of 2021." It is an effort to pass the same HR 1 bill that failed in 2019  except now there is no Senate majority gauntlet to reject this effort to establish a Democrat majority in perpetuity.

Pelosi's HR 1 stipulates that the federal government will, contrary to our Constitution, have the power to set universal regulations regarding voter-identity requirements, in order to implement universal bulk-mail balloting. HR 1 asserts: "A state may not require an individual to provide any form of identification as a condition of obtaining an absentee ballot. ... A state(s) may not require notarization or a witness signature or other formal authentication (other than voter attestation) as a condition of obtaining or casting an absentee ballot."

That should alarm every American dedicated to the future of American Liberty.

Despite Joe Biden's "unity" theme, the Democrat agenda is anything but.

TRUMP IMPEACHMENT CHARADE 2.0:

Unfortunately, given the elevated rhetoric about election fraud, on January 6th, a fractional faction of thugs undermined Trump's entire legacy and MAGA movement by rioting in our nation's Capitol building. These badly misguided jackasses were not "Patriots"; they were adherents of a personality cult, which is inevitably and irrevocably antithetical to Liberty. As I have written previously, I hope Trump's "election fraud" protests and the DC riot don't overshadow the legitimate concerns about election fraud  but Democrats and their Leftmedia are doing everything possible to ensure that disgraceful event defines Trump and all who have supported his policies.

To that end, the House and Senate are now undertaking another impeachment charade to spit shame and embarrassment on conservatives, particularly those in Congress whose seats will be contested in 2022. This absurd political theater, the unconstitutional trial of a former president, is scheduled for the week of February 8, but Demos will drag out this theatrical farce as long as possible before citizen Trump will be acquitted.

And to bolster their impeachment theatrics (which any seasoned security analyst will tell you invites trouble), Washington is still occupied by armed battalions of National Guard troops and armored vehicles manning barricades topped with concertina wire. Additionally, DHS has issued a national terrorism alert to extend the theatrics nationwide! Meanwhile, leftists continue their urban attacks and assaults on police officers at unprecedented rates.

MOVING FORWARD  OUR MISSION:

The Biden/Harris regime declared before the election: "This election is a 'BATTLE for the SOUL of the NATION." Post election, it is now a BATTLE for the FUTURE of AMERICAN LIBERTY.

I hope Trump will put whatever voice he has moving forward behind the most capable congressional candidates ahead of the 2022 midterm election  that he will do nothing to further foment division. Fortunately he has indicated that he does not support, and in fact rejects, the defeatist notion of a third party. And, according to his post-presidential advisory team, Trump's goal "is to win back the House and Senate for Republicans in 2022."

Despite all the handwringing about political divisions on the Right, that split is over support for Trump the personality. There is no split over support for the Trump administration's considerable policy successes. As Biden disables those policies with a flash flood of executive orders, and his fellow socialist Democrats reverse policies with legislation, that will have the net effect of further unifying conservatives going into the 2022 midterms.

And regarding the personality split, my guiding principles have exactly nothing to do with any man. My principles are informed by two inseparable and enduring truths: my commitment to Liberty and to my oath "to support and defend" our Constitution.

I take a long view of liberty  not one event, not one week, not one presidential cycle.

In 1777, amid a string of defeats in our foundational quest for Liberty  as the fall of Philadelphia and the brutal winter at Valley Forge approached  General George Washington wrote his commanders: "We should never despair, our Situation before has been unpromising and has changed for the better, so I trust, it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new Exertions and proportion our Efforts to the exigency of the times."

The defense of American Liberty and our Republic's Constitutional Rule of Law always has and always will exact a heavy price on its defenders. The forces of tyranny  the forces of evil  have always been and will always be relentless. We are bound by our "sacred honor," our obligation "to support and defend" Liberty at all costs, to rise to "the exigency of the times."

Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post.
Louis Fischers first book on the Mahatma, A Week with Gandhi was published in the United States in 1943. I read the book in my mid-teens.

by K Natwar Singh

Among the outstanding biographies of Mahatma Gandhi are Mohandas by his grandson (and my close friend) Rajmohan Gandhi, Louis Fischers The Life of Mahatma Gandhi and Ramchandra Guhas Gandhi. The Years That Changed the World.

Louis Fischers first book on the Mahatma, A Week with Gandhi was published in the United States in 1943. In June 1942, Fischer spent a week in Wardha. He used a tonga twice a day to arrive at Sevagram where Gandhiji lived. Louis Fischer was among the outstanding and widely read journalists of his time. He was born in Philadelphia in 1896. He took to journalism in 1921 and travelled all over the world. He spent 14 years in Moscow. Met Lenin, whose biography he wrote in 1964. He spent the final decades of his life at the Institute of Advanced Studies at Princeton. He died in 1970. I met him once in Princeton in 1964. I read A Week with Gandhi in my mid-teens.

Fischer writes in his diary on 4 June 1942, The tonga stopped. I jumped out and there stood a brown-and-white figureGandhi. I walked towards him with long, quick steps. He held his hands on the shoulders of two women who walked on either side of him. His thin brown legs were bare up to his loincloth. Leather sandals on his feet, a cope of cheese cloth around his shoulders, a folded kerchief on his head. He said, Mr. Fischerwe shook hands He sat down on a board resting on two metal trestles. Jawaharlal has told me about your book and the type of person you are, and we are glad to have you here. How long would you stay? Fischer told Gandhi that he could stay a few days. Oh, he exclaimed, then we will be able to talk much.

During dinner (all sitting on the floor) he said to Fischer, You have lived in Russia for fourteen years. What is your opinion of Stalin? Fischer replied, Very able and very ruthless. As ruthless as Hitler? Gandhi asked Fischer. At least, Fischer replied.

Fischer: You helped to recruit soldiers for the British Army in the First World War When this war started, you said you wished to do nothing to embarrass the British government. Now, obviously, your attitude has changed. What has happened? In the first world war I had just returned from South Africa. I hadnt yet found my feet. I wasnt sure of my ground. This did not imply any lack of faith in no-violence. But it had to develop according to circumstances, and I was not sufficiently sure of my ground. There were many experiences between the two wars. Nevertheless, I announced after some talks with the Viceroy in September 1939, that the Congress movement would not obstruct the war. I am not the Congress. In fact, I am not in the Congress. I am neither a member nor an officer of the Party. Congress is more anti-British and anti-war than I am, and I have had to curb its desire to interfere with the war effort. Now I have reached certain conclusions. I do not wish to humiliate the British. But the British must go.

Gandhi and Fischer had extensive discussion on Indias freedom movement, the Axis and the Allies, Americas attitude to India, Japan, China, Churchill, Lloyd George, Roosevelt, Hinduism, the Hindu-Muslim problem, the plight of the Negroes, untouchability, socialism, the soul of man, immortality.

Jawaharlal Nehru came to Wardha during Fischers stay. Fischer urged Nehru to go to America to talk with President Roosevelt. The two also discussed Hinduism. Nehru said that Hinduism had no fundamentalism and no Hindu therefore can be punished or ex-communicated for being unorthodox. You can be a Hindu and an atheist, one could be a religious Hindu even if he hangs Christs picture on his wall.

The book has non-political gems. Fischer asked Gandhi what was the theory behind his weekly day of silence. Gandhiji asked Fischer what he meant by theory. His answer was, I mean the principle, the motivation. Gandhijis answer was, for me, very original. He said, It happened when I was being torn to pieces. I was working very hard, travelling in hot trains incessantly, speaking at many meetings, and being approached in trains and elsewhere by thousands of people who asked questions, made pleas, and wished to pray with me. I wanted to rest for one day a week. So I instituted the day of silence. Later of course I clothed it with all kinds of virtues and gave it a spiritual cloak. But the motivation was really nothing more than that I wanted to have a day off.
Teaching young students how to hold a trumpet or showing them how to glue an art project together takes patience and skill any time.

Doing so in the virtual learning space caused by COVID-19, however, takes even more, and that has taken teachers outside their comfort zones and pushed them to get creative this school year.

Many kids across Michigan still are attending school from home at least some days each week and classes, such as band, choir, art and physical education, require that extra dose of creativity to keep students engaged and learning.

Were trying everything we can think of, said Beth Jonker, a Mattawan Consolidated Schools band teacher. Im in over 20 years teaching and this feels like my first year.

Jonker and others like her are using technology, along with teaching essentials like ingenuity, to teach their students the fine arts.

Music teachers battle audio lags that dont allow virtual students to play in real time with their in-person classmates, said Jonker, who teaches in hybrid mode in partnership with teacher Bill Boswell.

Virtual students are muted on Zoom but play along with their classmates and keep time with a metronome played over the loudspeaker in the classroom, Jonker said. Breakout rooms allow small groups of students to practice together virtually or perform for their classmates and teacher, too, she said.

Its never as good as if we could have everyone here in person but its wonderful to be able to have some type of strategy where they can feel included and connected and enjoy not just the time with each other but building each day toward learning a piece of music, Jonker said.

Mattawan Consolidated School students learning in a hybrid mode participate in band in both virtual and in-person settings. (Photo provided to MLive by Mattawan schools)

Playing her flute at home while following along with her classmates over a webcam is difficult, Mattawan sophomore Emma Coleman said. But continuing to play in the band even in virtual school is important to her because the band is like a family, she said.

Colemans mom often hears her daughter playing her flute while a younger child plays percussion while they each are in virtual school.

So at different parts of the day I get to have my home filled with wonderful sound, Bobbi Coleman said.

Heather Bigelow is an art teacher at Portages WoodsEdge Learning Center, a special education center-based school thats part of the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency.

Shes embraces her acting skills and the use of puppets or pets to keep her students engaged, she said, adding that teaching during the pandemic has really stretched me in ways that I did not know I could be stretched.

Bigelow records herself doing lessons so students can access them at different times. She stays aware that students are doing these art projects at home and tries to find things they can do with supplies found around the house.

Students do a lot of paper cutting, tearing and gluing, she said.

Bigelow also collects supplies needed for the weeks projects and makes sure they are either picked up or delivered to each childs home.

I can honestly say that when I first thought about it, I thought theres no way in the world this will ever work, Bigelow said of teaching art to students with disabilities via Zoom. We can do it. I think we can do a really good job and I was kind of surprised.

Jonker has created games to encourage students to stay connected on Wednesdays when everyone in Mattawan schools is in virtual mode. Her class plays a Jeopardy-type game where students take turns playing their instruments for each other and answer trivia questions.

Jonker also will soon implement software that allows the high school students to record themselves both visually and auditorily so the full band can be pieced together digitally.

Thats the closest thing right now in the performing arts world to helping them hear each other in the moment, she said.

Jontaj Wallace II is in his first year of teaching middle and high school band and choir in Jackson Countys Hanover-Horton School District. He sends audio files or recorded videos to students to practice along with on their own. The students then record themselves playing and send that back to him, Wallace said.

Beginning band students also have participated in virtual workshops where they learn things like how to hold and clean their instruments properly, Wallace said.

A lot of it is demonstrating it myself via Zoom, Wallace said. Having all the instruments there and demonstrating and then watching the kids do it.

Students from Hanover Horton schools learning during a virtual band class. (Photo provided by Hanover Horton Schools)

Alison Resor and her Jackson Public Schools physical education colleagues use online workouts and games to engage kids and get them moving at home.

When students were fully virtual, Resor hosted live Zoom workouts where she encouraged students to turn on their cameras and do aerobic dance together with their classmates and teacher.

These were fun because not only students would be ready at those scheduled times, but many times their family members would join in, Resor said. This was exciting to see since the pandemic has left many lonely and longing for human contact.

Resor and her team also created different workouts using decks of cards and fitness-based scavenger hunts, and taught students how to swap out hand weights with milk jugs or canned goods they could find at home.

The physical education teachers also focused on students social and emotional health by teaching yoga and stretching, mindfulness and meditation activities, and had students keep gratitude journals to focus on what they are thankful for, Resor said.

We know that many of our students benefit from learning about mental health and staying happy during these challenging times, she said.

Ann Arbor Public Schools theater teacher Quinn Strassel was forced to think outside the box when last spring, days before his students were set to perform, schools were abruptly closed due to the pandemic, he said.

Instead of throwing in the towel, his students created a five-part miniseries of Shakespeares The Tempest using homemade green screens and lots of special effects editing, Strassel said.

We shot all the footage in Zoom, but I think the eventual product is much more visually interesting than Zoom Shakespeare sounds, Strassel said.

To help you navigate this complicated school year, were pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up.

Also on MLive:

Saginaw middle-schooler starts entertainment magazine

Visiting chef ready to challenge students palates with taste of Japan at Jackson High

Michigan school districts ranked by educational attainment: See percent of adults who are college grads

Green-thumbed teen assists botanist with plan to control invasive species in West Michigan
Danbury area COVID-19 vaccine clinics are being canceled or postponed early in the week as a snowstorm hits the area.

Gov. Ned Lamont said most vaccine clinics across the state were canceled or postponed Monday due to the conditions. He did, however, note that trucks carrying the COVID-19 vaccines would continue to be allowed to bring shipments to their destination. He was also optimistic about keeping the vaccines at proper storage temperatures.

Here is a look at how area vaccine clinics are being adjusted:

Ridgefield

The Ridgefield COVID-19 vaccine clinic on Feb. 2 is being postponed, the Office of Emergency Management advised in a Facebook post.

The clinic scheduled to happen at Yanity Gym with confirmed appointments has been tentatively rescheduled for Feb. 3 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. due to inclement weather. Residents with confirmed appointments should just show up on Wednesday at the same time as their original appointment, unless the clinic is postponed again, officials said.

If the clinic must be postponed again, those with confirmed appointments on Tuesday will again be rescheduled, the post read.

Anyone with questions can call 203-431-2718 or email pio@ridgefieldct.org for more information.

Nuvance

Nuvance Health, which has hospitals in Danbury, Norwalk and New Milford, closed its vaccine clinics Monday through noon on Tuesday. New Milford Hospital was not impacted as it does not open its clinic on Mondays and Tuesday.

Nuvance said patients should receive a cancelation email from the Vaccine Administration Management System and that steps to reschedule are included in the email.

Due to the scheduling systems and clinic capacity, we cannot reschedule your appointment for you or add new clinic hours at this time, Nuvance Health said on its website. We apologize for this inconvenience.

The health system, which includes seven hospitals in Connecticut and New York, told patients not to worry if they need to schedule their second dose because that can be administered up to six weeks after the first.

We understand it may be disappointing to have to reschedule your appointment, Nuvance said. However, your safety is paramount to us.

Danbury

Appointments for Tuesday at Danbury Health Departments vaccine clinic were canceled. Patients will receive a call or email from the health department to reschedule.

Pomperaug Health District

Neal Lustig, health director for the Pomperaug District Department of Health, has announced that COVID-19 vaccinations scheduled for Monday and Tuesday have been canceled due to the snowstorm.

Pomperaug District Department of Health covers the towns of Southbury, Oxford and Woodbury. The PDDH is located in Southbury.

We canceled town clinics for those over 74 at The Greens Condominium-Oxford and the Woodbury Senior Center today and one tomorrow morning. We are working on rescheduling appointments for next week, same day same time for each, Lustig said.

Reporters Julia Perkins and Dan Nowak contributed to this report.
New Delhi:

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addressed the ministerial session of Delhi-Dialogue IX on Tuesday. On this occasion, she said that the central govt has recently launched GST which is the biggest tax reform since independence. She also said that ASEAN is at the heart of India's 'Act East Policy'.

Here are the excerpts from Sushma Swaraj's press conference:

I invite companies from ASEAN countries to take advantage of these opportunities for investment in India, in numerous sectors: EAM Swaraj pic.twitter.com/j6bbG9Xhal  ANI (@ANI_news) July 4, 2017

# I invite companies from ASEAN countries to take advantage of these opportunities for investment in India, in numerous sectors

Recently ]Govt launched GST,biggest tax reform since independence. These steps opened new opportunities for trade,investment into India: EAM pic.twitter.com/GsZykGeVZQ  ANI (@ANI_news) July 4, 2017

# The central govt recently launched GST which is the biggest tax reform since independence. These steps opened new opportunities for trade,investment into India

Today India is one of fastest growing major economies in the world; in the last 3 years GoI has undertaken a number of initiatives: EAM pic.twitter.com/llwIPx7AeN  ANI (@ANI_news) July 4, 2017

# Have also introduced a series of reforms to improve business environment in India

# Today India is one of fastest growing major economies in the world; in the last 3 years GoI has undertaken a number of initiatives

Future focus areas of cooperation b/w ASEAN member states & India can be described in term of 3C's- commerce, connectivity & culture: EAM pic.twitter.com/ozVy1TyVxj  ANI (@ANI_news) July 4, 2017

# Future focus areas of cooperation b/w ASEAN member states & India can be described in term of 3C's- commerce, connectivity & culture

Making efforts on all fronts to enhance physical and digital connectivity: EAM Swaraj addresses ministerial session of Delhi Dialogue-IX pic.twitter.com/yOXdlQXwb2  ANI (@ANI_news) July 4, 2017

# Making efforts on all fronts to enhance physical and digital connectivity: EAM Swaraj addresses ministerial session of Delhi Dialogue-IX

#We place ASEAN at heart of our 'Act East Policy' and center of our dream of an Asian century

We place ASEAN at heart of our 'Act East Policy' and center of our dream of an Asian century: EAM Sushma Swaraj in Delhi pic.twitter.com/lirBcoXPyX  ANI (@ANI_news) July 4, 2017

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
The SC GOP has decided to criticize what they perceive as a vote by Rep. Tom Rice for impeachment against the party's wishes. With the GOP struggling against a DEMS majority, his actions are not beneficial.

During the impeachment proceedings, the congressman is one of the ten GOP who sided with unconstitutional impeachment efforts. It comes at a time when Republicans need to muster a united front more than ever.

According to the South Carolina Republican Party (SCGOP), the majority of them have censured Rice (R-S.C) for his decision to allow an unpopular impeachment. The Republicans showed dissent in the DEMS effort to impeach Trump after his term. Alan Dershowitz calls the move by the DEMS unconstitutional, and the Senate has no power over Citizen Trump, reported NTD.

SC GOP will not agree with any member siding with democrats

On January 13, the House DEMS decided to impeach Trump a second time with a 232-197 vote. They accused him of starting an insurrection responsible for the chaos in the U.S. Capitol building on January 6.

A statement from Drew McKissick, current State Chairman for the SCGOP, said that the representative's action against Trump is ill-advised. Some sectors are now rising from a county in his district seen as negative on the SC GOP.

They noted in the decision to penalize their own in the GOP ranks that were decided through the process. A consensus reached by the GOPS is to call out Rep. Tom Rice for siding with the DEMS.

Also read: Trump Meets with Rep. McCarthy for a 'More United Conservative Movement'

McKissick added the group does not agree with the DEMS attempts to impeach Trump. He was citing that the DEMS are unconstitutional and trying to convict Donald Trump after his term is a political kick by the DEMS.

Calling Rice for his decision

He added that Rice's vote only aggravated the political game that Democrats play. Worse is his decision should be informed more if it would affect his district, adding that the State Executive Committee of the SC GOP wants the representative to know why they disagree.

Spokesmen for Rice have not answered any request for comment.

Most Republicans vote to impeach Trump in a popularly unconstitutional move that the DEMS defend, made worse by GOPS agreeing. Rice's decision is without consequence that Republicans will be running against him in his district. One voiced a decision to see a protentional for getting the set of Rice.

Why the decision to impeach with DEMS

Tom Rice ended his silence by telling the Associated Press he will probably lose his district next election. Instead, he wanted to impeach Trump over what he saw as the Capitol breach, and Trump did not do enough.

He did not give Trump the benefit of the doubt

Lawmakers vilify Trump with a cost, aided by the media and those who agree with the narrative of the events that were blamed on then President Trump. Later the president urged supporters to go home but would be locked out of Twitter and Facebook, and more platforms. Twitter took down his video in unprecedented violation of free speech.

Several GOP lawmakers like Rep. Tom Rice will be facing stiff reelection; those include Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and others who supported the unconstitutional impeachment.

Related article: Harvard Law Professor Dershowitz Explains What the Senate Should Do on Trump Impeachment

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

NAYPYITAW, BurmaBurmas military on Saturday denied its chief was threatening to stage a coup over complaints of election fraud, saying the media had misinterpreted his words.

Political tension in the Southeast Asian nation soared this past week after a spokesman for the military, which had ruled Burma (also known as Myanmar) for half a century, said a coup could not be ruled out if its complaints of widespread fraud in Novembers election were ignored.

The commander-in-chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, told senior officers in a speech Wednesday that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. Adding to the concern was the unusual deployment of armored vehicles in the streets of several large cities.

Saturdays statement from the military, known as the Tatmadaw, said that some organizations and media wrote without foundation that the military threatened to revoke the constitution. The statement said Min Aung Hlaings speech was taken out of context, and was actually an observation to senior officer trainees on the nature of the constitution.

The ruling National League for Democracy party captured 396 out of 476 seats in the Nov. 8 election, allowing it to form a government led by State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi for another five years. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won only 33 seats.

The military has publicly complained several times of electoral fraud and called on the government and the Union Election Commission to review the results. It has said it has found 8.6 million irregularities in voter lists in 314 townships that could have let voters cast multiple ballots or commit other voting malpractice.

The election commission said there was no evidence to support the fraud claims.

Parliaments new session is set to open Monday in the capital Naypyitaw.

The military ran Burma for some 50 years before beginning a transitioning to democracy in 2010. The current constitution ensures the countrys generals maintain considerable influence in the countrys affairs by guaranteeing them a quarter of the seats in parliament and control of a number of key ministries.

Alarmed diplomatic missions in Burma reacted Friday to the militarys statements by issuing a joint statement urging calm.

We urge the military, and all other parties in the country, to adhere to democratic norms, and we oppose any attempt to alter the outcome of the elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition, said the statement issued by the EU, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and others.

Peaceful protests have been held in the past few days by supporters of the military and the Union Solidarity and Development Party. In Yangon, the countrys biggest city, about 1,000 demonstrators gathered Saturday next to the famous Shwedagon pagoda.

The military has not been alone in criticizing the election.

Independent rights groups before and after the polls criticized the disenfranchisement of Rohingya Muslims and the cancellation of the vote in some areas.

The election commission cited the dangers of ongoing combat between government forces and ethnic minority guerrillas, but critics suggested specific areas were singled out for cancellation because they were certain to elect lawmakers from parties hostile to Suu Kyis government.

By Aung Shine Oo
Michael Tarantino CFP, an independent LPL Financial advisor at Tarantino Wealth Management in Fort Collins, today announced his inclusion in LPLs Directors Club. With more than 17,000 LPL-affiliated advisors nationwide, LPL awards select advisors with this distinction based on an advisors business success.

On behalf of LPL, I congratulate Michael Tarantino on reaching this milestone in their professional career, said Angela Xavier, LPL executive vice president, Independent Advisor Services Business owners, American investors and industries at large faced extraordinary challenges throughout 2020. In the advisor-mediated financial advice market, investors showed how much value they place on a trusting relationship with a financial advisor. We applaud Michael for his commitment to clients and resiliency as a business owner, and we are inspired by his dedication to making a meaningful impact in the lives of his clients. It is an honor to support Michael and wish his entire team continued success as they continue to add value for clients and in their business in the years ahead.

Michael Tarantino is affiliated with LPL Financial, the nations largest independent broker-dealer and a leader in the retail financial advice market. LPL provides the resources, tools and technology that support advisors in their work to enrich their clients financial lives.

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial is a leader in the retail financial advice market and the nations largest independent broker/dealer**. We serve independent financial advisors and financial institutions, providing them with the technology, research, clearing and compliance services, and practice management programs they need to create and grow thriving practices. LPL enables them to provide objective guidance to millions of American families seeking wealth management, retirement planning, financial planning and asset management solutions. LPL.com

*Achievement is based on annual production among LPL Advisors only.

**Based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine June 1996  2020

Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor, Member FINRA/SIPC.
Regional

Two hurt as police fire tear gas towards protestors in Manipur

Police stopping protestors from marching towards Thoubal DC office.

Correspondent IMPHAL, FEB 1 | Publish Date: 2/1/2021 12:29:49 PM IST

Police fired tear gas at protestors on Monday in Manipur Thoubal district headquarters, where hundreds of people carried out a protest rally demanding justice for murder of a four-year-old boy.

Convener of a local joint action committee (JAC) formed in connection with the murder of the boy under which the protest rally was marched and women were hospitalised after they sustained injuries in police action.

The body of the four-year-old boy was found in a pond located near his house in the morning of January 24 after he went missing on January 19.

Alleging that the boy was murdered by his kidnappers, people of Moijing area of Thoubal district have been demanding to book the culprits by staging various forms of protest since the day, the lifeless body of the boy was recovered.

Intensifying their protest, a large number of people who converged at a local community hall at Moijing marched a protest rally targeting Thoubal DC office. However, a scuffle broke out when police armed with riot gears blocked them from further proceeding.

In their bid to bring the protestors under control, the police fired several rounds of tear gas shells.

Mention may be made that on the same day of recovery of the dead body of the boy, locals have even attempted to torch the house of an alleged main culprit behind the boys murder who were found leaving the house with all his family members.

On the same day, police had also arrested two suspects even as the suspected main culprit was still at large. The protestors were calmed down only after the DC and SP of the district who arrived at the spot convinced them that appropriate action will be initiated after the post-mortem report of the boy was received.

The dead body of the boy is still lying at RIMS morgue after the family members supported by the JAC refused to accept the body demanding police prompt action to arrest the culprit(s).
"Glenn's expertise has been invaluable as we have optimized our global supply chain to be more strategic, cost-effective and agile to meet the needs of today's changing marketplace," said Jim Snee, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Hormel Foods. "During this last year, facing an unprecedented pandemic with supply chain interruptions, Glenn has been an extraordinary and tireless leader, ensuring Hormel Foods was able to protect the safety of our global workforce while producing food for our customers and consumers. We thank him for his leadership and his expertise and wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement."

Leitch's career spans more than 35 years in the food and commodity industries and at Hormel Foods, where he has held leadership positions for the company and its Jennie-O Turkey Store subsidiary. He joined Jennie-O Turkey Store in 1996 and was promoted to senior vice president of the commodity and supply division in 2001. In 2011, he was named general manager at Jennie-O Turkey Store before being promoted to president later that year. He was elevated to his current role in 2017. Leitch is well known in the food industry and has been involved in numerous organizations, associations and boards during his time with the company.

Coffey will assume leadership of the One Supply Chain organization, including continuing the mission of the strategic and competitively advantaged organization while optimizing it to deliver sustainable long-term growth.

"Mark has had an outstanding career with Hormel Foods," Snee said. "His expertise in procurement, manufacturing, logistics, research and development, quality management and plant operations makes him the ideal person to assume this important role. I am confident that Mark will continue to bring a strategic focus to building our One Supply Chain capabilities, operational excellence and long-term growth for the enterprise."

Coffey has had a more than 30-year career with Hormel Foods. Prior to his current role, which he assumed in 2017, he served as vice president of affiliated business units in Refrigerated Foods for six years. He began his career with Hormel Foods in 1985 and held various operations, management and leadership positions at the company's operating facilities around the United States before moving into management and leadership positions at the company's global headquarters.

"Jen brings significant supply chain expertise to this role," said Snee. "Jen's expertise managing complicated supply chains, while also understanding the connectivity to sales and marketing strategy, will be incredibly valuable as we continue to focus on our One Supply Chain strategy."

Ehresmann is currently director of customer logistics and strategy at Hormel Foods. She previously held the role of senior vice president of commodity and supply chain with Jennie-O Turkey Store. Ehresmann joined the company in 2001, holding roles in export, product management and marketing prior to moving into supply chain.

For more information on each of these leaders, visit www.hormelfoods.com.

ABOUT HORMEL FOODS  Inspired People. Inspired Food.

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenue across more than 80 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly, Hormel Black Label, Columbus and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named on the "Global 2000 World's Best Employers" list by Forbes magazine for three straight years, is one of Fortune magazine's most admired companies, has appeared on Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" list for 12 years in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. The company lives by its purpose statement  Inspired People. Inspired Food.  to bring some of the world's most trusted and iconic brands to tables across the globe. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com.

Contact: Media Relations

507-434-6352

[email protected]

SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation

Related Links

http://www.hormel.com


Breg, Inc. has announced the launch of two new lines of spinal orthoses: Pinnacle and Ascend. Tweet this

Breg saw an opportunity to elevate spinal care by:

Making more comfortable braces that encourage patient compliance and promote healing.

that encourage patient compliance and promote healing. Working with patients and clinical experts to source soft, breathable, antimicrobial textiles.

Incorporating form-fitting, molded components that address some of the common complaints patients have about traditional spinal orthoses.

"Breg's legacy of innovation is deeply rooted in our commitment to patient experience," said Geoff Siegel, Breg's Chief Innovation Officer. "The most innovative products in healthcare put patient needs at the forefront of design, and that level of advancement is evident in every detail of our Pinnacle and Ascend products. For our customers, that ultimately means fewer patient complaints, stronger compliance and ideally better outcomes."

With the addition of Pinnacle and Ascend, Breg now manufactures every major orthopedic bracing category in its own facilities, including upper and lower extremity braces, walker boots and cold therapy devices. Breg has full control over quality assurance, production, and service.

To learn more about Breg's new orthoses, visit www.breg.com/spine.

About Breg

Breg makes orthopedic bracing and devices, but more than that, the company makes durable medical equipment programs easier for our customers every step of the way, from hurt to healthy. Breg is committed to supporting practitioners through comprehensive partnerships, supporting patients with high-quality products and services, and delivering seamless support to facilities navigating the complexities of modern healthcare.

As the largest U.S. provider of cold therapy devices and second largest domestic provider of orthopedic bracing, Breg provides products to millions of patients annually. Founded in 1989, Breg is based in Carlsbad, Calif., and is a company of Water Street Healthcare Partners, a strategic investor focused exclusively on the health care industry. Visit www.breg.com.

SOURCE Breg, Inc.
Commenting on the Union Budget 2021, Mr. Vijay Thadani, VC and MD, NIIT Ltd and Co-founder NIIT University said, The Union budget 2021 carries a positive message for the Education sector. It gives an active effect to National Education Policy 2020 (NEP).



The formation of National Research Foundation (NRF), with an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crores in 5 years to boost quality and quantity of research in India, is a big push towards promoting innovation and research in the education sector. We are optimistic that research funding will be made available to Higher Educational institutions.

The Governments initiative to set up a HEC responsible for the accreditation and regular funding of the Colleges and Universities will go a long way, in creating better synergy between higher education institutions across the country. The education sector is hopeful that the research funding both from HEC and NRF will be made available as a level playing field between public and private higher educational institutions.
Paducah Man Arrested in Stolen Gun Case

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - A Paducah man has been charged with stealing a gun from a vehicle in McCracken County.The McCracken County Sheriff's Office says detectives executed a search warrant on Oct. 5 at a home on Ohio Street. During the course of the search, detectives found a loaded 9mm handgun.Detectives learned the handgun was stolen from a vehicle in McCracken County, but had not been reported because the owner didn't realize it had been stolen.Police identified the suspect as 25-year-old Gregory Taylor of Paducah. They arrested Taylor Monday on a charge of receiving a stolen firearm.Detectives said Taylor has a prior felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Amaravati, Feb 1 : Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Gautam Sawang on Monday lauded a woman sub-inspector for carrying the mortal remains of an unknown man in Srikakulam district for final rites.

"Kasibugga lady sub inspector Sirisha has carried an unidentified dead body which was found in the fields of Adivikotturu village in Palasa in Kasibugga municipality of Srikakulam," said an official statement.

Images and video of Sirisha's noble gesture started trending on Monday as the police officer carried the body for up to 2 km.

Incidentally, the dead man could not be identified and the villagers declined to carry his body.

In her police uniform, Sirisha carried the corpse through the paddy fields from the front, even as somebody was overheard saying 'please leave madam'.

"It okay," said Sirisha and even helped in doing the final rites of the unknown man by handing it over to Lalitha Charitable Trust.

Kasibugga is 544 km northwest of Vijayawada.
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.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

Nature & Weather, Local News, Community, Charity & Cause

By Long Island Published: February 01 2021

Governor Cuomo Directs State Agencies to Prepare Emergency Response Assets as Storm Set to Impact NYC, Long Island with Snow, High Winds and Coastal Flooding

Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed state agencies to prepare emergency response assets as a potentially powerful winter storm is forecast to impact downstate areas with heavy snow and coastal flooding Sunday and Monday. The system could deliver up to 12 inches of snow to New York City, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley along with 45 mph winds gusts. Coastal flooding is also possible in parts of Long Island and Queens starting Sunday evening and continuing through Monday. Based on the current forecast, the storm may create dangerous travel conditions and potential power outages due to the combination of heavy snow and gusty winds, as well as flooding of low-lying areas in coastal locations. New Yorkers are being urged to closely monitor local weather reports and use extreme caution if traveling.

Another storm system is set to impact New York with potentially heavy snow, strong winds and possibly coastal flooding downstate, Governor Cuomo said. I have directed state agencies to prepare all emergency response assets and they stand ready to assist any of our local partners who may need help in the coming days. We will also be closely watching the response of utility companies to ensure any power outages are addressed immediately. In the meantime, I am urging all New Yorkers to pay close attention to their local forecasts and to begin preparing their households for this latest round of winter weather.

Snow is expected to begin late Sunday and continue through Monday evening, with winds up to 25 mph and gusts up to 45 mph expected. Some locations in New York City and Long Island and areas along the lower Hudson could see up to 12 inches of snow by Monday morning. Coastal areas of Long Island and Queens may see flooding, especially during high tide Monday and in vulnerable, low-lying locations.

For a complete listing of weather watches and warnings in your area, visit your areas National Weather Service website.

Agency Preparations

Department of Transportation

The State Department of Transportation is prepared to respond with the following assets:

1,625 snowplows

316 large loaders

175 medium duty plows

52 tow plows

38 snowblowers

19 graders

11 pickup trucks with plows

In addition, the Department of Transportation is deploying 150 snow plow operators and other equipment from other regions to the Mid-Hudson, Southern Tier and Long Island regions to assist with snow removal operations.

Deployments are as follows:

The Mid-Hudson region is receiving 86 operators, 10 snow plows and two snowblowers

The Southern Tier is receiving 10 operators and two snowblowers.

Long Island is receiving 54 operators, 10 snow plows, two snowblowers, two equipment operator instructors, two mechanics and one safety officer.

Thruway Authority

The Thruway Authority has 694 operators and supervisors ready to respond with 249 large snow plows, 100 medium snow plows, 11 tow plows and 61 loaders across the state with more than 119,000 tons of road salt on hand.

Variable Message Signs, Highway Advisory Radio and social media are utilized to alert motorists of winter weather conditions on the Thruway.

The Thruway Authority encourages motorists to download its mobile app which is available for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic and navigation assistance while on the go. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert e-mails which provide the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway here.

Department of Environmental Conservation

DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officers, Forest Rangers, Emergency Management staff, and regional staff are on alert and monitoring the developing situation and actively patrolling areas and infrastructure likely to be impacted by severe weather. All available assets are positioned to assist with any emergency response.

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

New York State Park Police and park personnel are on alert and closely monitoring weather conditions and impacts. Response equipment is being fueled, tested and prepared for storm response use. Park visitors should check parks.ny.gov or call their local park office for the latest updates regarding park hours, openings and closings.

Department of Public Service

New Yorks utilities have approximately 5,500 workers available to engage in damage assessment, response and restoration efforts across New York State. Department of Public Service staff will track the utilities work throughout the storm event and will ensure the utilities shift the appropriate staffing to the regions anticipated to experience the greatest impact.

New York Power Authority / Canal Corporation

The New York Power Authority and the Canal Corporation staff has performed preparations for the forecasted weather to ensure all facilities, assets and equipment are secured and ready. The Power Authority also is prepared to support power restoration activities if needed.

New York State Police

State Police are prepared to deploy additional Troopers as needed to affected areas. All State Police specialized vehicles, including four-wheel drive vehicles and Utility Task Vehicles, are staged and ready for immediate response. All Troop emergency power and communications equipment has been tested.

Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Metropolitan Transportation Authority personnel are hard at work to ensure safe, reliable service continues throughout the storm and aftermath. MTA employees will be poised to spread salt and clear platforms and stairs of snow and ice, keep signals, switches, third rail operating, remove any downed trees that may fall across tracks, and attend to any weather-related challenges during the storm.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels is proactively implementing an empty and tandem tractor trailer ban at 6 a.m. Monday. Buses will operate reduced service based on anticipated lower ridership. All local buses will also be fitted with tire chains. Articulated buses will be replaced by shorter buses starting Sunday night.

Customers are encouraged avoid unnecessary travel, check new.mta.info for the latest service updates, and to use extreme caution while navigating the system, especially on outdoor platforms and stairs. Customers should also sign up for real-time service alerts via text or email. These alerts are also available via the MTAs apps: MYmta, Metro-North Train Time and Long Island Rail Road Train Time.

Safety Tips

Winter Safety

Some of the most important tips for safe driving include:

When winter storms strike, do not drive unless necessary.

Use caution on bridges as ice can form quicker than on roads.

If you must travel, make sure your car is stocked with survival gear like blankets, a shovel, flashlight and extra batteries, extra warm clothing, set of tire chains, battery booster cables, quick energy foods and brightly colored cloth to use as a distress flag.

If you have a cell phone or other communications device such as a two-way radio available for your use, keep the battery charged and keep it with you whenever traveling. If you should become stranded, you will be able to call for help, advising rescuers of your location.

The leading cause of death and injuries during winter storms is transportation accidents. Before getting behind the wheel, make sure that your vehicle is clear of ice and snow; good vision is key to good driving. Plan your stops and keep more distance between cars. Be extra alert and remember that snowdrifts can hide smaller children. Always match your speed to the road and weather conditions.

It is important for motorists on all roads to note that snowplows travel at speeds up to 35 m.p.h., which in many cases is lower than the posted speed limit, to ensure that salt being dispersed stays in the driving lanes and does not scatter off the roadways. Oftentimes on interstate highways, snowplows will operate side by side, as this is the most efficient and safe way to clear several lanes at one time.

Motorists and pedestrians should also keep in mind that snowplow drivers have limited lines of sight, and the size and weight of snowplows can make it very difficult to maneuver and stop quickly. Snow blowing from behind the plow can severely reduce visibility or cause whiteout conditions. Motorists should not attempt to pass snowplows or follow too closely. The safest place for motorists to drive is well behind the snowplows where the roadway is clear and salted.

Flood Safety

Know the county in which you live and the names of nearby cities. Severe weather warnings are issued on a county basis.

Learn the safest route from your home or business to high, safe ground should you have to leave in a hurry.

Develop and practice a family escape plan and identify a meeting place if family members become separated.

Make an itemized list of all valuables including furnishings, clothing and other personal property. Keep the list in a safe place.

Stockpile emergency supplies of canned food, medicine and first aid supplies and drinking water.

Store drinking water in clean, closed containers

Plan what to do with your pets.

Have a portable radio, flashlights, extra batteries and emergency cooking equipment available.

Keep your automobile fueled. If electric power is cut off, gasoline stations may not be able to pump fuel for several days. Have a small disaster supply kit in the trunk of your car.

Find out how many feet your property is above and below possible flood levels. When predicted flood levels are broadcast, you can determine if you may be flooded.

Keep materials like sandbags, plywood, plastic sheeting and lumber handy for emergency waterproofing

Have disaster supplies on hand, including:

Flashlight and extra batteries;

Battery-operated radio and extra batteries;

First aid kit and manual;

Emergency food and water;

Non-electric can opener;

Essential medicines; and

Checkbook, cash, credit cards, and ATM cards.

For more safety tips for all types of weather events, visit the DHSES website at www.dhses.ny.gov/oem/safety-info/index.cfm.
Roby Sawyers, professor of accounting and director of undergraduate programs at North Carolina State University's Poole College of Management, received the AICPA's Arthur J. Dixon Award. Also, Jamie C. Yesnowitz, principal and leader of State and Local Tax, and Jeff Martin, a partner and tax technical leader in compensation and employee benefits, both in Grant Thornton's Washington National Tax Office, received Jonathan Horn Distinguished Service Awards.

The Arthur J. Dixon Award, the highest award given in the area of taxes, recognizes a CPA who demonstrates professionalism in the spirit of Dixon, who was a leader in the profession, serving on various state society and AICPA committees, with a long record of service to the Tax Division. Sawyers specializes in federal estate tax issues, North Carolina's tax structure, behavioral aspects of income tax decision-making, tax patents, and state and local tax. For more than two decades he has participated as a chair or member on numerous AICPA task forces, committees, and technical resource panels (TRPs), including serving as chair of the Tax Legislation Task Force and as a member of the Tax Practice Responsibilities Committee.

The Jonathan Horn Tax Division Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding current contributions to the Tax Division. The award name was recently changed to posthumously honor Jonathan Horn, a former TRP volunteer, AICPA staff member, and past recipient of the award.

Yesnowitz is a member of the AICPA Tax Executive Committee and serves as the committee's liaison to the State and Local Taxation TRP, of which he also was a previous member and chair. Yesnowitz has represented the AICPA in testifying before Congress on the Supreme Court's Wayfair decision's impact on small businesses and before the Multistate Tax Commission. Yesnowitz often represents the AICPA on state and local taxation issues with organizations such as the Council On State Taxation, Tax Executives Institute, and the American Bar Association. He also often assists the AICPA with press inquiries and has authored articles in The Tax Adviser.

Martin is the immediate past chair of the AICPA Employee Benefits Tax TRP and is the tax chair for the AICPA Employee Benefit Plans Conference. He is a regular speaker at AICPA conferences and has written articles in the JofA and The Tax Adviser.

21 runners killed during mountain race in northwestern province of Gansu; Indian variant of Covid-19 found in Guangzhou; Beijing willing to arrange for vaccines to be sent to Taiwan

May 28, 2021 08:15 PM
CLEVELAND, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lidia C. Mowad has joined McDonald Hopkins LLC as an associate in the Intellectual Property Department of the firm's Cleveland office.

Mowad's experience includes two and one-half years of work in the Office of the Ohio Attorney General's Executive Agencies Section where her work included representing executive officials, departments, agencies, and boards at all stages of civil litigation in trial and appellate proceedings, in state and federal court, and in administrative tribunals.

While working towards her J.D., Mowad worked as an extern for the Federal Trade Commission in Cleveland, drafting motions for ongoing investigations and litigation, in areas such as false advertising, data breaches, and identity theft.

In 2017, Mowad interned for NBCUniversal in Los Angeles, where she reviewed documents and provided liability analysis for defamation, libel, libel in fiction and false light claims for "Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Brothers" and "Law & Order: SVU." She also researched and provided resolutions on contract and back-end participation agreement issues for third-party digital platforms, and vetted scripts and concepts for intellectual property rights, clearances, licensing, guild and other contract issues for "Will & Grace" and "Superstore," among other shows in the NBCUniversal television lineup.

Mowad earned her J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2018, graduating cum laude. While in law school, she served as executive articles editor for the Law Review, received the ABA/BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property and Highest Grade CALI Awards for Property Law, Copyright Law, Intellectual Property, First Amendment in the Arts, and Law of the Music Industry. She was the student director of the Intellectual Property: First Amendment & the Arts Project, and she was president of the Student Intellectual Property Law Association.

Mowad completed a B.A. in international relations and music performance in 2015 from Ohio Wesleyan University, where she graduated summa cum laude.

Mowad can be reached at 216.430.2002 and [email protected].

About McDonald Hopkins

Founded in 1930, McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with locations in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and West Palm Beach. With more than 50 service and industry teams, the firm has the expertise and knowledge to meet the growing number of legal and business challenges our clients face. For more information about McDonald Hopkins, visit mcdonaldhopkins.com.

CONTACT:

David Carducci

McDonald Hopkins LLC

600 Superior Avenue, East, Suite 2100

Cleveland, Ohio 44114

Phone: 216.348.5814

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE McDonald Hopkins

Related Links

http://www.mcdonaldhopkins.com



Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2021) - SusGlobal Energy Corp. (OTCQB: SNRG) ("SusGlobal" or the "Company"), the developer of SusGro, a revolutionary pathogen free organic liquid fertilizer, today announced it has completed the Ydro Process integration into the Company's proprietary Organic Waste Processing and Composting Facility at its wholly owned subsidiary SusGlobal Energy Belleville Ltd. ("SusGlobal Belleville").

TradeWorks Environmental Inc.'s Ydro Process, a biotechnology used in composting applications to improve and advance the overall performance and efficiency of the system was integrated into the existing SusGlobal Belleville operations by applying the Ydro Series Microorganisms product during the preparation stage batches of compost pile in the appropriate Gore system windrows.

During this project, seven (7) different batches were completed during a 3-month period, and samples from 3 different batches were sent to an independent certified laboratory for analysis. For each of the 3 batches analyzed, samples were obtained for each of their 3 active composting stages (Stages A, B & C), as well as after the final 3-week curing process. The main purpose of this project was to demonstrate the Ydro Process' benefits when introduced into composting facilities. One of the main factors to the overall management of these facilities is the treatment capacity (which is strictly related to the required processing time to produce the final product), the analysis concluded the benefits and operational optimization which the Ydro Process integration enables.

The lab results from the batches tested indicated that compost was mature enough and ready to move out of the compost active stage after 4-6 weeks of processing. By contrast, the current required processing period is 8 weeks. The results show a reduction in processing time ranging from 25%-50%. This reduction in processing time allows for an increase in the composting treatment capacity (tonnes/year) by 33%-100%, which correlates to a more economically and environmentally sustainable management model of the facility, resulting in significantly increasing revenues and profits.

Additional indications for further economic and environmental advancements include the reduction of electricity used per tonne of waste treated, reduction in Green House Gas ("GHG") emissions, higher value compost, living soil, overall return on investment and significant odour reduction between the final Ydro Process compost compared to the non Ydro Process compost.

As municipalities look to significantly divert organic waste from landfills by 2022, there will be a necessity of diversion, thus composting facilities, their management model, and its level of sustainability, will play a key role in this redistribution of waste. Constructing new buildings for meeting the higher demand, unnecessarily consumes resources and can also be a very time-consuming process when obtaining environmental licences and approvals. The SusGlobal Belleville Facility has proven that by maximizing the efficiency and performance of the existing infrastructure it is possible to meet the increase in demand and new standards of sustainability, resulting in a tremendous competitive advantage.

SusGlobal continues producing its Earth's Journey Compost as a member and in compliance with The Compost Council of Canada standards by processing 70,000 tonnes per annum of organic waste, with an additional 50,000 tonnes per annum organic waste processing and transfer site approved under the existing Environmental Compliance Approval (the "ECA") and Site Plan. The integration of the Ydro Process into the existing system allows for the treating of source separated organics ("SSO") and industrial, commercial, and institutional ("ICI") organic wastes to produce a higher quality compost, reduce processing time, reduce odors, while continuing to reduce GHG emissions by diverting organic waste streams from landfills.

"We are pleased to have worked with TradeWorks Environmental to improve our own processes and quality of regenerative products," stated Marc Hazout, President and CEO of SusGlobal Energy Corp. "Focusing on increasing efficiencies and standards to drive further revenue and brand recognition results in maximizing shareholder value."

"Our team was impressed with SusGlobal Belleville's management and operators in the integration of our proprietary product and process," stated Meni Mancini, Founding Partner of TradeWorks Environmental Inc. "We are confident that SusGlobal will continue to achieve the high-yielding results from the continued implementation of the Ydro Process."

About SusGlobal Energy Corp.

SusGlobal Energy Corp., the developer of SusGro, a revolutionary pathogen free organic liquid fertilizer is a renewables company focused on acquiring, developing and monetizing a portfolio of proprietary technologies in the waste to energy and regenerative products application globally. It is management's objective to grow SusGlobal into a significant sustainable waste to energy and regenerative products provider, as Leaders in The Circular Economy. For more information, please visit the Company's website at: https://susglobalenergy.com.

About TradeWorks Environmental Inc.

TradeWorks Environmental is a cleantech company focused on the treatment of organic waste and wastewater through the implementation and integration of the Ydro Process, a biotechnology that increases the overall performance of biological treatment processes, by implementing selected bacterial cultures (Ydro Series Microorganisms). The integration of the Process focuses on enabling systems to exceed designed efficiencies by leveraging the existing resources and infrastructure. The Ydro Process establishes new standards for managing and treating organic waste and wastewater, with respect to being economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable, in an innovative and simple approach. For more information, please visit TradeWorks Environmental's website at: www.tradeworksinc.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the Company's objectives. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, lack of sufficient financial resources; variations in market conditions, currency and our stock; the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, approvals, consents or authorizations required for its activities; the Company's ability to produce energy, biogas, compost or organic fertilizer from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, or to be fully able to implement its business strategies and other risk factors described in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which may be viewed at www.sec.gov.

Contact

SusGlobal Energy Corp.

Marc Hazout, President and CEO

(416) 223-8500 or Toll Free: 1-866-512-7374

Email: info@susglobalenergy.com

SOURCE: SusGlobal Energy Corp.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73268
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
Help India!

TCN News

New Delhi: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MPs on Monday said that the Union Budget presented in the Parliament lacks farsightedness and is bereft of any ideas and remedial measures for already struggling economy.

Support TwoCircles



The Union Government failed to acknowledge the growing resentment among the working class and farmers, said PK Kunhalikutty, Member of Parliament-LS. Instead of extending a helping hand to the ordinary people, the governments focus is upon the welfare of Multinational Corporates, he added. The sole objective of the privatization and disinvestment programs is not for the welfare of the common people, but to maximize crony capitalists profit, MP said.

What we have witnessed today in India is a result of the government policy of selling and privatization, which helped the Corporates and put a hardship on the ordinary people. Farmers agitation on Republic day was a result of this policy. However, instead of learning from the recent development, the government follows the same policy more vigorously, stated Kunhalikutty MP.

The Budget expected to announce specific policies and programs that would rejuvenate the economy shattered by the financial crisis and Covid-19 pandemic, he said. The Finance Minister enlisted several achievements in her speech, but we doubt that the effects are not felt among the common people. If people of the country are happy, we would not have witnessed mass protests across the nation, he added.

Though the minister has mentioned a lot about self-reliance, ironically, the present government policies are making our country more dependable on others, said, ET Muhammed Basheer, Member of Parliament -LS. Government is following a dangerous policy of selling national assets and privatization. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic began, our economy was in bad shape due to the present-day governments ill-conceived policies. Covid-19 has amplified the economic crisis in our country. However, the Union Budget has offered nothing substantially to overcome the crisis, added ET Muhammed Basheer. The Union Budget ignored the marginalized sections including OBCs and Minorities and no new welfare schemes have been found in the Budget for the OBCs, said the MP.
Dmitry Medvedev gives a press conference during an official visit to Le Havre, western France on 24 June, 2019 (AFP via Getty Images)

Former prime minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev has branded Donald Trump's presidency as a period of disappointment saying political tensions in the US hindered the former president.

"The period of the previous administrations work is the period of disappointment," Mr Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said according to Tass, a Russian news agency.

"Donald Trump, already a former president of the United States, was indeed a friendly person and demonstrated in every possible way his intention to, as he put it, get along with the Russians - but failed," Mr Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, said according to Tass, a Russian news agency.

"The period of the previous administrations work is the period of disappointment."

The official said that certain members of the US political establishment on both ends of the spectrum were "throwing a spanner in Mr Trumps works" during that period.

The official said that the former president was drove into a corner by political adversaries, who he said saw him as an agent of the country.

Mr Medvedev, who served as Prime Minister to Vladimir Putin from 2012 to 2020, said that Mr Trumps efforts with Russia failed to produce any result, and that this was the outcome that Mr Trump intended.

Naturally, they drove him to a corner, and it was very hard for him to find a way out. That is why it all ended up with a continuous series of additional sanctions, Mr Medvedev said.

Mr Medvedev reportedly told Russian media that a stalemate occurred between the two countries because the former president simultaneously insisted he had a good relationship with Russia while also boasting of his tough attitude towards the country.

Last week, a former KGB spy claimed that Russia cultivated former President Donald Trump as an asset for over 40 years.

KGB agents flattered Mr Trump, fed him talking points, and told him he should go into politics when he visited Moscow for the first time in 1987, Yuri Shvets, who worked in Washington DC for the Soviet Union in the 80s, told The Guardian.

Story continues

During his presidency, Mr Trump was subjected to a special counsel probe into Russian election meddling.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report failed to state clearly if he committed any crimes and explicitly stated it would have exonerated him if Mr Mueller had concluded no crimes were committed.

Read More

More than 4,500 Navalny supporters detained in Russia protests

Thousands rally in Russia to demand Alexei Navalnys release

Russia warn Navalny supporters not to attend Sunday protests

Trump lawyers quit before impeachment as Giuliani to be sued - live
At the current rate, it would take years to vaccinate the entire population of Spain against Covid-19. This assertion, which is being touted by a number of political leaders in the country, is true. But it doesnt provide any information that we havent already known for more than a month now. Barring a few deviations from the plan, this was the expected speed for the early stage of the campaign.

The government is planning for a ramping up of the inoculations once laboratories are able to produce more doses and new vaccines are approved. The delay in the arrival of the available vaccines has, up to now, prompted the reorganization of schedules. But it has not significantly changed the forecasts that were put in place at the end of December, when announcements were made about how many doses would be arriving in the country during the first quarter of the year. Whether or not the governments objectives are met  i.e. vaccinating the majority of the population by the summer  will not depend on the number of doses that arrive before the spring, which was always due to be very limited, but rather those that start to arrive from that moment onward.

How many vaccines have arrived and how many should have arrived?

By this last week, 1,837,700 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were due to have arrived, which is 68,645 more than were received. Thats to say, there was a 3.8% shortfall. The majority of the vaccines that are being administered in this phase are from Pfizer; just 35,700 of the total are from Moderna.

A health worker vaccinating a resident in Torrijos in Castilla-La Mancha. olmo calvo

The first problems began the previous week. Pfizer delivered 44% fewer doses than expected: instead of 350,000, the company sent 205,727. This last week they sent the agreed number. Until now, each vial officially contained five doses. Now, after a change in criteria by the European Medicines Agency, a sixth is included. In other words, with the same quantity of the vaccine, a total of 422,000 doses can be administered. This changes the accounting, and also throws up the possibility of the extra dose being wasted should the vaccination teams not have the right syringes  something that has been happening in parts of the country. But even if just five doses are included in the calculations, of the 1.75 million doses that were due to be received by Spain from Pfizer by this point, 1.6 million have arrived  91% of the total.

The second problem, albeit a minor one in quantitative terms, is the delay with Modernas vaccine. By the middle of last week, 52,000 doses were expected  a delivery that was delayed until the weekend.

How many are left to arrive in the first quarter of the year?

The plan was for Spain to receive 4.59 million Pfizer doses and 600,000 from Moderna in the first quarter of the year. The former company has announced that it will increase its production from February 15, meaning that this target figure may actually be exceeded. But even maintaining the current speed, the expected figure will be reached by the end of March. Given that the Pfizer vaccine requires two doses, this quantity will vaccinate 2.3 million people, which is approximately the number of recipients in the first phase of Spains campaign: residents of care homes, medical workers and all adults with need for daily assistance even if they are not in residential care. Moderna, meanwhile, delivered 35,700 doses on January 12, and 52,000 more last week. It is due to send 127,000 up to the middle of February and 383,000 more before that month is over.

And here is where the Oxford and AstraZeneca vaccine comes in to play. The inoculation was approved on Friday by the European Commission. Spain was due to receive eight million doses (enough for four million people, given the vaccine also requires two injections) in the first quarter of the year. But the companys announcement that it would deliver just 38% of the agreed quantities in this period could see Spain receive fewer than four million. This could significantly slow the countrys vaccination plans. It will all depend on the outcome of the negotiations that are currently underway with the European Union, which is trying to minimize the shortfall.

Will the over-80s be vaccinated in March?

After the first phase of the campaign, the next population group will be the over-80s. This group accounts for 2.8 million people in Spain, but some of them will have already been vaccinated in phase 1. To determine whether the vaccination can begin in March, it will be of key importance to know whether the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine will be given to the over-65s. This is something that is being studied by the Health Ministry, a ministry spokesperson told EL PAIS.

A nurse vaccinating a resident of the Pare Vilaseca nursing home in Barcelona. Albert Garcia / EL PAIS

The European Medicines Agency has approved the vaccines use in people aged 18 and over. Each country will be able to decide whether it is given to seniors. While clinical trials have shown that it is safe for this group, the sample was not statistically sufficient to determine its efficiency. The Robert Koch Institute, a reference point in Germany for infectious diseases, has recommended that the over-65s should not be given this vaccine in that country. If Spain were to take the same decision, this would most likely mean changing the vaccination plan, and bringing forward another group on the schedule, such as essential workers or those with underlying health conditions, in order to begin using the AstraZeneca vaccine, which could begin arriving in the country very soon.

How many vaccines will arrive in the second quarter?

This is not yet known, and this is the crux of the issue. This figure, and the capacity of Spains regions to administer these vaccines in a timely fashion, will determine whether the country is able to vaccinate 70% of the population by the summer, as the government has proposed.

It is currently public knowledge that Spain, via the EU, has signed contracts with seven companies for seven different vaccines. The total number of doses is 140 million, which will be enough to vaccinate 80 million people (Spain has a population of nearly 47 million people) given that most of the vaccines require two doses. But what is not known are the timeframes for delivery.

The forecast is that in the second quarter of the year, companies whose vaccines have already been approved  Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca  will be producing their doses at a greater speed, meaning that more will be arriving every week than are now. Whats more, the Janssen vaccine will likely be available by that point, although it is less effective than the others.

What will need to be done to have vaccinated 70% of the population by the summer?

If 4.6 million people are vaccinated in the first quarter  the total of all of those planned using the Pfizer, Moderna and the worst-case scenario with the AstraZeneca vaccine  28 million people will need to be immunized to reach 70% of the population. The second and third quarters of the year account for 26 weeks, meaning that more than 2.1 million injections a week will be needed. This figure will come down should the one-dose Janssen vaccine be available. Whatever the case, the current rhythm of the campaign will have to increase.

English version by Simon Hunter.

Jimmy Hoffa may be buried in a steel drum beneath other metal barrels at a New Jersey landfill site where excavators say there is proof a pit was once dug and filled in after the union leader's 1976 disappearance.

The whereabouts of Hoffa's remains has always been a mystery but according to Frank Cappola, the son of the late mobster Paul Cappola Sr, he is buried at a landfill site beneath the Pulaski Skyway.

The site used to belong to Cappola's father but is now owned by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and is used by a local waste management company to store unused dumpsters.

According to Cappola, Hoffa was murdered in Detroit after showing up to a mafia meeting. His body was then taken back to New Jersey, where Cappola told Fox Nation his father put him in a barrel, head first, then buried him.

Fox Nation journalist host Eric Shawn visited the site with a team of excavators who used radar technology to detect curved metal objects in the ground where Cappola claimed Hoffa was buried.

Teamsters boss James R. Hoffa vanished in 1975 after arriving at a meeting with mafia bosses a Detroit restauran

The site where Jimmy Hoffa is said to be buried at a landfill in New Jersey

Fox Nation visited the site with a team of radar excavators who detected metal objects where Hoffa is said to be buried in a metal drum

The radar detector found metal in the ground that they would say be consistent with the drums described

Eric Shawn standing in front of the trailer beneath which Hoffa is said to be buried

Now, the show's host and producers say they are waiting for law enforcement to intervene and dig up the site.

Cappola does not name Hoffa's killer but Phillip Moscato Jr, whose father was mobster Phillip 'Brother' Moscato Sr, has previously claimed it was hitman Salvatore 'Sally Bugs' Briguglio who shot him, and not Frank 'The Irishman' Sheeran, who was recently played by Robert De Niro in The Irishman.

Moscato told Fox Nation that Cappola's claims about where the body is are right.

The show also brought in a radar excavation team to examine the site where the pair say Hoffa's remains are.

That team did not dig up anything but they said their radar technology proved the ground had been disrupted and was dug up and filled.

The landfill site today where Hoffa is reportedly buried in a steel drum beneath ground

Frank Cappola (left) claimed in November 2019 that Hoffa's body was buried at the landfill site and that it was his father Paul (right) who put him there. Cappola died in February 2020

Their radars also detected curved metal objects, similar to the barrels Cappola described.

Cappola did not give details of how his father came to be involved, but he told the show how he pushed Hoffa's body in the steel drum.

'He couldn't get the legs to bend right.

'Don't take this the wrong way, because he had a lot of respect for Hoffa, but he said "they couldn't fit the fat little man in a barrel feet first."

'So they put him in headfirst and then they pushed the cover on top of him. And then they buried him,' he said.

His father then buried him in a spot where he thought the ground would not be disturbed.

It was right next to a spot that the government did dig up in the 1980s.

Hoffa was last seen alive on July 30, 1975, eating at a restaurant in suburban Detroit where hes believed to have met a group of Mafiosos whom hed known for decades, in an effort to secure their support for his bid to return as the Teamsters president

Hoffa left his home in his green Pontiac Grand Ville (above) and drove to the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Township. After he left, he disappeared

Martin Scorseses Netflix smash-hit, The Irishman, is the latest film to offer a fictionalized version of Hoffas story (pictured: Al Pacino playing the role of Hoffa)

Known as a federal Superfund site, it was cleared out in the 1980s by the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection which removed barrels filled with toxic waste.

'My father decided to change location because he felt he couldn't, he didn't know if somebody was watching.

'The place was always under surveillance. After I came in the next day, the hole was filled,' Cappola told Fox Nation.

Cappola said he had finally decided to come forward because most of the people involved were dead.

He told Fox Nation that his father, who died in 2008, had always been haunted by his role in the killing.

'[He] was very upset all his life over it, that he had to get put into that position. But you know, if you dont do it, then they do it to you.

'I think I am doing the right thing. My father said "I want this man to go home to his family. He needs to go back home."

'He was a great, good man and my father respected him,' he said.

Hoffa intended to testify before the special U.S. Senate investigative panel, known as the Church Committee, about Mafia involvement in U.S.-backed plots to assassinate Cuban President Fidel Castro before his death.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- The cancer center across from Bronson Methodist Hospital has opened its doors for adult cancer patients, the healthcare system announced Monday, Feb. 1.

In less than two years, the healthcare system built the five-story center for medical oncology, hematology and infusion services, according to a news release from Bronson. In addition to outpatient treatment, the new center offers cancer patients support services such as survivorship, palliative care, nutrition counseling and healthy living activities, the release said.

Related: Bronson CEO Frank Sardone leaves legacy of core values in hospitals culture

The 85,000-square foot facility was named in honor of former Bronson president and CEO Frank Sardone.

As Sardone was leaving his position after 32 years with Bronson, he told MLive his hoped Bronsons regional scope and broader influence on West Michigan continued to grow. The Frank J. Sardone Pavilion is now part of Bronsons growing footprint in the cancer field.

Bronson Childrens Hospital serves children with cancer and blood disorders from throughout the region, and the Bronson Cancer Center in Battle Creek continues to provide a comprehensive range of oncology and radiation treatment for adults in Calhoun County.

Bronson also partners on radiation, surgical and gynecological oncology services with Western Michigan Cancer Center. Five medical oncologists and four advanced practice providers, who previously saw Bronson patients at WMCC, are now available full time at the new center, according to the release.

A 2018 announcement from the West Michigan Cancer Center dissolved the partnership between Bronson and Borgess, and both healthcare systems decided to build separate centers.

The planned Ascension Medical Group Borgess Cancer Center is on track to open September 2021, according to a Monday news release from Ascension Borgess.

Construction crews broke ground in August 2020. The facility is being built in the newly completed second phase of Western Michigan Universitys Business, Technology and Research Park.

The 38,000-square-foot facility is located near the intersection of Stadium Drive and Drake Road in Oshtemo Township.

More on MLive:

Ascension Borgess cancer center set to open September 2021

Double masking as coronavirus variants spread, where to find the right masks

9% of Michigan adults vaccinated against COVID-19 so far; see numbers in your county

Limited supply means some schools cant vaccinate their teachers against COVID like others can
BATON ROUGE, La. -- The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) is taking an active role to support school systems as they meet the academic needs of students. Accelerate is a new initiative to provide high-quality tutoring lessons in ELA and math to school systems across the state. School systems can offer this additional support to students virtually, in-person, during school or outside of the school day. The LDOE is allocating $1 million in seed money to begin the initiative.

The LDOE believes all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and students who persistently struggle, can achieve grade-level standards. Accelerate is focused on identifying, celebrating and building upon the assets students bring to the learning experience.

To effectively address and prevent unfinished learning, students must be provided with extra time to learn through equal-access tutoring. Accelerate is designed to support school systems implementing tutoring to achieve significant results for all students.

Unfinished learning is nothing new to educators, but the pandemic has exacerbated the need to provide our children with extra help, said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. Accelerate provides equal-access to effective tutoring that builds on the high-quality instruction taking place in our classrooms.

This program is designed to provide systems with the structures and teachers with resources that will accelerate students learning in connection with whats taught during the normal school day. Participating school systems will have access to tutoring lessons aligned to high-quality curriculum. School systems can then offer these supplemental lessons to students who need additional support. A special Accelerate web page will house guidance documents, presentations and webinar recordings.

Teacher Leader Advisors from across the state are developing these tutoring lessons for ELA and math. The lessons will eventually expand to serve grades Pre-K-12. The first set of lessons are for students in grades K-8 and will be released this spring. The spring initiative includes 24 lessons designed to be delivered using best practices in tutoring.

Systems may use general funds, federal funds or CARES dollars to support the endeavor. In December 2020, the Louisiana legislature allocated $8 million to the LDOE for distance learning devices. The Department purchased over 23,000 Chromebooks for school systems across the state. Those devices can help support the implementation of the Accelerate initiative for participating systems.

In education terms, an acceleration approach addresses unfinished learning in an equitable way. Acceleration means connecting unfinished learning in the context of new learning, integrating new information and the needed prior knowledge. Accelerate resources provide teachers with guidance to offer just-in-time core support to struggling students in ELA and math in grades Pre-K-12.

'Accelerate' tutoring can be offered virtually, in-person, during or outside school hours
HARRISBURG  The state Senate approved legislation Wednesday to enhance the penalties for child pornography, while also establishing the Task Force on Child Pornography, according to state Sen. Lisa Baker, R-20, Dallas, who sponsored the bill.

Senate Bill 87 was overwhelmingly passed by a bipartisan vote of 46-2.

Baker explained that Senate Bill 87 was previously sponsored by the late state Sen. Dave Arnold, who passed away earlier this month. The legislation would boost penalties in cases of child pornography in which the child is under the age of 10 or is prepubescent. This includes penalties for anyone who views, possesses, disseminates, photographs, videotapes or otherwise depicts these children engaging in sexual acts.

With the recent passing of Senator Arnold after his courageous battle with cancer, I am pleased that this important measure has received swift Senate approval, Baker said. This bill was something that our colleague Dave Arnold was firmly committed to, as a professional who devoted himself to enforcing laws and securing justice for crime victims, as a proud and caring parent, and as someone possessed of strong moral conscience.

Baker noted that the bill also allows the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing to develop sentencing enhancements for those who sexually abuse children that are known to them.

In addition, the bill would create a special Task Force on Child Pornography to review laws pertaining to child pornography and make recommendations to improve the investigation and prosecution of offenders to ensure the perpetrators of these crimes are held accountable. The Task Force will recommend any necessary changes in state statutes, practices and policies relating to child pornography.

Baker explained that a similar version of this bill was unanimously passed by the Senate in October, during the last legislative session, but was unable to reach the finish line before the end of the year.

Senate Bill 87 now advances to the House of Representatives for consideration.

 staff report
Vietnam detects new Coronavirus strain with combined features of UK, Indian ones 29 May 2021 | 2:20 PM Hanoi, May 29 (UNI) Vietnam has detected a new strain of the coronavirus that combines characteristics of the UK and Indian variants, national Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said on Saturday. see more..

Jaishankar meets Blinken, discuss COVID-19 relief, Indo-Pacific 29 May 2021 | 11:52 AM Washington, May 29 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met his US counterpart Antony Blinken in-person here and discussed the COVID-19 relief, coup in Myanmar, climate change and strengthening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. see more..

COVID cases in Brazil rises by 67,467 to over 16 34mln 28 May 2021 | 3:51 PM Brasilia, May 28 (UNI) The number of COVID-19 cases in Brazil has increased by 67,467 to 16,342,162 within the last 24 hours, the national Ministry of Health said. see more..

German President Steinmeier to run for 2nd term 28 May 2021 | 3:35 PM Berlin, May 28 (UNI) German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday announced that he intends to run for the second term. see more..
Chandigarh, Feb 1 : While hailing the Union Budget as visionary, pro-poor and forward-looking, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said the focus on farming, healthcare, infrastructure, women and senior citizens would help in improving the lives of people.

Congratulating Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting the budget amid the unprecedented pandemic, Khattar said it would provide a boost to the economy and further strengthen the 'Sankalp of Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

The Haryana Chief Minister thanked Sitharaman for her announcement to extend the 'Swamitva Scheme'(Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in villages) to all states and Union Territories.

Khattar said Haryana was the pioneer in starting a scheme to make the villages of the state free from 'Lal Dora' so as to give villagers the right to own their property, purchase and sell land and take loans on it.

"This scheme is being appreciated throughout the country and at present, it is being run in eight states under the name of 'Pradhan Mantri Swamitva Yojana'," he added.

The Chief Minister said the significant budgetary allocations and announcements for farmers, healthcare sector, affordable housing and extension of 'Ujjawala' scheme would have great synergies with the ongoing and planned efforts of the state in these critical areas.

While hailing the major announcement relating to the agriculture sector, he said increased outlay for agriculture credit to Rs 16.5 lakh crore, integration of 1,000 more mandis with the National Agriculture Market, Minimum Support Price system, enhancing the allocation to the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund from Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore and agriculture infrastructure fund for Agricultural Produce Market Committees for augmenting their infrastructure will help promote sustainable agriculture. It will also realise Prime Minister Modi's vision of doubling the farmers income by 2022.
Kirby is looking for a new fire chief after accepting the resignation of former chief Glenn Levy in January.

Levy, who became the citys newest fire chief in August, informed the city in mid-December that he would be retiring, according to City Manager Monique Vernon.

He and I talked about it extensively, Vernon said. He provided 30 days notice. He thanked us for the opportunity to be our fire chief for five months when he submitted his resignation.

Levys final day was Jan. 21. He addressed his retirement with City Council when the city included him on its Jan. 14 meeting agenda.

I just want to thank the city of Kirby for the opportunity to serve, Levy told council. I have been privileged the last five months to work with 24 of the most amazing men and women that Ive had the pleasure to work with during my entire career.

Thank you for letting me play fire chief, to make some great friends, and to be humble and to be grateful, he added.

Levy came out of retirement to take the Kirby fire chief position after more than four decades spent fighting fires and saving lives primarily in Colorado.

I dont need to work. I am here because I want to be, not because I have to be, Levy said in the days following his August hire. He said he thoroughly researched the city, the department, and the history of Kirby and firefighting.

I am here because the firefighters of Kirby have an unbelievable potential. Their commitment to servicing both Kirby and ESD no. 11 is unparalleled, he said.

Although only with the department for five months, Vernon spoke to one of his finer points.

We appreciate the time he was here. He significantly improved the morale of the department and got the department back on track to where we were in prior years, Vernon said.

Levy kept a cot in his office, where he spent nights sleeping, on call with his crew. Hed already spent the night there four times in just his first two weeks on the job.

Im a member of this team, he said at the time, but I have not earned the respect and honor of these firefighters. I dont deserve to bunk down with them yet, because I havent proven myself to them, and this community, yet.

Levy spoke kindly of the department and the community during the Jan. 14 meeting.

I want to thank the community for giving the firefighters superb support, he said. This has been an amazing opportunity, and I just want to say thank you.

Vernon said the city posted the job notice for the chiefs position in mid-January. The city has no plans to appoint an interim fire chief.

I have divided up the duties among the three captains until a chief is hired she said.

She said she would perform a short review of candidates flowing the job closing sometime mid-month.

We want to get it filled a soon as possible, but I dont have a set time frame in mind, she said. Selecting the new chief will depend on the experience and results of interviews with the pool of applicants, she added.

jflinn@expresss-news.net
CHICAGO, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report on the "Automated Material Handling Equipment Market by Product (Robots, ASRS, Conveyors and Sortation Systems, Cranes, WMS, AGV), System Type (Unit Load, Bulk Load), Industry (Automotive, Metals & Heavy Machinery, E-commerce), and Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Automated Material Handling Equipment Market size is expected to grow from USD 43.6 billion in 2021 to USD 76.8 billion by 2026; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.0% from 2021 to 2026. The key factors driving the growth of the market include growing demand for ASRS in e-commerce due to COVID-19, and increasing presence of start-up companies offering robotic solutions for warehouse automation.

Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=92483121

"Product-wise, Robots segment held the largest market size of overall automated material handling equipment market in 2020"

The robots segment held the largest share of the global automated material handling equipment market in 2020. Implementing robots significantly increases the efficiency and productivity of manufacturing companies and warehouses. Using robots can reduce labor costs, protect employees from injuries, and provide a high return on investment. Such advantages are fueling the demand for robots in manufacturing units and warehousing facilities. Material handling tasks, such as pick and place or palletizing, are among the most mundane and repetitive tasks performed by human workers. The advantages of implementing robots for such repetitive tasks have been realized by manufacturing and warehousing facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the robots segment is expected to hold the largest share of the AMH equipment market post-COVID-19 as well.

"System Type-wise, unit load material handling system segment to grow at highest rate from 2021 to 2026"

The growth of the unit load material handling system segment of the automated material handling equipment market can be attributed to its cost-effectiveness and ability to handle several items simultaneously, thereby reducing the number of trips, the time required for loading and unloading, and the cost of handling. The increasing demand for automated material handling equipment in the e-commerce industry is expected to fuel the market of unit load material handling systems during the forecast period. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AMH equipment market faced a bump in its growth. However, it also created awareness amongst the manufacturers and warehouse operators in the ecommerce, automotive, and semiconductor and electronics industry regarding the benefits of unit load material handling systems. Thus, an increase in the adoption of such equipment in these industries is expected.

"Industry-wise, automotive segment held the largest market size of overall automated material handling equipment market in 2020"

The large market share of the automotive segment of the automated material handling equipment market can be attributed to the need for constant availability of components and spare parts, just-in-time (JIT) delivery of materials, and reduction in the cost of unproductive labor are driving the growth of the automotive industry segment. Automotive is amongst the most innovative industries in terms of using automated equipment. The industry has shown remarkable resilience from May 2020 to December 2020. Although the industry had faced a downfall in sales during the first two quarters of 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the market has rebounded to deliver year-over-year growth in new vehicle sales over the last months of 2020. The automotive market of Europe and the US is expected to achieve the pre-COVID-19 level by the end of 2022. Meanwhile, China has already rebounded, nearing the pre-COVID-19 level, with the potential to achieve 30 million new vehicle sales by 2025.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Automated Material Handling Equipment Market"

212  Tables

76  Figures

291  Pages

Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=92483121

"APAC to record highest CAGR from 2021 to 2026"

APAC is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Rising awareness related to warehouse automation, increasing emphasis of leading economies such as China and Japan on robotics and automation, and the growing e-commerce industry are some of the primary factors contributing to the largest market share of APAC. The rapid growth of automotive, ecommerce, food & beverages, and healthcare industries in emerging economies, such as China and Japan, has contributed to the growth of the AMH equipment market in APAC. Moreover, governments in APAC countries are increasingly emphasizing safety on production floors, which can be best achieved by the implementation of AMH equipment. The market is witnessing rapid growth in countries such as China and Japan, owing to increasing investments by manufacturers and suppliers in the installation of such equipment at warehouses and distribution centers.

Major players involved in the automated material handling equipment market include Daifuku (Japan), KION (Germany), SSI Schaefer (Germany), Toyota Industries (Japan), Honeywell International (US), Hyster-Yale Material Handling (US), Jungheinrich (Germany), Hanwha (South Korea), John Bean Technologies (US), KUKA (Germany), Beumer (Germany), KNAPP (Germany), Murata Machinery (Japan), TGW Logistics (Austria), and Viastore (Germany).

Related Reports:

Cold Chain Monitoring Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Offering (Hardware and Software), Temperature Type (Frozen and Chilled), Logistics (Storage and Transportation), Application (Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Food & Beverages, Chemicals), Region - Global Forecast to 2025

Industrial Refrigeration System Market by Component (Compressor, Condenser, Evaporator), Refrigerant Type (Ammonia, CO2), Application (Fruit & Vegetable Processing, Meat & Poultry, Refrigerated Warehouse), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets' flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]

Research Insight : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/automated-material-handling-manufacturing-market.asp

Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com

Content Source : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/automated-material-handling-manufacturing.asp

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
China has sent warplanes almost every day in January to conduct military exercises near Taiwan as preparation for a possible war, reports have claimed.

The Chinese military aircraft were spotted entering Taiwanese airspace on a total of 30 different days last month, according to Taiwanese media.

Beijing's alleged intrusions were considered as 'preparing to fight the possible war through exercises', warned Chinese nationalist tabloid Global Times.

China has sent warplanes almost every day in January to conduct military exercises near Taiwan as preparation for a possible war, reports say. In this file photo on October 1, 2019, Chinese military aircraft fly in formation during a parade in Beijing

The stark warning comes as China has increased tensions with Taiwan by stepping up military activities and declaring that 'independence means war' last week.

Taiwan has been claimed by China as one of its territories, with Beijing having deployed fighter jets and bombers into the island's airspace as recently as the weekend.

China believes Taiwan's democratically-elected government is moving the island towards a formal declaration of independence, but Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly said that the island is already an independent nation.

Despite this, China has ramped up military drills near the island in recent weeks, including deploying 15 fighter jets into Taiwan airspace twice in two days last month.

According to Taiwanese newspaper The Liberty Times, Chinese warplanes were spotted intruding the island's south-western airspace three times on Sunday by Taiwan air force's open radio communication and open-source flight trackers.

This means there was only one day in January when Chinese military aircraft were not observed by open-source intelligence in the region, the outlet said in a separate report.

China has increased tensions with Taiwan by stepping up military activities and declaring that 'independence means war' last week. This photo taken on January 4, 2021 shows Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers assembling during military training in Xinjiang

In response to the Taiwanese reports, Global Times wrote in an article yesterday that Beijing is preparing for a possible war by sending warplanes and stepping up military exercises near Taiwan.

Citing an analyst, the nationalist tabloid claimed the Chinese mainland 'has sent a clear warning by formulating easily understandable words that 'Taiwan independence' means war'.

' and is also making concrete steps to prepare for one if it happens by conducting intensive exercises in the Taiwan Straits,' the outlet added.

It also warned 'foreign and Taiwan secessionist forces should not miscalculate' the Chinese mainland which is 'both talking the talk and walking the walk'.

'The mainland is both talking the talk and walking the walk, so foreign and Taiwan secessionist forces should not make the strategic error of believing that the mainland dare not use force when needed, and such miscalculation could lead to a result neither side would like to see,' the report said.

Taiwan said China should think carefully and not underestimate the island's determination to defend its sovereignty and uphold freedom and democracy. Pictured: Taiwan Navy special forces take part in counter-infiltration operations during a drill on January 27, 2021

The Global Times article came after Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Thursday during a monthly news briefing that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, declaring that 'independence means war'.

He said: 'The military activities carried out by the Chinese People's Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait are necessary actions to address the current security situation in the Taiwan Strait and to safeguard national sovereignty and security.

'They are a solemn response to external interference and provocations by 'Taiwan independence' forces.'

Wu Qian also said that there are only a 'handful' of people in Taiwan that are seeking independence from China for the island.

To those people, he warned: 'Those who play with fire will burn themselves, and 'Taiwan independence' means war.'

The Global Times article came after Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian (pictured on June 29, 2017) said on Thursday during a monthly news briefing that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, sending a stark warning that 'independence means war'

In response, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council said China should think carefully and not underestimate the island's determination to defend its sovereignty and uphold freedom and democracy.

Wu's statement came a day after Beijing defended the People's Liberation Army (PLA) exercises as necessary to 'safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity'.

The PLA exercises 'solemnly warn external forces to stop interference and sternly warn... separatist forces to stop provocations', said Ms Zhu Fenglian, spokesman for Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on Wednesday.

She also stressed that China reserves the option to 'take all measures' to deal with interference, including the use of force.

According to Taiwan's Defence Ministry, the Chinese air force flew 15 military aircraft into Taiwan on January 24.

The day before, several fighter jets and bombers had also been sent into Taiwan airspace.

In response to the Chinese aircraft, Taiwan deployed fighters and air defence systems as well as broadcasting warning messages over the radio.

It is believed the movement of the Chinese aircraft was a chilling message directed at Joe Biden, with the new President only having been in office a few days and the de-facto Taiwan ambassador being invited to Biden's inauguration.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The founders of Statcomm Inc., a fire and life safety company located in the Bay Area in California, are pleased to announce that they have hired a number of new employees to help prepare for a busy 2021.

To learn more about how Statcomm is getting ready for a successful year, please read https://www.statcomm.com/news/statcomm-prepares-for-busy-and-challenging-new-year/.

Everyone who works at Statcomm knows that 2020 was an exceptionally difficult year on many levels. As the team moves forward into 2021, the founders want to assure their valued customers that they will continue to be committed to offering the same excellent service and superior performance that they have always provided.

In order to do this as efficiently as possible, Statcomm recently hired additional employees in the engineering and inspection departments.

"Having a bigger engineering department will help us more efficiently roll out upgrades and new installations. On the technician side, we are always excited about new faces and proud of our ongoing dedication to providing round-the-clock service to our great customers," a company spokesperson noted, adding that Statcomm has also upgraded their system and now has a new software platform.

"This will help our engineers, estimators, and technicians in the field stay more accurate and up to date with critical information. One of the best parts of the new system is that we can now send work orders directly to technicians, which allows us to offer you more effectiveness and productivity."

To help ensure that everyone stays healthy and safe, Statcomm will continue to adhere to all COVID-19 rules, regulations and guidelines. The staff carefully follows the advice of the CDC and California State Fire Marshal and the team will continue to wear face masks and gloves and social distance while on-site.

About Statcomm Inc.:

Statcomm Inc. is a complete fire alarm and life safety company that's able to assist clients throughout the Greater Bay Area with tests and inspections required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State of California. For more information, please visit http://www.statcomm.com/.



Statcomm Inc.

939-C San Rafael Ave.

Mountain View, CA 94043

650-988-9508

SOURCE Statcomm Inc.

Related Links

https://www.statcomm.com


A single mother of a toddler, King is looking for subsidized housing near her family on the North Side. Having endured a stroke while in college in 2009 as a result of her sickle cell anemia, she does not want to wait years before she can find a home adjacent to her daughters day care and near her own mother and the doctors she relies on for care.
RENO, Nev. (AP)  Desmond Cambridge Jr. scored 17 points and Grant Sherfield scored 15 points with 11 rebounds and Nevada unloaded on UNLV with an 89-60 win on Sunday night.

Sherfield made 1 of 2 foul shots, followed with a 3-pointer with 10:53 before halftime, Nevada (11-7, 6-5 Mountain West Conference) led 26-13 and were up double digits the rest of the game.

The Wolfpack distributed 21 assists on 31-for-55 (56.4%) shooting, including 14 for 24 (58.3%) from 3-point range. Kwame Hymes scored 16 and Zane Meeks 11 off the bench for Nevada.

David Jenkins Jr. and Moses Wood each scored 13 points for UNLV (6-8, 3-4) and Caleb Grill 11.

___

For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Travis Scott only took up snowboarding about a month ago, and he already looks like he's on a mission to master some of the slick tricks of the trade.

And what better way to cut down the learning curve than to hit the mountains of Aspen, Colorado with three-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Shaun White.

The X-Games legend was by his side over the weekend, showing him some of helpful tips and maneuvers, when the Grammy-winning rapper pulled off his first trick on the slopes, which hyped Scott up with enthusiasm after he made his smooth landing.

Scroll down to video

New-found skills: Rapper Travis Scott( right) enjoyed a weekend of snowboarding with three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White in Aspen, Colorado

Dressed in traditional ski and snowboarding garb of black pants and a blue jacket, Scott can be seen in an Instagram video, approaching the starting point with several of his crew looking on.

The Texas native, 28, then made his way to White, who gave him an encouraging fist-bump, before he headed downhill.

Initially, Scott rode straight down towards a relatively modest ramp made of snow, that's elevated just a few inches.

The Grammy-nominated rapper then shifted his board, ever-so-slightly, and began to slide down a longer box ramp until his dismount, a few feet into the air, which he landed nearly perfect, with his arms spread out to help with his balance.

Both Scott and White shared photos and a video of the Grammy-nominated rapper doing his first trick on the slopes after just one month of practice

Tricky: Scott, 28, went a few feet into the air and made a near-perfect landing with his arms spread out to help with his balance.

Proud: White, an X-Games legend, looked on with pride as Scott nailed his first trick in Aspen

White lifted his arms up and applauded Scott when he made his smooth landing

Hyped: The Astroworld star shared his enthusiasm on Instagram after his accomplishment

'Let's f***ing go,' Scott yelled out with enthusiasm over nailing the conservative jump and run, after just a month on a snowboard.

'Shaun held it down while I tried my first box. I'm overly hyped cause I picked this board up on January 1st.'

White was also pumped up with pride and enthusiasm as he watched his protege land his first trick.

'So pumped to take Travis and his crew riding,' he shared in the caption of some photos and video he shared on Instagram.

'He only started a month ago and is already hitting the park !! Thanks for the epic day man, I've been a long time fan. "Let's go!!"'

Pumped: The Olympic snowboarder gave ahis protege a fist-bump after his trick

Respect: Scott (left) called White 'one of his favorite humans' in another post

Weekender: Scott (right) brought a few of his crew members to the scenic mountains of Aspen

Onwards: After nailing his trick, the pair headed down and tackled the rest of the mountain

By the end of the weekend, Scott and his crew hopped on to a private plane and headed back to Los Angeles, where they were seen moments after landing.

For the trip back he wore a brown hoodie, multi colored pants and black skateboarding sneakers.

It turns out Scott was joined by fellow rapper Don Toliver, who enjoyed a smoke after touching down at the airport in Southern California.

In another Instagram post from their weekend in Colorado, Scott showed much respect for White.

'Went ham on the mountain today with one of my favorite humans ever,' he said of the snowboard champion, before adding, 'Taught me some s**t today love ya gang.'

Proud stance: Before heading back to LA,Scott struck a pose in another post

Back home: The Sicko Mode star was spotted moments after landing in Los Angeles on Sunday

Safe and sound: Scott was joined by fellow rapper Don Toliver, who enjoyed a smoke after touching down in a private plane at an airport in LA

Budget 2022: Decriminalisation of LLP; Ease of Rules in 'One Person Companies' for Start-ups, Innovators

Union minister for finance and corporate affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday proposed several reforms for small companies and micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) to strengthen the start-up ecosystem, while presenting the Budget 2021-22 in the Parliament. This includes, decriminalisation of the limited liability partnership (LLP) Act, easing of rules for 'one person companies (OPCs) for start-ups and innovators.

Following the decriminalising of procedural and technical compoundable offences under the Companies Act, 2013, which is now complete, the minister announced decriminalisation of the LLP Act 2008.

According to experts, this is a good move and would further enhance the advantage of the LLP format for doing business in India. At present, more than 1.45 lakh LLPs are registered under the Act and a bulk of them are SMEs. "This proposed change would lead to review the penal provisions of the Act to decriminalise compoundable offences involving minor, procedural or technical violations of the Act, or offences, which may not involve any harm to public interest. Ease of doing business would also become peace of doing business and the avoidable deterrent, which impinges on business sentiments have been taken care of," an expert says.

Ms Sitharaman also revised the definition of small companies. The threshold for paid-up capital of small companies is increased to Rs2 crore from Rs50 lakh turnover to 'not exceeding Rs 20 crore' from 'not exceeding Rs2 crore'. This will benefit more than two lakh companies in easing their compliance requirements.

"This is a big move for small companies," the expert says, adding, "It will enable more companies to qualify as a small company and avail certain exemptions from compliance requirements. The revised definition would cover companies with capital up to Rs2 crore and with turnover up to Rs20 crore. Reduction in minimum board meetings, non-applicability of cash flow statement, and lower penalties are some of the reduced compliances which a small company enjoys."

For helping start-ups and innovators, the finance minister proposed to incentivise the incorporation of one person companies (OPCs) by allowing OPCs to grow without any restrictions on paid up capital and turnover, allowing their conversion into any other type of company at any time. The FM also allowed reduction in residency limit for an Indian citizen to set up an OPC to 120 days from 182 days and allow NRIs to incorporate OPCs in India.

With the proposed change in regulation governing OPC, this format will now find wider acceptance, the expert feels. Key changes which are proposed are, NRIs can also incorporate OPC, restriction on capital and turnover applicable to OPC have been removed; an individual needs to be in India for only 120 days as against 182 prescribed earlier for the director of the OPC and OPC can be covered to other format at any stage. "This would not only provide boost to start-up companies but would also ensure that the OPC format has finally arrived in India," he added.

To ensure faster resolution of cases, the finance minister stated that the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) framework will be strengthened, e-courts system shall be implemented and alternate methods of debt resolution and special framework for MSMEs shall be introduced.

During the fiscal 2021-22, Ms Sitharaman says, the government will launch a data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning driven MCA21 Version 3.0. This version of MCA 3.0 will have additional modules for e-scrutiny, e-adjudication, e-consultation, and compliance management, she added.

Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
The Airside Medical Facility at the Bahrain International Airport New Passenger Terminal is fully operational and ready to receive travellers.

Run by Bahrain Specialist Hospital, the facility is equipped to offer more than urgent and primary care; travellers can consult with BSH Clinicians regarding chronic conditions and travel-related illnesses; seek advice on required vaccinations to take when travelling to a new country; undergo basic health checkups, and even order prescription medication.

The Bahrain Specialist Hospital - Airport Clinic pharmacy is linked directly to the main BSH pharmacy in Juffair. While the airport pharmacy will stock all common medicines, any medicine not in stock can be ordered and will be delivered within 45 minutes to one hour.

BSH Managing Director, Dr. Kasim O. Ardati commented: It is an honour that Bahrain Specialist Hospital has been chosen to run the Airside Medical Facility. We have staffed the hospital with highly experienced healthcare workers and ensured that travellers are given the same quality of care for which our Hospital in Juffair and Clinic at Riffa are known.

A team of dedicated healthcare professionals will be available at the Bahrain Specialist Hospital -Airport Clinic around the clock to offer medical services to passengers and airport staff, and will also act as first medical responders in case of emergencies.

Travellers seeking a consultation are able to walk in, or fix appointments in advance, either through the BSH website or over the phone. - TradeArabia News Service
WARE  Town officials are slated to learn more Tuesday evening about the planned closing of Baystate Mary Lane Outpatient Center.

The Selectboard and Town Manager Stuart Beckley will meet with Molly Gray, president and chief administrative officer of Baystate Health Eastern Region.

In addition, Baystate Health has announced plans for a virtual community meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. to discuss the closure and future plans for patient care. To register, visit baystatehealth.org/EasternRegion.

Baystate Health revealed on Jan. 26 it will phase out Mary Lane Outpatient Center within two years, and relocating a majority of its services to Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer.

The Selectboard are also expected to discuss with the company a request from Wares public health director to use Mary Lane as a vaccination center, which, according to Baystate Health, is not in the cards, partly because there is not an adequate supply of the vaccine at this time.

There is currently a void in vaccine sites in this area of the state. It would be extremely beneficial to the residents of Ware and the surrounding area to have closer access to a vaccine site, Beckley said. The town fully supports the health directors reasonable request.

Judy Metcalf, public health director for the tri-town Quabbin Health district that includes Ware, Belchertown and Pelham, asked Baystate Health last week to use Mary Lane for vaccinations.

I would ask you to reconsider Mary Lane in Ware as an option, Metcalf said in an email last week to Gray. You are aware transportation continues to be an issue for our elderly and residents with income or racial disparities.

In a statement on Monday, Baystate Health noted the state is responsible for the majority of vaccinations, and the Eastfield Mall site in Springfield was strategically placed by the Baker administration and Department of Public Health to offer access to residents east and west of that location.

Baystate Health cannot add additional sites at this time as we have not been given enough vaccine to do so, the Springfield-based health provider added.

Tuesdays meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 126 Main St., and remotely via Zoom.

Within two years, the entire Baystate Mary Lane facility in Ware will close under Baystate Healths plan, which requires the approval of the Department of Public Health.

Baystate Health seeks to close the emergency room service in June, with that function transferring to Baystate Wing Hospital nine miles away.

Also effective in June, the cancer care services at Mary Lane will be moved to the flagship campus, Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

Related Content:
Mumbai:

Lynching people in the name of cow protection was against Hindutva and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come up with a national policy on beef, said Shiv Sena on Tuesday.

A string of such incidents have been reported from several states, including BJP-ruled Jharkhand, Haryana and UP, prompting protests.

The issue of beef is related to eating habits, business and employment. Hence, there should be a national policy over the issue, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said.

Those who were safeguarding cows were Hindus till yesterday. Today, they have become murderers, it said.

In a tough message against cow vigilantism and mob lynching, Modi last week said killing people on the pretext of protecting cows is not acceptable and warned that no one has the right to take law into his hands.

We welcome the stand taken by the prime minister over the issue. Nobody has the right to take law in his hands in the name of cow protection. Lynching people is against the principles of Hindutva, the Sena said.

We thank him (Modi) for clearly defining Hindutva. He should now come up with a national policy on beef to ease tensions, the ruling alliance partner said.

Under attack over mobs killing those suspected of cow slaughter or eating beef, BJP chief Amit Shah recently termed such incidents as serious, but claimed more of these happened under the previous governments than the three years of NDA rule.

Recently, a 15-year-old boy, Junaid Khan, was stabbed to death by a group of men on a train when he was returning home to Ballabhgarh in Haryana after shopping for Eid. His assailants termed Junaid, his brother and friends as beef eaters.

In Jharkhands Ramgarh, a Muslim meat trader was beaten to death last week by cow vigilantes who alleged he was carrying beef in his vehicle. Nityanand Mahto, a local BJP leader is among those arrested in connection with the incident.

In September 2015, Mohammad Akhlaq was beaten to death at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh over suspicion of storing and consuming beef.

Also read: Lynching, rape, murder incidents increased under BJP rule: Congress

Also read: Chhattisgarh: BJP leader arrested for lynching a meat trader in the name of gau raksha



For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
13th National Party Congress adopts resolution

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam wrapped up on February 1 morning after eight working days, with its resolution adopted at the closing session.









Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong delivers the closing remarks of the 13th National Party Congress on February 1 (Photo: VNA)

On behalf of the congresss presidium, Vo Van Thuong reported on the results of the election of the Political Bureau, the Party General Secretary, the Secretariat, the Inspection Commission, and the Chairperson of the Inspection Commission in the 13th tenure.



After that, the 13th Party Central Committee made debut.



The congress warmly congratulated Nguyen Phu Trong on his re-election as General Secretary of the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee, and those who were elected to the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the Inspection Commission for the 13th tenure.



On behalf of the 13th Party Central Committee, General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong emphasised that the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee pledges to exert utmost efforts to surmount every difficulty to fulfill duties and be determined to successfully implement the 13th National Party Congresss resolution.



At the closing session, Le Minh Hung, Secretary of the 13th Party Central Committee, Chief of the Party Central Committees Office, and head of the note-takers board, read the congresss draft resolution.



The congress then adopted the resolution.



The resolution stated that the congress agreed on the basic assessments of the implementation outcomes of the 12th National Party Congresss resolution, the 1991 Platform on National Construction during the Transitional Period towards Socialism that was supplemented and developed in 2011, the 2011 - 2020 socio-economic development strategy, the 1991 Platform, the 35 years of Doi moi (Renewal) policy, along with national development orientations and tasks for the time ahead as noted in the documents submitted by the 12th-tenure Party Central Committee to the 13th congress.



The resolution said the achievements during the 35 years of Doi moi and 30 years of implementing the 1991 Platform, especially the 10 years of the Platform supplemented and developed in 2011, have continued to affirm that the path to socialism in Vietnam matches the reality in the country and the development trend of the era, and that the Partys clear-sighted leadership is the leading factor determining the success of Vietnams revolution.



Amid fast and complicated developments in the global situation, the Partys Platform remains the flag of ideology, the flag of combat, the flag gathering the great national solidarity for the goal of rich people, strong nation and an equitable, democratic, and civilised nation.



The resolution underlined the overall goals and concrete targets for 2025, 2030, and 2045; and identified major socio-economic development targets for 2021- 2025, orientations for national development for 2021 - 2030, and the six key tasks for the 13th tenure. It also highlighted three strategic breakthroughs.



Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivered the closing speech that reviewed the outstanding results and successes of the 13th National Party Congress.



In particular, the congress asserted that the Party will stay persistent in the Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minhs ideology, continually apply and develop them in a creative manner that matches the reality in Vietnam in each period. It will also keep steadfast in the goal of national independence and socialism, and the Doi moi policy for the goal of rich people, strong nation and an equitable, democratic, and civilised nation.



The congress also stressed that the Party must enhance Party building and rectification work to a strong and clean Party and political system, push ahead with improving its mettle and leadership and ruling capacity in making and carrying out guidelines and policies in a way that match the reality in Vietnam and the development trend of the era.



The congress also pointed to the need to take timely action to institutionalise, concretise, and effectively implement the Partys guidelines and the States policies and laws, while addressing shortcomings in the leadership, direction, and organisation of implementation.



The Party and State leader appealed to the entire Party, people, and army, along with compatriots both at home and aboard to make all-out efforts to successfully carry out the 13th Congresss resolution.
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.

HONG KONG, Jan. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 29, 2021, Asia International School Limited (AISL), renowned for its prestigious British education, announced the official launch of the AISL Harrow Scholarship Programme.

Available for the academic year 2021/22, the scholarship provides exceptionally gifted students, no matter where in the world they currently live, the opportunity to enroll in the following AISL Harrow family schools which have joined the 2021/2022 AISL Harrow Scholarship Programme: Harrow Beijing, Harrow Shanghai, Harrow Hong Kong, and Harrow Bangkok (the "Participating AISL Harrow Schools"). In subsequent years, there will be more AISL Harrow family schools joining this scholarship programme.

The first group-level scholarship, the AISL Harrow Scholarship is the most prestigious  and most generous  award offered by the AISL Harrow family. The programme seeks to enhance the diversity of the AISL Harrow community by attracting academically gifted students from around the world.

Selected students will be given full access to a Harrow International (pre-university) A Level education, and to the 'educational excellence in life and leadership' which AISL Harrow Schools provide. Open to students not currently enrolled in a Harrow International school, applicants can apply online for study at Harrow Beijing, Harrow Shanghai, Harrow Hong Kong, and/or Harrow Bangkok. Each school provides two scholarships; eight scholarships will be awarded in total.

Holders of the scholarships will receive payment of tuition, boarding, and examination fees for the full two-year A Level programme. Additional financial assistance for other expenses is available via application to the participating school.

TWO-YEAR A LEVEL SCHOLARSHIPS, A GATEWAY TO THE BEST UNIVERSITIES

The two-year suite of A Level courses, regarded as the gold standard of British education, is recognised worldwide for university entrance. Every year graduates from AISL Harrow Schools take up places at Oxford, Cambridge and Ivy League universities, as well as the best universities in Asia.

Students have the opportunity to specialise in subjects they particularly excel at, studying to an advanced academic level. In 2020, 78% of AISL Harrow School candidates achieved A*-A in (I)GCSE, and 69% of students achieved A*-A at A Level, significantly higher than the British average.

And, while many schools adopt a 'one size fits all' approach to university guidance, all AISL Harrow Schools offer a dedicated University Admissions and Careers Guidance Centre. Specialist tutors support each student's application process, giving individualised assistance and expert counsel.

HARROW EDUCATION

Being a Boarder is the most authentic way to experience a Harrow education; Harrow School in the UK has been offering a boarding-only education for centuries.

At Harrow, students can choose from a range of additional academic, sporting, creative and service activities. These sessions provide students with further opportunities to access the school's facilities, develop new and existing skills, support their mental health, and to interact with peers from other Houses - all the while being continually supported by expert Harrow staff.

A further feature of a Harrow education is the House system. Every student, and every member of staff, belongs to a House. Each House has its own distinctive name, a House colour, flags and badges. The Houses offer students a smaller, closer community within the school, and broaden the range of activities and support available.

SELECTION AND ELIGIBILITY

The AISL Harrow Scholarship will open for applications commencing January 29th, 2021.

Applicants can visit https://www.harrowschools.com/cn/scholarship-cn/ for more details and to register interest. Applications close at 4:00pm February 28th, 2021 (GMT+8).

Applicants will be required to take two rounds of written examinations and interviews in March and be notified of their application results on or before March 30th, 2021.

To be eligible for an AISL Harrow Scholarship, an applicant must:

Have completed GCSE/IGCSE study (or equivalent) before August 1 st, 2021, and must be predicted outstanding grades. Be applying for Year 12 study commencing August 2021 , with graduation from the school in June 2023 . Enroll as a boarding student for the two-year duration of the scholarship period. Where boarding or full-boarding is not available, alternative arrangements can be discussed with the Participating AISL Harrow School. Be academically outstanding, supported by appropriate English language ability. Eligible to receive a study visa in the country of the Participating AISL Harrow School. Not currently be enrolled in a Harrow International school.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Academic performance at the top of the upper quartile for the Participating AISL Harrow School applied to, measured by: entrance tests, subject specific tests, prior academic records, references, and interviews with senior staff. Sufficient English language ability to fully access the course content of their chosen A-Level subjects on the first day at the Participating AISL Harrow School. Evident ability in, and a strong commitment to, sport, creative and performing arts, service or other areas of co-curricular school life. Evidence of examples of previous leadership roles, positions of responsibility or commitment to service activities.

AISL sincerely invites students who wish to apply to visit harrowschools.com/cn/scholarship-cn/ and to register their interest.

In the meantime, please subscribe to Harrow's Official WeChat Account (WeChat ID: HarrowInternational) to learn more about the AISL family of schools.

Downland link for photos: https://wetransfer.com/downloads/dd2bccfe358ed0ea4367e0e8fb41733820210129075507/4c5df39f14bc18cb3281593590dea37420210129075630/06fe48

About Asia International School Limited (AISL) GROUP

Asia International School Limited is a leading provider of world-class K-12 education in Asia. Through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Harrow International Management Services Limited and its affiliates, we operate Harrow International Schools, Harrow Innovation Leadership Academies and Harrow Little Lions Early Years Centers. In the school year of 2020/2021, the AISL Group will be operating with 24 schools' licenses and Early Years Centres across Asia, including Thailand, mainland China and Hong Kong.

SOURCE Harrow International School

Related Links

https://www.harrowschools.com


Photo taken on Jan. 31, 2021 shows lanterns and couplets hung in Beihai Park in China's capital city Peking. The whole park was beautifully decorated in preparation for the upcoming lunar New Year, creating a festive mood for citizens. (Yanxiang/Guangming Picture)

3

1

[ Editor: WXL ]
English French

MONTREAL, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Niobay Metals Inc. (NioBay or the Company) (TSX-V: NBY) is pleased to announce that Moose Cree First Nation (MCFN) has signed an updated Protection Agreement (PA) in support of the 2021 exploration program. The PA sets out a framework for effective communication, information exchange, environmental protection and the inclusion of MCFN businesses in the exploration program.



The PA reflects the mutual interests of NioBay and Moose Cree to work in partnership with the exploration program and continue to build a relationship that could then see a mine built with MCFN consent, said Claude Dufresne, NioBay President and CEO.

Respect for Moose Crees Aboriginal and treaty rights is at the core of the Protection Agreement. NioBay has acknowledged our communitys rights and decision-making role. This forms the basis of a positive working relationship between Moose Cree First Nation and NioBay, said MCFN Chief Mervin Cheechoo.

Exploration Program

On January 8, 2021 the Company received and exploration permit valid for three years, from the Ministry of Energy Northern Development and Mines to drill up to 20,000 metres or approximately 20-30 drill holes.

A first objective is to achieve an infill drilling pattern that will allow the Company to upgrade the majority of the inferred resources category into the indicated resource category.

A second objective of this campaign is to test the high-grade zone extending and raking to the north.

The Company will commence drilling in early February.

Qualified Person

This press release was verified and approved by Claude Dufresne, P.Eng and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr Dufresne is the President and CEO of NioBay.

ABOUT NIOBAY METALS INC.

NioBay Metals Inc. is a mining exploration company holding a 100% interest in the James Bay Niobium Project located 45 km south of Moosonee, in the James Bay Lowlands in Ontario. NioBay also holds a 72.5% interest in the Crevier niobium and tantalum project located in Quebec and a 47% direct participation in mineral titles situated in the Chibougamau region, Quebec, under a joint venture agreement with SOQUEM.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information under the provisions of Canadian securities laws including statements about the Companys plans. Such statements are necessarily based upon a number of beliefs, assumptions, and opinions of management on the date the statements are made and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those anticipated or projected. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors should change, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

NioBay Metals Inc.

Claude Dufresne, P.Eng.

President & CEO

Tel.: 514 866-6500

Email: cdufresne@niobaymetals.com

www.niobaymetals.com



Paradox Public Relations

Tel: (514) 341-0408 or 1-866-460-0408

jfmeilleur@paradox-pr.ca






I cant pee in the backyard anymore, David Johnston quipped, and then after a moment of reflection, I cant pee in the front yard anymore either. We used to have a house in the middle of 40 acres. Johnston, his wife Andrea, and youngest son Miles moved from Willow, Alaska to Warrenton, Missouri in May of 2020. Im enamored with Alaska and Johnston really carried the image of Alaska for me. I tell him that his move broke my heart, and hes quick with a broke mine, too in return.

Family comes first though, and Johnstons wife wanted to relocate closer to her aging parents. He shares that it was particularly hard for him. I was petrified. In May, June, and July, I was pretty depressed. A new job in a new town, during COVID-19. I lost all of my running friends. I was drinking too much. I gained 20 pounds and got up to 195. Beer, Im a beer drinker, just a whole lot of them. But Ive lost 15 of those pounds. I got my act together this fall, his voice tone picking up at the change. Im 50 years old now. I cant be living like that at 50. I never stopped running though. I was always doing 30 to 40 miles a week.

Johnston worked in pharmaceutical sales in Alaska and knowing the territory for years, he fostered relationships that made the job easy. Computer work, account management, he said of his current role. Im lucky to have a job [during the pandemic] and be able to work from home. I help people over the phone. Im not especially computer savvy and sometimes I have to call other people, but I had the social account-management skills, the customer service. Im pretty gregarious, no enemies. I quickly interject with a friendly, Hey, I remember that one year at Six Days at the Dome, and Johnston spins me to the positive outcome. Yeah, but were best friends now, talk often, best buds.

Twenty-five years, he answers of his Alaska duration, explaining that he moved there from Wilmington, North Carolina. I was a beach bum, and I mean a real beach bum. I went the farthest place away from the beach. Id been to Alaska a few times before too though. I froze for a few years before I got used to it. He mustve done more than just get used to it. Johnston won the Iditarod Trail Invitational 350-mile race six years in a row from 2013 through 2018, and he frequently competed in some of Alaskas most adventurousand coldestraces. He raced with wildly long hair, and when pressed, guesses that it dates to 1992. As long as the top keeps growing, Im going to keep it going. You dont see much long hair around Missouri. Its about four inches past my belt buckle, he said, and I gasp aloud.

Alaska must be a lot different than the rest of the U.S., and Johnston explains some of it in runners terms. Its totally different. In Alaska you dont get caught up in the rat race of society. If you dont watch TV for a month, it makes no difference. Here if you dont watch TV, you miss something. Ive got to look before I cross the road too, make sure Im not getting run over. It was dog teams up there, cars down here.

Im a road runner now. I was used to leaving the back door and being on trails. Now its all sidewalks and pavement. Ive got to drive 30 minutes to get to trails. Ive got road shoes. I never really owned road shoes before, some are pretty comfortable, he said with a wry smile. Its a city here, but we bought a brand-new house a block from downtown Warrenton and weve got good neighbors. I do have more appreciation for the woods now though, and it has its plusses. My wife is very happy, thats a huge plus. Id never lived in a brand-new house. I dont have to fix things. The house is all clean, the heat works all the time, the air conditionerour power bill was pretty high this summer. Id never had air conditioning before!

His oldest son, also named David, stayed in Alaska, and has flown to Missouri to visit. Johnston though hasnt yet returned to Alaska. I ripped it off like a band aid. Theres no in between with me. I wont go back for a while, will try to become part of this society, he said. Miles, age seven, has taken the move very well though. Hes an old seven, Johnston beamed. He collects vinyl records, goes in vintage stores to buy rock albums. Hes trying to get all of the original Beatles albums. He saves his money for it, and my wife and I are learning a lot about collecting vinyl records.

Hes a little runner. Hell go on 10-mile runs and he just ran a 23-minute 5k, Johnston said. I kid, Thats faster than you, right? Johnston agrees, Hes getting there. We do a Sunday track workout and he leads it. We were stalking people jogging down the road to run with us.

It mightve been a rough start, but Johnstons now building his community, and racing again too. He was seventh a few days earlier at Davids Trail Endurance Run 50k in Arkansas, a four-hour drive away. It was crazy not running trails for three-fourths of a year, he said of the experience. I held my own, only fell once, and it had about 5,000 feet of elevation change, just these short 200-foot ups and downs constantly. Ive got the Ohio Backyard Ultra in March. I still havent given up on running.

Call for Comments

Calling all Dave Johnston stories! You know what to do in the comments section.
U.S. President Joe Biden and President Moon Jae-in are likely to speak on the phone this week for the first time since Biden was inaugurated on Jan. 20.

A Cheong Wa Dae source said Sunday, "Working-level officials are in contact on a daily basis. We're trying to arrange a telephone call this week."

Biden has already spoken with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Mexico as well as Russia and Japan.

But Cheong Wa Dae said content is more important than the timing. A key ruling party official said, "There's no need to hurry just because the leaders of the U.S. and Japan already talked on the phone. The U.S. side told us they need more time to prepare."
By Arthur I. Cyr





The outgoing Trump Administration returned Cuba to the State Department list of state sponsors of terrorism. That was a strategic mistake. The move may have helped Republican Party domestic support, but limits our options in foreign policy.



In May 2015, the United States removed Cuba from the list of states sponsoring terrorism. This greatly facilitated exchanges between the two sides. Removal of banking restrictions proved to be especially significant.



President Barack Obama followed up by visiting Cuba. Calvin Coolidge had been the last U.S. president to visit the island nation, in early 1928.



Over time, the Communist dictatorship controlling Cuba has faced the growing reality of economic failure. Fidel Castro began a transition of power to younger brother Raul Castro in 2006. Four years later, Fidel suddenly reemerged in the media spotlight and proceeded dramatically to lament the shambles of the nation's economy.



Simultaneously, the Cuban government announced layoffs of 500,000 workers, combined with liberalization to encourage new businesses and foreign investment. So much for priority for workers. The Communist clique in Havana began courting foreign investment, while maintaining political control.



In 2009, the U.S. loosened extremely tight restrictions on travel and financial remittances. Telecommunications companies were able to pursue licensing agreements.



The Soviet Union, a vital subsidy source, collapsed approximately three decades ago. Venezuela provides limited aid, but that economy is now a wrecked basket case.



Enemies as well as admirers agree Fidel Castro demonstrated strong leadership before age and illness led him to retire. After taking power in early 1959, enforcer brother Raul handled bloody mass executions with efficient dispatch.



Fidel highlighted the new alliance with the Soviet Union by joining Nikita Khrushchev in a 1960 visit to the United Nations in New York. The Soviet premier was wildly disruptive at U.N. sessions, while the Cuban delegation provided a media sideshow, based at a Harlem hotel.



The Eisenhower administration began clandestine efforts to overthrow the regime, commencing a dark project to kill Castro. The successor Kennedy administration vastly escalated such efforts, including assassination attempts. But the assassination of President Kennedy abruptly ended such efforts. Alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald had contact with Cuba intelligence officers.



Cuba became a far-reaching revolutionary force in Latin America, notably in Chile in the 1970s, where East Germany was influential. Cuban troops served as Soviet proxies in various Africa wars.



When Fidel stepped down, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice endorsed "peaceful, democratic change" in Cuba and suggested the "international community" work directly with the people. Earlier, President Dwight Eisenhower took this approach with the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War. Cultural and educational exchanges  and limited trade  followed.



We should avoid direct attacks on the regime. For decades, the Castro brothers benefited by blaming problems on the Yankee imperialists to the north.



After the Castros took power, Cuba became extremely important in U.S. presidential politics. Democratic presidential nominee Senator John F. Kennedy fanned flames of hostility to Castro in the 1960 contest with Republican Vice President Richard Nixon.



The new Kennedy administration invaded Cuba with anti-Castro exiles. Disaster at the Bay of Pigs resulted.



Some Republicans oppose Cuba rapprochement. Cuban exiles concentrated in swing state Florida have provided reliable Republican votes since the Kennedy administration. However, Republican Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona also joined President Obama's delegation visiting Cuba. A bipartisan Congressional visit to the country followed.



In 2016, Vice President-elect Mike Pence marked Fidel Castro's passing by publicly expressing hope for a democratic Cuba.





Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War" (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan.


Representative image (PC- MoneyControl.Com)

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, while reading out the Budget 2021-22, she announced a slew of measures to revive the Indian economy and announced the total size of the 2021-22 budget at Rs 34.83 lakh crore.

Here is the Union Budget 2021-22 at a glance on which sector received how much allocation?

1) Health and Well Being:

a) Total allocation: Rs 2,23,846 crore (138% increase than previous Budget).b) PM Aatmanirbhar Swastha Bharat: Rs 64,180 crore over 6 years.c) Urban Swachcha Bharat Mission: Rs 1,41,678 crore over 5 years.

d) Voluntary vehicle scrapping policy. Vehicles will undergo fitness tests after 20 years for PVs, 15 years for CVs.

2) Manufacturing:

a) Capital expenditure for FY 21-22: Rs 5.54 lakh croreb) Mega Investment Textiles Parks over 3 years, in addition to PLI.c) Bill to set-up a Development Finance Institution (DFI), capitalised with Rs 20,000 crore.d) DFI for infrastructure financing: Bill will be passed to set up the DFI with a target lending portfolio of Rs 5 lakh crore in 3 yearse) Capital expenditure for FY 21-22: Rs 5.54 lakh crore (an increase by 34.5% YoY).

f) To launch National Monetisation Pipeline for brownfield projects, NHAI and PGCIL have sponsored one InvIT each

Follow Moneycontrol's Union Budget 2021 live coverage here

Roads Connectivity:

a) Allotment to Ministry of Road Transport & Highways: Rs 1.18 lakh crore.b) To award 8,500-km of highways by March 2022 and 11,000-km of national highway corridor to be completed.c) Highway works proposed:i) 3,500 km corridor in Tamil Nadu.ii) 1,100 km in Kerala at investment of Rs 65,000 crore.iii) 675 km in West Bengal at a cost of Rs 95,000 crore.iv) 1,300 km in Assam in the next 3 years.d) 3500 km of national highway work being planned in Tamil Nadu at an estimated investment of Rs 1.3 lakh crore.e) 1500 km of national highway work being planned in Kerala at a cost of Rs 65,000 crore.f) Government to undertake future freight corridor development projects.

g) The govt to work towards raising the share of public transport with an outlay of Rs 18,000 crore.

Railways:

a) Total allocation: Rs 1,10,055 crore.

Power:

a) Scheme to assist Discoms will be launched: Outlay over Rs 3 lakh crore.b) Ujjwala scheme to be expanded to over 1 crore more beneficiaries.c) City gas distribution network to be expanded to 100 more districts.

d) Independent gas network operator will be set up.

Disinvestment:

a) Divestment target for FY22: Rs 1.75 lakh crore.b) Proposal to strategically divest 2 PSU banks & 1 general insurance co.c) Proposal to take up 2 PSBs and one general insurer for divestment.d) To bring IPO of LIC in FY22.e) Approved policy for divestment in strategic and non-strategic sectors.e) Set up a separate administrative structure for cooperatives.f) Approval policy for divestment in strategic and non-strategic sectors.

g) Non-core assets like surplus land will be monetised. SPVs will be set up to carry out this activity.

Startups/MSMEs:

a) Innovators would be allowed to form 1-person companies without restrictions, paid-up capital, or turnover norms.b) Govts says provided Rs 15,700 crore to MSME sector, more than 2x of the previous year.c) Proposal to reduce the margin money requirement from 25% to 15% doe Stand Up India for SCs, STs, and women, and to also include loans for activities allied to agriculture.

d) Proposal to provide Rs 1,000 crores for the welfare of Tea workers especially women and their children in Assam and West Bengal. A special scheme will be devised for the same

Agriculture and Allied Services:

a) For wheat procurement in 2020-21 to farmers: Rs 75,060 crore.b) Enhanced agriculture credit target for FY22. Additional allocations for rural infrastructure & irrigation.c) Micro-irrigation corpus doubled to Rs 10,000 crore.d) Agriculture infra funds will be made available to APMCs.e) Rural infra fund increased to Rs 40,000 crore.

f) Set up multi seaweed park in Tamil Nadu.

Social security:

a) '1 Nation 1 Ration Card' plan under implementation by 32 states & UTs. To launch a portal to collect data on migrant workers.b) Social security benefits will be extended to gig and platform workers.c) To launch a portal to collect data on migrant workers.d) Social security benefits will be extended to gig economy workers.

e) Women will be allowed to work in all areas and in night shifts.

Education and Skill Development:

a) Introduction of legislation for setting up of higher education commission. Will set up a central university in Leh.b) 15,000 schools to be strengthened as per National Education Policy c) 100 new Sainik schools to be set up in partnership with NGOs.d) Raise allocation for 'Eklavya' schools to Rs 38 crore & Rs 40 crore in hilly areas.e) For skill initiatives for the youth: Rs 3,000 crore to be set aside.

f) National Research Foundation to be allocated Rs 50,000 crore over 5 years

Digital Payments:

a) To boost digital payments.b) For financial incentives for digital payments: Rs 1,500 crore earmarked.

c) NRF to get Rs 50,000 crore over 5 years. NRF will focus on the Research system being strengthened in the industry.

Expenditure target:

a) FY21 revised expenditure target: Rs 34.50 lakh crore.b) Govt to approach the market for additional Rs 80,000 crore to fund the FY21 fiscal deficit.c) Fiscal deficit will reach below 4.5% by FY26.d) Gross market borrowing target at Rs 12 lakh crore for FY22.e) 41% devolution to states retained.f) Contingency Fund of India to be enhanced: Rs 30,000 cr.g) Propose to discontinue loans to FCI. Have provided support in budget.h) 15th Finance Commission reconfirming share of States at 41%.i) Fiscal deficit in the revised estimate for FY21 pegged at 9.5% of GDPj) Need another Rs 80,000 crore for FY21.k) Will approach market in next the 2 months for the additional Rs 80,000 crore.l) Fiscal Deficit Estimated at 6.8% for FY22.m) Gross Borrowing Estimated at around Rs 12 lakh crore for FY22n) Will look to bring the fiscal deficit below 4.5% by 2025-2026 (FY26).

o) Expect a fairly decent decline of Fiscal Deficit up to FY26.

Income Tax:

a) Senior citizens above 75 years with only pension and interest income exempted from filing returns.b) Reopening of tax cases only till after 3 years Vs 6 years earlier.c) To set-up a faceless dispute resolution mechanism for small taxpayers.d) To make Income Tax Appellate Tribunal faceless.

e) Proposal to Propose to increase the threshold for tax audit to Rs 10 crore Vs Rs 5 crore (for those transacting 95% digitally).

Affordable Housing:

a) Affordable housing deduction extended by one year to FY22.b) Tax exemption to notified rental housing projects

c) Notified infra debt funds to be eligible to raise tax-efficient zero-coupon bonds.

Other Taxes:

a) FPI to get a deduction of tax on the dividend at a lower treaty rate.b) Tax exemption for aircraft leasing companies. Tax holiday for Aircraft leasing business in Gift city.c) Details of cap gains, div income, interest income to be pre-filled in tax forms.d) Late deposit of employees contribution will not be allowed as a deduction for the employer.e) Extension of cap gains tax exemption for investment into start-ups by another year.f) Delayed contribution of EPF by an employer for the employee will not be allowed as a deduction.g) Proposal to review more than 400 old exemptions in customs this year.h) To put into place new customs duty structure by Oct-1, 2021.i) Withdrawal of exemptions on some parts of mobile phones. Some parts of mobiles to move from NIL to 2.5% rate.j) Exemption of duty on steel scrap for a specified period. Revocation of ADD and CVD on certain steel products.h) Cut in duty on copper scrap 2.5% from 5%.i) Cut in Basic Customs Duty rate on nylon chips & nylon fiber.j) Rationalisation of customs duties on gold and silver.k) Introduction of a phased manufacturing plan for solar cells & panels.l) Withdrawal of exemption on tunnel boring machines, to be taxed at 7.5%.m) Increase in customs duties on some auto parts.n) Withdrawal of exemption on certain kinds of leather imports.o) Raise in customs duty on cotton and raw silk.
Donna Walsh Nasser had a front-row seat to the challenges local small-business owners have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and wanted to offer some support.

Her sons, Patrick and William Nasser, are two of the co-owners of the Backyard Ale House on Linden Street in downtown Scranton.

After watching a video of Patrick Nasser outlining the obstacles restaurants and bars have dealt with throughout the past year, she kicked off planning early last month for the inaugural Scranton Ice Festival, scheduled for Friday through Sunday.

The main goals of the event are to raise money to support the Scranton Small Business Relief Fund at the Scranton Area Community Foundation and create a fun, safe atmosphere for people to enjoy the downtown area.

The event will be held in partnership with First Friday Scranton. The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce and Scranton Tomorrow are also promoting the effort.

Donna Walsh Nassers daughter, Maggie Martinelli, vice president of administration and operations at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, also has been heavily involved with planning the event.

She heard about ice festivals happening in other areas of the country and figured it could be a great opportunity for people to be outside and safe, but still supporting our small businesses, Martinelli said of her mom. It was a tricky holiday season for a lot of our businesses and she felt really compelled.

Martinelli stressed it would not have been possible to hold the event without the overwhelming community support.

We werent sure if it was going to be possible in such a short time frame, but we were really blessed so many people jumped right in and started helping, she said. Its been a real great group effort to pull it together.

Organizers have raised nearly $30,000 so far, which will help offset the cost of the ice sculptures and establish a solid base for the relief fund to help small-business owners and their employees who are experiencing hardships, Martinelli said.

There will be 50 sculptures, mostly in the downtown area, and Martinelli has received positive feedback from many business owners involved with the event.

They seem to be very grateful to have something positive to put their energy toward, she said.

The staff at Sculpted Ice Works, in Lakeville, is creating the sculptures. The ice displays for each business will be premade, but there will be live carving presentations Friday night and Saturday afternoon downtown, Martinelli said.

Joshua Mast, co-owner of Posh on North Washington Avenue in Scranton, is optimistic the event will provide a much-needed boost to downtown businesses.

Its looking like its going to warm up a little bit, so hopefully well have perfect conditions for people to put a little energy back in our downtown, he said.

Posh will have a martini glass ice sculpture and plans to serve a specialty ice cocktail Friday and Saturday, Mast said.

The restaurant will also offer a complementary hot chocolate station outside the business on First Friday.

Im anticipating a good evening of hopefully seeing some of our regular guests and some new faces, Mast said.
News Around the Republic of Mexico



Mexico Celebrate Constitution Day on February 1st



February 5th is Mexican Constitution Day, commemorating the day it was signed in 1917. Nowadays, the official observance is on the first Monday in February, which this year falls on Monday, February 1, 2021. Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - February 5th is Mexican Constitution Day, commemorating the day the ConstituciAn PolAtica de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos was signed in 1917. Nowadays, the official observance is on the first Monday in February, which in 2021 is February 1st, so that Mexican citizens can enjoy a long weekend.



DAa de la ConstituciAn Quick Facts



Drafted in the State of QuerAtaro by a constitutional convention during the Mexican Revolution, the Mexican Constitution is a product of the culture and the time in which it was written. The government envisaged in the Mexican Constitution is an activist state, dedicated to bringing about social justice among its citizens. And though it has been amended hundreds of times, it continues to govern Mexico today.



The Mexican Constitution spells out the same basic rights as the U.S. Constitution - freedom of speech, religion, petition, legal rights - yet it goes farther, guaranteeing Mexicans the right to a good job (Article 123), decent housing, and health protection and care. And the aforementioned Article 123 spells out workersa rights in detail. But it also clearly spells out the duties of Mexican citizens, as well as non-Mexicans living in Mexico.



Mexican Constitution Day 2021 Celebration



Since the celebration of Constitution Day is a public holiday in Mexico, most businesses, banks, and government offices will be closed on Monday. Though no parades will be held this year due to the



As one of the most important festivals in the country, this is traditionally a time when many Mexicans make the most of the long weekend, celebrating the holiday with friends, but this year's celebrations will see families enjoying the festivities at home with traditional food, music, and plenty of pride and honor.



Happy Mexican Constitution Day 2021! - February 5th is Mexican Constitution Day, commemorating the day thewas signed in 1917. Nowadays, the official observance is on the first Monday in February, which in 2021 is February 1st, so that Mexican citizens can enjoy a long weekend.Drafted in the State of QuerAtaro by a constitutional convention during the Mexican Revolution, the Mexican Constitution is a product of the culture and the time in which it was written. The government envisaged in the Mexican Constitution is an activist state, dedicated to bringing about social justice among its citizens. And though it has been amended hundreds of times, it continues to govern Mexico today.The Mexican Constitution spells out the same basic rights as the U.S. Constitution - freedom of speech, religion, petition, legal rights - yet it goes farther, guaranteeing Mexicans the right to a good job (Article 123), decent housing, and health protection and care. And the aforementioned Article 123 spells out workersa rights in detail. But it also clearly spells out the duties of Mexican citizens, as well as non-Mexicans living in Mexico.Since the celebration of Constitution Day is a public holiday in Mexico, most businesses, banks, and government offices will be closed on Monday. Though no parades will be held this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, there's no shortage of banners and flags of green, white and red adorning buildings and streets.As one of the most important festivals in the country, this is traditionally a time when many Mexicans make the most of the long weekend, celebrating the holiday with friends, but this year's celebrations will see families enjoying the festivities at home with traditional food, music, and plenty of pride and honor.Happy Mexican Constitution Day 2021!



Site Map  Print this Page  Email Us  Top


H

istory regularly arrives on Julia Brennans doorstep: the greatcoat Abraham Lincoln wore on the night of his assassination or a rhinestone-studded Sex Machine jumpsuit that belonged to soulman James Brown.

Ms Brennan, a textile conservator, is a trusted resource for museums and collectors who call upon her to soften the damage done by time, the elements and mishandling. In her meticulous hands, centuries-old emotional states and habits  underarm stains on a wedding dress, cigar burns on a kimono that belonged to Babe Ruth  are analysed with care.

Over the past five years, she has also taught herself to conserve another kind of fabric: the clothes left behind by mass atrocities. She has salvaged thousands of garments from a notorious Khmer Rouge prison in Cambodia and a shipping container of bloodstained clothing collected from victims of the Rwandan genocide.

She says textiles are often forgotten but even a simple T-shirt can lend human specificity to an unthinkable act of violence.

Its that woman who wore that camisole, she said. Its that man who had his hands tied behind his back, wearing his favourite brown canvas jacket.

The garments are not only vivid reminders but also forensic evidence.

She says: We dont know what governments, conservators, stakeholders and historians will want to do in the future what information theyll mine from these collections.

There were few precedents and no standard protocols for this work, which was funded in part by the US government. Some clothes had been housed in buildings that were not entirely sealed off from the weather and also let in rodents, birds, micro-organisms which, literally, eat them up.

At the former prison in Cambodia  now the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh  the director, Chhay Visoth, found the clothing in a disused storeroom in 2014, 35 years after the Khmer Rouge fled the city. The military uniforms and civilian clothes had been stuffed into refuse bags and were severely damaged by moisture and insects.

Mr Chhay recalled: I explained to my staff, this is the great treasure of the museum collection; its not rubbish. Impressed by Ms Brennans work for a museum in Thailand, he called on her for help.

She found an even more daunting challenge in the clothes worn by thousands of Rwandans when they were massacred in 1994 in the church where they had taken refuge. Survivors commemorated the victims by piling their clothes on the pews and in 1997 the bullet-riddled building became the Nyamata Genocide Memorial.

People leave Phnom Penh after Khmer Rouge forces seized the Cambodian capital in 1975 (AFP via Getty)

Two decades later, the remaining shirts, pants and skirts were rigid and unrecognisable  caked in red dirt and bat droppings. It looked like a building fell on top of them, Brennan says.

Conservation was difficult for many reasons but mainly because washing the clothes was out of the question.

Ms Brennan explained the responsibility of safeguarding this history as an outsider: If we were to clean everything, we would remove a lot of witness-bearing information. DNA might remain in the stains and at the Nyamata memorial the grime contained bone fragments.

She interviewed archaeologists, forensic scientists and others for advice and tested out techniques on charity-shop cast-offs she had soaked in murky river water and flattened under her cars tires. She looked for new tools in unexpected places or made her own.

A desiccant from the agricultural industry provided a low-cost remedy for moisture. She experimented with devices such as chilli pepper roasters and bingo ball cages before customising one to gently tumble fossilised bricks of fabric from Rwanda until they broke into separate garments.

The Nyamata project  a partnership between the Rwanda National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide and PennPraxis, a research institute at the University of Pennsylvania  restored colour and form to the clothes. Now, according to Martin Muhoza, a conservation specialist, you can imagine exactly who was wearing the textile.

Over month-long visits to Phnom Penh, Ms Brennan led an exhaustive operation organising climate-controlled storage and training the staff at Tuol Sleng museum. Decades removed from the Khmer Rouge regime, her Cambodian collaborators brought a sense of urgency to the work.

Before mending the clothes of historical figures, she reads their biographies, even if her task is limited to a corroded zip or a faded collar

Kho Chenda, head of the museums conservation laboratory, said that without the evidence she and her colleagues save, Cambodia would run the risk that future generations would not believe the atrocities had taken place.

Now ammunition pouches, hand-patched linen shirts and tube skirts sit alongside the museums black-and-white photographs of some of the 20,000 political prisoners once held there and torture devices used to extract confessions.

Ms Brennan, whose father worked in foreign affairs for the US government, was born in Indonesia and lived as a child in Nepal and Bangladesh. Textile crafts grounded her peripatetic life; she learned embroidery from her Thai caretakers and batik-making and palm-weaving in middle school.

I was wrapped and carried in batik [cloth] on my Indonesian nannys hip from the day I was born, she said.

After studying art history, Ms Brennan was apprenticed to a textile conservator in Philadelphia and after 10 years founded her own practice in Washington. She says: The work is contemplative and disciplined.

Before mending the clothes of historical figures, she reads their biographies, even if her task is limited to a corroded zip or a faded collar. With private clients who want to preserve family heirlooms, she takes on the role of a textiles therapist, listening to the memories evoked by the needlepoint samplers and christening dresses.

The genocide memorials were not her first encounter with remnants of tragedy  she has treated artefacts from every major US war  but the immediacy of the violence made these assignments more difficult.

A UN convoy with 300 Rwandan Hutu refugees is held up by Burundian soldiers in April 1995 (AFP via Getty)

In Rwanda, she regularly handled garments that attested graphically to the killing. A dress pierced with haphazard holes suggested grenade shrapnel. A very cleanly sliced T-shirt indicated the use of a machete.

She admits: My mind automatically filled it out with the person that was wearing it. I would have to steel myself. Her Rwandan collaborators, many of whom were themselves survivors of the genocide, were an inspiration.

She was also guided by the example of Miyako Ishiuchi, a photographer who captured evocative images of garments that survived Hiroshima.

Brennan recounts: After she photographs one of these textiles, she says goodbye and Ill make sure that your memory is kept alive.

Ishiuchi inspired Ms Brennan to rethink the notion that a conservator must remain detached and technical. She allows herself to wonder about the lives hinted at by details such as names embroidered on to military caps and tiny pockets sewn into waistbands and seams.

She still thinks about a Creamsicle-coloured childs dress found among the Khmer Rouge uniforms. It conjured images of a young girl playing in the courtyard of her house off a boulevard, she recalls, guessing that its Peter Pan collar and flared silhouette must have been so supervogue in 1968-69.

An unknown number of children, including some infants, were imprisoned at Tuol Sleng, only a handful of whom survived. Conserving the dress was a small, necessary gesture for Ms Brennan, restoring a record of a person and an era.

She said: Its so distinctive, that somebody might even recognise it.

 The New York Times
Israel and Kosovo officially established diplomatic relations Feb. 1. With Israel under nationwide lockdown and Ben Gurion Airport closed, Kosovar Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla could not come to Israel for the ceremony, meet with Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and inaugurate Kosovos embassy in Israel as was originally planned. Thus, the two ministers held a virtual ceremony on Zoom, which was also broadcast on the Foreign Ministrys Facebook page.

Also present at the virtual ceremony were US Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett, US charge daffaires in Israel Jonathan Shrier and US Deputy Assistant Secretary (State Department representative to the Balkan region) Matthew Palmer.

During the ceremony, each of the ministers signed three cooperation agreements. The first agreement  the joint communique  established bilateral diplomatic relations, and was signed in four languages: Hebrew, English, Albanian and Serbian. Another agreement established a framework for consultation between the two ministries, and a third one framed cooperation activities of Israels international development agency Mashav. After signing the agreements, the ministers sent to each other the signed copies via email for ratification.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ashkenazi said, The establishment of relations between Israel and Kosovo is an important and moving historical step that reflects the many changes the region has experienced in recent months. Today, Kosovo officially joins the circle of countries that aspire to peace and stability and recognize Israel, and Jerusalem as its capital.

Haradinaj-Stublla paid tribute to the Jewish community in Kosovo, stating that both peoples have known hardships on the way to independence. Haradinaj-Stublla added, "Today, Israel is becoming the 117th country to recognize the Republic of Kosovo as an independent and sovereign country."

The decision on mutual recognition between Muslim-majority Kosovo and Israel was achieved last September, during a White House summit of Kosovo-Serbia leaders, and in the presence of then-President Donald Trump. Both countries have hesitated in recent years over mutual recognition and establishment of ties. Kosovo was hesitant because of its Muslim majority. Israel was reluctant to recognize Kosovos unilateral declaration of statehood, fearing such a recognition could create a precedent to be followed by the Palestinians.

Still, now that both sides agreed to establish relations, Kosovo intends to open an embassy in Jerusalem. Thus, it will become the first Muslim-majority country to open an embassy in the city. It will also be the third country to open an embassy in Jerusalem after the United States and Guatemala. During the virtual ceremony, Ashkenazi unveiled the sign that will be placed at the entrance to the Kosovo Embassy in Jerusalem when it opens. The minister said he believed the embassy would be inaugurated by the end of March, in the presence of Haradinaj-Stublla.

Foreign Ministrys media office told Al-Monitor that Israel intends to appoint a nonresident ambassador to Pristina, but no decision has been taken yet on who will represent Israel in Kosovo.
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!
Hong Kong: Laguna City restricted area set

The Government made a restriction-testing declaration to require people at Blocks 5 and 7 of Laguna City in Lam Tin to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing for COVID-19 in accordance with its arrangement from 7pm.

It exercised the power under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap 599J).

The restricted area refers to Blocks Block 5 and Block 7 of Laguna City.

The Government explained that it issued compulsory testing notices for these two blocks after outbreaks in the area remained severe. From January 18 to 29, a total of 15 confirmed COVID-19 cases were recorded in the blocks concerned.

It said it understands that around 1,200 residents from the two blocks already underwent testing at the testing station set up at Sai Tso Wan Neighbourhood Community Centre in Kwun Tong from January 22 to 24 and from January 29 to 31.

After conducting a risk assessment, the Government decided that it is necessary to issue a restriction-testing declaration for the restricted area to break the transmission chain in the district and dispel the residents worries.

It will set up temporary specimen collection stations at the restricted area and request people subject to compulsory testing to undergo testing before 2am tomorrow.

They must also stay at their place of residence until all test results are ascertained to avoid the risk of cross-infection.

The Government will arrange door-to-door specimen collection for seniors and people with impaired mobility, or make arrangements for them to self-collect and submit the deep throat saliva specimen.

It strives to complete testing of all identified people subject to compulsory testing and confirm the results, as well as finish the exercise at around 7am tomorrow to allow residents to start getting to work.

Those who had undergone previous testing from January 29 to 31 and are able to provide the SMS notification or related certification containing the results are not required to be tested again.

However, they are required to stay in their premises until all people identified in the area have undergone testing and the results are mostly ascertained.

All people who had been at Blocks 5 and 7 for more than two hours from January 29 to 31, even if they were not in the restricted area at the time the declaration took effect, must undergo compulsory testing by the same time as mentioned above.

The Home Affairs Department has set up a hotline 2756 0665 for enquiries. The Social Welfare Department is also providing assistance to those affected.

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Hanoi registered two more locally transmitted cases of coronavirus this morning (February 1), bringing its total number of infection cases to 15.

The two new cases had close contact with COVID-19 patients in Hai Duong province, the country's epidemic epicenter at present, according to the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

They include a 40-year-old woman in Nam Tu Liem district and a 48-year-old woman in Cau Giay district. They are being treated at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases No.2.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in Vietnam reached 1,819 by 6am, February 1, including 993 locally-transmitted cases. Meanwhile, 1,457 cases have been given the all-clear. The death toll remains at 35.

Among those still under treatment, nine have tested negative for the novel coronavirus once, four twice, and three thrice.

A total of 26,861 people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients or arrived from pandemic-affected areas are under quarantine across the country.

Vietnam has recorded a total of 240 locally transmitted cases since the virus recurred in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh on January 27, 2021, including 188 cases in Hai Duong, 25 in Quang Ninh, 15 in Hanoi, 3 in Bac Ninh, 2 in Hoa Binh, 4 in Gia Lai and one in Hai Phong, Binh Duong, and HCM City.

Hanoi has so far registered 15 infections closely linked to the ongoing coronavirus hotspots in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces.

Local authorities warned more new community cases would be detected in the coming days as confirmed cases have complicated travel history. They called on local residents coming from Hai Duong and Quang Ninh to immediately make health declarations and self-quarantine at home for 14 days.

The municipal administration has moved to ban bar, dancing and U-sing along (karaoke) services as of February 1.

The fresh outbreak has so far spread to nine cities and provinces in Vietnam, namely Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Hoa Binh, Gia Lai, HCM City and Binh Duong.

Hai Duong and Quang Ninh are the countrys current biggest coronavirus hotspots as the number of new infections make up most of the new infections. Yet, the Ministry of Health says the situation in the two hotspots are being kept in check as new infections are falling in numbers these days.

Elsewhere, Hai Phong port city has worked on a plan to set up three field hospitals in the locality in case new infections are recorded in large numbers. Currently, the city has registered one case at its childrens hospital.

Other localities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Gia Lai, Binh Duong, Bac Ninh, and Hoa Binh have been stepping up contact tracing to early detect and quarantine those who came into contact with confirmed coronavirus cases.

Thuy Hanh
In recent days, health authorities of many Chinese cities have adopted a new rule that requires them to only include geographic information and not personally identifiable information when disclosing updates about COVID-19 cases. This new rule will better protect individual privacy while continuing to keep the public informed.

This change to public disclosures is widely supported by the public. Previously, for contact-tracing purposes, health authorities would often share detailed patient information, including their surname, age, gender, occupation, place of residence, and daily travel history.

Although data masking was applied, the previous information release method led to excessive personal information disclosure and even some cases of discrimination and cyberbullying against COVID-19 patients.

Starting from Jan. 23, the Shanghai Health Authority opted to only share information about public places where COVID-19 patients had been to. The approach was subsequently followed in many other cities in China.

"It is very encouraging to see this change," Kong Qingjiang, dean of the School of International Law, China University of Political Science and Law, said in an interview with China.org.cn.

"Disclosing patient's travel history and other detailed information is meant to inform the public about the coronavirus risk they may face. At the same time, it encourages the public to take necessary restrictive measures to stem the spread."

"However, the government needed to establish a more appropriate balance between the protection of public health and individual rights," Kong said, adding that if epidemic prevention and control can be achieved without sacrificing the privacy of the individuals, it is certainly the best choice.

Wu Fan, vice dean of the Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University and a member of the Public Health Expert Team of Shanghai COVID-19 Epidemic Prevention and Control, said in an interview with state broadcaster China Central Television that previously, in view of the public's right to know, some local authorities opted to provide as much information as possible.

After changing how such information is disclosed, Wu said that the authorities are now not only transparent with the public, but also able to protect the privacy of patients. "After a year of epidemic prevention and control, the public has become more rational and more accepting of this kind of information disclosure."

One blogger on Sina Weibo, China's largest microblogging platform, said that "this kind of reporting is efficient and helps allay worries of information leaks when providing personal information for epidemic control purposes. Ultimately, it helps protect patients from additional pain."

Balancing privacy and transparency has posed a serious challenge amid COVID-19. Last February, the Cyberspace Administration of China released guidelines to emphasize the protection of relevant personal data.

The guidelines clearly state that personal information such as names, age, ID, telephone numbers and household addresses may not be used for purposes other than "epidemic control and disease prevention."

According to Kong Qingjiang, China's Civil Code, that came into effect on Jan. 1, 2021, can also provide legal protection for people's privacy and personal information, as stipulated in Part Four: "Personality Rights."

Kong also noted that the public should be informed to the greatest extent to take appropriate personal prevention and control measures, but at the same time the adverse impact on personal privacy should be minimized.

Mark your calendars Neverland - (G)I-DLE will collab with well-known Belgian DJ duo, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, and their work will be released soon!

On Feb. 1 at midnight KST, (G)I-DLE revealed that they will be teaming up with Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike for a remix version of their most recent title track "HWAA." Along with the announcement is a teaser photo that displays, "HWAA REMIX," "(G)I-DLE x DIMITRI VEGAS & LIKE MIKE," and the release date, which is on Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. KST.

Fans have been anticipating the news of a collaboration between the two teams since earlier this month when Dimitri Vegas shared the music video for (G)I-DLE's "HWAA" on his Twitter account and tagged Like Mike. This will be the K-pop girl group's first collaboration with overseas artists since their debut.

About Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike

Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike are a Belgian DJ duo that is made up of brothers Dimitri and Michael Thivaios. They have performed at plenty of festivals around the world such as Tomorrowland, Electric Daisy Carnival, EXIT Festival, UNTOLD, and more. The duo is among the most influential producers in the world. For numerous years, they have been ranking either No. 1 or No. 2 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list.

(G)I-DLE's "HWAA"

On Jan. 11, the female Korean act officially made a comeback with the release of their new mini-album "I burn," together with a music video for the title track, "HWAA." Written and co-composed by member Soyeon, "HWAA" is a moombahton genre song that has a catchy hook and traditional Asian instrumentation. Its lyrics express the cold emotions felt after a breakup.

Moreover, "HWAA" pertains to a flower, and symbolizes spring and love. It uses two different Chinese characters with one meaning "flower" and the other "fire" - both are pronounced the same way in Korean. According to Soyeon, the reason she decided to put the two characters together is that the track "features a narrator who is in winter but will burn the cold away and bloom like a flower and bring spring to them."

Positive Reviews and Commercial Success of (G)I-DLE's "HWAA"

After the release of (G)I-DLE's "HWAA," the single received positive reviews from music critics. Benedetta Geddo of Teen Vogue praised the girl group for their "undeniable talent for grand-scale storytelling and visuals in both their songs and music videos." Heran Mamo from Billboard defined the song as something that "ignites one's inner-fire to avoid the cold feelings brought on by a breakup." Mike Wass of Idolator said that the single is "an instantly catchy banger."

Besides the rave reviews, the song was a commercial success in South Korea. Upon release, "HWAA" quickly topped two of the major online music charts in South Korea: Genie Music and Bugs. It also entered Melon's 24Hits Chart, claiming the No. 98 spot and later rising to No. 16. The track also becomes the third fourth-generation girl group song to take the top position on Melon's real-time chart, with the other two songs being IZ*ONE's "Fiesta" and "Secret Story of the Swan."

(G)I-DLE's latest title track went on to enter Gaon's Digital, Download, and Streaming charts. It also rose from No. 12 to No. 5 on the Billboard K-pop Hot 100. It even debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.

For more news updates about other K-Pop news, always keep your tabs open here at Kpopstarz.

Owned by Kpopstarz

Written by Mhaliya Scott
(Reuters) - German pharmaceutical giant Bayer has agreed to help CureVac produce its experimental vaccine, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed Pfizer and its partner BionTech will deliver 75 million extra doses to the European Union in the second quarter.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS * Eikon users, see COVID-19: MacroVitals https://apac1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/cms/?navid=1592404098 for a case tracker and summary of news.

EUROPE

* Portugal reported close to half of all its COVID-19 deaths in January, highlighting the severe worsening of the pandemic in a country that had largely been spared by the first waves of the coronavirus.

* Poland has found its first case of COVID-19 in mink, the agriculture ministry said, raising fears of costly culls in an industry that counts over 350 farms in the country.

ASIA-PACIFIC

* Hong Kong will extend social distancing measures for a further two weeks until after the Chinese New Year holiday, and will impose stricter testing rules when cases of COVID-19 are detected.

* Japan is expected to extend a state of emergency to fight the spread of COVID-19 this week for Tokyo and other areas as hospitals remain under pressure despite a decline in cases from their peaks.

* South Korea will extend its social distancing curbs by two weeks until the end of the Lunar New Year holidays as new infection clusters emerge in the country.

* China reported the lowest daily increase in new COVID-19 cases in more than three weeks on Monday, reversing a sharp uptick a day earlier.

AMERICAS

* The COVAX global vaccine-sharing scheme expects to deliver 35.3 million doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine to 36 Caribbean and Latin American states from mid-February to the end of June, the World Health Organization's regional office said.

* Chicago Public Schools on Sunday delayed the resumption of in-person classes for thousands of elementary and middle school students by at least a day, as the district and teachers failed to reach an agreement on a safety plan.

Story continues

* Two Colombian citizens in Leticia, capital of the country's Amazonas province, have been infected with the Brazilian variant of coronavirus.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

* Israel extended a national lockdown as coronavirus variants offset its vaccination drive and officials predicted a delay in a turnaround from the health and economic crisis.

* Ghana plans to procure 17.6 million doses of vaccine by the end of June, with the first doses arriving in March.

MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS

* China's CanSino Biologics said an independent committee found the drugmaker's vaccine met its pre-specified primary safety and efficacy targets under an interim analysis of Phase 3 trial data.

* China's Clover Biopharmaceuticals said it has terminated its partnership with GlaxoSmithKline to develop a vaccine using the British drugmaker's adjuvant, even as early-stage trials showed positive results.

* About 1,500 of the initial volunteers in a late-stage clinical trial of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine were given the wrong dose, but weren't informed that a mistake had been made after the blunder was discovered, documents obtained by Reuters show.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

* Oil prices rose, buoyed by falling inventories and hopes for a swifter global economic recovery, although halting vaccine rollouts and renewed travel restrictions capped gains.

* Manufacturing in China and Japan suffered in January amid a resurgence in coronavirus infections, while South Korea and Taiwan saw improvements, underscoring the fragile and uneven nature of the region's economic recovery.

* British manufacturers suffered a double hit last month as COVID-19 disruptions to global shipping combined with new trade barriers with the EU, according to a survey.

(Compiled by Veronica Snoj and Amy Caren Daniel; Edited by Shounak Dasgupta and Jan Harvey)
Wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Yulia arrives to attend a hearing at a court in Moscow (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

A Moscow court has ordered the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to pay a fine of 20,000 roubles for violating protest regulations after she attended a demonstration in the Russian capital to demand his release.

Tens of thousands took to the streets in dozens of Russian cities on Sunday, chanting slogans against Russian President Vladimir Putin and demanding that authorities free Mr Navalny, who was jailed last month and faces a prison term.

His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, joined a protest in Moscow that took place despite unprecedented security measures that city authorities took ahead of the rally.

She was quickly detained and charged with participating in an unauthorised rally.

Expand Close Police stand blocking approaches to the street as protesters try to break through during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday (Valentin Egorshin/AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Police stand blocking approaches to the street as protesters try to break through during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday (Valentin Egorshin/AP)

A court on Monday ordered Ms Navalnaya to pay a fine, her lawyer Svetlana Davydova told the Interfax news agency.

Ms Davydova said the defence plans to appeal the ruling.

In the largest outpouring of discontent Russia had seen in years, mass protests engulfed dozens of Russian cities for the second weekend in a row despite efforts by Russian authorities to stifle the unrest triggered by the jailing of 44-year-old Mr Navalny, the Kremlins fiercest critic.

Mr Navalny was arrested on January 17 upon his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

Russian authorities have rejected the accusations.

Expand Close Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Police officers detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

He faces a prison term for alleged probation violations from a 2014 money-laundering conviction which has been widely seen as politically motivated.

Russian authorities cracked down hard on the demonstrators on Sunday, detaining over 5,400 people across the country, according to OVD-Info, a legal aid group that monitors arrests at protests.

The group said it was the most in its nine-year history of keeping records in the Putin era.


People in Oxford University's coronavirus vaccine trial weren't told when they were given a dose that was too small until months later, an investigation has revealed.

Ethics experts said they were concerned scientists informed volunteers about the blunder in a letter that was packed with 'gobbledygook'.

The error caused controversy late last year when it emerged around 1,500 people taking part in a trial of the Oxford jab had been given a dose that later turned out to be significantly smaller than it should have been.

Although academics insist they knew the dose would be smaller, they didn't know by how much until the participants found they didn't develop any side effects.

Oddly, the trial found the 1.5-dose regimen  all participants were given a full dose the second time  performed better than the planned two-dose regimen, blocking 90 per cent of Covid cases, compared to 62 per cent.

But now experts have raised concerns about the way people who were affected in the trial were told about it, Reuters reports.

Oxford University and AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine has been one of the biggest successes so far, with trials showing it works well and manufacturing steaming ahead to millions of doses per week already (stock image)

Professor Emma Cave, a healthcare law expert at Durham University, told the news wire: 'Presenting the dosing variation as a planned change in the study is potentially a breach of trust if in fact the dosing resulted from an error.

'The letter makes clear the dosing change but not the reason for the change.'

And Dr Arthur Caplan, a medical ethicist at New York University, said the important information in the letter to participants was 'lost in a snowstorm of verbiage'.

He said: 'To me, that qualifies as gobbledygook. What you want to know is, why are they doing this, we made an error, it involved dosing, were not worried about it.'

Reuters said it obtained a copy of the letter from Oxford University, which was sent to the affected trial participants in June last year. The trial of the jab began in May.

The letter was two pages long and told people taking part about 'recent changes in the study'.

Researchers running the trial explained some people had unintentionally received a half-dose in the first instance.

But rather than admitting this had happened by accident  a claim the university strongly refutes  the scientists reportedly said it was part of a planned arm of the trial that would test different sized doses because they were 'not sure what dose of vaccine is most likely to be protective against Covid disease'.

An Oxford University spokesperson said today: 'We have not stated a dosing error occurred and all participants have been kept fully and accurately informed throughout the trial.

BORIS JOHNSON SAYS EU ROW WILL NOT AFFECT UK SUPPLY OF ASTRAZENECA JAB AstraZeneca has agreed to provide an extra nine million vaccine doses to the EU, the bloc has announced, after an extraordinary export ban row. The British-Swedish manufacturer will provide 40 million doses for the EU by the end of March - still only half of what it had originally promised. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said late Sunday that AstraZeneca will also begin deliveries one week sooner than scheduled and expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has assured Britons that the UK's virus supply would not be affected by the 'toings and froings' of the EU. However, he also warned that there was no point in just the UK getting vaccinated and that it was important EU countries did too. It comes after the issue of vaccine supply triggered a row between the EU and the UK. The row blew up spectacularly when Eurocrats overrode part of the Brexit deal to create a hard border on the island of Ireland to stop doses getting into the UK through Northern Ireland, which is still in the Customs Union. 'You will have seen all this stuff in the papers about our friends across the Channel and disputes with them,' the Prime Minister said yesterday. 'All I would say is whatever the toings and froings there, we're very confident in our security of supply. 'We will continue to take steps to protect the UK's security of supply and also to ensure that we ramp up our own manufacturing.' Advertisement

'The half dose group was unplanned, but we did know in advance that there was a discrepancy in the dose measurements and discussed this with the regulators before dosing and when the dosing was revised. Trial participants were informed of the different dose measurements in the letter of June 8.

'No communications with trial volunteers can be made without prior ethical approval and changes to the trial design have regulatory and ethical approval. In the case of the letter of June 8, this was via the South Central Berkshire Research Ethics Committee.'

The difference in dosing emerged last year when one of the bosses at AstraZeneca, the jab manufacturer, revealed that it had happened.

A problem with the equipment that measured the strength of doses meant that one batch was 'over-estimated', so they toned it down to avoid giving people too much.

They pressed ahead with the trial, with the blessing of the UK's drug regulator the MHRA, and gave those volunteers  and all other volunteers  full doses for the rest of the study, the team explained as their results were published yesterday.

And later, when those people didn't get side effects that were as strong, the researchers found out exactly how much smaller the doses had been.

The study results showed them that the vaccine was 90 per cent effective when given that way, compared to 62 per cent when given in two full doses.

The university has since fiercely refuted claims that this happened by accident, saying they knew beforehand that the dose was going to be smaller.

Professor Adrian Hill, from Oxford's Jenner Institute, has insisted the team were fully aware of the change in doses before they checked the efficacy of the vaccine.

He said after the difference was identified the team opted to stick with a two full-dose regimen, but still monitor the volunteers who received a half-dose. They quickly saw the latter may have worked better.

'There were fewer sore forearms, less people with fever and so we knew within days that it was probably the other measure that was right and indeed it is,' he told The Times.

'We liked it so much we carried on with it because it was safer - lower doses often are - and equally immunogenic. And there is some evidence it may be more effective. So what's not to like?'

Claims it had happened by mistake came after AstraZeneca's head of biopharmaceutical research, Dr Mene Pangalos, said they didn't realise about the half-dose until later in the trial.

He told Reuters in November that the discovery that it worked better was a lucky accident. He said: 'The reason we had the half dose is serendipity.'

Dr Pangalos said researchers were confused when they noticed volunteers in the vaccine group were reporting much milder side effects, such as fatigue, headaches and arm aches, than they originally predicted.

He said: 'So we went back and checked ... and we found out that they had underpredicted the dose of the vaccine by half.'

'That, in essence, is how we stumbled upon doing half dose-full dose (group),' he added. 'Yes, it was a mistake.'
Chinese co denies report of investing in Trump son-in-law Kushner's ... DNA India Chinese co denies report of investing in Trump son-in-law Kushner's family property

Former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and his deputy, Avi Berkowitz, were nominated on Sunday for the Nobel Peace Prize for their role in negotiating four normalization deals between Israel and Arab nations known as the "Abraham Accords."

Nominating the pair of former deputies to then-President Donald Trump was American attorney Alan Dershowitz, who was eligible to do so in his capacity as a professor emeritus of Harvard Law School.

Kushner, who is Trump's son-in-law, and Berkowitz, who was the Middle East envoy, were key figures in negotiating deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

The deals were announced in a four-month span between mid-August and mid-December and were the most significant diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East in 25 years as the region girds for a prolonged confrontation with Iran.

Kushner said in a statement he was honored to be nominated for the prize, which will be awarded in October.

President Joe Biden's administration is expected to review all national security deals reached during the Trump administration, including arms packages for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

There have been some complaints from lawmakers about the Morocco deal because to get Morocco to agree to it, the United States recognized Morocco's sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara region.

Trump left office Jan. 20 under a cloud of controversy, potentially impacting whether the pair of aides would be awarded the Nobel.
During the course of the pandemic, several automakers came up with various ways to make car buying safer for everyone. There's the adherence to social distancing measures in showrooms, and the rise of online showrooms just to name a few. At the same time, more manufacturers are using the internet as a purchasing platform for potential buyers.

One of them is MG, and they launched a website dedicated to that. Dubbed BuyAnMG.com, it provides a virtual showroom and purchasing experience from the safety of the customer's home.

The introduction of BuyAnMG.com represents the reinforcement of our brand position and a new chapter in our local MG brand story, as well as a notable milestone for all Filipino auto buyers. With BuyAnMG.com, we aim to address any limitations or reservations our clients may have when making physical visits to any of our nationwide dealerships by bringing the MG showroom experience to the convenience of their smart devices, said Atty. Alberto B. Arcilla, president, and CEO of MG Philippines.

The website is now live and features easy-to-navigate pages for the browser's convenience. MG Philippines made sure that the site is interactive for a more immersive experience. 360-degree tours and walkaround videos are just some of the highlights of the virtual showroom. A financial calculator and price guide are also present for the customer to match his or her budget with a specific model. Customers can express their interest through the inquire button on each variant, and the interactive chat box adds a personal touch to the online experience.

Aside from the website, MG is getting ready to launch a new SUV. It's dubbed the RX8, and it's coming to showrooms soon. With that, we can expect it in the virtual showroom once it's launched later this year.
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 CBP Commissioner: Bidens Border Strategy Is Release, Protect, Reward

WASHINGTONFormer Acting Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Mark Morgan left his role at noon on Jan. 20. He had been in the position since early July 2019. During the final months of the Obama administration, Morgan also served as the Border Patrol chief.

Morgan spoke to The Epoch Times about the flurry of border security-related executive orders and memos issued by President Joe Biden and his Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These include temporarily suspending deportations of illegal aliens, reversing President Donald Trumps ban on travel from terror-prone countries, halting border wall construction, stopping the addition of asylum-seekers to the Migrant Protection Protocol program, preserving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and releasing a sweeping immigration package to Congress that includes amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants.

The Epoch Times: As a critic of Bidens actions on immigration, which one do you see as most detrimental so far?

Mark Morgan: Its cumulative. Its not one thing. What hes got right now is not an immigration strategy, its an open border strategy. And heres why. First of all, lets start with the rhetoric during the campaign. So the message that he sent to the migrants and the smugglers themselves is, If I win, Im opening my borders.

One, he stopped building the wall. That wall is an essential part of the multi-layer strategy of infrastructure, technology, and personnel. Two, stop deportations for 100 days. Stop lawful deportations. I personally think thats unconstitutional. Three, he stopped the Migrant Protection Protocol, which ended catch-and-release. Four, hes already, through DHS, put the priority for arrests policy back into place they had under the Obama administration. Five is that, in the 2021 appropriations, they reduced ICE bed space to 30,000 [from 55,000]. And lets go to number six: He said he supports sanctuary cities, he supports the expansion of DACA. Seven, he says hes going to give amnesty to millions of people. Eight, hes raised his hand to say he will give free health care to those individuals that are here illegally.

So you take all those into totality, that is not an immigration strategy, thats a calling card, saying that our borders are going to be open. Because if you come to our border illegally and illegally enter, we will release you into the interior of the United States, we will protect and prevent you from being lawfully deported. And once you remain here illegally, were going to reward you with the expansion of DACA, amnesty, and free health care.

Thats release, protect, reward. Thats an open border. You might as well put billboards in the Central American countries saying Come to the United States, our borders are open. Theres an interview of a migrant himself who said, Biden has given us 100 days to get to the U.S. border.

With a stroke of a pen, he made our borders less secure, our country less safe, and is endangering every man and woman in CBP that are on the frontlines of our borders, protecting this nation. Its just outrageous.

Effect on Border Agents

Epoch Times: Have you heard from many frontline agents, how theyre feeling about it?

Morgan: When youre career law enforcement, its a resilient bunch  theyre there administration after administrationthey still get up, and they do their job.

I think whats happening now is very different, though. Ive worked for at least six presidents, both Democratic and Republican. This is a little differentIve never seen such a dichotomy from one administration to the other, and how quickly everything has been dismantled.

One of the senior leaders in the Border Patrol, kind of a tough guy, he looked at me and said, You know, Commissioner, Im actually scared. Because he knows whats coming. He knows that and so does the workforce.

Because they know that the policies that were in place, how successful they were to address the threat along all our borders.

Biggest Issues

Epoch Times: Theres a lot going on. What do we need to keep an eye on in particular?

Morgan: First of all, stopping deportations. We all know that when someone is not detained while they go through due process, they either dont show up, or even after they have an order of removal, they dont comply. Thats just fact.

When are we going to see the tangible effect? So we know that MS-13 gang members will not be deported. And if youre charged with rape, murder, or child molestation, and youre not convicted, you cant be deported. So how are we going to see the impact of that?

Were not going to see the impact until somebody that should have been deported kills somebody.

Second of all, [Biden] rescinded the Migrant Protection Protocol. They knew they could get away with that and it wouldnt cause a crisis because they have Title 42. But the moment Title 42 goes away, full-blown crisis.

[Under Title 42, which Trump ordered in place on March 20, 2020, CBP says it is prohibiting the entry of certain persons who potentially pose a health risk  because they unlawfully entered the country to bypass health screening measures. Additionally, to help prevent the introduction of COVID-19 into border facilities and into the United States, persons subject to the order  will immediately be expelled to their country of last transit.]

So with Title 42, were still able to apprehend right at the border, process them at the border, and remove them quickly, mostly within two hours.

Right now, were averaging about 2,500 illegal crossings a day. Again, [former DHS] Secretary Jeh Johnson said 1,000 was a bad day.

Once Title 42 goes away, that 2,500 the next day becomes a crisis, because now we have to bring them all into our facilities. Game changer. Within three or four days, our facilities will be overcrowded. Maybe even sooner than that, because well more than likely still have the COVID restrictions with the number of people we can hold in a facility.

And if you think about it, that really is the ideological difference. I get very frustrated when they talk about needing humane ways to deal with the migration issue.

I still say the most humane thing is to stop illegal immigration. Stop individuals from paying the cartels and smugglers thousands of dollars. Stop the vulnerable migrants from risking their lives and putting their lives in the hands of [smugglers]. Stop having individuals trafficked.

But heres the key point, when they talk about humane what they mean is, their goal is nobody gets detained. And if you think about in 2019, between CBP and ICE, we released almost 500,000 individuals into the interior United States.

And so the overwhelming majority of those still remain here in the United States, and theyre probably going to be recipients of amnesty, expanded DACA, you name it.

Prediction for 2021

Epoch Times: We had an unprecedented 1 million illegal crossings in 2019. Whats your prediction for this year?

Morgan: I think we could see more. Again, Title 42 is the remaining policy, the glue preventing a full-blown crisis. Instead of being able to remove 90, 95 percent immediately at the border, were now going to have to bring them all into our facilities, process them, become overwhelmed again, and were going to have to release them.

Biden is driving a crisis thats going to pale in comparison to what we saw in 2019. In the height of 2019, ICE had over 55,000 beds and they still didnt have enough. So theyre just simply not going to be able to apprehend and detain them, theyre going to have to let them go. Or use Alternative to Detention [often ankle bracelets]. And we know that doesnt work. Its a colossal failure. It gives them an opportunity to go into the interior of the United States and never be heard from again.

Youve got this incredible pull factor that were going to expand DACA, give amnesty, and give you free health care.

Those are all significant pull factors that didnt exist in 2019, when we saw the unprecedented crisis back then.

As soon as Title 42 falls, under those conditions of release, protect, and reward, who wouldnt come illegally?

Epoch Times: How long do you think Title 42 is going to stand?

Morgan: I dont know. It could go away three different ways: one, through lawsuitsit can be enjoined via the court system. Two, CDC themselves could refuse to renew it. And three, the Biden administration could rescind it.

And you can build all the temporary tents, and judges, and everything you want, and its not going to make a difference. At the end of the day, theyre still going to have to release individuals.

By February 2020, we had reduced the flow from Central America by 75 percent. The issue that was really driving the crisis was families. The Migrant Protection Protocols work, ACAs [regional cooperation agreements] worked.

If youve got somebody thats in, lets say, El Salvador, if they really have a valid asylum claim, what we all should want for them is to seek relief as fast as possible. So seek relief in Guatemala, seek relief in Mexico.

Why would you pay the cartels thousands and thousands of dollars and risk your life to traverse one or two countriesespecially during the middle of global pandemicif what youre seeking is relief from state-sponsored persecution, for example?

But we know thats not whats driving it. Its economics. They want to get to the United States. Thats the goal.

Central American Countries

Epoch Times: At a recent hearing, a senator said that Central Americans come to the United States because we make their lives miserable. Whats your response to that?

Morgan: Thats the outrageous narrative thats out there. We have given Central American countries financial aid for a very, very long time. CBP has been involved, not only to improve their infrastructure, but also to improve their national security. Its very important that, for example, their ports of entry, the infrastructure, it continues to grow so that global importers have faith and confidence that goods coming and going are going to be protected.

They also have to improve the public safety and security within their countries so that global industries and stakeholders feel comfortable about making investments in their country. Thats been done year after year, and its been done administration after administration.

Concerned Americans

Epoch Times: With these border security changes, what can concerned Americans do?

Morgan: I would say, elections have results2022 is going to be important. I would say make sure that your voice is heard. Make sure the politicians understand how you see the world. And we need to make sure that were getting the facts out there.

This is not about legal immigration. This is about illegal immigration. And until we address illegal immigration, were never going to be able to effectively deal with the overarching immigration issue. We are the most generous country on the face of the planet. We swear in immigrants as new U.S. citizens, a million a year, more than any other country in the globe.

Were talking about law and order. Were talking about the sovereignty of a nation thats the backbone of any civilized society.

Mexico Motivation

Epoch Times: Are we going to see less motivation from Mexico to stop the flow?

Morgan: So for the first time, the United States, Mexico, Central American countries, weve all joined together to really address illegal migration as the regional crisis that it is. So we have unprecedented cooperation, unprecedented agreements with all of these countries. And this happened directly because of President Trump.

Lets take a look at the caravans right now. Guatemala is doing an incredible job. The government of Mexico, incredible job. So they are still dissolving these caravans, even though theyre in the thousands and thousands.

But think about this. If youre the Central American countries and the government of Mexico and the United States has completely shifted our policies, and now we are encouraging, were incentivizing, and were opening our borders, which is driving now the next wave of illegal immigration. At some point, if youre Mexico, Central American countries, wouldnt you say, Wait a minute, why are we not only expending a lot of political capital, but a lot of our resources and funding to stop the migration that is now being caused by the United States policies?

At some point, I would think theyll be like, Thats it, were done.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
The Mayor of Hackney has called on Orthodox Jews to stop holding massive weddings after a string of events breaking lockdown rules emerged.

Police broke up a 150-strong gathering in Stamford Hill, north London, at a strict Orthodox Charedi Jewish school last Thursday.

Guests fled from the wedding held at Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School when police arrived at around 9.15pm, where some had covered up windows and closed gates to hide the celebrations.

The schools former principal, Rabbi Avroham Pinter, died from coronavirus last spring, according to the Jewish News.

The publication also claims that at least 50 illegal Orthodox weddings have happened during lockdown.

A file picture of a legal Orthodox wedding in Stamford Hill before the coronavirus pandemic

Initial calls to police suggested some 400 people attended the wedding last Thursday, but officers later said there were around 150 guests.

The organiser of the event was reported and could have to pay a 10,000 fine while five other attendees were issued with 200 fixed penalty notices, Scotland Yard said.

Since police released details of the coronavirus breaches, further reports of similar large-scale weddings in the area emerged online.

Hackney Council said the events had been taking place behind closed doors in various venues in the borough.

Hackney Council said the events had been taking place behind closed doors in various venues in the borough. Pictured is Philip Glanville Mayor of Hackney

A bride circles her groom at an Orthodox wedding in Stamford Hill before the pandemic

In an open letter to the Charedi Orthodox Jewish community in Stamford Hill, the authority called on residents to avoid risking lives by holding or attending such events.

Philip Glanville, mayor of Hackney, said he was shocked by the mass gatherings.

Rules on UK weddings during third lockdown The UK Government has said people in England should only consider booking a wedding or civil partnership, or continuing with one already booked, in 'exceptional circumstances'. This may be if someone or a partner is seriously ill and not expected to recover, or is to undergo debilitating treatment or life-changing surgery. Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies must only take place with up to six people. Anyone working at the event is not included in the total. People are urged to stay local and avoid travelling outside of their local area, but they are able to travel in England to attend a wedding if they 'absolutely need to' and it is being held in accordance with the legislation. People can also leave England and travel to other parts of the UK or abroad, to attend a marriage. This is again when it is taking place as set out in the legislation, subject to any travel restrictions in that country. Advertisement

He added: 'The most recent media reports are absolutely shocking. And, if true, demonstrates that a small - but significant and selfish minority - of the community have a total disregard for their own safety, and that of their family and friends.

'I am in absolutely no doubt that if regular, mass gatherings have been taking place, as described, lives will have been lost as a direct result. And our local health services will have been directly impacted.'

Mayor Glanville added that the majority of the Charedi population have been following lockdown guidelines, and are as 'angry shocked and upset by recent events as I am'.

He said: 'I appreciate the efforts undertaken by many individuals and organisations within the Charedi community to communicate government and local guidance clearly and keep the community safe from harm, while supporting each other and protecting life.

'It is very clear that government guidance says that no wedding with more than six individuals present should be taking place anywhere in Hackney and we will be making that even clearer in the coming days.

'However, we are also aware that the Charedi community is highly visible and vulnerable to anti-Semitism, which we know has been on the rise in recent years, and that the high profile of this incident has made many feel anxious.

'We have emphasised our strong partnerships with the community, and that the council and the police are here to enforce the rules, but also protect them from anti-Semitism and any other abuse or threats.

'The council's leadership this week has been listening to residents from all communities and meeting with key partners, including community organisations, Yesodey Hatorah School and the Rabbinate to discuss recent events.

'In every discussion we have emphasised how unacceptable these events are and how the council will redouble our efforts to work with the police, government and local people to keep not just the Charedi community, but everyone in Hackney safe. We will provide more updates on this work next week.'

The former principal of the girls' school died of coronavirus last spring, according to the Jewish News

The Yesodey Hatorah Secondary Girls School in Stamford Hill, North London, where officers broke up a wedding attended by around 150 people on Thursday evening last week

Alongside other east London council leaders and mayors, the mayor of Hackney wrote to faith leaders earlier this month and joined Hackney's Faith Forum to ask them to work together to pause communal worship in response to rising virus case rates.

He wrote: 'One key strategy to reduce COVID-19 infection rates is to pause communal worship and this is something many local places of worship are either already doing or are actively considering.

'None of us want to see places of faith or their facilities close to communal worship, but these are challenging times and we must do all that we can to protect the most vulnerable in our communities and reduce pressure on the NHS.'

The letter, which is co-signed by the Borough Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Marcus Barnett, and Hackney's Director of Public Health, Dr Sandra Husbands, emphasises the significant risk to life of holding or attending mass gatherings and has wide support from the community.

It will be delivered today to every Charedi home in the borough with the local community newssheet, Heimishe, the council said.
The increasing transition to digital, largely fuelled by the pandemic, has brought to the fore serious questions regarding how safe is our information and data in the digital ecosystem. There are growing concerns over how we are losing control on our own data. We no longer know who is tracking our digital footprints, or listening in to our private conversations, or accessing what we believe are private chats with friends and families, and even more alarmingly, tracking all our digital transactions.

The recent row over Whatsapps announcement regarding changes in its privacy policy has netizens worried. So much so that there have been mass transition to competitors like Signal and Telegram. These two apps have claimed tremendous increase in traffic in the last few days.

The question that arises here, how much data security can Signal and Telegram ensure? We have seen data breaches happening in even the most secure of platforms. A lot of time we ourselves knowingly  and sometimes unknowingly  share our personal data. Every time we use any website, cookies track everything that we access; e-commerce websites store our transaction details, including debit/ credit card details; financial institutions have access to all our financial dealings; with everything now inter-linked  from PAN card details, Aadhaar details, driving licence, passport and now we also have digital voters ID cards  we really are living in a perilous world.

We have increasingly started storing our data and info on cloud-based services, but they have also not been impervious to cyber attacks.

So, is data privacy really an illusion? Experts have time and again pointed out how encryption is fundamentally flawed. Moreover, unlike the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that governs Europe, the data protection laws are at a very nascent stage in India. All eyes are on the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, which will be tabled in Parliament in February 2021. However, here too concerns have been voiced about how this Bill could give the Government overall powers to access the data of all Indian citizens.

Adgully brought together all the debates, concerns, details regarding the data protection and privacy scenario in the country and discussed threadbare the solutions in a special Webinar  Is Data Privacy An Illusion?  on January 28, 2021.

Joining in the conversation were:

Hemali Dave, Head of Revenue growth, Zirca Digital Solutions (Moderator)

Surbhit Jain, Manager-Product Marketing, APAC, Adobe Experience Cloud & Platform

Tanay Kumar, CEO, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Fractal Ink Design Studio linked by Isobar

Dimpy Yadav, Head of Client Engagement, Xaxis India

Kaushal Mahan, Group Business Director, Chase India

Commencing the discussions, Hemali Dave asked the panellists about their views on the data privacy and security ecosystem today, especially in light of the entire controversy arising out of WhatsApp recently announcing its decision to update its Privacy Policy.

Before delving into the topic, Kaushal Mahan first established a context to the data privacy issue and noted that today data has become like capital and benefits businesses, and added that one needs to know how to use data and protect it.

Mahan further said, Governments globally have understood the value of data in fuelling their digital economies and thats why businesses have been focused on India and China as markets due to the potential of data and user group. This data helps improve product quality.

With respect to data privacy, Mahan pointed out that there were two topics of discussions right now  protecting personal data and personal data. He added, Governments have understood that if data isnt protected, it can create a non-price competition market.

Giving his perspective on the WhatsApp controversy, Mahan pointed out that the pandemic has increased digital literacy amongst users and businesses like WhatsApp should work with the Government when it comes to data privacy laws and updates. You cant have different laws for different countries, a certain standardisation needs to be maintained. By the year 2022, there should be more groundwork by the Government on the issue of data privacy, he added.

So, is data privacy just an illusion?

Surbhit Jain here stressed on the need for a framework to be established for businesses to function with data within. There is need for laws to be established for everyone in the digital sector to follow, he added. Jain also highlighted the growth in digital literacy amongst the people and the questioning attitude thats being developed.

According to Jain, for any business to function at an optimum level in any market, trust is a big factor. In most cases, users wont even share data if theres a trust issue and the recent controversies of Whatsapp and Facebook have further ignited the mistrust amongst people. With an established framework, businesses will find it easier to function within that framework and it will also help them gain the trust of users, he added.

Giving the perspective of the audiences regarding data privacy, Tanay Kumar noted that there are mainly three kinds of audiences when it comes to data privacy. One set is those people who dont believe that their data can be breached. The second set is those people who are well read on the matter and take necessary precautions, and third is that set that is completely unaware of this growing concern.

Kumar felt that the issue of data privacy is always going to stay and that its a grey area. There is no sure-shot method to say that, yes! My data is safe. This issue is an animal that needs to be tamed over time and over and over again, he emphasised.

The conversation then moved on to the topic of the checks and balances that are to be kept in mind by companies when dealing with data privacy. Dimpy Yadav noted that there are a few data policies in place and businesses today are more concerned about the privacy of their users data than ever before. Many are taking users consent when they visit a website and they are also using platforms like CDP to ensure they are storing data in a well-protected manner, she added.

On whether these measures were enough, Yadav said that many businesses still did not have privacy floors on their data strategy and brands today cannot afford to take privacy lightly. Adding further, she said, More devices like Voice AI make data privacy an even more difficult situation to handle. Today, brands have more data than ever before and there is a definite need for data governance. Apart from using the right CDPs and platforms, it is also important to have the right data engineers who hold the right expertise to manage and store this data efficiently.

Yadav stressed on the importance of adding Identity Access Management. Elaborating on this, she said, This means you allow relevant teams to access only limited data that is required by them. Many pass on data in Excel files on mail, which is still not an ethical way of doing it. It is important to automate the usage of this data with the right technology and inject the data directly into platform using DSPs, which will mean the reduction of manual processes which is actually a breach of policy all together.

Click here to catch the complete conversation as the industry experts take a further deep dive into the issue of data privacy and security.
A man who stole $3.2 million from a Melbourne gold dealer during a staged hold-up has told a court he used to be racially abused and bullied by his former employer, whom he said was known as the worlds worst boss.

Daniel Ede and Karl Kachami were in cahoots on April 27 last year when the latter pointed a pistol at his friend inside the Melbourne Gold Company and walked out with gold bullion, cash and jewellery.

The Melbourne Gold Company in the hours after the robbery. Credit:Justin McManus

Ede was a manager at the Collins Street business and arranged for Kachami to enter posing as a delivery man, wearing a surgical mask, goggles, an orange high-visibility shirt and carrying a Glock pistol.

Despite the impression that Kachami was the bandit and Ede the victim, police quickly established they were a team. Prosecutor David Cordy told the County Court on Monday that CCTV footage showed Ede signalling to Kachami to pull the gun out and that the pistol didnt have an ammunition magazine.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 00:53:58|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Somalia's security forces are seen near Afrik Hotel in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, Jan. 31, 2021. A car packed with explosives exploded at Afrik Hotel near a busy security checkpoint near Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia on Sunday evening. Al-Shabab fighters stormed inside the hotel after the first blast and at least five were killed in the attack, police and witnesses said. (Xinhua/Hassan Elmi)

MOGADISHU, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and several others injured in a suicide car bombing in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Sunday evening, police and witnesses said.

The latest attack started at 5.00 p.m. when a car packed with explosives exploded at the Afrik Hotel near a busy security checkpoint near Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.

A police officer who requested anonymity told Xinhua that al-Shabab stormed inside the hotel after the first blast went off outside the hotel.

"I can confirm that five people were killed in the attack but will give full details later," said the police officer who declined to be named.

Al-Shahab which is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government claimed responsibility for the latest attack through its media affiliates, saying its fighters were targeting government officials who were meeting in the facility.

Afrik Hotel is a popular hotel which is frequented by government officials and located near Mogadishu airport.

Witnesses said they could hear huge gunfire inside the hotel.

"We could hear heavy gunfire inside the Afrik Hotel, heavily armed government forces arrived at the scene," Ali Abdi, a witness told Xinhua.

Unconfirmed reports said the former State Minister of Defense is among the survivors of the attack and most of the occupants at the hotel have been rescued.

On February 8, Somalia is scheduled to hold a presidential election.

The insurgents have stepped up their assault against the government and African Union Mission in Somalia bases across south and central parts of the Horn of Africa nation. Enditem
Civil rights activist Rev Jesse Jackson is recovering from successful surgery after being hospitalized for stomach problems.

The 79-year-old was rushed to hospital in the Chicago area after suffering from 'abdominal discomfort', according to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, a social justice organization founded by Jackson in 1966.

In a statement released today the Chicago-based non-profit said that its president had been admitted 'recently', but did not say to which hospital.

'After routine medical observation, successful surgery ensued, and Rev. Jackson is resting', they added.

'He is in good spirits and will be discharged in a few days. Thank you for your continued love, support, and prayers.'

Jackson, a two-time Democratic presidential candidate, is an icon of the civil rights movement and worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, the veteran civil rights campaigner, (pictured in an undated photo) has undergone minor surgery in hospital and is recovering, his non-profit, Rainbow PUSH Coalition said in a statement today

Jackson endorsed Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination last year. He is pictured with Sanders in March in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a state Jackson won as a presidential nominee in the 1980s

Rev. Jesse Jackson received the Pfizer's BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine Friday, Jan. 8

Jackson pictured at the PUSH for Excellence 17th Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Award Breakfast in Chicago, Illinois, with then US Senator Barack Obama

In 2017 Jackson revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder with no cure.

At the time, Jackson said his 2015 diagnosis was 'a signal that I must make lifestyle changes and dedicate myself to physical therapy in hopes of slowing the disease's progression.'

He said at the time: 'Recognition of the effects of this disease on me has been painful, and I have been slow to grasp the gravity of it.'

Jackson, Sr. (L) points out his mother to U.S. President Bill Clinton (R) after receiving the Medal of Freedom at the White House in Washington, August 9, 2000.

Jackson, who endorsed Hilary Clinton for president in 2016, is pictured with her in 2000 at the PUSH Coalition conference in New York

U.S. Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry (L) joins Jackson in prayer during a service at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, Florida, October 10, 2004

Jackson was diagnosed with the disease in 2015, according to Northwestern Medicine, which also affected his father.

He has been treated as an outpatient in the years since, the hospital said.

Jackson was born in Greenville, South Carolina in 1941, married his wife Jacqueline Brown in 1962 and has six children.

He was arrested in 1960 when he was just a college student for advocating for the right to use a public library in his hometown, and was known as one of 'The Greenville Eight'.

On July 16, 1960, while home from college, Jackson joined seven other African Americans in at the Greenville Public Library in Greenville, South Carolina, which only allowed white people, and were arrested for 'disorderly conduct'.

In 1965 he participated in the Selma march with Martin Luther King, which led to further collaboration between the pair.

He was a two-time Democratic presidential candidate nominee in 1984 and 1988.

Jackson, pictured delivering an address from the pulpit at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington DC, in 1982. He would run for president two years later

In 1988 he made his second, unsuccessful presidential run, pictured here during his campaign

In 2015 he was honored by The University of Edinburgh, in Scotland, with an honorary degree in recognition of his decades of campaigning for civil rights

Jackson married Jacqueline Brown in 1962 and have six children. The pair are pictured in 2001 at the Cannes Film Festival

In May last year he traveled to Minneapolis to speak after the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer, a death that sparked global Black Lives Matter protests.

Speaking at the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Jackson said: 'We told the governor you must call murder a murder.'

He endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in 2016 and Bernie Sanders last year, after Sanders endorsed Jackson for his own presidential bid in 1988.

On January 8 he was pictured receiving the Pfizer's BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
ADVERTISEMENT

The Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has awarded N5 million as aggravated and general damages against the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector General of Police over abuse of a woman in Osun State.

PREMIUM TIMES in April 2020 reported how two police officers were caught on camera for assaulting one Tola Azeez, in Odo Ori Market in Iwo, Osun State, when she was trying to buy drugs for her relatives at a pharmacy.

The assault took place while police officers in the state were enforcing COVID-19 lockdown, an action which was condemned by the police authorities, the Osun State Government and the Oluwo of Iwo, Adewale Akanbi.

The police later identified the erring officers as Ikuesan Taiwo, an inspector and Abass Ibrahim, a corporal.

It also announced on Twitter that it arrested the officers. Nothing was heard about the case from the police until the judgment on Monday.

To protest the assault, a fundamental human right enforcement suit was filed by a lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, on behalf of Ms Azeez.

The police counsel, F.B Osei, argued that Messrs Taiwo and Ibrahim were agents of the Nigeria Police Force, and that the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector General of Police could not be held liable for the acts and omission of its officers.

This was countered by Mr Olajensgbesi who said the officers carried out the assault during an official assignment as agents of the police force.

In his judgement on Monday, Ayo Emmanuel, resolved the matter in favour of the applicant.

He held in his judgement that the actions of the offending officers in the discharge of their official duties as agents of the police amounted to an infringement of the Fundamental Right to Dignity of Ms Azeez, a liability the Nigeria Police Force must shoulder.

The court then awarded the sum of N5 million as aggravated and general damages against the police.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES after the matter, the applicants lawyer, Mr Olajengbesi, commended the courts industry and applauded the judge for his adjudication of the suit.

The judgement will reinforce the slogan which connotes the judiciary as the last hope of the common man and equally rekindle the hope of Nigerians in our judicial system, he told our correspondent.

This newspaper reported a series of attacks on Nigerians by security operatives while enforcing coronavirus lockdown across the country last year.

While many cases made it to the social media, little or nothing was heard after.

Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category
[February 01, 2021] Virgin Galactic Flight Test Program Update

Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE), a vertically integrated aerospace and space travel company, today announced the date of its new flight window for a rocket-powered test flight of its SpaceShipTwo Unity. The flight window will open on February 13 with opportunities to fly throughout February, pending good weather conditions and technical readiness. The test flight will be crewed by two pilots and will carry research payloads as part of the NASA Flight Opportunities program. Pre-flight preparations are already underway at Spaceport America, New Mexico, including rigorous steps to prepare the vehicles, pilots, teams and facilities, with safety procedures as a top priority. In addition, the Virgin Galactic Pilot Corps has completed two flights with its mothership, VMS Eve, for routine pilot proficiency training. This training included using the mothership to simulate the glide and approach-to-land phase of flight for SpaceShipTwo, showing the versatility of VMS Eve as more than just a mothership. A key objective of the upcoming flight will be to test the remedial work that has been completed since the December 12, 2020, flight when the onboard computer halted ignition of the rocket motor. The team has since conducted the root cause analysis, completed the corrective work required, and carried out extensive ground testing. The next stage will be to assess and verify this work during a rocket-powered flight. The flight will incorporate all of the original test objectives from the previous test flight, including evaluating elements of the customer cabin, testing the live stream capability from the spaceship to the ground, and assessing the upgraded horizontal stabilizers and flight controls during the boost phase of the flight. Following this flight, and in line with normal procedures, the team will complete an extensive data review, which will inform the net steps in the test flight program.



The flight will be conducted by essential personnel only. No media will be onsite, in accordance with Company and state COVID-19 protocols. Michael Colglazier, CEO of Virgin Galactic said: "We are pleased to be able to get back to the skies and continue our flight test program. I would like to thank our team for their continued hard work and diligence in working towards this important milestone for Virgin Galactic.''

You can download all press materials including images and B-roll from the Virgin Galactic Press FTP. About Virgin Galactic Holdings Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. is a vertically integrated aerospace and space travel company, pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and researchers, as well as a manufacturer of advanced air and space vehicles. It is developing a spaceflight system designed to offer customers a unique and transformative experience. You can find more information at https://www.virgingalactic.com/. Source (News - Alert) : Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws with respect to Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (the "Company"), including statements regarding the Company's spaceflight systems, markets and expected performance. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by words such as "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this presentation, including but not limited to the factors, risks and uncertainties regarding the Company's business described in the documents filed by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the " SEC (News - Alert) "). These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause the Company's actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005049/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
The top United Nations leadership has strongly condemned the detention of Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders, as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres voiced concern over transfer of powers to the military, calling it a serious blow to democratic reforms in the country.

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the detention of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders on the eve of the opening session of Myanmar's new Parliament, a statement issued by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said on Sunday.

Guterres expressed his grave concern regarding the declaration of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military and said these developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in

According to media reports, an announcer on Myanmar's military-owned Myawaddy TV declared on Monday morning that the military had taken control of the country for one year.

Myanmar's leader Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid, the spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy (NLD) was quoted as saying in the media.

Guterres underscored that the November 8, 2020 general elections provide a strong mandate to the NLD, reflecting the clear will of the people of to continue on the hard-won path of democratic reform.

The new parliament was scheduled to convene on Monday.

The Secretary-General urged the military leadership to respect the will of the people of and adhere to democratic norms, with any differences to be resolved through peaceful dialogue.

All leaders must act in the greater interest of Myanmar's democratic reform, engaging in meaningful dialogue, refraining from violence and fully respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, he said.

Guterres reaffirmed the unwavering" support of the United Nations to the people of Myanmar in their pursuit of democracy, peace, human rights and the rule of law.

President of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir said in a tweet that he is deeply concerned about developments in Myanmar and called for the immediate release of detained political leaders.

"Attempts to undermine #democracy & rule of law are unacceptable. Military leaders must adhere to democratic norms and respect public institutions & civilian authority, he said.

Last week, Dujarric had said that the UN Secretary-General was following with "great concern recent developments in Myanmar and Guterres had urged all actors to desist from any form of incitement or provocation, demonstrate leadership, and to adhere to democratic norms and respect the outcome of the November general election.

All electoral disputes should be resolved through established legal mechanisms, the UN chief had said.

Tensions have been rising following the outcomes of the November 2020 general election, in which San Suu Kyi-led NLD claimed an overwhelming victory.

However, other political parties disputed the results, alleging the polls were marred by irregularities.

(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 Monday sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea seeking framing of law to regulate platforms like Facebook and Twitter and make them responsible for allegedly spreading fake news and hate speeches.

A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian issued notices to the Centre and others on the plea and tagged it with a pending petition which has sought setting up of a media tribunal to adjudicate on complaints against the media, channels and networks.

The apex court was hearing a petition filed by advocate Vineet Jindal who has sought directions to the Centre to frame law for prosecuting those involved in spreading hate and fake news through platforms.

The plea has sought directions to the authorities concerned for establishing a mechanism for automatic removal of fake news and hate speeches within a short timeframe.

It said that freedom of speech and expression is a complex right as it may be subject to reasonable restrictions and it is not absolute and carries with it special duties and responsibilities.

The plea, while saying that reach of is much wider than traditional media, has also referred to few communal violence incidents in the country where social media was misused.

On January 25, the top court had sought responses from the Centre, Press Council of India (PCI) and News Broadcasters Association (NBA) on a separate public interest litigation (PIL) which has sought setting up of a media tribunal to adjudicate on complaints against media, channels and networks.

The plea has said that media, particularly the electronic, has become like an unruly horse which needs to be tamed.

It has also sought setting up of an independent committee headed by either a former Chief Justice of India or an apex court judge to review the entire legal framework related to media business regulations and suggest guidelines.

Besides the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, PCI and NBA, the top court had also issued notices to News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) and News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) on the PIL filed jointly by film maker, Nilesh Navalakha and civil engineer Nitin Memane.

The apex court had tagged the PIL with a pending plea on the issue.

(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.)
Silver prices jumped 7.4% to a six-month peak today, after social media posts last week called for retail investors to flood into the market and push up prices of the precious metal.

Myanmar military television announced today morning that the military has taken control of Myanmar for one year.

S&P/ASX 200 (INDEXASX:XJO) fell 1.4% at the open but has recovered its losses by around mid-day and was trading 0.58% higher at 6646 points by about 1.50 pm.

The materials, healthcare, consumer and information technology stocks were outperforming with utilities, telecom and energy stocks still in the red.

The value of bank notes in circulation stood at $98.1 billion in December 2020, up 17.8% on a year ago  the fastest annual growth in almost 19 years.

Perth announced a five-day lockdown on Sunday after a hotel quarantine security guard returned a positive COVID-19 test.

Supermarket chains in WA have introduced buying limits due to panic buying of certain items.

Top gainers

Todays top gainers on the ASX include ( ) (+15.38%), ( ) (+14.04%), ( ) (+14.29%), Engage:BDR Ltd ( ) (+20.00%), ( ) (+13.73%) and ( ) (+9.09%).

Proactive news headlines:

Pan Asia Metals completes the first-ever hole at Reung Kiet Lithium Project

Pan Asia Metals Limited ( ) has completed drilling the first-ever hole at the highly prospective Bang I Tum prospect within Reung Kiet Lithium Project (RKLP) in southern Thailand.

Sipa Resources near-term focus is on supporting planned exploration program for 2021

( ) has renewed focus on receiving the necessary approvals and permits to support drilling for its planned 2021 exploration program.

Matador Mining hits 18 metres at 11 g/t gold in recent exploration drilling results at Cape Ray

( ) hits 18 metres at 11 g/t gold and 19 metres at 4.6 g/t gold following having received exploration drill results at the Cape Ray Gold Project in Newfoundland, Canada.

Miramar Resources outlines regolith gold anomalism over four kilometres within mineralised structure at Gidji JV Project

Miramar Resources Limited ( ) has outlined regolith gold anomalism over four kilometres within a mineralised structure during recently concluded aircore drilling at the companys 80% owned Gidji JV Project in Western Australia.

Kingwest Resources drilling at Goongarrie Project discovery returns strong gold grades

( ) has received the first assays from its inaugural aircore drilling program at the highly prospective Goongarrie Gold Project (GGP) in Western Australia.

Lithium Australia completes an extension to the infill geochemical soil survey on Mount Day JV tenement in Western Australia

( ) has received the interpretations of results from a soil survey conducted on the Mount Day JV tenement with Okapi Resources ( ) at Lake Johnston in Western Australia, confirming the gold-in-soil anomaly over around 2 kilometres in strike.

Musgrave Minerals intersects high-grade gold in first RC holes at White Heat Prospect at Cue Gold Project, WA

( ) (FRA:6MU) has reported strong reverse circulation (RC) assay results from the newly discovered White Heat prospect on its 100%-owned ground at its flagship Cue Gold Project in Western Australias Murchison district.

Havilah Resources confirms further economic copper and gold results from West Kalkaroo drilling

( ) (FRA:FWL) has reported further economic-grade copper and gold drilling results in the last three reverse circulation (RC) drill holes from its 2020 West Kalkaroo drilling campaign.

Jindalee Resources intersects substantial lithium mineralisation in December drilling at McDermitt ahead of potential scoping study

Jinadalee Resources Ltd ( ) has received the first assay results from 10 of 15 drill holes completed in December 2020, which have intersected substantial thickness of the flat-lying sediments hosting lithium mineralisation at the McDermitt Project in Utah, US.

K2fly to buy Decipher for Mining assets for $3.7 million in shares and additional performance shares

( ) is acquiring the business assets associated with Decipher for Mining (Decipher) from CSBP Ltd (CSBP) and Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers Ltd (WesCEF) for 3.7 million in shares, plus performance shares.

discovers high-grade rare earth oxides at Kayelekera Project in Malawi

Ltd ( ) has found high-grade rare earth oxide (REO) material up to 16% total REO and 3.4% critical REO at the Milenje Hills prospect, 2 kilometres from its Kayelekera Uranium Mine in Malawi, after a preliminary low-cost exploration program.

Creso Pharma welcomes OTC sales of CBD products in Australia as it prepares to move into Australian market through Martin & Pleasance agreement

( ) (FRA:1X8) ( ) has welcomed the introduction of over-the-counter sales of low-dose cannabidiol (CBD) products in Australian pharmacies from 1 February 2021.

Great Southern Mining cements position as major gold explorer in Laverton Goldfields with options over three large exploration licenses around Coxs Find Gold Project

( ) has cemented its position as a major gold explorer and developer in the Laverton Goldfields in Western Australia after it secured an exclusive, irrevocable option over three large exploration license applications around its Coxs Find Gold Project in the Laverton region, Western Australia.
BP is selling a third of its stake in an Omani gas development to a subsidiary of Thailand's largest corporation that it said 'marks another significant step' in its divestment strategy.

The group stated that it has agreed a $2.6billion (1.9billion) offer for 20 per cent of the Block 61 site from PTT Exploration and Production and is hoping to complete the transaction later this year.

It still remains the largest stakeholder in the project though, holding a 40 per cent share, with another 30 per cent controlled by Oman's state-run energy firm OQ and the final 10 per cent owned by Malaysia's Petronas.

BP still retains a 40 per cent interest in the Block 61 project. Another 30 per cent is controlled by Oman's state-run energy firm OQ and the final 10 per cent is owned by Malaysia's Petronas

The deal forms part of its plan to divest $25billion worth of assets by 2025, and comes exactly a month after it finalised the sale of its petrochemicals business to Ineos for $5billion (3.6billion).

Block 61 is the largest tight gas field in the Middle East, can provide 35 per cent of Oman's gas demand, and has a combined production capacity of 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas every day, according to BP.

Its interest in the development dates back to 2007 when the FTSE 100 firm signed a production sharing agreement for the site. It eventually began production on the site's Khazzan gas field in 2017 and then the Ghazeer field four months ago.

Chief executive Bernard Looney said: 'We are pleased to welcome PTTEP to the successful Block 61 partnership. Block 61 is a pioneering development that has applied leading techniques and technologies to maximise efficiency and minimise emissions.'

He insisted BP remained 'committed' to working in Oman, adding that 'this agreement allows us to remain at the heart of this world-class development while also making important progress in our global divestment programme.'

Under his leadership, which reaches its one-year anniversary on Friday, he has vowed to make BP a net zero company by 2050, and annually dedicate $5billion of expenditure towards renewable energy projects by 2030.

BP boss Bernard Looney insisted BP remained 'committed' to working in Oman, adding that 'this agreement allows us to remain at the heart of this world-class development'

This will partly come from the offloading of carbon-heavy assets, such as the recent $5.6billion sale of its 49 per cent stake in the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, with some of the proceeds from the sales being spent on green energy projects.

These have included a partnership with Equinor to fund two offshore wind projects off the North Atlantic coast, and its purchase of a majority stake in Finite Carbon, the largest forest carbon offset developer in the United States.

The move into green energy has been further motivated by the group's soaring losses over the last year following the dramatic collapse in oil prices brought about by the coronavirus pandemic and a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia.

BP wants to dedicate $5billion of expenditure towards renewable energy projects by 2030

Falling demand for oil products has also badly hurt the business along with the wider petroleum sector, as consumers have travelled less often, and BP has had to write down a considerable proportion of its assets and cut its dividend.

Other cost-cutting measures have included the sale of its St James's Square headquarters in London to Hong Kong-based Lifestyle International for 250million and a planned 10,000 reduction in staff numbers.

Losses soared to a massive $17.6billion in the second quarter of 2020, though they were only $664million in the next quarter as prices and demand rose again and exploration write-offs went down.

Shares in BP closed trading 1.6 per cent lower at 267.1p.
Medics take a patient from an ambulance into the Royal London hospital in London on Jan. 19, 2021. (Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

Updates on CCP Virus: Massachusetts Case Total Passes 500,000

Massachusetts has passed 500,000 CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases for the pandemic.

The number of newly confirmed virus deaths in Massachusetts rose by 30 on Monday, pushing the states confirmed death toll to 14,317 since the start of the pandemic. The number of newly confirmed cases of infections increased by more than 2,200.

Majority of Residents in Shanghai District Refuse to Take China-Made Vaccine

A survey of residents in Shanghai, including people who are at high risk of contracting COVID-19, reveals that a low percentage of them are willing to take Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines, according to a set of internal documents obtained by The Epoch Times.

Read more

3 Cases of UK Variant Confirmed in Iowa

Iowa health officials say testing has identified three cases in the state of the CCP virus variant first identified in the United Kingdom.

Although virus activity generally has slowed in Iowa from a peak in November, aggressive community spread is still occurring in many counties.

Nearly Half of Portugals Virus Deaths Were in January

Portugal reported close to half of all its COVID-19 deaths in January, highlighting a severe acceleration in cases that has prompted several European nations to offer help.

Hospitals across the nation of a little more than 10 million appear on the verge of collapse, with ambulances sometimes queuing for hours because of a lack of beds while some health units are struggling to find enough refrigerated space to preserve the bodies of the deceased.

Pandemics Deadliest Month in US Ends on More Positive Trajectory

The U.S. death toll has climbed past 440,000, with over 95,000 lives lost in January alone. Deaths are running at about 3,150 per day on average, down from a peak of 3,350 in mid-January.

But as the calendar turned to February on Monday, the number of Americans in the hospital with COVID-19 fell below 100,000 for the first time in two months. New cases of infection are averaging about 148,000 a day, falling from almost a quarter-million in mid-January. The number of infections are trending downward in all 50 states.

Britain Detects South African Variant in People With No Travel Links

Two people in southern England have tested positive for the South African variant of the CCP virus without having any links to people who have traveled recently, prompting surge testing to contain the outbreak.

Residents in parts of Surrey, to the southwest of London, will now be tested whether they are showing any symptoms or not, local authorities said. The government said in January it had detected cases of both the South African and Brazilian variants, however, they were all linked to travel.

WHO Team in Wuhan Visits Disease Control Centers

A World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the CCP virus pandemic visited two disease control centers on Monday that had an early hand in managing the outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

The WHO investigators arrived in Wuhan, the provincial capital, last month to look for clues and have visited hospitals and a seafood market where early cases were detected. China has sought to avoid blame for alleged missteps in its early response to the outbreak, while promoting alternative theories that the virus originated elsewhere and may even have been brought to Wuhan from outside the country.

Cuomo Must Resign If Cover-Up of Nursing Home Deaths Proven: Stefanik

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has called on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, to resign if a criminal cover-up of nursing home deaths is proven through a federal investigation.

In an interview with Fox News Justice with Jeanine Pirro on Saturday, the congresswoman said a federal investigation must be held into Cuomos administration, after a Jan. 28 report (pdf) from the state attorney generals office revealed health officials underreported CCP virus-related nursing home deaths by as much as 50 percent in some places.

UK Must Keep up Restrictions to Lower Infection Rates: Johnson

British infection rates flattening and possibly beginning to fall, but they remain at a high level which means there can be no premature easing of COVID-19 restrictions, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.

Were starting to see some signs of flattening, and maybe even a falling off infection rates and hospitalisations. But dont forget that theyre still at a very high level, Johnson told broadcasters.

Wuhan Residents Reflect on Lockdown Anniversary

Jan. 23 marks the first anniversary of the Wuhan lockdown due to the CCP virus outbreak. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Wuhan residents voiced their concerns and called on more people to reflect upon the unprecedented disaster and prevent it from recurring.

A local surnamed Hao told the Chinese-language Epoch Times that officials regard Jan. 23 as a sensitive date, and they have cautioned many residents against accepting interviews from foreign media outlets. He said they are attempting to cover up their botched handling of the CCP virus when it first broke out in Wuhan.

Questions Remain Over Canadas Vaccination Drive

Canadas national vaccine rollout seems poised to dominate COVID-19 discussions in the coming week as Canada enters the 11th month of life during a global pandemic.

The federal government, which is overseeing the nationwide effort, has been facing strong criticism as it struggles to ensure there are enough immunization doses to go around.

Isabel van Brugen, Frank Yue, The Associated Press, The Canadian Press, and Reuters contributed to this report.
Australia's newly appointed trade minister has revealed his Chinese counterparts have not responded to his communications as the bitter relationship between the two countries continues to deteriorate.

Dan Tehan, who assumed the role after a cabinet reshuffle in December, wrote a letter to Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao in an attempt to sort out their grievances.

But after more than one month Mr Wentao has not bothered to reply.

The authoritarian state has remained furious with Canberra since April, when Scott Morrison's government called for an independent inquiry into the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic and the role some Communist Party officials played in covering up the initial outbreak.

Beijing has since introduced a litany of unofficial bans and arbitrary tariffs targeting over $20billion worth of Australian exports as pay back for speaking out against China's response to the crisis.

Now the relationship has become so toxic, the authoritarian state's top brass is refusing to speak with Australia's political leaders.

Dan Tehan (pictured left), wrote a letter to Chinese commerce minister Wang Wentao (pictured right) in an attempt to set aside their grievances. But after more than one month Mr Wentao has not bothered to reply

Security personnel block journalists from the Huanan seafood market during a visit by the World Health Organization in Wuhan, Hubei province, China on January 31, 2021

Retired soldiers in protective suits prepare to disinfect the Shijiazhuang Railway Station on January 31, 2021 in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province of China

'I have said there are a lot of ways we can constructively work together, so now I wait patiently for that reply,' he told the ABC.

Despite the cold shoulder, Mr Tehan said the two countries are still able to work together in multilateral forms like the World Trade Organisation.

'I was on a hook-up with other trade ministers with my Chinese counterpart on Friday night where we were discussing reform of the WTO,' he said.

'We'll continue to work to make sure that the approach that we take is very principled, but also where necessary, we'll be patient in dealing with all the different countries that we have trading relationships.'

His predecessor Simon Birmingham also struggled to get our largest trading partner on the phone.

Following Beijing's move to impose an 80 per cent tariff on Australian Barley in May, Mr Birminghame told Insiders he made a request to have discussions with his Chinese counterpart.

'That request has not been met with a call being accommodated at this stage,' he said.

Since that time, Beijing has blacklisted five of Australia's largest beef suppliers, urged Chinese students not to study in Australia, blocked about $1billion dollars of coal from entering Chinese ports and slapped unofficial bans on seafood, timbre, cotton and copper.

In November last year, China also hit Australian winemakers with a 212 per cent tariff in a bid to cripple the industry.

Chinese President Xi Jinping drives in a Hong Qi car after inspecting the troops during a parade to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China

Hostilities between Australia and China have soared in recent years after a number of diplomatic spats. Pictured: Penfolds wine is stacked on a shelf in China

An Australian coal flotilla trapped off the coast of China has swelled to 73 ships and is carrying about $1billion in blacklisted cargo. Pictured file image of tankers waiting to unload cargo

Australia's total export markets in 2019 1. China: $135 billion (33% of total Australian exports) 2. Japan: $36 billion (9%) 3. South Korea: $21 billion (5%) 4. United Kingdom: $16 billion (3.8%) 5. United States: $15 billion (3.7%) Source: Worldstopexports.com Advertisement

The bilateral relationship looked rosy just a few years ago when Australia inked a free-trade agreement with China.

But since the 2015 deal was signed a series of diplomatic spats have erupted.

Scott Morrison announced in June last year announced that a malicious 'state-actor' had carried out a sophisticated cyber attack on a range of sensitive targets including banks, transport networks, electricity grids and military bases.

Security experts pointed the finger squarely at Beijing, with former officials claiming the cyber invasion was payback for Australia's decision to ban Huawei from the national 5G network.

The Chinese telecommunications giant is the world's largest 5G infrastructure builder but Canberra hit the brakes on their involvement in Australia's critical infrastructure roll-out in August 2018, citing national security concerns.

Australian officials have also been vocal about Beijing's crackdown on democracy advocates in Hong Kong and the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang Province - which angered the totalitarian regime further.

Australian officials have also been vocal about Beijing's crackdown on democracy advocates in Hong Kong. Pictured: Pro democracy advocates are brutalised by Hong Kong Police on October 6, 2019

Pictured: Hong Kong police are pictured forcing a pro-democracy advocate's head into the road on May 4, 2020

China's '14 grievances' 1. 'Incessant wanton interference in China's Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan affairs' 2. 'Siding with the US' anti-China campaign and spreading misinformation' 3. 'Thinly veiled allegations against China on cyber attacks without any evidence' 4. 'An unfriendly or antagonistic report on China by media' 5. Providing funding to 'anti-China think tank for spreading untrue reports' 6. 'Foreign interference legislation' 7. 'Foreign investment decisions' 8. 'Banning Huawei technologies and ZTE from the 5G network' 9. 'Politicisation and stigmatisation of the normal exchanges and coorperation between China and Australia' 10. Making statements 'on the South China Sea to the United Nations' 11. 'Outrageous condemnation of the governing party of China by MPs and racist attacks against Chinese or Asian people' 12. 'The early drawn search and reckless seizure of Chinese journalists' homes and properties' 13. Calls for an independent inquiry into Covid-19 14. 'Legislation to scrutinise agreements with a foreign government' Advertisement

In November the Chinese embassy in Canberra issued a list of 14 comical grievances including Australia's free press and politicians being critical of Beijing - but Scott Morrison has insisted none of the points is negotiable.

Communist Party diplomats have even taken to Twitter - a social media platform banned under the Communist Party - to launch attacks on Australia.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, posted a doctored image of an Australian soldier slitting the throat of an Afghan child in an attempt to troll Canberra over allegations of war crimes against some SAS operators.

It remains unclear if the relationship worth $250billion a year in two-way trade can ever be repaired.

But one leading academic predicts China will 'quietly' back down from its economic coercion of Australia in the face of increased pressure from the US.

The change of administration in the US shifts the dynamic of the dispute in Australia's favour because Joe Biden is more likely than Donald Trump to pressure China to back down, Dr Wilson told Daily Mail Australia.

Cities in the Hunan, Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces were plunged into darkness in December as a result of the Chinese Communist Party's blockage of Australian coal

Beijing's blockade of Australian coal caused a dozen cities to ration their electricity use. Southern China's Hunan Province was awash with reports on social media platform Weibo of workers in Changsha (pictured) climbing dozens of flights of stairs after lifts were shut down

'I think they'll probably find a way to make it quietly go away, they might start bashing another country or there'll be some misdirection with a huge propaganda effort,' Dr Wilson said.

'Chinese officials are probably going 'oh s***, how can we get out of this one? The Americans are coming back in, the Australians have stood firm, we're going to lose our trousers at the WTO when it gets there, we've massively over-reached here, how do we get out of this without looking weak?'

Dr Wilson said there may still be some twists and turns to come in the Canberra-Beijing relationship, not least because it's almost impossible to predict what the Chinese government will do next.

He noted that Politburo members are communist party members for life who 'have been indoctrinated in nationalism and are working in what is increasingly becoming a totalitarian system'.

'Common sense and rationality aren't necessarily principles on which their decisions are being made,' he warned.

Joe Biden (pictured with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2012) is more likely than Donald Trump to pressure China to back down, Dr Jeffrey Wilson told Daily Mail Australia
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews attended the funeral in Jerusalem of an influential rabbi in defiance of a third lockdown in Israel, prompting condemnation by a leading coalition partner and former rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.



"This is what unequal law enforcement looks like: Millions of families and children are locked up inside their homes and abide by the rules, as thousands of ultra-Orthodox crowd at a funeral," tweeted Defence Minister Benny Gantz, of the centrist Blue and White alliance, posting aerial footage of the funeral.



Most at the funeral for Rabbi Meshulam Dovid Soloveitchik wore no masks, Gantz charged, adding: "Either we close for everyone, or we open for everyone."



Netanyahu and Gantz's unity cabinet was scheduled to meet late on Sunday to discuss extending the third lockdown, due to expire at midnight.



The two former rivals formed the emergency unity government aimed at combating the pandemic in May, after March 2, 2020 elections, but their tense cooperation has exploded amid a dispute over the 2020-21 state budget.



Gantz has warned that he will not support extending the lockdown by another week, unless police enforce violations by members of the ultra-Orthodox community who ignore the regulations.



Gantz has pushed for higher fines and for a green light to close without prior warning educational institutions that open in defiance of the lockdown.



Israel, a country of 9.3 million inhabitants, has seen 4,768 Covid-19 related deaths, but has already administered the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to over 3 million of them. Over 1.7 million have received also the second dose.

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
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 19:36:42|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

-- A set of interim rules for carbon emissions trading management in China came into effect on Monday, marking a key step in the establishment of a unified national emissions trading system (ETS) amid the country's all-out efforts to meet its 2060 carbon-neutral target.



-- At the China Emissions Exchange (Guangzhou), the country's largest local carbon market based in the southern Guangdong Province, carbon emissions of listed enterprises in the power generation, cement, steel, and petrochemical sectors dropped by 12.3 percent from 2013 to 2019.

-- The total installed capacity of renewable energy in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has reached 50 million kW, providing about one-fifth of total electricity consumption in the region, according to data from the regional energy bureau.

by Xinhua writers Liu Xinyu, Yu Jia, Ding Le

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A set of interim rules for carbon emissions trading management in China came into effect on Monday, marking a key step in the establishment of a unified national emissions trading system (ETS) amid the country's all-out efforts to meet its 2060 carbon-neutral target.

A total of 2,225 power firms across the country, assigned with carbon dioxide emission caps, can trade their emission quotas via the system whereby firms that exceed their caps can purchase unused quotas from those with low emissions.

It is the first time China has specified the responsibilities of enterprises to cut greenhouse gas emissions, which will help boost green development and tackle climate change, according to Li Gao, head of the department for addressing climate change under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

Li said that stable carbon trading among power firms will pave the way for the gradual expansion of the national ETS to include more industries, trading varieties and trading modes, thus promoting the system's healthy and sustainable development.

China has announced that it will strive to bring its carbon emissions to a peak before 2030 and become carbon neutral before 2060.

In an effort to build a national ETS, the country has been piloting emissions trading at the regional level since 2011, covering seven provinces and cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong.

The pilot programs have driven major emitters to significantly reduce their emissions over the years.

Undated file photo shows the office of China Emissions Exchange (Guangzhou) in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (China Emissions Exchange (Guangzhou)/Handout via Xinhua)

At the China Emissions Exchange (Guangzhou), the country's largest local carbon market based in the southern Guangdong Province, carbon emissions of listed enterprises in the power generation, cement, steel, and petrochemical sectors dropped by 12.3 percent from 2013 to 2019.

About 250 major carbon emitters in Guangdong are listed on the exchange. They account for nearly 70 percent of energy-related carbon emissions in the province, a manufacturing powerhouse.

Data from the exchange shows that the carbon intensity, or carbon emissions per unit of GDP, of listed enterprises in the secondary industry shrank by 21.6 percent from 2013 to 2019.

Zhang Chen, deputy director of the exchange's carbon market department, said emissions trading has helped Guangdong phase out its backward production capacity and achieve its emission reduction target.

Chai Qimin, who heads the strategic planning department of the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, said the construction of a national emissions trading system can connect the various local markets in the country, enhancing market liquidity and reducing trading costs for enterprises.

NEW ENERGY, LOWER EMISSIONS

In a bid to achieve its ambitious carbon-neutral target, China is striving to slash its carbon emissions by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy.

The country has vowed to increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to around 25 percent by 2030, and bring its total installed capacity of wind and solar power to more than 1.2 billion kilowatts (kW).

In north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, a major coal-producing area, a total of 36 wind power plants with a combined installed capacity of nearly 7 million kW were connected to the power grid in early January in the region's latest effort to curb its carbon emissions.

Aerial photo taken on July 11, 2018 shows a photovoltaic power base in Kubuqi Desert of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)

The total installed capacity of renewable energy in Inner Mongolia has reached 50 million kW, providing about one-fifth of total electricity consumption in the region, according to data from the regional energy bureau.

Electricity generated here will also be transmitted to China's more developed eastern region, contributing to nationwide emission reduction efforts.

Inner Mongolia is the epitome of China's nationwide drive to allow renewable energy to play a greater role in its energy structure. Official data shows that as of December last year, China's total installed capacity of wind power has reached 229 million kW, while solar cells across the country have reached a combined installed capacity of 228 million kW.

In the consumption end, Shanghai has pledged to lower the proportion of coal in its primary energy consumption to around 30 percent by 2025, and add about 200,000 public charging piles for new energy vehicles, according to a government work report released at the annual session of the local people's congress in January.

The megacity aims to bring its carbon emissions to a peak before 2025, five years ahead of the national target.

Aerial photo taken on Aug. 19, 2018 shows a wind power base in the city of Ulanqab, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)

MORE CARBON SINKS

In addition to curbing carbon emissions, China is also afforesting its land and restoring wetlands to create more carbon sinks.

Carbon sinks are reservoirs such as forests, lakes and oceans that absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

China saw its forest coverage rate rise from 21.66 percent in 2015 to 23.04 percent in 2020. Its forest carbon reserve has hit 9.2 billion tonnes, an average annual increase of over 200 million tonnes in the past five years, which is equivalent to a carbon sink of 700 million to 800 million tonnes, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The administration has vowed to increase the country's forest coverage rate to 24.1 percent by 2025 and raise the country's forest stock volume by 1.4 billion cubic meters to reach 19 billion cubic meters in the next five years.

In Inner Mongolia, an important ecological barrier in north China, an average of 600,000 hectares of land have been afforested annually over the past five years, raising the region's forest coverage rate to its current 22.1 percent.

Local forestry authorities in the region's Greater Hinggan Mountains forest area have been piloting a carbon sink trading project since 2014, allowing companies that surpass their emission caps to purchase carbon sinks in the area to offset extra emissions.

Photo taken on Sept. 18, 2020 shows the Hunshandake Sandland covered with forest and grass in Duolun County of Xilingol League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Peng Yuan)

To date, the transaction volume of carbon sink trading in the area totals nearly 2 million yuan (about 311,200 U.S. dollars), according to official data.

"The revenue from carbon sink trading has been used to improve local ecological protection efforts, thus achieving a balance between economic development and environmental protection," said Song Yongli, a local forestry official.

(Video Reporters: Yu Jia, Peng Yuan, Ding Le ; Video editor: Zhang Yucheng)
Conference of Directors of Private Pre-Tertiary Schools-Ghana has advised its members to allocate resources and ensure full implementation of the COVID-19 protocols in the school environment.



The Conference urged private school operators to strictly enforce the proper wearing of nose masks to contain the spread of the virus.



This was in a statement signed by Mr Philip Boateng Mensah, the President of the Conference and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, following President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos update number 23 on measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19.



The President, in his address on Sunday, appealed to school authorities and teachers to enforce the guidelines by the Ghana Education Service (GES) on surveillance to contain the spread.



A message as Mask your Nose and Mouth can be on every person's lip in the school environment to prompt one another on the proper use of the mask. We must ensure that appropriate hand washing with soap and use of sanitizer become part of the daily routine within the school community, it said.



The statement said it was important for the private education sector to respect and religiously follow the protocols to avoid a second shutdown of schools.



It called on the GES to expedite action on the distribution of the Personal Protective Equipment to all schools.



We call on the GES to empower school health coordinators at the district levels with resources to conduct regular monitoring visits to the schools as a backup measure to enforce the protocols, the statement said.



It bemoaned the non-adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols at market centres and other social gatherings and appealed to government to deploy the military to support the police in enforcing the protocols.



The statement said private schools were severely affected by the closure and could not afford another shut-down, hence the determination to support government to reverse the upward trend of infection.

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
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
With students finally settling into a pandemic-altered routine and widespread vaccine access on the horizon, Texas education leaders are turning to their next great challenge: catching up potentially millions of children falling behind in school.

Faced with the possibility of devastating student learning loss, educators across the state are in the early stages of planning for the 2021-22 school year and beyond, starting to devise significant  and likely disruptive  changes to their calendars, curricula and staffing.

Several of Texas largest districts already have restructured their upcoming school year, adding multiple weeks of instruction or moving up their start dates to stem the so-called summer slide.

The adjustments will impact many of the states more than 5 million students, whose academic, behavioral and emotional development have been stunted by the pandemic.

The effort also will test the states dedication to equity, the oft-cited-but-frequently-unfulfilled principle that children with the greatest needs should receive the most resources and support. While conclusive data on the pandemics impact remains elusive, educators widely agree that Black and Latino children, as well as students from lower-income families and those with disabilities, are more likely to fall behind than their peers.

We need to use this opportunity to really step back and think about what students need, and then build a system and schedule and structure that helps them get that, said Bridget Worley, executive director of the education nonprofit Texas Impact Network. If we start back where we left off, were doing them a disservice.

Since the dawn of the pandemic in Texas, state and local leaders have poured immense amounts of energy and money into assisting students impacted by the public health crisis.

Many educators are working around-the-clock to ensure students can learn in-person or online. Public school districts have spent more than $1 billion on computer devices and wireless Internet hotspots, making a huge dent in the digital divide. Many districts have tweaked their curricula and expanded credit recovery opportunities.

The coming years, however, will require an even bigger investment if education leaders want to minimize students learning losses, stem the widening of achievement gaps and address childrens mental health needs.

Education experts say the limitations of virtual instruction and isolation of learning from home have set back online-only students, while families report that the quality of in-person classes pales in comparison to that before the pandemic.

For now, most districts are just beginning to craft long-term plans, including Houston, Fort Bend and Aldine ISDs.

While administrators want to move quickly to deliver much-needed support to struggling students, they face many unanswered questions: When will more children return to campuses? What will their budgets look like next year? How will already-exhausted teachers and staff react if asked to work more? Will parents support major changes to their regular routines?

We have things were discussing every day, and we recognize that things may look different in terms of covering learning loss when the 2021-22 school year begins, Aldine Chief Communications Officer Sheleah Reed said. But we have not nailed that down and made a beautiful plan with a nice bow on it.

Several districts, however, have moved more quickly to unveil significant changes, hopeful that their early planning will jump-start students in 2021-22.

Something really bold

In Dallas ISD, the states second-largest district, school board members voted Thursday to give staff and families at each school the option to add 10 weeks of in-person instruction spread across 2021-22 and 2022-23. District administrators are gathering feedback to determine which campuses want to adopt the revised calendar. Attendance will not be mandatory for students and staff at schools making the change.

The idea, which could cost up to $90 million to implement, marks the most ambitious proposal to date among Texas largest school districts.

Derek Little, Dallas deputy chief of academics, said administrators still are crafting plans for the 10 weeks of support, but they envision smaller classes in a lower-stress environment for children.

We knew we had to do something really bold to help our students recover from their learning loss and pandemic challenges, Little said. The research here is really compelling, that when students have more time in a high-quality learning environment, that extra time makes a difference.

The Dallas plan mirrors an initiative launched this school year in neighboring Garland ISD, home to about 54,100 students. The district added 17 days of optional instruction into its 2020-21 calendar  eight weekdays spread throughout the normal school year, plus nine weekdays tacked on in June  and plans to offer 21 more optional class days in 2021-22.

About 9,000 students attended the first week of optional classes in October, with some students receiving remedial instruction and others seeking to accelerate their learning, Garland Director of Intervention Lea Ann Schkade said. Launching the change required extensive coordination across all parts of the district, including buy-in from volunteer educators willing to work for $30 per hour, Schkade said.

Its worth it because its about helping kids and it gives you extra days to work with your most fragile students, Schkade said. Now is the right time for this. If we hold off another year, our kids are only going to get further and further behind.

Several districts in the El Paso region also have tweaked their calendars for 2021-22, starting the year earlier to minimize the so-called summer slide. Those districts, including El Paso ISD, will begin classes in early August and end in early June, with three additional weeks off built into the calendar.

Dallas experience, however, has illustrated some of the looming challenges for districts planning major changes in the coming years.

District officials expect most students will not attend the extra 10 weeks because their families will opt out or their school community will not adopt the calendar change. Dallas leaders have struggled to get buy-in from some parents, who worry the investment will not pay significant dividends.

I dont think its a good idea to extend time because the time being used now isnt being used wisely, said Jessica Granda, whose sixth- and 11th-grade daughters are behind in several courses in Dallas ISD. Theres not really engagement going on. Theres not a lot of support right now.

The prospect of asking staff members to work extra hours also worries some employees, who report high rates of burnout. Many educators simultaneously are teaching students in person and online amid the pandemic, stretching them thinner than normal.

Time to invest

In the coming weeks, other Texas school districts likely will unveil their plans for the 2021-22 school year as they finalize calendars and begin their budgeting processes.

In a statement this week, Houston ISD officials said they are in the initial stages of planning our summer program and strategic planning for the 2021-22 school year.

Normally, this process typically occurs during the first few months of a calendar year, the administrators said. Like other districts, HISD is prioritizing students who are struggling academically and socially/emotionally, beginning with making district-wide credit recovery available to our 11th and 12th graders in February 2021.

Northside ISD, the states fourth-biggest district and largest in Greater San Antonio, remains in a similar spot.

Were certainly thinking about learning loss and how to mitigate those losses, said Barry Perez, Northsides executive director of communications. We havent announced anything formally just because those plans are not finalized right now, but details are being ironed out.

While hurdles remain for installing large-scale changes, the coming months also present a unique opportunity to make a dent in learning gaps.

Texas top lawmakers are pledging to keep public school funding steady during the nascent legislative session, a welcome relief after initial projections forecast the possibility of big cuts to education.

In addition, districts serving large percentages of children from lower-income families could see big cash infusions from the second federal stimulus package.

Texas schools are expected to receive about $5 billion under the second federal stimulus package passed late last month, with districts in less affluent areas receiving a greater share of the payout. State officials still are debating when and how to distribute the money, but the funds must be spent on COVID-related costs, including addressing learning loss.

Districts are not likely to go on hiring sprees  school leaders must spend all $5 billion by September 2023  but the funding could open more opportunities to offer tutoring or partner with outside support providers.

I think they need to invest, obviously, in teacher training, teacher coaching and classroom management, but they also need to invest in proven organizations that provide some of the targeted interventions that children need, said Jacque Daughtry, executive director of the Houston-based nonprofit Literacy Now. School districts cant do it alone. Its just too much.

Nicole Jordan, the mother of a first-grader attending online-only classes at Houston ISDs Walnut Bend Elementary School, said she remains wary of dramatic changes that would upend her familys normal routine. Still, she remains open to proposals that could help her daughter, Lyric, make up for lost time in a classroom.

Whatever it is theyre concocting, hopefully, they come to us first as parents, Jordan said. If its something good, Im always on board with it. But if I feel like its too much, let us have that preference.

jacob.carpenter@chron.com
Russian Navy Pilot Training Center in Yeisk received new equipment from the Technodinamika holding. This is a system of simulators for training crews of anti-submarine helicopters Ka-27M, Ka-29, as well as carrier-launched strike helicopters Ka-52K.

Russian Navy Pilot Training Center in Yeisk received new equipment from the Technodinamika holding. This is a system of simulators for training crews of anti-submarine helicopters Ka-27M, Ka-29, as well as carrier-launched strike helicopters Ka-52K.

Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

Technodinamika simulator for training crews of anti-submarine helicopters Ka-27M, Ka-29, as well as carrier-launched strike helicopters Ka-52K (Picture source: Rostec)

The simulator perfectly recreates the flight, maneuvering, and dynamics of helicopter control. The system consists of equipment for working out a full range of flight assignments, tactical set-up simulation modules as well as equipment to record and monitor the pilot actions.

French-made Mistral class amphibious assault ships, ordered by the Russian Defense Ministry, were to contain rotary-wing assets, formed into aviation groups. Each of these groups was planned to include eight attack and eight assault/transport helicopters. The Ka-52K "Katran" (mud shark), a navalised derivative of the Ka-52, has been selected as the new ship-borne attack type for the Russian Naval Aviation. Its features include folding rotor blades, folding wings and life-support systems for the crew members, who will fly in immersion suits. The fuselage and systems receive special anti-corrosion treatment and a new fire-control radar will be capable of operating in "Sea Mode" and of supporting anti-ship missiles. Russian Naval Aviation will need at least 40 Ka-52Ks, the first of which was tentatively slated to enter squadron service by early 2015, coinciding with the delivery of the first carrier. The first of four Ka-52Ks ordered for the Russian Navy flew on the 7 March 2015; the Navy also has option on a further 28 helicopters. The Ka-52K has passed all tests and was ready for serial production as of September 2020.

Kamov Ka-52K Katran attack helicopter (Picture source : Facebook page of Rostec)

Following the Russian annexation of Crimea, the sale of the Mistrals was cancelled and they have since been sold to Egypt. Russia won the Egyptian tender for providing deck helicopters Ka-52K for the Egyptian Mistral carriers.

The Kamov Ka-27 (NATO reporting name: 'Helix') is was developed for the Soviet Navy, and is currently in service in various countries including Russia, Ukraine, Vietnam, China, South Korea, and India. Variants include the Ka-29 assault transport, the Ka-28 downgraded export version, and the Ka-32 for civilian use.

Kamov Ka-27M Helix ASW helicopter (Picture source: Facebook page of Rostec)
Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah movement said it downed an Israeli drone Monday after it flew over the UN-demarcated Blue Line border, while Israel acknowledged an unmanned aircraft had crashed.

Hezbollah said it "downed a drone belonging to the Israeli enemy that had entered Lebanese airspace outside Blida" in southern Lebanon.

The Israel Defence Forces said that "during IDF operational activity along the Blue Line, an IDF drone fell in Lebanese territory".

"There is no risk of breach of information," it said.

The announcement came just 10 days after the Israeli army shot down an unmanned aircraft it said had entered its airspace from Lebanon.

In August 2020, Hezbollah also said it downed and seized an Israeli drone that flew into Lebanese airspace. Israel at the time also said the drone had "fallen".

Israel and Lebanon are still technically at war, and a United Nations force, UNIFIL, patrols the border between the two.

Set up in 1978, UNIFIL was beefed up after a month-long devastating war in 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah.

Hezbollah had in September 2019 vowed to down Israeli drones overflying Lebanon following an incident a month earlier when two drones packed with explosives targeted Hezbollah's stronghold in south Beirut.

The group is the only side not to have disarmed following Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war, and it is also a powerful player in Lebanese politics with seats in parliament.

Short link:


Opinion

Titi Tijani hasnt always volunteered.

"Before I came here, I didnt know what the word volunteerism was," says Tijani, who emigrated from Nigeria in 1987. "But once I got here, I saw volunteerism. I saw the impact and how it helps people, and now its something I promote."

Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press Titi Tijani, president of African Communities of Manitoba, works tirelessly to make newcomers to Winnipeg feel welcome through volunteering.

The 56-year-old Southdale resident currently serves as president of African Communities of Manitoba Inc. (ACOMI).

The organization supports African community groups in building and developing the capacity to support their membership, while also preserving and promoting African cultural heritage and understanding in Manitoba.

Tijani has been involved with the organization for more than 20 years.

Tijani also volunteers with the Nigerian Association of Manitoba Inc. and Nigerian Professionals in Manitoba. She previously volunteered on the Manitoba Lung Associations board of directors and with the Central Youth Justice Committee.

"The reason Ive joined different organizations is to learn how things work," she says. "Ive learned to fundraise, how to ask for help how to talk to communities and how to appreciate your volunteers as well."

Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press Titi Tijani, 56, who lives in Southdale, has been involved with the organization for more than 20 years.

Making Winnipegs newcomer population feel welcome and supported is perhaps Tijanis biggest passion.

Born and raised in Lagos, Tijani was a home economics teacher before immigrating to Winnipeg to be with her husband.

The training and experience she acquired in Nigeria wasnt recognized here, so she enrolled at the University of Manitoba and earned a bachelors degree in human ecology.

Since 1998, she has worked at Manitoba Housing. She is the manager of specialized tenant services, supporting vulnerable populations as they access housing.

"I had to redo my degree here, and I remember I said, No one should have to do this," Tijani says.

As a result, much of Tijanis volunteer work is focused on empowering and encouraging newcomers so that they can find work using the training they completed before arriving in Canada.

"I enjoy bringing communities together, seeing the community prosper and seeing people get into the career that they studied for," she says.

Tijani became a spokeswoman for Winnipegs Black community last spring after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

ACOMI released a statement condemning bigotry, racial profiling and systemic racism in solidarity with the Afro-Caribbean Association of Manitoba, Black History Month Winnipeg, Black Space Winnipeg, the Council of Caribbean Organizations of Manitoba and the Congress of Black Women of Manitoba.

Tijani gave interviews to numerous media outlets, including a moving appearance on the Ace Burpee Show on 103.1 Virgin Radio.

Tijani told Burpee and co-host Chrissy Troy about giving her three sons "the talk" when they were growing up  the conversation many Black parents have with their children about the dangers they face owing to unjust treatment from authority figures.

Burpee later named Tijani one of the 100-plus most fascinating Manitobans of 2020 in a feature published in the Free Press.

"Shes had an incredible impact on our province, both professionally and by using her time and voice for those who need a champion," Burpee wrote. "Many lives have improved considerably because of Titi."

Tijani says the recognition motivates her to continue what she is doing.

She also hopes it inspires others to volunteer.

"When you have some time, it doesnt hurt to give back," she says. "Thats how you build a better community."

If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com.
IIT-Bombay GATE 2021: The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-Bombay) will conduct the General Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2021 from Saturday (February 6) across the country. Recently, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay has released the exam day guidelines for General Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2021 on its official website - gate.iitb.ac.in. The institute has released guidelines that have to be followed by candidates to ensure a safe and secure environment for all exam functionaries.

The admit card for the examination has been released and can be downloaded from the official website gate.iitb.ac.in.

With less than a week time left for the GATE 2021 exam, students are looking foward to preparation tips to sail through the exam. Take a look at some of the tips that will help you smoothen your exam preparations.

- Take a quick look at the short notes, tables, flow charts, that you may have prepared.

- Take out the previous years GATE question papers and practice as many as possible.

- If there is a question that pops up in your mind regarding any concept, this is the right time to clear your doubts.

- For questions going wrong, try to find the key reason and work on your weakness, if any.

- Do not stress out while studying and take frequent breaks as well. Make sure you take enough short breaks and get adequate hours of sleep.

The GATE 2021 Examination will take place from Saturday (February 6) to Sunday (February 14).

Live TV
The Communist Party of India



(CPI) on Monday criticised the union budget, claiming it was pro-corporate and big businesses and has nothing for the poor.

The budget opened up agriculture, insurance sector and 'everything' for foreign direct investment (FDI), party General Secretary D Raja said, adding a fitting reply would be given for the "anti-people" budget.

"This budget is the continuation of the aggressive, pro- corporate economic policies the Modi government has been pursuing. It is a pro-corporate, pro-big businesses budget. It is pro-international finance capital, the FDI. So, this budget has nothing for the poor, for the suffering masses," he told reporters here.

The country ranked 116 in the World Banks human capital index and was also home to "largest number of hungry people" in the world while one in six children was malnourished, Raja claimed, quoting from some international survey.

"What is the response (to these) from this budget? I want to ask the Modi government... What is the meaning of 'Atma Nirbhar?" he asked.

The leader, now in the city to attend the party's National Council meeting, said the budget opened up agriculture, insurance sector and everything for FDI. "That's why the budget is pro-corporate and anti-poor."



Raja also said the budget has let down the youth when the country was facing 'unprecedented' levels of 'unemployment'.

"We are charging the Modi government with promoting a communal, pro-corporate, fascist regime which we need to fight. This budget has made it clear. ... even under such a difficult pandemic situation, the government hasnt cared for the poor people and we will give our fitting reply by mobilising against this anti-people budget, 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.)
By Ling Shengli

Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of National Defense Suh Wook spoke by phone with his counterpart Lloyd J. Austin, the new Secretary of Defense of the Biden administration, according to foreign media reports January 24. The two reiterated that the US-ROK alliance is ironclad, and the two defense departments will continue to maintain close cooperation. At present, the ROK government has clearly released a signal to improve the US-ROK relations in the face of the Biden administration. Whether the US-ROK alliance will develop is a matter of concern.

The US-ROK alliance has become an important support for the US in Northeast Asia after nearly 70 years of development. However, during the Trump administration, the US adopted a "transactionalism" attitude towards alliance relations. It treated security support to allies as commodities, which required allies to pay corresponding fees, and both tolerance and support for allies dropped. The Biden administration is different. In its inaugural speech, Biden clearly stated that it should improve relations with allies. The ROK hopes to continue to consolidate the alliance with the US and cooperate closely on the denuclearization and security of the Korean Peninsula. The US has stated that it will communicate more with the ROK on the peninsula nuclear issue.

The above situation shows that the US and the ROK have their own expectations for the alliance during the Biden administration. However, the development will still face multiple difficulties.

The first is how to promote the gradual resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. The ROK government hopes that through its own central coordination, it can promote the warming of US-DPRK relations and thereby stabilize the situation on the peninsula. The ROK government hopes that it can continue to play the role of "coordinator" during the Biden administration. However, the Biden administration is facing the stalemate left over by the Trump administration on the peninsula nuclear issue. Thus, it isn't easy to make a breakthrough.

The second is the negotiation of the defense cost-sharing between the US and the ROK. The sharing of defense costs between the US and the ROK is an old issue among their alliance. Although the two countries have experienced such frictions many times in the past, the amount's changes were not too substantial, and they were eventually resolved. However, the previous asking price by the Trump administration was too high. The excessive increase in the cost of the US military in the ROK made it difficult for the country to accept. The two sides negotiated many times, but they failed to come up with a solution. This even affected the operation of the US military in South Korea. As the Biden administration took power, the problem of defense cost-sharing is expected to be resolved. After all, Biden promised not to "blackmail" South Korea by withdrawing US troops. The recent phone call between the two defense ministers is also intended to promote the continued development of the US-South Korea alliance, and the two sides do not want to delay such development due to the contradiction in defense cost-sharing.

The third is the uncertainties in multilateral cooperation between the US and the ROK. Compared with the Trump administration, the Biden administration is more active in multilateralism. ROK President Moon Jae-in recently expressed his hope to strengthen the US-ROK alliance through cooperation on global issues such as health, security, economy, and climate change. But as far as the Biden administration is concerned, domestic issues are imminent and will indeed occupy the priority agenda. There is still uncertainty about how much energy and how much the US can do in foreign policy, especially in global governance. In terms of multilateral cooperation, the interest relationships between allies are complicated, and it remains to be seen to what extent the cooperation between the US and the ROK can be implemented.

To sum up, as the Biden administration gradually takes its place, the US-ROK alliance will usher in a new phase. However, the focus of the Biden administration's initial governance will mainly be domestic issues, and fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and restoring the economy are the top priorities. For the US-ROK alliance, related tasks are placed in order of difficulty. It is easier for them to resolve internal issues and increase multilateral cooperation. Still, it is more difficult to coordinate on such issues as the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

(The author is Secretary-General of the Center for International Security Studies at China Foreign Affairs University.)
GM plans to be carbon neutral by 2040 in its global products and operations

GM aspires to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035

GM has committed to the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5C

GM plans to become carbon neutral in its global products and operations by 2040 and has committed to setting 'science-based targets' to achieve carbon neutrality

GM has announced that it plans to become carbon neutral in its global products and operations by 2040, including a target to fully eliminate tailpipe emissions from all its new light-duty vehicles by 2035.

In a wide-ranging policy briefing it said it has committed to setting science-based targets to achieve carbon neutrality. The company has also signed the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5C, described as an 'urgent call to action from a global coalition of UN agencies, business and industry leaders'.

"General Motors is joining governments and companies around the globe working to establish a safer, greener and better world," said Mary Barra, GM Chairman and CEO. "We encourage others to follow suit and make a significant impact on our industry and on the economy as a whole."

In addition to GM's carbon goals, the company worked with the US Environmental Defense Fund to develop a shared vision of an all-electric future and an aspiration to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035. GM said its focus will be offering zero-emissions vehicles across a range of price points and working with all stakeholders, including EDF, to build out the necessary charging infrastructure and promote consumer acceptance while maintaining high quality jobs, which will all be needed to meet these ambitious goals.

"With this extraordinary step forward, GM is making it crystal clear that taking action to eliminate pollution from all new light-duty vehicles by 2035 is an essential element of any automaker's business plan," said Environmental Defense Fund President Fred Krupp. "EDF and GM have had some important differences in the past, but this is a new day in America  one where serious collaboration to achieve transportation electrification, science-based climate progress and equitably shared economic opportunity can move our nation forward."

'Science-based approach'

General Motors says it is committed to reaching carbon neutrality in its global products and operations by 2040, supported by a commitment to science-based targets. To reach its goals, GM plans to decarbonize its portfolio by transitioning to battery electric vehicles or other zero-emissions vehicle technology, sourcing renewable energy and leveraging minimal offsets or credits.

Electrification

The use of GM's products accounts for 75 percent of carbon emissions related to this commitment. GM will offer 30 all-electric models globally by mid-decade and 40 percent of the company's US models offered will be battery electric vehicles by the end of 2025. GM says it is investing $27 billion in electric and autonomous vehicles in the next five years  up from the $20 billion planned before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This investment includes the continued development of GM's Ultium battery technology, updating facilities such as Factory ZERO in Michigan and Spring Hill Manufacturing in Tennessee to build electric vehicles from globally sourced parts and investing in new sites like Ultium Cells LLC in Ohio as well as manufacturing and STEM jobs.

More than half of GM's capital spending and product development team will be devoted to electric and electric-autonomous vehicle programs. And in the coming years, GM plans to offer an EV for every customer, from crossovers and SUVs to trucks and sedans.

The company will also continue to increase fuel efficiency of its traditional internal combustion vehicles in accordance with regional fuel economy and greenhouse gas regulations. Some of these initiatives include fuel economy improvement technologies, such as Stop/Start, aerodynamic efficiency enhancements, downsized boosted engines, more efficient transmissions and other vehicle improvements, including mass reduction and lower rolling resistance tires.

Renewable energy

To address emissions from its own operations, GM will source 100 percent renewable energy to power its US sites by 2030 and global sites by 2035, which represents a five-year acceleration of the company's previously announced global goal. Today, GM is the 10th largest offtaker of renewable energy in the world and in 2020, the company received a 2020 Green Power Leadership Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Carbon offsets and credits

To account for the expected remaining carbon emissions, GM expects to invest in carbon credits or offsets. The company will assess credit and offset solutions in the coming years as the most efficient, equitable and inclusive ideas mature. The company recognizes that offsets must be used sparingly and should reflect a holistic view of mitigating the effects of climate change and helping people thrive around the world.

Supply chain and infrastructure

GM says its carbon neutral commitment applies to its global product portfolio and owned operations. The company is implementing plans today to reduce the impact associated with its supply chain while supporting grids and utilities to power electric vehicles with renewable energy. GM has worked with some of its largest suppliers to create a sustainability council to share best practices, learn from each other and create new standards for the industry. In addition to the council's work, GM is collaborating with suppliers to set ambitious targets for the supply chain to reduce emissions, increase transparency and source more sustainable materials.

While electric vehicles themselves do not emit tailpipe emissions, GM notes that it is critical that they be charged with electricity generated from renewable sources like wind and solar. GM says it has worked with utilities and developers to support investments in renewable energy found in and around communities that have GM facilities via power purchase agreements and green tariffs. The company is also working with EVgo to triple the size of the nation's largest public fast charging network by adding more than 2,700 new fast chargers by the end of 2025, a move set to help accelerate widespread electric vehicle adoption. The new fast chargers will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy. GM believes that the energy sector is well on its way to a decarbonized grid and that an all-electric future will be supported by renewable infrastructure and technology.
New Delhi: In order to rationalise custom duty structure, ease compliance and give impetus to domestic manufacturing, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday (February 1) several indirect tax proposals, tabling the Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament. The key Union Budget 2021-22 for the overhaul of the Custom duty structure are given here along with other proposals.

1. FURTHER SIMPLIFICATION OF GST

FM Sitharaman, in her budget speech, said that record GST collections have been made in the last few months. She said several measures have been taken to further simplify the GST. The capacity of the GSTN system has been announced. Deep analytics and Artificial Intelligence have been deployed to identify tax evaders and fake billers, launching special drives against them. The Finance Minister assured the House that every possible measure shall be taken to smoothen the GST further and remove anomalies such as the inverted duty structure.

2. CUSTOM DUTY RATIONALISATION

On the issue of custom duty policy, the Finance Minister said that it has the twin objectives of promoting domestic manufacturing and helping India get on to the global value chain and export better. She said that the trust now has to be on easy access to raw materials and exports of value-added products.

In this regard, she proposed to review 400 old exemptions in the customs duty structure this year. She announced that extensive consultation will be conducted and from 1st October, 2021, a revised custom duty structure free of distortions will be put in place. She also proposed that any new custom duty exemptions henceforth will have validity upto to the 31st March following 2 years of the date of its issue.

3. ELECTRONIC AND MOBILE PHONE INDUSTRY

The Finance Minister announced the withdrawal of a few exemptions on parts of chargers and sub-parts of mobiles. Further, some parts of mobiles will move from NIL rate to a moderate 2.5 per cent. She announced reducing custom duty uniformly to 7.5 per cent on semis, flat, and long products of non-alloy, alloy and stainless steel.

She proposed exempting duty on steel scrap for a period upto 31st March 2022, revoking ADD and CVD on certain steel products. She further announced deduction in duty on copper scrap from 5 per cent to 2.5 per cent.

4. TEXTILE / CHEMICALS / GOLD AND SILVER

Mentioning the need to rationalize duty on raw material inputs to man-made textile, the Finance Minister announced bringing nylon chain on par with polyester and other man-made fibers. Announcing uniform deduction of the BCD rates on caprolactam, nylon chips and nylon fiber and yarn to 5 per cent, the Minister said this will help the textile industry, MSMEs and exports too.

She also announced the calibration of customs duty rates on Chemicals to encourage domestic value addition and to remove inversions. The FM also announced rationalization of custom duty on gold and silver.

5. RENEWABLE ENERGY

The Finance Minister said that a phased manufacturing plan for solar cells and solar panels will be notified to build up domestic capacity. She announced raising duty on solar inverters from 5 per cent to 20 percent and on solar lanterns from 5 per cent to 15 per cent.

6. CAPITAL EQUIPMENT

The Finance Minister said that there is immense potential in manufacturing heavy capital equipment domestically, adding that the rate structure will be comprehensively reviewed in due course. She proposed to withdraw exemptions on tunnel boring machine. It will attract a customs duty of 7.5%; and its parts a duty of 2.5% while raising customs duty on certain auto parts to 15% to bring them on par with general rate on auto parts.

7. MSME PRODUCTS

The Budget proposes certain changes to benefit MSMEs which include increasing duty on steel screws, plastic builder wares and prawn feed to 15%. It also provides for rationalizing exemption on import of duty free items as an incentive to exporters of garments, leather and handicraft items. It also provides for withdrawing exemption on imports of certain kind of leathers and raising custom duty on finished synthetic gem stones.

8. AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS

To benefit farmers, the Finance Minister announced raising custom duty on cotton to 10% and on raw silk and silk yarn to 15%. She also announced withdrawing end-used based concessions on denatured ethyl alcohol.

9. AGRI INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT CESS

The Minister proposed an Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) on a small number of items. She said, While applying the cess, we have taken care not to put additional burden on consumers on most items. On the customs side the items covered under AIDC are gold, silver, alcohol beverages, crude palm oil, crude soyabean and sunflower oil, apples, coal, lignite and peat specified fertilizers, peas, kabuli chana, bengal gram, lentil and cotton over all there would be no additional burden on the consumer on most of these items.

Live TV

On the excise side, AIDC of Rs 2.5 per litre has been imposed on petrol and Rs. 4 per litre on diesel. However, Basic Excise Duty (BED) and Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) rates on petrol and diesel have been reduced in the budget so that overall consumer does not bear any additional burden. Unbranded petrol and diesel will attract BED of Rs 1.4 and Rs 1.8 per litre respectively while SAED on them will be Rs 11 and Rs 8 per litre respectively.

Regarding rationalization of procedures and easing of compliance, the Finance Minister proposed certain changes in the provisions relating to ADD and CVD levies. She also said that to complete customs investigation, definite timelines are being prescribed. She said that the Turant Custom Initiative rolled out in 2020 has helped in putting a check on misuse of FTAs.
Cellino Closes $16M Seed Financing Led by The Engine and Khosla Ventures

Cellino, a personalized regenerative medicine company developing an AI-guided laser editing platform for autologous cell-based therapies, today announced the closing of a $16M Seed financing round. The round was co-led by The Engine and Khosla Ventures, with participation from Humboldt Fund and 8VC.

The new funding will be used to automate and scale Cellino's transformative AI-based personalized tissue and cell platform. Cellino is developing an automated process to generate autologous induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) at scale. The proprietary platform converges breakthrough technologies across optics, biology, and machine learning to engineer high functionality cells with unrivaled consistency and yield.

"This seed financing round enables us to build towards a democratized future for autologous cells and tissues," said Nabiha Saklayen, Ph.D., CEO & Co-Founder, Cellino. "I'm thrilled to be leading a team thatbrings together diverse backgrounds spanning laser physics, stem cell biology, and machine learning, to achieve our shared mission to increase patient access to custom regenerative therapies."







"Companies that disrupt entire industries and processes don't normally originate from a single discipline," said Alex Morgan, M.D., Ph.D., Partner at Khosla Ventures. "By using single-cell laser processing and AI-guided automation to engineer cells at scale, Cellino is well-positioned to lead the next-generation of personalized regenerative medicines."

"Stem cell-derived therapies promise regenerative and curative therapies for many diseases," said Ann DeWitt, Ph.D., General Partner at The Engine, the VC firm spun out of MIT (News - Alert) . "Cellino's transformative approach will dramatically improve quality and scale. The company's leadership team has the experience and vision to make it a reality."

Cellino's platform automates stem cell production using image-guided machine learning, single-cell laser processing, and robotics. By standardizing manufacturing in a closed format, Cellino creates an opportunity to seamlessly scale from pre-clinical process development to commercial-scale manufacturing for autologous iPSC-based therapies.

About Cellino

Cellino is an autologous regenerative medicine company developing an AI-guided single-cell laser editing platform for cell-based therapies. The company has developed a scalable platform that automates and standardizes autologous stem cell production, accelerating the development of life-saving medicines for patients. Cellino is based in Cambridge, MA. For additional information, please visit www.cellinobio.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005301/en/
A finger points to a small trilobite fossil from the Ordovician strata in Svalbard, Norway. Credit: Adam Jost

The temperature of a planet is linked with the diversity of life that it can support. MIT geologists have now reconstructed a timeline of the Earth's temperature during the early Paleozoic era, between 510 and 440 million years agoa pivotal period when animals became abundant in a previously microbe-dominated world.

In a study appearing today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers chart dips and peaks in the global temperature during the early Paleozoic. They report that these temperature variations coincide with the planet's changing diversity of life: Warmer climates favored microbial life, whereas cooler temperatures allowed more diverse animals to flourish.

The new record, more detailed than previous timelines of this period, is based on the team's analysis of carbonate mudsa common type of limestone that forms from carbonate-rich sediments deposited on the seafloor and compacted over hundreds of millions of years.

"Now that we have shown you can use these carbonate muds as climate records, that opens the door to looking back at this whole other part of Earth's history where there are no fossils, when people don't really know much about what the climate was," says lead author Sam Goldberg, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS).

Goldberg's co-authors are Kristin Bergmann, the D. Reid Weedon, Jr. Career Development Professor in EAPS, along with Theodore Present of Caltech and Seth Finnegan of the University of California at Berkeley.

Beyond fossils

To estimate Earth's temperature many millions of years ago, scientists analyze fossils, in particular, remains of ancient shelled organisms that precipitated from seawater and either grew on or sank to the seafloor. When precipitation occurs, the temperature of the surrounding water can change the composition of the shells, altering the relative abundances of two isotopes of oxygen: oxygen-16, and oxygen-18.

"As an example, if carbonate precipitates at 4 degrees Celsius, more oxygen-18 ends up in the mineral, from the same starting composition of water, [compared to] carbonate precipitating at 30 degrees Celsius," Bergmann explains. "So, the ratio of oxygen-18 to -16 increases as temperature cools."

In this way, scientists have used ancient carbonate shells to backtrack the temperature of the surrounding seawateran indicator of the Earth's overall climateat the time the shells first precipitated. But this approach has taken scientists only so far, up until the earliest fossils.

"There is about 4 billion years of Earth history where there were no shells, and so shells only give us the last chapter," Goldberg says.

In this photo, taken in western Newfoundland, Canada, you can see microbial buildup from the early Ordovician strata. Credit: Kristin Bergmann

A clumped isotope signal

The same precipitating reaction in shells also occurs in carbonate mud. But geologists assumed the isotope balance in carbonate muds would be more vulnerable to chemical changes.

"People have often overlooked mud. They thought that if you try to use it as a temperature indicator, you might be looking at not the original ocean temperature in which it formed, but the temperature of a process that occurred later on, when the mud was buried a mile below the surface," Goldberg says.

To see whether carbonate muds might preserve signatures of their original surrounding temperature, the team used "clumped isotope geochemistry," a technique used in Bergmann's lab, which analyzes sediments for clumping, or pairing, of two heavy isotopes: oxygen-18 and carbon-13. The likelihood of these isotopes pairing up in carbonate muds depends on temperature but is unaffected by the ocean chemistry in which the muds form.

Combining this analysis with traditional oxygen isotope measurements provides additional constraints on the conditions experienced by a sample between its original formation and the present. The team reasoned that this analysis could be a good indication of whether carbonate muds remained unchanged in composition since their formation. By extension, this could mean the oxygen-18 to -16 ratio in some muds accurately represents the original temperature at which the rocks formed, enabling their use as a climate record.

Ups and downs

The researchers tested their idea on samples of carbonate muds that they extracted from two sites, one in Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, and the other in western Newfoundland. Both sites are known for their exposed rocks that date back to the early Paleozoic era.

In 2016 and 2017, teams traveled first to Svalbard, then Newfoundland, to collect samples of carbonate muds from layers of deposited sediment spanning a period of 70 million years, from the mid-Cambrian, when animals began to flourish on Earth, through the Ordovician periods of the Paleozoic era.

When they analyzed the samples for clumped isotopes, they found that many of the rocks had experienced little chemical change since their formation. They used this result to compile the rocks' oxygen isotope ratios from 10 different early Paleozoic sites to calculate the temperatures at which the rocks formed. The temperatures calculated from most of these sites were similar to previously published lower-resolution fossil temperature records. In the end, they mapped a timeline of temperature during the early Paleozoic and compared this with the fossil record from that period, to show that temperature had a big effect on the diversity of life on the planet.

"We found that when it was warmer at the end of the Cambrian and early Ordovician, there was also a peak in microbial abundance," Goldberg says. "From there it cooled off going into the middle to late Ordovician, when we see abundant animal fossils, before a substantial ice age ends the Ordovician. Previously people could only observe general trends using fossils. Because we used a material that's very abundant, we could create a higher-resolution record and could see more clearly defined ups and downs."

The team is now looking to analyze older muds, dating back before the appearance of animals, to gauge the Earth's temperature changes prior to 540 million years ago.

"To go back beyond 540 million years ago, we have to grapple with carbonate muds, because they are really one of the few records we have to constrain climate in the distant past," Bergmann says.

Explore further Exact climate data from the past
The BJP on Monday hailed the Union Budget as one for an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', and asserted that this all-inclusive budget will strengthen the economy and double farmers' income.

Ruling party leaders lauded the budget for its focus on a number of measures, including capital expenditure, tax exemption for senior citizens and incentives for start-ups among others.

The Union budget is all-inclusive and touches every section of society, BJP president JP Nadda said while expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Senior BJP leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said this budget is for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and will strengthen the economy.

Underlining that drafting the budget during the coronavirus pandemic was a complicated task, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the government has given an "all-inclusive" budget under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will pave the way for an Aatamnirbhar Bharat, making India a USD 5 trillion economy and doubling farmers' income, Shah said.

The budget will do justice with farmers, generate more employment opportunities and will be beneficial for all, said BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.

BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav said the budget will provide a major boost to India's infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare.

Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain praised the budget's emphasis on affordable housing for all, and said it was sensitive to the needs of diverse sections of society.

Party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has presented a well laid-out plan to get the economy back on track.

"A forward-looking budget. It will make good on the government's USD 5 trillion economy promise. Multiple pluses: increased govt spending in major sectors like infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare; safety net expanded for the vulnerable; & opportunities for greater private investments," he tweeted.

(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.)


By Baek Byung-yeul



With Samsung Electronics declaring it will actively seek opportunities for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as part of a strategy to improve its competitiveness, eyes are on which companies the tech giant will add to its shopping list.



Industry sources said Monday that the firm may try to acquire companies in the automotive semiconductor business such as NXP of the Netherlands, Texas Instruments of the United States, Renesas Electronics of Japan or Germany's Infineon.



Acquiring one of these firms could be a suitable move given the automotive chip business has high growth potential while Samsung, the world's largest memory chip maker, is way behind them in this sector.



Samsung was mentioned as a potential buyer of NXP a few years ago, but Qualcomm reached an agreement to acquire the Dutch company for $44 billion. However, the acquisition did not go through following objections from the Chinese government.



Currently, numerous players are fiercely competing in the automotive chip business, with NXP leading with around a 21 percent market share, followed by Infineon (19 percent), Renesas (15 percent) and Texas Instruments (14 percent). According to data from IHS Markit, the automotive chip market was expected to be valued at $38 billion in 2020, but will grow to $69 billion in 2026.



Pak Yu-ak, an analyst at Kiwoom Securities, said there is no clear leader in the automotive chip business and so there is room for Samsung to improve its share. The company has sought to boost its presence by offering its Exynos Auto chips to prominent carmakers such as Audi.



Though Samsung didn't reveal any details about its M&A targets, the company is seeking to create huge synergy when acquiring an automotive chip firm. The company currently sells its Exynos Auto chips to Audi and its 5G telematics control unit chips will be featured in BMW's new electric vehicle. Its automotive image sensor business will also be greatly improved as well.



In terms of capital flexibility, Samsung has ample funding to acquire any of the mentioned companies. The tech giant's cash-equivalent assets as of the third quarter of 2020 stood at a whopping 116.2 trillion won ($104.1 billion).



The automotive chip business has been increasingly highlighted these days as carmakers are undergoing unprecedented difficulties in securing stable chip supply chains. The car semiconductor shortage issue has emerged due to excessive demand for chips for IT devices which came with the COVID-19 outbreak.



Due to the chip scarcity, global carmakers have announced postponements in car production. Also, TSMC, the world's largest contract-based chip manufacturer, is reportedly considering charging carmakers up to 15 percent more for its chips.



According to market researcher TrendForce, the shortage will be prolonged because chip manufacturers have to transform production lines to make more automotive semiconductors.



"As automotive integrated circuits generally operate in wide-temperature and high-voltage circumstances, have relatively long product lifecycles and place a heavy demand on reliability as well as longevity support, it is more difficult for the industry to alternatively transition production lines and supply chains elsewhere," Park said.



"Nevertheless, given the current shortage of production capacity across the foundry industry, wafer capacities allocated to automotive semiconductor components have been noticeably crowded out by other products."



However, it remains to be seen whether Samsung can smoothly earn regulatory approval from fair trade bodies in chip powerhouse countries as semiconductors have been increasingly regarded as a strategic product.



There is the chance that Samsung will strengthen investments in what it is doing now. During a Jan. 28 conference call with investors, Chief Financial Officer Choi Yoon-ho said that while "a lot of preparations for M&As have been in progress," there will also be massive facility investments.


Covid: Turkey, over 2 million vaccinated In less than 20 days; 13 million doses received from China

(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, FEB 1 - Over two million people in Turkey have received the first dose of the Chinese vaccine against Covid, according to data released on Monday by the health ministry, less than 20 days since the start of the national immunization campaign.



The doses have been reserved so far for healthcare professionals, residents of assisted facilities and the over 75.



Among the first to be inoculated were several political leaders, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.



Turkey uses the vaccine produced by pharmaceutical company SinoVac, of which it has so far received 13 million doses out of a total of 50 million reserved. The vaccine requires two doses given 28 days apart.



Since the start of the pandemic, Turkey has registered nearly 2.5 million cases and 26,000 victims. (ANSAmed).





The Victorian Labor Party has charged former cabinet minister Marlene Kairouz with a string of branch-stacking offences, and revoked the memberships of 1800 people in the biggest purge of fake members in the ALPs history.

Ms Kairouz defended herself in a statement she posted to Twitter on Monday, saying the charges did not directly link her to branch stacking and claiming it was something she had never engaged in.

Marlene Kairouz with Daniel Andrews in April last year Credit:Eddie Jim

The Kororoit MP will be referred to the partys internal disputes tribunal and, if found guilty, will be kicked out of the ALP.

Interim administrators Steve Bracks and Jenny Macklin, whose six-month term ended on Sunday, did not identify who they had charged, or the specific charges, but said they had referred two of what we believe to be most serious cases to the partys internal disputes tribunal for alleged breach of branch-stacking rules.
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, DC - JANUARY 29: U.S. President Joe Biden kisses his wife first lady Dr. Jill Biden as he walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on January 29, 2021 in Washington, DC. President Biden is traveling to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to visit with wounded service members. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***

Donald Trump has named two lawyers to his impeachment defence team, one day after it was revealed that the former president had parted ways with several other attorneys.

The two lawyers representing him will be David Schoen, a criminal defence lawyer with offices in Alabama and New York, and Bruce Castor, a former county prosecutor in Pennsylvania. Both issued statements through a Trump adviser saying that they were honored to take the job.

The strength of our constitution is about to be tested like never before in our history. It is strong and resilient. A document written for the ages, and it will triumph over partisanship yet again, and always, said Mr Castor.

Mr Trump's team revealed at the weekend that several South Carolina lawyers who were set to represent him at the trial starting next week were no longer participating.

Mr Trump, the first president in American history to be impeached twice, is set to stand trial in the Senate on a charge that he incited his supporters to storm Congress on January 6 as lawmakers met to certify Joe Bidens electoral victory. Republicans and Trump aides have made clear that they intend to make a simple argument in the trial: Mr Trumps trial is unconstitutional because he is no longer in office. Legal scholars say there is no bar to an impeachment trial despite Mr Trump having left the White House.

Read More

The Democrats efforts to impeach a president who has already left office is totally unconstitutional and so bad for our country," Trump adviser Jason Miller has said.

Mr Castor is as well-known in Pennsylvania for a case that he did not bring as he is for any of the prosecutions that he brought. He declined to charge actor Bill Cosby after a woman went to police in suburban Philadelphia in 2005 to say that Cosby had drugged and molested her a year earlier.

A new prosecutor arrested Cosby in 2015 after documents from her 2005 civil suit against Cosby were unsealed, revealing Cosbys damaging testimony about sexual encounters with the woman, Andrea Constand, and others.

Beofer the weekend, two South Carolina attorneys  Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier  had been expected to join the team. But according to reports their decision to quit was mutually agreed. It is understood there was a dispute over strategy.

The New York Times said that Mr Trump wanted his legal team to promote his argument that the election was stolen, a claim dismissed by senior Republicans including Mitch McConnell, the partys leader in the Senate.

Jason Miller, Mr Trumps spokesman, sought to play down the significance of the departures. He said: We have done much work, but have not made a final decision on our legal team, which will be made shortly.

Mr Bowers, seen as a mainstream Republican rather than an unquestioning supporter of Mr Trump, had agreed to represent the former president following the intervention of Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina senator.

His appointment was seen as shrewd, given the need to persuade Republican senators not to vote with the Democrats.



Read More

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]

A South Jersey man was killed in a one-vehicle crash on Interstate 295 Sunday morning.

Joseph Patterson Jr., 25, of Williamstown was driving a 2015 Honda southbound in West Deptford Township around 10:45 a.m. when the vehicle veered off the roadway near milepost 19.8, according to a New Jersey State Police spokesman.

The Honda struck the center median guardrail and overturned.

Patterson died as a result of his injuries, police said.

The accident remains under investigation.

Conditions were dry and clear at the time of the crash, police noted.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
Renewed protests in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny drew several tens of thousands of people on Sunday. Demonstrations took place in at least 80 Russian cities. In an indication of extreme nervousness and concern about the protests, the Kremlin again cracked down violently: over 4,000 people were arrested, and entire Moscow subway stations were shut down for the duration of the protests.

Navalny is set to appear before a court on Tuesday on charges of breaching the terms of probation for an indictment of fraud in 2014. He may be sentenced to up to three and a half years in prison.

Sundays protests were reportedly smaller than the previous weeks. As before, all slogans were confined to demanding the release of Navalny, and calling for Putin to be removed. The protests have drawn support from various political forces, including monarchist tendencies, far-right nationalist formations and pseudo-left tendencies such as the Pabloite Russian Socialist Movement.

Alexei Navalny [Wikimedia Commons]

The Stalinist Communist Party of Russia (KPRF), which has long been a key prop of the Putin regime, is widely reported to be on the verge of a split because of Navalny. The online outlet Gazeta.Ru has noted that chaos was reigning within the party. Its official head, Gennady Zyuganov, continues to support Putin and denounces Navalny as a foreign agent, while a growing wing around Valery Rashkin is openly rallying behind Navalny. The Stalinist United Communist Party of Russia (OKP) of Daria Mitina, whom the World Socialist Web Site has exposed as an agent of the Kremlin several years ago, has also officially endorsed the protests.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on Facebook, accusing the US of fostering these protests as part of a strategy that had been laid out by a 2019 report by the RAND Corporation, a think tank that has historically exerted significant influence on the foreign policy of Washington. The report proposed a combination of a series of foreign, military, economic and domestic political provocations as part of a campaign designed to unbalance the adversary, leading Russia to compete in domains or regions where the United States has a competitive advantage, and causing Russia to overextend itself militarily or economically or causing the regime to lose domestic and/or international prestige and influence.

There is no question that both US and German imperialism have been bolstering these protests and Navalny, in particular, in an effort to destabilize the Putin regime. Navalny is an extremely right-wing figure with well-documented ties to Washington and Russias far-rightties which he never renounced nor tried to hide. The entire story of the poisoning of Navalny by the Kremlin, which has been broadly propagated by the bourgeois press in the West, has been shot through with glaring contradictions.

The video that allegedly exposes a palace on the Black Sea owned by Putin was shot while Navalny was in Germany and has now been watched by over 100 million people. With the video, Navalny and his imperialist backers no doubt tried to tap into the enormous anger about staggering levels of social inequality. The Kremlin has tried to contain the fall-out from the video by arguing that Arkadi Rotenberg, a widely hated oligarch and judo partner of Putin, owned the palace.

The political crisis in Russia, the growing divisions within the oligarchy and the state, can only be understood within its broader historical and international context. As across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply destabilized Russian society. The Putin regime, which has pursued a policy of herd immunity like its counterparts internationally, bears full responsibility for tens of thousands of deaths and the social devastation of tens of millions. Overall, half a million people lost their lives last year in Russia, the most significant population loss in 15 years.

This social and human devastation has come on top of and has been exacerbated by decades of austerity, the destruction of the health care system and other social services, and the general immiseration of the population in the aftermath of the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Health care workers in Russia have died in much larger numbers than in most other countries because of the lack of personal protective equipment and generally poor working conditions.

According to official numbers, 4.4 million people were unemployed last year, a growth of almost 25 percent (or 1 million people) relative to 2019. Over half of these receive no unemployment benefits whatsoever, leaving these millions and their families to their own fate. A pathetic program by the Labor Ministry that was just announced promises to reinstate just 400,000 of these into some form of employment. At least 19.6 million people out of a population of 140 million now officially count as poor.

This number no doubt represents a gross underestimation of the levels of social despair that prevail in the overwhelming majority of the working class. Over a third of workers reported income losses, and 15 percent had income losses of at least 20 percent. Given the poverty wages most workers earned before the pandemic, such income losses have been devastating for millions. A significant number of pensioners and workers are unable to afford to buy food in stores, and are instead forced to provide for their nutrition by collecting mushrooms in the forest and growing vegetables on their own.

At the same time, the richest 1 percent in Russia were able to increase the wealth concentrated in their hands during the pandemic to 50 percent, well above the international average of 44 percent. Even before the pandemic, Russia had become the most unequal large economy in the world: in 2017, the centenary year of the October Revolution, the richest 10 percent of Russians owned 89 percent of the countrys wealth. The ten richest oligarchs in 2020 owned a combined wealth of $151.6 billion. There is enormous social and political anger within broad layers of the working population, not just about the Putin regime, but the existing social system as a whole.

Under these conditions, it is no coincidence that the term capitalism has been entirely banned from every article and statement on the Navalny protests. The issue of Putins personal wealth is portrayed by the bourgeois media and Navalnys political supporters as the fault of an individual and his corruption, not as the outcome of the restoration of capitalism. Meanwhile, the fact that one of the biggest looting operations in history took place last March with the massive bailout of the major corporationsa bailout for which workers have paid with their lives in the back-to-work-campaign, while individuals like Elon Musk could accumulate over $185 billionis never mentioned. The same objective dynamicthe need to extract surplus value from the working class to ensure the profits of the ruling classalso underlay the back-to-work campaign in Russia and the premature reopening of factories.

What all the political forces which dominate in Russia now have in common, whether they rally around Putin or Navalny, is their unwavering support for capitalism and extreme nationalism. What they fear the most is an intervention of the working class into social and political life on an independent and internationalist basis. Such an intervention, however, is on the agenda and has, in fact, begun to emerge in the US and internationally. The critical question now is to prepare it politically through the assimilation of the record of the Trotskyist movement which opposed the Stalinist betrayal of the October Revolution of 1917, and the fight for a section of the International Committee of the Fourth International in Russia.

For more information on the Trotskyist assessment of Stalinism and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, see the WSWS topic page on the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam wrapped up on February 1 after eight working days, with its resolution adopted at the closing session.

Mr. Le Minh Hung, Secretary of the 13th Party Central Committee, Chief of the Party Central Committees Office, and head of the note-takers board, read the congresss draft resolution.

At the closing session, Le Minh Hung, Secretary of the 13th Party Central Committee, Chief of the Party Central Committees Office, and head of the note-takers board, read the congresss draft resolution.

The congress then adopted the resolution.

The resolution stated that the congress agreed on the basic assessments of the implementation outcomes of the 12th National Party Congresss resolution, the 1991 Platform on National Construction during the Transitional Period towards Socialism that was supplemented and developed in 2011, the 2011 - 2020 socio-economic development strategy, the 1991 Platform, and the 35 years of Doi moi (Renewal) policy, along with national development orientations and tasks for the time ahead as noted in the documents submitted by the 12th-tenure Party Central Committee to the 13th congress.

In the resolution, the Congress agreed not to amend or supplement the current Party's Charter.

The resolution also said the achievements during the 35 years of Doi moi and 30 years of implementing the 1991 Platform, especially the 10 years of the Platform supplemented and developed in 2011, have continued to affirm that the path to socialism in Vietnam matches the reality in the country and the development trend of the era, and that the Partys clear-sighted leadership is the leading factor determining the success of Vietnams revolution.

Amid fast and complicated developments in the global situation, the Partys Platform remains the flag of ideology, the flag of combat, the flag gathering the great national solidarity for the goal of rich people, strong nation and an equitable, democratic, and civilised nation.

The resolution underlined the overall goals and concrete targets for 2025, 2030, and 2045; and identified major socio-economic development targets for 2021- 2025, orientations for national development for 2021 - 2030, and the six key tasks for the 13th tenure. It also highlighted three strategic breakthroughs.

Delegates voted to approve the resolution of the 13th National Party Congress.

In particular, the congress asserted that the Party will stay persistent in Marxism - Leninism and Ho Chi Minhs ideology, and continually apply and develop them in a creative manner that matches the reality in Vietnam in each period. It will also keep steadfast in the goal of national independence and socialism, and the Doi moi policy for the goal of a rich people, strong nation and an equitable, democratic. and civilised nation.

The congress also stressed that the Party must enhance Party building and rectification work to a strong and clean Party and political system, and push ahead with improving its mettle and leadership and ruling capacity in making and carrying out guidelines and policies in a way that match the reality in Vietnam and the development trend of the era.

The congress also pointed to the need to take timely action to institutionalise, concretise, and effectively implement the Partys guidelines and the States policies and laws, while addressing shortcomings in the leadership, direction, and organisation of implementation.

The Party and State leader appealed to the entire Party, people, and army, along with compatriots both at home and abroad, to make all-out efforts to successfully carry out the 13th Congresss resolution.

The 13th Party Central Committee makes debut The 200-member Party Central Committee of the 13th tenure (2021-2025) made its debut at the closing ceremony of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Hanoi this morning (February 1).
Source: Reuters

It was the fall of 2018, and Hari Nada, a high-powered Nissan executive, was afraid he might be headed to jail.

Japanese prosecutors, Nada wrote in a note, were seriously considering a criminal charge against him as part of an investigation that would soon lead to the indictment of Carlos Ghosn, Nissans larger-than-life leader.

Nada had been instrumental in carrying out the financial maneuvers under investigation. He had also been instrumental in taking evidence of those maneuvers to the authorities in a secret effort to oust Ghosn.

Now, Nada worried he would be ensnared in his own trap. His best defense, he wrote in the note summarizing the investigations status, was arguing that his cooperation had earned him legal immunity.

The gambit worked. Nada struck a plea deal, escaping prosecution for his role in one of the biggest corporate scandals in years. He remains an influential executive at Nissan, surviving a shake-up that destroyed other top executives careers and rocked a globe-spanning auto alliance.

Nada has endured thanks in part to ruthless corporate knife-fighting skills that allowed him to deftly transform from trusted Ghosn adviser to nemesis. He was also protected by high-ranking Nissan allies, according to almost 1,000 pages of internal corporate documents reviewed by The New York Times.

The documents, as well as interviews with people familiar with the episodes they describe, detail both the deep conflicts of interest posed by Nadas role in the investigation and the extensive efforts by him and his allies to shield him from the consequences.

Those allies protected him despite warnings from at least 10 employees and external advisers that his actions could undermine the civil and criminal cases against Ghosn and harm Nissans reputation.

The company declined to answer a list of questions from The Times or to make Nada available for comment.

The Ghosn case exposed deep failings in Nissans management and corporate culture, issues for which it has blamed its ousted leader. But Nadas enduring presence shows that the problems extended well beyond Ghosn.

Nada is the star witness in a criminal trial against Nissan and Greg Kelly, Ghosns second in command and Nadas onetime mentor. They are being tried on charges related to helping arrange undisclosed compensation for Ghosn.

Kellys trial began nine months after Ghosns dramatic escape from what he called Japans rigged justice system. Ghosn asserts that Nissan executives, including Nada, colluded with Japanese officials to oust him because they feared he would merge the company with its longtime partner Renault, the French automaker.

Kelly, who denies wrongdoing, has said legal advice from Nissan and its external lawyers, primarily conveyed to him by Nada, guided his actions.

The two men are now facing each other in a Tokyo court. While Kelly struggles to save himself from the justice system, Nada is a free man, backed by the might of one of the jewels of Japanese industry.

Caught in the middle

Ghosn was the worlds biggest auto titan, emperor of Nissans and Renaults mighty alliance. But he wasnt the highest paid.

The matter weighed on him. In 2010, Kelly instructed Nada to begin the first of a series of secret plans intended to increase Ghosns benefits and compensation, according to court testimony and internal Nissan documents.

Executive compensation was a perilous political issue in France, Nada testified this month, and if Ghosns true compensation were revealed, the French government  as a major Renault shareholder  would have pushed the company to fire him.

Nada, 56, had joined Nissan as a junior legal counsel in 1990 and was fiercely loyal to the company. By 2010 he had become a senior manager.

He kept his work for Ghosn secret, he wrote in a draft statement to prosecutors reviewed by The Times, in part because Kelly convinced him that his boss, in his position as the head of the alliance, was a critical bulwark against the French governments ambition for Renault to absorb Nissan, its junior partner.

For eight years, Nada worked proactively and creatively to realize Kellys instructions, he told the court, making arrangements to purchase homes across the globe for Ghosns personal use and to disguise the extent of his pay.

His career advanced apace. By the spring of 2018, when the investigation into Ghosn began to coalesce, Nada wielded enormous power, controlling Nissans legal, compliance, security and communications departments, among others. He was a top adviser to Hiroto Saikawa, then its chief executive, and to Ghosn.

For years, Nada had fended off questions from both internal and external auditors about his work for Ghosn, according to the documents. But in 2018, a Nissan whistleblower complained about travel expenses for Ghosns family to a company auditor, Hidetoshi Imazu. The issue, Imazu later told Nissan lawyers, spurred him to dig into Ghosns affairs, including one of the secretive companies Nada had set up to acquire properties.

The scrutiny came at a delicate moment: The French government was increasing pressure on Ghosn for a merger, which many Nissan executives opposed.

Ghosn, Kelly and Nada had discussed a Nissan-Renault merger since at least 2012, Nada said in court this month, contemplating a structure that would put Ghosn at the head of a corporate chimera and trigger a big payout for the executive. But the project had been repeatedly put off. Now, Ghosn was ready to act, Kelly informed Nada.

Nada had privately disdained Renault and worried that he would lose power in the alliance as others were promoted past him, according to people familiar with the matter. Nissan executives saw him as crucial to undermining a deal, the people said.

One of them, Hitoshi Kawaguchi, asked Japans Trade Ministry to intervene, internal emails show. Nissan executives believed the ministry opposed a merger because it would cede control of a major Japanese company to a foreign government.

The ministry advised Kawaguchi to contact Tokyo prosecutors, according to one Nissan memo.

Contacted by Imazu, the company auditor, prosecutors said they wanted more evidence against Ghosn before taking action. They advised him to begin a secret investigation with Kawaguchi and Nada, he later told Nissan lawyers.

Nada named it Kali-10  an allusion to the Hindu goddess.

At Nadas recommendation, Imazu retained Nissans American law firm, Latham & Watkins, to conduct it.

The choice was fraught. For years, the firm had provided the automaker with advice on topics it was now being asked to investigate. Between 2012 and the summer of 2018, the firm had exchanged hundreds of emails with Nada regarding Nissan executives compensation and other issues, according to an early draft of the Kali-10 report. He had then conveyed its advice to Kelly and others.

In response to questions from The Times, the firm said that it could not comment on specific communications but that it had no conflict of interest because its sole client was always Nissan, and Latham regularly discussed the engagement with Nissan executives, who agreed to continue.

Latham disagrees with any suggestion that the internal investigation was biased, the firm added, saying that its findings were consistent with those reached by American and Japanese authorities.

When he first envisioned the investigation, Nada testified, he had imagined that prosecutors would become involved only if Ghosn refused to resign after being confronted with its results.

But Imazu had brought the authorities in earlier than expected, Nada said, putting him in a predicament. Nectarine  Nadas code name for himself  was warned to cooperate fully or face the certain risk of criminal prosecution, he said in the notes he wrote before Ghosns arrest.

In mid-July, Nada instructed his personal lawyer, Akihide Kumada, to contact the prosecutors about cooperation, Nada told the court, adding that he had feared his work for Ghosn would be mischaracterized.

In September 2018, Imazu provided Japanese prosecutors with the initial Kali-10 report. They soon informed Nissans chief executive they would move against Ghosn.

As Nissan braced for the arrest, Nadas web of conflicts began raising alarms.

In mid-October 2018, a month before Ghosns detention, Takeshi Oki, a legal adviser for Nissan, emailed Latham & Watkins to say that Nada was likely to be deemed as an accomplice to Ghosn and should step down from the legal and audit departments.

Michael Yoshii, a Latham & Watkins partner, forwarded a translation of the email to Nada. Days later, Oki was removed by the companys chief executive at the time, who replaced him with a lawyer recommended by Kumada, according to an internal memo. The reasons for the decision are unclear, but some Nissan lawyers believed that Okis concerns were the trigger, according to people familiar with their thinking.

By the end of October, Nada had struck a plea deal. Kumada and Latham & Watkins had helped, the Nissan documents show.

Working with prosecutors, Nada arranged a corporate jet to ferry Kelly from the United States to Japan for a Nissan board meeting, promising that Kelly would return in time for a scheduled back surgery.

Prosecutors detained Ghosn and Kelly shortly after they arrived in Japan on Nov. 19. Nada continued working on the investigation behind the scenes, according to Nissans internal documents.

Nadas role in the investigation soon raised Renaults hackles. In January 2019, Nissan received a letter  previously reported by The Financial Times  from the automakers legal counsel complaining that his involvement made the inquiry appear more like a political campaign than a neutral fact-gathering exercise.

Seeking to defuse the situation, Nissan hired another law firm to review the investigations conclusions. It also drafted documents aimed at erecting a firewall between the inquiry and people with direct involvement in the events that precipitated it, including Nada.

A persistent presence

Nada remained atop the investigation until April 2019, when Nissan removed him from the inquirys chain of command, according to its submission to the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

But he continued influencing Nissans approach to the Ghosn case. In August, the documents show, Nada participated in discussions about Nissans efforts to bring criminal charges  never realized  against Ghosn and his family in Brazil.

Echoing Okis October recommendation, one of Nissans criminal defense lawyers urged the company to remove Nadas remaining responsibilities.

Nissans failure to punish Nada was not good, he said, according to a meeting memo.

That summer, Nadas involvement in Kali-10 raised new concerns among Nissans legal and compliance teams as prosecutors shared their evidence with the defense teams for Ghosn and Kelly.

In an email to Nissan lawyers, an adviser suggested asking prosecutors to withhold documents about Nadas involvement in Kali-10, arguing that the mens defense teams would use them to assert that the investigation was a conspiracy.

Yoshii, the Latham & Watkins partner, sent an email to Nissans legal team nominating 10 bad documents, almost all related to Nadas role in the inquiry.

The documents  forwarded by Yoshii  included Nadas note summarizing the investigation, comments by Latham & Watkins on his witness statement and the October email to the firm from Oki, Nissans former criminal adviser, recommending that Nada step down.

Around this time, Christina Murray, Nissans global compliance chief, was working on a project to identify and punish people suspected of involvement in additional wrongdoing by Ghosn and others. A draft of the report, reviewed by The Times, listed multiple, serious violations of corporate rules by Nada.

In late August, Murray met with Yasuhiro Yamauchi, then the companys chief operating officer, to discuss next steps for the project. Hari told him it was not necessary, she wrote of the inquiry in an internal email.

Within days, she received an email from the head of Nissans audit committee, Motoo Nagai, removing her from investigations related to Nada. Her investigation was subsequently suspended, according to a briefing prepared for Nissan executives.

On Sept. 9, Murray resigned. Shortly after, Ravinder Passi, Nissans global legal counsel, was removed from matters involving the investigation, a decision that followed his repeated attempts to raise concerns about Nada with Nissans directors.

In a previous statement, Nissan said that Passi was removed because of unspecified conflicts of interest. Nissan lawyers, according to people familiar with their thinking, believed the decision was related to his concerns about Nadas role in the investigation. The change was announced in an email from Nada to the legal department.

The following week, reports in The Times and elsewhere, detailed some of Nadas conflicts of interest. Nissan removed him from the head of the legal and security departments, giving him the title senior adviser overseeing special projects.

At the time, Nissan said it had found no evidence of inappropriate involvement by Nada in the internal investigation into executive misconduct.

Kathryn Carlile, who had spent years working as Nadas assistant, took over Passis responsibilities for the Ghosn investigation. She herself had worked, at Nadas direction, on some matters covered by the Kali-10 investigation, according to the documents.

Nissan declined to make Nagai or Carlile available for comment.

On Nov. 11, Nissan fired Passi. In a statement to The Times, Passi said that he was pursuing two legal actions against the company in Britain, where he now resides, for wrongful termination and retaliatory actions taken in response to his attempts to draw attention to problems at the company.

Nada still occupies an office on the executive floor of the companys headquarters in Yokohama.

Ben Dooley

c.2021 The New York Times Company

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.
Later this year, SpaceX will put four private individuals into space aboard one of its Crew Dragon craft. The company is calling the upcoming mission, dubbed, Inspiration4, the worlds first all-civilian mission, and its currently scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in the final quarter of the year.

Leading the expedition is Shift4 Payments founder and CEO Jared Isaacman, who will act as its commander. One of the missions goals is to raise money for St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. To that end, Isaacman is donating two of the three remaining seats on the craft to the public, and one of the ways to join Inspiration4 is by donating to the hospital. The other is by starting a Shift4Shop and sharing the story behind it on social media, while the final one will go to an ambassador from St. Jude. The multi-day journey around the Earth will eventually end off the coast of Florida.

Everyone who takes part in the flight will receive training from SpaceX, with the course touching on things like orbital mechanics and how to move in zero gravity. There will also be training on how to use a spacesuit and respond to emergency developments.

Inspiration4 is currently the second private mission SpaceX has planned for its Crew Dragon craft, which has so far exclusively ferried NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. Early next year, the company will fly four commercial astronauts, for $55 million each, on a ten-day trip to the ISS.
(Newser)  The project is controversial enough: Japan is building a new military base for the US in Okinawa to replace another that's being shut down, and the vast majority of Okinawans oppose the coastal construction, reports Stars and Stripes. In fact, local groups have asked President Biden to reconsider plans for the new base in the Henoko district. Now, a report in the Asahi Shimbun raises a disturbing new wrinkle: fears that the remains of war dead are being inadvertently scooped up for use in the construction. Okinawan authorities estimate that nearly 2,800 people who died during the 1945 Battle of Okinawa remain unaccounted for, having died where they fell in remote spots. Volunteers have spent the decades since attempting to find and identify remains, and the report highlights one such volunteer's discovery of a jawbone and bullets in a cave in September.

story continues below

The volunteer alerted authorities, but when he returned to the area in November, he discovered that it had been cleared and declared a quarry. Such quarries are popular these days. It seems that the military project in Henoko is in dire need of soil and stone because the nearby earth is too soft, and that has led to excavators rushing to score contracts, per the report. Critics, however, say the government doesn't have proper safeguards in place to ensure that the remains of war dead aren't included. One suggestion is to bar soil from the southern part of the island, where volunteers focus their searches. "The welfare ministry must make even more detailed efforts to grasp and preserve areas where war remains might be found as well as appraise the remains that are uncovered," says a history professor at Tokyo's Teikyo University. (Read more Okinawa stories.)

Asos has confirmed it has sealed the takeover of Topshop and three other brands from the collapse of the Arcadia retail empire for 265 million.

The online fashion retailer is buying Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT.

Administrators for Sir Philip Greens retail group said Asos has paid an additional 65 million for current and pre-ordered stock.

Asos told investors on Monday morning that it will take on around 300 employees as part of the deal, which will not include any of the brands stores.

Arcadia collapsed into insolvency at the start of December after pandemic closures further exacerbated the groups troubles.

Expand Close The Miss Selfridge brand has been acquired by online retailer Asos (Nick Ansell/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The Miss Selfridge brand has been acquired by online retailer Asos (Nick Ansell/PA)

Last week, Boohoo said it was in exclusive talks to buy the Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton brands in a move which will also not include any stores.

Asos said its acquisition of the four brands will resonate with its core customer base of 20-somethings in the UK.

It said it expects the deal to complete later this week, adding that it will also see 20 million worth of one-off restructuring and transaction costs.

Asos chief executive Nick Beighton told reporters on Monday that the company was looking at the possibility of retaining Topshops flagship store on Oxford Street, but admitted it was not a priority.

The rumours are true... @Topshop & @Topman are now part of the ASOS family   ASOS (@ASOS) February 1, 2021

It is something we are considering but we are not a stores business, he said.

Our priority is to double down on the brands, which weve seen perform incredibly well across our platform.

Asos said the Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge websites will start re-directing customers to Asos from Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.

Mr Beighton said more clothing lines from the acquired brands will appear on its site from this period, with the first Asos-designed Topshop and Topman products expected to appear later in the year.

He added: We are extremely proud to be the new owners of the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands.

The acquisition of these iconic British brands is a hugely exciting moment for Asos and our customers and will help accelerate our multi-brand platform strategy.

We have been central to driving their recent growth online and, under our ownership, we will develop them further, using our design, marketing, technology and logistics expertise, and working closely with key strategic retail partners in the UK and around the world.
Press Release

February 1, 2021 Senate Committee on Rules Upholds Committee System On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, headed a Committee on Rules meeting to discuss policy issues regarding the Senate's legislative priorities, particularly between the Rightsizing Bill, and the bills regarding the creation of new agencies, such as the proposed Department of Overseas Filipinos, the Department of Disaster Resilience and Management, the Department of Culture, and the Department of Water Management. The committee, chaired by Zubiri, came to the conclusion that the bills may be taken up by their respective committees simultaneously. Once the respective committee reports are filed, an all-member caucus will then be called to discuss their prioritization in the legislative calendar for plenary discussion. The meeting was called upon a motion made by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon last December, urging the committee to discuss whether there might be a conflict in priorities that may arise between the Rightsizing bill and the bills regarding the creation of new agencies. "The Senate works through a committee system," Zubiri explained. "By practice and tradition, we have long given committees their sole prerogative and discretions regarding matters referred to them. Each committee has its sovereign right to bring out its committee report on a particular measure." "As to the prioritization of legislative agenda to be tackled on the floor, it is a matter of policy not explicitly laid down in our rules. Prioritization of legislative agenda is incumbent upon the collective wisdom and discretion of the chamber and its members." "The issues at hand are still at the committee level," Zubiri emphasized, referring to the bills in question. "At the very least, we cannot determine yet if the committee reports to be filed will be conflicting. We cannot prematurely prevent or control a committee in transacting their affairs." "The Committee on Rules does not wish to interfere in whatever way with the committee system at work," he said. And then, he assured the members of the committee: "The Senate is a collegial body with a collective decision. On the priorities of the Senate, we will take this up with an all-member caucus to discuss priorities that will be taken up on the floor." Also present in the meeting was Sen. Joel Villanueva, who chairs the Committee on Labor that is handling the bills on the proposed Department of OFWs. "We laud Sen. Joel Villanueva for really fighting for and being a staunch advocate of the welfare of our Overseas Filipino Workers and for prioritizing and fast-tracking the bills on OFWs referred to his committee." "We will honor the committee system of the Senate," Zubiri said. "Always remembering that over everything else, the priority of the Senate is geared toward measures that focus on health, economy, and fiscal discipline."
On this weeks episode of Working, Rumaan Alam spoke with translator and writer Damion Searls. They discussed Searls process for approaching his projects; why a translator doesnt necessarily have to be fluent in a language to translate from it; and what it takes to capture a books style, idioms, and nuances in another language. This partial transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Rumaan Alam: You translated a novel called Sundays in August by one of my absolute favorite living writers, the French Nobel laureate Patrick Modiano. I personally dont have any language other than English, and I feel like there are these purists who will say, No, you havent really read Modiano because youve only experienced him in translation. His body of work is so big that it has multiple translators, because English publishers have been trying to catch up after Modiano won the Nobel Prize. Ive read your translation of this book, and Ive read a handful of his other translators in his other books. Am I getting Modiano, or am I getting a simulacrum of Modiano?

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Damion Searls: I think thats an overdefensive reaction to some sort of insecurity thats been instilled in you by this kind of technical vision of, is it 99.7 percent accurate or is it 99.8 percent accurate? Why wouldnt you be getting Modiano? There is a different layer when you read someone who wrote in English. Theyve been edited, and somebody put a certain cover on it, and theyve been reviewed in a certain way, and they exist in the culture in a certain way. Youre either reading it in a course where the professors framing it a certain way, or youre not. The bookstores decided to stock it and promote it in a certain way, so youre not in some pure, ideal mind-meld with the author, either. The best analogy would be performing music. If you listen to Glenn Gould, are you listening to Bach or not?

Advertisement

That is a really tough question.

Theres no real answer, right? The answer is both. Youre listening to Bach as good as you can ever listen to Bach. Theres no better way, unless you just read the score, but maybe thats the worst way. On the other hand, Glenn Gould is not going to be playing it the same way everyone else will be playing it. So if you have 10 different recordings of the same piece, youre listening to Bach in 10 different ways, but youre not not listening to him. Thats what I would say about the Modiano: How could you better read Modiano?

Advertisement

Go back in time and be born in 1929, I suppose. But I cant think of another way, really. How do you evaluate a translation? Especially with a writer like Modiano who has multiple translators. I hear people say this all the time, Did you like that translation? Did you like this new book? I dont really have a perspective on it because obviously Im reading the language and thinking about the way its working, but Im understanding that as the choice made by the author and not the translator, even if it is something thats happening as a duet, without my realizing it.

Advertisement

Thats another one of those mysterious questions, right? Because I feel like I can judge translations, even if I dont know the original text, even if I dont know the original language. You can sense: Is this an artistically motivated stretch of the language, or is this some weird deformation of the language, where it just doesnt sound right, like people wouldnt say that?

Translations from different languages tend to go wrong in ways specific to the languages. For example, translations from Spanish might sound really flowery, because Spanish has a Latinate vocabulary and Latinate words are flowery in English, even though theyre not in Spanishtheyre just the words. Translations of Chinese poetry can sound foggy because they have a different grammar. You can just tell if this hasnt clicked. So I would encourage you to let go of this inner schoolmarm whos telling you that you dont have the right to judge a translation. If its a book you like, then it works. Its good. If its something that youre bored and confused by, then it didnt work. Its true you may not 100 percent know, was it the author or the translator? A bad translator can actually make you think that the author is bad without meaning to. But you dont have to feel, Im not able to judge a translation because I havent got this or that skill. Why not? You judge every book you read.

To listen to the full interview with Damion Searls, subscribe to Working on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or listen below.
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.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Norman Lear made his mark as a television producer who strived to explore social and political issues through his famed sitcoms, including All in the Family, Good Times, Maude, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and more. And now, the Golden Globes will honor Lear with its TV special achievement trophy.

Lear will receive the Carol Burnett Award during the 78th annual ceremony on Feb. 28, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced last week, for his work as a writer, director, and producer.

HFPA President Ali Sar said in a statement that Lear is among the most prolific creators of this generation. He also said Lears work revolutionized the industry.

His career has encompassed both the Golden Age and Streaming Era, throughout which his progressive approach addressing controversial topics through humor prompted a cultural shift that allowed social and political issues to be reflected in television, Sar said of Lear.

The Carol Burnett Award is given annually to honor someone who has made outstanding contributions to television on or off the screen. Its the small-screen version of the groups film counterpart, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, which will be handed to Jane Fonda during the awards ceremony.

Past recipients of the Burnett award include Ellen DeGeneres and Burnett.

Nominations for the upcoming Golden Globes are scheduled to be announced Feb. 3.

Lear, 98, is a World War II veteran and six-time Emmy winner whose shows confronted war, sexuality, abortion, and poverty with topical humor.

He has collected many other accolades in his career. He received the Peabody Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016, was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1999, and was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1984. He was a Kennedy Center honoree in 2017.

Lear also founded the advocacy organization People for the American Way and several other nonprofits promoting thoughtful citizenship, including the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication.

In the early 2000s, he purchased an original copy of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. He then founded the Declaration of Independence Road Trip to share the document with people across all 50 states.
NCP president said on Sunday that Narendra Singh Tomar is not bringing out "correct facts" on the three farm bills.

His reaction came after Tomar expressed dismay over Pawar's tweets criticising the farm laws, saying they were a mix of "ignorance and misinformation", and hoped that the veteran leader will change his stand after knowing the "facts".

In a series of late night tweets in Hindi, Pawar said, "@nstomar ji is not bringing out correct facts before people. He has been assuring that the new laws will not affect the mandis but farmers unions are of opinion that the provisions under law favour rival companies."



"Under the new laws, farmers can sell their produce outside mandis but have no protection of MSP when they sell their produce to private buyers. This is what the protesting farmers have been saying since the beginning. It has not been assured that farmers will get the right price from the corporate sector in long term."



Pawar said last year the government, without taking any political party or farmers into confidence passed the three farm bills.

He said it is the duty of the government to assure the farmers and appropriate discussions had to take place at the right time.

In a series of tweets, Pawar had on Saturday said the new agriculture laws of the Union government will adversely impact the Minimum Support Price (MSP) procurement and weaken the 'Mandi' system.

Responding to the NCP leader's remarks, Tomar said Pawar, who is a veteran leader, is also considered well-versed with the issues and solutions relating to agriculture. "Pawar himself tried hard to bring the same agriculture reforms earlier."



"Since he speaks with some experience and expertise on the issue, it was dismaying to see his tweets employ a mix of ignorance and misinformation on the agriculture reforms. Let me take this opportunity to present some facts," Tomar said on Twitter.

The minister countered Pawar's tweet which said that the amended Essential Commodities (EC) Act "may lead to apprehensions that corporates may purchase commodities at lower rates and stockpile and sell at higher prices to consumers."



"The apprehension has no basis. Under the EC Act, the central government can intervene in case of extraordinary circumstances including war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamities of grave nature," Tomar said.

He said the new laws encourage additional choice channels for farmers as they can sell their produce to anyone, anywhere with a hassle-free movement in and outside the state to realise a competitive and better net price for their produce.

"This doesn't affect the current MSP (minimum support price) system," he added.

Under the new ecosystem, the minister said, the mandis are not affected. Instead, they will be more competitive and cost-effective in terms of services and infrastructure; and both the systems will synergistically co-exist for the common interest of farmers.

Tomar said, "As he (Pawar)is such a veteran leader, I would like to believe that he was genuinely misinformed of the facts. Now that he has the right facts, I hope he will also change his stand and also explain the benefits to our farmers.

(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.)

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
Late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's maternal cousin, Rajkumar Singh and his associate Ali Hasan have been shot by three unidentified assailants in Bihar's Saharsa district on January 30 (Saturday).

According to reports, the incident occurred at around 11.30 am in the morning, when Rajkumar Singh and Ali Hasan, were on their way to adjoining Madhepura district.

For the unversed, Rajkumar owns three showrooms of Yamaha motorbikes in Saharsa, Madhepura and Supaul districts. He used to visit these three showrooms every day to monitor the business, and on January 30, he followed the same routine when he was shot.

Lipi Singh, SP of Saharsa, has confirmed the incident with the media and the Bihar Police are tracking the gunmen. Lipi Singh said, "When Rajkumar and Ali Hasan reached at Baijnathpur Chowk near Saharsa college, three unidentified men overtook their vehicles and opened fire at them. We have vital leads of this incident and the accused will be arrested soon."

Rajkumar and Adil were immediately rescued by the passersby and taken to a nearby private hospital for treatment. The condition of Ali Hasan is serious and he is battling for his life.

An official of Saharsa police added, "Prima facie its look to be a case of a property dispute between Rajkumar Singh and the assailants. However, we are not ruling out the extortion angle. We are investigating all angles."

ALSO READ: Kushal Zaveri Reveals How He & Sushant Shot Scenes In Places Without Permission With A Hidden Camera

ALSO READ: Ankita Lokhande Shares Her Happiest Memory With Sushant Singh Rajput; Says 'Pray For Him And His Family

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.
ADVERTISEMENT

Residents of Maiduguri and environs have been thrown into a lingering blackout following the destruction of one of the towers supplying electricity to the city from the national grid.

The tower was reportedly destroyed by militants in the Boko Haram-plagued state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the blackout, which has lasted for one week, has grounded many businesses.

Some residents, who spoke to NAN, not only condemned the action of the insurgents but lamented the continued inability of the authorities concern to restore the power.

Its now one week and most people dont know why there is no electricity in Maiduguri.

We need to know what caused it and efforts by the power company to address the matter.

You cant leave people in darkness without explanation, a resident, Ibrahim Abubakar, said.

Also, a welder, Moses Bala, said the development has grounded his business because he solely depends on electricity from the national grid for his work.

Because of steady supply over the months, I solely depend on power from government and now that there is no power for one week; I remain out of business.

I cant afford a generator as I am still young in this business, Mr Bala said.

He appealed to the authorities concerned to expedite action to restore the electricity.

Musa Idris, Sahabi Abdulrahman, Amina Bello and Talatu Musa who also lamented on the power outage on their small businesses said they did not know the cause of the outage.

They said they would want something to be done urgently to ameliorate their plight.

When contacted, the Corporate Communication Manager of Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) in charge of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Taraba states, Kingsley Nkemneme, said he could not comment because the problem has to do with Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

The TCN is in a better position to comment on this as the problem is not about distribution but transmission, Mr Nkemneme said.

NAN reports that this is the second time in three months that insurgents will be attacking the power transmission line to Maiduguri. (NAN)
On Wednesday January 27th, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released a long-awaited report called Conditions and requirements for the technical feasibility of a power system with a high share of renewables in France towards 2050. Yet, that document was given a cold welcome by the French nuclear industry, as behind this somewhat complex title hides a key message : a scenario of 100% renewable energy is technically possible in 2060 in France. This implies that the country would potentially no longer need nuclear energy to meet its domestic demand.

From a nuclear champion to the Flamanville struggle

The nuclear sector accounts for around 70% of todays French electricity mix, and over 40% of final energy demand. Back in the 1970s, France decided to take the nuclear path, aspiring to move away from oil and achieving energy independence. Since then, not only did the country guarantee its own security of electricity supply, but it could also export it towards neighboring EU countries. Killing two birds with one stone, France boasted some of the cheapest electricity in Europe and was proud to have an almost fossil fuels free electricity generation system.

In 2020, the priority has shifted from nuclear power towards complying with the Paris-agreement goal of being net-zero carbon by 2050. In its pluriannual plan of energy, France gave itself the objective to reduce the share of nuclear power in the energy mix to 50% by 2035. In 2020, the government announced the upcoming closure of 14 nuclear plants to fulfill this objective. The closure of the Fessenheim plant, in June 2020 left a 1,7 GW capacity gap to be compensated for with other sources of power generation.

In parallel, the fact that the French utility EDF is progressively losing its know-how in the nuclear field is consensually admitted. The difficulties EDF is facing with the construction of the Flamanville plant - i.e. the misconstructed weldings and excesses in budget - provide a salient illustration of this trend. Related: This Year Will Define The Next Decade In The Energy Industry

A crystallized tension around the atom

The timing of the IEA report is not innocuous. In fact, the nuclear industry is currently witnessing a pivotal moment, as the French Nuclear Regulator (ASN) recently greenlighted the extension of nuclear plants lifetime over 40 years. This means that some old reactors will be decommissioned but will have to be replaced by new ones. The French government faces a complicated question: on the one hand, it could opt to add additional nuclear capacity, or on the other, it could invest in renewable energy to compensate for the losses of nuclear capacity.

The IEA report was charged with exploring that specific dilemma. The report was commissioned by the French Transmission System Operator RTE, and meant to guide the Minister of Ecology - Barbara Pompili  in drafting the future energy policy. Barbara Pompili, who represents the French Green party, and has never hidden her opposition to nuclear energy, welcomed this report with enthusiasm :  The option of 100 % renewables has never been explored in such depth: the highest authority for energy admits it is technically possible , she declared to Le Monde.

The IEA does not go into detail about the feasibility of the renewable energy option. Yet, it is put on the table, and this is already enough for anti-nuclear environmental groups such as Greenpeace or Reseau Sortir du Nucleaire to claim victory, and to do away with decades of being called utopists. Related: Teslas 20 Million EV Ambition Faces Huge Mining Challenge

However, Pompilis stance is far from being coherent with the previous moves of the Ministry of Environment, and even less with French president Emmanuel Macrons speeches. Back in 2019, former Minister of Environment Elisabeth Borne requested EDF to draft a roadmap for the construction of 6 new European Pressurized Reactors (EPR). This decision provoked a surprise among the whole political spectrum, as building 6 new reactors in 15 years seemed unrealistic given the EDFs struggle to build just one such plant at Flamanville.

On his part, the French president declared that nuclear power has to remain a pillar in our national electricity mix, showing little interest to fully pivot to renewables. Pompili has assured that no final decision will be issued before the end of the mandate, in 2022.

A conditional hope for the 100% scenario

The report shows that in both scenarios, the share of renewables would substantially increase. However, the 100% renewables scenario will require either painful sacrifices or massive investments, the IEA has listed four challenges which will need to be overcome for its implementation. The first one is improving grid stability (1), meaning the adequacy between supply and demand. Doing this without conventional energy sources appears difficult, especially considering the intermittent (or variable) character of renewables (2) To cope with this intermittency, the IEA envisages several solutions such as demand-side flexibility, improvement of batteries, and management of peaking units.

Then comes the necessary increase of operational reserves (3) and grid development (4), where the authors of the report write: for the time being, France does not need to procure large volumes of operational reserves compared to other countries, and its balancing system is competitive, resulting in low costs for the consumer compared to other European countries.

Whether France will manage to keep energy bills at acceptable levels for consumers is uncertain, and costs for the end-user may end up rising as a result of a nuclear phase-out. Next to this, the amount of investment made into the improved grid balanced systems is not clearly mentioned : the authors of the report merely say that assessing the costs is beyond the scope of this report (...) although they might be substantial.

Lastly, only one paragraph is dedicated to the issue of social acceptance and to the costs implied by these reforms, as if they were not essential for the governments decision. Despite all the unknowns, one thing becomes clear from this report: if the 100% renewables scenario eventually takes shape, it will mark a definitive shift of the energy sector away from market logics.

By Tatiana Serova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Without a comprehensive national strategy for battling the pandemic, safety net hospitals such as Loretto  medical centers that accept all patients regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay  have been forced to punch above their weight for nearly a year. And few at Loretto have stepped into ring with more enthusiasm than Johnathan Daniels, a 25-year-old accounting department worker whose efforts have helped the hospital administer more than 22,000 COVID-19 tests in the past 10 months.
Apple is considering ditching the black 'notch' at the top of the iPhone for its next flagship model, the iPhone 13, according to an online tipster.

The rectangular black notch, which has featured on flagship iPhone models since 2017, conceals the phone's front-facing camera components and sensors.

But according to the tipster, who goes by the name Mauri QHD on Twitter, Apple has created an iPhone 13 prototype with no notch at all.

The prototype instead puts these important components at the top of the bezel, the border between a screen and a phone's frame.

Killing off the notch for good would be welcome news for the thousands of Apple fans who have considered it an unsightly blemish.

Pictured, the iPhone 12 marking out the notch and the bezel. Zero bezel effectively means the device's screen blends seamlessly into the edges of the device. The notch's days may soon be numbered on the iPhone, according to Mauri QHD, an Apple tipster on Twitter

'There's a prototype with no notch at all, but  a bit  bigger bezels,' Mauri QHD tweeted.

All four sides of bezel on the prototype 'are equally bigger', he added, meaning the top part of the bezel won't stick out further than the others.

There's a chance that Apple's notch-less design might not be ready for the market until 2022, when the iPhone 14 would be released, he said.

The bezel on the iPhone 12  Apple's current flagship phone, which was released last October  is already thicker than that on 2019's iPhone 11  but making it just a little larger again would allow Apple to kill the notch.

Pictured, the iPhone 12. Note the prominent bezel - the border between a screen and a phone's frame - and the notch at the top

The sensor-housing notch was first introduced to the iPhone with 2017's iPhone X  but was mercilessly lambasted by critics and fans alike as a terrible design flaw.

Aside from taking up precious screen space, the notch was too reminiscent of a receding hairline for many balding men.

Apple's phone-making rival Samsung even mocked the notch in an ad for its Galaxy Note 8 smartphone at the time, featuring a man with a notch-shaped haircut.

Apple has persisted with the notch on subsequent iPhone models since, but it's likely that the camera technology currently housed inside is now advanced enough to fit within a smaller space  making the notch expendable.

Just three days after the iPhone X went on sale in 2017, Samsung released a new anti-Apple advert, featuring a man queuing up for an iPhone with a notch-shaped haircut

Despite being only a few months since the iPhone 12 was released, rumours surrounding its follow-up are already rife.

A report in January indicated that iPhone 13 would see the return of its Touch ID technology, in the form of an in-screen fingerprint reader.

This would help users unlock their smartphones without having to remove their face masks during the current pandemic.

Apple first introduced Touch ID in 2013 with the iPhone 5S, in the form of a fingerprint reader integrated into the iPhone's home button.

However, Apple started to move away from this technology in 2017, with the introduction of Face ID in the iPhone X.

According to Bloomberg, instead of reintroducing a Home button, the Touch ID technology would be embedded within the iPhone 13 screen.

Rather than being a replacement for Face ID, Touch ID would be an additional method of unlocking the iPhone, according to the report.
Share

Finland tops the podium when it comes to the worlds best virtual drivers, following research of the high scores and achievements logged on more than 800 driving video games.

Pentagon Motor Group reached its definitive ranking of the countries that play home to the most Michael Schumachers of the virtual world, by using data from gaming leader board speedrun.com.

After analysing more than ten thousand achievements that include high scores, fastest laps and completion times from hundreds of driving titles, Finland ranked in pole position, with Finnish gamers responsible for the most achievements per capita.

Estonia and New Zealand claim silver and bronze, while American gamers could only sneak in at 8th. However, the United Kingdom, home to some of the worlds greatest real-life racing drivers, from Lewis Hamilton to Colin McRae, only placed in 15th. However theres still reason for Welsh gamers to celebrate, as they ranked as the best in the nation, followed by Northern Irish and English virtual racers.

Top 15 Virtual Driving Nations:

Finland Estonia New Zealand Australia Switzerland Sweden Lithuania United States of America Denmark Canada Uruguay The Netherlands Bulgaria Hungary United Kingdom

UK Virtual Drivers Leaderboard:

Wales Northern Ireland England Scotland

To help silence the arguments of online gaming and give official bragging rights to the most skilled nations, the Pentagon Motor Group research also details where is best at particular fan favourites in the driving genre.

The findings reveal that Dutch gamers are the best at Mario Kart, Japanese players number one for the F1 series and American gamers leaders at the beloved Gran Turismo titles. With Grand Theft Auto Online, in particular, featuring a large amount of driving and racing, Estonian gamers gained the prestigious title of best GTA players, having amounted the most achievements for the series, while the virtual racers of Finland again won for cult classic The Simpsons: Hit & Run.

Worlds Best Virtual Drivers (game-specific):

Mario Kart Gran Turismo GTA The Simpsons Hit & Run F1 1 The Netherlands USA Estonia Finland Japan 2 Denmark Australia Bulgaria Australia New Zealand 3 Germany New Zealand Denmark UK Germany 4 Sweden UK Hungary Canada UK 5 Finland Russia Norway USA Netherlands

Says Johnathan Lingham, Marketing Director at Pentagon Motor Group:

With stay-at-home restrictions having been in place around the world for the best part of a year now, many might have driven more on virtual roads than they have in real life. This got us thinking about whether certain nationalities might be more skilled than others when it comes to getting behind a control pad and logging the fastest laps.

We included games that date all the way back to 1973s Astro Race so have no doubt the rankings are a true reflection of virtual driving skills around the world, and hope they inspire some friendly competition between players while were still at home.

The full findings, including definitive rankings for some of the most popular driving games can be found at: www.pentagon-group.co.uk/news/where-is-best-driving-video-games

For latest tech stories go to TechDigest.tv

Share this: Email

Facebook

Pinterest

LinkedIn

Print

Reddit

Twitter

Tumblr

Pocket



Like this: Like Loading...
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.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday made 2021's first address to the nation 'Mann Ki Baat' in a radio programme. PM Modi addressed the 73rd episode of the program on January 31, 2021, highlighting several important events and issues.

PM Modi also talked about the increasing participation of women in diverse areas and lauded the female empowerment. Supporting the PM's vision, Bollywood biggies Kareena Kapoor Khan and Deepika Padukone took to their respective social media handles and shared their views.

Here's what Kareena and Deepika had to say on PM Narendra's 'Nari Shakti' speech on Mann Ki Baat session:

Deepika tweeted: Be the change you wish to see in the world.-Mahatma Gandhi

These words couldnt be truer for these incredible women and for every single woman around the world! #NariShakti #MannKiBaat @PMOIndia

Be the change you wish to see in the world.-Mahatma Gandhi These words couldnt be truer for these incredible women and for every single woman around the world!#NariShakti #MannKiBaat @PMOIndia https://t.co/DPYzBXNfYt  Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) January 31, 2021

According to ANI, further appreciating the women's achievements, the PM said, "You must have seen two women IAF officers creating history in this year`s Republic Day parade. Be it any field, the participation of the nation`s women is continuously increasing."

Two IAF women officers became the first women pilots to participate in the Republic Day parade. India`s one of the first three women fighter pilots, Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth, became the first woman fighter pilot to be part of the Indian Air Force contingent at the Republic Day parade. Flight Lieutenant Swati Rathore became the first woman to be part of the flypast over Rajpath as she flew a Mi-17 V5 helicopter in a formation of four choppers.
A top infectious disease expert in the US on January 31 warned about the deadlier UK mutant of the coronavirus, saying that it could become the dominant covid strain in the US in weeks ahead. It could hit the country like a hurricane, epidemiologist Michael Osterholm from Joe Bidens transition coronavirus advisory board told NBC in a televised interview. Furthermore, the director of the center for infectious disease research and policy at the University of Minnesota, warned that the US must brace for the more virulent coronavirus this spring. Osterholms warnings come as the US detected the more contagious variant of Brazil in at least two cities. Minnesota health officials confirmed five cases of the more virulent virus in specimens from residents in four Minnesota counties, according to an AP report.

As the US covid-related death toll shot past the grim milestone of 440,000, the highest total fatalities recorded in the world, and infections surpassed alarming 26 million, Osterholm told NBCs Meet the Press, We need to understand what's coming. As he warned about more transmissible COVID-19 strains, Bidens transition covid advisory expert said that part of the situation right now in the US is what he called a shifting baseline, citing that April recorded 32,000 cases, which eventually dropped to 22,000 then hitting 70,000 by July 2020. This is the jump off, Osterholm warned, adding that over the next six to 14 weeks, the darkest days of the pandemic are going to occur due to the spread of the virulent strains that are more transmission, cause more serious illness, as well as evade immune protection of vaccines. Furthermore, the disease expert sounded concerned, saying that despite total lockdown such as in England, Ireland, Portugal, Denmark, authorities are still seeing transmission increasing in some locations.

Please everyone, when its your turn, get vaccinated. It may save your life or that of someone you love! This virus (and pandemic) is not done with us. These vaccines are as close to real and magical pixie dust we can know!!!



PS thanks Erin!  Michael Osterholm (@mtosterholm) January 24, 2021

Read: UAE Launches 'logistics Alliance' To Deliver WHO's COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Worldwide

Read: Israel To Give Coronavirus Vaccines To Palestinians For Front-line Medical Workers

Our state's residents need to understand what's coming. And it is going to come. I just worry that we'll be surprised again and we're going to need to put restrictions or our hospitals virtually overrun, Osterholm said in a live-streamed interview. The hurricane is coming, we have to call an audible, the top epidemiologist added.

Serious illness and death warnings

Emphasizing the need to ramp up the mass vaccination drive, Osterholm said that it was necessary to get two doses of shot administered to the population and get as many one-doses in as many people over 65 as the administration possibly can. Serious illness and death that is going to occur over the weeks ahead, Osterholm said in a televised address. Osterholm further indicated, that the more virulent coronavirus will be a disaster in terms of a new and rapid surge of cases and will go out of control. If we see that happen, were going to see something like we have not yet seen in this county. I see that hurricane Category 5, 450 miles offshore, Osterholm told NBC TV's live-streamed interview.

Sorry 4 the wait, but the latest "Osterholm Update: #COVID19" podcast is now live. @mtosterholm & @cvdall cover the latest on SARS-CoV-2 variants, estimates of how much of the US population might have some immunity to the virus, and vaccine supply & demandhttps://t.co/28l2HzW7OH pic.twitter.com/qm8vyxXoEI  CIDRAP (@CIDRAP) January 21, 2021

Read: EU: AstraZeneca To Supply 9 Million More Vaccine Doses

Read: Asian Shares Rise After Vaccine Maker Boosts Europe Supplies

Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday told Network 18 Editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi that the government did not want to fund the budgetary allocations through taxation.

After unveiling the keenly-watched Union Budget 2021, the Finance Minister said the government did not want to burden the consumer, and that tax increase was not on the table.

ALSO READ | Govt Did Not Do U-Turn from Fiscal Prudence, Focus is On Holistic Health: Nirmala Sitharaman To News18

"I certainly didnt want to fund this whole operation through taxation. By increasing tax, getting the money and then spending is not something which any of us even put on the table for consideration. So that is why I have made provision for large borrowings with the tax buoyancy kept at a very conservative level, and with disinvestment, asset monetisation and improved goods and services tax (GST) collection, I hope we will be looking at better ways of handling our finances," she said.

Sitharaman added that the industry had slowly revealed that corporate tax rate cuts had helped. "Many corporates have offloaded debts. Seems like private sectors spirit to invest is coming back, companies are raising funds," she said.

The Finance Minister said that now was the time to go for growth, a thought process highlighted in the Economic Survey on Friday by CEA KV Subramanian.

"I knew if I didnt spend now I, would be postponing growth. Given the situation stimulus was necessary. I'm sure the qualitative expenditure will be a multiplier for the economy," she said, adding that fiscal prudence was still important.
Euphoria and Spider-Man star Zendaya produced the film Malcolm & Marie during the COVID-19 pandemic. She had produced her music videos, episodes of Euphoria and the series K.C. Undercover before but the 24-year-old multi-talent said she felt more pressure since she initiated Malcolm & Marie.

ADVERTISEMENT

"It was obviously nerve wracking because it was my first time really believing in myself and investing in myself, putting my own money into something," Zendaya said on a Sundance Film Festival panel called Women Breaking Boundaries, hosteded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

"At the end of the day, I had myself to answer to, which can be scary but also quite liberating creatively," Zendaya said.

Zendaya asked her Euphoria creator Sam Levinson to write something they could make under COVID-19 protocols in 2020. Levinson wrote the script about a director, Malcolm (John David Washington) and his girlfriend Marie (Zendaya), waiting for the reactions to his big movie premiere.

"I just want something that feels dynamic and feels layered and complicated," Zendaya said. "If the project's not there, then you do it. You find the right people and you make it. It is possible."

The actor/producer said it was her idea to film in one of their houses. They ended up using the Caterpillar House in Carmel, Calif. as the location. A minimal crew quarantined together and got tested regularly.

"I'm doing my own hair and makeup," Zendaya said. "Everybody's doing five different jobs because it's a skeleton crew. I'm bringing my clothes and using them as set dressing. We're trying to remember our continuity because we don't have an AD or script [supervisor]."

The extraordinary methods were worth it to Zendaya because she wanted to give her colleagues a chance to work. Zendaya said she was confident she would have Euphoria and the third Spider-Man movie to go back to when the pandemic ended.

FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS!

Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source!

In fact, Euphoria released a special episode on Jan. 22, and Zendaya was in her trailer on the Spider-Man set while Zooming into the panel.

"[I] also want to get part of my Euphoria crew back to work as well," Zendaya said. "If there's a way that we can get our small group of people from our crew paid as well and taken care of, that will be ideal too."

Levinson and Zendaya workshopped the script as they geared up for production. Levinson would read completed pages to his collaborator over Zoom.

"He'd write maybe 10 pages at a time," Zendaya said. "He called me and we'd talk about it for hours and then he'd go back and write more based off those conversations, come back, talk some more."

As a producer, Zendaya also gave her costar and crew members a financial share when they sold Malcolm & Marie to Netflix

"Hopefully that'll be a system that can continue," Zendaya said. "I think it's important that we take care of our people."

Malcolm & Marie allowed Zendaya to join the Producers Guild of America. She has more behind-the-scenes ambitions, as well.

Directing may be in her future, but Zendaya said she is more passionate about cinematography. She said Levinson encourages her to become a cinematographer.

"Sam's like, 'I give you a year,'" Zendaya said. "I was like, 'Well, you've got a year to teach me then."

And, she continues to learn, using her days off from the third Spider-Man film to shadow director Jon Watts.

"I have the opportunity, when I'm off work, to be able to go to set and learn and get some insight from a completely different perspective," Zendaya said. "I want to take it all in and really be grateful for this experience."

Netflix will release Malcolm & Marie on Feb. 5.

Volunteer 44 response team covers over 2000 miles to drive NHS staff to work through snow

This article is old - Published: Monday, Feb 1st, 2021

A 44 volunteer group covered over 2,000 miles to drive essential NHS workers through the snow to get to work safely.

Volunteers from the charity 44 Response Wales provided vital transport for staff, from Betsi Cadwaladr University Heath Board (BCUHB) during snowy weather over the last few weeks, so they can safely get to work when their own vehicles cannot cope with the conditions.

The health board has an agreement with the 44 Response Wales group as part of its Adverse Weather Plan, so that the specially trained team is able to step in and support staff 24/7 every day throughout the year, to ensure no essential shifts are missed due to adverse weather.

This year, up to 26th January, the volunteers have driven over 52 essential NHS staff to four hospitals and assisted district nurses to make their house visits as normal.





14 individual drivers were deployed at various times, covering 2,086 miles and 102 hours, covering the Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and Conwy counties.

Maureen Wain, Wrexham Maelor Hospital Director, said: I would like to thank the response team and all of its volunteers who helped our staff get to work safely, as well as those they helped get home too.

This is a great support to our weather resilience plan and ensures our vital services are not interrupted and that our staff remain safe.

The 44 drivers are DBS checked and specially trained to drive their own vehicles in adverse weather such as snow, ice and floods, as well as advanced off-road training, navigation and communications, first aid, risk assessments and water and flood awareness.

They carry a full range of emergency and survival equipment to make them resilient if conditions deteriorate.

During COVID-19 they work to a risk assessment which is designed to keep both the drivers and the Trust staff safe at all times.

Leigh Ryder, the Lead Controller for the 44 Response team in North Wales, said: Our team train regularly to ensure that we can respond to requests for assistance from our emergency service partners so that communities get the support that they need whenever necessary, whether that be for adverse weather or other emergencies.

In addition to supporting the Trust over the past two weeks, on 21st January we were requested to support North Wales Police and their partner agencies to assist with the evacuation of residents from Bangor on Dee.

Chief Inspector Jon Aspinal of North Wales Police, said: We were grateful for the specialist support that the 44 Response team provided to our officers at Bangor on Dee recently.

They completed all of the tasks allocated to them both safely and successfully which was really appreciated by our team.

If you have a 44 vehicle and would like to help your community you can read more about the North Wales team and contact the 44 Response Wales charity at https://www.4x4responsewales.org/ or donate on the North Wales 44 Response Group Facebook page.

Photo taken on Jan. 31, 2021 shows people hanging lanterns for festive decoration in Xianglong Village, central China's Hunan Province. Growing festive atmosphere can be obviously perceived as the Lunar New Year is around the corner. Shops and streets are delicately decorated. People are busy at shopping in preparation for the festival. (Jiang Keqing/Guangming Picture)

4

1

[ Editor: WXL ]
Vaccines are not as effective against the mutant South African strain  but should still prevent serious illness and death, health chiefs said yesterday.

Dr Susan Hopkins, from Public Health England, raised hopes the Pfizer and Oxford jabs will effectively tackle the variant.

Two other vaccines  from Johnson & Johnson and Novavax  proved effective in trials in South Africa. They were found to provide around 60 per cent protection against the mutant infection, compared to almost 90 per cent for classic Covid.

Importantly, none of those infected in South Africa ended up in hospital or dead.

Vaccines are not as effective against the mutant South African strain  but should still prevent serious illness and death, health chiefs said yesterday

Dr Hopkins said: We expect all other vaccines to have a similar level of effectiveness, particularly in reducing hospitalisation and death. Were doing detailed laboratory studies at the moment with the South African variant growing in the labs, so that we will be able to estimate that with greater robustness over the next couple of weeks.

The single-shot jab from Johnson & Johnson provided 57 per cent protection against moderate to severe Covid in the South African clinical trials. Britain has 30 million doses of the jab on order, with an option to buy 22 million more.

Meanwhile the vaccine from Novavax, which will supply 60 million doses to the UK, was found to be 60 per cent effective in preventing mild, moderate and severe Covid in its South African trial, where people did not have HIV. Both vaccines provided 100 per cent protection against hospitalisation or death.

At the weekend, Dr Hopkins described the results as reassuring news on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show, adding: I think its hard to imagine how the different vaccines wont have similar levels of effectiveness  I think they would have at least 50 per cent, maybe even more.

Yesterday, speaking at the Downing Street press conference, she dispelled fears that people recently vaccinated would have to start over again because of the risk from new strains. Dr Hopkins said: It is unlikely that people would have to start (the vaccine treatment) again, it is much more likely that it would be a booster shot  a bit like the annual flu vaccine.

The single-shot jab from Johnson & Johnson provided 57 per cent protection against moderate to severe Covid in the South African clinical trials. Britain has 30 million doses of the jab on order, with an option to buy 22 million more

Professor Adam Finn, a member of the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation, also said yesterday that the vaccines currently deployed in the UK are likely to tackle the South African variant.

Experts had feared its mutations may cause problems for the jabs, which were designed to tackle previous strains, such as the original one which emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan. But Professor Finn told Radio 4s The World at One: It may be the case that they are just slightly less efficient than they are against the original Wuhan virus, but that doesnt mean that they are not useful.

These vaccines are much more effective than we dared hope for in the first place, so some reduction in their efficiency is not a disaster. It is just making life more difficult. We do have to recognise that we are facing a very agile enemy. We have to up our game, get better and more efficient ways of tracking these new variants as they arrive.

Ministers are increasingly confident of hitting their target of vaccinating the 15 million most vulnerable by mid-February.

Figures show 9,790,576 Covid jabs have now been given, of which 9,296,367 were first doses. That means 407,402 first doses would be needed each day in order to meet the target of 15 million first doses by February 15.
No B.S. Skincare Products to Become Available on Target.com Beginning in February 2021



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PureK Holdings Corp. (the "Company") (TSX Venture: PKAN), along with its majority-owned CBD subsidiary company, PureKana, LLC, ("PureKana"), is pleased to announce that it has executed a definitive agreement (the "Agreement") with DTC Brands, LLC (the "Seller") to acquire all of the outstanding membership interests of No B.S. Life, LLC ("No B.S. Skincare"), an industry-leading clean-formula skin care and beauty company. All figures in this news release are in U.S. dollars, unless otherwise indicated.

No B.S. Skincare was founded to provide consumers a clean and environmentally friendly alternative to the excesses of the beauty industry. No B.S. Skincares products are made with potent, plant-based and scientifically proven ingredients and  unlike other skincare solutions - with absolutely no harmful chemicals like parabens, sulfates, or phthalates, and no synthetic fragrances. All of their products are responsibly made in America and are never tested on animals.

In addition to the execution of the Agreement, the Company is pleased to announce that all No B.S. Skincare products, including its Award-Winning Caffeine Eye Cream and Retinol Night Cream, Charcoal Peel-Off Mask, Moisturizers, Serums, Toner, Cleanser, and Acne Patches, will become available through the website of major retailer Target beginning on or about February 28, 2021.

Key focuses of growth for PureK Holdings Corp. are in the skincare and pet categories, global market entries and omni-channel expansion. With the addition of No B.S. Skincare to its portfolio, PureK Holdings Corp. is positioned to capitalize on what is expected to be strong growth in both the global skin care and beauty markets and in the CBD consumer products market. The global CBD-infused skincare market is expected to reach $3.2 billion by 2025, with an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 25% in that time, according to Allied Market Research. The global skincare market was estimated to total approximately $198.3 billion by 2025, according to Statista. Moreover, the Company sees significant tailwinds in its current plant-based portfolio. According to Meticulous Research, the plant-based products category is forecast to reach $74.2 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 11.9%.

No B.S. Skincares unique approach to its portfolio is a perfect fit to fuel PureK Holdings holistic wellness growth strategy, said Kathy Casey, CEO of PureK Holdings Corp. We see synergies in our joint mission to democratize plant-based wellness through the powerful combination of nature and science.

The Agreement

Under the terms of the Agreement, PureK Holdings Corp. and its majority-owned subsidiary, PureKana, will acquire all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of No B.S. Life, LLC, with 65% of the purchase price to be paid by PureK Holdings Corp. and 35% to be paid by PureKana, with resulting proportional ownership interests.

PureK Holdings Corp. will issue $4 million payable in unsecured convertible debentures, with 3.25% non-compounding interest, payable in cash or common shares of PureK Holdings Corp., with a maturity date of twenty-four (24) months following the date of closing. Under the terms of the convertible debentures, the Seller has the option, on a monthly basis after the issuance of the convertible debentures, to convert any portion thereof (including accrued interest on such portion) into common shares of the Company, provided that the Seller shall not hold, at any time, in excess of 7% of the then current issued and outstanding common shares of the Company. Any portion or all of the convertible debentures which have not been so converted into common shares shall be payable in cash at the maturity date. The conversion price of the convertible debentures shall be the higher of CAD$10.00 and the volume weighted average price of the Company's shares determined based on the 15 trading days immediately preceding the date of notice of conversion (the "VWAP"). In addition, the Company will make a cash payment of $500,000 within six (6) months of the date of closing. PureKana has paid a refundable deposit in the amount of $1.5 million and will pay an additional $1 million in cash on closing.

The Seller will be eligible to receive earnout compensation of $1 million if the companys revenues and EBITDA equal or exceed $6 million and $360,000, respectively, in fiscal 2021, and/or $2.5 million if the companys revenues and EBITDA exceed $8 million and $480,000, respectively, in fiscal 2022. Any earnout amounts will be payable in cash or in the form of common shares of the Company, valued using the higher of CAD$10.00 and the VWAP at the time of payment.

The Company's obligation and ability to close the acquisition is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval and standard closing conditions for transactions of this nature.

About PureK Holdings Corp.

PureK Holdings Corp. leads an international omni-channel platform with diversified assets in the emerging plant-based and holistic wellness consumer product categories. The companys mission is focused on leading innovation for the informed Millennial and Generation Z generations in the rapidly growing plant-based, natural, and clean ingredient space. The company continues to focus on expansion into high-growth consumer product categories including CBD products, plant-based food and beverage, and the global pet care and skin care industries. For more information on PureK Holdings Corp., please visit https://purekana.com/investor-relations/.

For further information:

Brian Meadows

Chief Financial Officer

Ph: +1 (855) 553-7441

Email: ir@purekana.com

Daniel Nussbaum

Media and Investor Relations

Ph: +1 (917) 232-8960

Email: Daniel@amwpr.com

Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" as such terms are used in applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information are based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and are subject to certain factors and assumptions, including, that the closing conditions in the Agreement are satisfied or waived and the acquisition of No B.S. Skincare will be completed, that regulatory approval of the acquisition of No B.S. Skincare will be obtains, that the Companys financial condition and development plans do not change as a result of unforeseen events and that the Company obtains regulatory approval. The Company's obligation and ability to close the acquisition is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval and standard closing conditions for transactions of this nature, including, among other things, (i) accuracy of representations and warranties and compliance with covenants and obligations, (ii) receipt of required regulatory and third party consents, officers' and secretary's certificates, and (iii) other customary closing documentation and conditions. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause plans, estimates and actual results to vary materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements and information. Factors that could cause the forward-looking statements and information in this news release to change or to be inaccurate include, but are not limited to, the risk that any of the assumptions referred to prove not to be valid or reliable, that occurrences such as those referred to above are realized and result in delays, or cessation in planned work, that the Companys financial condition and development plans change, and delays in regulatory approval, as well as the other risks and uncertainties applicable to the CBD industry and to the Company, as set forth in the Companys Filing Statement in respect of its qualifying transaction filed under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements and information, other than as required by applicable law.

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 press release.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8c6552fb-add9-4129-91c4-86fece9fab03
Vietnam's Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Hanoi, January 26, 2021. Photo by Vietnam News Agency.

Chinese Communist Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping has congratulated Vietnam's Party Chief Nguyen Phu Trong on his re-election as General Secretary of the 13th Communist Party Central Committee.

Xi said in his message on Sunday that he was glad to hear that Trong has been re-elected to the Vietnam Communist Partys top post and would like to extend warm congratulations, and through him, to the new Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) leadership, both personally and on behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

The People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, also reported Xi as noting that the CPV, under the strong leadership of the 12th Party Central Committee headed by Trong, has gained achievements in the cause of socialist construction and reform.

The successful convention of the 13th National Party Congress has started a new journey in Vietnam's socialist modernization, Xi said.

He expressed his belief that under the leadership of the new CPV Central Committee headed by Trong, new greater achievements will be made in various fields.

"China and Vietnam are friendly socialist neighbors and also a community with a shared future of strategic significance," Xi said.

The Chinese leader also said that he attaches great importance to relations between the two parties and the two countries, and stands ready to work with Trong to enhance strategic communication, promote traditional friendship, and deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, aiming to deliver more benefits to the people of both countries and contributing to promoting regional and global peace, development and win-win cooperation.

Trong, 77, was re-elected for another five-year term, the third in a row "with almost absolute votes" during the first plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee Sunday morning.

Trong, who is older than the age requirements, was among the "special cases" introduced by the 12th Party Central Committee for re-election to the 13th Party Central Committee. He became General Secretary of the Party Central Committee in 2011, and was re-elected to the position in 2016. He was elected president in October 2018, simultaneously heading the Party and executive branches of the governance, following the death of President Tran Dai Quang due to serious illness.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
The move by the TGA to down-schedule low-dose CBD preparations unlocks a market estimated to exceed $200 million per annum.

Martin & Pleasance has an extensive workforce directly servicing over 4,000 pharmacies in Australia and New Zealand

( ) (FRA:1X8) ( ) has welcomed the introduction of over-the-counter sales of low-dose cannabidiol (CBD) products in Australian pharmacies from 1 February 2021.

The company is well-positioned to capitalise this growing market opportunity, through its strategic heads of agreement with leading natural, sustainable health and lifestyle brand supplier Martin & Pleasance Pty Ltd, which has access to over 4,000 pharmacies across Australia.

The move by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to down-schedule low-dose CBD preparations from Schedule 4 (Prescription Medicine) to Schedule 3 (Pharmacist Only Medicine) unlocks a market estimated to exceed $200 million per annum.

Another revenue stream

Creso Pharma non-executive chairman Adam Blumenthal said: Today is a major milestone for the Australian medicinal cannabis industry, which we anticipate will grow rapidly over the coming months.

The TGAs decision to allow the sale of lowdose CBD products to consumers without a prescription provides Creso Pharma with another exciting opportunity to grow in Australia and another potential revenue stream for the company.

We will continue to work with Martin & Pleasance to define the specific regulatory pathway for our product in the Australian market and look forward to proving its superiority through the ARTG registration process.

Creso continues to progress a number of growth initiatives in Australia and internationally and looks forward to updating shareholders as developments materialise.

Martin & Pleasance deal

Martin & Pleasance has its own in-house regulatory team and an extensive workforce directly servicing over 4,000 pharmacies in Australia and New Zealand, as well as online channels, grocery and practitioner suppliers.

Cresos collaboration with Martin & Pleasance is progressing very well.

Both parties are currently sharing information to progress potential regulatory pathways for low-dose CBD products and defining business cases, which will allow Creso to considerably grow its footprint with Australian pharmacies.

Australian market

The TGA decision has led to CBD products containing up to a maximum of 150mg/day, for use in adults that have been approved by the TGA, to be sold by a pharmacist to customers without a prescription.

Products must be approved by the TGA and included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).

The company has an existing portfolio of CBD products being actively sold in several countries globally, with its flagship CannaQIX 50 product already available in Australia via prescription, under the LozaCan brand.

Global trend

TGA regulatory approval is demonstrative of a growing global trend towards relaxation of legislation, making Creso products much more easily accessible to patients.

Creso Pharma is also pre-empting further relaxations of cannabis regulations in other jurisdictions globally, including the US, and is advancing discussions with potential distribution and channel partners to position itself as a first-mover in the US and other markets, at the appropriate time.
Clay Magouyrk

Executive Vice President of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

Large companies are always torn between preserving their investments in key information technology and adopting the latest-and-greatest advancements. Oftentimes moving to the latest thing means leaving the old latest thing behind despite the huge value it continues to provide.

For example, VMware has an estimated 80% market share for on-premises virtualization software, according to IDC[1] while Gartner predicts that within four years, 80% of organizations will have migrated away from their on-premises data centers to the cloud[2].

To expedite the IT evolution to the cloud while preserving companies investment in key on-premises technology, Oracle and VMware have teamed up to deliver an ideal cloud platform for enterprise applications and workloads that run in a VMware Software Defined Data Center.

Oracle Cloud VMware Solution enables enterprises to quickly migrate their VMware environments from data center hardware to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure without retooling applications or altering best practices and operational processes. Oracle Cloud VMware Solution delivers an enterprise-grade, production-proven solution for VMware customers looking to save money, increase agility, and boost system performance the cloud while using the VMware technology they know and trust.

We caught up with Clay Magouyrk, Executive Vice President of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, to get his thoughts on the IT requirements of global enterprises and how Oracle leverages more than four decades of experience delivering IT systems that satisfy the most stringent requirements of enterprises, institutions, and agencies  in the cloud.

Q: How did Oracle and VMware start the conversation that led to Oracle developing Oracle Cloud VMware Solution?

A: Oracle and VMware are long-time partners with many joint customers.

Both companies recognized that a significant number of our shared customers depend on our globally scalable and highly available platform to operate applications and systems that underpin their ongoing business. Customers have many Oracle applications, databases, and other workloads operating in on-premises VMware environments that they want to move to the cloud. We needed to deliver a cloud solution that would allow those customers running Oracle + VMware software to seamlessly migrate their on-premises VMware workloads to a public cloud infrastructure with no disruption to business continuity.

We also wanted to ensure that customers would continue to have a native VMware user experience in the cloud and be able to extend their hardened on-premises VMware best practices to it. Finally, we wanted to offer a global cloud native solution that is enterprise ready and cost-effective on a next-generation cloud platform.

To address our mutual customers cloud migration needs, Oracle and VMware announced a deep product integration and an enhanced joint support agreement in 2019. This agreement outlined terms for supporting our mutual customers operating Oracle applications and databases in VMware environments. We also jointly announced the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution, which delivers an industry-first, cloud-native VMware experience on Oracle Cloud.

Q: Please tell us about the resulting solution.

A: Oracle Cloud VMware Solution is the only cloud-native, fully customer-controlled and customer-operated VMware solution on the market today. This solution takes the VMware Software Defined Data Center, Cloud Foundation, and makes it available in Oracle Cloud. The Oracle and VMware product integration enables customers to easily bring their existing VMware workloads into the Oracle Cloud without modification and helps ensure flawless migrations. In this way, customers can leverage their existing investments in people, processes, tools, and technology to extend their cloud strategy.

In much the same way, customers operating Oracle applications can now easily operate on VMware in the Oracle Cloud. Additionally, customers can deploy cloud-native services such as HPC, Autonomous Databases, Kubernetes, and other cloud infrastructure services directly from their OCI account running VMware.

Q: What is driving demand for the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution?

A: VMware has been a significant part of customers on-premises IT infrastructure. Over many years, customers have hardened their best practices, customized application development, and created IT centers of excellence that rely on VMwares proven technology. Customers need to be able to leverage these existing, proven investments in VMware and operate in the cloud.

Customers told us that they also wanted more control, as well as fast infrastructure provisioning and access to other cloud services. So, we built a different type of offering.

We designed the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution in collaboration with VMware product and engineering teams to deeply integrate VMware Cloud Foundation elements into the Oracle Cloud stack. The resulting product enables us to deliver a solution that can power up in less than three hours. Our customers can start migrating their on-premises workloads in minutes. This has resonated well with our customers.

Q: How does the solution work?

A: At its core, the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution addresses three customer requirements: security, predictability and control of cloud-based VMware environments.

Security:

 Oracle Cloud VMware Solution can provide a secure environment as its based on our second-generation Oracle Cloud. We completely isolate the hardware for each customer. Once Oracle deploys cloud instances to our customers, we dont have any visibility into the code on their cloud instance. More importantly, we dont share any of our code on the same cloud instance as our customer. By design, Oracle, or any other tenant on our cloud, will never have access to any other customers code as each system is uniquely isolated from each other based on our security-first, zero-trust isolated network architecture.

 Theres a certain amount of security standards that VMware SDDCs have established over the years. With Oracle Cloud VMware Solution, our customers can continue to maintain those well-established security standards.

 Net-net, when you couple VMwares well-understood security guardrails and Oracles industrial-grade security, you have security layers to protect your data and application continuity.

Predictability:

Customers need predictability in time-to-productivity, stability of data sources, technical support, and simplified pricing.

 Time-to-productivity is dependent on systems that map to business needs. One of the reasons VMware is so successful is that it standardized data center operations. This enables IT professionals to rapidly map systems to business needs. In much the same way, Oracle Cloud VMware Solution allows a customer to set up a VMware Software Defined Datacenter with three starting nodes in less than three hours and then be able to add a new node in minutes. The Oracle Cloud enables customers to scale their cloud infrastructure up or down based on real-time business needs. This is a global solution, available in every OCI region, including in an on-premises, Dedicated Region Cloud@Customer hardware stack. Customers designed their global presence to suit their needs. We designed our solutions to meet them where they need us.

The Oracle Cloud VMware Solution allows customers to migrate their VMware environments as-is and without any code changes or application refactoring. This is especially important as IT and business leaders have defined and mapped systems together to address business needs.

These systems need to be predictably managedcontracted, expanded, modified, and depreciated to maintain consistency in time-to-productivity. Customers dont want to disrupt their existing application portfolios as they move to the cloud. We designed our VMware solution to meet that expectation.

 Data is something that Oracle knows a great deal about. The ability to have predictability when managing data in any IT environment is very important. Oracle customers trust our leadership in data management; we underscore that with mutual tech support to our customers. Also, Oracle has a strong opinion of how customers manage datainto and out of cloud-centric databases. We believe our customers shouldnt incur any punitive and unpredictable effects or costs from moving data among data centers and our cloud regions.

 Technical support for IT operations is a must. Questions sometimes arise when migrating from an on-premises environment to the cloud. Enterprises require accountability from a single point of contact for technical support. Oracle includes full level 1 and level 2 support for our Oracle Cloud VMware Solution. Our relationship with VMware, combined with a deep understanding of vSphere, enables us to offer this deep level of support.

Control of cloud-based VMware environments:

 Simplified pricing and procurement for cost and billing is also important to our customers. IT Managers understand the costs that are mapped to their systems. Oracle is clear about what the costs are when we sell subscriptions to Oracle Cloud VMware Solution to customers. We also have the same costs in every Cloud region. Other cloud providers often vary their prices for certain services across different regions. This adds an unpredictable factor to managing infrastructure. Additionally, Oracle Cloud VMware Solution appears as a single line item in our customers cloud invoice. This minimizes the complexity of procuring and managing licenses and cloud utility costs.

Q: What kinds of enterprises will find the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution most compelling?

A: Organizations that have a significant investment in a VMware Software Defined Data Center and a strategy to migrate to the public cloud will find Oracle Cloud VMware Solution most compelling. These organizations will evaluate and determine that Oracle offers the most compelling solution for migrating a VMware Estate to the cloud.

We spoke about security earlier. Security is a paramount concern for enterprise customers. Oracle extends its robust enterprise-grade security into the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution.

Customers and their services partners that require direct control over their entire VMware Estate will enjoy a VMware-native operating experience. The Oracle offering is unlike all other cloud providers. Oracle does not have access to our customers root credentials or dictate when our customers need to update or upgrade software.

Additionally, Oracle Cloud VMware Solution is a first-class citizen, Oracle Cloud VMware Solution services are available on day one for all of our commercial, government, and dedicated regions. Enterprises that require global deployment and scale for VMware in the cloud can get it with Oracle.

Q: Are there any data points we can include to highlight how customers responded to the partnership between Oracle and VMware announced last September at Oracle OpenWorld?

A: Since our offering became generally available in August 2020, Oracle has experienced an increase in customer subscriptions to the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution. We have customers in telecommunications, supply chain and logistics, financial services, energy services, and retail services that are rapidly expanding their production workloads using Oracle Cloud VMware Solution. Customers, such as Entel, have deployed and expanded their production workloads on Oracle Cloud VMware Solution. A common thread among our customers is the benefits and value of operating full VMware Software Defined Data Centers in the Oracle Cloud with improved performance, availability, and lower costs.

Q: Why in your opinion is there such a significant synergy between Oracle and VMware?

A: Oracle and VMware share the same values and ethos when it comes to delivering the best technology solutions for our enterprise, institution, and agency customers around the world. We believe in listening to our customers, developing products based on their requests, and constantly improving to deliver solutions that our customers need. Both companies have a strong presence in IT environments where we solve the toughest challenges for our customers. Customers have learned to trust us for our ability to deliver solutions for decades and are counting on us now to extend that into the cloud.

Q: Why is it of crucial importance that the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution be VMware Cloud Verified?

A: A primary design principle of the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution is to deliver a native VMware experience that includes full control, just like an on-premises data center while maintaining a consistent VMware Software Defined Data Center as a first-class citizen in Oracle Cloud. We need our customers to have confidence that all of their VMware workloads will operate seamlessly and without modification in Oracle Cloud VMware Solution. VMware Cloud Verified is a mark that VMware customers recognize and that Oracle takes seriously.
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
Maynooth University (MU) has welcomed an investment of 193 million in five Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centres for a further five years announced today by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris.

The investment is set to benefit the whole country with 17 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), including Maynooth University, partnering in Centres.

The money will support around 1,060 graduate and postdoctoral students and research fellows across the five Centres, ADAPT, CONNECT, LERO, CURAM and iCrag.

The investment breakdown per Centre (including overheads) is: ADAPT: 42,090,078; CONNECT: 38,864,909; CURAM: 46,372,380; iCRAG: 28,273,066 and Lero: 37,449,510

The investment is further backed by significant industry support from 200 industry partners committing over 91 million in cash and in-kind contributions.

The research areas focused on by the five Centres, which are in their second phase, will include smart medical devices, e-health, telecommunications networks, the Internet of Things, cybersecurity, smart cities, artificial intelligence, ethics and data privacy, as well as applied geosciences, energy security and marine resources.

The SFI Research Centres Programme was first launched in 2012 to achieve this objective. There are currently sixteen SFI Research Centres, established through a cumulative investment of 684 million from Government through SFI, and a further 466 million committed by industry.

Minister Simon Harris said the investment will ensure that Ireland is prepared for the changes and disruption that it is facing in addressing global societal and economic challenges.

Prof Ray ONeill, Vice President of Research and Innovation at MU, said the investment announced today will further support MU to extend our innovative STEM and social science research in partnership with Irish enterprise.

Among key MU staff involved are: Prof Aphra Kerr, Department of Sociology and MU Social Sciences Institute, who has been appointed partner institution lead by ADAPT at Maynooth University; Prof Brian Donnellan, School of Business and Innovation Value Institute, is leading research at Maynooth for Lero, the Irish Software Research Centre; Prof Markus Helfert, School of Business and Innovation Value Institute, is leading research at Lero and ADAPT; Prof Ronan Farrell, Dept of Electronic Engineering and Hamilton Institute, is leading a team at CONNECT, the Research Centre for Future Networks and Communications; Prof David Malone, Hamilton Institute and Dept of Mathematics and Statistics, is leading research and outreach in CONNECT and Prof Tim McCarthy, National Centre for Geocomputation, leads research projects in iCrag.

The 200 industry collaborators will include multinational companies (47%), SMEs (32%) and other consortium groups (21%) based in Ireland and internationally.

The five Centres are partnered with companies such as Accenture, Analog Devices, ARUP, Benetel, Cisco, Combilift, Dairymaster, Dell, Dense Air, Deutsche Bank, eBay, Fidelity Investments, Glandore, Huawei, IBM, Informatica, Intel, Kostal, Logitech, Mazda, Microsoft, Nexalus, Ocuco, Ryanair, Salaso Healthcare, United Technologies, Valeo, Xperi and Xilinx.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has named appointees for senior agency positions. Bhavya Lal joins the agency as acting chief of staff, Phillip Thompson will serve as White House liaison, Alicia Brown will serve as associate administrator for the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Marc Etkind will serve as associate administrator for the agency's Office of Communications. In addition, Jackie McGuinness will join the agency as press secretary and Reagan Hunter will serve as special assistant for the agency's Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Bhavya Lal, Acting Chief of Staff

Lal brings extensive experience in engineering and space technology, serving as a member of the research staff at the Institute for Defense Analyses Science and Technology Policy Institute (STPI) from 2005 to 2020. There, she led analysis of space technology, strategy, and policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Space Council, as well as federal space-oriented organizations, including NASA, the Department of Defense, and the intelligence community.

Lal is an active member of the space technology and policy community, having chaired, co-chaired, or served on five high-impact National Academy of Science committees. She served two consecutive terms on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Federal Advisory Committee on Commercial Remote Sensing and was an External Council member of NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts Program and the Technology, Innovation and Engineering Advisory Committee of the NASA Advisory Council. Before joining STPI, Lal was president of C-STPS LLC, a science and technology policy research and consulting firm. Prior to that, she was the director of the Center for Science and Technology Policy Studies at Abt Associates, a global policy research consultancy based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Lal will also serve as the senior advisor for budget and finance at NASA. Read her full bio.

Phillip Thompson, White House Liaison

Phillip Thompson comes to NASA after serving as the coalitions advisor to the coordinated campaign to help elect Sen. Jon Ossoff and Sen. Rafael Warnock in the U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia. In the general election, Thompson served as Georgia Coalitions Director for President Biden, where he led a team to help engage one of the most diverse electorates in history.

Thompson also has advised state and local officials on public engagement in Arizona, California, Texas, and Hawaii, as director of candidate development for the Leadership for Educational Equity. While helping build campaigns, Phillip led the political research firm, The Maccabee Group as a former partner, advising members of Congress in New Mexico and Nevada, as well as efforts in Ohio and North Carolina. He has dedicated much of his career to community infrastructure and advocacy, previously serving as deputy executive director of the Florida Democratic Party and former campaign manager at the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Read his bio.

Alicia Brown, Associate Administrator, Office of Legislative and Interagency Affairs

Brown joins NASA with extensive experience in government and government relations. Brown will direct a staff responsible for managing correspondence and requests for information received from the U.S. Congress and handling requests for legislative material, as well as serve as a senior advisor to agency leaders on legislative matters.

Prior to joining NASA, from 2015 to January 2021, Brown served as a professional staff member for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, including the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space and the Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather. In this role, she helped develop space legislation and performed oversight on policy and programs for multiple agencies, including NASA. Prior to that, she served as government relations manager for Harris Corporation.

Brown also has experience advising on policy regarding space programs, national security, and the defense budget as a legislative aide to former Sen. Bill Nelson. Read her full bio.

Marc Etkind, Associate Administrator, Office of Communications

Etkind joins NASA with more than two decades of experience in development, production, content strategy, and management for science-based programming organizations. Etkind directs internal and external communications for NASA and serves as a senior advisor to agency leaders. He is responsible for managing an agencywide staff of more than 200 that implements all aspects of NASA's external and internal communications.

Previously, Etkind served as general manager for the Science Channel, part of Discovery Inc., a position he began in 2015. In that capacity, he was responsible for all aspects of development, production, brand strategy, and day-to-day operations for the network.

Etkind brought back to the network the robot competition "BattleBots," launched STEM-focused "MythBusters Jr," initiated the network's live coverage of the Great American Eclipse and NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 Mission to the International Space Station, and commissioned award-winning specials, including "Cassini's Grand Finale" and "History of Pluto."

Prior to that, Etkind served Discovery Inc. as general manager and senior vice president for content strategy for Destination America and vice president for development for Animal Planet. In addition, his experience includes serving as senior director of programming for the History Channel and founder and CEO of Pinball Productions. Etkind's credits include "NOVA," "Scientific American Frontiers with Alan Alda," "Discover Magazine," "This Week in History," "How It's Made," and "How the Universe Works," as well as exhibits for the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and many more. Read his full bio.

Jackie McGuinness, Press Secretary

Most recently, McGuiness served as communications director for U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell of Alabama, where she worked on a host of issues, including the congresswoman's work on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Previously, she served as Florida press secretary on President Joe Biden's presidential campaign and press secretary for U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, the former Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee with oversight over NASA. Read her full bio.

Reagan Hunter, Special Assistant, Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs

Hunter joins NASA after previously working at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston from 2012 to 2019. Providing support to the associate administrator for OLIA, Hunter maintains relationships between NASA and the U.S. Congress and promotes agency programs, initiatives, and goals. While at Johnson, Hunter worked in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer as a program analyst primarily supporting the center's Engineering Directorate. Read his bio.

For more information on NASA and agency programs, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


Russia has launched R&D to create fourth generation combat outfit of a soldier. It will replace third-generation Sotnik, which is also being designed to replace second-generation Ratnik, Rostec Corporation said. It is doing the research on orders of the Defense Ministry.

Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Concept of BEV "Ratnik-3" (Picture source: Rostec)

TsNIItochmash and the Kalashnikov Concern, as well as other companies participate in the design. The R&D will analyze advanced outfits of the world armies and determine the guidelines to develop the fourth-generation outfit. A full set of research and development, as well as technological research will be done. The effort will result in an interdepartmental complex goal-oriented program to develop the outfit by 2035.

The fourth-generation outfit is a principally new gear, which demands to look into the future. It will unite the latest achievements of the Russian military-defense complex, new protection and life-support systems, robotized equipment and integrated information exchange systems. The outfit demands a big volume of research. We have begun the first stage to determine tactical and technical requirements, Rostec Industrial Director Bekhan Ozdoev said.

Rostec supplied over 300,000 sets of second-generation Ratnik outfit by the end of 2020. The corporation is designing third-generation Sotnik and some of its elements are undergoing preliminary trials. Sotnik will have a low weight and increased protection due to durable and light super highly molecular polyethylene fabric. Military specialists are designing tactical and technical requirements for Sotnik. They are to be ready in 2021.

The elastic material of the outfit fits the soldiers figure and provides free movement to carry additional gear. The protection class of Sotnik against outside damage is higher than predecessors. It can stop a fragment flying at a speed of 670 m/sec and cushion the shock impulse by absorbing means.

The third generation of the outfit will increase the capabilities of a soldier at least 1.5 times and decrease the mass 30 percent. The outfit will exceed foreign analogues. It will have an active exoskeleton to increase the capabilities of the supporting-motor apparatus. The electronic vizard allows firing from a gun guided by a laser beam. The new outfit option will be single for the airborne and ground forces of Russia.

Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov said Sotnik has to replace Ratnik in 2025. It will be a completely new outfit with the best high-tech designs of Russian enterprises, he said. Sotnik is a new design based on Ratnik experience.

Many countries are developing new-generation outfit. The soldier of the future program is spreading, although most designed outfits have not been accepted into service. The design remains at the initial level despite announcements to upgrade the combat outfit.

Thus, the Russian latest design of individual outfit of a soldier corresponds to modern trends. It is appropriate to compare second-generation Ratnik with modern western IdZES 2.0. It can be stated that the Russian lead designer TsNIItochmash is ahead of the German Rheinmetall Defence. Ratnik is built by a modular principle and can be supplied in several configurations with various electronic equipment. The outfit can be configured according to each individual soldier. Ratnik can be supplied in an ordinary and assault option. The third-generation outfit is to have an electronic vizard. High protection is an important advantage of the Russian outfit.

A tactical drone and sound localization system are offered for IdZES 2.0. The modular Ratnik structure makes it easy to integrate the same components. It is therefore possible to state that Russian individual outfit of the new generation at least corresponds to modern world trends and is often ahead of them, Rostec said.

 Copyright 2021 TASS / Army Recognition Group SPRL . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Arab League (AL) Secretary-General Ahmed Abul-Gheit held a meeting on Monday with Chairman of the African Union (AU) Commission Moussa Faki, where they discussed means of boosting bilateral relations in different fields to serve common interests.

During their ninth meeting in Cairo, Abul-Gheit and Faki tackled the AU-AL partnership and efforts to implement decisions taken at the 4th Arab-African summit held in Malabo in 2016, according to a statement issued by the two sides.

They also discussed the latest developments at the Arab and African levels and agreed to intensify efforts aimed at supporting Libyan parties to resume the peaceful settlement of their country's crisis.

They also voiced their support for Sudan and Somalia to complete the political transition period and restore stability, respectively.

The two sides also discussed the latest developments in the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and agreed to hold the tenth meeting for general cooperation between the Arab League and the AU Commission in 2022 in Addis Ababa.

Abul-Gheit praised the AUs stance in support of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

Faki, meanwhile, said the AU will continue to support the Palestinian people to get their freedom and have an independent Palestinian state.

Short link:


The Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had not allowed political parties in the movement against new central farm laws but took political support "only after democracy was mocked" at protest sites, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait said Sunday.

Tikait made the remark as hundreds of farmers reached a key protest site on the Delhi-Meerut highway in Ghazipur on the capital's border with Uttar Pradesh where they danced to upbeat tunes, creating a festive atmosphere as more supporters continued to pour in.

Security measures were strengthened with multi-layer barricading that included iron and concrete structures, while barbed wires also came up on both sides of the highway stretch that has become the BKU's camping site since November 28 last year in a major farmers' stir over three new farm laws of the Centre.

Farmers reached the Ghazipur border from western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand as a turban-clad Rakesh Tikait led the charge for the BKU, the appeal of which coupled with a clarion call from a January 29 "mahapanchayat" of farmers in Muzaffarnagar has re-energised the stir, which was fast losing its sheen and momentum after the Republic Day violence in Delhi.

In response to a question, Tikait said, the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) had not allowed political parties to enter the movement because our movement is apolitical. Support from political parties was taken only after democracy was mocked over the protests. But still, politicians are kept away from the stage of farmers' protest.

On Sunday, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal reached Ghazipur. Besides him, regional leaders of Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Samajwadi Party also met with BKU office-bearers, extending their support in the fight for their demand for rollback of the new laws.

Modi saab nu kisaanan di mann di gal sunni chahidi hai (Prime Minister Narendra Modi should listen to the heart's talk of the farmers), said Badal, whose party broke ties from the BJP-led NDA over the contentious laws last year.

Tikait said the farmer unions are hoping for a resolution of the deadlock through dialogue and if the prime minister wants to talk to the farmers, they will ensure dignity of the PM's post but also protect their self-interest.

On if and when will the farmers decide on talking to the government, Tikait said, I am one of the 40 members of the farmers' delegation but the decision on talks would be taken by the SKM committee.

According to the Ghaziabad administration, senior officials and police officers are regularly monitoring the situation at the Ghazipur border.

Vehicles proceeding towards and coming from the protest site are being checked while drones were deployed for aerial monitoring at the site, which had thousands of protestors on Sunday, according to officials.

"The situation is under control and is being regularly monitored," an officer of the district administration said.

The groups of farmers camping at the site braving the cold nights were seen dancing to folk tunes and songs eulogising the nation and farmers as some young protesters carried music systems to Ghazipur on their tractor-trollies.

Thousands of farmers have been protesting at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, demanding a rollback of 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.

The protesting farmers have expressed the apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price (MSP) system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring better opportunities to farmers and introduce new technologies in agriculture.

(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 on Monday expressed "deep concern" on the developments in and said it believes that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld.

The military on Monday staged a coup and detained State Counsellor and several other civilian leaders.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it is monitoring the situation closely.

"We have noted the developments in with deep concern. India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar. We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld. We are monitoring the situation closely," the ministry statement read.

The military on Monday declared a state of emergency in the country for one year, following the coup, where Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials have been detained by the military.

The state power has been handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Min Aung Hlaing, while Myanmar's first Vice-President Myint Swe will serve as the acting president of the country,

Telecommunications in the capital city of Naypyitaw and some other regions and states are also being cut off.

The newly-elected lower house of the parliament was due to convene on Monday however the military called for a postponement.

According to Sputnik, In January, Myanmar's military raised the prospect of a coup d'etat after what they believed was widespread voter fraud during the November 8 election, which was the country's second general election since the end of military rule in 2011.

(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.)
[February 01, 2021] TauIQ Launches in Invicro's Core Lab Alongside Seminal Publication in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine

Invicro LLC, a Konica Minolta (News - Alert) company announces that the paper, TauIQ - A canonical image-based algorithm to quantify tau PET scans, will be published in The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM). In conjunction with this publication, Invicro has launched 21 CFR Part 11 compliant TauIQ services in its Core Lab as part of its expanded IQ-Analytics Platform, which includes AmyloidIQ and DaTIQ. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005708/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) Invicro scientists, Drs. Alex Whittington and Roger Gunn, are co-authors of this pioneering research which describes the development and validation of TauIQ as a superior method for the quantitative analysis of Tau PET biomarker data in Alzheimer's Disease clinical trials. TauIQ demonstrated a 2-3-fold increase in power over currently available methods and promises to increase the value of tau imaging endpoints for decision making in clinical trials. "This groundbreaking approach will have a significant impact on clinical imaging trials in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The improved signals provided by TauIQ will increase power for the longitudinal assessment of therapeutic interventions and also help in the stratification of early AD populations as part of trial eligibility. With the ever-increasing importance that Pharma companies are placing on tau as an endpoint in AD clinical trials this is particularly timely," stated Dr. Roger Gunn, Chief Scientific Office, Neuroscience for Invicro and Professor of Molecular NeuroImaging at Imperial College London.



Invicro is a global provider of imaging biomarkers, core lab services, advanced analytics and software solutions for drug discovery and development. TauIQ analytics are now deployed in Invicro's Core Lab delivering 21 CFR Part 11 compliant analyses supporting regulatory submissions. This further adds to Invicro's core lab IQ-analytics platform which also offers AmyloidIQ for the analysis of amyloid PET data. To obtain more information about TauIQ or AmyloidIQ please send email inquiries to info@invicro.com. "We are extremely honored to have JNM, an esteemed medical imaging journal, recognize this transformational study that will significantly support advances in AD research," stated Dr. Alex Whittington, Senior Neuro-PET Analytics Scientist for Invicro.

JNM is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal and the flagship publication of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). According to the 2019 Journal Citation Reports, JNM is ranked fifth amongst medical imaging journals. The journal publishes research covering on all aspects of nuclear medicine, including molecular imaging. JNM published "TauIQ - A canonical image-based algorithm to quantify tau PET scans" on 01 February 2021. About Invicro Headquartered in Boston, MA, Invicro was founded in 2008 with the mission of improving the role and function of imaging in translational drug discovery and development across all therapeutic areas. Today, Invicro's multi-disciplinary team provides solutions to pharmaceutical and biotech companies across all stages of the drug development pipeline (Phase 0-IV), all imaging modalities and all therapeutic areas, including neurology, oncology, and systemic and rare diseases. Invicro's quantitative biomarker services, advanced analytics and AI tools, and clinical operational services are backed by Invicro's industry-leading software informatics platforms, VivoQuant and iPACS, as well as their pioneering IQ-Analytics Platform, which includes AmyloidIQ, TauIQ and DaTIQ. As part of the Konica Minolta precision medicine organization and with their sister company Ambry Genetics, Invicro develops and leverages the latest approaches in quantitative biomarkers including imaging, quantitative pathology and genomics. For more information, visit www.invicro.com. About Konica Minolta Konica Minolta, Inc. (Konica Minolta) is a global digital technology company with core strengths in imaging and data analysis, optics, materials, and nano-fabrication. Through innovation, Konica Minolta creates products and digital solutions for the betterment of business and society-today and for generations to come. Across its Business Technologies, Healthcare, and Industrial-facing businesses, the company aspires to be an Integral Value Provider that applies the full range of its expertise to offer comprehensive solutions to the customer's most pressing problems, works with the partners to ensure the solutions are sustainable, anticipates and addresses tomorrow's issues, and tailors each solution to meet the unique and specific needs of its valued customers. Leveraging these capabilities, Konica Minolta contributes to productivity improvement and workflow change for its customers and provides leading-edge service solutions in the IoT era. Headquartered in Tokyo and with operations in more than 50 countries, Konica Minolta has more than 43,000 employees serving approximately two million customers in over 150 countries. Konica Minolta is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE4902). For further information, visit: https://www.konicaminolta.com/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005708/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Chevron Corp. and Reliance Industries Ltd. are meeting with U.S. State Department officials to request a rollback of some of the previous administrations restrictions against Venezuelas oil industry.

Representatives from the two companies are holding virtual discussions with officials this week, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information isnt public. High on the agenda: reinstating transactions known as oil swaps that would allow companies to receive Venezuelan crude in exchange for supplying diesel, one person said.

The U.S. imposed sanctions on Petroleos de Venezuela SA in early 2019, in an effort to dislodge President Nicolas Maduro from power by depriving his government of oil revenue. While some companies were still allowed to engage in limited dealings with the South American country, the swaps were nixed last October, said one of the people.

Indian refiner Reliance is seeking to revive those swaps. Meanwhile, Chevron, for now, wants to build goodwill and remind officials of its commitment to remain in Venezuela, another person said. The oil giant currently has until June to wind down operations, unless it gets another extended waiver.

The U.S. cant ban international companies from buying Venezuelan oil. It can, however, financially squeeze them by prohibiting them from doing business with American companies if they ignore sanctions. Reliance and Chevron requested meetings with the State Department even though some of the key decisionmakers, including assistant secretaries to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have yet to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Ray Fohr, a spokesperson for Chevron, said the company is in regular conversations with multiple agencies within the U.S. government to make sure laws are understood.

STILL HELD: Houston's 'Citgo 6' sentenced to prison in Venezuela

We remain committed to the integrity of our joint venture assets, the safety and wellbeing of our employees and their families, and the companys social and humanitarian programs during these challenging times, The San Ramon, California-based oil producer said of its Venezuela operations in an emailed statement.

Reliance and the State Department did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Venezuela is barely able to produce its own refined products because of widespread mechanical failures at refineries. Reliance is basing its request to resume oil swaps on the argument that the operations do not provide cash to the Venezuelan government but rather help lessen the humanitarian crisis there, one person said. Diesel is used in power generation, public transportation, agriculture and to deliver food and medicine.

The resumption of oil swaps could allow Venezuela to boost oil production, said Scott Modell, managing director at Rapidan Energy Advisors LLC. Output, which is currently at between 400,000 and 500,000 barrels a day, could hit 750,000 barrels day if the Biden administration eases some of the sanctions, he said.
70%

Website tonyshop.fr uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 229784 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 454468 bytes (443.82 kb uncompressed) and 36919 bytes (36.05 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-02-01, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
(Natural News) A private educational institution in Massachusetts is encouraging students to report one another if they violate public health protocols. Boston College students are exhorted to inform school authorities if any infractions of guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19 occur. Minor violations such as improper mask-wearing can also be reported.

The college has redesigned its student conduct reporting form to facilitate documentation and review of health protocol infractions. Under normal circumstances, it would be used to report serious violations that went against the colleges code of conduct. School authorities can be made aware of physical violence, hazing, theft, gambling and drug use through the form.

However, it can now be used to report students who do not comply with the colleges protocols to curb the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus. It now has additional space for such violations, which include improper mask wearing and non-compliance with social distancing.

Face mask infractions in the form are subdivided into different tiers. Lower-tier violations include refusing to wear a mask after being told to do so and refusing to wear a disposable mask offered by someone else. Repetitive refusal to wear a mask and adhere to social distancing guidelines fall under higher-tier infractions.

According to Boston Colleges student code of conduct, students can be subject to a range of disciplinary actions  including suspension or expulsion from campus dormitories  if they refuse to comply. Students living off-campus might also lose their chance to apply for any in-campus accommodation. The colleges new policy on COVID-19 supersedes any policies that were previously in effect  and other prior communications, the code of conduct stated.

The private college based in Newton, Massachusetts is not the only higher education institution to take coronavirus health protocols seriously. Boston University also implemented a similar measure, even setting up a hotline for anyone to report infractions. The university claimed it received almost 200 calls during its first month of operation. It noted that Saturdays have been the busiest for the hotline. (Related: Massive backlash forces Michigan university to back down from enforcing medical device to monitor coronavirus symptoms.)

Colleges are demonstrating medical tyranny by implementing draconian health protocols

A similar instance occurred in another Massachusetts university, which led to some students being sent home over COVID-19 protocol violations. Northeastern University in Boston dismissed 11 freshmen in September 2020 for violating university guidelines on mass gatherings. The 11 students staying in the citys Westin Hotel were part of the N.U.in program for first-year students.

The university said in a statement that two staff members discovered the students congregating in one of the hotel rooms. The staff members obtained the students information and answered any questions they had. Afterward, the students were told to await follow-up emails and sent back to their rooms.

The 11 freshmen and their parents were subsequently informed to vacate the Westin Hotel within 24 hours and leave Northeastern University for the rest of the fall semester. They were also instructed to submit to COVID-19 testing and quarantine measures.

Furthermore, the parents of the 11 students were told their payment for the N.U.in program will not be refunded per its guidelines. However, they were made aware of their right to contest the dismissal in a formal hearing. The university also told them that their children were permitted to return during the spring semester.

Meanwhile, parents in New Hampshire  just above Massachusetts  began a petition to relax coronavirus restrictions. Parents of Dartmouth College students have gathered hundreds of signatures demanding looser campus restrictions during the winter term. The institutions paper The Dartmouth reported that parents cited a lack of social spaces and harsh consequences for violating COVID-19 policies as reasons for starting the petition.

The parents demands included allowing students to visit other dormitories in campus and opening more public spaces. It also called for a graduated scale of penalties for violations of COVID-19 protocols instead of a zero tolerance policy. Under the zero-tolerance policy, students who violate health measures in campus are removed for the rest of the year.

The petition and its demands followed Dartmouth College revoking on-campus privileges for students who violated COVID-19 policies during the fall term. (Related: Planning to return to college this fall? You may be forced to get a flu shot, followed by a coronavirus shot.)

Visit Pandemic.news to read more about Wuhan coronavirus-related tyrannical health protocols in educational institutions.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

FoxNews.com

BC.edu [PDF]

BU.edu

ZeroHedge.com

News.Northeastern.edu

BostonGlobe.com

TheDartmouth.com
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. 2 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Artsakh in the past 24 hours.

18 tests were conducted on January 31, the ministry of healthcare told Armenpress.

A total of 2334 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Artsakh.

The number of active cases is 25.

The death toll stands at 31.

The ministry of healthcare has again urged the citizens to follow all the rules to avoid new outbreaks and overcome the disease.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan
Three-quarters of unionist voters believe that Northern Ireland will still be part of the UK in 30 years' time, despite the fears voiced by their politicians that the new Irish Sea border threatens the Union.

Unionist confidence about the survival of the state is more than matched by nationalist optimism about Irish unity - 97% of Sinn Fein and SDLP voters predict that the Union will have ended by 2050.

In the LucidTalk opinion poll for the Belfast Telegraph, three-quarters of people think that the Northern Ireland protocol will weaken the Union, but Sinn Fein voters are much more likely to hold this belief than DUP ones.

The online survey of 2,295 people was conducted from January 22 to 25.

The sample was weighted to reflect the local population.

As Northern Ireland celebrates its centenary, we asked if it would still be part of the UK in 30 years' time. Just over half of people (54%) thought that it would not, with a third predicting that it would be.

However, nationalist and unionist voters differed significantly in their beliefs on whether the constitutional status quo would survive.

Despite all the current fears voiced about the protocol by the DUP, Ulster Unionists and TUV, 72% of their voters think that Northern Ireland will be part of the UK in 30 years' time with just 12% believing that it will not.

But nationalist optimism about Irish unity was even stronger. A staggering 97% of Sinn Fein and SDLP voters said that Northern Ireland would not be part of the UK in 30 years' time, with just 1% believing that it still would be.

Alliance and Green voters shared the belief that Irish unity is likely, although not as overwhelmingly.

A total of 68% believed that Northern Ireland would have left the UK by 2050, with 13% saying that the Union would still be in place.

Unionism is facing one of its greatest challenges as the impact of Brexit becomes apparent.

The protocol - a key element of the December settlement with the EU - has triggered grassroots anger.

It was the resolution to the main sticking point in the Brexit divorce talks: the Irish border. To avoid disrupting cross-border trade and a return of checkpoints along the border, the EU and UK essentially agreed to move new regulatory and customs processes to the Irish Sea, angering unionists.

First Minister Arlene Foster has urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to replace the protocol, branding it 'unworkable'.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said the protocol is "absolutely necessary".

In the LucidTalk poll, we asked if the protocol would weaken Northern Ireland's position in the UK in the longer term.

Read More

A total of 77% of people said that it would do so, with 16% saying that it wouldn't have any impact at all.

Two-thirds of DUP voters (67%) thought that the controversial agreement between London and Brussels would diminish the Union, whereas 91% of Sinn Fein voters held that belief.

A fifth of DUP voters thought that the protocol would have no impact whatsoever on the Union compared to just 6% of Sinn Fein voters. Alliance and Green voters were also much more likely than DUP ones to believe that the protocol was bad news for the Union - 85% thought it would weaken it.
A food delivery worker was arrested over the weekend after trying to covertly steal a family's puppy while dropping off pizza.

The incident unfolded over the evening on Saturday at a condominium building in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

Surveillance footage shows the suspect, 22-year-old Arlinson Chilito, calmly entering the elevator on the way back from delivering the pizza while obscuring Lexi, a 10-month-old teacup poodle, in his delivery bag.

The footage then shows Chilito walking out of the elevator while holding the pup and eventually getting into his blue Ford Focus to drive off.

Scroll down for video

A man allegedly posing as a Grubhub employee was arrested for snatching a poodle

Surveillance video showed Arlinson Chilito, 22, sneaking the puppy into a delivery bag

Chilito then calmly exited the elevator with the dog, where he was able to evade staff

'It was terrible,' the dog owner, Rick Block, told News4Jax. 'I mean, it was just terrible.'

Block and his wife ordered their pizza through Grubhub, an online food ordering platform, from local restaurant Gusto.

When Chilito arrived to drop off the pizza, Lexi walked out of Block's home, which is when Chilito allegedly tucked the dog into his delivery bag.

There was night staff on duty in the lobby when Chilito walked by them with the puppy.

The surveillance footage was captured in a condominium building in Jacksonville Beach

After Chilito exited the building, he was seen climbing into his blue Ford Focus

He then drove off with the dog, although he was captured by the police hours later

The harrowing ordeal ended quickly, with Lexi located by the Jacksonville Beach Police Department early on Sunday morning and returned home shortly thereafter.

Chilito is being charged with grand theft

'Jax Beach PD rocks!!! They were amazing. Truly,' Block wrote in a Facebook post announced Lexi's return.

Meanwhile, Chilito was arrested at his home in Jacksonville and booked into county jail around 2:30am on Sunday morning.

He has been charged with grand theft and is being held on bond.

While the Blocks ordered their pizza from Grubhub, the company is claiming Chilito is not a contractor of the company.

'We confirmed the individual charged with this crime was not a Grubhub driver and has never been contracted with us,' the company said in a statement.

'He was using another contracted drivers account without Grubhubs permission or knowledge, which is a fraudulent misuse of our platform.

'We banned the driver permanently from our platform and support efforts to prosecute both individuals to the full extent of the law.'

The puppy, Lexi, is a 10-month-old teacup poodle that belongs to Rick Block and his wife

The owners were willing to give a $5,000 reward for her safe return over the weekend

Chilito was allegedly using someone else's driver account on Grubhub to make this delivery and everything seemed normal until he left with the dog - police say he even dropped off the food order.

Gusto, the restaurant, is cooperating with the investigation.

The Blocks originally offered a reward of $5,000 for the return of Lexi, which they will now be donating instead to the Jacksonville Beach police lodge.

As for Chilito, Block may be willing to forgive the young man for his alleged crime.

'It was terrible,' Block told News4Jax of losing the dog. 'I mean, it was just terrible.'

Pictured: Rick Block, right, with President Joe Biden

'I dont know, hes young, and I really dont want to ruin somebodys life,' Block said to Action News Jax about Chilito's future.

According to WMFY, Chilito is on probation for a previous incident of driving under the influence and is also facing charges of marijuana possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving with a suspended license.

His next court appearance on the misdemeanor charges will come on February 8, while his next court appearance on the grand theft charge will come February 23.

Pre-production ore stockpiles now hold 1.82 million tonnes grading 4.23% copper, containing more than 76,000 tonnes of copper

Fresh underground mining record achieved with 2,869 metres completed in January; more than 32.7 kilometres now complete - 11.6 kilometres ahead of plan

Overall progress of Kamoa-Kakula's first phase, 3.8-Mtpa mining and milling operation now approximately 71% complete; first copper concentrate production remains on track for July 2021

Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2021) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) Co-Chairs Robert Friedland and Yufeng "Miles" Sun are pleased to announce that underground development at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) mined and stockpiled 300,000 tonnes of ore grading 5.45% copper from the Kakula and Kansoko mines in January. The tonnage was 11.5% higher than December, while the copper grade was 1.6% higher.

The 300,000 tonnes mined in January included 231,000 tonnes at an average grade of 6.20% copper, including 82,000 tonnes grading 8.80% copper from the high-grade centre of the Kakula Mine.

The project's pre-production surface stockpiles now contain approximately 1.82 million tonnes of high-grade and medium-grade ore at an estimated blended grade of 4.23% copper. Contained copper in the stockpiles increased by approximately 16,000 tonnes in January - a 25.9% increase over December's production reflecting increased mining activity in the ultra-high-grade centre of the Kakula Deposit - to a cumulative total of more than 76,000 tonnes (the current copper price is approximately US$7,940 a tonne).

Kamoa-Kakula is on track to have approximately three million tonnes of high-grade and medium-grade ore stockpiled on surface, holding more than 125,000 tonnes of contained copper, prior to the planned start of processing in July 2021.

"In the mining business, grade is king," said Mr. Friedland. "And the remarkable grade of the ore coming from Kakula is unprecedented for a major mechanized copper mine of this scale. We are just five months away from scheduled first production, which will mark the next step in the evolution of Ivanhoe Mines into a leading, diversified mining company with a development and exploration portfolio of high-value, critical green metals."

Mr. Friedland and Mr. Sun also congratulated the project team for establishing yet another new monthly record for underground mine development in January with a total of 2,869 metres of advancement.

"A very strong operational and safety performance by our mining teams in January, and overall a terrific start to 2021," said Mr. Friedland. "We are immensely proud of the more than 6,000 colleagues on site who are delivering this exceptional project on time and on budget. As we rapidly approach initial production, the project is busy recruiting and training the team that will operate the brand new concentrator plant, creating hundreds of additional permanent, well-paying jobs for local Congolese women and men."

Underground mine development remains well ahead of schedule, providing the confidence to push forward with Kamoa-Kakula's Phase 2 construction

January's record-setting advancement brings total underground development to approximately 32.7 kilometres - around 11.6 kilometres ahead of schedule. The monthly underground development in January was comprised of 2,544 metres at the Kakula Mine and 325 metres at the Kansoko Mine.

Drift-and-fill stoping operations recently commenced at the Kakula Mine, with more than 66% of January's ore production coming from stoping operations and the remaining coming from mine development activities. Stoping is a highly-productive mining method of extracting underground ore, leaving behind an open space known as a stope.

Mark Farren, Kamoa Copper's CEO, commented: "The achievement of 300,000 tonnes mined in January is significant as Kamoa-Kakula is fast approaching the mining rate needed to sustain the project's Phase 1 concentrator plant."

"It will be important to balance mining volumes and surface stockpiles to meet the requirements of both the Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrators. We now have nearly two million tonnes of medium- and high-grade ore on surface stockpiles, which should grow to approximately three million tonnes ahead of the scheduled start-up of the concentrator in July, significantly minimizing the ramp-up risk as well as streamlining the commissioning phase," he continued.

"The large surface ore stockpiles will allow Kamoa-Kakula to maximize throughput once the Phase 1 concentrator is commissioned. Based on our projected mining rates over the next year and a half, we are confident that we also will have more than sufficient stockpiles ahead of the Phase 2 concentrator commissioning," Mr. Farren added.

Kakula's combined medium-grade and high-grade ore mined in January was approximately 274,000 tonnes at an average grade of 5.56% copper, including 82,000 tonnes grading 8.80% copper from the +8% copper zone in the centre of the orebody. Mining crews at Kakula are primarily focused on developing the drift-and-fill mining blocks in this high-grade centre. Opening up of the mining footprint for these high grade, drift-and-fill mining areas requires development work in areas of low-, medium- and high-grade ore, and is designed to coincide with the start-up of the processing plant in July. This will allow crews to deliver significant tonnage of high-grade ore directly from Kakula's underground workings to the processing plant.

Kansoko's combined medium-grade and high-grade ore mined in January was approximately 26,000 tonnes at an average grade of 4.31% copper. Kansoko's ore grade increased by 73% in January, compared to December. Kansoko is being developed by training crews and will be a supplemental source of ore for Phase 2 of the project's development when the Kakula concentrator processing capacity doubles to 7.6 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) - currently planned to be commissioned in Q3 2022.

Miners drilling a 10-metre-high by 7.5-metre-wide drift near the centre of the Kakula Mine. The average grade of ore mined in this area is 8.80% copper.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_002full.jpg

David Nkulu, Safety Officer, conducting a mine safety drill at the Kansoko Mine's underground refuge centre.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_003full.jpg

Phase 1 copper production from the Kakula Mine is scheduled to begin in July 2021. Kakula is projected to be the world's highest-grade major copper mine, with an initial mining rate of 3.8 Mtpa at an estimated average feed grade of more than 6.0% copper at first, ramping up to 7.6 Mtpa in Q3 2020. Phases 1 and 2 combined are forecast to produce approximately 400,000 tonnes of copper per year. Based on independent benchmarking, the project's phased expansion scenario to 19 Mtpa would position Kamoa-Kakula as the world's second largest copper mining complex, with peak annual copper production of more than 800,000 tonnes.

A 2020 independent audit of Kamoa-Kakula's greenhouse gas intensity metrics performed by Hatch Ltd. of Mississauga, Canada, confirmed that the project will be among the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of copper produced.

The Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project is a joint venture between Ivanhoe Mines (39.6%), Zijin Mining Group (39.6%), Crystal River Global Limited (0.8%) and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (20%).

January's ore production was 11.5% higher than December, with monthly copper grade increasing from 5.36% to 5.45%; pre-production surface ore stockpiles now total approximately 1.82 million tonnes grading 4.23% copper

Chart 1: Cumulative tonnes and grade of pre-production ore stockpiles at the Kakula and Kansoko mines - May 2020 to January 2021.





To view an enhanced version of Chart 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_004full.jpg

Chart 2: Growth in contained copper in pre-production ore stockpiles at the Kakula and Kansoko mines - May 2020 to January 2021.





To view an enhanced version of Chart 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_005full.jpg

Chart 3: Projected growth in contained copper in the pre-production stockpiles at the Kakula and Kansoko mines up to July 2021. Dotted lines denote projections based on the 2020 pre-feasibility study.





To view an enhanced version of Chart 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_006full.jpg

The ore being mined from the northern portion of the Kakula Mine is transported to surface via the conveyor system and placed on a blended surface stockpile that now contains approximately 1.07 million tonnes grading an estimated 4.52% copper.

Additional pre-production ore stockpiles are located at the Kakula southern decline (approximately 243,000 tonnes of high-grade ore grading 5.85% copper and 303,000 tonnes of medium-grade ore grading 2.79% copper) and the Kansoko decline (approximately 12,000 tonnes of high-grade ore grading 6.19% copper and 192,000 tonnes of medium-grade ore grading 2.77% copper).

Kakula's main pre-production stockpiles at the northern declines. The blended stockpiles currently contain approximately 1.07 million tonnes grading 4.52% copper.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_007full.jpg

Kakula southern decline ore stockpiles containing approximately 243,000 tonnes of high-grade ore grading 5.85% copper, and 303,000 tonnes of medium-grade ore grading 2.79% copper.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_008full.jpg

Kansoko decline ore stockpiles containing 204,000 tonnes grading 2.97% copper, including 12,000 tonnes of high-grade ore grading 6.19% copper.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_009full.jpg

Figure 1: The 13.3-kilometre-long Kakula Deposit overlain on southern Manhattan Island to provide a sense of the scale of the deposit.





To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_010full.jpg

Figure 2: Underground development completed at Kakula Mine to January 31, 2021 (in black).





To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_012full.jpg

Construction of the initial 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant and other surface infrastructure on schedule; earthworks and civil works progressing well for the second 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant

Overall progress of Kamoa-Kakula's first phase, 3.8-Mtpa mining and milling operation (covering mine infrastructure, concentrator plant and surface infrastructure) now is approximately 71% complete, up from 68% last month. Overall construction of the project's first phase, 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant and associated facilities is advancing rapidly and is approximately 43% complete, up from 41% last month. The concentrator plant remains on track to be mechanically complete in Q2 2021, with first copper concentrate production scheduled for July 2021.

Kamoa-Kakula's first phase, 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant, with the main 220-kilovolt electrical substation in the background.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_013full.jpg

Watch a short fly-over video of the construction of the concentrator plant and other surface infrastructure: https://vimeo.com/506201742/c2965a1fcc

Civil works for the first concentrator plant effectively is complete and the civil contractor now is focusing on the Phase 2 concentrator plant, the high-pressure-grinding-rolls (HPGR) stockpile and milling areas.

Delivery of equipment for the first concentrator plant is nearing completion with more than 2,260 truckloads of equipment - including all structural steel, platework, piping and electrical cable - now on site. The sand filter plant and the last shipments of switchgear are scheduled to arrive in February and March 2021, respectively.

Structural steel erection and platework installation for the first concentrator plant is nearing completion, with only 172 tonnes of structural steel still to be erected (of a total of 4,882 tonnes) and 121 tonnes of platework (of a total of 863 tonnes). Mechanical installation is 68% complete. Piping fabrication and delivery is complete and installation is nearing 50% completion. A total of 83 kilometres of piping will be installed.

All plant areas for the first concentrator have been handed over to the electrical, control and instrumentation (EC&I) contractor for electrical installation. EC&I installation is the last activity before construction completion and subsequent commissioning. Installation of cable racking is complete in most areas and cable installation is well advanced with more than 105,000 metres of copper cable installed out of a total of 207,000 metres (207 kilometres). The installation of instrumentation has started and the energizing of the concentrator plant with medium-voltage power is scheduled for the end of March 2021.

Plumbers Daniel Mbayo (foreground) and Chronos Ilunga (background) installing piping at Kakula's Phase 1 concentrator plant.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_014full.jpg

Steel erection and equipment installation for Kakula's first phase, backfill paste plant effectively is complete with electrical installation well advanced. The backfill plant is scheduled to be complete well before paste backfill is required for mining operations.

The backfill plant will be used to mix tailings from the processing plant with cement to produce paste backfill. The backfill will be pumped back into the mine and used to help support mined-out areas. Approximately one half of the mine's tailings will be sent back underground, significantly reducing the surface tailings storage.

Construction of the tailings storage facility is progressing well and is scheduled to be completed well ahead of the required date. Installation of the three tailings lines and the tailings-return water line is nearing completion with 24 kilometres (of a total of 25 kilometres) complete.

Construction of the second 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant is progressing well with the current focus on earthworks and civils. Civils works on the lower base of the ball mills and the HPGR stockpile is underway with a total of 1,720 cubic metres of concrete already poured (of a Phase 2 total of 14,000 cubic metres). Bulk earthworks is approximately 37% complete. With orders for all the long lead items of equipment for the Phase 2 concentrator placed in September 2020, procurement activities have focused on the remainder of the plant equipment. The contract for structural steel supply has been placed.

Work on the concrete foundations for Kakula's Phase 2 ball mills is making excellent progress, while construction of Kakula's Phase 1 ball mills (background) is nearing completion.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_015full.jpg

Civil works for the Phase 2 flotation cells foundations (bottom of picture).





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_016full.jpg

Ongoing construction of Kamoa-Kakula's tailings storage facility.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_017full.jpg

A 3D overhead illustration of the finished Phase 1, 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant. The picture below shows the current construction progress.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_018full.jpg

A 3D illustration of Kakula's initial 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant, with the recently-initiated Phase 2, 3.8-Mtpa processing plant shown in magenta. The picture below shows the current construction progress.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_019full.jpg

A 3D illustration of Kakula's first phase, finished backfill plant, with the current construction and the initial 3.8-Mtpa concentrator plant in the background shown immediately below.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_020full.jpg

Watch a short fly-over video of construction of the backfill plant: https://vimeo.com/506202840/1f2a57c9df

Watch a time-lapse video of the installation of a disk filter at the backfill plant: https://vimeo.com/506202587/1e4c5c01ff

Advanced, detailed discussions for the marketing of Kakula's copper concentrates

Kamoa-Kakula is in advanced, detailed discussions with a number of parties with respect to the sale of its copper concentrates. Kakula is expected to produce an extremely high-grade and clean copper concentrate (containing over 55% copper) that will be highly coveted by copper smelters around the world. Metallurgical test work indicates that the Kakula concentrates contain extremely low arsenic levels by world standards - approximately 0.01%.

Kamoa-Kakula now connected to 220-kV national electrical grid; the first of six turbines at the refurbished Mwadingusha hydropower plant now synchronized to the national electrical grid, providing clean, renewable hydropower

In December 2020, the 35-kilometre-long double circuit 220-kilovolt (kV) power line feeding into Kamoa-Kakula was connected to the national electrical grid through the New Western Dispatch (NRO) substation in Kolwezi. Kamoa-Kakula's main 220-kV substation is nearing completion and is expected to be energized by the end of March.

Electricians installing electrical cables at Kakula's main 220-kV substation that will provide power from the national grid to the entire Kamoa-Kakula project.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_021full.jpg

Watch a short fly-over video of the construction the main electrical substation: https://vimeo.com/506203269/c2d24785c2

Ivanhoe Mines Energy DRC also announced that the first of six new turbines at the Mwadingusha hydropower plant was synchronized to the national electrical grid in December 2020. The commissioning of the hydropower plant's remaining five generating units, in sequence, is in progress. This will ensure that Kamoa-Kakula's power requirements are met ahead of the commissioning of the concentrator plant.

The fully-refurbished Mwadingusha hydropower plant now is expected to deliver approximately 78 megawatts of power to the national electrical grid.

Ivanhoe Mines Energy DRC achieved a significant milestone in December when the first of six turbines at the Mwadingusha hydropower plant began delivering clean, hydropower to the national electrical grid.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_022full.jpg

Refurbished and upgraded generating units 1 and 2 at the Mwadingusha hydropower plant. Unit 1 is operational and delivering clean, hydropower to the national electrical grid, while number 2 will begin commissioning shortly.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_023full.jpg

COVID-19 prevention initiatives continue to focus on risk mitigation

Kamoa-Kakula's prevention measures remain strictly enforced, with further prevention being the focus while the world responds to the latest COVID-19 strains. Rigorous testing, physical distancing, wearing of face masks, frequent hand washing and contact-tracing measures still are in place to protect the safety and health of the workforce and community members.

The project has a well-established COVID-19 isolation facility at the Kamoa Camp. Suspected cases and symptomatic patients are moved to this facility, where they are isolated, tested and treated. Once patients have recovered and are deemed no longer infectious, they can return to work only after an additional quarantine period determined by the project's medical staff.

Kamoa-Kakula has successfully sourced the latest COVID-19 rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) that test for antigens (the presence of viral particles). The tests are being used by the medical team at Kamoa-Kakula to screen all site arrivals and travellers. Test results are received within an average of 20 minutes, which further enhances the preventative measures already in place.

As the pandemic evolves, the medical team at Kamoa-Kakula continues to review and update its risk mitigation protocols. The project's preventative measures are at the highest international standards, and should there be a case internally, the risk of spreading or cross-contamination is considered to be very low.

Mark Farren, Kamoa Copper CEO (centre), visiting the Kamoa-Kakula Sustainable Livelihoods sewing project. In addition to sewing Kamoa Copper safety uniforms, face masks also are produced for mine workers and local community members as part of the project's COVID-19 safety initiatives.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_024full.jpg

Members of Kamoa's senior management, sustainability and community development teams visit a local maize farm. Left to right: Christos Ioannou, Senior Enterprise Development; Paul Kabengele, Sustainable Livelihoods Advisor; Mark Farren, Kamoa Copper CEO; Chief Musokantanda Kafweku Sabuni; Dr. Guy Muswil, Head of Sustainability; Brett Watson, HSE Managerial Leader; and Tuhan Steyn, Head of Biodiversity.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_025full.jpg

Alain Mukoj (centre) of Kamoa Copper's sustainability team overseeing a pineapple crop with farmers from the local community of Mupenda.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/73275_a9cc339924364b85_026full.jpg

Qualified Persons

Disclosures of a scientific or technical nature regarding development scenarios at the Kamoa-Kakula Project in this news release have been reviewed and approved by Steve Amos, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience and professional association, a Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Amos is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is the Head of the Kamoa Project. Mr. Amos has verified the technical data disclosed in this news release.

Other disclosures of a scientific or technical nature regarding the stockpiles in this news release have been reviewed and approved by George Gilchrist, who is considered, by virtue of his education, experience and professional association, a Qualified Person under the terms of NI 43-101. Mr. Gilchrist is not considered independent under NI 43-101 as he is the Vice President, Resources of Ivanhoe Mines. Mr. Gilchrist has verified the other technical data disclosed in this news release.

The stockpile grade estimates contained in this release are based upon bulk ore sampling from earlier underground headings, and vertical channel sample profiles from recent development. Bulk ore sampling was done on each heading every second blast and three 5-kilogram samples were taken. Since the beginning of October 2020, channel sample profiles are the primary data informing the stockpile grade estimates. These are cut approximately 15 metres apart in 1-metre vertical increments across the full vertical exposure using a handheld grinder, with a 100-to-150-gram sample collected. The samples are pulverized at the project's onsite laboratory and analyzed using a portable XRF (pXRF) instrument. Kamoa Copper has routinely analyzed its exploration drill core for copper using pXRF, in addition to analysis at a commercial laboratory using four acid digest and ICP-OES. This data has demonstrated that pXRF results can be relied upon for grade control and run-of-mine sampling.

Ivanhoe has prepared an independent, NI 43-101-compliant technical report for the Kamoa-Kakula Project, which is available on the company's website and under the company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com:

Kamoa-Kakula Integrated Development Plan 2020 dated October 13, 2020, prepared by OreWin Pty Ltd., China Nerin Engineering Co., Ltd., DRA Global, Epoch Resources, Golder Associates Africa, KGHM Cuprum R&D Centre Ltd., Outotec Oyj, Paterson and Cooke, Stantec Consulting International LLC, SRK Consulting Inc., and Wood plc.

The technical report includes relevant information regarding the assumptions, parameters and methods of the mineral resource estimates on the Kamoa-Kakula Project cited in this news release, as well as information regarding data verification, exploration procedures and other matters relevant to the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release.

About Ivanhoe Mines

Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal joint-venture projects in Southern Africa: the development of major new, mechanized, underground mines at the Kamoa-Kakula copper discoveries in the DRC and at the Platreef palladium-platinum-nickel-copper-rhodium-gold discovery in South Africa; and the extensive redevelopment and upgrading of the historic Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC. Kamoa-Kakula is expected to begin producing copper in July 2021 and, through phased expansions, is positioned to become one of the world's largest copper producers. Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi will be powered by clean, renewable hydro-generated electricity and will be among the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of metal produced. Ivanhoe also is exploring for new copper discoveries on its wholly-owned Western Foreland exploration licences in the DRC, near the Kamoa-Kakula Project.

Information contacts

Investors: Bill Trenaman +1.604.331.9834 / Media: Matthew Keevil +1.604.558.1034

Forward-looking statements

Certain statements in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company, its projects, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "expect", "believe", "plan", "anticipate", "estimate", "scheduled", "forecast", "predict" and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These statements reflect the company's current expectations regarding future events, performance and results and speak only as of the date of this release.

Such statements include without limitation, the timing and results of: (i) statements regarding the Kamoa-Kakula Project is on track to have approximately three million tonnes of high-grade and medium-grade ore stockpiled on surface, containing more than 125,000 tonnes of copper, prior to the planned start of production in July 2021; (ii) statements regarding the Phase 1 concentrator plant remains on track to be mechanically complete in Q2 2021, with first copper concentrate production scheduled for July 202; (iii) statements that the risk of the risk of spreading or cross-contamination of COVID-19 at the Kamoa-Kakula Project is considered to be very low; (iv) statements regarding the expectation that Phase 2 of the project's development when the Kakula concentrator processing capacity doubles to 7.6 Mtpa is to be commissioned in Q3 2022; (v) statements regarding Kakula is projected to be the world's highest-grade major copper mine, with an initial mining rate of 3.8 Mtpa at an estimated average feed grade of more than 6.0% copper over the first five years of operation; (vi) statements regarding Phases 1 and 2 combined are forecast to produce approximately 400,000 tonnes of copper per year; (vii) statements regarding based on independent benchmarking, the project's phased expansion scenario to 19 Mtpa would position Kamoa-Kakula as the world's second largest copper mining complex, with peak annual copper production of more than 800,000 tonnes; (viii) statements regarding Kamoa-Kakula will be among the world's lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit of copper produced; (ix) statements regarding Kamoa-Kakula should have more than sufficient stockpiles ahead of the Phase 2 concentrator commissioning; (x) statements regarding approximately one half of the mine's tailings will be sent back underground; (xi) statements regarding Kakula is expected to produce an extremely high grade and clean copper concentrate (containing over 55% copper and extremely low arsenic levels by world standards - approximately 0.01%) that will be highly coveted by copper smelters around the world; (xii) statements regarding the fully-refurbished Mwadingusha hydropower plant is expected to deliver approximately 78 megawatts of power to the national grid; and (xiii) statements regarding energizing of Kakula's main electrical substation and the concentrator plant by the end of March 2021

As well, all of the results of the Kakula definitive feasibility study, the Kakula-Kansoko pre-feasibility study and the Kamoa-Kakula preliminary economic assessment, constitute forward-looking statements or information, and include future estimates of internal rates of return, net present value, future production, estimates of cash cost, proposed mining plans and methods, mine life estimates, cash flow forecasts, metal recoveries, estimates of capital and operating costs and the size and timing of phased development of the projects. Furthermore, with respect to this specific forward-looking information concerning the development of the Kamoa-Kakula Project, the company has based its assumptions and analysis on certain factors that are inherently uncertain. Uncertainties include: (i) the adequacy of infrastructure; (ii) geological characteristics; (iii) metallurgical characteristics of the mineralization; (iv) the ability to develop adequate processing capacity; (v) the price of copper; (vi) the availability of equipment and facilities necessary to complete development; (vii) the cost of consumables and mining and processing equipment; (viii) unforeseen technological and engineering problems; (ix) accidents or acts of sabotage or terrorism; (x) currency fluctuations; (xi) changes in regulations; (xii) the compliance by joint venture partners with terms of agreements; (xiii) the availability and productivity of skilled labour; (xiv) the regulation of the mining industry by various governmental agencies; (xv) the ability to raise sufficient capital to develop such projects; (xvi) changes in project scope or design; and (xvii) political factors.

Forward-looking statements and information involve significant risks and uncertainties, should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of whether or not such results will be achieved. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or information, including, but not limited to, the factors discussed below and under "Risk Factors", and elsewhere in this release, as well as unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of parties to contracts with the company to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; and the failure of exploration programs or studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued exploration, studies, development or operations.

Although the forward-looking statements contained in this release are based upon what management of the company believes are reasonable assumptions, the company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release.

The company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of the factors set forth below in the "Risk Factors" section in the company's Q3 2020 MD&A and its current annual information form.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73275
A data breach may have exposed the personal information of 1.6 million Washington state residents who filed for unemployment last year, officials said Monday.

The hack involved third-party software used to transmit files and involves names, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, bank information and place of employment, state auditor Pat McCarthy said.

It came as the Auditor's Office is investigating how the state Employment Security Department lost hundreds of millions of dollars to fraudsters, including a Nigerian crime ring, who rushed to cash in on sweetened pandemic-related benefits by filing fake unemployment claims.

'I know this is one more worry for Washingtonians who have already faced unemployment in a year scarred by both job loss and a pandemic,' McCarthy said in a news release. 'I am sorry to share this news and add to their burdens.'

Those potentially affected include people who filed for unemployment benefits between January 1 and December 10, 2020.

That includes many state workers as well as people who had fake unemployment claims submitted on their behalf.

A data breach may have exposed the personal information of 1.6 million Washington state residents who filed for unemployment last year, officials said Monday. In this May 16 file photo workers fill out job applications during a walk- and drive-up job fair in Seattle

The hack involved third-party software used by the auditor's office to transmit files and involves names, Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, bank information and place of employment, state auditor Pat McCarthy said

The software vendor, Accellion, appears to have been attacked December 25, McCarthy said.

The state learned about it January 12, after Accellion made a general announcement regarding a security breach.

It wasn't until recent days that the Auditor's Office learned what files might have been accessed, McCarthy said.

The Auditor's Office says it is working with state cybersecurity officials, law enforcement and others to try to mitigate the damage.

Also potentially affected was personal information held by the Department of Children, Youth and Families, and non-personal financial and other data from local governments and state agencies.

State auditor Pat McCarthy announced the breach on Monday

The Auditor's Office stopped using Accellion's services December 31 for reasons unrelated to the attack, McCarthy said.

She added: 'I want to be clear: This was an attack on a third-party service provider. The Employment Security Department did nothing to cause this, and is not responsible in any way for this incident.'

Joel York, Accellion's chief marketing officer, told The Seattle Times the product used 'just wasn't designed for these types of threats'.

Gov. Jay Inslee is said to have spoken with McCarthy's office 'and expressed his deep concern about the data that was exposed by their third party vendor'.

A spokesman added: 'As a separately elected statewide official, we understand that they are taking responsibility for this and doing everything they can do address it.'
Four Zimbabwean security sector chiefs responsible for serious human rights violations  including the deaths of 23 Zimbabwean protestors  have been designated under the UKs new autonomous sanctions regime, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced today.

Todays announcement ensures these individuals cannot freely travel to the UK, channel money through UK banks or profit from our economy. These restrictive measures are not targeted at, nor intended to impact, the wider economy and the people of Zimbabwe.

Following the UKs departure from the European Union and the end of the Transition Period, the UK can now pursue an independent sanctions policy reflecting our foreign policy and national security interests. Todays designations are the first the UK has made of individuals under the UKs Zimbabwe autonomous sanctions regime, which came into force at 11pm on 31 December 2020.

The new sanctions include a travel ban and asset freeze on four officials:

Owen Ncube, Minister for State Security;

Isaac Moyo, Director General of the Central Intelligence Organisation;

Godwin Matanga, Commissioner General of the Zimbabwe Republic Police; and

Anselem Sanyatwe, former Brigadier General, Commander of the Presidential Guard and Tactical Commander of the National Reaction Force.

These targeted designations hold to account those responsible for the worst human rights violations against the people of Zimbabwe since President Emmerson Mnangagwa took power in November 2017. This includes a state-sponsored crackdown against protests in January 2019 that resulted in the deaths of 17 Zimbabweans and post-election violence in August 2018 in which six protestors lost their lives.

Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab said: These sanctions send a clear message that we will hold to account those responsible for the most egregious human rights violations, including the deaths of innocent Zimbabweans.

These sanctions target senior individuals in the Government, and not ordinary Zimbabweans. We will continue to press for the necessary political and economic reforms that will benefit all Zimbabweans.

The UKs autonomous Zimbabwe sanctions regime seeks to encourage the Government of Zimbabwe to respect democratic principles and institutions; refrain from the repression of civil society; and to comply with international human rights law and to respect human rights.

These sanctions are in addition to our work to hold the Government of Zimbabwe to account in implementing genuine political and economic reforms that benefit all Zimbabweans.

Contrary to claims by those who seek to stop institutional reform and respect for human rights in Zimbabwe, these sanctions will not deter investment into the country. Instead, UK investors repeatedly highlight three concerns that prevent them from investing in Zimbabwe: poorly-managed currency; arbitrary property rights and the legal system.

We will continue to support the Zimbabwean people through our aid programme, focusing on tackling poverty, humanitarian assistance, standing up for human rights and supporting Zimbabwes recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. None of this aid goes directly through Government of Zimbabwe systems.


AI/ML - Software Engineer, Information Intelligence Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino) , California , United States Machine Learning and AI Summary

Posted: Feb 1, 2021 Role Number: 200220083 Do you want to make Siri and Apple products smarter for our users? The Siri Information Intelligence teams are building groundbreaking technology for algorithmic search, machine learning, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence. You can be a part of the next revolution in human-computer interaction. As a member of this dynamic group, you will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to shape upcoming products that will delight and inspire millions of Apple's users every day. We build groundbreaking technology for artificial intelligence, machine learning and human-computer interaction. Help us craft a smarter, more intuitive way to use your iPhone in your daily life, interact with content on AppleTV, and help people with disabilities access technology. Work with the people who created the intelligent assistant that helps millions of people get things done - just by asking. Join the Siri AI/ML team at Apple. Key Qualifications Practical knowledge of common data structures and algorithms.

Understanding of high-level network protocols (HTTPS, protobuf, JSON).

Understanding of distributed computing (load balancing, RPC, Map/Reduce, databases)

Experience with Docker and Kubernetes.

An appreciation for good API design.

Ability to write correct, clear, and understandable code.

Ability to learn new technologies quickly.

Excellent communication and teamwork skills Description You will work in a multi-functional team which is developing software to run innovative machine learning systems in the cloud and on device. You are passionate about implementing performant ML based algorithms in a distributed system and keep up to date with best practices and new technologies. You will also work closely with ML engineers to ensure their algorithms can be deployed efficiently on device and in the cloud. Education & Experience Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Computer Science or equivalent field


Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have captured a striking new photo of the spiral galaxy UGC 3885.

UGC 3885 is a spiral galaxy located approximately 180 million light-years away.

Also referred to as LEDA 21195, 2MASX J07310706+5928539 and Z 286-24 in various astronomical catalogues, it resides in the constellation of Lynx.

While a bright foreground star is incredibly bright to Hubbles eye, it does not outshine the details of the background galaxy, Hubble astronomers said.

Many young blue stars are sprinkled throughout the circular patterns of UGC 3885s arms, contrasted and complemented by dark lanes of dust also following the spiral structure.

A glancing look at UGC 3885 may only leave you with an impression of the galaxy, but spare a moment longer and the intricacies of the galaxy begin to emerge, they added.

Located in the constellation of Lynx, UGC 3885 is a cosmic beauty to behold.

UGC 3885 is a member of the LGG 143 group, a small collection of galaxies that also includes UGC 3943 and UGC 3897.

In August 2001, a Type Ia supernova was observed in the galaxy by astronomers from the UK Nova/Supernova Patrol project.

Designated SN 2001eg, the stellar explosion occurred close to the central region of UGC 3885.
President Joe Biden would like the extra fencing erected around the White House for inauguration festivities to come down as soon as possible, the administration said Monday.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at her daily press briefing that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris would like to see the seven-foot tall, anti-climbing fence come down when 'it makes sense from an overall security standpoint.'

'Our goal, the President and the Vice President's goal is for the Secret Service to adjust the perimeter as soon as it makes sense from an overall security standpoint, so we're working closely with them on that,' she said.

A white security barrier - installed ahead of Inauguration Day - is visible at the White House

The extra anti-climbing fencing was put in place around the White House perimeter ahead of Inauguration Day and remains standing

National Guards member walk along the fencing as snow falls at White House

U.S. Secret Service police officer closes a gate of a security fence installed around the White House on January 9th, after the MAGA riot on Capitol Hill

Typically, there is just a fence around 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue but, ahead of the January 20th swearing-in, extra fencing was put in place around a several block radius - from 17th street up to H St around Lafayette Park and down along 15th street.

It was erected after a pro-Donald Trump mob raided Capitol Hill, rushing the building and interrupting the certification of the presidential election.

The Secret Service surrounded the White House complex with the metal fencing and it was originally thought it would be removed after the inauguration ceremony.

But, nearly two weeks later, it remains in place.

There's speculation that the fence has remained up because Harris is living at Blair House, across the street from the White House, while repairs are being done on the vice president's residence.

The vice president usually lives at the Naval Observatory, about three miles from the White House. While Harris is at Blair House, she and the president are living in close proximity to one another, literally across the street.

National Guard service members also are patrolling around the White House complex and up the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue around Capitol Hill.

The extra fencing is visible on 17th street as Joe Biden enters his second week in office

Fencing and inauguration stands are visible in front of the White House as President Trump leaves on Marine One on January 20th, the day of the inauguration

The extra security could remain in place as Vice President Kamala Harris is living at Blair House, across the street from the White House, while repairs are done to VP residence

Joe Biden and Jill Biden prepare to walk into the White House on Inauguration Day

National Guard members patrol the fencing near the White House

Massive fencing remains in place on Capitol Hill in the wake the January 6th insurrection that left five people dead. It's unclear when that fencing will come down.

Acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman lat week called for the Capitol to have permanent fencing.

'In light of recent events, I can unequivocally say that the vast improvements to the physical security infrastructure must be made to include permanent fencing, and the availability of ready, back-up forces in close proximity to the Capitol,' Pittman said in a statement.

A seven-foot anti-climbing fence was erected around the Capitol the day after the MAGA riot.
Space Force enlisted ranks largely mirror those of the Air Force. On Jan. 29, 2021 Space Force officials announced the official rank naming structure for guardians, as Space Force members are known.

The U.S. Space Force is the 6th independent U.S. military service branch, tasked with missions and operations in the rapidly evolving space domain.

Read next: Learn more about Space Force

Like the Air Force, Enlisted Space Force ranks are broken down into three levels: Specialist (E-1 through E-4), Non-Commissioned Officers (E-5 and E-6), and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (E-7 through E-9).

Space Force Ranks: Specialist (E-1 through E-4)

As of 2020 new members of the Space Force are not pulled in from the most junior ranks in and just out of Air Force basic training. Instead, they are recruited from airmen in the Air Force's space systems operations (1C6) career field.

Specialist 1 (E-1)

As of 2020, new members of the Space Force have attended and graduated from Air Force basic training as regular members of the Air Force. After ascending into the Space Force they are known as Specialist, with an official designation of Specialist 1 (E-1).

Typically, promotions to E-2 are automatic as long as the service's standards for performance and behavior are met. The only requirement for Air Force advancement is 6 months time in grade (TIG) and time in service (TIS).

Specialist 2 (E-2)

The rank of Specialist 2 brings with it the responsibility of adjusting to the way of military life, and becoming proficient in their Space Force occupational specialty. For Space Force, that means entering training for space systems operations (1C6) career field after graduation from Air Force basic training.

Specialist 3 (E-3)

Specialist 3 guardians are considered to be fully adjusted to Space Force and military life, and their duties focus on efficiently and effectively carrying out their assignments and honing their job skills.

Specialist 2 guardians must have at least 10 months time in grade before being promoted to Specialist 3. In the Air Force, the average time in service before promotion to Airman First Class is 16 months.

Specialist 4 (E-4)

The rank of Specialist 4 is a transition period from journeyman to Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO). Specialist 4 guardians in the Space Force and Senior Airmen in the Air Force are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with established standards, providing a positive influence and example for their subordinates and peers alike. Senior Airmen are to present the image of competence, integrity and pride.

Moving up the ranks: The Space Force requires for Specialist 3 to have 28 months Time-in-Grade (TIG), or 36 months TIS and 20 months TIG. In the Air Force, the average service-wide active duty time for advancement to the rank of Senior Airman (or Specialist 4 in the Space Force) is three years.

Space Force Ranks: Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) (E-5 and E-6)

Space Force enlisted members E-5 and E-6 are referred to as NCOs. Space Force NCOs are expected to exemplify personal integrity, loyalty, leadership, dedication and devotion to duty including upholding Space Force policies, traditions, and standards.

Space Force NCOs and Senior NCOs are promoted based on the Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS) used by the Air Force. Airmen with the proper TIS/TIG/Skill Level and commander's recommendation compete for promotion based on their "WAPS Points" within the current Air Force speciality code that feeds to Space Force.

The WAPS promotion points are derived from a system which gives points for Promotion Fitness Examination (PFE), Specialty Knowledge Test (SKT), Medals and Awards, Time-in-Grade (TIG)/Time-in-Service (TIS) and Performance Evaluations. Those with the highest points get promoted first.

Sergeant (E-5)

The Sergeant (SSgt) is the first level of the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) ranks in the Space Force. The Sergeant is considered a craftsman with specific NCO supervisory responsibilities and may hold either a 5- (journeyman) or 7- (craftsman) skill level. Additionally the Sgt. must continuously strive to further their development as technicians and supervisors. In the Air Force the average service-wide active duty time for promotion to the rank of Staff Sergeant, the Air Force equivalent for the Space Force Sergeant, is over four years.

In the Air Force, promotion to E-5 requires three years Time-in-Serve (TIS) and six months Time-in-Grade (TIG). In addition, Airmen must achieve a 5-skill level, compete in the "Weighted Airman Promotion System," or WAPS and complete the Airman Leadership School in-residence prior to assuming the rank of SSgt.

Technical Sergeant (E-6)

The Technical Sergeant (TSgt) is the second level of the Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) ranks in the Space Force. Technical Sergeants are qualified to perform highly complex technical duties in addition to providing supervision. In addition, they're responsible for the career development of each subordinate under their supervision.

It is the TSgt's responsibility to ensure that all enlisted personnel have the tools, training and support they need to achieve maximum performance and accomplish total mission effectiveness. In the Air Force, the average active duty time service-wide for promotion to the rank of Technical Sergeant is 12 years.

The promotion process for Tech Sergeant is identical to the process for promotion to Staff Sergeant, except for the minimum requirements of 5 years Time-in-Serve (TIS) and 23 months Time-in-Grade (TIG), in addition to achieving a 7-skill level.

Space Force Senior Non-Commissioned Officer (SNCO) Ranks (E-7 through E-9)

Space Force enlisted members E-7 and above are referred to as SNCOs. Space Force SNCOs are expected to set the highest standards of personal integrity, loyalty, leadership, dedication and devotion to duty including upholding policies, traditions and standards.

Like the NCO ranks, Senior NCOs are rated by their "Skill Levels." The following is a breakdown of the Space Force's SNCO required skill levels:

7-Level: Supervisor. Technical Sergeant (E-6) to Master Sergeant (E-7)

9-Level: Manager. Skill-level assigned to E-8s and E-9s.

Master Sergeant (E-7)

The Master Sergeant (MSgt) functions primarily as a craftsman while holding more advanced leadership positions. MSgts hold a 7-skill level. This rank carries significantly increased responsibilities and requires a broad technical and managerial perspective. In the Air Force, the average active duty time for advancement to the rank of Master Sergeant is over 17 years.

The promotion process for Space Force and Air Force Master Sergeant is identical to the process for promotion to E-5 and E-6, except for the minimum requirements: 8 years Time-in-Serve (TIS) and 24 months Time-in-Grade (TIG) requirements, in addition to achieving a 7-skill level.

Senior Master Sergeant (E-8)

The Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt) are expected to perform as a superintendent or manager. Broad management skills are essential to exercising the responsibilities of the higher leadership positions in which SMSgts serve. In the Air Force, the average service-wide active duty time for advancement to the rank of Senior Master Sergeant is over 20 years.

By law only 2% of the enlisted workforce can be promoted to the grades of E8. That means the SMSgt promotion system is highly competitive. Senior Master Sergeant and Chief Master Sergeant Promotions in the Space Force are made using both the WAPS points and a Central Evaluation Board that reviews the individuals promotion record. To be eligible for promotion, an MSgt must have a minimum of 11 years TIS and 20 months TIG.

In the Air Force, the biggest factor for Senior Master Sergeant promotions is the Central Evaluation Board (CEB). Each year, once for Senior Master Sergeant (January), and once for Chief Master Sergeant (October), the Air Force convenes the central evaluation board consisting of several 3-person panels. In the Air Force, each panel examines the promotion records for specific AFSCs (jobs). Space Force evaluation boards are expected to be similar.

The panels examine the promotion records, and score them by considering the following the individuals Performance, Professional Competence, Leadership, Job Responsibility, Breadth of Experience, Specific Achievements and Education Level.

Chief Master Sergeant (E-9)

The rank of Chief Master Sergeant is the highest Space Force enlisted rank, with the exception of the Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force. The CMSSF is a distinctive rank with special basic and retired pay rates set by law.

Related: Visit the Military.com pay calculator

Chief Master Sergeants serve as managers and superintendents, advisors, enlisted force managers and provide senior enlisted leadership. Following selection, CMSgts are assigned Chief Enlisted Manager (CEM) codes and may fill any managerial-level position and perform all duties not prohibited by law or directive. The average service wide active duty time for advancement to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant is more than 22 years.

Command Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force (E-9)

Command Chief Master Sergeants serve as senior advisors to unit and base commanders. CMCs advise the Commander on all enlisted matters, including all issues affecting the command's mission and operations, and the readiness, training, utilization, morale, technical and professional development and quality of life of all enlisted members in the organization. Command Chiefs are the functional managers for all SNCOs in their entire command/organization.

Only 1% of enlisted personnel can hold the grade of E9 at any one time. This makes the competition for CMSgt promotions extremely tight. In the Air Force, Chief Master Sergeant Promotions are made using both the WAPS points and a Central Evaluation Board that reviews the individual's promotion record. To be eligible for promotion, a SMSgt must have a minimum of 14 years TIS and 21 months TIG. The Space Force is expected to mirror those rules.

Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force

The Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force (CMSSF) is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Space Force. The holder of this rank and post represents the highest enlisted level of leadership in the Space Force, and as such, provides direction for the enlisted corps and represents their interests, as appropriate, to the American public, and to those in all levels of government.

The CMSSF is appointed by the Space Force Chief of Staff (SF/CC) and serves as the senior enlisted advisor to the Space Force Chief of Staff and the Secretary of the Space Force on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale and proper utilization and progress of the enlisted force.

Interested in Joining the Military?

We can put you in touch with recruiters from the different military branches. Learn about the benefits of serving your country, paying for school, military career paths, and more: sign up now and hear from a recruiter near you.
CAMBRIDGE -- The temperature of a planet is linked with the diversity of life that it can support. MIT geologists have now reconstructed a timeline of the Earth's temperature during the early Paleozoic era, between 510 and 440 million years ago -- a pivotal period when animals became abundant in a previously microbe-dominated world.

In a study appearing today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers chart dips and peaks in the global temperature during the early Paleozoic. They report that these temperature variations coincide with the planet's changing diversity of life: Warmer climates favored microbial life, whereas cooler temperatures allowed more diverse animals to flourish.

The new record, more detailed than previous timelines of this period, is based on the team's analysis of carbonate muds -- a common type of limestone that forms from carbonate-rich sediments deposited on the seafloor and compacted over hundreds of millions of years.

"Now that we have shown you can use these carbonate muds as climate records, that opens the door to looking back at this whole other part of Earth's history where there are no fossils, when people don't really know much about what the climate was," says lead author Sam Goldberg, a graduate student in MIT's Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS).

Goldberg's co-authors are Kristin Bergmann, the D. Reid Weedon, Jr. Career Development Professor in EAPS, along with Theodore Present of Caltech and Seth Finnegan of the University of California at Berkeley.

Beyond fossils

To estimate Earth's temperature many millions of years ago, scientists analyze fossils, in particular, remains of ancient shelled organisms that precipitated from seawater and either grew on or sank to the seafloor. When precipitation occurs, the temperature of the surrounding water can change the composition of the shells, altering the relative abundances of two isotopes of oxygen: oxygen-16, and oxygen-18.

"As an example, if carbonate precipitates at 4 degrees Celsius, more oxygen-18 ends up in the mineral, from the same starting composition of water, [compared to] carbonate precipitating at 30 degrees Celsius," Bergmann explains. "So, the ratio of oxygen-18 to -16 increases as temperature cools."

In this way, scientists have used ancient carbonate shells to backtrack the temperature of the surrounding seawater -- an indicator of the Earth's overall climate -- at the time the shells first precipitated. But this approach has taken scientists only so far, up until the earliest fossils.

"There is about 4 billion years of Earth history where there were no shells, and so shells only give us the last chapter," Goldberg says.

A clumped isotope signal

The same precipitating reaction in shells also occurs in carbonate mud. But geologists assumed the isotope balance in carbonate muds would be more vulnerable to chemical changes.

"People have often overlooked mud. They thought that if you try to use it as a temperature indicator, you might be looking at not the original ocean temperature in which it formed, but the temperature of a process that occurred later on, when the mud was buried a mile below the surface," Goldberg says.

To see whether carbonate muds might preserve signatures of their original surrounding temperature, the team used "clumped isotope geochemistry," a technique used in Bergmann's lab, which analyzes sediments for clumping, or pairing, of two heavy isotopes: oxygen-18 and carbon-13. The likelihood of these isotopes pairing up in carbonate muds depends on temperature but is unaffected by the ocean chemistry in which the muds form.

Combining this analysis with traditional oxygen isotope measurements provides additional constraints on the conditions experienced by a sample between its original formation and the present. The team reasoned that this analysis could be a good indication of whether carbonate muds remained unchanged in composition since their formation. By extension, this could mean the oxygen-18 to -16 ratio in some muds accurately represents the original temperature at which the rocks formed, enabling their use as a climate record.

Ups and downs

The researchers tested their idea on samples of carbonate muds that they extracted from two sites, one in Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, and the other in western Newfoundland. Both sites are known for their exposed rocks that date back to the early Paleozoic era.

In 2016 and 2017, teams traveled first to Svalbard, then Newfoundland, to collect samples of carbonate muds from layers of deposited sediment spanning a period of 70 million years, from the mid-Cambrian, when animals began to flourish on Earth, through the Ordovician periods of the Paleozoic era.

When they analyzed the samples for clumped isotopes, they found that many of the rocks had experienced little chemical change since their formation. They used this result to compile the rocks' oxygen isotope ratios from 10 different early Paleozoic sites to calculate the temperatures at which the rocks formed. The temperatures calculated from most of these sites were similar to previously published lower-resolution fossil temperature records. In the end, they mapped a timeline of temperature during the early Paleozoic and compared this with the fossil record from that period, to show that temperature had a big effect on the diversity of life on the planet.

"We found that when it was warmer at the end of the Cambrian and early Ordovician, there was also a peak in microbial abundance," Goldberg says. "From there it cooled off going into the middle to late Ordovician, when we see abundant animal fossils, before a substantial ice age ends the Ordovician. Previously people could only observe general trends using fossils. Because we used a material that's very abundant, we could create a higher-resolution record and could see more clearly defined ups and downs."

The team is now looking to analyze older muds, dating back before the appearance of animals, to gauge the Earth's temperature changes prior to 540 million years ago.

"To go back beyond 540 million years ago, we have to grapple with carbonate muds, because they are really one of the few records we have to constrain climate in the distant past," Bergmann says.

###

This research was supported, in part, by NASA and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The number of people searching online for topics that are related to boredom, loneliness and worry rose sharply at the beginning of the first lockdown, a new study shows.

Experts examined Google Trends data from 10 countries across Europe and the United States and found search patterns suggested lockdown had "severely affected" mental health.

They tracked how often people searched on Google for terms such as panic, divorce, suicide, boredom and wellbeing.

When compared to the same period in 2019, the number of searches in Europe at the time of the lockdown in 2020 for boredom rose by 93 percent, loneliness 40 percent and worry 27 percent. In America, the number of searches at the time of the lockdown in 2020 for boredom rose by 57 percent, loneliness by 16 percent and worry by 12 percent.

Researchers found results were similar whether countries, states or cities went into full or partial lockdown, suggesting that any form of restrictions had a substantial impact on wellbeing.

Nick Powdthavee, Professor of Behavioural Science, is one of the authors of the paper and specializes in the economics of wellbeing. He said: "Our findings indicate that people's mental health may have been severely affected by the pandemic and lockdown.

"There was a substantial increase in searches for boredom, loneliness and worry. However, we did see a significant drop in searches for suicide, divorce and stress.

"It may be necessary to make sure support is provided to help those struggling most with lockdown."

The research by economists from the University of Ottawa, Warwick Business School, Paris School of Economics, and Aix-Marseille was published in the paper COVID-19, lockdowns and well-being: Evidence from Google Trends in the Journal of Public Economics.

Researchers analyzed Google search data from the UK, US, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain between January 2019 and April 2020.

That allowed them to compare how often people searched for 13 key terms just before lockdown, after they were ordered to stay home, and during the same period 12 months earlier.

Professor Abel Brodeur, of the University of Ottawa, said: "We did see the number of searches for sadness revert towards the norm, perhaps reflecting hopes that lockdown would be relatively short-lived.

"However, the effects on boredom and worry have not dissipated over time and this snapshot of wellbeing in the first weeks of lockdown does not account for potential fatigue as individuals grow increasingly tired of self-regulating as time passes.

"It is a reminder that, while the economic cost of the pandemic and lockdown is considerable, there are other potential costs in terms of trust, disruption to schooling, and wellbeing.

"That is particularly relevant as many countries are going through a second wave of the pandemic and are facing fresh restrictions."

Explore further Loneliness hits young people harder during lockdown

More information: Abel Brodeur et al. COVID-19, lockdowns and well-being: Evidence from Google Trends, Journal of Public Economics (2020). Journal information: Journal of Public Economics Abel Brodeur et al. COVID-19, lockdowns and well-being: Evidence from Google Trends,(2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104346
Theres a swamp in Washington, but I smell a rat in Montgomery. After months of keeping Alabamas taxpayers and leadership in the dark, Gov. Kay Ivey has revealed that her $2.6 billion mega-prison plan will actually cost an extra $500 million. Thats right; the night before signing the contracts for the three-prison plan she refused to answer questions on and attempted to ram through without the consent of the people or the legislature, Kay Ivey tried to sneak in the small fact that her dumpster-fire of a prison plan will cost our cash-strapped state half a billion dollars more than she promised.

Its funny, I was under the impression we lived in a democracy. You know how a dictatorship works? A tyrant sits on the throne, barks orders, and whatever they say goes. Critics are silenced, questions are ignored, and the government moves in the shadows. Governor Ivey seems to have forgotten the distinction that separates our Republic from tyranny. That, or she rolled her eyes as she waltzed over it. Through unprecedented, anti-democratic executive overreach, she will torch more than $3 billion on yet another needless government expansion, whether or not her fellow Republicans stand with her.

This is not the behavior of a woman confident in her plan. If Ivey truly believed that spending billions we dont have was in the best interest of this state, shed share the details proudly. Shed answer the tough questions, not tuck tail and run. Shed act like a leader. Instead, shes acting like a tyrant. You know why? Because this is a bad deal for Alabama. Were getting swindled, plain and simple. Ivey wants to pay CoreCivic, the same corporation the governor of Kansas said hoodwinked her state, $3.1 billion dollars in rent. You read that right. At the end of this 30 year deal, well be billions in the hole with nothing to show for it. And its my generation who will be paying for her lies and negligence.

If this stunt makes you as mad as it makes me, if you believe in democracy, not tyranny, and if you believe that you have the right to know why billions of your tax dollars are being spent on three buildings we dont need, say something about it. Heres Iveys phone number: 334.242.7100. Tell her we deserve a public audit of the ADOC. Tell her we want to know the alternatives and their costs. Tell her we want this put to a vote in the legislature. Call your representatives while youre at it. Let them know, this is not the Alabama we stand for.

David Zell is a junior at the University of Alabama and co-founder of Alabama Students Against Prisons, a coalition of nearly 300 Alabama students from 28 colleges, universities, and law schools. He is a policy research intern at the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, a University Fellow, and a member of UAs Blackburn Institute.
Further clarity on how Leaving Certificate exams will be held this year is expected to be given on Tuesday, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has said.

Members of the Cabinet sub-committee on education were meeting on Monday to discuss options regarding the Leaving Certificate.

Ministers were also discussing schools reopening and childcare.

Simon Coveney said that Minister for Education Norma Foley is expected to bring a number of recommendations to Government on Tuesday.

He told RTEs Today with Claire Byrne programme: Ive spoken to many, many families who want certainty around the exams.

We are anxious to make decisions a lot earlier this year, so we can hopefully address the stress levels in people's homes Simon Coveney

We did learn lessons from last year that we have got to give as much time as possible and as much certainty as possible for students and their families to prepare for exams or some alternative to that.

Thats why we are anxious to make decisions a lot earlier this year, so we can hopefully address the stress levels in peoples homes linked to exams and future prospects for students going to college and so on.

Hopefully we will be able to give some clarity on that tomorrow.

The Government has been facing mounting pressure to make a decision on whether to press ahead with the years Leaving Cert in its usual format.

Last years exams were replaced with predicated grades.

Among the options being considered is to give students a choice between a written exam and calculated grades.

Expand Close Norma Foley is expected to make recommendations on Tuesday (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Norma Foley is expected to make recommendations on Tuesday (Niall Carson/PA)

The Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) said the Government should press ahead with the exams, however they have called for modified papers.

On Friday, Ms Foley met with ASTI representatives to discuss the Leaving Cert and the reopening of schools.

The Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) reiterated its support for holding the 2021 Leaving Certificate examinations.

The union said it does not believe that a system of calculated grades or similar will reduce stress and anxiety in the school community and expressed concerns about the lack of data on which teachers estimated marks could be based compared to last years process.

TUI president Martin Marjoram said: We fully acknowledge the high levels of stress and anxiety in school communities, especially among those students who are due to take the state examinations this year.

However, we are concerned that a premature decision could be made without full exploration of feasible options.

We believe there are enormous difficulties attached to the proposal that the class of 2021 be offered a choice in terms how they wish to be assessed, and we are reiterating our strong view that the fairest, most equitable option remains the holding of suitably modified and adapted Leaving Certificate examinations, which must take account of the second components of assessment such as orals, practical and project work.

On Sunday, Professor Philip Nolan said that the country is progressing towards a place where the phased reopening of education can be considered.

The head of Nphets epidemiological modelling advisory group said Ireland could see a drop to 200-400 new cases of Covid-19 a day by the end of February.

I think we can say given the huge progress that we have made as a community in suppressing the virus, were now approaching a level of disease in the community where it would be safe to think about an appropriately phased, cautious reopening of education, Professor Nolan said.
Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID
CERRO GORDO COUNTY, Iowa - Two Minnesota women are facing a slew of charges after leading law enforcement on a high-speed chase through three counties.

Just before 2 P.M. Sunday, a vehicle was speeding on Highway 218 near Plainfield in Chickasaw County and didn't stop for an Iowa State Trooper. The chase went through Floyd and Cerro Gordo Counties, reaching speeds exceeding 150 MPH.

Two females in the vehicle were throwing objects out of the windows during the chase.

Law enforcement used stop sticks and the vehicle pulled over just outside Mason City on Highway 18.

The driver, 35-year-old Marion Baca and a passenger, 32-year-old Heather Krumrie, both of Minnesota, were taken into custody.

Baca is facing multiple traffic charges, speed charges, eluding, and driving without a license. Both the women are facing multiple drug charges, including possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance - marijuana, and failure to affix a drug stamp.
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 European Union's drug agency has recommended the approval of an anti-epileptic drug of SK Biopharmaceuticals Co., paving the way for its sales in the region, the biopharmaceutical affiliate of South Korea's SK Group said Monday.







The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) under the European Medicines Agency recommended the application of cenobamate, SK Biopharmaceuticals said in a press release.







The European Commission, which is authorized to approve medicines in the region, is expected to issue its decision within 67 days of receipt of the CHMP opinion.







SK Biopharmaceuticals said that cenobamate is expected to hit the shelves in the region in the second quarter of this year, providing new hope in helping adult patients with uncontrolled focal epilepsy.







Cenobamate, branded as XCOPRI in the United States, earned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval in 2019 to be used as a treatment for partial-onset seizures in adults.







The approval marked the first time a South Korean company has applied for FDA approval for a drug on its own and received it. SK Biopharmaceuticals has been developing the anti-epileptic drug since 2001.







SK Biopharm's European partner, Italy-based drug firm Angelini Pharma, will be responsible for marketing and sales of the drug in the region under the brand name of Ontozry.







An estimated 6 million people in Europe suffer from epilepsy. People with epilepsy, whose seizures are poorly controlled, have higher morbidity and mortality rates. (Yonhap)


Denton, TX (76205)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 79F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.

(Alliance News) - Two London-listed companies investing and operating in Myanmar said Monday they are closely monitoring the situation, after the military arrested the country's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power in a coup.

Myanmar's military on Monday pledged to hold fresh elections in one year, dpa reported.

Speaking via the military-owned broadcaster Myawaddy, military representatives said the army would uphold "discipline-flourishing democracy" and allow the winner of the election to take power.

The army has declared a year-long state of emergency and appointed as acting president former general Myint Swe, who has handed control to commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing.

Suu Kyi and numerous other government officials, along with prominent activists, were detained in pre-dawn raids across the country on Monday morning.

In a statement issued by her National League for Democracy party after she was detained, Suu Kyi urged the people of Myanmar to resist the military.

Myanmar Strategic Holdings Ltd, which operates consumer businesses in Myanmar and Vietnam, said it "supports Myanmar's democratic transition and efforts to promote peace, human rights and development in the country".

Myanmar Strategic said its schools will continue to deliver education online and offline, and its security services company remains active securing embassies and national infrastructure. Its Ostello Bello boutique hostels remain closed, due to Covid-19 restrictions.

It noted that following the acquisition of Wall Street English Vietnam last year, half of its revenue come from Vietnam, rather than Myanmar.

The company had said on Friday last week it will release its results for the 18 months that ended September 30 by no later than the end of March.

The stock was down 12% at USD9.00 in London on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, Myanmar Investments International Ltd said communications in the country had been affected by the coup but appear to be resuming, and it will keep investors updated on events.

The company's shares were suspended from trading at the London open Monday and will stay suspended until there is "clarity on the events in Myanmar and their impact on the company", Myanmar Investments said.

By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.

Scott Stewart Wins 2021 bestbet Jacksonville Winter Poker Open Main Event ($177,817)

February 01, 2021 Hill Kerby

Scott Stewart entered Day 2 of the 2021 bestbet Jacksonville Winter Open $2,000 Main Event with more than $2.2 million in lifetime earnings but had never had an outright win worth more than $105,245. That changed Sunday night as he topped a field of 510 entries, winning outright for a top prize of $177,817.

Stewart began the day fifth in chips out of the 78 runners that returned. He remained one of the top stacks in the room through the first part of the day as the bubble burst and the top 64 places were paid. He ascended even further and found himself at the top of the counts when three tables remained.

From there, Stewart played a part in further reducing the field, nearly single-handedly dismantling another big stack in 16th-place finisher James Calderaro. A short-handed battle with eventual runner-up Matt Mauldin left Stewart coming into the final table third in chips, but he continued to battle and stay in the thick of things until pulling away during short-handed play and never looking back.

2021 bestbet Winter Open Main Event Final Table Results

Place Player Hometown Prize 1 Scott Stewart Lakewood, California $177,817 2 Matt Mauldin Columbia, South Carolina $118,422 3 Ken Stacy Bristol, Virginia $87,394 4 Chris Perry Tampa, Florida $65,178 5 Thad McNulty Jacksonville, Florida $49,113 6 Luan Nguyen Lawrenceville, Georgia $37,454 7 Chuck Tabor Charlotte, North Carolina $28,917 8 Barbara Rogers Lockhaven, Pennsylvania $22,491

Day 2 Action

Fourteen eliminations were needed to burst the bubble from the time play began on the day. That feat was accomplished around an hour into play, and in unusual fashion saw 20 full minutes go by before the first in-the-money elimination occurred.

When the bust outs did start happening, Justin Liberto (62nd place), Dapo Ajayi (58th place), and Byron Kaverman (57th place) were all among the first wave of them. Timothy Miles (48th place), Justin Zaki (30th place), and Hamid Izadi (27th place) also followed as the tournament progressed, and the final three tables were reached before four hours of play had concluded.

As previously mentioned, Stewart was at the top of the counts at that time. However, others in Mauldin and Ken Stacy sent four combined players to the rail in Kelly Slay (13th place), Day 1b chip leader Tyler Payne (12th place), Jason Block (11th place), and Day 1a chip leader Dustin Holladay (10th place) in a short timespan. Then, Thad McNulty eliminated Mitch Smith on the final table bubble after his ace-ten hit running Broadway cards to beat Smith's ace-queen, and just eight remained.

Matt Mauldin

The Final Table

Barbara Rogers entered the final table as the short stack with less than six big blinds and was the first to fall after her king-jack lost to Scott's ace-king all in preflop. Chuck Tabor had also found himself short by that time, and he went shortly thereafter when his ace-five suited could not improve to Mauldin's ace-queen.

Six-handed play then continued for two full levels until Luan Nguyen was knocked out by Mauldin in sixth, and McNulty fell to Stewart in fifth just one hand later. From there, two more levels went by with play four-handed until eventually Chris Perry became the next one to go after he ran pocket kings into Mauldin's pocket aces.

During that time, third-place finisher Stacy put up a fight but eventually saw his luck run out with his stack following suit. His elimination came at the expense of Mauldin as well, ensuring that the pair of Mauldin and Stewart would account for every single final-table elimination.

After Mauldin eliminated Stacy, he entered heads-up play with a slight disadvantage in the counts. It proved to be one he would be unable to overcome, with Stewart grabbing the momentum from the get-go and never relinquishing it. Stacy then found himself at a 5:1 chip disadvantage and shoved his last 13 big blinds in with ace-eight, only to run it into pocket nines for Scott, who held to claim the title and $177,817 in prize money.

bestbet Jacksonville 2021 Winter Open Winners

The Main Event was the culmination of a 11-event series, one that catered to a combined 2,330 entries and awarded $1,621,557 in prize money. One of the biggest stories to emerge from the side events was Eddy Mroczkowski's impressive two-day performance. First, he topped a 195-entry field to win Event #4: $160 No-Limit Hold'em for $4,248 and then the next day bested 222 entries to take down Event #5: $360 NLH Monster Stack for $12,551.

*Tournament Entries Prize Pool Winner Prize* Event #1: $560 No-Limit Hold'em 592 $296,000 Huilin Chen $30,460 Event #2: $260 H.O.R.S.E. 65 $13,975 Daniel Wise $2,717 Event #3: $360 NLH w/ $100 Bounties 196 $40,180 Patrick Michael $9,003 Event #4: $160 No-Limit Hold'em 195 $24,377 Eddy Mroczkowski $4,248 Event #5: $360 NLH Monster Stack 222 $68,820 Eddy Mroczkowski $12,551 Event #6: $260 NLH Turbo 104 $17,160 Taylor Howard $5,235 Event #7: $320 NLH Ladies Only 70 $18,900 Diane Casino $4,237 Event #8: $1,000 NLH 6-Max 141 $129,720 Fernando Rodriguez-Vazquez $27,411 Event #9: $360 Pot-Limit Omaha 70 $21,000 Tammer Ilcaffas $7,352 Event #10: $500 No-Limit Hold'em 165 $73,425 Nabil Hirezi $10,000 $2,000 Main Event 510 $918,000 Scott Stewart $177,817
Vaccines are being rolled out in phases, and each state decides precisely who is eligible for each phase in its jurisdiction.

When can YOU get the vaccine?

Below are phone numbers and website links to find out who is eligible now in your state, and where the eligible can make appointments or find walk-in clinics.

Answers to your top questions about Covid-19 and vaccines
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. As New York City braces for what experts say could be a significant snowstorm, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is issuing its own safety measures in regard to state-run bridges and public transportation.

Empty and tandem tractor trailers will be prohibited on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, beginning 6 a.m. Monday, state officials announced in a press release Sunday.

Additionally, buses will operate at reduced service based on anticipated lower ridership, while articulated buses will be replaced by standard buses beginning Sunday night.

While city officials have advised residents to opt for public transportation in lieu of driving Monday, the state also has strongly encouraged residents from using public transportation unless necessary.

MTA customers can sign up for real-time service alerts via text or email. The alerts also are available via the MTAs apps: MYmta, Metro-North Train Time and Long Island Rail Road Train Time.

Customers can check new.mta.info for the latest service updates.
A man gets his first dose of the CCP virus vaccine administered during mass vaccinations at Coors Field baseball stadium in Denver, Colo., on Jan. 30, 2021. (Chet Strange/AFP via Getty Images)

CDC: No Evidence of Safety Problem With CCP Virus Vaccines

The number of reported post-vaccination adverse events and deaths hasnt changed federal officials view on the safety of the two authorized COVID-19 vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Feb. 1.

After receiving one of the vaccines, 288 people have died, according to reports submitted to the passive Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. More than 3,000 patients have suffered adverse events after getting one of the vaccines.

Based on the data received and reviewed so far, the adverse events reported are similar to those observed in clinical trials. Currently, there is no evidence to suggest a safety problem with these vaccines, a CDC spokeswoman told The Epoch Times in an email.

CDC is aware of reports of deaths occurring after administration of COVID-19 vaccines. These deaths are under investigation. From the data, it appears many of these deaths are among nursing home residents who had serious underlying conditions and death was not hastened by the vaccination.

Only two vaccines are authorized for use in the United States against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. One is produced by Moderna; the other is made by Pfizer and BioNTech. Both were authorized in mid-December 2020.

Pfizer has said its closely monitoring all reports following vaccination, while Moderna hasnt responded to requests for comment on the issue.

In a Jan. 27 presentation by CDC official Tom Shimabukuro to the agencys Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the official said most post-COVID-19 vaccination deaths have occurred among long-term care facility residents. He said the deaths should not be assumed to be causally related to vaccination.

Officials in Norway said last month that they were probing the deaths of some two dozen elderly persons who had received Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine. They said the vaccine may have contributed to a fatal outcome in some frail patients.

Based on the estimated mortality in long-term care facility residents in the United States, Shimabukuro said to expect 11,440 deaths post-vaccination among the population.

Mortality in the residents is high and substantial numbers of deaths in this population will occur following vaccination as temporally-associated coincidental events, a slide in his presentation stated.

The Food and Drug Administration told The Epoch Times that there are no plans to develop a database for post-vaccination deaths at this time.

If a link between an adverse event or death to a vaccination were verified, the health officials would communicate the findings and consider if additional regulatory actions were warranted, such as product labeling, an administration spokesperson said.

The CDC spokesperson told The Epoch Times that all reports of deaths occurring post-COVID-19 vaccination are being probed.

Reports of deaths occurring after administration of COVID-19 vaccines are under investigation. Establishing cause of death for a patient from any cause (including vaccines) is an involved and complex process that involves physician judgment. Typically, CDC defers to autopsy reports and death certificates as the definitive cause of death for any given patient, she said.

Its important to remember that many adverse events, including death, following immunization are often coincidentalthat means that while an adverse event may happen after getting vaccinated, the vaccine is not always the cause of it. When combined with other protective measures, vaccines are one of the best tools we have to fight the pandemic.

When getting vaccinated against covid-19, there's no sense being picky. You should take the first authorized vaccine that's offered, experts say.

The newest covid vaccine on the horizon, from Johnson & Johnson, is probably a little less effective at preventing sickness than the two shots already being administered around the United States, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. On Friday, Johnson & Johnson announced that, in a 45,000-person trial, its vaccine was about 66% effective at preventing moderate to severe covid illness. No one who received the vaccine was hospitalized with or died of the disease, according to the company, which said it expected to seek Food and Drug Administration authorization as early as this week. If the agency authorizes use of the vaccine, millions of doses could be shipped out of J&J's warehouses beginning in late February.

The J&J vaccine is similar to the shots from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech but uses a different strategy for transporting genetic code into human cells to stimulate immunity to the disease. The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines were found in trials last fall to be 94% effective against confirmed covid. They also prevented nearly all severe cases.

But the difference in those efficacy numbers may be deceptive. The vaccines were tested in different locations and at different phases of the pandemic. And J&J gave subjects in its trial only one dose of the vaccine, while Moderna and Pfizer have two-dose schedules, separated by 28 and 21 days, respectively. The bottom line, however, is that all three do a good job at preventing serious covid.

"It's a bit like, do you want a Lamborghini or a Chevy to get to work?" said Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "Ultimately, I just need to get to work. If a Chevy is available, sign me up."

So while expert panels may debate in the future about which vaccine is best for whom, "from a personal and public health perspective, the best advice for now is to get whatever you can as soon as you can get it, because the sooner we all get vaccinated the better off we all are," said Dr. Norman Hearst, a family doctor and epidemiologist at the University of California-San Francisco.

Here are five reasons you should take the J&J shot  assuming the FDA authorizes it  if it's the one that's offered to you first:

1. All three vaccines protect against hospitalization and death.

Of the 10 cases of severe disease in the Pfizer trial, nine received a placebo, or fake vaccine, and none of the 30 severe cases in the Moderna trial occurred in people who got the true vaccine. Johnson & Johnson did not release specific numbers but said none of the vaccinated patients were hospitalized or died. "The real goal is to keep people out of the hospital and the ICU and the morgue," said Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "This vaccine will do that well."

2. The efficacy levels could be a case of apples and oranges.

The data that Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech presented to the FDA for their vaccines came from large clinical trials that took place over the summer and early fall in the United States. At the time, none of the new variants of covid  some of which may be better at evading the immune responses produced by vaccines  were circulating here. In contrast, the J&J trial began in September and was put into the arms of people in South America, South Africa and the United States.

Newly widespread variants in Brazil and South Africa appear somewhat better at evading the vaccine's defenses, and it's possible a new variant in California  where many J&J volunteers were enrolled  may also have that trait. The J&J vaccine was 72% effective against moderate to severe covid in the U.S. part of the trial, compared with 57% in South Africa, where a more contagious mutant virus is the dominant strain. Another vaccine, made by the Maryland company Novavax, had 90% efficacy in a large British trial, but only about 50% in South Africa. The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines might not have gotten the same sparkling results had they been tested more recently  or in South Africa.

"This vaccine was tested in the pandemic here and now," said Dr. Dan Barouch, a Harvard Medical School professor whose lab at the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston developed the J&J vaccine. "The pandemic is a much more complex pandemic than it was several months ago."

Some of that difference in performance also could be attributable to different patient populations or disease conditions, and not just the mutant virus. A large percentage of South Africans carry the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. Chinese vaccines have performed wildly differently in countries where they were tested in recent months.

"We don't know which vaccines are the Lamborghinis," Poland said, "because these aren't true head-to-head comparisons."

3. Speed is of the essence.

To stop the spread of covid, the mutation of the virus that causes it and the continued pummeling of the economy, we all need to be vaccinated as quickly as possible. The inadequate supply of vaccines has been felt acutely.

Dr. Virginia Banks' 103-year-old mother is one of the few living Americans who were around for the country's last great pandemic  the 1918 influenza  yet she's been unable to get a covid vaccination, said Banks, a physician with Northeast Ohio Infectious Disease Associates in Youngstown.

Patients can't be picky about which vaccine they accept, Banks said. People "need to get vaccinated with the vaccines out today so we can get closer to herd immunity" to slow the spread of the virus.

Banks has worked hard to promote covid vaccines to skeptical minority communities, frequently appearing on local TV news and making at least two presentations by Zoom each week. Blacks to date have been vaccinated against covid at much lower rates than whites.

"There's a downside to waiting," said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventive medicine and health policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Delaying vaccination carries serious risks, given that more than 3,800 Americans have been dying every day of covid.

4. The J&J vaccine appears to have some real advantages.

First, it seems to cause fewer serious side effects like the fever and malaise suffered by some Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccine recipients. High fever and dehydration are particular concerns in fragile elderly people who "have one foot on the banana peel," said Dr. Kathryn Edwards, scientific director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program. The J&J vaccine "may be a better vaccine for the infirm."

Many people may also prefer the J&J shot because "it's one and done," Schaffner said. Easier for administrators too: just one appointment to schedule.

5. The J&J vaccine is much easier to ship, store and administer.

While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can be stored in regular refrigerators, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must be kept long-term in "ultra-cold" freezers at temperatures between minus 112 degrees and minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines must be used or discarded within six hours after the vial is opened. Vials of the J&J vaccine can be stored in a refrigerator and restored for later use if doses remain. "Right now we have mass immunization clinics that are open but have no vaccine," said Offit. "Here you have a single-dose regime with easy storage and handling."

A person's address  not their personal preference  may determine which vaccine they receive, said E. John Wherry, director of the Institute for Immunology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. He pointed out that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a simpler choice for rural areas.

"A vaccine doesn't have to be 95% effective to be an incredible leap forward," said Wherry. "When we get to the point where we have choices about which vaccine to give, it will be a luxury to have to struggle with that question."

This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
The UAEs Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed is behind the event, set to take place in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital on 4 February, a date chosen by the UN. On 4 February 2019, Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, considered the highest Sunni religious authority, signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis will participate in the first celebration of the International Day of Human Fraternity, a virtual event organised by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the participation, among others, of the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, and the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

On the same occasion, the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, which is inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity, will be awarded.

The meeting and the award ceremony will be streamed live by Vatican News in several languages starting at 2.30 pm (CET), 1.30 pm (GMT time).

The United Nations General Assembly chose 4 February as the day to mark this new annual event.

On 4 February 2019, Pope Francis, who was on a visit to the UAE, met with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, considered the highest Sunni religious authority. The two signed (pictured) the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together.

A few months later the High Committee of Human Fraternity was set up to translate the documents aspirations on fraternity into concrete commitments and actions, to promote fraternity, solidarity, respect and mutual understanding.

This celebration responds to a clear call that Pope Francis has been making to all humanity to build a present of peace in the encounter with the other, stressed Card Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot MCCJ, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

In October 2020, that invitation became even more vivid with the Encyclical Fratelli tutti. These meetings are a way to achieve true social friendship, as the Holy Father asks of us, the cardinal added.
Photo: The Canadian Press A plane is seen through the window on the tarmac of Vancouver International Airport as the waiting room is empty Tuesday, June 9, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Canadians determined to fly to sunny destinations are still able to do so despite new travel restrictions announced by the federal government last week.

Though Canadian airlines have temporarily suspended flights to Mexico and the Caribbean, flights departing Canadian cities to sun destinations are available aboard U.S. carriers.

American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, for example, are selling tickets for flights from Toronto to Cancun, with passengers connecting through U.S. cities like Charlotte, NC, and Philadelphia, PA, an online search shows.

Canadian airlines have been losing market share over the last several months to foreign carriers, which, unlike Canadian airlines, have received sector-specific aid from their governments, said Mike McNaney, the president and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada.

"We assume the government is also engaging foreign operators on this issue to ensure we are all taking the same concerted approach," McNaney said.

American Airlines said it had no schedule changes to share. Delta didn't immediately comment.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that Canadian airlines had agreed to suspend flights to Mexico and the Caribbean until April 30, in an effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Canada.

The prime minister announced the suspensions along with stricter measures aimed at reducing international travel, including a requirement that entrants to Canada quarantine in a hotel at their own expense.

On Monday, Bloc Quebecois Transport critic Xavier Barsalou-Duval highlighted the loophole, saying in a statement that the flight suspensions put Canadian companies at a disadvantage.

Asked why Canadian airlines suspended routes while American carriers continue to operate flights to the same destinations, Morgan Bell, a spokeswoman for WestJet, said Transport Canada would have to clarify.

"Recognizing that air travel represents less than two per cent of the transmission of COVID, the government asked us to stop flying to these destinations out of an abundance of caution, and we agreed," Bell said.

Transport Canada didn't respond to an email requesting comment.

The new restrictions come weeks after Canada implemented a requirement that all air passengers travelling to Canada produce evidence of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure.

The testing mandate caused an immediate drop in flight bookings, airlines said, leading to additional layoffs. With the latest restrictions, experts say they expect further layoffs, along with potential bankruptcies, if government aid for the sector doesn't materialize.

The suspensions of flights to sun destinations will cost Air Canada, the country's largest carrier, around $200 million in lost revenue between now and April 30, industry analyst John Gradek said.

Airlines have been in negotiations with the government for months about the terms of an aid package, with Ottawa saying that any federal funding for airlines would be contingent on their issuing full refunds to passengers who had their flights cancelled during the pandemic.
Gianna Masini spent the first several months of the pandemic feeling isolated in her Center City apartment. She and her boyfriend had talked about getting a dog for a while, but it never seemed to be the right time  until the coronavirus upended everyones lives and Masini found out she would be working from home for the indefinite future.

In August, Masini, 24, drove out on a whim to the Brandywine Valley SPCA in West Chester and fell in love with Maui, a German shepherd-mix puppy.

Hes great for the loneliness, she said, and hes been really a good deterrent against street harassment and people who arent keeping a six-foot social distance on the pairs regular walks.

Had it not been for the pandemic, Masini, who works in digital marketing, said she would likely still be dog-less, living a life absent of nips during Zoom calls and destroyed toys strewn about the floor but also one without Mauis adorable face that melts her heart even when he misbehaves.

Masini is one of the many Philadelphia-area residents who have turned to canine and feline companionship to get through the pandemic.

Animal shelters and rescue organizations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey say dogs and cats are still being adopted far more quickly than usual. The uptick in fosters and adoptions began when the pandemic struck in March, and the demand has not ceased nearly a year later. While puppies and kittens are always popular, now dogs and cats of all ages are in high demand.

But do not fear, the shelters note, there are dogs and cats up for adoption if would-be owners are willing to be patient and flexible.

Nationally, organizations are seeing the same trend. Since March, monthly dog adoptions have increased compared with the same months in 2019, according to the COVID-19 report from the national database of sheltered animal statistics, Shelter Animals Count.

The pandemic has been really rough for everyone, but for shelter animals, its probably the best thing thats ever happened to them, said Justina Calgiano, director of advancement and public relations at Providence Animal Center.

Shelters have overcome challenges, too. Providence Animal Center stopped accepting animals for about a month when the pandemic hit. They began doing appointment-only adoptions in early summer. Time slots were often booked 10 days in advance, she said, and last month they logged 16 adoptions on a Sunday, a number normally common only in their busiest adoption month, December, in pre-pandemic times.

In mid-January, Providence temporarily closed for two weeks after staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. Other shelters have also dealt with these setbacks. The Pennsylvania SPCA headquarters in Philadelphia was closed to the public last week because some staffers had to quarantine due to exposure to the virus.

Unlike some facilities in the region, Providence Animal Center does not have more empty kennels than usual, Calgiano said.

The staff is facilitating more frequent transports from high-kill shelters, she said, and people are still surrendering animals, at about the same rates as pre-pandemic.

At Brandywine Valley SPCA, which has several open-admission shelters in West Chester and Delaware, adoptions were up 15% in 2020 compared with 2019, said marketing director Linda Torelli. At the same time, with people spending far more time at home than usual, the organization is seeing fewer lost and stray animals coming in, she added.

Our shelters are definitely emptier than they have been in past years, Torelli said. But we look at an empty kennel as an opportunity to save a life. ... With all the space thats available in our shelters, we can help other shelters.

Like Providence, Brandywine Valley SPCA works with shelters in the South, where there are more stray animals because the warmer climate elongates the mating season, fewer dogs and cats are spayed or neutered, and there are fewer resources and less funding for animal-saving efforts.

Last month, about 90 dogs were flown to Delaware from an overwhelmed Louisiana shelter, where some Brandywine Valley staff are completing a yearlong embed program to help the facility.

So while adoptions may be up, people interested in getting a rescue dog should not be dissuaded, Torelli said.

If someone is going to adopt, it may just take a couple times of stopping by the shelter, she said. There are still animals to be saved. Thats for sure.

At Homeward Bound Pet Adoption Center in Blackwood, Camden County, the open-admission shelter is caring for about 20% fewer animals than pre-pandemic, said director of development Gina DiMarco. Homeward Bounds foster network has also increased, she said, as some people want to help in the short term but know their post-pandemic life might not be ideal for a pet.

Its not just the dog or cat that benefits when they get adopted or fostered, DiMarco said.

You have people who are so lonely and theyre looking for that companionship, she said. Feeling as though theyre making something good come out of this negative situation is really hopeful for folks.

With the coronavirus not yet relenting and many people still working from home, local shelters said they have not seen an increase in surrenders, which many worried would happen after the initial influx of adoptions.

Many people who adopted during the pandemic told shelter staff theyd been thinking about getting a pet for months or years, Torelli said, so she wasnt particularly worried about a high return rate.

The shelters said theyre working even harder to create support systems for dog owners, so they can prepare their pups for when humans return to more normal work and social schedules.

Providence Animal Center encourages new dog parents to take advantage of their socialization and behavior programs, Calgiano said, or to work on their own to address animals separation anxiety.

Its not just a one-stop shop for us, she said. Its about them never going into the shelter again.
The worldwide increase in the circulation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the crossing of the shocking milestone of 100 million reported cases. Among the chief causes of growth in infection numbers have been the emergence of new variants, notably the UK variant, with increased infectivity relative to the ancestral strain. However, a new preprint research paper, posted to the preprint server bioRxiv*, presents data indicating that the Indian-made Covaxin vaccine candidate successfully neutralizes this variant, preventing infection when challenged by it.

The UK variant

The UK variant is also called the Variant of Concern (VOC) 202012/01, also known as lineage B.1.1.7 or 20B/501Y.V1. It has rapidly increased as a proportion of new cases of COVID-19 in the UK in the space of fewer than two months. B.1.1.7 has been sequenced from other countries as well, and since direct flights connected many such affected regions to and from the UK, the potential for a dramatic rise in cases worldwide is obvious.

Similar concerns have been expressed about the so-called South African variant, underlining the issues raised by these variants concerning the newly available COVID-19 vaccines' protection.

The UK variant has 17 mutations in its genome, with eight on the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD), which allows the virus to attach to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor on the target host cell.

The UK has rolled out vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and the Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine. Both are mRNA vaccines, inducing spike antigen expression of earlier SARS-CoV-2 strains. The million-dollar question is whether the many spike mutations found in the later variants will affect the ability of vaccine-induced antibodies directed against the earlier D614G spike version to neutralize the virus.

The vaccine

Covaxin is an indigenous inactivated whole-virion SARS-CoV-2 vaccine BBV152. It has been reported to have high neutralization potency in a phase I clinical trial against the homologous hCoV-19/India/2020770 strain, as well as two other heterologous unclassified cluster strains, hCoV-19/India/2020Q111 and hCoV-19/India/2020Q100. Notably, all three strains possess the N501Y mutation characteristic of the UK strain spike RBD.

Phase II trials showed impressive results with the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT50), with immune serum from Covaxin recipients showing the ability to reduce the level of viral infection of cells in culture at low titers following immunization. Seroconversion and neutralizing antibody production occurred in 99.6% of subjects.

(A) Neutralising antibody response of BBV152/COVAXINTM vaccinated sera against SARS CoV-2 strains: Neutralizing antibody titers (PRNT50) of vaccines sera against hCoV-19/India/2020770 (homologous), hCoV-19/India/20203522 (heterologous UK strain) and hCoV-19/India/2020Q111 (heterologous unclassified cluster). The bar represents the geometric mean and standard deviation of the respective group titers. Non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used for the comparison of the PRNT50 values from different groups. The p-values above 005 were considered non-significant and are marked on the figure (ns-non-significant). (B) Comparison of PRNT50 value of each vaccine recipients sera with three strains of SARS CoV-2: Neutralizing antibody titers (PRNT50) of each vaccinees sera against hCoV- 19/India/2020770 (homologous), hCoV-19/India/20203522 (heterologous UK strain) and hCoV- 19/India/2020Q111 (heterologous unclassified cluster).The bar represents the mean and standard deviation of the respective sera.

Study shows efficacy against UK variant

The current study reports the results of neutralization testing of serum samples obtained from phase II trial participants against the UK variant.

The researchers first isolated and sequenced the UK variant from UK-returnees in India. The isolate hCoV-19/India/20203522 displayed all the characteristic mutations found in SARS-CoV-2 (VOC) 202012/01.

The sera from 38 BBV152-immunized subjects were tested against the UK variant. Simultaneously, sera from 20 subjects were tested against one of the heterologous unclassified strains listed above, hCoV-19/India/2020Q111.

The PRNT50 tests showed a median ratio of 0.8 and 0.9 neutralization efficacy when the homologous strain hCoV-19/India/2020770 was compared with the UK variant hCoV19/India/20203522 and the other heterologous strain hCoV-19/India/2020Q111, respectively.

In other words, the neutralizing antibodies elicited by immunization with BBV152/Covaxin were similarly effective against both the locally circulating homologous strain hCoV-19/India/2020770 and the UK variant hCoV-19/India/20203522. It also proved effective in neutralizing another heterologous strain, hCoV-19/India/2020Q111.

What are the implications?

Earlier studies have shown that the UK variant evaded neutralization with convalescent plasma containing high titers of neutralizing antibodies. This was demonstrated to be because of the presence of the E484 substitution along with a subsequent 11-amino-acid insertion in the NTD N5 loop of the spike antigen.

This led to a great deal of uncertainty as to whether the current vaccines would neutralize the new variants. The current study alleviates such concerns by showing highly comparable neutralization activity of vaccinated individuals against the virus's homologous and heterologous strains. These results indicate that the mutations in the UK variant do not mediate immune escape to neutralizing antibodies elicited by Covaxin vaccination.

Covaxin has been rolled out in India's vaccination program, the largest in the world, along with the Indian-manufactured Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccine, distributed under the name Covishield. The researchers say, "It is unlikely that the mutation 501Y would be able to dampen the potential benefits of the vaccine."

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
NEVADA, Iowa, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincolnway Energy, LLC (the " Lincolnway ") today announced that due to the continuing public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to support the health and well-being of its members, employees and community, the 2021 Annual Meeting of Members (" 2021 Annual Meeting ") will be held in a virtual meeting format only. Members will not be able to attend the 2021 Annual Meeting in person. The date and time have not changed, and the 2021 Annual Meeting will continue to be held on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 6:30 p.m., Central Time.

Members of record at the close of business on the record date, January 21, 2021, are eligible to virtually attend the 2021 Annual Meeting. The items of business are the same as set forth in the 2021 Annual Meeting Notice and Proxy Statement previously mailed or made available to members (the " Proxy Materials ").

To participate in the 2021 Annual Meeting, members must register for the meeting by going to the following website https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7506615884406769421 at any time before the meeting and completing the registration form. After registering for the 2021 Annual Meeting, members will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the virtual meeting including an access code needed to join the 2021 Annual Meeting. Registration will also include a telephone number that can be used to call in and listen to the 2021 Annual Meeting if a member does not wish to participate in the videoconference format. Members may also go to the Lincolnway website at www.lincolnwayenergy.com, click on the Investor tab and then the Annual Meeting 2021 tab to access the registration link for the 2021 Annual Meeting.

Members may ask questions during the 2021 Annual Meeting by typing in questions at any time during the presentation into the questions box on the right of the presentation display screen. There will be no investor audio available. Questions will be answered at the end of the 2021 Annual Meeting.

Whether or not members plan to virtually attend the 2021 Annual Meeting, Lincolnway urges members to vote and submit their proxy card in advance of the 2021 Annual Meeting. The proxy card included in the Proxy Materials previously mailed or made available to members will not be updated and members may continue to use the proxy card to vote in connection with the 2021 Annual Meeting. In order to be valid, a member's proxy card must be signed by the registered holder of record of the units voted and must be received at Lincolnway's principal office before 3:00 p.m. on March 2, 2021.

The Proxy Materials along with the proxy card are available under the Investors  Annual Meeting 2021 tab on our website at www.lincolnwayenergy.com.

About Lincolnway Energy, LLC:

Lincolnway is an Iowa limited liability company that operates a 50,000,000-gallon dry mill ethanol plant located in Nevada, Iowa. Lincolnway has been processing corn into fuel grade ethanol and distillers grains at the plant since May 2006.

SOURCE Lincolnway Energy, LLC

Related Links

http://www.lincolnwayenergy.com


DOW  Voting for the 2020 Critter of the Year brought a surprise winner from a field of much more popular, more photogenic and less-stinky candidates.

The contest by TreeHouse Wildlife Center in Dow ended with Isaac Newton, a 7-year-old turkey vulture besting majestic bald eagles, sleek foxes, mesmerizing owls and other more glamorous animals to snatch victory from the talons of defeat.

TreeHouse asked people to send holiday cards or letters during the final weeks of 2020 to their favorite resident animals at the center. Each card or letter counted as one vote or two votes if the sender added a one dollar or more donation.

Center officials quickly uncovered the source of the unanticipated election outcome.

Friends of retired Air Force Col. Stephen R. Miller of Fairview Heights created a voting campaign to honor both Miller and the feathered friend he sponsored. The result was a landslide victory of 65 votes for Isaac Newton. The next closest finishers were Vixey the red fox, 12 votes; Noodle, an albino California king snake, 10; Apache the coyote, nine; and Nyx the bobcat, eight votes.

Patti Brogan of Fairview Heights said the get-out-the-vote campaign for the huge, scavenger bird hatched from a desire to give Miller, a longtime friend, a unique holiday gift.

We always give each other something for Christmas and I wanted to come up with something unusual that wouldnt just lay around the house, Brogan said. I learned about the Critter of the Year contest and thought, This is cool as heck; Im going to recruit some friends and see what we can do.

Brogan and friends sent cards and also mailed cards from their children and pets  all with cash donations enclosed. Even Miller, the man for whom the campaign was started, contributed a card and a cash donation.

Isaac Newton is a pretty cool character. I admire the role that turkey vultures play in the environment, they are very valuable, Miller said. Im a staunch believer in the mission of TreeHouse Wildlife Center and they do a great job.

The election results were unexpected but greatly appreciated, according to TreeHouse clinic supervisor Kerry Lennartz.

The turkey vultures arent the most popular, especially because their enclosure is right next to the eagle enclosure, Lennartz said. Most of the time when people are over there, they are looking at the eagles.

The Critter of the Year voting was all in fun and it garnered a lot of publicity and good will for TreeHouse Wildlife Center, Lennartz said. But the election outcome was a result nobody saw coming, especially when you take a good look  and get a good whiff  of the winner.

One of the turkey vultures main defenses is to throw up. A lot of times, when we try to work with them in rehab, they continuously vomit, Lennartz said. They are pretty stinky guys, too. They keep cool by continually pooping on their legs.

Thats in addition to having a face that, to put it charitably, isnt ready for prime time.

They are missing the feathers on their head because they are scavengers and they eat really gross meat all of the time, Lennartz said. So when they are going in that carcass they are not getting their feathers caked in old meat.

Isaac Newton was brought to the center in 2014 with wing and neck injuries that were severe enough that he could not be released back into the wild following rehabilitation. His fellow turkey vultures at the center include Einstein, Igor and Karion, a nod to carrion, or road kill, the birds chief source of food.

The Critter of the Year election of Isaac Newton becomes even more strange when you realize he isnt even the most famous turkey vulture at the center. That accolade goes to Einstein, who often goes off site for educational programs.

Einstein has been trained and works well with us, and shes pretty cool, Lennartz said. She likes to spread her six-foot wings and it makes her look bigger and more dominant.

TreeHouse fundraising coordinator Kelly Vandersand was thrilled by the response to Critter of the Year.

We had a great time with this project. It was nice to open so many cards and letters, Vandersand said. The kids letters and drawings were awesome. It was a nice change from all the pandemic issues.

TreeHouse Wildlife Center is located on more than eight acres of land near Dow on which the center rescues and cares for sick, injured or orphaned wildlife.
The company logo for Johnson & Johnson at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, on Sept. 17, 2019. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

Pelvic Mesh Implant Appeal Begins in Sydney

A Sydney court will begin hearing a multinational pharmaceutical giants challenge to a landmark ruling that pelvic mesh implants caused debilitating injuries to hundreds of Australian women.

The November 2019 ruling found three companies in the Johnson & Johnson group had acted negligently and concealed the true extent of complications from the pelvic implants.

More than 1350 Australian women had joined the class action, launched in 2012.

But Johnson & Johnson on Feb. 1 is expected to tell the Full Court of the Federal Court the trial judge made more than a dozen errors.

Those errors include giving inadequate weight to pelvic surgeons evidence and reversing the onus of proof, according to court documents.

One plank of the medical giants appeal takes aim at a finding concerning the injuries suffered by Kathryn Gill and other lead litigants.

Gill, a mother-of-two, was aged 36 when implanted with a device called Prolift Total in 2007 to fix a pelvic organ prolapse.

Side-effects after surgery included bowel issues, pain during sex and constant aching pain that became severe when Gill coughed or moved suddenly.

Justice Katzmann found the medical companies evaluation of Prolift Total was insufficient and they did not justify CE marking.

But Johnson & Johnson says Gills lawyers had not proven the facts to support such a finding.

Another ground of appeal concerns pre-market evaluations of other devices after the judge found them deficient and therefore amounting to a breach of the duty of care owed to patients.

Johnson & Johnson argues the evidence before the court did not establish such deficiencies.

The appeal also contests other judgments, including one from March 2020 that ordered Johnson & Johnson pay $2.6 million in damages to the class actions three lead litigants.

The appeal before Justices Jayne Jagot, Bernard Murphy and Michael Lee is expected to run until Feb. 9.

Luke Costin in Sydney
We are witnessing the opposite of Warren G. Harding's famous "return to normalcy" slogan. Instead, we are embarking on a period in American history so abnormal that the nearest cognate is, maybe, Erdogan's takeover in Turkey, Putin's takeover in Russia, or even Stalin's takeover in the old Soviet Union.

Harding ran for the presidency in 1920, two years after World War I ended, while the Spanish Influenza was still killing people (50 to 70 million people eventually died around the world) and while a Red Scare was sweeping America thanks to Russia's Revolution in 1917. On September 16, 1920, a bomb blew up on Wall Street, killing 40 people and injuring hundreds. Italian anarchists (i.e., leftists) probably detonated the bomb.

And then there was Harding, the man from Ohio, with his noble head, his affable charm, his mangled English, and his wonderful slogan: "A return to normalcy." For all Americans  especially for newly enfranchised women  Harding promised to turn back the clock to a better time in America before war, disease, and communism threatened what Americans held dear.

Beginning in 2016, for the first time in almost 100 years, the word "normal" suddenly started being bandied about again in American political discourse. Trump, we were told, was not normal. Why wasn't he normal?

He was a businessman, not a politician. But that's what our Founders wanted  citizen-politicians, not career people.

He was a sexual predator. Well, no. He was a man who liked sex and, during locker room talk, boasted in the abstract about grabbing women, although there was no credible evidence that he forced himself on women. If Democrats wanted sexual predators, they should have looked closer to home (Clinton, Teddy Kennedy, Joe Biden, etc.).

He tweeted! He gave people nicknames! Yeah, whatever.

That was all window dressing. For Democrats, what wasn't normal about Trump was his fealty to traditional American values: protecting our economy, securing our borders, forming beneficial overseas alliances, ending wars, lessening the government's burden on ordinary Americans...that kind of stuff.

For four years, Democrats defined those values as abnormal, evil, and racist. With these Orwellian definitions, COVID allowed them to advance a "new normal." The new normal was total government control over people's movements, the economy, and education. The tech companies did their bit with total control over speech.

Democrats promised voters that Joe Biden, a notoriously corrupt, stupid, and debauched man, who was also visibly drifting into senility, was the calm, normal guy who would bring America back from the brink. Now, with Biden in the White House and Democrats controlling Congress, we're getting "normaled" good and hard, right up the backside.

David Horowitz explains how abnormal what's happening now is:

The problem is not that we disagree. We are not suffering as a nation from healthy disagreement. We are suffering from a Tsunami of Hate emanating from the Democrat Party that seeks to demonize, criminalize and extinguish dissent from the 75 million supporters of Donald Trump. It is now official Washington dogma that to question an election result  something the congressional Democrats have done in the face of every Republican presidential victory since 2000  is now "insurrection" and "domestic terrorism," or the incitement thereto, and needs to be prosecuted and suppressed. You can't have a democracy if this is the attitude of a party that controls all three branches of government, is enabled by a corrupt and compliant media, and is determined not just to defeat, but to humiliate, destroy and expunge from the record an ex-president who is supported by a greater segment of the American electorate than any American leader before him. There is Democrat-sponsored legislation pending that would prevent any public building or artifact, even a "bench" from being named after the 45th president of the United States. There is a farcical witch-trial to impeach the same villain even though he has left office and is now a private citizen. There is even Democrat talk of stripping Trump of his pension, despite the fact that he gave his entire $1.6 million salary as president to the American people  something no president before him has done. If ever there was a public lynching, short of stringing the victim from the nearest tree  and there are no lack of leftwing calls for that  the Democrats' unrelentingly vindictive assault on the defeated Donald Trump down to the last petty detail is it. But what is in effect a total war is not merely a war to cancel Donald Trump. If it were, it would be reprehensible enough, but not a threat to the nation itself. This demonic hate directed by the Democrat Party towards Trump is also hate for the 75 million Americans who voted for him.

Please read the whole thing.

Nothing about 2021 is normal, but don't let the left gaslight you. You're in line with more than 200 years of the best American traditions. All the "abnormalcy" is coming from your left.

Image: Joe Biden in March 2020 by DonkeyHotey, added text by Andrea Widburg. CC BY-SA 2.0.
Deutch, Hayes and Wasserman Schultz said they were tired of what became common while Trump was president and is playing out now with Greene: Republicans condemning behavior or rhetoric in private but unwilling to say anything publicly. Theyre deathly afraid of the primary theyd draw if they speak up. Now is the time. This is what separates leaders from cowards. The Republicans have a chance right now to decide which one they are. All Ive seen is cowardice, save for a handful of Republicans so far, Wasserman Schultz said.
If youre a stocks nerd, or a politics nerd, or vaguely interested in the business world, Joe Astons Rear Window column in The Australian Financial Review is a good read. Part of what makes it interesting is, to quote Federal Court Justice Michael Lee last week, Astons characteristic acerbity.

In 2019, Aston directed that acerbity towards Elaine Steada venture capitalist, once director and head of venture capital at Blue Sky Alternative Investments. When Blue Sky collapsed, Aston apparently blamed Stead and wrote some nasty things about her. Stead sued Aston and the publisher, which later merged with Nine (which also owns this newspaper). Last week she was awarded $280,000 in damages for defamation.

AFR columnist Joe Aston leaves court in December. Credit:Steven Siewert

Astons columns were spicy reading. Stead was labelled a feminist cretin, a venture capital pyromaniac and a prodigious destroyer of capital. Among other things, Justice Lee found that Aston conveyed the meaning that Stead is an untrustworthy venture capitalist who fails to deliver on her promises. When your job is to deliver on promises, and the Fin comes after you like that, it can sting.

You may think that everyone has a right to their opinion, but under Australias Defamation acts, you may have a right to express an honest opinion, provided you express it as an opinion, not a fact; the opinion relates to a matter of public interest; and it is based on proper material. The Federal Court decided that in this case the opinion was not based on proper material.
A new mural depicting the friendship between the Dalai Lama and Derry man Richard Moore has been completed in the city.

The mural at Great James Street was created by local company UV Arts.

Ahead of the broadcast of the new ITV programme Home Sweet Home, which will feature Derry in an episode airing on Tuesday, February 9, it has been revealed that the mural was suggested by Joanna Lumley, the shows presenter.

Ms Lumley visited Derry in 2017 to take part in a conference marking the 20th anniversary of Children in Crossfire, the charity set up by Mr Moore.

She returned last autumn to film for the series in which she visits places special to her.

Ms Lumley said: In Derry we wanted to film the historic murals, The Derry Girls and my friend Richard Moore, the Derry Lama, as the Dalai Lama calls him.

It suddenly seemed that we could link these three stories together by art: the ravishing mural Saoirse-Monica showed me of the Derry Girls led us easily to Karl, whose team is creating such important new art work in this fabulous city.

Would it be possible to celebrate the life-affirming achievements of the man the Dalai Lama calls My hero in a mural?

The finished work is utterly magnificent, and I am proud that I was allowed to spray a tiny bit of it under Karls watchful eye. Part of me will always remain in Derry, a city I love with all my heart.

Mr Moore said: When Joanna told me towards the end of our recording that we had one more stop to make, I could not have ever imagined what I was about to be shown.

I am so honoured and humbled at this wonderfully generous gesture. Joanna has been a good friend to me and a great supporter of Children in Crossfire, both of which mean a great deal to me.

She has also built a great rapport with Derry and many of its people, and I look forward to tuning in to Home Sweet Home to see our city at its best.

I am also grateful to Karl Porter from UV Arts for his vision and genuine passion for this project.

Karl Porter from UV Arts, the creative arts team behind a whole host of public artworks in the city and the artist who painted the mural, said: It's not everyday you get to paint a mural with Joanna Lumley, who is apparently very afraid of heights and I was told she will not get on the lift, but she did! 

Joanna helped me direct the cherry picker and also painted one of the most important parts of the mural - the connection, the area where The Dalai Lama and Richard Moore touched.

I think the symbolism of this helps strengthen the relationship and the meaning behind the mural.

The mural depicts a Buddhist blessing, a significant moment between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Richard Moore.

The Unalome symbol rising from that connection is the Buddhist symbol representing the path to enlightenment.

Our journey in life is never perfect, never straight or even in the right direction but a journey nonetheless, full of lessons and experiences. Something that Richard has lived experience of, having overcome such a powerful injury to lead a wholesome and selfless life dedicated to others.

Karl said that when first approached about the project he was delighted to have the chance to celebrate one of Derrys 'greatest living heroes'.

The chance to create our own connections led us to collaborate with Belfast based artist and illustrator Conor McClure and together create this powerful piece of art.

If you look closely, the shape of the heads and the Dalai Lamas embrace - forms the shape of a heart, a simple yet subtle way to celebrate the connections between these two individuals.

It was a great privilege for me to be asked to produce this new mural. The image we have used is iconic, showing the Dalai Lamas deep spirituality as well as his admiration for Richard Moore.

"I hope it will attract locals and visitors alike for many years to come and a poignant new addition to our street art movement in the city.
LUXEMBOURG and SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orbitare, an innovative start-up developing Internet Protocol (IP) communications over their own satellite network, and Spire Global, one of the world's largest space-powered Earth Information companies, today announced the execution of an agreement to begin deploying Orbitares Spaceloop on Spires nanosatellite constellation starting with a dual-mission in-orbit validation of its communications protocols.



Spaceloop is Orbitares personal satellite communication network in Low Earth Orbit developed and built in Europe and designed to deliver IP messaging, email and file transfer capabilities to any location in the world, at the most affordable price and ease of use. Spaceloop aims at keeping people always safe and connected, and will allow Orbitare to provide services dedicated to both personal safety  be it at sea, in the mountains or wherever the land network may not be accessible  and to fulfil the growing need for connectivity for social and professional reasons. The development of Spaceloop is co-funded by the Government of Luxembourg within the Luxembourg National Space Programme LuxIMPULSE, which aims at providing funding to help companies established in Luxembourg to bring innovative ideas to market. The programme is managed by the Luxembourg Space Agency and implemented by the European Space Agency. The early demonstrator missions will leverage Spires advanced Software Defined Radios (SDRs) infrastructure to host Orbitares Spaceloop communications protocols as early as April 2021. Following its success, both companies are looking into further expansion of the Spaceloop service across other satellites in the Spire constellation which will facilitate early and fast access to market and further increase the reach of Orbitares satellite fleet.

We are proud to partner with Spire on the development and deployment of Spaceloop. Our teams are enthusiastically working together to get the demonstration mission of Spaceloop rapidly into space, said Luis Munoz, founder and Managing Director of Orbitare. Thanks to Spires Orbital Services, the deployment of our commercial services will be significantly accelerated, allowing Orbitare to reach our customers at a much earlier stage. Moreover, running Spaceloop on Spires satellites and ground stations gives Orbitare access to a much larger footprint at no additional capital expenditure. This partnership gives us a level of flexibility that is hard to find in the market.

In April 2021, Spire will host Spaceloops communication software on a software-defined radio (SDRs) on board one of the in-orbit Low Earth Multi-Use Receiver (LEMUR) 3U satellites in a unique approach to space that will allow Orbitare the early start of live communication tests.

By June 2021, Spire will fly Orbitares first full-duplex Spaceloop communications payload, developed also in cooperation with Orbitare, to showcase additional comms capabilities. The demonstration program will use Orbitares reference end-user terminals and a gateway located in Luxembourg. Spire will manage all satellite operations through its Missions Operation System and Orbitare will access the payload through an easy-to-use customer API.

With this partnership Spire commercializes a new Space as a Service subscription model allowing Orbitare to implement its mission at competitive price and without heavy upfront capital expenditure. Spires Orbital Services monthly payment plan benefits their customers by reducing high upfront expenditures, enabling predictable service charges distribution, and allows an easier extension of the service provision beyond the lifecycle of the hardware.

We are extremely proud to host Orbitares Spaceloop service and use our Orbital Services to provide them the resources they need in space, on the ground and in the cloud. With our technical and operational expertise paired with a simplified service model we assure Orbitare the fastest, easiest, and most reliable access to Space and roadmap for growth, said Theresa Condor, GM Orbital Services, Spire Global.

This commercial agreement between Orbitare and Spire demonstrates broad collaboration and innovation capabilities offered within the growing New Space community in Luxembourg, of which both companies are part.

About Spire Global Inc.

Spire is a space-powered data and analytics platform that offers unique datasets and powerful insights about Earth from the ultimate vantage point so organizations can make decisions with confidence, accuracy, and speed. Spire uses the largest multi-purpose satellite constellation to source and enrich data with the most accurate predictive solutions so organizations can rapidly course-correct, deploy resources, mitigate risk, and save lives. Spire gives commercial and government organizations an unprecedented competitive advantage to innovate and solve the worlds toughest problems from space. Spire has offices in San Francisco, Boulder, Washington DC, Glasgow, Luxembourg, Singapore. To learn more, visit spire.com

About Orbitare

Orbitare was founded in 2017 on the observation that 60 years after Sputnik only a mere few thousand satellites are in operation, leaving the vast potential of space largely underutilized and its applications quite away from the common people. With sites in Luxembourg and Switzerland, Orbitare works on finding and developing applications of Space with large and positive impact on society, as their contribution to a better World.

Spaceloop is the first of such applications, taking satellite personal communications to the next level of usability, affordability, and reliability, deservedly making them accessible to all of us. With Spaceloop you will always be safe and connected to those who matter to you, wherever the journey takes you. Natively integrated with the internet, the Spaceloop network is ready for the future. To learn more, visit orbitare.space

Contact

Spire: press@spire.com

Orbitare: Luis Munoz, Director, luis.munoz@orbitare.space
Nissan Motor Co, Ltd has set the goal to achieve carbon neutrality across the companys operations and the life cycle of its products by 2050.

As part of this effort, by the early 2030s every all-new Nissan vehicle offering in key markets will be electrified.

Nissan will pursue further innovations in electrification and manufacturing technology to make progress on the companys carbon neutrality goal in the following strategic areas:

*Battery innovations including solid-state and related technologies to develop cost-competitive and more efficient electric vehicles;

*Further development of Nissans e-POWER electrified powertrains to achieve greater energy efficiency;

*Development of a battery ecosystem to support decentralised, onsite power generation for buildings with renewable energy sources. Nissan anticipates increased collaboration with the energy sector to support the decarbonization of power grids; and

*Manufacturing process innovations to support higher productivity in vehicle assembly, starting with the Nissan Intelligent Factory initiative. The company will also strive for greater energy and material efficiencies to support longer-term carbon neutrality ambitions.

Were determined to help create a carbon neutral society and accelerate the global effort against climate change, said Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida. Our offering in electrified vehicles will continue to expand around the world, and this will make a major contribution to Nissan becoming carbon neutral. We will continue to drive innovation that enriches peoples lives as we pursue a sustainable future for all.

Nissans goal builds on its decades-long programmes to reduce emissions and provide electric vehicle technologies that benefit the environment and society. The companys electrification and emissions reduction efforts support the aims of the UN Paris Agreement on climate change and global progress toward carbon neutrality by 2050.

Nissans ambition also expands upon past initiatives under the Nissan Green Programme and the companys ongoing work to minimize the carbon footprint of its products and operations. The company introduced the worlds first mass-market electric car, the Nissan LEAF, and has sold more than 500,000 of the zero-emission vehicle to date. Nissan also continues to work with industry coalitions and authorities to develop infrastructure and raise public awareness about the benefits of electric vehicles.

With 100% of all-new vehicle offerings to be electrified in the key markets of Japan, China, the US and Europe by the early 2030s, Nissan will also be among the leaders in driving the adoption of electric vehicle technology.

Nissan believes the automotive industry can be a driving force in meeting global environmental and climate needs through a commitment to innovation and impact reduction by collaborating with authorities and partners worldwide.

When combined with the expansion of renewable energy and charging infrastructure, vehicle electrification and sustainable operations can help accelerate the arrival of a carbon neutral future.-- Tradearabia News Service

Fujitsu Australia achieves VMware Cloud Verified status

February 1st, 2021 - Fujitsu Australia today announced it has achieved VMware Cloud Verified status.

The Cloud Verified badge signals to customers that Fujitsu offers a service running on top of the complete VMware Cloud infrastructure. Through Cloud Verified partner services, customers attain access to the full set of VMware Cloud Infrastructure capabilities including integration and interoperability, cost optimisation and flexibility.

Peter Fury, VP, Service Delivery, Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand, said: This status is the gold standard of measurement for cloud providers, so Fujitsu is pleased to achieve VMware Cloud Verified status. This gives Fujitsu customers confidence and trust that Fujitsu is more than capable of working with them across their multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments to achieve the business outcomes theyre looking for.

Partners that are VMware Cloud Verified provide organisations with complete and advanced VMware Cloud technologies, along with interoperability across clouds for greater advantage for their customers businesses, said Vijoo Chacko, VMware cloud provider program leader, VMware. Cloud Verified services delivered by VMware Cloud Providers can provide the efficiency, agility, and reliability inherent in cloud computing. We look forward to supporting Fujitsu as it empowers organisations with a simple and flexible path to the cloud.

VMwares global network of more than 4,000 VMware Cloud Providers leverage VMwares consistent cloud infrastructure to offer a wide array of services, provide geographic and industry specialisation, and help customers meet complex regulatory requirements. Cloud Providers operating under the VMware Cloud Provider Program deliver individually tailored cloud solutions and services in more than 120 countries.

For information on how to become a Cloud Verified partner, please visit: https://www.vmware.com/partners/service-provider/vmware-cloud-verified-logo.html.

VMware, VMware Cloud, VMware Cloud Verified and VMware Cloud Provider are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions.

Online resources Read the Fujitsu blog:

Follow Fujitsu on Twitter:

Follow us on LinkedIn:

Find Fujitsu on Facebook:

For regular news updates, bookmark the Fujitsu newsroom: Read the Fujitsu blog: http://blog.au.fujitsu.com Follow Fujitsu on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FujitsuAU Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fujitsu-australia-limited Find Fujitsu on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FujitsuAustraliaNewZealand For regular news updates, bookmark the Fujitsu newsroom: http://www.fujitsu.com/au/about/resources

About Fujitsu Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 130,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.9 trillion yen (US$35 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.

About Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand is a leading service provider of business, information technology and communications solutions. We partner with our customers to consult, design, build, operate and support business solutions. From strategic consulting to application and infrastructure solutions and services, Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand have earned a reputation as the single supplier of choice for leading corporate and government organisations. Fujitsu Australia Limited and Fujitsu New Zealand Limited are wholly owned subsidiaries of Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702). See www.fujitsu.com/au.

Media Contact Communications team

Fujitsu Australia and New Zealand

Phone: +61 2 9776 4555

E-mail:marcomms@fujitsu.com Communications teamFujitsu Australia and New Zealand+61 2 9776 4555

All company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A noreaster is approaching New York City on Monday, and forecasters are predicting anywhere from 14 to 18 inches of snow blanketing the five boroughs.

The Advance/SILive.com closely analyzed three different forecasts to learn just how much snow we could see across Staten Island, and what the temperatures will be like when the storm rolls in Sunday evening before it tapers off late Monday night or early Tuesday.

In an exclusive feature of Advance/SILive.com subscribers, you can check out the snow projection for your own backyard with our interactive forecast map.

Three different forecasts predict temperatures and snow totals for Staten Island during the impending nor'easter. (Courtesy/AccuWeather)

ACCUWEATHER

AccuWeather.coms forecast predicts Staten Island will see flurries of snow with no accumulation on Sunday, but the real storm will begin on Sunday night. On-and-off snow is expected Sunday evening, with snow accumulations of 2-4 inches. Roads are expected to be snow-packed and slippery, the weather service states.

On Monday, winds will become strong and snow will fall with varying intensity. There will be new snow totals of 4-8 inches during the 12 hours of precipitation. It cautions against whiteout conditions during Monday.

While the high temperature on Monday is 34 degrees, AccuWeather.coms Real Feel states it will actually feel like nine degrees outside.

On Monday night, winds will continue to be strong. The service predicts there will be intermittent wet snow accumulating one to three inches. The roads will be snow-packed and slippery.

AccuWeather.com predicts that Tuesday will see considerable cloudiness with snow tapering off and one to three inches of accumulation is expected. The storm will taper off on Tuesday, and snow totals are expected between 10 to 15 inches on Staten Island.

Bob Smerbeck, senior meteorologist with Accuweather.com, told the Advance/SILive.com on Sunday afternoon, that the noreaster will dump at least one foot of snow on the borough from Sunday until Tuesday afternoon.

The snow is on our doorstep right now, and its going to spread this afternoon into this evening. ...Staten Island will definitely get one foot of snow, said Bob Smerbeck, senior meteorologist with Accuweather.com on Sunday afternoon.

Three different forecasts predict temperatures and snow totals for Staten Island during the impending nor'easter. (Courtesy/National Weather Service)

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

A winter storm warning is now in effect from 7 p.m. Sunday to 6 a.m Tuesday, the National Weather Service announced on Sunday. Thats because heavy snow is expected in the New York City region, including Staten Island  with total snow accumulations of 14 to 18 inches predicted. Wind gusts can be as high as 45 miles per hour, and could bring down tree branches.

The most-likely snowfall prediction from the service calls for Staten Island to see an average of 16 inches of snow. Staten Island should expect a minimum of nine inches of snow, and a possible 22 inches if the storm hits at its worst.

The service said travel could be very difficult to impossible, and the hazardous conditions could impact the morning and evening commutes on Monday.

The National Weather Service also said blizzard-like conditions are possible all day on Monday and into the evening.

There is a 30% chance of snow on Sunday after 4 p.m., and a 100% chance of snow moving into Sunday night with a low of 26 degrees. New snow accumulation of two to four inches is possible on Sunday night.

Mondays forecast calls for snow, which could be heavy at times. The high temperature will be near 30 with wind chill values between 10 and 15 degrees. New snow accumulation of 7 to 11 inches is possible. Moving into Monday evening, the service predicts periods of snow, with new snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.

The service predicts snow will continue into Tuesday, with snow likely before 1 p.m. and just a half-inch possible. More snow accumulation of a half-inch is predicted moving into Tuesday night.

Staten Islanders will feel respite from the snow on Wednesday, with the forecast as partly sunny and a high of 36 degrees.

Three different forecasts predict temperatures and snow totals for Staten Island during the impending nor'easter. (Courtesy/The Weather Channel)

THE WEATHER CHANNEL

The total snowfall throughout the storm for Staten Island will be from 12 to 18 inches, The Weather Channel predicts.

The Weather Channel predicts snow to begin on Sunday, with one to three inches of snow possible. By Sunday night, snow accumulation can be anywhere between three to five inches.

Mondays forecast predicts periods of snow and high winds with temperatures nearly steady in the low to mid-30s. Eight to 12 inches of snow is expected, and winds could occasionally gust over 40 miles per hour. By Monday night, snow will continue with gusty winds at times. Snow accumulation is predicted to be three to five inches.

Snowfall continues into Tuesday, The Weather Channel predicts. The weather service says it will be variably cloudy with snow showers, with temperatures remaining in the mid-30s. One to three inches of snow is expected on Tuesday. Snow showers are expected before midnight on Tuesday.

*****Want to know exactly how much snow will fall in your backyard. Check SILive.coms exclusive weather map by clicking here****

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
The issue of settlement in Karabakh should be discussed with Turkey, too; such are the realities of the region, said Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Counciland former President and PM of Russia.

"Turkey is our neighbor and a very important partner and a very close country for Azerbaijan; this factor cannot be ignored," he said in an interview with Russian journalists, answering a question about Turkey's role in the Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] peace process, RIA Novosti reported.

According to him, Moscow and Ankara have built an effective dialogue, the presidents of the two countries are constantly communicating on this issue, and a decision has been made to set up a special joint centerattended by Turkish and Russian officialsto monitor the ceasefire in the Karabakh conflict zone.

As reported earlier, this center opened on January 30 in Kiyamaddinli, Azerbaijan.

"And this is also an element of general stabilization. But I would not consider it an element of any long-term policy, or build one of the secret theories here. We just have to take into account the realities that exist in our region. And the reality is that today this issue should be discussed with our Turkish counterparts," Medvedev said.

The issue of Karabakh's status is not resolved, but it cannot be discussed now; it is better to move it to the future, added the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council.
RIDGEVILLE  As tree cutting continues down Interstate 26, officials argue that the removals are largely for the safety of drivers.

Starting in Ridgeville, I-26 drivers have likely noticed ongoing road work stretching toward Interstate-95. According to the S.C. Department of Transportation officials, that tree cutting comes from a combination of safety concerns and the need to make room for a future road widening.

There were a number of fatalities and crashes that were occurring at certain stretches of that interstate," said DOT Commissioner Robby Robbins.

In 2015, DOT received a push from legislators to address accident concerns on I-26. A DOT study revealed that 57 out of 68 severe-injury or fatal accidents in 2007-11 from the Ridgeville to I-95 portion of I-26 involved hitting trees.

The ongoing tree cutting is a part of a continued response to those fatal accident concerns. According to DOT, 11 severe or fatal accidents in 2015-18 involved trees in the same area. Over 100 accidents in general also included trees.

"In conjunction with the cutting of trees, there are guardrail and cable barrier installations as secondary measures of safety," said DOT spokeswoman Lauren Roeder.

And accidents along the interstate have been a concern for some residents, especially around the speed limit changes when coming off the road.

In October, a driver coming off of I-26 at 70 mph onto Nexton Parkway led to the fatal car crash of three Summerville family members. The speed limit for I-26 is 70 mph; for Nexton Parkway it's 40 mph.

Originally, the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments was required to approve and support the I-26 tree removals when they started in 2015.

"The Council of Governments saw the safety need," Robbins said. "It was a contentious debate."

Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Bonneau, called for the council's required support in the form of a one-time proviso or a formal conditional requirement for any removal plan.

"So we requested and reviewed the data, then sat down with SCDOT and helped address specific safety problem areas in the corridor," said Daniel Brock, a spokesman for the council.

No similar proviso or requirement exists now, Brock said. So the council is not involved with any of the continued tree removing efforts.

But DOT officials note that, in addition to safety concerns, there are also plans to address traffic. Robbins said the department recently got approval for preliminary work to get I-26 widened.

I-26 has an annual average daily traffic count of around 33,000 vehicles.

The only thing holding us back in that regard is funding," Robbins said. "So those trees are coming down regardless."

The tree cutting is scheduled to be completed on Nov. 30 of this year. Nearly 15 miles of removals are slated to take place. Officials say that the goal is to widen the interstate from Ridgeville to I-95 where the bulk of the tree cutting is happening.
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.
National Weather Service meteorologist Lee Robertson put it succinctly just before 4:30 a.m. Monday.

Theres still a lot of snow coming, he said from the Mount Holly, New Jersey, office.

While the official measurement at 1 a.m. at Lehigh Valley International Airport was 4.7 inches -- 5.7 inches was measured at 7 a.m. by a spotter in Greenwich Township, Warren County, and 6 inches was posted at 5:24 a.m. from Upper Macungie Township -- that was just the prelude to a wicked winter storm thats going to stick around well into Tuesday.

After a breezy bit of a pause before sunrise that likely allowed plows to catch up some, the worst of it should ramp up between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., according to WeatherWorks meteorologist Michael Priante early Monday.

With a low pressure area having set up near the DelMarVa, it is expected to hug the New Jersey coast, pushing the most powerful bands of snow west into the Lehigh Valley, he said. Those bands could bring snowfall rates up to 3 inches an hour, he added.

Is it a snow day or is it a just another virtual learning day? WFMZ has a list for that. And snow emergencies have been called into Tuesday throughout the region, so be mindful of where your car is parked.

The governors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey are telling commuters to stay home if at all possible. Highways, for the most part, were snow-covered before dawn and there are restrictions involving speed limits and commercial traffic in place. Plows were on the job, according to traffic cameras.

EPAWA Weather Consulting sees very heavy snow from a storm Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 2021.EPAWA Weather Consulting

With winds gusting up to 30 to 35 mph and heavy bands of snow, driving may be impossible once the storm really kicks in, Priante said. Parts of the area could get up to 24 inches, and 15 would be the low end if bands arent as bad as expected, Priante said.

EPAWA Weather Consulting sees 16 to 22 inches in the Lehigh Valley.

Roads are going to be a mess, Priante said. Even if you get to work, getting home might not be possible.

There will be breathers, but the breathers wont be no snow, he said. Heavy, heavy snow will go to moderate. Its not like it will be shutting off and youll get flurries. It will be steady snow throughout the day.

The weather service sees 8 to 12 inches during the day and another 3 to 7 inches overnight.

Its definitely a major snowstorm, even if it might not meet the technical definition of a blizzard of three hours with very limited visibility and sustained winds or frequent gusts 35 mph or above, Priante said. There will be blowing and drifting.

If a storm sets up over the benchmark just off the New Jersey coast, the Shore can take a good hit of snow, he said. It appears the low will be west of the benchmark, allowing intense bands of snow to reach west into the Lehigh Valley and northwest New Jersey and maybe rain to the far east, Priante said.

The storm is a Noreaster, which means there are winds from the northeast and moisture is feeding in from the ocean at that side of the low, and, in this case, being pushed high into the atmosphere, similar to the setup for a summer thunderstorm, Priante said.

The more lift, the more moisture, the more snow, Priante said.

While cold air cant hold as much liquid as a summer storm, theres still a significant amount with this one, he said.

The could even be thundersnow, he said, due to the convective nature of the storm.

The setup is not unusual, but the total snowfall could put it in the top five on record in the Lehigh Valley.

Map stands as called this morning folks...you're going to have to be patient. Ice changeover was expected near/south of I-78. Will transition back to heavy snow over the next few hours. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Please stop asking me about "X source said" stuff. Please.  Bobby Martrich | EPAWA Meteorologist (@epawawx) February 1, 2021

Weather in Canada is blocking the progress of the low, so its going to stick around for a while, even if the intensity dies down between 10 p.m. and midnight, Priante said.

Its kind of sitting and spinning, he said of the storm.

Early reports from state police barracks throughout the region were what can be expected.

Everythings good, except the snow, a trooper at the Hope barracks in Warren County said. Go slow.

Which leads to basic advice that might have caused concern before the pandemic taught many people they dont really need an office.

At this point, just stay home, Priante said.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a subscription.

Tony Rhodin can be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.
The new editor is celebrating his first year with the struggling "alt" magazine and sharing yet another mission statement.



Here's what he'd like The Pitch to be . . .



A real place for dirtbags, summed up the common refrain. The tone by which it was delivered was, however, one of pride. For those that had grown-up or grown-alongside The Pitch for decades, it had been a voice for the people. A place unafraid to get down into the dirt and scrap it out. And, by extension, the sort of place that would harbor a spectrum of untethered human beings, with exactly the right blend of talent and madness to engage in such endeavours. A cabal of chaotic good. A brotherhood of madness. Positive assholes positively grinding every axe at their disposal.

Sadly, that really doesn't describe the magazine at all.

Mostly, The Pitch is just progressive talking points posted by a litany of no-name post-grad hacks.



That's not so say they haven't scored some decent stories and they're still worth checking out from time to time. Moreover, we don't want them to post right-wing or even middle-of-the-road stories . . . The Pitch has NEVER done that . . . What's missing is any challenge leveled against our local establishment from a truly alternative perspective. There are plenty of "leaders" to joke, clown and mock . . . Sadly, we've mostly just seen a celebration of a Summer of rioting that we could simply watch on CNN rather than any deep dive into Kansas City cultural logics.



But the fact is, I haven't picked up one of their magazines in 4 months.

Most of the content seems just doesn't seem connected to Kansas City or Midtown by any common thread or voice.

TKC wants The Pitch to succeed but at this point, if it stopped publishing there aren't that many people who would notice.

You decide . . .


The coronavirus pandemic has hit a large number of salaried employees as they faced job losses as well as hefty cuts in their salaries. Well, the crisis may not be the same as before, but many employees are still reeling from the impact of job losses. The salaried individuals are hoping that government may announce more incentives to tide them over the distressful situations.

For instance, in the last year's budget, the Centre had introduced a limit of Rs 7.5 lakh for exemption in respect of employers' contribution to the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF), National Pension Scheme (NPS), and the Superannuation Fund. Now, there's an increased demand to raise the monetary limit from Rs 7.5 lakh to Rs 9 lakh.

You can catch all the updates on Budget Session 2021 here.

Last year, the government had announced a slew of other measures for salaried class when the coronavirus outbreak began in the country. For instance, the Centre decided to pay 24 per cent to EPF account of employees till August 2020 for establishments with up to 100 employees and where 90 per cent of those employees draw a salary of less than Rs 15,000 per month.

Also read: Budget 2021 Live Updates: Will Modi govt deliver a budget like never before?

Besides, the government also allowed salaried individuals to withdraw 75 per cent of their savings or up to a maximum of three months' basic pay and dearness allowance from their PF account - whichever is lower.

As a result, several tax experts don't see any further changes on the PF front. Sudhakar Sethuraman, Partner, Deloitte India said the government has done its part on PF and it is improbable that government might tinker further with the Employees' Provident Fund.

Citing the example of the code on the Social Security Bill, Sethuraman said it is an essential step by the government in reforming workplaces. According to him, with the new labour code bill, the government has further provided relief to salaried employees by increasing the portion of the provident fund. Additionally, the removal of the minimum gratuity threshold of five years is another major step taken by the government in favour of employees, Sethuraman added. Therefore, he thinks changes in EPFO would be unlikely in the Union Budget 2020.

The retirement body Employees' Provident Fund Organisation has settled 52 lakh COVID-19 non-refundable claims and disbursed Rs 13,300 crore till December, according to Union Labour Minister Santosh Singh Gangwar. Additionally, the government, last year approved Rs 22,810 crore for the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY) in order to encourage businesses to do more hiring amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The government said it will provide a subsidy for two years for employees who lost their jobs between March 1 to September 30, and for new employees who joined an organisation on or after October 1.

Under this new scheme, the government has decided to pay the PF contribution of workers with wages up to Rs 15,000.

The government said it would contribute 24 per cent for both employers and employees for establishments employing up to 1,000 employees. In case, where workers are more than 1,000, there the Centre will only contribute 12 per cent of employees' PF share.

Also read: Budget 2021: Date, speech time, sector-wise expectations; everything you need to know
A strict uniform list banning generic jumpers and pants in a Sydney's primary school's colours has parents divided - with some calling the new measures 'too much' for struggling families.

The list, from a public school in Sydney, bans plain sloppy joes (loose jumpers), fleeces and school-coloured jackets - accepting only the official uniform which has an embroidered emblem.

Generic shirts are also banned, as all shirts must have the official school logo.

This strict public school uniform list has divided parents - some believe the school has gone too far - others love the idea of identical uniforms

The pants must be grey tailored pants, and trackpants are not allowed.

The mum who posted the list said she thinks it is too much for her school to ask for, but asked if she was out of touch.

'I understand that there are ways to obtain funding and financial help with school supplies however I believe for a public school essentially stating anything up there than items with a school logo is absolutely ridiculous,' she posted.

'I mean I may be interpreting the policy incorrectly but if this is the case what about low income or single income families that rely heavily on buying their child's uniform from Best and Less and Kmart as it is all their budget allows?'

Poll Do you think the uniform policy is too strict? Yes No Do you think the uniform policy is too strict? Yes 142 votes

No 246 votes Now share your opinion





Some parents said the list is 'normal' for schools now - with one woman explaining three of the branded school shirts can cost more than $120.

Another said her daughter's tunic for kindergarten was $60.

'I watch the second hand groups but they get snapped up so fast,' another said.

But others liked the policy, with one saying it makes the children look 'the same and respectable'.

'Most high schools want everything school logo, they want them all to look the same, and no tracksuits so they can look more professional and take pride ready for work force,' said one person.

'School policy varies from school to school but they are well within their rights to have all of the kids in the same stuff,' added another.

The rules mean cheap alternatives to the tailored pants and jerseys with logos are not allowed (stock image)

'No I think it's a good thing... When you work at McDonald's you have to wear the uniform, when you work as a Surgeon you have to wear the uniform,' said another.

Many people said they were disappointed the option of buying cheaper uniform 'top-ups' from budget retailers was no longer an option.

Others said they believe the uniform is to mask poverty in the school uniform.

'The kids might all look the same but the kids know who is low income,' one mum said.
Vaccination rates for black and Hispanic Americans are 50 per cent worse than for white people, research has revealed.

African Americans make up more than 12 percent of the population but only 5.4 percent has had at least one shot.

White Americans comprise 60 percent of the population and a similar percentage has had the vaccine.

In New York City, black people make up nearly a quarter of the population, but only 11 percent has had a shot.

While Hispanic people make up 29 percent of the population, but have only received 15 percent of the shots available, according to data from Bloomberg.

And when a mass vaccination site opened in a predominantly Latinx and black neighborhood in upper Manhattan, white New Yorkers flooded in and received the majority of shots on offer when it first opened on January 14.

Mayor Bill de Blasio called the incident 'outrageous' and added during a Sunday conference call: 'clearly, we do see a profound disparity that needs to be addressed aggressively and creatively.

'Weve got a profound problem of distrust and hesitancy, particularly in communities of color.'

But the same pattern persists across the country. More than 60 percent of people who have had their first shots are white - in line with their share of the population - according data released Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Only 5.4 percent of Americans who have had at least one COVID-9 vaccine are black, despite African Americans making up more than 12 percent of the US population, and being at higher risk of contracting or dying from coronavirus.

Similar disparities persist among Latinx people, who represent just 11.5 percent of Americans who have had their first shots despite making up an estimated 18.7 percent of the population.can we do top of copy more like that?

In New York City, black and Latinx people each make up about twice the share of the population compared to the share of vaccines they have received

Vaccination rates are in-line with population share for white people, but black and Latinx people have accounted for just 5.4% and 11.5% of vaccinations despite comprising 12.5% and 19% of the US population, according to CDC data

A mass vaccination site was set up in Washington Heights - a predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhood in Manhattan - in effort to speed the rollout to high-risk communities of

More than 60 percent of people who have had their first shots are white - in line with their share of the population - according data released Monday by the CDC.

Only 5.4 percent of Americans who have had at least one COVID-9 vaccine are black, despite African Americans making up more than 12 percent of the US population, and being at higher risk of contracting or dying from coronavirus.

Similar disparities persist among Latinx people, who represent just 11.5 percent of Americans who have had their first shots despite making up an estimated 18.7 percent of the population.

The Biden administration has pledged to address the wide racial disparities in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths.

But during a Monday press briefing, Biden's coronavirus response team largely punted the issue, saying there was little they could do to address racial vaccination disparities until data they had more data on the aces of people getting vaccinated.

According to the CDC, only about half of the vaccinations reported to the agency included race and ethnicity data.

Vaccinating black and Latinx communities is as critical to stemming the pandemic in the US as it is challenging.

Black Americans are 1.8 times more likely to get COVID-19, four times more likely to be hospitalized for the infection, and 2.6 times more likely to die if they test positive for coronavirus, compared to white people.

Latinx Americans face almost identical risks: they are 1.7 times more likely to get infected, 4.1 times more likely to be hospitalized and 2.8 times more likely to die of COVID-19, according to the CDC.

CDC, White House and state officials have all states that the vaccination of at-risk communities - and specifically minority Americans - is a top priority.

And yet the vaccination data doesn't bear out that prioritization.

Mayor Bill de Blasio called the incident 'outrageous' and added during a Sunday conference call: 'clearly, we do see a profound disparity that needs to be addressed aggressively and creatively

The mass vaccination site at the Armory Track & Field Center has had to create strict rules that 60 percent of vaccine doses there are reserved for residents of the hard-hit and largely Latinx and black communities in surrounding Washington Heights and adjacent neighborhoods (dark red, upper Manhattan)

So far, 31.8 million first and second doses of COVID-19 have been given to Americans - starting with health care workers, who were given first-priority access to shots beginning December 14, 2020.

Black and Latinx people presented 16 percent and 13 percent of the health care workforce in 2019.

So it would stand to reason that vaccination rates documented by the CDC during the first month of vaccinations would reflect those numbers - but it falls short.

Hospitals and nursing homes reported far higher refusal rates than expected in the first weeks of the rollout.

One Illinois veterans home reported that 80 percent of residents said 'yes' to vaccination - but 80 percent of staff said 'no.'

But the problem goes far beyond refusals, especially now that access has been expanded beyond health care workers.

In New York City, for example, white people have received nearly half of the vaccinations given, but make up less than a third of the population, according to data from Bloomberg.

Latinx people have received just 15 percent of vaccines in the city, but make up 29 percent of the population.

The mass vaccination site at the Armory Track & Field Center has had to create strict rules that 60 percent of vaccine doses there are reserved for residents of the largely Latinx and black communities in surrounding Washington Heights and adjacent neighborhoods.

Like most cities and towns across the US, vaccination information in New York City largely lives online, and sign-up for a slot can be done most easily from a computer or smart phone.

But that, too, can drive disparities, pointed out local city councilman Mark Levine.

'People who don't have a computer, don't have good internet, aren't comfortable with technology, maybe have limited English language skills, they are not getting through. And that's reflected in who is showing up at these sites,' he told CNN.

'It's like "The Hunger Games."'

PHILIPSBURG;--- The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation reached 2,903 families by the end of December after extending its holiday relief to the end of the year to be able to help more households.



In total Tzu Chis holiday relief reached 2,903 families, which is estimated to benefit 9,448 family members. In addition, four institutions were also provided with relief items. Of the number of recipients assisted 1,176 indicated that they are in arrears in their rent; 1,874 had either no work and no income or only worked a few hours in the week.



A total of 334 volunteers participated in the 13 relief efforts to assist the families.



Recipients were grateful for the assistance. Taxi driver Iris, who has not been working for several months and who had taken in family members who have lost their jobs into her home, expressed her gratitude to Tzu Chi for helping to ease the burden on her household with the assistance received. I am thankful and grateful, she said.



Stay-at-home mother Patricia, whose household consists of seven persons, said the assistance goes a long way in helping the family. She also tries to assist elderly neighbours with the little that she has. She lauded Tzu Chi for its efforts and urged everyone to come out and support the foundation.



Roxanne, another recipient said she is very much appreciative of the foundation and its efforts to help persons in the community. She said Tzu Chi is a visible foundation with a central location, which does a lot for families. We are very much appreciative of the foundation. I consider it one of the greatest because they are visible to the public.



Bibi Hodge-Shaw, who has been helping persons in French St. Martin, such as after Hurricane Irma, thanked the foundation for its assistance. Hodge-Shaw reached out to Tzu Chi and she was able to, on behalf of Tzu Chi, deliver items to the French Quarter Orphanage which has 30 children. She also delivered items to six elderly residents and was grateful to have also received some items to assist her to prepare meals for children. Thank you very much for your kindness and for all those who have been involved in assisting in helping our people especially this time when the economy is very much down, she said.



Tzu Chis donation efforts were not just a blessing for recipients. One volunteer, who lost her job during the COVID-19 pandemic, said it was a stressful time for her and she worried about her bills every day. After learning about Tzu Chi, she decided to become a volunteer. Helping others has filled her with love and gratitude and her stress has been replaced with joy and hope.



Another volunteer Sharon Brown said Tzu Chi has influenced a positive change in her life. Sharon said she has been helping persons all her life and the positive effects of giving of herself has manifested itself in her life during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when she was blessed with a much-needed reprieve. She is grateful to have found an outlet to continue helping others through Tzu Chi. Finding the Tzu Chi Foundation was the best thing that happened to me, she said.



Tzu Chi St. Maarten Commissioner Sandra Cheung is grateful to volunteers for their selfless efforts over the past year. We feel so much relief that 2020 has finally, finally, finally ended. We are thankful for your participation in the Christmas emergency relief during the pandemic period. The relief was extended until December 31, 2020. We are grateful for Master Cheng Yen's support this year and know that we couldnt have come this far without her, Cheung said. Lets continue to keep up the good work and ensure that we can keep our aid going in the new year. With your help, we can make 2020 count in a way that sets the most vulnerable among us up for success and a future thats filled with hope, she added.

Alex Wong/Getty ImagesBY: JACK ARNHOLZ, ABC NEWS

(WASHINGTON)  Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Sunday that he would not vote for freshman GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who has come under intense criticism for comments and actions she made before and during her time in office. But Hutchinson stopped short of saying she should be punished for her controversial comments.

"She's long embraced conspiracy theories like QAnon, voiced support for executing Nancy Pelosi. Is she fit to serve?" ABC's "This Week" Co-anchor Martha Raddatz asked Hutchinson.

"I would not vote for her. The second question is, should the House of Representatives make a disciplinary call on her? I'm not going to get in the middle of that. They're going to have to make that judgment," the governor said. "The people of her district elected her and that should mean a lot. They elected her and she's going to run for reelection and she'll be accountable for what she said and her actions.

CNN's KFile, in a report on her online activity, said Greene allegedly "liked" a comment on her Facebook page in 2019 that threatened the lives of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats. ABC News cannot confirm the "likes" because the posts have been deleted. While Greene hasn't disavowed the posts, she later tweeted that several people had managed her social media accounts.

"Over the years, I've had teams of people manage my pages," Greene wrote. "Many posts have been liked. Many posts have been shared. Some did not represent my views."

Pelosi ripped into Republican leadership Thursday for giving Greene a position on the House Education and Labor Committee despite the first-term congresswoman's support of conspiracy theories claiming mass school shootings at Sandy Hook and Parkland were staged.

"What could they be thinking? Or is thinking too generous of a word for what they might be doing," Pelosi told reporters. "It is absolutely appalling."

House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has also said he would have a "conversation" with Greene over her support for threatening social media posts and is reportedly planning to speak to the Georgia representative next week.

But Greene is a close ally of former president Donald Trump, and aided his efforts to overturn the results of the 2016 election. Greene tweeted Saturday that she had spoken with Trump and that he supported her.

Amid calls from some House Democrats to strip Greene of her committee post and potentially expel her from the chamber, Hutchinson told Raddatz, "I don't think we ought to punish people -- from a disciplinary standpoint or party standpoint -- because they think something a little bit different."

"Governor, you say you shouldn't go after someone because they think of something a little bit different. She believes in conspiracy theories, that there are pedophiles running Washington. That's not just a little bit different," Raddatz interjected.

"Whenever you have a broad diversity of the party reject the extreme elements, it's not mainstream GOP, and that's what we've got to get back to," Hutchinson replied. "We've got to have a regard for those people that supported Donald Trump  because they have a message. They have a concern. But at the same time, we don't want to gloss over the terrible actions that happened at the Capitol.

Controversy over Greene's comments and actions comes as the Republican Party ponders its political future after former President Donald Trump's administration.

In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol, Hutchinson blamed Trump for the riots and said "I want this administration to end" when asked if the president should resign. But Raddatz pressed Hutchinson about Trump's ongoing influence within the GOP.

"There's a lot of different voices (in the party) and the Republican leadership has said very clearly, including Kevin McCarthy, that President Trump has -- bears responsibility for  (bringing) people to the Capitol," Hutchinson said. "He brought them to Washington. They went to the Capitol. He bears some responsibility there."

"The Senate trial is going to refocus what happened on the attack on the Capitol and it's going to call all Republicans to take a position more clearly. President Trump has helped build the party in the last four years, I hope he does not help to destroy the party in the coming four years," the governor added.

As Washington prepares for the upcoming second impeachment of Trump lawmakers are also trying to balance managing the coronavirus pandemic as logistical problems hamper the countrywide vaccine roll out.

With reports of new COVID-19 strains reaching the United States, President Joe Biden has spent much of his first days in office laying out his administration's response to the pandemic -- including issuing an executive order to invoke the Defense Production Act to ramp up supplies needed for manufacturing and deploying the vaccine.

Hutchinson said that vaccine distribution has been "seamless" under the Biden administration.

"In terms of the vaccine distribution, it's been seamless. And I was delighted that we had a ... 14% increase in vaccine supply last week. This is going to be very, very important for us. (Biden) said they're going to invoke the Defense Production Act. I don't know the details on that, but anything they can do to speed up the production," the governor said.

"Thank goodness we have that partnership which is good with the federal government. And President Biden and his team is -- is working to assure that partnership and not tear it apart, which I'm very grateful for," he added.

Earlier on "This Week," Raddatz also spoke with top officials in West Virginia, a state that has been praised for its successful vaccination roll out as many of other states struggle.

Part of West Virginia's success is that the state opted out of a federal vaccination plan -- which partnered with national pharmacy chains -- and another program to vaccinate people in nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Instead, the state worked with a network of local pharmacies and long-term care facilities, partnering with the National Guard to distribute the vaccine.

Raddatz asked West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice what other states should do differently.

"We had to take the vaccines to the people, rather than bring the people to the vaccine," Justice said. "So there's just been a lot of work but it's just, it's just practical smarts, that's all there is to it.

"I do congratulate West Virginia," Hutchinson said in response. "They did a great job in their roll out. And I think the message is that every state has to have flexibility -- do something that works for their population. We've actually done many of the same things they did in West Virginia, which is utilizing our local pharmacies  (and) the National Guard.

Arkansas has administered less than 65% of its distributed vaccine doses while West Virginia had dispensed nearly 85%, according to The New York Times.

When pressed why Arkansas had not administered more vaccine, Hutchinson replied, "Ours is moving in that direction. We are working in our rural communities, as well as in our urban centers. And whenever you're at 60%, you're asking where's the 40% of the vaccines. When we receive them, the first dose is in people's arms within 72 hours. That's our goal. That's what we did last week."

ABC News' Mariam Khan contributed to this story.

Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Union Budget reflects Centre's efforts to sideline non-BJP ruled states: Amarinder Singh

India

pti-Deepika S

Chandigarh, Feb 01: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday flayed the Union Budget, saying it reflects the Centre's persistent efforts to sideline non-BJP ruled states.

His reaction came hours after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget for 2021-22.

The Punjab CM claimed that the Budget was reflective of the BJP-led central government's total apathy towards the common man, the middle class and farmers.

Amarinder criticised the Centre for the stepmotherly treatment meted out to Punjab and other northern states, claiming that it was "designed" to cater to the poll-bound states of West Bengal nad south India with a massive infrastructure development allocation for these regions.

The Budget also manifests the central government's persistent efforts to sideline non-BJP states like ours, as well as its anti-federal mindset, said the CM, pointing to the gap between the fiscal deficit targets fixed for the Union government and states.

Budget 2021: Indian car manufacturers hail new Scrappage Policy

The Punjab CM claimed the vital sector of defence has not been adequately addressed despite the growing border threat from China and Pakistan while the allocation for the health sector was down amid the COVID-19 crisis.

And did the Finance Minister not find it necessary to even mention constitutional guarantee for the MSP, one of the key demands of the farmers battling cold and lathis on the doorstep of New Delhi for over two months now, the Punjab CM asked.

He lamented the two per cent hike for the agriculture sector, which had been the only well performing sector for the country amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Allies should coordinate transition of OPCON



South Korea and the United States have revealed differences over Seoul's plan to regain wartime operational control (OPCON) of its troops from its ally. Now, both sides need to engage in closer consultation to narrow their differences and ensure security and peace on the Korean Peninsula.



Taking back OPCON from the U.S. is crucial for the South to regain its "military sovereignty." The country transferred operational control of its troops to the U.S. during the 1950-53 Korea War. Seoul managed to take back peacetime OPCON in 1994. But it has yet to retake wartime OPCON, although the 2003-08 liberal administration of Roh Moo-hyun agreed with the U.S. in 2007 for an OPCON transition by 2015.



The envisioned transition plan continued to be postponed under the conservative governments of Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye due to the changing geopolitical and security situation. In 2017, President Moon Jae-in came up with a campaign promise to retake wartime OPCON by the end of his term if he was elected.



The issue came to the surface again on Jan. 21 when Defense Minister Suh Wook pledged to expedite efforts to recover wartime OPCON from the U.S. military. "We will seek active policy consultations in the early phase of the Biden government to have it pay more attention to the OPCON transition and create circumstances for the achievement," he said. He vowed to make progress in this matter. He seems to be after an agreement with Washington on a timetable for the transition, given that it is difficult to make good on Moon's election pledge.



However, the new U.S. administration under President Joe Biden has virtually turned down Suh's move. On Thursday, Pentagon spokesman John Supple said that the planned transition will take place when all necessary conditions are met. He made it clear that a "conditions-based" transition is not only what has been agreed upon, but is also necessary to ensure peace and security.



Supple, of course, reaffirmed the consistent U.S. stance that the OPCON transfer is conditions-based and not time-based. Seoul and Washington already agreed on three conditions. First, South Korea should have the capability to lead the allies' combined defense mechanism. Second, it must have the capacity for an initial response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. Third, there should be a stable security environment on the peninsula and in the region.



Unfortunately, the South has so far failed to meet those conditions, mainly due to canceled or scaled-back combined military exercises with the U.S. amid denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang in 2018 and 2019. The failure was also attributed to COVID-19 last year. The two countries are discussing how to conduct their annual springtime joint drill set for March, which is likely to be a computer-simulated command post exercise (CPX) without field drills because of the pandemic and the North's strong opposition.



In this situation, President Moon had better not rush to retake wartime OPCON by the end of his presidency in May 2022. His diplomacy and security team needs to hold close consultations with the Biden administration to iron out differences over key issues, including nuclear negotiations with the North. Most of all, Moon should work with Biden to strengthen the bilateral alliance.




KYIV  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tells "Axios on HBO" that he was "shocked" by the pro-Trump mob storming the U.S. Capitol, saying he never imagined this could happen in America and that it harms U.S. efforts to promote democracy abroad.

Why it matters: Zelensky's comments show how the Jan. 6 riots have echoed beyond America's borders, unsettling allies and emerging democracies that look to the U.S. for security and inspiration.

In the interview, Zelensky also talks more openly than ever about his 2019 call with then-President Trump, which helped pave the way for Trump's first impeachment.

Zelensky is hoping to reset the U.S.-Ukraine relationship under the new administration and with President Biden  whom he has yet to meet.

The big picture: The spectacle of the siege on the Capitol left a deep impression on Zelensky and has caused him to rethink his assumptions about America. "I believe this was a strong blow to democracy of the United States," he said, speaking through an interpreter in an interview at his presidential office.

"We are used to believing that the United States has the ideal democratic institutions, where power is transferred calmly. ... In Ukraine, we lived through two revolutions ... we understood such things can happen in the world.

"But that it could happen in the United States? No one expected that ... I was very worried  I did not want you to have a coup.

"After something like this, I believe it would be very difficult for the world to see the United States as a symbol of democracy."

Between the lines: Zelensky finds himself in a difficult situation  caught between a hostile invader in Russia and allies in Europe and the U.S., which talks a good game when it comes to defending Ukraine but is often absent when it really counts.

The emptiness of American rhetoric was starkly revealed in 2014 when Russia invaded Ukraine, seizing Crimea and the eastern territories.

Then-President Obama spoke out forcefully against the invasion, as did his point person on Ukraine  then-Vice President Biden. But the Obama administration wouldn't send weapons to the Ukrainians to defend themselves against their invaders.

The backstory: In the years since, Zelensky has had to deal with other American betrayals. As a newly elected president in 2019, he hoped to have a productive relationship with Trump. But in their infamous early phone call, Trump wasn't interested in helping Ukraine.
The Chinese plane and U.S. recon plane were in the same air defense zone, said the Taiwanese military. Increased sorties by the Chinese Air Force in recent days after threats of independence can be felt.

The People's Liberation Army Air Force (P.L.A.A.F.) has been testing the air defenses of Taiwan. After the U.S. administration's change, this can be interpreted as a probe to test their resolve.

A.D.I.Z. violations by China

Last Sunday, another penetration of Taiwanese airspace by six Chinese fighter aircraft was detected; one of the American reconnaissance aircraft was monitoring them. According to the island's defense ministry, these U.S. flights are kept of the press most of the time. This kind of revelations are rare on their side, reported Reuters.

Tensions have been continual in the Taiwan Straits and the Pratas Islands, which Beijing wants to occupy as one of the many islands in the South China Sea. China is claiming the right to the flyover and getting the Pratas because of their Nine-Dash Line.

Sparking the Indo-Pacific activity in this region are several Chinese Fighters and bombers who got too close to Taiwan territory last weekend.

U.S. flexes its military

Since last year, the U.S. Navy has been in the Indo-Pacific region and multiple carrier battle groups, which have incensed Beijing. But, the U.S. said that it is in international waters and proclaimed freedom of navigation too. They are calling the claims of China bogus in the S.C.S. The presence of Chinese planes, and a U.S. recon plane is expected.

Also read: Taiwan Getting More Accurate Missiles to Arm F-16s and Sink the PLAN

Since Taiwan has an unofficial alliance with the U.S., it supports the island with arms sales to defend itself. Chinese incursions were lodged by diplomatic protests by the former Trump administration too. Most of the time, China's movements were time without an American presence.

Planes identified by Taiwan

The Defence Ministry recognized several types of Chinese aircraft that penetrated the Pratas islands last Sunday. According to the Taiwanese, there were about four J-11 fighters and a Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft inside A.D.I.Z. of the Pratas Islands.

One occasion was a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft up and looking at what the P.L.A.A.F. was up to. The surveillance plane was in the southwestern part zone, pinging the activities of the Chinese air force. I was not told if there was more than one U.S. plane active in Pratas airspace.

Taiwan kept the activities of the U.S.

When Chinese air force planes (P.L.A.A.F.) ramped up their probing flights of Taiwan in the middle of September, a rare admission of the U.S. shadowing and maybe getting intel from the P.L.A.A.F. is unexpected.

Usually, the only way any American air and naval activity will be heard is through diplomats and security agencies, but Taiwan officials will keep the info to themselves.

Because of Beijing's One China policy that prevents any country from recognizing Taiwan as an independent country, the United States is backing Taiwan. It sells weapons for self-defense, not aggression. However, the C.C.P. has been looking into how the U.S. will respond without the former president's policy.

China's reaction is standard. Sending Chinese planes and one U.S. recon plane has been the norm. Mostly saber-rattling and intimidation by Beijing to scare the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Related article: Taiwan Gets Surprise Visit From US Navy, Reported Officials

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
STOCKHOLM, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dan Kastner, USA, has described an entirely new group of rare autoinflammatory diseases. His discoveries have brought new knowledge and led to the development of effective treatments. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences is awarding him this year's Crafoord Prize in Polyarthritis, worth six million Swedish kronor (approx. USD 700,000).

The Crafoord Prize is one of the major international science prizes, with subject areas that complement the Nobel Prizes and rotate from year to year. The Prize in Polyarthritis was instituted because the donor, Holger Crafoord, suffered from severe rheumatoid arthritis towards the end of his life.

Daniel (Dan) L. Kastner, receives this year's Prize in Polyarthritis "for establishing the concept of autoinflammatory diseases". He has identified the mechanisms responsible for familial Mediterranean fever, TRAPS and other diagnoses within this group. They are genetic diseases that are unusual in most of the world, but may have a higher incidence in some areas. One or two of every thousand people in the eastern Mediterranean have familial Mediterranean fever, while TRAPS was initially discovered among families in Ireland and Scotland.

Even just 20 years ago, researchers could not explain why those afflicted had recurring fevers, abdominal pain, joint inflammation, troublesome rashes and muscle aches. Dan Kastner started by studying patients with familial Mediterranean fever, and discovered that it was caused by a mutation in a single gene. He then identified the cause of TRAPS and established the concept of autoinflammatory diseases.

In autoimmune diseases and autoinflammatory diseases, the body's tissues are attacked by the immune system. However, in autoinflammatory disease the problem is within the immune system itself. Recently, research has broadened the understanding of rare (monogenic) and more common (polygenic) autoinflammatory diseases such as Crohn's disease and gout.

"Dan Kastner is often called the father of autoinflammatory diseases, a title that he thoroughly deserves. His discoveries have taught us a great deal about the immune system and its functions, contributing to effective treatments that reduce the symptoms of diseases from which patients previously suffered enormously, sometimes leading to premature death," says Olle Kampe, chair of the Prize Committee.

Dan Kastner is currently working on Behcet's disease, which is often found along the old Silk Road and is caused by inflammation in the blood vessels. He is delighted to receive this award.

"The phone call from the Academy took me totally by surprise, and I must confess to having been almost speechless when I was told the wonderful news. I can't begin to express how much of an honour it is to be the recipient of this year's Crafoord Prize. I owe so much to my patients, to my colleagues in the clinic and in the laboratory, and of course to my family, all of whom did so much to make this possible," says Dan Kastner.

About the Prize

The Crafoord Prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Crafoord Foundation in Lund, with the Academy being responsible for selecting the Laureates. Its subject areas rotate every year, between mathematics and astronomy, the geosciences, biosciences and polyarthritis (such as rheumatoid arthritis). The Prize in Polyarthritis is only awarded when there has been scientific progress that motivates a prize. This year's Laureate in Polyarthritis will receive six million Swedish kronor.

Read more about the prize

About the Laureate

Daniel L. Kastner is scientific director at the Division of Intramural Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA. He was born in 1951 in Lockport, New York, USA, and received his MD and PhD from the Baylor College of Medicine, USA, 1982.

Dan Kastner, National Human Genome Research Institute

Contact:

Experts

Olle Kampe,

Chair of the Prize Committee and Professor of Clinical Endocrinology

+46 70 815 14 00

[email protected]

Rikard Holmdahl,

Professor in Medical Inflammation,

+46 70 542 46 07

[email protected]

Qiang Pan Hammarstrom,

Professor of Clinical Immunology,

+46 70 388 49 43

[email protected]

Press contact:

Eva Nevelius,

Press Secretary at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

+46 70 878 67 63

[email protected]

You can find a short video possible to embed and a photo of the Laureate at www.kva.se

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/the-royal-swedish-academy-of-sciences-the-crafoord-prize/r/crafoord-laureate-discovered-the-explanation-for-mysterious-fevers,c3274934

SOURCE The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences/The Crafoord Prize
Dozens of young partygoers avoided being crushed when they tore down a metal gate and trampled over each other in central Bolivia, video footage showed.

The frightening incident occurred Friday night in the city of Cochabamba after police in the town of Quillacollo arrived to shut down a nightclub.

At least 150 people had gathered despite a citywide 10pm to 5am lockdown measure to curb the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A video recorded by a bystander outside a nightclub in Bolivia on Friday night captured the moment clubgoers tore down a gate while trying to escape from the police after they were partying at a club that was open despite a lockdown measure in the central city of Cochabamba that was imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus

Young partygoers are seen tearing down an exit gate at a nightclub that was raided by the police Friday night in Cochabamba, Bolivia. The clandestine party was held despite a citywide measure that bans large gatherings at public or private places

A video filmed by a bystander across the street showed how a crowd of clubgoers who had fled the cops stood behind the gate on the other side of the club in an attempt to avoid being captured. The gate was subsequently pushed forward and almost took out a law enforcement agent before the club customers fell on top of each other.

A second group that was standing behind another gate managed to flee after a police officer apparently broke one of the bars and rushed to the aid of the trampled partygoers.

According to Bolivian newspaper Opinion, the owners of the club had refused to allow the police officers to enter. They then locked the doors as the guests tried to avoid being captured for breaking the lockdown order.

'There were no serious injuries, but there could be fatal results,' Cochabamba mayor Juan Berzain said.

At least 150 youngsters gathered for a night of partying in Cochabamba, Bolivia, on Friday before the club was raided by the police. In an attempt to avoid being arrested, the clubgoers tore down a gate and fell on top of each other. No arrests or injuries were reported

A crowd of young partygoers disperses after they fell over each other after knocking down an entrance gate that had been locked as cops raided the club for being illegally open in the middle of a pandemic in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba

As of Monday, the coronavirus pandemic had claimed the lives of 10,379 people and registered 216,835 confirmed cases in Bolivia.

President Luis Arce said on Saturday that the South American country had reached a deal to receive some 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in February via the COVAX program backed by the World Health Organization [WHO] and Gavi vaccine alliance.

The COVAX program is aiming to deliver 1.3 billion doses of approved vaccines to 92 eligible low- and middle-income nations in 2021, though it faces potential delays amid a global scramble for vaccines.

Bolivia, which has been trying to make up ground with vaccine deals as its hospitals strain under rising cases, received 20,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine this week to start inoculating high-risk groups.

When Bruce L. Castor Jr. ran for district attorney in Montgomery County, Pa., in 2015, the campaign hinged on his decision years earlier not to charge comedian Bill Cosby with sexual assault. And after Castor lost the race, he sued the woman he blamed for the defeat: one of Cosby's victims.

His suit, which was dismissed in 2018, made national headlines as the prosecutor who defeated him criminally charged Cosby, eventually sending him to prison.

Now, Castor is poised to represent another politician dismayed over a recent election loss: former president Donald Trump.

Following a sudden exodus of lawyers who had been working on Trump's defense for his Feb. 9 impeachment trial, the former president on Sunday announced that he'll be represented by Castor and David Schoen, another attorney with ties to several high-profile, controversial defendants, including Roger Stone and Jeffrey Epstein.

Castor and Schoen will take on the job after Trump's previous attorneys left over his insistence that they argue he actually won the 2020 presidential election, a false claim the former president has often repeated since November, The Washington Post reported Sunday.

Trump's team denied that explanation, and said the defense would focus on constitutional questions involved in the impeachment trial. And Schoen also said he plans to focus on attacking the "weaponization of the impeachment process" and arguing that it is not constitutional to impeach a president once he is out of office.

"I am not a person who will put forward a theory of election fraud," Schoen told The Post late Sunday night. "That's not what this impeachment trial is about."

While both lawyers are just stepping into their leading roles on Trump's team in the politically fraught impeachment trial, neither Castor nor Schoen are new to controversy.

Castor, a Republican, served as the top prosecutor in Montgomery County from 2000 to 2008. In 2005, Andrea Constand reported that Cosby had drugged and sexually assaulted her the previous year, but Castor declined to pursue criminal charges.

Ten years later, after Constand filed suit with 13 women volunteering to testify about their own allegations against Cosby, Castor was forced to account for that decision as he ran for district attorney again. Constand also sued Castor for defamation in 2015, just before the election. He publicly suggested there had been inconsistencies in Constand's account of the crime, but the growing #MeToo movement made his handling of the Cosby case a key issue in the race. He lost to Democrat Kevin Steele, who chose to prosecute Cosby.

During the criminal case, Cosby's lawyers argued that Castor had secretly promised the actor immunity in 2005. A judge dismissed that argument. Cosby was convicted on three felony counts and sentenced in 2018 to three to 10 years in prison. Constand and Castor confidentially settled the defamation claim in 2019.

Castor did not immediately return a request for comment late Sunday.

Schoen is an Atlanta-based civil rights and criminal defense attorney who most recently made waves by representing Stone, a Trump confidant who was convicted in 2019 of witness tampering and lying to Congress about his role in pursuing hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 election.

"Somebody recommended me to him and, I don't know, I liked him," Schoen told The Post, explaining his decision to take on Stone's appeal in 2020. "It seemed like a challenge. He was really up against it."

He previously told the Atlanta Jewish Times that he took up Stone's case because he believed the trial had been "very unfair and politicized." Schoen's work with Stone, whom he has described as "very bright, full of personality and flair," came to an abrupt end last July when Trump commuted Stone's 40-month prison sentence. Trump fully pardoned Stone in December.

Days before Jeffrey Epstein's death in 2019, Schoen also met with the financier, who was accused of sexually abusing dozens of girls. Schoen has publicly disputed official reports that Epstein killed himself inside the Manhattan jail, and maintains his belief that Epstein may have been murdered. Schoen denies subscribing to some of the implausible claims that have circulated online since Epstein's death and conceded that there were no compelling suspects or alternate theories to the official account.

"He just didn't strike me as a guy who would commit suicide, but who knows, it's always possible," Schoen told The Post on Sunday. "I don't think they had a medical basis [for the cause of death] but they also don't have a killer."

Schoen described his "bread-and-butter" work as civil rights cases, with a focus on police misconduct, which he has pursued for nearly 36 years. His recent caseload has included a wrongful death and police misconduct suit for the fatal police shooting of a Black man in Florida and a wrongful death and medical malpractice suit against officials in an Alabama jail who ignored an inmate's perforated ulcer for seven days, leading to his death.

With just over a week before Trump's impeachment trail is set to begin, Schoen and Castor do not have much time to prepare a defense for the former president. Schoen told The Post he expects to focus on the "important constitutional issues," including whether a former president can legally be tried for impeachment.

"I've done constitutional litigation my entire career, and I think this case raised important constitutional questions," Schoen told The Post. "I do feel honored to represent the [former] president of the United States and the Constitution."

Schoen said he did not think the lawyers who left Trump's team did so because of election fraud claims and rejected the suggestion that the new team would try to litigate the validity of the election results.

"It's not what has drawn me into this impeachment trial," he said. "I think the proceedings are unconstitutional."
A very patient Vietnamese artist spent three years meticulously drilling a whopping 45,863 holes smaller than a human hair into a hollowed-out ostrich egg.

Nguyen Hung Cuong, a talented artist from Hanoi, Vietnam, has been turning chicken eggs into intricate works of art for over a decade, but his most recent project is by far his most impressive yet. The 30-year-old reportedly spent the last three years of his life carefully drilling tens of thousands of holes, some only 0.2 mm in diameter, to create one of the most impressive egg carving in human history.

The Vietnamese artist said that he came up with the idea of creating a record-setting egg carving after reading about the achievement of Mr. Hamit Hayran, a Turkish artist who a few years ago set a Guinness record for most holes drilled into a chicken egg, nearly 12,000. He told himself that Vietnam should have such a record, so he set ouut to one-up Hayran by drilling the most holes into an ostrich egg.

Cuong usually takes a few hours to a few days to complete a chicken egg carving, but for this latest project, he needed no less than 3 years. The 45,863 he patiently drilled into the ostrich egg shell, range from just 0.2 mm to 3 mm in diameter, and were counted by computers, using high-resolution scans of the egg. Zing News reports that the smallest holes are barely visible.

The talented artist said that chicken egg shell carving is a very laborious and painstaking process, but the ostrich egg carving was even more so, because the shell was harder and thicker, and he had to keep firm control of the drill to make holes the size of a single hair.

The process requires me not to rush, to be patient. Even a little haste can ruin the whole egg, so I had to keep my composure down to the very last hole, Nguyen Hung Cuong said.



Cuongs artwork was recently recognized by Vietnams Record Organization, and the artist said that he is currently working on submitting it to Guinness Records as well, hoping to have it recognized as the egg shell carving with most drilled holes.
Memorial provides service dogs for veterans struggling with PTSD

After losing her brother to PTSD, Heather Wipf creates the Lane Logan Memorial to help veterans find support through service dogs.

Southern Pines, NC (28387)

Today

Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 83F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Cloudy with rain ending overnight. Low 53F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Advertisement

It's no wonder he has become an Instagram sensation.

Zookeeper Chad Staples posts a steady stream of adorable and hilarious images and videos on his account of animals he cares for, from cute koalas and loveable giraffes to majestic rhinos and jaw-dropping lions.

And he has seen his Instagram follower numbers rocket from 62,900 in April 2020 to more than 217,000 today.

Zookeeper Chad Staples feeds one of the rhinos at Mogo Wildlife Park in New South Wales, Australia. Chad has become an Instagram sensation after posting a steady stream of adorable images of the animals he looks after

Chad said: 'I think the videos and pictures I share resonate with people because they're so candid and really capture the essence of the animal I'm with and their unique personality'

This incredible image shows a lion called Phoenix, who was born in late 2019 when raging bush fires threatened Mogo Wildlife Park. Chad captioned the picture on Instagram: 'Look how big my beautiful boy is getting'

On Instagram, Chad joked that this little lion cub was 'just a little bit milk drunk'

Chad is the managing director of both Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park and Mogo Wildlife Park in New South Wales, Australia, and is responsible for over 2,200 animals across both sites, including more than 30 rare and endangered species.

He started his Instagram account, which chronicles his daily working life, as a way of educating people about wildlife parks, and to show off the animals' distinct personalities.

Chad, who saved dozens of animals by sheltering them in his house during raging bushfires in late 2019, told MailOnline Travel: 'I think one of the most important roles of wildlife parks is around education.

'More and more, people are learning online and on their devices, so platforms like Instagram have been a great way to make connections with people all over the world.

On the left is a mesmerising image that looks deep into the eyes of lioness Zuri. Sadly, just weeks after this image was taken, Zuri died after suffering complications while giving birth to four cubs. Only two of her cubs survived. One the right is one of Mogo Wildlife Park's Sumatran tigers. Chad said: 'Every animal has very specific needs and wants and these are always changing day to day'

Chad said he doesn't have a daily routine - his day is shaped by the needs of the animals he looks after, with him and his team checking in on each one each day. Pictured is mighty lion Baako at Mogo Wildlife Park

On the left is a sweet snap that Chad captioned on Instagram: 'I cant get enough of these head smooches from this beautiful boy.' On the right is a picture that shows what Chad jokes are lion cub Maji's 'serious weapons' developing

'People have a strong emotional connection with wildlife and nature.

'I think the videos and pictures I share resonate with people because they're so candid and really capture the essence of the animal I'm with and their unique personality.

'I think it's natural that people are drawn to that kind of content as it makes us all feel more connected to nature.'

Chad said he doesn't have a daily routine at the wildlife parks - his day is shaped by the needs of the animals he looks after, with him and his team checking in on each one each day.

He explained: 'Every animal has very specific needs and wants and these are always changing day-to-day.

This heartwarming picture shows Chad embracing Archer the koala on his birthday last year at Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park

On the left, Chad poses for a selfie with young giraffe Twiga. The zookeeper said that one of Twiga's favourite games is following one of the ducks around their enclosure and added: 'It's a beautiful thing to watch.' Pictured right is a hilarious snap that Chad captioned on Instagram: 'Now thats a kissable nose'

A tiny squirrel monkey at Mogo Wildlife Park rests in Chad's arms. He said his most treasured moments being a zookeeper are being present when an animal is born. He explained: 'It's such a joyous occasion and something that never gets old for me'

'The most important part of my day is getting out into the park. If one of our animals that day has special needs, that will dictate what my day looks like.'

But that's not to say there are never any unexpected moments for Chad while carrying out his job.

He added: 'I think every animal can misbehave in their own way and it's often playful behaviour that they exhibit.

'Animals are so intelligent and can have the biggest personalities, like our gorillas, who love teasing and playing and interacting in fun ways with their keepers all the time.

Chad said: 'I think every animal can misbehave in their own way and it's often playful behaviour that they exhibit.' Pictured is rhino Kai at Mogo Wildlife Park

This adorable image shows a young quokka - a type of marsupial similar to a small wallaby - at Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park. Chad captioned it on Instagram: 'Just when you thought a quokka couldnt get any cuter, a new little one emerges from the pouch'

'There are always funny moments, but one recently that I can recall was with Twiga, one of our baby giraffes who is around six months old.

'His new favourite game is following a duck that likes to spend time in the watering hole in their enclosure - it's a beautiful thing to watch.'

And Chad's most treasured moment as a zookeeper?

'I'm always amazed at births, it's such a joyous occasion and something that never gets old for me,' he said.

'I love being able to be present every time new life comes into the world and I've been fortunate to see some of the tiniest babies being born, like a koala joey, to being metres away watching a giraffe give birth.'
MORE: Track snow projections for your town with new interactive map as monster storm slams N.J.

Gov. Phil Murphy will provide updates on the winter storm that might drop more than 20 inches of snow on parts of northern New Jersey at an 11 a.m. press conference.

It will be held at the states traffic management center in the Fords section of Woodbridge and be streamed live on the governors YouTube.com channel.

Murphy will be joined by Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti, State Police Superintendent Colonel Pat Callahan, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities President Joseph Fiordaliso and Jared Maples, the states homeland security director.

Murphy declared a state of emergency Sunday night with snow expected to fall through the day across much of the state. Forecasters have scaled down expected accumulation totals for South Jersey and areas along the Jersey Shore, though.

While there have been very few power outages so far, wind gusts of up to 50 mph could cause problems later Monday. Many schools have either closed or will offer instruction remotely Monday. Hundreds of flights at area airpots have been canceled and most NJ Transit service is suspended.

In addition, many coronavirus vaccination sites are closed due to the weather.

Murphy will also likely field questions about the coronavirus from the media as the number of hospitalizations continues to fall.

As of 10 p.m. Sunday, there were 2,865 people in the states 71 hospitals with the virus or a suspected case, a decline of 58 from the previous 24-hour period, according to the states dashboard. Hospitalizations dropped about 21% in January,

On Sunday Murphy disclosed 29 more deaths and 3,823 COVID-19 cases. More than 785,000 have been vaccinated with 124,612 having received the second of their two doses.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Vietnamese Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong talked about his re-election as the countrys Party leader during a press conference in Hanoi on Monday morning.

The press meeting was chaired by General Secretary Trong following the conclusion of the 13th National Party Congress in Hanoi.

Speaking at the event, the Vietnamese Party chief stated that the 13th National Party Congress had ended successfully the same day.

The organization, preparation of documents, personnel planning, and other tasks on the agenda were completed according to plans.

Certain measures were also taken to ensure safety of the five-yearly Congress against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The development orientations set by the 13th National Party Congress are not only for the next five or ten years, but for a longer vision, especially the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 2030 and the 100th founding anniversary of the country in 2045.

The resolution adopted by the Congress is hoped to create more benefits for the people and contribute to national development.

General Secretary Trong praised the contributions of local media as they played an important role in the success of the grand event.

The Party leader thanked everyone for congratulating him on his re-election, as well as for wishing him good health, adding that health is a significant factor for him to perform his duties.

As you all know, Im no longer in perfect health due to old age," General Secretary Trong said.

"I had asked to retire, but the Congress has elected me; and as a Party member, I have to comply with it.

I will try and do my best.

"But only one individual is not enough, as the country will need the solidarity and unity of the entire Party, military, and people.

General Secretary Trong also pledged to continue working relentlessly to fight corruption, adding that the positive results of anti-corruption efforts in the past tenure were just the beginning.

The 13th National Party Congress took place at the National Convention Center in the capital from January 25 to February 1, with the attendance of 1,587 delegates representing over 5.1 million Party members nationwide.

The Congress elected the 13th-tenure Party Central Committee with 200 members, including 180 official and 20 alternate members.

During its first meeting on Sunday, the 13th Party Central Committee elected the Politburo, General Secretary, Secretariat, Central Inspection Committee, and Chairman of the Central Inspection Committee.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
UK Will Come Down Hard on South African Variant: Health Secretary

The UK will come down hard on the South African variant of the CCP virus, Britains Health Secretary said on Monday, as the government ramped up its effort to contain the variants spread in the country.

The UK has now identified 105 cases of this variant, 11 of which do not appear to have any links to international travel, Matt Hancock said during a press conference held in Downing Street.

Those cases are the first in the UK of community transmission of the variant, which is more transmissible and is thought to be more resistant to some vaccines.

Theres currently no evidence to suggest this variant is any more severe, but we need to come down on it hard, and we will, Hancock said.

Weve already made sure that all these cases are isolating and that weve done enhanced contact tracing of all of their close contacts. We are surging extra testing into the areas where this variant has been found and sequencing every single positive case.

Surrey Council earlier announced it was introducing surge testing after the emergence of two cases.

The Department of Health and Social Care later confirmed that other cases had emerged in London, Walsall in the West Midlands, Hertfordshire, Essex, near Maidstone in Kent, and near Preston in Lancashire.

Every person over 16 living in these locations is strongly encouraged to take a COVID test this week, whether they are showing symptoms or not, the Department of Health said in a statement to The Epoch Times.

Hancock said, Working with local authorities, we are going door-to-door to test people in the local area.

He urged people in the affected areas to get tested so that we can break the chains of transmission of this new variant.

The UK is helping other countries in the world to identify new CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus variants by offering its capacity and expertise globally through the newly established New Variant Assessment Platform.

The UK is doing this because a mutation in one part of the world is a threat to people everywhere, Hancock said.

He said 9.2 million people across the UK have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Weve now vaccinated almost nine in ten of all over 80s in the UK and now, as of today, weve vaccinated over half of all people in their 70s, he said.

Earlier on Monday, the government announced that it had ordered another 40 million vaccine doses from French company Valneva, bringing the total number of vaccine doses secured by the UK to 407 million.

Hancock said the government will protect UK supply but will also play our part to ensure the whole world can get the jab, because he believes that vaccine roll-out is a global effort.

Simon Veazey contributed to this report.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Novant Health and New Hanover Regional Medical Center (NHRMC) are celebrating the beginning of their partnership. The two North Carolina not-for-profit health systems have come together after more than a year of public evaluation of how NHRMC could best meet the needs of the growing region. The sale of NHRMC from New Hanover County to Novant Health opens new opportunities for collaboration and growth as well as additional medical education and clinical capabilities through an expansion of NHRMC's relationship with UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine.

"We are excited to expand the Novant Health family to include New Hanover Regional Medical Center," said Carl S. Armato, president and CEO of Novant Health. "Throughout this process, Novant Health has been confident in the tremendous benefits this partnership would bring to the community: leading-edge, high-quality care closer to home, availability of care to underserved communities and lower health care costs. Looking forward, we are eager to hit the ground running and work with the local board and leadership team to identify our first steps to continue improving the health of those in New Hanover and surrounding communities."

"I look forward to a remarkable future of health care in southeastern North Carolina," said John Gizdic, president and CEO of NHRMC. "Some years from now, I know we will look back on today and appreciate how joining Novant Health launched greater opportunities to meet our growing region's needs. Together, we will improve the health of our community by continuing and strengthening our focus on quality patient care and access for all."

A partnership between Novant Health and NHRMC will improve the health of the community with more:

Access to affordable health care and generous financial assistance programs for families in need

Clinics, hospitals and advanced equipment to meet the region's needs

Support for the behavioral health crisis, including opioid management, substance use treatment and whole-family resources

Jobs that will boost the local economy and support for maintaining current leadership and team members

Innovative treatments and technology advancements to deliver specialized care faster and locally

Support for the local physician group and independent physicians so they can deliver even higher quality care to the region

In addition, the partnership with UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine will:

Enhance and expand the Wilmington branch campus of the UNC School of Medicine

branch campus of the UNC School of Medicine Extend and establish the clinical research of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to Wilmington

to Enhance local pediatric care

For more information on Novant Health's partnership with NHRMC, visit NovantHealth.org/NHRMC.

Click here for videos and photos of Novant Health facilities and NHRMC.

About Novant Health

Novant Health is an integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient facilities and hospitals that delivers a seamless and convenient healthcare experience to communities in Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. The Novant Health network consists of more than 2,300 physicians and over 36,000 employees that provide care at more than 700 locations, including 16 hospitals and hundreds of outpatient facilities and physician clinics. In 2020, Novant Health was the only healthcare system in North Carolina to be included on Forbes' Best Employers for Diversity list. Diversity MBA Magazine has also ranked Novant Health third on its 2019 list of "Best Places for Women & Diverse Managers to Work." Novant Health provided more than $993.2 million in community benefit, including financial assistance and services, in 2019.

For more information, please visit our website at NovantHealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE Novant Health

Related Links

https://www.novanthealth.org


A town in Poland has become the first in the country to reverse a decision to become an LGBT+ free zone, amid international outcry at the nearly 100 municipalities in the country that have issued such resolutions.

Councillors in Nowa Deba  a town of 11,000 in southeast Poland  voted to undo a 2019 ruling that declared the region free from LGBT+ ideology.

The resolution, rooted in a religious conservatve interpretation of traditional family life, spelt out the towns determination to defend against aggressive, deceptive and harmful LGBT ideology and so-called homo-propaganda.

In last weeks vote, 10 of the 15 councillors voted in favour of withdrawing the resolution, one abstained, and the remaining four attended the meeting but did not vote.

Chairman Damian Diektiarenko, who submitted the motion revoking the declaration, said the council's intentions had been misunderstood.

He said: We cannot allow anyone to tarnish the image of the commune by using this declaration.

Bart Staszewski, a filmmaker and Polish gay rights activist who has worked to highlight LGBT+ free zones, said: Council members of Nowa Deba decided to withdraw the LGBT-free zone bill they declared in late 2019. That is great!

Kuba Gawron, an author and organiser of equality marches in the Polish city of Rzeszow, said he had contacted other local authorities in an effort to overturn similar resolutions.

When the councilors adopted this resolution, they seemed to think it would only reach their local voters, he told The Independent. They did not expect that the topic would become international.

That's good the councillors repealed the shameful resolution, but unfortunanely they still don't see anything homophobic in it.

In a statement to The Independent, Polish LGBT+ rights group Stop Bzdurom said: The resignation of one of the many municipalities does not change the fact that these resolutions are still being introduced [elsewhere in Poland].

At the present moment, the right-wing government has faced powerful resistance from the lesbian and gay community, and is also facing powerful resistance from women and those fighting for abortion on demand. We fear that the scapegoat of the coming year will be the transgender community.

In October, the Irish town of Fermoy announced it was ending an arrangement that had twinned it with Nowa Deba over the bill.

Noel McCarthy, who is a member of the Fermoy Twinning Committee, said: "We must stand up to people like this. You can not do this in 2020 and be seen to be able to get away with it.

In response, Nowa Debas mayor, Wiesaw Ordon, said he had never experienced discrimination against anyone on the basis of sexual orientation or other characteristics.

Twinned towns in France and the Netherlands have also cut ties with their Polish counterparts in protest at the zones.

Bartosz Staszewski, a Polish activist who campaigns against LGBT+ free zones' (Getty Images)

At least 100 municipalities or regions, mostly in conservative southeastern Poland, have passed declarations that vowed to keep out LGBT+ ideology or adopted family charters that backed heterosexual unions.

The action forms part of an unprecedented assault on LGBT+ rights in Poland that has gained momentum since 2019 with the establishment of anti-gay zones, activists say.

In one case, a Polish newspaper distributed stickers with homophobic slogans and a crossed-out Pride flag, while participants at a Pride rally in the city of Biaystok were defended by riot police after far-right groups attacked marchers with stones and bottles.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has strongly condemned the situation in Poland, saying LGBTQI-free zones are humanity free zones. And they have no place in our union.

People hold flags and placards during the first gay pride march on July 20, 2019 in the city of Bialystok (AFP/Getty Images)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Polish authorities to stop trying to silence activists who support LGBT+ rights, warning an overly broad blasphemy law violates freedom of expression and signals the further deterioration of the rule of law in Poland.

Under Article 196 of Polands criminal code, a person who offends the religious feelings of others by publicly insulting a religious object or place of worship faces up to two years in prison.

HRW said a wave of arrests in Poland had followed a campaign of placing rainbow flags on prominent public monuments.

Kyle Knight, senior LGBT+ rights researcher at HRW, said: Scapegoating and targeting a vulnerable minority is becoming a routine and nasty part of the governments playbook, with dangerous repercussions for human rights.

Andrzej Duda, Polands president, made the protection of traditional families a key campaign theme during his successful re-election last summer.

Poland is one of just a handful of countries in Europe that is yet to legalise same-sex marriage.

A man who says he tested positive to COVID-19 after going to a Perth emergency department with difficulty breathing, what he describes as heavy brain fog and memory problems has posted to social media to warn the Western Australian community.

Philip Latour said he had been kept in hospital after a rapid swab test came back positive to COVID-19. He was now waiting on further testing to confirm the result.

He told WAtoday on Sunday his plan was to inform the community as early as possible so they could act accordingly and be responsible.

The post made by Philip Latour. Credit:Facebook

I went into the emergency department by myself because of breathing difficulties ... I am glad I did instead of going to work on Monday and possible infecting all my work mates, he wrote.
Ukraine, within the COVAX program, will receive 117,000 doses of m-RNA vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech of the U.S. production in February, and in parallel, from 2.2 million to 3.7 million doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine during the first half of 2021, Deputy Minister of Health, Chief Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Viktor Liashko said.

"Yes! Ukraine received a response from COVAX. Ukraine will receive 117,000 doses of the American-made m-RNA vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech early as in February, which will be immediately distributed to vaccinate employees of hospitals that provide care to patients with COVID-19," Liashko wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday.

He also said: "In parallel, during the first half of the year, starting in February, we will be able to receive from 2.2 million to 3.7 million doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine for the next stages of the campaign. And this is only through the COVAX mechanism."

According to Liashko, COVAX received applications for the first wave from 72 countries, 18 countries were selected, including Ukraine. "This once again confirms that Ukraine is able to provide the necessary cold chain and logistics of vaccines with ultra-low storage conditions," he said.

In turn, Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said that deliveries of the Pfizer vaccine to Ukraine will start in the middle of February. "The next deliveries of vaccines under the COVAX initiative will take place from the middle of February to the end of the second quarter of 2021. During these deliveries, Ukraine will receive from 2.2 million to 3.7 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine," the Ministry of Health said on the Telegram channel.
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 tax burden is at a 70-year high amid warnings businesses face disaster if Chancellor Rishi Sunak moves to raise more money in next month's Budget.

The Treasury is set to rake in 34.2 per cent of economic output in the next financial year, according to campaign group the TaxPayers' Alliance.

The average tax burden  the amount of tax taken by the Treasury compared with the size of the economy  over the last five years has already climbed to 33.8 per cent, the highest since 1951.

The Chancellor is believed to be considering a rise in capital gains tax as he tries to balance the books after the coronavirus pandemic. Business tax and fuel duty rises are also thought to be among the potential targets.

But grim figures today show the UK's recovery already appears to be stalling, with activity in the manufacturing sector falling to a three-month low due to fresh lockdowns and post-Brexit supply chain disruptions.

The CBI has been calling for the holiday on business rates to be extended further, with firms still under huge pressure.

Rishi Sunak, pictured walking in London yesterday, is believed to be considering a rise in capital gains tax as he tries to balance the books after the coronavirus pandemic

The Treasury is set to rake in 34.2 per cent of economic output in the next financial year, according to campaign group the TaxPayers' Alliance

Figures today show the UK's recovery already appears to be stalling, with activity in the manufacturing sector falling to a three-month low due to fresh lockdowns and post-Brexit supply chain disruptions

Mr Johnson was out training this morning as the battle against coronavirus continues

The closely-followed IHS Markit / CIPS Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) hit 54.1 in January, down from a three-year high in December of 57.5 where many manufacturers stockpiled goods over fears of a no-deal Brexit.

Any score above 50 is seen as a sector in growth.

Manufacturing output increased for the eighth successive month in January  however, the rate of expansion slowed as new orders fell due to a drop in new export business.

Companies said the national lockdown, the end of the Brexit transition period, client closures and renewed uncertainty at the start of the year all contributed to the fall in new orders.

Some managers also said they saw EU-based clients had brought forward purchases in December to avoid expected disruption in the post-transition period.

Manufacturers in the consumer goods sector saw the weakest performance in January, with steep drops in output and new orders.

The intermediate and investment categories  larger scale manufacturing for long-term projects  saw continued expansion.

Manufacturing employment rose for the first time in a year during January, however, with companies reporting this was to combat rising levels of work-in-hand at several firms.

Raw material shortages, transport delays and increased costs, pushed input price inflation  the cost to manufacturers  to a four-year high in January, which were passed onto clients.

Rob Dobson, director at IHS Markit, which compiles the survey, said: 'Whereas many countries are seeing manufacturers provide a much-needed support to economic growth as the service sector is hit by Covid-19, the UK's manufacturing sector has come close to stalling.

'A mixture of harsher Covid-19 restrictions and Brexit led to near-record supply-chain disruptions, lower exports and increased costs.

'The impact was felt most at consumer goods producers, who reported steep falls in output and new orders. There were also early signs that smaller companies were being hit harder by the tougher operating environment than medium- and larger-scale producers.'

He added that companies are hopeful the restrictions will ease as the vaccine rollout continues, but said the speed of recovery remains uncertain.

The Prime minister and Chancellor are to head up a new taskforce to rebuild the battered economy in the wake of the pandemic.

The Chancellor is mulling increases to capital gains tax - paid on shares and other asset sales to bring it into line with income tax rates in news likely to alarm Tory MPs.

Corporation tax could also rise from 19 to 24 per cent under plans that would allow the Tories to keep to their manifesto pledge not to increase VAT, National Insurance or inheritance tax, the Telegraph reported.

And fuel duty rises are seen to be 'inevitable' after a decade-long freeze, sources told the newspaper. A 1p or 2p increase in a litre of fuel is believed to be 'bearable' in the circumstances, it was said.

Although March's Budget is unlikely to include aggressive tax-raising measures, given that the country is still likely to be in lockdown, the Chancellor has warned backbenchers that he will have to start tackling the Government's soaring deficit of 400billion before the end of the year.

Public debt now stands at more than 100 per cent of GDP for the first time since the 1960s.

However, the TaxPayers' Alliance analysis found the UK's level of taxation is now expected to be higher than at any time since Clement Attlee was in Number 10 between 1945 and 1951.

Taxes were lower under Winston Churchill's premiership than they have been under each of the last three Conservative prime ministers, while the biggest rise in taxation came under Labour's Harold Wilson.

Mr Sunak is desperate to get the public debt - which is now larger than the size of the economy at more than 2trillion - back to a more manageable size.

The taxpayer has backed 72billion of coronavirus emergency loans, and has spent 46.4 billion on supporting furloughed employees who may otherwise have lost their jobs.

Mr Sunak is desperate to get the public debt - which is now larger than the size of the economy at more than 2trillion - back to a more manageable size

But experts worry that raising taxes could be counter-productive, as it could stifle any economic recovery.

John O'Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'This research confirms that we're facing the highest taxes in a generation.

'The sustained tax burden is now the highest it's been since the country was recovering from the Second World War 70 years ago, and any tax rises in the next Budget will put that figure even higher.

'In these difficult times, the Chancellor should give hard-pressed families and businesses a respite from taxes, offer a rescue to struggling sectors and try to revive the economy.'
Farmer unions on Monday announced a countrywide 'chakka jam' this week when they would block national and state highways for three hours in protest against the internet ban in areas near their agitation sites, harassment allegedly meted out to them by authorities and other issues.

Farmer union leaders told a press conference at the Singhu Border, on the Haryana side, that they will block the roads between 12 pm to 3 pm on February 6. They also alleged that farmers have been "ignored" in the Union Budget 2021-22, and water and power supply have been curtailed, and mobile toilet blocks being removed, at their protest venues.

The Samkyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of protesting unions, also alleged that the Twitter accounts of Kisan Ekta Morcha and a user named 'Tractor2Twitter' have been restricted.

Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav alleged the action against the Twitter account was taken on the "request of government authorities", adding accounts of some private individuals, who have been very vocal against the movement, have also been restricted. He also claimed that the Union government has "reduced the allocation to the agriculture sector" in this budget.

Balbir Singh Rajewal, a farmer leader from Punjab, and part of the SKM told reporters that the modalities of the 'Chakka Jam' on February 6 will be decided after discussing it with various unions unanimously, including those protesting at Ghazipur border site, the new focal point of the farmers' movement against the new farm laws.

Rajewal claimed during the press conference that scores of people have been "detained by the police" besides FIRs filed against many, including a journalist. "Our February 6 protest would also be against this harassment faced by journalists who are trying to report the truth from the ground, and the Twitter restrictions," he said.

Swaraj Abhiyan's Yadav alleged that the Union government has "reduced the allocation to the agriculture sector" in this year's budget. And, even the percentage of allocation has gone down from "5.1 pc last fiscal to 4.3 pc this year". He asserted that maha panchayats are happening in the country, while the government is trying to "have its way". These maha panchayats will "dismantle the arrogance" of the government and the agitation will destroy the "shrewdness of the central government," Yadav said.

Asserting that the government is committed towards farmers'' welfare, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday proposed 10 per cent hike in the farm loan disbursal target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore and introduced an agri infra and development cess of up to 100 per cent to create post-harvest infrastructure for improving farmers' income.

The minister also proposed higher allocation for Rural Infrastructure Development Fund and Micro Irrigation Fund and extended Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to APMCs for augmenting infrastructure facilities.

with additional inputs from news agency PTI
Hows your 2021 going so far? For Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, the new year is off to an interesting start.

On this episode of Beat Check with The Oregonian, Portland City Hall reporter Shane Dixon Kavanaugh talks about whats going on with Mayor Wheeler.

Obviously Oregon, Portland and the nation are coping with a lot right now. We talked about that, but we also discussed Wheelers policy priorities, the two high profile public confrontations he experienced this January, why he hired former mayor Sam Adams and what all of his staff shakeups may mean for the city and his governing plans.

We also talked about the newest members of the city council  plus why Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty is still a powerful force.

Heres the full episode.

Subscribe to Beat Check on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts.

 Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen
Hong Kong: HK's legal hub status secure

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng

After the turmoil in 2019, the National Security Law has restored order and stability in the community. Hong Kong is now ready to capitalise on its unique position under the one country, two systems, and the strength in legal and dispute resolution services as well as to make the best use of the opportunity brought forth by the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic & Social Development. We will continue to serve as an international legal hub for dealmaking and dispute resolution services.

The Greater Bay Area (GBA) has the unique strength of one country, two systems and three jurisdictions and the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao GBA recognises the distinctive advantage of Hong Kongs legal system under one country, two systems and our ability to assume a vital role in the development of the GBA. We have already succeeded in securing the Guangdong Province as the first to implement further liberalisation measures for partnership associations for law firms in August 2019. Since June 2020, such measures have been extended to the whole of the Mainland. Enterprises and investors are now able to appoint law firms and legal practitioners who are practising in the Mainland and also familiar with common law. The Regulations of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone were amended and approved in August 2020. It allows Hong Kong enterprises registered in Qianhai to choose Hong Kong law as the applicable law in their civil and commercial contracts. This early and pilot implementation measure is a major breakthrough and benefits over 11,000 wholly-owned Hong Kong enterprises registered in Qianhai. We are now actively seeking the support of the central government in extending the measure to the entire GBA.

Hong Kong has been a prime venue for international legal and dispute resolution services. The fundamentals that make Hong Kong excel as a leading arbitration centre can be attributed to our solid foundation with a modern and user-friendly arbitration law. The Arbitration Ordinance, which came into effect in June 2011, is based on the Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law to unify the dual regimes for domestic and international arbitrations. Amendments to the ordinance have been made over the years in order to keep abreast of the latest developments in international arbitration. Our arbitral service is well known for its flexibility, and the enforceability of awards in over 160 jurisdictions. It is noteworthy that nearly all the awards have been successfully enforced in the Mainland. Also, a number of well-respected international institutions have chosen Hong Kong as their first global location outside their home jurisdictions. As a result of the unique position of Hong Kong under the one country, two systems, we are able to secure groundbreaking and game-changing arrangements with the Mainland such as the Arrangement Concerning Mutual Assistance in Court-ordered Interim Measures in Aid of Arbitral Proceedings by the Courts of the Mainland and of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2019.

Our strong judicial and legal systems have enhanced Hong Kongs strength as an international legal hub. Judicial independence is premised on the solid infrastructure that has been laid down primarily in the Basic Law - the security of tenure, the immunity of judges, the non-revolving door, and importantly the expressed provision in Article 85 of the Basic Law that guarantees judicial independence, free from any interference. The judicial oath, taken by all judges, requires them to safeguard the law and administer justice, without fear or favour. Judges are required to adjudicate cases based only on evidence and law, setting out how they have arrived at such decisions in opening hearings and their judgements, which are available to the general public. As pointed out by the incumbent Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal: Attempts to exert undue pressure on our judges by means such as threats of violence or doxxing are as futile as they are reprehensible. Furthermore, the former Chief Justice had repeatedly said, in particular in his interview with the media on January 5, that he categorically denied there was pressure exerted on the Judiciary.

In the long run, the intrinsic strengths of Hong Kong, together with the advantages afforded to Hong Kongs position under the one country, two systems, initiatives and opportunities of the GBA development will reinforce Hong Kongs irreplaceable position as a leading international legal hub for dealmaking and dispute resolution services. We hope that we will join hands through concerted efforts in promotion and explanation to clarify misconceptions and misunderstanding.

Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng wrote this article and posted it on her blog on February 1.

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

Frozen carrots are proving difficult to import from GB to Northern Ireland (PA).

Frozen carrots and diggers covered in mud have caused huge difficulties for haulage companies trying to get supplies into Northern Ireland.

Local companies have been forced to complete a raft of new documentation on goods coming into Northern Ireland as part of the NI Protocol, which is part of the Withdrawal Agreement.

The protocol is designed to allow the free movement of goods from the EU into Northern Ireland, preventing the need for a hard border but it has led to a de facto Irish Sea border.

A lorry carrying frozen carrots and mixed herbs at a depot in Lymm just outside Warrington, Chesire, has been waiting for nine days to get clearance to board a ferry from Birkenhead to Belfast.

A haulage firm in Lisburn has been trying to persuade the British supplier that the carrots were ordered on December 27, but they have been classed as an export.

Meanwhile, Logistic UKs Seamus Leheny, said he recently spoke to a business in Northern Ireland after it was told that their digger was not allowed to leave GB for Northern Ireland as there was soil on its tracks.

The digger wasn't allowed to come to Northern Ireland until it was fully power washed and cleaned, he explained.

Read More

It comes after the EU backtracked on its move to invoke Article 16 of the Brexit Protocol on Friday in an attempt to control shipments of vaccine jabs coming into Northern Ireland.

First Minister Arlene Foster has now called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to use Article 16 in order to help ease trade between GB and Northern Ireland.

She added that it is a dereliction of duty by Mr Johnson to allow UK citizens to suffer due to the current difficulties around trade.

We have a bizarre situation now that you cannot even have British soil coming into Northern Ireland, Mrs Foster told BBC Radio Ulsters Good Morning Ulster. I have never heard anything so bizarre in all my life.

As if something coming from the mainland is going to cause great difficulties in Northern Ireland. That needs to be sorted out.

We need to sort the issues around food, agri-machinery, parcels and pets.

Lets be clear, this is affecting everybody in Northern Ireland. Its not just affecting unionists, its affecting nationalists, its affecting everybody in Northern Ireland.

Mrs Foster believes that due to the EUs actions on Friday, the bar has been pulled down regarding as and when Article 16 can be invoked.

They have pulled the bar down now so that we can see that it can be used to deal with - not just in their case anticipating trade flow problems - but actually dealing with trade flow problems we have at present and they are very real, she continued.

I find it patronising and insensitive for people to say we are dealing with teething problems.

These are not teething problems, they are actually real problems affecting the lives of everyday businesses and everyday consumers.
Police in Washington state on Sunday night were evicting homeless people and activists from a hotel in downtown Olympia, after a group moved into the site and refused to leave until they were given shelter.

Police received multiple 911 calls from employees at the Red Lion around 11am on Sunday saying numerous individuals were entering their lobby armed with batons, knives and axes, King 5 News reported.

One employee was assaulted as they tried to close the doors and the rest fled to the basement, according to an Olympia police spokesperson.

Twelve people have been arrested The Olympian reported, as officers cleared The Red Lion Inn.

Hotel employees who had been sheltering in the basement have been rescued.

Police in Olympia were clearing The Red Lion Inn after around 35 homeless people moved in

Protesters, pictured by Jason Rantz, host of Jason Rantz Show on KTTH Seattle, demanded better housing conditions for homeless people, insisting that COVID put them at risk

The drama began on Saturday night, when activists paid for 17 rooms at the hotel, and announced they were staying until Thurston County committed funding for permanent housing.

The group, numbering around 35 people and calling themselves Oly Housing Now, then occupied the lobby and the 17 rooms.

The group had occupied the fourth and fifth floors and were placing black tarps on the windows, according to police.

Employees in the basement continued to shelter in place, and guests in about 40 rooms not associated with the group did the same, while officers obtained a search warrant for the building.

Emma Deitz, one of the leaders of Oly Housing Now, told the paper she has been volunteering with a group called Olympia Anarchist Mutual Aid that brings supplies like propane heaters, blankets, hand sanitizer, and food to people living in tent encampments.

She said that the combination of rain, cold, and rats make conditions there intolerable, and said Oly Housing Now formed specifically for this weekend's protest.

Deitz said her group wants Thurston County to apply for funding that's being offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to pay for 'non-congregate' shelter for people who are aged over 65, and vulnerable to COVID-19.

Oly Housing Now also released a list of demands for the city of Olympia that include providing sanitation, restrooms, and other 'resources to meet the COVID-19 CDC hygiene recommendations.'

The city currently supplies several encampments with port-a-potties and dumpsters.

They also want additional 'impact fees' on luxury and commercial properties in the city, to fund the homeless programs.

Keylee Marineau, the Homeless Coordinator for Thurston County, told the paper she went to the hotel on Sunday and talked with organizers.

She said the county is looking into the federal funding program.

'We're actively pursuing avenues to understand how the homeless-specific funds for FEMA work,' she said.

The Red Lion Inn in downtown Olympia was the seen of this weekend's unrest

Police moved in as darkness fell on Sunday, with SWAT teams on the site.

Lt. Paul Lower, with Olympia Police Department, said his officers were going floor-to-floor.

'We're still processing the building and anticipate more arrests to come,' he said.

The hotel was already housing several homeless families, using vouchers provided by Family Support Center, a local nonprofit.

Trish Gregory, executive director of Family Support Center, said there were 27 families staying at several local hotels in the city, including the Red Lion Inn.

'Family Support Center is currently spending approximately $80,000 per month to provide hotel rooms to families with children who otherwise would be forced to sleep outdoors,' she said.

Cheryl Selby, mayor of Olympia, called the protest 'unproductive'.

'Making sure our unhoused residents have access to safe and affordable housing has been Olympia's priority for more than a decade,' she said.

'Olympia has led on responding to homelessness, on coordinating shelter and other basic needs.

'The tactics used today by Oly Housing Now are unproductive and won't make the mission more attainable.'

Nivolumab monotherapy is an effective treatment option for relapsed malignant mesothelioma (MM), according to research presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer World Conference on Lung Cancer.

Malignant mesothelioma is intractable cancer, and no phase III trial has yet shown an improvement in overall survival following the standard first-line chemotherapy doublet comprising pemetrexed and cisplatin or carboplatin since it was licensed in 2004.

Professor Dean Fennell, chair of Thoracic Medical Oncology at the University of Leicester in collaboration with Professor Gareth Griffiths and his team at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, University of Southampton, UK, presented results of the Checkpoint Blockade for Inhibition of Relapsed Mesothelioma (CONFIRM) study, funded by Cancer Research UK/Stand Up To Cancer.

The investigator-led, placebo-controlled randomized phase III trial involved 24 centers in the United Kingdom.

Nivolumab is a programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor that has shown activity in previously treated malignant mesothelioma in two single-arm phases II clinical trials.

In the CONFIRM trial, 332 adult patients with previously treated, unresectable, histologically confirmed MM (pleural or peritoneal) and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-1 were randomly assigned to nivolumab (n = 221) or placebo (n = 111).

Participants were stratified by epithelioid vs nonepithelioid histology. The co-primary endpoints were investigator-assessed progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS); key secondary endpoints included best overall response and safety.

Overall survival was immature but showed significantly longer survival with nivolumab (events 232 [target 291]; median, 9.2 vs 6.6 months; HR, 0.72; 95% CI: 0.55-0.94; P=0.02). Investigator-assessed progression-free survival was longer for nivolumab vs placebo (3.0 vs 1.8 months; HR 0.61; 95% CI, 0.48-0.77; P<0.001). PD-L1 expression was assessed in 234 tumor blocks using the Dako 22C3 tumor proportion score (TPS).

There was no statistically significant association between PD-L1 TPS > 1% (in 34% of included patients) and survival. Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were reported in 19% of patients who received nivolumab and in 6.3% who received placebo. Treatment discontinuation due to toxicity occurred in 13.1% (nivolumab) versus 2.7% (placebo).

CONFIRM met its co-primary endpoints of improved overall survival and progression-free survival with nivolumab vs placebo in relapsed malignant mesothelioma. The safety profile of nivolumab was consistent with its known profile with no new safety signals. Nivolumab monotherapy is an effective treatment option for [patients with this disease." Dean Fennell, Professro, Chair of Thoracic Medical Oncology, University of Leicester

"CONFIRM gives good evidence that this treatment approach should be considered for the new standard of care for these patients," said Prof. Griffiths

"Therapeutic alternatives are always welcome in the contest of difficult-to-treat diseases such as malignant pleural mesothelioma," said Dr. Giorgio Scagliotti, interim IASLC CSO, "and this study contributes to increase our range of treatment opportunities in the setting of relapsed/recurrent disease."
Franz Jagerstatter

1907-1943

Early in 2020, I was instructed in the art of radical hospitality by a woman whose parents had demonstrated to her how to love one's enemies. During my COVID-shortened semester abroad, five friends and I hopped a plane, trains, and an automobile to visit Sankt Radegund, Austria, home of Blessed Franz Jagerstatter, a brave soul who dissented amid social pressure and refused to swear allegiance to Adolf Hitler, paying for it with his life. Maria, nearly eighty years old and the second daughter of Franz and his wife Franziska, offered to fetch six American college kids, whose German skills ended at "guten Tag," at the train station half an hour away. She and her friend Elisabeth, who had driven an additional three hours from Linz to assist, welcomed us as we stepped off the train.

Maria's father's story inspired A Hidden Life, Terrence Malick's masterly 2019 film that poignantly showcases the deep Christian devotion of the Jagerstatters and the beauty of redemptive suffering. Franz Jagerstatter's life was one of inspired insanity. Born in 1907 to an unwed maidservant, Franz led a colorful youth. He was a bright, avid reader, yet was equally fascinated by girls and motorbikes. He left Sankt Radegund to find work, lost his faith, returned, and fathered a child out of wedlock. He wanted to marry the woman, but his mother advised against it. (Franz remained devoted to the little girl until his death.) Following these events, he regained direction and relocated his faith. Indeed, Franz sought to enter the monastic life in 1934, but his priest recommended he fulfill his responsibility to his declining mother and family farm. As Franz contemplated his vocation, so did Franziska Schwaninger, a devout young woman who grew up nearby and was considering entering the convent.

After treating us to farm-fresh duck and dumplings, Maria and Elisabeth ferried us between the foothills to key places from Maria's parents' life. From the train station, we drove through snowy pines, past Franz and Franziska's childhood homes, and stopped at the inn where Franz and Franziska met at a social gathering. We meandered up to the highest point in the surrounding area, overlooking the Salz river, the border between Austria and Germany. When Franz was young, Maria told us, he jumped in the freezing water and swam to the other side just to prove a point to his friends, perhaps an early sign of her father's fearless and determined spirit. Our final stop was Sankt Radegund. We first arrived at the small, whitewashed parish where once Franz was sacristan, but which now serves as his burial place and shrine. Only a few minutes away was Franz and Franziska's simple farmhouse, now converted into a museum.

Franz and Franziska quickly fell in love, marrying in 1936 and venturing on an unconventional honeymoon  a pilgrimage to Rome. Marriage proved a turning point for Franz. He followed Franziska to the sacraments and consistent theological study. Franziska was responsible for shaping Franz into an entirely different man. However, the effect of grace on their marriage was hardly stoic; they played silly games with one another and penned lengthy, tender letters during times apart. In one of these, Franz wrote, "I could never have imagined that being married could be so wonderful." Three small daughters, including Maria, joined their family over the next few years.

While the Jagerstatter family flourished, their little community, a stone's throw away from Bavaria, was becoming nazified. Austrian church leaders pushed back, only to witness the surging popular approval of their new German overlords. The clergy chose between navigating the new status quo and suffering Nazi persecution.

Franz dreamed of a train swarmed by a crowd, everyone fighting for a place on board. A voice in his dream proclaimed, "This train is going to hell," and gently tugged him away. Franz eventually understood the train as an allegory for the creeping influence of the Nazis, which could only bring one's soul to utter destruction.

From the outset, Franz was wary of Nazi suppression of the Church and studiously considered whether the two could be compatible. In 1938, when the Austrian people affirmed Germany's annexation of their country, Franz dreamed of a train swarmed by a crowd, everyone fighting for a place on board. A voice in his dream proclaimed, "This train is going to hell," and gently tugged him away. Franz eventually understood the train as an allegory for the creeping influence of the Nazis, which could only bring one's soul to utter destruction. He wrote, "I want to call out to each person who's sitting in the train: 'Jump out before this train reaches the end of the line, even if it costs you your life!'"

After Franz's solitary vote against the Nazis, his community badgered him to reconsider. No one, including his wife and the bishop of Linz, understood his position. He was drafted into the army and called up several times over the next few years, yet he managed to avoid deployment. In 1941, Franz returned to Sankt Radegund, determined never to serve again. Devotion to his eternal homeland increased; he became a lay Franciscan and the sacristan of his parish. He wrote extensively about his conviction, touching on conscience, authority, obedience, and responsibility. He perceived a clear connection between his own predicament and that of Christ. Franz compared Austria's acquiescent citizens to the crowd in first-century Jerusalem, who "were given the freedom to choose between the innocent redeemer and the criminal Barabbas," and were intimidated into submission by the Pharisees or ostracized as fools if they resisted.

Franz's interlude had an expiration date. In early 1943, he was conscripted despite his civilian exemption. He requested service as a medic or to fight without weapons but was denied. Upon refusing to take the oath to Hitler required of all soldiers, he was interrogated and imprisoned. While he was incarcerated, fellow prisoners attested to his unshakable religious resolve and spirit of encouragement. Critics accused him of forfeiting his family's good and rebelling against the Nazi cause in vain. Yet letters from prison to his wife and daughters are devoid of complaints or despair, instead offering rich reflections on suffering and conscience. Franz wrote to his wife, "I wanted . . . to spare you from all this suffering. . . [H]owever Christ said, 'He that loves father, mother, wife and children more than me is not worthy of Me.'" Franziska supported her husband, although she failed to understand him fully and wondered if he still might serve in some capacity, thus saving his life and their family's future.

It was not to be. In July 1943, Franz received a sentence of death from Berlin for the crime of "undermining military morale." Franziska and their priest were permitted a final short visit to Franz in an attempt to sway his resolve. Like Christ, however, Franz's commitment to following his conscience and eternal Father was unwavering. In one of his final letters, Franz wrote, "the most important thing is only that the Lord may not let me go to ruin for eternity." On August 9, 1943, Franz was beheaded.

Even after Franz's death and the end of the war, his family remained ostracized and his life was regarded by their community as a waste. Franziska was refused government pensions for decades due to the nature of Franz's death, and thus bore the responsibility of her family's livelihood, including the labor of farming. However, as Elisabeth attested in person, Franziska was never bitter. Even in the midst of her loss, she extended kindness to those who hated her. Multiple neighbors recall how Franz and Franziska generously fed and clothed them, even during their own tough times.

The warmth of the Jagerstatters' joy and generosity was palpable. After our stop at their farmhouse, Maria invited us to her own home for coffee. Maria made four rounds with different Austrian pastries, insisting we take more. We sat with the two women for hours, asking questions about their family. Although Maria lamented having few memories of her father, she spoke of him proudly and laughed about asking for his intercession in the minutiae of finding her keys. Elisabeth reflected on the times she had sat at the same table with Franziska. "We like to joke around that Franziska was the real saint here," she told us. Humor aside, Maria quietly hopes to see her parents canonized together. In Maria's dining room hung a photo of Franziska's face at her husband's beatification, radiant.

To work off our pastries, we ventured out to the spot on Franz and Franziska's farm where a modest monument in commemoration of Franz's life now stands  marking his birth, death, and the date of his beatification at the Cathedral in Linz (2007). Elisabeth expressed how grateful she and Maria were to share the Jagerstatters' story and led us in a few quiet prayers.

Then, giving us each an English copy of Franz's biography, they drove us back to the train station well after dark, waving goodbye as our train rolled south toward Salzburg, the well-known home of Georg von Trapp and a very different conclusion to defying Nazi conscription. One leaned on his means and fled with his family; the other could not. Hospitality toward strangers was a remarkable testament to the spirit of the Jagerstatters, an unrelenting pursuit of truth unmarred by any trace of hostility. "Embrace your enemies" is Franz's epitaph, engraved over the doors of his parish.

This hidden life speaks loudly in our antagonistic era. A prison reflection of Franz remains pertinent eighty years later: "It's said that words instruct, but examples inspire us to follow. Do we not want to see Christians who, in the midst of all the darkness, are still able to stand above it all in clarity, calmness, and confidence, who, in the midst of all the lack of peace and joy, the egoism and hate, still stand there in the purest peace and cheerfulness?" Norms of spite and ad hominem attacks saturate our discourse, and uncivil behavior is lauded. The spoken or posted word may school our opponents and leave us feeling satisfied, but examples of reconciliation and grace would prove far more healing as Americans approach a new administration on the heels of a contested election. Sanctity emerges in the small and hidden acts of sacrifice. Franz put it best: "It's possible, with God's help, for us to work our way out of the swamp in which we're stuck, and to attain eternal bliss."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a joint news conference with European Council President Charles Michel at the end of a EU summit video conference at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. European Union leaders assessed more measures to counter the spread of coronavirus variants during a video summit Thursday as the bloc's top disease control official said urgent action was needed to stave off a new wave of hospitalizations and deaths. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool Photo via AP)

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to supply 9 million additional doses of its coronavirus vaccine to the European Union during the first quarter, the bloc's executive arm said Sunday.

The new target of 40 million doses by the end of March is still only half what the British-Swedish company had originally aimed for before it announced a shortfall due to production problems, triggering a spat between AstraZeneca and the EU last week.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a call with seven vaccine makers Sunday that AstraZeneca will also begin deliveries one week sooner than scheduled and expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.

"Step forward on vaccines," tweeted Von der Leyen, who has come under intense pressure over the European Commission's handling of the vaccine orders in recent days.

The EU is far behind Britain and the United States in getting its population of 450 million vaccinated against the virus. The slow rollout has been blamed on a range of national problems as well as slower authorization of the vaccines and an initial shortage of supply.

AstraZeneca's announcement last week that it would initially supply only 31 million doses to the EU's 27 member states due to production problems set off a fierce dispute between the two sides, with officials in Brussels saying they feared the company was treating the bloc unfairly compared to other customers, such as the United Kingdom.

On Friday, hours after regulators authorized the vaccine for use across the EU, the commission said it was tightening rules on exports of coronavirus vaccines, sparking an angry response from Britain. The commission has since made clear the new measure will not limit vaccine shipments produced in the 27-nation bloc to Northern Ireland, a U.K. territory that was guaranteed unhindered cross-border access to the Republic of Ireland under the post-Brexit deal between Britain and the EU.

EU member states praised the bloc's executive branch last year for signing numerous deals with vaccine makers, saying the joint purchase using the combined market weight of the entire bloc had ensured a fair distribution for all 27 countries at good prices.

Since then the mood among many EU citizens toward Brussels has soured, as countries outside the bloc speed ahead in the race to vaccinate their populations.

The AstraZeneca office building in Brussels, Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. Amid a dispute over expected shortfalls, the European Union is looking at legal ways to guarantee the delivery of all the COVID-19 vaccine doses it bought from AstraZeneca and other drugmakers as regulators are set to consider approving the Anglo-Swedish company's vaccine for use in the 27-nation EU. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

The British government hasn't been shy about promoting its relative vaccine success, which has helped distract from the fact that the country remains top of the table for deaths in Europe.

Official figures show 598,389 shots were administered across the U.K. on Saturday, more than six times the number that Germany managed Friday, the last day for which figures were available.

Germany has so far given at least one dose to 2.2% of its population. Britain has done the same for 13.2% of its citizens.

In response, Chancellor Angela Merkel has summoned state governors Monday to discuss what German media are describing as a "vaccination debacle. "

Von der Leyen, who was Germany's defense minister before taking the post in Brussels, insisted the EU had "made good progress."

"Of course we've currently got a difficult phase," she told German public broadcaster ZDF, but added that in the second quarter more vaccine would become available as regulators approve additional formulas and further production capacity goes online.

Pfizer, which developed the first widely tested and approved coronavirus vaccine together with German firm BioNTech, has said it expects to increase global production this year from 1.3 million doses to 2 billion doses. BioNTech said Monday that up to 75 million of those additional doses will be delivered to the EU in the second quarter.

In a statement, the European Commission said it plans to set up an specialized body to improve the bloc's response to health emergency and "deliver a more structured approach to pandemic preparedness."

As part of the effort, together with industry, the EU said it will "fund design and development of vaccines and scale up manufacturing in the short and medium term, and also to target the variants of COVID-19."

"The pandemic highlighted that manufacturing capacities are a limiting factor," it said. "It is essential to address these challenges."

Explore further EU demands that vaccine makers honor their commitments

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Once a backwater village in Anhui province, Kengshang has embraced the e-commerce boom thanks to government support and the hard work of villagers. Despite being blessed with a beautiful environment and clean air, the village in Huangshan's Huizhou district was trapped in poverty for years, the village's Party chief said. "Back in 2014, there were 210 people from around 100 households out of the village's 640 families who were listed as poverty-stricken," said Liu Wei, Kengshang's Party chief. "The poverty rate was relatively high at the time." A shortage of farmland and inadequate transport connections were two of the main factors that kept the village poor. "Villagers made their living mainly from growing tea, while the working population was reduced as people found jobs out of town," he said. "Transportation was another problem. The village was about 11 kilometers from downtown Huizhou, connected only by a narrow road." Liu said the government and a poverty-alleviation work team he led racked their brains to find ways to lift villagers out of poverty. "I remember it was in 2015 that the district's commerce bureau came up with the idea of selling the villagers' products online when e-commerce was becoming popular," he said. "The products, such as tea, vegetables and dried bamboo shoots, were very good, but sales were poor because villagers weren't aware of new retail channels like online shops." A workshop was set up with government support to train the villagers on different aspects of e-commerce. "We renovated a disused school building to base the workshop in. The total investment was around 200,000 yuan ($31,000)," Liu said. The villagers were taught how to pack dried bamboo shoots, a specialty of the village, into small decorative bags that could fetch a higher price. The poverty-alleviation work team then sold the packages online and passed on the profits to the villagers. "We also hired seniors or those in extreme poverty to work for the online shop," he said. "Packing parcels and sending parcels to a delivery station can earn them 10 yuan per hour." Kengshang shook off its poverty label in 2016. A year later, all the villagers were deemed to be out of poverty. "In 2014, poor families earned no more than 3,000 yuan, but that amount has risen to 13,000 yuan now," Liu said. The village's development has lured more young entrepreneurs to start businesses in Kengshang. Fang Jiewei, 33, is one of them. He left Kengshang in 2011 to look for work in Shenzhen after graduating from university and returned home in 2014. "The longer I worked outside of my hometown, the more I missed this beautiful place," Fang said. "I heard the government was offering support to develop the village's e-commerce, which I thought had great potential, so I came back." His parents didn't support the move, but Fang went ahead with it anyway. At first, he volunteered at the e-commerce workshop with the poverty-alleviation work team to help villagers sell their products. "We did face problems as villagers didn't believe us or understand the online sales channels," he said. "But as more online orders were received and products sold online, they began to trust us." When the online workshop was established in 2016, annual revenue was about 150,000 yuan, he said. Last year, its reached 800,000 yuan. "Though we still face problems in the quantity of the products, things are getting better," Fang said.


Laramie County

Jackie Fornstrom

Pine Bluffs

Range Telephone Communications'

Cheyenne

Visionary Communications

Wyoming

Wyoming Business Council's

Wyoming

Wyoming

Rhode Island

Tim Tincher

Cheyenne

Bret Picciolo

Charter Communications

Cheyenne

Laramie County

Wyoming

Federal Communications Commission

Wyoming Business Council

Wyoming

Mark Gordon

Wyoming's

Wyoming

Viasat

Viasat

Pine Bluffs

Albin

Burns

Steven Mesnick

Viasat

Americas

(TNS)  In homes with children, fighting over who gets to use the internet or who needs to stop their streams has become a common American experience over the last couple decades. It's an argument thatresidentknows well, living with her husband and four teenage boys on their family farm a few miles outsideBut for her family, the problem was accelerated by slow Wi-Fi speeds that seemed even slower than what she was paying for. Until August, they usedDSL internet through a landline phone for $80-$85 a month, but Fornstrom said that's just because it was the only option available."We do have friends in, and they're just shocked that we don't have the same options. We're really not that far away, but it's just a lot different when you get outside that little bubble," Fornstrom said.Fortunately, the Fornstrom family was able to find a plan that worked for them through with 50 Mbps for around $60 a month. But still, not everyone has found a solution.Residents in rural areas acrosshave fewer options for high-speed internet providers, leaving some stuck with high-cost plans that sometimes don't cover their technology needs  gaming, streaming, video chats, online classes, remote work and all the other ways technology connects us in day-to-day life.And while improvements in broadband connectivity have been seen in rural areas recently  with the help of thebroadband manager and programs like Connect Wyoming  problems still persist, specifically high monthly bills for ruralresidents.An analysis from HighSpeedInternet.com  a consumer comparison site that helps folks choose the best internet plans in their area  found thatresidents pay more for each megabit per second than anywhere else in the country. (Megabits per second, or Mbps, is a measure of internet bandwidth. Broadband internet requires a minimum of 25 Mbps.)According to the analysis, Wyomingites pay a rate of $7.84 per Mbps, whileresidents pay a rate of just 63 cents per Mbps. A number of factors play into that stark difference, but perhaps the biggest are the lack of internet infrastructure and the lack of incentive for internet providers to build out in rural America."Essentially, internet providers are looking for ways to get tons of subscribers with the minimum expense," HighSpeedInternet.com staff researchersaid. "That's why they're prioritizing places with higher populations or areas that have higher economic value, as well, and so that's probably why we're seeing prioritization of urban versus rural."Big name providers found in, like Spectrum and CenturyLink, can provide faster speeds at lower prices with the infrastructure they've put in place and continue to upgrade across the country, according tofrom. In December, Charter's Spectrum doubled its starting internet speed for customers, soresidents can enjoy 200 Mbps, with the possibility for up to 400 Mbps.Several miles away, the same is not true for the areas of easternlocated beyond most major corporations' coverage areas. A slew of regional providers offer whatever speeds and prices their infrastructure allows, but the more traditional forms of internet service like dial-up and DSL aren't as efficient as new developments, according to Tincher."Specifically, in these more rural environments, the infrastructure is a little bit older or dated. What we found is that fiber connections are the most efficient data and technology that we can get for internet, so naturally, states that have access to fiber internet more widely will have a cheaper per-megabit rate," Tincher said. "In states like, where there's more DSL or wireless or satellite, that's where you'll see that uptick in price per megabit."Still, more and more, internet service providers are working to bridge the connectivity gap, as internet technology evolves and as government agencies like theaim to help them do so. Especially with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and the transition to remote work and school, theapproved $86 million in CARES Act funding in August to expand broadband infrastructure in largely disconnected parts of the state.By providing a number of multi-million dollar grants to internet service providers, the hope is to allow Wyomingites to access tele-health, tele-education or remote work."This funding will help connect rural communities inthat may not have had the chance to get service otherwise," Gov.said in a news release. "Now, the people inmost rural communities will be able to access the essential services they need to cope with the effects of COVID-19, and to access the opportunities that high-speed internet provides for years to come."At this point, those broadband grants won't fix the problem faced by every rural resident across, but it does make a dent. Additionally, other private providers, including, have taken their own approach to help bridge the connectivity gap.is one of the companies that connects folks inand, but it uses satellite connections instead of dial-up or DSL. Vice President of Marketingsaid anyone who can see the sky is eligible for their internet services, which removes barriers of having to install expensive wiring in places that aren't profitable for larger companies."The difference with satellite is we spend a ton of money up front; we have $600 million satellites, we launch them into space on the back of a rocket, which is always kind of exciting, and then we don't have to worry anymore about the cost for every house," Mesnick said. "We make a large initial upfront investment so that everyone can benefit from it, while others are making an investment only when it makes sense for that individual neighborhood or household."Currently,has two satellites in space, which unfortunately limits the amount of internet service they can provide. So while it does break down the barrier to access, the lowest-level plan is still $100 a month at full price due to the level of demand.However, Mesnick said they plan to send three more satellites into space by the end of this year, with one to cover theand provide more access, faster speeds and perhaps lower prices down the line to Wyomingites."Home broadband service is one of the fastest-growing parts of our business, which is primarily providing connectivity to those who have been left behind by the cable and the fiber, and oftentimes don't have many choices," Mesnick said.
EV

That, they said, showed how unprepared those manufacturers were to embrace the new technology (which wasn't really new) and stand any chance against Tesla's highly competitive vehicles. Well, guess what? It's 2021, and Tesla still isn't making a profit by selling EVs.Wait a minute, Tesla has just declared a $721 profit for 2020, so what are we on about? It may sound weird, but both statements are true: Tesla did have a record year delivering just short of 500,000 cars and finishing with a substantial positive net income, and yet, if its income relied strictly on the cars it sold, the year would have ended with a negative balance.The difference came, ironically enough, from the coffers of various legacy car manufacturers. There are currently eleven states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont) that require automakers to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission vehicles.Fail to do that, and they can buy regulatory credits from other manufacturers who exceed their quote. Since Tesla only makes EVs, it obviously has plenty of those credits to go around for anyone willing to come up with the money, and since it's the law, they kind of have to.According to CNN Business , this tactic has earned the Palo Alto carmaker $3.3 billion over the past five years, with the bulk of it ($1.6 billion) coming in 2020. If you do the math, you'll see that even with 500,000 vehicles sold, Tesla would have still registered a loss of over $800 million if it weren't for the money paid by the companies that are slower to react to the changes in the market.The question now is whether this is a sustainable business plan for Tesla in the medium to long run. With more and more signs of manufacturers finally making serious efforts on thefront, the 2020 situation looks increasingly less likely to repeat.According to the same publication, Tesla is well aware of that. "This is always an area that's extremely difficult for us to forecast," said Tesla's Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn. "In the long term, regulatory credit sales will not be a material part of the business, and we don't plan the business around that. It's possible that for a handful of additional quarters, it remains strong. It's also possible that it's not."Detractors could see this as their turn to point the finger at Tesla claiming this was the reason why the company afforded to sell its cars at what could be considered discount prices. But they'd be wrong. From a strictly automotive point of view, Tesla's revenue from selling EVs outweighs the costs associated with building the cars, so it is making a profit. $5.4 billion, to be exact, so it's quite a big one.It's actually the company's very ambitious expansion that drives expenses so high and gives those regulatory credits such an important weight. Considering the company's incredible growth rate, the very fact it managed to register a profit is remarkable and shows that Tesla's business plan, while risky, can also be highly rewarding. How else would you describe a company that sells just 500,000 cars out of a global total of 70 million and yet has a stock value roughly equal to that of the next 12 carmakers combined?
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday, in an exclusive interview to Network 18 editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi spoke about the government's "fine balance" carried out through the Union Budget 2021.

When asked about the Sensex zooming by over 2,000 points, Sitharaman said that she had not followed the developments since the Budget release. "I hope the intention of two-three major points that came out in the budget are well understood and received," she said.

Talking about facilitating a spending push, the FM said - "One thing is clear, if I had more resources to give, I would have given it to the people. The question of giving money so that an immediate demand-push happens also triggers another question: Will they spend or will they keep it aside for a rainy day? Also, spending will result in immediate demand increases  no doubt, possibly if they spend  but will it be a meaningful trigger for a virtuous cycle to be triggered? Unless that spending happens in sectors where the (force) multiplier will work, there is no point in spending in areas where the multipliers are weak."

She said the government had not want to fund the Budget through taxation, and that an approach towards holistic health had been taken. "I did not want to fund the whole operation through taxation. With tax buoyancy kept conservative; and with disinvestment, an improved GST collection, we will hopefully be looking at better times."

When asked if for a "fiscally prudent government", the budget was a "U-turn", Sitharaman said - "It is one thing to be conservative or prudent at normal times. If I don't spend now we will be postponing growth. Given the situation, stimulus was absolutely necessary. Quality expenditure is what we looking for, and it will give us the required multiplier. Once a virtuous cycle begins, things will fall into place."

She said the government had not overstated its previous estimations, and that the pandemic and its impact would have to be kept in mind.

She said there was a sentiment around Public Sector Banks that they could not "touched", adding that one or two banks could not meet the demands of a growing aspirational India.

"For a growing aspirational India, one financial institution cannot meet up with all demands. We will have to have a provision for private DFIS to come in," she said.

Asked about the "damned if you do, damned if you don't mindset" of critics, and how the government was able to marry the divergent aspirations of various classes, Sitharaman gave credit to Prime Minister's consciousness towards the poorer sections of India.

"The Prime Minister has carried out a fine balancing act, he is a clear-headed leader. He never misses out on what has to be done for poorer sections. After the announcement of the lockdown, the Gareeb Kalyan package was announced within 48 hours," she said.
Dubai, Feb 1 : A Dubai court has sentenced an Indian businessman to two years in prison for offering a 200,000-dirham ($54,448) bribe to the police, a media report said on Monday.

The Dubai Court of First Instance found the 51-year-old Indian businessman guilty of offering `10,000 dirhams each to two policemen last June while he was detained for questioning after a robbery complaint, the Gulf News report said.

According to the report, the court sentenced two other Indian men also to two years in jail for aiding and abetting the businessman as they had brought the money to be handed over to the police officers.

The three will be deported after their prison terms are completed.
A shipping area is filled with 1,500 kg bags of bastnasite concentrate at the MP Materials rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, Calif., on Jan. 30, 2020. (Steve Marcus/Reuters)

Pentagon Commits $30 Million to Texas Rare Earth Plant, Aims to Reduce Reliance on China

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded $30 million in funding to Australias Lynas Corp to build a rare earth processing plant in Texas, as the nation continues to seek to break its reliance on Chinese imports of the critical minerals.

The facility will be able to process light rare earth elements (LREE), which are not only widely used in consumer goods such as cellphones and electric car motors, but also critical to the production of next-generation fighter jets and precision-guided missiles.

Its not the first time Lynas, one of the few major non-Chinese rare earth miners, received federal funding for a U.S.-based project. Last year, the company teamed up with Texass Blue Line Corp to land a deal with the Pentagon to build a separation plant for heavy rare earth elements (HREE), which are used in the manufacturing of specialized military weapon systems.

Both plants will be built in Hondo, Texas, about 45 miles west of San Antonio. Lynas said it will be able produce a quarter of the worlds demand for rare earths once the facilities become operational.

Once the global leader in rare earths production from 1960s to 1980s, the United States is now almost entirely dependent on Chinese imports of rare earth materials. The Chinese communist government, seeing rare earth elements as a strategic resource that can be leveraged to its advantage in negotiations, spent decades transferring the American rare earth industry to China by using a combination of low labor costs and the absence of environmental standards.

That reliance on China for rare earth minerals has raised serious concerns, especially as Beijing seeks to take advantage of the United Statess and the worlds preoccupation with the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. In October 2020, China said it would cut off rare earth supplies to American defense manufacturers that have been arming Taiwans defense force, including Lockheed Martin, which leads an industry team to develop and produce F-35 fighter jets.

While demand for Rare Earth materials continues to grow, COVID-19 has exposed the risks within global supply chains of the single sourcing of critical materials, Amanda Lacaze, Lynass CEO, said in a statement, adding that her company is the only non-Chinese commercial producer of separated rare earth products to the global marketplace.

The Texas plant will ensure the US has a secure domestic source of high quality separated Rare Earth materials. This secure supply will provide the essential foundation for the renewal of downstream specialty metal making and permanent magnet manufacturing in North America.
By Joanna Plucinska and Kuba Stezycki

WARSAW (Reuters) - Police visited Maciej Adamski's restaurant north of the Polish capital 16 times in 10 days, telling him that he had to shut up shop because of coronavirus restrictions, but Adamski is not convinced that is strictly correct.

His restaurant, Qlturalni Qlinarni Q&Q, serves traditional Polish fare, the walls festooned with guitars and other instruments.

"Don't be afraid," he told Reuters one lunchtime, surrounded by fewer than half a dozen customers. "All (restaurants) should open because these restrictions are not enforceable.

"...We either open and survive or we all close. Everything that we worked for for so many years will simply disappear."

Poland on Monday loosened some restrictions across the country, with shopping malls allowed to open and gyms and restaurants ordered to stay closed.

But up to 20,000 restaurants are expected to open anyway, according to the Polish Gastronomical Chamber of Commerce, without enough financial support and lack of clarity over now enforceable the lockdown laws are.

Adamski condemned police for raiding a nightclub in the southern town of Rybnik over the weekend. They used tear gas and batons against patrons, according to media reports, but he said he wasn't worried about similar action against him.

A spokeswoman for the police in Rybnik did not immediately respond to calls and SMS requests for comment.

To soften the impact of the pandemic, Poland launched a multibillion zlotys support scheme for companies. But Adamski said that support did not last long enough.

"If it was the same as in other European Union countries, we would calmly close and wouldn't worry about anything," he said. "But today what we have is a tragedy."

A government spokesman did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment on financial support on offer.

Gyms face a similar dilemma, with the Polish Fitness Federation arguing the existing restrictions in Poland were confusing to begin with and therefore easy to get around.

Story continues

"If the law is weird, sometimes in a funny way, sometimes in a way that is unclear, and we are able to operate within it, then we will," said federation head Tomasz Napiorkowski.

He said that the federation would seek compensation from the government for losses sustained and that many gyms will choose to continue to operate with health precautions in place.

Sebastian Twardowski, 27, wanted to make a point of eating at Qlturalni Qlinarni on Monday, arguing that restaurants needed all the help they could get and that he felt totally safe amid measures taken by Adamski to ensure cleanliness and distancing.

"Here, the tables are far away from each other, everything is taken care of from a sanitary perspective," Twardowski told Reuters.

"I think I'm more scared of going to the store than to a restaurant."

(Reporting by Joanna Plucinska and Kuba Stezycki)
COLUMBUS, Ohio - A new deep-learning model that can predict how human genes and medicines will interact has identified at least 10 compounds that may hold promise as treatments for COVID-19.

All but two of the drugs are still considered investigational and are being tested for effectiveness against hepatitis C, fungal disease, cancer and heart disease. The list also includes the approved drugs cyclosporine, an immunosuppressant that prevents transplant organ rejection, and anidulafungin, an antifungal agent.

The discovery was made by computer scientists, meaning much more work needs to be done before any of these medications would be confirmed as safe and effective treatments for people infected with SARS-CoV-2. But by using artificial intelligence to arrive at these options, the scientists have saved pharmaceutical and clinical researchers the time and money it would take to search for potential COVID-19 drugs on a piecemeal basis.

"When no one has any information on a new disease, this model shows how artificial intelligence can help solve the problem of how to consider a potential treatment," said senior author Ping Zhang, assistant professor of computer science and engineering and biomedical informatics at The Ohio State University.

The researchers noted in the paper that a few of the repurposing candidates the model generated have already been studied for their potential use in COVID-19 patients.

"Great minds think alike - some lead compounds identified by machine intelligence coincide with later discoveries by human intelligence," Zhang said.

The research is published today (Feb. 1) in Nature Machine Intelligence.

Zhang and colleagues had completed the model's design in May 2020, just as the first papers detailing how COVID-19 patients' genes responded to the virus were published. The new information provided an important test for the computer model, which the researchers call "DeepCE" - pronounced "Deep Sea."

To make predictions about how genes and medicines will interact and yield drug repurposing candidates, DeepCE relies on two primary sources of publicly available data: L1000, a National Institutes of Health-funded repository of human cell-line data showing how gene expression changes in response to drugs, and DrugBank, which contains information on the chemical structures and other details on about 11,000 approved and investigational drugs.

L1000 displays side-by-side cell-line comparisons of standard gene expression activity with gene expression changes produced by interactions with specific drugs. The cell lines represent diseases, such as melanoma, and organs, like kidneys and lungs. It is an ongoing project, with data being added as experiments in animals or humans supplement the gene expression profiles produced in cell-line experiments.

The Ohio State researchers trained the DeepCE model by running all of the L1000 data through an algorithm against specific chemical compounds and their dosages. To fill in data gaps, the model converts chemical compound descriptions into figures, allowing for automatic consideration of their separate components' effects on genes. And for genes not represented in L1000, the team used a deep learning approach called an "attention mechanism" to increase the model's "learned" sample of gene-chemical compound interactions, which improves the framework's performance.

"This way, the output demonstrates multitask learning - we can predict gene expression values for new chemicals not from one cell to one cell, but automatically predict the role of a drug on different cell lines and different genes," said Zhang, who leads the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Lab and is a core faculty member in the Translational Data Analytics Institute at Ohio State. "We can use the computer to simulate drug-induced gene expression. This provides real value."

"The story should stop here - this is where we were during spring break. But then COVID-19 arrived, and we hoped our research could help, so we did a special case study for COVID-19 drug repurposing."

The team applied DeepCE's gene expression prediction matrix - focusing on data from lung and airway cell lines and the entire DrugBank catalog of compounds - to the genetic information provided from the early COVID-19 papers and additional government data. The COVID-19 data demonstrated how human gene expression had responded to being infected with SARS-CoV-2, creating a "disease signature."

"Based on the known gene expression changes that have occurred and been identified with known drugs, we apply that to the gene expression in question - in this case, compounds that are being studied but are not yet experimented in L1000. We put such predicted 'drug signatures' against the COVID-19 patient profiles on a population level," Zhang said.

"Once you can identify both signatures, the job is easy. Wherever we find the disease and a drug show opposite gene expression profiles, suggesting the drug would reverse the effects of the disease, you have found a drug that may treat the disease."

This model complements a drug-repurposing model Zhang described in a recent paper that simulates clinical trials using observational clinical data.

"I want to put together a research agenda using all the different data resources for drug repurposing and drug-disease associations from multiple perspectives and connect with researchers who can collaborate with us to find new drugs for diseases - including unknown diseases," Zhang said.

###

This work was supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the National Institute on Aging and the National Science Foundation. Co-authors are Thai-Hoang Pham and Jucheng Zeng from Ohio State and Yue Qiu and Lei Xie of the City University of New York.

Contact: Ping Zhang, Zhang.10631@osu.edu

Written by Emily Caldwell, Caldwell.151@osu.edu
At least 75 Nigerian healthcare workers tested positive for COVID-19 last week, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, has said.

Mr Ihekweazu, while speaking at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Monday, said the number of healthcare workers getting infected is becoming worrisome.

He noted that efforts are ongoing to ensure health workers are actively protected against the virus.

In the last one week, we have 75 healthcare workers infected in Nigeria, he said.

So we are very worried about this and we can reduce this risk.

Health workers at risk

Barely a month ago, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), announced the deaths of 20 doctors within a week from complications arising from coronavirus, news President Muhammadu Buhari described as sad.

Healthcare workers are often at risk of exposure to infections, including COVID-19 as they are the first responders to patients.

Although health workers have been advised to use full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) before attending to patients, many do not have access to this equipment and as a result, many health workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in Nigeria.

As of June 2020, at least 812 health workers had tested positive for COVID-19, according to Nigerian health minister, Osagie Ehanire.

As of September 2020, over 41,000 health workers in Africa have been infected with COVID-19 virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

The exact number of health workers that have been infected in Nigeria so far could not be ascertained as of the time of reporting.

Nigeria has recorded over 130,000 COVID-19 cases and almost 1,600 deaths since February 2020 when the country diagnosed its first case of the virus.

Rapid test kits

Mr Ihekweazu said the Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits (RDTs) will be used in more facilities over the next month as part of efforts to protect health workers.

We are rolling out the use of Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits (RDTs), in more health facilities over the next one month, as an additional tool to protect healthcare workers, he said.

We remain deeply grateful for the efforts and commitment of healthcare workers across the country.

Mr Ihekweazu noted that the agency has started training health workers in five health facilities in FCT, on the use of RDTs in health care settings.

He said this would soon be replicated across federal hospitals in the country.

The NCDC chief said this can help reduce the risk of infection in health facilities which is a major challenge in the fight against the pandemic.

ADVERTISEMENT

He explained the need for doctors and nurses to be on the alert on suspicion of any COVID-19 case.

He said COVID-19 should be ruled out first for patients with pneumonia symptoms, congested chest, fever, body pains and even vague symptoms.

He appealed to health workers to model the behaviours they would like to see in others.

Show people you wear a mask when visiting, reinforce the public health measures (in your homes and other settings). Model the behaviour you want to see in others, the official said.
Korea-Africa Foundation President Choi Yeon-ho speaks with The Korea Times at the foundation office in southern Seoul, Jan. 26. A former Korean ambassador to South Africa, Choi is the inaugural president of the foundation operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His single three-year term ends in February. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



By Yi Whan-woo



For the last three years after its establishment, the Korea-Africa Foundation has been keeping up with the government's efforts to expand presence in Africa, where "the new scramble" as described by The Economist has been witnessed.



The term refers to the third wave of foreign interest in Africa after European colonial rule and the Cold War.



In the post-COVID-19 era, Korea does not want to miss out. The role of the foundation  operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs  is becoming more vital than ever in raising public and business interests toward Africa, according to Korea-Africa Foundation President Choi Yeon-ho.



"When the pandemic ends and the global economy starts to recover, it will bring an opportunity for us to create momentum on Africa ties," Choi told The Korea Times in an interview at his office in southern Seoul, Jan. 26. "The coronavirus, after all, will not diminish Korea-Africa relations but rather strengthen them."



Choi explained African countries in general have been trying to offset their lack of road, rail, landline internet and other conventional means of communication and infrastructure by nurturing fintech, e-commerce, wireless technology, virtual conferences, drones and other industries that do not necessarily require people-to-people contact.



Their strategy corresponds to emerging non-contact businesses as well as the Fourth Industrial Revolution and is making the region an attractive investment destination for tech-savvy countries like Korea, Choi said.



The high-tech-friendly atmosphere adds to Africa's other advantages, including rich natural resources, abundant labor force with 70 percent of the 1.3 billion population being aged 30 or younger and a growing middle class estimated to be up to 600 million.



On Jan. 1, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement was implemented.



AfCFTA is a blueprint for an integrated continental economic bloc under the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, which has a goal of building a self-reliant, well-educated and technology-driven society. The agenda seeks to transform the continent into a global powerhouse by 2063.



AfCFTA will benefit foreign companies operating in Africa by removing tariffs and other barriers and helping expand intra-continental trade of goods, services, investment, intellectual property rights and competition policy, among others.



Under the circumstance, not only major powers including the Western European countries, the United States and China but also developing countries such as India, Malaysia and Vietnam are eyeing the African market in the post-COVID-19 era, according to Choi.





Korea-Africa Foundation President Choi Yeon-ho speaks with The Korea Times at the foundation office in southern Seoul, Jan. 26. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2021) - Mindset Pharma Inc. (CSE: MSET) (FSE: 9DF) ("Mindset" or the "Company"), a drug discovery and development company focused on developing novel next generation psilocybin-inspired medicines and related technologies, is pleased to announce it has selected a subset of representative compounds belonging to its proprietary third family of patent-pending next generation psychedelic compounds to move into in vivo Proof-of-Concept ("PoC") studies.

James Lanthier, CEO of Mindset, commented, "Mindset has developed a range of promising in vitro data from all three of its patent-pending families of next generation psilocybin-inspired drug candidate compounds, including, most recently from its third family. After extensive in vitro receptor screening and pharmacokinetic characterization, Mindset has selected a subset of representative drug candidate compounds from its third patent family for PoC studies in animals with the goal of confirming efficacy, safety, and to validate the longer half-lives reported in testing. Coupled with shorter acting compounds from its second patent family, Mindset's diverse spectrum of differentiated compounds may be appropriate for a range of potential central nervous system clinical use cases, including both micro-dosing and macro-dosing regimens.

"Mindset will continue to advance its diverse portfolio of novel proprietary psilocybin-inspired drug candidate compounds through its rigorous pre-clinical development process, and we anticipate sharing a comprehensive overview of results from in vivo studies on Mindset patent families 1 and 2 shortly."

Management of Mindset wishes to caution readers that any statements regarding its novel psychedelic drug candidate compounds are based on preliminary testing data and the clinical success of such compounds is speculative in nature. For more complete and specific information regarding the Company, its prospects and the risks associated with those prospects, readers should consult the Company's website and other reliable sources.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

James Lanthier

CEO

jlanthier@mindsetpharma.com

Jason Atkinson

VP, Corporate Development

jatkinson@mindsetpharma.com

About Mindset Pharma Inc.

Mindset Pharma Inc. is a drug discovery and development company focused on creating optimized and patentable next-generation psychedelic medicines to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders with unmet needs. Mindset was established to develop next generation pharmaceutical assets that leverage the breakthrough therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs. Mindset is developing several novel families of next generation psychedelic compounds, as well as an innovative process to chemically synthesize psilocybin along with its own proprietary compounds. www.mindsetpharma.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is 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 information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 forward-looking statements. The Company has no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73269
Taking time off. Eva Mendes has been spending less time on social media to be with her family  and she isnt here for haters bashing that decision.

Read article

When an Instagram user asked why the actress, 46, has been sharing less on Instagram on Saturday, January 30, the Florida native replied, Hi. Im actually taking time to really be present with my family so posting is not really a priority right now. Hoping you and yours are well.

When another follower added, Shes had work done and I dont think shes happy with it, the Hitch star clapped back in the comments.

Carlos Tischler/Shutterstock

Read article

Mmmm. Im not sure why Im answering you but here I go, Mendes wrote. Im posting less because I really want to be present for my family. My little ones need me and posting takes up too much time. As far as getting work done, Ill do that whenever I please. But no, thats not the reason. The reason is I personally cannot juggle family and social media. So  big shocker  I choose family. Lotsa love to you out there.

The fashion designer went on to thank another Instagram user for understanding her decision to put her and Ryan Goslings daughters, Esmeralda, 6, and Amada, 4, first.

Mendes explained, Some people can juggle both and thats great, but I cant. Anyway speaking of not be[ing] able to juggle both, need to go be with them now. Theyre in the other room and being too quiet. Thats never good. Ha!

The Girl in Progress star first revealed her decision to take a step back from social media earlier this month. I havent posted lately because my little one told me I was on the phone too much, Mendes tweeted at the time. I could tell she was taking it personally. And shes a kid, of course shed take it personally. They take things personally unless we go out of our way to make it clear to them its not personal. So we had good talk, I apologized and I promised her Id be mindful. I realized that just because Im always home with them doesnt mean Im always present.

Read article

Mendes encouraged other parents to let your kids call you out, noting, Its not disrespect. Kids can be so fiercely aligned with their value that they will take nothing less than the respect they deserve. They will take no BS. Not even from you. Congratulations, you are raising an empowered child.
Over 24 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in China till Sunday, authorities said.

As the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine intensified around the world, China said that it has increased the number of vaccines undergoing clinical trials to 16 from 11 to step up supplies at home and abroad. China is conducting clinical trials of 16 COVID-19 vaccines, seven of which have entered phase-III trials and one has conditionally hit the market, Wu Yuanbin, an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology, was quoted as saying by the state-run CGTN TV.

Wu made the comments during a haematology conference on Saturday.

Yang Sheng, Deputy Director of China's National Medical Products Administration's drug registration bureau, said last month that a total of 11 Chinese vaccine candidates are in different stages of testing at home and abroad.

Currently, China is vaccinating people at home and some countries abroad with two vaccines. The Chinese government has given conditional approval to Sinopharm while the results of the phase-3 trial is yet to be released.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is reviewing the trials of both the vaccines.

China has said that so far 46 countries have expressed their desire to import the China-made vaccines.

Respiratory-disease expert Zhong Nanshan said on Sunday that the mass inoculation of homegrown COVID-19 vaccines underway in China shows the vaccines are safe and effective.

The two vaccines currently in use in China  the China National Biotec Group (CNBG) COVID-19 vaccine and the CoronaVac vaccine developed by China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd  are both inactivated vaccines that are relatively safe, Zhong said at the launch ceremony of an event in south China's Guangdong province.

According to the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), more than 24 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in China till Sunday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

"The rate of the vaccines' mild adverse reactions, which include fever, soar arms and other symptoms, is six per 100,000 people," Zhong said.

The rate of severe adverse vaccine reactions is one in a million, only one third of that of flu vaccines, he said.
Weve come to see the hatred that comes out of times of crisis, Bolotin said. We saw it with the scapegoating of a virus. We saw it with some of the reactions to stay-at-home orders. We saw it with people wearing sweatshirts with images saying 6 million werent enough.
(CNN)  Tesla posted its first full year of net income in 2020 -- but not because of sales to its customers.

Eleven states require automakers sell a certain percentage of zero-emissions vehicles by 2025. If they can't, the automakers have to buy regulatory credits from another automaker that meets those requirements -- such as Tesla, which exclusively sells electric cars.

It's a lucrative business for Tesla -- bringing in $3.3 billion over the course of the last five years, nearly half of that in 2020 alone. The $1.6 billion in regulatory credits it received last year far outweighed Tesla's net income of $721 million -- meaning Tesla would have otherwise posted a net loss in 2020.

"These guys are losing money selling cars. They're making money selling credits. And the credits are going away," said Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research and one of the biggest bears on Tesla shares.

Tesla top executives concede the company can't count on that source of cash continuing.

"This is always an area that's extremely difficult for us to forecast," said Tesla's Chief Financial Officer Zachary Kirkhorn. "In the long term, regulatory credit sales will not be a material part of the business, and we don't plan the business around that. It's possible that for a handful of additional quarters, it remains strong. It's also possible that it's not."

The 11 states which will require a certain percentage of cars to be zero emission vehicles, or the automakers to purchase credits from a company like Tesla which has exceeded the target, are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Tesla also reports other measures of profitability, as do many other companies. And by those measures, the profits are great enough that they do not depend on the sales of credits to be in the black.

The company reported 2020 adjusted net income, excluding items such as $1.7 billion stock-based compensation, of $2.5 billion. Its automotive gross profit, which compares total revenue from its car business to expenses directly associated with the building the cars, was $5.4 billion, even excluding the regulatory credits sales revenue. And its free cash flow of $2.8 billion was up 158% from a year earlier, a dramatic turnaround from 2018 when Tesla was burning through cash and in danger of running out of money.

Its supporters say those measures show Tesla is making money at last after years of losses in most of those measures. That profitability is one of the reasons the stock performed so well for more than a year.

But the debate between skeptics and devotees of the company whether Tesla is truly profitable has become a "Holy War," according to Gene Munster, managing partner of Loup Ventures and a leading tech analyst.

"They're debating two different things. They'll never come to a resolution," he said. Munster believes critics focus too much on how the credits still exceed net income. He contends that automotive gross profit margin, excluding those sales of regulatory credits, is the best barometer for the company's financial success.

"It's a leading indicator," of that measure of Tesla's profit, he said. "There's no chance that GM and VW are making money on that basis on their EVs."

The future of Tesla

Tesla's lofty stock performance -- up 743% in 2020 -- makes it one of the most valuable US companies in the world. Yet the 500,000 cars it sold in 2020 were a sliver of more than 70 million vehicles estimated to have been sold worldwide.

Tesla shares are now worth roughly as much as those of the combined 12 largest automakers who sell more than 90% of autos globally.

What Tesla has that other automakers don't is rapid growth -- last week it forecast annual sales growth of 50% in coming years, and it expects to do even better than that in 2021 as other automakers struggle to get back to pre-pandemic sales levels.

The entire industry is moving toward an all-electric future, both to meet tougher environmental regulations globally and to satisfy the growing appetite for EVs, partly because they require less labor, fewer parts and cost less to build than traditional gasoline-powered cars.

"Something most people can agree on is that EVs are the future," said Munster. "I think that's a safe assumption."

While Tesla is the leading maker of electric cars, it faces increased competition as virtually every automaker rolls out their own EVs, or plan to do so. Volkswagen has passed Tesla in terms of EV sales in most of Europe. GM said last week it hopes to shift completely to emissions-free cars by 2035.

"The competition is rendering Tesla's cars irrelevant," said GLJ' Resarch's Johnson. "We do not see this as a sustainable business model."

Other analysts contend Tesla's share price is justified given how it can benefit from the shift to electric vehicles.

"They're not going to stay at 80-90% share of the EV market, but they can keep growing even with much lower market share," said Daniel Ives, a technology analyst with Wedbush Securities. "We're looking at north of 3 million to 4 million vehicles annually as we go into 2025-26, with 40% of that growth coming from China. We believe now they are on the trajectory that even without [the EV] credits they'll still be profitable."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Tesla's dirty little secret: Its net profit doesn't come from selling cars."
New Delhi, Feb 1 : The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Monday said Chief Justice S.A. Bobde has told the bar leaders that a hybrid system of hearing, which includes physical appearance, may begin soon amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

In a press statement, BCI Chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said: "The Chief Justice of India made it clear that the judges of Supreme Court themselves are willing to restart the open court hearings but there are medical and technical issues which the registry of Supreme Court of India is trying to sort out and solve. Therefore, it will be done gradually." The statement said after deliberations, it was also decided that there shall be hybrid system of hearing till the pandemic period is over.

Many lawyers have been seeking resumption of physical against the backdrop of declining Covid-19 cases.

A meeting was held on Monday which included the Chief Justice, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, various bar leaders including BCI Chairman, office bearers of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association, and former SCBA President and senior advocate Vikas Singh.

"The Secretary General (of the apex court) was asked by Justice Bobde to get the technical problems solved at the earliest so that courts could resume its functioning physically from the first week of March 2021," the statement added.

Since the beginning of the lockdown last year, the top court has been hearing cases virtually.

Singh had written twice to the Chief Justice seeking resumption of physical hearings. He has also proposed that video-conferencing (during the hybrid hearings) could only be done by the lawyers who are present in Delhi and that should be done only through cable connections either in the lawyers' chambers or the cubicles (on premises of Supreme Court).

The BCI has sought for an effective and expeditious method for mentioning and listing of urgent matters, on which the CJI "gave a positive assurance".

"Most probably one or two judges will sit on all the working days for 'mentioning matters' only. A decision to this effect shall be taken soon by the Chief Justice of India in consultation with the other judges," added the statement.

During the day, Singh led a group of lawyers who assembled in the apex court premises to protest against the continuation of virtual hearings and asked the top court to begin physical hearings.
When he became commander in chief, President Joe Biden wasted no time replacing the military service secretaries and acting head of the Defense Department. If he wanted, he could also name a replacement for Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Mark Milley, who came under scrutiny under President Donald Trump for participating in a politically loaded photo op.

But Milley's likely to keep his spot -- and experts say it would be bad for the nation if he doesn't.

It's unlikely there will be a shake-up to the Joint Chiefs, The Associated Press reported last month, though an unnamed Pentagon official told the Responsible Statecraft, a publication of the Quincy Institute think tank, that Milley could be asked to retire early so that newly minted Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, the first black service chief, could step into the role.

Read Next: These Marines Devoted Their Lives to the Corps. Then They Were Singled Out for Having Children

Any sort of change to the Joint Chiefs -- no matter the reason -- "is a terrible idea," said Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute and former national security official in the George W. Bush administration.

"Having violated one of the central norms of civil-military relations by appointing a recently retired general officer as the secretary of defense, this would violate a second civil-military norm," Schake said, referring to Lloyd Austin, a retired Army four-star general who was confirmed last month to be the nation's first Black defense secretary. But first he needed a congressional waiver to allow him to serve in the role because of a rule stipulating that nominees must have been out of the military for at least seven years.

High-ranking officers have been shown the door before, including Gen. Douglas MacArthur, removed as head of the United Nations Command during the Korean War; Adm. George Whelan Anderson Jr., who was forced to take early retirement after serving as chief of naval operations during the Cuban Missile Crisis; and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who served as commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010 but was dismissed after making unflattering remarks against then-Vice President Biden in Rolling Stone magazine.

But removing a sitting chairman would be highly unusual, said Richard Kohn, a professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill specializing in American military history, national security, and military policy and strategy.

"The only comparable thing would be Gen. Peter Pace in 2007 when he was not renewed for a second  term," Kohn said. Then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended that Pace, the first Marine Corps general appointed to the chairman position, not serve a follow-on term, citing a lack of Senate support.

At the time, Pace's critics said he was too compliant and ineffective on military matters involving the Iraq war, according to an NPR report. But his supporters blamed former SecDef Donald Rumsfeld for neglecting to fashion a new counterinsurgency strategy, which put Pace on an irrecoverable path, NPR said.

Milley has admitted that accompanying then-President Trump through Lafayette Square park to St. John's Church on June 1, 2020, was a mistake.

The event, which came after authorities used pepper spray and flashbangs to clear the park and streets of largely peaceful protesters, prompted him to issue an apology days later, saying, "I should not have been there."

Before taking office, Biden criticized Trump's politicization of the military.

"[Trump] deployed the U.S. military, tear-gassing peaceful protesters in pursuit of a photo opportunity in the service of his reelection," Biden said, during a press conference following the Capitol siege, comparing the summer protests and the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

"[It was the] action that led to an apology from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and an outspoken denunciation of the use of military for domestic political purposes from scores of former military leaders and secretaries of defense."

Both Schake and Kohn blamed Milley's faux pas on Trump.

"Milley made an enormous mistake by letting himself be played into the Lafayette Square business last summer," Schake said.

Kohn said, "He navigated two years of Trump effectively. ... But it would be radical, and it would be extraordinary if they eased him out."

One option would be for Biden to ask Milley to retire and name him as an ambassador to a strategic ally, he said.

It's likely, Schake argued, that Milley's apology actually reinforced to uniformed members the U.S. military's subordination to elected civilian leadership.

"I actually think leaving him in place is a reminder that fixing mistakes once you make them is actually a really good thing to do, and it strengthens the norms to repair them," she said.

With Austin at the helm, the department is already working on ambitious plans, including a climate change strategy, preventing sexual assault and harassment in the ranks and more.

A leadership shake-up would be a distraction, Schake said, and a removal would be "a hit at Congress' authority, which set those rules [on the chairman tenure]."

"Having a big public conversation about why or why Milley doesn't deserve it, I think it's probably something the administration [is] smart enough to avoid," Schake added. "Treating the military leadership as if they are untrustworthy, unless they're 'your guy,' is another infraction of civil-military relations, and it will create a military that becomes that. That's bad for the Republic."

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214.

Related: Did Michele Flournoy Face 'Double Standard' over Defense Industry Ties?
Senior Iranian officials paid tribute on Monday to the late founder of the Islamic Revolution on the day that marks his historic arrival from France in 1979.

On Febuary 1, 1979, Iran's exiled Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini descended from a chartered Air France Boeing 747 to return to Tehran.

It was a moment that would change the country's history for decades to come.

President Hassan Rouhani and other officials visited Khomeini's mausoleum in the southern outskirts of Tehran.

Rouhani also visited the graves of senior Khomeini allies who played a role in the revolution.

Iran's Islamic Revolution began with widespread unrest over the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The shah, fatally and secretly ill with cancer, fled Iran in January 1979.

After Khomeini's return from exile, the government fell on February 11, 1979, after days of mass demonstrations and confrontations between protesters and security forces.

(Image credit:AP)

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
BKU leader Rakesh Tikait said that the farmers had demanded an increase in the price of crops, but the Centre increased agriculture credit instead

New Delhi: Farmers protesting at various sites on the border of Delhi on Monday unequivocally said they are only concerned about their common goal of having the three farm laws repealed, and what has been offered to the agriculture sector in the Union Budget did not matter.

At Singhu Border, most farmers were rather clueless about the Budget, saying they were "unable to access the internet" at the protest site, so couldn't get to know the details.

"Our demand was to increase the price of crops, not agriculture credit. This is a conspiracy to take away your land. Within 10 to 15 years, the corporate will take your land. The fight is for rate of crops, not for credit. They didn't talk about MSP. There is nothing for farmers," farmer leader Rakesh Tikait told PTI.

"The administration has put barbed wires on three roads. They are stopping movement of vehicles towards Delhi, not us. We have been waiting to talk to the prime minister for the past seven years. PM Modi, give us your mobile number. We are ready to talk," he added.

Randhir Singh, 48, from Kaithal district of Haryana, who has been camping there since December, said, "Our only goal right now is to see the three laws repealed. Union budget is not of immediate concern to us".

Pala Ram, also from the same village as Singh, echoed similar views.

"Some people told me about the points made for the agriculture sector, but that is something, we are not worried about at the moment," he said.

Avtar Singh, 65, from Punjab's Patiala, said, the government should have offered ways to increase farmers' income and not just credit target.

Ranjeet Raju, state president, Gramin Kisan Majdoor Samiti, Sri Ganga Nagar said, "If the government wants to help, they should take steps to increase farmers' income, not by increasing agriculture credit target. This is like pushing farmers into the debt trap, which eventually leads to more farmer suicides. And micro-irrigation corpus, which I am told is doubled in this Budget, is something that goes to industries in the name of farmers".

"Farmers didn't expect much from the present Budget. But were curious to know the funds marked for the agriculture sector. However, with no internet facility here we were bereft of those details too this time," said Jehangir, 31, a farmer hailing from Bihar.
Oxford professor arrested for selling stolen Bible fragments to Museum of the Bible

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

An academic from the U.K.s Oxford University has been arrested as part of an investigation into the theft and unauthorized sale of ancient Bible fragments to Hobby Lobby Stores in the U.S. The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., displayed the fragments temporarily.

The accused, identified as Dr. Dirk Obbink, a 63-year-old professor of papyrology at Oxford who allegedly stole the fragments belonging to the Oxyrhynchus collection in the Sackler Library, was arrested Thursday by Thames Valley Police, according to The Telegraph.

The Oxyrhynchus Papyri is a group of manuscripts that were discovered during the late 19th and early 20th centuries at a spot where ancient inhabitants of the city of Oxyrhynchus dumped their garbage of over 1,000 years.

Obbink has been released under investigation, a police spokesman was quoted as saying.

The Egypt Exploration Society, a British nonprofit excavation organization that works in Egypt and Sudan which owns the collection, issued a statement last October accusing Obbink of selling fragments of the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, after which the university suspended the professor.

The EES said 11 of the 13 missing fragments were sold without authorization to Hobby Lobby Stores, a U.S. arts and crafts chain, and they ended up in a collection belonging to the Museum of the Bible, which was founded by the evangelical Green family. The family also owns Hobby Lobby.

The MOTB has informed the EES that 11 of these pieces came into its care after being sold to Hobby Lobby Stores by Professor Obbink, most of them in two batches in 2010, the EES said.

Dr. Carl Graves, the EES director, confirmed the Museum of the Bible had since returned 13 missing fragments.

The Board of Trustees of the MOTB has accepted the EES claim to ownership of the thirteen pieces identified to date, and is arranging to return them to the EES. The EES is grateful to the MOTB for its co-operation, and has agreed that the research on these texts by scholars under the auspices of the MOTB will receive appropriate recognition when the texts are published in the Oxyrhynchus Papyri series, EES said in its statement.

Obbink had denied the accusations. The allegations made against me that I have stolen, removed or sold items owned by the Egypt Exploration Society collection at the University of Oxford are entirely false, he earlier told The Guardian. I would never betray the trust of my colleagues and the values which I have sought to protect and uphold throughout my academic career in the way that has been alleged. I am aware that there are documents being used against me which I believe have been fabricated in a malicious attempt to harm my reputation and career.

The Oxyrhynchus collection includes more than 500,000 fragments of literary and documentary texts  written in Greek, ancient Egyptian, Coptic, Latin, Arabic, Hebrew and other languages  dating from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century.

The stolen fragments included extracts from Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Romans and I Corinthians, according to The Times.

These are early fragments of the gospels or biblical fragments, Graves told The Guardian. They are testament to Egypts early Christian heritage and are early evidence of biblical scripture. We dont value them monetarily but they are priceless and irreplaceable.

In 2018, experts announced that a fragment from the New Testament Gospel of Mark found in the Oxyrhynchus garbage dump likely dates back to either the late second or early third centuries, and not the first century as was speculated by some scholars.


A pair of four-year-olds earned a shout out from former First Lady Michelle Obama after recreating her and Barack's looks from Inauguration Day in a series of adorable Instagram photos.

This week, Ryleigh Madison Hampton and her friend Zayden Lowe from Florence, South Carolina dressed up and posed for pictures as Barack Obama and Michelle, just as they looked as President Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20.

The sweet photoshoot has gone viral, even earning recognition from Mrs. Obama herself.

Lookalikes! Ryleigh Madison and her friend Zayden dressed up and posed for pictures as former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama

Copycats: They wore outfits very similar to ones worn by the couple at President Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20

Ryleigh's grandmother Sheila came up with the idea after watching the inauguration in January.

'She literally gasped after seeing it and thought it would be a great idea for a photo shoot,' Ryleigh's mom, Zoe Hampton, told DailyMail.com.

With just a bit of Amazon shopping, she managed to put the whole thing together, dressing Ryleigh in red pants with a bold gold belt, a reddish-pink shirt, and a matching coat.

Zayden, meanwhile, wore a dapper blue coat, a black face mask, and an American flag pin.

Zoe said that while she doesn't thing the four-year-olds understand the significance of the Obamas' role, they do 'see two people who look like them dressed nicely, and that's why representation matters so much for our children.'

After they posed for pictures for Ryleigh's aunt Joi Hampton  who, at 14, used her iPhone to snap the photos  the images were posted on Ryleigh's Instagram account on Saturday and have racked up over 11,000 likes on Ryleigh's page.

For the shoot, Zayden donned a dapper blue coat, a black face mask, and an American flag pin, while Ryleigh wore red pants with a bold gold belt, a reddish-pink shirt, and a matching coat

So sweet! The twosome appeared to have fun during the photoshoot

Viral: The images were posted on Ryleigh's Instagram account on Saturday and have racked up over 11,000 likes on Ryleigh's page

By Sunday, the post has caught the attention of O, The Oprah magazine, which shared the images on its own account.

'Little @barackobama and @michelleobama is exactly what we needed today,' they wrote.

'Little Michelle is in CHARACTER,' commented the magazine's assistant editor, Joseph Zambrano.

'OMG!!! Fierce!!! Best thing on the internet today!' wrote another admirer in the comments section.

Even Queer Eye star Bobby Berk chimed in with a string of heart emojis on the popular post.

She saw it! It wasn't long before Michelle Obama herself took notice and shared the snaps on her own Instagram and Twitter accounts

Twinning take two! Just weeks before, Ryleigh also took a turn dressing up as Vice President Kamala Harris

Inspiration: She wore a white suit identical to one she wore at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware after Biden won the presidency

What a look! Ryleigh looked adorable in her suit, pearls, and flag pin

It wasn't long before Michelle herself took notice and shared the snaps on her own Instagram and Twitter accounts.

'Ryleigh & Zayden, you nailed it!' she wrote  earning another 1.9 million likes for the kids.

Zoe said they never imagined the images would earn this kind of response.

'It has been OVERWHELMING,' she said. 'We are responding to as many as we possibly can. Obviously no one is ready for this type of attention

Just weeks before, Ryleigh also took a turn dressing up as Vice President Kamala Harris in a white suit identical to one she wore at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware after Biden won the presidency.

This isn't the first time a little girl has gone viral for dressing up as Mrs. Obama. In 2018, three-year-old Parker Curry embodied the former first lady for Halloween.

Adorable: In 2019, then-three-year-old Parker Curry dressed as the former first lady for Halloween

Matching: When Parker's mom, Jessica, asked what the tot wanted to be, the adorable three-year-old said she wanted to go as Michelle in her National Gallery portrait

In awe: Parker first went viral in March 2018 after someone snapped a picture of her mouth agape while starring up at Michelle's portrait

Parker had been launched into the spotlight months earlier while visiting the National Portrait Gallery in her hometown of Washington, D.C. to visit Michelle's then-brand-new portrait.

Parker, two years old at the time, was captured staring at the portrait in open-mouthed awe by Ben Hines, a fellow tourist.

The image quickly went viral.

Then, for Halloween, Parker's mother Jessica dressed her up as Obama as she looks in the portrait.

Jessica told BuzzFeed News that she asked Parker what she would like to be for Halloween, and her answer was almost immediate.

'Flat out. No hesitation. Half of a second later: 'I want to be Michelle Obama,' and I was like, whoa,' Jessica said. 'I thought she was going to be like, 'I want to be Elsa' or some other character like that.'

Cutie: Jessica revealed that her daughter twirled and danced around in the Michelle Obama lookalike dress

Impressed: Parker shared the costume online and was commended for the look by the former first lady herself

The mom enlisted Alisha Welsh, who runs Magnolia Lake Children's Clothing, to help recreate the dress.

To make the moment even cuter, Parker's younger sister Ava dressed as her police escort for the Halloween event  and Jessica confirmed that the costume was well-loved by Parker.

'She twirled in it. She danced in it,' Jessica said. 'Running up to the houses she would pick up the front of the gown so she wouldn't get it dirty. It was so cute.'

After Parker shared her costume online, the former first lady herself commended the costume.

Michelle tweeted: 'You nailed the look, Parker! I love it!!!!'

A medical worker in Hanoi collecting samples from students at the Xuan Phuong primary school, Nam Tu Liem District, on January 31, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Tat Dinh.

The Ministry of Health confirmed 30 new Covid-19 community transmissions and one imported case on Monday evening.

The domestic cases, patients 1820-1849, are in Hanoi (four cases); the northern provinces of Hai Duong (17), Quang Ninh (five) and Bac Giang (one); the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai (two); and southern Binh Duong Province (1).

The new Covid-19 cases in Hanoi were detected in Me Linh, Nam Tu Liem and Dong Anh districts.

All five patients recorded in Quang Ninh were F1 cases, with two linked to "patient 1553", a 31-year-old employee at Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh Province. The other F1 patients were related to Chi Linh Town of northern Hai Duong Province, the country's biggest Covid-19 hotspot.

Binh Duong has recorded the second patient, "Patient 1843", a 19-year-old female. She came in close contact with "patient 1644".

Of the 17 new patients in Hai Duong, those tagged from 1827-1842 are workers at Vietnam Poyun Electronics Co. Ltd. in Chi Linh and the remaining one was related to the outbreak in its Ninh Giang District.

Patients 1845 and 1846, one 31-year-old male and one 38-year-old female, in Gia Lai were related to the outbreak of Chi Linh.

Ho Chi Minh City recorded one imported case, "patient 1850", a 24-year-old foreign expert from South Africa.

Earlier on Monday, the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City announced that "patient 1660" in Hai Duong contracted the U.K. Covid-19 variant, which is considered 70 percent more contagious than previous strains, which possibly caused the huge surge in cases in the northern province.

Vietnam has recorded a total of 270 community transmissions in 10 provinces since its latest outbreak began last Thursday. Hai Duong topped the list with 205 cases, followed by Quang Ninh (30), Hanoi (19), Gia Lai (6), Bac Ninh (3), Hoa Binh (2), Binh Duong (2) and HCMC and Hai Phong have one each.

Authorities of 26 localities nationwide have allowed students to begin their Tet break early or switch to online classes starting Tuesday.

Hanoi authorities on Monday afternoon decided to shut down game and internet service outlets in the city as measures to contain the spreading novel coronavirus from February 2. Previously, on Sunday they announced all bars, karaoke parlors, and discotheques must close and residents have to avoid 'non-essential' gatherings from February 1.

Vietnam has recorded 1,850 cases, with 393 currently active. A total of more 26,000 people are being quarantined at hospitals, centralized facilities and at home.

AstraZeneca PLC on Monday signed a deal to supply Vietnam 30 million doses in the first half of this year for domestic inoculation. No further details on the price per dose and when the first batch of vaccine will be delivered. The Health Ministry has stepped up negotiations with Pfizer, Moderna and other vaccine manufacturers.
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Walt Disney's grandson, Bradford D. Lund, has filed court papers in the Los Angeles County Superior Court asking to block his four trustees  L. Andrew Gifford, Robert L. Wilson, Douglas M. Strode, and the First Republic Trust Company ("FRTC")  from selling a Wyoming family ranch to any third party, according to their legal advisor, Lanny J. Davis.

Mr. Lund objects to any such sale, stating that it would be in violation of the family's long history over 40 years of wanting to keep the 110-acre ranch for the children's use and enjoyment during their lifetimes. According to legal filings, the four trustees themselves agreed that the ranch had special personal value to the Lund family  i.e., was of a "particular nature" with a "connection to the Lund family." The ranch, called "Eagle South Fork," is located in Teton County, near the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks region of Northwest Wyoming.

In their latest attempt to sell the Ranch, in a January 22nd letter, the Trustees gave Mr. Lund notice of only five business-days to "personally" pay $35 million from his own money for the Ranch, or else, they would sell it to an unidentified buyer over his objections. Mr. Lund is attempting to block any sale through the California courts.

One-half of the Ranch is already owned by Mr. Lund's Trust and the other half is owned by the Trust of Michelle Lund, Mr. Lund's twin sister. According to Mr. Lund's court papers, the Trustees had previously offered to permit Mr. Lund's Trust to purchase the other 50 percent of the Ranch from the Trust of Michelle Lund for just $9.76M (the residential, non-commercial-subdivided, value) relating to a prior signed settlement agreement that was never approved by the court.

Mr. Lund asserted in his court papers that the new proposed sale would be a violation of that prior offer and the 40-year intent of Mr. Lund's family to keep the Ranch in the Trust for the children's lifetime use and enjoyment. "Our family has always treasured the pristine environment  the rivers and streams and forests and wildlife  of our ranch over many years. We do not want it to be changed."

See the Lund petition for instructions and responses to competing petitions on file in the Superior Court of California here.

In his filings, Mr. Lund asserted: "An undeniable benefit will be to the Trustees based upon their Real Estate Fee. The Trustees will receive 2% of the purchase price." According to the terms of his and his twin sister's trusts, as explained in the legal filings, neither Mr. Lund nor his sister would personally receive an economic benefit if the ranch were sold at the higher price based on commercial subdivisions of the ranch.

Contact: Alex Lange

[email protected]

(202) 480-4309

SOURCE Lanny Davis
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 saver turned a lockdown Premium Bond investment into a 1,900 per cent return in just eight months as billions of pounds continues to pour in even after they were cut late last year.

The man from London won one of two February 1million jackpots after buying the winning Bond last June, just as the coronavirus lockdown was beginning to be eased.

The purchase formed part of a 50,000 total holding, while the other winner, from North Yorkshire, also held the maximum 50,000 allowance, but had purchased the winning number in the same month in 2017.

Celebration time: One lockdown saver turned 50,000 in Premium Bonds into 1m in just 8 months

Turning 50,000 into 1million, which three out of the last four jackpot winners have done, represents a 1,900 per cent return for the lucky lockdown saver.

It massively outpaces the 4.56 per cent rise in the FTSE 100 over the same period, but it is not quite as impressive as the return on GameStop shares has been.

The share price of the American retailer, which has soared on the back of a buying spree from casual day traders in a saga which has gripped Wall Street watchers, has soared from $4.13 last June to $325 last Friday, a 7,769 per cent increase. Investing 50,000 into those shares would have turned it into nearly 3.9million.

But the chances of striking it lucky in the tax-free draw is likely why billions has continued to pour into Premium Bonds even after they were cut along with the rest of National Savings & Investments' products last year.

The cuts meant the average 'prize fund rate' on Bonds fell from 1.4 per cent to 1 per cent in December, with the amount of money paid out to prize winners falling by 31million compared to November and the number of prizes by 1.1million.

There were fewer prizes of all types except for the 1million jackpot.

However. falling savings rates elsewhere has meant savers are still plumping for the tax-free Bonds in the hope of winning a prize.

There were 1.34billion more 1 Bonds in the February draw than there were in January, which itself had seen 1.833billion more Bonds than the previous month.

Because Premium Bonds become eligible for the draw the after they have been held for a full month, it suggests savers invested 1.34billion into Premium Bonds in the last month of 2020.

Premium Bonds Winners Prize Area Value of bond 1,000,000 Surrey 10,000 1,000,000 Wiltshire 30,000 100,000 Surrey 50,000 100,000 York 40,000 100,000 Devon 5,000 100,000 Cambridgeshire 500 100,000 Staffordshire 10,000 50,000 Somerset 15,000 More May 2021 winners View list of May 2021 winners

This was despite 2.69billion being withdrawn from NS&I in total, according to the latest figures from the Bank of England.

Nearly 9.5billion was withdrawn from the Treasury-backed bank, which also came under fire for a customer service meltdown, in the last three months of last year after cuts to its savings rates were announced in September.

The cuts were designed to force out savers as NS&I's position at the top of the best buy tables last year meant it had overshot its 35billion fundraising target in just six months after receiving more deposits than the three previous years combined.

After the billions in withdrawals NS&I had raised 28.8billion of its target by the end of last year, meaning it requires around 6.2billion more between January and March to hit the target.

Premium Bond payouts rise as billions continues to be poured in Month Number of Bonds in the draw Number of prizes paid out Value of prizes paid out November 2020

(Last draw pre-cuts) 97,467,982,557 3,978,286 113.7m December 2020

(First draw post-cuts) 98,952,302,605 2,868,182 82.46m February 2021 102,126,660,758 2,960,195 85.1m Source: NS&I

The continued interest in Premium Bonds at a time when savings rates elsewhere are at all-time lows is why some experts have told This is Money Britain's best-loved savings product could see more cuts this year.

The more than 3.1billion more held in Bonds by the February draw meant the amount of money paid out in total to prize winners this month rose to 85.1million, up from 82.5million.

However, this is still far lower than the 113.7million paid out in November, the last month before the cuts came into effect.

Savers can see if they have won by checking This is Money's tables, NS&I's website or app, or by asking their Amazon Alexa if they have one.

Those who receive their prizes by post will also continue to receive them this way until the spring after NS&I delayed plans to axe Premium Bond payments through the post.
Myanmar's powerful military has taken control of the country in a coup and declared a state of emergency, following the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior government leaders in early morning raids Monday.

The country woke up to widespread communications blackouts, closed banks, and soldiers in army fatigues patrolling the streets of Myanmar's largest city, Yangon. Residents turning on their television sets could only access the military-owned Myawaddy TV channel, with all other news channels seemingly blocked.

As news filtered through that the country's democratically-elected leaders had been detained in the capital -- hours before the first session of the new parliament was set to open -- a news anchor announced on the military-owned channel that power had been handed over to army chief Min Aung Hlaing.

In the address, the military confirmed it had detained the country's de facto civilian leader Suu Kyi, along with other high ranking National League for Democracy (NLD) leaders, in response to alleged voting irregularities in November's election.

The coup followed weeks of worsening political tensions in the country over the disputed election and rumors that the military could take over had been swirling for days.

The election was only the second democratic vote since the country emerged from 50 years of isolationist military rule in 2011. Suu Kyi's party, the NLD claimed an overwhelming victory, taking 83% of the vote, which granted it another five years in government. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won 33 out of a possible 476 seats, far fewer than the party had expected.

Monday's events have been widely condemned internationally, with the United States calling on Myanmar's military leaders to 'release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people.'

'The United States expresses grave concern and alarm regarding reports that the Burmese military has detained multiple civilian government leaders, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and civil society leaders,' according to a statement from the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. 'The military must reverse these actions immediately.'

Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who is now running the country, has been under US sanctions since December 2019. He was designated for serious human rights abuses related to the atrocities committed against the Rohingya Muslim community.

Prominent Myanmar historian and author Thant Myint-U said on Twitter Monday that, 'The doors just opened to a very different future.'

'I have a sinking feeling that no one will really be able to control what comes next. And remember Myanmar's a country awash in weapons, with deep divisions across ethnic and religious lines, where millions can barely feed themselves.'

What led to the coup

In its announcement, signed by the newly installed acting President and former military general, Myint Swe, the military alleges that voter fraud took place in the November 8, 2020 elections and said they had detained political leaders for 'failing to take actions, not following the request to postpone lower house and upper house parliament sessions.'

Last week, a military spokesperson said it would not rule out a coup if the military's claims of alleged voter fraud into the November 2020 election were not investigated.

Myanmar's election commission on Thursday rejected claims of voter fraud, saying any errors -- such as duplicated names on voter lists -- were not enough to impact the result of the vote.

Nobel laureate Suu Kyi is widely considered a hero of democracy in Myanmar, where she spent 15 years under house arrest as part of a decades-long fight against military rule.

Following her release, Suu Kyi led her party to a landslide victory in Myanmar's 2015 elections, establishing its first civilian government after decades of isolation and military authoritarianism.

But her international reputation has been tarnished in recent years by allegations of genocide against Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya population. Myanmar denies the charges and has long claimed to have been targeting terrorists.

On Monday human rights non-government organization Burma Rights UK said in a post to their Twitter that the news of Suu Kyi's detention was 'devastating.'

'This needs to be met with the strongest international response. The military need to be made to understand that they have made a major miscalculation in thinking they can get away with this,' the group said.

Communications blackout

As military leaders seized power, there were significant internet and phone network disruption across the country, which could affect the ability of people to get information or organize any response via social media.

Netblocks, which monitors internet blackouts around the world, said that real-time network data showed a major drop in connectivity in the early hours of Monday morning. Doug Madory, an analyst at Kentik, a network observability company, added on Twitter that there was a 'large internet outage' unfolding.

'Continuing disconnections have been monitored with national connectivity falling initially to 75% and subsequently 50% of ordinary levels by 8:00 a.m. local time,' according to Netblocks.

Reuters reported that Myanmar state media MRTV was having technical issues and unable to broadcast, the network said. 'Due to current communication difficulties we'd like to respectfully inform you that the regular programs of MRTV and Myanmar Radio cannot be broadcast,' Myanmar Radio and Television said on a post on its Facebook page.

Later in the day, MRTV began broadcasting military propaganda with footage of soldiers waving flags on top of sandbags, helicopters hovering over military personnel and paramedics carrying a stretcher.

Netblocks reported that 'technical data show cuts affecting multiple network operators including state-owned Myanma Posts and Telecommunications (MPT) and international operator Telenor, with preliminary findings indicating a centrally ordered mechanism of disruption targeting cellular and some fixed-line services, progressing over time.'

Banks in Myanmar are also temporarily shut due to widespread internet disruptions, according to a Myanmar Bank Association statement. The Chair and Central Working Committee of the Myanmar Banks Association held an emergency meeting Monday morning and decided that banks should cease operations until the internet connection improves.

International reaction

The military action has prompted concern and condemnation from the international community.

US President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation in Myanmar by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, according to a statement from White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

'The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed,' the statement said. 'We are monitoring the situation closely.'

Australia on Monday called for the immediate release of Suu Kyi and other senior leaders who are being detained by the military.

In a statement from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Marise Payne the Minister of Foreign Affairs said, 'The Australian Government is deeply concerned at reports the Myanmar military is once again seeking to seize control of Myanmar.'

'We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms, and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully,' the statement said.

Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed concern over the situation in Myanmar, saying in a statement that it 'underscores that all electoral differences be addressed in accordance with available legal mechanism' and urged 'all parties in Myanmar to exercise self-restraint and put forth dialogue in finding solutions to challenges so as not to exacerbate the condition.'

Why now?

The sudden coup has surprised many observers, who point out that the military already wields significant power.

In 2008, the ruling junta drafted a constitution that allocated 25% of legislative seats to the military as well as control of key ministries such as defense and home affairs, and a veto power on constitutional issues.

UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Myanmar, Tom Andrews, told CNN that the coup is a 'real mystery.'

'They wrote the constitution that they just overthrow. It gives them enormous power, economic power, political power,' he said. 'So how and why they overturn their own constitution is incredible.'

Last week, the military sought to allay concerns it was about to seize power, saying that it would protect and abide by the constitution, according to Reuters.

Andrews said their action is 'extremely damaging' and comes at a time when many in the country are suffering extreme hardships because of the coronaviorus pandemic.

'The people of Myanmar have been through so much. They've lived through decades of brutal military rule. They are going through a pandemic. The economy is in tough shape for so many. It's so incredibly unfair for them to have to go through this right now,' he said.
Calling the military's seizure of power in a direct assault on its transition to democracy, on Monday threatened to slap new sanctions on the country after the junta detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders.

According to media reports, an announcer on Myanmar's military-owned Myawaddy TV declared on Monday morning that the military had taken control of the country for one year.

Myanmar's leader Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid, the spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy (NLD) was quoted as saying in the media.

The military's seizure of power in Burma (Myanmar), the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials, and the declaration of a national state of emergency are a direct assault on the country's transition to democracy and the rule of law, Biden said in a statement.

Biden was briefed by his National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday night.

"In a democracy, force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election. For almost a decade, the people of Burma have been steadily working to establish elections, civilian governance, and the peaceful transfer of power. That progress should be respected," he asserted.

Biden said the community should come together in one voice to press Myanmar's military to immediately relinquish the power they have seized, release the activists and officials they have detained, lift all telecommunications restrictions, and refrain from violence against civilians.

"The United States is taking note of those who stand with the people of Burma in this difficult hour, Biden said.

We will work with our partners throughout the region and the world to support the restoration of democracy and the rule of law, as well as to hold accountable those responsible for overturning Burma's democratic transition, he said.

The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy. The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action, Biden said.

The United States will stand up for democracy wherever it is under attack, Biden asserted.

(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.)
Ultra Orthodox Jews take part in a funeral of a Jewish spiritual leader amid the coronavirus disease restrictions in Jerusalem. Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Israelis flouted the ban on public gatherings to attend the funeral of a prominent rabbi in Jerusalem.

The funeral procession for Rabbi Meshulam Soloveitchik, who died aged 99, wended its way through the streets of Jerusalem in the latest display of ultra-Orthodox Israelis refusal to honour coronavirus restrictions. Police estimated that more than 10,000 people joined the procession and said they had issued dozens of tickets for failing to heed lockdown rules.

The phenomenon has undermined the countrys aggressive vaccination campaign to bring a raging outbreak under control and threatened to hurt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in March elections. One challenger accused Mr Netanyahu of failing to enforce the law due to political pressure from his ultra-Orthodox political allies.

Densely packed throngs of people gathered outside the rabbis home, ignoring restrictions on outdoor gatherings of more than 10 people. Many did not wear masks. Thousands of black-garbed ultra-Orthodox funeral-goers coursed past the citys main entrance toward the cemetery where Mr Soloveitchik was to be buried. A handful of police officers blocked intersections to traffic to allow participants to pass, but appeared to take no action to prevent the illegal assembly.

It is understood Mr Soloveitchik, a leading religious scholar who headed a number of well-known seminaries, had recently suffered from Covid-19.

Israels Health Ministry has recorded more than 640,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and at least 4,745 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Israel has recently been averaging over 6,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus each day, one of the highest infection rates in the developing world. At the same time, Israel has vaccinated over three million of its citizens, also one of the highest rates per capita in the world.

Health experts say it will take several weeks for the vaccination campaign to have an effect on infection and hospitalisation rates. But large public funerals like that for Mr Soloveitchik in Jerusalem, and for a prominent Arab sheikh killed in Jaffa last week, have confounded efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.

A disproportionate number of Israels coronavirus cases are within the countrys ultra-Orthodox minority. The strictly religious community, which makes up around 11pc of Israels 9.2 million people, has been accounting for about 40pc of the new cases.

Many ultra-Orthodox sects have kept schools, seminaries and synagogues open, and held mass weddings and funerals in violation of lockdown restrictions.

Mr Netanyahu has long relied on ultra-Orthodox parties for support, and critics say he has refused to antagonise his allies ahead of critical elections.









Read More





SEARCH

Rosehip Partners Real Estate

Properties In The Hamptons

http://www.rosehippartners.com/

East End Tick Control The East End's only New York State licensed dedicated tick and mosquito control specialists!



Southampton Masonry-Visiting the Southampton or the Wainscott locations is an exciting experience. Southampton Masonry has been serving Long Island's masonry and tile needs since 1975. Delivering quality products from Manhattan to Montauk for over three decades. The company's continued success is due primarily to their number one priority: customer satisfaction, with a promise of prompt and courteous service from the professional, knowledgeable staff. Southampton Masonry has the largest inventory on the east end. As direct importers they can offer a large variety of the finest quality products at the most competitive pricing for both your interior and exterior projects.



Southrifty Drug 54 Jagger Lane, Southampton Village Southrifty Drug is a small, neighborhood pharmacy with limited shelf space, and we have to be very selective about which over-the-counter items we carry. As a result you'll find a no nonsense concentration of very effective, high quality and useful products on our shelves. In this new section, we feature a number of these products that we feel are especially worthy of your consideration.



New York Title Abstract Services, Inc. We are a title insurance services company dedicated to promptly delivering fully compliant and accurate reports, and title insurance, for residential and commercial real estate throughout New York State. Headquartered in the Hamptons, our professional team has extensive real estate experience and understands the business from all sides including title insurance, legal, sales, governmental, banking, and lending regulations.



Aimee Fitzpatrick Martin, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker Considered a West of the Shinnecock Canal expert with a 5-star Zillow ranking, Aimee specializes in the luxury and waterfront markets in Quogue, Westhampton Beach, Remsenburg, East Quogue and Hampton Bays. With exceptional communication skills and a buttoned-up approach to every deal, she is highly skilled in the art of the negotiation process. Understanding the nuances of buying and selling waterfront homes, especially on Dune Road, is a specialty.



Hamilton Hoge As the owners representative our practice encompasses all aspects of a project from pre-purchase property due diligence, program development iterations, advisement on systems, analyze contracts/vendors, critical path analysis, feasibility and schedule. The strength of our approach is in facilitating organized communication. We strongly analyze all representations and warranties for the protection and benefit of our client.


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.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced the extension of tax holidays for startups by one year until March 2022 as part of the Union Budget 2021-22. The minister also announced extending capital gains tax exemption by one year.

#Budget2021 #AatmanirbharBharatKaBudget Highlights



Big boost for startups. Incorporation of one person companies to incentivize innovation in startups. Reducing residency limit for Indian citizen to set up 1 person company from 182 to 120 days



- FM Shri @nsitharaman  Digital India (@_DigitalIndia) February 1, 2021

The government plans to incentivise these OPCs by allowing them "to grow without restriction on paid up capital and turnover, allowing conversion into any other type of company at any time, reducing the residency limit for an Indian citizen to set up an OPC from 182 days to 120 days, and allow also non-resident Indians to incorporate OPCs in India".

"This will be a big boost for startups," Sitharaman said while presenting the Union Budget.

Startup reactions

As expected, the startup community has hailed the decision.

The budget was awaited with a lot of expectations and of that most have been met. Infrastructure & healthcare were the main spotlights of budget 2021 and a large investment has been allocated for the expansion of the road network. Also, just like it was predicted, Startups were given importance in this budget as well. The tax-exempt on the revenue, as well as investments, have been increased by one more year which will be beneficial for the startup growth in the country. On the other hand, the investment in MSMEs and the moratorium on loans of up to 2Cr will also play a crucial role in for the Indian corporates. Privatization of several government-related sectors such as ports will also add to the economic growth and employment generation, Lokendra Ranawat, Founder & CEO, WoodenStreet said in a statement.

Incentivising incorporation of one-person companies (OPCs) will definitely benefit a lot of entrepreneurs. Easing restrictions on Paid-Up capital and easy conversion to Pvt Ltd or other types of company is a cherry on top, said Snehil Khanor, CEO & Co-founder, TrulyMadly.

With the government proposing to provide tax incentives for startups and reducing compliances for one-person companies, we at Octro believe that the governments decision will benefit start-ups and innovators in India. India is amidst a boom in digital technology adoption and the budget will help raise Indias economic footprint in the global scale and help create greater opportunities for companies to invest and develop services in the country," said Saurabh Aggarwal  CEO, Octro Inc.

"Steps like the compliance and tax holiday given to startups, setting up of a fintech hub at GIFT city augur well for Digital India and Make in India initiatives.

FMs proposal to use data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning for the Ministry of Corporate Affairs is an encouraging move for the tech ecosystem. The suggestion to introduce AI-based features in MCA 21 3.0 to address compliance needs of startups are thoughtful steps in creating a conducive business environment for entrepreneurs.

The push for digital payments and the announcement of a fintech hub shows the governments seriousness for digitalisation of banking. We do hope Indian banks will pick on the sentiment and embrace thorough digitalisation of their processes in collaboration with the flourishing fintech ecosystem," Ankit Ratan, Co-founder and CEO of Signzy.

The Tax holiday that was proposed in the budget is a highly positive step for many startups as they continue to be tax exempt for another year. This is also coupled with a capital gains exemption that is aimed at providing ease for facilitating greater funding and investment. Startups can now use these funds for hiring much needed technical expertise(particularly the case for the tech sector), planning expansion, better service delivery, etc. In a post COVID economy, this can be beneficial for many startups that are aiming to rejuvenate and get back on their feet. To add to this, there have been significant incentives provided to one person companies. The budget removes restrictions on paid-up capital and turnover, thus easing the burdens on innovators and entrepreneurs. Within the tech sector there are many startups that have taken shape, and ties in with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, the domestic ecosystem can now save valuable revenue and grow without worries regarding tax burdens, said Kazim Rizvi, Founding Director, The Dialogue.

Many startups in this lockdown started from the ideation stage. In order to do the pivot of their projects,seed fund would be very much beneficiary to them as they would be able to consume that amount for pilating of their ideas and to move to the idea stage to the prototype stage,development stage and hence would be able to start making sales.So this seed fund is very helpful for those startups pan India. Also this would encourage more and more startups to get recognised by the startup government of India. That is the base if a startup is getting registered in the DIP, it is getting these benefits, last year it was 41000, we would be able to see more numbers, crossing more than 60000 this year for sure, said Priyanka Madnani, CEO and Co-founder, Easy to pitch.

The exemption of taxes would definitely benefit the startups, as we all know that it takes a lot of tax to be given to the government when investment happens.So this would give a rebate till March 2022.There are many more plans that NITI Aayog has brought up this financial year which would be using these funds,so those who have stopped their operation could utilise this benefit and come back to action, she added.
Digital.com, a leading independent review website for small business online tools, products, and services, has announced the best SEO (Search Engine Optimization) firms in San Francisco. The top companies were selected based on multiple service lines, size of the firm, industry focus, and customer feedback.

Experts at Digital.com examined companies that offer additional digital marketing services, such as website design, link building, and PPC. The study includes a variety of small to large firms that can cater to businesses in need of customized services or those seeking quick turnarounds. Each service provider was also expected to work with clients across various industries or focus on niche markets like healthcare, education, and finance.

This guide is a valuable tool because it highlights SEO firms that also offer additional services that will enable clients to scale, says Josephine Miller, PR Manager of Digital.com. Businesses can narrow their search for top firms in San Francisco and get honest feedback from customers.

Researchers at Digital.com conducted a 40-hour assessment of over 75 companies across the web. To access the complete list of best SEO firms in San Francisco, please visit https://digital.com/seo-firms/san-francisco/.

14 Best SEO Firms in San Francisco



ABOUT DIGITAL.COM

Digital.com reviews and compares the best products, services, and software for running or growing a small business website or online shop. The platform collects twitter comments and uses sentiment analysis to score companies and their products. Digital.com was founded in 2015 and formerly known as Review Squirrel. To learn more, visit https://digital.com/.
Failed storage tanks pose atmospheric risks during disasters

HOUSTON - (Feb. 1, 2021) - When aboveground storage tanks fail during a storm and their toxic contents spread, the threat to human health can and probably will flow downwind of the immediate area.

Rice University engineers have developed a model to quantify what could happen when a hurricane or other natural disaster causes such damage based on data gathered from the Houston Ship Channel, the largest petrochemical complex in the United States, during and after two hurricanes, Ike in 2008 and Harvey in 2017.

Pollutants like toxic organic chemicals evaporate from spills and can be carried a long way from the site by the wind, depending on the storm's characteristics.

The computational model, according to atmospheric scientist Rob Griffin of Rice's Brown School of Engineering, uses real data from the two storms as a proof of concept. The model is available upon request to help researchers predict the "what if" consequences of future storms that threaten storage tanks or chemical spills in general.

"We first had to understand the surge models, and that takes time after a storm," Griffin said. "This paper combines the hydrology from those storm scenarios with structural fragility models, leading to predicting the atmospheric consequences."

The study appears in the journal Atmospheric Environment.

The model follows the hypothetical fate of toxins like organic solvents including benzene and toluene and their reaction products as they drift with the wind for up to 12 hours after a spill, up to about 5,000 feet. The pollutants pose further damage as they evolve into secondary toxins within the downwind plumes, according to the researchers.

The model predicted downwind oil plumes would cover a broader region than organic solvent plumes that would remain concentrated along the path of the prevailing wind, according to the study. It showed substantial formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosols forming in the solvent plumes, depending on other factors like sunlight and background pollutants.

The researchers noted models could provide the only means to estimate the spread of pollutants that threaten the population downwind of a spill if a storm knocks out air quality monitoring systems in its path.

A 2015 study by Rice civil and environmental engineer Jamie Padgett and alumnus Sabarethinam Kameshwar, now an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Louisiana State University, predicted a percentage of storage tanks would fail if a Category 4 or greater hurricane hit the Houston Ship Channel, either lifting them off their foundations, crushing them or penetrating them with debris.

They estimated a 24-foot storm surge could release 90 million gallons or more of oil and hazardous substances.

That study was a jumping-off point for Griffin, Padgett and Phil Bedient, director of Rice's Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SPPEED) Center, along with Hanadi Rifai, a Rice alumna and environmental engineer at the University of Houston, to model how such a spill would spread pollutants through the atmosphere.

"The earlier study predicted the (surface-bound) plume in the ship channel if this spill were to happen," Griffin said. "It talked about potential exposure to the environment and damage to the channel itself, but as an atmospheric chemist, I thought, that stuff's not going to just sit there. It's going to evaporate."

One model related to conditions during and after Hurricane Ike showed a diesel plume from a single tank spill would expand slowly for the first six hours to cover about 42 square kilometers, but then expand rapidly to cover 500 square kilometers after nine hours. The swirling winds would have kept the plume within Texas, the model shows.

But travel downwind would have been significantly different during Harvey, for which the model showed a narrower and more concentrated plume directed by the wind straight into the Gulf of Mexico.

Models of the fate of evaporated toluene and benzene during Ike showed the plumes tracked with the storm's eastward path, with levels dangerous to human health most likely at the center of the plume within the first minutes of a tank failure. These would pose a risk to workers and communities near the spill, but the chemicals' concentrations would decrease rapidly further downwind.

"I don't think the information about what's in the tanks is public knowledge, so we had to make some assumptions about what would spill if there were a spill," Griffin said. "But it's valuable to think about what would happen to those chemicals once they're in the atmosphere. The same results could be just as applicable to something like the Deepwater Horizon. Once that material reached the surface of the ocean, what happens to it when it evaporates?

"I would love to see some of the owners of these tanks use this to look at their structures," he said. "I can imagine folks like the Environmental Defense Fund or other advocates picking up on the study as well."

Griffin noted the model isn't set up to allow a company to predict the effects of a single tank failure. "It's a more general model of a region with tanks that are likely to fail, based on real situations that happened," he said. "But we can make the chemistry and atmospheric code available. If others want to study a given storm situation and a given leaking tank, some significant legwork would need to go into that."

###

Rice alumni Shiyang Bi and Benjamin Schulze and University of Houston alumnus Amin Kiaghadi are co-lead authors of the study. Rice alumnus Carl Bernier is a co-author. Griffin is senior associate dean of the Brown School of Engineering, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and of chemical and biomolecular engineering. Padgett is the Stanley C. Moore Professor in Engineering. Bedient is the Herman Brown Professor of Engineering. Rifai is the John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Houston.

Rice's Energy and Environment Initiative supported the study.

Jeff Falk

713-348-6775

jfalk@rice.edu

Mike Williams

713-348-6728

mikewilliams@rice.edu

Read the abstract at https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1016/ j. atmosenv. 2021. 118225 .

This news release can be found online at https:/ / news. rice. edu/ 2021/ 02/ 01/ failed-storage-tanks-pose-atmospheric-risks-during-disasters .

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Related materials:

Griffin Research Lab: https:/ / griffin. rice. edu

Padgett Research Group: https:/ / padgett. rice. edu

Bedient Lab: https:/ / www. bedient. rice. edu

Hanadi Rifai: http://www2. egr. uh. edu/ ~rifai/ index. html

SSPEED Center: https:/ / www. sspeed. rice. edu

George R. Brown School of Engineering: https:/ / engineering. rice. edu

Images for download:

https:/ / news-network. rice. edu/ news/ files/ 2021/ 01/ 0201_POLLUTION-1-WEB. jpg

A Rice University model shows the predicted atmospheric concentration distribution in parts per billion of a downwind diesel plume in the hours after Hurricane Ike. Rice engineers modeled the hypothetical threats from toxins released when oil and chemical tankers in the Houston Ship Channel fail during a storm. (Credit: Rice University)

https:/ / news-network. rice. edu/ news/ files/ 2021/ 01/ 0201_POLLUTION-2-WEB. jpg

A Rice University model shows the predicted atmospheric concentration distribution in parts per billion of a downwind diesel plume six hours after Hurricane Harvey. Rice engineers modeled the hypothetical threats from toxins released when oil and chemical tankers in the Houston Ship Channel fail during a storm. (Credit: Rice University)

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,978 undergraduates and 3,192 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 1 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
LONDON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recent webinar held on the 29th January and hosted by the Guardian Nigeria and CS Global Partners, St Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister Timothy Harris spoke about the many ways Nigerians can stand to benefit from investing in the dual-island's Citizenship by Investment Programme. For nearly four decades, St Kitts and Nevis has been welcoming investors and their families to become citizens once contributing to its economy via the Sustainable Growth Fund.

The webinar, titled "Nigerian Citizens: Build a Platinum Legacy and Broaden Your Horizons by Investing in St Kitts and Nevis", looked at the business incentives available under the CBI Programme. This includes increased travel freedom as the St Kitts and Nevis passport provides access to nearly 160 countries enabling Nigerian investors to expand their business globally and access new markets. With the right to live and work in the nation, St Kitts and Nevis' business-friendly environment also facilitates a means for Nigerians to establish a successful business on the islands while taking advantage of the fiscal incentives in one of the Caribbean's strongest economies.

On the business opportunities available to Nigerians, Prime Minister Timothy Harris stated: "Those who invest will be investing in a jurisdiction where their investment is safe. Where they can earn profits and they can repatriate their profits to their country or to any other country. They will be investing in a country that is close to the United States of America and has strong relationships, financial, diplomatic, and other forms of relationships with all the major financial centres in the world. [] It's that kind of environment that the investor will be participate in, where he will have easy access to the rest of the international community."

During the webinar, Les Khan, the CEO of St Kitts and Nevis' Citizenship by Investment Unit, also spoke on the application process and the multi-tiered due diligence framework. While Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners, addressed the growing need for investors to have a second citizenship as a means of diversifying their wealth and prioritising the safety of their family.

Since 1984, St Kitts and Nevis has been a world leader within the investment migration realm. Its wealth of experience and its ability to evolve with the needs of the market has propelled the Programme to be recognised internationally as a 'Platinum Standard' brand. Aside from operating the world's longest-standing CBI Programme, St Kitts and Nevis is a safe democratic country with a respect to the rule of law.

pr@csglobalpartners.com

www.csglobalpartners.com

SOURCE CS Global Partners
The Harris County District Attorneys Office has asked Texas highest-ranking criminal judges to consider a new punishment for Raymond George Riles  the states longest-serving inmate awaiting execution following the 1974 murder of a Houston man.

The former trucker, now 70, has been locked up for more than 40 years. But for decades, Riles  convicted in 1976 of capital murder  has been considered mentally ill and incompetent for execution and no date has recently been set. His lawyers and prosecutors now agree that the Court of Criminal Appeals should let Riles have a second chance at a punishment hearing.

In a brief, District Attorney Kim Ogg outlined her reasoning. Sentencing for capital crimes, she said, have changed since Riles conviction. Juries  prompted by the so-called Penry claim set through a U.S. Supreme Court precedent  are now asked to weigh mitigating evidence, such as an offenders childhood trauma, brain injuries or mental illness, into the punishment.

In 1976, Riles capital murder jury was not given this opportunity, Ogg said in a later statement.

Riles, then 24, and an accomplice, Herbert Washington, shot and killed a used car dealer in Houstons Northside neighborhood. The duo confronted the victim, 31-year-old John Thomas Henry, over the condition of a car and shot him while demanding the money back, authorities said.

Riles pocketed $42 from the robbery.

Washington, also sentenced to death, had his sentence overturned and he pleaded guilty to two related charges.

Our prosecutors notified the crime victims son, Ogg continued in a statement. These cases are heartbreaking because the process takes so long that laws can and sometimes do change, and it just prolongs justice and healing for the families of the dead.

The brief, published Friday, concludes with Ogg asking that a new punishment hearing take place and for a jury to take that evidence into account. The outcome could lead to a jury sticking to the death penalty or a number of years determined by that jury.

Defense attorneys for Riles argue that mitigating evidence would include serious mental illness since childhood.

Mr. Riles mental illness is one of the diverse frailties of humankind that a jury must be permitted to weigh when deciding whether to impose the ultimate punishment, lawyer Jim Marcus, of the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, said in a statement.

Marcus and co-counsel Thea Posel, also with the university, said that Riles has been treated with heavy antipsychotic drugs over the past four decades and that he had multiple trips between death row and the psychiatric hospital.

Unhinged antics were documented in the initial trial, in which Riles tore off a door jamb, jumped on the defense table and screamed that the judge and prosecutors were mad dogs.

On another occasion, he shouted religious scripture: Woe be to unjust judges. He was barred from the courtroom during most of the trial.

Riles had the death sentence reversed on appeal in 1978 but a jury again found him guilty and ordered him to be executed. He made notoriety again in 1985 when he set fire to himself  suffering burns to about 30 percent of his body  in his cell while reciting religious chants.

Early in his incarceration, Riles said he could no longer live under the mental stress prompted by death row and asked that the courts either set him free or execute him.

We suffer and we eventually end up executed anyway, Riles in 1986 told reporters. This is not living at all."

He was nearly executed by lethal injection that year and got as far ordering his last meal. A stay prevented the execution hours before the scheduled punishment.

Oggs 17-page document also cites another recent instance of where the Penry claim was used  with success. The state court, citing inadequate jury instructions, overturned in 2019 the death sentence for another longtime inmate, Cesar Fierro, in the 1980 killing of an El Paso man. Fierro was instead sentenced to life.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
North Koreas supreme leader Kim Jong Un will not give up the nuclear arsenal but he may be willing to negotiate an arms reduction to scrap some international sanctions impacting the economy, reportedly said nations former acting ambassador to Kuwait. In the first interview since defecting to the South over a year ago, Ryu Hyeon-woo told CNN that "North Korea's nuclear power is directly linked to the stability of the regime" and Kim likely believes that nuclear weapons are the key to his survival as a supreme leader. Ryu reportedly also noted that the previous US administrations had isolated themselves in the corner by demanding denuclearisation directly in the negotiations with the secretive state.

"The US can't back down from denuclearization and Kim Jong Un cannot denuclearize," Ryu told the media outlet. The former North Korean diplomat had adopted the name Ryo on defecting to South who is also one of the several high-profile officials of Pyongyang to be in Seoul. As per the report, North Koreas top diplomat in Italy had fled to South Korea in 2019 and Thae Yong-ho, the former deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, defected in 2016. Ryu and his family left North in September 2019 but it was made public last week.

Read - After Trump Setbacks, Kim Jong Un Starts Over With Biden

Read - North Korean Parliament Approves Kim Jong Un's New Development Plan: Reports

North Korean parliament approves Kims nuclear boost

Ryus interview with CNN came after the Korean Central News Agency on January 18 reported that the parliament had passed a decision to back Kims push to boost nuclear deterrent and establish plans to savage the countrys dismal economy. Reportedly, the members of the Supreme Peoples Assembly unanimously supported the development plans for the next five years. These plans were revealed during the Workers Party congress that ended earlier this month.

Kim called for accelerated national efforts to build a military arsenal during the party congress, as per reports. He also announced a long wish-list of new sophisticated assets. This included longer-range intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear-powered submarines, spy satellites and tactical nuclear weapons. Recently, describing it as the worlds most powerful weapon, North Koreas huge military parade on January 14 included a developmental ballistic missile designed for launch from submarines, the state agency reported.

Read - Kim Jong Un Poses For Group Photo With North Korean Soldiers

Read - Demoted? Pushed Aside? Fate Of Kim Jong Un's Sister Unclear


The University of Georgia Press closed their month-long Campus Read event with a conversation between Mary Frances Early and Phaidra Buchanan, during which the two discussed their experiences as Black women and the importance of conversations about racial equality at the University of Georgia.





SINGAPORE, Feb 1, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - Moonstake has entered into a strategic partnership with Stake Technologies, which develops the Plasma Network, the world's first successful connection to Polkadot's testnet parachain.Through this partnership, Moonstake and Stake Technologies will work together to expand the Polkadot ecosystem. Also, both pirates will proactively discuss potential implementation of the staking of Plasm Network Token, PLM, onto Moonstake's staking platform and possibility of collaboration in the DeFi space.Moonstake started in the staking business last year with the aim to create the largest staking network in Asia. Since then, Moonstake has developed the most user-friendly wallets for both Web Wallet and Mobile Wallet (iOS/Android) that are compatible with over 2000 cryptocurrencies. After a full-scale operation launched in August 2020, Moonstake's total staking assets have grown rapidly to reach USD 200 Million in staked assets in 6 months. Within a year of its founding, Moonstake was ranked in the top 20 of the world's 1,692 staking service providers and it continues to expand.In January 2021, Moonstake added Polkadot's staking service to further enhance the staking of one of the top 5 cryptocurrencies in market capitalisation after 8 other coins. Since Moonstake launched its support of staking Polkadot's cryptocurrency (DOT), it successfully achieved a staking volume of 15,000 DOT during its test launch period. At the same time, to accelerate the spread of Polkadot in the blockchain industry through staking, Moonstake has also entered into a strategic partnership with RockX, one of Polkadot's world's leading node operators to support the ever-growing Polkadot ecosystem together.Plasm Network is a public blockchain that can implement a Layer2 scalability solution that is scheduled to be connected to Polkadot, a blockchain that connects other blockchains. And it realizes "high speed processing of transactions" that could not be possible until now. There are growing expectations for the use of technologies in payment, IoT and games. In addition, since Polkadot (Relaychain) itself does not support smart contracts, Plasm Network, an Ethereum-compatible application platform with high processing performance will play an important role in the Polkadot ecosystem.After the launch of Polkadot's mainnet, Plasm Network has become the world's first successful connection to Rococo V1, Polkadot testet on 13 Jan 2021. They have received grants 6 times from the Web3 Foundation (a global blockchain foundation founded by Dr. Gavin Wood, and flagship project of Polkadot).Plasm Network has been selected by Parity Technologies, one of the world's most prominent blockchain developers and a member of the initial Substrate Builders Program. It has collaborated with major leading players in the market such as Chainlink, a decentralized provider of Oracle and Zenlink, a cross-chain DEX protocol as well as academic institutions such as world famous UC Berkeley. This project has become one of the most high-profile in the blockchain industry.Mitsuru Tezuka, Founder at Moonstake says: "We are very pleased to partner with Stake Technologies and the Plasm Network and its development. The company's development progress and industry presence over the past two years including the world's first connection to Polkadot's testnet is remarkable. We look forward to working with them on a product that will be used by users around the world in a variety of areas including DeFi as well as being highly compatible with Moonstake's business with Polkadot."Sota Watanabe, Founder at Stake Technologies says: "Since our company was established, we have been involved in the open source development of Polkadot that we believe will be the foundation for the next generation Web 3.0. We also recognize that there are high expectations from the world for the Plasm Network since it was launched in mid-2020. The network has been getting attention from around the world and establishing a presence in the ecosystem.Staking is obviously the core function of PoS public blockchain like Polkadot and Plasm Network. We hope that our users use Moonstake to stake PLM tokens and we will do our best to provide them with our best services."About MoonstakeMoonstake was recently established to develop a staking pool protocol to satisfy increasing demands in regional and global blockchain markets. Moonstake develops a staking pool protocol and provides business services through partners and companies.Moonstake aims to be the largest staking pool network in Asia by providing an active environment for crypto asset holders. Establishing a clear partnership roadmap with Moonstake represents another significant milestone for continuing to strengthen ties with leading platforms across Asia's burgeoning Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ecosystem. Partnership has been announced with Emurgo, Ontology and NEO to boost staking adoption, Binarystar, Japan's biggest blockchain hub, OIO Holdings Limited (SGX: OIO), a Singapore Catalist-Listed company. Industry's reputed advisors, such as Lisk and Lawrence Lim of RAMP DEFI support Moonstake's innovative journey.With a full-scale operation launched in August 2020, we expanded our business and as of now, our total staking assets exceeded over USD 210 Million. https://www.moonstake.io/About Stake TechnologiesStake Technologies is a company that makes core decentralized protocols to make Web 3.0 happen. Stake Technologies builds applications using the Plasm Network, a public blockchain developed by the company. It develops blockchain for enterprises, and provides consulting services. Stake Technologies, the core development company behind Plasm Network, provides fast and comprehensive support to the selected companies for building enterprise-grade use cases on the top of Plasm Network. It also collaborates with Chainlink, a provider of distributed oracles for blockchain. https://stake.co.jp/service/Source: MoonstakeCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
COURTESY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

At the rate the coronavirus pandemic is heading in Texas, we're looking at another summer spent at home. Looking to get away? Guadalupe Mountains National Park has an opportunity for you.

The national park posted on its Facebook page Wednesday that it is looking for volunteers who can camp on its Pine Springs Campground throughout July, August and September. Applicants must have their own RV or trailer, work 32 hours per week and be willing to spend the entire three months at the camp, the post said.
The sale will see Wesfarmers Ltd, through its subsidiaries CSBP and WesCEF, become K2flys largest shareholder with a 10.13% stake, with the ability to raise this to 14.22%.

Deciphers CEO Anthony Walker will join K2fly in a senior executive position, along with the core of the Decipher team

( ) is acquiring the business assets associated with Decipher for Mining (Decipher) from CSBP Ltd (CSBP) and Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers Ltd (WesCEF) for 3.7 million in shares, plus performance shares.

The sale will see ( ) (OTCMKTS:WFAFF) (FRA:WF3), through its subsidiaries CSBP and WesCEF, become K2flys largest shareholder with a 10.13% stake in the company, with the ability to raise this to 14.22%.

Decipher will bring additional depth to K2flys growing solution suite in tailings and rehabilitation and extends K2fly's technical assurance and governance footprint inside existing global customers.

Deciphers chief executive officer Anthony Walker will join K2fly in a senior executive position, along with the core of the Decipher team.

Accelerate growth in mining software portfolio

K2fly chief executive officer Brian Miller said: Following on from the Sateva acquisition, and in line with our strategy, we continue to expand our own IP.

We have already positioned Decipher within our own customer base and strategic partners, such as SAP.

Having Decipher now in our own suite of products will enable us to further accelerate our growth in the mining software portfolio.

Well-placed to commercialise

WesCEF chief executive officer Ian Hansen added: Decipher offers some of the best technology available to support rehabilitation and environmental services to the mining industry.

Anthony Walker has built a strong team and a world-class platform that K2fly is well placed to commercialise.

Many upsides to the deal

K2fly chief commercial officer Nic Pollock said: We have been partnered with Decipher for nearly a year now and we have found many synergies in our joint offering, go to market capabilities, and operational models that the acquisition was a logical combination.

We are both lean start-up companies and there is virtually no duplication and many upsides to the deal.

We are pleased that Anthony Walker, the Decipher CEO, will be joining K2fly in a senior executive position, as well as the core Decipher team.

Dramatically increase pace of delivery

Deciphers Walker added: We have formed a very close working relationship with the K2fly team, and we all share a passion for delivering better ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) monitoring and compliance outcomes to the mining industry and the communities in which they operate.

This transaction will dramatically increase our pace of delivery on these aspirations.

Terms of the deal

The acquisition is subject to the following conditions precedent:

The approval of the companys shareholders of the issue of the ordinary shares and performance shares to be issued to the vendors at completion; and

ASX approval of the terms of performance shares.

K2fly will issue 11,366,691 fully paid ordinary shares (consideration shares) in the company and up to 5,345,633 performance shares.

Consideration shares are to be held in voluntary escrow for two years.

The performance shares will convert on an annual basis into a number of fully paid ordinary shares to a value equal to 22% of the annual revenues attributable to the Decipher business, over a four- year period following completion.

Each tranche of shares issued on conversion of the performance shares will also be subject to voluntary escrow for 12 months.

A maximum of 5,345,633 fully paid ordinary shares in the company can be issued to CSBP as a result of the conversion of the performance shares.

CSBP will hold a 10.13% interest in the company at completion, with the ability to increase to 14.22% should all of the performance shares convert into ordinary shares, assuming no other shares are issued in the company.

Timetable

K2fly expects to dispatch to shareholders shortly a notice of meeting to seek approval of the acquisition, to be held in mid-March 2021.

Completion of the acquisition is expected to occur shortly after shareholder approval.

Decipher

Decipher, which has been developed and operated by CSBP and WesCEF, offers cloud-based software-as-a-service monitoring and compliance solutions in tailings management and rehabilitation for mining industry customers.

Decipher will bring additional depth to K2flys growing solution suite in tailings and rehabilitation and extends K2fly's technical assurance and governance footprint inside existing global customers.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 19:56:14|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

A Palestinian woman wearing a face mask and her children wait at the Rafah Border Crossing in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, Feb. 1, 2021. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said on Monday that the Egyptian authorities have opened the Rafah border crossing for four days for the travel in both directions. The border opening has come for the first time in two months and it will last for four days, starting from Monday to Thursday. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

GAZA, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Hamas-run Interior Ministry said on Monday that the Egyptian authorities have opened the Rafah border crossing for four days for the travel in both directions.

Twafiq Abu Naim, the undersecretary of the Interior Ministry, told reporters at the Rafah border crossing that his ministry hopes that the border would be opened continuously in order to alleviate the suffering of the stranded travelers, either in the Gaza Strip or in Egypt.

"The humanitarian cases, students as well as those who need to travel have suffered a lot when the Rafah border crossing was closed," he said, calling the Egyptian authorities to keep it open all the time.

According to a press statement issued by the Gaza Interior Ministry, the first batch of passenger buses passed the Rafah border crossing on Monday morning.

"The ministry allowed patients, students, Egyptian and foreign passport holders, as well as those who have residency documents to travel through," the statement added.

The border opening has come for the first time in two months and it will last for four days, starting from Monday to Thursday. Enditem
On July 15, 2020 Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple has won a Landmark Court Case in Europe today with the Court ruling that Ireland did not give Apple a Tax Advantage" On July 16 we followed up with a report titled "Within 24 Hours of Losing her back-tax case against Apple, EU Commissioner Vestager sent out a new threat over Siri." The timing of the EU's follow-up attack against Apple was seen as a vindictive act on behalf of Margrethe Vestager for losing a landmark tax case.

So it's no surprise that the EU antitrust enforcers have claimed a court made legal errors when it scrapped their order for iPhone maker Apple to pay 13 billion euros ($15.7 billion) in Irish back taxes, in a filing to have the verdict overturned.

Reuters reports that "The stakes are high for the European Commission in its crackdown against what it sees as aggressive tax planning by multinationals.

The Commission said in a filing in the Official Journal: 'The General Courts failure to properly consider the structure and content of the decision and the explanations in the Commissions written submissions on the functions performed by the head offices and the Irish branches is a breach of procedure.'

The EU competition enforcer added: 'The General Courts subsequent acknowledgement... that the decision examines the functions performed by the Irish branches in justifying the attribution of the Apple IP licenses to them constitutes contradictory reasoning, which amounts to a failure to state reasons.'"

The CJEU will hold a hearing on the case in the coming months. For more, read the full Reuters report.


JAY JANNER/AMERICAN-STATESMAN, MBR / TNS

The longshot lawsuit Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton brought to the Supreme Court to challenge and invalidate election results in four swing states wasn't drafted by Paxton, but by former President Donald Trump's lawyers, a detailed report from the New York Times revealed.

A report from the New York Times examining the 77 days Trump spent attempting to challenge the 2020 presidential election results reveals that a team of lawyers close to Trump's campaign drafted the lawsuit Paxton brought to the Supreme Court after Paxton was the only attorney general willing to do so.
(Natural News) The Chinese government is under pressure over rising food prices ahead of Chinese New Year festivities, with a combination of new outbreaks and a colder than usual winter straining supplies.

Meat, vegetable and oil prices have risen in recent weeks as families across China prepare to celebrate the most important event of the year. Economists suggested the increase was partly driven by new outbreaks of the coronavirus in provinces, leading authorities to enforce lockdowns that disrupted the supply chain.

Food prices were already high due to an extremely cold winter last December. In Beijing, a mega-city of over 21 million people, vegetable prices spiked after a number of cities in Hebei province went under lockdown.

Cabbage, for instance, is one of the cheapest vegetables in China and is available in the winter. It costs 20 cents yuan ($0.03) per pound. But the price of cabbage rose dramatically last December due to an extremely cold winter that made it difficult to plant leafy vegetables. Cabbage now costs four yuan ($0.62) per pound.

Moreover, the price of eggs has also doubled. It went up from only two to four yuans ($0.31$0.62) per pound to five to eight yuans ($0.77$1.23) per pound last month.

Prices for other staples like celery, eggplant and daikon radish are also roughly double compared to their prices this time last year. The price of pork also rose to 46 yuans ($7.09) per pound despite a rise in production.

But with authorities urging people not to travel to their hometowns for the celebration on Feb. 11, people might have little to no choice but to purchase their staples at such exorbitant prices. [We] still have to eat, whos going to do without vegetables? said a woman who was shopping in a supermarket in central Beijing.

Meanwhile, one user said in a post on the Chinese microblogging site Weibo that authorities should control the prices of vegetables first before asking people to stay in Beijing for the holiday.

Recent outbreaks partly driving surge in food prices

On Monday, Jan. 18, Xinle city in Hebei announced that all supermarkets, grocery stores and other shops must close. The citys 500,000 residents were also prohibited from leaving their homes.

Residents were kept in the dark as local authorities neither gave a reason for the lockdown nor announced new COVID-19 cases in the area.

One user on Weibo claimed in a now-deleted post that the lockdown was due to a recent outbreak at Xinle Chinese Medicine Hospital where several medical staff and patients were infected with the virus. The user claimed that authorities failed or neglected to announce the news.

Meanwhile, a worker at a local hotel near the hospital told the Chinese-language Epoch Times that the building was being used to serve healthcare workers who arrived from other cities to assist in treating local COVID-19 patients. One worker at a different hotel said his venue was converted into a quarantine center days prior.

On the other hand, the neighboring provinces of Shanxi and Shaanxi havent announced new infections in days despite being bordered by Hebei. But one Shanxi resident said local authorities were going around and forcibly taking people away to be quarantined if they were suspected of carrying the coronavirus.

The man added that people were required to take several COVID-19 tests with their own money. They were not allowed to buy medicine for treating colds and coughs as well unless they showed a negative test result. But the price of one test is 120 yuans ($18.48), which is a large sum considering the rising prices of food.

Another local living in the Shunyi district of Beijing said that authorities were taking away anyone who showed symptoms similar to COVID-19 to be quarantined. (Related: Chinese citizens decry draconian lockdown measures in Chinas newest coronavirus hotspots.)

Follow Pandemic.news for more articles with updates on the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

FT.com

Reuters.com
New Delhi:

Fresh firing is being reported in Pulwamas Bamnoo after two terrorists were gunned down by the security forces on Monday. The operation is still underway.

The killed terrorist was identified as Kifayat and while another body is yet to be recovered, IG Kashmir confirmed. Earlier, reports suggested that one of the trapped terrorists was a known wanted extremist Jahangir.

"Acting on a specific information, one militant killed in the operation by the Army at Bamnoo, Pulwama. Police and CRPF have joined in. The operation is going on," an official statement said in an earlier statement.

#UPDATE J&K: Fresh firing on in Pulwama's Bamnoo; Operation underway (Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/T4Lo9RFeIf  ANI (@ANI_news) July 3, 2017

ALSO READ | Pulwama CASO ends: Two terrorists killed, one other flees as stone-pelting by locals distract security forces

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Members of the Garda Technical Bureau at the house. Photo: Steve Humphreys

A man in his 60s who was attacked and robbed at his rural home with a bat and a board with nails hammered into it was due to undergo surgery on his serious injuries yesterday.

The incident happened outside Monasterevin in Co Kildare on Saturday evening.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses in relation to the aggravated burglary that occurred at the isolated house in the Duneany area.

Two men entered the house and assaulted the owner.

He received serious injuries as a result of the assault and was first taken to Naas General Hospital to receive treatment.

But it is understood he was later due to be brought to a Dublin hospital for surgery. Gardai say a number of items were taken from the house during the aggravated burglary.

They believe the suspects fled the scene in a car.

The Duneany area is quiet and remote, with houses and farms dotted along the road at intervals.

The targeted house is a red-brick bungalow just off the road linking Duneany with Monasterevin.

Members of the Garda Technical Bureau carried out a forensic examination of the scene yesterday in a bid to find evidence that could identify the gang behind the brutal attack.

Local Fine Gael councillor Kevin Duffy said the aggravated burglary was very worrying.

This is a rural area with a strong community, similar to many rural areas all over the country, he said.

The news of the incident went out on the local Monasterevin text alert system, and I would appeal to anyone with any information to alert gardai, he added.

Gardai made an appeal for information from members of the public.

Gardai are appealing to anyone who was in the Duneany and Kildangan areas of Monasterevin, Co. Kildare, (on Saturday) evening between 5pm and 9pm to contact them, a Garda statement said.

Gardai are also appealing to the wider community of Monasterevin who may have noticed any unusual activity in the area to contact them.

Anyone with any information in relation to this incident is asked to contact Kildare Garda Station on 045 527730, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
As soon as the plan was published, senior officials in Brussels could see that their boss had made a terrible mistake.

They understood the rationale for vaccine restrictions on shots shipped from the European Union, but they could hardly believe that Ursula von der Leyen had missed the bigger picture and how the proposals would land in Ireland.

The European Commission president had been among those insisting throughout Brexit negotiations that Irish border checks could jeopardize the island's peace settlement. Less than a month after the trade deal with the U.K. went into effect, the EU was now the one threatening to put up barriers and unilaterally trigger emergency clauses in its accord with the U.K.

As opprobrium rained down, officials who'd painstakingly negotiated those agreements and were barely consulted on von der Leyen's decision sensed the EU's moral authority being shredded. The proposals swiftly united in condemnation natural enemies across the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland as well as the World Health Organization and the pharmaceutical industry.

The events leading up to the decision to control exports show von der Leyen's team buckling under the immense pressure to fix its vaccination program. Beginning the week under fire for moving too slowly, they ended up possibly making things much, much worse by moving too fast.

On top of the faltering vaccine program, which is likely to cost thousands of lives and billions in lost output, von der Leyen and her team have done real damage to the EU and its self-image as a champion of open markets and the rule of law.

Several officials lamented that her predecessor, Jean-Claude Juncker, would never have let events run out of control in such a way and wondered whether von der Leyen would be forced to bring back some of his advisers to steady the ship. One speculated that EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides is likely to be made the scapegoat.

Even those close to von der Leyen acknowledge mistakes were made. In a sign of the lack of foresight at play, officials in Dublin only found out about the move on social media. Some worry the furor may have done permanent damage to the complex arrangements designed to prevent the return of a hard Irish border by handing a free hit to critics of the Brexit agreement and the EU.

One official in Brussels said this is what happens when policy making is done too quickly.

Von der Leyen's spokesman, Eric Mamer, said it's an institutional reality that all decisions go through the president's cabinet and the college of commissioners. No decisions are taken without college consensus, he added.

As von der Leyen and her team fought to contain the crisis, their thinking was shaped by a burning sense of injustice at how AstraZeneca Plc has handled its vaccine contract worth an initial $408 million (336 million euros). Bloomberg spoke to officials across the EU bureaucracy and national governments, most of whom expressed frustration, anger and sadness at the way the commission has handled the situation. But they all signaled a strong conviction that Astra Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot had done them wrong, with some even suggesting Astra had breached its contract with the bloc.

An exercise that began life as an expedition to bring transparency and gather evidence against the company has quickly spiraled into chaotic mud-slinging that some fear could lead to a trade conflict in the middle of a pandemic.

Astra triggered the crisis just over a week ago when it revealed it was cutting back planned vaccine supply to the EU by a reported 60% to 31 million doses following disruption at a plant in Belgium. At the same time, deliveries in the U.K. have mostly met expectations, helping the British vaccination program race ahead of the continent.

The most recent data show that the EU has administered 2.6 doses per 100 people, compared to the U.K.'s 12.5 doses and the US's 8.8. News of the delays sent a jolt of fear and outrage across the continent.

"Vaccine diplomacy has turned into vaccine hijacking," said Croatian Premier Andrej Plenkovic.

Astra has indeed used its EU supply chain to fulfill the U.K. contract. The U.K. vaccines task force said in December that some of Britain's initial supply would be coming from Germany and the Netherlands, while German MEP Peter Liese said that even in recent days, vaccine going to the U.K. was being bottled in Germany.

The EU is determined to take a closer look at those movements.

The Commission's health services told ambassadors from member states this week that millions of vaccines had been shipped out of the EU in recent months to countries including the U.K., China, Israel and Canada, according to a diplomatic cable of the meeting seen by Bloomberg.

Some EU officials suspect that Astra was responsible for a portion of those shipments and should have kept back doses for European buyers. But they don't have the evidence to prove it because the data aren't broken down by manufacturer.

Getting that information was the goal on Monday when the commission's trade service began drafting plans for a system that would have obliged companies to simply flag their exports. It would also require firms to provide data for exports carried out since December, clearing up just how many doses Astra has already exported.

"We're not planning to impose an export ban or export restrictions," EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters on Tuesday. "It's a matter of transparency."

That was also the moment the Astra CEO chose to go on the offensive with an extensive interview to European newspapers including La Repubblica in Italy. He said the delays were partly due to the EU signing its supply contracts after the U.K. and rejected accusations of profiteering.

"I'm European, I have Europe at heart," he said. "So we want to treat Europe as best we can. You know, we do this at no profit, remember?"

By Tuesday evening, pressure began to mount from Germany, first, and then France, for a more stringent approach.

By Wednesday morning the tensions between the two sides were so bad that they couldn't even agree if a phone call scheduled for that evening was going ahead.

Soriot's interview enraged officials and member states. Ambassadors were told at a briefing that day that the claims made by the Astra CEO were shocking and not in line with contractual obligations, a diplomatic note seen by Bloomberg says.

At a press conference later, health commissioner Stella Kyriakides rejected the drugmaker's first come, first served arguments. "That may work at the neighborhood butchers, but not in contracts," she said.

At that point, von der Leyen decided that the commission needed to flex its muscle and the focus shifted to a tougher regime that would oblige companies with contracts to supply the EU not just to notify, but to obtain permission before exporting doses outside the bloc.

Still, EU commissioners, who normally take decisions collectively, were deeply divided on whether to adopt it. Ultimately, the decision to go for a stronger approach was taken by von der Leyen and her cabinet.

And so began a mad rush to draft a plan ahead of a self-imposed Friday deadline. The haste and pressure to deliver led to a chain of blunders.

Reporters were invited to a technical briefing on Thursday before a proposal was even finalized, something the Commission almost never does.

On Friday morning, the EU published its contract with Astra, with confidential sections clumsily redacted in a way that meant the information was easily uncovered by amateur sleuths online. Dombrovskis and Kyriakides were wheeled out to present the new regulations before several elements, including its decision-making clauses, were properly fully firmed up.

While the crucial sections on Northern Ireland were a late addition to the document, all relevant senior officials had been involved and had sight of the plan before it went live. Final signoff was the responsibility of von der Leyen's office.

Michel Barnier, who led Brexit negotiations, was not involved in the decision, a person familiar with the process said. Another said that other members of the Brexit task force only were called in at the end of the process and asked about how to notify the U.K. on a measure that had already been agreed.

When the mechanism finally hit the internet, Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson were both outraged by the decision to usher in temporary export vaccine controls between the EU and Northern Ireland and voiced grave concerns.

Von der Leyen quickly spoke to both Martin and Johnson over the phone to try to clear things up. The EU removed the regulation from its website and was forced to backtrack in a statement just before midnight. Von der Leyen followed up with a series of late night tweets.

But the whole episode was red meat to the hard-line Brexit supporters in the U.K. Tom Tugendhat, a moderate MP from Johnson's Conservative Party, said it had laid bare EU attitudes and shown how little goodwill there is.

While the EU's executive arm won't trigger the controversial clause, it didn't entirely remove the threat, warning in its follow-up statement that it will consider using "all instruments" if the vaccine export bans are circumvented.

An updated version of the plan published on Saturday morning doesn't include the sections on Northern Ireland, but does still hint at suspicions that Astra could exploit the Irish border as a back door to ship Covid-19 shots from the EU into the U.K.

Manufacturers will have to provide information on all vaccine doses distributed since Dec. 1, including those sent to Northern Ireland.

And von der Leyen is left to pick up the pieces after one of the most difficult episodes of her tenure.

Lucinda Creighton, a former minister for European affairs in Dublin, offered a succinct assessment of the week's events.

"Disaster," she said in a Twitter post.
AS the white pirogue drifted in the waters just off Belle Garden in Tobago early yesterday morning, fishermen working nearby knew something was wrong.

What they saw in the small vessel stunned them.

Fourteen bodies, all of them male, along with a skull and other skeletal remains, were piled inside the vessel as it floated four miles off Belle Garden, police confirmed.

The bodies were all clad in tracksuits and green rain jackets and were severely decomposed, police investigators said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  The country's capital region and Baguio City on Sunday recorded their lowest temperatures this year, state weather forecaster PAGASA said.

Metro Manila hit 19.9C, while Baguio  the country's summer capital because of its year-round cool temperature  recorded 9.4C, weather forecaster Chris Perez told CNN Philippines on Monday.

The chilly weather, especially in the mornings, is expected to last until the 3rd or 4th week of February as the cool northeast monsoon or amihan continues to prevail over the country.

"For the next 3 days over the area (Baguio), we are expecting at least the minimum temperature will range from about 10-12 degrees Celsius. Now, here in Metro Manila, yesterday we also recorded lowest since 2021. And for the next three days, the minimum temperature range will be from about 20-22 degrees Celsius. So, brace for early morning temperatures," Perez said.
North-East got its respect only after advent of PM Modi's government in 2014: Smriti Irani

50 crore man-days were created under 'Garib Rojgar Yojana' for migrant workers: Irani

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Howrah, Feb 01: Accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal of indulging in corruption, Union minister Smriti Irani said on Sunday that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi provided food grains for 80 crore people of the country for eight months during the pandemic, the rations were looted by the party in the state.

Maintaining that over 50 crore man-days were created under 'Garib Rojgar Yojana' for migrant workers returning home, Irani claimed that "it did not happen in Bengal".

Bengal govt's health scheme a hoax: Rajib Banerjee

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in June last year launched the employment scheme for migrant workers who had returned to villages from cities, during the coronavirus lockdown, to help them get jobs near their home and help in development of villages.

"The Prime Minister provided five kg rice and one kg dal for 80 crore people of the country for eight months through 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana', but in Bengal, TMC looted it during the lockdown," she said addressing a BJP rally here.

Claiming that Shramik Special Trains arranged by the Centre were termed 'Corona Express' by Mamata Banerjee, Irani said, "I want to ask her whether sons and daughters from Bengal working in different parts of the country are considered viruses by her".

Budget 2021: Indian car manufacturers hail new Scrappage Policy

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Feb 01: Automotive manufacturer Tata Motors on Monday welcomed the new move by the Indian government with regards to the new vehicle scrappage policy.

Issuing a statement, Guenter Butschek, CEO & MD, Tata Motors said "Budget 2021 is a progressive statement of intent and action that aims to both stimulate and sustain growth following an unprecedented year. The significant increase in overall allocation towards capital expenditure has been complemented with comprehensive measures to catalyse multiple levers- focus on rural, infrastructure investment, impetus to manufacturing, social welfare, entrepreneurship and digital - to enable overall holistic development.

Budget 2021: Nirmala recites once again from Thirukural; Stalin reminds her of another one on kings

For the automobile sector, which is a significant contributor to India's GDP, there are multiple welcome announcements including a voluntary vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and unfit vehicles, augmenting public transport system in urban areas, continuing focus on adoption of cleaner fuels, and enhancing outlays for developing road infrastructure and expanding the Swachh Bharat Mission."

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced the much-awaited voluntary vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and polluting vehicles, and vehicles older than 15 years will be required to undergo fitness tests.

Presenting the Budget for 2021-22 in Parliament, Sitharaman said that under voluntary vehicle scrapping policy, personal vehicles would undergo fitness test after 20 years while commercial vehicles would require it after completion of 15 years.

"Vehicles would undergo fitness tests in automated fitness centres after 20 years in case of personal vehicles, and after 15 years in case of commercial vehicles. Details of the scheme will be separately shared by the ministry," the finance minister said.

This will help in encouraging fuel-efficient, environment friendly vehicles, thereby reducing vehicular pollution and oil import bill, she said.

Stating that the policy would cover over one crore light, medium and heavy motor vehicles, Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Minister Nitin Gadkari said details of the Voluntary Scrappage Policy will be declared within 15 days.

Gadkari said the policy will lead to new investments of around Rs 10,000 crore and create as many as 50,000 jobs.

"The policy would cover an estimated 51 lakh Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) that are above 20 years of age, while another 34 lakh LMVs are above 15 years. It would also cover 17 lakh medium and heavy motor vehicles, which are above 15 years, and currently without valid fitness certificates," Gadkari said.

These vehicles are estimated to cause 10-12 times more pollution than the latest vehicles, he said.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Monday, February 1, 2021, 21:52 [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.
Serve Illinois wants to recognize people whose volunteer work is helping improve communities across the state.

Nominations are open for the Governors Hometown Awards, which honor contributions to local-government projects. Townships, villages, cities and counties can apply through Feb. 19 for projects that used volunteers between Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31.
Ghana is to get its first doses of COVID-19 vaccine by March, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced.



In a televised national address Sunday to apprise the nation on measures being adopted to curtail the spread of the pandemic, the President said government would make available some 17.6 million vaccine doses by the end June 2021, to meet its target to have at least half of the Ghanaian population administered jabs.



Government, he said, aimed to vaccinate the entire population, but had set an initial target to give jabs to 20 million Ghanaians.



Allaying public skepticism and fears concerning the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, President Akufo-Addo assured Ghanaians that the shots to be procured would be subjected to the thorough established processes of the Food and Drugs Administration before an emergency use authorisation would be granted for its use in the country.



"As President of the Republic, I assure you that only vaccines that have been evaluated and declared as safe-for-use in Ghana will be administered," he stressed.



The President, following the surge in coronavirus cases in the over the last two weeks, has reintroduced the ban on social gathering.



Funerals, weddings, concerts are banned until further notice. But private burials with not more than 25 people can take place, with strict adherence to hygiene and safety protocols.



Beaches, night clubs, cinemas, and pubs are to remain shut, and Ghana's land and sea borders also remain closed.



The country, from early January 2021, has witnessed a worsening case count, with hospitals and isolation centres being overwhelmed.



As at Sunday, January 31, the total number of active cases had more than doubled in a forth night from 1900 to 5,358. And the number of critically and severely ill persons have increased, with a daily rate of some 700 infections.



President Akufo-Addo said Government would continue to monitor the situation, and ensure that the country returned to normal daily routines.



However, Ghanaians should observe the set protocols to curb the pandemic, in order not to slide the country into further social and economic hardship.



"In effect, fellow Ghanaians, we have a lot of work to do in coming to grips with the disease. Given that recent studies show that the UK and other new variants are being transmitted within the population, we should all understand that our current situation could get very dire if efforts are not made, both on the part of Government and by you, the citizenry, to help contain the virus.



"I remain hopeful that if each one of us embraces fully the safety protocols, and we continue to put our faith in the Almighty, we will emerge strongly from this pandemic," he 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
UPDATE MONDAY: Worst of fierce winter storm still ahead with heavy snow, gusts up to 50 mph. Latest on snowfall totals.

As snow fell across most of New Jersey Sunday night, forecasters were calling for as much as 30 inches in some northern parts of the state, according to the latest update from the National Weather Service.

Portions of Morris and Warren counties were now forecasted to receive between 24 to 30 inches by the time the noreaster passes the state late Tuesday.

Most other snow totals remained unchanged in North Jersey, but the Jersey Shore could see even less accumulating flakes as the precipitation will be more of a mix of rain and snow, the service stated.

Totals dropped in some areas from 3-4 inches to 2-3, and from 2-3 inches to 1-2 with the lowest amounts expected in coastal Ocean, Cape May and Atlantic counties.

However, flooding and high winds will still likely be a problem along the Jersey Shore, the service said.

Coastal flooding was expected at the Jersey Shore and a warning was in place for Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties with a costal flood advisory issued for Cumberland County.

New snow forecast: 18"- 24" for NYC, NE NJ, Lower Hudson Valley, much of Nassau, & portions of SW CT. Lesser amounts as you head E due to warm air aloft & at the surface, changing snow to wintry mix of rain, snow, & sleet. A changeover to all rain is likely for Twin Forks of LI pic.twitter.com/ZvJHUMeHp4  NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) January 31, 2021

Another addition to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service was a high wind warning for coastal Atlantic and Ocean counties.

Gusts between 40 to 50 mph were expected Monday along the coast with gusts of 35 to 45 mph expected inland, the service said. This would lead to power outages and dangerous driving conditions as the brunt of the storm hits the state.

Schools around the state have already started to announce closures and other schedule changes, with many switching to all-remote instruction.

Avoid travel - roadways slippery, several crashes and cars off the roadway. Snow has been falling since 1:30pm. @NWS_MountHolly#snow pic.twitter.com/JagpKWHm0F  So Brunswick PD (@SoBrunswickPD) January 31, 2021

The National Weather Service has placed nearly the entire state under a winter storm warning with 2 to 4 inches of snow expected on Sunday before a lull that lasts into early Monday.

The snow will likely be intense on Monday, with some areas seeing as much as 3 inches per hour, said Michael Priante, a meteorologist with WeatherWorks, a private weather forecasting company in Hackettstown.

Many New Jersey vaccination sites announced Sunday they were closing on Monday due to the storm.

43 Snowfall arrives to start what could be a major storm in New Jersey

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.
Phuket police arrest knife-wielding 7-Eleven robbers

PHUKET: Phuket Police have arrested two men wanted for robbing a 7-Eleven store at Ao Makham in Wichit last Thursday by threatening the staff with a knife.

crimepolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Monday 1 February 2021, 05:43PM

The two men were taken back to the 7-Eleven store to re-enact the robbery today (Feb 1). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The two men were taken back to the 7-Eleven store to re-enact the robbery today (Feb 1). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The knife used to commit the robbery. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The two men were taken back to the 7-Eleven store to re-enact the robbery today (Feb 1). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The two men were taken back to the 7-Eleven store to re-enact the robbery today (Feb 1). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The two men were taken back to the 7-Eleven store to re-enact the robbery today (Feb 1). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

The two men were taken back to the 7-Eleven store to re-enact the robbery today (Feb 1). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Phuket Provincial Police Chief Maj Gen Pornsak Nuannu announced the arrest at the press conference this afternoon (Feb 1), joined by the chiefs of Wichit and Phuket City police stations.

Maj Gen Pornsak explained that the arrests came from cooperation with Region 8 Police, Provincial Police and Wichit Police.

Police named the two arrested as Eakkarin Petchsiesuk, 19, originally from Satun, and Montri Chansuk, 18, originally from Trang.

Gen Pornsak explained that Wichit Police were called to the 7-Eleven store in Moo 7, Wichit, at about 4:40am last Thursday (Jan 28) by store manager Daranee Thongphom.

Ms Daranee told police that a man about 30 years old used a knife to threaten store staffer Wichu-orn Prachongkarn to give him money.

Ms Wichu-orn was forced at knifepoint to open three cash drawers, from which the man grabbed B2,270 in cash before running out of the store and riding off on a motorbike being driven by a friend waiting for him.

Police through CCTV tracked down the blue-black Honda Wave motorbike used to flee the scene and arrested Montri.

Montri later confessed that he was the getaway driver for the robbery, and then led police to arrest Eakkarin at a house in Baan Muang Thong in Wichit, Gen Pornsak said.

In placing Montri and Ekkarin under arrest, officers seized the motorbike, the clothes the men wore while committing the robbery and the knife used in the robbery.

Eakkarin then also confessed to committing the robbery, Gen Pornsak said.

He gave B220 to Montri, spent B300 to buy items in an online game and spent the rest o the money on drugs, he said.

Eakkarin further confessed that he stole money from a local resident in Ban Kuan Pho in Satun in a snatch and run last year, Gen Pornsak added.

Gen Pornsak confirmed that Eakkarin and Montri were both taken to Wichit Police Station and charged with robbery in the nighttime by using a vehicle to flee.

At the press conference, Gen Pornsak also announced that from Jan 27-31, police had arrested 196 suspects from 150 cases.

A total 130 suspects were arrested in 119 drug cases. The rest were arrested for weapons, gambling, murder and other crimes, he noted.
Senate Republicans Propose $618 Billion in Pandemic Relief as Counter to Bidens $1.9 Trillion Plan

Ten Senate Republicans on Feb. 1 unveiled their $618 billion counterproposal to President Joe Bidens $1.9 trillion pandemic relief plan, which some members of the GOP have panned as an unworkable liberal wishlist.

Biden has proposed $160 billion for vaccines and testing, $170 billion for schools and universities, and funds to give certain Americans a $1,400-per-person stimulus check, among other provisions.

Some Republicans have questioned the overall price tag, while others urged more targeted measures, particularly over the direct payments to individuals.

Congress has approved some $4 trillion in emergency pandemic relief since the start of the pandemic last year, the largest rescue package in American history.

The 10 Republican senators were scheduled to meet with Biden on Feb. 1 after he invited them to the White House following their request for a meeting to propose an alternative CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus relief package.

We appreciate the presidents quick response to our letter, and we are pleased to accept his invitation to the White House tomorrow afternoon to discuss the path forward for the sixth bipartisan COVID-19 relief package, the GOP senators said in a joint statement, which noted that their proposal builds on previous relief bills that had passed with bipartisan support. The senators said in their letter that while parts of the proposal mirror Bidens plan, their proposal includes more targeted assistance.

According to a draft proposal of the slimmer Republican package (pdf), there would be $160 billion for the direct pandemic response, including $50 billion for a massive expansion of testing, $30 billion for a disaster relief fund, and $20 billion for a national vaccination program. There would also be an extension of the $300 weekly unemployment insurance payments until July, at a cost of $130 billion.

At a cost of $220 billion, Republicans are also proposing a round of $1,000 direct payments to American families, lower than the $1,400 stimulus checks Biden has proposed. The GOP package also proposes $50 billion in aid to small businesses, with $40 billion for the popular Paycheck Protection Program and $10 billion for an economic injury disaster loan facility. The Republicans are also proposing $20 billion in child care grants and $20 billion to reopen schools.

Biden and the group of Republicans are expected to meet on Feb. 1 to chart a way forward in light of competing visions for COVID-19 relief. An invitation to the GOP senators to meet at the White House came hours after the lawmakers sent Biden a letter on Jan. 31 urging him to negotiate rather than try to ram through his relief package solely on Democrat votes.

As a candidate, Biden expected that his decades in the Senate and his eight years as vice president gave him credibility as a dealmaker and would help him bring Republicans and Democrats to consensus on the most important matters facing the country.

But less than two weeks into his presidency, Biden showed frustration with the pace of negotiations at a time when the economy continues to struggle under the strain of the pandemic. Last week, 847,000 Americans applied for unemployment benefits, a sign that layoffs remain high.

I support passing COVID relief with support from Republicans if we can get it. But the COVID relief has to passno ifs, ands, or buts, Biden said on Jan. 29.

The House and Senate are on track to vote as soon as this week on a budget resolution, which would lay the groundwork for passing an aid package under rules requiring only a simple majority vote in the evenly divided Senate.

Winning the support of 10 Republicans would be significant for Biden in the 5050 Senate where Vice President Kamala Harris is the tie-breaker. If all Democrats were to back an eventual compromise bill, the legislation would reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to overcome potential blocking efforts and pass under regular Senate procedures.

Epoch Times reporter Janita Kan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
MORE: Track snow total projections for your town with new interactive map as monster storm slams state

ALSO: Heres how much snow has fallen so far, as of Monday morning

The second and far more impactful part of the ongoing winter storm is set to get going with forecasters calling for at least another foot of snow expected in most of the northern half of New Jersey on Monday.

But the National Weather Service is dialing back its snowfall prediction for the southern half of the state, because of a rather robust dry slot potentially leading to limited snowfall south of Interstate 195.

The northeastern part of the state could get hit the hardest, with more than 20 inches of snow for those densely populated areas, according to the New York office of the National Weather Service, which provides forecasts for five New Jersey counties: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union.

The New York office of the National Weather Service, which provides forecasts for five northeastern New Jersey counties, is calling for more than 20 inches of snow in total from the storm for those areas.

[1045 AM update] A band of heavy snow continues to develop this morning just south of Interstate-78. This band of snow... Posted by US National Weather Service Philadelphia/Mount Holly on Monday, February 1, 2021

Still, a state of emergency is in effect for all of New Jersey, with most New Jersey Transit service suspended for the day, hundreds of flights at area airports canceled and many schools either closing or pivoting to remote instruction for the day. The storm has also closed many coronavirus vaccination sites.

All or parts of 18 counties are under a winter storm warning until Tuesday, with 2 to 5 inches already on the ground in most place as of early Monday, and a few places with 6 to 8 inches reported, the weather service said.

43 Snowfall arrives to start what could be a major storm in New Jersey

Forecasters are still calling for strong winds gusts that could reach as high as 50 mph as well as moderate coastal flooding along the Jersey Shore. Drifting and blowing snow in northern and Central Jersey will make travel extremely difficult, forecasters say.

So far, very few power outages have been reported.

Moderate coastal flooding is expected Monday and Tuesday along the Jersey Shore from a strong nor'easter that's bringing snow to the rest of the state.

Gov. Phil Murphy will hold an 11 a.m. press conference at the states traffic management center in the Fords section of Woodbridge to provide updates on the storm.

Heres what the National Weather Service is expecting to unfold on Monday:

Hudson, eastern Bergen, eastern Essex, eastern Union counties: An additional 14 to 18 inches of snow, wind gusts as high as 45 mph and a light glaze of ice will batter the area until Tuesday morning. Blizzard-like conditions are possible until Monday evening when the snow will lighten.

Passaic, western Bergen, western Essex, western Union: The call here is for another 16 to 20 inches of snow, a light glaze of ice and winds gusts that might reach 35 mph. Heavy snow will fall for much of Monday.

Sussex, Warren and Morris: The three counties should brace for 16 to 22 more inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 35 mph. Heavy bands of snow are expected to develop over the area on Monday afternoon

Hunterdon, Somerset Middlesex, western Monmouth and Mercer counties: An additional 10 to 15 inches of snow along with winds gusts as high as 40 mph is expected. Snow will become heavy late this morning and into the afternoon.

Eastern Monmouth, Ocean and southeastern Burlington: Heavy, wet snow and mixed precipitation will bring 2 to 4 inches of additional snow. Winds could gusts as high as 50 mph. Rain and mixed precipitation might turn to snow late Monday afternoon or early evening except in southern parts of this area.

Salem, Gloucester, Camden and northwestern Burlington: Heavy mixed precipitation will deliver another 3 to 7 inches of snow to the area along with a light glaze of ice. Expect mixed precipitation this morning before a change back to snow late this morning or early in the afternoon. Wind gusts as high as 40 mph are also possible.

Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and coastal Ocean: The area is under a less severe winter weather advisory with up to 2 inches of snow expected on Monday. Mainly rain and winds gusting as high as 55 mph are the call for this area. The rain could change to snow by late Monday.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JGoldmanNJ.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Representative image (PC- MoneyControl.Com)

The Union Government has proposed to raise the basic customs duty and impose Agriculture and Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) on some key agricultural commodities, which are imported, to create a level-playing field for Indian farmers.

To benefit farmers, we are raising customs duty on cotton from nil to 10 percent and on raw silk and silk yarn from 10 percent to 15 percent. We are also withdrawing end-use based concession on denatured ethyl alcohol. Currently, rates are being uniformly calibrated to 15 percent on items like maize bran, rice bran oil cake, and animal feed additives, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, tabling the 2021-22 Budget proposal in Parliament.

The 10 percent duty on cotton imports is a definite sign of protecting farmers. Currently, we import extra-long staple (ELS) cotton from the US (Pima) and Egypt (Giza), said Rajkot-based raw cotton, yarn and spinning waste trader Anand Poppat.

India imports about 15 lakh bales (170 kg each) of ELS cotton from the US, Egypt and Australia every year. In the past, domestic shortage has led to imports from Africa and Brazil.

Cotton Association of India President Atul Ganatra said the duty may not make much impact as India hardly imports regular cotton. We import only ELS cotton. As per Cotton Advisory Board (CAB), only 11 lakh bales of cotton will be imported, he said.

CAB is a board comprising cotton growers, traders, users and government representatives. Five lakh bales have been imported so far this season that began on October 1, 2020.

Similarly, Mulberry farmers and silk weavers stand to gain from the five percentage points increase in Customs duty to 15 percent.

Sugarcane, maize and paddy growers are expected to gain from customs duty being raised by 2.5 percentage points to five percent on denatured ethyl alcohol.

Maize and paddy growers will also gain from the Customs duty being raised to 15 percent from zero on maize bran and de-oiled rice bran cake.

While imposing AIDC on some of the agricultural imports, the Centre has also rationalized the basic customs duty on produce such as apple, crude palm, soybean and sunflower oils, peas, Kabuli chana (gram), Bengal gram and lentils.

Apple imports will now attract a basic duty of 15 percent from the earlier 70 percent.

The basic custom duty rates have been reduced with the imposition of AIDC on these so that overall, the consumer does not bear additional burden on most of the items, said the Budget document justifying the lowering of the duty.

As regards AIDC, crude palm oil will now attract 17.5 percent cess, while a 20 percent cess will be imposed on crude soybean and sunflower oils.

Apples will now attract an AIDC cess of 35 percent, peas 40 percent, Kabuli chana 30 percent, Bengal gram 50 percent, lentils 20 percent. Cotton not carded will be imposed a five percent cess.

The AIDC cess on cooking oils such as crude palm, sunflower and soybean oils will have a couple of positive fallouts. One, oilseed farmers can now look forward to getting better prices for their produce as rising imports have been depressing prices.

India imports over 15 million tonnes of cooking oil with palm oil being around two-thirds of it.

Two, this will also help the domestic oilseed crushing sector, mainly medium and small sectors. Three, it will also save a good amount of foreign exchange that is spent to buy the oils. India nearly spends Rs 70,000 crore on buying cooking oils.

A feature of the AIDC is that the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, which will get the fund from AIDC, will augment infrastructure facilities at the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMCs) yards.

This, in a way, is to counter the allegations by the Opposition parties and some farmer organizations that the agricultural reforms carried out by the Union Government last year would result in APMCs winding up.

These proposals are not only seen as ones to protect farmers but also achieve self-sufficiency in the areas of oilseeds and pulses.

While self-sufficiency will ensure import of cooking oils is minimized, self-sufficiency in pulses will lower shipments of peas, chana and other such produce that is brought into the country to make for the production shortfall.

The Centre has also proposed to raise the exemption limit for agriculture income to Rs 2.5 lakhs from the earlier Rs 5,000 in the overall computation of income tax of individuals.

On the foreign exchange outgo on cooking oils, Rs 70,000 crore is spent annually.

Making it clear that it is annual outgo.

(Subramani Ra Mancombu is a journalist based in Chennai, who writes on topics in commodities and agriculture)

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.
Malaysias cybersecurity systems and government websites are safe from hackers for now, Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob told reporters today.

He was speaking to the press a day after a group calling themselves Anonymous Malaysia hackers claimed they had defaced five government websites, including two belonging to Sabah and Perak states. Despite the groups claims that those pages had been compromised, Ismail said today that government websites were not at risk.

So far, there have been no incidents of hacking within the government websites, he told the press today. And I hope it stays that way, the 61-year-old added.

Read: Anonymous Malaysia hackers say they defaced five government websites

The minister was speaking to the press during a roadblock inspection at Jalan Sentul Pasar in Kuala Lumpur, where he was asked to comment on the threat of hackers on Malaysias cybersecurity systems.

Anonymous Malaysia, which has 600,000 followers on Facebook, posted what appeared to be screengrabs of the website showing a graphic of a skull with the label cyberpunk. The other sites they targeted belonged to the custom authorities, the Selayang district in Selangor, and the Construction Industry Development Board.

Checks by Coconuts this morning found that the websites looked normal, although pages of the Sabah state government and the board indicated that they were not secure.

The National Security Council said last week that it had notified all government agencies to be ready for any potential cyber attacks following the groups first warning.

Other stories to check out:

Inspired by r/WallStreetBets, Malaysian redditors eye undervalued glove industry

This article, Malaysian government denies websites hacked by Anonymous, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company.
VISBEK, Germany, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EW Nutrition, a global provider of animal nutrition solutions, announced today that it has acquired the Feed Quality and Pigments business from Novus International, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, EW Nutrition becomes the owner of world-renowned brands such as Santoquin feed preservative, SURFACE feed mill processing aid, and Agrado feed ingredient. The acquisition also gives EW Nutrition ownership of a state-of-the-art production facility in Constanti, Spain.

"This transaction will bring additional value to our customers, further reinforcing EW Nutrition's global market position, and increasing its product portfolio and geographical reach," says Michael Gerrits, Managing Director of EW Nutrition. "The products acquired will further support EW Nutrition's mission to mitigate the impact of antimicrobial resistance by providing comprehensive animal nutrition solutions."

Dan Meagher, President and CEO of Novus International, Inc., explained that the sale is part of Novus's Project Destiny, a multi-year plan to transform the company into the industry's leading provider in animal health through nutrition solutions by focusing its resources on core platforms and emerging technologies.

"We are pleased to have found a committed owner for these platforms so that they may continue bringing value to the industry," said Meagher. "This event is a significant milestone in our Project Destiny journey. Now that our Feed Quality and Pigments platforms are in good hands with EW Nutrition, we are excited to focus our energies on developing new, innovative technologies into meaningful nutrition solutions for our customers."

The transaction was closed on February 1, 2021. A robust services agreement between the companies is governing critical activities to ensure customers are supported through the transition.

The financial details of the sale are confidential.

About EW Nutrition

EW Nutrition is a global animal nutrition company that offers integrators, feed producers, and self-mixing farmers comprehensive, customer-focused solutions for gut health management, antibiotic reduction, young animal nutrition, toxin risk management and more. www.ew-nutrition.com

About Novus International

Novus International, Inc. is a leader in scientifically developing, manufacturing and commercializing animal health and nutrition solutions for the agriculture industry. Novus's portfolio includes ALIMET and MHA feed supplements, MINTREX chelated trace minerals, CIBENZA enzyme feed additives, NEXT ENHANCE feed additive, ACTIVATE nutritional feed acid, and other specialty ingredients. Novus is privately owned by Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and Nippon Soda Co., Ltd. Headquartered in Saint Charles, Missouri, U.S.A., Novus serves customers around the world. www.novusint.com.

Contacts

Novus International, Inc.:

Elizabeth Davis

[email protected]

EW Nutrition GmbH:

Pia Becker

[email protected]

+49 4445 9868 174

Related Links

http://www.ew-nutrition.com/



SOURCE EW Nutrition GmbH
COVID-19 testing in NSW has reached its lowest levels since the Christmas period, as the state recorded its 16th consecutive day without any locally-acquired cases.

There were about 6000 tests conducted in the latest reporting period, the lowest non-weekend figures recorded since Christmas Day.

A health worker carries out a COVID-19 test at the Merrylands drive-through clinic in Sydney. Credit:Getty

Daily testing numbers peaked at 63,600 on December 21 and have declined since then.

NSW Health continues to be concerned by low rates of testing, the agency said in a statement released on Tuesday.

We urge people across the state to come forward for testing with even the mildest of symptoms that could signal COVID-19, such as a runny nose or scratchy throat.

High testing rates play an important role in helping to contain the spread of the disease, as it gives us the best chance of finding new cases and preventing new chains of transmission from becoming established.

Testing has fallen across all local government areas in Sydney in recent weeks, with the lowest weekend figures recorded in Burwood, where 25 tests were conducted on Saturday and Sunday, followed by Hunters Hill, with 58 tests.

Northern Beaches continues to have the highest testing numbers, with 768 tests conducted over the weekend.
Athens, Feb 1 : Greek authorities announced that the first case of the mutated coronavirus strain detected in South Africa was diagnosed in Thessaloniki city in northern Greece.

The patient who tested positive for this strain is an official with the Greek Orthodox Christian Church, said Nikos Hardalias, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

"We are conducting sweeping screening tests, with molecular tests and rapid tests, in the wider area... There is no reason to panic," he told Greek national broadcaster ERT.

Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, president of the National Public Health Organization (EODY), called on citizens to take all precautions and comply with instructions given by experts.

EODY announced on Sunday that 107 cases of the mutated strain first identified in Britain have been recorded in Greece following analysis of samples taken in the period of January 12 to January 27, bringing the total cases of such strain to 173 in the country.

Greece has been under a nationwide lockdown since November 7. On Friday it was further extended till February 8.

On Sunday EODY announced 484 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, taking the tally since the start of the pandemic in Greece last winter to 156,957.

EODY also confirmed another 17 deaths, bringing the toll to 5,796.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.

Meanwhile, 236 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 63 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 January 26.
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.
SJVN announced that The Investment Board of Nepal in its meeting held on 29 January 2021 has awarded the 679 MW Lower Arun Hydro Electric Project in Nepal to SJVN through Competitive Bidding Project to SJVN.

The Lower Arun Hydro Electric Project is located in Sankhuwasabha and Bhojpur Districts of Nepal.

On completion 679 MW Lower Arun Hydro Electric Project will generate 3561 million units of electricity per annum

SJVN is already constructing 900 MW Arun 3 HEP in Nepal and 217km 400 kV associated transmission system.

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 rate of positive tests for the coronavirus is dropping in Pennsylvania, but most counties continue to show substantial spread of COVID-19, Gov. Tom Wolfs administration said Monday.

The positive test rate for COVID-19 fell to 9.3% for the week of January 22-28, down from 10.5% during the previous week. The positive test rate has now dropped for seven consecutive weeks after reaching a high of 16.2% in December. While the rate is dropping, health officials have said a positive test rate higher than 5% is a source of concern.

The Wolf administration said there is now substantial transmission of COVID-19 in 63 of Pennsylvanias 67 counties. Last week, there were 66 counties with substantial spread. The Wolf administration uses three categories to gauge the spread of COVID-19: low, moderate and substantial.

Three counties - Clarion, Indiana and Tioga - are seeing moderate transmission of the virus. Cameron County is the only county in Pennsylvania with low spread. The state had seen substantial spread in every county for a six-week period before that streak snapped a week ago.

The governor said the continued decline in the rate of positive tests is a welcome development but residents need to continue to do what they can to limit the spread of the virus.

We continue to see a positive pattern of decreased case numbers, statewide positivity and decrease in counties with substantial transmission, but we know COVID-19 still remains a threat in our communities, Wolf said in a statement. We need to stay the course and unite in the COVID-19 fight. Please wear a mask, wash your hands, practice social distancing and avoid gatherings. Together, we can unite against this dangerous virus and keep our friends and loved ones safe.

State officials have asked school officials to consider the extent of community spread of COVID-19 in determining whether students should be in school or educated remotely. Last month, the Wolf administration said it is recommending that school districts focus on returning elementary school students to classrooms, even in counties with a substantial spread of the virus. The state advises high schools and middle schools to continue with remote instruction in counties with substantial spread.

Still, local school leaders continue to make the call on deciding if schools should hold classes in person, remotely or with a mix of face-to-face and virtual instruction.

The state has seen a drop in the number of new infections and hospitalizations in recent weeks.

More than 840,000 Pennsylvania residents have contracted the coronavirus and more than 21,000 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, according to the state Department of Health.

Most of those who are infected recover after dealing with relatively mild symptoms and many never get sick. But health experts warn the coronavirus poses a risk to everyone, particularly those who are seniors and those with medical issues.

The health department said it is continuing to ramp up distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines, an area of increasing criticism from Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

By the end of the week, the health department projects it will have administered over 1 million vaccine doses. By Feb. 6, the department estimates more than 800,000 people will have received their first vaccination, while nearly 200,000 will have been given their second shot.

More from PennLive

Penn State Health plans mass COVID-19 vaccine clinics in multiple counties

Want the COVID-19 vaccine? Heres why main central Pa. providers dont even have appointments

Bhubaneswar, Feb 1 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday expressed concern on drastic reduction of share in Central taxes and centralisation of revenue by introduction of cess on petrol and diesel.

The Chief Minister, however, welcomed several positive points in the Union Budget 2021-22 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

"Odisha would be hit by drastic reduction of share in central taxes by about Rs 10,840 crores for the current year and as per recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission, the horizontal share will decrease from 4.629% to 4.528 % for coming 5 years. This will seriously impact the state," said Patnaik.

He said centralisation of revenue by introduction of cess in petrol and diesel will weaken the centre-state fiscal balance.

Further capital investments very much required in Odisha both in railways and highways sectors as it has been planned for other states, he added.

The Chief Minister said there is a need to increase allocation in social assistance programmes and quantum of transfers for local bodies and banks have to be made accountable to extend credit to women, farmers and MSMEs.

"I am also delighted to see Mission Shakti appear in union budget focusing on women's empowerment. After Odisha's Mamata scheme was adopted by Union Government from 2011-2012, replication of our state's flagship women's empowerment initiative Mission Shakti clearly shows that Odisha sets benchmark for the nation," he said.

The Chief Minister, however, appreciated the budget's focus on capital investment to push growth, reintroduction of developmental financial institution, allocation for COVID vaccine, bold decision to expand fiscal deficit to provide growth impetus and a medium and long term vision for 'self-reliant India'.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Odisha will be benefited immensely in the union budget.

The budget has taken appropriate measures to revive consumption and investment, boost manufacturing, strengthen infrastructure, encourage MSMEs and give a thrust to growth, employment and new opportunities, said Pradhan in a statement.

On the other hand, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Niranjan Patnaik said the budget was disappointing considering the prevailing Covid-19 situation.

"While lakhs of people have lost their jobs during the pandemic, there is no provision for the growth of poor and middle-class people. Besides, there was no provision of taxation on the super-rich," said the PCC president.

"There is so much Prime Minister could have done in the Budget 2021. This missed opportunity will be another blow to our economy and society. All they have done is to find ways to fill the coffers of their rich friends," he added.

After community cases of Covid-19 infection appeared in Vietnam on January 28, many people have downloaded and used the Bluezone application.

Bluezone becomes top-downloaded app in Vietnam again: Photo: Trong Dat

As a result, Bluezone has become one of the top-downloaded apps in Vietnam in the last few days.

On January 29 morning, the Bluezone application climbed to number 1 in the Health category on the Google Play app and was the number 1 in the top free apps on the App Store.

Bluezone is a Bluetooth-based app that helps determine whether or not a person has come in contact with a COVID-19 patient.

The contract tracing app, developed by tech firm Bkav, uses Bluetooth Low Energy, a wireless personal area network technology, to link with smartphones within a two-meter distance.

If a user is positive for SARS-CoV-2 (known as person F0), health authorities can identify those who had close contact with that person (known as F1), and the system will alert them about the risk of infection.

They will be also provided with instructions on contacting health authorities for assistance.

The app is completely confidential, anonymous, and transparent, as it only stores data on the users phone and does not transfer users information or locations to the system.

Bluezone's effectiveness was proven when it helped the medical agency track thousands of people who had close contact with an infected person or a suspected case.

According to the Department of Information Technology (Ministry of Information and Communications), by the end of 2020, Bluezone downloads exceeded 22.5 million. Da Nang, Hanoi, Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong are the top 5 provinces and cities in the country in terms of the proportion of Bluezone users over the total population.

Viettel is the mobile network with the highest percentage of Bluezone users, accounting for 26.7% of the total mobile subscribers, followed by MobiFone (24.6%), VinaPhone (22.1%) and Vietnamobile (9.3%).

About 40 countries are implementing technological solutions to detect those who have had close contact with Covid-19 patients, thereby reducing the spread of disease.

In Vietnam, Bluezone remains the most effective and simplest way to combat the spread of Covid-19. This application can only function effectively when there is a large enough community of users.

Trong Dat

Do other countries use Bluezone app to fight Covid-19? This is the question many people ask when they are called to download and install Bluezone application to track down suspected Covid-19 cases.
Our friend David Horowitz makes the case that our present political crisis is not the result of polarized views on policy, but rather is caused by the Lefts outpouring of vicious hate and determination to crush all opposition.

Everybody agrees that our country is in crisis  and agrees that it is the worst crisis since the Civil War. But at the same time, we tell ourselves a comforting tale about the source of the crisis that perpetuates the problem instead of providing a path to ending it. We say our politics are divisive and talk about unity and healing as though that would miraculously be achieved if everybody stopped  what? Disagreeing? All politics is divisive. Thats the healthy basis of our constitutional order: the freedom to disagree. To suppress disagreement, to outlaw it  as many Democrats and their Big Tech and media allies  are demanding these days, is to end democracy as we know it.

The problem is not that we disagree. We are not suffering as a nation from healthy disagreement. We are suffering from a Tsunami of Hate emanating from the Democrat Party that seeks to demonize, criminalize and extinguish dissent from the 75 million supporters of Donald Trump. It is now official Washington dogma that to question an election result  something the congressional Democrats have done in the face of every Republican presidential victory since 2000  is now insurrection and domestic terrorism, or the incitement thereto, and needs to be prosecuted and suppressed.

You cant have a democracy if this is the attitude of a party that controls all three branches of government, is enabled by a corrupt and compliant media, and is determined not just to defeat, but to humiliate, destroy and expunge from the record an ex-president who is supported by a greater segment of the American electorate than any American leader before him.

There is Democrat-sponsored legislation pending that would prevent any public building or artifact, even a bench from being named after the 45th president of the United States. There is a farcical witch-trial to impeach the same villain even though he has left office and is now a private citizen. There is even Democrat talk of stripping Trump of his pension, despite the fact that he gave his entire $1.6 million salary as president to the American people  something no president before him has done. If ever there was a public lynching, short of stringing the victim from the nearest tree  and there are no lack of leftwing calls for that  the Democrats unrelentingly vindictive assault on the defeated Donald Trump down to the last petty detail is it.

But what is in effect a total war is not merely a war to cancel Donald Trump. If it were, it would be reprehensible enough, but not a threat to the nation itself. This demonic hate directed by the Democrat Party towards Trump is also hate for the 75 million Americans who voted for him. And there is no shortage of reminders of that. Ordinary Americans in all walks of life who happen to think that Trumps presidency  which included record employment and record economic growth, delivered benefits for all Americans, particularly American minorities, secured Americas borders, defeated Americas terrorist enemies and led to an unprecedented reconciliation between Arab nations and the State of Israel  Americans who think this is a worthy achievement are treated as social pariahs, have their careers destroyed and (shades of the Kremlin) are regarded as mentally unfit and in need of deprogramming.

In a March 2020 interview with Axios James Clyburn  the third ranking Democrat in the House and the political figure most responsible for Bidens primary victory  raised the specter of Hitler when speaking about Trump, calling the president a racist and likening modern-day America to Germany during the Nazi Partys rise to power. I used to wonder how could the people of Germany allow Hitler to exist, said Clyburn. But with each passing day, Im beginning to understand how. And thats why Im trying to sound the alarm.

A Tsunami of Hate  not divisiveness  is the root cause of our political crisis and the most existential threat we have faced since the war to end slavery.

The fact that the threat posed by the Democrats Tsunami of Hate is not just to Trump and his supporters, but to America itself, was evident in one of Bidens first directives as president, declaring that a war on Americas systemic racism would be a priority of his administration: The fact is systemic racism touches every facet of American life.

This is one of the Big Lies that have become articles of faith for Democrats, and is easily refuted. The 1964 Civil Rights Act outlawed systemic racism. Here is the Wikipedia description of the law:

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Pub. L. 88352, 78 Stat. 241, enacted July 2, 1964) is a landmark civil rights and labor law in the United States that outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, and later sexual orientation and gender identity. It prohibits unequal application of voter registration requirements, racial segregation in schools and public accommodations

If systemic racism or institutional racism were a serious problem in America  let alone touched every facet of American life,  as Biden says, what do you think would happen? Assume, as Biden and woke Democrats generally seem to think, that all white people are racists, there are thousands of black attorneys, attorneys general, prosecutors, judges, legislators and occupiers of the highest seats of government. If there was a scintilla of truth in this statement there would be thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of lawsuits filed under the Civil Rights Act. But there are no such lawsuits. The claim that systemic racism touches every facet of American life is itself a racist lie, whose evident target is white people, since according to the woke, people of color cant be racist.

Not surprisingly, one of Bidens first week initiatives was a systemically racist plan to provide financial assistance to small businesses whose owners were black, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American. Only whites were excluded. But Asian Americans as an ethnic group have higher incomes than white Americans. So what rationale for this policy is there but anti-white racism?

How virulent is the anti-white and anti-American racism of the Democrat Party? Consider this unhinged but also unchallenged statement by Vice President Kamala Harris defending the Black Lives Matters rioters whose protests caused billions in property damage, led to 25 deaths and injured 2000 police officers in the summer of 2020: The reality is that the life of a black person in America has never been treated as fully human Its no wonder people are taking to the streets [to protest]. And I support them.

In other words, the 44th president of the United States, the most admired man in America for over a decade wasnt treated as fully human, or Martin Luther King  the only American with a national holiday in his honor (courtesy of President Ronald Reagan). This lunatic hatred of white America is now not only acceptable in the Democrat Party but the hateful creed of its leaders.

To be fair, there are two main areas of systemic racism in America today, but both are supported and enforced by the Democrat Party, which is why they exist. The first is the systemic racism that traps inner city children  mainly ethnic minorities  in inferior schools that for fifty years and more have failed to provide 80 percent of them with the skills that are necessary to succeed. Every year 40% of inner city children drop out of school without graduating, and 40% of those who do, are functionally illiterate. The Democrat teacher unions  the same which went on strike during the pandemic with full pay at the expense of children who could not afford to miss school  exert absolute control over these school systems and have stifled all attempts at reforms. They are unalterably opposed to every alternative to their racist policies, from charter schools to vouchers that give inner city kids the same privilege as their middle-class counterparts, to allow their parents to enroll them in schools that will teach them.

The other nationwide systemic racism is affirmative action programs which discriminate against all ethnic groups but those designated oppressed  a convenient leftist fiction used to justify all manner of injustice. If youre black or Pacific Islander or Hispanic, go to the head of the line for a job, a promotion, a place at Harvard, a coveted training position to become a surgeon or other medical specialist. If youre white or an ethnic minority whose community supports educational values and scores well on exams, like Asians, forget that place at Harvard, youre screwed.

How racist is that? And how readily is this racism supported by a president and an administration, which like our most dedicated foreign enemies thinks America is a nation of slavers and racist oppressors, while at the same time our borders are under siege by black, brown and Asian minorities desperate to become citizens of the most tolerant, inclusive and egalitarian society on earth.

America will not be healed until the Democrat Party returns to its senses, repudiates its current racist attitudes, and stops demonizing its opponents as what Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called enemies of the state.

Enda McClafferty is proud of his background.

There it is - literally, in the background - as he delivers his latest reports to television viewers.

While others in this work-from-home, Zoom-crazy world prefer to display the contents of their bookcase or compact disc collection, BBC NI's newly-appointed political editor treats us to stunning views of the Foyle.

"That's what you see from the front of our house," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

"It's situated so close to Northern Ireland; the border is the first thing I see every morning and the last thing I see every night.

"It was interesting when I was covering Brexit debates in London and listening to people who'd never seen or been to the border, and there I was coming home every day and living on it."

Perhaps you need such a soothing view when you are breaking down complex political stories and making them much more accessible to the rest of us. And, if that's the case, it is working.

"Politics trains you to be listening to a whole lot of different things at the same time - ignoring some things and taking in others," he said, admitting that it doesn't necessarily make him a big hit at home with Marina Hamilton (49), his artist wife - a former jockey - of 22 years.

"Marina is always saying that she was able to talk to me better when I was working in Belfast.

"Now, because I'm working so intensely at home, it's hard to switch off at times. This is what politics does to you."

The couple got married on September 11, 1998 - a date that is "ingrained in our heads because three years later we had the 'real' 9/11" - having met at the North West Regional College, before heading off to university.

Expand Close Enda McClafferty with his wife Marina, who was a jockey / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Enda McClafferty with his wife Marina, who was a jockey

They have three daughters - 20-year-old twins Kellie and Jade, and Chloe who is 16.

The 50-year-old Donegal man considers Downings in the north of the county as his "spiritual home", although he has lived in the village of St Johnston ("within touching distance of Northern Ireland") for almost 30 years.

"We moved a lot, maybe 13 times, around Donegal, as my father, a teacher, got different jobs," he explained.

Enda is the second eldest of seven children - all boys - to Hugh and Helen, both aged 74, who live in the family's "last stop", Letterkenny.

His brothers are Mark (51), Karl (47), Adrian (44), Ronan (41), Damien (37) and Niall (36).

"A house full of boys was great fun, but give me daughters any time," he said.

The Ulster University graduate worked at the Belfast Telegraph from 1995 until 2000 before joining BBC Radio Foyle, where he presented the breakfast programme.

There followed stints as a reporter on BBC Spotlight and as a stand-in presenter on all Radio Ulster's current affairs programmes, prior to becoming a political correspondent in 2016.

His easy-going but no-nonsense style clearly impressed the powers-that-be at Ormeau Avenue, who chose him to succeed Mark Devenport as political editor late last year.

While hardly a surprise, Enda nevertheless had to see off some quality competition for the 'big job' vacated by his hugely popular and highly respected predecessor.

So why does he think he got the nod?

"I don't really know why they chose me," he replied with characteristic modesty.

"It's hard to put your finger on it...although I have been covering politics in one way or another since 2000, and you get to tick a lot of boxes whenever you move around within the BBC."

Enda admitted that the previous political editor's departure came as a surprise.

"I thought Mark had some years left to run, and a little bit more to give," he said.

"He was the ultimate professional, so talented at his job and a lovely person with it. He wore his talent very lightly.

"Working with somebody like him was one of the reasons that I enjoyed covering politics so much. I learned a lot, and we could do with his expertise and his skill at the moment.

"It is coming at us on all fronts; there's so much happening."

He added: "Obviously the pandemic is overshadowing everything, and then we have Brexit and talks, never mind the other problems currently sitting in the in-trays of Stormont ministers.

"There's so much to deal with. You're consuming it all day and thinking about it in your sleep, but it's a fantastic time to be involved in politics."

His predecessor was renowned for straightforward, no nonsense, non-sensationalist reporting; Enda said he would like to think those traits would also characterise his journalism, but acknowledged that the pair have different styles.

"Maybe Mark might have been a little bit more sophisticated whereas I'm sort of more - as much as I don't like to say this - the country look at things," he said

"Having worked in the north west, having been around this patch down here, perhaps there's more of that feel to it," he said.

"Funnily enough, the very first BBC NI political correspondent was the late WD (Billy) Flackes, who was also from Donegal.

"Like me, he used to talk too fast," he said.

"I always have to write down on a piece of paper in front of me 'slow down, slow down'".

Enda now heads a "very talented" team that includes the veteran political journalists Gareth Gordon and Stephen Walker, reporter Jayne McCormack and producer Raymond Crozier.

But with Brexit and Covid the main thrust of all news these days, Enda said it is no surprise that various correspondents in the media are overlapping.

"It's a needs-must scenario because Covid is touching so many elements of our lives here," he said.

"It's being decided by our politicians and then there's the health and economic fallout from that."

Expand Close View from home: Enda McClafferty at home with his daughters (from left) Chloe, Jade and Kellie and the Foyle in the background / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp View from home: Enda McClafferty at home with his daughters (from left) Chloe, Jade and Kellie and the Foyle in the background

When asked if he thinks he will be the first BBC political editor to report on a United Ireland, he replied that it was "a tricky question" before bursting out laughing.

"I live in the Republic and the funny thing is, I have never voted in an election in Northern Ireland," he said.

"If there's a border poll in Northern Ireland, of course I won't be part of it either. But I can't see it happening under a Conservative government."

He also revealed that he has now "become so well used" to people calling him 'Edna' instead of Enda.

"How can such a four letter word be so confusing?" he mused.

"When Enda Kenny became Taoiseach I thought all my problems were over, but it's just one of those names some people struggle with.

"Enda is also a girl's name in parts of the Republic.

"I sat in a hospital waiting room in Dublin and when a nurse came out and said 'Enda', I jumped to my feet - as did the lady beside me..."

With daughter Kellie studying medicine in Aberdeen and Jade (who contracted and recovered from Covid) studying biomedical sciences in Galway, Enda and his other two girls live with Marina's parents Thomas and Rebecca in what he described as a "Waltons-style" set-up.

As they are both in their 80s, and both have had treatment for cancer, Enda said is "super sensitive" about the threat from the deadly virus.

"That's one of the reasons you see me so often with the Foyle behind me," he said.

"I'd like to move around more, to Stormont and other places, but I'm always mindful of what I might be bringing back."

Of all the subjects he has covered in journalism, his documentary about a Donegal fishing tragedy, The Sinking of the Jack Buchan, means most to him.

"My granny's brother was drowned along with four other fellow crew men on that boat in 1958. We grew up hearing the story. It was an awful tragedy. The sole survivor did his first interview about it with me last year.

"He hadn't talked about it in all those years. When I retire, it'll be one of the things I'll be most proud of. We can keep his memory alive through the documentary, and tell the story of the other men who were lost."

Coincidentally, Enda also discovered that a work colleague had been touched by the same tragedy.

"I'd worked alongside this person for 10 years, not knowing that he lost his uncle and I lost my granduncle on the same trawler, and none of us realised the connection until I was doing the documentary," he said.

Prior to becoming political editor, Enda said his most important story involved the publishing of the Saville Report into Bloody Sunday, in Londonderry in June 2010.

"I anchored our coverage during a six-hour programme broadcast from Guildhall Square in June 2010," he recalled.

"It was a moment in history, such a significant day for the people of that city.

"To have a front row seat in history, to be anchoring Radio Foyle's coverage, Prime Minister David Cameron's apology, the families getting sight of the report for the first time, that was a memorable day."

The way things are going, there is no doubt he will have plenty more stand-out moments.
The dwarf galaxy known as Tuscana II is now believed to have a vast halo of dark matter that is much larger than scientists previously estimated.

MIT astrophysicists detected stars on the edge of Tuscana II, which sits 163,000 light years from Earth, in a configuration that is far from the center.

Because the stars are trapped in the tiny galaxy's gravitational pull, scientists speculate dark matter is what's keeping them there.

Dark matter is a hypothetical type of matter that is thought to make up more than 85 percent of the universe, and every galaxy is thought to be held together by a local concentration, or halo, of dark matter.

This is the first sign that Tuscana II, which is one of the first galaxies in the universe, hosts an extended dark matter halo  and experts speculated it is three to five times more massive than believed.

Scroll down for video

The dwarf galaxy known as Tuscana II is now believed to have a vast halo of dark matter that is much larger than scientists previously estimated

The idea of dark matter, originally known as 'missing matter,' was formulated in 1933, following the discovery that the mass of all stars in the Coma cluster of the galaxies used about one percent of the mass needed to keep galaxies from escaping the cluster's gravitational pull.

Decades later in the 1970s, American astronomers Vera Rubin and Kent Ford found anomalies in the orbits of stars in galaxies, reports NBC News.

The discovery sparked a theory among the scientific community that the anomalies were caused by masses of invisible 'dark matter,' located in and around galaxies.

Many experts suggest about 85 percent of all the matter in the universe is dark matter  but for such a great amount, it has never been seen nor detected.

MIT astrophysicists detect stars on the edge of Tuscana II, which sits 163,000 light years from Earth, in a configuration that is far from the center. Because the stars are trapped in the tiny galaxy's gravitational pull, scientists speculate dark matter is what's keeping them there (artist impression of a distant galaxy)

The recent discovery by MIT suggests that the very first galaxies may be home to massive amounts of dark matter.

MIT graduate student Anirudh Chiti said: 'Tucana II has a lot more mass than we thought, in order to bound these stars that are so far away.'

'This means that other relic first galaxies probably have these kinds of extended halos too.'

Along with the halo of dark matter, the observation includes evidence of such a stellar imbalance in an ultrafaint dwarf galaxy.

The unique configuration suggests that the ancient galaxy may have been the product of one of the first mergers in the universe, between two infant galaxiesone slightly less primitive than the other.

Anna Frebel, the Silverman Family Career Development Associate Professor of Physics at MIT, said: 'We may be seeing the first signature of galactic cannibalism.'

'One galaxy may have eaten one of its slightly smaller, more primitive neighbors, which then spilled all its stars into the outskirts.'

Because the stars are located so far the center of Tuscana II, the team can only come to the conclusion that dark matter is keeping them in the galaxy's gravitational pull.

'Without dark matter, galaxies would just fly apart,' Chiti. says. '[Dark matter] is a crucial ingredient in making a galaxy and holding it together.'
 .   .   .            ...
Nua Healthcare has announced plans to recruit up to 60 healthcare workers in the Leinster region.



As one of Irelands leading private providers of residential services for people with intellectual disabilities, Nuas latest announcement will further enable the delivery of crucial services to both children and adults with complex support needs, whilst enhancing the standards of excellence in care for people with disabilities throughout the island of Ireland.



Nua is seeking to recruit Social Care Workers with Level 7 or 8 qualifications and Assistant Support Workers with FETAC Level 5, to join their teams in residential care facilities and supported living services situated in counties Kildare, Laois, Carlow, Offaly and Kilkenny.



Michelle Kirwan, Nuas Recruitment Manager says; this announcement is very positive for many people across the country who have perhaps lost their job recently due to the pandemic, or who wish to progress their career in social care. Amidst some truly difficult times for our nation, this presents great opportunities for people and we are pleased to be supporting employment in our local communities.



This latest development from Nua will also help support progression of the Governments national policy on de-congregation by ensuring Service Users with intellectual disabilities are provided with a greater choice of appropriate accommodation as they move on from more traditional settings.



Nua Healthcares facilities offer Service Users access to a much-improved quality of life, with greater independence and choice in everyday living, offering them the opportunity to live with a small group of people with similar support needs, and to have their own space within a home in the community.

More and more Vietnamese individuals with businesses online have declared tax and paid personal income tax.

The Hai Chau district taxation agency in Da Nang City has confirmed that it collected the tax arrears of VND25.3 billion from one individual. N.N.D, who lives in Da Nang, had revenue of VND281 billion from ad services paid by Google from 2015 to June 2018.

The Hanoi Taxation Agency reported that the amount of tax collected from e-commerce activities in 2020 was five times higher than 2019. Some individuals came to the agency to declare and pay tax.

A woman, 28, in Cau Giay district, reported revenue of VND330 billion and paid tax of VND23.4 billion.

A man, 30, also in Cau Giay district, had revenue of VND260 billion from his software products used by apps worldwide and paid tax of VND18.1 billion.

As individuals do not have accounting books, it is difficult to define the input cost and the output. Therefore, the state sets a fixed added value percentage, depending on the business field.

Under current laws, those who develop software and have revenue from ads have to pay 5 percent of VAT and 2 percent of total revenue in personal income tax.

According to Nguyen Van Duoc, CEO of Trong Tin Accounting Service, the Law on Tax Administration N0 38 and Decree 126 has provisions which say individuals doing business via internet must declare and pay tax.

The law also stipulates that credit institutions and commercial banks should provide information about taxpayers accounts to the taxation agency.

If accounts show VND300 billion or higher paid to owners, this is surely money from business. If individuals dont declare and pay tax in accordance with the current laws, the taxation agency will discover their tax evasion one day, he said.

In Vietnam, online businesses have been developing strongly in recent years. People buy and sell goods, and provide services and post ads on TV, e-commerce websites and foreign social networks.

Since July 1, 2020, when the Law on Tax Administration N0 38 which includes regulation on tax administration for e-commerce activities, took effect, tax collection from activities has been under control.

In 2020, Hanoi collected VND123 billion in tax from e-commerce. In 2017, the Hanoi Taxation Agency sent 13,000 messages to subscribers who had addresses for selling goods on social networks and reported that over 2,000 individuals followed procedures to register for tax declaration.

Any behavior of tax evasion will be fined, or even prosecuted if necessary.

Luong Bang

Vietnams e-commerce market generates $11.8 billion in 2020 Vietnams e-commerce revenue reached $11.8 billion in 2020, up 18 per cent against last year and accounting for 5.5 per cent of total retail sales.
Murdered student Libby Squire suffered a 'terrible twist of fate' when she encountered a polish butcher who was out looking for 'easy sex' on the night of her death, jurors were told.

Pawel Relowicz, 26, is on trial for the rape and murder of the Hull University student who disappeared during a night out in the city on February 1 2019 and whose body was found in the Humber estuary seven weeks later.

The prosecution have said that the butcher, a Polish national, picked up Ms Squire just off Beverley Road, in Hull, before driving her to the nearby Oak Road playing fields where he raped her and put her into the River Hull either alive, dead or dying.

Prosecutor Richard Wright QC told the jury Sheffield Crown Court today: 'Pawel Relowicz, we suggest, has lied throughout these proceedings and Libby Squire died because it was her sheer misfortune by a terrible twist of fate, to stray into the path of a man who was looking for this opportunity who, having achieved the easy sex he was looking for, killed his victim', Hull Live reports.

Murdered student 21-year-old Libby Squire suffered a 'terrible twist of fate' when she encountered Pawel Relowicz, 26, (pictured), a jury were told at Sheffield Crown Court

Mr Wright began his closing prosecution speech by reminding the jury that it is two years to the day since Libby Squire disappeared in the early hours of February 1 2019.

He told the court: 'Two years ago today, at probably this very moment, her friends and her family were frantically searching for her and for news of her as she had vanished as if into thin air.'

Relowicz, who has admitted committing a series of sexually motivated offences in the 18 months before Ms Squire disappeared, has told the jury at Sheffield Crown Court he had consensual sex with the Hull University student on Oak Road before he left her alive.

The jury had previously heard that the suspect had broken into homes and stolen sex toys and women's underwear.

Pawel Relowicz, 26, is on trial for the murder of Hull University student Libby Squire (pictured), 21, who disappeared during a night out in February 2019 and whose body was found in the Humber estuary weeks later

The barrister defending Polish butcher Pawel Relowicz, 26, (pictured right, with his wife) said his client 'cannot be guilty of killing Libby Squire' because there is no evidence

Mr Wright told the jury that the butcher's insistence that he had consensual sex with the student who 'vanished as if into thin air' after he picked her up in a drunken state is a 'nonsense proposition'.

On Monday, Mr Wright asked the jury to consider whether a young woman who had been crying, shivering uncontrollably and begging to go home to her mother would say: 'I'll lie here on this scrap of grass and I'll have unprotected sex with you here and now.'

The prosecutor said: 'It is, we suggest in common sense, a nonsense proposition.'

He said: 'From everything you know about Libby Squire's condition - freezing cold, desperately upset, injured, wanting her mum, wanting what any child wants when they're upset and wants comfort - that girl suddenly recovers and suggests having sexual intercourse on that grubby bit of ground next to his car?

Prosecutor Mr Wright asked the jury to consider whether a young woman who had been crying, shivering uncontrollably and begging to go home to her mother would say: 'I'll lie here on this scrap of grass and I'll have unprotected sex with you here and now'

'She was hypothermic, she was shivering uncontrollably, according to the defendant.'

Mr Wright also asked the jury to remember that this was a man 'whose whole purpose was to commit sexual offences that evening'.

He reminded the court how Ms Squire had gone out with friends on the night of January 31 2019, but was refused entry to a club because she was drunk and returned to her street in a taxi.

CCTV footage shows Libby Squire on her way to the Welly Nightclub, which she was later turned away from

Instead of going home, the jury has heard, the philosophy student went to Beverley Road where a number of people tried to help her in the freezing conditions before she got into Relowicz's car.

Mr Wright told the jury that the defendant had been out for three hours that night looking to 'satisfy his insatiable sexual urges'.

He said that Relowicz has admitted he 'wanted an opportunity for easy sex'.

Polish-born father-of-two Relowicz, of Raglan Street, Hull, denies rape and murder.
A healthcare worker receives a dose of Covishield, a COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India, at a government-run hospital at Baruipur on the outskirts of Kolkata. (Image: Reuters)

live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 announced a budget outlay of Rs 223,846 crore for health and wellbeing in the Budget 2021.

This was an increase of 137 percent compared to the outlay on healthcare was Rs 94,452 crore in 2020.

What led to the increase?

The increase was primarily led by Rs 35,000 crore allotment for COVID-19 vaccines and Rs 21,158 crore allocation to drinking water and sanitation. In addition to Finance Commission (FC) Grants of Rs 13,192 crore for health and Rs 36,022 crore for water and sanitation. The FC Grants in the Union Budget provides funds to local bodies, state disaster relief funds and compensates any revenue loss to states after devolution of taxes.

Follow Moneycontrol's Budget 2021 live coverage

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

Beyond headline number

Beyond the headline number, the actual allotment for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the implementing agency of all health schemes has increased 9.6 percent to Rs 71,269 crore. The proposed allocation to Ayushman Bharat remained flat at Rs 6,400 crore this year, same as the amount set in last year's Budget before it was revised downward to Rs 3,100 crore.

National Health Mission that covers most of the government health initiatives that includes immunisation, primary healthcare, various diseases control programme, capacity building, among others, has seen an increase of 9.5 percent to Rs 36,570.5 crore.

New scheme to enhance pandemic preparedness

The FM also announced a new scheme called the PM Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana for boosting the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare, with budget outlay of Rs 64,180 crore spread over six years.

This funding would be used to develop capacities of health care systems, develop institutions for detection & cure of new and emerging diseases.

The FM said the scheme will support over 17,788 rural and over 11,024 urban health and wellness centres. Health labs will be set up in all districts and 3,382 block public health units in 11 states. Establishment of critical care blocks will be created in many public hospitals. in 602 districts and 12 central institutions.

The government will set up 15 Health Emergency Operation Centers and 2 mobile hospitals. The government will set up a national institution for One Health, a Regional Research Platform for WHO South East Asia Region, 9 Bio-Safety Level III laboratories and 4 regional National Institutes for Virology.

The total allocation to healthcare is a sizeable sum of Rs 2.23 lakh crore including COVID-19 vaccination expenditure currently budgeted at Rs 35,000 crore, the sector should get a good boost. Another notable part of the allocation is the thrust on water and sanitation, the allocation for these two itself exceeds last years total budget and is a welcome step in addressing the root cause and taking preventive measure," said Rajiv Bajoria, Partner, Deloitte India

"As India's healthcare spend has historically been very low, it is hoped that the present allocations mark a beginning of a strong focus to this sector, Bajoria said.

The government said it is committed to increase the spend on healthcare to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2025.

The government spending on healthcare is expected to increase from 1.5 percent in FY20 budget to 1.8 percent in FY21 budget, with the increase in spend.

But other experts like Kapil Banga, Assistant Vice President at rating agency ICRA said excluding vaccines, the budgetary allocation for healthcare sector for FY2022 will translate into 10 percent drop in the allocation, if compared to the revised estimates (RE) for FY2021, nonetheless, the allocation translates to growth of 11%, if it is compared to the budget estimates (BE) for FY2021.

"However, as the total allocation towards the healthcare sector has come down vis-a-vis RE for FY2021, this could translate into cutting of expenditure on other avenues within the sector," Banga said.

"The continuing modest allocation towards the healthcare sector would make it challenging for the Government to meet its target of public sector healthcare investment of 2.5% of the GDP by 2025," Banga added.

The government has earlier announced that it will foot the entire bill of the vaccination for 3 crore healthcare and frontline workers. There was talk about imposing possible Covid cess to fund the remainder of COVID-19 vaccination rollout, but the FM didn't take that route.

"An adequate budgetary provision for the vaccine rollout will boost the confidence of the economic agents, and aid in their decision-making regarding both consumption and investment," rating agency ICRA said in its pre-budget note.

She welcomed her second child with fiance Marius Jensen earlier this month.

And Kara Tointon has revealed that her newborn son, who she's called Helly, is 'very zen', adding that the adorable tot is 'so chilled and wonderful'.

In a new interview, the former EastEnders star, 37, and her chiropractor partner, 35, also detailed the inspiration behind the bundle of joy's Norwegian name.

Bundle of joy: Kara Tointon has revealed that her newborn son, who she's called Helly, is 'very zen', adding that the adorable tot is 'so chilled and wonderful'

Speaking to Hello! magazine, Kara said that her new baby 'is an incredibly cool little man. He is very zen, he has a calming effect.'

The actress, who also shares two-year-old son with Marius, added that the tot is 'so chilled and wonderful.'

Meanwhile, Marius, who Kara went public with in 2017, explained that the name Helly is inspired by his native country Norway, adding that his son also has the middle names Juel and Parsell.

Latest addition: In a new interview, the former EastEnders star, 37, and her chiropractor partner, 35, also detailed the inspiration behind the bundle of joy's Norwegian name

Speaking further about the inspiration for the name, he explained: 'The first Helly we found was an old Norwegian sea captain, from a place in Norway called Moss, a tiny little town where my grandmother is from.'

The full interview is in Hello! magazine.

He went on to say that after they looked Helly up, they discovered that Helly was a 'big bearded guy' like himself, adding it was then the name 'fell into place'.

Kara gave birth to Helly via elective Caesarean following a four-day ordeal when welcoming eldest son Frey, which lead to an emergency C-section.

Discussing her recent experience at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, the Mr. Selfridge star described it as 'strange' as the hospital seemed 'almost deserted.'

She added: 'But we were both so aware that on the other side of the hospital it must have been pandemonium. It is amazing what they are all doing right now.'

She did it! Discussing her recent experience at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, the Mr. Selfridge star described it as 'strange' as the hospital seemed 'almost deserted'

Kara revealed the happy baby news to Hello! magazine earlier this month, saying: 'Our second bundle of joy arrived on Friday 8th January at 9.46 am weighing 7.25 pounds.

'Couldnt be more excited to start 2021 with this incredibly cool little man joining our family.

'Thank you to the amazing team at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital for bringing him into the world safely.'

Kara confirmed back in October that she was six months pregnant with a baby boy, almost two years after she and partner Marius welcomed son Frey.

Moniker: Meanwhile, Marius, who Kara went public with in 2017, explained that the name Helly is inspired by his native country Norway, adding that his son also has the middle names Juel and Parsell

She said that she had really wanted a sibling for Frey and told the publication: 'if it happens, it happens, let's go with the flow. And it happened quicker than expected.

The actress had been due to star in a stage production of Steel Magnolias before COVID-19 restrictions prevented it going ahead.

Kara and Marius had wished to tie the knot last year on a lawn by a beautiful fjord where his grandfather grew up.

Baby joy: Kara revealed the happy baby news to Hello! magazine earlier this month, saying: 'Our second bundle of joy arrived on Friday 8th January at 9.46 am weighing 7.25 pounds

However, their special day has been put on pause for the time being due to the pandemic and national lockdown.

Kara said: 'It keeps getting put on hold. But I like to do things when I'm in a place to enjoy it, so if you can't do that now, then why rush?

'It will be much nicer to get married in a celebratory way when we can enjoy it with family.'

Kara, who has a close relationship with her sister, actress Hannah Tointon, told how she is looking forward to seeing the bond her two sons will develop.
She recently told how she has learned to love her peachy bottom after being told ny top modelling agencies her rear was 'too big' for the fashion world.

And Arabella Chi proudly displayed her posterior in a thong bikini as she posted wistful throwback snaps to her Instagram on Sunday.

The former Love Island star, 29, posed in a a pair of cheeky white bottoms and a tie-up T-shirt as she reminisced about her sun-soaked 'work' trips to Egypt and Dubai.

'Dreaming of warmer climates': Arabella Chi proudly displayed her peachy bottom in a thong bikini as she posted wistful throwback snaps to her Instagram on Sunday

She posted the pictures to her 600,000 followers with the caption: 'Dreaming of warmer climates'.

The model showcased her tanned and toned physique in white barely-there bikini bottoms with the ocean as a backdrop.

Arabella sizzled as she posed for the camera, looking over her shoulder in one snap and appeared to fix her hair into a ponytail in the next.

The reality star has arrived back in the UK after two luxurious vacations for modelling work, while staying at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza in Egypt and The Westin in Dubai.

Sizzling: The former Love Island star, 29, posed in a a pair of cheeky white bottoms and a tie-up T-shirt as she reminisced about her sun-soaked 'work' trips to Egypt and Dubai

Last month, the television personality revealed she was turned down for modelling work prior to her stint on Love Island as she was told she was too 'bottom-heavy' for work.

She said in an interview with The Sun: 'My hip measurement was always a measurement that modelling agencies told me I had to get down. But when they measure your hips, it's actually your bum.

'I used to cast for really big shows and for Fashion Week and they would always tell me, if you didn't have a bum you'd walk for Chanel and Dior and I'm like, I can't do anything about it.

'Agents used to say to me, "You need to lose weight in your bum". I went to Milan, and they said, 'You're bottom-heavy'. So I was constantly fighting my bum!'

Arabella, who shot to fame on the 2019 series of Love Island, said she has now learned to love her bum and is proud of her figure.

Working hard? Arabella was one of a host of influencers who flocked to Dubai under the ruse of it being a 'business trip' in recent weeks while the UK remains under lockdown

She was one of a host of influencers who flocked to Dubai under the ruse of it being a 'business trip' in recent weeks while the UK remains under lockdown.

The star claimed she travelled to Dubai, prior to her Egypt trip, for a photoshoot and meetings with modelling agencies.

Arabella recently celebrated the end of her quarantine after jetting home as she explained that she signed up for England's Test to Release scheme which allows travellers entering from certain countries to reduce their mandatory 10-day isolation.

Travellers are allowed to stop isolating upon receipt of a negative Covid test taken after at least five days of isolating.
Mongols bikie gang leader Toby Mitchell must undergo intensive anger management and alcohol counselling before he is sentenced later this year for attacking two men.

Mitchell, who last week pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful assault over separate attacks in 2020, will now also be able to reunite with his fellow Mongols associates and leave his Southbank apartment after 8pm, after onerous bail conditions were relaxed.

Mongols bikie boss Toby Mitchell leaves his lawyers office after Mondays court case. Credit:Jason South

It came as a magistrate allowed the release of CCTV footage depicting the two assaults, which occurred outside Gilson cafe in South Yarra on October 8 and at Southbank on November 15.

The 45-year-old Mongols boss was due to be sentenced at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday.

We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
New Delhi, Feb 1 : India's first unmanned space flight as part of the 'Gaganyaan' mission is scheduled to be launched in December this year, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday.

Initially planned for December 2020, the launch was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Four Indian astronauts are being trained in Russia. The first unmanned launch, the precursor to a manned mission, is scheduled for December 2021," Sitharaman said while presenting the Union Budget on Monday.

Two unmanned GSLV rockets will be tested before the actual human flight takes place.

The Finance Minister also said that the New Space India Limited (NSIL), a PSU under the Department of Space, will execute the PSLV-CS51 launch, carrying the Amazonia Satellite from Brazil, along with a few smaller Indian satellites.

Sitharaman also proposed to launch a 'Deep Ocean Mission' with a budget outlay of more than Rs 4,000 crore over five years. This mission will cover deep ocean survey exploration and projects for the conservation of deep sea bio-diversity.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
What's on February 1-7 (Daily updated)

EXHIBITION



Hanoi- Exhibition showcasing pottery artworks





Until Feb 10,

Fine Arts Exhibition House, 16 Ngo Quyen Street

An exhibition entitled Spring Pottery 2021 featuring nearly 100 pieces of pottery by 50 artists who are members of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association.

Hanoi-Fragments of Nostalgia



Until Mar 7, 10 am  07 pm

Mo Art Space, 136 Hang Trong Street, Hoan Kiem District



From the organizer:

A solo showcase of Phan Tuan Ngoc  Fragments of Nostalgia. The exhibition is a retrospective of the artists memories, delivered through desaturated colors, playful minimalism and poetry. Ngocs work experiments mainly with installation, oil on canvas and mixed media on Do paper.



About the artist:



Phan Tuan Ngoc (b. 1983) majored in Chemistry and Biology, but chose to pursue an art career as he was deeply in love with the beauty of colors and materials. Ngoc has been active since 2009, with work exhibited at many famous local showcases such as Vietnamese Art Exhibition (2020), Exhibition of Young Artists Club (2017-2019), Biennale of Saigon (2017, 2019), Vietnam Regional Exhibition II (2013-2020), Group Exhibition at Vietnam National Museum of Fine Art (2019), and VOSAP Art from Heart Contest Exhibition (2020).

Hanoi-Exhibition features paintings by people with autism



Until Feb 29,



Megan Gallery, 299 Trung Kinh street, Cau Giay district



An exhibition entitled Sac Mau - Nhung Manh Ghep (The Pieces of Colours) showing some 40 paintings by To Do Huong Giang, Nguyen Van Duy, Vu Do Tuan Duy, Nguyen Trung Hieu, Pham Quang Huy and Nguyen Danh Lam.



The artists, who are aged from 13 to 22 years old and have autism, have learned to paint at a charity painting class run by artist Luong Giang.





Hanoi-Online exhibition featuring shared culture of Vietnam, Australia











Until March 12, 2021



An online exhibition, the "Skilled Hands, Shared Culture" featuring 20 contemporary Vietnamese and Australian designers, artists and artisans whose work contributes to supporting vibrant and sustainable communities.



The Vietnamese artists joining the exhibition comprise Le Giang, Nguyen Tan Phat, Nguyen Thi Dung, Nguyen Van Loi, Pham Thi Ngoc Tram, Vu Kim Thu and Van Ngo Trong, while their Australian counterparts consist of Claire Tracey, Grace Lilian Lee, Lindy de Wijn, Michelle Hamer, Muhubo Salieman, Slow Art Collective, Vermin, Vicki Couzens, Vipoo Srivilasa, Yu Fang Chi and Kieren Karritpul.



The exhibition runs until March 12, 2021, at https://rmitgallery.com/exhibitions/skilled-hands-shared-cultures.



Brussels, Feb 1 : Top officials of the European Union (EU) held discussions with drug giants about the rapid development and production of vaccines specially against the new variants of the coronavirus.

The emergence of variants of concern "raises the imminent threat of reduced efficacy of recently approved vaccines," and it is crucial to prepare for the appearance of such variants, the European Commission said in a statement on Sunday.

The video conference was held by the Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, with CEOs of the pharmaceutical companies BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, CureVac and Sanofi, all of which have signed agreements with the EU for vaccines supply.

EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton, von der Leyen's coronavirus special advisors Peter Piot and Moncef Slaoui, as well as the Executive Director of the European Medicines Agency, Emer Cook, were also present.

The discussion explored requirements for very rapid development, manufacturing and regulatory approval of vaccines for Covid-19 variants in the EU, according to the statement.

The meeting took place amid increasing concerns over the limit of capacity and shortage of supply in the EU and the seemingly lower efficacy of some vaccines towards the new variants.

On January 29, Piot had said biotechnology company Novavax reported positive results from its large UK trials with overall efficacy of 89 per cent, but it is 86 per cent effective against the variant first identified in the UK and only 60 per cent effective against the variant detected in South Africa.
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
In this Dec. 18, 2020 file photo, pipes to be used for the Keystone XL pipeline are stored in a field near Dorchester, Neb. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting billionaire Warren Buffett donated $58 million to President Joe Bidens campaign, so Biden canceled the Keystone XL pipeline as a favor to him. Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, did not donate to Bidens presidential campaign, nor did he endorse him. Buffett previously has voiced public support for the Keystone XL pipeline.
A Great Ormond Street Hospital workers claim that she was bullied for being a Christian and branded a stupid northerner and a silly white b***h, has been dismissed by an employment tribunal.

Catherine Maughan sued the London childrens hospital, claiming she had been discriminated against in terms of her sex, her race and her religion.

The 36-year-old data manager, from North Yorkshire, alleged that NHS staff told her not to drink alcohol after work as it would offend Muslims and alleged she was subjected to racial slurs and threatening behaviour.

She added she was told to accept that in black African culture, men are dominating towards women, and that she felt extremely anxious, stressed and worried for her safety, in a sworn witness statement to the employment tribunal.

Five hours pay was docked from her wages for leaving work early one Friday afternoon without permission, she said.

Catherine Maughan (left), from North Yorkshire, sued Great Ormond Street Hospital, claiming she had been discriminated against in terms of her sex, her race and her religion

The 36-year-old data manager claimed NHS staff told her not to drink alcohol after work as it would offend Muslims and alleged she was subjected to racial slurs and threatening behaviour

Miss Maughan claimed she was so stressed her hair fell out, she was prescribed anti-depressants and she started taking counselling.

The Central London employment tribunal has dismissed her allegations of bullying and ruled that she was neither racially or sexually discriminated against. Her claim of religious discrimination was bogus, it concluded.

The panel, chaired by Employment Judge Harjit Kaur Grewal, found that Miss Maughan had had wages unfairly deducted.

The judgment read: The unanimous judgment of the Tribunal is that: The complaints of direct race discrimination are not well-founded.

The complaints of direct sex discrimination are not well-founded. The complaint of victimisation is not well-founded. The complaint of unauthorised deduction of wages is well-founded.

Great Ormond Street Hospital has welcomed the judgment, claiming it vindicates their hard-working staff of any wrong-doing.

A spokeswoman told MailOnline: A Judgment has been issued in the Employment Tribunal claim between Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust and Ms Maughan.

A tribunal heard Miss Maughan (pictured) claimed she was so stressed her hair fell out, she was prescribed anti-depressants and she started taking counselling

All discrimination and victimisation claims were judged to be unfounded and have been dismissed.

The only claim upheld was a minor technical claim related to wages.

Maughan started work at Great Ormond Street Hospital in January 2015 on a temporary contract and her role was made permanent in February 2016. She worked in the cardiac intensive care department.

However the allegations referred to a new posting she accepted at the hospitals Newborn Screening unit in July 2018, where she was promoted to the role of data office manager.

The 43-page judgment found that there was tension within the small team of laboratory assistants, agency staff and apprentices, Maughan was to manage, all under the overall control of head of Newborn Screening Adeboye Ifederu.

The tribunal discovered that the previous data manager Esther Acanit had only lasted six months in the job and the manager before her Alice Munn gave evidence on behalf of the Miss Maughan.

She told the tribunal Mr Ifederu had bullied her and shouted at her.

The former data manager named several members of staff in her entries including her manager, Adeboye Ifederu (pictured)

But the tribunal ruled Ms Munn was a not reliable or impartial witness.

Ms Munn had previously described Mr Ifederu as miserable and sadistic and called him a wild animal, it found.

The tribunal heard that Mr Ifederu warned Miss Maughan about the different personalities in the team and how she needed to be mindful of members who were outspoken and not slow to voice their concerns.

Maughan told the tribunal she was so concerned about the hostile nature of her new working environment that she started writing a diary of events that worried her on her first day.

However the tribunal dismissed her entries as evidence as they believed she only started to document crossed words and confrontations months after they occurred.

In the judgment Judge Grewal wrote: We thought it was extremely unlikely that any employee would start making diary entries within minutes of starting a new job or on the first day in a new job.

We found that the claimant started compiling the document headed diary sometime between 3 September and 8 November 2019.

Maughan started work at Great Ormond Street Hospital (pictured) in January 2015 on a temporary contract and her role was made permanent in February 2016

It is not a contemporaneous record of what happened but a document to support the claimants formal grievance.

The tribunal also ruled that Miss Maughan distorted conversations that had taken place about alcohol and the Muslim religion.

And they ruled that Miss Maughan had exploited her colleague Ayotunde Ojos curiosity about Yorkshire to claim she was being discriminated against because she was white.

The judgment stated: We have found that in the context of the claimant explaining that she was from Yorkshire Ms Ojo probably referred to her as a being a Yorkshire girl but that she did not say that rudely or refer to her being white.

We concluded that the comments that were made in the context in which they were made did not amount to subjecting the claimant to a detriment and were not made because of her race.

Following a heated exchange with her boss Mr Ifederu in December 2018 Miss Maughan was signed off sick from work in January 2019.

She resigned from Great Ormond Street Hospital in November 2019.
HOUSTON - (Feb. 1, 2021) - When aboveground storage tanks fail during a storm and their toxic contents spread, the threat to human health can and probably will flow downwind of the immediate area.

Rice University engineers have developed a model to quantify what could happen when a hurricane or other natural disaster causes such damage based on data gathered from the Houston Ship Channel, the largest petrochemical complex in the United States, during and after two hurricanes, Ike in 2008 and Harvey in 2017.

Pollutants like toxic organic chemicals evaporate from spills and can be carried a long way from the site by the wind, depending on the storm's characteristics.

The computational model, according to atmospheric scientist Rob Griffin of Rice's Brown School of Engineering, uses real data from the two storms as a proof of concept. The model is available upon request to help researchers predict the "what if" consequences of future storms that threaten storage tanks or chemical spills in general.

"We first had to understand the surge models, and that takes time after a storm," Griffin said. "This paper combines the hydrology from those storm scenarios with structural fragility models, leading to predicting the atmospheric consequences."

The study appears in the journal Atmospheric Environment.

The model follows the hypothetical fate of toxins like organic solvents including benzene and toluene and their reaction products as they drift with the wind for up to 12 hours after a spill, up to about 5,000 feet. The pollutants pose further damage as they evolve into secondary toxins within the downwind plumes, according to the researchers.

The model predicted downwind oil plumes would cover a broader region than organic solvent plumes that would remain concentrated along the path of the prevailing wind, according to the study. It showed substantial formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosols forming in the solvent plumes, depending on other factors like sunlight and background pollutants.

The researchers noted models could provide the only means to estimate the spread of pollutants that threaten the population downwind of a spill if a storm knocks out air quality monitoring systems in its path.

A 2015 study by Rice civil and environmental engineer Jamie Padgett and alumnus Sabarethinam Kameshwar, now an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Louisiana State University, predicted a percentage of storage tanks would fail if a Category 4 or greater hurricane hit the Houston Ship Channel, either lifting them off their foundations, crushing them or penetrating them with debris.

They estimated a 24-foot storm surge could release 90 million gallons or more of oil and hazardous substances.

That study was a jumping-off point for Griffin, Padgett and Phil Bedient, director of Rice's Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SPPEED) Center, along with Hanadi Rifai, a Rice alumna and environmental engineer at the University of Houston, to model how such a spill would spread pollutants through the atmosphere.

"The earlier study predicted the (surface-bound) plume in the ship channel if this spill were to happen," Griffin said. "It talked about potential exposure to the environment and damage to the channel itself, but as an atmospheric chemist, I thought, that stuff's not going to just sit there. It's going to evaporate."

One model related to conditions during and after Hurricane Ike showed a diesel plume from a single tank spill would expand slowly for the first six hours to cover about 42 square kilometers, but then expand rapidly to cover 500 square kilometers after nine hours. The swirling winds would have kept the plume within Texas, the model shows.

But travel downwind would have been significantly different during Harvey, for which the model showed a narrower and more concentrated plume directed by the wind straight into the Gulf of Mexico.

Models of the fate of evaporated toluene and benzene during Ike showed the plumes tracked with the storm's eastward path, with levels dangerous to human health most likely at the center of the plume within the first minutes of a tank failure. These would pose a risk to workers and communities near the spill, but the chemicals' concentrations would decrease rapidly further downwind.

"I don't think the information about what's in the tanks is public knowledge, so we had to make some assumptions about what would spill if there were a spill," Griffin said. "But it's valuable to think about what would happen to those chemicals once they're in the atmosphere. The same results could be just as applicable to something like the Deepwater Horizon. Once that material reached the surface of the ocean, what happens to it when it evaporates?

"I would love to see some of the owners of these tanks use this to look at their structures," he said. "I can imagine folks like the Environmental Defense Fund or other advocates picking up on the study as well."

Griffin noted the model isn't set up to allow a company to predict the effects of a single tank failure. "It's a more general model of a region with tanks that are likely to fail, based on real situations that happened," he said. "But we can make the chemistry and atmospheric code available. If others want to study a given storm situation and a given leaking tank, some significant legwork would need to go into that."

###

Rice alumni Shiyang Bi and Benjamin Schulze and University of Houston alumnus Amin Kiaghadi are co-lead authors of the study. Rice alumnus Carl Bernier is a co-author. Griffin is senior associate dean of the Brown School of Engineering, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and of chemical and biomolecular engineering. Padgett is the Stanley C. Moore Professor in Engineering. Bedient is the Herman Brown Professor of Engineering. Rifai is the John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Houston.

Rice's Energy and Environment Initiative supported the study.

Jeff Falk

713-348-6775

jfalk@rice.edu

Mike Williams

713-348-6728

mikewilliams@rice.edu

Read the abstract at https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1016/ j. atmosenv. 2021. 118225 .

This news release can be found online at https:/ / news. rice. edu/ 2021/ 02/ 01/ failed-storage-tanks-pose-atmospheric-risks-during-disasters .

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Related materials:

Griffin Research Lab: https:/ / griffin. rice. edu

Padgett Research Group: https:/ / padgett. rice. edu

Bedient Lab: https:/ / www. bedient. rice. edu

Hanadi Rifai: http://www2. egr. uh. edu/ ~rifai/ index. html

SSPEED Center: https:/ / www. sspeed. rice. edu

George R. Brown School of Engineering: https:/ / engineering. rice. edu

Images for download:

https:/ / news-network. rice. edu/ news/ files/ 2021/ 01/ 0201_POLLUTION-1-WEB. jpg

A Rice University model shows the predicted atmospheric concentration distribution in parts per billion of a downwind diesel plume in the hours after Hurricane Ike. Rice engineers modeled the hypothetical threats from toxins released when oil and chemical tankers in the Houston Ship Channel fail during a storm. (Credit: Rice University)

https:/ / news-network. rice. edu/ news/ files/ 2021/ 01/ 0201_POLLUTION-2-WEB. jpg

A Rice University model shows the predicted atmospheric concentration distribution in parts per billion of a downwind diesel plume six hours after Hurricane Harvey. Rice engineers modeled the hypothetical threats from toxins released when oil and chemical tankers in the Houston Ship Channel fail during a storm. (Credit: Rice University)

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,978 undergraduates and 3,192 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 1 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
The Taliban said Monday in Tehran that it will continue its "fight and jihad" if foreign troops do not withdraw from Afghanistan by May 2021 as agreed with the US.

A delegation from the movement headed by its co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar arrived in Iran's capital last week at the invitation of the foreign ministry and met with Tehran's top diplomat Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sunday.

"The staying on of troops beyond 14 months, whether American or NATO troops, means the continuation of Afghanistan's occupation," Suhail Shaheen, a member of the movement's negotiating team, told reporters at a press conference.

Washington struck a deal with the Taliban in Qatar in February last year to begin withdrawing its troops in return for security guarantees from the militants and a commitment to kickstart peace talks with the Afghan government.

"We have fought occupation for 20 years. Therefore, in that case, we are forced to continue our fight and jihad," Shaheen added.

The United States has about 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, down from close to 13,000 a year ago.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Friday urged new US President Joe Biden to put pressure on the Taliban and to avoid rushing into withdrawing more American troops.

His appeal came days after the Biden administration said it intends to reconsider last year's agreement between former president Donald Trump's administration and the Taliban.

"If they want to reevaluate, they can, but they are obliged to remain committed" to the agreement, Shaheen said.

The Afghan government blames the Taliban for the lack of progress in peace negotiations that started in September last year and resumed early January in Doha.

Kabul is pushing for a permanent ceasefire and to protect governance arrangements in place since the ouster of the Taliban by a US-led invasion following the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York.

But violence has escalated across Afghanistan, with the Taliban refusing to make concessions.

The Taliban's violent activity during the last three months of 2020 included increased attacks in Kabul city and an uptick in targeted assassinations of Afghan government officials, civil-society leaders and journalists, the US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said in a report released on Monday.

The report said there were 2,586 civilian casualties during the quarter, including 810 deaths and 1,776 injuries.

"This quarter's casualties remain exceptionally high for the winter months when fighting normally subsides," the report said.

It also said that US air strikes in Afghanistan increased during the quarter as US forces provided defensive support to Afghan forces.

Afghan officials said that two journalists survived assassination attempts in Afghanistan on Monday.

Shaheen maintained that Washington and Kabul have violated their ceasefire pledge since the Doha agreement and the Taliban has only "defended" itself as "a reaction".

"They attribute violence to us, while it is not so," he said.

Short link:


HONG KONG - Aung San Suu Kyi defended Myanmar's generals against genocide charges at The Hague. She praised soldiers as they unleashed artillery against ethnic minority settlements. She limited steps toward democratic changes that would chip away at the army's political power.

It wasn't enough.

On Monday, Myanmar's military seized power in a coup, detaining Suu Kyi, elected ministers from her National League for Democracy (NLD) party and others in a predawn raid. Though she was condemned internationally for defending the military and its campaign against the Rohingya minority, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who spent 15 years under house arrest now finds herself again at the generals' mercy.

The coup underscored the fragility of Myanmar's decade-old, quasi-democratic transition. Many assumed that despite its imperfections, Myanmar's political evolution would continue with Suu Kyi as de facto head of the civilian government and with entrenched powers for the military, led by Min Aung Hlaing. But the military was never comfortable with its enduring unpopularity and Suu Kyi's godlike status among ordinary Myanmar people, analysts said, after it had helped open the country after half a century of isolationist rule.

NLD chairman and Suu Kyi aide Win Htein, speaking to reporters in Naypyidaw, the capital, called on people to resist the coup in "the same nonviolent way of resistance that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been promoting her entire life," using her honorific.

The events threaten to destabilize the region, where armed ethnic conflicts plague Myanmar's borders with China and Bangladesh. And they pose a challenge for President Joe Biden, whose foreign policy team includes Obama administration figures who were involved in and celebrated Myanmar's once-hopeful democratic awakening.

Biden on Monday called the coup "a direct assault on the country's transition to democracy," and suggested the United States could reimpose sanctions on the country if it is not reversed. He called for the military to relinquish the power it has seized, release officials and activists, lift restrictions on telecommunications and refrain from violence against the people.

"The United States is taking note of those who stand with the people of Burma in this difficult hour," Biden said in a statement, using a previous name for the country. He noted that Washington had removed sanctions on Myanmar based on its progress toward democracy.

"The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action," he said.

The United Nations, the European Union, Britain and Japan also condemned the military takeover. China reserved judgment.

"We have noted what has happened in Myanmar and are in the process of further understanding the situation," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news conference in Beijing, according to the state-run news service Xinhua.

"China is a friendly neighbor of Myanmar's. We hope that all sides in Myanmar can appropriately handle their differences under the constitution and legal framework and safeguard political and social stability."

- - -

Residents in Naypyidaw awoke Monday to a communications blackout, with calls failing to connect and applications that use mobile internet down. State-run Myanmar Radio and Television said in a Facebook post that it was unable to broadcast "due to communication problems." Websites were also down; the internet monitoring service Netblocks said national connectivity had fallen to 75% of normal levels. Elected NLD lawmakers were barricaded in their guesthouses, guarded by soldiers.

When communications were restored seven hours later, photos and videos showed soldiers in camouflage fatigues and armed with automatic weapons standing in the roads, turning back cars. Some of the highways that run through the capital were blocked by military trucks and barbed-wire barricades.

In Yangon, the largest city, a sense of panic appeared to set in.

Residents rushed to buy groceries. Hundreds headed to banks to withdraw money in scenes reminiscent of the junta era, when people would stuff wads of cash in pillowcases or under floorboards. Others removed the ubiquitous red-and-yellow flags of the NLD, which reappeared in recent years after decades as a banned symbol of resistance. Military supporters, some armed with knives, roamed the streets, cheering.

A 23-year-old who works for a shipping company said he was disgusted by the military.

"When heard this news this morning, I could not believe they did it," said the man, who declined to give his name for safety fears. "When I woke up, I cried."

The roundup of NLD figures, which party spokesman Myo Nyunt said happened at gunpoint, brought days of tensions to a head just hours before the newly elected parliament was scheduled to sit.

The party won November elections in a landslide, capturing 396 out of 476 seats. It was the country's second democratic vote since the end of direct military rule. The military's proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, won only 33 seats.

The military and its proxy have alleged voter fraud. The election commission has dismissed the claim as baseless. The military said in a broadcast that the politicians were detained "in response to alleged fraud" and it now wants to hold fresh elections after reconfiguring the current NLD-dominated election commission.

Regardless of the vote, the military, known as the Tatmadaw, was still guaranteed control of key ministries and a quarter of the seats in parliament under the junta-drafted constitution. But the army was enraged that Suu Kyi remained beloved by voters despite her government's shortcomings, including a battered economy and the raging pandemic, Myanmar analysts said.

The military created a system that "worked so well for their nemesis, Suu Kyi," said David Mathieson, an independent analyst. "So, when you're unpopular and increasingly irrelevant, you scupper the apparently sweet deal you have for your institution."

- - -

The coup has turned focus on Min Aung Hlaing, the commander in chief of the armed forces. The military on Monday declared a state of emergency for a year, transferring power to Min Aung Hlaing and installing Myint Swe, a former general, as the president of the government.

Min Aung Hlaing, who had been due to retire in July, is widely believed to harbor civilian political ambitions. Unlike his predecessors, who shunned the spotlight and relied on the dry dispatches of state media to relay their activities, he adopted a more high-profile role since taking up the position in 2011.

He was a prolific presence on Facebook before he was banned for hate speech against the Rohingya, more than a million of whom were driven from their homes by the army in 2017. He sat for interviews with outlets such as the BBC and The Washington Post - unprecedented for the military - and traveled abroad.

With his path to a civilian political role dwindling, Mathieson said, he faced "going from the most powerful man in the country to a retiree."

Others noted that Suu Kyi's attempts to change the constitution to curb the military's power - a core promise of her 2015 campaign - raised personal frictions between her and the commander in chief, despite the military's veto ability.

"With the prospects of a second five-year NLD term and increased pressure for a constitutional revision, casual - if not expected - civil-military frictions  have morphed into open conflict," said Renaud Egreteau, an associate professor at City University of Hong Kong who has written books on Myanmar.

Derek Mitchell, a former U.S. ambassador to Myanmar, spoke of the "bad blood" between Min Aung Hlaing and Suu Kyi. "It is very personal between the two of them," said Mitchell, now president of the National Democratic Institute. "A regression like this is a terrible signal."

- - -

Biden called on the international community to "come together in one voice" on Myanmar. In Washington, calls for action were bipartisan.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Washington and its allies should "impose strict economic sanctions, as well as other measures, against the Tatmadaw and the military leadership."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., did not use the word "sanction," but said the United States must "impose costs" on those who stand in the way of the Myanmar's "journey toward democracy."

Mitchell, the former ambassador, said it was hard to gauge how much support the United States would get from its allies on sanctions. At one time Myanmar was subjected to harsh sanctions that crippled its economy. Those were mostly dropped in 2016 under the Obama administration, but targeted sanctions returned against military leaders for their role in the Rohingya crackdown. One possible target for new sanctions could be military-owned enterprises, which have deep roots in the economy.

"There are all kinds of things that are possible," Mitchell said. "But the key will be, because the country is so desperate right now, that [actions] don't hurt the people of the country."

- - -

The Washington Post's Kyaw Ye Lynn and Andrew Nachemson in Yangon and Emily Rauhala in Washington contributed to this report.
The Solvents Market is poised to experience spend growth of more than USD 6.38 billion between 2021-2025 at a CAGR of over 3.81%. The report also provides the market impact and new opportunities created due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Request free sample pages

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210131005039/en/

SpendEdge has announced the release of its Global Solvents Market Procurement Intelligence Report (Graphic: Business Wire)

Read the 120-page research report with TOC and LOE on "Solvents Market Procurement Intelligence Report, Pricing Outlook in Geographies that include APAC, North America, South America, and MEA, and insights into best practices to optimize procurement spend."

SpendEdge's reports now include an in-depth complimentary analysis of the COVID-19 impact on procurement and the latest market data to help your company overcome sourcing challenges. Our Solvents Market procurement intelligence report offers actionable procurement intelligence insights, sourcing strategies, and action plans to mitigate risks arising out of the current pandemic situation. The insights offered by our reports will help procurement professionals streamline supply chain operations and gain insights into the best procurement practices to mitigate losses.

Information on Latest Trends and Supply Chain Market Information Knowledge centre on COVID-19 impact assessment

Insights into the Market Price Trends

Suppliers in this market have moderate bargaining power owing to moderate pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants.

Buyers can benchmark their preferred pricing models for solvents Market, Procurement, Management with the wider industry information and identify the cost-saving potential.

Insights to help buyers identify and shortlist the most suitable suppliers for their Solvents Market requirements. This procurement report answers the following questions:

Am I engaging with the right suppliers?

Which KPIs should I use to evaluate my incumbent suppliers?

Which supplier selection criteria are relevant for?

What are the Solvents Market category essentials in terms of SLAs and RFx?

To get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment, Subscribe Now for Free.

Insights into strategies that will help buyers optimize their category management practices. The report answers the following questions:

What should be my strategic procurement objectives, activities, and enablers for the Solvents Market category?

What negotiation levers can I pull for cost-saving?

What are Solvents Market procurement best practices I should be promoting in my supply chain?

Some of the top Solvents Market suppliers enlisted in this report

This Solvents Market procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies.

Shell Chemicals (Royal Dutch Shell Plc)

BASF SE

Exxon Mobil Corp.

The Dow Chemical Co.

Solvay SA

Eastman Chemical Co.

Celanese Corp.

Ashland Global Specialty Chemicals Inc.

Sasol Ltd.

LyondellBasell Industries NV

Get access to regular sourcing and procurement insights to our digital procurement platform- Contact Us

Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more https://www.spendedge.com/request-for-demo

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210131005039/en/

Contacts:

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us
Kildare County Council is to consider the feasibility of upgrading a little-known canal-side pathway which runs between Naas and the Athgarvan area.

Cllr Tracey O'Dwyer had asked the local authority to liaise with Irish Waterways to investigate the possibility of upgrading the existing tow path that runs from Naas Canal to Corbally Harbour near Athgarvan to a biodiversity walking trail.

The council said that its Heritage Officer will discuss the feasibility of such a project with Waterways Ireland, with a view to including a new objective for same in the Draft Kildare County Development Plan 2023-2029.

Cllr O'Dwyer informed councillors at the monthly municipal district meeting that the Corbally Harbour Branch of the Grand Canal extends from the townland of Corbally to Naas Harbour and is within three miles of Athgarvan village.

This canal branch was completed in 1810, mainly to service the transport of grain to and flour from Reeves Mill at Athgarvan.

The councillor said that the canal already provides an almost perfect walkway from Corbally to Naas and is the longest stretch of canal in the country with no locks as the terrain is flat.

The canal is maintained by Irish Waterways and they already maintain the grass cutting along the canal and clean the canal.

Cllr O'Dwyer said: It is already a beautiful, natural habitat and with just a little hard-cover on the existing towpath in the short-term could enhance an already stunning walkway.



BLUEWAY

Corbally Harbour has previously been proposed as a Blueway and I definitely think this could be considered as part of the Draft County Development plan.

The politician added that she believed that Corbally Harbour is already a fantastic natural amenity and a wonderful sanctuary for wildlife and only requires minimum work to enhance the current towpath and if Local Property Tax (LPT) funding is required to fund a covering for the path in the interim while further plans are developed through the draft county development plan I am happy to work with my colleague Cllr Evie Sammon to pursue LPT as this project crosses over two Municipal Districts  the Kildare Newbridge MD and the Naas Municipal District.



Vacant building

The monthly meeting also heard that the Council will ask its Community Department to make enquiries to establish the ownership status of the Probation Office building in Market Square in Newbridge and if it can be made available for community use.

Cllr Noel Heavey has asked if the building could be made available for community usage such as a Cultural Centre for young people.



Footpaths

Cllr Peggy ODwyer also asked if the footpaths in Moorefield Drive, Newbridge could be listed for an upgrade.

The council said that this area can be included for consideration under Local Property Tax (LPT) funding subject to the agreement of the councillors.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1) The proposal for the country to conduct naval drills with the United States in the contested West Philippine Sea is a "good idea," Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said Monday amid issues surrounding China's new Coast Guard Law.

"Maganda iyan para maramdaman rin ng mga Intsik na we are ready (That's a good idea so China will know we are ready)," Dela Rosa told CNN Philippines' The Source when asked to react to the proposal of former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio in an online interview.

"'Pag talagang sila ay magiging over-aggressive ay ready na 'yung Pilipinas with the support of the United States with the ongoing Mutual Defense Treaty, at 'yung mga pronouncement ng Biden administration na medyo favorable naman sa Pilipinas," he added.

[If the China becomes over-aggressive, the Philippines will be ready with the support of the United States with the ongoing Mutual Defense Treaty, and the pronouncements of the Biden administration has been favorable to the Philippines.]

The Philippines earlier filed a diplomatic protest with China over the controversial law, which authorizes its Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels.

The new measure, which takes effect this Monday, also allows the Chinese Coast Guard to demolish foreign structures built on Chinese-claimed reefs and islands, as well as to set up exclusion zones to keep foreign vessels out.

Dela Rosa backs the move to protest  which he said may be our only option for now given that we cannot prevent China from "making their own laws."

"Ang sa atin na lang is 'yung protest ay dapat mapapabilis (for us, we just need to speed up our protest)," Dela Rosa said. "Since it is affecting us, being involved in that contested West Philippine Sea, so that's enough for us to tell them that we are already alarmed by that kind of law that you are passing."

The 2016 ruling by the international arbitral tribunal constituted under UNCLOS invalidated China's sweeping claims to the South China Sea. It also recognized the Philippines' sovereign rights in areas within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone where China has built artificial islands, prohibited Filipino fishermen from fishing, and interfered in petroleum exploration.

China, however, has continuously refused to acknowledge the landmark decision, which it labeled as "illegal and invalid."

Officials earlier expressed confidence that a Biden-led US administration will continue to support the Philippines in upholding the arbitral win in the contested waters.

RELATED: PH, other ASEAN countries must unite against China's Coast Guard law, says expert
The big surprise in the is the governments willingness to gamble on the budget deficit. Not since Pranab Mukherjees 2009 budget, have we seen such an aggressive budget. The difference, however, is that whilst Mr. Mukherjee ramped up the UPA government's revenue expenditure (especially on NREGA), the NDA government has stepped up capex.

The big thrust in this years budget is for infrastructure development. The National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) is targeted to undertake a total of 7,400 projects this year and a Development Financial Institute (DFI) will be set up with Rs 20,000 crore capitalisation and lending capabilities of 5 trillion over the next three years. This is definitely a big boost for infrastructure projects in the country. In total, government capex for financial year 2021-22 (FY22) is estimated at Rs 5.54 trillion--up from Rs 4.39 trillion in FY21, a steep rise which will aid in boosting the economy.

The is estimated at 6.8 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in FY22. Whilst this number is higher-than-expected, it will help boost FY22 GDP growth. The downside, however, is that the extensive government borrowing required this year and next year could force the reserve Bank of India (RBI) to tighten monetary policy sooner than the stock market would like. Whilst some fear that the global rating agencies could take a dim view of Indias fiscal expansionism, by focusing on capex focused spend, the Finance Minister has made it very hard for the rating agencies to take adverse action vis-a-vis Indias sovereign debt rating.

There are two aspects of the budget where the fine print will be very interesting to read. The government plans to launch a single Securities Market Code, encompassing the SEBI Act, 1992, Depositories Act, 1996, Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956, and The Government Securities Act, 2007. What sort of regulatory regime emerges from this, how much more customer friendly financial regulation will become remains to be seen.

Secondly, whilst announcing a relatively modest disinvestment target for FY22 (of Rs 1.75 trillion), the government said that intends to privatise two public sector banks (PSBs). Related to this, the government said that it would create an asset reconstruction company (ARC) to act as a bad bank. We await details of how the bad bank would be funded, which banks it will buy assets from the PSU banks and which sectors stressed assets will be prioritised. We cannot help but feel that if the government wants to successfully privatise PSU banks, it will have to get the bad bank ARC rolled out sooner rather than later.

The stock market is cheering this budget because it is relieved to see no incremental capital gains taxes or taxes on higher rate Income-Tax payers. Whilst the real economy will in the near-term benefit from the expansionary nature of the budget, for these gains to be long lasting, we need to see tangible progress in asset monetisation and privatisation by the government. If they can pull that off in the post-Covid-19 world, then the 2021 budget can go down in history as a turning point in the socialist orientation of the Indian state.

(Saurabh Mukherjea and Nandita Rajhansa are founder and analyst, respectively, at Marcellus Investment Managers. Views expressed are personal.)

Subscriber content preview

By KEITH RIDLER

Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho  As legal weed becomes a reality in every corner of the U.S., Idaho is putting up a fight.

State lawmakers on Friday moved forward with a proposed constitutional amendment that would bar the legalization of marijuana in Idaho in an attempt to keep the growing nationwide acceptance of the drug from seeping across its borders.





. . .
Bonmarche , the value-oriented clothing retailer, went into administration for the second time in a year on 2 December 2020.

There are 226 stores and more than 1200 employees. It is owned as a separate business by Philip Day, whose EWM is also in crisis (see below).

Philip Day put this company into administration a few months ago, and reaquired it via a pre-pack. It is thought unlikely that he will do this again a second time.

Age UK , the charity focused on supporting the elderly, closed 133 of its 392 charity outlets in 2020 and made 400 people redundant. During the Lockdown 1 approximately 70% of its staff were on furlough.

Debenhams , the oldest retail chain in the UK, announced on 1 December 2020 that it had no alternative except to go into lquidation.

The company has gone into administration twice in the past two years and, with the failure of Arcadia (see next item), whose concessions took up a large proportion of Debenhams' sales area, the Company's future looks very bleak. It is expected that all stores will trade until Christmas, after which the contents of every store will all be sold off, its staff made redundant and the premises vacated or transferred to new owners if other companies acquire some or all of the estate.

The Debenhams' name goes back to 1778, when William Clark established a drapery store at 44 Wigmore Street. It became Clark and Debenham in 1813, when Wm Debenham invested in the firm. The first store outside London was opened in Cheltenham in 1818. It became Debenham & Freebody in 1851.

In 1919 it took over Marshall & Snelgrove, another department store chain, and bought Harvey Nicholas in 1920. In 1985 it was acquired by the Burton Group (later renamed Arcadia), was de-merged in 1998, acquired by private-equity consortium Baroness Retail in 2003 and become a public company again in 2006. Private equity funds in the form of TPG, CVC Capital and Merrill Lynch paid themselves 1.2bn in dividends as a reward for owning the business for only three years and increasing its debt from 100m to 1,000m.

A sale and lease-back of 23 stores raised almost 495m for the temporary owners and saddled the business with long-term leases of up to 35 years.

In the past 35 years it has had a variety of owners none of which was fundamentally committed to the future of Debenhams Group or was able to introduce a coherent long-term strategy. Debenhams has not been the only retail victim this year of this approach.

Arcadia , the fashion giant owned by Philip Green's wife in Monaco, went into adminstration on the last day of November 2020. It consists of the former Burton Group, with major subsidiaries Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Burtons, Miss Selfridge, Wallis and Evans.

These are all well-known brands. The administrators are allowing the stores and the website to continue to trade while new purchasers for the business(es) are found. There are around 440 stores and perhaps 12,000+ staff.

The heyday of Philip Green's Arcadia was probably 2004-2007, but it failed to invest sufficiently in shops, IT or modern designs. Its dinner has been eated by upstarts like Primark, BooHoo, Zara, Next and even by grocery clothing lines.

For some years, the company has lacked a clear sense of direction and suffered from low investment and an unwillingness to develop its online sales. It has cut its store numbers by more than half since 2012. Comparatively staid business like John Lewis and Next have heavily invested in their online operations and now produce half their sales online.

So this could have worked for Arcadia, if it had been attempted. Large amounts have been taken out of the business in the form of dividend payments.

More public interest has been generated by the Greens' luxury cruisers than by any innovation in Arcadia's shops. There is anxiety about whether the pension assets of the Arcadia Group are sufficient to pay pensions for its past and current employees.

Administration means that debts owed by Arcadia to landlords and suppliers will probably be repaid at perhaps only 1%-2% of what is owed. Apart from the effect of the Arcadia crash on its own shops and employees, its failure will be a hammer blow for many suppliers and property owners.

It has already caused JD Sports to pull of out its acquisition discussions with the Debenhams Department Store chain, because so much of Debenhams' floor space is given over to Arcadia concessions many of which may not survive after Christmas. An offer by Mike Ashley of a lifeline to keep Arcadia as a going concern was rejected.

Arcadia would probably have been in trouble at some time in 2021-22, but the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of non-essential stores in Lockdown 1.0 and Lockdown 2.0 have become a death sentence for this group of businesses, giving it no chance to recover or adopt more successful strategies.

Peacocks and Jaeger , both clothing businesses owned by EWM, were put into administration in mid-November after negotiations with possible suitors came to nothing.

Discussions on behalf of both companies continue. Jaeger's business is more formal: it has around 76 stores and concessions employing 347 staff. Peacocks approach is more at the value end of the market: it has 423 stores and more than 4,200 staff. Both companies have gone through administration before.

Both suffer from the decline in spending on clothing, the switch to online purchases by shoppers, the two lockdowns and threatened additional lockdowns in 2021, which make the future of fashion chains hard to gauge.

Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Mill , both part of Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group (EWM Group), have gone into administration on 6 November with the initial closure of 56 EWM stores and 8 Ponden Mill shops.

Eight hundred and sixty-six staff are to be made redundant. EWM Group has been given another fortnight to determine the future of the Group, but it is likely that there will be further store closures and redundancies. Meanwhile the search for buyers for the EWM chains, inlcuding EWM, Peacocks, Ponden Mill, Jaeger and other brands continues.

EWM Group subsidiaries operate more than 1,000 stores and have 21,000 employees. The firm is a (previously) well-established company that bought a number of brands such as Jaeger, Austin Reed and Jane Norman from administrators.

It is owned by Philip Day. He owns Bonmarche separately from EWM Group, although their stores have also put up 'closing down sale' notices in store windows.

It was hit very hard by the coronavirus lockdown, needing to pay rent on almost one thousand properties with zero income.

So far the company has only reopened a little more than about one-half of its outlets after Lockdown I and they are all closed again following Lockdown II. Its orientation towards an older market, tourists, and market-town Mill-type general products attractive to people on shopping trips has been severely hit in 2020 (and possiby into 2021 as well). The store numbers figures quoted here are on the high side and rather dated, but EWM Group has 384 Edinburgh Woollen Mill stores and other shops trading as Peacocks (479), Bonmarche (220), Ponden Mill (65), James Pringle (and other names) (88 stores) and 27 stores combining several EWM fascias.

It is almost certain that a proportion will close. Apart from its sheer scale, the importance of Edinburgh Woollen Mill has been that in the last few years Philip Day has been the only entrepreneur actively buying distressed retailers apart from Mike Ashley's Sports Direct (now Frasers Group).

J Crew , American 'preppy' clothing retailer, is to close all six of its UK stores making their staff redundant. Its parent company has recently emerged from administration and seems to have decided to liquidate its UK subsidiary.

Celine Group Holdings , the parent company of Debenhams, has called in FRP Advisory to prepare for its own administration.

This is understood to have been done to prevent any creditor taking action against them in the period when Debs is up for sale and trying to find a new owner.

It is said that interest is overdue on 200m of loans made to Celine: administration would mean there would be no need to pay it. Any administration of Celine would not affect Debenhams store operation per se.

M&Co , the Scots-based value clothing retailer previously called Mackays, has gone into administrators and been bought by its previous owners as part of a pre-pack to save the business. There are 262 stores and 2,700 employees.

The covid-19 lockdown cost the firm more than 50m: in its last financial year profits fell by 40% to 3.6m. Forty-seven stores are to close (380 redundancies) as part of its recovery plan. The company was established in 1961.

D W Sports , a sportswear and gym retailer owned by Dave Whelan, went into administration in the first days of August.

The company's outlets - as non-essential retailers - have been closed since lockdown started: its 73 gyms were about to re-open until the change in government policy that postponed the resumption of trading by gymnasia, bowling alleys etc.

There are 75 DW Sports retail stores: these will all close in four weeks. The Group has a total of 1,700 employees. Twenty-five stores have closed already.

The Fitness First Group which is also owned by Dave Whelan is not to go into administration: its 43 clubs will remain trading.

Feather & Black , the award-winning bed specialist rescued in 2017 from administration, has been bought by Dreams.

None of its stores is to reopen after the easing of lockdown. It will become online only, probably with concessions in Dreams.

Outstanding orders will be honoured. The Company was rumoured last February to be up for sale, so these closures are not strictly caused by coronavirus, although being closed for three months would not have helped its chances of survival.

Grosvenor Shopping Centre in Chester went into receivership along with its car park earlier in July 2020. It was originally built in the 1960s and refurbished in the 80s. There are 101 retail units, all on one level. The Shopping centre continues trading.

Oliver Sweeney Trading , the retail arm of the prestige shoe company Oliver Sweeney Group, was placed in administration in mid-July.

All its seven stores are closed as the company sees its retail future as online only. This administration does not affect the wholesaling and online arms of the business.

Muji , the Japanese high-street homewares retailer, has applied for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. It has debts of $64m and the Covi-19 lockdowns in the UK and the U.S. have hit it hard.

It won't be included in our UK figures, but, under U.S. law the corporation will be required to produce an exit plan to revamp the company. This may well have implications for UK stores. The stores continue to trade.

Cardinal , the Yorkshire-based firm of shopfitters (outfitting or remodelling store interiors), went into administration in mid-July.

One hundred and thirty-five staff amongst its 170 employees have already been made redundant. Their business has been hit by the pandemic.

In addition their customers (ie the retailers) were unable to make firm commitments about work they needed in 2020, H2, into 2021.

The impact of covid-19 upon retailers has meant that most companies are now unsure about the number, type and location of stores that they are going to need in 2021-2025. The collapse of work for Cardinal is a symptom of the bloodbath on the high street.

Soletrader , a footwear retailer established in 1962, went into a creditors' voluntary liquidation in mid-July 2020. Its assets including stock and brand names Sole and Soletrader were purchased by its owner, the Twinmar Group, and are now invested in a new subsidiary, Twinmar London.

Most of the company's stores opened for trading in July, but eight shops have been closed. Soletrader's website is a separate entity and is unaffected by the liquidation.

Peter Jones (China) , a 50-year old crockery and gift business based in Wakefield, went into administration in mid-July. It had not opened after the lockdown eased. There were ten stores and 76 staff. The business is expected to be liquidated.

Norville Group , a Gloucestershire-based firm of opticians and optical suppliers to the industry, went into administration early in June after selling its nine Norville Opticians' practices the previous week.

Since then the former Norville laboratories, which were renowned for being able to produce lens to the very highest standard, have been acquired from administration by Inspecs, the new owener of the Norville Group, and continue to trade.

Benson Beds , the beds and bedding business owned by Alteri, was put into pre-pack administration at the same time as Harveys (see below).

Alteri bought the business out immediately and put 25m into the company to invest in its development. There are 242 stores and 1,900 staff. Bensons (at present) is seen as a much better business than Harveys, most UK bedding is made in the UK, it faces less competition from overseas operators and Alteri is likely to focus on improving its operations, while keeping Harveys Furniture stable. The company continues to trade and existing orders will be fulfilled.

Harveys Furniture , the second largest furniture retailer in the UK, was put into administration by its owners, Alteri Investors on the last day of June.

There are 105 stores, which have been struggling for some years, and 1,575 staff. The company is looking to close 20 stores and make 240 staff redundant. The company continues to trade and existing orders will be satisfied.

T M Lewin , retailer of shirts and ties online and in 65 stores, went into administration on the last day of June after failing to find a buyer.

The shops have not re-opened following the relaxation of the lockdown. The busines had been acquired from Bain private equity only last month (May). The new owners, SCP Private Equity, expect to close all the stores, making the company online only. Six hundred employees are likely to lose their jobs.

Bertram Books , the Norwich-based book wholesaler, went into administration towards the end of June 2020 with debts now (Aug 2020) known to be 25m.

Most of its 450 workforce has been made redundant. Bertrams was particularly important to smaller publishing companies.

Changes in the book market in the last 20 years including the growth of online sales and dramatic price cutting, highly-promoted 'blockbusters', the growth of Amazon and direct-to-customer applications as well as e-books adversely affected Bertram Books' business model. But that is not all.

Sub-optimal decision-making by a succession of uncommitted owners have brought it down. Bertrams started in 1968 in a chicken shed in Elsie Bertram's garden as a project for her and her son. By 1999, when it was first sold, Mrs Bertram was 86, Bertrams was the second-largest book wholesaler in the UK, and it employed 700 people.

In 2007, it was bought by the Woolworths Group and went into administration with the rest of the Company before being bought by Smiths News, the magazine/newspaper distributor of W H Smith. In 2018 it was bought by Aurelius, a German private equity group, who later sold Wordery, Bertram's online operation, to the Waterstone's book chain and Bertram's library division to an Italian business.

The coronavirus pandemic, closing both libraries and bookshops, proved to be the final blow for Bertram Books. Was all this inevitable? Probably not.

Intu Properties , the major property company that owns and manages some of the largest and best UK retail malls, went into administration on 26 June 2020. Many of its retail clients are not paying their rents and INTU's creditors are not as forebearing.

It has total debts of 4.5bn, a merger with a European propery company came to nothing and it has failed to raise more capital. Its recent negotations with other parties, where it hoped to arrange a 'standstill agreement' with its lenders, led to no useful outcome, so it went into administration.

Major sites include Lakeside, Glasgow's Braehead, Manchester's Trafford Centre, Nottingham's Victoria Centre and Norwich's Chapelfield. This administration will be a major blow to the UK retail sector, although, coming after many other impossible-to-believe 'major blows', its significance may be less apparent.

It may not be possible for the Admiinistrators to run all the shopping centres without outside funding, although so far all sites have been kept open. It is still possible that many of their shopping centres will close unless a new potential buyer acquires some or all of them.

Some observers who have used the lockdown to re-think their personal philosophy may rejoice at the decline of this bastion of consumerism.

But the destruction of asset wealth in terms of commercial property, will adversely affect property prices, the stability of most retailers, pension funds, shares, unit trusts, tax revenue, job opportunities etc etc and bring home to the public the enormity of the slump we have managed to stumble into.

Go Outdoors , the outdoor sports, walking, climbing, camping, riding and exercise retailer owned by JD Sports, wwnt into administration towards the end of June.

It was immediately bought out of administration by J D Sports for 56.5m (pre-pack administration), enabling hte company to be reorganised. J D Sports has stated that it wishes needs to re-think the Go Outdoors business but does not expect large-scale redundancies and closures.

There are 2,400 employees and 67 stores. Since the firm was bought by JD Sports it has lost 291m (to August 2019) and the massive losses caused by the coronavirus lockdown have only worsened the situation. In July, the Administrators estimated that unsecured creditors would receive only 1p in the 1.

Lee Longlands , the Birmingham-based upmarket furniture retailer, went into administration towards the end of June to enable the company to restructure and improve cash flow. The company continues to trade and outstanding orders will be met.

There are six stores, mostly in the Midlands. Lee Longlands was purchased via a management buy-out in 2015. The company started in Broad Street Bham as an antiques business in 1902.

Poundstretcher Properties , a company connected to discount-chain Poundstretcher, is to be placed into administration as part of a CVA programme by 450-store group Poundstretcher to reorganise its store portolio, cut rents and reduce other costs.

The Poundstretcher Group has argued that around 250 stores will close if the CVA is not approved by its creditors. Poundstrecher Properties holds the leases on only 23 stores and this will not affect the legal position or ownership of the group as a whole. Poundstretcher faces the same issues as the rest of the high street, compounded by the lockdown, now in its 85th day (it is really that long?).

Oak Furnitureland , the specialist furniture store that started off on eBay, has gone into administration, and was immediately bought out of administration (pre-pack) by hedge-fund Davidson Kempner Capital Management.

There are 105 showrooms and 1,491 empoyees. The business continues still to trade, but the new owner expects to rationalise the business, probably through the closure of some stores and reductions in staff.

French-themed retailer, bread/coffee/restaurant chain Le Pain Quotidien went into pre-pack administration in mid-June. It has been bought out of administration by a new vehicle, BrunchCo21, believed to be linked to its former owner, Cobepa. Ten of its 26 outlets have been closed with the loss of around 200 jobs in stores and the closure of its head office.

The new owners expect to negotiate T&C with the landlords of the remaining 16 properties, and the results may lead of course to further closures.

Quiz , the Glasgow-based fashion group, put its physical stores division into administration in early June. Ninety-three head-office and warehouse redundancies have already been declared. The business wants to renegotiate rents for its 82 stores and the eventual size of the group will only be known, when this has been done. KPMG has been appointed to review the firm's options, which are likely to include store closures. There are 915 staff in the stores division. Quiz's online business continues unaffected, as are its 300+ concessions.

Victoria's Secret , the UK arm of the U.S.-owned global retailer, went into administration early in June 2020 having made a loss now known (Aug 2020) to be 100m in the last financial year. The UK fashion trade has experienced a torrid three years and the coronavirus lockdown, which prevented 'non-essential' stores trading (though not online), has been the final hammer blow. Victoria's Secret has probably lost its original appeal: the aftermath of the Me-too campaign may have made the chain seem slightly tacky. There are 25 stores and 800 staff. The company sells ladies' underwear. The company is reported as looking for a light-touch administration, allowing them to restructure the business, reduce costs and possibly find a new owner.

Aldo , a Canadian-based international chain of stores, went into administration early in May. This has led to the UK arm going into administration at the end of May. Five UK stores have been permanently closed, leaving eight surviving while the administrators seek new owners for the UK business. The UK network is obviously up for sale, but many of the stores are franchised and are not 'owned' by Aldo Canada. Aldo shoes, handbags and accessories are still available for purchase in the UK both online and in its 28 UK concessions (including Selfridges, Debenhams and House of Fraser). The Irish arm of Aldo has already gone into administration. The company and its brands (chiefly 'Aldo' and 'Call It Spring') are major international businesses, operating around 3,000 stores globally served by 20,000 staff. Apart from the UK, Aldo businesses are expected to reopen as each government permits in the post-coronavirus world. The main reason the company gives for its problems is: the world-wide closures of its stores caused by governments' attempts to limit the spread of coronavirus.

DVF Studio , the luxury fashion company owned by Diane von Furstenberg, has gone into administration, citing 'coronavirus', and is closing its Mayfair store. The company has an online business as well as concessions in prestigious department stores, including Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. It announced earlier in 2020 that it was starting a subscription luxury service. The e-commerce business and concessions continue to trade.

Antler , the luggage retailer which runs 18 stores and a concession, went into administration in mid-May. There are 194 employees: 164 of these have been made redundant. The Administrators announced in mid-July that they had successfully sold the brand name, Online business, stock and assets, but the stores remain closed and there was no news of their future.

Johnsons' Shoes , also trading as Bowleys Fine Shoes, went into administration in mid-May. There are 12 stores, all in the South East of England. The 145 furloughed staff will retain their jobs as the administrators seek to reopen the businesses. The group was later acquired by Newjohn Limited, part of Daniel Footwear. Six stores were closed.

Dawson's Music , one of the oldest stores selling musical instruments (est. 1898), went into administration early in May. There are six stores in Leeds, Manchester, Chester, Liverpool, Reading and Belfast. It is still opan and is hoping to be sold as a going concern. There are 75 staff. The coronavirus lockdown proved to be the last straw for a retail group that was already facing a decline in sales. There is also an Educational Division which supplies schools, colleges and universities. In late May, the chain was purchased by Andrew and Karen Oliver, who took over all the stores and retained the staff.

J Crew , the U.S. fashion retailer with six UK stores, sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the beginning of May. It has 500 stores in the U.S., trades online, and owns the J Crew Factory and Madewell brands. It intends to continue trading online while it gives control of the business to its lenders who will cancel debts of $1.65bn (1.3bn). It is unclear how this will affect its UK business.

L K Bennet , the fashion retailer which went into administration in March 2019, is to extend its administration for another twelve months. The company expects to open seven stores on 15 June 2020 (when non-essential stores are allowed to start trading) with the remaining 10 stores to open at a later date.

Oasis and Warehouse , two fashion retailers owned by Icelandic-Bank Kaupthing, went into administration in mid-April 2020, having failed to find a buyer for the group. All its 92 stores were closed, 2,300 staff made redundant and the 437 concessions terminated. The 13 stores and 29 concessions in the Irish Republic had already gone in into administration under Irish law: there were 248 staff in Ireland. The Oasis and Warehouse brands and e-commerce operations were bought by Hilco, which sold them in June to BooHoo, the successful e-commerce apparel business. BooHoo raised 200m in May to help it take advantage of 'opportuunities', and now also owns brands such as NastyGal, PrettyLittleThing, Karen Millen, MissPap and Coast. Concessions and stores in other countries will continue to trade. Oasis and Warehouse had been suffering recently from the problems common to most UK mid-range fashion businesses. The coronavirus lockdown - closing all its stores - made it impossible to continue operating and ended any chance of a sale to a business wanting the stores to continue.

Debenhams , the UK department store group now owned by its lenders following administration in 2019, has appointed administrators once again to protect itself from its creditors. Creditors were considering using winding-up orders to get paid. Although the company has closed 22 stores this year and expected to close 28 in 2021, the new administration is likely to hasten the demise of many more of its outlets in the longer term. Although its online operations are supplying customers, all its stores are in lockdown. It has heavy debts of around 600m. The comapny is loss-making and without the sales revenue from its exisitng stores it is in deep trouble. Debenhams has closed its Irish division permanently, which has eleven stores, 958 staff and 300 concessions. Debs is also closing its Hong Kong and Bangladeshi subsidiaries.

Spicers , the office-supplies wholesaler, employing 1,200 people started by John Spicer in 1796 ceased trading in April. It was originally part of the Spicer paper and stationery company and split in 1985. It built up a European presence, but the UK arm and the European operations were separated in 2011, Spicers being bought by Better Capital, the private equity firm controlled by John Moulton. When it went into administration its administrators were not able to sell it and the business was liquidated.

Simply Scuba , an award-winning diving retailer based in Faversham, went into administration in June. Thirty-two jobs are at risk. SimplyScuba has won the Dive Retailer of the Year award for ten years in succession. The Simply Group also runs SimplyHike and SimplySwim. The Simply Scuba website continues to trade, with its new 500M Divers Watch on sale today for 109.

Kath Kidston , the vintage-inspired fashion and accessories chain, appointed administrators early in April 2020. It has now announced that it will close its UK branches, concentrating on Asia, the wholesale business and online sales. The company - like many fashion retailers - has had problems in maintaining sales and profitability. Since 2018 it lost 27mn, resulting in its closing stores and cutting head-office staff. There are 200 stores globally. All 60 UK sites are to close, with only 32 of its 941 UK staff being retained. It will now operate in the UK as an online-only retailer. The company's owners, Barings Private Equity Asia, have bought it out of administration on a pre-pack basis, having previously tried to sell it. Finances were so poor towards the end that initially Kath Kidson announced that they would only be paying part of the wages owed to employees: they have now agreed to make payments in full, but a up to a week late. The company suppliers, including HMRC and clothing manufacturers, are owned 90m by the failed company.

Autonomy Clothing , a small fashion chain with three stores, 100 concessions and 44 staff, went into administration towards the end of March 2020. It has been beset by the same problems as the rets of the industry, the lockdown being the last straw. All employees have been made redundant.

Lombok , the aspirational furniture and furnishings business, went into administration at the end of March. It operates both online and offline and is best known for its teak products made mostly from reclaimed timber. It has experienced two pre-pack administrations before (2009 and 2011). All 43 staff have been made redundant.

Brighthouse , the rent-to-own household goods retailer, appointed administrators at the end of March 2020. There are 240 stores and 2,700 employees. The administration does not affect customers that rent goods, as their obligations will transfer first to the administrators and then to any new owner. This controversial business mainly deals with low-income households and was fined by the financial regulator for mis-selling and 'unfair' interest charged as part of consumer transactions. The compensation it must pay to 250,000 customers is understood to cost 1m per month and its most-recent financial report (February 2020) showed showed corporate losses of 16m. The company was originally called Radio Rentals whose business was renting out first radios and later TV equipment: they guaranteed to keep rented electronic goods in good repair at a time when electrical goods would often break down.

Laura Ashley , the fashion retailer with 155 stores, went into administration in mid-March 2020. The administrators permanently closed 70 of the company's outlets: 1,669 staff were furloughed and 677 staff continued working in the business with more redundancies announced in mid-June. Only 18 of its remaining stores have re-opened post lockdown, though this may not be ominous. Gordon Bros have been allowed to purchse the Laura Ashley brand and its archives, leaving the future of the stores, logistics and manufacturing in Britain and Ireland unresolved. The Pension Protection Fund is asking for another administrator to be appointed to ensure the protection of Laura Ashley shareholders. Laura Ashley has had problems for more than 20 years. Administration comes after a long period of poor results from a retailer that had been a star in the 80s and early 90s. The post-2016 deterioration in fashion sales affecting most clothing retailers was certainly a factor, but the failure of the business to match modern consumer requirements meant it was difficult to see the purpose of the company. Latterly it had more success with its furnishing and homeware than fashion. The conoravirus epidemic early in 2020 led to a sudden drop in footfall and store sales, which finally prompted the company's move into administration. Gordon Brothers. a US-based restructuring corporation, bought Laura Ashley out of administration in late April.

Kikki.K , an Australian-based retail group selling Swedish-designed stationery, has gone into voluntary administration as a result of the problems of Australian retailing plus the cost of its global expansion (now including Hong Kong, the UK, Singapore and New Zealand). There are up to five stores in the UK, three shops-within-shops in stores like Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges and an online business which, in Europe, seems now to be switched through to Australia. There are 100 stores globally. The Australian stores remain open, but the UK online business is currently uncontactable due to 'unprecedented shipping delays'.

Homebase , the DIY chain, has returned to profit after its experiences first as Bunnings UK and then a large CVA case. It used its CVA to cut rents and close more than 70 stores. It is therefore quitting its CVA eighteen months early. CVAs have had mixed results when used by retailers, but this is one that seems to have turned up trumps for the business.

Soak , a major online bathroom products retailer, went into adminstration at the end of February. The market is intensely competitive and Soak's revenue fell from 70m (2018) to 43m (2019). Its profit on the 2018 figures was only 2.9m. Price competition between online and bricks-and-mortar retailers has meant that few operators are making much of a profit, hence the decline of Soak and the collapse of other kitchen and bathroom retailers, such as Better Bathrooms. There are 220 employees.

Bonmarche , the value-oriented clothing retailer that went into administration in October 2019, has now been purchased by Edinburgh Woollen Mills (its previous owner). It is being placed in the same operating division as Peacocks. So far only 200 stores have been acquired, leaving 70 stores in administration. A number of Bonmarche stores have 'closing-down' notices in their front windows and these are expected to disappear. When further information about Bonmarche is available, it will be shared here.

T J Hughes Outlet Division has issued a notice of intended administration for its Outlet Division, prior to renegotiating their rents. Lewis's Home Retail Limited, a subsidiary of LHR Holdings (the master company for T J Hughes), owns eight stores, two of which have already been saved via agreed rent reductions. This does not affect the whole Group, but only outlet stores. More information as it becomes available.

HonestJohn.co.uk , the online advice website for car owners, went into adminstration and has been bought by Heycar, an online retailer of used cars. The staff, IP and assets have been transferred.

Ashbury Furniture , a large furniture and soft furnishings salesroom, went into administration in February, caused by constant road engineering on the M20 (making it hard to get to the showroom) and the impact of rent and rates.

Ena Shaw , a producer and retailer of soft furnishings based in St Helens, went into administration in February 2020, closing its factory and store. There were 167 employees.

Oddbins , the wine and drinks off-licence business of European Food Brokers, went into administration at the beginning of February. There are 56 stores, mostly trading as Oddbins or Wine Cellars: two have now closed. Employees number around 567. Less than one year ago 45 EFB off-licence businesses were sold or closed on the basis that they were no longer viable.

Hearing and Mobility , a spcialist national chain of hearing and mobility stores, has ceased trading and administrators have been appointed. Hearing and Mobility (HHML) is a Northampton-based company founded in 2002 with 18,000 customers. It established a chain of 27 hearing and mobility stores throughout Britain, later focusing mainly on the Midlands and the South with 15 stores. Starting in 2016, the company closed many of its mobility stores to concentrate on hearing disabilities. The company rarely made a profit and by January 2020 had only four stores. After its stores had 'temporarily' ceased trading they were sold to two other companies trading in this vertical market. Amplify Hearing has acquired HHML hearing operations, assets and 76 staff, enabling customers to continue being provided with service.

Hawkins Bazaar , a Norwich-based toy/games retailer with a focus on adult merchandise, went into administration in the latter days of January. There are 20 stores and 177 staff. The company went into administration previously in 2011. Weak trading in 2019 and a poor Christmas have led the firm's current problems. The stores will remain open while a buyer is found, but by mid-February were all to close.

Houseology , a Glasgow-based ecommerce furniture business, has gone into administration after a doleful Christmas. Twenty-three staff have been made redundant. Bureau, its office-oriented associate business, contiues to trade and is not affected by Houseology's failure. Houseology was set up in 2010 and is perhaps best-known for being backed by famous names such as Terry Leahy, Mike Welch and Bill Dobbie. By the end of February Houseology's assets including IP had been acquired by competitor Olivia, part of the Moot Group. Moot Group started in 2018 and is targeting turnover of 20m by end-2020.

Beales, a 22-store department store chain, went into into administration, having failed to find a new owner or additional finance in the latter end of 2019. At first, the company's stores remained open in the hope that a new owner could be found. They have all now closed. The loss-making stores in the Midlands and the South were closed suddenly when no new owner cold be found, and were followed a fortnight later by the remaining stores, which were mostly in East Anglia. The company had announced in December 2019 that it was in difficulties and needed refinancing. Beales was originally set up in 1881 in Bournemouth as the Fancy Fair and Oriental House, taking advantage of the then-current craze for Chinese-themed merchandise. Originally a strong independent department store, Beales had been buying other department stores for 25 years in order to gain scale. It bought Bentalls in 2002 and in the last eleven years has grown by acquisition through taking over small groups of ex-Co-op and small independent department stores, which were not in great shape when they were acquired. These stores were generally in smaller towns like Bedford, Keighley, Mansfield, Peterborough, Skegness, Yeovil, Spalding, Diss, Beccles and Wisbech . Losses rose from -1.3m in 2018 to -3.1m in 2019 and poor trading over Christmas made it essential to secure new funding. Beales employed more than 1,200 staff. Colliers International reported in January 2020 that Beales was paying 2.85m in business rates, 1m more than should have been the case.

Source: Centre for Retail Research
Sonoran Ridge Over the past few months, weve seen an astounding uptick in demand in Sonoran Ridge Estates for the remaining 12 lots that had not previously sold

Vermaland, a leading Phoenix-based land banking and development company, announced today that the company has sold $1 million in residential lots in the past few months in Sonoran Ridge Estates, a high-end custom home, gated community situated against the White Tank Mountains.

Sonoran Ridge Estates was originally concepted in 1995, when Kuldip Verma, CEO and founder of Vermaland purchased 320 acres at the foot of the White Tank Mountains for $112,000 down and a seller carry back.

My family and friends thought I was crazy, there was literally nothing out there, said Verma. But, I had a vision and Im so glad I didnt listen to those who didnt see my vision.

He developed the community a decade later in 2004 and with its breathtaking views of the White Tank Mountains among one-acre lots, the community sold out quickly. When the market crashed in 2007, it quieted down and stayed slow for the better part of the last decade until 2017 when demand started picking up again. Today, Sonoran Ridge Estates features gorgeous, multi-million dollar homes and is truly a hidden gem in the area.

Over the past few months, weve seen an astounding uptick in demand in Sonoran Ridge Estates for the remaining 12 lots that had not previously sold, said Verma. So far, weve sold eight of those remaining lots and the buyers are moving fast, seeing the property and closing in a few days. In many cases, we are doing two-week escrows and cash deals. The demand is high to say the least.

Verma says he plans to hold the remaining four lots. Last year, Vermaland developed the remaining 110-acre parcel adjacent to Sonoran Ridge Estates into a 246 single-family home subdivision called White Tank Vistas, which he sold to a developer for $3 million in 2019.

Vermaland has been in the land business as a wholesale buyer and seller for 20 years, starting the company in 2001. Vermaland owns thousands of acres of land in Buckeye/Tonopah, adjacent to property owned by Bill Gates, and other properties around Metro Phoenix including Harquahala Valley, Gila Bend, and Hyder which have all been a huge source of solar power for thousands with many properties containing solar farms containing hundreds of acres of solar panels.

For more information on Vermaland, please visit http://www.vermaland.com or call 602-274-0700.

ABOUT VERMALAND

Vermaland is a leading land banking and land development company in Phoenix, founded by Kuldip Verma, P.E. in 2001. The firm owns thousands of acres of land, mostly in Buckeye, Tonopah, Harquahala Valley, Gila Bend, Hyder, and others. Currently, Vermaland has the largest holdings of 50 - 1,200 acre parcels in Metro Phoenix and offers land for residential, commercial, agricultural, solar and other renewable projects. Please visit http://www.vermaland.com.

An actor famous for playing bad guy Tony Doyle in soap Red Rock is now facing a real life courtroom drama after an alleged assault on a traffic warden.

Nic Furlong, who is also known as the face of Barry's Tea after he spearheaded an advertising campaign for the Irish company, is accused of assault and two counts of engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.

The charges arise from an alleged incident at the Crescent Quay car park in Wexford town on June 26, 2020.

Images of the aftermath of the alleged incident, involving two traffic wardens, were subsequently shared on Facebook.

The case against Furlong, who was charged under the name Nicholas O'Donovan and who has an address at Ashbrook, Greenville, Enniscorthy, came before Wexford District Court on Monday last.

Expand Close Nic starred in the soap and was also the face of Barrys Tea / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Nic starred in the soap and was also the face of Barrys Tea

Read More

Mr Furlong, whose presence was not required in court due to ongoing restrictions related to Covid-19, was represented by solicitor Tim Cummings.

Mr Cummings sought and was granted legal aid after he informed the court that his client is an actor who is currently not working.

Judge John Cheatle remanded Furlong to appear at Wexford District Court on March 22.

Furlong is best known for his role playing everybody's favourite bad guy Tony Doyle in Virgin Media's Red Rock.

Red Rock was an Irish crime drama set in the fictional seaside town of Red Rock near Dublin.

Produced by Element and Company Pictures, the series was based around the town's local garda station, and the activities of both the uniformed officers and detectives who work there.

Furlong's character Tony Doyle became central to season three of Red Rock after his partner went missing.

Expand Close Furlong as Tony Doyle in Red Rock / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Furlong as Tony Doyle in Red Rock

After a number of twists and turns, it emerged that Doyle had an alibi.

However, it was not one that cleared him in any way as it emerged that the character abused an underage girl.

'He is a bit of a b**tard,' Nic said of the role.

'I feel good about the role though. It's a tough character to play. He's a bad man and initially I couldn't relate to him in any way, so that was difficult.'

'It was very difficult to play something like that. You get your scripts daily so you don't know what's going to be thrown at you.

"Everyone thought Tony was guilty. I thought I'd done it myself until I got the script.

Expand Close Nic Furlong is seen with gardai after the alleged incident / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Nic Furlong is seen with gardai after the alleged incident

"Then the confession that he had gotten into the bed drunk with this girl... that scene took five hours to film because I kept breaking down. I wasn't expecting it at all and it's such a difficult subject.

"It got a great reception though and Red Rock managed to win an IFTA afterwards. I think that storyline was probably a big part of it."

Furlong has also played a number of roles in feature films.

Among his movie credits to date are Demon Hunter and a comedy which scooped an award at the Dun Laoghaire Film Festival called Thank You Come Again, a caper focusing on the smuggling of blood diamonds in sex toys.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has denied at the Supreme Court that he had told the whole world that John Dramani Mahama won the Election 2020.



According to him he never stated at a press Conference that Mr. Mahama won the elections.



Answering questions under cross examination by Mr Akoto Ampaw, counsel for the second respondent (Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo) at the Election 2020 Petition hearing, the General Secretary of the NDC said My Lords, that was not in my witness statement.



Mr Asiedu admitted that his Party held several press conferences after the elections noting that the Petitioner asserted that the results of the Electoral Commission was not accurate.



He said he made it clear to the public that the NDC had won majority seats in Parliament and same would give the Petitioner upper hand in the presidential results.



Mr Apaw pointed out to the witness that a video of what he had told the whole world was on a pen drive and he wanted it to be played in court since the witness had been evasive.



Mr Ampaw said he wanted to establish the credibility of the witness in the box.

Counsel for Nana Addo therefore put in an oral application seeking leave of the court to have the pen drive played, adding, they were ready to assist the court to ensure that same was played in court.



The seven-member panel, which did not make room for the playing of the video on pen drive hence adjourned the matter to Monday, February 1.



The adjournment would afford the court to get relevant equipment so the court would have access to the video on the pen drive.



Earlier on Mr Aseidu Nketia was given a calculator to make some additions and subtractions of the 2020 Election Results. The way, the General Secretary handled the calculator set audience in the court room laughing.



During an earlier cross-examination by Mr Justine Amenuvor, lawyer for the First Respondent, the Electoral Commission (EC), the General Secretary calculated some figures to make his case.



Mr Mahama in his Petition, had selected the General Secretary of the NDC and another member of the NDC, Dr Michael Kpessah-Whyte, who was in the EC strong room to testify in the case.

As part of Mr Asiedu Nketias witness statement, he had indicated that there had never been any election in which EC had admitted a catalogue of errors than in the 2020 presidential elections.



In all previous Presidential Elections, results collated at each constituency collation centre were transmitted directly by fax from first Respondents regional offices (without collation), to what is usually referred to as the strong room at its head office in Accra, and handed over to the representatives of the candidates, for them to scrutinize and then certify.



In those previous Presidential Elections, when first Respondent declared the final results, they were based on the collated results from the constituencies, which were duly certified by representatives of the candidates in the strong room, Mr. Asiedu Nketia said in his witness statement





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
"There is strength and wisdom in working to lift one another through difficult times," said Amy Cliett, director of TechGirlz, a program of Creating IT Futures. "While TechGirlz learned plenty of lessons by managing our pandemic pivot, it is important for us, and others, to hear and learn from other organizations who faced similar challenges."

Cliett, who will anchor the panel discussion, will be joined by Isis Miller, community and events manager for Black Girls Code, Lauren Psimaris, director of development for Girls on the Run for Montgomery, Delaware and Chester counties in Pennsylvania, and Ashley Turner, founder of Philly Tech Sistas.

Here is the session description for the highly coveted speaking slot at SXSW EDU:

For four groups that inspire young women to pursue tech careers and healthy, balanced lifestyles, the pandemic was more than an operational challenge. It was an existential crisis. How do you comply with COVID-19 lockdown and distancing protocols when direct, in-person interaction between students, instructors and mentors is the backbone of your organization's mission? Join a panel of executives from TechGirlz, Black Girls Code, Tech Sistas and Girls on the Run who have some answers to share.

"We are proud to share this virtual stage with organizations that not only faced similar challenges but also managed to not just survive, but thrive," Cliett added. "The remarkable pivots and achievements of these four non-profits during a global pandemic, especially given limited resources, have produced lessons that can be applied to any organization, non-profit or for-profit, on how to creatively manage through a crisis."

Information on attending SXSW EDU and the schedule of sessions can be found at www.sxswedu.com.

About TechGirlz

TechGirlz is a nonprofit program of Creating IT Futures that fosters a love for technology in middle school girls. Our free, open-source technology courses can be used by anyone to inspire curiosity, impart confidence and build community as the foundation for the application of technology throughout a girl's career and life. TechShopz courses have been taught by volunteer instructors in several states and four countries to tens of thousands of girls. To learn more or find out how you can participate, please visit www.techgirlz.org/.

About Creating IT Futures

Founded in 1998 by CompTIA, Creating IT Futures is a 501(c)(3) charity with the mission of helping populations under-represented in the information technology industry and individuals who are lacking in opportunity to prepare for, secure, and be successful in IT careers. Learn more at www.creatingITfutures.org.

About Black Girls Code

Black Girls CODE is devoted to showing the world that black girls can code and do so much more. By reaching out to the community through workshops and after school programs, Black Girls CODE introduces computer coding lessons to young girls from underrepresented communities in programming languages such as Scratch or Ruby on Rails. Black Girls CODE has set out to prove to the world that girls of every color have the skills to become the programmers of tomorrow. Learn more at http://blackgirlscode.org/.

About Girls on the Run of Southeastern Suburban, PA

Girls on the Run is a transformational, physical activity based positive youth development program for girls in the third through eighth grades. The girls are taught life skills through dynamic interactive lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5K running event. The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness. Girls on the Run of Southeastern Suburban, Pa is an independent council of Girls on the Run International, which has a network of 200+ locations across the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.gotrpa.org

About Philly Tech Sistas

Philly Tech Sistas is an organization aimed at helping women of color gain technical and professional skills in order to work, thrive, and move up in the tech industry. We do this by providing intro to programming workshops and professional development events that build leadership, confidence and community. Our vision is to partner with tech companies throughout the Philadelphia area to help bridge the diversity, equity and inclusion gap by providing a greater pipeline of diverse talent. Learn more at www.phillytechsistas.org/.

Press Contact:

Gloria Bell

Events and Marketing Manager

TechGirlz

[email protected] / 267-909-2308

SOURCE Creating IT Futures
Opinion Policies

Editorials are longer opinion pieces that are written by a group of community members recruited across campus who address relevant issues on a local, national and international level. Editorials are research-based. The purpose of the Editorial Board is to promote discussion concerning relevant issues in the community while advising on possible solutions. Topics are chosen via relevancy and interests of the members, which are then discussed by the Editorial Board in order to reach a general consensus concerning the topic or issue.

Feedback policy

If you have a grievance concerning the content or argument of the Editorial Board, please contact either Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or the Editorial Board as a whole (editorialboard@iowastatedaily.com). Those wanting to respond to editorials can also submit a letter to the editor through the Iowa State Daily website or by emailing the letter to Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or Editor-in-Chief Sage Smith (sage.smith@iowastatedaily.com).

Column Policy

Columns are hyper-specific to opinion and are written by only columnists employed by the Iowa State Daily. Columnists are unique because they have a specific writing day and only publish on those writing days. Each column undergoes a thorough editing process ensuring the integrity of the writer, and their claim is maintained while remaining research-based and respectful. Columns may be submitted from community members. These are labelled as Guest Columns. These contain similar research-based content and need to be at least 400 words in length. The following requirements should be met: first and last name, email and relation or position to Iowa State. Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions.

Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020
WASHINGTON  The governments top infectious disease expert said Friday he hopes to see children being vaccinated starting in the next few months. Its a needed step to securing widespread immunity to the coronavirus.

Hopefully by the time we get to the late spring and early summer we will have children being able to be vaccinated, Dr. Anthony Fauci said during the White House coronavirus briefing.

Vaccines are not yet approved for children, and Fauci was looking ahead to a time they will be plentiful. Even older adults are having difficulty getting shots at the moment. As of Thursday, only about 1.3% of Americans had been fully vaccinated with the required two doses of the currently available vaccines.

Children represent about one-fourth of the population, and for the U.S. to reach herd immunity," or widespread resistance, about 70% to 85% of the population must be vaccinated.

Children tend to not become as severely ill as adults but they can still become ill and some have tragically died, said Dr. Leana Wen, a public health expert and emergency room physician, who supports Fauci's goal. Children can also be vectors of transmission, and getting children vaccinated is important as we strive for herd immunity.

The Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved vaccines for children, due to insufficient testing data on safety and effectiveness for young people. But Fauci said data is being gathered now, through a process called age de-escalation testing.

 READ MORE: Johnson & Johnson vaccine less potent than Pfizer, Moderna, but with just one shot

For example, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine received emergency approval for use in people 16 and older. The next step, said Fauci, involves testing in children down to 12 years old, and if that's successful it's followed by another round of testing down to those 9 years old.

Since the initial tests to validate the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines involved tens of thousands of people, the age-related testing on children can be done using smaller groups.

You dont want to have to ... go through an efficacy trial, where youre involving tens of thousands of children," said Fauci. What you can do, is in a much smaller trial, measured in hundreds to a couple of thousands ... what we call safety and ... immunogenicity. That's a term for whether the vaccine successfully triggers an immune system response.

After a frustratingly slow start, the U.S. is now administering about 1 million shots a day to adults, although that pace is still seen as insufficient. President Joe Biden has talked about 1.5 million shots a day, if it can be done. His administration has set a goal of 100 million shots in its first 100 days.

Two more vaccines from American companies are nearing the stage where the FDA can evaluate them for approval. One from Johnson & Johnson requires only a single shot.

Biden has also set a goal of reopening most schools by the summer, and directed government agencies to work with communities to advance it.

His American Rescue Plan legislation in Congress calls for $50 billion to finance a major expansion of testing, which is seen as necessary for the safe reopening of schools and businesses. Thats because robust testing can detect early outbreaks before they spread through a community and trigger shutdowns. Testing in the U.S. had a chaotic start, and experts say in many parts of the country its still subpar.
Standsome Worklifestyle on Unsplash

Could women be paid $2,400 a month to take care of their children? The answer  maybe.

There is currently a push by women, including celebrity moms like Eva Longoria, to have the Biden Administration implement a 'Marshall Plan for Moms' in the first 100 days.

According to people familiar with the matter, MediaTek has entered Apple's supply chain for headphones. Since Apple owns Beats and its headset factories, the company has chosen MediaTek to make some of the components for the headphones.

This is the first time MediaTek has entered Apple's supply chain but it's not clear which components the Taiwanese maker supplies.

Industry watchers believe that the first order will ship between February and March this year. Even since Apple discontinued including headphones inside the iPhone's retail box, the company has been expanding its range of own-branded and Beats headphones.

The estimates are that Apple will ship around 200 million iPhones this year, most of them will need a pair of headphones and here's where Beats' portfolio comes into play.

Source (in Chinese)

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
Deluged with calls from residents victimized by car crimes, municipal leaders have called on state legislators to reform the juvenile justice system and get brazen thieves off the streets. Bills targeting repeat offenders and seeking longer detainment of car theft suspects have been introduced in the General Assembly.

Police say the pillaging is rampant.

Red dots on a map recently released by Manchester police mark the locations of 545 vehicle burglary calls to police last year  an increase of 350 calls over 2015 figures and stark evidence of the extent of motor vehicle crimes that have plagued towns across the state. As the new year begins, Manchester spokesman Lt. Ryan Shea and other police representatives say bands of young thieves continue to steal cars, strip wheels, smash windows and snatch valuables.

Stark figures

Figures from other police departments comparing 2019 with last year show the surge in car crimes is statewide.

West Hartford police reported auto thefts rose from 83 in 2019 to 120 last year, and car burglaries climbed from 337 to 427. In Windsor, vehicle thefts increased from 60 to 96. Rocky Hill reported auto thefts rising from 24 to 41.

Stolen vehicle reports in Berlin climbed from 16 in 2019 to 66 last year, and car burglaries soared from 58 to 284, Deputy Police Chief Christopher Ciuci said. East Hartford police fielded 311 vehicle burglary calls last year compared with 94 in 2019, while auto theft climbed from 138 to 218 and theft of motor vehicle parts rose from 93 to 217, Lt. Josh Litwin said.

The surge corresponds with COVID-19 precautions that closed schools and prompted hybrid class schedules, beginning in March. Published reports around the nation link disengaged kids with spikes in property crime.

But Shea and other police and government leaders say part of the problem also lies in the juvenile justice system. Young suspects who are arrested are back on the streets within hours, police say. In Hartford in November, police said a 17-year-old car theft suspect was arrested twice in 4 1/2 hours.

Story continues

I dont think theres enough being done to stop them after arrests, Shea said.

Looking to legislators  and car owners

Municipal leaders have assigned blame to state legislators and are calling on them to douse the fire.

The Berlin town council passed a resolution at a recent meeting that says, Since 2012, state lawmakers have passed significant legislation, which has emboldened criminal behavior and left residents vulnerable and afraid.

The resolution encourages Gov. Ned Lamont and legislators to meet with local leaders and address the problem with meaningful, impactful juvenile and other criminal justice reforms that balance the need to protect youths with protection of residents. The council, according to the resolution, is unwilling to wait until someone gets hurt ... to seek accountability for the problems within the juvenile justice system and other criminal justice reforms that are creating havoc in our town.

Proposed legislation introduced by Rep. Craig Fishbein, a Republican who represents parts of Cheshire and Wallingford, targets repeat offenders. The bill, in part, seeks automatic transfer to criminal court of cases involving juveniles charged with motor vehicle theft when a suspect has at least four prior adjudications or convictions for a felony.

Seventeen-year-olds were added to the juvenile court system in July 2012, part of raise-the-age reforms. At the time, Connecticut joined most of the rest of the country  at least 40 other states  in treating older teenagers as juveniles up to age 18.

Arrest statistics through 2019 proved it was the right move, Rep. Steve Stafstrom, a Bridgeport Democrat, said.

In 2010, arrests of suspects under age 18 totaled 15,850. In 2019, the number had dropped to 6,980. The outlier in those figures, however, was auto theft. In 2010, 143 of 667 arrested suspects were under 18. In 2019, the figure was 237 of 651 arrests.

But Stafstrom, co-chairman of the judiciary committee, said throwing teenagers in jail and trying them as adults in response to a nationwide problem related to the coronavirus pandemic is not a solution.

We know that the minute a child spends a night in jail, their chances of being more involved in the system increases, he said. The best thing we can do for a juvenile in trouble is to get support and services outside the judicial system. We need a concerted effort to get kids back into school ... so they dont make stupid, childish decisions.

Stafstrom stressed  and police around the state agree  that a major part of the problem is people leaving keys, fobs and valuables in their cars.

We could prevent over 90% of the car thefts and car mischief if folks simply locked their cars, he said.

To chase or not to chase

When cars are stolen, however, police say they are hamstrung by a state policy that prohibits pursuits in cases where property theft is the only suspected crime. The policy from the Police Officers Standards and Training Council says an officer may chase a vehicle only if a suspect has committed or is trying to commit a violent crime, or in other potentially dangerous circumstances.

A key consideration in the policy is whether public safety is better served by letting the suspect go instead of starting a chase that could harm the officer and the public. Police say car crime suspects know the rules and flaunt their invulnerability.

Weve had instances where juveniles in stolen motor vehicles attempted to bait officers in pursuit, Shea said.

A suspected thief traveling on Main Street last year, for example, saw an officer trying to pull him over and started swerving, Shea said. Weighing the dangers, the officer did not pursue, he said.

Another bill before the state legislature, introduced by Rep. Christie Carpino, a Republican representing Portland and Cromwell, seeks to revise the policy so that police may chase suspected car thieves.

Manchester police are doing all they can to protect residents property, Shea said. Officers who notice car dome lights on or a door ajar will stop and investigate, he said. In Berlin, police are trying to reinvigorate neighborhood watch programs to combat the surge in car crimes.

It is just too easy for them right now, with unlocked vehicles, keys left in vehicles, unsecured property in plain view, Ciuci, the deputy chief, said. We want to expand our efforts in getting the word out and harden up potential targets.

Courant staff writer Steve Goode contributed to this story.

Jesse Leavenworth can be reached at jleavenworth@courant.com.
Kathmandu, February 1

The government has claimed that the bird flu outbreak has not affected any chicken of Nepal yet, adding some ducks and turkeys raised in an ill environment contracted the infection.

The Ministry of Agriculture Spokesperson Shreeram Ghimire says around 2,300 turkeys and ducks found in the infected area of Sanglekhola, Tarakeshwar municipality-7 of Kathmandu have already been destroyed and the area has been disinfected.

However, poultry farmers and entrepreneurs say they are worried about the likely impact of the outbreak on their business.

Junga Bahadur BC, the president of National Chicken Seller Association, says the Nepali market consumes around 500,000 kilograms of chicken meat every day, around 60 per cent of which is sold within the Kathmandu valley.

The market hit by Covid-19 was reviving to some extent, he says, But, here is a terror of bird flu again.

The chicken meat is being sold for around Rs 350 per kilogram currently, and the traders fear the bird flu outbreak can cause a significant drop.

The Department of Livestock Services has clarified that the consumers do not need to fear immediately. Nonetheless, they need to maintain needful safety measures.
Kim Kardashian did what any normal person would do when faced with swirling divorce reports - she got out of town.

The 40-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star escaped to Turks and Caicos for a 'girls trip' with sisters Kourtney, Khloe and Kylie Jenner, where they dropped mad money on a luxury oceanfront mansion.

Seeming to keep her mind at bay after it was reported that she has been forming an 'exit plan,' amid the 'imminent' divorce with Kanye West, Kim shared some vacation snaps on Sunday in a brown string bikini and Yeezys as she said she was 'Just Chillin.'

Just chillin': Kim Kardashian, 40, shares some sizzling snaps from her Turks and Caicos vacation as she perches on a stone balcony in a brown string bikini and Yeezys while 'just chillin' on a girl's trip with her famous family

Telling touch?: She was seen baring all her curves in the skimpy string bikini which she conspicuously style with a pair of Yeezy foam RNNRs despite reports she has plans to divorce West

In the photos the SKIMS founder perched her famous bottom on a stone balcony in what looked to be not the most comfortable of positions.

She was seen baring all her curves in the skimpy string bikini which she conspicuously styled with a pair of Yeezy foam RNNRs.

A Dior silk headscarf providing a luxurious tropical touch, she pursed her lips for the camera while sporting a pair of oversized sunglasses.

From another angle she was seen taking in the view as she flashed her toned tummy and hard earned legs.

Luxurious accommodations: The family has been consistently flagrant with their showy displays of wealth as they continue to jet set all over the world amid the pandemic

Naturally the post garnered a million likes within the hour as her 202M fans praised her and marveled at her body.

Most recently in Turks and Caicos for Kylie's 23rd birthday back in August, the ladies seem to find the serene place a perfect escape.

The sisters posed up a storm on social media as they rang in an early third birthday for Kylie's daughter Stormi.

Wholly unconcerned throughout the ongoing pandemic, the ladies have failed to taper back any behavior or showy displays of wealth, repeatedly dropping ungodly amounts of money on lavish vacations.

Close family pals like Stassi Karanikolaou and Victoria Villarroel were also present, along with Kardashian kids North, Chicago and Penelope.

Sweet escape: The cosmetics mogul continued to post a series of Instagram photos in her vacation looks

Girls trip: The sisters escaped to Turks and Caicos for the first time since August where they rang in Kylie's birthday

Taking space: The SKIMS founder found the birthday vacation to be the perfect place to spend time with her kids as she continues to live apart from West

Swift exit: Though she has not filed for divorce yet, a source told Us Weekly that Kim has been formulating an 'exit plan that would be best for her whole family'

The ladies were seen on a boating excursion on Saturday where Kim looked to be letting off steam with her girls amid what is said to be a 'downright toxic' relationship with West.

The pair began to live apart amid ongoing battles, with Kim allegedly beginning first talks with her divorce attorney Laura Wasser back in July.

A source told Us Weekly that Kim has been formulating 'an exit plan that would be best for her whole family.'

She is currently trying to figure out the best way to split the pair's 'financials and properties,' with the source saying that it is a 'very fair deal' for both.

Beach babes: Kim hit the beach on Saturday in some skintight snakeskin swimwear, as she enjoyed a girls trip with her sisters and daughters to Turks and Caicos, taking a boat out onto the gorgeous blue water

Snake queen: The 40-year-old dressed her signature curves in a barely-there string bikini top with matching bike shorts, which hugged her hips

Orange you hot? Sister Kourtney Kardashian, 41, served body as she was scantily clad in an orange two-piece string bikini with a sparkling top

Wardrobe change: Kourtney was accompanied to the beach by North, who changed into a pink one-piece

'Kim has all of her assets and financials ready for when she decides to file officially. Friends thought she was going to file in September, but she's holding out,' the insider added.

It was reported on Saturday that West - who has been spending time in Wyoming - has plans to raise the pair's four kids on a compound outside of Los Angeles, as he is 'absolutely done' with LA and thinks 'everyone and everything is fake.'

'He doesn't want to bring his children up that way. He wants to build a compound in the desert. The geography of them as a family unit right now is a large source of the tension between them,' it was shared with Hollywood Life.

Despite West's alleged plans, it seems unlikely that Kim would let her kids be away from their cousins and family who all reside in Hidden Hills, but nothing will be settled until divorce proceedings are underway.

Accessorizing: She accessorized the look with some rectangular tortoiseshell sunglasses and a large straw hat. The Poosh founder had her hands full with a green juice and a phone charger as she walked to the beach

Living it up in the Caribbean: The The large group appeared to be in their element as they waded into the crystal clear ocean

Popular: The British Overseas Territory, which lies to the southeast of the Bahamas, is a popular destination for luxury breaks

Fun and frolics: The large group appeared to have a section of the beach to themselves as they frolicked in the water
Stark footage has captured the derelict remains of British Airways once-thriving training facility.

The Cranebank centre, near Heathrow, was used to train some 17,000 cabin crew and 4,000 pilots, equipping them for emergencies on its Boeing 737 simulator.

But passenger seats, cabin furnishings and classrooms now sit covered in moss in the mothballed centre.

The Cranebank centre, near Heathrow, was used to train some 17,000 cabin crew and 4,000 pilots

Classrooms inside the centre have been left in situ, covered in moss, dirt and dust

The Boeing 737 simulator - which was used by thousands of pilots and cabin crew - remains at the centre

A Flight Safety Awareness Course in London took place inside the facility's Boeing 737 cabin simulator

Passenger seats, cabin furnishings and classrooms now sit covered in moss in the mothballed centre

Cranebank once offered a course which allowed passengers to experience a simulated aircraft emergency situation.

The half-day Flight Safety Awareness Course in London took place inside the facility's Boeing 737 cabin simulator and cost 135.

As well as a smoke-filled cabin and passengers' screams, crew would shout the emergency 'brace! Brace!' as participants adopted the position, readying them for an incident in the air.

The Flight Safety Awareness Course was originally designed for the petrochemical industry who fly their staff to wherever oil and gas is located in the world.

Since its inception in 2003, more than 15,000 people took part in the course.

Cranebank has not been used by British Airways for more than five years, and the land is designated for industrial use.

The airline now runs seminars, workshops and training at the British Airways Global Learning Academy at London Heathrow.

The new centre has a fleet of 10million full-motion flight simulators.

Pilots and cabin crew once trained inside these classrooms at the hub near Heathrow

The Cranebank centre was used to train some 17,000 cabin crew and 4,000 pilots

British Airways was the largest operator of the B-747 400 until the decision was made to ground the fleet.

In total, more than 3.5 billion people have travelled on the Boeing 747.

Its last passenger flight was from San Francisco to Heathrow in April 2020, with its retirement brought forward several years as a consequence of the pandemic.

The footage comes amid mounting fury at the lack of taxpayer-funded support for struggling airports.

The Government last year agreed to pay a subsidy, worth up to 8 million per airport, to help them pay business rates  but the scheme has still not been launched and even when it is, it will cover just a fraction of the costs paid by the major airports.

British Airways' parent company IAG suffered a 5.1billion loss in the first nine months of 2020 after profits plunged due to coronavirus.

In a stark comparison, over the same period in 2019, the airline group saw profits of 1.6billion.

In November, the airline suspended all flights from Gatwick airport and furloughed 'many more' staff as the Covid continued to bite.

Cranebank once offered a course which allowed passengers to experience what a plane crash at 30,000ft would feel like

The world-class facility was mothballed as British Airways opened a global learning academy nearby




Dentist Adam Slatniske proud to provide pro bono services to those in need but struggling to access care.



NEW WINDSOR, MD / ACCESSWIRE / February 1, 2021 / FA celebrated local dentist currently based in Carroll County, Maryland, Adam Slatniske is well known for his charitable nature. Slatniske has previously helped run blood drives, supported nearby senior living facilities, participated in domestic violence awareness activities, and volunteered with a nonprofit transportation program providing travel to medical appointments, faith activities, and more.



Carroll County-based dentist Adam has also lent invaluable professional support to underprivileged members of the community requiring vital dental care by providing pro bono services to those most in need.



"Since graduating from Nova Southeastern Dental School in South Florida, I've been committed to providing pro bono professional services to those in need but struggling to afford care," explains dedicated public servant and dentist Adam Slatniske, speaking from his home in New Windsor, Maryland.



Soon after qualifying as a dentist, Adam Slatniske quickly began to use his newly acquired skills to grant pro bono dental work to the HIV/AIDS and low-income communities. In the years since, Slatniske has remained committed to supporting those in need of care but struggling or otherwise unable to access it, whether as a result of poor health, financial difficulties, or for one or more other reasons tied to their present circumstances.

Having relocated back to Maryland following his studies in Florida, for example, in his practice, Adam Slatniske was, at that time, one of the only dentists in the area to put the special care needed into providing treatment to the mentally and physically disabled, pro bono or otherwise, he reports.Sadly, not long after settling into his Carroll County practice, Slatniske's grandfather suffered a stroke that paralyzed his right side.Despite his professional commitments, pro bono work, and other charitable and volunteer efforts, Slatniske didn't think twice, he says, before selflessly promising to help nurse his beloved grandfather back to health. Twice a week, in fact, Adam made the two-hour round trip from his home to his grandfather's in order to help with his crucial physical therapy.Adam Slatniske is also proud to have worked alongside Give Kids a Smile, providing underserved children with free oral health care.Born and raised in Carroll County, Maryland, dedicated public servant and dentist Adam Slatniske is a graduate of South Carroll High School, Washington College-from where he holds a bachelor's degree in biology-and Nova Southeastern Dental School in South Florida.Further to his professional, pro bono, and other charitable endeavors, Adam Slatniskeenjoys spending time with his close friends and family, fishing, sailing, and hiking. Adam Slatniske currently resides in the historic town of New Windsor, Maryland, around 30 minutes from where he grew up in nearby Sykesville. Sykesville, Maryland, lies 20 miles west of Baltimore and 40 miles north of Washington D.C. and was once famously named as Coolest Small Town in America by Budget Travel magazine.

CONTACT:

Caroline Hunter

Web Presence, LLC

+1 7865519491

SOURCE: Adam Slatniske

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/627166/Adam-Slatniske-Grants-Pro-Bono-Dental-Work-to-Underprivileged-Local-Patients
British troops sent to Mali as part of an international force facing an Islamist insurgency have started carrying out missions in an area which has seen extensive jihadist violence and had come under attack recent attacks.

Around 200 troops and 60 armoured cars took part in their first reconnaissance and intelligence gathering patrol in a conflict which has drawn in al-Qaeda and Isis against a background of political turbulence in the country following a military coup.

The 300 British troops, part of a UN peacekeeping force, are operating under a Chinese senior officer in the local chain of command at Gao, in the east of the country. Beijing started sending troops to Mali two years ago to join the UN Minusma mission : it currently has a contingent of around 430 include combat troops guarding the multinational force and also staffing a hospital at the headquarters.

The UK force, from the Light Dragoons and the Royal Anglian Regiment are using armoured cars including Jackals, Foxhounds and Mastiffs for their patrols. The Armys 77th Brigade, which specialises in information and cyber warfare, are part of the deployment, and medical support includes a mobile operating theatre and battlefield ambulances.

Mali and a swathe of states in the Sahel - from southern Algeria to northern Nigeria, Mauritania, Chad, Cameroon, Niger, South Sudan and Burkina Fasso - have experienced rising Islamist attacks.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 12 May 2021 Israeli artillery fire as the escalation continues between Israeli army and Hamas at the Gaza Border EPA World news in pictures 11 May 2021 Maya Nakanishi competes in the womens long jump - T64 category during a para-athletics test event for the 2020 Olympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo AFP/Getty World news in pictures 10 May 2021 A Palestinian man helps a wounded fellow protester amid clashes with Israeli security forces at Jerusalems Al-Aqsa mosque compound, ahead of a planned march to commemorate Israels takeover of Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War AFP/Getty World news in pictures 9 May 2021 Falconer Giovanna Piccolo performs with her Eurasian eagle-owl at 'Roma World' theme park, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Rome Reuters World news in pictures 8 May 2021 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) is introduced as a starter against the St. Louis Blues at T-Mobile Arena. USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 6 May 2021 Buddhist monks and believers attend a lantern parade in celebration of the upcoming birthday of Buddha at a temple in Seoul, South Korea Reuters World news in pictures 5 May 2021 Russian MiG-29 jet fighters of the Strizhi (Swifts) and Su-30SM jet fighters of the Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) aerobatic teams fly in formation over the Cathedral Square of the Kremlin in Moscow during a flypast rehearsal for the WWII Victory Parade AFP/Getty World news in pictures 4 May 2021 An elevated metro line collapsed in the Mexican capital on Monday, leaving at least 23 people dead and dozens injured as a train came plunging down, authorities said AFP/Getty World news in pictures 3 May 2021 Lightning bolts strike buildings during a thunderstorm in Bangkok AFP/Getty World news in pictures 2 May 2021 Samaritan worshippers arrive to take part in a Passover ceremony on top of Mount Gerizim, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus AFP/Getty World news in pictures 1 May 2021 A Gilet Jaune, or yellow vest, protestor stands in front of a burning barricade holding his hand up with an inscription calling for President Macron to resign as May Day Protest turn violent near Place de la Republique in Paris, France Getty World news in pictures 30 April 2021 A demonstrator from the Rio de Paz human rights activist group digs a symbolic grave in front of rows of bags symbolising bodybags on Copacabana beach, during a protest against the Brazilian governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic, in Rio de Janeiro AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 April 2021 An aerial picture shows dead carp fish flushed to the shores of al-Qaraoun reservoir in Lebanons Western Beqaa District in the countrys east. Tonnes of fish have washed up dead on the shoreline of the highly polluted artificial reservoir in eastern Lebanon in recent days AFP/Getty World news in pictures 28 April 2021 Health workers wearing PPE attends to coronavirus patients inside a banquet hall temporarily converted into a covid care centre in New Delhi AFP/Getty World news in pictures 27 April 2021 The full moon, known as the Super Pink Moon rises behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City, Reuters World news in pictures 26 April 2021 Balinese people lay wreaths with names of the crew on board the sunk Indonesian Navy submarine KRI Nanggala during a prayer at the sea near Labuhan Lalang, Bali, Indonesia EPA World news in pictures 25 April 2021 An Ethiopian Orthodox Christian worshipper walks around the Edicule, the place believed to be where Jesus Christ was buried, during Palm Sunday celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem AFP/Getty World news in pictures 24 April 2021 Fans of Wuhan Three Towns FC cheer for their team during the 1st round match Wuhan Three Towns FC and Beijing Institute of Technology FC during Chinese Football League One in Wuhan, China Getty World news in pictures 23 April 2021 A girl prays in front of the Dome of the Rock, in the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalems Old City, on the second Friday of the holy month of Ramadan, as coronavirus restrictions ease around the country, in Jerusalem Reuters World news in pictures 22 April 2021 People walk through the art work 'THE SPIRITS OF THE PUMPKINS DESCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS' by Yayoi Kusama, during the press preview of a retrospective exhibition of the Japanese artist at the Martin Gropius Bau museum in Berlin, Germany AP World news in pictures 21 April 2021 Hungary's Sara Peter competes in the Women's floor qualifications during European Artistic Gymnastics Championships at the St Jakobshalle, in Basel AFP/Getty World news in pictures 20 April 2021 South Korea university students gets their heads shaved during a protest against Japan's decision to release contaminated water from its Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, in front of the Japanese embassy, in Seoul Reuters World news in pictures 19 April 2021 A spectator wearing a football jersey of Argentina's forward Lionel Messi attends the ATP Barcelona Open tennis tournament singles match between Japan's Kei Nishikori and Argentina's Guido Pella at the Real Club de Tenis in Barcelona AFP/Getty World news in pictures 18 April 2021 People raise their fist during a demonstration near the George Floyd Memorial in Minneapolis, Minnesota AFP/Getty World news in pictures 17 April 2021 Security personnel stand guard outside a polling station during the 5th phase of West Bengal's state legislative assembly elections in Kolkata AFP/Getty World news in pictures 16 April 2021 Palestinians take part in the first Friday prayers of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site, in Jerusalem's Old City AFP/Getty World news in pictures 15 April 2021 A firefighter inspects the site of a car bomb attack in Sadr City district of Baghdad, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 14 April 2021 This picture shows the 100 days countdown till the start of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games displayed on the illuminated Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo on April 14, 2021 AFP/Getty World news in pictures 13 April 2021 This photo taken and received courtesy of an anonymous source shows Buddhist monks gesturing while taking part in a demonstration with protesters against the military coup in Mandalay during the Myanmar New Year festival of Thingyan AFP/Getty World news in pictures 12 April 2021 An Indian holi man during the Kumbh Mela royal bath (Sacred Hindu Pilgrimage) in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India. Thousands of pilgrims are gathering and taking holy dip in Kumbh Mela that is a mass Hindu pilgrimage which occurs after every twelve years and rotates among four locations EPA World news in pictures 11 April 2021 Nasa released images of of sand dunes on Mars captured using infrared reflections NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU World news in pictures 10 April 2021 People watch devotees pulling a chariot in Biska Jatra Festival in Bhaktapur, Nepal AP World news in pictures 9 April 2021 Maintenance workers clean the monument of Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in Moscow on April 9, 2021. - Sixty years ago Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space, marking it a new chapter in the history of space exploration. AFP/Getty World news in pictures 8 April 2021 Protesters hold a banner and burning red flares during a demonstration of called by unions of healthcare and social workers in support of their sector and to demand a bonus in their pay in Paris AFP/Getty World news in pictures 7 April 2021 Protesters laying on the street near the Election Commission office in Kolkata during a demonstration demanding the halt of the ongoing state legislative election and campaign rallies amidst the rising number of Covid-19 cases AFP/Getty World news in pictures 6 April 2021 Voters stand in queue to cast their votes at a polling booth during third phase of West Bengal state elections in Baruipur, South 24 Pargana district, India AP World news in pictures 5 April 2021 The Statue of Christ appears behind clouds from the Sao Jorge Castle in Lisbon as the Portuguese government eased coronavirus restrictions AFP/Getty World news in pictures 4 April 2021 Christian worshippers light candles during an Easter service in Yerevan, the Armenian capital AFP/Getty World news in pictures 3 April 2021 Anti-coup protesters hold improvised weapons during a protest in Yangon, Myanmar. Myanmars military Junta continued a brutal crackdown on a nationwide civil disobedience movement in which thousands of people have turned out in continued defiance of live ammunition Getty World news in pictures 2 April 2021 A rescue works at the site after a train derailed in a tunnel north of Hualien, Taiwan Reuters World news in pictures 1 April 2021 Man flashes three-finger salute next to burning tires during a protest against the military c Reuters World news in pictures 31 March 2021 Mannequins wrapped in barrier tape stand in front of Berlins landmark Brandenburg Gate as part of German artist Dennis Josef Mesegs Corona Memorial called It is Like it is AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 March 2021 A ship heads down the Suez Canal, in Ismalia, Egypt EPA World news in pictures 29 March 2021 Flocks of flamingos are pictured in a pond in Navi Mumbai AFP/Getty World news in pictures 28 March 2021 Anti-coup protesters use slingshots and pelt stones towards approaching security forces on March 28, 2021 in Yangon, Myanmar. Myanmar's military Junta continued a brutal crackdown on a nationwide civil disobedience movement in which thousands of people have turned out in continued defiance of live ammunition. Getty World news in pictures 27 March 2021 The mother of Aung Zay Min, 20, who was shot and killed in the night by security forces, mourns over his body at his funeral in Dala township in Yangon, Myanmar Getty World news in pictures 26 March 2021 Farmers play cricket on a deserted highway road during a 12-hour strike, as part of protests against farm laws, at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in Ghaziabad, India Reuters World news in pictures 25 March 2021 China Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2021 collection show in Beijing Reuters World news in pictures 24 March 2021 A man rows a boat against the setting sun at the Dal Lake after a downpour in Srinagar AFP/Getty World news in pictures 23 March 2021 Hindu devotees dance as colored powder is thrown at them at Ladali, or Radha temple, at the legendary hometown of Radha, consort of Hindu God Krishna, during Lathmar holi, in Barsana, India AP

The base at Gao, along with those in the cities of Kidal and Menaka, were hit by rocket fire earlier this week. It was the first time international forces several hundred miles apart had been targeted in a coordinated assault.

The attack came after French forces killed Bah ag Moussa  also known as Barmoussa Diarra, a senior jihadi commander and deputy to Iyad ag Ghali, the leader of the al-Qaeda affiliated Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimin, (JNIM) which has killed large number of civilians as well as soldiers in Mali as well as Burkina Fasso.

Lieutenant Colonel Tom Robinson, Commanding Officer of the Light Dragoons, said the British troops were working alongside alongside contingents from other states including China.  There is a Chinese hospital and the Chinese are responsible for protecting the integrated UN camp of which we are part. And I work for a Chinese Brigadier, sector commander , who is a professional guy who I very much enjoy working with, he said.

Lt Col Robinson, who took part in the first long-range patrol which covered around 50 kilometres, said that the force was fully aware of the threat faced, some of it similar to that experienced in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We are a highly trained, very well-equipped and well-armed force. And on top of that we have, just as importantly as equipment, the quality of the people that we have in the task group he said. We are well rehearsed, practised, and I'm more than confident that anyone who decides to ambush us or try and take us on sort of toe to toe is going to come off second best.

Attacks could range from IEDs ( improvised explosive devices) to ambushes carried out by mobile groups of insurgents sometimes using motorcycles. Effective countermeasures were in place against the dangers as well as medical support which may become necessary to treat casualties said Lt Col Robinson adding I would not and could not look my soldiers in the eye if that was not the case.

Gao was captured by the Islamist groups Ansar Dine and MNLA in 2012 before they took Timbuktu. It was bombed by French warplanes a year later after France intervened in the former colony with the Islamists threatening to overrun the capital, Bamako, The city was subsequently captured by French and Malian forces, but has experienced a number of Islamist attacks since, including a truck suicide bombing three years ago on a military camp killing 77 people and injuring 115 others.

Speaking of the wider danger posed by international jihad, Lt Col Robinson stated :  the big picture is that wherever you have instability in a country, where a country as poor as Mali is and is at the bottom of the global development index you will always be at greater risk of instability and that can lead to terrorism. It is one of the lessons of the last 20 years we've seen in both the Middle East and in Afghanistan.

So our commitment to Mali and the UN operation  if that counters that instability and puts a lid on the problem, stabilising it and allows governance to re-emerge and strengthen, then that will prevent instability spreading through the region and into North Africa. It's really important we are part of this mission to prevent it becoming an ungoverned space.

Lt Col Robinson pointed out that the UK force would benefit from a significant number having served in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have a corporate body of experience and some really hard won lessons we were forced to learn in Iraq and Afghanistan and they are standing us in good stead, he said. We have studied long and hard what the threat is here and the recent history.The threat to similar to that we had in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a combination of IEDs and small arms ambushes.

Lt Col Robinson said that the threat was much lower in scale than he had experienced in his last deployment to Afghanistan. But, he continued, Nonetheless it is a dangerous country and if weren't a dangerous country we obviously wouldn't be sending the Army there. But we are really well-trained. We have years of experience from both Iraq and Afghanistan. The senior element of our soldiers have grown up with IEDs and we have some really sophisticated procedures in order to protect ourselves against them.

The UK force is scheduled to be based in Mali for three years, with each deployment lasting six months as is the standard procedure with UK overseas operations. The UN mission is separate from a French-led counter-terrorist force conducting Operation Barkhana which has a UK contribution of Chinook helicopters and a hundred logistics personnel. The two missions have separate chains of command, but liaise on a number of security issues.

British officials want to stress that the peacekeeping mission is separate in its goals from warfighting . But, in reality, the distinction can be blurred on the ground. As a village elder and militia member near the town of Mopti told The Independent on a previous visit  the foreign soldiers do not show that they can tell the difference between our clans and our tribes, so why should we know the difference in their tribes?
COLUMBUS, OhioFirstEnergy has agreed to halt a controversial decoupling policy that allows them to collect hundreds of millions more from Ohio ratepayers, in exchange for Attorney General Dave Yost dropping a legal challenge to the policy.

The agreement, confirmed by Yost and FirstEnergy on Monday, takes away one of the major provisions of House Bill 6, the energy law at the heart of a massive bribery scandal involving $60 million in FirstEnergy money.

Decoupling, Yost said, would have allowed FirstEnergy to charge ratepayers an estimated $102 million this year alone in order to guarantee the company a yearly revenue of $978 million. Thats the amount FirstEnergy raised in 2018 -- a year in which the utility made more money than in other recent years thanks to hot weather and other factors.

By tying revenue to such a lucrative year, HB6 essentially takes about one-third of our company and I think makes it somewhat recession-proof, Chuck Jones, then FirstEnergys CEO, said during a call with investors last year.

While the decoupling provision still remains a part of state law, FirstEnergy has agreed to file with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to set the decoupling rate to zero, said Yost, a Columbus Republican. In exchange, Yost said, his office will drop a legal motion challenging the provision and pause other court challenges to HB6 until the end of the criminal cases against ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and allies, who allegedly ran the bribery scheme.

The utility began collecting decoupling money a year ago. Yost said the agreement with FirstEnergy doesnt affect the money already taken in, though he said his office still has the right to litigate in court to obtain a refund for consumers.

Yost noted that FirstEnergy has sacked Jones and other senior executives following an internal review into the companys involvement with HB6, which is currently the subject of multiple federal investigations. The AG said this agreement suggests the companys new executives have concluded they need to go into a new direction.

In a statement, FirstEnergy spokeswoman Jennifer Young said the utilitys new leadership is committed to transparency and integrity in every aspect of its business.

Young added: Working to constructively resolve this matter in cooperation with the Ohio Attorney General and other parties is part of decisive actions the Board and management are taking to position FirstEnergy for the future and continue to deliver safe, reliable electric service to our customers.

Yost, along with the cities of Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo, have filed suit against FirstEnergy and Energy Harbor, a former subsidiary that runs two nuclear power plants given a $1 billion-plus bailout under HB6.

In December, a Franklin County judge issued an injunction blocking the collection of the bailout fee, which ranges from 85 cents per month for residential customers to $2,400 per month for large industrial plants.

Taken together, stopping the decoupling charges and bailout fees will save Ohioans an estimated $2 billion, Yost said.

Householder, a Perry County Republican who is still a state representative, has been charged, along with four allies, with running the bribery scheme to enrich themselves and increase the speakers power. While two of his allies -- political aide Jeff Longstreth and lobbyist Juan Cespedes -- have pleaded guilty to their roles in the operation, Householder and the two others have claimed innocence.
Inter-not -- Has a Canadian right-wing blogosphere had an impact on politics, society, and culture in Canada?  updated to 2021 (Part One) By Mark Wegierski

Partially based on research done with Mike Krupa, M.A., for a paper accepted for the August 28-August 31 2014 American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Meeting and Exhibition (110th APSA Annual Meeting)(Politics after the Digital Revolution) (Washington, D.C.), from which we had to withdraw because of unforeseen personal circumstances. The emergence of the Internet, where social, political, and cultural commentary could supposedly be freer of so-called gatekeepers, is said to have introduced a greater and more genuine pluralism of outlooks to societies. Considering that it could be argued that much of Canada ideologically resembles the bluest of the Blue (Democratic) American states, the emergence of right-leaning counter-tendencies would arguably be a step towards greater pluralism. However, despite over two decades of Internet development, it could be argued  as far as the author of this article can ascertain -- that a Canadian right-wing blogosphere barely exists. Looking at some of the conservative Canadian websites and major bloggers, its easy to see there wasnt any point in recent Canadian political developments where they might have made an impact comparable to the blogger impact in the 2004 U.S. Presidential election. That was when right-wing bloggers turned back an attempt by the main stream media to undermine George W. Bushs Presidential campaign. The MSM was questioning Bushs National Guard service record, based on what were ultimately proved to be forged documents. (It is, of course, an entirely separate issue, that Dubyas two terms have ended up as an almost unmitigated disaster for any more seriously defined conservatism in America.) The author finds that, in Canadian society, which, unlike the U.S., does not have solid social bases, groups, or publications for a more substantive conservatism, the presence of a few websites and bloggers has had decidedly minimal impact. The impact of the so-called right-wing blogosphere is certainly far less in Canada than in the United States. The impact of various personal blogs (such as those of Kate McMillan, the late Kathy Shaidle, or Richard Klagsbrun) is difficult to accurately gauge. There are as well the party-based Blogging Tories. The website conservativeforum.org is only an archive site. Free Dominion could be called a self-posting forum where commentary is not formally structured. Unfortunately, Free Dominion has been recently subjected to vicious lawfare and its situation is highly tenuous. Enter Stage Right is one of the few independent, formally structured, consistently-edited, frequently updated, conservative Canadian e-zines, that the author of this article is aware of (apart from Judi McLeods Canada Free Press). In July 2013, there arose with great fanfare, the daily webzine, Freedom Press Canada Journal, but it was forced to greatly reduce the frequency of its postings as of November 30, 2013, and, in subsequent months, appears to have been completely removed from the Internet. From mid-2014 onward, short article postings began to very sporadically appear on the website (freedompress.ca), but now that website appears to no longer be extant. Recently, there has arisen Ezra Levants The Rebel (or The Rebel Media) website, with dozens of bloggers contributing to it. Another substantial media initiative is Candice Malcolms True North Canada. Also, there is The Post-Millennial website. There is also c2cjournal.ca  a prestigious quarterly online publication. Canada also has one of the most prominent pro-life, pro-family news websites in the world (lifesite.net). There are, as well, some right-leaning individual blogs associated with major newspapers and magazines (such as, most prominently, The National Post, and Macleans). There are, as well, the blogs associated with some far smaller publications, notably Convivium and Comment (by the social conservative think-tank, CARDUS); and The Interim: Canadas Life and Family Newspaper. There is a social conservative journal in Quebec, called Egards. Representing Western Canada, there is the new Western Standard website. Three websites of the culturalist opposition are actforcanada.ca, capforcanada.com, and eurocanadian.ca . To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher.

Home
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2021) The Rohingya condemn the apparent coup in Myanmar that saw the military declare a state of emergency and detain several leading officials, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, a Rohingya community leader told the Reuters news agency on Monday.

"We Rohingya community strongly condemn this heinous attempt to kill democracy," Dil Mohammed told the agency.

Earlier in the day, media outlets reported that both Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained in an early morning raid. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy emerged victorious in Myanmar's November 8 election, the second since the end of military rule in the country in 2011.

Myanmar's military has accused the government of conducting the election fraudulently and vowed last week to "take action."

The Rohingya people, a Muslim ethnic group that predominantly resides in Myanmar's Rakhine State, have been targeted by the country's military for multiple years. Roughly 740,000 Rohingya people fled to Bangladesh in 2017, during an uptick of violence in Rakhine State.
A recently published memo issued by former Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller two days before the January 6 fascist assault on the US Capitol confirms that the leadership of the Pentagon deliberately disarmed National Guard soldiers on the eve of the coup attempt. The memo ensured that soldiers would be unable to protect themselves, much less the Capitol, allowing thousands of pro-Trump neo-Nazis and white supremacists to overwhelm the Capitol Police, who themselves had been deliberately underdeployed.

The memo, dated January 4, 2021, was in response to a request by Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy for D.C. National Guard support. The memo, along with FBI documents that have been reported over the past two weeks, directly contradict claims made by McCarthy after the failed coup that the Pentagon had no intelligence showing that the Capitol was the target of a potentially violent attack.

Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021, file photo [AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File]

The memo approved the use of only 340 National Guard soldiers and imposed extraordinary limitations. It stated:

This memorandum responds directly to your January 4, 2021 memorandum regarding the District of Columbia request for District of Columbia National Guard (DCNG) support in response to planned demonstrations from January 5-6, 2021. You are authorized to approve the requested support, subject to my guidance below and subject to consultation with the Attorney General, as required by Executive Order 11485.

Without my subsequent, personal authorization, the DCNG is not authorized the following: * To be issued weapons, ammunition, bayonets, batons, riot control agents or ballistic protection equipment such as helmets and body armor. * To interact physically with protesters, except when necessary in self-defense or defense of others. * Prohibited from sharing equipment with law enforcement agencies or seeking support from any non-DC National Guard units. * Forbidden from conducting searches, seizures, arrests, or other similar direct law enforcement activity. * Forbidden from using Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance assets or to conduct Incident, Awareness and Assessment activities. * No helicopters or any other air assets.

This general stand-down order stands in stark contrast to the deployment of federal military police during antipolice violence protests in D.C. on June 1. On that occasion, on the approval of McCarthy, two military helicopters, a BlackHawk and a Lakota with a Red Cross emblem, flew low over protesters across from the White House, whipping up dirt and debris. The dangerous and threatening maneuvers broke several Federal Aviation Administration and international laws that forbid the use of medical helicopters for crowd dispersal.

Millers directive made clear that the D.C. National Guard chain of command went through McCarthy and Miller and that a 40-person quick reaction force was to be deployed only as a last resort. If the quick reaction force was deployed, McCarthy was directed to inform Miller immediately.

The leaking of the memo follows a revealing interview last week in which the D.C. National Guard Commander Gen. William J. Walker stated that prior to the January 6 attack on Congress, the Pentagon had stripped him of his normal authority to dispatch troops to the Capitol. Walker told the Washington Post that he had to wait for approval from McCarthy and Miller, delaying the arrival of the soldiers for roughly four hours.

Miller was appointed to head the Department of Defense after Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper on November 9 as part of a purge of the top civilian leadership at the Pentagon. Esper drew Trumps ire when he publicly opposed Trumps threat on June 1 to invoke the Insurrection Act and deploy active duty soldiers to major US cities to put down antipolice violence protests, beginning with elements of the 82nd Airborne, which were put on stand-by outside Washington D.C.

Esper, along with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, argued against Trumps demand to invoke the act, fearful of provoking mass popular protests that the government would not be able to control.

It can hardly be an accident that Trump loyalists installed at the Pentagon shortly after Joe Biden had been declared the winner of the presidential election played a central role in the nearly successful coup of January 6, which was engineered by Trump in an attempt to halt the certification of the Electoral College vote by Congress and unconstitutionally retain power.

The Miller memo is the latest revelation to confirm that the January 6 event was a fascist coup orchestrated by the White House and coordinated with the highest levels of the Pentagon, the police and the Republican Party. It was not, as some maintain, simply a spontaneous action, doomed to fail, of wild-eyed Trump sycophants.

The advanced planning that went into the coup is further underscored by the release of security footage this past Friday showing the suspected pipe bomb culprit in the act. The Washington Post revealed surveillance video taken on the eve of the coup, between 7:30 and 8:30 pm, which shows an individual in a light sweatshirt placing two pipe bombs, one at each national committee headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties.

Significantly, despite numerous reports of potential violence, including an FBI warning that same day, the bombs were not discovered for some 18 hours, at approximately the same time the crowd was breaching the Capitol on January 6. They were found, not by the FBI or the police, but by a civilian. Both bombs had timers and were considered live when found.

The use of bombs as a diversionary measure to lure police away from the Capitol is the same tactic that was discussed by far-right Michigan Militia members and Boogaloo Bois who plotted to kidnap and kill Governor Gretchen Whitmer last summer. Their conspiracy was exposed, and the ringleaders arrested in October.

Also over the weekend, video and court filings were released detailing the plan carried out by right-wing militias and vigilante groups in the lead-up to the assault. On January 5, the FBIs Norfolk, Virginia office issued an intelligence report warning of violent activity in connection with the upcoming January 6 event.

The Washington Post revealed that these warnings included a detailed map showing the layout of tunnels connecting the Capitol complex, while another map was headlined CREATE PERIMETER.

The court filings show how several far-right groups, including the Proud Boys, whose leader was outed as a prolific federal informant last week, engaged in concerted action to overrun the Capitol Police just before 1:00 p.m. Among those leading the assault were former Army combat veteran Jason Biggs, former Marine Dominic Pezzola and William Pepe. Biggs was seen coordinating Proud Boy actions on January 6 and was charged with obstruction, entering restricted grounds and disorderly conduct, while Pezzola and Pepe have been charged with conspiracy.

Assistant US Attorney Erik Kenerso wrote that Pezzolas actions showed planning, determination, and coordination. Kenerson alleges that Pezzola obstructed and impeded police protecting the capitol by removing metal barricades and breaking windows, although Kenerson notes that Pezzola was not the only person trying to break windows and forcibly enter the Capitol at that time, but he appears ... first to breach a window so successfully that he and other rioters could enter the Capitol through it.

One Oath Keeper facing conspiracy charges is Ohio bartender and Army veteran Jessica Watkins. Prior to storming the Capitol, Watkins was confirmed by Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes in an interview with the Post to have played an important role in threatening antipolice violence protesters in Louisville last fall.

Every day, new revelations emerge pointing to the coordinated action of police and military personnel in the attempted coup. A recent analysis by CNN found that of the 150 people facing federal charges so far for their role in the Capitol assault, 21, or 14 percent, are current or former members of the military. An ongoing tally compiled by the Appeal has confirmed at least 39, but possibly 42, current or former police officers also participated.

Among those seen at the Capitol with a bullhorn was the fascistic radio and podcast host Alex Jones. It was revealed over the weekend that Jones, who has hosted Rhodes, Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio and Boogaloo Bois on his show, contributed $96,000 to help fund the January 6 rally at the Ellipse. At that event, then-President Donald Trump, Donald Trump. Jr., Rudy Giuliani and Republican Congressman Mo Brooks incited the crowd to storm the Capitol. Jones worked closely with major Trump donor and Publix supermarket heiress Julie Jenkins, who donated $300,000 to the event.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : The high-profile expanded international advisory board of the Jindal Global Business School (JGBS) at O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) held its first meeting in January 2021.

The JGBS International Advisory Board comprises leaders from industry and academia around the world, including senior industry professionals like (Rajiv Inamdar (former head, Heidrick & Struggles, India), and Pankaj Dubey (CEO, Power Global India), entrepreneurs Debi Guha (co-founder, TwodotSeven), Gautam Gode (co-founder Samara Capital), Ravi Saxena (co-founder, Wonder Chef), Sanjay Jain (MD, TT Textiles), and Tara Kenyon (CEO Kentara Analytics); senior executives like Sumit Chandna (Bata India), Pooja Chandna (Kellogg's India); leading academics like Professors M.R. Rao (former Dean, ISB), Shyam Sundar (Yale University), Douglas Cumming (Florida Atlantic University), Eric Lui (NYU and Pace University) and Devashis Mitra (University of New Brunswick) and social and educational sector expert, Deepak Chandra.

The Jindal Global Business School of (JGBS) offers BBA, MBA, Integrated BBA-MBA and PhD programmes and a blended MBA in Digital Banking and Finance program with UpGrad and is launching multiple specialised BBA programs in the fields of Family Business, Business Analytics and Financial Markets, as well as a fully online MBA-Analytics with Coursera in Fall 2021.

Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, the founding Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University said, "The Jindal Global Business School, established in 2010 as the second School of O.P. Jindal Global University, has a vision to evolve as an institution that prepares business leaders of tomorrow with an awareness of social, environmental, and ethical issues of global relevance. The values of JGBS are aligned with those of JGU in providing world-class education, interdisciplinary learning and global exposure to students. The outstanding thought leaders who have joined the International Advisory Board of JGBS speaks volumes about the extraordinary reputation and institutional gravitas of the Business School at JGU." Professor (Dr.) M. R. Rao, Chair, International Advisory Board observed "JGBS has strong foundations as a B-School in its faculty strength and quality and the next few years would be critical in establishing it as a leader in the fast-changing B-School environment in India."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
ULAN BATOR, Feb. 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Feb, 2021 ) :A passenger plane chartered by the Mongolian government to repatriate its nationals from South Korea amid COVID-19 has arrived here, Mongolia's State Emergency Commission (SEC) said Monday.

The special flight from Seoul to Ulan Bator landed at the Buyant-Ukhaa International Airport on Sunday night, with 163 passengers onboard, the SEC said in a statement.

The returnees included pregnant women, children, the elderly, sick people and those with financial or other problems, the commission said, adding that they will be isolated at designated facilities for 14 days.

Following its suspension of international commercial flights during the pandemic, Mongolia has repatriated over 28,500 nationals via chartered flights, trains and buses from different parts of the world, according to the commission.

The Asian country planned to send at least four chartered flights this month to bring back more stranded nationals from abroad.

The country on Monday reported a total of 1,814 COVID-19 cases, having seen two relevant deaths since its first case confirmed in March 2020.
Workers unload the medical materials arrived with the Chinese medical expert team at the Islamabad International Airport in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, March 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Tian)

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A batch of China-assisted COVID-19 vaccine landed here early Monday, bringing both hope to Pakistan in guarding against the coronavirus attack and confidence in building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future.

The assistance came only 10 days after Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi promised Pakistan that China will assist with vaccines and accelerate vaccines export to Pakistan.

China honored its commitment to its "ironclad" friend of Pakistan as it has pledged to make COVID-19 vaccines a public good for the whole world as soon as the drug is available.

Around the same time when Pakistan received the Chinese vaccine, on the other side of the globe, Chile received a batch of more than 1.9 million doses of vaccine from Sinovac, the second shipment after about 2 million doses of Chinese vaccine landed in the country on Thursday.

More countries are casting their trust votes to China as they received, ordered or gave green light to the emergency use of Chinese vaccines.

Earlier in January, presidents of Turkey and Indonesia got Chinese vaccine shots and recognized its safety before launching large-scale vaccination in their countries. More recently, Hungary signed a deal to buy China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine and German officials called on the European Union to authorize the use of Chinese vaccine as soon as possible.

Such recognition is built on China's proved contribution to the global COVID-19 battle.

From alarming the world of the coronavirus by reporting to the World Health Organization (WHO) and other countries as soon as it confirmed the outbreak, to massive lockdowns that sacrificed its economic and social normality, and to dispatching of expert teams and anti-epidemic materials to countries worldwide, China has always borne in mind the safety and well-being of the whole world from the very beginning of the anti-pandemic fight.

Now, as the first country that has effectively contained the pandemic and embarked on economic recovery, China shares its vaccines as a safe, effective and affordable public good as promised, helping other countries to save life and restore normality.

The once-in-a-century pandemic highlighted the necessity of building a community of shared future for mankind through cooperation, and once again proved that blame games and politicizing the virus only worsened the situation by creating loopholes in the world's joint efforts of fighting back.

Not surprisingly, some Western politicians sticking to China-chiding agenda time and time again labeled China's contribution over vaccine distribution as a bargaining chip, or "vaccine diplomacy."

Such a superficial perception of China's foreign policies only exposed those politicians' narrow-minded realism thinking of international relations based on trade of interests.

China, on the contrary, understands clearly that a lone wolf could not beat such a common enemy as the COVID-19 pandemic, and while calling for united efforts from the whole world, itself should walk the talk.

China has joined the WHO-led COVAX initiative to promote international cooperation on vaccines and equitable global distribution of vaccines doses. A WHO team in China is working with vaccines producers for potential emergency use listings.

Action speaks louder than words. China has been acting responsibly and will consistently be a trustworthy force in the fight against not only the pandemic but also vaccine nationalism, which is denounced by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as a "catastrophic moral failure" in vaccine sharing.

China's action to help the world build a safe net demonstrates a common belief within the country that anyone is left behind in the vaccination drive, everyone is vulnerable.
In what could be a big boost to aircraft leasing operations in India, finance minister announced a tax holiday for companies looking to enter the aircraft leasing business. There are two things that become apparent while reading between the lines. Firstly, the aircraft leasing company would have to be situated at International Finance Tec City (GIFT) in the state. Secondly, the tax holiday would be available only on capital gains income of the leasing company.

Aircraft leasing has been the preserve of a handful of nations, pre-dominantly Ireland. At 12.5 per cent, the country has some of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world. A Ficci-KPMG report noted that there are eight aircraft leasing companies around the world with assets of $10 billion. Most of these were located in Ireland. Presumably, it costs less to run the leasing business in the country.

Sitharamans announcement could effectively kickstart a sunshine industry which has been non-existent in India and make it attractive for aircraft leasing companies to move from places like Ireland and Hong Kong to Companies already enjoy a 10-year tax holiday on their incomes and profits in GIFT. Sitharamans proposal to not tax capital gains incomes could further sweeten the deal for those wanting to move out of Ireland. Despite the low corporate tax rates, aircraft leasing companies (and others) have to pay a 33 per cent tax on capital gains in Ireland.



Reacting to the announcement, Mr. Tapan Ray, MD & Group CEO of said, The tax announcement would help in attracting global players in the fund business, aircraft leasing & financing business and offshore investment banking sector to set up their base in GIFT IFSC.





ALSO READ: Union Budget 2021 LIVE: PM Modi says Budget transparent on fiscal decifit

Sitharamans announcement on Monday is the culmination of a series of events that have been unfolding since 2019 to create an aircraft leasing ecosystem in GIFT. In January 2019, a working group in the ministry of civil aviation published a report titled Project Rupee Raftar: Development of Aircraft Financing & Leasing in India. The ministry had specifically mentioned that it wanted to set up the aircraft financing and leasing ecosystem only at GIFT. In July 2019, Sitharaman in her made the first reference to this project saying that the time was ripe for India to enter into aircraft financing and leasing activities from India shores. She specified that this ecosystem would be setup at GIFT. Not much progress was made on the ground for another year. Then in October 2020, in a major move, the Modi government reclassified aircraft leasing as a financial product under the International Financial Services Centres Authority Act, 2019. With this tweak, no other laws in the country would apply to companies which dealt with aircraft, helicopter and engine leasing located at GIFT. By December the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSC) had uploaded draft regulations for aircraft leasing at GIFT for public comments. According to the rules any company which has a minimum capital of $200000 can apply for registration as a aircraft lessor at GIFT.

A 2014 report by Deloitte on Irelands aircraft leasing industry noted that the country had several distinct advantages that led it becoming the mecca of aircraft financiers. In addition to low corporation taxes and other generous tax concessions, Ireland had a high concentration of world class lease arrangers, asset marketeers and legal heads. The report also noted Irish government support of the industry and pro-business regulatory regime as reasons for Ireland emerging as the hub of aircraft finance. With her tax holiday budget announcements, Sitharaman may have moved one step closer to doing what the Irish have been doing so well over the decades. And in the process, set the ball rolling for to be the next Ireland of the aircraft leasing and finance business.
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, seen here visiting a hospital last week, was reportedly placed under detention in a military coup on Monday (Aung Shine Oo/AP)

Myanmar military television has said the nations military has taken control of the country for one year, with reports also saying State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi had been placed under detention.

An announcer on military-owned Myawaddy TV made the declaration on Monday morning, following days of concern about the threat of a military coup as Myanmars new parliament session was about to begin.

The Irrawaddy, an established online news service, reported Ms Suu Kyi, the nations top leader, and the countrys president, Win Myint, were detained in the pre-dawn hours of Monday. The news service cited Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for Ms Suu Kyis ruling National League for Democracy party.

That report said the partys Central Executive Committee members, legislators and regional cabinet members had also been taken into custody.

Phone and internet access to the capital Naypyitaw was lost amid the reported coup.

The US, Australia and others expressed concerned over the reported coup and urged Myanmars military to respect the rule of law.

Expand Close Supporters of the Myanmar military and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party protest election results in Yangon on Saturday (Thein Zaw/AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Supporters of the Myanmar military and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party protest election results in Yangon on Saturday (Thein Zaw/AP)

The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the countrys democratic transition, including the arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials in Burma, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement from Washington. She said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the reported developments.

The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed, the statement said. Burma is the former name of Myanmar.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for the release of Ms Suu Kyi and others reported to be detained.

We strongly support the peaceful reconvening of the National Assembly, consistent with the results of the November 2020 general election, she said.

Myanmar legislators were to gather on Monday in Naypyitaw for the first session of parliament since last years election.

Expand Close A cyclist rides past a sign with an image of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon on Friday. Reports say Ms Suu Kyi has been placed under house arrest (Thein Zaw/AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A cyclist rides past a sign with an image of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon on Friday. Reports say Ms Suu Kyi has been placed under house arrest (Thein Zaw/AP)

Online news portal Myanmar Now cited unidentified sources about the arrest of Ms Suu Kyi and the NLDs chairperson around dawn and did not have further details.

Myanmar Visual Television and Myanmar Voice Radio posted on Facebook around 6.30am local time that their programmes were not available to broadcast regularly.

The 75-year-old Ms Suu Kyi is by far the countrys most dominant politician, and became the countrys leader after heading a decades-long non-violent struggle against military rule.

Ms Suu Kyis party captured 396 out of 476 seats in the combined lower and upper houses of parliament in the November polls, but the military holds 25% of the total seats under the 2008 military-drafted constitution and several key ministerial positions are also reserved for military appointees.

The military, known as the Tatmadaw, alleged massive voting fraud in the election, though it has failed to provide proof. The state Union Election Commission last week rejected its allegations.

Expand Close Aung San Suu Kyi watches the vaccination of health workers at a hospital in Naypyitaw last week (Aung Shine Oo/AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Aung San Suu Kyi watches the vaccination of health workers at a hospital in Naypyitaw last week (Aung Shine Oo/AP)

Amid the bickering over the allegations, the military last Tuesday ramped up political tension when a spokesman at its weekly news conference, responding to a reporters question, declined to rule out the possibility of a coup.

Major General Zaw Min Tun elaborated by saying the military would follow the laws in accordance with the constitution.

Using similar language the Commander-in-Chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, told senior officers in a speech on Wednesday that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. Adding to the concern was the unusual deployment of armoured vehicles in the streets of several large cities.

On Saturday, however, the military denied it had threatened a coup, accusing unnamed organisations and media of misrepresenting its position and taking the generals words out of context.

On Sunday, it reiterated its denial, this time blaming unspecified foreign embassies of misinterpreting the militarys position and calling on them not to make unwarranted assumptions about the situation.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2021) - Whitehorse Gold Corp. (TSXV: WHG) ("Whitehorse Gold" or the "Company") announces a change in its fiscal year-end from June 30 to December 31.

For details regarding the length and ending dates of the financial periods, including the comparative periods of the interim and annual financial statements to be filed for the Company's transition year and its new financial year, reference is made to the Notice of Change in Year-End pursuant to Section 4.8 of National Instrument 51-102 Continuous Disclosure Obligations filed by the Company under its SEDAR profile.

ABOUT WHITEHORSE GOLD CORP.

Whitehorse Gold is focused on its wholly-owned Skukum Gold Project (formerly named the Tagish Lake Gold Project) located in the Whitehorse Mining District of the southern Yukon. The project consists of 1,051 mineral claims covering an area of 170 square kilometres and is located approximately 55 kilometres south of Whitehorse, Yukon, in the Wheaton River Valley region. The project hosts the advanced-stage Skukum Creek, Goddell and Mount Skukum high-grade gold deposits and multiple high-priority exploration targets. The project infrastructure includes an all-weather access road, an all-weather 50-person camp, approximately 4.8 kilometres of underground workings, an extensive surface road network and a previously operating 300-tpd mill along with a tailings management facility and service buildings. Over 140,000 metres of drilling was completed on the project by former operators. Historical underground operations on the Mount Skukum deposit from 1986 to 1988 saw a total of 233,400 tons of ore mined and processed in the plant, recovering approximately 79,750 ounces of gold under a previous operator.

On Behalf of Whitehorse Gold Corp.

"Kevin Weston"

CEO & Director

For further information please contact:

Steve Stakiw, Vice President - Corporate Affairs

Phone: 1-604-336-5919

Email: info@whitehorsegold.ca

www.whitehorsegold.ca

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 Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including the Company's assumption that it will be able to complete the required upgrading and retrofitting of the Skukum Gold Project infrastructure to be fit for the Company's planned mining activities. Such risks and other factors include, among others: social and economic impacts of COVID-19; actual exploration results; availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms; general economic, market or business conditions; regulatory changes; delays in receiving government approvals; and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements in this news release or incorporated by reference herein, except as otherwise required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73360
Ellsworth: Did you get the message from your body?
The access of the population to medication, the essential list of medication from the World Health Organization (WHO), training staff from the health service management, response to the COVID-19 and ensuring a safe environment in Romanian hospitals, were among the topics addressed, on Monday, online, by the Minister of Health, Vlad Voiculescu, with the regional director of the European Office of the World Health Organization, Hans Kluge.

During the discussion, the ministry of Health talked about the population's problems to access the drugs that appeared in the last years because of the withdrawal from the market of a large number of medication and escalation of parallel exports towards other markets of the European Union, a release by the Ministry of Health sent to AGERPRES, informs.

According to the quoted source, the minister of Health said that, together with the new team from the Ministry, is working on identifying a solution for resolving these problems.

"In order to ensure the patient's access to essential medicines we need to establish an encouraging framework of maintaining or penetrating the pharmaceutical market in Romania of those generic medicines which are found in both the list of medication considered by the WHO as being essential for any country, and in the medication list with a 100% compensation percentage, in order to not bring modification towards the own contributions from the patient," Voiculescu said, as quoted in the press release.

The regional director of the European Office of the World Health Organization saluted this effort and assured the entire support of the WHO for solving this matter.

Regarding other topics on the agenda, the WHO representative reiterated the technical support of the WHO for the successful continuation of the vaccination campaign, for the efforts of making Romanian hospitals safer, as well as for the professionalization of the health services management.
Hong Kong: Citizens lauded on anti-virus efforts

Chief Executive Carrie Lam today thanked the vast majority of the public for co-operating with the compulsory measures adopted by the Government to prevent and control the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic.

In a statement, Mrs Lam explained that all the compulsory measures taken by the Government amid the epidemic are necessary and with legal basis.

She said: It is an offence to breach the rules and penalties are clear. Regardless of whether members of the public are required to undergo compulsory virus tests or commercial or personal activities are subject to restriction, we hope that we can have the full co-operation of the public in order to achieve the expected results."

Mrs Lam noted that the vast majority of the citizens were fully co-operative during the four compulsory testing operations at the restricted areas and in the relevant law enforcement actions in the past week.

The operation at Blocks 5 and 7 of Laguna City completed this morning with no residents found to have not undergone compulsory tests. In the law enforcement operations conducted at three restricted areas in Jordan, Yau Ma Tei and North Point, about 200, 5 and 15 residents were identified as having violated the compulsory testing requirement.

"I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to members of the public for their understanding and co-operation. Various government departments will continue to take stock of their experience for the benefit of the operations, with a view to minimising inconvenience caused to the residents and suppressing the epidemic effectively as soon as possible, so that economic activities and peoples daily lives can return to normal, Mrs Lam said.

The Chief Executive also sent regards to a public officer who was injured in an attack when taking part in the operation to enforce a restriction-testing declaration last night and condemned the assailant's violent behaviour.

Hong Kong is government by the rule of law. Violent acts are totally unacceptable. Testing programmes implemented by the Government are intended to safeguard public health, and inconvenience caused to the public is minimised as far as possible.

Members of the public may raise their questions or express their views through various means. They should not pick on the working staff or even resort to violence."

The statement emphasised that the Government will proactively enforce the anti-epidemic regulations, including verifying the testing certification of residents of buildings subject to compulsory testing and inspecting premises to check if there is illegal operation or violation of relevant requirements.

It will also take enforcement action in public places in relation to regulations on mask wearing, group gatherings and more, the statement added.

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Good morning.

We are set for above-average temperatures through Wednesday.

A church south of Steinbach previously ticketed for violating pandemic restrictions apparently held an indoor service Sunday, flouting public health orders.

The Winnipeg Jets host the Calgary Flames tonight in the first of four consecutive games between the teams, with the first three games in Winnipeg.

 Adam Treusch, assignment editor
GENEVA (Reuters) - The COVAX global vaccine sharing scheme expects to deliver 35.3 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to 36 Caribbean and Latin American states from mid-February to the end of June, the World Health Organization's regional office said.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said the Americas region needed to immunise about 500 million people to control the pandemic.

It said WHO would complete its review in a few days of the AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use listing (EUL).

"The number of doses and delivery schedule are still subject to EUL and manufacturing production capacity," PAHO said, adding that supply deals also had to be agreed with producers.

Of the 36 nations receiving AstraZeneca's shot, it said four countries, namely Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador and Peru, would also receive a total of 377,910 doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine from mid-February.

The GAVI alliance, the group that co-leads COVAX with WHO, said last week it aimed to deliver 2.3 billion vaccines worldwide by the end of 2021, including 1.8 billion free doses to lower-income countries.

Geneva-based GAVI was expected to publish details of its allocations by country on Monday.

The 36 Caribbean and Latin American nations to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine ranged from regional giants Brazil and Mexico to small islands such as Dominica and Montserrat.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Edmund Blair)
ADVERTISEMENT

Students of the University of Abuja on Monday staged a protest along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Expressway and main entrance to the campus against alleged hike in tuition fee and other issues.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students were also seen carrying placards with different inscriptions kicking against alleged closure of the portal meant for the payment of school fees and others.

President of the Student Union Government (SUG), Oladeja Olawale, who led the protest, told NAN that major demands of the students included reopening and extension of the school fees portal to the end of the session.

Others, according to him, include scrapping of late registration fee, review and reduction in school fees ahead of next session and postponement of first semester examination from February 8 to March 8.

Mr Olawale said the expressway would be closed with the protest continuing until all their demands were met by the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Abdul-Rasheed Na-Allah

Reacting, the Public Relations Officer of the university, Habib Yakoob, said the management would sit with the students union to address their demands.

NAN reports that the protest led to a serious gridlock along the expressway with motorists and other road users spending hours before reaching their destinations.

(NAN)
New Delhi, Feb 1 : Amid concerns of rise in non-performing assets in banks due to the pandemic, the government has decided to come up with a bad bank to take over the stressed assets of the lenders.

Presenting the Union Budget for 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that an Asset Reconstruction Company Limited and Asset Management Company will be set up to consolidate and take over the existing stressed debt.

The ARC and AMC will then manage and dispose of the assets to Alternate Investment Funds and other potential investors for eventual value realisation.

Sitharaman said that the high-level of provisioning by public sector banks of their stressed assets calls for measures to clean up the bank books.

According to the government, the current ARCs and AMCs are not adequate to handle the amount of bad debt. Public sector banks would initially put in capital into the company and the government expects to attract both private investors and banks to pitch in with more capital.

The announcement comes at a time when a Reserve Bank report has said that the gross non-performing assets (GNPA) of scheduled commercial banks (SCB) are likely to increase to 13.5 per cent by September 2021 in the existing scenario.

In case of a severe stress, the ratio may go up to as high as 14.8 per cent, it said.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
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 Lincoln Project is condemning co-founder John Weaver in the wake of allegations that the longtime GOP strategist made unsolicited sexual overtures to several young men, including one who was 14 years old at the time he received sexual messages from Weaver.

"John Weaver led a secret life that was built on a foundation of deception at every level. He is a predator, a liar, and an abuser. We extend our deepest sympathies to those who were targeted by his deplorable and predatory behavior," the group said in a statement Sunday.

The Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans who opposed former president Donald Trump, rose to prominence last year as they campaigned against Trump and others who supported him. Weaver, 61, helped co-found the group. Weaver previously worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich.

The New York Times published a report Sunday morning based on interviews with 21 men who alleged that Weaver sent them unwanted provocative messages or solicited them for sex, often in exchange for the promise of professional help.

The New York Times story followed reports about Weaver's behavior from earlier this month, including one by the American Conservative's Ryan Girdusky on Jan. 11 and by Axios on Jan. 15.

Weaver did not respond to a request for comment Sunday. Two weeks ago, he acknowledged the "inappropriate" messages in a statement to Axios and apologized, saying he had been closeted.

"The truth is that I'm gay. And that I have a wife and two kids who I love. My inability to reconcile those two truths has led to this agonizing place," Weaver said in his statement then. "To the men I made uncomfortable through my messages that I viewed as consensual mutual conversations at the time: I am truly sorry. They were inappropriate and it was because of my failings that this discomfort was brought on you."

Weaver has been on a medical leave of absence from the Lincoln Project since last summer and said he would not return to the organization.

On Sunday, the Lincoln Project noted that Weaver was never around other members.

"The totality of his deceptions are beyond anything any of us could have imagined and we are absolutely shocked and sickened by it. Like so many, we have been betrayed and deceived by John Weaver," the group's statement said. "We are grateful beyond words that at no time was John Weaver in the physical presence of any member of The Lincoln Project."

On Twitter Sunday, Girdusky - who broke the story earlier this month - blasted the Lincoln Project's statement as false, saying the group had been made aware of the allegations when he was reporting them out last year.

Girdusky, who has also worked as a political consultant for about 15 years, told The Washington Post that Weaver's past was like a "worst-kept secret" and that several men reached out to him after Weaver followed him on Twitter last May.

"Three young men DMed me and said 'please be careful, this is what he did to me,' and sent me their DMs with John Weaver," Girdusky said.

Girdusky said several of the men who told him privately about Weaver's behavior had also contacted Lincoln Project members as late as last August "and it was ignored across the board."

Steve Schmidt, a co-founder of the group, told the New York Times that they had heard "chatter" last summer Weaver could be in relationships with men, but denied they knew it was inappropriate.

"There was no awareness or insinuations of any type of inappropriate behavior when we became aware of the chatter at the time," Schmidt told the Times.
Waze 4.69.2 received the go-ahead in the App Store on December 7, and now, version 4.70 is available today for any iPhone running iOS 11 or later.As per the companys typical approach, the changelog includes only very basic information, with Waze explaining this update fixes a bug that caused the app to close when updating the map.Oddly enough, I encountered the same bug on CarPlay in the latest beta build (4.70.90.900, which in theory is an even newer release), with the app closing all of a sudden while driving. Tapping the Waze icon on the CarPlay home screen relaunches the app from where it left off, only that its typically just a matter of time until it closes again to go back to the app list.But the big change in this new update concerns the privacy information Waze now shares in the App Store, as per the requirements of Apple.The parent company has updated the listing to reveal that Waze might use device identifiers to track you while also indicating that the data linked to you include the search history, usage data, contacts, location, and health and fitness.Apple now requires all developers to share such private information with users, and this is believed to be one of the reasons Google needed so much time to update its apps. Google Maps , for example, still hasnt received this mandatory privacy update, with the last release published on December 1.Other than that, Waze remains the same great app we know and love, and youre obviously recommended to get the latest update to also receive the aforementioned bug fix. This new version is published in the App Store here , but it may already be installed on your phone if you enabled automatic app updates.
Sun Life Vietnam has become one of the largest insurers in Vietnam

With this capital hike, Sun Life Vietnam has become one of the largest insurers in the country.

According to general director Larry Madge, this fresh source will help the firm strengthen its financial capacity, as well as continue to pursue its goal of helping customers achieve lifetime financial security and enjoy healthier lives.

Moreover, the insurer will lay a focus on developing the best digital experiences for customers, while continuing to expand distribution channels to reach more new customers. The capital hike also demonstrates the firms long-term commitment to Vietnams burgeoning market.

Sun Life Vietnam is currently one of the life insurance companies with the most diversified distribution channels in the market, which includes financial advisory distribution, direct sales and two exclusive bancassurance with two Vietnamese major lenders.

In December 2020, Sun Life Vietnam formed a 15-year exclusive bancassurance partnership with Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB). The bancassurance tie-up is estimated by Vietcombank Securities to be worth $370 million, one of the most remarkable monopoly deals in Vietnam's insurance market this year.

Launching on January 1, 2021, the partnership combines ACB's extensive distribution network of 371 branches with Sun Life Vietnam's competitive and comprehensive life insurance solutions. It will give ACB's fast-growing base of over 3.6 million clients access to an extensive range of innovative insurance solutions at different life stages.

Sun Life also signed an exclusive agreement with Tien Phong Bank at the end of 2019.
For his efforts to foster peace in the Middle East, Trump earns a nomination for bringing together former adversaries into the Israel-UAE Peace Deal. This marked the first steps for the Israelis to foster relations in a new dawn.

In the Middle East, Trump's policy has been revolutionary in how regional adversaries have decided to give peace a chance. Especially with Iran on the rise, the benefits of allying would be immeasurable.

The first US president to have no new war in four years

Ex-President Donald Trump has the distinction of having no new wars on his watch than Obama and previous occupants of the Oval Office. This is what prompted Jaak Madison, an Estonian member of the European Parliament. He nominated the popular president to be a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Madison said on social media that Trump, in the recent 30 years, is the only president to focus on peace during his term, avoiding conflicts as much as can be done with the accomplishment of multiple peace deals. There comes a time when the Middle East needs stability and peace in the unstable region.

The Estonia parliament member cites the Abraham Accords, an agreement with Israel, UAE, the United States and Bahrain, and several other Arab nations signing the landmark accord.

A statement by the State Department's website in their mission is to foster interfaith and intercultural dialogue to encourage a culture of peace with the three Abrahamic religions and all humanity. One way to overcome challenges is through cooperation and dialogue with all nations in the middle east and the world.

Donald Trump earns a nomination for the prestigious Peace Prize for his exemplary example as a world leader.

Also read: Israel-UAE Peace Deal Should Be Credited to Obama, Says Joe Biden

Trump and the Noble Peace Prize

In 2020, then President Trump had a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize by Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a Norwegian Parliament member. He added that the former president, in his sincere efforts, has exerted time and effort to have peace among nations.

Trump is not the only one nominated for such honors; Alan Dershowitz suggested that Trump's son-in-law and former presidential advisor Jared Kushner be a candidate too. Dershowitz can mention anyone to be a possible recipient because of his former Harvard Law professor status.

He said that Kushner and associate Avi Berkowitz was a big part of negotiating the Abraham Accords.

He also added that the Peace Prize is not because of popularity or who made the most effort to foster peace. Dershowitz said it is about satisfying the criteria.

Through diplomacy, the Trump's administration convinced the nations of Sudan and Morocco to be part of the historic accord, which made his administration exemplary in seeking peace to mitigate conflict, unlike before.

Kushner said in a statement he is honored for nomination for the peace prize.

Trump's work to be reviewed by the new administration

Despite the success of Trump's policies that fostered the Abraham Accords, it will be reviewed, and every national security deal will depend on the new president's approval. One part of the arrangement is selling arms for accord members to defend themselves, like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

A few lawmakers disagree with Morocco's joining because of sovereignty over disputed Western Sahara. Trump earns nominations for his achievements in his term, and the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be known in November 2021.

Related article: UAE, Bahrain and Israel Signed Agreement to Re-Establish Ties After a Quarter Century

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.


White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on Jan. 21, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

White House Reviewing Trump Access to Intelligence Briefings

The White House is reviewing whether to grant intelligence briefings to former President Donald Trump, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

Thats under review, but there was not a conclusion last I asked, Psaki told reporters on Feb. 1.

Former presidents receive routine briefings and are able to access classified information.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said last month that Trump shouldnt get intelligence briefings.

Theres no circumstance in which this president should get another intelligence briefing, not now, not in the future, Schiff told CBS. I dont think he can be trusted with it now, and in the future he certainly cant be trusted.

That view was echoed by Susan Gordon, Trumps former principal deputy director of national intelligence, who penned an open letter in The Washington Post, arguing that Trump should be cut off from further briefings on Jan. 20.

She wrote that Trump shouldnt be briefed because he intends to remain in politics, alleging, without offering evidence, that it is not clear that he understands the tradecraft to which he has been exposed, the reasons the knowledge he has acquired must be protected from disclosure, or the intentions and capabilities of adversaries and competitors who will use any means to advance their interests at the expense of ours.

White House chief of staff Ron Klain has previously said that the Biden team would check with intelligence professionals before making a decision.

Well certainly look for a recommendation from the intelligence professionals in the Biden administration, Klain told CNN on Jan. 17.

Trumps Save America PAC didnt immediately respond to an emailed request for comment by The Epoch Times.

The campaign to cut Trump off from intelligence briefings is part of a larger effort to ostracize him from the public and the government.

The Democrats last month impeached Trump for the second time in just over a year, alleging that he incited an insurrection and are seeking a conviction in the Senate that would bar him from holding public office. The impeachment alleges that Trump incited the mob that broke into the Capitol on Jan. 6. In a speech that day, Trump urged protesters to make their voices heard peacefully. He has repeatedly condemned the violence since.

In the meantime, major social media platforms have banned Trumps accounts, cutting a direct line of communication he had with tens of millions of followers. Trump has since announced, through intermediaries, that he intends to work with Republicans to retake majorities in Congress in 2022.
New Jersey health officials on Monday reported another 3,114 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 34 additional deaths as hospitalizations dropped below 3,000 over the weekend to the lowest number since before Thanksgiving.

Officials have administered more than 785,500 vaccines across the state so far, though Mondays winter storm will slow the mass vaccination effort since many sites announced Sunday they would be closed.

Hospitalizations declined Sunday night to 2,865, the lowest since Nov. 23, with 531 people in intensive care and 355 on ventilators.

All of those numbers are down, Gov. Phil Murphy said during a briefing in Woodbridge to discuss the winter storm lashing the state.

New Jersey has now lost 21,513 residents in the nearly 11-month outbreak, with 19,384 confirmed fatalities and 2,129 considered probable. The death toll for January was 2,377 confirmed fatalities, the most in any month since May.

The total number of confirmed cases is now 626,645 out of more than 9.3 million PCR tests. There have also been 73,701 positive antigen tests, which the state recently began reporting publicly. Those cases are considered probable and health officials have warned the positive antigen tests could overlap with the confirmed PCR tests because they are sometimes given in tandem.

Health officials, meanwhile, continue to discover more cases of the highly-contagious variant of the virus that was first discovered in the United Kingdom. There have been at least 11 confirmed cases of the variant, officials said on Friday, including one associated with a death.

The cases have been reported in six counties:

Ocean County - 4

Essex County - 2

Morris County - 2

Hudson County - 1

Middlesex County - 1

Warren County - 1

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

VACCINATIONS

There have been 785,588 vaccine doses administered in New Jersey so far, according to the states dashboard. Of those, 656,174 were the first of two doses people will receive.

Thats out of more than 1.23 million doses the state has received from the federal government, according to a running tally by the federal Centers for Disease Control.

All six of the states vaccine mega-sites have now opened along with about 200 other locations statewide, though some mega-sites have had to suspended operations for a day after running out of doses.

Murphy said last week that the state can now expect about 130,000 doses from the federal government over the next three weeks, up from 100,000, but demand is still far outpacing the supply in the state.

We still have a big supply-demand imbalance. Were still going to be chopping through that for weeks to come, Murphy said during a CNN interview.

VACCINATIONS BY COUNTY

ATLANTIC COUNTY - 22,813 doses administered

BERGEN COUNTY - 86,616 doses administered

BURLINGTON COUNTY - 38,742 doses administered

CAMDEN COUNTY - 46,359 doses administered

CAPE MAY COUNTY- 11,358 doses administered

CUMBERLAND COUNTY - 11,498 doses administered

ESSEX COUNTY - 62,777 doses administered

GLOUCESTER COUNTY - 26,024 doses administered

HUDSON COUNTY - 36,437 doses administered

HUNTERDON COUNTY - 10,785 doses administered

MERCER COUNTY - 21,023 doses administered

MIDDLESEX COUNTY - 58,828 doses administered

MONMOUTH COUNTY - 59,564 doses administered

MORRIS COUNTY - 58,242 doses administered

OCEAN COUNTY - 47,462 doses administered

PASSAIC COUNTY - 36,853 doses administered

SALEM COUNTY - 4,691 doses administered

SOMERSET COUNTY - 30,871 doses administered

SUSSEX COUNTY - 13,151 doses administered

UNION COUNTY - 38,734 doses administered

WARREN COUNTY - 8,018 doses administered

UNKNOWN COUNTY - 25,732 doses administered

OUT OF STATE - 29,010 doses administered

HOSPITALIZATIONS

There were 2,865 patients hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases across New Jerseys 71 hospitals as of Sunday night. Thats 58 fewer than the previous day.

That included 531 in critical or intensive care (five more than the previous night), with 255 on ventilators (four fewer).

There were also 286 COVID-19 patients discharged Sunday, according to the states COVID-19 dashboard.

Murphy has said any hospitalizations over 5,000 patients would likely trigger new rounds of restrictions. But the number of people being hospitalized has mostly ticked down slowly in recent days after hitting a more than seven-month high of 3,873 people on Dec. 22.

Hospitalizations have been slowly declining in recent weeks.

The state hit a high of more than 8,000 hospitalizations in April.

SCHOOL CASES

At least 629 students and staff in 131 school districts in New Jersey have caught COVID-19 through in-school outbreaks, according to the latest update from state health officials.

Thats an increase of 10 districts from the previous weekly report. There are now confirmed in-school outbreaks in all 21 counties, though the state does not identify the individual school districts.

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.

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 (31.1%), followed by those 50-64 (23.5%), 18-29 (19.3%), 65-79 (11.1%), 5-17 (7.9%), 80 and older (5.3%), and 0-4 (1.6%).

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 (47.49%), followed by those 65-79 (32.56%), 50-64 (15.52%), 30-49 (4.05%), 18-29 (0.36%), 5-17 (0%), and 0-4 (0.02%).

At least 7,713 of the states COVID-19 deaths have been among residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. That number has been rising again at a steeper rate in recent months, with deaths at the states nursing homes nearly tripling in December.

There are currently active outbreaks at 435 facilities, resulting in 7,338 active cases among residents and 7,929 among staffers.

GLOBAL NUMBERS

As of Monday morning, there have been more than 103 million positive COVID-19 tests across the world, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. More than 2.22 million people have died from coronavirus-related complications.

The U.S. has reported the most cases, at more than 26.1 million, and the most deaths, at more than 441,300 .

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com.
Help India!

Nearly seventy-seven Dalit families in Thangavelu Street, T. Nagar, Chennai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu are stranded in the streets after the city corporation demolished their houses on 2 January. The families have condemned the demolition and demanded to be relocated within 8 kilometers of the settlement in order to not lose their livelihood, reports Shalini S.

By Shalini S, TwoCircles.net

Support TwoCircles



Chennai: Nearly seventy-seven Dalit families in Thangavelu Street, T. Nagar, Chennai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu are stranded in the streets after the city corporation demolished their houses on 2 January. The Dalits families have condemned the demolition as being carried out to serve the interest of a particular caste dominant individual.

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the ruling party and the opposition party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), have maintained silence about the demolition while the affected families are aghast.

Thangavelu Street is conspicuous in the now bristling T. Nagar locale, as the government ordered for relaxation following severe Covid-19 lockdown. While one side of the street is occupied by Dalits, whose cluster of houses have been smashed to bricks and stones  the other side is occupied by caste Hindus dwelling in luxurious apartments.

After the historic water crisis in Chennai during 2019, the state government had taken stringent measures to clear encroachments on water bodies, but the evacuation of Thangavelu Streets Dalit settlement cannot be classified under the same, an elderly Dalit woman explains.

A case was filed against the Dalit occupants in 2002 by the caste Hindus alleging that the Dalits have encroached 30 feet of the public street apart from the poramboku land (land outside the revenue records) that they were settled in.

According to the affected families, the case is a history of the legal war between the Dalits and the caste Hindus.

However, Vincent, the late leader of the Dalit occupants had managed to chaperone the families through the legal process and as a result, they reconstructed their houses and ensured that the margins of the street is kept free from encroachment.

Talking to TwoCircles.net, an elderly resident said, I still have a thousand rupees debt to pay from the construction work we did back then. I dont even have a roof over my head now.

The affected Dalits state that the case was revived again in 2016 for the personal benefit of a particular individual and his family living on the privileged side of the same street in an apartment.

The people in that building want to sell their houses but no one would buy it because we live opposite to them. They cant digest looking at our faces as the first thing when they pull out of their vehicles. Arent we humans? They would use this space for car parking rather us living here. Any man with a little bit of humanity left in his heart wouldnt do it, a Dalit resident told TwoCircles.net.

According to the Dalits, the particular caste dominant individual with the help of other privileged members had agitated about the case solely for the purpose of parking their cars and putting their houses on sale. For the Dalits, this ghettoization is an offshoot of neo-untouchability, reinforcing the ostracization of marginalized groups from the mainstream.

In August 2016, the Honorable Madras High Court had directed the District Collector to supervise whether or not the land is entitled to be occupied by the public. After a long pendency in this decision, the houses of the Dalits were demolished on 2 January 2021 with no prior notice and in the midst of a pandemic. The National Alliance of Peoples Movement (NAPM), an alliance of progressive peoples organizations and movements in India, had pleaded the state to provide a moratorium until June 2021 but in vain.

The Dalits allege that the officials have been bribed into demolishing the houses since the police have expressed explicit soft corner for the particular privileged individual. He (the privileged individual) would welcome police officers into his house for a feast. After leaving his house, the officers would treat us indifferently, a Dalit resident said.

The Dalit occupants also emphasized that the corporation had no logical reason to demolish their houses as they have not encroached lands near water bodies. In 2008, the DMK government regularized our settlement with water and electricity supplies only after clarifying it as unobjectionable encroachment. A grave injustice has been done to us in this lockdown, another Dalit resident said.

In 2018, the AIADMK government announced a free housing Patta (ownership deed to a property) scheme in which Pattas were provided to those living in encroached lands for more than five years.

The residents of this settlement say that despite this scheme, their quest for claiming a housing Patta didnt materialize. The families are residents of Thangavelu Street for the past fifty years but they could not claim a Patta because of the case filed against the settlement. The families expressed distress about societys obliviousness to their grueling condition.

Neelam Foundation thambis (younger brothers) helped us in staging a protest when our houses got demolished. They visited many officials but nothing seemed to work out, the police threatened to arrest them as it was a court order, a resident said.

Neelam Foundation is an organization run by Pa. Ranjith. The foundation works closely with the marginalized communities.

The families are now resisting to shift to the reallocated place of Ezhilnagar, Thuraipakkam, as they maintain its not only far-off but is also infamous for rape, murders, theft and other crimes. Ezhilnagar is 25 kilometres away from their current residence and moving to this place will affect their livelihood and education. My daughter cries every day. She would prefer to stay here in the streets than shift elsewhere, a middle-aged woman said.

Another resident told TwoCircles.net, I earn rupees 7000 per month and half of it goes into looking after my sick husband. I work at the houses of the nearby rich people and after work come rushing home to look after my husband. If we go to Ezhilnagar, I wont have a job and I cant travel that much distance every day. My body and soul are in pain. I almost went to immolate myself but people stopped me, she said.

The Dalit residents swore not to cast any votes in the approaching Assembly Election as both the ruling and opposition parties have remained silent about their plight. Nevertheless, Dr Thirumavalavan, Member of Parliament and Chairman of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) visited the settlement on 21 January and extended his solidarity. The party has also provided provisions for the families.

Extending our solidarity, 10 Kg rice and other groceries were distributed, Dr Thirumavalavan tweeted later.

The Dalits agree that they lack unity and dont have any proper leadership. Despite this, they say, they have managed to create a middle ground and put up a legal battle by pooling in all of their resources. With a flickering ray of hope, they are positive to further their appeal with the help of a new lawyer.

As old women lie on tattered mats and chew betel leaves at the demolished site, the families are determined not to evacuate and demand a multi-storey building to be constructed on one corner of the street to occupy all the 77 families or to reallocate houses within the vicinity of 8 kilometers, close to their livelihoods.

They would hurl casteist abuses at us and call us Parachi. We are not intimidated. They think we are meek but we will fight back, a Dalit resident 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.
CORK Chamber has today launched its Cork Company of the Year Awards.

The awards, held in association with Vodafone Ireland, celebrate the best of Cork business from new, emerging businesses right through to international organisations.

The awards have been running for over 20 years, but President of Cork Chamber, Paula Cogan, said this year more than ever it is "essential that we celebrate the hard work, determination and innovation that exists in Cork businesses".

"The Cork Company of the Year Awards have become known for identifying entrepreneurial bravery, business ingenuity and strategic growth that have helped to build the reputation of Cork as the best place for business both nationally and internationally.

"Over the years we have seen many finalists and winners leverage the awards to champion their successes and share their stories among industry peers, stakeholders and across the talent pool.

"And while core business achievements are an essential ingredient for success in these awards, it is those organisations incorporating sustainability, inclusion and diversity that truly set themselves apart," she continued.

Irish Distillers was awarded overall Cork Company of the Year in 2020, an award which Paul Wickham, General Manager of Midleton Distillery at Irish Distillers, said meant a great deal.

"With a rich history in Cork since 1825, Irish Distillers was truly honoured to be named Cork Company of the Year in 2020.

"The award recognised Irish Distillers ongoing innovation, investment in operations, commitment to sustainability and economic contribution to the region, underpinned by its many partners and suppliers across Cork," he said.

The closing date for applications is Monday, February 22.

Winners in each category along with the overall Cork Company of the Year will be announced at a dedicated virtual event in May.

To complete the entry form or to nominate a company click here.
The number of wild bee species recorded by an international database of life on earth has declined by a quarter since 1990, according to a global analysis of bee declines.

Researchers analyzed bee records from museums, universities and citizen scientists collated by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, (GBIF) a global, government-funded network providing open-access data on biodiversity.

They found a steep decline in bee species being recorded since 1990, with approximately 25 percent fewer species reported between 2006 and 2015 than before the 1990s.

Although this does not mean these species are extinct, it may indicate that some have become so scarce that they are no longer regularly observed in the wild.

With citizen science and the ability to share data, records are going up exponentially, but the number of species reported in these records is going down, said Eduardo Zattara, the lead author and a biologist from the Universidad Nacional del Comahue and Argentinas National Scientific and Technical Research Council. Its not a bee cataclysm yet, but what we can say is that wild bees are not exactly thriving.

A separate series of scientific studies into global insect declines this month warned that the abundance of insects was falling by 10 to 20 percent each decade, an absolutely frightening loss that threatened to tear apart the tapestry of life.
DEL NORTE COUNTY, Calif.-- During a mid-day flight Sunday afternoon a plane had to make an emergency landing near Del Norte County after a mechanical issue forced the plane to crash.

According to the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office the plane was traveling from Medford, Oregon. The pilot, Field Morey and co-pilot, Seth Hofstetter had minor injuries but were in good spirits.

According to police they said they were especially grateful for the dispatcher that answered their 911 call for help, and had the chance to meet her.
Attorney-General Christian Porter has called for unions to pull an ad depicting Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a bus driver speeding towards a crowd of workers, saying it is offensive to victims of road accidents in Australia.

The ad, commissioned by the Electrical Trades Union and the construction division of the CFMMEU, plays on the governments omnibus overhaul of industrial relations, with the bus representing proposed laws unions say will hurt workers.

The Stop the bus ad depicting Scott Morrison as a bus driver. Christian Porter says the ad has crossed a line.

But Mr Porter, who is also Industrial Relations Minister, said the ad was factually inaccurate and went beyond the bounds of legitimate political debate.

I think leaving aside the fact that all the claims that it makes are just wrong, like lies, its just one of the most shameful, insensitive to the families of people whove been the victims of this type of thing happening on roads, and disgusting piece of advertising Ive seen, Mr Porter said on 2GB on Monday morning.

" " God speaks to Moses through a burning bush in this 15th-century German manuscript. According to the controversial theory of psychologist Julian Jaynes, every human tradition that entails prayer or divine voices is an echo of a time in which our bicameral brains simply worked that way. Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images

What is consciousness and how did it emerge in human beings?

Great thinkers have pondered these questions for ages  and the subject continues to intrigue us. We know that our mental state sets us apart from other animals. We also know we're a product of evolution. Gradual changes occurred over time to make us what we are today. One of those changes is the emergence of consciousness.

But when exactly did this change take place? When did humans, or perhaps our pre-human ancestors, shift from a life of instinctual existence to a life of reason, reflection and inner complexity? Furthermore, what were we like before the change? How do we imagine humans without a modern consciousness?

Various hypotheses have tackled these mind-blowing questions, entailing everything from the limitations of human attention to quantum theory. The true answer remains elusive. Today, we are going to consider a single, somewhat controversial hypothesis: the bicameral mind.

Advertisement

Bicameralism: What and Who

The bicameralism hypothesis was proposed by American psychologist Julian Jaynes (1920-1997) in his 1976 book "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind." The book struck a chord with readers at the time and continues to resonate, even if many of its core ideas are ultimately unproveable.

What are those ideas? Well, much of it can be gleaned from the title itself. Jaynes proposed that modern consciousness, as we know it, emerges from the breakdown of a prior form of mentality that he dubbed the bicameral mind  or, quite literally, the mind of two houses.

Jaynes' conclusion was that, until roughly 3,000 years ago, humans were not conscious in the modern sense. He argued that modern consciousness emerged as a cultural invention in Mesopotamia, Greece. To put this in computer terms, modern consciousness was more software than hardware. This new way of thinking spread around the world, eroding and replacing the previous mental order.

And here's where the hypothesis gets even more exciting: That previous mental order, which Jaynes dubbed the bicameral mind, was a world of hallucinated voices. These voices told our ancestors what to do when we encountered novel circumstances or events. These voices, he argued, were the voices that we came to think of as the voices of the gods. In this, every human tradition that entails prayer or divine voices is an echo of a time in which our brains simply worked this way.

Advertisement

Bicameralism: The Unconscious Mind

So, to refresh, Jaynes argued that humans were not conscious beings before roughly 3,000 years ago. But what did he think they were? To understand this, we have to stop and consider exactly what Jaynes meant by conscious and non-conscious existence. Here's what he wrote in his 1976 book:

Consciousness is a much smaller part of our mental life than we are conscious of, because we cannot be conscious of what we are not conscious of. How simple that is to say; how difficult to appreciate! It is like asking a flashlight in a dark room to search around for something that does not have any light shining upon it. The flashlight, since there is light in what-ever direction it turns, would have to conclude that there is light everywhere. And so consciousness can seem to pervade all mentality when actually it does not.

In other words, we act non-consciously all the time  and conscious consideration of our thoughts and actions is a mere interruption to this norm. You likely behave like a kind of robot while unloading the dishwasher. You've done it thousands of times, so you're kind of on autopilot. The autopilot only "turns off" when something unexpected happens. Perhaps you break a glass, drop a fork, or catch yourself putting something in the wrong drawer.

For a bicameral human, life would be a state of autopilot  with the hallucinated voice only manifesting when something novel happened: the dropped fork, the broken glass, etc. A voice that one might interpret as a god or the spirit of an ancestor would tell us how to respond.

How would ancient civilizations have functioned like this? According to Marcel Kuijsten, Founder and Executive Director of the Julian Jaynes Society, we have to remember that people still communicated with each other  and that these societies were highly hierarchical.

"The major societal decisions and direction would have come from the great gods, which were heard by the king or the highest-ranking priests," Kuijsten says in an email interview. "These commands would then be communicated down the hierarchy verbally, just as they would be today. The voices that most individuals heard would have pertained to their own day-to-day lives. If they did hear voices regarding larger issues, it's unlikely that anyone above them in the hierarchy would have listened to them."

Advertisement

Bicameralism: The Split Brain

Now, as interesting as this concept is, you might well wonder how all of this ties together into a hypothesis about the origins of consciousness. What is this bicameral voice anyway and why would it be experienced as an auditory hallucination?

Jaynes argued that the brains of bicameral humans used language to convey experience from the right to the left hemisphere.

As explored in the work of neuroscientists Roger Sperry and Michael Gazzaniga in the 1960s and 70s, the two hemispheres of the brain are quite divided and can act independently, almost as if they are two separate individuals. They explored this via the separation of animal brain hemispheres and by studying humans who had undergone a corpus callosotomy to treat severe epilepsy. Via this surgical procedure, the part of the brain known as the corpus callosum, which connects the two hemispheres and allows communication between them, is severed.

While the patients seemingly felt mentally whole afterward, laboratory experiments revealed the subtle ways in which the hemispheres worked independently. This led Gazzaniga to formulate his left-brain interpreter theory, in which the language-centered left hemisphere generates a kind of story explaining why the non-dominate right hemisphere did something. He argued that our sense of self emerges out of this "interpretation."

Gazzaniga's theory concerned the modern human condition, while Jaynes thought that the brain used language to convey experience from one hemisphere to another in ancient humans  what we would today call an auditory hallucination.

" " Gazzaniga's left-brain interpreter theory, in which the language-centered left hemisphere generates a kind of story explaining why the non-dominate right hemisphere did something, posited that our sense of self emerges out of this "interpretation." Tumisu/Pixabay

Kuijsten points to studies of modern voice-hearers that show that they often experience what are called "command hallucinations" that direct their behavior, very much like what Jaynes documents in the ancient world. Additionally, while Jaynes died in 1997, subsequent neuroscientific findings strike Kuijsten as supportive.

"By 1999, brain imaging technology had progressed to the point that a study was done that imaged the brain of someone at the exact moment that they were hallucinating," Kuijsten says. "It showed the right/left temporal lobe interaction during auditory verbal hallucinations that Jaynes's neurological model predicted. Since then, this finding has been confirmed by dozens of other studies."

So what, according to Jaynes, changed beginning roughly 3,000 years ago?

Advertisement

Bicameralism: Metaphorical Breakdown

Jaynes argued that the breakdown of the bicameral mind would have stemmed from the use of metaphors. Modern consciousness, he wrote, is a metaphor-based model of reality, based on the way we use language to create metaphors. As this way of speaking and thinking spread again, like software rather than evolved hardware  it would have disrupted the way humans thought.

Jaynes spends a great deal of time in his work drawing evidence for his hypothesis via ancient writings, art, music and architecture  such as divine statues that were, in various traditions, said to on occasion speak to mortals. This would have been the fading bicameral voice coaxed from the recesses of the mind and interpreted as the words of a god.

As for Kuijsten, he is particularly intrigued by the idea of bicameral dreams. "Most people assume that dreams were basically the same in the ancient world as they are today, but surprisingly this is not the case," Kuijsten says. "Dreams in the ancient world were generally what's called 'visitation dreams'  or what we might call 'bicameral dreams.' In these types of dreams, the person experiences themselves asleep in their bed, and they are then visited by a god or dead ancestor that gives them advice or a command. So in the ancient world, the dream experience very much parallels the waking bicameral experience." As consciousness developed, the nature of the dream itself changed.

Advertisement

Bicameralism: Is it True?

The work of Julian Jaynes continues to fascinate readers, but it remains controversial when it comes to scholarly consideration of human consciousness. While he has his fervent supporters, there is much to the hypothesis that cannot be studied in a scientifically verifiable way. As such, it would seem a hypothesis destined to never advance to the theory stage. Jaynes' interpretations of ancient cultures remain just that: interpretations.

Jaynes himself admitted that he focused his work on the cultures and languages that were best known to him. For instance, while he found evidence for bicameralism in Greek culture, he left Chinese culture largely unexplored. Other scholars, such as Sinologist Michael Carr and Tibetologist Todd Gibson, have continued to explore and advance the hypothesis, and have documented evidence for bicameralism in places like China and Tibet.

"While it certainly remains controversial and outside of mainstream psychology, over the years I have seen a gradual increase in interest and acceptance," Kuijsten says. "There is a certain risk for people in academia to be seen as embracing new or controversial ideas, but the more new material we've published on Jaynes's theory  and the more we've cleared up misconceptions  the more we've made it easier for others to openly support it."

Advertisement

More Work to be Done

Some commentators have suggested that there may be some truth in Jaynes' work, but that the reality might be more complicated. The transition to modern consciousness, according to philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel Dennett, may have been less drastic and entailed multiple features. Kuijsten, however, stresses that Jaynes never claimed to have all the answers, and that he ultimately laid a foundation for others to build upon  much like Darwin'stheory of evolution.

"I think generally speaking Jaynes's hypothesis is correct  in my view, the overall pattern of evidence is just too compelling," Kuijsten says. "And there are too many things that would otherwise remain inexplicable."

Still, Kuijsten stresses that more work needs to be done. "We could learn a great deal by reexamining ancient civilizations and retranslating ancient texts through the lens of Jaynes's theory," he says. "For example, I think the transition from bicamerality to consciousness could be much better understood. Exactly when did it occur in various cultures? How long was the transition? Did the different features of consciousness emerge gradually, and did different features emerge differently in different cultures?"

The study and contemplation of consciousness continues, and perhaps one day we'll have a theory that meets the criteria of consensus science. Until then, humans will continue to gaze back on the past and wonder what came before modern consciousness.

HowStuffWorks may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article.

Jaynes' "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" has been reprinted several times. It was nominated for the National Book Award in 1978. A new edition by Penguin Books, with an afterword that addressed some criticisms, was published in the U.S. in 1990 and re-issued in 2000. Many people have cited the book as an influence, including Philip K. Dick, Terrence McKenna and David Bowie.
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
by Mathias Hariyadi

Founded on 31 January 1926, Indonesias most important moderate Muslim movement is approaching a hundred years of existence. Its principles are also inspired by opposition to the Wahhabi ideology that was emerging in Saudi Arabia at the same time. It has historically supported initiatives in favour of dialogue and tolerance, and its schools, the pesantren, have played a role in spreading its values.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  The Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the revival of the ulema, is the most important moderate Muslim organisation in Indonesia. This year, it is celebrating the 95th anniversary since its foundation in 1926.

Everything started two years earlier, in 1924, when two leaders of the time, Kiai Hajj Hasyim Asy'ari and Kai Hajj Wahab Hasbullah, proposed the creation of a body to supervise boarding schools (pesantren) in East Java, the religions cradle in the archipelago.

The idea that led to the birth of the NU movement was to protect the true nature of Islam in Indonesia, better known as Islam Nusantara, according to the principle of a Sunni doctrine derived from the Shafii doctrine and school of Islamic law.

The current of thought developed in opposition, among others, to the Wahhabi doctrine that was becoming increasingly popular in Saudi Arabia, and then spreading to the rest of the Islamic world.

It was also a response to the growing modernism and secularism that was asserting itself in Indonesia.

In short, NU was a current marked by a balance between two opposites, that of unfettered secularism and the radical (and violent) extremism that still dominates in Arabia and the places where the Islamic faith is funded by petrodollars.

In the 1920s, Indonesian Muslim scholars sought instead to create an Indonesian Islamic doctrine to contrast Saudi radicalism and encourage school life and teaching in the Pesantren.

Hence, on 31 January 1926, the Nahdlatul Ulama was born, reaching the milestone of 95 years of activity with countless initiatives in the religious, social and political fields.

In all these years the Nahdlatul Ulama played a leading role in the life of the country, guaranteeing pluralism and respect for civil liberties and in matters of faith, embodied in the doctrine of Pancasila, the political and institutional reference and inspiring principle of the state.

Through GP Ansor, its youth wing, and Banser, its paramilitary wing, NU contributed to stability and the development of pluralism and tolerance.

Speaking on the side-lines of the celebrations dedicated to the 95th anniversary, Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed hope that NU would continue to play a leading role in the defence of nationalism and religious tolerance in the future.

In the modern history of Indonesia, the head of state added, members of the organisation have fought against terrorism and extremism.

Former President Megawati Sukarnoputri also praised the organisations decades of work, expressing hope that its leaders would continue to work closely with Indonesian political leaders in coming years.


Kosovo has established diplomatic ties with Israel, becoming the latest Muslim-majority country to do so in a US-brokered deal.

The tiny Balkan state also recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - a move that puts it at odds with the rest of the Islamic world.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and his counterpart from Kosovo Meliza Haradinaj Stublla signed a joint declaration establishing ties in a ceremony held over Zoom on Monday.

Ashkenazi said he had approved Kosovo's 'formal request to open an embassy in Jerusalem'.

In a statement on January 29, Haradinaj-Stublla said: 'Recognition by Israel is one of the greatest achievements for Kosovo, coming at a key moment for us, thanks to the United States of America, our common and eternal ally.'

Kosovo has established diplomatic ties with Israel, becoming the latest Muslim-majority country to do so in a US-brokered deal. Pictured: Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi (seated) and his counterpart from Kosovo Meliza Haradinaj Stublla (on screen) signed a joint declaration establishing ties in a ceremony held over Zoom on Monday

Kosovo, a tiny Balkan state, also recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel - a move that puts it at odds with the rest of the Islamic world. Pictured: Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi (left, seated) signs a deal establishing ties with Kosovo

Last year, Israel inked a series of deals brokered by former US president Donald Trump to establish diplomatic relations with Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.

Those agreements, known collectively as the Abraham Accords, triggered criticism in many majority-Muslim countries which have previously shunned Israel in opposition to its illegal occupation of the West Bank, as well as Lebanese and Syrian territories, and its blockade of Gaza.

Arab parties to the Abraham Accords have all maintained that their diplomatic missions in Israel will be in Tel Aviv.

That position is in line with the global consensus against recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital while the Palestinian conflict remains unresolved.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi (pictured) said he had approved Kosovo's 'formal request to open an embassy in Jerusalem'

Kosovar Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj Stublla (pictured) called recognition by Israel 'one of the greatest achievements for Kosovo, coming at a key moment for us' in a statement on January 29 before the deal was signed [File photo]

Jerusalem is disputed between Israel and the Palestinian territories. Israel considers the entire city to be its capital, whereas the Palestinians claim the eastern part of the city as the capital of their future state.

East Jerusalem has been occupied by Israel since 1967 but Jordan has control over Islamic holy sites throughout the city.

On December 6, 2017, Trump formally recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital and later moved the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, drawing condemnation from the majority of United Nation member states.

In September 2020, Trump announced at a summit originally organised to work towards long-stalled normalisation between Kosovo and its former war foe Serbia that Kosovo and Israel would establish diplomatic ties.

Kosovo also promised to set up its Israel mission in Jerusalem, in exchange for Israel's recognition, as it seeks to further legitimise its 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia and statehood. Pictured: Israeli, US and Kosovar flags

The announcement, along with Serbia's pledge to would follow Washington's lead in moving its embassy to Jerusalem by June 2021, largely overshadowed the intended aim of the event.

Serbia has not yet moved its embassy, with some officials claiming the deal was non-binding.

Kosovo also promised to set up its Israel mission in Jerusalem, in exchange for Israel's recognition, as it seeks to further legitimise its 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia and statehood.

As of September 2020, 98 out of 193 UN member states recognised Kosovo, including a majority of Western countries.

Serbia does not recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state, nor does its allies Russia and China.
A new creative media course for young people has been launched in Derry.

Are you aged 17-25 years-old?

Interested in media, video editing, documentaries, script writing, social issues, discussions, Youtube or podcasts?

Then you will be interested in the new 'Borderlands' programme being run at Studio 2.

The Greater Shantallow Community Arts project is funded by Community Foundation for Northern Ireland and Comic Relief.

It will support young people through training and education from experts in their field and help build up a strong group of young media activists.

The courses will give participants opportunities to learn new skills and hands-on experience of making documentaries.

They will get the opportunity to develop their own ideas and make their own programmes.

If you would like to find our more then get in touch with Irena irena@gscaderry.com or telephone 71358570.

More details and information about the new course is also available on the Studio 2 website.
Offering everything from free peanut butter and milk to canned goods, a student-run grocery store in Texas is giving back to its community by meeting the needs of families struggling in the pandemic.

Launched in November, this unique grocery store inside Linda Tutt High School in Sanger, Texas, is serving more than 130 families right now, and the clientele keeps growing.

GIVING BACK: This Missouri City girl's mission is to give 1 million books to kids

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a real need regarding food insecurity within the community of Sanger, according to Linda Tutt High School's principal Anthony Love. The concept of opening a student-run store was the brainchild of Paul Juarez, executive director of First Refuge Ministries and a collaboration between Texas Health Resources, the city of Sanger and Linda Tutt High School.

"I thought a grocery store was a great idea, because it doesn't take long to see all the positive impacts that this program can have on others in the community" Love told Chron.

When it first launched, the store was only available to students and staff. But now this student-run store is open to all on Tuesday nights.

"The word continues to travel that our grocery store is available to everyone," Love said. "From 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, we are open to the community. Not just the Sanger community. We have people come here from surrounding cities. No money is involved."

Students and community members who want to shop at the grocery are allocated a certain number of points based upon number of people in their family. The beauty of this point system is that students can actually earn extra points by doing good deeds for their school. No, this grocery store doesn't take cash or credit. You can only pay in good deeds.

"There's a lot of opportunities for our students to get involved with our school and earn bonus points that they can use to shop and purchase food and supplies for their family," Love said.

Families heading over to this student-run grocery store won't be able to shop in person, due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, you can give the student workers your grocery list and they will bring the groceries to your car.

"The support from the community has been amazing," Love said. "Many who come up here on Tuesdays are extremely appreciative. They're going through hard times."

It's a win-win for the students, since they're getting bonus points in addition to honing valuable work skills.

"I get a joy out of it," 11th grader Preston Westbrook told Chron. "It's one of the things I have a passion for is to help out. Everything from stocking the store and giving groceries to people"

Love added that he wanted to help other school districts who are considering opening up student-run grocery stores.

"It just fills your heart," Love said. "One of the biggest things that I want our students to get from this is the impact it has by helping others. Just to see our families coming together for the good of our community, it truly is moving. Any school district can do it, can open a student-run grocery store like ours."
The construction of Africa-1, a new subsea telecom system to connect Africa, the Middle East and Europe, is now under way.

Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), which provides all elements of turnkey global undersea transmission systems, has announced that, further to the supply contract coming into force, the members of the Africa-1 consortium have started the implementation of a new telecommunications optical submarine network.

The members of the consortium at present are Etisalat, G42, Mobily, Pakistan Telecommunication Company, Telecom Egypt and ASN, with other parties expected to join soon.

This 10,000 km cable will provide eight fibre pairs to connect Africa and the Middle East eastward to Pakistan and westward to Europe, increasing the available transmission capacity between Asia and Europe.

The Africa-1 system is expected to be ready for operation by the end of 2023 and will initially have landings in Kenya, Djibouti, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France. The system will also land in Sudan, cross Egypt through diverse new terrestrial routes on the way to France, and further connect other countries in the Mediterranean such as Algeria, Tunisia and Italy.

The next phase will include additional landings in Yemen and Somalia, as well as an extension from Kenya to South Africa with intermediate landings in Tanzania and Mozambique.

ASN says the system will be equipped from day one with ASN 1620 Softnode transmission equipment, featuring high performance 200/300/400 Gb/s advanced coherent XWAV line cards.

The partners in the project say that the Africa-1 system will support Africa, the Middle East, Pakistan and other Asian countries on their journey to digital transformation, and will make it possible to transport ever-increasing volumes of traffic between the three continents.
The best part of Union Budget 2021, however, is that Nirmala Sitharaman resisted the temptation to slap more cess, surcharges on the taxpaying citizens and refrained from imposing a wealth tax to raise revenue.

When all that the Opposition can muster to criticise the Union budget is a tired, old rhetoric from the 1980s or a meaningless bombast, it is evident that Nirmala Sitharaman has nailed the political messaging. But what about the economy, that is showing signs of promise but overall struggling to emerge from the pandemic-induced recession?

If Sensex and Nifty reactions are anything to go by, then the finance minister has got the message around reviving the economy right, too, with the markets giving the 2021-22 budget a lusty cheer by posting the best budget-day rally since 1997. The BSE Sensex ended 5 percent higher at 48,600, snapping a six-day losing streak and recording the best single-day gain since April 2020 while the NSE Nifty gained 4.7 percent to end at 14,281.

Beyond the partisan politics and mercurial market sentiment, however, Sitharamans third budget comes across as a vision document that ticks the right boxes, takes the right amount of risk, and provides a much-needed boost to the COVID-hit Indian economy so that it may shake off the hesitation and go full speed ahead to script the Indian growth story. The IMF has predicted a double-digit growth for India  albeit off a very low base  but Sitharaman has been able to create the conditions to facilitate such an upward swing.

This is by no measure a 1991-style pathbreaking budget but with its massive, forensic focus on infrastructure, major hike in capital expenditure with a lower-than expected fiscal deficit, long-awaited increase in health outlay and mainstreaming of privatisation with the decision to divest two public sector banks and a general insurance company by 2022 for a disinvestment receipt of Rs 1.75 lakh crore  the budget achieves the right mix of caution and aggression. No wonder that industry captains, analysts and commentators have, subject to reading of the details where some devils may yet lie, been liberal with their praise for the finance minster.

Professor Shamika Ravi, fellow at Brookings Institution, on Twitter applauded the governments focus on health and infrastructure, greater transparency on fiscal situation (of much concern earlier), lower regulatory burden (taxes), move to privatize sick PSU/PSBs. Aashish Chandorkar, director, Smahi Foundation, told Firstpost that the Union Budget is pretty good and a non-event budget that achieves predictability and policy reconfirmation (that) was important.

The biggest decision that the finance minister had to take was to do away with fiscal conservatism and increase borrowing. For a government that had so far shown remarkable fiscal prudence, it finally took a pandemic to force Sitharaman out of the crease to raise the debt burden for spending. She has pegged the fiscal deficit at 9.5 percent of the GDP in 2020-21 with a targeted 6.8 percent deficit in 2021-22.

According to the finance ministers budget speech, the Centre hopes to fund this through government borrowings, multilateral borrowings, Small Saving Funds and short term borrowings. The finance minister added that we would need another Rs 80,000 crore for which we would be approaching the markets in these two months. To ensure that the economy is given the required push, our BE estimates for expenditure in 2021-2022, are Rs 34.83 lakh crore. This includes Rs 5.54 lakh crore as capital expenditure, an increase of 34.5 percent over the BE figure of 2020-2021. The fiscal deficit in BE 2021-2022 is estimated to be 6.8% of GDP. The gross borrowing from the market for the next year would be around Rs 12 lakh crores.

The governments planned capital expenditure for the current fiscal has been increased to Rs 4.39 lakh crore against the allocated expenditure of Rs 4.12 lakh crore. They key figure here is Rs 5.54 lakh crore for the next fiscal that is 34.5 percent higher than the budgeted estimate of Rs 4.12 lakh crore in 2020-21.

Of this, said the finance minister, I have kept a sum of more than Rs 44,000 crore in the Budget head of the Department of Economic Affairs to be provided for projects/programmes/departments that show good progress on Capital Expenditure and are in need of further funds. Over and above this expenditure, we would also be providing more than Rs 2 lakh crore to States and Autonomous Bodies for their Capital Expenditure.

In the post-budget press conference, the finance minister said, Our fiscal deficit which started at 3.5 percent during February 2020 has increased to 9.5 percent of GDP, so we have spent, we have spent and we have spent. At the same time, we have given a clear glide path for deficit management.

A massive part of these expenditures would be directed at the infrastructure sector. The government has budgeted an outlay of 1.18 lakh crore for ministry of road, transport and highways.

I am also providing an enhanced outlay of Rs 1,18,101 lakh crore for the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, of which  1,08,230 crore is for capital, the highest ever, said Sitharaman. But not just on roads, the finance ministers budgetary outlay also covers increased spending on ports, highways, railways and power. Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Assam along with Puducherry face state elections in April-May and the finance ministers announcements offer a unique insight into the way BJP approaches elections.

These road infrastructure projects include 3,500 km of National Highway works in the state of Tamil Nadu at an investment of Rs 1.03 lakh crores. 1,100 km in the Kerala at an investment of Rs 65,000 crores, 675 km of highway works in West Bengal at a cost of Rs 25,000 crores including upgradation of existing road-KolkataSiliguri and National Highway works of around Rs 19,000 crores (that) are currently in progress in Assam. Further works of more than Rs 34,000 crore covering more than 1300 kms of National Highways will be undertaken in the State in the coming three years, she said.

The list also includes metro railway projects such as Centres funding of 11.5km in the second phase of Kochi Metro Railway along with substantial investments in fishing harbours in Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, and Petuaghat.

The political signaling in these announcements are undeniable but the declarations show that the government is willing to put big money in structural reforms and these, in turn, should encourage the private sector to come forward, thereby triggering a virtuous cycle that will create jobs, apart from ensuring growth.

The governments seriousness about upgrading infrastructure is evident. The Indian Express reported, quoting road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari last month, that the NHAI has a target to build 60,000 km of highways in the next five years, including 2,500 km of express highways. These include 9,000 km of economic corridors and 2,000 km each of strategic border roads and coastal roads. Besides these, 100 tourist destinations and 45 towns would be connected through highways, according to the report.

The governments disinvestment plan, that includes selling off two undeclared PSU banks and a GIC along with listing of the LIC where it holds 100% stake and dilution of its stake in IDBI Bank (where the government holds 46.5 percent), should also be a gamechanger in the way divestment has become part of a policy prerogative instead of an apologetic excuse. The figure of Rs 1.75 lakh crore from these divestments, a conservative estimate, however, indicates that the government is less confident of meeting its disinvestment targets going by past records. Monetizing of these existing assets, however, should be commended.

The best part of the budget, however, is that the finance minister resisted the temptation to slap more cess, surcharges on the taxpaying citizens and refrained from imposing a wealth tax to raise revenue. This would have been a big temptation since Indias political discourse still tends to remain rooted to the socialist era. That Sitharaman did not take the easy way out and instead focused on policy prescriptions such as increased infrastructure spending and targeted disinvestment provided the basis for the record gains in bourses.

The steps to open up the insurance sector further, rationalization of taxation regime and steps in direct tax incentives to ease compliance for taxpayers, relief for senior citizens and dispute resolution committee for small taxpayers indicate signs of a thoughtful government. Overall, Sitharamans budget is a bug push towards Indias self-reliance, not a document for doles.
"We are excited to bring Avanta Residential to The Colony," said Rick Neff, General Manager of The Colony. "We believe adding to the diversity of product with quality developers, like Avanta, is a key differentiator and makes The Colony a preferred place to live."

Avanta plans to build more than 200 single-family rental homes at the corner of Sam Houston Drive and FM 969 within The Colony, a 2,300-acre master-planned community. The Avanta neighborhood will include community amenities such as a clubhouse and pool, walking trails with fitness stations, open play areas, and playgrounds.

"Avanta has put together first-in-class partners and consultants to deliver special neighborhoods which enhance the overall master-plan," said Avanta President Jim Dobbie. "There is a demand in the market for high-quality rental homes which give the flexibility of renting with the feeling of home-life."

"The single-family rental home category is one of the most dynamic sectors within the residential real estate space in the U.S., so it's fitting that Avanta establishes a footprint at The Colony," said Tom Smith, Senior Vice President of Commercial Real Estate for Alliance Bank of Arizona. "With a personalized, customer-focused approach that delivers smart banking and financial solutions, Alliance Bank of Arizona looks to be a valuable resource, offering the capabilities and tools our clients need to bring developments like these to life."

Avanta plans to break ground in early 2021 and will deliver the homes for rent in 2022.

About Avanta

Avanta Residential is the single-family rental division of Hunt Companies, Inc. (Hunt). Drawing on Hunt's extensive real estate background and more than $8.5 billion in completed real estate developments, Avanta is positioned to set the standard for the industry by creating neighborhoods comprised of single-family homes for lease. For more information, www.avantaresidential.com.

SOURCE Avanta Residential

Related Links

http://www.avantaresidential.com


A man who used to be a follower of the far-right QAnon group and the conspiracy theories the movement has spawned apologized to CNNs Anderson Cooper for once believing that he ate babies. In a special report about QAnon that aired Saturday night, Cooper talked with Jitarth Jadeja, who said he was a full-on believer until last year. Cooper confronted Jadeja about some of the most outlandish QAnon theories. Did you at the time believe that high-level Democrats and celebrities were worshipping Satan? Drinking the blood of children? Cooper asked. Anderson, I thought you did that, and I would like to apologize for that right now. So, I apologize for thinking that you ate babies, he said.

Advertisement

Former QAnon believer to @andersoncooper: "I apologize for thinking that you ate babies" pic.twitter.com/IcVIwpYykd  Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 30, 2021

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.

Cooper seemed to find it difficult to believe the person he was talking to would think that was true. You actually believed that I was drinking the blood of children? Cooper asked. When Jadeja said yes, Cooper pressed on: Was it something about me that made you think that? Jadeja went on to explain that it was because Q specifically mentioned you and he mentioned you very early on. QAnon believers still talk about Cooper. Im going to be honest, people still talk about that to this day, he said. There were posts about that just four days ago. And it wasnt just about eating babies. Some people thought you were a robot, he added.

Cooper said the special report was something of a personal project because he knew that some of the conspiracy theories espoused by QAnon followers targeted him and other journalists. The QAnon fringe has previously focused on me and a bunch of other reporters, as well as many other public figures, as somehow being responsible for some of their more outlandish, should we say, and bizarre conspiracy theories, he said. Its all made up of course. But QAnon supporters seem to believe it, or at least use it to try to harass me.
Lucknow, Feb 1 : The Yogi Adityanath government has digitised the process of distributing ration and has also increased the monitoring of the implementation of the schemes.

This has been done to make the Public Distribution System (PDS) transparent and free from corruption.

According to the government spokesman, the government has implemented the online ration card management system across the state and all the data of over 40 lakh beneficiaries of Antyodaya Yojana and about 3.17 crore cardholders of eligible household beneficiaries have been digitised.

Besides this, the data of 11,000 fair price ration shops in the urban areas and 68,850 such shops in the rural areas of the state have also been digitised.

The processes of distribution of ration in the rural as well as the urban areas have been linked with the E-pos machine and to put a nail on corruption, the process has been linked with Aadhaar and OTP authentication.

Computerised supply chain management system has been implemented across the state for the allocation and lifting of food grains from warehouses.

According to the figures of the food and civil supplies department, over 3.33 crore transactions were done in November last year through E pass.

In addition, more than 3.28 crore transactions were done through Aadhaar authentication which is 98.37 per cent.

The state government has also started a scheme for the elderly, destitute, 'divyang', people suffering from illness and also those who cannot go to the ration shops. The government has made arrangements to supply the ration to their homes.

The ration shop operators will supply the ration to the homes of these people, and the officers of the food and civil supplies and the local administration will be monitoring the entire process.

Uttar Pradesh is the first state in the country to start such a scheme.

The scheme, in fact, has been started in several districts of the state. Besides this, a campaign is also going on to identify such people so that they are connected with the scheme.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text


Aung San Suu Kyi's political party is urging Myanmar's people to oppose Monday's coup and any return to military dictatorship.

The National League for Democracy released a statement on the Facebook page of its party head, Suu Kyi, saying the military's actions were unjustified and went against the constitution and the will of voters.

It was not possible to confirm who posted the message as NLD members were not answering phone calls.

military television said Monday that the military was taking control of the country for one year, while reports said many of the country's senior politicians including Suu Kyi had been detained.

(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.)
Mosques in Tajikistan have reopened their doors to believers for the first time in nine months following a government order and official claims that there have been no new COVID-19 cases in the country for three weeks.

Hundreds of believers prayed on February 1 at the main mosque in the capital, Dushanbe, for the first time since it was closed in April due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The mosque was disinfected on the eve of the reopening and its rugs were marked with special tapes to remind believers to respect social-distancing rules.

The country's coronavirus count has not changed since early January, when it reached 13,308 infections and 90 fatalities. But testing is not widespread and health experts have cast doubt on the official statistics.

The government has said that mosques in the country will reopen on February 1 as long as they meet sanitary requirements.

Authorities have warned that those mosques that fail to respect hygiene rules will be closed.

Tajikistan has 4,000 registered mosques.

The poorest country in the former Soviet Union has not enforced a full lockdown since the pandemic started, with restaurants remaining open while religious buildings were shuttered.

However, an investigative report by RFE/RL last summer revealed that the actual number of lethal cases of COVID-19 in the country might be several times higher, including dozens of physicians and nurses who treated COVID-19 patients.

With reporting by AFP
Christian nurse falsely accused of blasphemy by co-worker, tied and beaten in Pakistan

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A Christian nurse in Pakistan and her family have gone into hiding after being accused of committing blasphemy by a Muslim co-worker. Many across the country are upset after videos surfaced online of her being attacked by coworkers.

Tabitha Nazir Gill, a 30-year-old Christian nurse, was accused of blasphemy Thursday at Sobhraj Maternity Hospital in Karachi city in Sindh province, where she worked for nine years, the United States-based persecution advocacy organization International Christian Concern reports.

A Muslim co-worker, who was not identified, allegedly made the accusation after a personal dispute over receiving cash tips from hospital patients.

According to the ICC report, the hospitals head nurse instructed all medical staff not to receive cash tips from patients. Gill reportedly remained the co-worker who she saw collect money from a patient about the instruction.

The co-worker then falsely accused Gill of committing blasphemy.

According to sources that spoke with the nonprofit, hospital staff beat Gill after tying her up with ropes and locking her in a room before police arrived. She was taken into police custody.

However, police released Gill as they did not find any evidence against her. But ultimately, police were pressured to file charges.

Gill and her family have fled to an unknown location in fear of vigilante violence, the persecution watchdog stated.

Police provided protection to Gill and tried to resolve the issue, a source told ICC.

However, a mob of hundreds of Muslims gathered at the local police station to force the police to register an FIR [formal complaint] against Gill, the source told ICC. This FIR was lodged today [Friday].

In Pakistan, blasphemy  insulting Islam or its prophet Muhammad  is a crime that is punishable by prison time or even the death penalty. The blasphemy law, embedded in sections 295 and 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code, is frequently misused for personal revenge.

It carries no provision to punish a false accuser or a false witness of blasphemy. But Pakistan imprisons more people on blasphemy charges than any other country in the world.

Islamist extremists also use the law to target religious minorities Christians, Shias, Ahmadiyyas, and Hindus.

In Pakistan, blasphemy allegations forever ruin the lives of the accused, even if proved to be false, ICC Regional Manager, William Stark, said in a statement.

We call on Pakistani authorities to thoroughly and fairly investigate this false allegation and bring the false accuser to justice. Pakistans blasphemy laws must no longer be allowed to settle personal scores or incite religious hatred. Too often, these laws have been a tool in the hands of extremists seeking to stir up religiously motivated violence against minorities.

According to the Union of Catholic Asia News, police registered Gills blasphemy case under section 295-C of the Pakistan legal code, the section punishable by the death penalty. The outlet notes that a midwifery student accused the nurse of saying that Prophet Ishmael was born of adultery and insulted Muhammad.

A video that surfaced online of Gill being beaten at the hospital drew the ire of a Muslim cleric Maulana Tahir.

It is with great grief I request Prime Minister Imran Khan and state leaders to take notice. The police investigation proved that she didnt commit blasphemy, he stated in a video message on Facebook. The faces of the attackers are clear in the video. They should be given strictest punishment as well so that a violent or a religious fanatic cannot misuse the 295 [blasphemy] law to harm minorities and settle a personal score in the name of religion.

Tahir stated that the blasphemy law is causing minority girls to face mountains of tyranny.

Try to amend this law, he was quoted as saying. Nobody should suffer. Prophet Muhammad urged to protect creation for the will of Allah. Minorities deserve equal rights to live and worship peacefully.

Between 1987 and 2017, 1,534 people in Pakistan were accused of blasphemy, according to ICC, which also says that at least 238 of those accusations were made against Christians.

Christians only make up 1.6% of Pakistans total population. Pakistan is listed by the U.S. State Department as a country of particular concern for religious freedom and is ranked as the fifth-worst country when it comes to the persecution of Christians.

The worlds attention was drawn to Pakistans blasphemy law after Christian mother of five Asia Bibi was sentenced to death and served over 10 years in prison before Pakistans Supreme Court acquitted her in 2018. Her acquittal drew the ire of radical extremist groups as many protested in the streets and threatened to kill the Supreme Court judges responsible.

The threat of communal violence following a blasphemy allegation is also real. In 2014, Christian couple Shehzad and Shamah Masih were burned to death in a brick kiln over false accusations they ripped pages from the Quran.

The brother of a U.S. citizen is also facing the possibility of being sentenced to death in Pakistan on trumped-up blasphemy charges. The brother, Shakeel Anjum, urges the Biden administration to pressure that country to release his brother, Nadeem Samson.

By March-end, 47-year-old Samson will go before Pakistans Lahore High Court to plead against blasphemy charges, Anjum told The Christian Post earlier this month.

On Nov. 24, 2017, a man named Abdul Haq allegedly told police that Samson had opened a fake Facebook account where he allegedly posted blasphemous material. He asked for an immediate police raid on Samsons home to catch him in the act.

Police captured Samson and a police report claimed that he had admitted to the crime, which, his brother said, was done under torture.

Police are accused of beating Samson for three days until he admitted to the crime, the brother recalled.

We are not free to pray [in Pakistan], Anjum argued. We do not say anything and we are charged for blasphemy. This is a question of genocide of Christians in Pakistan. They just destroyed three years in trial. They are destroying the lives of blasphemy victims.

The board of directors of Ster-Kinekor Theatres Proprietary Limited announced that the company has commenced voluntary business rescue proceedings as with effect from 27 January 2021 in terms of the Companies Act. Business Rescue aims to facilitate the rehabilitation of a company.

#CoronavirusSA: How Ster-Kinekor is taking precautions at its cinemas Ster-Kinekor has announced that it has undertaken a number of safety precautions in light of the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus...

Ster-Kinekor cinemas remain open

Ster-Kinekor offers drive-in experience at V&A Waterfront Ster-Kinekor launched its new offering, a drive-in experience, at the V&A Waterfront on 27 November 2020. The drive-in cinema will kick off with a screening of Jiu Jitsu...

Up until February 2020, Ster-Kinekor welcomed millions of movie goers every year to their cinemas. The business was profitable and highly cash generative, with good prospects of future/ongoing profitability from the pipeline of blockbuster film content that had been scheduled.As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the consequent economic lockdown instituted by the South African Government at the end of March 2020, all cinemas were required to shut down, and only permitted to reopen under strict conditions as from the end of August 2020. Since then, the company has been operating under various forms of restriction, including curfews and mandatory limits to the number of guests per auditorium. In addition, there has been an impact of the rescheduling of blockbuster film contents from the original date. The second Covid wave hit South Africa and other countries in December 2020, with further lockdown measures and curfews reintroduced across the cinemas.These factors have meant that Ster-Kinekor has been trading at a loss, as the company continued to incur costs.The continued lack of content for the next four to five months means that the business is heading for further operational and cash flow challenges. The board is of the view that the safe harbour that business rescue provides, in terms of providing a legal moratorium, will assist the business to return to profitability, once operating restrictions have been lifted, when international film distributions start to flow again.Stefan Smyth, a partner at EY South Africa, where he leads their Africa Turnaround and Restructuring Strategy practice, has been appointed as the business rescue practitioner. The business rescue practitioner operates as an independent party, who together with the board and executive team, will oversee the business rescue as defined by Chapter 6 of the Companies Act. The Business Rescue Practitioner will on a temporary basis, supervise the management, affairs and business of the company and will devise, prepare, develop and implement a plan to rescue the company.For our customers, it is important to note that our cinemas remain open for business. Movie goers can continue to book their movie tickets through our website, App or in-store. All cinemas have instituted strict Covid-19 protocols, which mean temperature checks and hand sanitizing on arrival and inside the auditoria and mask wearing as appropriate. Every two seats are kept vacant for social distancing, noted Acting CEO Motheo Matsau.Ster-Kinekor executives and business rescue practitioner teams are engaging with employees, who have been requested to continue with their normal work duties, also under strict Covid -19 health and safety protocols, delivering the exceptional service that customers have come to expect from Ster-Kinekor.My team and I will immediately begin consultations with all affected persons and stakeholders and intend to communicate more fully in due course, noted Smyth.We look forward to the support of all stakeholders in this process, concluded Smyth.
Older Philadelphians will soon have more options for getting COVID-19 shots, but those who are unable to leave their homes may, for now, have to rely on vaccination of their caregivers for protection.

By next week, Rite Aid and ShopRite pharmacists in the city will transition from vaccinating only essential health-care workers to including those 75 and older, Caroline Johnson, the former deputy health commissioner, said in an interview Friday.

Johnson, who resigned after the interview in the wake of the controversy surrounding a vaccine site operated by Philly Fighting COVID, said all Philadelphia residents can now sign up at the citys vaccine notification website. They will be told when the pharmacies are ready for their group and sent links to make appointments. Seniors without internet access can also call a hotline at (215) 685-5488, where staffers should be able to help elders make appointments, Johnson said.

The city is getting about 20,000 doses of vaccine each week through the end of February. There are about 91,000 Philadelphians who are 75 and up. (Unlike surrounding counties, the city has not yet opened vaccination to healthy people aged 65 through 74.) The city is continuing to vaccinate police and fire personnel and will add teachers in a few weeks, so seniors should expect competition. As you can imagine, what happens is that every appointment gets taken, Johnson said.

CVS, which is still vaccinating people who live in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, expects to begin vaccinating the general public in its nearly 10,000 pharmacies in April or May, said Matt Blanchette, manager of retail communications for CVS Pharmacy. CVS ultimately can give 20 to 25 million shots per month if it can acquire that many doses, he said.

Walgreens, which is also part of the federal program to vaccinate residents of care homes, is already vaccinating seniors at its stores in 12 states, including Delaware. It also has offered some off-site clinics. A spokesperson did not respond to a question about when it likely would start giving shots at stores in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but said shots will be available in some Philadelphia stores starting Feb. 5.

In Philadelphia, Federally Qualified Health Centers will also begin calling their older patients and those with serious underlying medical conditions, Johnson said. Area hospitals have begun notifying eligible patients that they can make appointments at hospital vaccination clinics.

 READ MORE: How Philadelphia hospitals are going to give COVID-19 vaccine to patients

Johnson said the city also has a mobile vaccination strike team that will now be able to transition to seniors in low-income apartment buildings. Operators of such housing can contact the city about vaccination at covidvax@phila.gov. (That email address is not for the general public.)

Companies that operate more upscale independent living facilities will need to contract separately with pharmacies for on-site vaccination, Johnson said.

The city, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey have no plan yet for getting shots to seniors who are too frail to leave their homes.

Theyre our toughest problem of all, Johnson said. We are not prepared to go house-to-house yet because of the huge resources of doing such a thing. She hopes that home-care nurses will eventually be able to give vaccines; currently approved vaccines require delicate handling and arent appropriate for single use. The city is working with the Philadelphia Housing Authority and Philadelphia Corporation for Aging to develop plans.

Many homebound seniors likely have home health aides or family caregivers.

Barry Ciccocioppo, COVID press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Health, said the state includes unpaid caregivers among those now eligible to receive vaccine. Jim Garrow, spokesperson for the Philadelphia Health Department, said its list of eligible health workers does not specify whether they are paid or unpaid.

Ciccocioppo said workers who answer the state Health Departments toll-free hotline  877-PA-HEALTH  can guide older people who lack internet access through the process of finding a vaccine provider. The hotline staff cant make appointments, but can give callers the contact information they need to make an appointment.

The state, he said, is working with Area Agencies on Aging to figure out how to vaccinate older residents who live outside of traditional nursing and long-term care facilities.

Asked about vaccinating seniors who live independently in retirement communities or apartments, or people who are homebound, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Health said: Vaccine supply is limited at this time. As additional vaccines are approved for use and supply increases, mobile options to reach vulnerable individuals will be incorporated in our distribution efforts.

New Jerseys COVID-19 vaccine hotline number is (855) 568-0545. Workers can help callers know if they are currently eligible for a vaccination, preregister for the vaccine, and help them identify locations nearest to them where they can get vaccinated.

Egypt will launch a satellite in December this year, head of the North African countrys space program has said, Arab News reports.

Mohammed El-Qousi, the Saudi media also notes, said Egypt had an ambitious plan to build space systems and infrastructure, as well as strengthen international space relations, explore space and establish Egyptian space law.

Egypt currently has five satellites in orbit. El-Qousi stressed that Egypt has greater ambition. A second satellite will be launched in 2022 and used to monitor climate change.

A third is expected in September 2022 and used in sensor applications, after the Egyptian Space Agency completes its design in cooperation with China. Egypt according to El-Qousi is also planning in coming years to open a satellite collection and testing center by the end of September 2022 as one of the branches of a space city.

The country is also part of a joint African space program initiative made of Sudan, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, backed by the African Union.
FOUR days after she disappeared, the police have not yet found Andrea Bharatt despite an extensive search in the Fishing Pond forest in Sangre Grande yesterday.

Officers of the Eastern Division Task Force and the Trinidad and Tobago Regiment journeyed about two miles into the Fishing Pond forest from approximately 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. searching for the 22-year-old clerk but came up empty-handed.

The Express was on scene during the search.
South Africa's former President Jacob Zuma has said he will no longer appear before a commission investigating corruption during his presidency.



The inquiry, known as the Zondo Commission, was established to investigate the "state capture" scandal during Mr Zuma's tenure as president.



The scandal revolves around allegations that the wealthy Gupta family, who are close friends of the former president, used their relationship to unfairly secure millions worth of dollars of government contracts.



It is also alleged that they were able to influence political decisions, including the naming of ministers.



The former president and the Gupta family deny any wrongdoing.



Mr Zuma has previously said that the inquiry is biased against him.



In a statement on Monday, the former president said he was "being singled out for different and special treatment by the judiciary and the legal system":



I do not fear being arrested, I do not fear being convicted nor do I fear being incarcerated.I do not fear being arrested, I do not fear being convicted nor do I fear being incarcerated.



I had never imagined that there would come a time when a democratic government in South Africa built on constitutional values would behave exactly like the apartheid government in creating legal processes designed to target specific individuals in society."I had never imagined that there would come a time when a democratic government in South Africa built on constitutional values would behave exactly like the apartheid government in creating legal processes designed to target specific individuals in society."



Accusations of corruption have dogged Mr Zuma's presidency before he was forced to step down in February 2018.

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
Representative image (PC- MoneyControl.Com)

In the aftermath on COVID-19, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech focussed on allocation to healthcare sector. She introduced the Aatmanirbhar Health Yojana with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore over six years.

This will strengthen the National Centre for Disease Control, she said.

Aatmanirbhar Yojana is in addition to National Health Mission. The government will launch 'Mission Poshan 2.0'. Besides this, the government will also set up 15 Health Emergency Centres

The total allocation to healthcare sector was at Rs 67,112 crore in FY21 Budget (including Ayushman Bharat Scheme Rs 6,000 crore).

So far, India has recorded over 1.07 crore confirmed COVID-19 cases, including more than 1,50,000 deaths. About 1.04 crore people have recuperated from COVID-19 so far. Globally, more than 10 crore people have been infected and 22.27 lakh have died from the novel coronavirus.

Follow Moneycontrol's Budget 2021 live coverage here.

Many countries, including India, have granted emergency use authorization for COVID-19 vaccines and have started vaccinating healthcare workers and high-risk groups. India's regulator has granted restricted emergency use approval for two vaccines -- Covishield and Covaxin. Over 37 lakh people have been given their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in India so far.

The healthcare sector has been among the biggest gainers in the last 10 months given the opportunities made available in the light of the pandemic. The BSE Healthcare index rallied 87 percent from March 23's closing low.

India has occupied the top position as a worldwide largest supplier of generic drugs. Indian pharmaceutical sector caters to more than 50 percent of global demand for various vaccines, 40 percent of generic demand in the US and 25 percent of all medicine in the UK.

"The pharma sector posted a healthy show with exports increasing 15.2 percent to $11.8 billion during the first half of FY21. EBITDA margins elevated 300bps during the second quarter and the first half of FY21. The stellar performance was mainly driven by cost rationalization initiatives and improving revenue growth in key geographies of India and the US," said William O'Neil India.

Stocks like Fortis Healthcare, Apollo Hospital, SRL Logistics, Metropolis, Dr Lal PathLabs and Narayana Hrudayalaya are in focus.

Follow Market LIVE Updates here

(This is a developing story. Check back for updates)
"Biden's not going to accept a Republican plan that is so much smaller"

Despite signaling a desire to embrace bipartisanship during his presidency, Joe Biden is unlikely to agree to a stimulus bill worth much less than his $1.9tn plan, says CNN senior White House reporter Stephen Collinson.

On Monday, Biden met for talks with a group of 10 Republican senators who have put forward a counter offer of $600bn - less than a third of the spend proposed by the president - with further discussions expected this week.

The GOP senators' proposal includes a stimulus check of up to $1,000, $400 below the maximum direct payment in Biden's relief plan.

Collinson believes Democrats may well end up foregoing Republican support and using their majority in both houses of Congress to to pass a bill closer to the $1.9tn figure.

"Yes, Biden is trying to reach out, hes trying to live up to his bipartisan promises, but at the same time the White House is making it clear that $600bn is not anywhere near enough, and I think that eventually the figure that Biden will have to settle on - and will probably have to do it with Democratic votes - is going to be much closer to his $1.9tn first offer," Collinson said on Tuesday.

He added: "Ending the pandemic, getting vaccines out as quickly as possible, mitigating the economic damage, alleviating the deprivation - millions of Americans dont have enough to eat - that, at the end of the day, is going to be the thing that decides the fate of the Biden presidency [].

"Biden knows the stakes here, not just for himself but for the rest of the country. Although his opening offer is $1.9tn [and] he probably expects hell have to come down off that figure because thats the way legislation works, that is why in the end hes not going to accept a Republican plan that is so much smaller."
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2021) - New Oroperu Resources Inc. (TSXV: ORO) (the "Company" or "New Oroperu") is pleased to announce receipt of a gold resource estimate at its Tres Cruces Project in north-central Peru. The estimate includes 425,000 ounces of oxide Au mineralization (leachable) and 205,000 ounces of leachable sulfide Au mineralization within a pit-constrained total Indicated Resource of 2.47 M. oz Au, which includes all Au-bearing oxide and sulfide mineralization. The resource estimate has been determined by James N. Gray, P.Geo. of Advantage Geoservices Limited. Tres Cruces is 100% owned by New Oroperu, subject to a 1.5% Net Smelter Return. (See also Note 1 at the end of this news release).

Tres Cruces Highlights:

Leachable Resources: 425,000 ounces of gold in oxide material at 1.37 g/t in the Indicated category, contained in 9,636,000 tonnes, using a 0.3 g/t Au cut-off (Table 1). 205,000 ounces of gold in leachable sulfide material at 1.12 g/t, in the Indicated category, contained in 5,707,000 tonnes, using a 0.3 g/t Au cut-off (Table 1).





Total Mineral Resource : 2.474 million ounces of gold at 1.66 g/t in the Indicated category, contained in 46,475,000 tonnes of oxide and sulfide material. Non-leachable sulfide resources are estimated using 0.9 g/t Au cut-off. 104,000 ounces of gold at 1.26 g/t in the Inferred category, contained in 2,561,000 tonnes.

:

Currently defined oxide mineralization demonstrates the potential for an economic standalone heap leach operation, with depth expansion allowing extraction of leachable sulfides.

Potential for additional Resources provided from recoverable silver.

Company is exploring economic options to treat sulfide mineralization by alternative processing.

Wayne Livingstone, President, commented, "This break-out of leachable resources suggests that a stand-alone development may be viable on Tres Cruces. We are excited to be taking control of the project and further advancing it through a production scenario."

"We believe that the estimated leachable gold resources would have a meaningful role in any strategic advancement of the project by the Company. There are also opportunities for us to identify more leachable (oxide and sulphide) gold resources on Tres Cruces, and nearby, which would enhance project economics. In a potential production scenario, the oxide mineralization would be processed first, followed by the leachable sulphides and thereafter the remaining sulphide material would be processed through a plant facility, to be developed at that time. We view this leachable mineralization as a potential near term cash flow engine that could significantly offset the initial capital costs of any larger operation."

"The proximity of Tres Cruces with Barrick's nearby Lagunas Norte mine offers the possibility of operational synergies and this will be a factor for our consideration as we advance Tres Cruces," continued Mr. Livingstone.

Table 1: Categories of Estimated Resources and Cut-off Grades

Resource Classification Oxide

(0.3 g/t Au Cut-off) Leachable Sulfide

(0.3 g/t Au Cut-off) Sulfide

(0.9 g/t Au Cut-off) Total





Tonnes

(1,000s) Au

g/t Oz Au

(1,000s) Tonnes

(1,000s) Au

g/t Oz Au

(1,000s) Tonnes

(1,000s) Au

g/t Oz Au

(1,000s) Tonnes

(1,000s) Au

g/t Oz Au

(1,000s) Indicated 9,636 1.37 425 5,707 1.12 205 31,132 1.84 1,844 46,475 1.66 2,474 Inferred 487 0.75 12 361 0.60 7 1,713 1.55 85 2,561 1.26 104

Note: CIM definitions were followed for Mineral Resources. Totals may not agree due to rounding.

Table 2: Sensitivity Table of Estimated Resources and Cut-off Grades

Oxide & Leachable Sulfide Resources



Sulfide Resources





Cut-off

(g/t Au) Resource

Classification Tonnes

(1,000s) Au

(g/t) oz Au

(1,000s)

Cut-off

(g/t Au) Resource

Classification Tonnes

(1,000s) Au

(g/t) oz Au

(1,000s) 0.2 Indicated Inferred 15,738 939 1.25 .64 633 19

0.7 Indicated Inferred 43,692 2,185 1.56 1.38 2,139 97 0.3 Indicated Inferred 15,343 848 1.28 .69 630 19

0.8 Indicated Inferred 36,292 1,962 1.70 1.46 1,985 92 0.4 Indicated Inferred 14,729 659 1.31 .78 622 17

0.9 Indicated Inferred 31,132 1,713 1.84 1.55 1,844 85 0.5 Indicated Inferred 13,562 502 1.39 .89 605 14

1.0 Indicated Inferred 26,844 1,476 1.99 1.64 1,714 78

Mineralization type was used to subdivide this resource through the generation of two surfaces. The bottom of oxides, as well as the bottom of a zone of leachable sulfide material, were determined from drill information, based on a mix of analytical (sulfide sulfur values) and logged redox observations. In general, S2- values <0.4% denoted oxide, and values between 0.4 and 3.4% S2- indicated a zone of leachable sulfide mineralization immediately below the upper oxide zone.

The plan map below (Figure 1) shows the envisioned oxide pits within the ultimate sulfide pit of the Tres Cruces project, as well as the locations of the section lines that are illustrated below in Figures 2-5. Figures 2 and 3, show the relationship of the rock units with the oxide mineralization in cross-section. Figures 4 and 5 show a cross-section and a long-section through the resource block model.





Figure 1. Tres Cruces Geology, Proposed Pit Outlines, Drill Holes & Section Lines

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5414/73278_4b7622e52460cb4c_001full.jpg

Sections 2440N and 1990N (Figures 2 & 3) show drill holes with lithologies colour coded, gold values as bar graphs, an optimized proposed Main Oxide Pit outline and the oxide-sulfide contact. Mineralization depicted below the oxide pit is comprised of sulfides.





Figure 2. Main Oxide Pit Geology and Gold Graphs Section 2440N, Viewed Looking North

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5414/73278_4b7622e52460cb4c_002full.jpg





Figure 3. Main Oxide Pit Geology and Gold Graphs Section 1990N, Viewed Looking North

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5414/73278_4b7622e52460cb4c_003full.jpg

Section 101 (Figure 4) cuts across the Cardoso Pit and the Main Sulfide Pit that encompasses both the Main and East Oxide Pits, which would initially extend to the base of the Leachable Sulfide Zone (blue line). Section 124 (Figure 5) cuts longitudinally along the Main Sulfide Pit, encompassing the Main and North Oxide Pits.





Figure 4. Sulfide Pit Block Grade Gold Section 101, Viewed Looking Northeast

To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5414/73278_4b7622e52460cb4c_004full.jpg





Figure 5. Sulfide Pit Block Grade Gold Section 124, Viewed Looking Northwest



To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5414/73278_4b7622e52460cb4c_005full.jpg

Methodology for the Resource Estimate

The depth of oxide was modelled based on 286 drill holes. Interpolated and actual points were then used to create the lower oxide bounding surface. The same process used 139 holes to generate the bottom of leachable sulfide surface.

A mineralized domain, at a threshold value of 0.2 g/t Au, was generated by an indicator estimation method. This separation of mineralized from background-grade material was used as control in grade estimation.

Assays from 327 holes were composited to a length of 3m for use in grade estimation. Gold grades were estimated inside and outside the mineralized shells by ordinary kriging. Resource blocks have dimensions of 10 x 10 x 5m.

Block densities were assigned by lithology based on 2,713 density measurements made on drill core. The average density in the oxide material is 2.24 t/m3 and the average density for the sulfide material is 2.38 t/m3.

Measures were taken to ensure that the resource meets the condition of "reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction". An optimised resource pit shell was generated, based on the Indicated plus Inferred Mineral Resource. Pit optimization parameters are listed in Table 3.

Blocks inside the optimized pit shell were classified as Indicated, where the average distance to the closest three holes is within 50 m, and as Inferred where the average distance to the closest three holes is within 80 m. Ninety-nine percent of oxide resource blocks, and virtually all total resource blocks, were estimated by three or more holes.

Table 3: Pit Optimization Parameters

Parameter Value Au Price

$1,500 Royalty 0.015 Mining Cost US$1.90/t mined G&A $2.00/t Dilution 0% Mining Loss 0% Oxide Heap Leach Cost $2.37/t Oxide Heap Recovery 81.70% Sulfide Leach Cost $3.30/t Sulfide Leach Recovery 65% Sulfide Cost $28.49/t Sulfide Recovery 88%

Silver Mineralization

Silver is not included in the mineral resource estimate, but there are silver assays available from some of the project's drill campaigns and silver is shown to be recovered in metallurgical test work. Available silver assays generally show low correlation with gold values.

To have an impression of a potential contribution by silver, grades were interpolated using a similar technique to that documented for the gold resource. Specifically, a zone of >=0.5 g/t Ag was generated using indicators and Ag grades were interpolated inside and outside that volume.

Indications are that silver grades are generally low and concentrated mainly in the deeper, sulfide portion of the gold deposit. Based on this analysis, overall silver grades would be expected to range between 1.5 and 2.5 g/t potentially adding 2.5 to 3.5 million ounces of silver to the gold resource.

Geology of Tres Cruces

The Tres Cruces deposit is a low to intermediate sulfidation type epithermal system. Gold mineralization is hosted by a bimodal suite of andesitic to rhyolitic flows, domes, breccias, and volcaniclastics. Gold occurs with a fine grained dark arsenical pyrite, generally disseminated in its volcanic host and along structural zones and lithologic contacts. Hydrothermal alteration in the core of the deposits is dominated by illite with subordinate quartz, kaolinite, and smectite. Oxidation of the pyritic mineralization has occurred from a few meters up to 100 meters below surface, developed primarily in rhyolitic host rocks. Underlying sulfide mineralization is primarily hosted by andesitic rocks.

Metallurgy

Metallurgical testing programs have been completed during various exploration stages of the Tres Cruces project since 1998. These test programs included both oxidized mineralization and sulfides. Various metallurgical tests focusing on the oxides, included column leach tests, CIL cyanidation, bottle rolls and individual cyanide quick leach tests. Twenty CIL cyanidation, eight bottle roll and over 200 cyanide quick leach tests were completed on oxide mineralized core from over 40 drill holes.

Column leach tests on six composite samples averaged 81.7% recovery for gold. These tests were terminated in 16 days or less and showed fast recovery with increasing recoveries on termination. Bottle roll tests completed on these samples as well, averaged 83.0% gold recovery. One batch of CIL cyanidation tests containing low sulfur, which was deemed as oxidized mineralization, had an average recovery of 90.8% based on 10 composites in 6 drill holes.

The low sulfide and oxidized mineralization is responsive to CIL cyanidation. The column leach testing which averaged 81.7% recovery for gold was selected to reasonably represent recovery for purposes of pit optimization and determination of the oxide resource estimates.

Sulfides have shown a wide variation in gold extraction with cyanidation testing. Direct cyanide leach and CIL tests indicate low sulphur bearing sulfides are amenable to heap leaching. In this resource estimate, the balance of the higher sulfide mineralization is considered to be treated by flotation-pressure oxidation-CIL, in which test work has indicated gold recoveries of 90% and higher. Some test work in this sulfide category has recoveries amenable to other processing methods but additional analysis and test work would be required to quantify those results.

Qualified Persons and Technical Information

The updated mineral resource estimate was prepared by James N. Gray, P.Geo., an Independent Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by CIM Council, as amended.

The full technical report, which is being prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") will be available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under the Company's issuer profile within 45 days from this news release.

About New Oroperu Resources

New Oroperu is a junior exploration company based in Vancouver, B.C., which owns the Tres Cruces gold project in Peru. The Tres Cruces gold project currently hosts a mineral resource estimate of 2.474 million ounces of gold at 1.66 g/t in the Indicated category, which includes 630,000 ounces of leachable gold resources.

Jeffrey D. Rowe, P.Geo. and James N. Gray, P.Geo., Qualified Persons as defined by NI 43-101, have reviewed and approved the technical content used in this News Release.

For further information, please contact Ms. Christina McCarthy, V.P. Corporate Development, at (416) 712-6151, email christina@oroperu.com or K. Wayne Livingstone, President, at (604) 638-1408, email kwl@oroperu.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"K. Wayne Livingstone"

K. Wayne Livingstone

President

(See Notes and Disclaimer below)

Note 1:

Reference is made to the January 5, 2021 News Release of the Company wherein it announced that the option previously held by Minera Barrick Misquichilca S. A. ("MBM") to acquire an interest in the shares of the company's subsidiary, Aurifera Tres Cruces S. A., ("ATC"), holder of the Tres Cruces property, expired unexercised on December 31, 2020, (the last day for exercise expressly set out in the option as a condition of exercise) and accordingly, MBM and its affiliates, including Barrick Gold Corporation, ("Barrick"), had no further interest in the ATC shares or the Tres Cruces property. The Company requested certain assurances from Barrick and MBM in connection with the expiration of the option. In response, Barrick stated it believed the Company misstated MBM's rights going forward. The Company has carefully considered its position and stands by its conclusion that any right MBM previously held has expired.

Note 2:

Forward-looking statements: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively "forward looking statements")." Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the terms of the Company's option agreement with Barrick, the Company's plans for a mineral resource update and its planned oxide mineralization studies. 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. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Disclaimer: 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 news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73278
Almost 780,000 was written off every day in bad debts towards the end of last year, as businesses struggled to pay bills.

The total level of insolvent business debt in the UK grew by around 72m in the final three months of 2020, according to data firm Red Flag Alert  or 779,997 per day.

This was a huge rise on the same period in 2019, when companies faced average daily write-offs worth 152,934.

Heavy weight: The total level of insolvent business debt in the UK grew by around 72m in the final three months of 2020

Bad debt is loans that probably will not be repaid because the company is insolvent.

The total level of written-off debt jumped to 1.9billion in 2020.

Red Flag Alert's managing director Mark Halstead said it was 'indicative of the serious bad debt problem.

The big problem for many failing companies is that they will find it very difficult to borrow as they are saddled by coronavirus loans which they've spent surviving the pandemic'.
Nurses say they should be allowed to dispense coronavirus vaccinations at general practices to ease the burden on busy doctors who are preparing to staff after hours clinics to help quickly vaccinate the nation.

Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association president Karen Booth said nurses will play an integral role from the start of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, but that the planning needs to be efficient.

Nurses will be part of the vaccine roll out from the start, while doctors will begin vaccinating people in phase 1b. Pharmacies will start vaccinating people in phase 2a. Credit:AP

Nurses already give out vaccines, including the flu shot, to people at general practices without those patients needing to see a doctor first. Ms Booth said it would make sense for that to occur with any coronavirus vaccines too.

[The governments] paying the GPs to give the vaccine, so the patient will have to see a doctor as part of that - that may slow things down, Ms Booth said. We need to look at much more efficient ways to do it.
A man in Colombia has had a seven-inch-long fish removed from his throat after suffering a freak fishing accident.



According to local reports, the 24-year-old angler, from Colombia, was fishing for food for his family in a lake in the municipality of Pivijay, Magdalena on Friday, January 23.

Newsflash

After successfully catching a fish, he threw the fishing line back into the water and soon realised another fish bit his bait. Not knowing what to do, the man decided to keep the first catch in his mouth while he reeled in the second one.



However, the moment he placed the fish in his mouth it moved to try and free itself and ended up lodged in the young mans throat.

Also read: West Bengal Woman Catches 52-kg Fish, Sells It For Rs 3 Lakh

The fisherman walked to Santander Herrera Hospital by himself, but was unable to explain to medics what had happened, as he was having difficulty breathing and couldn't speak properly.



The medical staff conducted an X-ray inspection and realised he was choking on a fish. Video shared online shows the operating doctor shows him using one hand to pry open the fishermans mouth and using his other hand to extract the source of the blockage.

Also read: Digha Fishermen Catch Giant Rare Fish Weighing 800 Kg, Auction It For Rs 20 Lakh

Newsflash

Seconds later, he pulls out a bloodied fish covered in saliva. The fish measures 18 centimetres long.



The fisherman was kept in hospital over the weekend to be kept under observation, but there have been no reports of him suffering any serious injury.

The type of fish found inside his throat was reportedly from the mojarra family - a species that is very popular in Colombia.

Also read: Giant Opah Fish Caught In The Philippines After Strong Earthquake Probably Led It To Shallow Waters




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.
Chicago teachers are on the brink of striking after Mayor Lori Lightfoot ordered them to return to the classroom after failed negotiations on Sunday.

The Chicago Teacher's Union and Chicago Public Schools have been at a standoff and failed to reach an agreement this weekend over how and when to reopen classrooms amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The teacher's union had wanted to hold off returning to classrooms until all their members were vaccinated. But after talks fell apart, Chicago Public Schools announced that elementary and middle school teachers will be required to report to schools Monday. Teachers will be locked out of tools needed to work remotely and not paid if they don't show up, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (pictured) has ordered teachers to return to classrooms on Monday

Chicago Teacher's Union said it has voted to strike if teachers are locked out of remote learning tools. Pictured is the union's strike action from 2019

If teachers are locked out of the tools needed to work remotely then the union has already voted to strike, the outlet reported.

About 10,000 teachers and about one-third of the 67,000 students eligible to return to in-person learning were set to report on Monday after Chicago Public Schools.

In-person classes for thousands of elementary and middle school students have been postponed for at least a day amid the failed negotiations.

Earlier this month, the Chicago Teachers Union instructed members to continue remote learning instead and said it wants teachers to return to the classroom when they have all been vaccinated, Fox News reported.

Lightfoot and Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady have said essential workers who had to work in-person throughout the pandemic should be prioritized over teachers, according to the Sun-Times.

She also noted that the district's plan to return to in-person learning had been approved by medical experts including Arwady.

The powerful union also wants medically vulnerable teachers and those who live with people with compromised health conditions to have the choice on whether to work remotely, according to the outlet.

The union also demands that the school district provide guidance on how schools would shut down in-person learning again if there is a spike in COVID-19 cases.

'I know we can get a deal done. I've told my team, if it takes us staying up all night, let's get it done,' Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a news conference on Sunday evening.

The Chicago Teacher's Union said it demands teachers return to classrooms when all have had the chance to be vaccinated. Pictured: CTU President Jesse Sharkey

Lightfoot has argued that essential workers who have worked in-person throughout the pandemic have a higher priority for the vaccine than teachers. Pictured is a Chicago teachers union protest from last week

Janice Jackson, the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, said the union needed to 'move past the debate on whether we should be reopening schools.'

'Why should Chicago stand out when everybody else across the country has been able to safely do this? Why should CPS stand out when private and parochial schools in Chicago have been operating since the beginning of the school year?' she said.

Bargaining between the district and the union had appeared productive at the start of the weekend when several verbal agreements turned into written ones, the Sun-Times reported.

But it has since appeared that the school district and the union can't even agree on why negotiations have broken down.

The teachers union tweeted that its bargaining team was 'instructed not to attend negotiations today unless our teachers, clinicians, PSRPs, nurses, librarians and other rank-and-file educators were prepared to make major concessions.'

However, Chicago Public School sent out its own 'fact check' tweet claiming the district's bargaining team was told by the union's leadership that they were unable to meet until they could develop a response to the district's offer.

'Our team has been standing by all day,' the district tweeted.

Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teacher's Union went back and forth in tweets blaming each other for failed negotiations

The union shot back in a thread of tweets that conversations with Lightfood had been 'cordial' but criticized the mayor for again 'referring to the 'hyper-democratic' nature of CTU' in a negative light.

'The mayor and the CPS CEO refer to 'CTU leadership' often, but CTU leadership is the 28,000 rank-and-file teachers, PSRPs, clinicians, librarians, nurses, counselors and other educators. These are the people who run our union. We look to them for direction. That won't change,' the union tweeted.

The union noted that it has been able to reach agreements with its unionized charter schools and said 'we want the same for our educators and students in Chicago Public Schools.'

'Our members are prepared to keep working and negotiating. If there is a choice to end negotiations, cause a crisis, or cut off 80 percent of students in the city who have chosen remote learning, that choice won't be ours,' the union tweeted.

Preschoolers and some special education students in Chicago Public Schools had the option to return to in-person learning on January 11.

The district and the union have held more than 70 meetings since June, according to Chicago Public Schools.

Four key areas that the district and the union have reached tentative agreements on include health and safety protocols, ventilation, contact tracing, and health and safety committees.
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.
OXFORD, Miss. (WTVA)  Police in Oxford asked people for a few hours over the weekend to stay away from Walmart because someone made a bomb threat.

Officers posted the plea around 4:30 p.m. Sunday about the store on West Jackson Avenue.

They were also holding someone they described as a "person of interest."

Police dogs capable of detecting explosives showed up to help search the store.

Officers announced Sunday night the store was again safe.

Police announced Monday the arrest of Jordan Williams, 26, of Oxford.

Investigators charged him with false reporting of a bomb, explosive, or weapons of mass destruction.
Historians study all manner of sources, published and otherwise, in a quest to explain why Americans held the beliefs they did and whether their actions matched their creed. We know that fierce conflicts raged from the start over how to define the nations professed ideals and how to apply them. Nikole Hannah-Jones, the leading force behind the 1619 Project, published in this newspaper, disagreed sharply with her academic critics about the role of slavery in the founding of the Republic. But both parties grounded their arguments primarily in research and analysis, rather than invocation. The same is true for historians who devote their lives to studying such controversial subjects as the Progressive Era, segregation, the Civil Rights movement, communism and socialism, and identity politics  all of which the 1776 report praises or damns, depending on whether each adhered to or forswore its conception of American values.

Yet one reason historians argue fruitfully, if endlessly, about such topics is that they appreciate that how one defines those values helps determine the way one interprets what occurred. In the 1960s, the Americans who staged peaceful demonstrations to integrate bus stations, restaurants and workplaces and those who sent the police to beat them up both claimed they were upholding the causes of liberty and justice. But between George Wallaces idea that freedom meant the right to exclude Black people from ones property and Martin Luther King Jr.s view that it meant giving equal access to everyone, there could be no compromise.

Image Credit... 1776 Commission

The 1776 report also abounds in blatant contradictions. It praises Dr. King and condemns socialism, while neglecting to mention that his speeches to labor audiences often included assertions like this one: Call it democracy, or call it democratic socialism, but there must be a better distribution of wealth within this country for all Gods children. It damns the progressive officeholders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries as elitists without recognizing that the most significant reforms they enacted  from the popular election of senators to referendum and recall to the establishment of the Federal Reserve and the Food and Drug Administration  responded to mass demands from below. These changes were intended to reduce the power of such private elitists as the financier J.P. Morgan and the meatpacking moguls whose dangerous and corrupt slaughterhouses Upton Sinclair exposed so memorably in The Jungle.
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) - Moderna President Dr. Stephen Hoge said the company is focused on the vaccine dosing data it has  and that data says two doses is what works.

He made the comments a day after Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, told NBCs Meet The Press that as many people as possible over the age of 65 should be given the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Osterholm said this to respond to a possible surge in the next six to 14 weeks caused by the coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom. Such a strategy could delay second shots of the vaccine.

When asked for his thoughts on this strategy, Hoge told Good Morning America:

At this point, as a scientist and physician, I focus really on what the data says, and the data we have from our clinical trials shows that two doses is excellent, very good at protecting against COVID-19, and ultimately thats the only regimen that weve really studied.

Hoge said its possible that one dose would provide some benefit, but we really just dont have any data to prove that at this point.

As Moderna, we try to stick to the data and the science, what we have, he continued, adding that public health officials have complicated choices to make about how to protect as many people as possible when there are limited vaccine supplies.

Our responsibility as a company is to stick to the data and make as many doses as we can available, Hoge said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Moderna says no data on how much protection a single COVID-19 vaccine dose provides"
[February 01, 2021] Movista Makes Additional Strategic Hires, Accelerating Growth Trajectory

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Movista, Inc. In the latest of milestone additions at the leading retail execution and workforce management software firm Movista, Fran Stevenson and Paul Kennedy have recently joined as the Senior Vice President of Customer Success and the Senior Vice President of Sales, respectively. "The stronger our team grows, the stronger our service to the retail industry becomes." Stevenson will lead Movista's team of client partners and customer support representatives and power the execution of customer retention and growth initiatives. Kennedy will head up Movista's global sales team, drive the platform's expansion and implement rigorous growth efforts. For nearly 20 years, Stevenson has built a robust set of experiences leading people and organizations from the inside-out. Most recently on the North American leadership team at Accruent -- at the intersection of retail, results-driven software solutions and people management. "The very thing that drew me most to Movista was the teams' ferocious commitment to customer partnerships," Stevenson noted, "and their strategic product investments to ensure their objectives and their customers' objecties are not only met, but exceeded. I'm energized to join this team, maintain critical relationships with retail leaders and continue to invest in the ever-evolving retail IT space."



"Store execution is an important and urgent topic for leading retailers. Movista's team of retail veterans have been solving these big problems for more than 10 years. Today, more than ever, store execution is a team sport consisting of multiple players-- I'm enthusiastic to join Movista because it is the connecting tool that enables digital collaboration for all key players on the team, ultimately resulting in an exponentially better experience for shoppers," Kennedy said. Kennedy brings more than 15 years of experience leading teams and activating positive change in the retail solutions industry -- from improving execution strategies in stores with TOSHIBA Global Commerce Solutions, Inc. to propelling expansive digital transformation results at Fujitsu Americas.

The growing executive leadership team has set Movista up for the next phase of development, after growing more than 400% in the past 5 years. In 2019, the firm acquired Virginia-based competitor Natural Insight within a year of receiving a $12MM investment from Level Equity of New York. This announcement comes shortly after hiring a new Chief Financial Officer, Adam Carson, and new Chief Customer Officer, Eric Wilson, late last year. The growing executive team's focus on delivering world-class software to their partners has never been sharper and more well-defined in the firm's 11-year-old history. "Fran and Paul represent the best of the best in their roles," said Movista co-founder and CEO Stan Zylowski. "They are consummate professionals with impeccable records. Most importantly, they share the Movista spirit of placing clients first and letting growth follow. We could not have chosen two better people. The stronger our team grows, the stronger our service to the retail industry becomes." About Movista Founded in 2010, Movista Inc. provides the industry's leading mobile-first retail execution and workforce management platform, ONE by Movista. They constantly strive to create technical solutions and efficiencies that drive rapid sales increases while driving down costs. The enterprise platform replaces or integrates a multitude of disparate systems into one user-friendly, mobile interface. Learn more at https://movista.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/movista-makes-additional-strategic-hires-accelerating-growth-trajectory-301219056.html SOURCE Movista

[ 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.
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 new outbreak of Covid-19 cases at a local hospital effectively derailed the planned in-person segment of the 2021 Taipei International Book Fair, which ran from January 26 to 31 under the theme Reading in the Time of a Pandemic.

Taiwans Ministry of Culture called off the physical fair shortly before it was set to open. The ministry had hoped to use the fair to give the country's domestic publishing and bookselling industries a boost by distributing 200,000 couponseach valued at NT$100 (or $3.47)to all fair visitors. But because of the Covid outbreak, all large-scale public events ahead of the upcoming week-long Chinese New Year holiday have now been canceled. (Thus far, the island has 911 Covid cases and only eight deaths due to Covid-19. But it reported its first Covid-19 death in eight months on Saturday and more than 4,000 people are now under quarantine.)

The cancellation made all TIBE-related events go virtual. Korea, the 2021 guest of honor, offered Exhibit XYZ to introduce Korean books onand bygenerations X, Y, and Z, focusing on common issues the different generations face, including gender inequality (i.e., the XX and XY gap) and environmental crises. Tohan Corp., one of the biggest copyright agencies in Japan, put together titles from 10 publishers and presented several author talks in the Japan Books Meet-up. Italy came in with two major exhibitions: Illustrators for Gianni Rodari: Italian Excellence, which offered 63 illustrations to mark the centennial birthday of Rodari, the first Italian writer to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Award, and Manga Made in Italy to highlight around 10 significant works published in the 2010s by millennial Italian authors.

There were also a number of educational forums and talks, among them: The Frankfurt Publishers Training Program (focusing on social media marketing and licensing); International Publishing Forum (imagining the post-pandemic era); Childrens Book Forum (featuring nonfiction picture books); and Book Design Forum (elaborating on future trends). The Spanish Market Introduction offered a look at the Spanish book market with a general introduction to the Guadalajara International Book Fair. There were also digital business matchmaking sessions with publishers from countries such as Chile, Germany, and Korea.

The participants of the International Publishing Forum were mostly from Taiwan and Korea, and pandemic-related publishing phenomenon was a hot topic, said Michelle Tu, senior coordination manager at the Taipei Book Fair Foundation, the organizer of TIBE. Publications on religion/spirituality and interior decorating are on the rise in Korea, Tu said. In Taiwan, where the pandemic is largely contained, Tu said the publishers are focusing on the impact of BookTubers, podcasters, and different social media platforms in propelling the publishing industry forward. Overall, Tu said, the Taiwan publishing industry has remained stable, publishing roughly the same number of new titlesabout 36,000in both 2019 and 2020.

Virtual TIBE also offered a Book Show segment, featuring titles for possible rights deals from companies such as Arena Verlag, Bonnier Books (U.K.), Clavis, DK, Quarto Group, and Thames & Hudsonall familiar names from previous TIBEs. Authors from near and far participated in livestreamed Book Presentation, including Raffaella Castagna (talking about her title Artists Cats), Maria Lazarova (Emma and Pink Whales), Suzy Lee (from Korea), and Amitav Ghosh (India). There were also virtual talks by Twilight author Stephenie Meyer and Nobel Laureate Kazuo Ishiguro,.

The segments featuring Japanese novelist Keiichiro Hirano, Korean illustrator Suzy Lee, and our Digital Minister Audrey Tang were among the most viewed, said Tu. So was the talk about the future of reading by Zhan Hongzhi, the chairman of PC Home Online, who is a cultural icon in Taiwan.

In total, there were 454 exhibitors, 161 of which came from overseas. This marked the second time in-person TIBE was canceled due to the pandemic. Last year, the fair was rescheduled from February to May before the in-person portion was eventually scrapped and replaced by a full virtual program.

TIBE remains one of the major book events in the region and is popular with international publishers looking to sell rights and connect with attendees from neighboring areas. The last time TIBE was held in person, in 2019, there were more than 580,000 visitors and over 730 exhibitors.

The 30th edition of TIBE is tentatively scheduled towards the end of January 2022.
Union Finance Minister announced a Rs 3,05,982-crore outlay on Monday for a revamped reform scheme for struggling power distribution companies (discoms).

Distribution companies across the country are monopolies, either government or private. There is a need to provide choice to consumers by promoting competition. A framework will be put in place to give consumers options to choose from among more than one distribution firm, she said.

The ministry of power had, in 2018, suggested separation of the content and carriage business of discoms. The power infra was to be owned by discoms but the power was to be supplied by several players to induce competition and offer choice to consumers. The suggestion was removed from the subsequent proposed amendments in 2020 to the Electricity Act, 2003.





ALSO READ: Road Min gets 'highest ever' allocation of Rs 1.18 trn in Budget 2021-22

The viability of discoms is a serious concern. A revamped, reform-based, results-linked, power distribution sector scheme will be launched with an outlay of Rs 3,05,982 crore over five years. The scheme will provide assistance to discoms for infra creation, inclusion of prepaid smart metering, feeder separation, upgradation of systems, she said.

The budgetary allocation to the reform-linked distribution scheme under the ministry of power, however, received Rs 1 lakh for 2021-22. The two flagship existing schemes for urban and rural reforms  IPDS and DDUGJY  received Rs 3,750 crore and Rs 3,600 crore, respectively. While for IPDS, the outlay has increased minimally by 1.35 per cent, DDUGJY budget grant was higher by 80 per cent over revised allocation for 2020-21.

It is likely that the Centre and states would share the cost of scheme with Central grant for several power sector schemes linked to performance of the discoms, this paper had reported recently.
The Daily Beast

St. Johns County Sheriff's OfficeThe Florida teenager accused of murdering 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey earlier this month stabbed the cheerleader a staggering 114 times as she fought for her life, then dumped her body in a wooded area, authorities said Thursday.Aiden Fucci, 14, will now be charged as an adult with first-degree murder for Baileys brutal slaying in the early morning of May 9, St. Johns County State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced Thursday. Youve heard our victim was stabbed....to say it was horrific was an understatement, Larizza said during a Thursday press conference. There were 114 stab wounds.The young girl died fighting for her life, he added.Fucci may have randomly chosen Bailey as his victim, as he told other teenagers he planned to kill someone within the month, the prosecutor said. This could simply be a wrong place at the wrong time situation, Larizza said. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office says Baileys family reported her missing at 10 a.m on May 10, prompting a frantic countywide search that ended eight hours later when investigators recovered the seventh graders clothed body in a wooded area near a retention pond on a street close to where she was last seen.Larizza said that the night of the murder, Fucci told people he intended to kill someone by taking them in the woods and stabbing them.Cheerleader Tristyn Bailey Was Stabbed to Death by Teenage Boy, Cops SayThe Daily Beast did not initially identify Fucci, who was originally charged with second-degree murder, because prosecutors had not decided whether to charge him as an adult. Online court records show a Thursday notice to transfer Fuccis case to adult court and assign it to Judge R. Lee Smith after he was indicted by a grand jury.The news of his upgraded charges was first reported by ActionNewJax. According to an arrest report, Baileys family last saw the Patriot Oaks Academy cheerleader at around midnight on May 9. An hour later, home surveillance footage near the Durbin North Amenity Center showed Bailey and Fucci walking together, at one point heading east on Saddlestone Drive.Larizza said that while investigators have not determined a motive, he confirmed Baileys encounter with Fucci started out as kids hanging out. He added that theres no evidence anyone else was involved in the grisly crime.At around 3:30 a.m, another video shows Fucci walking alone on Saddlestone Drive and carrying a pair of white shoes with a black Nike logo, the report states.During the frantic search for Bailey the next morning, police brought in Fucci for questioning as a witness. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office confirmed to The Daily Beast that around the same time, Fucci posted a selfie on social media in a patrol car with the caption, Hey guys has anybody seen Tristyn lately?Under questioning, the arrest report states Fucci changed his story several times and made several admissions that led cops to charge him.Police later found clothing in the boys bedroom that tested positive for blood, the arrest report said. After finding Baileys body, police discovered she had been left only 0.3 miles from where Fucci lived.Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Predrag Bulic later concluded that Baileys homicide was caused by a sharp force trauma by stabbing. Larizza said Thursday that about 49 of the defensive stab wounds Bailey suffered were to the hands, arms, and face. He added that witnesses identified a knife that was found in a pond as belonging to Fucci. The knifes tip had broken off and was later found in Baileys skull. The medical examiner said the blood on the weapon matched the victim's.Teenagers are capable of things we never imagined them doing, Larizza added, warning parents in his community to keep tabs on their children.Both Tristyn and Fucci attended Patriot Oaks Academy in St. Johns, though police said it was unclear how they knew each other or if they were in the same class.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 funds for the Kendriya Vidyalayas saw an increase as the schools have been issued Rs 6,800 crore for the upcoming financial year compared to the Rs 5,516 crore last year

New Delhi: Over 15,000 schools will be qualitatively strengthened as per reforms proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP), which will help in handholding and mentoring other schools, according to the Union Budget for 2021-22 announced on Monday.

"More than 15,000 schools will be qualitatively strengthened to include all components of the National Education Policy. They shall emerge as exemplar schools in their regions, handholding and mentoring other schools to achieve the ideals of the policy," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech.

Making board exams easy, reduction of the curriculum to core concepts, replacement of 10+2 structure of school curricula with a 5+3+3+4 structure and teaching up to at least class 5 in the mother tongue or a regional language, are among the many school education reforms outlined in the new National Education Policy, which was announced last year. This is the first budget after the notification of the new NEP.



Follow LIVE Updates on Union Budget 2021 here

The Ministry of Education's Department of School Education and Literacy will receive Rs 54,873.66 crore for the upcoming financial year as against Rs 59,845 crore last year.

The funds for the Kendriya Vidyalayas saw an increase as the KVs have been issued Rs 6,800 crore for the upcoming financial year as compared to Rs 5,516 crore last year.

The budget allocation to Navodaya Vidyalayas has been increased by Rs 500 crore. Last year, Rs 3,300 crore were allocated to Navodaya Vidyalayas while for this year, the funds have been raised to Rs 3,800 crore.

The mid-day meal scheme saw an increase of Rs 500 crore as the total allocation has been raised to Rs 11,500 crore from Rs 11,000 last year.
Former Stinnett Police Chief Jason Collier was not only a married man with a girlfriend and fiancee, but was dating at least eight women at the same time, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Cecily Steinmetz, 39, a divorced mother of two young children was one of the eight women and when she discovered Collier's triple life, she exposed the cheating police chief to the world on Facebook.

Her post went viral with more than a hundred thousand views, he was put on administrative leave by the Stinnett city manager, and then resigned days later after he was arrested for falsifying a government document.

And on Monday Collier's wife Opal Collier filed for divorce in light of the public cheating scandal.

In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Steinmetz tells about their whirlwind two week romance and how she caught the cheat in several lies before exposing him to the world.

In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Steinmetz tells about her whirlwind romance with Collier and how she caught the cheat in several lies

Stinnett Police Department chief Jason Collier, 39, resigned after the married father-of-four was discovered to be living a 'triple life'. In a Facebook post, Cecily Steinmetz claimed they'd been in a relationship until she learned he was married and also engaged to another woman

Steinmetz shared text messages with DailyMail.com showing the depth of their whirlwind romance

Steinmetz tells DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview, 'I met Jason on a dating app in mid- December, our profiles matched each other and one day I received a ''like'' from him. I responded back and we chatted via the web a few times. He told me he worked in law enforcement but wasn't really specific about it.'

But Steinmetz said she deleted her dating profile after deciding she really wasn't ready to date and just wanted to get through the holidays before starting a relationship.

But the first week in January she got back into the dating game and created a new profile. Within a few days she said she got a message from Collier and within hours they had exchanged phone numbers and 'were talking on the phone, texting and everything.'

Collier was arrested for faking a marriage annulment document after his girlfriend accused him of living a 'triple life' with her, his wife, and a fiancee

'There was an immediate connection, it was just comfortable talking to him, and he's charming and disarming at the same time as well as calming. He made a really big deal to tell me that he had been divorced since 2016 and spent the past four years working on himself, personal insight type of work and he was finally ready to get out and have a relationship,' she said.

'I felt really good on the phone, he seemed very polite, respectful, and I thought with his job that he would definitely be trustworthy. That put me at ease that he was a police officer and not just a police officer, but a chief of police, and I thought they definitely were held to a higher standard. So I thought I should be able to believe him - at the time I had no reason not to believe him.'

During that first conversation Collier asked her to download the Marco Polo App a video based instant messaging system.

She said it was because he had an Android and she had an iPhone and they couldn't FaceTime unless they used this App.

Steinmetz said Collier told her during their first conversation he was the Chief of Police in Stinnett, Texas, a small city in the panhandle of northern Texas about 60 miles north of Amarillo. The rural town has a population of almost 1,900 people and a police force of four officers and three reserves.

He told her that if she came across an article where it mentioned he was married and had four kids, to 'ignore it, that it was incorrect and he's contacted the news organization who wrote the article to change it but haven't as of yet.'

She said he told her check to out the Facebook page for the Stinnett Police Department and that's where she'll find the corrected version - showing that he wasn't married.

Steinmetz said things were moving quickly in their relationship. He was suddenly bombarding her with compliments, telling her how beautiful she was and how lucky he was to have met her.

Opal Collier's lawyers put out a statement Monday announcing the divorce filing and said, 'Mrs. Collier has discontinued the use of all social media accounts in her name for the foreseeable future. She respectfully requests that members of the media and community respect her privacy and the privacy of her family at this time.'

This is Collier's dating profile which says he's 'look for friendship and then more from there!' and 'Not looking for a hook up'

Steinmetz says Collier told her his marriage to wife Opal (pictured together) had been annulled, despite him celebrating his anniversary in a touching Facebook post in September. His wife filed for divorce on Monday

After Steinmetz discovered that Collier had been lying to her, she was contacted by Kristi Shaffer, who said she had actually been engaged to the police chief since December

Steinmetz revealed on Facebook last week that she'd been in a long-term relationship with Collier and has since found out that he is dating other women, too

The first time they saw each other was on Sunday, January 17. He told her that he was going to be in Lubbock, Texas that weekend for work and he would drive to meet her after he was finished.

'Jason told me he was going to meeting with the Secret Service in Lubbock. He had a side job being dispatched to national emergencies, like the Nashville bombing on Christmas and the Portland and Minneapolis riots. He said he was a tactical consult for these type of national emergencies and he was going to school to get his master's degree in emergency management. Jason said he contracted with the government to do emergency management planning with other law enforcement agencies.'

Steinmetz said, 'Jason told me he flew to Nashville to work the Christmas day bombing and worked on riots in Minneapolis after George Floyd.

Steinmetz met Collier at a local restaurant in Amarillo and she said the night was great.

Texas Rangers took Collier into custody on Thursday after he resigned, and he is now facing a charge of tampering with a government record with the intent to defraud or harm

'He was everything I could have hoped for, he was nice, polite,' she said.

'At dinner Jason told me he had been previously married, one time, for 16 years and has two kids and got divorced in 2016. He also told me that I was the first women he has met since then.

'It made me feel great to hear this guy say this stuff to me,' added Steinmetz.

Steinmetz said they both had salads and a soft drink, but when the bill came, Collier took the check and asked her to sign both her married last name and maiden name.

She thought this was odd, but did it anyway.

'Jason explained to me that he was trained by the FBI to do handwriting analysis and told me that he could tell a lot about a person by their handwriting, which I had never heard of before. But I had no reason to doubt him. I remember it said something on his profile about having some type of FBI certification. Jason said he was trained by the same person in the FBI who analyzed the Jon Benet Ramsey ransom letter.'

After she signed both of her names on the dinner ticket, she gave it back to him.

'Jason was acting like he was analyzing both signatures, drawing lines at the top and at the bottom, scribbling on it, etc. Now I know he was just pretending, but at the time I thought he was legit.'

Then came his handwriting analysis, 'He told me that I was completely detached from last name by the slanting of my writing and I was much more connected to my maiden name. I didn't understand what he was saying and it didn't really make any sense to me.

'The point he was trying to get across was he said he was worried that my ex-husband was going to see how happy I was in my current relationship that he would want to get back with me.

'But I assured Jason that relationship had sailed and we have a good working relationship because of our children and we were never going to get back together.

'It was a constant theme of our short lived relationship that he needed constant reassurance.'

Collier would give Steinmetz excuses as to why he couldn't talk on the phone when she would question him about his marriage

Steinmetz has changed Colliar's name in her phone from 'Jason' followed by a heart emoji, to 'Jason LIAR'

Collier sent Steinmetz several mirror selfies during their relationship, which she shared with DailyMail.com. In one photo, his police badge is clearly visible

Steinmetz said the next night he picked her up at her house and they went to dinner.

'When we went to sit down in a booth and he wanted us to sit together instead of across from each other. He said he wanted everyone to know that we were a couple.'

'Things were going fast in our relationship, at dinner that night we both said that we were going to be exclusive to each other. I was so excited about him. We had a picture taken of us and I told him I was going to post it on Facebook and that made him really happy.'

But after Steinmetz posted the picture of them on Facebook and changed her status as 'in a relationship', things starting to unravel.

'After I posted the picture of us on Facebook things kind of hit the fan. The next morning, (Tuesday, January 19th) a friend of mine texted me asking for his name. I told her his name and she said he looked very familiar. But I reassured my friend I already knew about his ex-wife's name and had checked him out.

'But within minutes my friend started to bombard me with multiple screenshots of his wedding, with a women who was not the 'wife' he told me of. She sent me a post where Jason wished his wife, happy anniversary in September 2020.'

It's still hard for me to reconcile who he was and who he actually is. Everything single thing out of his mouth was a lie. Cecily Steinmetz

Steinmetz said her friend was also friends with Jason's current wife, Opal, and they had been Facebook friends for years, albeit not great friends.

'I was crushed. I was also humiliated because I literally just had posted this the night before and I didn't want to have to backtrack and look stupid basically that I posted a picture of being in a relationship with a married man. I immediately texted him forwarding him all of these screenshots from his wife's Facebook account that my friend had sent to me.

'He finally admitted that that was his ''other'' ex and the marriage was ''annulled.'''

'Jason said her name was Opal and that their marriage was short-lived because of a ''bad incident.'''

'But I told Jason if the marriage was annulled why were these posts about their marriage from as early as September 2020 if it was annulled in 2016.'

Steinmetz said she was livid and wanted to talk on the phone with Jason about it, but he said he couldn't talk because he was working in a ''school zone'' at the time. He finally called her but got off the phone with a work excuse within minutes.

'Jason then texted me back and said that he's trying to get his annulment paperwork and he was going to send it to me. That made me feel a little better, knowing that the marriage was actually annulled and he was going to send me the paperwork.

'A few minutes later Jason sent me the document. I told him I was going to do an open records request just to make sure, he was taken back that but said okay.'

Still not trusting of her new boyfriend, Steinmetz asked him if there was anyone else who could 'vouch' for him.

'I asked Jason for him to put me in touch with his brother, but he said he was in a meeting. Then he suggested that I speak directly with Opal.

'Jason then sent me her number and I started to text her asking about the relationship. Opal confirmed back that they have been divorced since 2016. I told this person I just wanted to make sure Jason wasn't married because I didn't want to be a homewrecker. This Opal assured me they weren't together and said he was a great guy and I should go ahead and go for it with him.'

Collier and Steinmetz went on a weekend getaway to New Mexico where she said he spoke of marriage at lest 50 times

Steinmetz called him a 'poor representative' of the town he served, alleging that he would drive to visit her an hour away in Amarillo when he was on shift

'I then asked this person who I thought was Opal about the Facebook posts from the past four years. She responded back that she was embarrassed for her failed marriage and was concerned about it affecting her job and wanted to keep up the appearance for social media purposes.

'After talking to 'Opal' and she confirmed they weren't married or together I really couldn't doubt him on it anymore. Later I confirmed that the number I received a call from was actually Opal's number. I'm not sure if he cloned the number or had a friend cover for him, I know I was actually talking to a woman.'

'After I got off the phone with ''Opal'' I talked to Jason, I apologized to him, and he made me feel bad for questioning him. He told me, ''I told you so. I showed you the document.'' I apologized to him and said let's just forget it and move on.

'But after hanging up with Jason, the Potter County Court clerk called me back and I asked her about the document, I gave her the case number, name, etc. But she couldn't locate any annulment document.

'There weren't any records, but I asked if the record could be sealed or something, which the clerk said there was a possibility but not probable.'

When she told Jason that the county clerk couldn't locate his annulment he said to her, 'it's signed off by Judge Lopez, I've got it in my safe. Its news to me if it's not legit.'

A few hours later Steinmetz said she received a video of Jason apologizing to her for lying about not disclosing his annulment.

Still feeling that something wasn't quite right, Steinmetz told him she wanted to come up to his house and see him for a face to face talk. He agreed but conveniently a few hours later he told her that he had to serve a search warrant that night .

His wife Opal often posted loving family photos on Facebook. Steinmetz shared the photos with DailyMail.com

Collier posted about his 'beautiful bride' in 2019 and tagged Opal. When he was confronted, he said he was divorced

DailyMail.com reached out to Jason and his wife, Opal and they have yet to reply

'I soon found out I was dating a married man. I was sickened by it. I wanted everyone to know this man is a cheater so I posted about him on the Stinnett Police Department Facebook page and it went viral,' Steinmetz said. Collier is pictured with his wife

Steinmetz told him that she could come up afterwards, but he told her that he didn't know how long it would take.

'He was making excuse after excuse for not wanting me to come up to his house. Throughout the later afternoon and evening he was texting me with updates on the search warrant. He told me when they were about the ''breach the door'' after their debriefing.'

But he never called her until the next morning, he told her that he didn't finish up until 1am and they had to call in the DEA because 'there were so many guns, weapons and drugs - it was just a big ordeal.'

'I chose to believe him again, I didn't want to be the nagging girlfriend constantly questioning him.'

On Wednesday, January 20, Collier told her he couldn't see her because he had a city council meeting.

On Thursday, January 21, Collier invited her up to Stinnett for a 'ride along.'

'When Jason invited me up for a ride a long I felt pretty confident. I felt he wouldn't invite me up to his work if any of this stuff was untrue.

'Steinmetz said she rode in his car for a few hours, he even pulled someone over. I was feeling great.

'Then we went back to the police station. There were two women in the front and we just walked past them. I asked him if he was going to introduce me to his coworkers. He said, no, they are bi**hes, and one of them is upset that he won't date her sister. He said he didn't want to put me through that so we just walked past them back to his office.'

Jason had previously sent Cecily a picture of them together hanging in his office taped to his desk, but when she went back there, the picture had been taken down and placed face down on his desk.

When she asked him why he took it down, he told her that he didn't want the tape on it to ruin the picture so he took it down until she brought him a picture frame, which she did.

'Jason put our picture in the frame and put it back up on the shelf.'

'I soon found out I was dating a married man. I was sickened by it. I wanted everyone to know this man is a cheater. Cecily Steinmetz

The next morning, Jason arrived at her house in Amarillo with donuts in hand for their weekend trip to Taos, New Mexico. For the past several days Jason had been telling me he was in love with me, and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.

'After he told me he loved me a few times, I finally said it back to him.'

Steinmetz said they dropped her kids off at school, ran a few errands and then hit the road for the 5-hour drive.

'Since the restaurants where closed because of COVID we had to order take-out. We ate dinner in our room. Later that night we consummated our relationship. I felt in love with him that weekend. He was everything I had hoped for, I loved him for him. I was attracted to his love and affection more than his physical appearance. I never said anything but when he first took off his clothes I could tell he had lost a lot of weight because he had sagging skin hanging all over his body, but I didn't care, I'm not in the best shape either.

'And his love-making was not the best and, especially now knowing all of the practice he had, he should have been better. But I loved him for who I though he was.'

On that Saturday January 23, they were driving to a famous bridge in Taos when they saw a man who appeared on drugs and was threatening to jump.

They called 911 and the meantime, Jason went into action.

'He basically saved the guys life, the drugs were taking effect and the guy started to vomit. Jason turned him on his side and helped him out until the medics and cops arrived. It was a stressful experience but Jason remained calm the entire time.

'It felt great to see him in his element rescuing and saving people's life. It made me really admire him, the way he was asking the guy questions.

'During the entire weekend Jason was talking about marriage, by the end of the weekend together I was more than willing to marry the guy. He told me I was a blessing, that I'm the answer to his prayers, how he's never met anyone like me and he's waited his entire lifetime to meet someone like me. He showered me with compliments.

Collier's alleged infidelities were exposed by his girlfriend Cecily Steinmetz, who also shared an image of the fraudulent marriage annulment document he sent her (pictured)

Initially, the City of Stinnett placed Collier on administrative leave pending an investigation on January 27 - however he has now resigned and been arrested

'He never officially asked to marry me. He said he wanted to wait until he got me the ring I wanted. He asked me to send him pictures of rings that I liked and he was going to get me one and propose. He was also talking about moving down to Amarillo and commuting to Stinnett every day.

'He even mentioned Las Vegas as a potential place for us to get married.

'During the weekend to Taos he probably mentioned marriage about 50 times and asked if I was still okay with getting married, which I told him, yes.'

'We returned from Taos on Sunday night and I still had a gut feeling about him, that something wasn't right. I just didn't know what. He had an answer for everything.

'He dropped me off and we were planning on him spending the week with me in Amarillo starting on Monday, January 25.

'Thirty minutes later I got a text from him saying he missed me already. I replied back that I missed him as well. Then another 30 minutes went by and I get another text, he said we needed to slow this way down and we have some differences.

'I was devastated, hours earlier he told me he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and now he wants to put the brakes on our relationship.

'He told me that he didn't think I had a close relationship with God.

'I was confused as it's never really been a topic of discussion. He brought it up when we first starting talking but then never mentioned a word about it since. I didn't respond to him anymore that night. I was hurt.'

The next morning Steinmetz said she didn't receive a text from him and went about her day, when mid-morning he sent her a text telling her they have some things to work through. He had complaints or differences about her including that she didn't drink coffee and didn't like seafood.

She was flabbergasted that those small things were going to be a deal breaker in their relationship.

He then told her he didn't know if he wanted to move to Amarillo, so she told him she was going to do him a favor and get out of his life. She told him she was done with their relationship.

She then had a heated conversation with him on the phone where he told her she was rude and played the victim role.

'I unloaded on him with all of the questions and red flags I had. He still claimed the annulment was legit. He was defensive, He told me that I was belittling him and he wasn't going to put up with it. I told him that he's nothing but a liar and not to contact him ever again and hung up on him.

'I was done with him and chalked it up to a bad memory and was just going to let the whole situation go and forget about it.

Steinemetz said she's glad she came forward because she never wants him to do this to anyone again. 'Jason downfall was because he had a relationship with someone who lived near him

'He asked me to send him pictures of rings that I liked and he was going to get me one and propose. He was also talking about moving down to Amarillo and commuting to Stinnett every day,' Steinmetz said

'Until I spoke with my friend who had been friends with Jason's wife on Facebook. I filled her in on the entire situation and she told me that she had found a post on the Stinnett Police Department Facebook page from a Kristi Shaffer about two weeks ago. The post said something like this is the most fair and equitable man I've ever met, etc. This Kristi' profile picture was of Jason and her.

'So I quickly message Kristi and within 20 minutes she called me and we both realized we've been played by the same man. We compared notes, dates, times, etc.

She discovered that Shaffer had been engaged to Collier since December.

'After my conversation with Kristi I sent Jason several screenshots of my conversation with her and told him I'm telling everyone about him. He didn't respond.

'I soon found out I was dating a married man. I was sickened by it. I wanted everyone to know this man is a cheater so I posted about him on the Stinnett Police Department Facebook page and it went viral.

'I've been contacted by several women, there are at least eight of us that I know of. I want everyone out there to know this man is a liar and cheater.

Steinmetz still says she's still processing her whirlwind romance, she said she's overwhelmed, embarrassed, humiliated and angry

'On Tuesday I was contacted by the Texas Rangers, I met with one of them in person and told them my story and gave them the document Jason sent to me.

On Thursday Jason was arrested by the Texas Rangers for falsification of a government document and released on $10K bond.

Steinmetz still says she's still processing her whirlwind romance, she said she's overwhelmed, embarrassed, humiliated and angry.

'It's still hard for me to reconcile who he was and who he actually is. Everything single thing out of his mouth was a lie.

'I've spoken with several of them women he dated and we compared dates and notes, he would often send several of the women the same video via the Marco Polo App.

'Jason used the same lines with all of the women, he told them he was ready to get back into the dating world, how he was a Godly, he appeared to be kind and sincere, told them he was looking for marriage.'

Another women he dated, Katie Berry told DailyMail.com that she had meet Jason on the same Facebook dating site and he drove down to Abilene, TX to spend the weekend with her on January 16 and January 17.

Katie said, 'He stayed at a local hotel and we met for lunch. He was charming and very polite. He told me that he was not only a Chief of Police of Stinnett but he some sort of police chaplain and how he was a Godly man and always praying for me and over me.

'He never was inappropriate with me, I thought I was talking to a really good man, he turned out to be the complete opposed of that. He is a predator whose goal was to feed his narcissistic ego whatever the cost. I'm thankful that they were enough red flags that I had my guard up and didn't become emotionally invested in him, but I still feel betrayed and publicly humiliated. I pray for his wife and kids.'

She thought it was strange when he started talking about moving down to her area and wanting to look for a job when they had only been talking for a week or two.

Katie said on Tuesday morning, January 26, she received a text from him saying he needed to step back from our relationship because he was in a bad place mentally.

'I never responded back to him because I wasn't that emotionally invested in him.'

The next day is when she saw on Facebook about the cheating chief.

Steinmetz said she would like to ask Jason, 'Why would you do this to so many women? If you are just looking for a fling there are plenty of people and websites out there to find one at. Why did you tell so many women that you are a Godly man and you want a relationship? When it's nothing more than a lie. You pushed the idea of marriage on so many women when clearly you had no intentions of it.'

Steinmetz feels sorry for his wife, Opal. 'She's a victim in this as well, he used his nonexistent 'side job' to cheat on his wife,' she said Steinmetz feels sorry for his wife, Opal. 'She's a victim in this as well, he used his nonexistent 'side job' to cheat on his wife,' she said

She also feels sorry for his wife, Opal. 'She's a victim in this as well, he used his nonexistent 'side job' to cheat on his wife.'

She has a theory on maybe why he cheated and lied to so many women. 'I saw previous pictures of him and he was a lot heavier, maybe when he was young and a lot of women wouldn't give him the time of day and now he's 'revenge dating.'

She's glad she came forward because she never wants him to do this to anyone again. 'Jason downfall was because he had a relationship with someone who lived near him.

'All of the other women he had dated lived out of state or several hours away. If it wasn't for my friend being friends with Jason's wife on Facebook, and bringing it to my attention who knows what would have happened?'

DailyMail.com reached out to Jason and his wife, Opal and they have yet to reply.

Mark W Snider District Attorney for Hutchinson County, Texas told DailyMail.com 'The case involving Jason Collier is still under investigation. Once the investigation has been completed and if the elements of the case meets the criteria it will be presented to a grand jury for an indictment as per Texas law for all felonies. There is no time frame for the investigation to be completed.'

A 28-year-old man from Jharkhand's Ramgarh district, who was working in a Danish shipping company, has gone missing from a ship during its voyage from Singapore to Hongkong, an official said on Sunday. Parents of Rajat Kumar Gupta has approached the Ramgarh district administration to get help from the state government and the ministry of external affairs, the official said.

The merchant navy staff was last seen on the ship on January 27, his father Pradeep Kumar Gupta informed the state police. He told the police that the Denmark-based shipping company has informed him via email and phone from its India office in Mumbai that search operations had been carried out for him with the help of divers in mid-sea but he was not found. Ramgarh Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Singh said that the police have been asked to take steps for extending all help to the family.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
Former vice president Mike Pence is reportedly starting on plans to form a political action committee, amid rumours of a presidential run in 2024.

NBC News reported on Monday that Mr Pence will announce the committee sometime in the next few weeks.

Mr Pences group would be classed as a 501(c)4 organisation, meaning that it would be able to buy ads for candidates but would only be able to spend up to half its funds on political ventures.

An unnamed source told NBC that the goal of the committee would be to push Mr Pences consistent conservative philosophy to the US public.

Although the organisation would be barred from campaigning, it would allow Mr Pence the opportunity to retain relationships with GOP donors in the years leading up to the next presidential election.

The former vice president is not expected to announce his future political ambitions until after the 2022 midterms, but advisers told NBC that he has not made a decision yet on whether to run for the Republican presidential nomination.

The 61-year-old served as Mr Trumps vice president for four years, but distanced himself in the last few weeks as he presided over a House vote to impeach him for the second time for inciting the Capitol riots on 6 January.

He was pressured publicly by Mr Trump to overturn the 2020 election results, but Mr Pence released a statement before the vote confirming he would not.

The relationship between the pair is thought to have deteriorated in the final few weeks of Mr Trumps presidency, but Mr Pence has not made a decision on whether to back opponents if the former president decides to run again, with people familiar with him telling NBC: Thats a long way off.

Mr Pence is currently staying out of the public eye, and travelled to St Croix, in the US Virgin Islands, with his wife Karen Pence shortly after attending President Joe Bidens inauguration on 20 January.

Although he still has Secret Service protection, Mr Pence does not currently have a permanent home and he and his wife have reportedly been looking for a new place to live.

However, he has made it clear that Indiana will be where he will buy a house, telling a crowd shortly after Mr Bidens inauguration: I've already promised Karen we'll be moving back to Indiana come this summer, and adding: There's no place like home.

The Independent has contacted Mr Pence for contact.
(Newser)  The same group of traders who sent prices of GameStop soaring last week is now pulling a similar move with silver, reports CNN. Silver futures rose 11% Monday to about $30 an ounce, which the AP reports is an eight-year high. Meanwhile, the phrase "#silversqueeze" was trending, a reference to the "short squeeze" maneuver being pushed by many in the WallStreetBets forum on Reddit. The phenomenon was spilling over into tangible sales of silver bars and coins, with retail sites warning customers they can't keep up with demand. In the case of silver, members of the WallStreetBets forum say the move is a way to punish big banks, which they allege have been artificially suppressing prices of the precious metal for years.

story continues below

There's some skepticism about that, and a faction of the Reddit forum wants traders to stay focused on GameStop, notes Business Insider. It gets more convoluted: Some in the forum theorize the silver squeeze is bogus and is being engineered by the same hedge funds losing big on GameStop. Still, big names such as the Winklevoss twins are in full support. "The #silversqueeze is a rage against the machine," Tyler Winklevoss tweeted. "If silver market is proven to be fraudulent, you better believe gold market will be next," added Cameron Winklevoss. Uncertainty in the gold market could theoretically give a boost to Bitcoin, in which the twins have a huge stake. The Wall Street Journal reports that analysts figured it was "inevitable" for the day traders to move into other areas after having such big success with stocks such as GameStop and AMC theaters. (Read more silver stories.)
Rotunda Rumblings

In the hot seat: Ohio Republican Party Chairman Jane Timken doesnt think former President Donald Trump will start a third party, but she does think hell remain involved in the Republican Party. In an interview with Andrew Tobias, she also addressed the events at the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalezs impeachment vote and whether Republicans will be able to maintain the Trump coalition. Read the Q&A here.

Budget day: Gov. Mike DeWine is expected to introduce his 2021-2022 biennial budget today, this second of his term as governor. The process through the legislature is a long one, but governors typically use their budget proposals to highlight their policy priorities.

Moolah Mike: DeWines campaign reported having more than $3.6 million on hand as of Friday. As Jeremy Pelzer reports, the Ohio Republican Party touted the figure as the most money an incumbent Ohio governor has ever had on hand at this point in the campaign cycle.

Get it done: Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is OK with using the special legislative procedure of reconciliation to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour from its current $7.25 and to provide federal assistance to local governments that are financially struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic, Sabrina Eaton reports. Now that Democrats control the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives and the White House, Brown hopes that will happen quickly. But some Republicans including Sen. Rob Portman, say the process it at odds with the bipartisan message President Joe Biden delivered at his inauguration.

Lets talk: During a Sunday appearance on CNNs State of the Union, Portman discussed his concerns about reconciliation and talked up the counterproposal on coronavirus relief that he and a group of other Republican senators sent to President Joe Biden, urging him to negotiate. The Associated Press has more on the counterproposal.

School vaccinations: Ohio released its schedule for vaccinating school staff, split into four weeks. The schedule is designed to fit first doses for school staff in before a state deadline of March 1, but many districts and school staff will not have a second dose by then, Emily Bamforth reports.

Cases by ZIP code: Amid dropping numbers of coronavirus cases, there remains big differences between areas of higher rates and lower rates across the state, as can be seen by Rich Exners updated searchable database showing case rates for every ZIP code in Ohio. In the Greater Cleveland area, the highest per capita rates late last week were in Avon, Burton, Lorain, New London and Rittman.

Next in line? Childcare workers, funeral home directors and police officers are among the groups asking to be in the next phase of coronavirus vaccinations, Alexis Oatman reports. DeWine said hes heard many arguments from groups lobbying for a spot in line but has based Ohios plan on the mortality rates of COVID-19 and the overwhelming deaths of older Ohioans.

Weekend numbers: Ohio reported 4,874 new cases on Friday, slightly down from increases reported on Wednesday and Thursday. There were 4,191 new cases on Saturday, and 3,011 new cases on Sunday.

Power source: Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley, a critic of FirstEnergys use of dark money to undermine the citys electric company, has had a long relationship with the Akron utility, John Caniglia reports. Kelley, who is on a mission to find out how much money from the House Bill 6 scandal was used in Cleveland, said he wasnt influenced by campaign contributions hes received that were linked to FirstEnergy.

Showing interest: Cleveland car mogul Bernie Moreno is thinking about getting into the Republican race to succeed Portman in 2022, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Journal said Moreno became more interested after U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan decided not to run.

Also in the mix? Vivek Ramaswamy, a Butler County resident and wealthy biotech entrepreneur, is someone to consider as a possible wild-card Republican candidate next year for the Portman seat. In a text to the Cincinnati Business Courier last week, Ramaswamy said: Im humbled that several people have encouraged me to run. This is a crucial race for our state and our country. Its important that the right candidate runs.

A womans place: The 2022 Senate race has the possibility to be an all-woman general election, which would be the first time Ohio has sent a woman senator to Washington, the Blades Liz Skalka writes. That is thanks to some of the highest profile candidates being women, including former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and Ohio House Minority Leader Emilia Sykes on the Democratic side and Timken on the GOP side.

A positive step: Bidens housing discrimination directive announced last week bodes well for significant change in the coming years, Ohio housing advocates told Eric Heisig. While it wont result in immediate change, it signals that Biden wants to address policies that prevent people of color from renting or owning the home of their choice.

Bench press: Biden will nominate at least two federal judges in Cleveland in the coming months, filling the seats of longtime jurists who will become senior judges this week. Caniglia has details.

Census counting delay: The U.S. Census Bureau says it is now targeting April 30 to complete the count necessary to determine how many congressional seats will be allocated to each state beginning with the 2022 election. This is the count that was due Dec. 31, Exner reports. It typically takes two to three months after the statewide counts are released for the bureau to deliver to the states the local details necessary to draw political divisions from city ward lines up to the congressional level.

Shot down: The chairman of the Ohio House Health Committee is one of several Ohio lawmakers featured in a video highlighting the anti-vaccination movement as the state is pushing to vaccinate Ohioans against the coronavirus, Jackie Borchardt writes for the Cincinnati Enquirer. The video shows Republican Rep. Scott Lipps on an April 2020 conference call telling members of a group that lobbies against vaccination requirements, I have to have energy to stop this vaccine s--- thats coming, Borchardt reports.

Musical chairs: Lipps will remain chair of the House Health Committee again this session, House Speaker Bob Cupp announced Friday. Among the 22 other Republican committee chairs Cupp announced include state Rep. Scott Oelslager of North Canton for another term as House Finance Committee chair. Cupp also created several new House committees, including the Civil Justice; Behavioral Health and Recovery Supports; Families, Aging and Human Services; Infrastructure and Rural Development; and Technology and Innovation committees.

Downsizing: The Ohio Democratic Party has cut more than half of its permanent staff since newly elected Chairwoman Liz Walters took over, Skalka writes. The restructuring has seen the staff size shrink from 20 to around 6 or 8 people.

Homegrown: Farnoush Amiri and Dan Sewell of the Associated Presstook a closer look at the small Champaign County, Ohio town of Woodstock, home to two members of a militia group accused of helping plan the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot. Federal authorities say Army veteran Jessica Watkins tended bar in the town and recruited members for her militia group, which is affiliated with the Oath Keepers  a right-wing antigovernment group. Ex-Marine Donovan Ray Crowl of Woodstock also was charged, along with a Virginia man.

Human trafficking order expanded: DeWine on Friday signed an executive order adding five new state agencies to the Ohio Governors Human Trafficking Task Force: the departments of commerce, developmental disabilities, rehabilitation and correction, and transportation, as well as the State Medical Board of Ohio. The new order also directs the task force to collaborate with the administrations Childrens Initiative and RecoveryOhio Initiative and to update its priorities and policies.

Full Disclosure

Five things we learned from the Feb. 14, 2020 financial disclosure form of state Rep. Jon Cross, a Kenton Republican.

1. Aside from his legislative salary of $65, 527.32, Cross reported earning up to $999 in interest on a savings account and $25,000 to $49,000 as president and CEO of the Hardin County Chamber and Business Alliance.

2. At some point in 2019, Cross owed at least $1,000 to Chrysler Capital, Quest Federal Credit Union, GMC Financial Leasing and Honda Financial.

3. Cross received travel reimbursements and expenses of $141.50 from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and $2,196.48 from the Ohio House of Representatives.

4. The House Republican Campaign Committee and the Ohio House Republican Organizational Committee gave Cross meals, food and beverages worth more than $100.

5. Cross originally disclosed receiving only one gift worth more than $75 from The Success Group. He later amended his disclosure to include another gift from Friends for Householder.

On the Move

Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Greene County Juvenile Court Judge Adolfo Tornichio to a judgeship in the courts general division. DeWine appointed Robert H. Lyons to the Butler County Court.

Birthdays

Saturday: State Rep. Mark Johnson; Mary Mertz, Ohio Department of Natural Resources director

Straight from the Source

Lets show the 3,154,834 Ohio voters (a record and historic number of votes received for President in Ohio) who cast their ballot to re-elect Donald J. Trump that we as a legislature recognize the accomplishments of his administration, and that the Ohio House believes it is imperative we set aside a day to celebrate one of the greatest presidents in American history.

- Republican State Reps. Reggie Stoltzfus and Jon Cross, in an email seeking co-sponsors for a resolution declaring June 14 President Donald J. Trump Day. Thats Trumps birthday, and also happens to be Flag Day.

Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free.
Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky flew from Byron Bay to Sydney via private jet on Sunday.

The Hollywood power couple are both filming new movies in the state's capital.

Chris, 37, is shooting Thor: Love and Thunder at Fox Studios, while Elsa, 44, is filming a big screen adaption of the opera Carmen around Maroubra.

Scroll down for video

They're arrived! Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky flew from Byron Bay to Sydney via private jet on Sunday. The Hollywood power couple are both filming new movies in the state's capital

Chris showed off his muscular physique in a white singlet and shorts.

He was dressed casually for the flight, sporting a pair of black sneakers and a cap.

Chris has played the hammer-wielding Norse god Thor in the Marvel franchise since 2011, and has starred in eight movies as the superhero.

Separate projects: Chris, 37, is shooting Thor: Love and Thunder at Fox Studios, while Elsa, 44, is filming a big screen adaption of the opera Carmen around Maroubra

Fit as ever! Chris showed off his muscular physique in a white singlet and shorts

Comfort: Elsa looked casual chic as she stepped on the plane in pink shorts and a khaki top

Elsa looked casual chic as she stepped on the plane in pink shorts and a khaki top.

She swept her blonde hair up in a messy bun, and carried a small backpack.

The couple were joined by a small entourage, including Chris' personal trainer and longtime friend Luke Zocchi.

Thor needs his PT! The couple were joined by a small entourage, including Chris' personal trainer and longtime friend Luke Zocchi (right, carrying the bag)

Friendly: Chris had a brief conversation with one of the private jet's pilots before taking off

Travelling light? Chris and his team handled the carry-on luggage themselves, with the larger items being stored elsewhere on the jet

Luke took charge of carrying the group's bags from a black van on to the plane.

Chris and his team handled the carry-on luggage themselves, with the larger items being stored elsewhere on the jet.

Chris shared a friendly chat with the pilot and a female flight attendant before taking to the skies.

Back to work! Filming began for Thor: Love and Thunder on January 26 at Sydney's Fox Studios

Lights, camera, action! Production on Carmen kicked off last month, with Elsa being pictured on location at Maroubra Beach on January 19

Filming began for Thor: Love and Thunder on January 26 at Sydney's Fox Studios, with Chris playing the lead role.

Production on Carmen, directed by Benjamin Millepied, kicked off last month in the rural New South Wales town of Breadalbane.

Elsa was pictured filming scenes on location at Maroubra Beach on January 19.

Intrigue: At this stage, it's unclear what role Elsa is set to portray in Carmen

The film, based on the opera of the same name, tells the story of a soldier who falls in love with an irresistible woman by the name of Carmen.

While the original was set in Spain, this adaptation will follow a Mexican woman's search for freedom in America.

The production, which was originally slated to take place in Mexico and Los Angeles, relocated to Australia due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

At this stage, it's unclear what role Elsa is set to portray.

On the move: Chris and Elsa have so far managed to fly back and forth from Sydney and Byron Bay to be with their three children in between filming commitments

Chris and Elsa have so far managed to fly back and forth from Sydney and Byron Bay to be with their three children in between filming commitments.

The flight takes approximately one hour and 15 minutes.

The couple, who share daughter India Rose, eight, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, six, live in a $30million mansion in Broken Head, near Byron Bay.
Kavanaugh has been in the custody of the Will County Adult Detention Facility since last October when he was arrested following an eight-month long investigation into financial crimes and home repair fraud, the Will County Sheriffs Department said. The investigation was conducted by multiple law enforcement agencies as well as the Illinois Department of Revenue and the Will County States Attorneys Office.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
It is time to start solving the mystery of Long Covid, an aspect of the pandemic blighting millions of lives, the World Health Organisations leader on post-Covid conditions told AFP.

Little is known about why some people, after coming through the acute phase of COVID-19, struggle to recover and suffer ongoing symptoms including tiredness, brain fog, cardiac and neurological disorders.

At this stage of the pandemic, the world is fixated on vaccine roll-out and new, more contagious variants of the coronavirus.

However, Long Covid deserves similar urgent attention, said Janet Diaz, the clinical care lead in the WHOs emergencies programme, ahead of a push for a globally-unified approach to the problem.

We still dont fully understand what Long Covid is, Diaz told AFP in an interview outside the WHOs headquarters in Geneva.

Theres quite a bit to learn, but I am confident that the scientific community is really rallying around.

No proper name yet

The WHO currently calls it post-Covid condition, while other terms in circulation include post-acute Covid syndrome and Covid long haulers.

The WHO is hosting a first global seminar on Long Covid on February 9. It will bring scientists, experts and clinicians together to define the condition, give it a formal name and harmonise study methods.

Its a condition that needs further description, further understanding of how many are affected and further understanding of what is causing it, so we can better prevent, manage and treat it, said Diaz, 48, a U.S. respiratory physician and intensive care doctor.

She said British and other studies suggested potentially one in 10 cases may have prolonged symptoms one month after infection, but there was no picture yet of how long those conditions might persist.

The elderly and those with underlying conditions are most at risk of serious disease from COVID-19.

But the profile of Long Covid patients does not match. It affects people with varying degrees of severity of disease and seems to potentially also include younger people, including children, said Diaz.

While the pandemic response priority remains preventing people from catching the virus and falling ill, treating coronavirus cases must also now include care after the acute illness until you get back to full health, Diaz said.

 Cracking the code 

Diaz said fatigue seemed to be the most common symptom, with others including post-exertional malaise, cognitive dysfunction or brain fog, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and neurological problems.

How these are all related  thats what we dont understand. Why would one person get this, and the other person get that? asked Diaz, saying researchers needed to crack the underlying mechanisms of the disease that were causing these persistent symptoms.

Is it something due to the virus? Due to the immune response? If we had a better idea, we could start to target some interventions to reduce symptoms.

Diaz said a tremendous amount of research was underway, largely classic observational studies following discharged patients.

Origin

The first COVID-19 cases were discovered in China in December 2019. But it was only when Long Covid started appearing on the radar months later that mystified sufferers began reaching out and joining the dots themselves.

ADVERTISEMENT

Thats been a tremendous movement, said Diaz, who took on the Long Covid remit in October.

In the first wave of the pandemic, struggling health care systems got patients through the acute illness, but then didnt realise they werent recovering to their previous health.

She said the patient-led research had driven scientists to do further studies, and collaboratively we should get to an answer quicker.

 Stay hopeful 

The February 9 seminar, at which scientists will present their latest findings, will be the first in a regular series.

Right now, we probably have enough descriptive data to start to bring it all together, said Diaz.

Besides agreeing a definition and a name, the meeting will launch a standardised data collection methods for monitoring patients, and start opening doors towards clinical prevention and management.

We quickly have to build our understanding from each others experiences, Diaz said.

Crucially, donors will be taking part, and are really aware of the pressing need for Long Covid funding, she added.

In a message to the potential millions still suffering long after they are officially considered recovered, Diaz said: Stay hopeful.

People may have prolonged symptoms, but we do know people are recovering. It may take a long time, but they are still recovering to previous health. Were with you.

France 24 is Premium Times syndication partner. We have permission to republish content.
One Crown Point, Ind.,

Charlotte Annes

Crown Point High School

Indiana

Northwest Indiana

Indianapolis

Carmel

Zionsville

Crown Point Community Foundation

Veterans' Administration Outpatient Clinic

Crown Point

HealthLinc Community Health Center

Franciscan Health Crown Point

Erik Mikaitis

Franciscan Health Crown Point

Franciscan Health

Ms. Annes'

Crown Point High School's

Indiana

Carmel

Zionsville

(TNS) teen is expanding her efforts to make a difference in the lives of those who need exceptional access to health care most during the coronavirus pandemic., asophomore, first joined the national nonprofit TeleHealth Access for Seniors this summer, picking up a role as lead for the state ofSince partnering with the group this summer, Annes has helped deliver dozens of communication devices to health care providers serving at-risk veterans and seniors acrossShe's also added two volunteers insuburbsand, expanding the nonprofit's reach throughout the state."It feels really good to make an impact in the community," Annes said. "It's really a pleasure to see who the devices are going to because then it lets me know that it was successful."TeleHealth Access for Seniors, a nonprofit founded by students, purchases new and collects used cellphones, tablets and laptops to deliver to health care providers and community telehealth programs allowing at-risk individuals to reduce their exposure to COVID-19 by consulting with health professionals virtually.As a national organization, TeleHealth Access for Seniors has raised $180,000 and donated 3,200 devices to 105 partner clinics across 26 states.The nonprofit offers technical assistance and guidance so individuals of all ability levels can learn to use their devices.Annes first connected with the group this summer when researching volunteer opportunities aligned with her interest in health care.She received her first grant this fall from the, allowing her to put $1,000 toward the purchase of 13 new Android tablets to provide, along with three used device donations, to the Adam Benjamin Jr.,inShe's since donated six laptops toand eight laptops, along with an iPhone XR, tofor use in the hospital's expanding telehealth program.Dr., vice president of medical affairs at, said Annes' donation is helping his team prioritize safety and compassion during the pandemic."We have leveraged virtual technology to not only allow our patients to communicate with their loved ones outside the hospital but also to improve how our team provides direct patient care, coordinate with one another and engages with our patients," Mikaitis said in anews release. "incredibly generous donation will go a long way to helping us expand upon that work."Annes said the program has allowed her not only to give back to those in the community seeking access to health care, but also to grow her skills as a communicator, leader and professional.The 15-year-old is a member ofScience Olympiad team, debate team, student council, gymnastics team and Code Red group, which connects students with medical professionals to learn more about their careers.Annes said she's long enjoyed learning about the human body and hopes to pursue a major in neurology after high school.Annes, like many students this year, is participating in at-home learning this semester due to the coronavirus pandemic.The sophomore said she started her year in person on a hybrid, two-day-a-week in-person model, but transitioned to learning entirely from home as community spread of COVID-19 increased this winter.She said her own decision to stay home has further heightened the importance she sees in providing telehealth-capable devices to those who need it most."I stay home to stay safe and I could only imagine how a senior would feel going out for their medical checkup being possibly exposed to virus," Annes said. "That makes it more meaningful that they don't have to go out and can stay home and be safe."Annes says she is working with theteam now on new grant applications with hopes of making their next delivery downstate, close to volunteers based inandAnyone with eligible and functioning devices with a front-facing camera can donate to TeleHealth Access for Seniors. The organization also accepts monetary donations.

Farmers' protest sites at Delhi's borders turned into fortresses Monday as police beefed up security and strengthened barricades.

Workers under the watch of police personnel were seen hooking iron rods between two rows of cement barriers on a flank of the main highway at the Singhu border to further restrict the movement of protesters, agitating against the new farm laws.

Another portion of the highway at the Delhi-Haryana border is practically blocked now as a makeshift cement wall has come up there.

At Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border, there are multi-layer barricades to stop the movement of vehicles. Barbed wire has also been put up to keep off people on foot.

Protesters were pouring in as Bharatiya Kisan Union members and its leader Rakesh Tikait stayed pitched at Ghazipur's UP Gate, occupying a stretch of the Delhi-Meerut highway since November.

Hundreds of security personnel, including the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Rapid Action Force (RAF), kept vigil.

Drones were being used to monitor the situation and vehicles checked as more support flowed in for the BKU from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

At Singhu on the Haryana border, a worker drilled rods in cross-formation between two rows of solid barriers.

"The other flank was done yesterday. Cement is to be poured in the space between the barriers on this flank to make a makeshift wall," he said.

The move comes days after the violent clashes between some protesters and police on January 26 during the tractor parade by the farmers.

The section of the highway at the Singhu border also saw a clash recently between farmers and a group of people who claimed to be local residents.

On Monday, the Delhi side of the Singhu border saw a sparse crowd of protesters while the Haryana side was dominated by people making vociferous speeches, denouncing the new farm laws.

Security personnel from the paramilitary forces, RAF and CRPF, were seen in relatively less numbers compared to the past few days at Singhu. But a large number of police personnel manned the stretch.

Besides the makeshift wall on the highway, a small trench was dug up earlier across a street a little off the highway and cement barricades put up on both the sides.

Farmer leaders at the site, however, asserted that the barricades won't cage their spirit.

Balwinder Singh Sirsa, a farmer leader from Sirsa in Haryana, urged protesters not get demotivated by what happened on January 26, claiming it was "orchestrated by some people to denigrate the protest.

A woman protester from Haryana, addressing a large gathering from the dais, said the alleged conspiracy on that day failed to weaken the movement and has rather injected "a new lease of life" in it.

Randhir Singh, 85, a farmer from Haryana, said, "We are not terrorists or Khalistanis. We are fighting for our rights. Attempts are still being made to defame and weaken us.

(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.)
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.
Maura Higgins spiced up a Sunday night as she turned up the heat for a sizzling new Ann Summers advert.

The Love Island star, 30, flaunted her sensational figure in an array of sexy lingerie, stockings and suspenders as she strutted her stuff to promote the lingerie brand.

Not one to hold back, Maura seductively pouted and posed with gusto in the video shared to her Instagram, which she captioned: 'Sunday strut'.

Hot Stuff: Maura Higgins spiced up a Sunday night as she turned up the heat for a sizzling new Ann Summers advert

Modelling along to the track Need You Tonight by INXS, the reality star worked the camera as she seductively pulled a number of racy poses.

Maura's sexy outfits ranged from a baby pink basque complete with matching suspenders and stockings, to a red hot lace number with black stockings.

She also donned a very skimpy purple and black ensemble which allowed the star to show off her pert derriere.

Work it: The Love Island star, 30, flaunted her sensational figure in an array of sexy lingerie, stockings and suspenders as she strutted her stuff to promote the lingerie brand

Oozing confidence in the video, Maura strutted towards the camera, before writing around on a stool and playing with a monochrome feather boa.

At one point, the Irish beauty is seen cupping her ample assets, while another shot sees her pose with her legs in the air - with the star constantly changing outfits in different frames.

The saucy video was flooded with dozens of comments from fans and her showbiz pals, including a plethora of Love Island favourites.

Red hot: Not one to hold back, Maura seductively pouted and posed with gusto in the video shared to her Instagram, which she captioned: 'Sunday strut'

Sizzling: Modelling along to the track Need You Tonight by INXS, the reality star worked the camera as she seductively pulled a number of racy poses

Maura's sizzling display comes after she admitted she didn't fancy boyfriend Chris Taylor 'at all' during the 2019 series of Love Island and says they barely kissed before making their shock romance official.

The Irish star claimed her mother was the only person who predicted her relationship with Chris, 30, despite speculation they had kept things secret for months.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Maura revealed she eventually fell for the tattooed Harry Potter fan after being 'attracted to their friendship.'

Speaking about her new relationship for the first time, she said: 'It happened so quick between us.

Ooh I say! At one point, the Irish beauty is seen cupping her ample assets, while another shot sees her pose with her legs in the air

Catwalk: Maura's sexy outfits ranged from a baby pink basque complete with matching suspenders and stockings, to a red hot lace number with black stockings

Cheeky! She also donned a very skimpy purple and black ensemble which allowed the star to show off her pert derriere

Attention: The saucy video was flooded with dozens of comments from fans and her showbiz pals, including a plethora of Love Island favourites

'Obviously there was a lot of press about us for so long but we were genuinely just friends, nothing had ever happened  we hadn't even kissed. I started going on dates again and everything.

'Chris and I never believed it would progress into something more than just a friendship. But now looking at it, friendship is a good foundation to a relationship and it just seems to work.

'I honestly never thought Chris was into me at all. I even asked him "did you fancy me in Love Island or what's the story?" He said he did but when he asked me I told him "no I didn't fancy you at all!"

When Chris and I were just friends Mammy was always saying to me "the man for you is right in front of you and you haven't clocked on yet."
HYDERABAD: Wiser from the Dubbak and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) poll setbacks, the TRS leadership is strategising to ensure that it emerges on top in the ensuing graduate MLC elections in the Nalgonda-Khammam-Warangal (NKW) and Hyderabad-Ranga Reddy-Mahbubnagar (HRRM) constituencies, slated for March.

The party high command feels that overconfidence had led to its recent loss at Dubbaka and less than expected number in the GHMC poll. In order to make amends, the leadership is planning to make full use of the party cadre at the grassroot level to win the two graduate constituencies.

According to party sources, MLC Council Whip Palla Rajeshwar Reddy has been finalised for the NKW constituency. Although the candidate for the HRRM constituency is yet to be finalised, the ministers in those districts have already started their campaigning. The party high command has reportedly handed over the task of selection of the candidate to the concerned district ministers.

The TRS leaders in NKW districts say they are already campaigning for the elections.

In keeping with the directions of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and party working president K.T. Rama Rao, ministers Errabelli Dayakar Rao and Sathyavathi Rathod have been already appointed election in-charges.

The local MLAs, former ministers, ZP chairperson and senior leaders have been appointed as incharge for their respective constituencies. The party hopes to allot campaigning for every 50 voters to one leader. Sources indicate that the party top guns feel only such an approach can ensure a victory.

Meanwhile, the Opposition has also taken the MLC elections as a prestigious one.

Founder of Telangana Jana Samiti Prof. M. Kodandaram is contesting from the NKW constituency. According to sources, he hopes to get the support of Left parties and the Congress, youth, students and civic organisations in the constituency. Political analysts are of the view that the Opposition front is planning to support the Congress, in return, in the HRRM seat. It is believed that TRS will face stiff competition if such an arrangement materialises.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is contesting both seats, is brimming with confidence following the impressive showing in Dubbaka and GHMC elections. The party cadre is in good spirits and this can help them on D-Day, analysts opine.

N. Ramachander Rao, the MLC for the HRRM constituency, is eyeing an encore while the party is yet to finalise its nominee for NKW constituency.
Crossroads4Hope | A Network of Cancer Support In 2020, we found ourselves at a crossroads, one of renewed independence and commitment to community, says Amy Sutton, CEO of Crossroads4Hope. This decision provides us the best opportunity to grow our mission in line with our Vision for the Future in New Jersey.

February 1, 2021 marks a new beginning for Crossroads4Hope, an organization that has empowered people with cancer and their families through community-based, professionally-led support for almost two decades.

Nearly 20 years ago, four New Jersey women started the organization as Hope Springs, choosing early on to affiliate with what became Cancer Support Community. It was their belief that all those affected by cancer should have a safe place to turn for emotional and social support programs and services, at no charge. Since officially opening its doors, this commitment to community has guided the organizations leadership and provided a deep understanding of the needs faced by all those affected by cancer, especially individuals in vulnerable communities. In order to further enhance their partnership with and promise to the community, the Cancer Support Community Central New Jersey Board of Trustees unanimously voted in September 2020 not to renew its Cancer Support Community affiliate license agreement. The Board set the wheels in motion to change the organizations name to Crossroads4Hope, but not to change its promise to the community.

In 2020, we found ourselves at a crossroads, one of renewed independence and commitment to community, says Amy Sutton, CEO of Crossroads4Hope. This decision provides us the best opportunity to grow our mission in line with our Vision for the Future in New Jersey.

Crossroads4Hope was always an independent 501(c)(3) organization charged with standing side-by-side those who are facing cancer in their lives, Sutton continued. Our mission is not changing, it is expanding.

There are far more people who need our help, especially during the pandemic, says Katherine Schaible, LSW, Program Director of Crossroads4Hope. We are here to support them to become active, empowered, and resilient in their ability to take control of their health, healthcare, and well-being.

The commitment to face cancer alongside anyone affected directly or indirectly by the disease does not change. Crossroads4Hope has impacted the lives of tens of thousands of individuals, with over 100,000 hours of programming delivered since its inception. Crossroads4Hope will offer innovative solutions to provide personalized, evidence-based care to those people affected by cancer, enabling the organization to expand its reach and offer more customized supportive services.

The name Crossroads4Hope has a very specific meaning for our community, explains Sutton.

Crossroads is the address of our physical location in Bedminster, New Jersey, and it also represents the moment in life when a person with cancer and his or her loved ones embark on the cancer journey. The 4 is a tribute to our four founders, and Hope is core to our mission, she continued. From Hope Springs to Crossroads4Hope, the organization continues to be a network of cancer support enabling people impacted by cancer to take control of their health and well-being with the strength of community; and helping them navigate with hope and meaning no matter who they are or where they are on their cancer journey.

Our transformation is possible because of our founders, four amazing women in the community, along with the support of the donors and partners who have shared our vision. For those that have been with us from the start, or who have joined us along the way, we thank you. Your involvement in our work has and will continue to change lives, Sutton concluded.

To learn more about Crossroads4Hope, visit crossroads4hope.org or call 908-658-5400.

About Crossroads4Hope

Crossroads4Hope, formerly known as Cancer Support Community Central New Jersey, is a network of cancer support that is a registered 501(c)(3) organization. As experts in oncology mental health, the organization provides support, education, and hope to all people with cancer and their loved ones. Backed by evidence that the best cancer care includes social and emotional support, Crossroads4Hope creates a caring community to help individuals live with, through, and beyond cancer. At no charge to people with cancer, family members, and caregivers, the organization delivers essential programs and services including individual and group support; educational, nutrition, and healthy-cooking workshops; classes to enhance health and wellness; and activities that build social connections. Crossroads4Hope has temporarily moved its program of support to a virtual platform since the start of stay-at-home orders, and will continue to provide both virtual and in-person support in the future. For more information, visit their website at crossroads4hope.org call (908) 658-5400.
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
Unlike his predecessor, President Biden recognizes a heartwarming photo op when he sees one and has been known to deploy his dogs as campaign props. I am confident of our new presidents genuine warmth and humanity, but Im not so sure its fair to assume that sharing a home with a companion animal is always the sign of a good person. President Vladimir Putin of Russia, after all, is frequently photographed snuggling with dogs.

On the other hand, I do believe that dogs can make us better people if we are open to what they can teach us.

From Clark, the mixed-breed ultrashedder who helped us raise our children, I learned that loyalty and love will always matter more than a tidy house and unchewed shoes. From Emma, the dachshund-shaped comedian we inherited when my mother died unexpectedly, I learned that laughter can come very close to healing a broken heart. From sweet, grateful Millie, the traumatized terrier mix we adopted two and a half years ago, I learned that love will never erase the memory of cruelty, but also that love and patience and time, together, can sometimes make up for it.

In time, I know, we will find another rescue dog who needs us and whom we need, but that dog will not replace any of the others we have lost. I carry them all with me, always. Even when the grief eases and the house no longer echoes with absence, I will carry them with me. Thats the nature of being changed: For both good and bad, you remember what you learned.

If we are wise, our country, too, will remember the pain of the wrecking-ball presidency we barely survived. We will remember what it cost us in civic trust, in the connection of community, in human lives. But if we are lucky, we will also move into the future with hope in what the new White House dogs represent.

It would be wrong to reduce Champ and Major to symbols. It is enough for them to be loyal companions and reliable comforts to a good man doing the hardest job in the world at a terrible time in history. For us, too, it is enough to know, as Jennifer Finney Boylan put it, that the decisions he makes have been guided, in at least some small measure, by the tenderness and grace of dogs.

But perhaps its not entirely wrong for Champ and Major to give us hope that compassion and kindness and loyalty and love have truly returned to the Peoples House. And to hope its not too late for them to return to the nation, too.

Margaret Renkl is a contributing Opinion writer who covers flora, fauna, politics and culture in the American South. She is the author of Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss and the forthcoming Graceland, At Last: And Other Essays From The New York Times.
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

PHOENIX  Some Arizona educators are hoping the arrival of COVID-19 vaccinations marks the beginning of the end for the pandemic.

That scenario cant come soon enough for the residents of Hayden and Winkelman.

The small neighboring eastern Arizona towns have been pummeled by the coronavirus with the school districts enrollment now down to about 300 students from 520 a few decades ago, the Arizona Republic reported.

The towns residents have lost continued to lose neighbors since the pandemic began and everyone knows someone who died, according to the teachers and school staff members getting vaccinated.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

In a place where the Hayden-Winkelman Unified School district is the heart of the community, everybody knew Kimberley Lopez Chavez Byrd, who taught several generations of students.

Byrd died in June after battling COVID-19 on a ventilator. Shed taught virtual summer school in the same classroom with two other teachers, who also became infected with the virus.

The Republic said Byrds photo still hangs at the entrance of the Leonor Hambly School, where she taught first grade.

In the months since Byrd died, grief over the educator and others has only felt more acute to those who survived.

A retired Hayden-Winkelman teacher recently died and Frank Martinez, a man who used to wave to school staffers, died last month.

The count of how many people I know that were affected or had the virus  I lost count at 12, Miloni Patel, a public health nurse, told the Republic.

Like many other Arizona school districts, Hayden-Winkelman students have gone to school online since the pandemic initially closed schools in March.

Because the community has been battered by COVID-19, teachers said theyve heard few protests about the decision to remain closed to in-person learning. But the work of educating children continues.

Hayden-Winkelman teachers trained to teach online for a month straight in the summer, District Superintendent Jeff Gregorich said.

The district also is planning more intervention for struggling students, including summer school. Educators felt prepared for the job of remote teaching but are worried about their students.

The first dose of the vaccine sets a path back to in-person learning, which will not resume until teachers receive the second dose and likely until community transmission rates decline.

Im just glad to see the beginning of the end, Gregorich said after getting his shot.
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.
Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category
Murder rates in nearly three dozen American cities exploded in 2020, rising 30 percent over the previous year, resulting in 1,200 more deaths from murder last year when compared to 2019, according to a new study examining possible connections between crime, the coronavirus pandemic and protests against police brutality.

'Homicide rates were higher during every month of 2020 relative to rates from the previous year. That said, rates increased significantly in June, well after the pandemic began, coinciding with the death of George Floyd and the mass protests that followed,' states a report from the National Commission of COVID-19 and Criminal Justice (NCCCJ), titled Pandemic, Social unrest and Crime in US Cities.

The group, which was launched in July 2020 by the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the justice system and make recommendations, characterized the homicide rate spike as an 'historic' and 'troubling increase that has no modern precedent.'

National Commission of COVID-19 and Criminal Justice (NCCCJ) on Monday released a study, which found that murder rates in 34 American cities rose nearly 30 per cent in 2020

In Chicago, there were 278 more murders in 2020, which equated to a 55 per cent surge year-over-year, while New York Citys 131 added homicides accounted for a 43 per cent jump

The 26-page study examined crime rates for 10 different offenses, including homicide, aggravated assault and robbery, in 34 American cities ranging in size from Norfolk, Virginia - the smallest city in the sample with 245,000 residents - to New York City - the largest city with 8.42million residents.

Aggravated assault and gun assault rates increased by 6 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively, compared to the previous year, but robbery rates slipped by 9 per cent amid the pandemic that had seen large portions of the population confined to their homes for months.

Domestic violence rates based on data from 12 of the 34 cities in the sample spiked during the early months of the pandemic, but leveled off by the end of the year and were comparable to 2019 rates.

Likewise, property and drug crime rates, with the exception of motor vehicle theft, fell significantly during 2020. Residential burglary decreased by 24 per cent, nonresidential burglary by 7 per cent, larceny by 16 per cent, and drug offenses by 30 per cent.

Homicide rates were 30 per cent higher than in 2019, representing 1,268 more deaths in the sample of cities than the year before. Of the 34 cities in the study, 29 experienced a spike in murders.

Chicago added 278 homicides to its 2019 total of 502, for an increase of 55 per cent, while New York added 131 homicides, representing a 43 per cent surge.

In New York City's sprawling housing projects, among them Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn (pictured), shooting rates surged 103 per cent, from 155 in 2019 to 314

In 2020, there were 52 shootings at 14 of the 15 Mayor's Action Plan housing complexes designated for extra policing, among them Brownsville Houses, up from 22 in 2019.

'The three largest cities (New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago) accounted for fully 40% of the 1,268 additional people killed in 2020,' reads the report. 'While there is variation among the cities, what is most notable is that homicide rose substantially in the vast majority of them.'

A closer look at New York City's crime rate reveals that shootings posed a critical problem for the Big Apple in 2020, with rates increasing 97 per cent, from 769 to 1,518.

In the city's sprawling housing projects, shooting rates surged 103 per cent, from 155 in 2019 to 314 in 2020, while murder rates nearly doubled, reported The City.

Much of that increase took place in New York City Housing Authority housing developments that were designated by Mayor Bill de Blasio for extra policing, community services and additional safety measures.

De Blasio in 2014 launched the Mayor's Action Plan (MAP) for Neighborhood Safety in an effort to combat skyrocketing crime in public housing. Over the past five years, some $210million has been spent to bolster the initiative.

Nationwide, gun assault rates increased by 8 per cent during the pandemic

Aggravated assault rates in the 34 cities that were part of the study spiked by 6 per cent, compared to last year

Residential burglary decreased by 24 per cent at a time when many people found themselves confined to their homes during the pandemic

In 2020, there were 52 shootings at 14 of the 15 MAP complexes, up from 22 in 2019.

Renita Francois, MAPs executive director, told The City that the pandemic had a devastating effect on the program's community outreach efforts.

'We know we had a rough year but thats not every [MAP] site. Not all of them struggled the way that others did. Theres just more work to be done,' she told the site.

Murders increased at eight of the 15 MAP sites, rising from 5 in 2019 to 16 last year.

On the national level, authors of the NCCCJ study conceded that there is a cyclical pattern in homicide and other crime rates, which tend to spike during the summer months and fall during the fall and winter.

'That said, homicides rates in 2020 exceeded previous rates throughout the entire year and there was a structural break in the city average in June, indicating a large, statistically significant increase in rates after adjusting for seasonality and the longer-term trend. After this break, homicide rates increased sharply through July, then declined through the end of the year, though not to levels observed in the prior year.'

The study reveals how in January and February 2020, the average city homicide rate increased by 32.5 per cent over the same period in 2019. From March through May, the rate spiked 19.4 per cent. For the summer months of June through August, the homicide rate skyrocketed 37.2 per cent. For September through December, the rate was 28.2 per cent higher.

Experts found correlation between the surge in murder rates in 85 per cent of the cities in the sample and the coronavirus pandemic, writing that 'it appears that as pandemic-related restrictions were relaxed during the late spring and summer of 2020, or compliance with them diminished, homicide rates increased.'

Robbery rates slipped by 9 per cent at the height of the COVID pandemic, but increased over the summer months

Motor vehicle thefts surged, reaching the highest rates in the fall, as many people worked from home

According to the report, the pandemic 'has disproportionately affected vulnerable populations, placing at-risk individuals under additional physical, mental, emotional, and financial stress.' At the same time, the outbreak has strained key institutions tasked with responding to violent offenses, including the police, the court system and hospitals.

'COVID-related restrictions may have had an initial suppressive effect on homicides, but the waning of those restrictions, coupled with the strain on at-risk individuals and key institutions  aggravated further by the lack of outreach to such individuals  have all likely contributed to elevated homicide rates in 2020,' the study reads.

Domestic violence rates based on data from 12 of the 34 cities in the sample spiked during the early months of the pandemic, but leveled off by the end of the year

The NCCCJ report also highlights the fact that the 'precipitous rise' in homicides coincided with the emergence of mass protests after George Floyd was killed in late May by a police officer in Minneapolis.

'That said, the connection between police violence, protests and social unrest, and heightened community violence remains uncertain,' the authors stress.

The study also points out that while the year-to-year increase 'is cause for concern,' the absolute homicide rate remains 'well below historical highs.'

'In 2020, in sample cities the homicide rate was 11.4 deaths per 100,000 residents; twenty-five years earlier, in 1995, the rate for the same sample was 19.4 deaths per 100,000 residents,' according to the report.
In a boost for British children, one of the country's most successful online retailers pledged a whopping 500,000 to Mail Force yesterday.

The Hut Group's donation sends our campaign to help pupils in lockdown get online soaring to 5.6million in just a week.

Laptops are already being handed out to schoolchildren who desperately need them to follow online lessons.

The Mail's Computers for Kids campaign has attracted extraordinary support from readers and big firms alike, with high street bank Santander also joining in yesterday.

For as little as 15, a laptop has its memory securely wiped and it is rebuilt for the classroom by our IT specialist partner. The Mail Force charity will also use funds to buy new devices

Offering 250 laptops to Mail Force, Tony Prestedge  Santander UK's deputy chief executive  said it was 'delighted to be supporting the Mail's important campaign and playing our part in ensuring children in urgent need of equipment do not get left behind during lockdown'.

Matt Moulding, executive chairman of The Hut Group (THG)  which operates more than 200 international consumer websites and specialises in beauty and nutrition products, said: 'We are delighted to be able to support this campaign. THG has been very fortunate to be able to trade successfully through these difficult times, while a vast number of British businesses have been badly impacted.

'It is only right that those businesses that have seen success, like ourselves, step up and help.

'It is this generation of young people who will drive our country forward in the years ahead, pulling us out of the long-term effects of the pandemic.

Matt Moulding, executive chairman of The Hut Group (THG), said: ''It is only right that those businesses that have seen success, like ourselves, step up and help'

'Giving our young people the toolkit they need is essential for them to play their part in driving the recovery.'

Mr Moulding, 48, founded the Manchester firm in 2004. It has grown exponentially and was recently valued at more than 6billion.

The married father-of-four, said: 'Everyone has seen how challenging it can be to do home schooling. We've got 10,000 staff and many of them are having to do home schooling at the moment.

'They are doing brilliantly, juggling their work and keeping their kids on track with their lessons, but it's a challenge for any parent.

'It's been a really tough year for kids and we genuinely all feel for them. I can only imagine how you would feel as a 15-year-old boy or girl who has been putting everything into GCSEs and then everything is on hold.

'What this campaign is doing is getting them online, giving them an access point to the outside world, and we're all really proud to be able to play a small part in it.'

With schools due to be shut until March, a third of families in the UK say they do not have enough devices for their children to study on. The Mail's Computers for Kids campaign combines cash contributions from readers and firms, and used laptops donated by companies.

Bank deposit of 250 computers Santander has offered to help 250 schoolchildren with laptops. The high street bank is donating 'high-quality business laptops' that can be reconfigured for the needs of home-school pupils. Tony Prestedge, Santander UK's deputy chief executive, said: 'At Santander we have long been focused on supporting education for underprivileged young people, funding one of the world's largest scholarship programmes over the past two decades.' Laptops donated by big firms such as banks may contain sensitive data, which is why Mail Force has teamed up with the best IT partner in the business to erase everything from the devices securely. They are then rebuilt with educational software to kit them out for a life of learning. Advertisement

For as little as 15, a laptop has its memory securely wiped and it is rebuilt for the classroom by our IT specialist partner.

The Mail Force charity will also use funds to buy new devices.

The Mail's campaign is running parallel to the Government's impressive programme to get 1.3million laptops to schoolchildren.

With the help of our amazing readers and Britain's biggest companies, we aim to help the Government get more out  and to do it faster.

Mail readers have dug deep, sending 930,000 in cheques, online donations and by phone and text.

Many have written heartfelt letters of support  including lots from retired teachers and grandparents.

Former college lecturer Phil Costis wrote: 'I know how vitally important it is to have laptops for children these days so they can study at home and keep their schooling going. The Daily Mail's campaign is superb.'

One donor said it all with money  sending no message, but donating an amazing 5,000. Every penny will go towards buying or refurbishing a laptop or helping a child get online with data.

Another donor called Miriam wrote: 'My adult children had normal academic lives. Through no fault of their own, today's children are not receiving what mine had. They are our future adults so I hope my small contribution will help those that are disadvantaged the most.'

David Park sent 30 and wrote: 'I was lucky to have been born into a stable family. I lived in a great environment and won a place at a brilliant grammar school led by highly engaged teachers with motivated pupils.

'This initiative just may give others a similar chance in our crazy world.'

Maggie Cresswell gave 20 and left a message saying: 'As a retired teacher  distance learning sounds great!'

Homeless at 16 but desperate to learn, a donated laptop gave me a future

By Samantha Smith for the Daily Mail

A couple of years ago, at the age of 16, I learned the hard way that life is much easier for some people than others, writes Samantha Smith

Growing up, I often heard it said that your teenage years are some of the happiest of your life. But I know first-hand that the reality is far less rosy when you are living below the breadline.

A couple of years ago, at the age of 16, I learned the hard way that life is much easier for some people than others.

While my friends studied in their comfortable bedrooms with cups of hot chocolate made by their mums before dashing off to the cinema or to the town centre with friends, I was moving from sofa to sleeping bag and working in bars to support myself through my A-Levels.

I tried my hardest not to let it show at school, but in reality, after being estranged from my parents, I was homeless and struggling to put food on the table while still in full-time education. I quickly came to understand just how difficult it is to achieve anything at school when the odds are stacked so entirely against you.

Until they're gone, for instance, you don't realise how essential the internet and everyday technology such as laptops and smartphones are for schoolchildren  so much of teaching is now run through emails, with online assessments and at-home research tasks. But when it's the choice between a week's worth of food or wifi, the decision is made for you.

Despite this, I knew a strong set of qualifications would be my only ticket out of poverty and into a better life. So I learned to rely on public libraries, cafes or even fast food restaurants for wifi and access to public computers since there was no way that I could afford a laptop of my own. I was also fortunate enough to attend a school that did everything in its power to help me succeed in spite of my personal hardships.

Kind teachers did my laundry when I didn't have access to a washing machine, I was allowed to use the school showers every morning before class and they even managed to provide me with a laptop to complete assignments outside of school.

HOW TO DONATE TO COMPUTERS FOR KIDS CLICK HERE TO DONATE TO YOU, THE READER: How to send us donations The Daily Mail has launched a brand new campaign, Computers For Kids, to raise money for Mail Force  a charity which aims to provide much needed school equipment and resources for pupils across the UK learning from home. With schools closed, we are left with the dilemma of hundreds of thousands of pupils in the UK having no access to a computer in their home. As part of this campaign, companies are donating their old laptops which, for around 15, can be wiped, professionally refurbished and made safe and fit for home schooling. They can then be delivered to a child or young person who needs one. In addition, the campaign is looking to support children's needs in other ways such as funding brand new laptops and tablets, and assisting with data access and connectivity for online learning. Any surplus funds will be used to support of the work of UK schools via other means. TO MAKE A DONATION ONLINE Visit mailforcecharity.co.uk/donate and follow the steps to complete your donation. Please don't send us your old device. TO MAKE A DONATION VIA YOUR PHONE To donate 10 - text KIDS10 to 70115 To donate 20 - text KIDS20 to 70115 TO COMPANIES: Could you give your old laptops? Upgrading office computers is something all companies do from time to time  and there has never been a better time to donate old laptops. If you are a company with 50 laptops or more that you could give, please visit www.computacenter.com/daily-mail to check they are suitable and register your donation. We will arrange for collection by our specialist partners Computacenter. Please note: we cannot accept donated laptops from individuals. COMPANIES SHOULD GO TO: computacenter.com/daily-mail TO SCHOOLS: Where to apply for the computers Schools must apply to the Department for Education, which is managing the demand and prioritising the schools most in need. The Mail Force initiative means more laptops will become available more quickly. SCHOOLS CAN APPLY HERE: https://get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk Advertisement

Yes, it was clunky and probably older than I was, but it did the job and was a lifeline that I could not have been more thankful for. In this digital age, that laptop gave me a fighting chance when otherwise I could not have kept up with my more affluent peers.

And that's why, as schools closed due to the ongoing pandemic, leaving online teaching as the only alternative, my heart sank  I knew from experience the suffering that would follow.

There is a major 'digital divide' in society, with many families struggling to access technology in an increasingly digitised world.

And Ofcom estimated last year that up to 1.78million children in the UK do not have access to a computer for school work at home. That's almost a sixth of British children who  with the school day moved entirely online  now find themselves completely cut off from education.

And that's why I cannot stress enough the importance of the Mail's campaign to get computers and other technology to every child that needs it.

Before Covid-19, many of these pupils, like me, might have had to make do with public computers or internet cafes outside of their lessons. But with the country shutting up shop entirely, they have been left with nothing.

In the first national lockdown, one in five children did no school work, or less than an hour a day, according to a study by University College London. And can you blame them? After all, how can one turn in homework that they cannot access?

Simply put, they were robbed of their most fundamental right: The right to an education  and it's happening all over again. What's more, we aren't just talking about sofa-surfing teenagers in rather desperate circumstances.

Poverty is far more than sleeping rough or begging for spare change, and affects countless lives to varying degrees.

Right now, the child living with their large family in a small house, struggling to make do with limited  and vastly expensive  internet data, or struggling to get a moment on the shared family computer, is just as much at risk of falling through the cracks as I was when I was first made homeless.

In fact, despite my struggles, I see myself as one of the fortunate ones. When the pandemic hit in my final year of school, I was already set up with the tools I needed for online learning.

But for so many families, they will have found themselves devastatingly ill-equipped.

For young people, and especially those from difficult backgrounds, school is so much more than a place of learning. It represents safety, structure and the opportunity to achieve. For me, it was my only home.

And now, the risk of isolation from such essential support is incredibly high and the consequences will be devastating  unless we act now. But the wonderful thing is that the solution is actually rather simple.

For millions of children, something as seemingly unimportant as a second-hand laptop  likely discarded in homes across the country, written-off as a useless bit of old tech  has the potential to make a world of difference.

Of course there will come a day when schools reopen their gates and virtual learning will be little more than a distant memory.

But until that day comes, it is vital that we do everything in our power to ensure every student, no matter their background, has decent access to education  otherwise those school gates will open, and many children will have been left behind.

I know first-hand the difference a computer can make  in fact I do not know where I would be today without the kindness of those who believed in me when it felt like no one else would.

So please, lend your support to the Mail's campaign and let countless forgotten children know that someone believes in them, too.
TUSCOLA COUNTY  Part of the last Tuscola County Commissioners meeting was spent setting the record straight on what is going on with the land the state promised the county.

At an earlier meeting, Commissioner Kim Vaughn was under the impression the state land bank had reneged on giving land along the Cass River the county, and reported that to those in attendance.

However, that was not the case, as Jim Tischler with the state land bank authority pointed out.

One of the hold ups was that the state land bank was unclear of what Tuscola Countys intentions regarding the land were, Tischler explained.

Confusion on what was happening with the land was in large part a lack of communication.

For about three years, the county has been working on a deal with the state to acquire some of the land along the Cass River from the defunct prison site in Indianfields Township.

A deal was almost brokered last summer when an error in the property description was discovered, so the document was sent back to the state to be corrected.

Commissioners have been waiting six months to have the property description corrected and sent back to them to sign.

While commissioners were waiting for the correct description and deed, another deal was offered for the land by TCA Management LLC of Caro.

That proposal was to operate a gravel pit, which would create a 30 acre lake over several years and would eventually have camping.

TCA Managements proposal was pitched for the former Camp Tuscolas main complex to the Indianfields Township Board, but there wasnt support for it.

The company wanted to develop the land," explained Tuscola County Controller-Administrator Clayette Zechmeister. "From what was going on, (Vaughn) thought they were pulling out on our deal. The company was just putting an offer on the table. Because the land bank never got back to us, we didnt know that we were supposed to let them know again we wanted it.

The state land bank sent an email on Jan. 26 explaining that.

Until this email (commissioners) felt like they were being jerked around," Zechmeister said. "It was a lot of miscommunication going on."

The state wants for us to go on record that we are going to stay the course, and we want the deed to the property, she added.

The events that unfolded didnt sit well with Commissioner Dan Grimshaw.

If all the state was waiting on was for us to say we wanted the land, that should have been given to us six months ago, Grimshaw stated.

The email that was just sent to the county basically comes down to speak now and agree to accept the land, or it can go to someone else, Zechmeister noted.

The email asked if the county wanted to move forward, or if it wanted to modify the request to give some land to a developer.

After a lengthy discussion and explanation that the state land bank had not reneged on its deal with the county, commissioners moved forward.

Grimshaw made the motion, which was seconded by Vaughn, that Tuscola County affirm in writing its intent to proceed with the acquisition of the property from the Michigan Land Bank."
By David Bollier, Director of the Reinventing the Commons Program at the Schumacher Center for a New Economics, and author of Think Like a Commoner and co-editor of Patterns of Commoning. He blogs at Bollier.org. Republished from Evonomics.

As a non-economist, I have little useful advice to young economists seeking to build a successful career. The typical path forward is to absorb the received wisdom of ones elders and develop new insights within their frameworks of thought. But what Id like to suggest is that the upcoming generation of economists needs to help their discipline come to terms with some epochal realities of our times. A number of forces  climate change, collapsing ecosystems (fisheries, coral reefs, soil desertification, loss of water, biodiversity loss), savage wealth inequality, tech monopolies, and their data-surveillance, the growing precarity of livelihoods  are challenging some foundational assumptions of standard economics.

My advice to an aspiring economist, therefore, is to immerse yourself in disciplines and ways of life that lie outside of the prevailing economic paradigm and typical career paths. The future will require economics to rethink itself in light of whats happening outside of its aging, self-referential modes of thought. It needs to seriously reexamine its ontological and epistemological premises to take account of the different ways of knowing and being beyond those of the modern, industrialized West. In short, the discipline, as currently taught, desperately needs to get beyond its One-World World perspective, as anthropologist Arturo Escobar puts it. Outside of its narrow, asocial, and transaction-focused way of seeing the world, there is actually a pluriverse of life that intimately conjoins the human with the more-than-human and the individual with social collectives.

It would help, therefore, for economists to open up deeper conversations with the social sciences, especially anthropology and sociology, and with political economy, complexity sciences, and evolutionary sciences. Economists may also want to acknowledge the limits of intellectual inquiry itself. A significant amount of what we know is embodied in our bones, viscera, and flesh, and not necessarily part of anyones canon. It is tacit, situated, local, and embodied knowledge.

Thankfully, the emotional and sociological dimensions of life  including in economic contexts  are beginning to get more serious attention. But generally, these phenomena are regarded as aberrations from the default rational actor model  or used as heterodox tools to advance familiar corporate and capitalist goals. Meanwhile, a backlash is brewing against the standard free-market narratives because of its limitations. Many critics are seeking a deeper, more structural paradigm shift in mindset that would make economics the servant of larger ethical, social, and ecological goals, and not an end in itself.

I bring some different perspectives about economics because Ive been an activist/scholar involved with various citizen movements for more than forty years. I learned a great deal from my time with Ralph Nader and the consumer movement and as a (non-academic) scholar of the commons, which is emerging as a new/old paradigm of economics, politics, and culture. I have learned about economics from the outside in, so to speak. Ive found that many of its core premises  about the separation of humans from nature; about the purported sovereignty of humans as individual rational agents; about the glib conflation of price with value  to be untenable.

Working with Nader and the consumer movement in the late 1970s and 1980s, I learned through countless policy battles (safety design of cars, pesticides in food, workplace toxins, drug safety, etc.) that the narratives of free-market economics work much better as abstract theories and political cover-stories than as realistic accounts of everyday market life. Put more bluntly, by focusing so obsessively on market transactions, economic analysis tends to ignore social, ecological, and intergenerational realities. It tends to marginalize and dismiss them as externalities. The misguided presumption is that free markets are self-regulating and dont really need governance (market interventions)  until, of course, the next oil spill, deadly drug, or speculative financial bubble intrudes to show otherwise.

As various externalities from climate change to market abuses disrupt social stability and indeed, confidence in markets themselves, future economists will need to address a gaping hole in standard economic theory: How shall the anti-social, ecologically destructive tendencies of free markets be reliably constrained or prevented in the first place? Given the political sabotage and systemic failures of government regulation over the past fifty years, this is a profound question. Its entirely possible that waning social trust and legitimacy in the market/state system will intensify strongman, authoritarian responses, hastening the corporate neofeudalism underway.

Are economists prepared to deal with such impending traumas? Its clear to me that political economy  and the underlying cultural life that informs it  must increasingly be part of an economics education.

Revisiting the work of economic anthropologist Karl Polanyi, especially his seminal book The Great Transformation, offers a good way to see capitalism in its larger historical dimensions. From there, move on to some contemporary, venturesome schools of economic thought that study complexity, social behavior, social networks, and evolution. Each is opening up fresh, more humanistic ways to understand the deeper logic of economic activity, and in some cases to offer illuminating new frameworks of understanding.

Future economists should also reflect deeply on their field. If human societies are not simply aggregations of isolated individuals who come together to truck and barter, how then shall we conceptualize society? Its also worth questioning the very idea of the self-sovereign individual. We are not born as sovereign individual agents even though of course we have certain capacities and scope for self-determination. We are, rather, creatures whose personal development and flourishing requires that we be nested within social and intergenerational collectives. We are actually Nested-Is.

As evolutionary scientists like E.O. Wilson, David Sloan Wilson, and Martin Nowak have argued, group selection is a more influential force than individual selection in evolution. Collective social structures profoundly influence and constrain our individuality. Biologically speaking, it is even a bit difficult to talk about individuals as if they were separate from nature. Human beings could not function without millions of bacteria living in their guts, or without being immersed within a biodiverse ecosystem of living organisms. Yet much of economics remains locked into the mindset of atomistic, acquisitiveness individuals engaged in mechanical, cause-and-effect transactions in the service of capital accumulation. There is relatively little attention to the holistic, dynamic, non-linear dimensions of living systems. The notions of human aliveness and nonmarket values are scanted.

The idea of rational self-interest is now so thoroughly embedded in modern life that the ontological frame is considered self-evident. However, as economists Samuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis show in their book A Cooperative Species: Human Reciprocity and Its Evolution, human beings have a rich evolutionary history of developing social systems and institutions to support strong reciprocity and collective interests. The significant work of the late Elinor Ostrom, too, helped demonstrate the profound importance of social collaboration as a powerful economic force. Alas, despite her receiving the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2009 for her pioneering work, the discipline has not really embraced her perspectives more fully.

This is a shame. Ostroms work has been a bellwether for many social movements that reject the stunted social vision and imagination of standard economics. In my own work as a commons scholar, I have seen scores of self-organized commons function extremely well. They use peer-governance and -provisioning to give people greater control over their lives, and in more satisfying, humane ways than labor markets. One need only look to such phenomena as open-source software, cosmo-local production (globally shared design knowledge + local physical production), open-access scientific publishing, data commons, WiFi and civic infrastructures managed as commons, cooperatives, community land trusts, community-supported agriculture, agroecology, indigenous land stewardship, cohousing, participatory budgeting in government, and much else.

In our recent book, Free, Fair and Alive: The Insurgent Power of the Commons, Silke Helfrich and I identify the success of these various commons models. They propose a very different ideation of what a human being is and does. If we are to understand the cooperation that has animated human affairs for millennia, we must see peoples lives as relational, and not merely transactional. We must start to interrogate the inner lives of participants and not rely on catchall tautologies that people rationally maximize their utility. Helfrich and I, therefore, propose a framework of patterns of commoning to explicate the salient ethical and social relationships that help produce stable, effective commons: commons as social systems, and not commons as merely unowned resources.

These sorts of extra-economic departures are going to be vital in the future. Aspiring economists would do well to march boldly into these less familiar intellectual terrains and develop them. Otherwise, some archaic, parochial ideas will exceed their shelf-life, such as the idea that private property, market exchange, and contracts are the only serious regimes for meeting needs. Whether forced by pandemics or the collapsing infrastructures of capitalism, future economists will need to know that cooperation and commoning are pervasive and efficacious, even in advanced industrial civilizations. Its just that they arent culturally legible or adequately studied by economics. On the map of economic inquiry, the human activities of commoning, mutual aid, peer provisioning, and care work might as well be labeled, Dragons lie here!

Fortunately, evolutionary sciences are addressing some of these problems by exploring non-market behaviors and values that have marked the human species for eons. The dynamics of cooperation, relational commitments, and nonmaterialistic cosmovisions are getting new attention. Evolutionary sciences are also helping us realize that the premises of libertarian individualism that has long defined market economics, is in fact something of a utopian projection.

And still, amidst all this tumult, many economists are disinclined to rethink the foundations of their field. It reminds me of the closing joke in Woody Allens film Annie Hall. A guy has a crazy brother who thinks he is a chicken. The doctor asks, Why dont you turn him in? The guy replies, I would, but I need the eggs. 

Why is the free-market discourse so perdurable despite so many social, ecological, and political realities that call its logic and categories of thought into question? Because the whole field, despite its flaws, is functional enough and entrenched. It needs the eggs  the certitude of quantitative analysis aping the hard sciences, the credentialed expertise always in demand by powerful institutions, the prestige that comes with proximity to power.

But behind these factors, there is a new world a-bornin that economics needs to engage with and understand. There are brilliant economic thinkers like Kate Raworth, inventor of doughnut economics framework; the writings of degrowth economist Jason Hickel and the late anthropologist David Graeber; the thinkers associated with the web journal Real World Economics; and a number of student associations clamoring for new economic paradigms and pedagogy. Beyond reading the right things, I find that it helps a lot to hang out with the right crowd, listen to serious new voices, and bring ones full humanity to the questions of the moment.

Economists of all ages  but especially younger ones who have the suppleness and imagination to grow  need to pay attention to these outsider voices. There is a new world that is fast-overtaking us, and it needs to be seen and explained on its own terms.

We know from dating work at the site that the teeth are less than 48,000 years old, so they could be some of the youngest Neanderthal remains known - the Neanderthals are believed to have disappeared about 40,000 years ago.

It is also known that modern humans overlapped with Neanderthals in some parts of Europe after 45,000 years ago. So the unusual features of these cross-bred individuals suggest that the Jersey population could have had a dual ancestry.

Chris Stringer, a human evolution expert at the Museum, says, 'These teeth are less than 48,000 years old, which puts them into the time frame when Neanderthals and Homo sapiens overlapped. It does add to the possibility that there was a population with a mixed ancestry.

'This idea of a hybrid population could be tested by examining ancient DNA from the teeth, which we are hoping to do in the future.'

The teeth are on display in the Jersey Museum & Art Gallery but were brought to the Natural History Museum for analysis.
Cuomo Must Resign If Coverup of Nursing Home Deaths Proven: Stefanik

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) has called on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, to resign if a federal investigation that shes seeking proves a criminal coverup of COVID-19-related nursing home deaths.

In an interview with Fox News Justice with Jeanine Pirro on Jan. 30, the congresswoman said a federal investigation must be held into Cuomos administration, after a Jan. 28 report (pdf) from the state attorney generals office revealed health officials underreported the deaths by as much as 50 percent in some places.

I want to see a federal investigation because I think there were criminal acts conducted by the governor, by his senior staff. I want a very public and transparent investigation, Stefanik told Pirro.

The congresswoman, who has characterized the revelations as a massive corruption and coverup scandal at the highest level of New York State government, said she believes the state commissioner of health, Dr. Howard Zucker, should tender his resignation following the release of the 76-page report.

The report followed an investigation into the states nursing home responses during the pandemic over allegations of patient neglect and other misconduct.

Stefanik also called for Cuomos resignation if the investigation reveals any misconduct.

I think he [Cuomo] should resign if theres a criminal coverup, which I believe there is, she said.

Preliminary data from the investigation into nursing homes suggests that many residents who had to be transferred to a hospital died there from COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

These cases werent reflected in the state Department of Healths (DOH) published totals for nursing home deaths. The attorney generals office had compared data reported to its office from 62 nursing homes, which represents 10 percent of the total facilities in New York, to data reported to DOH.

The attorney general also found that some nursing homes underreported their resident deaths to the DOH.

The CCP-virus-related nursing home deaths have been a focal point for Cuomos handling of the pandemic. He has repeatedly pushed back against assertions that his policies played any role in the deaths.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo arrives for a news conference in New York City on Sept. 8, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

The report is also expected to trigger more scrutiny over Cuomos policies and handling of nursing homes amid new cases of the virus across the state and country.

Critics have pointed to Cuomos decision to order nursing home patients recovering from COVID-19 to be returned to the facilities to free up hospital bed space for the increased number of nursing home deaths. Cuomowho has touted his administrations response to the pandemichas often rejected the suggestions that his policy led to an increase in deaths.

What was most telling  they knew the numbers, they put them out the same day, which shows they were trying to cover them up, Stefanik said. There are more questions than answers when you look at the 76-page report.

This is the beginning of pursuit to justice, not the end. I would urge the attorney general to continue moving that process forward.

She also asked state Attorney General Letitia James and the U.S. Justice Department to immediately issue subpoenas to the Cuomo administration for documentation and communications related to his handling of the pandemic, saying that there must be accountability and consequences.

This is why the governor has been able to stonewall  because they have not issued those subpoenas, Stefanik said. This has been not just a nursing home scandal but a criminal coverup  a corruption scandal at the highest levels of New York state government.

Cuomos office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times.

Separately, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y) on Jan. 31 also accused Cuomo of covering up nursing home deaths in the state.

Whenever you hear him say who cares, every time that video is played, I think of the family that lost a loved onea mom or dad, grandma, or grandpa. I dont look at this story about being about data, statistics, numbersthis is a coverup, Zeldin told Fox News Sunday Morning Futures.

Its a coverup of a policy that ended up resulting in that grandmother or grandfather losing their lives, he added. This is criminal what happened.

The White House stated on Jan. 29 that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will decide whether to pursue the case.

The DOJ didnt respond to an earlier request for comment on the matter.

Janita Kan contributed to this report.
The CEO of Ryanair has said Nphet should stop issuing daily Covid "scare stories" and release daily vaccination figures instead.

Speaking on RTE radios Morning Ireland he said: Part of this is the Nphet daily press conference trying to terrify the population.

The reality is that the UK will have vaccinated 50% of their population, everybody over 50 by the end of March. Ireland needs to catch up, hopefully by the end of June.

Nphet and the Chief Medical Officer, if he was doing his job properly, should be holding a daily press conference announcing the number of people who've been vaccinated not issuing scare stories about the numbers of people in hospitals. He's the Chief Medical Officer and he should be dealing with the vaccine.

Vaccination is the way out of this Covid crisis, not these failed lockdowns.

Ryanair boss Michael OLeary has said that the airline will not be asking passengers for proof that they have been vaccinated.

Mr OLeary said: We'll be asking the Government and Nphet to get the finger out and accelerate the vaccine programme in this country and to vaccinate the high-risk groups which is the only way we're going to come out of Covid-19. Not more failed lockdowns.

The Ryanair CEO said he expected a dramatic recovery in the aviation industry this summer on the back of the successful vaccination roll out programme in the UK.

50% of their population will be vaccinated by the end of March. Europe and Ireland needs to get its act together and catch up - if 50% of our population is vaccinated by the end of June which is what we now expect, we see a strong recovery of travel, in summer holidays through the school holidays into August and September.

The vast majority of people who were sick and dying from Covid were in the over-65 age group, he said. There are not lots of young people getting sick.

Mr OLeary said that if everyone over the age of 50 was vaccinated by the end of June then there would be no requirement for restrictions.

The vast majority of young people don't get sick with Covid. they are asymptomatic, there will be a dramatic reduction in hospitalisations, a dramatic reduction in deaths thankfully and there'll be a dramatic reduction in the Covid hype on RTE once everybody over 50 is vaccinated. That should take place before the end of June.

If Europe and Ireland get its act together, catches up with the UK vaccination programme, we should be out of these lockdowns by the end of June and RTE will have to move on and talk about something else.

Mr OLeary denied that the tone of the airlines Jab and Go advert was wrong, no it was absolutely correct, it was factually correct saying that vaccines are coming, book now for Easter and summer - we fully accept that Easter will be a write-off.

Now because of the vaccine programme summer 2021, we will see millions of people travelling to the beaches of Europe in July, August and September when everybody over 50 will have been vaccinated and the risk of sickness, hospitalisation and death from Covid will have significantly receded.

We need some optimism in Ireland, not the daily doses of pessimism being delivered by Nphet and RTE.

Read More Passengers who accepted vouchers for cancelled flights not entitled to cash refunds

"What we need is to look forward to a post-vaccination date which should be in the second quarter of this year when Ireland begins to roll out vaccinations.

"Nphet would do a much better job if it actually focused on vaccinations and we had a daily announcement from Nphet on the number of people who are vaccinated and what the programme is to vaccinate all the high-risk groups  over 65 who account for 93% of the deaths in January.

If we dealt with the issue instead of just pandering to the misinformation coming from Nphet you'd get a lot further.

On the issue of delays with refunds for cancelled flights, Mr OLeary was adamant that every customer who had requested a refund had received it: Every customer who has requested a refund has received it. There are some with vouchers who have the option of a cash refund if they want it  they will receive it within five days. There is no backlog in refunds - all have now been issued.

The airline expects a very strong recovery in Dublin and Shannon airports, but not in Cork.

We dont think there will be a recovery in Cork. It will be delayed because there's a very high cost of operations in Cork - there will not be a rapid recovery at airports where there will be price increases, we need much lower costs, lower access costs if we're to restore Irish tourism.

Irish tourism is not going to survive on a bunch of staycations, we need to welcome back European visitors.

We also need to get away from the mass hysteria created by Nphet last week on international travel when the four counties with the highest rate are border counties - most of the international travel that Nphet worries about is coming across the border. It isnt coming on non-existent flights into Dublin.
Finance Minister on Monday announced the much-awaited voluntary to phase out old and polluting vehicles.

Presenting the Budget for 2021-22 in Parliament, Sitharaman said that under voluntary vehicle scrapping policy, personal vehicles would undergo fitness test after 20 years while commercial vehicles would require it after completion of 15 years.

She said this will promote fuel-efficient and environment friendly vehicles while cutting on India's huge import bills.

Earlier Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had said last week that policy to scrap more than 15-year-old vehicles owned by government departments and PSUs is likely to be notified soon and will be implemented from April 1, 2022.

The policy is already approved by the government.

"The minister... approved the policy of deregistration and scrapping of vehicles owned by government department and PSU, which are above 15 years in age," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had said in a statement.

"It is to be notified, and will come into effect from 1st April, 2022," the statement had said.

On July 26, 2019, the government had proposed amendments to motor vehicle norms to allow scrapping of vehicles older than 15 years in a bid to spur adoption of electrical vehicles.

"We have submitted the proposal and I am expecting that we will get approval as early as possible for the scrapping policy," Gadkari had said on January 15.

The minister had also said that once the policy is approved, India will become an automobile hub and there will also be reduction in the prices of automobiles.

He had said recycled material from old vehicles will help reduce the prices, adding that the automobile industry's turnover, which is Rs 4.5 lakh crore with Rs 1.45 lakh crore exports, will get a boost.

Earlier, Finance Minister had said that a policy for scrapping of old vehicles "is in the works" and will be announced after ministries concerned "fine tune" it.

In May 2016, the government had floated a draft Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernisation Programme (V-VMP) that proposed to take 28 million decade-old vehicles off the road.

(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.)
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.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : There was 'nothing' in the Union Budget for Kamaljit Rai, Vice President of Palika Bazaar traders' body, who was expecting relief from the Central government with an increase in income tax slab, as many traders like him are going through a rough phase due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to IANS after the Union Budget was presented in the Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Rai said he was not happy with the announcements made in the Budget, as they didn't meet his expectations.

Asked about his views about the provisions announced in the Budget, Rai said, "We are going through the tough phase of Covid-19 since last year, which has been very difficult for us. In the beginning of the pandemic outbreak, our business was only left to 20 per cent." People might have hoped that the government will provide some relief by raising the income tax slabs owing to the pandemic, but nothing of this sort happened.

Rai said, "Now things have improved a little to 40-50 per cent. From this Budget, we were expecting that income tax slab would be increased from the present limit of Rs 5 lakh so that people hit by the pandemic get some relief." Things might have been little better from what they were when the Covid pandemic started, but the road to recovery seems more distant. Since the Covid-19 pandemic has begun, nearly 12.2 crore people have lost their jobs and many businesses have been severly hit.

Despite Palika Bazaar having many shops in its compound, the trade improving to 40-50 per cent points to the fact that recovery is happening at a snail's pace.

Rai said, "Traders are troubled by the fact that the government has not given any relief on income tax. We request the government to again review it and give more rebate to the businessmen." Another businessman, Kamleshwar Prasad, a manager at Wenger and Co. in Connaught Place (CP), told IANS that he is not very optimistic about the announcements made in the Budget.

Asked about his expectations from the Budget, Prasad said, "The government should have shown some softness while making the Budget announcements. It should have ensured that common people and businessmen get some tax rebate."

A teenager charged over the gang rape of two 15-year-old girls allegedly told one of the victims to 'suck my d***', before issuing an apology.

The 19-year-old is one of four charged with offences relating to the alleged repeated rapes of the teenage girls by ten men at Calamvale District Park, south of Brisbane, on December 28.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, unsuccessfully applied for bail in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.

He faces 40 charges, including 16 counts of rape.

Four men have been charged with offences relating to the alleged repeated rapes of the teenage girls at Calamvale District Park (pictured), south of Brisbane, on December 28

Senior Constable Min Hu alleged in court the 19-year-old raped one of the victims for up to 15 minutes, The Courier-Mail reported.

He allegedly grabbed the girl by the head and told her to 'suck my d**k', Snr Constable Hu said.

The two girls told the men to stop throughout the ordeal, the court heard.

The 19-year-old also said to the victim 'sorry if we hurt you', Snr Constable Hu told the court.

There are claims the alleged sexual assaults were filmed, the court heard, but videos have not yet surfaced.

Defence lawyer Bianca Van Heerden said her 19-year-old client was at the park on the night but denied the accusations put to him.

Pictured: One of the men accused of rape. The two teenage girls were allegedly gang raped by ten men

'The charges have come as an absolute shock  and (he) will strongly contest the charges,' she said.

Ms Van Heerden said her client was asked to hang out with one of the girls via Snapchat.

The 19-year-old provided alcohol for the group to share and cannabis for personal use, she said.

Ms Van Heerden said there were no allegations her client used violence on the two teenagers.

Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll earlier said it is likely more people will be charged in the coming days.

Police allege the two 15-year-old girls were gang raped by a group of men at a park in Calamvale

A number of the men allegedly 'got to know' the two girls, and the incident evolved from that, she said.

'This is an absolutely sickening incident, and something those young girls will have to live with for the rest of their lives,' she said.

Another three men - aged between 19 and 22 - have also been charged with about 40 offences each.

One faced court on Saturday and the other two were due to front Richlands Magistrates Court on Monday.

The charges include rape, indecent treatment of a child under 16, stupefying to commit indictable offence, taking a child for immoral purposes and assault with intent to commit rape.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
Maynard Seider is emeritus professor of sociology from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and author of The Gritty Berkshires: A Peoples History From The Hoosac Tunnel to MASS MoCA.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers for Dental Choice is praising a letter from the Attorney General of Connecticut which explains that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Recommendations against dental amalgam for children, many young women, and those with certain medical conditions apply to protecting families on Medicaid.

Charles G. Brown, Executive Director of Consumers for Dental Choice, www.mercury-free.org, calls the Attorney General's letter "a game changer for Medicaid programs." "Now that the FDA has spoken." Brown said, "it's time for the Medicaid programs to end the primacy of putting mercury fillings in children's mouths."

On September 24, 2020, FDA issued a safety communication which called on dentists to stop placing amalgam in four broad categories of dental consumers: all children, all women who are breastfeeding, pregnant, or planning to become pregnant; all persons with kidney disease, and all persons with existing neurological conditions. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/safety-communications/recommendations-about-use-dental-amalgam-certain-high-risk-populations-fda-safety-communication

Stepping up to end the class and racial division in today's dentistry, Attorney General William Tong of Connecticut inquired into the state's Medicaid's program. In a letter to Attorney Cynthia R. Jennings, counsel for three nonprofit groups* calling for protection of low-income consumers from mercury exposure, Connecticut Deputy Attorney General Margaret Q. Chapple wrote that the AG office had confirmed that the state's Medicaid program "changed the policy on coverage for fillings" and "now covers 'composite' (non-mercury) fillings" Therefore, the dentist for any Medicaid recipient: "who is a member of one of the vulnerable populations noted in the FDA advisory . . . can request coverage for the composite filling." https://mercuryfreedentistry.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/letter-from-ct-ag-1-25-21.pdf

Because it is 50% mercury, dental amalgam is highly controversial, and its use has become increasingly rare among middle class consumers  but it continues unabated in institutional dentistry (military, Tribal Lands, prisons) and in low-income programs. The dichotomy in dentistry increasingly is drawing fire, such as a 2018 commentary in the Journal of the National Medical Association entitled "Is Amalgam Toxic to Children of Color?" https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002796841830258X

Dr. Mark Mitchell, the former Health Director for Hartford and principal author of that Journal of the NMA commentary, said: ""I am pleased that FDA and the State of Connecticut are responding to the latest science which reveals that dental amalgam increases the risk of neurological and kidney damage in children of color and other vulnerable groups."

* The three nonprofit groups requesting action from Attorney General Tong were Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice, the Mercury Policy Project, and Consumers for Dental Choice.

Contact: Charles Brown, Consumers for Dental Choice

[email protected] ; tele 202.246.7642

SOURCE Consumers for Dental Choice

Related Links

http://www.toxicteeth.org/


EUGENE, Ore.  A missing man has been found dead, the Lane County Sheriffs Office said.

James Otterlee, 80, was reported missing from his home near Pine Grove Road on Jan. 27. Hed last been seen leaving home just before noon to go to Fred Meyer on West 11th Avenue. His family reported him missing at 9 p.m. when he didnt return home. Deputies searched for Otterlee but did not find him.

On Sunday, Jan. 31, a community member spotted a crash off Pine Grove Road southwest of Eugene and reported it to the sheriffs office. Deputies found Otterlee dead in his 2002 Hyundai Santa Fe, which had gone off the road and crashed into a tree. Its not known why Otterlees vehicle went off the road.

The Lane County Medical Examiners Office and sheriffs office are investigating the death.
HGC Global Communications Limited (HGC) is a leading Hong Kong and international fixed-line operator. The company owns an extensive network and infrastructure in Hong Kong and overseas and provides a broad range of advanced telecommunications and ICT services. Headquartered in Hong Kong and operating 23 overseas offices on five continents, it provides telecom infrastructure service to other operators and serves as a service provider to corporate and households. The company provides full-fledged telecom, data centre services, ICT solutions and broadband services for local, overseas, corporate and mass markets. HGC owns and operates an extensive fibre-optic network, five cross-border telecom routes integrated into tier-one telecom operators in mainland China and connects with hundreds of world-class international telecom operators. HGC is one of Hong Kong's largest Wi-Fi service providers, running over 29,000 Wi-Fi hotspots in Hong Kong. The company is committed to further investing and enriching its current infrastructure and adding the latest technologies and solutions. HGC is a portfolio company of I Squared Capital, an independent global infrastructure investment manager focusing on energy, utilities and transport in North America, Europe and selected fast-growing economies.

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.
Still, most of the Republican Partys rank-and-file voters have shown little sign of deserting Trump and his political movement. And over the past week, top G.O.P. lawmakers have started reconciling themselves to that fact.

Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, voted on Tuesday with all but five members of his party in the Senate to dismiss Trumps impeachment trial, even after privately indicating to colleagues that he thought the former president deserved to be impeached.

This dynamic  of Democrats joined by most independents, but Republicans staunchly on the other side  plays out in some key results from a Pew Research Center poll released last week. Pew asked Americans to weigh in on their top priorities for the new administration. On some issues, the partisan differences werent especially strong. But on the most talked-about matters facing the country, Republicans and Democrats split decisively.

Although a majority in both parties saw it as important for the federal government to confront the coronavirus pandemic, Democrats and independents who leaned toward the Democratic Party were 33 percentage points more likely to say so than Republicans and G.O.P.-leaning independents. On climate change, a top priority for the Biden administration, the split was even greater: Three in five Democrats thought it was a pressing concern, but just 14 percent of Republicans did.

There was a similar gulf on racial justice. While 72 percent of Democrats said that addressing issues around race should be a top policy concern, only 24 percent of Republicans said so. While there have always been differences between Republicans and Democrats on the importance of addressing racial disparities  and on the federal governments role in doing so  the gap may now be larger than ever.

That is partly because Democrats and Democratic-leaning independent voters, particularly white people, have evolved a great deal on these issues in the past few years. Meanwhile, Republicans, egged on by Trumps politics of hostility, have only become more skeptical of arguments for racial justice.

Of the top policy issues facing the country, only on one  handling the economy and jobs  did wide majorities in both parties say the government should be investing a lot of energy. Eighty-five percent of Republicans said handling the economy should be a top priority, as did 75 percent of Democrats.
Nay Pyi Taw, Feb 1 : Myanmar's de facto leader and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi has asked people to protest against the coup staged by the military on Monday, hours after it detained her and other senior members of her ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

The military seized control of the South Asian nation following escalated tensions between the government and the army that erupted due to the outcome of the November 2020 parliamentary polls, the first to be held since the end of the Army's rule in 2011.

In a statement issued under Suu Kyi's name, she said: "I urge people not to accept this, to respond and wholeheartedly to protest against the coup by the military." She added that Monday's development has put the country back under dictatorship, the BBC reported.

According to a declaration signed by First Vice President U Myint Swe, who is currently serving as the Acting President, and issued following the coup on Monday morning, the state power will be handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing because of "election fraud".

According to the declaration, which was first announced on the military-owned Myawady TV, a state of emergency has also been declared for a period of one year.

The legislative functions of all Parliaments and leading bodies will be suspended from the day of the declaration, it added.

In a televised statement following the declaration, the military said that it will again hold the multi-party general elections after the emergency period expires.

The Union Election Commission will be reformed and the electoral process in the parliamentary elections held on November 8, 2020, will be reviewed in accordance with the laws.

Meanwhile, regarding the detentions, Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the NLD, told Xinhua: "I received internal reports about our State Counsellor and President (U Win Myint) being taken by the military. As far as I was informed, Shan State's Planning and Finance Minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin, Kayah state's NLD chairman Thaung Htay and some NLD representatives of the Ayeyarwady region's Parliament have been detained." He added that two other members of the Central Executive Committee of the party were also taken and was awaiting his turn.

According to a BBC news report citing family members, soldiers also visited the homes of Chief Ministers in several regions and took them away.

Telecommunications in capital city of Nay Pyi Taw and some other regions and states had also been cut off.

In the largest city of Yangon, the city hall building has been seized by the military, and army personnel could be seen sitting inside the gate holding guns.

The state-run Radio and Television (MRTV) said on its social media that it has also stopped operations.

In the disputed elections, theNLD won 83 per cent of the available seats in Parliament, enough to form a government.

But the military-backed opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) claimed that the result was fraudulant.

It had also filed complaints about "election fraud" at the Supreme Court against the President and the Chair of the Electoral Commission.

But the Election Commission last week dismissed the allegations.

Earlier this week, the military had warned that it will take action if the complaints were not addressed. It had also hinted the possibility of a coup.

Reacting to the development, India on Monday expressed "deep concern" and urged the neighbouring country to uphold the rule of law and the democratic process.

A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said: "India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar." Condemning the coup, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the release of all government officials and civil society leaders and said that Washington "stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately".

Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne said "we call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and other who have been detained unlawfully".

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Beijing hoped that all sides in Myanmar can appropriately handle their differences under the constitution and legal framework, while safeguarding political and social stability.

The spokesperson added that China "is a friendly neighbour of Myanmar's" and are in the "process of further understanding the situation".

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  The seven-day average for COVID-19 deaths in New Mexico has taken a huge dip over the past week.

On Sunday, the New Mexico Department of Health reported 530 new COVID-19 cases and 18 more deaths.

The seven-day average for COVID-19 deaths fell to 19.71. The rolling average has gone down about 35% since reaching 30.43 on Jan. 24.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

The total number of deaths in the state attributed to the disease is 3,283. Those whose deaths were reported Sunday were:

 Five people, ranging from their 40s to their 90s, from Bernalillo County.

 A woman in her 70s from Chaves County who was hospitalized.

 A woman in her 70s from Dona Ana County who was hospitalized and had underlying health conditions.

 A woman in her 70s from McKinley County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

 A woman in her 60s from Roosevelt County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

 Two people, a woman in her 50s and a man in his 70s, from Sandoval County.

 Four people, ranging from their 40s to their 80s, from San Juan County.

 Two women, one in her 60s and one in her 70s, from Santa Fe County.

 A man in his 60s from Valencia County who was hospitalized and had underlying conditions.

Bernalillo County reported 134 new cases, Dona Ana County had 61, San Juan County had 50, and Santa Fe County reported 37. There were also three new cases among state inmates at the Northwest New Mexico Correctional Facility in Cibola County.

As of Sunday, 479 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in New Mexico, according to the Department of Health. On Saturday, there were 548 COVID-19 hospitalizations.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Ohio continues to make the COVID-19 vaccine available to more residents, despite widespread complaints that the state has not handled the process well so far.

There are fears that adding more people to the pipeline will clog the system and make it harder to find immunizations.

On Monday, the age range of Ohioans eligible for the shot expanded to those 70 and older.

Ohios vaccine rollout began Jan. 19 with people 80 and older, and expanded to residents 75 and older on Jan. 25. People who are eligible must contact a list of about 90 providers to register in multiple locations in hopes of getting a call back about an appointment.

Its a time-consuming and frustrating process that favors those who are tech-savvy  or have tech-savvy help  and the free time to constantly check multiple websites for days. Some people have created spreadsheets to keep track of the process for elderly parents and friends.

Once they make the appointment, getting the vaccination is fast and easy at many providers, readers say.

We asked cleveland.com readers to share their experiences in signing up for the COVID-19 vaccine in order to gauge how well the states vaccine rollout is going in its early days. Below is a sample of the responses.

Here is information on how to get the vaccine from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. Here is a list of other facilities distributing the vaccine.

Some readers have had problems accessing a family members Cleveland Clinic MyChart account to make appointments. MyChart users can add their loved ones to their personal MyChart account, which allows family members or caregivers of adults who provide legal authorization to manage their healthcare online. Click this link for more information and instructions.

The Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging has information about COVID-19 vaccines and county-specific information about how to get them. Call their 24/7 Vaccine Information hotline at 1-844-304-0004.

Cuyahoga County residents can call United Ways 211 HelpLink to access information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Veterans can call the VA Vaccine Scheduling Line at 216-707-7660 at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center to make an appointment. The VA Vaccine Scheduling Line will be open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The VAs rollout schedule differs from the state of Ohio. The VA is only scheduling veterans who are 65 and over for the vaccine at this time. Expect a high call volume and longer than usual wait times.

Are you over 70 -- or helping someone in that age group -- and would like to share your experience? Email Julie Washington at jwashington@cleveland.com. Be sure to include your name and city.

Work of finding vaccines falls mostly on women

By decentralizing vaccine distribution, the state government chose the least logical way to go about getting everyone vaccinated. The state passed the buck to the counties, who in turn passed the buck to the pharmacies. The end result is a system that puts all of the onus on the individual to navigate a labyrinthine network of disparate platforms to register or secure an appointment.

Im the one responsible for scheduling for my parents, who will become eligible soon. But my work to make this happen started weeks ago, with creating a spreadsheet to keep track of all of the different possible locations and registration systems and opening dates. So far, weve had to create accounts at four different pharmacies and two hospital systems (times two, because Ive got to make one for each of my parents).

Some places put you on a list and say theyll contact you, while others require you to constantly check their website for available appointments. Medina County says it is using an app, ArmorVax, to connect people with available appointments, but I downloaded it and registered both my parents, and it has yet to show any available appointments.

You basically have to luck out and be on the pharmacys website at the exact moment when appointments open up in order to secure one.

Because my work is online, Ive sort of become a de facto vaccine coordinator for my parents and a few other senior friends. I wonder what will happen to senior citizens who dont have a web-savvy relative or friend who can spend hours every day working on this (and make no mistake about it, it is the sort of emotional and domestic work that disproportionately falls upon women).

I also recognize that there is no small amount of privilege at play here. I have the luxury of the time and resources to be able to devote myself to this. So many do not, and the federal and state governments have failed these people utterly. R.H., Brunswick

U.H. gets it right

Kudos to University Hospitals for their efficient and friendly service to those over 80 in providing the COVID-19 vaccine. They were well prepared, the process moved swiftly and it seems that all contingencies had been planned for.  G.B.

Ridiculous and redundant

Both my husband and I, 71 and 70 respectively, have been frustrated and exasperated by the disorganized manner of the vaccine distribution in Ohio.

Both of us, as have many of our friends, registered in multiple locations for information and pre-registration. This is ridiculous and redundant. How can providers, especially the retail pharmacies, even plan for how many doses they may need? The state had months to prepare and make this streamlined. Medicare records for those over 65 should have been used to contact us and provide a way to register.

We were in the group of people who had mistakenly been sent a link to sign up for the vaccine at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds earlier in the month. These appointments were canceled, so we already experienced a disappointment. We eventually got appointments at Discount Drug Mart, which were handled promptly and efficiently by the staff.

What if visiting nurses are assigned to phone those over 80 to make appointments to give the vaccines to those who are shut-ins or cannot travel easily? Perhaps people might not want a visitor (because of ) COVID-19 social distancing, but wouldnt that be better than sitting in a busy public place, such as a store?  P.N.D., Fairview Park

Early glitch fixed

I am 81. I went to Drug Marts website and clicked on the Register button and filled out the form. Nothing happened. I emailed Drug Mart to find out whether I had registered or not, and they sent me a new link to register. That worked and they sent me a time slot to choose when to show up for the shot. I got an immediate confirmation and got my first shot two days later. The process went very smoothly after the initial glitch.  J.E.

Why not use malls?

I am 84, computer-savvy, Clinic patient and a MyChart user. (I was able to get an appointment at the Clinic through MyChart). But even for one who has access and the skill to use it, there are major faults in the system. There was only one Clinic site for the vaccination on the West Side.

Why not use other, more convenient settings? Why not use a large setting with drive-thru, arm-out-the-window service? Why not use space in a mall  like a family member in Florida was able to use  with loads of space for distancing and the 15-minute waiting period after the shot? -- M.B.T.

Applause for MetroHealth

I was so impressed by MetroHealth Systems! My mom is 85. As soon as the vaccines became available, MetroHealth called her to make an appointment to get a shot. My mom did not answer the phone, so they called me as her emergency contact.

At the appointment, the wait was only about five minutes. They even provided free refreshments during the 15 minutes you had to wait after the shot ,and parking was free. The staff was excellent as well!  C.A., Fairview Park

Like playing a lottery

During the first week of vaccine availability, two family members spent a considerable amount of time online trying to make an appointment for our 84-year-old mother, who is totally computer-illiterate. We kept going from site to site of participating providers in Lake County, and often found sites were down or had crashed.

We finally got lucky after about a day and a half, and must have punched the button at the right time. We were able to make an appointment for the only on time slot available. It is kind of like playing a lottery. The more time (money) one has to spend, the better the odds of winning.  T.F., Willoughby

Switching counties brought success

My husband and I have been lucky to receive our first shots, but it was not an easy system to figure out. I thought you had to get the shot in the county where you lived, but found out that was not true.

My daughter lives in Medina, and using her zip code, she got different responses (from various drug stores). She was able to secure a time for me at the Marcs in North Ridgeville and a time for my husband at Marcs in Stow.

If people are willing to travel (I live in Solon, so North Ridgeville was a haul) they will have better luck. They also need to look (at the websites) every few hours or so to see if anything has changed. It is not an easy system, especially for those who are not tech-savvy, but certainly better than sitting in my car for hours, as they have (elsewhere).  M.F.

Related stories:

Does the coronavirus vaccine cause infertility or harm pregnant women?

Can I still get my second dose of coronavirus vaccine if I develop COVID-19 symptoms after the first?

Can you mix and match two doses of coronavirus vaccine from different manufacturers?

What happens if you contract the virus in between the two required shots?

Will your COVID-19 vaccine be less effective if you need to wait longer for a second dose?

if the coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective, how will you know if youre in the other 5%?

Why do I need to keep a mask on if Ive been vaccinated for coronavirus?
A pair of virtual job fairs are scheduled for February to fill vacancies for essential workers around Laredo and the rest of Webb County.

Workforce Solutions for South Texas has helped fill many vacancies using a virtual format throughout the pandemic, and it plans to maintain the format for the forseeable future.

The job fair has worked well for us. Job seekers are engaging with employers, and that is what we love to see, Workforce Solutions for South Texas Operations Manager Patricia Barrera said.

The openings expected for the virtual job fair include CDL commercial drivers, warehouse positions, retail jobs and more. Workforce Solutions for South Texas Business Service Representative Brenda Robles said employers can hold interviews and hire on the spot, or they can schedule interviews.

According to Barrera, one of the employers registered is Life Choices Unlimited, PCSI, which is a company that hires people with disabilities and is hiring for janitorial services in Laredo, Hebbronville and Zapata. Other of the companies involved include Border Patrol, Holiday Inn Express, Securitas Security, and Durans Air Conditioning, which is a company hiring for an automotive mechanic.

During the virtual job fair, Workforce Solutions for South Texas is adding a new element with a guest speaker offering useful information to job seekers.

As an additional service to our community, we will have a guest speaker, Barrera said. This time our guest is Cassandra Moresco from Project HOPES at SCAN (Serving Children and Adults in Need). She will share information of services available for parents.

The first fair runs Feb. 3 from 10 a.m. to noon, and another fair will be held Feb. 17 from 9 a.m. to noon. To register and participate in the job fair, visit southtexasworkforce.easyvirtualfair.com. Barrera recommends anyone interested in participating use a laptop or desktop computer.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
UPDATE 2.43PM: There are no new cases of COVID-19 to report in New Zealand.

One previously reported case has now recovered.

In addition, yesterdays confirmed case in managed isolation has been reclassified to under investigation as a possible historical case," says Director-General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield.

We sometimes refer to cases as being under investigation when we are waiting on repeat PCR and or serology results. If they are reclassified as historical, we will also be determining whether they may have already been counted overseas.

Our approach is that these cases stay under investigation until we can confirm their status,

The total number of active cases in New Zealand remains at 69.

The total number of confirmed cases is 1947.

The total number of tests processed by laboratories to date is 1,535,292.

The seven-day rolling average up to yesterday is 6,483 tests processed.

On Sunday our laboratories processed 3017 tests.

Community testing in Auckland

Its Auckland Anniversary day today and four regional community testing centres remain open in Northcote, Balmoral, Henderson and Otara.

I note the demand for testing has settled but local health authorities are continuing to monitor the situation and ready to deploy pop-up testing centres quickly if needed, says Bloomfield.

Further information on community testing station hours is available on the Auckland Regional Public Health Service website.

Update on border-related cases

All test results of close contacts of the border-related cases are negative.

Of the 349 people who departed the managed isolation facility at the Pullman Hotel between 9 January and 24 January, 340 have returned negative test results, and we are waiting for the results of five people.

In addition, the remaining four people (to make up to the 349 number) include the two previously reported confirmed border-related cases and two children who are exempt from testing.

"The total number of 349 is down from the 353 we reported last week.

"Thats because weve identified a small number of people who fell outside the requirements for needing a test.

"Two people went overseas and have been referred to their country's health authority and a further two left the facility before the source case arrived."

NZ COVID Tracer

NZ COVID Tracer now has 2,543,662 registered users.

Poster scans have reached 166,893,699. Almost 601,000 poster scans have been recorded since midday yesterday.

Users have created 6,859,615 manual diary entries.

UPDATE 1.14PM: There are no new cases of COVID-19 being reported in either managed isolation or the community today.

Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield are providing the latest update on the COVID situation in New Zealand.

All former guests at the Pullman Hotel who have been contacted have tested negative, Hipkins says.

The last five guests to be contacted who were at the Pullman Hotel at the same time as the three community cases will be tested today.

In total, 349 people who stayed at the Pullman between 9 and 24 of January - the same time as the three other cases.

Of these 340 tests have been negative, four are awaiting test results and the other five are being tested today.

Bloomfield says it is very pleasing to report no new cases today.

He says there are currently 69 active cases, all of those are in a quarantine facility.

One case has been reclassified as being under investigation and one previous case has now recovered.

Bloomfield says the total number of COVID cases in NZ to date is now 1947.

EARLIER:

The Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield will provide an update on COVID-19 at 1pm.

On Sunday, there was one new case of COVID-19 in managed isolation in New Zealand.

There were no new cases in the community.

The new case arrived in NZ on January 26 from the United Kingdom via Qatar and tested positive at Day 3. They are in managed isolation in Auckland.

One previously reported case has now recovered.

The total number of active cases in New Zealand remains at 71. The total number of confirmed NZ cases is 1948.

The total number of tests processed by laboratories to date is 1,532,275.

The seven-day rolling average up to yesterday is 6434 tests processed.

On Saturday NZ laboratories processed 5666 tests.

The laboratories have processed more than 45,000 (45,040) tests this week, in the seven days up to and including Saturday.
The prime minister also said Australians shouldn't expect an 'immediate change'

Mr Morrison said it was still too early for the government to safely introduce it

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce it's a 'gamechanger' that would allow travel to resume

The Prime Minister said there is still doubts over the safety of the rapid testing

Scott Morrison has for now ruled out rapid Covid testing that could cut quarantine from 14 days to five.

The Prime Minister said there is still doubts over the safety of the testing, which would give results within just minutes rather than a matter of days.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has previously said the testing was a 'gamechanger' that would allow international travel to resume faster.

But Mr Morrison said it was still too early for the government to safely introduce it.

'We put those questions forward, until we can get a clear medical view that that is safe, it would be irresponsible to do it,' he told A Current Affair on Monday night.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there is still doubts over the safety of the rapid testing, which would give results within just minutes rather than a matter of days

Mr Morrison said it was still too early for the government to safely introduce the rapid testing

'I have always said, we have to save lives, and livelihoods as well.

'Whether it is JobKeeper or the support we put into businesses with cash flow assistance, the job hiring credit, which starts today for younger Australians, all of that is there to get people through.

'The comeback in Australia has begun, and is gathering momentum.'

Mr Morrison also said Australians shouldn't expect an 'immediate change' after the Pfizer vaccine is rolled out.

'What we know is that from the end of February at this point we'll be able to start vaccinating those in the most sensitive area, those most vulnerable those front-line health workers in particular,' he said.

'And then over the course of the year we expect to get through the course of the population by October.

'Once you get the vaccine, it doesn't mean you can immediately go and fly overseas or things like that, that may well prove to be the case over time, but initially it's a matter of protecting our most valuable and those working with our most vulnerable.'

Mr Morrison said a trigger to restart international travel would be a vaccine that 'prevents transmissibility'.

'The vaccines that we have that is still to be confirmed ... at this point the medical advice is that we can't assert that at this point, but that may well change,' he said.

'We are getting Australians home, we've had about 80,000 that have come back just since September. We've had over 450,000 that made their way back to Australia over the course of the last year.

'We do want to get Australians back but we have to manage this as best we can. The virus sets the rules here.'

Earlier today Mr Morrison announced the commitment to equip hospitals and other health centres to administer coronavirus vaccines.

Mr Morrison also said Australians shouldn't expect an 'immediate change' after the Pfizer vaccine is rolled out

The money, which takes the overall spend on vaccinations to $6.3 billion, will boost the workforce involved in the roll-out of the jabs through GPs, pharmacies and thousands of other approved centres.

'Our aim is to offer all Australians the opportunity to be vaccinated by October of this year, commencing in just a few weeks time,' he told the National Press Club in Canberra.

He said the first vaccinations for priority groups remained on track for late February despite supply chain pressures in Europe.

'However, the final commencement date will depend on developments overseas, which we will continue to monitor and update accordingly,' Mr Morrison said.

A special surge workforce will ensure it gets to hard-to-reach areas.
Google Street View now has a new feature that will make your road trip or walkathon easier than before! The app's new split-screen feature will make sure that you will get to the right location in no time.

When people are going on a long road trip, in a city they are not familiar with, they usually apps that will give them accurate directions. These include Waze, Google Street View, and other platforms.

However, some people find it hard to based on the map, especially if they are only seeing the top view and not the exact place. There are users that are being creative, trying different methods such as opening the Google Street View and Google Map in alternation.

But this could also be confusing. Now, Google's new update will make it easier for you. Here's how the new split-screen works.

How split-screen works

According to 9To5Google, Google Maps for Android enhances the Street View experience through its new split-screen mode. This new feature will automatically launch as soon as the user opens their Street View after dropping a map pin.

But, if you are using Street View directly from a location's listing, the app will instead give you a regular fullscreen section. Google Street View will show a minimize button, which is located in the bottom-right corner.

Also Read: Robinhood Negative Reviews Deleted from Play Store, with Google Saying Users Abuse the Review System!

On the other hand, the Photo Spheres captured by the users will appear as dots and the map will have paths that offer street-level imagery, which will be highlighted in blue. If you want to jump from one place to another, all you need to do is to tap anywhere on the map.

The exact view of the place will also change accurately, showing the exact appearance of the location where you are facing forward. The arrow on the map will also indicate which part of the place you are looking at.

Google improves other apps

Aside from Street View, Google is also improving other apps to provide the users with the best experience. First Post reported that Google Lens now has a new offline translation feature for Android users. This new feature now allows users to download the respective language pack for offline translations. Once they installed the language, they'll see a checkmark next to it, indicating that it is ready for offline use.

For more news updates about Google and its upcoming updates, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Google Will be Testing Security Options to Phase Out Cookies Used to Get User Info for Target Ads

This article is owned by TechTimes.

Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tiparat Argatu died from neck and head injuries at property in Whitechapel last week

Detectives investigating the murder of a woman at an east London flat want to speak with anyone who saw a naked man walking in the area.

Tiparat Argatu, 43, died from neck and head injuries at a property in Ellen Street, Whitechapel, on the morning of Sunday January 24.

The Thai national had moved to London in September last year to be with her husband, the Metropolitan Police said.

Police attended the property after concerns for the welfare of the woman were raised with the force.

David Cheres, 19, who is thought to have known the victim but is not related to her, has been charged with murder.

Nobody else is being sought in connection with the death.

Detectives believe a man was walking naked in the area between 4am and 9am on the morning of the alleged killing.

Police attended the flat in Ellen Street (pictured) after receiving concerns for woman's welfare

'They wish to speak with anyone who saw this man, or who found clothing discarded near to the scene in Ellen Street,' Scotland Yard said in an appeal for witnesses.

Cheres, of Ellen Street, appeared at the Old Bailey last week and is next due at the same court on April 16.

Anyone with information that could help police is urged to call the incident room on 020 8345 3865.

Alternatively call 101 or tweet @MetCC quoting ref CAD1612/21 Jan.
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 decision about whether to grant access to intelligence briefings to former Republican President Donald Trump is under review, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.

"That's under review, but there was not a conclusion last I asked," Psaki told reporters.

Short link:


Winter Storm Warnings are issued for most of the area from Monday late morning through late Tuesday. A strong low pressure system will bring heavy snow to the area over the next few days. We'll tell you when it will reach your location and how much snow is expected each day.

Right now, this low pressure system is to our south. It is producing light snow over the Southern Valleys. It will continue it's track east overnight into Monday. The snow will continue in the Southern Valleys throughout Monday. Here's how much snowfall is expected tonight into Monday:

Monday evening, this nor'easter will move northward along the east coast. This will push the snow into the Mohawk Valley and North Country by Monday night. This widespread snow will be heavy at times with snowfall rates up to 1" per hour. The snow continues to be widespread on Tuesday, but becomes lighter throughout the day as this nor'easter moves further north.

However, the chance for snow will continue overnight into Wednesday as a northwest wind produces light lake effect snow showers. Drive slow and take caution. Watch out for areas of low visibility and snow covered roads late Monday into Tuesday.

Here's the event summary:

Panaji, Feb 1 : The Goa government appeared to have got an unlikely windfall in the 2021-22 budget in form of the Rs 300 crore announced by Union Finance Nirmala Sitharaman for celebration of the state's 60 years of liberation from Portuguese rule.

The announcement of Rs 300 crore by Sitharaman follows repeated requests made by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for a package of Rs 100 crore for celebration of the event across the country and restoration of places of historic interest in the coastal state.

Sawant has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the allocation.

"I thank the Hon PM Shri @narendramodiji, FM Smt @nsitharamanji for the allocation of Rs 300 Cr in the budget to mark 60 Years of Goa's Liberation. I also thank the Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShahji for his continued guidance and support. #AatmanirbharBharatKaBudget," Sawant tweeted.

Goa was a Portuguese colony for a period of 451 years, before the region was liberated by the Indian armed forces in 1961.
" " The Cecil Hotel had seen better days by the time this picture was taken in 2005. It was declared a landmark by the City of Los Angeles in 2017. Jim Winstead/Wikimedia/CC BY 2.0

Tucked into downtown Los Angeles is a 19-floor hotel with 700 rooms and an otherwise unremarkable exterior. But within the walls of this structure, nightmarish scenes of humanity's darkness unfolded. It's the Cecil Hotel, an L.A. cultural touchstone, a haunted abyss, and a symbol of opulence riven by urban decay.

"In all my years as a historical journalist, I have never come across a building where so many documented terrible things have happened," emails Hadley Meares, who also has a podcast called Underbelly L.A. "By far, it is the most cursed space I have ever come across."

It's also the setting of one of the creepiest viral videos of the internet era, an elevator surveillance tape showing the last minutes of Elisa Lam, a Canadian student and former guest of the hotel. A new Netflix series explores her disappearance, and other mysteries that the hotel spawned.

Advertisement

The Dream and the Nightmare

The Cecil started life very differently. Built in 1924, it was intended to be a jewel of the downtown area, featuring a marble lobby, alabaster statues and gorgeous stained-glass windows.

" " The lobby of the Cecil Hotel still showed traces of its former grandeur in 2008. John Blanding/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

That dream very quickly became a nightmare.

Just a few years later, the Great Depression began strangling the nation. Vast swaths of L.A. near the hotel degraded into a poverty-stricken area known as Skid Row, where thousands of homeless people gathered.

"The Cecil opened during the boom time days of the Roaring Twenties, and there were high hopes for its success," says Meares. "However, the stock market crash [of 1929] and subsequent depression really hurt downtown Los Angeles, particularly the area where the Cecil was located. The area went further downhill after World War II, and the Cecil became known as cheap home of last resort for lost souls, criminals and the underserved elderly."

From the 1940s through the 1960s, guest suicides occurred with regularity. Some unfortunate people died within their rooms, from poison, gunshots or razor blades, while others flung themselves from the rooftop. One jumper even landed on  and killed  a pedestrian on the sidewalk below. An unstable woman threw her newborn baby out of the window.

In 1964, Goldie "The Pigeon Lady of Pershing Square" Osgood, was brutally murdered and her case was never solved. The retired telephone operator had earned her warm nickname for her habit of feeding birds nearby.

Advertisement

The Night Stalker Checks In

Darker still is the hotel's link to Richard Ramirez, a serial killer who lived at the hotel for weeks during his long and sensational murder spree in the mid-1980s. Known as the "Night Stalker," Ramirez was convicted of 13 murders and other offenses that were noted for their extreme brutality and sadistic twists.

Ramirez was known to prowl among Skid Row residents. According to some sources, after the killings, he'd discard his blood-spattered clothing in the hotel's trash bins without anyone taking much notice.

So casual was Ramirez about his deeds that he'd sometimes lounge around in the homes of his victims, partaking of snacks from the fridge while soaked in their blood. He also burglarized the homes, stealing cash and valuables, and in some instances, even body parts.

"Just thinking of Richard Ramirez, allegedly bringing eyeballs of his victims back into his filthy room at the Cecil chills me to the bone," says Meares. That'sexactly what he did after killing Maxine Levenia Zazzara, a 44-year-old woman who was shot and stabbed to death in 1985.

After a circus-like trial in which Ramirez reveled in the spotlight, the Night Stalker was sentenced to death. But before he could be executed, he died in 1989 from complications of cancer.

At the Cecil, though, his horrific memory lived on. Just a short time later, another serial killer, Austrian Jack Unterweger, lived at the hotel for a time. Authorities believe he chose the location intentionally as a dark homage of sorts to Ramirez, whose crimes and subsequent celebrity were attractive to Unterweger.

Unterweger was, after all, a man who'd been previously convicted of murder at the age of 23. His life sentence in Austria was shortened to only 15 years, largely because of his writing prowess and intelligence, which he leveraged to convince others of his supposed complete rehabilitation.

Then, he traveled extensively, killing women in other countries, too.

He eventually murdered at least three prostitutes during his time at the Cecil Hotel. He was extradited to Austria and convicted. But the same night he was convicted, he hanged himself in his cell.

All of these grisly details serve as the historical backdrop for 2013, when the hotel became the setting for what's become one of the creepiest unsolved deaths imaginable.

Advertisement

The Mystery of Elisa Lam

Elisa Lam, a 21-year-old student from Vancouver, was reported missing at the beginning of February 2013. She had been staying at the hotel in a section offering hostel-like accommodations to foreign tourists. (The hotel also had another part with private rooms for regular guests and a third section with low-cost "single room occupancy" and shared bathrooms, for long-term residents.)

" " The exterior of the Cecil Hotel is seen in Los Angeles on Feb. 20, 2013, around the time the body of Elisa Lam was found in a water tank on its roof. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

By the middle of the month, building occupants had reported instances of low water pressure, as well as discolored and malodorous water dripping from the taps. Maintenance workers opened the hotel's water cistern and found Lam's body inside.

Surveillance video from the elevator, which is still online, seems to portray a young woman in distress. Lam enters the elevator, pressing multiple buttons, peering in and out of the elevator as if she's being pursued, and wildly gesticulates as if she's having an animated conversation with someone.

Could she have ingested too many recreational drugs? Was she being harassed or stalked by a murderer? Or was she having a psychotic breakdown?

To this day, no one knows how Lam's naked body wound up in the water tank. The door to the roof was locked. And no one can explain how the cistern's heavy lid was closed behind her.

"To me, the fact the Lam's phone was never found  or at least the police have never released that it was found  is the most enticing aspect of the case," says Meares. "Think of what that phone could tell us!"

Officially, Lam's case is called an accidental drowning, and her bipolar disorder is sometimes cited as a potential cause of her strange behavior.

With all of the strange and awful incidents that happened there, it's easy to wonder: Is the Cecil Hotel some sort of a magnet for evil that draws out the worst in human nature? Or is it simply that in an area so permeated with suffering and depravity, it was bound to be the scene of countless acts of violence and despair?

The Cecil is known  unsurprisingly  for hauntings and paranormal activity. Ghost hunters have scoured its halls for clues to supernatural events. And its creepy past inspired the fifth season of American Horror Story.

For now, the Cecil is closed, but there are plans to renovate and reopen it with a mix of hotel rooms and long-term housing. Perhaps a few new coats of paint will refurbish the blood-curdling spirit of a place that's seen the worst of humankind.

Now That's Interesting In 1987, rock band U2 wanted to make a raucous live music video for their hit song, "Where The Streets Have No Name." The band skirted authorities and filmed in downtown L.A. amidst rowdy fans and Skid Row residents. You can see the Cecil Hotel in the background as they perform.

Two test cases are to be heard in the High Court as parents challenge the Governments decision not to reopen schools for pupils with special education needs.

The court today heard these cases will proceed by way of a telescoped hearing.

Last week, five judicial review actions were initiated against the Minister for Education, Ireland and the Attorney General over the decision not to reopen the schools during the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions.

The applicants seek various orders compelling the Minister and the State to reopen the schools to those with intellectual disabilities.

When the cases were mentioned before Mr Justice Charles Meenan at the High Court this morning, Derek Shortall SC for the applicants said it had been agreed that in order to save time the actions could proceed by way of a telescoped hearing.

That means the applications for both permissions to bring the challenges, as well as the action itself, will be heard at the same time and by the same High Court judge.

Mr Shortall, who said that the matter is extremely urgent from his client's perspective, also said it is hoped that in order to expedite the matter the court will hear two lead cases, rather than all five actions.

The two test cases have yet to be identified, the court heard.

Counsel said that his clients are anxious that the matter be heard as soon as possible. Catherine Donnelly SC for the respondents said her side needs time to reply, adding that it would be premature for the court to fix a hearing date.

Mr Justice Meenan, agreed that it would be premature to fix a date for the hearing. However, the judge said the matter is urgent and directed that the State file its reply within a week.

The matter was adjourned for a week, when hopefully a hearing date can be fixed, the judge said.

The actions have been brought on behalf of five school-going children, all with special needs, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

The case arises after the Minister said on January 19 last that the schools would not reopen during the current Covid-19 restrictions, due to a lack of cooperation from key staff trade unions.

The applicants' claims

The applicants seek an order compelling the Minister and the State to provide the children with an adequate and appropriate education, on the basis that the respondents have an obligation under the 1988 Education Act, and Article 42 of the Constitution.

They also seek a declaration that the respondents have failed in their duty to provide for an adequate education for the children under the 1998 Act and Article 42.

They also seek injunctions aimed at compelling the State to provide the children with appropriate and adequate education.

The applicants say that prior to the announcement, the respondents believed that it was appropriate that the schools should have reopened as planned on January 21.

The parents fear for their children's mental and physical well-being and say that the schools should be reopened by the Government.

It is also claimed that the National Public Health Emergency Team, as well as the Government, deems schools safe to reopen.

It is further claimed that the respondents have failed in their duties towards the children, who have various conditions including Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The court heard that some of the children involved have severely regressed in basic skills due to the school closures and the lack of supports they would normally get as part of their education.

Their counsel said that the situations the parents of these children find themselves in are "harrowing".
Hyderabad, Feb 1 : After nearly 11 months schools and colleges in Telangana reopened for physical classes on Monday with all precautionary measures in view of Covid-19 pandemic.

Students of 9th standard and above returned to class rooms following all safety guidelines like wearing masks and following social distancing.

The schools provided masks to those who did not have one, arranged hand sanitisers and checked the body temperature of students with thermal guns before allowing them in.

The schools, junior colleges, degree colleges and post-degree colleges re-opened with all precautionary measures in place to check the spread of Covid-19.

The educational institutions resumed the classes with staggered timings and restricted the maximum number of students in a class room to 20 to ensure physical distancing.

The schools allowed the students after taking consent letters from parents. It was mixed feelings for students. While they were happy to return to class rooms and meet their teachers and friends after a long gap, the overall mood was apprehensive and one of caution.

The normal scenes of a group of students huddling together for a chit-chat were not witnessed. The seating arrangement in class rooms was to ensure six feet distance.

In government-run Mahabubia Girls High School in Hyderabad, for instance, one student was sitting on one bench instead of two to three in pre-Covid days.

The state has 14,252 high schools and 2,464 junior colleges and over 1,000 degree colleges. Many private schools had staggered timings to avoid crowding.

A teacher at Mahabubia School said they ensured cleaning of all class rooms before reopening the school. Markings were made on the ground at the entrance to ensure that the students maintain physical distance.

"We are ensuring there is no crowding in classes, ground or during lunch," the teacher said. The school conducted meeting with parents before resuming classes. Since 10th standard is a key turning point in the life of students, the parents wanted to send the children for physical classes.

Teachers hope that the students will get confidence with interaction with their teachers and they will be ready to learn more.

In some private schools, classes for 50 per cent of the students were conducted during morning hours while the remaining were called after lunch to avoid crowding.

"My son who is in 10th standard will be spending only three hours. I have suggested to the school authorities to take classes on alternate days so that he can spend a few hours every day and benefit from offline classes. Today is the first day and I hope things will improve in coming days," said Mohammed Rafi, whose son studies at a leading private school.

Most of the schools saw 50 per cent attendance on the first day of reopening.

"The attendance was good despite the fact that the schools were reopening after a long time and pandemic is still around. But as confidence grows, we expect more parents will send their wards," said Ahmed Ali, a teacher at Government Boys' High School, Shah Gunj.

Ali, who teaches mathematics, said the students were happy to return to classes but they were also worried on whether they will be able to cope up with the syllabus in the remaining time this academic year.

The education department last week announced that exams for 10th standard or Secondary School Certificate (SSC) will be held from May 7 to May 13.

The education department has announced that May 26 will be last working day will of schools. There will be a total of 89 working days in the academic year.

The Board of Intermediate Education will conduct the annual examinations for intermediate first and second year from May 1 to May 20.

While exams for intermediate first year (11th standard) will be held from May 1 till May 19, the same for second year (12th standard) will begin on May 1 and will continue till May 20.

The educational institutions were shut in mid-March, a few days before imposition of nation-wide lockdown. Exams could not be conducted for class 1 to 11 and all students were promoted to the next class.

For academic year 2020-21, online classes began on September 1. Following requests from parents of many students, the authorities decided to reopen schools for physical classes for class 9 and above.

Residents in flood-prone areas may be entitled to lower insurance premiums if they install protective measures in their homes.

Today ministers are launching a consultation into plans for householders to claim discounts if they make changes such as putting in flood barriers, air brick covers and flood-resistant coatings.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: 'I am determined to get more support to people hit time and again by floods. These plans aim to give households in flood-hit areas additional support to protect their properties.'

Floods minister Rebecca Pow said the proposals would give residents 'more help to build back better and reduce the risk in the future'.

Residents in flood-prone areas may be entitled to lower insurance premiums if they install protective measures in their homes (File image)

The consultation covers changes to the Flood Re scheme, a joint industry-government initiative. This aims to cut insurance costs by passing the flood-risk element to specialists Flood Re and charging a set premium to households based on council tax bands.

Another measure being considered is cutting the cheapest subsidised premium for contents insurance provided by Flood Re from 52 as a review commissioned by ministers suggests this could be too much for households on low incomes.

Discounted insurance premiums could be available if householders put into place measures such as flood barriers, air brick covers, and flood resistant coatings to their homes.

The government has also published a Call for Evidence to look at changes to the flood funding formula to benefit frequently flooded communities, and ways to increase the up-take of property flood resilience measures so that homes and businesses are better protected.

In total there have been at least 23,000 publicly funded installations of property flood resilience measures since 2009.

Additional measures being considered also reducing the cheapest subsidised premium for contents insurance provided for by Flood Re (52), as evidence from a review of insurance, commissioned by the government, suggest these could still be too high for households on low incomes.
Another day and still another maneuver in Californias erratic management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Jan. 25, officials lifted Californias most recent stay-at-home order, giving businesses  small businesses mostly  and their employees permission to take a couple of baby steps toward reopening profitable operations.

Its not a moment too soon.

Employers and employees alike have suffered mightily as Gov. Gavin Newsom periodically imposed and then lifted restrictions in hopes of, as he puts, bending the curve on infections. We have seen some flattening of the curve but we are not out of the woods yet, Newsom said Monday.

Its not certain that his decrees have worked, given the most recent surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, but it is certain that they have had devastating economic impacts, as the newest report on employment underscores.

The state Employment Development Department reported last week that Californias unemployment rate, which had been slowly declining since hitting a peak of 16.8% last spring, spiked upwards to 9% in December, one of the nations highest.
[February 01, 2021] World Connection Wins Stevie Awards In 2021 Stevie Awards For Sales & Customer Service

BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- World Connection was presented with one Silver Stevie Award and one Bronze Stevie Award in the 15th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service last night. More than 2,300 nominations from organizations in 51 nations were considered in this year's competition. Winners were determined by the average scores of more than 160 professionals worldwide. World Connection received a Silver Stevie Award in the category of Most Valuable COVID-19 Response by a Sales Team. Additionally, it was rewarded with a Bronze Stevie Award for Sales Director of the Year, Elder Gonzalez. "We're thrilled to be recognized with these honors," said World Connection President and COO Hui Wu-Curtis. "It's a validation of the hard work our people do to provide the best customer service to our clients and their customers. It holds even more significance that this recognition was conferred by our peer group in our industry. We congratulate our fellow nominees and winners." "In the toughest working environment in memory for most organizations, 2021 Stevie Award winners still found ways to innovate, grow sales, pease their customers, and secure new business," said Stevie Awards president Maggie Gallagher. "The judges have recognized and rewarded this, and we join them in applauding this year's winners for their continued success. We look forward to recognizing them on April 14."



About World Connection

World Connection S.A. and World Connection LLC is a privately-owned global provider of call center, back office, and business process outsourcing services. Founded in 2011, World Connection provides outsourcing services including call centers, customer service, customer acquisition and retention, sales, collections, as well as back-office processing headquartered in Guatemala City. For more information, visit https://worldconnection.com/ About The Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/world-connection-wins-stevie-awards-in-2021-stevie-awards-for-sales--customer-service-301219302.html SOURCE World Connection

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
(Newser)  Dunkin'formerly known as Dunkin' Donutssays it is offering its fans a "little extra boost" to get through the "home stretch of winter." The chain says it is introducing "Free Coffee Mondays" from Feb. 1 through to Feb. 22, Delish reports. Members of the DD Perks loyalty program can get a free medium hot coffee with any purchase if they order through the Dunkin' app or have their loyalty code QR code scanned at the register before they pay. Today notes that Dunkin' and many other chains have seen a big decline in sales during the pandemic. The company announced last year that it would be closing 800 of its US locations, around 8% of the total, including hundreds in gas stations. (A Canadian man used his hot coffee to rescue three kittens.)
Weekend protest chronicled in this local news reports offer more deets on H&R Block withdrawing support from the Missouri Senator as companies based in Kansas City feel pressure via continued protest, faith community pronouncements and talk show jokes.



Read more . . .

Two Georges at The Cove has been a South Florida staple since 2010, when the Scaggs family, a lineage of expert restaurateurs, purchased the signature Cove Restaurant. Today, the restaurant is known for serving up fresh seafood, tasty salads, and juicy burgers with a side of luxurious intracoastal views. Diners have enjoyed the ample drink specials, live entertainment, charity events, and family-friendly environment for 40 years  all of which will still be available under the restaurant's new owners.

"Two Georges at The Cove is a staple in Deerfield Beach and one of South Florida's premier waterfront establishments. It was a pleasure to serve as the exclusive broker on behalf of LM Restaurants, who's been a client of ours for more than 25 years," said Christian Prakas, co-owner of Prakas & Co. "LM Restaurants is a family-owned and operated hospitality company that understands the importance of community, and Two Georges at The Cove is the perfect addition to their growing portfolio."

LM Restaurants was founded by Lou and Joy Moshakos  a husband and wife duo who opened their first restaurant in Florida nearly four decades ago. Today, the hospitality company operates several leading establishments, including Carolina Ale House, and is ran by the next generation of Moshakos. With deep North Carolina roots, the restaurant group is an industry leader known for creating local gathering spaces that feature great food, stellar service, and every customer is treated like family.

Two Georges at The Cove is open daily until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday. Drinks are half price from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and boat dockage is available. The restaurant will host its 11th annual Billfish Tournament on February 4 - 6, 2021, and all proceeds will benefit The Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. To register or for sponsorship inquiries, visit https://twogeorgesrestaurant.com or call (954) 427-0353.

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. For more information, visit www.prakascompany.com, call 561.368.0003, or email [email protected].

SOURCE Prakas & Company

Related Links

https://prakascompany.com/


Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, George Mireku Duker says the Majority caucus in Parliament deserves a rapturous applause for disapproving a motion by Bawku Central MP, Mahama Ayariga.



Hon. Mahama Ayariga moved a motion before the august House requesting President Nana Akufo-Addo to

to absorb fees of students in public tertiary institutions.



He also wanted the President to extend support to accredited Private Tertiary Institutions as part of the national COVID-19 measures implemented by the President.



He stated the approval of the motion and its subsequent implementation will relieve students and parents of the economic hardships but the motion was turned down by the Majority caucus.



A member of the Majority caucus, the MP for Ofoase/Ayirebi and Information Minister, Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah cited reasons that the motion lacked clarity and was also discriminatory against students in private tertiary institutions.



He further argued that the intent of the motion is illegal and doesn't conform to best practices.



The motion was thrown out when Speaker Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin put the question on it.



Contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Hon. Mireku Duker believed former President John Dramani Mahama is the architect behind Hon. Ayariga's motion in Parliament.









He strongly held that the former President set Hon. Ayariga to put such a motion before the House for mischief purposes but the Majority acted in good faith and in the interest of Ghanaians.



''It's hypocrisy. It wasn't with a good mind that Mr. Mahama moved the motion'', he said stressing that the government has already absorbed about 70% of the students' fees ensuring it's affordable to pay.



''The step we took in Parliament was taken in good faith. We think about Ghanaians'', he told host Nana Yaw Kesseh.





''Let's allow the government to run smoothly. We should allow the institutions to do their job correctly. Our manifesto, the contract we have with Ghanaians, Ghanaians will judge us by our own contract they signed with us'', Hon. Mireku Duker advised.He also called on Ghanaians to commend the President for implementing his free SHS programme saying it's not easy to pay school fees but the government has however absorbed the fees of all students in Senior High Schools.''If the government is paying your child's fees, that government deserves your praise because it's not easy. Paying school fees is not easy and we need to appreciate what the President has done.''

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
[January 31, 2021] IPC Shopping Centre Ushers the Lunar New Year with an "Ox-mented" Reality Twist

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IPC Shopping Centre is pleased to kick-off the 'Niu Niu New Year' celebration by serving the community in the 'phygital' space once more. From now until 21st February 2021, shoppers can browse through exclusive deals on IPC's Instagram and Facebook page and enjoy exclusive discounts as they make their purchases through delivery partners such as GoGet and Beep. This Lunar New Year, shoppers will also be rewarded with a free RM10 'Niu Niu CNY' e-voucher as they embark on a journey to a healthier self with the augmented reality filters on IPC's social media pages. To participate, shoppers will need to share a video of themselves imitating the movement of the ox in filters on their personal Facebook or Instagram page with the hashtag #NiuYearNewMe. "Staying healthy has never been more important than it is now," said Mark Tan, Marketing Manager of IPC Shopping Centre. "The 'Niu Niu New Year' concept has been part of our plans since lst year. We looked forward to celebrating the 'niu year' afresh by empowering our visitors to channel their inner ox and be a fitter, healthier version of themselves. With the implementation of the renewed movement control order, we have scaled down on our usual on-ground festivities and channelled our focus on bringing this concept to live virtually."



"In developing the augmented reality ox filter and pairing it with workout videos, our goal is to provide our community with the interactive experience that they are used to while visiting IPC Shopping Centre. We hope that through this initiative, families can stay active together and be as healthy as an ox as they jump and drum their way into the Lunar New Year and in due time, twist out of the pandemic," he added. As preparations for the celebration proceeds, IPC continues to be at arm's reach as the centre and tenants with operating permit from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) remain open and ready serve the community.

In efforts to create a safe space for visitors, IPC has increased its sanitisation efforts and switched to electrolyzed disinfectants approved by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to effectively sterilize the space in a shorter span of time. IPC is also committed to a high standard of hygiene, contact tracing, and social distancing protocols according to the latest government directives to curb the spread of the virus and ensure the wellbeing of all shoppers, co-workers, tenants, and the community. IPC has also appointed GoGet as its official personal shopping partner to provide shoppers with an alternative to shopping. Other than making their purchases in-stores, shoppers can appoint a GoGetter to purchase items for them, pick it up from a designated pick-up point at the LG1 entrance of IPC Shopping Centre, or have it delivered to their doorstep. Furthermore, shoppers can also plan their daily meals and reunion feast ahead of time and have it delivered to their homes via delivery partners such as Beep, GrabFood, and Food Panda. In conjunction with the festivities, visitors can redeem a variety of Niu Niu's Great Fortune from the i-Counter located at Level G of IPC Shopping Centre when they shop and spend in-stores. In minimising in-store decorations, the shopping centre hopes to maximise relevance in the community by reaching them online and connecting with them through current trends. For more information about IPC Shopping Centre's 'Niu Niu New Year' campaign, visit http://www.ipc.com.my/niuniu. SOURCE IPC Shopping Centre

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Type address separated by commas

Your Email:

The Bihar intermediate exam will see as many as 13,50,233 candidates sit for the test, including 6,46,540 females and 7,03,693 males

The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB), Patna became the first state board to organise board exams amid the pandemic. The Bihar intermediate exam began from today, 1 February.

Although most education boards, including CBSE, have decided to delay the exams for a few months in view of the COVID-19 outbreak, Bihar is conducting the Class 12 exams in February. Several protocols and guidelines will be followed to protect the students as well as the exam regulators from falling prey to the virus.

The Bihar intermediate exam will see as many as 13,50,233 candidates sit for the test. While 6,46,540 candidates are females, the male students will be 7,03,693 in number.

In order to observe social distancing during the exam process, BSEB has organised for an additional number of exam centres, taking the total number to 1,473. The board has also set up four model exam centres where only female candidates will attempt the board papers.

Relaxations have been made in the question paper pattern, helping the candidates score well despite the tumultuous years struggles. The entire paper will be of 100 marks but the Bihar board has decided to divide the total marks equally among objective and subjective questions.

Apart from the increased number of objective questions, there is another catch this year. All the questions of all the intermediate exam subjects will have alternatives, thereby providing students with a much higher chance at attempting all the questions.

The first day of the exams will see the Physics paper being held during the morning shift. During the second shift, exams will be held for Political Science and Hindi.

The BSEB Class 12 exams are going to be held in two shifts - the morning shift will commence from 9.30 am to go on till 12.45 pm. Later the afternoon shift will begin from 1.45 pm to 5 pm.
The welcomed the setting up of 7 mega textiles parks proposed in the 2021-22, saying this will make the industry globally competitive, but the imposition of a 10 per cent basic customs duty (BCD) on raw cotton will increase the domestic prices.

"The Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA), under which seven textile parks will be established over a period of three years, is a positive step that will enable the industry to become globally competitive, attract large investments and boost employment generation," Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) Chairman Manoj Patodia said.

He stated that the Budget has proposed to reduce the basic customs duty on caprolactam, nylon chips and nylon fiber and yarn to 5 per cent, which will encourage the growth of the Man Made Fibre (MMF) sector especially the MSMEs.

However, Patodia expressed his concern over the imposition of 10 per cent BCD on raw cotton, which will make imports of extra-long staple cotton costly, especially Giza Cotton from Egypt and Supima Cotton from the US.

The TEXPROCIL chairman also said the imposition of import duty on cotton will increase the domestic prices.

Clothing Manufacturers Association of India (CMAI) President Rajesh Masand also said the 7 mega textiles parks were the highlight of the Budget directly impacting the

This is in line with the government's intention to encourage mega projects and increase the scale of operations in the textile industry, he said. The incorporation of the plug-and-play model will enable the members of such parks to avoid huge capital expenditure outlays.

Masand also said lack of scale has been the bane of our efforts to increase the industry's share in the global trade, especially in the apparel sector.

"However, the government also has to closely study why the textile parks have not really succeeded in the past. It is crucial to avoid errors of omission and commissions in the past.

"Otherwise, this will remain one more well-intended scheme, which fails to lift the fortunes of the textile industry," he added.

Masand also said the increase of import duty on cotton and cotton fibre has come at a time when the industry is reeling from an unprecedented increase of raw material prices especially yarn and could send a wrong signal.

Crisil Research Director (Textiles) Hetal Gandhi said setting up of 7 mega textile parks will aid Indian textile exporters to improve global competitiveness against countries like Vietnam and Bangladesh by providing access to sophisticated infrastructure and facilities.

"India's share in RMG (readymade garments) exports to the US and the EU remained almost stable at 4-6 per cent, while that of competitors improved during the last 5 years," she added.

Gandhi said that setting up of textile parks along with the production-linked incentive scheme for technical textile and MMF producers will help apparel exporters to enhance export share in global markets in the medium term.

Icra Senior Vice-President and Group Head (Corporate Sector Ratings) Jayanta Roy said that by addressing some of the existing infrastructural and cost inefficiencies, which the domestic players face, this could enable India to garner a larger pie of the global apparel trade.

The Union has announced a Mega Textile Investment Scheme, which aims to create global champions in exports by establishing seven textile parks across the country, with plug-and-play facilities, he noted.

"The announcement comes at an opportune time, as sizable opportunities are available in the global markets, owing to increasing focus on diversifying the vendor base beyond China," he added.

Welspun India Joint Managing Director and CEO Dipali Goenka said the Budget is encouraging and growth-oriented and supports the achievement of the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' vision, and fuels post-pandemic recovery.

"We foresee revival of consumer confidence with the budget impetus on inclusive human capital development, infrastructure development and universal healthcare," she said.

Goenka added that announcement for setting up of 7 textile parks in the next 3 years, in addition to the recent PLI scheme for technical textiles and manmade fibers, promises to strengthen the global leadership of Indian textiles.

"The Budget proves to be a strong enabler of women empowerment in the country, with the measures announced by Finance Minister that promote women working in night shifts across all sectors, with adequate safety," she 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.)
Does the Budget address the distress caused by the pandemic?

A significant increase in allocation towards capital expenditure, healthcare support, an extension of affordable housing deduction, social security benefits for gig workers and various measures to raise financing for infrastructure have been proposed to benefit a wide section.

Will this Budget help the economy and create jobs?

The government has emphasised increasing capital expenditure and infrastructure spending in our economy to create jobs. The Budget proposes capex spending of Rs 5.54 trillion for FY22, an increase of 34.5 per cent YoY. Also, various initiatives like the tax-efficient zero coupon bonds for notified infra debt funds and the introduction of a bill to set up a Development Finance Institution for infrastructure financing would help create jobs.

What is the best thing about the Budget? And the worst?

The best thing in the Budget is no tinkering in direct and indirect tax, and no reference of wealth tax with no change in capital gain taxes.

Another good thing is the announcement of converting two public sector banks and an insurance company into private entities. This is a symbolic but great direction. The bad thing is no plan on how to revive the economy and employment, and no concrete plan on healthcare.

If you were the Finance Minister, what would you have done with the Budget?

If I was FM, I would have proposed to tax a wider population. I would have bolstered the stock market (after the result today no bolstering was required) by relooking at capital gains, and above all made concrete plans for key manufacturing sectors that generate employment.

The government has launched a plan of mega investment textile parks, which will be in addition to the Production-Linked Scheme and position India as a fully integrated, globally competitive manufacturing and exporting textile hub. With this introduction, I am certain that the textile ministry under Smriti Irani will be able to provide a platform for the exporters and industry to compete with international markets.

The NHS will take months to return to normal in England after the coronavirus pandemic is over because doctors and nurses are exhausted, it was claimed today.

Hundreds of frontline medics fighting Covid-19 have been working at 'fever pitch' for months. Hospital trust bosses say their staff need to 'decompress and recover' after taking on extra hours and seeing many patients die during the second wave.

Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, warned 'very large numbers' are expected to go on long-term sick leave or quit in the coming months.

Almost 4.5million people in England were waiting for routine operations such as joint replacements or cataract surgery by December  the highest number since records began. It includes nearly 200,000 people who have been on the lists for more than a year.

The mass influx of Covid patients to hospitals has caused havoc, forcing trusts to cancel and postpone routine services to cope with the added pressure. Thousands of cancer patients have missed out on potentially lifesaving treatment.

Almost 34,000 hospital beds were taken up by infected patients in England at the height of the second wave  80 per cent higher than the peak of 18,500 last spring.

Hundreds of doctors and nurses have been working at an 'intense fever pitch' for months. Above is an ambulance worker outside the Royal Free London hospital

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said staff are 'exhausted'

Warning the NHS was unlikely to return to normal for months, Mr Hopson told The Guardian hospital chiefs wanted to give doctors and nurses time to recover.

'There's potentially quite a tension between giving staff who are completely exhausted the space and support they need to recover, and at the same time the NHS recovering the backlogs of care that have built up, particularly in the hospital sector,' he said.

'What (hospital) chief executives worry about is that the focus is just going to be on the service delivery, about "quickly, quickly quickly, catch up on all of this".

'Of course that's really, really important. [But] how do we balance that with the need to give our staff space to recover and decompress?

'That's a really tricky and difficult issue. These could potentially be conflicting demands for a lot of people (in the NHS).'

He added on Twitter: 'Over the last few weeks NHS staff have worked at an intense fever pitch, day after day, in a way we've never seen before.

'After a year like no other, trust leaders (are) clear they have to support their staff to recompress and recover.'

He called on ministers to tell the public that the NHS will not be able to tackle the huge backlog of operations until its staff have had a chance to recover.

NHS Providers says it doesn't expect normal winter pressures to be triggered until March, and remains concerned about the 'transition' to this stage of the pandemic.

It is hoped the vaccine may be able to relieve pressure on hospitals from Covid-19 patients. Above are vaccinators receiving training at the University of Hull on January 30

Deadly toll of scrapped cancer surgery The devastating toll of the pandemic on cancer patients is laid bare today. Tens of thousands have missed out on potentially lifesaving treatment, official figures reveal. Surgery to remove tumours plummeted by one third during the first wave of coronavirus. From April to August some 21,700 fewer patients had cancer surgery than in the same period of 2019, according to Public Health England (PHE). The number of patients diagnosed with cancer from April to September last year was 35,592, a fall of one quarter compared with 2019 levels. And in the eight months from April to November, 35,488 fewer patients started cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, down 17 per cent on 2019. The devastating figures emerged as the head of the NHS said further delays to cancer surgery in recent weeks were a major cause of concern. Advertisement

Top medics say the ever-growing waiting list paints a picture of the 'calamitous impact' of the virus on routine services.

'For thousands of people in this country, a corrective operation is the best way to relieve debilitating pain and get them back up on their feet, back to work and enjoying life again,' Professor Neil Mortensen, the president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said previously.

'Many of us were complaining about the pain of the lockdown restrictions in November.

'However, we should remember all those people waiting for an operation, who had their physical pain to deal with, on top of the pain of lockdown.'

Mr Hopson's comments come after the devastating toll of the pandemic on cancer patients was laid bare today.

Tens of thousands have missed out on potentially lifesaving treatment, official figures revealed.

Surgery to remove tumours plummeted by one third during the first wave of coronavirus.

From April to August some 21,700 fewer patients had cancer surgery than in the same period of 2019, according to Public Health England (PHE).

The number of patients diagnosed with cancer from April to September last year was 35,592, a fall of one quarter compared with 2019 levels.

And in the eight months from April to November, 35,488 fewer patients started cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, down 17 per cent on 2019.

The devastating figures emerged as the head of the NHS said further delays to cancer surgery in recent weeks were a major cause of concern.

An estimated 800 cancer operations were cancelled in the first two weeks of January, as hospitals once again postponed thousands of non-Covid treatments.

Sir Simon Stevens told MPs last week that health bosses were most concerned about the disruption to cancer surgery.
SGX Nifty:

Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 30 points at the opening bell.

Auto stocks will be in focus as auto companies will start announcing monthly sales numbers for January starting from today, 1 February 2021.

Union Budget 2021-22:

Market is awaiting key reforms that could push growth and kickstart the capex cycle in the economy. The Union Budget 2021-22 would be presented today, 1 February 2021. The Parliament session started from January 29, and would be held in two phases. Subject to exigencies of government business, the session is likely to conclude on 8 April 2021.

In economic data, Markit Manufacturing PMI for January will be declared today, 1 February 2021.

The GST revenue collected for January 2021 till 6 PM on January 31 is Rs 1,19,847 crores. This is the highest GST revenue the government has collected since the rollout of the goods and services tax regime. The GST revenues for January is 8% higher than the revenues collected in the same month last year. In January 2020, the government had garnered around Rs 1.1 lakh crore.

Global markets:

Overseas, Asian stocks were mixed on Monday as official data released over the weekend showed manufacturing activity in China growing at a slower pace in January.

China's official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index came in at 51.3 in January, according to a statement by the country's National Bureau of Statistics on Sunday. In comparison, the reading for December was 51.9, remaining above the 50-level which indicates growth.

U.S. stock indexes fell sharply on Friday after COVID-19 vaccine data from Johnson & Johnson hurt sentiment, while a standoff between Wall Street hedge funds and small, retail investors weighed.

Meanwhile, new trial results from Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine disappointed some investors because it was less effective on some variants, also hurting market sentiment.

J&J said its one-dose vaccine demonstrated 66% effectiveness overall in protecting against Covid-19. The vaccine was 72% effective in the United States, 66% in Latin America and 57% in South Africa after four weeks, the company said. The vaccine however offered complete protection against Covid-related hospitalizations.

Worries of a short squeeze grew after an army of retail investors returned to trade shares in GameStop Corp and Koss Corp. The stocks sky-rocketed after brokers including Robinhood eased some of the restrictions they had placed on trading. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission warned both brokerages and social media traders that it was closely monitoring potential wrongdoing.

Domestic markets:

Back home, domestic equity benchmarks extended losses for the sixth straight session on Friday. Weak global cues triggered selling pressure. The barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, tumbled 588.59 points or 1.26% to 46,285.77. The Nifty 50 index lost 182.95 points or 1.32% to 13,634.60.

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth Rs 5,930.66 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs), were net buyers to the tune of Rs 2,443.20 crore in the Indian equity market on 29 January, provisional data showed.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Originally created for the personal enjoyments of family and friends, Hennessy X.O is the world's original Extra Old Cognac that established the category in 1870. In this spirit of breaking new ground, the Hennessy X.O 49 Commemorative Cocktail Set is dedicated to all trailblazers paving a path for generations to come: those who are bold, driven, and destined for greatness.

"We are honored to pay tribute to the historic advancements of the first Black and South Asian American Madam Vice President, as well as to all those who are pushing the limits of potential and in doing so, are inspiring others," said Jasmin Allen, Senior Vice President, Hennessy US.

The historic appointment marks another important milestone: the first graduate of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to ascend to the highest levels of government. To honor this legacy, Hennessy has pledged an additional monetary donation to long- term partner, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), in support of the advancement of Black women into the C-Suite. In partnership with TMCF, Hennessy launched the landmark Hennessy Fellows program in 2019, a long-term $10 million scholarship initiative for HBCU graduate students designed to equip the next generation of African American leaders through financial assistance, access, and experiences.

"Howard University helped to shape the Vice President's path to political heights, affirming the role Historically Black Colleges and Universities can play in molding students into the leaders and public servants of tomorrow," said Dr. Harry L. Williams, President & CEO, TMCF. "As a consistent champion for HBCUs through ongoing programming and financial support, we are humbled to partner with Hennessy to spotlight this momentous achievement."

Hennessy has celebrated those who push the limits of potential and define history for over 250 years. From every walk of life to the height of achievement, Hennessy continues this tradition with the Hennessy X.O 49 Commemorative Cocktail Set.

To learn more, please visit Hennessy.com , Facebook.com/Hennessy or Instagram.com/HennessyUS .

ABOUT HENNESSY

The leader in Cognac, the Maison Hennessy has shined around the world with its exceptional know-how for more than 250 years. Built on founder Richard Hennessy's spirit of conquest, the brand is present in more than 160 countries. Based in the heart of the Charente region, Hennessy is also a steadfast pillar of the regional economy. The Maison's success and longevity are rooted in the excellence of its cognacs, each of which is born of a unique process of transmission of know-how from generation to generation. The first spirits house to be certified ISO 14001, Hennessy unites its capacity for innovation and the support of all of its partners to protect this exceptional area. As a crown jewel of the LVMH Group, Hennessy is a major contributor to French international trade, with 99% of production sold in export, and a worldwide ambassador for the French art de vivre.

ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND (TMCF)

Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation's largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member-schools include the publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs.

TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit: www.tmcf.org .

ABOUT COCKTAIL COURIER

Cocktail Courier provides cocktail enthusiasts, and home bartenders alike, with innovative cocktail kits featuring top shelf liquors, unique ingredients, and bar-quality garnishes  all in one easy-to-use box delivered directly to your door! Our kits feature recipes from the nation's top bartenders and help to demystify the craft cocktail movement. We offer kits in a range of sizes (making 2 to 16+ drinks), perfect for gifting or parties!

For more information about Cocktail Courier, please visit www.CocktailCourier.com and follow @CocktailCourier on Instagram , Twitter, Facebook, and @Cocktail_Courier on Pinterest .

MEDIA CONTACTS

Kate Kenny, BCW Global

(908) 834-5563, [email protected]

Jacqueline Long, Hennessy

(917) 596-3871, [email protected]

SOURCE Hennessy

Related Links

http://www.hennessy.com


Cargill is permanently halting operations at a Louisiana salt mine where a roof collapse in mid-December killed two workers, the company announced, and will close the site by 2024.

According to a statement issued by the company, Cargill was already planning to end operations at the Avery Island mine by the end of this year because the lease with Avery Island Inc. which owns the land, is ending at that time. The mine is one of three salt mines that Cargill operates around the country. The salt is used to keep roads free of ice during winter.

Eighteen people were working in the mine when the roof collapsed. Rescuers found the two victims the next day. They were identified as 27-year-old Lance Begnaud of Broussard and 41-year-old Rene Romero of New Iberia.

The company has not reopened the mine since the collapse. A spokesman for Cargill, Daniel Sullivan, told The Advocate, that the decision to close earlier than had been anticipated was due to a number of factors including how much time it would take to ramp up operations after the mine had already been closed for six weeks and low demand for road salt this year.

The company says it will take until 2024 to complete work to safely close the facility. The company said it is working with employees to provide support services. About 200 people work at the mine, The Advocate reported.

Cargill also owns a salt evaporating facility in Breaux Bridge but that is not affected by the closure announcement.

The salt mine has been in operation since the mid-1800s, according to the statement from Cargill. Avery Island Inc. owns it but Cargill has been operating it since 1997.

Related:

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Louisiana Mining

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 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.
Related Six mobile theatres to infuse Egyptian cities with cultural activities

The Egyptian Ministry of Culture has announced that its mobile theatre tours began this week, with the first stop being in Cairo's Al-Asmarat district.

The performance staged in the underprivileged neighbourhood was accompanied by a ceremony marking the launch of the initiative, which will see the mobile theatres move across many districts in Cairo and other governorates.

The event was attended by Culture Minister Ines Abdel-Dayem, head of the General Organisation of Cultural Palaces Hisham Atwa, and head of the Central Department for Artistic Affairs in the same organisation Ahmed El-Shafei.

Al-Asmarat is a low-cost housing project in Cairo's Muqattam neighbourhood.

According to the culture ministry, the mobile theatres will continue their tours with visits planned in various cities in five governorates.

Six vehicles will circulate around Greater Cairo, northern Upper Egypt, southern Upper Egypt, the western Delta, the eastern Delta, the Suez Canal, and Sinai.

The vehicles carry fully equipped theatres with electricity, water services, control panels, sound and light equipment, air-conditioned control rooms, and four tents designed as changing rooms for artists. The mobile theatre is capable of creating a 37.5 square metres stage for a variety of activities.

The project is aligned with Egypt Vision 2030, which focuses on improving the quality of life of Egyptian citizens across the whole country.

The mobile theatres were implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and Military Production and Helwan Diesel Engines Company, Factory 909.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

Search Keywords:

Short link:



A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Its not only the Lehigh Valleys biggest snowstorm of the 2020-21 winter so far, its the second-biggest snowstorm on record for our area.

The noreaster that began Sunday continued dumping heavy snow through Monday. By early that afternoon, just under a foot had accumulated at Lehigh Valley International Airport  edging above the areas last major winter storm in December  with more snow expected into Tuesday. Overnight, the official accumulation surpassed two feet.

As we receive reports, we will periodically send public information statements with a summary of reports. For the latest summary, visit https://t.co/zxSz7xwAa3  NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) January 31, 2021

As they do for every storm, the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey, which monitors conditions in portions of four states, provided local snowfall totals as reports were received.

By Tuesday evening, the gathered data was still preliminary but mostly representative of the storm.

Thank you to everyone who has sent us snowfall reports as we greatly appreciate it. Nor'easter was impressive for many! Here is a look at the snowfall across the area. Note: Map is only through 7 AM today, but it gives a good representation of the amounts. #pawx #njwx #dewx #mdwx pic.twitter.com/bOhAh1TfhE  NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) February 2, 2021

As of 9:39 p.m. on Tuesday, dozens of communities reported two feet of snow or more. At the time of that report, Nazareth in Northampton County had the most in the area with an accumulation of 36.1 inches.

LVIAs most recent report, which is considered the official one for the area, was 27.3 inches as of 7 p.m. Tuesday, unchanged from its previous report six hours earlier.

Official storm totals put this noreaster ahead of the Blizzard of 96 and a few inches behind the record-holder from January 2016. In New Jersey, a state snowfall record may have been set in Mount Arlington, a Morris County borough 10 miles east of Hackettstown. Its report of 35.5 inches, if confirmed, would topple a record set in 1899. (Pennsylvanias state three-day snowfall record is 52.4 inches in Chester County, set during that same 1899 storm, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.)

The map and chart below show totals as reported to the National Weather Service over the day in Lehigh, Northampton, Warren and Hunterdon counties.

NOTE: This post will no longer be updated, barring significant changes in snowfall reports.

(Cant see the map? Click here.)

(Cant see the chart? Click here.)

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com.
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, Amazon and Jack Mas Alibaba all report earnings on Tuesday.

The week ahead

As we move into February, in the UK we have a splutter of October and November period-end results along with some December interims before we move into December annual results season in March.

( ), which provides information management software and solutions to the public and asset-intensive sectors, reports final results on Tuesday. The management team has shaken up the business since it joined in 2018, including selling the loss-making digital business in November of that year and acquiring Tascomi, a cloud-native supplier of solutions to local authority property and environmental services markets, in July 2019. In addition, it has carried out several operational initiatives including consolidating all UK operations into a single statutory entity and exiting sub-scale operations in Ireland and Malta. In the year-end trading update in November, the company said that the financial year 2020 (FY20) revenues grew by 4% to 68.0mln while adjusted underlying earnings (EBITDA) surged by 35% to 19.5mln, reflecting a 670bp increase in the EBITDA margin. Net debt fell by more than 10mln to end the year at 16.1mln.

( ), which designs and manufactures products for the critical communications, wireless telecoms and defence & aerospace markets, reports interim results on Tuesday. The company sold its antenna business a year ago, simplifying the business and strengthening the balance sheet and it appointed a new chief executive officer, Richard Gibbs, effective from September. In its annual general meeting trading update in late October, the company reported in-line trading and had cash at bank of 1.9mln along with undrawn debt facilities totalling 7.5mln. Last month the company announced a contract win from a new major UK defence customer for the supply of battlefield radio communications hardware valued at more than 1mln.

( ), which operates in the cyber and software resilience spaces, announces its interim results on Thursday. In its period-end trading update in early November, it said it now believes adjusted EBIT for the full year will be around the upper end of market expectations, although the ongoing challenges of the pandemic mean that there is still a range of possible outcomes for the full financial year.. The stock remains well below its 2016 highs but has recovered more than half of its losses since the late 2016 profits warning, and trades on around 30x current year earnings. As at 30 June 2020, the group had net borrowings of 4.2mlm along with IFRS 16 lease liabilities of 38.2mln for total net debt of 42.4mln.

Across the pond, the December quarter earnings season continues with Alphabet, the parent of Google, and Amazon both reporting fourth-qaurter (Q4) results on Tuesday. Also, Chinas largest online retailer Alibaba reports Q3 results on Tuesday.

Other US tech-related companies reporting this week include Cirrus Logic, ON Semi, Rambus, NXP Semiconductors, Amdocs, Broadridge, FireEye, Marvell Technology, , Check Point Software, Paylocity, Teradata, DXC Technology, Fortinet, GoPro, Snap, Unity Software, Microchip, Synaptics, Zendesk, Pinterest, Onto Innovation and .
Berlin is now a besieged city, and according to messages from Stockholm and Geneva, trench digging is going on with feverish haste.

With the front line only an hours car drive away, the capital has been turned overnight into a city of barricades, with everyone watching the thaw and hoping ice on the Oder will break and turn the river into a tank barrier again.

Berliners are going off to machine-gun and anti-tank drills after the days work, and one Volkssturm (Home Guard) battalion after another is being thrown into the citys outer defences on the Oder River. All round the city strongpoints are being set up. Machine guns and cannons are mounted on strategic buildings and barricades are going up.

Tank columns are speeding to the east, troops and supply columns are everywhere, and every block of houses and flats is being prepared for a last-ditch defence.

Between 25 and 30 S.S. divisions are reported to be concentrated in the Greater Berlin area, where they will try to stem the Russian advance and then slowly retreat to the inner core of the defences, blasting and destroying as they withdraw.
Access is the cornerstone of digital forensics. Grayshift delivers the most robust access and extraction capabilities for locked and encrypted mobile devices. A trusted partner to law enforcement and government investigative agencies, Grayshift enables lawful, same-day access to solve more crimes in less time. Key features and benefits of the GrayKey solution include:

SPEED  lawful same-day access for both iOS and leading Android devices, often in less than one hour

ACCESS  access to encrypted data and locked devices

DEPTH  collect encrypted 3 rd party application databases and enable decryption

party application databases and enable decryption CONTROL  maintain evidence chain of custody

By extending support for leading Android devices, GrayKey now offers law enforcement agencies the most complete file system extraction available for Android devices.

"Digital evidence is often a key factor in criminal investigations today. Lawful access to digital evidence can mean the difference between discovering the truth and a criminal investigation remaining unsolved," said David Miles, co-founder and CEO of Grayshift. "Legacy digital forensic investigations tools often fail to support the latest mobile devices and can require weeks if not months to access and extract digital evidence. Law enforcement agencies need solutions like GrayKey that can lawfully and quickly access digital evidence to accelerate criminal investigations and reduce the backlog of mobile devices sitting in evidence."

According to Mitch Kajzer, Director of St. Joseph County Cyber Crimes Unit at the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, "Grayshift's GrayKey solution is a game changer for law enforcement. The ability to access a locked Samsung phone is invaluable. Not only have we been able to access devices that were previously inaccessible, but also the amount of data extracted by GrayKey is far more than any we have even seen previously extracted from an Android phone."

Kerry Armistead, VP of Product Management with Grayshift, added, "Solving crimes quickly is a top priority for law enforcement agencies facing new challenges with the ever changing and evolving technology landscape and Grayshift has risen to meet this challenge. The speed of collecting data and the depth of data analysis is paramount in digital forensics and our purpose-built GrayKey lawfully extracts evidentiary value to help solve the most serious and time-sensitive cases."

A full list of devices and software supported by GrayKey is available on www.grayshift.com.

With the launch of Android support, Grayshift has expanded its GrayKey licensing options to service law enforcement agencies of all sizes. Annual licensing for GrayKey with iOS and Android support begins at USD $9,995. For more information, contact [email protected].

About Grayshift

Grayshift is a leading provider of mobile device digital forensics, specializing in access and extraction. Grayshift solutions are purpose-built to help law enforcement and government investigative agencies swiftly resolve critical investigations and ensure public safety. The company's innovative GrayKey technology provides same-day access, complete control, and comprehensive data extraction from mobile devices. Designed and assembled in the United States, GrayKey is trusted by 1000 agencies across more than 30 countries globally. For more information, visit www.grayshift.com.

SOURCE Grayshift

Related Links

graykey.grayshift.com


Two years ago, Teresa Gil took up hiking to help her heal from a severe life-threatening condition that she says could have killed her if she didn't undergo surgery.

In 2014, the local woman began to struggle breathing, eating and even speaking. For years, doctors diagnosed Gil with asthma and started her on strong pain medication she said she shouldn't have taken, such as a heavy dosage of steroids that left her tired and groggy.

With limited mobility and struggling to participate in day-t0-day activities, Gil said she wasn't well and suffered from depression. She noted she hated how she couldn't play with her five children. Gil's health declined steadily for four years and in July 2018, while teaching vacation bible school, everything went dark.

"I lost my vision completely," the 52-year-old Gil said. "I couldn't see. I was seeing black. [Doctors} kept telling me it was my asthma, but it couldn't have been. I was literally dying. I couldn't complete a sentence without gasping for air."

RELATED: Hiking the trails at the 'the cleanest little park in Texas'

After a CT Scan and an MRI, Gil learned her airway had narrowed by 80 percent. Her doctor said she was breathing through a straw when it should have been much wider. She was diagnosed with trachea stenosis, which is a narrowing of the windpipe that can occur after radiation therapy, prolonged use of a breathing tube, or other procedures. Her doctor believes the diagnosis stemmed from her rheumatoid arthritis.

"I've been living with rheumatoid arthritis for 28 years, so they said it attacked not only my joints but also my organs and tissues," Gil said.

Within a month after temporarily losing her vision, Gil's doctor recommended laser tracheal surgery to reconstruct her airway. The procedure uses lasers to remove scar tissue.

After six months of recovery, Gil started to feel like herself again, ready to enjoy her life, her family, and her love for the outdoors.

Since January 2019, Gil has walked, hiked, and jogged at local and state parks every weekend. Her list grew to include about 20 state parks and 40 local parks, and counting.

READ ALSO: Hiking San Antonio: Indigenous heritage and art combine at Comanche Lookout Park

"I have to be outside now," Gil said. "It gives me so much joy to be able to enjoy nature without struggling to breathe. Hiking is a stress reliever. It recharges you. It renews you. It calms you. It's peaceful. It's therapeutic."

Along the way, Gil said she also lost 28 pounds, which she calls a perk as she picked up the activity to relieve stress and alleviate her rheumatoid arthritis.

Gil first started her journey at Gardner State Park, her now-favorite Texas park because of the sights of the Frio River. In San Antonio, Gil said she enjoys McAllister Park thanks to the friendly people, the acreage and wildlife.

"San Antonio has some amazing parks and trails," she said. "We try to hike and walk new ones every week. Mud Creek Park is also another good one we like."

For those interested in hiking, Gil recommends starting slow if you're a beginner and asking your doctor for permission if you have a disability. She recommends picking up the speed and hiking longer once you've established a routine. She started off hiking 2 to 3 miles in about three hours. Now, she can do that mileage in 45 minutes.

"This activity can do so much for you," she said. "It will increase your endorphins, energy. It will bring you peace and serenity. My friends always ask me what I'm on because of my energy. I'm not on anything. I just hike."

Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre
(Newser)  "This video, as a mother, is not anything you want to see." That was Lovely Warren, mayor of Rochester, NY, on Sunday morning, reacting just before the city released body camera footage of an incident Friday afternoon involving the city's police and a local child. Per the Democrat & Chronicle, nine officers and supervisors responded to a call regarding "family trouble," with Deputy Police Chief Andre Anderson describing a 9-year-old girl as suicidal. "She indicated she wanted to kill herself and she wanted to kill her mom," he noted. The girl was said to have run from her home once police arrived, and they went in pursuit, finding her on a nearby street. Two videos were released Sunday, and in the first, the girl's mom is seen arriving on the scene and starting to argue with her daughter, at which point police officers say they tried to get the girl into a patrol car until an ambulance arrived.

story continues below

A second video shows the child insisting she doesn't want to get in the car and repeatedly crying: "I want my dad!" Cops handcuff her as she's on the ground in the snow, sobbing. In a police statement, officers on the scene say it was "required" to get her to the ground, as she'd started resisting and kicking at them. The video also shows the girl getting pepper-sprayed when she wouldn't put her feet inside the car, which the police also say was a "required" action. As they finally shut the door on her after she was inside, one officer can be heard saying, "Unbelievable." The child was taken to Rochester General Hospital, treated, then released to her family. "She's a child, she's a baby," Warren said at the presser. "I'm not going to stand here and tell you that for a 9-year-old to have to be pepper-sprayed is OK. It's not," Rochester Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan added. Anderson says the RPD is reviewing policies on dealing with such situations and looking at a "culture change" overall, per CNN. (Read more Rochester, NY stories.)
By Randy Myers

Bay City News Foundation

This lack of travel has made me quite twitchy. Fortunately, I've found a sort-of/not-quite solution -- making a great escape by watching a flurry of international films.

The California Film Institute and the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive are helping out wanderlusters like me, whisking us away from the same-oldness of our homebound lives via their choice offerings.

This week, Pass the Remote hopscotches vicariously to Brazil, Puerto Rico and on over to Greece, Japan and even tours a futuristic Ukraine.

Just like last week, we will continue to dip into the CFI's addictive "For Your Consideration: A Celebration of World Cinema," an annual event that showcases a slew of Oscar submissions for best international feature. To check out the whole program and purchase tickets, go to https://rafaelfilm.cafilm.org/for-your-consideration-2021/

"Apples": Greece's submission for the 2021 Oscars opens with a man banging his head against the wall. Considering the world of late, most of us can relate, and that scene resonates even more so once we learn that a mind-wiping virus is erasing identities of those afflicted, and that poor guy doesn't have a clue (or does he?) of who he is. Christos Nikou's black comedy finds No. 14843, a.k.a. Aris (Aris Servetalis), following doctors' dubious orders to create a New Identity. But what's deemed as appropriate behavior isn't always appropriate nor enlightened. It's an absurdist fable with just the right mix of ponderous thoughts and goofy humor, a nudge of a reminder that following the commands of a textbook life sometimes blanches it of all its joy and discovery. (Available now; https://rafaelfilm.cafilm.org/apples/)

"Atlantis": This stark, brilliant Ukranian Oscar submission is a damning indictment on war and how, in its destructive wake, conflict destroys collective psyches while polluting our lands and savaging economies. Valentyn Vasyanovych paints a dim future for battle-ravaged Eastern Ukraine, populated with angry workers and former trigger-happy soldiers. Suffering from PTSD, Sergiy (Andriy Rymaruk) lumbers through life, shooting at targets with his shaky friend and then joylessly going to a job at a soon-to-be-shuttered steel factory. His life takes a "Heart of Darkness" pitch once he begins delivering precious water throughout the region. When he meets a volunteer (Liudmyla Bileka) tasked with the unenviable job of cataloging and trying to identify the war dead, Sergiy's life starts to shift. Vasyanovych is a masterful filmmaker, framing Sergiy's odyssey in often-static wide shots that reflect how much Sergiy is confined, even trapped by his spiritual and physical environment. This is a sweeping, immersive experience, one that demands it be viewed without interruption just so you can absorb and then process what you've just witnessed. (Available now; https://rafaelfilm.cafilm.org/atlantis/)

"True Mothers": Naomi Kawase is certainly not in a rush to tell her engrossing adaptation of a Japanese bestseller about a childless Japanese couple (Hiromi Nagasaku and Arata Iura) adopting 14-year-old Hikari's (Aju Makita) newborn. Kawase revisits all these characters' past through well-edited flashbacks -- from the agonizing over not being able to conceive to the puppy-dog teen romance that forever alters the course of Hikari's life. It's an epic-sized drama that draws its power from how it looks with empathy at its well-drawn, memorable characters. Worth its nearly 2-and-a-half-hour running time. (Available now, https://rafaelfilm.cafilm.org/true-mothers/)

"Landfall": The PFA sustains its rep for plucking out choice documentaries with this thoughtful, illuminating meditation on the Puerto Rico of today, as well as before and after Hurricane Maria powered in and ripped it apart. Filmmaker Cecilia Aldarondo and crew hang out with farmers, bit-coin entrepreneurs, uneasy residents and luxury real estate sellers -- to name a few. What she uncovers by allowing the cameras to roll provides more clarity on this remarkable land and its remarkable people, both challenged by the interests of others. It's dynamite. (Available now; https://watch.eventive.org/bampfa/play/5fdaa394151ab700755d1a3d)

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.

Anchorage, AK -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/01/2021 -- Crowson Law Group is a private practice established to offer legal services to plaintiff clients who want to secure full and fair compensation for themselves due to injuries or property damages caused by another. Also, Crowson Law Group is based in Wasilla and Anchorage, with attorneys who are well-versed in many areas involving personal injury. These include vehicle accidents, aircraft accidents, motorcycle accidents, nursing home negligence, wrongful deaths, and more.



Answering a query, Crowson Law Group's spokesperson commented, "You can gain quite a lot from a conversation with our injury lawyers in Alaska. When it comes to cases involving personal injury resulting from someone else's negligence, in many instances, the insurance company of the person who caused the injury will make efforts to compensate you before you consider hiring an attorney. This is because they know that your case can perhaps be settled for a lower amount of money if you have not involved an attorney or have failed to express any menace by filing a case for your damages. At Crowson Law Group, we will instantly commence an investigation on your case, and collate the essential witness statements, photographs, documents, among other materials to defend your rights".



At Crowson Law Group, their attorneys in all the ways they can, help clients remove the burden that comes with the accident they have experienced. They have a team of knowledgeable lawyers dedicated to assisting injured persons in all parts of Alaska. As long as someone else's negligence caused an accident, Crowson Law Group is convinced that the victim deserves settlement for their injuries and other incurred damages. They also recognize how awful and unpleasant auto accidents can be. Thus, people searching for a top vehicle accident law firm can reach out to Crowson Law Group.



The spokesperson further added, "Our attorneys and support team understand the difficulties involved in enjoying life as an accident victim. They also recognize how discouraging it can be for them to continue with their lives after being injured. For this reason, we work tirelessly to understand every distinct element that is involved in your case. As we know the extent to which the accident has influenced your life, we can defend you and help you obtain the compensation that you deserve".



Furthermore, Crowson Law Group's attorneys have experience in several personal injury cases to know that a significant settlement is not the solution to all problems. Yet, settling before the usual time or for a meagre amount can intensify those problems. At Crowson Law Group, their attorneys desire that the most appropriate settlement is being offered for their clients' traumas. Hence, people who just got hurt due to another person's negligent actions, and are seeking to find attorneys in Anchorage Alaska can contact Crowson Law Group.



About Crowson Law Group

Crowson Law Group offers legal services to victims of accident and personal injury. At Crowson Law Group, they do not charge any fee until when a settlement has been secured, and they only charge an affordable percentage of the settlement. People who would like to contact best personal injury law firms can reach out to Crowson Law Group for their services.



Contact Information:



Crowson Law Group.

850 Roberts Street, Ste. 500,

Wasilla, AK 99564,

Alaska

Phone: (907) 519 0193

Toll Free: (855) 677 9393



637 A Street,

Anchorage, AK 99501,

Alaska

Phone: (907) 677 9393

Toll Free: (855) 654 7176

Fax: 907 677 9310



Email: info@crowsonlaw.com

Web: https://www.crowsonlaw.com/
hot

This is a quick pixel exercise, with the 2D work taking the third-gen 'Stang down the shooting brake route. However, the visual stunt is enough to get one into a daydreaming mood, to say the least.Coming from an enthusiast named Jim, who introduced this as part of his Imagination Land series on Instagram (helmet tip to 1320video for bringing the work to our attention), this imagination exercise portrays a contraption that might just be a first.Sure, we've come across Fox Body Mustang "family cars" before, but those were face swaps that saw the front end of the pony car landing on vehicles that had left the factory as station wagons. Such sorcery was possible thanks to the wide range of vehicles the Blue Oval built on the Fox platform, with the Ford Fairmont introduced in the late 1970s having served as a donor car for such custom machines.And while feasting your eyes on these pixels might bring the third-generation Escort to mind (we're referring to the European model, not its North American sibling), that would be an entirely different proposition. That's especially because of the Mustang's V8 motivation and rear-wheel drive, a configuration that couldn't be further from that of the Escort (small four-cylinder engines sending the power to the front wheels).Sure, the Fox Body Mustang might've been discontinued back in 1993, though its platform was updated for the SN95 that replaced it. Still, this generation of the machine has become extremely popular among custom car enthusiasts. As such, it wouldn't surprise us to see some eccentric garage out there or an YouTuber taking an example down the route mentioned in the intro. Heck, some might even call the result amuscle hatchback.
25 years ago: Ex-Stalinists, neo-fascists back interim Italian premier

Antonio Maccanico

On February 1, 1996, merchant banker and two-time former cabinet minister Antonio Maccanico was named as interim prime minister of Italy. He was the first would-be premier to receive the support of both the ex-Stalinist PDS (Party of the Democratic Left) and the neo-fascist National Alliance, an event that marked a further stage in the rightward evolution of the remnants of the Italian Communist Party.

The right-wing Forza Italia of Silvio Berlusconi also supported Maccanicos selection by President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro to replace another non-party technocrat, banker Lamberto Dini, who resigned a month prior after a year in office. But Maccanico was unable to form a government despite the support of the three major voting blocs, and returned his mandate two weeks later.

Both Maccanico and Scalfaro said the new government would seek agreement by the three parties on a new electoral structure. Their goal was to replace the current system of proportional representation, which gave considerable influence to minority parties, with a more restrictive structure based on the French constitution. The French model provided for a strong, quasi-bonapartist president who carried out military and foreign policy without regard to parliament.

The political significance of the appointment of Maccanico lay in the decision of the PDS Stalinists to seek a deal with the fascists and Forza Italia, bypassing the regionalist Northern League, the other major party in parliament. Fascist leader Gianfranco Fini and PDS leader Massimo DAlema announced their support for Maccanico and pledged to cooperate with him in the formation of a government.

Ultimately, the maneuvers failed, parliament was dissolved and the Stalinist-led Olive Tree (LUliva) coalition won a general election in April, bringing the Italian Stalinists into government for the first time in 50 years.

Maccanico later drafted the Lodo Maccanico Schifani law, a forerunner of the immunity laws used to protect politicians from prosecution. Such laws had been abolished earlier in the 1990s following the clean hands campaign against corruption in both the state and in business circles. Billionaire Silvio Berlusconi, of Forza Italia, later used Maccanicos laws to establish immunity for himself and others in his circle.

50 years ago: Rolls-Royce comes under control of British government

A Rolls-Royce RB211 turbofan engine on display in Derby Silk Mill

On February 4, 1970, the British luxury automaker and aircraft engine company Rolls-Royce was nationalized by the United Kingdom after financial crisis and bankruptcy. The engine manufacturer was split into two entities: Rolls-Royce 1971 Limited, the airline engine manufacturer and military contractor; and Rolls-Royce Motors Holdings, the automaker.

While best known for being one of the worlds earliest high-end automakers in the 1920s and 1930s, by the 1970s Rolls-Royce had transitioned into producing engines for large machinery, including airplane engines. The company began building engines for English planes in 1914, during the First World War, and began a long history of supplying both the British and American governments with engines in various military vehicles.

In 1967 Rolls-Royce won a contract to build an engine to be used in the new 400 passenger Lockheed L-1011 jet airliner. The Rolls-Royce engine project, the RB211, was riddled with problems both mechanical and financial. The engine was originally designed to use carbon fiber material to make the engine lighter than other available jet engines and better suited to power massive passenger planes. However, the carbon fiber design was not capable of withstanding the impact of birds, which can be pulled into large jet engines. The design was replaced with a titanium alternative but this proved to be costly and was not immediately able to provide the lift needed for the L-1011 to fly.

In late 1970, Rolls-Royce reported that the construction of the RB211 had grown to 170.3 million, twice the original cost projections. By the time the project had concluded the cost of producing each engine was greater than the 230,375 that it could be sold for, causing Rolls-Royce to go bankrupt.

On its own, Rolls-Royce would have been unable to fulfill its obligation to provide the RB211 to Lockheed. The American company would have also faced significant losses, as it would have had to find an alternate designer for its engine, or scrap the L-1011 entirely. In addition, the 80,000 workers employed by Rolls-Royce would have been threatened with factory closures.

The Conservative Heath government considered the collapse of Rolls-Royce, a leading military contractor, to be a matter of national security and intervened on behalf of the company to keep it afloat. While the state acquisition of the engine manufacturer is generally referred to as a nationalization, it would be more accurate to describe the situation as a bailout.

After the government took control of Rolls-Royce, the company reached a new agreement with Lockheed to complete the RB211 engine, canceling the steep financial penalties that had been levied against Rolls-Royce for failing to provide the engine on time. Eventually, after significant improvements to the jet engine, it was able to be sold to Lockheed, as well as to Boeing for use in 747s.

Rolls-Royce remained under government ownership until 1987, when it was turned over for public purchase. By then the government had absorbed much of the debt that had been accumulated in the process of building the RB211, enabling the privatized company to begin making profits.

75 years ago: Soviet Riga Trial convicts Nazi war criminals

Friedrich Jeckeln stands on the far left at Riga Trial of Nazi war criminals

On February 3, 1946, a military tribunal organized by the Soviet Union in Riga, the capital of Latvia, concluded with eight Nazi war criminals being convicted of a range of war crimes in Ukraine and the Baltic states.

The most prominent of the defendants was Friedrich Jeckeln, who had served as head of the Nazi police and SS death squads in southern Russia and Ostland (the German designation for the occupied Baltic states and part of Belorussia). The others included military commanders who had overseen mass killings and the implementation of the Third Reichs genocide of European Jewry.

Over the course of a week, the tribunal heard evidence of the crimes, including some confessions. The open trial was widely reported on, further establishing that the Third Reichs drive to colonize Eastern Europe and overthrow the Soviet Union had involved violence against civilians on a mass scale. Prosecutors stated that they were seeking to trace the blood trail that marked Nazi Germanys conquests in the region.

Jeckeln, it was established, had organized some of the worst massacres perpetrated by the Nazi regime. These included the Rumbula massacre, during which some 25,000 Jews were murdered, in or on their way to the Rumbula forest near Riga, between November 30 and December 9, 1941, and the Babi Yar massacre in Ukraine. On September 29-30, 1941, nearly 34,000 Jews were killed in the Babi Yar ravine, near Kiev. Over the course of the German occupation, some 150,000 were murdered there.

Jeckeln had devised a system, first implemented at Rumbula, for such mass killings. It involved forcing the victims into large trenches from which there was no escape. Prosecutors were able to demonstrate Jeckelns direct responsibility for the murder of over 100,000 Jews, Roma and other targets of the Nazis. Alexander Boecking, another of the defendants, had overseen the Germanization of Estonia, which involved looting, displacement and mass extermination, as well as the use of forced labour.

Jeckeln, Boecking and four of the other defendants were sentenced to death after conviction, and were hanged in Rigas Victory Square before a large crowd.

100 years ago: Stepped-up fighting between IRA and British forces

An IRA detachment photographed in 1920 or 1921

On February 3, 1921, over 500 soldiers of the Irish Republican Army, the nationalist organization fighting the British presence in Ireland, attacked British forces in Rosscarbery, in County Cork, one of the centers of the insurgency.

At about 10:00 p.m., a large party of IRA soldiers attacked the Burgatia House, the residence of the local magistrate, and fortified the premises for an attack on a regular convoy of British military. The nationalists initially attacked a unit of police who were passing. The IRA had neglected to cut the telegraph wires and the British were able to reinforce themselves quickly, and the IRA was forced to retreat. Six IRA men died, and the British had no casualties.

After the British withdrew, the IRA returned the next night and burned the Burgatia House to the ground.

Also on February 3, General Sir Edward Strickland, the British Commandant in Dublin, declared martial law in that city. Attacks on the military and police are so frequent night and day, the New York Times noted, that the newspapers have difficulty in reporting all of them. Nine police were killed and two wounded in an IRA ambush in County Limerick.

The situation had become so desperate for the British, that, according to the Times, Every police and military lorry here now carries a hostage chained and padlocked to a seat.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 23:27:23|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Customers visit a duty-free shop in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Jan. 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Starting July 1, 2020,Hainan has increased its annual tax-free shopping quota from 30,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan per person. The categories of duty-free goods have been expanded from 38 to 45, with electronic products such as mobile phones and laptops added to the duty-free list.

Official data shows sales of offshore duty-free shops in the province exceeded 32 billion yuan (about 4.98 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020.



The potential of Hainan's duty-free shopping is far from being fully tapped. The duty-free shopping industry on the island is likely to become a 100-billion-yuan industry in the next few years after duty-free sales doubled in 2020, insiders said.



HAIKOU, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Two new offshore duty-free shops opened on Sunday in Haikou, capital of south China's island province of Hainan, raising the number of duty-free shops in the province to nine.

The nine shops, run by five entities, bring a pattern of differentiated competition to the duty-free market, which will be a great boost to the building of Hainan into an international tourism and consumption destination.

The Global Premium Duty Free Plaza, run by a local company, is located in a large shopping center in downtown Haikou. The products on sale include electronic products, perfumes, cosmetics, sunglasses and imported wine, among others.

The plaza launched its first phase on Sunday, with its second and third phases due by the end of June and September this year, respectively.

The other duty-free shop, run by a company based in the southern city of Shenzhen, offers nearly 500 international brands in a shopping area of 20,000 square meters.

Yang Jun, vice general manager of Hainan Development Holdings Co., Ltd., which runs the Global Premium Duty Free Plaza, said Hainan's offshore duty-free shopping has entered a new era of development with a growing number of shops.

"We will join hands with other shop operators to expand Hainan's offshore duty-free market, attract more Chinese to spend in Hainan rather than in the overseas markets, and promote the consumption upgrading of the Hainan free trade port," Yang said.

Customers visit Global Premium Duty Free Plaza in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Jan. 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Among the nine duty-free shops, three opened in the tropical resort city of Sanya on Dec. 30, 2020, one in Sanya Phoenix International Airport and the other two in downtown Sanya, adding to the previous one at Haitang Bay.

For Zhu Mengxia, the two newly-opened shops in downtown Sanya are better located and more convenient. "We now have more choices and better opportunities to hunt for bargains," she said.

Wang Jiansheng, chairman of the Hainan Tourism Development Research Association, said, "competition impels duty-free companies to enrich products and improve services. Their competitive advantages will help build Hainan into a globally influential tourism and consumption destination, and further attract back home more overseas spending by Chinese consumers."

The China Duty Free Group (CDF), which used to dominate Hainan's duty-free shopping market, has taken steps to face the competition.

Gao Xujiang, executive director of Sanya Downtown Duty Free Store Co., Ltd., affiliated to the CDF, said the company is expanding and upgrading its duty-free shop to create a more spacious business area and offer better services.

Gao said it has also taken a slew of measures to better serve consumers, including increasing staff to handle complaints and after-sales services, and enhancing the efficiency of delivery.

Liu Feng, director of the Research Center for Free Trade Port with Chinese Characteristics of Hainan Normal University, said that the CDF has obvious advantages in the supply chain, marketing and operations due to having engaged in the duty-free market in Hainan for many years.

"Even if a competition pattern has been formed, the CDF's dominant position in Hainan's tax-free market will not change in the short term," said Liu.

Customers visit a duty-free shop in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Jan. 31, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Starting July 1, 2020,Hainan has increased its annual tax-free shopping quota from 30,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan per person. The categories of duty-free goods have been expanded from 38 to 45, with electronic products such as mobile phones and laptops added to the duty-free list.

The previous tax-free limit of 8,000 yuan for a single product has been lifted, and the number of categories with a single-purchase quantity limit has been significantly reduced. The duty-free purchase limit for cosmetics has also been raised from 12 items to 30.

Official data shows sales of offshore duty-free shops in the province exceeded 32 billion yuan (about 4.98 billion U.S. dollars) in 2020.

Following the policy upgrade, the average daily duty-free sales had hit 120 million yuan by the end of 2020, an increase of more than twofold year on year.

The potential of Hainan's duty-free shopping is far from being fully tapped. The duty-free shopping industry on the island is likely to become a 100-billion-yuan industry in the next few years after duty-free sales doubled in 2020, insiders said.

"Hainan's duty-free market has huge potential," said Xie Zhiyong, general manager of Hainan Tourism Investment Duty-free Co., Ltd.

Xie said that competition will definitely benefit consumers, and duty-free shopping will become an important attraction for tourists, which will lead to the development of Hainan's tourism industry and exponential growth for duty-free shopping sales. 
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is banking on a pair of arms on the mend to fill out the starting rotation in 2021.

Corey Kluber, who signed a one-year, $11 million contract, and Jameson Taillon, acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates, combined to pitch one inning in 2020, with both right-handers recovering from injuries.

But if the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays had their way, neither pitcher wouldve landed with the Yankees.

ESPNs Buster Olney reports The Rays decided to not pick up the option of Charlie Morton and traded Blake Snell, but that does not mean theyve given up on trying to upgrade the rotation this winter. They were in the bidding for Corey Kluber, with manager Kevin Cash driving across the state to see Kluber in person. They also tried to trade for Jameson Taillon -- with both pitchers landing on the roster of the division-rival Yankees.

Introducing Yankees Insider: Get exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers

On top of that, MLB Networks Jon Heyman reports the Blue Jays were in on Tanaka and Taillon (Rays, Jays runners-up). Pretty much assume Jays are in on everyone.

Masahiro Tanaka returned to Japan on Friday. But if the Yankees had missed on Kluber and Taillon, its very possible the former Yankees ace wouldve returned to the Bronx in 2021.

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.
MONTREAL and PARIS, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Media Ranch Founder, President and Executive Producer, Sophie Ferron, announced that Horsepower, its successful Format incubator initiative with Quebecor Content (Season 1 & 2 partner), is returning for a 3rd edition, along with new partners - La Fabrique des Formats, an innovation and training cluster in the format field, and France's TF1 joining the project for the first time.

L-R top: Sophie Ferron, President & Founder of Media Ranch; Julien Degroote, Head of Content Development & International for TF1 Group L-R bottom: Phil Kalin-Hajdu, Head of Content & Storytelling of Media Ranch; Christine Maestracci, Vice-President, Acquisition & International Distribution, Quebecor Content (PRNewsfoto/Media Ranch)

Horsepower is a French-Canadian format incubator aimed at creating exportable unscripted TV formats from French Canada. Participants are each tasked to develop an original format, and will have the opportunity to pitch to Quebecor Content, and its various channels, as well as TF1. As part of the mentorship, the participants are paired with seasoned global Format professionals. Horsepower 3.0 is seeking candidates from within Quebec, from all business sectors. Those interested should contact Media Ranch directly via mediaranch.tv/horsepower/ Submissions are accepted now until February 28, 2021.

The incubation process will begin on March 15 with four months of intense workshopping with the goal to create trained expertise in Quebec. By the end of the process, 8 fresh, exportable unscripted formats will be ready for distribution. Media Ranch's Phil Kalin-Hajdu, Head of Content & Storytelling, will provide mentorship support for the project with input from the company's Amsterdam-based SVP, Tanja van der Goes, and Ferron. In addition to the mentors, both Quebecor and TF1 will give workshops. The winning Format will receive co-development funding from Quebecor Content and TF1 and Media Ranch will manage production and global distribution. Formats created by remaining candidates may also be developed and distributed.

Dating format Heartbreak Hotel, the winning Horsepower 2.0 Format created by Isabelle Laperriere, was acquired by FormatEast (an SBS Korea subsidiary) for Asian development and distribution. Quebecor Content is also co-developing Heartbreak Hotel with Media Ranch for Canada.

Kalin-Hajdu stated:"Media Ranch is known as the go-to company for content creators and producers, attracting and fostering the best talent in the world. Our Horsepower initiative gives the chance to people outside the industry to get into the door. We gather talent from a wide spectrum of business sectors to ensure fresh concepts and the creation of formats people want to see. For 3 years now, Horsepower participants been generating some of the most interesting, distinctive Formats in the market today. We are grateful to Quebecor Content -- a truly supportive partner for Horsepower 1 & 2 and now, 3.0 in Quebec; and are excited to be joined by France's TF1. Both organizations offer us a unique opportunity to develop the best formats to take out into the world!"

"L'Ecurie is an incubator that lets us invest in Quebec's creative talents and bring their work to international audiences," says Christine Maestracci, Vice-President, Acquisition & International Distribution, Quebecor Content. "The first two editions yielded high-quality formats with international potential. Quebecor Content is pleased to continue this project with valued partners such as TF1 and La Fabrique des formats."

Julien Degroote, Head of Content Development & International for TF1 Group stated: "In addition to our policy of adapting the best international formats, the TF1 Group's ambition is also to offer innovative original formats. Over the past three years, we have created or co-developed and aired 24 formats, including District Z, Large Families, Beauty Match, My Best Christmas Ever, The Secret Song. We are delighted to collaborate with our counterpart Quebecor Content and to join the jury of L'Ecurie, created by a respected producer such as Media Ranch, which has already demonstrated the quality of the formats created in its first two editions."

PR Representative for Media Ranch:

(Ms.) MJ Sorenson, CEO E: [email protected] T: +1-646-225-6590 New York

SOURCE Media Ranch
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 well as having taken rival easyJets aircraft slots at Stansted airport and extending its contract at the Essex base, the company is working with various airports on recovery/growth incentives

( ) made a 306mln quarterly loss as it flew around 8mln people in the three months to end-December 2020 compared to 36mln a year earlier.

Revenues were just 0.34bn for the quarter, down 82% from the 1.91bn the year before, though operating costs fell to 0.67bn from 1.81bn.

The results came on the same day that the UK government extended the waiver of the rules on the use of take-off and landing slots to cover the summer 2021 season, which provided a boost to rival easyJet and British Airways owner IAG as they will not face having to operate a minimum number of flights to protect their leading positions at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

For the full year to end-March 2021, the Irish budget airline said it is cautiously guiding to a net loss of 850mln-950mln before exceptional items, with more risk towards the lower end of the range, increased from the 197mln loss in the first half of the year.

But with 3.5bn of cash still in the bank, the Dublin-headquartered flier is not sitting on its hands, having recently increased its order for Boeing 737-8200 aeroplanes by 75 to 210 of what it calls the gamechanger aircraft as it continues to return older planes.

The Boeing 737-MAX was approved by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to return to flying last week, and the process to approve other MAX variants including the 8200 is expected in the coming weeks.

Ryanair said its cost will ramp up in the current quarter ahead of its March 31 year-end and an anticipated, if slow, recovery, in the spring and summer.

As well as having taken rival easyJets seven aircraft slots at Stansted airport and extending its contract at the Essex base for four more years, the company is working with various airports on recovery/growth incentives, as well as expanding Paris and Naples and reopening Shannon.

Current coronavirus lockdowns and travel restrictions across the EU and UK has reduced forecast traffic for the full year to 26mln-30mln from the previous estimate of up to 35mln.

Looking beyond the vaccination roll-out, Ryanair said it expects to have a much lower cost base and a strong balance sheet, which will enable it to fund lower fares and add lower cost aircraft to capitalise on the many growth opportunities that will be available in all markets across Europe, especially where competitor airlines have substantially cut capacity or failed.

After an initial wobble, shares in the company were roughly flat at 14.18 by late morning on Monday.
"This investment is a further validation of our team and mission to help people, such as employees and students, improve their English speaking skills and unleash their full potential in todays global and remote work marketplace, said Ms. Vu Van, co-founder and CEO of ELSA.

ELSA, a mobile app that uses artificial intelligence and speech recognition technology to help language learners improve their English speaking skills and pronunciation, today announces a Series B round of $15 million in new capital. This round was co-led by VI (Vietnam Investments) Group and SIG. Previous investors Gradient Ventures, Googles AI-focused venture fund, SOSV, and Monks Hill Ventures also participated in this round. New investors are Endeavor Catalyst, Globant Ventures and U2s The Edge (David Evans), which will assist ELSAs expansion efforts in Latin America.

With over 13 million users worldwide, ELSA (English Language Speech Assistant) is the worlds best English speaking and pronunciation app. ELSA helps language learners with an easy way to improve their English speaking ability by listening to how they pronounce words, sentences or conversations to pinpoint exact errors and provide real-time, accurate suggestions on their pronunciation mistakes. With the increase of remote work and investment from companies looking to improve the English speaking skills of their staff, especially in Asia and LatAm regions, ELSA has inked numerous partnerships with corporations and educational institutions worldwide. ELSA is the tool of choice for many private schools, public schools and language learning centers.

Were pleased to leverage the support of our investors as we rapidly grow across Asia with an introduction into the Latin American market this year. Were honored to have VIG and SIG on board as our lead investors with their experience in building B2B solutions and scaling companies across the world. This investment is a further validation of our team and mission to help people, such as employees and students, improve their English speaking skills and unleash their full potential in todays global and remote work marketplace, said Ms. Vu Van, co-founder and CEO of ELSA.

The new capital comes on the heels of other significant milestones that ELSA has achieved in 2020, such as nearly doubling its customer base, increasing revenue by almost 300% and introducing multiple product enhancements. This new funding will go towards R&D to further develop its award-winning voice recognition AI, build a scalable B2B platform and hire new talent. ELSA recently piloted its B2B efforts with schools and companies in Vietnam and India and received significant interest from other regions. As a result, the company will now focus on creating a scalable B2B platform that allows cooperation with corporate partners around the world.

ELSAs geographical expansion will focus on the LatAm region where it has experienced exponential growth, plus ongoing investment in Vietnam, India and Japan, where growth was 5x last year with additional demand anticipated in 2021. ELSA is hiring for roles in AI, research, engineering, product and business development in locations such as Silicon Valley, Asia and Latin America.

The most difficult step in achieving proficiency in a language is speaking. ELSA applies patented algorithms to the collective data from its users through a user-friendly interface to facilitate consistent improvement. VI Group has invested in K-12, Early Childhood, Enrichment and Vocational education in Vietnam. We look forward to working with the ELSA management team to broadly distribute its app in Vietnam and international markets, said David Do, Managing Partner at VI Group.

About ELSA

Founded in 2015 by Stanford alum Ms. Vu Van, and Dr. Xavier Anguera, a veteran in speech recognition and AI, ELSA is a mobile app for language learners that helps them improve pronunciation and reduce accents, utilizing in-house speech recognition, automated feedback and deep learning technology. The inspiration for ELSA, the 2016 SXSWEdu winner, came when Vu realized that pronunciation and accent often pose as a hindrance for non-native employees in business. Based in San Francisco, ELSA has raised $27 million in capital and is backed by leading VCs in Silicon Valley and Southeast Asia and Japan. The company has offices in Portugal and Vietnam. For more information, visit: https://www.elsaspeak.com/home

About VI Group

VI (Vietnam Investments) Group is a private equity firm that focuses on high growth businesses in Vietnam. Founded in 2006 by experienced operators, entrepreneurs and investors with a long standing interest and affiliation with Asia and Vietnam, VI Group provides early-stage and expansion capital to industry-leading companies and works with management to grow revenue and margins and improve operations, thus creating shareholder value.

About SIG

SIG is a global quantitative trading and investment firm founded in 1987 with an entrepreneurial mindset and a rigorous analytical approach to decision making. SIG is headquartered in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, USA and has operations across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. SIG invests across the continuum of the venture capital life-cycle, from early to late stage and in a variety of industry sectors. SIG SE Asia is particularly focused on the adaption of business models across countries and regions, and makes extensive use of its employees and portfolio companies to provide insights and assistance to founders.

Media Contact:

ELSA Media Team

media@elsanow.io
The names of children who died at Bessborough mother and baby home are projected onto Athlone Castle in Co West Meath as part of the Herstory Light Show to celebrate St Brigids Day. Picture date: Monday February 1, 2021.

Landmarks across Ireland have been lit up to honour survivors of mother and baby homes as part of an event to mark St Brigids Day.

A light show took place at various locations across the country, including Athlone Castle and Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea.

The Herstory Light Show saw the buildings illuminated with images associated with mother and baby homes, which historian and campaigner Catherine Corless investigated.

Expand Close An image of St Brigid projected as part of the Herstory Light Show on St Brigids Cathedral, Kildare (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp An image of St Brigid projected as part of the Herstory Light Show on St Brigids Cathedral, Kildare (Niall Carson/PA)

February 1, St Brigids Day, marks the beginning of spring and the Celtic festival of Imbolc, once honoured as the feast of the goddess.

Those behind Herstory have called for the Irish public to sign a petition to make Brigids Day a national holiday.

Herstory founder Melanie Lynch said: This year the Herstory Light Show journeys into the very heart of Ireland, to awaken the healing powers of Brigid and the compassion to process the wound of the mother and baby home scandal.

Ireland is left disturbed and heartbroken by the cruel and inexcusable treatment of mothers and children.

Expand Close A nun in red holding a crucifix projected as part of the Herstory Light Show on St Brigids Cathedral, Kildare (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp A nun in red holding a crucifix projected as part of the Herstory Light Show on St Brigids Cathedral, Kildare (Niall Carson/PA)

Their trauma is the nations trauma.

I am calling on our politicians and Government to join us and support Ireland as she heals, rising to become one of the most compassionate, caring and inclusive countries in the world.

The project, entitled Sovereignty, is a specially commissioned photographic series created by photographer Myriam Riand and conceptual artist Aine OBrien.

Ms Lynch said that it reclaims and re-imagines the mother archetype which has been historically dictated and defined by Church and State.

Expand Close Christine Barry and her sons Sean four and two-year-old Oran bless themselves in the water as they visit St Brigids holy well in Co Kildare to mark St Brigids Day (Niall Carson/PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Christine Barry and her sons Sean four and two-year-old Oran bless themselves in the water as they visit St Brigids holy well in Co Kildare to mark St Brigids Day (Niall Carson/PA)

Ms OBrien said: Our aim of this project is to illuminate the spark in Irish womens hearts, showing Ireland the diversity and strength of its women.

A walk through the portal to a world where the feminine is adored, nurtured and protected.

A transformation.

To let go of the past, rebirth the now and live in their new found sovereign power.
While the new CAP will not begin until 2023, this year will be crucial in the finalising of Irelands strategic plan for the CAP.

The plan must be completed by years end and as part of this Ireland must decide its position on convergence.

Current CAP payments are based on historical payments, with the average payments from 2000, 2001 and 2002 used.

There have been calls for further reform of the dated allocation system.

The use of convergence to improve the payments of some farmers by cutting the payments of top earners has split the farming community in the past, but it will be a key feature of the new CAP.

First introduced in 2015, convergence has reduced payments to those with the highest entitlements, while farmers whose entitlements are valued at less than 90pc of the national average have seen theirs increase.

This internal convergence aims to bring entitlement values towards a national average value and it is proposed that all entitlements paid to farmers in Ireland would reach at least 75pc of the national average by 2026.

External convergence means moving more funding from western EU countries to newer Member States who have lower farm payments.

Ireland must make its decision on internal convergence before next years payment application in the spring.

In recent weeks, the European Commission has put pressure on the Government to continue the convergence process.

The Commission said the concentration of direct payments to farmers in Ireland is relatively high, reflecting the remaining link to historical references.

Ireland needs to increase the fairness and the efficiency of income support, in particular via internal convergence, stated the Commission.

It has also recommended that more CAP funding be redistributed to smaller farmers in Ireland by applying the Complimentary Redistributive Income for Sustainable Support (CRISS).

Through this mechanism, EU countries may allocate up to 30pc of their national income support budget to a redistributive payment.

This payment targets the first few hectares on a farm, meaning that all hectares below the threshold receive additional support.

Winners and losers

However, the redistribution of payments between farmers is extremely controversial among farmers and politically sensitive for political parties and farm organisations as it would see monies taken from some farmers and given to others.

Figures compiled by the Farming Independent last year highlight the potential issue.

Farmers in Kerry, Donegal and Connacht could be big winners if full convergence is implemented here.

Under full convergence, Mayo farmers would see the total value of Pillar I payments increasing by 15m to 87m. This would be worth an additional 1,300 on average for the countys 11,300 farmers.

Kerrys farmers would receive a further 14m annually, while 12m extra would be paid to farmers in Donegal, with an additional 6.5m going to Galway.

Farmers in Sligo and Leitrim would enjoy a payments boost of 4.9m, while Clare farmers would share in an extra 3.9m. Payments in Roscommon would be 1m higher.

The big losers under full flattening would be Cork (13.8m), Tipperary (9.4m), Wexford (7.7m), Kilkenny (6.8m), Laois (5.5m) and Meath (5.2m).

IFA and ICMSA are steadfastly opposed to further convergence beyond the current 60pc level, unless additional funding is provided by the State or the EU to bring farmers on low payments up to the national average.

However, the INHFA says that basing farm payments on production levels achieved in the reference years of 2000 to 2002 is a flawed process.

It is looking for the full flattening of payments to the national average of 265-268/ha.

The EU Commissions proposals for the next CAP are that all member states will be required to reach at least 75pc convergence by 2026.

Further concerns over the reduction in Pillar 1 payments are being raised by some farmers who claim the proposed Eco-Schemes (see opposite page) under the new CAP could be a new form of convergence.

Kilkenny farmer James Murphy told a recent IFA South Leinster meeting that if convergence continues through Eco-Schemes, more farmers will slip below the viability threshold.





Money leakage

IFA Director of Policy/Chief Economist Tadhg Buckley told the meeting

we dont want to see leakage of money occurring in Pillar 1 through the Eco-Schemes.

Convergence affects the entitlement values, not overall payments so in a lot of cases youre actually hitting farmers with quite modest single farm payments harder than larger payments spread over more hectares.

Eco-Schemes could be another form of convergence, depending on how it could be administered, said Mr Buckley.

He also highlighted that the proposed CRISS payment could be convergence in another form.

Former IFA National Livestock Chairman Henry Burns said a 40ha drystock farm in 2001 with an Single Farm Income in the region of 20,000, has seen that fall to around 14,000 today.

Money is seeping away from the drystock sector at an alarming rate, he said.

The money was put there in the first place to support those numbers.
2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #5

Posted on 31 January 2021 by John Hartz

Story of the Week... Toon of the Week... Quote of the Week... Graphic of the Week... SkS Spotlights... Coming Soon on SkS... Climate Feedback Article Review... SkS Week in Review... Poster of the Week...

Story of the Week...

Tracking Bidens environmental actions

The new president is unwinding Trumps legacy while forging his own

President Biden has placed climate change squarely at the center of his White House agenda, using his first hours in office to rejoin the Paris climate accord and begin overturning more than 100 environmental actions taken by the Trump administration.

He has in the past week made it clear he will go well beyond reversing former president Donald Trumps policies. On Jan. 27 he signed an executive order that elevated climate change as a national security issue; instructed every agency to take climate change into account when formulating its policies; directed the government to buy clean and zero-emission vehicles for federal, state, local and tribal government fleets; established a new civilian conservation corps; and ordered a plan for conserving 30 percent of Americas lands and waters by the end of the decade.

In my view, weve already waited too long to deal with this climate crisis. We cant wait any longer, Biden told reporters. We see it with our own eyes. We feel it. We know it in our bones and its time to act.

Click here to access the entire article as originally published on the Washington post website.

Tracking Bidens environmental actions by Juliet Eilperin, Brady Dennis & John Muyskens, Climate & Environment, Washington Post, Updated Jan 29, 2021

Toon of the Week...

Hat tip to the Stop Climate Science Denial Facebook page.

Quote of the Week...

Ive done this work for a really long time and it was awesome to be a part of the Obama administration, but theyve put this on steroids, Carol Browner, who served as Obamas climate czar and EPA administrator throughout Bill Clintons presidency, told Vox. Its ambitious, its proactive, its durable action on climate change.

Bidens all of government plan for climate, explained by Ella Nilsen, Vox, Jan 27, 2021

SkS Spotlights...

The Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes (CLEX) is an international research consortium of five Australian universities and a network of outstanding national and international partner organizations supported by the Australian Research Council.

Climate extremes are the confluence of high impact weather and climate variability. The Centre will improve our understanding of the processes that trigger or enhance extremes and build this understanding into our modelling systems. The improved predictions of climate extremes will help Australia cope with extremes now and in the future.

Coming Soon on SkS...

A climate bet impossible to lose (Rob Honeycutt)

(Rob Honeycutt) Next run of Denial101x starts on February 9 (Baerbel)

(Baerbel) SkS New Research for Week #5 (Doug Bostrom)

(Doug Bostrom) Environmentalists' Climate Change Myths (Climate Adam)

(Climate Adam) Global Ice Loss on Pace to Drive Worst-Case Sea Level Rise (Bob Berwyn)

2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #6 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2021 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #6 (John Hartz)

Climate Feedback Article Review...

Video interview of Ian Plimer at Sky News falsely claims that a new study announces an incoming ice age, partly based on an incorrect Daily Mail headline

Analysis of Earth's climate is 'cyclical' as new study claims an ice age is coming published in Daily Mail, Sky News Australia, by Ian Plimer on 13 January 2021

Eight scientists analysed the article and unanimously estimate its overall scientific credibility to be very low.

A majority of reviewers tagged the article as: Clickbait headline, Flawed reasoning, Inaccurate, Misleading.

Click here to access the detailed analysis of this claim by a panel of experts.

Video interview of Ian Plimer at Sky News falsely claims that a new study announces an incoming ice age, partly based on an incorrect Daily Mail headline, Edited by Nikki Forrester, Article Review, Climate Feedback, Jan 20, 2021

SkS Week in Review...

Poster of the Week...
The United States on Monday led governments around the world in calling for the restoration of Myanmar's democracy after the military staged a coup, arresting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other politicians.

- United States -

US President Joe Biden urged the international community to "come together in one voice to press the Burmese military to immediately relinquish the power they have seized".

"The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy," Biden said in a statement, using Myanmar's former name.

"The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action."

Before the coup, Washington, alongside several other Western nations, had urged the military to "adhere to democratic norms" in a January 29 statement that came as the commander-in-chief threatened to revoke the country's constitution.

- Britain -

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the coup and Suu Kyi's imprisonment, tweeting: "The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released."

Britain later summoned Myanmar Ambassador Kyaw Zwar Minn to the Foreign Office to lodge a formal protest.

- India -

"We have noted the developments in Myanmar with deep concern. India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar. We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld," India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

- China -

China, which regularly opposes UN intervention in Myanmar, called for all sides to "resolve differences".

"China is a friendly neighbour of Myanmar and hopes the various parties in Myanmar will appropriately resolve their differences under the constitutional and legal framework to protect political and social stability," foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing.

Story continues

- Russia -

In a statement, Russia's foreign ministry called for "a peaceful settlement of the situation, in accordance with the law in force, through the resumption of political dialogue".

- United Nations -

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "strongly" condemned the military's detention of Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders.

"These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar," spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

The UN Security Council will convene in emergency session Tuesday to discuss the situation in Myanmar.

- European Union -

European Council President Charles Michel strongly condemned the coup, saying the outcome of November elections won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy "has to be respected".

- Australia -

"We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully," Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said.

- Bangladesh -

"We hope that the democratic process and constitutional arrangements will be upheld in Myanmar," the foreign ministry in Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya live in refugee camps, said in a statement.

"As an immediate and friendly neighbour, we would like to see peace and stability in Myanmar."

- Japan -

Japan urged Myanmar's military to free Suu Kyi and to restore democracy.

"We request the release of stakeholders including state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi," Japan's foreign ministry said in a statement, urging "the national army to quickly restore the democratic political system in Myanmar".

- ASEAN countries -

Both Singapore and Indonesia called for restraint from all sides, but Philippine presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the situation was an "internal matter".

"Our primary concern is the safety of our people," he said. "Our armed forces are on standby in case we need to airlift them as well as navy ships to repatriate them if necessary."

- Turkey -

The Turkish government, itself the target of a military coup in 2016, condemned the takeover and called for the politicians' release.

"Turkey opposes all kinds of coups and we expect the immediate release of elected leaders, political figures and civilians who have been detained," the Turkish foreign ministry said.

bur-sst/jm
CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's prime minister said on Monday that Microsoft is confident it can fill the void if Google carries out its threat to remove its search engine from Australia.

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2019, file photo, Microsoft Corp.'s Bing search engine page is seen on a computer screen in Beijing. The Australian prime minister said Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, Microsoft is confident it could fill the void if Google carries out its threat to remove its search engine from Australia. A Google executive told a Senate hearing last month that it would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government went ahead with plans to make tech giants pay for news content. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had since spoken to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella about its search engine Bing filling the space.(AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

CANBERRA, Australia - Australia's prime minister said on Monday that Microsoft is confident it can fill the void if Google carries out its threat to remove its search engine from Australia.

A Google executive told a Senate hearing last month that it would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government goes ahead with a draft law that would make tech giants pay for news content.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he has spoken to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella about its search engine, Bing, filling the space.

I can tell you, Microsofts pretty confident that Australians would not be worse off, Morrison told the National Press Club of Australia.

These are big technology companies and whats important to Australia, I think, is that we set the rules that are right for our people, Morrison said.

Having a news environment in this country that is one that is sustainable and is supported commercially, then this is vital to how democracies function, he added.

Although Bing is Australias second most popular search engine, it has only a 3.6% market share, according to web analytics service Statcounter. Google says it has 95%.

Nadella initiated the Zoom conversation with Morrison, The Australian newspaper reported.

A Microsoft statement confirmed that the online meeting had taken place last week but released no details of the conversation.

We recognize the importance of a vibrant media sector and public interest journalism in a democracy and we recognize the challenges the media sector has faced over many years through changing business models and consumer preferences," Microsoft said.

With respect to the current controversy over a potential code of conduct governing Google and Facebook, Microsoft is not directly involved and we wouldnt want to comment on that ongoing process involving the ACCC and those companies, the statement added, referring to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the national regulator that devised the draft law.

The mandatory code of conduct proposed by the government aims to make Google and Facebook pay Australian media companies fairly for using news content the tech giants siphon from news sites.

There are no plans to make smaller search engines such as Bing pay for linking users to Australian news, but the government has not ruled that option out.

Google has faced pressure from authorities elsewhere to pay for news. Last month, it signed a deal with a group of French publishers paving the way for the company to make digital copyright payments. Under the agreement, Google will negotiate individual licensing deals with newspapers, with payments based on factors such as the amount published daily and monthly internet site traffic.

But Google is resisting the Australian plan because it would have less control over how much it would have to pay. Under the Australian system, if an online platform and a news business cant agree on a price for news, an arbitration panel will make a binding decision on payment.

Morrison said he would like to see more alignment between the worlds economies on such antitrust and competition policy issues.
A Rice University model shows the predicted atmospheric concentration distribution in parts per billion of a downwind diesel plume in the hours after Hurricane Ike. Rice engineers modeled the hypothetical threats from toxins released when oil and chemical tankers in the Houston Ship Channel fail during a storm. Credit: Rice University

When aboveground storage tanks fail during a storm and their toxic contents spread, the threat to human health can and probably will flow downwind of the immediate area.

Rice University engineers have developed a model to quantify what could happen when a hurricane or other natural disaster causes such damage based on data gathered from the Houston Ship Channel, the largest petrochemical complex in the United States, during and after two hurricanes, Ike in 2008 and Harvey in 2017.

Pollutants like toxic organic chemicals evaporate from spills and can be carried a long way from the site by the wind, depending on the storm's characteristics.

The computational model, according to atmospheric scientist Rob Griffin of Rice's Brown School of Engineering, uses real data from the two storms as a proof of concept. The model is available upon request to help researchers predict the 'what if' consequences of future storms that threaten storage tanks or chemical spills in general.

"We first had to understand the surge models, and that takes time after a storm," Griffin said. "This paper combines the hydrology from those storm scenarios with structural fragility models, leading to predicting the atmospheric consequences."

The study appears in the journal Atmospheric Environment.

The model follows the hypothetical fate of toxins like organic solvents including benzene and toluene and their reaction products as they drift with the wind for up to 12 hours after a spill, up to about 5,000 feet. The pollutants pose further damage as they evolve into secondary toxins within the downwind plumes, according to the researchers.

The model predicted downwind oil plumes would cover a broader region than organic solvent plumes that would remain concentrated along the path of the prevailing wind, according to the study. It showed substantial formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosols forming in the solvent plumes, depending on other factors like sunlight and background pollutants.

The researchers noted models could provide the only means to estimate the spread of pollutants that threaten the population downwind of a spill if a storm knocks out air quality monitoring systems in its path.

A Rice University model shows the predicted atmospheric concentration distribution in parts per billion of a downwind diesel plume six hours after Hurricane Harvey. Rice engineers modeled the hypothetical threats from toxins released when oil and chemical tankers in the Houston Ship Channel fail during a storm. Credit: Rice University

A 2015 study by Rice civil and environmental engineer Jamie Padgett and alumnus Sabarethinam Kameshwar, now an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Louisiana State University, predicted a percentage of storage tanks would fail if a Category 4 or greater hurricane hit the Houston Ship Channel, either lifting them off their foundations, crushing them or penetrating them with debris.

They estimated a 24-foot storm surge could release 90 million gallons or more of oil and hazardous substances.

That study was a jumping-off point for Griffin, Padgett and Phil Bedient, director of Rice's Severe Storm Prediction, Education and Evacuation from Disasters (SPPEED) Center, along with Hanadi Rifai, a Rice alumna and environmental engineer at the University of Houston, to model how such a spill would spread pollutants through the atmosphere.

"The earlier study predicted the (surface-bound) plume in the ship channel if this spill were to happen," Griffin said. "It talked about potential exposure to the environment and damage to the channel itself, but as an atmospheric chemist, I thought, that stuff's not going to just sit there. It's going to evaporate."

One model related to conditions during and after Hurricane Ike showed a diesel plume from a single tank spill would expand slowly for the first six hours to cover about 42 square kilometers, but then expand rapidly to cover 500 square kilometers after nine hours. The swirling winds would have kept the plume within Texas, the model shows.

But travel downwind would have been significantly different during Harvey, for which the model showed a narrower and more concentrated plume directed by the wind straight into the Gulf of Mexico.

Models of the fate of evaporated toluene and benzene during Ike showed the plumes tracked with the storm's eastward path, with levels dangerous to human health most likely at the center of the plume within the first minutes of a tank failure. These would pose a risk to workers and communities near the spill, but the chemicals' concentrations would decrease rapidly further downwind.

"I don't think the information about what's in the tanks is public knowledge, so we had to make some assumptions about what would spill if there were a spill," Griffin said. "But it's valuable to think about what would happen to those chemicals once they're in the atmosphere. The same results could be just as applicable to something like the Deepwater Horizon. Once that material reached the surface of the ocean, what happens to it when it evaporates?

"I would love to see some of the owners of these tanks use this to look at their structures," he said. "I can imagine folks like the Environmental Defense Fund or other advocates picking up on the study as well."

Griffin noted the model isn't set up to allow a company to predict the effects of a single tank failure. "It's a more general model of a region with tanks that are likely to fail, based on real situations that happened," he said. "But we can make the chemistry and atmospheric code available. If others want to study a given storm situation and a given leaking tank, some significant legwork would need to go into that."

Explore further Disaster database cements itself as go-to hub for natural hazard information

More information: Shiyang Bi et al, Simulation of potential formation of atmospheric pollution from aboveground storage tank leakage after severe storms, Atmospheric Environment (2021). Journal information: Atmospheric Environment Shiyang Bi et al, Simulation of potential formation of atmospheric pollution from aboveground storage tank leakage after severe storms,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118225
(CNN)  Myanmar's military seized power of the Southeast Asian country in a coup on Monday, after detaining the country's civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and numerous other top government figures.

In a television address, the army announced that power had been handed to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and that it was declaring a national state of emergency for one year.

Suu Kyi and several state ministers are being detained in the capital Naypyidaw, according to a spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy (NLD).

The move comes after months of increasing friction between the civilian government and the powerful military, known as the Tatmadaw, over alleged election irregularities.

The two bodies have attempted to share power since the 2015 elections, Myanmar's first openly contested poll since the end of military rule. That power sharing relationship now appears to be over following Monday's coup.

Here's what you need to know about the situation.

Who is Suu Kyi? What is Myanmar's political system?

Suu Kyi was once celebrated as an international democracy icon. A former political prisoner, she spent 15 years under house arrest as part of a decades-long struggle against military rule.

Her release in 2010 and subsequent election victory five years later were lauded by Western governments as landmark moments in the country's transition to democratic rule after 50 years of the military regime.

However, despite embarking on some democratic reforms and installing a quasi-civilian government under General Thein Sein in 2011, Myanmar's military was not keen to relinquish their power. The ruling junta drafted a constitution in 2008 that made sure the military would continue to wield significant political and economic influence, regardless of future administrations.

Under this constitution, the military is allocated a quarter of seats in parliament and it retains control of key ministries like home affairs and defense. The military also has veto power on any attempts to amend the constitution.

It's within this framework that Suu Kyi and the NLD first formed a government in 2015. She was elected to office under the title of state counsellor -- which had been invented as a loophole, since the military-drafted constitution barred her from becoming President.

Allegations of genocide against the Rohingya

After her 2015 victory, Suu Kyi's tenure was quickly marred by difficulties in making real progress with the peace process that aimed to end the country's many ethic civil wars.

Suu Kyi also came under fire internationally for failing to speak out against numerous atrocities allegedly carried out by the military against Rohingya Muslims in western Rakhine state. Hundreds of thousands of the persecuted ethnic minority were forced out of western Myanmar into neighboring Bangladesh during violent military operations in 2016 and 2017.

Suu Kyi has repeatedly denied these charges, siding with military and labeling the accusations "misinformation."

Her government and the military are now facing a genocide investigation at the International Court of Justice.

However, domestically she remained popular, especially among the Bamar ethnic majority. In November 2020 the NLD won another resounding victory at the polls, awarding Suu Kyi a second term.

What triggered the coup?

Monday's crackdown is centered around November's parliamentary election.

The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) performed dismally in the poll, prompting the party to demand a new vote, claiming bias and "unfair campaigning."

The military also repeatedly disputed the election results. It claims, without providing evidence, that there are more than 10.5 million cases of "potential fraud, such as non-existent voters" and called on the election commission to publicly release the final polling data.

Last week, a military spokesperson warned it would "take action" if the dispute wasn't settled, and refused to rule out staging a coup.

The election commission has denied there is widespread voter fraud.

But the threat of military intervention prompted international leaders, including the United Nations Secretary-General to voice concern -- and the military appeared to back down, claiming that its comments had been misinterpreted.

By Monday, it became clear that the military had seized power in a coup.

What's the situation on the ground? What's next?

Myanmar's first Vice President and former general Myint Swe was installed as the country's acting President on Monday. The whereabouts of Suu Kyi and the other detained officials and ministers is unknown.

In its television address, the army said it had detained Suu Kyi and other political leaders for failing to take action over unfounded election fraud and had declared a state of emergency for one year. Power was transferred to the commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing, who will carry out an investigation into voting irregularities, according to the announcement.

Justifying the coup, the military cited a section of the constitution that said in the event of a state of emergency, as is the case now, the commander-in-chief has the constitutional right to "take over and exercise State sovereign power."

In a statement later on Monday, Min Aung Hlaing's office said that elections will take place only after the election commission has been "re-constituted" and the voter lists have been investigated.

"A free and fair multiparty general election will be held and then, state responsibilities will be handed over to the winning party meeting norms and standards of democracy," the statement said.

It's hard to say what will come next, especially since there has been widespread disruption in internet and news access across the country -- which could affect the ability of people to get information or organize any response via social media.

Netblocks, which monitors internet blackouts around the world, said that real-time network data showed a major drop in connectivity in the early hours of Monday morning. At one point, the only operational TV channel was the Myanmar military-owned television network Myawaddy TV.

Banks across the country were also temporarily shut down, with operations ceased until the internet connection improves, according to a statement from the Myanmar Bank Association.

What have world leaders said?

World leaders and international organizations were quick to voice alarm and concern.

The United Nations Security Council will discuss Myanmar in private consultations Tuesday morning, according to its latest schedule, which has been updated following the coup.

President Joe Biden called on Myanmar's military leaders to "immediately relinquish the power they have seized, release the activists and officials they have detained, lift all telecommunications restrictions, and refrain from violence against civilians."

Biden threatened to review sanctions on Myanmar, saying the US removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy. "The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action," Biden said in a statement.

Other countries, including India, Japan, the UK, New Zealand and Australia, have also released statements calling for de-escalation and the release of those detained.

Australia on Monday called for the immediate release of Suu Kyi and other senior leaders who are being detained by the military.

In a statement, Marise Payne the Minister of Foreign Affairs said, "The Australian Government is deeply concerned at reports the Myanmar military is once again seeking to seize control of Myanmar."

"We call on the military to respect the rule of law, to resolve disputes through lawful mechanisms, and to release immediately all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully," the statement said.

Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed concern, saying in a statement that it urged "all parties in Myanmar to exercise self-restraint and put forth dialogue in finding solutions to challenges so as not to exacerbate the condition."

In the Thai capital of Bangkok, protesters gathered outside Myanmar's embassy on Monday. Video from Reuters showed some demonstrators burning a picture of Myanmar's army chief.

Myanmar shares a border with Thailand, which experienced a coup in 2014 when its military overthrew the government.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a tweet Monday, "I condemn the coup and unlawful imprisonment of civilians, including Aung San Suu Kyi, in Myanmar. The vote of the people must be respected and civilian leaders released."

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said they are "learning more about the situation" and that China is "a friendly neighbor of Myanmar, and we hope that all parties in Myanmar will properly handle their differences under the constitutional and legal framework and maintain political and social stability."

"The military's actions show utter disdain for the democratic elections held in November and the right of Myanmar's people to choose their own government," said Brad Adams, Asia director of the international NGO Human Rights Watch, in a statement. "We urge concerned governments to speak out forcefully against the military's actions and consider targeted sanctions against those responsible."
WeedMD said the products will be distributed locally via Quebec-based cultivator and local partner ROSE LifeScience Inc

Color Cannabis dried flower products now available in Quebec include cultivars Pedros Sweet Sativa and Ghost Train Haze

( ) ( ) (FRA:4WE) confirmed that the companys adult-use products sold under the Color Cannabis brand are now available for purchase in the province of Quebec.

WeedMD said the products will be distributed locally via Quebec-based cultivator and WeedMDs local partner ROSE LifeScience Inc, following the completion of its first shipment to the Societe quebecoise du cannabis (SQDC).

Securing access into new markets is a key strategic objective for us in 2021 and were thrilled to be expediting our Color Cannabis expansion kick-off with confirmation that our products are now available in the Quebec market, WeedMD Interim CEO George Scorsis said in a statement.

He added: Were honoured that Color is among this selection.

WeedMD noted that its Color Cannabis dried flower products now available in Quebec include its cultivars Pedros Sweet Sativa and Ghost Train Haze.

In addition to Quebec, WeedMDs cannabis products are available in Ontario, Nova Scotia, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with more provinces expected to be added in 2021.

The company also announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Vincent Dore to the role of Corporate Secretary.

Dore is currently WeedMDs Vice President of Legal, joining the company in September 2020 after previously serving as legal counsel for the Ontario Cannabis Store.

is the parent company of WeedMD RX Inc and Starseed Medicinal Inc, which are federally licensed producers of cannabis products for both the medical and adult-use markets. The company owns a 158-acre greenhouse, outdoor cultivation and processing facility in Strathroy, Ontario.

Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com
Atlantic Council Puts Out Anonymous Document Calling for Overthrow of Xi

Jan. 31 , 2021 (EIRNS)The Atlantic Council went out front on Jan. 28 publishing a lengthy proposal to try to overthrow Chinas President Xi Jinping, linked to a policy document written by a former senior government official with deep expertise and experience dealing with China. Frederick Kempe, head of the Council, wrote a Foreword to the document, and published an op-ed for CNBC Jan. 30, highlighting it. The former official, who Kempe says prefers to remain anonymous, calls for efforts to encourage a coup detat against the rule of President Xi Jinping in China. Called The Longer Telegram, the document refers to George Kennans Long Telegram (also anonymous at the time) which called for a containment policy against the Soviet Union.

In Biden Must Draw Red Lines Against China and Focus on Xi Jinpings Authoritarian Leadership, for Politico on Jan. 28, Anonymous describes the 85-page paper for the Atlantic Council, largely taken from the papers Executive Summary: Xi has demonstrated that he intends to project Chinas authoritarian system, coercive foreign policy, and military presence well beyond his countrys own borders to the world at large, the author says.

China under Xi, unlike under Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao, is no longer a status quo power. It has become a revisionist power. For the United States, its allies, and the U.S.-led liberal international order, this represents a fundamental shift in the strategic environment. Ignoring this profound change courts peril. Xi is no longer just a problem for U.S. primacy. He now presents a serious problem for the whole of the democratic world.... The political reality is that the CCP is significantly divided on Xis leadership and his vast ambitions. Senior party members have been greatly troubled by Xis policy direction and angered by his endless demands for absolute loyalty. They fear for their own lives and the future livelihoods of their families. Of particular political toxicity in this mix are the reports unearthed by international media of the wealth amassed by Xis family and members of his political inner circle, despite the vigor with which Xi has conducted the anti-corruption campaign. It is simply unsophisticated strategy to treat the entire Communist Party as a single target when such internal fault lines should be clear to the analysts eyeand in the intelligent policy makers penning. A campaign to overthrow the party also ignores the fact that China, under all five of its post-Mao leaders prior to Xi, was able to work with the United States. Under them, China aimed to join the existing international order, not to remake it in Chinas own image. Now, however, the mission for U.S. China strategy should be to see China return to its pre-2013 pathi.e., the pre-Xi strategic status quo.... Given the reality that todays China is a state in which Xi has centralized nearly all decision-making power in his own hands, and used that power to substantially alter Chinas political, economic, and foreign-policy trajectory, U.S. strategy must remain laser focused on Xi, his inner circle, and the Chinese political context in which they rule. Changing their decision-making will require understanding, operating within, and changing their political and strategic paradigm....

And again: The overriding political objective should be to cause Chinas elite leadership to collectively conclude that it is in the countrys best interests to continue to operate within the existing U.S.-led liberal international order rather than build a rival order, and that it is in the partys best interests, if it wishes to remain in power at home, not to attempt to expand Chinas borders or export its political model beyond Chinas shores. In other words, China can become a different type of global great power than that envisaged by Xi.
A murderous system is being created before our very eyes

By Nils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture.

January 31, 2021 " Information Clearing House " -

1. The Swedish Police constructed a story of rape

Nils Melzer, why is the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture interested in Julian Assange?

That is something that the German Foreign Ministry recently asked me as well: Is that really your core mandate? Is Assange the victim of torture?

What was your response?

The case falls into my mandate in three different ways: First, Assange published proof of systematic torture. But instead of those responsible for the torture, it is Assange who is being persecuted. Second, he himself has been ill-treated to the point that he is now exhibiting symptoms of psychological torture. And third, he is to be extradited to a country that holds people like him in prison conditions that Amnesty International has described as torture. In summary: Julian Assange uncovered torture, has been tortured himself and could be tortured to death in the United States. And a case like that isnt supposed to be part of my area of responsibility? Beyond that, the case is of symbolic importance and affects every citizen of a democratic country.

Why didnt you take up the case much earlier?

Imagine a dark room. Suddenly, someone shines a light on the elephant in the room  on war criminals, on corruption. Assange is the man with the spotlight. The governments are briefly in shock, but then they turn the spotlight around with accusations of rape. It is a classic maneuver when it comes to manipulating public opinion. The elephant once again disappears into the darkness, behind the spotlight. And Assange becomes the focus of attention instead, and we start talking about whether Assange is skateboarding in the embassy or whether he is feeding his cat correctly. Suddenly, we all know that he is a rapist, a hacker, a spy and a narcissist. But the abuses and war crimes he uncovered fade into the darkness. I also lost my focus, despite my professional experience, which should have led me to be more vigilant.

Fifty weeks in prison for violating his bail: Julian Assange in January 2020 in a police van on the way to Londons maximum security Belmarsh prison. Dominic Lipinski/Press Association Images/Keystone

Lets start at the beginning: What led you to take up the case?

In December 2018, I was asked by his lawyers to intervene. I initially declined. I was overloaded with other petitions and wasnt really familiar with the case. My impression, largely influenced by the media, was also colored by the prejudice that Julian Assange was somehow guilty and that he wanted to manipulate me. In March 2019, his lawyers approached me for a second time because indications were mounting that Assange would soon be expelled from the Ecuadorian Embassy. They sent me a few key documents and a summary of the case and I figured that my professional integrity demanded that I at least take a look at the material.

And then?

It quickly became clear to me that something was wrong. That there was a contradiction that made no sense to me with my extensive legal experience: Why would a person be subject to nine years of a preliminary investigation for rape without charges ever having been filed?

No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter

Is that unusual?

I have never seen a comparable case. Anyone can trigger a preliminary investigation against anyone else by simply going to the police and accusing the other person of a crime. The Swedish authorities, though, were never interested in testimony from Assange. They intentionally left him in limbo. Just imagine being accused of rape for nine-and-a-half years by an entire state apparatus and by the media without ever being given the chance to defend yourself because no charges had ever been filed.

You say that the Swedish authorities were never interested in testimony from Assange. But the media and government agencies have painted a completely different picture over the years: Julian Assange, they say, fled the Swedish judiciary in order to avoid being held accountable.

Thats what I always thought, until I started investigating. The opposite is true. Assange reported to the Swedish authorities on several occasions because he wanted to respond to the accusations. But the authorities stonewalled.

What do you mean by that: The authorities stonewalled?

Allow me to start at the beginning. I speak fluent Swedish and was thus able to read all of the original documents. I could hardly believe my eyes: According to the testimony of the woman in question, a rape had never even taken place at all. And not only that: The womans testimony was later changed by the Stockholm police without her involvement in order to somehow make it sound like a possible rape. I have all the documents in my possession, the emails, the text messages.

The womans testimony was later changed by the police  how exactly?

On Aug. 20, 2010, a woman named S. W. entered a Stockholm police station together with a second woman named A. A. The first woman, S. W. said she had had consensual sex with Julian Assange, but he had not been wearing a condom. She said she was now concerned that she could be infected with HIV and wanted to know if she could force Assange to take an HIV test. She said she was really worried. The police wrote down her statement and immediately informed public prosecutors. Even before questioning could be completed, S. W. was informed that Assange would be arrested on suspicion of rape. S. W. was shocked and refused to continue with questioning. While still in the police station, she wrote a text message to a friend saying that she didnt want to incriminate Assange, that she just wanted him to take an HIV test, but the police were apparently interested in getting their hands on him.

What does that mean?

S.W. never accused Julian Assange of rape. She declined to participate in further questioning and went home. Nevertheless, two hours later, a headline appeared on the front page of Expressen, a Swedish tabloid, saying that Julian Assange was suspected of having committed two rapes.

Two rapes?

Yes, because there was the second woman, A. A. She didnt want to press charges either; she had merely accompanied S. W. to the police station. She wasnt even questioned that day. She later said that Assange had sexually harassed her. I cant say, of course, whether that is true or not. I can only point to the order of events: A woman walks into a police station. She doesnt want to file a complaint but wants to demand an HIV test. The police then decide that this could be a case of rape and a matter for public prosecutors. The woman refuses to go along with that version of events and then goes home and writes a friend that it wasnt her intention, but the police want to get their hands on Assange. Two hours later, the case is in the newspaper. As we know today, public prosecutors leaked it to the press  and they did so without even inviting Assange to make a statement. And the second woman, who had allegedly been raped according to the Aug. 20 headline, was only questioned on Aug. 21.

What did the second woman say when she was questioned?

She said that she had made her apartment available to Assange, who was in Sweden for a conference. A small, one-room apartment. When Assange was in the apartment, she came home earlier than planned, but told him it was no problem and that the two of them could sleep in the same bed. That night, they had consensual sex, with a condom. But she said that during sex, Assange had intentionally broken the condom. If that is true, then it is, of course, a sexual offense  so-called stealthing. But the woman also said that she only later noticed that the condom was broken. That is a contradiction that should absolutely have been clarified. If I dont notice it, then I cannot know if the other intentionally broke it. Not a single trace of DNA from Assange or A. A. could be detected in the condom that was submitted as evidence.

How did the two women know each other?

They didnt really know each other. A. A., who was hosting Assange and was serving as his press secretary, had met S. W. at an event where S. W. was wearing a pink cashmere sweater. She apparently knew from Assange that he was interested in a sexual encounter with S. W., because one evening, she received a text message from an acquaintance saying that he knew Assange was staying with her and that he, the acquaintance, would like to contact Assange. A. A. answered: Assange is apparently sleeping at the moment with the cashmere girl. The next morning, S. W. spoke with A. A. on the phone and said that she, too, had slept with Assange and was now concerned about having become infected with HIV. This concern was apparently a real one, because S.W. even went to a clinic for consultation. A. A. then suggested: Lets go to the police  they can force Assange to get an HIV test. The two women, though, didnt go to the closest police station, but to one quite far away where a friend of A. A.s works as a policewoman  who then questioned S. W., initially in the presence of A. A., which isnt proper practice. Up to this point, though, the only problem was at most a lack of professionalism. The willful malevolence of the authorities only became apparent when they immediately disseminated the suspicion of rape via the tabloid press, and did so without questioning A. A. and in contradiction to the statement given by S. W. It also violated a clear ban in Swedish law against releasing the names of alleged victims or perpetrators in sexual offense cases. The case now came to the attention of the chief public prosecutor in the capital city and she suspended the rape investigation some days later with the assessment that while the statements from S. W. were credible, there was no evidence that a crime had been committed.

But then the case really took off. Why?

Now the supervisor of the policewoman who had conducted the questioning wrote her an email telling her to rewrite the statement from S. W.

What did the policewoman change?

We dont know, because the first statement was directly written over in the computer program and no longer exists. We only know that the original statement, according to the chief public prosecutor, apparently did not contain any indication that a crime had been committed. In the edited form it says that the two had had sex several times  consensual and with a condom. But in the morning, according to the revised statement, the woman woke up because he tried to penetrate her without a condom. She asks: Are you wearing a condom? He says: No. Then she says: You better not have HIV and allows him to continue. The statement was edited without the involvement of the woman in question and it wasnt signed by her. It is a manipulated piece of evidence out of which the Swedish authorities then constructed a story of rape.

Why would the Swedish authorities do something like that?

The timing is decisive: In late July, Wikileaks  in cooperation with the New York Times, the Guardian and Der Spiegel  published the Afghan War Diary. It was one of the largest leaks in the history of the U.S. military. The U.S. immediately demanded that its allies inundate Assange with criminal cases. We arent familiar with all of the correspondence, but Stratfor, a security consultancy that works for the U.S. government, advised American officials apparently to deluge Assange with all kinds of criminal cases for the next 25 years.

2. Assange contacts the Swedish judiciary several times to make a statement  but he is turned down

Why didnt Assange turn himself into the police at the time?

He did. I mentioned that earlier.

Then please elaborate.

Assange learned about the rape allegations from the press. He established contact with the police so he could make a statement. Despite the scandal having reached the public, he was only allowed to do so nine days later, after the accusation that he had raped S. W. was no longer being pursued. But proceedings related to the sexual harassment of A. A. were ongoing. On Aug. 30, 2010, Assange appeared at the police station to make a statement. He was questioned by the same policeman who had since ordered that revision of the statement had been given by S. W. At the beginning of the conversation, Assange said he was ready to make a statement, but added that he didnt want to read about his statement again in the press. That is his right, and he was given assurances it would be granted. But that same evening, everything was in the newspapers again. It could only have come from the authorities because nobody else was present during his questioning. The intention was very clearly that of besmirching his name.

Where did the story come from that Assange was seeking to avoid Swedish justice officials?

This version was manufactured, but it is not consistent with the facts. Had he been trying to hide, he would not have appeared at the police station of his own free will. On the basis of the revised statement from S.W., an appeal was filed against the public prosecutors attempt to suspend the investigation, and on Sept. 2, 2010, the rape proceedings were resumed. A legal representative by the name of Claes Borgstrom was appointed to the two women at public cost. The man was a law firm partner to the previous justice minister, Thomas Bodstrom, under whose supervision Swedish security personnel had seized two men who the U.S. found suspicious in the middle of Stockholm. The men were seized without any kind of legal proceedings and then handed over to the CIA, who proceeded to torture them. That shows the trans-Atlantic backdrop to this affair more clearly. After the resumption of the rape investigation, Assange repeatedly indicated through his lawyer that he wished to respond to the accusations. The public prosecutor responsible kept delaying. On one occasion, it didnt fit with the public prosecutors schedule, on another, the police official responsible was sick. Three weeks later, his lawyer finally wrote that Assange really had to go to Berlin for a conference and asked if he was allowed to leave the country. The public prosecutors office gave him written permission to leave Sweden for short periods of time.

And then?

The point is: On the day that Julian Assange left Sweden, at a point in time when it wasnt clear if he was leaving for a short time or a long time, a warrant was issued for his arrest. He flew with Scandinavian Airlines from Stockholm to Berlin. During the flight, his laptops disappeared from his checked baggage. When he arrived in Berlin, Lufthansa requested an investigation from SAS, but the airline apparently declined to provide any information at all.

Why?

That is exactly the problem. In this case, things are constantly happening that shouldnt actually be possible unless you look at them from a different angle. Assange, in any case, continued onward to London, but did not seek to hide from the judiciary. Via his Swedish lawyer, he offered public prosecutors several possible dates for questioning in Sweden  this correspondence exists. Then, the following happened: Assange caught wind of the fact that a secret criminal case had been opened against him in the U.S. At the time, it was not confirmed by the U.S., but today we know that it was true. As of that moment, Assanges lawyer began saying that his client was prepared to testify in Sweden, but he demanded diplomatic assurance that Sweden would not extradite him to the U.S.

Was that even a realistic scenario?

Absolutely. Some years previously, as I already mentioned, Swedish security personnel had handed over two asylum applicants, both of whom were registered in Sweden, to the CIA without any legal proceedings. The abuse already started at the Stockholm airport, where they were mistreated, drugged and flown to Egypt, where they were tortured. We dont know if they were the only such cases. But we are aware of these cases because the men survived. Both later filed complaints with UN human rights agencies and won their case. Sweden was forced to pay each of them half a million dollars in damages.

Did Sweden agree to the demands submitted by Assange?

The lawyers say that during the nearly seven years in which Assange lived in the Ecuadorian Embassy, they made over 30 offers to arrange for Assange to visit Sweden  in exchange for a guarantee that he would not be extradited to the U.S. The Swedes declined to provide such a guarantee by arguing that the U.S. had not made a formal request for extradition.

What is your view of the demand made by Assanges lawyers?

Such diplomatic assurances are a routine international practice. People request assurances that they wont be extradited to places where there is a danger of serious human rights violations, completely irrespective of whether an extradition request has been filed by the country in question or not. It is a political procedure, not a legal one. Heres an example: Say France demands that Switzerland extradite a Kazakh businessman who lives in Switzerland but who is wanted by both France and Kazakhstan on tax fraud allegations. Switzerland sees no danger of torture in France, but does believe such a danger exists in Kazakhstan. So, Switzerland tells France: Well extradite the man to you, but we want a diplomatic assurance that he wont be extradited onward to Kazakhstan. The French response is not: Kazakhstan hasnt even filed a request! Rather, they would, of course, grant such an assurance. The arguments coming from Sweden were tenuous at best. That is one part of it. The other, and I say this on the strength of all of my experience behind the scenes of standard international practice: If a country refuses to provide such a diplomatic assurance, then all doubts about the good intentions of the country in question are justified. Why shouldnt Sweden provide such assurances? From a legal perspective, after all, the U.S. has absolutely nothing to do with Swedish sex offense proceedings.

Why didnt Sweden want to offer such an assurance?

You just have to look at how the case was run: For Sweden, it was never about the interests of the two women. Even after his request for assurances that he would not be extradited, Assange still wanted to testify. He said: If you cannot guarantee that I wont be extradited, then I am willing to be questioned in London or via video link.

But is it normal, or even legally acceptable, for Swedish authorities to travel to a different country for such an interrogation?

That is a further indication that Sweden was never interested in finding the truth. For exactly these kinds of judiciary issues, there is a cooperation treaty between the United Kingdom and Sweden, which foresees that Swedish officials can travel to the UK, or vice versa, to conduct interrogations or that such questioning can take place via video link. During the period of time in question, such questioning between Sweden and England took place in 44 other cases. It was only in Julian Assanges case that Sweden insisted that it was essential for him to appear in person.

3. When the highest Swedish court finally forced public prosecutors in Stockholm to either file charges or suspend the case, the British authorities demanded: Dont get cold feet!!

Why was that?

There is only a single explanation for everything  for the refusal to grant diplomatic assurances, for the refusal to question him in London: They wanted to apprehend him so they could extradite him to the U.S. The number of breaches of law that accumulated in Sweden within just a few weeks during the preliminary criminal investigation is simply grotesque. The state assigned a legal adviser to the women who told them that the criminal interpretation of what they experienced was up to the state, and no longer up to them. When their legal adviser was asked about contradictions between the womens testimony and the narrative adhered to by public officials, the legal adviser said, in reference to the women: ah, but theyre not lawyers. But for five long years the Swedish prosecution avoids questioning Assange regarding the purported rape, until his lawyers finally petitioned Swedens Supreme Court to force the public prosecution to either press charges or close the case. When the Swedes told the UK that they may be forced to abandon the case, the British wrote back, worriedly: Dont you dare get cold feet!!

Dont you dare get cold feet!!: Mail from the English law enforcement agency CPS to the Swedish Chief Prosecutor Marianne Ny. This Document was obtained by the Italian investigative journalist, Stefania Maurizi, in a five-year long FOIA litigation which is still ongoing.

Are you serious?

Yes, the British, or more specifically the Crown Prosecution Service, wanted to prevent Sweden from abandoning the case at all costs. Though really, the English should have been happy that they would no longer have to spend millions in taxpayer money to keep the Ecuadorian Embassy under constant surveillance to prevent Assanges escape.

Why were the British so eager to prevent the Swedes from closing the case?

We have to stop believing that there was really an interest in leading an investigation into a sexual offense. What Wikileaks did is a threat to the political elite in the U.S., Britain, France and Russia in equal measure. Wikileaks publishes secret state information  they are opposed to classification. And in a world, even in so-called mature democracies, where secrecy has become rampant, that is seen as a fundamental threat. Assange made it clear that countries are no longer interested today in legitimate confidentiality, but in the suppression of important information about corruption and crimes. Take the archetypal Wikileaks case from the leaks supplied by Chelsea Manning: The so-called Collateral Murder video. (Eds. Note: On April 5, 2010, Wikileaks published a classified video from the U.S. military which showed the murder of several people in Baghdad by U.S. soldiers, including two employees of the news agency Reuters.) As a long-time legal adviser to the International Committee of the Red Cross and delegate in war zones, I can tell you: The video undoubtedly documents a war crime. A helicopter crew simply mowed down a bunch of people. It could even be that one or two of these people was carrying a weapon, but injured people were intentionally targeted. That is a war crime. Hes wounded, you can hear one American saying. Im firing. And then they laugh. Then a van drives up to save the wounded. The driver has two children with him. You can hear the soldiers say: Well its their fault for bringing their kids into a battle. And then they open fire. The father and the wounded are immediately killed, though the children survive with serious injuries. Through the publication of the video, we became direct witnesses to a criminal, unconscionable massacre.

What should a constitutional democracy do in such a situation?

A constitutional democracy would probably investigate Chelsea Manning for violating official secrecy because she passed the video along to Assange. But it certainly wouldnt go after Assange, because he published the video in the public interest, consistent with the practices of classic investigative journalism. More than anything, though, a constitutional democracy would investigate and punish the war criminals. These soldiers belong behind bars. But no criminal investigation was launched into a single one of them. Instead, the man who informed the public is locked away in pre-extradition detention in London and is facing a possible sentence in the U.S. of up to 175 years in prison. That is a completely absurd sentence. By comparison: The main war criminals in the Yugoslavia tribunal received sentences of 45 years. One-hundred-seventy-five years in prison in conditions that have been found to be inhumane by the UN Special Rapporteur and by Amnesty International. But the really horrifying thing about this case is the lawlessness that has developed: The powerful can kill without fear of punishment and journalism is transformed into espionage. It is becoming a crime to tell the truth.

What awaits Assange once he is extradited?

He will not receive a trial consistent with the rule of law. Thats another reason why his extradition shouldnt be allowed. Assange will receive a trial-by-jury in Alexandria, Virginia  the notorious Espionage Court where the U.S. tries all national security cases. The choice of location is not by coincidence, because the jury members must be chosen in proportion to the local population, and 85 percent of Alexandria residents work in the national security community  at the CIA, the NSA, the Defense Department and the State Department. When people are tried for harming national security in front of a jury like that, the verdict is clear from the very beginning. The cases are always tried in front of the same judge behind closed doors and on the strength of classified evidence. Nobody has ever been acquitted there in a case like that. The result being that most defendants reach a settlement, in which they admit to partial guilt so as to receive a milder sentence.

You are saying that Julian Assange wont receive a fair trial in the United States?

Without doubt. For as long as employees of the American government obey the orders of their superiors, they can participate in wars of aggression, war crimes and torture knowing full well that they will never have to answer to their actions. What happened to the lessons learned in the Nuremberg Trials? I have worked long enough in conflict zones to know that mistakes happen in war. Its not always unscrupulous criminal acts. A lot of it is the result of stress, exhaustion and panic. Thats why I can absolutely understand when a government says: Well bring the truth to light and we, as a state, take full responsibility for the harm caused, but if blame cannot be directly assigned to individuals, we will not be imposing draconian punishments. But it is extremely dangerous when the truth is suppressed and criminals are not brought to justice. In the 1930s, Germany and Japan left the League of Nations. Fifteen years later, the world lay in ruins. Today, the U.S. has withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council, and neither the Collateral Murder massacre nor the CIA torture following 9/11 nor the war of aggression against Iraq have led to criminal investigations. Now, the United Kingdom is following that example. The Security and Intelligence Committee in the countrys own parliament published two extensive reports in 2018 showing that Britain was much more deeply involved in the secret CIA torture program than previously believed. The committee recommended a formal investigation. The first thing that Boris Johnson did after he became prime minister was to annul that investigation.

4. In the UK, violations of bail conditions are generally only punished with monetary fines or, at most, a couple of days behind bars. But Assange was given 50 weeks in a maximum-security prison without the ability to prepare his own defense

In April, Julian Assange was dragged out of the Ecuadorian Embassy by British police. What is your view of these events?

In 2017, a new government was elected in Ecuador. In response, the U.S. wrote a letter indicating they were eager to cooperate with Ecuador. There was, of course, a lot of money at stake, but there was one hurdle in the way: Julian Assange. The message was that the U.S. was prepared to cooperate if Ecuador handed Assange over to the U.S. At that point, the Ecuadorian Embassy began ratcheting up the pressure on Assange. They made his life difficult. But he stayed. Then Ecuador voided his amnesty and gave Britain a green light to arrest him. Because the previous government had granted him Ecuadorian citizenship, Assanges passport also had to be revoked, because the Ecuadorian constitution forbids the extradition of its own citizens. All that took place overnight and without any legal proceedings. Assange had no opportunity to make a statement or have recourse to legal remedy. He was arrested by the British and taken before a British judge that same day, who convicted him of violating his bail.

What do you make of this accelerated verdict?

Assange only had 15 minutes to prepare with his lawyer. The trial itself also lasted just 15 minutes. Assanges lawyer plopped a thick file down on the table and made a formal objection to one of the judges for conflict of interest because her husband had been the subject of Wikileaks exposures in 35 instances. But the lead judge brushed aside the concerns without examining them further. He said accusing his colleague of a conflict of interest was an affront. Assange himself only uttered one sentence during the entire proceedings: I plead not guilty. The judge turned to him and said: You are a narcissist who cannot get beyond his own self-interest. I convict you for bail violation.

If I understand you correctly: Julian Assange never had a chance from the very beginning?

Thats the point. Im not saying Julian Assange is an angel or a hero. But he doesnt have to be. We are talking about human rights and not about the rights of heroes or angels. Assange is a person, and he has the right to defend himself and to be treated in a humane manner. Regardless of what he is accused of, Assange has the right to a fair trial. But he has been deliberately denied that right  in Sweden, the U.S., Britain and Ecuador. Instead, he was left to rot for nearly seven years in limbo in a room. Then, he was suddenly dragged out and convicted within hours and without any preparation for a bail violation that consisted of him having received diplomatic asylum from another UN member state on the basis of political persecution, just as international law intends and just as countless Chinese, Russian and other dissidents have done in Western embassies. It is obvious that what we are dealing with here is political persecution. In Britain, bail violations seldom lead to prison sentences  they are generally subject only to fines. Assange, by contrast, was sentenced in summary proceedings to 50 weeks in a maximum-security prison  clearly a disproportionate penalty that had only a single purpose: Holding Assange long enough for the U.S. to prepare their espionage case against him.

As the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, what do you have to say about his current conditions of imprisonment?

Britain has denied Julian Assange contact with his lawyers in the U.S., where he is the subject of secret proceedings. His British lawyer has also complained that she hasnt even had sufficient access to her client to go over court documents and evidence with him. Into October, he was not allowed to have a single document from his case file with him in his cell. He was denied his fundamental right to prepare his own defense, as guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. On top of that is the almost total solitary confinement and the totally disproportionate punishment for a bail violation. As soon as he would leave his cell, the corridors were emptied to prevent him from having contact with any other inmates.

And all that because of a simple bail violation? At what point does imprisonment become torture?

Julian Assange has been intentionally psychologically tortured by Sweden, Britain, Ecuador and the U.S. First through the highly arbitrary handling of proceedings against him. The way Sweden pursued the case, with active assistance from Britain, was aimed at putting him under pressure and trapping him in the embassy. Sweden was never interested in finding the truth and helping these women, but in pushing Assange into a corner. It has been an abuse of judicial processes aimed at pushing a person into a position where he is unable to defend himself. On top of that come the surveillance measures, the insults, the indignities and the attacks by politicians from these countries, up to and including death threats. This constant abuse of state power has triggered serious stress and anxiety in Assange and has resulted in measurable cognitive and neurological harm. I visited Assange in his cell in London in May 2019 together with two experienced, widely respected doctors who are specialized in the forensic and psychological examination of torture victims. The diagnosis arrived at by the two doctors was clear: Julian Assange displays the typical symptoms of psychological torture. If he doesnt receive protection soon, a rapid deterioration of his health is likely, and death could be one outcome.

Half a year after Assange was placed in pre-extradition detention in Britain, Sweden quietly abandoned the case against him in November 2019, after nine long years. Why then?

The Swedish state spent almost a decade intentionally presenting Julian Assange to the public as a sex offender. Then, they suddenly abandoned the case against him on the strength of the same argument that the first Stockholm prosecutor used in 2010, when she initially suspended the investigation after just five days: While the womans statement was credible, there was no proof that a crime had been committed. It is an unbelievable scandal. But the timing was no accident. On Nov. 11, an official document that I had sent to the Swedish government two months before was made public. In the document, I made a request to the Swedish government to provide explanations for around 50 points pertaining to the human rights implications of the way they were handling the case. How is it possible that the press was immediately informed despite the prohibition against doing so? How is it possible that a suspicion was made public even though the questioning hadnt yet taken place? How is it possible for you to say that a rape occurred even though the woman involved contests that version of events? On the day the document was made public, I received a paltry response from Sweden: The government has no further comment on this case.

What does that answer mean?

It is an admission of guilt.

How so?

As UN Special Rapporteur, I have been tasked by the international community of nations with looking into complaints lodged by victims of torture and, if necessary, with requesting explanations or investigations from governments. That is the daily work I do with all UN member states. From my experience, I can say that countries that act in good faith are almost always interested in supplying me with the answers I need to highlight the legality of their behavior. When a country like Sweden declines to answer questions submitted by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, it shows that the government is aware of the illegality of its behavior and wants to take no responsibility for its behavior. They pulled the plug and abandoned the case a week later because they knew I would not back down. When countries like Sweden allow themselves to be manipulated like that, then our democracies and our human rights face a fundamental threat.

You believe that Sweden was fully aware of what it was doing?

Yes. From my perspective, Sweden very clearly acted in bad faith. Had they acted in good faith, there would have been no reason to refuse to answer my questions. The same holds true for the British: Following my visit to Assange in May 2019, they took six months to answer me  in a single-page letter, which was primarily limited to rejecting all accusations of torture and all inconsistencies in the legal proceedings. If youre going to play games like that, then whats the point of my mandate? I am the Special Rapporteur on Torture for the United Nations. I have a mandate to ask clear questions and to demand answers. What is the legal basis for denying someone their fundamental right to defend themselves? Why is a man who is neither dangerous nor violent held in solitary confinement for several months when UN standards legally prohibit solitary confinement for periods extending beyond 15 days? None of these UN member states launched an investigation, nor did they answer my questions or even demonstrate an interest in dialogue.

5. A prison sentence of 175 years for investigative journalism: The precedent the USA vs. Julian Assange case could set

What does it mean when UN member states refuse to provide information to their own Special Rapporteur on Torture?

That it is a prearranged affair. A show trial is to be used to make an example of Julian Assange. The point is to intimidate other journalists. Intimidation, by the way, is one of the primary purposes for the use of torture around the world. The message to all of us is: This is what will happen to you if you emulate the Wikileaks model. It is a model that is so dangerous because it is so simple: People who obtain sensitive information from their governments or companies transfer that information to Wikileaks, but the whistleblower remains anonymous. The reaction shows how great the threat is perceived to be: Four democratic countries joined forces  the U.S., Ecuador, Sweden and the UK  to leverage their power to portray one man as a monster so that he could later be burned at the stake without any outcry. The case is a huge scandal and represents the failure of Western rule of law. If Julian Assange is convicted, it will be a death sentence for freedom of the press.

What would this possible precedent mean for the future of journalism?

On a practical level, it means that you, as a journalist, must now defend yourself. Because if investigative journalism is classified as espionage and can be incriminated around the world, then censorship and tyranny will follow. A murderous system is being created before our very eyes. War crimes and torture are not being prosecuted. YouTube videos are circulating in which American soldiers brag about driving Iraqi women to suicide with systematic rape. Nobody is investigating it. At the same time, a person who exposes such things is being threatened with 175 years in prison. For an entire decade, he has been inundated with accusations that cannot be proven and are breaking him. And nobody is being held accountable. Nobody is taking responsibility. It marks an erosion of the social contract. We give countries power and delegate it to governments  but in return, they must be held accountable for how they exercise that power. If we dont demand that they be held accountable, we will lose our rights sooner or later. Humans are not democratic by their nature. Power corrupts if it is not monitored. Corruption is the result if we do not insist that power be monitored.

Youre saying that the targeting of Assange threatens the very core of press freedoms.

Lets see where we will be in 20 years if Assange is convicted  what you will still be able to write then as a journalist. I am convinced that we are in serious danger of losing press freedoms. Its already happening: Suddenly, the headquarters of ABC News in Australia was raided in connection with the Afghan War Diary. The reason? Once again, the press uncovered misconduct by representatives of the state. In order for the division of powers to work, the state must be monitored by the press as the fourth estate. WikiLeaks is a the logical consequence of an ongoing process of expanded secrecy: If the truth can no longer be examined because everything is kept secret, if investigation reports on the U.S. governments torture policy are kept secret and when even large sections of the published summary are redacted, leaks are at some point inevitably the result. WikiLeaks is the consequence of rampant secrecy and reflects the lack of transparency in our modern political system. There are, of course, areas where secrecy can be vital. But if we no longer know what our governments are doing and the criteria they are following, if crimes are no longer being investigated, then it represents a grave danger to societal integrity.

What are the consequences?

As the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and, before that, as a Red Cross delegate, I have seen lots of horrors and violence and have seen how quickly peaceful countries like Yugoslavia or Rwanda can transform into infernos. At the roots of such developments are always a lack of transparency and unbridled political or economic power combined with the naivete, indifference and malleability of the population. Suddenly, that which always happened to the other  unpunished torture, rape, expulsion and murder  can just as easily happen to us or our children. And nobody will care. I can promise you that.
The pandemic seems to have held up a mirror to the silliness of celebrity culture. From Ellen DeGeneres to Madonna, the biggest stars have seemed irritatingly out-of-touch and the rush to get something - anything - to the bored masses languishing at home has seen famous actors lend their name to some dodgy films (Wild Mountain Thyme being only the most recent example). Social media amplifies every crisis and misstep and behind every showbiz snafu, there is a beleaguered agent trying to steer his or her vain starlet away from controversy.

The time is right, therefore, to belatedly fall in love with Call My Agent!, the fourth series of which dropped last week on Netflix. It's a subtitled (from French) behind-the-scenes drama set in a Parisian talent agency, ASK, where backstabbing, ego stroking and scheming are the order of the day. At the beginning of the first series, ASK's founder chokes on a wasp, and, over the following series, his underlings jostle for primacy as a slew of famous guest stars, including Sigourney Weaver, Monica Bellucci and Charlotte Gainsbourg, allow themselves to be viciously satirised. Weaver is portrayed as a preening superstar who won't cut up her own food. Bellucci mocks her own image as a sexpot and Gainsbourg is particularly hilarious as she tries to wiggle out of a dreadful-sounding, sci-fi film. The stars are portrayed as giant babies, one can't drive, another can't swim, but this seems to make them more loveably vulnerable. Into this mix, the series weaves soapy sub-plots about the personal lives of the agents themselves.

Behind-the-scenes agent dramas have been done before - everything from Curb Your Enthusiasm to The Player (1992) covered similar ground - but never as well as this. At times, it all has the feeling of a caper - most of the plots could be quickly resolved if the cast weren't dodging each other in hallways - but it's funny enough to pull this off. In France Call My Agent! was credited with foretelling the #MeToo movement - one episode, which aired in 2017, deals with an actress (played by Juliette Binoche) who must fend off the advances of a rich patron - but its skewering of celebrity culture predicted the mood of 2021 even more accurately.

It was with a certain weariness that I sat down to ZeroZeroZero, the new big budget mafia saga starring Gabriel Byrne. There seems to have been thousands of drug cartel series over the last few years, and the plot of this one seems to draw on the likes of Narcos and Gomorrah (two of its creators worked on the latter show). I was worried it would be a cheap knock-off. I was only partly right. It is a knock-off but it's not remotely cheap. Three storylines interweave. One involves an elderly Italian mafia patriarch whose hold on power depends on the delivery of a large shipment of cocaine. The other takes place on the Mexican side of the drug line. And the third deals with a family which acts as a kind of broker between the two factions, and which is headed up by Byrne's character.

The sprawling nature of the series turns out to be a bit of a downside. There's so much double-crossing and murder that it's hard to keep track and the slow-motion flashback scenes don't help. It's cinematically beautiful and the performances are generally great but there's a rote feel to the plot and, by the midway point, I was dealing with advanced cartel fatigue.
Congress might vote on a new coronavirus economic relief package this week that could provide extra money to millions of eligible Americas via a third stimulus check, direct deposit, or prepaid debit card.

First, however, Republicans and Democrats must agree on how much the package will cost, and they seem to be further apart than expected.

President Joe Biden is to meet with 10 Republicans on Monday to work toward a deal, however. Democrats have proposed a $1.9 trillion legislative package that includes a payment of up to $1,400 to, at least, anyone who has previously qualified a stimulus check, either the first $1,200 one or the second one of $600 that came in December and early January. If passed as written, its possible that more people could receive a payment this time around, however, but those details are still being worked out.

As for the Republican proposal, the Associated Press reports that it might cost around $600 billion, and the plan, if agreed to by all parties, could actually limit who gets a check now. AL.com has further details, as author Leada Gore explains:

The Republican plan includes direct stimulus payments of $1,000 and would shrink the pool of eligibility to include those earning up to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for couples.

For past stimulus payments, individuals earning up to $75,000 and married couples earning up to $150,000 received the full amount, with payments dropping incrementally above those income levels. The first stimulus was $1,200 per person and approved in March during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Congress passed the second - $600  in December.

Its likely that, by the end of Monday, word will leak about how the bipartisan meeting at the White House went, and from there, leaders from both parties will get their marching orders to rally support on Capitol Hill to get something done.

If a vote happens this week and a bill reaches Bidens desk by the start of next, then checks going out by the third or fourth week of February is a real possibility. However, the longer the negotiations take, the longer it will be until a stimulus goes out, of course, and many still believe that early-to-mid March is the most realistic timeline for the IRS to start sending them out, assuming something is approved.

That said, depending on how long the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump ties up the Senate, its possible that a deal wont be reached on the economic package until mid-March, which would equal an early April arrival for the payments, Yahoo notes.

The long and short of it, then, is that while both parties seem to think another stimulus package and payment is needed, they are in no great rush to get those funds into citizens hands as the coronavirus pandemic rages on.
Good morning, Bay Area. Its Monday, Feb. 1, and enrollment is plummeting at Californias public schools.

As more than 3 million vaccine doses have been administered statewide, many are wondering what steps they need to take to be prepared.

Residents should know their eligibility and sign up for notifications, and be aware of where they can get their shots from health care providers or mass vaccination sites. Vaccination sites will probably have long waits and procedures for ensuring everyones safety.

Even after receiving a vaccination, everyone should continue with COVID-19 mitigation efforts including wearing masks, social distancing and following other protocols, Aidin Vaziri writes. Read more about how to be ready when its your turn to get vaccinated.

 A lack of transparency: The coronavirus has disproportionately affected communities of color, but the data on racial and ethnic demographics of vaccine recipients is sorely lacking in California despite the states promise of an equitable distribution.

 The Bay Areas reporting of workplace outbreaks has been minimal, with only 1 in 10 public health departments sharing the names of businesses.

 Blue Shield of California is handling the states vaccine distribution, but state officials have shared little information about why they were chosen.

 As gyms and fitness centers have remained shuttered for a majority of the pandemic, many have found success in virtual formats.

 The vaccine rollout to assisted care facilities and nursing homes has been frustratingly slow across the state.

Around the Bay

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

 Two arrests: S.F. private eye Jack Palladino, critically injured in an attack, may have help solve his own case.

 Unforeseeable or avoidable? A deep dive into the New Years Eve crash that left two women dead and a progressive city questioning its stance on crime.

 Heather Knight: A San Francisco supervisor will introduce an ordinance to make it a lot tougher to build giant homes in the city.

 Elevating Black voices: San Franciscos oldest Black newspaper, the Sun-Reporter, continues to be an influential and trusted resource for the community.

 A toll on mental health: The sudden death of a well-liked San Francisco man amplifies how the pandemic has driven up rates of depression and anxiety in adults.

 Sharp drop-off: The state sees K-12 public school enrollment decline at a record rate.

New year, new launch

Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle 2020

Fans of The Chronicles food-focused podcast Extra Spicy can get their fill once again with the launch of season two.

Hosted by food critic Soleil Ho and columnist and reporter Justin Phillips, the tasty podcast showcases restaurant coverage as well as food trends and culture. Topics this season include a discussion about yogurt made especially for men and the importance of San Franciscos Chinatown.

The first episode explores how 2020 and the pandemic have affected the local restaurant scene, featuring current and former restaurateurs and workers who share their challenges of trying to keep the industry afloat. Listen to the episode, and subscribe to the podcast.

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.
OIL, India's second largest national 'Navratna' company after ONGC, in terms of total proved plus probable oil and natural gas reserves, has kickstarted its exploration and production operations by launching its first ever seismic survey in southern Tripura bordering Bangladesh.

Guwahati/Agartala: After Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, the state-owned Oil India Limited (OIL) has ventured out to the fourth northeastern state of Tripura, aspiring to explore natural gas by conducting a seismic survey.

OIL Deputy General Manager (CC) Tridiv Hazarika said that currently the company has explored huge oil and gas reserves in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh while engaged in exploration works in Mizoram.

According to him, in Assam, OIL produces 3.3 million metric tons (MMT) oil annually and around eight million metric standard cubic meters per day of natural gas.

OIL is producing both oil and natural gas in Arunachal Pradesh while the company is doing exploration work but is yet to discover oil or gas in Mizoram.

"With another milestone for the company, we have commenced seismic survey operations in Santir Bazar (in southern Tripura) -- the OALP-III block AA-ONHP - on January 17.

"Geologically, the block lies in the Tripura-Cachar (Assam) fold belt. Tripura is a border state of the country surrounded on all sides by the deltaic basin of Bangladesh except for a small part in northeast India which adjoins the Cachar district of Assam and the state of Mizoram," Hazarika told IANS.

According to the official, the block AA-ONHP-2018/5, covers an area of 207.74 sq kms.

He said that the Revenue Sharing Contract (RSC) between the government of India and OIL for the block was signed on July 16, 2019 and subsequently the Tripura government had awarded the Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) on October 16, 2019.

The OIL official said that the logistics are challenging in this block and the company has chalked out extensive plans for seamless execution of its exploration campaign.

"While OIL would also be commencing execution of its field development plans in the neighbouring DSF (Discovery Small Field) block Tulamara (Tripura), based on success in its exploration campaign the company intends to carry further exploration activities in Tripura to access more hydrocarbon resources in this gas prolific area."

He said that apart from consolidating its position in different northeastern states and Rajasthan, OIL has made conscious efforts to carry out exploration in Category II and III sedimentary basins in line with government of India's thrust for exploration.

"This is in line with the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by enhancing domestic exploration and production aiming to reduce dependence on crude oil imports," Hazarika pointed out.

Another OIL official said that the company has completed first well (well KMC-15) in Kumchai Field in Arunachal Pradesh after the recent resumption of the drilling activities, which was kept in abeyance since 2003 due to non-availability of PML (Petroleum Mining Lease).

"OIL has drawn up ambitious plans for the future, including fast tracking of exploration in Arunachal Pradesh," the official said.

Besides the OIL, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) are the two government-owned companies that have been operating in the northeastern states and found huge oil and gas reserves in Assam and large quantities of natural gas in Tripura (by ONGC).

Several private oil and gas companies are also active in exploration works in different northeastern states. Oil company officials said that if terrorist activities, forest-related restrictions and land acquisition problems do not come in the way, the exploration companies can explore more gas and oil in the northeastern states.

The outlawed terror outfit United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) on Wednesday said that it has set February 17 to decide the fate of the two employees of Delhi-based private sector oil company -- Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Ltd, whom it had abducted last month.

Pranab Kumar Gogoi, a drilling superintendent, and Ram Kumar, a radio operator of Delhi-based Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Ltd, were kidnapped at gunpoint by ULFA-I insurgents from the drilling site in Innao area of Arunachal Pradesh's Changlang district on December 21 last year.

ULFA-I, which is currently headed by its "commander-in-chief" Paresh Barua, in a statement issued to the media, said that if the drilling company "fails to take positive steps to secure the release of their employees by February 16, the outfit would take action against one of the hostages Ram Kumar on February 17."

Gogoi, a resident of Assam's Sivasagar district, and Ram Kumar, who hails from Bihar's Khagaria district, are heard in a video, released by the ULFA-I, saying that they are now in the captivity of the outfit and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) and they urged Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to get them released.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)


Dorsett Hospitality International is pleased to announce that they have appointed Michael Foster as the General Manager for Dorsett Gold Coast  their debut hotel in Australia, and first beach-style resort worldwide, set to open in Q4 of 2021. Michael will be leading the direction for the hotels pre-opening, building a passionate and dedicated team who will bring the Dorsett Hotels Stay Vibrant experience to Australia for the first time.

Michael has over 15 years of hospitality and management experience, including pre-opening, overall hotel operations and sales and marketing. He was previously the General Manager of Holiday Inn Express Brisbane Central and has held several senior roles for other hotels brands such as InterContinental, Pan Pacific Hotels Group and Crowne Plaza.

Michael graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelors degree in International Hotel and Tourism Management and has substantial knowledge and experience with the Gold Coast market.

In addition to Dorsett Gold Coast, Dorsett Hotels also has 3 other hotels in development in Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne.

Dorsett Hotels & Resorts

Dorsett Hotels & Resorts goes beyond the typical four-star experience by providing an exclusive Stay Vibrant experience at non-exclusive prices so guests are delighted every time they stay. All 25 hotels are located in major cities across the world, including Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, London, Shanghai, Chengdu, Lushan, Wuhan, Zhongshan and Labuan with Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane already in development, and offer a real feel of the local neighbourhood. Catering to millennials, post-millennials, families, business professionals and more mature guests, the brand delivers a diverse range of guest experiences all of which stay true to their 5 brand attributes: City Convenience, Social Connectivity, Priceless Delights, Active Wellness and Vibrant Engagement.

About Dorsett Hospitality International

Dorsett Hospitality International is one of Asias fastest-growing hotel groups. As a Hong Kong hospitality brand, we are proud to have an international footprint in 25 major cities worldwide

with a total of 56 properties with our strategic partners Trans World Hotel, also operated under DHI, and AGORA Hospitality; including Dorsett Hospitality Internationals 3 core brands: Dorsett Hotels & Resorts, d.Collection, and Silka, each with their own distinct identity and offerings to cater to diverse travel needs. Since the groups establishment in Hong Kong in January 2007, we have grown by leaps and bounds with hotels across China, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Continental Europe; more properties are planned in the development pipeline. For more information on Dorsett Hospitality International, visit: http://www.dorsett.com.
People from all over the world are drawn to Luxembourg for its cultural diversity, safety and quality of life. Four expats from different corners of the globe explain why they chose to make their home here.

Olga and Vasily left Moscow for Luxembourg to give their young daughter better perspective, while Sicily native Marta chose the University of Luxembourg to pursue her Masters degree in Parliamentary and European Studies.

Marian moved to Luxembourg from Argentina three years ago and shares snippets from her life as a dog-owner in Luxembourg with her Instagram followers back home.

The four expats describe their experiences and reasons for moving in the report above, with subtitles and voiceover in English.
Unification Minister Lee In-young speaks to journalists at the Office of the Inter-Korean Dialogue in Seoul's Jongno District, Jan. 25. Yonhap



Unification Minister Lee In-young on Monday dismissed allegations that the South Korean government attempted to help build a nuclear power plant in North Korea, saying that such claims might be politically motivated.



In an interview with local radio station TBS, Lee flatly denied the speculation that the government of President Moon Jae-in began pushing to build a nuclear power plant in the North after Moon's first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in April 2018.



"I will say this clearly that we, as the unification ministry, have never discussed the issue of building nuclear plants in North Korea under any circumstances," Lee said.



Lee's remark comes amid brewing political controversy after a local TV station reported that a document about the nuclear power plant idea was among a series of computer files that industry and energy ministry officials were accused of deleting allegedly to cover up their wrongdoing.









The computer file at issue triggered speculation that a document that the South handed to the North to present a broad cross-border economic cooperation vision during their summit in April 2018 might have included an idea for a nuclear power plant.





Interim leader of the main opposition People Power Party Kim Chong-in ponders during a party meeting at the party's Busan office, Monday. Yonhap
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the One Planet Summit at the UN headquarters in New York, Jan. 11, 2021. (UN/Handout via Xinhua)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the detention of Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders on the eve of the opening session of Myanmar's new parliament.

Guterres expressed his grave concern in a statement regarding the declaration of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military.

"These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar," he said.

He reaffirmed the United Nations' unwavering support of the people of Myanmar in their pursuit of democracy, peace, human rights and the rule of law.
San Francisco (BCN)

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the Thursday morning assault in Western Addition that led to the death an 84-year-old man, police said. The suspects have been identified as Antoine Watson, 19, and Maylasia Goo, 20, both of Daly City.

At about 8:28 a.m. Thursday, San Francisco police responded to a report of an assault near the intersection of Anzavista and Fortuna avenues in the Anza Vista neighborhood of San Francisco's Western Addition.

Police said officers discovered an 84-year-old man lying on the sidewalk, rendered aid and summoned medics to transport the victim to a hospital for life-threatening injuries.

The initial investigation concluded that a male suspect ran from across the street to push the victim, causing him to fall to the pavement, police said. The suspect then fled with a female associate.

On Friday, police obtained an arrest warrant for Watson for assault with a deadly weapon and elder abuse causing great bodily injury. Police said they were notified the victim succumbed to his injuries on Saturday, and SFPD Homicide Detail took over the investigation.

At about 8:45 pm. Saturday, officers from the SFPD Tactical Unit and the SFPD Homicide Detail served a search warrant on the 500 block of Lisbon Street in Daly City, where Watson and Goo were taken into custody, police said.

Watson was transported to San Francisco County Jail and booked on the outstanding arrest warrant and on one count of murder, police said. Goo was also transported to the jail and booked on one count of accessory after the fact.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the SFPD 24-hour tip line at (415) 575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD.

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.
BP plans to sell off around 25 billion dollars worth of assets by 2025 (Andrew Milligan/PA)

BP is selling a multibillion dollar stake in an Omani gas field to Thailands national oil company amid major divestment plans.

The UK-listed oil giant said that it would be paid nearly 2.6 billion dollars (1.9 billion) by PTT Exploration for 20% of the Block 61 site.

However, BP will still keep a 40% stake in the block, and boss Bernard Looney was keen to emphasise the companys ties to Oman were not about to be cut.

We are committed to BPs business in Oman  this agreement allows us to remain at the heart of this world-class development while also making important progress in our global divestment programme, Mr Looney said.

We are committed to BPs business in Oman Bernard Looney, chief executive BP

The Irishmans plans for the oil giant include an enormous divestment plan, in part to raise money which can be used to help make the business greener.

Last year the company sold its petrochemicals business to Ineos for five billion dollars (3.6 billion) as part of its 25 billion dollars of target divestments by the middle of the decade.

Mr Looney added: We are pleased to welcome PTTEP to the successful Block 61 partnership. Block 61 is a pioneering development that has applied leading techniques and technologies to maximise efficiency and minimise emissions.

The Block 61 site first came online in 2017, with a second phase opening in October last year. The two phases have a combined production capacity of 1.5 billion cubic feet of gas every day.

The gas is largely sold into the domestic Omani gas grid.

Yousuf Al Ojaili, the vice president of BP in Oman, reiterated the companys plans to stay in the Middle Eastern country.

We remain very much committed to our strategic partnership with Oman, he said.

We will continue to support critical national energy infrastructure for the sultanate through Block 61, invest significantly in local companies and Omani talent, and deliver an ambitious social investment programme.
Zensar Technologies announced the launch of its integrated Digital XDR (extended threat detection response) solution as part of its Digital Foundation Services offerings. Due to the continued rise in remote working, there is a marked increase of security and risk threats to enterprises globally. Zensar's XDR solution provides organizations with adaptive expert intelligence and threat prediction capabilities by prioritizing the business risk tailored to their environment.

Zensar's XDR as a Service is a fully managed service model combining scalability with a strong and secure hosted service that can be delivered within hours, providing fast detection and response against factors including Indicators of Compromise (IoC) and Indicators of Attack (IoA).

XDR also provides contextual, actionable alerts through a single pane of glass, offering a prioritized view of cybersecurity risk profile and compliance status; as well as identifying incidents that pose the biggest threat. This offering eliminates the need for expensive hardware appliances and provides usage-based threat detection and hunting services, and generates audit reports allowing clientsto pay based on OPEX. As part of the offering, clients typically receive a custom playbook and industry-specific relevant use cases and threat intelligence information with built-in hunting capabilities.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

For 77 days between the election and the inauguration, President Donald J. Trump attempted to subvert American democracy with a lie about election fraud that he had been grooming for years.

A New York Times examination of the events that unfolded after the election shows how the president  enabled by Republican leaders, advised by conspiracy-minded lawyers and bankrolled by a new class of Trump-era donors  waged an extralegal campaign that convinced tens of millions of Americans the election had been stolen and made the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol almost inevitable.

Interviews with central players, along with documents, videos and previously unreported emails, tell the story of a campaign that was more coordinated than previously understood, even as it strayed farther from reality with each passing day.

Here are some key takeaways:

As some lawyers on Trumps team pulled back, others were ready to press ahead with suits skating the lines of legal ethics and reason

Within 10 days of the election, even as Mr. Trump and his supporters promoted allegation after allegation of voter fraud, his team of election lawyers knew that the reality was the inverse of what Mr. Trump was presenting: They were not finding substantial evidence of malfeasance or enough irregularities to overturn the election.

I continue to be amazed that serious people think that gasoline powered vehicles can be completely replaced by electric vehicles in a decade-and-a-half, and that this would be a good thing, even if possible. Under threat of government action, however, the worlds major auto manufacturers are falling in line boosting production of plug-in models, and upstart Tesla Motors is now the worlds most valuable auto manufacture, based on the value of its capital stock issued and in the publics hands. Mary T. Barra, CEO of General Motors, has pledged to sell only zero emission vehicles by 2035. That would meet the deadline imposed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who signed an executive order banning the sale of internal combustion vehicles in the nations largest car market by 2035.

Charging electrric cars at work makes sense, as it rquires several hours. But what if you want to drive on a long trip?

Photo credit: Felix Cramer CC-BY-SA 2.0 license

GM, rescued from liquidation courtesy of US taxpayers (and bondholders who were cheated out of their place in line as creditors by the Obama administration), may simply be sucking up to governmental power. But Akio Toyoda, CEO of Toyota Motors, the worlds largest (or second largest, depending on the year). and grandson of the automakers founder, has spoken out and called out fallacy of thinking that this is possible or desirable. [I must here disclose that I was a consultant for a Toyota company for several years, but that all my comments on the company here are based on publicly available information.]

According to this account in CarBuzz:

As the grandson of Toyota founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, the scion was raised surrounded by all aspects of the auto industry and his business acumen is second to none. So when he had some harsh words for electric vehicles at the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association end-of-year press conference last week, people took notice. The Wall Street Journal was in attendance and noted the CEO's disdain for EVs boils down to his belief they'll ruin businesses, require massive investments, and even emit more carbon dioxide than combustion-engined vehicles. "The current business model of the car industry is going to collapse," he said. "The more EVs we build, the worse carbon dioxide gets When politicians are out there saying, 'Let's get rid of all cars using gasoline,' do they understand this?"

Studies detailing the carbon emissions necessary to manufacture an electric vehicle reveal that on a net basis, there are more emissions for vehicle bought and used for its expected lifetime, than would be generated by buying and using a conventional gasoline-powered vehicle.

Toyota can certainly make electric powered vehicles. It introduced the hybrid Prius, after all, and has a strong position in that market. Toyotas mastery of the discipline of mass production of vehicles is such that it could do well no matter what power source is used. But the costs of complete conversion to electricity-powered vehicles are mind boggling.

Where will all, the electricity needed to power to entire fleet of cars in the US (or Japan) come from? Despite the fantasies of greenies, it wont be from windmills or solar farms. They are too unreliable, take up too much land, and cost too much. Right now, it is coal and natural gas that produce the most electricity at the most reasonable cost. And they emit CO2. Plus, there is considerable loss of power due to resistance in the transmission lines, requiring an even greater amount of gross power before the net power reaches the battery in the vehicle, charging at the users home ort some other location. Nuclear power does offer some potential, but how many people want to live near the hundreds and hundreds of nuclear power plants that would be required to fuel the nations vehicles?

Then there is the small matter of batteries. The very large batteries needed for electric cars use lots of expensive lithium (and some other rare elements) whose supply is limited, and whose mining requires lots of scarce water. In fact, powering the worlds vehicles by battery is simply impossible, given the limited world supply of lithium, as this clever post by Powerlines Steve Hayward makes clear. The title gives away the punchline:

WHO WILL TELL THE GREENS THERE IS NO BATTERY FAIRY? For the longest while I have been asking, Where do environmentalists and Democrats think all these batteries for our oil-free transportation fleet are going to come from? It seems they think there is a Battery Fairy out there somewhere who will magically supply the ginormous battery capacity, and additional supply of electricity to charge them, in order to deliver us to our blessed fossil-fuel-free future.

He cites an article in Wired, The Spiraling Environmental Cost of our Lithium Battery Addiction:

But theres a problem. As the world scrambles to replace fossil fuels with clean energy, the environmental impact of finding all the lithium required to enable that transformation could become a serious issue in its own right. One of the biggest environmental problems caused by our endless hunger for the latest and smartest devices is a growing mineral crisis, particularly those needed to make our batteries, says Christina Valimaki an analyst at Elsevier. . . Its a relatively cheap and effective process, but it uses a lot of water  approximately 500,000 gallons per tonne of lithium. In Chiles Salar de Atacama, mining activities consumed 65 per cent of the regions water. That is having a big impact on local farmers  who grow quinoa and herd llamas  in an area where some communities already have to get water driven in from elsewhere. . . Two other key ingredients, cobalt and nickel, are more in danger of creating a bottleneck in the move towards electric vehicles, and at a potentially huge environmental cost. Cobalt is found in huge quantities right across the Democratic Republic of Congo and central Africa, and hardly anywhere else. The price has quadrupled in the last two years.

I am glad that some grownups are pointing out that the electric vehicle conversion emperor has no clothes on. But that hasnt stopped governments, manufacturers, and investors from pretending that electric vehicles are our only future.

As Herbert Stein famously said, "If something cannot go on forever, it will stop." Were only beginning to discover that about pipe dreams of an all-electric vehicle future.
Shawn Johnson says she's tested positive for coronavirus, as she's expecting her second child with husband Andrew East (who had previously tested positive for the virus).

The Olympic gymnast, 29, opened up about her diagnosis in an Instagram Stories post on Sunday, writing, 'Got my results back today and they back positive for Covid. Not gonna lieIm nervous knowing Im positive. My body is just exhausted.'

Johnson, who shares daughter Drew, one, with East, 29, noted that 'its been two weeks of [Respiratory Syncytial Virus] with Drew and now this.'

The latest: Shawn Johnson, 29, says she's tested positive for coronavirus, as she's expecting her second child with husband Andrew East (who had previously tested positive for the virus)

The Iowa-born gold medalist listed a series of stressors she's living with amid her health battle.

She wrote, '1. I dont want to get my family sick. 2. I have asthma and have had it my entire life so this scares me a little extra. 3. had a very close member fight for his life last month with battling Covid so its a serious topic of concern/hits home in our household.'

Johnson said that she's currently dealing with 'a cough, terrible sore throat, and headache,' as well as 'fatigue,' the latter of which she attributed to her pregnancy.

'Not looking for any kind of [pity] party,' she wrote. 'Just a reminder to take care of yourself. Drink an extra water tonight and wash your hands :)'

Johnson listed a series of stressors she's living with amid her health battle on IG Stories

The couple revealed earlier this month that they were expecting their second child in a YouTube clip

She signed off in saying, 'Yours truly aka the quarantiner in the corner bedroom.'

She later added: 'Praying so hard for all of those babies out there tonight (sappy mama here) and everyone fighting for their health. Ok... this emotional mess of a human is going to try to sleep now. Love you all.'

The couple revealed earlier this month that they were expecting their second child in a YouTube clip, as Johnson spoke about the stress in balancing the pregnancy with her spouse's diagnosis.

'We were scared to begin with that you had COVID,' she told her spouse. 'We weren't sure if Drew had it, we weren't sure if I had it. So I was calling her pediatrician, I was calling my OB.  I was like, "What do we do? Do I need to worry about being pregnant?" especially early on in pregnancy.'

The Iowa-born gold medalist showed off her pregnancy test earlier this month

Johnson, who suffered a miscarriage in October of 2017, said she was 'scared of potentially increasing [her] risks of miscarriage.'

East on Saturday chat with Us about his battle with the ailment.

'I got lucky in the sense that I didnt have too many complications,' he said. 'Unfortunately, we had close family seriously struggle through the illness so that opened our eyes to how serious things can get. After a few days, I was feeling more myself and am no longer showing symptoms.'

As of Sunday, on a global level, 2,227,764 people have died amid more than 102,951,331 positive diagnoses worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University . The death total for COVID-19 in the U.S. was at 441,319 people, with 26,185,357 total positive diagnoses.
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Virgin Galactic is set for its next attempt to reach space from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico after announcing a new flight window Monday morning that begins Feb. 13.

The company said the window will remain open through February, with the flight depending on good weather conditions and technical readiness.

It will be the first attempt to fly the Unity spaceship to suborbit since a failed flight Dec. 12, when the rocket engine suddenly shut down after the craft broke away from the mothership, forcing the two pilots on board to abort the mission and glide back to Earth.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

The company said Monday its conducted root-cause analysis for the December failure, which happened after the onboard computer lost connection at time of ignition, triggering a safety mechanism that shut the rocket motor off. The company provided no further details, but it said its team has completed corrective work and carried out extensive ground testing.

The next stage will be to assess and verify this work during a rocket-powered flight, the company said in a release.

The upcoming flight will include original test objectives from the December flight, including evaluating conditions in the passenger cabin where paying tourists will sit when commercial spaceflights begin, and assessment of upgraded stabilizers and flight controls. It will also carry experimental payloads for NASA.

We are pleased to be able to get back to the skies and continue our flight test program, said CEO Michael Colglazier in a statement.

If successful, the new flight will mark the Unitys first time reaching space from New Mexico. It reached suborbit two times before from the Mojave Air & Space Port in California.

Its since conducted two successful glide tests in New Mexico, in which the Unity breaks away from the mothership VMS Eve at about 50,000 feet up and then glides back to Earth. But successful powered flights  whereby pilots fire up the rocket motors after disconnecting from Eve to shoot into space at 50 miles up  are the next critical step before launching commercial operations.

The company said last year it would conduct three powered test flights before welcoming paying passengers onboard  the upcoming flight, followed by one with four Virgin Galactic team members in the cabin, and a final flight with company founder Sir Richard Branson onboard.

It said in November Bransons flight could happen in late March, but Decembers failed test has likely set back that target date.

Meanwhile, company shares on the New York Stock Exchange soared to unprecedented heights in the last two weeks, climbing from about $26 a share following the failed December test to above $50 Monday morning.

The new flight window may be encouraging investors. But stock analysts say the same phenomenon of market newcomers using the popular Reddit page to pump up stock in companies like GameStop and AMC Networks is also likely boosting Virgin Galactic as well.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 20:45:14|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to provide COVID-19 vaccines to other countries, especially the developing ones, in a timely manner within its capacity and contribute to the building of a community of health for all, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a daily press briefing after announcing that China donated COVID-19 vaccines to Pakistan on Monday morning, the first shipment of China's vaccine aid to other countries.

Reiterating China's commitment to making its COVID-19 vaccines a global public good once developed and put into use, Wang said China will contribute to achieving the accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing countries. "We act on our words."

Besides Pakistan, China is also providing vaccine aid to 13 developing countries, including Brunei, Nepal, the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Palestine, Belarus, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea, with 38 more developing countries in need slated to receive China's vaccine aid at a later stage.

"We are also participating actively in the WHO-led COVAX initiative to provide vaccines to developing countries," the spokesperson added.

China has supported its companies in conducting joint research and production of vaccines with foreign partners and already exported Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines to countries including the UAE, Morocco, Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, and Chile, Wang noted.

Besides, China also supported relevant companies in exporting vaccines to countries that were in urgent need, recognized Chinese vaccines, and authorized the emergency use of Chinese vaccines in their countries, Wang said.

He added that China expects the international community to make joint efforts in promoting the equitable distribution and use of vaccines and ensure the availability and affordability of vaccines in developing countries. Enditem
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: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday proposed 10 percent hike in the farm loan disbursal target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore in the Union Budget 2021, and introduced an agri-infra and development cess of up to 100 percent to create post-harvest infrastructure for improving farmers' income. In a slew of steps to support the Agriculture Sector Sitharaman announced 9 measures for Agriculture Sector.

FM Sitharaman proposed to extend SWAMITVA Scheme to all States/UTs.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had launched SWAMITVA Scheme to bring transparency in property ownership in villages. Under the Scheme, a record of rights is being given to property owners in villages. Up till now, about 1.80 lakh property-owners in 1,241 villages have been provided cards.

Agricultural credit target enhanced to Rs 16.5 lakh crore in FY22

To provide adequate credit to our farmers, the Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2021 enhanced the agricultural credit target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore in FY22. Smt. Sitharaman further said that the Government will focus on ensuring increased credit flows to animal husbandry, dairy, and fisheries.



33% increase Rural Infrastructure Development Fund

The Finance Minister also announced the enhanced the allocation to the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund from Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore.



Micro Irrigation Fund doubled

Sitharaman proposed to double Micro Irrigation Fund, started with a corpus of Rs 5,000 crore under NABARD, by augmenting it by another Rs 5,000 crore.



Operation Green Scheme  TOPS to include 22 more perishable products

To boost value addition in agriculture and allied products and their exports, Smt. Sitharaman proposed to increase the scope of Operation Green Scheme that is presently applicable to tomatoes, onions, and potatoes (TOPS), to be enlarged to include 22 perishable products.

1,000 more mandis to be integrated with e-NAM

The Finance Minister said that around 1.68 crore farmers are registered and Rs 1.14 lakh crore of trade value has been carried out through e-NAMs. Keeping in view the transparency and competitiveness that e-NAM has brought into the agricultural market, the Finance Minister proposed to integrate 1,000 more mandis with e-NAM to bring transparency and competitiveness.

Live TV

#mute

APMCs to get access to Agriculture Infrastructure Fund

The Finance Minister proposed to make available the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to APMCs for augmenting their infrastructure facilities.

To develop 5 major fishing harbours proposed

FM Sitharaman proposed substantial investments in the development of modern fishing harbours and fish landing centres. The Finance Minister said that to start with, 5 major fishing harbours  Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Paradip, and Petuaghat  will be developed as hubs of economic activity. Smt. Sitharaman also proposed to develop inland fishing harbours and fish-landing centres along the banks of rivers and waterways.

Multipurpose Seaweed Park to be established in Tamil Nadu

Recognising the potential in Seaweed farming. the Finance Minister said that it is an emerging sector with potential to transform the lives of coastal communities  it will provide large scale employment and additional incomes. To promote seaweed cultivation, Smt. Sitharaman proposed a Multipurpose Seaweed Park to be established in Tamil Nadu.
ISTANBUL  Police barricades and security forces in riot gear lined the streets Feb. 1 near the main entrance of Istanbuls Bogazici University, where at least one sniper unit monitored the activity below.

The security presence was deployed in response to expected student protests Monday afternoon over the arrests of several Bogazici students this weekend for displaying a poster deemed insulting of religious values.

Planned demonstrations were mostly prevented as dozens of students arriving from other schools in a show of support were detained or turned away by police. The handful of demonstrators that passed the barriers and checkpoints staged a brief protest before police forces swiftly closed in and detained at least three of them.

The scenes were the latest episode in the nearly monthlong protests sparked by the appointment of a government-affiliated rector to head Bogazici University, one of Turkeys top educational institutions.

On Jan. 4, students backed by some of Bogazicis faculty began protesting the appointment of Melih Bulu, a long-time member of Turkeys ruling Justice and Development Party. Bulu's installation side-stepped traditional university election procedures and is seen by critics as a government attempt to gain further influence over Turkish academia.

Mondays events come after two students were arrested late Saturday and two others were placed under house arrest on charges of inciting hatred and insulting religious values over a poster depicting the Kaaba in Mecca with LGBT flags.

The poster, which was on display at an exhibition of protest-related art at Bogazici University, also showed a Middle Eastern mythical creature in the place of the Kaaba, one of Islams holiest sites. Following condemnations by a number of government officials over the image, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu announced in a tweet late Saturday that four LGBT perverts had been detained for disrespecting the Kaaba.

In response, students with the Resist Bogazici platform released a video statement on social media, saying the main goal of the protests was to oppose the anti-democratic appointments to the university and not to disrespect public values.

"We acknowledge the sensitivity that is aimed at our exhibition, the students said in a statement. "We also acknowledge that no art form is closed to criticism. However, to be put on trial because of an art piece is against the basics of free speech.

Feyzi Ercin, a lawyer representing the Bogazici students and who was on campus during demonstrations Monday, said a group of about 250 demonstrators attempted to leave campus at 5 p.m. to hold a demonstration but were stopped by security forces who were enforcing a ban on the rally, put in place under COVID-19 restrictions.

At about 6 p.m., Ercin said the crowd attempted to enter the rectors building, where again campus security personnel stopped them. As the night continued, the students staged a sit-in, requesting the rector join them for a discussion on recent events at the university.

Its very tense. There are undercover police in the crowd. There is a lot of security here, Ercin told Al-Monitor. The students are demanding their arrested friends be released and that the rector should resign.

Outside the campus, deputies from the Peoples Democratic Party, including Serpil Kemalbay, Zuleyha Gulum, Huda Kaya, Dilsad Canbaz Kaya and Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, who condemned police activities to prevent demonstrations Monday, joined a few dozen protesting students from other schools.

Among the protesters present at the Bogazici University entrance was Umut, a Bilgi University student, who said homophobic rhetoric was being used to turn public opinion against ongoing demonstrations.

This is not about justice or protecting morals. This is about the government manipulating peoples feelings, Umut told Al-Monitor. LGBT people and the LGBT movement are [easy targets] for them to gain support for their undemocratic actions.

Friction between state officials and LGBT rights advocates is not new in Turkey. The annual Istanbul Pride march has been banned since 2015, and political rhetoric toward the LGBT community has become increasingly hostile in recent years. In April 2020, Ali Erbas, head of Turkeys Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), said homosexuality brings illnesses and decay.

Last year also saw rainbow flags, which are linked with the LGBT community, come under government scrutiny. During public outcry over the LGBT-themed Mecca poster this weekend, Erbas also prompted state officials to take legal action.

Sannur, a Galatasaray University graduate who was also at the protest outside Bogazici Monday, said she believed the poster depicting Mecca was not offensive and that people were being very sensitive.

They are trying to marginalize us again, Sannur told Al-Monitor, in reference to government officials.

Sannur added, Its getting worse for the LGBT community, but also for all opposition members. LGBT people are just more visible because they are pushing for change. But they are only trying to live, and that makes some people uncomfortable.
As work on Bord na Monas 121m state-funded peatlands restoration project is set to begin this spring, the Farming Independent speaks to ecology team lead Mark McCorry and project manager Doreen King about key concerns raised by farmers.

From bog locations and consultation, to farmland flooding fears, boundary drain maintenance, land assessment and the possibility of compensation, Bord na Mona responds to outstanding queries that have emerged in recent weeks.

Furthermore, the two experts also offer insights on the value of carbon  worth an estimated 30/t  and indicate how this rewetting project may be rolled out on other bogs, beyond BNMs landbank, over the coming years.



Q1. Is there a list/map of all the Bord na Mona bogs that have been identified for rewetting under the peatland restoration project?

Mr McCorry said: Right now the overall list of bogs is on the Government website. We are developing a website which is expected to be online within two weeks. All of the rehabilitation plans that we are going to carry out in the first year will be available on that website. There will also be a list of locations, so farmers will be able to click on the location and see where the bog is. Currently, we have 14 plans available for consultation and our expectation is that, within the next week, we will be finalising those last few plans. We will have 19 bogs ready in Kildare, Offaly, Galway and Longford for project commencement this April.

Q2. What are Bord na Monas plans to engage with farmers on issues regarding farmlands adjoining bogs identified for rewetting?

Mr McCorry said: We had plans to go door-to-door with communities, but with Covid-19 and level five restrictions that has fallen by the wayside. Were having to do other ways of consultation. We have sent out the plans, put ads into local newspapers, set up an email address and we have a community liaison officer who will follow up on all calls on a one-to-one basis if there are specific queries in relation to neighbouring issues.

We realise BNM bogs are not in a bubble, they are located in a landscape and we do have neighbours. We must be very mindful of not having impacts on our neighbours in relation to raising water levels in terms of unintended impacts and potentially flooding farmland or adjacent turbary. The engagement process has started and will be extended for several more weeks. However, this is only the start of the process, we will continually be consulting with people on this.

Q3. Farmers are very concerned about potential land flooding issues when BNM turns off its pumps and blocks its drains. What is BNMs response to this?

Mr McCorry said: Were very conscious in relation to when we actually plan our rehabilitation. If were dropping drains, we have to very much consider the upstream impacts. That means we have to avoid blocking drains where, for example, the water comes into a bog  in that case, well be leaving those drains. In general, we will leave all the boundary drains open because we realise we cant be blocking boundary drains and affecting water levels on adjacent lands.

To help plan this and monitor this were very much looking at the hydrology of these bogs. Hydrological consultants RPS Engineers are helping us; they are looking at drainage management and coming up with solutions where there are potential issues and pinch points. But, in our experience so far, we havent had significant issues when weve done this before. What we want to do is rewet our bogs, so our focus is the internal drains and the field drains within the bog  blocking those drains and trying to raise the water within the bog. The water will still flow to the current emission points, flow to the boundary drains and get away almost as normal within the current landscape.

Q4. Farmers want an independent land assessment to be carried out prior to the commencement of the rewetting project this April. Will BNM facilitate this?

Mr McCorry said: The work that RPS Consulting Engineers is doing for us is an impact assessment of sorts. Were calling it a drainage assessment and its looking at what were planning to do in the context of the surrounding lands and drainage of the neighbouring land  that is an independent assessment and it will very much inform our rehabilitation plans. Currently, our rehabilitation plans are draft plans, we have to consider all the comments and consultation that comes into us in terms of finalising what we have to do.

Q5. Will the boundary drains between the identified bogs and adjoining farmland be maintained by BNM now and into the future?

Mr McCorry said: Thats a difficult question to answer. At the moment, BNM is going to look after its land bank; it is responsible for land security and is committed to looking after that land bank. Its hard to see 10 years ahead, but we realise there will have to be ongoing maintenance of some of these drains.

We also have to be very careful that the whole regulatory system can change and, in the past, where BNM may have cleaned drains outside its boundary it cant do that anymore, so all we can do is maintain the drains on our own lands."

Q6. Will BNM put in writing its intention to maintain the boundary drains between the bogs and farmland?

Mr McCorry said: That would be for the company to decide into the future. It is very hard to know in the longer term  10, 20, 30 years  what the management regime will be. But for any of the actions that we take now, we will be thinking long term in trying to prevent future issues.

"Generally, with the work that we are doing we would really like to be able to almost walk away from it, in that the bog is rewetted and we do that in a certain way that we arent leaving any issues behind in relation to the need for maintenance and so on.

This project will provide a lot of benefits in terms of eco-system services, to reduction in carbon emissions and it will hopefully enhance the landscape of local communities. These bogs will be natural habitats providing a lot of biodiversity so this work will enable a lot of additional and potential amenity provision. In the future, walkways will be developed across these bogs and all this means there will be a need for future management. If there are greenways there will have to be boundary management, maintenance and security and for some of our bogs we will be looking to create commercial activity. BNM has a responsibility to maintain and manage the lands.

Q7. Will farmers be financially compensated if their holding is negatively impacted by the rewetting project now and into the future?

Ms King said: Were doing a hydrological assessment and the intention is we will avoid impact on adjoining land. If we envisage that there could be an impact, we will try to mitigate that to avoid impact by putting in a hydraulic break, boundary drain or amending the rehabilitation design slightly rather than going the route of compensation.

Q8. Bord na Mona managing director Tom Donnellan has stated that 350 long-term jobs will be created under the peatlands rehabilitation project. How long term are these jobs considering that its a four-year scheme?

Mr McCorry said: The scheme is funded for four years and obviously we have only identified a footprint of 33,000ac. But once we do that, there is definitely more BNM bogs to do. So our expectation is that, with potential additional funding, this will be rolled on and we will very much be looking to develop our skills and services.

"BNM has a very small area of peatland in total in comparison to all of the peatland in Ireland, so what we do here, and what we learn, is going to be very important in relation to rolling this out across the country.

Again, coming back to the key point of climate action, this is an easy win in terms of rewetting peatlands. If we can rewet more peatlands in Ireland, it is going to help in relation to climate action. The only thing we can say now is that we will definitely be looking at more opportunities to continue this work.

Q9. Will the peatlands rewetting project reduce Irelands national greenhouse gas emissions?

Mr McCorry said: It will definitely contribute to potentially reducing the national targets. Ireland has recently committed to reporting its carbon emissions from Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) and any reduction in carbon emissions will be captured in this sector and reported on by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). So, if we can contribute to Land Use carbon reduction thats going to contribute overall and it may mean there will be more flexibility in all the sectors.

The key point here is that this isnt going to be the only solution in relation to rewetting of peatlands. Unfortunately, with the climate emergency, all sectors must contribute  this isnt going to be the only answer. But it will definitely be one solution and other solutions will be insulating our houses, forestry, more efficient farming and transport."

Q10. How much will the carbon stored in the rewetted bogs be worth per tonne?

Mr McCorry said: Carbon is worth 30/t and this likely to increase. There is a potential opportunity there but, at the moment, we dont really have a mechanism where we can trade this carbon. The first action is to carry out the rewetting, the second action would be to verify the reduction in carbon from the rewetting.

This verification can be quite expensive to measure  especially on a small scale on a small bog. We probably wont be measuring carbon on every single bog, it will be a verification and monitoring system where we look for indicators. We will build a set of indicators, for example, if we see certain plants developing on bogs we can then say well that bog was rewetted and now it has an emission reduction of x percent.

Q11. Will BNM trade the stored carbon and how will carbon storage levels be measured?

Mr McCorry said: Other countries have led the way here and we have the peatland code in the UK. They are trying to develop a mechanism where land owners can rewet their bogs and realise the benefits by selling the carbon benefits or the carbon reductions.

In the UK some major corporations are investing money with landowners  so when land owners rewet the bogs, corporations get the benefits of the carbon reductions in relation to their corporate social responsibility (CSR) or their low carbon emissions trading.

"Some big corporations interested in this are water utility companies because they realise it can be very important to try to prevent carbon coming into their treatment plants  it makes better sense to have cleaner water coming in and one way to improve water quality is to rewet bogs.

In terms of actually measuring the carbon, its quite scientific. You need specialised equipment to measure carbon fluxes, its not just the carbon that comes out of the ground, you also have to consider measuring the carbon coming out of the vegetation too. Those measures have to be carried out over a couple of years to take account of seasonality.

You can do it at different scales  one scale is called the chamber scale on a footprint of maybe a meter squared. In this scenario, a chamber is put over the vegetation to measure the gas exchanges. Then you can scale up to measure changes in carbon fluxes on a landscape scale over a much bigger footprint of several hundred meters and that would measure different habitats. It would need to be carried out on several different bogs because the environmental conditions are different.

Q12. How much carbon do BNM bogs currently emit and what is BNMs emissions reduction target for the end of the four-year scheme?

Mr McCorry said: There has been a fair bit of research on this over the last 10 to 20 years, we have a good idea of how much carbon our bogs emit in different conditions. It can be hard to put numbers on it, but we modelled it looking at residual peat and what carbon could be saved by developing new habitats  so reducing carbon emissions by literally going from brown to green in relation to getting vegetation back on the bogs in a wet condition.

A key point is we know that with a lot of our cutaway bogs, we cant restore them in the short term. We cant restore that carbon sequestration because the bog environment has changed so much where the majority of the peat has been removed. So the best outcome there is, we know they are a significant carbon source and when we rewet them we make them a reduced carbon source.

So, while they were raised bog, now they will develop a suite of other habitats  like bog woodland and wetlands  because the environmental conditions will have changed.

If we can change the condition from dry to wet we immediately reduce carbon emissions. The ballpark figures for carbon emissions on dry, drained, peatlands is that they emit six to eight tonnes per hectare per year  we could reduce that down by 25pc or 50pc as soon as we get that peat wet.
Every few months, the question seems to come up: If Texas wanted to, could it secede from the United States?

Simply put, the answer is no. Historical and legal precedents make it clear that Texas could not leave the Union  at least not legally.

The idea is most often raised by conservatives in the state who are angry over some kind of policy coming from the federal government  and the calls seem to become more frequent when a Democrat is occupying the White House. State Rep. Kyle Biedermann, R-Fredericksburg, filed a bill Tuesday to create a referendum election on whether Texans should create a joint legislative committee to develop a plan for achieving Texas independence.

It is now time that the People of Texas are allowed the right to decide their own future, he said in a statement announcing the legislation.

The bill doesnt appear to have much of a chance. And even if it did, experts say, Texas cant just secede.

The legality of seceding is problematic, Eric McDaniel, associate professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin, told The Texas Tribune in 2016. The Civil War played a very big role in establishing the power of the federal government and cementing that the federal government has the final say in these issues.

Many historians believe that when the Confederacy surrendered at Appomattox in 1865, the idea of secession was also defeated, McDaniel said. The Unions victory set a precedent that states could not legally secede.

Some have pointed to Britains 2016 vote to leave the European Union as an example. But its important to note that the European Union is a loose association of compound states with preexisting protocols for a nation to exit. In contrast, the U.S. Constitution contains procedures for admitting new states into the nation, but none for a state to leave.

Yet the myth that Texas can easily secede persists, in part, because of the states history of independence.

Texas declared independence from Mexico in 1836 and spent the next nine years as its own nation. While the young countrys leaders first expressed interest in becoming a state in 1836, the Republic of Texas did not join the United States until 1845, when Congress approved the Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States.

This resolution, which stipulated that Texas could, in the future, choose to divide itself into New States of convenient size not exceeding four in number, in addition to said State of Texas is often a cause of confusion about the states ability to secede. But the language of the resolution is clear: Texas can split itself into five new states. It says nothing of splitting apart from the United States.

In the years after Texas joined the United States, tensions over slavery and states rights mounted. A state convention in 1861 voted 166-8 in favor of secession  a measure that was then ratified by a popular vote, making Texas the seventh state to secede from the Union.

After the Civil War, Texas was readmitted to the Union in 1870.

Yet even before Texas formally rejoined the nation, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that secession was not legal, and thus, even during the rebellion, Texas continued to be a state. In the 1869 case Texas v. White, the court held that individual states could not unilaterally secede from the Union and that the acts of the insurgent Texas Legislature  even if ratified by a majority of Texans  were absolutely null.

If there were any doubt remaining after that, late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia set it to rest more than a century later with his response to a letter from a screenwriter in 2006 asking if there is a legal basis for secession.

The answer is clear, Scalia wrote. If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede. (Hence, in the Pledge of Allegiance, one Nation, indivisible.)

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the Normandy format is currently stagnant due to Russia's reluctance to move forward and expressed hope that U.S. President Joe Biden would join the talks.

He said this in an interview with the Axios news site, broadcast on the HBO television channel, which was made public by the presidential press service on Monday, February 1.

"Today, unfortunately, there is a moment of stagnation. I believe that this is due to the reluctance of the Russian Federation to move forward. Because they thought we would slow down this negotiation process, the Minsk process. But we are moving forward very quickly, we are ready to talk about all the details and move to the end of this war - move to peace," Zelensky said.

According to him, so far it is not about restoring relations with Russia, but about the need "to stop the war between our countries, go to the borders, return our people and our territories.

"A year and a month have passed since the Normandy meeting, and I do not see any serious steps forward. So I say again: I think it's idle talk. And Russia understands this perfectly well. They are playing because they do not want to promote this process according to Ukrainian requirements. Yes, they only want it their way. They see further federalization of Ukraine, and it is true. Weakening of the Ukrainian central government, preservation of separatists in one way or another - I understand what they are doing. We have seen this in Transdniestria - the same effect," Zelensky said.

He said he had told European leaders that if the talks continue in this format, this format will be exhausted.

"And that's why I wanted such a powerful world player as the United States to have an impact. Not theoretical, not outside the circle of the Normandy Four, but to have one of the crucial missions. I would really like to involve President Biden in the Normandy format. I am ready to do anything to reach an agreement with the President of the United States and the Normandy Four," Zelensky said.

At the same time, he noted that this could be another format in parallel with the Normandy format, where the United States and Russia must be present.

"This is a parallel case. This does not mean that we give up on the Normandy format. But there are issues that are not on the agenda of Normandy, namely: what to do with Crimea," Zelensky said.

The Normandy Four summit last took place in December 2019. The next summit was scheduled for April 2020, but it did not take place either because of the pandemic or because the process slowed down again. The work in this format is currently underway at the level of political advisers.

op
The Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine will continue to cooperate with the OSCE in the development of a system for the rehabilitation of veterans.

Further cooperation was discussed at the meeting of Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine Yuliia Laputina with OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine, Ambassador Henrik Villadsen, the Ministrys press service informs.

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs is interested in further cooperation with the OSCE, particularly, in the field of the implementation of new projects aimed at developing rehabilitation programs and standards, sociological research, professional upgrading of psychological care providers as well as digitalization of services provided to veterans, Laputina said.

The minister also thanked Villadsen for the project implemented with the support of the OSCE in Ukraine last year. By developing rehabilitation mechanisms, this project has strengthened the Ministry's capacity to build a support system for the conflict-affected population.

According to Ambassador Henrik Villadsen, the unique experience gained in dealing with the aftermath of war could be useful to other countries. He also drew attention to the importance of developing projects to integrate defenders into communities.

ol
Chartered Accountants have been charged to contribute towards the successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement.



Speaking on the role of Chartered Accountants in the successful execution of the Agreement, Mr Mickson Opoku, Team Leader, Multilateral, Regional & Bilateral Trade and Chief Trade Negotiator for the AfCFTA, Ministry of Trade and Industry, said it was important for chartered accountants to educate and sensitise people and stakeholders to understand the Framework Agreement, protocols, Annexes, and the Appendices of the Treaty establishing the AfCFTA.



He made the call at a virtual seminar organised by the Accra West District Society of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana.



The seminar attended by 70 professionals was chaired by Mr Francis Bus-Moses, a member of the World Bank Group.



Mr Opoku asked the professionals to enable people to understand the financial implications of the agreement to the private sector, contribute to the services negotiations particularly on the business and financial services sectors.



They were also charged to support structural reforms in the financial sector to make Ghana the financial hub of Africa.



The benefits of the AfCFTA, he said, would not come automatically, hence to harness the benefits of the Agreement by AU Member States, a Programme of Action to Boost intra-African Trade (BIAT) had been endorsed by AU Member Heads of State.



The BIAT will address seven priority clusters - Trade Policy, Trade Facilitation, Productive Capacity (Industrialisation), Trade-related infrastructure (such as Transportation and Communication), Trade Finance, Trade Information, and Factor Market Integration.



Each country was required to identify specific areas of comparative advantage and strategic focus for diversification and develop value chains for both goods and services.



The Team Leader mentioned a boost in intra-African trade from 12 per cent, which was the lowest as compared to intra-EU trade, intra-Asian Trade and intra-North American trade which stands at 68 per cent, 53 per cent and 46 per cent respectively as some of the benefits of the AfCFTA.



He said a successful implementation of the AfCFTA would also increase intra-African Trade by as much as $35 billion per year, or 52 per cent above the baseline by 2022.



Consequently, imports from outside the continent could decrease by $10 billion per year, whereas Agricultural and Industrial exports would increase by $4 billion (7 per cent) and $21billion (5 per cent) above the baseline respectively (UNECA, 2014).



Other strategic objectives and benefits of the AfCFTA, Mr Opoku said were to develop regional value chains and facilitate cross border investments; and to enhance access to an expanded market for SMEs in Africa on preferential trade terms.



Others are to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) into Africa with strong regional and local content, and facilitate the integration of Africa economies into global markets.



Currently, 54 out of 55 Member States have so far signed the AfCFTA which was adopted at the AU Extra-Ordinary Summit in Kigali, Rwanda on March 21, 2018.



Thirty-five (35) Member States have ratified and deposited their Instruments of Ratification with the AU Commission.

Implementation commenced on May 30, 2019 (30 days) after 22 Members States had ratified the AfCFTA and deposited their instrument of ratifications with the AU Commission, Mr Opoku 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
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin has warned that non-essential retail is unlikely to reopen after March 5 when current restrictions are due to be lifted.

The country is due to exit Level 5 at that point. However, Mr Martin said he was committed to the "prolonged suppression" of the virus.

He was speaking as figures released yesterday revealed that the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) had been notified of 1,247 new cases of Covid-19, and 15 additional deaths related to the virus.

Mr Martin said: "The Government will be having a series of meetings over the next while to deal with the medium-term situation."

However, he stressed that he saw education and construction as "immediate priorities", and he said the Government will look at other sectors.

"But I do not see a major reopening after March 5 quite yet," Mr Martin said on This Week on RTE Radio 1 yesterday. "A lot will depend on the numbers.

"We need to be conservative, and we need to be cautious in terms of what we do on March 5."

Hospitality will likely have to wait longer, for a wider vaccination of the population, he said, adding that he had been straight with people on the roll-out.

Meanwhile, he said a "critical mass" of Irish people will be vaccinated by the autumn, despite the AstraZeneca row.

Obligations

But Ireland is down around 300,000 doses as a result of that vaccine company's announcement that it will not be able to fully meet its contractual obligations to the EU.

Ireland is expected to receive 1.1 million doses in the immediate weeks ahead, instead of an expected 1.4 million, Mr Martin said.

"We're hoping that we can make up some of that."

Last night it was expected that Ireland would receive another 90,000 doses after the EU announced that AstraZeneca had agreed to deliver another nine million doses in the first quarter of this year.

Mr Martin said he anticipated that May, June and July will be significant months of vaccination for the broad mass of the population.

Vaccinations remained "a moving target", he said. "We have to be careful in giving precise commitments around vaccines because it does depend on supply," he said.

Separately, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said yesterday: "There is an onus on employers to ensure that, in the first instance, staff are encouraged to work from home and in cases where that is not possible, that their workplaces are safe for staff and customers and in full compliance with infection prevention and control measures.

"The HPSC has comprehensive guidance on outbreak management and infection prevention control measures that every employer should be familiar with and activating on their premises.

"I encourage all employers and managers to review their workplaces and ensure they have effective measures in place," he said.

There were 1,516 Covid-19 patients hospitalised yesterday, compared to 1,492 patients hospitalised on Saturday. The numbers in intensive care units remained the same on both days, at 211 patients.
Financial experts and industry leaders broadly welcomed the Budget, taking particular note of announcements on road development, taxation and health

Soon after the presentation of the Union Budget 2021, BJP members hailed it for its focus on capital expenditure and healthcare while Opposition leaders questioned the Centre over the increase in government borrowing.

Financial experts and industry leaders broadly welcomed the Budget, taking particular note of announcements on road development, taxation and health.

Here are the key reactions till now on the Union Budget 2021:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Union Budget, saying it has the vision of 'Aatmanirbharta' (self reliance) and addresses all sections of the society, while keeping farmers and villages at its heart.

"This Budget has a special focus on strengthening the agriculture sector and boosting farmers' income. Villages and farmers are at its heart," Modi said.

The Budget will bring several positive changes for individuals, investors, industry and infrastructure sector, the prime minister said in his televised remarks.

Modi said the Budget has been presented in extraordinary circumstances and has a sense of reality as well as a confidence of development in it.

It has the vision of Aatmanirbharta and addresses all sections of the society, he asserted.

"We have taken the approach of widening new opportunities for growth, creation of new opportunities for our youth, giving a new dimension to human resources, develop new sectors for infrastructure development, and moving towards technology and bringing new reforms in this Budget," he said.

It's a pro-active Budget that gives boost to wealth as well as wellness, Modi said.

'Forward-looking Budget'

Senior BJP leader and defence minister Rajnath Singh hailed the Union Budget as one for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', and asserted that this will strengthen the economy.

The Union budget is all-inclusive and touches every section of society, BJP president JP Nadda said, while expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES ON BUDGET 2021 HERE

Union home minister Amit Shah said the government has given an "all-inclusive" budget under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The budget presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will pave the way for an Aatamnirbhar Bharat, making India a $5 trillion economy and doubling farmers' income, Shah said.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the Union Budget will prove to be a milestone in upgrading India's economy and will ensure development of all sections of society.

"The general Budget is in accordance with the expectation of public welfare and Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).The Budget has taken care of every class including farmers, middle class, poor, women," he said in a series of tweets in Hindi.

     /  /      100            ,                       Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) February 1, 2021

Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain praised the Budget's emphasis on affordable housing for all, and said it is sensitive to the needs of diverse sections of society. The budget will do justice with farmers, generate more employment opportunities and will be beneficial for all, said Union minister Prakash Javadekar. Party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has presented a well laid-out plan to get the economy back on track.

A forward-looking #Budget - it will make good on the govts $5 trillion economy promise.Multiple pluses:increased govt spending in major sectors like infrastructure, agriculture & healthcare; safety net expanded for the vulnerable; & opportunities for greater private investments.  Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) February 1, 2021

BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav said the budget will provide a major boost to India's infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare.

'Govt's policies have destroyed economy', says Congress

Slamming the Union government for its handling of the economy, the Congress said in a tweet on its official handle, "Due to the Modi government's policies, government borrowings have seen a consistent rise. The government's policies have destroyed the country's economy."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Narendra Modi government plans to hand over India's assets to crony capitalists through stake sale in public sector companies and financial institutions, including two PSU banks and an insurance company, in the next fiscal.

"Forget putting cash in the hands of people, Modi government plans to handover India's assets to his crony capitalist friends," he said after the presentation of the Union Budget.

In a similar vein, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor remarked 

This BJP government reminds me of the garage mechanic who told his client, I couldnt fix your brakes, so I made your horn louder. #Budget2021  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 1, 2021

P Chidambaram said Sitharaman "deceived" those who were listening to her speech, especially the MPs, had no clue that she has imposed cesses on a large number of products including petroleum and diesel.

"It was a vengeful act against the thousands of farmers who took out the longest tractor rally in history. It was also a cruel blow to federalism because the states do not get a share of the revenue from cesses," the former finance minister said while addressing a press conference.

Reading out a party statement, Chidambaram said Sitharaman did not mention defence at all, "as if the Chinese had vacated occupied Indian territory".

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh flayed the Union Budget, saying it reflects the Centre's persistent efforts to sideline non-BJP ruled states.

Amarinder criticised the Centre for the "stepmotherly treatment" meted out to Punjab and other northern states, claiming that it was "designed" to cater to the poll-bound states of West Bengal and south India with a massive infrastructure development allocation for these regions.

The Budget also manifests the central government's persistent efforts to sideline non-BJP states like ours, as well as its anti-federal mindset, said the chief minister, pointing to the gap between the fiscal deficit targets fixed for the Union government and states.

'Visionless document'

The Trinamool Congress also lashed out at the Centre, terming it a 100 percent "visionless" document, and said that its theme was "sell India."

"India's first paperless budget is also a 100 percent visionless budget. Theme of the fake budget is Sell India!" TMC spokesperson Derek O'Brien said. "Railways: sold, Airports: sold, Ports: sold, Insurance: sold PSUs: 23 sold!"

O'Brien claimed common people and farmers were ignored, adding that the Budget would make the rich richer and the poor poorer, while the middle class got "nothing".

CPM general-secretary Sitaram Yechury said the budget is neither for the people nor for the much publicised "V-shaped revival of the economy, but for a K-shaped rich becoming richer, poor poorer."

"Budget projecting self-reliance promotes self-subservience to corporate profits through a loot of national assets and large-scale privatisation. FDI limits in LIC and financial sector hiked for profit maximisation. Pandemic misery growing and health allocation reduced. Unemployment mounts and MNREGA cut by 42 percent.

"Kisan protests raging and agriculture allocations reduced. Promising MSP but allocation for price support schemes reduced. Soaring petrol prices additional cess on petroleum products," he said. He further said more investment does not guarantee growth as there are no buyers for products. "This will only increase profits when during this pandemic top 100 billionaires become wealthier by Rs 13 lakh crore," Yechury said.

India Inc hails Budget as reformist

India Inc Budget as a reformist one that reimagines India's self-reliance like never before and will drive revival of the economy from the impact of the pandemic with enhanced spending. The focus on growth over fiscal consolidation, healthcare spending and steps to further help the startup ecosystem came in for praise from industry leaders across different sectors.

"Coming in the backdrop of a global pandemic of the century, it boldly spells the government's growth agenda and a march towards building a new and prosperous India. The budget clearly has the stamp of our Prime Minister with a clarion call for 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas' and 'Vocal for Local'," Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises Sunil Bharti Mittal said. The first budget of this new decade reimagines India in the form of Aatmanirbhar Bharat like never before, he added.

Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra said in a time of unprecedented economic stress, the government's responsibility was to spend enough to revive the economy or else face enormous human suffering.

In a time of unprecedented economic stress, the Govts responsibility was to spend enough to revive the economy or else face enormous human suffering. So I had one expectation from this budget: that we should be very liberal in terms of the targeted fiscal deficit. Box ticked.  anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 1, 2021

Lauding the finance minister for the focus on healthcare spending and immunisation especially for COVID-19 and the pneumococcal vaccines, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said this will help India recover rapidly from this pandemic. "Hopefully, this will also encourage more innovation and expansion in the sector," he added. Bringing in the cricketing angle, RPG Enterprises chairman Harsh Goenka tweeted:

Combination of Pujara & Pant innings - consistency and flamboyance! Steady focus on infra, commercial laws, ease of business with big shots of monetising PSU assets, new divestments, insurance FDI. India won in Australia. Now India shall rise above in new world order!#Budget2021  Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) February 1, 2021

Analysts praise announcements on taxation, infra

On the announcements regarding taxation, Ashok Shah, Founding Partner, NA Shah Associates, said, "The finance minister has specifically mentioned in her Budget speech that there is no increase in taxes  neither capital gains tax nor a new levy of COVID Tax. This is in sharp contrast to the general market sentiment that a special tax/cess could be levied. It surely is a welcome move to the already heavily burdened India Inc."

Rhitiman Majumder, co-founder, Pickrr Technologies, welcomed the outlay on road development, and said, "The infusion of money for road development in four states is a welcome move for smooth/faster logistics transport. This move will further ensure greater connectivity in tier -2 /tier-3 cities in these states."

Speaking on the healthcare outlay, Divakar Vijayasarathy, Founder and Managing Partner, DVS Advisors LLP, said, "As expected health has been given a prominent platform and was the first pillar of the Budget speech. (The Budget) has increased the allocation by around 138 percent, which is definitely a welcome move."

With inputs from PTI
A man accused of breaching a sexual offences prevention order by disinhibiting himself through the use of alcohol has been granted bail.

Richard McFarland, 53, whose address was given as Lawrence Hill, appeared in court charged with breaching the terms of his Sexual Offences Protection Order (SOPO) and possession of Class B drug Cannabis on January 31.

Objecting to bail, a police officer said she doesnt believe the defendant will abide by any conditions.

McFarland is currently awaiting sentencing in relation to five other breaches of the same order and has an extensive history with 26 breaches in total.

She said he continues to use alcohol and it acts as a dis-inhibitor.

A small amount of Cannabis was found on McFarland in custody.

Given any window of opportunity he will continue to offend. He has breached court bail on several occasions and committed the current breaches while on bail, the police officer added.

The officer suggested supervised accommodation is the best option.

The PSNI raised serious concerns about him being released.

Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said five or six breaches of his SOPO were dealt with in November when a prison sentence was imposed.

The court heard that the sentence is being appealed at a court sitting on March 3.

Mr Quigley said the defendant blew a low reading of 37mg per 100ml of breath.

He accepted the no alcohol conditions was in place because it is a dis-inhibitor and that his client has an appalling record.

Deputy District Judge McStay said breaches of the SOPO are frequent and severe in the sense he received a prison sentence for a number of those in Crown Court.

He added that McFarland ultimately has a sentence to be dealt with in March and accepts the breaches.

Judge McStay said it was not a high reading and there was no further offending.

The judge said he would give the 52-year-old one opportunity and released on him the same terms.

McFarland must reside at Lawrence Hill and abide by the terms of his SOPO.

He will appear in court again on March 8 after his appeal hearing.

The CEO of Robinhood has revealed that the clearing house that handles all stock trades, the NSCC, demanded a $3 billion security at 3am in the morning during dramatic negotiations before the company stopped GameStop trades.

Speaking during a virtual event hosted by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Vladimir Tenev offered an explanation behind his company's decision to Thursday to restrict the purchase of GameStop shares and several other stocks.

The controversial move, that sparked widespread outrage, came after short selling hedge funds lost billions when Redditors organised on the WallStreetBets page banded together to drive up the price of the video game retailer's share price, resulting in hedge funds losing billions of dollars.

At 3 a.m. on Thursday, Tenev said that Robinhood's operations team was sent a file by the clearinghouse that handles all stock trades - the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) - requesting a security deposit of $3 billion.

Elon Musk was involved at the start of the Reddit frenzy when he tweeted a link to the Reddit board with the word 'Gamestonk!!'.

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev is seen above. Speaking to Elon Musk on Sunday, he said that the NSCC demanded a $3 billion security deposit the morning before the company stopped GameStop trades, sparking outrage among the app's users

'We have to put up money to the NSCC based on some factors including things like the volatility of the trading activity into certain securities,' he explained during a Clubhouse virtual event on Sunday night.

'And this is the equities business so its based on stock trading and not options trading or anything else.'

'So, they give us a file with the deposit and the request was around $3 billion, which is, you know, about an order of magnitude more than what it typically is.'

Musk continued to press Tenev for answers, asking 'Everyone wants to know did something shady go down here?', to which Robinhood's CEO denied, saying the NSCC was 'reasonable' despite the request.

'I wouldnt impute shadiness to it or anything like that and actually you know the NSPCC was reasonable,' he said, before adding that the regulator worked with Robinhood to lower the amount.

Musk pressed again, asking 'is anyone holding your hostage right now?' probing Tenev on whether the NSCC was bullying the trading app.

The statement sheds some new light on the surreal events of the week, in which GameStop shares surged as part of a campaign promoted on Reddit

Tenev avoided the question, saying 'thanks for asking', before calling the experience 'nerve wracking' and saying he was asleep at the time of the request.

He went on to tell Musk that he and the company's Chief Operating Officer called the 'higher-ups' at the NSCC to 'figure out what's going on.'

The NSCC agreed to lower the deposit amount to $1.4 billion, with Tenev saying that that was 'still a high number' before the team proposed how to manage the risk throughout the day, 'marking these volatile stocks - that were driving the activity - [with] positioning closing only,' he said.

'So, at 5.30, or five in the morning, they [the NSCC] came back and they said okay, the deposit [should be] 700 million, which we then deposited and paid promptly. And then, everything was fine,' he said.

He went on to acknowledge that as a result, 'this was a bad outcome for our customers. Part of whats been really difficult is Robinhood stands for democratizing access to stocks.

Elon Musk was involved at the start of the Reddit frenzy when he tweeted a link to the Reddit board with the word 'Gamestonk!!'. In the hours following his Tweet on Tuesday, GameStop shares rocketed 60 percent

'Yes, we want to give people access so we had no choice in this case, we had to conform to our regulatory capital requirements,' he said.

'So it sounds like this organization calls you up and they basically have a gun to your head,' Musk said. 'Either you put up this money or else. Basically, what people are wondering is did you sell your clients down the river? Or did you have no choice?'

'I think that's fair,' Tenev replied, saying 'We have to comply with these requirements, financial institutions have requirements.'

The Robinhood controversy arose after millions of Redditors fought back against Wall Street hedge funds short selling GameStop stock.

Elon Musk was involved at the start of the Reddit frenzy when he tweeted a link to the Reddit board with the word 'Gamestonk!!'. In the hours following his Tweet on Tuesday, GameStop shares rocketed 60 percent.

Musk's call-outs to certain companies have influenced companies in the past, and has faced issues with the SEC for tweeting about Tesla's stock.

The NSCC is a subsidiary of DTCC. The DTCC is the institution that actually performs the exchange of stocks for cash, where securities are deposited for safekeeping as trades are being executed, enabling the instant buying and selling of stock even though the actual settlement of the trades takes a day or more.

Brokerages have to post money with the DTCC to cover trades while they wait for their customer's trades to settle.

Normally, those deposit requirements are manageable, because brokers have customers both buying and selling the same stocks, so if the broker fails their book with the DTCC balances out.

Claims circulated on social media Thursday that Robinhood was forcibly selling off shares of GameStop without the account holder's permission after it blocked users from buying shares

What is the Reddit shares trading frenzy? GameStop is one of the most heavily shorted stocks on the market, with more contracts to sell the stock short than there are shares available. 'Short selling' allows an investor to profit when the price of a share drops. Short sellers borrow a stock, sell the stock, and then buy the stock back to return it to the lender. Reddit users saw an opportunity for what is known as a 'short squeeze', in which rising share prices force short sellers to buy more of the stock to cover their losses. Users of the Reddit group WallStreetBets were urging members to buy and hold GameStop stock, locking up the supply of shares and forcing desperate hedge funds to bid higher and higher to cover their shorts. It is a bubble that could burst at any time, if investors decide to cash out and a selling spree ensues. Most professional investors agree that GameStop's earning potential does not justify the current share price. Advertisement

Users saw an opportunity for what is known as a 'short squeeze', in which rising share prices force short sellers to buy more of the stock to cover their losses.

Short sellers make money by betting that a stock will drop in price. They borrow a stock and sell it, with expectation that it will drop in price.

They then buy the stock back once it has dropped in price and return it to the lender, making a profit on the price difference.

However, in the case of GmaeStop, a seven-million strong army of Redditors, organised on the Reddit forum Wallstreetbets, saw that it was being shorted.

They banded together to drive the share prices of GameStop and other heavily-shorted companies up in an attempt to 'stick it to the shorts'.

As a result, those betting against GameStop are down $19.75 billion this year, according to market analysts S3, including a further $8 billion loss on Friday after the stock leapt another 68 percent.

On Sunday The Wall Street Journal reported that one hedge fund, Melvin Capital Management, which has borne the brunt of losses from the soaring stock prices of heavily shorted stocks, lost 53 per cent on its investments in January.

Melvin Capital, which had bet against GameStop, had to be bailed out because of the roughly $4.5 billion losses it suffered in the frenzy.

Melvin Capital and another that suffered heavy losses, Citron Capital, announced they would stop the practice of short selling.

Citron Capital's founder said its focus would be instead be on 'long' opportunities - or, betting on companies to succeed rather than fail.

Melvin Capital started the year looking after around $12.75 billion of funds, but this is said to have fallen dramatically to $8 billion, which includes a $2.75 billion bailout from two other hedge funds - Citadel and Point72.

But while some have suffered, other Wall Street investors have made large profits.

American asset manager Fiedlity, which holds a 13.7 percent stake in Gamestop making it the company's top shareholder, saw its share rise to $3.1 billion.

BlackRock's 11.3 per cent stake is now worth $2.6 billion, while the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund owns almost $600 million worth of GameStop shares.

Individuals also saw windfalls, with Michigan based billionaire Donald Ross who bought a five percent stake in GameStop last year for for a reported $12.5 million, saw its value rise to just over $1 billion.

The company's chief executive George Sherman has also seen his 3.4 percent stake rise from $44 million at the start of the year to almost $800 million.



Online trading platform Robinhood restricted trading in stocks that have soared recently, including GameStop, after Wall Street hedge funds lost billions

How does 'shorting' a stock actually work? Stocks typically benefit investors if the price goes up - they buy stock, the price increases if the company does well, then they sell it for a profit. But there is a way to reverse that process. Known as 'shorting', it involves placing a bet against a company that means a trader makes money when the value goes down. To do this, a trader borrows stock off a broker, usually for a fee, which they immediately sell - but with a clause saying that they have to buy back that stock by a certain date and return it to the broker. If the value of the stock goes down, then the trader buys it back for less than the sale price, returning the stock to the broker along with the fee and keeping the rest of the money for themselves. But, if the stock price rises, they will be forced to buy for more than the sale price, making a loss in the process. While this sometimes happens by accident, other traders can deliberately boost the price in a process known as a 'short squeeze' - which is what Reddit did. This benefits the 'squeezers' because they know that at some point, the short-sellers will be legally obliged to buy back their borrowed stocks, driving the price up further. It also inflicts heavy losses on the short-sellers, since the amount they lose is tied to the amount the stock rises - they are effectively 'punished' for betting against the company, which is what some Redditors appear to be interested in. Advertisement

Robinhood on Thursday began restricting the purchase of GameStop shares and several other stocks, provoking outrage as little investors were locked out while big hedge funds and wealthy traders were free to buy and sell.

Claims also circulated on social media that Robinhood was forcibly selling off shares of GameStop without the account holder's permission, and the moves drew furious outcry.

Several lawsuits have been filed against Robinhood in the US. In one in New York, a user said the company removed Gamestop during an 'unprecedented stock rise'.

The controversial stock trading platform denied the accusations on Saturday saying that it forced users to sell shares of GameStop last week - unless those shares were bought using borrowed funds.

'Claims that Robinhood proactively sold customers' shares outside of our standard margin-related sellouts or options assignment procedures are false,' a Robinhood spokesperson told DailyMail.com on Saturday.

Buying shares 'on margin' means using funds lent from the broker, and it is not unusual for brokers to automatically liquidate such shares if an account falls below minimum balance requirements.

On Robinhood, users need an account balance of at least $2,000 to trade on margin.

Robinhood's restrictions on GameStop shares spurred furious accusations that the company was trying to tank the stock for nefarious purposes, but Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev strongly denied the allegations.

He said the company clamped down in order meet deposit requirements at the main trading clearinghouse amid extreme volatility.

The Securities and Exchange Commission suggested in a statement on Friday that it is looking into the matter.

The SEC said it will 'closely review actions taken by regulated entities that may disadvantage investors or otherwise unduly inhibit their ability to trade certain securities.'

On Friday, Robinhood lifted its total ban on buying GameStop stock, but limited users to accumulating only one share, unless they already owned more.

On Friday, Vlad Tenev refuted the 'conspiracy theory' that hedge funds prompted his company to halt trading on GameStop.

During an interview with Yahoo Finance, Tenev was asked to set the record straight on why the mobile brokerage firm made the decision to restrict trades involving GameStop shares as prices surged last week.

'Oh, on that conspiracy theory, I think I've over and over again said that it's not true,' Tenev said.

'Our decision to temporarily restrict customers from buying certain securities had nothing to do with a market maker or a market participant or anyone like that putting pressure on us or asking us to do that.

'It was entirely about market dynamics and clearinghouse deposit requirements, as per regulation,' he added.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

YEREVAN, 1 FEBUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 1 February, USD exchange rate up by 0.61 drams to 518.88 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 0.35 drams to 627.48 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.07 drams to 6.87 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 4.11 drams to 712.27 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 204.85 drams to 31092.62 drams. Silver price up by 37.36 drams to 457.35 drams. Platinum price up by 355.03 drams to 18517.44 drams.
Comparison of Modern Human and Neanderthal skulls from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Credit: DrMikeBaxter/Wikipedia

A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.K. and one in Germany has found evidence of interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans on Jersey island. In their paper published in Journal of Human Evolution, the group describes their study of teeth found at La Cotte de St Brelade, a cave on the southwest side of the island, back in 1911.

Jersey island is located off the northwest coast of Franceprior research has shown that Neanderthals had been living in the cave as far back as 250,000 years ago. Prior research has also shown Neanderthals first came to exist in parts of Europe and Siberia approximately 400,000 years ago. Modern humans are thought to have traveled to Europe approximately 40,000 years ago5,000 years later, the Neanderthals were gone.

In this new effort, the researchers focused their effort on two teeth found on a small granite ledge in the cave in 1910 or 1911. At the time of their discovery, it was assumed the teeth, like so many others in the cave, were Neanderthal. In taking a new look at the teeth using computed tomography, the researchers found evidence of human-like differences from Neanderthals. The neck of the teeth were shaped like those of modern humans, but they also lacked the transverse crest of Neanderthal teeth. This suggested that the teeth came from the offspring of both a Neanderthal and a modern human. It also suggests that the teeth may represent some of the most recent remains ever found of a Neanderthal. The researchers also found that the two teeth belonged to two individualsprior researchers had assumed they came from the same individual. The teeth were also dated to 48,000 years ago.

The researchers suggest that interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals was more common than thought. The study also hints at the possibility that Neanderthals never went extinct at all, but were instead subsumed into the human genome. Prior research has suggested that the genome of modern non-African people is approximately 2% to 3% Neanderthal. The study is also the first to show interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals in such a western part of Europe.

Explore further Analysis of bones found in Romania offer evidence of human and Neanderthal interbreeding in Europe

More information: Tim Compton et al. The morphology of the Late Pleistocene hominin remains from the site of La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey (Channel Islands), Journal of Human Evolution (2021). Journal information: Journal of Human Evolution Tim Compton et al. The morphology of the Late Pleistocene hominin remains from the site of La Cotte de St Brelade, Jersey (Channel Islands),(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102939

 2021 Science X Network
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the America's VetDogs' corporate puppy with a purpose program, Deloitte is sponsoring a male black Labrador retriever named Benny who will be raised to become a future service dog by Deborah Golden, Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory cyber and strategic risk leader and principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP, for the next 16 to 18 months.

"Benny will be the third full-time service puppy and the sixth future service dog I've helped raise over time," said Golden. "My Deloitte colleagues and clients are accustomed to seeing me train and acclimate future service dogs for workplace, travel, and other environments as such socialization is key to a service dog's success with future handlers. I welcomed Deloitte's interest in teaming in support of Benny for America's VetDogs so that we could raise awareness of the important role service dogs play in the physical and mental health of those they serve to lead a more independent life."

Golden continued, "My family history is rich with former service members inclusive of my great uncle George Golden, who was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously for U.S. Army service during World War I. Honoring that family legacy and working with Benny as he prepares to offer support to someone who has served our country or communities will make our time together particularly meaningful."

America's VetDogs specializes in placing highly-skilled service and guide dogs with individuals with physical injuries, PTSD, hearing and vision loss and seizures. All services are provided by America's VetDogs at no cost to the individual. Benny joins other high-profile VetDogs pups with a purpose including the Washington Capitals' Captain, Scout from Monumental Sports, Atlanta United's Spike and New York Islanders' Tori and Radar. Following his initial training with Golden and America's VetDogs, Benny will receive formal training at the America's VetDogs headquarters in Long Island, New York, before being placed to support a veteran or first responder at no cost to the recipient.

"We appreciate all that Deborah and  once it's safe to return to offices and work events  her Deloitte colleagues and clients will do to offer Benny various environments in which to train to become a confident, well-socialized service dog for a disabled veteran or first responder," said John Miller, president and CEO, America's VetDogs.

Sponsoring Benny through America's VetDogs is a new way for Deloitte to continue its commitment to military veterans and their families. Currently, Deloitte employs more than 1,000 veterans, former members of the Armed Services and their spouses.

To stay up to date on Benny's progress and training, follow him on Instagram or Twitter @BennyServicePup.

About America's VetDogs

Since 2003, America's VetDogs (www.VetDogs.org) has trained and placed guide and service dogs to provide independence, enhanced mobility, and companionship to veterans with disabilities from all eras. In 2015, VetDogs opened its programs to first responders, including fire, police, and emergency medical personnel. America's VetDogs is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded by the Guide Dog Foundation and serves clients from across the United States. VetDogs relies on contributions from generous individuals, corporations, service clubs, and foundations to fund its mission to help those who have served our country live with dignity and independence. It costs over $50,000 to breed, raise, train, and place one assistance dog, but America's VetDogs provides its services completely free of charge to the individual. America's VetDogs has been accredited by both the International Guide Dog Federation and Assistance Dogs International.

About Deloitte

Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 7,000 private companies. Our people come together for the greater good and work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today's marketplace  delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthier society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Now celebrating 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's more than 330,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

SOURCE Deloitte

Related Links

www.deloitte.com


A cold front dropping down from the Pacific Northwest is poised to sweep the Bay Area from north to south midday Monday into Tuesday.

The system is expected to deliver a decent soaking with up to a half-inch of rain in urban locations, but it will be much less potent than last week's atmospheric river.

"This system is an order of magnitude weaker than the last system," said Drew Peterson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Bay Area office. "This is what I would describe as run-of-the-mill mid-winter system. Since we're still in the midst of winter, it will bring healthy rain and some wind. We're not going to see the intense rainfall rates that we saw with the last system."

Early Monday morning before sunrise, the storm was about 300 miles west of San Francisco and over the Pacific Ocean. It's expected to reach landfall late morning to early afternoon, arriving first in the North Bay. Rainfall will gradually spread into the San Francisco metro area, East Bay and South Bay in the late afternoon.

After the initial passage of the frontal system, another round of showers, mostly light and scattered, is forecast to deliver more rain Wednesday.

Rain lingers into Tuesday with the North Bay drying out first. Projected rainfall totals range from 0.25 to 0.75 inches for urban and valley locations, up to 1.5 inches at higher elevations, and up to 2 inches in the North Bay Mountains. San Francisco, Oakland and other metro areas along the bayfront are likely to see 0.5 inch, Peterson said.

Winds are expected with this system, kicking up Monday morning and increasing in intensity through the day.

"Winds are going to be about half as strong as they were with the last storm system," Peterson said. "We had peak gusts that reached 80 mph at the breeziest locations with the last system and with this one 40 mph is forecast. In comparison with the last storm, this one is significantly weaker."

With high pressure developing over the region, a drying trend begins Wednesday night and continues through the week with temperatures rising and afternoon highs in the mid- to upper 60s by the weekend.

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters.

Sandra Huffman was cleaning St. Lukes hospital in Quakertown, gloved and maskless, when she got sick last March. It felt as though a film of spiderwebs had caked her throat, she said. At 54, she was sleeping upright in bed, breathing through a borrowed nebulizer, and drinking an old family remedy of fat Spanish onions congealed in sugar.

She sold her 86 Chevy Mallard RV, then her mothers gold jewelry. By late summer she was collecting cans for scrap metal. Huffman did not know that a federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, administered by the state, would provide money for people such as her until October.

Trying to get a job without a vehicle in rural Pa., it is scary, Huffman said. We just basically sold or traded everything we owned. There wasnt a lot of information that filtered down to us. Thats how we got by.

Pandemic unemployment benefits were a lifeline to Huffman and more than 400,000 other Pennsylvanians who dont qualify for traditional unemployment. But payments stalled the day after Christmas because President Donald Trump delayed their extension. Then, Huffman said, her claim disappeared from the states unemployment computer portal  a system that dates to 1968.

It was a long and painful January for Huffman and those like her.

For a month, Pennsylvanians have been living without that support  a minimum $195 a week. State officials blame the lapse in the CARES Act and the fact that the federal government did not send instructions to the state on how to administer the new law until Jan. 11. It wasnt until Jan. 22 that the state Department of Labor and Industry began accepting and paying out those claims. But claimants are still facing numerous bureaucratic hurdles, and many have still not received payment for all of the weeks they missed.

 READ MORE: Biden invites GOP lawmakers to White House virus relief talk

Whatever Ive ever done in my life, I count on when I open my refrigerator the light goes on, Huffman said. I need responsible people to take care of that stuff.

Lawmakers, experts, and union leaders agree that Pennsylvanias unemployment compensation system needs massive overhauls, but that is unlikely to be enough to address the current unemployment crisis, if it happens at all. True relief will begin only when the virus is under control, economists say.

Over the last several months, the state Labor Department has increased staff by 165% as stressed employees worked overtime, but its still struggling. More than 83,000 new claims were filed last week alone, with more than 67,000 people contacting the department for help, according to state statistics.

I am very empathetic, acting Labor Secretary Jennifer Berrier said during a news conference Tuesday, admitting problems have persisted in the claims system and staffing levels. We realize people are suffering and we want to help.

Between federal relief and unemployment compensation, the department has had to process more than five million claims since the pandemic began. At the height of the unemployment crisis at the start of May, it was receiving roughly one million claims each week, as Gov. Tom Wolf temporarily shut all nonessential businesses. This rush was more than three times the amount filed during the peak of the Great Recession in 2009. Phone lines jammed and the website for the Department of Labor and Industry crashed repeatedly as sick and economically strained Pennsylvanians scrambled to access benefits.

State Rep. Timothy ONeal (R., Washington), who called for an investigation into the agency in June but failed to gain support from House leadership, said the agency was slow to respond, and constituents, desperate for help, inundated him and other lawmakers. One woman said she resorted to feeding her family with dog food.

The department, with their antiquated system, wasnt ready. They werent ready for any stress on the system, especially the magnitude we ended up seeing, ONeal said. This safety net throughout the commonwealth was simply failing.

Feeling the strain

The Department of Labor and Industry has long been hamstrung by funding problems and a system thats more than 50 years old. In December 2016, the agency laid off 500 staffers and closed several unemployment centers. The following April, then-Auditor General Eugene DePasquale said the agency failed to keep track of its finances while estimating it would need an additional $159 million over the next four years to keep the remaining operations running, update infrastructure, and address its state of chaos.

Since the pandemic hit in March, the agency has added 775 workers, though they say they are still under unrelenting stress after months of overtime. The department has also delayed implementing a new computer system, meant to launch first in 2019 and then last October, for fear any glitch would further compound problems. Officials now say they hope to launch it this spring.

 READ MORE: Pa. reopens federal benefits for workers still unemployed due to COVID-19

For Shawn Domenico, who has worked for the state Labor Department in Pittsburgh since 2010, processing so many claims  especially for people who might not qualify despite their evident need  has made his work devastating.

He saw the department grapple with the fallout of the Great Recession and the funding deficit in 2017. But nothing has compared to 2020, he said.

Domenico took a leave in September to work for his union, advocating for labor staff. The prior months left the 46-year-old feeling broken, physically and mentally. He had been processing claims up to 12 hours a day, six or seven days a week. He gained weight and said he couldnt think straight.

And it still wasnt enough, he said. You feel guilty. No matter how much you worked, the backlog got bigger, the people you dealt with were waiting longer and longer and there was no way to fix it.

In a Facebook support group for unemployed Pennsylvanians with 8,600 members, users have posted questions they have been unable to get answered by the Department of Labor. When someone does get through to the agencys chatline, they post an urgent message in the forum to try to help several people get their questions answered at once.

They want to know how to get missing weeks of back pay, how to restart claims after being disqualified, and, most urgently, how to get through to someone.

Call on Thursday or Friday, some members suggest, or start at 7:55 a.m. and just keep dialing.

I will pay someone to get on the phone, one member wrote.

A triple whammy

When the unemployment system was established in 1935 under the Social Security Act, it was a concept designed for male manufacturing workers, said Stephen Herzenberg, economist and executive director of Keystone Research Center.

We need to take a harder look at our unemployment insurance system, Herzenberg said.

Instead of creating a more robust framework to fund unemployment reserves, decades of policies made it more difficult to qualify for benefits. These decisions disproportionately harmed women and people of color who were already disenfranchised by a system not built for them, he said.

Traditional unemployment requires a certain level of earnings and consistent employment. Low-wage and temporary workers, who are more frequently women and people of color, are often ineligible. As of last March, fewer than 40% of unemployed workers in Pennsylvania qualified for benefits, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center.

In addition to applying through an unwelcoming system, women and people of color are also concentrated in the industries most affected by the pandemic: They work in hospitality and retail, and high-risk workplaces such as nursing homes.

 READ MORE: The U.S. economy shrank 3.5% in 2020, the largest drop since 1946

While 3.9% of women were unemployed in Pennsylvania at the end of 2019, compared with 4.3% of men, that rate more than doubled to 9% by November 2020, and 8.7% of men. At the peak of pandemic claims in May, more than 22% of women were unemployed compared with 19% of men.

Undocumented immigrant workers are subject to a third tier of harm, Herzenberg said, because they are excluded from government benefits altogether. As a result, with respect to women and people of color, the pandemic brought with it what we call a triple whammy, Herzenberg said.

Since November 2019, the states leisure and hospitality industry experienced the sharpest cuts, losing 172,200 jobs, more than 30% of the jobs lost, followed by education and health services. Finance and construction jobs experienced the smallest percent loss, at 2.5% of job loss or less.

Black workers in Pennsylvania were more than twice as likely to face joblessness than white workers as a result of the pandemic, and rates were nearly as high for Hispanic workers, according to an analysis by Pennsylvania State University researchers.

Those without a college or high school degree, and people with disabilities, also experienced much higher rates of unemployment, according to state data released in December.

All those factors  of education, career, and access to infrastructure  studies have shown are associated with structural racism, said Timothy Kelsey, a professor of agricultural economics at Penn State, who led the research. We strongly suspect those issues underline the differences here.

The privilege of working from home

As most businesses shut down last year, Latrinia Gaston, at 46, kept her job cleaning a PNC bank building and at a call center in Allegheny County, but work became a constant source of fear. People in the building contracted the coronavirus regularly, she said.

Daily, she felt just anxiety, just afraid, she said. You dont want your kids to be impacted by nothing. You want to make sure they are safe.

She stayed alert at work and kept six feet from those around her, wearing a mask and goggles. Then in mid-December, she felt an unusual headache strain behind her eyes and tested positive for the coronavirus. Her husband, who also cleans on a night shift, tested positive, too.

Fatigued, nauseated, and short of breath, she cared for her husband and her son, Kane, who is 12 and has ADHD. To help him with his schoolwork, theyd put on gloves and talk through masks in the hallway.

ISS, the cleaning company she works for, paid for two weeks of sick leave and wouldnt let her return to work without a negative test. But she tested positive again in the third week. Neither she nor her husband was paid, and she filed for unemployment.

Their mortgage payment was due and she needed groceries. She worried the headaches brought on by the virus might never go away.

Its a lot, she said. Its more stress and anxiety than anything because we dont have money coming in.

Domenico, the claims officer, said there were so many people filing that he had little time to help or direct people whose claims were filed through the wrong program or did not qualify at all. Federal guidelines also continued to change the rules for how to process claims through various pandemic assistance programs.

He said the Labor Department staff feels that if it goes on for much longer they arent going to be able to help people because the system just isnt working.

Over the summer, he biked to work at a building that abutted the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. He watched the long lines of people encircle the building, a need so great the food bank had to put down new gravel to expand the pathway where people could wait.

You are exhausted and you are looking out at a world of people who cant feed themselves and you cant help them, Domenico said. You begin to wonder what is going on.

The existing system failed to imagine the pandemic, he said.

Traditional unemployment insurance requires people to seek work at a time when governments are urging people to stay home. Some unemployed Pennsylvanians, union leaders, and economists such as Herzenberg said the previous administrations, particularly at the federal level, have failed, and they hope the Biden administration takes a stronger approach.

At the state level, bills to eliminate the wage gap in Pennsylvania  where women make roughly 80% of a mans salary, and women of color even less  have gone nowhere. Though senators who support these changes hope that, with new female lawmakers in the legislature, and Kim Ward (R., Westmoreland) leading the state Senate, these bills could gain more traction.

State Rep. Joe Ciresi (D., Montgomery), who has also called for an investigation into the unemployment system, said the legislature needs to figure out what went wrong with the agency and how to help people move forward.

These are our taxpayers, Ciresi said. We have an obligation to make sure these departments are well-funded and well-staffed, and that is where the ball dropped.

100% ESSENTIAL: Spotlight PA relies on funding from foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. Become a member today at spotlightpa.org/donate.
In an exclusive interview with Network18 Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spoke about the farmers agitation, among several other issues, reiterating what the government has been saying for long  that it wants farmers to come to the table and talk about their points of concern.

When asked about the farmers' agitation, Sitharaman said, "It is surprising that farmers doubt the intent of the government. MSP (Minimum Support Price) has been steadily going up since 2013-14."

While several rounds of talks with the agitating farmers have failed to solve the impasse, she said the government wants them to point out specific things in the farm laws that concern them.

Also read: Union Budget 2021 Live Updates

Sitharaman said, "The government wants farmers to be at the table and talk it out with the Agriculture Minister. The PM (Narendra Modi) said he is will willing to look at the modifications farmers want. We want farmers to talk on points of concern. Want farmers to specifically highlight what aspects of farm laws are problematic."

"Farmers are probably misguided. I want them to talk. I want them to talk on the points of concern. We are willing to concede," she added.

Speaking on the Union Budget 2021, Modi earlier said it had focused on increasing the income of farmers. "More focus to increase income of farmers. All these decisions shows that village and farmers are in heart of this budget," he had said.

Highlighting how the budget can help farmers, Modi had had said, "Farmers will be able to get loans easily. Provisions have been made to strengthen APMC markets with the help of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund."

The farmers agitation has been continuing since December last year as they have demanded that the three farm laws be scrapped. While the government has said it would delay implementation, it has repeatedly reiterated it wants the farmers to have dialogue and express their concerns clause by clause.

Even on the day of the budget, farmers' protests continued at the Ghazipur border at the Delhi-Ghaziabad route, with traffic being diverted at Akshardham for Noida. Traffic will remain affected on Road no 56 from ISBT Anand Vihar to Ghazipur due to closing of border, Delhi Traffic Police had said in a tweet on Monday morning.
Mumbai, Feb 1 : Actress Urvashi Rautela has completed her first schedule of shoot for the web series Inspector Avinash.

Posting a sunkissed picture from the set, Urvashi wrote as caption: "That's a wrap of 1st schedule. Last day on the set of the first schedule of #InspectorAvinash I get extremely excited when I'm offered a role that demands a lot of homework & preparation Will miss this incredible crew that I've spent the last few weeks with, my hero #RandeepHooda & my amazing director #NeerajPathak. So special to be at work. #grateful." The series, directed by Neeraj Pathak, is based on the true story of police officer Avinash Mishra and his war against crime in Uttar Pradesh. Inspector Avinash will be portrayed by Randeep Hooda while Urvashi plays the protagonist's wife Poonam Mishra.

She recently said she has been understanding everything about the real Poonam Mishra including her style of dressing by spending time with her.

Urvashi Rautela was recently seen in the music video Woh chaand kaha se laogi opposite television actor Mohsin Khan. She has a new music video lined up titled Teri load ve.

The actor earlier thanked her fans when she touched the 34-million follower mark on Instagram. She celebrated by posting a video where she feeds a crocodile.
The local State Farm agency formed an alliance with the South Texas Food Bank known as the Quotes for Good initiative that plans to bring new potential customers to the business while also providing funds for the food bank for every quote the company gives through the end of February.

For every quote it provides to individuals who mention the Quotes for Good initiative, the company will donate $3 to the South Texas Food Bank. Since it is a local initiative, the quotes have to be done through the local office.

At the heart of any strong community are neighbors who care, State Farm Agent Roberto Gonzalez said. Quotes for Good was established to bring about good by working together with local organizations to turn caring into doing.

Gonzalez said his teams main goal is to donate at least $300, but they would love to do more. With the South Texas Food Bank turning every dollar donated into 10 meals, the goal of $300 would provide 3,000 meals for people of the community.

The executive director of the South Texas Food Bank Alma Boubel said they are thrilled by forming this new initiative.

We are very happy to be partnering with State Farm, that way we both benefit from it and the community also can get word on what the food bank is about and what we do, Boubel said. We are always happy when a community organization or business reaches out and has interest in teaming up with the Food Bank as we are always just looking forward to forming part of any initiatives, Boubel said. We are just happy that the community thinks about us, and we think about the community as well.

Gonzalez said they are happy to help because the South Texas Food Bank does a tremendous job supporting Laredo and all the corresponding areas in need.

Were doing actually really well as obviously we have a lot of donations coming in, Boubel said. This past week we had three distributions back to back, so we are going forward with what are doing in helping out the community, especially during this time.

The initiative is only scheduled to run through the end of February, but Gonzalez said he may be interested in extending it if it goes well.

Right now it is February only, but Im considering extending it because of the tremendous needs the South Texas Food Bank has, Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez said all people have to do is call or visit the local State Farm office and say they want to obtain a quote to benefit the South Texas Food Bank. There are no obligations other than getting the quote, so the money is then redirected to the food bank.

Gonzalez said the quotes are only available to new customers. People can take part in the initiative by visiting 502 W. Calton Rd., Ste 104 or by calling (956) 726-0547.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
Myanmar's military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids.

The army said it had carried out the detentions in response to "election fraud", handing power to military chief Min Aung Hlaing and imposing a state of emergency for one year, according to a statement on a military-owned television station.

A verified Facebook page for Suu Kyi's party published comments it said had been written in anticipation of a coup and which quoted her as saying people should protest against the military takeover.

The coup derails years of Western-backed efforts to establish democracy in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, where neighbouring China also has a powerful influence.

The generals made their move hours before parliament had been due to sit for the first time since the NLD's landslide win in a November 8 election viewed as a referendum on Suu Kyi's fledgling democratic rule.

Phone and internet connections in the capital Naypyidaw and the main commercial centre of Yangon were disrupted and state TV went off air after the NLD leaders were detained.

Suu Kyi, Myanmar President Win Myint and other NLD leaders were "taken" in the early hours of the morning, NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone. Reuters was subsequently unable to contact him.

A video posted to Facebook by one MP appeared to show the arrest of another, regional lawmaker Pa Pa Han.

In the video, her husband pleads with men in military garb standing outside the gate. A young child can be seen clinging to his chest and wailing.

Troops took up positions in Yangon where residents rushed to markets to stock up on supplies and others lined up at ATMs to withdraw cash. Banks subsequently suspended services due to poor internet connections.

The detentions came after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the military in the aftermath of the election.

Suu Kyi's party won 83pc of the vote in only the second election since a military junta agreed to share power in 2011.

The pre-written statement uploaded on a NLD Facebook page quoted Suu Kyi as saying such army actions would put Myanmar "back under a dictatorship".

"I urge people not to accept this, to respond and wholeheartedly to protest against the coup by the military," it quoted her as saying. Reuters was unable to reach any NLD officials to confirm the veracity of the statement.

Some pro-military supporters celebrated the coup, parading through Yangon in pickup trucks and waving national flags but pro-democracy activists were horrified.

"Our country was a bird that was just learning to fly. Now the army broke our wings, said student activist Si Thu Tun.

INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION

The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the arrests, while the US embassy in Yangon issued an alert warning US citizens there of the "potential for civil and political unrest".

"The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the detention of political leaders and urged the military to "respect the will of the people," a UN spokesman said.

The Australian government said it was "deeply concerned at reports the Myanmar military is once again seeking to seize control of Myanmar".

India, Malaysia and Singapore also expressed concern, while major aid donor Japan said it was watching the situation.

LEAD-UP TO COUP

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, 75, came to power after a 2015 election win that followed decades of house arrest and struggle against the junta that made her an international icon.

While still hugely popular at home, her international reputation was damaged after she failed to stop the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from western Rakhine state in 2017.

Suu Kyi was stripped of her honour of the freedom of Dublin City back in 2017 due to the treatment of Rohingya people by her government.

Councillors of Dublin City Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of stripping Ms Suu Kyi of the honour it bestowed on her while she was under house arrest.

Forty-nine councillors voted in favour due to Ms Suu Kyi's "complicity" in the murder, rape and torture of the Rohingya people.

Rohingya refugees in neighbouring Bangladesh also condemned the move.

"We Rohingya community strongly condemn this heinous attempt to kill democracy," Rohingya leader Dil Mohammed told Reuters by phone. "We urge the global community to come forward and restore democracy at any cost."

Military chief Min Aung Hlaing raised the prospect of repealing the constitution in response to election irregularities as tensions soared last week.

The vote faced some criticism in the West for disenfranchising some ethnic groups including Rohingya, but Myanmar's election commission has rejected the military's allegations of vote fraud.

In its statement declaring the state of emergency, the military cited the failure of the electoral commission to address complaints over voter lists, its refusal to agree to a request to postpone new parliamentary sessions and protests by groups unhappy over the election.

"Unless this problem is resolved, it will obstruct the path to democracy and it must therefore be resolved according to the law," the statement said, citing an emergency provision in the constitution in the event national sovereignty is threatened.

Daniel Russel, the top US diplomat for East Asia under former President Barack Obama, who fostered close ties with Suu Kyi, described the military takeover as a severe blow to democracy in the region.

"Its yet another reminder that the extended absence of credible and steady US engagement in the region has emboldened anti-democratic forces," he said.

Human Rights Watch's Asia advocacy director, John Sifton, criticised the initial White House response as disappointingly weak and urged a more concerted international reaction.

The US needs to work with allies to speak more clearly, in unison, in terms of ultimatums, to put the Myanmar military on notice of the specific consequences that will occur if their coup is not reversed," he said.




Contrary to expectations of middle class, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not tweak personal income tax in Budget 2021. However, the Union Budget did bring about certain changes as part of income tax compliance.

1. In a relief to senior citizens, the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that no income tax filing required for seniors citizens above 75 years of age and who have income only from pension and interest income in the Union Budget 2021.

"We shall reduce the compliance burden on our senior citizens who are 75 years of age & above - for senior citizens who only have pension & interest income, I propose exemption from filing their Income Tax return," said finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

2. Presenting the Budget, FM announced that the central government planned to reduce timeline for reopening of tax cases to 3 years from 6 years.

RELATED NEWS Income Tax Slabs May Stay Unchanged, But Govt Likely to Give More Exemptions in Union Budget 2021

3. To further ease of income income tax filing, capital gains from listing securities and interest income to come pre-filled in ITRs, FM announced.

4. The central government also proposed to make income tax appellate tribunals faceless and set up national income tax appellate tribunal centre.

5. Exemption from tax audit limit doubled to Rs 10 crore turnover for companies doing most of their business through digital modes, announced finance minister.

6. Serious tax offences of concealment of income of over Rs 50 lakh can be reopened after 10 years, finance minister added.
A coffin draped in a tricolour accompanied by a uniformed guard of honour marching in step alongside the hearse. Its a familiar sight at Provisional IRA funerals for decades.

During the Troubles, the guard of honour wore military fatigues and balaclavas. Now they wear white shirts and black ties and trousers.

The uniform has changed but the symbolism is the same. Not even the rigorous restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic has stopped the so-called Republican movement from ensuring their comrades in arms get a traditional send-off.

The latest large funeral of a Provisional IRA man and party activist sees Sinn Fein distance itself from the event, while also being closely linked to the old school republican tribute.

The PSNI say they were given assurances the funeral would observe restrictions, which were then broken.

And the Irish Independent has established:

A leading Sinn Fein member did speak to police ahead of the funeral.

The family credit a prominent Sinn Fein activist with organising the republican tribute at the funeral of the deceased IRA man.

That same party activist was then involved in a Sinn Fein online tribute to the IRA man.

The two-sides-of-the-one coin trick is nothing new for a party that has spent decades claiming the political wing, Sinn Fein, and the former military wing, the Provisional IRA, were not one and the same.

The republican movement has now given birth to what leading Sinn Fein figures call the republican family.

Eamonn Peggy McCourt (62) died last weekend after contracting Covid-19. Ironically, given the cause of his death, his funeral is now the subject of a PSNI investigation for alleged breaches of pandemic restrictions.

Expand Close The funeral of Eamonn Peggy McCourt in Derry last week. Photo: Pacemaker / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp The funeral of Eamonn Peggy McCourt in Derry last week. Photo: Pacemaker

The number of people at the funeral was well in excess of the 25 allowed under the regulations.

Mr McCourt, who was a Sinn Fein activist in Derry and a former Provisional IRA member, was shot in 1981 when the SAS fired at a car in the Creggan area of Derry, killing Provos George McBrearty and Charles Pop Maguire.

Again, the funeral for Mr McCourt had the usual trappings of Republican funerals.

The coffin was draped in a tricolour and a dozen men dressed in white shirts and black ties walked beside the hearse. A large number of people gathered closely together to follow the procession.

Sinn Fein says it had nothing to do with the funeral and it was organised by the family.

Sinn Feins Derry branch held an online tribute to Mr McCourt the following day. However, three Sinn Fein councillors were among the mourners as it passed through the Creggan.

A notice for the funeral posted on social media said: Remains will be leaving the family home around 9:15am, everyone is entitled to attend... the cemetery will be open to all for his final goodbye... Up the Ra!

After the funeral, a family member posted a thank you note on his late fathers Facebook page, alongside photos of the guard of honour:

To my das second family, his comrades the republican movement we cant thank you enough for giving him the respect and the best republican funeral we could give in these awful times.

A prominent Sinn Fein activist is specifically thanked for his role in this regard. The same local party activist pops up in the online tribute 24 hours later.

Read More

The republican family of Sinn Fein-Provisional IRA supporters have now been involved in six contentious republican funerals, where larger than permitted crowds have showed up and the PSNI have criticised the conduct.

The renewed controversy continues the fallout from the funeral of a leading Provisional IRA member, Bobby Storey, which was the largest of the republican gatherings.

The Sinn Fein leadership, including Ms McDonald, attended Mr Storeys funeral  with around 2,000 others  which saw a cortege pass through west Belfast.

The funeral sparked a political crisis in Northern Ireland and was widely criticised.

The PSNI launched an investigation into potential breaches of restrictions at the funeral.

A file was submitted to the Public Prosecution Service in December.

Twenty-four people were interviewed as part of the probe, including Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister and Sinn Fein MLA Michelle ONeill.

Ms McDonald has previously said the funeral had been meticulously planned with the PSNI. The PSNI have contradicted her claim and say the police were not involved in planning the funeral.

Sinn Fein has refused to identify the three councillors who were mourners at the funeral.

The party has also declined to say if the three councillors made efforts to ensure Covid-19 regulations were adhered to. While accepting the PSNI did engage with Sinn Fein, they didnt say if any assurances were provided.

A Sinn Fein spokesperson said: Sinn Fein did not organise this funeral. It was arranged by the family. We are conscious that there is a family grieving after burying a loved one.

People are living through very difficult times, but people need to adhere to public health guidelines. Any possible breaches will and should be fully investigated by the PSNI.

A local Sinn Fein member who liaises with community police on a regular basis was in contact with them beforehand to make it clear that the family were organising the funeral and not Sinn Fein. They also informed them that Sinn Fein was organising an online event to mark the passing of Eamonn McCourt given current Covid-19 restrictions.

However, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has appealed to Sinn Fein to stop the holding of large-scale republican funerals.

When Ms ONeill came under fire, Sinn Fein MLA Martina Anderson justified her presence at Mr Storeys funeral:

The republican family needed you there yesterday... because you give us comfort and guidance.

The Covid-19 rules for the republican family seem to be different to every other family in mourning.


President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Vaccines, will receive South Africas first consignment of Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, the Presidency said.

The first shipment of 1 million doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) left the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Sunday.

The vaccines are travelling on an Emirates plane via Dubai, and will arrive at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Monday afternoon.

According to the Presidency, Ramaphosa and Mabuza will be joined at the arrival event by Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize, Acting Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, High Commissioner of the Republic of India His Excellency Jaideep Sarkar and Dr Morena Makhoana, Chief Executive Officer of Biovac.

Biovac is a bio-pharmaceutical company that was formed in 2003 in a partnership between government and private investors to establish local vaccine manufacturing capability. Biovac will play an important role in the quality assurance, warehousing and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, the Presidency said.

High Commissioner Sarkar will represent India as the country of origin of the first vaccine to be rolled out in South Africa.

Mkhize has previously said the vaccines would first have to go through strict quality assurance and stock control over a period of 10 to 14 days, before they are distributed across the countrys nine provinces.

A second shipment of 500 000 doses from SII is expected to arrive later in February. South Africa will reportedly pay $5.25 (R77.67) per dose for the 1.5 million shots.

The Health Department aims to vaccinate around 40 million people by the end of the year, equating to around 67% of the population. If the target is met, top scientists say the country would have achieved population immunity.

The first phase of this rollout programme will prioritise around 1.2 million frontline health workers.

The arrival of the first consignment at OR Tambo International Airport marks the start of the vaccine rollout which President Ramaphosa describes as the largest and most complex logistical vaccine undertaking in South Africas countrys history, the Presidency said.

The scale of delivery is unprecedented in terms of the number of people who have to be reached within a short space of time.

The Presidency said that Mondays arrival event would be brief, with dignitaries witnessing airline, airport, health, customs and security personnel perform their duties of ensuring that the vaccine consignment is cleared and securely transported to its cold-room destination. IOL
KYODO NEWS - Jan 31, 2021 - 22:09 | All, World

Russian police detained more than 2,000 people at rallies on Sunday across the country calling for the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the OVD-info protest monitoring group said.

Police in Moscow locked down the center of the city ahead of a planned protest in the capital, according to AFP news agency.

Police said the protests have not been authorized and will be broken up as they were last weekend, Reuters reported. More than 4,000 people were detained at the rallies on Jan. 23.

Navalny, a prominent critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was detained by the police on Jan. 17 soon after he arrived in Moscow from Germany, where he had been recuperating for five months after a nerve-agent attack he blames on Russian authorities.

Last week, foreign ministers of the Group of Seven industrialized countries criticized Moscow for arresting Navalny and called for the release of the opposition leader and his supporters detained for protest activities.
Truth is, most of Earnest Lee Hargons people had been wiped out by the time he went to death row, and those who knew the family werent sorry to see him go.

He got there by killing his cousin, the cousins wife and their 4-year-old boy  the one who was supposed to carry on the Hargon name  over getting cut out of a will. He told his wife about it over Valentines dinner five years ago, hours after the murders.

I got them, all three, he said.

If the Bible didnt trump superstition around here, some people might call the Hargons cursed. The patriarch, his wife, the young family, the grieving sister, the jealous, murderous cousin  the better part of three generations gone, most of them before their time. Even Earnest Lee died before he was supposed to, stabbed in a prison fight before the state could put him down.

Advertisement

Maybe pride was our sin that caused this to happen, matriarch Diane Hargon once wrote, looking for the why behind all that befell her family. We were so proud to be Hargons. This family did anything and everything for friends, family or even strangers in need.

The Hargons were the heart of Vaughan, a community about 40 miles north of Jackson where meandering, tree-lined roads divide sprawling farms. Its best known as the spot where railroad folk hero Casey Jones was killed in a crash in 1900. Everyone knows their neighbors here, and social activities revolve around churches, front porches and pitchers of sweet tea.

And everyone still talks about what happened to the Hargons.

Everything just lined up the wrong way against this family, said James Powell III, the district attorney who prosecuted the case.

The Hargons hub was Fowler Road Grocery, the one-story brick building they used as a convenience store for years until 1994, when the killing started.

The robbers arrived on a Friday, when they knew the store would have money on hand to cash checks. One waited in the car while two others went inside. Haywood Hargon (pronounced HAR-gihn), the proprietor and father, was shot and killed before a customer interrupted the robbery. The thieves made off with $114.

The store closed and the Hargons turned the building into a home. Haywoods son Michael eventually moved in with his wife and their boy, undeterred by living in the house where strangers shot his father down. Michael was an easygoing construction worker with a quick wit and a generous personality.

All you had to do was say you needed something and Michael was scouting around to find it, recalled his aunt, Katherine Hargon Alexander, the lone survivor from her generation of Hargons or the next.

Advertisement

Michael, 27, and his wife Rebecca, a physical therapists assistant, doted on their son.

Rebecca was like an angel sent from heaven, Alexander said of the petite 29-year-old. She was always loving. Always willing to help.

The vibrant couple had much vested in their son, named for his great-grandfather.

James Patrick was to carry on the family legacy, Michaels mother, Diane Hargon, would later write.

Advertisement

Earnest Lee Hargon, a trucker often described as a modern day cowboy, was adopted into the family when as a young child his mother married a Hargon. Earnest Lee began to unravel in his early 40s with an addiction to crystal methamphetamine, which he began using to stay awake during his long trips hauling cattle.

In January 2004, his adoptive father wrote Earnest Lee out of his will and died soon after, leaving a 50-acre cattle farm in Madison County to Michael instead.

Earnest Lee, simmering over the will weeks after the fact, arrived before daylight that cold Saturday morning in a 1974 Corvette and banged on the door of his cousins home.

Michael Hargon slipped on his boots and answered the door. They fought. Michael apparently tried to get to his truck where he kept a gun. Some of his teeth were found near the open door of the vehicle. Earnest Lee shot him in the head with a .22-caliber pistol.

Advertisement

His own blood pumping quickly, Earnest Lee stalked through the house. He shot Rebecca in the arm, beat her and choked her but didnt kill her, not right away. Then he choked the child into unconsciousness too.

He threw Michaels body across the Corvettes seats, torso on the passenger side, then heaved Rebecca atop her husbands corpse and stuffed their son in on top of her. Then Earnest Lee got behind the wheel, with his dead cousins feet against his back, and drove nearly 100 miles south to his Taylorsville farm, ditching the pistol along the way.

Rebecca and the child were still alive when he arrived. This time he strangled the life out of them.

Earnest Lee told police how he cinched a leather strap around the boys neck and walked away, and how Rebecca died with the child in her arms.

Advertisement

The baby didnt even cry, he said.

He piled the bodies into a truck and hauled them down a rural road to an isolated field. He buried the family together in a shallow grave and covered it with several pieces of rusted tin.

That night, Earnest Lee took his wife, a veterinarian named Lisa Ainsworth, to a Mexican restaurant for Valentines dinner. He told her what hed done: I got them, all three.

She told police, eventually. More than two weeks after the family disappeared and authorities undertook a massive search, Earnest Lee confessed to authorities and drew a cryptic map to the bodies.

Advertisement

Michaels mother, Diane, was battling colon cancer at the time and had pleaded for the familys safe return. Her hopes dashed, despair became hatred.

He may have the name of Hargon, she said of the killer, but no Hargon blood runs through his veins.

In November 2005, 20 months after the killings, Diane Hargon declined an interview with The Associated Press, saying cancer treatments were taking a toll and she needed to save her strength for Earnest Lees trial.

She died a month too soon.

Advertisement

God has a weird way of working sometimes, Michaels sister, Jennifer Hargon McBride, said after the trial, lamenting that her mother did not see justice. But were strong enough to get through it.

Six months later she was gone too, dead at 26 of an accidental overdose of sleeping medication. She left three children.

Like the other Hargons, Earnest Lee got less time than he expected. Most condemned killers in Mississippi spend 20 years or more on death row waiting to die, but not him. A little more than a year after Jennifer Hargon died, a gang member broke out of his cell at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman and stabbed Earnest Lee 30 times with a homemade knife.

I thought, pretty much, Earnest Lee got what he deserved and the type of death he had was appropriate for the pain he inflicted, said Powell, the district attorney. Im not encouraging anybody to do that, but Im not sad that it happened.

Advertisement

Today, Michael and Rebecca Hargons home sits empty, surrounded by barbed wire to keep out the vandals and gawkers. On a recent afternoon, the place was eerily still. A large hawk swooped down into the dead grass behind the house, the leaves of a few cedar trees the only green in the dull winter landscape.

It is a like a giant cemetery monument to them, Diana Hargon once wrote of the site.

Just down the narrow road, Katherine Hargon Alexander can stand on her front porch, look through the pecan trees and across a field and see the home in the distance.

Somehow, it comforts her. This land has been in her family for generations.

Advertisement

Sometimes I tear up and I have to stop and think, Who I am tearing up about? she said. Weve lost so many.



Editors note: Holbrook Mohr covered Earnest Lee Hargons trial for The Associated Press. The information in this story is based on testimony, Earnest Lee Hargons confession, court records and numerous interviews with Hargon relatives and the district attorney who prosecuted the case.
By seizing power on Monday, Myanmars generals are providing U.S. President Joe Biden with an early test of his efforts to counter the appeal of Chinas authoritarian model in Asia.

Army chief Min Aung Hlaing, who was bumping up against a mandatory retirement age this year, already faces sanctions from the U.S. and U.K. due to a brutal crackdown against Rohingya Muslims that has led to accusations of genocide. Beijing, meanwhile, has shown him respect: In a meeting last month with the 64-year-old general, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the two countries brothers" while praising the militarys national revitalization."

While the coup will no doubt come with costs, the army clearly views them as affordable," said Sebastian Strangio, author of In the Dragons Shadow: Southeast Asia in the Chinese Century." Recent events in Southeast Asia have shown that with Chinas growing power, and democratic backsliding in the West, the U.S. and other Western countries no longer have the moral authority or economic and political means to set the normative agenda in the region."

A key part of the U.S. strategy to counter Chinas rise has been an effort to rally democracies in Asia to back a free and open" region that contrasts with Beijings single-party autocratic rule. Yet democracy advocates in places like Malaysia and Thailand have lost ground without consequences under the presidency of Donald Trump, whose own bid to overturn the U.S. election results prompted a deadly mob to storm the Capitol.

Although ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyis status as a democracy icon has taken a hit due to her defense of the armys actions on the Rohingyas, she still has key allies in the U.S. Congress. Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other key leaders, issued a statement calling on the countrys 55 million people to oppose a return to military dictatorship."

Biden now faces a dilemma in crafting a response that will punish Myanmars generals without hurting the wider population, which suffered under sanctions imposed in the 1990s before the countrys shift toward democracy a decade ago. The White House has already threatened to take action if the army doesnt reverse course, and will likely come under more pressure to act: Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, incoming chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called for strict economic sanctions" against military leaders.

Chinas reaction was muted. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin called Myanmar a friendly neighbor" and urged all sides to properly manage differences." As of the end of last year, China stood as Myanmars second-biggest investor behind Singapore with $21.5 billion in approved foreign capital. Beijing also accounts for about a third of all Myanmars trade -- about 10 times more than the U.S.

Still, China will be careful to avoid doing anything that could alienate it with Suu Kyis supporters. During his visit last month, Foreign Minister Wang met with Suu Kyi and spoke about how they could cooperate on a number of investment projects connecting the mainland with the Indian Ocean.

Burned Before

For the Chinese, Burmese politics is highly volatile and highly unpredictable," said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center. China has been burned before."

Other Asian nations will also hedge their bets. While the U.K., Australia and the European Union have joined with the U.S. in condemning Myanmar, the reaction of countries in the region was more restrained. Most Asian countries continued doing business with Myanmar while it was ruled by a junta, and in recent years Japan and other nations have invested in the country as an alternative manufacturing base to Thailand.

Myanmars military has retained a heavy hand even after it transitioned to democracy more than a decade ago. On Monday it said the power seizure complied with the constitution, which allows generals to take over during vaguely determined times of emergency."

Nascent Democracy

But an expectation of democracy has grown among its relatively young population. Since 2011, Myanmar has opened industries such as energy exploration, insurance and banking to foreign participation, while liberalizing the telecom sector to allow millions of people to access mobile phones and the internet for the first time. It also lifted draconian censorship rules.

The militarys statements showed an awareness of the broader shift in society, emphasizing that the moves were not opposing democracy. It vowed to hold free and fair" elections after the state of emergency expires in a year.

While its unclear yet how fervently the population will resist the military, on Monday some residents of the countrys biggest city saw the move as a clear step backward. Aung Kyaw Oo, a teacher at a private school in Yangon, said poor people are likely to suffer the most if the U.S. and others now put sanctions on Myanmar.

I am not a big supporter of the NLD, but I do believe we will see further development of our country only under a civilian government," he said, referring to Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party. Myanmar cannot go ahead and progress under the military rule."

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.


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.
BOSTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2017, after four years of setbacks and crashes, Alphabet shut its project flying solar-powered fixed-wing drones in the upper atmosphere to beam the internet to those cut-off. Facebook then exited its similar project, but the Chinese aerospace industry, Airbus, Boeing, and NASA are progressing them very well. Aloft for years, they will take 5G and 6G communications to everyone, perform surveillance, and more. Meanwhile, Alphabet, parent of the mighty Google, has now dumped its upper-atmosphere balloon version as well.

The Chinese even have a smaller solar drone Mei Ying that survives night and day at the weaker light at 4600 meters for fast establishment of a WiFi emergency-information network and for surveillance in remote regions. Later it may team with 6G upper-atmosphere drones and low-earth-orbit LEO satellites. See the new IDTechEx report, "6G Communications Market, Devices, Materials 2021-2041".

"The road to commercial viability has proven much longer and riskier than hoped. So we've made the difficult decision to close down Loon," Astro Teller, who heads X, the Alphabet subsidiary in 2021. His balloons in the upper atmosphere were to bring cellular connectivity to remote parts of the world where building a traditional mobile network would be too difficult and costly. Alphabet promised internet connectivity to everyone. This is Alphabet's third drone exit because in 2020, they shut the wind-power project Makani based on a conductive tether to a large drone. SpaceX has just adopted that idea, promising product in two years.

The Loon helium-filled balloons were powered by solar panels. Artificial intelligence guided them, transmitting internet signals to ground stations and personal devices. The first commercial use was in 2020. With Telkom Kenya, 35 balloons were deployed to provide a 4G LTE network connection to a 31,000 square mile area, including Nairobi. Earlier, they provided cellular service to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

The business case for Loon has not materialized partly because there is competition from other companies such as Starlink from SpaceX and Blue Origin from Amazon, both of which use thousands of small LEO satellites.

However, a different type of inflatable from the Loon balloons is the unmanned airship, and this can compete with LEO satellites by holding position, carrying over ten times the payload at low cost. Lockheed-Martin and Thales Alenia use a large area of flexible photovoltaics on top, rolling to face the sun. Thales Alenia Space (the joint venture between Thales, 67% and Leonardo, 33%) and Thales signed a contract with French defense procurement agency DGA in 2021 for a concept study of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance applications using this Stratobus. The first flight will be in 2023.

Raghu Das, CEO of analysts IDTechEx, says, "6G Communications may become an even bigger business than the 5G that is now rolling out worldwide. The Chinese have just sent up a satellite to study 6G physics in the simple environment of space. This is the virgin territory of terahertz electronics called "the terahertz gap". Meanwhile, IDTechEx offers deep studies on 5G and its specifics, such as low-loss materials. For both 5G and 6G, the software, hardware, and materials opportunities are enormous. Despite this, only some of the giants are successfully participating."

For more information on this report, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/6GComms, or for the full portfolio of 5G research available from IDTechEx, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research/5G.

About IDTechEx

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

Media Contact:

Natalie Moreton

Digital Marketing Manager

[email protected]

+44 (0)122-381-2300

Social Media Links:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/IDTechEx

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/idtechex/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IDTechExResearch

SOURCE IDTechEx
Smartphone-maker Xiaomi Corp. is the latest major Chinese tech firm to turn to American courts to challenge actions against them by former U.S. President Donald Trump, suing to block an order banning U.S. investors from buying its stock.

Trump issued an executive order in November stating that U.S. investors would be barred from trading in companies with ties to Chinas military, designated as Communist Chinese military companies.

The U.S. Defense Department maintained a list of companies it believed had such ties, and added Xiaomi to those on Jan. 14 in the final weeks of the Trump administration. In its lawsuit filed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia last Friday, Xiaomi argued the U.S government gave no evidence to back up such claims.

The Department of Defense did not provide any explanation for its decision to designate Xiaomi as a (Communist Chinese military company), let alone identify the factual basis on which the designation was based, Xiaomi said in the lawsuit. Nor has the agency otherwise provided Xiaomi with this information, or any opportunity to explain why the designation was erroneous.

Xiaomi announced the lawsuit in a Sunday filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The companys Hong Kong-listed shares tumbled more than 10% on the first trading day after its name appeared on the Defense Departments list last month.

At the time, Xiaomi put out a statement saying it is not owned, controlled or affiliated with the Chinese military, and is not a Communist Chinese Military Company as defined under the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual U.S. defense appropriations bill.

In its new lawsuit, Xiaomi reiterated that it was private company that was in no way beholden to the Chinese military, seeking to differentiate itself from many other companies on the Defense Departments list that are big state-run enterprises. Xiaomi said its inclusion on the Defense Departments list runs counter to any accurate evidence that was before the agencies.

Xiaomi is a widely held, publicly traded, independently managed corporation that offers consumer electronic products solely for civilian and commercial use, the company said.

It is not owned or controlled by, or otherwise affiliated with the Chinese government or military, or owned or controlled by any entity affiliated with the Chinese defense industrial base. Nor does the Chinese government or military, or any entity affiliated with the defense industrial base, possess the ability to exert control over the management or affairs of the company.

The companys latest annual report for 2019 showed that two of its co-founders, Chairman Lei Jun and Vice Chairman Lin Bin, controlled 50.8% and 28.4% of the companys voting rights, respectively.

Xiaomi argued the Trump administrations action, set to take effect March 15, would cause it immediate and irreparable harm by cutting the company off from U.S. capital markets and interfering with its business relationships and requested declaratory and injunctive relief to permanently enjoin the U.S. government from designating it a Communist Chinese military company.

While the lawsuit was aimed at actions taken during the Trump administration, it named several top officials from the new administration of President Joe Biden as defendants. They included Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, as well as Defense Department Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III.

Biden has not yet indicated how he plans to proceed with the many Trump-era prohibitions, including whether he would extend them, roll them back or preserve the status quo. Analysts believe he is unlikely to move quickly in that regard, but that he could ultimately decide on a more targeted strategy with a broader theme of managed interdependence between the U.S. and China.

Read more

In Depth: As Biden Rolls Back Trump Legacy, Chinese Firms Remain Shut Out

The Trump administration had targeted a wide range of Chinese companies in its bid to thwart the nations technology ambitions. A key strategy targeted companies like Xiaomi by aiming for their financial lifelines, cutting them off from U.S. capital markets by barring Americans from investing in companies allegedly connected to the Chinese military.

Another strategy targeted companies like telecoms giant Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. by placing them on an entity list that cut off access to their U.S. technology suppliers unless those partners got special government licenses. A smaller group of targets were simply banned from operating in the United States due to national security concerns, with short-video app TikTok and the popular WeChat instant messaging app the most notable members of this group.

Xiaomi is the latest company targeted by the former Trump administration to look to the U.S. court system to stop actions that say are illegal and unjustified under U.S. law. Mostly private companies have taken such actions to date, including Tencent Holdings Ltd.-backed WeChat, TikTok and Huawei.

A panel of judges on the U.S. appeals court in Washington signaled skepticism in mid-December over the Trump administrations continuing efforts to ban new TikTok downloads. In January, the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco signaled it was also largely skeptical of efforts to overturn the decision of a federal magistrate judge, who last year granted a preliminary injunction to WeChat users in the United States, ruling that the government restrictions amounted to an outright ban, violating their right of free speech.

Chinas three major wireless carriers, which are all state-owned, have also been slated for bans under the same action that now threatens Xiaomi. In that instance, all three have appealed a decision by the New York Stock Exchange to delist their shares, with hearings set for mid-April.

Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com)

Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
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 proposal to increase customs duty on certain imported automotive parts in the Union Budget 2020-21 will lead to increase in car prices, according to Merecedes-Benz India and Skoda Auto Volkswagen, even as component makers said the step will encourage local manufacturing of such items.

The government on Monday proposed an increase in customs duty on certain imported components used in automobiles.

In the Budget 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed increase in customs duty of various parts, including ignition wiring sets, safety glass and parts of signalling equipment to 15 per cent with effect from February 2.

The parts would also attract agriculture infrastructure and development cess at the rate of 5 per cent.

Currently, the parts attract customs duty in the range of 7.5-10 per cent.

"The increase in the rise in auto component duties is unexpected in such a revival period, and it will increase the production cost, leading to higher cost for consumers," Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and CEO Martin Schwenk said in a statement.

Besides, there could have been further push towards e-mobility by lowering import duties on electric vehicles, he added.

Similarly, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India Managing Director Gurpratap Boparai said the increase in customs duty on certain auto parts to 15 per cent will further increase input costs and prices for cars which depend on specialised components which cannot be manufactured locally due to unviable volumes.

It is important to keep in mind that even in the coming financial year, the passenger vehicle market is unlikely to reach the level of 2018 and the much-required rationalisation of GST and cess to aid the auto industry was missing, he added.

Both Schwenk and Boparai however welcomed the announcement of scrappage policy.

The government said the changes in basic customs duty is for creating level-playing fields for the benefit of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and other domestic manufacturers.

"We are raising custom duty on certain auto parts to 15 per cent to bring them on par with the general rate of auto parts," Sitharaman said in her Budget speech.

Automotive Component Manufacturers Association President Deepak Jain said the increase in basic customs duty on select auto components will encourage local manufacturing of such items.

Hailing the announcement of the scrappage policy, he noted that the announcements with regards increased spend on road infrastructure, voluntary scrappage policy, research and development and PLI among others, augur well for the automotive sector.

Similarly, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) President Vinkesh Gulati said if 1990 is taken as a base year, there were around 37 lakh commercial vehicles and 52 lakh passenger vehicles eligible for voluntary scrapping.

"We still need to see the fine prints to access the kind of incentives which will be on offer and thus have a positive effect on retail," he added.

Hyundai Motor India Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) SS Kim said the proposed vehicle scrappage policy will provide thrust towards procurement of new automobiles and have a strong positive effect giving a boost to Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Tata Motors CEO and MD Guenter Butschek said voluntary vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and unfit vehicles, augmenting public transport system in urban areas, continuing focus on adoption of cleaner fuels, and enhancing outlays for developing road infrastructure are positive steps for the auto industry.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) Vice Chairman Vikram Kirloskar said the long-awaited scrapping policy could contribute to lower fuel consumption, lessen pollution while also generating additional demand for cleaner new vehicles.

"The auto sector welcomes this announcement and is hopeful that for realising full benefits there will be an early and full implementation of this policy," he added.

Similarly, Honda Cars India Senior Vice President & Director (Marketing and Sales) Rajesh Goel said the scrappage policy was one of the long-awaited announcements for the auto sector.

Expressing similar views, Renault India Operations Country CEO and Managing Director Venkatram Mamillapalle said the policy will significantly reduce pollution and should help bolster demand for new vehicles in the commercial and passenger vehicle sectors.

Mahindra & Mahindra MD and CEO Pawan Goenka said: "Though details are not yet out, when the policy comes out, it should have full incentive for scrapping and not just disincentive for not scrapping."



The Union has several positive signals for the manufacturing sector and the commercial vehicles (CV) sector, which are core to the economy, Ashok Leyland MD and CEO Vipin Sondhi said.

The Rs 18,000-crore scheme to augment public transport in urban areas with the addition of 20,000 new buses in a PPP model would ensure cleaner and efficient public transportation and ease congestion, he added.

Apollo Tyres Chairman Onkar S Kanwar also said the voluntary vehicle scrappage policy will provide the much-needed fillip to the auto and tyre industry.

Sitharaman on Monday announced the much-awaited voluntary vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and polluting vehicles.

Presenting the Budget for 2021-22 in Parliament, Sitharaman said that under voluntary vehicle scrapping policy, personal vehicles would undergo fitness tests after 20 years while commercial vehicles would require it after completion of 15 years.

Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Minister Nitin Gadkari said the policy will lead to new investment of around Rs 10,000 crore and create as many as 50,000 jobs.

He further said the policy would cover over 1 crore light, medium and heavy motor vehicles.

(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.)
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 13:59:47|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

NEW DELHI, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- At least nine people were killed and over a dozen others injured when a vehicle carrying them hit a tree and overturned in India's eastern state of Odisha, police said Monday.

The accident took place on Sunday night at Kotpad in Koraput district, about 554 km southwest of Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha. All the deceased were reported to be women.

"Last night a pickup vehicle carrying passengers skidded off the road hitting a tree and overturned on road, killing nine people on spot and injuring 13 others," a police official said.

Following the accident, locals alerted the police and helped them in removing the injured from the spot.

"The injured people with the help of local villagers were rescued. First, the victims were rushed to Kotpad hospital and later they were referred to another hospital," the police official said.

Police said all the victims were hailing from neighboring Chhattisgarh state and had come to Odisha to attend some mourning ritual of a relative.

Police have registered a case and ordered an investigation to ascertain the cause of the accident. Preliminary reports suggest the vehicle was being driven at a higher speed.

According to federal road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, an average of 415 people die in the country due to road accidents per day.

Deadly road accidents are common in India often caused due to overloading, bad condition of roads and reckless driving. Enditem
Meghan Markle has claimed Buckingham Palace 'dictated' her first names being erased from Archie's birth certificate.

It emerged on Saturday evening that the names 'Rachel Meghan' were removed from the mother section of Archie's birth certificate, leaving it as Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Sussex.

Archie's birth was registered on May 17, 2019, after he was born on May 6.

However, a month later, on June 6, the mother's name was changed.

It was previously thought to be a nod to Princess Diana with her preferred name, 'Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales'.

However, a spokesman for Meghan has now claimed that 'the change of name on public documents in 2019 was dictated by the palace'.

Through her spokesman, Meghan also said it was 'offensive' to suggest she had wanted to be 'nameless' on her child's birth certificate.

It emerged on Saturday evening that the names 'Rachel Meghan' were removed from the mother section of Archie's birth certificate

Archie's birth was registered on May 17, 2019, after his birth on May 6. A month later, on June 6, the name was changed on the certificate (pictured before the change)

It remains unclear why exactly the birth certificate was changed.

The spokesman told the Telegraph: 'The change of name on public documents in 2019 was dictated by The Palace, as confirmed by documents from senior Palace officials. This was not requested by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex nor by The Duke of Sussex.

'To see this UK tabloid and their carnival of so-called 'experts' chose to deceptively whip this into a calculated family 'snub' and suggest that she would oddly want to be nameless on her child's birth certificate, or any other legal document, would be laughable were it not offensive.'

The change triggered speculation, with the Queen's ex-press secretary Dickie Arbiter saying: 'Maybe this was an early part of their plan.'

Lady Colin Campbell, who spotted the amendment, said: 'It is extraordinary and raises all kinds of questions about what the Sussexes were thinking.'

Months after the name change the couple had quit the royal family.

Previously, it was revealed the Duchess of Sussex is 'unlikely' to accompany her husband when he returns to the UK in early summer.

The sixth in line to the throne will almost certainly travel alone to see his family for the first time since the couple acrimoniously quit as working royals, multiple sources have told the Daily Mail.

Insiders stress that the couple's plans have yet to be finalised and much depends on the pandemic and whether travel restrictions remain in place at the time.

But their understanding, at this time, is that Harry, 36, will fly to the UK to see the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William  along with his niece and nephews  without Meghan and, probably, their son Archie.

Sources were at pains to stress that Meghan's tentative decision not to accompany her husband is for 'personal and practical' reasons and is not in any way being construed as a 'snub'.

Prince Harry helps to launch new online mental health service for first responders in Australia set up by Invictus Games co-founder Prince Harry has helped to launch a 'critical' new mental health tool in Australia for frontline workers. The Duke of Sussex, 36, joined Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, to assist in launching the Peak Fortem, which is based on a successful UK model, and is an online resource for first responders and their families to help work through stress and trauma. In a statement released to support to tool, which was set up by Invictus Games co-founder David Wiseman, Prince Harry referenced his experience in the military, and said: 'Our mental fitness is one and the same as our physical fitness. 'Serving in the military, I saw first hand how critical it is to train your mind as a muscle - not only to endure challenges and stresses but to excel, grow and build resilience in all aspects of life. 'Peak Fortem is the product of teamwork, dedication and a commitment to supporting and strengthening communities of all kinds - values upheld by Australia's first responders.' It comes after the royal worked alongside the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence and spearheaded a mental fitness tool aimed at helping the military with their well-being in April last year. Advertisement

But if she decides not to travel it will save royal officials something of a diplomatic headache.

The couple had been expected to attend key royal events in June, including Prince Philip's 100th birthday celebrations and Trooping The Colour, the official celebration of the Queen's 95th birthday.

Harry is also due in the UK in July for the long-awaited unveiling of the statue that he and William commissioned in memory of Diana at Kensington Palace.

But there has been widespread, quiet concern that the couple's involvement in the larger family events  and the inevitable public and media furore that would surround their appearance  could detract from the significance of such key occasions.

A source said: 'It should be strongly stressed that there is still an element of uncertainty about this because of the unpredictable Covid situation, but the understanding is the duke is more than likely to come back on his own.

'This is a personal and practical decision by the couple, but it would certainly help officials navigate what is likely to be a fairly tricky situation.'

Another added: 'Her Majesty made very clear when they left the UK that Harry and Meghan were still much loved members of her own family and would be very welcome to attend family events. That still holds true.

'Practically, however, it comes with the need for a certain amount of diplomacy. There is still a great deal of distance between Harry and many family members, particularly his brother. No one wants a repeat of the Commonwealth Service.'

This refers to the Sussexes' final official engagement at Westminster Abbey last March, which saw Harry and William barely acknowledge each other, such was the depth of their rift, which is far from healed.

It will be the first time Harry has seen any of his family since quitting royal duties to pursue lucrative business deals abroad.

Harry, Meghan and Archie have been living in North America, first Canada and then California, since November 2019.

While the couple returned to the UK in early March for a last round of official engagements and meetings, Archie  who will turn two in May  did not accompany them.

He has not seen any of his British relatives since he was six months old.

Meghan, pictured here with her husband and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, may miss the Duke of Edinburgh's 100th birthday, Trooping of the Colour and the unveiling of a memorial to Princess Diana

Sources were at pains to stress that Meghan's tentative decision not to accompany her husband is for 'personal and practical' reasons and is not in any way being construed as a 'snub'. But if she decides not to travel it will save royal officials something of a diplomatic headache

Harry and Meghan have since made clear they have no plans to return to the UK in any meaningful way  as revealed a year ago by the Mail.

They have bought an 11million mansion in Montecito in California, bagged multi-million-pound deals with companies including Netflix and Spotify and set up an office and non-profit foundation, Archewell.

A third source confirmed they had also been told Harry was likely to return home alone.

'Harry wants to come back for The Queen and Prince Philip's big birthdays. But it looks likely it will be just him,' they said. 'If Meghan comes back, the feeling is that it would overshadow the occasion. People would only be looking at the 'drama' of it all.

'Of course she would be welcome, but a decision not to come would postpone that headache for a while at least.'

The prince is expected to stay at Frogmore Cottage at Windsor, the home he and Meghan decided to keep as a UK base.

The prince is expected to stay at Frogmore Cottage (pictured) at Windsor, the home he and Meghan decided to keep as a UK base

Meghan's mother Doria Ragland was pictured in California this week

The couple have temporarily lent it to Princess Eugenie and husband Jack Brooksbank.

A spokesman for the Sussexes did not respond to a request for comment.

The pair are said to have had a 'painful' year since Megxit after the couple's nanny moved back to the UK and the pandemic left them feeling 'alone,' the authors of Finding Freedom claimed earlier this month.

Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie, who co-wrote the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell biography, alleged that moving to LA brought difficult changes for the couple who stepped back as senior royals in March last year.

'To be at the point they are at now, having set up an empire and a charity in just over nine months, shows just how hard they have worked to make this transition a success,' said Omid Scobie, writing in Grazia. 'But it's taken a lot of work to get here. The journey has been painful.'

Omid Scobie added that since making the move to LA the couple have been 'eager to contribute to the community,' particularly in regards to the Covid-19 response, and are keen to put the 'focus back on what mattered'.

Writing in Grazia, Caroyln Durand said a friend of the couple told her the couple felt 'alone' after their nanny left

It comes after it was reported that Prince Harry was refused permission for a wreath to be laid at the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday on his behalf, in another possible sign of a family rift.

The Duke of Sussex, who spent ten years in the armed forces, made the personal request to Buckingham Palace, but was refused due to the fact he had left royal duties in March, The Times reported last November.

The Queen was not thought to have been informed of the request or its refusal, which is said to have 'deeply saddened' the Duke of Sussex, the publication reported.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on whether Prince Harry's request had been refused.

Last month it was reported that the couple want a 12-month extension to the Megxit deal that would see them keep their royal patronages and head back to the UK to seal the deal in person.

However, sources told Omid that the couple have no such plans, adding: 'They really haven't looked back'.
Charter schools have popped up in malls, vacant manufacturing plants, former banks and other nontraditional places.

But the free public schools, which are funded by tax dollars and usually look and feel a little different from what students are used to, are just as legitimate as the longtime neighborhood school.

Even though students may be required to wear school uniforms, learn cursive writing, follow a character development plan, play an instrument, develop a business, or volunteer in the community, for example, its still school, but better, many say.

Tisha Harris decided to send her children to The Classical Academy in Academy School District 20 because the school is known for having sound academics and "the fact they touted small class sizes, which in turn gave the teacher more attention for each student."

Twenty-eight years after the first charters opened in Colorado, theyre more popular than ever, statistics show.

Theyve become desirable because theres something for everyone, said Amanda Oberg, spokeswoman for the Colorado Charter School Institute.

With leniency allowed in governance, curriculum and operations, charter schools use educational models such as classical education, Core Knowledge curriculum, project-based learning, language immersion, the Montessori technique, alternative education with adjustable schedules, early college programs, a focus on the arts, technical trades or technology, and other options.

Schools have autonomy from school districts, including on scheduling when school is in session, but are still held accountable by districts and the state and must meet benchmarks, said Harris, who's the spokeswoman for The Classical Academy.

Such choices have provided a lot of flexibility and expanded the different types of models available in a community, said Bill Kottenstette, director of school choice for the Colorado Department of Education.

While public school enrollment decreased statewide by 3.3% this school year over last, charter schools collectively showed a slight increase, he said.

Charter schools that began offering or already had online learning drove the growth, he said, which was likely influenced by the coronavirus pandemic forcing remote learning. Also, charter schools that provided in-person learning in the fall saw enrollment increases, he said.

Charter schools can be authorized to operate either by the public school district in which their building is located or by the Colorado Charter School Institute, which has 42 schools under its umbrella statewide, including 10 in El Paso County.

The schools collectively posted a 12% enrollment increase in the fall of 2020 over 2019, for a total of 20,749 students.

New charter schools opening, existing schools expanding grade levels and new programs, such as homeschool enrichment to help families that have decided to homeschool their children, contributed to the jump, Oberg said.

Two Colorado Springs schools under the Institute, Thomas MacLaren School and James Irwin Charter Academy, are among nine recently accredited with a Performance with Distinction rating. That places the schools in the top 25% of public schools in the state, as per reportable academic data.

Two in Colorado Springs, Mountain Song Community School and Colorado International Language Academy, recently had their contracts renewed.

And the Colorado Springs campus of Colorado Early Colleges will expand to add middle school students beginning in the fall. The school has operated a high school that promotes dual enrollment  students earn college degrees or certificates while in high school.

Colorado Military Academy, the states only prep program for younger students, added to its campus in the fall Orton Academy, which caters to students in grades 3-6 who struggle with reading because of dyslexia. Future plans include opening classes to kindergarten through eighth grade students.

Some charter schools that have contracts with local school districts also have grown.

Atlas Preparatory School in Harrison D-2, where 90% of students are Hispanic or Black, opened a $13.5 million elementary school and gymnasium with donations and grants last year to better prepare students to enter Atlas Middle School, officials said.

Eighty percent of fifth graders enter below the national average in math and 77% were below in reading. The school says its teaching can help kids catch up in two years.

Monument Academy in Lewis-Palmer School District 38 added a new 60,000-square-foot high school last semester to its offerings of preschool through middle school.

Liberty Tree Academy, which opened in D-49 in 2018 in a temporary facility for grades K-8, has built a permanent school for high school students and will open a second phase with 11 new classrooms in the fall. The school is affiliated with Hillsdale College for training in its "traditional American education."

The Classical Academy, the states largest brick-and-mortar charter school with 3,700 students on seven campuses, is so in demand, it already has a wait-list of 4,800 students for fall enrollment for grades K-12, Harris said.

But the list is very fluid, she said, and deceptive, since many students will get a seat, particularly the lower grades.

Just because there are a lot of names, doesnt mean you wont receive an offer, Harris said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman promised to add 1,000 more regulated markets to the electronic national agriculture market, or e-NAM, platform.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 announced a slew of measures for farmers and said the Union Budget 2021-22 was aimed at doubling the farmers income.

The Finance Minister, in her Budget speech, highlighted the rising government spending for purchasing grains and pulses at support prices, and promised to further strengthen the state-regulated markets, or Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs).

Read: FM Nirmala Sitharaman opens government purse-strings to rebuild India

The government is and has always been open to dialogue with farmers. The agriculture minister has been ready to have clause-by-clause discussion with farmers on farm laws. Hence we believe that the dialogue is the way forward, Sitharaman said in the post-budget press conference.

Follow Moneycontrol's Budget 2021 live coverage

This comes at a time when thousands of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi borders for more than two months seeking a complete repeal of three contentious farm reform laws.

Sitharaman promised to add 1,000 more regulated markets to the electronic national agriculture market, or e-NAM, platform.

Sitharaman said the procurement of crops like paddy, wheat, pulses and cotton has jumped manifold in the last six years. As many as 43.36 lakh farmers have benefited from these payments, she said.

She said the value of wheat procured has gone up from Rs 33,874 crore in FY14 to Rs 75,060 crore in FY21, while the value of paddy procured has increased from Rs 63,928 crore to Rs 1.7 lakh crore during the period.

Cotton farmers saw stupendous increase in the amount that was paid to them in FY14, from Rs 90 crore to over Rs 25,000 crore in FY21, she said.

The minister said Rs 75,100 crore have been allocated for the farmers of the country. She also announced an increase in agriculture credit target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore in FY22.

She asserted that the government was committed to the welfare of farmers. The MSP regime has undergone a change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities, she said.




Tokyo / Hamburg, Feb 1, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - Olympus Corporation (Director, Representative Executive Officer, President and CEO: Yasuo Takeuchi) today announced the launch of a new comprehensive educational platform designed to provide healthcare professionals (HCPs) all over the world with learning opportunities and training to put their skills into practice and keep them performing at their best.The "Olympus Continuum" (www.olympuscontinuum.com) platform will empower HCPs at every stage of their career with innovative, premium education and specialized training experiences. The platform builds on the existing Olympus training program, which trains more than 25,000 HCPs annually over 1,400 courses.Chief Medical Officer, Ross D. Segan, MD, MBA, FACS, said: "Healthcare professionals work in a variety of settings and have a multitude of needs--and their expectations for training courses have evolved well past traditional skills-based learning. Our new platform connects the continuum of care with the continuum of learning. A truly blended experience, Olympus Continuum maximizes digital self-guided pre-learning, direct in-person training, and post-learning collaboration to support healthcare professional across every stage of their career and to improve patient outcome."HCPs using the "Olympus Continuum" platform will enjoy the following benefits:- Comprehensive platform programs covering basic to advanced levels: The Olympus global professional education strategy is to establish a continuum of blended learning that takes HCPs from basic to advanced, providing more educational opportunities/experiences and increasing accessibility through the utilization of technology. Hands-on courses will be provided in our 15 dedicated Olympus training labs, as well as hospitals and other labs all over the world.- Beneficial for remote areas, including emerging countries: In some emerging countries and hard-to-reach areas, it has been difficult for HCPs to receive training or enroll in educational programs because of limited course offerings and large geographical distances. "Olympus Continuum" is a globalized and comprehensive platform of training and education experiences led by healthcare experts from around the world.- Effective platform that fits well with current conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic: There was growing demand from healthcare professionals for on-demand, digitally-enabled virtual training and this has increased further during the current COVID-19 pandemic. This new platform exactly meets this demand and provides an excellent combination of virtual and on-site training.Learning opportunities include hands-on courses, online learning, lectures and workshops, peer-to-peer training, accredited continuing education and on-demand learning.* To learn more aboutOlympus Continuum, visit www.olympuscontinuum.com*Implementation will vary from region to region given market environments.About Olympus ContinuumOlympus Continuum is a newly launched educational platform for healthcare professionals that will bring the benefits of digitally-enabled learning to remote regions, as well as those impacted by COVID-19. Basic and advanced training for healthcare professionals will be provided through Olympus training centers and hospitals all over the world.About OlympusOlympus is passionate about the solutions it creates for the medical, life sciences, and industrial equipment industries. Olympus' Medical business uses innovative capabilities in medical technology, therapeutic intervention, and precision manufacturing to help healthcare professionals deliver diagnostic, therapeutic, and minimally invasive procedures to improve clinical outcomes, reduce overall costs, and enhance the quality of life for patients. Olympus' Medical portfolio includes endoscopes, laparoscopes, and video imaging systems, as well as surgical energy devices, system integration solutions, medical services, and a wide range of endotherapy instruments. For more information, visit https://www.olympus-global.com/.For questions or additional information, please contact:Europe, Middle East and AfricaMatthias Gengenbach+49 4023773 5867matthias.gengenbach@olympus-europa.comJapan and Asia PacificYuka Horimoto+81-90-2490-1071yuka_horimoto@ot.olympus.co.jpSource: OlympusCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.

Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
As Russia braced for a second weekend of protests on January 31 and the opposition reeled from consecutive days of law enforcement raids and arrests, a pro-Kremlin YouTube channel published a dispatch from inside a Moscow training base for riot police officers tasked with dispersing demonstrators on the streets of Russia's capital.

Two lines of blue-uniformed members of the OMON force are shown standing before an archway flanked by the Russian eagle and the Moscow coat of arms, heads bowed as they receive instructions from a superior.

"The country is watching you," the man says, his voice echoing through the long corridor. "It's not proud of them," the protesters, he says. "It's proud of you."

What follows is a video montage showing the coordinated police operation that unfolded across Moscow on January 31, the frantic clips playing out against a soundtrack of hard-rock music and laudatory commentary by presenter Semyon Pegov.

But the protesters themselves would witness very different scenes across Russia. On a day that saw a record of more than 5,600 arrests, videos taken in multiple cities would attest to a brutal crackdown and a level of seemingly wanton violence that few Russians have seen during President Vladimir Putin's 21 years in power.

In footage from Kazan, people cower on the snow-covered ground before law enforcement officers who scream orders at them. In Moscow, a journalist is tased and beaten by several men as he's led away to a waiting police van. In St. Petersburg, an unconscious man is dragged into a police van not long after OMON members march a column of detained activists, hands over heads, through the citys streets.

The men who executed the violent operation to clear Russias streets wore helmets and metal shields and came equipped with batons, stun guns, and other punitive equipment. The protesters they took on were largely peaceful, sometimes flinging snow or resisting arrest.

The level of force deployed on January 31 appeared to signal an escalation in the authorities' campaign to stamp out the protest movement, which was sparked by the jailing of opposition politician Aleksei Navalny following his return to Russia and was fueled by authorities' rejection of demands that he be released.

Apparently fearing a repeat of the large turnout on January 23, police set up checkpoints and cordoned off parts of Russia's main cities, significantly undermining protesters' ability to gather in a single place. A chunk of Moscow close to the Kremlin was inaccessible, with barriers up and subway stations closed.

When tens of thousands of people nonetheless came out, law enforcement moved to pick off activists one by one, frequently using truncheon blows and electric shock batons to incapacitate detainees.

"The political instruments the Kremlin traditionally uses have stopped working. Propaganda is losing its effect," Putin's former speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov, now a political analyst, told RFE/RL. "They have no strategy."

In neighboring Belarus, when autocratic leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed a landslide victory in an August election many voters contend was rigged, an unprecedented wave of protests was met with a similar response.

Extreme police violence, thousands of arrests, and the alleged torture of numerous detainees have not quelled the protests, but Lukashenka remains in power almost six months after the bitterly disputed vote. Leading opponents who were not forced out of the country are in jail.

But the price, analysts say, was a further drop in Lukashenka's legitimacy and his further ostracization by the West, even as Russia helped shore up his position. Now, with the growing influence in Russia of the Internet, which enables open debate in contrast to one-sided coverage on television, Putin's government may have opted for intimidation as a way of stopping events from spiraling out of its control.

"Something important is happening before our eyes," analyst Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, wrote on Twitter about Russia's protests. "The regime is overreacting and in the process it is undermining the foundations of its authority over and support within society as a whole. That is the key lesson of what happened in Belarus last year."

To the extent that Russian authorities have justified the use of violence to disperse demonstrators, it has been with reference to the law, which forbids any form of political street gathering not authorized in advance by the state.

Navalny and his allies have balked at filing requests for permission to protest, having been repeatedly rebuffed in the past, and rights activists say the state abuses the permit system in order to muzzle opponents, violating the freedom of assembly. But people who take to the streets despite that face arrest and hefty fines just for participating.

"We're talking of illegal events," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on February 1. "There can obviously be no negotiations with hooligans and provocateurs."

Further restrictive legislation has raised the stakes of opposition in recent months and significantly narrowed the space for dissent, handing the Kremlin the upper hand even as Russians complain about falling real wages and a worsening economic outlook.

Caught between the prospect of suffering police beatings on the streets or hoping for things to stabilize, many are opting for the former. But the increasingly harsh methods appear calibrated to make sure they stay home.

"Our patience is limited, but we're willing to listen. If that doesn't work then we will increase the dose of our vaccine," an officer tells Pegov in the pro-Kremlin video, in a euphemistic reference to the use of violence. "And some people will get a stronger injection than others."
PARADISE - I took a trip to Paradise last week and ended up meeting the devil.

I exaggerate, of course. Paradise is an unassuming, little town in Wise County, 35 miles northwest of Fort Worth. An early settler named the town, rhapsodizing that wildflowers sprinkled across the rolling prairie resembled paradise on earth. With a population these days of less than 600, its still an agricultural community, although during normal times a number of residents commute to Denton or Fort Worth.

The devil I discovered in Paradise is the notorious gangster from the 1930s, George Machine Gun Kelly, an unlikely resident who had ties to the community but cant be called a native son.

Hes all we have, though, Gay Read, curator of the Paradise Historical Society, told me, laughing. Read and her history-minded neighbors have been known to feel a twinge of envy for nearby Aurora, site of a well-known UFO incident in 1897.

The man whose memorable nickname ranks with Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson was born George Frances Barnes, Jr., in Chicago in 1900. He grew up in Memphis, Tenn. Paradise historian Donna Weeden suggests that his life of crime began when his insurance-agent father handed him the keys to the family car. The elder Barnes had reason to be generous: The teenager had discovered that his father was cheating on his sickly mother with a one-legged woman. Young George was threatening to tell.

With access to a car, George found a job  not throwing newspapers or delivering groceries but running bootleg whiskey. Soon he was making so much money that it only made sense to quit school, particularly since he already was a married man. He and 15-year-old Geneva Ramsey, whose Memphis family ran a successful construction business, had eloped across the state line to Mississippi.

George seemed to respect his in-laws, but when his father-in-law was killed in an accidental dynamite explosion in 1922, he left his wife and their two young sons and resumed his life running whiskey. He soon found himself serving a three-year sentence in Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary for selling bootleg whiskey on an Oklahoma Indian reservation. Leavenworth turned out to be his university, his professors being convicted bank robbers with time on their hands.

Released early, the model prisoner eagerly plunged into the banking business. Between September 1930 and May 1933, he and a gang of fellow Leavenworth alumni robbed at least 11 banks from Minnesota southward. The last bank they hit was in San Marcos on May 22, 1933.

A tall, attractive young woman also walked into his life during his banking period, whether for better or worse is debatable. A Mississippian, she was born Cleo Lera Mae Brooks but decided as a teenager that Kathryn was more glamorous. A man who dated Kathryn before she met George remembered her this way to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover: She took me to more speakeasies, more bootleg dives, more holes in the wall than I thought were in all of Texas. She knows more bums than the police department. She can drink liquor like water. (The anecdote comes from Stanley Hamiltons book, Machine Gun Kellys Last Stand, as quoted by Mike Finger in a 2017 issue of Memphis Magazine.)

Kathryn was married four times between the ages of 14 and 26, the third time to a fellow whose bullet-riddled body was found sprawled near a suicide note, despite the fact that he was illiterate. After her husbands demise, Kathryn and her young daughter Pauline moved in with her mother Ora and new stepfather, Robert Boss Shannon, who lived on a farm near Paradise. She and George married in 1930.

Like poetry-writing Bonnie Parker burnishing the image of Clyde Barrow, Kathryn transformed George Frances Barnes, Jr., into Machine Gun Kelly. She bought him his first Thompson submachine gun from a Fort Worth pawn shop and taught him to shoot well enough that, legend has it, he could spell out his name on the side of a barn with a blast from his tommy gun (in cursive, I presume).

Since Depression-desperate banks were running low on cash, Kathryn also encouraged her husband to break into a more lucrative line of work: kidnapping. On July 22, 1933, George and an accomplice kidnapped a wealthy Oklahoma City oilman named Charles Urschel, brother-in-law to legendary oilman Tom Slick. The kidnappers held the tycoon for eight days, blindfolded, on the Shannon familys Paradise-area farm. They demanded $200,000, equivalent to several million today.

The Urschel family delivered the ransom money, and Kelly released the oilman, who, though blindfolded, was able to remember important details that led lawmen to the Shannon farm. A plane that Urschel recalled flying over the farm twice daily helped agents trace flight paths. His description of a rainstorm one evening also helped the G-men. Even though Urschel was chained to a bed most of the time, he said that his captors served him some of the best fried chicken he had ever tasted.

George and his accomplice, and Kathryn, were arrested in Memphis soon after Urschel was released. Although the oilman was unhurt, his kidnapping was the first after the high-profile Lindbergh kidnapping case, in which the 20-month-old son of the famed aviator Charles Lindbergh and his wife was found dead. Kidnapping was now a federal offense, with the FBI in charge. Tried in Oklahoma City, both Kellys were sentenced to life in prison, as was Kathryns mother and stepfather.

Boss Shannon was released after 11 years, his sentence commuted by President Franklin Roosevelt. Kathryn was released in 1958 and lived a quiet life in Oklahoma City under the name Cleo Kelly. She died in 1984. Her mother also was released.

Machine Gun Kelly, who, despite the fearsome nickname, never used his tommy gun on a human being, spent most of the rest of his life in Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, on an island in the San Francisco Bay, before being transferred back to Leavenworth. An oft-told FBI account that Kelly pleaded to arresting agents, Dont shoot, G-men! has been largely debunked, according to Bryan Burroughs 2004 book Public Enemies. Fellow inmates knew him as a mild-mannered gent who told stories, some of them perhaps true. They called him Pop Gun Kelly.

Read, who has lived her whole life in Paradise except for a year in Fort Worth, knew the Shannon family. They were good church-going people, she recalled. Ora Shannon played the piano at church.

Locals, concerned about offending family members still living in the area, rarely talked about the kidnapping. Planning their museum back in the 1990s, they were pleased to discover that the Shannons were happy to tell the story, in part because they didnt know all the details themselves.

They appear to be very proud of Boss, Donna Weeden told me, not about the part he played in the kidnapping, but the way he conducted himself during the trial and his humbleness in serving his time for a despicable crime. Weeden, author of a play about the incident called Eight Days in Paradise, pointed out that Boss was nobodys boss; his mother had bestowed the nickname when he was a toddler.

When George died in 1954, no one from his family claimed the body, so Boss Shannon had it shipped to Wise County. The notorious Machine Gun Kelly is buried near the Shannon family plot in the Cottondale Cemetery, not far from Boss himself, who lies between his first two wives, Icye and Maude. A small, flat stone, inscription barely legible, marks the Kelly site. A scattering of coins atop the stone gleams in the winter sun.

djholley10@gmail.com

Twitter: holleynews

HOUSTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal judge has appointed Houston-based Potts Law Firm as co-lead class counsel for the plaintiffs' in multidistrict litigation against the primary travel insurance provider for popular websites such as VRBO. The consolidated lawsuits, previously filed in federal courts across the nation, allege that CSA Travel Protection, the American affiliate of Italy-based Generali Group, has refused to honor its policies and refund consumers nationwide for bookings that were properly cancelled due to COVID-19. Also appointed co-lead counsel were Cafferty Clobes Meriweather and Sprengal LLP and Carlson Lynch LLP. Kirby McInerney was appointed Liaison Counsel.

The cases have been consolidated in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York before the Honorable John G Koeltl. Judge Koeltl joined the court after he was nominated in 1994 by President Bill Clinton.

"This consolidation is very meaningful to individuals and families who took all the right precautions, and fully expected this company to honor its commitment," says Mr. Potts.

Derek Potts of Potts Law Firm had previously filed a Motion with the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, a panel of seven federal judges, asking it to consolidate all of the cases across the country in front of one federal court. That Motion was sustained by the Panel in December and the cases transferred to the Southern District of New York.

"These denials appeared to have occurred nationwide," says Mr. Potts. "An MDL is the proper vehicle to bring together these individual claims and create an efficient way to bring about a resolution."

Media Contact:

Barry Pound

800-559-4534

[email protected]

SOURCE Potts Law Firm

Related Links

https://www.potts-law.com


Credit: Pixabay

An estimated 280 million people in India, as well as 280 million in China, regularly speak English. If ASEAN and other Asian countries are included, the tally reaches an astonishing 800 million people now using "Asian Englishes" on a regular basis.

That's just one of the key facts found in an award-winning volume discussing the spread, status and roles of English across the Asian region.

The new 900-page volume, "The Handbook of Asian Englishes," co-edited by Professor Kingley Bolton (Stockholm University), Dr. Botha (Flinders University) and Andy Kirkpatrick (Griffith University), has just won a prestigious PROSE Award from the Association of American Publishers.

"The popularity of English is unlikely to diminish in the foreseeable future as a result of both globalization and regionalisation, given the adoption by ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) of English as its official language," says Dr. Botha from Flinders University's College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

The 39-chapter handbook covers the historical and contemporary dynamics of the English language throughout Asia, including insights into "postcolonial Englishes" such as Hong Kong English, Malaysian English, Philippine English and Singapore English.

It provides coverage of the role of English as a key additional language in societies such as China, Indonesia and Japan, as well as cutting-edge essays on Asian literatures in English, English and globalization, English in Asian legal systems, and English in multilingual linguistic landscapes.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) last week honored the new volume as a Subject Category Winner in Language & Linguistics in the prestigious 2021 Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) Awards, for best scholarly works published in 2020.

A panel of 23 judges selected 45 category winners from a total of 130 finalists from an overall pool of 595 entries for this year's PROSE Awards competition.

"These 45 works all represent exceptional scholarship, and significant contributions to their various fields," says AAP Vice President of Programs and Administration Syreeta Swann, noting the overall five PROSE excellence awards will be unveiled in coming weeks.

The book, titled "The Handbook of Asian Englishes," is edited by Kingsley Bolton, Werner Botha and Andy Kirkpatrick, and includes six chapters by Dr. Botha. The book covers the history, cultural, contemporary dynamics, and linguistic features of the English language in use throughout the Asian region.

More information: The Handbook of Asian Englishes. The Handbook of Asian Englishes. www.wiley.com/en-us/The+Handbo  shes-p-9781118791653
A previously unknown root trait allows some cereal plants to grow deeper roots capable of punching through dry, hard, compacted soils, according to Penn State researchers, who suggest that harnessing the inherited characteristic could lead to crops better able to deal with a changing climate.

"This discovery bodes well for American and global agriculture because the trait helps corn, wheat and barley grow deeper roots, which is important for drought tolerance, nitrogen efficiency and carbon sequestration," said Jonathan Lynch, distinguished professor in plant science. "Breeding for this trait should be helpful in developing new crops for climate mitigation."

Called multiseriate cortical sclerenchyma by the researchers -- or MCS -- the phenotype is characterized by small cells with thick walls just beneath the surface of the roots. Roots with the MCS genotype have a greater concentration of lignin -- a complex organic polymer that is important in the formation of cell walls, especially in wood and bark, that lends rigidity.

More lignin gives the MCS roots greater tensile strength and greater root tip bending force compared to non-MCS genotypes. This added rigidity helps roots penetrate hard soil layers.

The findings of the root anatomy study, published today (Feb. 1) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are striking. Corn genotypes with MCS had root systems with 22% greater depth and 39% greater shoot biomass in compacted soils in the field compared to lines without MCS.

Soil compaction reduces porosity, limits water infiltration, reduces aeration and restricts root growth by presenting a physical impediment, noted lead researcher Hannah Schneider, postdoctoral scholar in Lynch's research group in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

"Compacted soil layers constrain crop productivity by restricting root growth and exploration in deeper soil layers, which in turn limits access to nutrients and water," she said. "Plants with roots that are able to penetrate hard soil and forage deeper have an advantage in capturing water and nutrients -- ultimately performing better in drought or low soil fertility."

The study included both field and greenhouse components to assess root-penetration ability in compacted soils.

Scientists conducted two field experiments to study root growth -- one at the Apache Root Biology Center in Willcox, Arizona, and the other at Penn State's Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs. At each location, researchers grew six corn genotypes contrasting in root lignin content. Each field experiment involved compaction and noncompaction treatments.

When the corn flowered, soils were cored near randomly selected plants to assess root growth. The roots of two plants per research plot also were dug up and evaluated, and shoot biomass was collected.

Twelve wheat genotypes and six corn genotypes also were grown in a greenhouse at the University Park campus. Large growth containers, or "mesocosms," were set up with a compacted soil layer to determine which roots penetrated the hard substrate. After more than a month's growth, root segments from each of the corn and wheat genotypes were collected, measured and tested for tensile strength and root tip bending force.

This research utilized laser ablation tomography -- known as LAT -- to visualize the anatomy of roots from plants in the study. Lynch's research group developed the unique technology in 2011 for other root-analysis applications. Researchers using LAT can measure the light spectra given off by different cells cut by the laser to differentiate between various tissues.

Genetic variation for MCS was found in each of the cereals examined by the researchers, and heritability was relatively high, they reported, suggesting that this trait can be selected in breeding programs. Of the plant lines reviewed in this study, MCS was present in 30 to 50% of modern corn, wheat and barley cultivars.

The implications of corn crops growing deeper roots to range farther for water and nutrients -- and as a consequence producing larger yields -- would be immense in regions where the populace is food-insecure, Schneider pointed out. That is especially true in the face of a changing climate that is making vast areas more drought-prone.

"We observe MCS in corn, wheat, barley and many other cereal crops, and our work suggests that many of the benefits of MCS may be analogous across different species," she said. "MCS could be an important trait for stress tolerance and increased yields in cereal crops."

###

Also involved in the research at Penn State were Kathleen Brown, professor of plant stress biology; Christopher Strock, Meredith Hanlon and Ishan Ajmera, postdoctoral scholars in the Lynch research group; Jagdeep Singh Sidhu, doctoral student in plant science; and Alden Perkins, recently graduated master's degree student in plant science. Sacha Mooney, professor of soil, and researcher Dorien Vanhees, both with the University of Nottingham, U.K., also contributed to the project.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Consortium's Crops of the Future Collaborative and its Crops in Silico program funded this project.
Teen Driver Facing Charges After Calloway Crash

By West Kentucky Star Staff

CALLOWAY COUNTY - A crash in Calloway County Sunday night left three teens injured, and the driver facing DUI charges.The Calloway County Sheriff's Office said the single-vehicle accident happened at approximately 8:15 pm on Main Street in Hazel.Deputies said that a 16-year-old male from Dickson, TN was traveling on Highway 641 at a high rate of speed when he failed to negotiate a turn near the state line. The truck struck numerous light poles, a guardrail, a fence and two buildings.The driver and two passengers, 18-year-old Jose Quinton and another 16-year-old male, both from from Dickson, left the scene before deputies arrived. They were found a short time later and transported by ambulance to Murray-Calloway County Hospital for treatment of their injuries.The driver was charged with DUI, leaving the scene of an accident, terroristic threatening, menacing, disorderly conduct and two counts of wanton endangerment.
(TNS)  The Washington state auditor's office says one of its software vendors was breached, likely leading to files being accessed by "an unauthorized user."State Auditor Pat McCarthy disclosed what she termed "a security incident" in a statement toon Friday evening, saying the problem involved Accellion, a "third party provider of software services.""Although the security incident occurred in December, the service provider only confirmed this week that some files were likely to have been accessed by an unauthorized user. Other organizations using the service provider's software also were affected," McCarthy said.The state auditor's office performs financial and accountability audits of state agencies and local governments. It is currently investigating how the Employment Security Department lost hundreds of millions of dollars to cyberfraudsters, including a Nigerian crime ring known as "Scattered Canary."The statement on Friday gave no details about what kind of information may have been compromised in this latest breach, including whether it included personal data that could be abused by fraudsters."We are continuing to work with the vendor, state cybersecurity officials, and law enforcement to investigate this matter and identify the affected files. As we learn more about the impact of this incident, we will provide information as is permitted and appropriate during an ongoing investigation," McCarthy's statement said.Kathleen Cooper, an auditor's office spokesperson, said she was not authorized to provide any additional information Friday.A spokesperson for Accellion did not immediately respond to an email and phone message seeking comment.The Palo Alto, California-based company recently issued a statement disclosing another "security incident" involving one of its older software products that specializes in large computer file transfers.That breach affected the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, according to an Australian media report.McCarthy, a Democrat, is an independent statewide elected official who was elected to a second term in November.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IndexIQ, a New York Life Investments company, today announced, in alignment with the American Heart Association , the launch of the IQ Healthy Hearts ETF (NYSE: HART). HART is IndexIQ's first "Dual Impact" ESG ETF, designed to offer investors an innovative thematic strategy tied to key sustainability priorities.

Investing From the HART

HART adopts a thematic ESG investment approach aligned with the AHA's overall mission of helping people live longer, healthier lives. It invests in companies that reflect core AHA initiatives, research and programming, with a specific focus on those that provide:

Diagnosis and/or treatment of cardiovascular diseases

Manufacturing and distribution of healthy food or wellness products

Services allowing people to access information about their health and thereby make better, heart-healthy decisions about their lifestyles

Solutions for people to track their fitness and engage in a healthy lifestyle.

Amplifying the thematic impact of HART, New York Life Investments and IndexIQ will, in connection with the strategy, make ongoing contributions to the American Heart Association's Social Impact Fund1. Launched in 2019, the Association's Social Impact Fund was designed to enhance communities by investing in local entrepreneurs and organizations that are breaking down the social and economic barriers to health equity. To date, it has activated more than $35 million in new funding for 39 organizations.

Creating "Dual Impact"

HART is IndexIQ's first thematic, "Dual Impact" ESG ETF, and is part of a broader strategy at New York Life Investments designed to balance "me focused" returns and "we focused" social good by granting values-driven investors access to investment strategies that advance social causes and important global initiatives. HART exemplifies the Firm's commitment to building a better future for investors and their communities. Through a suite of strategies invested in core thematic sectors and areas of focus within ESG, New York Life Investments will offer investors investment strategies that seek to provide competitive returns while contributing to building a more sustainable future.

Building a More Sustainable Future

Yie-Hsin Hung, Chief Executive Officer  New York Life Investment Management :

"Sustainable investing has long been at the heart of our approach at New York Life Investments, and we are delighted to team with the American Heart Association to introduce a thematic, and impact-oriented investment strategy that harnesses our long-standing investment expertise with their enduring and powerful mission to help people live healthier lives. HART reflects that an investment strategy is not about generating potential returns alone  when it's done in a constructive and sustainable way, it can also be a path toward advancing social good."

Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer  American Heart Association:

"While overall death rates from heart disease and stroke declined over the past two decades until a recent plateau, these gains were not equitably shared among all people. Our Social Impact Fund is one of the many new ways we are working to address this issue and improve health equity. We are grateful to be aligned with a like-minded, purpose-driven enterprise such as New York Life Investments, which is launching a product that affords investors potential returns that can also benefit their local communities and the social entrepreneurs that are contributing toward building an equitable, sustainable, and healthier future."

About New York Life Investments

With $662 billion in Assets Under Management* as of December 31, 2020, New York Life Investments is comprised of the affiliated global asset management businesses of its parent company, New York Life Insurance Company (New York Life), and offers clients access to specialized, independent investment teams through its family of affiliated boutiques. New York Life Investments remains committed to clients through a combination of the diverse perspectives of its boutiques and a long-lasting focus on sustainable relationships.

New York Life Insurance Company (www.newyorklife.com), a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States** and one of the largest life insurers in the world. Headquartered in New York City, New York Life Insurance Company's family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life Insurance Company has the highest financial strength ratings currently awarded to any U.S. life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies***.

*AUM includes assets of Investment Advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company as of December 31, 2020. AUM for Candriam and Ausbil is reported at the spot rate.

**Based on revenue as reported by "Fortune 500 ranked within Industries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual)," Fortune magazine, 5/18/20. For methodology, please see http://fortune.com/fortune500/.

***Individual independent rating agency commentary as of 10/15/2020: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody's Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor's (AA+) The financial strength of New York Life Insurance Company applies only to its insurance products and not to investment products which are subject to market risk and fluctuation in value.

"New York Life Investments" is both a service mark, and the common trade name, of certain investment advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company.

About IndexIQ

IndexIQ, a New York Life Investments company, is a provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with a decade of offering highly differentiated and innovative solutions to retail and institutional investors. With $4.2 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2020, IndexIQ leverages the asset management capabilities of New York Life Investments' multi-boutique platform into its suite of offerings which include: fixed income, equities, alternatives, ESG and specialty asset classes.

For additional information on IndexIQ, visit newyorklifeinvestments.com/etf | Twitter | LinkedIn

Disclosures

All investments are subject to risk and will fluctuate in value.

Consider the Funds' investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus and the statement of additional information include this and other relevant information about the Funds and are available by visiting IQetfs.com or calling (888) 474-7725. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Investing involves risk, including loss on principal.

IndexIQ is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC and serves as the advisor to the IndexIQ ETFs. ALPS Distributors, Inc. (ALPS) is the principal underwriter of the ETFs, and NYLIFE Distributors LLC is a distributor of the ETFs. NYLIFE Distributors LLC is located at 30 Hudson Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302. ALPS Distributors, Inc. is not affiliated with NYLIFE Distributors LLC. "New York Life Investments" is both a service mark, and the common trade name, of the investment advisors affiliated with New York Life Insurance Company.

Shares of the Fund are not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by American Heart Association, Inc. ("AHA"). The Fund's sponsor, IndexIQ, and its affiliates are donors to and supporters of AHA's Social Impact Fund and are making a substantial contribution to the Social Impact Fund. AHA makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to prospective or actual investors in the Fund or to any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in any financial product, including one seeking to track the Underlying Index, the ability of the Fund to track the performance of the Underlying Index, the ability of the Underlying Index to meet or exceed stock market performance, the suitability of the Fund or the ability of the Underlying Index or Fund to achieve its investment goals. AHA has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of shares of the Fund. AHA is not an investment adviser or a fund distributor or service provider. Inclusion of a security within the Underlying Index is not a recommendation by AHA to buy, sell or hold such security, nor is it considered to be investment advice or a guarantee that the investment goals of the Underlying Index will be achieved. AHA does not guarantee the accuracy and/or the completeness of the Underlying Index or any data included therein.

Media Contacts

New York Life Investments & IndexIQ: Netanel Spero | (917) 543-5962 | [email protected]

Sloane & Company: Kate Sylvester | (212) 486-9500 | [email protected]



1 New York Life Investment Management LLC (NYLIM) and IndexIQ Advisors LLC (IndexIQ) are donors to and supporters of American Heart Association's Social Impact Fund and are making a substantial contribution to the Social Impact Fund.

SOURCE New York Life Investments

Related Links

http://www.newyorklife.com


Two-wheeler major on Monday reported a 3.14 per cent decline in total sales to 4,85,889 units in January.

The company had sold a total of 5,01,622 units in the same month last year, said in a statement.

Domestic sales were at 4,67,776 units as against 4,88,069 units in January last year, down 4.15 per cent, it added.

Exports were, however, up at 18,113 units as compared to 13,553 units in the same month last year, the company said.

On January 21, 2021 the company said it surpassed the significant milestone of 100 million (10 crore) units in cumulative production.

Last month, said it entered into a distribution agreement with Grupo Salinas, founded by Mexican entrepreneur Ricardo Salinas to form a distribution network globally to sell competitive, high-quality products in the large Mexican market.

The company will launch nine products across various segments in the country.

(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.)



Kelly Dodd was dropped from her partnership with Positive Beverages due to her 'controversial views and opinions' on COVID-19.

The 45-year-old reality star first partnered with the brand in February 2019 and regularly promoted the sparkling beverage on her social media accounts and in episodes of the Real Housewives of Orange County.

On Saturday, Kelly and her friends toasted to being 'super spreaders' as they dined maskless in Newport Beach despite surging cases of the coronavirus throughout Southern California.

In response to being let go from the company, Kelly noted that she was 'glad I could help put Positive Beverage on the map and wish them well.'

Out with the old: Kelly Dodd was dropped from her partnership with Positive Beverages due to her 'controversial views and opinions' on COVID-19

Optimistic: In response to being let go from the company, Kelly noted that she was 'glad I could help put Positive Beverage on the map and wish them well.'

'2020 has taught us that words have power and listening can unite ... we listened to you and have an important action to share,' the brand first shared.

"Our core values of wellness, community, diversity and inclusion should be reflected by our brand and anyone associated with it," head of Brand Zach Muchnick comments, "it has become clear over the past few months that Kelly's controversial views and opinions have distracted from our primary objectives, so effective today, we are no longer affiliated with Kelly Dodd-Leventhal."

"We welcome all people - however they are and whatever they are passionate about - to Positive Beverage," says CEO, Shannon Argyros, "but there must always be an underlying layer of respect. Unfortunately, we feel Kelly's stance is no longer congruent with our core values. We appreciate her contributions during our affiliation, and she will always be a part of Positive Beverage's history, but we do not align with her opinions or global views while we uphold our own values and the values of customers."

'2020 has taught us that words have power and listening can unite ... we listened to you and have an important action to share,' the brand first shared.

'We welcome all people - however they are and whatever they are passionate about - to Positive Beverage," says CEO, Shannon Argyros, "but there must always be an underlying layer of respect'

On Saturday, Kelly, her husband Rick Leventhal, 61, and a few friends were in a jovial mood while maskless at lunch, with attendees joking about the virus at one point and mockingly toasting to 'super spreaders.'

Dodd claimed she was 'getting a lot of hate for being at a restaurant we're allowed to be at' after California partially lifted dining restrictions amid the ongoing pandemic.

'The sheeple are mad,' she said. 'I'm not a super spreader because there's nothing to spread because we all got the vaccine and we don't have it, so there's nothing to spread about super spreaders.'

Done: The 45-year-old reality star first partnered with the brand in February 2019 and regularly promoted the sparkling beverage on her social media accounts and in episodes of the Real Housewives of Orange County

Not great: On Saturday, Kelly, her husband Rick Leventhal, 61, and a few friends were in a jovial mood while maskless at lunch, with attendees joking about the virus at one point and mockingly toasting to 'super spreaders'

Defense: Dodd said on Instagram Stories, 'I'm not a super spreader because there's nothing to spread, because we all got the vaccine and we don't have it, so there's nothing to spread about super spreaders'

Blowback: Positive Beverage has cut its ties with Dodd amid the blowback of Saturday's incident

Dodd seemed to take it in stride, saying on Twitter, 'I'm glad I could help put Positive Beverage on the map and wish them well. I'm also really excited about my next venture in the beauty industry, which is my real passion. Stay tuned!'

Dodd on Friday said she was secure in her spot on RHOC and she was 'not fired' from the series, implying one-time costar Vicki Gunvalson was behind the rumors.

Kelly made headlines last April after saying on social media that she believed that the pandemic was 'Gods way of thinning the herd' as she argued with an Instagram user who called her out after taking a cross-country flight.

After a user wrote to Dodd, 'If non-essential workers keep traveling back and forth like you, it will last longer,' the reality star replied, 'Do you know how many people died from the H1N1, the swine flu or SARS? Its 25% get your facts straight you are only hearing numbers not the reality! Its Gods way of thinning the herd!'

Yikes: Kelly made headlines last April after saying on social media that she believed that the pandemic was 'Gods way of thinning the herd'

Unique toast: Dodd claimed she was 'getting a lot of hate for being at a restaurant we're allowed to be at' after California partially lifted dining restrictions amid the ongoing pandemic

She subsequently apologized for the remarks and attempted to clarify her statement.

'When I wrote that its "Gods way of thinning the herd," thats not what I meant,' Dodd said on Instagram Stories. 'What I meant was, "Do these pandemics happen because its Gods way?" Im not God. Im not insensitive.

'I feel bad for all the families that have lost loved ones, and I do think we should all stay at home and protect everybody. Thats not what I meant, and I want to apologize to anyone who got offended, OK? Im sorry.'

A number of fans on Twitter called for Dodd's firing from the show

She apologized again last month appearing on Watch What Happens Live, saying of her past controversy: 'It was insensitive and I apologize if I hurt or offended anybody.'

As of Sunday, on a global level, 2,226,935 people have died amid more than 102,922,990 positive diagnoses worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. The death total for COVID-19 in the U.S. was at 441,282 people, with 26,178,803 total positive diagnoses.

In Dodd's home state of California, the state Department of Public Health reported that 481 coronavirus deaths were recorded Sunday, as the state's death toll has surpassed 40,000.
A Cork priest has highlighted the hardship facing families who lost loved ones in the early days of the initial lockdown last year as they face into the first anniversaries of the deaths of their loved ones without traditional support from their wider communities.

Rolling restrictions first introduced to reduce the spread of Covid-19 last March have meant that many families have not been able to mark the passing of a loved one over the past number of months in the way they traditionally would have done so.

These restrictions have meant that attendance at funerals has been significantly curtailed and people have not been able to ask neighbours or family members into their homes to mark the death of a loved one as they may usually do.

Speaking to The Echo, Fr Tom Hayes, who is parish priest in Enniskeane said that many people who would have lost loved ones at the beginning of the first lockdown, and who were not able to mark this last year, had planned to instead mark their loved ones death on their first anniversary.

People had hoped that they would be able to do something for the first anniversary, he said.

However, with significant numbers of cases of Covid-19 still being reported, Fr Hayes said that it looked unlikely that people would be able to mark these anniversaries with their neighbours, friends and community the way they may have planned to.

He said this would prove very difficult for some.

The first anniversary is a very significant moment, a very significant day, a very significant week. Not to be able to mark that with contact with people and to go to a first-anniversary mass adds another layer of hardship for people, Fr Hayes said.

The Cork priest said that it was important that this is acknowledged and that grieving families are supported in the weeks and months ahead.

Fr Hayes comments came as the Bishop of Cork and Ross, Fintan Gavin wrote to clergy members and undertakers to restate the current guidance on funerals.

The letter followed a meeting of the Catholic bishops of the Cashel province on the matter.

In the letter, the Bishop set out the public health guidance around funerals including the restriction that just 10 people can currently attend a funeral.

He also noted the difficulties in providing support for loved ones at this time and suggested that support for those bereaved can be expressed through social media as an alternative to attending the funeral.

Fr Hayes that the current restrictions, although necessary, can be difficult, but he said people are very understanding.

Our instinct is to be with people at times like this. We are battling with our first instincts, but it is important to keep people safe.
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

DENVER  Grand Lake Fire Marshal Dan Mayer never thought the East Troublesome Fire would make it to town.

On the morning of Oct. 21, 2020, the fire was still about 20 miles (32 kilometers) away from the vacation spot on the western edge of Rocky Mountain National Park. The perimeter had crept east at a predictable pace for days. In the worst case, Mayer imagined it would lose momentum against Lake Granby, a large reservoir in the area.

Then the winds picked up.

You had your expectations, he said. Then, when you saw it coming, it got scary.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

Mayer would soon witness a blow-up, a moment when a fire expands with dangerous force and ferocity. His sense of surprise wasnt unique, either. The rapid growth of the East Troublesome Fire shocked firefighters and scientists, redefining how quickly Colorado wildfires can grow in an era of rapid climate change.

Only now are scientists beginning to understand the forces behind the firestorm. Their insights could help inform a new set of tools to prevent and predict the most severe wildfires, but their overall assessment is bleak.

As Colorado warms and dries, expect more events like the East Troublesome.

 Fires dont grow that fast

The fire started to shift about a week after first being reported north of Kremmling. As wind gusts hit 60 miles per hour, the mushroom cloud above laid out across the county, smothering Grand Lake in a blanket of thick smoke.

The change was critical. Embers rocketed ahead of the fire line, a behavior known as spotting. Mayer saw it play out himself around 8:50 p.m. After hearing radio reports of the blaze working its way up Highway 34 toward Grand Lake, he saw what looked like a small meteor land in a field on the western edge of town.

Within about half a minute, Mayer said the fire lit treetops and started to run toward Columbine Lakes, a subdivision west of town. He issued an urgent warning to firefighters.

We need to get everybody out of Columbine! Theyre gonna get flanked from this fire burning in!

The blaze sprinted through parts of the neighborhood, narrowly missing Grand Lake itself. As the evening wore on, it would jump the Continental Divide in Rocky Mountain National Park despite the lack of fuels above the tree line.

When the sun rose on Oct. 22, hundreds of structures had burned and one couple was dead after refusing to evacuate. The fire would incinerate 193,812 acres according to the U.S. Forest Service, making it the second-largest in Colorado history. For Mayer, the most remarkable statistic is how quickly the fire grew. In less than a day, the East Troublesome burned more than 120,000 acres, making it by far the most rapid-fire expansion in state history.

If anyone would have asked me if it was possible for this fire to grow more than a hundred thousand acres in one day, I would have laughed. Fires dont grow that fast.

In Mayers mind, Grand Lake only narrowly avoided a calamity on the scale of the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 in and around Paradise, California. The winds pushed the East Troublesome just past the Grand Lake, not through it. He also thinks the smoke served as a sort of early warning system, prompting residents to leave before authorities issued official evacuation orders.

The speed meant residents and firefighters had almost no margin to react.

The way that thing came through  you couldnt have stopped it, he said.

 All the factorsare increasing

Mayer isnt the only person playing back Colorados 2020 extreme fire events. In the aftermath of the East Troublesome, Chad Hoffman, an associate professor of wildland fire science at Colorado State University, assembled a team to study the causes behind the states big blow-ups.

The idea is that can help us predict when theyre going to occur and maybe even help us figure out ways to deal with them moving forward, Hoffman said.

While the team is just getting started, its already clear fast fires are a big reason more acres are burning across the state. The team used satellite imagery from 2002 to 2020 to build a database of fires in the Southern Rockies. The region includes all of Colorados mountains along with parts of Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico.

The results show the fastest-growing fires are also the most destructive. According to the database, 10 percent of all fires which grew the fastest accounted for more than half the total acreage burned.

The basic forces behind blow-ups arent a mystery. For a fire to get big fast, it needs lots of fuel, lots of oxygen and lots of dry weather.

All of those ingredients were abundant before the East Troublesome Fire.

Colorados ongoing drought had dried out fuels in the already overgrown forests in Grand County. At the same time, warm temperatures stretched into October, a month when many people in Grand County usually take their first ski runs. The high-wind event on Oct. 21 added the final element. Each of those factors has only become more common and extreme in an era of rapid climate change.

Not only is it getting drier and hotter, but its possibly getting windier, which means all the factors that we believe are influencing fire behavior are increasing, Hoffman said.

Its less clear whether Grand Countys pine beetle infestations fed the firestorm. Over the last few decades, the rice-sized insects have left entire mountainsides draped in dead, red-needle trees. The stands look ready to burn, but one study found fire activity in Colorado hasnt increased in response to the dieoffs.

Jonathan Coop, a professor in forest ecology at Western Colorado University and another member of Hoffmans team, said that doesnt mean beetle kill wasnt a factor in the East Troublesome Fire or other blow-ups. It just means scientists havent nailed down a connection.

To what extent the beetle outbreak influenced either the fire spread rates or intensity is still an open-ended question, where the science kind of needs to keep up, said Coop.

 The skies started turning dark

Another open question is the role of plumes above big blow-ups.

On the afternoon of Oct. 21, Hopper Becker, a volunteer fire captain with the Grand Fire Protection District, remembered a remarkable change in the cloud above the East Troublesome Fire. The blaze had started burning with enough intensity to create a pyrocumulus cloud, where intense heat lofts moisture into the upper atmosphere to condense into thunderheads.

From his day job at the county sanitation plant, Becker said the cloud looked like a big fluffy pile of lemon meringue. But as he drove home from work, he said it started to press down to the ground and run with darker colors. When he got home, he climbed onto his roof with a pair of binoculars.

The skies started turning dark. It was like someone took a grease pen and was just smearing it right above the contour of the earth, he said. It almost looked like an impressionist painting.

Brad White, the chief of the Grand Fire Protection District, said he had never seen similar fire behavior, but later thought it could have been what experts call a column collapse. The events occur when a plume above a fire falls under its own weight and cool air, supercharging the flames with a rush of fresh oxygen.

It just really fit the bill, White said.

Hoffman, the CSU fire scientist, later examined the early data around the East Troublesome. He said high winds, unconnected to the fire itself, appear to be the main factor behind the fires rapid expansion. At the same time, he said its possible strange plume behavior drove the fire at particular moments.

What that means for fire behavior is a little tricky, he explained. We know the formation of those clouds are generally associated with extreme stuff, but they can both promote and hinder fire spread, depending on other factors.

Either way, those dynamics make it harder for firefighters to predict wildfires. Almost all computer models used in the field only account for how weather affects fire, not how fire can affect weather. A new round of more advanced computer forecasting tools, known as coupled models, is currently used in laboratories.

Through his upcoming research, Hoffman hopes his team can identify when advanced models could be more helpful to firefighters.

 We live in burnable landscapes

Even if fire scientists learn to predict when blow-ups are likely, they wont be easy to prevent.

Camile Steven-Rumann, a Colorado State University fire ecologist and another member of Hoffmans team, said society needs to shift how it understands the problems presented by fires. Rather than trying to stop it, she said the goal should be to encourage less severe blazes.

You could have a lot of areas burned, but if all of that is burning at a low severity, you dont see a lot of the forest change, she said. We have a greater potential for tree survival  and those landscapes we love continuing to be there.

The shift wont be easy. Stevens-Rumann said authorities would need to conduct far more prescribed burns, which could reduce fuels ahead of a big blow-up. In particular, she said itd be wise to simply let natural fires burn if they dont present an immediate danger to human life or the environment.

We live in burnable landscapes, said Stevens-Rumann. And theyre only getting more burnable.

The East Troublesome Fire has reinforced a similar conclusion for Fire Chief Brad White. It showed him theres often not much a fire department can do when presented with a truly ferocious expansion. Looking out on Elk Mountain, where the fire grew before sprinting toward Grand Lake, he pointed to all the land still primed to ignite.

We probably need to be looking at prescribed burns that are in the thousands of acres, he said. Those kinds of efforts are going to be what keeps the bulk of our communities safe.

Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701)

Today

Rain showers this morning with overcast skies during the afternoon hours. High 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. Low around 45F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn has expressed hope the industrys tarnished reputation has been partly repaired by how banks responded to the coronavirus pandemic, after lenders played a key role in shielding the economy from the shock.

In comments marking two years since the banking royal commissions final report, Mr Comyn, who is also chairman of the Australian Banking Association, said the industry had taken steps to make sure simply unacceptable failures did not happen again.

CBA chief executive Matt Comyn. Credit:Louise Kennerley

Aside from a series of changes to banks policies that resulted from the explosive inquiry into financial misconduct, Mr Comyn also sought to highlight the importance of how banks dealt with customers on a daily basis, including during the economic shock sparked by COVID-19.

Over the past two years, the banking industry has implemented significant changes to improve customer outcomes and ensure that issues identified in the royal commission do not re-occur, Mr Comyn said in a statement.
Commando-turned-barrister Keith Wolahan says his focus as an MP will be on economic and national security issues and leave social issues for state parliaments following his successful Liberal preselection challenge on Howard-era minister Kevin Andrews on Sunday.

Mr Wolahan, who completed three tours of Afghanistan as a member of Australias special forces, rejected suggestions he contested preselection for the safe Liberal seat of Menzies as a moderate candidate, despite being supported by the moderate group in the party.

Former SAS commando Keith Wolahan has ousted sitting member Kevin Andrews in the Liberal preselection in the seat of Menzies. Credit:Penny Stephens

Quizzed on a range of subjects on Melbourne radio on Monday, he revealed he believed the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition in 2003, which included Australia, was a mistake.

He said his time in Afghanistan, for which he was awarded Commendation for Distinguished Service in 2011, was one of the most significant things Ive done in my life.
Mumbai: Kapil Sharma and his wife Ginni Chatrath welcomed their second child, a baby boy on Monday morning.

Namaskaar ???? we are blessed with a Baby boy this early morning, by the grace of God Baby n Mother both r fine, thank you so much for all the love, blessings n prayers ???? love you all ??ginni n kapil ???? #gratitude ????  Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) February 1, 2021

The comedian shared the big news on his Twitter profile and he wrote: "Namaskaar! We are blessed with a baby boy this early morning, by the grace of God. Baby and mother both are fine, thank you so much for all the love, blessings n prayers. Love you all - Ginni and Kapil."

The couple, who got married as per Hindu and Sikh traditions in Jalandhar in December 2018, are also parents to 1-year-old daughter named Anayra Sharma, who they welcomed in 2019.
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.
SPRINGFIELD  While prisoners rights activists applauded the release of murderer John Stote on medical parole, some local elected officials are seething.

Stote, 61, received a rare medical parole on Jan. 21 after contracting COVID-19 at Norfolk state prison. He was there serving out a life sentence without the possibility parole for the brutal murder of John Jackie Regan in 1995. The men argued over a debt after Regan agreed to sell him his then-popular bar, Carregans Lounge.

Stote stabbed Regan at least a dozen times and later dumped his weighted-down body in the Connecticut River. Regans body didnt surface for months. Stote went to trial in 1997 arguing self-defense, but was convicted of first-degree murder. A 2018 criminal justice reform bill provided what appeared to have been his only possibility for release. Stote was released to a hospital in Milford and placed on a ventilator, according to his attorney.

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who has long adopted a tough-on-crime posture, denounced Stotes release along with the law that allowed it.

People are going to say: There goes Sarno again. He doesnt have a heart. But, I do have a heart. I do, the mayor said. How could someone like this walk our streets again? Wheres the compassion for the family?

The medical parole provision also is called compassionate release. Department of Correction Commissioner Carol Mici denied Stotes previous bid for early release based on health risks including obesity and back pain, but reconsidered when he became sick enough to be intubated because he was unable to breathe on his own.

Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi also denounced Stotes release, and was previously resistant to mass releases of his own inmates over COVID-19 fears.

There is no victory in any first-degree murderer getting released. Zero, said Cocchi, referring to prisoner rights activists calling Micis decision a win. That was a very sad day for the commonwealth as well as the victims in this case  the Regan family.

Regans family is similarly incensed over the news he had been paroled.

What if he gets better? I see people dragging oxygen tanks around Costco all the time. This man is an animal who doesnt deserve freedom under any circumstances, Regans daughter, Maureen Regan Moriarty, said during an interview.

The law affords the Massachusetts Parole Board the option to rescind Stotes parole if theoretically he makes a full recovery. Stotes attorney, Mark Bluver, said it is still too much uncertainty around his clients condition to make any predictions about the future. Stote was hospitalized on Jan. 4.

The medical parole statute was part of the Criminal Justice Reform Act of 2018, which made sweeping changes to juvenile justice prosecution, sentencing and attempting to mitigate the legions of Americans who land in jail for non-violent crimes, in general.

State Rep. Brian Ashe, D-Longmeadow, said he voted in favor of the 2018 bill along with the vast majority of his colleagues in the House and Senate, but now wants to amend that portion.

The bill went through dozens of amendments and iterations in both chambers over months of debate, its legislative history shows.

Sometimes there are unintended consequence that come out after a bill is passed. Thats the difficult part of some of these big, consolidated bills, the seven-term representative said. This was one of those instances where people didnt think about that part of it ... but a life sentence without the possibility of parole should be just that.

Ashe said he is considering filing a bill to exclude first-degree murderers from eligibility for medical parole.

Prisoners right activists say the 2018 bill simply accounted for what they believe were Draconian sentencing and incarceration policies. Massachusetts was among the last of five states to pass a medical parole statute.

Swampscott attorney Ruth Greenberg, a staunch advocate for medical parole, said elected officials ire should not persuade the public.

Too damn bad, Greenberg said. The legislature wrote it; the governor signed it and its the law. Prisons are not instruments of private vengeance.

There have been 397 individual medical parole petitions, according to an affidavit Mici filed on Jan. 22 in connection with a class action lawsuit leveled by a group of state inmates. Of those, 310 petitions have been filed since April 1, 2020.

Mici has granted 45, the affidavit says; 31 of those were filed since the pandemic began in March.

[February 01, 2021] Emerson Chief Executive Officer David N. Farr to Retire; Lal Karsanbhai to become CEO on Feb. 5

Emerson (News - Alert) (NYSE: EMR), a global technology and industrial software leader, today announced Chief Executive Officer David N. Farr will retire on Feb. 5. Lal Karsanbhai, who has served as executive president of the company's Automation Solutions business since 2018, will become the new CEO of Emerson and join the board of directors. Karsanbhai has led Automation Solutions to strong performance, elevating Emerson's software profile and digital transformation business. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005386/en/ Lal Karsanbhai will become the new CEO of Emerson and join the board of directors. (Photo: Business Wire) Farr, who was named CEO in 2000 and chairman of Emerson's board of directors in 2004, will remain as chairman through May 4. Over his two decades at the helm of the $16.8 billion global company, Farr has led Emerson through multiple strategic evolutions to grow the company's global footprint, stay ahead of changing market conditions and advance the organization's capabilities and competitiveness on the worldwide stage. "David is a tremendous leader who has brought the company through difficult times - 9/11, the dot-com bubble, the Great Recession and now a global pandemic - with conviction and an unwavering belief in the strength of Emerson," said Clemens A.H. Boersig, lead independent director of Emerson's board. "Emerson has a long history of strong leaders in the corner office, with David being just the third CEO in the last 66 years. We wish him the best in his retirement and are grateful to have his expertise in the coming months as chairman of the board." Under Farr's leadership, Emerson has transformed from a components manufacturing company to an industrial software leader with a singular purpose uniting nearly 85,000 employees: "We drive innovation that makes the world healthier, safer, smarter and more sustainable." Farr built on the company's longstanding disciplined management stratgy, making it one of the few companies to increase its dividend to shareholders for 64 consecutive years.



Additionally, Farr has been a fierce champion and sought-after voice for manufacturing. He served as chairman of the board of the National Association of Manufacturers from 2017 to 2019, working on Capitol Hill to advocate and advance initiatives that would build industry in the United States. Farr serves on the board of directors for the US-China Business Council and has been a member of the board of directors of IBM (News - Alert) since 2012. He and his wife are highly committed to the St. Louis community, and Farr currently serves on the executive board of the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis (The Muny at Forest Park). He has also served on the boards of directors for many nonprofits and educational institutions, including the United Way of Greater St. Louis, and is an active supporter of Forest Park Forever. Farr joined Emerson in 1981 in a corporate staff position and progressed through corporate and business unit management positions with increasing responsibility before being appointed president of Emerson's Asia-Pacific operations in 1993. After four years in Hong Kong, Farr returned to the United States in 1997 to oversee Emerson's process control business. He was appointed chief operating officer in 1999, a position he held until being named CEO.

"I have had the opportunity to work alongside Lal during his 25-year career at Emerson and have observed his strengths and proven skill as a seasoned leader with a deep understanding of both business operations and the markets we serve," Farr said. "The board of directors has been actively engaged throughout our five-year succession process, and we are confident Lal is well-positioned to continue building on Emerson's legacy of success." Karsanbhai, who is currently a member of Emerson's Office of the Chief Executive, leads a business with $11.2 billion in global sales in 2020. The Automation Solutions business offers advanced technologies, software and services to process, discrete and hybrid businesses in industries that include life sciences, power, energy, food and beverage, and water and wastewater. "I am humbled by the Emerson board and David's confidence in me," Karsanbhai said. "This is an exciting time for the organization as we continue growing Emerson's global software footprint and expanding the company's support of essential industries. I am honored to carry the legacy of Emerson's leadership into the future and look forward to working with the Office of the Chief Executive to drive these vital goals." Karsanbhai began his career at Emerson in 1995 as an international planner. He was appointed director of corporate planning in 1999, served as vice president of regulator technologies from 2002 to 2005, when he became vice president and general manager of natural gas for Emerson in France. He was named president of Emerson's Fisher regulator technologies in 2008, a role he held until 2012, when he became vice president of planning with responsibility for Emerson's global strategy. He was named president of Emerson's former Network Power business in Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2014 and became group president of Emerson's Rosemount measurement & analytical business in 2016. During his tenure at Emerson, Karsanbhai has worked in Europe, Africa and North America. He is fluent in Portuguese, French and English. Karsanbhai has a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis. About Emerson Emerson (NYSE: EMR), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global technology and engineering company providing innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial and residential markets. Our Automation Solutions business helps process, hybrid and discrete manufacturers maximize production, protect personnel and the environment while optimizing their energy and operating costs. Our Commercial & Residential Solutions business helps ensure human comfort and health, protect food quality and safety, advance energy efficiency and create sustainable infrastructure. For more information visit Emerson.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005386/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and other ruling party officials were detained Monday in a move that raised concerns of a possible coup. The early-morning detentions came on the same day the new parliament was supposed to be inaugurated. Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were taken early Monday, said the spokesman for the ruling party, the National League for Democracy. "I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law," spokesman Myo Nyunt said Monday, adding that he expected to be detained as well. "As far as we know, all the important people have been arrested by the Burmese military," he said. "So, now we can say it is coup d'etat. In Naypyidaw, Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint has been arrested, I heard. But we are not sure about members of Parliament in municipality compound, but we can assume that they have been arrested, too." In a statement, the White House said, "The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the country's democratic transition," adding that the U.S. urges "the military and all other parties to adhere to democratic norms and the rule of law, and to release those detained today." "The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed," the statement said.

Phone and internet service in major cities in the country had been disrupted, according to multiple reports. MRTV, the state broadcaster, was off the air, reporting on Facebook that it was having technical issues.



Soldiers were in the streets of both the capital, Naypyidaw, and the largest city, Yangon, according to multiple reports. The news of the arrests comes after months of tensions after the NLD's landslide victory in November elections. Myanmar's military claimed there had been voter fraud, an allegation rejected by the country's election commission.



On Saturday, the Tatmadaw, the official name of Myanmar's military, released a statement arguing that voter fraud had taken place and the international community should not be endorsing the next steps of the political process on a 'business as usual' basis. "The Tatmadaw is the one pressing for adherence to democratic norms," the statement read. "It is not the outcome itself of the election that the Tatmadaw is objecting to. Rather, the Tatmadaw finds the process of the 2020 election unacceptable, with over 10.5 million cases of potential fraud, such as nonexistent votes."



In the past week, Myanmar's military had dismissed rumors it would launch a coup after the military's commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, told senior officers that the constitution, which outlaws a coup, could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced.



Over the past week, the military has deployed an unusually high number of tanks around the capital city, raising alarm among civilians and government officials.

Myanmar's newly elected Parliament was expected to convene for its first session in Naypyidaw on Monday. The arrest of leaders in Myanmar, also known as Burma, is just the latest events in a country that has struggled between civilian and military rule and raises concerns that the nation's transition to a democracy has stalled.



A former British colony until 1948, Myanmar has been ruled by dictators backed by the military from 1962 to 2010. An uprising in 1988 pushed for an election in 1990, which the National League for Democracy (NLD) party won in a landslide, but the elected members of Parliament were imprisoned, and the dictatorship continued.



Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of Myanmar's independence hero, General Aung San, who was assassinated in 1947, emerged as a leader in the pro-democracy rallies and in the NLD. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 while under house arrest.



In 2010, Senior General Than Shwe announced the country would be handed over to the civilian leaders, who included retired generals. They freed political prisoners, including the lawmakers from the National League for Democracy, and Aung San Suu Kyi, who was elected in 2012 by-election and later became the state counsellor of Myanmar. But Aung San Suu Kyi, 75, while popular among Myanmar's Buddhist majority, has seen her international reputation decline over her governments treatment of the country's mostly Muslim Rohingya minority.

In 2017, an Army crackdown against the Rohingya, sparked by deadly attacks on police stations in Rakhine state, led hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. The International Criminal Court is investigating the country for crimes against humanity.
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.
Hyderabad, Feb 1 : Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararjan on Monday felicitated Gussadi dance exponent Kanaka Raju for being bestowed with the Padma Shri honour.

A special performance by Kanaka Raju and his troupe, organised as part of the felicitation, thrilled the Governor. She along with Tribal Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod joined the performers, on their request, for some traditional dance movements.

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor stated that the selection of Kanaka Raju for the Padma Shri award was a huge honour and recognition to Telangana's indigenous Gussadi dance.

She termed the award to Kanaka Raju as proud moment for the Telangana and added that it was a great tribute to Adivasi tribal dance form.

"Kanaka Raju for all his passion and service in the promotion of Gussadi dance for the past five decades rightly deserves the Padma Shri award," she said and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government.

The Governor appreciated Kanaka Raju's efforts in training thousands of youth in the indigenous dance and thus popularising and ensuring the survival and promotion of the traditional art form.

Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan stated that she was very interested in the tribal culture, medicine, food habits and their welfare since her college days.

"During my medical college days, I, along with my husband Dr. P. Soundararajan, went to Andaman islands to study about the tribal culture and their traditional medicines and food," she recollected her memories.

She pointed out that being the Governor; she was always keen in monitoring the welfare of tribal people and the development of all scheduled areas in the State. Tribal welfare and schedule areas development is one of her special interest areas.

The Governor suggested for the establishment of a special centre to preserve and promote the Gussadi dance and other tribal art forms.

"Mr Kanaka Raju's life, his efforts in protecting and promoting the Gussadi dance and his achievements truly deserved to be in textbooks," she added.

The Governor called for greater research in tribal culture, food habits, and their traditional medicine on scientific lines so as to promote them in a big way.

She called upon the people to rededicate for the cause of preservation, promotion and popularisation of Telangana's rich indigenous art forms like Gussadi and pass on the legacy to future generations.

Governor Husband and eminent Nephrologist Dr. P. Soundararajan, secretary to Governor K. Surendra Mohan, Tribal welfare department secretary Dr. Christina Z Chongthu and others were present on the occasion.
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 country's largest vaccine manufacturer, Serum Institute of India's CEO Adar Poonawalla welcomed Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget 2021 speech in which she allocated 35,000 crore on Covid-19 vaccination for the fiscal year 2021-22.

"We welcome Finance Minister's emphasis on healthcare spending and immunization especially for COVID-19 and the pneumococcal vaccines as this will help India recover rapidly from this pandemic," said Poonawalla.

Taking to Twitter, the Serum chief also said, "...this is the best investment any country can make. A healthier India is a more productive India."

Great #Budget2021 announcements, @nsitharaman Ji, especially on healthcare and vaccines; this is the best investment any country can make. A healthier India is a more productive India.  Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) February 1, 2021

Poonawalla's company is locally producing Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine "Covishield," which is now being inoculated on healthcare workers in the country under its mega vaccination drive.

The government on Monday proposed a budget outlay of 2,23,846 crore for health and well being in 2021-2022, an increase of 137 per cent from the previous year, with 35,000 crore earmarked for COVID-19 vaccine in the upcoming fiscal.

Presenting the budget, Sitharaman positioned health and well being as one of the 6 crucial pillars of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-reliant India).

"Health and well being have formed the topmost priority of the Union Government during the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. It is the foremost of the six crucial pillars that form foundation of the Union Budget," she said.

"I have provided 35,000 crores for COVID-19 vaccine in BE 2021-22. I am committed to provide further funds if required," she said.

The Finance Minister also added that the government is committed to providing more funds in order to contain the Coronavirus pandemic spread in the country and provide the smooth drive for the vaccination scheme.

Underscoring the significant importance of health and well being for the growth and development of the country, the budget allocation for the same has been increased to 2,23,846 crore in budget estimate 2021-22 as against this years budget estimate of 94,452 crore.

In the Union budget, 71268.77 crore has been allocated to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, as against 65,011.8 crore allocated in 2020-2021. However, later the budget was revised and increased to 78866 crore because of COVID-19.

The minister also announced that a new centrally sponsored scheme, Prime Minister Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, will be launched with an outlay of about 64,180 crore over 6 years.

The pneumococcal vaccine, a Made-i- India product, is limited to only 5 states at present. It will now be rolled out across the country. "It will avert more than 50,000 child deaths annually," she said.

Investment in health infrastructure in budget 2021-22 has increased substantially, Sitharaman said.

"Progressively, as institutions absorb more, we shall commit more," she said

India had earlier in January approved two vaccines -- Oxford's Covishield manufactured by SII and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin -- for restricted emergency use. The country launched its COVID-19 vaccination drive from January 16 in what Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the world's largest inoculation programme with priority to be given to nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
Click here for updates on this story

PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV ) -- While high school athletes await a return to their courts and fields of play, swimmers in Oregon are now looking towards the spring to jump back in the pool.

There may not be any pools open to competing in right now to swim, but you cannot rain on this parade.

"Our life has just completely turned upside down. It's crazy," Fay Lustria, Jesuit H.S. Junior, said.

Lustria and Hannah Trainer celebrated their 17th birthdays in a driveway, with a drive-by honk and a hi.

"We usually, sometimes we have joint birthdays. When we were little, we had some but nothing like this," Hannah Trainer, Sunset H.S. Junior, said.

Lustria is a state champion swimmer who has committed to UCLA. Hannah is from rival Sunset, and she can't wait to dive back into a normal flow when all of this is in the rearview mirror.

"We are all just one big family. When people leave to go to college, it's sad, but they are moving on to do great things," Trainer said.

Both are like family with their mates from the Tualatin Hills Swim Club who came packed up after early morning Saturday practice with balloons, signs, gifts and dogs.

"We have all been together for a really, really long time, so I feel like we have just created such a team culture, and we are all like brothers and sisters, so that is something that really stands out about our team," Lustria said.

Make-A-Wish that the party plans can look a little more like the past in 2022.

"It is definitely something to remember being in a global pandemic. This really stood out, so I am glad that it happened," Lustria said.

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.
A new survey released by the Migraine Association of Ireland (MAI) in partnership with Novartis, reveals that 68% of Irish people living with migraine believe their condition will continue to interrupt their lives this year.

32% of respondents reported losing 12 days or more due to migraine each month. Aspects of their life that theyre most concerned will be affected include; day to day work activities (75%), relationships with family/friends (66%), social life (46%), exercising (43%), career progression (32%) and studying (23%).

The survey was released to coincide with the launch of the Tame your Migraine awareness campaign, the goal of which is to encourage a positive conversation around the prevention of migraine.

The campaign, led by RTE broadcaster and Kilkenny woman, Evanne Ni Chuilinn, aims to empower and encourage those living with the condition to tame their migraine by proactively seeking support from their primary care doctor, specialist, pharmacy and MAI.

The survey also shows that for 46% of respondents, Covid-19 has made them think differently about their condition. 50% plan to take care of their health to minimise migraine where possible, 13% want to reassess how they manage their migraine and 8% aim to learn more about their migraine triggers.

Speaking about her experience of living with frequent migraine, the RTE broadcaster  due to report from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics - and mother of two, said:

I experienced my first migraine when I was just six. I described a pain in my eyebrows to my Mum and I was squinting. It developed into a very bad sensory experience.

Throughout my teens and university years, I would regularly have to go home early from a class, a day trip or a night out because of migraine. My triggers include smoky atmospheres (pre smoking ban!), bright lights, chlorine and noise - I remember often getting a migraine as a child after a swimming class.

In more recent years, I find that tiredness, stress and dehydration are triggers too.



Some months I experience six or seven migraine attacks while other months are better and I may only have two episodes.

Ten years ago I spoke to my doctor about migraine prevention which has been life changing, though hasnt ended my migraine attacks completely. What else works for me? Staying hydrated and relaxing in a dark, quiet room. Recently I decided that I wanted to really try to tame my migraine and arranged a neurological consultation. Hopefully, this will be the year I finally get my migraine under control.

Survey respondents also shared their advice on managing their migraine attacks, which includes keeping a migraine diary to identify triggers (30%); reducing stress (14%); consulting your doctor (13%); establishing a daily routine (10%); practicing a good sleep routine (10%); staying hydrated (8%); exercising regularly (5%); eating regular healthy meals (4.6%); staying connected to friends, family and support groups (4%); limiting alcohol consumption (2%) and screen time (1%).

In September 2020, The Migraine Association of Ireland and Novartis released the results of a survey which showed that migraine sufferers were experiencing more frequent (59%) and severe (69%) migraine attacks since the start of the pandemic. 84% said that increased migraine frequency was due to stress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Migraine is a complex neurological condition which affects approximately 12-15% of the Irish population, or roughly half a million people in Irelandi. It is Irelands fifth leading cause of disability and while it affects people of all ages, migraine is three times more common in women than in men. Despite its high prevalence, migraine remains a misunderstood and under-managed condition For more information on migraine and the Migraine Association of Ireland, please visit www.migraine.ie or call 1850 200 378. Additionally, further information about living with migraine can be found on www.speakyourmigraine.ie/tameyourmigraine
Tarkwa-Nsuaem Member of Parliament (MP), George Mireku Duker, George Mireku Duker has described former President John Mahama's Presidential election petition as a "waste of time".



According to Hon. Mireku Duker, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) wants to arouse sympathy for Mr. Mahama, so he will be accepted as the party's Presidential candidate for 2024.



Petitioner's Court Case



The Petitioner, John Dramani Mahama is challenging the 2020 Presidential election verdict at the Supreme Court.



The court hearing has begun with the NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia mounting the witness box on Friday, January 29, 2021 for cross examination from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Madam Jean Mensa's lawyers.



President Nana Akufo-Addo and Electoral Commission Chairperson, Jean Mensa are the first and second respondents cited in the case.



Preliminary proceedings at the Supreme Court saw lawyers of the petitioner filing an application to serve the Electoral Commissioner some interrogatories but a seven-member Supreme Court Panel dismissed the application.



The lawyers further requested a review of their application at the court but a nine-member panel also dismissed it.



Early on, the petitioner had filed for a stay of proceedings but also later withdrew his application.



Time Wasters



Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Hon. Mireku Duker says the petitioner is deliberately trying to delay his case in court to give his supporters false hope.



''It means they're doing it deliberately. They're intentionally delay it and make former President Mahama relevant, so the NDC will accept him to come back again in 2024. That is what they're doing. It saddens me that they're deceiving their supporters that they have hope that the court will rule in their favor and that they have won'', he said.



The MP called on Ghanaians not to be swayed by Mr. Mahama's case but rather focus on the good works of President Nana Akufo-Addo.



"I think we need to get focused and leave some of these things ou and look at ways to build individuals. I was so impressed and so happy to hear that Juspong Group of Companies has been able to secure about 50 million Euro contract with Hungarian government. These are some of the things I want us to focus on and look at how best we can build this nation. The NDC court case is just a waste of time; they're wasting our time."







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video

Joe Biden warned Senate Republicans he would not 'settle' for their smaller COVID proposal in a sign the president was willing to pass a relief package without their help.

President Biden held a two-hour meeting with a group of 10 Republican senators in the Oval Office on Monday night but the two sides did not come together on a compromise measure.

In a statement after the meeting, the White House indicated it was willing to move forward with a plan from Democratic congressional leaders to pass coronavirus relief without Republican support through a legislative process known as 'reconciliation.'

And, the White House warned, Biden would not 'settle' for a measure that was not large enough - echoing talking points Democrats have pushed, saying more relief was needed for Americans suffered the economic fallout from the pandemic.

The president 'reiterated that while he is hopeful that the Rescue Plan can pass with bipartisan support, a reconciliation package is a path to achieve that end,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. 'The President also made clear that the American Rescue Plan was carefully designed to meet the stakes of this moment, and any changes in it cannot leave the nation short of its pressing needs.'

'He reiterated, however, that he will not slow down work on this urgent crisis response, and will not settle for a package that fails to meet the moment,' she added.

The 10 Republican senators proposed a compromise plan that is about one-third of what Biden wants to spend, clocking in at $600 billion for coronavirus relief. He wants a $1.9 trillion package.

Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who has taken the lead for Republicans on the COVID relief issue, called it a 'productive cordial two-hour meeting' with the president.

But, she noted, there was no deal.

'It was a very good exchange of the views. I wouldn't say that we came together on a package tonight. No one expected that in a two-hour meeting, but what we did agree to do is to follow up and talk further at the staff level and amongst ourselves, and with the president and vice president on how we can continue to work together on this very important issue,' she told reporters after it ended.

The lack of an announcement of the deal is an indication Biden doesn't need one - and he knows it.

Shortly before his meeting with GOP senators began, Democratic Congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer gave Biden an out. They introduced their budget proposal, which included a way for the president to pass his $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan without any Republican support.

Biden didn't show his hand when reporters were let into the Oval Office for a photo spray at the start of his meeting with the Republicans.

The president didn't answer any questions but joked he felt right at home surrounded by senators.

'I feel like I'm back in the Senate,' the president quipped as he sat in the Oval Office with the Republicans seated socially distanced around him and Vice President Kamala Harris. Everyone wore face masks.

President Joe Biden (C) and Vice President Kamala Harris (L) meet with Republican Senators, lead by Senator Susan Collins (2nd R), alongside Lisa Murkowski (R), Senator Mitt Romney (bottom L) and Bill Cassidy (bottom R) to discuss a coronavirus relief plan

Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who has taken the lead for Republicans on the COVID relief issue, called it a 'productive cordial two-hour meeting' with the president but noted there was no deal

Nine of the 10 Republican senators were in the Oval Office. Republican Senator Mike Rounds called into the meeting.

'President Biden was joined in the Oval Office by aides and by nine of the Senators who had signed on to the letter  Senator Rounds participated in the meeting via phone,' a White House official said.

After the sit down, Collins noted the senators were appreciative Biden picked them for his first Oval Office meeting as president with members of Congress.

'We are very appreciative, that as his first official meeting, in the Oval Office of the president, he chose to spend so much time with us, in a frank and very useful discussion,' she said.

She expressed hope that a bipartisan deal was possible.

'Finally let me just say, that we have demonstrated, in the last year, that we can come together, on a bipartisan package, dealing with the COVID crisis. In fact we've done that not just once, or twice, we've done it 5 times,' she said. 'I am hopeful, that we can once again, pass a 6 bipartisan COVID relief package.'

The Republican senators also did not answer any questions.

When all is said and done, Biden may not need any of their votes.

Pelosi and Schumer's resolution contains a provision for a process called 'reconciliation' - a legislative procedure that allows them to prevent the use of the filibuster in the Senate and lets the legislation pass with a simply majority of 51 votes.

With an even 50-50 split in the upper chamber and Vice President Kamala Harris the tie breaker, Biden would be able to get his $1.9 trillion plan without any Republicans on board.

Republicans have protested such a move, saying it goes against Biden's call for unity.

Allowing passage by a simple majority would also allow the Senate to deal with the federal budget and coronavirus relief before Donald Trump's impeachment trial begins next week.

Republican senators sat socially distanced in the Oval Office and everyone wore face masks

'I feel like I'm back in the Senate,' President Joe Biden quipped as he sat down with Republican senators in the Oval Office

Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer introduced their budget proposal that also will pave the way for Joe Biden to pass his $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan without any Republican support

President Joe Biden told Republican Senator Susan Collins he was 'anxious' to talk COVID relief

At her daily press briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki downplayed expectations of the sit down.

She said of Biden's meeting with the GOP Senators: 'What this meeting is not is a forum for the president to make or accept an offer.'

She added of Biden: 'His view is that the size of the package needs to be commensurate with a crisis crises we're facing the dual crises we're facing. And why he proposed a package that's $1.9 trillion.'

Biden spoke with Schumer and Pelosi on Sunday about relief legislation.

Psaki's hardline along with the resolution from the Democratic leadership appears to leave little room for compromise to emerge from the White House meeting.

The ten Republican votes, combined with the backing of 50 Democrats and independents, would be enough to move bipartisan legislation quickly through the Senate.

'Mr. President, we recognize your calls for unity and want to work in good faith with your administration to meet the health, economic and societal challenges of the COVID crisis,' the 10 GOP senators - including Susan Collins, Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski - said in a statement on Monday.

Announcing the Democratic proposal on the Senate floor Monday afternoon, Schumer said: 'The only thing we cannot accept is a package that is too small or too narrow to pull our country out of this emergency. We cannot repeat the mistake of 2009 and we must act very soon to get this assistance to those so desperately in need.'

He noted that Republican input would be welcome.

'There is nothing in this process that will preclude it from being bipartisan. We welcome Republican input,' he said.

It's unclear when the Senate will vote on the plan. The House is posed to pass it on Wednesday.

Republican Senator Susan Collins said they had a 'cordial' two-hour meeting with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office on Monday night

Schumer will need the support of every Democratic senator, including conservative Democrats Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona

The proposal from the Democratic leadership is in line with what Biden wanted in his COVID relief measure: $1,400 per-person and per-child direct payments, an extension of Unemployment Insurance programs through September 2021, and more money for state and local governments.

The GOP offer doesn't include money for state and local governments, includes a smaller weekly unemployment benefit and a smaller stimulus check.

Schumer will need the support of every member of his caucus in order to get both through the Senate.

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia refused to say last week if he would vote for the resolution.

Harris did local interviews in West Virginia and Arizona last week, which was seen as the White House putting pressure on Manchin and Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
I love holidays. However, two members of the Ohio General Assembly have a coded message with the President Donald J. Trump Day theyve proposed (Ohio Republicans want to declare June 14th as President Donald J. Trump Day, Jan. 30). Translated, that would be White Supremacist Day. Shame on them.

Former President Trump has been impeached twice and has yet to go through a trial in the Senate. Only history should decide if a politician is a hero. The story is still out on this man who has a cultlike following. For many who hear his name, violence and bigotry are the words that come to the mind. Lets wait until we know historys verdict on what Trump really stands for before he is called a hero by the Ohio General Assembly. Ohios national and international image would be affected by such a divisive holiday.

Elizabeth A. Lapossy-Klocek,

Medina

Kosovo and Israel have formally established diplomatic relations under a U.S.-brokered agreement that includes a pledge by the Muslim-majority Balkan country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

Kosovar Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla and her Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi, signed a joint declaration establishing ties on February 1 during a ceremony held online from both Jerusalem and Pristina due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The sides also inked two memoranda of understanding on diplomatic consultations and cooperation.

The documents were scanned and e-mailed during the ceremony, which included Ashkenazi unveiling a plaque to be placed at Kosovo's Embassy in Jerusalem once the facility is opened.

Haradinaj-Stublla noted that the establishment of diplomatic relations "would not have been possible without the blessing and strong commitment of the United States."

"Today Israel becomes the 117th state to recognize Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state. Our people have friendly relations and from today we start relations as two states," she said during the ceremony, which was attended by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Palmer.

Ashkenazi, who noted that it was the first time two nations had established relations over cyberspace, thanked the United States for its efforts "to promote peace around the world," calling the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Israel "yet another important, exciting, and historic step."

The new administration of U.S. President Joe Biden applauded the Kosovo-Israel agreement as a "historic day.

"When our partners are united, the United States is stronger. Deeper international ties help further peace and stability in the Balkans and Middle East," State Department spokesman Ned Price tweeted.

In September, former U.S. President Donald Trump gathered the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia at a White House summit meant to work toward long-stalled normalization of ties between the neighbors.

The summit was somewhat overshadowed by a White House announcement that Kosovo had agreed to recognize Israel.

At the meeting, Belgrade also agreed to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, something it hasn't yet done.

The Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israels capital in late 2017 and moved the U.S. embassy there in May 2018.

The decision prompted criticism from Palestinians, most Muslim-majority countries, and many states in Europe, concerned that it would undermine prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Last year, Trump brokered a series of deals to establish diplomatic relations between Israel and Arab states, including Bahrain, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates.

However, the Arab parties to the accords have all maintained that their diplomatic missions in Israel will be in Tel Aviv.

Most Western countries have recognized Kosovo's independence, but Serbia and its allies Russia and China have not.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nine years after NATO conducted a 78-day air campaign against Serbia to stop a bloody crackdown against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters
South Africa: President outlines COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan

President Cyril Ramaphosa has outlined South Africas COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan as the country has officially received its first shipment of one million Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, also known as Covishield.

The first shipment of vaccines arrived on Monday afternoon at the OR Tambo International Airport. The vaccine, which is from the Serum Institute of India (SII), left the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Sunday.

Now that the vaccines have arrived they will be tested at the National Control Laboratory to confirm that their integrity has been maintained during transportation.

After testing, they will be distributed across the country to thousands of our healthcare workers who every day put their own lives at risk to save others, President Ramaphosa said.

The President made these remarks on Monday evening during his address to the nation on developments in relation to the countrys response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The address followed meetings in recent days of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), the Presidents Coordinating Council (PCC) and Cabinet.

In accordance with our phased rollout strategy, all healthcare workers in the public and private sectors will be prioritised for vaccination.

Provincial health departments have submitted their distribution plans and we have identified about 200 facilities to which the vaccines can be distributed, the President said.

Once the vaccination of healthcare workers has been completed, the country will move to Phase 2 of the national vaccine strategy, which will include essential workers, people over 60 years, people with co-morbidities as well as those living in places such as nursing homes and hostels.

In Phase 3, government will extend the vaccination programme to the rest of the adult population.

Accessing the vaccine

The Department of Health has developed an Electronic Vaccine Data System to streamline the vaccine registration and rollout process.

This will allow us to capture all relevant data associated with the administration of the vaccine.

This system allows a person to make an appointment as soon as they qualify for a vaccination at the vaccine centre closest to them. The system will record vaccinations as they are administered, the President said.

South Africa is sourcing vaccines from a number of suppliers.

In addition to the one million Covishield doses that we received today; we expect another 500 000 doses from the Serum Institute of India to arrive later in February.

We have secured 12 million doses in total from the global COVAX facility, which has indicated that it will release approximately two million doses by March, the President said.

South Africa has secured nine million vaccine doses from Johnson & Johnson, commencing with delivery in the second quarter.

Johnson & Johnson has contracted Aspen, one of our pharmaceutical companies, to manufacture these vaccines in South Africa.

In addition, Pfizer has committed 20 million vaccine doses commencing with deliveries in the second quarter, the President said.

He said the country is in advanced negotiations with manufacturers to secure additional supplies.

South Africa will also receive an allocation of vaccine doses through the African Union, which has been negotiating with manufacturers to secure vaccines for the entire continent on a pooled basis.

Through the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team of the African Union, we have to date secured one billion vaccines for the entire continent, the President said.

Seven hundred million of these will come from the global COVAX facility and 300 million have been facilitated by the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team.

We will be getting other vaccines that will be donated by various private sector companies to add to the vaccines that our continent needs.

MTN, which is one of our companies that operates across a number of countries on the African continent, has made a donation of $25 million to procure 7 million vaccines, which will be made available to countries on the African continent within a matter of weeks, the President said.

He thanked MTN for the generous donation and called upon private sector companies to follow the example of MTN.

A considerable amount of work has been done with the private sector and I am pleased that there is strong commitment to support every aspect of the national vaccine rollout effort. This includes funding when needed, logistics, distribution and administration.

This has manifested in tight collaboration between the public and private sectors through a range of work streams meeting daily to achieve a successful rollout, President Ramaphosa said.

The President has assured the nation that the vaccines that the country is procuring have gone through meticulous, multi-stage testing processes, including large trials involving thousands of people.

In addition to determining their effectiveness, these trials are also designed to identify side effects and safety concerns. Independent regulators then review the data from these trials to ensure they are not harmful.

The vaccines that we are procuring have been shown to be safe in large clinical trials across multiple countries.

Achieving herd immunity

South Africa aims to secure enough doses to achieve herd immunity, also known as population immunity.

This is when enough of the population is immune to the virus to provide indirect protection to those who are not immune. This should bring the spread of the virus under control.

Our scientists estimate that we will likely reach herd immunity once around 67 percent of our people are immune. This amounts to around 40 million people in South Africa, the President said.

Government intends to make the vaccine available to all adults living in South Africa, regardless of their citizenship or residence status.

We will be putting in place measures to deal with the challenge of undocumented migrants so that, as with all other people, we can properly record and track their vaccination history, the President said.

Nobody will be forced to take the vaccine

President Ramaphosa said no one will be forced to take this vaccine.

Nobody will be forbidden from travelling, from enrolling at school, or from taking part in any public activity if they have not been vaccinated.

Nobody will be given this vaccine against their will, nor will the vaccine be administered in secret. Any rumours to this effect are both false and dangerous, the President said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Upper Peninsula

U.S.

Michigan Aerospace Manufacturers Association

Chippewa County International Airport

U.S. Air Force base

Michigan

Sault Ste. Marie

Oscoda-Wurthsmith Airport

Feb. 2020

Marquette

Gavin Brown

June 2023

Chippewa airport

Chippewa's

Chippewa County Economic Development

Chris Olson

Michigan

U.S. Department of Defense

U.S.

The Detroit News

Oscoda

Marquette

The Kincheloe Air Force Base

Kinross

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Alaska

91st Air Base Squadron

Kinross Air Force Base

(TNS)  An airport in thehas been selected as the command and control center that would supportdefense and commercial satellite launch sites, theconfirmed on Sunday.The selection of, which once served as a, is the final piece in a plan to makea significant hub for the aerospace industry and exploration, and keep talent for these jobs and careers in the state. It is located about 20 miles south ofThe formal announcement of the command center as part of the Michigan Launch Initiative program, a public-private partnership organized by MAMA, became public Thursday. A horizontal launch site was announced for theinand a vertical launch site was announced last summer for north ofThe ecosystem created by these sites could bring more than $1 billion in funding and 40,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, to the state, said, the executive director of the trade organization.If the project raises the required money and gets the needed approvals, the command center could begin to operate inBrown said officials for thehad done well in attracting space logistical companies in preparation for the role, even through the last month. The low-earth orbit programs will not only provide logistics for launches but also "the ability to monitor low earth orbit from about 200 miles to 1,200 miles for objects and satellites" to use for climate control and broadband connectivity, he said."We are building out an ecosystem of space capabilities, not just focused on launches," Brown said. "It's focused on the management of space as well as the launches."Airport officials also were pleased with the selection.proposal provides an ideal balance of industry expertise, local know-how and national security space proficiency necessary for the successful implementation of a premier command and control center," saidpresidentBrown said the jobs would include everything from technicians on the ground to engineers that students inuniversities can take advantage of so they won't have to "go elsewhere to find jobs in the space and aerospace world."The proposed command and control center will enable the Michigan Initiative centers to connect with theand other agencies on "highly sensitive and defense-related projects," officials said in a news release describing the project.The Defense Ddepartment is seeking to add 17,000 low-earth orbit satellites over the next decade, a significant increase over the 1,200 satellites currently in place, officials said. The low earth-orbit satellites could help in the development of autonomous vehicles, broadband connectivity, education, medicine and emergency response as well asSpace Force missions, Brown previously toldOfficials are working to obtain licensing approvals for thehorizontal launch site and thevertical launch site. Operations could begin at the horizontal space launch site in late 2023 or early 2024 and at the vertical space launch site by early 2025.served as a defense site in the U.P.'sfrom 1942 to 1977, according to the. It originally served as a refueling stop for aircrafts bound forand was deactivated after World War II. It was reactivated in 1952 for theand renamed it
The one week observance of the National Security boss Joshua Kyeremeh who passed on two weeks ago will be held on Saturday, February 6, 2021 at the Ghana Police Fitness and Training Centre in Accra.



It is strictly by invitation.



There will also be a family gathering at Asuotiano in Dormaa East in the Bono Region.



Mr Kyeremeh died on Monday January 18, 2021 at the Ga East Municipal Hospital, following a short illness.



Born in 1957, Joshua Kyeremeh was a Ghanaian politician and administrator.



He was a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and was one of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos first appointees in 2017 during his first term.



A consummate intelligence professional, he had been holding the position of National Security Coordinator since 2017.



Kyeremeh was a product of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and a former Director of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), now known as National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).



He worked for over 22 years at the BNI, where he served at command levels in the Northern, Upper East, Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions.



He also served as head of the Investigations Unit of the Bureau. He rose to become the Deputy Director BNI and ultimately, the Director BNI from 2005 to 2009.



Kyeremeh was part of the transition team after the December 7, 2020 elections.

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
Yangon: Myanmar`s leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior figures from the ruling party have been detained in an early morning raid, the spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy (NLD) said on Monday.

The move came after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the powerful military that stirred fears of a coup in the aftermath of an election the army says was fraudulent.

NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone that Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other leaders had been "taken" in the early hours of the morning. "I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law," he said, adding that he expected to be arrested himself. Reuters was subsequently unable to contact him.

Phone lines to Naypyitaw, the capital, were not reachable in the early hours of Monday. Parliament had been due to start sitting there on Monday after a November election the NLD had won in a landslide.

A military spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking comment. A witness said soldiers had been deployed outside city hall in the main city of Yangon. State-run MRTV television said in a Facebook post that it was unable to broadcast due to technical issues.

An NLD lawmaker, who asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, said another of those detained was Han Thar Myint, a member of the party`s central executive committee. Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, 75, came to power after a 2015 landslide election win that followed decades of house arrest in a struggle for democracy that turned her into an international icon.

Her international standing was damaged after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled army operations into refuge from Myanmar`s western Rakhine state in 2017, but she remains hugely popular at home.

Myanmar`s military had said on Saturday it would protect and abide by the constitution and act according to law after comments earlier in the week had raised fears of a coup. Myanmar`s election commission has rejected the military`s allegations of vote fraud, saying there were no errors big enough to affect the credibility of the vote.

The constitution reserves 25% of seats in parliament for the military and control of three key ministries in Suu Kyi`s administration. Murray Hiebert, a Southeast Asia expert at Washingtons Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the development was a challenge for the new US administration of President Joe Biden.

"The US as recently as Friday had joined other nations in urging the military not to move forward on its coup threats. China will stand by Myanmar like it did when the military kicked out the Rohingya, he said.

The US is alarmed by reports that Burmese military has taken steps to undermine countrys democratic transition, including arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi & other civilian officials in Burma. President Biden has been briefed by NSA: White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki pic.twitter.com/TIeKNVDinH  ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2021

"The Biden Administration has said it will support democracy and human rights. But the top military officers are already sanctioned so its not immediately clear what concretely the US can do quickly. John Sifton, Asia advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, said Myanmar`s military had never submitted to civilian rule and called on the United States and other countries to impose "strict and directed economic sanctions" on the military leadership and its economic interests.

Live TV

The government is exploring options to make India Post Payments Bank viable, which include infusing about Rs 2,000 crore into it and merging the institution with regional rural banks (RRBs). The payments bank, launched in January 2017, has not been doing well as a standalone entity and needs to be recapitalised, said an official in the know.

Email queries to the secretary, Department of Posts, and chairman, Postal Services Board, did not get a response. There was no reply to queries sent to the bank spokesperson either. The government-owned bank will run out of funds in the ...

Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, said she won't retaliate against Marjorie Taylor Greene for pushing QAnon conspiracies, a Monday report revealed, as she claims the top GOP entity will 'stay neutral' as the 2022 primary campaign ensues.

'Majorie Taylor Greene is trying to distance herself from those things and there's going to be an investigation,' McDaniel said of the freshman Georgia Republican representative.

'I trust the voters,' she told The New York Times in an interview Friday. 'I have a lot of faith in the voters to pick who's best to represent them.'

McDaniel, the cousin of Senator Mitt Romney, said the RNC would step in if 'there's more egregious things,' like 'if there's a David Duke situation.'

She also said she trusts House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to 'handle' Greene as calls step up for her to resign or, at the very least, be removed from the House Education and Labor Committee.

'She has said they're not from her,' McDaniel said of the QAnon conspiracies Greene subscribes to, like that the government is run by a left-leaning, devil-worshiping cabal of pedophiles and sex traffickers.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel says the GOP will not retaliate against Marjorie Taylor Greene and will 'remain neutral' going into the 2022 primaries

McDaniel said that Rep. Greene is 'trying to distance herself' from QAnon conspiracies she pushed in the past

McDaniel says she trusts House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (pictured last week meeting with former President Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago) to 'handle' Greene as calls step up for her to resign or, at the very least, be removed from the House Education and Labor Committee

TAYLOR GREENE'S BIZARRE CLAIMS The California Camp Fire which killed at least 85 was caused by a space laser linked to the Rothschilds and the state's high-speed rail. PG&E admitted it was caused by a faulty power line and went into bankruptcy to fund a $13.5bn settlement and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin cut off a child's face while she was alive, Clinton wore it as a mask so the terrified child would produce 'adrenachrome' and then organized the killing of a cop who knew about it.

The Las Vegas massacre was organized by Democrats to help them ban guns and shooter Stephen Paddock was not a lone wolf.

There's no evidence of a plane hitting the Pentagon on 9/11.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre which cost the lives of 17 students was a 'false flag planned shooting.'

' I am told that Nancy Pelosi tells Hillary Clinton several times a month that we need another school shooting in order to persuade the public to want strict gun control.'

Seth Rich leaked Hillary Clinton's emails and was murdered in revenge by her aide John Podesta because the emails revealed that a D.C. pizza restaurant had a child-smuggling operation in its basement. It does not even have a basement.

The world is run by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles and the Q in QAnon exists and is the 'best chance to take them out.'

Barack Obama and Valerie Jarrett are Muslims.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced by a body double.

She wasn't the person who posted a call to assassinate Nancy Pelosi to her own Facebook page. Advertisement

'There does need to be an investigation, and I trust that Kevin McCarthy will handle that within his own caucus,' she added.

People familiar with McCarthy's thinking told the Times that he felt crippled by the circumstances surrounding Greene and has expressed that the only way to deal with her is to tolerate her.

Republicans are split over what to do with Greene  who has quickly become arguably the most controversial figure within the Party, possibly tied with former President Donald Trump.

Despite her known beliefs in QAnon conspiracy theories, reports last week revealed her ties are deeper than previously known. A slew of past social media posts and interactions revealed she questions the reality of the Parkland and Sandy Hook school shootings, calling them a 'hoax,' among other outlandish conspiracies.

The latest revelations have caused many Republicans to join Democrats in calling for her resignation, while others have come to her defense.

'If you have a family dispute, don't go on 'Jerry Springer,' McDaniel said. 'Do it behind closed doors.'

'It's my role to call them and explain that if we don't keep our party united and focused on 2022, we will lose. If we are attacking fellow Republicans and cancel culture within our own party, it is not helpful to winning majorities,' she told The Times.

McDaniel, however, did condemn the QAnon conspiracies pushed by Greene by calling the comments 'atrocious.'

She said 'they need to be condemned,' adding: 'They are inaccurate. They are very, very dangerous.'

McDaniel said the RNC would remain neutral in the Republican primaries, including in Greene's reelection in 2022  as long as no extreme behavior emerges.

Republicans are torn on how to handle the controversy surrounding Greene, a Trump ally and defender.

GOP Senator Rob Portman demanded his colleagues issue a 'strong response' to Greene.

'I think Republican leaders ought to stand up and say it is totally unacceptable what she has said,' the Ohio senator told CNN on Sunday morning.

'I saw a couple videos over the weekend and one had to do with violence as I see it. There is no place for violence in our political dialogue,' Portman continued. 'By the way there is no place for violence in our country. I mean, this is something we got to get away from. So yeah. I think people ought to speak out clearly.'

Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio (left) said Sunday that his colleagues should 'stand up' against Greene, while he and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (right) said they trust and respect voters in Georgia's 14th congressional district to election someone to Congress that represents them

Portman, however, along with Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, also a Republican, said Sunday that voters in Georgia's 14th district should be respected and trusted to elect someone to Congress who represents their values.

'The people of her district elected her and that should mean a lot,' Hutchinson told ABC Sunday, adding that Greene's constituents would decide if she should serve another term or not.

'She's going to run for reelection and she'll be accountable for what she said and her actions.'

'Given her history is she fit to serve?' ABC host Martha Raddatz pushed Hutchinson.

'I'm not going to answer that question as to whether she's fit to serve because she believes in something that everybody else does not accept,' the Arkansas governor dodged.

'I don't think we ought to punish people from a disciplinary standpoint  a Party standpoint  because they believe something a little bit different.'

Before being elected to Congress, Greene expressed some extreme and dangerous views, like supporting the calls for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, among other prominent Democrats, to be executed.

Many lifelong Republicans feel there is no place for this more radical version of Republicanism in the modern-day Party.

Greene appears to be creating a place for herself in the Party, however, as she took to Twitter Saturday to defend McCarthy against the conservative anti-Trump political action committee The Lincoln Project.

The PAC called McCarthy a traitor after pictures emerged last week of him meeting with Trump while in Southern Florida for donor meetings.

'The Lincoln Project are the REAL traitors! You aren't Republicans. You are nothing but a bunch of America last losers,' Greene lashed out in a Twitter tirade.

'You wallow in the same pit with the bloodthirsty media and the socialist democrats. [McCarthy] is fighting for America First. The LP is Biden's little tool,' she continued.

Democratic Representative Cori Bush, also a freshman, announced last week she was moving her congressional office to get away from 'white supremacist' Greene after she 'berated' her in the Capitol.

Greene has refused to quit saying it was Bush who 'berated' her and that Democrats hate her only because she's 'a threat to their goal of Socialism.'

Some other unfounded conspiracy theories pushed by Greene include claiming the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced by a body double, the 2017 Las Vegas massacre that left 58 dead was organized by Democrats and that there is no evidence a hijacked plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11.
LANSING, MI - Democratic state representatives want an up-or-down vote on Gov. Gretchen Whitmers pandemic recovery plan, countering last weeks House Republican proposal.

House Bill 4039, sponsored by Rep. Joe Tate, D-Detroit, alongside his Democratic colleagues, is an appropriations bill that mirrors Whitmers COVID-19 request she released on Jan. 20. The bulk of the $5.6 billion plan relies on federal funds authorized late last year, aimed at aiding vaccination efforts, getting students and staff back into physical classrooms and boosting the states economy.

Related: Read Whitmers $5.6B plan to fund coronavirus recovery for Michigan schools, economy

Tate spoke about the bill at a virtual press conference Monday with House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski of Scio Township, Rep. Christine Morse, D-Kalamazoo, Rep. Laurie Pohutsky, D-Livonia, and Rep. Kelly Breen, D-Novi.

Tate said the federal stimulus dollars are ready to be released back to the people of Michigan.

This is real relief, he said. My Democratic colleagues and I recognize that small businesses, hard-working Michiganders, families, students and educators need relief, and they need it now.

Tate listed dollar amounts in the plan, which include $90.2 million for administering COVID-19 vaccines, $574.8 million for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, $660.9 million for emergency rental assistance, $2 billion for additional food assistance and $1.66 billion for schools from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.

Sen. Curtis Hertel, D-East Lansing, introduced the same recovery plan in the Senate last week. Senate Bill 0052, as well as Tates, were referred to their respective chambers Appropriations Committees.

Lasinski, Morse and Breen specifically criticized the Republican plan for a provision that tied $2.1 billion in K-12 funding to a requirement that Whitmer turn over school reopening power from the Department of Health and Human Services to local health departments.

Read more: House Republicans unveil $3.5B COVID-19 plan to counter Whitmer proposal

What our plan does not do is tie-bar in any way or tie the hands in any way to making safe public health decisions, she said. We believe that expertise lies with health experts, and we believe that there should be no holding hostage of federal dollars to the idea that there should be a removal of powers from our health experts and the Department of Health and Human Services or from the executive branch.

House Speaker Jason Wentworth, R-Clare, last week rejected the criticism that the Republican plan is holding the K-12 funding hostage.

Were not taking away the Governors pandemic powers or her authority to respond to the pandemic or MDHHSs authority to respond to the pandemic, he said. What we are trying to do is to get kids into the classroom. Get kids in their seats... Parents want it, the science says it, and every other state is doing it.

Read more: Michigan Republican leaders will continue political gestures to lift COVID-19 restrictions

Regarding the Republican push for a county-by-county approach to reopening schools, Pohutsky said that COVID doesnt respect county lines. The Livonia Democrat is a microbiologist by trade with experience working in health clinics.

Different counties have different levels of resources, she said. A lot of rural counties do not have the ability to do contact tracing or the amount of testing that an area like Wayne County can do. So its very difficult to say that each county can follow its own metrics.

Schools in Ohio are still closed until at least March, while states such as Indiana reopened at the beginning of January. The governor strongly encouraged schools to offer an option for in-person instruction no later than March 1 while speaking during a Jan. 8 press conference.

Republicans also proposed a quarterly appropriation approach with COVID-19 vaccine distribution and testing. While the annual appropriation would approximately match Whitmers overall proposal, the initial quarterly funding would be $22 million for vaccines and $144 million for testing.

The state may need more of that money in the first few quarters of the year than the last few, Lasinski said.

It is important that we get those dollars into the state now, so we can put them to their highest and best use immediately to help speed up vaccine distribution, she said.

Tate responded to a question about approving COVID-19 vaccine and testing funding before future negotiations on school aid, small business grants and the rest of the package. While he said Democrats are open to these conversations, residents need help now.

We know that COVID-19 has been impacting every resident in the state of Michigan, and there have been conversations (but) we know speed is of the essence, he said. So in terms of moving and pushing federal funding out, we feel that we have these resources available and ready for Michiganders. Were happy to have conversations, but at the end of the day, we know we have to get resources out... as quickly as possible.

One resource he discussed specifically was $661 million for rental and utility assistance. It would mirror past relief appropriations, he said. The Republican plan earmarks $165 million for that purpose.

Rental assistance and utility assistance would be pushed out to local housing authorities and programs throughout the state, where they would help constituents and citizens receive rental relief, he said. It would be similar (to last year), but obviously with additional resources to help those in need.

After the Legislature and Whitmer approved last years fiscal budget amid the initial surge of the pandemic, Whitmer started an Eviction Diversion Program to dole out rental relief to Michiganders.

Lasinski stated House Democrats will push for a vote during session on Tuesday, though that effort should fizzle without majority support. Both Appropriations Committees in the House and Senate may discuss the recovery plans during hearings on Wednesday.

Read more from MLive:

How to spend federal coronavirus money may be the next big battle between Whitmer and Republicans

Whitmer calls for bipartisan COVID-19, economic progress in State of the State address

Michigan Senate rejects 13 Whitmer appointments in show of disapproval over coronavirus response
At the face of it, the proposal is a positive development for the country's insurance industry.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget 2021-22 on February 1, said the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in India's insurance sector will be hiked to 74 percent from 49 percent.

At the face of it, the proposal is a positive development for the country's insurance industry that has been saddled with dual issues of stagnating growth amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and rising needs for capital infusion.

Follow Moneycontrol's Budget 2021 live coverage

Insurers welcomed this proposal, saying that this reform would help infuse the much-needed foreign investments into the sector.

But there are big caveats in FDI limit being hiked to 74 percent. Firstly, it would require a legislative change requiring an amendment of the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Act 2015 and the Insurance Act 1938.

Remember that the 2015 change in insurance laws that had hiked the insurance FDI limit to 49 percent from the earlier 26 percent took seven years and multiple tweaks in the proposed Bill before being approved by legislators. The biggest bone of contention was the fear of foreign investors with vested interests and short-term profit motives taking control of Indian insurance companies.

With the FDI limit being hiked to 74 percent, that concern among senior politicians within the ruling party would only get aggravated. Moneycontrol had reported how the FDI proposal has faced mixed reactions among the government's allies and how there was a demand to retain complete control with Indian shareholders.

To ensure that a middle ground is reached, Sitharaman on February 1 announced in her Budget speech that there would be adequate steps taken to have Indians at the helm of affairs at these insurers even if FDI limit is hiked to 74 percent.

Under the new structure, the majority of directors on the boards and key management positions will be resident Indians with at least 50 percent directors will be independent directors. A specified percentage of profit will be retained as general reserve, said the minister.

When the FDI limit was hiked to 49 percent, several foreign players had hiked their stake in the Indian insurance ventures. They include Nippon Life (JV partner in Reliance Life Insurance), Tokio Marine (JV partner in Edelweiss Tokio Life) and Japan's Dai-ichi (JV partner in Star Union Dai-ichi Life with a 45.94 percent stake).

"Not all foreign partners hiked their stake from 26 percent to 49 percent because there were some disagreements over stake hike and valuations," said the chief financial officer of private insurer.

Recently, Belgian multinational insurer Ageas acquired a 23 percent additional stake from IDBI Bank in IDBI Federal Life Insurance for Rs 460 crore. This bought Ageas stake in the insurer to 49 percent.

There are still a handful of Indian insurers where foreign partners hold 26 percent stake or below. These include Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, Shriram Life Insurance, Canara HSBC OBC Life Insurance, Future Generali India Insurance and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.

The caveats to the deal

On the other side, however, Sitharaman also said the FDI limit hike would allow "foreign ownership and control".

Moneycontrol spoke to senior executives at three insurance companies, two life and one non-life. The consensus was that the finance ministry needed to clarify what the exact position on management control was.

When the insurance laws were amended in 2015, Indian management control clause was something that was open to interpretation. Each insurer had to consult their internal legal teams to decide what was permissible and what wasnt. We would need to get clarity from the government on what are the rights/benefits that would be given to the foreign partners in exchange of FDI investment, said the chief executive of a mid-sized private life insurer.

'Indian management control was a clause inserted when the insurance FDI cap was hiked to 49 percent in 2015. This clause meant that the all board-level matters related to appointments, company strategy and business expansion would have to be approved by a majority of Indian shareholders.

While in her 2021 Budget speech, the finance minister did not explicitly use the words Indian management control, it was clear that would be the case even if the FDI limit was hiked to 74 percent.

If the board and top management needed to have majority resident Indians, then it clearly means that representation of foreign partners in the insurer will be negligible, said the head of legal and compliance at a non-life insurer.

Will foreign investors pump in money?

Once the insurance laws are amended and the fine-print of the safeguards in allowing an FDI hike becomes clear, foreign investors (including existing joint venture partners) would take a decision on pumping in money into Indian insurers.

Moneycontrol spoke to two foreign joint venture partners in Indian insurers. These JV partners, who are global insurance majors, said the proposal doesnt look "exciting enough".

When a foreign investor is putting close to Rs 800-900 crore into an insurance company in India by way of FDI limit increase, they should get significant control and ownership in the venture. However, at the face of the FMs announcement, it looks like complete control will be vested in the hands of Indians. So how does it benefit foreign partners, said the head of South-East Asia (including India) at a global insurance major that is a shareholder in an Indian life insurer.

He added that board rights should be strictly proportional to the quantum of stake that an investor/partner holds in an insurance company.

Another global insurance executive said the government could look at other ways of protecting domestic interests, including minimum lock-in for insurance investments and 50-50 board memberships.

There seems to be a perception that foreign partners are entering India to purely make money and hurt policyholders' interests. This isnt accurate. If a foreign partner is ready to take up 74 percent stake, they should at least get 50 percent representation in the board. The Indian government could seek a 10-year or 12-year lock-in in the insurance venture to ensure that the business is stable, said the India country manager for a multinational insurer.

The government will first seek Cabinet approval for the FDI limit hike proposal. Following this, the insurance law amendment proposal would be sent to the sector regulator IRDAI for approval. This would then be tabled in both the houses of Parliament for approval.
Advertisement

Boris Johnson is pushing for schools to be reopened by March 8 after Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty told him that the current wave of the coronavirus outbreak peaked last week, according to reports.

The Prime Minister has ordered preparations for the return of schools to be ramped up and is also expected to introduce a slew of new measures to help children catch up with their work.

The fresh optimism comes amid the continuing success of Britain's vaccine drive, with plans for over-65s to be invited to book appointments for jabs from next week.

Around three million people aged between 65 and 69 will start to be sent letters, meaning that some areas may be able to offer vaccines to those below the age of 70 before February 15.

The news suggests that the UK is well on track to meet an even surpass its target of offering jabs to all over-70s by mid-February.

In another boost, Chris Whitty told the PM that the virus has passed its peak and has been on the decline for a week, according to the Telegraph.

New data shows the virus has fallen to pre-New Year levels in every region of England and on Monday the UK recorded the fewest daily coronavirus deaths since December, with officials posting just 406 more victims as the second wave continues to decline.

Department of Health figures also show cases are continuing to fall, hitting a seven-week low of 18,607 positive tests.

Britain recorded the fewest daily Covid deaths since December with 406 more victims as cases continue to dive - hitting a seven-week low of 18,607;

Nicola Sturgeon faced fury as Scottish vaccine rollout slumped to its lowest number of daily jabs

Matt Hancock called for 'extra special precautions' as door-to-door testing of 80,000 people starts in eight postcodes after 11 people test positive for dangerous South African variant despite not leaving country;

Scientists say they believe UK jabs will offer major protection against South African mutation of Covid-19;

Britain could be back to something close to pre-coronavirus life as soon as the summer thanks to the UK's vaccine juggernaut, according to a top scientist;

Rishi Sunak has been warned against a money-raising Budget next month with the tax burden at a 70-year high and the manufacturing recovery stalling.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson talks to Christopher Nicholls who suffered from Covid at the same time as Johnson, as he visits a COVID-19 vaccination centre in Batley, Yorkshire on Monday

For comparison, 22,195 infections and 592 deaths were recorded last Monday, meaning cases have fallen by 16.2 per cent week-on-week and deaths by 31.4 per cent.

Government data also revealed another 322,000 Covid vaccines were dished out on Sunday, meaning 9.3million Britons have now received their first dose. No10 promised to vaccinate 13.9million of the most vulnerable by mid-February, in order to begin easing lockdown restrictions.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said those who had received a first dose of the life-saving drug included more than half of the over-70s, plus nine in 10 of the over-80s.

One senior Government source said: 'The Prime Minister is really determined to get children's education back on track and to make sure that those who have fallen behind don't stay behind.

'We are going to make sure we give them the help to do that.'

Discussing vaccines, another source said: 'We are cautiously optimistic about the target now, and looking ahead to the next age groups. The priority is to ensure that everyone over 70 is offered the vaccine by the deadline, but we are now expecting to be able to start sending letters out to those in their 60s from next week'.

Boris Johnson on Monday insisted lockdown is working and vaccines are effective against coronavirus variants  as he held out hopes summer holidays can happen this year.

The Prime Minister struck a positive tone as he visited a vaccination site in Yorkshire, saying there was evidence of a 'flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations'.

After a leaked Cabinet Office report hailed the 'stabilising' situation, he also stressed that the Government believes all the jabs being used in the UK are effective against all variants. And after mixed messages from ministers he said he was 'optimistic' that Britons will be able to go on summer breaks.

But Mr Johnson dodged committing to any timetable, amid fears that the South African version of the disease is transmitting in the community.

The PM told reporters on his visit to the vaccination hub in Batley: 'We are starting to see some signs of a flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations.

'But don't forget that they are still at a very high level by comparison with most points in the last 12 months, a really very high level.

'So the risk is if you take your foot off the throat of the beast, as it were, and you allow things to get out of control again then you could, alas, see the disease spreading again fast before we have got enough vaccines into people's arms. That's the risk.'

10 year old Oscar Mumby and 8 year old Harriet Mumby are assisted with their online schoolwork by their mother Jo Mumby as homeschooling continues. One senior Government source said: 'The Prime Minister is really determined to get children's education back on track and to make sure that those who have fallen behind don't stay behind'

Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty told Boris Johnson that the current wave of the coronavirus had peaked last week

WHY ARE SCIENTISTS SO SCARED OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN VARIANT? The variant has mutations on its spike protein which scientists fear will make it difficult for the immune system to recognise, even in vaccinated people Real name: B.1.351 When and where was it discovered? Scientists first noticed in December 2020 that the variant, named B.1.351, was genetically different in a way that could change how it acts. It was picked up through random genetic sampling of swabs submitted by people testing positive for the virus, and was first found in Nelson Mandela Bay, around Port Elizabeth. Using a computer to analyse the genetic code of the virus  which is viewed as a sequence of letters that correspond to thousands of molecules called nucleotides  can help experts to see where the code has changed and how this affects the virus. What mutations did scientists find? There are two key mutations on the South African variant that appear to give it an advantage over older versions of the virus  these are called N501Y and E484K. Both are on the spike protein of the virus, which is a part of its outer shell that it uses to stick to cells inside the body, and which the immune system uses as a target. They appear to make the virus spread faster and may give it the ability to slip past immune cells that have been made in response to a previous infection or a vaccine. What does N501Y do? N501Y changes the spike in a way which makes it better at binding to cells inside the body. This means the viruses have a higher success rate when trying to enter cells when they get inside the body, meaning that it is more infectious and faster to spread. This corresponds to a rise in the R rate of the virus, meaning each infected person passes it on to more others. N501Y is also found in the Kent variant found in England, and the two Brazilian variants of concern  P.1. and P.2. What does E484K do? The E484K mutation found on the South African variant is more concerning because it tampers with the way immune cells latch onto the virus and destroy it. Antibodies  substances made by the immune system  appear to be less able to recognise and attack viruses with the E484K mutation if they were made in response to a version of the virus that didn't have the mutation. Antibodies are extremely specific and can be outwitted by a virus that changes radically, even if it is essentially the same virus. South African academics found that 48 per cent of blood samples from people who had been infected in the past did not show an immune response to the new variant. One researcher said it was 'clear that we have a problem'. Vaccine makers, however, have tried to reassure the public that their vaccines will still work well and will only be made slightly less effective by the variant. How many people in the UK have been infected with the variant? At least 105 Brits have been infected with this variant, according to Public Health England's random sampling. The number is likely to be far higher, however, because PHE has only picked up these cases by randomly scanning the genetics of around one in 10 of all positive Covid tests in the UK. This suggests that there have been at least 1,050 cases between December and January 27. Where else has it been found? According to the PANGO Lineages website, the variant has been officially recorded in 31 other countries worldwide. The UK has had the second highest number of cases after South Africa itself. But other nations where it has been found include South Korea, Sweden, France, Australia, Germany, Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Norway, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, USA, Netherlands, Mozambique, Ireland, Botswana, New Zealand, Finland, Spain and the French island territory Mayotte. Will vaccines still work against the variant? So far, Pfizer and Moderna's jabs appear only slightly less effective against the South African variant. Researchers took blood samples from vaccinated patients and exposed them to an engineered virus with the worrying E484K mutation found on the South African variant. They found there was a noticeable reduction in the production of antibodies, which are virus-fighting proteins made in the blood after vaccination or natural infection. But it still made enough to hit the threshold required to kill the virus and to prevent serious illness, they believe. There are still concerns about how effective a single dose of vaccine will be against the strain. So far Pfizer and Moderna's studies have only looked at how people given two doses react to the South African variant. Studies into how well Oxford University/AstraZeneca's jab will work against the South African strain are still ongoing. Johnson & Johnson actually trialled its jab in South Africa while the variant was circulating and confirmed that it blocked 57 per cent of coronavirus infections in South Africa, which meets the World Health Organization's 50 per cent efficacy threshold. Advertisement

It comes as door-to-door coronavirus testing was launched across eight parts of England where it is feared the South African variant causing panic around the world is spreading in the community.

In a desperate attempt to keep track of the mutated virus that experts fear could hamper the current crop of vaccines, health officials will join forces with local police and firefighters to visit homes in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire, to offer residents a swab.

Mr Hancock said tonight people in those areas must take 'extra special precautions' amid the threat of an outbreak of the new, highly-infectious variant. He added: 'The stay at home message is there for everyone but in particular in those areas it's absolutely vital that people minimise all social contact and get a test when the opportunity arises.

More than 80,000 over-16s will be targeted as part of the huge surveillance scheme and residents will be asked to take a test regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. Mr Hancock said it was 'imperative' that people in these areas stay at home and get a test when it is offered to them.

As well as knocking on doors and asking residents to take tests there and then, extra mobile swabbing units will be deployed to all eight postcodes and home testing kits will be available to order online for residents to do themselves.

Public Health England has already spotted 105 cases of the 'B.1.351' South African variant since December 22, including at least 11 people  scattered across the eight areas receiving extra testing  who were struck down with the virus but had no history of international travel.

Mr Hancock said 'enhanced contact tracing' had been carried out to isolate the 11 patients' close contacts. There is currently no evidence that the variant causes more severe illness and early studies suggest the current crop of jabs are good enough to protect against it.

Experts fear there could be hundreds more cases already in the UK because PHE only analyses one in 10 random positive samples and the strain cannot be spotted in standard PCR tests. All of the swabs confirmed to have Covid will be sent to labs for further testing.

Health officials are anxious not to let another Covid variant run rampant, after Britain struggled to get a grip on the Kent strain which sparked a devastating second wave that plunged England into its third lockdown at the start of January.

Like the Kent variant, the South African version carries the N501Y mutation which makes it far more transmissible than the original Covid strain. And it has additional mutations on its spike protein which scientists fear will make it difficult for the immune system to recognise, even in vaccinated people. But early tests have shown the current crop of vaccines still work against the variant but may be slightly less effective.

Ministers have already banned travel from South Africa and surrounding countries in response to the threat. In response to the ever-growing threat of dangerous new variants, the Government last week ordered mandatory hotel-quarantines for arrivals from 30 'red list' countries  including Portugal and South Africa.

The PCR test  considered the gold standard method worldwide  looks for three genes present on the original virus that came out of China, the S gene, N gene and ORF1ab. Health officials are able to spot the Kent strain with regular PCR because that variant is missing the S gene.

But the South African version is much harder to track because it shares all three genes with the original strain so PCR results cannot differentiate between the two, meaning researchers need to manually sequence each sample in a laboratory.

PHE sources claimed today they were 'not expecting a surge in cases' because the strain is no more transmissible than the dominant Kent one currently plaguing the country, so it has no 'evolutionary edge' over it. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said this morning he was 'confident' that all the vaccines the UK has ordered will 'provide a high degree of immunity and protection against all variants'.

Matt Hancock said it was 'on all of us' to contain the new South African variant within the community.

'It is not straightforward and as you say there may be further cases we don't know about yet and our genomic sequencing is in place to try to spot them,' he told a Downing Street press conference.

'The most important thing is that people in the postcode areas outlined need to take extra special precautions.

'It is absolutely vital that people in those areas minimise all social contact and get a test when the opportunity arises.

'It's a big effort getting this new variant essentially finding every single case of it, that is the goal.'

Mr Hancock added that the Government contact tracing system now finds 95% of contacts.

'It has built up to this very effective level,' he said.

In Woking, Surrey, a team of volunteers will hand deliver 9,000 PCR tests to homes from tomorrow and then collect them from doorsteps three hours later.

A spokesman Woking Borough Council said: 'Once the kits have been delivered the volunteers will return in about 3hours to collect them.'

Two cases of the South African coronavirus variant have been detected in Woking. Authorities want to know how far the variant has spread and is targeting residents living in the St Johns and Goldsworth Park areas of the town.

The nose and throat swab kits are being sent out by the Surrey Local Resilience Forum. Everyone over the age of 18 living in those areas is being asked to take the test, even those who have recently taken a test.

Helen Futter, 57, who lives in Goldsworth Park, said she has never had a PCR test but will happily take part when she receives her package.

She told MailOnline: 'Of course I will do the test. I think we will do anything that will help drive the virus away and we can get on with our lives. 'I've never had any symptoms so have not had to have a PCR test. I know friends who have had the virus and a neighbour who was a NHS porter died last year after being infected.'

Helen Sheldrake said: 'It makes sense to take part in the testing. I heard about it on the news and there are just a couple of people in the area who have the strain,' she said. 'I can't see anyone turning down as we are all in this together and anything that can drive down the virus has to be a good thing.'

People living in Southport, Merseyside, will be tested at mobile pop-up centres and by health volunteers going door-to-door. The programme will be rolled out from tomorrow and is being organised by Sefton Council.

Sefton's Director of Public Health, Margaret Jones said: 'Although it seems this new variant can still be combated through vaccination, it could be more transmissible, which means it could spread more quickly.

'That's why it is important we carry out this additional testing to try and identify it and to limit the number of us who might be exposed to it.

'We will be setting up dedicated test sites for the new variant and once they are in place, I would encourage everyone aged over 16 in the areas targeted to get tested as soon as possible, even though they don't have symptoms.

'This will help us find any cases of the new variant and help stamp it out.'

In a desperate attempt to keep track of the South African variant that experts fear could effect the current crop of vaccines, health officials will carry out swabs in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said tonight people in the eight affected areas must take 'extra special precautions' amid the threat of an outbreak of the new, highly-infectious variant. Boris Johnson said today he was 'confident' that all the vaccines the UK has ordered will 'provide a high degree of immunity and protection against all variants'

Ealing Council in West London has asked all residents living and working in parts of the borough to get at Covid test as soon as possible.

A testing centre has been set up in a local car park and extra staff are to be deployed there from tomorrow to cope with an expected surge in demand.

WHERE IS DOOR-TO-DOOR TESTING BEING OFFERED? London W7: Hanwell N17: Tottenham CR4: Mitcham West Midlands WS2: Walsall East of England EN10: Broxbourne South East ME15: Maidstone GU21: Woking North West PR9: Southport Advertisement

A Council statement revealed that the South African variant was discovered in a resident following random sampling by national test and trace officials and that they were notified about it last week.

The Council also revealed that over the coming week, free home tests will be delivered to every household in the identified area. Residents of all ages will be asked to complete the test and hand it back to a collection service.

The impacted area includes approximately 5,500 households in the W7 and W13 postcode areas of the borough.

The Council is also planning to hold a public meeting for residents later this week.

An official told MailOnline at the testing centre which is located in the Dean Gardens Car Park that around 100 people had been tested over a two-hour period when news of the South African strain of the virus became public.

He added: 'We're going to have two teams for the rest of the week because we are expecting a lot of people. The first part of the day was very quiet but when news got out about the South African strain there was a huge rush for testing.'

Many residents were disappointed however, after arriving for a test only to discover that the temporary testing centre closed at 3pm.

Ali Kelly, 52 said: 'The Council have got us all in a panic about this South African strain and it would have made sense for the testing centre to stay open for longer.

'I came down here as soon as I heard the news because I wanted to get a test and put my mind at rest. I suppose I'll have to come back tomorrow but it's quite ridiculous that at a time like this, the testing centre is closed.'

Julian Bell, leader of Ealing Council said in a statement: 'I urge people living or working in the area with or without symptoms to get tested so that any others with this variant can be identified to protect them, their loved ones and the wider community.

'The government has told us that there is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness or that the regulated vaccine would not protect against it.'

So far Pfizer and Moderna's jabs, of which the UK has ordered 57million doses, appear only slightly less effective against the South African variant, according to lab studies by the jab makers published last week.

Even with the slight reduction in efficacy, the research strongly suggests the vaccines will still be able to kill off the new strain before it can cause serious illness.

Researchers took blood samples from vaccinated patients and exposed them to an engineered virus with the worrying mutations found on the South African variant.

They found there was about a noticeable reduction in the production of antibodies, which are virus-fighting proteins made in the blood after vaccination or natural infection.

But, in a boost to the world's immunisation efforts, the team said the number of antibodies produced was still high enough to kill the mutant strain.

There are still concerns about how effective a single dose of vaccine will be against the strain. So far Pfizer and Moderna's studies have only looked at how people given two doses react to the South African variant, and Britain has decided to delay giving people two doses to get more people jabbed quickly.

Johnson & Johnson confirmed last week that its world-first single shot jab, which Britain has pre-ordered 30million doses of, blocked 57 per cent of coronavirus infections in South Africa, which meets the World Health Organization's 50 per cent efficacy threshold and hints that one shot may be enough to fend off the new strain. That jab is expected to be rolled out in the coming months once it seals approval.

Studies into Oxford University/AstraZeneca's jab, which Britain has ordered 100million doses of and is already dishing out to the most vulnerable, and the South African strain are still ongoing.

Reacting to today's announcement, Professor Jonathan Ball, a molecular virologist at the University of Nottingham, said: 'We know that some coronavirus variants might be less easily killed by antibodies raised against some of the existing vaccines, but the levels of immunity are hopefully still sufficient to prevent serious disease.

'But we can't be certain that vaccine immunity might not be adversely impacted, especially after a single dose, which is why it is important to try to prevent these variants from spreading widely.

'That will mean effective social distancing and identifying where the variants are currently circulating, so we can stop them in their tracks through effective testing, track and trace and isolating infected individuals.'

BATON ROUGE, La.  Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and Louisiana Main Street announce the release of applications for a second round of funding through the Paul Bruhn Revitalization Grant. The National Park Service (NPS) recently awarded Louisiana Main Street $662,000 to help fund the rehabilitation and revitalization of historic commercial buildings location on official Main Street communities across the state.

Being selected for this National Park Service grant allows us to increase our assistance in helping preserve and restore the historical aspects of our small towns and historic districts to bring them back to life, attracting visitors and locals alike, said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. The historic downtowns and commercial districts are the heart of many communities across Louisiana. They give each community a sense of place and character, providing the uniqueness that sets them apart from each other.

Property owners can receive grants of $55,000 and are only required to provide a $5,000 cash match. To be eligible, applicants must be property owners or tenants of commercially zoned properties located within a designated Louisiana Main Street district with a population less than 50,000 according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census. The building must also be listed on the National Register of Historic Places or determined eligible for listing in the Register by the State Historic Preservation Office (SPHO) and the NPS.

The priority of this grant program as set by Louisiana Main Street is to return currently vacant or under-utilized historic buildings into productive use. Our 35 Main Street Districts comprise a powerful grassroots network that understands the power of community pride and the values of historic commercial resources as economic drivers, said Ray Scriber, Louisiana Main Street Director. It will be exciting to see the positive impacts these projects will have in their respective districts.

During the second round of the grant cycle, six grants will be awarded in the amount of $55,000 each. Through round one, six Main Street Districts each received grants totaling $55,000. Those recipients included:

Plaquemine; Historic Lozano House: being restored for retail, office space, lodging, and event rental

Donaldsonville; Donaldsonville General Store & Museum: will be used as an interpretive center, museum, check-in location for tours and tour guides, event space and a creative space

New Iberia; Essanne Theater: fabrication and installation of a reconstructed marquee to match the original 1937 art deco marquee

Crowley; Egan Hotel: will have 66 double-hung windows restored where possible and replaced where excessive deterioration prevents restoration

Homer; 419 West Main Street building: restoration work will allow its use as a reception hall for the park, providing for full use of the adjacent park site

Franklin; Old Post Office: revitalize the building for use as office space and for the promotion of arts and tourism in the city

Property owners receiving round one grants are not eligible to apply for round two. Applicants for round two must create an online account through Summittable. Once an account is created, the application and guidelines can be accessed through the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development Applications Manager. The deadline to apply for round two is Tuesday, March 30, 2021.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may challenge Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a fellow New York Democrat, for his seat in the U.S. Senate, according to a new report.

People familiar with her thinking told Politico Monday that the congresswoman is seriously considering running for the seat in 2022, but is currently undecided. Sources said her decision will depend on how Schumer proceeds with the new Democratic majority in the Senate. Schumer became the majority leader last month and could help Democrats pass progressive legislation with support from President Joe Biden and the Democrat-controlled House.

Sen. Charles Schumer, 70, has been a lawmaker for more than four decades, including six years in the New York State Assembly and almost 20 years in the House before entering the Senate. Hes up for reelection next year and AOC, 31, is perceived to be his biggest threat in a potential primary challenge.

Im not playing coy or anything like that. Im still very much in a place where Im trying to decide what is the most effective thing I can do to help our Congress, our [political] process, and our country actually address the issues of climate change, health care, wage inequality, etc., Ocasio-Cortez said last month, according to The Hill.

Ocasio-Cortez, first elected in 2018, has proven very popular as a member of The Squad, reaching out to voters in new ways like the Twitch video game streaming platform. She was among the most vocal opponents to New Yorks deal with Amazon for an HQ2 site in Long Island City, potentially bringing 25,000 jobs to Queens and as much as $30 billion in revenue until it was derailed in 2019.

But Politico reports Schumer may have helped secure his path in the 2022 midterm elections by making an early ally out of Ocasio-Cortez. Even before she was sworn in, he spoke with her about climate change, democracy reform, and economic and racial inequality  and two years later, hes supported canceling student loan debt and said nothing is off the table when it comes to eliminating the filibuster.

Ocasio-Cortez still hasnt committed one way or another, but the next few months could determine her course of action.

The congresswoman represents one of the districts most heavily impacted by Covid and that remains her priority and focus, her spokesperson Lauren Hitt told Politico when asked about a primary challenge.
Subscriber content preview

By ROB GILLIES

Associated Press

TORONTO  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced stricter restrictions on travelers in response to new, likely more contagious variants of the novel coronavirus  including making it mandatory for travelers to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense when they arrive in Canada and suspending airline service to Mexico and all Caribbean destinations until April 30.

Trudeau said in addition to the pre-boarding test Canada already requires, the government will be introducing mandatory PCR testing at the airport for people returning to Canada.





. . .
It doesnt take Nostradamus or Carnac to figure out how the next two years will play out for Wyomings lone Congressional representative Liz Cheney. It simply takes a little observation of -- and interaction with -- the Swamp. As an outside the beltway sometimes political operative and consultant, Ive had the unhappiness of working with swamp creatures off and on since the 90s

Lizs future is easier for me to predict than yesterdays weather. The broad strokes are a fait accompli. Ive seen it many times. And while it may seem at first glance that her political career is at a dead end, it is far from it. Liz will be rich very soon, if she is not already. And she will do as much damage to the Trump/MAGA/Republican brand as she can in the process. This is how the swamp works. And she appears to be swampier than her father, and much more so than the smartest of the clan, her mother Lynne Cheney.

Rep. Liz Cheney (Congressional Portrait)

Now keep in mind, the lone House seat from Wyoming is a powerful seat in that it is one of the very few House seats that is more powerful in a way than the Senators from her state. Wyoming has two Senators, but only one member of Congress. On a national level, she singularly represents more Wyoming residents than anyone.

And she will run again, knowing that she stands almost no chance in the primary. But she will have money, and she will get more money from the left, and she will use it to scorched earth destroy all those running against her in the primary. Left wing groups from the outside will plant false flag candidates to dilute her competition, and they will claim falsely to be the Trump choice. Count on it. They will take extreme positions publicly and muddy the waters for the legit candidate carrying the MAGA banner. You heard it here first.

The RNC, of course, will join the actions of the left in trashing her primary opponent or opponents.

She knows, and her swampy left-wing donors will know, that while she will most likely lose, they will attempt to salt the fields for whoever the primary winner is. The primary winner will emerge broke, beaten down, and have a mountain of unflattering lies out in the media, social media and ether to overcome on General Election Day. The Democrat opponent will be handpicked by the DNC specifically to attract Hollywood, San Francisco, and Silicon Valley money. That kind of money will own the media airwaves in an inexpensive media state like Wyoming.

Meanwhile, the RNC will give zero help to that candidate in the General Election; thats how the swamp rolls.

Now, regardless of whether this scenario can flip Cheneys current House Seat blue or not, Liz will be rewarded for her efforts by different branches of Swamp, Inc. First, you can count on a huge lobbying contracts right out of the gate. Maybe several. Seven figures, easy.

And there is no telling what kind of awful legislation she will help engineer in that job. The take for the evil people and evil causes will probably be in the billions. Thats why shes going to be paid millions.

And in addition to that, the only other question is whether she will end up as a regular paid contributor on MSNBC or CNN. Her job on whichever network hires her, will be the role as the good Republican. You know the type: the David Brooks, Steve Schmidt, Jennifer Rubin Republican - the kind of Republican who hates all real conservatives and legitimate Republicans. This gig will require a few hours per month, and probably pay mid-six figures.

Shell never return to Wyoming, a state with which shes barely familiar with to begin with. That is unless shes a weekend guest at her parents place or at one of the Davos-connected left wing billionaires Jackson Hole enclave from time to time.

You probably know that the career path Ive laid out for Cheney is correct, in the broad strokes. The details are yet to be determined of course, but weve seen this kind of thing play out many times.

This plays out in the consultant class as well. One quick example that I personally intersected with is Rick Tyler. Rick was formerly Newt Gingrichs Chief of Staff when Newt was Speaker of The House. When Newt ran for president starting in 2011, Rick was on his staff. The Newt campaign got off to a dismal start, polling dead last in a field that included Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney and even Jon Huntsman. Tyler left the campaign.

Newt, unencumbered by Tyler's advice, changed strategies and skyrocketed in the polls on the strength of his debate performances. Tyler, meanwhile, landed with a Newt Super PAC funded heavily by Sheldon Adelson called Winning Our Future. Through other channels, I was the coms guy for that PAC, and like most Super PACs, we only met on conference calls from our locations across the country. Adelsons money paid us all well, and things were going great as Newt routed the field, including Romney, in South Carolina.

My advice was to keep this going, and my press releases stayed on this message. Newts campaign was directed only at Obama, and his leftist cohorts in Congress, the media, and judiciary. When Newt is good, he is very, very good. Thats the Georgia Newt.

But there is also the Washington Newt, the bad Newt, and thats the Newt that resonates with Tyler and his ilk. Tyler decided to use Adelsons cash to purchase the film The King of Bain, a lefty trope about Romneys time at Bain Capital. So, with Newt riding high by bashing Obama, with a rhetorical skill that Romney and Santorum et al could only fantasize about having, Tyler decided to go left of Mitt Romney. Tyler and I were at each others throat on the conference call where he announced this change in strategy. We usually were.

The rest is history. Newt bombed, Mitt won the nomination, and we know how that turned out in 2012 and we know how its still biting on our collective rear ends today.

And Tyler? Hes one of the good Republicans on MSNBC. Hes now full-fledged Washingtonian. I dont know where hes from. It doesnt matter, just as Wyoming no longer matters to Liz Cheney. This is how Swamp, Inc. rolls. Whether its headquarters in DC, or a branch in NYC or San Francisco or a state capitol, failing up like this is how all leftist Democrats, and the good Republicans, get rich.

Meanwhile, those of us rubes out in flyover country, we get bent over. And you know Im right.

Edmund Wright is long time contributor to American Thinker, Breitbart, Newsmax TV, Talk Radio Net, former ghost writer for Rush Limbaugh and author of numerous political books, as well as senior communications consultant on several presidential and senatorial campaigns and Super PACS.
BENGALURU, India, ISELIN, N.J. and LONDON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Microland, a global digital transformation company today announced the appointment of Vivek Radhakrishnan as Senior Vice President, North America to accelerate the business growth in the region. In his role, Vivek will be responsible for all Microland's business in the USA and will be based out of Iselin, New Jersey.

Vivek joins Microland with a 25-year track record of success in driving the digital transformation agenda for clients across verticals that include Banking, Financial Services & Insurance, HealthCare & Life Sciences and Energy & Utilities. Vivek has donned several leadership positions with major IT services firms and has been responsible for key business roles that included Sales, Delivery and Solution Engineering.

Vivek is a result-oriented executive who is passionate about bringing high growth strategies to his clients and excels at managing executive governance through the operations lifecycle across complex transformation projects. He is deeply committed to driving innovation and best practices in client engagements that help them meet their strategic objectives and exceed on their business goals.

Ashish Mahadwar, President, Microland mentioned, "I am pleased to welcome Vivek to Microland's leadership team. Vivek's vast operating experience across multiple business roles will augment our digital transformation capabilities in the Americas thereby accelerating our growth. In the pandemic hit world, there is a significant need to deliver innovative IT infrastructure solutions that meet the new needs of our clients and help them deal with the new set of challenges. I believe Microland's recent recognition as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed Network Services* reflects our ability to bring to bear a broad suite of innovative solutions to address these client challenges. Vivek's experience of managing global relationships will augur well for Microland in deepening our client relationships. His tremendous experience of driving the Client's transformation agenda will help Microland better execute on "new normal" solutions."

Commenting on his appointment Vivek Radhakrishnan said: "I am excited to be a part of Microland which has such a deep and resolute focus in the IT and IIoT infrastructure services sector. Microland over the last 3 decades, has been continuously adapting itself in adding value to the everchanging demands of its clients in a fast-changing technology and business landscape. The post pandemic world offers a tremendous growth opportunity for a company like Microland and I am looking forward to contributing towards the realization of its goals."

Source(*) : Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Managed Network Services, Ted Corbett et al., 09 Nov 2020

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Microland

Microland's delivery of digital and "Making Digital Happen" allows technology to do more and intrude less. We make it easier for enterprises to adopt nextGen Digital infrastructure. We enable this using our expertise in Cloud and Data Centers, Networks, Digital Workplace, Cybersecurity and Industrial IoTensuring the embrace of brilliance is predictable, reliable and stable.

In the COVID impacted world, Microland is making digital happen for enterprises with a laser focus on services that are more relevant to our clients and prospects than ever before. Incorporated in 1989 and headquartered in Bengaluru, India, Microland has more than 4,500 digital specialists across offices and delivery centers in Asia, Australia, Europe, Middle East and North America.

Read more here: https://www.microland.com/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1343841/Microland_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Microland
(CNN)  Last week, lawmakers in Honduras changed the country's constitution to make it virtually impossible to legalize abortion in the future  an extreme election-year move that critics warn will further endanger women's health.

On Thursday, the country's Congress ratified a January 21 amendment to constitutional Article 67, which now specifically prohibits any "interruption of life" to a fetus, "whose life must be respected from the moment of conception."

Honduras was already one of few countries worldwide with a complete ban on abortion, meaning the operation can't be performed even in cases of rape or incest, when the fetus is gravely deformed, and if the pregnancy endangers the mother's life. The use, sale, distribution and purchase of emergency contraception is also prohibited.

The new reform, known as "Shield Against Abortion in Honduras" and promoted by Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez's ruling National Party, also now creates a legal "shield" against future changes to the ban.

The changes raise the Congressional voting threshold to modify abortion law from two-thirds majority to three-quarters. Since Honduras's unicameral Congress has 128 deputies, the new rules would require at least 96 to vote for future changes to these articles -- an unlikely scenario at the moment, since 86 voted for the amendments.

The reform also blocks any future attempts to repeal or modify the change. "Legal provisions created after the effective date of this Article that establish otherwise, will be null and void," states the ruling from the Congressional commission appointed to the matter.

"As a woman and a mother, I am in favor of life and against abortion, I want to speak on behalf of those who are in the mother's womb and cannot be opposed," said Gloria Bonilla, a Deputy for the Liberal Party who voted for the change.

Women's rights advocates have fiercely condemned the change. Merly Eguigure, an activist with the Honduran rights organization Movimiento de Mujeres por La Paz "Visitacion Padilla" told CNN it would only reinforce dangerous conditions for Honduran women.

"The shield law will continue to condemn poor women to practice abortion in unsafe conditions, which could lead to death on the one hand or to prison on the other," Eguigure said.

According to September 2020 report by the World Health Organization, unsafe abortions account for between 4.7% and 13.2% of maternal deaths globally, each year. The report also notes that "restrictive laws are not effective in reducing the rate of abortion."

An epidemic of sexual violence

While it is hard to know how many women and underaged girls have clandestine abortions in Honduras, the Honduran NGO Women's Rights Center estimates that between 50,000 and 80,000 such abortions occur in the country each year.

The country has one of the highest rates of sexual violence in the world -- often a significant factor in unwanted pregnancies. Nearly one in three Honduran women over the age of 15 has experienced physical and/or sexual violence from an intimate partner, data from the United Nations' 2020 Human Development Reports shows.

In 2018, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) carried out a health campaign aimed at providing medical and mental health care to survivors of sexual violence in Mexico and Honduras. In the Honduran capital city of Tegucigalpa, 90% of all pregnancy cases attended by the MSF mission were due to sexual assault.

Nineteen percent of those cases were teenage mothers under 18 years old. "We know that a teenage pregnancy has a major risk of complications, putting both mother and baby at risk," said Tania Marin, MSF Regional Medical Coordinator for Mexico and Honduras.

The adolescent birth rate in Honduras is higher than the region's average and more than twice the global average, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The minimum age for legal sexual consent in Honduras is 14. But in 2017 alone, 820 girls aged between 10 to 14 gave birth in Honduras, according to data from the health secretary cited by HRW.

Political pressures in a major election year

Nevertheless, for over 30 years the Honduran government has clung to a system that penalizes women with up to six years of prison for obtaining an abortion, even in cases of rape or incest.

In February 1997, Honduras's penal code was modified to establish a penalty from three to six years in prison for women who obtain an abortion and for the medical staff who are involved in the process. In April 2009, the country's Congress passed a bill banning emergency contraception -- a move upheld by the Supreme Court in 2012.

Pressure from Honduran religious groups is widely seen as the dominant political force in maintaining such strict laws on abortion.

"It's impossible to understand how abortion is viewed in Honduras without considering the outsized role religion plays," write researchers Amy Braunschweiger and Margaret Wurth in a June 2019 report for Human Rights Watch. "Conservative Christian churches, both Catholic and evangelical Protestant, are extremely influential and the vast majority of Hondurans belong to one or the other."

And experts from a United Nations working group that visited Honduras in November 2018 reported that "both Catholic and evangelical churches have significant influence over political decision-making bodies and public opinion, including in the discussion of the decriminalization of abortion in three circumstances and lifting the prohibition on emergency contraception."

Eguigure, the women's rights activist, put it more bluntly. "The country is coopted by religious fanatics."

2021 is a major election year in Honduras, with both the presidency and all 128 seats of Congress up for grabs. Though abortion is not a historically decisive voting issue for Hondurans, the topic may have been particularly sensitive amid the recent wave of pro-choice rulings in the region.

"Abortion is murder, it is taking the life of those who want to be born," Pastor Oswaldo Canales, President of the Evangelical Confraternity of Honduras told members of Congress during a January 19 discussion session on abortion with other religious leaders, including a priest from the Catholic Church.

Honduras is one of six countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti and Suriname to prohibit abortion altogether, according to data from the Guttmacher Institute.

But Neesa Medina, a member of feminist collective Somos Muchas, told CNN she believes its extreme anti-abortion stance cannot endure forever. The shield law reveals a real fear of Latin America's growing pro-choice movement, she believes.

"They don't realize that it's impossible to stop the future," said Medina.

This story was first published on CNN.com 'How lawmakers made it nearly impossible to legalize abortion in Honduras'
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.
To highlight Rao's poor health condition, counsel Indira Jaising told the court that of the 365 days since last February, the activist has spent 149 days in the hospital

Mumbai: Of the 365 days since last February, jailed activist-poet Varavara Rao spent 149 days in the hospital, his counsel Indira Jaising told the Bombay High Court Monday to highlight his poor health condition and push for interim bail in the case of the Elgar-Parishad-Maoist links.

The fact that Rao spent almost half the time in several hospitals made clear his poor health condition, Jaising said while arguing that the 82-year-old poet's continued incarceration was a breach of his fundamental right to life and health.

She urged the court to let Rao out of the Taloja prison where he is lodged as an undertrial and to permit him to go home and stay with his family in Hyderabad.

"Life is dear to everyone, including a prisoner, and the court is here to protect it," the senior advocate told a bench of Justices SS Shinde and Manish Pitale.

"The record speaks for itself, out of the 365 days in a year he has spent 149 days in hospitals," she said.

The bench was hearing a writ petition and a medical bail plea filed by Rao through his counsel, senior advocate Anand Grover, and a writ petition filed by Rao's wife Pendyala Hemlatha, through Jaising, alleging a breach of his fundamental rights due to continued incarceration.

Both Grover and Jaising urged the HC to let Rao out on interim bail even if for a limited period of three months, and with any condition that the court deemed fit.

Both counsels reiterated that Rao, currently admitted to Nanavati Hospital in the city, required constant monitoring and medical aid that the Taloja prison in Navi Mumbai will be unable to provide.

Jaising cited the case of 38-year-old UAPA accused Kanchan Nanaware, who died on January 24.

Nanaware died after six years of incarceration, before the trial against her could begin and before her medical bail was decided, Jaising told the court.

She told the court that Rao's continued incarceration was "incompatible" with his health.

"This is a victimless crime, the death penalty will not be attracted as he has not killed anyone," she said, referring to the 2017-18 Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, in which he is an accused.

"He is neurologically compromised. The best treatment is with friends and family," Jaising said.

Jaising said Rao had been arrested merely on the basis of some electronic evidence found on a co-accused's computer.

"While stating that his crimes were serious, what were his crimes? Some evidence was found in a co-accused's electronic files which mention his name. But that is also a purported conspiracy," she said.

Grover argued that Rao must be permitted to be taken care of by his family at their home so that he was fit to stand trial.

He reminded the court that Rao had faced trial in 24 cases in the past and that he had either been acquitted or discharged in all but one.

Grover read out one of Rao's poems to show his spirit, to tell the court that even in his present condition, the octogenarian was willing to stand trial.

In the poem, Rao said he borrowed the lines of legendary Hindi writer Munshi Premchand to say he was a "kalam ka sipahi" (A soldier with a pen).

"He is willing to go on for trial. He wants to, to show that he has not done anything. The other cases against him, he was acquitted. For him, this case is just another case," Grover said.

Responding to the Maharashtra government's previous statement that once discharged from private Nanavati Hospital, Rao will be sent to the prison ward of the state-run JJ Hospital, and not the Taloja prison, Grover said keeping the poet in the government facility would amount to "torture."

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), however, maintained that given the state's assurance of sending Rao to the JJ Hospital, the court need not grant him medical bail.

The court, however, remarked that a speedy trial was considered part of a citizen's fundamental right, and in the present case charges were yet to be framed and 200 witnesses were still not examined.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared for the NIA, however, said a large number of witnesses in a case could not be the ground for granting someone medical bail.

"It is the responsibility of the state to take care of his (Rao's) health, and the state is doing so," Singh said.

He said the Nanavati Hospital had already certified that Rao was fit to be discharged from the hospital and that he did not have dementia at present.

But the court pointed out that Rao's medical reports from last year mentioned he suffered from dementia.

"How can we ignore the reports of JJ Hospital, St George and Taloja prison hospital? We can't go by the last report only. St. George report from last year mentions dementia," the court said.

The HC closed all arguments in the case and reserved its verdict on Rao's medical bail plea and Hemlatha's writ petition.

Till the court's verdict, Rao will remain in the Nanavati Hospital. After arrest, Rao has been in police and then in judicial custody since August 28, 2018, awaiting trial.

The case related to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the 'Elgar Parishad' conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which, the police claimed, triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial located on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.

The police have claimed the conclave was organised by people with alleged Maoist links. Several activists and academicians have been named as accused in the case.

The case was initially probed by the Pune police and later it was handed over to the NIA.
Vermont's "Racial Justice Alliance," a radical local activist group that lobbies the Legislature, unveiled an "initiative" to disparage white Vermonters with yet another acrimonious acronym and create a new grievance group: ADOS (American Descendants of Slavery). These mostly out-of-touch "woke" whites who run this once again are blasting Vermonters for "being the whitest state."

The latest trendy acronyms they've cooked up to advance this narrative are "ADOS" and "ACT":

This year, the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance is building its advocacy around three main tenets, known as A.C.T. Acknowledging and reconciling historic systems of racism

Creating new structures for American Descendents of Slavery (ADOS) economic and cultural empowerment

Transforming state systems to better serve ADOS Vermonters. A.C.T. will enable policy makers to prioritize ADOS wellness and empowerment and enable their ability to thrive.

This is a manufactured outrage. Vermont has many whites owing to its geography. But the presence of whites is now been deemed synonymous with a racist hellhole. Vermont, in addition, is not exclusively white. Virtually all Vermonters given the ADOS victim card are not victims of Vermont. They're people who have relocated from states where slavery was practiced. Slavery was never legal in Vermont.

Further contrast is exhibited by the marginalized groups excluded from this new racist ADOS trademark: indigenous peoples, Hispanics, Jews, Asians.

This demonstrates author Thomas Sowell's chief criticism of ideological efforts seeking "equity"  every step creates new inequities.

If ADOS becomes the standard of government, and goes into use to secure favoritism, well, take just one example: isn't that unfair to Jews? Why is there no "J" in those catchy monikers like BLM, BIPOC, ADOS, and QGBLTI? Don't Jews require protection against discrimination? Why exactly, are Jews, who have suffered tremendous discrimination elsewhere, in Vermont excluded?

Sowell references the Jewish experience as an example of why equal opportunity  not outcome  is the only sensible goal:

Late in the eighteenth century, the United States became a pioneer in granting Jews the same legal rights as everyone else, as a result of the Constitution's general ban against federal laws that discriminate on the basis of religion. France followed suit after the revolution of 1789[.] ... The net result in the late nineteenth century, and in the twentieth century, was a relatively sudden proliferation of internationally renowned Jewish figures in many fields[.] (Discrimination and Disparities, p. 11)

For Jews, improved opportunities (legal rights) yielded improved outcomes.

Manipulating outcomes through government diktat necessarily undermines equality of opportunity. For instance, a "coalition" seeks a BIPOC bank in Vermont  run by BIPOC people and funded by white people. This is overtly racist and inequitable: many white Vermonters have historically been extremely poor  long before, and long after ADOS arrived. Additionally bankrupt is the notion that money is the solution to every problem. Has America learned nothing from the well intentioned failures of AFDC?

The United States Supreme Court has rightly viewed such race-based reallocations with a sharp eye:

In 1978, in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, the Supreme Court found that race-conscious measures designed to address the effects of discrimination were as presumptively unconstitutional as was discrimination rooted in racial antipathy and the belief in racial inferiority.

Subsequent decisions have affirmed that all racial discrimination (including against whites) is constitutionally suspect. Vermont's government has yet to be "woke" to constitutional laws against its new racism.

So what of Descendants of the Holocaust ("DOTH")? The Holocaust was sufficiently profound  and much more recent than slavery. Insultingly, this novel Vermont Racial Justice Alliance initiative was launched on America's holiday commemorating the Holocaust. Was that deliberate or merely clueless?

Abenaki Indian descendants (with minuscule genetic Indian DNA) are included in BIPOC but not in ADOS. Is that "equitable"? The Native Americans were here long before the former slaves who arrived in Vermont through Vermont's underground railroad.

How is this new elitist group of ADOS defined? How do members "prove" their 160-year-old slave status? How much money do they inequitably thieve from others in the name of equity before balance of outcomes is achieved?

What of black South Africans  don't Vermonters owe them for Apartheid? Apartheid just ended in 1994  not 1862. Maybe the Rohingya and Uyghurs should move to Vermont and invoke privilege for their racial or ethnic composition. There's room aplenty on this boondoggle bandwagon (just not for Jews or certain Asians).

If that offends "Racist Injustice Warriors," what of being called a racist solely because you live in the Green Mountains  maligned for the crime of "being too white"? It is deeply offensive, and Vermonters are targeted as racists if they dare challenge this race-baiting fallacy.

Rohingya have more right to plunk down in Vermont and demand money than ADOS! Black slaves were freed by Vermonters' blood in the Civil War, welcomed here before that war, and assisted by white Vermonters in escapes. We Vermonters (and BLM) have done zero to help Rohingya; they are suffering now.

Vermont's Racist Injustice Alliance (who are not most black Vermonters) claims that ADOS are owed something by descendants of white immigrant subsistence farmers. What of the Vermont bloodshed to liberate those same ADOS forebears? These agitators wish to have their cake and eat Vermonters' cake, too:

Speakers from the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance will call for a statewide declaration that racism is a public health emergency, and a moral budget that centers ADOS in Vermont.

How is racism a public health emergency in this white state? More white Vermonters are dying of narcotics overdoses than blacks of COVID. There is indeed a "public racism emergency"  the left-wing liars who denigrate and scold innocent Vermonters. That is systemic racism, illegal under existing federal laws.

Let us have a "moral budget" that "centers all people in Vermont"  as always.

Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Finance Minister on Monday said the government would infuse Rs 20,000 crore into public sector banks (PSBs) in 2021-22, to meet the regulatory norms.

For the current financial year also, the government had made a provision of Rs 20,000 crore for recapitalisation.

Unveiling the Budget 2021-22 in the Lok Sabha, the finance minister said the government has proposed to infuse Rs 20,000 crore into the PSBs, to further consolidate financial health of banks.

During 2019-20, the government had proposed to make a Rs 70,000-crore capital infusion into the to boost credit for a strong impetus to the economy.

However, the government refrained from committing any capital for the in the Budget 2020-21, hoping that the lenders will raise funds from the market depending on the requirements.

Later, in September 2020, Parliament approved Rs 20,000 crore capital infusion for as part of the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for 2020-21.

Of this, the government provided Rs 5,500 crore to Punjab & Sind Bank in November 2020, to meet the regulatory capital requirement.

In 2017-18, the government had infused Rs 90,000 crore, followed by Rs 1.06 lakh crore in 2018-19.

(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.)

Franklin Park, Elmwood Park, Northlake and River Grove dont have their own health departments, and fall under the jurisdiction of the Cook County Department of Public Health. Thus, public officials say all they can do right now is direct residents to the sign-up website from Cook County, or those from Walgreens, Jewel-Osco and Walmart that are also offering vaccines to seniors and front-line essential workers.
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.

Neil Odell is president of the Board of Directors of the Vermont School Boards Association. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of the Brattleboro Reformer.

FirstLight's low-latency network, coupled with its Veeam-powered DRaaS solution, is used by numerous companies that require data replication and recovery times of just minutes.

Fremont, CA: FirstLight, a leading provider of fiber-optic data, Internet, data center, cloud, and voice services to enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast, and mid-Atlantic announced that Keller Products, Inc. has selected FirstLight for its disaster recovery data backup solution.

Keller Products, part of the Keller Group of Companies, is a New Hampshire-based plastics extrusion company manufacturing specialty plastics for the aerospace, healthcare, military, automotive, and electrical industries, among others. Some of their unique designs include biodegradable plastics, specialty tubes, customized nanotechnology, and glow-in-the-dark KelBrite.

FirstLight has been providing voice and Internet services to Keller Products for several years. According to Sean Donnelly, IT manager for Keller Products, Keller had an existing relationship with disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) provider but wasn't pleased with the speed of data recovery. Additionally, Keller needed to ensure data backup recovery for four different locations, so it turned to FirstLight.

"Plastics make the world go 'round, and many of our customers require just-in-time delivery, so any kind of manufacturing stoppage is a big deal," explained Sean Donnelly, IT manager for Keller Products. "Since our manufacturing operation relies more and more on technology and data, we need to ensure that in the event of any kind of system downtime, whether caused by ransomware, a power outage or surge, or natural disaster, that we have the ability to get back up at moment's notice. FirstLight provided a demonstration of their solution, and it was just what we needed."

"I don't think there's another IT provider that can supply us with the diversity and quality of IT solutions that FirstLight offers," added Donnelly. "Our disaster recovery plan and redundant connectivity provide us with additional confidence to meet our customer commitments despite disruptions that may come our way."

In addition to providing Keller Plastics with a DRaaS solution, FirstLight also recently added a redundant fiber connection to Keller's backup cloud storage at FirstLight's Brunswick, Maine Data Center. Keller is also exploring the possibility of purchasing additional products from FirstLight.

"Because manufacturers are increasingly dependent on data and end devices, they are more vulnerable to downtime events," explained Kurt Van Wagenen, FirstLight President, and CEO. "Disaster recovery is a must-have solution for companies that require their automated operations to be operating at peak performance with limited disruption. We take the trust that companies like Keller Products place in FirstLight very seriously, and we make it our mission to safeguard their data and ensure they're operational as quickly as possible in case of a downtime event."
Tom Holland has shared an official picture from the set of his upcoming Spider-Man film. The yet untitled, third installment in the new franchise, featuring Holland in the lead, is being currently filmed in the US. Apart from seeing Holland in his Spidey suit, fans got equally curious about the new guy with him in the picture.

Read: Suited up Tom Holland Films Chase Scene for Spider-Man 3, See Pics

Holland is seen suited up as he gives a piggyback ride to his younger brother Harry, who seemingly visited the Spider-Man movie set. He said the day was one of the "highlights of his career."

"Today was easily one of the highlights of my career. For those of you that were there, you know what Im talking about and for those of you that werent, you better buckle up (sic)," wrote Holland on social media teasing fans with a picture from Spider-Man 3 sets.

Sony and Marvel's Spider-Man 3 will release in theaters on December 17. Earlier, some set pictures had gone viral on social media. It showed Holland suited up and filming in Atlanta for a chase scene.

Holland has a promising 2021 ahead, with several major projects like Cherry and Chaos Walking slated for release. Uncharted, the movie adaptation of the hit video game, has been pushed to 2022.
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.
Ben Caspit talks this week to former Israeli ambassador to Washington Michael Oren, a long-time expert on Israel-US relations. Oren speaks about the nomination of Robert Malley as the new American special envoy to Iran, noting that "his appointment to the very sensitive position is not likely to dispel Israeli concerns or ease Israeli anxieties." His advice to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is for the Israeli political and defense echelons to present a unified front against renewal of the deal. "We must tell Washington: if you renew the JCPOA, you will be putting Israel and the Middle East on war footing."
Gone were the crowds -- but the lucky few who ventured to the reopened Vatican Museums on Monday were treated to centuries' worth of sumptuous artworks, including inside the Sistine Chapel.

After closing for 88 days since November due to coronavirus restrictions, the collection of museums -- spread over seven kilometres (4.3 miles) within the Vatican -- opened its doors to a mostly local public, capitalising on the empty galleries and a dearth of tourists.

"Today is a celebration," said Director Barbara Jatta, who welcomed photographers and television crews inside.

Jatta had expressed much the same sentiment in June, however, when the museums reopened after being shuttered in March as the pandemic struck Italy before engulfing the rest of Europe.

As the heavy museum doors swung open Monday morning, first in line were tour guides Martina Sorrenti and Vincenzo Spina, who, in normal times, spend five days a week inside guiding visitors.

Art-deprived, they were headed first to the Laocoon, the ancient marble masterpiece discovered on Rome's Esquiline Hill in the 16th century, depicting two serpents coiled around the muscular body of Laocoon and his two sons.

"In past years, the museum was our second home. Today, we're going to rediscover a place we haven't forgotten but has become a little dimmed in our memories," said Spina.

Afterwards they planned to head to the Colosseum, another top site reopened to the public on Monday after Italy's government loosened Covid-19 restrictions in much of the country, including Lazio, the region that includes Rome and Vatican City.

- Art without the tourists -

Museum staff kept busy during the hiatus with restorations, regular artwork maintenance and improvements to the facilities.

Jatta recommended a stop inside the recently restored Borgia Apartments, a suite of vividly frescoed rooms used by pope Alexander VI of the powerful Borgia family before his death in 1503.

Story continues

"You enter into a marvellous 15th century ambiance," said Jatta. "Beforehand it was covered up with a tarp and you couldn't see what was there."

Directly upstairs in the rooms adorned by Renaissance master Raphael and his students, two priests from the order of St. Vincent de Paul appeared starry-eyed.

"I had to seize the opportunity," said Sanon Bertin, who has lived in Rome for six years but never before visited.

Fellow clergyman Richard Corbon agreed it was a unique opportunity to view art in an environment "free of the pressure of tourists".

"I almost have the impression there are more employees than visitors," Corbon said.

As for the Sistine Chapel, its vault and altar wall -- frescoed by Michelangelo -- normally inspire hordes of tourists to crane their necks and brandish their selfie-sticks. But on Monday it was practically empty.

The vast chapel is also looking fresher than it might usually at this time of year, since the shutdown allowed staff to carry out its annual deep-clean a month early.

Revenue from the museums, which employ 700 people, are crucial for filling the coffers of the Vatican State.

The museums averaged about 23,000 visitors per day in 2019, said Jatta, who said she hoped to have "a few thousand" daily in weeks ahead.

"Right now is the moment to come and see the museum of the Pope," she said.

ams/kjl


The worlds richest man Elon Musk has grilled the chief executive of US trading platform Robinhood over the GameStop sharemarket battle in an interview on private social network Clubhouse.

Smartphone friendly trading platform Robinhood came under fire after it stopped its users from buying more GameStop shares last week however chief executive Vlad Tenev said this only occurred after Robinhood received a $US3 billion ($3.8 billion) demand for capital from US regulators.

Elon Musk discussed GameStop on networking app Clubhouse on Monday night. Credit:AP

Musk is the founder of electric car maker Tesla and rocket company Space X with a net worth estimated at over $US194 billion and has inserted himself into the sharemarket battle over GameStop being waged between short selling hedge funds and retail investors.

Spill the beans, man, Musk said to Tenev on Clubhouse. What happened last week? Why couldnt people buy the GameStop shares? The people demand answers, and they want to know the truth.

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.

South Africa: African countries united in COVID-19 response: President

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the COVID-19 pandemic as a health, humanitarian, social and economic crisis, which African countries are responding to collectively.

COVID-19 has affected all the countries on the continent. To date, there are more than 3.5 million confirmed cases in Africa, and more than 88 000 people have died. It has been a health, humanitarian, social and economic crisis for African countries, most of whom are inadequately resourced to manage a health emergency of this size, said the President in his weekly newsletter.

In the letter on Monday, the President reflected on South Africas term as Chair of the African Union (AU), which comes to end later this week.

South Africa assumed Chairship of the AU in the same month that the first case of COVID-19 was reported on the African continent.

Collective response

The President said African countries have come together to fight the pandemic, drawn principally on the continents own expertise, capabilities and institutions such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).



Africa did not sit by passively as the true extent and danger of the pandemic unfurled. From the earliest days of the pandemic and led by the AU, we swiftly developed a continental response strategy, driven by the Africa CDC and regional task forces, he said.

The AU realised that every country on the continent would be severely affected by the pandemic, and that most would not have the resources needed to meet the public health challenge or to protect their economies.

We therefore agreed as African countries to appoint several prominent Africans as special envoys, who would engage with international funders and multilateral institutions to make the case for financial support and debt relief on Africas behalf.

The continent was able to achieve debt relief for many countries and financial assistance towards the COVID-19 response and economic recovery.



But much as African countries went to the international community for support, we first helped ourselves  establishing and capitalising a continental COVID-19 Response Fund.



"For every partnership forged with better-resourced nations and the international donor community, we set up our own innovative and ground-breaking African Medical Supplies Platform to enable all African countries to quickly secure personal protective equipment and other medical supplies in an equitable, affordable manner.

Vaccine rollout

The President said with the COVID-19 vaccine now available, the AU has worked to ensure that the continent gets its fair share, working with the COVAX Facility and led by the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team.

"Vaccine rollout has already commenced on the continent and we aspire to have the majority of the continents population vaccinated by the end of 2021 to achieve herd immunity, he said.

President Ramaphosa said protecting the health and livelihoods of people on the continent has been a priority.

We have acted as one to protect health, people and livelihoods on the continent. In doing so, we have demonstrated our capacity for self-reliance and our ability to be the drivers of our own development.

"Despite the dominance of COVID-19, we have still managed to make advances in several of our key priorities.

Key priorities

During South Africas term as AU Chair, the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was finally launched, heralding a new era of intra-African trade and economic integration.



Even under the difficult conditions posed by the pandemic, the continent has pushed ahead with towards the goal of silencing the guns on the continent.

In addition, the AU has been actively involved in negotiations around the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, achieving a ceasefire in Libya and promoting peace in South Sudan.



Another focus of our term has been on the economic empowerment of women, which we will continue to champion even beyond our term and throughout the Decade of African Womens Financial and Economic Inclusion to 2030, said President Ramaphosa.

As South Africa hands over the baton to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we leave this preeminent continental body in a position of greater strength.

The President said South Africa will contine to play its part to foster integration on the continent, and support the incoming Chair and the AU in its efforts to meet the aspirations of Agenda 2063. - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Myanmar military television says that the military has taken control of the country for one year.

Yangon : Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint, and other senior officials have been detained by the military, the spokesman for the governing National League for Democracy said on Monday.

"I received internal reports about our state counsellor and the president being taken by the military. As far as I was informed, Shan State's Planning and Finance Minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin, Kayah state's NLD chairman Thaung Htay and some NLD representatives of the Ayeyarwady region's Parliament have been detained," the spokesperson said.

"Two members of the Central Executive Committee of the party were taken and I am also waiting to be detained as I was informed by our members that my turn will come shortly," he added.

Phone lines to Naypyitaw, the capital, were not reachable in the early hours of Monday.

Parliament had been due to start sitting there on Monday after a November election the NLD had won in a landslide.

According to Sputnik, In January, Myanmar's military raised the prospect of a coup d'etat after what they believed was widespread voter fraud during the November 8 election, which was the country's second general election since the end of military rule in 2011.

The United States expressed concern by the reports and urged Myanmar's military to respect the rule of law.

"The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the country's democratic transition, including the arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials in Burma," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement from Washington. She said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the reported developments.

Burma is the former name of Myanmar.

" The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed," the statement said.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : The government on Monday to expanded the scope of its Ujjwala scheme, under which it provides free LPG gas connection to an adult woman belonging to a poor family not having cooking gas in her household, by deciding to add 1 crore more beneficiaries.

Announcing the Budget proposals for 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Ujjwala Scheme has so far benefited 8 crore households and next year, the scheme will be extended to cover 1 crore more beneficiaries.

The government has already taken cooking gas coverage to over 98 per cent of households and extension of Ujjwala will provide for full coverage of households.

The Minister also proposed to add 100 more districts in next 3 years to the City Gas Distribution network. She also said that a gas pipeline project will be taken up in Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

In order to unblock the gas pipeline infrastructure for use by all participants, the Budget has proposed an independent Gas Transport System Operator that will facilitate and coordinate booking of common carrier capacity in all-natural gas pipelines on a non-discriminatory open access basis.
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.
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
From inciting insurrection to suddenly seeking new representation. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trump named a new impeachment legal team on Sunday night, one day after all five lawyers who had been set to represent him in next weeks Senate trial reportedly left on account of the former president wanting to use his baseless stolen-election claims as part of his defense. Attorneys Bruce Castor and David Schoen will now lead Trumps defense, spokesperson Jason Miller said in a statement on Sunday. The statement also seemed to signal that Trumps defense strategy will aim to prove that the impeachment is unconstitutional now that he is out of office.

Castor is a former district attorney and longtime Republican politician in Pennsylvania best known for declining to charge comedian Bill Cosby with sexual assault a decade before the accused serial rapist was finally brought to justice. In 2005, when Castor was district attorney in Pennsylvanias Montgomery County, he infamously declined to prosecute Cosby after one of his more than 60 accusers, Andrea Constand, alleged that he had sexually assaulted her. Castor cited a lack of evidence for his decision, but had allegedly offered Cosby a secret immunity agreement. Castors successor reopened the case in 2015 and was ultimately able to convict Cosby for the crime. Castor later served as solicitor general and acting attorney general of Pennsylvania.

Schoen is a longtime trial lawyer who previously represented Roger Stone during his sentencing and subsequent appeal after the longtime Trump associate was convicted of obstruction, witness tampering, and other felonies committed amid Robert Muellers Russia investigation. (Trump later commuted Stones sentence, then eventually pardoned him before leaving office.) Schoen also met with Jeffrey Epstein days before the notorious sex trafficker and pedophile was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell of an apparent suicide. Schoen later said they came to an agreement during the meeting to add him to Epsteins legal team, and that he believed Epstein had not died by suicide.

Trump aides and Republican lawmakers have been trying to steer the defense strategy toward arguing the impeachment is unconstitutional. Its not clear whether or not they have won that argument with the former president. Both Schoen and Castor agree that this impeachment is unconstitutional, Sundays statement said.

How the defense plays out, whatever it is, with Castor and Schoen now in charge remains to be seen. When Intelligencers Olivia Nuzzi asked one of Trump formers lawyers for their reaction to his new legal team, they responded, Should be a circus.

Its also not clear if more lawyers will be joining Trumps legal team, or how Trump will pay for any of them. The RNC covered some of the cost for Trumps first impeachment trial, but it does not appear that they will be footing any of the bill this time around. Trump and the GOP raised more than $255 million between Election Day and January 6, while the president and his many allies contested the election results, though most of the donations came in before the Electoral College voted for Biden in mid-December. Trump left office with tens of millions of dollars in the coffers of his Save America PAC, which the Times reports he can use to fund a post-presidential political operation, including travel and staffing.

The circumstances of Trumps previous legal teams departure also seemed to suggest Trump himself saw the trial as another opportunity to insist he didnt lose the election, rather than argue the impeachment was unconstitutional. On Saturday, all five lawyers on Trumps impeachment-defense legal team parted ways with the former president. According to CNN and the New York Times, the attorneys left after Trump insisted they focus his defense on the baseless stolen-election claims he used to incite the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol (for which he is now being impeached).

One lead lawyer, Butch Bowers, left less than ten days after his hiring was announced. The other, Deborah Barbier, bailed after three. Both were based in South Carolina, as were two former prosecutors on the team, Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris. A North Carolinabased attorney named Josh Howard had also recently joined the effort. But theyre all gone now.

While Trump having a solid legal team and some whiff of a sound defense should theoretically be necessary to secure an acquittal in his impeachment trial, there is next to no chance that enough Republican senators will decide to join the needed two-thirds of the Senate to convict him, regardless of what actually transpires during the trial. Forty-five Senate Republicans voted to dismiss the impeachment last week on the grounds it was unconstitutional to hold an impeachment trial for a president who is no longer in office  despite the fact that former Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell had delayed the start of the trial until after Trump was no longer in office.

Nonetheless, the exodus and sudden replacement of Trumps legal team demonstrates that the dysfunction, disarray, and misplaced attention that plagued Trumps single term in office hasnt ended with his presidency, as the Times Maggie Haberman captured in her report on Saturday:

Mr. Trump had pushed for his defense team to focus on his baseless claim that the election was stolen from him, one person familiar with the situation said. A person close to Mr. Trump disputed that that was the case but acknowledged that there were differences in opinion about the defense strategy. However, Mr. Trump has insisted that the case is simple and has told advisers he could argue it himself and save the money on lawyers. (Aides contend he is not seriously contemplating doing so.)

The decision for Mr. Bowers to leave was mutual, another person familiar with the situation said, adding that Mr. Trump and Mr. Bowers had no chemistry, a quality the former president generally prizes in his relationships. Mr. Trump prefers lawyers who are eager to appear on television to say that he never did anything wrong; Mr. Bowers has been noticeably absent in the news media since his hiring was announced.

CNN adds that Trump wanted the attorneys to argue there was mass election fraud and that the election was stolen from him rather than focus on the legality of convicting a president after hes left office. Trump was not receptive to the discussions about how they should proceed in that regard. None of the attorneys, who had been linked up with Trump via his longtime ally, Senator Lindsey Graham, had yet been paid or signed a letter of intent, CNN reports.

Trump has reportedly struggled to find lawyers willing to defend him in the impeachment trial. Longtime Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani  who spearheaded the Trump teams futile post-election legal campaign to overturn President Bidens victory, is facing a $1.3 billion lawsuit over false claims he made about Dominion Voting Systems amid that effort, and has argued that proving the stolen-election lie would exonerate the president  is apparently not going to be involved. The lawyers who defended Trump in his first impeachment trial wont be either.

Meanwhile, Democrats have revealed their own strategy for the trial, even if the effort will just be making a case for the public and the history books, rather than immovable Senate Republicans. House impeachment managers plan to present both new video footage and eye-witness testimony from the Capitol riot, as the Washington Post reported on Friday:

The goal is to present the Senate with fresh evidence that reveals what Trump knew in advance of the Jan. 6 rampage at the Capitol, as well as how his words and actions influenced those who participated. The rioting left five dead, including one member of the U.S. Capitol Police. In addition, two officers, one with the D.C. Police Department, have since died by suicide.

The effort to present new video evidence and witness testimony appears designed to make Republican senators as uncomfortable as possible as they prepare to vote to acquit Trump, as most have indicated they will do. The prospect of injured police officers describing the brutality of pro-Trump rioters to Republicans who regularly present themselves as advocates of law enforcement could make for an extraordinary, nationally televised scene.

How much evidence House managers will be allowed to present is not entirely clear, as there has been resistance to a lengthy trial among senators on both sides of the aisle, but Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer seemed to back the House plan in an MSNBC interview this weekend.

This post has been updated throughout to include additional reporting.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

More snow is on the way and its going to get more windy, too.

Thats the gist of the latest weather forecast for all of central Pennsylvania.

And everyone from the National Weather Service to AccuWeather to PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is urging everyone to stay off the roads.

As AccuWeather bluntly put it, travel is likely to be dangerous.

The weather service is predicting Cumberland, Lancaster and York Counties could see up to 8 inches of new snow by early Tuesday. The maximum estimate for Dauphin and Franklin counties is 9 new inches, with up to 10 inches of additional snow for Lebanon County.

So, most areas of the midstate could end up with a foot or so to shovel, plow and blow.

Wind could add an unpleasant element to all that. The weather service is predicting winds will pick up and that gusts of 25 mph to 30 mph could be in the offing as the storm continues. So, drifting could enter the equation.

Temperatures are expected to remain around or below freezing until Wednesday when the weather service says they will nudge into the mid-30s and well see some sunshine.

The feds say snow showers are again possible from Thursday night into Sunday.
WOODMERE, Ohio, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- MarshBerry is pleased to announce that the company completed 105 merger & acquisition (M&A) transactions (70 sell side/35 buy side) in 2020, closing another record year for the firm.

MarshBerry remains the number one sell side advisor for the 22nd year in a row and retains the top spot in the industry for total number of clients advised.1 The firm closed transactions representing sell side clients with more than 72 different buyers over the past five years, more than any other active advisor. What makes this feat even more incredible is it was achieved when economies across the globe nearly came to a standstill in Q2 due to COVID-19. However, merger & acquisition (M&A) activity regained its traction and continued at the ravenous pace that was originally anticipated for 2020.

"As the industry's leading investment banker and strategic advisor for insurance firms in the U.S. and abroad, it's more than just the volume of transactions. Our team of value creation architects are dedicated to working with our clients to help them embrace meaningful, and sometimes, painful change in order to grow their business, optimize their value and determine their future," said John Wepler, MarshBerry Chairman & CEO.

With a full suite of solutions, the firm provides Merger & Acquisition Advisory, Business & Perpetuation Planning and Valuations and Debt and Equity Raising services. When considering a transaction, MarshBerry distinguishes itself on leveraging its proprietary approach to identifying the best overall fit for clients.

Based on year-end data, there have been 676 M&A transactions announced in the United States. The reported deal count indicates a 4.32% increase over 2019, which consisted of 648 announced transactions. It is worth noting that the announced 676 transactions de facto occurred in only ten months, as M&A activity was at a virtual stand-still for April and May.2

"In what was a challenging year, MarshBerry was proud to continue to serve our clientele," said Phil Trem, MarshBerry President  Financial Advisory. "With hindsight being 20/20, it's amazing to look back and see how agile our team members were to adjust to the circumstances and how our clients pivoted to integrate new processes and procedures to help them continue their momentum and create value for their partners and clients."

Notable in 2020

MarshBerry Helps Form Oakbridge Insurance Agency (Oakbridge)

No stranger to transactions that bring together multiple independent agencies, MarshBerry led its third transaction of this nature in the last six years by helping four of Georgia's premier insurance brokers, Founders Insurance, Hutchinson Traylor Insurance, McGinty-Gordon & Associates, and Waites & Foshee, to form Oakbridge. The transaction closed on December 31, 2020 . The firm is now one of the largest privately-owned Insurance, Surety, Risk Management and Employee Benefits agencies in the Southeast as well as becoming one of the country's "Top 100" firms as ranked by Business Insurance .

premier insurance brokers, Founders Insurance, Hutchinson Traylor Insurance, McGinty-Gordon & Associates, and Waites & Foshee, to form Oakbridge. The transaction closed on . The firm is now one of the largest privately-owned Insurance, Surety, Risk Management and Employee Benefits agencies in the Southeast as well as becoming one of the country's "Top 100" firms as ranked by . MarshBerry Acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor to Burnham Benefits Insurance Services, Inc. (Burnham)

Burnham, a full-service provider of employee benefits consulting, retirement consulting, wealth management and insurance brokerage services to mid-size and large enterprises, announced on December 9, 2020 , that it entered into a partnership with BRP Group, Inc. Burnham (#79 in Business Insurance's "Top 100" list of largest U.S. brokers), a member of MarshBerry's Connect Network for nearly five years, has annual revenue north of $52 million and represents one of the largest partnerships in BRP's history.

, that it entered into a partnership with BRP Group, Inc. Burnham (#79 in "Top 100" list of largest U.S. brokers), a member of MarshBerry's Connect Network for nearly five years, has annual revenue north of and represents one of the largest partnerships in BRP's history. MarshBerry Acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor to Insgroup, Inc. (Insgroup)

Insgroup (#87 in Business Insurance's "Top 100" list of largest U.S. brokers), a Connect Network member for almost ten years, was acquired by BRP Group, Inc. in November 2020 . With a strong track record of growth, including increasing 2019 revenue by 31% versus 2018, Insgroup brings to BRP risk solutions to clients across a broad range of industries, with particular strengths in real estate, manufacturing, financial services, construction and development and professional and industrial services.

"Top 100" list of largest U.S. brokers), a Connect Network member for almost ten years, was acquired by BRP Group, Inc. in . With a strong track record of growth, including increasing 2019 revenue by 31% versus 2018, Insgroup brings to BRP risk solutions to clients across a broad range of industries, with particular strengths in real estate, manufacturing, financial services, construction and development and professional and industrial services. MarshBerry Acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor to Lighthouse Group (LHG)

LHG, a long-term Connect Network member, and one of the largest independent brokers in Michigan , was acquired by Alera Group in December 2020 . LHG's extensive team of experts deliver industry-leading, tailored solutions continues to meet the needs of clients throughout the country.

, was acquired by Alera Group in . LHG's extensive team of experts deliver industry-leading, tailored solutions continues to meet the needs of clients throughout the country. MarshBerry Acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor to Safeware Insurance Agency Inc. (Safeware)

One80 Intermediaries (One80), a national wholesale broker, program manager, third-party administrator (TPA), insurance consolidator, acquired Safeware, a fully licensed insurance agency and TPA for extended warranty and service plan solutions. One80 is affiliated with Risk Strategies  who was the most acquisitive property & casualty buyer of specialty firms in 2020.

MarshBerry Acts as Exclusive Financial Advisor to Beacon Hill Associates, Inc. (BHA)

Specialty Program Group LLC (SPG), a leading operator of specialty insurance brokerages and underwriting facilities, announced on July 8, 2020 , that it has acquired the assets of BHA - a leading environmental wholesale brokerage firm, including BHA's PartnerOne (P1) environmental underwriting division.

MarshBerry  Helping Clients Learn, Improve & Realize Value

Founded in 1981, MarshBerry serves the insurance brokerage industry, including insurance agents & brokers, specialty distributors, private equity firms, banks & credit unions and insurance carriers. MarshBerry's industry-specific services help clients build, enhance and sustain value through: Market Intelligence & Benchmarking, Organic Growth Consulting, Connect  Executive Peer Exchange Network, Connect Platform  Enterprise Value Accelerator, Merger & Acquisition Advisory*, Debt & Equity Capital Raising, and Financial Consulting. Learn more at www.MarshBerry.com.

1Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence, data pulled as of January 31, 2021; showing the top six advisors with the largest number of deals in 2020. "Clients Advised" represents the number of different buyers or sellers advised during 2020.

2Annual 2020 count as of January 21, 2021. Subsequent announcements may affect 2020 totals in future publications. All transactions are announced deals involving public companies, private equity backed brokers, private companies, banks as well as others including private equity groups, underwriters, specialty lenders, etc. All targets are U.S. only. This data displays a snapshot at a particular point in time and has not necessarily been updated to reflect subsequent changes in prior years, if any. MarshBerry estimates that historically, a low percentage of transactions were publicly announced, but we believe that this has risen to over 50% today. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence, Insurance Journal and other publicly available sources.

*Investment banking services offered through MarshBerry Capital, Inc., Member FINRA and SIPC, and an affiliate of Marsh, Berry & Co., Inc.

Contact:

Lauren Byers, Vice President  Marketing

Phone: 440.392.6546

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE MarshBerry

Related Links

http://www.marshberry.com


St Brigids Day is an important feast day, not only in the Christian calendar but in Irish culture and heritage.

There are many traditions and stories associated with St Brigid, one of Irelands three patron saints along with St Patrick and St Colmcille. Her feast day on February 1 coincides with the ancient, pre-Christian festival of Imbolc which marked the end of winter and the first day of spring.

Today, January 31 is the eve of her feast day and is an important day in preparing for St Brigids Day and for the year ahead.

The best known St Brigids Day tradition by far in the making of crosses using fresh rushes. These are woven in homes, schools and community gatherings across the country. And while there are a few variations on the shape and style of the cross, the tradition is one that has remained largely unchanged for more than 1,000 years.

Crosses made on St Brigids Eve are brought to the church on St Brigids Day to be blessed. It is believed that crosses hung in homes protect the house from fire and hunger. Traditionally, the old cross is thrown into the fire as the new one is hung in its place.

There wont be any St Brigids Cross gatherings today but some communities are offering online versions. And even if we cant be physically together, by making crosses in our own homes we are contributing to a tradition that has survived persecution, famine, mass emigration and the changes of the modern world.

It will of course be different this year due to Covid-19, but no less important. For those hoping to get crosses blessed, some parishes have made arrangements for them to be left in the church for blessing. Individual parish priests will be able to advise on the plans for each community.

Another St Brigids Eve tradition is to leave out a piece of cloth, rag or ribbon overnight and to bring it inside in the early morning before the dew dries. These rags are known as Bratoga Bhride and are believed to bring healing to the sick and protection to the household.

Donegal County Museum has mentioned another lovely tradition - the sharing of a pot of Bruitin which is mashed potatoes, butter and milk. This lovely, warming meal is shared after the crosses are made and is certainly a fitting way to mark the last day of winter.
About 1,500 of the initial volunteers in a late-stage clinical trial of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine were given the wrong dose, but werent informed that a mistake had been made after the blunder was discovered, documents obtained by Reuters show.

Instead, the dosing mishap was presented to the trial participants in a letter dated June 8 as an opportunity for University of Oxford researchers to learn how well the vaccine works at different doses. The letter was signed by the trials chief investigator, Oxford professor Andrew J. Pollard, and sent to the trial subjects.

As Reuters reported on December 24, participants were given about a half dose due to a measuring mistake by Oxford researchers. The Pollard letter didnt acknowledge any error. Nor did it disclose that researchers had reported the issue to British medical regulators, who then told Oxford to add another test group to receive the full dose, in line with the trials original plan.

There is no suggestion there was any risk to the health of trial participants.

Much is riding on the British-developed vaccine, which is being rolled out across the UK and has been touted as a low-cost weapon against the pandemic. The jab has come under scrutiny because of the dosing error in the Oxford trial and a paucity of data about its efficacy in older people who are most vulnerable to the virus.

Reuters shared the letter  which it obtained from the university through a Freedom of Information request  with three different experts in medical ethics. The ethicists all said it indicates the researchers may not have been transparent with trial participants. Volunteers in clinical trials are supposed to be kept fully informed about any changes.

They are not clear at all about what they need to be clear about  whats going on, what they knew, the rationale for undertaking further research," said Arthur L. Caplan, founding head of the Division of Medical Ethics at New York University Grossman School of Medicine. It is lost in a snowstorm of verbiage."

Steve Pritchard, a spokesman for Oxford, told Reuters: The half-dose group was unplanned, but we did know in advance that there was a discrepancy in the dose measurements and discussed this with the regulators before dosing and when the dosing was revised."

Pritchard also said, We have not stated that a dosing error occurred."

Pollard didnt respond to a request for comment.

The spokesmans suggestion that no error was made is contradicted by documents produced last year by Oxford and its vaccine partner, drugs giant AstraZeneca PLC. In December, Reuters reported that a Global Statistical Analysis Plan" by Oxford/AstraZeneca, dated November 17 and later published in the scientific journal The Lancet, called the dosing discrepancy a potency miscalculation."

A spokesman for AstraZeneca declined to comment.

The Health Research Authority, a British government agency responsible for approving medical research and ensuring it is ethical, said in a statement that changes to the study design and the letter sent to participants were approved by one of its ethics committees.

The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine recently has received authorization for use in a growing number of countries, including the United Kingdom, the European Union and India. The UK became the first country to approve it, and began rolling out the vaccine on January 4.

But questions surrounding the clinical trials continue to plague the vaccine. Last week, Germanys vaccine committee recommended it should only be given to people aged under 65, while the EU, which authorized it on Friday for people aged 18 and over, lowered its reported efficacy rate from 70.4% to 60%. In both cases, authorities cited a lack of sufficient data from the clinical trials. The EU also has sharply criticized AstraZeneca for cutting back its planned vaccine deliveries to the continent over the next few months. The company has said it is doing its best to boost supplies.

The mistaken half-dose  which prompted the letter in June to trial participants  continues to be a factor in the reported efficacy of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

Oxford had reported interim results in November that showed the efficacy rate for trial subjects who mistakenly received a half-dose and a subsequent full-dose booster shot was 90%, and that the rate for those who received two full doses was 62%. Combining data from the two dosing regimens resulted in an efficacy of 70.4 per cent.

In authorizing the vaccine, UK regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), accepted the pooled results, but didnt approve administering the half-dose/full-dose regimen. There is not persuasive evidence of a real difference in" vaccine efficacy between the two different dosing regimens, it said.

"RECENT CHANGES"

The vaccines late-stage clinical trial began on May 28. Within days, Oxford researchers realized trial participants had been given lower doses than planned after they displayed milder than expected side effects, such as fever and fatigue. They alerted British medical regulators.

On June 5, the researchers amended the trial protocol at the request of regulators to add a new group that would receive the correct full dose of the vaccine. Three days later, they alerted trial subjects to what they called recent changes in the study" in a two-page letter attached to an updated 13-page Participant Information Sheet."

The letter, signed by chief investigator Pollard, stated that researchers are not sure what dose of vaccine is most likely to be protective against COVID disease" and explained that doses are measured using standard scientific test methods." It said the late-stage trial participants received a dose measured using one method and that another group will receive a dose measured using a different test to match the dose given in another clinical trial of the vaccine.

It said the lower dose is still in the normal range of doses that are used in clinical trials" and if it can provide protection, it might be better for use in vaccine programmes."

Caplan said the explanation would be of no interest whatsoever to the subject because its too technical. To me, that qualifies as gobbledygook. What you want to know is, why are they doing this, we made an error, it involved dosing, were not worried about it."

He and other ethicists interviewed by Reuters said researchers are obligated to be forthcoming with test subjects when things go wrong.

As a letter purporting to explain a) an error and b) a change of protocol I find this entirely inadequate," said Simon Woods, a professor of bioethics at Newcastle University, in an email. It reads like a routine update (and a complex one at that)."

Emma Cave, a professor of healthcare law at Durham Universitys law school, said: Presenting the dosing variation as a planned change in the study is potentially a breach of trust if in fact the dosing resulted from an error. The letter makes clear the dosing change but not the reason for the change."
The consignment was formally handed over to foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi by Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong at Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi

Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday received the first batch of 500,000 doses of the coronavirus Pakistan on Monday received the first batch of 500,000 doses of thevaccine donated by its closest ally, China, as the country gears up to kick start its immunisation drive later this week.

The vaccines were flown in from China on a special plane of the Pakistan Air Force. The consignment was formally handed over to foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi by Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong at Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi.

Alhamdulilah (by the grace of Allah) the first batch of Sinopharm vaccine has arrived! Grateful to China and everyone who made this happen. I salute our frontline healthcare workers for their efforts and they will be first to get vaccinated," tweeted Dr Faisal Sultan, Advisor on Health to Government.

Pakistan will start its vaccination drive later this week, beginning with frontline health workers. So far, over 400,000 health professionals have applied for the jabs. Next, citizens over 65 years would be vaccinated; their registration will start in 10 to 15 days, according to planning minister Asad Umar.

Apart from the free vaccine doses which arrived on Monday, Pakistan will buy another 1.1 million jabs from China, while international vaccine alliance Covax has promised 17 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in the first half of the year.

At the ceremony in Nur Khan Ar Base, Qureshi said China had once again given practical demonstration of its friendship with Pakistan.

"This year is even more significant as it marks 70 years since we established diplomatic ties. We have planned to celebrate [the milestone] and open new doors of cooperation and friendship," he said.

The minister appreciated the top Chinese leadership and its army for critical help in tackling the pandemic.

Chinese Ambassador Rong said Pakistan is the first country to receive the COVID-19 vaccines for free from the Chinese government.

He said China sees Pakistan as its "closest friend" and "priority for cooperation".

On 70 years of diplomatic ties, Rong said, "Our friendship is higher than mountains, deeper than the sea and sweeter than honey. Our hearts grow closer in the joint fight against COVID-19 ."

Meanwhile, all education institutions in Pakistan, from nursery to university level, were reopened on Monday following an over two-month closure due to a second wave of the coronavirus .

Pakistan had reopened school and colleges in September last year, following a five-month break due to the virus outbreak. However, a second virus wave led to all education institutions getting closed on 25 November.

Pakistan had opened schools for grades IX to XII on 18 January. Other education institutes were to reopen on 1 February.

According to the guidelines, strict compliance with COVID-19 standard operating procedures is mandatory.

Students of each section have been divided into two groups and each group will attend classes for three days in a week.

The move comes as the number of recovered COVID-19 cases in Pakistan has reached 501,252, according to the Ministry of National Health Services.

With the 1,615 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, the country''s virus caseload stands at 546,428.

The death toll is 1,683, including 26 deaths in the last 24 hours. Authorities said 2,092 COVID-19 patients are in critical condition.
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
A calculation so complex that it takes twenty years to complete on a powerful desktop computer can now be done in one hour on a regular laptop. Physicist Andreas Ekstrom at Chalmers University of Technology, together with international research colleagues, has designed a new method to calculate the properties of atomic nuclei incredibly quickly.

The new approach is based on a concept called emulation, where an approximate calculation replaces a complete and more complex calculation. Although the researchers are taking a shortcut, the solution ends up almost exactly the same. It is reminiscent of algorithms from machine learning, but ultimately the researchers have designed a completely new method. It opens up even more possibilities in fundamental research in areas such as nuclear physics.

"Now that we can emulate atomic nuclei using this method, we have a completely new tool to construct and analyse theoretical descriptions of the forces between protons and neutrons inside the atomic nucleus," says research leader Andreas Ekstrom, Associate Professor at the Department of Physics at Chalmers.

Fundamental to understanding our existence

The subject may sound niche, but it is in fact fundamental to understanding our existence and the stability and origin of visible matter. Most of the atomic mass resides in the centre of the atom, in a dense region called the atomic nucleus. The constituent particles of the nucleus, the protons and neutrons, are held together by something called the strong force. Although this force is so central to our existence, no one knows exactly how it works. To increase our knowledge and unravel the fundamental properties of visible matter, researchers need to be able to model the properties of atomic nuclei with great accuracy.

The basic research that Andreas Ekstrom and his colleagues are working on sheds new light on topics ranging from neutron stars and their properties, to the innermost structure and decay of nuclei. Basic research in nuclear physics also provides essential input to astrophysics, atomic physics, and particle physics.

Opening doors to completely new possibilities

"I am incredibly excited to be able to make calculations with such accuracy and efficiency. Compared with our previous methods, it feels like we are now computing at lightning speed. In our ongoing work here at Chalmers, we hope to improve the emulation method further, and perform advanced statistical analyses of our quantum mechanical models. With this emulation method it appears that we can achieve results that were previously considered impossible. This certainly opens doors to completely new possibilities," says Andreas Ekstrom.

The project is funded by the European Research Council within the framework of an ERC Starting Grant.

Read more about the work to explore the secrets of the atomic nuclei.

More on the mathematical shortcut

The new emulation method is based on something called eigenvector continuation (EVC). It allows for emulation of many quantum mechanical properties of atomic nuclei with incredible speed and accuracy. Instead of directly solving the time-consuming and complex many-body problem over and over again, researchers have created a mathematical shortcut, using a transformation into a special subspace. This makes it possible to utilise a few exact solutions in order to then obtain approximate solutions much faster.

If the emulator works well, it generates solutions that are almost exactly - circa 99 per cent - similar to the solutions to the original problem. This is in many ways the same principles used in machine learning, but it is not a neural network or a Gaussian process - a completely new method underpins it. The EVC method for emulation is not limited to atomic nuclei, and the researchers are currently looking further into different types of applications.

###

The new findings have been published in two articles:

"Eigenvector continuation as an efficient and accurate emulator for uncertainty quantification", published in Physics Letters B, written by Sebastian Konig, Andreas Ekstrom, Kai Hebeler, Dean Lee and Achim Schwenk. The researchers are active at North Carolina State University, USA, Chalmers University of Technology, Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany and Michigan State University, USA.

"Global Sensitivity Analysis of Bulk Properties of an Atomic Nucleus", published in Physical Review Letters, written by Andreas Ekstrom, Chalmers, and Gaute Hagen, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA.

For more information, please contact:

Andreas Ekstrom, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, +46 31 772 36 85 andreas.ekstrom@chalmers.se

Elunow is redefining in-home and personal care provision with a fully automated, self-service platform which securely matches people needing care with a selection of qualified, local caregivers with the right skills and availability. By offering on-demand in-home care at affordable prices, with no long-term contracts, Elunow enables careseekers to find quality care when they need it, helping to build long-term trusted relationships between caregivers and careseekers.

Elunow Founder and CEO Marion Teder said: "In a society with an aging population, there is a shortage of quality in-home care available, which is only going to get worse. Older adults want help to stay in their own homes and to live fulfilling, independent lives, but as the costs of providing care rise, families and friends are often left bearing the burden.

I passionately believe everyone should be able to access the care they need, quickly and affordably. Elunow will make that a reality. Registration is quick and easy. Answer just a few simple questions about the care you need, when you need it and for how long, and we'll match you with qualified and available caregivers. You'll be able to select the caregiver that's best for you, based on their profile, experience and hourly rate together with ratings and reviews from other clients.

We're actively recruiting experienced caregivers in London now. We'll be announcing our first launch location very shortly."

Martin Villig, co-founder, Bolt said: "It's great to see another company founded in Estonia launching in the UK, especially offering such an innovative service in the social care space. Elunow is a great example of how technology can enable those with long-term care needs to continue to live fulfilling lives in their own homes."

Peep Vain, best-selling author and an early-stage investor in both Pipedrive and Elunow said: "I was first introduced to Elunow as a client when I was looking for care for my elderly parents. I just book the care they need when they need it. It's a huge relief knowing that they're being looked after when I'm not around and that they can continue to live fulfilling lives in their own home."

The undisclosed investments will be used to launch a pilot project in London. Elunow is actively recruiting caregivers for the platform now.

About Elunow UK

Elunow is redefining home and personal care provision by securely matching people needing in-home care with a selection of qualified, local caregivers with the right skills and availability. We empower caregivers by giving them real-time flexibility to set their own hours and earn a decent income by working in the way that best meets their needs and those of their clients. At the same time, our algorithms enable careseekers to find quality care when they need it, supporting long-term relationships with trusted and experienced local caregivers. Elunow was founded in Estonia in 2017 by Young Female Entrepreneur of the Year, CEO Marion Teder. The platform launched in the UK in 2020.

For more information, visit www.elunow.com

Notes to Editors

Martin Villig co-founded ride-hailing app Bolt with his brother Markus in his native Estonia aged just 19. Seven years later, Bolt is available in more than 35 countries and is valued at over 1.5 Billion.

By 2030, there will be 1.2 million more people aged 85 in the UK than we have today - an increase of nearly 80% between 2018 and 20332 https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/adult-social-care-workforce-data/Workforce-intelligence/publications/national-information/The-size-and-structure-of-the-adult-social-care-sector-and-workforce-in-England.aspx

Age UK estimate that one in seven adults aged 65+ are struggling without the help they need to carry out everyday tasks such as getting out of bed, visiting the bathroom, washing and getting dressed https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/campaigns/ge-2019/age-uk-general-election-manifesto-2019.pdf

SOURCE Elunow UK

Related Links

www.elunow.com


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

By Sarah McCammon | NPR

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.

On Jan. 6, Hilary Izatt was watching TV when she began to worry.

"My husband and I are both political scientists; we're kind of nerdy; we watch C-SPAN a lot," Izatt says. "And when we were watching C-SPAN is when the rioters started breaking into the Capitol."

Izatt, 39, is a doctoral student in political science at the University of Michigan. She says her dad, who lives in Utah, had told her he was traveling to Washington, D.C., to join the massive pro-Trump rally planned for that day.

What she saw unfolding on the screen scared her.

A DIFFERENT -- DANGEROUS -- REALITY

"I was mostly worried for his safety and I texted him and he got back to me and he just said, 'Don't believe everything you're watching on TV,' " she says. "So I don't believe like C-SPAN? I'm not sure what he meant by that."

"But it was this realization that I think we're coming from two very different realities."

Izatt's father declined to comment, but Izatt says she believes he was not among the group that stormed the Capitol. Still, she's uncomfortable with the idea that he was there that day at all.

Like Izatt, many Americans are feeling like they've lost loved ones to a web of conspiracy theories and false information circulating online. A recent NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist poll, for example, found that only 1 in 5 Republicans accept Biden's victory.

IDEAS HAVE CONSEQUENCES

"Beliefs are real in their consequences," says James Hawdon, director of the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention at Virginia Tech.

He says the widespread acceptance of disinformation is not only divisive, but also dangerous for the country.

"We act on our beliefs. If you truly believe the country is under attack ... if this, of course, is not true ... obviously it poses a threat," Hawdon says.

People often latch onto pieces of misinformation that align with their world view, and gradually begin to accept even bigger lies, he says.

"You can get people to step, take small steps off the path of truth or reality or whatever you want to call it, more easily than taking a big leap," Hawdon says. "But once you've gone several yards off that path, then the big leap's pretty easy to make."

Those ideas often are appealing because they validate part of a person's belief system or identity, Hawdon says, and they're difficult to shake.

LOST IN "LA-LA LAND"

Dennis, a retiree from Maryland -- who asked that we use only his first name for fear of his safety in the current climate -- has grown increasingly worried about his daughter's embrace of false ideas about the election.

"She's talked about the election being stolen and I've pushed back on that - you know, the standard, 'Where's your proof? And how do you suppose this happened?' " Dennis says.

His daughter, Paula, lives near Baltimore and works as an office manager. In an interview with NPR, she says her father told her she was "in La-La Land, but I really don't feel that I am."

Paula says she's been a conservative all of her life. She says she distrusts elected officials and cannot believe Biden won -- despite what many courts and elections have repeatedly confirmed -- and regardless of what her dad said about her grasp of reality.

"I was a little bit irritated, but my response is, 'Well, I'm there with 70 million other people, then,' " she says.

GETTING TO THE ROOT CAUSE

Hawdon, the violence prevention researcher at Virginia Tech, says c In the short term, if a loved one is spouting misinformation, he advises pushing back kindly -- and trying to understand what led to that belief.

"I don't really believe people started off believing that there are pedophile rings under a pizza place," he says. "Something got them down that rabbit hole and you have to understand what that root cause is."

Just as people often take small steps toward conspiracy theories, Hawdon says, they may need to gradually move away from them, too.

Deen Freelon, a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill specializing in politics and digital media, says a heavier hand is necessary in some situations.

"People don't understand that they have a problem," Freelon says. "A light touch is really not going to do it here; we really have to pull out all the stops because we've seen what happens when we don't."

Freelon says that may mean withholding contact for a while, or prohibiting grandparents who are condoning insurrection from spending time with grandchildren.

"People lost their lives," he says. "So this is really serious."

"CRAZY IDEAS" WITH CONSEQUENCES

Hilary Izatt says she's unsure how to talk to her dad, but she anticipates some tough conversations.

"I think a lot of Americans are being forced to figure out what side they're on. Are you crouching in the Capitol hiding from rioters, or are you rioting the Capitol?" she says. "And I think that means it's gonna change a little bit the dynamic with my own family."

Amy Bruckman, a professor at Georgia Tech who studies social computing, says personal relationships can help squash conspiracy theories. But achieving that goal also will require continued cooperation from tech companies and leadership from elected officials, she says.

"I think a lot of these crazy ideas are a product of the time, and having national leadership normalize crazy ideas makes people more likely to accept them," she says.

It will take time, Bruckman says, but she's hopeful that, little by little, Americans will reject disinformation.

WE LOVE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
ADVERTISEMENT

A civilian driver with the Nigeria Police Force, Waheed Adewale, attached to the Federal Investigation Bureau, Special Tactical Squad, Lagos, has been arrested for attempting to sell a car snatched at gunpoint.

While Mr Adewale reportedly snatched the car in Lagos, he was arrested in Osogbo, the Osun State capital when he was about to sell off the car.

According to Osun State Commissioner of Police, Wale Olokode, the suspect was apprehended on January 20, 2021 when he was looking for a buyer.

One Waheed Adewale, aged 52, from Ikeja, Lagos State, was intercepted and arrested with a Toyota Camry with number plate, FKJ 818 DL, along llobu/lfon Road, where the suspect was trying to look for a buyer for a car.

Further investigation revealed that the car was snatched at gunpoint opposite World Oil, Jakande area, Lekki, Lagos State. Efforts are already in top gear to apprehend other suspects. The suspect will be charged to court at the completion of the investigation, the police chief said while parading the suspect on Friday.

Meanwhile, the accused told journalists that he was not a thief as described by the police.

He claimed to have tracked the car to Osogbo after it was stolen by unknown gunmen.

I arrived at Osogbo late. The following morning, I called those that were keeping the vehicle and they told me that they were at Isale Osun, Osogbo. When I met them, they said they could not get a buyer for it. I was arrested while we were looking for money to retain the vehicle. I am not a thief.
BERKELEY (BCN)

The University of California at Berkeley on Sunday morning issued an advisory confirming a surge in student COVID-19 cases, "including students who live in campus housing."

The university posted the advisory at 9 a.m. and updated it at 11 a.m. to note that "All residential students were sent a message about how to help reduce virus transmission in the community."

The university's novel coronavirus dashboard shows that 44 people tested positive on Saturday, representing 3.2% of the 1,362 tests analyzed.

For the period from Aug. 30 through Jan. 30 the university has seen 544 confirmed cases, with a positivity rate of 0.4%.

"We are now seeing a need to quarantine more students because they were exposed to the virus," the university said in the advisory.

"It is critical and required by current public health orders, that you do not attend indoor gatherings -- large or small -- with people outside your household. Even if you think it is safe, it probably is not."

Contact tracing and quarantine/isolation management are being done by University Health Services, which is reaching out to students who have been exposed.

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.

(@FahadShabbir)

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 02nd February, 2021) The UN Security Council is moving to Tuesday a meeting on Myanmar that was originally scheduled for Thursday following the military coup there, Chairperson Barbara Woodward said on Monday.

"We are moving the meeting [on Myanmar] forward to tomorrow," Woodward, who chairs the Security Council through February on behalf of the United Kingdom, told a press conference. "The most important thing is that the Security Council responds to the coup and uses its efforts to help Myanmar back on the path to democracy."

At the closed meeting on Tuesday, Security Council members will discuss an end to the Myanmar coup and military rule, a release of prisoners and the restoration of democracy, Woodward explained.

"We are discussing with Security Council members what measures most fruitfully might lead Myanmar back to democracy.

...The main thing we are looking to do now is to secure her [Suu Kyi's] release along with that of her Cabinet and others who have been detained and put Myanmar back on the path to democracy," Woodward said.

Woodward also expressed concern about the plight of Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority following the coup.

"We remain deeply concerned by the humanitarian plight of the refugees. We very much hope it will be possible for them to return to Rakhine state but that is not a secure solution at the moment. The situation has got worse, not better," she said.

State Counselor Aung Suu Kyi along other top politicians were detained in the early hours of Monday, with Myanmar's military declaring a one-year state of emergency after weeks of escalating tensions over allegations of vote-rigging in the November election.
IRVINE, Calif., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The teams of EB5 Investors and Uglobal Immigration magazines are bringing their long industry experience to host the Virtual EB-5 and Uglobal Immigration Expo Africa on Feb. 9-10, 2021.

In light of the booming HNWI population in many of Africa's nations, many are looking for global mobility options. The two-day investment immigration expo will gather hundreds of migration agents, attorneys, investors, developers, EB-5 regional centers and other distinguished global immigration investment professionals in a virtual platform, which uses one-on-one video features. Attendees can access the free online event from any device, such as a phone, computer or tablet.

The conference will feature interactive panels moderated by experienced industry key players, as well as in-depth educational workshops, networking opportunities in the virtual lounge and in the online exhibitor hall with companies from around the globe.

Attendees can learn about the latest trends and regulations of the American EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program as well as other global citizenship by investment and residency by investment programs, including Malta, Portugal, Cyprus, Australia and various Caribbean island nations.

"Given our success in hosting events throughout the world, we want to share our industry experience to the growing markets in Africa," said Ali Jahangiri, publisher of EB5 Investors and Uglobal Immigration magazines. "The African continent is increasingly becoming a hub for investment immigration activity as investors look to expand their worldwide mobility. We can't wait to share our network of professionals with attendees of our Feb. 9-10 expo."

Panel topics will include educational updates on EB-5 legislation and due diligence, European investment immigration options, global mobility and regional issues facing investors and service professionals in Africa.

The expo organizers, a United States-based company, is the force behind America's largest EB-5 publication and the leading global citizenship-by-investment and residency-by-investment publication. Over the last decade, it has hosted conferences around the world in destinations from Los Angeles, New York and Las Vegas to China, Brazil, South Korea, India, Vietnam and South Africa.

To register for the free Virtual EB-5 and Uglobal Immigration Expo Africa, please click the link:

www.eventbrite.com/e/132606733309/?discount=Editorial_Press

For more info, contact Editor-in-Chief Marie Ekberg Padilla at marie@eb5investors.com

Read more about us at www.uglobal.com and www.eb5investors.com

Related Links

http://www.uglobal.com



SOURCE Uglobal
The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574.

Community Perspective

Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer.

Letters to the editor

Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer.
* Username

This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely!
The two lawyers Donald Trump hired at the last minute to defend him at his Feb. 9 Senate impeachment trial are no strangers to controversial cases but are generally regarded as straight-shooters who won't push the former president's wild election-fraud claims.

David Schoen and Bruce Castor came on board Sunday after a previous legal team headed by South Carolina lawyer Butch Bowers quit after barely a week, reportedly over Trump's insistence that they base his impeachment defense on arguments that the 2020 election was stolen.

Schoen told The Washington Post on Sunday he would not make fraud arguments, and a former colleague said he couldn't see Castor touching Trump's "preposterous" claims either.

"He's smart and he knows it's bull," said David Keightly, who worked with Castor in the district attorney's office of Montgomery County, Penn.

Though Schoen has disavowed claiming the election was stolen, he's no stranger to politically charged arguments. It's likely Trump turned to the Alabama solo practitioner based on his work last year on behalf of the former president's longtime ally Roger Stone.

Representing Stone in his appeal of his November 2019 conviction for witness tampering and lying to Congress during the probe into Russian election interference, Schoen quickly adopted Trump's claim that the case was part of a massive "witch hunt" perpetrated by corrupt prosecutors.

It's the kind of case Trump may want to make against the House majority's charge that he incited the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection that left five people dead. Schoen never found out if his argument for Stone was persuasive though -- Trump commuted his ally's 40-month sentence in July and then granted him a full pardon in December.

Schoen didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Seth Ginsberg, Stone's other lawyer on the appeal case, praised Schoen in an email Monday, saying, "David is an intelligent, hard-working lawyer who I am sure will provide solid representation to his client."

Stone likewise praised his former lawyer. "David Schoen is one of the most brilliant attorneys I have ever met because he understands the dynamics of both the law and politics and how they interact," the political operative said.

On his website, Schoen says he is known for using "creative, novel legal theories not previously recognized" to score wins in court over more than three decades, in cases ranging from racketeering and international organized crime to securities violations and money laundering. He has previously defended clients in criminal cases including murder and rape.

A longtime prosecutor specializing in murder cases, Castor, 59, is perhaps best-known now for his role in a sexual assault case. In 2005, when he served as district attorney for suburban Montgomery County, just outside Philadelphia, Castor declined to prosecute Bill Cosby after Temple University employee Andrea Constand came forward with allegations that the comedian had drugged and assaulted her at his mansion. Castor said the evidence was "insufficient."

The decision likely cost him when he tried to reclaim the district attorney job in 2015 after a stint as county commissioner. After Cosby was charged with assault, Castor was forced into the uncomfortable position of witness for the defense. He testified that he'd struck a secret non-prosecution agreement with Cosby and that he thought Constand's claims wouldn't withstand scrutiny at trial. Cosby was convicted on three counts of assault and sentenced to three to 10 years in prison.

In 2016, the Republican became a top deputy to then Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, D. He then served briefly as acting state attorney general when Kane was forced to resign after being convicted of perjury. Castor, who did not respond to a request for comment, now works in private practice for a law firm in Philadelphia.

"I don't think Bruce is an ideologue," said Keightly. "I think he's a good lawyer and he'll do a good job for Trump."

Castor's home turf of Montgomery County and other Philadelphia suburbs were the focus of a number of Trump campaign lawsuits aimed at overturning the state's election results. Such areas, which strongly favored Democrats, were largely responsible for delivering Pennsylvania to President Joe Biden.
Got some scoop for our reporters or editors? Click on the link below to send us your information.

Send your news
Sydney Taylor is the winner of the winter 2020 scholarship essay contest. I was thrilled to find out I won the scholarship and enjoyed researching fire sprinklers to write the essay.

Ivey Engineering, Inc., (IEI), an engineering consulting firm, is pleased to announce that Sydney Taylor of Foxfield, Colo., is the winner of the winter 2020 bi-annual scholarship essay contest. She was awarded $1,000, is currently a junior at Brigham Young University-Idaho and is majoring in English.

"I was thrilled to find out I won the scholarship and enjoyed researching fire sprinklers to write the essay," says Taylor, after finding out she won the scholarship.

Taylor chose English as her major since it will allow her to specialize in a variety of fields. After graduating from a charter high school with her associate's degree, she attended one semester at BYU-Idaho. Soon after, she left for Uruguay to serve a mission for her church for 18 months, but returned home early due to the pandemic.

"I haven't had a whole lot of time to explore my options after college, and I'm trying to figure out what I want to do," she says.

Taylor competed with more than 100 other college students from the United States and Canada. Applicants were required to write an 800- to 1,000-word essay on one of several topics and were judged for creativity and originality. Taylor's winning essay discusses four types of fire sprinkler systems and that each has its own unique uses, strengths and applications.

"Understanding fire sprinkler systems is crucial for engineers, architects and construction workers as they create and maintain buildings, so that the right system can be used in every case," Taylor explains in her essay. "Fire sprinkler systems avert countless disasters annually, and moderate the severity of countless more," she says.

"Sydney's essay is well written and creative in how she introduced the information," says Bill Ivey, vice-president of IEI. "Based on the quality of her essay, you know she spent considerable time doing research on the subject," he says.

Taylor is exploring several career options in the future after graduating from collegea higher degree in psychology or possibly a career in technical writing.

"Ultimately, I want to find work that is fulfilling and that will allow me to care for the family which I hope to have," Taylor says.

In total, the IEI scholarship program, in its fifth year, has awarded $8,000 to university students. Any potential or current college or university undergraduate student within the United States or Canada is able to apply for the scholarship. The next deadline for essay submissions is May 1, 2021. For contest requirements or for more information about the scholarship, visit IEI's scholarship web page.

About Ivey Engineering

IEI is an expert witness and building systems consulting firm in San Diego, California. Established in 1994, IEI services clients in over 40 states. IEI's consultants have experience in the design, construction, service and repair of HVAC, plumbing and fire protection systems, as well as energy efficiency related issues. To read more about Ivey Engineering and its consulting services, visit the companys website.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu will pay a state visit to the French capital on Wednesday to meet her French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and several high-ranking governmental officials, the president's press-service said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2021) Moldovan President Maia Sandu will pay a state visit to the French capital on Wednesday to meet her French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and several high-ranking governmental officials, the president's press-service said on Monday.

"The President of the Republic Of Moldova Maia Sandu will make an official visit to Paris on February 3-4, to give a new impetus to political, economic and cultural relations between the Republic of Moldova and France. During this visit, the head of state will meet the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron," the press service said in a statemet.

The Moldovan leader will meet with several senior governmental officials, including Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, heads of the France's parliamentary houses Gerard Larcher and Richard Ferrand, Minister for Transformation and Public Service Amelie de Montchalin, and Louise Mushikiwabo, the secretary general of the Francophonie international organization.

Sandu will also meet with the administration of the Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF), the country's largest union of business owners.
The move was met with panic and incredulity. Critics accused the European Union, which spent years criticizing the Trump administration for erecting trade barriers, of doing the same. And Brexit supporters found fresh ammunition against the bloc, accusing it of trying to take vaccines away from Britons, whose country is in the throes of a catastrophic second wave and was finally doing a good job getting them immunized.

The idea was a brainchild of Ms. von der Leyen and her inner circle, several senior E.U. officials said. Six such officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they did not want to publicly criticize Ms. von der Leyen, said that the president had solely relied, per her habit, on an extremely small subgroup of advisers, excluding from deliberations not only expert staff, but even some of her senior cabinet members.

And when it came to presenting the policy to the public, Ms. von der Leyen sent out Ms. Kyriakides, the health commissioner, and Valdis Dombrovskis, a commission vice president who handles several economy issues, including trade.

On Friday night, as the legal text of the hastily assembled policy was published, reporters noticed it made provisions for the European Union to activate a nuclear clause in the divorce terms with Britain, known as Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which practically reinstitutes a hard border on the island of Ireland, one of the toughest points the bloc had to smooth over with Britain.

The idea was that activating that clause would close a loophole for Britain to spirit away E.U. vaccines out of the bloc by using the lack of borders between the Republic of Ireland, an E.U. country, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

The fallout was fast and furious. By 1 a.m. Saturday, following several tense calls including with Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain, Ms. von der Leyen performed an embarrassing U-turn, reversing the Article 16 invocation.
Columnist

Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich).
TOKYO: Japan has no plans to repatriate its nationals from Myanmar, a foreign ministry official said on Monday, after Myanmars military arrested leader Aung San Suu Kyi, while the Japanese embassy in the country called on citizens to stay indoors.

Myanmars army declared a state of emergency on Monday as it said it carried out detentions of senior government leaders in response to fraud during last years general election.

There are an estimated 3,500 Japanese in Myanmar, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, Tokyo had been advising citizens to put off travel there, said the official, who asked to remain unidentified, adding there are no current plans to change that advisory.

The Japanese embassy in Myanmar, in a message posted on the Foreign Ministrys website, said while the situation in the country at this point did not appear to be one that would involve ordinary people, people should exercise caution.

We encourage people to stay inside and refrain from going out unless absolutely essential," it added.

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
At United, a spokeswoman said the carrier would strive to lower the actual number of job cuts, just as it did last fall after initially sending federal WARN Act notices to 36,000 employees in July. The Chicago-based company ended up laying off 13,000 people in October when the first round of payroll aid ended.
The three-decade conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh caused great damage to the region, but today Azerbaijan is capable of ensuring sustainable development of Karabakh taking into account the fact that economically Karabakh is in a single space with other regions of the country. (See Financial hopelessness of Karabakh separatists).

Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication of the Republic of Azerbaijan estimated, that rehabilitation, social welfare and local economic opportunities available in Jojug Marjanli, a village freed by Azerbaijan from Armenian occupation in 2016, have a serious advantage over any relevant settlement in the territories occupied by Armenia. It demonstrates how Azerbaijan and Armenia viewed differently the economic development and a decent standard of living. Lack of raw materials and export markets, lack of investment, limited transport and logistics opportunities are the primary factors determining how the development of industries in the mountainous part of Karabakh has no prospect.

The 2019 statistics of the so-called regime in Nagorno-Karabakh report that the sectors with the largest share in GDP were mining, hydropower, agriculture, alcohol production (especially mulberry alcoholic drinks produced by Artsakh Brandy Company).

In 2019, the mining industry accounted for 13.7 per cent of the GDP of the so-called regime. For twenty years, the Armenian government has attracted about two dozen foreign companies that invested in the mining, construction, woodworking industries, telecommunications. Over the past ten years, companies from the UK, France, Iran, USA, Russia, Switzerland, Germany, Holland and others invested $ 470 mln in the occupied territories. Gold deposits in Kelbajar, Agder and Zangilan were subjected to the greatest looting. The reserves of the plundered Vezhnali gold deposit located in the Zangilan region amounted to about 6.5 tons.

Base Metals, a subsidiary of the Australian International Base Metals Limited, created by an Armenian businessman, was operating gold and copper deposits in the village of Gyzylbulag (Drmbon) in the Agderinsky region since 2002. Every month 12,000 tons of ore were mined from the deposit and then processed at the plant. The concentrate was exported to Armenia, and after secondary processing, copper-containing gold was supplied to the European market. Base Metals, one of the leading taxpayers involved in looting in the occupied territories does not operate although it has illegally invested $ 250 million in the Kashen copper-molybdenum field in the Aghdara region.

GeoMiningPro Gold, a company that operates the Zod gold deposit in Kalbajar and caused environmental terror in the region, has also stopped its illegal activities as the areas plundered by this company came under the control of its rightful owner.

The companies Maneks Valeks and Armenian Copper Proqramme also mined minerals in the occupied territories. Then they sent stolen copper to European smelters; the GF company and the Cuban company, which invested $ 20 mln in the production of souvenirs using precious stones from Karabakh.

Along with the deposits, forests in the occupied lands were also plundered. In 1988, the forest fund in the region amounted to 228,000 hectares, and in 2020, only 174,000 hectares are left. Moreover, the supporters of the occupation, leaving the territories liberated by Azerbaijan, set fire to houses and forests. It was the deliberate destruction of a unique ecosystem created by dense forests, consisting mainly of valuable and perennial oaks, junipers, beeches, hornbeams, pines, ash and nuts. There were also fires caused by the use of phosphorus bombs.

Another source of enrichment for the NKR separatist authorities was healing mineral water from the springs of Yukhara and Ashagi Istisu, Bagyrsak in the Kelbajar region, Ilygsu and Minkand in the Lachin region, Turshsu in the Shusha region, Syrlan. The water was bottled and exported to the world market under Armenian brands. Now, as Azerbaijan has restored its sovereignty in these areas, the transportation and export of the mineral waters as an Armenian product has been impossible.

With the liberation of the occupied territories, the largest wine producers Mike-Hadrut and Kataro winery stopped their illegal business as these areas came under the control of Azerbaijan. On the other hand, Stepanakert Brandy Company and the Artsakh Brandy Company, the largest taxpayers of the so-called regime in the mountainous regions of Karabakh, have lost over 50 percent of vineyards as these land are now controlled by Azerbaijan.

All these testify to the fact that none of the industries based in the mountainous part of Karabakh has the development perspectives without integrating into the Azerbaijani economy. The analysis shows that raw materials supply, sales market and investments in this area is possible only if it is a part of the single economic space of Azerbaijan.
[February 01, 2021] Priority Power Acquires Satori Energy Solutions

Priority Power Management, LLC ("Priority" or the "Company"), an independent energy management services and consulting firm, today announced that it has acquired Satori Energy Solutions, LLC ("Satori"). The transformative transaction creates a leading nationwide provider of energy services with significantly enhanced service offering, broadened geographic footprint, and industry expertise. Satori, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, was one of the first energy service firms to emerge after deregulation and today provides industry-leading expertise and service to more than 55,000 industrial, municipal, and residential clients in 25 states and the District of Columbia, Canada, and Mexico. The company's capabilities span the spectrum of Energy Structuring and Market Intelligence Operations, including: energy procurement, market price monitoring, contract administration, review, and negotiation, transaction due diligence, demand-side curtailment program evaluation, energy and invoice auditing, capacity PLC notification, budgeting and forecasting, and utility account and service setup. Satori also has significant experience and expertise in Energy Transition, from sustainable energy and energy resiliency solutions, including community solar aggregation and behind-the-meter installations, to purchase of Renewable Energy Credits and carbon offsets, LEED certification, and Energy Star Certification and Benchmarking that will immediately enhance Priority's work on ESG delivery, which has already enabled clients to avoid more than 6.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. "The addition of Satori is consistent with our and our financial partner Ara Partners' vision to create the leader in climate-conscious power solutions on a national basis," said John Bick, Managing Principal at Priority. "By incorporating atori's geographic expertise and strong customer relationships, the combined company will have the best capabilities for advising clients on power needs, and assisting them in pursuing resilient and carbon neutral solutions. David Wiers is a true industry visionary, and we are very impressed by everything he and Satori have achieved. We are excited to welcome him and his team to Priority."



David C. Wiers, founder and President of Satori, has joined Priority as a member of the Executive Management Team and will play an important role in growing the combined company. Mr. Wiers commented, "We are very proud of what we have built at Satori over the past 17 years, and we believe our future growth opportunities are even more attractive as part of Priority. There are significant synergies beginning immediately that will enable us to create incremental value for our combined client base. Importantly, our teams share the same client-focused approach to our work and together will possess a breadth of knowledge and experience that is unparalleled in our industry."

Satori was named The Energy Professionals Association's Broker of the Year in 2015, 2017, and 2020 - the only firm to win the award three times. The Company ranked first in supplier satisfaction in the Energy Research Consulting Group's aggregator, broker, and consultant study three years in a row. Satori also received Energy Star's Service & Product Provider Partner status for its work helping clients reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Priority is backed by Ara Partners, a private equity firm specializing in decarbonization investments in the industrial & manufacturing, chemicals & materials, energy efficiency & green fuels, and food & agriculture sectors. About Priority Power Priority Power is the #1 Independent Energy Solutions Provider focused on Energy Infrastructure, Energy Transition Program Management, Market Intelligence Operations, and Energy Structuring. Priority serves over 1,600 clients, totaling $2.4/BN in energy spend across 37 states. For more information on Priority, please visit www.prioritypower.net. About Ara Partners Ara Partners is a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments. Ara Partners invests in the industrial & manufacturing, chemicals & materials, energy efficiency & green fuels, and food & agriculture sectors, seeking to build businesses that are focused on sustainability and ESG principles. For more information on Ara Partners, please visit www.arapartners.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005470/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.



Romania's motor vehicle registrations this January stood at 7,625, by 46.8 percent higher YoY, informs the Association of Automotive Manufacturers and Importers (APIA), citing data provided by the Driving Licenses and Vehicle Registration Department.

Of the total number of vehicles, 6,004 were new cars, 51.9 percent lower than the 12,489 units registered in January last year.

The Dacia brand tops the ranking in the category of new cars registered this January, with 914 units, followed by Ford (763 units), Toyota (711), Hyundai (661) and Skoda (468).

At 32,366 units, used car registrations were 6.9 percent less than in the year-ago period.

Registrations of new commercial vehicles (LCVs, HCVs, minibuses, buses and special vehicles) were 12.4 percent down YoY, standing at 1,621 units.

As many as 242 units were registered in the reporting period on the motorcycles segment (motorbikes, mopeds, ATVs), up 10 percent YoY.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  More close contacts of the COVID-19 cases found with the more transmissible variant in the Cordillera Administrative Region have tested positive for coronavirus, the Department of Health reported on Monday.

A total of 447 of their first to third generation close contacts have been traced in the region. Eighty-three contacts of the cases in Bontoc in Mountain Province, including the 12 patients found with the variant first detected in United Kingdom, have tested positive in RT-PCR swab tests. Meanwhile, six contacts of the UK variant case in La Trinidad, Benguet also contracted the virus.

However, despite the 89 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Cordillera Region linked to the UK variant cases, only 10 samples have been sent to the Philippine Genome Center to check if they are also carrying the more contagious variant.

Instead of running the usual 750 samples per week, the genome center ran only 48 samples last week due to the delayed delivery of supplies, Health Department spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media forum.

"The reagents came last night and the sequencing kits will be arriving Wednesday or Thursday this week. We are fast tracking the release of these reagents from Customs. Hopefully we can start the sequencing for 750 samples again," she said.

She added global shortage of reagents is also a factor in the downsizing of samples tested. To prevent this from happening again, Vergeire said PGC will make advanced purchase for up to six months.

Meanwhile, DOH said the UK variant case who arrived in the country from Dubai is now deemed closed after his close contacts were tested and isolated. The samples of his contacts sent to the PGC were not detected with the new variant.

The Philippines has at least 17 confirmed cases of the B.1.1.7 variant first found in UK.
Philadelphia City Council members Monday presented an ordinance that would impose additional oversight and procedures for awarding contracts and vetting groups looking to provide the coronavirus vaccine.

The proposed ordinance comes after the city severed ties with Philly Fighting COVID  a self-described group of college kids that once oversaw the citys largest mass vaccination site. The fallout continues to roil Philadelphia.

The legislation  slated for introduction later this week  would require the city to have a contractual relationship with vaccine providers in Philadelphia, regardless of any exchange of money. Both Philly Fighting COVID and the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, another group providing vaccines, were previously administering vaccines without city contracts.

No vaccine doses will be available to those without a city contract, and city departments will be not be allowed to award contracts to groups without specifying and evaluating the organizations experience, the legislation states. City departments will also be required to put in writing what experience qualifies the selected group to deliver vaccines safely.

 READ MORE: The city trusted a group of college kids to lead its vaccine rollout. But Philly Fighting COVID was full of red flags from the start.

The proposed safeguards come one week after the city abruptly ended its partnership with Philly Fighting COVID after The Inquirer questioned the city about the groups privacy policy, which allowed it to sell personal data through a previously undisclosed for-profit arm. The group, helmed by a 22-year-old Drexel graduate student with little medical background, ran a mass vaccination site at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. CEO Andrei Doroshin later confessed to taking several vaccine doses from the Convention Center to administer to his girlfriend and friends.

This legislation, Council President Darrell L. Clarke said during a news conference, would give City Council more oversight in partnerships, like the one with Philly Fighting COVID, to make sure this will never happen again.

We have to make sure that the confidence of the citizens of the city of Philadelphia is in place, and its not there now. Im getting calls from all over about what the hecks going on, Clarke said. The city of Philadelphia is basically an embarrassment across the country.

The ordinance would also require departments to specify that the vaccine contract complies with the citys Economic Opportunity Plan, which ensures that the city supports minority, women, and disabled-owned businesses.

The city must also provide council notice before contracting a group to administer vaccines, including information about the organizations experience and demographics on whom the group intends to inoculate.

The proposed ordinance would also require the health commissioner  or another official named by the mayor  to submit a report every two weeks detailing which groups are permitted to distribute the vaccine, the number of vaccine doses provided to each group, the number of doses administered, demographics of the people vaccinated, and the priority category of those receiving the vaccination.

The legislation is not intended to hinder the vaccination rollout process for groups like the Black Doctors COVID Consortium, council said. Instead, Clarke said, it aims to establish guidelines.

 READ MORE: Philadelphia deputy health commissioner resigns following Philly Fighting COVID controversy

Last week, an outraged City Council demanded answers over Philly Fighting COVID, questioning how the group was given the green light to proceed, and comparing the process to city officials reluctance last spring to partner with Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium. Some pointed to the disparity as an example of systemic racism in the citys contracting process.

Late Saturday, Deputy Health Commissioner Caroline Johnson, who had worked closely with Doroshin, resigned after records obtained by The Inquirer showed she gave him an advantage in a city bidding process by providing a suggested budget number.

The city is now canceling those vaccination clinic proposals and will be issuing a request for new ones, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said during a news conference Monday. The Office of the Inspector General will conduct an investigation into the relationship between the department and PFC.

Were not perfect and weve made mistakes that we all deeply regret, Mayor Jim Kenney said Monday. But we are committed to doing better and restoring the publics faith in the citys ability to get our residents vaccinated.

The resignation of Johnson, who was leading the departments vaccine team, comes as the city struggles to inoculate its residents. The Health Department will run its own mass vaccination clinics Wednesday through Saturday this week, and multiple days next week, for people who received their first vaccine through PFC and need a second dose, Farley said.

Councilmember Cindy Bass, the chair of the Public Health and Human Services Committee, called for a Council hearing on Friday on the citys choice to allow Philly Fighting COVID to provide vaccines. Bass said she attended PFCs mass vaccination site grand opening in January at the request of the Kenney administration, but she did not know it was run by an outside group.

At no time in any way, shape, or form  was I ever told or informed that this was an outside entity, that we had a verbal contract with, that was doing these vaccinations with no experience, Bass said. These things all came to light afterward.

Doroshin presented his mass vaccination plans to Bass committee during a Nov. 19 informational meeting for council members to hear updates on the citys vaccine-distribution preparedness. There, no council member pressed Doroshin about his groups health-care qualifications.

New Delhi:

At least three people were killed and ten others injured after a jeep carrying them overturned on a Ghat at Kandhamal district in Odisha on Tuesday.



The jeep was overloaded when it lost balance at a sharp turn at Deplanga ghat near Sirtiguda in K Nuagam area, T Chowdhury, Officer In-Charge of K Nuagam police station said.



Three people including the driver were killed on the spot while the injured ones were admitted to Balliguda Sub Divisional hospital, police said.



Though the cause of the incident was yet to be ascertained, the jeep was suspected to have lost balance and turned turtle following damage caused to its axle, police added.



With PTI inputs.

ALSO READ: Himachal Pradesh: 3 die, more than 30 injured as bus falls into gorge

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Picture for representation (Image: Wikimedia)

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1 announced the second phase of Swachh Bharat Mission. A sum of Rs 1.41 lakh crore has been allocated for five years for Swatch Bharat 2.0 scheme.

This scheme will focus on complete faecal sludge management, waste-water treatment, source segregation, management of waste from urban construction and also include bioremediation of legacy dump sites.

According to statistics provided by the ministry of housing and urban affairs, so far five editions of Swachh Survekshan have been conducted. The first edition of the survey which was piloted in 73 cities (with million plus population) in 2016 has grown manifold, with 4,242 cities participating in Swachh Survekshan 2020, the fifth edition of the survey.

Follow Moneycontrol's Budget 2021 live coverage here.

Swachh Survekshan 2021 has been launched with the on-field assessment to be conducted in March 2021. Citizen engagement has been a major component of Swachh Survekshan with participation increasing year on year.

The last edition, Swachh Survekshan 2020 witnessed participation of 12 crore citizens, the ministry said.

SBM-U has also launched the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge on November 19, 2020 with the objective of preventing hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks and promote their mechanized cleaning.

The challenge is presently being undertaken in 244 cities. As part of the Challenge, a dedicated helpline number 14420 has been set up to register complaints on hazardous cleaning and provide real-time solutions on desludging or sewer line overflow. The actual on-ground assessment of participating cities will be conducted in May 2021 by an independent agency and results declared in August 2021.

The Mission has integrated over 84,000 informal waste pickers into the mainstream while over 5.5 lakh sanitation workers have been linked to various welfare schemes under the government.

Swachh Manch, an online citizen engagement portal to empower stakeholders to volunteer and contribute to the Swachhata of their cities has recorded participation from over 7 crore citizens.

SBM-U has over 140 celebrity ambassadors espousing the cause of Clean India. Some of the key campaigns in 2020 include The Story of Malasur- The Demon of Defeca which is the first of its public awareness campaign on the issue of faecal sludge management and Suraksha Nahi toh Safai Nahi touching upon the issue of hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks.

To accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on October 02, 2014. It had two sub-missions, the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). Phase 1 of the mission lasted till October 2019. The Phase 2 is being implemented between 202021 and 2024-25.
Ambulances are seen near the scene of a car bomb explosion in the Kilometre 4 area of Mogadishu, Somalia, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Feisal Omar/Reuters)

9 Killed in Hotel Attack in Somali Capital: Police

MOGADISHUNine people died after al-Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents stormed a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu, battling security forces until the early hours of Monday, a police spokesman said.

A suicide car bombing on Sunday evening was followed by a shootout between al Shabaab militants and security forces at the Hotel Afrik.

The operation is over now. Nine people including four attackers died and over 10 civilians were injured, Sadik Ali, told reporters from the scene and via Facebook.

Paramedics at the Madina hospital push a gurney with a civilian injured in a car bomb explosion in the Kilometre 4 area of Mogadishu, Somalia, on Jan.31, 2021. (Feisal Omar/Reuters)

The attack on a hotel in the heart of the heavily fortified city comes as Somali politicians wrangle acrimoniously over delayed elections and follows the withdrawal of around 700 U.S. military personnel last month.

The U.S. troops were largely supporting Somali special forces known as Danaab who are skilled at complex operations against high level al Shabaab targets.

They also enjoyed considerable support from the Americans, including air support and medical evacuations.

The insurgency has battled since 2008 to overthrow Somalias internationally-backed central government and establish its rule, based on its own harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

It carries out regular gun and bomb attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere in Somalia.

It has also vowed to disrupt national elections, which were scheduled to begin in December but have been delayed after the opposition accused the president of packing the electoral board with his allies. Newly appointed legislators were meant to pick a president on Feb. 8, but even the elections for lawmakers have yet to be held.

Times of political turmoil have also traditionally provided a boost to the insurgency, as security chiefs may be ordered to concentrate on political rivals rather than al Shabaab.

Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble said in a statement that former military general Mohamed Nur Galal was among those killed in Mondays attack.

I condemn the barbaric attack, he said. General Mohamed Nur Galal will be remembered for his over 50-year role in defending the country.

By Abdi Sheikh

"The Asiamet Board is of the view that Aeturnum Energy through its investment in Asiamet is now attempting to secure control over the Company's valuable copper assets"

Limited ( ) has said it has received a notice purporting to be from its largest shareholder, Aeternum Energy, requsitioning a Special General Meeting of the company's shareholders.

The request also contains resolutions for the removal of all current directors; the appointment of the CFO as interim chairman; three new independent directors to be appointed and an independent audit of the finances.

In a statement, Asiamet said: The notice that has been received is not in a valid form, said Asiamet, and therefore directors are not required to act on it now, however it is apparent that our largest shareholder is seeking to take control of the company without fair and reasonable process or acquisition.

Asiamet recently terminated with PT WIN, an Indonesian company owned by Aeturnum Energy, for a breach of the terms of the proposed acquisition of the KSK Contract of Work in Indonesia.

The AIM-listed group added that its CFO was not aware he was being proposed as chairman and said he will not accept the nomination.

Tony Manini, Asiamets executive chairman, said: "The Asiamet Board finds the actions of Aeturnum Energy to be highly unusual and unprofessional.

When a 19.98% shareholder is seeking to convene a Special General Meeting of shareholders to remove the current Board of Directors without justification or explanation, and immediately after one of its controlled entities has materially breached a binding sales and purchase agreement to acquire one of the Company's primary assets, its motivations for not fulfilling its obligations under that binding agreement need to be questioned.

The Asiamet Board is of the view that Aeturnum Energy through its investment in Asiamet is now attempting to secure control over the Company's valuable copper assets by removing the current Board of Directors and replacing them with its own nominees.

The Asiamet Board and management find this behaviour totally unacceptable and contrary to all principles of good business practice and governance.
As countries and economies across the world are facing greater instability, transparency is more important than ever. The ability to know where your money is and what it is doing is the only sure cure for fraud. Aggressive investment requires verification, and in days of plague and war, every investment becomes an aggressive one.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210130005013/en/

BigBoys Industry (Photo: Business Wire)

VEWC (Via East West Capital) introduces the BigBoys Industry platform: a powerful commodity trading platform that allows you to track your investment. Launching with 3 gold mines, the platform aims to solve the many issues within the commodity trading scene, such as transparency, environmental regulatory challenges, fraud, and more.

The BigBoys Industry platform provides its investors with the ability to monitor real-time production numbers 24/7, regardless of where they are based. The technology allows all investors to monitor production data, daily profit, GPS Tracking of all trucks and excavators during production. All GPS coordinates are programmed onto the mining vehicles and excavator, providing the investors with full knowledge of the mining process. The system immediately alerts the command center if any truck drivers were to drive out of the designated radius of the mine.

All records are then stored within the block chain and further analyzed by their Artificial Intelligence technology. This AI technique is responsible for monitoring and supervisory control of all processes. Any large difference in weighing numbers are flagged and investigated by the team.

Another fun feature provided for their high-level investors is the ability to launch UAV Drones anytime, capable of monitoring the mine in real-time.

The state of the art technology developed by VEWC, combined with block chain technology is designed to provide all investors with the comfort of knowing all production information, enforcing the promise of production return & transparency.

BBI Tokens are launching with the BigBoys Industry Platform. BBI is a token based on ERC20 Standard that is directly backed by gold produced at the mining facilities. Unlike bitcoin and other crypto currencies, the BBI token has a real physical value: gold that is produced every month. Investors can redeem their BBI Tokens for its gold equivalent at a verified partner bank.

The company utilizes block chain technology allowing the investor in on every part of the business. The BBI tokens represent a physical investment in the operation of several lucrative gold mines and by purchasing you are positioning yourself to benefit from both the increase in the value of gold and the increase in its production.

Those who choose to invest in BigBoys Industry will be able to trade and invest in gold at production price, which is significantly lower than the market price. All further production of gold is distributed as dividends to investors.

Additionally, tokens are only generated as BBI acquires more gold from the gold mine, and those tokens are distributed as dividends in proportion to how many tokens each investor owns. Investors can choose to exchange the token with real fiat through crypto currencies exchange or exchange to actual real gold. The more you invest, the more your money compounds in gold.

Traditionally, foreign investment has been a risky and time-consuming effort. Now, the block chain supervises the business for you, surveillance technology, monthly audit on mines, unaltered block chain accounting and real-time production numbers are all provided for investors in a constantly updating stream made possible through the BBI platform at https://bbi.is

The investment revolution has arrived, dont be the last to join.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210130005013/en/
Coach of the National Football team Terry Fenwick will have to do without the services of three players for his next CONCACAF World Cup qualifier against Bahamas.
ROME - Andrea Iacomini, spokesman of UNICEF in Italy, said that a 12-year-old girl was killed Sunday "in an attack in Azaz, in the north of the rural area of Aleppo, in Syria. Two other children are among the dozens of wounded, including one who is less than a year old. Two days ago, three children died in an explosion in the city of Afrin, also north of the rural area of Aleppo", Iacomini said.


Residents of seven blocks latest to face Covid tests

Residents of seven blocks latest to face Covid tests

All residents of seven buildings in various parts of the territory are being ordered to take Covid-19 tests after new untraceable infections were found in their blocks.



Under tighter testing requirements, mandatory orders are now being issued for residents of buildings with a single Covid case where the source is unknown, as well as if the virus is detected in sewage samples from the blocks.



There were a total of eight new untraceable infections in Hong Kong on Monday, out of 34 newly confirmed cases.



Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan of the Centre for Health Protection said the buildings in question are located in Pok Fu Lam, Jordan, Ho Man Tin, Hung Hom, North Point and Sai Ying Pun.



Five new imported cases involve people flying in from Indonesia, the Philippines, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates.



Around 50 residents at a Salvation Army elderly care home at Nam Shan Estate in Shek Kip Mei are being moved into quarantine after a member of staff there came down with the virus.



Chuang said the worker had originally been based at another care home in Tsing Yi, and while residents there were tested late last month, they will be tested again just as a precaution.



She added that there are no new confirmed infections involving construction workers for the airport's third runway, but there's a preliminary positive case among them.



Some 3,000 workers at the construction site were recently ordered to get tested after an outbreak there.
Tractable Inks Deals with The Hartford, Mitchell

Tractable, a London-based insurtech that uses artificial intelligence to create damage estimates from photographs, has expanded its presence in the US property and casualty market with two deals announced this week.

Tractable has formed a partnership with Mitchell to use the San Diego-based claims administrators collision repair data in its platform. Tractable also announced that The Hartford has signed on with Tractable to analyze auto damage claims.

Tractables AI acts as a human appraiser, using proprietary computer vision to examine photos of vehicle damage and return a list of part-level repair operations seconds after photos are submitted, the company said in a press release.

Tractable said its technology can be used across the auto insurance claims journey, from first notice of loss (FNOL) to performing repairs, cutting multiple days and manual touchpoints from the accident recovery process. For the driver, the result is a simpler experience that instead of taking days or weeks can take minutes to complete on their phone, the company said.

Alex Dalyac, co-founder and chief executive officer of Tractable, said Mitchell is Mitchells collision repair data and industry expertise are known to be a reference in North America, as is its affiliate GT Motive in Europe.

The Tractable-Mitchell band is here and ready to rock, Dalyac said in a press release.

Olivier Baudoux, senior vice president of global product strategy and AI at Mitchell, said the collaboration will bring Tractable into Mitchells Intelligent Open Platform and combine Tractables artificial intelligence engine with Mitchell Intelligent Estimating.

Tractable said it has raised $55 million in venture funding since it was founded in 2015. The company says it has processed more than $1 billion in auto claims for the worlds top insurers, including Tokio Marine, the largest property and casualty insurer in Japan; Covea, the largest auto insurer in France; and Admiral, a leading insurer in Europe.

Charles Taylor Launches Investigations Arm

Charles Taylor, a global claims administrator headquartered in London, has launched Charles Taylor Specialist Investigation Services to help clients combat fraud, manage risks and reduce exposures.

The new division will be led by the recently appointed global head of fraud, Bobby Gracey.

As the impact of Covid-19 is felt across the world, the conditions are there for an increase in both organized and opportunistic fraud, Gracey said in a press release. Charles Taylor has unrivaled expertise in claims across multiple markets and a leading technology arm underpinning this, which is a great combination for a new specialist counter fraud service.

Charles Taylor SIS offers investigations on retainer or as a delegated authority. The company also offers a white label solution. Its investigation services are provided to Charles Taylors insurer clients, the legal sector, third-party administrators and corporate multinationals.

The intelligence division also provides training and consultancy for clients on how best to identify fraud, manage risk and improve processes. It also provides fraud and cost containment workshops, along with strategic guidance planning.

Chubb Launches Absence Management Program

Chubb has launched a program that allows employers to track and manage workers compensation disability leave along with absences caused by Family Medical Leave Act, company-specific leaves; short-term disability; and accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity programs.

Chubb WorkInsight will enhance employee experience and promote better compliance and outcomes for employers, the Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based carrier said in a press release. The product is available through Chubbs Workplace Benefits division.

WorkInsight gives employers comprehensive data and reports that enable them to make informed decisions that benefit both employee and employer.

Chubb said employers paid $510 million in 2019 as a result of complaints under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. According to the Integrated Benefit Institute, more efficient absence oversight and management cab improve outcomes and compliance and deliver a return on investment by up to 15 percent, the carrier said.
Regulatory News:

CARMAT (Paris:ALCAR) (FR0010907956, ALCAR), the designer and developer of the world's most advanced total artificial heart, aiming to fulfill an unmet medical need by providing a therapeutic alternative to people suffering from end-stage biventricular heart failure, today announces the appointment of Professor Christian Latremouille as Director of Surgical Affairs.

Doctor of Medicine specialized in Heart Surgery, Christian Latremouille is a Professor at Paris University, formed by the recent merger of Paris-Descartes (Paris V) and Paris-Diderot (Paris VII) Universities.

Before joining CARMAT, Christian Latremouille was, since 2017, Head of the Cardiovascular Surgery Department at the Georges Pompidou European Hospital in Paris. He began his career in 1993 as Senior Specialist Registrar within Prof. Alain Carpentier's prestigious Cardiac Surgery department at the Broussais Hospital in Paris. Upon validation of a PhD in xenotransplantation, in 1995 he took charge of the heart transplant program. Initially Clinical Lecturer in 1995 and then University Lecturer in 2000, in 2004 he was appointed Associate Professor at Paris-Descartes University, university chair of Clinical Anatomy and hospital chair of adult Cardiac Surgery. Since then, he has been entrusted with the preclinical development phase of the CARMAT bioprosthetic total artificial heart.

Building on this experience, he performed the world's first-in-man implantation of the CARMAT heart on December 18, 2013. He then became Principal Investigator of the CARMAT heart's safety and feasibility study. Subsequently, during the PIVOTAL study, he continued as Proctor Principal, ensuring the training of all the new teams joining the project.

This career path makes him the only heart surgeon in the world to have participated in the CARMAT heart's entire clinical assessment process.

"I particularly appreciate the trust put in me by allowing me to join CARMAT's teams. The recent granting of CE marking and the prospect of soon performing the first human implants in the United States represent a major milestone in the development of CARMAT. Drawing on my experience, I am pleased to be able to take part in the final leg of this project in order to enable as many patients as possible to benefit from this innovative, ambitious and accomplished technology whose notion of quality of life remains the primary purpose", says Prof. Latremouille, CARMAT's new Director of Surgical Affairs.

Stephane Piat, Chief Executive Officer of CARMAT, adds: "It is an immense pleasure to welcome Christian Latremouille to our management team. His arrival marks the completion of the structuring of our Management Committee with a view to preparing the launch of our Aeson device. His surgical expertise coupled with the unique experience he has acquired with CARMAT will be pivotal to the successful ramping up of our commercial launch. In his new role, Christian Latremouille will accompany and oversee hospitals from the training phase through to patient treatment

About CARMAT: the world's most advanced total artificial heart project

A credible response to end-stage heart failure: CARMAT aims to eventually provide a response to a major public health issue associated with heart disease, the world's leading cause of death: chronic and acute heart failure. By pursuing the development of its total artificial heart, composed of the implantable bioprosthesis and its portable external power supply system to which it is continuously connected, CARMAT intends to overcome the well-known shortfall in heart transplants for the tens of thousands of people suffering from irreversible end-stage heart failure, the most seriously affected of the 20 million patients with this progressive disease in Europe and the United States.

The result of combining two types of unique expertise: the medical expertise of Professor Carpentier, known throughout the world for inventing Carpentier-Edwards heart valves, which are the most used in the world, and the technological expertise of Airbus Group, world aerospace leader.

The first physiologic heart replacement therapy: given its size, the use of highly biocompatible materials, its unique self-regulation system and its pulsatile nature, the CARMAT total artificial heart could, assuming a successful clinical development, potentially save the lives of thousands of patients each year with no risk of rejection and with an enhanced quality of life.

A project leader acknowledged at a European level: with the backing of the European Commission, CARMAT has been granted the largest subsidy ever given to an SME by Bpifrance; a total of 33 million.

Strongly committed, prestigious founders and shareholders: Matra Defense SAS (subsidiary of the Airbus Group), Professor Alain Carpentier, the Centre Chirurgical Marie Lannelongue, Truffle Capital, a leading European venture capital firm, ALIAD (Air Liquide's venture capital investor), CorNovum (an investment holding company held 50-50 by Bpifrance and the French State), the family offices of Pierre Bastid (Lohas), of Dr. Antonino Ligresti (Sante Holdings S.R.L.), of the Gaspard family (Corely Belgium SPRL and Bratya SPRL) and of M. Pierre-Edouard Sterin (BAD 21 SPRL), Groupe Therabel as well as the thousands of institutional and individual shareholders who have placed their trust in CARMAT.

For more information: www.carmatsa.com

Name: CARMAT

ISIN code: FR0010907956

Ticker: ALCAR

Disclaimer

This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe to, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe to, shares in CARMAT ("the Company") in any country. This press release contains forward-looking statements that relate to the Company's objectives. Such forward-looking statements are based solely on the current expectations and assumptions of the Company's management and involve risk and uncertainties. Potential risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, whether the Company will be successful in implementing its strategies, whether there will be continued growth in the relevant market and demand for the Company's products, new products or technological developments introduced by competitors, and risks associated with managing growth. The Company's objectives as mentioned in this press release may not be achieved for any of these reasons or due to other risks and uncertainties.

No guarantee can be given as to any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements, which are subject to inherent risks, including those described in the Universal registration document filed with the Autorite des Marches Financiers on March 13, 2020 under number D.20-0126 as well as changes in economic conditions, the financial markets or the markets in which CARMAT operates. In particular, no guarantee can be given concerning the Company's ability to finalize the development, validation and industrialization of the prosthesis and the equipment required for its use, to manufacture the prostheses, satisfy the requirements of competent authorities, enroll patients, obtain satisfactory clinical results, perform the clinical trials and achieve commercial objectives.

Aeson is an active implantable medical device commercially available in Europe ONLY, CARMAT SA., CE0344. The Aeson TAH is intended to replace ventricles of native heart and is indicated as a bridge to transplant in patients suffering from end-stage biventricular heart failure (INTERMACS classes 1-4) who are not amenable to maximal medical therapy or LVAD and are likely to undergo heart transplant in the 180 days following device implantation. The decision to implant and the surgical procedure must be executed by Health Care professionals trained by the manufacturer. Carefully read the documentation (clinician manual, patient manual alarm booklet) for characteristics and information necessary for patient selection and good use (contraindications, precautions, side effects).

In the USA, Aeson is currently exclusively available within the framework of clinical trials.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210131005018/en/

Contacts:

CARMAT

Stephane Piat

Chief Executive Officer



Pascale d'Arbonneau

Chief Financial Officer

Tel.: +33 1 39 45 64 50

contact@carmatsas.com

Alize RP

Press Relations

Caroline Carmagnol

Tel.: +33 6 64 18 99 59

carmat@alizerp.com

NewCap

Investor Relations

Strategic Communication

Dusan Oresansky

Quentin Masse

Tel.: +33 1 44 71 94 94

carmat@newcap.eu
DUBLIN, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Railway Braking System Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Pneumatic Brake, Electrodynamic Brake, Mechanical Brake, and Electromagnetic Brake) and Train Type (Metros, Monorail, High-Speed Train, Light Rail/Trams, and Freight Train)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Pneumatic Brake Segment to Lead Railway Braking System Market

Railway Braking System market was valued at US$ 8,909.9 million in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 10,515.7 million by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.7% from 2019 to 2027.

The report highlights the key factors driving the market growth, and prominent players and their developments in the market.

In North America, companies offering railway braking system and manufacturing rail vehicles, such as Webtac Corporation, Bombardier Inc., are contributing toward strengthening the regional railway sector, which, in turn, would drive the market.

Any product development or R& D for the future development of rail transit would contribute toward the adoption of complementary systems including braking systems in the region. Also, growing significance of high-speed rail is other aspect projected to contribute toward the adoption of railway braking system and thus, influencing the market growth.

Furthermore, the concept of automated and driverless vehicle is consistently making a huge transition in transport systems. The idea of autonomous driving is making its entry in the railway sector. In Europe, automatic train operation is becoming a latest trend impacting the railway sector of the region. In October 2019, six German companies, led by Siemens Mobility, started a joint project named "AStriD" - Autonome Stra?enbahn im Depot" (Autonomous Tram in Depot).

In this project, the participants would examine autonomous tram in automated depot. Such projects in the field of automation would help in boosting the integration of systems, such as railway braking systems. CLEARSY is engaged in offering automatic train braking systems which work without having train localization system and train location information. In this new system, only one beacon connected to a signal is installed for detecting train speed. Moreover, embedded sensors are connected to the train braking system, which contribute in making the braking system more efficient.

ABB Ltd.; akebono brake industry Co., Ltd; Alstom SA; Amsted Rail; DAKO-CZ, A.S; Frenoplast; Knorr-Bremse AG; NABTESCO CORPORATION; SABRE RAIL SERVICES LTD.; and Wabtec Corporation are among the key market players that are profiled during this market study.

COVID-19 Impact on Railway Braking System Market

North America is among the worst hit regions by the COVID-19 pandemic. The US, Canada, and Mexico have witnessed a significant rise in the number of COVID-19 infected patients. This led the governments to impose lockdowns to limit human movement, thereby leading the manufacturing facilities to experience lower than usual production volumes.

The US has well-established railway across the region. The shock of emergence and spread of COVID-19 has traumatized the sector and has forced individuals to limit use of rails. In addition, as the country is known for adopting technologies at an early phase, due to pandemic situation, the technology sector also witnessed decline in business. This has further impacted integration of braking systems with advanced technologies.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction

1.1 Study Scope

1.2 Report Guidance

1.3 Market Segmentation

2. Key Takeaways

3. Research Methodology

4. Railway Braking System Market Landscape

4.1 Market Overview

4.2 PEST Analysis

4.3 Ecosystem Analysis

4.4 Expert Opinion

5. Railway Braking System Market - Key Market Dynamics

5.1 Market Drivers

5.1.1 Rising Demand for Rail Transit for Transportation

5.1.2 Increasing Investments for Strengthening Railways

5.2 Market Restraints

5.2.1 Inadequate Infrastructure of High Speed Rail

5.3 Market Opportunities

5.3.1 Arrival of Automatic Train Braking Systems

5.4 Future Trends

5.4.1 Advent of Next-Generation High-Speed Trains

5.5 Impact Analysis of Drivers and Restraints

6. Railway Braking System Market - Global Market Analysis

6.1 Global Railway Braking System Market Overview

6.2 Railway Braking System Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million)

6.3 Market Positioning - Five Key Players

7. Railway Braking System Market Analysis - By Type

7.1 Overview

7.2 Railway Braking System Market Breakdown, by Type, 2019 & 2027

7.3 Pneumatic Brake

7.4 Electrodynamic Brake

7.5 Mechanical Brake

7.6 Electromagnetic Brake

8. Railway Braking System Market Analysis - By Train Type

8.1 Overview

8.2 Railway Braking System Market Breakdown, by Belt Type, 2019 & 2027

8.3 Metros

8.4 Monorail

8.5 High-Speed Train

8.6 Light Rail/Trams

8.7 Freight Train

9. Railway Braking System Market - Geographic Analysis

10. Railway Braking System Market - COVID-19 Impact Analysis

10.1 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Maritime Real-time Positioning System Market

11. Industry Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Market Initiative

11.3 Merger and Acquisition

11.4 New Development

12. Company Profiles

ABB Ltd.

Akebono Brake Industry Co., Ltd

Alstom SA

Amsted Rail

DAKO-CZ, a.s

Frimatrail Frenoplast S.A

Knorr-Bremse AG

Nabtesco Corporation

Sabre Rail Services Ltd.

Wabtec Corporation

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4v3p5s

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


Myanmars military declared a year-long state of emergency after it detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi in an apparent coup that threatens to end a fraught 10-year journey to democracy.

The army sent soldiers into Yangon, and shut down the internet and state TV on Monday morning, hours after raids on Suu Kyi, civilian leaders and student groups. It used its own military TV network to announce the state of emergency just after 1pm AEDT and transfer power to armed forces Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing.

Aung San Suu Kyi (left) who has been detained in the coup, walks with General Min Aung Hlaing (right) in 2016. Credit:AP

The army said it carried out the detention in response to election fraud but did not provide evidence to back up the claim. Myanmars election commission rejected the militarys allegations on Friday after Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party took 396 out of 476 seats in a landslide victory.

Suu Kyi, 75, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, was released from house arrest in 2010 and went on to lead the NLD to victory in the 2015 elections. She became an international icon after spending 15 years in detention and advocating for non-violent democratic reform to repair a country dominated by deep division between its ethnic groups, poverty and corruption. That reputation was severely damaged in 2019 when she drew global censure for her defence of the militarys persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Rakhine state.
Renters to stay put in Shanghai during holiday

2021-02-01 13:30

Public rental housing residents across Shanghai are choosing to stay put during the Spring Festival holiday this year.

Around 70% of residents in some of Shanghais public rental housing communities decided to spend the festival in Shanghai, and the number is twice to three times that of previous years.

Xinyi Apartments, one of Shanghais largest public rental housing communities, is home to 3,065 renters. Jilin native Qin Bo is now an operations director at a food company in Shanghai. She lives in Xinyi Apartments in Xuhui District with her retired parents. For the Chinese Lunar New Year, the family decided to stay in Shanghai, rather than going back to their hometown, and reported the decision to the community management staff.

(Xinyi Apartments in Xuhui District)

(Qins mother has handmade a clock to welcome the Lunar New Year.)

Starting from mid-January, QR codes have been placed in the residential buildings for renters to register whether they are staying or traveling out of the city during the upcoming holiday. So far, 6% of the renters havent made their decision and there will be further follow-ups by the community staff.

Chenfei Apartments in Changning District is a smaller community with 229 households. Li Juan and her husband are from Jiangsu and Fujian. This year, they are also staying in Shanghai to celebrate the new year. Lis husband went shopping very early to prepare for the festival and even asked a friend to order Jiangxi-made sausages. Like Li, many residents in the community are drying preserved meat like sausages and duck on their balcony, making the festive vibe stronger.

To avoid mass gatherings, celebrations have been cancelled in the communities. Despite that, the operation teams are planning to make the holiday more festive in various ways, such as by handing out free rice, candy, Spring Festival couplets or virtual wishes.



(Photos/Shanghai Observer)
Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed the importance of inter-Arab cooperation in the area of intelligence on Monday during the inauguration of the Arab Intelligence Forum 2021 in Cairo, the Egyptian presidency said.

During the inauguration, which was attended by the heads of intelligence services from a number of Arab countries, El-Sisi asserted the importance of empowering the forum as a strong and supportive mechanism for cooperation in intelligence between Arab countries.

The Egyptian president also said that the forum should work on a counterterrorism system that depends on exchanging expertise.

El-Sisi also stressed the importance of Arab countries cooperating to restore stability in all the regions countries, where terrorist organisations attempt to expand with the support of foreign forces that aim to create chaos to control the resources and capabilities of the Arab world.

The president also called on the participants to cooperate and take a unified stance to overcome any differences and to advance the interests of Arab nations and peoples.

The heads of intelligence agencies who participated in the forum stressed the importance of the platform in boosting cooperation to protect Arab national security by exchanging points of view on dealing with the rapid challenges facing the region, especially in counterterrorism, organised crime and radical thought.

The Arab Intelligence Forum was held upon the invitation of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service in February 2020.

Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Abul El-Gheit attended the inauguration.

Short link:


UN urges repatriation of children, car bomb kills five in Afrin, clashes in Hassakeh, and Assad issues housing law. Catch up on everything that happened over the weekend.

1. The United Nations counterterrorism chief urged countries to repatriate the 27,000 children stranded in a huge camp in northeastern Syria, many of them sons and daughters of ISIS fighters who once controlled large swathes of Iraq and Syria, Al-Jazeera reported. Vladimir Voronkov told an informal meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday that the horrific situation of the children in al-Hol Camp is one of the most pressing issues in the world today.

2. At least five people were killed and scores wounded Saturday when a car bomb detonated in the northern Syrian town of Afrin, the Turkish defense ministry and local civil defense said. According to Reuters, the bomb attack took place in an industrial site at the center of the town and wounded 22 people. The ministry blamed the attack on the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia. There was no immediate comment from the YPG. The local civil defense said the death toll due to the bomb stood at six, including children.

3. The United States extended the temporary legal residency status Friday for nearly 7,000 people from Syria because of the countrys civil war, AP reported. Temporary status allows foreign citizens to stay in the US if they lack another form of legal residency and come from a country that meets certain criteria that makes it dangerous to return. The renewal order also allows about 1,800 additional new applicants to the program.

4. The Syrian governments Iranian-backed militia known as the National Defense Forces (NDF) and the Autonomous Administrations Internal Security Forces (Asayish) engaged in clashes in northeastern Syrias Hassakeh on Sunday, resulting in an unknown number of injuries and the death of one member of the Syrian regime forces. Security sources from the Asayish in the city told North Press that a firefight took place between the two groups in the vicinity of the security complex (where regime government and security institutions are located) after pro-regime demonstrators attempted to march towards an Asayish checkpoint.

5. President Bashar al-Assad issued on Sunday law No. 1 for 2021 that grants the General Establishment of Housing an annual loan of no more than 5 billion Syrian pounds to carry out housing projects for state employees, SANA reported.

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 policeman detains a man while protesters try to help him, during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St Petersburg on Sunday (Valentin Egorshin/AP)

Thousands of people took to the streets across Russia on Sunday to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up the nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin.

More than 5,000 people were detained by police, according to one monitoring group, and some were beaten.

Russian authorities mounted a massive effort to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the largest, most widespread show of discontent that Russia has seen in years.

Yet despite threats of jail terms, warnings to social media groups and notable displays of riot police, the protests again engulfed many cities on Sunday.

Mr Navalnys team quickly called another protest in Moscow on Tuesday, when he is set to face a court hearing that could send him to prison for years.

The 44-year-old, an anti-corruption investigator who is President Vladimir Putins best-known critic, was arrested on January 17 on his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin.

Russian authorities have rejected the accusations.

He was arrested for allegedly violating his parole conditions by not reporting for meetings with law enforcement while recuperating in Germany.

Expand Close Police detain protesters in Moscow (Dmitry Serebryakov/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Police detain protesters in Moscow (Dmitry Serebryakov/AP)

The United States urged Russia to release Mr Navalny and criticised the crackdown on protests.

The US condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.

The Russian foreign ministry rejected Mr Blinkens call as a crude interference in Russias internal affairs and accused Washington of trying to destabilise the situation in the country by backing the protests.

Police detained more than 4,700 people at protests held in cities across Russias 11 time zones on Sunday, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests.

In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city centre, closing underground stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and shops to stay closed.

Mr Navalnys team initially called for Sundays protest to be held on Moscows Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which Mr Navalny claims was responsible for his poisoning.

Expand Close More than 500 people were arrested in Moscow (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp More than 500 people were arrested in Moscow (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

After police cordoned off the area around the square, the protest shifted to another central square a mile away. Officers deployed in force at this location too, randomly picking up people and putting them in police buses.

But hundreds of others marched across the city centre, chanting Putin, resign! and Putin, thief!, a reference to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for the Russian leader that was featured in a widely popular video released by Mr Navalnys team.

Some later marched to the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Mr Navalny is being held, but met phalanxes of riot police who chased them back and detained scores.

Nearly 1,500 people were detained in Moscow, including Mr Navalnys wife, Yulia, who joined the protest.

Posting on Instagram before turning out to protest, she said: If we keep silent, they will come after any of us tomorrow.

Amnesty International said that authorities in Moscow had arrested so many people that the citys detention facilities had run out of space.

The Kremlin is waging a war on the human rights of people in Russia, stifling protesters calls for freedom and change, Natalia Zviagina, the head of the groups Moscow office said in a statement.

The city of Novosibirsk in eastern Siberia saw one of the biggest rallies, with several thousand people marching across the city. Over 100 protesters were detained at this demonstration.

Expand Close Police officers arrest a woman during a protest in Khabarovsk, 6,100km east of Moscow (Igor Volkov/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Police officers arrest a woman during a protest in Khabarovsk, 6,100km east of Moscow (Igor Volkov/AP)

Several thousand people marched across Russias second-largest city, St Petersburg, and occasional scuffles erupted as some demonstrators pushed back police who tried to make detentions. More than 1,000 were arrested.

Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde, who chairs the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, condemned the excessive use of force by authorities and mass detention of peaceful protesters and journalists and urged Russia to release all those unjustly detained, including Navalny.

In the far eastern port of Vladivostok, at least 120 people were detained after protesters danced on the ice and rallied in the city centre.

Meanwhile, as part of a multipronged effort by authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Mr Navalnys associates and activists across the country over the past week.

His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people were put under two-month house arrest on Friday on charges of allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions during last weekends protests.

Expand Close Police detain protesters in Moscow (Dmitry Serebryakov/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Police detain protesters in Moscow (Dmitry Serebryakov/AP)

Prosecutors also demanded that social media platforms block calls to join the protests.

The Interior Ministry has issued stern warnings to the public not to join the protests, saying participants could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years. Those engaging in violence against police could face up to 15 years.

Nearly 4,000 people were reportedly detained at demonstrations on January 23 calling for Mr Navalnys release which took place in more than 100 Russian cities, and some were given fines and jail terms. About 20 were accused of assaulting police and faced criminal charges.

Shortly after Mr Navalnys arrest, his team released a two-hour video on his YouTube channel about the Black Sea residence purportedly built for Mr Putin. The video has been viewed over 100 million times, helping fuel discontent and inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet amid an economic downturn.

Russia has seen extensive corruption during Mr Putins time in office even as many ordinary citizens struggle financially.

Expand Close Alexei Navalny appears on a TV screen during his appeal hearing at a court in Moscow (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Alexei Navalny appears on a TV screen during his appeal hearing at a court in Moscow (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

Mr Putin says that neither he nor any of his close relatives own the property.

Mr Navalny fell into a coma on August 20 while on a domestic flight from Siberia to Moscow. He was transferred to a Berlin hospital two days later. Labs in Germany, France and Sweden, and tests by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, established that he was exposed to the Novichok nerve agent. Russian authorities have refused to open a fully-fledged criminal inquiry, claiming a lack of evidence that he was poisoned.

Mr Navalny was arrested immediately on his return to Russia on January 17 and jailed for 30 days on the request of the countrys prison service, which alleged he had violated the probation of his suspended sentence from a 2014 money-laundering conviction that he has rejected as political revenge.

On Thursday, a Moscow court rejected Mr Navalnys appeal to be released, and another hearing next week could turn his three-and-a-half-year suspended sentence into one he must serve in prison.
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.
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.
When Alisa Mallari Tu, the director of an assisted living facility in Redwood City, heard in December that her residents would be eligible for vaccines in mid-January, she got to work.

In the early days of the pandemic, Tus facility, Gordon Manor, had been hard hit by the coronavirus. Fifteen of the 58 residents became sick, and 12 died. Twelve staff members fell ill. With the promise of an end to a devastating pandemic, Tu filled out the paperwork, and then waited.

While the majority of California nursing homes have administered first doses as of Monday, most of the states nearly 15,000 assisted care facilities  like the one Tu runs  have yet to give a first dose of the vaccine to their residents and staff.

The residents and staff at most nursing home and assisted care facilities are getting vaccinated by CVS and Walgreens through a federal program created under the Trump administrations Operation Warp Speed. The two types of facilities are different, though both serve vulnerable groups: Nursing homes often house residents who require medical care and assisted care facilities are for people who need help with daily living, but not necessarily medical care.

Many people who live in assisted care facilities are in group settings where they may have their own rooms, but share common spaces like a dining room. Vaccinating them is especially urgent because of their age and because living in close quarters can fuel the spread of the virus.

The process to vaccinate all these facilities has been painstakingly slow nationwide, some experts say, because of inadequate supplies as well as complicated paperwork. Also, nursing homes werent eligible until late December, and assisted care facilities werent eligible until Jan. 11.

Counties in the Bay Area are supplementing the CVS and Walgreens efforts with mobile vaccination clinics in hopes of reaching the finish line sooner.

The stakes are high as California sees new strains circulate that might be more infectious and could seed another surge, and as Gov. Gavin Newsom lifts the shutdown orders statewide.

Californias assisted care facilities range in size from six beds to hundreds and include retirement communities and board-and-care facilities operating in someones home.

People are dying in (assisted care and nursing) facilities as we speak, due to these surges, said Dr. Michael Wasserman, past president of the California Association of Long-Term Care Medicine and a geriatrician. We have not been putting the vaccine in the arms of the people who have needed it the most. Thats the bottom line. We need all hands on deck to get those facilities vaccinated.

In California, 8,511 nursing home residents and 204 staff have died from the virus  making up nearly 22% of all the states deaths as of Thursday. In assisted care facilities, 3,027 people have died, making up about 8% of deaths.

Facilities that help elderly, disabled There are two main types of facilities that help the elderly and disabled. Skilled nursing facilities or nursing homes: Residents often require medical care and typically have health conditions that require a nurse. These facilities are under the jurisdiction of the state's public health department. Number in California: Approximately 500 Assisted care facilities: Residents in these facilities, which include long-term care facilities, require nonmedical care to help with daily living. It can include people with memory loss who can't live alone. California's assisted care facilities range in size from six beds to hundreds and include retirement communities, and board-and-care operations in private homes. These facilities are under the jurisdiction of the state's Department of Social Services. Number in California: Nearly 15,000 Source: Chronicle research See More Collapse

CVS is partnering with 14,557 assisted care facilities to provide vaccines. As of Thursday, CVS had administered the first dose at 37% of its facilities. CVS plans to have 63% of assisted care facilities get their first doses within a week. As of Thursday, Walgreens had administered the first dose of the vaccine at 610 assisted care facilities out of 1,684  or 36%.

Critics say the pace isnt fast enough, since residents wont be fully safe from the virus until five to six weeks after their first shot.

One major problem with the rollout is that CVS and Walgreens require residents to fill out complicated paperwork. That poses challenges for memory care patients and people with dementia who rely on family members as their power of attorney, said Louise Aronson, a professor of medicine and geriatrics at UCSF.

She said CVS and Walgreens seemed far more concerned with legal mandates than clarity and getting it done quickly.

In response to questions about the paperwork, CVS and Walgreens said they are following standard protocols for getting patient consent and are trying to be flexible.

Dr. Mehrdad Ayati, a doctor at Stanford who is also a medical adviser for skilled nursing facilities and assisted care facilities in the region, said he and colleagues have called counties regularly to push them to vaccinate residents faster.

If we dont push them, its not going to happen, Ayati said of county and state efforts.

They havent seen their families for almost a year. They are already suffering from severe depression and anxiety from this isolation and separation. They are really getting sick mentally, physically and emotionally. This is the biggest struggle, he added.

In Sonoma County, public health and Kaiser staff supplemented the CVS and Walgreens response at nursing and assisted care homes to try to speed up that process that has been going slower than we would like, county Supervisor David Rabbitt said at a recent news conference.

Matt Willis, the Marin County health officer, said mobile clinics from the county plan to vaccinate residents at two assisted care facilities this week to speed up the process.

The county kicked off the mobile vaccinations in December, but a spokeswoman said Thursday that effort is on hold due to severely limited supply from the state.

Aronson also said the federal program should have included more than two pharmacy chains, particularly because many skilled nursing facilities and assisted care facilities have longstanding relationships with other pharmacies that know how they work.

They gave it to these retail pharmacies, who didnt have much experience or understanding in the sector, instead of drawing upon existing resources, she said.

More for you Local Coronavirus live updates: Bay Area sees plunge in...

After weeks with no word on when her facility would receive the vaccine, Tu told her staff to get vaccinated at a newly opened site in San Mateo County since they qualified. As her staff received their shots, she texted her colleagues at other facilities frantically, Did you get a date?

When a staffer from the federal program emailed Tu that Gordon Manor was on the list, she was relieved. But again, days went by during a surge with no dates scheduled.

Finally, Tu heard from Safeway.

They said they could vaccinate her residents.

On Jan. 21, Safeway administered the first doses of the vaccines to Gordon Manor residents. The day before Safeway arrived, Tu received an email from CVS with vaccination dates  the earliest available were in February.

Its happening, but slowly, Tu said. Its a little clumsy, but everyone has been really very kind.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said the national government has already inked term sheets with five vaccine companies it is negotiating with, which will assure the country of up to 108 million doses this year.

"Out of seven companies, we have already signed term sheets with five and we have already locked the supply of 106 to 108 [million] doses," Galvez said Monday in a televised meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte and other government officials.

"By this coming February second week, we are trying to come up with the supply agreements with vaccine manufacturers, and we will also include the two remaining contracts we are negotiating," he added.

Galvez did not specify which companies the government has signed term sheets with. However, he said last month that they are already in "advanced stages of negotiations" with American pharmaceutical companies Novavax, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson, Chinese drugmaker Sinovac, and Russian medical research institute Gamaleya.

In total, the national government is targeting to purchase around 146 to 148 million doses from seven manufacturers within 2021, Galvez said. If this goes as planned, some 70 million Filipinos would stand to benefit.

He added that this is still on top of the 44 million doses that the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility has assured the country. Of the doses to be delivered through COVAX, 5.6 million doses are expected to be delivered within the first quarter of the year. The earliest to arrive is a batch of 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, which is expected by mid-February.

The Philippines may also be able to access 5.5 million to up to 9.2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines made in South Korea by late February or early March if it soon receives the emergency use listing from the WHO.

RELATED: WHO wants medical workers vaccinated with first COVID-19 doses from COVAX in February
[February 01, 2021] Accenture to Acquire Imaginea to Accelerate Cloud Native Product and Platform Engineering Services

Accenture (News - Alert) (NYSE: ACN) has agreed to acquire Imaginea, a cloud native product and platform engineering firm that helps companies drive innovation through disruptive technologies to transform their businesses digitally and capture new opportunities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005624/en/ Accenture to Acquire Imaginea (Photo: Business Wire) Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., with offices in London and throughout India, Imaginea excels in using its world-class product and platform engineering skills and leads with a design-thinking approach steeped in innovation. The company currently advises more than 200 global clients to deliver cloud-first transformations. The acquisition adds approximately 1,350 cloud professionals to Accenture, bringing a highly skilled, cloud native, full stack engineering team with cloud data and cloud modernization skills across multiple platforms from Amazon Web Services, Azure and Google (News - Alert) Cloud Platform. "Imaginea will further enhance the global capabilities of Accenture Cloud First, which was created to help clients across every industry become 'cloud-first' businesses," said Karthik Narain, global lead for Accenture Cloud First. "Cloud is an essential foundation of digital transformation. Leveraging cloud native capabilities helps companies transform experiences, harness advances in technologies like AI, robotics, edge computing and 5G, and break the limits on productivity and innovation to create sustainable value." "Our unique combination of cloud native and product engineering skills is why clients seek out Imaginea to help them solve complex problems by unlocking the power of new technologies," said Vijay Pullur, co-founder of Imaginea. "Imaginea is excited to join Accenture in helping companies reimagine business and rebuild differently for the benefit of all - from their customers to our people to society at large." "Accenture's differentiated value begins with our incredibly talented and dedicated people. Imaginea brings us an infusion of human ingenuity, supported by cloud technologies," said Kishore Durg, global lead, Accenture Cloud First Integrated Cloud Services. "Imaginea is a noteworthy addition to Accenture, with expertise across leading cloud platforms. Imaginea puts us in an even stronger position to accelerate innovation across diverse industries, drive complex change and create lasting value." Powered by 70,000 cloud professionals, and a $3 billion investment over the next three years, the Accenture Cloud First group brings together unmatched depth and breadth of cloud expertise, industry cloud solutions, ecosystem partner capabilities, and assets that help clents realize greater value from cloud at speed and scale.



Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services - all powered by the world's largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 514,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit www.accenture.com. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "positioned," "outlook" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Many of the following risks, uncertainties and other factors identified below are, and will be, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. These risks include, without limitation, risks that: Accenture and Imaginea will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties' ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture's results of operations have been significantly adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; Accenture's results of operations have been, and may in the future be, adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company's clients' businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture's business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company's services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company's results of operations; if Accenture is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company's business, the utilization rate of the company's professionals and the company's results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture could face legal, reputational and financial risks if the company fails to protect client and/or company data from security incidents or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; Accenture's profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies or fail to satisfy certain agreed-upon targets or specific service levels; changes in Accenture's level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company's effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture's ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; as a result of Accenture's geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue to expand in its key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; Accenture's business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture's work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; Accenture's results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key alliance partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company's results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture's services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture's results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; Accenture might be unable to access additional capital on favorable terms or at all and if the company raises equity capital, it may dilute its shareholders' ownership interest in the company; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" heading in Accenture plc's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture's expectation. Copyright  2021 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture and its logo are trademarks of Accenture. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005624/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
South Africa: President Ramaphosa to address the nation

President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation at 20h00 today on developments in relation to the countrys response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Todays address follows meetings in recent days of the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC), the Presidents Coordinating Council (PCC) and Cabinet.

South Africa has recorded 1 453 761 COVID-19 cases, with 4 525 new cases identified as of Sunday evening.

The Presidents address will be broadcast and streamed on a range of platforms that are accessible to South Africans and international audiences.

Meanwhile, South Africa will today receive the country's first consignment of the COVID-19 vaccine at OR Tambo International Airport.

The first shipment of one million doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) left the Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, on Sunday.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Vaccines, will receive the first consignment.

The first phase of the rollout programme will prioritise around 1.2 million frontline health workers.

Phase 2 will prioritise essential workers including teachers, police, municipal workers and other frontline personnel.

People in institutions like old age homes, shelters and prisons, people over 60 years of age and adults with co-morbidities, will also be prioritised in Phase 2, with a total number of around 16 million people intended to be reached.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  Independent research group OCTA said it's "still too early" to put Metro Manila under more relaxed quarantine restrictions as the Philippines cannot afford to face another surge in COVID-19 cases while it is rolling out its mass vaccination drive.

During Monday's Laging Handa briefing, OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said shifting the capital to a modified general community quarantine is not advisable yet, as warding off the spread of the coronavirus remains the key to avoid dealing with shortages across the healthcare system.

"I think it's too early to risk at this stage... We can't risk a surge while we're rolling out the vaccine because it will delay the vaccination kung ma-overwhelm 'yung mga hospitals natin (if our hospitals would be overwhelmed)," he said.

"So it's better to keep the status quo," Dr. David added.

The government is set to begin its vaccination program this month. On Sunday, Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. said at least 5.6 million doses from US drugmaker Pfizer and the UK's AstraZeneca are expected to arrive in the Philippines within the first quarter.

Dr. David acknowledged that while he also understands the need to fuel economic activities, the Philippine economy could recover much faster if more Filipinos would be vaccinated.

"Maybe it's going to be for only a few months [of the] vaccine rollout. Once we have that, it would be easy for us to talk about relaxing the economy even further," he said.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez over the weekend said he was still hopeful the country's economic center could shift to the lowest form of community quarantine "in the months ahead."

Last week, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said Metro Manila mayors expressed readiness to keep the capital under GCQ or MGCQ this February, favoring the gradually opening up of the economy.

The Philippine economy shrank by -9.5 percent in 2020, its worst year since World War II.
Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2021) - Altiplano Metals Inc. (TSXV: APN) (WKN: A2JNFG) ("Altiplano" or the "Company") is pleased to report on the Q4 2020 production results from the Farellon Copper-Gold (Cu-Au) mine located near La Serena, Chile.

During Q4, 2020, the Company extracted a total 11,685 tonnes of mineralized Cu/Au material at Farellon and processed 9,150 tonnes at an average grade of approximately 1.68% Cu. Copper sales of 322,000 pounds generated US$580,000 in revenue.

Total mined tonnes improved in Q4 demonstrating a 21% increase from the previous quarter and representing the highest quarterly production in the Company's three year history. Positive Q4 production results were supported by a strong month of December where production came in at 4,520 tonnes, representing the best monthly production in 2020. Processed material was marginally lower in Q4 but is highlighted as the second best processing quarter overall. At the end of December, the Company had 1,090 tonnes in stockpiles at the Farellon site and an additional 2,210 tonnes in processing.

CEO Alastair McIntyre comments, "I am pleased to announce another milestone quarter in Q4 2020 by achieving the highest quarterly production levels in the Company's three year history at Farellon. This is a significant achievement as we had a dual focus in Q4 of expanding production and conducting development work to support expansion and ventilation improvements. Furthermore, the Company has now generated over US$5.5 mm from sales of close to 3 million pounds of copper. Our metrics continue to improve and position us very well for significant cost reductions and revenue improvements when our mill comes online mid-2021. The success at Farellon supports our next phase of grow by initiating startups at our other potential cash flowing projects."

Figure 1. Mined, Shipped and Copper Grade



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4303/73231_f0fe2ad6d4681a57_001full.jpg

Figure 2. Shipped Material and Income



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4303/73231_f0fe2ad6d4681a57_002full.jpg

Figure 3. Quarterly Review of US$ Revenue and Copper Pounds Sold

Period USD Revenue Cu Pounds Sold Q1 2018 $148,200 94,909 Q2 2018 $210,492 118,287 Q3 2018 $274,499 109,283 Q4 2018 $695,386 272,381 Q1 2019 $589,098 233,425 Q2 2019 $578,282 229,986 Q3 2019 $460,273 318,832 Q4 2019 $381,427 238,371 Q1 2020 $320,960 188,671 Q2 2020 $477,805 310,256 Q3 2020 $827,298 460,384 Q4 2020 $579,276 322,130 Total $5,542,997 2,896,916





Figure 4. 2020 Monthly Production Figures



To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4303/73231_f0fe2ad6d4681a57_003full.jpg

Figure 5. Farellon Mine Section



To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4303/73231_f0fe2ad6d4681a57_004full.jpg

The decision to commence production on the Farellon deposit is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability and there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with the production decision.

The mining activity for the Q4 2020 period included expansion of the 376 m level along the NW and SW drifts. Expansion of the 389 m drift continues to the southwest and has now passed the intrusive dyke. New drifting along the SW direction beyond the dyke shows massive copper mineralization due to compression of the vein. Additionally, drifting along the 382 m level to the south west has advanced beyond the dyke by 26.5 metres. In both situations, good copper grade has been observed yielding approximately 1.8 % from initial sales analysis.

Work has begun also to expand the ventilation raise which will connect the 382 m level with the 389 m level. This ventilation work is being conducted with the assistance of an independent engineering group specialized in ventilation. The ventilation raise is designed to improve the airflow and to improve productivity allowing work crews to operate on multiple shifts and development headings. In addition, further development will advance the Hugo Decline to the next scheduled intersection at the 370 m level in Q1 2021.

COVID-19 Update: The Government of Chile announced that its borders reopened to visitors on November 23, 2020 (https://chile.travel/en/coronavirus) where travel to the country is permitted with some limitations and requirements. The health and safety of our employees, contractors, visitors, and the local community remain our top priorities. Altiplano continues to follow the COVID-19 guidance issued by the Federal and Provincial Governments of Canada and Chile. Mine site safety and hygiene protocols (such as: disinfection points for hand washing and supply of face masks) remain in place in order to keep employees and stakeholders safe and to limit any spread at site or within the broader community.

About Altiplano

Altiplano Metals Inc. (TSXV: APN) is a Canadian mining company focused on the acquisition and development of near-term cash flowing assets and exploration projects of significant scale. Altiplano's goal is to grow into a mid-tier producer of copper, gold and silver with immediate plans of generating profits from three cash flowing projects in 2021. Management has a substantial record of success in capitalizing on opportunity, overcoming challenges and building shareholder value.

John Williamson, B.Sc., P.Geol., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this document.

Altiplano is part of the Metals Group of companies. Metals Group is an award-winning team of professionals who stand for technical excellence, painstaking project selection and uncompromising corporate governance, with a proven ability to capitalize on investment opportunities and deliver shareholder returns.

www.metalsgroup.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

/s/ "John Williamson"

Chairman

For further information, please contact:

Alastair McIntyre, CEO

alastairm@apnmetals.com

Tel: (416) 434-3799

Jeremy Yaseniuk, Director

jeremyy@apnmetals.com

Tel: (604) 773-1467

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 release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify any historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves and the issuer is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The Farellon mine was previously in production dating back to the 1970's with a reported historical production (to a depth of 70 m) yielding approximately 300,000 tonnes at an average grade of 2.5% copper and 0.5g/t gold. This material was processed locally and sold to ENAMI. Altiplano is relying upon past production records, underground sampling and related activities and current diamond drilling to estimate grade and widths of the mineralization to reactivate production. The decision to commence production on the Farellon deposit is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability and there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with any production decision. Although the Company 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. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73231
Gladys Berejiklian has refused to close off New South Wales to Western Australia residents despite Mark McGowan urging her to do so.

The NSW premier said it was not necessary to shut the border because there has only been one Covid-19 case recorded in Perth, which has been put into a five-day lockdown.

Travellers entering NSW from Perth, Peel and south-west WA are required to isolate until Friday and get tested within 48 hours of arrival.

Gladys Berejiklian has refused to close off New South Wales to Western Australia residents despite Mark McGowan urging her to do so.

Perth was left deserted on Sunday after Mark McGowan locked the city down for five days

Ms Berejiklian suggested WA's lockdown was an over-reaction and noted that she only locked down Sydney's Northern Beaches when there had been 40 cases of community transmission.

'It's very difficult going into lockdown for any amount, it's scary and the businesses and communities in families and I do wish them well and I hope the situation has a good result and hopefully there won't be any cases of further community transmission and hopefully the precautions they are taking will be the end of it,' she said.

'The key is to make sure we act quickly and to provide as much information as possible, but also to make a proportional response. We don't know of any community transmission within WA apart from the security guard, so we are acting according to that risk.'

Asked if she had any any words of wisdom for Mr McGowan, the NSW Premier said: 'I would not presume to have any advice for any of our colleagues apart from saying that please judge New South Wales on our record of how we manage things here, it is not for me to suggest what other premiers should do, that is a matter for them.

'All of us have to be considerate of what is happening in WA at the moment. Our thoughts are with everyone in WA at the moment.

Mr McGowan imposed the five-day lockdown on Sunday after a hotel quarantine security guard tested positive.

He urged other states to shut their borders but Ms Berejiklian said: 'We have an open border policy in New South Wales.'

Earlier on Monday Peter Dutton accused Mark McGowan of imposing a harsh five-day lockdown in Western Australia to boost his chances of re-election.

The Home Affairs Minister said Mr McGowan had over-reacted because he doesn't want to jeopardise his chances at the polls in March if more infections emerge.

Peter Dutton has accused Mark McGowan of imposing a lockdown in Western Australia to boost his chances of re-election. Pictured: Long lines for testing in Perth on Sunday

In an interview with Peter Stefanovic on Sky News show First Edition on Monday morning, Mr Dutton claimed there is a 'political dynamic at play'.

He compared the drastic closure to Queensland's refusal to open its borders to NSW until after Labor premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was re-elected in late October.

'As we saw in Queensland there was a bit of panic in the lead-up to an election. Western Australia's going into an election in March and premiers don't want this virus getting away,' he said.

Mr McGowan is hot favourite to win another four years in power on March 13, riding high on the popularity of his tough border closures which are favoured by a vast majority of locals.

Betting companies are offering $1.05 on the Labor leader to win, compared with $8.50 for the Coalition.

A couple talk with police officers at the Royal Perth Hospital Covid-19 Clinic on January 31

As soon as Mr McGowan gave the order to lock down, Perth's streets were deserted

Meanwhile, fears have been raised that WA's QR code system has not been up to scratch since it was introduced in December.

A survey by The West Australian found that less than 20 per cent of customers in a Perth cafe had signed in when they entered.

Customers told the newspaper that checking in was rarely enforced and was essentially optional, meaning health officials would not be able to contact everyone required in the event of an outbreak.

On Monday morning, officials were scrambling to work out how a security guard working in a Perth quarantine hotel contracted Covid while wearing full PPE.

The man, aged in his 20s, tested positive on Saturday night, sparking a harsh five-day lockdown for Western Australia's Perth, Peel and South West regions after the state had gone 10 months without a community case of the deadly virus.

The security guard was working on the same floor of the Sheraton Four Points hotel in Perth that was housing returned Australians confirmed to have the highly infectious UK Covid strain.

The Home Affairs Minister (left) said Mr McGowan (right) had over-reacted because he doesn't want to jeopardise his chances at the polls in March if more infections emerge
SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost Investment Advisors LLC (NYSE: CFR), a wholly owned subsidiary of Frost Bank, announced today that Mace McCain, a veteran financial advisor and manager who has been with the company more than 20 years, has been named president and managing director. McCain succeeds longtime President Tom Stringfellow, who retired after more than 40 years with Frost.

"I'm pleased to announce that Mace McCain, who has more than 35 years of experience in financial management, will head up Frost Investment Advisors," said Pat Frost, group executive vice president over Frost Investment Advisors and Frost Wealth Advisors. "Mace has served in several important positions at Frost, and managed some of our biggest relationships with endowments and funds. That included working with Tom Stringfellow for many years. All of us at Frost congratulate Mace, and we wish Tom all the best in his retirement."

McCain has been with Frost since 2000, starting as a relationship and investment manager with a focus on foundation and endowment accounts, as well as large family relationships. He later led the statewide portfolio management staff and helped develop Frost's alternative investments offerings. He led the successful conversion of over 8,000 accounts to new trading, performance and reporting technology systems in 2020. Prior to joining Frost, Mace held investment and management positions at the Ohio Teachers Retirement System and the Teachers Retirement System of Texas, and held positions at reinsurance brokerage E.W. Blanch, Inc., and private equity firm Bexar Capital.

About Frost Investment Advisors LLC

Frost Investment Advisors LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Frost Bank, one of the oldest and largest Texas-based banking organizations, offers a family of mutual funds to institutional and retail investors. The firm has offered institutional and retail shares since 2008.

Frost Investment Advisors' family of funds provides clients with diversification by offering separate funds for equity and fixed income strategies. Registered with the SEC in January 2008, FIA manages more than $4.1 billion in mutual fund assets and provides investment advisory services to institutional, high net-worth clients, Frost Bank and its affiliates. As of Dec. 31, 2020, the firm has $4.9 billion in assets under management, including the mutual fund assets referenced above.

For more information:

Bill Day

210-220-5427 office

210-288-5498 mobile

SOURCE Frost Investment Advisors LLC
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.
Legal, gender and human-rights experts have been appointed to a working group to consider whether misogynistic behaviour should become an offence under Scots law.

The Scottish Government's Hate Crime Bill would allow misogynistic harassment to become a standalone offence while also adding age prejudice to existing aggravating factors.

Human-rights lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy has been asked to lead a taskforce that will examine the case for making misogyny an offence.

Members of the group have now been appointed ahead of its first meeting later this month.

Human-rights lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy has been asked to lead a taskforce that will examine the case for making misogyny an offence as part of the Scottish Government's Hate Crime Bill

They include lawyer Susan Kem, a former criminal investigator at the International Criminal Court in the Hague who also served on the United Nations' team of experts on sexual violence in armed conflict.

Mona Rishmawi, head of the rule of law, equality and non-discrimination branch in the United Nations human rights commissioner's office it also join the team.

The other members are Professor John Devaney from the University of Edinburgh who specialises in domestic abuse and gender-based violence, lawyer Shelagh McCall, a founding commissioner at the Scottish Human Rights Commission, Dr Chloe Kennedy, a law lecturer specialising in law and gender from the University of Edinburgh, and director of feminist advocacy organisation Engender Emma Ritch.

The group will aim to produce a report for the government on its findings from evidence sessions over the next 12 months.

Baroness Kennedy said: 'This is an important piece of work addressing the special forms of violence, transgression and abuse experienced by women which may emanate from misogyny.

'The law often fails women and the panel will consider the law's capacity to address such crimes.'

The Scottish Government's Hate Crime Bill would allow misogynistic harassment to become a standalone offence while also adding age prejudice to existing aggravating factors

Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: 'While Lord Bracadale, in his independent review of hate crime legislation, recommended that gender should be added to hate crime law, leading women's organisations were opposed to this approach.

'They also called for misogyny to be considered as a standalone, criminal offence in Scotland.

'I am pleased to see that this important piece of work is now well under way, with an expert panel, appointed by Baroness Kennedy, to give this issue the proper consideration that it deserves.

'This marks another important milestone in making our society safe, equal and fair.'

In Scotland, offences are currently aggravated by prejudice against a victim's race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or their transgender status.

The Scottish Government's proposed legislation would incorporate the existing aggravating factors and add the characteristic of age, with the potential to include sex at a later date so misogynistic harassment can become a standalone offence.
The Louisville Metro Police Department needs more diversity among its leadership and must work to improve trust with the community, especially among Black residents, a consulting firm said in a sweeping report of the department.

The city hired the Chicago firm Hillard Heintze last summer as daily protests raged in the streets over the police killing of Breonna Taylor. The citys police chief had recently been fired and activists and Black community leaders were calling for criminal prosecution for the officers involved in the March shooting of Taylor.

Taylor, a 26-year-old Black emergency medical worker, was fatally shot by officers serving a narcotics warrant at her apartment. She was shot multiple times after Taylors boyfriend fired a single shot when her front door was forced open.

The 155-page report released Thursday was touted by Louisvilles mayor as a top-to-bottom review of the department and its practices. It calls for a true transformation of the department.

Many of Louisvilles communities of color do not trust the police force due to generations of problematic relations, the report said. Additionally, many LMPD officers are unsure they want to be part of the department and are considering leaving policing altogether.

The report found morale was at a low ebb in the department. A survey by the firm found that 75% of officers polled said they had considered leaving their job.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said many reforms have been enacted in the city since Taylors death, including a new city law that banned so-called no knock warrants. The warrants allow officers to enter a home without first announcing themselves. Louisville also hired a new police chief, former Atlanta chief Erika Shields, to lead the department.

The report found that Louisville police supervisors generally approved the probable cause statements in search warrants without performing an in-depth review of the content. At least one claim in the warrant used to enter Taylors home  that officers confirmed she was accepting packages for a suspected drug dealer  has been found to be false. The detective later admitted he did not confirm that part of the warrant with a postal inspector.

Some officers interviewed for the report complained that the departments narcotics unit is often driven by competition over who can seize the most drugs. That can lead some narcotics detectives to avoid involving the departments specialized SWAT team because it could slow down their process of applying for and executing a search warrant, the report said.

The plainclothes officers who served the warrant at Taylors home were not accompanied by SWAT officers, and none of the officers turned on their body cameras during the incident. Two of the three officers who fired shots at Taylors home have since been fired, along with the detective who sought the warrant.

Fischer said he believes a transformation of the department is possible.

The nature of the audit  is to expose gaps so we can address them, thats what we want, said Fischer, a Democrat in his third term as mayor. Denial is not a strategy.

The report highlighted the police departments lack of diversity, especially among its mid-level leadership. About six percent of the departments sergeants and 10% of its lieutenants are people of color, the report said. The entire force is about 12% Black, while Louisvilles general population is about 21% Black.

Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Law Enforcement
Hansens disease, better known as leprosy, is an illness that many people think has been eradicated and no longer exists.

English Africa Service Vatican News.

Pope Francis solidarity on World Leprosy Day

On Sunday Pope Francis expressed his closeness to all those who suffer from Hansens disease  better known as leprosy  on World Leprosy Day, which is observed each year on the last Sunday in January to increase public awareness of the condition. The Holy Father also offered words of encouragement to missionaries, health workers, and volunteers committed to serving those affected by the disease.

Cardinal Turkson: The world can beat Hansens disease

The theme for this years World Leprosy Day observance is Beat Leprosy. In a message to mark the day, Cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development said, the noble aim of beating Hansens disease, begins with the medical reality that leprosy is a curable disease; but beating leprosy involves more than a mere medical struggle. It also seeks to eliminate the social stigma that accompanies this difficult illness and ultimately envisions the restoration of the human person in an integral way, the Cardinal said.

Camillians at Ouagadougos Leprosarium

The main cause of suffering for people affected by leprosy is social exclusion: Even when they manage to recover from this disease, social reintegration is often difficult. Father Pierre-Marie Bulgo, a Camillian missionary, in charge of the Leprosarium that the religious order runs in Ouagadougou told Agenzia Fides, on the occasion of the 68th World Day of leprosy.

Usually, most of our patients .. have no intention of returning to their family of origin, because they claim to have found a new family where they do not feel stigmatised, Fr Bulgo said.

The commitment of the Camillian missionaries in Burkina Faso alongside men and women living with leprosy has lasted for over 40 years: We heal the wounds caused by skin lesions and dermatoses from which they suffer. We try to recreate an environment where they can feel loved and supported. We also support them for their social reintegration, said Fr Bulgo.

Creating awareness

World Leprosy Day aims at raising awareness about this ancient disease that is easily curable with antibiotics today. Sadly, many people worldwide continue to suffer from this curable disease due to lack of access to primary medical care and continued stigma surrounding the illness.

The electrodes for the ozone generator are made of silicon wafers with precisely etched trenches. Credit: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

While chlorine and ultraviolet light are the standard means of disinfecting water, ozone is equally effective in killing germs. To date, ozone has only been used as an oxidation agent for treating water in large plants. Now, however, a project consortium from Schleswig-Holstein is developing a miniaturized ozone generator for use in smaller applications such as water dispensers or small domestic appliances. The Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology ISIT has provided the sensor chip and electrode substrates for the electrolysis cell.

Compared to conventional means of disinfection such as chlorine or ultraviolet, ozone dissolved in water has a number of advantages: it is environmentally friendly, remains active beyond its immediate place of origin, has only a short retention time in water and is subsequently tasteless. Due to its high oxidation potential, ozone is very effective at combating germs. It breaks down the cell membrane of common pathogens. In Germany, ozone is chiefly used to disinfect swimming pools and drinking water and to purify wastewater. Yet it is rarely used to disinfect water in domestic appliances such as ice machines and beverage dispensers or in other fixtures such as shower-toilets. MIKROOZON, a project funded by the State of Schleswig-Holstein and the EU, aims to change this. Researchers from Fraunhofer ISIT have teamed up with the Itzehoe-based company CONDIAS GmbH, which was founded in 2001 as a spin-off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, and CONDIAS partner Go Systemelektronik GmbH, from Kiel. The three partners are developing a miniaturized ozone generator with integrated sensor technology and microprocessor control system.

Direct production of ozone via water electrolysis

"The ozone generator is very compact and can be integrated in systems and appliances that require regular disinfection," says Norman Laske, researcher at Fraunhofer ISIT. "You simply connect it up to the water line, and it will produce the right amount of ozonized water whenever required." The ozone generator is only a couple of cubic centimeters in size and comprises an electrolysis cell, a sensor chip, control electronics to regulate current and voltage, and electronics to read the sensor signals. "The two electrodes are separated by an ion-conducting separator membrane," Laske explains. "When a voltage is applied across the electrodes, the water is split by a process of electrolysis. Because of the diamond layer coating the electrodes, this process first forms hydroxyl radicals, which then react to form primarily ozone (O3) as well as oxygen (O2)."

Sensors measure mass flow, temperature and conductivity. Credit: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

Diamond-coated silicon electrodes

How the electrodes with their boron-doped diamond layer are made is the know-how that has given CONDIAS GmbH its name. The company already uses a chemical vapor deposition process to coat large-scale electrodes required to disinfect the ballast water of marine vessels. However, the electrodes required for the MIKROOZON generator are much smaller. They are made of silicon and have finely etched trenches that run through the electrodes to form narrow slits on the reverse side. In order to be able to etch these trenches with the required precision, the researchers from Fraunhofer ISIT had to have wafer material manufactured to their own specifications.

To build an ozone generator, pairs of these electrodes are mounted back to back, with a separator membrane between them. The gases are released at the interface to the separator membrane and then escape through the trenched structure to the other side of the electrode, where the turbulence of the water flow ensures that they are efficiently dissolved and dispersed.

The Fraunhofer ISIT sensors are incorporated in glass wafers. Credit: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

The sensor chip from Fraunhofer ISIT is equipped with three sensors to measure conductivity, mass flow and temperature. These parameters need to be monitored in order to control the electrolytic process. The sensor chip provides the data that is required to control ozone production in line with the quality and the amount of water used. "In order to ensure that there is enough ozone available over the period required, the temperature has to be monitored," Laske explains. "This is because ozone decomposes more quickly at higher temperatures." Conductivity correlates to the degree of water hardness: the harder the water, the higher the conductivitymeaning that more current must flow in order to achieve the desired effect. When equipped with a system to monitor these parameters, the ozone generator should be capable of processing up to 6 liters of water per minutewithout the sensor chip, it is currently specified for 0.5 to 1.5 liters.

CONDIAS is marketing the minigenerator under the brand name of MIKROZON. "Each partner has contributed years of experience from their own area of specialization," says Volker Hollinder, CEO of CONDIAS GmbH. "This has created a product that can now be manufactured on an industrial scale. The spread of the coronavirus has underlined the importance of disinfection. The use of chemical disinfectants is often problematic, because they leave harmful residues. Our system uses electrolytically generated ozone to eliminate germs. It therefore does not produce any residues from disinfectants."

Explore further Clean water for Southern Africa
Utica, N.Y.  A man was driving himself to a Utica hospital Sunday afternoon with a gunshot to his chest when he saw police and firefighters.

He stopped his car on Park Avenue and told them he had just been shot.

The man was rushed to St. Elizabeths Hospital at about 1:30 p.m., where he remains in critical condition, Utica Police said. His name and age have not been released.

Police are working to pinpoint where the shooting happened.

Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to call the departments Major Crime Unit at (315) 223-3556; submit anonymous tips online through Mohawk Valley Crime Stoppers website; or call 1-866-730-8477.

Staff writer Samantha House covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? Reach her at shouse@syracuse.com.


Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
VIJAYAWADA: Guntur district officials have started enquiring into the rejection of voting rights to State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar at his native place Duggirala in Guntur district.

Ramesh Kumar visited his ancestral house at Duggirala on Sunday where he told the Tahsildar that he wanted to clear doubts of officials about getting voting rights. Ramesh Kumar had earlier applied for a voter ID in Duggirala but his application was rejected as he was living in Hyderabad.

According to norms, voter ID is issued to the individual based on the place where one lives.

As Ramesh Kumars permanent address is in Hyderabad, officials in Duggirala refused his application to register his name as a voter. The SEC has rented a house in Vijayawada and he lives there only on working days. Ramesh Kumar appealed to the Guntur district collector to use his discretionary powers and give him voting rights in Duggirala, where he has never lived.

Ironically, the SEC himself admitted this during a press conference and stated that he would move the court for his voter ID from Duggirala.

Guntur district officials informed that an enquiry into the issue was on and it would be resolved soon.
Photo: Rhett Butler

Dr. Ciprian Popoviciu, associate professor in the Department of Technology Systems, took this picture from the top of Mount Everest in 2008. | Photo: Contributed

Dr. Ciprian Popoviciu works in a classroom in the Science and Technology Building. | Photo: Rhett Butler

This post appears here courtesy of ECU News Services . The author of this post is Ken Buday Dr. Ciprian Popoviciu has been to the top of the world, literally.The assistant professor in the Department of Technology Systems reached the peak of Mount Everest on May 22, 2008, with climbing partner Vance Cook. Now, Popoviciu pushes East Carolina University students to reach new heights in the world of technology.Popoviciu said of climbing the tallest mountain in the world at 29,032 feet.Popoviciu grew up in the town of Cluj-Napoca in communist Romania. He describes restrictions on freedoms, extreme food shortages and cold winters because of a lack of electricity to heat homes. He studied for his highly competitive collegiate entrance exam by candlelight. In college, he participated in protests and the revolution that eventually ended communist rule in Romania in 1989.he said.A passion for advanced research led him to the United States, where he pursued a doctoral degree in physics at the University of Miami. While there, he took a course in information theory and later computer networking and coding. He landed a job at Cisco Systems, launching a new career.Popoviciu said.Having taught courses at the University of Miami, he enjoyed working with students and served as a guest lecturer at many universities during his time in industry.he said.An admitted skeptic of a higher education system that he said wasn't doing enough to prepare students for careers in a changing job market, Popoviciu rose to the challenge. As a member of the industry advisory board for the Department of Technology Systems , he learned ECU was doing its part to improve society by properly educating students.said Popoviciu, who has been teaching at ECU for a year and a half.Popoviciu relies on his experience in industry as the backbone of his instruction, hoping to help students ascend to top jobs in technology.he said.That experience includes being a part of a startup company that focused on IPv6, the next generation of internet protocol that is expanding on the foundation of IT cyberinfrastructure. He worked with others on standards, training, certification requirements and even a few patents, and is part of the IPv6 Hall of Fame.Popoviciu has served as an expert in Next Generation Infrastructures for the European Commission, reviewing research proposals and projects. Through this, he was invited to establish ECU as a node in two projects funded by the European Union, one of which allows top European researchers an immersive experience in the United States.Last year, he received a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation to work with George Mason University on a transatlantic cyberinfrastructure ring to allow for high-speed transmission of research data.Popoviciu admits to difficulties with teaching and student learning during the pandemic but would rather  naturally  look up.he said."The Queen's Gambit"Teaching assistant at the University of MiamiPistachio ice creamTapas in BarcelonaI climbed Mount Everest.

Burma Myanmar Military Arrests National Leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint

Myanmar State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is seen in Naypyitaw on Jan. 27, 2021 / Thiha Lwin / The Irrawaddy

The Myanmar military detained the countrys de facto leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint in the early hours on Monday, according to National League for Democracy (NLD) spokesperson Dr. Myo Nyunt. Some of the ruling partys Central Executive Committee members, lawmakers and regional cabinet members have been taken into custody as well. The apparent military coup occurred just hours before the scheduled start of the first session of the new, NLD-dominated Parliament on Monday morning. Mobile phone services have been cut off in Naypyitaw.

The arrests follow last weeks sharp escalation in tensions between the civilian government and the military after the latter made what was perceived as a threat to stage a coup if the government failed to act on its claims of mass fraud in Novembers general election. The NLD won the vote in a landslide.

Dr. Myo Nyunt told The Irrawaddy: This is a military coup attempt, but they can claim it is not, by forcing the President to call an urgent national security meeting for an official handover of power to them, which would make the military takeover official.

According to the Constitution, only the President can declare a state of emergency and hand over power to the military.

The state-run television service is currently cut off and only the military-owned Myawaddy channel is accessible. Mobile communications are limited to within regions only.
BLACKROCK THROGMORTON TRUST PLC

LEI: 5493003B7ETS1JEDPF59

Change in Directorate

The Board of BlackRock Throgmorton Trust plc ("the Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Merryn Somerset Webb as a Non-executive Director of the Company with effect from 24 March 2021. Ms Somerset Webb will also serve as a member of the Company's Audit, Nomination, Remuneration & Management Engagement Committees.

Ms Somerset Webb is the Editor-in-Chief of MoneyWeek, the UK personal finance magazine and writes extensively on financial matters and features regularly on radio and television. She is also currently a Non-executive Director of Murray Income Investment Trust plc, Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon plc and Netwealth Investments Limited. She was formerly a Non-executive Director of Montanaro European Smaller Companies Trust plc.

Ms Somerset Webb has not held any directorships of publicly quoted companies in the last five years, other than those referenced above.

Ms Somerset Webb holds 1,959 ordinary shares of the Company at the present time.

There are no further details or disclosures required under Listing Rule 9.6.13R in respect of Ms Somerset Webb.

As previously announced, having served on the Board since July 2012 and with her tenure approaching nine years, Ms Matterson has informed the Board of her intention to retire at the conclusion of the Company's Annual General Meeting, to be held on 24 March 2021. Ms Somerset Webb's appointment is aligned with this and is part of the Board's formal succession plans, therein ensuring that the Board maintains a suitable balance of skills, experience, independence and diversity.

Mr K. Mayger

For and on behalf of

BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, Company Secretary



Date: 1 February 2021

The needs of an eCommerce business owner extend well beyond the pick, pack, and shipping process. We built our systems to give the busy eCommerce business owner access to inventory, order, and shipping information through our mobile friendly platform. says Lee Guthrie, Vice President at ShipLogx

Complete Mailing Services today announced the launch of ShipLogx, a new eCommerce fulfillment company. ShipLogx offers pick, pack and shipping services for eCommerce and subscription box companies from its 40,000 square foot facility in Brooklyn Army Terminal in Brooklyn New York. Clients will enjoy full visibility into their business 24/7 through ShipLogxs online platform.

We recognized that our 50 years of experience in the mailing and fulfillment industry offered tremendous value to the eCommerce industry. We used this experience to create a service that meets the ever-growing demand for eCommerce fulfillment and shipping services while providing the consumer with a high quality and reliable service, says Lenny Santorelli, CEO at ShipLogx.

The ability to respond to industry demands and trends is what has helped our business thrive for over 50 years. We created a company that offers a range of services from simple order fulfillment to complex subscription boxes so we can meet the needs of the eCommerce industry today and in the future, says Ed Conrad, VP of Business Development at ShipLogx.

The needs of an eCommerce business owner extend well beyond the pick, pack, and shipping process. Business owners need to have full visibility into their business 24/7 and the ability to manage their business on the go. We carefully built our systems to give the busy eCommerce business owner access to inventory, order, and shipping information through our mobile friendly platform, says Lee Guthrie, Vice President at ShipLogx.

ShipLogx services include:



Receiving and warehousing

Pick, pack, and shipping of orders

Competitive shipping rates

Same day shipping

Online, mobile friendly customer platform

For more information on ShipLogx visit https://www.shiplogx.com
There has been much talk about the Biden administrations goal for rural America to play a leading role in combatting climate change, but farmers are still understandably curious and cautious about what those opportunities might mean. Specifically, how the dairy industrys good environmental work could provide additional revenue for producers might take a number of paths.

To figure out what dairys options might become, Cornell Universitys Andy Novakovic first provided a birds-eye perspective of approaching the climate topic on the January 20 Hoards Dairyman DairyLivestream.

First, we must define and agree on the problem.

For example, cows burp methane. Theres not a debate; we dont dispute that fact, but we can ask ourselves, in what way is that a problem? he posed. We have gained a lot of ground in science-based understanding of to what degree this is an issue just looking at it from the standpoint of a dairy farm, but also, to what degree is this an issue in terms of climate change or any other sort of environmental effect?

From there, its determining where we want to go and how we will get there. The second part is agreeing what fixed looks like, he said. What am I trying to get to, and how fast? Thats a big conversation thats really important.

The part dairy farmers will be most interested in is determining how those solutions are carried out. In describing how that might go on the farm, Novakovic said candidly, That invariably involves some combination of carrots and sticks.

Incentives or requirements?

USDA seems to be on the carrot side of that proposal for now as incentive-based programs gain traction. Secretary nominee Tom Vilsack has already expressed his desire to create markets that pay farmers for sequestering carbon in their soil.

Further revenue opportunities could be implemented in other types of legislation, said National Milk Producers Federation Senior Vice President of Government Relations Paul Bleiberg.

It could be tax credits. Theres a lot of discussion around doing tax legislation, and carbon tax comes into the conversation on climate, so that could certainly be in the mix, he noted. In the farm bill conversation down the road, there could be talk about enhancing conservation programs to better incentivize certain behaviors.

Environmental markets are obviously becoming more and more relevant here. Theres good legislation in both the House and Senate that would pull back some of the barriers to participation in those, he continued. I think there are a number of different tools in the toolbox here.

It will be difficult to develop an environmental program that will work for everyone, but agriculture will have a voice in those discussions. If theres a climate package, there will probably be a lot of committees, including ag, thatll have their hands in the pot, Bleiberg said.

And that work could certainly be beneficial for American farmers. There are a lot of members, Democratic and Republican, that serve on the ag committees especially that want to do more, Bleiberg believes. Not just to recognize whats already being done on the ground, but maybe to create some revenue streams moving forward.

An ongoing series of events

The next broadcast of DairyLivestream will be on Wednesday, February 3 at 11 a.m. CST. Each episode is designed for panelists to answer over 30 minutes of audience questions. If you havent joined a DairyLivestream broadcast yet, register here. Registering once registers you for all future events.

To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com.

(c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021

January 28, 2021

Longtime El Paso County prosecutor Donna Billek is set to be demoted next week, a move that freed up her senior rank for a former district attorney recruited after a controversial tenure in Adams and Broomfield counties.

Billek, a nearly 22-year office veteran who handled cases against admitted Planned Parenthood shooter Robert Lewis Dear Jr. and double-murderer Glen Law Galloway, among other high-profile defendants, will lose her position as senior deputy district attorney effective Feb. 8, the 4th Judicial District Attorneys Office has confirmed.

Billek held the senior rank for nearly 14 years. The move is poised to cut her salary from $120,000 to $100,000, an office spokesman said.

We will not discuss matters involving personnel issues, said Howard Black, a spokesman for the Pikes Peak regions new district attorney, Michael Allen, who declined a request for an interview.

Billek also declined to comment, referring questions to Black.

Her pending demotion comes on the heels of the Jan. 14 hiring of former 17th Judicial District Attorney Dave Young, who was brought in at Billek's soon-to-be former rank. Until Billek's demotion, all other senior deputy ranks had been filled, according to two sources with knowledge of the office's leadership cadre and internal documents obtained by The Gazette.

Young, who served two terms in Adams and Broomfield counties, was recruited two days after he left office following what The Denver Post editorial board called a scandal-plagued tenure.

His time in office was marred by an alleged affair with a subordinate that drew statewide headlines and wide-ranging criticism of his review of the Aurora police response that led to the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain.

Young declined to charge the officers who placed the unarmed McClain in a chokehold that was later banned, sparking nationwide scrutiny and adding heat to racial justice protests in Colorado.

Young turned down a request for an interview through Black, instead relaying a fact sheet touting his leadership bona fides, saying that he grew the budget for the 17th Judicial District DA's office by $10 million to $24 million and personally prosecuted some of the most high-profile homicides in his jurisdiction, including a 2017 shooting that killed three people at a Walmart in a Denver suburb and the murders of two police officers.

A longtime El Paso County prosecutor criticized Billek's demotion in an interview with The Gazette, calling it evidence that Allen, also a veteran prosecutor in the El Paso County office, has little regard for experience of longtime employees who were once his peers, particularly strong women.

Women are definitely not favored for promotion and hiring under this administration, and in fact women have been fired or demoted to make room for men, the prosecutor said, speaking on condition of anonymity, citing fear of retaliation.

Aside from Billek's demotion, the longtime prosecutor cited the firing of office spokeswoman Lee Richards, a former KRDO news radio journalist, in favor of Black, a retired Colorado Springs police lieutenant; and the promotion of 11-year prosecutor Andy Vaughan over more experienced female candidates.

The pattern of early moves by Allen shows exceptions to the sources allegations, however.

Allen named Martha McKinney as assistant district attorney, his second-in-command.

Two of the four prosecutors he appointed as senior deputy district attorneys are women, according to records. Both of the women are relative newcomers compared to others passed over for promotion, records show.

Its also common for newly elected officials to install their own media representatives.

However, both attorneys promoted to chief deputy district attorney, the offices third-highest rank, are men who are close to Allen and supported his successful political campaign  Vaughan and Reggy Short.

Most of the attorneys are very upset about Andy Vaughan, the veteran prosecutor said. He doesnt have enough experience is the bottom line. And there are plenty of people who have more experience who were passed over.

Several of the female senior deputies who were passed over for chief deputy have been prosecutors for two decades or more, records show.

Shorts family was tied to $13,000 in contributions to assist Allens campaign, much of it directed to an independent expenditure committee from a trust in Shorts late mothers name, the newspaper previously reported.

One political observer likened the Short familys spending to dark money because of how difficult it can be to trace, and Allen previously said he had no idea about the groups activities or Shorts role in them.

When you told me about that just now is the first I heard about that," Allen previously said, describing Short as supremely qualified for his promotion.

Billek is on the prosecution team involved in the ongoing case against Marco Garcia-Bravo, an alleged triggerman in the killings of former Coronado High School students Natalie Cano-Partida, 16, and Derek Greer, 15. The jury completed its fifth full day of deliberations Thursday and continues deliberations Monday morning.

Billek was notified of her demotion while the trial was underway, sources said.

Known for her aggressive approach in court and command of large, complex cases, Billek was on the team that obtained a first-degree murder conviction in 2009 against Derrick Johnson, who started a 2007 fire at the Castle West Apartments that killed two people and displaced hundreds more. In 2014, she led an effort that obtained a life sentence against revenge-killer Bruce Nozolino, convicted in a decade-spanning series of sniper shootings in which he killed his ex-wifes former lover, partially blinded her divorce lawyer, and tried to kill a district judge.

In 2018, Billek was part of the team that pursued the death penalty against Galloway in the back-to-back shootings of Marcus Anderson and Janice Nam in May 2016. A jury ultimately threw out capital punishment, resulting in a life sentence without parole for Galloway.

Two months after the trial, Billek received the Colorado District Attorneys Councils statewide Robert R. Gallagher Jr. Award for Prosecution, also known as prosecutor of the year award.

Within the office, Billek was known as mercurial, and she sometimes clashed with fellow attorneys, former colleagues acknowledged.

She also had strained relationships with both Allen and McKinney, sources told the newspaper.

But she is also regarded as a hard worker with an impressive track record, and her demotion is likely to further rattle employees already shaken by Allens early changes in office, the veteran prosecutor said. Another source with longstanding ties to the office observed that others with strong personalities werent similarly punished.

I think people are nervous. They dont understand whats happening, the prosecutor said. I think we really felt like Michael was going to do things differently and promote people based on merit. His whole campaign was Im a prosecutor, not a politician.  All of these decisions are politically motivated, and they have nothing to do with good prosecution, or merit.

During an interview earlier this month, Allen said staffing changes were based on his assessment of abilities, disputing that politics or friendship were factors.

Said Allen: When I evaluate people for leadership positions, I look at merit, I look at experience, I look at leadership traits and I also look at the willingness to take on the challenge of leadership.
Redditors have pushed silver to an eight-year record high after a user by the name of 'TheHappyHawaiin' suggested punishing banks for betting against a prise rise.

Silver prices rose by as much as 13 percent on Monday - to $30 per ounce - putting the rare metal on course for its biggest single-day percentage gain since 2008.

Monday's increase followed a 6 percent rise last week and a rally in the shares of some miners of the metal, while the world's largest silver-backed exchange traded fund, the iShares Silver Trust, recorded almost $1 billion in inflows on Friday.

Meanwhile, retail sites warned customers over the weekend that they would not be able to meet the dramatic increase in demand for silver bars and coins.

The uptick in investments came after the subject was shared on the WallStreetBets Reddit forum last week, with one post by user TheHappyHawaiian saying that buying shares in the exchange-traded fund (ETF) would 'force physical delivery of silver' into the fund's vaults, causing a 'short squeeze' and pushing up silver's price.

Silver prices rose by as much as 13 percent on Monday - to $30 per ounce - putting the rare metal on course for its biggest single-day percentage gain since 2008. Pictured: Bars of silver are placed on wooden pallets, file photo

The message board has been in the news in recent days after it orchestrated a 'short squeeze' of GameStop shares, losing hedge funds billions who were betting against the video game company.

One Wall Street hedge fund - Melvin Capital - which had bet against GameStop, had to be bailed out because of the roughly $4.5 billion losses it suffered in the frenzy.

In the fallout, Robinhood - the free-trading app - was slammed by its users after it restricted trades in GameStop and other stocks.

GameStop was one of the most heavily shorted stocks in the United States, according to data.

An analysis of 28 global silver ETFs and mutual funds on Lipper showed they received an inflow of $1.8 billion in January, their biggest since August 2020.

iShares Silver Trust ETF, the largest silver-backed ETF, recorded an inflow of $1.2 billion in January, out of which $780 million came in the last week, the data showed.

Aberdeen Standard Physical Silver Shares ETF and ZKB Silver ETF had inflows of $80 million and $13.7 million respectively in the last month.

Spot silver surged over 6% last week and added another 9% on Monday as thousands of Reddit posts suggested that higher silver prices could hurt banks with large positions, and said buying easy-to-access exchange-traded silver funds could quickly ramp up the metal's value.

Monday's increase followed a 6 percent rise last week a rally in the shares of some miners of the metal, while the world's largest silver-backed exchange traded fund, the iShares Silver Trust, recorded almost $1 billion in inflows on Friday

However, a backlash followed the surge in silver prices on Monday with some members of the Reddit board speculating that institutions such as hedge funds were attempting to harness the retail fervour.

'It's a fool's errand, it's financial anarchy; somebody is going to get hurt,' Ross Norman, a veteran precious metals trader, told the Financial Times.

Analysts said that shift was likely caused by retain investors amid reports of a shortage in silver bars, with Ken Lewis, chief executive of the US precious metals retailer Apmex, saying the company had to stop selling silver due to high demand.

'Due to unprecedented demand on physical silver products, we are unable to accept any additional orders on a large number of products, until global markets open Sunday evening,' APMEX, thought to be world's largest online retailer of precious metals, said on its website.

In TheHappyHawaiian's post, user wrote that it would be 'incredible' to make the large banks that are active in the futures market 'pay dearly' for what he alleged were bets against the metal - or betting that the price of silver would fall.

Another WallStreetBets user wrote that iShares Silver Trust ETF (SLV) 'will destroy the biggest banks, not just some little hedge funds'.

The uptick in investments came after the subject was shared on the WallStreetBets Reddit forum (pictured, file photo) last week, with one post by user TheHappyHawaiian saying that buying shares in the exchange-traded fund (ETF) would 'force physical delivery of silver' into the fund's vaults, causing a 'short squeeze' and pushing up silver's price

The message board has been in the news in recent days after it orchestrated a 'short squeeze' of GameStop shares, losing hedge funds billions who were betting against the company

Another user claimed bank JPMorgan Chase had been 'surpressing metals for a long time. This should be epic. LOAD UP.'

A number of users pointed out that JPMorgan had paid a record $920 million fine last year to settle charges that it engaged in manipulative trades of futures tied to precious metals, according to CNN.

However, some other users were more sceptical, suggesting that the movement was being co-opted by hedge funds and that there is no coordinated effort in the silver market.

One thread that suggested this was titled: 'The Silver Squeeze is a hedge-fund coordinated attack so they can keep fighting the $GME fight.'

The post said that buying silver 'would be a tragic, irreversible decision that not only will most likely not make you any money because the squeeze is fake, it will put you on the sidelines from this righteous and glorious war we are in.'

What is the Reddit shares trading frenzy? GameStop is one of the most heavily shorted stocks on the market, with more contracts to sell the stock short than there are shares available. 'Short selling' allows an investor to profit when the price of a share drops. Short sellers borrow a stock, sell the stock, and then buy the stock back to return it to the lender. Reddit users saw an opportunity for what is known as a 'short squeeze', in which rising share prices force short sellers to buy more of the stock to cover their losses. Users of the Reddit group WallStreetBets were urging members to buy and hold GameStop stock, locking up the supply of shares and forcing desperate hedge funds to bid higher and higher to cover their shorts. It is a bubble that could burst at any time, if investors decide to cash out and a selling spree ensues. Most professional investors agree that GameStop's earning potential does not justify the current share price. Advertisement

Despite this, some well known business figures tweeted their support for the #silversqueeze, which was trending in Twitter on Monday.

The Winklevoss twins, famous for suing Facebook's founder Mark Zuckerberg and who were early backers of bitcoin, both shared the hashtag in support.

'The #silversqueeze is a rage against the machine,' Tyler Winklevoss tweeted, while his brother Cameron wrote: 'If silver market is proven to be fraudulent, you better believe gold market will be next.'

'It remains to be seen whether Reddit traders will have the same success in triggering a massive short squeeze for silver as they did for downtrodden stocks such as GameStop,' Raffi Boyadjian, senior investment analyst at XM, told Reuters.

'Unlike single stocks, the market for silver is much larger and more complex and therefore more difficult to manipulate.'

The rush on silver was similar to efforts made by oil barons William Herbert Hunt and Nelson Bunker Hunt - known as the Hunt brothers - who in 1979 - 1980 purchased billions of dollars worth of silver in an attempt to corner the market.

They were later sanctioned for market manipulation and went bankrupt after the price of silver collapsed in an event that became known as 'silver Tuesday'.

Silver ETFs and mutual funds saw an inflow of $3.8 billion in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic increased demand for safe-haven assets.

Silver's industrial use also helped to sustain the rally in the later part of the year, when recovery hopes rose on vaccine optimism.
Groundhog Day comes early in Western New York, even if spring wont.

Buffalo Bert came out for the eighth annual Buffalo Groundhog Day celebration on Saturday to announce that hes seen his shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter in 2021.

Thats okay, Buffalo Groundhog Day President Adam Hernandez said during a livestream. Six more weeks of winter is okay. We always have six more weeks of winter in Buffalo, but its all good because were tough! We can deal with it!

WGRZ reports the Buffalo Groundhog Day event was held virtually this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The weatherhog, from the Hawk Creek Wildlife Center, and a small group wearing masks  including someone in a giant groundhog costume  gathered at the Flying Bison Brewery in Buffalo to help raise money for Hawk Creek.

Covid has hurt all of us, it has hurt every single person here, but its also hurt the animals in our great-great city and great region, Hernandez said.

Buffalos Groundhog Day celebration began in 2013 after Hernandez and his friends traveled to Punxsutawney, Pa., to see the famous prognosticator Punxsutawney Phil, and sought to create a bigger party. Buffalos version takes place on the last Saturday of January every year, before Phils event on Feb. 2, and features two amateur meteorologists: Bert, an actual groundhog, and Buffalo Mack, a human-size mascot in a groundhog suit.

Hernandez also claims Buffalo Bert is a better weather forecaster than Punxsutawney Phil.

Buffalo Bert is 100% accurate, so if you want to know the weather, this is the guy for you, said Hernandez. Last year he predicted 6 more weeks of winter. He was right. Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring. I mean it was snowing in May, so Punxsutawney Phil couldnt be more wrong.

For more details and info on how to donate to the Hawk Creek Wildlife Center in East Aurora, visit www.buffalogroundhogday.com.
Dhanush, the National award-winning actor had recently announced that his ambitious project Karnan is getting a theatrical release. The Mari Selvaraj directorial has been slated to hit the theatres in April 2021. However, this has led to the Dhanush fans slamming the makers of Jagame Thandhiram, the actor's another upcoming project for opting for an OTT release.

As reported earlier, it has been almost confirmed that Jagame Thandhiram is getting released on Netflix, very soon. The news has left the Dhanush fans, who were eagerly waiting to watch the Karthik Subbaraj directorial on the big screen, extremely disappointed. The fans of the actor and a group of netizens are now basing Y Not Studios, the banner that bankrolls Jagame Thandhiram, for the decision.

Meanwhile, Dhanush took to his official pages on January 31, Sunday to announce the theatrical release of another much-awaited project Karnan. "Karnan releases on April 2021 in theatres. A much needed encouraging news at the right time. Thank you Thanu sir for thinking of the theatre owners, distributors, exhibitors and everybody who's livelihood is dependant on films and theatres, even though you had other options. A big thank you on behalf of my fans as this means a lot to them." wrote Dhanush in his Twitter post.

However, this announcement has led to Dhanush fans and a group of Tamil cinema audiences attacking the makers of Jagame Thandhiram by trending various hashtags on social media, including #ShameOnUYNot. In the current situation, the OTT release announcement of the Karthik Subbaraj directorial might take a little longer to be made.

Coming to Karnan, director Mari Selvaraj and producer Kalaipuli S Thanu are said to be planning to release the Dhanush starrer by the first half of April 2021, mostly as a Tamil Puthaandu release. The release date of the rural thriller is expected to be revealed very soon.

Also Read:

Jagame Thandhiram Gearing Up For An OTT Release; The Dhanush Starrer To Release On Netflix?



Dhanush's Karnan: The Satellite Rights Of The Mari Selvaraj Project Are Sold
Xiaomi is suing the US government over the investment ban. As some of you probably remember, the Trump administration (the US Department of Defense, to be more accurate) added Xiaomi to the military blacklist in mid-January. The new President came to the White House since then, and Xiaomi has decided to take action.

Xiaomi is suing the US Government, calling the investment ban unconstitutional

The company has called this move unconstitutional. This move essentially bans American investment in Xiaomi, and is forcing existing shareholders to divest their holdings in Xiaomi by November 2021.

Soon after that happened, Xiaomi issued an official statement, negating all affiliation with the Chinese military. Xiaomi also promised that it will take the appropriate course of action to pretest the interests of shareholders and the company as a whole.

Advertisement

Now, the company made that move, by suing the US Defense and Treasury departments. This information comes from Bloomberg. Xiaomi said that this ban will cause severe and irreparable damage if it comes to fruition.

Xiaomi says that its not affiliated with the Chinese government or military

In the official lawsuit claim, Xiaomi once again stressed out that its not controlled or affiliated with the Chinese government or military. It highlights that it makes products and services intended for civilian and commercial use.

It remains to be seen what will happen in the end. This ban may not stand after all, though it may take a while for it to go away. The court date is not set, nor anything of the sort, it will take time.

Advertisement

This ordeal will hurt Xiaomi if not something doesnt happen, it will hurt the company a great deal. This move does remind us of what happened to Huawei, though its far from being the same thing at this point.

The ball is in the US Governments court at this point. Well be waiting for more information to come to the surface, after which well report back, as per usual. Dont expect this to be settled quickly, even though anything is possible.



Ambassador of France: Ukraine needs to make progress in the fight against corruption and the rule of law

An exclusive interview with Ambassador of France to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins for the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency:

Text: Nataliia Pushkaruk

- Recently President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed with President Emmanuel Macron France's assistance to Ukraine in obtaining a high-quality licensed vaccine against COVID-19. Can you please tell more details about it?

- First of all I would like to state that I am glad, as the French Ambassador to Ukraine, to observe that there are very good and friendly relations between President Macron and President Zelenskyy. They are of the same age, they are young, dynamic. Both of them are sincerely committed to reform their country. It is good that they have established in two years a very good personal relationship. The discussion you are referring to took place in usual exchanges of view. They are calling each other once every one or two months. It is not just normal discussion between heads of state; it is really a friendly one and long one. This recent conversation lasted one hour and a half. It is a lot for this level of responsibility. And this is a signal of high personal quality of feelings between our two heads of state.

Concerning the vaccine, it is true that presidents discussed this matter. We will do our best to respond to President Zelenskyy's request. You know the system: it [Editors note : the vaccine] goes through the EU. Therefore, President Macron has signaled Ukraines request to his colleagues from the EU, and we are waiting for a new global response to it.

It is a tough issue because as you know there is not enough vaccine everywhere, everyone is in need of vaccines. Anyway, we will do our best to respond to this legitimate request from President Zelenskyy in the context I have mentioned earlier.

- Do you support the idea that the EU should help countries of Eastern Partnership, in particular Ukraine, get the vaccine from COVID-19?

- Definitely, I do.

- More than a year has passed since negotiations of leaders in Normandy format. To your mind, is this format still alive? Whether it needs some change and involvement of other parties, for example the USA?

- On this matter, we have a very pragmatic approach. We try to follow this say: "do not fix it if it's not broken". Currently, the Normandy Format is the only one working, successful. It did not achieve all its goals, but at least it exists. It is functioning, for instance a meeting between the diplomatic advisors of the Format was supposed to take place on January 22, although it has been postponed because of the tragic fire in Kharkiv. One year ago in Paris we were satisfied by the results we got there.

- Some politics and experts say that Normandy Format isn't so successful as we expected. The real result of Paris summit was long term ceasefire. Of course it's very important, we understand it. But we don't see any progress in other issues for example political ones. Do you think that Normandy Format has a potential to solve this problem, to make progress in the future?

- Sometimes, we focus too much on the format, rather than on the substance. The lack of results (I can agree with this) is not a question of format. If you change the format it does not necessarily mean that you will get better results. Better results will be because there will be progress in the confidence and in the political will to make peace and to achieve the goals. It is not a question of format. If you break a thermometer, it will not help you to avoid fever.

There is a confidence between the four heads of states and the four advisors, they know each other very well. Mr Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, is very much involved, and together they have produced results. The ceasefire is the most important one. It was vital to stop the killings. The exchange of prisoners was another very important result.

Of course, it is not enough for one year, but at least it has produced some good results and important ones. Of course, if there are btter ideas we are open for discussion. However, it has to be proven that it will be better than the existing Normandy format.

- How do you assess the implementation of agreements of the leaders of the Normandy Four in Paris by Ukraine and by Russia?

- We are worried. We see that there is a lack of political will on some participants side to go further.

But we got a ceasefire. We see that Ukraine has done its part for example if you look at the opening of crossing points. I have been to Shchastia. Ukraine has done its homework but there is no reciprocity from the other side so they are not open yet, and this is a disappointment.

- To your mind, when a new summit of Normandy Four can be held? Don't you think that Russian president Putin deliberately plays for time for example until elections in Germany?

- I do not want to speculate on this kind of question. Our point is that we will convene a new summit if there is enough substance for it. At this very moment we do not consider that the situation allows it. My president is totally ready to participate in a new summit, there is absolutely no problem, he has already devoted a lot of time to the Normandy Format and he is ready to do more.

- Ukraine and Russia have different points of view on the main question - political exit from this conflict. Are there any signs that these points of view can get closer during this year? Do you see a silver lining in this issue?

- It is difficult to know this because we do not have the capacity to read President Putin's mind. From France's point of view, it is difficult to answer this question. It is better to ask president Putin himself. France is open, available, and if there is any breakthrough, we will join it and participate with pleasure if it is helpful.

- What do you think about the current situation in Donbas? Is this a frozen conflict or is it going to be frozen? What are the threats of freezing the conflict?

- I do not like this kind of concept because the meaning is not clear. We have seen in Nagorno-Karabakh that a frozen conflict can become hot in one day.

In Ukraine, the conflict is not frozen, and I do not know whether it would be better otherwise. For the moment, we are focusing all our efforts on reaching results within the Normandy Format and in the Minsk process. This is our main objective.

Maybe you know that my predecessor Ambassador Dumont is now one of President Macrons diplomatic advisors. She visited Ukraine in December. She met with President Zelenskyy, and had a lot of other meetings. Ambassador Dumont is very much involved into the negotiations. She is working hard to obtain results for Ukraine and bringing peace to the region.

- Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov presented a bill on the state policy of the transition period. Have you already examined it?

- Currently, we are considering this draft law, both in Paris and in Kyiv. We also discuss it with our partners, in particular with Germany, to reach a common position. This is why I would prefer not to react now. A common reaction to this draft law will be out shortly.

- Ukrainian side prepared the "Plan of joint steps" for the Trilateral Contact Group which contains a proposal for a complete end to the conflict and demilitarization of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions at the beginning of 2021 in order to create all the necessary conditions for holding local elections there on March 31. How do you assess its initiative? Do you think elections can be held there in the end of March?

- We very well understand Ukraine's concerns about this issue, which is of public interest. We share Ukraine's view that no election can be held until security conditions are secured. However, the goal must be to hold elections as soon as possible, as voting and ruling through elected bodies is a core condition of democracy.

- I'm sure you've heard about the idea of a free economic zone in the Donbas: do you think it is possible to implement it and do you see the real wish of Ukrainian authorities to realize this project?

- On this, we do not have a very firm point view. We are observing this initiative. Why not?

Maybe it sounds a little bit brutal, but I think this is not really our business. It is up to Ukrainians to decide the best solution for Donbas now and after the country is reunified. For sure, there will be a need for very strong financial support for this region to be developed because the economic situation there is dire and the needs are very important.

Speaking of Donbas, in a few weeks, mid-February, we will organize together with Sweden and with a French non-governmental organization named Acted, a seminar about the situation in this region from the environmental point of view. Indeed, we are concerned about the environmental situation over there  and not only. The pandemic makes it a bit more difficult to organize, but we do our best to hold this event anyway, in a mixt format, both online and in person. It will take place in Kyiv. The objective, with this discussion, is to advocate for coordinated efforts to improve the management of environmental risks in the region impacted by the conflict.

- What conditions should be provided by Ukrainian authorities so that international companies are able to come to this region and not be afraid to invest in it?

- Of course, security is important. But the issue is broader than that. If you want to attract a foreign investor to Donbas as well as to other parts of the country, you need to have progress in the fight against corruption and the rule of law. Indeed, these are the two main obstacles for foreign investors to come to Ukraine. These are very strong prerequisites for Ukraine: fight against corruption and rule of law. As a foreign company, you will never invest in a country where justice is not reliable or where you are not sure that your investment will be protected.

- How does France feel about the idea of Crimean Platform, initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and is your country ready to join it?

- It is a very interesting initiative. We of course are looking at it with great interest. We interacted with the deputy minister of Foreign affairs in charge Emine Dzhaparova. There are contacts between two ministries and we will have more, that is for sure because we have never recognized the situation in Crimea. We are also in contact with our EU colleagues on this issue and we are coordinating with them. It is something that we closely monitor from diplomatic point of view.

- To your mind what is the main goal of this platform: is it a place for discussion or should it be something else?

- For the moment, we are in a very preliminary phase. I have met Mrs. Dzhaparova several times, they've produced some ground papers about this initiative. So, they're under consideration in Paris and in Brussels. But it's not clear exactly at this very moment what is the purpose of this platform. My understanding is that it is a platform for discussion about political situation in Crimea. This is useful but for what purpose - it remains to be seen.

In principle we are supportive and to answer your question - yes, we will join it. But there's some need for clarification, obviously. The launch of this platform is supposed to take place on 23rd of August so we have some time.

- What do you think about the fight against corruption in Ukraine? Don't you think there's a lack of progress here?

- I must highlight my disappointment. And it is not only my disappointment, not the disappointment of France, it is the disappointment of G7 countries. I guess you follow our Tweets. It is clear that we are frustrated about the situation, in particular when it comes to the conflict around the Constitutional Court. It is also clear that we consider the ruling of October 27 as a major setback for Ukraines fight against corruption, because some important aspects of the legislation was put in danger, was removed, like the provisions on the criminal responsibility for wrong e-declarations, and the one defining the powers of the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption. We are concerned, and for the moment, we do not see enough progress.

- Mr. Ambassador, to your mind, why it happens? Why the fight against corruption isn't so successful in Ukraine?

- I think there are many reasons for that. Probably, there are some strong vested interests and it is difficult to remove the people at stake from power. Also probably, there is a lack of legal tools to push forward the reforms and lack of legal expertise. For example when laws are drafted they are not sufficiently well drafted to support the examination from the Constitutional Court. There is some lack of technicalities and we are ready to provide legal support. Anyway, our conclusion is that currently the situation is not satisfactory.

- Who is responsible for this: Ukrainian authorities, the President, government, Verkhovna Rada?

- I do not want to enter into a blame game. But I would say that some players of the judiciary and some oligarchs are the main obstacles for reforms at the moment. It is very difficult to reform a country if you do not have a clean judiciary with you.

I do think that president Zelenskyy is sincerely convinced of the need of reforms and that he is pushing in that direction. But there are some very big obstacles.

- What clear steps should be taken to overcome this crisis?

- It is a long way. You need a very strong political will. You need also very strong backing from the Rada, and sometimes it is lacking. And you also need the support of the international community, the G7 in particular and the EU. We will be supportive for example for the selection panel. We are ready to provide international experts to participate in those panels, to select competent and ethically adequate judges, prosecutors. We are ready to bring the technical expertise that I have mentioned before and to bring this support.

If we put it all together, - political will from the top, political support from Rada - things could change in the right direction. We need a new push to reinforce efforts, this is clear.

- The President's Office said that President Emmanuel Macron is going to visit Ukraine in the first half of 2021. When exactly can we expect this visit and what do you think about its significance?

- The principle of a visit is agreed, for as I have said there is a very good relationship between the two presidents and President Macron is very keen to come. President Zelenskyy confirmed several times the invitation.

There is a lack of visits at the highest level between our two countries. The last French President who officially visited Ukraine was Jacques Chirac, in 1998. It was a very long time ago. Therefore, there's a need for it. And there is a lot of substance for such a high level visit.

We do not have a date at the moment because of the pandemic. President Macron does not travel at the moment. He did not leave France since mid-December now. His last visit was to Brussels, not a bilateral one and not very far.

I want to be very prudent, but my expectation is that this visit could occur by the end of the first semester.

About the substance, there will be a lot to focus on. There are some very important bilateral programs: helicopters, patrol boats, locomotives, water plant facilities in Mariupol. We have some other projects in Luhansk area. This is just for economy. The cultural, scientific, university and linguistic part is a big one too.

I can tell you that if President Macron comes, he will be overloaded with projects and programs.

Political dimension will obviously also be at the core of a presidential visit.

- When will the contract for the purchase of cargo locomotives between Ukrzaliznytsia and the French company Alstom be signed? Is it ready to be signed during the visit of French president to Ukraine?

- It's an ongoing process, it's going well, in particular it got very good push during the last joint economic commission on last November 26 and 27 between Ukrainian Minister of Interior Arsen Avakov on the one hand and French Minister of the Economy, Finance and Recovery, Bruno Le Maire on the other hand. By the way it was a very successful meeting, even if it was online.

Yes, it is clear that if the President comes this agreement will be in the basket of his visit. If he is not coming we will try to find another occasion to finalize this contract.

At this moment the contract is not finalized, there are ongoing discussions, they are going well so far, fingers crossed. This contract in very important one because it's key for Ukraine to be capable to export its grain and for this you need to have electric locomotives to access European market.

- What exactly is provided by this agreement?

- It is a bit too early to say but what I can say is that's a major one. What I say is that this project will foresee the delivery by the French company Alstom of 50 to 80 multi-system electric locomotives to the Ukrainian Railways, Ukrzalyznytsia. These e-locos are planned to be deployed for operations on Ukrainian Railwayss major freight routes across the country.

There is a high element of cooperation, it's not only about locomotives. If it is finalized it's going to be a real and very strong partnership between France and Ukraine in this key area of rail transportation. Agreement will be supported by very important and interesting loan from the French Treasury, in accordance to OECD rules. So financial dimension is very significant. It is also a signal that Ukraine is important for France because we don't provide this kind of financial instrument for all countries because it's expensive for French treasury. We have provided this special loan because it's Ukraine and your country is an important partner for France.

- Ukrainian ambassador to France said that the cooperation with Alstom be expanded on construction of high-speed railway tracks between Kyiv and Lviv, Kyiv and Odessa. Is it going to happen?

- Yes, it also could be a part of a global package, and Alstom is already looking into this project..

France will not just sell. There're some partners who want just to sell their product and then they don't care. The French offer goes further, since we propose a share of localization, , maintenance, exchange of expertise, trainings and global package about speed railway between Kyiv and Odessa,. It is a comprehensive package. And also quality. Of course, we have some competitors in locomotives, probably you could get cheaper locomotives but not of the same quality and not part of the same package. This is the attractiveness of our comprehensive proposal.

- How is the contract with Airbus Helicopters SAS being implemented, how many more deliveries are planned?

- It is a good example of this kind of flexible programs that I've mentioned. Helicopters contract is going very well. We established very good and strong relationship with the Ministry of interior, client of Airbus. Now the contract is going full speed and this year 27 new helicopters are coming to Ukraine which is a big challenge. Because you can bring 27 helicopters but you need maintenance, place to stock helicopters, training for pilots and so on. It is easy to bring helicopters to Ukraine, but it is much more difficult to maintain them, , to train the pilots. This is very complex matter. And for Ukraine it's a change of culture because former culture in this sector came from the Soviet Union. Now it is going to the West, with new standards and new language, because it is moving from Russian to English. But of course these helicopters are more modern and efficient. With them Ukraine enters in the XXIst century.

My understanding (but you have to ask Mr. Avakov himself) is that Ukraine is very satisfied with helicopters received. And they will make a big difference for example in the fight against forest fires. With new helicopters, firemen will be much more efficient and stand for civil security for example when there's road accidents to bring people to hospitals. If you have good helicopters working days and nights that is making big difference for Ukraine and it can save lives.

- How is the project of joint construction of patrol boats with OCEA going on? Has the building of boats already started in particular at the Ukrainian enterprise Nibulon and when to expect the final results?

- Construction has started in France and started in Mykolaiv in Ukraine in December 2020. Deliveries will begin at the end of 2021. . This is a 136-mln euros project, receiving a financial support from the French government, through a loan of the French Treasury (40 million of euros) and Bpi France (76 million of euros).

Nibulon is a very impressive partner. It is a young company but with very good expertise. I was in Mykolaiv with Minister Avakov for the launching of this project, on July 22, last year. This project is very well on time. I am very sure it will also be successful. There are 20 patrol boats of 32 meters. They will bring new element of security for Ukraine because patrols are both for the rivers and the seas. Maybe you know that the structure is aluminum and this is very important element for technologies because it is lighter. As for the Helicopters, there are state of the art.

- Are there any plans to invest in a project to change the water supply system in the Popasnyansky district of the Luhansk region?

- On this we decided to go step by step. The first step was Mariupol water plant. Now it is launched and ongoing. We have decided to replicate the same kind of project in Luhansk region in Popasnyansky district. A consortium of companies was chosen in December last year. Also, there's huge delegation of 20 people from French companies to assist the project that will come in the coming days. They will go to Popasna for analyzing the situation.

It is a very complex issue because it is very close to the contact line, and you have to come and assess security situation. This is very important. We are having regular contacts with the governor of Luhansk Mr. Gaidai. He is very happy of the work we're doing. We have already granted a 64M EUR loan for the Mariupol project. In the Luhansk oblast, the envelope could amount to 70 M EUR.-

How is going on the work on an agreement on mutual recognition and exchange of driver's licenses? When the visit of the French expert mission is scheduled?

- Very soon. Next week, on January 29, we will have a meeting at the Ukrainian Ministry of internal affairs. It is a delicate matter, because of course we have to be confident that driving licenses are compatible with standards in the EU. This is why a technical assessment need to take place, and why a mission is coming soon.

- Mr. Ambassador, we are talking about successful projects now, successful cases of cooperation between France and Ukraine. Don't you think that these successful cases are only possible when some representatives of Ukrainian authorities, for example Minister Avakov or the President play the role of so called umbrella of the project?

- It is for you to say that. It is just a simple observation that we do work very well with Minister Avakov and his team, they are good interlocutors, they are professionals, and sometimes they push us to get responds. But in the end we can see the results with helicopters or patrol boats.

However, I do not want to mention only Minister Avakov, because for the water plant in Mariupol our interlocutors were Mr. Reznikov and his team. We have also established a very good relationship.

However, it is true that it helps when you have very strong professionals to discuss with.

But, of course at the very end the global supervision and the political input come from President Zelensky and Prime Minister Schmihal themselves. In particular, I am thankful to President Zelensky who devotes a close attention to this strategic partnership between France and Ukraine.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Almost 75% of healthy Australians aged over 70 years report using complementary medicines either daily or occasionally, according to research published today in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Researchers from Monash University, led by Dr. Alice Owen, a Senior Research Fellow, analyzed data from the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP) to assess self-reported use (every day, occasionally, never) of complementary medicines by healthy people over 70 years of age residing in metropolitan or regional Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory or southern New South Wales, recruited through their usual GPs.

Specifically, they asked about use of fish oil, glucosamine, ginkgo, coenzyme Q10, calcium, zinc, vitamins B, C, D and E, multivitamins, and Chinese or herbal medicines.

"A total of 10 961 respondents (74.3%) reported using them either daily or occasionally; fish oil (6563 of 14 757 respondents, 44.5%), vitamin D (4995, 33.8%), glucosamine (3940, 26.7%), and calcium supplements (3652, 24.7%) were the most frequently reported items," Owen and colleagues found.

"The proportions of complementary medicine users who reported a history of depression (987 of 4053, 24.4%) or osteoarthritis (3060 of 5240, 58.4%) were larger than for non-users (depression, 264 of 1347, 19.6%; osteoarthritis, 705 of 1598, 44.1%; self-reported diabetes was more common among non-users (363 of 3790, 9.6%) than among complementary medicine users (815 of 10 944, 7.4%)."

The results led the researchers to express concern about marketing and promotion of complementary medicines.

"Complementary medicines are used by more than half the people in Australia, incurring out-of-pocket health expenses of about $5.2 billion in 2019," Owen and colleagues wrote.

"While proprietary complementary medicines are generally regarded as safe, their widespread use by older people, who generally have a greater burden of disease, higher medical expenses, and low or fixed incomes, raises questions about their marketing and promotion."

More information: Aimee Lefevre et al. Complementary medicine use by communitydwelling older Australians, Medical Journal of Australia (2020). Journal information: Medical Journal of Australia Aimee Lefevre et al. Complementary medicine use by communitydwelling older Australians,(2020). DOI: 10.5694/mja2.50884
The first ever think-fest of TV9 Network ,What Bengal Thinks Today, was inaugurated by West Bengal Governor, Honorable Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar. TV9Bangla,the newly-launched regional channel of TV9 Network organized the day-long think-fest at ITC Sonar Bangla Hotel. In viewof the upcoming assembly election in West Bengal, the prime topic of theconclave was BangaJuddhoGadirLorai. Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh attended the event virtually during the penultimate session of the day. TV9 Networks Group CEO Barun Das was also present during the inauguration.

In his welcome address, Mr. Das said: TV9 Bangla has entered West Bengal at a time when Indias most awaited and keenly watched election is round the corner. So it is the most appropriate time to know What Bengal Thinks Today. We want this to be a dynamic platform where leaders cutting across the political spectrum will discuss all issues pertaining to the upcoming elections and beyond. Its our sincerest wish that agenda of development good governance becomes the centre-piece of this election and the states politics going forward. I assure viewers of the state that TV9 Bangla will win their trust with our factual reporting and neutral, unbiased, fair and balanced perspectives.

TV9 Network initiated this intellectual meet based on the famous quote of eminent congress leader Gopal Krishna Gokhale, "What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow.The prime focus of this conclave was upcoming election of West Bengal. Eminent leaders from all major political parties of the state attended this intellectual gathering. The event turned the spotlight on many issues specifically related to upcoming assembly election in Bengal like Violence in Bengal Elections, Muslim Vote Factor, The Hindutva Agenda, Nandigram, Corruption &Outsider Issue,among others. Top leaders of major political parties shared their insightswith conclave delegates.

Heavyweight politicians like Partha Chatterjee,Shahnawaz Hussain, Firhad Hakim, BratyaBasu, Tathagata Roy,Saumitra Khan, Dola Sen, Arpita Ghosh, Riju Ghosal, Shatarup Ghosh and others were present as panelists. Union Cabinet Minister Prakash Javadekar and Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury attended the session virtually. Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Keshav Chandra Maurya and cabinet minister from Madhya Pradesh,Narottam Mishra, also participated. British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata Mr. Nick Low was among the distinguished guests at the conclave.

TV9 Bangla is the sixth language channel of TV9 Network. All its existing channels TV9 Telugu, TV9 Kannada, TV9 Bharatvarsh,TV9 Gujarati, and TV9 Marathi  are leaders in their respective markets, making TV9 Network, Indias No. 1 News network. TV9 Bangla has brought in the best of international design, infrastructure, technology and content quality to both television and digital news.
Rohingya community leader condemns apparent coup in Myanmar as attempt to 'kill democracy'

Naypyidaw, Feb 1 (UNI) The Rohingya condemn the apparent coup in Myanmar that saw the military declare a state of emergency and detain several leading officials, including State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, a Rohingya community leader told the Reuters news agency on Monday.

"We Rohingya community strongly condemn this heinous attempt to kill democracy," Dil Mohammed told the agency.

Earlier in the day, media outlets reported that both Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained in an early morning raid. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy emerged victorious in Myanmar's November 8 election, the second since the end of military rule in the country in 2011.
Mohammed Yunusa, a judge who was prosecuted for over four years for taking bribe from lawyers, used an irrelevant National Judicial Council (NJC)s clearance to secure the termination of his trial, PREMIUM TIMES has found out.

The Special Offences Division of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, had on January 25, discharged Mr Yunusa of the bribery charges, citing the NJCs December 23, 2020 letter which lifted the suspension slammed on him in July 2016.

Serifat Solebo, the trial judge, discharged Mr Yunusa, after overruling an objection raised by the lawyer prosecuting the case on behalf of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Wahab Shittu.

But a copy of the NJCs letter seen and analysed by PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday showed that the allegations Mr Yunusa was cleared of were the ones levelled against him by the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), and not the bribery charges filed against him by the EFCC.

CSNACs petition which, in July 2016, led to the NJC recommending Mr Yunusa for compulsory retirement and placing him on an immediate suspension pending presidential approval of the recommendation, accused Mr Yunusa of arbitrarily restraining anti-corruption agencies from performing their statutory duties.

The EFCC, on the other hand, had charged Mr Yunusa with taking bribe from the law firm of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rickey Tarfa.

Lanre Suraj, the executive director of CSNAC, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that his petition had nothing to do with the bribery allegation, and suggested that the Lagos High Court must have been misled in issuing the order discharging Mr Yunusa.

Mr Shittu, the prosecutor, also expressed shock about the courts ruling and vowed to appeal against it.

The NJCs letter obtained by PREMIUM TIMES confirmed that Mr Yunusa was only cleared of CSNACs allegation and not the bribery charges.

Your Lordship is referred to letter No. NJC/F.3/FHC.49/II/989 dated July 15, 2016 suspending you from office pursuant to the outcome an investigation conducted by the NJC in response to a petition written against you by the Civil Society Against Corruption (CSNAC), the NJCs letter signed by its Deputy Chair, Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, who is the next most senior Justice of the Supreme Court, read in part.

The letter added that the NJC, at its meeting held in August 2020, set up a three-man panel to review the case against the judge following a letter of plea sent on his behalf by a SAN, Yemi Akinseye-George.

In response to a letter of plea written on your lordships behalf by Professor Yemi Akinseye-George, SAN, requesting for a review of councils decision, the National Judicial Council at its 92 meeting held on August 12, 2020, constituted a three-man Review Committee with the mandate to re-appraise the facts surrounding the petition and advise it on legality or otherwise of such a review, the letter stated.

The report of the review committee was considered and deliberated upon by council at its 93rd meeting held on December 17, 2020.

At the end of deliberation, council accepted the findings and recommendations of the committee and decided to lift your suspension from office, while it awaits the decision of Mr President on the recommendation, please.

NJC has not made any public statement concerning Mr Yunusas case after he was suspended in July 2016.

Judiciary faces public confidence crisis

Commenting on the outcome of the bribery charges and the NJC case against Mr Yunusa, a lawyer and activist, Inibehe Effiong, warned the judiciary and the NJC to be more serious with the issues of corruption and misconduct allegations involving judges in order not to destroy public confidence in the Nigerian courts.

ADVERTISEMENT

Head or tail, whichever way it is, the point I want to make is that the NJC and the judiciary as an arm of government, should take the issue of corruption and misconduct by judges more seriously.

When people lose confidence in the courts, that will lead to the destruction of the Nigerian judiciary.

At the moment, the confidence level in our courts is not very high. Successive Chief Justices of Nigeria (CJN) have publicly admitted that there is corruption in the judiciary.

There is also a report recently where, the judiciary was rated with the police as the most corrupt agencies in the country.

This perception has been there, and some people think that the NJC is not very forceful on this matter. So, I am hoping that the NJC will be more sensitive to the perception of many Nigerians about corruption in the judiciary.

The Executive Chair of Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership, Debo Adeniran, expressed similar view in a separate interview with PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr Adeniran said the episode of Mr Yunusas cases summarised the problem with the Nigerian judicial system and that is why, many people have lost confidence in the capacity of the Nigerian judiciary to safeguard their interest.

He also said the continual loss of public confidence in the Nigerian judiciary is affecting our economy.

Foreign investors will always consider it  if there is any there is any dispute in the course of their transactions, who will they run to?

Who do they rely on? You see the report of Transparency International. You cant go to the police, you cant go to the judiciary, you cant go to the regulatory agencies. You are just on your own.

That is the manifestation of a problematic political development that has been confronting on us, and it seems that Nigerians are not in a hurry to change the system.

What next after reversal of sanction?

Mr Inibehe said the NJCs reversal of Mr Yunusas sanction was in order since President Muhammadu Buhari had yet to act on the councils recommendation for the judges compulsory retirement since July 2016.

The recommendation cannot be pending ad infinitum, Mr Inibehe said.

But, on his part, Mr Adeniran urged President Buhari not to endorse the NJCs recommendation lifting the suspension of the judge.

She's rocked a number of designer looks in her time walking catwalks for some of the world's biggest brands.

And Heidi Klum showed off her cheeky side as she flashed her peachy posterior in a funny behind-the-scenes clip from her latest photoshoot for Vogue.

The model, 47, looked sensational as she rocked a quirky dress with a pink lining and dozens of toilet paper sheets while larking around infront of the camera.

Cheeky! Heidi Klum flashed her peachy posterior in a funny behind-the-scenes clip from her latest photoshoot for Vogue

Heidi appeared to be in great spirits as she looked over one shoulder and pulled a funny expression.

The beauty left little to the imagination as she showcased her toned frame from behind, wearing the quirky backless ensemble around her front.

She styled her long blonde locks down and poker straight, letting them cascade down her back as she had some fun flaunting her physique.

Explaining her unusual look, Heidi revealed she was taking part in a new challenge set by fashion magazine Vogue as she added #VogueCouchCouture to her post.

Getting creative: The model, 47, explained she was wearing a dress made out of toilet paper as she posed up a storm in her quirky ensemble

Style: Heidi was taking part in the Vogue Couch Couture challenge which the magazine set to inspire people to recreate their favourite high-fashion looks during Paris Couture Week

The challenge is about creativity, ingenuity, and improvisation, according to Vogue, and was set up to celebrate Couture Week in Paris which has been very different this year amid the pandemic.

Heidi also shared a snap of her creation next to Valentinos actual ensemble and a short clip flaunting her at-home creation, proving her efforts were impressive.

Using only items which could be found around the house, Heidi styled her look out of sponges, toilet paper and sponges.

It comes after Heidi's daughter Leni Klum posed up a storm in a series of black and white snaps for HUNGER magazine, shot by Rankin.

Larking around: Heidi appeared to be in great spirits as she flaunted her incredible physique

The rising star, 16, looked seriously stylish in the collection of images shot for the fashion magazine, weeks after gracing the cover of the high-fashion publication.

In December Heidi shared shots from their joint Vogue cover and wrote a sweet tribute to her daughter online.

'I'm so proud of you. And not because you chose this path. I know that no matter which way you go, it will be your own,' she wrote in German on social media.

'You always know exactly what you want and what you don't want. You are not a mini-me. And I'm happy for you that you can now show who YOU are.'

Model material: It comes after Heidi's daughter Leni stepped out on her own during her latest shoot, as she posed up a storm in a series of black and white snaps for HUNGER magazine

Leni rocked bright pink trousers and a royal blue blazer to match her mother's color-blocked combination.

'I know that being my daughter is not always easy. You never had the opportunity to grow up "normally". But what is normal? Growing up with three different daddies probably won't either,' she added.

Leni's biological father is businessman Flavio Briatore, but she was adopted by Heidi's second husband, Seal, when the couple were married.

Klum remarried nearly two years ago to Tokio Hotel musician Tom Kaulitz, 31.
Advertisement

The inner workings of a mortuary in Paris have been laid bare in a series of confronting photographs as France's coronavirus case and death tolls steadily climb amid fears of a third wave of disease.

Photographer Joel Sagat was granted access to the mortuary of Beaujon Hospital in Paris where medics were preparing two bodies for burial.

The images show medical staff shaving and grooming the bodies, before dressing them and placing them in coffins ready for burial or cremation amid a pandemic that has seen the city's death-toll soar.

France's case and death tolls have been steadily climbing since a second national lockdown ended on December 15, though last week Emmanuel Macron refused to plunge the country into a third shutdown.

Instead, border restrictions were tightened amid fears of importing new and more-infectious variants of the virus, despite the objections of doctors who said the measures were merely 'delaying the inevitable'.

France, like all EU countries, is also being plagued by a slow jabs roll-out that has been hindered by bureaucracy and in-fighting in Brussels, prolonging the country's Covid agony.

Workers at the mortuary in Beaujon Hospital in Paris prepare a body for burial by blow-drying and combing the man's hair, having already dressed him for viewing in his casket

A medical worker shaves the beard of a body at the Beaujon Hospital in Paris. While many believe that beards keep growing after death, in fact stubble remains the same length but the skin around it dries and retracts, meaning bodies are often shaved to give them the same appearance the person had in life

Mortuary workers dress two bodies for burial, including putting socks on one man before he is dressed in a shirt, jacket and trousers ready to be placed into his coffin

A range of makeup products sits inside drawers at the Beaujon Hospital in Paris, which workers will use to give the bodies an appearance similar to the one they had in life

Mortuary workers apply absorbent pads to the bodies of people at a mortuary in Paris, to prevent fluids from leaking on to their clothes were decomposition has already begun

Medical workers wrap the arms of one of the bodies in clingfilm, to prevent any fluids leaking from the skin and on to the clothes as the flesh decomposes

A medical worker prepares a suture which will be used to stitch the jaw of the bodies together, to stop the lower jaw from falling open. This, in addition to cotton wool padding and wires, will also allow them to set the features of the dead

A medical worker (left) stitches the jaws of a recently deceased person together while (right) another worker dresses a body in a shirt before adding a suit jacket and trousers

A fully-prepared body, including cups placed on the eyes to stop them deflating, is moved from the preparation room and into a mortuary fridge where it will be placed into a coffin

Medical staff close the zinc-lined coffin containing the body of a patient killed by Covid-19, in the mortuary room at the Bichat Claude Bernard Hospital AP-HP in order to send it by plane to Algeria

France's pandemic death toll now stands at 76,201 after another 195 fatalities were reported on Sunday, the last day for which data is available, with another 19,235 cases reported on the same day.

Daily death and case tolls have now been rising near-continually since the country's last lockdown ended on December 15 and was replaced by a system that includes night-time curfews and non-essential business closures.

Macron was mulling putting a third lockdown into place last week, but on Friday opted instead to shut borders to all non-EU migrants and increase testing requirements for those from inside the bloc.

The moves do not affect freight travel to or from the UK, where border closures before Christmas over the emergence of a new and more-infectious new variant of the disease cause chaos.

French leaders are wary of importing cases of the new variant, which pushed UK case and death tolls up to all-time highs and at one point saw Britain with the highest death rate in the world, before a new nationwide lockdown and rapid vaccine roll-out brought things under control.

But experts have warned that politicians are 'only delaying the inevitable' with epidemiologist Catherine Hill telling leaders that 'hospitals will be inundated' unless the country goes into a third full lockdown now.

'These [measures] cannot break the current dynamic,' she told France24. 'The virus is already circulating in the country so it's too late to close the borders.'

The new UK variant is also spreading rapidly, studies released last week confirm, and now accounts for some 2,000 new cases each day - up from around 500 at the beginning of January.

While the UK is vaccinating its way out of lockdown and out of the third wave - some 9.5million have now received at least one dose of vaccine - France has no immediate prospect of following suit, having jabbed just 1.5million.

With the EU's vaccine roll-out hit by delays thanks to late-placed orders, under-investment in early development, and rows with drug-makers, mass vaccination is not expected to begin in Europe until March at the earliest.

A body is moved into the storage fridge at Beaujon Hospital in Paris after being prepared for burial by mortuary workers

Rows of bodies in storage are seen inside the fridge of Beaujon Hospital in Paris, before they are placed in coffins

Medical workers move the prepared body of a dead man into a coffin, where he will be arranged into a suitable pose ready for viewing and the funeral

The body of a dead woman that has been prepared and dressed is moved into a coffin, where it will be posed ahead of any family viewing and before the funeral

A medical worker arranges a woman's scarf around her shoulders after she was posed in her coffin at a mortuary in Paris

A fully prepared and posed body inside its coffin is brought into the viewing room of the mortuary so that family members can gather and remember the deceased

A fully prepared body inside a coffin is left in the viewing room of the mortuary ahead of the arrival of family and loved ones

An employee of the mortuary wheels and empty stretcher along a concourse to collect another body for embalming

A member of the medical team prepares the viewing room of the mortuary for the arrival of family and loved ones, after a prepared body was placed inside

Meanwhile, patience with lockdown measures used to control the virus in Europe is wearing ever-thinner, with French restaurant owners and workers the latest to rebel.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire warned restaurant owners Monday that they risked losing Covid-19 financial aid if they open in defiance of the pandemic shutdown, following calls to protest and serve clients.

Angry owners say their livelihoods are at risk since the closures were ordered on October 30, with little prospect of a return to business as usual anytime soon.

Several chefs and thousands of people have already backed a call by Stephane Turillon, a chef in eastern France, for restaurants to open for protest meals on Monday.

'It's extremely hard for restaurants, economically and in terms of morale,' Le Maire told RTL radio.

'But in no way does that justify not respecting the rules,' he said.

On Saturday, police in Paris said they discovered 24 restaurants operating illicitly on Thursday and Friday, and warned they would step up controls.

The Parisien newspaper reported Monday that one restaurant shut down on Friday was serving judges who worked at the nearby appeals court on the Ile de la Cite, just opposite from the Paris police headquarters.

Le Maire said owners caught serving clients would see their Covid solidarity funds suspended for a month, 'and if they do it again, they won't get any more at all'.

In Belgium, police detained more than 200 people taking part in two banned protests against anti-virus measures.

Polish police raided discos that defied restrictions on Saturday, using stun grenades and tear gas to clear dance floors.

In the Netherlands, which in recent days has seen violent protests against coronavirus curbs protesters Amsterdam police cleared out the city's famous museum square after some 600 people gathered there for an illegal protest.

Thousands of protestors marched through the Austrian capital Vienna to protest coronavirus restrictions there, ignoring a police ban on the march and many shunning masks and social distancing. The march was organised by the far-right FPOe party.

In Brazil, protestors marched in several cities Sunday to condemn President Jair Bolsonaro's handling of the crisis.

'The result of this mismanagement is more than 220,000 Covid deaths,' Ruth Venceremos, an LGBTQ activist taking part in the protest, told AFP. 'Enough with Bolsonaro - impeachment now!'

Thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews meanwhile defied Israel's coronavirus restrictions to attend a rabbi's funeral on Sunday.

Banjul, Gambia (PA) - The Gambian Government and the Government of Malaysia have reaffirmed commitment to continue strengthening bilateral cooperation for the mutual interest of both countries
Myanmar's military has detained the country's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the country's president in an apparent coup, a spokesman for her ruling party said Monday, declaring a one-year state of emergency.

The dramatic escalation came after weeks of rising tensions between the military, which ruled the country for nearly five decades, and the civilian government over allegations of fraud in November's elections.

The military last week refused to rule out seizing power to settle its claims of irregularities in the polls, which Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won easily.

Myo Nyunt, the spokesman for the NLD, said Suu Kyi, along with President Win Myint, had been "detained" in the capital Naypyidaw.

"We heard they were taken by the military," he told AFP, adding that he was extremely worried about the pair.

"With the situation we see happening now, we have to assume that the military is staging a coup."

Elsewhere, the chief minister of Karen state and several other regional ministers were also held, according to party sources, on the very day when the new parliament was to hold its first session.

Myo Nyunt said it was not clear what would happen to the newly elected MPs.

In the hours after the arrests, communications networks in Myanmar were restricted, with several mobile phone networks down.

NetBlocks, a non-governmental organisation that tracks internet shutdowns, reported severe disruptions to web connections in Myanmar

Phone numbers in the capital Naypyidaw were also seemingly unreachable.

Myanmar's polls in November were only the second democratic elections the country has seen since it emerged from the 49-year grip of military rule in 2011.

The NLD swept the polls and was expecting to renew the 75-year-old Suu Kyi's lease on power with a new five-year term.

But the military has for weeks complained the polls were riddled with irregularities, and claimed to have uncovered over 10 million instances of voter fraud.

It has demanded the government-run election commission release voter lists for cross-checking -- which the commission has not done.

Last week, the military chief General Min Aung Hlaing -- arguably the country's most powerful individual -- said the country's 2008 constitution could be "revoked" under certain circumstances.

Min Aung Hlaing's remarks, which came with rumours of a coup already rife, raised tensions further within the country and drew a warning from more than a dozen foreign embassies and the UN.

Myanmar has seen two previous coups since independence from Britain in 1948, one in 1962 and one in 1988.

Suu Kyi -- a former democracy icon and Nobel peace prize winner whose image internationally has been in tatters over her handling of the Muslim Rohingya crisis -- remains a deeply popular figure.

She spent 20 years off and on under house arrest for her role as an opposition leader, before she was released by the military in 2010.
ATLANTA, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: IVR) announced today that it plans to make a public offering of 22 million shares of its common stock. The Company will grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 3.3 million shares of common stock. The underwriters may offer the shares of common stock from time to time to purchasers directly or through agents, or through brokers in brokerage transactions on the NYSE, or in the over-the-counter market, or to dealers in negotiated transactions or in a combination of such methods of sale, at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed, or at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to purchase assets within its target asset classes, subject to its investment guidelines, and to the extent consistent with maintaining its REIT qualification, and for other general corporate purposes.

BofA Securities and JMP Securities are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

The Company is conducting the offering pursuant to an effective registration statement on Form S-3ASR dated February 27, 2019 (Commission File No. 333-229917). The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus that will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Before you invest, you should read the prospectus supplement, prospectus and other documents the Company has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the Company and this offering. These documents will be available for free on EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus may also be obtained by contacting:

BofA Securities NC1-004-03-43 200 North College Street, 3rd floor Charlotte, North Carolina 28255 Attn: Prospectus Department By e-mail: [email protected] JMP Securities 600 Montgomery Street, Suite 1100 San Francisco, California 94111 Attn: Prospectus Department By phone: 415-835-8985 By e-mail: [email protected]

This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc.

Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. is a real estate investment trust that focuses on investing in, financing and managing mortgage-backed securities and other mortgage-related assets. Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. is externally managed and advised by Invesco Advisers, Inc., a subsidiary of Invesco Ltd. (NYSE: IVZ), a leading independent global investment management firm. Additional information is available at www.invescomortgagecapital.com.

Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may include statements and information that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Forward-looking statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements include information about the size of the offering described above, the Company's ability to complete such offering on desirable terms, or at all, and the use of the net proceeds therefrom, as well as any other statements other than statements of historical fact. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "continue," "intend," "project," "forecast" or similar expressions and future or conditional verbs such as "will," "may," "could," "should," and "would," and any other statement that necessarily depends on future events, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements may contain such words.

The forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs, assumptions and expectations of the Company's future performance, taking into account all information currently available. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These beliefs, assumptions and expectations can change as a result of many possible events or factors, not all of which are known to the Company. For example, the pricing and closing of the offering described above are subject to market conditions and closing conditions customary in transactions of this type and may be delayed or may not occur at all. In addition, the net proceeds of the offering may not be used as indicated. Some of the other factors are described in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings, including the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed on November 9, 2020, which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, under the headings "Risk Factors," "Forward-Looking Statements," "Business" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties arise over time, and it is not possible to predict those events or how they may affect the Company. Except as required by law, the Company is not obligated to, and does not intend to, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investor Relations Contact: Jack Bateman, 404-439-3323

SOURCE Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc.
Several countries now require passengers to produce evidence of a negative test before being granted entry, which has created an opportunity for forgery gangs. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne

A major Irish crime network has been identified as forging Covid-19 test results and selling the false documents across Europe.

The EUs law enforcement agency has warned that the Rathkeale Rovers crime group is involved in using a mobile application which allows the gang to manually falsify test results.

So far there has been evidence of different fraudsters using airports and other travel hubs in Europe to sell bogus Covid-19 results at prices of up to 300.

It comes as several countries impose restrictions which require passengers to produce evidence of a negative test before being granted entry.

Today Europol said it had received intelligence on the alleged use of a mobile application by the Rathkeale Rovers Mobile Organised Crime Group.

This, they said, allows members of the organised crime group to manually falsify test results.

Read More

The Rathkeale Rovers, who originate from the Limerick town of the same name, have been a target for European and international police forces for decades and were previously investigated for their involvement in the large-scale theft of rhino horns.

They are predominately based in Britain but are believed to have links across Europe and the US.

The Rathkeale Rovers were previously the prime targets of one of Europols largest ever investigations involving other international agencies.

In total, 31 members of the gang were arrested with 69 cases linked to the theft of rhino horns being identified under Operation Oakleaf.

In 2016 several members of the gang were also jailed in the UK over the theft of 73m worth of jade and rhino horn artefacts in England.

In its warning today, Europol said that the use of fake Covid-19 tests also confirms that criminals are seizing on profitable opportunities once they arise.

As long as travel restrictions remain in place due to the Covid-19 situation, it is highly likely that production and sales of fake test certificates will prevail.

Given the widespread technological means available, in the form of high-quality printers and different software, fraudsters are able to produce high-quality counterfeit, forged or fake documents, the EU law enforcement agency said.

In recent weeks there have been a number of arrests in different countries over the alleged selling of forged Covid-19 test results.

Europol has said there is evidence of people paying up to 300 for a false Covid test certificate in France.

They have identified a forgery ring selling negative results to passengers at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, which ranged between 150 and 300.

Separately, in Britain fraudsters have been caught selling bogus documents for 100, while the Spanish National Police arrested a man selling fake test results for 40.

In the Netherlands, scammers were discovered selling fake negative test statements for 60 through messaging apps.

Member States are encouraged to share any relevant information on criminal activities related to fake Covid-19 test documentation with Europol, it warned.
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 Thursday the 12th of November, President Donald Trumps election lawyers were concluding that the reality he faced was the inverse of the narrative he was promoting in his comments and on Twitter. There was no substantial evidence of election fraud and there were nowhere near enough irregularities to reverse the outcome in the courts.

Trump did not, could not, win the election, not by a lot or even a little. His presidency would soon be over.

Allegations of Democratic malfeasance had disintegrated in embarrassing fashion. A supposed suitcase of illegal ballots in Detroit proved to be a box of camera equipment. Dead voters were turning up alive in television and newspaper interviews.

The week was coming to a particularly demoralizing close: In Arizona, the Trump lawyers were preparing to withdraw their main lawsuit as the state tally showed Joe Biden leading by more than 10,000 votes, against the 191 ballots they had identified for challenge.

As he met with colleagues to discuss strategy, the presidents deputy campaign manager, Justin Clark, was urgently summoned to the Oval Office. Trumps personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was on speakerphone, pressing the president to file a federal suit in Georgia and sharing a conspiracy theory gaining traction in conservative media  that Dominion Systems voting machines had transformed thousands of Trump votes into Biden votes.

Clark warned that the suit Giuliani had in mind would be dismissed on procedural grounds. And a state audit was barreling toward a conclusion that the Dominion machines had operated without interference or foul play.

Giuliani called Clark a liar, according to people with direct knowledge of the exchange. Clark called Giuliani something much worse. And with that, the election-law experts were sidelined in favor of the former New York City mayor, the man who once again was telling the president what he wanted to hear.

Thursday the 12th was the day Trumps flimsy, long-shot legal effort to reverse his loss turned into something else entirely  an extralegal campaign to subvert the election, rooted in a lie so convincing to some of his most devoted followers that it made the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol almost inevitable.

Gabriela Bhaskar/NYT

Weeks later, Trump is the former President Trump. In coming days, a presidential transition like no other will be dissected when he stands trial in the Senate on an impeachment charge of incitement of insurrection. Yet his lie of an election stolen by corrupt and evil forces lives on in a divided America.

A New York Times examination of the 77 democracy-bending days between election and inauguration shows how, with conspiratorial belief rife in a country ravaged by pandemic, a lie that Trump had been grooming for years finally overwhelmed the Republican Party and, as brake after brake fell away, was propelled forward by new and more radical lawyers, political organizers, financiers and the surround-sound right-wing media.

In the aftermath of that broken afternoon at the Capitol, a picture has emerged of entropic forces coming together on Trumps behalf in an ad hoc, yet calamitous, crash of rage and denial.

But interviews with central players, and documents including previously unreported emails, videos and social media posts scattered across the web, tell a more encompassing story of a more coordinated campaign.

Across those 77 days, the forces of disorder were summoned and directed by the departing president, who wielded the power derived from his near-infallible status among the party faithful in one final norm-defying act of a reality-denying presidency.

Throughout, he was enabled by influential Republicans motivated by ambition, fear or a misplaced belief that he would not go too far.

In the Senate, he got early room to maneuver from the majority leader, Mitch McConnell. As he sought the presidents help in Georgia runoffs that could cost him his own grip on power, McConnell heeded misplaced assurances from White House aides like Jared Kushner that Trump would eventually accede to reality, people close to the senator told the Times. McConnells later recognition of Bidens victory would not be enough to dissuade 14 Republican senators from joining the presidents last-ditch bid to nullify millions of Americans votes.

Likewise, during the campaign, Attorney General William Barr had echoed some of Trumps complaints of voter fraud. But privately the president was chafing at Barrs resistance to his more authoritarian impulses  including his idea to end birthright citizenship in a legally dubious preelection executive order. And when Barr informed Trump in a tense Oval Office session that the Justice Departments fraud investigations had run dry, the president dismissed the department as derelict before finding other officials there who would view things his way.

For every lawyer on Trumps team who quietly pulled back, there was one ready to push forward with propagandistic suits that skated the lines of legal ethics and reason. That included not only Giuliani and lawyers like Sidney Powell and Lin Wood, but also the vast majority of Republican attorneys general, whose dead-on-arrival Supreme Court lawsuit seeking to discount 20 million votes was secretly drafted by lawyers close to the White House, the Times found.

As traditional Republican donors withdrew, a new class of Trump-era benefactors rose to finance data analysts and sleuths to come up with fodder for the stolen-election narrative. Their ranks included the founder of MyPillow, Mike Lindell, and former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, who warned of fake ballots and voting machine manipulation from China on One America News Network and Newsmax, which were finding ratings in their willingness to go further than Fox in embracing the fiction that Trump had won.

As Trumps official election campaign wound down, a new, highly organized campaign stepped into the breach to turn his demagogic fury into a movement of its own, reminding key lawmakers at key times of the cost of denying the will of the president and his followers. Called Women for America First, it had ties to Trump and former White House aides then seeking presidential pardons, among them Steve Bannon and Michael Flynn.

As it crossed the country spreading the new gospel of a stolen election in Trump-red buses, the group helped build an acutely Trumpian coalition that included sitting and incoming members of Congress, rank-and-file voters and the de-platformed extremists and conspiracy theorists promoted on its homepage  including white nationalist Jared Taylor, prominent QAnon proponents and Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio.

With each passing day the lie grew, finally managing to do what the political process and the courts would not: upend the peaceful transfer of power that for 224 years had been the bedrock of American democracy.

As lawsuits failed in court after court across the country, leaving Trump without credible options to reverse his loss before the Electoral College vote on Dec. 14, Giuliani and his allies were developing a new legal theory  that in crucial swing states, there was enough fraud, and there were enough inappropriate election-rule changes, to render their entire popular votes invalid.

As a result, the theory went, those states Republican-controlled legislatures would be within their constitutional rights to send slates of their choosing to the Electoral College.

Before Thanksgiving, a team of lawyers with close ties to the Trump campaign began planning a sweeping new lawsuit to carry that argument.

According to lawyers involved in the conversations, the group determined that the fast-approaching Electoral College vote did not leave time for a series of lawsuits to work their way through the courts. They would need to go directly to the Supreme Court.

The lawsuit was audacious in its scope. It claimed that, without their legislatures approval, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin had made unconstitutional last-minute election-law changes, helping create the conditions for widespread fraud. Citing a litany of convoluted and speculative allegations  including one involving Dominion voting machines  it asked the court to shift the selection of their Electoral College delegates to their legislatures, effectively nullifying 20 million votes.

Kenny Holston/NYT

On Dec. 11, the court declined to hear the case.

If the highest court in the land couldnt do it, there had to be some other way.

And so they came the next day, by the thousands, to a long-planned rally in Washington, filling Freedom Plaza with red MAGA caps and Trump and QAnon flags, vowing to carry on.

The justice system has a purpose in our country, but the courts do not decide who the next president of the United States of America will be, the freshly pardoned former national security adviser, Flynn, told the crowd. We the people decide.

The rally had been planned by Women for America First, which was quietly becoming the closest thing Trump had to a political organizing force, gathering his aggrieved supporters behind the lie of a stolen election.

The groups founder, Amy Kremer, had been one of the original Tea Party organizers, building the movement through cross-country bus tours. She had been among the earliest Trump supporters, forming a group called Women Vote Trump along with Ann Stone, ex-wife of the longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone.

With donors including the Trump-affiliated America First Policies, Women for America First had rallied support for the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett and defended Trump during his first impeachment.

The groups executive director was Kremers daughter, Kylie Jane Kremer, who recently worked on Hannitys radio show. Two organizers helping the effort, Jennifer Lawrence and Dustin Stockton, were close to Bannon.

For the Kremers, Lawrence and Stockton, the instrument of that fight would be a reprise of the Tea Party Express, a bus tour to enlist state and federal lawmakers in Trumps effort to keep states from certifying results before the Electoral College vote.

But after the 12th, the group found itself in limbo  leading a restive movement without a clear destination.

At the White House, Trump was still searching for ways to nullify the results, soliciting advice from allies like Flynn, Giuliani and Powell.

Ultimately Trump agreed, at least for the moment, to focus on blocking congressional certification of the results on Jan. 6.

If one senator and one House member object to a states results, the two chambers must convene separately to debate, then reconvene to vote. Rejection of the results requires majority votes in both chambers.

Now, Women for America First had a purpose, too. Objectors were already lining up in the House. So the group planned a new bus tour, this one to travel from state to state helping to sway persuadable senators  11 by their count.

Pete Marovich/NYT

On Saturday, Jan. 2, Kylie Kremer posted a promotional video for Wednesdays rally on Twitter, along with a message: BE A PART OF HISTORY.

The president shared her post and wrote: Ill be there! Historic day.

It was coming down to a contest of wills within the Republican Party, and tens of thousands of Trump supporters were converging on Washington to send a message to those who might defy the president.

Trump took the stage at the Ellipse on Jan. 6 shortly before 1 p.m., calling on the tens of thousands before him to carry his message to Republicans in the Capitol: Youll never take back our country with weakness.

As he spoke, some protesters, with Proud Boys helping take the lead, were already breaching the outer security perimeter around the Capitol. Inside, when Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., stood to raise the first objection, to results in his home state, several Republican lawmakers gave him a standing ovation.

Less than an hour later, the lawmakers would flee to a secure location as the mob streamed into the building.

On Jan. 15, Trump acquiesced to an Oval Office meeting with Lindell, who arrived with two sets of documents. One, provided by a lawyer he would not name, included a series of steps Trump could take, including martial law if necessary. The other, Lindell claimed in an interview the next day, was computer code indicating that China and other state actors had altered the election results  vetted by his own investigators after he found it online.

A couple of minutes later, Trump directed his national security adviser, Robert OBrien, to escort Lindell upstairs, to White House counsel Pat A. Cipollones office. He told the MyPillow founder to come back afterward.

After a perfunctory discussion, aides directed Lindell to the exit. I say it loud, Im not leaving, he recalled telling them. He eventually left when an aide made it clear there would be no Oval Office follow-up. The president was done.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
JTA )  Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, the scion of multiple Hasidic dynasties, author of more than 60 books, and a physician who became a leading authority on drug treatment and addiction, has died.

Twerski was 90 and had been battling COVID-19 in Israel, according to Yeshiva World News.

Born in Milwaukee into a family of incomparably distinguished rabbinic stock, Twerski was descended on his fathers side from Rabbi Menachem Nachum Twersky, the founder of the Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty also known the Meor Einayim, a work of Torah commentary he authored. His mother was the daughter of the Bobover Hasidic rebbe.

A noted Judaic scholar in his own right, Twerski was among the last of a breed of rabbinic authorities who also achieved recognized expertise in secular subjects and frequently presented at academic and professional conferences in the full Hasidic garb he wore every day. After graduating from medical school in 1960, he spent two decades as the clinical director of the psychiatry unit at St. Francis Hospital in Pittsburgh. In 1972, he founded Gateway Rehab in Pittsburgh, where he served as medical director emeritus.

ADVERTISEMENT

Twerski wrote more than 60 books, most of which were aimed at Jewish audiences but some of which were published by mainstream publishers for a general audience. His books addressed both religious subjects as well as a range of self-help topics  including happiness, self-esteem, and marital issues  and sometimes both. He was also a fan of the comic strip Peanuts and authored two books with its creator, Charles Schultz.

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, a psychologist and former executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, said Twerski would often say that though he had written dozens of books, he had really written just one book about one subject: self-esteem. That interest was rooted in his psychiatric training, but was also connected to his Hasidic worldview, including the teachings of the Hasidic movements founder, the Baal Shem Tov, whose philosophy centered on authenticity  and, in Twerskis understanding, self-esteem.

In terms of relating to people, relationships, understanding the soul and the psyche, those are the values that he grew up with and in medical school he found that in psychiatry, Weinreb said.

In 1996, Twerski wrote The Shame Borne In Silence, becoming one of the first major Orthodox leaders to speak publicly about domestic violence and other forms of abuse in the Orthodox community. To this day, he is defamed in certain circles because he dares to speak about it, Weinreb said in an interview shortly before Twerskis death.

In 2009, Twerski spoke in St. Louis at a Jewish Council Against Family Violence event held at Washington University, where he discussed domestic violence within the Jewish community.

Twerski was a vocal proponent of Alcoholics Anonymous, whose 12 steps he found entirely consonant with Jewish teachings, despite its origins in Christian thought. He even defended the practice of attending AA meetings in church basements, something many strictly observant Jews are loath to do.

Within the Orthodox community, Twerski founded Nefesh, an association for mental health workers, spanning the range of Orthodox observance and making clear that he saw no contradiction between his Orthodox faith and his scientific pursuits.

He was a great believer that there was no contradiction, Weinreb said. A person could be a person of great faith and a rigorous scientist.
WASHINGTON - The implosion of former president Donald Trump's legal team comes as Trump remains fixated on arguing at his second impeachment trial that the 2020 election was stolen from him, a defense that advisers warn is ill-conceived and that Republican strategists fear will fuel the growing divide in the GOP.

South Carolina lawyer Butch Bowers and four other attorneys who recently signed on to represent the former president abruptly parted ways with him this weekend, days before his Feb. 9 Senate trial for his role in inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol. On Sunday evening, Trump's office announced that two new lawyers were taking over his defense.

Two people familiar with the discussions preceding the departure of the original legal team said Trump wanted them to make the case during the trial that he actually won the election. To do so would require citing his false claims of election fraud - even as his allies and attorneys have said that he should instead focus on arguing that impeaching a president who has already left office is unconstitutional.

That approach has been embraced by many Republican senators, many of whom cited it when they cast a test vote against impeachment last week.

Trump's attorneys had initially planned to center their strategy on the question of whether the proceedings were constitutional and on the definition of incitement, according to one of the people, who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the internal conversations.

But the former president repeatedly said he wanted to litigate the voter fraud allegations and the 2020 race - and was seeking a more public defense of his actions. Bowers told Trump that he could not mount the defense that Trump wanted, the person said.

"It truly was mutual," the person said. "The president wanted a different defense. The president wanted a different approach and a different team."

Trump spokesman Jason Miller also said Sunday that the split with his lawyers was mutual, but he rejected the notion that the former president wants to focus on election fraud in the Senate trial, calling that account "fake news."

"The only guidance offered has been to focus on the unconstitutional nature of the impeachment to which 45 senators have already voted in agreement," Miller wrote in a text message.

Bowers and the other lawyers who quit Trump's defense team did not respond to requests for comment. CNN first reported that Trump wanted his attorneys to focus his defense on his claims of election fraud.

On Sunday evening, Trump's office announced in a statement that Atlanta-based trial attorney David Schoen and Bruce Castor, a former district attorney in Montgomery County, Pa., would lead his defense team. The two lawyers will bring "national profiles and significant trial experience in high-profile cases to the effort," the statement said.

Schoen served as a lawyer for Trump adviser Roger Stone when he sought to appeal his conviction for lying and witness tampering in a congressional investigation. He also was in discussions with financier Jeffrey Epstein about representing him days before his death while awaiting sex-trafficking charges, and has said he does not believe Epstein killed himself. During his time as district attorney, Castor had declined to prosecute actor Bill Cosby and was later sued by accuser Andrea Constand in a case that was settled.

The disarray inside Trump's circle comes as the House Democratic impeachment managers focus intensely on building a powerful and emotionally compelling argument that the president's words led his supporters to ransack the Capitol.

The House impeachment article charges Trump with "incitement of insurrection" in the invasion of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by a pro-Trump mob.

The Democrats have been working round-the-clock in preparation for the trial - including on Saturday night, when the news broke of Trump's legal team collapsing, according to people familiar with their activities.

The impeachment managers are compiling footage from Jan. 6, including cellphone recordings of protesters attending Trump's rally that morning and video from inside the Capitol after protesters breached it.

Their aim is to present evidence of how Trump's words and actions - including his long-running attacks on the integrity of the election - influenced the rioters. The insurrection left five dead, including one member of the U.S. Capitol Police. Two officers, one with the D.C. police, have since died by suicide.

Both sides face tight deadlines to prepare for the trial. The House team must file its briefs Tuesday. Trump's defense lawyers must file their briefs on Feb. 8.

Democrats face a difficult task in persuading enough GOP senators to join them in voting to convict the former president. During a key test vote last week, all but five Republicans backed Trump in an objection to the proceeding, lodged by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

But Trump's determination to mount a defense centered on the false claims that fraud tipped the outcome to Joe Biden could rattle GOP senators at a time when some in the party are facing pressure from donors and more-moderate voters to reject such conspiracy theories.

"Trump went 0 for 60 in trying to make the voter fraud argument," said veteran GOP lawyer Ben Ginsberg. "Republican senators have no desire to be put on the spot in having to judge his unproven allegations of voter fraud."

Ginsberg warned that Democrats have "so much raw material" that will allow them to "paint a picture of Trump that's never been painted before of his involvement in the violence and insurrection."

"And Trump plays right into their hands in talking about the fraud, for which he has been unable to produce any proof," he said. "Which is why it's a completely perilous defense. I can't imagine any lawyer agreeing to present that case."

It is also unclear whether Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who will preside at the trial, will permit the president's team to introduce claims of alleged voter fraud.

The collapse of Trump's legal team could "force the president now to turn to a better strategy," one that would save him "from self-immolation," said Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University who declined an offer to represent the president at the impeachment trial.

If Trump insists on arguing that the election was stolen, he would be on a destructive path, Turley said.

"That claim is viewed by many senators as one of open contempt for their institution," he said. "As it stands now, he would be acquitted by a fair margin. If he pursued that path, it could change the view and the votes of some senators."

The former president's allies have also urged him to move forward with a defense based on constitutional questions.

In a recent interview with The Washington Post before Trump split with his lawyers, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the legal team planned to argue that impeaching a president who had already left office was unconstitutional, without getting into any battle over who won the election.

"It's a simple case, really," he said.

But Trump, who has been ensconced at his private estate in Florida since leaving the White House, has continued to insist that he won the election, according to people familiar with his comments.

As the trial nears, the former president's circle of advisers has shrunk. He is continuing to talk with his attorney Rudy Giuliani, who led his efforts to subvert the election results. But former White House counsel Pat Cipollone, outside lawyer Jay Sekulow and former campaign lawyer Justin Clark have made clear that they want no part of his defense strategy over the Capitol attack.

Some advisers have told Trump that he should testify in his own defense, but that is broadly seen as a bad idea and probably will not happen.

Cipollone and Giuliani did not respond to requests for comment.

With the help of Graham, Trump had assembled a team of five lawyers led by Bowers, an ethics and campaign law expert in South Carolina who had worked in the Justice Department under President George W. Bush.

The group included three former federal prosecutors in the state - Deborah Barbier, Johnny Gasser and Gregory Harris - as well as a North Carolina lawyer, Josh Howard. All left the Trump defense team Saturday, according to people familiar with the situation.

Miller said that only Barbier and Bowers had officially been named to the team.

The selection of a South Carolina-based legal team was a shift from Trump's previous impeachment last year, when he was charged with abusing his power and obstructing Congress in pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Biden and his family.

During that trial, Trump was defended by lawyers experienced on the national stage. They included Kenneth Starr, the former special prosecutor whose work led to President Bill Clinton's impeachment; Sekulow, who had defended Trump in other cases; and Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard University law professor known for his work in high-profile cases.

Losing his legal team days before the upcoming Senate trial presents a serious challenge, said Norm Eisen, an attorney who served as co-counsel to the Democratic managers during Trump's first impeachment.

"This is a total disaster," he said. "These are real trials, even if they are being litigated in the U.S. Senate and, I can tell you, the defense team needs to be prepared for what's ahead."

He said the decision by Trump's legal team to withdraw was a sign that the lawyers faced a deep ethical conundrum.

"It is anathema under our code of ethics to pull out on a client on the eve of a trial - unless that client places you in an impossible situation," Eisen said.

If the Trump legal team had argued Trump's claim that the election was stolen, "they would be arguing an out-and-out lie, and these lawyers were looking at the consequences of that," he said, noting that other Trump lawyers are now facing ethics complaints, court sanctions and libel suits for pursuing fraud claims with no basis.

"I believe they were unwilling to expose themselves to years of repercussions for doing that," Eisen said.

- - -

The Washington Post's Alice Crites and Marc Fisher contributed to this report.
Imagine if you would that you're in the old Wembley Stadium in London and all around you are 100,000 people enjoying a football match or a rock concert.

And as you picture that massive swathe of humanity just consider this horrible thought - that you're looking at the equivalent of the number of people in the UK who have died from coronavirus inside a year.

Looking at those terrifying statistics another way means that you could fill Windsor Park five times over and you wouldn't reach the 100,000 mark.

And the same goes for the Kingspan stadium which also has an 18,000 capacity and the cavernous Croke Park in Dublin only holds 80,000 people.

So try to envision All-Ireland final day and the entire crowd wiped out along with another 20,000 people as well.

The grim six-figure milestone in the Covid-19 horror story was passed last week and Boris Johnson went on TV to acknowledge the scale of tragic losses in the hateful pandemic.

He insisted his government had done everything in their power to control the virus after its arrival in the UK.

"We truly did everything we could," he said, adding however that he took "full responsibility".

He gave his deepest condolences to everyone who had lost loved ones, including "fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and the many grandparents who've been taken".

But did he really mean what he said?

A large number of people have questioned his sincerity but I can't believe that he would have been anything other than genuine in his regret that so many people have perished. But time, and an official inquiry down the line will, I think, conclude that he failed the country miserably.

Even his own ministers have on reflection been admitting that the government did make mistakes.

One senior Tory backbencher Tobias Ellwood questioned the wisdom of the Eat Out To Help Out scheme and the easing of lockdown restrictions which he claimed had been introduced too early and travel curbs which he said had come too late.

Mind you his onslaught was weakened by the recollection that he's the same Tobias Ellwood who in December was accused of breaking the Covid rules by giving a speech at a dinner in London.

Intriguingly, however, there's been no definitive answer about the harm which the crazy relaxation of the coronavirus rules over Christmas has had on the current spiralling figures of infections and deaths.

After the prime minister's speech, scientists were blaming a "legacy of poor decisions" before and during the pandemic for leading to the UK having one of the world's worst death rates.

Labour also attacked the PM's "monumental mistakes" in not acting soon enough on scientific advice over lockdowns not once but three times.

I'm not sure that the Labour Party, especially under the leadership of the disaster that was Jeremy Corbyn (right), would have handled the coronavirus crisis any better.

Back at home the devastating impact of the virus grew ever worse in recent days and yet again a republican's funeral made the headlines as pictures showed that Covid rules had been breached.

Sinn Fein tried to distance themselves from the row over Eamon McCourt's funeral in Derry and the PSNI said they were investigating.

However, the police's track record doesn't inspire many people with confidence given the time it took to finish their investigation into the clear breaches at Bobby Storey's funeral in June - though the Public Prosecution Service still haven't announced what they're planning to do in relation to any possible action.

There's little doubt, however, that what happened in west Belfast has led to others flouting the funeral rules too as has been seen in clips of corteges in different places on YouTube.

Of course nothing brings the grim reality of Covid home more starkly than when you know the people who are suffering.

Last week straight-talking Donegal-based journalist Paddy Clancy, who's long been one of the best in our business, went on television via Facetime to talk about his experiences after going into Sligo hospital with a chronic kidney condition.

Never a man to wallow in self-pity Paddy revealed that all of the men in his ward got the virus from another patient and with tears in his eyes his words were deeply moving as he spoke about coronavirus.

"It kills people like me. It can kill people like me. And I'm not ready to go," said 77-year-old Paddy.

In a statement the HSE in the Republic said that up to the end of 2020, a total of 967 people had caught Covid in hospitals but in the three weeks from just after Christmas, another 846 patients had been infected in hospitals.

As for Paddy, social media has gone into overdrive with good wishes from journalists the length and breadth of the entire island of Ireland.
Baltimore, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation today announced the promotion of Arlene Cox to the role of chief operating officer. Since joining the Foundation in 2005, Ms. Cox has served as executive assistant, operations manager and, most recently, as chief of staff.

This well-deserved promotion recognizes Arlenes consistent leadership and significant contributions to the Weinberg Foundations growth over several years, said Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin (Ret.), Weinberg Foundation Chair and Trustee. In addition to broadly managing staff and operations, Arlene specifically has led or coordinated the Foundations work in human resources, information technology, and facilities and maintenance.

In her new role, Ms. Cox will assume additional leadership responsibilities while maintaining focus on various staff and operational issues, as well as serving as an adviser to Rachel Garbow Monroe, President and CEO. Ms. Cox continues to serve on the senior leadership team in support of the president and board.

Ms. Cox commented, It has been my distinct honor and privilege over the past 16 years to support the Foundations growth and increasingly professionalized structure. I appreciate the board and presidents trust and support as we continue to identify and implement a range of enhancements and improvements, which increase the Foundations operational efficiency and philanthropic impact.

Arlene has been a superior colleague and partner, and the Foundation is thrilled to acknowledge her many contributions in this meaningful way, remarked Ms. Monroe. Because of her extensive responsibilities, I have had the pleasure of working with Arlene more closely than perhaps any other Foundation colleague. She has been an exceptional leader and, for me in particular, a valued and trusted colleague.

Ms. Cox began her career as a manager for a Philadelphia-area firm within the international death care industry. She was promoted to an administrative management role in southern California, where she worked for three years before being promoted to an executive role in the Baltimore region. Ms. Cox graduated from East Stroudsburg University in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

###

About The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation: The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, one of the largest private charitable foundations in the United States, is dedicated to meeting the basic needs of people experiencing poverty. The Foundation provides approximately $130 million each year in total grant activity supporting nonprofits that provide direct services in the areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, Education, and Community Services. The Foundations priority communities include Baltimore, Chicago, Hawaii, Israel, New York City, Northeastern Pennsylvania, San Francisco, and Rural Communities (primarily rural areas within proximity to priority communities). The Foundations trustees are Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin (Ret.), Chair; Robert T. Kelly, Jr.; Paula B. Pretlow; Gordon Berlin; and Nimrod Goor. Rachel Garbow Monroe serves as President and CEO. For more information, please visit www.hjweinbergfoundation.org.

Attachment
New Delhi: Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur spoke on the issue of fake news on DNA with Zee News Editor in Chief Sudhir Chaudhary.

Thakur said the fake news issue raises a new cause of concern for the government and stated that strict legal action should be taken against people who spread false news.

He further spoke about a regulator that can raise questions to news channels, newspapers and even the digital platforms on the authenticity of the news that is being shared in the efforts to counter fake news.

Thakur pointed out that since the government respects an individual's the righ to freedom of expression so they cannot step in directly but if any leader uses the social media to spread fake/false news and does not even apologise then somebody has to set things straight. He spoke about setting an accountability for spreading fake news.

When asked if filing of FIRs is a solution to stop the spred of fake news? He replied, "In a democracy there has to be understanding and maturity and it should be there in every field and sector."

Meanwhile, FIRs have been registered against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and six senior journalists over the violence during farmers' tractor rally on Republic Day in Delhi. It has been alleged that "digital broadcast" and "social media posts" by these people were responsible for the violence during a tractor rally by farmers in Delhi on January 26.

They have been booked under sedition, among other charges.

Live TV
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  Already one of New Mexicos largest employers, Sandia National Laboratories has upped the size of its workforce by nearly 20% in the last five years. And it hired more than 1,000 people during a year upended by the global pandemic.

The national lab in Albuquerque now has about 12,700 employees. Thats up about 2,000 people from the roughly 10,700 employees the labs had in 2016, according to a recent economic impact analysis created by the labs.

The analysis, performed every year, showcases Sandias effect on the local economy. Sandia enters into hundreds of millions of dollars of contracts with local businesses, much of its workforce are graduates of New Mexico universities and the total size of Sandias workforce and payroll has a massive footprint.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

Sandias New Mexico employees collected about $1.3 billion in payroll in the labs 2020 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30.

During the most recent fiscal year, Sandia hired nearly 1,200 employees, which included 460 new jobs.

That was no small feat given the dynamics that we all saw during the pandemic, Scott Aeilts, Sandias associate labs director of Mission Services, said of the new hires. How do we interview people? How do we bring them out? How do we make sure theyre qualified?

Of the 460 new positions at Sandia, 375 work in Albuquerque. Of those hired for the new positions, about a third of them graduated from a New Mexico university.

In general, when we look at the New Mexico employee base, were roughly at 50 to 60% of employees who come from (New Mexico universities), Aeilts said. Its a significant portion. Its extremely important for us to partner with the states universities so those employees can come to us better prepared.

Sandias total outlay in the 2020 fiscal year was $3.76 billion, an $86.8 million increase from the year before.

That included $1.4 billion in purchases of goods and services. Some $482.6 million of that went to New Mexico businesses.

Of those purchases from New Mexico businesses, $349.7 million went to small businesses, based on criteria from the Small Business Administration. Sandia purchases from small businesses in the state have increased by about $110 million since 2016, according to the economic analysis.

Much of that business is for construction and information technology services, according to Paul Sedillo, Sandias small-business program manager.

Most Sandia contracts go out for a bidding process, and New Mexico small businesses get a 5% pricing preference.

I do believe our procurement spend in New Mexico, of nearly half a billion dollars, showcases Sandias long-lasting commitment to this economy, Sedillo said.

Hacienda Home Centers, a New Mexico small business with offices in Albuquerque and stores in Espanola and Las Vegas, was one of those business that was hired for work at Sandia during the last fiscal year. The company provided maintenance and repair products and building materials for Sandia.

Its been tough lately for small businesses, said Joe Sanchez, vice president of Hacienda Home Center. The contract with Sandia has really helped us to continue to grow. It gives us confidence to expand.

by the numbers

2 Sandia-hosted small business forums attended by suppliers

3 Small businesses selected for Sandias Mentor-Protege program

70 Percentage of Sandia suppliers that are small businesses

118 One-on-one interactions with current and potential suppliers at the Lobo Rainforest building in Albuquerque
Advertisement

Boris Johnson today insisted lockdown is working and vaccines are effective against coronavirus variants - as he held out hopes summer holidays can happen this year.

The PM struck a positive tone as he visited a vaccination site in Yorkshire, saying there was evidence of a 'flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations'.

After a leaked Cabinet Office report hailed the 'stabilising' situation, he also stressed that the government believes all the jabs being used in the UK are effective against all variants. And after mixed messages from ministers he said he was 'optimistic' that Britons will be able to go on summer breaks.

The brighter news was underlined tonight with figures showing deaths down nearly a third on last Monday at 406, and new infections at a seven-week low of 18,607.

But Mr Johnson dodged committing to any timetable, amid fears that the South African version of the disease is transmitting in the community.

Door-to-door coronavirus testing is being launched across eight parts of England amid fears the variant is now spreading in the community.

The PM told reporters on his visit to the vaccination hub in Batley: 'We are starting to see some signs of a flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations.

'But don't forget that they are still at a very high level by comparison with most points in the last 12 months, a really very high level.

'So the risk is if you take your foot off the throat of the beast, as it were, and you allow things to get out of control again then you could, alas, see the disease spreading again fast before we have got enough vaccines into people's arms. That's the risk.'

Asked about the issue with variants spreading, Mr Johnson said: 'We are confident that all the vaccines that we are using provide a high degree of immunity and protection against all variants.'

He said the vaccines could be adapted to deal with new variants if necessary.

'The fact is we are going to be living with Covid for a while to come in one way or another, I don't think it will be as bad as the last 12 months  or anything like  of course, but it's very, very important that our vaccines continue to develop and to adapt, and they will,' he said.

In other dramatic coronavirus developments today:

The UK has reported another 322,000 vaccination doses in 24 hours, although the figure is down from the daily high of nearly 600,000;

Ministers are believed to be considering giving spare vaccines to Ireland in the coming months after the EU staged a humiliating climbdown on its threat to ban exports;

Britain could be back to something close to pre-coronavirus life as soon as the summer thanks to the UK's vaccine juggernaut, according to a top scientist;

It has been claimed Matt Hancock vetoed a deal to manufacture a British vaccine in the United States because it did not guarantee the UK would get the first supply of jabs;

Rishi Sunak has been warned against a money-raising Budget next month with the tax burden at a 70-year high and the manufacturing recovery stalling.

The PM struck a positive tone as he visited a vaccination site in Yorkshire, saying there was evidence of a 'flattening and maybe even a falling off of infection rates and hospitalisations'

Mr Johnson dodged committing to any timetable, amid fears that the South African version of the disease is transmitting in the community

Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert and member of the Sage advisory panel, said the jab could introduce huge changes within months if the rollout continues apace.

Door to door testing for South African variant Door-to-door coronavirus testing is being launched across eight parts of England amid fears the South African variant causing panic around the world is now spreading in the community. In a desperate attempt to keep track of the mutated virus that experts fear could hamper the current crop of vaccines, health officials will visit homes in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire. More than 80,000 over-16s will be targeted as part of the huge surveillance scheme and residents will be asked to take a test regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. Local health workers will go door-to-door, as well as police officers, firefighters and council workers. As well as knocking on doors and asking residents to take tests there and then, extra mobile swabbing units will be deployed to all eight postcodes and home testing kits will be available to order online for residents to do themselves. Public Health England has already spotted 105 cases of the 'B.1.351' South African variant since December 22, including at least 11 people  scattered across the eight areas receiving extra testing  who were struck down with the virus but had no history of international travel. PHE said an 'extensive contact tracing investigation' had been carried out to isolate the 11 patients' close contacts. There is currently no evidence that the variant causes more severe illness and early studies suggest the current crop of jabs are good enough to protect against it. Experts fear there could be hundreds more cases already in the UK because PHE only analyses one in 10 random positive samples and the strain cannot be spotted in standard PCR tests. All of the swabs confirmed to have Covid will be sent to labs for further testing. Advertisement

In a desperate attempt to keep track of the mutated virus that experts fear could hamper the current crop of vaccines, health officials will visit homes in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire.

More than 80,000 over-16s will be targeted as part of the huge surveillance scheme and residents will be asked to take a test regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. Local health workers will go door-to-door, as well as police officers, firefighters and council workers.

As well as knocking on doors and asking residents to take tests there and then, extra mobile swabbing units will be deployed to all eight postcodes and home testing kits will be available to order online for residents to do themselves.

Public Health England has already spotted 105 cases of the 'B.1.351' South African variant since December 22, including at least 11 people  scattered across the eight areas receiving extra testing  who were struck down with the virus but had no history of international travel.

PHE said an 'extensive contact tracing investigation' had been carried out to isolate the 11 patients' close contacts. There is currently no evidence that the variant causes more severe illness and early studies suggest the current crop of jabs are good enough to protect against it.

Experts fear there could be hundreds more cases already in the UK because PHE only analyses one in 10 random positive samples and the strain cannot be spotted in standard PCR tests. All of the swabs confirmed to have Covid will be sent to labs for further testing.

Health officials are anxious not to let another Covid variant run rampant, after Britain struggled to get a grip on the Kent strain which sparked a devastating second wave that plunged England into its third lockdown at the start of January.

Like the Kent variant, the South African version carries the N501Y mutation which makes it far more transmissible than the original Covid strain. And it has additional mutations on its spike protein which scientists fear will make it difficult for the immune system to recognise, even in vaccinated people. But early tests have shown the current crop of vaccines still work against the variant but may be slightly less effective.

Ministers have already banned travel from South Africa and surrounding countries in response to the threat. In response to the ever-growing threat of dangerous new variants, the Government last week ordered mandatory hotel-quarantines for arrivals from 30 'red list' countries  including Portugal and South Africa.

The PCR test  considered the gold standard method worldwide  looks for three genes present on the original virus that came out of China, the S gene, N gene and ORF1ab. Health officials are able to spot the Kent strain with regular PCR because that variant is missing the S gene.

But the South African version is much harder to track because it shares all three genes with the original strain so PCR results cannot differentiate between the two, meaning researchers need to manually sequence each sample in a laboratory.

PHE sources claimed today they were 'not expecting a surge in cases' because the strain is no more transmissible than the dominant Kent one currently plaguing the country, so it has no 'evolutionary edge' over it.

Ruth Hutchinson, director of public health for Surrey, said: 'This is a precautionary measure  the more cases of the variant we find, the better chance we have at stopping it from spreading further. By playing your part and taking the test, you'll be helping to keep your community and your loved ones safe.

'It's really important to say that there is currently no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness, so you don't need to worry.

Dr Alison Barnett, regional director at Public Health England South East, said: 'The UK has one of the best genomic systems in the world which has allowed us to detect the variant originating in South Africa here in Surrey.

'I urge everyone offered a test to take it up to help us to monitor the virus in our communities and to help suppress and control the spread of this variant.

'The most important thing is that people continue to follow the guidance that is in place  limit your number of contacts, wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, keep your distance and cover your face. If you test positive by any method, you must isolate to stop the spread of the virus.'

Professor Adam Finn said a 'real effort' should be made to try to 'eliminate' the South African variant before it took hold.

Prof Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), told the BBC: 'A real effort needs to be made to make a circle around it and then eliminate it, if that can be achieved.

PM hints that England WON'T return to 'tiers' when lockdown eases Boris Johnson has given a strong hint that England will not return to the 'tiers' system of varying local curbs when the third national lockdown eases. Ministers have previously insisted that the previous arrangements will be reintroduced, meaning lower infections and high infection areas would face different restrictions. But Mr Johnson told reporters: 'It may be that a national approach, going down the tiers in a national way, might be better this time round, given that the disease is behaving much more nationally. 'If you look at the way the new variant has taken off across the country, it's a pretty national phenomenon. 'The charts I see, we're all sort of moving pretty much in the same sort of way, I mean there are a few discrepancies, a few differences, so it may be that we will go for a national approach but there may be an advantage still in some regional differentiation as well. I'm keeping an open mind on that.' Advertisement

'I think that's a maybe but it is definitely worth a try.

'The other thing to do is to continue focusing on all the right people with the doses of the vaccines that we have got because the efficiency of the programme is entirely dependent on not just giving lots of doses out but giving the doses to the right people, the people most at risk of getting sick.'

After a shocking report warned that the pandemic could wipe 350billion off children's future earnings, Mr Johnson said that while the economy can bounce back strongly he is concerned about the impact on education.

'It is going to take a while for our country to bounce back completely from Covid. The economy, I think, can bounce back very, very strongly  the UK has immense natural resilience,' he said.

'The thing that really concerns me at the moment is education and the deficit in our children's education that we have run up as a result of these lockdowns.

'That for me is one of the major, major priorities for us  making sure that we ameliorate and repair the loss of time in the classroom, the loss of educational opportunities.'

He also gave a strong hint that England will not return to the 'tiers' system of varying local curbs when the third national lockdown eases.

He told reporters: 'It may be that a national approach, going down the tiers in a national way, might be better this time round, given that the disease is behaving much more nationally.

'If you look at the way the new variant has taken off across the country, it's a pretty national phenomenon.

'The charts I see, we're all sort of moving pretty much in the same sort of way, I mean there are a few discrepancies, a few differences, so it may be that we will go for a national approach but there may be an advantage still in some regional differentiation as well. I'm keeping an open mind on that.'

Mr Johnson said he is 'optimistic' people will be able to enjoy a summer holiday this year, provided the disease can be kept under control.

'I don't want to give too much concrete by way of dates for our summer holidays. I am optimistic  I understand the reasons for being optimistic  but some things have got to go right,' he said during a visit to Batley, West Yorkshire.

'The vaccine programme has got to continue to be successful. We have got to make sure we don't get thrown off course by new variants, we have got to make sure that we continue to keep the disease under control and the level of infections come down.'

The premier's words were echoed by a top scientist, who said the UK could be back to something close to pre-coronavirus life as soon as the summer thanks to the UK's vaccine juggernaut.

Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert and member of the Sage advisory panel, said the jab could introduce huge changes within months if the rollout continues apace.

And he suggested that the lockdown could start to be eased some time next month as hoped - but will need to be done 'relatively gradually' and carefully to avoid a spike in cases.

His optimism came after a weekend of mixed messages from ministers about what the summer will look like for lockdown-weary Britons.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock raised the hopes of millions yesterday as he said that he expected a 'Great British summer' powered by the success of the vaccine rollout.

But less than half an hour after his local BBC interview, Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was 'dangerous' for ministers to go on television 'making promises about people's summer holidays'.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programe this morning, Prof Tildesley said: 'The danger is that as we start to unwind controls we offset the gains we get from vaccinations so we need to be very careful.

'But if the vaccine rollout continues at high levels and we do find that actually these vaccines are good at blocking transmission as well as preventing severe infection, then we are in a good position.

Tax burden for Britons is at a 70-year high The tax burden is at a 70-year high amid warnings businesses face disaster if Chancellor Rishi Sunak moves to raise more money in next month's Budget. The Treasury is set to rake in 34.2 per cent of economic output in the next financial year, according to campaign group the TaxPayers' Alliance. The average tax burden  the amount of tax taken by the Treasury compared with the size of the economy  over the last five years has already climbed to 33.8 per cent, the highest since 1951. The Chancellor is believed to be considering a rise in capital gains tax as he tries to balance the books after the coronavirus pandemic. Business tax and fuel duty rises are also thought to be among the potential targets. But grim figures today show the UK's recovery already appears to be stalling, with activity in the manufacturing sector falling to a three-month low due to fresh lockdowns and post-Brexit supply chain disruptions. The CBI has been calling for the holiday on business rates to be extended further, with firms still under huge pressure. Advertisement

'And hopefully by the summer we can get back to something pretty close to what we have seen before the pandemic was normal.'

His optimistic outlook came as Ryanair's boss voiced his hope that European beach holidays could return this summer thanks to vaccines.

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of the budget airline, said he believes there could be a huge surge in demand for flights to Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal this summer.

His airline has already tried to advertise holidays this year with a 'jab and go' advert.

In a message of optimism, he predicted that the Covid-hit travel and hospitality industry could finally 'return to normal' by the end of this year - due to a 'pent-up demand' from beach-deprived Britons.

But, speaking on the day the Irish low-cost carrier announced expected losses of 800million across 2021, he warned the boom was dependent on the success of the UK's Covid vaccine roll-out.

So far almost nine million Britons have received their first dose of a Covid jab - with the Government currently on track to have everyone over the age of 50 vaccinated by the end of March.

And Mr O'Leary believes ministers should lift travel restrictions once Britain's most vulnerable have been protected.

Local elections due to take place on May 6 look like they will go ahead, after the Conservative Party told activists they should campaign without knocking on doors or delivering leaflets during the lockdown.

Last night it was revealed proxy voting rules are to be altered to accommodate people with coronavirus.

Currently people who wish to nominate a friend to vote on their behalf have to give six weeks' notice which would rule out many people struck down by the pandemic or forced to self-isolate.

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of the budget airline, said he believes there could be a huge surge in demand for intra-European flights this summer

Mr Hancock has long been a summer optimist despite the horrific coronavirus death rate. In December he revealed he had already booked his summer holiday

But the rules are to be changed to allow proxies to be nominated on the same day as a vote, as late as 5pm.

Appearing on BBC Politics East yesterday morning, Suffolk East MP Mr Hancock said he was confident that a high percentage of the UK population would have had their jab within the next six months, enabling a roll-back of restrictions that have been in place since the new year.

'In six months we will be in the middle of, I hope, a happy and free great British summer. I have a high degree of confidence that by then the vast majority of adults will have been vaccinated.

'That is not just the clinically vulnerable groups but then going to all groups, people like me - I'm in my 40s and healthy and we will have got though everybody. 'That will give a high level of protection.'

Speaking a short time later on LBC radio, Ms Truss said that the government's focus was on schools.

'We have to just focus on step by step and summer holidays, I'm afraid, are a lower priority than getting kids back to school,' she told the radio station.

'If there is one thing we have learnt during the coronavirus crisis so far, is how unpredictable things are, what things could emerge.

'I think it would be very dangerous for a government minister to go on your show making promises about people's summer holidays.'

She accepted that current rules which require quarantine and negative Covid tests would likely be 'quite permanent' and would be in place for the 'foreseeable future'

Later, speaking on Andrew Marr, she said there was a long way to go before the summer months.

The travel industry, both domestic and international, has been among the worst-hit by the repeated lockdowns over the past 10 months.

Mr Hancock has long been a summer optimist despite the horrific coronavirus death rate.

In December he revealed he had already booked his summer holiday, travelling to Cornwall with his osteopath wife Martha and their three children.

Speaking in the Commons Mr Hancock had said: 'I do have high confidence that the summer of 2021 will be a bright one without the sort of restrictions that made the summer of 2020 more restrictive. I've booked my holiday. I'm going to Cornwall.'
The Irish aviation sector is bracing itself for route losses, aircraft transfers and a requirement for further State aid as fears mount that a recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic now wont occur before 2022.

The revelation came as it emerged one airport, Cork, has suffered a 99pc collapse in passenger traffic from January 2020 to January 2021. Airport and airline officials acknowledged the industry now faces a grim short-term outlook because of the impact of new Covid-19 strains and the slower-than-expected vaccine roll-out across Ireland and Europe.

Warnings from Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar that Irish people shouldnt plan overseas summer holidays or even Christmas 2021 breaks has come as a major blow for a sector desperately waiting for a recovery in passenger business.

Airports Council International-Europe (ACIE) stressed that a new industry study has forecast a systemic collapse in aviation-related industries because of wholly inadequate State-aid rules.

It revealed that since November 30, when new travel rules began to be implemented across Europe due to a surge on Covid-19 cases, air routes began to vanish.

In just two months, 700 routes have disappeared from Irish and European airports  bringing to more than 7,000 the total number of routes lost since March 20 last.

Read More

One senior Irish aviation source warned the damage to the aviation sector should not be underestimated.

With Ireland West-Knock fully closed, no scheduled operations out of Shannon Airport, and Cork Airports remaining connectivity hanging by a thread, do not underestimate the job ahead in late 2021 into 2022 and beyond replacing the damage done by the pandemic to Irelands

connectivity and aviation-tourism infrastructure.

This ranges from airlines to ground handlers, restaurants to car hire operators, bureaux de change to the airport companies themselves whose businesses have been simply devastated by this pandemic. A major multi-year recovery programme will be necessary to rebuild these devastated businesses.

Aer Lingus and Ryanair are now monitoring summer schedules amid the threat of possible quarantine controls in Ireland and Government advice against summer holiday travel.

Both are now also understood to be examining transferring aircraft onto business-friendly routes  potentially outside Ireland.

Aer Lingus is already applying to operate long-haul flights from Manchester to the US while Ryanairs passenger capacity is set to be increased with the clearance by EU aviation officials of the new Boeing 737-Max aircraft to resume passenger operations.

However, Cork Airport passenger operations have now been reduced to a single Aer Lingus service to London Heathrow - often with fewer than 50 passengers on board.

That contrasts with eight airlines selling 51 routes out of Cork in summer 2019.

Regional airports are worried that the pressure on airlines will result in them focusing only on larger, more profitable bases.

Cork Chamber of Commerce chief executive Conor Healy said there was mounting concern that Dublin would secure the maximum number of

available routes post pandemic and become a super airport to the detriment of other regional airports including Cork, Shannon, Kerry and Ireland West-Knock.

We want to get back to a situation where we had a growing, thriving airport which was serving the region really, really well over recent years and had significant expansion plans.

I do believe there is a risk that you would see a dominant Dublin super airport emerging which would be to the detriment of Cork Airport and indeed Shannon Airport.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2021) AstraZeneca has agreed to deliver 9 million more COVID-19 vaccine doses to the European Union by April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Sunday.

The EU threatened to take legal action against the UK-Swedish drugmaker after it said it would deliver only 31 million of the 80 million doses contracted for the first quarter.

"Step forward on vaccines.

AstraZeneca will deliver 9 million additional doses in the first quarter (40 million in total) compared to last week's offer," von der Leyen tweeted.

The vaccine became the third to be approved by the EU drug regulator on Friday, after shots developed by Pfizer and Moderna.

AstraZeneca also promised to begin deliveries a week earlier than scheduled and will expand its manufacturing capacity at EU sites, the commissioner added after a video call with CEOs of firms making vaccines.
Paducah Man Charged with Illegal Gun Possession

By West Kentucky Star Staff

PADUCAH - A Paducah man was arrested Sunday in Montgomery County, Tennessee on a McCracken County warrant for illegally possessing a gun.McCracken County deputies responded last March to a call about a man with a gun on Clinton Road. Deputies said 29-year-old Patrick Simms allegedly brandished a .25 caliber handgun during an altercation.Detectives learned Simms had multiple prior assault convictions, which means he is prohibited by state and federal law from purchasing or possessing firearms. Detectives said Simms had illegally purchased the handgun from a licensed firearms dealer in McCracken County.They recovered the handgun a short time later, but didn't locate Simms until he was apprehended Sunday.The case will be presented to the United States Attorney's Office for possible federal prosecution.
GREATER NOIDA: Residents in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida city will soon get Ganga water at their homes as the local development authority has expedited work on the drinking water project. According to reports, residential areas in these sectors - Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Pi 3 are expected to start receiving Ganga water supply from May onwards.

Residents of Swarn Nagri, sector 36, 35 and Phase 1 in Greater Noida will also start receiving Ganga water from May.

The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) has constructed a pipeline and reservoir for distributing water from the Upper Ganga Canal in Haridwar. The Authority will conduct the trial for water distribution to these sectors in the month of March-April. Currently, residents in Greater Noida are getting treated groundwater from wells.

The report added that a 23-kilometre long pipeline has been laid from Dehra village near Gang Nahar in Ghaziabad to Greater Noida for the supply of Ganga water.

Live TV
OLMSTED TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- An Olmsted Township residential subdivision proposed for 72 acres wedged between two Berea housing developments was dealt a blow on Jan. 28.

Olmsted Township Zoning Commission members will recommend to township trustees that they deny a rezoning request critical to the project.

The Board of Trustees has the final decision. According to the township administrator, it is uncertain if the zoning commission will have its formal recommendation prepared and submitted to the board by the boards next meeting on Feb. 10. Trustees have 30 days to schedule a hearing after they receive it.

Builders and Developers Company, on behalf of Olmsted Township property owners Joseph and Suzanne Hollo, have requested to change the township zoning map at 7617 Lewis Road from the current Rural Residential classification to Planned Residential Development. That would enable 162 housing lots to be constructed for the Hollobuck Subdivision.

Attorney Jordan Berns, representing the Hollos and the developer, emphasized that the rural setting already is gone due to the two adjacent Sandstone Ridge subdivisions in Berea.

This is not a scenic piece of property, Berns said. Efforts to preserve rural character really would be misguided.

Daniel Neff of Neff and Associates said he would construct turn lanes on Lewis Road to maintain through traffic as residents enter and exit Hollobuck.

Neff also indicated that existing sewer and water infrastructures would accommodate the new homes.

However, Bereas legal counsel, attorney Todd Hunt, disputed Neffs assertion that the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District owns the trunk line that runs through Sandstone Ridge.

That trunk line is owned and maintained by the City of Berea, according to the City of Berea Engineers Office, Hunt said, having previously sent a written objection indicating that Berea will not permit access to the sewer tie-in.

Neff responded that he is confident that we know we have the ability to tie into it.

Olmsted Township Zoning Commission Chairman Gib Winter said the township received 53 letters/emails about the proposed subdivision, all in opposition. More than 70 people attended the three-hour Zoom meeting.

Nearby horse farm owners and other residents shared concerns about traffic volume and safety, impact to rural character and loss of local wildlife.

This is just a slow erosion of the unique characteristics of this area, said resident Paul Popovich Jr.

Karen Cillo called absurd the notion that families living along Lewis Road wont be affected.

Its ridiculous the amount of traffic that is going to be increased, Cillo said. It would have a horrible impact.

Zoning Commission members ultimately decided that rezoning the property would conflict with the township master plans intent.

Planned Residential Development (zoning) does not comply with the master plan, Paul Hamer said. The property can still be developed as Rural Residential, with 2-acre lots  and 30-plus homes.

We cant determine what happens in Berea, but we do have a say in what happens in our township, added Justin Whelan. It was zoned that way for a reason.

Read more stories from the News Sun.
According to a New York Times report last week, Laredo was the countrys city most affected by COVID-19 relative to population. A sociology expert and many Laredo residents weighed in on the issue with many pointing to culture as the problem.

We have a culture where direct face-to-face social interaction is important, and many people think that these face-to-face interactions are worth the risk, TAMIU Associate Vice President for Research and Professor of Sociology Dr. John Kilburn said. Unfortunately, the risk is considerable with high stakes. People are getting infected. You simply cant tell who is infected just by looking at them.

The sociology professor said family gatherings, which are big in the border communities of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, tend to be a major reason why infections are high in the area. He considers it both a blessing and a curse when it comes to the pandemic.

Family gatherings are important because they are a part of what we are, Kilburn said. Its a way of life that I absolutely love about this region. People need to be aware that indoor gatherings are riskier than outdoor gatherings, physical contact is risky, avoiding social distance is risky, not wearing a mask is risky. We have to acknowledge that many carriers are asymptomatic. Therefore, everybody is a risk.

Kilburn said the risks are not worth taking considering the potential consequences.

The more risks people take, the greater the chance of infection, he said. Who doesnt want to hold the hand of a loved family member and spend hours with them? However, if any one individual has been around someone who has been infected, they can spread the virus to everyone at the gathering. Think about it. If 20 people are in a group and only one of them participated in risky behavior just a few days previously, then all in attendance are at risk.

There are many risks people are taking to maintain their social interactions despite the pandemic. Many people around the city said these factors plus others such as poor following of safety guidelines, border crossings and even bad facemasks are all to blame.

We as a city are being really irresponsible, and Im not saying all people, but some really are, Kayla Reyes said. I have gone to stores for things that I personally need and at work. However, I have seen people wearing masks wrong and its honestly just super annoying at this point, like just put it on. We are so far into this its basically the new normal until everyone gets it together.

Reyes also puts a lot of blame on the city and state governments claiming they have done little to slow the spread.

As for the city officials, they really are letting us down, and the governor as well. They have the high power, but we are the ones to blame for keeping them in office for so long, Reyes said. Truly, I know that we could have been over this virus a long time ago, but we have selfish people in office. We have ignorant people out and about, and we have people who just dont care until it does affect them personally, and its just sad to see it like this.

Other people believe it is a much larger combination of issues including continued border crossings.

One, the crossing back and forth is hurting us, Nicole Elguezabal-De La Cruz said. Its like an endless revolving door for this virus. Two, there are too many companies that are requiring their employees to come to work even though theyre sick because they cannot fail their customers now. Literally a sentence from a freight forwarder here to their employees. Theyre told to wear double masks, and even though they tested on Monday but dont get their results until 24-48 hours later, theyre still required to be at work. Three, poor city planning from years ago. Laredos been growing for years.

Instead of a damn outlet mall or water park, another hospital shouldve been in the works. The citys priorities are screwed up royally. Like I said, this is my opinion based on what I have seen with my own eyes. Im going on Day 6 of being COVID free. I traced back to when I couldve gotten it and came to the conclusion it was during a grocery trip.

Jess Serot agreed about border crossings and criticized the city for continuing to allow people to cross the bridges.

Laredo and Nuevo Laredo are struggling to control the plague, Serot said. It doesn't help anything to have so many people cross and cross bridges as more virus spreads. But, you know they will claim the essentials and Laredo requires their money for the crosses as they don't care about people.

Others blame the inaccurate information people have been fed by the media, city officials and other sources of information as the problem.

People getting tested still working waiting on results, people having someone at home with COVID and still going to work, people having COVID under supposed quarantine who only work in their minds and going out shopping, contact tracing not being done, Candi Trujillo said. People being told they're okay after 10 days from being tested and can return to work even though they still have headaches, shakes, nausea, but theyre told no need to get tested again, just wait 10 days and youre good.

Social media disinformation related to the pandemic is another factor some point to.

Its ignorance, failure on the city and government, social media disinformation, politicizing masks instead of making it a public health issue, Alex Gonzalez said. Also, a lack of a adequate health care system due to lack of hospitals, nurses and doctors.

Other Gateway City residents said there could be an increase in cases because many people from the Nuevo Laredo area might be coming into the city to get tested for COVID-19.

I also think we are reporting numbers for two cities, Alexa Verastegui said. COVID tests across are really expensive, so people from across come and get their tests done here. Ive heard at the bridge if you show your appointment confirmation from Curative theyll let you cross. A lot of the hospitals across do not accept patients with COVID, so their citizens are coming over to our hospitals. I have heard from various coworkers that their friends/acquaintances feel ill and are coming over to our hospitals. So when you are seeing these raw numbers compared to our population, it is obviously going to be high since we are reporting for two cities technically.

One Laredoan even came to the conclusion that the true culprit of the increase in cases is not just the people but also the masks and garments people are using.

Laredo has an abundance of tienditas selling cheap, cloth $1 facemasks, Elizabeth Huber said. I am going to tell you as a person who has been making masks since February with access to all the latest research on masks, many people are walking around with facemasks that are not being worn properly or are very cheap and inadequate and protect no one. For starters, I see many people with valves on their masks. These masks only protect you, not the people around you. These masks should not be worn, and if the city council really wanted to protect people, they would ban those masks.

Your fabric mask should have two to three layers at least and should be made out of cotton on non-woven polypropelene, or you should wear the medical masks the correct way covering both nose and mouth. Additionally, if you are not wearing glasses or goggles, you should wear a face shield as transmission through the eyes is very common.

Kilburn said there is plenty of blame to go around but that personal responsibility to avoid an infection is key in defeating the pandemic.

Some people dont want to wear masks. Some that wear masks dont like covering their noses. Many people crave face to face human contact, Kilburn said. Businesses are struggling and are willing to take the risks of opening up so that they can pay their bills. Our region has many people traveling in and out regardless of whether or not people are performing essential activities. If people do not take precautions to interact in a safe manner, there is no reason for us to expect reduced levels of infection.

The sociology professor said whether the pandemic ends soon or in one more year, the world we live in and the social interactions that we once knew will never be the same. Kilburn said the pandemic revolutionized the way people gather and the way people communicate as technology has been a strong ally amid the pandemic.

Of course, well never be the same, Kilburn said. Every nation around the globe has experienced substantially higher death rates over the past year. Many of us, including myself, are mourning the loss of a considerable amount of people. Ive lost several people that meant a lot to me. There may be some interesting changes. Many more people will learn to use technology like Zoom to keep in touch with friends long after this episode of COVID-19 is history. Households are spending more time together. We will have a greater respect for people who practice precautions for the sake of their health and the health of others.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
Houston officials this week plan to send survey links to allow people who received first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the city to schedule appointments for their second doses.

Health Director Stephen Williams on Monday said officials plan to send that link to people who got their first shot from the city later this week, and maybe even as soon as tomorrow.

The reach-out could make it easier for people to get their second appointments. Currently, city health workers call vaccinees to schedule their shots in the week before the 28-day window when the second dose is recommended.

The city has cited new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that the second Moderna dose should be given as close to 28 days as possible after the first, but can be given as far out as 42 days. The Health Department has said it anticipates everyone who gets a shot from the city should be able to get their second one within 28 days. The city has asked residents to avoid calling the city unless they are less than 48 hours from their 28-day window.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city has given out more than 2,300 second shots already and has scheduled another 11,971. He said the city has received 18,600 doses for second shots. That is in addition to 41,950 doses for first shots, of which the city has administered 33,839  about 80 percent of its supply.

The city closed its senior wait list  operated by the Harris County Area Agency on Aging  on Friday after more than 70,000 people called to enroll. Williams said it is hard to discern when the city will reopen that portal. It is separate from Harris Countys wait list, which launched last week, and has grown to more than 165,000 people.

The reason for that is to not really frustrate people, Williams said, noting that even if the city concentrated its entire weekly supply of about 9,000 shots on those 70,000 people, it would take weeks to get to everyone.

County health officials did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

The city did not open new appointments for this week, concentrating doses instead on the wait list, previously booked slots and vulnerable communities.

Turner hailed the citys efforts at the Hope Clinic and the Vietnamese Doctors Association in Alief on Saturday, where some 500 patients were able to get their shots. The city is hoping to do something similar on the northeast side of town this weekend, according to the mayor.

Williams said the supply has not yet picked up after President Joe Bidens administration announced last week it was close to securing more doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

The health director said Texas expects to receive an additional 50,000 doses in the near future, an amount he said is not a whole lot considering the size of the state.

The president has said the increased supply  about 200 million doses  would be available through the summer.

Editors note: This article has been updated to clarify that the city is sending a web survey to vaccine recipients. It is not launching a website.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com
Israel has extended a three-week-old lockdown in the coronavirus pandemic, the prime minister's office and the health ministry said in a statement early Monday.



The cabinet met late Sunday and approved extending the general lockdown for an additional five days until 7 am on Friday (0500 GMT).



The cabinet is to convene on Wednesday for an additional discussion on whether it is necessary to further extend the lockdown.



The cabinet also approved extending the ban on entry to, and exit from, Israel until at midnight on Sunday. Existing exceptions still apply. This means that Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv remains shuttered.



An exceptions committee will be established that will be charged with approving requests to arrive in Israel for humanitarian and special reasons during the period in which entry to Israel is restricted.



People returning to Israel from any country in the world will be required to quarantine in designated state-sponsored hotels beginning from Tuesday and until Sunday.



Requests for exceptions will be dealt with on an individual basis by the Health Ministry at Ben Gurion Airport.



Israel, a country of 9.3 million inhabitants, has seen 4,796 Covid-19-related deaths, but has already administered the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to over 3 million of them.



Over 1.8 million have also received the second dose.

Source: dpa/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
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
Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller begins on National Geographic on Tuesday.

The 8 part series takes viewers on a journey inside the most dangerous black markets on the planet.

This premiered internationally in December.

Each investigation in the eight-part series embeds with Peabody and duPont Award-winning journalist Mariana van Zeller as she explores the complex and often violent inner workings of a smuggling network.

While she dives deeper and deeper into these underworlds, Mariana reveals  with characteristic boldness and empathy  that the people operating these trafficking rings are often a lot more like us than we realize. Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller premieres February 2 at 7.30pm AEDT, and continues each Tuesday night on National Geographic.

Trafficked offers viewers a mission-driven adventure to places rarely seen, providing an intimate peek behind the criminal curtain. Mariana spends time with major players from a host of underground economies  from tiger traffickers and international scammers to counterfeiters, gunrunners and fentanyl suppliers.

Along the way, she also meets with law enforcement, ex-cons, fellow journalists and locals caught in the crossfire, all in an attempt to provide a 360-degree view of these poorly understood trafficking networks that contribute to the worlds multi-trillion-dollar shadow economy.

I couldnt be more excited to share Trafficked with viewers around the world, said Mariana van Zeller, who has spent the better part of the last 15 years reporting on the global underworld.

People dont realize that black markets are all around us, hidden in plain sight. And what fascinates me most is how normal, law-abiding people  people like you and me  get pulled into these criminal worlds.

Mariana uncovers a lethal supply chain of American firearms being smuggled into the hands of drug cartels and fueling record levels of gun violence in Mexico. A journey filled with jaw-dropping access to gunrunners, mules, cartel bosses and assassins takes an even more terrifying turn when the son of the worlds most notorious drug lord, El Chapo Guzman, is arrested and the cartel that Mariana infiltrates decides to violently revolt.

Additional episode topics include:

Scams

Mariana dives into the world of international scamming to understand how it all works and meet the outlaws at the heart of this booming industry. Her investigation takes her from the streets of Montego Bay to the glitzy neighborhoods of Tel Aviv as she pursues some of the biggest phone, lottery and financial scammers in the world and learns why Americans are the perfect targets.

Fentanyl

Fentanyl has turbocharged the deadliest drug crisis in American history. But less understood is how the drug has utterly transformed the black market. Mariana goes in search of the new bosses, new routes, new risks and the American communities paying the price for fentanyls next wave.

Tigers

Mariana tackles what one of her sources calls the untouchable smuggling story. The black market for tigers and tiger parts is so lucrative, so secretive and so dangerous that few have attempted to uncover its ugly details. Mariana journeys far, and near, to meet the smugglers face-to-face.

Steroids

In the age of social media, the demand for illegal steroids is booming. Mariana searches out producers and users in an attempt to understand the vanity, insecurity and greed thats driving this dangerously unregulated, billion-dollar black market in body-enhancing drugs.

Money Runners

Mariana journeys deep inside the Peruvian underworld to meet the gangster craftsmen who make and sell the worlds finest counterfeit U.S. dollars. Along the way, she learns that many of these counterfeiting operations are run by criminal families in Lima, who are making a fortune despite the anti-counterfeiting efforts of the U.S. Secret Service and the Peruvian National Police.

Pimps

In an eye-opening journey through her home state of California, Mariana embeds with pimps, victims, undercover cops and private investigators to understand the ugly business of illicit sex in America. How do pimps recruit? How do they think? Where do they get their power? And just how far will they go to grab their share of this billion-dollar black market?

Cocaine

Mariana retraces one of the worlds most intractable smuggling routes, following cocaines path from a remote Peruvian valley through Colombias Caribbean coast, all the way to the streets of Miami. Despite the decades-long U.S. War on Drugs, cocaine production is at an all-time high, and Mariana meets some of the makers, smugglers, drivers and teenage backpackers who risk their lives to deliver Americas favorite party drug.

Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller is produced for National Geographic by Muck Media. For National Geographic, Bengt Anderson is executive producer; Matt Renner is executive producer and vice president, original programming and production; Alan Eyres is senior vice president of production and development; and Geoff Daniels is executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment.

7.30pm Tuesday February 2 on National Geographic.

Related

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

SEATTLE, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's Auction of Washington Wines' (AWW) Private Barrel Auction is going virtual for the first time. Registration is now open to licensed members of the wine trade.

Starting Monday, April 19 at 10 a.m. and concluding at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, the Private Barrel Auction takes place online. Up for bid are 30 exclusive auction lots in five-case allotments from Washington winemakers.

"Despite a brief hiatus in 2020, the Private Barrel Auction is coming back stronger than ever in a new, virtual way," said Jamie Peha, Auction of Washington Wines' executive director. "Our relationships with members of the wine trade are key to raising awareness of Washington state wine across the country. Providing members access to one-of-a-kind wines offers the opportunity to bring something truly unique to their clientele. Funds raised will help to educate the next generation of winemakers through Washington State University Viticulture & Enology research programs."

Exclusive to the Private Barrel Auction this year are 25 cases of 2019 WSU Cuvee from Dionysus Vineyard in Columbia Valley. Celebrating the bond between growers and vintners, this one-time collaboration between J. Bookwalter, Washington State University and Sagemoor Vineyards is a Bordeaux blend - 50% Petit Verdot, 30% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. This unique wine was blended by J. Bookwalter winemaker Caleb Foster, Washington State University Viticulture & Enology director and professor of enology Dr. Thomas Henick-Kling and his senior wine class. This lot will be auctioned off individually by the case.

Beginning March 2, representatives from participating wineries will provide highlights of their wines up for bid in a 10-session Virtual Winemaker Series, which is open to the public. Each session is hosted by global wine reviewer, Dr. Owen Bargreen, founder and executive editor at OwenBargreen.com. The series is sponsored by Northwest Farm Credit Services and the Washington Wine Commission.

Notable auction lots include:

Leonetti Cellar 2018 Malbec, Loess Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley  Typically incorporated in blends, this is the first time Leonetti Cellar has offered Malbec as a single-varietal wine.



Typically incorporated in blends, this is the first time has offered Malbec as a single-varietal wine. Two Vintners 2019 Grenache, Weather Eye Vineyard, Red Mountain- 2019 marks Two Vintners' second cultivated vintage and the first red wine bottling from Weather Eye Vineyard.



Two Vintners' second cultivated vintage and the first red wine bottling from Weather Eye Vineyard. DeLille Cellars 2018 Marguerite Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley - Using Sauvignon Blanc grapes sourced from Sagemoor Bacchus Block 5, one of the oldest plantings of the variety in the state, DeLille selected a single large-format "Cigare" shaped barrel to age this wine 18 months, whereas their famed Chaleur Blanc is aged just six months.

Varietals offered in the 2021 Private Barrel Auction will include Bordeaux Blends, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, an Italian blend, Malbec, Merlot, Mourvedre, Rhone blends, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling Wines, and Syrah.

In its five-year tenure, the Private Barrel Auction has raised over $800,000 for important research conducted at Washington State University's Wine Science Center. In 2019, all one-of-a-kind Private Barrel Auction wine lots were sold to national and local licensed members of the wine trade for a record-setting $301,900.

Sponsors of this year's Private Barrel Auction are Northwest Farm Credit Services, Washington Wine Commission, Tonnellerie Quintessence, TW Boswell, G3 Enterprises, DIAM, Trysk Print Solutions, everyvine, Pollen Systems, Doubleknot Creative and Bloom.

A full list of wineries participating in the 2021 Private Barrel Auction can be found on the Auction of Washington Wines' website.

About the Auction of Washington Wines (AWW)

Since its inception in 1988, AWW has raised more than $52 million to benefit Washington State University Viticulture & Enology Research and Seattle Children's. AWW is listed in the top five wine charity auctions in the U.S. by Wine Spectator. AWW's mission is to support the growth and awareness of the Washington state wine industry through a series of celebrated events benefiting the community. For more information, visit www.AuctionofWaWines.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

May Wildman and Erin Dubots, Fearey

[email protected]

206.343.1543

SOURCE Auction of Washington Wines

Related Links

https://www.Auctionofwawines.org


A huge 'unrestrained' pit bull has horrifically mauled a smaller dog to death in front of terrified shoppers.

The awful incident occurred outside Bunnings Warehouse in Stafford, Brisbane, on Sunday.

Before the attack, witnesses said employees told the owner of a large, brown pit bull to put him on a leash before entering the store.

Within moments, the pit bull had lunged at a smaller dog and grabbed him by the neck, leaving shoppers and employees shocked.

The awful incident occurred outside Bunnings Warehouse in Stafford, Brisbane on Sunday (pictured)

'The owner of the pit bull was punching his dog in the mouth telling it to let go continuously but this dog was not restrained at all. No muzzle, no lead on it,' witness Peter Male told news.com.au.

'I didn't see how they got them separated or what either dog looked like after but I did see a lot of blood they were washing away on my way out.'

The tiny victim was rushed to a nearby vet and unfortunately succumbed to his injuries.

The owner of the pit bull however sped away from the scene. But witnesses were able to record the plate number before he did.

Patrick Blair, Bunnings Area Manager, described the incident as 'unfortunate' and commended staff for their actions.

He also said they have been in touch with the small dog's owner 'to offer support'.

Brisbane City Council was also made aware of the 'terrible incident' and have launched an investigation.
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker, outside the U.S. Capitol, in Wash., on Sept. 22, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

American Airlines CEO Tells Employees to Brace for Furlough Warnings

American Airlines workers should brace for another round of furlough warnings in the near term as the airline expects to remain overstaffed on April 1, when U.S. aid for industry workers expires, Chief Executive Doug Parker said.

American is among U.S. airlines that received a $15 billion payroll support package in December to protect workers jobs and salaries through March, when the industry had hoped that pandemic-hit demand would have recovered with vaccine rollouts.

What hasnt happen is what wed hoped would happen, that wed get to April 1 and say oh my God  everybody we have were going to need them in the July schedule, Parker said during a Jan. 28 employee town hall meeting, according to a recording reviewed by Reuters.

An American spokesman confirmed the veracity of the recording.

U.S. aviation unions are urging Congress to extend a third round of payroll assistance, something Parker said he would support and also fight for.

Thats a much better solution than having people furloughed again when we know that this (COVID-19) is months away from being eradicated, he said during the town hall.

Read More Editorial: Giving the Right Name to the Virus Causing a Worldwide Pandemic

American furloughed 19,000 workers when a first round of government payroll support expired on Oct. 1 but recalled them in December. Parker said he hoped fewer workers would be impacted this time round.

Last week, United Airlines said it had sent furlough warnings to some 14,000 employees.

By Tracy Rucinski
It was already conveyed that the Union Budget 2021 was going to have many firsts given the pandemic. The government had announced it would be a paperless budget and Nirmala Sitharaman was seen carrying a 'Made in India' iPad instead of her iconic Bahi khata, trying to adhere to a new normal, given restrictions due to Covid-19.

The iPad made its debut in the 2021 budget, replacing its predecessors  the Bahi khata and the historic budget briefcase. She was seen holding it up to the media on Monday morning. It was inside a red case bearing the Government of India emblem. Reports suggest it is made in India iPad, promoting the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

Also read: Union Budget 2021 Live Updates

It is tradition for the finance minister of the country to carry a budget briefcase that has the precious papers deciding the future of the Indian economy. While the briefcase was more western, taking from our colonial past, Sitharaman had replaced it with a Bahi khata.

But thanks to Covid-19, this tablet has found place in history.

In 2019, Finance Minister Sitharaman ditched the colonial legacy of a Budget Briefcase for a Bahi-Khata to carry Union Budget Papers. The tradition of carrying the Budget briefcase was handed over to us by the British. India's Budget briefcase was a copy of the 'Gladstone box' that is used in the British budget. The word 'Budget' originated from the french word Bougette, which means leather briefcase. The Bahi Khata, meanwhile, made a return for the Budget 2020 as well.
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
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As an organization dedicated to defending civil rights, the Women's Liberation Front (WoLF) commends The University of Wisconsin Law School (UW Law) in its decision to uphold the First Amendment by refusing to discriminate against organizations with diverse viewpoints.

WoLF chose to participate in the school's Public Interest Interview Program because of UW Law's long tradition of public service and the "Law-in-Action" approach to legal education, which teaches future attorneys how to navigate the real-world complexities of the law. This tradition aligns with WoLF's mission to advance and restore the rights of women and girls, combat the global epidemic of male violence, and resist the harms of an expanding sex industry.

In response to a statement by the student organization QLaw, the UW Law statement of support reflects our shared value of defending civil liberties, even when disagreements arise. While publicly funded institutions are legally required to uphold the First Amendment, UW Law's statement demonstrates courage in the face of a toxic intolerance pervasive within University and college campuses.

WoLF's defense of hard-fought single-sex spaces, sports, and services serves the public interest of the women and girls of Wisconsin. As 2020 national polling showed, the majority of Americans in states as different as Idaho and California agree that single-sex spaces for women and girls should be protected. Just last month, a Wisconsin court ordered the Department of Corrections to transfer a man convicted of repeatedly raping his ten-year-old daughter to the women's prison, since he now identifies as a woman. The vulnerable women in state custody, who are disproportionately women of color, will soon be housed in close confinement with a dangerous sex offender.

While organizations like QLaw may find this acceptable, WoLF stands with UW Law in the recognition that public interest organizations have the freedom to speak out against such policies and must not be discriminated against for doing so.

UW Law's commitment to protecting civil liberties affirms why WoLF chose to partner through its Public Interest Interview Program. We look forward to interviewing a diverse range of qualified candidates as well as working with UW Law to build up the next generation of lawyers with a steadfast dedication to freedom for allincluding women.

Natasha Chart

WoLF Executive Director

Learn more about WoLF's work:

https://www.womensliberationfront.org/our-work

For media inquiries please contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Women's Liberation Front

Related Links

https://www.womensliberationfront.org


A Swedish nurse has won a competition to spend a week on an isolated island, watching the entire movie programme of Scandinavia's largest film festival.

Lisa Enroth, 41, was chosen from 12,000 film fans to enjoy the Goteborg Film Festival's temporary cinema-for-one on the island of Hamneskar at Pater Noster - a former lighthouse turned boutique hotel, off the coast of Sweden.

Enroth, an emergency ward worker with a passion for film, said the isolation would give her 'time to reflect and be alone' after a busy year dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.

This year's festival, which runs from January 29 to February 8, has taken coronavirus as its inspiration, exploring the social isolation brought about by the pandemic.

Swedish nurse Lisa Enroth (pictured) has won a competition to spend a week on an isolated island, watching the entire movie programme of Scandinavia's largest film festival

Enroth (centre), an emergency ward worker with a passion for film, said the isolation would give her 'time to reflect and be alone' after a busy year dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic

The Isolated Cinema is only accessible by a small boat and is located at the very edge of an archipelago in one of western Sweden's most barren and windswept locations.

Enroth, who left for the island on Saturday, will have the option to watch the 70 films online in her accommodation or from the top of the island's lighthouse where organisers have set up a small screen surrounded by a dramatic view.

Jonas Holmberg, the artistic director of the 44th Goteborg Film Festival, hopes the extreme viewing experience will prompt reflection on how the pandemic has affected people's relationship with cinema.

'During this pandemic, so many people have turned to cinema when in isolation,' he said.

'But the pandemic has also changed how we experience films.'

Some 12,000 film fans applied to enjoy the Goteborg Film Festival's temporary cinema-for-one on the island of Hamneskar at Pater Noster - a former lighthouse turned boutique hotel, off the coast of Sweden

The winner Enroth will have the option to watch the films from her accommodation or at a specially-designed cinema at the top of the island's lighthouse

This year's festival, which runs from January 29 to February 8, has taken coronavirus as its inspiration, exploring the social isolation brought about by the pandemic

As with many events in the last year, the film festival has moved online as coronavirus restrictions ban public gatherings, but organisers have set up a real-time streaming platform accessible to people living in Sweden in a bid to replicate the collective viewing experience of a cinema.

The Draken cinema - the festival's traditional home - is making only one ticket available for each screening, though filmmakers, actors and producers may also appear to discuss their work.

The festival's opening gala saw the Swedish premiere of Tove, a 2020 biographical film about Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomins series.

The movie's director and lead actress walked the red carpet while those watching at home posted photos of themselves dressed up for the premiere and drinking champagne.

'We want to encourage that and make it as much as a social experience as possible,' artistic director Holmberg said.
Today, the team behind venture-backed 2ULaundry has launched LaundroLab, a modern laundromat franchise concept that provides a safe, welcoming, and convenient experience for customers while creating a new and exciting business opportunity for entrepreneurs across the country.

The $5B and growing laundromat industry currently has no market leader. With its innovative model and technology-first mentality, LaundroLab aims to become the first nationally-recognized laundromat brand, providing a 5-star experience to customers and franchisees.

Alex Smereczniak and Dan DAquisto founded on-demand laundry service 2ULaundry in 2016 to cater to busy professionals and families that needed a better solution. The Charlotte, NC-based startup has raised $10M in venture capital from top investors such as Cox Enterprises, Florida Funders, Techstars Ventures, and Engage. In just two years, 2ULaundry expanded beyond Charlotte across the Southeast, serving thousands of customers and employing hundreds of clothing care professionals.

By 2018, 2ULaundry needed a new kind of facility to manage the thousands of pounds of laundry they were managing daily in Charlotte. They worked with appliance giant Electrolux to create The Laundry Room, a first-of-its-kind laundromat that brought the same level of innovation to laundromats that 2ULaundry did to its on-demand delivery business.

Today, the LaundroLab model opens up to business owners across the Southeast. Aspiring entrepreneurs can now apply to become a LaundroLab owner, buying into a recession-resistant, semi-absentee stream of income that positively impacts the community.

The Laundry Room was initially intended to support the growth of 2ULuandry, but it also allowed us to test a completely new concept in the traditional laundromat market, said CEO Smereczniak. The Laundry Room is more than a place to clean clothes. Its a welcoming, safe, and satisfying experience that creates a loyal and recurring customer base. We look forward to bringing our innovative service model, eco-friendly machines, and industry-leading technology to markets across the country.

LaundroLab franchisees will receive a business playbook, technology assets, education and support from a team with a long track record, and a well-regarded brand to build their business.

Our corporate store in Charlotte grew about 10% year over year through the COVID-19 pandemic, further proving that this is one of the most economically-stable industries for business owners, said Co-Founder DAquisto. Were excited to open up the opportunity to take part in our growth by providing franchisees with a playbook and bespoke model to become a successful laundropreneur.

To learn more about LaundroLab's offering, visit laundrolabfranchise.com.

About 2ULaundry

Founded in 2016, Charlotte, NC based 2ULaundry is the new way to do laundry and dry cleaning. Now with just a simple click, you can have your laundry and dry cleaning picked up from your front door, cleaned to your preferences, and brought back the very next day. With investors including Cox Enterprises, Engage Ventures, Florida Funders, Full Tilt Capital, Reform Ventures, Service Provider Capital, and Techstars Ventures, 2ULaundry has served thousands of customers across Charlotte, Atlanta, and Raleigh and has won many awards including best startup and best place to work in their markets. 2ULaundry is on a mission to become the first nationally recognized brand in laundry and dry cleaning by providing a consistent 5-star experience to their customers and employees.

About LaundroLab

Founded in 2018 and franchising since 2020, Charlotte, NC-based LaundroLab is changing the laundromat experience for customers and owners. LaundroLab is a 5-star, amenity-filled, technology-first business serving thousands of families and professionals. LaundroLab is on a mission to establish the nation's best, most reliable laundromat brand through a 5-star customer and franchisee experience.
Growing up in Appalachia, I learned the best way to extinguish a fire is to starve it of oxygen. Marjorie Taylor Greene is certainly a fire  and no, not one caused by a Jewish space laser. The QAnon-believing, mass shooting-denying, schoolboy-harassing Congresswoman from Georgia is fanning the flames of conspiracy theories and far-right movements which threaten the very heart of our democracy. Not wanting to give her any more attention than she deserves, this will  God willing  be the only thing I ever write about Marjorie Taylor Greene.

It is important that I write it, though. I see so many of my fellow Democrats making the mistake of singling her out, doubling down on their calls for her expulsion from Congress and demanding the Republican Party break with her. To be clear, I support both these actions. Taylor Greene has no place serving on a PTA, let alone in the House of Representatives.

But lets get real: she isnt going anywhere. Kevin McCarthy, the leader of the House Republicans, has all the backbone of a crawdad: tough on the outside, but soft as sin when you break the shell. His recent trip to pay homage to Donald Trump should be enough to eliminate any serious expectation that hell reprimand the woman Trump called a future Republican star.

You will never find enough Congressional Republicans to reach the two-thirds threshold needed to send her packing. The only way to get rid of Marjorie Taylor Greene is the same way she got into the Capitol in the first place: via the ballot box. To do that, we need to be fighting Taylor Greene not in DC, but in Dalton.

Georgias 14th Congressional District, which Taylor Greene represents, borders my own district here in Tennessee and isnt much different. Sparsely populated relative to metro-Atlanta, the white Appalachians who primarily make up the district are conservative, evangelical, and feel like both parties have ignored them for too long. But while all of this might make the district easier for someone like Taylor Greene to win, it doesnt make it a foregone conclusion.

Trumps anointed candidate, Taylor Greene faced a comparatively poorly funded primary challenge which state GOP operatives blame McCarthy for stymying. Her Democratic opponent in the general was forced to drop out following a divorce which necessitated his move out of state, meaning she ran unopposed in the general election. Her victory is as much an accident of circumstance as it is a five-alarm fire of insanity.

That isnt to imply she has no support. The people of the 14th district made that clear in a recent Politico report. People are mad because they feel Congress and the media are trying to silence their voice, said Gordon County GOP Chair Kathleen Thorman, while Murray County GOP Chair Tony Abernathy complained that her constituents are tired of national media coming into Georgia trying to tell us how to think in her district.

There is some truth to that. The people of Northwest Georgia  like people throughout Appalachia  are deeply distrustful of outsiders. Who can blame us, when outsiders have exploited our labor, blown up our mountains, polluted our waters and left us all the worse for it? Democrats have long ignored the region and Republicans have long taken it for granted. So, the people of the Georgia 14th  faced with no real alternative  elected the Souths answer to the Mad Queen Cersei Lannister. And she brought her wildfire to Washington.

But Taylor Greenes re-election is far from certain. She isnt even from Northwest Georgia. She moved there specifically to run for the seat vacated by retiring GOP Congressman Tom Graves. Finding a local candidate with roots in the region to challenge her, either in the primary or in the general, could lead to her downfall. The Georgia Republican Party is in full-on civil war following its historic losses in the presidential and Senate races, but the Democratic Party  backed by an excellent ground game built and orchestrated by Stacey Abrams  is in a better position than it has been in decades.

Focusing our efforts on expelling Marjorie Taylor Greene isnt only going to backfire. She raised $1.6 million off the efforts just last week, and the people of her district arent taking kindly to being told their choice isnt good enough. If we want to extinguish this fire before it consumes us, we need to turn on the hose right now. But we need to fight this fire at its source, which means dousing the flames down in Georgia  not in DC.
/

A Border Patrol agent assigned to the Laredo Sector was arrested last week in Edinburg, Texas for allegedly pulling out a handgun at a coffee shop several times, possessing Xanax and driving while intoxicated.

According to an affidavit obtained by the McAllen Monitor, Edinburg Police were dispatched to a coffee shop around 8 a.m. Tuesday in response to man in his car allegedly displaying a gun.
Police in New York City are searching for a half-dozen robbers who were caught on video beating and pepper-spraying a customer at a Dunkin' Donuts coffee shop in Manhattan last week.

The 26-year-old victim was placing his order at the counter in the Fulton Center subway station located on Fulton Street and Broadway at around 11.20pm on Friday when he was accosted by four young men and two women.

Surveillance video inside the franchise shows one of the suspects punching the unsuspecting victim from behind, with his five accomplices quickly joining in on the beatdown.

A 26-year-old man was placing an order at the Dunkin' Donuts location at the Fulton Center in Manhattan at 11.20pm on Friday when he was attacked (screen grabs from surveillance video)

Video from inside the franchise shows one of the half-dozen robbers grabbing the victim

The man was punched and pepper-sprayed, but refused medical attention

The suspects - four men and two women - got away with the victim's wallet and backpack

Police say these two women took part in the Dunkin' Donuts mugging on Friday

Police are hunting for the six suspects pictured above in connection to the robbery

The man is seen trying to get away from his attackers, who pursue him out the door while pummeling him, reported 1010WINS.

According to the NYPD, the six assailants got away with the victim's wallet and backpack. They were last seen on video calmly walking in pairs inside the busy subway station.

Despite the beating, the victim refused medical attention.

The Dunkin' Donuts attack came a week after a man was stripped naked and savagely beaten the moment he got off a bus from Atlanta near Canal Street in Manhattan.

Police sources later revealed that the 26-year-old victim, who was slashed in the torso and pummeled by a dozen suspects, was a gang member with an extensive criminal history.

On January 22, a man was stripped naked and beaten the moment he got off a bus from Atlanta near Canal Street in Manhattan

A dozen people were said to take part in the attack, which left the victim - a suspect gan member - with a laceration on his torso

On January 20, a worker at a Van Leeuwen Ice Cream shop, located in Manhattan's Kips Bay section, was smashed in the head with a rock by a robber

The employee of this Van Leeuwen location suffered a concussion and a cut on her head

Just two days prior, a worker at a Van Leeuwen Ice Cream shop, located in Manhattan's Kips Bay section, was smashed in the head with a rock by a robber.

Video from that incident shows the masked attacker strike the female employee in the head, then run behind the counter and enter a storage room, before making a hasty exit.

The victim, 23, sustained a concussion and a laceration to the head.

On January 18, a 31-year-old woman was exiting a liquor store in the Harlem neighborhood when she was surrounded by a group of men who beat her, spat on her and bit her on the face, before getting away with her $750 phone.

The victim likened the violent robbery to being attack by a pack of wild animals.

On January 18, a 31-year-old woman was exiting a liquor store in the Harlem neighborhood when she was surrounded by a group of men who beat her, spat on her and bit her on the face

The victim (pictured in white) likened the robbery to being attacked by a pack of animals

'I just remember screaming to the top of my lungs, I just kept saying, "He's biting me! He's biting me!"' she told NBC News. 'He bit through my eyebrow and then he continued to just, he kept opening his mouth to try to like re-grasp.'

New York City experienced a massive crime wave in 2020, most notably a dramatic surge in shootings and murders.

According to the most recent available data, through January 24, there have been 726 reported robberies and 1,193 felony assaults in New York City so far this year.

That is down 27.4 per cent and 4.8 per cent, respectively, from 2020, when there were already exactly 1,000 robberies and 1,253 felony assaults at this time.
Announcing the 2021 Professorships

January 28, 2021

The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has announced the most recent faculty members to receive a professorship. As the highest academic award a university can bestow on a faculty member, professorships are reserved for those who show continued contributions in their field.

Professorships are established to support a particular faculty member or a field of research, both of which are critical to maintaining world-class quality education and research. Contributions are used to help faculty members pursue a specific field of study, provide funding for graduate student involvement, purchase equipment, or travel to share their research.

Shawn Blanton

Joseph F. and Nancy Keithley Professorship



Joseph Keithley earned a B.S. (1937) and an M.S. (1938) in Electrical Engineering from MIT. In 1946 he founded Keithley Instruments, which has become a world leader in the design and manufacturer of high-precision equipment for the electronics and medical industries. A believer in investing in the future of technology by fostering relationships between academia and industry, Keithley was a longtime friend of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Blantons current research focuses on various aspects of integrated system test, testable design, and test methodology development. He has consulted for various companies and is the founder of TestWorks, a Carnegie Mellon University spinout focused on information extraction from IC test data.

Maysam Chamanzar

Dr. William D. and Nancy W. Strecker Career Development Professorship



William Strecker and his wife, Nancy generously endowed Carnegie Mellon University with the Dr. William D. and Nancy W. Strecker Early Career Professorship. Through the professorship, they hope to further the universitys excellence by supporting the most exceptional professors early in their careers.



Chamanzars active areas of research are at the interface of Photonics, BioMEMs, and Neuroscience. Using basic principles of physics and advanced engineering techniques, Chamanzar is designing and implementing novel devices and methods to address outstanding needs in biology and medicine.

Franz Franchetti

Kavcic -Moura Professorship



The Kavcic -Moura Professorship honors inventors Jose M. F. Moura and Aleksandar Kavcic, whose scientific research and technological innovations have had a transformative impact on the computing industry for more than a decade and a half.



Franchetti's research focuses on automatic performance tuning and program generation for emerging parallel platforms and algorithm/hardware co-synthesis. He targets multicore CPUs, clusters and high-performance systems (HPC), graphics processors (GPUs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), FPGA-acceleration for CPUs, and logic-in-memory and 3DIC chip design. Within the Spiral effort, his research goal is to enable automatic generation of highly optimized software libraries for important kernel functionality.





Pulkit Grover

Angel Jordan Career Development Professorship



The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering created the Angel Jordan Early Career Professorship to honor and celebrate the undeniable impact that Angel Jordan (former electrical and computer engineering professor, College of Engineering Dean, and University Provost) has had on Carnegie Mellon University and the College of Engineering. Throughout his career, Angel Jordan helped transform Carnegie Mellon University into a world-class educational and research institution.



Grovers main contributions to science are towards developing and experimentally validating a new theory of information (fundamental limits, practical designs) for efficient and reliable communication, computing, sensing, and control by incorporating novel circuit-energy models and developing new mathematical tools for information flow analyses.

Gianluca Piazza

STMicroelectronics Professorship



The STMicroelectronics Professorship was made possible by a gift from STMicroelectronics, Geneva, Switzerland, one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world.



Piazzas research focuses on piezoelectric micro and nano electromechanicalsystems (M/NEMS) for RF wireless communication, optomechanics, chemical/biological detection, and mechanical computing. He also has a general interest in the areas of micro/nano fabrication techniques and integration of micro/nano devices with state-of-the-art electronics. With more than 10 years of experience working with piezoelectric materials and devices, he holds several patents in the field of micromechanical resonators some of which have been acquired by industry.

Vyas Sekar

Tan Family Professorship



The Tan Family Professorship was made possible by the generous donation from Lip-Bu Tan and his wife, Ysa Loo. Tan has been the CEO of Cadence since 2009 and joined the companys board of directors in 2004. Tan and Loo previously endowed a graduate student fellowship in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The couples two sons, Andrew and Elliott, both received their masters degrees from the College of Engineering.



Sekars research is at the intersection of networking, security, and systems. His current research focuses on systems for accelerating the deployment of innovative network middleboxes, and designing content distribution mechanisms to improve user experience.

Carlee Joe-Wong

Robert E. Doherty Career Development Professorship



The Robert E. Doherty Career Development Professorship was established by the College of Engineering as a result of a patent settlement with Marvell Technology Group Ltd. and Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. This professorship is named in honor of Robert Doherty, an electrical engineer and the third president of the university, serving from 1936 to 1950. Appointments to the Robert E. Doherty Career Development Professorship are made for a set period of three years.



Joe-Wongs research focuses on the mathematical aspects of computer and information networks/systems, with an emphasis on economic and incentive considerations. Broadly interested in the optimization of networked systems, Wongs research tends to focus on the role of incentives and user behavior in this optimization--the performance of a network is largely driven by the collective behavior of its users, yet user behavior can also be influenced by a network operator's actions.









[February 01, 2021] OneSpin's Osmosis User Conference Delivers Deep Verification Insights from Industry Experts

OneSpin Solutions, provider of certified IC integrity verification solutions for building functionally correct, safe, secure, and trusted integrated circuits, today announced the success of the company's second annual users conference, Osmosis. Osmosis 2020 was held virtually on December 1-2, with over 60 customers across dozens of companies in attendance. Osmosis, which stands for OneSpin Meeting on Solutions, Innovation, & Strategy, transfers actionable insights and knowledge between OneSpin users and OneSpin experts to enable the best verification practices for assuring IC integrity. The complexity of today's designs makes it vitally important for verification engineers to address IC integrity or risk design errors and vulnerabilities. At this second Osmosis event, customers received valuable knowledge from other users and OneSpin experts on a range of verification topics. Attendees learned best practices to tackle critical verification issues related to functional correctness, safety, trust, and security. Featured presentations from leading companies and institutions included: Cedric Walravens, Digital Team Lead, ICsense, presented a case study titled Beyond Lint.

Keerthikumara Devarajegowda, Ph.D Candidate, Infineon Technologies (News - Alert) , presented a case study on Formal Verification of Safety Mechanisms.

Ratish Punnoose, Distinguished Member of Technical Staff, Sandia National Laboratories, presented a case study on Ensuring Completeness of Formal Verification with GapFree: To End or Not to End (Property Writing) .

. Wolfgang Kunz, Professor, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Technische Universitat Kaiserslautern, presented a case study on Hardware Security Verification Using Unique Program Execution Checking .

. David Landoll, Solutions Architect, OneSpin and Co-Author Kanthi Palaniappan, Specialist, SoC Verification, Mobile Broadband, Networks, Nokia (News - Alert) , presented a case study on Large Counter Verification Using Semi-Formal Techniques. Highlighting the second and final day of the event was a keynote address from Claudionor Jose Nunes Coelho, VP/Fellow of AI, Head of AI Labs, Palo Alto (News - Alert) Networks. Coelho offerd insight on Application Specific ML: Building and Executing ML Models at Ultra-High Speeds with Applications in Debugging of SoCs.



All presentations from the second annual Osmosis event are now available for viewing at https://onespin.com/resources/videos/osmosis-2020. Osmosis is expanding and virtual events are being planned around the globe in 2021. Visit the Osmosis website soon for a list of upcoming events. Case Study Library Now Available

Over the years, OneSpin has been partnering with leaders worldwide in automotive, industrial, defense, avionics, artificial intelligence, consumer electronics, and communications. In partnering with these companies, OneSpin has complied a library of case studies highlighting how these companies are using OneSpin's advanced verification solutions and the results that were achieved. The OneSpin case study library includes user experiences on multiple verification topics such as: Coverage closure

Property checking

Operational assertions

Gap-free verification

Dead code checking

FPGA equivalence checking

SystemC verification Visitors can register for access to all the OneSpin customer case studies at https://onespin.com/customer-stories. The Osmosis event presentations and case study library provide engineers insight into the knowledge necessary to tackle their complex verification challenges. OneSpin's mission is to assure the integrity of what the IC community is designing by providing verification solutions of the highest standard. About OneSpin Solutions OneSpin Solutions is a leading provider of certified IC integrity verification solutions for building functionally correct, safe, secure and trusted integrated circuits. These solutions are based on OneSpin's widely used formal verification technology and assure the integrity of SoCs, ASICs and FPGAs. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, OneSpin partners with leaders worldwide in automotive and industrial applications; defense; avionics; artificial intelligence and machine learning; consumer electronics; and communications. Its advanced solutions are well-suited for developing heterogeneous computing platforms, using programmable logic, and designing and integrating processor cores, such as RISC-V. OneSpin's customer-oriented commitment is fundamental to its growth and success. OneSpin: Assuring IC Integrity. Visit www.OneSpin.com to learn more. OneSpin, OneSpin Solutions and the OneSpin logo are trademarks of OneSpin Solutions GmbH.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Connect with OneSpin: Twitter (News - Alert) : @OneSpinSolution

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/onespin-solutions

Facebook (News - Alert) : https://www.facebook.com/OneSpinSolutions

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005099/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Luxury/premium car owners, however, are a lot more likely to find their rides missing various appendages from time to time, and trust us when we tell you that seeing your car stripped can be a gut-wrenching feeling. Is it better than having it stolen altogether? Of course, although statistically speaking, youre way more likely to lose just parts of your car, as opposed to the whole thing, due to thieves.We found out about this particular incident through GTBoard , with images from a Porsche Center in Stockholm, Sweden showing a late-model Porsche Panamera stripped of all four wheels . Initially, the car was left to rest on its rotors (see gallery), before it was propped up on wooden pallets as a temporary measure.This was clearly a professional job . The culprits were probably in and out before anybody was the wiser, which is saying something considering the location of the vehicle  looks like a private lot, and there appears to be a fence around it.Now, if we were to play the guessing game, wed say that the car was probably fitted with an expensive set of optional wheels. Thieves rarely go through the trouble of boosting some standard set, even though standard Panamera wheels can still fetch a pretty penny. You can spec a Panamera with one of 20+ wheel models/colors, some of which cost as much as $5,500 in the United States (Sport Design and Exclusive Design wheels).As for the specification of the car, it looks like it might be a Turbo, judging by the fact that it has the extendable (and expandable) rear spoiler and doesnt have the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) on (standard on a Turbo S). It also appears to be wearing the carmakers Matrix Design headlights.


The study of economics has lost its way because economists have laboured for decades to make their social science more mathematical and thus more like a physical science. Theyve failed to see that what they should have been doing is deepening their understanding of how the behaviour of economic agents (aka humans) is driven by them being social animals.

In short, to be of more use to humanity, economics should have become more of a social science, not less.

British economics professor Mervyn King. Credit:Ian Tuttle

This is the conclusion I draw from the sweeping criticism of modern economics made by two leading British economics professors, John Kay and Mervyn King, in their book, Radical Uncertainty: Decision-making for an unknowable future.

But dont hold your breath waiting for economists to see the error of their ways. There are two kinds of economists: academic economists and practising economists, who work for banks, businesses and particularly governments or, these days, are self-employed as economic consultants.

The Union law ministry has also been allocated Rs 100 crore to meet the Election Commission's 'carry forward liability' for expenditure on the 2019 Lok Sabha election

New Delhi: The Union Law Ministry has been allocated Rs 1,005 crore in the Union Budget to provide funds to the Election Commission for procurement of ballot units, control units and voter verifiable paper audit trial units (VVPATS), and ancillary expenditure on EVMs and destruction of obsolete voting machines.

One control unit, at least on ballot union and one VVPAT or paper trail machines constitute one EVM.

Obsolete EVMs are destroyed under the supervision of an expert unit following a set protocol. A voting machine has an average life of 15 years.

The Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) are the two public sector undertakings which manufacture the EVM.

The ministry has also been allocated Rs 100 crore for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The provision is for meeting "carry forward liability" in respect of charges for conduct of general Lok Sabha elections, the budget document said.

Another Rs 7.20 crore has been allocated for elector photo identity cards.

The provision is for reimbursement of central government's share to state and union territory governments on issuance of voter identity cards.

Under the "other election expenses" head, the ministry has been allocated Rs 57.10 crore. The provision is for reimbursement of central government's share on normal election expenditure to the state and Union Territory governments and the cost of preparation and printing of electoral rolls, the document said.

Separately, the Election Commission has been allocated Rs 249.16 crore.

The provision is mainly for the establishment related expenditure of the poll panel and for the expenditure to be incurred on the purchase of land and pre-construction activities for additional building for the Election Commission.

The additional building is to come up in Dwarka.

Ho Chi Minh City authorities on Monday ordered schools to close down from Tuesday to prevent COVID-19 transmission when Vietnam is battling a new wave of local infections.

Students from kindergarten to high school levels, including those enrolled at vocational and continuing education facilities, in the city will stay home and switch to virtual learning until the end of Friday, the municipal Peoples Committee said in an urgent dispatch on Monday afternoon.

They will start the Lunar New Year holiday on Saturday and return to school on February 17, according to a previously announced schedule.

Ho Chi Minh City has over 1.7 million students studying at K-12 levels and vocational and continuing education facilities, along with 100,000 teachers and other staff.

Many provinces and cities have also allowed school students to begin their Lunar New Year holiday early for fear of COVID-19 spread.

Vietnam has confirmed 240 local cases, including infections among students, since it announced a new outbreak on January 28.

One hundred and eighty-eight patients were documented in Hai Duong, 25 in Quang Ninh, 15 in Hanoi, four in Gia Lai, three in Bac Ninh, two in Hoa Binh, and one each in Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Hai Phong.

The country had gone almost two months without any community transmission before the discovery of the new wave.

The majority of the domestically-transmitted cases were traced back to Hai Duong and Quang Ninh.

Health officials have conducted aggressive contact tracing as well as targeted testing and lockdowns since the new wave blindsided the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, who is chief of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, said last week that Vietnam will suppress this outbreak within this week given such stringent measures.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,819 coronavirus cases, including 933 domestic infections, as of Monday morning, with 1,457 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

It recorded 84 local transmissions on Thursday, 62 on Friday, 61 on Saturday, and 31 on Sunday.

The health ministry will give an update on case counts at 6:00 pm on Monday.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
To read this article and more, including our archive of drinks industry news, analysis & comment pieces from the last 20 years, try just-drinks for 30 days for just 1*

First Name Last Name Job Title Email Take a trial *plus VAT if applicable Already a member? Log in here
What does the more contagious strain of coronavirus in Washington state mean, and what can be done?
Prince Harry has urged the travel industry to 'reset and reimagine' its future after the crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on creating a more sustainable model which does less damage to the environment and local communities.

The Duke of Sussex, 36, told how the 'acute hardship' of communities in tourist destinations had shown the importance of travel, but had also highlighted the need to reduce its detrimental impact.

Speaking in a foreword to the annual report of Travalyst, an initiative he launched in 2019 with the objective of making the travel industry more sustainable, Prince Harry penned: 'We know that to not travel again is not an option.'

'Right before us, there is an opportunity to do things differently, to do things better. Travel and tourism are no exception. As the industry re-emerges from crisis, there is an urgent need to reset and reimagine.'

Prince Harry has urged the travel industry to 'reset and reimagine' its future after the crisis caused by COVID-19 pandemic. Pictured, with Meghan Markle hosting a special Time100 talk on October 20, 2020

Travalyst is an initiative Prince Harry launched in 2019 with the objective of making the travel industry more sustainable. Pictured, September 2019 in Amsterdam

Harry, like his father Prince Charles, is a vocal champion of environmental causes, said it had been clear before the pandemic the industry had not done enough to tackle issues such as climate change and pollution.

He added: 'This global health crisis continues to hold many in its grip, forcing communities and nations into one of the most difficult times in modern history.

Those working in and relying on travel and tourism have experienced acute hardship. If anyone needed reminding, this has shown us just how vital the industry is to families and communities around the world.'

The Duke of Sussex has previously come under fire himself for advocating more environmentally-aware travel while using private jets.

But he says he only rarely does not use commercial aircraft, and took action to offset the carbon dioxide emissions caused by his trips.

Travalyst, an independent non-profit body which is backed by some major tourism industry companies including Booking.com, TripAdvisor, and Visa, said the industry needed universal transparency on its sustainability efforts, and to champion the success of local communities, destinations and operators.

Prince Harry spoke in Amsterdam in September during the launch of the travel industry partnership in September 2019

The Duke of Sussex (left) spoke to a panel were Booking.com chairwoman Gillian Tans, SkyScanner chief Bryan Dove, Ctrip boss Jane Sun, TripAdvisor hotels president Kanika Soni and Suzan Kereere, Visa's chief of merchant sales and acquiring

In August 2019, Harry and his wife Meghan were criticised after taking four private jet journeys in 11 days to and from Nice and Ibiza, rather than opting for commercial flights - despite speaking out on environmental issues.

Speaking from the launch of his sustainable travel initiative in September 2019, the royal insisted he flew by private jet four times in 11 days to keep his family safe.

The Duke flew to Amsterdam by a commercial flight to launch the project and told an audience at A'dam Tower: 'We could all do better.'

But claims that he flies by private jet occasionally to protect his family were met with disdain by many Twitter users.

One said: 'Prince Harry: When I fly by private jet, it's to keep my family safe. Well lend me your jet so I can keep MY family safe, what a dumb comment by Harry.'

Another added: 'Prince Harry saying that he only flies private jet to 'protect his family' is RUBBISH. Prince William who will actually be KING one day doesn't even do that! It's just an excuse to travel in luxury! #Hypocrites.'
Disinvestment of will be completed in 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her budget speech on Monday and allocated as Rs 2,268 crore for a special purpose vehicle set up as part of financial restructuring of the debt-laden national carrier.

is currently under disinvestment process. Multiple entities submitted their expression of interests (EOIs) for the carrier last month. The government is likely to reveal the names of qualified bidders in the coming weeks.

Asset Holding Ltd, a special purpose vehicle (SPV), has been set up as part of financial restructuring of the debt-laden national carrier. According to documents presented in the Budget for 2021-22, Rs 2,268 crore has been allocated for the SPV for the next financial year.

Sitharaman said in her budget speech that disinvestment of Air India and Pawan Hans would be completed in 2021-22.

In the Union Budget for 2021-22, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has been allocated Rs 3,224 crore, which is 22 per cent lower than Rs 4,131 crore that was allocated for the current fiscal.

The budget last year had allocated Rs 3,797 crore to the ministry for 2020-21, but in revised estimates it was increased to Rs 4,131 crore.

The government on Monday allocated Rs 600 crore, 14.28 per cent lower than the current fiscal, to regional connectivity scheme Udan for 2021-22.

Under the Udan scheme, financial incentives from the Centre, state governments and airport operators are extended to selected airlines to encourage operations from unserved and under-served airports, and keep airfares affordable.

Sitharaman said in her speech that the government would be monetising assets of the AAI-operated airports in tier-2 and tier-3 cities to raise money for building new infrastructure.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which works under the Civil Aviation Ministry, owns and operates around 100 airports in India.

(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.)


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 state's conformity to the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) is an important policy choice that affects state corporate income tax regimes using a measure of income determined by the IRC, such as federal taxable income, as the starting point for state taxable income computations. Due to the significant changes to the Code enacted by the law known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), P.L. 115-97, in 2017 and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, P.L. 116-136, in 2020, the version of the IRC that is adopted by states has become increasingly important in recent years.

The state-specific impact of the federal tax legislation depends largely on how each state conforms to and incorporates changes to the IRC. States generally follow one of three approaches to IRC conformity. "Rolling" conformity states automatically tie to the IRC as changes are adopted. In contrast, "static" or "fixed date" conformity states adopt the IRC as of a specific date and must decide whether to update their conformity through subsequent legislation. Finally, "selective" conformity states selectively conform to certain IRC provisions and decouple from others. The rolling conformity approach may seem fairly easy to follow, but it is sometimes difficult to apply in certain states in practice, with potentially counterintuitive results.

INCONSISTENT APPROACHES TO ROLLING CONFORMITY

Further analysis must be undertaken in some rolling conformity states, such as Colorado, Maryland, and Oregon, to determine whether and to what extent specific CARES Act provisions are in fact adopted on a rolling basis.

In Colorado, a recently adopted Department of Revenue regulation stating that IRC amendments are effective only on a prospective basis appears to conflict with the language of the state's conformity statute, which seemingly incorporates changes to the IRC as immediately effective, regardless of when enacted.

The application of Maryland's delayed rolling conformity to the IRC may be explained by recent guidance released on the state's conformity to various provisions of the CARES Act. As required under Maryland law, the Office of the Comptroller issued a report concluding that each of the key provisions of the CARES Act  including the business interest expense deduction and NOL provisions  would have a revenue impact of greater than $5 million in each of the tax years affected by the legislation: 2018, 2019, and 2020. However, the Maryland conformity statute permits decoupling from federal changes only for purposes of calculating Maryland taxable income for the year in which the amendment is enacted. As such, the comptroller concluded that Maryland would automatically decouple from the major CARES Act provisions as applied to the 2020 tax year (Comptroller of Maryland, Tax Alert 07-24 (July 24, 2020)).

Finally, Oregon automatically conforms to the provisions of the IRC that relate to the definition of Oregon taxable income. Because many CARES Act provisions directly affect taxable income by decreasing federal deductions, Oregon automatically conforms to these provisions, including the business interest expense limitation provision and the portion of the law allowing taxpayers to carry back NOLs from 2018, 2019, and 2020 for five years (though Oregon generally decouples from the federal treatment of NOLs for corporate income tax purposes). While changes to federal deductions and exemptions often directly reduce Oregon taxable income, changes to federal income tax rates and credits are not part of the definition of taxable income. Therefore, Oregon will not automatically connect to those federal changes.

The Colorado, Maryland, and Oregon reactions to the enactment of the CARES Act show that rolling conformity to the IRC may not always be as clear-cut as one would expect. In determining whether a state automatically adopts amendments to the IRC as they are enacted, taxpayers should not take all rolling conformity states for granted.

For a detailed discussion of the issues in this area, see "Tax Clinic: Difficulties of Applying IRC Rolling Conformity in Some States," in the February 2021 issue of The Tax Adviser.

 Jamie C. Yesnowitz, J.D., LL.M.; Chuck Jones, CPA, J.D.; Lori Stolly, CPA; and Patrick K. Skeehan, J.D.

The Tax Adviser is the AICPA's monthly journal of tax planning, trends, and techniques.

Also in the February issue:

An analysis of Sec. 457 government retirement plans.

A discussion of distributions of appreciated property from CFCs.

A look at recent developments in IRS acceptance of electronic signatures.

AICPA members can subscribe to The Tax Adviser for a discounted price of $85 per year. Tax Section membership includes a one-year subscription to The Tax Adviser.
ROCHESTER, N.Y.  Police released two bodycam videos Sunday that showed officers restraining a distraught 9-year-old girl who was handcuffed and sprayed with a chemical "irritant" when she disobeyed commands.

The release of the video footage by the Rochester Police Department came after Mayor Lovely Warren expressed her concern for the child that was harmed during this incident that happened on Friday.

I have a 10-year-old child, so shes a child, shes a baby," Warren said. "This video, as a mother, is not anything you want to see.

In the videos, the girl repeatedly and frantically screams for her father as officers try to restrain her after responding to a call over "family trouble" Friday afternoon. Nine officers and RPD supervisors responded to the call, police said.

At a news conference Sunday, Deputy Police Chief Andre Anderson described the girl as suicidal.

"She indicated she wanted to kill herself and she wanted to kill her mom, he said.

In one of the videos, an officer asks the girl, What is going on? How can I help?

When officers tried to put the girl into the back of a patrol car, she pulled away and kicked at them.

In a statement Saturday, police said the girl's actions required an officer to take her to the ground, and for the minors safety and at the request of the custodial parent on scene, the child was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car as they waited for an ambulance.

An officer sprayed an irritant in the handcuffed girls face when she disobeyed commands to put her feet in the car, police said Saturday.

Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan described the irritant as pepper spray Sunday.

As the girl struggled and cried, an officer said, Just spray her at this point and closed the car door.

The child was taken to Rochester General Hospital under the states mental hygiene law and received the services and care that she needed, police said.

After being treated, she was released to her family.

Story continues

'I'm getting more and more angry': Activists want justice for girl pepper-sprayed by police

Im very concerned about how this young girl was handled by our police department," Warren said at Sunday's news conference. "It is clear from the video we need to do more in support of our children and families.

Herriott-Sullivan said, Im not going to stand here and tell you that for a 9-year-old to have to be pepper-sprayed is OK. Its not. I dont see that as who we are as a department, and were going to do the work we have to do to ensure that these kinds of things dont happen.

Mike Mazzeo, president of the Rochester Police Locust Club, the union representing uniformed officers, asked for patience. He didn't want a rush to judgment before all the necessary information was made public. It does no good to blame one officer, he said.

He said the officer, who has not been identified, decided to subdue the distraught child and acted in a manner that didn't physically injure her.

"I'm not saying there are not better ways to do things," Mazzeo said during a news conference Sunday night. "But let's be realistic about what we're facing. ... It's not TV, it's not Hollywood. We don't have a simple (situation), where we can put out our hands and have somebody be instantly handcuffed and comply. It's not a simple situation."

The city launched a Person in Crisis Team under its Office of Crisis Intervention Services late last year and took away certain responsibilities from RPD. It became operational last week but was not summoned for Friday's call, Warren said.

The city began reassessing its response to mental-health-related calls after the death of Daniel Prude in March 2020. The incident became public five months later and sparked massive protests calling for RPD to change how it responds to calls involving mental health distress.

Marcia Greenwood on Twitter, @MarciaGreenwood.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester police show videos of 9-year-old handcuffed, pepper-sprayed
As an industry, however, it is poorly regulated. A patchwork of laws ostensibly addresses who can donate, where and how often, in part to avoid introducing or amplifying genetic disabilities in a population. In Germany, a sperm-clinic donor may not produce more than 15 children; in the United Kingdom the cap is 10 families of unlimited children. In the Netherlands, Dutch law prohibits donating anonymously, and nonbinding guidelines limit clinic donors to 25 children and from donating at more than one clinic in the country. In the United States there are no legal limits, only guidelines from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine: 25 children per donor in a population of 800,000.
The father of a woman who was last seen 10 years ago has launched a fresh appeal for information, saying: 'I don't want to die not knowing what happened to my daughter'.

Lana Purcell was 26 when she disappeared from Camden, north London, in January 2011. A single mother to a six-year-old girl, she had fallen into a life of drug use and sex work before she went missing and her family believe her chaotic lifestyle meant her case was initially overlooked by police.

Now, a decade on, her father, sister and daughter have appeared on the Missing Podcast to ask the public for help in finally finding out what happened to Lana.

The Metropolitan Police is also offering a 20,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction or to Lana's whereabouts.

Vanished without a trace: Lana Purcell was 26 when she disappeared from Camden, north London, in January 2011. Pictured, a photo of Lana released by police

'There has to be someone that knows something that could help,' her daughter Megan, now 15, said on the podcast.

'Please come forward and help us find her, or what happened to her. And if it is the worst, at least we know that, and we're not here left wondering: "What happens if she is alive".'

Lana grew up a much-loved daughter in a tight-knit London family.

'Lana was a lovely child growing up,' her father John recalled. 'Her nickname was Barney Rubble because she was always getting into trouble.

'She was a lovely kid, playful, a little but mischievous but she was a beautiful kid. She's never been nasty to anybody. She's always been a good girl.

'She always had a really good life growing up... She was loved by both her parents, her nanny, her aunties and uncles, her brothers and sisters.'

Lana dreamed of finishing school and working with children, her family revealed. But her life took a different turn when she fell in love for the first time as a teenager.

Her sister Davina said: 'Lana told me she had a boyfriend one day, and we were all quite shocked. She would go missing with him every weekend, partying, which was new for Lana at that time... I know he was a drug user, and she did drugs with him first. That's how it happened.'

Concerned: Lana's father John Purcell and her daughter Megan Purcell, who have appealed for information. Lana had fallen into a life of drug use and sex work before she went missing and her family believe police initially ignored Lana's disappearance because of her chaotic lifestyle

Over time, Lana began spending more time with her boyfriend, and less time with her family and friends. Lana was also becoming dependent on drugs.

'We tried everything we could to stop her but that was unsuccessful because the drugs she was taking were quite strong,' John said. 'It was very hard for her to come off them. They were very bad times for me because I couldn't control her.'

The relationship with her first boyfriend came to an end in 2003, and the family became hopeful that it would be enough to break the cycle. But she quickly moved on to another boyfriend and began repeating the patterns of destructive behaviour.

In 2004 it became clear to the family that Lana's drug use had taken hold.

Can YOU help find Lana Purcell? The Missing Podcast is asking anyone with information to come forward, particularly: Anyone who was in Camden, who may have seen Lana in January 2011.

Anyone with information about Lanas whereabouts. Did anyone want to cause her harm? Did anyone speak about taking her away?

Friends of Lana - what do you know? Were you afraid to speak back then? Perhaps relationships have changed - could you speak up now? Visit the Missing Podcast for more information. Advertisement

John recalled one instance when he was on holiday with his wife. 'Someone phoned her and said they had seen Lana taking crack. I thought, "that can't be right", so we were straight on a train and home to see what we could do with her.

'We thought she had only just started, that we'd be able to help her, but apparently she hadn't just started. We must have been so dumb not to have noticed it.'

The family booked Lana into a residential rehab facility and she responded well to the mixture of talking therapies and controlled withdrawals.

However while she was there, she also fell in love with a man who was battling his own drug addiction issues.

'He seemed like a nice guy at first but now we know he's not,' John said. By spring 2005, Megan was pregnant. Her daughter Megan was born in December that year.

'We thought it would be good for her and she was very happy when she had Megan,' John continued. 'She was a different person for a little while. We were all happy, the whole family.'

Lana and Megan and moved into a small flat in Kentish Town, north London, where there was enough room for a nursery and a nearby park.

John and his wife would visit most days to help out and Lana would take Megan to her grandparents of tea and sleepovers.

Once again, however, Lana was soon back on drugs. Davina began looking after Megan, although Lana would still visit her daughter and sister.

The last time anyone in the family saw Lana was over the festive period of December 2010. Megan was six years old.

Speaking on the last time he saw his daughter, John said: 'Lana came round to bring presents to mine, she didn't really stay long. We knew why but we didn't criticise or judge her for it.

Much loved: Lana is still missed by her father, sister, daughter, and other family members

'I told her that I loved her and that I'd see her soon... I didn't realise and the time that it was going to be the last time. I didn't realise.'

Davina added: 'Lana spent New Year's Eve with us into the early hours of New Year's Day. We said goodbye, she left. I spoke to her I think a week after. And that was the last time I spoke to her.'

Due to Lana's chaotic lifestyle and drug habit, there were periods of times when she had fallen out of contact with the family.

But two weeks into 2011 Lana's flatmate got in touch with family and said they should report her missing because she hadn't been seen for two days.

The family were initially not overly concerned but her flatmate insisted, giving the impression that this time it was different.

We were walking the streets at night, putting ourselves at risk. You feel bad going home and going to bed because you worry where is she. "Is she cold?Is she hungry somewhere? Is she hurt?

'The girl said quite adamantly, "you have to report her missing",' John said. 'Obviously I was starting to get a bit worried. I can remember it like it was yesterday. Once I couldn't get hold of her, my belly started going. I started having butterflies, some problem in my stomach, telling me there was something wrong.'

John reported Lana missing at Kentish Town Police Station, where she was well known to many of the officers due to her history of shoplifting on the West End to feed her habit, but he felt they didn't take his concerns seriously.

He continued: 'I went to the police station several times, and even one of the officers said, "this is strange for Lana because we all know Lana and she hasn't been in any trouble, or been picked up by anybody, for a while now". That should have sent a red flag to them. But it didn't.'

The concerned father believes police took a long time to act because of Lana's chaotic lifestyle.

A missing persons inquiry was not launched until two months after her disappearance, meaning officers lost the opportunity to access phone records and data that might have pointed to a last known location.

'I find that unforgivable,' John said. 'They could have taken it seriously.'

The family took matters into their own hands, putting up posters across north London, speaking to friends and following flimsy leads. They often put themselves in dangerous places or situations in hope of finding her.

Desperate for answers: Theories about what happened to Lana include that she was a victim of trafficking, was murdered, or chose to disappear to escape a threat of violence. John said he just wants to know. Pictured, John with his granddaughter Meghan last year

Davina recalled: 'We were walking the streets at night, putting ourselves at risk. You feel bad going home and going to bed because you worry where is she. "Is she cold?Is she hungry somewhere? Is she hurt?'

Police's 20k reward In September last year the Metropolitan Police announced a new reward for information in Lana's case. Detective Inspector Mike Stubbins, who is one of the lead investigators, said at the time: 'I am very confident that there will be people who know full well what happened to Lana but have not yet spoken to us. 'But during my time in the police service, I have seen many examples of years passing and then eventually the crucial piece of information we need is given that allows us to solve a case. 'People change, allegiances change, or people who were once frightened of what they think might happen if they spoke to the police eventually do speak to us in the strictest of confidence. And I believe that can and will happen with Lanas case.' Advertisement

The last confirmed sighting of her is believed to have been on or about January 17 2011 and it is believed she may have been heading to the West End/Soho area of London.

Theories about what happened to Lana include that she was a victim of trafficking, was murdered, or chose to disappear to escape a threat of violence.

John said he just wants to know. 'If you know something about what's happened to my daughter, please, please come forward,' he said. 'There's no need for you to be involved with the police you don't have to be.

'Anybody who's got kids will understand, anybody who's got someone they love will understand. When someone goes missing out of your life that's a big part of your life, it's something that stays with you forever.'

In September last year the Metropolitan Police announced a new reward for information in Lana's case.

Detective Inspector Mike Stubbins, who is one of the lead investigators, said at the time: 'I am very confident that there will be people who know full well what happened to Lana but have not yet spoken to us.

'But during my time in the police service, I have seen many examples of years passing and then eventually the crucial piece of information we need is given that allows us to solve a case.

'People change, allegiances change, or people who were once frightened of what they think might happen if they spoke to the police eventually do speak to us in the strictest of confidence. And I believe that can and will happen with Lanas case.'
The Taoiseach says he would like to give options to students facing state examinations this year.

A combination of a written Leaving Cert exam and calculated grades are the preferred option for sixth-year students this year,Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said.

Mr Martin said he would like to give options to students but said there is a clear will to return to some semblance of written exams.

Foreign Affairs Minister Coveney has said there may be a decision on what will be offered to Leaving Cert students as early as today as Education Minister Norma Foley will bring a series of options to be discussed to the cabinet sub-committee on education later this afternoon.

Minister Foley will then bring the results of this sub-committee meeting to cabinet tomorrow, when a decision on examination or calculated grade formats is likely to be signed off by government.

Mr Coveney said the government has learned lessons from last year and knows they need to give students as much time as possible to prepare for exams, or some alternative to that.

We are anxious to make these decisions a lot earlier this year to hopefully address stress levels in peoples homes linked to exams and future prospects of students going to college, he said on RTE Radio this morning.

The hybrid model of exams and calculated grades, as well as just using calculated grades are possibilities as intense talks between all education stakeholders continue.

Read More

Mr Martin told the Irish Examiner that: Some students want the grades process that we did last year.

"Some don't want to sit an exam, some do. The hybrid model is one approach, the calculated grades is another.

"However, if you're closing that option of getting back into the classroom, then that puts pressure on the capacity to have the written exam.

Children with additional needs that attend special education schools are likely to be the first to return to classrooms later this month, followed by primary school students.

The Irish Independent today reported that discussions on alternative options for Leaving Cert 2021 are ramping up a level later today at a meeting involving Education Minister Norma Foley, Taoiseach Micheal Martin and other senior Cabinet colleagues.

The Education Minister will set out the range of scenarios being explored by the education partners, including representatives of students, teachers, principals, school managers and the State Examinations Commission.

All options are on the table, but todays meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Education will give a read of the political temperature and will sharpen the focus on the choices to be pursued.

Speaking on the easing of restrictions and the vaccine rollout, Mr Martin said he was going to be very cautious in reopening sectors of the economy and admitted he will be taking a very cautious approach to reopening when lockdown measures are reconsidered on March 5.

"My sense is if we're rolling out a vaccine there's no point in taking risks, he said.
Zurich, 1 February 2021  UBS has successfully completed the pilot phase of its new multibanking function and is now gradually rolling out the offering across Switzerland. UBS Multibanking will now also give SMEs full transparency over all their accounts and allow them to execute payments debited from accounts with third-party banks directly in UBS E-Banking. UBS is the first and so far the only Swiss bank to offer such a comprehensive payment function.

Andy Kollegger, Head Corporate & Institutional Clients International: We have purposefully pushed forward the development of UBS Multibanking with selected clients. The result speaks for itself: we are the first bank in Switzerland to enable all corporate clients to make direct payments debited from accounts with third-party banks worldwide with just one E-Banking login  a feature that was considered inconceivable just a few years ago.

The majority of Swiss companies have accounts with several banks. They often find it time-consuming to maintain an overview of their entire liquidity situation and to manage all their different accounts. Since last summer, selected companies have had the opportunity to participate in the pilot phase. This enabled these companies to experience the multi-stage implementation process and to contribute to the market launch of the innovative solution by providing valuable feedback. UBS Multibanking is now also available to all small and medium-sized enterprises in Switzerland  a technological infrastructure that could otherwise only be afforded by large corporations.

UBS Multibanking is based on the highly secure EBICS and SWIFT standard interfaces. EBICS has become increasingly important for the Swiss financial center in recent years, and around 30 banks in Switzerland have introduced this standard. In addition, EBICS is supported by almost all banks in Germany as well as an increasing number of Austrian banks. EBICS is specifically tailored to the needs of corporate clients with regard to data exchange (e.g., for signatory rights such as shared electronic signatures) and is also widely used for cost reasons. SWIFT, on the other hand, is primarily a standard for large companies, which connects international banks (e.g., in Asia) to multibanking. Most well-known banks can be reached globally via SWIFT.





UBS Switzerland AG


Have an opinion on a recent story or event around the University of Cincinnati? Let us know what you think!

If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click the button below to email Anne Simendinger, editor-in-chief. For news tips or story ideas, contact one of our editors.

Email the editor
Australian media companies have pleaded guilty to contempt of court over the way they reported George Pells conviction on sexual abuse charges.

Lawyers for more than 10 news outlets, including The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, told the Supreme Court in Melbourne on Monday that their corporate clients would plead guilty to breaching a suppression order.

Cardinal George Pell. Credit:AP

However, as part of a plea deal with prosecutors, other charges against the news outlets and against 15 individual journalists, including the editors of some of the nations biggest newspapers, would be dismissed.

The charges relate to the way some sections of the Australian media reported Cardinal Pells conviction in December 2018 after a County Court trial.
Panasonic AI-driven cameras empower an expanding vision of new uses

Imagine a world where video cameras are not just watching and reporting for security, but have an even wider positive impact on our lives. Imagine that cameras control street and building lights, as people come and go, that traffic jams are predicted and vehicles are automatically rerouted, and more tills are opened, just before a queue starts to form. Cameras with AI capabilities Cameras in stores can show us how we might look in the latest outfit as we browse. Thats the vision from Panasonic about current and future uses for their cameras that provide artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities at the edge. Panasonic feels that these types of intelligent camera applications are also the basis for automation and introduction of Industry 4.0, in which processes are automated, monitored and controlled by AI-driven systems. 4K network security cameras The companys i-PRO AI-capable camera line can install and run up to three AI-driven video analytic applications Panasonics 4K network security cameras have built-in AI capabilities suitable for this next generation of intelligent applications in business and society. The companys i-PRO AI-capable camera line can install and run up to three AI-driven video analytic applications. The AI engine is directly embedded into the camera, thus reducing costs and Panasonics image quality ensures the accuracy of the analytics outcome. FacePRO facial recognition technology Panasonic began advancing AI technology on the server side with FacePRO, the in-house facial recognition application, which uses AI deep learning capabilities. Moving ahead, they transitioned their knowledge of AI from the server side to the edge, introducing i-PRO security cameras with built-in AI capabilities last summer, alongside their own in-house analytics. Moreover, in line with the Panasonic approach to focus more on collaboration with specialist AI software developers, a partnership with Italian software company, A.I. Tech followed in September, with a range of intelligent applications, partially based on deep learning. Additional collaborations are already in place with more than 10 other developers, across the European Union, working on more future applications. i-PRO AI-capable security cameras Open systems are an important part of Panasonics current approach. The companys i-PRO AI-capable cameras are an open platform and designed for third-party application development, therefore, applications can be built or tailored to the needs of an individual customer. Panasonic use to be a company that developed everything in-house, including all the analytics and applications. However, now we have turned around our strategy by making our i-PRO security cameras open to integrate applications and analytics from third-party companies, says Gerard Figols, Head of Security Solutions at Panasonic Business Europe. Flexible and adapting to specific customer needs This new approach allows the company to be more flexible and adaptable to customers needs. At the same time, we can be quicker and much more tailored to the market trend, said Gerard Figols. He adds, For example, in the retail space, enabling retailers to enhance the customer experience, in smart cities for traffic monitoring and smart parking, and by event organisers and transport hubs to monitor and ensure safety. Edge-based analytics offer multiple benefits over server-based systems Edge-based analytics Edge-based analytics offer multiple benefits over server-based systems. On one hand, there are monetary benefits - a cost reduction results from the decreased amount of more powerful hardware required on the server side to process the data, on top of reduction in the infrastructure costs, as not all the full video stream needs to be sent for analysis, we can work solely with the metadata. On the other hand, there are also advantages of flexibility, as well as reliability. Each camera can have its own individual analytic setup and in case of any issue on the communication or server side, the camera can keep running the analysis at the edge, thereby making sure the CCTV system is still fully operational. Most importantly, systems can keep the same high level of accuracy. Explosion of AI camera applications We can compare the explosion of AI camera applications to the way we experienced it for smartphone applications" We can compare the explosion of AI camera applications to the way we experienced it for smartphone applications, said Gerard Figols, adding However, it doesnt mean the hardware is not important anymore, as I believe its more important than ever. Working with poor picture quality or if the hardware is not reliable, and works 24/7, software cannot run or deliver the outcome it has been designed for. As hardware specialists, Figols believes that Panasonic seeks to focus on what they do best - Building long-lasting, open network cameras, which are capable of capturing the highest quality images that are required for the latest AI applications, while software developers can concentrate on bringing specialist applications to the market. Same as for smartphones, AI applications will proliferate based on market demand and succeed or fail, based on the value that they deliver. Facial recognition, privacy protection and cross line technologies Panasonic has been in the forefront in developing essential AI applications for CCTV, such as facial recognition, privacy protection and cross line. However, with the market developing so rapidly and the potential applications of AI-driven camera systems being so varied and widespread, Panasonic quickly realised that the future of their network cameras was going to be in open systems, which allow specialist developers and their customers to use their sector expertise to develop their own applications for specific vertical market applications, while using i-PRO hardware. Metadata for detection and recognition Regarding privacy, consider that the use of AI in cameras is about generating metadata for the detection and recognition of patterns, rather than identifying individual identities. However, there are legitimate privacy concerns, but I firmly believe that attitudes will change quickly when people see the incredible benefits that this technology can deliver, said Gerard Figols, adding I hope that we will be able to redefine our view of cameras and AI, not just as insurance, but as life advancing and enhancing. i-PRO AI Privacy Guard One of the AI applications that Panasonic developed was i-PRO AI Privacy Guard Seeking to understand and appreciate privacy concerns, one of the AI applications that Panasonic developed was i-PRO AI Privacy Guard that generates data without capturing individual identities, following European privacy regulations that are among the strictest in the world. Gerard Fogils said, The combination of artificial intelligence and the latest generation open camera technology will change the worlds perceptions from Big Brother to Big Benefits. New applications will emerge as the existing generation of cameras is updated to the new open and intelligent next generation devices, and the existing role of the security camera will also continue. Future scope of AI and cameras He adds, Not just relying on the security cameras for evidence when things have gone wrong, end users will increasingly be able to use AI and the cameras with much higher accuracy to prevent false alarms and in a proactive way to prevent incidents." Gerard Figols concludes, That could be monitoring and alerting when health and safety guidelines are being breached or spotting and flagging patterns of suspicious behaviour before incidents occur.
The rate of coronavirus vaccinations is high among nursing home residents in the U.S. but low among staff members, a new report finds.

More than three-quarters of people living in long-term care facilities had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 immunization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed on Wednesday.

However, when it came to nurses, administrators and others working at centers who were offered the jab, just a little more than one-third had received it.

The findings confirm anecdotal reports of nursing home staff members turning down vaccines and feeling they are being treated as 'guinea pigs.'

Researchers say more outreach efforts are needed to ensure this vulnerable population that the shot is both safe and effective.

A new CDC report found that nearly 78% precent of nursing home residents have received at least one vaccine dose with half of facilities vaccinating at least 60% of seniors

Comparatively, 37.5% of nursing home employees have been vaccinated with most centers inoculating less than 40% of their workforce

Nursing home residents and staff members are among those at the highest risk for coronavirus infection due to living and working in congregate settings.

What's more, residents are also at heightened risk due to their ages and propensity to have underlying medical conditions.

Because of this, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended in December 2020 that residents and staff be included in the very first phase of vaccination in the U.S.

The federal government also signed a partnership with CVS and Walgreens to send pharmacists to vaccinate nursing home residents and workers.

For the analysis, published as part of the CDC's weekly Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the team used data from the National Healthcare Safety Network and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

A total of 11,460 skilled nursing facilities reported at least one vaccination clinic between December 18, 2020 and January 17, 2021.

Data showed that a median of 77.8 precent of residents received at least one vaccine dose over the one-month period.

About half of the facilities - 48 percent - had vaccinated at least 60 percent of all their residents.

By comparison, a median of 37.5 percent of staff members per facility received at least one dose.

More than half of nursing homes, had vaccinated less than 40 percent of employees 30 days into the program.

A total of 13 states had immunized at least 80 percent of residents (dark blue) with most states vaccinating 60% to 79% (medium blue) one month into the program

Just one state (medium blue) had vaccinated 60% to 79% of all staff members with most states vaccinating 40% to 59% (light blue) or less than 40% (white)

What's more, by mid-January, just 18.5 percent of facilities had vaccinated all residents and only 4.8 percent had vaccinated all staff members

Rates also varied by state, the report revealed.

Only 13 states - Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin - immunized at least 80 percent of residents.

By comparison, no state had done so for staff. Just one state, New Hampshire, vaccinated 60 percent of all nursing home workers.

Low vaccination rates among workers in nursing homes have been reported for other inoculations such as the flu shot.

According to a survey conducted in October 2020, 37 percent of nurses said they were not confident a COVID-19 vaccine would be safe and effective.

Some reasons for hesitancy included beliefs that the vaccine was developed too quickly and that there wasn't enough information available about vaccine safety.

'You just don't know what the effects are and that's scary,' Maryland-based registered nurse Amelia Foster told ABC 10.

'No one wants to be a guinea pig. Every medication out there has its risks and side effects. Not everyone is affected, but it could possibly make your immune system go haywire and that's scary.'

The team says public health experts need to spend more time getting information to staff members about the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

'The lower percentage of staff members vaccinated raises concern about low coverage among a population at high risk for occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2,' the authors wrote.

'Continued development and implementation of focused communication and outreach strategies are needed to improve vaccination coverage among staff members in [nursing homes] and other long-term care settings.'

Emmanuelle Levesque France

At the age of 12, during a visit to the Tate Gallery in London, Emmanuelle encountered the first paintings that made her want to paint. The paintings of Van Gogh and Francis Bacon, and the colours of the Fauves and the Expressionists profoundly affected her, and the young artist lived a truly poetic experience. She decided to attend a fine arts workshop outside her regular school curriculum, and after receiving a high school diploma in the arts, she joined the School of Fine Arts.

She studied drawing and preferred figurative painting initially. The light of the Brittany coast, always changing and capricious, was a source of inspiration and desires for her. After painting from nature and photos, she decided to give free rein to her imagination and to trust the colours as her only medium, and thus she moved definitively to abstraction.

On a trip to Russia she met many passionate artists (musicians, actors, filmmakers), and on returning to France, she became a schoolteacher. The overwhelming artistic imagination of children taught her much and this experience helped her to affirm her own colours as her joie de vivre. She then devoted herself entirely to painting.

Today, Emmanuelle uses a knife to maintain a crude gesture, structure the space and give more intensity and energy to the colours. She has chosen abstraction and now, released from the subject, she has become interested in the work of abstract painters from the Parisian School. She particularly likes the colour saturation and sometimes shocking contrasts. Meanwhile, she also admires clean and poetic work. Open to exploring techniques, Emmanuelle shows a predilection for oil painting, which she continually returns to. She develops her own pigments and tries to find new relationships of colour.

Following on from the thought of Kandinsky, Emmanuelle never strays from the spirituality of colour and art.
An armed robber who held a celebrity designer known as the pearl queen at knifepoint as he stole 630,000 worth of gems was jailed for 10 years.

Ricky Gray, 40, terrorised Christianne Douglas, her husband and an employee at Coleman Douglas Pearls in Knightsbridge, by threatening to disfigure them with acid.

Gray entered the store in Beauchamp Place, whose clients include Helen Mirren, Julie Walters and Halle Berry, and asked an employee to show him jewellery from a locked cabinet.

With her back turned he pointed a 6-inch kitchen knife and a bottle of what he claimed to be acid, he then demanded to be taken to the safe.

Gray forced Mrs Douglas, her husband and the staff member into her basement on July 9, 2019.

Ricky Gray, 40, entered a Knightsbridge jewellery store owned by Christianne Douglas with a kitchen knife and what he claimed to be a bottle of acid, demanding the be taken to the safe Pictured: Princess Anne's visit to Mrs Douglas's London showroom

Ricky Gray robbed Christianne Douglas's store Coleman Douglas Pearls, in Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, and made off with pearls worth 630,000

The father-of-two ordered Mrs Douglas to fill up three large bags with pearls worth 630,000 before fleeing.

Prosecutor Rhodri James said: 'With her back to Mr Gray, he produced a 6-inch kitchen knife and a bottle of what he said was acid, he demanded at that point to be taken to a safe.

'Mr and Mrs Douglas were met by the defendant who said "go downstairs, I have a knife and acid", he demanded to know where safe was and to have access to it.

'To his disappointment there was no cash in the safe as they only accept card payments.

'There was a number of high value jewellery items, he demanded them and the bags, he duly filled three large carrier bags with jewellery and made his way back upstairs and to the shop.

'As he went up he took two laptops, two mobile phones and Mrs Douglas's handbag.

'He tried to get away on a pushbike and as he started frankly he dropped most of the items, which passers-by returned.

'Because he was on a bike and the police were in a car he was not caught and neither was the knife.

Gray dropped 551,000 worth of jewellery as he rode away from Christianne Douglas's store Coleman Douglas Pearls (pictured) on his bike

'Blood was smeared on one of the bags, which matched the DNA of Mr Gray.'

Bungling Gray dropped 551,000 worth of jewellery as he rode away on a bicycle, leaving 80,000 outstanding.

Since the raid Mrs Douglas has closed the shop, leaving three employees out of work.

Her bespoke jewellery and designs have featured in Hollywood movies including the 2005 film Match Point, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Scarlett Johansson.

Princess Anne once visited her London showroom in her capacity as Patron of UK Fashion Exports and her jewellery has also graced the pages of Vogue, Tatler and Vanity Fair.

In an impact statement Mrs Douglas said: 'The robbery was a real shock and changed my entire perspective on feeling safe, I realised my business was susceptible to planned acid and knife attacks.'

Despite closing her shop Mrs Douglas continues to sell jewellery on a 'recommendation only' basis, the court heard.

A week before the robbery, on July 2, Gray threatened to pour a bottle of acid on the female boss at a Chinese supermarket and stole her handbag containing takings worth 710.

He admitted the robbery after leaving his fingerprints on an envelope.

Gray was jailed for eight years after he stole some 250,000 of diamonds from the founder of Petplan, Patsy Bloom (pictured)

A month later on 9 August he used a hammer to smash the window of elderly Phillipa Jackson's home on Essex Road.

Ms Jackson screamed at the sound of breaking class and he damaged the bonnet of a car running away before being arrested nearby with a hammer.

Convicted robber Gray had been out of jail on licence for 26 days when his latest crime spree began in July 2019.

In November 2012, Gray was handed an eight year extended sentence after confronting businesswoman Patsy Bloom, then 72, after she stepped out of the shower.

He screamed at her 'Give me everything you've got,' before frogmarching her to her safe in her 3.5million home overlooking London's Regent's Park.

Gray escaped with a 250,000 haul, including a 68,000 pair of 18-carat white gold earrings and a 19,000 diamond pendant after the raid in May that year.

Miss Bloom, who netted 16million with the sale of animal insurer Petplan, was left 'extremely shaken' after the raid.

Gray, who also uses alias Panagiotis Themistocleous, also has previous convictions for violent disorder in 2001, another robbery in 2002 and 20 theft offences.

Judge Murray Shanks said: 'These are not well planned robberies but they are very serious, the knife, the bottles containing what you claimed was acid are very serious matters.

'I take on board that there should be no double counting, that you have never caused serious physical harm and that there have been problems with drugs in the past, although it seems you go back to them.

'And there is some element of bizarre behaviour which you have excited in the past and in the courts.'

Gray's prison video-link had to be muted throughout proceedings as he continued to rant and wave his arms around.

He could be heard addressing Judge Shanks as 'my brudda,' swearing and talking about the Illuminati, The Queen and Rita Ora.

Gray also tried to dismiss his defence barrister at one point before changing his mind.

Currently held at Highpoint Prison in Suffolk, he admitted two counts of robbery, possession of a bladed article, attempted burglary and criminal damage.

He was sentenced to ten years with an extended licence period of four years and will not be considered for release by the Parole Board until he has served at least two thirds of his sentence.
It is hard to say for sure, but you would think there is the potential they would also be reduced, said Associate Professor Corey Smith, head of translational and human immunology at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. He said the results suggested the virus could mutate in ways that made antibodies and vaccines less effective. But I dont think thats a real surprise, he said. Viruses always mutate. The South African variant, known as N501Y.V2, has several mutations that in lab tests appear to change the shape of the virus spike in a way that reduces the ability of some antibodies generated from infection with the original Wuhan variant of COVID-19 from binding. That raises concerns about reinfection, and about how well COVID-19 vaccines based on the original variant will protect against the South African variant.

Professor David Tscharke, head of the department of immunology and infectious diseases at the Australian National University, said it was always likely that we will have to chase variants by changing our vaccines. However, he said it was not clear cut that AstraZeneca and Pfizers vaccines faced the same problems as Novavax and Johnson & Johnson. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video You might guess that but the extent of that is going to be varied, he said. Although they have the same antigens, they are presented in a different way. Virus-killing T-cells also played a role in immunity, he said, and they might allow Pfizer and AstraZenecas jabs to still offer strong protection against the variant.

Early lab evidence suggested Pfizers vaccine would be less effective against the South African variant, but would still cover the virus. But those studies were carried out using pseudoviruses  viruses manipulated to look like N501Y.V2  and were done on cells in a lab. Such studies do not always translate to humans. Examine newsletter Science and health explained and analysed with a rigorous focus on the evidence. Examine is a weekly newsletter by science reporter Liam Mannix. Sign up to receive it every Tuesday. Novavax and Johnson & Johnson are the first vaccine developers to report human data on the variants. Novavaxs trial of more than 4400 patients in South Africa reported efficacy of 49.4 per cent (excluding HIV-positive patients, efficacy rose to 60 per cent). Nearly all the cases of infection among vaccinated subjects were from the South African variant.

Loading Johnson & Johnsons trial of 6576 people in South Africa reported efficacy of 57 per cent; 95 per cent of infections in people vaccinated were from the South African variant. These trials were small and the results were preliminary, experts said. South Africa also presents a unique environment to test vaccines: a runaway epidemic means people may be exposed to unusually high levels of virus. But even with all that in mind, said Associate Professor Stuart Turville, a virologist at the Kirby Institute, the data early on, looks like the edge has been taken off by the South African variant. What were seeing in the real world is this thing has the potential to take the edge off vaccines. Which may mean we need to update the formulation.

It is anticipated that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines will have significant efficacy against the newer strains of COVID-19, a spokesman for the Therapeutic Goods Administration said. The vaccines work by inducing what is known as a polyclonal response  a collection of immunological responses to many different parts of the COVID spike protein. In the new variants, only a limited part of the spike protein is changed, and much is unchanged. So the vaccines should still work against the main, unchanged parts to the COVID-19 spike protein. The results from the Novavax and Johnson & Johnson vaccines cannot be directly extrapolated to the other COVID-19 vaccines, such as the Pfizer BioNTech or Oxford AZ vaccine as each vaccine produces differing immune responses in vaccinated individuals. The experts emphasised it was important to wait for real-world data from Pfizer and AstraZeneca. It may be the vaccines different designs work better against the variant.
Investigating agencies were yet to identify any suspect in the minor blast near the Israeli Embassy, a source told PTI on Sunday but stressed that all angles were being covered in the probe. The Delhi Police also covered the blast site near the Israeli Embassy in the national capital with a white-coloured tent to prevent the spot from being tampered with as the adjacent road opened for traffic.

Meanwhile, a copy of the letter addressed to the "Israel Embassy Ambassador", recovered from the site of the blast by the Delhi Police was shared on Twitter by ANI's National Bureau Chief. The letter written in English mentions the names of Gen Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force who was killed in a US air strike in January 2020, and Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizad, who played a crucial role in the country's nuclear programme and was assassinated near Tehran in November the same year, also by the US.

Iran link emerges in Israel embassy attack probe

"This is a trailer presented to you. We can end your life, anytime, anywhere..." the letter reads. The authenticity of the letter is still being checked. The letter is written by someone who identified himself as Sarallah India Hezbollah. The letter claims that the group has the capacity to "end your life" anytime and that Israeli terror shelters would be destroyed.

Letter recovered during Israel embassy blast probe @IsraelinIndia pic.twitter.com/xJLDMeDk8I  Naveen Kapoor ANI (@IamNaveenKapoor) February 1, 2021

READ | Israel envoy discusses possible role of Iran in Delhi blast; thanks India for cooperation

READ | Delhi IED blast: Israel Envoy thanks India, says 'grateful for heartwarming support'

The agencies are collecting data from the cab services of the persons who were dropped in the nearby area of the spot just before the incident happened. The details of foreigners who came to Delhi recently are also being examined.

The minor blast took place on Friday evening in a high-security zone of the national capital. No one was injured. The blast took place when President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were present a few kilometres away at the Beating Retreat ceremony at the culmination of the Republic Day celebrations. The explosion took place on a day when India and Israel marked the completion of the 29th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.

Speaking exclusively to Republic Media Network's Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami on Saturday, Israel's envoy to India Dr Ron Malka hinted that some nations or non-state organizations might feel threatened by the India-Israel bilateral ties.

READ | Delhi Police probing screenshot of 'Jaish-Ul-Hind' staking claim on Israel Embassy blast

READ | 'Some nations might be threatened by bilateral ties': Israel envoy Dr Ron Malka on blast
Truesee's Daily Wonder

Sunday, January 31, 2021

Archives

Truesee presents the weird, wild, wacky and world news of the day.

May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008

Subscribe
Former US President and the Republican Party raised USD 255.4 million in the eight-plus weeks following the November 3 election, new federal filings show, as he sought to undermine and overturn the results with unfounded accusations of fraud.

The New York Times (NYT) reported that Trump's strongest fund-raising came in the immediate aftermath of the election, such as after major media organizations declared that Joe Biden had won on November 7. However, despite Trump and his legal team lost case after case -- in venues including the US Supreme Court -- his donors continued to give funds repeatedly.

It was further reported that more than two million contributions flowed into Trump, the Republican National Committee (RNC), and their shared accounts from November 24 through the end of the year.

The donations were made public over the weekend in a Federal Election Commission filing by WinRed, the digital platform that Republicans use to process online donations.

"Mr. Trump's campaign committee, joint committees with the R.N.C., and the new political action committee he formed after the election, Save America, will all file additional disclosures on Sunday with more details on spending and fund-raising," NYT reported.

Trump previously announced that he and the RNC had raised USD 207.5 million in the first month following the election.

The new records show that his fund-raising fell sharply in December compared with November, with an especially notable dip after December 14, the day the Electoral College formally cast its ballots to make Biden the 46th US president.

According to the American newspaper, Trump and the R.N.C. had raised an average of USD 2.9 million every day online in the two weeks leading up to the Electoral College vote; in the two weeks after, the average was USD 1.2 million.

"The new figures capture almost all of Trump's online fund-raising, as he stopped raising money on January 6, the day on which he addressed a mob of supporters who then stormed the Capitol in a violent riot and on which Biden was formally ratified by Congress as the next president," NYT reported further.

Trump essentially ceased sending fund-raising pitches to his supporters, according to the newspaper. Late on Saturday, Trump abruptly parted ways with the lead lawyer, Butch Bowers, on his impeachment defense.

The US Senate formally opened the second impeachment trial for former President on Tuesday with the swearing-in of Senate President Pro-Tempore Patrick Leahy to preside over the process and the swearing-in of the senators to serve as jurors.

On Monday, the House of Representatives delivered the article of impeachment against Trump, accusing him of inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol building on January 6 to stop Congress from verifying President Joe Biden's win in the 2020 election.

The impeachment trial arguments will begin on February 9.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
This is not the first time Israels arms exports have been a source of controversy within the country. At stake is the sale of arms to authoritarian leaders who then use these weapons to suppress their populations. On Jan. 25, Knesset member Ofer Cassif of the joint Arab-Jewish Hadash Party called on Defense Minister Benny Gantz to halt the sale of Israeli arms to a private militia, the Special Forces Command (SFC), associated with Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni. He did this as a lead-up to a district court hearing in mid-February to stop the export of arms to Uganda. In his letter, Cassif wrote that war crimes and severe and methodical violations of human rights intended to allow Museveni to cling to the reins of power have been characteristic of Uganda for the past few years.

The SFC was founded in 2011 as Musevenis extrajudicial private security detail, drawing its commanders from his own ethnic group. Before the recent election in that country this past January, Museveni declared ominously, There is nobody who is above us in knowing how to handle guns. The police went on to use extreme violence in quelling opposition demonstrations. To date, the international community knows of dozens of casualties, hundreds more injured and thousands of arrests. It is a reasonable assumption that the SFC, armed with Israeli Galil Ace, Tavor and Uzi rifles, could serve as a major tool in suppressing popular protests resulting from a questionable election.

The Defense Ministry has since asked the court to reject the SFC case since it involves security and foreign affairs. It further asked that if this request is denied, the hearing be held behind closed doors.

A report issued by an expert committee of the United Nations Security Council focused on the involvement of Israeli arms manufacturers in the fighting in South Sudan. It determined that in 2014, Uganda transferred Israeli guns that it obtained in a 2007 arms deal to the South Sudan government. The committee also stated its belief that the guns were part of a larger stockpile of weapons that was relayed to South Sudan via Uganda.

In 2013, VICE magazine reported that Israel provides Uganda with military support and training, arms and drones in exchange for its agreement to accept asylum seekers from Eritrea and Sudan once they are deported from Israel. In 2017, the press was allowed to reveal that Uganda is the third country to accept African asylum seekers forcibly deported from Israel. Reports in the foreign press claim that the agreement with Uganda included various arms deals, but Israel refused to release the details.

In October 2020, the Knesset rejected a preliminary reading of proposed legislation from the left that would have limited the export of arms to nations involved in severe human rights violations. The vote was preceded by a statement signed by 38 rabbis in support of the initiative. They wrote, Jewish law forbids the sale of arms to non-Jews, who are suspected of misusing the weapons and causing harm to many, and any such sale requires an in-depth and thorough investigation to ensure that it conforms with Jewish law.

Rabbi Avidan Freedman, who initiated the letter, is chairman of YANSHUF, a coalition of organizations committed to transparency and the supervision of arms exports. He told Al-Monitor, Before the election, [Defense Minister] Benny Gantz promised on numerous occasions that he would introduce measures to stop the sale of arms to murderous regimes. The time has come to test this. We expect him to do the right thing morally, from a Jewish perspective, and to prove that he is actually capable of taking bold steps.

Michael Biton, minister in the Ministry of Defense, told the Knesset that Defense Minister Gantz recently convened a meeting of all parties involved and they agreed on procedures to confirm that such arms deals conform to ethical and legal standards. He noted that the Foreign Ministry is also involved in these discussions.

Based on data from the Ministry of Defenses Division for the Oversight of Security Exports, Israels arms exports in 2018 amounted to $7.5 billion, showing a drop from 2017, a record year, in which these exports were valued at $9.2 billion. Exports consist mainly of missile and missile defense systems, drones, electronic warfare and radar systems, as well as the emerging technologies involved in cyber warfare and tracking systems. The main recipients of these exports are in Asia and the Pacific, which account for 46% of all military exports. While India is a major importer, so are other countries, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan and others. The report does not offer a further breakdown by country, but it can be assumed that exports to the Gulf States also account for a large share, given the security alliance between Israel and these countries, which has grown more robust over the last few years in response to the Iranian threat.

Brig. Gen. (res.) Uzi Eilam of the Institute for National Security Studies is a former head of the Center for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, a position that includes responsibility for granting permits for military exports. He notes that after years of abstruse policy, Israels failed attempt to sell the Falcon spy plane to China (the sale was thwarted by the Americans in 2000) caused Washington to pressure Israel to take more active measures to prevent sales harmful to the two countries common security interests. When this became law in 2007, Eilam initiated the creation of the Division for the Oversight of Security Exports, which authorizes all defense exports.

Eilam discussed the economic aspects of arms deals: It is in Israels vital interests to maintain its military and arms industries and to ensure their survival. Israel cannot rely solely on imported arms. Over the course of our history, even our closest allies restricted the sale of arms to us on more than one occasion. The problem is that Israel alone is too small a market for these industries. If they are to survive, they must sell their arms to other countries as well. According to current estimates, 20% of sales by military industries are to the IDF and other Israeli security services, while 80% of sales are to nations and organizations overseas.

There are always ethical considerations, he concedes, and these pose difficult dilemmas, especially given the complexity of the current situation. While Israels military industries are stable and the countrys economic and security standing is much improved, it is still a small country that must rely, for the most part, on itself. Ethical considerations are given some consideration in debates over the sale of weapons and technologies, he explains, but geopolitical factors are much more decisive, while the sale of Israeli arms to (alleged) minor dictatorships are significantly smaller than similar sales made by most Western nations.

If school shutdowns continue to Easter, this could mean two-thirds of the normal school year would be lost to the pandemic. Photo: Getty

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, children across the UK are likely to lose at least half a year of normal, in-person schooling, which could lead to a knock-on long-run loss in earnings of around 350bn ($479.7bn).

The total amount is the equivalent to an average loss of 40,000 each in lifetime earnings.

Thats according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Research fellow Luke Sibietas study concludes that in the absence of a massive policy response, the long-run effects of this learning loss are likely to be substantial.

If school shutdowns continue to Easter, this could mean two-thirds of the normal school year would be lost to the pandemic.

The research comes amid continued uncertainty about when schools might be allowed to reopen. Prime minister Boris Johnson recently told MPs that the government hopes to start reopening English schools on 8 March, depending on factors including the rate of vaccination amongst priority groups. This, however, was not definitive.

He said the government will tell teachers and parents when schools in England can reopen "as soon as we can." But he would not guarantee that this would be before the Easter holidays, due to begin before Good Friday on 2 April.

The IFS notes that the figures are extremely large, and are not intended as precise estimates. Instead, they are intended to illustrate the scale of potential costs and risks we face, and the economic rationale for a massive national plan to address this crisis.

If by some miracle, the efforts by schools, teachers, children, parents and charities allowed us to mitigate 75% of this effect, the total loss would still be 90bn, the IFS said.

Early evidence already suggests this loss of schooling is contributing to lower educational progress and skills, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.

READ MORE: High street banks could disappear by 2032 as UK lenders shut up shop

Whats more, a large amount of these negative effects are likely to be borne by children from lower-income families, resulting in a likely rise in inequality over the long-run.

Story continues

Sibieta said: "The inescapable conclusion is that lost learning represents a gigantic long-term risk for future prosperity, the public finances, the future path of inequality and well-being.

"We therefore need a policy response that is appropriate to the scale of the problem. One useful benchmark is the 30bn it normally costs for half a year of schooling in the UK.

That doesn't mean we need to spend that much. But is does strongly suggest that the 1.5 billion allocated across the UK so far doesn't even start to match the scale of the challenge.

Watch: Variants matter: Novavax CEO on COVID-19 virus
Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle O'Neill next year?

With O'Neill's party almost 5% ahead of the DUP in this latest LucidTalk poll, republicans are entitled to be excited. Sinn Fein is on course to become the most popular party in both jurisdictions on the island.

The party starts the 2022 Assembly election only one seat behind the DUP. It is not a huge ask to overhaul Arlene Foster's party.

The poll shows the vote share of both parties down from the previous Assembly contest but the DUP's drop doubles that of Sinn Fein. Ever-growing Alliance is within 1% of the DUP.

But there are reasons for Sinn Fein to be cautious.

Read More

One is leadership. Only 23% give O'Neill a positive rating of 'good' or 'great'. That is half the approval level given to Sinn Fein President Mary-Lou McDonald in a recent poll in the South. And 56% say O'Neill's performance has been 'bad' or 'awful', the latter the larger category.

Does this matter? Only 12% of Sinn Fein voters do not rate O'Neill's performance. Most Sinn Fein voters like her and will never defect. The figure that might concern Sinn Fein's northern leader is that only 14% of SDLP voters are impressed.

For First Minister O'Neill to become a reality, Sinn Fein needs to deal with a second problem: the SDLP revival under Colum Eastwood.

This was demonstrated by SDLP gains at the 2019 Westminster election, Eastwood's own victory a landslide take from Sinn Fein.

Sinn Fein probably needs to squeeze some of the SDLP's 12% vote share (and 12 seats) at the last Assembly election in 2017. Transfers from Alliance voters would also help but their view of the Sinn Fein leader is akin to SDLP backers.

Another possible problem is that Sinn Fein's biggest support is among young people, at 35% among 18-24 year olds. That might sound a lovely problem to have. Longer-term, it is. A new generation of Shinners. But only a minority of 18 to 24 year olds voted at the last election. 70% of those aged 65 and over did vote. And among that grey vote, the DUP is 15% ahead of Sinn Fein, trailing on 9%.

The final possible problem is that the Assembly election will be brutal. The DUP will market itself as the only party that can stop Sinn Fein. The old battle cry might still have enough mileage to frighten UUP and TUV potential voters into offering Arlene's party their support. This could mean that the DUP's current poor poll rating proves a low-water mark.

Within unionism, the next election will not be about golden unionist visions but saving the Union.

For the implications are potentially profound if O'Neill can unseat Arlene Foster as First Minister. Such a demonstration of Sinn Fein popularity would make calls for a border poll deafening, even if risky for republicans.

Secretary of State Brandon Lewis might avert his gaze from a Sinn Fein triumph. It might disappear from his view like the Irish Sea border. But the pressure would be on the Secretary of State to show why he felt support for a united Ireland remained insufficient for a constitutional referendum if Sinn Fein wins big.

And because of this, many voters might treat next year's election as a mini-referendum.

It might not be edifying but it will not be dull.

Jon Tonge is Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool and Director of the last four ESRC Northern Ireland General Election studies
EDITORS NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider is hosting a two-day business and networking conference March 9-10, featuring some of the states most prominent industry leaders. Early-bird registration is open. Tickets are limited.

Legislation to remove the federal ban on marijuana and help the mostly minority communities hardest hit by the war on drugs will be a priority in the new Congress, key Senate Democrats announced Monday.

U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Ron Wyden of Oregon and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said in a statement that they would release a unified discussion draft on comprehensive reform early this year and develop the bill with groups involved in the effort to end the federal ban on cannabis and legalize the drug on the state level.

The war on drugs has been a war on people  particularly people of color, the senators said. Ending the federal marijuana prohibition is necessary to right the wrongs of this failed war and end decades of harm inflicted on communities of color across the country. But that alone is not enough. As states continue to legalize marijuana, we must also enact measures that will lift up people who were unfairly targeted in the war on drugs.

The senators said their bill would help those hurt by the marijuana laws, protect public health and impose taxes and regulations on the nascent cannabis industry.

When the Senate actually will debate such a bill remains to be seen. Atop the agenda is President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial, a $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, and confirming President Joe Bidens nominees to federal agencies.

Marijuana advocates welcomed the announcement and criticized Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky for blocking marijuana legislation.

After years of marijuana policy reform being neglected and mocked by Mitch McConnell, it is heartening to see these Senate leaders working together to repeal the senseless and cruel policy of marijuana prohibition, said Justin Strekal, political director for NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

And Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said he was look forward to working with the Senate.

The missing ingredient in cannabis reform has been Senate action, Blumenauer said. To finally have the active leadership of the new Senate majority leader, rather than being stuck in McConnells legislative graveyard, makes all the difference in the world.

Booker was the chief sponsor of the Marijuana Justice Act which would remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances alongside heroin, ecstasy and LSD, and would expunge the records of those convicted of low-level marijuana possession, and create a community reinvestment fund to help residents adversely impacted by the current drug laws.

He has said more than half of all drug arrests involve marijuana, and Blacks are almost four times more likely to be arrested than whites. even though they use cannabis at the same rate.

Along with Wyden, Booker was an original Senate co-sponsor of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, which passed the House in December. The lead sponsor was then-U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California, now vice president.

The bill would end the conflict between federal law, which prohibits the use of marijuana, and New Jersey and other states that legalized weed for recreational or medical use.

Wyden is the incoming chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over taxes. Schumer reversed his own opposition to legalizing weed and in 2018 introduced his own bill to decriminalize marijuana.

During his unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign, Booker took aim at rival Joe Biden, who did not support legal marijuana but instead supported rescheduling it on the federal level. At the November 2019 Democratic presidential debate, Booker said it was incredulous that Biden opposed legalizing marijuana.

I thought you might have been high when you said it, Booker said to laughter.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com.
In the past few weeks, the world witnessed the triumph of American democracy over a would-be autocrat, culminating in the peaceful transfer of power on Jan. 20. Yet, the extraordinary foreign and domestic challenges facing President Biden could not be more apparent. He now has the opportunity to reshape a U.S. foreign policy that under President Donald Trump has departed from our core democratic interests and values.

An early test for President Biden is found in a small and often overlooked enclave in the South Caucasus region known as Nagorno-Karabakh.

Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed territory, which in the bloody and chaotic final days of the Soviet Union arose as a semi-autonomous region closely tied to Armenia and home to roughly 150,000 residents. Artsakh, as its known in Armenia, has existed in an uneasy state for decades, landlocked and facing frequent attacks by Azerbaijani forces, but peaceful enough to allow its residents to grow and build a budding democracy.

Until September. Following years of tension, sporadic violence over the regions status, and the Azerbaijani governments frequent threats of military force and ethnic cleansing, Azerbaijan, with the assistance of Turkey, launched a full-scale assault with devastating consequences. Over the course of a brutal six-week war, sophisticated drones targeted Armenian soldiers from the air, mercenaries sent by Turkey fortified Azeri ground forces, and Azerbaijan overran Armenian defenses. After violating three internationally negotiated ceasefires, Azerbaijans forces advanced to within miles of the capital city of Stepanakert before a Russian-brokered agreement ended the fighting.

The cost of peace to protect Armenian civilians was high. Armenia was forced to relinquish control over large portions of Nagorno-Karabakh, with only the presence of a small Russian peacekeeping force to prevent further bloodshed and attacks on Armenian civilians.

Sadly, as this devastating outcome played out, the United States made only a half-hearted and ineffectual effort to end the fighting and ceded the primary leadership role to others. Russia stepped into the void. It will now be up to the Biden administration to unwind this disastrous outcome.

Biden has signaled he will focus on restoring the United States as a force for democracy and human rights around the world. This conflict and its aftermath represent an opportunity to do just that. It pits a democratic Armenia and Artsakh against autocratic regimes in Baku and Ankara who abuse human rights, imprison reporters and dissidents, and crush dissent. We must lead with our values instead of perpetuating a transactional foreign policy that looks the other way as Azerbaijan invades its neighbors and commits human-rights violations at home and abroad.

Our first task is perhaps the simplest  we must reassert ourselves diplomatically and with urgency.

The OSCE Minsk Group, consisting of the United States, Russia, and France, was established in 1992 as the forum for diplomatic resolution of Nagorno-Karabakhs status. We must reinvigorate and reengage with the Minsk Group process and seize the opportunity to secure the release of over 150 Armenian prisoners of war still held by Azerbaijan, demand the protection of historic Christian churches and cultural landmarks throughout Nagorno-Karabakh, and seek accountability for apparent war crimes against Armenian civilians and soldiers. We must also provide additional humanitarian assistance to the tens of thousands of displaced people who have fled for fear of their lives.

Second, we must end our silence on Azerbaijans and Turkeys regional aggression and halt military aid to Azerbaijan, which has totaled over $100 million in the past two years. A country that shatters international norms to threaten and invade its neighbor is not one that U.S. taxpayers should be aiding and abetting.

We must also reassess our relationship with Turkey, which has always been complex, but has become increasingly untenable as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has amassed autocratic powers while undermining U.S. interests. In addition to encouraging, arming, and supplying Syrian mercenaries to wage war in Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkeys actions in Syria have set back U.S. interests and endangered our forces. Turkey even recently tested a new Russian anti-aircraft system that could weaken NATOs military advantage over Russia, despite our strong objections and threat of sanctions.

Finally, President Biden can make a strong and early endorsement of human rights by recognizing the Armenian Genocide in April.

In 2019, Congress voted overwhelmingly for the first time in decades to directly acknowledge the murder of 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1923 by the Ottoman Empire as a genocide. The Armenian Genocides wounds can never heal, but they are particularly painful at a time when Armenians once again face threats of ethnic cleansing, as both Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev echo the genocidal language of a century ago. Presidential recognition of the Armenian Genocide will reverberate across the world, making clear that America stands for human rights and against denial.

On Jan. 6, America prevailed against the malevolent and persistent forces seeking to overturn democracy. We must once again lead by example by strengthening democratic institutions and norms abroad and at home. In the South Caucasus, we can act in support of the fundamental human right to self-determination and against the settlement of territorial disputes through the application of military force.

As the values of human rights, democracy and freedom increasingly come under assault by autocrats, Americas leadership is needed more than ever. Our allies and adversaries are watching closely.

Jackie Speier represents the 14th District (northern Peninsula, slice of San Francisco) in the U.S. House of Representatives; Adam Schiff represents the 28th District (Los Angeles area) in the U.S. House of Representatives. They are co-chairs of the Congressional Armenian Caucus.
The County of Lackawanna Transit System is asking a judge to dismiss an age-discrimination lawsuit filed by its former personnel manager, arguing the case is based on bogus information.

COLTS attorney Sean Summers says Linda Matylewiczs lawsuit should be thrown out because the key element of the case  allegations the agency hired a younger person to replace her  is not true.

Matylewicz served as COLTS human resources manager from October 2014 to Nov. 7, 2018, when she was fired.

Matylewiczs letter of termination said she was fired for several performance issues, including her failure to monitor the status of employees off work under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Matylewicz alleged that reasoning was a pretext for the agency to replace her with a younger person.

In the motion to dismiss the case, Summers says Matylewicz has acknowledged her claim is based on a newspaper article that reported COLTS was seeking to replace her with Lackawanna Countys human resources manager, Justin MacGregor, under a deal that would have him split his time between COLTS and the county.

The COLTS board did vote in January 2019 to hire MacGregor as a part-time, acting human resources manager, dependent on the county agreeing to the deal. It fell through after the county rejected the idea. COLTS instead hired Karla Ortiz to fill the position in March 2019.

It is inconceivable that the plaintiff should be permitted to proceed  when Justin was never hired and frankly, never even genuinely considered for the position, Summers says in the motion. If plaintiffs claim is meritorious, then it must logically follow that even the mere, supposed consideration of a person for hire serves as grounds for an age discrimination claim.

Matylewiczs attorney, Gerald Hanchulak, will have an opportunity to respond to the motion. A judge will issue a ruling at a later date.
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
Shares of rallied 6 per cent to hit a record high of Rs 568 on the BSE in intra-day trade on Monday after reporting strong December quarter (Q3FY21) results, with net profit increasing 19 per cent at Rs 4,940 crore, on steady revenue growth. The private sector lender had posted a net profit of Rs 4,146 crore in the quarter ended December 2019 (Q3FY20). The stock surpassed its previous high of Rs 561, touched on January 13, 2021.

The banks net Interest Income (NII) in the reporting quarter rose by 16 per cent at Rs 9,912 crore from Rs 8,545 crore in Q3FY20. Net Interest Margin for the reporting quarter declined to 3.67 per cent from 3.77 per cent in the year-ago quarter.

Following an order by the Supreme Court, no new non-performing assets (NPAs) were recognised since September 1 of last year. If such NPAs were recognised, the pro forma gross NPAs were 5.42 per cent and Net NPAs were 1.26 per cent. The resultant pro forma provision coverage ratio (PCR) was 77.6 per cent.

ICICI Banks loan growth is showing a strong revival in both wholesale, small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), and retail, with disbursement in many business segments crossing pre-COVID levels, led by festive demand, improving economic outlook, and strong digital eco-system build by the bank across business segments.

The restructuring pursuant to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) resolution framework stood at Rs 2,546 crore (0.4 per cent of advances) at December 31, 2020. This is less than the earlier guidance of one per cent of loan book as corporate India and the broader economy seem to be doing better than anticipated, the bank said in a media call after announcing the results.

 reported a strong Q3FY21, led by robust operating performance, while strong asset quality trends enabled decline in provisioning expenses. Loan growth is showing a strong revival in both Wholesale and Retail, with disbursement in many business segments surpassing pre-COVID levels. Asset quality remains under control, with controlled slippages and total restructuring at 0.4 per cent of loans, Motilal Oswal Securities said in result update.

On the asset quality front, controlled slippages led to a 6 basis points (bps) quarter on quarter rise in the pro forma GNPA ratio, while total restructuring stood at 0.4 per cent of loans (v/s 1 per cent guided earlier). Pro forma PCR stood around 78 per cent, the highest in the industry. It holds unutilized COVID provisions of Rs 6,470 crore (1 per cent of loans), offering comfort on normalization in credit cost. We raise our FY21E estimate by 20 per cent due to lower credit cost while largely maintaining our FY22E/FY23E estimates, the brokerage firm said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced some direct tax proposals in her Budget 2021 speech, including taxing interest earned by provident fund contributions above Rs 2.5 lakh a year at normal rates. This will only apply to the employee's contribution and not that of the employer.

"In order to rationalise tax exemption for the income earned by high income employees, it is proposed to restrict tax exemption for the interest income earned on the employees' contribution to various provident funds to the annual contribution of Rs 2.5 lakh. This restriction shall be applicable only for the contribution made on or after 01.04.2021," said the Finance Minister.

This will impact high-income salaried people using voluntary provident fund for tax-free interest. Individuals who contribute over Rs 20,833 a month to PF will be taxed.

The government had made a similar proposal in Budget 2016 wherein the interest accrued on 60 per cent of EPF was to be taxed. The proposal was subsequently recalled after a massive outcry. However, the proposal only impacts high-salaried employees and might not receive such a backlash.

Additionally, the government stated that any delay in deposit of contribution of employees by employers towards welfare funds will not be allowed. "Delay in deposit of the contribution of employees towards various welfare funds by employers result in permanent loss of interest/income for the employees. In order to ensure timely deposit of employees' contribution to these funds by the employers, it is proposed to reiterate that the late deposit of employees' contribution by the employer shall never be allowed as deduction to the employer," said the Finance Minister.

The government also proposed to "rationalise provisions relating to taxation of the assets or amount received by partners from the partnership firm in excess of their capital contribution".

Also read: Budget 2021 Live Updates: Sitharaman flags 2 major features of Budget -- infrastructure and healthcare boost

Also read: Budget 2021 speech highlights: IPO of LIC to come in 2021-22, says FM
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrells office Sunday called a video showing a large crowd of people packed onto Bourbon Street this weekend unacceptable.

Any mass gathering like the one seen here is a potential super-spreader event, said a statement released by Cantrell's office Sunday afternoon. This is dangerous. This risks lives. And it risks the progress our city has made in  stopping the spread of the coronavirus, which has plagued New Orleans since last spring.

The 14-second video surfaced on Twitter late Saturday, the second day of eased coronavirus restrictions. It showed a large crowd dancing to a song by Baton Rouge rapper Boosie, with many in the frame choosing to not wear the kinds of masks that help prevent the coronavirus from spreading.

Meanwhile in New Orleans  pic.twitter.com/lkahO7agmI   Orleans witter (@neworleanstl) January 31, 2021

The eased rules let restaurants double the number of customers they can serve and paved the way for gatherings of as many 25 people to occur.

But New Orleans bars remain closed to indoor service through Mardi Gras, and people in the city are still not supposed to gather in large groups of folks who are not members of their immediate households.

The pandemic has killed more than 700 New Orleanians over the past 10 months, and hospitals have been filled to critical levels since November, well before a new and more contagious strain of the coronavirus first found in the United King was discovered in Louisiana.

Health experts are bracing for that U.K. variant to become the dominant strain across the U.S. by March. Officials are hopeful that the coronavirus vaccines they are struggling to distribute will still be effective against that strain as well as others.

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

+5 Eased coronavirus restrictions in New Orleans: Here's when they start, what they include New Orleans restaurants may double the number of customers that they're currently allowed to serve and gatherings of as many as 25 people may 

The statement from Cantrells office said the mayor would take a hard look at what happened on Bourbon this weekend and pursue appropriate action whenever possible.

As Mardi Gras approaches, we call upon our residents, our business owners, and our guests to be vigilant, the statement said. Weve lost  700 of our sisters and brothers already. Dont be part of making that worse.

Officials canceled the areas Carnival parades this year to keep coronavirus infections as low as possible. But locals have been working to start new traditions, such as converting the outside of their homes into house floats, to facilitate a celebration amid the health restrictions.

Cantrell has said visitors are still welcome to come to the city as long as they act like a New Orleanian.

Large numbers of the citys residents have heeded officials calls to wear face masks, socially distance and avoid large crowds, especially in last springs campaign to "bend the curve," or slow the rate of contagion.
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.
On Scene TV

A car chase that began near Polk County ended at the Houston FBI building late Sunday night, according to police.

A red Dodge Charger involved in the pursuit was left at the front gates of the FBI building at 1 Justice Park Drive, authorities said.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened, families and inexperienced hikers have fled large metropolitan areas they would usually spend their free time in and have literally ran for the hills. As state park visitation skyrocketed at some Texas parks over 2020, rescues of hikers also increased.

At Big Bend State Park, the largest park in the state, staff reported 23 rescues last year, more than double the 11 recorded in 2019 before the pandemic, as reported by Texas Monthly Magazine. Their story opens with the rescue of a 45-year-old San Antonio man, whose rescue called for four hours from 13 crew members and lots of equipment.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 2) President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday claimed the European Union is holding hostage the COVID-19 vaccines manufactured in their region, saying the Association of Southeast Asian Nations  which the Philippines is a part of  is not as influential when it comes to securing coronavirus vaccines.

He said the powerful regional bloc is obstructing the export of AstraZeneca vaccines made in the United Kingdom before the company fulfills its obligations in EU.

"Eh yung AstraZeneca hinostage ng European Union. Iyong ating ASEAN it is not that powerful to have a clout sa mga ganitong ginagawa ngayon. Wala nga eh. Walang supply," he said in his weekly taped address with his Cabinet members, even as some ASEAN members have already started their vaccination program.

[Translation: AstraZeneca is being held hostage by the European Union... The ASEAN is not that powerful to have that same amount of clout. We don't have supply.]

The European Union recently called out vaccine makers AstraZeneca and Pfizer over delivery delays. Officials even threatened to restrict exports and take legal action against the manufacturers.

Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. backed Duterte's claim, but he said the country will not be affected by the "politics" in the United Kingdom since the Philippines' supply of AstraZeneca vaccines will be manufactured in Thailand and at the Serum Institute of India.

The President also said the Philippines' "greatest disadvantage" is that the country cannot compete with nations that offer to purchase the doses at a higher price.

"Labanan ito ngayon sa highest bidder nga. Kung sino yung makabayad ng una, mag-deposito na, tapos lalo na kung yung bansa na yon ang humihingi ng supply ng vaccine is the country where the factory is located, nauuna talaga sa kanila," he added.

[Translation: This is an issue of who can bid the highest, who can pay first, who can deposit the payment first. The country where vaccines are manufactured are also prioritized.]

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez assured the government has funds to buy vaccines for Filipinos. He said there will be multilateral funding from the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank worth P66.2 billion that can pay for 106 million doses of vaccines. The Philippines will also pay over P4 billion for 40 million doses of vaccines that can be accessed through the COVAX facility.

The country is set to have its initial rollout of vaccines by end of February or in March as the Philippines is set to receive its first doses of coronavirus vaccines through the COVAX facility, an initiative led by the World Health Organization. At least 117,000 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are seen to arrive in the country on the second or third week of February. The Philippines may also be able to access 5.5 million to up to 9.2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines made in South Korea by late February or early March.

However, neighboring countries in ASEAN like Singapore, Indonesia, and Myanmar have already started to immunize their people against the coronavirus.

The finance chief added that the target is to get vaccines for 70 million Filipino adults, but he said national officials negotiated for doses for 92 million people to factor in possible delays.

While waiting for the arrival of the vaccines, Duterte assured the public the government is doing its best to address the health crisis.

"We cannot do anything. We cannot call upon the heavens to fall on its knees, to demand and be ours what is not to be simply ours," he said. "Just keep your faith in government."
Coronavirus variants are covertly infiltrating the shores of the United States and the infected persons are showing no discernible connection.

Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm said on Sundays CBS Face The Nation that the nation is facing a Category 5 storm as the new and more contagious coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom spreads in the United States. This contagen is silently infultrating the shores of the United States. The new and more infectious coronavirus variant first detected in the United Kingdom spreads in the United States

We are going to see something like we have not seen yet in this country, he said.

Osterholms warned Chuck Todd, Americans shouldnt be fooled by the falling infection numbers weve seen the last couple of weeks. Christmas and New Year celebrations set off a wave of infections that reached 400,000 daily resulting in over 4,000 deaths a day:

Imagine where were at, Chuck, right now: You and I are sitting on this beach where its 70 degrees, perfectly blue skies, gentle breeze. But I see that Hurricane 5, Category 5 or higher, 450 miles offshore. And telling people to evacuate in that nice blue sky day is going to be hard. But I can also tell you that hurricanes coming.

Two new cases of the COVID-19 variant were found in adults in two different localities in South Carolina. The infected persons do not have the earmarks of being associated with one another. According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, neither infected individual has traveled recently, which means they contracted the virus here in the United States. Dr. Krutika Kuppalli, an infections doctor at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, was quoted as saying

Its likely broader and thats alarming because it implies there could be more undetected cases inside the state.

The appearance of the various shows that the battle against this lethal infection is far from over, Dr. Brannon Traxler, interval general wellbeing chief at the DHEC, said in a proclamation.

While more COVID-19 immunizations are in transit, supplies are as yet restricted. All of us should commit once again to the battle by perceiving that we are generally on the cutting edges now. We are all in this together.

This virus is showing the ability to continue to change. Scientists and researchers have identified three variations already in the United Kingdom, South Africa and Brazil, all of which are more contagious than the original infection we have been battling since early in the year.

As the variations bring the potential for a more prominent contamination hazard in the U.S., pandemic-exhausted legislators in a few states are standing up against masking orders, business terminations and other defensive limitations requested by lead representatives.

States including Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Kentucky and Indiana governments are trying to keep the spread of Covid-19 to a minimum, but many citizens are refusing to cooperate. Its Legislature is trying to revoke their state governors mandate in Wisconsin. Pennsylvania legislators are thinking about an established correction to strip its legislative leader of a significant number of his crisis powers

Government representatives contend they need the power to act quickly in an emergency, and impediments could slow basic crisis reactions.

In South Carolina, the state wellbeing organization said the variation was found in one individual from the states waterfront district and another in its northeastern corner. The state gave no other data, referring to protection concerns.

Researchers a week ago revealed fundamental signs that a portion of the new transformations may unassumingly control the viability of two immunizations, even though they focused on ensuring the shots protect against the infection. There are additional signs that a portion of the new changes may subvert tests for the infection and lessen specific medicines viability.

The COVID-19 resulted in 430,000 death and 26.4 million infections in the United States. While the rollout of immunizations has been moderate, President Joe Biden has vowed to convey 100 million infusions in his initial 100 days in office. Now that President Biden has been in office for just nine days, the number of vaccine shots has climbed to 1.5 million daily.
Oregon officially became the first US state to decriminalize possession of all drugs on Monday.

Beginning today, police in the state can no longer arrest someone for possession of small amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, LSD, oxycodone and other hard drugs under a ballot measure passed by a wide margin in November. Instead, those found in possession would face a $100 fine or a health assessment that could lead to addiction counseling.

Backers of the ballot measure decriminalizing hard drugs hailed it as a revolutionary move for the United States, while a vocal minority of opponents - including two dozen district attorneys - decried the measure as reckless and said it could lead to an increase in drug use.

Instead of facing arrest, those found by law enforcement with personal-use amounts of drugs would face a civil citation, 'like a traffic ticket', and not a criminal citation, according to the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), which spearheaded the initiative.

'Today, the first domino of our cruel and inhumane war on drugs has fallen, setting off what we expect to be a cascade of other efforts centering health over criminalization,' said DPA executive director Kassandra Frederique.

Ballot Measure 110's backers said treatment needs to be the priority and that criminalizing drug possession was not working.

Besides facing the prospect of being locked up, having a criminal record makes it difficult to find housing and jobs and can haunt a person for a lifetime.

Oregon officially became the first US state to decriminalize possession of small amounts of all drugs - including heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, on Monday

New possession limits Under the new Oregon law that went into effect on Monday, offenders caught with the following drug amounts can avoid criminal charges: Less than 1 gram of heroin

Less than 1 gram, or less than 5 pills, of MDMA

Less than 2 grams of methamphetamine

Less than 40 units of LSD

Less than 12 grams of psilocybin

Less than 40 units of methadone

Less than 40 pills of oxycodone

Less than 2 grams of cocaine Offenders caught with the following amounts of drugs will be charged with misdemeanor simple possession, rather than a felony: 1 to 3 grams of heroin

1 to 4 grams of MDMA

2 to 8 grams of methamphetamine

2 to 8 grams of cocaine Advertisement

Under the new system, addiction recovery centers will be tasked with 'triaging the acute needs of people who use drugs and assessing and addressing any on-going needs thorough intensive case management and linkage to care and services'.

The addiction recovery centers will be funded by millions of dollars of tax revenue from Oregon's legalized marijuana industry. That diverts some funds from other programs and entities that already receive it, like schools.

The ballot measure capped the amount of pot tax revenue that schools; mental health alcoholism and drug services; the state police; and cities and counties receive at $45million annually, with the rest going to a 'Drug Treatment and Recovery Services Fund'.

The fund will be awash in money if the sales trend for marijuana continues as expected.

The initiative is also expected to help save money by reducing law enforcement costs stemming from arrests.

In the 2020 fiscal year, marijuana tax revenues peaked at $133million, a 30 percent increase over the previous year, and a 545 percent increase over 2016, when pot taxes began being collected from legal, registered recreational marijuana enterprises around the state.

The other recipients of pot tax revenues are now saying that, after assessment and related treatment options are set up, the distribution of those revenues will deserve another look. A leading lawmaker agrees.

'In the future, as Oregon's treatment programs reach full funding, the state should evaluate what other services would benefit from our continually growing marijuana tax revenues,' Oregon Education Association President John Larson said in an email.

Larson said a 'balanced approach to budgeting' will support communities and students. The OEA union represents about 44,000 educators.

Possession of hard drugs was decriminalized under a ballot measure that Oregon voters passed by a wide margin in November. Pictured: Volunteers deliver boxes containing signed petitions in favor of the measure to the Oregon Secretary of State's office last summer

State Sen Floyd Prozanski, chair of the Senate Committee On Judiciary and Ballot Measure 110 Implementation, said he expects Oregon's cannabis tax revenues to increase exponentially if recreational marijuana in the United States is legalized. He expects that to happen within four years.

That would make the Drug Treatment and Recovery Services Fund 'oversaturated with revenue' as out-of-state consumers legally buy Oregon's potent marijuana, Prozanski said in a telephone interview.

Before the November 2020 elections, Oregon was among 11 states as well as Washington, DC, that had legalized marijuana. Voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota all approved ballot measures in November legalizing marijuana for adults.

'It would be foolish for us as a Legislature to think that the voters would want us to put hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of millions of dollars into a program that would be, at that point, I would think, having a gold standard' in addiction recovery services, Prozanski, a Democrat, said.

Oregon is a pioneer in liberalizing drug laws. It was the first state, in 1973, to decriminalize marijuana possession. In 2014, Oregon voters passed a ballot measure legalizing recreational use of marijuana.

But Matt Sutton, a spokesman for the DPA, said there are no plans to pursue legalization and a regulated market of hard drugs in Oregon.

The November ballot question received a $500,000 donation from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Dr Priscilla Chan, who favors a health-based approach to drug addiction.

Backers of the ballot measure decriminalizing hard drugs hailed it as a revolutionary move for the United States, while a vocal minority of opponents - including two dozen district attorneys - decried the measure as reckless and said it could lead to an increase in drug use (file photo)

Addiction recovery centers must be available by October 1. One center must be established within each existing coordinated care organization service area. Prozanski said that timeline might be hard to meet.

After decriminalization of hard drugs, about 3,700 fewer Oregonians per year will be convicted of felony or misdemeanor possession of controlled substances, according to estimates by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission.

The measure will also likely lead to a 95 percent reduction in racial and ethnic disparities in convictions and arrests, the state commission said.

While this approach is new in the United States, several countries, including Portugal, the Netherlands and Switzerland, have already decriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs, according to the United Nations.

Portugal's 2000 decriminalization brought no surge in drug use. Drug deaths fell while the number of people treated for drug addiction in the country rose 20 percent from 2001 to 2008 and then stabilized, Portuguese officials have said.
The first thing to say is that a war with China probably wont happen.

Yet if it does, it might begin in an obscure place few have heard of, like Pratas or Kinmen Islands. Both are controlled by Taiwan but are closer to China, and some Chinese and Americans alike worry that Chinese President Xi Jinping might invade one island or the other to pressure Taiwan.

Or Xi might send a submarine to snip undersea cables that carry the internet to Taiwan, or he could impede oil deliveries to Taiwan, or he might order a cyberattack to bring down Taiwans banking system.

Most experts dont believe that such an assault is likely (an all-out invasion of Taiwan is even less probable), but it is a considerably greater risk than it had been for decades. And what began on Pratas or Kinmen wouldnt end there: The United States would most likely be drawn into perhaps the most dangerous confrontation with another nuclear power since the Cuban missile crisis.

So while we try to calm partisan warfare in Washington, lets work harder to prevent an actual international shooting war in Asia. The coming years represent the greatest risks since I began covering U.S.-China relations in the 1980s, partly because Xi is an overconfident, risk-taking bully who believes that the United States is in decline.

I think its unlikely that therell be a military confrontation there, but I dont rule it out, said Bonnie Glaser of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

That seems right to me  but I also worry that were wrong. Few expected Xi to pick fights with India on their shared border, as he has several times in the past year, and heaven help us if he is similarly reckless toward Taiwan and sparks a war with the United States.

Dealing with Mitch McConnell will be a piece of cake for President Joe Biden compared with dealing with Xi. Bidens challenge will be to constrain a Chinese leader who has been oppressive in Hong Kong, genocidal in the Xinjiang region, obdurate on trade, ruthless on human rights and insincere on everything, while still cooperating with China on issues like climate change, fentanyl and North Korea (which many experts expect to resume missile launches this year). Oh, and we dont have a China strategy.

Im just not sure were up to this task.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has, rightly, signaled that he will continue what he called Donald Trumps tougher approach toward China, albeit adding human rights concerns and working with allies to make the toughness more effective. Still, Republicans see China policy as a vulnerability for this administration, with some ridiculing Beijing Biden, and Sen. Ted Cruz denouncing Team Bidens embrace of the Chinese Communist Party.

Thats nonsense, for Biden has recruited an excellent, tough-minded team of Asia experts, but the criticisms reflect a hardening toward Beijing across the political spectrum that leaves little room for diplomacy. That makes me nervous.

I was in Tiananmen Square when Chinese troops opened fire on protesters in 1989, and I have had more Chinese friends imprisoned than I can count. I have no illusions about Beijing. But I worry that two trains are rushing toward each other, for several reasons:

 We Americans have a pattern of exaggerating threats. We fixated at various times on Nasserism, Southeast Asian dominoes and Japan as No. 1. In retrospect, these fears had some basis but were too simplistic; lets not repeat that mistake in the case of China.

 We should bring a dose of humility to our discussions of China. The criticisms of Xi are deserved, but its also true that an infant born in Beijing today has a longer life expectancy (82 years) than a baby born in Washington (78). China badly bungled its initial handling of the coronavirus outbreak but then moved heaven and earth to halt the virus and save hundreds of thousands of lives. China is a complex and contradictory place, not a caricature.

 Lets distinguish between Xi and China, criticizing the former without demonizing the latter. Senior Chinese officials and their family members in private denounce Xi to me in scathing terms (one told me a few days ago that Xi is a crazy person). So we should avoid insulting the entire country and forcing officials to rally around their leader.

 Biden needs to manage Xi and reduce the risk of war without pulling his punches: Biden should denounce cultural genocide in Xinjiang but not seek a boycott of the Beijing 2022 Olympics, and he should strengthen ties with Taiwan but not gratuitously poke Xi in the eye. We can send Army Green Berets to train with Taiwan armed forces without releasing video of the training, as the Trump administration did. We can also work with China to reduce the risk of accidents and escalation.

We learned with the Soviet Union how to keep the Cold War cold, noted David Shambaugh, a George Washington University scholar and author of several excellent books on U.S.-China relations.

He suggests dusting off the Cold War toolbox to see whether arms control agreements, hotlines and military-to-military consultations can lower temperatures.

Were in really dangerous waters now, Shambaugh noted.

Kristof is a columnist for the New York Times.
KYODO NEWS - Feb 1, 2021 - 22:37 | All, World, Japan

Japan has "serious concerns" about the situation in Myanmar and urges the release of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Monday.

In a statement issued after Myanmar's military staged a coup, Motegi said Japan strongly urges it to "promptly restore a democratic political system" in the Southeast Asian country.

The Japanese government has strongly supported Myanmar's democratization process and opposes moves against this, the foreign minister said.

Japan's top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato said, "It is important that the relevant parties resolve the situation peacefully through dialogue."

Kato, the chief Cabinet secretary, told a press conference Japan was gathering information via its embassy in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, and will ensure the safety of its citizens.

Myanmar's military seized power and declared a nationwide state of emergency on Monday, local and other media reported, with a spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy saying Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other senior party officials had been detained.

The coup followed a landslide victory by the NLD in the November general election, the results of which the military has disputed as fraudulent.

Japanese firms in Myanmar have also been scrambling to gather information on the situation. There are around 400 firms with business in the country, according to the government-backed Japan External Trade Organization.

Toyota Motor Corp., which plans to commence operations of its first production plant in the country this month, said it is currently "assessing" the situation. The sentiments were echoed by Suzuki Motor Corp., which owns two plants in Myanmar and plans to open another in September.

Aeon Co. said that it has confirmed the safety of Japanese staff posted in the country, and will keep its supermarkets open while prioritizing the safety of local workers.

The major Japanese retailer operates supermarkets in a joint venture with a local company. Although it has managed to make contact with the joint venture, it is "unable to get information in real time," a spokesperson said.

Related coverage:

Myanmar military seizes power: Reuters

U.S. urges release of Suu Kyi, warns of "action"

Australia "deeply concerned" by reports of Suu Kyi's detention
Two patients in Brazil have tested positive for more than one strain of coronavirus at the same time in what is believed to be the world's first double Covid infection.

Researchers at Feevale University made the discovery after swabbing 90 infected people in Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil.

One of the patients tested positive for two Brazilian strains which evolved separately in different states, known as P.1 and P.2.

P.1 has caused international alarm because it appears to be somewhat resistant to vaccines, which has led to Britain banning all travel from South America.

Another patient tested positive for P.2 and the B.1.91 strain, which first appeared in Sweden, at the same time, according to the study, which has not yet been published in a scientific journal or scrutinised by other scientists.

Fernando Spilki, the lead researcher on the study, said he feared the co-infections would 'generate combinations and generate new variants even more quickly'.

Dr John McCauley, director of the Worldwide Influenza Centre at the Francis Crick Institute in London, told MailOnline it was possible for someone to get infected by two strains at the same time, which can happen with the flu.

He warned that, while unlikely, it was also biologically possible the two strains could interfere with one another and swap genetic code.

'Getting one strain up a nostril and another up another nostril doesn't matter...but (the risk is) if they get to the back of the throat and then go into the same cell - then there's an opportunity for this to happen.'

Another senior scientist, who asked to remain anonymous, said it was possible the Brazilian scientists had contaminated their samples during sequencing, leading to incorrect results.



Brazil is in the middle of a devastating second wave of Covid, with more than 1,000 deaths a day, and has the second highest fatality toll worldwide. At least two variants have spawned there, which experts believe is due to such a high level of sustained transmission, and multiple others are in circulation.

Pictured above is the spread of the B.1.1.28 lineage which is the parent of the Brazilian strain, that is causing major concern across the world

And this is the spread of the B.1.91 lineage which first appeared in Sweden

Scientists said it was possible for someone to be infected by two strains of the virus at the same time. Above is Covid-19 and its spike proteins, which it uses to invade cells

The two cases of dual-infections were reported from Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil

Dr Julian Tang, a professor in respiratory sciences at the University of Leicester, said it was 'not uncommon' for two strains of a virus to infect the same person.

'It is perfectly possible for a child attending a primary school to get infected with one variant of Covid-19, and an older sibling to attend secondary school and get infected with a different Covid-19 variant - and for both children to bring their viruses home to infect each other - and their parents with both variants,' he told MailOnline.

What variants are causing panic around the world? Kent variant Real name: B.1.1.7 When was it discovered? The variant was first found in the South East of England and can be traced back to September 2020. What mutations does it have? It has 23 mutations, some of which change the shape of the spike protein on its outside. The main mutation is known as N501Y. This appears to make it better able to stick to the cells inside the body and makes it more likely to cause infection and faster to spread. Why is it causing worry? UK studies have shown it is between 50 and 70 per cent more infectious than the regular strain, which has made it harder to control. Preliminary studies also show it is about 30 per cent more deadly than previous versions. How many people have caught it in the UK? It is the dominant strain in Britain and accounts for the majority of new cases. Brazil variant Real name: P.1 When was it discovered? In Tokyo, Japan, in four travellers arriving from Manaus, Brazil, on January 2. What mutations does it have? P.1 has 17 mutations, three of which are particularly concerning to scientists. Like the Kent variant, it also has the N501Y mutation which suggests it's more infectious and possibly more lethal. It also has a spike alteration named E484K, which scientists believe may be associated with an ability to evade parts of the immune system called antibodies. Researchers suspect this is the case because strains with this mutation have been shown to reinfect people who caught and beat older versions of Covid. Another key mutation in the variant, named K417T, has the potential to 'possibly escape some antibodies', according to British experts. This mutation is less well-studied and the ramifications of this are still being researched. Why is it causing worry? There have been a number of proven cases of people catching this variant after beating older versions of the virus. It strongly suggests the variant can evade natural immunity and possibly even vaccines. How many people have caught it in the UK? It's not. Public health officials and scientists randomly sample around 1 in 10 coronavirus cases in the UK and they have not yet reported any cases of the variant, but this doesn't rule it out completely. South African variant Real name: B.1.351 When was it discovered? Nelson Mandela Bay, in South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, in mid-December. What mutations does it have? The South African variant carries 21 mutations, including E484K and N501Y. Why is it causing worry? Those two mutations suggest it is more infectious than the older version of Covid and raise the possibility of antibody resistance. However, Sir Patrick Vallance has said there is no reason the South African or Brazilian strains would become dominant in the UK, because they don't have any evolutionary edge over the Kent strain currently plaguing the country, which is just as transmissible. How many people have caught it in the UK? At least 77 Brits have been infected with this variant, though the number is likely to be far higher because PHE is only testing random positive samples. Advertisement

Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, said it was unlikely that two strains of Covid-19 could infect a cell at the same time.

'If one virus gets in it takes over that cell, and it's difficult for another to get in,' he told MailOnline.

He added changes in the virus were being driven by random mutations: 'It does mutate at a very very low rate and a lot of (its mutations are) in response to the low pressure that we put on it.'

He said it was through this mechanism that changes in the virus were occurring and new strains were evolving, and there was no proof that variants had emerged after swapping genes between different viruses.

Professor Keith Neal, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Nottingham, said if there's a lot of transmission 'you can pick up two different viruses around the same time'.

But he cautioned that when there is a predominant strain - such as the Kent version in large parts of the UK - people are only likely to catch this one.

Covid-19 has been evolving using mutations during the pandemic, which are triggered when the virus makes mistakes while making copies of itself.

The N501Y change, which makes the virus more infectious, is one example. It has occurred separately on the Kent, South African and Brazilian variants.

The variants have sparked fears the virus could mutate to get around immunity triggered by the vaccines, based on the original form identified in Wuhan, China.

But studies show that while the strains appear to make the current crop of vaccines less potent, the jabs are still enough to kill off the mutant variant.

Nonetheless, vaccine developers are already working on booster shots to ensure they are 'ahead of the curve' should a variant emerge that can dodge jab immunity.

The samples from patients were sequenced in a lab to confirm whether patients had been infected with the virus, with the results published as a pre-print, meaning they haven't been checked by other scientists.

It comes as health chiefs began door-to-door mass testing in parts of England today after 11 people tested positive for the South African variant of the virus who had no travel links, suggesting that strain is spreading in the community.

In a desperate attempt to keep track of the mutated virus that experts fear could hamper the current crop of vaccines, health officials will visit homes in Woking in Surrey, Walsall in the West Midlands, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire.

More than 80,000 over-16s will be targeted as part of the huge surveillance scheme and residents will be asked to take a test regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. Local health workers will go door-to-door, as well as police officers, firefighters and council workers.

As well as knocking on doors and asking residents to take tests there and then, extra mobile swabbing units will be deployed to all eight postcodes and home testing kits will be available to order online for residents to do themselves.

Public Health England has already spotted 105 cases of the 'B.1.351' South African variant since December 22, including at least 11 people  scattered across the eight areas receiving extra testing  who were struck down with the virus but had no history of international travel.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said 'enhanced contact tracing' had been carried out to isolate the 11 patients' close contacts. There is currently no evidence that the variant causes more severe illness and early studies suggest the current crop of jabs are good enough to protect against it.

Covid-19 has been evolving using mutations during the pandemic, which are triggered when the virus makes mistakes while making copies of itself.

The N501Y change, which makes the virus more infectious, is one example. It has occurred separately on the Kent, South African and Brazilian variants.

The variants have sparked fears the virus could mutate to get around immunity triggered by the vaccines, based on the original form identified in Wuhan, China.

But studies show that while the strains appear to make the current crop of vaccines less potent, the jabs are still enough to kill off the mutant variant.

Nonetheless, vaccine developers are already working on booster shots to ensure they are 'ahead of the curve' should a variant emerge that can dodge jab immunity.

Updated with statement from Circle K.

Whats up with beer sales at the Circle K stores in Central New York?

During the past weekend, the gas station / convenience market chain offered huge discounts to liquidate its beer inventory at many of its local locations. That prompted customers to line up and haul away bargain 6-packs and cases. The deal ended at midnight Sunday.

Today (Feb. 1) the State Liquor Authority web site shows about 40 Circle K locations in Central and Northern New York with expired liquor licenses. In almost all cases, the expiration dates on the previous licenses were Jan. 31, 2021.

A Circle K spokesman late today called it an administrative error that should be corrected soon.

Our Circle K management teams in NYS are currently working with the state to address an administrative error that occurred with the current licensing for our stores in the area, which, in turn, required us to liquidate product that was onsite, spokesman Brian Ridgeway said in an email late today. We expect to be re-licensed and begin to sell beer again soon at all Circle K locations that were affected in NYS.

Ridgeway did not specify the issue, but it may stem from a change at most of the stores from the Nice N Easy brand to Circle K within the last few years.

CST Brands of San Antonio purchased the stores in Central and Northern New York in 2014, shortly after the death of Nice N Easy founder John MacDougall. A division called CST New York LLC operated them for several years under the Nice n Easy name. They were later rebranded as Circle K stores.

But many of the licenses that were due to expire on Jan. 31 still had the Nice N Easy name on them. That presents a problem, although a fixable one, for license renewal.

A spokesman for the State Liquor Authority said the solution could be as simple as filing the name change with the Secretary of States office.

On Saturday and Sunday, Circle K stores across Central New York offered discounts such as $1 for single cans or bottles, $5 for 6-packs, $8 for 12- to 18-packs; and $10 for 24- to 30-packs. The deals applied equally to high-end craft brands and to lower-priced bargain brands.

On social media, such as at the Syracuse Craft Beer Enthusiasts group page, posters reported long lines at many stores, leading to entire inventories being wiped out. Photos showed people loading up carts with packages of beers like Sloop Juice Bomb, Southern Tier mixed-packs, Lagunitas Super Cluster and Thin Man Minkey Boodle (brewed in Buffalo).

The Circle K brand is owned by the Canadian company Couche-Tard, which also has stores under the Holiday and Corner Store names. It operates about 7,100 stores in 47 different states.

The Central New York stores are part of its Great Lakes Region.

The screen shot from the NY State Liquor Authority shows that liquor licenses have expired at many Circle K convenience stores operated by CST New York LLC. "AX" is the designation for a grocery beer / wine product license.

Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or 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.
A 55-year-old anganwadi teacher in the Mancherial district of Telangana, who was recently administered a vaccine against the novel coronavirus , died in a state-run healthcare centre, the state health department said.

This is the third such incident that has come to light in Telangana since India commenced the world's largest Covid-19 vaccination drive on 16 .

The 55-year-old woman's death is not related to the coronavirus vaccination, a senior official told news agency PTI.

The deceased, identified as Susheela, passed away while undergoing treatment in Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences on Saturday. She was inoculated on 19 January.

Susheela was shifted to NIMS two days ago after her condition deteriorated.

"She was a chronic patient of High Blood Pressure and also had lung ailment. We believe her death is not due to the vaccination," Mancherial District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr M Neeraja said.

Meanwhile, Telangana Health Minister E Rajender said the state government would set up a mechanism to counsel and instill confidence among those health workers who registered for a Covid-19 vaccine but withdraw due to apprehensions.

Addressing a Special Virtual Talk on Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday by Telangana State Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Trade (TSFCCT), Rajender said some people have fear of getting inoculated due to 'unreliable and unscientific' news being spread about the Covid-19 vaccines.

"Today people need more confidence and courage. To dispel these alleged fears, I volunteered to take the vaccine. Today 25 to 30% health workers still have not taken the vaccine," he added.

So far, Telangana has received eight lakh doses.

Health officials in the state have said that 1,986 private healthcare personnel were administered the coronavirus vaccine on Saturday.

The total percentage of government and private healthcare workers who received the vaccine till Saturday was 57%.

Meanwhile, the number of fresh coronavirus cases remained under 200 for the eighth day in a row in Telangana as the total infection count rose marginally to 2.94 lakh while the toll edged up to 1,599 with one more death, the state government said on Sunday.

With agency inputs

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Pakistan will receive 17 million doses of COVISHIELD through the COVAX route after it refused to directly procure Indian-made novel coronavirus vaccines. India has reportedly committed 100 lakh doses of vaccines to COVAX, a global initiative which aims at ensuring that middle and lower-income countries get timely access to COVID-19 vaccines.

In a statement, Dr. Faisal Sultan- the Special Assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister mentioned that 35-40% of these doses will be available in the first quarter of 2021 itself, while the rest will be supplied in the second half.

Pakistan which is currently witnessing a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has approved China's Sinopharm vaccine and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for emergency use. Till now, Pakistan has recorded 5,46,428 confirmed novel coronavirus cases out of which 5,01,252 patients have recovered while 11,683 fatalities have been reported.

Earlier in the day, it received 5,00,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine thereby paving way for the commencement of the country's COVID-19 vaccination drive next week. It is pertinent to note that India has sent vaccines as grant assistance and on commercial basis to numerous countries such as Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Oman, Brazil, Morocco and Myanmar.

Read: WHO: 90% Of COVID Jabs Given In Richer Countries

Happy to share that in addition to the 500,000 doses of Sinopharm, almost 7 million does of AstraZeneca to be made available in Q1 and given to the public free of cost! Pakistans vaccine drive starts next week, beginning with frontline healthcare workers. pic.twitter.com/6nJACx9aL7  Faisal Sultan (@fslsltn) January 30, 2021

Read: China Temporarily Blocks Incoming Passengers From Canada Due To COVID-19

COVID-19 vaccination in India

On January 3, the Drugs Controller General of India accepted the recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, 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 of 70.42 per cent. On the other hand, COVAXIN is a Whole Virion Inactivated Corona Virus Vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR and NIV.

Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan has made it clear that all the recipients of this vaccine will be tracked and monitored as if they are in clinical trial mode. On January 16, PM Modi launched the pan-India rollout of the novel coronavirus vaccination drive via video conferencing. In the first phase, 3 crore frontline workers shall be vaccinated followed by the people aged above 50 years and the under-50 population group with co-morbidities. A total of 37,58,843 beneficiaries have been vaccinated for the novel coronavirus as of 8 am on February 1.

Read: Budget 2021: Covid Shifts Fiscal Deficit Target To 6.8%; Contingency Fund Gets 30,000 Cr
A YOUNG dancer from Emmer Green has been signed up by two prestigious American contemporary dance companies.

Teige Bisnought, 21, will perform with Dallas Black Dance Theatre this spring before joining the renowned New York company Ailey II in June.

He got the call to join the Dallas company for a five-month contract earlier this month.

He will take part in covid-secure virtual and live performances in Texas before returning to New York to join Ailey II.

Teige said: I was so excited to be offered a place at Dallas Black Dance Theatre, I phoned my mum at 2.30am.

Performers the world over have had a tough time during covid, so I am so grateful for this completely new experience.

He added: I left for Dallas on Monday to perform in virtual shows and then in a live performance in June. Then its back to New York where I am honoured to be joining Ailey II.

Teige will be the only British male dancer at Ailey II. He grew up in Surley Row, Emmer Green, and was originally taken to dance classes by his mum Tessa, who was amazed at how effortlessly he copied routines on television and video.

He began his ballet training at the age of 10 with dance teacher Monica Cleaver, who runs Mos Dance and Drama in Caversham, Emmer Green and Woodley.

The former Sonning Primary School pupil attended Shiplake College for a year before continuing his secondary education at the ArtsEd school for the performing arts in Chiswick.

He remained a pupil of Mrs Cleaver and performed with the Berkshire Theatre School in Earley until he was 17, when he won a place at the Ailey School in New York.

Teige was 15 when he decided to dedicate himself to pursuing his dream of becoming a professional dancer. He said: I have worked really hard to achieve my dream, getting up at 6am to get the train from Reading to Chiswick and then leaving my family and moving to New York, but I know it wouldnt have happened without all the years I spent training with Monica.

I am thankful to my family for supporting me as well as for the continued love and support from the Reading dance community that helped me get where I am today.

I was in the show Fame with BTS and when I got to New York it really was like I was in Fame. I am so honoured I will be joining Ailey II when the company starts up again after Covid.

During the pandemic, Teige has been freelancing in New York, appearing in virtual covid fundraising concerts.

He will be running an online dance masterclass for Berkshire Theatre School students this term. Mrs Cleaver flew to New York in 2019 to see Teige dance in the Ailey Global Harmony showcase performance attended by industry talent scouts.

She said: I was so proud to see him dance in New York but not surprised at his success.

In less than six months when he was 10 he achieved distinction in Grade 2 RAD (Royal Academy of Dance), then took a grade every six months, getting a distinction in every exam.

He has stuck at it and worked really hard in these stressful times. His journey has been amazing.

Teiges mother Tessa said: It all started because he loved dancing and literally used to watch performers on the television and then do a brilliant copy. We are all so proud and cant wait until we are allowed to fly to the States to see him perform.
[February 01, 2021] Prumo, bp and Siemens Close Agreement with SPIC to Participate in Energy Infrastructure Projects in Brazil

Prumo, a private Brazilian company controlled by EIG Global Energy Partners, bp, Siemens (News - Alert) and SPIC Brasil ("SPIC") today announced the completion of the previously announced transaction by which SPIC acquired 33% of GNA I and GNA II LNG-to-power projects located in Port of Acu, Rio de Janeiro. SPIC has also closed on the previously announced agreement to participate in potential future expansion projects, GNA III and GNA IV, which are expected to be fueled by a combination of LNG and domestic gas from Brazil's vast pre-salt reserves. Together, GNA I and GNA II comprise the largest gas-to-power project in Latin America, with 3 GW of installed capacity - enough to supply energy for up to 14 million households. The complex also includes an LNG terminal with a total capacity of 21 million m3/day and pipelines capable of connecting offshore pre-salt gas and LNG to Brazil's gas transportation network. GNA I, which has an installed capacity of 1.3 GW, will commence operations in the first half of 2021. The first LNG cargo, supplied by bp, was successfully transferred to the BW Magna floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) on December 27, 2020. GNA II secured a $737 million financing agreement with the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES). With 1.7GW of installed capacity, GNA II is expected to create up to 5,000 jobs during construction and an additional 500 jobs when it begins operations. The successful close of this transaction during the COVID-19 pandemic reinforces GNA's position as a key player in Brazil's rapidly growing natural gas and power markets and a catalyst for the global energy transition. This agreement strengthens Brazil's position as a fertile environment for attracting new investments and helps lay the groundwork for the GNA III and GNA IV expansion projects and the domestic gas hub strategy and renewables projects. The estimated total planned investment in the GNA gas and power complex is approximately $5 billion. SPIC's contribution to this partnership is centered on its expertise in operation and project management strategy in Brazil. Siemens Financial Services - the financing arm of Siemens AG (News - Alert) - plans to contribute capital, innovative technology and its expertise managing similar projects. Siemens Energy will be responsible for the power plant construction and will also provide long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) service for the power plant. bp will contribute its global portfolio of LNG acting as a key integrated and innovative gas supplier. And Prumo will contribute the entire port infrastructure and operations to the partnership while steering project development and integration. The partnership facilitates the expansion of a range of projects and demonstrates the parties' commitment to completing the significant investments under development. BofA Securities and Lakeshore Partners acted as financial advisors to GNA and its sponsors. Itau BBA acted as exclusive financial advisor to SPIC. Siemens Financial Services (SFS) - the financing arm of Siemens - provides business-to-business financial solutions. A unique combination of financial expertise, risk management and industry know-how enable SFSto create tailored innovative financial solutions. With these, SFS facilitates growth, creates value, enhances competitiveness and helps customers access new technologies. SFS supports investments with equipment and technology financing and leasing, corporate lending, equity investments and project and structured financing. Trade and receivable financing solutions complete the SFS portfolio. With an international network, SFS is well adapted to country-specific legal requirements and able to provide financial solutions globally. Within Siemens, SFS is an expert adviser for financial risks. Siemens Financial Services has its global headquarters in Munich, Germany, and has almost 3,000 employees worldwide. www.siemens.com/finance.



Siemens Energy is one of the world's leading energy technology companies. The company works with its customers and partners on energy systems for the future, thus supporting the transition to a more sustainable world. With its portfolio of products, solutions and services, Siemens Energy covers almost the entire energy value chain - from power generation and transmission to storage. The portfolio includes conventional and renewable energy technology, such as gas and steam turbines, hybrid power plants operated with hydrogen, and power generators and transformers. More than 50 percent of the portfolio has already been decarbonized. A majority stake in the listed company Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE) makes Siemens Energy a global market leader for renewable energies. An estimated one-sixth of the electricity generated worldwide is based on technologies from Siemens Energy. Siemens Energy employs more than 90,000 people worldwide in more than 90 countries and generated revenue of around 27.5 billion in fiscal year 2020. www.siemens-energy.com. bp is an integrated energy business with operations in Europe, North and South America, Australasia, Asia and Africa. We operate in 79 countries. With over 100 years of experience steeped in the world of energy, we understand energy markets deeply, and have developed unique capabilities in trading, marketing, technology and innovation. bp's new purpose is reimagining energy for people and our planet- for bp to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and to help the world get to net zero. www.bp.com

SPIC Brasil, owned subsidiary of State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), a global energy generator and related projects company. In Brazil, this is translated into the union between the expertise and financial strength of a large Chinese group and the Australian pioneering over 20 years of experience in renewable energy. Currently, SPIC Brasil operates the Sao Simao Hydroelectric Power Plant, on the border between the states of Minas Gerais and Goias, the Millennium Wind Farm and the Vale dos Ventos Wind Farm in Paraiba State. In Brazil, the company has about 160 employees, located in Sao Paulo (SP), Natal (RN), Sao Simao (GO) and Mataraca (PB). SPIC Global has a total installed capacity of 151 GW. It has over 130,000 employees in the 64 countries in which it operates. Prumo is the multi-business economic group responsible for the strategic development of the Port of Acu. We are controlled by EIG Global Energy Partners, a US-based fund focused on energy and infrastructure, and by Mubadala Investment Company, an active and innovative investor that allocates capital in a variety of segments. Through the Group's 6 companies (Porto do Acu Operacoes, Ferroport, Acu Petroleo, GNA, Dome and BP Prumo) and our clients and partners, the Port of Acu serves the oil & gas, port logistics and mining segments. Its infrastructure has unique potential to support new businesses and several industrial niches. Guided by Prumo's strategic perspective, Acu is now one of the largest and most promising enterprises in Brazil. With operational safety and efficiency combined with the strength of the Group's long-term vision and the proximity to the main oil exploration basins, Acu is consolidating into the best solution for the most challenging demands. EIG Global Energy Partners ("EIG") is a leading institutional investor to the global energy sector with $22.0 billion under management as of December 31, 2020. EIG specializes in private investments in energy and energy-related infrastructure on a global basis. During its 39-year history, EIG has committed over $34.9 billion to the energy sector through more than 365 projects or companies in 36 countries on six continents. EIG's clients include many of the leading pension plans, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and sovereign wealth funds in the U.S., Asia and Europe. EIG is headquartered in Washington, D.C. with offices in Houston, London, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong and Seoul. For additional information, please visit EIG's website at www.eigpartners.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005032/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
LIMA, Peru, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Volcan Compania Minera S.A.A., a publicly held corporation (sociedad anonima abierta) organized under the laws of the Republic of Peru with its principal executive office at Av. Manuel Olguin 373, Santiago de Surco, Lima, Republic of Peru ("Volcan"), hereby announces the commencement of its offer to purchase for cash up to U.S.$120,000,000 aggregate principal amount (subject to increase by Volcan in its sole discretion under the circumstances described in the Offer to Purchase (as defined below), the "Maximum Tender Amount") of the outstanding notes set forth in the table below (the "Notes"), upon the terms and subject to the conditions described in the Offer to Purchase dated February 1, 2021 (as it may be amended or supplemented from time to time, the "Offer to Purchase").

The following table sets forth certain terms of the Tender Offer (as defined below):

Title of Notes

CUSIP / ISIN

Numbers

Aggregate Principal

Amount Outstanding

Maximum Tender

Amount

Tender Offer

Consideration(1)

Early Tender

Premium(1)

Total

Consideration(1)(2)

























5.375% Senior Notes

due 2022

CUSIP: 92863UAA4 / P98047AA4

ISIN: US92863UAA43 / USP98047AA42

U.S.$ 535,264,000

U.S.$120,000,000

U.S.$1,007.50

U.S.$30.00

U.S.$1,037.50















(1) Per U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes tendered and accepted for purchase. (2) Includes the Early Tender Premium (as defined below).

The Tender Offer will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on March 1, 2021, or any other date and time to which Volcan extends the Tender Offer (such date and time, as it may be extended, the "Expiration Date"), unless earlier terminated. Holders must validly tender their Notes at or prior to the Expiration Date to be eligible to receive the Tender Offer Consideration (as defined below) for such Notes plus Accrued Interest (as defined below). Holders must validly tender their Notes at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 12, 2021 (such date and time, as it may be extended, the "Early Tender Date") to be eligible to receive the Total Consideration (as defined below) for such Notes plus Accrued Interest. The Total Consideration, the Tender Offer Consideration and the Accrued Interest will be payable in cash. Tendered Notes may be validly withdrawn from the Tender Offer at or prior to, but not after, 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 12, 2021 (such date and time, as it may be extended, the "Withdrawal Deadline"). Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer and accepted for purchase will be so accepted subject to the Maximum Tender Amount and may be subject to proration, all as more fully described herein.

Subject to the Maximum Tender Amount, Volcan intends to accept for purchase all Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date, and will only prorate such Notes if the aggregate principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date exceeds the Maximum Tender Amount. If the Tender Offer is not fully subscribed as of the Early Tender Date, Holders who validly tender Notes after the Early Tender Date but at or prior to the Expiration Date may be subject to proration (including the provisions relating to priority in proration described below) if the aggregate principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Expiration Date exceeds the Maximum Tender Amount. Subject to the Maximum Tender Amount and proration and subject to the priority in proration described below, all Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date will be accepted for purchase before any Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date are accepted for purchase. Furthermore, if the Tender Offer is fully subscribed as of the Early Tender Date, Holders who validly tender Notes after the Early Tender Date will not have any of their Notes accepted for purchase, provided that such Notes may be accepted for purchase if Volcan increases the Maximum Tender Amount, which it is entitled to do in its sole discretion. There can be no assurance that Volcan will increase the Maximum Tender Amount. See "The Tender OfferMaximum Tender Amount; Proration" in the Offer to Purchase for more information on the proration provisions applicable to the Tender Offer.

The Offer to Purchase is being made in connection with a concurrent offering of senior unsecured notes (the "New Notes") by Volcan guaranteed by Compania Minera Chungar S.A.C., Empresa Administradora Cerro S.A.C. and Oxidos de Pasco S.A.C. (the "Bond Offering"). The Bond Offering will be exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

The Tender Offer is not conditioned upon the tender of any minimum principal amount of Notes. Volcan refers to the offer to purchase the Notes as the "Tender Offer". The Tender Offer is open to all registered holders (individually, a "Holder," and collectively, the "Holders") of the Notes. The Tender Offer is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, as described in the section of the Offer to Purchase entitled "The Tender OfferConditions to the Tender Offer." The purpose of the Tender Offer is to purchase up to U.S.$120,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Notes and extend the maturity profile of Volcan's indebtedness through the Bond Offering.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer, the consideration for each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will be the tender offer consideration for the Notes set forth in the table above (the "Tender Offer Consideration"). Holders of Notes that are validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will receive the Tender Offer Consideration plus the early tender premium for the Notes set forth in the table above (the "Early Tender Premium" and, together with the Tender Offer Consideration, the "Total Consideration"). Holders of Notes tendered after the Early Tender Date, but before the Expiration Date, and accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will receive the Tender Offer Consideration, but not the Early Tender Premium. No tenders will be valid if submitted after the Expiration Date.

In addition to the Tender Offer Consideration or the Total Consideration, as applicable, all Holders of Notes accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer will, on the Early Settlement Date or the Settlement Date (as defined below), also receive accrued and unpaid interest on those Notes from the last interest payment date with respect to those Notes to, but not including, the Early Settlement Date or the Settlement Date, as applicable ("Accrued Interest").

The Tender Offer commences on the date of the Offer to Purchase and will expire on the Expiration Date, unless extended or earlier terminated by Volcan. No tenders will be valid if submitted after the Expiration Date. If a Nominee (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) holds Notes on behalf of a beneficial owner, such Nominee may have an earlier deadline for accepting the Tender Offer. Any beneficial owner should promptly contact such Nominee that holds its Notes to determine its deadline. The Tender Offer is open to all registered Holders of the Notes. There is no letter of transmittal for this Tender Offer.

Volcan expects to purchase any Notes that have been validly tendered and not validly withdrawn (i) at or prior to the Early Tender Date and that Volcan chooses to accept for purchase, subject to the Maximum Tender Amount and all conditions to the Tender Offer having been either satisfied or waived by Volcan, as permitted by applicable law, promptly following the Early Tender Date (the "Early Settlement Date"), (ii) after the Early Tender Date and at or prior to the Expiration Date and that Volcan chooses to accept for purchase, subject to the Maximum Tender Amount and all conditions to the Tender Offer having been either satisfied or waived by Volcan, as permitted by applicable law, promptly following the Expiration Date (the "Settlement Date"). Subject to the Maximum Tender Amount and proration (including the provisions relating to priority in proration described in the Offer to Purchase), all Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date will be accepted for purchase before any Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date are accepted for purchase. The Early Settlement Date is expected to occur on the second business day following the Early Tender Date and the Settlement Date is expected to occur on the second business day following the Expiration Date. Notes accepted on either the Early Settlement Date or the Settlement Date, if any, will be accepted subject to the Maximum Tender Amount and proration (including the provisions relating to priority in proration), each as described herein.

Notwithstanding any other provision of the Tender Offer, Volcan's obligation to accept for purchase, and to pay for, any Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to the Tender Offer, is subject to, and conditioned upon, the satisfaction of, or Volcan's waiver of, the conditions set forth below:

the condition that Volcan shall have completed the Bond Offering on terms and conditions satisfactory to Volcan, and that Volcan shall have received net cash proceeds from the Bond Offering in an amount sufficient to fund (i) the aggregate Total Consideration, with respect to the Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Date, and (ii) the aggregate Tender Offer Consideration, with respect to any remaining Notes (subject to the Maximum Tender Amount and proration), plus Accrued Interest, as well as any related fees and expenses relating to the Offer to Purchase and the Bond Offering (the " Financing Condition "); and

the other conditions described in the section of the Offer to Purchase entitled "The Tender OfferConditions to the Tender Offer."

The conditions to the Tender Offer are for the sole benefit of Volcan and may be asserted by Volcan, regardless of the circumstances giving rise to any such condition (including any action or inaction by Volcan). Volcan reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to waive any and all conditions of the Tender Offer, at or prior to the Early Tender Date or Expiration Date, as applicable. The Tender Offer is not subject to a minimum principal amount of Notes being tendered. See "The Tender OfferConditions to the Tender Offer" in the Offer to Purchase.

Withdrawal rights with respect to the Notes will terminate on the Withdrawal Deadline, unless extended pursuant to applicable law. Accordingly, following the Withdrawal Deadline, any Notes validly tendered (whether before, on or after the Withdrawal Deadline) may no longer be validly withdrawn. For the withdrawal of a tendered Note to be valid, such withdrawal must comply with the procedures set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

Subject to applicable law and the terms set forth in the Offer to Purchase, Volcan reserves the right: (i) to extend or otherwise amend the Early Tender Date, the Withdrawal Deadline or the Expiration Date, (ii) to increase the Maximum Tender Amount without extending the Withdrawal Deadline or otherwise reinstating withdrawal rights of Holders except as required by law; (iii) to waive or modify in whole or in part any and all conditions to the Tender Offer; (iv) to modify or terminate the Tender Offer; and (v) to otherwise amend the Tender Offer in any respect. In the event of the termination of the Tender Offer, the Notes tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer and not previously accepted and purchased will be promptly returned to the tendering Holders.

If a Holder does not tender its Notes or if a Holder tenders Notes that are not accepted for purchase, they will remain outstanding. If Volcan consummates the Tender Offer, the trading market for a Holder's outstanding Notes may be significantly more limited. For a discussion of this and other risks, see "Certain Significant ConsiderationsThe Tender Offer may adversely affect the market value and reduce the liquidity of any trading market of the Notes" in the Offer to Purchase.

THE OFFER DOCUMENTS CONTAIN CERTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE READ BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE WITH RESPECT TO THE TENDER OFFER, IN PARTICULAR, SEE "CERTAIN SIGNIFICANT CONSIDERATIONS" IN THE OFFER TO PURCHASE FOR A DISCUSSION OF CERTAIN FACTORS HOLDERS SHOULD CONSIDER IN CONNECTION WITH THE TENDER OFFER.

VOLCAN HAS NOT FILED THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE WITH, AND IT HAS NOT BEEN REVIEWED BY, ANY FEDERAL OR STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION OR REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF ANY COUNTRY. NO AUTHORITY HAS PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE AND IT IS UNLAWFUL AND MAY BE A CRIMINAL OFFENSE TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY. THE TENDER OFFER HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED, AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED, WITH THE PERUVIAN SECURITIES MARKET SUPERINTENDENCE (SUPERINTENDENCIA DEL MERCADO DE VALORES - SMV) OR THE LIMA STOCK EXCHANGE (BOLSA DE VALORES DE LIMA). THE TENDER OFFER MAY NOT BE MADE IN PERU, EXCEPT IN CIRCUMSTANCES THAT DO NOT CONSTITUTE A PUBLIC OFFERING OR UNAUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTION UNDER PERUVIAN LAWS AND REGULATIONS. PERUVIAN SECURITIES LAWS AND REGULATIONS ON PUBLIC OFFERINGS WILL NOT BE APPLICABLE TO THE TENDER OFFER, THE DISCLOSURE OBLIGATIONS SET FORTH THEREIN WILL NOT BE APPLICABLE TO VOLCAN BEFORE OR AFTER THE TENDER OFFER. THE TENDER OFFER IS NOT BEING MADE IN PERU PURSUANT TO A PUBLIC OFFERING AND DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE TENDER OFFER, AS WELL AS INFORMATION CONTAINED THEREIN, MAY NOT BE SUPPLIED TO THE PUBLIC IN PERU, NOR BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH ANY OFFER TO THE PUBLIC IN PERU.

NONE OF VOLCAN, ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, THE DEALER MANAGERS (AS DEFINED BELOW), THE TENDER AND INFORMATION AGENT OR THE TRUSTEE (AS DEFINED IN THE OFFER TO PURCHASE) OR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE AFFILIATES IS MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHETHER HOLDERS SHOULD TENDER ANY NOTES IN RESPONSE TO THE TENDER OFFER. HOLDERS MUST MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION AS TO WHETHER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TENDER OFFER, AND, IF SO, THE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF NOTES TO TENDER.

The Offer to Purchase and related documents do not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell notes in any jurisdiction or in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. In those jurisdictions where the securities, blue sky or other laws require the Tender Offer to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Tender Offer will be deemed to be made on behalf of Volcan by the Dealer Managers or one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction. Volcan is not aware of any jurisdiction where the making of the Tender Offer is not in compliance with the laws of such jurisdiction. If Volcan becomes aware of any jurisdiction in which the making of the Tender Offer would not be in compliance with such laws, Volcan will make a good faith effort to comply with any such laws or may seek to have such laws declared inapplicable to the Tender Offer. If, after such good faith effort, Volcan cannot comply with any such applicable laws, the Tender Offer will not be made to the Holders of Notes residing in each such jurisdiction. Neither the delivery of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase and any related documents nor any purchase of Notes by Volcan will, under any circumstances, create any implication that the information contained in this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or in any related document is current as of any time subsequent to the date hereof or thereof.

The Offer to Purchase does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities (other than the Notes). Any offering of securities will only be made by an offering document and any such offering may not be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

This release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainty and changes in circumstances, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance or achievements. All statements contained herein that are not clearly historical in nature are forward-looking and the words "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan" and similar expressions are generally intend to identify forward-looking statements. Volcan is under no obligation (and expressly disclaims any such obligation) to update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More detailed information about these and other factors is set forth in the Offer to Purchase.

Global Bondholder Services Corporation is acting as the tender agent and as the information agent (the "Tender and Information Agent") for the Tender Offer. Banco BTG Pactual S.A.  Cayman Branch, Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and Santander Investment Securities Inc. are acting as Dealer Managers (the "Dealer Managers") for the Tender Offer.

The Tender and Information Agent for the Tender Offer is:

Global Bondholder Services Corporation

By Regular, Registered or Certified Mail; By Facsimile Transmission Hand or Overnight Delivery: (For Eligible Institutions Only): 65 Broadway, Suite 404 +1 (212) 430-3775 New York, NY 10006 Confirmation: +1 (212) 430-3774 Attention: Corporate Actions Attention: Corporate Actions

Banks and Brokers: +1 (212) 430-3774 Toll free: +1 (866) 470-3700 International call: +1 (212) 430-3774 Email: [email protected]

Any questions or requests for assistance or for additional copies of the Offer to Purchase may be directed to the Tender and Information Agent at one of its telephone numbers above. A Holder (or a beneficial owner that is not a Holder) may also contact any of the Dealer Managers at their telephone numbers set forth below or its broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Offer to Purchase.

The Dealer Managers for the Tender Offer are:

Banco BTG Pactual S.A. 

Cayman Branch Citigroup Global Markets Inc. Santander

Investment

Securities Inc. Debt Capital Markets

601 Lexington Avenue, 57th floor,

New York, New York 10022

United States

Collect: +1 (212) 293-4600

Email: [email protected] Liability Management Group

388 Greenwich Street, 7th Floor

New York, New York 10013

United States

US Toll Free: + 1 (800) 558-3745

Collect: +1 (212) 723-6106 Liability Management Team

45 East 53rd Street, 5th Floor

New York, New York 10022

United States

U.S. Toll-Free: +1 (855) 404-3636

Collect: +1 (212) 940-1442

SOURCE Volcan Compania Minera S.A.A.
ROCHESTER, N.Y.  A Rochester, New York, police officer is suspended and two others were placed on administrative leave in the aftermath of an incident on Friday that resulted in a 9-year-old girl being pepper-sprayed.

A total of nine officers attended the scene, but the action was taken against these three at the order of the mayor, a release Monday from Rochester Police Department interim chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan confirmed.

The officers are suspended with full pay as per state civil service law.

.

A total of nine officers attended the scene.

Police released two bodycam videos Sunday that showed officers restraining a distraught 9-year-old girl who was handcuffed and pepper sprayed when she disobeyed commands.

In the videos, the girl repeatedly and frantically screams for her father as officers try to restrain her after responding to a call over "family trouble" Friday afternoon.

More on the incident: Rochester, New York, police release bodycam videos to show why officers were 'required' to handcuff, pepper-spray 9-year-old girl

Rochester police body cam footage was released Sunday.

A release said the decision to punish the officers was made after Mayor Lovely Warren met with the interim RPD acting chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan.

What happened Friday was simply horrible, and has rightly outraged, all of our community, said Mayor Warren.

Unfortunately, state law and union contract prevents me from taking more immediate and serious action," the mayor said. "I will lead the charge that these laws be changed as part of our response to the Governors Executive Order 203. And, we will be asking our state legislators to join me, and make numerous changes in Civil Service Law that would allow cities to more quickly issue discipline in cases like this one.

'I'm getting more and more angry': Local activists want justice for girl pepper-sprayed by police

At a news conference Sunday, Deputy Police Chief Andre Anderson described the girl as suicidal.

Story continues

"She indicated she wanted to kill herself and she wanted to kill her mom, he said.

In one of the videos, an officer asks the girl, What is going on? How can I help?

When officers tried to put the girl into the back of a patrol car, she pulled away and kicked at them.

In a statement Saturday, police said the girl's actions required an officer to take her to the ground, and for the minors safety and at the request of the custodial parent on scene, the child was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car as they waited for an ambulance.

An officer sprayed an irritant in the handcuffed girls face when she disobeyed commands to put her feet in the car, police said Saturday.

As the girl struggled and cried, an officer said, Just spray her at this point and closed the car door.

The child was taken to Rochester General Hospital under the states mental hygiene law and received the services and care that she needed, police said.

After being treated, she was released to her family.

Im very concerned about how this young girl was handled by our police department," Warren said at Sunday's news conference. "It is clear from the video we need to do more in support of our children and families.

Herriott-Sullivan said, Im not going to stand here and tell you that for a 9-year-old to have to be pepper-sprayed is OK. Its not. I dont see that as who we are as a department, and were going to do the work we have to do to ensure that these kinds of things dont happen.

Mike Mazzeo, president of the Rochester Police Locust Club, the union representing uniformed officers, asked for patience. He didn't want a rush to judgment before all the necessary information was made public. It does no good to blame one officer, he said.

He said the officer, who has not been identified, decided to subdue the distraught child and acted in a manner that didn't physically injure her.

"I'm not saying there are not better ways to do things," Mazzeo said during a news conference Sunday night. "But let's be realistic about what we're facing. ... It's not TV, it's not Hollywood. We don't have a simple (situation), where we can put out our hands and have somebody be instantly handcuffed and comply. It's not a simple situation."

The city began reassessing its response to mental-health-related calls after the death of Daniel Prude in March 2020. The incident became public five months later and sparked massive protests calling for RPD to change how it responds to calls involving mental health distress.

Contributing: Marcia Greenwood, Will Cleveland and Brian Sharp, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester suspends officer on scene for pepper-spraying of girl, 9
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) announced today that it has formed a new 15-member Commission on Sanctions and Fitness. This new Commission will review and recommend changes to CFP Board's Sanction Guidelines and Fitness Standards for Candidates for CFP Certification and Former Professionals Seeking Reinstatement ("Fitness Standards").

These important documents address the consequences of failing to comply with CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct. The Fitness Standards apply to those seeking CFP certification, while the Sanction Guidelines apply to those who are certified.

"This new commission is fundamental to CFP Board's ongoing work to strengthen the enforcement processes for our Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct," said CFP Board CEO Kevin R. Keller, CAE. "We very much appreciate the work that they will do to help ensure that our enforcement process remains credible to the public and fair to those whose conduct is being evaluated."

The group is comprised of distinguished individuals, including members of the public, consumer advocates, individuals with regulatory experience, and CFP professionals representing various business and compensation models. They have been charged with developing recommendations through a process that includes input from the public and the financial planning profession. CFP Board will issue the Board's proposed revisions to the Sanction Guidelines and Fitness Standards for one or more rounds of public comment before final revisions are adopted. The Commission will be discharged after the Board of Directors issues the final revised Sanctions Guidelines and Fitness Standards.

The members of the commission are:

Michael Branham , CFP; Partner and Senior Financial Planner at The Planning Center, Inc.

Shelly-Ann Eweka , CFP; Wealth Management Director at TIAA

Stephen W. Hall ; Legal Director and Securities Specialist for Better Markets

Christine Hines ; Legislative Director at the National Association of Consumer Advocates

Elizabeth Jeter Hrubala , CFP; President and Owner of Jeter Hrubala Wealth Strategies, LLC

Joseph M. Miller , CFP; Chief Operating Officer at Envestnet MoneyGuide

Dave O'Brien , CFP; Principal and Founder of EVOadvisers

Christopher Rand , CFP; Managing Partner at FIDES Wealth Strategies Group and the Wealth Consulting Group

Craig C. Reaves ; Attorney at Reaves Law Firm, P.C.

Russell G. Ryan ; Partner at King & Spalding, LLP

Andrea Seidt ; Ohio Securities Commissioner at the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Securities

Linda Sherry ; Director of National Priorities and Chief Spokesperson at Consumer Action

Joe Sicchitano , CFP; Head of Wealth Planning and Advice Delivery at Truist (formerly SunTrust Bank)

Demetra Sullivan , CFP; Vice President, Regional Market Executive at Charles Schwab

Jeffrey Weekes , CFP; Vice President-Financial Advisor and Senior Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley

To begin the Commission's work of gathering input from the public and financial planning profession, CFP Board is hosting two virtual forums on February 18. Information and registration for the virtual forums is available at: https://www.cfp.net/events/2021/02/virtual-forums-on-cfp-boards-sanction-guidelines-and-fitness-standards



ABOUT CFP BOARD

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. is a professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board sets standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CFP certification  one of the most respected certifications in financial services  so that the public has access to and benefits from competent and ethical financial planning. CFP Board, along with its Center for Financial Planning, is committed to increasing the public's awareness of CFP certification and access to a diverse, ethical and competent financial planning workforce. Widely recognized by firms as the standard for financial planning, CFP certification is held by more than 88,000 people in the United States.



SOURCE Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.cfp.net


Award ceremony Logo and Slogan Creation for Energy Saving was organised on January 26

The energy saving movement has been heating up, driven by the Logo and Slogan Creation for Energy Efficiency programme which held its award ceremony on January 26.

To comply with the sustainable growth initiative, energy companies over the years have promoted themselves with plenty of related slogans such as Trung Nam Group with Sustainable Investment  Building Up the Future, TTC with For the community, we grow, or Sunseap's Guaranteed Savings, Solar-Powered Energy Plans for Residential Customers.

However, little action is done to materialise them. Vietnam has always been one of the countries with the largest electricity consumption in East Asia, said Franz Gerner, head of the Energy Department at the World Bank in Vietnam. Specifically, the annual average growth rate of the nation's electricity consumption is 8 per cent, higher than regional countries.

In a talk with VIR, Markus Bissel, project director at GIZ, said that industrial companies are focusing more on improving productivity than on energy efficiency: They do not care about energy consumption.

Industrialisation is the main reason behind this as Vietnam still depends heavily on manufacturing activities which contribute the largest portion of its electricity consumption. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), manufacturing activities last year were responsible for 16.7 per cent of the GDP, the biggest contribution among others, while the industry altogether occupies 47 per cent of the national electricity consumption.

Bissel said that to resolve the problem, energy service providers need to show industrial companies the potential in energy efficiency: Once they trust in the measures you recommend, then they will implement it.
Wilkes-Barre, PA (18701)

Today

Rain showers this morning with overcast skies during the afternoon hours. High 54F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. Low around 45F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Union Minister of State for Finance on Monday asserted that the budget 2021-22 will be in accordance with people's expectations and added that the government is working towards a self-reliant India and making its economy grow.

"The Budget will be in accordance with people's expectations. Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas is the agenda of the Modi government. The government which functions on the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas' gave a new direction to India by announcing the Aatmanirbhar package, protecting it from the pandemic and bringing the economy back on track swiftly," Thakur told ANI.



Check Budget live updates here

"I have full confidence the budget will fulfill the aspirations of the people. We will continue to make efforts to make India self-reliant and make our economy grow," he added.



Budget will be in accordance with people's expectations. Govt which functions on mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas' gave new direction to India by announcing Aatmanirbhar package, protecting it from pandemic & bringing economy back on track swiftly: MoS Finance https://t.co/w6GKYLfQsu pic.twitter.com/dQ7U3NW40Z  ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2021



Thakur also offered prayers at his residence, ahead of the presentation of the 2021-22 in the Parliament.

All eyes are fixed on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as she is set to present 2021-22 in Parliament on Monday, at a time when India is recovering from the Covid-19 crisis.

The Budget presentation will begin with a speech from Finance Minister scheduled to take place at around 11 am.

The will hold a meeting at 10:15 am before the presentation.

This year, the will be delivered in paperless form for the first time.



Check Budget latest news here

The Finance Minister had launched the "Union Budget Mobile App" for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience, according to the Finance Ministry.

The App facilitates complete access to 14 Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), and Finance Bill as prescribed by the Constitution.

Ahead of the Budget, Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey in Parliament on Friday. The Indian economy can contract by 7.7 per cent in the current financial year ending on March 31 and the growth could be 11 per cent in the next financial year, according to the survey.The contraction in FY21 is mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic and the visible damage caused by the subsequent countrywide lockdown to contain it.



The survey unveiled two days before the Union Budget is broadly in line with forecasts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which has said it expected the country's GDP to contract by 7.5 per cent in the year ending March 31.In the quarter ending June 2020, the GDP contracted by 23.9 per cent followed by a milder contraction of 7.5 per cent in the quarter ended September 2020.



The first part of the Budget Session is scheduled to continue till February 15 while the second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8. Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour.Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday that the budget session will take up 38 legislative items.


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
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
Congressman Adam Kinzinger was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump a second time. (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois has faced death threats, name-calling, and disownment from members of his family for being one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach Donald Trump earlier this month.

Mr Kinzinger was one of the first Republicans in Congress to forcefully condemn Mr Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, denouncing the presidents disproven conspiracy theories about a stolen election and warning of the dangers of abetting such a movement.

The hate and vitriol has poured hard and steady on Mr Kinzinger after his vote on 13 January to impeach Mr Trump for incitement to insurrection, just a week after the then-president gave a speech to supporters who later invaded the US Capitol building.

Five people died as a direct result of the insurrection, including one US Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, who will lie in honour in the Capitol this week. Two other USCP officers have committed suicide since the historic 6 January security breach.

In recent interviews with Politico and Business Insider, Mr Kinzinger offered a glimpse at the torrent of nastiness that has come his way since his impeachment vote.

My dad's cousins sent me a petition  a certified letter  saying they disowned me because I'm in 'the devil's army' now, the Illinois congressman told Business Insider in a phone conversation last Thursday. It's been crazy, when you have friends  that you thought were good friends that would love you no matter what  that don't.

Mr Kinzinger later told Politico that he was dismayed to see his Republicans colleagues appear to finally be ready to shake themselves of Mr Trumps influence, only to then retreat back into the twice-impeached former presidents corner.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy visited Mr Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, over the weekend, where the two had a very good and cordial discussion, according to a readout of the meeting. A photo of Mr Trump and Mr McCarthy smiling towards a camera accompanied that statement.

Story continues

I was disappointed over the last few weeks to see what seemed like the Republican Party waking up and then kind of falling asleep again and saying, Well, you know, what matters if we can win in two years and we don't want to tick off the base, Mr Kinzinger told Politico.

The photo  shows that the former president is desperate to continue looking like hes leading the party, Mr Kinzinger said.

Read More

GOP Rep Kinzinger starts PAC to resist partys Trump embrace

Trump loses lead impeachment lawyers a week before trial

Trump impeachment lawyers quit 10 days before Senate trial

Trump loyalists in South Dakota turn on home state senator

Biden wants Democrats to keep Trump impeachment trial short
File photo taken on March 28, 2018 shows U Win Myint (front, L) and Aung San Suu Kyi (front, R) in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) had been detained by the military early on Monday, Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the NLD, told Xinhua. (Photo by U Aung/Xinhua)

YANGON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) had been detained by the military early on Monday, Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the NLD, told Xinhua.

"I received internal reports about our state counsellor and president being taken by the military. As far as I was informed, Shan State's Planning and Finance Minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin, Kayah state's NLD chairman Thaung Htay and some NLD representatives of the Ayeyarwady region's Parliament have been detained," the spokesperson said.

"Two members of the Central Executive Committee of the party were taken and I am also waiting to be detained as I was informed by our members that my turn will come shortly," he said.

The state-run Radio and Television (MRTV) is now no longer working on Monday morning, the channel announced on its social media page.

Telecommunications in capital city of Nay Pyi Taw and some other regions and states are also being cut off.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : Top IT industry leaders on Monday hailed the budget's thrust on domestic manufacturing, incentivising digital transformation and helping Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) thrive after a pandemic-hit 2020.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has doubled the budget allocation for the MSME sector to Rs 15,700 crore from last year.

Ketan Patel, Managing Director, HP India Market told IANS that the announcement confirms government's focus on developing infrastructure and skills which will have short and long term benefits to Indian economy and people.

"We welcome the doubled allocation for MSME sector which will incentivise digital transformation of our small businesses that are the backbone of our economy", Patel said.

According to Rahul Agarwal, CEO and Managing Director of Lenovo, the budget has managed to address some of the key issues around Atmanirbhar Bharat, education and Digital India.

"With the PLI scheme announced along with the increased focus on 'Make in India' in this budget, we are confident that it will encourage local manufacturing, and further bolster the local PC market," Agarwal added.

The budget introduced some ease of doing business measures ranging from taxation to investment to help boost the country's economic activities and ensure job creation.

Nasscom said that while there have been steps taken such as incentivising incorporation of one-person companies and the extension of claiming tax holidays and capital gains for one more year, "this was a perfect opportunity to do something disruptive for the sector, like extending the available tax holiday of three years to all start-ups registers under DPIIT, which would impact over 40,000 start-ups in the country".

The IT industry's apex body suggested a bold policy concerning the Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

"The tax holiday for new units has ended in March 2020. The government has provided 15 per cent tax rate to attract new manufacturing. We have suggested this same 15 per cent tax rate be offered to IT-ITES companies in SEZs subject to some employment and investment criteria," it said.

Hari Om Rai, CMD, Lava International Limited, said that the government has given a clarion call to the industry with the announcement of creating global champions from India, and backing this strategy with new, "development finance institution".

"Now the responsibility shifts to the industry to not only dream but dream big and stand together with the government to make the country progress from poverty to wealth over the next three decades," Rai added.

There was more foot traffic in Melbournes CBD during the morning peak hour on Monday than on any Monday morning since the first lockdown last year, as the school year resumed and some workers returned to their offices.

While numbers are still well below pre-pandemic levels, City of Melbourne data shows 786 pedestrians were logged pounding the pavement outside Southern Cross Station on Collins Street between 8am and 9am on Monday  the highest count for that time of week since late March.

Commuters outside Melbournes Flinders Street Station on Monday. Credit:Wayne Taylor

It is also double the number of people who were recorded walking through the area  one of the busiest spots in the city for foot traffic  at the same time a fortnight ago, when many CBD workers were originally encouraged to return to the office for the first time in months.

But there was still far less foot traffic than on a typical Monday morning in 2019. In that year, almost 3800 pedestrians would be logged walking through the area between 8am and 9am on a Monday, almost five times more than the latest figure.
Vietnam detects new Coronavirus strain with combined features of UK, Indian ones 29 May 2021 | 2:20 PM Hanoi, May 29 (UNI) Vietnam has detected a new strain of the coronavirus that combines characteristics of the UK and Indian variants, national Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said on Saturday. see more..

Jaishankar meets Blinken, discuss COVID-19 relief, Indo-Pacific 29 May 2021 | 11:52 AM Washington, May 29 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met his US counterpart Antony Blinken in-person here and discussed the COVID-19 relief, coup in Myanmar, climate change and strengthening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. see more..

COVID cases in Brazil rises by 67,467 to over 16 34mln 28 May 2021 | 3:51 PM Brasilia, May 28 (UNI) The number of COVID-19 cases in Brazil has increased by 67,467 to 16,342,162 within the last 24 hours, the national Ministry of Health said. see more..

German President Steinmeier to run for 2nd term 28 May 2021 | 3:35 PM Berlin, May 28 (UNI) German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday announced that he intends to run for the second term. see more..
WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent articles in Experimental Biology and Medicine highlight new advances in COVID-19 biology and treatment. In an effort to provide the scientific community with important information on COVID-19, at the rapid pace required to protect our global health care workers and bring useful therapies to end the pandemic, manuscripts are being handled at an accelerated rate. To accomplish this our EBM Editor-in-Chief is handling all COVID-19 manuscripts to make sure they receive a thorough but accelerated review. The Publisher of EBM, SAGE, is making sure that accepted COVID-19 manuscripts are processed rapidly, immediately available via On-line First, and are open access. EBM will continue to inform the scientific community and the public of these published articles through press releases.

EBM has recently published three research articles and two mini-reviews related to COVID-19. One of the research articles includes an in-depth analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 whole genomes in Africa (Ngoi et al, in press). Another research article reports that dry heat cannot be used to decontaminate PPE (Perkins et al, in press). And a third article reports that N95 respirator performance can be compromised after decontamination (Grillet et al, in press). We have also recently published important mini-reviews regarding protease-activated receptor 1 as a therapeutic target for treatment (Rovai et al, in press) and post-translational modifications that allow the virus to circumvent the host immune system (Mishra et al, in press).

The Corresponding Authors of these articles had the following comments on the importance of their contribution. Dr. Gordon Awandare in the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens at the University of Ghana (Ghana) discussing his article 'Genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 reveals local viral evolution in Ghana (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1535370220975351)' said, "This paper presents the most comprehensive genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in sub-Saharan Africa to date. It contains very interesting information about the circulating viral strains in Ghana and provides a vital reference framework for monitoring the evolution of the virus as the pandemic spreads in Africa."

Dr. Grillet in Thermal/Fluid Component Sciences at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA) speaking of her article 'COVID-19 global pandemic planning: Performance and electret charge of N95 respirators after recommended decontamination methods (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1535370220976386)' said, "This pandemic is forcing our medical professionals to make tough choices to conserve supplies of PPE. Our research shows some common decontamination methods can drastically reduce the effectiveness of N95 respirators by altering the electrostatic charge on the filtration layer, but that degradation would not be detectable with a user seal check. Our doctors and nurses need to be careful not to expose their respirators to alcohols or soaps."

Dr. Bradfute in the Center for Global Health at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA), talking about the article entitled 'COVID-19 global pandemic planning: Dry heat incubation and ambient temperature fail to consistently inactivate SARS-CoV-2 on N95 respirators (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1535370220977819)' said, "Simple and inexpensive methods for inactivation of SARS-CoV-2-contaminated N95 masks is an important part of providing safe and effective personal protective equipment to medical staff and family members who care for sick individuals. Our studies show that simple dry heat, using standard temperatures and incubation times, does not consistently inactivate live SARS-CoV-2 on N95 masks. Furthermore, we found that five days at room temperature was also not consistently effective. Importantly, we found that small variations in experimental conditions significantly affected the results, highlighting the need to test for virus inactivation using the exact parameters that one would in a real-life setting."

Dr. Holzhausen in the Department of Dentistry at the University of Taubate in Taubate (Brazil), speaking of his article 'Protease-activated receptor 1 as a potential therapeutic target for COVID-19 (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1535370220978372)', said, "Protease-activated receptor type 1 comprises a therapeutic potential for treating COVID-19 as it plays an essential role in the pathophysiology of the disease."

Dr. Nyomba in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Manitoba in Manitoba (Canada) discussing his article entitled 'Inter-proteomic posttranslational modifications of the SARSCoV-2 and the host proteins - A new frontier (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1535370220986785 ) ' said, "Among the tricks SARS-CoV-2 uses to invade the organism, this virus solicits modifications of its spike and other component proteins by the host cells and then elicits changes to the structure of cellular proteins and enzymes. In this paper, we review these changes and how they allow the virus to defy the body's defenses, multiply, spread throughout the body, and trigger a stormy release of cytokines as well as clotting events, thus enhancing COVID-19 severity, and increasing mortality. It remains to be seen if interventions to block these modifications of proteins between the virus and host cells could be used to treat COVID-19."

Dr. Steven R. Goodman, Editor-in-Chief of Experimental Biology and Medicine, said, "We have experienced the initiation of COVID-19 vaccinations, but global cases, hospitalizations and deaths are still on the rise. Mutated more virulent forms of SARS-CoV-2 have arisen. As long as the Pandemic continues, EBM will be fast-tracking original articles and minireviews that help the scientific and medical community better understand the virus, its interaction with the host cell, COVID-19 pathophysiology and how we can best protect and treat the global population, patients, and health care workers. We take our responsibility as providers of this valuable research information very seriously."

Experimental Biology and Medicine is a journal dedicated to the publication of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in the biomedical sciences. The journal was first established in 1903. Experimental Biology and Medicine is the journal of the Society of Experimental Biology and Medicine. To learn about the benefits of society membership visit www.sebm.org. If you are interested in publishing in the journal, please visit http://ebm.sagepub.com/.

Related Images

image1.png

SOURCE Experimental Biology and Medicine
A three-day wave of unstable weather marked with heavy rainfall and a sharp drop in temperatures is expected to hit Egypt starting Wednesday.

The weather is expected to cause disturbance to navigation and there will be heavy wind in several parts of the country, including the capital Cairo, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) said in a statement on Monday.

On Wednesday, moderate to heavy rainfall is expected along the northern and eastern coasts, North and South Sinai, and the Red Sea mountains.

Also, moderate intermittent rainfall and wind is expected along the country's northwestern coast.

Mild to moderate rainfall is expected to continue on Thursday and Friday in parts of Lower Egypt, the northern coast, North and South Sinai, the Red Sea mountains, northern Upper Egypt, Greater Cairo, and the Suez Canal cities.

A six-degree Celsius drop in temperatures is expected on Thursday and Friday.

An average wave height of 2-4 metres is also expected to disturb navigation in the Red Sea and Mediterranean on Thursday and Friday, the EMA added.

Short link:


Dr London may no longer be with us, but his legacy of patriotism, his life of service and the example of his character will forever mark his passage. May he rest in peace. Fair winds and following seas, shipmate."

We are heartbroken at the loss of Dr. Jack P. London, one of the United States Navy Memorials founding members and an esteemed patriot. With Dr. Jack London's passing, our country has lost a patriot of the highest order, a man who put his country before himself his entire life. He was our Navy's strongest advocate and the Navy Memorial's most ardent supporter, said Admiral John C. Harvey, Jr, Chairman of the Board of the US Navy Memorial Foundation. Dr. London may no longer be with us, but his legacy of patriotism, his life of service and the example of his character will forever mark his passage. May he rest in peace. Fair winds and following seas, shipmate."

Dr. London has been involved with the US Navy Memorial since the 1970s and was one of the leaders that brought the vision to reality. He has been a key member of our Board of Directors, being first elected to the board in 2008. He most recently was a leader in the development of the Strategic Plan and also served as the Chairman of the Nominating Committee, steering the Navy Memorial into a bright future. His overwhelming philanthropic spirit helped build the Navy Memorial Foundation into the effective foundation of naval remembrance that it has become. In 2019, because of his extraordinary accomplishments in business and his dedication to the mission of the US Navy Memorial, the Memorials Board of Directors voted unanimously to award Dr. London the Lone Sailor Award.

Dr. London served in the United States Navy, including missions involving in the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Soviet Unions nuclear submarine threat. He was with the airborne recovery team for Col. John Glenn's Mercury Program space flight in Freedom 7 in the Caribbean on February 20, 1962 on the USS Randolph (CVS-15). Later, at the height of the Vietnam War, he served as Aide and Administrative Assistant to the Vice Chief of the Naval Material Command, Department of the Navy (1969-70).

His excellent service record grew his experience in executive leadership. After retiring from the Navy as a Captain, Dr. London began a career at consulting firm CACI International Inc. He quickly rose through the ranks, creating the modern-day CACI that is known today, becoming Executive Chairman and Chairman of the board. Under his leadership, the organization grew into a fiscal giant, now conducting business all over the world in the modern marketplace.


SPRINGFIELD  Despite cold temperatures, more than 150 students and other lay Catholics from across the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois Friday hit the streets of the state capitol to march for life.

Being pro-life doesnt mean you sit back, said Chloe Albrecht, a student at Father McGivney Catholic High School in Glen Carbon. You are an activist. You fight for the people who are forgotten  for people who cannot speak for themselves.

Passing the Illinois Capitol Building, Illinois Supreme Court and Illinois Governors Mansion, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki led the group in peacefully praying the rosary for an end to abortion and a greater respect for human life.

This year marked the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion on Jan. 22, 1973.

The gift of life is the first gift we received from God, and I think we all agree it is an amazing gift, said Sister Veritas Wilks of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George. Having received this gift, we have a responsibility, the honor, and the joy of witnessing to what a beautiful gift it is. That means standing up for those whose life is being threatened in the womb or at any stage of life.

Every year, hundreds of students from the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois attend the March for Life in Washington, D.C., but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and safety precautions, the D.C. March for Life went virtual this year. Catholics across Central Illinois rallied quickly to organize a local event instead, joining with Paprocki to pray in-person for an end to abortion and advocate for the most vulnerable among us. In addition to Father McGivney Catholic High School, schools included were Catholic grade schools in Springfield, the Newman Center at Eastern Illinois University, the Crusaders for Life (Springfield and Chicago Chapters) and the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George in Alton.

Abortion is a personal issue for me, said Nathalie Corbett, who is a member of the Crusaders for Life Springfield Chapter. My biological mother was pregnant with me and my twin brother, and she had cervical cancer. It was an unplanned pregnancy too. She decided to choose life for us. So, I want to stand up for the unborn, the way she stood up for me and my twin brother.

Catholics from parishes, schools and families in the diocese first joined together for a Life Mass in the morning, celebrated by Paprocki at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. Because not every school could send students to Springfield, some schools in the diocese mirrored the march by having their own pro-life march at their school, some celebrated their own Life Mass with their parish priest, while others joined the Mass at the Cathedral via live stream. In his homily, Paprocki reminded the students to stay hopeful.

Our first reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (Heb 10:32-39) says that we will suffer abuse and affliction when we give public witness to our faith, such as our belief in the sanctity of human life and the evil of abortion, but we are told to be confident, for it will have a great reward, Paprocki said. The passage from the Gospel of Saint Mark (Mk 4:26-34) reminds us that the seeds of faith are small when they are first planted, but they eventually yield an abundant harvest. So too, we must not let ourselves be discouraged, for discouragement comes from the devil, but we must be confident that even our smallest efforts can bear great fruit.

After mass, the group bundled up to participate in a prayer march in downtown Springfield. The march in Springfield passed buildings of each branch of government before returning to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for Benediction.

By receiving the sacrament of holy communion and being in union with one another as a diocese, I feel like we are able to prepare ourselves spiritually and mentally for remembering what we are doing and why we are here, said Cameron Krager, student at Eastern Illinois University.

I hope people understand that it is not just polls or news articles, but it is actual people who are passionate about this, and it is not going away anytime soon as we will not stop talking about it (respect for life), said Barrett Larkin, a student at Father McGivney Catholic High School.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Lucknow, Feb 1 : In a bizarre incident, two criminals sprayed a chemical, purportedly a sanitizer, on a woman and fled with her gold bangles.

The incident took place on Sunday evening in Thakurganj police station area of the state capital Lucknow.

The victim identified as 39-year-old Vaishali Kapoor in her complaint to the police said she was alone when the doorbell of her house rang, and saw two men at the gate when she opened the door.

The two miscreants told Vaishali that they had come to deliver a parcel sent for her husband Amit and asked her to collect it on his behalf.

Not suspecting anything, Vaishali stepped out and went to the gate to collect the parcel, when one of the criminals asked her to get her hands sanitized citing Covid-19 protocol.

He took out a bottle and sprayed some chemical on her hands and in the air, following which Vaishali fell unconscious.

When Vaishali regained consciousness, she found both her gold bangles missing. "I rushed out to see if I could spot the two miscreants but could not find them as they had fled. I asked for help from some people passing by, but they did not hear me," she said in the FIR.

Vaishali's husband Amit was at his paint shop while her 12-year-old son had gone to play outside when the incident occurred.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chowk, I.P. Singh, said an FIR has been registered and the footage of CCTVs installed in the nearby areas is being checked.

Such an incident has been reported for the first time in the city, he said.

Singh said prima facie it seems the miscreants were aware that Vaishali was alone in her house at that time.
Sonu Sood and his wife Sonali Sood, have filed a petition in the Supreme Court and challenged Bombay High Court's order to dismiss the actor's appeal against BMC's notice. BMC reportedly has alleged that the actor has illegally converted his residential building in Mumbai's Juhu area into a hotel. Meanwhile, Sood in his petition has stated that his application for conversion has been approved by the Municipal Commissioner subject to Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) permission.

The Bombay High Court dismissed Sonu Sood's plea on January 13, 2021. While dismissing the actor's appeal and application, the court said, "Law helps only those who are diligent." Sood's lawyer had requested the court to order a stay on the demolition action. He had also sought 10 weeks time to comply with the notice issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in October last year.

Sood in his petition to the Supreme Court has stated that the order was passed 'without considering the provisions of Section 43 (1) of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966'. It also said that Sood had filed an application for conversion of residential premises into a residential hotel in 2018 before the concerned department.

"The petitioners have already stopped the work of internal renovation which require no permission as per the provisions of Section 43 of Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, therefore, the respondents may kindly be restrained from demolition of the renovation work already done in the building," the plea added.

Earlier this month, Sood had approached the high court, challenging an order of city civil court at Dindoshi. The civil court had dismissed his suit against the BMC's notice issued over the alleged illegal construction carried out by him.

ALSO READ: High Court Rejects Sonu Sood's Plea Against BMC's Illegal Construction Notice

ALSO READ: Sonu Sood Reacts To BMC Calling Him A 'Habitual Offender': I Will Obey All Laws And Regulations


St Brigid's Day, February 1, should be a public holiday, a junior minister has said.

Kildare TD Martin Heydon, who is Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said Ireland should introduce the public holiday as a way of recognising the difficulties of the pandemic, saying that it would also be well-positioned in the calendar and would officially celebrate an Irish woman.

Mr Heydon said he has sent his submission to Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Tourism Minister Catherine Martin.

In Europe, only Hungary, the Netherlands, and the UK (eight) have fewer public holidays than Ireland (nine) and globally, only Mexico has fewer (seven). On the upper end, Austria, Sweden, Poland, and Portugal each have 13, though some countries in Europe do not make up for lost holidays which happen to fall on weekends.

The Tourism Recovery Taskforce earlier this year said, among its recommendations, that an additional bank holiday in the off-peak season should be considered to boost the flagging tourism sector. Mr Heydon said this was a reason to examine the idea.

In line with their recommendation that any additional public holidays should be considered during an off-peak season to help create additional short-term domestic demand and to extend the tourist season, a new public holiday on February 1 would bridge the considerable length of time between existing public holidays on January 1 and March 17.

It also would bring a welcome boost to the tourism sector during what is traditionally a quiet time for visitors, and when people can holiday once again after the pandemic.

Brigid, considered a patron saint of Ireland, held a unique position in the early Irish church.

"Scholars tell us that she presided over the local church of Kildare and was head of a double monastery for men and women."

The Taoiseach said before Christmas that his government would examine the idea of an additional holiday.

"We will consider it," he told journalists, saying that acknowledging the sacrifices of the pandemic could take a number of forms.

"I think that is one potential, yes, that we could do in terms of reflecting and acknowledging the work of many workers in different fields and in different sectors, and which I referenced earlier," he said.
Beau Ryan has revealed he suffered an unfortunate run-in with the police while filming The Amazing Race last year.

Speaking to Confidential on Tuesday, the former NRL star, 35, recalled the moment when police approached him while he was eating lunch at a restaurant in Townsville in-between filming.

'I initially thought [the police] were going to card me because I look so young, but after they suggested we step outside to talk somewhere private, I thought, 'hang on I am in trouble.'

'Hang on, I'm in trouble': Beau Ryan, 35, (pictured) has revealed he was accidentally caught up in police investigation after tagging himself in a coronavirus hotspot on Instagram while filming The Amazing Race last year

Beau soon realised that the reason for the police investigation was because he'd recently tagged himself in a coronavirus hotspot on Instagram.

The father-of-two had recently uploaded a post while he was in Adelaide filming scenes for The Amazing Race, but decided to geo-tag his location as Bankstown, Sydney, to preserve secrecy surrounding the Channel 10 production.

Unfortunately, Beau didn't realise Bankstown had been declared a coronavirus hotspot at the time.

Diversion tactic: The father-of-two had recently uploaded a post while he was in Adelaide filming scenes for The Amazing Race, but decided to geo-tag his location as Bankstown, Sydney, to preserve secrecy surrounding the Channel 10 production.

'Once I explained to [the police] that I had actually been in Queensland at the time but tagged Bankstown to throw people off the scent that we were filming The Amazing Race Australia up there, they were fine and even asked for a photo with me,' Beau explained.

It comes after Beau revealed on Instagram that he was struggling to complete his two-week quarantine before filming the show last year.

'I'm gonna be straight up: quarantine's pretty hard. Isolation, quarantine, whatever you want to call it,' he said while lying shirtless in bed.

Whoops! Unfortunately, Beau didn't realise Bankstown had been declared a coronavirus hotspot at the time

'Being stuck in a room for two weeks by yourself, most people lose the plot... I don't'.

Debuting on Monday night, The Amazing Race Australia sees 28 travelers bulldoze their way through challenges while vying for the grand prize of $250,000.

The show is usually filmed in locations all around the world, but due to the pandemic, this season was filmed entirely in Australia.

'I'm gonna be straight up: quarantine's pretty hard': It comes after Beau revealed on Instagram that he was struggling to complete his two-week quarantine before filming the show last year
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.
Study links intensive BP lowering to reduced CV risk in patients exposed to air pollution

CLEVELAND - Evidence suggests particulate matter is the air pollutant which poses the greatest threat to global health. Studies have shown that exposure to particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns is associated with acute and chronic elevations in blood pressure (BP) as well as hypertension. In the study "The Benefits of Intensive Versus Standard Blood Pressure Treatment According to Fine Particulate Matter Air Pollution Exposure" published this week in the journal Hypertension, researchers at University Hospitals (UH) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine found intensive BP lowering is effective in reducing cardiovascular risk in patients exposed to high levels of air pollution.

Air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter, has been implicated in cardiovascular risk, partly through effects on BP. Particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns is concentrated particles that develop from human impact on the environment, such as automobile exhaust, power generation and other fossil fuels. Researchers sought to determine if intensive BP lowering on cardiovascular events is modified by air pollution exposure in the NIH-funded Systolic BP Intervention (SPRINT) Trial.

Researchers linked integrated satellite-derived air pollution exposures with residential addresses for 9,286 patients enrolled in the SPRINT trial. The study showed that intensive BP lowering (defined as goal systolic blood pressure lower than 120 mmHg) led to significant reduction in cardiovascular events (combination of heart attack, strokes, heart failure, or death from cardiovascular disease) especially in patients exposed to higher pollution levels. The authors concluded that ambient air pollution may influence the benefit of intensive BP lowering. Lowering BP is particularly beneficial for patients who are exposed to high levels of fine particulate matter and it may even reduce adverse cardiovascular effects of particulate matter pollution.

"Air pollution impacts socioeconomically disadvantaged patients to a higher degree. Living within a particular neighborhood should not mean you are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease," said Sadeer Al-Kindi, MD, cardiologist with UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, Assistant Professor, CWRU School of Medicine and the lead author of the study. "University Hospitals has a history of addressing health care disparities in underserved communities and armed with the information from this study, we can thoughtfully create solutions to better serve these populations."

Patients exposed to high levels of air pollution can take control of their health in knowing that lowering their BP is effective in reducing cardiovascular risk.

"This study improves our understanding of the intersection between air pollution, heart disease and blood pressure. It also has implications in management of patients who are exposed to high levels of air pollution," said Sanjay Rajagopalan, MD, Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine, UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, Professor, CWRU School of Medicine and the senior author of the study.

"This is one of the few findings from SPRINT showing potential heterogeneity in the benefit of BP lowering on cardiovascular outcomes," said Jackson Wright, MD, PhD, a member of the SPRINT Steering Committee, Director, Clinical Hypertension Program, UH Cleveland Medical Center and Professor Emeritus, CWRU School of Medicine. "The findings of this novel analysis of the SPRINT trial may provide additional insight and avenues of further investigation into the harmful impact of air pollution on cardiovascular disease."

"Next steps in this research involve studying the mechanistic underpinnings of this effect modification and identifying methods to reduce pollution exposure and reduce the harmful effects of air pollution on the cardiovascular system," said Dr. Al-Kindi.

###

About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio

Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 19 hospitals (including 4 joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system's flagship academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, located in Cleveland's University Circle, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The main campus also includes University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation; University Hospitals MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, a high-volume national referral center for complex cardiovascular procedures; and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics, radiology, neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, digestive health, transplantation and urology. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including "America's Best Hospitals" from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to Harrington Discovery Institute, part of The Harrington Project for Discovery & Development. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with 28,000 physicians and employees. Advancing the Science of Health and the Art of Compassion is UH's vision for benefitting its patients into the future, and the organization's unwavering mission is To Heal. To Teach. To Discover. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook @UniversityHospitals and Twitter @UHhospitals. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Queensland has launched a massive $1million ad blitz to entice Australians across its borders to bail out the state's devastated tourism industry.

The Sunshine state opened its borders to New South Wales on Monday after banning residents on December 21 in response to a fresh Covid-19 cluster in Sydney, causing chaos for travellers days before Christmas.

The closure was the third separate time Queensland has barred NSW residents from entering since the pandemic began.

Now, the state's government is calling on Sydneysiders to visit through a new targeted campaign in a bid to boost its embattled tourism sector.

Tourism & Events Queensland has launched a campaign (pictured) to entice interstate travellers to inject funds into its devastated tourism industry

Tourism & Events Queensland released the latest segment of its 'Good to Go' campaign in Sydney on Monday across TV, radio, social media, and outdoor advertising, to coincide with relaxed interstate travel restrictions.

The video showcases adventurous tourist activities, such as scuba diving or paddle boarding, while print material features the state's picturesque beachside destinations.

The promotion was also rolled out in Victoria last month as testing and isolation requirements were relaxed for residents visiting Queensland.

But the advertisement for interstate travellers was initially earmarked for a 1 December release, but was pulled back after Queensland closed it's borders to NSW just weeks later.

A Tourism & Events Queensland spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the campaign cost more than $1million, but could not provide an exact figure.

The marketing blitz comes days after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk pleaded with the federal government for a multi-million dollar JobKeeper extension to keep the state's $28million tourism industry afloat, which employs 234,000 Queenslanders.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured above) has called on the federal government to extend JobKeeper beyond March as her state struggles economically

The 'Good To Go' campaign (pictured) was rolled out on TV, radio, social media and in outdoor advertising in Sydney on Monday

The remarkable plea for tax-payer funded help prompted NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet to come out swinging, accusing the Queensland government of asking taxpayers to bail the state out for the economic hit from its own border closures.

'Queensland, closed one day, asking someone else to pick up the tab the next,' Mr Perrottet said.

'People in NSW have not only been banned from entering Queensland, but now Queensland wants the taxpayers of NSW to pay for that decision.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison rejected Ms Palaszczuk's request to extend the benefit beyond March 28, and urged states to support their economies when they impose lockdowns and border controls - instead of asking for handouts.

'States can make decisions about what they intend to do in areas of their responsibility but they are then also responsible for dealing with and mitigating the decisions that they make,' he told reporters on Monday.

'It is not a blank cheque'.

The ongoing closures saw thousands of businesses crippled financially, with holidays cancelled last minute after borders were slammed shut not one but three times.

Closing Queensland's borders to Greater Sydney during the Christmas period alone is estimated to have cost the state's economy $200million.

Thousands of interstate-bound travellers' festive season plans were thrown into turmoil, with Jetstar and Qantas cancelling 1500 flights and 200,000 passenger bookings.

Queensland's border closures days before Christmas caused chaos for thousands of Australians (pictured, the border at Coolangatta on December 21, 2020) have frustrated many and have been labelled 'draconian'

Jetstar and Qantas cancelled 1500 flights and 200,000 passenger bookings. Pictured: Incoming passengers are screened by police at Brisbane Airport on December 20 last year

Many holiday-hopefuls were also forced to forfeit last-minute cancellation fees, with some service providers, such as Airbnb, not providing refunds for Covid-19 related travel restrictions.

But despite her tough border stance, and repeatedly warning she 'won't hesitate' to slam borders shut if other states' Covid numbers rise, Ms Palaszcuzuk is optimistic interstate travellers will flock to Queensland to spend their hard-earned dollars.

On Sunday, she said the Queensland tourism industry is expecting 'strong bookings' for Easter and the school holidays as Greater Sydney's Covid Hotspot status is revoked from 1 February after 14 days without a local case.

'With Queensland open to Australians again the focus is on getting people to explore and take a holiday in the Sunshine State,' Ms Palaszczuk said.

'Opening the border to Greater Sydney could result in a $350m tourism windfall alone.'

The 'Good To Go' campaign (print material pictured) was initially released in November, but was pulled back after Queensland shut its borders less than a month later

'Thats what 370,000 Sydneysiders spent in 2019, visiting Queensland for Easter.'

Ms Palaszczuk added that regions in her state largely reliant on tourism were doing it 'tough' and urged other Australians to vacation in Queensland..

'I want everyone to get out now and explore Queensland. If your family hasnt been to the Great Barrier Reef, this year is the perfect opportunity. Theres just so much to do here,' the premier said.

'With the help of Queenslanders and interstate visitors, we can help Queensland tourism to not only rebuild but to rebuild stronger.'

But some New South Wales residents were weary of planning trips north after being burnt by border closures in the past.

Responding to news of Queensland's bid for tourism dollars, one woman said her son had chosen to holiday in New South Wales, after two interstate trips had to be cancelled.

'My son had a holiday booked for Palm Cove. After the borders closing twice to Greater Sydney and him having to keep changing the flights, he has given up on going to QLD at all,' she wrote on Facebook.

Another woman said she would love to travel to Queensland but the financial risk was too great.

'My fear is that Ms Palaszczuk will slam her borders closed. All the resorts won't refund, only credit, which is wrong on every level,' she said online.

The Premier said the Queensland tourism industry is expecting 'strong bookings' for Easter and the school holidays as Greater Sydney is permitted back in her state. Pictured: The Good to Go' Campaign

The Palaszczuk government has often been accused of playing politics with the pandemic, closing borders after just handfuls of cases popped up.

There have also been numerous incidents when innocent Australians were banned from the state or forced into quarantine despite desperately trying to see sick family.

Queensland's 'Good To Go' campaign was first launched in June last year to encourage Queenslanders to explore their own state, with later stages of the promotion designed to focus on interstate holidaymakers as restrictions eased.

The interstate promotion was flagged for a December release, but Queensland closed the border to 35 local government areas in Greater Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.

While all other states are now free to travel to the Sunshine State, Western Australians have been banned after the state was declared a Covid hotspot from 6pm on Sunday.

Travellers from the Perth, Peel and South West regions of the state required to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival after a WA hotel quarantine worker tested positive to the virus.

Queensland Health also announced that anyone who had travelled from those WA areas since January 26 should be tested and isolate until they receive their result.
Delhi Police tweeted that social media posts claiming that many farmers are missing after the 26 Jan violence, and that the police is carrying out 'illegal detentions' are false

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday appealed to people not to believe in rumours about illegal detention of farmers protesting against three new agri laws and asserted that the investigation is being carried out in a fair and transparent manner.

Delhi Police PRO Eish Singhal said 44 FIRs have been registered and 122 people arrested till now.

The information about the cases concerned has been updated on the official website of the Delhi Police as per guidelines of the Supreme Court to facilitate the public, he said.

The kin of those arrested can also seek information from the police stations concerned.

"We appeal to the public to not believe in rumours. Investigation carried out by the Delhi Police is transparent and fair," Singhal said.

According to the police, 394 police personnel were injured while 30 police vehicles were damaged in the violence during the farmers' tractor parade on Republic Day.

Taking to Twitter, the Delhi Police said, "There are various rumours being spread about illegal detention and missing of many farmers post January 26 violence. Delhi Police has registered 44 cases and arrested 122 persons so far."

There are various rumors being spread about illegal detention and missing of many farmers post 26th January violence. Delhi Police has registered 44 cases and arrested 122 persons so far.@CPDelhi @LtGovDelhi@PMOIndia @HMOIndia #FarmersProtest pic.twitter.com/DSOAE7wuik  #DilKiPolice Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) February 1, 2021

"Their details are available on Delhi Police website. No one has been illegally detained by the police," it added.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at the border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur with deployment of additional security forces and placement of multi-layered barricades and barbed wires amid apprehensions of more farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh joining the protest.
Utah lawmakers pushed several bills that would be truly pro-life and not just anti-abortion, a report said.

Breitbart reported that Utah's GOP has pushed House Bill 113, 253, and 231 to protect pregnant women and their unborn babies. KUER highlighted that the said bills were proposed ahead of the March For Life scheduled over the weekend.

The House Bill 113, sponsored by Representative Brady Brammer, aims to help pregnant women in their finances by putting the spotlight on their unborn babies' biological father to provide 50% of the costs entailed in the pregnancy. Bill 113 was voted on 8-1 by the Utah legislators, of which Representative Brian King was the sole objector, as per Salt Lake Tribune.

The Salt Lake Tribune clarified that the financing pertains to "a pregnant mother's insurance premiums and all medical costs related to the pregnancy from conception to birth" along with abortion expenses he consented to that would endanger the mother's life or was a result of incest or rape.

However, this is only applicable once the paternity has been established. In such a case, The Salt Lake Tribune said, the judge would then require him to pay his share of expenses evidenced by receipts provided by the mother, most likely after birth.

Brammer explained that the bill intends to increase "the responsibility for men in the bringing of life into the world" and is actually a result of him getting "sick" of the "battle between pro-life and pro-choice."

"Oftentimes there's this battle between pro-life and pro-choice where some of the pro-life positions really turn into a perception that it's just anti-abortion. I kind of got sick of those things and I thought what could we do that's really a pro-life thing?...and so that's where this bill came from," Brammer raised during the bill's presentation with the House Judiciary Committee.

Brammer, as per The Salt Lake Tribune, is aware that women will be faced with the legal system's challenges for the filing of the 50% claim. He raised that non-profit groups and shelters, as well as, pro bono legal clinics would be able to help them in the legal process.

In line with this, The Salt Lake Tribune cited Representative Lowry Snow who raised concerns on the matter as collection of payments through the court system could be "pretty daunting" for some women.

"My heart goes out to these women who find themselves in this situation, who don't have that support and help and have the expenses and maybe don't have the ability to cover it and the thoughts of actually having to sue someone to collect it are daunting. However, having said that, I think this is a really important step in the right direction," he said.

On the other hand, House Bill 253 requires women to affirm completion of the state's online pre-abortion program before ending their pregnancy "under penalty of perjury." Breitbart reported that the online program is required by the state. However, there are reports that the program has a loophole that allows women to circumvent the course and be able to print the certificate of completion.

House Bill 253 sponsor Representative Steve Christiansen explained he wans women to be fully aware of what will happen should they decide to end their pregnancy.

Representative Cheryl Acton's House Bill 231, Breitbart reported, criminalizes the transportation of aborted or miscarried fetal remains outside the state of Utah to ensure they are ""handled with dignity and not treated as medical waste." Burials was the only exception given in the bill for transporting the remains.
On Monday, Jan. 25, when Thomas was doing his rounds, Renfrow-Damron asked Thomas to step inside because she had something for him. She and a neighbor told him how much he means to the community, explained the intention to buy him a chair and more. He opened a box to find some cold hard cash. He was stunned by the gesture and the gift.
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.

The legal battle ensuing between the companies Amazon, Future Retail and Reliance has been going on since last year itself.

Future Retail moved an appeal to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) requesting clearance for its arrangement with Reliance, the company's legal representatives told the high court in Delhi. This is another move from Future to secure all permissions for the completion of the Rs 24,731 crore (around $3.4 billion) contract with Reliance.

Last week, stock exchanges cleared Future's deal with Reliance, but according to Indian law, another crucial approval is necessary from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The approval is vital for Future to seal the transaction without which liquidation could be faced by the company. The legal battle ensuing between the companies Amazon, Future Retail and Reliance has been going on since last year itself.

(Also Read: Reliance Retail, Future Group's Rs 24,000 crore deal cleared by market regulator SEBI)

Amazon is also facing an investigation from ED (Enforcement Directorate) after being accused of an alleged violation of the foreign exchange rules and laws of the country. Traders body CAIT (Confederation of All India Traders) had also written to the Commerce and Industry Minister accusing Amazon and various other e-commerce businesses for daylight robbery.
ABC News Special Inauguration Coverage

1/20/2021

[after poet Amanda Gormans speech]

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Wow. Hows that for a national debut? Most of us will remember where we were when we heard Joe Biden take the oath of office, give his inaugural address. We will all remember when we heard Amanda Gorman speak to the world as Americas first national youth poet laureate.



[after reverend speaks]

STEPHANOPOULOS: Echoes of Martin Luther King Jr., there, with a prayer and plea for unity in this country so deeply divided right now. Cecilia Vega, unity the theme of the day, the theme of this inaugural ceremony, the theme of Joe Bidens presidential campaign, clearly going to be the early theme of his presidency. He said, my whole soul is in this, bringing America together.

VEGA: George, this was an inaugural speech aimed at uniting the country. But so much of this was speaking directly to Donald Trumps supporters or those who may be doubting Joe Bidens legitimacy. He said, we won this, this is democracy, you are seeing it in action. Its not about a candidate, democracy has prevailed. But he also used this moment to attempt to reclaim truth. We just saw an outgoing president who by counts issued more than 33 some odd thousand assaults on the truth, mistruths. And this was about taking truth and reclaiming facts, George.

STEPHANOPOULOS: And Mary Bruce, youre at the Capitol today, he did not shy away from mentioning the siege of the Capitol two weeks ago, told the country, told the world what we saw there will not prevail.

MARY BRUCE: It was a fierce rejection of that kind of hate, of that kind of violence, as he made this call for unity. George, I have to say, Ive listened to a lot of Joe Bidens speeches, he talks about the unity a lot. What always strikes me is Biden is not a man of hyperbole. He views unity not as a lofty goal but as a practical necessity. You heard that today, to tackle the pandemic, racial injustice, the country will have to come together, put aside your differences and work towards common goals. He said without unity there is no progress. And of course without mentioning president Trumps name, it was a clear rejection of Trumpism. I kept thinking of that famous line that Donald Trump said, I alone can fix it. The message from Joe Biden today was We alone can fix it. If this country has any hope of moving forward, it will take everybody coming together. As Cecilia mentioned, that message to the more than 70 million Americans who voted for Trump, Joe Biden is essentially saying give me a chance.



JON KARL: So when he came out and said that line, again, that simple line, there is truth and there are lies, if he can convince us, if he can convince Americans of that once again, it will go a long way to accomplishing what he needs to accomplish.

STEPHANOPOULOS: That would be a monumental victory for Joe Biden, as 46th president of the United States. Mark Updegrove, presidential historian.We must not be enemies, we must not make friends of our enemies [sic], as Jon Karl was just talking about, echoes of Abe Lincoln right there.

MARK UPDEGROVE: Echoes of Lincoln on the eve of Civil War in 1861, the worst domestic crisis that weve ever faced as a nation. We of course faced one two weeks ago, George. But I think what President Biden said at the top of his speech most resonated with me which is this is democracys day, democracy has prevailed. Despite what we saw from President Trump, his trying to sabotage this election, calling on insurrectionists to seize the Capitol, to try to overturn the results, to try to overthrow our country, democracy triumphed. This, today, was a triumph of democracy.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Martha Raddatz, thank you Mark, that was clearly the message the president, the new president had worth the world. He said America has been tested but weve come out stronger.

RADDATZ: Exactly the message he was portraying, we will repair our alliances, lead not by power but the power of our example and our leadership, a strong message to the world. Of course there are congratulations coming in from all over the world, as would be expected. Look, the world has to deal with whoever is president. And I know foreign leaders around the world during the Trump administration were just holding their breath. I also look, and Im looking there at the chairman of the joint chiefs, Mark Milley who was among the crowd there today. He will remain chairman of the joint chiefs. But he had a very tough balancing act during this period. I know theres probably a sigh of relief over at the Pentagon that Iran didnt act up in the last couple of weeks because there were certainly plans to respond to any attack from Iran.



BYRON PITTS: Watching this moment, todays inauguration felt more like a church service, right? And we see there, right after the sermon, the congregation doesnt want to go home. People are hugging, shaking hands. I thought from Joe Biden today, certainly he was commander in chief, but he was also papa in chief. He gave a speech to comfort the nation. He said in part, to those who did not vote for me, if you still disagree, so be it, disagreement must not lead to disunion. It was a unifying speech. If you think about it, Its a 4 1/2 hour drive from Scranton, Pennsylvania where Biden is from to the White House. It took Joe Biden 78 years from the shy side of blue collar to become the most powerful person on Earth. That remains only possible in America. We are not a perfect nation, as he reminded us today, but the nation, the promise of America, remains today like no other on Earth. And I think Joe Biden, this ceremony, even the presence of Mike Pence, they remind us of what is so unique about this nation.

(Natural News) In early September Richard Grenell, the former acting director of national intelligence and U.S. ambassador to Germany, stepped up to the podium in the White House press gallery with the expectation of discussing a major diplomatic breakthrough.

After 21 years, Grenell, who had been appointed U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations, announced that he and others managed to broker a peace deal between the two nations.

It was a really big deal and, as it turned out, one of several peace deals brokered by the Trump administration in the final year of his presidency.

Two decades earlier, in the wake of the Soviet Unions disintegration, rump regions of what used to be one of the USSRs client states, Yugoslavia, broke up and began warring with each other. Serbia and Kosovo are two of those regions; Bosnia and Herzegovina along with Croatia were two other regions.

The Bosnian War got so deadly and threatened to spread so quickly that many leaders worried it would engulf Europe in its third continental conflict in a single century. Only after NATO and the U.S. intervened did the fighting subside; more than 101,000 people were killed and to this day, contingents of the U.S. Army and Army National Guard rotate through Kosovo to help keep the peace.

But as Grenell, who is gay, took to the podium, the reporters in the Washington Press Corps didnt want to talk about the historic peace deal. One tried to ask Grenell about a push earlier in the year to decriminalize homosexuality in other countries.

The career diplomat cut him off immediately.

Let me just talk about Kosovo and Serbia. I dont know if you can find it on a map. But this is atrocious, he began.

You might be too young to understand what this issue is about. Maybe the older journalists should step up and say, This is a big deal. This is a big issue. Im astounded what happens in Washington, D.C., and especially in this room. I gotta tell you, its substantive, maybe its too complicated of an issue for you all, he said.

After another reporter tried to interrupt, Grenell pushed back with a huge truth bomb.

You guys dont understand whats happening outside of Washington, D.C. People arent listening to you anymore, he said. Its really a crisis in journalism, and I think its because people are too young to understand issues like Kosovo and Serbia. How about a substantive question?

Grenell was, of course, criticized for his admonishment  by the same media he chastised, of course. But he was right, and a recently released survey substantiates his claim.

Axios reports:

Trust in traditional media has declined to an all-time low, and many news professionals are determined to do something about it.

Faith in societys central institutions, especially in government and the media, is the glue that holds society together. That glue was visibly dissolving a decade ago, and has now, for many millions of Americans, disappeared entirely.

For the first time ever, fewer than half of all Americans have trust in traditional media, according to data from Edelmans annual trust barometer shared exclusively with Axios. Trust in social media has hit an all-time low of 27%.

So  just want are news professionals determined to do about it? From an early assessment, wed say theyre preparing to triple-down on what got them into the negative trust column to begin with.

Take the Washington Post. After four years of haranguing President Trump with something called a fact-check project, the paper shuttered the operation no sooner than he left office and has no plans for a similar one now that a Democrat  Joe Biden  has moved into the Oval Office.

Yes, nothing says Hey, were not Democrat sycophants! like refusing to cover a Democratic president with the same truth-o-meter.

Grenell was right. So is Axios findings. But as WaPo indicates, dont expect anything to change.

See more reporting like this at NewsFakes.com.

Sources include:

Axios.com

BizPacReview.com

WarHistoryOnline.com

NaturalNews.com
CrediMax has launched its 2021 promotion campaign, It Is On Us with CrediMax, from January to March under which 30 of its customers (10 every month) will win big.

During these three months, CrediMax will be rewarding 30 winners (10 every month) with an iPhone 12 Pro 256GB.

Announcing the Q1 promotion, CEO Ahmed A. Seyadi said: "CrediMax goal this year is to maximize our customers chances to get rewarded when using our products and services in their everyday transactions."

"The same transaction will entitle the customer for a chance of instant refund of the transaction value, a chance to win one of the quarterly prizes, as well as the chance to enter the raffle draw on the full year grand prize of $ 50,000/-. That is in addition to Thameen loyalty points earned with each transaction made," he stated.

More prizes will be announced on its social media for the remaining of the year.

The move is aimed at rewarding customers instantly as they use the bank's products and services by capitalize on the digital age, providing loyal customers with world-class innovations and card experience, he added.

More than 4,500 cardholders received complementary instant refund of their transaction value as a token of appreciation for being CrediMax customer during 2020 only.

"This year, (#ItIsOnUs) instant reword program will continue providing cardholders the chance to have their daily purchases paid instantly by CrediMax. It is worth mentioning that (#ItIsOnUs) instant reward program has been extended to include purchases done on any point-of-sale or online/eCommerce including non-CrediMax merchants," explained Seyadi.

"Quarter-1 of 2021 prizes (30 iPhone-12Pro 256GB); One entry for every accumulative usage of BD 25/- monthly inside Bahrain. The cardholder will also be eligible to enter the raffle draw with 3 chances for ever accumulative spending of BD 25/- monthly internationally," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
A major winter storm is descending on the Northeast, where governors and mayors issued emergency declarations on Sunday in anticipation of heavy snow and high winds that they said were expected to lead to widespread power losses and treacherous travel conditions.

Much of the region is under a winter storm warning from a noreaster, which meteorologists said could bring a prolonged period of snowfall during a pandemic.

President Biden on Sunday discussed storm preparations with his advisers, according to White House pool reporters.

How much will it snow?

More than a foot of snow is expected from eastern Pennsylvania to southern New England from Sunday night through Tuesday, the National Weather Service said on Sunday.
Coronavirus. Credit: European Centers for Disease Control

Israel's nationwide lockdown was extended Monday to contain the coronavirus which has continued to spread rapidly as the country presses ahead with an aggressive vaccination campaign.

The current lockdown, declared on December 27, is the third in the Jewish state since pandemic began last year.

The cabinet prolonged the closure until Friday morning, but scheduled a fresh meeting for Wednesday to assess whether a further extension was required, a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the health ministry said.

With Israel, a country of about 9 million people, still regularly registering more than 5,000 new cases per day, Netanyahu had pushed for the lockdown's extension.

His political opponents said they would only agree if fines were increased for rule violators.

Netanyahu's critics have particularly highlighted persistent violations among Israel's ultra-Orthodox Jews, the premier's key political allies who have repeatedly disregarded public safety measures throughout the pandemic.

Hours before the cabinet approved the extension, thousands of ultra-Orthodox, many not wearing masks, flouted bans on large public gatherings by packing the streets of a Jerusalem neighbourhood for the funeral of a top rabbi while police looked on.

Defence Minister Benny Gantz, Netanyahu's rival in Israel's caretaker government, said "this is what unequal enforcement looks like", pledging an end to the "indulgence" of an ultra-Orthodox community that has defied the rules.

Israel is heading to the polls again in March, the country's fourth vote in less than two years.

Most political experts agree Netanyahu has no path to extend his record 11 years in power without backing from the main ultra-Orthodox parties.

- Flight banIsrael's lockdown also includes an unprecedented airport and border closure, which Netanyahu has described as a necessary weapon in the "arms race" against coronavirus variants.

The cabinet has extended the ban on commercial flights imposed last month until February 7.

Road crossings to Egypt and Jordan will also remain closed.

Israel is attempting to repatriate nationals stuck abroad by the commercial flight shut down, but said Monday that those brought back to the country over the next week must quarantine in government-chosen hotels.

Israel has registered nearly 620,000 coronavirus cases, including more than 4,500 deaths.

It has also given at least one of the required of two Pfizer-made jabs to more than three million people, a pace widely described as the world's fastest per capita.

Israel hopes to vaccinate its entire over-16 population by the end of March.

The Jewish state has also come under mounting international pressure to facilitate vaccinations for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, an Israel-blockaded territory controlled by Hamas Islamists.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

 2021 AFP
ADVERTISEMENT

President Muhammadu Buhari and Moroccan leader, King Mohammed V1, on Sunday, had a telephone conversation to discuss joint efforts towards the realization of strategic development projects that include Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline and a fertilizer production plant.

The Heads of State welcomed the positive and dynamic bilateral relations in all fields between the two nations since the Kings visit to Nigeria in December 2016, and President Buharis visit to Morocco in June 2018.

President Buhari and King Mohammed expressed determination to carry out, as soon as possible, the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline and construction of a fertiliser production plant in Nigeria.

President Buhari, who spoke with the King of Morocco from his country home in Daura, thanked the leader for support in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

He also expressed appreciation for the Kingdoms support in education through scholarships and training.

Garba Shehu

Senior Special Assistant to the President

(Media & Publicity)




Haiti - Diaspora France : Launch of the Program Konsila Lakay ou





"Konsila Lakay ou" is a new initiative of the Consulate General of Haiti in Paris, led by Consul General Wedlyne Francois Pierre.



This program consists of a series of visits to Haitian nationals living in metropolitan France, specifically traders, owners of small and medium-sized businesses.



These visits carried out by Consul Wedlyne Francois Pierre, accompanied by her team. At the end of these visits, the Consulate intends to establish a directory including information from these companies in order to maintain links with compatriots.



This will allow Haitians living in metropolitan France and especially in Ile de France, region where most of our compatriots are located, to list the service providers present on French soil, to discover the services they offer and to be able to contact them. This program will also allow Haitian nationals to promote the businesses of their peers. These can then benefit from marketing and networking.



In summary, the "Konsila lakay ou" program aims to strengthen the business activities of the Haitian community in metropolitan France and increase its economic level. In this perspective, the Consulate General of Haiti in Paris is counting on the participation of Haitian entrepreneurs and on their dedication to make this program a success.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Irish diplomats in Washington won the battle on Brexit in the US by being highly proactive with politicians and emigrant groups, a scathing report on UK foreign policy says.

Ireland is ranked alongside Israel for influence with US politicians on Capitol Hill after creating the perception the peace process in Northern Ireland could be damaged by Brexit.

New US President Joe Biden warning the British last year about not doing anything to damage the Good Friday Agreement is the best example of Irish influence. The report by the UKs leading thinktank advises British diplomats to copy many Irish tactics in the US.

Read More

The Government is also praised for covering international journalists expenses on trips to Ireland as a way to foster heritage links.

After the Brexit vote in 2016, the Government launched a diplomatic push in Washington. Former Irish Ambassador to London, Dan Mulhall, was appointed to Washington a year later. The previous Ambassador Anne Anderson also had a CV boasting terms at the UN and EU.

Brexit is cited as an example of Britains waning influence compared to far less well staffed Irish operation.

The most illustrative case study of Britains struggles in Washington was the failure to successfully project the governments view on Northern Ireland and the Brexit process in Washington against accusations it was endangering the Good Friday Agreement, first over the so-called backstop and then over the Internal Market Bill, the report by the thinktank, Policy Exchange says.

This perception in Washington even saw then Presidential candidate [Joe] Biden warning that we cant allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit.

The reports authors say Washington itself has changed due to the deepening polarisation of US politics and the breakdown of much of the old foreign policy consensus has seen US allies struggle in Washington.

Some have done better than others on some important metrics: France and Germany, for instance, built strong ties to the foreign policy circles in Washington that will now staff the Biden-Harris administration; Ireland and Israel have successfully navigated Congress. The UK has underperformed in both, the report entitled A Washington Strategy for British Diplomacy.

The Brexit experience on Northern Ireland is seen as a compelling illustration of why the UK now needs to improve its operation in Washington.

The absence of a strong and proactive British voice on Northern Ireland in Washington recently had an adverse effect on prospects for a UK-US trade deal. The UKs failure to push back on claims that certain outcomes of EU-US trade negotiations would violate the Good Friday Agreement, as the EU side claimed, saw this view become widespread amongst Democrats.

The Irish Embassy was highly proactive in engaging with the media, diaspora groups, think tanks and a small number of champions in Congress on the issue, the report says.

The UK Embassy is told to appoint dedicated team for diaspora engagement and new resources taking inspiration from the outreach units run by Ireland.

The Irish Embassy has made a virtue of a large population of Irish Catholic ancestry in the United States which is estimated as being as over 20m. However, the UK has done little to foster affinities with its own substantial ancestry populations.

Around one in ten Americans say they hail from a UK heritage.

These Americans affinity for the UK is something to be encouraged. Inspiration should be drawn from the Irish Embassys heritage outreach. This could be complemented by a British Heritage programme, where a website should be created in partnership with VisitBritain," the report says.

The Public Exchange report also praises the broader strategy towards the foreign media in Dublin, which see Irish authorities covering international journalists expenses on tourism trips to Ireland.

This contrasted to a British Embassy which failed to respond as effectively or concretely in presenting the viewpoint of the UK both in think tanks or the media and in working with potential supporters in Congress.

As a result if it was perceived by Dublin and Brussels to have undermined their interpretation of the Good Friday Agreement, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in August 2019 they would vote against a UK-US trade deal.

This view entrenched during the 2020 election cycle. In September 2020 Democratic representatives chairing the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, Energy and the Environment wrote to Boris Johnson warning that Congress would not support a US-UK free trade deal if the United Kingdom fails to preserve the gains of the Good Friday Agreement and the wider peace process.

Joe Biden himself tweeted in September 2020 we cant allow the Good Friday Agreement to be a casualty of Brexit. Any trade deal between the U.S. and the U.K. must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period.

Read More




St Brigids Day is an important feast day, not only in the Christian calendar but in Irish culture and heritage.

There are many traditions and stories associated with St Brigid, one of Irelands three patron saints along with St Patrick and St Colmcille. Her feast day on February 1 coincides with the ancient, pre-Christian festival of Imbolc which marked the end of winter and the first day of spring.

Today, January 31 is the eve of her feast day and is an important day in preparing for St Brigids Day and for the year ahead.

The best known St Brigids Day tradition by far in the making of crosses using fresh rushes. These are woven in homes, schools and community gatherings across the country. And while there are a few variations on the shape and style of the cross, the tradition is one that has remained largely unchanged for more than 1,000 years.

Crosses made on St Brigids Eve are brought to the church on St Brigids Day to be blessed. It is believed that crosses hung in homes protect the house from fire and hunger. Traditionally, the old cross is thrown into the fire as the new one is hung in its place.

There wont be any St Brigids Cross gatherings today but some communities are offering online versions. And even if we cant be physically together, by making crosses in our own homes we are contributing to a tradition that has survived persecution, famine, mass emigration and the changes of the modern world.

It will of course be different this year due to Covid-19, but no less important. For those hoping to get crosses blessed, some parishes have made arrangements for them to be left in the church for blessing. Individual parish priests will be able to advise on the plans for each community.

Another St Brigids Eve tradition is to leave out a piece of cloth, rag or ribbon overnight and to bring it inside in the early morning before the dew dries. These rags are known as Bratoga Bhride and are believed to bring healing to the sick and protection to the household.
Delegates from Libya's opposing sides kick off a five-day meeting on Monday to choose an interim prime minister and a three-person presidency council, in a crucial bid to reunite the troubled oil-rich country before an election in December.

The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, including envoys from around Libya, meets under UN mediation in an undisclosed site outside Geneva in hopes of stabilizing a largely lawless country since Moammar Gadhafi's fall and killing in 2011.

The gathering, which will draw from an agreed list of candidates, caps a process begun in Berlin in January 2020 for a North African country mired in international meddling and pockets of violence despite a holding cease-fire.

The voting process take place under the mediation of the UN secretary-general's acting special representative for Libya, Stephanie Williams. The interim authority to be chosen will seek to rebuild state institutions and lead Libya to a national election on Dec. 24.

The warring factions also agreed that a national referendum would be held on constitutional arrangements, laying the legal groundwork for the December vote.

The 75-member forum represents the three main regions of old Libya, Tripolitania in the west, Cyrenaica in the east, and Fezzan in the southwestern part of Libya _ each to be represented on the three-member presidential council. The prime minister is to be chosen by garnering 70% of votes.

Twenty-four candidates are running for the presidential council posts. Those include Aguila Saleh, speaker of the east-based House of Representatives, Khaled al-Meshri, the head of the Tripoli-based government's Supreme Council of State.

Among the candidates for the presidential council is Libya's top judge Mohammed al-Hafi, whose candidacy has stirred up controversy. The country's Judges' Association decried the move, saying Saturday he should have retired before running,

Twenty-one candidates are running for prime minister, including Fathi Bashaga, the powerful interior minister in Tripoli, and Ahmed Meitig, deputy prime minister of the UN-supported government.

On Thursday, Williams told the UN Security Council that the gathering amounted to ``a decisive round of intra-Libyan talks.''

The same day, the United States called on Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to halt their military interventions in the country, as has been sought under the cease-fire agreement that has largely held in recent months.

The cease-fire deal, inked in October, included the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya within three months. But so far, no progress has been made on that.

Williams said in December there were at least 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya, and warned about a ``serious crisis'' as weapons continue to pour into the North African country.

Since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted Gadhafi, Libya has been in turmoil and split between rival administrations in the east and west _ each backed by an array of militias and foreign powers.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Libyans are making a ``remarkable effort to come together'' and said it's crucial for foreign forces to withdraw.

*This story has been edited by Ahram Online

Short link:



A man who stabbed a Syrian refugee to death in Belfast is set to be legally represented at an inquest into the victim's death.

Callin Wilson, 22, is serving a life sentence for the murder of Hazem Ahmed Ghrier in June 2017.

A coroner confirmed on Monday that the killer, who has a severe mental disorder, will be granted interested person status when the inquest gets underway later this year.

Lawyers for Wilson sought the participation rights amid claims that opportunities in his care were missed before he carried out the fatal attack.

Solicitor Brian Archer said: "This will be an opportunity for full discovery of anything that went wrong in social services' interaction with Callin, leading up to the terrible events of Mr Ghrier's murder."

The 30-year-old victim, who made Northern Ireland his home after fleeing war-torn Syria with his brother in 2015 - died from a single stab wound to the heart.

He was attacked as he tried to stop Wilson stealing a bike near the Dublin Road.

Aged 18 at the time, the killer was living at homeless accommodation without proper assistance or supervision.

His trial heard that he had a fascination with knives and an unhealthy interest in TV programmes depicting crime scenes.

In March 2019 he was sentenced to a minimum nine years imprisonment by a judge who questioned how he slipped through the net.

During a preliminary inquest hearing today, counsel for Wilson claimed a care package had been removed when he was put into a hostel before the killing.

"He was let down badly by the powers that be," barrister Joel Lindsay contended.

Following submissions, Coroner Joe McCrisken confirmed the interested person's status to Wilson.

Although the decision will give his legal representatives access to relevant documents, he is not expected to be called as a witness at the inquest.

The tribunal is currently listed for a three-day hearing in September.

Outside court Mr Archer added: "Hopefully any mistakes made around Callin will not be repeated, so that no other family goes through the same tragic experience."
But the Ministry of Health and Welfare said it will discuss the possibility of easing lockdown regulations next week to ease the financial burden on small store owners.

That means gatherings of more than five people remain banned, which also applies to family members during one of the nation's biggest holiday. Restaurants and coffee shops will close at 9 p.m.

The government has extended the current lockdown for two more weeks until after Lunar New Year.

The 9 o'clock closing time applies to churches and most businesses including restaurants, coffee shops and department stores.

But theaters and cinemas in the greater Seoul area can accept customers as long as people sit two seats apart. Theaters and cinemas outside of the greater Seoul area will be required to keep customers one seat apart. Only ski resorts are allowed to remain open past 9 p.m.

Health authorities cited the risk of a resurgence in group infections to justify their decision. Average daily infections stood at around 360 cases between Jan. 18 and 24 but rose to around 420 between Jan. 25 and 31 due to big group infections at missionary schools and religious facilities.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told reporters that 117,000 doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine will arrive in mid-February through the WHO-led COVAX Facility, enough for 60,000 people. Another 1.3 million to 2.19 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are due in the first half of the year.

Doses for at least 300,000 people will be supplied between February and March.

Health officials will conduct mock vaccination exercises for three days from Monday focusing on the cold chain since the Pfizer vaccine must be stored at ultra-low temperatures.

Meanwhile, the daily tally of new infections stood at 305 as of Monday morning.
New Delhi:

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the Centre and the Reserve Bank of India two weeks to consider the option of granting a window to those who could not deposit their demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes for a compelling reason.

A bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud asked Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, representing the Centre, to take instructions on the issue.



There can be a situation where a person has lost his/her money for no fault. Suppose a person was in jail during the period... We want to know as to why you chose to bar such persons, the bench said.



The solicitor general then sought time to seek instructions for granting an opportunity to persons to deposit their money on a case-by-case basis.



The bench was hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by Sudha Mishra seeking a direction to authorities to allow her to deposit demonetised notes as she could not do so during the period specified by the Centre and the RBI.



The Central government had on November 8 last year announced that Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes would no longer be legal tender from November 9.



The government also assured the people that demonetised currency notes could be exchanged at banks, post offices and RBI branches till December 30, 2016. If people were unable to deposit them by that day, they could do so till March 31, 2017 at RBI branches after complying with certain formalities.



On March 21, the apex court asked the government why it chose not to create a separate category for those who couldnt deposit demonetised notes by December 30, 2016 unlike NRIs and people who were abroad.



The Centre informed the court that it had taken a conscious decision not to extend the period beyond December 30 last year for exchanging demonetised currency notes.



It also said it was not legally bound to come out with a fresh notification to grant a grace period or a window for depositing scrapped currency notes.



The apex court had on March 6 sought responses of the Centre and RBI on why demonetised notes were not accepted till March 31 as was promised.



On March 10, it sought replies from the Centre and RBI on the plea against tweaking of rules on exchange of demonetised currency.



Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to the nation on the evening of November 8 last year on demonetisation and the subsequent notification of the federal bank that banned notes can be exchanged at RBI offices even up to March 31, 2017 were valid assurances which stood breached by the ordinance, counsel for the petitioner, Sudha Mishra, had said.



The plea alleged that the prime minister and RBI had assured people at large that demonetised currency notes could be exchanged till December 30, 2016 and then on March 31, 2017 at RBI branches after complying with formalities.



The petitioner referred to the Specified Bank Notes Cessation of Liabilities Ordinance and said it had breached the assurance.



The Ordinance said only those who were abroad, armed forces personnel posted in remote areas or others who could give valid reasons for not being able to deposit the cancelled notes at banks could deposit demonetised notes till March 31 this year after the deadline expired on December 30, 2016.



The Centre had come out with the Ordinance making possession of a large number of scrapped notes a penal offence attracting a monetary fine.

(With Inputs from PTI)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

Market Research Future has published a half-cooked research report on the Wind Turbine Composites Market Research Report- Forecast to 2023

Market Definition and Growth Factors:

Wind Turbine Composites Market is poised to expand at a moderate CAGR through the forecast period 2017 to 2023. The increasing demand for sustainable energy sources is anticipated to support the expansion of the market in the years to come. The rising shift towards the generation of renewable energy is likely to pave the way for demand generation for wind turbine composites.

These composites offer advantages such as corrosion resistance, tensile strength, etc. This, in turn, is expected to catalyze the growth of the Wind Turbine Composites Market Report over the next couple of years. The rising awareness about enhances the life span of the product is also projected to catapult the market on upward trajectory.

Get a Free Sample of This Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5005

Competitive Dashboard:

The key participants of the share analysis of the global wind turbine composites market are:

LM Wind Power (Denmark),

Vestas (Denmark),

Lianyungang Zhongfu Lianzhong Composites Group Co., Ltd (China),

AVIC Huiteng Windpower Equipment Co Ltd ( China),

Gamesa Corporation Technology (U.S.), Suzlon Energy Limited (India),

TPI Composites (U.S.),

AREVA (France),

Siemens AG (Germany),

Molded Fiber Glass Companies (U.S.)

Industry News:

In June 2019, Covestro AG, a world-leading supplier of high-tech polymer materials, has completed the delivery of polyurethane resin for wind blades to China.

In April 2019, a GE Renewable Energy business, LM Wind Power, has announced the installation of a 107-meter-long wind turbine blade at its factory in Cherbourg, France.

IN March 2019, General Electric Company, an American multinational conglomerate, has completed the installation of its onshore wind turbine prototype. The Cypress 5.3-megawatt prototype is installed in Wieringermeer, Netherlands and features a two-piece blade design.

Market Segmentation:

Wind Turbine Composites Market, by fiber type, has been segmented into glass, carbon, and others. Among these, the glass segment is projected to exhibit robust growth rate owing to its ease of application and cost-effectiveness.

On the basis of resin, the wind turbine composites market has been segmented into epoxy, polyester, vinyl ester, polyurethane, and others. The epoxy resin segment is poised to witness increased consumption in the foreseeable future. It is anticipated to expand at a moderate CAGR over the assessment period.

Based on process, the global wind turbine composites market has been segmented into vacuum injection prepeg, molding, and hand lay-up. Among these, the vacuum injection segment is likely to dictate the growth pattern of the market in the years to come.

The wind turbine composites market, by application, has been segmented into nacelles, hub, blades, tower, and others. The blades segment is expected to strike a comparatively higher CAGR during the forecast period owing to strong mechanical strength and corrosion strength.

Regional Analysis:

The global wind turbine composites market, by region, is segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). Asia Pacific is expected to hold the largest share of the global market over the next few years. The primary factor expected to boost the revenue growth of the regional wind turbine composites market is the adoption of lightweight materials for installation. The rising demand for glass fiber is projected to favor market growth in the region. China, Japan, and India are forecasted to merge as the most prominent country-level markets in Asia Pacific.

North America is also expected to demonstrate a steep rise in the growth curve. Investments in end-user industry verticals are likely to propel the expansion of wind turbine composites market in the region during the assessment period. The U.S, Canada, and Mexico are anticipated to contribute significantly to the development of the regional market in the forthcoming years. The market in Europe is also poised to expand at a substantial rate owing to the increasing generation of renewable energy.

BROWSE RELATED REPORT @

https://www.abnewswire.com/pressreleases/covid19-analysis-on-honey-market-scenario-growth-size-share-research-methodology-regional-summary-industry-segment-and-forecast-to-2023_511449.html

https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/covid-19-analysis-on-honey-market-scenario-growth-size-share-research-methodology-regional-summary-industry-segment-and-forecast-to-2023-2020-10-13

https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/20/10/ab17890134/covid-19-analysis-on-honey-market-scenario-growth-size-share-research-methodology-regional-summar

http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/4839235
Disgraced celebrity chef Pete Evans has heaped praise on rogue Liberal MP Craig Kelly as he promoted a coronavirus podcast they co-host.

The former My Kitchen Rules judge revealed on Monday evening he'd had a 90-minute conversation with Mr Kelly - who he described as 'beautiful and beyond courageous'.

Evans - who was axed from the cooking show by Channel Seven in May - is an outspoken anti-vaxxer who repeatedly spread misinformation about the virus online.

Pete Evans pictured with his wife Nicola. The disgraced TV chef has promoted a podcast about coronavirus with rogue Liberal MP Craig Kelly

Mr Kelly, meanwhile, has questioned the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines and promoted the discredited theory hydroxychloroquine can be used to treat the deadly virus.

'Just spent a great 90 minutes talking with this beautiful and courageous man,' Evans wrote on Instagram - announcing the podcast would be available from Tuesday.

'Craig Kelly MP is sharing the truth over and over again and keeps moving forward without fear.'

'You my friend are a hero to many Australians and I look forward to sharing a meal with you perhaps in Canberra in the not too distant future.'

Mr Kelly confirmed his appearance on the podcast to multiple media outlets and defended his decision to associate himself with the controversial TV personality.

Evans was banned from Facebook in December for repeatedly 'violating' the site's policies on Covid-19 misinformation and has since had his podcast deleted by Apple and Spotify.

The former My Kitchen Rules judge shared a screenshot of the soon-to-be-released podcast and said on Monday evening he'd had a 90-minute conversation with Mr Kelly

'Just spent a great 90 minutes talking with this beautiful and courageous man,' Evans wrote on Instagram

'I basically said to Pete Evans, "I disagree with what you say and I disagree with some of the things you've posted, however I defend your right to say those things",' Mr Kelly told The New Daily.

'If you're posting wrong ideas, those ideas should be debated and challenged, rather than censored. That's the way, in a democratic society, you get to the truth.'

Powerbrokers in Mr Kelly's south Sydney electorate are brewing plans to run an independent candidate against the backbencher at the next federal election.

They accuse him of focusing on conspiracy theories instead of the community he represents.

Mr Kelly in parliament in August. The controversial MP has questioned the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines and promoted the discredited coronavirus treatment hydroxychloroquine

Poll Would you take a coronavirus vaccine rolled out in Australia? Yes No Undecided Would you take a coronavirus vaccine rolled out in Australia? Yes 3743 votes

No 5274 votes

Undecided 809 votes Now share your opinion





Mr Kelly has previously referred to an anti-vaxxer doctor in the US who then admitted to attending the riots at Washington's Capitol building last month.

He has also compared mandatory masks in schools to a form of child abuse.

In December, the federal minister questioned medical experts' approval of a Covid-19 vaccine and said he wanted to see more 'evidence' before he will get the jab.

'On the evidence I have seen, I don't think there's any necessity,' Mr Kelly told 9News.

Mr Kelly said he would be apprehensive at having an injection even if a drug was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Evans is an outspoken anti-vaxxer who has repeatedly spread misinformation about the virus online

'I want to weigh up all the evidence and make sure the decision I make, the decision for myself and for family, and if I am asked to advise my constituents, is made in what I believe is the best evidence,' Mr Kelly said.

The 57-year-old questioned why a vaccine was necessary when Australia had almost completely eradicated coronavirus.

He was also skeptical about the experts guiding the country's response to the deadly virus.

'We have seen the so-called experts in immunology at the start of the COVID outbreak tell us the numbers were going to escalate through the roof, and we see they were simply wrong,' he said.

NEW DELHI  The Indian government on Monday said it plans to raise limits on how much foreign companies can invest in the countrys insurance industry, a move that could attract inflows from U.S. and European insurers.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech for 2021-22 said the government would allow foreign direct investment of up to 74% in insurance entities, up from 49% currently, clearing the way for foreign ownership and control with safeguards.

The change could attract investments from international insurance companies, industry sources said, many of which have existing joint-venture operations in India, including from American International Group and United Kingdoms Prudential Plc.

Take up of life and health insurance products is low in the country of 1.3 billion people but is expected to grow. The countrys investment promotion agency, Invest India, expects the insurance market to be worth around $250 billion by 2025.

Its a huge market by size for them. That is the main driving force for companies, said an Indian lawyer who advises global insurance firms.

A second lawyer said several insurers from Asia have also shown interest in ramping up India investments, and started seeking more details about Mondays proposal hours after it was announced.

State-run Life Insurance Corporation dominates Indias life insurance market, but private players have rapidly grown in size.

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance  a joint venture between ICICI Bank and Prudential  last year said its assets under management crossed 2 trillion rupees ($27.4 billion). Prudential said in August last year that India is a market where it has significant investment appetites for growth.

More relaxed rules for foreign investment in insurance will also help some Indian insurers to attract capital and boost their businesses after a slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The imperativeness of the life insurance sector in the economy has gained paramount importance in the aftermath of COVID, Niraj Kumar, chief investment officer of Future Generali India Life Insurance, an Indian JV of Italys Assicurazioni Generali SpA, said in a statement.

The bold step  will provide an immediate backstop in terms of capital for growth and improve the insurance penetration and financial inclusion in the economy.

(Reporting by Aditya Kalra in New Delhi and Abhirup Roy in Mumbai; editing by Euan Rocha and Jane Merriman)

Topics Carriers Europe India
The World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, has called for "tolerance and adherence to necessary (Covid-19) measures" as they deal with "pandemic paradox".



"This paradox, where communities sense an end is in sight with the vaccine but, at the same time, are called to adhere to restrictive measures in the face of a new threat, is causing tension, angst, fatigue, and confusion," Kluge said during an online press briefing from Copenhagen on Thursday.

World Health Organization's (WHO) reported that a total of 35 countries in the European Region have begun Covid vaccinations, administering 25 million doses.





The WHO official also expressed the concern that "the increasing expectation of science and vaccine development, production, and equitable distribution, is not being met as fast as we would all like".



Kluge explained that a continuance of lockdowns would be necessary to reduce the still high transmission rates affecting the region.



"Let us not forget the lessons we have learned so harshly: opening and closing, locking-down and opening-up, rapidly, is a poor strategy.



"The introduction and gradual lifting of measures based on epidemiological criteria remains our best option to allow economies to survive and minimize collateral effects. Our approach must be measured, it must be restrained," he stressed.



The Regional Director underscored the "need to stay patient" as the pandemic has claimed the lives of over 700,000 Europeans since the coronavirus emerged, while leaving its brutal impact on economies, mental health, education, and freedom of movement.



To date, 33 European countries have reported cases of the coronavirus variant first identified in the UK, while 16 confirmed the strain first detected in South Africa, according to the WHO official.



"This is the time we must draw on every reserve of patience and resilience to tolerate and adhere to the necessary measures that protect our health systems from collapsing under waves of a more transmissible virus."



According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the continent has so far registered a total of 32,218,360 confirmed coronavirus cases and 701,991 deaths.







Source: IANS However, he noted that "continued high rates of transmission and emerging Covid-19 variants of concern, have raised the urgency of the task to vaccinate priority groups".The WHO official also expressed the concern that "the increasing expectation of science and vaccine development, production, and equitable distribution, is not being met as fast as we would all like".Kluge explained that a continuance of lockdowns would be necessary to reduce the still high transmission rates affecting the region."Let us not forget the lessons we have learned so harshly: opening and closing, locking-down and opening-up, rapidly, is a poor strategy."The introduction and gradual lifting of measures based on epidemiological criteria remains our best option to allow economies to survive and minimize collateral effects. Our approach must be measured, it must be restrained," he stressed.The Regional Director underscored the "need to stay patient" as the pandemic has claimed the lives of over 700,000 Europeans since the coronavirus emerged, while leaving its brutal impact on economies, mental health, education, and freedom of movement.To date, 33 European countries have reported cases of the coronavirus variant first identified in the UK, while 16 confirmed the strain first detected in South Africa, according to the WHO official."This is the time we must draw on every reserve of patience and resilience to tolerate and adhere to the necessary measures that protect our health systems from collapsing under waves of a more transmissible virus."According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the continent has so far registered a total of 32,218,360 confirmed coronavirus cases and 701,991 deaths.Source: IANS

According to the WHO, a total of 35 countries in the European Region have begun Covid vaccinations, administering 25 million doses, reports Xinhua news agency.
Silver prices shot up to their highest level in almost eight years Monday after Reddit traders turned their sights on the volatile precious metal, having prompted wild swings in GameStop Corp. shares last week.

Most actively traded silver futures jumped more than 10% to $29.63 a troy ounce, their highest level since February 2013, outpacing a modest 0.9% rise in the price of gold. The surge put silver on track for one of its biggest one-day advances of the past decade and compounded the precious metals climb of more than 5% last week.

Shares of precious-metal miners that stand to profit from higher silver prices surged. Fresnillo PLC, listed in London and with mines dotted around Mexico, gained 12%. Canadian miner First Majestic Silver Corp. jumped 24% and Pan American Silver Corp. rose 16%. Platinum futures prices jumped 4.7% to $1,129.50 a troy ounce.

The leap in silver prices is the latest in a series of big market moves sparked by day traders swapping tips and banter on online forums like Reddit.

Silver first began to rally late last week after users on Reddits WallStreetBets forum posted about executing a short squeeze similar to ones credited with fueling recent gains in other stocks popular on the internet. Outsize attention from day traders has powered significant gains in stocks such as GameStop, a struggling videogame retailer, captivating Wall Street as individual investors take on professional traders and investors who are betting on prices falling.

Mall retailer? Small potatoes. Global silver market? The greatest short squeeze in history," wrote one user on WallStreetBets.

Several Reddit users pushed back against reports that they were behind the price rise. DONT BUY SILVER. ITS A DISTRACTION. HOLD GME," one wrote, referring to GameStops stock-market ticker.

Thinly traded silver has a long history of extreme price moves and Mondays rally led traders to ask whether individual traders are a big enough force to push prices higher still.

I think they can cause very significant disruption because silver is a market with a history of very, very high volatility," said Tai Wong, head of metal derivatives trading at BMO Capital Markets. But can they replicate a GameStop? Unlikely."

The move into silver marks the biggest target yet for Reddit traders. Even after the run-up in its share price, GameStop has a market capitalization of under $23 billion.

Depositories at CME Groups Comexthe biggest marketplace for silver futuresare brimming with almost 400 million troy ounces of silver, valued at around $12 billion at Mondays prices. Vaults in London housed a further 1.1 billion troy ouncesvalued at $32 billion at todays pricesas of November, according to the London Bullion Market Association.

Mondays leg higher in silver prices followed a rush to buy the physical metalused in electronics, jewelry and photographyby individual investors over the weekend. Retail silver marketplaces including Money Metals and APMEX Inc., among others, had notices on their websites Sunday saying they were unable to process new orders until global markets opened because of unprecedented demand for the metal.

Precious metals have never seen such a sudden surge in new interest," said Adrian Ash, director of research at BullionVault. Over the weekend, openings of new accounts at the online marketplace for gold and silver rose to almost four times the daily average from 2020, itself a record year since BullionVault went live in 2005, he said.

As with shares of GameStop, silvers surging price left traders searching for explanations, since it had no apparent grounding in the supply and demand of the metal. Traders and analysts say there is more than enough silver to meet demand, particularly if owners of jewelry and other silver items cash in on higher prices, boosting scrap supplies.

This is just a speculative boom," said Georgette Boele, senior precious-metals strategist at ABN Amro Bank. I dont think it has anything to do with fundamentals."

Silver may struggle to hold on to its gains, analysts said.

In GameStops case, hedge funds that had shorted the stock were forced to buy the retailers shares when individual investors drove the price higher to avoid bigger losses, propelling the stock further up.

In contrast, data from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission show that hedge funds and other investors have a net long position in silver futures. That suggests they are positioned to benefit from a rise in prices.

Two other kinds of players in the silver marketproducers and merchants, such as miners, and swap dealers, which are mainly banksdo have a net short position in silver futures. However, miners and bullion banks typically also own physical silver, an offsetting long position that would act as a hedge against any losses, according to traders and analysts.

Attention from day traders is the latest driver for silver prices, which have traded in a range since notching a record performance in 2020, finishing the year up 47%. Silver benefited from a booming rally in precious metals that sent prices on everything from gold to palladium to record highs. Investors tend to buy precious metals such as silver when they are nervous about holding riskier assets such as stocks or corporate bonds.

Silver exchange-traded funds, a popular way for individual investors to bet on the price of the metal, also jumped before the opening bell. The iShares Silver Trust, which pulled in nearly $870 million on Friday, its biggest one-day inflow ever, advanced 9%.

Both ETFs have been widely discussed on Reddit. Some users argued that buying shares in ETFs backed by physical metal holdings will further drive up silver prices, because such funds buy silver when they receive new investments.

Will Horner contributed to this article.

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.

A winter storm that could bring more than a foot of snow to parts of Massachusetts has prompted school closures and delays for Monday, Feb. 1. Some schools that have been hybrid or in-person will be following remote schedules due to the storm.

_________

Noreaster tracker: See how much snow you could expect where you live, when it will start

_________

The following school districts have announced changes to learning schedules for Monday, Feb. 1. This list is updated as schools announce plans. For school closings and delays for Tuesday, Feb. 2, click here.

A

Abby Kelley Foster Charter School -- Remote learning day Monday

Acton-Boxborough Public Schools -- Early release Monday

Acushnet Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

Agawam Public Schools -- Early dismissal on Monday

Ashland Public Schools -- Closing 2 1/2 hours early on Monday

Attleboro Public Schools -- Early release Monday

Auburn Public Schools -- Closed Monday

Avon Public Schools -- Early release Monday

Ayer Shirley Reg. School District -- Closing three hours early Monday

B

Bay Path Reg. Voc. Tech. High School -- Closing three and a half hours early Monday

Bedford Public Schools -- Closing two hours early Monday

Belchertown Public Schools -- Remote learning Monday

Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School -- Closing at 11 a.m. Monday

Berkshire Hills Regional School District -- Closed Monday

Berlin-Boylston Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

Billerica Public Schools -- Closing two hours early Monday

Blackstone Valley Reg. Voc-Tech -- Remote learning day Monday

Blackstone-Millville Reg. District -- Early release Monday

Blue Hills Regional Technical -- Remote learning day Monday

Boston Public Schools -- All school buildings closed and all students to attend remote learning Monday and Tuesday

Bridgewater-Raynham District -- Remote learning day Monday

Bristol County Agricultural High School -- Remote learning day Monday

Bristol-Plymouth Reg. Tech. High School -- Remote learning Monday

C

Canton Public Schools -- Closing three hours early Monday

Chicopee Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

Concord Public Schools -- Closing early Monday

Concord Carlisle Regional High School -- Closing early Monday

D

Danvers Public Schools -- Early dismissal Monday

Dartmouth Public Schools -- Remote learning Monday

Dedham Public Schools -- Early dismissal Monday

Dighton-Rehoboth School District -- Remote learning Monday

Douglas Public Schools -- Remote learning Monday

Dover Public Schools -- Closing one hour early Monday

Dover-Sherborn Regional School District -- Closing one hour early Monday

Dracut Public Schools -- Early release Monday

Duxbury Public Schools -- Early release Monday

E

East Bridgewater Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

East Longmeadow Public Schools -- Early dismissal Monday

F

Fairhaven Public Schools -- Virtual classes Monday

Farmington River Regional School District -- Closed Monday

Foxboro Reg. Charter School -- Remote learning Monday

Framingham Public Schools -- Closed Tuesday, Feb. 2

Franklin Public Schools -- Early dismissal Monday

Frontier Regional School District -- Early dismissal Monday

G

Gardner Public Schools -- Closing one hour early; No p.m. preschool Monday

Gateway Regional School District -- Closed Monday

Granby Public Schools -- Early dismissal Monday

Grafton Public Schools -- Early release Monday

Groton/Dunstable Regional -- Closing early Monday

H

Hadley Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

Hampden-Wilbraham Reg. School District -- Early dismissal Monday

Hampshire Regional School District -- Closed Monday

Hancock Regional School District -- Closing at 11:30 a.m. Monday

Hanover Public Schools -- Closing two hours early Monday

Hingham Public Schools -- Closing half an hour early Monday

Holbrook Public Schools -- Early release on Monday

Holliston Public Schools -- Remote learning Monday

Holyoke Public Schools -- Remote learning Monday

Hopedale Public Schools -- Closing two and a half hours early Monday

Hull Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

K

King Philip Regional District -- Closing at 11:15 a.m. Monday

L

Lee Public Schools -- Early dismissal Monday

Lenox Public Schools -- Early dismissal at elementary for 11 a.m.; Lenox Memorial Middle/High School is remote learning for the day.

Leicester Public Schools -- Remote learning on Monday

Lincoln Public Schools -- Closing at 11:30 a.m. Monday

Lincoln-Sudbury Reg. High School -- Closing early Monday

Littleton Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

Longmeadow Public Schools -- Early dismissal Monday

Ludlow Public Schools -- Remote learning Monday

M

Malden Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

Marshfield Public Schools -- Early release day Monday

Medfield Public Schools -- Closing one hour early Monday

Mendon-Upton Regional School District -- Closing three hours early Monday

Millbury Public Schools -- Closing early Monday

Millis Public Schools -- Closing one hour early Monday

Mohawk Trail Reg. School District -- Remote learning Monday

N

Nashoba Regional District -- Early release Monday

Natick Public Schools -- Closing one hour early Monday

New Bedford Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

Norfolk Public Schools -- Closing at 12:30 p.m. Monday

Norfolk County Agricultural High School -- Remote learning day Monday

Northampton Public Schools -- Remote learning Monday

North Attleboro Public Schools -- Closing two hours early Monday

North Brookfield Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

Norwell Public Schools -- Closing one two hours early Monday

O

Oxford Public Schools -- Remote learning Monday

P

Palmer Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

Peabody Public Schools -- Closing early Monday

Pentucket Regional School District -- Closing two hours early Monday

Plymouth Public Schools -- Closing early Monday

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School -- Remote learning day Monday

Q

Quabbin Regional School District -- Closing at noon on Monday

Quaboag Regional School District -- Closing early Monday

Quincy Public Schools -- Closing early Monday

R

Randolph Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

S

Sandwich Public Schools -- Closing three hours early Monday

Scituate Public Schools -- No afternoon classes Monday

Sharon Public Schools -- Closing two hours early

Sherborn Public Schools -- Closing one hour early Monday

Shrewsbury Public Schools -- Closing three hours early; No p.m. preschool Monday

Silver Lake Regional District -- Closed Monday

Southbridge Public Schools -- Closing two hours early Monday

Southeastern Voc-Tech -- Remote learning day Monday

South Shore Charter -- Early release Monday

South Shore Voc-Tech -- Closing one hour early Monday

Southeastern Voc-Tech -- Remote learning Monday

Southwick-Tolland-Granville Schools -- Early dismissal Monday

Spencer-East Brookfield Reg. Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

Sutton Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

T

Tantasqua-Union 61 -- Remote learning day Monday

Taunton Public Schools -- Closed Monday

Tri-County Reg. Voc-Tech -- Remote learning Monday

U

Uxbridge Public Schools -- Remote learning day Monday

W
WASHINGTON - The implosion of former president Donald Trump's legal team comes as Trump remains fixated on arguing at his second impeachment trial that the 2020 election was stolen from him, a defense that advisers warn is ill-conceived and that Republican strategists fear will fuel the growing divide in the GOP.

South Carolina lawyer Butch Bowers and four other attorneys who recently signed on to represent the former president abruptly parted ways with him this weekend, days before his Feb. 9 Senate trial for his role in inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol. On Sunday evening, Trump's office announced that two new lawyers were taking over his defense.

Two people familiar with the discussions preceding the departure of the original legal team said Trump wanted them to make the case during the trial that he actually won the election. To do so would require citing his false claims of election fraud - even as his allies and attorneys have said that he should instead focus on arguing that impeaching a president who has already left office is unconstitutional.

That approach has been embraced by many Republican senators, many of whom cited it when they cast a test vote against impeachment last week.

Trump's attorneys had initially planned to center their strategy on the question of whether the proceedings were constitutional and on the definition of incitement, according to one of the people, who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the internal conversations.

But the former president repeatedly said he wanted to litigate the voter fraud allegations and the 2020 race - and was seeking a more public defense of his actions. Bowers told Trump that he could not mount the defense that Trump wanted, the person said.

"It truly was mutual," the person said. "The president wanted a different defense. The president wanted a different approach and a different team."

Trump spokesman Jason Miller also said Sunday that the split with his lawyers was mutual, but he rejected the notion that the former president wants to focus on election fraud in the Senate trial, calling that account "fake news."

"The only guidance offered has been to focus on the unconstitutional nature of the impeachment to which 45 senators have already voted in agreement," Miller wrote in a text message.

Bowers and the other lawyers who quit Trump's defense team did not respond to requests for comment. CNN first reported that Trump wanted his attorneys to focus his defense on his claims of election fraud.

On Sunday evening, Trump's office announced in a statement that Atlanta-based trial attorney David Schoen and Bruce Castor, a former district attorney in Montgomery County, Pa., would lead his defense team. The two lawyers will bring "national profiles and significant trial experience in high-profile cases to the effort," the statement said.

Schoen served as a lawyer for Trump adviser Roger Stone when he sought to appeal his conviction for lying and witness tampering in a congressional investigation. He also was in discussions with financier Jeffrey Epstein about representing him days before his death while awaiting sex-trafficking charges, and has said he does not believe Epstein killed himself. During his time as district attorney, Castor had declined to prosecute actor Bill Cosby and was later sued by accuser Andrea Constand in a case that was settled.

The disarray inside Trump's circle comes as the House Democratic impeachment managers focus intensely on building a powerful and emotionally compelling argument that the president's words led his supporters to ransack the Capitol.

The House impeachment article charges Trump with "incitement of insurrection" in the invasion of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 by a pro-Trump mob.

The Democrats have been working round-the-clock in preparation for the trial - including on Saturday night, when the news broke of Trump's legal team collapsing, according to people familiar with their activities.

The impeachment managers are compiling footage from Jan. 6, including cellphone recordings of protesters attending Trump's rally that morning and video from inside the Capitol after protesters breached it.

Their aim is to present evidence of how Trump's words and actions - including his long-running attacks on the integrity of the election - influenced the rioters. The insurrection left five dead, including one member of the U.S. Capitol Police. Two officers, one with the D.C. police, have since died by suicide.

Both sides face tight deadlines to prepare for the trial. The House team must file its briefs Tuesday. Trump's defense lawyers must file their briefs on Feb. 8.

Democrats face a difficult task in persuading enough GOP senators to join them in voting to convict the former president. During a key test vote last week, all but five Republicans backed Trump in an objection to the proceeding, lodged by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

But Trump's determination to mount a defense centered on the false claims that fraud tipped the outcome to Joe Biden could rattle GOP senators at a time when some in the party are facing pressure from donors and more-moderate voters to reject such conspiracy theories.

"Trump went 0 for 60 in trying to make the voter fraud argument," said veteran GOP lawyer Ben Ginsberg. "Republican senators have no desire to be put on the spot in having to judge his unproven allegations of voter fraud."

Ginsberg warned that Democrats have "so much raw material" that will allow them to "paint a picture of Trump that's never been painted before of his involvement in the violence and insurrection."

"And Trump plays right into their hands in talking about the fraud, for which he has been unable to produce any proof," he said. "Which is why it's a completely perilous defense. I can't imagine any lawyer agreeing to present that case."

It is also unclear whether Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who will preside at the trial, will permit the president's team to introduce claims of alleged voter fraud.

The collapse of Trump's legal team could "force the president now to turn to a better strategy," one that would save him "from self-immolation," said Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University who declined an offer to represent the president at the impeachment trial.

If Trump insists on arguing that the election was stolen, he would be on a destructive path, Turley said.

"That claim is viewed by many senators as one of open contempt for their institution," he said. "As it stands now, he would be acquitted by a fair margin. If he pursued that path, it could change the view and the votes of some senators."

The former president's allies have also urged him to move forward with a defense based on constitutional questions.

In a recent interview with The Washington Post before Trump split with his lawyers, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the legal team planned to argue that impeaching a president who had already left office was unconstitutional, without getting into any battle over who won the election.

"It's a simple case, really," he said.

But Trump, who has been ensconced at his private estate in Florida since leaving the White House, has continued to insist that he won the election, according to people familiar with his comments.

As the trial nears, the former president's circle of advisers has shrunk. He is continuing to talk with his attorney Rudy Giuliani, who led his efforts to subvert the election results. But former White House counsel Pat Cipollone, outside lawyer Jay Sekulow and former campaign lawyer Justin Clark have made clear that they want no part of his defense strategy over the Capitol attack.

Some advisers have told Trump that he should testify in his own defense, but that is broadly seen as a bad idea and probably will not happen.

Cipollone and Giuliani did not respond to requests for comment.

With the help of Graham, Trump had assembled a team of five lawyers led by Bowers, an ethics and campaign law expert in South Carolina who had worked in the Justice Department under President George W. Bush.

The group included three former federal prosecutors in the state - Deborah Barbier, Johnny Gasser and Gregory Harris - as well as a North Carolina lawyer, Josh Howard. All left the Trump defense team Saturday, according to people familiar with the situation.

Miller said that only Barbier and Bowers had officially been named to the team.

The selection of a South Carolina-based legal team was a shift from Trump's previous impeachment last year, when he was charged with abusing his power and obstructing Congress in pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Biden and his family.

During that trial, Trump was defended by lawyers experienced on the national stage. They included Kenneth Starr, the former special prosecutor whose work led to President Bill Clinton's impeachment; Sekulow, who had defended Trump in other cases; and Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard University law professor known for his work in high-profile cases.

Losing his legal team days before the upcoming Senate trial presents a serious challenge, said Norm Eisen, an attorney who served as co-counsel to the Democratic managers during Trump's first impeachment.

"This is a total disaster," he said. "These are real trials, even if they are being litigated in the U.S. Senate and, I can tell you, the defense team needs to be prepared for what's ahead."

He said the decision by Trump's legal team to withdraw was a sign that the lawyers faced a deep ethical conundrum.

"It is anathema under our code of ethics to pull out on a client on the eve of a trial - unless that client places you in an impossible situation," Eisen said.

If the Trump legal team had argued Trump's claim that the election was stolen, "they would be arguing an out-and-out lie, and these lawyers were looking at the consequences of that," he said, noting that other Trump lawyers are now facing ethics complaints, court sanctions and libel suits for pursuing fraud claims with no basis.

"I believe they were unwilling to expose themselves to years of repercussions for doing that," Eisen said.

- - -

The Washington Post's Alice Crites and Marc Fisher contributed to this report.
LANSING  Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel recently joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in defending Californias regulations on the sale of long guns and semi-automatic centerfire rifles by federally-licensed firearms dealers to people under the age of 21.

In an amicus brief filed in U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, the coalition argues that states have the right to enact reasonable firearms regulations that protect public safety and reduce the prevalence of gun violence.

The coalition filed the brief in Jones v. Becerra, a lawsuit challenging two recent amendments to Californias penal code. The plaintiffs in that lawsuit claim the amendments unduly infringe upon the Second Amendment rights of individuals aged 18-20. A lower court previously denied plaintiffs request for preliminary injunctive relief after concluding that they are not likely to succeed on the merits of their claims.

In recent years, an alarming number of mass shootings have been top stories for media outlets across the country, and action on sensible gun reform continues to be needed, Nessel said. States have the right and responsibility to protect our residents against harm by enacting commonsense laws and policies. In support of protecting public safety, I join my colleagues across the U.S. in defending Californias firearms regulations because even a single death from gun violence is a tragedy.

In the brief, the coalition argues that laws restricting the sale of long guns and semi-automatic rifles to individuals under the age of 21, unless they fall into enumerated exceptions, are reasonable requirements that California has the right to adopt because: The Second Amendment allows states to enact new and varied measures in response to gun violence. The brief explains that states are entitled to adopt reasonable restrictions to protect the health, safety and welfare of their residents, which includes preventing crime and minimizing gun violence. All states have imposed age-based regulations on the sale and use of, and access to, firearms within their borders.

The brief explains that states are entitled to adopt reasonable restrictions to protect the health, safety and welfare of their residents, which includes preventing crime and minimizing gun violence. All states have imposed age-based regulations on the sale and use of, and access to, firearms within their borders. California has demonstrated that its age-based regulations promote public safety and prevent gun violence. In addition to being consistent with regulations imposed by numerous other states, these regulations are reasonably related to the states interest in promoting public safety and preventing gun violence, as demonstrated by social science evidence, legislative history and statistical analyses. The coalition argues that states have the right to innovate or amend past legislative models to combat difficult and evolving problems such as gun violence and mass shootings. Joining Nessel in the brief are the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. A copy of the brief is available online here.

SITEKI  The rise in the number of deaths due to COVID-19-related illnesses has resulted in the Lubombo Referral Hospital and Good Shepherd Mission Hospital (GSMH) experiencing a shortage of body bags.

A source confided to this publication that in the past two weeks, most of the bodies were wrapped in sheet-covers and put into plastic materials upon being confirmed dead as the hospital had run out of body bags.

It is a bad experience as the orderlies and the nursing staff are subjected to this situation. They had no choice after being told by management that there were shortages of body bags and had to use sheets fabric to wrap the bodies of those who had died before making sure that they improvise using the available plastic bags. The whole of last week has been a bad experience to the workers and this has also been the situation at Good Shepherd, alleged the source.

However, by yesterday, the hospital had received some body bags.

Situation

Over the weekend, we found that the management had managed to make some means to rectify the situation, which was a serious threat to our health. They were procured after the complaints from the orderlies and nurses as some of the staff members felt that they were at risk of being exposed to the virus because they had to make sure that the bodies were wrapped in a satisfactory manner that would not expose any body parts. We just hope the bags will be enough to last us for a while before we start wrapping the corpses in plastic bags again, added the source.

Another source working at the health institution, also confirmed the matter, mentioning that the health workers were being exposed to the virus following the shortage of the body bags at the facility.

We lost another health worker at the facility due to being exposed to the virus. She died while also admitted to the facility after contracting the virus. It is so discouraging because she complained that the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) was a major issue for health workers. Ideally, we are supposed to wear three protective garments to ensure that we are always protected when attending to patients. The issue of the body bags was discussed during our shift briefings after informing the management about the shortage of stock. It is commendable that the management has since addressed it, the source said.

Ministry of Health Director of Services Dr Vusi Magagula, confirmed the shortage of body bags faced by the hospitals.

Yes it is true, the situation was corrected and some were obtained from other health institutions. And let me put it succinctly clear that there was no worker who was exposed to the virus as all bodies were in body bags as per the procedure after the situation was brought back to normal, he said.

Confirmed

GSMH Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Muzi Dlamini, also confirmed that they had experienced shortage of body bags due to unavailability of some sizes from their suppliers.

For us, the challenge is the shortage of big sizes of the body bags. However, the procurement department is handling the matter with our suppliers. We are fresh from a meeting with the regional police on the matter as they are the first to respond on cases of death and further transport corpses at the scene of crime. They also voiced out their concern on the matter. We are positive that it will be addressed soon, Dlamini said.

Meawhile, Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi said she had not yet been informed about the matter.

I was talking with the Lubombo Referral management on Saturday and they did not mention that they were running out of stock on the body bags. I guess they are communicating with the procurement (department) if they have exhausted their usual back-up, she said.

Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) President Bheki Mamba, said government should prioritise the adequate supply of body bags, particularly because they were essential in the protection of health workers against infectious diseases like the prevailing coronavirus.

The health workers have not yet brought it to the attention of the association the shortage of body bags at the facility. We condemn this because it exposes the health workers to infectious diseases. Government should make sure that there is enough equipment, especially the body bags as the number of death occurrences each passing day was inevitable. The management should make sure that stock is enough and avoid such a situation in future as it puts the lives of our health workers at risk of contracting the virus, Mamba said.

Preparedness

Meanwhile, the Good Shepherd Hospital has intensified its preparedness and readiness for the coronavirus by erecting three tents on the premises as receiving points for patients showing symptoms of the virus.

The country has been recording a notable increase in infections and deaths since December last year, forcing government to issue stricter COVID-19 measures, resulting in the ban of alcohol sale and distribution.

As of last week, the average daily death rate was at around 16.

Beside the shortage of body bags, government has been struggling to address the issue of drug shortages countrywide as well as providing adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers.

The nurses association revealed that close to 10 of their members were infected with the virus each passing day due to governments inclusion of public hospitals to be treatment centres for the virus.
Pinnacle Class ship is under construction and slated for delivery at the end of July 2021

SEATTLE, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Holland America Line has named Werner Timmers, a captain with nearly 40 years sailing for the cruise line, to take the helm of Rotterdam when the ship enters service in July 2021. Captain Timmers joined Holland America Line in 1984 and has worked on all classes of ship within the brand, most recently as master of Koningsdam.

Captain Timmers will head to Rotterdam in the coming months for sea trials and then relocate to the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, where the ship is being built, to oversee the finishing touches before delivery.

"As one of the longest-serving officers in our fleet with a wealth of experience, we are pleased to name Captain Timmers master of Rotterdam," said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line. "His years of seamanship and hospitability with both guests and crew will continue to create a culture on board that promotes excellence in service and a passion for travel."

Since first joining Holland America Line in 1984 as an intern, Captain Timmers has worked his way up the ranks to captain, which he achieved in 1996. He has since been master of Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Ryndam, Zaandam and Zuiderdam.

"I am deeply honored to be named the first master of Rotterdam, and I look forward to getting on board for the sea trials and seeing the ship come together during the final stages of construction," said Captain Timmers. "My long career with Holland America Line has been filled with so many wonderful milestones, and this appointment is a highlight."

A native Dutchman, Captain Timmers grew up in Roosendaal, the Netherlands. He chose a career at sea in his final year of high school after hearing a seafarer tell tales of adventure during career day. He joined the Nautical Academy in Vlissingen, the Netherlands, and after graduating with a degree in nautical sciences, he obtained a second degree in marine engineering and rejoined Holland America Line as a fourth officer.

When not onboard a ship, Captain Timmers lives with his wife, Sherron, and their two children in Mount Dora, Florida.

About Rotterdam

The third in the Pinnacle Class series, Rotterdam will carry 2,668 guests, measure 99,500 gross tons and feature highly successful amenities and innovations introduced with her sister ships, including the 270-degree surround screen World Stage, Rudi's Sel de Mer and Grand Dutch Cafe. Delivering the best of everything, Rotterdam celebrates live music with an exclusive collection of world-class performances each night  from Lincoln Center Stage and B.B. King's Blues Club to Rolling Stone Rock Room and Billboard Onboard.

Throughout the ship, Rotterdam will showcase Holland America Line hallmarks that drive one of the highest guest repeat rates in the industry: exquisite cuisine guided by eight of the world's leading chefs; gracious, award-winning service; and superbly appointed staterooms and suites, including family and single accommodations.

Rotterdam is the seventh ship to bear the name for Holland America Line and the 17th ship constructed for the brand by Italian shipyard Fincantieri, which most recently built Nieuw Statendam.

Following Rotterdam's Premiere Voyage departing Aug. 1, 2021, the ship will spend its inaugural summer season in northern Europe. Naming details have not been finalized and will be announced at a later date.

For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.

Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog. Access all social media outlets via the home page at hollandamerica.com.

About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE: CCL and CUK)]

Holland America Line has been exploring the world since 1873 and was the first cruise line to offer adventures to Alaska and the Yukon more than 70 years ago. Its fleet of premium ships visits more than 470 ports in 98 countries around the world, offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience. A third Pinnacle-class ship, Rotterdam, is under construction and will join the fleet in July 2021.

The leader in premium cruising, Holland America Line's ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on destination exploration and personalized travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at Music Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive selections from Holland America Line's esteemed Culinary Council, an elite team of 7 world-renowned chefs.

In light of COVID-19, Holland America Line is currently enhancing health and safety protocols and how they may impact future cruises. Our actual offerings may vary from what is displayed or described in marketing materials. Review our current Cruise Updates, Health & Safety Protocols and CDC Travel Advisories .

SOURCE Holland America Line

Related Links

http://www.hollandamerica.com


President Joe Biden delivers remarks on climate change and green jobs, at the White House, on Jan. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Biden Reverses $27.4 Billion in Spending Cuts Proposed by Trump

President Joe Biden says hes withdrawing a package of spending cuts that were proposed by former President Donald Trump prior to leaving office.

Biden informed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Jan. 31 that hes withdrawing the 73 proposed rescissions previously delivered to Congress that total $27.4 billion.

Trump announced his spending cut package on Jan. 14, less than a week before he was scheduled to leave office.

He had previously signaled that he would propose rescissions to a $2.3 trillion government funding bill to reduce spending in particular areas his administration had deemed wasteful.

The spending-cut proposals were made by invoking the 1974 Impoundment Control Act. Under the act, if a president wants to spend less money than Congress provided for a particular program, he can seek congressional approval to rescind by sending a special message to Congress identifying the amount he proposes to rescind, the reasons for it, and the economic effects of the rescission.

Read More Trump Uses Impoundment Control Act to Demand Payments Increase to $2,000

According to Trumps letter to Congress, his proposed rescissions in preference of COVID stimulus were expected to affect programs in the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, and the Treasury.

Other programs included the African Development Foundation, the Commission of Fine Arts, the Corporation for National and Community Service, the District of Columbia, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Inter-American Foundation, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, the National Gallery of Art, the Peace Corps, the Presidio Trust, the United States Agency for International Development, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

I will sign the Omnibus and COVID package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed. I will send back to Congress a redlined version, item by item, accompanied by the formal rescission request to Congress insisting that those funds be removed from the bill, Trump said at the time.

Several Democrats in Congress criticized Trumps move to cut spending, including Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.). The chairman of the House Budget Committee accused the former president of trying to inflict as much harm as possible before leaving office and characterizing his budget request as damaging and irrational.

Yarmuth claims that the rescission proposals would cut funding to programs critical in the fight against COVID-19, climate change, and strengthening Americas global leadership.

Congresss spending bill drew widespread scrutiny in December as lawmakers rushed to pass the measure to avert a shutdown. The funding measure was agreed on by the House and the Senate following months of stalled negotiations and posturing.

The more than 5,500-page bill passed both houses of Congress to the dismay of some lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, who said they didnt have sufficient time to read the legislation.

The package includes a $1.4 trillion omnibus bill that will fund defense spending and domestic programs and $900 billion in COVID-19 pandemic relief.

The measure was heavily criticized by Trump and others for wasteful items and unnecessary spending such as sending hundreds of millions of dollars overseas for foreign aid and funding domestic programs for entities that are not even open for business.
Source: Reuters

Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to supply 9 million additional doses of its coronavirus vaccine to the European Union during the first quarter, the bloc's executive arm said Sunday.

The new target of 40 million doses by the end of March is still only half what the British-Swedish company had originally aimed for before it announced a shortfall due to production problems, triggering a spat between AstraZeneca and the EU last week.

Budget 2021: Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a call with seven vaccine makers Sunday that AstraZeneca will also begin deliveries one week sooner than scheduled and expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.

Step forward on vaccines, tweeted Von der Leyen, who has come under intense pressure over the European Commission's handling of the vaccine orders in recent days.

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 EU is far behind Britain and the United States in getting its population of 450 million vaccinated against the virus. The slow rollout has been blamed on a range of national problems as well as slower authorization of the vaccines and an initial shortage of supply.

AstraZeneca's announcement last week that it would initially supply only 31 million doses to the EU's 27 member states due to production problems set off a fierce dispute between the two sides, with officials in Brussels saying they feared the company was treating the bloc unfairly compared to other customers, such as the United Kingdom.

On Friday, hours after regulators authorized the vaccine for use across the EU, the commission said it was tightening rules on exports of coronavirus vaccines, sparking an angry response from Britain. The commission has since made clear the new measure will not limit vaccine shipments produced in the 27-nation bloc to Northern Ireland, a U.K. territory that was guaranteed unhindered cross-border access to the Republic of Ireland under the post-Brexit deal between Britain and the EU.

Check here for the latest updates on all COVID-19 vaccines

EU member states praised the bloc's executive branch last year for signing numerous deals with vaccine makers, saying the joint purchase using the combined market weight of the entire bloc had ensured a fair distribution for all 27 countries at good prices.

Since then the mood among many EU citizens toward Brussels has soured, as countries outside the bloc speed ahead in the race to vaccinate their populations.

The British government hasn't been shy about promoting its relative vaccine success, which has helped distract from the fact that the country remains top of the table for deaths in Europe.

Official figures show 598,389 shots were administered across the U.K. on Saturday, more than six times the number that Germany managed Friday, the last day for which figures were available.

Germany has so far given at least one dose to 2.2% of its population. Britain has done the same for 13.2% of its citizens.

In response, Chancellor Angela Merkel has summoned state governors Monday to discuss what German media are describing as a vaccination debacle. "

Von der Leyen, who was Germany's defense minister before taking the post in Brussels, insisted the EU had made good progress.

Of course we've currently got a difficult phase, she told German public broadcaster ZDF, but added that in the second quarter more vaccine would become available as regulators approve additional formulas and further production capacity goes online.

Pfizer, which developed the first widely tested and approved coronavirus vaccine together with German firm BioNTech, has said it expects to increase global production this year from 1.3 million doses to 2 billion doses. Tens of millions of those will likely go to the EU.

In a statement, the European Commission said it plans to set up an specialized body to improve the blocs response to health emergency and deliver a more structured approach to pandemic preparedness.

As part of the effort, together with industry, the EU said it will fund design and development of vaccines and scale up manufacturing in the short and medium term, and also to target the variants of COVID-19.

The pandemic highlighted that manufacturing capacities are a limiting factor, it said. It is essential to address these challenges.
Britain and the US both spent seven times more on vaccine development than the EU, figures reveal - with both nations now outpacing the bloc's beleaguered rollout.

The UK committed 1.67billion on Covid vaccines before it was known whether they would be effective - more than the 1.57billion the EU spent on behalf of 27 countries, with Britain spending 25.00 per capita compared to 3.51 for Brussels.

The US government spent 7.9billion in total, according to the figures from science analytics firm Airfinity, an outlay of 24.02 for each of its 330million people.

Now that the jabs have passed their trials, it is mainland Europe which is struggling to ramp up vaccinations and feuding with AstraZeneca about supplies to the continent.

In addition, Brussels did not strike a deal with Pfizer until clinical trials had been concluded - while Britain and the US had deals in place in July 2020.

The UK now ranks third in the world with 13.2 per cent of the population getting at least one dose of a vaccine, while America is fifth on 7.6 per cent and the EU is languishing on 2.2 per cent.

French government minister Clement Beaune lashed out at Britain today by casting doubt on the UK's one-dose strategy, saying: 'I do not think that our citizens would accept us taking all these risks contrary to the opinion of our scientists'.

In fact, the UK's four chief medical officers have backed the one-dose strategy and said that a single shot offers 'considerable protection' at least in the short term.

Meanwhile Angela Merkel - who has come under criticism for letting the EU take the lead - announced a 'summit' of drugmakers and officials in a bid to get more jabs.

The UK committed 1.67billion on Covid vaccines before it was known whether they would be effective - more than the 1.57billion the EU put forward for its 448million people, with Britain spending 25.00 per capita compared to 3.51 for Brussels. The US government spent 7.9billion in total, according to the figures from science analytics firm Airfinity, an outlay of 24.02 for each of its 330million people

This chart from Our World In Data shows how the UK and US are both outpacing the EU's beleaguered vaccine rollout, with far slower progress in the 27-member bloc

UK orders 40m extra doses of Valneva jab, due to arrive in 2022 The UK Government has ordered an extra 40million doses of Valneva's coronavirus vaccine, taking its total to 100million doses. The original order of 60million doses isn't expected to be delivered until the second half of 2021. And the new order won't be delivered until 2022. It's likely that most or all adults in Britain will already have had one of the other Covid vaccines by the time this one is ready. But infectious disease experts say people may need re-vaccinating in future  as happens against the flu each winter  and the UK may also export to other countries. Britain has now ordered a total of 407million doses of Covid vaccines  enough to give the entire population, including children, six doses each. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng claimed the stockpile was enough to 'protect the British public in 2021 and beyond'. The fact that Valneva's two-dose jab is being manufactured in Scotland may have helped to sway the decision, in the wake of a blazing row with the EU over vaccines, which saw European ministers threaten to block exports of other jabs. Advertisement

UNITED KINGDOM

Widely criticised for its handling of the pandemic, the UK government has boasted of its vaccine rollout as a rare success story in recent weeks.

Nearly nine million people in the UK have received a first dose of the vaccine after the UK switched strategies to hand out single doses to as many people as possible.

It comes after Britain spent nearly 1.67billion investing in vaccines and signed a deal in May 2020 to get the AstraZeneca vaccine developed with Oxford scientists.

As the EU row flared up last week, AstraZeneca's CEO Pascal Soriot pointed to Britain's earlier deal as a reason why the UK was enjoying uninterrupted supplies.

'The UK contract was signed three months before the European contract. So with the UK we have had an extra three months to fix all the glitches we experienced,' he said.

In addition, the UK described its deal for 30million Pfizer/BioNTech jabs last July as the company's 'first binding agreement signed with any government'.

When Pfizer's product became the first coronavirus vaccine approved in the West, it was Britain which handed out the historic first doses in early December.

The UK is also in line for 60million doses of another jab from Novavax, which will be made in Teesside and passed clinical trials last week.

However, the UK is behind the US and EU in getting hold of the Moderna vaccine, which is not expected to arrive in Britain until the spring.

Britain has also boasted of continuing to fund vaccine development even after some jabs have become available, with ministers today announcing a deal for 40million yet-to-be-approved Valneva jabs.

Touting their 'wide approach' to investing in vaccines, ministers said the deal was an 'endorsement of the UK government's strategy of investing in vaccine development'.

'It will also give the UK future flexibility should we need to revaccinate any of the population,' a statement said.

Britain handed out the first doses of a fully-tested coronavirus vaccine anywhere in the world, with Margaret Keenan (pictured) getting the historic first jab

ALL UK CARE HOME RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN OFFERED JABS AS ROLL-OUT STEAMS AHEAD Every elderly care home resident across England has now been offered their first Covid vaccination, with Boris Johnson promising to continue the 'acceleration' of the programme across the country. NHS England said people living at more than 10,000 eligible care homes with older residents had been offered the jab as almost 600,000 coronavirus vaccines were given out in Britain - a daily record. Care home residents were the top priority group for the UK because they are most at risk of dying if they catch Covid-19. The Government will announce today that the care home milestone, which it promised to reach by the end of January, has been achieved in the nick of time. A small number of homes had visits deferred for safety reasons during a local outbreak but would be visited as soon as it was safe for NHS staff to do so, a spokesman for NHS England said. Nine in 10 people over 80 have received their first jab, along with three quarters of people aged 75 to 79, the figures show. People in their 60s are expected to start receiving invitations for jab in the next few weeks as the rollout continues to gather pace. Care UK, one of the largest care home chains, said that all but one of its 124 homes had already been visited by vaccination teams. It said that about 85 per cent of residents had received the first dose of the vaccine but it was expecting the proportion to rise once it received updated figures. Advertisement

EUROPEAN UNION

The EU and many of its 27 members have faced criticism over their sluggish rollout, with fewer than 10million people getting a dose so far across the entire bloc.

While excessive bureaucracy in countries such as France and Germany has been one reason for the slow start, the EU has also struggled to get hold of enough supplies.

Pfizer and BioNTech have slowed down production to make manufacturing changes, while AstraZeneca said it was cutting supplies to the EU in the first quarter of 2021.

That prompted outrage from Brussels, which imposed export controls last week to supervise vaccines leaving the bloc for other countries.

Pharmaceutical companies have since made public pledges to make up for the shortfalls with additional doses later on - though none has pledged to speed up the initial delivery, meaning the EU's Covid pain will drag on for some time.

BioNTech and Pfizer have promised to send up to 75 million extra doses to the bloc in the spring thanks to progress at key manufacturing sites.

Meanwhile Ursula von der Leyen, who signed the vaccine contracts on behalf of the bloc, said Sunday that AstraZeneca would deliver 40 million doses in total in the first quarter - 30 per cent more previously promised - but shipments will not start until the second week of February.

And chemicals giant Bayer announced that from 2022 it would produce a coronavirus vaccine that fellow German pharmaceuticals company CureVac is developing.

CureVac CEO Franz-Werner Haas said his company would also produce several hundred million doses of its own vaccine by the end of 2021.

CureVac's mRNA vaccine has yet to receive the green light from regulators, but German health minister Jens Spahn said it was 'on its way to approval in the coming weeks'.

French pharma group Sanofi agreed last week to help produce 125 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

A European source said on Monday that Germany was putting 'tremendous' pressure on the Commission to improve the vaccine rollout, adding that von der Leyen's position had been 'severely weakened'.

While Brussels boasts of having a portfolio of 2.3billion doses, it has paid dearly for failing to sign its agreement with AstraZeneca until August last year.

Meanwhile, the EU's contract with Pfizer was not signed until November 2020, two days after the company had announced its successful trial results.

The Pfizer rollout did not begin until the very end of December, and even a month later the daily vaccination rates in countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain are well below those in Britain and the US.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, pictured in Brussels on Sunday, has come under pressure over the bloc's slow jab rollout

Brussels did sign a deal with Moderna days before Britain, but again this was after the jab had already passed clinical trials.

And the EU was again shown to be lagging when the Novavax trial results were published last week showing 89.3 per cent efficacy.

While Britain has 60million doses ordered, the EU has only conducted 'exploratory talks' with the manufacturer, which were completed in December.

Even then, the 200million doses envisaged in an 'exploratory contract' are a smaller stockpile when adjusted for population size than Britain has ordered.

The EU also has other agreements in place with vaccines from Sanofi-GSK and CureVac, which have yet to conclude clinical trials.

UNITED STATES

Like Britain, the US has received little praise for its handling of the pandemic but has had better luck with the vaccine rollout than with preventing infections and deaths.

More than 25million people have received at least one vaccine dose in the US, 2.5 times more than in the EU despite the bloc's larger population.

Joe Biden's target of one million vaccinations a day has already been met, with the president now targeting a 50 per cent increase to take the rate to 1.5million a day.

People line up to receive a coronavirus vaccine in California, with the US ranking fifth in the world by number of people who have received at least one dose

Deals signed under the Trump administration included an agreement for up to 600million Pfizer doses last July, around the same time as in Britain.

America is also using the Moderna vaccine after placing an order for 100million doses last August, before either Britain or the EU had signed a deal.

The federal government poured nearly $2billion into Pfizer's research last July as well as $1.2billion to AstraZeneca and $1.6billion for Novavax manufacturing.

However, while the US has a deal for 300million AstraZeneca doses, the jab has yet to be approved by federal regulators.

Several vaccine trials took place in the United States, including the Johnson & Johnson jab which was shown to be 72 per cent effective there.

The US is in line to get 100million doses of the jab.

Back to normal by the summer? Sage expert says Britain could be 'pretty close' to pre-pandemic life within months

Britain could be back to something close to pre-coronavirus life as soon as the summer thanks to the UK's vaccine juggernaut, a top scientist said today.

Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert and member of the Sage advisory panel, said the jab could introduce huge changes within months if the rollout continues apace.

And he suggested that the lockdown could start to be eased some time next month as hoped - but will need to be done 'relatively gradually' and carefully to avoid a spike in cases.

Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert and member of the Sage advisory panel, said the jab could introduce huge changes within months if the rollout continues apace.

Matt Hancock has long been a summer optimist despite the horrific coronavirus death rate. In December he revealed he had already booked his summer holiday

His optimism came after a weekend of mixed messages from ministers about what the summer will look like for lockdown-weary Britons.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock raised the hopes of millions yesterday as he said that he expected a 'Great British summer' powered by the success of the vaccine rollout.

But less than half an hour after his local BBC interview, Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was 'dangerous' for ministers to go on television 'making promises about people's summer holidays'.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programe this morning, Prof Tildesley said: 'The danger is that as we start to unwind controls we offset the gains we get from vaccinations so we need to be very careful.

'But if the vaccine rollout continues at high levels and we do find that actually these vaccines are good at blocking transmission as well as preventing severe infection, then we are in a good position.

'And hopefully by the summer we can get back to something pretty close to what we have seen before the pandemic was normal.'
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.
The Myanmar military said on Monday that it will rerun the multi-party general elections after a one-year state of emergency declared earlier in the day.

The Union Election Commission will be reformed and the electoral process in the parliamentary elections held in November 2020 will be reviewed in accordance with the laws, the military said in a televised statement.

After the state of emergency period, free and fair multi-party general elections will be rerun and the state power will be handed over to an elected party which meets the democratic standards, it said.

The statement came after the Presidents Office declared a state of emergency which will last for one year in the country.

The declaration of emergency, signed by First Vice President U Myint Swe, who is serving as the acting president, was announced on the military-owned Myawaddy TV.

The state power will be handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing, the TV said in a statement.

The President shall declare the transferring of legislative, executive and judicial powers of the Union to the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services to enable him to carry out necessary measures to speedily restore its original situation in the Union,Section 418 (a) of the Constitution said.

The legislative functions of all parliaments and leading bodies will be suspended from the day of declaration, it said.

Earlier in the day, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials were detained by the military.

According to reports, the Myanmar military has taken control of multiple governments and parliaments in many parts of Myanmar.

Telecommunications in capital city of Nay Pyi Taw and some other regions and states had also been cut off.

In Myanmars largest city of Yangon, the city hall building was controlled by the military, and gun-toting military personnel could be seen inside the compound.

ALSO READ: Military coup in Myanmar as soldiers detain Suu Kyi

On the streets in Yangon, Xinhua reporters saw locals were generally calm and some of them were talking about the detention.

The state-run Radio and Television (MRTV) said on its social media that it was no longer working on Monday morning.

The Yangon International Airport will be closed until May this year, according to civil aviation authorities, and all banks across Myanmar were shut on Monday.

The military has said there was massive voting fraud in last years parliamentary elections, and demanded postponement of new parliamentary sessions.

But the Union Election Commission dismissed the allegations last week.

The military said in the latest televised statement that the Union Election Commission failed to solve irregularities in the general elections held on Nov. 8, 2020.

ADVERTISEMENT

The commission also declined to call a special meeting of the previous Union Parliament, which was requested by the military and the Union Solidarity and Development Party.

To achieve lasting peace in the country, the military will perform its duty in accordance with the agreements included in the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), the statement added.

The first regular session of the new parliament sessions was scheduled to begin with convening the House of Representatives on Monday, the House of Nationalities on Tuesday and the Union Parliamentary session on February 5.

The upcoming parliamentary sessions will elect speakers for both houses of the parliament, form parliamentary committees, and elect the president and vice presidents of Myanmar.

The ruling NLD party won the majority of seats in both houses of the Union Parliament in the general elections in 2020.

(Xinhua/NAN)
Apple today released the first beta of iOS 14.5 to developers. This comes a week after Apple released iOS 14.4 to the general public. iOS 14.5 brings in a number of much-required changes to the operating system. Heres everything new in iOS 14.5 Beta 1.

The official developer notes of iOS 14.5 dont reveal many details about the updates. The official release notes dont really mention anything specific about the release but say that it contains some bug fixes and stability improvements. However, as noted by the iPhone community, there are some major changes in iOS 14.5 beta 1 like dual DIM 5G, ability to unlock iPhone with Apple Watch. Lets take a closer look at the new features and improvements in iOS 14.5 beta 1.

iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 Beta 1 Features

1. Support for Unlocking iPhone With Apple Watch When Wearing a Mask

Pandemic has changed the world, hasnt it? With the need to wearing a face mask all the time, unlocking iPhones, at least those with Face ID, has been a hassle. With iOS 14.5, Apple has added an ability to which makes it easier to unlock while wearing a mask.

Currently, while wearing a mask, Face ID on the iPhone doesnt work, and the phone immediately shows the passcode screen to unlock the iPhone. With the new update, if youre wearing an unlocked Apple Watch, and use Face ID to unlock your iPhone, the phone will unlock after a partial scan.

Apple says:

iPhone can use your Apple Watch to unlock when Face ID detects a face with a mask. Your Apple Watch must be nearby, on your wrist, unlocked, and protected by a passcode.

2. Dual-SIM 5G on iPhone 12

iPhone 12 has dual SIM support. Depending upon the variant you have, you might have a physical dual SIM iPhone 12, or an iPhone 12 with a single physical SIM card slot and a single eSIM.

Initially, when Apple released iPhone 12, 5G support was limited to only one sim at a time. That means, on iOS 14.4 or below, if you use dual SIM, both the lines were restricted to LTE. But with iOS 14.5 Beta 1, Apple has introduced support for 5G on both the lines.

3. App Tracking Transparency Goes Live

With iOS 14.5, developers will have to comply with iOS 14s app tracking transparency feature. App Tracking Transparency (ATT) gives users an option to allow developers to track, or not track, an apps usage. The feature is set to roll out in the Spring of 2021, hinting that the update might get released in late February or early March.

4. Hey Siri, Call Emergency!

Apple has added an ability to contact emergency services quickly in iOS 14.5 Beta 1. iOS 14.5 introduces a command, Hey Siri! Call Emergency to Siri that will immediately call emergency services without any delay. The phone will show you a 5-second timer, which it generally shows before it contacts emergency services. You can cancel the call during this time.

5. Support for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 Dual Sense Controllers

iOS 14.5 Beta 1 adds support for the latest gaming controllers from Microsoft and Sony. The update adds the ability to use PlayStation 5s Dual Sense and Xbox Series X controller with iPads and iPhones. It is also said that Apple is working on the support for these controllers on tvOS 14.5 as well.

6. Apple Fitness+ Gains AirPlay 2 Support

Apple has added AirPlay 2 support to Apple Fitness+ in its new update. You can already cast your Fitness+ content to Apple TV, but with iOS 14.5 Beta 1, Apple has added an option to cast audio and video to supported AirPlay 2 set-top boxes and smart TV. TechCrunch has noted that though the update brings support for Fitness+ to AirPlay 2, it wont display key-metrics like rings and calories burned on the TV screen.

7. UI Tweaks to Podcast App

iOS 14 brings in a redesigned Podcast app to the iPhone. With iOS 14.5, Apple has tweaked the user interface on the app.

We Want to Hear From You

What are your thoughts on iOS 14.5 Beta 1? Have you installed the latest update yet? Noticed some change that hasnt been mentioned above? Do let us know in the comment section below!
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.
There were no casualties in the past day.

The Command of Ukraine's Armed Forces has reported nine violations of the latest ceasefire agreement committed by Russia-controlled armed groups in the Donbas warzone on Sunday, January 31.

"In the past day, January 31, nine ceasefire violations were recorded in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) zone," the press center of the Ukrainian JFO Command said on Facebook in an update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on February 1, 2021.

In particular, the Russian occupation troops fired a 120mm mortar, automatic, anti-tank and under-barrel grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and rifles near the village of Vodiane.

Read alsoOSCE SMM UAV spots heavy weapons in Russia-occupied part of DonbasAlso, an enemy Krylo[Wing]-type UAV was spotted crossing the contact line before being jammed.

What is more, the Russian Federation's armed formations used an 82mm mortar near the village of Lebedynske, as well as automatic grenade launchers near the village of Pisky. In addition, the enemy fired automatic rifles toward Ukrainian positions near the village of Opytne, and a heavy machine gun near the town of Avdiyivka.

There were no casualties in the past day.

Since Monday midnight, February 1, one ceasefire violation was recorded in the JFO zone. In particular, the Russian occupation troops fired a hand-held anti-tank launcher and an under-barrel grenade one near Avdiyivka.

The violations were reported to OSCE representatives through the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) of the ceasefire in Donbas.

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.

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.

Reporting by UNIAN
MANZINI  The recruitment of the 700 police officers will increase the wage bill by E4.2 million per month.

This follows that the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) National Commissioner, William Dlamini, said they had filed a request with government to recruit about 700 police officers.

He said this was because the service had been affected by deaths, retirements and defections of personnel. In light of this reduction of personnel, the recruitment, according to Dlamini, shall be partitioned into two, with a possible intake of 350 officers per recruitment.

He said this was envisaged to take place within a period of two years. Worth noting, a recruit becomes a fully fledged police officer after a year of training.

Dlamini explained that the law dictated that while one was recruited and already partaking in the training, he or she was expected to be remunerated fully.

It was gathered that police recruits were in 2014 offered E6 000 per month. If the 700 recruits shall be paid at this scale, it means that governments wage bill shall increase by E4.2 million per month.

However, since then, there have been developments in that civil servants were awarded cost-of- living adjustments (CoLA), which might escalate the remuneration for the next intake.

The CoLA awarded in the 2016/17 financial year was 6.5 per cent while last year, public servants were awarded three per cent. This could be translated into an increment of 9.5 per cent since the last recruitment.

Adjust

Given these developments, the Treasury Department could be forced to adjust its wage bill by E4 599 000 for the 700 recruits. This is because the tabulation of this CoLA implies that each ,officers remuneration, while still undergoing training, would be E6 570. By extension, this means that government would have to pay E2 299 500 for the 350 recruits in the first batch.

Despite this anticipated increment, it should be noted that the recruitments were set to fill posts that had been held by officers who were remunerated.

Some of these officers were in senior positions and were also afforded extra benefits beside the remuneration accorded to warders. This, therefore, according to Dlamini, does not mean the recruitments shall balloon the wage bill per se.

Instead, he said: We are replacing officers who were in the service and were earning salaries. Some of them were senior and drew a far larger salary than those that we shall recruit.

Dlamini said government had as a matter of fact saved enormously as there had been no promotions and recruitments since the introduction of the hiring freeze in August 2018.

The hiring freeze, which was reaffirmed by government last year September, advised principal secretaries and heads of department that there would be no recruitments in the civil service as a means to deal with the wage bill.

It also emphasised that ministries and departments should not promote any employee and for any pressing need to recruit, a request should be advanced to Cabinet.

Recently, government announced that it sought to reduce the wage bill by E900 million in three years. The three years, according to the deceased Minister of Public Service, Christian Ntshangase, started in the past financial year (2019/20) and shall lapse in 2021/22.

Saved

It was said government had already saved E300 million in the past financial year and sought to duplicate it in this financial year and the subsequent. This was calculated as being equivalent to five per cent of the wage bill.

Furthermore, it was supposed to have been achieved through the interim interventions which among them included the abolishment of all redundant positions and they (ministry) were retaining strategically relevant ones.

Also, it was claimed that through the skills management audit in order to determine the number of diverse qualifications and competencies in the Public Service. This exercise was further meant to identify skills to jobs, match and then synchronise those skills to the right jobs.

It is worth noting that five most recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank country reports cautioned that Eswatinis largest budgetary outlier on the expenditure side, 23 and also the single largest contributor to the fiscal deficit, was the size of the wage bill.

According to global lender, the IMF, Eswatini ranked 2nd highest spender on civil servants among the 53 captured countries. Currently, estimates of the wage bill are said to be E8.44 billion which corresponds to 37 per cent of governments expenditure.
EACH AND EVERY DAY, my colleagues and I hear about how New Hampshires high property taxes are an unsustainable burden on hardworking Granite Staters. According to a recent report from US News and WalletHub, New Hampshire has the third-highest property tax rates in the country. For young wor
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.

CES is presented every year in early January in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Over the years, CES has outgrown its original scope as a trade fair exhibiting electronic devices, becoming a showcase for leading-edge technologies, solutions and services in a wide range of genres and from all over the world. A few years ago, the event dropped its original name, Consumer Electronics Show, to become known simply as CES.

The J-Startup Pavilion, Where Japanese Startups Exhibit, Attracts More Interest with Each Passing Year

View the Japan Session right here!

Over the last few years, the number of startup companies exhibiting at CES has grown especially large. Attracting particular attention is the J-Startup pavilion, which hosts a cluster of Japanese startup firms within Eureka Park, a hall for startups from around the world. Startups from Japan have been gathering in the J-Startup pavilion since 2019, when 22 companies exhibited there. In 2020 that number rose to 28 and over 50 are expected to exhibit in the pavilion at CES 2021.

J-Startup is turning heads not merely because of the large number of companies participating but for the outstanding quality of the products, solutions and services showcased here. For example, in 2020 World Matcha exhibited Cuzen Matcha, a machine that brews matcha tea with the ease of a coffee maker. Exhibited here for the first time, Cuzen Matcha won a CES 2020 Innovation Awards.

Other products that commanded rapt attention at the previous two exhibitions were Lovot, a robot developed by Groove-X with a design so lovable that it becomes part of the family, and Flying Gondola, an air mobility solution that enables people to hover in the air using an exclusive balance-control technology. Gatebox, a device for summoning AI characters, is not only already commercialized and launched but growing fast in Japan and worldwide, including through partnerships beginning with NTT DOCOMO in Japan and companies overseas.

As the above examples illustrate, startup companies that participate in the J-Startup pavilion tend to be those that can best reach their intended audiences from Japan, such as makers of robots, drones and smart-home solutions. We spoke with Ichiro Sone of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) with general responsibility for startup support. JETRO is a government-related organization in Japan responsible for promoting trade and is the sponsor of the J-Startup pavilion.

Japanese Companies Are Using New Technologies to Create Fresh Solutions

Asked to identify the strengths of Japanese startups, Sone remarked, Japan is recognized worldwide as a leader in innovation. Many of todays global corporate giants, such as Sony and Honda, were once startups. In the Japan of former times, companies did all their development and manufacturing in-house. Today theres been a change in mindset toward an open-innovation model, in which various companies partner with each other. Japans startups, Sone pointed out, have changed to a more outward-looking character, seeking partners overseas as well as in Japan. Sone added that Japanese quality is alive and well: [Japanese enterprises] commitment to quality in products and services is as strong as ever.

Japans declining birth rate and aging demographic profile are continuing to worsen. In 2020 about 28.7% of the population is 65 years of age or over. But while this trend is generally regarded as a disadvantage, other countries demographic profiles are going to start aging too. Japan is already grappling with those challenges, so were a world leader in that sense Were using new technologies to enhance medical care and social services, Sone noted, remarking that Japan was attracting worldwide attention on this front.

Japans declining birthrate and aging population are leading to a decrease in the nations working population. This problem is forecast to become global in scale. Making improvements in productivity essential, to make tomorrows smaller working population more effective. Fortunately, Sone notes, Japan is richly endowed with startups that can make that productivity happen: The Japanese government is working through JETRO to reinforce startups as an engine of growth for the next generation. Our hope is that a wide range of Japanese companies will not only make their debut on the world stage but also play a signature role in solving the social problems of Japan and the world.

Notwithstanding its decreasing birthrate and aging population, Japan is still a nation of over 100 million people. Were the worlds third-largest country in terms of GDP, Sone noted. A big, attractive market. Sone outlined his reasons why JETRO is working to highlight Japans startups before a global audience and persuade the world to invest in them: If we can once more present to the world innovative technologies that will drive global development, that will be very important, because it will lead to greater prosperity for the Japanese people.

From Startups in the Remote Far East to Startups that Can Take on the World and Win

At the upcoming CES 2021, scheduled for January 2021, a sizable cohort of Japanese startups are expected to participate, once again attracting the attention of the world. Many of the solutions and services exhibited will prove vital in the world of COVID-19. For example, WOTA is a system that recycles and filters water, providing a supply of clean, portable water even in locations where clean water facilities are not available.

At one time Japanese companies presence was declining on the world stage. The ability of Japanese startups once more to garner such intense interest at events such as CES is due in large part to the backup provided by JETRO. In the J-Startup Program, launched in 2018, JETRO carefully selected 139 game-changing startups capable of winning internationally and provided focused support to nurture their growth.

JETRO also established Global Acceleration Hub in 27 cities worldwide characterized by advanced innovation ecosystems. Working space is provided at these hubs, so that Japanese startups can use the hubs as their base for operations overseas. The Global Acceleration Hub also provides business matching and arranging services. By bringing them closer to global markets in this way, JETRO is assisting Japanese startups in overcoming the perceived handicap of being startups in the remote Far East.

Unlike previous events, CES 2021 will be conducted online. This change is a hurdle for Japanese startups, most of which exhibit hardware products. Attendees at CES 2021 will be unable to see and touch the actual products in a physical setting, as is necessary to truly understand the products. Moreover, language barriers are especially troublesome when presentations and negotiations are conducted online.

JETRO is providing wide-ranging assistance to enable Japanese startups to overcome these challenges. Sone says JETRO provides comprehensive support for Japanese startups participating in the J-Startup pavilion: We assist [the startups] in producing promotional videos and developing effective websites, and we offer training in English for business negotiations.

Because CES 2021 will be presented online, the Consumer Technology Association, which is the events sponsor, is expected to provide a matching system to facilitate connecting exhibitors with business prospects and media. Japans startups are preparing in earnest so that, when they are matched with potential customers and media outlets through this system, they will be able to use those negotiations and media appearances effectively.

Can a Super-Aging Society Be Transformed into a Super-Smart Society?

With nearly twice as many companies expected to exhibit at CES 2021 as last year, the presence of the J-Startup pavilion will be greater than ever. At 3:00 PM PST/ 6:00PM EST on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, the third day of CES 2021, the pavilion will host a JAPAN Session, on the theme Transforming the Super Aging Society into a Super Smart Society. This session will feature many startups contributing solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the special issues confronting the worlds most advanced super-aging society. Representatives of various firms will take the podium, explaining not only the features of their products but also the concepts and visions that inform them.

With devices, solutions and services that only quality-driven Japan can create, Japanese startups that can take on the world are getting ready for CES 2021. Dont miss this extraordinary event.

Overview of the JAPAN Session

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

3:00 PM to 5:10 PM PST / 6:00 PM to 8:10 PM EST

View the Japan Session right here!

> Opening Remarks

3:00 PM to 3:05 PM PST / 6:00-6:05 PM EST (5 mins)

> Welcome Speech: Japans Innovation Policy for a Super-Smart Aging Society

3:05 PM to 3:15 PM PST/ 6:05-6:15 PM EST (10 mins)

> Session 1: Emerging Visions and Potential Unicorns in Japans Tech Industry

3:15 PM - 3:35 PM PST/ 6:15-6:35 PM EST (20 mins)

> Session 2: Wearables for a Super-Smart Aging Society: IoT for Independence

3:35 PM - 4:05 PM PST/ 6:35-7:05 PM EST (30 mins)

> Session 3: Robotics for a Super-Smart Aging Society: Life with Bots that Bring Out the Best of Humanity

4:05 PM - 4:35 PM PST/ 7:05-7:35 PM EST (30 mins)

> Session 4: Unlimited Water Supply, Touchless Touch Panels, and Telexistence: How Japan Is Arming Itself Against Covid-19

4:35 PM - 5:05 PM PST/ 7:35-8:05 PM EST (30 mins)

> Closing Remarks

5:05 PM-5:10 PM PST/ 8:05-8:10 PM EST (5 mins)

About JETRO

The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) is a Japanese government-related organization that assists innovative startups in expanding their businesses into the global market. The organization provides extensive support for business development, including consultation on go-to-market strategies, in order to help small businesses grow and to foster their relationships with their global counterparts. JETRO has organized the CES J-Startup Pavilion (Japan Pavilion) since 2019.

The Senate confirmation hearings for Bidens cabinet appointees  which began the week of Jan. 18  should serve as a sharp warning of the continuation of dangerous U.S. war policies.

The corporate media has focused on Bidens promise to overturn many of former-President Trumps policies. But Biden pledged throughout his campaign to make no substantial change  and his foreign policy appointments show he meant that. Despite the media talk of justice, new policy and diversity, behind the scenes the same old U.S. militarist policies are being reinforced through Bidens cabinet choices and their direct ties to industry-funded think tanks and military contractors.

Bidens cabinet nominations follow the failed imperialist policies of the Trump, Obama, Bush Jr., Clinton and Bush Sr. administrations of the past three decades. These choices are ominous for working people in the U.S. and for people around the world suffocating under the knee of U.S. imperialism.

The appointment and testimony of war hawk Anthony Blinken, nominated to serve as secretary of state, is one of many searing examples of Bidens militarist stance.

Blinken, in his Jan. 19 confirmation testimony, was clear that he supports expanding imperialist war in Syria, saying: The U.S. is not doing enough. He is for unrelenting pressure on North Korea [the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] to cut off all resources. He is for expanded deployment of missiles to surround and pressure China. He is for new demands and continued sanctions on Iran. He supports continued efforts to overthrow the elected government of Venezuela. (Blinkens full testimony is available at tinyurl.com/yyr7k58w.)

Blinken also testified: Our commitment to Israels security is sacrosanct, and this is something that the presidentelect feels very strongly. He repeatedly praised Trump policy on normalizing relations between apartheid Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan, emphasizing: There are a number of things from where I sat that the Trump administration did beyond our borders that I would applaud. Right-wing racist South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham called Blinken an outstanding choice. (Washington Post, Jan. 19)

Military-industrial insiders

Blinken, a former deputy secretary of state under Obama, is wellknown for trading on his past government positions to get lucrative consulting jobs with military contractors. Blinken co-founded WestExec Advisors, a secretive consulting firm for military industries like Boeing and for major banks and investment firms such as Bank of America and Blackstone.

WestExec has actually been called a shadow government-in-waiting for former Obama administration officials tied to U.S. military policy. (politico.com, Nov. 23, 2020) It boasts on its website that its name is derived from West Executive Avenue, the closed street that runs between the West Wing of the White House and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. It is, quite literally, the road to the Situation Room.

WestExec partners are former government officials, military officers and diplomats. By defining themselves as strategic consultants, they can avoid becoming registered lobbyists or foreign agents and can thus (re)enter government service without the one-year wait required of paid lobbyists. The clients who consult with WestExec are kept secret.

Recently confirmed Biden cabinet nominee General Lloyd Austin has been affiliated with WestExec Advisors, as well as sitting on the board of the one of the largest U.S. weapons manufacturers, Raytheon. Austin formerly served as commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and special forces in Syria. His appointment required a special waiver since by U.S. law; the secretary of defense must be a civilian.

Avril Haines, recently confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, has also been affiliated with WestExec. As the former deputy director of the CIA, Haines headed its drone program and helped create the legal justification for targeted killings as a normalized action within U.S. foreign policy. Along with assassination by drone strikes, she supported U.S. economic sanctions that attack the nutrition and health of civilian populations of entire countries.

According to Politico News, WestExec is loaded with other former top Democratic national security and foreign policy officials who raised money for the Biden campaign, have joined his transition team or have served as unofficial advisers. Many other consultants are expected to receive Biden appointments. (tinyurl.com/y2hydkdm)

Think-tank war hawks

There are a variety of other think-tank and strategic consulting firms that provide extremely well-funded positions for government officials  both Republicans and Democrats  between government appointments. The role of these think tanks is to develop a well-vetted and experienced staff who are on-call to serve corporate power both inside government and out.

A 2020 report from the Center for International Policy found that defense contractors, as well as U.S. government national security and defense agencies, contributed more than $1 billion to 50 of the most influential U.S. think tanks over the last five years.

Other recent think-tank appointees by Biden include Kathleen Hicks as deputy secretary of defense. She served as senior vice president of CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies), the most hawkish think tank in Washington. CSIS is funded by and acts as an influence center for giant military industries such as BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Hicks opposes the drawdown of U.S. troops from South Korea, Afghanistan and Syria.

Kurt Campbell  chairman of The Asia Group, a strategy and capital advisory think tank  has been appointed to the newly created position of National Security Council Indo-Pacific coordinator. Campbell, as the former deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, was considered the architect of Obamas Pivot to Asia. This was a provocative policy of repositioning missile batteries, troops and aircraft carriers to encircle China and threaten the DPRK. His new role as Bidens Asia Czar is to integrate anti-China strategy and strengthen U.S. alliances in the region.

The naming of Victoria Nuland as under secretary of state is especially revealing of Bidens militarist policy. Nuland has served as the CEO of CNAS (Center for New American Security), another well-funded military think tank. She has also been with the Albright Stonebridge Group, a think tank set up by former-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Nuland served in both the Bush-Cheney administration and the Obama-Biden administration.

Under the latter administration, as assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, Nuland bragged that she helped engineer the 2014 fascist coup that overthrew the elected government of Ukraine, using $5 billion in funding from National Endowment for Democracy.

All these appointees promoted U.S. wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya; starvation sanctions on Venezuela, Korea and Iran; and U.S. plans to reinforce NATO against Russia, surround the DPRK and especially threaten China militarily and economically.

These appointments contradict those liberal and social democratic forces who argued that Biden could be pushed into progressive policies by left pressure.

Wars abroad  and wars at home

Within 24 hours of Bidens inauguration, a large convoy of U.S. military supported by helicopter gunships headed into Syria from Iraq, according to the SANA, the Syrian state news agency. The convoy of 40 trucks, loaded with weapons and logistical materials, reinforced illegal bases in the area.Tons of U.S. heavy equipment were observed travelling toward U.S. positions at the Conoco oil and gas field. This aggression continues the direct imperialist theft of Syrias oil resources and is intended to disrupt Syrias efforts to rebuild and provide for its war-torn population. (tinyurl.com/y3tor8fq)

This convoy movement showed the Biden administrations rush to affirm its absolute commitment to ruthlessly enforce U.S. imperialist interests, within a two-party system unified in serving U.S. capitalism.

U.S. wars provided guaranteed profits and lucrative military contracts stretching back through decades to banks and military industries. The trillions for endless war leaves working people in the U.S. holding empty promises, while they struggle and die in the surge of the COVID-19 virus, in the grip of racist police and under the collapsing infrastructure of an economy in crisis.

The trillions spent on war for profit could easily alleviate all these crises and give health, housing and hope to the millions of U.S. working and oppressed people.
NORFOLK - From the end of the 107th Nebraska Legislative Session to Ewing's celebration, here are some of the stories we covered for the week ending Saturday May 29, 2021.
WASHINGTON - Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach President Donald Trump this month, has launched a new political action committee that is designed to become a financial engine to challenge the former president's wing of the GOP caucus and stand up against a leadership team still aligned with him.

Kinzinger, 42, a onetime star of the 2010 tea party class, said the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol served as a breaking point for the direction of the Republican Party, providing a stark divide between those who want to continue a path toward autocracy and those who want to return to traditional conservative values.

In an interview Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press," Kinzinger formally unveiled his Country 1st PAC and a six-minute campaign-style video launching what he hopes will become a movement.

"The reality is this: This is a time to choose. . . . And my goal in launching Country1st.com is just to say, 'Look, let's take a look at the last four years, how far we have come in a bad way, how backward-looking we are, how much we peddle darkness and division,' " Kinzinger said on the program. "And that's not the party I ever signed up for. And I think most Republicans didn't sign up for that."

Kinzinger previewed the launch in a Saturday interview with a small group of reporters on a Zoom call, alternating between criticizing freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., whose promotion of QAnon - a sprawling set of false claims that have coalesced into an extremist ideology that has radicalized its followers and incited violence and criminal acts, and that the FBI has designated it a domestic terrorism threat - has drawn great attention in recent days, and being dismissive toward what he views as the weak leadership of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

"Republicans must say enough is enough. It's time to unplug the outrage machine, reject the politics of personality, and cast aside the conspiracy theories and the rage," Kinzinger says in the launch video.

In the days after the assault on the Capitol, Kinzinger said, he felt some optimism as McCarthy said Trump "bears responsibility" for encouraging the rioting mob to attack Congress and target Vice President Mike Pence. McCarthy quickly backed away from that remark and on Thursday he praised the ex-president after a meeting at his Palm Beach, Fla., resort.

"That's a heck of a move in about three weeks. It's hard to square that circle," Kinzinger told reporters Saturday.

Kinzinger also suggested that McCarthy is not the most powerful member of the GOP caucus anymore, but that it was Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, "for sure" now.

Jordan was an outcast a few years ago who banded together with about 30 other far-right conservatives and, after forging a strong alliance with Trump, has soared to vast power over McCarthy's leadership team while making alliances with members such as Greene while trying to expel Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., from the leadership team because she voted to impeach Trump.

"They're political terrorists," Kinzinger said of Jordan and his allies.

McCarthy's and Jordan's embrace of Trump is more in line, however, with the majority of the GOP. Earlier this week, 45 Republican senators - including some who had tied Trump's actions to the Capitol insurrection - voted to dismiss Trump's impeachment trial as unconstitutional, rendering his conviction unlikely. The trial is slated to start Feb. 9.

Kinzinger had been slated to appear on "Meet the Press" with other GOP members of Congress who had voted to impeach Trump, host Chuck Todd noted, but the Illinois congressman wound up speaking alone.

"It's really difficult. All the sudden, imagine that everybody who supported you . . . has turned against you," Kinzinger told Todd, adding that he has received certified letters from relatives disowning him and claiming that he is "possessed by the devil."

He called Wednesday's formal meeting of the House Republican Conference - during which Republicans will debate Cheney's status and discuss whether to punish Greene for her actions - "the opening salvo in the fight for the party."

In particular, Greene - who was elected in November and who has a history of making racist and anti-Semitic remarks - has emerged as one of the most incendiary members of Congress since she took office. She also has tied herself inextricably to Trump, meaning that any Republicans who rebuke her could risk angering him and the party.

In numerous social media posts, Greene has parroted false claims that deadly school shootings were staged, and she has endorsed political violence against Democratic leaders. On Friday, a major Jewish nonprofit group condemned Greene for supporting an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that space lasers caused California's Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in the state's history.

That day, Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., said she was moving her congressional offices away from Greene for the safety of her staff, after saying Greene had accosted her in the hallway without a mask. In response, Greene called Bush a liar and the leader of a "terrorist mob" for supporting Black Lives Matter.

Although many Democrats have called for Greene to be expelled from Congress - or at least censured - she has faced no repercussions for her rhetoric or behavior. Last week, GOP leaders appointed her to the House Education Committee, prompting a fresh round of protest and calls for her removal.

On Sunday, several Republicans spoke out against Greene, but stopped short of saying she was unfit to serve. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who recently announced that he will retire, said on CNN's "State of the Union" that he "wouldn't be surprised" if Greene is removed from her committee assignments.

"I think Republican leaders ought to stand up and say it is totally unacceptable what she has said," Portman said. "The voters who elected her in her district in Georgia ought to be respected. On the other hand when that kind of behavior occurs, there has to be a strong response."

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, also couched his criticism of Greene by saying the voters should decide whether she should serve in Congress - and cautiously warned his colleagues not to allow the GOP to crumble because of Trumpism.

"President Trump has helped build the party," Hutchinson said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "I hope he does not help to destroy the party in the coming four years. We need to have a level of accountability. We also need to make sure that we don't tear ourselves apart."

Hutchinson is term-limited and cannot seek reelection. Trump's former press secretary Sarah Sanders announced last week that she would be running for governor of Arkansas.

There has been little benefit for Republicans who have rebuked Trump. Several of the 10 GOP members of Congress who voted to impeach Trump have faced censure - or the threat of it - by their state or county party officials.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on Sunday dismissed efforts by fellow Republicans in his state to censure him and former senator Jeff Flake, as well as Cindy McCain, wife of the late Sen. John McCain, for criticizing Trump's attempts to overturn the election results. Arizona was among those states the Trump falsely claimed he had won.

"The state party chairman should focus on winning races," Ducey said on "State of the Union," responding to one of his most prominent critics.

Ducey was more equivocal on whether congressional Republicans should punish lawmakers who espouse false claims. He said House Republicans would have to address Greene's behavior, but he tried to suggest that Democrats were also guilty of promoting baseless theories - though he did not name any - and that he was reluctant to clamp down even on lawmakers who are spreading falsehoods.

"I'm not for this cancel culture," Ducey said. "I don't think we should limit speech."

Kinzinger said he does not want to play a leading role in the GOP and has no ambition to run for higher office, but he said too many Republicans were remaining quiet and hoping Trumpism will fade away without fully confronting it.

He said his push is not really around ideology so much as it was focused on driving the conspiracy theorists and racists out of the GOP.

"We don't embrace conspiracy theories to win anymore," he said. "Would we lose the Proud Boys? Maybe. I'm fine with that."

- - -

The Washington Post's Shane Harris contributed to this report.
Treating students with equality may mean giving them the same tools with which to learn, but she said equity is a critical element to the equation. People learn differently, and come to school with different resources. Thus the need for meeting them where they are.
LUCCA, FEB 1 - Mourners gave Fascist salutes at the funeral Saturday of the father of the mayor of Pietrasanta near Lucca, local dailies Tirreno and Nazione reported Monday. The mourners also shouted 'Adriano comrade present and correct', a phrase usually used for former Fascist soldiers in WWII, at the funeral of Adriano Giovannetti, 84. The former Fascist soldier was the owner of a farm and the father of the mayor of Pietrasanta, Alberto Giovannetti. It is the second such incident in Italy in a few days. A group of rightist opposition town councillors in a town near Genoa repeatedly made 'Roman' Fascist salutes during a session on Holocaust Remembrance Day last Wednesday. Leftwing Mayor Paolo Bruzzone said it was a "grave episode". Liguria's centre-right governor, Giovanni Tori, condemned the episode as "intolerable". "As well as committing a crime they offended the victims of the Shoah", he said. The nationalist League councillors accused in the case denied making the Fascist salute, saying they were merely raising their hands. (ANSA).
With the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, much effort has gone into propagating the importance of hand and face hygiene, to prevent the spread of this viral illness by respiratory droplets and surfaces (or fomites) contaminated by such droplets. India was no exception, with a massive public health campaign directed at educating the general public on these transmission prevention measures.

A new preprint published on the medRxiv* server explores the results of such campaigns on handwashing practices in rural Odisha, India.

Study details

The study involved 131 participants. Surveys were carried out through phone calls, involving the 73 heads of households, 37 caregivers of young children below the age of 5, and 21 members of the Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) in two rural districts of Odisha, namely, Ganjam and Ganapati. The study covered 43 villages in the region.

The interviews were during the lockdown period between May and July 2020. At this period, thousands of migrant workers returned home from other states, with a resulting surge in COVID-19 cases. In fact, Ganjam became a focus of the disease in Odisha.

The villages surveyed were part of a water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure building program called MANTRA (Movement and Action Network for Transformation in Rural Areas), carried out by the non-governmental organization Gram Vikas. This included building a bathing space with a latrine in all households and a piped water system to each household with a community.

More frequent and thorough handwashing

The pandemic-related health education led to improved and more frequent handwashing in this region, as reported by 86% of participants.

Not only did people wash their hands more often, they did it more thoroughly after seeing audiovisual demonstrations of the proper way to wash their hands. They also reported an increased tendency to use soap to wash their hands.

This change persisted even months into the pandemic, indicating the formation of a new cultural habit. Interestingly, mothers and other caregivers indicated they trained their children to wash their hands properly and often, as well. Moreover, handwashing became a default practice after a trip away from home, indicating a new and important habit was being formed.

This could lead to a huge and beneficial change in the extent of spread of various respiratory and feco-oral pathogens such as typhoid, influenza, cholera and diphtheria. Earlier studies have reported the occurrence of this phenomenon in Mexico, following the earlier H1N1 pandemic of influenza.

Similar results have been reported both in other parts of India, and in Kenya and Ethiopia, against the background of the ongoing pandemic.

Obstacles

The cost of soap and the difficulties faced in finding enough water were two obstacles to building this habit, as mentioned by 8% and 6% of respondents, respectively. It is noteworthy that relative to a similar study in Uganda, among slum residents and students, only a small minority of participants in rural Odisha reported lack of soap and other hand sanitizers, or the lack of running water, as a barrier to handwashing, compared to 60% and 34%, respectively, in Uganda.

As with any desired behavioral change, a physical environment that facilitates and promotes such changes is highly desirable. These findings illustrate how the provision of soap and reliable water supply are needed to enable individuals to practice the promoted preventative measure of handwashing.

The information about handwashing was primarily obtained from television news, community-level government workers, social media, and the internet, in any combination.

Infrastructural improvement

This was accompanied by improvements in water supply to villages. Most households had a piped water connection, but the supply was intermittent, though predictable. As a result, most continued to store water for their needs over the next 24 hours.

About half the VWSC members said the water supply had changed following COVID-19. The changes included water treatment, water tank cleaning, an increase in the hours of water supply or sometimes a decrease. However, 84% reported that they had adequate water.

This indicates that further steps should be taken to ensure that water is treated at the point of use to make sure drinking water is potable, especially in villages where chlorination is inadequate.

Auxiliary improvements

Many participants reported that village water tanks were cleaned or chlorination carried out by local government workers. Most respondents indicated increased treatment of household water, and better household cleaning practices. This may reflect a voluntary initiative to prevent the spread of COVID-19 resulting from the emphasis on cleanliness. Whether or not they break the COVID-19 chain of transmission, they will definitely reduce the caseload of diarrheal disease in this area.

Household toilets continued to be used as usual, since the study was carried out in a village with high latrine coverage and use. There was no change in the way child defecation was carried out despite the onset of the pandemic.

What are the implications?

The WASH program invested heavily in improving village-level infrastructure, including village-level piped water supply and household latrine construction. This is likely to have helped to comply with COVID-19 preventive measures, since the availability of water and sanitation facilities at home allowed householders to stay home and wash their hands often

These findings may help to expand compliance to public health recommendations to prevent COVID-19, as well as preparing for future pandemics. It is important to know that the villages studied came under the MANTRA program, which introduced piped water connections and built household latrines for all houses in the area. This high level of WASH compliance may not be true of other areas where water supply is inadequate or unpredictable, and where sanitary facilities are lacking.

*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.
There are a number of carmakers out there that would stop at nearly nothing from indulging their customers. Rolls-Royce is one of them, so much so that it describes itself as the epitome of Bespoke. And judging by their latest gimmick, theyre not far from the truth.Behold the Rolls-Royce Phantom Iridescent Opulence, a yacht on wheels ordered from someone in the United Arab Emirates together with other equally flamboyant British builds. But theres something specifically unique to this one here, and that would be feathers. As in bird feathers.But first things first. The car is fitted with the so-called Bespoke Gallery. Its a concept presented in 2017 by Swiss-based Nature Squared, and it involves an application of glass that runs uninterrupted across the [dashboard] fascia of Rolls-Royce Phantom, allowing the art-savvy owners to display right inside the car whatever passes for art in their books.But what really catches the eye on the dashboard are the thousands of feathers hand-sewn onto an open pore fabric. This fabric is placed on the dashboard, emanating from the clock that makes for the center of the above-mentioned gallery, shooting iridescent colors inside the cabin.As per Rolls, there are over 3,000 tail feathers in there, taken from a sustainable species of bird with a rich dense plumage. Were not told exactly what birds were plucked for their feathers or if they suffered, but if the sustainable word in there is any indication, theyre probably fine.We are also not being told anything about how much the Rolls-Royce Phantom Iridescent Opulence is worth, but given how it was shipped to Abu Dhabi , that probably matters very little.
MUMBAI (Reuters) - India slashed the basic import duty on crude palm oil (CPO) to 15% from 27.5% earlier, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. The basic custom duty on soybean oil and sunflower oil also cut 15% from 35% earlier Sitharaman said in her annual budget presented for 2021/22 financial year. The government has proposed 17.5% cess on CPO and 20% cess on crude soybean and sunflower oil, she said. India is the world's biggest importer of vegetable oils. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav, editing by Louise Heavens)(Only the headline and ...
CHARLES CITY, Iowa  A woman arrested after a 100 mile per hour chase is pleading not guilty.

Amber Marie Sheppard, 36 of Cedar Rapids, is charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, eluding-2nd offense as a habitual offender, operating a motor vehicle while license is barred, and driving with a revoked license.

Law enforcement says it tried to pull over Sheppard as she was driving on Highway 27 in Floyd County around 9:45 pm on New Years Eve. Court documents state Sheppard refused to stop and led authorities on a 100 mph chase north on Highway 28 and then south on Shadow Avenue before being stopped.

Investigators say about 7.5 grams of methamphetamine and five needles were found in Sheppards vehicle.

Her trial is set to begin on March 2 in Floyd County District Court.
When the Covid-19 pandemic first reached Europe, Portugal was hailed as the poster child for its swift reaction while other countries were overwhelmed.

Now with the world's worst per capita rate of coronavirus cases and deaths, a desperate Portugal has asked Germany for medical help. Only seven intensive care beds were left in the country by Sunday, as the countrys health service was overwhelmed by the pandemic.

The German military has agreed to send 27 doctors and paramedics as well as ventilators and beds for patients while intensive care patients will be flown to Austria for treatment.

Send to Email Address

Your Name

Your Email Address

Post was not sent - check your email addresses!

Email check failed, please try again

Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
We know from research that, last summer, 60pc of Irish people claimed they would be willing to take a holiday in Ireland, said Niall Tracey, Failte Ireland's Director of Marketing.

"But only 29pc actually took a holiday.

Mr Tracey was one of the speakers at Survive to Thrive, a virtual event organised by Failte Ireland and attended by over 5,000 Irish tourism and hospitality representatives today.

With 2021 increasingly looking like another year of the staycation, Mr Tracey announced a 6m heavyweight" domestic ad campaign to encourage people to Keep Discovering when the time is right.

We dont want people to take just one break in 2021, we need them to take multiple breaks, he said.

The campaigns are ready to go, but providing any kind of timeline for planning or forecasting remains nigh-on impossible, added Paul Kelly, Failte Irelands CEO.

Domestic tourism will be first to return, he asserted, likely followed by visitors from areas that are geographically close to and familiar with Ireland, such as Britain and continental Europe.

Those visiting friends and families are likely to be first to travel, he added, followed by holidaymakers and then business travellers. High-income tourists may also return earlier, Mr Kelly said.

Read More

Within the tourism and hospitality industries, Easter is widely viewed as an optimistic scenario, with many believing it could be May or even early June before we can have a widespread reopening with inter-county travel.

While Ireland tightened its travel restrictions last week and vaccine supplies are delayed, Tourism Minister Catherine Martin did not rule out a return for overseas visitors this year.

Inbound tourism will reopen at the earliest possible opportunity when it is safe to do so, she said, encouraging businesses to be ready at that point.

New grant schemes for outdoor dining and urban animation, such as lighting and art installations, were was also announced as part of plans to revamp the urban outdoors in Ireland this year.

We know that were going to be pinched in terms of having sufficient spaces for people to eat in, said Paul Keely, Failte Ireland's Director of Regional Development.

Outdoor dining offers reassurance around safety, he added, and, together with new lighting, art and town trails, could provide the interest and intrigue to bring people back.

And the weather?

Research is focusing on practical solutions, Mr Keely said, with a focus on northern European cities who would have the same challenges in terms of weather Ireland.

Examples cited in a new Failte Ireland report on the future of food tourism include Copenhagen, which opened up public spaces like pavements to restaurants for free during the pandemic, and Melbourne, where an outdoor dining strategy will see parking, inner-city laneway and park spaces handed over.

The grants will be available in spring and administered as part of Failte Ireland's Destination Towns project, which includes 31 places ranging from Dublin's Docklands to Bundoran, Cashel and Carlow.

The headline announcement today was a 55m Tourism Business Continuity Scheme for those that have fallen outside the CRSS and other schemes, with individual grants of up to 200,000 available for the likes of caravan and camping providers and outdoor activity businesses such as kayaking, angling and bike tours.

Ms Martin announced the fund, predicting that 2021 would see the beginning of recovery for tourism, but that this would not happen overnight.

In less than a year, Covid-19 has seen the loss of 6bn in tourism revenue, Mr Kelly said, with businesses facing desperate challenges ranging from uncertainty to staff retention, stress and isolation.

We have never had a total shutdown of the tourism industry, said Jenny De Saulles, Failte Ireland's Head of Sector Development. We estimate that employment fell by 180,000 across 2020.

Businesses were urged to remain hopeful, however, with Mr Kelly pointing to evidence of huge growth in household savings in Ireland, and a significant pent-up demand to holiday.

Keep discovering is the perfect message for this year, he said.
December is great time to trek the mountains of northwestern Vietnam as maple forests change colour from green to yellowish-red.

The flora of Xuan Nha National Forest is very diverse, after crossing the bamboo forest, followed by the old forest.

Dubbed the roof of Moc Chau, Pha Luong Mountains peak floats on top of the mountain and is almost separated from the jungle mountains. Pha Luong peak is located between the Vietnam-Laos border. At an altitude of nearly 2,000 metres, the cliffs rise up with many tectonic crevices that create a majestic and fascinating scene. This place is also famous for its particularly complicated security situation, which is a key point for drug smuggling and transportation, so you can only climb to the top if you have been approved by the Pha Luong Border Station at the foot of the mountain. Although there are still many difficulties, this has become a very attractive trekking spot when traveling to Moc Chau.

From 4 am, we had to wake up to begin the difficult journey ahead. The distance from the centre of Moc Chau to Pha Luong Border Station - located in Chieng Son Commune - is about 30km.

Following National Highway 43 in the direction of Loong Sap Border Gate, we turned left to Chieng Ve about 20km from the town. On the last 3km of asphalt, we approached the unique dirt road leading up to the border station. Its only about 7km long, but it's really difficult with steep and bumpy ups and downs, with the abyss right next to the wheel.

Along the way, you will admire countless giant rocks along the path, which are also a very impressive photo spots.

After parking and checking in with Pha Luong Station, we officially started a trekking journey under the guidance of a native man. The first way to pass is about 2km long, go up to the grassy hills and the H'mong terraced fields to reach the old forest surrounding the foot of the mountain.

The early sunlight and it took a lot of effort for the difficult road to get to the station, so passing the thatched grass hill was also when we were tired. Fortunately, after that, the journey only went through the forest, so even though the climb was only up the slope but not down, the sun did not affect the footsteps of the group much.

We were excited to see a forest of maple leaves - a variety of tree that seems only to be found in temperate countries - which is also strewn in some other north-western highlands areas such as Tam Dao, Che Tao, Sapa. It is also a sign of nearing the top of Pha Luong, as this plant usually grows in cold air.

The carpet of falling maple leaves covered the path through the forest.

After four hours trekking across many different types of terrain, we finally reached the top of Pha Luong. And the reward for all that fatigue is that the natural scenery is so majestic on the top of this natural border mountain.

A special thing about Pha Luong, unlike many other mountains, is that the top of the mountain has a very wide, flat surface stretching like a stadium covered with trees. It would be great to camp here on the flat rocks to watch the sunset and dawn, but due to the security of the border area, it seems impossible at present.

Sacred landmark 264 and the natural border of Vietnam - Laos with two different examples of vegetation on the mountain.

Due to the topographical structure and natural faults in the formation of rocky mountains from thousands of years ago, Pha Luong Peak has many special ravines and indenting cliffs with diverse shapes.

Each corner of the mountain is stacked rocks, so these are also very beautiful photo angles for those who love adventure with the feeling of difference between heaven and earth.

Finally, our journey ended safely after a total of four hikes, an hour-long lunch break at the top and about two and a half hours for the return treck. It is not too difficult to reach the top of Pha Luong, but it is not easy without determination. And the reward is definitely much more than what we have perspired, with a once in a lifetime experience of the great Pha Luong of old Tay Tien, in our very own way.

Nguyen Chi Nam (Nhan Dan)

Wild black-jack flowers, an intriguing salad addition in Vietnam mountains The black-jack flower, which grows in the wild in Vietnam, is used to make a delicate salad in the northwestern mountains.
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.
China on Sunday unveiled an action plan to guide the building of a high-standard market system in the next five years.



The plan proposes more than 51 specific measures covering five aspects, including the basic institutions of the market, efficient allocation of production factors in the market, market environment and quality, high-level opening-up and the oversight mechanism of the modern market system.

The country will consolidate basic institutions of the market by comprehensively improving property rights protection, implementing the negative list system for market access and making advancements in fair competition.

Measures should be taken to improve laws and regulations on equal protection of property rights, enhance the judicial protection system for property rights enforcement and strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR).

The country will also adopt a nationwide negative list, expand market access trials, as well as strengthen and improve enforcement of laws on anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition, according to the plan.

To promote efficient allocation of factors, the plan vowed efforts to promote the orderly flow of labor resources, the healthy development of the capital market and the development of knowledge, technology and data.

Institutions for trading IPR, as well as the property rights of scientific and technological achievements, shall be set up, with the IPR transfer and licensing services to be carried out nationwide, according to the document.

It also called for measures to expand the opening-up of the financial services market, allowing the establishment of foreign-controlled joint venture banks and securities firms, as well as wholly foreign-owned or joint venture asset management firms.

Efforts will go into improving the pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list management system regarding market access, further shorten the negative list for foreign investment, expand the scope of the list of industries that encourage foreign investment and promote institutional opening-up, the document said.

In terms of the oversight mechanism of the market, the country will adopt an inclusive and prudent oversight system for new forms of industries, strengthen the monitoring of transactions in the factor market, actively prevent market abnormal fluctuations and guard against external risks.

China for the first time proposed to build a high-standard market system, which is unified and open with orderly competition, sound market institutions as well as governance, in around five years, said an official with the National Development and Reform Commission.

The plan put more emphasis on the completeness of market institutions, fair competition and the role of government in maintaining market order and countering market failures, the official said.
A little intellectual integrity is called for from the Democratic Party. The Democrats say there is no bias in the media, that they call it straight down the middle. Well, answer me this. How come over half of the anchors on television news are ex-Democratic operatives? When youre listening to regular news, the lamestream media news, which 75% of Democrats apparently believe the election was valid, and 75% of conservatives believe it wasnt. So when youre watching those people on TV, get your computer out and Google their backgrounds, and youll find out that over half of them are Democratic operatives that have worked in the Clinton or Obama regimes when they were in office. It was very telling to watch the interview with Rand Paul and George Stephanopoulos, when George said there werent two sides to the story. Thats true journalism there. A journalist that comes on and says there isnt another side of the story. Not only is there not another side of the story, he didnt even want to hear it.
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.
Ten U.S. states have already passed "heartbeat bills," and according to some lawmakers, it's time for Texas to catch up.

Texas' Republican lawmakers have promised to back a heartbeat bill, which would make abortions illegal as soon as the embryonic or fetal heartbeat can be detected. They've also been urged to challenge the Roe v. Wade decision, as reported by Texas Tribune's Shannon Najmabadi.

SMALL WINS, BIG GAINS: Supreme Court wipes case law supporting Texas abortion halt

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are at the very center of what it means to be an American, said bill author and senator Angela Paxton, as reported by Najmabadi. I believe there always has been and always will be energy from Texans to promote and protect life.

In most cases, the "heartbeat bill" bans women from having an abortion even before they find out they're pregnant.

Politicians have no right to make such deeply personal decisions for a woman and her family, said Texas state senator Wendy Davis (D) in an interview, as reported by Najmabadi. Davis firmly believes that a woman's decision to have an abortion should be given the same level of respect and privacy as any other medical decision.

Davis made headlines in 2013 after her 13-hour filibuster of abortion restriction legislation. In her book "Forgetting to be Afraid," she revealed two abortions of her own that took place in the 1990s.

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, Texas bans abortions after 20 weeks unless the mother has a life-threatening medical condition or the fetus has a severe abnormality. After 16 weeks, abortions can only be performed at an ambulatory surgical center or hospital.

The state also requires women to undergo a sonogram and receive state-mandated paperwork about medical risks, adoption alternatives and developmental stages of the fetus.

Other Texas Senate bills targeting abortion rights this session include a measure that would prevent women from receiving government assistance in the case of a multi-day journey to have an abortion, as reported by Najmabadi. Another bill calls for the appointment of attorneys to represent fetuses when minors go before a judge to get an abortion without their parents consent.

"This is somebody trying to check a box on a political scorecard," said Houston Democratic Senator Carol Alvarado, as reported by Najmabadi. I stand strong and firm that women should have control over their own bodies and their own destiny.

Based on a 2019 study from the Texas Tribune and University of Texas, 48 percent of voters support lawmakers' decision to make abortions illegal after six weeks.
Aamir Khan is gearing up to wrap up shoot of the remaining portions of his upcoming film Laal Singh Chaddha. Post finishing the shooting schedule, the superstar will get busy with the post-production work with director Advait Chandan, so that the film is ready to hit the theatres on Christmas 2021.

Known to be a 'perfectionist', we hear that Aamir has decided to switch off his mobile phone from today until the film's release so that there's no distraction in his work commitment, and the actor also gets to spend some quality time with his family.

A Pinkvilla report quoted a source close to the development as saying, "Aamir feels that he is addicted by his cell phone and that's impacting his personal and professional space. Hence, he has decided to go incognito and operate like the good old days, concentrating on work and when not at work, spending time with family," revealed a source close to the development.

The source further revealed that the Fanaa actor has decided to cut down on usage of phone and said, "Aamir has spoken to all his close confidantes to reach out to his manager in case of urgency or any work-related queries. Even his social media accounts now will be managed by the team until the release of Laal Singh Chaddha."

Last week, it was reported that the superstar had jetted off to Jaipur to shoot for a special song for his close friend and actor Amin Hajee's directorial debut titled Koi Jaane Na.

Coming back to Laal Singh Chaddha, the film has Aamir Khan reuniting with his 3 Idiots co-star Kareena Kapoor Khan. The much-anticipated film is a Bollywood remake of Tom Hanks' cult classic Forrest Gump.

ALSO READ: Ayesha Jhulka Regrets Rejecting Mani Ratnam's Roja; Wants To Work With Aamir Khan Again

ALSO READ: Vikram Vedha Remake: Aamir Khan's Fallout With Vijay Sethupathi Led The Superstar's Exit From The Film?
Then-White House senior adviser Jared Kushner speaks to journalists after U.S. Ambassador David Friedman unveiled a plaque at the U.S. embassy designating the Kushner Courtyard, in Jerusalem on Dec. 21, 2020. (Maya Alleruzzo/Pool/AP Photo)

Kushner and 3 Trump-Era Officials Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, his deputy, Avi Berkowitz, as well as former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer, have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their roles in negotiating four normalization deals between Israel and Arab nations.

Attorney Alan Dershowitz, professor emeritus of Harvard Law School, nominated the four Trump-era officials on Jan. 31 for their roles in negotiating the deals, known as the Abraham Accords.

These Accords, which have brought about normalization between Israel and several Sunni Arab nations, fulfill all the criteria for the prize, Dershowitz wrote in his nomination letter, as cited by the Jerusalem Post.

They hold the promise of an even broader peace in the Middle East between Israel, the Palestinians and other Arab nations. They are a giant step forward in bringing peace and stability to the region, and even to the world, he wrote.

The normalization deals were announced in a four-month span between mid-August and mid-December 2020 and were lauded by many as the most significant diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East in 25 years as the region girds for a prolonged confrontation with Iran.

(LR) Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump, Foreign Affairs Minister of Bahrain Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, and Foreign Affairs Minister of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan wave from the Truman Balcony of the White House after the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 15, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Iran tensions remain high, with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying in a speech at the National Press Club in mid-January that the al-Qaeda terrorist group has a new headquarters there.

Al-Qaeda has a new home base, it is the Islamic Republic of Iran, said Pompeo. As a result, [Osama] bin Ladens wicked creation is poised to gain strength and capabilities.

We ignore this Iran-al-Qaeda nexus at our own peril. We need to acknowledge it, we must confront it. Indeed, we must defeat it, he said, adding that this axis poses a grave threat to the security of nations and to the American homeland itself.

The Abraham Accords have been hailed as enabling a more responsive strategic posture with respect to the threat posed by Iran.

The recent Abraham Accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain both reflect and augur a growing strategic alignment between Israel and key American partners in the Middle East, driven primarily by the worsening Iranian nuclear and regional threats, the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), a pro-Israel think tank based in Washington, said in a statement.

(L-R): Treasure Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Vice President Mike Pence, President Donald Trump, and adviser Jared Kushner, speak in the Oval Office to announce that Bahrain will establish diplomatic relations with Israel, at the White House on Sept. 11, 2020. (Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images)

In a November 2020 report (pdf), JINSA urged the Trump administration to further strengthen its efforts to contain Iran by moving Israel to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility from the U.S European Command area of responsibility, which the Pentagon did on Jan. 15.

It also could enable Israel, U.S. forces in the Middle East, and Arab partners to begin or deepen regional cooperation on missile defense, exercises, strategic planning, intelligence sharing, and other critical military activities, JINSA said in a statement explaining the rationale for moving Israel to CENTCOM, while noting in its report that the move would bolster Israels ability to defend U.S. and Arab partners interests by continuing to be the tip of [the] spear against Iran and its proxies.

Kushner, who is former President Donald Trumps son-in-law, and Berkowitz, who was the Middle East envoy, were key figures in negotiating deals between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

Dershowitz, in his letter to the Nobel committee, said he wanted to emphasize the enormous contributions to peace made by Jared Kushner, Avrahm Berkowitz, David Friedman, and Ron Dermer, saying that these men played especially important roles, in the peace deals.

Kushner and Berkowitz traveled all over the region, meeting with leaders and their associates, advocating for peace and nailing down all the details, Dershowitz wrote.

In a statement, Kushner said he was honored to be nominated for the prize, which will be awarded in October.

President Joe Bidens administration is expected to review all national security deals struck during the Trump administration, including arms packages for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Reuters contributed to this report.
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.
(Natural News) California officials said the state had sent out fraudulent unemployment benefits amounting to $11 billion. The California Employment Development Department (EDD) said it had processed almost 20 million claims since the onset of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. An estimated 10 percent of these claims had been confirmed as fraudulent ones while an additional 17 percent are still being investigated for suspected fraud.

In a Jan. 25 press release, the EDD reported that unemployment claims it processed from March 2020 to January of this year has totaled $114 billion.

According to the press release, the amount of claims EDD processed during the first eight weeks of the pandemic equaled the total claims it processed during the whole of 2010. Driven by the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, California processed a record amount of unemployment benefit claims under the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. But this provided a window of opportunity for thieves and fraudsters.

California Labor and Workforce Development Agency Secretary Julie Su said that EDD is now working with some of the countrys most successful fraud prevention businesses and law enforcement agencies. She added: We know that many Californians are waiting on payments, and EDD is working quickly to validate their claims and get their benefits to them.

According to the Virginia-based security firm ID.me, 35 percent of unemployment benefits applications across the country are fraudulent. ID.me has been hired by 21 states including California to investigate and combat benefits fraud. The companys founder and CEO Blake Hall said that it is blocking about $1 billion in fraud per week in the states it serves.

California should be commended for also moving early to screen high-risk claims filed prior to ID.mes introduction, preventing further loss to taxpayers, Hall said.

Hall earlier warned that funds California paid out to fraudulent claims were directed to foreign crime organizations. These groups filed unemployment claims using stolen identity information and relied on money mules to pick up benefit debit cards. He called the scheme a very sophisticated cyber-attack thats being run at scale. (Related: Jobless claims fraud on the rise as coronavirus boosts unemployment.)

Unscrupulous parties have been trying to dupe Californias benefit system for sometime now

It was previously estimated that the EDD paid up to $4 billion in taxpayer money to fraudsters. One such case involved a former EDD employee who managed to collect $21,000 in unemployment benefits using the details of California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Federal authorities arrested 43-year-old Andrea Gervais in December 2020 over her role in the benefits fraud scheme. It was only after Bank of America (BofA) flagged the suspicious claims made under the senators name that Gervaiss involvement came to light. BofA is in charge of administering EDD benefit debit cards.

BofA previously pointed out unemployment benefits fraud in the state after it found 640,000 accounts with suspicious activity. BofA Senior Vice President for State Government Relations Brian Putler wrote in a December 2020 letter to legislators that the bank found a number of red flags in these accounts. Some claims were filed using the names of infants, children, centenarians and non-residents.

We have identified more than 640,000 accounts for EDD to evaluate as to whether they are fraudulent and the associated card should be frozen or the account closed. Our assessment is that there is activity consistent with fraud in those accounts on the order of approximately $2 billion, Putler wrote. He remarked that the scale of [unemployment benefits] program fraud in California is unique.

Meanwhile, a group of nine district attorneys said incarcerated individuals also received unemployment benefits. The district attorneys added that many of these inmates were not even jailed in California. In a November 2020 letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, the group noted that the volume of fraud as well as the types of inmates involved is staggering.

According to the attorneys, unemployment benefits fraud in prisons encompassed all types of inmates. They elaborated that death row inmates and those serving life sentences with or without the possibility of parole received unemployment checks. Rapists, child molesters, human traffickers and other violent criminals were also named as unemployment benefit recipients.

Head over to Collapsifornia.com to read the latest on Californias unemployment benefits fraud.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

EDD.CA.gov [PDF]

NBCBayArea.com

ZeroHedge.com

CALMatters.org [PDF]
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 23:54:34|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

NAIROBI, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The high-rise building at the intersection of Waiyaki Way and Chiromo lane in Kenya's capital Nairobi stands out.

Not only because of its massive height, which dwarfs the rest in the neighborhood, but also the quality of the work being done.

Dubbed Avic Towers, the 45-floor building constructed by Chinese firm Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic) and is nearing completion, is an architectural marvel.

Once completed, it will claim its spot as the tallest building in the capital.

The mighty tower is one of the dozens of housing and roads projects being undertaken by the Chinese in Kenya, which have given Nairobi a major facelift.

The projects that straddle the different parts of the city have completely changed the capital's skyline and transport network.

Many Kenyans who initially lived in Nairobi and then left years ago and returned recently can barely recognize the city.

"Nairobi roads have really been transformed that I can't drive around as I used to," Collins Mundere, a former government worker who retired in 2006, said in a recent interview.

He used to live in Komarock on the east of the capital and would drive daily to the government agency off the Thika superhighway, where he worked.

Then, driving was straightforward, all he needed to mind about were the various roundabouts.

Today, the roads on the east of Nairobi and the Thika superhighway have been expanded and one has to master the exits, and mind about overpasses and underpasses, thanks to Chinese constructors.

And so are the others across Nairobi that include the eastern, western and southern bypasses.

On the east of Nairobi, China Wu Yi Company refurbished the Outer Ring Road, turning it into a modern highway that has seen business flourish in the area.

The good infrastructure has attracted large businesses like banks and supermarkets which have flocked the area as small ones spring up, attracted by the good road network.

Currently, the major Chinese road project in Kenya is the Nairobi Expressway, a double-decker highway that runs from the south to the west of the capital.

"I can comfortably say that this road not only gives Nairobi a new face but it makes it an international city," said Ernest Manuyo, a business lecturer at Pioneer Institute in Nairobi.

Manuyo noted that the road, which will serve Kenya's main airport Jomo Kenyatta, will give visitors the first impression about the city.

It is expected that once visitors that include tourists arrive at the airport in Nairobi, they would use the expressway to reach the city center and other parts of the capital in minutes.

Kenyans have nicknamed it "upstairs road", to mean a suspended highway, and many cannot wait to start using it.

Other buildings built by the Chinese that have helped transform Nairobi include Two Rivers, the largest shopping mall in East Africa and University of Nairobi Towers.

George Wachira, a director of Petroleum Focus Consultants, noted recently that Chinese projects have changed Nairobi and other parts of Kenya because the contractors are hardworking, the projects are delivered on time, on specification, and on cost.

He added that this has been the case since the construction of the Thika superhighway and the by-passes around Nairobi. Enditem
With thousands of farmers protesting at Delhi borders for the past few months, Finance Minister tried to reassure them in her Budget speech.

She responded by laying down a statement on Prime Minister Narendra Modi governments track record on grain procurement compared to its predecessors, along with an announcement to allow Agricultural Produce Market Committees access to the Rs 1-trillion Infrastructure Fund (AIF).

In terms of allocation, though there was little for the farm sector as the total budget for and allied sector was pegged at Rs 1.48 trillion in 2021-22 (FY22), up just 2.02 per cent from the Revised Estimates (RE) for 2020-21 (FY21).

For AIF, too, the Budget has allocated a sum of Rs 900 crore in FY22. The AIF guidelines provide for an interest subvention of 3 per cent per annum for a maximum loan limit of Rs 2 crore to be repaid over seven years.

Overall, it is a status quo Budget for the sector in general and the seed industry in particular, said Ram Kaundinya, director general of Federation of Seed Industry of India.

For the broader rural sector, the allocation was in fact down almost 10 per cent at Rs 1.95 trillion from the RE, as funds for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) was slashed by over 30 per cent.

In FY21, the MGNREGA budget was raised to Rs 1.11 trillion, up from Rs 61,500 crore in the Budget, as millions of returning migrant workers sought work under the scheme.

This massive underestimation of the MGNREGA budget allocation will only result in distress in vulnerable households, said Debmalya Nandy of NREGA Sangharsh Morcha.

Rural roads programme got an almost 10 per cent increase in allocation in the Budget Estimates (BE) of FY22, compared to the RE for FY21.

In a big move, which could have a major impact on the economic cost of grains purchased, stored, and distributed by the Food Corporation of India, the Centre allocated a whopping Rs 4.23 trillion for food subsidy in FY21  significantly higher than the BE of Rs 1.8 trillion  to meet the enhanced requirement for distribution under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyan during Covid times.

For FY22, the allocation under food subsidy was kept at Rs 2.43 trillion, thus, clearing all pending dues for loans taken from the National Small Savings Fund.

State police said that following the investigation, charges against Fara were approved by the Cook County states attorneys office, and that the officer was taken into custody without incident.
Chinese telecoms giant Huawei is to create 110 new jobs in Ireland over the next two years after committing to an 80m investment in research and development.

The move will bring its total Irish workforce to 590, almost double that of its presence here in 2019.

The new IDA-backed jobs will be based at its Dublin HQ as well as in Cork and Athlone. Huaweis Irish R&D focuses on video, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, engineering and 5G.

Only one of the Irish mobile networks, Eir, uses Huawei as a main 5G component. However, several large Irish telecoms networks use Huawei equipment in at least some of their networks.

Read More

Huawei has a long-term commitment to Ireland, where since 2004 we have built a world-class team, said Tony Yangxu, Huawei Irelands chief executive.

Todays announcement is testament to the strength of those, as well as the ongoing success of our research and development programme, to which we committed 70m in 2019.

Huawei, which recently looked at Ireland for a new chip-making plant, last week denied that it was considering a spin-off of its major smartphone brands.

Having briefly become the worlds biggest phone manufacturer early last year, the company has been badly hit by US trade sanctions that stop Googles Play Store from being included on new Huawei phones.

The company remains at the centre of international tensions between the US and China over trade and security.

However, over the past 15 months, Huawei has created 200 jobs in Ireland.

The news that Huawei will create 110 new jobs is most welcome, said Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar. The company is creating new jobs at a time when we really need them with so many people out of work. Despite all the current uncertainty and challenges, Ireland continues to attract top-class investment from global technology companies.

Huawei has struck several R&D relationships with third-level bodies here, including DCU, Trinity, UCD, UCC and UL. It also works with Science Foundation Ireland research centres including Adapt, Connect and Lero.

This is a welcome investment by Huawei which will add substantially to Irelands technology and R&D ecosystem, said IDA Ireland CEO, Martin Shanahan.
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
Telecom industry body on Monday expressed disappointment over budget proposals, saying that none of the concerns of the sector such as reduction in levies was addressed.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), whose members include Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, said that the government has not considered the request of the industry to exempt the payment of government levies such as LF, SUC and spectrum installments etc from GST.

"We welcome the budget as it is pro-investment and pro-growth. It will provide the much-needed impetus to economic growth post the pandemic and will set us on the path to becoming Atmanirbhar Bharat.

"However, we are a bit disappointed that concerns of the telecom sector, which is the backbone of digital India, remained unaddressed," director general Lt. Gen SP Kochhar said in a statement.

The telecom sector narrowly escaped a financial collapse last year and is now headed for an auction of airwaves in the next quarter.

had sought refund of unutilised input tax credit of Rs 35,000 crore and request removal of GST on license fees, spectrum usage charges, payment of spectrum acquired in auction, exemption from payment of Service Tax for the period of April 2016 to June 2017 and exemption from the levy of basic customs duty on the telecom equipment.

"As the telecom operators are going to launch 5G services in the country, it is imperative that 5G enabled telecom equipment are available to them at a reasonable price. Thus, there was the need for a reduction in customs duties on telecom equipment," Kochhar said.

Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA) director general TR Dua said that the industry was also expecting availability of input tax credit to telecom towers in the Union which would have provided a much-needed momentum to Digital India program of the government.

Though the government has not given any relaxation in levies and taxes to the sector, it has allocated Rs 14,200 crore for roll out of various telecom infrastructure.

"Allocation of Rs14200 crore for telecom infrastructure to complete optical fibre network will provide a fillip to National broadband mission and roll-out of upcoming 5G technology which requires fiberised towers," Dua 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.)
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 22:56:44|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ATHENS, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- A Greek fireman lost his life on Monday during a rescue operation for schoolchildren and teachers stranded by flooding in the Evros region in northern Greece, the Hellenic Fire Service said.

Ioannis Zafeiropoulos, 46, was driving a vehicle that was swept away by floodwaters on the outskirts of the city of Alexandroupolis, according to an e-mailed press release.

More than 100 children and their teachers stranded in a kindergarten and a primary school were eventually transferred to safety.

Roads had turned into rivers in many settlements in the area following torrential rains.

A cold front has been sweeping Greece since Sunday. Northern Greece is the worst affected region, according to the Greek national news agency AMNA. Enditem
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
A liquid nitrogen leak at a poultry plant owned by Foundation Food Group in the US state of Georgia has killed six workers.

The incident occurred last Thursday (28 January) at the companys Gainsville facility  five people died at the scene and another in hospital.

A message posted by Foundation Food Group (FFG) on its Facebook page read: We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friends and team members. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and our community during this most difficult time.

The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board deployed to the scene reported six fatalities with another nine taken to hospital, noting in a statement that three of those were in critical condition and six in fair condition.

That still seemed to be the case on Saturday, when the Board provided an update: According to the Public Information Officer for the Fire Department, this incident resulted in six fatalities, twelve hospitalised and 130 evacuees.



Bloomberg reported Nicholas Ancrum, vice president of human resources at FFG, as saying at a press conference last week: Preliminary indications are that a nitrogen line ruptured inside the facility. Those lost today include maintenance, supervisory and management team members.

just-food has approached the company today (1 February) for an update on developments.

FFG was formed in 2018 as a joint venture between Prime-Pak Foods and Victory Processing headed up by CEO Jerry Wilson and CFO Kathy Ford. Last year, the two firms were merged under the FFG umbrella, and the business now has a total of four plants  three poultry processing sites and a prepared meals facility, all located in Gainsville.

The company employs around 1,500 people and supplies the retail and foodservice channels with value-added chicken products such as breaded portions, frozen and marinated cuts.


Clongowes Wood College in Clane is one Irelands best known schools.

Set up in 1814 by the Jesuit order, it is the only seven-day male boarding school in the country.

Many well-known Irish men have studied there, including some with famous racing connections. Such students include Michael OLeary; Patrick Mullins, son of Irelands leading trainer, Willie Mullins, and Pat Taaffe, son of trainer Tom Taaffe, and grandson of the late legendary Pat Taaffe, who rode, among other animals, the great Arkle.

From the start of the most recent Covid-19 Level 5 lockdown, the students returned to their own homes to comply with best practice in health and safety.

Perhaps, ever so faintly, the memory of a previous pandemic, the 1918 Spanish flu, had not been erased. Over 260 people died in county Kildare during the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, including three students at Clongowes Wood College.

An article by former Clongowes teacher Brendan Cullen, published in the Clane History Group journal, Coiseanna, in 2018, reminded us of the deaths of Willie Carroll, George Lidwell and Donal Gorman. The school erected a marble plaque to the their memory.

Famous past pupils include the sons of Daniel OConnell, known as The Liberator; writers, Oliver St John Gogarty and James Joyce; Archbishop John Charles McQuaid; politician, John Redmond, Thomas Francis Meagher, Kevin OHiggins, Donogh OMalley; Tadhg Beirne, Rob Kearney, John Sisk, Michael Smurfit; current Government Minister, Simon Coveney and his father Hugh; John Bruton, U2 manager Paul McGuinness and businessman, Michael OLeary, who has a keen interest in racing.

In 1974, the Ryanair man started at Clongowes. According to Alan Ruddocks biography of him, OLeary was an average student, never pushing himself too hard but never struggling to make his grades. He quoted OLeary as saying of his time there: In a f***ed up way, I was nobody in school. I was common Joe Soap. Im still common Joe Soap. I just got lucky a couple of times.

At Clongowes in 2015: Standing: Patrick Mullins ('08), Tom Bruton ('65), Stephen Collins ('79) nearby Derrinstown Stud, Thomas Matthews ('57) Peter Downes ('56) and Kris Weld ('02) (Curragh based Dermot Welds son); seated: John Oxx ('68) from the Curragh, Gerald Delmar ('64), Raymond Keogh ('47) and William Robinson ('52)

While there are many elements to the school, it has been pointed out that a good number of racing professionals have gone through its doors.

Some have been recently prominent, for example John Oxx on his retirement following a great training career.

The late great Willie Robinson, who died last August, aged 86, was also a past pupil. He rode Mill House during his great rivalry with Arkle, in the early 1960s.

He won the Cheltenham Gold Cup of 1963 and later that year beat Arkle in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury.

Others (year of leaving school in brackets) were John Oxx (68), Paddy Prendergast (93), Kris Weld (02), assistant trainer to his dad Dermot Weld.

Younger generations succeed them.

Former student, Patrick Mullins, son of Willie Mullins, is up for a HRI NH achievement award for being crowned champion amateur for a record 12th time and his two Grade 1 wins.

He won with My Cousin Vinny in Cheltenham when he was a student in 2008 in the Champion Bumper whilst in his final year at the school.

An even younger student, Pat Taaffe got his first winner in Downpatrick last summer after just having done his final year.

The schools admission director Aine Corcoran says that the seven day boarding never gets in the way of racing careers or indeed pony and sport horse pursuits and these are always accommodated.

Boarding life

The regular proximity to fellow students tends to lead to a greater sense of community. Contrary to what some might think students are not cut off from the rest of the world.

What may surprise some who see the school as reserved for the wealthy is that ten per cent of the students there received a bursary (the AHP Bursary).

Students are not chosen on ability but on need  some come from Deis schools, from social and economic disadvantage, have barriers to education etc.

The school said this programme is of major importance for the Jesuit Province and a really important part of the fabric of the College.

Staff there include a full time counsellor and full time psychotherapist and a special education news teacher.

Patrick Mullins, now 30 years old and an assistant to his father, Willie spent six years there. I enjoyed Clongowes, he said but initially wanted to go to Roscrea, where his father had also gone.

These days he keeps in touch with many of the 78 fellow students in his year, via social media and Whatsapp groups in particular.

The 6ft 1inch jockey is also a very successful amateur rider and he can also run in 21 professional races a year, due to the rules. You pick and choose very carefully, he told us.

Patrick, known as Paddy by his mother, said he did ok in his Leaving Cert, getting around 400 points, including a good English result. I do a bit of writing for the Irish Independent, the Racing Post and the Irish Field, he said. Martin Wallace got me an A1 in the Leaving Cert in honours English.

Will he follow in the footsteps of the late Dick Francis, a former jockey who turned crime writer with a speciality in racing thrillers?

Maybe but there is a difference between journalism and book writing.

He said he considered leaving to ride horses during his fourth year at Clongowes  but stayed, 5th and 6th year were great.

He was starting to ride at Punchestown and Naas then and reached an agreement with Fr (Leonard) Moloney about doing that.

After leaving Clongowes he studied business and equine at Maynooth University. I wasnt pushed about the course but Ruby Walsh advised me to finish it and I did the three years.

Another student from a famous equine family is Pat Taaffe. I just left in summer of 2020, he told us.

Pat, aged 19, has been riding since he was two or three and started in Clongowes in 2013.

He was still there when he began winning races and the school allowed him to pursue his interest. I won races when I was in 4th year, Transition Year. The school was very good.

When he was 14, he won the Dingle Derby in 2016 aboard the horse, Mr Bowen, named for his Housemaster in Clongowes.

Pat had a good win at Leopardstown on St Stephens Day.

Boarding at the school had a particular advantage for him. I wouldnt have studied if I wasnt at Clongowes, he said.

He is now doing business and law at UCD, in addition to racing, of course, although he does not think racing will be full time for him.

Covid lockdown online lectures have benefited him. That gives me more time for riding in the morning and evenings.

Former students were linked on November 28 last when Pat Taaffe and Patrick Mullins battled it out at Fairyhouse on with Pat winning the race on Highland Charge for Gigginstown House Stud (Michael and Eddie O'Leary). Patrick was second aboard Reality Cheque for his father Willie.
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 new poll from major accountancy firm BDO has revealed the extent to which the Covid-19 pandemic has left British businesses exposed to fraud.

To contribute to the City firms annual Fraud Track survey, which has monitored fraud trends at UK firms since 2003, BDO commissioned a Censuswide survey of 500 directors and business owners at companies with 200 or more employees. The survey found that six in ten mid-sized businesses in the UK were hit by fraud in 2020, with an average loss totalling 245,000.

Nearly 40% of companies surveyed said they had seen an increase in attempted fraud last year compared to 2019.

More than a quarter of business owners told researchers they had suffered security breaches from cyber-attacks since lockdowns were imposed and more and more business was done online.

Asked whether they felt their firm has been more exposed to fraudsters since the pandemic hit, 76% of business owners and directors said yes - and 66% said they are concerned about being targeted by scammers in 2021.

Around half of the frauds reported by surveyed businesses came from external parties. But a shocking 34% of business owners said their defrauding had involved collusion between employees and scammers, and 21% said their own employees had been behind the fraud perpetrated.

However, in another worrying sign, 26% of executives surveyed said that their firm still has no fraud response plan in place.

And 61% of those surveyed said that their lack of cash flow as a result of Covid restrictions is actually set to limit their investment in fraud detection and prevention tools over the coming year.

Kaley Crossthwaite, head of fraud at BDO, said: The sudden shift to remote working brought about by COVID-19 has amplified cyber-security threats. Fraudsters are developing increasingly sophisticated tactics at an alarming rate, and the mass digitisation of the workplace has outpaced many firms ability to secure themselves against exploitation

The way business owners and directors act now will be critical in defining to what extent the pandemic facilitates a drain of IP and competitiveness. Our research shows that risk has increased and reported fraud is high, but without additional funds allocated to it were sitting on a ticking time bomb.

"Combatting the digital crime wave requires responsible investment to support business resilience.

It comes after fraud reporting centre Action Fraud said last week that it found individual victims lost an average of 45,242 in 2020 after investing with fraudsters imitating genuine investment firms.

It said reports of clone firm investment scams rose by 29% in April 2020 - the time the first national lockdown was implemented - on the previous month.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Criterium, Inc. ("Criterium"), a full-service contract research organization (CRO) dedicated to providing efficiency and expertise in Clinical Trial Services to pharmaceuticals, biotech, and medical device companies throughout the world, is celebrating its 30th anniversary today.

John Hudak, MBA, President and Founder, Criterium, Inc.

"Over the past 30 years, Criterium's mission has been to provide all our stakeholders  clients, staff, consultants, sites  with an extraordinary experience; our proven formula for clinical trial success is based on the dedication of our executive management and project management teams," says John Hudak, MBA, President and Founder of Criterium.

Mr. Hudak started Criterium on January 31, 1991, to fill the need for more consistent, technology-based support of medical research. Using Interactive Voice Response (IVR), he created a new system for the real-time collection of patient diary data.

Since then, Criterium has widened the use and scope of state-of-the-art technologies in order to connect all stakeholders to real-time data sources. In addition to IVR, these technologies include Electronic Data Capture (EDC), Interactive Web Response (IWR), Electronic Patient Reported Outcomes (ePRO) and Electronic Clinical Outcomes Assessment (eCOA).

Criterium's expansion into Oncology Specialty Research Consortia groups, in conjunction with major universities nationally and recognized institutions, makes the CRO the definitive research network in the U.S. and Canada, with premier qualified sites available instantly for recruitment.

"The Oncology Consortia of Criterium, which is a collaboration of outstanding cancer research physicians who deliver innovative research and unparalleled expertise, is one of our key differentiators as a CRO," Mr. Hudak says. "We have engaged some of the industry's most respected key opinion leaders with our own full-service capabilities to harness translational science methodologies and streamline clinical cancer research and development."

Criterium's Oncology Consortia stand apart from other networks by offering exceptional therapeutic and targeted expertise in developing advanced clinical trial models better suited to adapt to changes in cancer drug development. Also, the consortia provide an experienced centralized network that integrates coordinated project, contract, and grant management.

The four members of the consortia are:

The Academic GI Cancer Consortium (AGICC), launched in 2008

The Academic Myeloma Cancer Consortium (AMyC), launched in 2010

The Academic Thoracic Oncology Medical Investigators Consortium (ATOMIC), launched in 2013

The Academic Breast Cancer Consortium (ABRCC), launched in 2014

"We couldn't be more proud of our employees' contributions to creating a significant impact on the industry and our partners' research programs over the past 30 years," Mr. Hudak concludes.

About Criterium

Criterium is a full-service CRO that manages all aspects of a clinical trial  from initial study design to final clinical summary. Every study is assigned to a dedicated, multifunctional team reporting to an experienced project leader responsible for managing and coordinating all activities.

For further information, contact Ronny Schnel, Executive Director of Business Development & Client Services at: 310-619-6691 (PT USA); email: [email protected]; Fax: 707-929-0792

SOURCE Criterium, Inc.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.


We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
Jaipur, Feb 1 : The recent municipal poll results in Rajasthan have set the alarm bells ringing for both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP, ahead of the bypolls to be held on four Assembly seats.

The results of local municipal body polls for 90 seats were announced on Sunday in which the Congress gained a majority on 19 seats, while BJP got a majority on 24 seats. Independents have emerged as the major kingmakers on the remaining seats.

These results have clearly indicated that the fight for four bypolls in the ensuing months will be tough for Congress and BJP and they would need to work hard.

On four seats where bypolls are scheduled after the death of four sitting MLAs - Kailash Trivedi, Kiran Maheshwari, Master Bhanwarlal Meghwal and Gajendra Singh Shaktawat - in Sahada, Rajsamand, Sujangarh and Bhindar seats, respectively, Congress grabbed its hold on 48 percent of wards while BJP won in 36 percent of wards.

Out of five civic units in four Assembly seats, Congress and BJP gained majority on one seat each while independents emerged kingmakers in two others seats. The fifth seat has gone to the Janata Sena.

Out of 190 wards in these four seats, Congress won 90 wards while BJP won 67 wards. While independents and others claimed 33 wards.

The most surprising results came from Rajsamand for BJP which was represented by late MLA Kiran Maheshwari. BJP here is pondering on why it failed to get a sympathy vote and how the urban vote went to the Congress. Congress won 26 seats here while BJP won 18 and one went to an independent out of total 45 wards here.

Rajsamand had been the BJP's stronghold for over two decades.

Sahada constituency speaks the same story for Congress as Rajsamand is for BJP. Sitting Congress MLA Kailash Trivedi passed away due to COVID recently, however, the party could not get any sympathy vote. BJP won 13 wards here while Congress got 12 wards.

Sujangarh constituency has one council and one municipality - namely Sujangarh council and Bidasar municipality. While in the former, Congress won 26 wards while BJP wrapped won 19 wards and independents won 13 wards, the latter had BJP winning 16 seats, Congress had 13 and independents won 6 wards.

In Bhindar, both BJP and Congress got a shocker as out of 25 wards, 13 wards were won by Janata Sena's independent candidates while 10 wards were won by Congress and BJP won just two.

While BJP state chief Satish Poonia said that the party will come up with a new strategy to win the four bypoll seats, the Congress' Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken expressed his happiness on the local body poll results as the Congress has led the show on three seats of four where bypolls are scheduled.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
A portrait of inaugural poet Amanda Gorman has been donated to Harvard University's permanent collection.

Rising Ghanaian artist Raphael Adjetey Adjei Mayne painted the work inspired by 22-year-old Gormans poem delivered on January 20 at the inauguration of President Joe Biden in Washington.

The acrylic on canvas was purchased by womens rights and LGBT+ activist Amar Singh who has donated the painting to Harvard.

A portrait of Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman has been donated to Harvard University's permanent collection [pictured at the inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20]

Rising Ghanaian artist, Raphael Adjetey Adjei Mayne, painted the work inspired by Gormans poem delivered on January 20

Mayne, 38, is a graduate of the Ghanatta College of Art and Design. He completed the work in just five days.

The painting is described as 'a visceral assemblage of diverse facets of Ghanaian and African sociocultural experiences evoking political, emotional and practically psychoanalytical connections and cut-aways weaving private and public space realities unbound by time'.

Singh, 31, said of the donation: 'This work must be in an Institution, it is a celebration of women, a celebration of Black women, a celebration of hope.

'It is especially meaningful to donate it to Harvard as that is Amanda Gormans Alma Mater.'

At Harvard University the work will be housed at the Hutchins Center, headed by Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr, another champion of Black artists and voices who along with his teaching hosts PBS Finding Your Roots and appeared in recent documentaries The 13th and John Lewis: Good Trouble.

Singh, a member of the erstwhile Kapurthala Royal Family of India, through his activism helped legalise homosexuality in India and has highlighted womens rights issues throughout the country.

Owner of Amar Gallery in London, Singh acquired the work from celebrated curator Destinee Ross-Sutton via her newly opened Ross-Sutton Gallery, a space dedicated to primarily Black artists and the underrepresented.

Ross-Sutton told artnet news in 2020: 'In the many instances where others attempt to deny us simple pleasures, we are encouraged to deny ourselves.'

The acrylic on canvas was purchased by womens rights and LGBT+ activist Amar Singh who donated the painting to Harvard [pictured L with India's only openly gay royal Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil]

Mayne, 38, is a graduate of the Ghanatta College of Art and Design

Ross-Suttons current exhibition, BLACK VOICES: Friend Of My Mind, features the work of Mayne. It celebrates images of Black figures through rest, wellness, self-love and introspection.

National Youth Poet Laureate Gorman - who is also the youngest-ever Inaugural poet - became an overnight sensation after performing her original piece The Hill We Climb at President Biden's inauguration.

She received a standing ovation from the President, Vice President, and First Lady at the ceremony - as well as a slew of praise online from A-listers including Oprah Winfrey, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and John Legend.

Gorman wears a bird cage ring in the portrait, as she did when reciting the poem. The ring was sent to her as a gift by Oprah. It is a nod to poet Maya Angelou.

National Youth Poet Laureate Gorman - who is also the youngest-ever Inaugural poet - became an overnight sensation after performing her original piece The Hill We Climb at President Biden's inauguration

Angelou recited her own poem at President Bill Clintons inauguration in 1993 - the now-famed I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.

Shortly after the ceremony, Harvard sociology graduate Gorman took part in numerous TV interviews, during which she spoke out about how she overcame a lifelong speech impediment, while also opening up about how she formed a friendship with Oprah in the lead-up to the inauguration.

Much like President Biden, who has been open about his battle with a stutter, Amanda said she could not have faced the challenging performance without the inspiration of the newly-elected leader that she performed in honor of.

'President Biden has been super open about his stutter,' she told Good Morning America last week. 'My speech impediment wasn't a stutter but it was dropping several letters that I just could not say for years.

Shortly after the ceremony, the Harvard graduate did numerous TV interviews, during which she spoke out about how she overcame a lifelong speech impediment

'Most specifically the R sound. It took until I was 20 to say it. [Which meant] that I couldn't say words like 'poetry' or even 'Gorman' which is my last name. I had to really work at it and practice to get to where I am today.'

The poem that Amanda so ably performed at the inauguration was testament to her hard work; the piece featured 'rise' several times, a word that the poet was unable to utter just a few short years ago.

'I was kind of like why on the world did I put "rise" in my poem about five times,' she joked. 'But also it was this amazing full circle moment for me because if I'd written this poem three years ago, I wouldn't have been able to say it. So it was me rising as well as the country at that time.'

She has even gone on since to sign with elite modeling agency IMG this 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
BALTIMORE, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Internationally acclaimed artist and activist Khalil Ismail announced the release of his new song "20/20", a time capsule to commemorate the historic events of the last year.

A powerful musical time capsule by Khalil Ismail Khalil Ismail Recaps The Harrowing Trials of 2020 Abdul Salaam leads a 30,000 person, peaceful protest in Baltimore City

In "20/20", Khalil illustrates the course objectives of personal storytelling by telling the story of one of his partners at Keys Empowers, Abdul Salaam, who was a victim of police brutality and who suffered injuries from officers who assaulted him in the same way that George Floyd was killed. Though Salaam survived, tragedy ensued again only two weeks later when Tyrone West was killed by the same officers who assaulted Salaam. In the song, Khalil highlights the international outrage at the murder of Floyd as a possible turning point in the recognition that systems much change for black people in the United States beyond the optics. The song also touches on relationships and loss around the stress caused by the pandemic. Khalil pulls from the pain he endured after contracting the COVID19 virus and having to isolate and Quarantine for 21 days.

The song lyrics and music video for "20/20" is an example of the type of finished project that Khalil will be guiding students to create in the course, Art & Soul: Healing Through Music & Storytelling. As an instructor, Khalil provides practical direction as students produce media about their own lives and the reality of their personal experiences with issues that affect them most.

"20/20" is the first single to be released from Khalil's upcoming March 12th album release.

"I think that we can better learn from our history and lift up as a people when we articulate the reality of our own stories and especially when we use our artistic talents and gifts to do so," said Khalil. "With 20/20, I made a musical time capsule for people to remember this year by so that we can reflect and have meaningful conversation about it going forward."

He continued, "And in honor of Black History Month, I'm excited be partnering with Keys Empowers to bring the Art & Soul course programming to the rest of the world. It's the beginning of our vision to usher in a new era of mindfulness, self-awareness and healing using self-created and biographical songs, or other media in whatever genre you enjoy most. We're showing people exactly how they can also create their own music time capsules, videos, and other finished pieces that speak to their personal experience."

Sign up for the course waiting list here to be the first to be notified of new programming availability from the Art & Soul program.

To book Khalil Ismail for interviews, speaking engagements, or high quality presentations and performances virtually or physically, visit kiliving.com

About Khalil Ismail

Khalil is a multifaceted creator with accomplishments as an author, filmmaker, and vocalist. He has performed in 10 countries and his music has been featured on major media such as the NBA, Discovery Channel, CBS sports, Fox Promos and more. Having produced 6 conscious rap-style albums, a short movie, and books on Amazon, Khalil's artistic activism has made him a leading voice and lecturer at major universities such as Princeton, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, University of Baltimore and more. He uses motivational speaking, music, and art to bridge social and race-related gaps.

Media contact:

Candice Willie, MGR

[email protected]

443-469-0785

SOURCE Khalil Ismail
Unrest has gripped Myanmar. Peaceful pro-democracy street demonstrations and work stoppages have given way to paramilitary operations in opposition to the countrys ruthless military, which seized power in a coup detat on Feb. 1.

Military leaders initially restrained response to the first waves of protests, civil disobedience and general strikes has grown more forceful over time, escalating into a brutal effort to put down the movement that has so far left thousands injured and more than 600 dead. Many of those killed have been young protesters, their lives ended with a single gunshot to the head.

The coup returned the country to full military rule after a short span of quasi-democracy that began in 2011, when the military, which had been in power since 1962, implemented parliamentary elections and other reforms. In the weeks since the coup, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the countrys ousted civilian leader, has faced charges in a secret court.

Primary school teachers have outlined details of a deal done with Government to resume classroom-based eduction starting with children who require special needs education.

Following two failed attempt by the Government to reopen schools, the Irish Nation Teachers Organisations (INTO) says that over the last two weeks, the INTO has participated in intensive engagement with the Department of Education and Forsa. It says the Central Executive Committee of INTO has considered detailed proposals on a slow, phased and partial resumption of special education from mid-February.

The union says its CEC has always insisted that additional supports, safeguards and risk-mitigation measures be put in place prior to any phased-reopening of special education facilities during the current government restrictions. The CEC felt that it would be imperative that schools be given adequate notice and time to plan for the resumption of school-based activity. Furthermore, INTO says it understands that detailed documentation will issue to schools tomorrow.

The INTO says this resumption will commence with the partial reopening of special schools, where there may be a maximum of 50% of pupils attending on alternate days and shortly thereafter include special education classes in mainstream schools in a similar approach.

The union says it is expected that special schools will open on Thursday, February 11 and that special classes in mainstream schools will open on Monday, February 22.

The INTO says it has always insisted that any decision related to our schools, during this pandemic, must be led by definitive up to date public health advice. It says that clear advice has now been provided by our public health authorities that this limited and partial reopening, along the terms, agreed with this union, will not give rise to an increase in school-based or community transmission.

The union adds that following the significant decrease in the 14 day average of infection rates since mid-January and the much lower reproduction rate of the virus NPHET further project that the public health landscape is expected to continue improving and will have improved considerably at the commencement of this interim plan.

Teachers representatives say that detailed plans, which the INTO and Forsa have scrutinised, will be circulated to schools tomorrow, Tuesday, January 2.

The INTO says they will include detailed information on the steps which need to be taken for the planned resumption of in-school support for pupils with special educational needs. We have jointly insisted that boards of management must be given adequate notice, guidance and time to plan for this phased reopening and to liaise with parents of children with special educational needs.

Ahead of detailed guidance being issued tomorrow, the INTO can this evening confirm that, following engagement with the Department of Education, they have secured a suite of necessary additional supports for special education facilities.

These include:

Robust risk mitigation measures.

Augmented school support teams in all HSE areas to provide advice, contact tracing and bulk fast-track testing.

Flexible arrangements for staff in high risk health categories to continue working from home throughout the interim programme.

Flexible arrangements for staff in high risk health categories to continue working from home throughout the interim programme. Financial support for families who wish to transport their children to school for the duration of the programme.

The publication of school-based testing reports to inform our understanding of transmission rates in schools during the interim period.

The publication of school-based testing reports to inform our understanding of transmission rates in schools during the interim period. High grade face masks to be provided to any teacher who seeks them.

A public awareness campaign designed to ensure compliance with public health advice in schools.

Clarity on the higher priority rating of special education staff within the vaccination schedule.



While the INTO says it will continue to engage with the Department of Education on the limited reopening of special education provision, planning will also get underway for the wider reopening of our schools.

Following a special meeting of the INTOs Central Executive Committee this afternoon, INTO President Mary Magner said:

Two guiding principles have led our engagement with Government throughout this long crisis  that decisions must be underpinned by up to date public health advice and that the safety of our members is paramount. The protocols and plans set out by the Department of Education offer a proportionate and limited reopening of special education provision, led by public health advice.

"They provide critical protections for our members and deliver a carefully planned, phased return to the classroom for our most vulnerable pupils and their teachers. We will continue to monitor the situation on the ground closely both ahead of the reopening and thereafter, to ensure that the weekly testing and tracing reports back up NPHETs conclusions.

"Over the last number of weeks we have seen politicians and media pundits alike seek to pit teachers against children with special educational needs, having never before spoken up for investment in special education. The people of Ireland saw through this transparent attack on a 150-year old union that has championed the rights of pupils with pride.

"Over the coming weeks, our attention will turn to the general reopening of all primary schools. Against an improving public health landscape, we believe this is possible. However, the power to make this happen rests with each and every one of us. We must all do what we can to limit our movements and abide by the current restrictions. By working closely together classroom learning can resume in safer schools," " she concluded.
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

WASHINGTON  Former President Donald Trump has parted ways with his lead impeachment lawyers just over a week before his Senate trial is set to begin, two people familiar with the situation said Saturday.

Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers, are no longer with Trumps defense team. One of the people described the parting as a mutual decision that reflected a difference of opinion on the direction of the case. Both insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.

One said new additions to the legal team were expected to be announced in a day or two.

The upheaval injects fresh uncertainty into the makeup and strategy of Trumps defense team as he prepares to face charges that he incited the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. However, all but five Senate Republicans this week voted in favor of an effort to dismiss the trial before it even started, making clear a conviction of the former president is unlikely regardless of his defense team.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

Greg Harris and Johnny Gasser, two former federal prosecutors from South Carolina, are also off the team, one of the people said.

According to a different person with knowledge of the legal hires, Bowers and Barbier left the team because Trump wanted them to use a defense that relied on allegations of election fraud, and the lawyers were not willing to do so. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the situation and requested anonymity.

Trump has struggled to find attorneys willing to defend him after becoming the first president in history to be impeached twice. He is set to stand trial the week of Feb. 8 on a charge that he incited his supporters to storm Congress before President Joe Bidens inauguration in an attempt to halt the peaceful transition of power.

After numerous attorneys who defended him previously declined to take on the case, Trump was introduced to Bowers by one of his closest allies in the Senate, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Bowers, a familiar figure in Republican legal circles, had years of experience representing elected officials and political candidates, including then-South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford against a failed impeachment effort that morphed into an ethics probe.

Bowers and Barbier did not immediately return messages seeking comment Saturday evening.

Republicans and Trump aides have made clear that they intend to make a simple argument in the trial: Trumps trial is unconstitutional because he is no longer in office.

While Republicans in Washington had seemed eager to part ways with Trump after the deadly events of Jan. 6, they have since eased off of their criticism, weary of angering the former presidents loyal voter base.

CNN was first to report the departure of the lawyers.

____

Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
At Least 7 Arrested After Activists Occupy Washington State Hotel

At least seven people were taken into custody on Sunday in Olympia, Washington, as law enforcement disrupted an attempt to take over a hotel.

Law enforcement officers, including SWAT officers, closed off the road on which sits the Red Lion Hotel and began clearing the hotel floor by floor after employees fled to the basement in fear after activists entered the building, a police spokesperson told The Olympian. Seven people were arrested and officials expected more arrests before the operation was over.

The Olympia Police Department didnt respond to a request for comment. Arrest records from Sunday showed one arrest at or near the hotel.

A group called Oly Housing Now stormed the hotel, trying to get Thurston County to use federal funds to pay for hotel rooms for homeless people over the age of 65.

FEMA provides counties 100 percent funding for houseless people who are over 65 years old or at high risk of contracting COVID to stay in non-congregate shelter, the group said in a news release earlier Sunday. Not only would this save lives by getting people off the streets, but it would also support local businesses by giving hotels money during challenging economic times.

The city said in a statement that police officers were clearing the hotel after it was forcibly occupied by Oly Housing Now.

Employees of the hotel have been safely escorted out of the occupied hotel after sheltering in the basement through the afternoon and part of the evening, it added.

Some of the activist group were armed with hatchets, batons, and knives, and they allegedly assaulted one employee, prompting the workers to flee to the basement.

The homeless people were being ejected from the hotel but the citys Crisis Response Unit was connecting them to services, the city said.

Making sure our unhoused residents have access to safe and affordable housing has been Olympias priority for more than a decade, said Mayor Cheryl Selby, a so-called progressive, in a statement. Olympia has led on responding to homelessness, on coordinating shelter and other basic needs. The tactics used today by Oly Housing Now are unproductive and wont make the mission more attainable.

Oly Housing Now, which had reserved 17 rooms inside the hotel, called for donations late Sunday. In a Facebook post, it wrote: If Thurston County doesnt apply for FEMA funds, its because they dont WANT TO. Please tell them how you feel and bring your generous hearts to us! Funds will be used for food, basic hygiene supplies, and other assorted necessities!

The groups organizer was part of a group called Olympia Anarchist Mutual Aid, according to The Olympian. That group helped support the occupation of a motel in Fife last month. That attempt ended when police cleared out dozens of homeless people who were not paying for rooms.

I want to be clear that what occurred here was a crime, numerous crimes, Fife Police Chief Pete Fisher said at the time. Fife Mayor Kim Roscoe said the occupation was illegal and misguided. No arrests were made because officers deescalated the situation, she added.

Video footage on Sunday showed officers in Olympia, about an hour southwest of Seattle, deploying crowd control munitions both in the hotel and to control an unruly crowd outside the building. The crowd told officers to choke and die. One woman told them: We know where you live. We know where your kids go to school. But we have morals.


She's getting through the winter lockdown by reminiscing about past holidays.

And Elizabeth Hurley, 55, continued the fun over the weekend as she shared two more stunning throwback snaps on Saturday and Sunday.

The star is staging her own 'pretend vacation' by sharing snaps from previous trips while in lockdown in the UK, and over the weekend she posted photos from two of her favourite destinations - the Maldives and India.

'Pretend holiday': Elizabeth Hurley, 55, continued the fun over the weekend as she shared two more stunning throwback snaps on Saturday and Sunday

On Saturday, Liz shared a clip of herself twirling on the beach in a chic nude bikini, which highlighted her jaw-dropping physique.

She added a leopard print cover-up, gold-framed sunnies and statement earrings to amp up the glam while posing in paradise.

'Day 3 of my #pretendholiday and Im having a wonderful time frolicking on the beach at @chevalblancrandheli in the #Maldives,' the star captioned the throwback, tagging her favourite Maldives resort.

A day later and Liz had jetted to another stunning location for the 'pretend holiday,' this time enjoying a spa day in India.

This is the life! The star is staging her own 'pretend vacation' by sharing snaps from previous trips while in lockdown in the UK, and over the weekend she posted photos from two of her favourite destinations

Sharing a throwback of herself relaxing at a luxury health & wellness retreat in the Himalayan foothills, Liz was once again in leopard print, modelling a skimpy bikini.

'Ive moved to India on Day 4 of my #pretendvacation and am at the heavenly @anandainthehimalayas where Im being pampered into oblivion,' she wrote.

Elizabeth explained her 'pretend vacation' last week on Instagram, telling her followers: 'Pretend vacation! Im so fed up with being at home, Im pretending Im away and am living vicariously through my camera roll for the next 10 days #pretendvacation.'

Jetting off: A day later and Liz had jetted to another stunning location for the 'pretend holiday,' this time enjoying a spa day in India

Sizzling: Elizabeth was sure to command attention as she flaunted her ample assets in a stunning beaded bikini for a throwback snap shared to Instagram Friday

Beach babe: The star made her defiant return to Instagram on Thursday as she shared another bikini picture showcasing her incredible physique

Elizabeth returned to Instagram with the throwback snaps after sparking a furore with her snowy topless photos earlier in the week.

Piers Morgan apologised to Elizabeth for branding her latest topless shoot 'creepy' amid confusion over who took the pictures.

On Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, the host, 55, said sorry to the actress in the wake of her clarification that her 80-year-old mother was the photographer, rather than her son Damian, 18, as Piers first thought.

Despite his apology, Piers backtracked and claimed he did not believe her claims that her mother was behind the lens, based on previous comments from the star in 2018 that confirmed Damian often takes her sexy snaps.

Drama: The actress, 55, recently caused a stir after sharing a selection of sexy topless snaps of herself to Instagram

He said: 'Apparently, it was her mum... how long did you keep your 80-year-old mother out in the snow to take these pictures? I'm not buying a word of this, I reckon it was Damian... it is creepy if your teenage son took these photos.'

After Piers' initial comments on Tuesday, later that day Elizabeth clarified that her mother was the photographer behind her latest slew of sizzling Instagram snaps.

She reposted the photos on her Twitter feed, after Piers accused her of being 'thirsty and creepy' and getting her son Damian to photograph her. In the post, Elizabeth revealed on this occasion her mother Angela was behind the camera.

Following up on her comments the next day, Piers responded defiantly, saying: 'I would like to apologise to Elizabeth Hurley. I called her thirsty... the point is, I inadvertently followed the newspaper lead that it was her son.'

Shocker: Piers Morgan apologised to Elizabeth for branding her latest topless shoot 'creepy' amid confusion over who took the pictures

When Susanna asked why it would be creepy for Damian to take the pictures, he said: 'That would be creepy... you don't believe anything you're saying...

'Apparently, it was her mum. How long did you keep your 80-year-old mother out in the snow? Susanna, you wouldn't do that... I'm not buying a word of this, I reckon it was Damien. It is creepy if your teenage son took these photos.'

Susanna went on: 'I don't mind who did them, she looks phenomenal', while Piers echoed: 'She looks great, don't get me wrong.'

Elizabeth revealed last year that her mother had moved into her Herefordshire mansion so they could spend the lockdown together.

The model stripped off to just a pair of white bikini bottoms for the images, as she went topless and covered her modesty with a monochrome jacket.

Close bond: The star clarified that her mum was the snapper for her latest sizzling shoot

Oh dear! Piers took aim at Elizabeth on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, hours after she first shared the images online

Piers took aim at Elizabeth on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, hours after she first shared the images online.

Despite his co-host Susanna Reid, 50, defending Elizabeth - claiming she looked 'fabulous' - and insisting Piers was in fact 'thirsty' himself, he maintained the pictures were inappropriate and demanded she 'put clothes on'.

Elizabeth is known for sharing sexy snaps and back in 2018, she revealed it was often Damian who is behind the lens when she poses for the saucy shots.

Matt Hancock vetoed a deal to manufacture a British coronavirus vaccine in the United States because it did not guarantee the UK would get the first supply of jabs.

The Health Secretary torpedoed a deal between the University of Oxford and American pharma giant Merck over fears that Donald Trump could ban exports of the live-saving drug.

Oxford and New Jersey-based Merck were on the verge of signing contracts when he intervened to ensure that at least some of the vaccines were available in the UK first, according to Sky News.

A former Department of Health advisor told the broadcaster: 'He was just meant to confirm he was happy, and then it would have happened immediately.

'But he wasn't, and overruled officials to block the deal.'

Oxford went on to sign a deal with Anglo-Swedish drugs firm AstraZeneca, which is assembling vaccines at a plant in Wrexham, north Wales.

The UK ordered 100million doses of the drug and it has been part of the successful vaccine rollout - and the source of fury in the EU amid its own sluggish programme.

The Health Secretary torpedoed a deal between the University of Oxford and American pharma giant Merck over fears that Donald Trump could ban exports of the live-saving drug.

Oxford went on to sign a deal with Anglo-Swedish drugs firm AstraZeneca, which is assembling vaccines at a plant in Wrexham, north Wales.

Oxford and New Jersey-based Merck were on the verge of signing contracts when he intervened to ensure that at least some of the vaccines were available in the UK first, according to Sky News

The UK may now be in a position to send spare coronavirus vaccines to Ireland after the EU humiliatingly backed down in the bitter row over threat to British supplies.

The success of the drive to secure jabs could mean that by the summer stocks can be shared with other countries - as Boris Johnson warned the pandemic cannot be tackled in isolation.

Downing Street is trying to draw a line under the extraordinary spat with Brussels that saw Ursula von der Leyen threaten to impose a hard border on the island of Ireland to prevent vaccines from the EU getting into the UK.

The commission president - under huge pressure over the bungled rollout on the continent - dropped the idea after a furious international backlash.

However, there is mounting speculation that the UK could soon be helping neighbours inoculate their populations - with Ireland expected to be first in line.

The UK Government has also ordered an extra 40million doses of Valneva's coronavirus vaccine, taking its total to 100million doses.

Still in clinical trials, the two-dose jab isn't expected to be delivered until the second half of 2021 but it is already being manufactured in Livingston, Scotland.

It's likely that most or all adults in Britain will already have had one of the other Covid vaccines by the time this one is ready. But infectious disease experts say people may need re-vaccinating in future and the UK may also export to other countries.

Britain has now ordered a total of 407million doses of Covid vaccines  enough to give the entire population, including children, six doses each.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng claimed the stockpile was enough to 'protect the British public in 2021 and beyond'.

The jab is the first of its kind to be developed in the West and is an 'inactivated whole virus vaccine', meaning it works by injecting people with a destroyed version of the real coronavirus.

This allows the immune system to train itself to attack the actual virus, without the risk of it actually causing an infection.
Tom Hanks sets off on a dangerous quest across 19th century America in the new trailer for his film News of the World.

The actor, 64, stars as civil war veteran Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd who agrees to deliver a girl, taken by the Kiowa people years ago, to her aunt and uncle, against her will.

They travel hundreds of miles and face grave dangers as they search for a place that either can call home.

Journey: Tom Hanks sets off on a dangerous quest across 19th century America in the new trailer for his film News of the World

In the trailer, Tom's character is seen speaking to a man who asks him: 'What's your business up here?'

He responds: 'I read the news from town to town. I was headed down south, I found this child.'

His character moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news of presidents and queens, glorious feuds, devastating catastrophes, and gripping adventures from the far reaches of the globe.

Jefferson is then seen sitting across a campfire from the 10-year-old girl Johanna Leonberger / Cicada, played by Helena Zengel.

Plot: The actor stars as civil war veteran Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd who agrees to deliver a girl, taken by the Kiowa people years ago, to her aunt and uncle, against her will

Trailer: They travel hundreds of miles and face grave dangers as they search for a place that either can call home

Reading out a letter, he says: 'You were kidnapped when they attacked your family six years prior.'

Tom's character is asked why he is going on the journey with the girl and is heard saying: 'After four years of war, all the killing and all the blood, I guess we all have demons to face'.

News of the World is directed by Paul Greengrass (the Bourne films, United 93) from his screenplay with Luke Davies, based on the National Book Award finalist and best-selling novel by Paulette Jiles.

Helena Zengel, the 12-year-old actress who appears alongside Tom in the upcoming film, told how the actor went to great lengths to boost her performance.

Character: Jefferson moves from town to town as a non-fiction storyteller, sharing the news of presidents and queens, glorious feuds, devastating catastrophes, and gripping adventures

Story: In the trailer, Tom is heard saying: 'I read the news from town to town. I was headed down south, I found this child'

War: Tom's character is asked why he is going on the journey with the girl and is heard saying: 'After four years of war, all the killing and all the blood, I guess we all have demons to face'

Praise: The film, which was released on Christmas Day in the US, received praise from critics and was called one of the ten best films of 2020 by the National Board of Review

She told The Hollywood Reporter: 'He was literally crying in every scene, even when it wasn't shot on him - it was my close-up.

'Doing it again and again for your partner when you don't even see yourself in the movie was really amazing and great.'

The film, which was released on Christmas Day in the US, received praise from critics and was called one of the ten best films of 2020 by the National Board of Review.

News of the World is released on Netflix on February 10.
Good health is the great equalizer. But the health of our communities has never been more off balance.

Today, CHC: Creating Healthier Communities announced CHC Giving Day #ForHealthEquity on March 11, 2021  the anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic. #ForHealthEquity is intended to be the single largest day of giving for health equity in the nation.

Good health is the great equalizer. But the health of our communities has never been more off balance, said Thomas G. Bognanno, president and CEO at CHC. The COVID-19 pandemic magnified longstanding health inequities that disproportionately impacted people in under-resourced communitieswith communities of color most significantly affected.

In 2020, CHC called upon its network to come together as a collective force for health equity. Since mid-December, CHC partners across the U.S. have been raising awareness and funds by engaging their employees in giving campaigns, activating their vendor networks, and encouraging customers to donate. CHC Giving Day #ForHealthEquity will be the culmination of these efforts, mobilizing CHCs national network of leaders, partners and communities. All funds raised support CHCs Health Equity cause. CHC will be making grants to high-impact community organizations that address the barriers to good health and equity.

Achieving health equity requires a collective effort, said Shelley Hayes, chief engagement officer at CHC and lead on the campaign. Thats what were working towards with our CHC Giving Day #ForHealthEquity, and we invite everyone to join us.

To get involved as a campaign activist, access toolkits, raise awareness across social media, or learn more, visit CHCimpact.org/For-Health-Equity.

CHC mobilizes 17 million employees each year and has channeled more than $330 million to high-impact nonprofits over the past five years. CHC Giving Day #ForHealthEquity will offer even more ways for company partners and their employees to advance health equity.

ABOUT CHC: CREATING HEALTHIER COMMUNITES

CHC: Creating Healthier Communities, formerly Community Health Charities, is a catalyst for good health, bringing communities, nonprofits, and businesses together around a shared commitment to better health and wellbeing. We represent thousands of high-impact nonprofits nationwide, working to address barriers to good health, and we connect them with capital from our corporate, foundation and government partners to power transformative change. By listening to partners and convening community and business leaders, we ensure that we always act in the best interests of communities, directing resources and expertise where it is needed most. For more information, visit https://chcimpact.org.
The rise of variants is an expected part of any viral pandemic. But these viruses caught scientists somewhat by surprise  and now threaten to accelerate an already out-of-control pandemic even as countries race to vaccinate their populations.

Since the world started to wake up to the threat posed by variants, many countries have extensive programs of genomic surviellence to try to spot mutations as they arise. That has led the US to spot two new variants of concern, B.1.427 and B.1.429, in California.

South Africa, meanwhile, has been facing its own surge from a variant known as N501Y.V2. And a third variant, more mysterious still, is being linked to a spike of infections in a Brazilian city thought to have achieved herd immunity.

First, B.1.1.7 was linked to a dramatic increase in cases in Britain; an escaped case sent Brisbane into a snap lockdown while an outbreak from hotel quarantine has led to a five-day shutdown in Victoria where Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has described the variant as super-infectious and Premier Daniel Andrews has warned that it is moving at a velocity that has not been seen anywhere in our country over the course of these last 12 months.

Such people represent one possible origin story for the sudden raft of coronavirus variants that seem to have emerged across the globe and that are now hitting closer to home in Australia.

Different cases with a common thread: their immune systems are exhausted, their defences are down.

Somewhere in the world, there is a person who is very, very sick. Perhaps they have leukaemia , a cancer of the blood, treated with a cocktail of toxins we call chemotherapy. Perhaps they have an autoimmune disease, so doctors are pumping drugs into their system to stop their immune system attacking their body and help them heal. Or maybe they have simply battled a rattling cough and a persistent lethargy for months.

Thats different from a strain, which denotes essentially a whole new virus type, or a virus that has changed so much it causes different symptoms. B.1.1.7 is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2 is a strain of coronavirus.

A variant is a virus with a collection of mutations  such as B.1.1.7, also known as the Kent variant  that turns up often enough for scientists to take an interest.

Often, these changes have no effect on the organism. Sometimes, they can change the way it looks or functions.

While mutant might bring to mind a vision of a three-headed comic-book creature, the scientific meaning is less scary: a mutation is a random change in an organisms genetic code - when one of the letters of the code is switched out for another as the code is copied  and this is what happens in the case of a virus replicating inside our cells.

Where do these mutants come from? What risk do they pose? How will they affect our vaccines? And what can we do about them?

But B.1.1.7 wasnt just another member of a growing family. When you draw a COVID-19 family tree, it has so many mutations it sticks right out like a rogue branch .

B.1.1.7 first emerged in the academic literature as a footnote , a new variant slotted into a widening family tree as scientists sequenced the viral genomes from sick Britons. The first genomic report to mention it found just two samples; the scientists did not even bother remarking on it. Genomic databases would later show the first sample was taken in Kent on September 20.

Driving much of that surge, Johnson claimed, was a new and fast-spreading variant of COVID-19 known as B.1.1.7. A mutant.

Within a few days, he had changed his mind. Daily cases would soon peak at 81,520. Much of the country was pushed into tier-four lockdown. For London, Christmas was cancelled .

As late as December 13, British health officials thought they had at least some measure of control over their epidemic. On that day alone, the country recorded 21,988 new cases and 419 deaths, and was in the middle of stage three lockdown. But Britain would still be getting a four-day lockdown break for Christmas, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged.

It was Christmas, but not as Londoners knew it after the city went into lockdown as a new COVID variant took hold. Credit:Getty Images

On the eve of Victorias snap lockdown, B.1.1.7 made up 75 per cent of the states hotel quarantine cases . Since leaking out into the community, it was spreading so fast it threatened to overwhelm contact tracing efforts. Sutton described individuals who are becoming symptomatic, testing positive, who have already infected their close contacts.

It has now spread around the world, with hundreds of infections detected as far apart as Denmark, the US, South Korea and Peru. As of February 11, Australia had recorded 82 cases .

The really compelling thing for me is it is not just spreading rapidly in itself, but it is replacing all the other strains in the population, leading University of Sydney virologist Professor Edward Holmes told the ABC. And that suggests it has some advantages, its fitter, its doing better, its transmitting more readily.

Britain was in the middle of a viral surge so scientists expect to see more cases of all variants. But B.1.1.7 was growing disproportionately, outcompeting its cousins.

Thats what the testing labs were seeing. The tests werent malfunctioning. B.1.1.7 was everywhere. By the week of December 9, B.1.1.7 made up 62 per cent of cases in London .

Other scientists were investigating B.1.1.7s rogue tree branch. The virus had, somehow, amassed 17 mutations  far more than scientists would expect in such a slow-mutating virus. Eight of those were to the spike protein, subtly changing its shape. One mutation, scientists eventually realised , would cause standard COVID-19 tests to miss the spike.

Meanwhile, in late November, three testing labs in England started to report strange results from some of their COVID-19 tests. These tests target three genes in the virus, including one coded for the viruss spike. The tests showed positive for two of the genes, but the spike was blank. A malfunction in the test, perhaps? But the malfunctioning test numbers kept growing  on charts, a black line that keeps shooting up and up.

The new variants are much improved. All three possess a mutation called N501Y, which slightly changes the shape of the tip of the spike , allowing it to bind tighter to human cells. There is now significant evidence that B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 (the Kent and South African variants) at least, are substantially more transmissible .

The virus that emerged out of Wuhan wasnt very good at doing that. Often, the spike would bounce off its target, or slip out of its grip.

To infect a human cell, one of those spikes needs to fit into a slot on a human cell  a receptor called ACE2.

So far, scientists are most concerned by three variants of COVID-19: B.1.1.7, first spotted in Britain, 501Y.V2, first spotted in South Africa (youll also hear this one referred to as B.1.351) and P.1, first spotted in Brazil.

The South African and Brazilian variants add a pair of extra mutations, K417T and E484K, which together hide part of the spikes targeted by human antibodies.

These mutations are of most concern to scientists. There is now significant evidence they reduce the effectiveness of antibodies, a key tool of the immune system  and of vaccines.

The United States, despite its enormous number of infections and deaths, has long lagged in the co-ordinated genomic surveillance effort needed to spot new variants. But after the emergence of the Kent variant, that effort has ramped up, and several new variants have been spotted.

Scientists debate whether any of these variants carry important mutations. Two that have attracted the most attention  the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified them as variants of concern  were found in California carrying a mutation called L452R, which effects the shape of the spike protein. There is preliminary evidence that variant causes higher levels of virus to build up in the nose, potentially making it more infectious. There is also some evidence it may cut the effectiveness of current vaccines. However, that evidence is hotly debated.

Were we expecting mutations?

Part of what makes the new mutants so troubling is they were, to an extent, unexpected. Viruses naturally mutate over time, as random changes in their genetic code accumulate and change their shape and function. Since it left Wuhan, COVID-19s family tree has branched and branched until the original virus is almost undetectable around the world. Everything is variants.

The chances of a virus evolving to be fitter  more transmissible, better at avoiding immunity  was 100 per cent, wrote Professor Brendan Crabb, director of the Burnet Institute, on Twitter. And it was 100 per cent predictable the more virus there is, the faster this would occur.

But COVID-19 is slow to change  about two to four times slower than the flu, says Dr Sebastian Duchene, who studies viral evolution at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. Thats because, unlike the flu, it incorporates a genetic proofreader that picks up typos in its code.

Scientists have watched as it has shown perhaps one or two mutations a month. At that slow rate of change, big pandemic-altering mutations seem unlikely, at least in the short-term.

But B.1.1.7 and the other variants have a lot more changes than that. The variant spotted in South Africa, 501Y.V2, has nine changes to its spike protein alone. P.1, the variant emerging in Brazil, has 20 changes, including three in the spike.

These variants appear to have outpaced evolution. How?

Loading

The fact is, we do not know but the rapid appearance of these changes is faster than expected, says Associate Professor Stuart Turville, a virologist at the Kirby Institute.

One leading theory: immuno-compromised patients, like the ones we met earlier.

With no immune system to mount a defence, COVID-19 could live inside their bodies for months, replicating again and again, rapidly accelerating evolution.

They may have even been treated with convalescent plasma, which contains antibodies from recovered patients; it would wipe out all variants of the virus except any lucky enough to have randomly developed resistance. Empowered with its new mutations and unhindered by competition, that virus could jump away and spread.

Several of these patients, their bodies filled with mutation-carrying viruses, have already been found  although no patient zero yet.

This is probably an uncommon situation, but we have seen an increase in evolutionary rates within patients in other viruses, like HIV and influenza, says Duchene.

Why would these ultra-rare events happen now? The simple maths of probability: the more infections you have (we just passed 100 million confirmed cases worldwide) the more chance of an extremely rare event happening. It is absolutely a direct link, says Professor Trevor Drew, director of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness.

People with oxygen bottles outside an oxygen supplier in Manaus, Brazil during a second wave of COVID that may have been caused by a variant. Credit:Getty Images

What effect are these variants likely to have?

One theory often promoted by opponents of lockdown  and officials appointed by former US president Donald Trump  is that natural herd immunity will bring the virus under control. Rather than lock down, we should embrace infections to bring a quick end to the pandemic, they argue. Once enough people have been infected and developed antibodies, the virus will have nowhere to go and die out.

Ground zero for that idea: Manaus, Brazil. In September, scientists suggested the city had reached herd immunity, with 66 per cent of the population now having antibodies to COVID-19 (the cost: thousands of deaths).

With so many people already immune, Manaus should largely have COVID-19 under control, the thinking goes. Instead, in mid-December the virus again started racing through the citys streets. The citys hospitals are more packed than during the first wave; some are running out of oxygen and ventilators. So much for herd immunity.

Whats gone wrong? One theory: a mutant. In late December, scientists identified a new variant, P.1, containing an array of mutations that, in the South African variant, seem to convey significant antibody resistance.

A South African study that has not yet been peer reviewed tested the blood of 44 patients who had already recovered from COVID-19  and therefore should theoretically be immune  against the South African variant. Some 21 had no detectable neutralising antibody activity (the same study has not yet been done on P.1).

Scientists dont yet know if that means they are vulnerable to infection. Keep in mind that neutralising antibodies are only one part of our immune response. Scientists will [also] be looking at T cell responses, says Professor Michael Toole, an epidemiologist at the Burnet Institute.

But its not a promising sign.

Manaus, a city that thought it had achieved herd immunity may now face a new invader from which few are protected.

This is the chilling threat that COVID-19s new variants pose: a faster-spreading virus that is able to evade our immune defences.

A health worker carries out a COVID-19 testing at the Merrylands drive-through clinic in Sydney. Credit:Getty Images

Are the mutations more deadly?

On January 23, the British governments chief medical and scientific officers announced they had emerging evidence B.1.1.7 was more deadly. But, at this stage, that claim needs to be interpreted with caution. The evidence is very early-stage. The governments advisers can say only that there is a realistic possibility the virus is more deadly.

The government review used to make the claim contained data from three studies, by the London School of Tropical Medicine, Imperial College London and the University of Exeter, which came back with increased mortality (death) estimates ranging between 1.08 and 2.71.

One study looked at 2583 deaths, of which 384 had B.1.1.7. Another covered 152 deaths, of which 86 had B.1.1.7.

And it is hard to disentangle this data from the out-of-control epidemic situation in Britain.

Its too easy to just lay the blame on the variant and say, Its the virus that did it, Dr Mike Ryan, the World Health Organisations executive director of health emergencies, said in mid-January. Unfortunately, its also what we didnt do that did it, and we have to be able to accept our share individually and as communities, as governments, our share of the responsibility in this virus getting out of control.

At this stage, there is no significant evidence the South African, Brazilian or Californian variants significantly increase the risk of severe illness. But even if they are not more deadly, more cases means more deaths.

If you have something that kills 1 per cent of people but a huge number of people get it, thats going to result in more deaths than something that a small number of people get but it kills 2 per cent of them, Adam Kucharski, a modeller at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told Science Magazines Kai Kupferschmidt.

Daniel Andrews announces a snap shutdown on February 12. Credit:Getty Images

What effect will this have on the vaccine?

When our immune system encounters a pathogen, it makes many, many different shapes of antibody. Some dont work. Some work partially. And some bind perfectly, gumming up the virus. Throw enough mud at the wall, as the saying goes, and some of it will stick.

A small change in a viruss shape, therefore, might allow it to evade one antibody, but others should still block it.

B.1.1.7 has nine changes to amino acids on its spike protein  out of more than 1270. There is still plenty there to grab on to. It takes a string of mutations to fully evade antibodies; so far, we only have evidence the South African variant might be able to do this.

That does not mean any variant can evade vaccines. Jabs from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca generate such a strong immune response  much stronger than a natural infection  that scientists expect, even if the new variants can partially resist them, they will still be covered.

They will potentially cut the potency of the vaccine response, but not in my view eliminate it, says Professor Damian Purcell, head of the molecular virology laboratory in at the Doherty Institute. One thing we do recognise with vaccine-induced antibodies is you get much, much higher levels of antibodies than you do with infection. We think the level of potency you get with these additional changes will not be enough to allow the virus to escape.

What do we know about the vaccines for Australia? Efficacy and effectiveness: two words that sound the same but mean slightly different things, at least when it comes to vaccines. Efficacy is how well the vaccine works in clinical trials. Effectiveness is how well it works in the real world. All vaccines that have finished phase three trials have efficacy data; it is only once they are being given in the real world that effectiveness data starts to emerge. So what do we know about the vaccines for Australia? AstraZeneca / Oxford (two doses) Type of vaccine: Adenovirus vector Data on efficacy: Interim data showed the vaccine was 62 per cent efficacious at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 on recommended two doses. Phase three showed up to 90 per cent for patients receiving half dose followed by full dose. Of the 11,636 people given a vaccine, none developed serious illness or died. What that means: AstraZenecas vaccine is likely to offer between 62 per cent and 90 per cent protection against catching COVID-19 and developing symptoms. It is unclear if it will protect you from asymptomatic COVID-19. It is likely but not proven if it will reduce your chances of passing the virus on to others. It seems likely the vaccine will protect you from serious illness or death. Rollout: Approved in UK, 53 million doses expected in Australia from February after TGA approval. Pfizer/BioNTech (two doses) Type of vaccine: mRNA vaccine Data on efficacy: Full phase three results show the vaccine is 95 per cent efficacious at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. Of 21,720 people given the vaccine, only case of severe illness was detected. What that means: Pfizers vaccine is likely to offer offer 95 per cent protection against catching COVID-19 and developing symptoms. It is unclear if it will protect you from asymptomatic COVID-19. It is likely but not proven if it will reduce your chances of passing the virus on to others. It seems likely the vaccine will protect you from serious illness or death. Rollout: Provisionally approved in Australia in January, rollout likely in late February. Novavax (two doses) Type of vaccine: Protein Data on efficacy: Novavax is the first company to report efficaciousness against different COVID-19 variants. Against the strain that emerged from Wuhan, it is 95.6 per cent efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19; that drops to 85.6 per cent against the variant first spotted in Britain, and around 49 per cent efficacious against the South African strain. There were no cases of serious illness or death. What that means: Novavaxs vaccine will offer between 49 and 95 per cent protection against catching COVID-19 and developing symptoms, depending on the variant encountered. It is unclear if it will protect you from asymptomatic COVID-19. It is likely but not proven it will reduce your chances of passing the virus on to others. It seems likely the vaccine will protect you from serious illness or death. Rollout: Australia has ordered 51 million doses for import mid to late 2021.

Thats what the early laboratory evidence showed: the new variants modestly cut, but do not fully cancel, the efficacy of the vaccine. So we should be full steam ahead with vaccine roll-out, here and everywhere, says Professor Crabb.

But two human trials that have just been released may undercut that. As part of phase three trials, first Novavax and then Johnson & Johnson reported their vaccines were substantially less effective  as low as 49 per cent  against the South African variant. Importantly, no one in Johnson & Johnsons trial was hospitalised or died, suggesting but not confirming the vaccine provides protection against serious illness even when facing the South African variant.

A third trial, on AstraZenecas vaccine, reported even more troubling results. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine on March 16, it studied 1011 adults given the vaccine in South Africa.

In a group given a placebo vaccine, 23 caught the virus. In the group given the real vaccine, 19 did, which suggests the vaccines efficacy against the variant was low. The trial is small, so its results need to be treated with caution  but on the basis of that result, the South African government said it would pause rollout of the vaccine. The trial was not designed to be able to tell if the vaccine provided protection from serious disease and death.

AstraZeneca and several other vaccine developers are now working on boosters to cover the variants.

Britain, facing a tight supply of vaccine and an overwhelmed healthcare system, has decided to delay the vaccines crucial second dose. Its not clear what that will mean for immunity; the doses were tested in pairs.

But some scientists fear it could leave a pool of people with partial immunity. In a worst-case scenario, a virus variant with partial resistance may be able to hang around long enough in their bodies to mutate into something with full resistance to the vaccine.

One small Italian study has already shown what can happen: the team exposed SARS-CoV-2 to low levels of antibodies. Within three months, the virus had picked up mutations that made it immune to the antibodies.

On the other hand, there are few examples of viruses that have managed to mutate around a vaccine; the flu manages this trick because of a uniquely unstable genome. And vaccine manufacturers such as Moderna are already working on booster shots to cover any variants.

 with Adam Carey

This explainer was originally published on February 1 and has been updated to reflect new information about vaccines as it has come to hand, and the five-day lockdown in Victoria.
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.
On Budget day, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said that the government should provide a separate budget for farmers to address various issues of the farming community. He also sought a waiver of agricultural loans of farmers.

Speaking at the Ghazipur border where farmers have been protesting for the last two months against the newly enacted farm laws, Tikait said that there should be a separate budget for the agriculture sector, adding that as farmers are facing tough times the government should also waive the loans of farmers.

He added that there should be a scheme to provide free electricity to farmers.

"A separate fund for agricultural work under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act) should be announced to give regular payment to farm labours," he added.

Referring to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme which aims to provide income support to all landholder farmer families across the country, Tikait said that the income support can be raised.

Under the scheme, income support of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal installments will be provided to small and marginal farmer families having combined landholding and ownership of upto 2 hectares, (source:https://pmkisan.gov.in/).

The farmer leader further said that the increase in the price of crops will not pave the way for the regeneration of the agricultural sector and farmers, and the government needs to put more effort into the sector and work on electricity and water availability to farmers.

Farmers from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar are paying different bills for water and electricity but getting the same price on the crops, this inequality should be recovered, he added.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union leader also requested the centre to exempt farm machinery from tax.

(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.)
Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter has demanded a union advertising campaign railing against workplace reforms be pulled from the airwaves.

The coalition's industrial relations bill has sparked a fierce backlash from Labor and unions, which argue changes to the better off overall test could leave workers worse off.

The electrical and construction unions' ad depicts Prime Minister Scott Morrison accelerating a bus towards about a dozen workers.

Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter has demanded a union advertising campaign (pictured) railing against workplace reforms be pulled from the airwaves

The clip cuts just before the vehicle, which has 'IR omnibus bill' on its side, mows down the terrified group.

In a blistering attack, Mr Porter said the campaign was disgusting, shameful and insensitive to the families of people who had died in road accidents.

'This ad is just a new low point in Australian politics,' he told 2GB radio on Monday.

'People get pushed inside their organisation by the advertisers for maximum outrage and shock value but to depict images like this depicts just crosses a massive line and it shouldn't happen.'

Mr Porter likened the ad to a scrapped GetUp campaign against former prime minister Tony Abbott who was portrayed as a surf lifesaver who allowed people to drown.

'That was pulled from the air and this is actually far worse than that. It should go. It's just terrible.'

Mr Porter said the campaign was disgusting, shameful and insensitive to the families of people who had died in road accidents

Leila Geagea and Danny Abdallah whose children Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna, 9, and Veronique Sakr died on February 1, 2020 when they were hit by a drunk driver

CFMEU national construction secretary Dave Noonan said workers beginning to get back on their feet after coronavirus shutdowns would be smashed by the laws.

'Crossbench senators have the power to stop this omnibus running over Australian workers,' he said.

ETU national secretary Allen Hicks said the campaign was about standing up for all workers.

'Australian workers did their part to keep the economy strong through the COVID-19 crisis, and it is shameful that Scott Morrison wants to smash them with this omnibus,' he said.

Mr Porter pointed out the ad was launched on the same day as the anniversary of four children being killed by a drunk driver in Sydney's west.

Eight-year-old Sienna Abdallah and her siblings Angelina, 12, and Antony, 13, and their cousin Veronique Sakr, 13, were killed on their way to buy ice-creams at a local supermarket.

'It's just shamefully insensitive to people who have been through road traumas and it should be pulled,' Mr Porter said.

Under the government's plan, the Fair Work Commission would be able to consider coronavirus impacts when approving agreements that fail the better off overall test.

The omnibus bill also proposes changes to casual employment, awards, wage theft and long-term agreements.
Railway Station (Representative image)

During the Budget for 2021-21, the Ministry of Finance is expected to make certain announcements for the Railways sector.

Indian Railways was severely impacted in 2020 since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted services, which were completely halted for a few months.

In December 2020, the government had announced a draft National Rail Plan. The Budget for FY22 might include allocations and proposals to supplement this plan.

"In effect the National Rail Plan envisages an initial surge in capital investment right up to 2030 to create capacity ahead of demand and increase the modal share of the Railways in freight by 45 percent," the railways ministry said in a statement.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will begin presenting the Union Budget on February 1 at 11 am.

Follow Moneycontrol's Union Budget 2021 live coverage here

Here is what the Railways sector can expect:

> The Ministry of Railways has sought gross budgetary support (GBS) of about Rs 75,000 crore, according to a Business Today report.

"In our budget representation, we have pegged the total outlay for Railways at Rs 1,80,000 crore for 2021-22 to the Ministry of Finance. Out of this, GBS of Rs 75,000 crore has been demanded, the report said.

> There might be some announcements related to high-speed private trains.

> The Centre could potentially announce some funding for bullet train projects. Work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor has been delayed amid the pandemic. A survey on the Delhi-Varanasi High Speed Rail has already begun.

During the Budget, the government might also announce new high-speed rail corridors.

> The government is also expected to announce a few Tejas trains , Business Today reported.
Her tone toward the Rohingya seemed almost contemptuous, and she followed the militarys lead in not mentioning their name, lest it give humanity to their identity.

Some will be tempted to think she unsuccessfully kowtowed to the military, that she defended genocidaires for political favor and still lost, said Matthew Smith, founder of Fortify Rights, a human rights watchdog group. Aung San Suu Kyi didnt defend the military in court to cater to the balance of power. She defended the military, as well as her own role in the atrocities. She was a part of the problem.

Even as Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi was excusing the military for its decades of persecution, her relationship with General Min Aung Hlaing was fraying, according to her advisers and retired military officers. Her deepening popularity with Myanmars Buddhist majority increasingly came to be seen as a threat by the generals, they say, and she has not spoken to the army chief in at least a year  a dangerous silence in a country where politics are deeply personal.

Normal precedent held that General Min Aung Hlaing, whose family and acolytes have profited from his decade in power, was supposed to give up his position as army chief in 2016. He extended his tenure and vowed to finally retire this summer.

With little communication between the commander in chief and Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, it grew harder for him to assure an exit in which his patronage network would survive, military and political analysts said. Through his proxies, General Min Aung Hlaing made it known that he might have political ambitions, too. Some even floated his name for president, a position that Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi is constitutionally barred from holding.

With ultimate authority in his hands for at least a year, following the coup on Monday, the army chief has maneuvered back into full relevance, no matter how many voters chose Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi. By Monday evening, the army had announced the outlines of a new cabinet, studded with military officers both active and retired.
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
The 32nd edition of the OBrien Awards, celebrating and honouring the best in Canadian harness racing, took place virtually on January 31, 2021.

Check below for links to the video streams for the Red Carpet, Finalist Video Greetings, Sponsor Reel and Virtual O'Briens Gala.

Virtual Red Carpet Show: 5:30 p.m.  6:30 p.m.

Video Greetings Reel: 6:30 p.m.  7:00 p.m.

O'Brien Awards Sponsor Reel: 6:30 p.m.  7:00 p.m.

2020 O'Brien Awards Gala: 7:00 p.m.  8:30 p.m.

Live updates were posted from @trotinsider on Twitter and on the Standardbred Canada Facebook page. The hashtag for the OBriens is #obriens20. Winners will be announced through the live twitter feed below as they happen. Scroll down this page for the @trotinsider Twitter feed.

The whos who of the harness racing will be tuning in to see who receives the coveted OBrien bronzes. The awards are named in honour of the late Joe OBrien, a trainer-driver from Prince Edward Island who was highly regarded and a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.

Eighteen O'Brien Award winners will be announced for the 2020 harness racing season. Thirteen of these honour the premier horses over the past racing season including the most coveted trophy, Canada's Somebeachsomewhere Horse of the Year. The horse awards are divided by age, sex and gait. There are two finalists in all of the categories.

In addition there are five people awards, one each for Driver of the Year, Trainer of the Year, Armstrong Bros. Farm Breeder of the Year, the O'Brien Award of Horsemanship, and Future Star. Three Media Excellence Awards and an award for Outstanding Groom will also be announced.

Standardbred Canada extends their congratulations to all of the evenings finalists!
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar - Myanmars military staged a coup Monday and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi  a sharp reversal of the significant, if uneven, progress toward democracy the Southeast Asian nation has made following five decades of military rule.

FILE - In this Jan 27, 2021, file photo, Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi watches the vaccination of health workers at hospital in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Reports says Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 a military coup has taken place in Myanmar and Suu Kyi has been detained under house arrest. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo, File)

NAYPYITAW, Myanmar - Myanmars military staged a coup Monday and detained senior politicians including Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi  a sharp reversal of the significant, if uneven, progress toward democracy the Southeast Asian nation has made following five decades of military rule.

An announcement read on military-owned Myawaddy TV said Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing would be in charge of the country for one year. It said the seizure was necessary because the government had not acted on the military's claims of fraud in Novembers elections  in which Suu Kyi's ruling party won a majority of the parliamentary seats up for grabs  and because it allowed the election to go ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The takeover came the morning the countrys new parliamentary session was to begin and follows days of concern that a coup was coming. The military maintains its actions are legally justified  citing a section of the constitution it drafted that allows it to take control in times of national emergency  though Suu Kyis party spokesman as well as many international observers have said it amounts to a coup.

It was a dramatic backslide for Myanmar, which was emerging from decades of strict military rule and international isolation that began in 1962. It was also a shocking fall from power for Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate who had lived under house arrest for years as she tried to push her country toward democracy and then became its de facto leader after her National League for Democracy won elections in 2015.

While Suu Kyi had been a fierce antagonist of the army while under house arrest, since her release and return to politics, she has had to work with the country's generals, who never fully gave up power. While the 75-year-old has remained wildly popular at home, Suu Kyi's deference to the generals  going so far as to defend their crackdown on Rohingya Muslims that the United States and others have labeled genocide  has left her reputation internationally in tatters.

FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2019, file photo, Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi waits to address judges of the International Court of Justice on the second day of three days of hearings in The Hague, Netherlands. Reports says Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 a military coup has taken place in Myanmar and Suu Kyi has been detained under house arrest. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

The coup now presents a test for the international community, which had ostracized Myanmar while it was under military rule and then enthusiastically embraced Suu Kyis government as a sign the country was finally on the path to democracy. U.S. President Joe Biden threatened new sanctions, which the country had previously faced.

For some, Monday's takeover was seen as confirmation that the military holds ultimate power despite the veneer of democracy. New York-based Human Rights Watch has previously described the clause in the constitution that the military invoked as a "coup mechanism in waiting."

The embarrassingly poor showing of the military-backed party in the November vote may have been the spark.

Supporters of the Myanmar military and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party march while holding Myanmar flags as they continue to protest election results during a rally near Shwedagon pagoda Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021, in Yangon, Myanmar. Myanmars military has denied that controversial statements by its chief were meant as a threat to stage a coup, claiming the media had misinterpreted his words. Political tension soared this past week after the military said it could not rule out a coup if its complaints of widespread voting fraud in last Novembers election were ignored. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)

Larry Jagan, an independent analyst, said the takeover was just a "pretext for the military to reassert their full influence over the political infrastructure of the country and to determine the future, at least in the short term," adding that the generals do not want Suu Kyi to be a part of that future.

The first signs that the military was planning to seize power were reports that Suu Kyi and Win Myint, the countrys president, had been detained before dawn.

Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for Suu Kyis party, told the online news service The Irrawaddy that in addition to Suu Kyi and the president, members of the partys Central Executive Committee, many of its lawmakers and other senior leaders had also been taken into custody.

FILE - In this July 11, 2018, file photo, Myanmar's Army Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing speaks during the opening ceremony of the third session of the 21st Century Panglong Conference at the Myanmar International Convention Centre in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. A military coup was taking place in Myanmar early Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi was detained under house arrest, reports said, as communications were cut to the capital. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo, File)

Television signals were cut across the country, as was phone and internet access in Naypyitaw, the capital, while passenger flights were grounded. Phone service in other parts of the country was also reported down, though people were still able to use the internet in many areas.

As word of the militarys actions spread in Yangon, the countrys biggest city, there was a growing sense of unease among residents who earlier in the day had packed into tea shops for breakfast and went about their morning shopping.

By midday, people were removing the bright red flags of Suu Kyis party that once adorned their homes and businesses. Lines formed at ATMs as people waited to take out cash, efforts that were being complicated by internet disruptions. Workers at some businesses decided to go home.

FILE - In this May 24, 2017, file photo, Myanmar's Vice President Myint Swe, right, smiles while sitting with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, left, and then President Htin Kyaw during a photo session after the second session of the 21st Century Panglong Union Peace Conference at the Myanmar International Convention Center in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. Myanmar military television said Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 that the military was taking control of the country for one year, while reports said many of the countrys senior politicians including Suu Kyi had been detained. The military TV report said Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing would be in charge of the country, while Myint Swe would be elevated to acting president. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo, File)

Suu Kyi's party released a statement on one of its Facebook pages saying the militarys actions were unjustified and went against the constitution and the will of voters. The statement urged people to oppose Mondays "coup" and any return to "military dictatorship." It was not possible to confirm who posted the message as party members were not answering phone calls.

The military's actions also received international condemnation and many countries called for the release of the detained leaders.

U.S. President Biden called the militarys actions "a direct assault on the countrys transition to democracy and the rule of law" and said Washington would not hesitate to restore sanctions.

Vehicles are driven past the Sule Pagoda Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 in Yangon, Myanmar. A military coup was taking place in Myanmar early Monday and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi was detained under house arrest, reports said, as communications were cut to the capital. (AP Photo/Thein Zaw)

"The United States will stand up for democracy wherever it is under attack," he said in a statement.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the developments a "serious blow to democratic reforms," according to his spokesman. The Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the military's actions  probably on Tuesday, according to Britain, which currently holds the council presidency.

The U.N. high commissioner for human rights said in a statement that, in addition to politicians, the people detained included human rights defenders, journalists and activists.

A vehicle with Myanmar and military flags and supporters of the Myanmar military and the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party passes by a row of police trucks with police security onboard parked near the Kyauktada police station in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. Myanmar military television said Monday that the military was taking control of the country for one year, while reports said many of the country's senior politicians including Aung San Suu Kyi had been detained. (AP Photo)

In addition to announcing that the commander in chief would be charge, the military TV report said Vice-President Myint Swe would be elevated to acting president. Myint Swe is a former general best known for leading a brutal crackdown on Buddhist monks in 2007. He is a close ally of Than Shwe, the junta leader who ruled Myanmar for nearly two decades.

In a later announcement, the military said an election would be held in a year and the military would hand power to the winner.

The military justified its move by citing a clause in the 2008 constitution, implemented during military rule, that says in cases of national emergency, the governments executive, legislative and judicial powers can be handed to the military commander-in-chief.

People stock up rice in Yangon, Myanmar Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. Myanmar military television said Monday that the military was taking control of the country for one year, while reports said many of the countrys senior politicians including Aung San Suu Kyi had been detained. (Andrew Nachemson via AP)

It is just one of many parts of the charter that ensured the military could maintain ultimate control over the country. The military is allowed to appoint its members to 25% of seats in Parliament and it controls of several key ministries involved in security and defence.

In November polls, Suu Kyi's party captured 396 out of 476 seats up for actual election in the lower and upper houses of Parliament.

The military has charged that there was massive fraud in the election  particularly with regard to voter lists  though it has not offered any convincing evidence. The state Union Election Commission last week rejected its allegations.

Concerns of a takeover grew last week when a military spokesman declined to rule out the possibility of a coup when asked by a reporter to do so at a news conference on Tuesday.

Then on Wednesday, the military chief told senior officers in a speech that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. An unusual deployment of armoured vehicles in the streets of several large cities also stoked fears.

On Saturday and Sunday, however, the military denied it had threatened a coup, accusing unnamed organizations and media of misrepresenting its position.
This weeks Huron County Planning Commission meeting has been canceled due to a new COVID-19 order.

Starting on Feb. 1, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has an order in effect stating that indoor gatherings are prohibited at non-residential venues except where no more than 10 persons of no more than two households are prohibited. The order is in effect until Feb. 21 at 11:59 p.m.

The meeting has been rescheduled for March 3, with Jeff Smith, the county building and zoning director, saying that dependent upon further COVID-19 restrictions at that time, they are planning on holding the meeting over the Zoom conferencing application.

There was a public hearing scheduled about the 2020 Huron County Master Plan at the meeting, with further discussion after the hearing on recommending it be sent to the commissioners for approval.

Anyone wishing to comment on the proposed master plan draft can send comments via email to smithj@co.huron.mi.us or fax them to 989-269-3362 prior to the March 3 meeting.

The planners have not been able to meet since November due to COVID restrictions. They were also going to continue work on the solar energy ordinance and get word on updates of the hazard mitigation plan.
hailed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for a "bold budget" focused on fiscal expansion but flagged concerns over the proposals for not addressing the problems of inequitable growth.

Concerns over the impact on the sovereign rating have been sidestepped in the budget by using a wider fiscal deficit for addressing the growth needs, they said.

The budget was widely expected to be a fiscally expansionary one, given the concerns on the growth front.

"The budget does not adequately address concerns over inequitable growth which has been a worry across the globe due to the pandemic. There has been no specific support for sectors stressed due to the pandemic like the hospitality sector," HDFC Bank's chief economist Abheek Barua said.

Terming it as a budget which is not populist, Japanese brokerage Nomura's country head Prabhat Awasthi said, "There is no major attempt to redistribute incomes by increasing taxes on high income groups, as was the case earlier."



Barua said this is a "bold budget" in many senses and the central intent has been to use expansionary to support growth sidestepping concerns over debt sustainability and sovereign rating with the fiscal deficit pegged at 6.8 per cent of GDP in FY22 from 9.5 per cent for FY21.

Siddhartha Sanyal, chief economist and head of research at Bandhan Bank said the budget was expected to emphasise supporting the nascent recovery in growth but the quantum of the total fiscal spending has surpassed expectation.

However, he said a decisive and credible stance on near term fiscal deficit and the FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act) targets was the need of the hour.

He said the fear of wider fiscal deficit resulting into risks to sovereign rating is only a partial picture, as dent in growth potential can also lead to rating downgrades.

Barclays India's chief economist Rahul Bajoria said the measures require a large increase in the fiscal deficit, and an overhaul of the deficit reduction glide path.

Rajni Thakur of RBL Bank said the budget announcements check all the right boxes for a year that needs unprecedented support from the government to revive economic activities.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A councillor has hit out at the speed of fast drivers on busy Lisburn Castlereagh roads.

Councillor Gary McCleave warned that it was an accident waiting to happen, branding some drivers speeds as scary and unacceptable.

The Sinn Fein councillor called for action to tackle fast motorists on roads across the council areas before someone is seriously hurt.

It comes after the Lisburn and Castlereagh Policing and Community Partnership (PCSP) released the latest Speed Indicator Device (SID) results for the period since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

Among the shocking statistics, motorists have been recorded going over 100mph on the Ballygowan Road in Crossnacreevy.

The Glenavy area has also been identified as a speeding hotspot, with Cllr McCleave saying boy racers were clocked doing speeds beyond 96mph in an effort to reach the 100mph mark.

The LCCC councillor said residents were fed-up and have been complaining for months to put the brakes on speeding motorists.

Before lockdown our roads and pavements would be very busy with motorists and pedestrians, including school children, Cllr McCleave said.

The trend that we are seeing coming into my area in Glenavy and right across the council area is very worrying.

Our roads are not at their busiest at the moment because of pandemic and were still seeing speeds excessing way beyond the speed limit.

Some of the roads in question are in residential or close to residential areas. Something terrible is going to happen if something is not done.

I would urged all motorists to follow the speed limit at all times and to slow down when it is appropriate to do so.

Meanwhile, it is understood that the PCSP have installed 22 speed indicating devices around the council area in an effort to deter motorists from speeding.

Councillor John Palmer said the devices cost the ratepayer a total of 52,000 with an additional 5,000 spent annually to service the devices.

The Downshire West Cllr proposed at a meeting of the full council earlier this month that the LCCC write to the Department of Infrastructure asking for funding for further devices going forward.

There is at least another 10 communities across the council area requesting a Speed Indicator Device for their area," Cllr Palmer said. These come at a cost to the PCSP and the budget.

Ultimately the Department is the body responsible for Northern Ireland roads and safety on those roads. I honestly think its time they come up to the mark and provide some funding towards these devices.

These devices are now common across the UK but not here in Northern Ireland I think its about time that changed going forward.

However, Cllr McCleave has called for the Minister for Infrastructure to implement further traffic calming scheme across the council area.

He added: DfI should be putting their measures in place. The Minister has constantly underspent her budget but we are constantly being told by the Department that the finance is not available for these schemes.

Minister Nichola Mallon has underspent her budget and even then she has not requested additional funds from the Department of Finance. Its baffling.

If something is not done soon then someone is going to get seriously hurt. Traffic in the council area has been a problem for years and what is needed is action.

The calls come after only over 4,000 traffic calming in Lisburn and Castlereagh area to date.

Figures from the Department show that 4,096 had been spent last year  a 34,000 drop from the year prior.

A spokesperson for the DfI said the reason for the lack of spending in the area was because did not rank as highly as other schemes in Belfast.

The Eastern Division of DfI covers both Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council and Belfast City Council, a spokesperson said.

Unfortunately, due to challenging budget constraints, the Department is not in position to fulfil all requests and those areas requiring most urgent attention are given priority.

The provision and maintenance of Speed Indicator Device (SID) signs are the responsibility of the local Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP). DfI will be consulted on any SID signs when they are proposed by the PCSP.
Moscow, Feb 1 (UNI) Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev qualified opposition figure Alexey Navalny as a "political crook" even as thousands of Russians joined the ongoing unauthorised protests to demand the release of the jailed leader.

"I can tell you what I think about Navalny. First, I still consider Navalny to be a political crook, a person who uses shady methods to try to climb into power in order to accomplish his personal goals, and nothing more," Medvedev said in an interview with Russian media.

Navalny's activities have now become "much more cynical and unbridled compared to what we saw just a few years ago," Medvedev continued.

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
Indore is among 10 cities of the country selected for the drive of rehabilitating beggars under the Centre's social justice department

Indore: Taking cognisance of officials dumping homeless people outside Indore amid the biting cold, the Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has sought a report from the state's chief secretary and senior officers of Indore, an official said on Monday.

Besides the chief secretary, MPHRC chairman Justice Narendra Kumar Jain also sought a report in two weeks from Indore divisional commissioner, district collector, and Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) chief, the MPHRC official said.

Indore is among 10 cities of the country selected for the drive of rehabilitating beggars under the Centre's social justice department. On Friday, a video on social media showed municipal workers dumping some homeless elderly persons outside the city, drawing sharp criticism from various quarters.

Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded action against IMC officials for ill-treating the homeless people.

"A case of abduction should be filed against IMC staffers for forcibly taking these people away," Madhya Pradesh Congress media cell chairman and local MLA Jitu Patwari said.

He said this inhuman act was a blot on the IMC, and alleged that the civic body was trying to hush up the issue. Patwari demanded that Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan constitute an all-party committee to conduct a free and fair investigation into the matter.

After facing flak over this incident, the local administration has got into damage control by providing food and shelter to such people, and has asked officials to treat them with "sensitivity and humanity". Food and bonfires are now being arranged in facilities where homeless people are provided shelter at night, according to IMC officials.

Earlier, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday suspended an IMC official in connection with the incident. The civic body has also removed two temporary employees from the job.
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (MFCR) has awarded seven grants to promising early-career investigators for projects aimed at addressing unmet needs in cancer research. The Emerging Leader Award program empowers scientists to take on innovative, high-risk/high-reward projects that have significant potential to improve outcomes for cancer patients.

The 2021 MFCR Emerging Leaders are pursuing important studies in areas of basic, translational, and clinical cancer research, including probing the function of cancer stem cells in brain cancer, discerning the unique molecular features of lung cancer in older patients, and identifying therapeutic combinations that will increase the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors across multiple types of cancer.

"One of the most significant things that our foundation can do is encourage the next generation of oncology superstars by accelerating their exciting ideas," said Michele Cleary, PhD, CEO of MFCR. "These grants will enable researchers who are still in the early stage of their careers to pursue innovative projects that might never launch without our support. Our relationship with these scientists will continue for many years, and we look forward to the results of their research as well as their emergence as leaders in the field."

Since its founding in mid-2017, MFCR has awarded more than $20 million to over 50 early-career scientists. In addition to awards to two previous classes of Emerging Leaders, this portfolio includes initiatives supporting postdoctoral fellows across the United States and grants to other early-career scientists.

The recipients of MFCR's 2021 Emerging Leader Awards are listed below with their project titles:

Effie Apostolou, PhD, Weill Cornell Medicine: "Identifying and Targeting 3D Enhancer Hubs that Maintain Cancer Stem Cell Programs"

Kivanc Birsoy, PhD, Rockefeller University: "Deciphering Organellar Oxidative Metabolism in Kras-Driven Cancers"

Paul Cohen, MD, PhD, Rockefeller University: "Cellular and Molecular Drivers of Obesity-Associated Breast Cancer"

Ku-Lung (Ken) Hsu, PhD, University of Virginia: "Targeting Oncogenic Proteoforms Using Tyrosine-Reactive Chemistry"

Sabrina Spencer, PhD, University of Colorado Boulder: "Causes and Consequences of Rapid Cancer Cell Adaptation to MAPK Pathway Inhibitors" (co-funded with Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation)

Tuomas Tammela, MD, PhD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: "Impact of Aging on Lung Tumorigenesis"

Hao Zhu, MD, Children's Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern: "In vivo Forward Genetic Screens to Identify Immunotherapy Resistance Mechanisms and Synergistic Treatment Combinations for Cancer"

The MFCR granted six Emerging Leader Awards in 2020 and eight awards in 2019.

Read more about all of the Emerging Leader research projects here: https:/ / themarkfoundation. org/ portfolio/

###

About the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research actively partners with scientists to accelerate research that will transform the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. The Mark Foundation fulfills its mission by supporting groundbreaking science carried out by individual investigators, multi-disciplinary teams, and inter-institutional collaborations in the United States and across the globe. Recognizing the obstacles that prevent scientific advances from improving patient outcomes, The Mark Foundation maintains a nimble, high-impact approach to funding basic and translational cancer research that bridges the gap between bench and bedside through grants and venture investments.

Since 2017, MFCR has awarded more than $100 million in grants to enable innovative basic, translational, and clinical cancer research, including early-stage drug discovery. MFCR also has a growing investment portfolio that includes drug discovery companies Accent Therapeutics (focused on RNA-modifying proteins implicated in cancer) and Verseau Therapeutics (developing macrophage-targeting immunotherapies) as well as liquid biopsy diagnostics companies C2i Genomics and GRAIL.

A top health adviser to President Joe Biden warned Sunday that a new variant of the coronavirus circulating in the U.K. will likely become the dominant strain in the U.S. and may lead to future restrictions on in-person gatherings.

Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said on NBCs Meet the Press that the nations health care system must prepare for a surge in serious cases such as the one experienced recently in England.

What we have to do now is also anticipate this and understand that were going to have to change quickly, said Osterholm, whos a member of Bidens COVID-19 advisory board. As fast as were opening restaurants, were likely to be closing them in the near term.

His comments come as some locations, including California and the region of Illinois that includes Chicago, are starting to relax virus-related restrictions as new infections fall.

Osterholm added that the vaccines being distributed now have been shown to prevent the most serious health consequences of being infected by the so-called B.1.1.7 variant.

Fortunately, that one has not shown its ability to evade the protection from the vaccine, said Osterholm. But its ability to cause many more infections and much more serious illness is there.

Estimates released Friday suggest coronavirus infections have leveled off across the U.K, but are not falling fast. Caseloads remain high  meaning that a high rate of hospitalizations and deaths will continue in the short term.

In the U.S., COVID-19 cases are likely going to recede during the summer but certain regions  such as Southern California and southern Florida  are likely going to experience epidemics because of the new variant, said former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

As we immunize more of the population and if people continue to wear masks and be vigilant in these parts of the country, we can keep this at bay, Gottlieb said on CBSs Face the Nation.

New U.S. coronavirus infections were slowed markedly in January, with hospitalizations also declining but at a slower pace. Reported deaths, which lag both measures, remain near record levels.

___

Naomi Nix of Bloomberg News wrote this story.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

2021 Bloomberg L.P.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
A friend of American Thinker, understandably upset about the unraveling of America around us, reached out with a heartfelt question: how did we as a society come to behave so acrimoniously toward one another?

The two words that stood out to me while turning this question over in my mind were "we" and "society." Who "we" are as Americans has changed radically over the last half-century, and during that time, the political sphere in America has eaten away and destroyed the independence of the civic sphere we traditionally call "society."

Consider these facts:

1. Before Ted Kennedy's 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, nine tenths of all new immigrants to America came from Europe; after the act's passage, nine tenths of new immigrants have come from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.

2. Since the 1965 Act's passage, over sixty million new immigrants have arrived in the United States, and over a hundred million more are expected over the next half century.

3. In 1970, 4.7% of the American population was born outside of the United States; in 2017, 13.7% of the national population was born in a foreign country.

These are obviously transformative demographic shifts. In an open society unafraid of debate, we would weigh the benefits of these changes against the dangers they present to national cohesion and stability. Instead, and no doubt because Kennedy's immigration law has done more to stave off death for the Democratic Party than any other variable over the last half-century, America's political and business elites have weaponized censorship and political correctness to portray even the mentioning of unchecked immigration's harms as something taboo. So who "we" are as Americans continues to radically change, but any person reasonable enough to point that out is branded a xenophobe.

Let me add a fourth fact:

4. Eighty-four percent of Americans born between 1928 and 1945 identify as Christians, and 50% of them still attend religious services at least once a week. In contrast, less than half of millennial Americans today identify as Christian, and 64% rarely, if at all, attend any kind of religious service.

At the same time as "we" have been rewritten, the civic "society" has been weakened. Americans have traditionally distinguished the civil sphere from the political sphere. In this way, government is maintained to guard against man's worst impulses, but society is formed among to create benefits beyond each individual's limitations. And Americans have always had, until recently, numerous civic engagements and bonds that strengthened society while having nothing to do with politics. In simple parlance, we call this "community."

The generation of Americans who survived the Great Depression and WWII not only attended church and actively participated in community town halls, but also belonged to veterans' organizations; Kiwanis; Shriners; knitting and quilting groups; bowling and softball leagues; community improvement boards; and book, radio, and nature clubs. All of these civic institutions fostered social bonds and community that had little to nothing to do with government or party politics.

Post-WWII, however, Americans have steadily decreased both the number of groups to which they belong and their variety. Americans have become much less religious. The camaraderie of Scouts or shooting clubs has been replaced by the anonymity of the local gym. And as either a cause or effect (or both) of this decline, civic institutions have become increasingly political in nature. An environmental club is no longer concerned about protecting a local forest, but rather advocating for the Green New Deal. Online knitting sites that ostensibly have nothing to do with politics go out of their way to exclude Trump-supporters.

Whether Gramsci's "march through the institutions" has succeeded in conquering and assimilating civic organizations from the bottom up, or whether the Democrats' Marxist-socialism has succeeded from the top down in making everything personal in America overwhelmingly political, the end result has been the near destruction of civic society and the elevation of a Soviet-like state in its place that insists on intervening in social affairs and controlling personal relationships.

As part of this 1984 restructuring of America, language has lost meaning, and truth, as a virtue, is no longer pursued. Everything from religious doctrine to the underlying events of a police arrest is manipulated for political pursuits of power. Conservatives are censored and fired from jobs for undefined "hate speech," while the political left increasingly resorts to organized violence to accomplish political objectives. And because freedom-minded people are increasingly not welcome, they are forced to live separately from the cultural and governing institutions of their own country.

Can America remain a unified country when her traditions and history are vilified and multiculturalism is glorified? Can a people remain civil toward one another when everything is regarded and treated as political in nature? The lessons of just the last century emphatically say "no."

When disparate groups of people are forced to live under one government, balkanization, conflict, and separation almost always result. Yet in the same time span that has seen the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and Czechoslovakia and no end to violence across the artificially drawn maps of the Middle East and Africa once controlled and later partitioned by European powers, the political elites of Europe and the United States have insisted on forcing drastically different cultures to coexist under single, ever-growing political systems within their own territorial realms.

This is willful blindness at an unconscionable level.

Likewise, one of the chief lessons of WWII was that totalitarian political systems that seek to control the minutiae of each individual's life not only deprive human beings of self-determination and freedom, but also permit national leaders to orchestrate great acts of collective barbarism and evil that would not be possible if individuals remained in control of their own moral judgments. Communism, Nazism, and fascism all demand that the individual sacrifice personal notions of right and wrong for the political determinations of the state, and anywhere and at any time in history when the state has demanded absolute obedience from its people, great and inhuman atrocities have occurred.

A rational observer of history would look at Hitler's Germany, Mussolini's Italy, Stalin's Soviet Union and his subsequent post-WWII imprisonment of Central Europe, and Mao's China and rightly conclude that subsuming civic society and individual morality to the demands of the state necessarily leads to human tragedy. Instead of correctly condemning the evils of Big Government, however, the political elites of Europe and the United States have pulled a semantic switcheroo and absurdly insisted on stigmatizing and scapegoating the natural formation of nation-states as the real problem. German, Italian, Soviet, and Chinese forms of total population control are rhetorically condemned, while their supranational monster siblings are applauded and empowered in the forms of the E.U., the U.N., and other transnational governing bodies. In this way, the West defeated totalitarianism seventy-five years ago only to turn around and construct institutions that led right back to the expanding totalitarian governments we have today.

Once again, this has been willful blindness at an unconscionable level.

Since the end of WWII, Western governments have promised their populations wealth and security in exchange for knowingly or unknowingly consenting to mass immigration and globalist trading networks that have hollowed out domestic manufacturing and destroyed national wealth for all but an elite few. In this destructive wake, cultural and civic bonds have been all but destroyed while the machinery of the political State has become ever more obtrusive.

Essentially, those who insist on governing us have spent decades shaking and shaking the world's largest can of carbonated Coke, and now they expect it somehow not to explode all around them.

Hat tip to L. Walters.

Image: LukeBam06 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped).
Two young men were rescued from drowning in the freezing waters of the Round Valley Reservoir by a local New Jersey first responder unit on Saturday.

South Branch Emergency Services, a combination of the former Clinton and High Bridge Emergency Medical Services agencies operating out of Hunterdon County, arrived shortly after 10 a.m. to retrieve two men that sailed out onto the water in a small boat that capsized.

Bystanders on the shoreline called 911 and worked with dispatchers to provide an accurate location of the two men, giving them a detailed description of what was happening while first responders made their way to the scene, said Chris Miller, deputy chief of South Branch Emergency Services.

If they hadnt called 911, this could have been a very different story, Miller said. The bystanders truly made a difference.

Chip Milcarek, Chris Miller and Walter Dorf, members of the South Branch Emergency Services, tow the victims' boat back to shore.Rich Maxwell | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The overturned boat was approximately 500 yards from the shoreline of the reservoir, Miller said. He added that he was uncertain of why the two men were out on the water, or what exactly caused their boat to capsize.

They were not 100% sure what happened, Miller said. They said they started taking on water, and then they had to abandon the boat, but that they were able to get on it once it was flipped over.

The two men were in the water for between 15 to 30 minutes and exhibiting signs of hypothermia prior to first responders arriving, according to Miller. Crews pulled the victims out of the boat and returned them to shore in just under one minute, with the total rescue from shoreline to shoreline being just under five minutes, he added.

Chip Milcarek, Chris Miller and Walter Dorf, members of the South Branch Emergency Services, tow the victims' boat back to shore.Rich Maxwell | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Once at the shoreline, both men were treated by the rescue squad and medical intensive care unit of the Hunterdon Medical Center. Afterwards, they were transported to the Hunterdon Medical Center, Miller said.

Days prior to Saturdays incident, members of South Branch Emergency Services ran a water and ice rescue drill at Ridge Pond in Clinton.

This is why we do the training that we do  because just five days later, we get the real thing out on the water, Miller said.

In addition to South Branch Emergency Services, Clinton Township Police, New Jersey State Park Police, and paramedics from Hunterdon Medical Center also responded to the incident.

The ongoing training of the water rescue team as well as the efficiency exhibited that day really resulted in the patients getting the fastest and best care possible, Miller said.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Caroline Fassett may be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com.

Credit: CC0 Public Domain

More than 80% of U.S. physicians reported that people with significant disabilities have worse quality of life than nondisabled people, an attitude that may contribute to health care disparities among people with disability, according to recent research published in the February issue of Health Affairs. The first-of-its-kind study surveyed 714 practicing physicians from multiple specialties and locations across the country about their attitudes toward patients with disabilities.

"That physicians have negative attitudes about patients with disability wasn't surprising," says Lisa I. Iezzoni, MD, lead author of the paper and a health care policy researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). "But the magnitude of physicians' stigmatizing views was very disturbing." For more than 20 years, Iezzoni has studied health care experiences and outcomes of people with disability and is herself disabled by multiple sclerosis diagnosed in 1980, her first year in medical school.

Only 40.7% of surveyed physicians reported feeling very confident about their ability to provide the same quality of care to patients with disabilities as their other patients received. And just 56.5% strongly agreed that they welcomed patients with disabilities into their practices. The physicians who reported being most welcoming to patients with disability were female and practiced at academic medical centers. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that people with disability receive equitable health care.

That most surveyed physicians did not give socially desirable answers about their perceptions of people with disability indicates their certainty in their beliefs, says Iezzoni. "We wouldn't expect most physicians to say that racial or ethnic minorities have a lower quality of life, yet four-fifths of physicians made that pronouncement about people with disabilities. That shows the erroneous assumptions and a lack of understanding of the lives of people with disability on the part of physicians."

"Our results clearly raise concern about the ability of the health care system to ensure equitable care for people with disability," adds senior author Eric G. Campbell, Ph.D., professor of Medicine and director of research for the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The paper cites examples from Iezzoni's and others' research demonstrating that individuals with disabilities often receive inferior care. Many surgeons assume, for example, that women with early-stage breast cancer who use wheelchairs want a mastectomy instead of breast-conserving surgery, believing that women with disability don't care about their appearance. And during the surge of the COVID pandemic in March, when resources such as ventilators were scarce, the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services felt compelled to issue a warning to health care providers that people with disabilities should not be denied medical care on the basis of disability or perceived quality of life.

The research is a wake-up call for physicians to recognize their biases so they don't make erroneous assumptions about the values of patients with disability, thereby limiting their health care options and compromising care, adds Iezzoni. "Studies of people with disability show that most don't view their lives as tragic," she says. "They've figured out how to get around in the world that wasn't designed for them and view their lives as good quality."

The authors call for all levels of medical education, including continuing education for practicing physicians, to include training about disability. Currently, most medical schools don't include disability topics in their curricula. Implicit Association Tests (which measure unconscious bias) related to disability can also raise physicians' awareness of how their perceptions about disability may be affecting how they practice medicine.

In future research, the investigators plan to explore the extent to which physicians' perceptions about people with disability contribute to disparities in care, says Campbell. "Our ultimate goal is to ensure equality in care for people with disabilities."

Explore further Doctors unclear on legal obligations in caring for patients with disability
(Alliance News) - Coca-Cola European Partners PLC on Monday said it received regulatory approval from the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board to acquire Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd.

Coca-Cola Amatil is a bottler and distributor of ready-to-drink non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages and coffee in the Asia Pacific region, operating in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

Following the approval by FIRB, the Uxbridge, Middlesex-based soft-drinks bottler said it still needs regulatory approval from the New Zealand Overseas Investment Office as well as its own independent shareholder approval.

In late October last year, Coca-Cola European Partners announced its plan to acquire 69% of Sydney-based Coca-Cola Amatil from investors, as well as the remaining 31% from Coca-Cola Co, for a total value of AUD8.7 billion.

The acquisition will create a broader and more balanced footprint for the Coca-Cola European Partners whilst almost doubling its consumer reach, with the aim of ultimately driving sustainable and faster growth, through geographic diversification and scale, Coca-Cola European Partners said.

Coca-Cola European Partners currently operates in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal, the Benelux region, and Sweden and Norway.

Coca-Cola European Partners shares were up 1.2% at EUR38.70 each in London on Monday morning. Coca-Cola Amatil shares closed 0.2% higher at AUD13.11 on Monday in Sydney

By Greg Roxburgh; gregroxburgh@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Who doesnt have a memory of cold cream? That cool-to-the-touch waxy cleanser would signify the end of the day for our mothers or grandmothers, when the make-up would come off and the hairnet would go on.

And once again, cold creams are having a moment. Though we have more time to spend on a skincare routine in lockdown, we dont want the complexity of dozens of lotions  nor the expense.

The simple oil, beeswax and rosewater emulsion was first concocted by Greek physician Galen nearly 2,000 years ago, and popularised by Ponds in 1914.

Screen sirens such as Gina Lollobrigida, Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman made it glamorous. Though you can still buy the Ponds original Cold Cream (5.99, boots.com), there are plenty of more modern formulas to choose from.

Victoria Woodhall gives verdict on a selection of cold creams on sale in the UK - including Kate Somerville Cold Cream (pictured)

New British beauty brand The Seated Queen chose a cold cream as its first product launch in 2020. Why? We felt there was a mismatch between the complex routines often advocated by skincare brands and what we were realistically able to do in our own evening routines, says its co-founder, skin massage therapist Josephine Banks.

In the midst of a pandemic, this feels more relevant than ever  we need to look after ourselves. Shes right, there is something decadent about the ceremony of sitting down and wiping away the day with an undemanding cream that helps lock in moisture. Whats great about cold cream is it can be used whether you have blemish-prone or dry skin, and all skin types are prone to dehydration, adds Josephine.

Here are eight tried and tested

LIGHT AND LUXE

Kate Somerville Cold Cream, 41, spacenk.com

What is it? A deeply moisturising cleanser and make-up remover which, unlike the Ponds original, has no mineral oil, so is lighter and less greasy. Jasmine and daisy flower extracts lend it a classic scent.

Whats it like? With the help of a warm flannel, it swiped all my waterproof mascara and sun cream off and left my skin nicely supple. Its a modern and luxe  but relatively pricey  upgrade on a classic. 4/5

BEST FOR DRY SKIN

Avene Cold Cream, now 7.33, escentual.com

Victoria said Avene Cold Cream (pictured) feels quite oily, making it good for very dry skin

What is it? A protective moisturiser for very dry, sensitive skin with a mineral oil, water and beeswax formula.

Whats it like? Although not designed as a cleanser, it works very well as one, but lacks that classic cold sensation. As a moisturiser it feels quite oily, making it good for very dry skin. Being slightly fragranced keeps it one step above utilitarian, but sensitive skins should carry out a patch test first. 2/5

A-LISTER INDULGENCE

Charlotte Tilbury Multi-Miracle Glow, 45 for 100ml, cult beauty.co.uk

Victoria said Charlotte Tilbury Multi-Miracle Glow (pictured) is a rescue balm for dry patches

What is it? This brand is all about movie-star glow, and while the damask rose-scented balm isnt your traditional waxy cold cream, you can bet the greats of Hollywood would use it today.

Whats it like? The pink gel cream feels like an indulgence  its not just a cleanser but a night mask, with nourishing ingredients such as vitamins A, C and E. It also works as a rescue balm for dry patches, such as on elbows. 4/5

CHIC AND CALMING

The Seated Queen Cold Cream, 39, theseatedqueen.com

Victoria said a thin veil of The Seated Queen Cold Cream (pictured) was plenty to get every scrap of dirt out of her pores

What is it? This is a cool cleanser, mask and night cream with cold-pressed plant oils and calming essential oils.

Whats it like? With its modern scent and natural ingredients, I wanted to slather so much of this on, but a thin veil was plenty to get every scrap of dirt out of my pores. Used as an occasional night cream (its very rich) its a treat, and I enjoyed following the 60-second facial tension release video the brand suggests. It makes a brilliant lip balm, too. 5/5

RICH BUT TOO SCENTED

Prai Platinum Cold Creme Cleanser, 20, praibeauty.co.uk

Victoria said Prai Platinum Cold Creme Cleanser (pictured) can be used morning and night, but the fragrance was too strong for her

What is it? A rich whipped cleanser for dry skin with mineral oil and synthetic beeswax. Not for use around the eyes.

Whats it like? The lighter texture means dry skins can use this morning and night. For me, the fragrance was too strong. It can be an irritant so I needed a separate eye make-up remover.2/5

BOTANICS IN A POD

Wo Daily Base Comfort Balm, 30 for 28 doses, wearewo.com

Victoria said Wo Daily Base Comfort Balm (pictured) is a great make-up base, but traditionalists may miss the cool feeling

What is it? A space-age cleanser, make-up remover, moisturiser, eye cream and skin essence that comes in a single-dose recyclable pod.

It combines the classic cold cream fare of oils and wax (from rice bran) with performance ingredients such as hyaluronic acid for plumping and Korean herb oil and raspberry plant stem cells to fight inflammation.

Whats it like? One hygienic peel-back pod was enough to cleanse and moisturise morning and evening. It felt silky smooth, is mildly scented and made a great make-up base. Traditionalists may miss the cool feeling.4/5

VALUE BEESWAX BALM

Lush Ultrabland Cleanser, 9, uk.lush.com

Victoria said Lush Ultrabland Cleanser (pictured) is an effective emollient, good for dry winter skin

What is it? A cleanser for dry and sensitive skin, with almond oil, rosewater, beeswax and honey. Massage into skin and over eye make-up and remove with a warm, damp cloth.

Whats it like? You can smell the beeswax, which makes this cream very thick. Its an effective emollient, so good for dry winter skin.

Its also available in a vegan version called Ultraplant, which uses sunflower wax instead of beeswax and costs 12.50. 3/5

MAKE-UP ARTIST FAVE

Embryolisse Laboratories Lait-Creme Concentre, 8.66, escentual.com

Victoria said sensitive skin may react to the fragrance of Embryolisse Laboratories Lait-Creme Concentre (pictured)

What is it? One of these cult French tubes sells every 20 seconds in the UK.

Its popular with make-up artists for its multiple functions as cleanser, make-up remover, moisturiser, mask and primer.

It contains liquid paraffin, beeswax, shea butter and aloe vera.

Whats it like? The runny texture makes it so versatile, but I found it just as rich as a traditional cold cream, and it sank in rather than sat on the skin.

It lived up to most of its claims  although I disagree that its suitable for all skin types, because sensitive skins may react to the fragrance.3/5

Page Content

On Jan. 14, the government of Ontario, Canada, announced the start of a workplace health and safety inspection blitz of big-box stores in Toronto, Hamilton, Peel, York and Durham. A week later, Ontario announced it had expanded this program to additional business sectors.



Initial Inspection Blitz

Initially, approximately 50 ministry inspectors and local bylaw and police officers started visiting big-box stores to ensure that workers and patrons were:

Wearing masks.

Maintaining physical distance.

Following health and safety measures.

Inspectors could:

Ticket supervisors, employees and patrons who were not in compliance with COVID-19 safety requirements.

Temporarily close premises.

Disperse groups of more than five people.

Inspection Expansion

On Jan. 20, Ontario announced that, starting immediately and with the support of 300 officers, it was expanding its workplace inspection campaign and would be visiting a variety of workplaces allowed to open during the provincial shutdown, including:

Retail establishments, including big-box stores.

Restaurants providing take-out meals.

Essential service-sector establishments (e.g., gas stations).

Farming operations.

Ontario indicated that the inspection efforts announced on both Jan. 14 and Jan. 20, build on its "Stay Safe All Day" campaign announced on Jan. 12.

Penalties for Violations

There are penalties for corporations and individuals.

Corporations. Corporations can be fined $1,000 (approximately USD $780.60) for failing to comply with orders under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act and the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

Individuals. Individuals, including employees and patrons, can be fined $750 (approximately USD $585.45) for failing to comply with orders under the acts.

More Serious Violations

If a violation is more serious, a person can be charged with failing to comply with an order under the acts. If the person is convicted, the court can impose fines up to:

$100,000 (approximately USD $78,063) for individuals.

$500,000 (approximately USD $390,315) for directors and officers of a corporation.

Individuals and directors and officers of a corporation can also be imprisoned for up to one year.

Corporations convicted of an offense can be fined up to $10,000,000 (approximately USD $7.81 million).

Bottom Line for Employers

Retail establishments (including big-box stores), restaurants providing take-out meals, essential service-sector establishments, and farming operations in Toronto, Hamilton, Peel, York and Durham are on notice that they will be inspected. The penalties for noncompliance with orders under the acts are significant for workers, patrons, directors and officers of a corporation, and the corporation, especially for more serious violations. Employers are strongly encouraged to ensure that they are in compliance with all orders under the acts so that when inspected there will be no penalties for violations.

Rhonda B. Levy and Barry Kuretzky are attorneys with Littler in Toronto.  2021 Littler. All rights reserved. Reposted with permission of Lexology.

India reported 11,427 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, pushing the tally to 1,07,57,610, according to the Union Health Ministry data on Monday.

The country also recorded 11,858 discharges, while 118 people have succumbed to the deadly virus, the health ministry data showed. The death toll has climbed to 1,54,392.

Out of the 1,07,57,610 coronavirus cases, 1,04,34,983 people have recovered and the active cases of the infection currently stand at 1,68,235.

Meanwhile, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday said that a total of 19,70,92,635 lakh samples have been tested so far for coronavirus. Out of this, 5,04,263, were tested on Sunday.

The number of healthcare workers in the country who have received coronavirus vaccine shots as part of the nationwide immunisation drive crossed 37 lakh on Saturday, the Union health ministry has said.

Meanwhile, the second phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive kicked off in Surat on Sunday with the inoculation of police personnel.

About 30,000 front-line workers will be vaccinated in the second phase today.

Earlier on Thursday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan advised states and union territories to increase the percentage coverage of COVID-19 vaccine beneficiaries and optimize sessions per day.

According to a statement, the Health Secretary, while reviewing the status of vaccination with Health Secretaries and National Health Mission MDs through video conference, pointed out that the COVID-19 vaccine is available in sufficient quantity and technical glitches on the CoWIN app have now been resolved.

"While some States and UTs have more than 50% coverage, they were all advised to improve the percentage coverage of vaccinated beneficiaries as there are many States and UTs that need to improve their performance on this parameter," the statement said.

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.

Spiny lobsters support an important fishery in Southern California. Credit: SBC LTER

You can't have your cake and eat it too, as the saying goes. But what if you could save your slice while enjoying the benefits at the same time? New research suggests this is possible when it comes to marine reserves.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are among the best conservation tools at our disposal today. However, by their very nature, these reserves take away fishing grounds, which can make them unattractive to commercial fishermen. Scientists and resource managers often promote MPAs as beneficial for the fishery. In theory, they provide a refuge for stocks to rebuild and spill over into nearby waters, leading to improved catch rates.

"And yet, there's a lot of skepticism about that because there aren't many instances where anyone's ever shown that to be true," said Dan Reed, a research biologist at UC Santa Barbara's Marine Science Institute.

Most of the work so far has documented the buildup of species populations within reserves and the subsequent spillover. "What hasn't been documented is how that actually affects the catch," he continued. Namely, whether any increase in catch from spillover actually compensates for the loss of fishing grounds.

Reed and his colleague Professor Hunter Lenihan, a professor at UCSB's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, along with other researchers at UC Santa Barbara and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, sought to determine to what extent the spillover effect compensated for the fishing grounds incorporated into marine reserves. To this end, they leveraged catch reports from lobster fishermen as well as scientific surveys. Their results, published in Scientific Reports, affirm the benefits that MPAs confer to fisheries and ecosystems.

"The key question is what is the net effect of the reserves on the fishery?" proposed lead author Lenihan, a fisheries ecologist. "If you take away a certain amount of territory, do you make up for it by this increase in catch through spillover?"

"What we found is that you not only make up for the lost area, but actually enhance the fishery," replied Reed.

Lobster fishermen prepare to set traps off the coast of Southern California. Credit: Matt Kay

The team compared lobster populations and catch records from waters off the coast of Santa Barbara and Goleta. From 2012 through 2018, divers conducted surveys of the size and abundance of lobsters at five sites studied by the Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research program (SBC LTER), which is part of the National Science Foundation's LTER network. Three of these reefs have always been open to fishing, while two of them (Isla Vista and Naples reefs) were incorporated into two marine reserves in 2012.

The researchers also obtained data for commercial landings and fishing effortmeasured in the number of traps pulledfrom the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which manages the state's fisheries. Records from six years before and after the establishment of the two MPAs gave the scientists a sizable window to examine the impact that the reserves had on the lobster catch. The department divides the coast into rectangular fishing blocks, and these became the spatial units the researchers used in the study.

The team observed that the number and overall biomass of lobsters increased in and around the marine reserves once fishing was prohibited. This suggested that lobsters were indeed proliferating inside the reserves and spilling out into surrounding areas, just as predicted by the theory.

They also found that annual lobster landings more than doubled in the fishing block with the two MPAs during the six years after their establishment despite the 35% reduction in fishing area in that block. In contrast, the annual catch in blocks without MPAs remained relatively unchanged over that timespan.

"This study is one of the first to quantify and document that the establishment of marine reserve actually enhanced catch despite reducing the area that fishermen could actually fish," said Reed.

Records indicate that a roughly 225% increase in catch near marine reserves was accompanied by a 250% increase in fishing activity; however, the researchers note that this isn't merely a case of laying more traps and catching more lobsters. The increased effort was targeted largely near the borders of the reserves as fishermen "fished the line" to target lobsters that spilled over from the reserves into fishable areas. "Without spillover from a reserve, increasing fishing effort is much less likely to result in increased catch," said Reed.

"Our data suggest that in the case of lobster the MPAs have the potential to lead to a higher sustainable catch," he concluded.

Lobster populations build up size and numbers in the refuge of the reserves and begin spilling over into nearby areas. Credit: Matt Kay

Lenihan and Reed were quick to point out that studies like this are possible largely thanks to projects like the SBC LTER. The sustained funding from the NSF enables scientists to curate rich timeseries datasets they can use to investigate questions that involve relatively long timespans.

The researchers at the SBC LTER have worked with the local fishing communities for years in an effort to understand the effects of reserves. Their collaboration with the California Lobster and Trap Fishermen's Association has been particularly fruitful, Lenihan said. Lobstermen Chris Miller, Sam Shrout and Chris Voss dedicated substantial time to train Bren School doctoral students Matt Kay, in 2006, and Sean Fitzgerald, in 2018, to trap lobsters like professionals, thus assuring collection of excellent fisheries data. In addition, scientists hopped aboard commercial fishing boats to trap lobsters with the fleet.

They've also relied on fishermen for data. After tagging some 17,000 lobsters with researchers' names and phone number, the scientists waited for fishermen to report where the lobsters were caught. This provided insight into the animals' movements that would not have been possible without such a collaboration.

Lobstermen also appear to be benefiting from this relationship. Reserves seem to have increased landings in the northern extent of the fishery much more than in the south. Lenihan and Reed suspect this is because the fishermen in the north have been working with the scientists, giving them access to insights that their southern counterparts don't have.

"We learn from them; they learn from us," Lenihan said.

"Collaboration between researchers and fishermen not only serves their interests, but it can also really benefit the conservation value of the MPAs and the resource agencies charged with managing them," added Reed.

Cooperation between scientists, fishermen and resource managers leads to better information, more transparency and more trust, Lenihan explained. Ultimately, that improves science, management, conservation and fishing.

Explore further Marine reserves a solution to bycatch problem in oceans

More information: Hunter S. Lenihan et al. Evidence that spillover from Marine Protected Areas benefits the spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) fishery in southern California, Scientific Reports (2021). Journal information: Scientific Reports Hunter S. Lenihan et al. Evidence that spillover from Marine Protected Areas benefits the spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) fishery in southern California,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82371-5
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 10:59:52|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

by Misbah Saba Malik, Liu Tian

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Amid the raging COVID-19 pandemic, the vaccine aid provided by China to Pakistan is another testament to the traditional friendship between the two countries.

With over half a million cases and more than 11,000 deaths, Pakistan is struggling against the second wave of the deadly coronavirus.

The pandemic has affected people from all walks of life, especially teachers and students.

Zeenat Alvi, a teacher working in a private college in Rawalpindi, recalled that the pandemic was a "nightmare" as many in her college, including herself, were infected.

"The college was closed by the district administration and I was isolated at home. Those were the toughest days of my life," she said.

The country was forced to close educational institutions time and again. Recently, educational activities have been resumed to avoid academic loss of students.

To curb the spread of the virus, the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has approved a vaccine developed by China's Sinopharm for emergency use.

Alvi hoped that the doses of vaccine from China will give teachers and students immunity against the virus.

"I hope that Pakistan will benefit from it (Chinese vaccine aid). It is also great that Pakistan is in the process of procuring the vaccine from China, apart from the donation," Alvi said.

Pakistani officials said that China is supporting Pakistan again in the same way that it supported Pakistan during the earlier days of the pandemic by providing medical and protective equipment and sending medical experts.

"It was a very crucial time during the initial days of the disease outbreak in March-April last year. We did not have masks, personal protective equipment, ventilators and other necessary equipment. China gave us all until we started producing most of the things at home," Pakistan's Parliamentary Secretary on National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Nausheen Hamid told Xinhua.

"By giving vaccine support at the right time, China has given a big relief to the Pakistani government," she said, adding the timely support is another testament to the two countries' friendship.

Bilal Ahamd, a public health officer from the country's Panacea Healthcare System and Research Center, said that China is the first to come to Pakistan's rescue, which will enhance their friendship.

Healthcare workers will be vaccinated in the first phase and people over 65 years old will get vaccines later. In the third phase, the rest of the public will get the vaccine shots, according to the country's National Command and Operation Center, the body monitoring and dealing with COVID-19 related issues in the country.

Hamid said that the DRAP approved the emergence use of Sinopharm's vaccine for its effectiveness against the virus, adding that the vaccine is well-performed in preventing the disease and it is the reason why it gains reputation around the world.

"We will also be able to procure the vaccine from China in the coming days, but the emergency need of the country will be fulfilled by the Chinese assistance," said the official. Enditem
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.
South Africa: Special official funeral for late Justice Mthiyane

President Cyril Ramaphosa has honoured the late Justice Khayelihle Kenneth Mthiyane by designating the judges funeral as a Special Official Funeral Category 2.

Justice Mthiyane was a retired former Deputy President of the Supreme Court of Appeal.

The President has also authorised that the National Flag be flown at half-mast at every flag station in the country with immediate effect until the evening of Wednesday when the funeral service will take place in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Many memorable hunting moments have passed through the NZ Deerstalkers Bay of Plenty Branch, which recently celebrated its 70th birthday.

But NZDA BOP president Clyde Rogers says the club is about much more than hunting game.

Ive been a part of four deerstalkers clubs, and this is the most family-orientated one by far, says Clyde.

The club often works with other community groups on projects, and the end results from these collaborations is something were really proud of.

The hunting is one of many reasons why we go bush.

Looking back

It was 1950 when 28 keen hunters met at Haymans Hall, Tauranga, to discuss the formation of a Bay of Plenty branch of NZ Deerstalkers  and the club was established a month later.

Since, countless competitions, hunting weekends, party hunts and other events have taken place. Today the club is still going strong with more than 500 members, attracting both rural and urban dwellers alike. Membership peaked last year at more than 560 people.

A few families have several generations of club members, says Clyde. While wed like to have more junior members, many experience the club through Scouts at our range with organised shoots.

Safety first

The club has been instrumental in teaching locals how to hunt safely, both independently and in collaboration with other organisations and their Hunts Course programme. Back in the day the club worked with the Mountain Safety Council to teach people first aid and the skills needed to get a gun licence.

In the 1990s, many NZDA BOP members were a part of Land Search and Rescue Tauranga, putting their extensive knowledge of the bushland to good use. This club has strong morals, and safety has always been one of them.

There are good hunters and bad hunters, just like there are good and bad drivers. People who join our club start off on the right foot by surrounding themselves with experienced hunters, says Clyde.

Conservation

Looking after the land is another moral the club holds dear. Nature requires balance  going in there and killing everything doesnt work. Being out in the bush teaches you that.

The Aongatete Forest Project went to NZDA BOP to help protect their king fern from being eaten by deer. The area is close to Aongatete Lodge and tracks, so it was unsafe for us to try and hunt the deer.

So instead, we built a fence around 1ha of land to allow the king fern to grow, and three years later its thriving.

A place to call home

NZDA BOPs Tauriko base sits on about 1ha of land. It was previously part of a dairy farm owned by club member John Jefferson, who sold it to the club in the late-1980s. John was club president from 1983-1986, and is a life member.

Keith Theobald has been with the club for 30 years. He was president from 1993-1998, and is a life member. Building the clubhouse, which opened in August 2000, is his highlight.

Were lucky that many people in the club were tradesmen, says Keith, who was a builder and the clubhouse project manager. Our last clubhouse was a small cottage, so we moved it further up the property and extended it.

The building is still under Keiths wing today  hes the building custodian. Hes seen the clubhouse walls fill up with hunting achievements during the last 20 years. Six out of NZs seven deer species are displayed, as well as a few pigs and a moose.

In recent years the club sold part of their land, used as a shooting range, to the neighbour for development. Now they have a new shooting range in TECT Park, where club members run public open days on the last Sunday of every month.

History repeats

And 20 years on the club is still showing that volunteer builds are their strong suit. They maintain three huts including Te Whare Okioki Hut in the Kaimai Range. Club members built the 12-bunk hut from scratch last year, in association with the Kaimai Ridgeway Trust and tramping groups.

The build site could only be accessed by a three-hour tramp or helicopter.

Logistically, it was a real challenge for the group, says Clyde.

The majority of the supplies couldnt be carried in, so we spent a lot of money on air time.

About eight people worked on the hut at one time. A few times theyd arrive by helicopter, but the conditions meant they couldnt be picked up again, so they had to walk out to get home.

Life member Stan Lowe was the driving force behind the build. Weve achieved a lot during our 70 years thanks to the efforts of our members, particularly our life members, who have put so much into our club.

Were very grateful for the grants we have received over the years from generous organisations like TECT that allow us to do what we do.
New Zealands native bats are thriving at sites around the country due to Department of Conservation predator control efforts.

Long and short-tailed bats were once common in Aotearoa but have disappeared from many areas due to habitat loss and being eaten by rats, possums, stoats, and feral cats.

These tiny mammals roost together and rear their young in hollow trees, where they are especially vulnerable to attack.

Close monitoring of bats over many years in the Eglinton valley near Te Anau and Pureora Forest Park west of Lake Taupo has shown a significant upswing in populations of short-tailed bats due to predator control, says DOC Principal Science Advisor Colin ODonnell.

Short-tailed bats in the Eglinton valley have done really well since predator control began in the late1990s with the population increasing on average by eight per cent per year.

At Pureora, where weve tracked short-tailed bats for the past eight years, predator control has allowed the population to grow by 10 per cent annually.

However, Colin says long-tailed bats appear particularly sensitive to rat predation, requiring very low rat numbers over large areas for them to thrive.

Ten years ago, long-tailed bat survival in the Eglinton valley was dropping after each beech mast when predator numbers soared. But since 2010, predator control over larger areas, timed to suppress rat plagues, has allowed many more bats to survive.

In 25 years of monitoring, weve seen the long-tailed bat population turn aroundfrom declining at five per cent to increasing by four per cent per year.

Unfortunately, the long-tailed bats at Pureora appear to still be in decline. Long-tailed bats can fly up to 20 km a night and at Pureora range widely across farm and forestry land where they are at greater threat from predators.

Research shows that large-scale predator control over at least 3500 ha, keeping rats to very low levels, is needed to protect long-tailed bats. Linking up forest areas and other habitats with predator control may be key to the survival of long-tailed bats at Pureora, Colin says.

Rat and stoat numbers in the beech forest-clad Eglinton valley spike after each beech mast (seeding) but remain low between masts, while in the warmer mixed podocarp and hardwood forest at Pureora predators tend to be consistently high.

DOC controls predators in the Eglinton valley using combinations of sustained trapping, ground-based toxins, and periodic aerial 1080 over large areas to prevent predator plagues following beech masts.

In Pureora, toxins in bait stations are used to protect bats over 900 ha, timed for when they are raising their young in maternity roosts. Predator control at nearby Waipapa will also be helping to protect their wider habitat.

Monitoring bats is intensive work and involves catching a sample of bats from a colony and either attaching identifying bands or PIT tags (passive integrated transponders). In following years, the bats are either recaptured or logged as they enter or leave maternity roosts.

Annual survival is estimated from the number of marked individuals detected year by year. DOC staff that monitor bats are specially trained and take hygiene precautions when handling bats, including hand washing and using gloves.

The Eglinton Valley and Pureora are two of the few places where both species of bats remain. The Eglinton has one of only two populations of short-tailed bats on mainland South Island, with the other in the Murchison Mountains. Pureora is a stronghold for the central sub-species of short-tailed bat, which is in decline.

Bat populations continue to decline at unmanaged sites.

DOC also monitors bats at other sites around the country including Puketi Forest, Rangataua and Whirinaki in the North Island, and Oparara, Te Maruia, south Canterbury and the Murchison Mountains in the South Island.
Swamped with 27,000 calls, less than 6 percent of callers Saturday made it through to the WellMed hotline to reserve one of the 9,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses available.

Asuncion Guadalupe Gonzales, 74, was happy to be one of the 1,600 callers who got an appointment.

On Monday morning, she and her husband, Jose Luis Sanchez, 71, received their first doses of the vaccine at the Alicia Trevino Lopez Senior One-Stop Center on Culebra Road.

Gonzales said she felt muy bien and was relieved to have the protection because shes noticed while grocery shopping that not everyone respects physical distancing rules, getting closer than the recommended 6 feet.

The couple was able to get in and out the door in less than 30 minutes.

On ExpressNews.com: Nearly half of San Antonio's COVID deaths were residents on South and West sides

Since Jan. 9, WellMed has vaccinated nearly 20,000 people at the Lopez center and the Elvira Cisneros Senior Community Activity Center on Southwest Military Drive.

Through a partnership with the city, WellMed is targeting residents who may not have access to the internet with a call-in reservation system. No walk-ins are accepted.

The city-run Alamodome site and University Healths Wonderland of Americas also offer appointments by phone. But the sites also have online reservation setups  and the slots are being snatched up within minutes of becoming available.

New data shows the majority of vaccines administered through WellMeds two senior sites are going to residents who live on the citys South, Southeast and Southwest sides  all areas decimated by the coronavirus pandemic. ZIP codes with highest numbers of of residents making appointments include 78221, 78223, 78211, 78210 and 78214.

Spokesman Dan Calderon said most of the shots have gone to people who are between the ages of 65 and 74.

We are on a mission to reach the most vulnerable communities here in San Antonio and the data we received proves we are on the right track, Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran said in a statement. Our main focus is equity and using a phone-line-only method is helping us reach our residents who are at higher risk.

The South and West sides have had much higher rates of infection and deaths than other parts of the city, according to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health Districts monthly epidemiology report.

These parts of the city are overwhelmingly Hispanic with higher rates of chronic medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes that are linked to higher coronavirus risks.

Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales said many of her constituents in District 5, which is deep in the West Side, have front-line jobs and are unable to avoid the virus by working from home.

Everybody Ive talked to really wants to get the vaccine. They dont care where they have to go, she said.

On ExpressNews.com: As COVID-19 fears intensify and more San Antonians seek vaccinations, a common cry is heard: Where is my shot?

The number of vaccines are extremely limited, but U.S. public health officials believe enough vaccines will be available for those who want them by June.

At this time, health care workers, anyone age 65 and older, and adults 18 and older with chronic health conditions are eligible for the vaccines that protect against the coronavirus, which has killed more than 2,100 people in Bexar County.

The phone number to schedule an appointment through WellMed is 833-968-1745.

Operators are taking calls from 8 a.m. to 8.p.m. and expect to fill the rest of the reservations by Tuesday morning, said John Erwin, CEO of Carenet Health, which has been contracted by WellMed to run its call center.

At the Lopez senior center, six Galen College of Nursing students were among the health care volunteers administering shots. The licensed vocational nurse students are set to graduate in March.

Alejandra Romero, 22, said she was excited when she heard that she would be helping give out the vaccines as part of her clinical experience. She immediately texted her family in Laredo to tell them and found out her grandfather and aunt are supposed to get their vaccines soon.

If theres any extra doses, Romero might get hers this week.

It feels amazing being able to be on the front lines. Everyone is really grateful to get their vaccine, she said.

laura.garcia@express-news.net
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman presented the Union Budget for the year 2021-22 in the lower house of the parliament on Monday (February 1).

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore for the National Research Foundation spread for the next five years. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamn said, "It will ensure that the overall research ecosystem of the country is strengthened with focus om identified national-priority thrust areas."

Rs. 1,500 crore opposed for scheme to promote Digital Modes of Payments. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the house that there has been a manifold increase in digital payments in the recent past and there was a need to take steps to carry forward this momentum. Rs 1,500 crore has been proposed for a scheme that will provide financial incentive to promote digital modes of payment and further boost digital transactions.

National Language Translation Mission (NTLM)

A new initiative called National Language Translation Mission (NTLM) has been proposed that will digitise the wealth of governance-and-policy related knowledge on the Internet and be made available in major Indian languages.

Indias Space Sector

The Minister informed the house that New Space India Limited (NSIL), a PSU under the Department of Space, will execute the PSLV-CS51 launch, carrying the Amazonia Satellite from Brazil, along with a few smaller Indian satellites. Four Indian astronauts are also being trained on Generic Space Flight aspects, in Russia for the Gaganyaan Mission, slated to be launched for December 2021.

Deep Ocean Mission

To better understand the realm of Oceans Smt. Sitharaman proposed to launch a Deep Ocean Mission with a budget outlay of more than Rs 4,000 crores, over five years. This Mission will cover deep ocean survey exploration and projects for the conservation of deep sea bio-diversity.

Live TV
Gray clouds signaled rain on a recent Saturday morning in far East Bexar County, where a man of the country shared old ways with a teen of the new millennium.

It would have been understandable for Gary Brown, 51, to stay home. After a hard week at work, he could have slipped off his shoes, put his feet up and surfed cable TV channels all day.

But that wasnt an option.

Bad weather couldnt stop him from passing on the skills of African Americans who settled the land to his teenage nephew, Jovaughn Wolford. That morning on Joe Louis Drive, the lanky teen helped his broad-shouldered uncle clean out stalls at a corrugated steel stable.

About the author A 22-year veteran of the Air Force, Vincent T. Davis embarked on a second career as a journalist and found his calling. Observing and listening across San Antonio, he finds intriguing tales to tell about everyday people. He shares his stories with Express-News subscribers every Monday morning. See More Collapse

They let horses named Smoke and Black Boy, run and stretch their legs in a round pen.

As Brown brushed an ebony mane, he talked to the horse: You have to look good out here when the other horses come around, you dont want your hair to be tangled.

After he groomed the gelding, he and his nephew saddled the mounts and rode across the well-trod field.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio marketing manager collects pressed pennies from around the world

Brown has taught JoVaughn, 16, about life on the range since he was a tot. He taught the teen how to fish, how to drive and bought him his first horse, Milo, named after a neighbors dog.

The nephew has absorbed his uncles lessons and sought out more knowledge on his own. Hes more comfortable wearing jeans and cowboy boots with spurs than the latest high-top sneakers  peers call him Cowboy.

Hes like a father figure, JoVaughn said of his uncle. Its a good feeling being around horses because a lot of people cant.

Brown is part of the local community of Black cowboys who keep the practices of African American ranchers and wranglers alive in a rural sector of Bexar County. Hes one of the regulars who drive from the city to the fields lining the narrow road on weekends and after work to care for their horses, saddle up and take in the fresh country air.

During the week, Brown works for Servpro of Northwest San Antonio as a production manager, overseeing water mitigation and mold remediation in homes and businesses.

Amid the swirl of everyday life and eye-raising newsflashes, he finds peace spending time outdoors, fishing, grilling, camping and riding his horse on trail rides across the countryside.

Brown said when you cross Foster Road in East Bexar County the atmosphere is much different from the often stressful city life. The laid-back country pace reminds him of summers he spent with his grandparents in Louisiana. His maternal and paternal grandparents lived 23 miles apart, in Clarence and Winnfield parish seats, respectively.

The terrain in the Bayou State was green and lush. One turn from the blacktop and drivers would rumble down red dirt roads past sun-bleached farm houses and tall pine trees.

San Antonio has always been Browns home. He lived with his parents, Ruby and Eugene Brown, his two sisters and brother on the East Side. The family settled in the Alamo City after his father, a soldier, was injured in the Vietnam War and discharged with a disability. He received medical care at Fort Sam Houston.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio pastor extends downtown meal deliveries to homeless camps in suburbs

Browns father taught him how to fish and set up a camp, skills hes passing on to his nephews. Horseback riding has also been a family pastime  his mother and two sisters also take part in the trail rides.

His first trail ride was in 2005. He rode a friends horse around China Grove, the small Bexar County town immortalized in a 1973 song by the rock band the Doobie Brothers.

When horses were allowed in the Martin Luther King Jr. March, Brown rode his horse, Girlfriend, along the 2.75 mile route several times.

In 2008, he let a friend borrow the horse for his grandson to ride. That afternoon, his friend called with an unexpected request  his grandson had fallen in love with Girlfriend and couldnt bear to be without her. Would he sell? Taken by the boys affection for the quarter horse mare, Brown agreed.

He bought another horse, a small black gelding, but eventually sold him, too. Now Brown has a creole quarter horse with blue eyes named Misty.

For the past three years, Brown and his trail riding club, Tone City Ryderz have joined caravans of all-terrain vehicles, long-flatbed trailers, campers and riders of all ages on horse back, just as Bexar County settlers did in the late 19th Century.

On ExpressNews.com: Roller derby-skating, reptile-loving librarian encourages San Antonio students to live life out loud

In 2018, his cousin Michael Shirley founded the club comprised of family and friends to ensure the trail rides and tradition would do. They also do community service; during the holidays, the group organized a toy drive and barbecued 100 turkey legs to give to the homeless.

The Ryderz are one of several Black trail riding clubs in the area. Often on the trips, Brown will bring his nephews JoVaughn and Jaylynn Shelton, 14, along. Hes raised the siblings who have lived with him and his wife.

At trails end, the riders and their support crew often gather beneath the stars and spin tales of Black men and women who built homesteads, tended the land and herded cattle to market.

Brown and the riders always tout their rich heritage to the youngsters. They remind the young ones of their ancestors and trailblazers such as the Buffalo Soldiers and the Tuskegee Airmen who overcame tremendous odds to provide better days for future generations.

I want them to see the things that Black people did and still do, Brown said, and be proud.

vtdavis@express-news.net
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- There are speed restrictions on Staten Islands three bridges to New Jersey, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ).

Both directions of the Bayonne Bridge, Goethals Bridge and Outerbridge Crossing have a 30 mph speed restriction in effect, the agency said Sunday night.

Both directions of the Bayonne Bridge continue to have a 30 mph speed restriction in place.  Bayonne Bridge. Wear a Face Covering. (@PANYNJ_BB) February 1, 2021

Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a state of emergency on Sunday night that includes restricting non-emergency travel beginning at 6 a.m. on Monday.

Empty and tandem tractor trailers will be prohibited on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, beginning 6 a.m. Monday, state officials announced in a press release Sunday.
Police have charged a 42-year-old man over the death of a woman whose body was found metres from a primary school in Geelong on Sunday night.

Emergency services were called to a home on The Walk in Thomson, in the citys east, shortly before 9.30pm on Sunday.

The womans body was found at address in Geelong. Credit:Nine News

The flats, which face Tate Street Primary School, back on to a small shopping strip and Geelongs nearby Eastern Cemetery.

A police spokeswoman said the woman, who is yet to be formally identified, was in a critical condition when paramedics arrived.
Chinese conglomerate on Sunday said that it has filed a lawsuit against the US Defense and Treasury departments, seeking reversal of a decision to block US investments.

The company filed the lawsuit in the US District Court of Columbia on January 29.

"With a view to protecting the interests of the global users, partners, employees and shareholders of the company, the company has pleaded to the courts to declare the decision illegal and that it be reversed," said in a statement.

The move comes after the US Department of Defense earlier this month blacklisted as a "Communist Chinese military company".

This designation qualifies Xiaomi to fall under former US President Donald Trump's Executive Order from November that bars American investors from buying securities from such companies.

"Xiaomi faces imminent, severe, and irreparable harm if the Designation remains in place and the restrictions take effect," the company said in the filing.

"Xiaomi is not owned or controlled or otherwise affiliated with the Chinese government or military, nor is it owned or controlled by any entity affiliated with the Chinese defense industrial base," it added.

The move to designation Xiaomi as a "Communist Chinese military company" came amid heightened trade tensions between China and the US under the Trump administration.

--IANS

gb/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.)
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has declared a State of Emergency for most of New York as a noreaster is set to make its way north throughout Monday night into Tuesday.

There are 44 counties listed in the declaration, including Herkimer, Oneida and Otsego counties.

The heaviest snow was downstate Monday morning, in and around New York City. It is expected to reach the Mohawk Valley Monday evening.

A State of Emergency is in effect for 44 counties across New York. Transportation restrictions and road closures are starting to go into effect as the snow continues to worsen. New Yorkersplease stay home. https://t.co/Ino6ztrdeA  Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) February 1, 2021

Cuomo says 130 members of the National Guard have been deployed to areas hit the hardest to help with emergency response efforts.

It's a nor'easter that's been coming up the shores. I'm sure everybody has been watching. It makes it more difficult for us when it's statewide because normally we deploy assets around the state, he said. We will bring assets from upstate to help downstate, downstate to help upstate. When it's statewide obviously we have to protect across the entire state.

Otsego County and the southern parts of Herkimer and Oneida counties are under a Winter Storm Warning until Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Most areas in the region are expected to get 5 inches to a foot of snow through Wednesday morning.

The following counties are under the State of Emergency: New York City and Albany, Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Madison, Montgomery, Nassau, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Westchester, and Yates counties.
The Greeley JBS meat packing plant sits idle in Greeley, Colo., as the company tested employees for COVID-19, on April 16, 2020. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

House Panel Investigating COVID-19 Outbreaks at Tyson, JBS, Smithfield Plants

A special House of Representatives panel is probing COVID-19 outbreaks at major meatpacking plants.

The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis says major companies have shown a disregard for the health of their workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In letters to Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods, and JBS USA, Chairman James Clyburn (D-S.C.) accused them of taking actions that appear to have resulted in thousands of meatpacking workers getting infected with the virus and hundreds dying.

Clyburn asked the companies to provide documents relating to complaints from employees regarding the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, which causes COVID-19, documents related to virus-related inspections at facilities and plants, and details on the number of employees who have tested positive for COVID-19.

Smithfields chief administrative officer, Keira Lombardo, said in a statement that the company has taken seriously our responsibility to protect the health and safety of employees while continuing to provide food for our nation.

From early in the pandemic, we have taken extraordinary measures to protect our team members from the virus and we have met or exceeded the prevailing federal, state and local health and safety guidance, including with personal protective equipment. It is unfortunate that there are inaccuracies and misinformation in the media on this issue and we look forward to providing the Subcommittee with correct information, Lombardo added, saying Smithfield has invested more than $700 million to protect employees.

A JBS spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that it would submit documents to the subcommittee.

Since the onset of the pandemic, JBS USA has invested more than $200 million in health and safety interventions, more than $160 million in bonuses and permanent increased pay, and donated more than $50 million to support our local communities, the spokesperson said. The company has implemented safety measures including constructing permanent physical barriers and establishing physical distancing protocols.

Tyson didnt return an inquiry.

Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) is seen attending President Joe Bidens inauguration in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. (Win McNamee/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

According to a study by the National Academy of Sciences published last year, meatpacking plants were associated with between 236,000 to 310,000 coronavirus cases and 4,300 to 5,200 coronavirus deaths as of July 21, 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said meatpacking plants are a source for rapid transmission of the CCP virus.

Clyburn also wrote to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), alleging the body failed to adequately carry out its responsibility for enforcing worker safety laws at meatpacking plants across the country, resulting in preventable infections and deaths.

It is imperative that the previous Administrations shortcomings are swiftly identified and rectified to save lives in the months before coronavirus vaccinations are available for all Americans, he added.

Clyburn requested a briefing by Feb. 15 and documents and information concerning how many virus-related complaints OSHA has received in connection to meatpacking and meat processing facilities, among other data.
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.
Police arrested both men on Sunday in the 8000 block of South Marquette Avenue, in the South Chicago neighborhood. About 4:30 p.m., officers noticed the stolen vehicle and tried to make a traffic stop, police said. Jones, of the 7000 block of South Paxton Avenue, and Price, of the 4400 block of West Gladys Avenue, tried to run off but were caught soon after, police said.
Nearly a year ago, in the throes of a difficult fight against cancer, Gloria Ongasco De Paz-Hryniuk departed the frozen Manitoba prairie shed come to call home, to return one final time to the island nation where she was raised.

Nearly a year ago, in the throes of a difficult fight against cancer, Gloria Ongasco De Paz-Hryniuk departed the frozen Manitoba prairie shed come to call home, to return one final time to the island nation where she was raised.

It would be a chance to visit her sister and extended family in the Philippines, to say farewell, and to share her pride of country, husband Harold Hryniuk said, before the creeping disease made travel impossible.

SUPPLIED Gloria and sister Flora in the Philippines in February 2020.

"She was sort of a tour guide," Harold said, recalling the February 2020 trip, that included lengthy excursions to visit friends and relatives, touring the coastline and staying at resorts, before the coronavirus pandemic hastened their return to Canada.

After 15 years of living in Winnipeg, it was Glorias first time going back to her birthplace.

"It was quite an experience," Harold said. "She was very happy."

After beating breast cancer nearly two decades earlier, in fall 2018 Gloria learned the disease had returned. Despite aggressive treatment and a determined fight, it spread to her lungs and lymph nodes.

On Aug. 10, 2020, Gloria died at Grace Hospice at age 59, with Harold and dear friend Monica Bulacso at her bedside.

SUPPLIED Gloria Ongasco De Paz-Hryniuk and her husband Harold in the Philippines in February 2020.

Gloria was born in Dasmarinas, Cavite, about 30 kilometres south of Manila, in the Philippines, to parents Sotera and Rafael De Paz on Nov. 18, 1960.

As a young adult she studied at the Philippine Christian University and was an ambitious student, Harold said, ultimately earning two degrees and excelling in business management.

However, her true lifelong passion was singing. After graduating from university, Gloria toured China, the United Arab Emirates and across the Philippines, performing full-time in casinos and large clubs with her band for nine years, before the musicians parted ways.

She then landed a job working at a resort on the island of Palawan, which would set into motion her eventual journey to Canada.

SUPPLIED Gloria Ongasco De Paz-Hryniuk visited Times Square and Macys in New York at Christmastime with friends in 2019.

In 2005, a mutual friend who knew Gloria through the resort gave Harold her phone number and suggested he give her a call; she said Gloria was in Seattle during the low-season visiting with friends, both of them were on the market, and assured Harold the two would get along.

Despite being reluctant to cold call a stranger, Harold gave Gloria a ring and the two hit it off over the phone, he said. Not long after, he visited Gloria in Seattle and they continued their courtship.

"When I came back to Winnipeg we would still talk on the phone every day, for hours," he said.

Eventually, circumstances were such that Gloria relocated to Winnipeg  in the middle of a snowstorm, Harold recalls  to stay a while with their mutual friend. After about 10 months of dating, Harold proposed and the two were married within weeks.

SUPPLIED De Paz-Hryniuk enjoyed fishing and hunting with husband Harold and extended weekends at lakes in northwest Ontario and Manitoba.

"We had 300 guests fly in from all over the place  from here in Winnipeg, Canada and some in the Philippines  on the spur of the moment," Harold recalls. Gloria performed at the reception, to hearty applause. "It was quite the scene Ill tell you."

Asked what it was about Gloria that won him over, words escape Harold.

"She was a very kind-hearted woman," he said, voice cracking.

The two made their home in East Kildonan and Gloria lost no time bonding with Harolds three adult children (from a previous marriage) and seven grandchildren.

SUPPLIED Gloria Ongasco De Paz-Hryniuk is pictured circa 1992 with her band members prior to a gig in Dubai.

"She loved the kids and she treated them just like her own," Harold said, explaining that Gloria was unable to have children following her previous cancer treatment.

Gloria worked as an assistant manager for the University of Manitobas International Medical Graduate Program and in her free time she volunteered with Manitoba Harvest. On Sundays, she would sing in the choir at St. Gerard Parish, of which she was a member for at least 11 years.

"She always wore a smile, even as the cancer took more from her. She remained a bubbly caring woman deeply rooted in her faith," said Iris Thiesen-Groinus, a choir member at St. Gerard. "Her kind spirit and loving attitude has enriched many lives and will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her."

On the last Sunday before the coronavirus pandemic quieted church choirs in Manitoba, Thiesen-Groinus recalled how Gloria, despite being unable to walk because of the cancer regime, joined the chorus to sing. She was always a motivating and inspiring woman, Thiesen-Groinus said.

SUPPLIED Gloria Ongasco De Paz-Hryniuk in 2009 at her Canadian citizenship ceremony.

"I think its her determination to just keep going and to enjoy and live life," she said.

"As a choir, we have not gone back yet without her because of the lockdown. There will definitely be a void."

Gloria was also connected with the Filipino community in Winnipeg, sharing her vocal talents at the Manitoba Filipino Street Festival, and performing at countless events over the years, Harold said.

"After we got married, there wasnt a week that she didnt have to go some place to sing," he said.

SUPPLIED Gloria Ongasco De Paz-Hryniuk is pictured circa 1992 prior to a gig in Dubai. For nine years, she toured the Philippines, China and the U.A.E. as a vocalist playing casinos, hotels and clubs.

She was diligent in her practise, Harold added, and he adored coming home from business travel to find her practising the latest hits on their karaoke machine.

"She would say I need to get it just exactly perfect. I dont want to have any mistakes," he said.

Gloria was a hard worker who had experienced poverty in her youth and was committed to helping her family, friends and many others, Bulacso said.

The pair met at the resort in Palawan, where Gloria was her superior, and they kept a friendly working relationship.

A few years later, Bulacso was sponsored to immigrate to Manitoba, and learned Gloria had already settled in Winnipeg.

She didnt expect they would rekindle their friendship when she arrived in Manitoba, but Gloria didnt hesitate to extend every kindness, Bulacso said.

"By nature she is like that. She is so nice and everyone thinks of her as a very fine, nice lady," she said.

Over the years, Gloria became an unwavering confidante who offered support without judgment, much like a sister, Bulacso said. She called her "Ate Glo."

"I think I survived a lot of things here  especially when I was just starting  because her contribution helped me," Bulacso said. "She experienced the same things, starting in a new country, a new environment, so she really wanted to help me to adjust.

"I will miss her forever."

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca
Hong Kong: 34k funding applications approved

The Innovation & Technology Commission today announced that the vetting work of the Distance Business Programme under the Anti-epidemic Fund has been completed, with a total of 34,614 applications approved.

About 95% of the approved applications came from small and medium-sized enterprises.

The programme secretariat has notified all the applicant enterprises of the application results via email, the commission said.

It also noted that the programme received an overwhelming response from enterprises, with a total of 38,572 applications from 32,143 enterprises received during the application period.

Excluding cases in which the enterprises did not accept the application results or provide relevant documents after their applications had been approved, the total funding approved so far is about $1.88 billion with an average approved funding of about $64,000.

Successful enterprises should confirm acceptance of the application results and provide documents for compliance checking through the online system before the specified deadline.

The programme secretariat will arrange signing of the funding agreements and fund disbursement as soon as possible.

Enterprises can also make an appointment for signing the funding agreement through the online system.

Call 2788 5070 or send an email to the programme secretariat for enquiries.

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
A 98-year-old veteran from Valatie has been honored for his exemplary duty in World War II.

Former Tech. Sgt. Harold Williams, one of the few Capital Region D-Day Invasion and Battle of the Bulge survivors, was recognized during a virtual ceremony at Lenard-Curtin American Post in Green Island. The ceremony was via Zoom to Williams at St. Peters Nursing and Rehab Center in Albany.

The retired Postal Service worker was recognized by local and state officials during the event held by The Rev. Francis Kelley Society, a military honor society.

Williams served as a radio operator and forward observer with the 62nd Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Infantry Division. He was among the 160,000 Allied troops who landed on Normandy beaches. He landed in the first wave under heavy enemy fire on Omaha Beach.

During the Great Depression, Williams dropped out of eighth grade and went to work to help his family financially. He worked in farm fields, in a mill and the Watervliet Arsenal before he enlisted in the Army in 1942.

Before Normandy, Williams had fought in North Africa and Tunisia before invading Sicily.

After Normandy, Williams went to Ardennes for the Battle of the Bulge. He participated in strategic important battles of the Hertgen Forest and Eisenhorn Ridge, where his unit destroyed 40 German tanks

He later fought at Leipzig before deploying to Czechoslovakia.

Williams medals include American Theatre Campaign, European-Africa-Middle Eastern, World War II Victory, Presidential Unit Citation, Republic of France Certificate and Army Occupation  Germany.

Superintendent Suzanne Guntlow of the Ichabod Crane school district presented a high school diploma to Williams. Speakers included Tom Mullins of the Kelley Society, who presented a shadow box displaying Williams medals and unit patches..

State Sen. Daphne Jordan presented a Liberty Award and a proclamation. Assemblyman Jacob Ashby read and presented a citation. Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy presented a proclamation. Valatie Mayor Diane Argyle read and presented community letters. Ken Secor, Albany County Veterans Bureau, and John Mullen, co-chairman of the Rev. Francis A. Kelley Society also spoke.

Navy duty

More Information News of your troops and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com See More Collapse

Navy Lt. Peter Quinn of Clifton Park was one of more than 800 service members assigned to Joint Task Force-National Capital Region. He was part of a team that is responsible for planning and coordinating Department of Defense support for the ceremonial events during the inauguration.

JTF-NCR is a joint service command charged with coordinating all military ceremonial support for the 59th Presidential Inauguration. As a joint command, JTF-NCR includes members from all branches of the United States armed forces operating under the auspices of Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region.

It was a great honor to be selected to participate in the time honored tradition to celebrate the presidential inauguration, said Quinn, who as 34 years of military service and currently serves as an operations officer for Joint Team-Special Events.

The sailor graduated from Shenendehowa Central High School in 1985 and continued his education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, earning a bachelors degree in 2000 and a masters degree in 2005.

Quinn said he joined the military because he wasnt sure what he wanted to do in life.

I am one of eight children, so I was going to have to pay for college, he said. I had worked since I was 12 years old; I had a paper route, I was the lawnmower guy, I was the babysitter, I was doing anything to make money. I was very self-sufficient since a very young age, so I said I was not going to work just to put money into college when I didnt know what I wanted to do or why I wanted to do it, so I joined the military.

Since joining, Quinn said, his most rewarding experience in the military was his time conducting repatriations for deceased service members.

For the past 15 years, I have rendered final military honors for over 1,500 Navy veterans, said Quinn. The most memorable by far has been when I had had the privilege to repatriate the remains of two World War veterans over 50 years after they left their hometown to go to war, giving their life for our country. There are always a couple of people who have a strong bond for that individual, but everyone recognizes the service and sacrifices theyve made.

Quinn described the wide range of emotions he has seen from families after their loved one finally came home. There have been family members who just collapse in emotion, all the way up to respect and gratitude for the military to even recognize ... that person, Quinn said. When you present the flag to the next of kin, its pretty special.

Quinns family has a long history of military service. His father served four years in the Navy as a combat information center officer during the Korean War, and he has uncles who have served in every war since World War II..

In 2018, I had the unique opportunity to give my eldest son his commissioning oath to get him into the military after his completion of Navy ROTC at Cornell University, explained Quinn. He now serves as an engineering duty officer on a nuclear submarine. Hes definitely had to work hard to get where hes at. Im very proud of him, and its been a great journey for him 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.
BANGKOK  Myanmars military launched a coup on Monday, detaining the countrys civilian leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and her top lieutenants in early morning raids and seizing power from a government established only five years ago.

Officials from the National League for Democracy, Ms. Aung San Suu Kyis party, confirmed the detentions on Monday morning. Hours later, with politicians and activists alike racing to find out who had been detained, a military television network announced a one-year state of emergency with ultimate authority transferred to the army chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.

State television broadcast a statement from the military later on Monday that said extreme steps were necessary because of what it labeled voter fraud in elections last November. Those polls had confirmed the National League for Democracys dominance over the militarys proxy party. In its statement, the military said that it will oversee free and fair multiparty elections after the end of the state of emergency.

Mobile networks and the internet were intermittently down in major cities, and some local journalists went into hiding for fear that their reporting could compromise their safety. Domestic flights were suspended, and the main international airport in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, had been shuttered, according to residents.
Gustavo Ortiz Argentina

Gustavo spent his childhood in Realico, a small town lost in the Argentine Pampas. Besides the artistic activities experienced in his neighbourhood, an encounter with art would amaze and influence him; during a school trip to Buenos Aires, he attended a retrospective of the surrealist artist Joan Miro.

At 17, he moved to General Pico for his studies. At the time he hesitated between art and veterinarian studies, but quickly his instinct led him to choose an artistic path. He completed classical training for 5 years at the university and acquired a solid foundation in art history and philosophy and experimented with different techniques.

At 21 he moved to Chili and opened a studio in Santiago de Chile. For seven years he expressed his desire to create on his canvases and began to make a living from his work.

Gustavo interweaves his South American origins and his intellectual attraction for Europe to create a unique universe; a harmony between indigenous and colonial art.

His style can be distinguished by the strength of the colours, the crisp edges and the use of collage as the main technique. He paints reduced landscapes, peopled with disproportionate characters or objects. Gustavo is inspired by the myths and legends of native Latin America. His paintings reveal elements of Primitive Art punctuated by an unexpected surrealism. The colourful and imaginary atmosphere of Joan Miro inspires his works.

The rich creative period in Santiago gave him the notoriety and experience necessary to launch in Europe. In 2007 he crossed the Atlantic and decided with his English girlfriend to settle in London, where he continued his artistic adventure and multiplied his exhibitions.

Gustavo wishes to express ""an air of childish wonder and discreet humour"" and create a surprising universe, a tale of wonder"".
Yangon, Feb 1 : The Myanmar military on Monday detained government leaders including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint after which the government declared a state of emergency which will last one year.

The emergency declaration signed by First Vice President U Myint Swe, who is serving as the Acting President, was announced on the military-owned Myawady TV, reports Xinhua news agency.

The state power will be handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing, according to the declaration.

Besides Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, other senior officials of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) were also detained by the military earlier in the day.

"I received internal reports about our state counsellor and president being taken by the military. As far as I was informed, Shan State's Planning and Finance Minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin, Kayah state's NLD chairman Thaung Htay and some NLD representatives of the Ayeyarwady region's Parliament have been detained," Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the NLD, told Xinhua.

"Two members of the Central Executive Committee of the party were taken and I am also waiting to be detained as I was informed by our members that my turn will come shortly," he said.

The state-run Radio and Television (MRTV) is also no longer working, the channel announced on its social media page.

Telecommunications in capital city of Nay Pyi Taw and some other regions and states are also being cut off.

The coup comes after tensions escalated between the civilian government and the military following the disputed November 2020 general elections.

In the election, Suu Kyi's NLD won enough seats to form a government, the BBC reported.

But the army has insisted that the vote was fraudulent.

The newly-elected lower house of parliament was due to convene for the first time on Monday but the military was calling for a postponement.

Myanmar was ruled by the military until democratic reforms began in 2011.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text

Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung, with a flower given by his supporter, in front of the Gwangju City Hall on Jan. 29. Yonhap



Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung topped a latest poll of potential presidential candidates released Monday, gaining significant ground compared to two months ago.



In a survey conducted by Realmeter on 2,529 people over the age of 18 from Jan. 25-29, 23.4 percent picked Lee as their favored presidential candidate.



Lee saw a 5.2 percentage point jump in favorability in comparison to two months ago. The results marked the first time Lee finished first in a presidential hopeful poll from Realmeter.



Previous front-runner Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl fell to second place, with 18.4 percent, followed by Lee Nak-yon, chairman of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), coming in third with 13.6 percent.





Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl leaves Gwacheon Government Complex on Feb. 1 where he met newly-elected Justice Minister Park Beom-kye. Yonhap



The Gyeonggi governor gained ground across all metrics and indices, such as age, political leanings and professions.









Gov. Lee has gained more than 10 percentage points in support from the region encompassing Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province, logging a 21.8 percent rating.



Support for the governor in the Gwangju and South Jeolla region, a traditional stronghold area for Chairman Lee, also rose 8.5 percentage points to 22.1 percent. Gov. Lee finished first in Seoul.



The governor gained strong traction in support from those in their 20s and 70s, progressives, students and manual workers. The poll had a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points.



A separate Realmeter survey also showed that the DP led the party approval race in Seoul, while the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) performed stronger in the southeastern port city of Busan, ahead of upcoming mayoral by-elections in both metropolises.





Chairman of the ruling Democratic Party Lee Nak-yon enters the party's supreme council meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul's Yeouido on Feb. 1. Yonhap
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.
Kravchuk said the issue of Donbas and Crimea is "the most painful" today since it is perceived differently by certain political forces.

Head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on Donbas Leonid Kravchuk says the issue of Donbas and Crimea may be put to a national referendum.

Speaking on TV Channel Ukraina 24, he said the issue of Donbas and Crimea is "the most painful" today since it is perceived differently by certain political forces, as reported by the Hromadske media outlet.

"They have disagreed on the fundamental issue. It is about peace and war, life and death. It rarely happens that people disagree so deeply, and they do. Therefore, perhaps we will have to put it to a referendum for people to say how life should be organized in those regions that are not controlled by Ukraine today, but are Ukrainian territories," Kravchuk said.

The official also noted the main issue of the referendum should be "the fact that Ukraine is integral, independent, with the return of its territory." He is confident this position is not questioned by Ukraine's international partners.

"The way of getting the Russia-occupied territories back must be proposed by the state, the authorities, the Verkhovna Rada, and people must say 'no, this cannot be so, the entire territory of Ukraine is integral, independent and must belong to Ukraine," Kravchuk added.

Read also Kravchuk invites OSCE to develop single document of proposals for Donbas settlement National referendum bill: Background

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, on January 26 passed a bill on the national referendum.

The document determines the possibility of holding an e-referendum, but only after a separate law is adopted that would regulate the relevant procedure.

A referendum on a popular initiative is proclaimed by President in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine. The national referendum on a popular initiative is proclaimed at the request of at least 3 million Ukrainian citizens who have the right to vote provided that signatures for the appointment of the referendum have been collected in at least two-thirds of the regions with at least 100,000 signatures secured in each such region.

According to the bill, the following issues may be decided at a national referendum:

- Approval of the law on amendments to sections I, III, XIII of the Constitution of Ukraine;

- Issues of altering Ukraine borders; and

- Expiration of a law or its individual provisions.

The bill also defines issues that cannot be a subject of a national referendum.

Reporting by UNIAN
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
A brother of up-and-coming rapper Uzzy Marcus was arrested in California following an eight-hour standoff with police and charged with murdering two women, whose lifeless bodies were captured in an Instagram Live video.

Raymond Weber, 29, was taken into custody by police in Vacaville at around 8.30am on Saturday and was then booked into the Solano County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder and multiple other felonies, including domestic assault.

Weber, who goes by the nickname 'Zino,' is the brother of local rapper Uzzy Marcus, 25, whose real name is Marcus Weber.

Raymond Weber, 29 (left), the older brother of California rapper Marcus Weber (right), known as Uzzy Marcus, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder

Raymond Weber was seen on Instagram Live smoking a cigarette next to the bodies of two women on Saturday

In the video, Weber brandishes and gun, and accuses his rapper brother of trying to kill him and the female victims of setting him up

Marcus Weber is currently being held in the Sacramento County Jail without bail in connection to an unrelated case, accused of endangering the life or health of a child and possession of a firearm by a felon.

The incident in Vacaville began unfolding at around 12.42am on Saturday, when police responded to a call of a welfare check at the Rocky Hill Veterans Apartments located at 582 Rocky Hill Road.

A woman called to report a man, later identified as Raymond Weber, was inside an apartment and possibly armed. She said the suspect had livestreamed himself on Instagram brandishing a gun while crouching next to two women lying motionless on the floor.

In the chilling video, Weber is seen pointing a gun into the camera while smoking a cigarette. At one point, he lifts a woman's hand and says: 'that b**** tried to set me up. That's what she did.'

He then accuses his younger brother and others of trying to have him killed, but he does not elaborate.

Police responded to the apartment building at 582 Rocky Hill Road in Vacaville, California, early Saturday to perform a welfare check

After an eight-hour standoff with Weber, SWAT team members used flash bang grenades to get inside the apartment

'Uzzy Marcus wanna have me killed,' he says while waving his gun.

Later in the video, Weber turns off the light in the room and pretends to fire his gun.

'There's police everywhere,' he whispers. 'This gonna be the last time ya'll see me. Any minute they're gonna kick this door down. They're all outside.'

Officers learned Weber, from Santa Rosa, was wanted for an outstanding warrant for various felonies, including assault with a deadly weapon.

Police who responded to the scene found the suspect had barricaded himself inside the apartment, prompting the activation of the SWAT team.

Police negotiators were also dispatched to the scene and tried to convince Weber to surrender, but to no avail.

Out of an abundance of caution, the other units in the apartment building were evacuated as police used 'distraction devices and chemical agents' to force Weber out of the unit.

Some eight hours later, police entered the apartment and found Weber hiding inside. After a brief struggle, during which the 29-year-old was tased, he was taken into custody.

Police discovered two women dead inside the apartment. They have not been identified pending next-of-kin notifications.

Weber remained jailed without bond on Monday. He is due back in court on Tuesday.

Weber has a lengthy criminal history. In 2014, he was said to be present when his then-16-year-old brother, Antoine, shot and killed Weber's 19-year-old girlfriend, Nicole Duarte, reported ABC10.

Uzzy Weber released his debut album in 2017. He is currently in jail on counts of endangering the life or health of a child and possession of a firearm by a felon

Antoine Weber later pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and was sent to state prison, where he will be eligible for parole in 2028.

Uzzy Marcus released his debut album, Mafia Reputation, in 2017, followed by the album Project 42K in 2019, and his third album, titled Friendly Gang Fire, last year.

He has collaborated with rappers Mozzy and Celly Ru.

His title track 42K has been played on Spotify more than 177,000 times.
At The Franklin, the space she runs with her husband near where Garfield Park and Humboldt Park meet, artist Edra Soto said she intends to use the windfall to support an artist from Puerto Rico she intends to show (Norma Vila Rivero), to build the first website for The Franklin, and to expand the scope of a book about the space that is already in the works.
Sylvia Jeffreys and Peter Stefanovic became parents for the first time last year.

And on Sunday, the doting parents celebrated their son Oscar's first birthday.

'Our sweet, spirited, determined Oscar Hamilton is ONE today and we still cant believe our luck,' Sylvia, 34, captioned a series of images on Instagram from the day with Pete, 39.

Scroll down for video

'We still can't believe our luck': Pregnant Sylvia Jeffreys (left) and husband Peter Stefanovic (right) celebrated their son Oscar's first birthday with adorable party in Sydney on Sunday

Sylvia made sure to heavily document the special occasion held with family and friends at their home in Sydney over the weekend.

'We love you more than we ever knew we were capable of. May you continue to squeeze every drop out of this big, beautiful life,' she added.

Joking about the amount of photos taken of Oscar with his blue 'one' cake, the Nine star concluded: 'One day your proud, overbearing parents will let you eat cake in peace. But not today.'

Family fun! Pete's mother Jenny (left) held Oscar for a fun photo with Karl Stefanovic's wife Jasmine (right) and their child Harper

Joining in on the celebrations was Pete's famous brother Karl Stefanovic and mother Jenny, as well as Sylvia's mother Janine Jeffreys.

Karl's wife Jasmine (nee Yarbrough) and their nine-month old daughter Harper were also in attendance for the family fun day.

Jasmine commented on the post: 'These are such great shots!! Happy 1st birthday to our special Oscy.'

'One day your proud, overbearing parents will let you eat cake in peace. But not today': Sylvia shared an adorable photo of Oscar trying a piece of his birthday cake

Practice makes perfect! In August, Sylvia had already started practising her baking skills to ensure she created the perfect first birthday cake for him

In August, Sylvia had already started practising her baking skills to ensure she created the perfect first birthday cake for him.

She revealed at the time she has chosen the number-one shapes cake from the Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book.

Things didn't quite go to plan during her first attempts, with the TV presenter hilariously revealing the mission was an epic fail on Today Extra.

Luckily for Sylvia, the cake turned out perfectly over the weekend when it came to Oscar's big day.

Another baby boy on the way! When Oscar was just eight months old in October, Sylvia announced she was expecting a second child with Pete. Pictured with Sylvia's mother Janine

When Oscar was just eight months old in October, Sylvia announced she was expecting a second child.

The couple revealed Oscar would have a little brother by April 2021.

Peter and Sylvia tied the knot in 2017.
[February 01, 2021] Heritage Cannabis Announces Overnight Marketed Public Offering of Units

Heritage Cannabis Holdings Corp. (CSE: CANN) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has filed a preliminary short form prospectus with the securities commissions in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia (the "Canadian Jurisdictions") in connection with an overnight marketed public offering of units (each, a "Unit") of the Company (the "Offering"). Each Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one common share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable for one Common Share at any time for a period of 24 months following closing of the Offering. Final pricing of the Units (the "Issue Price"), the Warrant exercise price and the determination of the number of Units to be sold pursuant to the Offering will be determined in the context of the market prior to the filing of the final short form prospectus in respect of the Offering. The Company intends to apply to the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") to list the Warrants on the CSE, subject to satisfying all conditions to listing. The Offering will be conducted on a "best efforts" basis by a syndicate of agents co-led by Cantor Fitzgerald Canada Corporation and Cormark Securities Inc. (collectively, the "Agents"). The Company has granted the Agents an option, exercisable in whole or in part, at the sole discretion of the Agents, at any time up to up to 48 hours before the closing of the Offering, to purchase from the Company up to an additional 15% of the Units sold under the Offering, on the same terms and conditions of the Offering, to cover over-allotments, if any, and for market stabilization purposes (the "Over-Allotment Option"). The Over-Allotment Option may be exercised by the Agents to purchase additional Units, Common Shares, Warrants or any combination thereof. The Company will pay the Agents a cash commission ("Commission") equal to 7.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering, together with broker warrants to purchase up to 7.0% of the number of Units sold in the Offering (each, a "Broker Warrant"). Each Broker Warrant shall entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Unit at the Issue Price at any time on or before the date on which the Warrants issued under the Offering are set to expire. Commission and Broker Warrants will be reduced by 50% on applicable president's list orders. The Offering will be completed (i) by way of a short form prospectus to be filed in the Canadian Jurisdictions, (ii) on a private placement basis to "accredited investors" meeting one or more of the criteria in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D ("Regulation D") under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") and "qualified institutional buyer" within the meaning of Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act, pursuant to Rule 506(b) of Regulation D thereunder, and similar exemptions under applicable state securities laws, and (iii) outside Canada and the United States as agreed to by the Company and the Agnts, provided that no prospectus filing or comparable obligation arises and the Company does not thereafter become subject to continuous disclosure obligations in any such jurisdiction.



The Offering is expected to close on or about February 17, 2021, or such other date as the Company and the Agents may agree. Closing of the Offering is subject to customary closing conditions, including, but not limited to, the execution of an agency agreement and the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including any required approvals of the CSE. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to purchase additional biomass, packaging materials and equipment, product development and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. About Heritage Cannabis Holdings Corp. Heritage is a cannabinoid company focused on the production and sale of medical and recreational hemp-based and cannabis-based products and services. In Canada, Heritage operates through its subsidiaries Voyage Cannabis Corp. and CannaCure Corp., both regulated under the Cannabis Act Regulations. Working under these subsidiaries and the Purefarma, Pura Vida and Premium 5 brands, Heritage focuses on extraction and the creation of derivative products for recreational consumers, as well as the formulation of cannabis based medical solutions. In the U.S., Heritage operates under Opticann Inc., a Colorado based oral and topical cannabinoid company with the rights to exclusively sell CBD and CBG products made with the patented VESIsorb drug delivery system for optimized absorption and stability. As the parent company, Heritage is focused on providing the resources for its subsidiaries to advance their products or services to compete both domestically and internationally. ON (News - Alert) BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF HERITAGE CANNABIS HOLDINGS CORP. "Clint Sharples" Clint Sharples

CEO The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. 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 the Company'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 contained herein may include, but is not limited to, information relating to the proposed terms, timing and potential completion of the Offering, satisfaction of regulatory requirements and the intended use of the net proceeds of the Offering. By identifying such information and statements in this manner, the Company is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. An investment in securities of the Company is speculative and subject to several risks including, without limitation, the risks discussed under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's annual information form for the financial year ended October 31, 2019 dated January 25, 2021. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. In connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions. Although the Company 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. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005931/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
(Reuters) - Ford Motor Co will tap into software, artificial intelligence and cloud computing offered by Alphabet Inc's Google to develop new consumer services and modernize internal operations, the companies said on Monday. As part of a six-year partnership, the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker will incorporate the tech giant's Android operating system into its Ford and Lincoln vehicles starting in 2023. Ford will offer its customers built-in Google apps, including its map and voice technology. It will deploy Google artificial intelligence technology to improve the ...
(Natural News) President Joe Bidens nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security used his position in the government back in 2011 to push through a citizenship-for-sale scheme.

Alejandro Mayorkas, the current nominee to be Secretary of Homeland Security, used to be the director of the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency under the presidency of Barack Obama. In 2011, career officials under Mayorkas tried to stop him from allowing a giveaway of EB-5 Immigrant Investor visas.

Mayorkas nomination to Homeland Security raises questions regarding what role then-Vice President Biden or his staff played in this scheme, which resulted in over a hundred EB-5 green cards being given to Chinese investors. (Related: The great media suckup to Joe Biden is in full swing as the Democrat Party Propaganda arm nauseatingly fawns over Biden while further shredding their own credibility.)

According to Breitbart News, which first broke the story back in 2013, a meeting took place at the White House  in Bidens offices, no less  with an American startup known as GreenTech Automotive, an electric car manufacturer; Gulf Coast Management, a corporation that sells visas; and unknown members of the Obama administration.

During the meeting, Gulf Coast Management and GreenTech  which was being led by then-Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe  were pushing for the citizenship deal to be approved.

This deal would have fast-tracked the approval process for green cards for more than 100 Chinese nationals. In return, GreenTech and Gulf Coast Management would have received investments worth around $141 million. But career officials within the USCIS understood that this was a very sketchy deal, and rejected it.

Using his power as the director of USCIS, Mayorkas intervened and got the deal approved. A report by the Inspector General of Homeland Security released in 2015 concluded that Mayorkas acted inappropriately when he used his position to green-light the deal.

The concerns of the USCIS officials were well-founded because as soon as the Chinese nationals received their green cards, the $141 million in loans disappeared. GreenTech Automotive declared bankruptcy and the other loans either defaulted or disappeared after litigation. The handful of jobs that the loans created disappeared not long after.

Mayorkas confirmation could be held up in the Senate

Democrats appear to be rushing Mayorkas confirmation before Senate Republicans can learn more about this deal. In response, the GOP has threatened to filibuster the confirmation.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer attempted to confirm Mayorkas quickly. But Sen. John Cornyn of Texas told reporters on Wednesday, Jan. 27, that theres a number of problems with his nomination. Cornyn and other Senate Republicans argued that Mayorkas needs to be properly vetted regarding immigration issues.

The GOP has called for additional hearings regarding his nomination. In response, Senate Democrats are attempting to break the filibuster with a procedural vote. To do so would only require a simple majority instead of the regular 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.

If the Senate Democrats are able to break the filibuster, Mayorkas final confirmation vote will be held on the evening of Monday, Feb. 1.

These procedural hurdles arent the only things standing in the way of Mayorkas confirmation, however.

During his first hearing in the Senate on Tuesday, several senators were not convinced that Mayorkas would be the best candidate to lead the DHS. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri argued that Mayorkas did not adequately explain how he will secure Americas southern border.

Mayorkas and Biden plan to give illegal immigrants citizenship

Mayorkas conceded that Biden was not planning to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That said, he admitted that the new administration wanted to grant citizenship rights to almost every illegal immigrant currently in the U.S.

In his testimony, Mayorkas said that as head of the DHS, he would aggressively overturn every single policy Trump made to turn back illegal immigrants at the border. Instead, he argued that the solution lies in funneling money into Latin American countries to discourage people from migrating north.

In the Biden administrations plan, all illegal immigrants that arrived in the U.S. before Jan. 1, 2021 will get a chance to become citizens provided that they meet other requirements.

I would be privileged to work with Congress to pass immigration reform legislation that provides that path and provides a permanent solution to what is clearly a broken system, said Mayorkas.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

Edition.CNN.com

WashingtonTimes.com
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
Following Myanmars military coup and declaration of a state of emergency in the early hours of February 1, all banks nationwide have shut down, reported The Bangkok Post. According to an announcement, all members of the Myanmar Banks Association are to close their banks unanimously, starting from Monday. The Bangkok Post further reported that the association said that the closure was due to poor internet connection.

Now, the banks would seek permission from the Central Bank of Myanmar for the temporary closure and inform it when they planned to restart services. The development comes after the nations military took steps to undermine the countrys democratic transition, including the arrest of nations de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and few other civilian officials in Burma. The Myanmar Army has said that it carried out the detentions in response to fraud in last Novembers general election that Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) won by a landslide.

READ: China Says Its Looking Into Events In Myanmar

Along with Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials of Myanmar have also been detained by the military. Online news portal Myanmar Now cited unidentified sources about the arrest of Suu Kyi and her party's chairperson early Monday and did not have further details. All communications to Naypyitaw appeared to have been cut and Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party could not be reached. Myanmar lawmakers were to gather Monday in the capital Naypyitaw for the first session of Parliament since last year's election, with tensions lingering over recent comments by the military over 'taking an action' that were widely seen as threatening a coup.

Following the reports of the arrest, countries including India, US, Australia and Canada have condemned the unlawful detention. Expressing deep concern, India said it believes that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld. The United States, on the other hand, vowed to take action against those responsible. White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki said that any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition will be opposed by the US.

READ: Myanmar Military Coup: World Leaders Call For Immediate Release Of Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmars newly formed democracy

It is worth noting that November 8 was the second openly contested vote in Myanmar after the 2015 elections, which saw Aung San Suu Kyi become the first democratically elected leader of the country after 50-years of junta rule. Despite winning the 2015 polls with a landslide victory, the Nobel laureate faced international scrutiny after she oversaw the genocide of lakhs of Rohingyas. Under Suu Kyi's rule, nearly 8,00,000 Rohingya Muslims had to flee Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh following state-sponsored persecution in the Buddhist-majority country.

READ: Jairam Ramesh Condemns Military Coup In Myanmar; Recalls Day Spent With Aung San Suu Kyi

READ: Australia Calls On Myanmar Military To 'respect The Rule Of Law' And Release All Leaders
Kolkata: Making dynasty politics and nepotism as the prime weapon of the BJP against West Bengal's ruling Trinamul Congress in the ensuing Assembly Election, union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday tore into chief minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee for her priority of Bhatija Kalyan (nephew welfare) over Jan Kalyan (public welfare) in the state in his oblique reference to her nephew: Abhishek Banerjee.

The BJP second in command also accused the TMC government of trying to make the young Diamond Harbour MP the successor of Mamata Banerjee as the next CM.

Shah told a BJP rally at Dumurjola Stadium in Howrah, which he was earlier supposed to attend in person, virtually from New Delhi, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi wherever the NDA has formed it's government across the country, it is undertaking work for public welfare and development so that each and every village and household gets all services But here, no agenda other than making Bhatija a CM exists. The Modi government is committed to all types of public welfare. But the Mamata Banerjee government is only busy in Bhatija Kalyan. It has no agenda of public welfare here."

Buoyed by the induction of former TMC minister Rajib Banerjee, Bally MLA Baishali Dalmiya, Uttarpara MLA Prabir Ghoshal and former Howrah Mayor Rathin Chakraborty, former Ranaghat civic chief Partha Sarathi Chatterjee and actor Rudranil Ghosh to the BJP a day before, the union home minister, in a direct warning to Mamata Banerjee, also reiterated, "The way the bright TMC, Communist and Congress leaders in large numbers have been joining the BJP, Mamatadi, if she looks back as the polls will come closer, will find herself standing alone. There will be no one else to give her company because she has meted out only injustice to the people of Bengal on every count."

Optimistic of the BJP coming to power this time, he even declared, "I ask the people of Bengal not to worry anymore. There is hardly any time left. After the BJP government comes to power, it will propose the Centre's health insurance scheme: Ayushman Bharat in its first cabinet meeting for implementation so that the poor get the Rs 5 lakh coverage for their healthcare."

Shah and Rajib, present at the rally, slammed Mamata Banerjee for blocking central schemes like PM Kishan Samman Nidhi in the state.

Hitting back at Shah, senior TMC MP Sougata Roy alleged, "We wanted to hear from the union home minister about the deterioration of the internal security scenerio, reason behind the blast outside Israeli Embassy and whether there was any settlement with the agitating farmers. Instead of explaining these, he made loose talks. They are yet to prove any evidence against their allegations against Bhatija, if it means Mr Banerjee. I challenge Shah to furnish any evidence against Mr Banerjee."
- Elunow securely connects people needing in-home and personal care with qualified and experienced, local caregivers with the right skills and availability through a simple to use online portal.

- The undisclosed investment will be used to launch a pilot project in London. Elunow is actively recruiting caregivers for the platform now.

LONDON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Pioneering in-home and personal care start-up, Elunow, has raised money from Bolt co-founder Martin Villig and Pipedrive founder Timo Rein to launch in the UK.

Elunow is redefining in-home and personal care provision with a fully automated, self-service platform which securely matches people needing care with a selection of qualified, local caregivers with the right skills and availability. By offering on-demand in-home care at affordable prices, with no long-term contracts, Elunow enables careseekers to find quality care when they need it, helping to build long-term trusted relationships between caregivers and careseekers.

Elunow Founder and CEO Marion Teder said: "In a society with an aging population, there is a shortage of quality in-home care available, which is only going to get worse. Older adults want help to stay in their own homes and to live fulfilling, independent lives, but as the costs of providing care rise, families and friends are often left bearing the burden.

I passionately believe everyone should be able to access the care they need, quickly and affordably. Elunow will make that a reality. Registration is quick and easy. Answer just a few simple questions about the care you need, when you need it and for how long, and we'll match you with qualified and available caregivers. You'll be able to select the caregiver that's best for you, based on their profile, experience and hourly rate together with ratings and reviews from other clients.

We're actively recruiting experienced caregivers in London now. We'll be announcing our first launch location very shortly."

Martin Villig, co-founder, Bolt said: "It's great to see another company founded in Estonia launching in the UK, especially offering such an innovative service in the social care space. Elunow is a great example of how technology can enable those with long-term care needs to continue to live fulfilling lives in their own homes."

Peep Vain, best-selling author and an early-stage investor in both Pipedrive and Elunow said: "I was first introduced to Elunow as a client when I was looking for care for my elderly parents. I just book the care they need when they need it. It's a huge relief knowing that they're being looked after when I'm not around and that they can continue to live fulfilling lives in their own home."

The undisclosed investments will be used to launch a pilot project in London. Elunow is actively recruiting caregivers for the platform now.

About Elunow UK

Elunow is redefining home and personal care provision by securely matching people needing in-home care with a selection of qualified, local caregivers with the right skills and availability. We empower caregivers by giving them real-time flexibility to set their own hours and earn a decent income by working in the way that best meets their needs and those of their clients. At the same time, our algorithms enable careseekers to find quality care when they need it, supporting long-term relationships with trusted and experienced local caregivers. Elunow was founded in Estonia in 2017 by Young Female Entrepreneur of the Year, CEO Marion Teder. The platform launched in the UK in 2020.

For more information, visit www.elunow.com

Notes to Editors

Martin Villig co-founded ride-hailing app Bolt with his brother Markus in his native Estonia aged just 19. Seven years later, Bolt is available in more than 35 countries and is valued at over 1.5 Billion.

By 2030, there will be 1.2 million more people aged 85 in the UK than we have today - an increase of nearly 80% between 2018 and 20332 https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/adult-social-care-workforce-data/Workforce-intelligence/publications/national-information/The-size-and-structure-of-the-adult-social-care-sector-and-workforce-in-England.aspx

Age UK estimate that one in seven adults aged 65+ are struggling without the help they need to carry out everyday tasks such as getting out of bed, visiting the bathroom, washing and getting dressed https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/campaigns/ge-2019/age-uk-general-election-manifesto-2019.pdf

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1429647/Marion_Teder_Founder__CEO_Elunow.jpg








The decision was taken unanimously by members of the National Justice Board (JNJ) , after hearing the report of the rapporteur assigned to the case, Maria Zavala, who presented the conclusions that recommended imposing a sanction on Chavarry, who was facing four charges in both cases.





"He is unanimously absolved of charge A and sanctioned with dismissal from office as charges B, C and D were proved true, in which his conduct constitutes a very serious offense," National Justice Board Chair Ines Tello expressed.

"This brings the disciplinary process to an end, and the notification will be processed within the stipulated time frame," she added.





Disciplinary process

Zavala's report concludes that Chavarry's dismissal from office is a suitable, necessary, and proportionate measure as it was proved that he had lied about the conversations with Cesar Hinostroza, for having participated in the opening of a sealed office at the Public Ministry, and for having summoned an advisor to Congress on this case to his office.

He was absolved of guilt for a conversation he had with Cesar Hinostroza to coordinate a meeting with journalists in order to support his election as attorney general.

"The dismissal is not only suitable and/or adequate to help strengthen the Public Ministry because a supreme prosecutor is no longer able to build up confidence in citizens due to the arbitrary way in which he acted," Zavala stated.





According to the rapporteur, it (the dismissal) is "absolutely necessary" because of a series of acts of interference and a "blameworthy conduct" of the person under investigation, which would not be acceptable to the society as a whole.





(END) FHG/RMB





The National Justice Board (JNJ) dismissed Pedro Gonzalo Chavarry from the position of Supreme Prosecutor after having determined that he committed a very serious offense when a sealed office intervened by Prosecutor Jose Domingo Perez was opened and for having lied about his conversation with former Supreme Judge Cesar Hinostroza.Published: 2/1/2021
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.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland entrepreneur Bernie Moreno is one of the latest big names to surface in a race to replace U.S. Sen. Rob Portman.

Were talking about the names and competition on This Week in the CLE.

Listen online here.

Editor Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with editor Jane Kahoun and me.

Youve been sending Chris lots of thoughts and suggestions on our from-the-newsroom account, in which he shares what were thinking about at cleveland.com. You can sign up for free by sending a text to 216-868-4802.

Here are the questions were answering today:

Can I get a waiver or cant I get a waiver on late fees if I pay my property tax bill late because the Post Office delivered it late?

Who are the Republican entrepreneurs testing the waters for a U.S. Senate run?

Is there an actual meaning to the signature phrase of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, It is what it is?

Did Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley have some explaining to do about his relationship with FirstEnergy, the scandal-embroiled utility in Akron that secretly tried to kill off Cleveland Public Power?

Why do even planners and the Ohio tourism industry think Gov. Mike DeWines limit of 300 people at gatherings is terribly unfair, and how is it harming the economy?

When will the teachers in Ohio get vaccinated for the coronavirus, and who else is eligible starting today?

Should I wear two masks instead of one to protect myself from the coronavirus?

How many judges will President Joe Biden get to nominate to the federal bench in Cleveland right away?

Want more? You can find all our past episodes here.

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.

And on PlayerFM, we are here.
Dustin Diamond of Saved by the Bell fame died in February 2021 due to cancer, but he left quite a memorable legacy for TV fans. Diamond played the character of Samuel Screech Powers, which fans will certainly never forget. As for Diamonds personal life, he was married back in 2009 to Jennifer Misner. The couple divorced years later.

So, why did the two split? The answers remain unclear, but heres what we know.

Saved by the Bell star Dustin Diamond married Jennifer Misner in 2009

Diamonds been in the news in the past due to controversial behavior, but his relationships havent been too widely publicized. According to Heavy, Diamond tied the knot with Misner in 2009. The two dated for years before marrying. According to In Touch Weekly, the two met on tour when Diamond was in Pennsylvania. As of 2021, it appears Misner still might be living in Pennsylvania

Citytv notes Diamond talked about his married life during an interview back in 2012. Diamond lifted his wedding ring to the camera and noted, Happy wife, happy life. He then talked about his desire to have children, as he felt his age (35 at the time) was daunting.

Im 35  I gotta have kids, he said. When my dad was the age I am now, I was 13. Im falling behind.

In Touch notes Misner and Diamond reportedly split around 2013. Neither of them seems to have spoken out as to why, but theres a good chance they may have drifted apart. Misner seems to be a very private person, while Diamond lived life in the spotlight.

Dustin Diamond was engaged to Amanda Schutz post-divorce

Dustin Diamond from Saved by the Bell visits Extra | Noel Vasquez/Getty Images

While Diamond didnt start a family with Misner, he continued on in his pursuit of romance with Amanda Schutz. According to Heavy, Schutz was a professional clown. The two appeared to sustain a romance back in 2014 and even got engaged, but they didnt get married.

Schutz and Diamond fell into some trouble during their relationship, too. The couple was arrested following a bar fight stabbing in Wisconsin back when they dated, Heavy notes. Diamond claimed he refused to shake hands with a woman who was purposely bumping into Schutz, and thats how the fight started. During the brawl, there was also a stabbing. Both Schutz and Diamond were arrested.

Diamond was ultimately charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety as well as carrying a concealed weapon. Schutz had a disorderly conduct charge.

Dustin Diamond died in 2021 due to cancer

BREAKING: 'Saved by the Bell' star Dustin Diamond has died at age 44, weeks after he was diagnosed with cancer, his manager says. https://t.co/hxqyHMBLaP pic.twitter.com/rxiNcJ2jgn  NBC News (@NBCNews) February 1, 2021

RELATED: Saved by the Bell: Elizabeth Berkley Reveals if Shes Spoken To Dustin Diamond

Diamond died on Feb. 1, 2021, due to stage 4 lung cancer, TMZ reports. A few weeks prior to his death, he was diagnosed with stage 4 small cell carcinoma, and he completed his first round of chemotherapy. This comes on the heels of being hospitalized in January 2021 for pain felt throughout his body.

A representative for Diamond told TMZ Diamonds condition was on a steady decline from last week and he was taken off of breathing machines in an attempt to get him to hospice care.

In the wake of his death, one thing is for sure: Diamond will forever be known for his incredible role in Saved by the Bell.

Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook!

Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.

High-Efficiency, Automated Facility to Save up to 90% on water use and 90% on labor compared to a traditional farm

Facility to Produce 48 Million Pounds of Produce on Footprint 1/30th of Traditional Farm

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Australis Capital Inc. (CSE: AUSA) (OTC: AUSAF) ("AUSA" or the "Company") announced today that ALPS - a company in the process of being acquired by AUSA - through its wholly owned subsidiary Larssen Greenhouse Consulting ("LGC") has entered into an agreement with Bluehouse Greenhouse ("BHGH") for the development of a 62 acre (2.7 million sqft), high-tech, fully integrated greenhouse for the sustainable production of vegetables in California.

Sustainable Facility Design

ALPS, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Larssen Greenhouse Consulting ("LGC"), was tasked to develop solutions for BHGH to operate a large-scale facility with a fully controlled environment and a sustainable eco-system. The new facility is designed to achieve significant savings on water, labor, energy and land use. Located in a relatively arid region, the BHGH facility will enable the cultivation of produce year-round, without volatility in quality, price, taste or look. One of the concepts behind the facility is 'By locals for locals', with a substantial per centage of output designated for local markets which to date have been served by out of state or regional producers. BHGH's proximity to its primary markets significantly reduces the carbon footprint related to the transport of produce.

BHGH and LGC have also partnered with leading experts in sustainable energy technologies and as such, will be generating its own power through the establishment of a 15 MW Co-Generation plant. The CoGen plant will generate energy sustainably for the BHGH facility, while excess power will be delivered to the Local Community Choice Aggregate. Waste streams from the plant will also be utilized for cooling of the greenhouse, as well as for the supply of CO 2 for the plants. Extensive automation and computer control systems will be utilized throughout the facility, deploying advanced systems for the accurate monitoring and control of environmental parameters, such as CO 2 , light, air flow, humidity, pH, etc.

Management Commentary

Dr. Duke Fu, Interim CEO of AUSA stated, "with this sizeable $1.9 million project, ALPS continues to capitalize on opportunities and grow revenues at a rapid pace. Conversion of ALPS's substantial business development pipeline in both the cannabis and traditional horticulture sectors will provide AUSA, once the acquisition is completed, with cash flow to further fuel the execution of its capital-light expansion strategy."

Thomas Larssen, President of ALPS, stated, "The BHGH project is significant for ALPS both in terms of contract size and complexity, validating ALPS' leadership in the design and development of boundary-pushing facilities. We are honoured and delighted to be working with the visionaries at BHGH on this important project in an area short of arable land and other resources to supply regional communities with locally, sustainably grown produce. This is a market dynamic we are seeing more and more, and the number of enquiries for facilities of this kind is increasing, supporting the further growth of our business development pipeline."

Ari Kashani, CEO of BHGH, stated, "With an aging and shrinking pool of farmers, increasing wages and scarce and expensive natural resources, as well as increasingly stringent food-safety and traceability regulations, greenhouse grown produce has become a critical and essential component of the local food supply chain. ALPS has spearheaded many advances that will enable us to establish a sustainable and economically highly viable cultivation operation. We are very excited about this first BHGH facility in California, and intend to replicate our 'by locals for locals' approach in other regions as we expand our operations across the U.S."

ALPS

AUSA is in the process of acquiring ALPS. ALPS is the world's premier design, construction management, commissioning and post commissioning consultancy company for horticultural crops, such as cannabis, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and algae (see press release dated January 5, 2021), and includes APIS, its institutional level compliance solution for both small and large cultivation facilities. With ALPS, AUSA will also be obtaining the iconic west coast connoisseur cannabis brand, Mr. Natural.

About Australis Capital Inc.

AUSA is implementing a capital light growth strategy towards establishing a highly competitive and profitable MSO in the U.S. and global cannabis markets. AUSA's business lines and assets include investments in Cocoon, Body and Mind Inc., Quality Green, Folium Biosciences, and land assets in Washington. AUSA is currently working towards the closing of a transaction whereby it will acquire 100% of the membership interest in Green Therapeutics LLC, an award-winning MSO with operations in Nevada, Missouri and Oklahoma. Furthermore, the Company is working towards completing the acquisition of ALPS, the world's premier design, construction management, commissioning and post commissioning consultancy for horticultural crops, such as cannabis, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and algae. The ALPS deal includes Terry Booth, founder and ex-CEO of Aurora Cannabis taking the reins of CEO for Australis. Through GT and ALPS, the Company believes it will be able to secure low-cost access to high quality cannabis to fuel the scale up of its award-winning brands across the U.S. and global cannabis markets.

The Company's common shares trade on the CSE under the symbol "AUSA" and on the OTCQB under the symbol "AUSAF".

For further information about AUSA, contact the Company by e-mail at [email protected].

"Dr. Duke Fu"

________________________________

Dr. Duke Fu

Interim Chief Executive Officer

Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein is forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information in relation to: the timing and ability to close the proposed transaction; the anticipated development of the ALPS business and its ability to grow revenues; the timing and ability to close the proposed transaction with Green Therapeutics; the ability of the Company to execute on its strategy to establish a low capex model MSO; the impact of the changes to U.S. federal and state developments with respect to the cannabis industry and the opportunities this may present for the Company. This forward-looking information reflects the Company's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to the Company and on assumptions the Company believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the ability of the Company to successfully satisfy the conditions to closing the ALPS; the ability of management of ALPS and the Company to successfully execute on their respective business plans; legal changes relating to the cannabis industry proceeding as anticipated; and the Company's continued response and ability to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic being consistent with, or better than, its ability and response to date.

Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; the actual results of the Company's future operations; competition; changes in legislation affecting the Company; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals; risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic including various recommendations, orders and measures of governmental authorities to try to limit the pandemic, including travel restrictions, border closures, non-essential business closures, service disruptions, quarantines, self-isolations, shelters-in-place and social distancing, disruptions to markets, economic activity, financing, supply chains and sales channels, and a deterioration of general economic conditions including a possible national or global recession; and a deterioration of financial markets that could limit the Company's ability to obtain external financing.

A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in the Company's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

Forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. However, the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.

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) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Australis Capital Inc.

Related Links

www.ausa-corp.com



Advertisement

Airports in Britain suffered an 76 per cent fall in traffic last year as international air travel plunged by 60 per cent - with the coronavirus pandemic bringing it back down to 2003 levels.

Carriers in Britain are estimated to have lost nearly 20billion last year as the Civil Aviation Authority revealed just 59.5million passengers used UK airports in 2020, which was a fall of 87 per cent from 246.9million in 2019.

The biggest percentage falls were seen at Cardiff Airport which plunged 87 per cent to 219,197, followed by Glasgow Prestwick Airport which dropped 86 per cent to 90,608 and Exeter which also fell 86 per cent to 147,921.

Other UK airports suffering falls of at least 80 per cent were Newquay, Southampton, London City, Leeds Bradford, Isle of Man and East Midlands - while Britain's busiest airport Heathrow dived 73 per cent to 22.1million.

The plunge in air travel began in January 2020 but was only limited to a few countries in Asia, before the pandemic rapidly spread in the following weeks and brought transport activities to a virtual standstill in late March.

It comes as Ryanair today said it is braced for 'the most challenging year' in its 35-year history and expects a full-year loss of nearly 1billion (880billion) as it told how Covid-19 continues to 'wreak havoc across the industry'.

Globally, the International Civil Aviation Organization found passengers totals dropped by 60 per cent with just 1.8billion passengers taking to the air during the first year of the pandemic, compared to 4.5billion in 2019.

The International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations agency, found passengers totals dropped by 60 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019, with the above graph showing the evolution of world passenger traffic evolution since 1945

This graphic shows the breakdown of revenue losses across the world. Airlines have suffered 270billion losses resulting from the impacts of Covid-19, with airports and air navigation services providers losing a further 84billion and 9billion

The United Nations agency found airlines have suffered 270billion losses resulting from the impacts of Covid-19, with airports and air navigation services providers losing a further 84billion and 9billion, respectively.

This included losses of 73billion in Europe, 87billion in Asia/Pacific and 64billion in North America, followed by 19billion, 16billion and 10billion in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and Africa respectively.

The International Air Transport Association had initially predicted in April 2020 that the pandemic would bring a fall of 140million passengers in the UK resulting in a 19billion revenue loss, risking almost 661,200 jobs.

In reality, the CAA data showed there was an even bigger fall of 187million - down from 246,934,324 to 59,511,172.

Border closures and travel restrictions saw the overall global number of passengers fall 92 per cent from 2019 levels by April, an average of a 98 per cent drop in international traffic and 87 per cent fall in domestic air travel.

Passenger traffic saw a modest rebound during the summer but this was short lived as it began falling again in September when the second wave of Covid-19 saw increased restrictions in many parts of the world.

JAPAN: Passengers walk in front of the closed Japan Airlines departure counters at Haneda Airport in Tokyo today

FRANCE: Travellers present their documents at a Covid-19 testing center at Roissy Charles-de-Gaulle Airport in Paris today

The plunge during the final four months of 2020 therefore brought a double-dip recession in air travel for the year, although domestic passenger numbers in China and Russia have already returned to pre-pandemic levels.

The ICAO reported that overall there was a 50 per cent drop in domestic passenger traffic globally, while international traffic fell by 74 per cent or 1.4billion fewer passengers.

It said the near-term outlook is for 'prolonged depressed demand', with any improvement in the global picture only by the second quarter of 2021 - dependent on vaccination rollouts and the effectiveness of restrictions.

The 'most optimistic scenario' suggests that by June 2021 passenger numbers will be expected to recover to 71 per cent of their 2019 levels, but a more pessimistic scenario foresees only a 49 per cent recovery.

BELGIUM: An empty check-in area at Brussels Airport is pictured last Wednesday as planes remain grounded across the world

IRELAND: An empty car park at Dublin Airport last Friday as the coronavirus pandemic continues to hammer airlines

Today, Ryanair said it expects to lose nearly 1billion (880billion) in its current financial year, by far its worst ever performance, but chief executive Michael O'Leary forecast a 'dramatic recovery' this summer on vaccine roll-outs.

The Irish low-cost airline, Europe's largest, forecast a loss of up to 950million (837million) in its current financial year, which ends on March 31, around five times larger than its previous record annual loss posted in 2009.

Mr O'Leary described the year as the most challenging in Ryanair's 35 year history. But chief financial officer Neil Sorahan said the recovery should accelerate in July and September, the second quarter of its financial year.

Mr Sorahan, who said it should return to 70 per cent and 90 per cent of normal levels between October and March, added that Ryanair hopes 'to be getting back to some kind of normality' during the winter.

LONDON: An empty departure area of Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic last March

ISRAEL: An empty departure terminal at Ben Gurion Airport last Tuesday as air travel continues to be badly affected

Covid-19 restrictions slashed Ryanair passenger numbers by 78 per cent in the last three months of the year, the third quarter of its financial calendar, pushing it to a quarterly loss of 306million (270million).

Ryanair's 82 per cent fall in revenue in the quarter compared with falls of 88 per cent at rival easyJet and 77 per cent at Wizz, which both reported results last week.

Ryanair is widely seen as one of the best-placed airlines in the world to weather the Covid-19 crisis due to its large cash balance and lack of long-haul and business-class.

It said it had 3.5billion (3.1billion) cash on hand at the end of December, compared with 4.5billion (4billion) at the end of September.
From 0:00 on February 1, all karaoke parlors, bars and discotheques in Hanoi had to suspend operations in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, according to the local government's decision.

Hanoi Vice Chairman Chu Xuan Dung met with relevant authorities on epidemic prevention yesterday. (Photo: VNA)

All eateries are required to disinfect their space regularly, arrange seats to ensure social distancing and ask all staff to wear masks.

Residents have to limit gathering in crowds when it is not necessary. Those organizing events must strictly ensure preventive measures.

The city authorities have emphasized that people should limit organizing festive activities amid the latest outbreak that has aroused concerns that it is a rapidly spreading variant of the novel coronavirus.

The capital city has to date recorded 15 infection cases, all are related to the two new outbreaks detected in Chi Linh city of Hai Duong province and Van Don district of Quang Ninh province.

In another development, Quang Ninh province is speeding up the collection of samples for COVID-19 testing of workers at Vang Danh Coal Company, after one worker of this company tested positive for the virus on January 31. It has reported a total of 25 community-transmitted cases over the past five days.

VNA/VNN

Hanoi students stay home from February 1 for Covid-19 prevention Students in Hanoi will begin their Lunar New Year holiday on February 1, one week earlier than previous schedule, to meet the requirements of COVID-19 prevention and control in the city.
Myanmars military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids.

The army said it had carried out the detentions in response to election fraud, handing power to military chief Min Aung Hlaing and imposing a state of emergency for one year, according to a statement on a military-owned television station.

A military spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking further comment.

Phone lines to the capital Naypyitaw and the main commercial centre of Yangon were not reachable, and state TV went off air hours before parliament had been due to sit for the first time since the NLDs landslide election win in November, viewed as a referendum on Suu Kyis fledgling democratic government.

Soldiers took up positions at city hall in Yangon and mobile internet data and phone services in the NLD stronghold were disrupted, residents said. Internet connectivity also had fallen dramatically, monitoring service NetBlocks said.

Suu Kyi, Myanmar President Win Myint and other NLD leaders had been taken in the early hours of the morning, NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone.

I want to tell our people not to respond rashly and I want them to act according to the law, he said, adding that he expected to be arrested himself. Reuters was subsequently unable to contact him.

The detentions came after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the military that stirred fears of a coup in the aftermath of the election.

Rohingya call for help

Rohingya refugees condemned the overthrow of a democratically elected government in Myanmar by the military on Monday, a community leader said in Bangladesh, where a number of them live after fleeing violence in the neighbouring country.

We Rohingya community strongly condemn this heinous attempt to kill democracy, Rohingya leader Dil Mohammed told Reuters by phone. We urge the global community to come forward and restore democracy at any cost.

The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the arrest of Suu Kyi.

The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed, spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the military detention of Myanmars leaders.

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the detention of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders on the eve of the opening session of Myanmars new parliament, spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar.

The Australian government said it was deeply concerned at reports the Myanmar military is once again seeking to seize control of Myanmar and called for the immediate release of the unlawfully detained leaders.

Japan said it was watching the situation and currently had no plans to repatriate Japanese nationals from Myanmar.

Coup fears

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, 75, came to power after a 2015 election win that followed decades of house arrest in a struggle for democracy with Myanmars junta that turned her into an international icon.

ADVERTISEMENT

Her international standing was damaged after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled army operations into a refuge from Myanmars western Rakhine state in 2017, but she remains hugely popular at home.

Political tensions soared last week when a military spokesman declined to rule out a coup ahead of the new parliament convening on Monday, and military chief Min Aung Hlaing raised the prospect of repealing the constitution.

But the military appeared to backtrack on the weekend, issuing a statement on social media on Sunday saying it would do everything possible to adhere to the democratic norms of free and fair elections.

Tanks were deployed in some streets last week and pro-military demonstrations have taken place in some cities ahead of the first gathering of parliament.

Myanmars election commission has rejected the militarys allegations of vote fraud.

The constitution published in 2008 after decades of military rule reserves 25% of seats in parliament for the military and control of three key ministries in Suu Kyis administration.

Daniel Russel, the top U.S. diplomat for East Asia under President Barack Obama, who fostered close ties with Suu Kyi, said another military takeover in Myanmar would be a severe blow to democracy in the region. If true, this is a huge setback  not only for democracy in Myanmar, but for U.S. interests. Its yet another reminder that the extended absence of credible and steady U.S. engagement in the region has emboldened anti-democratic forces, he said.

Murray Hiebert, a South-east Asia expert at Washingtons Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said the situation was a challenge for the new U.S. administration.

The U.S. as recently as Friday had joined other nations in urging the military not to move forward on its coup threats. China will stand by Myanmar like it did when the military kicked out the Rohingya, he said.

John Sifton, Asia advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, said Myanmars military had never submitted to civilian rule and called on the United States and other countries to impose strict and directed economic sanctions on the military leadership and its economic interests.

(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS and AFP)
For Colleen Lords son, a struggle with correction officers put the accused parole violator in solitary confinement, where, she tearfully recalled, he died in March 2019.

Joining lawmakers and advocates Monday, Lord shared her sons story as she and two other mothers, whose sons were put in similar confinement, showed their support for legislation hoping to end the controversial practice of isolating inmates.

If we locked up animals the way we lock up people, we would all go to jail, state Rep. Robyn Porter, D-New Haven, said during a virtual news conference held with Stop Solitary CT discussing the new legislation.

The PROTECT Act, proposed this legislative session, would end the use of solitary confinement in the states prisons, create an avenue for greater Department of Correction oversight and shutter Connecticuts maximum security facility, Northern Correctional Institution.

Barbara Fair, a founding member of Stop Solitary CT, recalled Monday when she watched her 17-year-old son brought out for a visit in shackles while he was being held in Northern.

They brought him out all shackled, Fair said. It was like a scene from Roots.

Stop Solidarity CT forLorded a petition with more than 1,000 signatures to Gov. Ned Lamont, DOC Commissioner Angel Quiros and legislative leaders Monday, supporting the end of solitary confinement, designating the practice as an issue that will affect how they vote in the future.

The commissioner is committed to being at the table during the legislative session, said Karen Martucci, director of external affairs for the DOC. When the time comes to announce facility closures, Quiros will communicate any changes to those who are impacted in a sensitive manner, she said.

"Commissioner Quiros has also shared with this group that he intends to focus on a variety of important topics, including restrictive status," Martucci said.

The legislation is being drafted for consideration by the legislatures Judiciary Committee. The bill would prohibit inmates from being kept in their cells for more than 16 hours a day unless there was a facility-wide lockdown or emergency, and sets a minimum standards for the use of isolation while prohibiting all isolated confinement for more than 72 consecutive or cumulative hours in a 14-day period.

Lords son, Carl Robby Talbot, was being held in the medical unit at the New Haven Correctional Center on March 21, 2019 when he became agitated and smeared feces on himself and his cell, according to an investigation by the States Attorney for the Ansonia and Milford Judicial District.

He was compliant with correction officers when he took a shower, but then he became agitated again and was repeatedly sprayed with a chemical agent, the report said. At one point during the encounter, a correction officer kicked him in the leg while Talbot was on his back on the floor of the shower after just being pepper-sprayed, the report said.

Talbot, who had been arrested two days earlier for violating parole, died while restrained to his cot in administrative segregation.

The correction officer who was accused of kicking Talbot was later charged with third-degree assault. But the states attorney determined that no other correction officers were negligent in their duties that could have caused Talbots death.

The privilege I was born with prevented me from ever in a billion years imaging my own gentle and harmless childs last words would be cant breathe  gulped out under the heavy weight of multiple correction officers brutally attaching ultra-tight five-point restraints after mercilessly overdosing him with a chemical agent and then leaving him to die along in solitary confinement, chained to a metal cot, Lord said. The PROTECT Act would have saved him from this homicide.

The proposed legislation would also shutter Northern by Dec. 31, and create an Office of Corrections Ombudsman to be chosen by a Correction Accountability Commission. The ombudsman would investigate inmate complaints and have the power to advocate for inmates while recommending changes to the prison system.

Other facets of the bill would end the use of abusive restraints and protect social bonds by requiring the DOC to provide inmates with a minimum number of social and legal letters, free social and legal phone calls and 60 minutes of social contact visits per week.

Calling Northern a relic and a barbaric temple to capital punishment, state Rep. Steven Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, said the bill is the right thing to do.

Its past time to close it, Stafstrom said.

Quiros indicated as recently as last week that he is considering closing Northern and at least one other facility due to a reduction of inmates to around 9,000  a 30-year low. But Quiros said he wouldnt make a decision until after the pandemic had passed in case more room was needed to socially distance the incarcerated population, which has tested positive for COVID-19 at a higher rate than the general population.

Fair said the prisons closure needs to happen this year, as she shared her feelings when she saw her son being led out for their first visit while he was at Northern.

Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, a co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, said it costs the DOC about $17 million a year to operate, but the facility only houses 80 inmates, 90 percent of whom are Black or Hispanic.

As DOC officials grappled with the early impacts of the pandemic, Northern served as a place to medically isolate sick inmates.

The men were not allowed to shower during their 14-day stay, and the isolated conditions led inmates to hide symptoms to avoid a transfer to the facility, an issue Quiros recently acknowledged. Not long after the departure of his predecessor, Quiros moved the medical isolation unit to MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield.

Karen Colt, another mother challenging the solitary confinement practice, argued that her son, Lee, who is slated for release in the next few months after she said he committed robberies to feed his addiction, has been held at the states maximum security prison since April because he complained that correction officers werent wearing masks and the DOC wasnt doing enough to protect inmates during the pandemic.

Lee Colt was part of an organized disruption at Carl Robinson Correctional Institution in the spring that resulted in his placement in administrative segregation on May 22, Martucci said, and was later found with a makeshift restraint key out of metal and hid it in his cell.

At Northern, Colt said her son is being treated as a death row inmate with no social interaction and showers every three days.

Its incomprehensible to me that in the United States of America men can be placed in extended solitary confinement for asking an authority figure difficult questions, Colt said. No violence, no threats, just a request for a viable safety plan. My son got COVID-19 just weeks before his final release date and could have died not seeing the sky again in almost a year, just because he expected DOC to provide a safe environment.

Correction: This story has been updated to correct Colleen Lords last name.
Rio de Janeiro has given up its controversial bid to build a new Formula One race track and steal Brazil's Grand Prix race away from Sao Paulo, officials said Monday.

Rio, Brazil's second city, had hoped to leverage its beaches, nightlife and glamor to wrest the high-profile race away from the concrete jungle of Sao Paulo, the country's economic capital.

But the project to build a race track in the Camboata forest -- backed by far-right President Jair Bolsonaro and ex-mayor Marcelo Crivella, his ally -- triggered an outcry over its environmental impact.

New centrist Mayor Eduardo Paes, who took office on January 1, lost little time scrapping the plan, which had already run into delays after a series of negative environmental impact reports.

"We need to be talking about recovering green spaces, not destroying them," said city hall, announcing it had instructed the Rio de Janeiro state environmental institute (Inea) to shelve the permitting process for the race track.

It highlighted that the Camboata forest, on the city's west side, is home to hundreds of species, including 14 threatened plant species.

The decision all but kills Rio's bid to regain the Brazilian F1 leg, which it last hosted in 1989.

"This process was being led by city hall, and we are now formally saying we will not be pursuing it further," a city official told AFP.

Formula One officials had already signed a deal last year extending their contract with Sao Paulo's Interlagos race track until 2025.

That was taken as a win for Bolsonaro's arch-rival, Sao Paulo Governor Joao Doria, and a blow for the president, who had talked of bringing the Grand Prix back to Rio, his hometown, starting with the 2020 race -- which in the event was suspended anyway because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Formula One held its inaugural Brazilian leg in 1972, at Interlagos. The event then switched to Rio in 1979 and from 1981 to 1989, before moving back to Sao Paulo.

js/jhb/bgs
Cancel culture. Its all over social media. Now, its coming to our TV screens thanks to the ABCs new comedy-drama, Aftertaste. The show, about a disgraced chef who loses everything and tries to remake himself in the Adelaide Hills, was created by screenwriter Julie De Fina with Matthew Bate. It is De Finas first major show to get off the ground and she says it couldnt feel more relevant. Television writer Julie De Fina. In this current climate, theres something to be said about males of a certain status who then lose all their power, she says. Once you remove that, whats left of them? Ultimately, its not a story of redemption. It becomes something completely different. And thats the story of the new world, I think. Handing over the torch, albeit reluctantly. Aftertaste premieres on the ABC on Wednesday, February 3. Vonne Patiag, The Unusual Suspects

SBS is set to be the home of a new, four-part drama this year. The show is best described as a female-led heist set in Sydneys ritzy eastern suburbs. One of the shows writers, Vonne Patiag, says on the surface The Unusual Suspects is a comedy but deep down its much more than that. TV writer Vonne Patiag. Its about friendship and female empowerment, Patiag says of The Unusual Suspects. But also cross-cultural understanding and empathy. Its about the two versions of Sydney  the version we want and the version were living in. Patiag says coronavirus shutdowns, while devastating for the TV industry, gave writers more time to sit with their ideas and even pursue passion projects. We used the production shutdown to go back over the scripts with a magnifying glass, he says. Im so excited about 2021.

Patiag co-wrote The Unusual Suspects alongside creator Jessica Redenbach (Spirited, Rush) and Roger Monk (Nowhere Boys, The Secret Life of Us). Margarett Cortez served as script consultant. Mithila Gupta, Bump One of the breakout hits for Stan this year was Bump, a drama centred around a high-achieving teenager who has a surprise baby. Season two is already in development. If all goes well, new episodes will land later this year or early 2022. (Nine, the owner of Stan, is also the owner of this masthead.) One of Bumps writers, Mithila Gupta, says the element of surprise is the shows strong point. Surprise is the most underrated emotion, she says. Theres so much content out there at the moment  its really rare to be genuinely surprised. I also think [the show] is really life-affirming, which is what we need right now. Its weird and wonderful but at the core of it, we strive to be truthful with the story and the characters and thats what makes it resonate so broadly.

Screenwriter Mithila Gupta. Gupta has been working in popular television for 10 years. She started on Neighbours and was part of the team that incorporated the first Indian family into the regular cast. More recently she has worked on Doctor Doctor and hopes to one day create her own show. Im interested in the Indian diaspora, she says. Im inspired by the resilience of humans and how we keep fighting. I have real respect for my parents who worked their butts off to fulfil the immigrant dream so I could have my whimsical writing career. I want brown folk to feel seen [on screen] in a way I never did. Peter Cox, New Gold Mountain Four-part series New Gold Mountain has been described as SBSs most ambitious drama to date. The show, shot in Victoria and is due out later this year, will explore the Australian gold rush from the perspective of Chinese miners. It was created and written by Peter Cox, who got his big break with SBSs The Insiders Guide to Happiness almost 20 years ago. For this series, he collaborated with Corrie Chen, who serves as director, and Benjamin Law, who wrote one of the episodes.

TV writer Peter Cox. Credit:Paul McLaughlin. In the broadest terms, this is a pretty big-budget Western with all the bells and whistles, Cox says. Horses, salons and shootouts  all those things youd expect. And in the mash-up is a murder mystery. This one character, Leung Wei Shing, is a real, historical character as far as we can tell. He is the first Chinese detective in Victoria in the mid-1860s. The series will jump between different characters perspectives. We had this rule from the outset, Cox says. No goodies and no baddies. Ian Meadows, RFDS

Australia has a long-running love for local medical dramas. The Seven Network is hoping to tap into that nostalgia with a new drama called RFDS (named after the Royal Flying Doctors Service). Co-creator Ian Meadows says the show will be familiar and accessible but also action-packed. Actor and TV writer Ian Meadows. Credit:Renee Melides We wanted to have those elements that are really satisfying about a medical drama without it being a strict procedural, he says. We wanted to go for a fast-paced, energised show. Also the funny moments and the beauty of the outback, the people. Meadows has previously written for Network Ten dramas Offspring and Playing for Keeps and has been an actor in shows such as Home and Away. He says what makes RFDS different from other medical dramas is the way he and the rest of the writing team felt like they didnt have to hold back. We were working through this during the worst of the [NSW] drought, he says. So in the first episode, we really dived headfirst into the mental health challenges of that. There was never a sense at any point that this wasnt something we couldnt talk about.

Sarah Smith, Amazing Grace Seven isnt the only commercial broadcaster serving-up an all new Australian drama this year. In just a couple of weeks, the country is set to be introduced to Amazing Grace, a show set in a natural birthing centre. Amazing Grace co-creator and executive producer Sarah Smith. Co-creator Sarah Smith has previously written for shows such as All Saints and McLeods Daughters. More recently, she was the executive producer and co-creator of the eight-part thriller, Bite Club. Smith says this new show will be very timely given Australia is emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic. Its really positive and uplifting, she says. Its not all sugary and sweet ... but it is about forgiveness of yourself and others. Theres no villains. Its about the light and shade of having complex relationships with your family, as we all do.
Alongside the roadmap, it is also calling for clear parameters for determining what, and for how long, economic support measures will be available. Photo: Getty

The Confederation for British Industry (CBI) has urged the government to work with business to best identify economy-critical factors to its roadmap out of the latest COVID-19 lockdown in England.

The business groups calls come as the government prepares to publish an exit strategy in late February.

CBIs Director-General, Tony Danker, said: With health teams rightly in crisis management mode, we in business along with the economic ministries can use this time to plan for a successful re-opening of the economy when the moment is right to do so.

In a letter to business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, the CBI has set out six elements that will help firms plan and prepare in advance of a lifting of restrictions. It says it will also write a letter to the devolved nations governments next week.

Alongside the roadmap, CBI is also calling for clear parameters for determining what, and for how long, economic support measures will be available.

The plans should develop in lockstep, to ensure that key support measures taper away, without a cliff-edge, ensuring that support is progressively targeted on those sectors that remain closed for longest, CBI said.

READ MORE: Businesses welcome UK's plan to join one of the world's biggest free-trade areas

But, the group which represents 190,000 businesses of all sizes and sectors in the UK, said that its not attempting to set a specific date for re-opening as we must rightly be driven by health data.

The six economy-critical elements that the CBI highlighted are:

Confirming once more what will be considered low, medium or high-risk economic activity, so that businesses can understand what will open sooner or later. Deciding whether or not there will be a return to tiering, as part of a gradual re-opening. And if so, what will now be permitted under each tier as more people become vaccinated. Identifying and understanding the conditions that need to be met before rolling back certain restrictions, and ultimately the need for social distancing. Outlining how the vaccine will be deployed once the most vulnerable groups are inoculated, to reach the governments target of all UK adults being offered a vaccine by Autumn. Thinking how regular mass rapid testing in the community and workplaces could allow a wider, speedier reopening of the economy. It would set out what additional freedoms it might permit individuals and firms that commit to regular testing, as well as address the duration of asymptomatic testing so that workplaces and society are resilient to any new strains of the virus in the medium to long term. Creating bespoke, detailed plans for the harder to open sectors of the economy, such as testing regimes for international travel, or the conditions for activities such as hospitality and live events to return.

On the vaccination strategy the CBI said that there are strong arguments for phase 2 of the roll-out that maximises the chances of the economy reopening in a safe manner. This includes prioritising key enablers like schools, transport, and other key public services.

Story continues

The director general said that prime minister Boris Johnsons initial parameters for reopening the country was a big help for businesses.

Danker added: Businesses are currently completely in the dark when planning for the weeks and months ahead and this is hindering investment. We can provide more clarity and do the prep work now to enable them to plan for reopening and growth.

Its clear that we will be entering a new normal even post-vaccination. We will have new workplace, testing and economic realities to live with.

Weve all learnt a lot in 2020 about what reopening looks like so lets move now to a plan for 2021 that is detailed, practical and instils confidence.

WATCH: Why can't governments just print more money?

Political fractures over funerals, stumbling on school re-opening and mixed messages linked to lockdowns are likely all to have led to a majority of people here believing that Stormont has hindered Northern Ireland's response to the pandemic.

Some 55% of the population believe the actions of the Executive have impeded the overall response, according to a new LucidTalk survey.

Only 35% said the Executive led by Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill had helped in the battle against Covid-19.

Ten per cent were not sure or did not know when asked whether the Stormont Executive has helped or hindered the response to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

While Health Minister Robin Swann personally scores highly with the public, others, including the First and Deputy First Ministers, and Education Minister Peter Weir, rank much lower.

That 55% of respondents are critical of Stormont is perhaps unsurprising after months of regular rifts and rows breaking out between ministers over how the pandemic should be dealt with.

The middle of last year was marked by a serious breakdown in the relationship between Mrs Foster and Ms O'Neill following the controversy over the Bobby Storey funeral. Ms O'Neill was widely criticised for attending the funeral of the Belfast IRA leader along with thousands of other mourners in apparent breach of the regulations.

Joint press conferences involving the pair were suspended and did not resume for more than two months.

Later in the year, the Executive was unable to agree on a circuit-breaker lockdown, largely driven by the DUP, which used a controversial veto against the introduction of certain measures.

The party, after blocking two less stringent lockdowns, later did a U-turn and agreed to a tougher one.

Like other parts of the UK, the messages coming from government here see-sawed following the summer slowdown in cases through to early autumn, even as health experts warned of a second wave.

There were also more recent stumbles over whether and when schools should re-open, and confusion over entrance examinations.

Educators were left confused right up until the end of the Christmas holidays over when institutions could re-open.

Mr Weir was criticised after announcing that pupils would not return in the first week after the holidays, but that schools could re-open later in the month.

But as criticism and infection cases both rose, it was finally decided to keep schools closed. They will not now re-open until March 8.

The discussion was not helped by the argument over transfer tests for grammar school entrance, as one of the private companies that manages them insisted they would go ahead. It later backed down.

A general disgruntlement at the strict lockdown may also be helping to drive up the negative view of the Executive's handling of the pandemic.

It is understandable that people are fed up with staying home, said Alliance Party health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw.

"But it is essential to follow the Executive Regulations and guidance - stay home, limit contact, wash hands," the South Belfast MLA said.

"It remains my view that the Executive would benefit from enhancing its communications, and doing more to explain the reasoning behind the guidance and regulations.

"The results would seem to back this up. Ultimately this has to come from the Department of Health."
The U.S. military on Sunday held its first training engagement in Somalia after the recent drawdown of most American troops stationed there, Africa Command announced Monday.

"Our first engagement back into Somalia so quickly after the repositioning shows we remain committed to our Somali and regional partners and support their fight against violent extremism," U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Dagvin Anderson, head of Special Operations Command Africa, said in a release.

The bilateral agreement between the two nations allows the U.S. to provide a variety of training, advice and support to the Somali National Army Danab forces, officials said. U.S. troops also aided the Danab forces on future operational plans, the release states. Citing operational security, an AFRICOM spokesman declined to comment on the number of troops participating in the event.

Read Next: Why Gen. Mark Milley Will Probably Keep His Job as Joint Chiefs Chairman

In December, the Defense Department confirmed that former President Donald Trump had ordered the withdrawal of an estimated 700 personnel from Somalia.

In a statement, the DoD said "the majority" of troops in Somalia would be withdrawn, leaving the possibility that a small number would remain in Mogadishu for a continuing advise and assist mission with Somali forces. It's not clear how many remain in Somalia, but those who were withdrawn were largely relocated to neighboring Kenya and other nearby countries.

Officials referred to the recent downsizing of the U.S. footprint a "successful repositioning."

"Our mission has not changed," Anderson said. "We will support our partners no matter where we have a physical presence. We look forward to continuing our strong partnerships across the region in our collective fight against extremism."

The recent training occurred the same day as an attack in the Somali capital.

At least two civilians and a security guard were killed during the assault on Mogadishu's Hotel Afrik on Sunday, according to a report from Agence France-Presse. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, which began with a car bomb exploding in front of the hotel. Multiple gunmen then stormed the building and opened fire, AFP said.

Last month, AFRICOM's East Africa Response Force completed an emergency response exercise in Mogadishu, according to the release. The Jan. 22 exercise "demonstrated the ability to rapidly deploy forces to protect U.S. interests in Somalia," it said.

Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, the AFRICOM commander, said the commitment of the U.S. military to the region will continue.

"To be clear, the U.S. is not withdrawing or disengaging from East Africa," Townsend said in a Dec. 19 statement. "We remain committed to helping our African partners build a more secure future."

That same month, U.S. aircraft carried out two airstrikes against a stronghold of al-Qaida-linked al-Shabaab rebels, AFRICOM said. Officials said the strikes targeted "explosives experts" near the town of Jilib, about 207 miles southwest of Mogadishu in the Lower Juba valley.

On New Year's day, the U.S. conducted its third airstrike in roughly a month's time.

"This action clearly demonstrates our continuing commitment to Somalia and our regional partners," Army Maj. Gen. Joel Tyler, director of operations for AFRICOM, said of the Jan. 1 strike.

The U.S. conducted at least 51 airstrikes in Somalia last year, compared to 63 in 2019 and 47 in 2018, according to AFRICOM.

-- Richard Sisk contributed to this report.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214.

Related: US Military Says its Troop Removal from Somalia is Complete
The on Monday criticised the Centre for failing to address the farm issues and termed the Union Budget as 'Kisan Vidrohi'.

In a tweet on Monday soon after the Budget presentation, leader Jaiveer Shergill said, "BJP Govt reading laundry list of hollow reforms in agri sector is case of failed student reading his/her forged report card; Budget failed to increase MSP, no increase in meagre allocation under KisanSammanYojna, no loan waiver-Farmer continues to get stabbed by Kisan Virodhi BJP.

"One Nation-One Ration Card remains a catchy slogan with sketchy future as Budget fails to provide 'Ration' to migrant labourers impacted by pandemic-There should have been announcement for direct cash transfer with employment support package-as usual BJP Govt left labour stranded."

He further tweeted: "As FM sets a target of Rs1.5LacCr + from disinvestment-Budget'20 Govt set a target of raising Rs 2.10 Lac Cr from disinvestment but only achieved Rs 1949 9Cr-Rather than fixing unachievable targets and auctioning all PSUs-Govt should focus on preserving & strengthening profitable PSUs," he said.

Ahead of the Budget, the sought repeal of the farm laws and more expenditure.

Rahul Gandhi had said, "Support MSMEs, farmers and workers to generate employment, and Increase Healthcare expenditure to save lives. Increase Defence expenditure to safeguard borders."

--IANS

miz/dpb

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BRIDGEPORT  Three city police captains who are challenging in court the selection of Rebeca Garcia as assistant police chief dropped their claim Monday that they are being retaliated against.

The captains lawyer, Thomas Bucci, said he withdrew his request for a temporary injunction blocking the transfer of his clients to put the focus back on their original lawsuit.

We want to keep this case on the issue of the assistant chief selection and not jeopardize it with additional claims, Bucci said.

Captains Brian Fitzgerald, Roderick Porter and Steven Lougal are suing the city in Superior Court challenging Garcias qualifications to be assistant chief. She was later promoted to acting chief.

On Jan. 6, Mayor Joe Ganim was served with notice that he will have to testify under oath regarding the process that led to Garcia being selected assistant chief.

On Jan. 13, Garcia ordered Fitzgerald, head of the Detective Bureau, transferred to patrol; Porter, head of community services, to patrol; Lougal from patrol to special services; Capt. Kevin Gilleran from special services to head of the Detective Bureau; and Capt. Lonnie Blackwell from patrol to administrative services.

Fitzgerald, Porter and Lougal then filed an injunction request in Superior Court to block their transfers, claiming their transfers were retaliation for their lawsuit and their subpoena of the mayor.

Ganim was set to give a deposition in the case on Tuesday, but last Friday, the Office of the City Attorney filed a motion saying he would ask to delay that deposition if the mayor was asked to address the retaliation claims.

Because of Mondays storm, it now appears that deposition will be delayed until next week, Bucci said.

The temporal proximity between the service of the notice of deposition on Mayor Joseph Ganim and the transfer of Captain Fitzgerald, Captain Porter, and Captain Lougal, is evidence of a causal connection between the two events, the injunction request stated.

But in affidavits filed Monday in court, Garcia stated that the transfers had nothing to do with the case or the mayors subpoena.

I read something in the newspaper about the mayor being served with a subpoena, but it meant nothing to me, she stated.

On Jan. 11, Garcia states, she conducted a weekly meeting with deputy police chiefs James Baraja and Anthony Armeno.

Deputy Armeno expressed valid performance and operational ... concerns involving certain captains, the affidavit states. The issue of rotating captains was discussed. Deputy Chief Armeno advised me to transfer them all. Deputy Chief Baraja separately expressed his opinion that captain reassignments were overdue and warranted.

The trial on their original lawsuit is scheduled for next month and Bucci said he dropped the retaliation claims because he didnt want to risk a delay of that trial date with other separate procedural matters. However, he didnt rule out refiling the retaliation claim later.

Im not surprised, said Deputy City Attorney John Bohannon Jr. of the injunction withdrawal. Their claims were baseless.
Agence France-Presse

NASA leaders, retired launch directors, families of fallen astronauts and space fans marked the 35th anniversary of the Challenger disaster on Thursday, vowing never to forget the seven who died during liftoff. The pandemic kept this years remembrance more muted than usual. Barely 100 people  all masked and seated or standing far apart  gathered in front of Kennedy Space Centers Space Mirror Memorial. The late morning ceremony was held almost exactly the same time as the accident shortly after liftoff on 28 January 1986.

Among the attendees: Donna Smith, visiting from Floridas Gulf Coast to make sure theyre never forgotten. She was a high school student when the crew was lost; the sky was so clear that frigid morning that she could see the doomed launch all the way across the state.

The widow of Challenger commander Dick Scobee quietly observed the anniversary from her home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In a recent interview, June Scobee Rodgers said the presence of teacher Christa McAuliffe on the flight added to the crews lasting legacy. Scobee Rodgers, herself a longtime educator, said her husband was assigned the teacher-in-space flight because of her own career. NASA figured he would have compassion for a teacher, she told The Associated Press.

A social studies teacher in Concord, New Hampshire, McAuliffe was going to perform experiments and offer lessons from space.

Scobee Rodgers helped establish the Challenger Center for Space Science Education in the wake of the accident, along with the other Challenger families. She said that helped all of them heal and move forward.

In their loss, somehow, their mission continues in many, many different ways, she said.

Flags flew half-staff at NASA centres around the country Thursday, with small ceremonies also held at Johnson Space Center in Houston and Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. The US Mint is offering a new commemorative silver dollar honouring McAuliffe.

This years observance focused on the Challenger crew  McAuliffe, Scobee, Michael Smith, Judith Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, Ronald McNair and Gregory Jarvis. But it also paid tribute to the 18 others whose names are carved into the massive granite mirror at Kennedys visitor complex.

Seven were killed during reentry aboard shuttle Columbia on 1 February 2003. Three died in the Apollo 1 fire on the launch pad on 27 January 1967. Another was killed in a Virgin Galactic test flight in 2014. Plane crashes claimed the rest.

We honour these heroes and remind ourselves of the lessons that the past continues to teach us, said Kennedys deputy director, Janet Petro.

Petro noted that SpaceX is now flying astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA, and more new spaceships are on the horizon. Many of the newcomers were not around for the shuttle accidents, she said, and so the hard lessons must be shared.

Poor management and a stifling culture contributed to both shuttle accidents. Challenger was brought down by eroded O-ring seals in the right solid rocket booster, Columbia by a chunk of foam insulation that broke off the fuel tank at liftoff and pierced the left-wing.

Retired launch director Mike Leinbach  who was at Kennedy for both shuttle tragedies  said his one wish is for no more names to be added to the memorial.

Its already too full.
Gandhinagar, Feb 1 : The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) virtually celebrated its 45th 'Raising Day' on Monday.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the ICG on their completion of 44 glorious years of yeoman service to the nation and appreciated the role played by the service in pursuit of the nation's interests in the maritime zones.

The ICG also expressed its commitment towards safeguarding the country's coastline on its founding day.

Despite the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, Indian Coast Guard has maintained 24x7 vigil in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), by deploying nearly 50 ships and 12 aircrafts daily.

The deterrence at sea and coordinated air surveillance by the service enabled seizure of contraband worth nearly 1,500 crore and apprehension of more than 10 foreign fishing boats with 80 miscreants illegally operating in the Indian EEZ alone in 2020.

The 'Preventive and Measured Response' stance of operations introduced more than a year ago ensured that more than 6,000 fishing boats with nearly 40,000 fishermen were escorted to safe harbours during the passage of 11 cyclones in 2020, thus averting loss of lives and property at sea.

From a modest beginning with just seven surface platforms in 1978, the ICG has grown into a formidable force with 156 ships and 62 aircrafts in its inventory and is likely to achieve targeted force levels of 200 surface platforms and 80 aircrafts by 2025.

ICG is the fourth largest coast guard in the world and has played a significant role in securing the country's coasts and enforcing regulations within the maritime zones of India.
Five big donors increased their influence in federal politics last year by making 46 per cent of all donations in a period that saw a fall in overall funding to $18 million.

Mining magnate Clive Palmer led the list of big spenders with $5.9 million in donations to his United Australia Party in the year to June 30, adding to at least $83.5 million the previous year to fight the last election.

Clive Palmer led the list of big spenders with $5.9 million in donations to his United Australia Party in the year to June 30. Credit:ninevms

He was followed by packaging billionaire Anthony Pratt, whose company gave $1.3 million to the Liberal Party and $250,000 to the Nationals, as well as $20,000 to Labor.

Gas company Woodside Energy donated $110,000 each to Liberal and Labor as well as $55,000 to the Nationals and smaller amounts to all three parties, possibly for attendance at events.
Budget 2022: Govt Announces Rs3.06 Lakh Crore Scheme for Power DisComs; Urban Development Receives Rs4.29 Lakh Crore for JJM & SBM; Record Outlay of Rs1.10 Lakh Crore for Railways

Expressing serious concern over the viability of power distribution companies, Union minister for finance and corporate affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech of 2021-22, proposed an outlay of Rs3.05 lakh crore over the next five years for a revamped reform- based result-linked power distribution sector scheme. Jal-Jeevan Mission (Urban) and Urban Swachh Bharat Mission have been provided with an outlay of Rs2.57 lakh crore and Rs1.41 lakh crore, respectively. The minister also provided a record outlay of Rs1,10,055 crore for Railways, of which Rs1.07 lakh crore are given for capital expenditure.

In 2020-21, Govt under PM @NarendraModi ji had provided for Rs 4.12 lakh cr for capital expenditure. Increasing expenditure, we are likely to end this year at Rs 4.39 lakh cr.



For 2021-22, in 34.5% increase, Govt has provided for Rs 5.54 lakh cr. #AatmanirbharBharatKaBudget pic.twitter.com/zOX0UW1FV0  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 1, 2021

The scheme will aid power distribution companies (DISCOMs) for infrastructure creation, including pre-paid smart metering and feeder separation, and upgradation of systems tied to financial improvements. The past 6 years have seen a number of reforms and achievements in the power sector, we have added 139 Giga watts of installed capacity, connected an additional 2.8 crore households and added 1.41 lakh circuit km of transmission lines, said Ms Sitharaman.

In her Budget speech, the finance minister (FM) also pointed towards the monopolies of distribution companies across the country and proposed to put in place a competitive framework to give consumers alternatives to choose from among more than one distribution companies.

For a green and sustainable future, the finance minister also proposed to launch a comprehensive National Hydrogen Energy Mission in 2021-22 for generating hydrogen from green power sources fulfilling the announcement made by prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi in November 2020.

The FM also announced that the Jal-Jeevan Mission (Urban), will be launched for universal water supply in all 4,378 urban local bodies with 2.86 crore household tap connections, as well as liquid waste management in 500 AMRUT cities. It will be implemented over five years, with an outlay of Rs2.87 lakh crore.

Sincere compliments to Honble FM Smt @nsitharaman Ji for announcing major schemes/projects in #AatmaNirbharBharat Budget2021 speech for #TransformingUrbanLandscape across India. These include Jal Jeevan Mission (U) with ?2.87 lakh cr & SBM 2.0 with ?1.41 lakh cr over 5 years. pic.twitter.com/yLKTQFMhYV  Durga Shanker Mishra (@Secretary_MoHUA) February 1, 2021

Moreover, the Urban Swachh Bharat Mission will be implemented with a total financial allocation of Rs1.42 lakh crore over next five years. Also, to tackle the burgeoning problem of air pollution, the government proposed to provide an amount of Rs2,217 crore for 42 urban centres with a million-plus population in this Budget.

Metro Rail expansions have been proposed in Kochi, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Nasik & Chennai. Continuation of tax holidays on investments in Affordable Housing & interest deduction of additional ?1.5 lakh to promote housing till Mar22 & tax exemption for ARHC will boost Real Estate. pic.twitter.com/kM63is4lPt  Durga Shanker Mishra (@Secretary_MoHUA) February 1, 2021

Railways has now the highest ever total plan capex of Rs2.15 lakh crore this year with Rs7,500 crore from internal resources, over Rs1 lakh crore from extra-Budgetary resources and Rs1.07 lakh crore coming from capital expenditure allocation given in the general Budget. In Budget estimate (BE)2020-21, the total capex for the railways was Rs1.61 lakh crore, while the capex in BE2021-22 is Rs54,016 crore or 33% higher than BE2020-21.

Railways plan to boost Atma Nirbhar Bharat Mission and utilise the funds towards completion of vital infrastructure projects, capacity building passengers amenities and safety enhancement.

The FM also announced that in order to achieve the target of National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) in the coming years, the government proposes three steps, including creation of institutional structures, a big thrust on monetising assets and enhancing the share of capital expenditure in Central and state budgets.

NIP, launched in December 2019 with 6,835 projects, has now expanded to 7,400 projects and around 217 projects worth Rs1.10 lakh crore under some key infrastructure ministries have been completed.

Ms Sitharaman announced that Rs20,000 crore has been provisioned in the Union Budget to capitalise the proposed development financial institution (DFI). The FM informed that a Bill will be introduced to set up DFI, which will act as a provider, enabler and catalyst for infrastructure financing. The ambition is to have a lending portfolio of at least Rs5 lakh crore for this DFI in three years time, the FM added.

The FM further stated that in order to enable debt financing of InVITs and REITs by foreign portfolio investors suitable amendments will be done in the relevant legislations. The move is expected to help in augmenting funds for infrastructure and real estate sectors.

In her Budget speech, the minister announced launch of a National Monetisation Pipeline of potential brownfield infrastructure assets stating that monetising operating public infrastructure assets is a very important financing option for new infrastructure construction. The FM informed that an asset monetisation dashboard will also be created for tracking the progress and to provide visibility to investors.
United Way of Greater Newark will provide free digital and in-person tax-filing services to support low-and moderate-income individuals and families for the 2020 tax season, president and CEO Catherine Wilson announced.

Through the online platform, GetYourRefund, as well as five in-person drop-off locations around greater Newark, United Way and Newark Asset Building Coalition (NABC) partners will offer contactless Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), an IRS-sponsored program that provides free certified tax preparation assistance, for New Jersey residents from Feb. 1 through April 15.

The NABC is a coalition focused on promoting financial independence and stability to local residents and will provide these VITA services at community sites across Newark for the fourth year in a row.

United Way of Greater Newark also will offer phone consultations to all online GetYourRefund filers during the intake process to provide confidential one-on-one support. Code for America launched GetYourRefund and selected United Way of Greater Newark as one of its national partners to offer free tax-filing services and help families access tax credits and Economic Impact Payments during the pandemic.

Last year was an especially challenging financial year for many families, which will make filing taxes this year particularly tricky. For that reason, we are excited to continue offering our vital tax-filing services for free, both in-person and digitally, said Wilson. We know tax-filing provides residents with critical tax credits and are proud to be able to offer these services to our community members once again.

For more information about the NABC services and drop-off locations, go to http://www.nabcnj.org/newark-free-tax-prep/. To file taxes through GetYourRefund, go to www.getyourrefund.org/UWGN.

United Way of Greater Newarks mission is to disrupt the cycle of poverty by convening, collaborating and investing in strategies to improve outcomes for children and families.

In order to continue providing support to the community and its nonprofit partners during the COVID-19 crisis, UWGN has established the Community COVID-19 Fund. This is a regional fund serving its 13-municipality footprint including Newark, Irvington, East Orange, West Orange, South Orange, Orange, Belleville, Nutley, Maplewood, Kearny, Harrison, East Newark and North Arlington.

For more information about United Way of Greater Newark, visit UWGreaterNewark.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.
Introduction of legislation for the Higher Commission of India, setting up 100 new Sainik schools, and partnership with UAE and Japan in area of skill development and recognition, were among major announcements made for the sector in the Union by the Finance Minister on Monday.

Finance Minister on Monday announced that the budgetary allocation for the Ministry of has been reduced by 6.13 per cent, and a total of Rs 93,224 crore will be allocated to the ministry concerned.

Here are the key takeaways for the education sector in the 2021:





ALSO READ: Reactions of industrialists on FM Sitharaman's budget for fiscal 2022

School Education

More than 15,000 will be 'qualitatively strengthened' under the (NEP). 100 new will be set up in partnership with NGOs, private schools, and states.



"More than 15,000 to include all components of the will be qualitatively strengthened; to enable them to emerge as exemplar schools in their regions, handhold and mentor other schools to achieve the ideals Policy," Sitharaman said while presenting the in the Parliament.

Higher Education

In Budget 2019-20, the finance minister mentioned the setting up of the Commission of India. The Centre would introduce the legislation this year to implement the setting-up of the Commission. The legislation will be an umbrella body having four separate vehicles for standard-setting, accreditation, regulation, and funding.





ALSO READ: Budget 2021 can be a turning point in India's socialist orientation

"Many of our cities have various research institutions, universities, and colleges supported by the Government of India. Hyderabad for example has about 40 such major institutions. In 9 such cities, we will create formal umbrella structures so that these institutes can have better synergy, while also retaining their autonomy. A glue grant will be set aside for this purpose", said Sitharaman.

For accessible in Ladakh, Union Finance Minister today proposed to set up a central university in Leh, while presenting 2021-22.

SC/ST Education

The central government proposes to set up 750 Eklavya model residential schools in tribal areas of the country, the Centre also proposes to increase the unit cost of each such school from Rs 20 crore to Rs 38 crore, and for hilly and difficult areas, to Rs 48 crore. This would help in creating robust infrastructure facilities for tribal students, according to the finance minister.





ALSO READ: Govt allocates Rs 4.78 trillion to defence for 2021-22 in Budget 2021

The government has revamped the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and also enhanced the Central Assistance in this regard. "A total of Rs 35,219 crore will be allocated for six years till 2025-2026 to benefit four crore SC students", FM Sitharaman said in her speech today.

Skilling

Under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme, the government proposes to amend the Apprenticeship Act to further enhance the apprenticeship opportunities for the youth. The central government will realign the existing scheme of National Apprenticeship Training Scheme (NATS) for providing post-education apprenticeship, training of graduates and diploma holders in Engineering. More than Rs 3,000 crore will be provided for in this regard.

An initiative is underway, in partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to benchmark skill qualifications, assessment, and certification, accompanied by the deployment of certified workforce. The Centre also have a collaborative Training Inter Training Programme (TITP) with Japan to facilitate the transfer of Japanese industrial and vocational skills, technique, and knowledge.
Global Leader in Medical Technology Ranks #4 in Industry on Annual List

DUBLIN, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT) has been named to FORTUNE's 2021 World's Most Admired Companies List. The global leader in medical technology landed at #4 in the Medical Products and Equipment industry.

"We're honored to once again be selected by Fortune for this prestigious recognition," said Geoff Martha, Medtronic chairman and chief executive officer. "Every day, our teams around the world work to bring innovative products and solutions to deliver on our Mission  to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life. In an incredibly challenging 2020, we continued to put patients first and demonstrated to the world that Medtronic can be a force for positive change  not just within healthcare, but in the communities where we work and live."

The annual list measures corporate reputation among the world's largest companies, beginning with a pool of around 1,500 candidates; the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue, along with non-U.S. companies in Fortune's Global 500 database that have revenues of $10 billion or more. This year, 670 of the world's largest companies by revenue were surveyed, spanning 52 industries and 30 countries.

The World's Most Admired Companies are rated on nine attributes, and overall corporate reputation score is an average of the attribute scores. It includes the best-regarded companies across 52 industries, and is based on input from executives, directors, and analysts. They are asked to rank companies in their respective industries on nine criteria, from investment value and quality of management and products to social responsibility and ability to attract talent. A company's score must rank in the top half of its industry survey to be listed. For the complete rankings, visit Fortune.com.

About Medtronic

Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world's largest medical technology, services and solutions companies  alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 90,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in more than 150 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together.

Contacts:





Erika Winkels Ryan Weispfenning Public Relations Investor Relations +1-763-526-8478 +1-763-505-4626

SOURCE Medtronic plc

Related Links

http://www.medtronic.com


Aspen, CO (81611)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 72F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 44F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
Photo: The Canadian Press A Vancouver Police Department patch is seen on an officer's uniform as she makes a phone call after responding to an unknown incident in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, on January 9, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Police say a Vancouver senior is "clinging to life" after being attacked by two men she believed were police officers.

Sgt. Steve Addison says the 78-year-old lives alone in her home and was attacked early Sunday when she opened her door to the men.

Addison says the victim likely lay injured in the home for several hours until police found her in response to a friend's request for a wellness check.

The woman remains in hospital with what are described as life-threatening injuries.

Police say the first suspect is white, six feet tall, with a long brown beard and a medium build, while the second man is the same height but might be Indigenous or Hispanic and has a heavy build with dark, balding hair.

Investigators have not said why the men, believed to be aged between 30 and 50, carried out the assault.

Addison says the department's non-emergency line can help concerned or doubtful residents identify officers before allowing them into a home.

All VPD officers, whether in uniform or in civilian clothes, carry individualized police badges, ID cards, and have unique personal identification numbers, he says in the statement.
21 runners killed during mountain race in northwestern province of Gansu; Indian variant of Covid-19 found in Guangzhou; Beijing willing to arrange for vaccines to be sent to Taiwan

May 28, 2021 08:15 PM
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 (751)
Leclanche SA has developed a modular, all-in-one, high-performance battery system optimized for powering new and retrofit hybrid and fully electric commercial vehicles.

INT-39 Energy HV pack (INT-39 Energy) is a fully integrated product comprising Leclanches advanced M2 battery modules, powered by its high density and high life cycle 60 Ah graphite/NMC (nickel manganese cobalt oxide) Li-ion cells; and the companys proprietary battery management system (BMS). It also features built-in liquid-cooling and thermal hazard protection enhancing its ability to work safely in a wide range of environments.





An optional IoT tool allows remote data logging and real-time access to battery status, performance and diagnostic data for optimizing fleet operations.

The companys 60 Ah cells and M2 modules are manufactured by Leclanche in Germany and Switzerland, respectively. The cells provide cycle-life of 8,000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge at 1C/1C. INT-39 Energy is available as a 657V pack with an energy capacity of 39.4 kWh and can be expanded to include as many as eight packs providing up to 315 kWh of energy capacity.

The system is designed for installation where fossil fuel tanks are normally located but can be placed into other locations, including vehicle roofs, based on manufacturers preferences.

INT-39 Energy HV has been certified for on-road applications by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, ECE R-100.02 rev 2, which addresses the safety requirements specific to the electric power train of road vehicles including rechargeable battery systems. It is also rated to ingress protection level IP65.

Orders are being taken now for delivery in early 2021.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has called on the international community to hold Russia accountable for use of violence against its people and aggression against the peoples of neighboring countries.

"The protests in the Russian Federation on January 31, 2021 were marked by a new round of human rights violations and gross violence against protesters, as well as journalists covering these events. Another act of suppressing the rights of Russian citizens to peaceful assembly and freedom of speech, arrests of opposition members and media representatives, persecution of those who disagree with the aggressive policy of the Russian authorities at home and in the international arena are alarming evidence of further restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms and Russia's violation of its international obligations in the field of human rights," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a commentary published on the website on Monday.

The ministry drew attention to the fact that the Russian authorities, cultivating lawlessness and violence in the country and grossly violating the rights of their citizens, are using similar methods and approaches in international politics, undermining international peace and security.

"Such actions cannot remain unanswered by the international community. The time has come for more decisive action and accountability for violent actions against one's own people and aggression against the peoples of neighboring countries. It is well known that impunity breeds violence. That is why all international mechanisms of pressure, including sanctions, for violation of human rights must be used without delay," the department said.

The Foreign Ministry said that today the price of calls to continue the dialogue with Russia is the new beaten and detained protesters who stand up for human rights and democracy, and further unwinding of the violence spiral in the Russian Federation.
As debate on bail reform continues to roil Texas politics, state Sen. Paul Bettencourt on Monday announced legislation to limit the use of personal recognizance bonds and impose stiffer cash bail limits on defendants charged with multiple felonies.

America is the land of second chances, but that doesnt mean you get a third, fourth or fifth chance to then go out and commit some serious offense like shooting a deputy sheriff or killing a citizen of Harris County, said Bettencourt, R-Houston, introducing Senate Bill 532.

The so-called Caitlynnes Bill is named after Caitlynne Infinger Guajardo, who police say was killed in 2019 by her husband, Alex Guajardo, who was out on bond after being charged with assaulting her.

Bettencourt announced the news Monday morning at Crime Stoppers of Houston, where he was joined by Republican state Rep. Dan Huberty, local law enforcement labor leaders, City Council member (and bail bondsman) Michael Kubosh, several community advocates and relatives of homicide victims in Houston and Harris County.

He said the bill would prohibit magistrates from releasing a defendant on a personal recognizance bond (meaning the person doesnt have to post money in order to be released) for offenses committed while already out on an existing PR bond, or on a felony offense when two or more felony charges are pending against the defendant.

His proposed legislation also sets a minimum bail of $10,000 per offense in cases where the defendant is accused of three or more prior felonies.

During his news conference, Bettencourt criticized Harris County judges for releasing defendants on low bonds.

Bail reform is one thing, but bond destruction is another, he said. The pendulum has gone too far in this area.

Opponents of bail reform have raised Guajardos death as an example of problems with how Harris County treats defendants accused of serious crimes. Guajardos husband had previously been charged with drunken driving and had recently been arrested on charges of assaulting her. Soon after his arrest, he was let out of jail on a PR bond. He is accused of stabbing her to death days later.

These PR bonds are being handed out like popcorn. These criminals are laughing at Harris County and our justice system. It has to stop, said Melanie Infinger, mother of Caitlynne. I knew that my daughters death was preventable.

The legislation drew support from Harris County law enforcement leaders, including Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who said she supported the proposed legislation.

"Violent offenders who commit more crimes while on bail should not be repeatedly released to prey on innocent people, Ogg said.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez also expressed tentative support for Bettencourts bill, saying the current system leads to inconsistent application of bond and said he supported efforts to use risk-based assessments to determine how the state detains defendants.

Judges should have more discretion, he said. Sometimes theyre limited in who they can hold with no bond.

The proposed legislation drew immediate pushback from Democratic lawmakers, who said it appeared to be a bill written by bail bondsmen that promises a quick fix to a complex issue.

Its just flawed on its face and its unfortunate Crime Stoppers of Houston lends its good name to a bill that will not improve public safety, said state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, who called the bill soft on crime and said it fails to address real problems preventing judges from detaining violent criminals.

Whitmire said the bill does not acknowledge the realities of the Texas Constitution.

If youre a high-risk danger to the public, you should receive no bond, he said. I dont know anyone who would argue that, but the Constitution of Texas guarantees a bond. Its outdated and should be changed.

In response to Whitmires criticism, Bettencourt defended the bill, saying it was written without input of any bail bond influences.

Without a constitutional amendment, that is as far as the law can go because bail is constitutionally guaranteed, Bettencourt said.

State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, argued that cash bond is why people get stuck in jail and said the proposed legislation would potentially prevent people from returning to work or caring for their families after a run-in with the law.

Nick Hudson, policy and advocacy strategist for the ACLU of Texas, said in a statement that Texas needs reform to its broken bail system.

Its not just, smart, or safe to decide whether to release someone from jail based on how much money they can pay, he said. Bills like this one would move Texas backward by increasing wealth-based incarceration, especially for Black and brown Texans. Overall, this increases costs to taxpayers without improving safety.

But labor leaders for the countys law enforcement officers at the news conference argued that Harris County has become a safe haven for criminals.

The proposed legislation comes as Harris County and Houston both weathered sharp upticks in homicides in 2020, mirroring a nationwide trend.

Andy Kahan, Crime Stoppers of Houstons director of victim services and advocacy, has said many murders have been committed by defendants out of jail on a personal recognizance bond, on multiple felony bonds or after forfeiting their bond.

Veteran criminal defense attorney Patrick McCann criticized law enforcements description of Harris County as a haven for criminals. He characterized Bettencourts proposed legislation as a plea to the return of the days of cowboy justice.

Thats something they come up with from their imagination because they are struggling to adapt to modern times, he said. They cant handle increased civilian scrutiny and increased community policing methods theyre being forced to adopt.

But he said he agreed with one of the proposed laws provisions.

If youre dumb enough to blow a PR bond, you probably dont need to be out with rest of us, he said.

st.john.smith@chron.com
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Monday (February 1) closed the entry and exit gates of at least four metro stations on the Green Line as the farmers' agitation intensified against the Centres agriculture laws. The stations which have been closed by the DMRC are - Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma and Tikri Border.

Thousands of farmers have been converging at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border following a tearful Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikaits impassioned appeal to protesters to bolster the stir.

Security Update Entry/exit gates of Brigadier Hoshiar Singh, Bahadurgarh City, Pandit Shree Ram Sharma and Tikri Border are closed.  Delhi Metro Rail Corporation I _____ _____ ______ (@OfficialDMRC) February 1, 2021

Earlier this morning, the Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory that vehicular traffic was diverted at Akshardham for Noida and suggested an alternative routes. "Traffic will remain affected on Road no. 56 from ISBT Anand Vihar to Ghazipur due to closing of border," it tweeted.

The suggested diversion points include Akshardham Setu towards Akshardham, NH-9, Max Hospital cut NH-24 towards Hassanpur depot, Ghazipur roundabout towards Anand Vihar, Paper market towards Mayur Vihar Phase-3 to avoid Murga Mandi, Kondli Pul towards Ghazipur roundabout. The suggested diversion point have been open at 10.05 am and from the point of National Highway No 9, National Highway No 24 open from the Upper UPPER side UP Gate towards Ghaziabad, Meerut and Hapur.

Notably, the Centre has extended the deployment period of four companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF) till February 4 to maintain law and order in Ghaziabad in view of the farmers protest. The farmers have continued to camp at the Singhu, Ghazipur and Tikri borders amid heavy security deployment for over two months now.

Live TV
* Username

This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely!
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is investigating the shooting of two 18-year-olds that occurred in the 100 block of Highland Park Drive on Monday, according to an ACCPD press release.
Here's what you need to know this morning: Monday, Feb. 1
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar  Myanmar military television said Monday that the military was taking control of the country for one year, while reports said many of the countrys senior politicians including Aung San Suu Kyi had been detained.

A presenter on military-owned Myawaddy TV made the announcement and cited a section of the military-drafted constitution that allows the military to take control in times of national emergency. He said the reason for takeover was in part due to the governments failure to act on the militarys claims of voter fraud in last Novembers election and its failure to postpone the election because of the coronavirus crisis.

The announcement follows days of concern about the threat of a military coup  and military denials  and came on the morning the countrys new Parliament session was to begin.

The detention of the politicians and cuts in communication services on Monday were the first signals that plans to seize power were in motion. Phone and internet access to Naypyitaw was lost and Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party could not be reached.

The Irrawaddy, an established online news service, reported that Suu Kyi, who as state counsellor is the nations top leader, and the countrys president, Win Myint, were both detained in the pre-dawn hours. The news service cited Myo Nyunt, a spokesman for the NLD.

Its report said that the partys Central Executive Committee members, lawmakers and regional Cabinet members had also been taken into custody.

The U.S., Australia and others issued statements expressing concern reports and urging Myanmars military to respect the rule of law.

The United States is alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the countrys democratic transition, including the arrest of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials in Burma, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement from Washington. She said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the reported developments.

The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed, the statement said. Burma is the former name of Myanmar.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne called for the release of Suu Kyi and others reported to be detained. We strongly support the peaceful reconvening of the National Assembly, consistent with the results of the November 2020 general election, she said.

Myanmar lawmakers were to gather Monday in the capital Naypyitaw for the first session of Parliament since last years election.

The 75-year-old Suu Kyi is by far the countrys most dominant politician, and became the countrys leader after leading a decades-long nonviolent struggle against military rule.

Suu Kyis party captured 396 out of 476 seats in the combined lower and upper houses of Parliament in the November polls, but the military holds 25% of the total seats under the 2008 military-drafted constitution and several key ministerial positions are also reserved for military appointees.

The military, known as the Tatmadaw, charged that there was massive voting fraud in the election, though it has failed to provide proof. The state Union Election Commission last week rejected its allegations.

Amid the bickering over the allegations, the military last Tuesday ramped up political tension when a spokesman at its weekly news conference, responding to a reporters question, declined to rule out the possibility of a coup. Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun elaborated by saying the military would follow the laws in accordance with the constitution.

Using similar language, Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing told senior officers in a speech Wednesday that the constitution could be revoked if the laws were not being properly enforced. Adding to the concern was the unusual deployment of armored vehicles in the streets of several large cities.

On Saturday, however, the military denied it had threatened a coup, accusing unnamed organizations and media of misrepresenting its position and taking the generals words out of context.

On Sunday, it reiterated its denial, this time blaming unspecified foreign embassies of misinterpreting the militarys position and calling on them not to make unwarranted assumptions about the situation.

--The Associated Press
Myanmar's military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids.

The army said it had carried out the detentions in response to "election fraud", handing power to military chief Min Aung Hlaing and imposing a state of emergency for one year, according to a statement on a military-owned television station.

A verified Facebook page for Suu Kyi's party published comments it said had been written in anticipation of a coup and which quoted her as saying people should protest against the military takeover.

The coup derails years of Western-backed efforts to establish democracy in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, where neighbouring China also has a powerful influence.

The generals made their move hours before parliament had been due to sit for the first time since the NLD's landslide win in a November 8 election viewed as a referendum on Suu Kyi's fledgling democratic rule.

Phone and internet connections in the capital Naypyidaw and the main commercial centre of Yangon were disrupted and state TV went off air after the NLD leaders were detained.

Suu Kyi, Myanmar President Win Myint and other NLD leaders were "taken" in the early hours of the morning, NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone. Reuters was subsequently unable to contact him.

A video posted to Facebook by one MP appeared to show the arrest of another, regional lawmaker Pa Pa Han.

In the video, her husband pleads with men in military garb standing outside the gate. A young child can be seen clinging to his chest and wailing.

Troops took up positions in Yangon where residents rushed to markets to stock up on supplies and others lined up at ATMs to withdraw cash. Banks subsequently suspended services due to poor internet connections.

The detentions came after days of escalating tension between the civilian government and the military in the aftermath of the election.

Suu Kyi's party won 83pc of the vote in only the second election since a military junta agreed to share power in 2011.

The pre-written statement uploaded on a NLD Facebook page quoted Suu Kyi as saying such army actions would put Myanmar "back under a dictatorship".

"I urge people not to accept this, to respond and wholeheartedly to protest against the coup by the military," it quoted her as saying. Reuters was unable to reach any NLD officials to confirm the veracity of the statement.

Some pro-military supporters celebrated the coup, parading through Yangon in pickup trucks and waving national flags but pro-democracy activists were horrified.

"Our country was a bird that was just learning to fly. Now the army broke our wings, said student activist Si Thu Tun.

INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION

The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the arrests, while the US embassy in Yangon issued an alert warning US citizens there of the "potential for civil and political unrest".

"The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the detention of political leaders and urged the military to "respect the will of the people," a UN spokesman said.

The Australian government said it was "deeply concerned at reports the Myanmar military is once again seeking to seize control of Myanmar".

India, Malaysia and Singapore also expressed concern, while major aid donor Japan said it was watching the situation.

LEAD-UP TO COUP

Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, 75, came to power after a 2015 election win that followed decades of house arrest and struggle against the junta that made her an international icon.

While still hugely popular at home, her international reputation was damaged after she failed to stop the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya from western Rakhine state in 2017.

Suu Kyi was stripped of her honour of the freedom of Dublin City back in 2017 due to the treatment of Rohingya people by her government.

Councillors of Dublin City Council voted overwhelmingly in favour of stripping Ms Suu Kyi of the honour it bestowed on her while she was under house arrest.

Forty-nine councillors voted in favour due to Ms Suu Kyi's "complicity" in the murder, rape and torture of the Rohingya people.

Rohingya refugees in neighbouring Bangladesh also condemned the move.

"We Rohingya community strongly condemn this heinous attempt to kill democracy," Rohingya leader Dil Mohammed told Reuters by phone. "We urge the global community to come forward and restore democracy at any cost."

Military chief Min Aung Hlaing raised the prospect of repealing the constitution in response to election irregularities as tensions soared last week.

The vote faced some criticism in the West for disenfranchising some ethnic groups including Rohingya, but Myanmar's election commission has rejected the military's allegations of vote fraud.

In its statement declaring the state of emergency, the military cited the failure of the electoral commission to address complaints over voter lists, its refusal to agree to a request to postpone new parliamentary sessions and protests by groups unhappy over the election.

"Unless this problem is resolved, it will obstruct the path to democracy and it must therefore be resolved according to the law," the statement said, citing an emergency provision in the constitution in the event national sovereignty is threatened.

Daniel Russel, the top US diplomat for East Asia under former President Barack Obama, who fostered close ties with Suu Kyi, described the military takeover as a severe blow to democracy in the region.

"Its yet another reminder that the extended absence of credible and steady US engagement in the region has emboldened anti-democratic forces," he said.

Human Rights Watch's Asia advocacy director, John Sifton, criticised the initial White House response as disappointingly weak and urged a more concerted international reaction.

The US needs to work with allies to speak more clearly, in unison, in terms of ultimatums, to put the Myanmar military on notice of the specific consequences that will occur if their coup is not reversed," he said.




The cost of lost schooling to a generation of children is today put at a shocking 350billion.

The impact on pupils missing classes during the pandemic could last a lifetime, a hard-hitting report warns.

Children who have been denied six months of normal education could lose an average of 40,000 in income over their career, predicts the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

The think-tank calls for ministers to consider 'big and radical' measures to help youngsters catch up.

These could include extending the educational year, lengthening the school day, summer catch-ups and even 'mass repetition of whole school years'.

The IFS says the overall cost to the economy could top 350billion in lost earnings.

Last summer Boris Johnson, pictured during a virtual meeting with pupils on Friday, announced plans for a 1billion catch-up fund in England. An additional 300million was unveiled on Wednesday, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies calling for 'big and radical' measures to help youngsters catch up.

Its dire warnings make campaigns such as Mail Force's Computers for Kids even more crucial.

The charity was boosted yesterday by further generous donations from readers and firms including The Hut Group, which pledged 500,000, and Santander bank, which offered 250 laptops.

More than 5.6million has now been raised in just eight days.

In other developments yesterday:

A record 610,000 Covid vaccinations were carried out in a single day, meaning nearly nine million have now had their first jab;

Matt Hancock predicted Britain could look forward to a 'happy and free summer';

Liz Truss said the UK might send jabs to the EU and developing countries before every British adult is vaccinated;

Another 587 Covid deaths were reported, taking the total to 106,158;

A further 21,088 cases were confirmed, down from 30,004 a week earlier.

The IFS says administrations across the UK have allocated around 1.5billion toward catch-up support for pupils.

But it argues this is 'tiny' compared with the scale of the problem and a 'massive injection' of resources is needed.

It estimates that by the February half-term, the total loss in face-to-face teaching time will amount to around half a normal school year.

The IFS believes ministers should consider extending the academic year and making school days longer to ensure children catch up on classroom time that has been lost due to Covid

This is before accounting for lower-than-normal attendance rates in the 2020 autumn term, especially in disadvantaged areas.

If most schools do not go back until after Easter, youngsters will have lost two thirds of a normal school year.

Even if three quarters of the long-term impact is mitigated, the cost to the economy would still be nearly 90billion, the IFS analysis suggests.

The long-run negative effects of lost learning could be 'concentrated' among those from less wealthy backgrounds, leading to a 'widening of existing inequalities'.

And the public purse could take a massive hit too.

Potential lost future earnings of 350billion would mean more than 100billion less tax revenue.

The IFS paper says: 'Without significant remedial action, lost learning will translate into reduced productivity, lower incomes, lower tax revenues, higher inequality and potentially expensive social ills.

'The lack of urgency or national debate on how to address this problem is deeply worrying.

'The necessary responses are likely to be complex, hard and expensive. But the risks of spending 'too much' time or resources on this issue are far smaller than the risks of spending too little.'

The Government is being urged to send funding directly to schools and colleges to ensure every pupil can catch up

Last summer Boris Johnson announced plans for a 1billion catch-up fund in England, with an additional 300million unveiled on Wednesday.

But the IFS says extra resources must be much higher and 'heavily skewed towards more disadvantaged pupils'.

Geoff Barton of the Association of School and College Leaders said the Government needed to put in place much more funding  going directly to schools and colleges.'

James Turner of the Sutton Trust, a social mobility charity, said: 'The IFS is absolutely right to call for substantially more education funding to address the major issues coming out of this crisis.

It is absolutely crucial that this is targeted toward disadvantaged pupils who have been the worst hit by the pandemic.'

A Downing Street spokesman said: 'The Government will work with parents, teachers and schools to develop a long-term plan to make sure pupils have the chance to make up their learning.'
MOSCOW -- Allies of Aleksei Navalny are calling on his supporters to gather at a Moscow courthouse on February 2 where the jailed opposition politician has a hearing looking at converting a suspended sentence he served into real jail time in a case widely considered to be politically motivated.

The hearing in Moscow comes after tens of thousands of Russians rallied the past two weekends in support of the anti-corruption campaigner despite a sometimes violent police crackdown that saw thousands -- including Navalny's wife, Yulia, and most of his close associates -- detained.

"Without your help, we won't be able to resist the lawlessness of the authorities," the politician's team said on social media on February 1.

The 44-year-old Kremlin critic was detained on January 17 upon his return from Germany, where he had been recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning, and was later remanded in pretrial detention for 30 days.

Navalny is accused of violating the terms of a suspended sentence for embezzlement in a case he says was trumped up but could see him jailed for 3 1/2 years.

On the eve of the start of the trial at the Moscow City Court on February 2, the Russian prosecutor's office said it supported a request from the prison authority to convert the suspended sentence into a real jail term.

Prosecutors claim he broke the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence in a case the European Court for Human Rights ruled was "arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable."

Navalny and his supporters say he was poisoned in August on the orders of President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has dismissed extensive evidence that state agents poisoned Navalny and have rejected international calls for his release.

Tens of thousands filled the streets across the country on January 31, braving freezing weather and possible arrest to defend Navalny and voice their discontent with the government over a host of issues ranging from corruption to falling living standards.

More than 5,600 protesters were detained, according to the monitoring group OVD-Info, amid reports of police using batons and electric shock batons to break up rallies in Moscow and elsewhere.

In a statement issued late on January 31, OVD-Info noted the "disproportionately brutal actions" of security forces against peaceful demonstrators and said this was the largest number of mass arrests since it was founded more than nine years ago.

Police "deliberately interfered with the work of the press," taking 91 journalists reporting on the protests into custody in 31 cities, it said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov alleged on February 1 that a large number of protesters were "hooligans and provocateurs and that dialogue with such people would be impossible.

One of those taken into custody was Yulia Navalnaya, who was fined 20,000 rubles ($265) on February 1 by a court in Moscow for taking part in unsanctioned rallies in support of her jailed husband.

Another Moscow court placed Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's press secretary, under house arrest until March 23 as a "restraining measure."

The court approved the measure as requested by the Investigative Committee, saying Yarmysh had violated health and safety measures enacted to stem the spread of the coronavirus by calling for mass protests to support the Kremlin critic and anti-corruption campaigner.

Andrei Pivovarov, the executive director of the opposition group Open Russia, was found guilty of repeatedly violating rules about public gatherings and was sentenced to 29 days.

Opposition politician Ilya Yashin was jailed for 15 days for allegedly disobeying a police officer.

The United States, the European Union, and human rights organizations condemned the violence by Russian police against their own citizens as well as the detention of reporters.

Amnesty International said police in Moscow were holding people in deportation facilities because they had "run out of space" in jails.

"Trying to lock up every critic in the country is a losing game. The Russian authorities should instead recognize how much the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression mean to a growing number of Russians, and allow people to express their opinions without fear of retaliation," Amnesty said in a statement following the protest.

Like the previous weekend, the January 31 protests took place in more than 100 cities in what some are calling the largest series of anti-government rallies by geography since Putin took power at the end of 1999.

International Condemnation

In a TV interview aired on February 1, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was "deeply disturbed by the violent crackdown" and that the U.S. administration was considering possible action against Russia.

Blinken did not commit to specific sanctions against Moscow.

EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted that he deplored the "widespread detentions and disproportionate use of force" against protesters and journalists in Russia and that the country "needs to comply with its international commitments."

Borrell is scheduled to fly to Moscow on February 5.

Also on February 1, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced it had informed Russia that it will consider a complaint filed to the court by Navalny.

His legal team argues Russia violated his right to life under the European Convention on Human Rights by refusing to open a criminal case into his poisoning with a Soviet-era nerve agent in August.

In April 2019, the ECHR ruled that Russian authorities violated Navalny's rights by holding him under house arrest in the 2014 case.

With reporting by TASS, Reuters, and AP
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 recently hit headlines for uploading braless images of herself in the snow last month.

And Elizabeth Hurley didn't let the backlash hinder her confidence as she posted another sizzling picture to Instagram on Monday evening.

The model, 55, showcased her youthful-looking figure as she slipped into a yellow bikini in a throwback photo for her 'pretend holiday' amid the coronavirus pandemic.

All eyes on her: Elizabeth Hurley posted another sizzling image to Instagram on Monday evening for her 'pretend holiday' amid the coronavirus pandemic

Highlighting her toned frame, the actress stunned in her two-piece, which featured a classic triangle bralet and matching briefs.

The businesswoman brought a light-hearted approach to the UK's travel ban as she wrote in an accompanying caption: 'Oh, what a fabulous time I have had on Day 5 of my #pretendvacation.

'lobster salads, Skinny Bitches, Jilly Cooper and swimming with dolphins. And all in my favourite Sunshine Bikini.' (sic)

Drama: The former Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery star, 55, recently caused a stir after sharing a selection of sexy topless snaps in the snow (pictured)

'What a fabulous time I've had!' The businesswoman brought a light-hearted approach to the UK's travel ban in the post's accompanying caption

The brunette returned to Instagram with the throwback snaps after sparking a furore with her snowy topless photos last month.

Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan recently apologised to the TV star for branding her latest topless shoot 'creepy' amid confusion over who took the pictures.

The presenter, 55, expressed his regret towards the actress in the wake of her clarification that her 80-year-old mother was the photographer, rather than her son Damian, 18, as Piers first thought.

Despite his apology, the outspoken star backtracked and claimed he did not believe her claims that her mother was behind the lens, based on previous comments from the star in 2018 that confirmed Damian often takes her sexy snaps.

He said on Good Morning Britain last week: 'Apparently, it was her mum... how long did you keep your 80-year-old mother out in the snow to take these pictures?

'I'm not buying a word of this, I reckon it was Damian... it is creepy if your teenage son took these photos.'

Shocker: Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan (pictured) recently apologised to the TV star for branding her latest topless shoot 'creepy' amid confusion over who took the pictures

Following up on her comments the next day, Piers responded defiantly, saying: 'I would like to apologise to Elizabeth Hurley. I called her thirsty... the point is, I inadvertently followed the newspaper lead that it was her son.'

When Susanna asked why it would be creepy for Damian to take the pictures, he said: 'That would be creepy... you don't believe anything you're saying...

'Apparently, it was her mum. How long did you keep your 80-year-old mother out in the snow? Susanna, you wouldn't do that... I'm not buying a word of this, I reckon it was Damien. It is creepy if your teenage son took these photos.'

Elizabeth revealed last year her mother Angela had moved into her Herefordshire mansion so they could spend the lockdown together.
Lihi Kornowski and Gal Toren in "Losing Alice" on Apple TV+. (Apple TV+)

A wiretapping soldier in 1973 warns breathlessly that Israel is about to be overrun by 1,600 Syrian tanks. An undercover female Mossad agent in Iran hacks into a computer system to help sabotage its nuclear program. A wayward, black-hatted ultra-Orthodox artist angers his family by exhibiting his paintings.

They may all be characters on Israeli television shows, with situations that reflect the distinct outlines of life there, but in the eyes of Hollywood  and American and international audiences  their stories are universal.

Israeli television has inspired several American series, beginning more than a decade ago with In Treatment, a psychotherapy drama on HBO, and including the most successful adaptation of them all, Showtimes counterterrorism thriller Homeland. With the rise of streaming, though, this pipeline has seen a notable shift: As indicated by the success of Netflixs Shtisel among others, more stories from Israel than ever are available to international audiences in their original form, available to watch via subtitles or dubbing.

We live in a very complicated, political place, with lots of different groups, including different religious groups, brewing with tension between them, so thats good ground for good stories on the one hand. And on the other hand, our budgets are not very big  so we dedicate most of the time to writing scripts, said Karni Ziv, head of drama and comedy for the Keshet Media Group, one of Israels main production companies.

Every good series depends first of all on very good scripts, that is the key  Most Israeli writers are writing very personal stories, something they are connected to and often coming out of a kind of pain. And that improves the level and depth of the story.

Danny Syrkin, director of Tehran, the first non-English language series on Apple TV+, echoed that sentiment.

We have to invest in interesting characters, in writing, in relationships, in the plotlines, something that can go deeper. You need to capture the audience, because resources are limited, he said. Limitations are sometimes a blessing.

Story continues

Doval'e Glickman, Ayelet Zurer and Michael Aloni in "Shtisel" on Netflix. (Dori Media)

The Israeli TV boom comes at a time, Ziv notes, in which the world has become a more international village and audiences are more willing to hear foreign languages and discover foreign settings. At the end of the day, it can be a story that is very far from your culture and what you know, but if its a good story, it can touch you in a very personal way that makes it feel like it happened nearby.

The most recent Israeli show to debut in the U.S. is Losing Alice, launched on Apple TV+ last month and starring Ayelet Zurer  whom viewers may know from her roles in Munich and Angels & Demons.

Hebrew is the language I grew up with, its my roots, its where I feel very much myself, said the Los Angeles-based actress, who also appears in Shtisel. For American viewers getting to know her now in Israeli shows, she added, Its like knowing someone for many years and then being invited into their house.

Losing Alice is a noir-inflected story of a woman in her late 40s determined to rediscover her artistry and her relevance  a departure from the prevailing trend among Israeli series with a dedicated international fanbase, which typically meld the personal and the political by casting war, conflict or religion as the backdrop.

Sigal Avin, Losing Alices American Israeli creator, writer and director, says Israels spartan productions means she has more control and freedom to focus on her own vision.

I didnt have all the notes and all the talking heads you have in the States, where its harder to leave others voices out and make sure you are going on your own path, she says.

Avin, one of only a handful of female directors working in Israel, credits the pressures of making television in the country  a relatively new industry here  with winnowing it down to its most dedicated and determined creators.

To make TV in Israel means killing yourself over your project, said Avin, who has also sold two series for the American remake treatment. Its so hard, theres not enough money, you have to work fast. Its just hell. Anyone doing TV here is working from blood, sweat and tears. And the level has gone up to such a high level, so I think the world would benefit if they go with taking the shows as is.

Niv Sultan as a Mossad agent in "Tehran." (Apple)

'A fearlessness that is palpable'

Ester Namdar, a writer and the head of drama at Artza Productions, said the industry is abuzz with a feeling of triumph now that their original shows are reaching audiences around the world in Hebrew (and in some cases also in Arabic and Farsi). Israel is not alone: Other countries  Denmark with Borgen, Japan with Atelier, Korea with a raft of soaps known as K-dramas  are also finding audiences overseas in their original form via streaming.

Everyone is telling us that theyre trying to figure out whats the secret to a show that will be picked up internationally, said Namdar, who wrote the Israeli version of Showtimes Your Honor, starring Bryan Cranston, and Red Lines ("PMTA" in Hebrew), which was a hit in Israel but had no takers abroad. Every show written with the purpose of being international did not go international. I can tell you that as a creator.

What unifies Israeli series that have traveled abroad may not be a particular subject matter, then, but what HBOs senior vice president for programming, Nora Skinner, called a creative sensibility and a fearlessness that is palpable.

Shtisel, the surprise Netflix hit about an ultra-Orthodox family in Jerusalem, is a window into a world whose rules and customs are unknown by outsiders. Tehran, a spy thriller, employs a Mossad agent in deep cover as guide into a conflict widely known, but perhaps little understood, the world over. Valley of Tears (HBO Max), about the 1973 Yom Kippur War that brought the country to the brink of defeat, is an invitation into one of the most searing, life-altering moments in Israeli history. And the HBO-Keshet co-production Our Boys, based on the true story of the lead-up to the 2014 war in Gaza, attempts to capture the trauma of that time from the perspectives of both Israeli and Palestinian characters.

Tzahi Grad and Shlomi Elkabetz in "Our Boys" on HBO. (Ran Mendelson/HBO)

Created by two Jewish Israelis and a Palestinian citizen of Israel, Our Boys opens shortly after the funerals for three Israeli teens who had been kidnapped and killed by Hamas militants, as Mohammed Abu Khdeir, a Palestinian 16-year-old, goes missing. The series was blasted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as anti-Semitic for focusing its narrative on Abu Khdeirs death at the hands of young Jewish extremists. He called for a boycott of the Israeli channel that aired the series.

It presented a side of Israel that the politicians did not want to see, and thats always a great sign, said Adrian Hennigan, TV critic for Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Its something Israeli film has done well over the years  holding up a mirror to the flaws in Israeli society.

Syrkin, the director of Tehran  who learned Farsi so he could communicate with the Iranian expatriate actors in the Athens-shot show  said his series has similarly struck a nerve.

The most moving reactions we had came from Iran, from people who were courageous enough to reach out to me and say they love the show, the way we depicted Iranian culture, he said. Others criticize us for being Zionist, others for being too soft on the Iranians.

While these series may also be instructive  this is also a part of history that most Americans arent familiar with, and we wanted to bring awareness to American audiences, HBO Maxs senior vice president of international originals, Jeniffer Kim, said of Valley of Tears  there are notable limitations. Namely, with the exception of Our Boys, most Israeli shows set against the background of regional war and conflict are written by Israeli writers, from the Israeli perspective, and in turn promulgate a decidedly Israeli narrative  even when individual characters, as with the Iranians in Tehran or the Palestinians in Fauda, are relatable and multi-dimensional.

Doron Ben-David, left, and Lior Raz in Netflix's "Fauda." (Netflix)

Moving past 'macho Israeli thrillers'

Helping fuel the global rise of Israeli TV is its regulatory system, which has codified into law that Israeli satellite TV stations must put 8% of their revenue back into production; for commercial channels, that number is 15%.

That means we can take bigger risks in terms of subject matter. We are not spinning off millions of versions of 'Greys Anatomy,' because we need to see ad dollars coming in, said Danna Stern, managing director of Yes Studios, a production and distribution company. Yes sold "Fauda," its most popular program ever, to Netflix as the streamers first Hebrew-language series after a deal for its American remake fell through. It also sold Shtisel after plans for an American remake of that series stalled as well.

I think weve matured as an industry and have more stories to tell that are not just about the Mossad or macho Israeli thrillers, said Stern. She points to a show currently in production at Yes, "The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem," a period piece and family drama starring Shtisels Michael Aloni set in Jerusalem in the first half of the 20th century and based on an Israeli novel of the same name.

Although its one of the more expensive productions made in Israel, the cost amounts to craft services tab for one episode of "The Crown," joked Stern.

HBO Max's "Valley of Tears" is set during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. (Vered Adir/HBO Max)

There is at least one drawback to the growing footprint of streaming services  versus local satellite providers like Yes  in the Israeli TV business: a decline in overall revenue that threatens to squeeze production budgets.

As such, Stern and other Israeli executives have called on streaming platforms to invest on the ground in Israel with co-productions and other investments, as seen with HBO and Our Boys and an Apple TV+ post-production partnership on Tehran. International media companies are also beginning to buy Israeli players, as ViacomCBS did when it acquired Ananey Communications last spring.

Ive been worried that this enthusiasm over Israeli content has been a new form of content colonialism. We dont have natural resources to take like diamonds or oil, but we have art, said Namdar, referring to the buying of remake rights or other concepts, versus finished products. But the last few deals made have not been like that.

This is the best version of this, not just coming here to buy things for cheap and sell elsewhere for big profit, but to come bringing larger budget here for us to make our shows.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.


TRJLA LLC (TRJLA), a privately-held real estate development company, announced it has acquired an infill property located at 717-759 N Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012, consisting of 82,120 square feet or 1.9 acre of land with approximately 500 feet of street frontage.

Kevin Chen, TRJLA CEO, stated, This is a lifetime opportunity to contribute to Chinatowns revitalization and improve the Hill Street corridor. We are evaluating development options, which we trust will improve the quality of Chinatowns physical environment and add to Los Angeles character as a diverse, sustainable and global destination. Joseph Chang, TRJLA CFO, added, We have partnered with AC Martin, a Los Angeles-based architecture firm with over 170 employees and a strong history in DTLA, to design the mixed-use project.

About TRJLA

TRJLA LLC is a privately-held real estate development company based in Los Angeles, CA. The team consists of developers, architects, designers and lawyers with experience in residential, hospitality, office and retail developments. For additional information please visit http://www.trjla.com.

Contact:

Joseph Chang

joe@trjla.com

(702) 900-1548
By Khanh Vu and James Pearson

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam has shut schools in 22 provinces ahead of the Lunar New Year "Tet" holiday and ended a ruling Communist Party congress early on Monday following the detection of a new cluster of coronavirus cases in northern areas last week.

Thanks to targeted mass testing and strict quarantining, Vietnam has kept its tally to a low 1,850 cases and 35 deaths, winning plaudits worldwide for one of the most successful national responses to the pandemic.

"We'll have a difficult and special Tet ahead, but I'm sure we all will overcome this together," said Vu Duc Dam, the country's coronavirus taskforce chief, according to state media.

The school closures affect more than a third of Vietnam's provinces and cities.

Most of the new cases have been recorded in Hai Duong, where 2,340 factory workers have been isolated after a Vietnamese employee came into contact with a person who tested positive for the more contagious B.1.1.7 British variant of the disease in Japan in mid-January.

'BASICALLY UNDER CONTROL'

The outbreak first reported on Thursday has spread to at least nine cities and provinces. On Monday, the health ministry reported 33 more cases, most in the capital Hanoi.

Long told state media the ministry would support Hanoi to upgrade its capacity to 40,000 tests per day.

On Friday, Vietnam's health minister said the outbreak was "basically under control" in the most affected areas.

On Saturday, his deputy said officials would try to contain the outbreak by Feb. 6, ahead of the Tet holiday, which begins on Feb. 10.

The ruling Communist Party, which on Saturday re-selected its party chief Nguyen Phu Trong to serve for a rare third term, cut short a five-yearly congress by one day amid the outbreak.

If the current outbreak is contained, it will be the fourth time the Southeast Asian country has successfully fought back against the virus, and brought it under control.

Vietnam's success in curbing the coronavirus so far, while its Southeast Asia neighbours struggle, is helping the country power ahead in economic growth and attracting funds, foreign investors, analysts say.

(Additional reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Louise Heavens and Andrew Cawthorne)
BY DAMALI MUKHAYE.

Universities have asked government to lift the shutdown on social media if online learning is to be successful.

This comes after the National Council for Higher Education on Wednesday notified the universities and other institutions of higher learning that the government plans to stay the re-opening of schools for all learners for the next three months.

Speaking to KFM, the vice chancellor of Kampala International University Mouhamad Mpeza-mihigo says they are facing a big challenge in coordinating students using social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook.

He says that the government should consider reinstating the use of social media if online teaching is to happen.

Meanwhile, the deputy vice chancellor academic affairs at Makerere University prof Umar Kakumba says the Uganda communication commission and the ministry of ICT should ensure that before the online teaching can kick off, social media platforms should be functional.
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.
Credit: Shutterstock

Naturebased solutions can play a key role in helping to tackle the climate and nature crises, while delivering other benefits for people, according to a new paper today from the Nature-based Solutions Initiative (NbSI) at the University of Oxfordbut it is vital to get the message right about how to deliver successful NbS and avoid potential pitfalls.

Professor Nathalie Seddon, Director of the NbSI and joint first author of the paper, explains NbS projects are people-led and biodiversity-based. They emerged in the late 2000s as a move away from conserving nature for its own sake to conserving nature for people's sake and they currently have huge traction in business and government. They were high on the agenda at Davos last week and are a major theme of November's climate change conference, COP26, being hosted by the UK government.

This new research, published in Global Change Biology, sets out how a wide-range of welldesigned NbS can deliver multiple benefits for people and nature. For example, coastal mangroves or coral reefs can protect from storm surges, urban green spaces help to cool cities, and improving soil health can help farmers adapt to droughts.

But, as Alison Smith from Oxford's Environmental Change Institute and joint first author of the paper, explains, "Most of the recent limelight has been on tree planting for carbon sequestrationand often these trees are commercial plantations of non-native species with little benefit for biodiversity."

She notes, "The expansion of forestry framed as a climate change mitigation solution is being used for corporate greenwashing, as an excuse for continued use of fossil fuels. Although it is vital to protect a diverse mix of carbon-rich and bio-diverse native ecosystems, such as old-growth forests, natural grasslands and wetlands, there is a limit to the carbon that can be stored by newly planted treesand this carbon is at risk if trees are harvested or if they die from fire, drought or disease as the climate continues to warm.

Professor Seddon emphasizes that NbS must be designed and implemented in partnership with local communities, with an equitable sharing of the benefits. "Poorly designed projects sometimes ignore the rights of local people to govern their natural resources, undermining the legitimacy and long-term success of the project."

After discussing the promises and pitfalls of NbS, today's paper encourages policymakers, practitioners and researchers to consider four guiding principles to deliver sustainable benefits:

NbS are not a substitute for the rapid phase-out of fossil fuels;

NbS involve a wide range of ecosystems on land and in the sea, not just forests;

NbS are implemented with the full engagement and consent of Indigenous peoples and local communities in a way that respects their cultural and ecological rights, and

NbS should be explicitly designed to provide measurable benefits for biodiversity.

"If we follow these guidelines, we can design robust and resilient NbS that address the urgent challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, sustaining nature and people together, now and into the future," says Professor Seddon.

In this way, she argues, "NbS can play a key role as part of a fundamental paradigm shift that is being fast-tracked by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the transformation of a destructive global economic model centered around GDP and infinite growth, that ignores nature's value to people and its intrinsic value, to one where a healthy economy is defined by the social and ecological wellbeing it brings."

Explore further Consideration of both the potential and constraints of reforestation is needed to achieve climate mitigation goals

More information: Nathalie Seddon et al. Getting the message right on naturebased solutions to climate change, Global Change Biology (2021). Journal information: Global Change Biology Nathalie Seddon et al. Getting the message right on naturebased solutions to climate change,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15513
Dozens of representatives from Libyas rival parties will cast their votes this week for a temporary executive government to prepare the war-torn country for general elections later this year.

The voting comes as part of a renewed push to reach a political solution after six years of civil war. The countrys warring sides  the Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Libyan National Army (LNA)  signed a cease-fire agreement in October last year and agreed to hold nationwide elections.

Seventy-five Libyan delegates are gathering Feb. 1-5 in the Swiss city of Geneva to choose from a list of names approved by the UN Mission in Libya. Twenty-four candidates are vying for seats on the three-member presidential council and 21 candidates are running for interim prime minister. The newly elected Libyan leaders will stay on until general elections are held on Dec. 24.

Libyas Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga is the frontrunner for prime minister and candidates for the presidential council include Aguila Saleh, the speaker of the eastern-based parliament, and Khaled al-Meshri, who heads the Tripoli-based legislative assembly.

This project is not about power-sharing or dividing the cake, said Stephanie Williams, the outgoing acting UN special envoy for Libya. Rather, it is to form a temporary government composed of patriots who agree to shoulder and share the responsibility to put Libyan sovereignty and the security, prosperity and welfare of the Libyan people above narrow interests and far from the specter of foreign interference, she said.

Libyas years-long conflict has become a proxy war, with renegade commander Khalifa Hifters LNA running much of the eastern part of the country with support from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia. The Tripoli-based and UN-recognized GNA enjoys the backing of Turkey and Qatar.

The GNA and LNA agreed to a permanent cease-fire during UN-mediated talks in October, giving the rival factions until late last month to expel their foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libyan territory. The deadline passed without any troop withdrawals.

During a UN Security Council briefing on Libya last week, acting head of the US mission to the UN Richard Mills accused outside powers of undermining the fragile truce.

"The external actors who have militarily intervened in this conflict have wholly, completely ignored Libyan demands, said Mills.
Five doctors in Karnatakas Chamarajanagar district tested positive for coronavirus a week after receiving the first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Experts, immediately stepped in to allay fears about the efficacy of the vaccine. Health authorities said that contracting the disease after receiving the first dose does not mean that the vaccine is ineffective.

The Union government and other health experts have said that both Covaxin and Covishield vaccines will be effective only after the person is administered the second shot, which is to be given after a gap of 28 days.

The Health authorities underlined the need to practice all precautionary measures like wearing masks, washing hands, and maintaining social distancing. Those who have received both doses of the vaccine should continue to follow all precautions until a significant percentage of the population has been vaccinated, they said.

READ | 38% Of The Designated Beneficiaries Vaccinated In Karnataka

In this particular instance, the five doctors, from the age group of 40 to 50 were tested after they started showing symptoms of the virus. The doctors working at the Chamarajanagar district hospital and government medical college had received Covishield and Covaxin shots last week.

READ | 464 New COVID-19 Cases In Karnataka, 2 Deaths

An estimated 38 percent of designated beneficiaries earmarked for Saturday have been administered the COVID-19 vaccine in Karnataka. The total number vaccinated so far in the state is 3,13,639, official data showed.

No major or severe AEFI (adverse event following immunisation) cases were reported, the Health Department said. The government has said that the health warriors who are at the forefront in the fight against coronavirus would be given priority followed by people with co-morbidity.

READ | Health Ministry Releases FAQs On COVID-19 Vaccine; Clears Doubts About Efficacy & Dosage

READ | Depression, Stress May Reduce Efficacy Of COVID-19 Vaccines, Scientists Say

(Image credits: PTI)

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- About 62% of rhinos poached in South Africa in 2020 were killed in the Kruger National Park, show newly released statistics on rhino poaching in South Africa.

Statistics released today by the Department of Environmental Affairs, Forestry and Fisheries (DEA) shows an encouraging decline in rhino poaching - 394 rhinos were poached in 2020, compared to 594 in 2019, a decrease of 33%. Despite this, rhinos in the flagship KNP remain most at risk, with 245 rhinos poached during 2020.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has applauded the achievement.

"Taking a unified approach shows the battle against rhino poaching can be won. Taking on wildlife criminals is tough, dangerous and life threatening. In addition to congratulating the Department and its stakeholders, much of the credit must go to rangers on the front lines and the prosecuting authorities," said Neil Greenwood, IFAW Regional Director Southern Africa.

"The continued pressure on rhinos in KNP is concerning. As home to South Africa's largest population of rhinos the animals will remain a target in the cross-hairs of a poacher's rifle. We encourage focusing even more on giving management and rangers in Kruger what they need to stop the poachers."

About the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) - The International Fund for Animal Welfare is a global non-profit helping animal and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we're up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organizations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org

Press Contacts

Southern Africa

Christina Pretorius

Communications manager

m: 082 330 2558

e: [email protected]

SOURCE International Fund for Animal Welfare

Related Links

http://www.ifaw.org


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.
(Natural News) The Food Network has pulled the plug on the latest season of its reality series, Worst Cooks in America.

Season 20 of the competition is no longer available for viewing on Hulu, Discovery+, YouTube or the Food Network website after its winner, Ariel Robinson, 29, and her husband Jerry Robinson, 34, were charged with homicide by child abuse related to the death of their adopted three-year-old daughter Victoria Rose Smith in South Carolina.

Ariel is a former ELA teacher at Sanders Middle School and an aspiring stand-up comedian. She won $25,000 in the most recent edition of Worst Cooks in America, a competition between individuals with sub-par cooking skills.

Contestants of the series participate in a boot camp supervised by a celebrity chef in the competition. Veteran chefs and Food Network personalities Anne Burrel and Alex Guarnaschelli co-hosted the competition. It was filmed in February 2020 and aired over the summer of last year. Meanwhile, Season 21 of Worst Cooks in America premiered on the Food Network earlier this month. It is available for streaming along with the first 19 seasons.

In an interview with Greenville News last year, Ariel shared that she had adopted three children, who moved in with her family in March 2020. Victoria was reportedly one of the children. Following her victory in the reality series, Ariel told WYFF News 4 that the money would help her and her husband raise the three children they had recently adopted.

I just know that the Lord had His hands on me and He had a purpose for me to go on there, she said. He knew we were going through this adoption, we really could use the money, and He just let everything work out for our good.

She also told the news outlet that shes planning to use her winnings from the show to plan a fun trip with her family.

I want to take them to a water park resort or the beach. A vacation, so we can do one big thing as a family this year, she said.

Robinsons adopted child died of blunt force injuries

Those interviews gave no indications of what would transpire on Jan. 14. At around 2:25 p.m. that day, officers with the Simpsonville Police Department and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division responded to a call about an unresponsive child at the Robinson familys Sellwood Circle home. The unresponsive child  Victoria  was rushed to an area hospital, where she was declared dead. According to the medical examiner at the Greenville Country Coroners Office, the young girl died due to several blunt force injuries.

Police spokesman Justin Lee Campbell said: Police officers handle all kinds of cases, and these kinds of cases can be the hardest for them to do. It is a sad day. You bring charges and maybe convictions, but at the end of the day, the life of a child was taken. For anyone who knew the victim or was related to the victim, they are in our thoughts and prayers. (Related: Hunter Biden chaired a foundation to stop child abuse, while engaging in it.)

The Robinsons are being held at the Greenville County Detention Center without bond, jail records show. If convicted, they face sentences of 20 years to life in prison. Prior to her adoption, Victoria had spent most of her short life in foster care.

She was sweet as could possibly be, so it makes no sense how somebody could hurt her in any kind of way, said Alan West, whose aunt was Victorias foster mother for a year.

The South Carolina Department of Social Services is evaluating the safety of the remaining children under the Robinsons care.

Visit Infanticide.news for more news about maltreatment of infants, abortion and planned parenthood.

Sources include:

Decider.com

DailyMail.co.uk

Distractify.com
The government on Monday proposed Rs 2,23,846 crore Budget outlay for health and well being for 2021-22, compared to Rs 94,452 crore in the current fiscal, an increase of 137 per cent.

Finance Minister also proposed Rs 35,000 crore outlay for COVID-19 vaccines for the next fiscal and announced the rollout of pneumococcal vaccines across the country to help save over 50,000 deaths annually.

"I have provided Rs 35,000 crore for COVID vaccines for 2021-22. I commit to provide further funds if required," the Finance Minister said while presenting the Budget for 2021-22.

India already has two COVID-19 vaccines and two more are likely to be launched, the minister said.

The pneumococcal vaccine is effective against potentially fatal pneumococcal infections like pneumonia, septicaemia and meningitis.

"The pneumococcal vaccines, a Made in India product, is presently limited to just five states, it will be rolled out across the country," the Finance Minister noted.

This will avert over 50,000 deaths annually in the country, Sitharaman 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.)
You are the owner of this article.
Governor Andrew Cuomo says New York State's Covid-19 positivity rate has declined for the 23rd straight day, on Sunday, January 31st.

Locally, Oneida County's new coronavirus cases dip back below 100, with 64 new cases for the most recent 24-hour period. There are 3603 active cases and 112 people are hospitalized with the virus in the county.

There are 38 new cases in Herkimer County, 744 active cases and 35 people hospitalized.

In Otsego County, 18 new cases, 130 active cases and 13 people hospitalized.
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.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --- With a pending noreaster that promises to dump more than 20 inches of snow on Staten Island between Sunday and Tuesday, various closures and cancellations -- from schools to coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine appointments -- have already been reported.

Mondays forecast promises to not only blanket Staten Island under almost two feet of snow, it comes with heavy wind gusts and a strong potential for coastal flooding, said Bob Smerbeck, senior meteorologist with Accuweather.com on Sunday afternoon.

Everything starts to ramp up tomorrow. The storm will be developing off the South Jersey Coast. We will be bombed by a noreaster. ... We will have wind-whip snow and maybe even a little sleet mixed in on Monday morning, he said.

For this reason, some schools and library branches will be closed. In addition, some public transportation will be delayed, and most vaccine appointments will likely need to be rescheduled.

SCHOOLS

All Catholic elementary schools in the Archdiocese of New York, including schools on Staten Island, will be closed on Monday.

Students will have a traditional snow day, which means school buildings will close and students wont need to sign in for online instruction, according to a press release from the Archdiocese. For information on Catholic High School closures, click here.

New York City public school buildings will also be closed on Monday. The city Department of Education (DOE) made the announcement on Sunday that all district school buildings are closed Monday, and Learning Bridges, after-school programs, adult education, and YABC programs are all canceled due to the expected severe weather conditions. All food distribution sites will also be closed, and DOE central and field offices will remain open.

While school buildings are closed, the city said instruction will continue remotely for students.

As previously planned, staff in grades six to 12 and nine to 12 have a professional development day on Monday. Therefore, students in six to 12 and nine to 12 school buildings will have a non-instructional day.

In an exclusive feature of Advance/SILive.com subscribers, you can check out the snow projection for your own backyard with our interactive forecast map.

VACCINE APOINTMENTS

If you planned to get your coronavirus vaccine on Monday, you may need to check for a notification of a rescheduled appointment, city and state officials said.

During his press conference Sunday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said city vaccine sites and clinics will be closed on Monday for vaccine appointments.

Appointments on Monday will be postponed, de Blasio said, and Tuesday vaccine appointments are expected to continue as scheduled as of Sunday. A City Hall spokesman said the Monday appointments were rescheduled  some were asked to receive their shot earlier over the weekend, while others are currently being rescheduled.

If you scheduled an appointment at a state vaccine site, Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa said Sunday that postponements will be possible at some locations.

LIBRARIES

The New York Public Library (NYPL), the Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Library will be closed on Monday.

The NYPL covers branches in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Additionally, NYPL will suspend its Scan & Deliver service for research materials, as it requires onsite staff, on Monday.

E-books and other remote resources will remain available to New Yorkers via nypl.org, bklynlibrary.org, and queenslibrary.org.

There are only six Staten Island branches open for grab-and-go service during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. That includes: Stapleton, St. George, Todt-Hill/Westerleigh, Huguenot Park, New Dorp, and Richmondtown libraries.

TRANSPORTATION

Due to the impending snow storm, all bus service in and out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal will be suspended Monday, according to a Notify NYC alert. The late night Metro-North service is also suspended on Monday.

The Staten Island Ferry will be operating on a modified schedule Monday morning, with service every 20 minutes, according to the New York City Department of Transportation.

In addition, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) issued safety measures in regard to state-run bridges and public transportation.

Empty and tandem tractor trailers will be prohibited on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, beginning 6 a.m. Monday, state officials announced in a press release Sunday.

Additionally, buses will operate at reduced service based on anticipated lower ridership, while articulated buses will be replaced by standard buses beginning Sunday night.

While city officials have advised residents to opt for public transportation in lieu of driving Monday, the state also has strongly encouraged residents from using public transportation unless necessary.

MTA customers can sign up for real-time service alerts via text or email. The alerts also are available via the MTAs apps: MYmta, Metro-North Train Time and Long Island Rail Road Train Time.

FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER
John Weaver

An anti-Trump Republican group branded one of its co-founders "a predator, a liar, and an abuser" after he was accused of sexually harassing young men who aspired to a career in politics.

The Lincoln Project, a high-profile group which formed during the election campaign to prevent Donald Trump's re-election, said it was "disgusted and outraged" by the alleged actions of co-founder John Weaver.

Mr Weaver, a veteran Republican strategist who helped run the presidential campaigns of the late senator John McCain and the former Ohio governor John Kasich, has been accused of sending unsolicited and sexually charged messages to 21 young men online.

In some instances, the men claimed Mr Weaver, 61, suggested that he could help them get work in politics while asking them to send lewd pictures. None of the men accused Mr Weaver of unlawful behaviour.

One of the alleged victims, Cole Trickle Miele, said the Republican strategist began contacting him in 2015 - when he was just 14 years old.

John Weaver, right, with late senator and presidential candidate John McCain in 2000 - AFP

I remember being a 14-year-old kid interested in politics and being semi-starstruck by John Weaver engaging in a conversation with me, he told The New York Times.

In June 2018, he said Mr Weaver asked him if he was still in high school and noted "you look older".

When he turned 18, Mr Trickle Miele said the political operative invited him to Las Vegas to "spoil him" along with sexual innuendos.

According to the New York Times, Mr Weaver sent sexual solicitations to at least 10 of the men and in some instances offered professional assistance in exchange for sex.

One of those men, Anthony Covell, 22, said Mr Weaver invited him to join the Lincoln Project during one message exchange.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences. Update your settings here to see it.

In a sexually suggestive message, he said Mr Weaver asked him to send him a picture before asking him to call him for more details about the project.

Something inside me was saying, No, dont do this, he seems kind of sketchy, Mr Covell told the paper.

Story continues

The Lincoln Project, named after the Republican Partys most famous president, formed ahead of the 2020 election campaign with the intention of convincing voters to abandon Mr Trump.

The eight co-founders were outspoken critics of Mr Trump, and included the husband of one of the then-presidents most well-known advisers, Kellyanne Conway.

In a statement, the Lincoln Project said: "John Weaver led a secret life that was built on a foundation of deception. He is a predator, a liar, and an abuser.

"We extend our sympathies to those who were targeted by his deplorable and predatory behaviour."

Mr Weaver said he acknowledged that he had sent "inappropriate" messages to young men, but said he viewed them as "consensual, mutual conversations at the time."

"In living a deeply closeted life, I allowed my pain to cause pain for others. For that I am truly sorry to these men and everyone and for letting so many people down, he said in a statement.
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

St. Johns County Sheriff's OfficeThe Florida teenager accused of murdering 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey earlier this month stabbed the cheerleader a staggering 114 times as she fought for her life, then dumped her body in a wooded area, authorities said Thursday.Aiden Fucci, 14, will now be charged as an adult with first-degree murder for Baileys brutal slaying in the early morning of May 9, St. Johns County State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced Thursday. Youve heard our victim was stabbed....to say it was horrific was an understatement, Larizza said during a Thursday press conference. There were 114 stab wounds.The young girl died fighting for her life, he added.Fucci may have randomly chosen Bailey as his victim, as he told other teenagers he planned to kill someone within the month, the prosecutor said. This could simply be a wrong place at the wrong time situation, Larizza said. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office says Baileys family reported her missing at 10 a.m on May 10, prompting a frantic countywide search that ended eight hours later when investigators recovered the seventh graders clothed body in a wooded area near a retention pond on a street close to where she was last seen.Larizza said that the night of the murder, Fucci told people he intended to kill someone by taking them in the woods and stabbing them.Cheerleader Tristyn Bailey Was Stabbed to Death by Teenage Boy, Cops SayThe Daily Beast did not initially identify Fucci, who was originally charged with second-degree murder, because prosecutors had not decided whether to charge him as an adult. Online court records show a Thursday notice to transfer Fuccis case to adult court and assign it to Judge R. Lee Smith after he was indicted by a grand jury.The news of his upgraded charges was first reported by ActionNewJax. According to an arrest report, Baileys family last saw the Patriot Oaks Academy cheerleader at around midnight on May 9. An hour later, home surveillance footage near the Durbin North Amenity Center showed Bailey and Fucci walking together, at one point heading east on Saddlestone Drive.Larizza said that while investigators have not determined a motive, he confirmed Baileys encounter with Fucci started out as kids hanging out. He added that theres no evidence anyone else was involved in the grisly crime.At around 3:30 a.m, another video shows Fucci walking alone on Saddlestone Drive and carrying a pair of white shoes with a black Nike logo, the report states.During the frantic search for Bailey the next morning, police brought in Fucci for questioning as a witness. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office confirmed to The Daily Beast that around the same time, Fucci posted a selfie on social media in a patrol car with the caption, Hey guys has anybody seen Tristyn lately?Under questioning, the arrest report states Fucci changed his story several times and made several admissions that led cops to charge him.Police later found clothing in the boys bedroom that tested positive for blood, the arrest report said. After finding Baileys body, police discovered she had been left only 0.3 miles from where Fucci lived.Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Predrag Bulic later concluded that Baileys homicide was caused by a sharp force trauma by stabbing. Larizza said Thursday that about 49 of the defensive stab wounds Bailey suffered were to the hands, arms, and face. He added that witnesses identified a knife that was found in a pond as belonging to Fucci. The knifes tip had broken off and was later found in Baileys skull. The medical examiner said the blood on the weapon matched the victim's.Teenagers are capable of things we never imagined them doing, Larizza added, warning parents in his community to keep tabs on their children.Both Tristyn and Fucci attended Patriot Oaks Academy in St. Johns, though police said it was unclear how they knew each other or if they were in the same class.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.
Advertisement

Winter Storm Orlena has been blamed for at least one death in Pennsylvania as it continued to dump snow across the Northeast, with New York City already reporting a foot in Central Park and forecasters predicting the Big Apple may see two feet by the time it blows over.

Officials have been urging millions of Americans along the East Coast to stay home as storm conditions worsen into the evening, causing road, public transport and bridge closures.

The storm, which has already barreled across the Midwest over the weekend, leaving nearly a foot of snow in Chicago, was on Monday bearing down on the Eastern US, hitting Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, DC, along with New York.

According to the National Weather Service, Central Park in New York as of Monday afternoon had reported record snowfall of 13.3 inches - and there was more to come, with around two inches an hour falling throughout the day. Snowfall was expected to continue into Tuesday morning with forecasters predicting around two feet in total.

The last time it snowed more than 24 inches in New York City was in January 2016, when there were 27.3 inches recorded in Central Park - the record for NYC snowfall. And the city got just a shade over 24 inches - 24.1 - on Feb. 12, 2006.

If New York does end up getting 24 inches of snow, it'd be the fourth-biggest snowstorm since records began in 1869.

Pennsylvania authorities said Patricia Becker, a 67-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease who reportedly wandered away from her home died from hypothermia

'This is expected to be one of the bigger snowfall events for New York City,' Matthew Wunsch, an NWS forecaster said.

Meanwhile, it was a dangerous storm across its path. Pennsylvania authorities said a 67-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease reportedly wandered away from her home and was found dead of hypothermia on an Allentown street Monday morning.

Patricia Becker, 67, is said to have frozen to death on Monday morning. Becker, was reported missing around 4am and led to a massive search by Allentown Police.

Becker was found lying in the snow just a few blocks away from the apartment building a few hours later.

She was pronounced dead from hypothermia around 9:40am.

The Lehigh County coroner's office said the death does not appear to be suspicious.

And the treacherous travel conditions closed down some coronavirus vaccination sites across the region, including in New York and Massachusetts.

During a press conference on Monday afternoon, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the seriously dangerous storm is 'only going to get worse'.

Scroll down for video

Becker was found in the snow having frozen to death just four blocks away from her home

More than 100 million people from the Midwest to the Northeast received winter weather warnings in anticipation of the powerful nor'easter, which lived up to its billing dumping two inches an hour over New York City

Wind gusts were predicted to reach 26mph in Boston as the storm bears down on the city

By Tuesday there will be lighter snow lingering in far west and central New York (depicted above)

This satellite image shows the massive storm along the Northeast on Monday morning

People cross a road as winter storm Orlena hit the Brooklyn borough of New York City Monday morning

A bicycle was seen parked in deep snow around 2pm on Monday along Montrose Ave in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn

Snowplows drive through Times Square on Monday morning as winter storm Orlena continued to dump snow on the Big Apple

Some New Yorkers had to go into work Monday morning and braved the snow storm to do so

A person rides their bicycle in Times Square during the winter storm on Monday in New York City

Arturo Diaz, 4, enjoys playing in a deep snow bank in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Monday

Snow covers the ground at the White House on Monday in Washington, DC

Trucks are loaded with road salt destined for the streets of the Boston area in Chelsea, Massachusetts in the hours before a storm on Monday

Flight cancellations in New York City In a tweet, officials from LaGuardia Airport wrote Monday morning: 'All flight activity at #LGA has been suspended due to current weather conditions. Please contact your airline carrier for details on rebooking.' Officials from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport canceled all flights out of the airport on Monday. Travelers are advised to contact their airline for more information. The snow accumulation at JFK also caused an electrical issue, but officials didn't immediately release details. Newark Liberty International Airport only had four flights scheduled for Monday and those were also canceled. Advertisement

'Snow plows cannot keep up with two inches per hour,' Cuomo said. 'We're looking at a long two days here,' he added, urging New York residents to stay inside. 'If you are not an essential worker you should not be on the roads during the state of emergency.'

In Brooklyn, cars slid and got stuck on a slight hill, and in Manhattan first responders were seen responding to a truck that spiraled out-of-control on the slippery roads before landing on its side.

In Virginia, four firefighters were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries after their fire truck overturned on snow-covered roads in Henrico County.

It wasn't just the roads that were a problem as the storm hit in the middle of a pandemic. Across the Northeast, many coronavirus vaccination sites closed Monday.

New York shut down its COVID-19 vaccination sites. While local officials were hoping that vaccination sites could reopen on Tuesday, Cuomo said they would not. He said all Monday and Tuesday appointments have been postponed 'and will be rescheduled'. A total of 1.9 million people in New York have been vaccinated, Cuomo said.

The storm disrupted the second phase of Massachusetts' vaccine rollout as a Boston site that was supposed to open Monday for residents ages 75 and over did not; some other mass vaccination sites were open.

Boston officials also issued a snow emergency and parking ban in the city.

Massachusetts is expected to get 12 to 18 inches of heavy, wet snow and wind gusts of up to 55mph along the coast, according to Gov Charlie Baker.

'We're used to dealing with snow this time of year, but it's important for folks to take this one seriously due to the heavy snowfall, the high winds, and the speed with which this snow is going to fall when it starts to come down,' Baker said at a press conference.

Connecticut Gov Ned Lamont said most vaccinations scheduled in his state for Monday were postponed, but he noted that the vaccine can be kept, refrigerated, for days.

In a school year when many students are already learning from home, in-person classes were canceled in many places.

'I'd like to think there is still some virtual learning going on, with a little bit of time for sledding along the way,' Lamont quipped.

New Jersey already had scattered power outages by late morning, affecting about 1,500 homes and businesses, but Gov Phil Murphy warned that high winds were likely to knock out electricity to more people across the state heading into Tuesday.

Murphy on Sunday declared a state of emergency in order to deploy resources. He also closed all state government offices for nonessential personnel and the state's six mega sites that distribute COVID-19 vaccines.

'Heavy snow, coastal flooding, and high winds are expected in many parts of the state. The safety of residents and workers is our utmost priority. Please follow all weather-related guidance and stay off roads in order to allow access for emergency personnel,' Murphy said in a statement.

According to Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster with the NWS, the heaviest snowfall is likely to be recorded in northeastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey.

In Pennsylvania forecasters predict 11 to 15 inches of snow in some areas and winds of up to 35 miles per hour.

Hundreds of flights and many trains and were canceled, and above-ground New York City subway service stopped at 2pm.

Wind gusts between 40-50mph are predicted in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Boston, Massachusetts

This map shows that parts of Pennsylvania, the metro New York area and Massachusetts will be some of the regions hardest-hit in the storm

This map shows that light snow will still fall through late Tuesday, hitting states further north the hardest

Officials across the Northeast have warned that travel will be hazardous throughout Monday and into Tuesday

Rough surf, moderate coastal flooding and beach erosion is like along the Northeast coast

Pedestrians bundled up for cold weather walk on Sixth Avenue as snow falls in New York City on Monday

A pedestrian crosses Sixth Avenue as snow falls in New York City on Monday morning during winter storm Orlena

Gov Andrew Cuomo urged New Yorkers to stay home and that the havoc from the storm could last up to two days. Workers started clearing snow Monday morning in New York City

A motorist clears his car of snow in the Clinton Hill neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York on Monday

A pedestrian walks across a snow cover street in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Monday morning

A pedestrian walks down a snow-covered sidewalk in the Chinatown neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York

People enter the Church Avenue subway station in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn on Monday morning in New York City

A man shovels snow off a sidewalk in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn on Monday during winter storm Orlena

A Times Square Alliance worker clears sidewalks of snow in Times Square on Monday in the Manhattan borough of New York

Workers are seen clearing snow-covered roads in Stamford, Connecticut, on Monday

A worker cleans the stairs outside The Vessel in Hudson Yards during a winter storm on Monday

A woman tries to protect her face from blowing snow while walking in white-out conditions in Jersey City, New Jersey on Monday

An aerial image Times Square shows people taking photos amid snowfall in New York City on Monday

Most Daily Snowfall at Central Park, NYC (1869 to Present) Amount (Inches) Day 27.3 January 23, 2016 26.1 December 26, 1947 24.1 February 12, 2006 18.0 December 26, 1872 16.5 March 12, 1888 16.3 February 17, 2003 15.8 December 19, 1948 15.7 March 8, 1941 15.5 February 6, 1978 14.0 February 9, 1969 13.6 January 7, 1996 13.5 March 1, 1914 13.0 January 16, 1879 12.8 February 11, 1994 12.8 January 23, 1935 12.7 February 19, 1979 12.7 December 15, 1916 Source: Weather.gov Advertisement

In New York, Gov Cuomo said some roads in the state were impassable just before Sarah Feinberg, the interim president of the New York City Transit Authority, confirmed that underground subway service 'will continue to operate'.

'Some bus routes may be suspended in the coming hours,' Feinberg added, warning people to stay home if possible as evening approached.

Officials also announced that 90 per cent of flights have been canceled across the New York region and it's expected that the few remaining flights will also be canceled.

Many flights elsewhere in the Northeast, including in Boston and Philadelphia, also were canceled.

Orlena is predicted to bring blizzard-like conditions and drop between 18 to 24 inches of snow in New York City from Monday into Tuesday, coupled with wind gusts up to 45 to 55mph.

Earlier on Monday, Cuomo declared a state of emergency for New York City and nine other counties throughout the Hudson Valley and Long Island.

Specifically, the counties included in the emergency declaration are Sullivan, Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Cuomo also issued an advisory for travelers and commuters - depending upon the severity of the storm, above ground subway service, as well as service on portions of the Long Island Railroad and Metro-North, may be significantly delayed or stopped by this afternoon.

A number of major roadways including the Long Island Expressway, I-84 and others could face travel bans if snowfall rates reach the expected two to three inch per hour rate.

New Yorkers are being urged to avoid all unnecessary travel. Those New Yorkers who must travel should do so with extreme caution and try to get to their destination before noon.

'This storm is no joke and the main concern right now is that the expected snowfall rate of two inches per hour this afternoon creates an extremely dangerous situation on our roadways,' Cuomo said in the statement.

'When snow is falling that quickly, it makes it very difficult for plows to keep up with it. I want New Yorkers to hear me loud and clear - stay home and off the roads and if you must travel, get where you're going before noon, and expect to remain home for some time.

'We've been through this before and we will get through it again,' he added.

Wind gusts could reach 50mph or more on Long Island, especially eastern Long Island where 60mph wind gusts could occur, while many places upstate could see up to 40mph wind gusts.

Blowing and drifting snow will likely cause reduced visibility and treacherous driving conditions in some places.

Snow has been falling in New York City since Sunday evening when Mayor Bill de Blasio declared a state of emergency for New Yorkers.

All non-essential travel was restricted at 6am Monday.

'New Yorkers should stay home, keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles and let our plows work to keep us safe. Make no mistake: this storm will bring heavy snowfall and it will make travel dangerous in every neighborhood in our city,' de Blasio said in a statement.

New Yorkers woke up to a snowy city (aerial view of Manhattan) on Monday morning. On Sunday night New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a state of emergency where all residents are urged to stay home

Heavy snow falling at an inch to 3 inches an hour was forecast for Monday in New York (Manhattan pictured), New Jersey and Connecticut, the National Weather Service (NWS) said

A woman holds an umbrella in Times Square during a winter storm on Monday as she crosses a street

Several crashes were reported in New York City, with images showing a truck turned over on its side along 12th Avenue and W 50th St (pictured)

Firefighters were seen responding to the crash along 12th Avenue in New York City on Monday

Orlena is predicted to bring blizzard-like conditions and drop between 18 to 24 inches of snow in New York City (Bryant Park pictured) from Monday into Tuesday, coupled with wind gusts up to 45 to 55mph

A New Yorker is seen walking his dogs along a street in Brooklyn, New York, on Monday afternoon

Central Park has recorded 13 inches of snow as of Monday afternoon. People are seen walking through the park Monday morning

Heavy snowfall is seen in Central Park, Manhattan, as Winter Storm Orlena hovers over the New York City area on Monday

In-person learning was canceled in school districts across the Northeast on Monday, and many COVID-19 vaccination sites were closed.

'It will be rescheduled quickly. We don't want people out trying to get a vaccination and end up being in harm's way during this weather,' De Blasio said on NY1.

De Blasio also said on MSNBC Monday morning that outdoor dining has been suspended, the latest blow to the city's beleaguered pandemic-hit restaurants.

Several crashes were reported in New York City, with images showing a truck turned over on its side along 12th Avenue and W 50th St.

Meanwhile, numerous flights across the US have been canceled.

According to flightaware.com, 1,640 flights were canceled in the US. The cancellations were mostly from airports in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington - disrupting travel that has already been heavily curtailed by the pandemic. Another 440 flights were also canceled for Tuesday.

All New Jersey Transit trains and buses were suspended. New York Waterway ferries also were suspended.

Amtrak canceled all Acela service between Boston and Washington and Pennsylvanian service between New York and Pittsburgh. Amtrak's Northeast Regional, Keystone Service and Empire Service were operating on limited or modified schedules.

Temperatures were expected to be in the upper 20s to lower 30s for the New York City metro area.

Lara Pagano, a meteorologist with the NWS, said the nor'easter would be a 'pretty slow mover' as it brings heavy snow and strong winds through Tuesday.

'It's going to be a prolonged event,' Pagano said. 'We have snow that had made its way across much of Pennsylvania and into southern portions of New York and into Connecticut and much of New Jersey.'

A Pittsburgh Public Works salt truck is shown after sliding off Proctor Way in the South Side Slopes neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday. The driver of the truck wasn't injured, according to the city public safety department

Workers were seen removing snow during a winter storm in Philadelphia on Monday

More than 100million people from the Midwest to the Northeast have received winter weather warnings in the powerful nor'easter. A man is seen plowing through snow early Monday morning in Stamford, Connecticut

Snow started falling just after 10pm on Sunday in Stamford, Connecticut. Accumulations so far are about 5 inches with the possibility of the area getting around 18 inches by Tuesday morning

A man is seen shoveling snow on Monday morning outside a business in Stamford, Connecticut

Drivers are seen braving the snowy roads during their Monday morning commute in Stamford, Connecticut

Largest snowstorms with a foot or more snow at Central Park, NYC (1869 to Present) Amount (Inches) Date(s) 27.5 January 22-24, 2016 26.9 February 11-12, 2006 26.4 December 26-27, 1947 21.0 March 12-14, 1888 20.9 February 25-26, 2010 20.2 January 7-8, 1996 20.0 December 26-27, 2010 19.8 February 16-17, 2003 19.0 January 26-27, 2011 18.1 January 22-24, 1935 and March 7-8, 1941 18.0 December 26, 1872 17.7 February 5-7, 1978 17.6 February 11-12, 1983 17.5 February 4-7, 1920 17.4 February 3-4, 1961 16.0 December 19-20, 1948 and February 12-13, 1899 15.3 February 9-10, 1969 15.2 December 11-12, 1960 14.5 March 3-4, 1960 and March 1-2, 1914 14.0 December 5-7, 2003 13.8 January 22-23, 2005 13.7 December 21-22, 1959 13.6 January 19-20, 1978 13.0 January 15-16, 1879 and January 1-2, 1877 12.8 February 11, 1994 12.7 February 19, 1979 and December 15, 1916 12.5 February 13-14, 2014; February 7, 1967 and January 12-13, 1964 12.0 December 30, 2000 and February 9-10, 1926 Source: Weather.gov Advertisement

Meanwhile, photos showed preparations in Massachusetts ahead of the storm. People were seen buying shovels and other supplies to make sure they are prepared for winter storm Orlena.

Others were seen throughout the region stocking up on groceries in anticipation of the storm.

In the storm, hundreds of vehicle crashes were reported. Maryland State police responded to more than 70 crashes and to 37 disabled or unattended vehicles.

Meanwhile, photos showed preparations in Massachusetts ahead of the storm. People were seen buying shovels and other supplies to make sure they are prepared for winter storm Orlena

Others were seen in Massachusetts stocking up on groceries in anticipation of the storm

Shoppers with loaded carts emerge from a Costco in Everett, Massachusetts ahead of Monday's storm

A shopper loads his car in Everett, Massachusetts ahead of winter storm Orlena on Monday

Virginia State Police responded to more than 270 vehicle crashes and 240 stuck cars between midnight and 2pm Sunday.

Winter Storm Orlena started in California last week where it brought more than six feet of snow and heavy rain to some parts of the state before making its way to the Midwest by the weekend.

The storm system blanketed parts of the Midwest with the most snow some places had seen in several years.

Over the weekend, the Chicago O'Hare Airport recorded 9.9 inches of snow. There was about 11 inches of snow at Midway Airport, making it the biggest snowstorm the Chicago area had seen in more than five years. A total of 12.7 inches of snow was reported in parts of Illinois.

AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno called the cold blast 'monumental'.

A snowman sits on the grounds of the White House on Monday in Washington, DC

People pose for selfies with a snowman at the National Mall near the US Capitol building in Washington DC, on Sunday

Winter wonderland: A view of people strolling the snowy National Mall in Washington DC on Sunday above. The nation's capital is expected to get six to 10 inches of snow in the first major snow storm of the year

President Joe Biden appeared to enjoy the winter weather as he walked through the White House surrounded by the snow

Mechanicsville, Virginia: Trucks clear snow from Mechanicsville Turnpike on Sunday morning

Mechanicsville, Virginia: David Rigby shovels his driveway during a snowstorm Sunday

All four firefighters inside were able to exit safely and were taken to hospitals for minor injuries as officials warned locals to stay off the roads

In Henrico County, Virginia a Henrico County fire truck overturned on slick roads on while on a call on Sunday

More than 100 million people across the Midwest and Northeast face snowy conditions through Tuesday

Weather warnings are in place across the New York area, with gusts as high as 45mph forecast and up to two feet of snow

In Wisconsin, snow depths in some counties near Lake Michigan had reached more than 15 inches, and the snow was still falling.

'That's more snow than we've seen in a decade,' Chris Stumpf, meteorologist with the NWS in Sullivan, Wisconsin, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Three to 5 inches of snow arrived in central Ohio by early Sunday, making for some slippery roads.

Washington, DC, and parts of Virginia had also received some snow, with up to 3 inches in some areas.

Snow and cold in Washington led President Joe Biden to postpone a visit to the State Department that had been planned for Monday.

A White House official said Sunday night that the visit would be rescheduled for later in the week when the agency's staff and diplomats could more safely commute to attend.

Residents shovel out their vehicle from the snow in the Pilsen neighborhood after an overnight snowfall that dropped up to eight inches of snow in Chicago on Sunday

Residents in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, dig their cars out Sunday above

A view of a man cleaning snow off of his car during Winter Storm Orlena in Wheeling, Illinois on Sunday
LAKE SUPERIOR, MI - After a harsh winter storm blew out a window in the very remote Stannard Rock Lighthouse in Lake Superior, a team from the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Alder recently hitched a ride on a Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City to make the icy repair.

Teams had been worried the missing window could threaten the electronics inside - and even the working light - at the historic lighthouse that sits off the eastern shore of Michigans Keweenaw Peninsula.

Built 24 miles from the Upper Peninsula shoreline, Stannard Rock is considered the lighthouse farthest from shore in the contiguous United States. That has earned it the grim moniker as The Loneliest Place in the World.

The Coast Guard is sharing with MLive readers their photos from last weeks helicopter and repair trip.

Stannard Rock sits 24 miles from the Upper Peninsula mainland, making it the farthest from shore of any lighthouse in the contiguous United States.

Petty Officers Craig Campomizzi and John Ziemba, part of the Aids to Navigation Team aboard the Duluth-based cutter Alder, made the Jan. 26 trip out to Stannard Rock with help from the Traverse City-based chopper crew.

The weather wasnt the most conducive at single-digit temperatures and frequent snow squalls, but thanks to the keen skill and professionalism of the air crew, they were able to make five hoists using a rescue basket to get Petty Officer Ziemba, myself, and our gear safely onto the icy structure, Petty Officer Campomizzi told MLive. While Petty Officer Ziemba ensured the light was operating within specified parameters and the structure was sound, I got to work boarding up the missing window until the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Conservancy can get out there in the spring to affect a permanent window replacement.

Built in 1883, the Stannard Rock station is well-known among Great Lakes lighthouse lore lovers. Its exposed crib - or base structure - is considered one of the Top 10 engineering feats in the U.S., according to the National Park Service. And it was built to mark a huge underwater reef that was considered one of the most dangerous obstacles to shipping in Lake Superior. The top of a large underwater mountain was found to sit just 4 feet from the surface of the water in some spots.

As such a remote lighthouse, Stannard Rock was considered one of the stag stations, where male keepers and assistants could work, but could not bring their families like they could at other assignments.

Heres a little more history to give you a feel for this place, courtesy of a recent social media post from the U.S. Coast Guard Station Marquette: The old keepers told terrible tales of life on the Rock. Violent northwest storms sent 30-foot waves smashing into the tower and spray cascading over the lantern room 110 feet above the Lake. Louis Wilks from Marquette holds the record for consecutive time spent on the Rock  99 days. No other keeper even approached this remarkable feat. The men were rotated off the Rock, three weeks on and one off. In 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard took over the lighthouse and overwhelming loneliness remained a problem.

The broken window that put the electronics inside Stannard Rock Lighthouse at risk.

The lighthouse was automated in 1962, a year after a fatal fire and explosion that left survivors stranded at Stannard Rock for days until they were noticed by a passing ship. In 1971, the lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It remains a working aid to navigation and can be seen by boat, airplane or - last weeks case - a winter helicopter ride.

There is a lot of interesting history that accompanies this lighthouse and its very rewarding to be able to get out to, the loneliest place on the continent to help out another agency on behalf of the U. S. Coast Guard, Campomizzi said.

Air Station Traverse City gave a shout-out to its helicopter team for making the trip possible: Our crew from Air Station Traverse City hoisted the ATON team, along with their gear, down to the lighthouse allowing them to ensure the light was in good working order and to board up the broken window. Great job on a successful mission!

A U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City pilot aboard the Jayhawk helicopter used to take an ATON team out to Stannard Rock to fix a window and check the lighthouse.

Have you ever wondered where the loneliest place in North America is? Thor and Loki never feel lonely. They receive... Posted by U.S. Coast Guard Station Marquette on Thursday, January 28, 2021

READ MORE

Daring rescue saved sailors entombed in ice-covered White Hurricane shipwreck

Lighthouse mystery: Air Force pilot crashes, leaves heartbreaking note before vanishing

Fate of crumbling Lake Michigan lighthouse uncertain after its nonprofit dissolves
GOLDEN, Colo., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CoorsTek is pleased to announce that the company will again be the title sponsor for the Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair, hosted by the University of Colorado. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the 2021 Fair will be held as a virtual event the week of February 15-22 and will use an on-line interactive platform to showcase students' submissions. CoorsTek helps to mentor and guide students with their submissions offering a "Speak with a Scientist" series, the Activity Fair, and one-on-one mentorships. CoorsTek team members work with the students on their projects, including data collection, experiment designs, and project expansion. They also help to guide the participants on the presentations of projects and work with them to enhance student interview skills.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with the University to sponsor the Fair again this year and are committed to helping host an engaging on-line event," said Randel Mercer, Chief Technology Officer for CoorsTek. "It is more important than ever to keep encouraging these young scientists to create and innovate during the pandemic when they don't have regular avenues for personal engagement. It reminds us all to be more attentive and really try to help others where we can."

This annual competition engages students in eight counties from Denver metro-area middle schools, high schools, and home schools. DMRSEF is one of Colorado's 13 Science and Engineering Regional Fairs, with the top winners earning eligibility to compete in the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair. In 2020 over 280 student scientists from 37 different schools and four other Denver counties participated in the Fair, with support from 120 community volunteers and 200 professional judges.

The 2020 DMRSEF nominated 47 individual and team projects to compete at the 2020 Colorado Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF), which was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Twenty-four projects received recognition at the CSEF, including multiple Best in Fair awardees and Time Magazine's 2020 Kid of the Year, Gitanjali Rao who was chosen by the publication for her work on opioid addiction.

About The Denver Metro Regional Science and Engineering Fair (DMRSEF)

The DMRSEF was established in 1963 by the University of Colorado to give pre-collegiate researchers an outlet to engage their scientific interests and an opportunity to interact with professional researchers and scientists. Serving eight counties in the Denver metropolitan area (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, and Summit), the CoorsTek DMRSEF provides area middle school and high school students a vehicle to develop their scientific skillsets and an annual opportunity to present their research. This year, the top 2 Junior and top 3 Senior category winners will represent the CoorsTek DMRSEF at the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair (CSEF). Additionally, our three Senior Best in Fair winners will represent Colorado at the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The 58th Annual CoorsTek DMRSEF will be hosted as a virtual event the week of February 15-28, 2021.

About CoorsTek

Founded in 1910 and headquartered in Golden, Colorado, CoorsTek is a fifth-generation, family owned and operated global manufacturer of engineered ceramics. By utilizing over half of the world's known elements in our material formulations, we deliver unique solutions to our diverse customer base by leveraging ceramic properties. With more than 30 facilities across three continents, five million square feet in manufacturing space, and more than 6,000 team members, we are the partner of choice in engineered ceramics. CoorsTek makes the world measurably better by providing customers with amazing solutions, serving customers in numerous industries including semiconductor, aerospace, automotive, medical, energy and many others around the world. For more information about the company and its products please visit our website.

Media Contact: Ashley Clutter

Phone: 303-648-1895

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE CoorsTek

Related Links

http://www.coorstek.com


Sitharaman also guaranteed that the current Minimum Support Price (MSP) system will continue as it has before and no suspension or curtailment shall hold it back. She also spoke about a part of the budget being set aside in the form of an agricultural fund, to be spent on APMC infrastructure.

During todays budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reaffirmed the Centres intentions aimed at the welfare of farmers. Although, at various intervals, the oppositions members raised their voices in criticism of the recently passed farm bills, trying to outshout Sitharaman as she spoke. Despite this, the 2021 Budget speech was delivered and the finance minister restated the Centres reassurance for the farmers in response to the protests and rioting in and around Delhi.

Sitharaman also guaranteed that the current Minimum Support Price (MSP) system will continue as it has before and no suspension or curtailment shall hold it back. She also spoke about a part of the budget being set aside in the form of an agricultural fund, to be spent on APMC infrastructure.

Aside from agriculture, Sitharaman also brought up some new initiatives that would help the economy recover from the degradations brought by the coronavirus pandemic. She also recalled Narendra Modis hope for doubling the earnings of farmers in her speech, stating the MSP had already been raised by half of its original and larger quantities of paddy and wheat were being purchased by the government under MSP.

Also read: India to be health superpower: FM announces PM Swasth Bharat Yojana

Also read: Union Budget 2021 Highlights: FM presents #IndiaNextBudget; Health & Infrastructure top priority

The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund has been risen to Rs 40,000 crore along with the Micro Irrigation Corpus which is now set at Rs 10,000 crore. This is the nearly the double of the previous budget. The agricultural credit target for 2021-22 now aims for Rs 16.5 lakh crore. Finance Minister Sitharamna revealed that approximately 43.36 lakh wheat-growing farmers managed to benefit from the MSP scheme, compared to last years 35.57 lakh. Rs 75,100 crore were spent in MSP in this fiscal year.

Also read: Biden pledge to build Quad: Will Biden administration continue Quad push?
[February 01, 2021] Northern Trust Choses Pandora FMS for Mission Critical Application Monitoring

Pandora (News - Alert) FMS, Spanish technology computer monitoring software, has been rated as "fantastic and the best technical support I have worked with" by Orlando Muner, IT Monitoring Engineer at Northern Trust Corporation, (Chicago, Illinois) one of the largest and oldest banks (1889) in the United States. Sancho Lerena, CEO of Pandora FMS, points out: "we have achieved with the bank a level of functionality and operability that our competitors could not achieve, who were already operating in the bank when we arrived. We achieved significant cost savings for what is now one of our largest customers in the US. "We analyzed their operations and realized that nothing could go wrong. It is not a conservative environment: it is an extremely demandingenvironment, where there is no room for mistakes or surprises. In the financial world, decisions are sometimes made quickly and the systems that support the business must always be available and at full capacity. A system that does not respond as it might mean economic and prestige losses that can become irreparable. Over 17,000 systems are monitored.



"Having Pandora FMS has been great due to all the capabilities and flexibility it has. Monitoring has improved in some areas and has followed up on others where it did not exist before", according to the engineer of the aforementioned bank, Orlando Muner. Sancho Lerena adds that "in the process we develop specific technological tools for the client, adapting to their own applications and, above all, to the strict banking security standards of their environment. Our capacity for innovation allows us to adapt to new increasingly complex technological paradigms.

One of the keys to our success was finding a solution that has allowed our client to expand monitoring to levels much higher than they thought possible. Among its next challenges are automation and getting end users to create custom monitors with a couple of clicks through a custom management portal, integrated into their internal provisioning model. Things that we have already implemented with other large clients." Northern Trust, one of the world's largest service providers, awarded as Industry Leader. Pandora FMS, a monitoring software company, standard in the European Union for IT system control and for more than 200 multinational companies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005357/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
New York police have busted two illegal parties over the weekend that were attended by more than 600 people, despite ongoing COVID restrictions.

More than 400 people were founded packed into a hall in the Bronx with no liquor license on Saturday night, including children.

Several hours later sheriffs found 225 people squashed into an underground bar in Queens, smoking hookah and not wearing masks.

The hosts of both events, as well the DJs and bouncers working there, were arrested and charged with violations of the city's pandemic rules and health codes.

They could face fines of up to $15,000.

The parties are the latest in a string of illicit gatherings broken up by authorities in recent months.

Governor Andrew Cuomo's current New York City restrictions prevent indoor gatherings of more than ten people, to try and curb the rise of the virus.

According to government figures the Bronx had an average of around 1,000 cases a day and Queens an average of 1,400.

There have been more than 27,000 recorded deaths in the city so far and 441,000 across the US.

New York police shut down a large party on Westchester Avenue in the Bronx on January 30 after finding more than 400 people packed into a hall, including children

Hours later police shut down an illegal bar on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens where more than 225 people were smoking hookah and not wearing a mask

Police, pictured outside the illegal bar in Queens on Sunday morning, were alerted to the event by people walking in and out of the secret party

New York government health data shows that much of the city is testing at dangerous levels fore the virus, although it is decreasing overall

Data from New York's health department shows that the Bronx has had an average of 1,000 positive COVID cases a day

Queens has around 1,400 positive cases a day, data from New York's health department shows

City deputy sheriffs were doing surveillance on the Bronx hall, in Westchester Square, around 11pm on Saturday, when they saw about 70 people pour into the place through a side door, The New York Daily News reported.

Deputies found more than 400 people inside, many drinking booze sold without a license, not wearing masks and packed too tightly to socially distance.

Some of the guests were children or infants, according to New York City Sheriff John Fucito.

The host, Juan Rodriguez-Shinin, and the event DJ, Wilmer Efrain Evas Vimas, were charged with violations of the citys pandemic rules and the city health code.

Several hours later on Sunday morning, police broke up up an underground nightclub without a liquor license in Jackson Heights, Queens.

They found more than 225 people drinking, smoking hookah and not wearing masks inside, Fucito said.

Two DJs, Felix Zeferino and Roque Jimenez, and a bouncer, Enriquie Alvarado Deloya, were also hit with violations.

New York law enforcement have been fighting a number of pop-up parties that are breaking state COVID rules.

Last week a nightclub was disrupted in Queens when officers broke in to find 75 people on the dance-floor.

On January 24, police broke up an illegal nightclub in Roosevelt Avenue, Queens, where 75 people were smoking hookah and not all wearing masks

Police are spread thin trying to curb these illegal events as thousands of infections spike and more people die every day

On January 21 sheriffs closed an illegal bottle club in Prince Street, Manhattan, where more than 145 people were in violation of the city's emergency orders

Four people were arrested at the Manhattan bottle party, which featured large collections of alcohol confiscated by police, pictured

Last month, in Queens a karaoke party was attended by 300 people, many of whom were not wearing masks, and was broken up by deputies.

Deputies received reports of partygoers gathering at the Maspeth Bar Lounge on 58th Street at around 2am on January 1, according to the New York Post.

The owner of the lounge, Man Phan, 37, and his wife, He Bin Wang, 37, were charged with violation of an executive order, violation of an emergency measure, and failing to protect health and safety and fined $15,000.

A second party was broken up in Brooklyn, where 80 people were dancing and smoking hookah in the Sunset Park section.

Al Zabidi, the party organizer, received two appearance tickets for violating an emergency measure and an executive order.

He was also fined $15,000.

On February 14, Governor Cuomo is expected to re-open indoor dining at 25% capacity, in time for Valentine's Day.
Its been several years since theres been a snowstorm this big that has affected OHare Airport. The snow totals in Kane County were a little bit less than further east in Cook, DuPage and Will counties, Sullivan said.
A Moscow court on Monday has ordered the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to pay a fine of 20,000 rubles (about USD 265) for violating protest regulations after she attended a demonstration in the Russian capital to demand his release.

Tens of thousands took to the streets in dozens of Russian cities on Sunday, chanting slogans against Russian President Vladimir Putin and demanding that authorities free Navalny, who was jailed last month and faces a prison term.

Also Read | How India can fight vaccine hesitancy

His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, joined a protest in Moscow that took place despite unprecedented security measures that city authorities took ahead of the rally.

She was quickly detained and charged with participating in an unauthorized rally. A court on Monday ordered Navalnaya to pay a fine, her lawyer Svetlana Davydova told the Interfax news agency. Davydova said the defense plans to appeal the ruling.

In the largest outpouring of discontent Russia had seen in years, mass protests engulfed dozens of Russian cities for the second weekend in a row despite efforts by Russian authorities to stifle the unrest triggered by the jailing of 44-year-old Navalny, the Kremlin's fiercest critic.

Navalny was arrested Jan. 17 upon his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations. He faces a prison term for alleged probation violations from a 2014 money-laundering conviction which has been widely seen as politically motivated.

Russian authorities cracked down hard on the demonstrators Sunday, detaining over 5,400 people across the country, according to OVD-Info, a legal aid group that monitors arrests at protests. The group said it was the most in its nine-year history of keeping records in the Putin era.

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.
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.

More than three years after Hurricane Harvey flooded the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center with 10 feet of water, an ambitious renovation began Sunday.

Community members, donors and elected officials stood (masked and 6 feet apart) in the parking lot of the Meyerland facility, considered by many to be the heart of Houstons Jewish community, to proclaim a brighter next chapter.

The $50 million project includes a new pool, fitness center, kitchen, multipurpose rooms and childrens play spaces. It will take about 20 months to complete.

We wanted to enhance the JCCs position as the neighborhood town square, said Jeremy Samuels, president of the center. We wanted to create spaces for people to gather and informally connect. That was central in all our designs.

The site on South Braeswood, like much of Meyerland and Westbury, is deep within the 100-year floodplain along Brays Bayou. The centers leaders debated moving the facility somewhere else, since a third of members live outside those two neighborhoods.

Mayor Sylvester Turner praised the decision to stay put.

Youre not just building back, youre building forward, because we want to make a city thats stronger, more resilient and more sustainable, Turner said. There are a lot of memories that are here.

U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, whose district includes much of West Houston, echoed the mayors sentiment. She said community spaces are especially important during COVID-19, when residents spend so much time isolated from one another.

Rabbi Samantha Safran said the groundbreaking ceremony brought to mind the biblical story of Nahshon, the first Israelite to heed the command of Moses to enter the Red Sea during the exodus.

Nahshon teaches us that no matter how much promise the future may hold, if we carry that future only in our minds, we as humans have a difficult time believing it, Safran said. Rather, like Nahshon taking that first step into the sea, sometimes it takes a physical act to symbolize that future and bring others into that reality.

The JCC has been a center for Jewish life since it opened in 1936. Bobby Lapin recalled attending the current facilitys dedication in 1967 as a 6-year-old and shaking the hand of Mayor Louie Welch.

Houston Councilwoman Abbie Kamin, who represents District C, recalled being there and playing in the Maccabi Games, an Olympics-themed competition for Jewish teens.

Leah Gross, a JCC board member, told the story of how in 1988 she signed up for the centers matchmaker dating service.

I completed my paperwork, submitted by profile and then met the man that very day who would be husband, partner and friend, she said of her husband, Jon. The J brought us together.

The center plans to raise an additional $7.5 million to reach its $50 million goal.

zach.despart@chron.com
Axios

Southwest Airlines won't yet resume its in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: The airline initially planned to resume the service June, but Sonya Lacore, Southwest's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free."Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego  Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
A team of World Health Organization experts investigating the origin of the pandemic has started its mission in the Chinese city of Wuhan by visiting some of the places first hit by the coronavirus.

The team of 15 scientists has in recent days visited a live animal market, a hospital and a disease control center in the city, where the virus emerged in late 2019.

The inquiry will most likely be painstaking, and it could be months or years before the team uncovers answers about how the coronavirus initially spread to humans. Still, the W.H.O. experts say they are gaining important insights on the ground from Chinese scientists during their first visit, which will conclude in mid-February.

Weve decided to stay away from theories, because there are so many theories, Marion Koopmans, a Dutch virologist on the team, said in a telephone interview. We are trying to look at the data and to build a list of what are possible sources.
A 29-year-old man who, while celebrating Limerick's victory in the 2018 All-Ireland hurling final, stabbed a stranger in the head and "destroyed his life" by leaving him with a significant brain injury and a lifelong disability, has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

Passing sentence at the Central Criminal Court today, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said it was a "shocking and horrific act", which had devastating consequences for the victim Eoin Casey and left him with an "appalling life-threatening injury".

"His recovery is arduous and requires an enormous amount of resilience. It is a daily struggle and his enjoyment of life has been compromised," he added.

The judge highlighted that offences involving the use of knives need to be discouraged.

Referring to the defendant Thomas Power, Mr Justice McDermott said he had destroyed Mr Casey's life and undermined his normal enjoyment of things.

The court heard during Power's sentence hearing last week that the knife penetrated victim Mr Casey's skull, leaving the tip of the weapon inside.

In a letter of apology to the victim, Power said he did not expect his apology to be accepted by Mr Casey but said what he had done was "utterly inexcusable".

Power of Alderwood Avenue, Caherdavin, in Limerick, pleaded guilty last November to assaulting Mr Casey (25), causing him serious harm in the early hours of August 20, 2018, at Woodbine Avenue in Caherdavin.



Power had also pleaded guilty to assaulting Aaron Grant, causing him harm, on the same occasion.

The court has heard the two groups of men had been out celebrating separately that day after Limerick's victory in the 2018 All-Ireland hurling final. Both groups encountered each other through a "chance meeting" in the Caherdavin area of Limerick city as they made their way home for the night and there was "no history between them".

Power "received a blow" from Mr Casey, which was not of a significant nature but caused him to stumble. The defendant then left to retrieve a knife from his girlfriend's house, which was less than 200 metres away, before returning to Woodbine Avenue to attack the two men.

Mr Casey had to spend five months in a rehabilitation centre in Dun Laoghaire in Dublin and has been receiving "ongoing" medical treatment.

His communication skills are "very problematic", he has dyspraxia of speech and his reading and writing skills are also affected. Responsibility for his care is now shared between his parents and brother.

Referring to the emotional victim impact statement given by the brother of Mr Casey, Martin Casey, Mr Justice McDermott said he had "eloquently and movingly" described his brother's suffering. "He states the accused took away his brother's ability to work and stole his sense of purpose in life," he remarked.

Martin Casey said in his victim impact statement that he will never be able to erase the image of his brother from his mind and he never knew a human's head could swell so much and be so disfigured."We know a part of him died that night and it would never be like it used to be. He will never tie his own laces again or text a girl, never be able to remember his mobile number, simple everyday things we think nothing of. Eoin needs help with simple, everyday things now," he said.

Power has six previous convictions, which are mainly public order matters and he has one minor conviction for possession of cannabis.

Power was sentenced to nine years in prison with the last 18 months suspended for assault causing serious harm and two years for assault causing harm. The mans sentences are to run concurrently and were backdated to January 20, 2021.
Moussa Faki, chairperson of the African Union Commission and an accompanying delegation visited on Sunday the newly-built Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) shortly after he landed in Egypt.

Al-Tayeb Abbas, assistant minister of tourism and antiquities for archaeological affairs at Giza's GEM, accompanied Faki and the African delegation.

The visitors expressed their admiration of the unique design of the museum and the antiquities displayed in its halls. They also hailed the restoration laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art equipment.

During his visit to Egypt, Faki met with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

Both meetings tackled African issues, the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and Egypts water rights in the River Nile.

Short link:


The vaccine clinic will be held Wednesday, February 3 and Thursday, February 4 at Palo Verde High School in Blythe, 667 North Lovekin Blvd. This vaccine clinic is only for Palo Verde Valley residents and employees. Proof will be required of residence or employment to receive a vaccine. As a special clinic, residents will need to register through https://www.pvusd.us. The registration link is active now.
Sgarra France

The career of sculptor, painter and visual artist Robert Sgarra is unusual. He ended his studies in year 10 and obtained a vocational qualification doing an apprenticeship alongside his father in construction. His self-educated painting began at the age of 13 by finding brushes at his brothers house. Yet there was nothing artistic about his family, except a little painting representing the rabbit Bugs Bunny that his father had painted as a child and which today hangs in his studio. From there, too, came his unconditional love of comics, which had a growing influence on his work. Pop art and fiery, tawny colour are joyfully revisited in inventive, daring, and sometimes monumental works.

He uses only acrylic. He did try oil, but soon found that it was not right for this work. At 22, he started to sculpt. He claims the work of Pablo Picasso and his cubism among his many influences, because it is pure creation, and Modigliani and Caesar for sculpture. He quit his tiler-decorator business in 1998 to definitively embark on a rich artistic career full of success.

After living from the age of 10 to 54 years old in the south of France, he has just left the Cote d'Azur for Auvergne for its calm and its landscapes. A house and a very large workshop where he lives in peace allow him to paint better.
WASHINGTON: Ten moderate Republican U.S. senators urged President Joe Biden on Sunday to significantly downsize his sweeping $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package to win bipartisan support as Democrats in Congress prepared to push ahead with his plan this week.

Biden responded to the overture by inviting the Republican lawmakers to the White House this week for talks, spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, even as he continues to seek a comprehensive, large-scale measure.

With the virus posing a grave threat to the country, and economic conditions grim for so many, the need for action is urgent, and the scale of what must be done is large," Psaki said in a statement.

Biden spoke to Republican Senator Susan Collins on Sunday, Psaki said, asking her and the other Republicans to come to the White House for a full exchange of views."

Earlier, a top White House economic adviser signaled willingness to discuss the ideas raised by the Republicans, who have floated a $600 billion alternative.

But Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, told NBCs Meet the Press" program that the Democratic president was not willing to compromise on the need for a wide-ranging bill to address the public health crisis and economic fallout.

Passage of the new relief legislation would not only affect Americans and businesses reeling during a pandemic that has killed about 440,000 people in the United States but offer an early test of Bidens promise to work to bridge the partisan divide in Washington.

It remained unclear whether the outreach by fewer than a dozen of the 50 Republicans in the 100-seat chamber would shift plans by congressional Democrats to take up legislation in the coming days. Biden and fellow Democrats are seeking to make use of their control of the House of Representatives and Senate to move quickly on the presidents top goal of addressing the pandemic.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said his chamber would begin work on it as early as this week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress would complete a preliminary step before the end of the week.

Biden, who took office on Jan. 20, has proposed $160 billion for vaccines and testing, $170 billion for schools and universities, and funds to give certain Americans a $1,400-per-person stimulus check, among other provisions.

Some Republicans have questioned the overall price tag, while others urged more targeted measures, particularly over the direct payments to individuals. Congress enacted $4 trillion in COVID-19 relief last year.

LESS SCHOOL FUNDING

In their letter to Biden, Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney and seven other senators asked Biden for a meeting and said their compromise plan could be quickly passed with bipartisan support, promising more details on Monday.

They said their bill included more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses, while echoing Bidens $160 billion for more funding to boost vaccines and testing. They also pointed to unspent money from previous COVID-19 relief bills.

Were targeted to the needs of the American people," Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the 10 senators, told the Fox News Sunday" program.

Cassidy added that their plan included less school funding, saying many private schools had already reopened and that the real problem is public schools" and teachers unions telling their teachers not to go to work."

Fellow Republican Rob Portman, who also signed the letter, told CNNs State of the Union" program that direct checks should be limited to individuals making $50,000 and less and families making $100,000 or less.

The 10 Republicans, who also include Shelley Moore Capito, Todd Young, Jerry Moran, Mike Rounds and Thom Tillis, endorsed keeping extra federal unemployment aid amid the pandemic at $300 a week versus Bidens proposed $400 a week. Portman questioned the need for the Biden plans extension of enhanced unemployment aid through September, noting: We dont know what the economy is going to look like" then.

The United States leads the world in COVID-19 cases and deaths by a large margin. Public health experts have urged an immediate scaling up of lagging vaccination efforts as new problematic variants of the novel coronavirus emerge.

At $1.9 trillion, Bidens plan is scaled to have the punch to finally put these dual crises behind us," Jared Bernstein, a member of Bidens Council of Economic Advisers, told Fox News Sunday," referring to virus control and economic relief.

Biden is absolutely willing to negotiate," Bernstein added, but said more details of the Republicans proposal were needed.

Some moderate Democrats also have urged changes to Bidens package, while more liberal Democrats want more spending and other provisions such as a federal minimum wage hike to $15 an hour - more than double the current $7.25-an-hour rate.

With the Senate split 50-50 and Vice President Kamala Harris wielding the tie-breaking vote, Democrats are considering using a parliamentary tool called reconciliation" that would let the chamber approve the legislation with a simple majority. Under Senate rules, legislation usually requires 60 votes for passage.

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
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney says he believes Taoiseach Micheal Martin should go to Washington DC next month.

However, Mr Coveney said that the Taoiseach should only carry out the traditional St Patrick's Day visit to the US "in a way that is safe".

Mr Martin will be the first foreign leader to meet with new US President Joe Biden if he makes the traditional trip next month. However, with international travel still advised against, it is not yet known if the trip will go ahead.

The Taoiseach should go in a manner which is safe, Mr Coveney told Pat Kenny on Newstalk.

However, he said that he "does not have a clear answer" on whether the Taoiseach would be vaccinated ahead of such a trip and said that he did not want to comment on the politics of the Taoiseach potentially getting a vaccine ahead of schedule.

Mr Coveney said the Taoiseach would not pose any risk to Mr Biden and would observe strict testing protocols before, during and after the visit.

Mr Martin has said that he would like to make the journey, but that the trajectory of Covid-19 in both countries would determine this.

"St Patrick's Day is an honoured tradition in the relationship between the US and Ireland, so our officials will engage," he told CNN last week.

"Obviously, Covid may very well have an impact on that. But I do think both of us are very keen to cement Ireland's relationship with the United States. It is an important relationship in the modern era - it has cultural and artistic manifestations, it has economic manifestations."

Politicians from Northern Ireland have said in recent days that they will not make the journey.
In this undated image provided St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Jared Isaacman pauses while speaking about his enthusiasm for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and his spaceflight called Inspiration4, in Memphis, Tenn. Isaacman, a billionaire who made a fortune in tech and fighter jets is buying an entire SpaceX flight and plans to take three people with him to circle the globe this year. Isaacman announced Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, that he aims to use the trip to raise more than $200 million for St. Jude. (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital via AP)

A U.S. billionaire who made a fortune in tech and fighter jets is buying an entire SpaceX flight and plans to take three "everyday" people with him to circle the globe this year.

Besides fulfilling his dream of flying in space, Jared Isaacman announced Monday that he aims to use the private trip to raise $200 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, half coming from his own pockets.

A female health care worker for St. Jude already has been selected for the mission. Anyone donating to St. Jude in February will be entered into a random drawing for seat No. 3. The fourth seat will go to a business owner who uses Shift4 Payments, Isaacman's credit card processing company in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

"I truly want us to live in a world 50 or 100 years from now where people are jumping in their rockets like the Jetsons and there are families bouncing around on the moon with their kid in a spacesuit," Isaacman, who turns 38 next week, told The Associated Press.

"I also think if we are going to live in that world, we better conquer childhood cancer along the way."

He's bought a Super Bowl ad to publicize the mission, dubbed Inspiration4 and targeted for an October launch from Florida. The other passengers aboard the SpaceX Dragon capsulewhat Isaacman calls a diverse group "from everyday walks of life"will be announced next month. SpaceX founder and chief executive Elon Musk expects the flight to last two to four days.

Isaacman's trip is the latest deal announced for private space traveland it's No. 1 on the runway for an orbital trip.

"This is an important milestone toward enabling access to space for everyone," Musk said during a press conference Monday from SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. While expensive, these initial private flights will drive down costs over time, he noted.

Last week, a Houston company revealed the names of three businessmen who are paying $55 million apiece to fly to the International Space Station next January aboard a SpaceX Dragon. And a Japanese businessman has a deal with SpaceX to fly to the moon. In the past, space tourists had to hitch rides to the space station on Russian rockets.

Isaacman would not divulge how much he's paying SpaceX, except to say that the anticipated donation to St. Jude "vastly exceeds the cost of the mission."

While a former NASA astronaut will accompany the three businessmen, Isaacman will serve as his own spacecraft commander. The appeal, he said, is learning all about SpaceX's Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket. The capsules are designed to fly autonomously, but a pilot can override the system in an emergency.

A "space geek" since kindergarten, Isaacman dropped out of high school when he was 16, got a GED certificate and started a business in his parents' basement that became the genesis for Shift4. He set a speed record flying around the world in 2009 while raising money for the Make-A-Wish program, and later established Draken International, the world's largest private fleet of fighter jets.

Isaacman's $100 million commitment to St. Jude in Memphis, Tennessee, is the largest ever by a single individual and one of the largest overall.

"We're pinching ourselves every single day," said Rick Shadyac, president of St. Jude's fundraising organization.

Besides SpaceX training, Isaacman intends to take his crew on a mountain expedition to mimic his most uncomfortable experience so fartenting on the side of a mountain in bitter winter conditions.

"We're all going to get to know each other ... really well before launch," he said.

He's acutely aware of the need for things to go well.

"If something does go wrong, it will set back every other person's ambition to go and become a commercial astronaut," he told the AP over the weekend from his home in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Isaacman said he signed with Musk's company because it's the clear leader in commercial spaceflight, with two astronaut flights already completed. Boeing has yet to fly astronauts to the space station for NASA. While Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin expect to start flying customers later this year, their craft will just briefly skim the surface of space.

Isaacman had put out spaceflight feelers for years. He traveled to Kazakhstan in 2008 to see a Russian Soyuz blast off with a tourist on board, then a few years later attended one of NASA's last space shuttle launches. SpaceX invited him to the company's second astronaut launch for NASA in November.

While Isaacman and wife, Monica, managed to keep his space trip hush-hush over the months, their daughters couldn't. The girls, ages 7 and 4, overheard their parents discussing the flight last year and told their teachers, who called to ask if it was true dad was an astronaut.

"My wife said, 'No, of course not, you know how these kids make things up.' But I mean the reality is my kids weren't that far off with that one."

Explore further 1st private space crew paying $55M each to fly to station

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has said it is not realistic that people will be able to fly off on foreign holidays this summer.

I dont think were headed for a summer where millions of people from this part of the world, from Europe, can expect to be heading to beaches that are in other than their own localities.

He said this summer will not see characteristics of a usual summer.

I dont think its realistic for us to foresee a situation where in the summertime, this year, that we will see a summer that's characterised by the kinds of things that we all like to be in a position to do, which is fly off to other parts of Europe and the world for summer holidays.

I just dont think thats realistic, he added.

Read More

Meanwhile Dr Holohan said he stands over the work of Nphet and does not accept Ryanair boss Michael OLearys attack on public health chiefs, accusing them of mass hysteria.

Dr Holohan said he has nothing but admiration for Mr OLeary and said Nphet has the hard job of delivering news people dont want to hear.

We stand over the processes, the information, the advice that weve given to the best of our ability over the course of the year, Dr Holohan said tonight.

[I have] nothing but admiration for Mr OLeary in everything he's done for the Irish airline industry for this country.

This morning, Mr OLeary launched an attack on public health experts and urged them to get the finger out.

He also accused RTE of pandering to the misinformation coming out of Nphet and that Nphet was disseminating misinformation and scare stories as well as causing mass hysteria about international travel.

He added that he expects to see a dramatic recovery for international travel this summer and that millions of people [will be] travelling to the beaches of Europe in July, August and September.

However, Dr Holohan did not agree, calling this not realistic.
Naypyitaw, Feb 1 (UNI) Myanmars military announced a state of emergency in the country for the period of one year after the detention of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as President Win Myint and other members of the ruling party, the Xinhua news agency reports.

The state of emergency was announced on the military-owned Myawady TV in a declaration signed by First Vice President U Myint Swe, who will now be serving as Myanmars acting president, Xinhua said.

According to the declaration, state power is being handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Min Aung Hlaing.

Earlier on Monday, western media reported that State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained along with other members of the ruling National League for Democracy party in an early morning military raid.

The White House said in a statement that US President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation in Myanmar by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The US called on Myanmar's military to release the detained and threatened to take action against those responsible.

In January, Myanmar's military raised the prospect of a coup d'etat after what they believed was widespread voter fraud during the November 8 election, which was the countrys second general election since the end of military rule in 2011.

Myanmar's military who seized power in a coup said that the country would hold new elections of the government, Myanmar Times newspaper reported.

According to media, the vote will be held after the state of emergency, announced for the period of one year, is lifted.

The military will reportedly delegate authority to the new government after the vote.

India on Monday hoped that the rule of law and the democratic process in Myanmar remains intact following a major crisis of military taking the control of the country.

"We have noted the developments in Myanmar with deep concern. India has always been steadfast in its support to the process of democratic transition in Myanmar. We believe that the rule of law and the democratic process must be upheld. We are monitoring the situation closely," the Foreign Ministry said.

UNI RHK SB 1547
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
A farm-out process of the Walton prospect offshore Jamaica starts shortly with first gas from Italy also due this quarter

( ) has said it expects production to rise further in 2021 as more of its acreage in Egypt comes onstream.

A farm-out process of the Walton prospect offshore Jamaica starts shortly with first gas from Italy also due this quarter, said the AIM-listed junior.

Production from the time it acquired its Egypt assets from Rockhopper at end-February 2020 averaged 2,195 barrels equivalent daily (boepd), generating total revenues of US$9-9.2mln net with an average U$37.7 price per barrel.

In 2021, United said it sees production rising to between 2,300 and 2,500 boepd on average in the first half with a reserve upgrade likely following the success of the El Salmiya 5 and ASH 2 wells.

Group cash at the year-end was US$2.1mln with US$5.3mln of capital spending planned for 2021 to be fully funded from existing operations.

Most of that has been earmarked for Egypt, United said, but US$0.6m will be spent on the Jamaican, Italian and UK assets.

In a statement, Brian Larkin United's chief executive said: "2020 was a successful year for United, delivering an excellent operational and financial performance, despite a challenging commodity price environment and the global pandemic.

"United begins 2021 in a strong position with a balanced portfolio, low-cost growing production, high-quality reserves and a healthy balance sheet. Our fully-funded, multi-well drilling programme in Egypt has begun with the result of the ASH-3 well expected shortly.

This low-risk well has the potential to build on the successes of 2020 by delivering increased production and reserves. A formal farm-out process will shortly commence seeking partners to join us in unlocking the potential in our high impact Walton Morant exploration licence in Jamaica, and our Italian asset remains on track for first gas in 2021."
This is the third in a "Letter to President Biden" series aimed at conveying policy recommendations in an open letter from politicians, scholars and experts to the new U.S. president following his Jan. 20 inauguration.  ED.



By Yang Moo-jin





Dear Mr. President,



I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to you on your inauguration as the 46th President of the United States of America.



Many countries are looking forward to the new era that President Biden will open. The Korean government, an ally and friend, appears to be busy preparing to share the incoming Biden era. The denuclearization and the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, and the future of lasting peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia would be much anticipated.



As a scholar who has been studying North Korea for a long time, I would like to give a few words in the hope of it being helpful to you and your security team in establishing a policy toward the North.



Pyongyang recently held the 8th Workers' Party Congress, and there are two notable points. First, Chairman Kim Jong-un emphasized that the most important goal he pursues is to improve people's lives through economic development. At this party congress, the politics of prioritizing people was brought to the fore as a fundamental issue that determines the success or failure of socialism, and this was reflected in a revision to the party's rules.



I think it showed Kim's hope for creating a prosperous normal state where people are making a good living. In addition, Kim said, "The five-year economic development plan fell far short of goal since 2016, but it has laid a valuable foundation for future economic development." This clearly means that there is a need for economic development.



North Korea's economic development requires normalizing relations with the U.S. and easing sanctions. To this end, Kim shifted the national strategic route from nuclear weapon development to concentrated economic development in 2018, and had talks with the Trump administration.



However, he is now in a difficult situation as negotiations remain deadlocked. That is why North Korea chose the path of self-reliance. Chairman Kim would want to feed people well and would not want them to tighten their belts. However, in reality, that couldn't be realized and I think he unavoidably chose the path of self-reliance.



Second, Kim hopes that the new U.S. government will not repeat 'strategic patience,' and that negotiations will be resumed as soon as possible. North Korea announced that it would improve the precision of its ICBM which places the entire U.S. mainland within range, and confront the U.S. on the principle of "strength-for-strength and goodwill-for-goodwill."



On the surface, North Korea seems to have a very strong stance toward the U.S., but I think its genuine intention is different from its superficial stance.



The only thing that Kim can use as a bargaining chip in his talks with the U.S. is nuclear weapons, but it will be difficult for him to use the denuclearization card rashly with no knowledge about the new U.S. government's policy toward the North.



Therefore, it is assessed that North Korea attempted to get an upper hand in preparations for the future talks with U.S. by listing the goals of developing various strategic weapons including nuclear weapons.



This is not a threat, but a call for dialogue, and is part of an effort to place the North Korean issue high on the list of the foreign policies of the new U.S. administration. I think it is important not to overstate or exaggerate North Korea's radical expressions, but to carefully read between the lines of their messages based on an accurate assessment of the situation in North Korea.



North Korea might have considered high-profile provocations as it did when the Obama administration was inaugurated in 2009. However, it would have been quite difficult for North Korea to choose the path of provocation because the North fears a breakdown in possible negotiations with the U.S.



Therefore, North Korea chose to announce the plan of developing nuclear technology to a higher level during the party congress. Chairman Kim probably wants to have a good relationship with President Biden from the beginning and find out his way. However, as the current conditions are uncertain, he would have offered this message after conducting a thorough analysis of the situation.



As North Korea expressed its wait-and-see position about the U.S., it seems that the key lies on creating conditions in the future to bring North Korea to negotiations through cooperation between South Korea and the U.S.



I have been respecting your consistent and active position regarding North Korean nuclear issues.

Your administration is expected not to conduct impromptu events for the public, but to systematically establish a policy on North Korea through close coordination with allies and an exchange of opinions with the U.S. Congress and think tanks.



Your administration needs to listen to South Korea, a U.S. ally, and respect the agreements made so far between the U.S. and North Korea, and resolve the North Korea nuclear issues through dialogue and trust-building.



Also, you are known to have a great interest in the livelihood of the North Korean people. If humanitarian aid is offered to North Korea as soon as possible, it would not only help improve the livelihoods of a people who are suffering difficulties due to international sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic, but also contribute to creating an atmosphere for dialogue.



Admittedly, negotiations with North Korea are not easy. However, when the U.S. and North Korea had dialogue, military tension on the Korean Peninsula was eased, and satisfactory diplomatic achievements were made as seen in the "U.S.-DPRK Joint Communique in 2000 and Joint Statement of the Six Party Talks on Sept. 19, 2005."



President Obama said, "We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist," and succeeded in improving relations with adversaries such as Iran and Cuba. As this case indicates, I am confident that if you hold out your hand first to North Korea, Chairman Kim would also react amicably.



As you said in your victory speech, "We lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example" to make America respected around the world again, I sincerely hope that you will show your leadership for peace and prosperity around the world and the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.



Sincerely,

Yang Moo-jin





Yang Moo-jin (yangmj@kyungnam.ac.kr) is professor at the University of North Korean Studies and vice chairman of Korean Association of North Korean Studies. He is also standing committee member of the National Unification Advisory Council and policy consultant at the Ministry of Unification.


New Delhi: In what could come as a major disappointment for individual taxpayers, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has not announced any changes in the tax slab in the Union Budget 2021.

The FM was widely expected to provide relief to the pandemic-hit common man for which her announcement on individual taxation was eagerly waited. Sitharaman however offered a bit of relief for the Senior citizens, stating that those above 75 years of age with only pension income are exempted from filing tax returns.

The FM also offered some relaxation to home buyers by announcing extention for Rs 1.5 lakh deduction on payment of interest for affordable housing by 1 year.

In FMs's other major announcements under taxation, Sitharaman said that the government proposes to make income tax appellate tribunals faceless. It will set up national income tax appellate tribunal centre. The government has also cut timeline for reopening of tax cases to 3 years from 6 years.

Meawhile, Tax holiday for startups has been extended by 1 year while exemption on capital gains on investment in startups has also been extended by 1 year.

Advance tax liability on dividend income shall arise only after payment of dividend, the FM said. Exemption from tax audit limit doubled to Rs 10 crore turnover for companies doing most of their business through digital modes.

The pandemic struck at a time when the economy was already caught in the grip of a growth slowdown. GDP growth touched an 11-year low of 4 per cent in 2019-20. Also, since last budget, the size of the economy has reduced from Rs 2.24 lakh crore nominal GDP considered in the FY21 budget to Rs 1.94 lakh crore. There has been lower-than-budgeted revenue growth and higher expenditure to offset the adverse impact of the pandemic.

Among the most-watched figures in the budget was on the expenditure on vaccination in FY22 which could be shared among the central government, state governments and households. FM Sitharaman has announced Rs 35,000 crore towards COVID-19 vaccination in 2021-22 fiscal.

"I have provided Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccine in this year 2021-22. I'm committed to provide further funds if required. The Budget outlay for health and well being is Rs 2.23 lakh crore in 2021-22 as against BE of Rs 94,452 crore and marks an increase of 137 per cent," she said while presenting 2021-22 Budget in the Lok Sabha.
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
Post when: May 24 2021 18:42:39 on:

PHUKET XTRA - May 24 || Brought to you by @PVC Phuket Campaign to help shooting victim |:| Vaccine registration on hold to counter outsiders registering |:| Heavy weather warning |:| Dozens arrested at party |:| Thailand COVID update Hosted by: JP Mestanza || #Phuket 1- Phuket Must Win on hold to counter outsiders registering for Phuket vaccination

MORE: Gold necklaces, cash prizes offered in vaccination registration lucky draw

MORE: Phuket Must Win must close

2- Campaign to help paralysed noodle vendor raises almost B400k

3- Heavy weather warning for Phuket, Andaman Coast

4- Dozens arrested in raid on gay chemsex party

5- Thailand COVID update

MORE: Phuket COVID update
Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid received his first jab of the Indian manufactured 'Covishield' vaccine shot on January 31 as the country started a mass inoculation campaign. Taking to official Twitter handle, Shahid expressed gratitude for Indias COVID-19 vaccination shipment and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision that put vaccine nationalism far behind and made the vials available for the island nation. Government of Maldives begins #COVID19 vaccination for all in #Maldives with no discrimination based on nationality, the Maldivian minister wrote, addressing the government of India and Indian citizens. He then thanked India in his heartfelt post for its generosity and for providing the vaccines, as he was inoculated at a healthcare center. Shahid shared the footage of his vaccination, as he said a big thank you to the Indian administration for its efforts.

Today I received the #COVID19 vaccine.



Govt of Maldives begins #COVID19 vaccination for all in #Maldives with no discrimination based on nationality.



To the Gov't & people of #India who so generously provided the vaccine to #Maldives, a big thank you.



May Allah bless us all! pic.twitter.com/WUB54yIV8y  Abdulla Shahid (@abdulla_shahid) February 1, 2021

Read: 'Deeply Honoured': India To Supply COVID Vaccines To Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal

Read: Sri Lanka To Procure 2 To 3 Million Doses Of Anti-COVID Vaccine From India: Official

Earlier last week, Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih congratulated Narendra Modi and the government for the launch of the COVID-19 vaccine campaign. Ibrahim took to his Twitter handle and hailed the 'landmark program to vaccinate India's population against COVID-19. congratulations to PM @narendramodi and the Indian government for its landmark program to vaccinate Indias population against COVID-19. Im highly confident that youll be successful in this endeavour and that we are finally seeing an end to the COVID-19 scourge, the Maldivian leader said in an online post.

Congratulations to PM @narendramodi and the Indian government for its landmark program to vaccinate Indias population against COVID-19. Im highly confident that youll be successful in this endeavor and that we are finally seeing an end to the COVID-19 scourge.  Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (@ibusolih) January 17, 2021

Shipment a generous gift

India, on January 19 dispatched a consignment of locally manufactured coronavirus vaccines to the Maldives as a friendly gesture to help the neighbouring country eradicate the pandemic. Calling the shipment a generous gift, the Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih thanked PM Modi and hailed India for standing "strong and steadfast" by the Maldives as a friend. Labelling India as the first responder, the leader of the country acknowledged Indias humanitarian assistance. India commenced the Coronavirus vaccine shipment to the neighbouring countries under the grant assistance program. Thus far, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and Seychelles have received the consignment. The first consignment of 1.5 lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine 'Covishield' was dispatched to Bhutan as the first country to get the vials.

Read: India Dispatches 1st Consignment Containing 1.5 Lakh Doses Of Covishield Vaccine To Bhutan

Read: Myanmar Launches COVID-19 Vaccination Drive Following Shipment From India
(Natural News) A new report released by New York Attorney General Letitia James reveals that Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his regime undercounted the number of coronavirus-related deaths at nursing homes throughout the state by as much as 50 percent.

An online press release about the 76-page report reveals that James made the discovery while investigating nursing homes throughout New York state based on allegations of patient neglect and other concerning conduct that may have jeopardized the health and safety of residents and employees.

Upon probing the matter further, it was then discovered that a larger number of nursing home residents died from the Chinese virus than was reported in the New York State Department of Healths (DOH) published nursing home data.

Many nursing homes also failed to meet basic compliance with infection control protocols, which put residents at increased risk of harm. It was also discovered that facilities with lower pre-pandemic staffing ratings had higher COVID-19 fatality rates.

James is continuing to investigate more than 20 nursing homes throughout the state that throughout the pandemic reported conduct deemed to be of particular concern.

As the pandemic and our investigations continue, it is imperative that we understand why the residents of nursing homes in New York unnecessarily suffered at such an alarming rate, James is quoted as saying.

While we cannot bring back the individuals we lost to this crisis, this report seeks to offer transparency that the public deserves and to spur increased action to protect our most vulnerable residents.

More Chinese virus news can be found at Pandemic.news.

Cuomos nursing home death numbers have been suspect since the beginning

The New York Times reported that the Cuomo regimes nursing home death numbers have been a source of controversy for quite some time. Cuomo, however, has been particularly sensitive to any suggestion that either he or the state health department played any role in these nursing home deaths, which the state put at more than 8,500.

Back in October, Cuomo appeared on The View, Zoom edition, to reinforce his version of what happened, claiming full innocence. According to Cuomo, he is in no way responsible for the many thousands of nursing home deaths that occurred under his watch.

Concerning the order Cuomo issued that forced infected WuFlu patients to be put back into facilities with non-infected patients, Cuomo says this had nothing to do with any of the deaths and that anyone who claims otherwise is spreading a conspiracy theory.

The conspiracy theyre trying to spread just has no factual basis, Cuomo, brother to fake news guru Chris Cuomo of CNN, told The View.

But yes, people in nursing homes died, and theyre playing politics with the issue, which I think is especially cruel because people who lost loved ones in a nursing home, theyre dealing with it, and now they also have to deal with the confusion or the pain of maybe government did this.

The same level of grace that Cuomo gave to himself concerning all this certainly was not afforded to President Donald Trump, who to this day is still being blamed for people dying from Chinese germs.

Even though China Joe has been occupying the White House for a little over a week now, Trump continued to be blamed for not doing enough to keep the mainstream media from scaring everyone with frightening stories about new cases, second waves, and other such nonsense.

Fredos big brother Fredo Sr. was compelled to falsify the number of deaths in nursing homes because hes the one who mandated the nursing homes take the Covid patients regardless of the frail and vulnerable conditions of the residents, wrote one Breitbart News commenter.

So instead of 8,500 nursing home deaths, its actually 17,000.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
Global insurance broker Hub International reported that Michael Chapman has been named national director of Commercial Markets. Chapman will also retain his current role as president of the Hub South region.

As Hubs first-ever national director of Commercial Markets, Chapman will be responsible for claims best practices, product development, special projects, carrier management and mergers and acquisitions as they relate to the commercial middle market business segment in Hubs key specialty industries and emerging segments. He will work with Hubs specialty leaders, M&A team, marketing, IT and sales.

Chapman began his career as a highly-protected risk (HPR) field engineer with Kemper Insurance in 1986 in Boston. In 1991, he moved to Firemans Fund to help create the Firemans Fund HPR department and in 1995 became the Boston branch manager of Firemans Fund. In 1997, Chapman became the national branch marketing manager for Lexington Insurance Co.

In 1998, he joined C.J. McCarthy Agency in Massachusetts, which was acquired by Hub in 2000. He was the chief sales officer of Hub New England for 10 years before relocating to Charleston, S.C. Chapman also serves on Hubs executive management team, as well as being a member of the Steering and Operations committees.

Marc Cohen, Hub president and CEO, noted that the commercial middle market makes up approximately 45% of HUBs total revenues.

Topics Commercial Lines Business Insurance
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 Spicejet flight had to make an emergency landing at the Kolkata airport on Monday evening within minutes of take-off after a technical glitch was detected mid-air. The flight from Kolkata returned at 4:32 pm after 12 minutes of takeoff at 4:20 pm and all the passengers were offloaded.

According to news agency PTI, there were 69 people on the Bagdogra-bound plane SG- 275, including West Bengal's Director-General of Police Virendra and the state's security advisor Surajit Kar Purkayastha. All the passengers and crew members are safe.

Soon after the take-off, minor smoke was seen in the cabin and the fire alarm went off, PTI reported quoting sources. The pilots contacted the ATC and made the emergency landing safely, PTI said.

An investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the glitch, PTI added. Alternative arrangements are being made for the passengers, PTI added citing sources.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  President Rodrigo Duterte has issued an executive order placing a price cap on pork and chicken products in Metro Manila, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed Monday.

Executive Order No. 124 imposes price ceilings of 270 per kilogram for kasim and pigue, 300 per kilogram for liempo, and 160 per kilogram for dressed chicken sold in the capital region for 60 days. These price caps will be in place during the said period, unless Duterte decides to extend it upon the recommendation of the Agriculture Department.

The EO shall take effect immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. It was published on the Official Gazette on Feb. 1, the same day it was signed.

The agency earlier proposed the said order to the President in a bid to prevent any further price hikes on the national meat supply, along with efforts of some business to illegally manipulate prices for basic commodities.

Consumers have been dealing with rising food prices over the past weeks, all while reeling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pork prices, in particular, have been moving up as supply continues to take a hit with some pork-producing provinces still recovering from African swine fever outbreaks.

In an interview on CNN Philippines' News Night, Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines Vice President for Luzon Nicanor Briones said the African Swine Fever outbreak, increased importation, and smuggling are some of the factors that contribute to the price hike of pork and chicken products.

Given this, Briones added that the government should help raisers affected by the ASF first.

"[P]ara hindi matakot ang ating mga magbababoy at mag-declare, bayaran natin ng P10,000 kada ulo ang tatamaan ng African Swine Fever," he said.

[Translation: In order to allay the fears of our hog raisers, we should pay them 10,000 for each pig that will be affected by the African Swine Fever.]
When talk focuses on the word impeachment, most people think about presidents  but only three of the nations leaders have been impeached: Andrew Johnson in 1868, Bill Clinton in 1998, and Donald Trump in 2019 and again in 2021.

They are a small number of the 63 impeachment proceedings Congress has undertaken since 1789. More common is the impeachment of those who hold federal office, particularly judges  including a Cass County man.

Mark W. Delahay, a lawyer and newspaper editor in the town of Virginia before the Civil War, is one of 20 officials impeached at the federal level.

Delahay was appointed to a federal judgeship in Kansas in 1863 by a president known for honesty  Abraham Lincoln. Critics blasted the appointment, however, based on Delahays dubious character. He was removed from office in 1873 for repeatedly being drunk on the bench.

Details of Delahays life are as sketchy as some said his character was.

Born in 1817 to a slave-holding family in Maryland, he moved to Illinois by the mid-1840s and made acquaintance with Lincoln. The future president referred to friend Delahay in a letter to Beardstown lawyer Henry Dummer on Nov. 18, 1845.

In addition, a Delahay, with no first name, is given as a defense attorney in Thayer v. Ferrell, an attachment case that originated in Cass Circuit Court in May 1844. Delahay edited a newspaper, The Observer, in Virginia from 1848 to 1849.

Delahay left for Mobile, Alabama, in 1853, where he again practiced law before settling in Leavenworth, Kansas, on March 21, 1855. At the time, Kansas was a hotbed of conflict and violently struggled with the slavery question before gaining statehood in 1861.

Not surprisingly, Delahay seemed to play all sides politically. Though some sources contend that Delahay did not approve of his familys slave holding, he was apparently a Douglas Democrat, the name given to a group of Democrats who wanted more compromise on the issue.

Other accounts indicate he became a free-soil advocate, a group that wanted slavery excluded from any new territories. One Kansas historical source asserts that Delahay was initially a believer in squatter sovereignty [but] soon changed his mind. Some researchers even claim that he still held sympathies to Douglas in the 1858 Senate race with Lincoln.

Whatever the case, Delahay practiced law and launched an anti-slavery newspaper, the Territorial Register, on July 7, 1855. He also attended free-state conventions in Kansas, earning the wrath of pro-slavery advocates, who destroyed his newspaper office in Leavenworth on Dec. 22, 1855.

Several accounts state said that Delahay fled to Alton, with one adding that he had a price on his head. Delahay spent much of 1856 in Alton, continuing to bounce between Illinois and Kansas.

By early 1857, Delahay had returned to Kansas, settling in Wyandotte. There he sold land, practiced law, and re-established the Register. The next year, he was back in Alton, ostensibly to help Lincoln campaign for the Senate against Douglas. Delahay appeared at a speaking engagement with Lincoln in Edwardsville in May 1858.

Delahay eventually went back to Leavenworth, where he formed a law partnership with Jefferson Dugger, a former Carlinville resident. A series of ads in The Chicago Tribune in 1859 trumpeted the firm, which offered a blue-ribbon list of references, starting with A. Lincoln, Springfield, Il.

Lincolns loyalty to Delahay is a source of contention among scholars, based on Delahays questionable morals. One source aptly writes that, no friend of Mr. Lincolns perhaps raised so many questions about Mr. Lincolns judgment as did his relationship with Delahay. That source summarizes Delahay best in calling him something of an opportunist whose political grasp was better than his political ability.

Lincoln biographer Carl Sandburg echoed that assessment, declaring on the surface, it might seem that Lincoln miscalculated [Delahay], an instance where Lincolns judgment as a shrewd reader of men failed. Sandburg snidely adds that the dubious Delahay was in bad odor.

Delahay wanted to become one of the first U.S. senators from the newly organized state of Kansas and pressed Lincoln to help him. Delahay did not receive the seat, but as the 1860 Republican National Convention approached, he offered Lincoln plenty of advice, and not all of it was savory.

He blasted Lincolns campaign team as too honest to advance your prospects as surely as I would like to see  I know that you have no relish for such a game, wrote Delahay, but it is an old maxim that you must fight the devil with fire.

Honest Abe dismissed Delahays unscrupulous recommendations  but he did not dismiss Delahays friendship. Lincoln considered Delahay for several appointed positions, finally giving him a federal judgeship in Kansas in fall 1863.

The appointment infuriated many of Lincolns friends. One ripped Delahay as a miserable man  disgraceful  he is no lawyer, could not try a case properly even in a Justices Court, and has no character.

Seven years after Lincolns death, Delahays wayward habits finally caught up with him.

In 1872, impeachment proceedings began against him in Congress for corruption, malfeasance, and incompetency in office. There was also ample evidence that Delahay was often drunk on the bench.

Among the testimony at the proceedings were the words of Robert Crozier, himself a former Lincoln appointee as a district attorney in Kansas, who would take a seat in the U.S. Senate in late 1873. Crozier said that I am compelled to say that Judge Delahay frequently becomes inebriated. I have seen him in this condition very frequently off the bench, and several times on it.

The comptroller of the U.S. Treasury Department, R.W. Tayler, offered a written letter reading, I have to state that no money in confiscation cases, from the district of Kansas, has been paid into the Treasury of the United States since the year 1860, another critical piece of evidence against Delahay.

Delahay was impeached by the House on Feb. 28, 1873, for personal habits unfitted him for the judicial office  and that his sobriety would be the exception and not the rule.

Still, he remained on the bench for months before he finally resigned that Dec. 12, before his Senate trial began.

Delahay died on May 8, 1879, in Kansas City from injuries suffered in a fall down a stairwell. He was buried in Leavenworth.
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
Representative image.

On March 2, 2015, during the Budget Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised everyone when he reached the canteen in room number 70 on the first floor of the Parliament House.

The PM, perhaps the first person to hold the post to do so, paid Rs 29 for a vegetarian 'thali, according to reports.

Six years later, lunch in Parliament house canteen is no longer a low-cost affair after the recent price revision doing away with the subsidy. The thali that the PM had ordered for Rs 29 in 2015 is now priced at Rs 100.

Follow Moneycontrol's Budget 2021 live coverage here.

Ahead of the Budget Session, the Parliament canteen published a new rate list that has most items at market rates. The cheapest on the menu is a chapati for Rs 3 and the most expensive item is a non-vegetarian buffet for Rs 700.

Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla had on January 19 announced the scrapping of the subsidy on Parliaments canteen food. He said that India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) will be handling the canteens instead of Northern Railways that has been at the helm for 52 years.

Sources said that ITDC will serve food cooked by expert chefs of the five-star Ashok Hotel. Presently the canteen serves 48 food items on its menu for lunch and evening snacks.

Who eats canteen food?

The subsidised rates of food in the Parliament canteen have been criticised with many objecting to lawmakers enjoying food at dirt-cheap rates at the taxpayers expense. Until last year, Rs 17 Crore every year was spent on subsidies to keep food cheap in the Parliament canteen, Birla said. The move to scrap subsidy is expected to save the exchequer around Rs 8 Crore annually, news agency PTI reported

But it seems very few MPs eat in the countrys most elite canteen. Out of the Rs 17 crore subsidy, only 1.4 percent or Rs 24 lakh is spent on MPs, according to a recent survey. The rest, it was found, is spent on visitors, security personnel, government officials, and journalists. Around 4,500 people eat daily at Parliament on an average on a day during a session.

"We don't see MPs in this canteen. It is mostly occupied by staff and journalists or visitors," said an employee who did not want to be named.

The largest percentage of customers are Parliament staff, ministries, and political parties holding press conferences. Only 9 percent of people who eat in the canteen are MPs, according to many reports. Most of the MPs sit in the Central Hall and eat, he said.

Outsiders most hit?

The debate over subsidy to the Parliament canteen started many years ago in 2015 when an RTI reply highlighted the cheap food rates in Parliament canteen. Soon, Jay Panda, then a BJD MP, started a signature campaign against subsidies enjoyed by lawmakers. In 2016, the prices were revised after a gap of six years and the canteen, it was decided, would be run on a no profit and no loss basis.

In December 2019, however, with Om Birla as Lok Sabha speaker, MPs agreed to give up the subsidy.

Old-timers said that the scrapping of subsidy would hit outsiders more than lawmakers. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had pointed out that the move could hit hard the hundreds of employees and media personnel who come to Parliament.

An official who did not want to be named said, No visitors are allowed this session due to COVID-19 restrictions but we expect visitors in the future. MPs usually treat their guests with snacks in the Parliament canteen. The biggest attraction of the canteen was a subsidy that doesn't exist anymore, he said.

Not just one canteen

There are four canteens in the Parliament, though referred to as a single canteen. Room number 70, on the first floor, is where the canteen reserved for MPs is located and is the main canteen. The lawmakers mostly order food in the Central Hall or in their offices. There is a canteen in the library and annex building too. The fourth canteen at the reception is defunct because of construction work for the new Parliament complex.

There have been complaints about food quality in the past. In July 2014, Rajya Sabha members including, JD-Us KC Tyagi and SPs Ram Gopal Yadav and Jaya Bachchan, raised the issue of the poor quality food being served in the Parliament canteen.

Experts said the subsidy should have continued since MPs don't anyway eat there.

If the government thinks that it a huge subsidy which the economy couldnt bear, then it is another matter. But it is not a huge amount. The canteen in the Parliament cannot be treated at par with five-star hotels," PDT Achary, former Secretary-General, Lok Sabha told Moneycontrol. Achary was posted in Parliament for forty years and served as Secretary-General, Lok Sabha for five years from 2005 to 2010.

All MPs are not uniformly rich. Also, it is not always lawmakers who eat at the Parliament. The staff is there, people from outside come. One of the attractions was reasonable rates, he said.
Representative image (PC- MoneyControl.Com)

Tabled in the backdrop of a crisis-struck economy, the Union Budget 2021-22 attempted to nurse the economy back to health. Faced with subdued consumer demand, less spending on infrastructure and a historic contraction in four decades, the Budget had massive challenges to address, many even pre-dating COVID-19.

The Economic Survey made a case for a massive fiscal push to enable counter-cyclical measures. Consistent with this, a slew of measures were announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The Economic Survey advocated deficit financing as long as the growth of the economy was higher. Given the deficit growth and revenue receipts in the COVID year, the Budget expected to push growth in every possible manner. The Budget, in that sense, gives a mixed outlook on the growth path for the country to recover from the pandemic caused slowdown.

The Budget, as anticipated, gave a major push to health-care by raising the outlay by 137 percent. Given that India has one of the highest out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure, the measure announced in the Budget would likely bring down OOP, leaving people with more disposable income for consumption. But the challenge lies in the nuances involved in the implementation, the locations for the new infrastructures, the availability of the nursing staff, supporting ecosystem at the local level, etc.

Government spending on infrastructure projects also formed a major part of the announcement to augment Indias infrastructure and generate job opportunities. It raised the allocation to rural infrastructure development to Rs 40,000 crore for the next fiscal from Rs 30,000 crore in FY21.

Historically, Indias GDP growth has been consistent with the growth in the rural sector. The growth years have coincided with flagship schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. The move would undoubtedly help create more liquidity on the rural front in the form of employment generation, thereby triggering a cycle of demand and consumption. The affordable housing project has presented a positive signal to the market that would keep the demand buoyant in 2021.

A major disappointment in the Budget was the protectionist stand taken in many key sectors where Indias shows potential. It could pinch both manufacturers and end-consumers.

The custom hike on compressors for refrigerators and AC, auto-components, mobile parts, etc would be detrimental in two ways. It can shut cheap sourcing options for domestic industries, making final goods expensive for the consumers, while also making them uncompetitive in the global market. Many of the personal items are going to be dearer for the consumers.

Follow Moneycontrol's Budget 2021 live coverage here.

Overall, the Budget did not see any direct push in increasing the private consumption of the households. Contrary to taxpayers expectations on raising money in the hands of salaried individuals to reinvigorate household consumption, the Budget did not announce any significant changes in personal taxation. The tax slabs, Section 80C exemption, remain unchanged. While it attempted to ease filing, one has to see the degree of easiness suggested.

Debt and sustainability: Reality Check

The Economic Survey indicated that India must borrow more to push infrastructure development, suggesting that as long as the countrys GDP growth rate is higher than the rate of interest at which funds are borrowed, the country will be able to repay the debt.

The strategy to undertake a massive fiscal push has many ramifications. The Institute of International Finance data shows that Indias total debt is at 130 percent of GDP, of which the government debt stood at 69 percent of GDP and the private sector at 61 percent. In this scenario, keeping a balance between domestic and external borrowing is crucial. The report said Indias corporate sector had the highest level of debt stress in the world. In this scenario, if the government decides to borrow domestically to finance its deficit, it can crowd out private investments through higher borrowing cost, further smothering private entities.

Chief economic adviser Krishnamurthy Subramanian mentioned about funding coming from a combination of disinvestment revenues, borrowings, tax and non-tax revenues. While tax collection showed some buoyancy, other sources like disinvestment present little hope due to a persistent track record of missing the targets. With limited capacity, the government should also have considered rationalising revenue expenditure through privatising loss-making units beyond the two PSUs announced.

Overall, the attempt to give a Feel Good Factor to the masses is missing from the Budget in a pandemic year. The Budget does not have any big-bang announcements or bold reforms except a couple. The message that the mass gets is that one should be conservative in spending in the immediate future also.

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.

HSS Florida offers surgical and non-surgical expertise for conditions including joint pain, trauma and sports injuries, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, back pain, and conditions of the hand, upper extremities, foot and ankle for both pediatric and adult patients  including professional and youth athletes.

"HSS Florida is a showcase example of new ways we are making the highest quality of care more accessible to people seeking better quality of life through better quality of movement," said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO of HSS. "For many years Florida residents have travelled to New York for HSS care, but the enthusiastic reception in our Florida location is even greater than we anticipated."

In addition to comprehensive clinical orthopedic care, advanced diagnostic and on-site imaging services, physical therapy, and performance testing, HSS Florida launched an outpatient total joint replacement program in June, as many Americans remained concerned about COVID-19 exposure. This surgical service provides highly personalized, comprehensive treatment without the need to spend time in a hospital, often allowing patients to return home just hours after surgery.

HSS Florida also expanded its roster of top medical talent with the addition of Martin W. Roche, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and pioneer of complex knee reconstruction. Dr. Roche joined HSS Florida earlier this month and will lead the hip and knee joint replacement program as Director of Hip and Knee Arthroplasty.

"HSS Florida is a world-class center of excellence, emulating HSS in every wayfrom its highly skilled physicians, advanced equipment and remarkable techniques to the truly personalized patient experience," said David W. Altchek, MD, founding medical director of HSS Florida. "We look forward to continuing to serve the increasingly active community in Florida, advancing their musculoskeletal health and helping them move better and live better."

HSS Enterprise Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer Justin Oppenheimer noted that HSS Florida is one part of a growing national ecosystem. "We are expanding our physical and digital reach to increase HSS impact across the country."

HSS Florida Main Campus is located at 300 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard in West Palm Beach. For more information on HSS Florida or to schedule an appointment, visit HSS.edu/Florida or call 561-657-4600.

About HSS



HSS is the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 11th consecutive year), No. 4 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2020-2021), and named a leader in pediatric orthopedics by U.S. News & World Report "Best Children's Hospitals" list (2020-2021). HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics by Newsweek (2020-2021). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest complication and readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center four consecutive times. The global standard total knee replacement was developed at HSS in 1969. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. The HSS Global Innovation Institute was formed in 2016 to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 130 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.

SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery
More than half of the $287 million in federal stimulus money for Louisiana public schools to help defray pandemic expenses remains unspent nine months after it was allocated.

"The wheels of a big system sometimes move slowly," said Wes Watts, president of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents and superintendent of the West Baton Rouge Parish school district.

The money is supposed to help with the costs of computers, personal protective equipment, summer school and other expenses. It was approved by the U.S. Congress on March 27, 2020, and started going to districts in late April.

CARES Act to send Louisiana public schools, child care providers millions of dollars in aid; see totals Louisiana public schools are set to get an estimated $287 million and child care providers nearly $10 million to help offset problems sparked 

But $146 million of the allocation remains unspent, according to the state Department of Education.

State officials this week are sending messages to local superintendents, directors of federal programs and business managers urging them not to delay spending the money, and how it can be used.

State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said the delay stems in part from earlier concerns among local officials. "They were cautious on whether they would have to carry it into next year as well," Brumley said.

Louisiana public schools getting $260M for coronavirus aid: A look at how it'll be spent Public schools Friday began receiving about $260 million in federal aid to help with costs sparked by the coronavirus pandemic and to address 

"They did not know that they would be getting additional dollars," he added.

"So, they were thinking about how could they spread this out if they had to go into (2021)," Brumley said.

But now officials are faced with sort of an embarrassment of riches.

More than $1 billion earmarked for Louisiana public schools to combat pandemic Louisiana public schools will get $1.2 billion from the latest federal stimulus bill, about four times the amount schools landed last year to 

Louisiana landed another $1.1 billion in federal aid  13th most in the nation  when Congress approved its second stimulus plan on Dec. 27. However, the state is not sending out those dollars for now.

Districts will be able to spend 50% of their allocation starting in June and the other half starting in January 2022.

Public school classrooms were closed in March 2020 during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

School leaders were forced to rely on distance learning for the rest of the school year, with mixed results amid a shortage of computers and other devices and gaps in student access to the internet.

Today, about 60% of students are getting in-person instruction, with the rest relying on virtual learning or a combination of virtual and in-person classes.

Watts said how quickly districts have spent the first round of federal aid depends on their financial outlooks.

The West Baton Rouge Parish School District has spent most of its roughly $900,000 in federal aid to ensure all of its 4,000 students have computers or other devices.

28% of public school students lack access to computers to assist with distance learning, state survey shows More than 1 in 4 public school students lack access to a computer or tablet at home to assist with distance learning during the classrooms shu

"The struggle with it is you can only use it for certain things," Watts said. "Maybe they need teachers and you can't spend it on that."

Watts also said that, in some cases, districts have committed their share of federal stimulus money but it has not been spent.

"You are planning and implementing and payment does not happen until later," he said.

Michael Faulk, executive director of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, said local superintendents were reluctant to spend all the aid at once because of concerns about future needs. "Now with this second stimulus, you don't have to have a cushion because you are going to get a whole lot more," Faulk said.

Some of Louisiana's 69 school districts can expect three times what they got in the first round when the second round of aid  $1.1 billion  is made available.

Jim Garvey, the longest-serving member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said local school leaders are looking at two or three years of extra expenses because of the pandemic.

"In particular, the learning loss that happened or is currently happening during the last 12 months or 10 months will happen until the virus is under control," Garvey said. "And the remediation of that learning loss is not going to happen in six months."

Half of the second round of federal aid is set to go to districts in March along with guidance on how it can be used. Local districts will start crafting budgets for the money in April. State officials will review those plans in May and the money will be available for spending in June.

Brumley said the priority for federal aid will be to ensure schools can offer in-person instruction.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 11:21:41|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BEIJING, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- As the world heads into the second month of 2021, it is still struggling to handle a ravaging COVID-19 pandemic, a deep economic recession, as well as a turbulent and shifting global order.

Against the backdrop of growing risks and uncertainties, Chinese President Xi Jinping has, on an array of bilateral and multilateral diplomatic occasions, offered China's solutions to those daunting challenges.

His pledges and proposals, ranging from promoting global vaccine cooperation and jointly building the Belt and Road, to practicing multilateralism, have charted the course for a world that has arrived at a historic crossroads.

PROMOTING VACCINE COOPERATION

Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 100 million on Jan. 26, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Amid surging infections, a fair distribution of effective vaccines is believed to be the best way to guide the world out of the tunnel.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi has been engaged in intensive "cloud diplomacy," including attending or chairing virtual meetings and having phone calls with foreign leaders and heads of international organizations, during which he repeatedly called for solidarity against the pandemic, as well as global cooperation on the research, development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

During his phone conversation with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in November 2020, Xi said China stands ready to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Germany on COVID-19 vaccines and push for the vaccines to be fairly distributed as a global public good, especially for the benefit of developing countries.

In a telephone conversation on Jan. 21 with Thongloun Sisoulith, general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee, Xi said China will continue to support Laos' efforts to fight the pandemic, and stands ready to actively consider aiding Laos with a batch of COVID-19 vaccines.

China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Bolivia on COVID-19 vaccines, Xi said Thursday in a phone conversation with his Bolivian counterpart, Luis Arce.

Addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF) Virtual Event of the Davos Agenda on Jan. 25, Xi said that "China will continue to share its experience with other countries, do its best to assist countries and regions that are less prepared for the pandemic, and work for greater accessibility and affordability of COVID-19 vaccines in developing countries," adding he hopes those efforts "will contribute to an early and complete victory over the coronavirus throughout the world."

"There is no doubt that humanity will prevail over the virus and emerge even stronger from this disaster," Xi said.

JOINTLY BUILDING BELT AND ROAD

The global economic recession induced by the COVID-19 pandemic has turned out to be the severest ever since the end of the Second World War in 1945 -- all major economic sectors have been devastated simultaneously for the first time in history, global supply chains have been disrupted, and trade and investment remain weak.

Still, China's proposals and commitments expounded by Xi in his Davos speech have injected fresh momentum into the flagging global economy.

"China will continue to promote trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, help keep the global industrial and supply chains smooth and stable, and advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation," he said.

Belt and Road cooperation, a key term in Xi's phone calls with foreign leaders in January, has been warmly welcomed by the international community.

Thongloun said in the telephone conversation with Xi on Jan. 21 that Laos will strengthen bilateral cooperation in such areas as building the Belt and Road, and promote friendly exchanges at all levels.

Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said in a telephone conversation with Xi on Jan. 25 that Dominica will actively participate in the joint construction of the Belt and Road to promote the continuous development of Dominica-China relations and the relations between Caribbean countries and China.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in a telephone conversation with Xi on Jan. 26 that his country is willing to join China in actively promoting bilateral Belt and Road cooperation and the construction of the Belarus-China industrial park, and strengthening cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade and exchanges at local levels.

China's development is an opportunity for the world, Xi said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 47th WEF annual meeting in Davos four years ago.

Now, in his latest Davos speech, Xi said that "as China enters a new development stage, we will follow a new development philosophy and foster a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other."

"China will work with other countries to build an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security and common prosperity," Xi added.

Indeed, with a new development paradigm, China will further deepen its reform and opening up, which will certainly provide more opportunities for global development and cooperation.

PRACTICING MULTILATERALISM

"The problems facing the world are intricate and complex. The way out of them is through upholding multilateralism and building a community with a shared future for mankind," Xi said in his latest Davos speech.

In fact, the 25-minute special address was brimming with Xi's call for multilateralism, which has resonated internationally. Xi said that "multilateralism is about having international affairs addressed through consultation and the future of the world decided by everyone working together."

"'Selective multilateralism' should not be our option," Xi said later in his speech, adding that "to uphold multilateralism in the 21st century, we should promote its fine tradition, take on new perspectives and look to the future."

Besides, Xi has also elaborated in his speech on five initiatives China will take to practice multilateralism, by continuing to take an active part in global cooperation on COVID-19, implement a win-win strategy of opening up, promote sustainable development, advance science, technology and innovation, as well as promote a new type of international relations.

"We believe that when the interests of the entire humanity are at stake, China must step forward, take action, and get the job done," Xi said, adding "let us all join hands and let multilateralism light our way toward a community with a shared future for mankind." Enditem
Following the rich heritage, ARARAT opens yet another volume in the century old history and presents new bottles and packaging of the Legendary Brandy.

New Range of ARARAT is a global and the brightest visual activation of the brand over the last 10 years. New chapter, which takes the brand to the new dimension in its international positioning, aimed at achieving the status of Global Brandy in the Premium + category and involving new consumers.

Behind this evolutionary for the brand event there is a fundamental research of new trends on the international market, consumer insights, and, most importantly, moments of consumption. The impressive result of several years work became possible thanks to the international team of specialists, whose task was to strengthen the place of ARARAT on the traditional markets as well as to conquer stable positions in relatively new markets such as USA and China.

Cherishing its authenticity of the century refined blends as well as masterly transforming unique traditions into universal values in its innovative products, ARARAT legendary brandy appeals to the quintessential elements of the brand  underlines the biblical mountain and ARARAT logotype, which is an artistic combination of Phoenix and Latin A.

Putting the authenticity in the brand-new light, new packaging makes the brand far more interesting and attractive for both classic appreciators of ARARAT and new consumers who are ready to reveal the modern facets of genuine mastery, generous nature and cherished traditions.

By this initiative ARARAT foresees the international trends of the category and, by keeping the brands DNA, goes for the audacious solutions, which contribute to the better navigation of the consumers. Particularly, new range depicts more clearly the age of the ARARAT brandies. Moreover, following its S&R principles of Pernod Ricard, ARARAT new range applies several eco-friendly solutions  from reduction of glass volumes to the quality of labels print.

Authenticity and Innovation of ARARAT range

Since 1887 the production of ARARAT begins with the carefully selected grape taken from the sun hosted Ararat valley and goes through the masters craftsmanship and passion, which crowns every single stage of ARARATs creation. This magic world of ARARAT finds its reflection in the bright set of visual and tactile experience.

Thus, the bottom parts of ARARAT 3 and ARARAT 5 bottles are inlayed with Ararat mountain. This admirable symbol of revival and new life also holds the focal point on almost all the labels. The values and the history of ARARAT are also communicated in the ornamental decorations of the bottles. For example, the bottom part of ARARAT premium brandies is decorated with engraved glass arches, which symbolize the rarest spirits kept in the treasury of Yerevan Brandy Company. The mastery of combination of those spirits creates the art of ARARAT harmony. Meanwhile, the bottles of ARARAT super-premium are made in a form of carafes, framed with salient decorations which are crowned in hexagon in the bottom.

The uniqueness of the range is also provided by non-traditional color contrast  combination of classic color palette with the white section of the labels.

All the samples of the New range are also decorated with the distinctive hallmark of this legendary Armenian brandy  the brand symbol of ARARAT  Phoenix, a bird which is a sign of eternal rebirth both in worlds and Armenian cultural heritage. A sign of rebirth despite the hardest historical circumstances.

The changes made in the packaging will also please the connoisseurs of ARARATs premium segment, because here there will be a new blend  Ani 7 years aged. It is worth mentioning that ARARAT Otborny will soon find its deserved place in the Vintage range of ARARAT.

The packaging of the ARARAT ultra-premium range remains unchanged.

The redesign of ARARAT range has been preceded with the meticulous cross-functional and cross-cultural work. The last strokes of the project have been done in the hardest times of pandemic, and yet thanks to the indescribable professionalism of YBC team we finalized the project without any delays.

It was extremely important to keep the historical roots and break new ground. I am more than sure, that we will strengthen our positions on the international market with each new initiative. Taking new markets for ARARAT means meetings with millions of consumers, satisfying their preferences and foreseeing their desires and needs by offering new solutions, says Ani Beriashvili, Managing Director of Yerevan Brandy Company.

Three years ago, we took on the challenge of redesigning the entire ARARAT range in order to give it an international scope and position ourselves firmly in the premium brandy category. This new range allows us today to strengthen our differentiation in the stores and reinforce our premiumization in a brandy category that continues to grow. We have worked closely internally and with our agency, but also with our consumers to remain in the continuity of the brand's values, retain its Armenian roots, and bring more modernity and clarity in terms of navigation from one brandy to another within the range.

Today, we have an elegant, modern and authentic offer for our loyal customers, but also to recruit new consumers who expect authentic products, with a history and centuries-old roots, underlines Karine Madelrieu, Marketing Director Pernod Ricard Eastern Europe.

It has been more than 10 years of cooperation with ARARAT. It is a great honor and deep responsibility, as ARARAT is the brand with rich historic legacy, exceptional importance for Armenia, high awareness in Russia and different activations worldwide. The international team of MEDIACRAT headed by creative director Igor Borisenko was working on the project. We have been challenged by a difficult and yet very interesting task  to provide strategic redesign by keeping and even strengthening the brands DNA. The solutions that we had to offer should be timely not only for today, but also for future and to help the brand to keep and strengthen its leading positions. Moreover, the solutions had to be fair and harmonious with Armenian roots of ARARAT and become a part of international trend at the same time.

Keeping connection with the ARARAT connoisseurs in different countries and cultures was also ultimately important. But as it usually goes, the solution was lying on the surface. It was the legend of Phoenix, which is the brand symbol of ARARAT. This mythical bird is endlessly changing and reviving, which opens new perspectives and reveals new worlds. We are sure that such perspectives will be opened for ARARAT now, especially when such professional teams in Moscow, Paris and other cities of the world are working on the brand. We appreciate this experience of collaboration with ARARAT, and we are very inspired with the result, comments Arman Jilavyan, Managing Partner of MEDIACRAT.
Naypyitaw : Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi smiles as she delivers a speech during the Advisory Forum On National Reconciliation and Peace in Myanmar at the Myanmar International Convention Center in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2018. AP/PTI(AP11_21_2018_000019B)

World News,Myanmar,Aung SUU Kyi,Myanmar coupMyanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other figures in the ruling party have been detained, a party spokesman said on Monday, after days of escalating tension with the powerful military had stirred fears of a coup.

Here is a timeline of some key events in Myanmar's recent turbulent history:

November 2015: The National League for Democracy (NLD) wins a general election by a landslide and Suu Kyi assumes power in a specially created role of state counsellor. She vows to resolve the country's myriad ethnic conflicts, attract foreign investment and continue reforms started by former general Thein Sein.

October 2016: Rohingya militants attack three police border posts in Rakhine State, killing nine police officers. Myanmar's military then carry out a security operation, resulting in some 70,000 people leaving the area for neighbouring Bangladesh.

Aug. 25, 2017: Rohingya militants launch attacks across Rakhine, triggering a military-led campaign that drives more than 730,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh. The United Nations says the campaign of mass killing, rape, and arson was carried out with "genocidal intent", which Myanmar denies. Suu Kyi says "terrorists" are behind an "iceberg of misinformation".

January 2019: New fighting begins in Rakhine between government troops and the Arakan Army (AA), an insurgent group seeking greater regional autonomy that recruits from the mostly Buddhist Rakhine ethnic minority. Suu Kyi urges the army to "crush" the rebels.

Nov. 11: Mostly Muslim Gambia files a genocide case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its expulsion of the Rohingya.

Dec. 11: Suu Kyi appears at the ICJ in the Hague and rejects accusations of genocide against the Rohingya as "incomplete and misleading" but says war crimes may have been committed.

September 2020: The novel coronavirus sweeps Myanmar, which had previously been mostly spared. The government locks down Yangon, the commercial capital, and other areas but insists a Nov. 8 election will go ahead.

Sept. 22: Thomas Andrews, the U.N. human rights investigator to Myanmar, says polls will fail to meet international standards because of the disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya. Of at least a dozen Rohingya who apply to run as candidates in the election, six are rejected.

Oct. 17: Myanmar's election commission cancels voting in vast swathes of Rakhine State, where fighting with the AA has killed dozens and displaced tens of thousands. Some areas "are not in a position to hold a free and fair election", the commission says.

Nov. 3: Army chief Min Aung Hlaing says the civilian government is making "unacceptable mistakes" in the run-up to the election, the second warning in two days about potential bias in the vote. Suu Kyi calls for calm in a Facebook post and urges voters not to be intimidated.

Nov. 9: The NLD claims a resounding victory in the parliamentary election. NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt says expects the NLD to exceed the total of 390 seats it took in its 2015 landslide win.

Nov. 11: The main opposition, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), demands a re-run of the election and calls for military help to ensure fairness, alleging irregularities.

Nov. 13: The NLD said it would seek to form a government of national unity after official election results showed it had comfortably won enough parliamentary seats to form the next administration.

Jan. 26, 2021: Army military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun warns it will "take action" if the election dispute is not settled and declined to rule out staging a coup, asking the election commission to investigate voter lists it said contained discrepancies.

Jan. 28: The election commission rejects allegations of vote fraud, saying there were no errors big enough to impact the credibility of the vote.

Jan. 30: Myanmar's military says it will protect and abide by the constitution and act according to law. Pro-military demonstrations are held in several major cities, including Yangon. The next day, the army "categorically denies" impeding the democratic transition in a statement on Facebook.

Feb. 1: Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other senior figures from the ruling party are detained in an early morning raid. Mobile internet and some phone services are disrupted in Yangon and soldiers are seen deployed outside its city hall.
Before the upcoming impeachment in the Senate, Trump announced his new attorneys to represent him. One thing to note is that many disagree because they are seeking to reinterpret the rules of impeachment to stop a 2024 run by Trump.

Change in Trump's defense team's roster came after the original five decided not to continue with the impeachment case.

First to be tried after office; first to be impeached twice

The case against Trump is first for anyone who's held office, and his term was characterized as the most besieged from day one. Joining his Senate team is David Schoen, a criminal law specialist, with Bruce Castor, a former Pennsylvania district attorney. They will be leading his defense, reported MSN.

Castor said that defending the ex-president would be a privilege; Trump released the press statement. His counsel added that the American Constitution would be tested unlike any time in US history. More so, saying the basis for the law is strong and resilient, citing that DEMS partisanship will fail despite attempts to subvert it.

Experts with high profile clients

Castor's claim to fame is when he begged of prosecuting Bill Cosby's case in 2005. The allegations of Sexual assault would send the comedian to prison later.

Schoen has had cases that were covered by media, like the Roger Stone case. Stone is an identified Trump ally, one of many pardoned in his last days in the White House. Like the ex-president, he was charged as one of those included in the Alleged Russian Meddling during 2016.

Also read: Pence says No to 25th Amendment, will not Allow Removal of Trump

Schoen was supposed to represent Jeffrey Epstein on a case before he passed away in 2019. The notorious Epstein tapped him to head his legal defense. Sources say that he told the Atlanta Jewish Times that he should have been the lead defendant in the controversial case of sexual abuse.

Schoen added that a week after meeting, Epstein committed suicide in a New York jail. He said that the man did not kill himself.

Trump's legal moves unpredictable

Having announced earlier that his prior legal eagles did not push through, that drew speculation on how the legal defense will work. Getting Schoen and Castor was a fresh change on how both will blunt what DEMS will throw at the ex-president.

But one exact point that both agree on is that trying a president out of office is not constitutional; a fact supported by 45 digressing senators who voted no to a DEMS led assembly intended for the impeachment.

Trying a former president is a first, but there is precedent for ex-senators, ex-judges, and even an ex-Secretary of War in 1876.

Before the two lawyers before them were Butch Bowers, Deborah Barbier, Greg Harris, and Johnny Gasser, and Josh Howard.

The attorneys tapped initially to defend the former president who split from the team include Butch Bowers, Deborah Barbier, Greg Harris, Johnny Gasser, and North Carolina lawyer Josh Howard.

His current defense team is different from the first impeachment, but the new attorneys to represent him are equally qualified.

Related article: Harvard Professor Says Democrats Violated the Constitution Six Times During Impeachment Process

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Hyundai Motor India Limited has announced that it registered a total cumulative sales of 60,105 units in January 2021. Out of the total sales, Hyundai sold 52,005 units in the domestic market while 8,100 units were exported to the international markets.

Commenting on the January 2021 sales performance, Tarun Garg, Director -Sales, Marketing & Service, HMIL, said, HMIL has made a strong beginning to the CY21 by registering a high double-digit growth in the month of January. The growth momentum has been achieved on account of great customer pull for our most innovative recently launched products like the all-new CRETA, new VERNA, and the all-new i20 showcasing brand supremacy in their respective segments. We are happy to see that the Hyundai Brand in India has become a strong expression of world class technology and services thereby redefining the driving and ownership experience for our beloved customers. We stand committed to further strengthen Indias economy and society as a responsible corporate citizen.

The domestic sales escalated by 23.8 per cent this year as compared to 42,002 units in January 2020. The exports, however, dropped by 19 per cent from last years 10,000 units. The South Korean car manufacturer recently launched the all-new Hyundai i20 in India and you can read our first-drive review here. Other top-selling models in the brands portfolio include the Creta, Verna, and the Venue .

Hyundai Venue  6.92 Lakh Onwards

Hyundai | Hyundai Venue | Venue
Posted Monday, February 1, 2021 6:49 am

The issue of police accountability has been playing out in the Washington state Legislature over the last two weeks with bills being discussed in the House of Representatives and Senate. Discussions continue Monday, as a bill that would compel officers to intervene and stop excessive force by other officers goes before the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

Under new legislation introduced in the Senate, police officers may no longer be allowed to be bystanders to bad behavior from their colleagues.

Senate Bill 5066 would require any police officer who witnesses another officer engaging or attempting to engage in excessive force to intervene and try to stop it, or risk suspension or decertification.

Washington state has never decertified an officer for using excessive force.

Senate Bill 5066 is part of a broader push for police accountability in the Legislature, led by Democratic lawmakers and community advocates, after the deaths of people of color at the hands of police.

The bill's prime sponsor, Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, said the bill was partially inspired by the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May, where "we saw officers standing around and not intervening." However, police brutality is not something that is unheard of in the state of Washington, she said. She referenced local cases such as the killing of Manuel Ellis in Tacoma, and others.

Democratic legislators have also sponsored House Bill 1054, which would prohibit police tactics like chokeholds and neck restraints, as well as tear gas, no-knock warrants and the use of military gear.

On Thursday, House Bill 1310, which seeks to narrow the set of acceptable circumstances for the use of physical and deadly force by police, will be voted on by the House Committee on Public Safety. Also on Thursday, a House committee is scheduled to vote on House Bill 1267, which would establish an office within the Office of the Governor to investigate potential criminal uses of deadly force by police officers, in-custody deaths and sexual assaults.

But the issue of excessive force is what has garnered much attention from law enforcement, and from activists like Sakara Remmu, who is a member of the Washington Black Lives Matter Alliance. Remmu said excessive force does not always end in death.

Twenty years ago, Remmu said she called the police when a fight broke out at a restaurant near her house. After the scene was cleared, she went out to speak to an officer.

"As soon as he saw me, he grabbed me by the back of my neck and threw me on the hood of his car, without a word," Remmu said. "I was pregnant. His partner did nothing."

"That damaged me," she said.

Remmu testified last week in favor of SB 5066 at its first public hearing, and mentioned racial targeting in the use of force. The bill is a step in the right direction, she said, but will not fully address the systemic racism that exists in law enforcement agencies across the state.

Dhingra told the Senate Law & Justice Committee that she believes most officers are trying to do the right thing. She said this bill would help them to continue to do so by putting them in a position to call out wrongdoing.

"We have to make sure the culture does not enable bad officers to continue," Dhingra said, "so this is making sure we set up policies, procedures, training, to empower those good officers to do the right thing."

That includes a reporting mechanism so that "these things don't just get brushed under the carpet," she said. Officers would be required to report any wrongdoing they see from another officer to that officer's supervisor, and would be protected from discipline or retaliation.

In 2018, lawmakers and voters passed Initiative 940 that removed a decades-old barrier that had made it nearly impossible to bring criminal charges against law enforcement officers deemed to have used deadly force wrongfully. It also required police to receive de-escalation and mental health training, and removed the requirement to prove an officer acted with malice to be convicted.

James Schrimpsher, representing the Washington Fraternal Order of Police, also spoke in support of SB 5066 last week, saying the stipulations are already de facto in most law enforcement agencies around Washington.

He said that the vast majority of police officers already intervene in any wrongdoing that they see, and said "it's in our DNA."

He said that he told an officer about the bill the morning he was to testify, and the officer asked him, "isn't that already a thing?"

"And I said yes, it is already a thing, we're just codifying it," Schrimpsher said.

Officers would go through Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement training, but the specifics of how intervening will look will be up to local law enforcement agencies. Though no one spoke in opposition to the bill, it was modified to clarify that the responsibility to intervene would only apply to "easily-identifiable" officers who are on duty.

Dhingra said the slew of law enforcement bills introduced this session will "work together to create this system where we are holding our officers to a high ethical standard."

UW Libraries Selects Alternative Textbook Grant Recipients

University of Wyoming Libraries recently awarded alternative textbook grants to seven faculty members and a graduate student to implement open educational resources (OER) in their classes this spring.

The alternative textbooks resulting from the grants are projected to save UW students more than $67,000 per semester.

As the pandemic continues, its increasingly important to continue to keep costs low to our students and make materials more digitally accessible, says Larry Schmidt, chair of Research and Instruction Services at UW Libraries. What was interesting for this cycle of grant applications was how many applicants returned to continue their work for finalizing open-access projects or creating materials for other courses they teach. It speaks to our facultys dedication to saving our students money, but also creating materials that are openly accessible and available for other institutions to utilize in their teaching.

Grants are awarded to instructors who adopt, adapt or create new alternative textbooks or other materials for their courses. Grant awards range from $1,500 to $3,000.

The grant recipients are:

Academic Affairs



-- Janel Seeley, director of the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning. Seeley teaches Teaching and Methodologies and Applications and will be creating videos to replace the current text used for instruction.

College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

-- Karen Vaughan, an assistant professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management. Vaughan teaches Introduction to Soil Science and is creating multimedia materials and notes that add to previous OER work she created that is currently available to students.

College of Arts and Sciences

-- Conxita Domenech, a professor in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. Domenech teaches Introduction to Reading Spanish and is adapting open-access short stories and videos in place of the current textbook.

-- Maria Kuznetsova, an associate lecturer in the Department of Psychology. Kuznetsova teaches Developmental Psychology. She is adapting an OER textbook and creating a question bank for the course based on the OER textbook.

-- Tiger Robison, an assistant professor in the Department of Music. Robison teaches Aural Theory II and is creating a textbook for this course that continues a project that was started last spring.

College of Education

-- John Raible, a graduate student from Orlando, Fla., in the School of Counseling, Leadership, Advocacy and Design. Raible teaches Introduction to Instructional Design and plans to adapt and adopt a variety of materials to support the course. He plans to involve the students in their coursework to create a living document that will be updated yearly.

College of Engineering and Applied Science

-- Kimberly Frith, an assistant lecturer in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering. Frith teaches Statics. She is creating problems and videos that illustrate engineering mechanics concepts that augment the work of another professor who has created an OER textbook and application.

-- Jefferson Snider, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science. Snider is creating an open-source textbook for engineering thermodynamics that will be used by instructors who teach Thermodynamics. A majority of the work will focus on creating text and graphics that go with the applications of engineering thermodynamic problems.

UW Libraries will award a round of grants for the 2021-22 academic year. Proposals for that award period are due March 19.

For more information, visit https://uwyo.libguides.com/oer/grants ; or call Schmidt at (307) 766-2844 or email lschmidt@uwyo.edu
JOURNALIST: - Sir, what does the concretization of these new economic development policies mean?

Asso. Prof. Dr. TRAN DINH THIEN: - In the document of the 13th National Party Congress, there are many contents, but private economy is still the focus with many implications. The issue now is how to implement it. For a long time, we have only paid attention to developing enterprises in terms of quantity but have not paid much attention to quality, so the majority of Vietnamese enterprises are still very weak in the quality segment. When we talk about Vietnamese businesses, we only talk about state-owned enterprises as the mainstay, while private enterprises are discriminated as inferior.

In more than 30 years since renovation, private enterprises only account for 10% of GDP, while FDI enterprises account for 25%. Without private enterprises, a country has no motivation to grow. I hope that after the statements and guidelines given in the 13th National Party Congress will offer a complete strategy to develop Vietnamese enterprises in accordance with market principles.

- Sir, you once said that Vietnam needs strong private economic groups. Is this the time when we set the goal of building new industrial giants with the core being private enterprises, instead of state-owned enterprises as before?

- I think focusing on building and promoting the development of strong private economic groups is the right policy, but the problem is to having specific policies to do just that. Since we reformed and defined the multi-sector economy, the private economy has been recognized and has changed the economic landscape, bringing the economy out of a crisis. Unfortunately, then we abandoned it again. So promoting it right now should be with a much different strategy and focus. It was not until 2017 that private economy reiterated and began to rise. At the consulting group meeting, I told the Prime Minister that in 2020 we can fight against the Covid-19 pandemic very well because we have a foundation set three years ago, in which we focused on developing the private economy. The private economy is an important driving force.

However, at present, Vietnam has too few large private corporations, and less and less larger corporations are orienting to invest in production, mainly thanks to real estate and service businesses. Therefore, large private corporations have not yet been able to act as the main force, that can lead to competition, development and shape the economy. Therefore, in coming period, Vietnam should pay attention to large private groups with a clear determination of core values, because when there are no enterprises that are large private economic groups, enterprises will find it is very difficult for Vietnam to connect with each other to join the value chain. Large private enterprises play the role of shaping and leading production and value chains.

In fact, small Vietnamese enterprises cannot join the value chain at all, so product consumption is very difficult. For example, if we invite Samsung to invest, but domestic enterprises participating in the real production chain are very few, we can outsource only small, unimportant parts. Hence the current problem is the need to have large private enterprises as pillars. To become an economic powerhouse with aspirations to reach out, there must be strong private enterprises with sufficient credibility for global competitiveness.

- Sir, in the document of the 13th National Party Congress this time there is emphasis on innovation, which is being considered one of the driving forces for economic development in the new period. How do you evaluate this?

- This innovation is clearly identified by the Party. We have learnt this from experience of two previous times. The first time was in 1976, when we considered science and technology as the key. The second time was in 1990, when we focused on the development of knowledge economy. These two times we set it up but when we executed it, we got stuck and were unable to implement it, because of a binding mechanism. Now the mechanism is open, and along with integration, we have enough basis to get rid of lag. In order to innovate in technology, we require a strategy. This strategy is not confined to the framework of a sector, but we must be seen as the axis strategy of the entire digital economic development plan by playing a leading and cross-cutting role.

Recently, we researched and determined that the advantage of Vietnam's golden population will last for only about ten more years, so this is a valuable time for us to focus on promoting creativity, finding breakthroughs in economic development, and shortening the development with other countries, especially with other neighboring countries of Southeast Asia. Vietnam is also now open to deeper integration. The problem is how to strengthen the road to integration and create motivation in our people, instead of relying on outside forces to create necessary advantages to drive up our motivation to incorporate changes that will allow us to surge and develop.

-Thank you very much.

Luu Thuy (interviewer)
TORONTO and CHICAGO, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - With the arrival of Black History Month, BMO is celebrating the achievements of Black Canadians and African Americans both within the bank and in the communities where it operates.

"BMO recognizes Black History Month as a time to celebrate the accomplishments and significant contributions of Black communities in Canada and the United States while acknowledging work still needs to be done to eradicate systemic barriers," said Mona Malone, Chief Human Resources Officer & Head, People & Culture at BMO Financial Group. "Our Purpose-driven commitment is to grow the good for an inclusive society fueled by our recently launched Zero Barriers to Inclusion 2025 strategy. This multi-year strategy aims to foster equity, equality and inclusion, and is focused on providing access to opportunities and enabling growth for our colleagues, our customers, and the communities we serve."

Throughout February, BMO will be marking Black History Month with a social media campaign that celebrates Black-owned businesses and their resilience in breaking down barriers to success. The campaign features three real BMO small business customers: The Villij, a yoga and wellness program with locations across Canada; Glorious Malone's Fine Sausage of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Deux Creative, a Toronto-based bilingual agency.

BMO's support includes:

Support of the Government of Canada's Black Entrepreneurship Program, with up to $33.3 million in lending capital for the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund. The fund will provide loans to Black business owners and entrepreneurs to support their growth and success.

Black Entrepreneurship Program, with up to in lending capital for the Black Entrepreneurship Loan Fund. The fund will provide loans to Black business owners and entrepreneurs to support their growth and success. Launch of BMO EMpower, a five-year, $5 billion pledge aimed at addressing key barriers faced by minority businesses, communities and families in the U.S. EMpower is a series of long-term commitments designed to drive meaningful change and champion racial equity. More information here: https://newsroom.bmo.com/2020-11-10-BMO-Commits-5-Billion-to-Advance-Inclusive-Economic-Recovery-in-the-U-S

pledge aimed at addressing key barriers faced by minority businesses, communities and families in the U.S. EMpower is a series of long-term commitments designed to drive meaningful change and champion racial equity. More information here: https://newsroom.bmo.com/2020-11-10-BMO-Commits-5-Billion-to-Advance-Inclusive-Economic-Recovery-in-the-U-S A commitment to increase representation of Black employees in senior leadership roles to 3.5 per cent in Canada and 7 per cent in the U.S. by 2025, plus a commitment to do the same for Black and Latino interns and entry-level employees to 30 per cent in the U.S.

and 7 per cent in the U.S. by 2025, plus a commitment to do the same for Black and Latino interns and entry-level employees to 30 per cent in the U.S. Launched workforce development program with Chicago non-profit, Cara, focused on recruiting individuals from underserved and diverse communities into customer service roles with the bank.

non-profit, Cara, focused on recruiting individuals from underserved and diverse communities into customer service roles with the bank. Creation of the Black and Latino Advisory Council (BLAC), focused on employee experience, advancement, and engagement of Black and Latino talent through dedicated taskforces and partnerships with BMO's Enterprise Resource Groups (ERGs).

Established BMO Bold Conversations speaker series, virtual events designed to connect our colleagues, customers and communities through candid conversations about topics that affect People of Colour.

About BMO Financial Group

Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a highly diversified financial services provider - the 8th largest bank, by assets, in North America. With total assets of $949 billion as of October 31, 2020, and a team of diverse and highly engaged employees, BMO provides a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group
MAUMEE, Ohio, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) announced today that the company's European region was recognized as a 'Top Employer 2021' by the Top Employers Institute. The prestigious award honors exceptional human resources programs, including diversity and inclusion, work environment, talent acquisition, learning, and well-being.

Dana's operations in six European countries  Italy, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom  were also identified as being a 'Top Employer' for creating an empowering environment for employees through people-first practices.

"Dana values an inclusive work environment that supports our people who are focused on pushing the boundaries of innovation and creativity to find a better way," said Shelley Bridarolli, senior vice president of human resources for Dana. "The European Top Employer Award coupled with recognitions across six countries in the region is a testament to the leaders throughout our organization who are committed to putting the safety and well-being of our people at the forefront of our business."

Dana's European region comprises more than 10,000 employees working across 54 facilities in 18 countries serving customers in the commercial-vehicle, light-vehicle, and off-highway markets.

In December, Dana was also recognized by Forbes magazine as a World's Best Employer, and the company has earned top employer honors in a number of other countries, including Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, and the United States.

About Dana Incorporated

Dana is a world leader in providing power-conveyance and energy-management solutions that are engineered to improve the efficiency, performance, and sustainability of light vehicles, commercial vehicles, and off-highway equipment. Enabling the propulsion of conventional, hybrid, and electric-powered vehicles, Dana equips its customers with critical drive and motion systems; electrodynamic technologies; and thermal, sealing, and digital solutions.

Based in Maumee, Ohio, USA, the company reported sales of $8.6 billion in 2019 with 36,000 associates in 34 countries across six continents. Founded in 1904, Dana has a high-performance culture that focuses on its people and has earned recognition by Forbes magazine as a World's Best Employer. Learn more at dana.com.

SOURCE Dana Incorporated

Related Links

http://www.dana.com


Dairy farmers have been put on notice that the continuation of uncontrolled expansion of the national herd is not compatible with achieving the targets on the environmental road map.

Addressing the IFA AGM, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said the dairy sector will have to play its part in achieving the targets  for which a stable herd needs to be the basis and he resisted demands for a commitment not to cap dairy production.

IFA president Tim Cullinan accused Minister McConalogue of reneging on a commitment given at the associations 2020 AGM that dairy production would not be capped.

However, McConalogue said significant expansion has occurred in the industry in recent years and warned that there is a need for a mature discussion to focus on the need for additional cows from now out.

It wont be possible to achieve a stable methane level if dairy cow numbers continue to increase over the years ahead, and you must remember that the environmental cost of increasing output by some farmers cannot be transferred to all other farmers, he said.

Cullinan said: Already in excess of 2bn has been pumped into this sector by farmers and a lot of funding by co-ops, which is farmers money. This is a major concern among farmers and for our association.

While the original 2020 target for expansion in milk production had been realised in 2018, the output of the dairy sector has continued to expand  up by 3.8pc in 2020, and 2021 production is forecast to reach 8.3 billion litres.

In a letter to McConalogue last month, seen by Farming Independent, Prof John Fitzgerald, chairman of the Climate Change Advisory Council and Adaptation Committee, stressed the urgency of more controls on output.

The revised roadmap should give greater consideration to the impact of animal numbers and the level of nitrogen use on greenhouse gas emissions, air quality and other environmental concerns.

Recent trends in animal numbers and nitrogen use already present challenges to achieving current targets and are inconsistent with increased ambition, he said.

IFA dairy chairman Tom Phelan said dairy farmers substantial investment in recent years have invested substantially in their farm enterprises over the past five years and the rural economy has benefit enormously from that.

It is creating significant prosperity in rural Ireland, and asked McConalogue: Can you assure us that there will be no regulation introduced that will undermine the economic viability of those farms?

Phelan also asked the Minister where he stands in regard to the nitrates action plan and the derogation.

The Minister said that he is absolutely committed to protecting the nitrates derogation for the dairy sector, in particular in the upcoming review. He added: If the herd is increasing it is going to be very difficult to reduce the overall emissions and every sector is going to have to play its part in relation to the climate change. He stressed that the objective going forward has to be for a stable dairy herd.

A Message From The Editor

just-auto gives its paid members access to the very best automotive market coverage.

And now theres just-auto plus, our premium membership that gives you exclusive component forecast data, company profiles and extended news coverage - just for premium members.

Today I can offer you 30 days access for 1* - and that includes just-auto plus.
China's economic rebound is cooling down, with the key purchasing manager's index published by Chinese business magazine Caixin showing a slight drop in January.



The index published on Monday put January at 51.5 points, down 1.5 against the previous month.



Values above 50 points on the index indicate an expansion of economic activity, while values below 50 indicate a deterioration in the situation.



The official purchasing managers' index of the Chinese statistical office had already revealed a slightly less optimistic mood at the weekend. The PMI index fell from 51.9 to 51.3 points.



China's chief statistician Zhao Qinghe explained that the slight decline was due to reduced business activity around the Chinese New Year celebrations, which fall on February 12 this year.



Some of the most recent Covid-19 cases in China would also have temporarily impaired production and operation at some companies.

Source: dpa/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
Two women who were seeking transparency on vaccination campaign have disappeared. Sentences for journalists and activists. Lawyers and human rights activists also targeted. WHO experts visit the Wuhan fish market, which some believe the epicentre of the virus.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - The authorities continue to crack down on dissent linked to the management of the Covid-19 pandemic. This despite the presence of World Health Organization experts in Wuhan, called to investigate the origins of the coronavirus, reports Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) in its latest report on respect for human rights in China, published yesterday.

Hua Xiuzhen, a Shanghai woman, went missing on January 13 after being arrested in Yangpu City District. Hua has called for greater government transparency in the vaccination programs, such as the one for Covid. A similar request was made by He Fangmei, a Henan citizen who disappeared from circulation last October. Both have children who were left debilitated after injecting a defective vaccine.

The government's muffling of public discourse on the pandemic has also hit journalists. Zhang Zhan, who recounted the lockdown in Wuhan, has been sentenced to four years in prison for "creating disorder". There has been no news of her colleagues Fang Bin and Chen Qiushi for some time.

Chen Mei and Cai Wei, two activists who tried to safeguard information about the pandemic censored by the authorities, are still under arrest. Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi are also in prison for criticizing the way Xi Jinping handled the health emergency. Xu and Ding are two well-known exponents of the New Citizens Movement.

The regime also targeted some human rights lawyers. On January 15, Lu Siwei had his license to practice legal revoked. His colleague Ren Quanniu is instead under disciplinary proceedings. Lu and Ren defended some of the 12 Hong Kong democracy activists arrested in Guangdong in August. Another lawyer, Xi Xiangdong, risks losing his professional license: he has represented several families who have been abused by the authorities, in addition to the well-known dissident Wang Quanzhang.

Guo Feixiong, a prisoner of conscience imprisoned for six years and under constant police supervision since his release in August 2019, also disappeared on January 29. Guo began a hunger strike on January 28; he was in Shanghai's Pudong airport. The authorities prevented him from joining his wife, who has cancer, in the US.

The government crackdown comes as the WHO investigative team continues to gather information on the spread of Covid in Wuhan, where the lung disease first appeared. Yesterday, amid tight police checks, the 14 experts visited the Huanan fish market, from where some suspect the virus has spread.

Investigators requested access to two city epidemiology laboratories. However, several observers doubt that the Chinese government will fully cooperate with WHO experts. Family members of Covid-19 victims in Wuhan are demanding to meet the WHO team. The Chinese government has ignored their request: a further obstacle to the carrying out of the international mission.



The World Health Organization (WHO) team investigating the origins of the coronavirus pandemic has visited two disease control centers in China.

The team visited the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the central province of Hubei on Monday. The investigators also visited the CDC office in Hubeis capital of Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first identified in late 2019.

No details about the visits were released to the media. But WHO team member Peter Daszak told reporters the Hubei CDC visit had been a very good meeting, really important.

The WHO experts began their investigative work in China last week. They have also visited a seafood market where early coronavirus cases were found and hospitals where the first patients were treated.

The team is hoping its investigation into the origins of the coronavirus will help prevent similar worldwide health crises in the future. The scientists are seeking to find out exactly where the virus started. Genetic sequencing shows that the coronavirus started in bats and likely jumped to another animal before infecting humans.

Health experts say the search for answers about the origins is likely to take years.

The outbreak in China led to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported on Monday there have been more than 103 million infections worldwide. More than 2.2 million people have died, the center said.

The U.S. leads the world in the number of coronavirus cases, with more than 26 million. India follows with 10.7 million, while Brazil is third with 9.2 million cases. The U.S. has the highest number of deaths at 441,000. Brazil has reported more than 224,000 deaths, while Mexico has about 158,000 and India 154,000.

China has repeatedly blocked independent reports about the spread of the disease at home and published little information on its research into the origins of the virus. China has also suggested that the virus could have started in another country.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press, Reuters and VOA News reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the reports for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

origin  n. the cause of something or where something begins or comes from

genetic sequencing  n. the process of identifying and recording the order of nucleotides belonging to a particular gene
Burma Political Stability in Myanmar Key for Asean: Thai Observers

Pro-military protesters march in Yangon on Jan. 30, 2021. / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy

The military coup in Myanmar has shocked neighbors, including Thailand. Thai Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwon  who came to power in Thailands 2014 military coup  said the military takeover was a domestic issue.

Its their internal affair, Gen Prawit told reporters when asked about Myanmars coup against the democratically elected government of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other senior government figures.

Thailand and Myanmars armed forces have forged closer relations in the last 10 years and coup maker Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has visited Thailand several times.

According to regional intelligence sources, Myanmars military sounded out other states before staging the coup, including China, India, Japan and Thailand.

Kavi Chongkittavorn, a prominent Thai commentator on regional affairs, said before the news of the coup broke: Thailand is following the political situation in Myanmar closely and wishes for a peaceful political transition. Thailand has both excellent ties with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the military, so Bangkok hopes that they can work out a solution.

It is not known how Asean will respond. Kavi said: Political stability in Myanmar is very important for Aseans solidarity. In the past decade, Myanmar has integrated gradually with Asean in all dimensions. The second election showed the world that Myanmar is moving towards becoming a functional democracy. He said Thai journalists were shocked to hear about the coup this morning.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a Thai political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, said: Myanmars military coup is a huge blow to fledgling democratization in the region. It will encourage and embolden authoritarian regimes, such as Thailand and Cambodia.

Myanmars military coup is an early test for the Biden administration. It may well err on the side of not overreacting, Thitinan added.

The situation is still fluid. Seizing power is one thing but keeping it at a high cost will be a big challenge to the Tatmadaw [military], he said.

Its early days but the Biden team seems to have broadly taken lessons from the Obama era where they spent a lot of ammunition early and came up short in the end.

I think the US response under Biden will be more nuanced, he said.

Myanmars precarious situation is consequential for Southeast Asia. Where democratic backsliding has taken place in the region, it has not gone as far back as military-authoritarianism, except in Thailand, Thitinan said.

The new administration in Washington condemned the coup. In a statement, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the US was alarmed by the reports.

The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition, Psaki said, adding that Washington will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed.

It is believed that the US will take tough measures against the military leaders. Under the Obama administration, the US lifted sanctions on Myanmars military and its generals during Daw Aung San Suu Kyis visit to Washington in September 2016 after the country introduced a series of political reforms.

You may also like these stories:

After Coup, Myanmar Military Says It Will Hold New Election

Myanmar Military Seizes Power

Myanmar Military Arrests National Leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint
Editor's Note: Due to a clerical error by the Department of Justice, this story was updated to reflect that 32 Texans are facing charges in connection with the Capitol Riots on Jan. 6.

Forty-one Texans have been arrested in connection with the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C., and are facing a variety of charges.

EXPRESS-NEWS APP: Breaking news, Spurs scores, COVID updates and more  at your fingertips

Ryan Scott Zink

FBI

The 32-year-old was arrested on Feb. 4 after a tipster provided the FBI with screenshots of his Facebook page that had photos from the riot, according to a statement of facts.

Zink is a musician and the owner of Pressure Clean Oil, Gas, and Wind in Lubbock, court documents said.

His Facebook page also included numerous videos of Zink inside the Capitol, including one in which he can be heard saying We knocked down the gates! Were storming the Capitol! You cant stop us!, according to the court documents. In a private Facebook message, Zink also told someone he had "taken two flash bangs" and had been hurt, the court docs continued.

Charges: Obstruction of an official proceeding; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and engages in any act of physical violence against any person or property in any restricted building or grounds.

Sean David Watson

FBI

The Alpine man was arrested on April 28 after showing his coworkers videos of himself at the riot, according to a statement of facts.

Witnesses told FBI agents that Watson was showing the videos on his cell phone, saying "I fd st up," court documents said. When questioned by agents, Watson initially denied being in the Capitol despite photo, video and cell phone evidence showing he was there, the FBI said.

The FBI also said Watson sent texts on Jan. 6 admitting that he was at the Capitol, including one that said "We made history today. Proudest day of my life!"

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds

Samuel Christopher Montoya

FBI

The San Antonio man was arrested on April 13 after a family member sent a tip to the FBI about a 44-minute video he shot while inside the Capitol, according to the FBI.

Montoya, who allegedly works for Infowars, took video of himself inside the Capitol as well as recorded the shooting of Ashli Babbitt, the woman who was shot and killed by Capitol police, a statement of facts said. In one of the videos, Montoya allegedly turns the camera on himself and says "It feels good to be in the Capitol baby!," according to the court documents.

He also described his experience inside the Capitol in multiple interviews on an Infowars show.

Charges: Entering and remaining in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; impeding passage through the Capitol grounds or buildings; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in the Capitol building

Daniel Ray Caldwell

The Colony man was arrested on March 22 after video captured him allegedly assaulting federal agents inside the Capitol.

Video footage uploaded to Twitter showed Caldwell spraying a mist, believed to be pepper spray, at officers who were trying to stop protesters from getting into the Capitol, a statement of facts said. A video uploaded to ProPublica shows Caldwell describing the events and saying he sprayed 15 officers after he was sprayed first, according to court documents.

Charges: Assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and violent entry and disorderly conduct

ANDREW JACKSON MORGAN JR.

The Maxwell man surrendered to the FBI on April 6 after officials found YouTube videos of him at the Capitol, according to court documents.

Morgan was recording other protestors and can be heard in the video, that was later uploaded to YouTube and other sites, encouraging protesters to enter the Capitol and fight with police, a statement of facts said.

He told the FBI that he wanted to go to the Capitol "as a chameleon" because he is an "independent journalist and civil rights auditor," court documents said.

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; obstruction of an official proceeding; and aiding and abetted

Grady Douglas Owens and Jason Douglas Owens

FBI

The father and son from Blanco were arrested for allegedly attacking police officers during the riots.

Grady was arrested in Florida on April 1. Body camera footage showed Owens hit a Metropolitan police officer with a skateboard as the officer was trying to push through the crowd, a statement of facts said. The officer sustained a concussion and hand injury.

Footage also showed Jason shoving another officer during the altercation, the FBI said.

The FBI said it pulled fight information that shows the two traveled from San Antonio to Washington, D.C. GPS tracking from their phones also put them at the Capitol, according to court documents.

Charges: Assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and violent entry and disorderly conduct

Christian Cortez

FBI

The Seabrook man was arrested on March 26 after video footage showed him squaring off with police before going inside the Capitol atrium with his former classmate Benjamin Larocca, the FBI said.

Cortez was in the group of rioters who were trying to break through the metal barricades into the Capitol as police attempted to push them back, a statement of facts said. As police tried to close the doors, Cortez started advancing on the officers and yelling before he was sprayed with pepper spray and fire retardant, court documents said.

When interviewed by the FBI, he initially said he was trying to help the officers and disagreed with the other protestors ramming open the doors, but retracted his statement when he was shown the video of him yelling at the officers, according to court docs.

Charges: Assaulting a federal officer; civil disorder; obstructing an official proceeding; unlawfully entering a restricted building to disrupt government; and disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds

Benjamin Larocca

FBI

The Pearland man was arrested on March 26 after video footage showed him inside the Capitol atrium with his old classmate Christian Cortez, the FBI said.

Video footage posted to LaRocca's Instagram page showed him and Cortez inside the Capitol, chanting "Our house," according to the FBI. When interviewed by the FBI, LaRocca, who now lives in Pearland, said there were no police at the Capitol entrance stopping them from going inside and that they had just joined a tour group going through the Capitol, a statement of facts said.

Charges: Obstructing an official proceeding; unlawfully entering a restricted building to disrupt government; and disorderly or disruptive conduct on restricted grounds

Jalise and Mark Middleton

FBI

The Forestburg husband and wife were arrested on April 21 after allegedly assaulting Capitol police officers while trying to breach the Capitol.

The Middletons were allegedly part of a group that was trying to overpower the police blockades to get into the Capitol, a statement of facts said. As the rioters pushed against police, body camera footage caught Mark grabbing an officer's wrist and trying to pull him into the crowd before Jalise started "grappling with and striking" two of the officers, the FBI said.

Officials identified the couple after multiple tipsters provided videos from the Middletons' Facebook pages talking about how they were "on the front lines" and helped pushed down the barrier before getting pepper sprayed, the court docs said. When a follower asked why they fought with police, Jalise responded To get in the Capital to send them bs a clear message that this wont be tolerated, the court documents said.

Charges: Assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; obstruction of Justice/Congress; knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds; violent entry and disorderly conduct

Elizabeth Rose Williams

FBI

The life coach from Kerrville was arrested on March 23 after tipsters identified her and a man from photos on social media that show them inside the Capitol Crypt and in the gallery of the Senate Chamber during the riot, the FBI said.

On social media, Williams describes herself as a life coach, natural health enthusiast and musician. Her blog, "Life with Rose," has since been deleted.

The FBI said the man she was with frequently posted on social media about QAnon conspiracy theories on his Facebook and Parler accounts.

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of government business or official functions; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds

David Judd

FBI

The FBI is accusing the Dallas man of pushing officers and throwing lit objects at them during the riots. He was arrested March 26.

Judd was allegedly a part of the group of rioters who were involved in an "intense and prolonged clash between protesters and law enforcement" at the Lower West Terrace, a statement of facts said. As the group of rioters was pushing the officers, cell phone footage captured Judd yelling "ready, heave" and later yelling at the crowd to pass back riot shields that had been stolen from the officers in order to make a "shield wall," the FBI said.

Soon after, footage shows Judd lighting something on fire and throwing it toward the line of officers before turning and walking out of the tunnel, officials said.

According to the FBI, Judd spent over an hour near the tunnel, encouraging people to enter the Lower West Terrace tunnel.

Officials said they identified Judd after a witness showed FBI agents an ad Judd posted on social media asking for a ride to the rally.

Charges: Assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers or employees; and civil disorder

Kevin Blakely

FBI

FBI officials said the McKinney man's phone pinged him inside the Capitol building during the time of the riot. He was arrested March 23.

In a photo on his Facebook page, Blakely was wearing the same Figueroa Mountain Brewery sweatshirt that he was seen wearing in Capitol surveillance footage, a statement of facts said. He was also seen in Instagram and video footage taken by others at the Capitol, the FBI said.

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; knowingly engaging in disorderly or disruptive conduct in any restricted building or grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

Richard Franklin Barnard and Jeffrey Shane Witcher

FBI

The two Marine veterans from Austin were arrested on Feb. 25 after Witcher admitted to FBI agents that he and Barnard went into the Capitol to "take part in civil disobedience which he felt was necessary," the FBI said.

A tipster told the FBI that Witcher sent them videos from inside the Capitol. Witcher, however, deleted the footage before he was interviewed by authorities, a statement of facts said. He told authorities he "saw what was happening on the news and felt the videos would be self-incriminating" but insisted he wasn't destroying evidence.

According to the FBI, agents were able to retrieve the videos from Witcher's iCloud account that show him and Barnard inside the Capitol, chanting "our house" and telling officers "Don't forget your oath! You are us!"

While inside, Barnard and two others attempted to shield police with their bodies as others shoved the officers, the FBI said.

Charges: Obstruction of an official proceeding; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building

Joseph Barnes

FBI

The Austin man was arrested on Feb. 10 after multiple witnesses told authorities they saw Barnes in the TV coverage of the riot.

In the footage, Barnes could be heard saying "This is our house! This is our country!" a statement of facts said. While attempting to identify Barnes, authorities said they found a Facebook page titled "Joseph Barnes Art" that showed him standing in front of artwork, pointing an assault-style rifle at the camera with a caption that said A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither.

Barnes is the vice president of an Austin-based real estate company.

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; obstruction of Justice/Congress; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds

Luke Coffee

FBI

The Dallas man was arrested Feb. 25 after he was seen on video and in photos hitting Capitol police officers with a crutch during the riot, the FBI said.

Officials said Coffee was captured in videos in the Lower Terrace steps around the time several Metropolitan police offers were injured in violent confrontations with rioters, a statement of facts said. Coffee grabbed a crutch nearby, held it in the air while approaching the police line and then used it to push into the officers, according to the FBI.

Officers were able to push Coffee off of them before he charged at them again with the crutch, the FBI said.

Coffee was identified after a former college classmate, who happens to be a Special Agent with the FBI, recognized him, a statement of facts said. Authorities said they also have screenshots of Coffee's social media posts wearing the same brown cowboy hat and camouflage jacket he was seen wearing inside the Capitol.

Charges: Assault of federal law enforcement officer with dangerous weapon; interference with law enforcement officer during civil disorder; obstruction of an official proceeding; unlawful entry on restricted grounds; disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds

Wilmar Jeovanny Montano Alvarado

FBI

The Houston man was arrested Jan. 26 after he admitted to a Houston news station that he participated in the riots, according to the FBI.

He told the reporter that he was at the edge of the Capitol building barricade when people started pushing past it so he "joined in." However, a video later posted on YouTube showed Alvarado battling with police at the entrance of the building, a statement of facts said.

He was hit multiple times by a police baton and pepper sprayed as well as being hit by a speaker thrown by someone in the crowd, the FBI said.

Charges: Restricted building or grounds; violent entry or disorderly conduct; civil disorders; assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers of employees; and obstruction of official proceedings

Treniss Jewell Evans III

The Canyon Lake man was arrested after a tipster told the FBI that Evans was allegedly taking shots of Fireball inside House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office during the Capitol riot, the FBI said.

A friend of the Evans family told the FBI that Evans had taken videos on his cell phone at the Capitol. Surveillance footage later showed Evans entering the Capitol through a broken window and staying inside for about 20 minutes, the Express-News reported.

Charges: Obstruction of an official proceeding; unlawfully entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; violent entry or disorderly conduct.

Katherine Staveley Schwab

FBI

The Colleyville real estate agent was arrested on Feb. 2 after surveillance footage showed Schwab in the crowd inside the Capitol, according to the FBI.

According to a statement of facts, Schwab flew on a private plane from Denton to Washington, D.C., with Jason Hyland and Jenna Ryan, both of whom have also been arrested in connection with the riot. On Facebook, Schwab described what it was like inside the Capitol and said rioters only "raised hell" once Capitol police shot and killed a woman, according to the FBI.

When the FBI interviewed her, she said that, because of her "small stature," she was pushed into the Capitol by the crowds.

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds

Jason Lee Hyland

FBI

The 37-year-old Colleyville man was arrested on Feb. 2 after surveillance footage showed Hyland inside the Capitol, the FBI said.

According to a statement of facts, Hyland flew a private plane from Denton to Washington, D.C., with Katherine Staveley Schwab and Jenna Ryan, both of whom have also been arrested in connection with the riot. Hyland told investigators, he asked a Capitol police officer if he could go inside the building and the officer replied "everyone else is," the FBI said.

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds

Daniel Goodwyn

FBI

A self-proclaimed member of the Proud Boys from Cornith was arrested on Jan. 29 after appearing on another suspect's livestream video, according to a criminal complaint

Officials said Goodwyn can be seen and is called by name in a video taken by Anthime Joseph Gionet, also known as "Baked Alaska." Gionet has also been arrested on charges stemming from the Capitol riots. Goodwyn was escorted out of the Capitol, calling the officer who escorted him out an oathbreaker and yelled for rioters to take the officers badge number as he left, the criminal complaint said.

On Instagram, Goodwyn said he was inside the Capitol but only stayed for a few minutes and didn't break anything.

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds

Nolan Cooke

FBI

The 22-year-old man from Savoy was arrested on Jan. 21 after three people informed the FBI about Snapchat photos that showed Cooke "helped lead the charge of rioters breaking through the police gates," officials said.

Cooke recorded the incident on a GoPro around his neck before posting video to Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, an arrest affidavit said. He also posted photos of himself and an unnamed girlfriend with the caption I wouldnt want anyone other than you with me to take on the revolution," the affidavit said.

He told officials that he went to the Capitol because he wanted to be heard, according to the affidavit.

Charges: Acts during civil disorder; entering/remaining on restricted buildings or grounds and disorderly/ disruptive conduct in or near restricted buildings or grounds; unlawful activities on Capitol grounds

Tam Dinh Pham

FBI

Pham, a Houston police officer, was arrested on Jan. 20 after telling FBI agents that he only went into the Capitol to "see history," not to vandalize or be violent, according to a statement of facts.

The 18-year veteran initially told officials that he went to Washington D.C. for business reasons. When officials asked to look through his phone, they found deleted photos and videos of him inside the Capitol, the court documents said.

He told officials he only looked at the art in the Capitol, took some photographs and left after 15 minutes, according to the court documents.

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds

Joshua Loller

FBI

The Spring man was arrested on Jan. 15 after a tipster showed police photos and video from Loller's Facebook account of him inside the Capitol confronting Metropolitan police officers, a statement of facts said.

An officer's body camera footage also shows Loller on the front lines fighting with police to enter the Capitol, according to the court documents.

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds; obstructing or impeding law enforcement officer during civil disorder and obstructing federally protected functions

Christopher Ray Grider

FBI

The Bruceville-Eddy man and owner of Kissing Tree Vineyards was arrested Jan. 21 in Austin after telling a Waco TV station that he was in the Capitol during the riots. He told reporters that he was within feet of Ashli Babbitt, the woman was who killed by Capitol police outside the House chambers, an arrest affidavit said. During his TV interview, Grider said "The president asked people to come and show their support. I feel like it's the least we can do, it's kind of why I came from central Texas all the way to D.C."

Officials also believe Grider handed a man a black helmet that was then used to break the glass doors of the Capitol in which Babbitt eventually attempted to jump through. Video footage shows Grider trying to push and kick the doors open, the affidavit said.

He was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service and taken to Washington D.C. for arraignment.

Charges: Government property or contracts; knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds

Chance Anthony Uptmore and James "Sonny" Uptmore

FBI

The San Antonio father and son were arrested Jan. 26 after a tipster told the FBI about comments and photos on Chance's Facebook page detailing his time inside the Capitol. Chance had posted that the violence was "minimal" and that he was trying to help the police stop other rioters, a criminal complaint said. Images of him inside the Capitol were captured by news coverage of the event.

Chance later admitted to authorities that he and his father James entered the Capitol because they were "caught up in the crowd and it was a once in a lifetime event," according to court documents.

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and impeding or disrupting official functions; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds

Daniel D. Phipps

FBI

The Dallas-area man was arrested Jan. 26 after a witness told Fort Worth police about a photo Phipps posted on Facebook inside the Capitol with an American flag draped over his shoulder, a criminal complaint said. Under the photo, Phipps wrote a comment that he was in Washington, D.C., and "helped take the Hill."

Charges: Knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and impeding or disrupting official functions; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds

Nicholas DeCarlo

FBI

The 30-year-old Burleson man was arrested on Jan. 26 after he gave an interview to the Los Angeles Times on Jan. 13 in which he admitted to being in the Capitol with another man named Nicholas Ochs, who has also been arrested by the FBI, a statement of facts said. DeCarlo said the two men were working as journalists but neither are listed as a credentialed reporter with the House or Senate Periodical Press Gallery. In a photo from Jan. 6, DeCarlo is wearing a shirt that says "Murder the Media," standing next to the same message etched into a Capitol wall, court documents said.

According to court documents, photos were posted to Twitter that showed him smoking in the Capitol with Ochs. Additional videos were posted on Twitter of Ochs and Decarlo speaking about how they were able to "stop the steal" by storming the Capitol, the FBI said.

Charges: Obstructing or impeding any official proceeding; knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; parading or demonstrating on Capitol grounds

Garret Miller

FBI

Miller was arrested Jan. 20 after surveillance footage purportedly shows the Dallas-area man was part of the group that first stormed the U.S. Capitol, a statement of facts said. Miller also detailed his activities inside the building on social media, including a video posted to his public Twitter account and photos on Facebook with "just wanted to incriminate myself a little lol" as a caption, according to officials.

Miller also made threats on Twitter, saying it was "hunting season" and called for the assassination of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, officials said. He also threatened the officer who fatally shot a rioter inside the Capitol, saying supporters should "hug his neck with a nice rope," according to officials.

CHARGES: Knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; obstructing or impeding any official proceeding; certain acts during lawful civil disorder

Matthew Carl Mazzocco

FBI

The 37-year-old San Antonio man was arrested Jan. 17 after purported videos of him at the Capitol appeared on TikTok.

Multiple tipsters led officials to Mazzocco after he posted photos from the Capitol on Facebook, including in a group for a youth sports league. Twitter users also tagged the San Antonio FBI account with videos of Mazzocco inside the Capitol, where he was "telling others not to take or destroy anything, and that they were probably going to get in trouble for what they were doing," a statement of facts said.

CHARGES: Entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds

Larry Rendall Brock

FBI

The Grapevine man was arrested Jan. 10 after his ex-wife called the FBI to say she recognized him in a photo inside the Capitol building wearing a patch and pilot wings from his military service.

A YouTube video showed a man resembling Brock's driver's license photo walking out of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office wearing a military-style helmet, body armor and holding flex-cuffs, according to the criminal complaint.

CHARGES: Entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds

Jenny Louise Cudd and Eliel Rosa

FBI

Cudd and Rosa were arrested Jan. 12.

Officials said the two were seen on surveillance footage entering the Capitol and taking photos of the rotunda before walking around outside the upper House doors. Cudd streamed a live video and Rosa posted pictures on Facebook from inside the Capitol, the FBI said. Cudd also participated in an interview with a Texas TV station in which she described what happened, saying we the Patriots did storm the U.S. Capitol," documents said. Later, when questioned, the FBI said Rosa admitted to entering the Capitol.

CHARGES: Entering a restricted building or grounds; violent entry or disorderly conduct

Anthime Joseph Gionet

Gionet, known as "Baked Alaska" on social media, was arrested in Houston on Jan. 15 after livestreaming his time inside the Capitol.

Gionet livestreamed for 27 minutes and posted on social media sites DLive, YouTube and Twitter, documents show.

CHARGES: Entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds

Daniel Page Adams

FBI

Adams was arrested Jan. 16 in East Texas after posting about the riot on Facebook, the FBI said.

Adams and his cousin Cody Page Carter Connell posted video on social media showing them pushing toward a line of Capital police officers and Adams "physically engaging with officers," documents show. Adams was clubbed and shot with rubber bullets, the FBI said.

CHARGES: Assaulting a federal officer; obstructing law enforcement engaged in official duties; incident to civil disorder; knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds

Alex Kirk Harkrider and Ryan Nichols

FBI

Harkrider, 30, of Converse and Nichols, 32, of Longview were identified by friends on Facebook.

Witnesses shared photos and videos from Nichols' Facebook page and Snapchat account that showed the two inside the Capitol. One photo depicts them standing in front of smashed windows at Pelosi's office, a criminal complaint said.

Nichols was carrying a can of pepper spray and a crowbar while Harkrider carried a baton, the FBI said. Nichols also pepper-sprayed law enforcement, according to the FBI.

They were arrested Jan. 18 in East Texas.

CHARGES: Conspiracy and unlawful entry with a dangerous weapon; violent entry or disorderly conduct; assaulting a federal officer using a deadly or dangerous weapon; aiding and abetting

Guy Wesley Reffitt

FBI

Video from Reuters and Fox News show the Wylie resident being pepper sprayed by police.

According to an arrest affidavit, Reffitt's son told officials he took his gun to the Capitol to "protect the country." His son also told officials that Reffitt said he "would have no option but to do what he had to do" and threatened to shoot his family if they turned him into the authorities, the FBI said.

He was arrested Jan. 18.

CHARGES: Entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; obstruction of justice

Troy Anthony Smocks

Smocks posted on the social media platform Parler that he would be at the Capitol and planned on returning Jan. 19 with far-right groups that would "come in numbers that no standing army or police agency can match," FBI documents show.

According to the FBI, Smocks also told his social media followers they needed to "hunt theses cowards down like the traitors that each of them are." He also said to target certain groups, including democrats.

He was arrested Jan. 15.

CHARGES: Threats in interstate commerce

Jenna Ryan

FBI

The Frisco real estate agent, who took a private plane to Washington, D.C., was arrested Jan. 15 after livestreaming herself at the Capitol calling it the "best day of her life," the FBI said.

One video posted before the riots, Ryan is talking to a bathroom mirror saying "We're going to go down and storm the Capitol. They're down there right now and that's why we came and so that's what we are going to do. So wish me luck," a statement of facts said. Later, as she was inside the Capitol, she said "Y'all know who to hire for your realtor, Jenna Ryan for your realtor," the court documents said.

After her arrest, she asked Trump to pardon her, CBS11 reported. She told the news station "I dont feel a sense of shame or guilty from my heart. I feel like I was basically following my president."

CHARGES: Knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds

Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for ExpressNews.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway
Failte Ireland has announced details of its new 55 million Tourism Business Continuity Scheme.

The announcement was made at a special virtual industry event watched by thousands of operators, providers and employers from across the tourism sector.

The allocation was secured by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport, Gaeltacht and Media Catherine Martin TD in Budget 2021, and Failte Ireland is responsible for developing and administering the scheme.

The scheme will support those tourism businesses that were not eligible for the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) payment or previous Failte Ireland continuity grant schemes.

The National Tourism Development Authority also announced its heavyweight domestic marketing plans, investment commitments in outdoor dining and urban animation and its strategic priorities for the year ahead. The event entitled Survive to Thrive provided industry with details of Failte Irelands plans that will help support resilience and survival in the short-term and the recovery of the sector in the long-term.

I welcome Failte Irelands action plans for 2021, which I am confident will have a positive impact on the industry and will be key to helping it survive and thrive in the year ahead," Minister Martin said.

"I allocated 55 million to Failte Ireland for the Tourism Business Continuity Scheme as part of Budget 2021 and this will be important to help those strategically important tourism businesses that are ineligible for other supports. The Government will continue to assess the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy and ensure that appropriate supports are in place. We are now developing tourism for survival through the pandemic and recovery in the medium and long-term.

In his address, Failte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly announced the main priorities for Failte Ireland this year to support the tourism industry. Grant schemes to provide financial assistance, domestic marketing at national and county level, urban outdoor investment, business and employee supports with a special focus on mental health, and a new digital transformation programme were unveiled.

This has been the most challenging year tourism has ever faced," Mr Kelly said.

"The sectors revenue has declined by a massive 6 billion and tens of thousands of jobs have been lost. We are launching the first phase of the 55 million Tourism Business Continuity Scheme on February 11. This will provide those tourism businesses who have not received support through the CRSS or previous Failte Ireland business continuity schemes, with direct financial assistance.

"Domestic tourism will be the first to return and we plan to invest significantly in domestic marketing once domestic tourism can restart. Our research tells us that the Keep Discovering campaign we launched prior to the Covid-19 pandemic resonates even more strongly with people now and we will be rolling the campaign out at both a national and county level to drive domestic tourism when the country reopens.

"We are also launching two new funding schemes in collaboration with our local authority partners to improve the quality of outdoor dining spaces in our key tourism destinations and enhance urban areas to make them more appealing to visitors."

Failte Ireland has set out a number of key initiatives for 2021:

A 55million Tourism Business Continuity Scheme to help tourism businesses offset fixed costs incurred in 2020 and support them to continue operating through 2021.

Heavyweight investment in Domestic Marketing to drive domestic tourism once the country reopens including county-specific campaigns and a focus on Dublin.

Employee, business and sector supports on areas such as strategy and leadership, finance and cost efficiency, food and beverage innovation, maximising revenue and service excellence to drive performance and help businesses navigate the challenges they are facing, as well as wellbeing services to support employers and employees at this difficult time.

The enhancement of urban areas through 31 Destination Town projects across the country and two new funding schemes - the Outdoor Dining Grant Scheme which will improve the quality of outdoor dining spaces and offer reassurance around safety and comfort, and the Urban Animation Grant Scheme to animate our cities and towns with innovative lighting and art installations.

Preparing for the return of tourism by working with industry to build improved websites and online booking capability through a new digital transformation programme and continuing to keep Ireland front of mind for overseas buyers through a range of virtual sales events including Meitheal, one of Irelands largest travel trade shows.

More information is available on www.failteireland.ie.

Another two cases of infection with the mutant UK coronavirus strain have been reported today, stemming from the already confirmed outbreak at Bucharest School No. 28, the Health Ministry informed on Monday.

"The Health Ministry was notified today by the National Public Health Institute that another two cases of infection with the new British SARS-Cov-2 mutation - the B.1.1.7 lineage - have been reported today, stemming from the already confirmed outbreak at the same Bucharest school," the cited source said.

According to the Ministry, the affected persons are a 43-year-old woman who works in the educational institution, and a 53-year-old man who is a direct contact of another case detected in the school.
From a man who found out his girlfriend was married to another who discovered his date was a gold digger, these letters to exes don't hold anything back.

Instagram account To The Girls I've Dated publishes anonymous texts from men to the women in their past, whether they regret the break-up or were happy it came to an end.

Some of the highlights include a man who discovered the woman he was seeing had jetted off on her honeymoon. Another learned his date was already seeing someone else.

Others are tales of disappointment, including one man who left a woman because he wanted to focus on work rather than his love life.

Here, Femail share some of the best examples...

Caught out: A man named Luke was shocked to discover his date was already married

That's ruff! This man held nothing back when it came to telling Stevie exactly how he felt

Rumbled! Paul and Charlene's fling came to an abrupt end when her boyfriend showed up

Something fishy going on... Jacob was forced to apologise after an uncomfortable experience

Burned: A man named Andrew criticised his date for waiting until after their date to end things

A fart too far: Sara didn't think she had done anything wrong... but Chris certainly did

A cereal killer: Michael, thought to be from the US, was disappointed when Martha ate his food

Moving on: Lucas, from the US, called out his date for being interested in how much he makes

It's not the thought that counts: Bryan couldn't see past his disappointing Christmas present

Shopping around for someone better? David, from the UK, called out Lucy's bad date etiquette

Food for thought: Andy was left perplexed by Valerie's choice of date and still has questions
(Support Free Thought) -

Despite Joe Biden running on a platform of unity to bring Americans back together, before he was even sworn in, he reneged on this promise by alienating tens of millions of Trump supporters  essentially declaring them the enemy.

Dont dare call them protesters, Biden said after the largely peaceful march on DC which ended with a few hundred goons out of tens of thousands of peaceful protesters raiding the capitol. They were a riotous mob. Insurrectionists. Domestic terrorists. Its that basic. Its that simple.

While some of the folks certainly thought they were part of some coup, the reality of the situation was nothing at all as serious as the media and establishment is claiming.

Just like Trump used Antifa violence to bolster the police state and add stricter penalties for protests, Biden is using the riot at the capitol to do the same. We predicted this outcome last month, and now it is escalating even further.

Using The DHS National Terrorist Advisory System  or NTAS  the Department of Homeland Security has issued a warning that anger fueled by false narratives, including unfounded claims about the 2020 presidential election, could lead some inside the country to launch attacks in the coming weeks.

This is the first time in a year that a terror threat bulletin has been issued on the system, and the first time we can find that it was issued over a domestic terror threat.

This threat bulletin is worrisome as it is all encompassing and covers a range of issues and beliefs held by tens of millions of Americans.

Throughout 2020, Domestic Violent Extremists (DVEs) targeted individuals with opposing views engaged in First Amendment-protected, non-violent protest activity. DVEs motivated by a range of issues, including anger over COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 election results, and police use of force have plotted and on occasion carried out attacks against government facilities.

Long-standing racial and ethnic tensionincluding opposition to immigrationhas driven DVE attacks, including a 2019 shooting in El Paso, Texas that killed 23 people.

DHS is concerned these same drivers to violence will remain through early 2021 and some DVEs may be emboldened by the January 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. to target elected officials and government facilities.

DHS remains concerned that Homegrown Violent Extremists (HVEs) inspired by foreign terrorist groups, who committed three attacks targeting government officials in 2020, remain a threat.

Threats of violence against critical infrastructure, including the electric, telecommunications and healthcare sectors, increased in 2020 with violent extremists citing misinformation and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 for their actions.

Closing out the bulletin, DHS urged Americans to report any suspicious activity and threats of violence, including online activity, to local law enforcement, FBI Field Offices, or their local Fusion Center.

This move comes on the heels of a a bipartisan group of police state-pushing bureaucrats in Congress who have introduced the so-called Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act Of 2021.

America must be vigilant to combat those radicalized to violence, and the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act gives our government the tools to identify, monitor and thwart their illegal activities, Congressman Brad Schneider, one of the bills lead sponsors, said. Combatting the threat of domestic terrorism and white supremacy is not a Democratic or Republican issue, not left versus right or urban versus rural. Domestic Terrorism is an American issue, a serious threat that we can and must address together.

The police state advocates and war hawks have likely been salivating over this push for a long time waiting for their perceived crisis to strike and Trump playing pied piper to his base was the perfect catalyst. When CIA war hawk John Brennan takes to national news to declare libertarians to terrorists, we should all be on high alert.

Luckily, those who see the bill for what it really is are speaking out against it.

Did I just hear @JohnBrennan compare libertarians to racists, bigots, fascists, authoritarians and religious extremists? Yes, yes I did. Thank you Tulsi for standing up to this. https://t.co/62AfBTKqj7  Matt Agorist (@MattAgorist) January 26, 2021

Former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, a progressive Democrat, chimed in calling this push dangerous, in a recent FOX News interview.

We dont have to guess about where this goes or where it ends, Gabbard argues, When you have people like former CIA Director John Brennan openly talking about how hes spoken with appointees and nominees in the Biden administration who are already starting to look across our country for these types of movements that in his words make up this unholy alliance of religious extremists, racists, bigots  even libertarians.

As former Congressman Justin Amash points out, there are already countless laws on the books to prevent and punish criminal activity. Moves like this are not designed to protect Americans from crime, they are designed to usurp rights and give the worlds largest police and surveillance state a steroid shot to the arm.

There are no serious offenses that arent already discoverable and punishable under existing laws. When officials say they need a new security law, what they really mean is they want new powers to surveil without a warrant or to impose severe penalties without as much evidence, former Congressman Justin Amash said, and he is right.

COVID-19 testing in NSW has reached its lowest levels since the Christmas period, as the state recorded its 16th consecutive day without any locally-acquired cases.

There were about 6000 tests conducted in the latest reporting period, the lowest non-weekend figures recorded since Christmas Day.

A health worker carries out a COVID-19 test at the Merrylands drive-through clinic in Sydney. Credit:Getty

Daily testing numbers peaked at 63,600 on December 21 and have declined since then.

NSW Health continues to be concerned by low rates of testing, the agency said in a statement released on Tuesday.

We urge people across the state to come forward for testing with even the mildest of symptoms that could signal COVID-19, such as a runny nose or scratchy throat.

High testing rates play an important role in helping to contain the spread of the disease, as it gives us the best chance of finding new cases and preventing new chains of transmission from becoming established.

Testing has fallen across all local government areas in Sydney in recent weeks, with the lowest weekend figures recorded in Burwood, where 25 tests were conducted on Saturday and Sunday, followed by Hunters Hill, with 58 tests.

Northern Beaches continues to have the highest testing numbers, with 768 tests conducted over the weekend.
Akbar, a former Union minister, had filed the case against Ramani in October 2018 for 'defaming him by accusing him of sexual misconduct'

New Delhi: A Delhi Court on Monday reserved for 10 February the verdict in MJ Akbar's criminal defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani for her allegations of sexual harassment against him.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar reserved the judgment after Akbar as well as Ramani completed their arguments.

The court also allowed both the parties to file their written submissions, if any, within five days.

Ramani had made allegation of sexual misconduct against Akbar in the wake of #MeToo movement in 2018.

During the arguments on Monday, senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for Ramani, said that Akbar should not get any relief as he chose to target Ramani to target other women.

"Why was Akbar was not aggrieved by graver allegations made by Ghazala Wahab and Pallavi Gogoi. As charges became graver, Akbar became unsure.

Wahab's allegations were of six months of sexual assault and harassment. Akbar opposed Gogoi's statement saying it was not rape but consensual relationship," John said.

She said Akbar did not give any reason as to why he chose to file case against Ramani and not others.

"When you pick and choose, one has to say the reason for not choosing others was for X or Y, which was not done in the present case. Akbar went after Ramani because she was a soft and vulnerable target.

"The object is to harass. That is the consequence. Selective prosecution must be deprecated. The prosecution that chooses to target Ramani to target other women should get no relief," she said.

John further refuted Akbar's claim that Ramani's tweet instigated and ignited the first flame when she accused him of sexual misconduct, saying that journalist Wahab tweeted on 6 October, 2018 and after that journalist Shunali Kullar Shroff made the allegations of sexual misconduct.

"I (Ramani) tweeted on 8 October," John said.

The counsel added that Akbar's argument asking phone records, CCTV footage or hotel record of the alleged meeting was of no use because there would be no such evidence since the incident took place 20 years ago.

"They argued I could have brought on record CCTV footage, call records. The burden on me is not of proof beyond ready doubt. Why didn't you (Akbar) disprove the allegations? What stopped you from bringing the hotel records and CCTV footage?

"After 20 years, there will be no phone records, CCTV footage or hotel record. I would have if I could have," she said.

The counsel said that Akbar's argument that by deactivating her Twitter account, Ramani destroyed and tempered with the primary evidence was absurd and fallacious.

"She has not deleted any tweets. Ramani has deactivated Twitter account for personal reasons. I (Ramani) have not deleted. What is the consequences in relation to the complaint against me? Have I denied making these tweets? From the time I was summoned, I have taken on consistent plea with integrity and honesty. I have not feigned ignorance. I don't suffer from memory losses," she said.

John further questioned why Akbar did not move an application seeking to reactivate Ramani's Twitter account.

"Twitter should have proved these tweets but I admitted. No evidence has been destroyed. Whether I deactivate or remain or Twitter, is a private relationship between Twitter and me.

"Did they move a single application asking this court to direct me to reactivate my Twitter account. Very often counsel move applications for presentation of call data records, bank account etc. Did they move any such application? Why is the onus on me," she said.

John further added that if court directs, the Twitter account can be activated even today.

"I reactivated when they asked me to check for corrigendum. I deactivated again. There is not a single direction from court. I have admitted the primary evidence. They had ample time to examine my Twitter account when they filed the case. You didn't work. It's not my fault. I'm not obliged to help you to make a case against me.

"If court directs, it can be activated even today. The account is not the subject matter of this case. Nothing stopped them from asking for preservation of account at the start of the trial," she said, adding that she had a constitutional right to privacy.

She added that the trial was not a fishing and roving inquiry and that even during cross examination, the court did not ask Ramani to reactivate her Twitter account.

Akbar had filed the criminal defamation complaint against Ramani in 15 October, 2018 for allegedly defaming him by accusing him of sexual misconduct over two decades ago.

He resigned as Union minister on 17 October, 2018. He has denied all the allegations of sexual harassment against the women who came forward during #MeToo campaign against him.

Akbar had earlier told the court that Ramani had defamed him by calling him with adjectives such as 'media's biggest predator' that harmed his reputation.

He has denied all the allegations of sexual harassment against the women who came forward during #MeToo campaign against him.

Over 20 women came up with accounts of the alleged sexual harassment by Akbar while they were working as journalists under him.

He termed the allegations false, fabricated and deeply distressing and said he was taking appropriate legal action against them.
We have reached another important milestone today in our efforts to provide in-person learning for our students in the Chicago Public Schools system, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS CEO Janice Jackson said in a joint statement Monday afternoon. We have secured agreement on one other open issue and made substantial progress on a framework that we hope will address the remaining issues. We are calling for a 48-hour cooling off period that will hopefully lead to a final resolution on all open issues. As a result of the progress we have made, and as a gesture of good faith, for now, teachers will retain access to their Google Suite. Students will remain virtual Tuesday and Wednesday and we will update the CPS school community as there are further developments.
Four shots were fired in the direction of a man sitting on his front verandah during a drive-by shooting in western Sydney early on Monday.

Police were called to the scene at Frank Street, Mount Druitt, just before 2am following reports of gunshots.

The 51-year-old man was drinking coffee and getting ready for work when two people in a small white hatchback drove past and fired the shots towards his home.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Tickner, crime manager of the Mount Druitt command, said two bullets hit a four-wheel drive at the front of the house but nobody was injured.
Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger has launched a new campaign to take the party back from the influence of members like Donald Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

'The Republican Party has lost its way. If we are to lead again, we need to muster the courage to remember who we are,' Kinzinger, 42, said in a video launching his Country 1st PAC.

'Republicans must say enough is enough. It's time to unplug the outrage machine, reject the politics of personality, and cast aside the conspiracy theories and the rage,' the Illinois rep added.

His political action committee, unveiled in a six-minute video released Sunday, will challenge the current direction of a GOP that Kinzinger argues has wrongly become a 'Trump-first party.'

It cam as former George W. Bush officials were revealed to be planning a mass departure from the Republican party, in a sign of the deep divisions it faces in the wake of Trump's defeat.

'The biggest danger right now is that we've become a party that dabbles  not just dabbles  we traffic in conspiracies and we traffic in lies,' the GOP representative from Illinois said.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger launches new Super PAC to take Republican Party back from influence of Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene

'We traffic in conspiracies and we traffic in lies,'Rep. Adam Kinzinger said of GOP under influence of former President Donald Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene

The PAC will serve as his way to financially influence the GOP ahead of the 2022 midterm election.

And it comes as the Republican Party is struggling with a deep divide in its ranks - between the radical beliefs associated with Trump and Greene and the traditionalists who want to return the party to its conservative roots.

TAYLOR GREENE'S BIZARRE CLAIMS The California Camp Fire which killed at least 85 was caused by a space laser linked to the Rothschilds and the state's high-speed rail. PG&E admitted it was caused by a faulty power line and went into bankruptcy to fund a $13.5bn settlement and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin cut off a child's face while she was alive, Clinton wore it as a mask so the terrified child would produce 'adrenachrome' and then organized the killing of a cop who knew about it.

The Las Vegas massacre was organized by Democrats to help them ban guns and shooter Stephen Paddock was not a lone wolf.

There's no evidence of a plane hitting the Pentagon on 9/11.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre which cost the lives of 17 students was a 'false flag planned shooting.'

' I am told that Nancy Pelosi tells Hillary Clinton several times a month that we need another school shooting in order to persuade the public to want strict gun control.'

Seth Rich leaked Hillary Clinton's emails and was murdered in revenge by her aide John Podesta because the emails revealed that a D.C. pizza restaurant had a child-smuggling operation in its basement. It does not even have a basement.

The world is run by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles and the Q in QAnon exists and is the 'best chance to take them out.'

Barack Obama and Valerie Jarrett are Muslims.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was replaced by a body double.

She wasn't the person who posted a call to assassinate Nancy Pelosi to her own Facebook page. Advertisement

Kinzinger, a former darling of the conservative Tea Party movement, decried the views of people like Greene and made it clear he thinks House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy has shown weak leadership when it comes to dealing with the more radical elements of the GOP.

But his move also shows the dilemma that many Republicans face - speaking out against Trump angers the former president's millions of loyal supporters, who are a force of their own in the GOP.

Kinzinger revealed to NBC' 'Meet the Press' on Sunday that he has had friends and family turn against him, telling him he's 'possessed by the devil' as he distanced himself from the Trump wing.

He was one of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting the January 6th attack, which he cited as a personal breaking point for himself. Kinzinger is an Air Force veteran, who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Illinois Republican Party is expected to censure Kinzinger for his impeachment vote.

He decried the actions of Greene, who has come to national prominence in recent days as her past musing on social media have come to light, including that she thought California's wildfire was caused by space lasers; claimed that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, before her death, was using a body double; and that Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin cut off a child's face while she was alive - all of which are false.

Kinzinger also had harsh words for Trump ally on Capitol Hill Rep. Jim Jordan, who is pushing to expel Republican Rep. Liz Cheney for the party leadership for criticizing Trump for inciting the MAGA mob who attacked the Capitol, leaving five dead and a path of destruction in their wake.

'They're political terrorists,' Kinzinger said of Jordan and his allies, on a zoom call with reporters over the weekend, according to The Washington Post.

But Greene also has her own strong cache of supporters. She announced on Friday she raised $1.6 million off all the controversy surrounding her and revealed on Saturday she had spoken to Trump, who, in the past, called her a 'future Republican star.'

Republicans are facing their own reckoning as they struggle on a path forward after losing control of the White House and the Senate to Democrats.

Amid that struggle, dozens of Republicans in former President George W. Bush's administration are leaving the party, Reuters reported, over frustration's with Trump's lingering influence on GOP politics.

They are rank-and-file Republicans who are frustrated that Trump's loss in the White House didn't loosen his grip on the party.

'The Republican Party as I knew it no longer exists. I'd call it the cult of Trump,' said Jimmy Gurule, who was Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence in the Bush administration.

Meanwhile, McCarthy is expected to meet face-to-face with Greene this week to discuss her social media postings, many of which happened before she was a member of Congress. In them, she expressed support for killing Democratic politicians, touted unfounded QAnon theories along with racist views.

The House Republican Conference meets Wednesday to debate Cheney's status and discuss whether to punish Greene for her actions.

McCarthy originally said Trump bares some responsibility for the January 6th MAGA riot on Capitol Hill, for which the former president criticized him, reportedly calling him a 'p***y.'

But McCarthy apparently has made amends. On Thursday he met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm beach, Florida, in a meeting that was described as 'very good and cordial.' The readout was released with a photo of the two men smiling.

Adam Kinzinger referred to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (left) and Rep. Jim Jordan (right) as 'political terrorists'

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy will meet with Rep. Greene this week about her controversial social media posts and entire House GOP meets Wednesday on the issue

Kinzinger criticized McCarthy for bowing down to Trump.

'I was disappointed over the last few weeks to see what seemed like the Republican Party waking up and then kind of falling asleep again and saying, 'Well, you know, what matters if we can win in two years and we don't want to tick off the base,' he said.

'The photo,' he noted, 'shows that the former president is desperate to continue looking like he's leading the party.'

Kinzinger decried the current state of the Republican Party, telling NBC's 'Meet the Press' that 'let's take a look at the last four years, how far we have come in a bad way. How backward-looking we are, how much we peddle darkness and division. And that's not the party I ever signed up for. And I think most Republicans didn't sign up for that.'

'It doesn't mean we don't need to fight back, you know, to defend what we believe, conservative principles,' he noted. 'But when I ask people now what is a conservative principle, how many people think that conservative principles are things like just 'build the wall' and, you know, charge the Capitol and have an insurrection?'
Brussels, Feb 1 : Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has promised to increase its vaccine supply to the European Union (EU), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company will deliver 9 million additional doses in the first quarter of this year, bringing the total quarterly supply to 40 million, compared to last week's offer, von der Leyen said on Twitter on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The company "will start deliveries one week earlier than scheduled," she added, and it will also expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.

The message came as a relief after a heated quarrel between the bloc and the company over the latter's limited capacity to deliver on its commitment, after the company announced last week to considerably reduce the amount of doses to the EU.

Media reports revealed that the drug giant had agreed to provide 80 million doses for the first quarter, but withdrew from the promise after an alleged disruption in its EU supply chain.

The AstraZeneca was the first vaccine producer that the EU has signed an early purchase agreement with in the effort to prevent the Covid-19 from further spread.

According to the agreement signed last August, the European Commission, on behalf of the EU states, purchased 300 million doses, with an option to buy 100 million more.

The AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for conditional marketing in the EU on Friday, after the European Medicines Agency gave a positive assessment for its safety and effectiveness. It was the the third Covid-19 vaccine greenlighted by the EU.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is being rolled out across the whole EU with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.

Meanwhile, 236 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 63 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 January 26.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
UNICEF urges the Government of Ukraine to continue with the Deinstitutionalization Reform in line with the approved National Strategy.

UNICEF is deeply concerned about the proposed amendments to the National Strategy to the Reform of the Institutional Child Care System in Ukraine. We believe that the proposed amendments introduced in the draft Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine could endanger the ongoing Deinstitutionalization Reform (DI) and limit the rights of thousands of children," UNICEF said in a statement.

It is noted that the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child reiterated the criticality of urgent implementation of comprehensive DI reform.

"A large number of Ukrainian children continue to grow up separated from their families for reasons such as poverty, disability, abuse or neglect, as well as lack of access to quality special or inclusive education, or limited access to health, social and other family-support services in their communities," the message reads.

The organization says that the proposed amendments to the DI Reform are endangering the promotion and implementation of the Best Interests of the Child as they may result in: further potential harm caused by institutionalization and institutional care to children's growth and development, especially to children of a younger age; depriving many children from vulnerable families and children with disabilities of their right to grow up in a loving and caring family environment or to have a chance for family reunification (unless it is not in the best interests of the child), as well as inclusion in their communities and the society; further continuation of discrimination and exclusion on the basis of vulnerability, special educational needs or disability.

"UNICEF calls on the Government of Ukraine to continue the Deinstitutionalization Reform in line with the National Strategy and the approved Action Plan aligned to the international standards, and to continue developing community-based social services, inclusive education and alternative family care, in order to prevent the placement of children in all kinds of institutions, including baby homes and boarding schools," the statement reads.
Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category
The rise of variants is an expected part of any viral pandemic. But these viruses caught scientists somewhat by surprise  and now threaten to accelerate an already out-of-control pandemic even as countries race to vaccinate their populations.

Since the world started to wake up to the threat posed by variants, many countries have extensive programs of genomic surviellence to try to spot mutations as they arise. That has led the US to spot two new variants of concern, B.1.427 and B.1.429, in California.

South Africa, meanwhile, has been facing its own surge from a variant known as N501Y.V2. And a third variant, more mysterious still, is being linked to a spike of infections in a Brazilian city thought to have achieved herd immunity.

First, B.1.1.7 was linked to a dramatic increase in cases in Britain; an escaped case sent Brisbane into a snap lockdown while an outbreak from hotel quarantine has led to a five-day shutdown in Victoria where Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has described the variant as super-infectious and Premier Daniel Andrews has warned that it is moving at a velocity that has not been seen anywhere in our country over the course of these last 12 months.

Such people represent one possible origin story for the sudden raft of coronavirus variants that seem to have emerged across the globe and that are now hitting closer to home in Australia.

Different cases with a common thread: their immune systems are exhausted, their defences are down.

Somewhere in the world, there is a person who is very, very sick. Perhaps they have leukaemia , a cancer of the blood, treated with a cocktail of toxins we call chemotherapy. Perhaps they have an autoimmune disease, so doctors are pumping drugs into their system to stop their immune system attacking their body and help them heal. Or maybe they have simply battled a rattling cough and a persistent lethargy for months.

Thats different from a strain, which denotes essentially a whole new virus type, or a virus that has changed so much it causes different symptoms. B.1.1.7 is a variant of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-2 is a strain of coronavirus.

A variant is a virus with a collection of mutations  such as B.1.1.7, also known as the Kent variant  that turns up often enough for scientists to take an interest.

Often, these changes have no effect on the organism. Sometimes, they can change the way it looks or functions.

While mutant might bring to mind a vision of a three-headed comic-book creature, the scientific meaning is less scary: a mutation is a random change in an organisms genetic code - when one of the letters of the code is switched out for another as the code is copied  and this is what happens in the case of a virus replicating inside our cells.

Where do these mutants come from? What risk do they pose? How will they affect our vaccines? And what can we do about them?

But B.1.1.7 wasnt just another member of a growing family. When you draw a COVID-19 family tree, it has so many mutations it sticks right out like a rogue branch .

B.1.1.7 first emerged in the academic literature as a footnote , a new variant slotted into a widening family tree as scientists sequenced the viral genomes from sick Britons. The first genomic report to mention it found just two samples; the scientists did not even bother remarking on it. Genomic databases would later show the first sample was taken in Kent on September 20.

Driving much of that surge, Johnson claimed, was a new and fast-spreading variant of COVID-19 known as B.1.1.7. A mutant.

Within a few days, he had changed his mind. Daily cases would soon peak at 81,520. Much of the country was pushed into tier-four lockdown. For London, Christmas was cancelled .

As late as December 13, British health officials thought they had at least some measure of control over their epidemic. On that day alone, the country recorded 21,988 new cases and 419 deaths, and was in the middle of stage three lockdown. But Britain would still be getting a four-day lockdown break for Christmas, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged.

It was Christmas, but not as Londoners knew it after the city went into lockdown as a new COVID variant took hold. Credit:Getty Images

On the eve of Victorias snap lockdown, B.1.1.7 made up 75 per cent of the states hotel quarantine cases . Since leaking out into the community, it was spreading so fast it threatened to overwhelm contact tracing efforts. Sutton described individuals who are becoming symptomatic, testing positive, who have already infected their close contacts.

It has now spread around the world, with hundreds of infections detected as far apart as Denmark, the US, South Korea and Peru. As of February 11, Australia had recorded 82 cases .

The really compelling thing for me is it is not just spreading rapidly in itself, but it is replacing all the other strains in the population, leading University of Sydney virologist Professor Edward Holmes told the ABC. And that suggests it has some advantages, its fitter, its doing better, its transmitting more readily.

Britain was in the middle of a viral surge so scientists expect to see more cases of all variants. But B.1.1.7 was growing disproportionately, outcompeting its cousins.

Thats what the testing labs were seeing. The tests werent malfunctioning. B.1.1.7 was everywhere. By the week of December 9, B.1.1.7 made up 62 per cent of cases in London .

Other scientists were investigating B.1.1.7s rogue tree branch. The virus had, somehow, amassed 17 mutations  far more than scientists would expect in such a slow-mutating virus. Eight of those were to the spike protein, subtly changing its shape. One mutation, scientists eventually realised , would cause standard COVID-19 tests to miss the spike.

Meanwhile, in late November, three testing labs in England started to report strange results from some of their COVID-19 tests. These tests target three genes in the virus, including one coded for the viruss spike. The tests showed positive for two of the genes, but the spike was blank. A malfunction in the test, perhaps? But the malfunctioning test numbers kept growing  on charts, a black line that keeps shooting up and up.

The new variants are much improved. All three possess a mutation called N501Y, which slightly changes the shape of the tip of the spike , allowing it to bind tighter to human cells. There is now significant evidence that B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 (the Kent and South African variants) at least, are substantially more transmissible .

The virus that emerged out of Wuhan wasnt very good at doing that. Often, the spike would bounce off its target, or slip out of its grip.

To infect a human cell, one of those spikes needs to fit into a slot on a human cell  a receptor called ACE2.

So far, scientists are most concerned by three variants of COVID-19: B.1.1.7, first spotted in Britain, 501Y.V2, first spotted in South Africa (youll also hear this one referred to as B.1.351) and P.1, first spotted in Brazil.

The South African and Brazilian variants add a pair of extra mutations, K417T and E484K, which together hide part of the spikes targeted by human antibodies.

These mutations are of most concern to scientists. There is now significant evidence they reduce the effectiveness of antibodies, a key tool of the immune system  and of vaccines.

The United States, despite its enormous number of infections and deaths, has long lagged in the co-ordinated genomic surveillance effort needed to spot new variants. But after the emergence of the Kent variant, that effort has ramped up, and several new variants have been spotted.

Scientists debate whether any of these variants carry important mutations. Two that have attracted the most attention  the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has classified them as variants of concern  were found in California carrying a mutation called L452R, which effects the shape of the spike protein. There is preliminary evidence that variant causes higher levels of virus to build up in the nose, potentially making it more infectious. There is also some evidence it may cut the effectiveness of current vaccines. However, that evidence is hotly debated.

Were we expecting mutations?

Part of what makes the new mutants so troubling is they were, to an extent, unexpected. Viruses naturally mutate over time, as random changes in their genetic code accumulate and change their shape and function. Since it left Wuhan, COVID-19s family tree has branched and branched until the original virus is almost undetectable around the world. Everything is variants.

The chances of a virus evolving to be fitter  more transmissible, better at avoiding immunity  was 100 per cent, wrote Professor Brendan Crabb, director of the Burnet Institute, on Twitter. And it was 100 per cent predictable the more virus there is, the faster this would occur.

But COVID-19 is slow to change  about two to four times slower than the flu, says Dr Sebastian Duchene, who studies viral evolution at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. Thats because, unlike the flu, it incorporates a genetic proofreader that picks up typos in its code.

Scientists have watched as it has shown perhaps one or two mutations a month. At that slow rate of change, big pandemic-altering mutations seem unlikely, at least in the short-term.

But B.1.1.7 and the other variants have a lot more changes than that. The variant spotted in South Africa, 501Y.V2, has nine changes to its spike protein alone. P.1, the variant emerging in Brazil, has 20 changes, including three in the spike.

These variants appear to have outpaced evolution. How?

Loading

The fact is, we do not know but the rapid appearance of these changes is faster than expected, says Associate Professor Stuart Turville, a virologist at the Kirby Institute.

One leading theory: immuno-compromised patients, like the ones we met earlier.

With no immune system to mount a defence, COVID-19 could live inside their bodies for months, replicating again and again, rapidly accelerating evolution.

They may have even been treated with convalescent plasma, which contains antibodies from recovered patients; it would wipe out all variants of the virus except any lucky enough to have randomly developed resistance. Empowered with its new mutations and unhindered by competition, that virus could jump away and spread.

Several of these patients, their bodies filled with mutation-carrying viruses, have already been found  although no patient zero yet.

This is probably an uncommon situation, but we have seen an increase in evolutionary rates within patients in other viruses, like HIV and influenza, says Duchene.

Why would these ultra-rare events happen now? The simple maths of probability: the more infections you have (we just passed 100 million confirmed cases worldwide) the more chance of an extremely rare event happening. It is absolutely a direct link, says Professor Trevor Drew, director of the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness.

People with oxygen bottles outside an oxygen supplier in Manaus, Brazil during a second wave of COVID that may have been caused by a variant. Credit:Getty Images

What effect are these variants likely to have?

One theory often promoted by opponents of lockdown  and officials appointed by former US president Donald Trump  is that natural herd immunity will bring the virus under control. Rather than lock down, we should embrace infections to bring a quick end to the pandemic, they argue. Once enough people have been infected and developed antibodies, the virus will have nowhere to go and die out.

Ground zero for that idea: Manaus, Brazil. In September, scientists suggested the city had reached herd immunity, with 66 per cent of the population now having antibodies to COVID-19 (the cost: thousands of deaths).

With so many people already immune, Manaus should largely have COVID-19 under control, the thinking goes. Instead, in mid-December the virus again started racing through the citys streets. The citys hospitals are more packed than during the first wave; some are running out of oxygen and ventilators. So much for herd immunity.

Whats gone wrong? One theory: a mutant. In late December, scientists identified a new variant, P.1, containing an array of mutations that, in the South African variant, seem to convey significant antibody resistance.

A South African study that has not yet been peer reviewed tested the blood of 44 patients who had already recovered from COVID-19  and therefore should theoretically be immune  against the South African variant. Some 21 had no detectable neutralising antibody activity (the same study has not yet been done on P.1).

Scientists dont yet know if that means they are vulnerable to infection. Keep in mind that neutralising antibodies are only one part of our immune response. Scientists will [also] be looking at T cell responses, says Professor Michael Toole, an epidemiologist at the Burnet Institute.

But its not a promising sign.

Manaus, a city that thought it had achieved herd immunity may now face a new invader from which few are protected.

This is the chilling threat that COVID-19s new variants pose: a faster-spreading virus that is able to evade our immune defences.

A health worker carries out a COVID-19 testing at the Merrylands drive-through clinic in Sydney. Credit:Getty Images

Are the mutations more deadly?

On January 23, the British governments chief medical and scientific officers announced they had emerging evidence B.1.1.7 was more deadly. But, at this stage, that claim needs to be interpreted with caution. The evidence is very early-stage. The governments advisers can say only that there is a realistic possibility the virus is more deadly.

The government review used to make the claim contained data from three studies, by the London School of Tropical Medicine, Imperial College London and the University of Exeter, which came back with increased mortality (death) estimates ranging between 1.08 and 2.71.

One study looked at 2583 deaths, of which 384 had B.1.1.7. Another covered 152 deaths, of which 86 had B.1.1.7.

And it is hard to disentangle this data from the out-of-control epidemic situation in Britain.

Its too easy to just lay the blame on the variant and say, Its the virus that did it, Dr Mike Ryan, the World Health Organisations executive director of health emergencies, said in mid-January. Unfortunately, its also what we didnt do that did it, and we have to be able to accept our share individually and as communities, as governments, our share of the responsibility in this virus getting out of control.

At this stage, there is no significant evidence the South African, Brazilian or Californian variants significantly increase the risk of severe illness. But even if they are not more deadly, more cases means more deaths.

If you have something that kills 1 per cent of people but a huge number of people get it, thats going to result in more deaths than something that a small number of people get but it kills 2 per cent of them, Adam Kucharski, a modeller at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told Science Magazines Kai Kupferschmidt.

Daniel Andrews announces a snap shutdown on February 12. Credit:Getty Images

What effect will this have on the vaccine?

When our immune system encounters a pathogen, it makes many, many different shapes of antibody. Some dont work. Some work partially. And some bind perfectly, gumming up the virus. Throw enough mud at the wall, as the saying goes, and some of it will stick.

A small change in a viruss shape, therefore, might allow it to evade one antibody, but others should still block it.

B.1.1.7 has nine changes to amino acids on its spike protein  out of more than 1270. There is still plenty there to grab on to. It takes a string of mutations to fully evade antibodies; so far, we only have evidence the South African variant might be able to do this.

That does not mean any variant can evade vaccines. Jabs from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca generate such a strong immune response  much stronger than a natural infection  that scientists expect, even if the new variants can partially resist them, they will still be covered.

They will potentially cut the potency of the vaccine response, but not in my view eliminate it, says Professor Damian Purcell, head of the molecular virology laboratory in at the Doherty Institute. One thing we do recognise with vaccine-induced antibodies is you get much, much higher levels of antibodies than you do with infection. We think the level of potency you get with these additional changes will not be enough to allow the virus to escape.

What do we know about the vaccines for Australia? Efficacy and effectiveness: two words that sound the same but mean slightly different things, at least when it comes to vaccines. Efficacy is how well the vaccine works in clinical trials. Effectiveness is how well it works in the real world. All vaccines that have finished phase three trials have efficacy data; it is only once they are being given in the real world that effectiveness data starts to emerge. So what do we know about the vaccines for Australia? AstraZeneca / Oxford (two doses) Type of vaccine: Adenovirus vector Data on efficacy: Interim data showed the vaccine was 62 per cent efficacious at preventing symptomatic COVID-19 on recommended two doses. Phase three showed up to 90 per cent for patients receiving half dose followed by full dose. Of the 11,636 people given a vaccine, none developed serious illness or died. What that means: AstraZenecas vaccine is likely to offer between 62 per cent and 90 per cent protection against catching COVID-19 and developing symptoms. It is unclear if it will protect you from asymptomatic COVID-19. It is likely but not proven if it will reduce your chances of passing the virus on to others. It seems likely the vaccine will protect you from serious illness or death. Rollout: Approved in UK, 53 million doses expected in Australia from February after TGA approval. Pfizer/BioNTech (two doses) Type of vaccine: mRNA vaccine Data on efficacy: Full phase three results show the vaccine is 95 per cent efficacious at preventing symptomatic COVID-19. Of 21,720 people given the vaccine, only case of severe illness was detected. What that means: Pfizers vaccine is likely to offer offer 95 per cent protection against catching COVID-19 and developing symptoms. It is unclear if it will protect you from asymptomatic COVID-19. It is likely but not proven if it will reduce your chances of passing the virus on to others. It seems likely the vaccine will protect you from serious illness or death. Rollout: Provisionally approved in Australia in January, rollout likely in late February. Novavax (two doses) Type of vaccine: Protein Data on efficacy: Novavax is the first company to report efficaciousness against different COVID-19 variants. Against the strain that emerged from Wuhan, it is 95.6 per cent efficacious against symptomatic COVID-19; that drops to 85.6 per cent against the variant first spotted in Britain, and around 49 per cent efficacious against the South African strain. There were no cases of serious illness or death. What that means: Novavaxs vaccine will offer between 49 and 95 per cent protection against catching COVID-19 and developing symptoms, depending on the variant encountered. It is unclear if it will protect you from asymptomatic COVID-19. It is likely but not proven it will reduce your chances of passing the virus on to others. It seems likely the vaccine will protect you from serious illness or death. Rollout: Australia has ordered 51 million doses for import mid to late 2021.

Thats what the early laboratory evidence showed: the new variants modestly cut, but do not fully cancel, the efficacy of the vaccine. So we should be full steam ahead with vaccine roll-out, here and everywhere, says Professor Crabb.

But two human trials that have just been released may undercut that. As part of phase three trials, first Novavax and then Johnson & Johnson reported their vaccines were substantially less effective  as low as 49 per cent  against the South African variant. Importantly, no one in Johnson & Johnsons trial was hospitalised or died, suggesting but not confirming the vaccine provides protection against serious illness even when facing the South African variant.

A third trial, on AstraZenecas vaccine, reported even more troubling results. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine on March 16, it studied 1011 adults given the vaccine in South Africa.

In a group given a placebo vaccine, 23 caught the virus. In the group given the real vaccine, 19 did, which suggests the vaccines efficacy against the variant was low. The trial is small, so its results need to be treated with caution  but on the basis of that result, the South African government said it would pause rollout of the vaccine. The trial was not designed to be able to tell if the vaccine provided protection from serious disease and death.

AstraZeneca and several other vaccine developers are now working on boosters to cover the variants.

Britain, facing a tight supply of vaccine and an overwhelmed healthcare system, has decided to delay the vaccines crucial second dose. Its not clear what that will mean for immunity; the doses were tested in pairs.

But some scientists fear it could leave a pool of people with partial immunity. In a worst-case scenario, a virus variant with partial resistance may be able to hang around long enough in their bodies to mutate into something with full resistance to the vaccine.

One small Italian study has already shown what can happen: the team exposed SARS-CoV-2 to low levels of antibodies. Within three months, the virus had picked up mutations that made it immune to the antibodies.

On the other hand, there are few examples of viruses that have managed to mutate around a vaccine; the flu manages this trick because of a uniquely unstable genome. And vaccine manufacturers such as Moderna are already working on booster shots to cover any variants.

 with Adam Carey

This explainer was originally published on February 1 and has been updated to reflect new information about vaccines as it has come to hand, and the five-day lockdown in Victoria.
KYODO NEWS - Feb 1, 2021 - 14:58 | All, Japan

A local mayor in southwestern Japan, who is opposed to having an island his city oversees become a site for U.S. military drills, won re-election on Sunday.

Shunsuke Yaita, the 67-year-old incumbent for Nishinoomote, Kagoshima Prefecture, beat Kiyonobu Fukui, who was backed by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. His victory could impact the central government's plan to allow the uninhibited Mage Island to be used for U.S. military plane takeoff and landing exercises.

Relocating the training site for carrier-borne aircraft from Iwoto Island in the Pacific, some 1,200 kilometers south of Tokyo, to Mage Island has long been an issue between the central and local governments.

The main campaign issue in the election was the Defense Ministry's plan to build a Self-Defense Forces base on the island to be jointly used by the U.S. military. Yaita was opposed to the plan.

Fukui, the 71-year-old president of a local commerce chamber, supported the plan, which was decided upon by the central government under a 2011 Japan-U.S. accord.

"The residents of the city have said 'No' against turning Mage Island into a military base. The ministry has been going ahead with the plan without much debate, but I would like it to respect the people's decision," Yaita told supporters in the city.

But Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, the top government spokesman, said Monday the government does not intend to change its plan.

"It will become a site that will play a central role in the Self-Defense Force's activities in the southwest and during natural disasters," he said, adding the government will give a thorough explanation to local residents to gain their understanding.

Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi also highlighted the importance of the island, saying that landing and takeoff training by the U.S. forces is "necessary."

During his election campaign, Yaita said residents have much to lose from the relocation, and called for building a strong economy and a rejection of the central government plan.

The project has been stalled due to environmental and safety concerns as well as prolonged land acquisition negotiations between the government and the main landowner of Mage, located about 12 km west of Kagoshima's Tanegashima Island.

In November, Kagoshima Gov. Koichi Shiota announced that he would accept the ministry's request to start a survey in waters surrounding the 8-square-km Mage Island. The survey began the following month.

Related coverage:

Japan proposes tentative 1-year deal on cost-sharing for U.S. troops

GSDF, U.S. agreed in 2015 to station amphibious unit in Okinawa

Japan, U.S. defense chiefs affirm Senkakus fall under security pact
Vials with AstraZeneca's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine are seen at the vaccination centre in the Newcastle Eagles Community Arena, in Newcastle upon Tyne, Britain, January 30, 2021. REUTERS-Yonhap



A South Korean panel of experts has said that vaccines for the novel coronavirus by AstraZeneca can administered for people over the age of 65 amid efficacy controversies, according to the country's drug safety agency Monday.



The independent advisory board announced its review on efficacy and safety of the vaccines developed by the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant and Oxford University, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.



The experts said the AstraZeneca vaccine's efficacy is similar among people aged between 18 and 64, and those aged 65 and older, citing no serious side effect was found in both groups.



The panel advised the ministry to approve the two full-dose regimen on condition that AstraZeneca submit further data on clinical trials currently under way in the United States and final reports.





A Ministry of Food and Drug Safety official takes off a facial mask to speak to journalists at Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's briefing room in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, about a South Korean panel's evaluation of AstraZeneca's efficacy, Feb. 1. Yonhap
Administratorii portalului nu poarta raspundere pentru continutul postarilor si materialelor plasate de utilizatorii site-ului. Utilizati informatia din acest articol pe propriul risc.
Im Dong Jun, CEO cum chairman of the Member Council of Hanwha Life Vietnam

You took on the top leadership position of Hanwha Life Vietnam in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. How did the company perform in the first year under your leadership?

The COVID-19 pandemic appeared to bring difficulties to the entire market, but I had a different perspective. Last year, in the context of pandemic, people once again became more aware of the importance of life insurance, making it an important time for us to improve and upgrade customer service quality. In particular, for a market where only about 10.5 per cent of the population is enrolled in life insurance, the things we have accomplished over the past year are crucial.

2020 wrapped up with many difficulties and challenges because of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Hanwha Life Vietnam has maintained stable business and sustainable growth. By the end of 2020, the company total premium revenue did grow by around 20 per cent over the last year and expects profits of over VND300 billion ($13 million). This is the first time Hanwha Life Vietnam achieves two consecutive years of profit.

Group currently has 10 member companies operating in Vietnam with a total investment of nearly $2 billion

How do you assess the prospects of the future of Vietnam's insurance market?

The Vietnamese life insurance industry has enjoyed a relatively high level of growth for the last 20 years. We still see huge growth potential in this market going forward. Customer perception of financial products continues to improve, and younger consumers who are millennials are in need of simpler, easier-to-understand products and convenient services.

In fact, life insurance is one of the most conservative industries in the financial sector. It has been much slower than banks and securities companies in terms of applying new technology or changing business models. However, to survive in the digital age and achieve sustainable business in the future, the insurance industry will have to move much faster to understand and respond to customer needs.

What will Hanwha Life Vietnams innovation strategy revolve around in the coming time to meet the emerging needs of customers?

To prepare for the next innovation already seen in our industry, we need to have a different way of thinking and doing business. We need to understand the value and difference that technologies can bring to us and our customers. We also need to expand our spectrum into a more comprehensive business model by providing both financial and non-financial (lifestyle) products and services to our customers.

To foster new ideas and bring millennial insight into our business, Hanwha Life Vietnam has established five initiatives boards, including a board of non-executive young members. The purpose of the establishment of these boards is to help come up with innovative solutions for sales, branding, digitization, and products, as well as advise top-management from different angles.

Currently, we are focusing the most on customer service with the customer-centric principle, while at the same time focusing on the culture of sales-support. To achieve these goals, we are pushing the digitisation our sales systems, and we recently launched a mobile customer app (LIME) to enhance customer service. In addition, we are developing a variety of tools to professionally and effectively assist in the digital environment in terms of recruitment, policy management and training, which are critical for of sales activities.

Besides insurance services such as online insurance policy management (e-policy), auto-underwriting, and online insurance premium payment (e-payment), Hanwha Life Vietnam is working on a variety of ways to build a digital ecosystem where customers can enjoy different lifestyle services such as food, shopping, and wellness.

In term of products, we will provide suitable digital products to meet the changing needs of our customers. Customers can also access products more easily and conveniently on e-commerce platforms, and we will continue to cooperate with partners in many fields such as banking, fintech, and digital technology so that customers can experience Hanwha Life's products in their daily life.

Hanwha Financial Group recently invested in and became the second-largest shareholder of Grab's financial arm, the largest digital platform in ASEAN. Through this strategic investment, Hanwha Life expects to innovate our product and services and explore the opportunities to deliver better customer experiences in the digital environment of Vietnam.

Hanwha Life Vietnam will continue to pursue and implement digital initiatives with diverse partners and better serve our customers together.

One of the modern spaces of DreamPlus office (under Hanwha Life) in Gangnam, South Korea

What are the differences in the distribution channels between the Vietnamese and South Korean insurance markets? How is Hanwha Life panning to develop its distribution channels in the future?

In Korea, the insurance companys direct distribution channel accounts for a high portion, followed by the general agency (GA) network (non-exclusive agents) and bancassurance. In Vietnam, the contribution of direct distribution is still very small (less than 10 per cent), while the contribution of the GA channel (total exclusive agents) and bancassurance accounts for the majority of total sales in the insurance industry. Another difference is that in South Korea, GA distribute insurance products of many insurers, while in Vietnam, they only sell the products of an insurer through an exclusive contract.

The bancassurance distribution channel in Vietnam and Korea also have significant differences. In Korea, to prevent excessive competition and provide customers with more product choices, there are regulations that a banks revenue from the sale of any single insurers products cannot exceed 20 per cent of its total insurance business. In Vietnam, the main form of cooperation between banks and insurance companies is through exclusive distribution contracts. The bank only sells the products of a life insurance company.

Hanwha Life will continue to expand our main distribution channel, GA. We will provide a wide variety of training and support programmes for GA directors to ensure the expansion of the network. In addition, we are trying to promote the growth of the company's direct sales which is currently operating on a small scale, making this channel a major long-term distribution channel in major cities by increasing investment in these direct business offices. For the bancassurance channel, we believe that this channel will continue to thrive as it is contributing about 30 per cent of the total new premium revenue of the whole market. Recently, we have seen the market heat up with large bancassurance deals. We will continue to monitor the bancassurance market and consider optimal solutions to bring the highest benefit to our customers.

GA and bancassurance are still the traditional channels in the insurance industry, but many digital distribution channels are expected to appear. For non-life insurance products, collaborations between a number of insurance companies and digital platforms are underway in Vietnam. While for the life insurance segment, these partnerships have not yielded remarkable results, I think that in the next 2-3 years, digital distribution will grow at a considerable scale. In order to bring better customer experiences to customers in the digital environment, Hanwha Life Vietnam is pursuing digital capacity enhancement, with initiatives on platform development, organisational culture improvement, and recruitment of more talent.

With the pride of being an experienced life insurer in Korea, along with Hanwha's diverse financial ecosystem in Vietnam, we believe that Hanwha Life can make a further contribution to knowledge about life insurance and its contribution to the prosperity of the Vietnamese economy.
Axios

Southwest Airlines won't yet resume its in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: The airline initially planned to resume the service June, but Sonya Lacore, Southwest's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free."Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego  Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
Hundreds of people joined protests across Brazil this weekend against President Jair Bolsonaro over his alleged mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many demanding his resignation or impeachment.

Some 200 people gathered in central Brasilia, holding signs and banners saying 'Bolsonaro Out' and 'Impeachment Now,' while scores of autos drove slowly by, honking their horns in support.

The protests, like larger ones last weekend, were organized by leftist parties and groups.

A demonstrator takes part in a protest against Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic in Brasilia on Sunday

Demonstrators hold placards reading 'Impeachment Now' during a protest against Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his management of the coronavirus pandemic, which has generated 224,504 deaths and 9,204,731 cases

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said Saturday that it was not the government's responsibility to provide oxygen to the health system in the northwestern state of Amazonas, where medical facilities have been forced to transfer more than 300 coronavirus patients to hospitals in other states. At least 14 patients who were hospitalized in centers that lacked sufficient oxygen died in January, including 11 after they were transferred to other facilities Saturday

Anti-Bolsonaro protests also took place in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The coronavirus pandemic as of Monday has claimed 224,504 lives in Brazil, second only to the United States, where more than 440,000 have died.

The ravaging virus has generated 9,204,731 confirmed cases in the South American nation.

The demonstrations picked up steam as Bolsonaro declared Saturday that it was not the government's responsibility to provide oxygen to northwestern state of Amazonas, where medical facilities are at capacity and struggling to provide treatment to COVID patients.

A television screen showing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is seen inside the ICU unit of the Regional Public Hospital of Baixo Amazonas in the state of Para

Demonstrators representing patients without oxygen participate in a protest against Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic on Sunday in Brasilia

'It is not our competence and we are not responsible for taking oxygen there,' Bolsonaro said.

Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly played down the gravity of the pandemic, calling it a 'little flu' and minimizing the importance of mask-wearing and social distancing, argued that the federal government had provided the Amazonas state government financial support to address the dire condition of its crippling health system.

Despite receiving the full support from Bolsonaro, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello learned last week that the Brazilian Supreme Court approved an investigation into his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas.

According to Bolsonaro, Pazuello was six days late in learning of the problems that medical institutions were facing before a delivery of oxygen tanks was signed off.

One group stood Sunday before the National Congress building, wearing plastic bags over their heads to symbolize at least 14 Covid-19 patients in Amazonas who died after hospitals ran out of oxygen - a problem also seen in neighboring Para and Roraima states.

The lack of sufficient oxygen in hospitals throughout Amazonas began in mid-January. The crisis forced doctors to transfer 335 patients to other medical facilities in nearby states on Saturday. However, 11 patients who were battling the virus died in the process.

A demonstrator standing on the roof of a WV Beetle waves a flag reading "Out" during a protest against Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro as protesters have called on him to either resign or be impeached

Brazilians protesters calling for the impeachment and resignation of President Jair Bolsonaro participate in a demonstration Sunday in Brasilia

Demonstrators hold a placard during a protest against Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, who is being accused of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic that as of Monday has claimed 224,504 lives in Brazil, second only to the United States, where more than 440,000 have died

The state has reported 8,117 confirmed deaths and more than 267,000 cases.

'The result of this mismanagement is more than 220,000 Covid deaths,' Ruth Venceremos, an LGBTQ activist taking part in the protest, told AFP. 'Enough with Bolsonaro - impeachment now!'

Some experts say the oxygen shortage was aggravated by the emergence of a new, more transmissible variant of the virus.

The Amazonas government has applied the first dose of coronavirus vaccines to 31,604 people as of Friday. Doctors started giving out shots of the vaccine January 18 after the federal government distributed its shipment of the AstraZeneca and Coronavac vaccines.

The vaccination process is currently in its first phase and the health system is primarily focusing on getting the vaccine shots out to indigenous peoples, health workers and people over the age of 60.
An insider has blasted Western Australia's hotel quarantine system and accused security companies of hiring and exploiting foreign students.

The source claimed guards were paid minimum wage in cash and off the books so they could work double the 20 hours allowed under their visa arrangements.

It was also alleged that hotel security guards were sharing IDs so they could get away with working a second job such as driving for Uber.

The insider told The West the security services in the state were run by a 'bunch of cowboys'.

The explosive allegations com after a security guard at the Sheraton Four Points hotel in the CBD contracted the highly-contagious UK variant of the virus.

The guard, who also worked as a ride-share driver, then attended more than a dozen venues over several days while infectious.

Authorities are still not sure how the Maylands man in his 20s contracted the disease and have traced 66 people he was in contact with while contagious.

The next 48 hours will be crucial for how the state contains the outbreak, as coronavirus has an incubation period of five to seven days.

A security guard at the Sheraton Four Points hotel (pictured) in Perth's CBD contracted the highly-contagious UK variant of the virus

Contractors in Western Australia allegedly paid foreign quarantine security workers in cash so they could work without breaching their visa requirements, an insider has claimed (stock image of security guards at Four Points Sheraton. They are not suggested of any wrongdoing)

It resulted in Metropolitan Perth, the Peel region and South West being placed in a five-day lockdown until 6pm on Friday.

The source said the Health Department have been 'bending over backwards trying to fix things'.

The revelations come after a returned traveller at the Sheraton Four Points hotel claimed guards weren't wearing PPE for most of his stay there.

Ben Grimshaw, 49, told Daily Mail Australia he was concerned by the 'slack demeanour' among the sub-contracted security at the hotel.

Mr Grimshaw, who is on day 13 of mandatory quarantine, said he was worried even before hearing a guard had tested positive with Covid over the weekend.

'When I opened the hotel room door to collect meals or put out rubbish I could see them sitting in the corridors looking at their phones, with no masks or any other PPE,' he said.

The view from Mr Grimshaw's quarantine hotel room at the Sheraton Four Points in Perth

Ben Grimshaw, 49 (pictured), said he was feeling concerned about the 'slack demeanour' among the sub-contracted security guards

'I had the impression they were so bored and were feeling complacent about the risks.'

The guards seemed to be mostly young workers and international students, he added.

On Monday Premier Mark McGowan said the state has recorded no further Covid-19 cases after 3,171 tests on Sunday.

He also announced that a G2G pass was being prepared for people entering the regions under lockdown.

Mr McGowan had announced the drastic lockdown on Sunday afternoon and it came into affect at 6pm Perth time.

Mr McGowan said the guard did not enter a hotel room but did patrol the same floor as an infected guest in quarantine.

Some 66 contacts of the guard have tested negative or will be tested later on Monday. Some 'high-risk' close contacts have been take into hotel quarantine as a precaution.

The lockdown, affecting 80 per cent of the state's population, sparked a wave of panic buying across packed supermarkets.

Mr Grimshaw (pictured) said he had the impression the guards were so bored they started feeling complacent about the risks

Pictured: Inside the room of Mr Grimshaw at the at the Sheraton Four Points in Perth

The news prompted South Australia to close its borders to WA without warning, along with Victoria, Queensland, Northern Territory, and later the ACT.

The infected guard worked two 12-hour shifts on both January 26 and 27 while there were four cases at the hotel, including two with the highly-infectious UK variant and one confirmed to have the South African strain.

The news ended Western Australia's 10-month coronavirus-free streak, sending the entire Perth metropolitan area, the Peel region and the South West region into a snap five-day lockdown.

A second suspected case has come forward in WA but the Health Department says the case is believed to be historic and not a risk.

WA Health Minister Roger Cook said the infected security guard 'would have' been wearing PPE while on shift at the hotel.

However, the only time the guards at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel seemed to be appropriately attired was only when guests first arrived or when they left and they needed to be escorted through the hotel, Mr Grimshaw claimed.

When the guards were simply guarding the rooms in the corridors on long shifts, the PPE was apparently missing, or masks were seen around necks instead of faces.

Perth, Peel and the South West entered a strict lockdown beginning 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday - impacting about 80 per cent of WA's population

'I was already worried, as obviously I'd read all about how this same sort of mistake had occurred in Melbourne and caused a second lockdown and hundreds of deaths,' Mr Grimshaw said.

'I just can't believe nothing was learnt from that and these guards were hired, clearly without any proper supervision.'

There are fears the guard may have infected thousands after 16 locations he visited were put on alert.

They were mostly in the Marylands suburb where he lives but also included the Perth Convention Centre and a GP practice in Nedlands, which the man attended between January 25 and January 30.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE INFECTED SECURITY GUARD The security guard, who is aged in his 20s and from Maylands, inner Perth, tested positive to coronavirus on Saturday night - but may have been infectious five days earlier. He was working at the Sheraton Four Points hotel, on the same floor as returned Australians confirmed to have the highly-infectious UK Covid strain. The man worked 12-hour shifts on both January 26 and 27 while there were four active cases at the hotel, including two with the UK variant and one confirmed to have the South African strain. Authorities are adamant the security guard did not enter any hotel rooms. The man returned negative results as part of routine testing on January 15, 17 and 23 but started to become unwell last Thursday - January 28. He was most likely infectious from January 26 but only tested positive on Saturday, causing concern to health authorities due to the extensive number of venues he visited while potentially infectious over a five-day period. The man had a second job as a ride share driver but authorities said he had not worked in that role since January 22. The man has three housemates who have all tested negative to Covid-19. They have all been placed in hotel quarantine for 14 days. The security guard visited 15 venues, which have been listed as potential exposure sites. This includes a Coles, KFC, halal grocery store, an Indian consulate and a hair salon. Advertisement

Mr Grimshaw, a British citizen with Australian permanent residency, has spent 13 days in his room on the 5th floor at the hotel, after waiting nearly a year to return to Perth to work as a sustainability manager.

He said he felt 'angry and upset' that the first he and other travellers in the hotel heard about the outbreak was on the news.

'We have been met with a wall of silence. I asked the manager of the hotel where in the hotel this outbreak is and on what floor,' he said.

'But he said he was being kept in the dark himself by WA Health. I feel very disappointed and let down by the whole situation.'

Mr Grimshaw said he didn't yet know if he and others staying at the hotel would be released as planned tomorrow.

'I've had my second test already and even the nurse didn't know what floor this all occurred on, we are all very much in the dark,' he said.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the WA Department of Health for comment.

Long queues are seen outside Coles in Maylands, one of the potential exposure sites, in Perth, on Sunday

Pictured: Quarantined traveller Arsiyanti Ardie

Another woman staying at the hotel also spoke out about the facility's 'poor' Covid protocols.

Arsiyanti Ardie, who suffers from a life-threatening autoimmune disease, arrived at the Four Points from Jakarta on January 21 and said she immediately noticed some of the guards were wearing their masks hanging below their nose.

'If I get Covid, I die. Period. I cut medical treatment in Jakarta short because COVID is the greater risk there and I simply have to be in a safe place,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'Turns out I jumped from the frying pan into the fire. I have a pretty chipper outlook on life but I'm pretty distressed.'

Ms Ardie said she's also worried about the poor ventilation and recirculated air.

'If the hall or other rooms are being cleaned, the odour of cleaning products is strong in my room,' she said.

Queensland Health speculated the air conditioning in the Grand Chancellor hotel in Brisbane may have been a factor in an outbreak that sparked a three-day lockdown at the beginning of January.

'If you want a Victoria-style recipe for disaster, this is it,' Ms Ardie said.

The state enjoyed close to 10 months without a single case of Covid-19 in the community, a feat Mr McGowan credits to his tough stance on borders by closing his state off from the rest of Australia for most of 2020

Australian Medical Association WA president Dr Andrew Miller said hotels are not designed to be quarantine facilities.

'If you're going to have a quarantine facility, get rid of the word hotel, convert the air conditioning so they're pumping fresh air through the place, redesign the administration of it and employ people who simply work in quarantine facilities who are trained quarantine professionals, anything short of that is a ridiculous idea,' he he told WA Today two weeks ago.

'It's incredibly disappointing that we are still running what we would describe as an amateurish quarantine system, these are not quarantine facilities, these are hotels.'

Iristel Surpasses 15 Million Phone Number Milestone in Canada

By Luke Bellos - Editor, Virtual PBX

Today, Canadian telecom provider Iristel has surpassed 15 Million phone numbers, solidifying the companys status as one of Canadas fastest growing service providers. Iristels network currently reaches over 97% of the country, and is showing to be a serious competitor among more established and familiar service providers.

Our brand may not be as well known as other phone companies, but our cloud communications and fully redundant platform for voice, messaging and emergency services are best-of-breed. We provide the connectivity fabric on most calls that every Canadian experiences on a daily basis," says Samer Bishay, Iristel President and CEO.

Iristel coverage expands to over 2,500 rate centres across the country, including some of the most remote areas of the country's northern region. The company offers a wide range of services and applications, such as advanced APIs, self service portals, SIP trunks, as well as wireless numbers.

Over the last 22 years we have grown and evolved into one of the most advanced communications networks in Canada that is relied upon by businesses, Tier 1 carriers and millions of Canadians for things like 911 emergency calls, industrial Internet of Things, machine-to-machine, gaming on mobile devices, and a lot more" Bishay added. "You might say we provide the technological plumbing that makes millions of mobile devices work seamlessly regardless of the communications provider."

Please enable JavaScript to view the

Edited by Maurice Nagle
2021 AGC officers, board

Gimmestad

Curt Gimmestad

President

Curt Gimmestad, vice president of industry engagement at Absher Construction Co., started with the company as a project engineer in 1993. Gimmestad has served the AGC in many capacities, including first vice president in 2019, an association trustee, and an instructor and executive board member for the Education Foundation. He also is a member of the Association for Learning Environments and the Capital Advisory Review Boards Project Review Committee.









Stephens

Dawn Stephens

First Vice President

Dawn Stephens is the CFO of Charter Construction, where she oversees financial processes and operations. Her career as a finance professional spans more than 25 years at several construction and real estate firms. In 2006, Stephens joined Harbor Properties as corporate controller and later became CFO. She is active in Commercial Real Estate Women, is past president of the Puget Sound Chapter of the Construction Financial Managers Association, and serves on several committees benefiting the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.









Slattery

Glyn Slattery

Second Vice President

Glyn Slattery is the western region vice president and project executive for Lydig Construction. He holds a bachelors degree from the University of Washington in building construction/construction management and a masters from the University of Colorado in civil engineering/construction management. Slattery has been an active leader in the AGC throughout his career, is a past board member and won the AGC of Washingtons Contractor of the Year award. In 2014, he collaborated with the city of Seattle to improve communications, teamwork and efficiency. His input and participation resulted in a more engaging and harmonious project environment.









Pizzey

Grace Pizzey

Secretary/Treasurer

Grace Pizzey is the vice president at Holaday-Parks in Seattle and has served as AGCWs secretary/treasurer for the past year. With a bachelors degree in economics from Colorado College, she brings 25 years of experience in financial and business management including executive leadership, board membership, financial reporting, legal representation, personnel development, budgeting, risk management/mitigation and human resources.





Board members

John Huntley, Mills Electric Co.

John Salinas, Salinas Construction

JB Gibson, Clise Properties

Sean Hilt, Turner Construction Co.

Bryan Kelley, Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty company

Patrick McQueen, Lease Crutcher Lewis

Matt Osborne, Osborne Construction Co.

Lindsay Watkins, Ahlers Cressman & Sleight

Brad Neudorfer, Howard S. Wright, a Balfour Beatty company

Linda Womack, Minority Business Development Agency







District representatives

Jeff Tiegs, Lincoln Construction (Southern District)

Chris Lang, Fisher Construction Group (Northern District)

Ross Pouley, RAP Consulting (Seattle District)

Tanya Davis, Western Ranch Buildings (Central District)





Other Stories:
Neil Young is planning to release an album he shelved nearly 40 years ago.

Island in the Sun was recorded in May 1982 in Hawaii, but rejected by Young as his first album for Geffen Records. Instead, he released the synthesizer heavy Trans.

The lost album  now renamed Johnnys Island,  includes a majority of unreleased tracks, including Big Pearl, Island in the Sun and Love Hotel, plus others you may have heard before. ... Its a beautiful record coming to you soon, Young wrote on his website.

In a 1995 interview with Mojo, Young described Island in the Sun as a tropical thing all about sailing, ancient civilizations, islands and water.

Shop for concert tickets here: StubHub, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster
Apple refreshed the iPhone SE lineup last year which looks quite different from its predecessor that debuted back in 2016. While the company has not provided any details about the 2021 iPhone lineup yet, concept renders offering a glimpse into the possible design of the next-generation iPhone 2021 or iPhone SE 3 have surfaced online. The blog post containing the concept design also looks at some specification that Apple may include in the next budget iPhone model. Notably, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had stated that the next iPhone SE 2021 would not release in the first half of this year.

Slovakian blog Svetapple published the concept renders of the iPhone SE 3 that shows the smartphone with flat edges similar to the iPhone 12 lineup. Interestingly, the iPhone 12 smartphones' design was inspired by the original iPhone SE, released in March 2016. The renders further tease the device with a hole-punch display that has slim bezels on all sides. Many Apple iPhone fans would love to see this change as both the previous iPhone SE models have considerable bezels across all sides. Moreover, the renders show no home button and the blog post adds that the iPhone SE 3 might feature Touch ID fingerprint recognition on the power key - similar to the latest iPad Air. The back panel design remains the same with a single camera sensor and LED flash.

In terms of specifications, the iPhone SE 3 or iPhone SE 2021 is imagined to feature a 5.4-inch OLED display instead of the traditional LED display on iPhones models. The iPhone 12 series was the first Apple-made smartphone to come with an OLED panel. The camera is said to be a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera with f/1.6 aperture. Under the hood, Apple may introduce the A14 Bionic 4G chipset, the blog post speculates. To recall, the iPhone SE 2020 comes with a 4.70-inch display, 12-megapixel rear camera and 7-megapixel front camera, and A13 Bionic SoC.

On the pricing front, iPhone SE 3 could be available at $499 (approx Rs 36,400) for the base 64GB storage variant. The rumoured price is $100 higher than the $399 (approx Rs 29,100) iPhone SE (2020).

Apple is also reportedly working on the iPhone SE Plus and recently, its alleged specifications were published in a report. The company is yet to confirm the development of both Apple iPhone SE 3 (or iPhone SE 2021) and SE Plus.
Union Health Minister Dr on Monday hailed the budget proposals concerning the health sector and "health and well-being" was on the top of the six prominent pillars of Atmnanirbhar Bharat outlined in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's speech.

"The Finance Minister spoke of six prominent pillars, with the topmost pillar being health and well being," he said.

The outlay for the health sector has been increased to Rs 2,23,846 crores for 2021-22, which marks a 137 per cent increase over this year's budget estimates.

He said the Finance Minister has focused on prevention, cure and well being.

"A new centrally sponsored scheme PM Atmanirbhar Swasthya Bharat Yojana will be launched with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore," he said.

The Atmanirbhar Swashthya Bharat Yojana will develop the capacity for primary, secondary, and tertiary care health systems in the country and the main interventions under the scheme will support over 17,000 rural and 11,000 urban wellness centres.

Talking about the COVID-19 vaccines, the minister said the Finance Minister has provided Rs 35,000 crore and has committed to providing more funds if required.

said pneumococcal vaccine, which is limited to five states at present, will be rolled out across the country which will avert more than 50,000 child deaths annually.

(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 father of a man who fatally overdosed on fentanyl patches will get a second chance to argue the Scranton pharmacy that dispensed the narcotic should be held civilly liable for his death.

The state Supreme Court recently agreed to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling that dismissed a lawsuit Dale Albert filed against Sheeleys Drug Store in connection with the March 17, 2016, death of his son, Cody.

The suit alleged Sheeleys was responsible for Alberts death because it improperly dispensed the narcotic to Alberts friend, Zachary Ross.

According to court records, Ross obtained the patches, which were prescribed for his cancer-stricken mother, by phoning the pharmacy and pretending to be her. Albert, 21, died after he chewed the patches, which causes a high dose of the narcotic to be quickly released into the body.

Ross pleaded guilty in July 2018 to involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to two years in the state intermediate punishment program.

Lackawanna County Judge Margaret Bisignani Moyle dismissed the lawsuit in April 2019, finding that Dale Alberts claims were barred under a legal principle that bars a person who engages in illegal conduct from financially benefiting from their own actions.

In her opinion, Moyle said evidence showed Cody Albert knowingly ingested a controlled substance that was not prescribed to him. Although his death was tragic, his actions barred his father from recovering financial damages.

The state Superior Court upheld Moyles ruling in June. The state Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal of that ruling.

In its order accepting the case, the court said it would consider claims made by Philadelphia attorney Michael Shaffer, who represents Dale Albert, that the Superior Court erred because there was no evidence Cody Albert took part in the scheme to illegally obtain the drug.

In prior court filings, Shaffer argued evidence showed only that Albert drove Ross to the pharmacy. Whether he knew Ross intended to illegally obtain the fentanyl patches remains in dispute.

The high court also agreed to hear Shaffers claim that the fact Albert possessed a controlled substance not prescribed to him was not a sufficient basis to trigger the legal premise that bars recovery.

(HealthDay)As America's vaccination campaign begins to gain momentum, a promising sign has emerged: Federal data shows that coronavirus cases in nursing homes have declined over the past four weeks.

The country recorded 17,584 cases in nursing homes during the week ending Jan. 17, The New York Times reported. A month earlier, during the week ending Dec. 20, more than 32,500 cases were reported.

To some extent, the development reflects a downward trend in new cases across the country, health experts said. Coronavirus cases in nursing homes are driven by infections in the rest of the community, Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told the Times.

But the drop in cases in nursing homes is more pronounced than it is nationally, and it also began earlier, Jha noted. Since the rollout began, nursing home residents and staff have been prioritized as among the first groups to get the vaccine.

"That combination really does make me think this is not just broad national patterns, but that vaccines probably are playing a role," Dr. Jha said. "I'm optimistic, this is good."

As of Saturday, more than 3.5 million shots have now been administered in long-term care facilities, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Still, a slower than hoped rollout in nursing homes has been deeply frustrating, Jha added. Efforts to efficiently give shots to all nursing home residents should be a top priority. "Once that's in, then we should feel really confident that these declines will continue and we will not see a spike back up, even if we see one in the national picture," Jha said.

Nursing homes have been devastated by the coronavirus. Although only 5 percent of the country's cases have occurred in long-term care facilities, deaths related to COVID-19 in these settings have accounted for about 36 percent of deaths from the virus in the country, the Times reported.

That makes it all the more promising that reports of new cases among residents in nursing homes run by New York's health facilities associationwhich includes 425 skilled nursing homes and assisted living facilitieshave been steadily declining since the first and second week of January, Stephen Hanse, president and CEO of the association, told the Times.

"Throughout the state, providers really saw the cases reducing, residents stabilizing," he said, adding that it's too early to tell if the drop is directly linked to the number of vaccine doses being administered. At least 80 percent of residents have now received their second dose of the vaccine, Hanse said. Nursing home administrators and directors "really see the vaccine as the light at the end of the tunnel," he told the Times.

J&J, Novavax COVID vaccines work, but less so against South African variant

Two widely anticipated new COVID-19 vaccinesfrom Johnson & Johnson and Novavaxappear to halt infections in places where more contagious variants are circulating, new trials show.

But there was one key exception: Each loses a significant amount of its protective power when used where the new South African variant is circulating.

The news is ominous, since three U.S. cases of infection with the South African variant have now been reported in two U.S. states.

For the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine, the efficacy rate fell from a robust 72 percent in the United States arm of the trial to 57 percent in the trial conducted in South Africa, where the highly contagious variant is driving most cases.

Still, Dr. Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson, said the company plans to proceed with applying for emergency use approval in the United States. "This is the pandemic vaccine that can make a difference with a single dose," he told the Times.

Novavax's vaccine trial in Britain was far more successful than its South African trial: The company said that its initial analysis in the U.K. showed that out of 62 participants who developed the illness, 56 had received a placebo and 6 had gotten the vaccine. The more infectious British variant was found to have caused about 50 percent of the cases in that trial, Novavax said.

However, Novavax's smaller trial in South Africa also found the vaccine to only have a 49.4 percent efficacy overall. The company reported that about 6 percent of the trial's participants were positive for HIV, and for those who were not HIV-positive, the vaccine had a 60 percent efficacy.

The Novavax trials revealed another troubling fact: A third of the participants in its South African trial appeared to have already been infected with the original coronavirus and some of those people became infected again, suggesting natural immunity might not fully guard against the newly emerged South African variant.

South African COVID variant surfaces in Maryland, South Carolina

A Baltimore resident and two South Carolina residents, none of whom who had traveled recently, have been infected with the highly contagious South African coronavirus variant, health officials have reported.

The variant is perhaps the most worrisome to public health experts, because it seems to have some ability to evade COVID-19 antibody treatments or vaccines.

These are the first cases in the United States involving the new B.1.351 variant, and the patients' lack of travel or a connection to one another suggests the variant is already spreading in communities, experts said.

"We strongly encourage Marylanders to practice extra caution to limit the additional risk of transmission associated with this variant," Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Saturday, the Washington Post reported. "Please continue to practice standard public health and safety measures, including mask wearing, regular hand washing, and physical distancing."

The tone was similar in South Carolina.

"The arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 [South African] variant in our state is an important reminder to all South Carolinians that the fight against this deadly virus is far from over," Dr. Brannon Traxler, interim public health director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, said in a statement. "While more COVID-19 vaccines are on the way, supplies are still limited. Every one of us must recommit to the fight by recognizing that we are all on the front lines now. We are all in this together."

State officials did not release the names of the people infected, saying only that one is from the Low Country, along the South Carolina coastline, and one is from the northeastern corner of the state.

The B.1.351 variant, first identified in South Africa in December, is considered by scientists to be even more worrisome than the more widely publicized British variant. And last week, a more infectious Brazilian variant was diagnosed in a Minnesota resident who had recently traveled to Brazil.

Public health experts had feared that the variants were already in the United States, undetected until now because of limited surveillance.

The B.1.351 variant contains a key mutation that appears to allow the virus to elude the full power of antibody treatments and vaccines. At least one antibody therapy will not work against the new variant, and lab studies recently found the mutation in the variant diminishes the ability of vaccine-induced antibodies to neutralize the virus. Meanwhile, vaccine makers are already racing to make new vaccines and "booster" shots to handle the new mutations.

There are now a total of 467 variant cases reported in 32 U.S. states, according to the CDC.

The emergence of coronavirus variants has made the campaign to vaccinate all Americans even more urgent. As of Monday, more than 31.1 million Americans have been vaccinated, while nearly 50 million doses have been distributed, according to the CDC. More than 5.6 million people have received their second shot.

A global scourge

By Monday, the U.S. coronavirus case count passed 26.2 million while the death toll passed 441,000, according to a Times tally. On Monday, the top five states for coronavirus infections were: California with more than 3.3 million cases; Texas with nearly 2.4 million cases; Florida with over 1.7 million cases; New York with more than 1.4 million cases; and Illinois with over 1.1 million cases.

Curbing the spread of the coronavirus in the rest of the world remains challenging.

In India, the coronavirus case count was over 10.7 million by Friday, a Johns Hopkins University tally showed. Brazil had over 9.2 million cases and more than 224,500 deaths as of Friday, the Hopkins tally showed.

Worldwide, the number of reported infections passed 103 million on Friday, with nearly 2.2 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 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on the new coronavirus

Copyright  2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Due to the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on the economy, the finance minister has little room to provide any big relief for individuals in the Union Budget but there could be a small change in the tax slabs and rationalization, according to tax experts. Mint spoke to seven tax experts for a poll on the relief they expect the budget would provide to individuals. We present some of the measures that at least three experts thought could be announced in the Budget.

Even though the pandemic has impacted the economy, the International Monetary Fund has said that the country will be the fastest growing economy in the world in 2021 and projected the growth at 11.5%. It would translate in better tax collection going ahead. The government could, therefore, may not be too conservative with relief measures," said Suresh Surana, founder, RSM India, an audit, tax and consulting services firm.

CHANGES TO SECTION 80D

All tax experts were of the view that there some deductions that would be available for medical expenses that many families had to bear due to covid-19. This could be done under Section 80D.

Section 80D of the Income-Tax Act allows a deduction for medical insurance premium, preventive health check-up and medical expenditure incurred for senior citizens. A person can claim 25,000 deduction for medical insurance premium for self and family and 50,000 for senior citizen parents. Many insurance companies raised health premiums in FY21. Many seniors, saw the premiums rise by 50-100%. The FM may enhance the limit.

A taxpayer gets a deduction for parents aged 60 and above for medical expenditure if they do not have health insurance. Due to covid-19, the government may also offer this for taxpayers who are below 60," said Naveen Wadhwa, deputy general manager, Taxmann, a research and advisory firm.

CHANGES TO SLAB RATES

The government has not made any changes to the income tax slab rates since 2014, according to experts. Though a new tax regime was introduced last year with lower slabs, the rates in the old tax regime have remained the same.

However, the government brought in the tax rebate to lower the tax outgo some years ago; the limit was raised in 2019. Individuals who earn up to 2.5 lakh dont have to pay any tax at present. Those earning between 2.5 lakh and 5 lakh, too, dont pay any tax due to the rebate.

As the government has to provide some relief to the citizens, it may increase the basic exemption limit as many have faced salary cuts. Raising the basic exemption limit will lower the tax outgo slightly for individuals across tax slabs. At least three experts said that the basic exemption limit will be increased to 3 lakh from the existing 2.5 lakh.

standard deduction

The FM may increase the standard deduction if other reliefs are not provided, said experts.

If theres no relief under Section 80D, the standard deduction of 50,000 could be raised. It will also help those who have seen a reduction in salary and who spent money on setting up workstations and buying new devices to be able to work from home.

It will also leave more money in the hands of the taxpayers. The government needs to boost consumption, and this move would help," said a partner with a leading tax firm, on the condition of anonymity, as he is not the authorized spokesperson.

RATIONALIZATIONS

In October 2020, the government brought in leave travel concession (LTC) cash voucher scheme for private sector employees. Under the scheme, employees can claim a tax deduction on LTC by spending the money on buying goods and services instead of submitting travel bills.

It is not yet part of the Income-tax Act. The finance minister may make the necessary changes to incorporate it," said Preeti Khurana, tax expert and spokesperson of tax filing website Cleartax.in.

Many non-resident Indians (NRIs) were stuck in the country due to the pandemic. They couldnt travel back to their places of residence due to travel restrictions. For taxation purpose, an individual is considered as a resident Indian if he stays in the country for specified days. Being a resident, the person needs to file returns and pay tax.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had given relaxation to NRIs who were stuck in the country for FY20. But the same has not been done for FY21.

All tax experts are of the view that the finance minister is likely to give relaxation to NRIs, who were stuck in India. It would increase the number of days for a person to be considered as resident Indian for taxation purpose.

The government may also introduce a one-time covid-19 cess to make up for the reliefs it is providing to individuals.

With the government not having much scope to provide relief, a good budget will be one that doesnt increase the tax burden.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

Syrias notorious al-Hol Camp has recorded a record high death toll this month, including twenty murders.

January was a record month for northeastern Syrias infamous al-Hol Camp, east of Hassakeh, as it recorded its highest monthly death toll in the camps history. Twenty murders were recorded, among the victims Iraqi refugees, displaced Syrians and a member of the Internal Security Forces (Asayish).

On Sunday morning, the camp residents woke up to news of yet another murder. The victim was the Iraqi refugee who sustained bullet wounds to the head and abdomen from an unknown assailant.

The camp administration told North Press on Sunday there has been an unprecedented increase in killings.

A security source from al-Hol Camp said that a number of ISIS agents in the camp have been arrested since the beginning of 2021, after an increase in ISIS activity and their alleged involvement in 20 murders.

The source pointed out that investigations are still ongoing to uncover the networks cooperating with ISIS cells to carry out the killings and assassinations in the camp.

The camp also witnessed three assassination attempts during this month.

The administration expressed fear of a deteriorating situation amid growing ISIS activity in the Syrian Desert and near the Iraqi-Syrian border.

The Under-Secretary-General of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office, Vladimir Voronkov, called for the repatriation of children of the Islamic State (ISIS) in al-Hol Camp to their countries on Friday.

During an online meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, Voronkov said, These children are the responsibility of their countries, and of Syria.

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.
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.

Home cooks are going wild for a $15 kitchen gadget from Amazon that promises to slow cook your dinner to perfection.

An Australian woman called Monique shared how she uses the Pressure Cooker Egg Cooker Sling Lifter on Facebook, where she posted a picture of her roast chicken cooking inside the 'meat sling'.

'Chicken seasoned with soy sauce and Masterfoods all-purpose seasoning with veggies under it on low all day,' Monique posted.

The post has since received hundreds of comments about the red 'meat sling', with many comparing it to the 'mankini' made famous by Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat character.

Home cooks are going wild for a $15 kitchen gadget from Amazon that promises to slow cook your dinner to perfection, after one shared a snap of the 'mankini' in action (pictured)

'They make mankinis for chickens now?' one woman asked - earning over a hundred reactions from other home cooks.

'Don't tell Borat - he will want one,' another said.

One commenter said the device should be called a 'chickini', while another said the sling looks like suspenders or a seat belt.

'Did you get the chicken from Kazakhstan by any chance?' one person joked.

The sling is used to help take the chicken from the slow cooker without damaging it in the moving process.

According to product description on Amazon, it can be used for all kinds of meat, as well as baking trays, baking cups, and even eggs cooked inside the appliance.

'Durable, reusable slings make it easy to lift baking trays, baking cups,' information states.

'Handle the interlock to accommodate the pressure cooker lid while remaining above the food.

'Designed to keep the baking tray above the water during cooking. Great for cheesecakes, lasagne, mini biscuits etc.'

The sling is used to help take the chicken from the slow cooker without damaging it in the moving process (pictured)

Many who saw the post also said the gadget works well inside air fryers.

'They are so useful for lifting things out of hot devices without them falling apart,' one woman posted.

The device has an impressive five-star rating online, where a reviewer described it as a 'good quality item'.
GREENVILLE  There will have to be a new meat-and-three proving ground for presidential candidates looking to show they know everyday voters.

Tommy's Country Ham House will close this spring after nearly four decades of serving country food and  some way, some how  playing a traditional part in Southern politics on a national scale.

Owner Tommy Stevenson announced via news release Sunday evening that he will retire and close the restaurant.

The building on Rutherford Street will be bought by a Charleston-based restaurant group and make way for a new dining concept this time next year.

Stevenson said in the release that closing "has been one of the most difficult decisions I've ever made." He will turn 80 this year and said he wants to spend more time with children and grandchildren.

"None of us are guaranteed tomorrow," he said, "so I felt now was the time to retire, relax a bit and do some of the things Ive not been able to do.

The restaurant has been at its nondescript, brick location on Rutherford since 1997 after it moved from Buncombe Road, where Stevenson bought the Country Ham House in 1985.

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!

Dating back as far back as U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, the national media recognized the restaurant as a necessary regular stop for high-level politicians to be seen connecting with the average voter.

Stevenson long proclaimed he welcomed both Republicans and Democrats, and both came  without the owner's endorsement either way. But mostly, it was a setting for anyone wanting to show Upstate voters their conservative roots leading up to South Carolina's "First in the South" primary.

Former President Donald Trump visited in 2016.

In 2000, former President George W. Bush, while campaigning at the restaurant, was greeted with a pile of horse manure courtesy of PETA protesters.

Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich locked in a fierce primary battle in 2012 played a game of chicken there, with both scheduling a meet-and-greet at the same time. Ultimately, the two missed each other by moments.

During the course of 36 years, Stevenson would begin his day at 4 a.m., cutting his own ground beef, pork chops and cube steak.

It is unclear the exact date the restaurant will close but Stevenson encouraged friends and customers to stop by so he can thank them.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A man was found dead on the citys East Side after a neighbor located him in the backyard of an abandoned house, police say.

Neighbors called the police around 9:10 a.m. Friday to the 700 block of 131st Street when they discovered a man had died from a gunshot wound to the head. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners office later identified the man as James Harris, 60.

Police have made no arrests in the shooting, and no witnesses have been located. A nearby resident reported hearing shots fired in the area on Thursday night, according to a report by Cleveland police spokeswoman, Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call investigators at 216-623-5464.
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.
Under Xi Jinping, China is using its armed forces increasingly to intimidate Japan, India and Indonesia among others, while breaking its solemn commitment to Hong Kongs autonomy and increasing its military pressure on Taiwan. The argument to allow it more strategic space was a pre-emptive excuse not for some elegant academic argument on the rise and fall of great powers but an invitation to a rogue power to smash its way to dominance. Under Xi Jinping, China is using its armed forces increasingly to intimidate Japan, India and Indonesia among others. Credit:AP And its not about the moral equivalence of China with the rise of the US a century or two ago. Its about the absolutes of security today. Beijing is injuring its neighbours, destabilising the region, and ignoring the rules that middle powers like Australia rely on for national security and sovereign survival. Excuse number two. We mustnt make China angry. Over the past few decades, the Australian media has been conditioned to expect anger from the Chinese government. We put ourselves in a constant state of anticipation. Reporters and editors closely watched Australias government for anything that might make China angry. It became the main frame through which Australia absorbed news about the bilateral relationship.

Altogether, Australian newspaper reports on relations between Australia and China have featured the word angry on 1057 occasions over the five years from 2015 to 2020, according to a search of the Factiva database. Thats an average of 211 per year. Or one report of Chinas anger at Australia every 1.7 days. These reports usually are interpretations of remarks in the Chinese Communist Partys media or by Chinese officials. This is unique among Australias international relationships. No other countrys dealings with Australia are assessed consistently through the prism of anger, anticipated or actual. Australians are not told that they should live in fear of any other nation. So, naturally, when China takes action against Australia it seems justified by its anger. Inevitable, almost. Implicit is that Australia has acted wrongly, aggressively or provocatively. It has earned this anger; we are somehow responsible. An airstrip, structures and buildings on Chinas man-made Subi Reef in the Spratly chain of islands in the South China Sea. Credit:AP Is China actually angry in all these instances? No one seems to bother asking the question. The Australian sinologist Geremie Barme gives us a strong clue: Performative outrage is a high art in China. So is propaganda and what the Party likes to call discourse control.

This successful Chinese conditioning of the Australian mind over the decades had made us more receptive to the sort of self-abasement we are urged to perform to assuage Chinas anger. This week, for instance, we hear a former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Philip Flood, telling us that the current low point in relations is caused by both countries and that Australia needs to approach China with more nuance. Loading What sort of nuance would Flood suggest we use against a fascist power that is crushing human liberty at home  including a program of genocide in Xinjiang  and using brute force to make illegal territorial grabs abroad? Lets recall that the origin point of the current low point was the bipartisan decision of Australias Parliament to pass laws against foreign interference and espionage. This was followed by the ban on Huawei. And the request for an inquiry into the origin of the pandemic that has killed 2 million people so far and created a global recession. The truth is that Xis regime is not entitled to the strategic space it is seizing from its neighbours. It is not righteously angry at any Australian lack of nuance. It is a dictatorship determined to break Australias sovereign will. Australia is seeking to defend itself and its interests; Beijing is the aggressor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hopes that under the Biden administration, Ukraine and the United States will enter a new stage of relations that will strengthen the security of our state.

He said this in an interview with Axios on HBO, Ukrinform reports with reference to the Voice of America.

I sincerely wish Joe Biden every success in all the challenges he faces. As for Ukraine, I would like us to enter a new stage and embark on a new path. President Biden said that he worries and will continue to worry and work for security in Europe, Zelensky said.

He explained that this is the most important issue for Ukraine, "because security in Europe concerns us."

We still have the war and aggression of the Russian Federation in eastern Ukraine, as well as the annexation of Crimea. Therefore, I would like the United States, in particular President Biden who is very familiar with Ukraine, to help us get out of this truly tragic situation, the president noted.

To the journalist's question - "What exactly do you need from the United States?" - Zelensky replied: We are grateful for everything. But if we, Ukrainians, and Ukraine want to be an equal member of NATO ... This is one of the most important security issues - the very security that President Biden is talking about. In this case, I have a very simple question: Mr. President, why are we still not in NATO?"

Photo credit: the Office of the President of Ukraine

ish
The CEOs of ExxonMobil Corp and Chevron Corp held preliminary talks in early 2020 to explore combining the two largest U.S. oil producers in what would have been the biggest merger of all time.

Sources said Exxon's Darren Woods and Chevron's Mike Wirth talked about combining into a behemoth that would be second in the world by market capitalization and production only to Aramco, Saudi Arabia's state oil producer.

The discussions, which are no longer ongoing, are indicative of the pressure the energy sector's most dominant companies faced as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold and crude prices plunged.

Exxon's Darren Woods, left, and Chevron's Mike Wirth, right, reportedly talked about combining into a multi-billion dollar behemoth

A photo shot from a drone shows the Exxon Mobile oil refinery operating in Channahon, Illinois

The talks were serious enough for legal documents involving certain aspects of the merger discussions to be drafted, one of the sources said. The reason the talks ended could not be learned.

The sources requested anonymity because the matter is confidential. Exxon and Chevron, which have market capitalizations of $190 billion and $164 billion, respectively, declined to comment.

A merger between Exxon and Chevron would be expected to face antitrust and other regulatory hurdles under the Biden administration.

On his inauguration day, Biden signed an executive order revoking the permit for the TC Energy's crude oil Keystone XL pipeline and he has also taken the US back into the Paris climate accords.

The president has also previously said he would the 'transition away from the oil industry.'

'The oil industry pollutes, significantly. ... It has to be replaced by renewable energy over time,' Biden said in October.
US Alarmed by Reports of Military Coup in Burma, Will Take Action If Steps Arent Reversed

U.S. President Joe Bidens administration expressed alarm late Sunday over reports of a military coup in Burma and promised to take action if steps arent taken to reverse the situation.

According to Burmese military television on Monday, the military is taking control of the country for one year.

State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, the nations top leader, and the countrys president, Win Myint, were both detained in the pre-dawn hours, as were members of Suu Kyis ruling party and regional Cabinet members, according to The Irrawaddy news service.

In a statement, the army said it was responding to election fraud. Military chief Min Aung Hlaing was taking power and planned to impose a state of emergency for 12 months.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement that the United States was alarmed by reports that the Burmese military has taken steps to undermine the countrys democratic transition, including the arrest of Suu Kyi and other officials.

A Burmese migrant holds up an image of Aung San Suu Kyi during a demonstration outside the Burmese embassy in Bangkok on Feb. 1, 2021. (Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP via Getty Images)

Burmas military checkpoint is seen on the way to the congress compound in Naypyitaw, Burma, on Feb. 1, 2021. (Stringer/Reuters)

Biden was briefed by national security adviser Jake Sullivan on the situation, but hasnt directly weighed in on the matter as of Monday.

We continue to affirm our strong support for Burmas democratic institutions and, in coordination with our regional partners, urge the military and all other parties to adhere to democratic norms and the rule of law, and to release those detained today, Psaki added.

The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed. We are monitoring the situation closely and stand with the people of Burma, who have already endured so much in their quest for democracy and peace.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on Burmese military leaders to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on Nov. 8.

The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately, he said in a statement.

Burma, also known as Myanmar, is in Southeast Asia adjacent to Thailand and India, among other countries. It has a population of around 54 million.

Suu Kyi, 75, originally took office in 2016. Suu Kyi, the general secretary of her party, was placed under house arrest for many years in 1989 after the military refused to hand over power following the 1988 elections.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 19:31:04|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

HONG KONG, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) Ashley Alder said on Monday that the investment ban imposed on China by the United States had little impact on the Hong Kong market.

At the end of last year, the United States issued an executive order imposing sanctions on Chinese companies that it believed had ties with the Chinese military, and prohibiting U.S. investors from investing in these companies. The executive order came into effect on Jan. 11 this year.

Alder said that there have been different understandings towards the investment ban in the Hong Kong market and some sanctions have been postponed by the U.S. Therefore, the impact on Hong Kong market was slight and controllable.

Alder said that the SFC has been in close communication with various financial institutions, including U.S. banks operating in Hong Kong since the introduction of the ban to study how they could enforce the ban. The SFC also provided financial institutions with guidelines, hoping to reduce negative impact.

One of the examples is that Tracker Fund of Hong Kong, Hong Kong's largest and most active funds, recently changed its mind and withdrawn its decision to ban investment in sanctioned Chinese stocks.

The SFC said that the amount and proportion of U.S. investors' shares in Tracker Fund were very small and would not have a destructive impact on the operation of the fund and the interests of investors. Enditem

Its an article of faith among Democrats that the Trump administration did not enforce Americas civil rights laws. Its also nonsense.

As I have demonstrated, under President Trump the DOJs Civil Rights Division, led by Eric Dreiband, vigorously enforced federal civil rights laws on behalf of all groups protected by these laws. The evidence is here.

The beef of left-liberals against the Trump DOJs enforcement effort has nothing to do with alleged lax enforcement of laws protecting Blacks Hispanics, women, or LGBT individuals. Their grievance is that the DOJ also took action to combat unlawful discrimination against Whites.

Its easy to overlook another group protected by federal law, disabled individuals. This group cuts across racial and gender lines, but is not predominately Black or Latino.

Thus, while the left doesnt mind enforcing the rights of the disabled, it doesnt mind not enforcing them, either.

For example, the Obama administration wasnt interested in taking action against Amtrak, even though that railroad failed to meet its obligation to provide proper access for the disabled to its stations. Under the law, Amtrak had until 2010 to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which was passed in 1990. It failed to do so.

So in 2016 when a college student named Thomas Morgan, who uses a wheelchair, wanted to visit his family, he found that the Amtrak station in the town where he attended school was inaccessible. There was no wheelchair access. The only way to board the train was by stairs.

It was the Trump DOJ that finally acted to force Amtrak to comply with the ADA. Following an investigation, it filed suit against the company. As a result, Amtrak reached an agreement with the Justice Department to make stations accessible, as well as to provide training to staff on ADA requirements.

In the last fiscal year, the company says it spent $109 million on ADA-related design and construction improvement projects. And it has plans during the next ten years to design at least 135 stations to be accessible, to complete construction at 90 of those stations, and to have at least 45 more under construction.

The settlement means that individuals with mobility disabilities will be able to travel freely. This is an important civil right. In its absence, people with disabilities cannot enjoy the full economic, social, and cultural benefits of America.

Thats of little or no concern to the racial equity crowd. For example, when Vanita Gupta, Bidens new associate attorney general nominee, headed the civil rights division, it did nothing to enforce the ADA against the perennially non-compliant Amtrak.

Theres no reason to believe that the race-obsessed Gupta will be more solicitous of the disabled this time around. The same is true of Kristen Clarke, Bidens nominee to head the civil rights division. If anything, shes an even more wild-eyed race warrior than Gupta. Clarkes focus is likely to be on imposing racial quotas throughout the land and on undermining the ability of local police departments to fight crime.

Things may be looking up for under-qualified Blacks and criminals of all race, creeds, and colors. However, disabled individuals and many others protected by federal civil rights law will probably have to fend for themselves.
The New York Times

Johnson & Johnson, the only major drugmaker developing a single-dose vaccine for COVID, announced Friday that its shot provided strong protection against COVID-19, potentially offering another powerful tool in a desperate race against a worldwide rise in virus mutations. But the results came with a significant cautionary note: The vaccines efficacy rate dropped from 72% in the United States to 57% in South Africa, where a highly contagious variant is driving most cases.

Studies suggest that this variant also blunts the effectiveness of COVID vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax. The variant has spread to at least 31 countries, including the United States, where two cases were documented this week.

With these results, Johnson & Johnson became the fifth company supported by the US government to develop an effective COVID vaccine in less than a year, and the only one that doesnt need two doses  a big advantage when most countries are struggling to get shots in arms more quickly.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was extremely effective in preventing severe cases of COVID  including serious illness caused by the variant, the company said. Though less effective than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines now authorized in the United States, Johnson & Johnsons is still considered a strong vaccine by scientists. Annual flu vaccines, for example, are typically 40% to 60% effective.

This is a really great result, said Akiko Iwasaki, immunologist at Yale University. I hope this vaccine gets approved as soon as possible to reduce disease burden around the world.

Johnson & Johnson said that it planned to apply for emergency authorization of the vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration as soon as next week, putting it on track to receive clearance later in February.

This is the pandemic vaccine that can make a difference with a single dose, said Dr. Paul Stoffels, the chief scientific officer of Johnson & Johnson.

The companys announcement comes as the Biden administration is pushing to immunize Americans faster even with a tight vaccine supply. White House officials have been counting on Johnson & Johnsons vaccine to ease the shortfall. But the company may only have about 7 million doses ready when the FDA decides whether to authorize it, according to federal health officials familiar with its production, and about 30 million doses by early April.

The variant from South Africa, known as B.1.351, could make things even worse for the vaccine push. Given the speed at which the variant swept through that country, it is conceivable that by April it could make up a large fraction of infections in the United States.

The fact that at least four vaccines backed by the federal government seem to be less effective against the B.1.351 variant has unsettled federal officials and vaccine experts alike. Facing this uncertainty, many researchers said it was imperative to get as many people vaccinated as possible  quickly. Lowering the rate of infection could thwart the contagious variants while they are still rare, and prevent other viruses from gaining new mutations that could cause more trouble.

If ever there was reason to vaccinate as many people as expeditiously as we possibly can with the vaccine that we have right now, now is the time, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the governments top infectious disease expert, said in an interview. Because the less people that get infected, the less chance youre going to give this particular mutant a chance to become dominant.

As the United States scrambles to get enough vaccines, the country is turning into something of an evolutionary experiment. The B.1.351 variant is one of several that have arrived in the country or originated here, all with the ability to spread faster than other variants.

The pandemic is a lot more complicated now than it was a couple months ago, said Dr. Dan Barouch, a virus expert at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston.

Vaughn Cooper, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Pittsburgh, said that all the new variants were likely evolving quietly for months before bursting on the scene.

I think were going to see many stories like this, he said.

Federal regulators are also still waiting on data from Johnson & Johnsons new manufacturing facility in Baltimore that prove it can mass-produce the vaccine. The company is counting on that factory to help reach its contractual pledge to the federal government of 100 million doses by the end of June.

If Johnson & Johnson can deliver vaccines quickly enough to the United States, it might be able to help drive down cases before variants make things worse. Since the vaccine requires only a single shot  unlike the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, which require two  that delivery would translate into full coverage for 100 million people.

Johnson & Johnsons vaccine has another advantage that might help speed up the rollout. It can stay viable in a refrigerator for three months, while the two authorized vaccines have to be kept frozen. That gives the company an edge not just in reaching more isolated parts of the United States but also in getting the vaccine to remote areas of the world that could otherwise seed more aggressive mutants.

Still, Johnson & Johnson and other vaccine-makers must prepare for the B.1.351 variant or another one surging to dominance and demanding new vaccines.

Youve got to be nimble enough to be able to adapt by upgrading our vaccines that match the dominant strain, Fauci said.

Exactly when to make that switch will be a difficult decision, because the viruses are spreading unpredictably, and manufacturing new doses will be a huge undertaking.

The implications of that are big. You would not take that choice lightly, said John D. Grabenstein, a public health researcher with the Immunization Action Coalition, a nonprofit organization that disseminates information about vaccines. Its not doomsday. Its just that we are going to need a bigger boat.

Johnson & Johnsons announcement came one day after Novavax said an early analysis of its 15,000-person trial in Britain had revealed that the two-dose vaccine had an efficacy rate of nearly 90% there. But in a small trial in South Africa, the efficacy rate dropped to just under 50%.

Another federally backed vaccine-maker, AstraZeneca, has been authorized for emergency use in Britain and other countries and will likely have results next month from its trial in the United States. It has not released any information about the vaccines effectiveness against the variant but is expected to do so soon.

Johnson & Johnson presented only a summary of findings of its clinical trial. The vaccine was 85% effective in preventing severe disease in all three regions where the trial was run: the United States, Latin America and South Africa. After 28 days, none of the vaccinated participants who developed COVID-19 had to be hospitalized.

Unlike the messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, Johnson & Johnson uses an adenovirus, which normally causes the common cold. While adenovirus-based vaccines have been investigated for some three decades, they have yet to be licensed for use in the United States.

Johnson & Johnsons Ebola vaccine became the first approved adenovirus-based vaccine for any disease when European regulators gave it the green light in July. Astra-Zeneca and the University of Oxford used a different adenovirus for their coronavirus vaccine, which is now authorized in Britain and other countries. Russian scientists created their Sputnik V vaccine from adenoviruses as well.

Johnson & Johnson received $456 million from Operation Warp Speed to support its research. In July, the government agreed to purchase 100 million doses for $1 billion if it proved safe and effective.

That same month, the company moved into clinical trials, which found that a single shot produced a strong immune response, consistent with experiments done on monkeys. Johnson & Johnson began the final phase 3 trial in September, again using a single dose. It recruited volunteers in the United States, South Africa and Latin America.

Half of the volunteers received the vaccine and half received a placebo. The company then had to wait. Only when enough people in the trial got COVID-19 would an independent board of advisers look at the results to see how many sick volunteers were vaccinated  a process known as unblinding.

Late last year, surges of coronavirus infections accelerated the trial toward unblinding. In December, Johnson & Johnson decided it would not need to recruit 60,000 volunteers as it originally planned. It capped the trial at 45,000.

Like other vaccine developers, Johnson & Johnson was required by the FDA to also record information about adverse events experienced by the volunteers for the first few months after vaccination.

Barouch, who led the team that designed the vaccine and tested it on animals last year, had to wait for months for the unblinding.

Im thinking a lot about it, he said in a Jan. 11 interview. But, no, I dont have Champagne ready to go.

After he learned the results, Barouch said he was delighted.

I think this vaccine will have a public health benefit throughout the world, he said.

Johnson & Johnson is also moving forward with other trials of the vaccine to see how it can be improved. In December it began a trial with two doses. Fauci was optimistic that people who get a so-called prime boost may enjoy even more protection.

If they get a prime boost, its entirely conceivable that they can get up to 90-plus percent, he said.

In addition, Stoffels said that Johnson & Johnson was tailoring a version of its vaccine with a protein patterned after the B.1.351 variant. It could potentially deploy it in countries where that version of the virus was a threat.

Pretty much all vaccine developers now are having that conversation, said Dr. Peter J. Hotez, a vaccine expert with the Baylor School of Medicine and the creator of a different coronavirus vaccine.

Carl Zimmer, Noah Weiland and Sharon LaFraniere. c.2021 The New York Times Company
News at 4Cs

New England Patriots Foundation Donates $100,000 to Cape Cod Community College for New STEM Building

The New England Patriots Foundation, led by the teams owner Robert Kraft, have donated $100,000 to Cape Cod Community Colleges Educational Foundation in support of the ongoing capital campaign for the Colleges new Science and Engineering Center.

Last year, the Colleges Educational Foundation applied for a grant from the Patriots Foundation to help close the cost gap for the Frank and Maureen Wilkens Science and Engineering Center, currently under construction on the West Barnstable campus. Trish Kennedy, co-chair of the The Future is Now Capital Campaign and COO and co-founder of longtime Patriots sponsor ZUDY, made the connection with Mr. Kraft to put the project on their radar.

Trish Kennedy made us aware of the many great STEM programs that Cape Cod Community College is currently supporting and their commitment to expanding those programs through a new Science and Engineering Center, said Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group. We have a long history of supporting educational programs throughout New England and have always stressed the importance of STEM subjects. The programs Cape Cod Community College will offer in their community will provide opportunities that will have exponential impact on families for generations to come.

In 2018, Governor Charlie Baker signed a bond bill guaranteeing $25 million to the College to support the construction of the new $38 million building. The College put $3 million into the project and the CCCC Educational Foundation has worked to raise the additional $10 million, anchored by a historic $5 million dollar gift from longtime College supporter Mrs. Maureen Wilkens. The $100,000 gift from the Patriots Foundation brings the current amount raised to $7.3 million.

The Frank and Maureen Wilkens Science and Engineering Center will enable our College to become the hub for STEM education for Southeastern Massachusetts, and we are immensely grateful for the investment in our future students by Mr. Kraft and the New England Patriots Foundation, said John Cox, President of Cape Cod Community College. When it is completed, our Science and Engineering Center will be among the largest zero net energy building in the Northeast, serving thousands of students who will come through our doors to learn and train as the next generation of STEM professionals. We cant wait to cut the ribbon on the building so we can show the world what happens next at 4Cs.

Construction is currently underway on the West Barnstable campus with the buildings targeted opening in Spring 2023.

For more information about the Future is Now campaign, visit the Cape Cod Community College Educational Foundation at ccccfoundation.org.
3 1 of 3 Courtesy photo Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy photo Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Two vehicles were purposely set on fire last week, according to the Laredo Fire Department.

Crews initially responded to a structure fire at about 2 a.m. Friday in the 2200 block of Old Spanish Trail.


[February 01, 2021] Impeach, Indict, Heal? A Discussion of Post-Trump Washington

New York, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As we draw close to the start date of former President Trump's second impeachment trial many questions require answers and in depth analysis. Over the course of two podcast episodes, we have spoken to Impeachment Manager Congressman Eric Swallwel, Constitutional Law Professor Michael Gerhardt, former President Bill Clinton's Press Secretary during his impeachment saga, Joe Lockhardt, former Republican Congressman Charlie Dent to help us understand and process the events that gave rise to the impeachment, what to expect during the trial, and what Washington in the post-Trump era will look like. Please join us for these discussions and then email us at ThatSaidZeldin@gmail.com for follow up questions and answers. A Message from Michael That Said is a weekly series that takes a fresh look at the ideas, events, and people who shape our times. Join me in lively conversation with bestselling authors, thought leaders, and opinion-makers as we delve into current and evolving topics.



About Our Host Michael Zeldin is a well-known and highly-regarded TV and radio analyst/commentator.

He has covered many high-profile matters, including the Clinton impeachment proceedings, the Gore v. Bush court challenges, Special Counsel Robert Mullers investigation of interference in the 2016 presidential election, and the Trump impeachment proceedings. In 2019, Michael was a Resident Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he taught a study group on Independent Investigations of Presidents. Previously, Michael was a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as Deputy Independent/ Independent Counsel, investigating allegations of tampering with presidential candidate Bill Clintons passport files, and as Deputy Chief Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee, October Surprise Task Force, investigating the handling of the American hostage situation in Iran. Michael is a prolific writer and has published Op-ed pieces for CNN.com, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Hill, The Washington Times, and The Washington Post. Follow Michael on Twitter @MichaelZeldin







Fay Shapiro CommPRO.biz fays@commpro.biz

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
A decision by the shadow cabinet of the Liberal Party to ultimately support a bill banning gay conversion therapy has exposed divisions in the Victorian opposition.

A leaked email, obtained by The Age and sent to MPs on Monday afternoon, outlines the Liberal Partys strategy to deal with the controversial proposal. They will, in effect, support the change by choosing not to oppose it in State Parliament but will move amendments during Thursdays upper house debate.

In a tense meeting of shadow ministers on Monday, the majority of frontbench MPs supported the plan, knowing the amendments, such as asking for the proposal to be scrutinised by a parliamentary committee, were doomed to fail.

Several upper house Liberal MPs told The Age they were prepared to challenge the decision of the shadow cabinet in the party room meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning, with conservative MPs saying they feared losing support from conservative branch members or that the process had been rushed.

In the email, the Liberal Party refused to explicitly state to its MPs that the party supported the bill, fearing a collision course with a handful of MPs who have been vocal about their opposition to the proposed laws.
A FAMILY bakery which closed after 65 years in Henley has been saved by another of the towns traders.

David Rodger-Sharp, who owns the jewellery shops of the same name in Duke Street and Bell Street, says he bought Lawlors to keep the name alive.

The bakery at Henley Enterprise Park, off Greys Road, which closed on January 16, will re-open in the next few days.

As well as the wholesale operation, it will have a new cafe selling cakes, coffee and sandwiches at the former Sole Man shop unit in Duke Street.

Mr Rodger-Sharp said that when he learned that Lawlors was going to close, he saw the chance to support a local business and save part of the towns history.

He had already planned to turn the former cobblers into a cafe called Marcos.

He sought the support of his business partners, Mark Maslin, a chef from Buckinghamshire, and Andy Byerley, with whom he runs the jewellery operation, before approaching the bakerys joint owners, Mike Lawlor and Anne Baker.

Mr Lawlor, the son of founder John Lawlor, and Mrs Baker have agreed to let him use the name and will stay on as independent consultants as well as sharing their recipes.

The pair, who are aged 84 and 77 respectively, had been thinking of retiring anyway but said the third lockdown of pubs, which were their main source of business, had made it impractical to continue trading.

Their staff, comprising Mrs Bakers husband Nick and children Chris Baker and Nicola Taylor, and David Evans and Gilly Crook, were made redundant but the new owner says he would welcome them back. Chris Baker, formerly head baker, has decided to pursue other opportunities.

Mr Rodger-Sharp said: Everything fell into place quite nicely. The Duke Street unit is perfect for a cafe and we were always planning to sell the highest quality goods but at a reasonable price.

Wed decided on suppliers and were in the middle of confirming a refit for the shop when we saw the news about Lawlors.

It was devastating to see a brand with so much heritage disappearing from Henley and I thought it shouldnt be happening.

We met online first because we realised it would be a big responsibility to take on the Lawlors name and we wanted to be sure we could do it justice before going ahead.

We decided now was a good time because although my focus will remain on the jewellery business, the lockdown means that I have more time and energy to spend on launching it.

I had a conversation with John and Anne and was fascinated to hear about their history, which made me all the more determined that it would continue with their blessing.

Its totally understandable that they wanted to retire  Im 36 and if I can achieve half as much with my working life Ill be very happy.

Well be taking over all their equipment and delivery vans and theyve very generously offered as much help as we might need to maintain the high standard that customers are used to.

Ive no idea how to bake a lardy cake so having them to supervise will be a real benefit.

It would be lovely if the staff stayed but Chris has been working 4am starts for such a long time and deserves a break. Anyone with such a strong tie to the business will always be welcome back in future.

Were racing to get up and running as soon as possible because theres still loads of interest in the Lawlors name and Im sure people will be delighted to see it return.

Mr Rodger-Sharp opened his Duke Street outlet at the former Henley Goldsmiths premises in 2018 then took over the old D J King jewellers unit in Bell Street last year.

His second shop, which is undergoing refurbishment after hosting a pop-up gift outlet over Christmas, employs a goldsmith who makes items on site and will host training courses for young people once lockdown is over.

He hopes the bakery could also offer apprenticeships and work experience weeks.

Mr Rodger-Sharp said: I grew up in a childrens home and the opportunities for training that I was given in that time really changed my life.

Ive always wanted to give something back in everything I do and this is another chance to do that.

When lockdown ends, hopefully at Easter if the predictions work out, well be employing 13 or 14 staff across the businesses. Thats a bit daunting but its great to provide a livelihood for so many people.

Mr Lawlor said: Things are moving very quickly because obviously David doesnt want to be shut for very long as the name is still fresh in peoples minds.

I think its lovely that itll continue and David is bursting with energy and enthusiasm, which for me is a vital ingredient. He has got his head screwed on and is clearly very capable in business so hopefully this will be a great success and we wish him the absolute best.

Well be helping him and his team to make the same great product we were offering and weve got every confidence in him.

Mrs Baker, who joined the firm as a van driver and became a partner in the mid-Seventies, said: Its brilliant that Davids going to keep Lawlors going and Im sure our customers will be really pleased. Mr Lawlor and Mrs Baker will cut the ribbon when the new cafe is officially opened.

John Lawlor & Son Ltd was started in north London in 1948 and moved to Henley in 1956.

Mr Lawlor joined his father, a pastry chef, that same year after completing his National Service and took over in 1972.

The business first had a shop and bakery in Reading Road before opening a second shop in Duke Street at what is now the Drifters coffee house.

That unit was taken over by W H Smith, now in Bell Street, in the early Sixties so the outlet moved to what is now Crockers restaurant in Market Place.

That shut in the Seventies, followed a decade later by the Reading Road premises. The business later opened at Market Place Mews, now Gardiner Place, then moved to Henley Enterprise Park  then known as Empstead Works  in 2003.
Crash Leaves Woman Injured, Charged with DUI

By West Kentucky Star Staff

CALDWELL COUNTY - A crash Saturday night left a Caldwell County woman facing a DUI charge.The single vehicle accident happened at approximately 7:00 pm in the area of Marion Road and Pidcock Road. The Caldwell County Sheriff's Office said the driver, 40-year-old Kelly Mason of Princeton, was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.After being taken to Caldwell County Medical Center for treatment of her injuries, Mason was lodged in the Caldwell County Jail.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : Companies and organisations, it seems, have become so entangled in their own internal issues, so beset by invisible red tape, so handicapped by frozen screens, that they've lost sight of their purpose and culture -- replaced with a pipeline of bureaucracy leading straight into our bedrooms, writes Danish author and one of the world's foremost business and culture transformation experts Martin Lindstrom, in "The Ministry of Common Sense" (Hachette), a humorous yet practical guide to ridding ourselves-and our companies-of the bureaucratic bottlenecks and red tape that plague every office.

For instance:

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the TSA (Transportation Security Administration, the US equivalent of the CISF at airports) is allowing passengers to board planes with unlimited amounts of hand sanitizer, while maintaining its 3.4-ounce limit on all other liquids.

Your eighth Zoom meeting of the day keeps freezing - and if you hear anyone say, "No, wait, no, you go first" again, you'll implode.

And, by the way, how come every Zoom call lasts exactly one hour, no matter how trivial the subject matter? And as Zoom became a fixture in our bedrooms, why did the toilet breaks disappear?

Why has a simple task like buying office equipment turned into a six-member committee decision followed by a five-level approval process?

* When a 264-page PPT deck kicks off with "Welcome to the Christmas Party Planning Meeting", you know it's time to call the Ministry of Common Sense to put an end to this nonsense, once and for all! What happened to common sense - and how can we get it back?

Here's the reality, according to Martin Lindstrom. As Covid-19 profoundly changes the way we work, it no longer makes sense to do things the way we used to. Lindstrom's suggestion -- to set up a 'Ministry of Common Sense' designed to remove one stupidity at a time. First created and set up at Standard Chartered Bank -- the concept has spread across the world -- helped eliminate bureaucratic red tape, bad excuses, and corporate BS.

New York Times best-selling author Martin Lindstrom combines numerous real-life examples of corporate common sense gone wrong with this ingenious plan for restoring logic -- and sanity -- to the companies and people who need it most. A must-read for today's executives, managers, and office workers,
As Myanmar's military detained State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest and declared the country under a state of emergency for one year, UN Secretary-General's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric tweeted a statement issued by the Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. He stated that Guterres strongly condemns the detention of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders on the eve of the opening session of Myanmars new Parliament. It is a serious blow to Myanmar's democratic reforms, he added.

.@antonioguterres strongly condemns the detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders in Myanmar. These developments are a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar. https://t.co/qsuY0JbuwP @UNinMyanmar  UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) February 1, 2021

READ | US 'alarmed' By Military Coup In Myanmar, Says 'will Take Action If Steps Not Reversed'

"The Secretary-General strongly condemns the detention of State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other political leaders on the eve of the opening session of Myanmars new Parliament. He expresses his grave concern regarding the declaration of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military. These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar." UN stated.

The Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN's support for Myanmar people 'in their pursuit of democracy, peace, development, human rights and the rule of law'.

READ | Myanmar Launches COVID-19 Vaccination Drive Following Shipment From India

Aung San Suu Kyi detained

Myanmar's military takes over as they detained de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and declared it had taken control of the country for one year under a state of emergency. Rising tensions between the military and the government for weeks, the intervention came after the allegations of fraud in November's elections.

READ | India To Send 1.5 Million Covishield Vaccine Doses To Myanmar By January 22

Myanmar's newly formed democracy

November 8 was the second openly contested vote in Myanmar after the 2015 elections, which saw Aung San Suu Kyi become the first democratically elected leader of the country after 50-years of junta rule. Despite winning the 2015 polls with a landslide victory, the Nobel laureate faced international scrutiny after she oversaw the genocide of lakhs of Rohingyas. Under Suu Kyi's rule, nearly 8,00,000 Rohingya Muslims had to flee Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh following state-sponsored persecution in the Buddhist-majority country.

READ | Myanmar Elections: PM Modi Congratulates Aung San Suu Kyi; Calls For Strengthening Ties
Hong Kong: Residents comply with testing notices

The Government today conducted enforcement actions at two buildings in Tsuen Wan and Tin Shui Wai which were included in the compulsory testing notices to check whether residents have undergone mandatory testing.

More than 240 residents at Block R, Luk Yeung Sun Chuen in Tsuen Wan were checked, and over 400 were checked at Block 9, Lynwood Court in Kingswood Villas, Tin Shui Wai.

All of them have complied with the compulsory testing notices and underwent testing within the specified period.

The enforcement actions started at around 7am and ended at around 11am.

Government staff verified the testing certifications of the two buildings residents and conducted random checks in the buildings to verify whether they have undergone compulsory testing.

The Government said the aim of issuing the compulsory testing notice is to stop the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

It thanked all residents who had complied with the compulsory testing notices for their co-operation in fighting the virus together.

The Government added that it will continue to enforce the law strictly.

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Axios

Southwest Airlines won't yet resume its in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: The airline initially planned to resume the service June, but Sonya Lacore, Southwest's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free."Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego  Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

New Delhi:

Adding to series of allegations against West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday accused him of threatening her and said that he was acting like a "BJP block president".

"He (Governor) threatened me over phone. The way he spoke taking the side of BJP, I felt insulted. I have told him that he cannot talk like this," Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat.

"He (the governor) is behaving like a block president of BJP. He should understand that he has been nominated to the post...," she said.

ALSO READ: Tripura state unit will ask Mamata to review decision on Meira: TMC

"He talked big on law and order. I am not here at the mercy of anyone. The way he spoke to me, I once thought of leaving (the chair)," she said.

I made it clear to him (Governor) that he cannot speak to me in such a manner, cannot threaten me: Mamata Banerjee,West Bengal CM pic.twitter.com/MYwGRrStvX

Replying to Mamata Banerjee's allegations KN Tripathi said that he was surprised at attitude and language used by CM, talks were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it.

There was nothing in the talks for which CM may have felt threatened, humiliated. Asked CM to ensure peace, law and order by all means, said KN Tripathi.

Keshari Nath Tripathi further stated that Governor cannot remain a mute spectator of the affairs in the state.











For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu said on Monday that the projects for the construction of the regional hospitals in Iasi, Cluj and Craiova will be sped up, emphasizing that investments in the old hospitals must also be consistently carried through.

"All three projects for the regional hospitals will be sped up, there are projects such as the one in Sibiu or the one in Brasov which have already begun. The preparation of these hospital projects has started and they will be handled with all due attention. (...) We need investments in the old hospitals as well, these investments must be consistently carried through. (...) It's clear that the problems are not from yesterday, but it is equally clear that just looking back to find culprits is not of much help and it definitely doesn't help the patients and those who care for them," Voiculescu said at the debate "Romanian Hospitals, Where To? The Medical Act vs. Infrastructure."

As far as the new hospitals are concerned, the Minister believes that any investment project needs a solid preparation, not just "feasibility studies" done by a shell company.

"Solid preparation means a feasibility study done by someone other than a shell company, it means a feasibility study that serves as foundation for a serious investment project and not as basis for the financing of one party or another. That's what has happened over the years: various parties and many hospital managers, maybe even people who have held this office here, have done feasibility studies meant rather to serve their party or their personal interests. (...) I won't do what has been done over and over again in Romania, mark the location of the future hospitals on paper. I will not present you models, or out-of-touch promises about hospitals shooting up in Romania tomorrow. (...) You will be able to have access to information about the daily progress of these projects," said Voiculescu, who added that the Health Ministry will attempt to render staffing rules more flexible and revise them, especially those for COVID-19 wards.

"We consider this to be an urgency. We will create the national fund for patient safety in hospitals, a dedicated fund for specific actions, certain investments and not just that, we are also considering separate financing for certain types of maintenance. All these things are still under discussion. We are considering a general revision of the rules overall and support for hospitals," explained the Health Minister.
To read this article and more, including our archive of drinks industry news, analysis & comment pieces from the last 20 years, try just-drinks for 30 days for just 1*

First Name Last Name Job Title Email Take a trial *plus VAT if applicable Already a member? Log in here
Here are the new movies and shows you can stream in February, including the acclaimed relationship drama Malcolm & Marie with Zendaya and John David Washington. Check out some of the highlights below, or scroll down to the full list, five things you should definitely watch and whats leaving Netflix this month.

Malcolm & Marie (2021)

A director and his girlfriends relationship is tested after they return home from his movie premiere and await critics responses. From Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, this stars Zendaya and John David Washington. (Feb. 5)

To All the Boys: Always and Forever (2021)

Continuing the romantic life of the teenage girl and facing her good and hard times with her friends and family. Just in time for Valentines Day. (Feb. 12)

I Care A Lot (2021)

A crooked legal guardian who drains the savings of her elderly wards meets her match when a woman she tries to swindle turns out to be more than she first appears. Stars Rosamund Pike, Peter Dinklage, Eiza Gonzalez and Dianne Wiest. (Feb. 19)

Firefly Lane

Tully and Kate support each other good times and bad with an unbreakable bond that carries them from their teens to their forties. New series stars Katherine Heigl, Sarah Chalke, Ben Lawson and Beau Garrett (Feb. 3)

Ginny & Georgia

An angsty fifteen-year-old often feels more mature than her 30-year-old mother. New series premieres later this month. (Feb. 24)

The Crew

New Netflix sitcom takes place in a NASCAR garage where the crew chief butts heads with his new boss and tech-reliant millennial staff when his owner decided to retire and let his daughter take over the his racing team. Stars Kevin James. (Feb. 15)

Inception (2010)

Christopher Nolans groundbreaking and mind-bending thriller follows a thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology. Hard to believe this came out 11 years ago. (Now available)

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989)

The Griswold family Christmas doesnt go according to plan. Not the ideal time to stream a holiday classic, but if youve never seen it, nows a good a time as any. Written by the late, great John Hughes. (Now available)

MORE MOVIES & TV!

Feb. 1

The Bank Job (2008)

Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)

Eat Pray Love (2010)

Inception (2010)

Love Daily: Season 1

My Best Friends Wedding (1997)

My Dead Ex: Season 1

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989)

The Patriot (2000)

Rocks (2019)

Shutter Island (2010)

The Unsetting: Season 1

Zac and Mia: Seasons 1-2

Zathura (2005)

Feb. 2

Kid Cosmic

Mighty Express: Season 2

Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready: Season 2

Feb. 3

All My Friends Are Dead

Black Beach

Firefly Lane

Feb. 5

Hache: Season 2

Invisible City

The Last Paradiso

Little Big Women

Malcolm & Marie

Space Sweepers

Strip Down, Rise Up

The Yin-Yang Master: Dream Of Eternity

Feb. 6

The Sinner: Jamie

Feb.8

iCarly: Seasons 1-2

War Dogs (2016)

Feb. 10

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel

The Misadventures of Hedi and Cokeman

The World We Make (2019)

Feb. 11

Capitani

Layla Majnun

Red Dot

Squared Love

Feb. 12

Buried by the Bernards

Nadiya Bakes

Hate by Dani Rovira

To All The Boys: Always And Forever

Xicos Journey

Feb. 13

Monsoon (2019)

Feb. 15

The Crew

Feb. 16

Animals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild Movie

Good Girls: Season 3

Feb. 17

Behind Her Eyes

Hello, Me!

MeatEater: Season 9 Part 2

Feb. 18

Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan

Feb. 19

I Care A Lot

Tribes of Europa

Feb. 20

Classmates Minus

Feb. 21

The Conjuring (2013)

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

Feb. 23

Brian Regan: On The Rocks

Pele

Feb. 24

Canine Intervention

Ginny & Georgia

Two Sentence Horror Stories: Season 2

Feb. 25

Geez & Ann

High-Rise Invasion

Feb. 26

Bigfoot Family

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Caught by a Wave

Crazy About Her

No Escape (2015)

Our Idiot Brother (2011)

FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY WATCH

Cobra Kai (season 3)

The new season of the delightful revival of The Karate Kid picks up where the second left off, as well learn the fate of Miguel and see where this puts the rivalry between Johnny and Daniel.

The Dig (2021)

An archaeologist embarks on the historically important excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1938. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Carey Mulligan and Lily James.

History of Swear Words

Nicolas Cage hosts this education in expletives, a 6 -part comedy series exploring the origins, pop culture-usage, science and cultural impact of curse words.

Pretend Its a City (2021)

You can wander the New York City streets and fascinating mind of wry writer, humorist and raconteur Fran Lebowitz as she sits down with Martin Scorsese.

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Paul Newman stars as a laid back Southern man sentenced to two years in a rural prison where he refuses to conform. From director Stuart Rosenberg, this classic also stars George Kennedy and Strother Martin.

LEAVING NETFLIX IN FEBRUARY

Feb. 1

A Sort of Homecoming (2015)

A Thin Line Between Love & Hate (1996)

All Hallows Eve (2016)

All Light Will End (2018)

Among Family (2017)

Annabelle Hooper And The Ghosts Of Nantucket (2016)

Attack on Titan: Season 1

Behzat C: Season 1

Big Bad Beetleborgs (1997)

Big Daddy (1999)

Blue Streak (1999)

Braxton Family Values: Seasons 1-2

Catch Me If You Can (2002)

Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010)

Death at a Funeral (2010)

Emo the Musical (2016)

Employee of the Month (2006)

Fairy Tail: Season 1

For Colored Girls (2010)

Have You Seen the Listers (2017)

Heal (2017)

Indirection (2016)

Leo & Tig (2017)

Malicious (2018)

Maroon (2016)

Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers (1996)

Mortified Nation (2013)

Mr. Deeds (2002)

My Life My Story (2017)

My Travel Buddy (2017)

National Parks Adventure (2016)

Ninja Assassin (2009)

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation (1997)

Pablo Escobar, el patron del mal: Season 1

Passenger 57 (1992)

Pineapple Express (2008)

Power Rangers Dino Charge (2015)

Power Rangers Dino Thunder (2004)

Power Rangers in Space (1998)

Power Rangers Jungle Fury (2008)

Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue (2000)

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (1999)

Power Rangers Mystic Force (2006)

Power Rangers Ninja Storm (2003)

Power Rangers Operation Overdrive (2007)

Power Rangers RPM (2009)

Power Rangers S.P.D. (2005)

Power Rangers Super Megaforce (2014)

Power Rangers Super Samurai (2012)

Power Rangers Time Force (2001)

Power Rangers Wild Force (2002)

Power Rangers Zeo (1996)

Power Rangers: Megaforce (2013)

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (2005)

The American President (1995)

The Foreigner (2017)

The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)

Total Drama: Seasons 1-7

V.R. Troopers (1995)

White Chamber (2018)

Youre Everything To Me (2016)

Feb. 5

Erased (2012)

OCTB: Season 1

Feb. 6

Lila & Eve (2015)

Woody Woodpecker (2017)

Feb. 8

Dont Knock Twice (2016)

Swiped (2018)

Feb. 9

Tientsin Mystic: Season 1

Feb. 11

A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)

Feb. 12

The Other Guys (2010)

Feb. 14

Age of Glory

Exclusive Edition: Season 1

Glowing Embers: Season 1

The Iron Lady: Season 1

The Mortified Guide: Season 1

Feb. 15

Alone in Berlin (2016)

Hostiles (2017)

Feb. 16

Kon Kon Kon: Season 1

Feb. 17

Brave Miss World: Season 1

Feb. 20

Bates Motel: Seasons 1-5

Feb. 21

A Haunted House (2013)

Feb. 22

Trespass Against Us (2016)

Feb. 25

Dolphin Tale 2 (2014)

Feb. 27

The Frozen Ground (2013)

Feb. 28

A Walk to Remember

Basic Instinct

Easy A

The Gift

GoodFellas

Gran Torino

Haywire

LA 92

Little Nicky

My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Friendship Games

Retribution

Saving Mr. Banks

Sleepover

RELATED: New on Netflix January 2021

The San Francisco Board of Education seems to be going out of its way to undermine the reputation and appeal of the citys public schools. Next step for its the tone-deaf, homework-deficient elected members: basing admission to Lowell High School, nationally recognized for its academic excellence, on a random lottery instead of grades and test scores.

The school board is scheduled to take up the proposal Tuesday while still drawing deserved heat  from within the city and far beyond  for its 6-1 vote last week to rename 44 schools for the sometimes real, sometimes overblown and sometimes historically wrong faults of everyone from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to Robert Louis Stevenson and Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

And, yes, the high school named for poet James Russell Lowell, an abolitionist, is on the change list.

But the expungement of Lowells name is the least of the worries for a legion of proud graduates and families aspiring to gain admission to one of the top-performing public high schools in the nation. Opened in 1856, it is the oldest public high school west of the Mississippi River, and its long list of notable alumni includes Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, actress Carol Channing, businessman William Hewlett, columnist Art Hoppe, author Naomi Wolf and the winners of four MacArthur genius grants.

The problem with the lottery approach is that it threatens to erode the schools ability to maintain its level of academic excellence while not necessarily achieving its stated goal of increasing the diversity of the student body and reducing an atmosphere that can be hostile to underrepresented groups.

Those concerns are legitimate, but they can be addressed with more thoughtful, targeted strategies. Lowell has nearly 2,900 students, less than 2% of whom are African American and 12% are Latinx  in each case, well below the proportion in citywide demographics. One approach would be to raise the ratio of admissions set aside for students facing socioeconomic and other barriers with lower scores but demonstrated potential for academic success. Another longer-term but ultimately more enduring strategy would be to focus on the elementary and middle-school deficiencies that are making it difficult for many students to compete for slots at Lowell.

San Francisco Unified School District does not believe that any student or school is more or less elite than any other school, board members have declared. All SFUSD high schools are academic schools.

If that were the case, the lottery plan would not be controversial.

John Trasvina, an attorney and longtime civil-rights advocate who is president of the Lowell Alumni Association, suggested in a recent Chronicle opinion piece that this unpredictable and discredited lottery system might give families not only more reason to leave public schools, but the city altogether. He noted that other districts with academic high schools across the nation have found ways to optimize academic excellence and equity.

Our district has closed the door and is treating excellence and equity as contrary principles when, in truth, you cant have one without the other, he wrote.

It bears repeating that the impact of the current shutdown of schools is neither random nor equitable. Students with a significant disadvantage of resources and support in virtual learning from home are going to be hard-pressed to ever catch up. The reopening of schools in a safe way for students, teachers and staff should be the first, second and third priority of a Board of Education that is proving to be too easily distracted and misdirected.

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.
Rutgers University research professor Andrew Brooks, who developed the first Covid-19 saliva-based test to help diagnose the virus, has died of a heart attack at the age of 51.

Brooks, who has played a significant role in the fight against the pandemic, died unexpectedly on January 23, the university said in a statement.

His sister Janet Green said he had suffered a heart attack and described him 'an intellect, an amazing scientist, an amazing father... an amazing family man,' reports CNN.

Rutgers University research professor Andrew Brooks, who developed the first Covid-19 saliva-based test to help diagnose the virus, has died of a heart attack at the age of 51

The father-of-three, from New Jersey, was the chief operating officer and director of technology development at RUCDR Infinite Biologics, the lab that created the saliva test.

Their creation of the first coronavirus saliva-based test which helps diagnose Covid-19 received FDA emergency approval in April last year and a month later it became the first of any test approved for home use.

More than four million rapid response tests have been performed since March last year.

The saliva test was a new approach that helped expand testing options. The collection of saliva samples is much easier than gathering the previously required samples, which had to be taken from far up the nostril toward the back of throat.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy recognized Brooks and his contribution to help stem the spread of Covid-19 in the state and around the country.

He called him 'one of our state's unsung heroes' in a January 25 press conference, and said his work on the saliva test had 'undoubtedly saved lives'.



'We cannot thank Andy enough for all he did across his career,' Governor Murphy said. 'He will be sorely missed by many.'

'Andy and I were close,' said Jay Tischfield, founder and CEO of RUCDR. 'We often commented that I was old enough to be his father, and I often thought of him as a son.

Brooks's sister Janet Green said he had suffered a heart attack and described him 'an intellect, an amazing scientist, an amazing father... an amazing family man'

'We will be fondly remembers by the large cohort of scientists whose research he facilitated across many years.'

Brooks received a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Rochester and later became its director of Medical Center Core Facilities.

In 2009, he became chief operating officer and director of technology development of RUCDR where he and his team developed the revolutionary Covid-19 saliva test.

He also served as the Chief Science Officer for Spectrum Solutions. Bill Phillips, COO of the company, paid tribute to the team's 'dear friend'.

He said: 'It is rare indeed to find a person who selflessly and passionately dedicates their life to saving the lives of others.

'Andy not only earned every shred of respect and accolade due to him for his professional achievements, he also prized every handshake, hug, thank-you, and smile he received along the way.

'We will certainly miss his leadership and brilliant mind, and deeply mourn the loss of our dear friend.'

Throughout his career, Brooks has co-authored more than 70 publications and provided support and guidance to large research projects focused on the genomic etiology of human diseases and the effects of environmental exposures.

Brooks also served for 17 years as an adviser to the Food and Drug Administration as director of the Harlan GeneScreen Laboratory and as co-founding director of the BioProcessing Solutions Alliance.

Brooks is survived by his wife Jill; his three daughters Lauren, Hannah and Danielle; his mother Phyllis Brooks and sister Janet Green and a niece and nephew.
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Bern, 01.02.2021 - Switzerland is deeply concerned about the recent incidents in Myanmar. It calls for the release of all those detained and for the immediate resumption of dialogue and the democratic process leading to greater freedom, peace, respect for human rights and development in the country.

Switzerland is deeply concerned about the seizure of power by the military in Myanmar. Switzerland has actively supported the democratic transition in Myanmar from the beginning and opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of the general elections in November 2020. It calls for the release of President U Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as all persons who have been arrested or placed under house arrest. It also calls for the immediate resumption of dialogue and the democratic process leading to greater freedom, peace, respect for human rights and development in the country.

Since the opening of the country in 2012, Switzerland has been actively engaged in Myanmar with the aim of contributing to a peaceful, inclusive, democratic and prosperous society. To achieve this, Switzerland focuses its measures on the most vulnerable population groups and promotes sustainable development, conflict transformation, human rights, reconciliation and the participation of all people in state-building. Switzerland is committed to an impartial and inclusive approach towards all stakeholders involved.

Address for enquiries

FDFA Communication

Federal Palace West Wing

CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53

Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55

E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch

Twitter: @SwissMFA

Publisher

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html




Kourtney Kardashian has sparked a sell-out of a dizzyingly revealing bikini from an Australian swimwear label after wearing it on a family getaway to the Caribbean.

The 41-year-old mother-of-three wore the $89 Xena top and $79 Naomi Venere bottoms from Sommer Swim in Turks and Caicos, which is open to tourists who produce authorised travel permits and negative Covid tests amid the pandemic.

Founded by 36-year-old Anna-Maria Sommer, Sommer Swim specialises in limited-edition luxury swimwear made from premium Italian lycra, an ultra-flattering fabric that glides seamlessly over the body without pinching the skin.

The vintage-inspired designs have drawn a loyal following that includes some of the world's biggest stars, with Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber and Kourtney's half-sister Kendall Jenner among the most famous fans.

Scroll down for video

Kourtney Kardashian sparked a sell-out of this $168 two-piece from Australian label Sommer Swim after wearing it on a family getaway to Turks and Caicos last week

The eldest Kardashian looked typically ageless in the $89 Xena top and $79 Naomi Venere bottoms (pictured), which are made from premium Italian lycra

Kourtney - who shares sons Mason, 11, Reign, six, and daughter Penelope, eight, with ex Scott Disick, 37 - looked typically ageless in a series of Instagram photos which show her emerging from a swimming pool in the tiny two-piece.

The reality star's red set swiftly flew out of stock, but it's still available online in a range of colours including coral, turquoise, black, white and emerald green.

Shoppers who wear a size medium can also bag the bikini in the sought-after 'Baroque' pattern, which became a cult favourite after Kendall Jenner, 25, raved about it on Instagram back in March 2020.

A model wears the $89 Xena top and $79 Naomi Venere 'side-tie- bottoms from Sommer Swim

Kendall's endorsement appears to have piqued the interest of her eldest sibling, who captioned her recent post: 'A little fun in the sun.'

The POOSH founder's photos have amassed 3.5million likes since they were uploaded on Saturday - an eye-watering figure even by Kardashian social media standards - along with thousands of adoring responses.

'Jesus,' American YouTuber Sabrina Claudio replied.

'I'm dead,' Kourtney's fashion stylist Dani Michelle added, while top models Winnie Harlow and Lily Aldridge left rows of 'fire' emojis.

Kourtney (pictured) looked typically ageless in a series of Instagram photos which show her emerging from a swimming pool in the tiny two-piece

Kourtney's supermodel half-sister Kendall Jenner, 25, wears the Xena and Naomi two-piece in the 'Baroque' pattern in a photo uploaded to Instagram on March 4, 2020

Comments also flooded in from Kourtney's fans, with many in awe of her age-defying beauty.

'Praying to God I look this good at 41 with three kids,' one woman wrote.

'Most interesting to look at,' said another, referencing the infamous insult Kim hurled at her elder sister in a 2018 episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

The SKIMS founder cruelly branded her sibling the 'least interesting' woman to look at from their extended family, although her latest uploads prove she is anything but.

Sommer Swim creator Anna-Maria Sommer told Daily Mail Australia it is 'amazing' to see some of the world's biggest stars wearing her designs.

'I am truly flattered when I see our bikinis worn and loved by celebs across the globe,' she said.

And Kourtney is not the only celebrity frolicking around Turks and Caicos in Australian-made swimwear.

Comments flooded in from Kourtney's fans, with many in awe of her age-defying beauty

Sommer Swim was founded by Anna-Maria Sommer (pictured), who says the 'timeless swimwear can take you from lounging poolside at a beach club in Ibiza one summer to swimming in the ocean at Sydney's Bondi Beach the next'

Last week, triple threat megastar Jennifer Lopez hit the beach on the Caribbean island in a remarkably affordable burgundy bikini from Triangl, an iconic brand headquartered five minutes' walk from Bondi Beach in Sydney.

The 'ageless' 51-year-old wore the $135 Macia set on holiday with fiance Alex Rodriguez, 45.

The grape coloured two-piece showcased J Lo's impossibly lithe limbs and washboard abs, honed to perfection through decades of dancing, gym sessions and on-stage performances.

Shielding her face from the hot Caribbean sun with a $875 Dior bucket hat, the mother-of-two - who shares 12-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony - looked blissfully content in the sparkling swimwear.

Jennifer Lopez wears a $875 Dior bucket hat and a $135 bikini from Australian swimwear label, Triangl, on a beach in Turks and Caicos last week

Australian shoppers can order the bikini in sizes XXS through XL from the brand's official website.

But lucky Sydneysiders also have the option of stopping by the flagship store on Campbell Parade in North Bondi.

Founded in 2012 by Craig Ellis and Erin Deering, Triangl swiftly amassed a legion of celebrity fans with its signature neoprene design which was once hailed the 'world's most popular bikini'.

The brand was widely touted as the official swimwear of summer 2015, when it was seen on the likes of Beyonce, Kendall Jenner, Chiara Ferragni and a slew of Victoria's Secret models including Joan Smalls and Frida Aasen.

The megastar mother-of-two (left), who shares 12-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony, wades into the turquoise ocean in the sparkling swimwear (right)

Shifting a reported 1,500 bikinis a day earned the business an estimated turnover of $60million in that year alone.

Two years later the range expanded with a best-selling $107 velvet one-piece which flew out of stock almost immediately.

Velvet separates followed in the 2018 spring/summer collection, which featured 1990s inspired bikinis in striking colours such as black, aquamarine and neon pink.

At $135 for a set, considerably less than the price of styles from other cult favourite designer labels, fans are still snapping them in droves up three years on.
This summit is one of KAIST's series of events to envision the future of KAIST and higher education in celebration of its 50th anniversary. The online summit will be live streamed on KAIST's official YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/KAISTofficial) on February 3, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Korean time (February 2, 7:00-9:00 p.m. CST and 8:00-10:00 p.m. EST, respectively).

The KAIST Summit titled "The Roles and Responsibilities of Universities in a Global Crisis" will discuss a range of issues affecting many aspects of universities in the coming decades.

"This summit will allow us to measure the level of risk that universities face today and will face in the future. Although there will be varying views on what a post-COVID world might look like, one thing for sure is that universities cannot go back to the way they used to exist and operate. Moreover, the 4IR continues to infiltrate and shake up our daily lives. Changes are inevitable, and universities must pursue bold and innovative responses to remain sustainable and relevant to society," said KAIST President Sung-Chul Shin on the background of hosting the event.

The keynote speakers include KAIST President Shin, MIT President L. Rafael Reif, Tokyo Tech President Kazuya Masu, and Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro. After the keynote speech session, the speakers will take part in a panel discussion on three topics: "The Digital Divide," "Emerging Challenges in AI," and "Social Entrepreneurship and University-Industry Collaboration." A Q&A session with an online audience consisting of KAIST faculty, staff, and students as well as high school students across the nation will follow shortly afterwards.

President Reif of MIT will congratulate KAIST on its successful 50-year journey from meager beginnings to achieving its current status as one of the finest global universities in science and technology. Then he will give a talk titled "Universities as Engines of Change" to present how universities have played a critical role in advancing solutions to humanity's most urgent problems.

President Masu of Tokyo Tech will stress the importance of universities' continuous dialogue with society as drivers of innovation. In his speech titled "Designing Our FutureTokyo Tech DLab's Approach," he will introduce the activities of Tokyo Tech's Laboratory for Design of Social Innovation in Global Networks (DLab) and explain how DLab collaborates for the future with members of society.

President Schapiro of Northwestern University will speak about how universities might incorporate the lessons they learned in dealing with COVID-19 to improve their research, teaching, and public service in the post-pandemic era. He will also look into issues arising from changing labor market needs associated with the 4IR and the aftermath of COVID-19 in his talk titled "The University in the 'New Normal.'"

Finally, President Shin of KAIST will deliver a presentation on the "Visions & Innovations for the Next Dream of KAIST." He will reflect on the remarkable track record from KAIST's first 50 years and how it has contributed significantly to the rapid growth of Korea as a hi-tech powerhouse. Furthermore, he will elaborate on a new vision for the development of KAIST over the next 50 years and roll out a set of strategic innovation plans in the five areas of education, research, technology commercialization, globalization, and future strategy.

In the panel discussion, the four presidents will dive into a more intense conversation on such topics as universities' role in bridging the increasing digital divide through their research, education, and international cooperation; the socioeconomic implications and ethical challenges of the fast deployment of AI and robotics; 4IR disruptions that will transform higher education; ways to foster social innovation and youth entrepreneurship; and how to build university-industry cooperation.

More information on KAIST's 50th anniversary celebrations can be found on its special celebratory website at https://50.kaist.ac.kr/eng/. The official anniversary ceremony is scheduled for February 16, 2021, from 10 a.m. Korean time, and live-streaming will also be made available on KAIST's official YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/KAISTofficial.

About KAIST

KAIST is the first and top science and technology university in Korea. KAIST was established in 1971 by the Korean government to educate scientists and engineers committed to Korea's industrialization and economic growth.

Since then, KAIST and its 67,556 graduates have been the gateway to advanced science and technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. KAIST has emerged as one of the most innovative universities with nearly 12,000 students enrolled in five colleges and seven schools including 1,039 international students from 90 countries.

Marking its semi-centennial anniversary in 2021, KAIST continues to strive to make the world better through its pursuit of excellence in education, research, entrepreneurship, and globalization.

For more information about KAIST, please visit http://www.kaist.ac.kr/en/.

Media Contact

Younghye Cho

[email protected]

[email protected]

SOURCE KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)

Related Links

http://www.kaist.ac.kr/en/



Its easy for many of us living in a country like Australia to take our human rights for granted. For most of us, most of the time, Australia is a great place to live.

But the downside of this can be a complacency about our own rights protection, and, more importantly, ignorance or misunderstanding about the importance of protecting the rights of those less fortunate. We need to understand that when everyones rights are protected, our society is stronger and healthier. We all benefit.

Australias human rights record was recently scrutinised. Credit:Belinda Pratten

Recently, Australias human rights performance was closely scrutinised in a major UN review that happens every four to five years. Known as the Universal Periodic Review, the process involves a peer review with other countries asking questions and making recommendations to Australia to improve our rights protection.

122 nations participated in Australias review, making close to 250 recommendations to improve rights. One key concern was Australias very low age of criminal responsibility, which is out of step with world standards.

[February 01, 2021] BBC Studios Selects Licensing Technology Platform Brainbase Assist to Power Global Licensing Operation for Bluey

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Brainbase, the venture-backed company building modern software for end-to-end IP management, and BBC Studios, producers and distributors of unrivaled television programs globally, today announced a partnership whereby BBC Studios will begin using IP licensing platform, Brainbase Assist to streamline and manage their global licensing business for break-out hit Bluey, which airs in the U.S. on Disney Junior and Disney Channel and is available to stream on Disney+. "We are ecstatic to welcome BBC Studios to the Brainbase family," said Brainbase co-founder and CEO Nate Cavanaugh, who was recently named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2021. "Our team is excited to see Bluey's consumer products come to life on our platform, and to provide best-in-class technology to support their globally-recognized IP and rapidly growing consumer products business." "As we continue to grow the wildly successful Bluey brand, we noticed an increasing need to create an intuitive and collaborative centralized system," said Suzy Raia, VP Consumer Products and Business Development, BBC Studios. "We are beginning our relationship with Brainbase to improve partner management and help us make strategic franchise decisions based on insights." Brainbase's mission is to make the intellectual property industry more open, efficient and accessible with technology. The company's flagship product, Brainbase Assist, helps licensing teams unify their global operations into a single software platform  from deals, product approvals, royalty reporting, digital asset management, and dashboard analytics. Top licensed properties for BBC Studios include Bluey, the multi-award-winning animated preschool series that has taken Australia and the U.S. by storm; Doctor Who, one of the longest running action-adventure television series in the world spanning 56 years and winning over 100 awards; and His Dark Materials, with the launch of a dedicated global online store following the successful debut of the second seasonon HBO.



BBC Studios joins a Brainbase customer roster with leading brands including Bonnier, BuzzFeed, kathy ireland Worldwide, Sanrio, the global lifestyle brand best known for pop icon Hello Kitty, SYBO Games and the Van Gogh Museum, among others. About Brainbase

Brainbase builds modern software to help companies protect and monetize their intellectual property from end-to-end in a single platform. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles with offices in Europe, and is backed by leading investors in San Francisco, LA, New York, and Europe. Follow @Brainbase on Twitter and @BrainbaseInc on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, and learn more at brainbase.com.

To download Brainbase's logo, please CLICK HERE. About BBC Studios

BBC Studios, a global content company with bold British creativity at its heart, is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, its activities span content financing, development, production, sales, branded services, and ancillaries across both its own productions, and programs and formats made by high-quality UK independents. Award-winning British programs made by the business are internationally recognized across a broad range of genres and specialisms, with brands like Dancing with the Stars/Strictly Come Dancing, Top Gear, Doctor Who and Bluey. BBC Studios has offices in 22 markets globally, including ten production bases in the UK and production bases or partnerships in a further nine countries around the world. The company, which ordinarily makes around 2,500 hours of content a year for both the BBC and third parties including Apple, Amazon and China Mobile, is a champion for British creativity around the world. It is also a committed partner for the UK's independent sector through a mix of equity partnerships, content investment and international distribution for program titles. To the BBC, BBC Studios contributes both cash dividends and funds for program-making, supporting the license fee and enhancing programs for UK audiences. In the Americas, BBC Studios - with team members across the region - manages joint venture relationships with AMC Networks for flagship channel BBC AMERICA (U.S.)  home of original series Killing Eve and global brands Seven Worlds: One Planet, Doctor Who, and Top Gear  and with ITV for SVoD service BritBox (U.S./Canada), as well as a strategic partnership in Canada with Blue Ant Media for BBC Earth Channel. The company also operates a robust linear and digital content sales and co-productions operation, as well as a franchise management business. In addition, BBC Studios operates a major production unit in Los Angeles responsible for the highly-rated, Emmy-nominated Dancing with the Stars and multi-award-winning Life Below Zero. In Brazil, through a production partnership with Endemol Shine, local production Dancing Brasil has become a breakout hit. Currently, the company is readying the launch of BBC SELECT, a digital streaming channel offering unrivalled content across culture, politics and ideas, on Amazon Prime Video Channels and the Apple TV app in early 2021. Follow us on Twitter: @BBCStudiosUSPR | BBC Studios Press Room View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bbc-studios-selects-licensing-technology-platform-brainbase-assist-to-power-global-licensing-operation-for-bluey-301218407.html SOURCE Brainbase

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
France is ready to join the Crimean Platform, but there is a need to clarify its purpose, said French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins.

"It is a very interesting initiative. We of course are looking at it with great interest. We interacted with the deputy minister of Foreign affairs in charge Emine Dzhaparova. There are contacts between two ministries and we will have more, that is for sure because we have never recognized the situation in Crimea. We are also in contact with our EU colleagues on this issue and we are coordinating with them. It is something that we closely monitor from diplomatic point of view," de Poncins said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

At the same time, the French ambassador pointed out the need to clarify the purpose of this initiative.

"For the moment, we are in a very preliminary phase. I have met Mrs. Dzhaparova several times, they've produced some ground papers about this initiative. So, they're under consideration in Paris and in Brussels. But it's not clear exactly at this very moment what is the purpose of this platform. My understanding is that it is a platform for discussion about political situation in Crimea. This is useful but for what purpose - it remains to be seen. In principle we are supportive and to answer your question - yes, we will join it. But there's some need for clarification, obviously. The launch of this platform is supposed to take place on 23rd of August so we have some time," he said.
21 runners killed during mountain race in northwestern province of Gansu; Indian variant of Covid-19 found in Guangzhou; Beijing willing to arrange for vaccines to be sent to Taiwan

May 28, 2021 08:15 PM
Appointment

1 February 2021

TFE Hotels has appointed Sai Amani as General Manager of the Vibe Hotel Melbourne.

Since joining TFE in 2015, Sai has worked across several states and various departments for the group including F&B Cluster Manager for the ACT, Relief Hotel Manager for Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia and most recently as Hotel General Manager at the Vibe Maryville located in the Yarra Valley.

His leadership, passion and impressive business performance saw him acknowledged as 'Hotel Manager of the Year' in 2020 at TFE's own global awards event.
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
SINGAPORE, Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Before token swap, aelf will carry out the mainnet's full function tryout for the community. Participants will have a chance to win prizes worth $200,000 USD, including 200,000 ELF (Mainnet Token), 600,000 ERC20 ELF Token, a Tesla car, iPhone 12, PS5 and a lot more!

Users who participate in staking will receive earnings. Users will get ELF Token (Mainnet Token) and LOT Token (Lucky Draw) for the tryout by staking. This is also a large trial run before the mainnet token swap, which can avoid unnecessary problems and losses and ensure the security of the future mainnet token swap.

Campaign Schedule

The campaign is divided into 3 phases

Phase ?: Staking

Time: 18:00, February 3-18:00, March 5 (SGT)

Phase ?: Full Function Tryout for Community

Time: 12:00, February 4-18:00, March 3 (SGT)

Phase ?: Divvy up the Prize Pool

Time: March 3 18:00 - March 5 18:00 (SGT)

Rules

This campaign includes 5 parts:

Staking

Daily Task

Lucky Draw

Lucky Box

Divvy up the Prize Pool

1. Stake and get returns

Users need to stake the ERC20-ELF token to join this campaign. The pre-staking will be starting from 18:00 (SGT) on February 3rd. The total staking period will last 30 days. Participants can receive ELF (mainnet token) at the ratio of 400:1 by staking. At the end of the staking period, users can manually redeem their staked ERC-20 ELF. To fully try out the mainnet functions, aelf team recommend the staking amount to be greater than 1000 ELF (=1000 ELF).

In addition, no matter how many tokens were staked, users can get the LOT token at the ratio of 1:1. The LOT Token can be used to participate in the Lucky Draw, divvying up the prize pools and the Lucky Box Game. The ELF Token (mainnet token) and LOT token can be collected manually from the campaign page, with a delay of up to 10 minutes.

2. Daily Tasks

During this campaign (12:00, February 4-18:00, March 3), users can get extra LOT tokens to participate in the lucky draw after completing daily tasks. The available functions include the same-chain transfer, cross-chain transfer, resource token trading, etc.

Wallet transfer function:

Same-chain transfer: 100 LOT /day

Cross-chain transfer: 100 LOT /day

Trade Resource token (buying and selling): 100 LOT/day

Users can only make the same-chain & cross-chain transfer once a day. A successful transfer is regarded as the completion of the cross-chain task. The cross-chain transfer function is available for ELF Token, LOT Token, and Resource Token. aelf team advise users use LOT Tokens to try out the transfer function since ELF (Mainnet Token) will be used as transaction fees.

Submit Feedback

If users have any problems during the campaign, they can get LOT Token by submitting feedback. Submit feedback about the mainnet function tryout here https://forms.gle/RRiTGSmaeFKqmNfj6

Rewards will be distributed in accordance with the rating upon the aelf team's review. The evaluation will take 1 or 2 working days upon submission. aelf team recommend that users should submit as soon as possible, and there may be evaluation delays near the end of the campaign.

Junior: 100 LOT

Intermediate: 200 LOT

Senior: 500 LOT

Bug Report

If users find any bugs during the campaign, they can get the LOT token via Report Bug here: https://forms.gle/gs2y7ksdqxsfvvja8

Participating in on-chain bug submission. Rewards will be distributed in accordance with the rating upon the aelf team's review:

Junior: 100 LOT

Intermediate: 500 LOT

Senior: 1000 LOT

The evaluation will take 1 or 2 working days after submission. aelf team recommend that users should submit as soon as possible, and there may be evaluation delays near the end of the campaign.

3. Lucky Draw

During the campaign (12:00, February 4-18:00, March 3, SGT), users can use the LOT token to swap the lucky draw code, that is, to participate in the Lucky Draw. aelf team will announce the results every Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Users can switch the lucky draw code from the previous results to the current results (100 LOT = 1 lucky draw code). There is no upper limit on the number of lucky draw codes. Prizes include iPhone 12, Switch, PS5, etc. Don't miss it!

4. Lucky Box

During the campaign (12:00, February 4-18:00, March 3, SGT), users can use the LOT token to buy tickets in Lucky Box App and draw prizes every 10 minutes. If users win, they can manually collect the LOT token. Lucky Box is an open-source DAPP based on random numbers developed by aelf team, which can guarantee the reliability and security of random numbers and avoid the security problems brought by pseudo-random numbers. When users log into the Lucky Box, they had to bind the aelf Wallet, which shared the LOT balance.

Lucky Box App Download here:

iOS TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/qr46HH9X

Android: http://d.zqapps.com/anaelfRandom

aelf Wallet App Download here:

iOS TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/TclFysmO

Android: http://d.alphaqr.com/aelfwalletandroid

This campaign has set up rankings: accumulated winning amount and accumulated participated times. aelf team will count the 'accumulated winning amount' of the users who have received the prizes and the 'accumulated participated times' of all the users who have participated in the Lucky Box during the campaign, and show the top 10 on the two rankings in the App.

Based on the above list, two prizes will be created for this event: User whose accumulated winning amount ranks first will receive the grand prize (Tesla Model 3). A Total of 200,000 LOT tokens are awarded to the top 4 participants (based on the accumulated participated times). These LOT tokens can be used to share out the prize pool.

Note:

*The accumulated prize amount refers to the total prize amount of all participants.

*How to define the accumulated participated times? No matter how many lottery tickets users buy in the current lottery period, they are regarded as having participated once.

*If the ranking is tied, the reward will be divided equally. For example, if two people are tied for the first place, each person will get 75,000 LOT tokens.

*Anti-cheating instructions: the technical team will analyze the backend data, and if anyone is found to be cheating, they will be disqualified.

5. Divvy up the Prizes Pool

After the end of the campaign, the prize pool dividends (ERC20 ELF) will be paid based on the number of LOT tokens in users' account. That is to say, the more LOT Token users submitted, the more rewards users can get. aelf team will unlock the corresponding prize pool rewards (ERC20 ELF) based on the total staked volume during the campaign.

How to divvy up the prize pool: One user's bonus = LOT tokens submitted by one user / LOT tokens submitted by all users * 100% * the bonus amount in the prize pool

The ultimate prize pool module will be unlocked and shown on the campaign page after 18:00 on March 3. After the prize pool is available, the user may check out the total prize amount of the prize pool on the corresponding page. After 48 hours (18:00 on March 5), users can get the ERC-20 ELF award of the prize pool in proportion. This is based on the submitted LOT amount and Ethereum wallet address. When the winners are announced, the page will display the amount of rewards that users can get. aelf team will distribute the tokens within 7 working days after the announcement.

Notes:

aelf team suggest users to use v8.x.x or v9.0.2, instead of using Metamask v9.0.1.

30 days after the staking period expired, users can begin to redeem their stakings. The first batch of staking users can redeem the staked tokens at 18:00 on March 5th . The last batch of staking users can redeem the staked tokens at 18:00 on April 4 (SGT).

. The last batch of staking users can redeem the staked tokens at 18:00 on (SGT). The deadline for swapping lucky draw codes is 18:00 on March 3 . After users receive the rewards of the Lucky Box after 18:00 on March 3 , they still have 2 days to swap the lucky draw codes and divvy up the prize pool.

. After users receive the rewards of the Lucky Box after 18:00 on , they still have 2 days to swap the lucky draw codes and divvy up the prize pool. In this campaign, users will get ELF (Mainnet Token) as staking rewards. It can also be used to buy and sell resource tokens and pay transaction fees during the mainnet function tryout.

The use of the LOT token is limited to this campaign and has no intrinsic value. Please do not buy or sell it to avoid unnecessary loss.

All the prizes will be sent out within 7 working days after the end of the event. Please fill in the relevant information correctly.

Join this mainnet function tryout to not only familiarize with the mainnet functions but also get super-high-annualized revenues or win a Tesla car! Get Everything Ready & Join now!

Instructions on how to Install & Use the Must-have software for Mainnet Full Function Tryout: https://aelf.io/gridcn/How_to_Prepare_Must-have_Software_en.pdf

Media contact:

Business development: contact@aelf.io

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1430558/aelf_Mainnet_Full_Function_Tryout.jpg
Phuket lifeguards urge beach caution after Russian man, Thai girl rescued from drowning

PHUKET: Nai Harn lifeguards are urging beachgoers to be careful in the water after a 6-year-old Thai girl was rescued from drowning in a lagoon near Nai Harn Beach and a Russian man was resuscitated after he became separated from friends while swimming at Yanui Beach yesterday afternoon (Jan 31).

marineSafety

By The Phuket News

Monday 1 February 2021, 01:28PM

Beachgoers look on as the Russian man is carried to safety at Yanui Beach. Photo: Phuket Naiharn Surf Lifesaving Club

The Russian man is given oxygen to help him breathe. Photo: Phuket Naiharn Surf Lifesaving Club

Lifeguards were first alerted to the girls condition at about 12:50pm when a boy came running up to lifeguards calling for help, Nai Harn chief lifeguard Chula Nontree told The Phuket News.

When we arrived, the girl had already been brought out of the water. She was choking on water and looked tired, so we administered her immediate first aid and provided oxygen to help her breathe. Then we called an ambulance to take her to Chalong Hospital, he said.

For the Russian man [at Yanui Beach], lifeguards were called to help at about 4pm, Mr Chula added.

The man went out to swim with two friends, but they became separated and ended up a long way from each other, he said.

The man was about 200 metres from the beach. He was shouting out and signalling for help. When lifeguards reached him, he had already gone under the surface of the water, Mr Chula explained.

LIfeguards brought him back to shore and he was exhausted, so we provided him oxygen to assist his breathing and had him taken him to hospital, he said.

He was still conscious when he was on the beach, but later we were told by ambulance staff that he became unconscious on the way to the hospital. The ambulance workers helped him to regain consciousness and continued to provide emergency care until his condition stabilised, Mr Chula said.

We have called to follow up the condition of both the Russian man and the little girl, and hospital staff confirmed they were both safe, he added.

Mr Chula urged all people to be careful when swimming at the beach, and especially urged parents to make sure their children are safe at all times while playing in the water.

I want parents to keep a close watch on their children when letting them go swimming or doing other activities in the water because unexpected incidents can happen at any time, Mr Chula said.

Although the waves right now are not very high and not that dangerous, we want everyone to be careful and be alert of their surroundings at all times, he added.

If we set flag areas [marking where it is safe to swim], please swim only in the areas marked and follow lifeguards suggestions, Mr Chula urged.
A lawyer was caught having sex during a Zoom court hearing last week after leaving his computer camera on.

The judge presiding over the virtual hearing branded lawyer Hector Paredes Robles a disgrace for his X-rated public performance in central Peru on Tuesday.

Astonished court officials watched on as Paredes Robles stripped off and sat on a chair before a naked brunette believed to be a client climbed on his lap.

Judge John Chahua Torres sent a police officer to intervene as a female aide tried to alert Paredes Robles his sex session was being watched and recorded on a live feed.

Peruvian defence lawyer Hector Paredes Robles was branded a disgrace by the judge presiding over the remand hearing

Getting his client off: Lawyer was oblivious the court was watching his performance

The surreal sequence of events occurred on Tuesday during a virtual remand hearing organised by a court in Pichanaki in the central Peruvian region of Junin.

The lawyer's client was held after an operation against an organised crime gang.

As the sex scene showed no sign of stopping, judge Torres said: 'We are witnessing obscene acts which represent a violation of public decency and are aggravated by the fact they are being recorded nationally.'

A female court worker confirmed the camera belonged to Paredes Robles. The judge then instructed the State Prosecution Service to launch an immediate investigation.

Last night the lawyer was barred from any more involvement in the ongoing land trafficking, fraud and extortion case.

He was also told he would face two separate probes, one by state prosecutors and another by his local bar association.

Some local reports have described the brunette he had sex with as his client, though she is yet to be identified.

The judge sent a police officer to intervene and a female aide tried to warn Paredes Robles as the sex scene continued during a virtual court hearing in Peru

Local reports say the brunette in the video was one of Paredes Roble's clients, but she is yet to be identified

After the court hearing was suspended for the lewd behaviour, the judge said: 'Hector Paredes Robles has been fully identified as the lawyer who has disrespected the dignity of this court as well as the other lawyers present and the legal profession as a whole.'

A regional High Court statement released yesterday added: 'We condemn the actions of the lawyer Hector Paredes Robles who during a virtual remand hearing committed obscene acts which violated public decency.

'The judge in charge of the hearing excluded the lawyer from the defence representatives and ordered a duty lawyer to replace him.

'He also ruled that Peru's Public Ministry and the local bar association should be informed so they can take appropriate action.'

Last September an Argentinian MP resigned his seat after being suspended for kissing a woman's breasts during an online parliamentary session.

The lawyer has been barred from taking part in Peruvian court's ongoing land, trafficking, fraud and extortion case. He also faces two separate investigations into his behaviour

During the video, a blonde woman was seen sitting on the lap of Married father-of-three Juan Emilio Ameri as he leans down to kiss her breasts and she fondles him.

The ruling Frente de Todos coalition in the north-west province of Salta expelled the 47-year-old pending an investigation and demanded his resignation as an MP.

Moments after the sex scene was played out on a large screen during a debate about provincial debt, fellow MPs unanimously voted in favour of Ameri's suspension after Chamber of Deputies president Sergio Massa halted the session.

A parliamentary commission was planning on determining the final sanction, with his expulsion as an MP being openly discussed, before Ameri decided to save them the job by offering to step down.

The woman he was filmed with was later identified as his girlfriend Celeste Burgos.

The era of video calls has led to embarrassment for a number of careless Zoom users, including a case last August in which a Zoom call participant was caught having sex during a Rio de Janeiro concil meeting.

The meeting was chaired by a member of the Socialism and Liberty Party, Leonel Brizola, who continued the discussion despite the steamy scenes being relayed through the video feed.

Also last August, a government official was caught having sex with his secretary after accidentally joining a Zoom meeting with his colleagues in the Philippines.

Staff from the Fatima Dos Village Council in Cavite were hosting their regular conference call on Wednesday before their boss, Jesus Estil, joined the meeting.

But Estil had mistakenly pushed the wrong button and left his camera on.

Footage from a Rio de Janeiro city council meeting lat August showed a participant having sex after he left his camera on

Last August, a government official was caught having sex with his secretary after accidentally joining a Zoom meeting with his colleagues in the Philippines.

A Zoom blunder also led to the downfall of New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin last year after he was caught masturbating on camera during a Zoom conference.

Toobin also stepped away from his job at CNN after the incident during a meeting with staffers of the New Yorker and WNYC radio.

The 60-year-old admitted he had made an 'embarrassingly stupid mistake' and thought he was off-camera.

In Britain, a court heard last October how a BBC project manager had watched videos of child sexual abuse which were shared on a group Zoom call.

Duncan Wheelhouse was caught 'corresponding with other people discussing child abuse' in a sting by the National Crime Agency, a court was told.

Wheelhouse admitted two counts of making indecent photographs of children after joining the call back in 2018, before Zoom was widely known.
CUT KNIFE, Sask. - Canada's Indigenous and military leaders paid tribute and offered condolences to the family of a Juno Beach veteran of the Second World War, who also advocated for Indigenous veterans after the war ended.

CUT KNIFE, Sask. - Canada's Indigenous and military leaders paid tribute and offered condolences to the family of a Juno Beach veteran of the Second World War, who also advocated for Indigenous veterans after the war ended.

"Today, Canada lost a great First Nations leader in Philip Favel," Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde tweeted Sunday.

A painting of Philip Favel in a piece titled "Normandy Warrior" painted by Elaine Goble is shown in this undated handout photo. Canada's Indigenous and military leaders paid tribute and offered condolences to the family of a Juno Beach veteran of the Second World War, and who also advocated for Indigenous veterans after the war ended. "Today, Canada lost a great First Nations leader in Philip Favel," Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde tweeted Sunday. "A Juno Beach Veteran and a lifelong advocate, Philip was a beacon of hope for many," Bellegarde added. Favel was 98. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Canadian War Museum

"A Juno Beach Veteran and a lifelong advocate, Philip was a beacon of hope for many," Bellegarde added.

Favel was 98.

Born in Prongua, Sask., which is part of the Sweetgrass First Nation, Favel worked as a laborer on his fathers farm before joining the Canadian Army in May 1942 and training as a driver in Maple Creek, Sask.

His biography on the Department of National Defence website says he served overseas from August 1943 to July 1945, and trained in England before being sent to France for the Allied invasion of Europe.

Favel was part of an organization that moved supplies to the fighting troops, the biography said, and he frequently went to and from the front lines to supply the troops with ammunitions and gas.

In addition to his service at Juno Beach, where Canadians went ashore on D-Day, Favel served in Belgium, Holland and Germany.

"On numerous accounts, his trucks windshield was hit and smashed but Mr. Favel never stopped or turned back. He always stayed focused on the task at hand," the National Defence biography notes.

"Mr. Favel earned the French Legion of Honor Medal for not only helping an injured person but also for taking care of two children while on task," it adds.

When the fighting ended in Europe, Favel volunteered to go to Japan, but the war ended before he could serve there, and he was released from the military on Nov. 21, 1945.

Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Art McDonald offered the military's condolences to Favel's family and the Sweetgrass First Nation on Sunday, while Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan noted Favel's dedication earned him numerous medals.

"Upon release from the military, he advocated for fair & just compensation for Indigenous Veterans who fought alongside their Canadian brothers & sisters but were not treated the same when they came home," Sajjan said in a tweet.

Last Nov. 8, on Indigenous Veterans Day, Favel was honoured in a ceremony at the Canadian War Museum and a portrait of him was unveiled.

His granddaughter, Nadine Favel, who represented him at the ceremony, said her grandfather watched the event from his home on the Sweetgrass First Nation.

"I've always been proud of him and the person that he is. (I'm) proud to be a Favel because of him," she said at the time.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2021.
Chandigarh:

The police said that while a woman was allegedly stabbed by her husband at a village in Haryanas Jind district, the neighbours, instead of rushing her to a hospital, were seen shooting a video of the incident.

Police said when they were informed about the incident, they reached the spot only to find that some people had gathered there, with no one coming forward to help the bleeding woman.

A man, who was part of the crowd was also seen shooting a video of the woman crying in pain, Inspector Rohtash Kumar, SHO of Safidon police station told PTI over phone on Monday.

We rushed the woman to a hospital after the incident was reported. The womans condition is stated to be stable now, said Kumar.

The woman and her husband, in their early 40s, have three children. The victim hails from Baroli village in Safidon subdivision in Jind, he said.

The SHO said she was attacked by her husband in a fit of rage, as the couple were having a marital discord.

The husband, who has been arrested and remanded to police custody, allegedly threw chili powder in his wifes eyes on June 30 and then attacked her with a saw, he said.

Also read: Lynching, rape, murder incidents increased under BJP rule: Congress

Also read: Haryana: Tension mounts as flags inscribed with '786' put up in temple



For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
There's probably a Donald Trump quote - or tweet - for pretty much everything at this stage and it's no surprise that there's one for opinion polls. "Any negative polls are fake news," he tweeted back in 2017. Then again, this is the man who baselessly queried actual election results in the last couple of months, so his opinion of polls is suspect.

However, no doubt there will be some in Northern Ireland who would be more than happy to similarly dismiss the findings of the latest Belfast Telegraph/LucidTalk poll, which paints a particularly stark picture for the DUP this morning, but will give plenty of others in Stormont and beyond considerable pause for thought.

The next Assembly election may be 15 months away, but Arlene Foster's party find themselves still shedding support, with Jim Allister's Traditional Unionist Voice seemingly the main beneficiaries of this slide.

As has been written elsewhere in these pages, it would be a shock if such a result were to repeat itself in a real vote. But there comes a time surely when such statements start to wear thin. A reliance on a lack of credible, experienced TUV rivals to take actual DUP votes is hardly the bedrock of an election strategy.

The fact is the DUP got 30.6% of the vote at the last Westminster election, and were neck and neck with Sinn Fein in the last of these opinion polls.

The polling for this latest survey was carried out before last week's appeal by the TUV leader for people to take action against the Northern Ireland protocol. It also preceded the chaos caused by the EU's U-turn on triggering Article 16 last Friday which so infuriated politicians here, in particular the First Minister. Perhaps Mrs Foster's quick and strong response will have played well with would-be voters.

Our poll also indicates the rise of the Alliance Party is showing no sign of abating. Not only are they breathing down the DUP's necks, they're putting clear daylight between themselves and the SDLP and UUP, the former in particular not seeing the benefit of well-received performances from high-profile figures in Stormont and Westminster.

On the subject of well-received performances, Health Minister Robin Swann's calm demeanour seems to have struck a chord with potential voters. He has obviously benefitted from the high profile the pandemic confers on the holder of the health portfolio, but looking at his counterparts elsewhere in these islands, it's not always a given that this goes down well with the public. Maybe the falling numbers are helping, but what controversies there have been recently, the blame has not been laid at his door.

The same can't be said for his Executive colleague Peter Weir, whose performance as Education Minister has not gone down at all well.

The long drawn-out transfer test saga certainly hasn't helped matters, nor has he benefitted from being a DUP minister at a time when his party's support is on the wane.

He can't do much about school closures in a pandemic, but the problem for whoever would be Education Minister is that it's an issue that confronts parents - and voters - every single day and he's the one feeling the brunt of anger over this issue.

There's little love for political leaders across the water either, with Boris Johnson and Secretary of State Brandon Lewis scoring particularly low in approval ratings. Brexit and the hassle resulting from the Irish Sea border and the Northern Ireland protocol largely explain the widespread disdain for Westminster chiefs.

However, Friday's inexplicable EU actions suggest there's little understanding in Brussels either over the implications of the NI protocol and how it actually affects people on the ground here.

All of which leaves us relying - more than ever - on our own parties in the Stormont executive to show leadership and navigate the twin crises of Covid and Brexit.

Experience has taught us not to hold our breath.

Tragically, far too many celebrities have met an untimely end. Often, these deaths of young stars can be directly linked to the lifestyles that they lived  in other words, many see their deaths as part of the celebrity itself.

Drugs, alcohol, and risky behaviors seem to go hand-in-hand with the extravagant lives that many celebrities lead. Many celebrities, too, struggle with their own mental health. The fame, the pressure to perform, and their own creative demons create a perfect storm ripe for tragedy.

Ronnie Van Zant is one such celebrity tale  a warning about how the glitz and glamour of fame might not be all its cracked up to be. In fact, Van Zant even foretold his own death, correctly predicting he wouldnt live to see 30.

Lynyrd Skynyrd was part of the Southern rock boom

Ronnie Van Zant from Lynyrd Skynyrd | Richard E. Aaron/Redferns

RELATED: The Greatest Bands and Musicians of the 1970s

In the 1970s, there was a spate of Southern rock bands quickly growing in popularity across America, and Lynyrd Skynyrd was among them. As Encyclopedia Britannica explains, the principal members of the band consisted of Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson, and Artimus Pyle. The group formed as young musicians in Jacksonville, Florida before agreeing to the name Lynyrd Skynyrd  an inside joke about a gym teacher who deplored long haired musicians.

In 1973, the group released their first album. Hits like Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird immediately gave them credibility in the rising Southern rock scene. They quickly skyrocketed in fame and began touring  lending some inspiration to the film Almost Famous along the way.

Tragedy cut Lynyrd Skynyrds fame short

RELATED: 6 New Albums From Old Rock Legends

Just a few years after their fast and furious arrival on the music scene, tragedy struck the band. A 1977 plane crash killed Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines. Van Zant had been a paternalistic figure in the band, the clear leader of the group. The band went their separate ways in the aftermath, though they did reunite in 1987 with Ronnies younger brother Johnny Van Zant taking up vocals.

The original bands influence and talent lives on in rock legend  even as the band has brought renewed scrutiny for their relationship with Confederate symbolism. In 2006, the band was inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, a sign that their legacy will continue to live on for generations to come.

Ronnie Van Zant predicted his own untimely death

The late, great Ronnie Van Zant was born this day in 1948. #LynyrdSkynyrd pic.twitter.com/rWBKwDg9JN  David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) January 16, 2020

Of course, a plane crash is a shocking tragedy that no one can see coming, but Ronnie Van Zant did have an eerie premonition that he was not long for this world. As Louder reports, band members who survived that tragic crash  many with permanent scars and rods holding together their broken bones  remember all too well that Van Zant frequently told people he would not live to see 30. Ronnie was the only one of my children who had second sight, Van Zants father said in 1995.

Its likely, according to some close to Van Zant, that it was his own rough living he had in mind when he made these predictions. I think it was because he lived hard every day and anyone who does that  like Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix  is gone by the time theyre 28 or 29, former soundman Kevin Elson explained.

Sometimes he would make his dark prophecy over drinks  too many drinks, some friends consider in retrospect. We were in Tokyo at some bar and we were drinking lots of sake. Ronnie told me, I am never going to live to see 30,' said former drummer Artimus Pyle.

Indeed, Van Zant was right about when he would die. He was 87 days shy of his 30th birthday when the small rental plane went down.

A HEALTHCARE assistant was given a suspended prison sentence for defrauding the social welfare system.

Michelle Ukaigwe, of Riverfield, Caherconlish pleaded guilty at Kilmallock Court to the draw down of over 28,000 which she was not entitled to.

Aidan Judge, State solicitor, said it occurred between October 12, 2016 and September 25, 2018.

When the defendant was interviewed by inspectors for the department she made full admissions. She has no previous convictions. She is making repayments, said Mr Judge.

Ted McCarthy, solicitor for Ms Ukaigwe, said up to March of last year his client was repaying 280 a month.

In March she fell down the stairs and broke her ankle. It was reduced to 100. She returned to work in September. She remained in contact with the Department of Social Welfare. She has no previous convictions.

She is a married lady with four children - aged 16, 12, 10 and 7. She is living in council rented accommodation paying 400 a month. She works as a healthcare assistant as does her husband. She is not in receipt of social welfare currently, said Mr McCarthy.

The solicitor said his client was on a family allowance known as the X and O system.

It allowed her to work 28 hours. It doesnt matter what days you work as long as you stay within the hours. She was regularly asked to work extra hours. Her employer assured her everything would be fine. She accepts it was her responsibility that the form submitted was correct, said Mr McCarthy.

As background, he said that Ms Ukaigwes husband started working in a nursing home.

She understood it was a voluntary position however she then became aware he was being paid. Unfortunately it led to their separation for a year. They are back together again. She remains in constant contact with the department and it is her intention to discharge the amount, said Mr McCarthy.

Judge Alan Mitchell asked what the effect would be on the family if she went to prison.

She has four children - two teenagers. I dont want to be disparaging but her husband wouldnt be able to raise those children without her, said Mr McCarthy.

Judge Mitchell imposed a four month prison sentence suspended for three years. You better keep repaying the regular monthly payments unless you want a free holiday in Limerick prison. Mr Judge can re-enter it if you dont, said Judge Mitchell.

Mr McCarthy made a free legal aid application on behalf of his client which was granted by Judge Mitchell.
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.
https://www.aish.com/jw/s/Rabbi-Abraham-Twerskis-Copious-Blessings.html

The trailblazing rabbi died at the age of 90, a week after publishing his 90th book.

Several months after becoming director of the department of psychiatry at Pittsburghs St. Francis hospital, founded and run by the Sisters of St. Francis, Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski was summoned to meet the bishop. Bishop Wright wanted Rabbi Twerski (whom he would always call Rabbi despite his medical credentials) to counsel the nuns who were having trouble adjusting to the liberalization of the convent by Vatican II.

After a long conversation discussing the project, Rabbi Twerski could no longer contain himself. He said to the bishop, You know, the historical relationship between the Church and the Jews has not always been pleasant. Isnt it a bit ironic that when the Church is in trouble, you have recourse to a rabbi?

To that the bishop rejoined with a smile, My dear rabbi, even in the worst of times, the popes personal physicians were Jewish.

Well, then, Rabbi Twerski said with his signature humor, if you should make it to the papacy, you already have your personal Jewish doctor. The only problem is that you chose a psychiatrist, and that might cause some people to raise their eyebrows.

The bishop laughed heartily and gave Rabbi Twerski a bear hug. When the young rabbi was ready to depart, the bishop bowed his head and asked, Bless me, rabbi.1

The story is epigrammatic of his life. His professional accomplishments were monumental. After twenty years at St. Francis Hospital, Rabbi Twerski founded the Gateway Rehabilitation Center for alcoholics and drug addicts, which Forbes magazine designated as one of Americas top twelve rehabilitation programs. He oversaw Gateways expansion to a network of facilities throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio that treat over 1500 clients daily. He founded the Shaar Hatikvah rehabilitation center for prisoners in Israel. He authored ninety books on psychology and Jewish spirituality. He lectured internationally and was featured in hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles. Yet he did it all as a blessing.

Becoming a Psychiatrist

The scion of an esteemed Chasidic dynasty, the young Rabbi Twerski longed to counsel people. For a few years he served as an assistant to his father, the Hornsteipler Rebbe of Milwaukee, but the duties of a congregational rabbi, performing weddings, funerals, unveilings, and Bar Mitzvahs, did not appeal to him. His decision to become a doctor was clinched one day when he visited a congregation member in the hospital. The patient told him, Your father was here yesterday. It was so remarkable, because ever since my operation, I was not free of pain. Nothing the doctors prescribed seemed to help. But yesterday, when your father walked in, I felt the pain lift off, as if by magic.

The young Rabbi Twerski realized that he could not help people by wielding the spiritual powers in which Chasidic rebbes like his father were adept. He would have to find another way, by becoming a psychiatrist.

Still, he was reluctant to break the chain of rabbis that went back many generations in his family. He consulted Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, known as the Steipler, the foremost Torah authority in the Jewish world. Much to his surprise, the Steipler approved Rabbi Twerskis going to medical school. At the same time, he suggested safeguards that would prevent him from deviating from Torah principles: to study Torah every day, to honor the sanctity of Shabbos by not studying secular subjects or even reading a newspaper on Shabbos, and to pray fervently for Divine guidance. Rabbi Twerski held to these practices throughout his ninety years of life.

While always loyal to Jewish tradition, Rabbi Twerski had the courage to explode taboos. His book The Shame Borne in Silence on spousal abuse in the Jewish community met with bitter opposition, but eventually a chastened community owned up to the problem and set up organizations to deal with it. His book on gambling addiction, Compulsive Gambling: More than Dreidel likewise brought gambling addiction in the Jewish community out of the closet.

Guard Your Eyes

At the age of 79, Rabbi Twerski was retired when two young men approached him. They had an innovative idea of an internet site to deal with Jewish men trapped by pornography. They were providing a free, anonymous site for those ranging from occasional viewers to addicts, with three levels of cutting-edge programs, and a world-wide support group.

By this time in his life Rabbi Twerski had received numerous awards as well as three honorary degrees. He could have looked down on these young whipper-snappers as quixotic idealists compared to his lengthy record of solid achievement. He could have chosen to rest on his laurels instead of plunging into a pioneering effort. He could have written a few lines of endorsement and sent them away. Instead, Rabbi Twerski joined forces with them to promote Guardyoureyes.com, which has helped more than 40,000 Jews struggling against pornography addiction. In addition to his public support of GYE in videos and live lectures, Rabbi Twerski accompanied GYE founders Yaakov Nadel and Yechezkel Stelzer on fundraising trips. He traipsed through the snow with them in Toronto, knocking on doors to ask for donations.

In November, 2018, at the age of 88, Rabbi Twerski ignited a firestorm by writing in Hamodia newspaper an article he called, My Well Has Run Dry. In it he lamented that he no longer had the creativity to write and to offer new pearls of inspiration. His pain at no longer being able to helpand to blesswas palpable. The letters of protest from his legions of admirers came flooding in. They refused to accept his resignation. And, as always, he bowed to the will of those eager to receive from him.

Just last week, his 90th book, Tallis & Tefillin, Bagels & Lox: Two Components to Living a Spiritual Life was published by Menucha Publishers. The day before he took ill with Covid-19, just a week before he died, he was still in email correspondence with his publisher. And he had already submitted a couple of chapters for his 91st book.

My Personal Encounter

Although I have read several of Rabbi Twerskis books and heard him lecture in person a few times, I had no personal relationship with him. Nevertheless, a month ago I decided that I needed an Introduction from Rabbi Twerski for a book I am writing. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. I got his phone number and called him. He answered the phone graciously. (How I wish I were as gracious when strangers call me!)

When I explained that I wanted a two-page Introduction from him, he replied that he couldnt write an Introduction, which would be taken as an endorsement, without reading the book. He gave me his email address, and at 11 AM I sent him the seventy pages I had written so far. Exactly three hours later, a beautiful Introduction appeared in my inbox. He began, I was thrilled to learn that Sara Yoheved Rigler, who has spent years teaching women about healthy marriage, is now writing a book 

I read his words with consternation. He had never met me. I doubt he had ever read any of my books or articles. Yet, in his generosity of spirit he was thrilled that I was writing this book. I felt like I was hearing the rustle of angels wings.

Self-Esteem: Polish the Diamond

Rabbi Dr. Twerski used to say, I wrote more than sixty books, but really I wrote one book sixty different ways. His basic theme was the importance of self-esteem. He considered lack of self-esteem to be the root of all psychological problems, as well as addiction, marital strife, etc.

Years ago, Rabbi Twerski started a rehabilitation program in Israel for ex-convicts who had been imprisoned for drug-related crimes. At the first meeting, he said that recovery depends on developing self-esteem. Avi, one of the ex-cons, objected that he could never develop self-esteem. He was 34 years old and had spent half his life in prison. What could he feel self-respect about?

A young Rabbi Twerski with actor Danny Thomas

Rabbi Twerski replied: Have you ever seen a display of diamonds in a jewelry store window? Those diamonds are scintillatingly beautiful and worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Do you know what they looked like when they were brought out of the diamond mine? They looked like ugly, dirty pieces of glass I may not be a maven [expert] on diamonds, Avi, but I am a mavin on people. You have a beautiful soul within you, but it has been covered with layers of ugly behavior. We will help you get rid of those layers and reveal the beauty of your soul.

Avi stayed in the program, eventually found a job, and remained free of drugs. One day Annette, the administrator of the program, called Avi. An elderly woman had died and her family wanted to donate her furniture to the rehabilitation program. Annette asked Avi to help by picking up the furniture and bringing it to their second-floor location. As Avi was schlepping the old sofa up the stairs, an envelope fell out of the cushions. In it was 5,000 shekels. Avi could have pocketed the money, but instead he handed it over to Annette. Annette informed the family, who donated the sum to the rehab program.

When Rabbi Twerski next saw Avi, he said to him, What you did was truly exceptional, and shows the beauty of the diamond within you.

Avi had a bronze plaque made and affixed it to the door of the rehab center. It reads: Diamond Processing Center.2

Rabbis Twerskis unending blessings will continue.
[February 01, 2021] Simpson Thacher to Open Brussels Office

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced today that it intends to open an office in Brussels, Belgium this summer. "In the wake of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, companies in the region and around the globe will face continued challenges in navigating an evolving legal framework," said Bill Dougherty, Chairman of Simpson Thacher's Executive Committee. "The Brussels office will complement the Firm's presence in London and will focus on providing our clients with advice on European merger control and competition law and regulations concerning foreign direct investment before the European Commission, the European Courts and Member States of the European Union." This expansion follows the recent announcement of the addition of leading antitrust lawyer, Antonio Bavasso, to the Firm. Antonio, who officially joined Simpson Thacher today, has more than 20 years of experience advising on some of the most high-profile and precedent-setting merger, behavioural and litigation cases internationally. He is both U.K. and Italy-qualified. "Simpson Thacher's global Antitrust an Trade Regulation Practice is outstanding and I'm excited to be part of the Firm's planned expansion into Brussels," said Antonio. "This will further enhance the Firm's ability to provide clients with sophisticated and comprehensive advice to address their most pressing antitrust, competition and foreign direct investment issues in the European Union and United Kingdom."



"Our expansion into Brussels perfectly complements our existing work in London and strengthens our broader global transactional and regulatory teams advising clients on their European interests, particularly in the wake of Brexit and the accelerating regulation of digital and technology companies on both sides of the Atlantic," noted Jason Glover, Managing Partner of the Firm's London Office. "Antonio's experience advising some of the world's most prominent companies, including many leading technology companies, on competition and transactional issues makes him exceedingly well-positioned to assist clients as they traverse a changing landscape." ABOUT SIMPSON THACHER

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (www.simpsonthacher.com) is one of the world's leading international law firms. The Firm was established in 1884 and has more than 1,000 lawyers. Headquartered in New York with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Palo Alto (News - Alert) , Sao Paulo, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., the Firm provides coordinated legal advice and transactional capability to clients around the globe. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210131005060/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Some people think space heaters are a thing of the past. Not so. Just look at the variety in stores and online.

Many people find space heaters to be a good adjunct for heating their homes, especially if the house is a bit drafty, the furnace is aging or the homes insulation is inefficient.

According to a National Fire Prevention Association report on U.S. home-heating fires, space heaters are the second-leading cause of home fires and the third-leading cause of home fire deaths.

Between 2011 and 2015, portable and stationary space heaters accounted for more than two of every five (43 percent) U.S. home-heating fires and five out of six (85 percent) home-heating fire deaths.

More than half (53 percent) of the deaths resulted from fires that began when heating equipment was too close to things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing, mattresses or bedding.

Space heaters can be very useful. However, they must be used properly.

Use space heaters safely

Rocky River Fire Prevention Officer Joe Williams shares his tips about space heaters, what to buy and how to be safe.

First, he said, carefully follow the directions as to how far away you should place the heater from any other objects in the home.

Using the right fuel is also important. One of the major problems with kerosene heaters is users putting the wrong fuel into the heater.

It happens every year somewhere that a kerosene heater will be fueled up with gasoline. The gasoline becomes extremely dangerous due to the low flashpoint of the fuel, Williams said.

But what about electric heaters? The problem with electric space heaters, he said, is they tend to have large electrical draws. So, using a power strip to plug one in is not a good idea, as the power strip may not be able to handle the amount of electricity, causing the power strip to overheat and potentially catch fire.

All space heaters, he said, should be plugged directly into the wall socket -- no extension cords, either.

Williams also said you have to consider where you are buying the heater.

You have to be really careful they are tested by a testing lab like UL, but be careful of stuff sold online, where there are rumors that some of the items are fake, copied and then they put the labels on, including testing seals. You must be able to trust the sellers, he said.

He said it is best to deal only with a seller with a name brand that you trust.

Other space heater tips that could save your life:

 Dont leave a space heater on when leaving your home.

 Kerosene heaters should have a low-oxygen sensor that will shut them down if oxygen levels are dangerous.

 Be wary of oil heaters. I am aware of an electric space heater that uses oil, Williams said. The electric heater warms the oil, then the heater has fins like an old-fashioned hot-water radiator to disperse the heat.

 Only refill an oil or kerosene heater outside.

 Carbon monoxide detectors are critical and should be placed outside the sleeping areas.

 Fire/smoke alarms are now recommended on each floor and, in addition, one inside each sleeping room.

For questions or more information on space heaters or any other fire safety topics, call your local fire departments fire prevention officer. In Rocky River, call Williams at 440-895-2589 or email at fpo@rrcity.com.

Read more from the West Shore Sun.
Opposition is mounting amongst Coles supermarket distribution workers over the sell-out enterprise bargaining agreement concocted by the United Workers Union (UWU) and management at the Smeaton Grange facility in Sydney.

The Smeaton Grange workers, who have been locked out for two months by the company, have been isolated by the UWU, which has endorsed the destruction of hundreds of jobs at the facility and opposes any mobilisation of its 150,000-strong membership to defeat the company attack.

Workers at Coles Eastern Creek distribution centre (Credit: YouTube)

In early 2019, Coles, one of Australias two largest supermarket chains, announced that it was investing $950 million over the next five years building two new giant automated distribution centres. One will be at Redbank, Queensland and the other at Kemps Creek in western Sydney.

The new facilities will replace five existing warehouses already located outside the New South Wales and Queensland state capital. Along with the Smeaton Grange workers, hundreds of other Coles warehouse employees will lose their jobs.

George (not his real name) is a long-time warehouse worker and a permanent employee at Coles Eastern Creek distribution centre in western Sydney. He contacted the WSWS on the weekend to voice his anger over the unions collaboration with the company. The Eastern Creek facility employs almost 400 workers.

Im disgusted with whats happened at Smeaton Grange and what the union has done. These guys have hung out to dry by the company and the union, he said.

Workers are starting to ask questions here about whats going on. Why is the union refusing to organise national action to support these workers? Why isnt there a strike fund and why arent we being told about whats going on?

Coles Eastern Creek distribution centre (Credit: YouTube)

The union has 150,000 members but theres no strike fund and yet if you take into account the weekly dues it gets from members thats about $2 million a week. The union can dig up all the excuses it likes but the only reason theres no strike fund is because the union is trying to wear down the Smeaton Grange workers and force them to accept the company offer.

I agree with what you say on the WSWS, that the foundation of the fight should be defence of all jobs. I always believed that being in the union was to help the workers, but all Ive seen in the past few years is corruption, neutralising all our complaints and keeping workers in the dark, George said.

Coles has been preparing for this lockout for a long time. Theyve used COVID-19 and panic buying that happened in the supermarkets to set up pop-up distributions centres to overcome supply issues.

The UWU knew all about these places and the violation of working conditions, safety rules and injuries going on therethey were given evidence by workers who risked their jobs. There should have been strike action over this but the union diffused the situation. Nothing was done and now these pop-up joints are being used to keep Coles operations going during the lockout.

Ive been watching this very closely because were going to face the same thing here at Eastern Creek. There should be national action because if the Smeaton Grange workers are defeated then the company is going to hammer us and it wont be just at Coles but across the whole industry.
Fire has destroyed eight out of 15 rooms of a compound house in Balogu North, a suburb of Yendi in Northern Region burning property worth thousands of Ghana Cedis.



Some of the burnt items included; Television sets, beds with mattresses, cash, furniture, dresses, Refrigerators and other household appliances.



Alhaji Inusah Abdulai 46, Landlord of the house told the Ghana News Agency in Yendi that the fire started from a weavers hut by the house in which they suspected was caused by wee smokers.



He said unfortunately some of the rooms destroyed were occupied by tenants, who travelled to Tamale during the weekend and were therefore unavailable to salvage their property.



He said a member of church of Pentecost, who was returning from prayers saw the fire and raised an alarm, which compelled Mr Inusah Sha-Aban, a teacher in the house to rush to the Yendi Office of the Ghana National Fire Service to inform the personnel about the fire outbreak.



He said when personnel of the Service arrived with the fire Tender, they could not get access to the house and it took them almost one hour to go through other areas before they could put off the fire.



Alhaji Sha-Aban expressed his appreciation to all those who came out to help them to douse the fire with water and were not successful due to the prevailing Harmattan winds in the area before the Ghana fire service personnel arrived.



He said the house never experienced any fire outbreak since it was constructed in 2007.



Some of the people who assisted in putting off the fire appealed to the officers of Town and Country Planning to ensure that people put up their houses according to the layout of Yendi Township to create access roads to every house.



They said in most of the suburbs in Yendi Township, there were no lanes making it difficult for fire fighters in times of fire outbreak.

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
Pete Bergstrom, owner of Bergies Place, waves from behind the counter of his restaurant in downtown Monticello. Mr. Bergstrom died Wednesday at age 61.
Environment minister Han Jeoung-ae, left, receives a letter of appointment from President Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae, Jan. 29 Yonhap



By Do Je-hae



The proportion of female ministers in the Moon Jae-in administration has significantly declined following the most recent Cabinet reshuffle, Jan. 20.



This seems to be going against Moon's campaign pledge to refill 30 percent or more of Cabinet posts with women.



Out of 18 ministers, there are currently only three women, accounting for 16. 6 percent of the total. Environment minister Han Jeoung-ae became the latest woman to join the Cabinet when she received a letter of appointment from President Moon at Cheong Wa Dae, Jan. 29.



Prior to the announcement, Jan. 20, there were five women. But Moon replaced Park Young-sun, minister of SMEs and Startups, to enable her to run in the Seoul mayor by-election in April, and Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, who was the longest-serving minister in Moon's Cabinet.



The shrinking number of women in Moon's Cabinet has raised questions about whether the President is still committed to promoting gender equality in the administrative sector, where the number of women in lower ranked posts has been rising, but the top posts are still largely dominated by men.



The presidential office said it will continue to look for female talent. "We are committed to making efforts to fill more posts with women in future personnel and organizational changes," a presidential source said.



The status of the gender composition of Moon's cabinet has raised concerns, particularly in comparison to new U.S leader Joe Biden, who filled more than 40 percent of Cabinet posts with women.



Another reshuffle is expected in the coming months, particularly ahead of the presidential election season during which Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun may resign as he could have bigger political ambitions to move on to.



The political circle is keeping a close eye on whether Moon will appoint a female prime minister. The last time Korea had a female prime minister was during the previous Roh Moo-hyun administration. Han Myung-sook served as the nation's first female prime minister from 2007 to 2008.


Hartford Police / Contributed Photo

HARTFORD  Detectives continue to investigate two separate Friday night shootings that left two men dead, according to police.

The first shooting was reported at 9:12 p.m., the second at 9:31 p.m.
When it comes to ketamine therapy or our other infusions, you want experienced nurses and doctors you can trust in an environment, which feels less like a hospital and more like your home, said Dr. Aronwald.

MD Infusions, a new practice founded by a team of seasoned emergency medicine physicians, is proud to announce the grand opening of their treatment center located at 666 Dundee Rd. Ste. 1903, Northbrook, Illinois 60062. The grand opening is on Monday, February 15 at 10:00 a.m. local time.

MD Infusions is a team whose doctors and nurses drive is helping people thrive. They are uniquely qualified to sustain patients quality of life, specializing in several infusions, namely ketamine therapy, NAD+ infusions and IV vitamin infusions.

Dr. Evan Laskaris, Dr. Richard Aronwald and Dr. Tim Heilenbach are the founders of MD Infusions. They have each been practicing emergency medicine in Chicagos North Shore for over 15 years.

Together, we decided to open a practice focused on wellness, both mental and physical. Our passion is helping people struggling with treatment-resistant mood disorders and those looking to live healthy and vibrant lives, Dr. Laskaris said.

Ketamine is an established anesthetic medicine with a new-found purpose that has been referred to as a miracle drug by Yale Medicine. It is an alternative treatment for mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A high quality randomized double-blind study of single, repeated, and maintenance ketamine infusions for treatment-resistant depression revealed the following:



No serious adverse events were reported during the trial

Single ketamine infusions had maximal antidepressant effects at 24 hours post infusion.

Maintenance infusions were able to prolong the antidepressant effect

Overall, ketamine infusions were safe and well tolerated by study participants"

While there is research that supports ketamines effectiveness after one low-dose IV infusion, the MD Infusions team utilizes a widely accepted protocol of 6 induction treatments to solidify a patients initial response before getting a booster treatment 3-6 weeks later. Each patient will use the Osmind platform to track their mood to assess the need for follow-up treatments and reach out as needed for boosters.

In addition to Ketamine therapy, MD Infusions offers NAD+ infusions and IV vitamin infusions. NAD+ infusions may be administered to improve metabolic health, youthfulness and can reverse the effects of aging. IV vitamin infusions may be used for illness prevention, recovery and enhanced vitality.

The MD Infusions team is enthusiastic about opening their new practice and providing patients with revolutionary alternatives that prioritize safety and effectiveness, while delivering their infusions in a relaxing and comfortable environment.

Anyone who is interested in learning about the benefits of ketamine or NAD+ can meet with a physician to determine eligibility. If eligible, the patient may begin treatment whenever preferred and will be monitored by a physician at all times in the comfort and privacy of their own room.

MD Infusions will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. For more information on how to schedule a free consultation, visit their website at mdinfusions.com.

About MD Infusions

MD Infusions is driven to help people get well, live free and be happy. They are made up of board certified emergency medicine physicians who have used ketamine for decades. With over 50 years of combined experience, Dr. Evan Laskaris, Dr. Tim Heilenbach and Dr. Richard Aronwald created their own practice to get individuals back to feeling like their true selves and doing what they love. They and their team are devoted to providing optimal care to every patient.

Please visit http://www.mdinfusions.com or call (844) 463-8734 to learn more.

Phillips, J. L., Norris, S., Talbot, J., Birmingham, M., Hatchard, T., Ortiz, A., Owoeye, O., Batten, L. A., & Blier, P. (2019). Single, Repeated, and Maintenance Ketamine Infusions for Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial. The American journal of psychiatry, 176(5), 401409. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.18070834

Murrough, J. W., Perez, A. M., Pillemer, S., Stern, J., Parides, M. K., aan het Rot, M., Collins, K. A., Mathew, S. J., Charney, D. S., & Iosifescu, D. V. (2013). Rapid and longer-term antidepressant effects of repeated ketamine infusions in treatment-resistant major depression. Biological psychiatry, 74(4), 250256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.06.022
You dont know who I am in Limerick. I will end you, the man spat down angrily into Barbara Babeurres face as she attempted to push him out the door, trying not to inhale the stench of his armpits.

Seconds earlier her friend, a fellow sex worker, had run from her room and pleaded for help after the client went berserk, shouting and throwing anything he could grab at her after she asked him to shower properly before sex.

I thought he was going to beat the shit out of me, Ms Babeurre said.

I told him Id call the guards when he refused to leave and he said, what about you? Youre working together, what you do is illegal. It's a brothel.

I was shocked. Thats the first time anyone ever said that to me.

Ms Babeurre eventually forced the man to leave the flat the two women were renting in Limerick but they were very shaken by the incident.

Next time he will hurt someone. Hes a dangerous man. We wanted to warn other providers in the area.

But danger is currently an occupational hazard of selling sex in Ireland.

The day before the attack, eight men arrived with one client who had booked to see Ms Babeurre, but luckily, her screening system allowed her to see the gang before she gave them access to the flat.

They would have raped me, she said.

In December, my friend was raped at knifepoint by two men in her hotel room and beaten up when she couldnt open the safe, which was empty anyway. That was in a four-star hotel in Ballsbridge.

In Cork, a few years ago, a provider was raped, tied up with cables from the TV, beaten up and left for dead in the bathtub where they had almost drowned her.

"There was a gang targeting sex workers like that, raping them and robbing them. One person would book an appointment and theyd then let more men into the room.

The Sex Workers Alliance Ireland (SWAI), a peer-led service for anyone who sells sex, estimates that violence against sex workers has increased by 92% since the End Demand model was introduced in 2017.

The Sexual Offences Act 2017 prohibited the purchase of sex and increased penalties for workers sharing a premises.

The maximum fine on summary conviction for brothel keeping increased from 1,000 to 5,000 and the maximum jail term doubled from six months to one year.

A conviction on indictment (which requires a Jury trial), remained unchanged by the act with a maximum fine of 10,000 remaining and/or a maximum five-year jail term.

SWAI has been calling for the legalisation and regulation of sex work which they say will better protect workers.

Ms Babeurre agrees. She has worked in Germany, France, the UK, her native Czech Republic and Ireland.

She said that she felt safest working in Germany, where both selling and buying sex are legal, regulated and taxed.

Criminalising women for working together  labeled as brothel-keeping  is endangering the lives of sex workers, she believes.

But she also believes that criminalising the buyer endangers sex workers by pushing the trade further into the shadows.

What would have happened to my friend if she was alone that day? He could have seriously hurt her, or worse, Ms Babeurre said.

I think the law has to be changed. If we could share properties we would be safer, but thats currently illegal.

Everyone is selling their body or their brain in some way anyway. Why is it legal to make porn in most countries but illegal to do this?

Business was good on Ms Babeurres last trip to Cork before the Level 5 lockdown. She made 1,650 in one very good day but on another day she earned nothing when all six clients cancelled.

But since returning to Ireland in January after spending Christmas at home with her family in Prague, business has plummeted by 70%-80%.

I think this time people are more worried [about Covid-19]. And a lot of my regulars are home with their kids because the schools are closed, she said.

What I used to make in one day takes me four days now.

Over lockdown, she has mostly stayed in AirB&Bs or apartments rented directly from landlords where she faces less scrutiny about her reasons for travelling than in hotels.

Recent trips to Cork and Dublin have been absolutely dead and business was not great either in Galway, Belfast or Newry.

She was waiting for the government announcement on whether the lockdown would be extended and plans to return to Prague in early February until public health restrictions ease here again.

Despite the current difficulties, she said that she loves her job and the freedom it ordinarily gives her  financially and to travel.

But every day she gets horribly abusive messages or phone calls from men she refuses to see.

She said that the misogyny and prejudice against sex workers is horribly visible in any online forum  whenever a sex worker speaks out, so do ugly voices, saying that women who sell sex and were attacked deserved it.

I hope you get coronavirus and the doctor gives your ventilator to someone else because youre a bitch. You should be shot, is just one of the messages Ms Babeurre received this week.

And last week, she was sent threatening messages telling her that she would die alone. The sender also said that she would never have children because no man wanted children with a whore and no child wanted a whore for a mother.

That really hurt because I have two children at home, she said. But Ive been working for nine years so I have built up a wall."

I think thats why a lot of women turn to alcohol and drugs, all the abuse, treating you like dirt.

Some people think that they can treat you any way because theyre paying you.

I screen every number on the website Ugly Mugs [where sex workers share details of dangerous or abusive clients] to check if that number has been complained by other providers before.

Her children are with family at her apartment in her beloved hometown Prague, which is like a mixture of Paris, Budapest and Rome, she said, but friendlier, greener, with an East London vibe and better beer.

Ms Babeurres route into sex work was meandering. When the former fashion model escaped an abusive relationship in Prague, she was desperate for money and agreed to do some semi-naked glamour shots.

Her naked photos led to pornography producers offering her work. She declined until her landlord suddenly announced that his son was moving in so she and her children must move out, and she once again needed money fast to secure a new home.

After working for almost two years in porn, she agreed to sex work.

She has worked in Ireland for more than one year now, splitting her time mostly between Ireland, Prague, London, and Edinburgh.

A lot of people dont understand but I really like what I do, she said. I dont see someone if I dont respect them or click with them."

I treat my clients like human beings, Im interested in how their day was, I want them to be happy, I dont look at them as someone whos just paying for sex. And I expect that same respect from them.

Everything is so easy to get online it feels like humans have become disposable. If you want to meet someone for sex you can find them online in five to 10 minutes. We dont have the same connections with people outside our friend groups anymore.

I dated three clients in the past seven years but for the past two years Ive been single.

With online dating, men often treat you like an escort anyway, expecting sex without even going for coffee first. Why would I do that when I could charge 400 for that instead?
Vietnams Ministry of Health reported 33 coronavirus patients, including 32 local cases, on Monday, with most traced back to two clusters in the northern region.

Seventeen of the new local cases were logged in Hai Duong, five in Quang Ninh, six in Hanoi, two in Gia Lai, one in Bac Giang, and one in Binh Duong.

The imported infection was a 24-year-old South African expert who had been quarantined upon arrival by plane in Vietnam from the UAE on January 17.

He tested positive on Sunday for COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City, where he is being isolated for treatment.

Vietnam is sealing its borders to all international arrivals but it still allows entry to skilled workers, experts, diplomats, and Vietnamese repatriates, who are all subject to mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

The country announced the first two local cases on January 28 after having gone nearly two months without any community-based infection.

A total of 270 domestic infections have been documented since then, according to the health ministrys data.

Two hundred and five patients were detected in Hai Duong, 30 in Quang Ninh, 19 in Hanoi, six in Gia Lai, three in Bac Ninh, two in Hoa Binh, two in Binh Duong and one each in Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, and Bac Giang.

The majority of the domestically-transmitted cases were linked to Hai Duong and Quang Ninh, both located in northern Vietnam.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,850 coronavirus cases, including 963 domestic infections, as of Monday night, with 1,460 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

It confirmed 84 local transmissions on Thursday, 62 on Friday, 61 on Saturday, and 31 on Sunday.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 01.02.21:

Turkish-Azerbaijani drills kicked off Monday in Turkish Kars province.

The drills are scheduled until February 12.

According to the Turkish defense ministry, the drills are aimed at ensuring coordination of actions during joint operations, as well as to test new weapons and vehicles. It is also planned to test airstrikes, landing, issues of logistic and technical support.

Armenian experts noted that the drills are aimed at putting pressure on Armenia. They also noted that during the last drills in Nakhichevan, the Turkish arms have been kept there and later they were used during the Nagorno-Karabakh war in the fall of 2020.

The Armenian authorities, in turn, noted that the drills pose no danger to Armenia.

Azerbaijani soldiers have opened fire near Syunik villages, Armenian human rights defender Arman Tatoyan wrote on his Facebook.

The reports were confirmed by residents of all the villages, as well as local government bodies. The latter have submitted alarming complaints to the Human rights defender that the shooting is carried out regularly, both during the day and night.

The residents of the village noted that there are frequent cases when Azerbaijani soldiers shoot while being drunk.

Special reports will be sent to international organizations, including the OSCE, the UN, and the Council of Europe. Other reports will also be sent to special mechanisms of intergovernmental organizations.

A group of Armenians has held a protest in front of the consulate of Armenia.

They demanded the release of a group of people who were arrested in Armenia in recent days, including Vahan Badasyan, Chairman of the United Armenia party of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Karabakh war veteran.

Meanwhile, Anna Hakobyan, the spouse of Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, arrived Monday at Los Angeles International Airport with her bodyguards with an unscheduled visit.

Facebook user American Armenian Robert Markarian shared the event live on his Facebook.

It is not known why Pashinyan's wife left for the US.

A number of Azerbaijani media outlets reported on the results of the US ambassador's meeting with the Azerbaijani Minister of Economy, Mikayil Jabbarov, during which the ambassador allegedly "congratulated on ensuring the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan."

In this regard, Armenian News-NEWS.am petitioned to the US Embassy in Yerevan, asking it to clarify whether these statements were accurate.

But the US embassy in Armenia only responded with a tweet of the US Embassy in Baku which reads that during the meeting Amb. Litzenberger noted that economic reconstruction and reconciliation in support of a peaceful negotiated settlement in NK will benefit all countries in the region.

Russian former President and PM Dmitry Medvedev noted that the issue of settlement in Karabakh should be discussed with Turkey, too.

"Turkey is our neighbor and a very important partner and a very close country for Azerbaijan; this factor cannot be ignored," he told Russian reporters.

According to him, the issue of Karabakh's status is not resolved, but it cannot be discussed now, it is better to move it to the future.

Search and rescue operations for the servicemen who have fallen or gone missing during the recent hostilities continue in the Hadrut and Varanda (Fizuli) regions Monday.

A total of 1,345 dead bodies have found as a result of the search operations between November 13, 2020, and January 31, 2021.

Armenian boy, 15, has been found dead in the Hrazdan Gorge.

The teen went missing on Saturday.

Search operations have resumed since Saturday after the national crisis management center received a signal that a child had disappeared in the Hrazdan Gorge in Yerevan, near the restaurant.

A number of Armenian nationals were unable to fly to Russia Monday.

They found out at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan that they had taken the COVID-19 test at an organization that was not allowed to take such tests from Armenian citizens who are traveling to Russia.

According to them, they were not aware of the new procedure.

To note, the entry of Armenian nationals to Russia has resumed on Mondayand for a month.

Four flights are scheduled from Armenia to Moscow on Monday.

Protests were held in Georgia Sunday demanding to open border with Armenia, Alik Media reported.

Residents are demanding to lift all the bans imposed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and open the Georgian-Armenian border.
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 system is not fit for purpose ...

The federal and state governments have spent tens of billions of dollars countering the economic effects of COVID-19. But this could have been radically lower had the federal government, the entity with primary responsibility for quarantine, built fit-for-purpose quarantine facilities as continually advised by experts such as Professor Mary-Louise McLaws. It is mind-numbingly obvious that quarantine in city hotels is problematic. Perth is just the place of the latest problem. Community transmission of the virus and the lockdown steps to counter it would have been avoided by proper controls. Even with vaccines for COVID-19 coming, there will be other viruses. Quarantine facilities, with proper isolation, ventilation, anti-microbial surfaces, etc, should be built as a matter of urgency.

Janet Cohen, Caulfield North ... so why are we persisting with it?

The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. So why, oh why, are we persisting with hotel quarantine in our cities, or at the very least not having live-in staff. Consider the earlier breaches around the country and now in Western Australia (after 10 months free of community transmission), where one worker has been the catalyst for massive disruption and heartache, not through negligence, but just by going about their normal life. We cannot continue to close down our states every time we have a case escape from hotel quarantine. With all the billions of dollars being spent on this virus, how much cheaper to have purpose-built Howard Springs-like facilities constructed outside our capital cities with live-in rostered staff. The argument that hospitals are not close is spurious as very few people have to be hospitalised, and those who do can be taken by air or road ambulance.

This madness will continue as long as we have hotel quarantine, with everyone on a knife edge waiting for the next inevitable escape and subsequent lockdown.

Liz Harvey, Mount Eliza THE FORUM Money doesnt only talk

The report on federal political parties receiving $1.1 billion from hidden donors made up of a handful of dominant players who have increased their sway over federal politics by making one quarter of all donations over the past two decades in a trend towards greater secrecy should be shocking: but its not (Integrity fears over $1.1b secret donations, The Age, 1/2). Most Australians would greet the disclosure with unsurprised and weary cynicism  a sad measure of widespread jadedness regarding the questionable relationship between deep-pocketed, vested-interest donors and political parties. Of course political donations must be made public in real time, before an election: and of course donation-bestowing vested interests must be visible to voters. For genuinely free and fair elections, voters must know who and what they are actually voting for.

Money not only talks, it is extremely persuasive, and only the widest-eyed innocent would believe otherwise.

Deborah Morrison, Malvern East Demand this of them

Why arent we demanding that our federal politicians finally come up with legislation with teeth to expose and control the huge donations that political parties regularly receive in secret?

Revelations by the Centre for Public Integritys report raise alarming issues around the very integrity of our democratic processes. As an author of the report, Professor Joo-Cheong Tham, declared: The federal disclosure scheme is misnamed  it is a non-disclosure scheme with more than a third of political funding shrouded in secrecy. Both major parties have conveniently glossed over glaring loopholes. Youre in the box seat, Scott Morrison.

Kevin Burke, Sandringham Lets hear from the Greens

I keep hearing and reading reports from and about the government and Labor, but there is a deathly silence when it comes to the Greens.

Since Richard Di Natales resignation we have heard little from their leader. We need to hear from them more often, otherwise how can we decide whether we can support them? We need an alternative to the two L parties who are so alike as to be almost indistinguishable from each other.

Margaret Collings, Anglesea Time to join forces

Ross Gittins (How economics could get better at solving real world problems, Business Day, 1/2), clarified for me why things that work for people dont immediately translate to economic policy. There are always academic economists whose work ignores social issues, and they can continue to drive policy. The renewables industry is going gangbusters for millions of us who have chosen solar panels, and we know the cost of renewables is now so competitive. Socially and environmentally it makes sense to shift to renewables as fast as possible, but we keep hearing that the economics doesnt add up and this makes for arguments about regional jobs, which take precedence.

It is the way that politicians choose to use economic arguments that is holding us back here. Plenty of economists point out the risks of this approach. Whatever the price, the vast majority of people are asking our governments to stop fuelling climate change, and here we have a way to do that by ceasing to burn fossil fuels and generating our energy renewably. This is one time where the academic and practising economists must get together, to show that it works, both mathematically and socially, so thatthe politicians have nowhere else to go.

Carolyn Ingvarson, Canterbury Failure all around

Heaps of thanks to Jill Dumsday (Letters, 1/2) for calling out the utter failures of both Coalition and Labor to lead with science-based climate action. Over many years weve had increasingly urgent warnings from top climate scientists, including Will Steffen and Joelle Gergis, and wise former politicians, including John Hewson and Malcolm Turnbull.

Australians should be howling with outrage and worry about this global tragedy. We now have just the next nine months to stop mucking around politically and develop 100 per cent leadership and will for science-based climate policy and action.

Barbara Fraser, Burwood

Albaneses own goal

You have to wonder if the ALP is serious about winning government. The removal of the highly respected and passionate Mark Butler from his climate change shadow portfolio is an own goal in terms of keeping the heat on the government over their tepid climate policy. Transitioning away from fossil fuels provides opportunities for countless jobs in the renewable sector. Determined to cling to coal, Labors own Joel Fitzgibbon seemed unable to acknowledge the potential windfall in the Hunter Valley. But it is in setting ambitious emission targets that Butler was courageous enough to promote, but which put the wind up some of his more cautious caucus comrades like Fitzgibbon, that he will be sorely missed. And so the differentiation between the two major parties narrows further. Without Mark Butler in the role, the ALP is looking even more like Liberal Lite.

Nick Toovey, Beaumaris Living in hope

Peter Singers article (Case mounting up against meat, Comment, 1/2) mentioned the practice of confining animals indoors leading to deaths from the stress of overcrowding.

I wonder now if folks will, as Singers colleague Richard Keshen did, choose to reduce their meat consumption out of abhorrence for the plight of the factory-farmed animals. After all, quite a lot of Victorians now know first hand how very stressful confinement can be. Singers other comment of interest was that if the transport industry goes electric to reduce emissions, it will be of little benefit if the livestock industry continues as is. Reduction of emissions is vital, and all sections of society, business and government must be working together to achieve a useful result. Heres hoping.

Elaine OShannessy, Buxton No valid reason for this

Scott Morrison seems determined to completely strip the Coronavirus Supplement from the JobSeeker payment and to stop JobKeeper payments altogether, on March 31 (Morrison flags end to COVID payments, The Age, 1/2). While the pandemic continues there is no valid reason for this to happen. We are the Commonwealth of Australia, by definition a political community founded for the common good and Australia is wealthy enough not to cast its people below the poverty line.

If these cuts take effect, thats what faces many more struggling Australians. The Commonwealth government will be failing in its duty to fairly distribute the common wealth.

Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills Sending a message

Kevin Andrews conservative views are obviously not embraced by all Liberal Party members of Menzies. I applaud the message that this preselection outcome gives to all elected representatives. Listen to your electorate or ignore it at your peril.

Krystyn Hendrickson, East Melbourne Stick your neck out

Anthony Albanese, you have nothing to lose but the next election and that looks inevitable right now. Stop moving the deckchairs (shadow ministries). Take a deep breath, stick your neck out and come up with a climate change policy that seriously aims to help save the planet.

A lot of voters would be with you.

Edna Russell, Ocean Grove A heartbreaking story

Tony Wright (Haunted by Montys last dance, Insight, The Age, 30/1)) captured exactly why January 26 should be a day of mourning. Monty Fosters life is heartbreaking, and it occurred in the lifetime of many of us, not some distant past. It will make anyone weep.

Jo Connellan, Brunswick Courage is in short supply

It will just take a Prime Minister with the courage to say now is the time, writes Brandon Mack (We are still dithering at the margins, Letters, 1/2).

That being the case, Australias First Nations people are in a sorry plight, as nothing resembling a prime minister with courage has been seen in Australia in many years, and there is little evidence of this being about to change.

Ian Usman Lewis, Kentucky, NSW How to kick goals

In September 1962, US president John Kennedy announced a goal to go to the moon within the decade (a target of seven years). He didnt announce a goal to go to the moon only when all of the science and each of the technologies had been developed. Imagine president Kennedy announcing we will go to the moon sometime in the future when we are ready. The specified timeframe provided the challenge and the momentum to master the technology and achieve the goal in July 1969. Our Prime Minister wants the accolades for announcing his support for achieving zero emissions in a timeframe he has yet to announce. He anticipates that the goal will be achieved by implementing science and technologies that are yet to be mastered so a timeframe is unknowable. He is adamant that until he knows the how he cannot commit to the when. That is not leadership, that inspires no one.

Dennis Richards, Cockatoo

Put an end to this

Peter Singer stopped eating meat because of the cruelties inflicted on farm animals.

But the cruelties inflicted on wild ducks in the annual duck hunt are numerous, too. Year after year, birds are shot out of the sky and their broken bodies abandoned. They can die slow, painful deaths  as would never be allowed in animal abattoirs. As we await an announcement about the season, I hope 2021 will be the year Victorian Labor puts an end to this unremitting torture.

Debbie Lustig, Elsternwick AND ANOTHER THING Fossil fuels

Really, Prime Minister, coal mines operating for decades to come? What makes you think that we even have decades before we face the catastrophic consequences of coal burning.

Henry Herzog, St Kilda East Credit:

Politics

If Anthony Albaneses shadow cabinet reshuffle had nothing to do with Joel Fitzgibbon (31/1) then Santa has nothing to do with Christmas.

Malcolm Cameron, Camberwell Is it just a coincidence that the major political parties as represented in Canberra continue to turn a blind eye to transparency in political funding and legislating for an effective and well-resourced independent anti-corruption commission.

Peter Randles, Pascoe Vale South A vote for the future: another white, middle-class, male barrister, Parliament is riddled with them.

Chris Watson, Braybrook The fact that Josh Frydenberg backed Kevin Andrews in the Menzies preselection contest highlights that Mr Frydenberg has about as much authority over the Liberal Party rank and file as he does over the Australian economy.

Phil Alexander, Eltham The pandemic

Perhaps NSW should wait until theyve been more than eight months without a COVID-19 case before they criticise WA lockdown.

Robyn Lovell, Epping

The European Court of Human Rights on February 1 announced it has informed Russia that it will consider a complaint filed to the court by the opposition politician Aleksei Navalny.

Navalnys legal team argues Russia violated his right to life under the European Convention on Human Rights by refusing to open a criminal case into his poisoning with a Soviet-era nerve agent last August.

The announcement comes a day after Russia witnessed more nationwide rallies demanding Navalnys release.

The 44-year-old anti-corruption crusader was jailed on January 17 upon his return from Germany where he had been recovering from the poisoning, which he and supporters say was ordered by the Kremlin. A hearing at a police station on January 18 ordered Navalny to remain in jail for 30 days while awaiting for a different court to rule on whether he violated the terms of a suspended sentence by going abroad.

Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putins most outspoken critics, was airlifted to Germany for medical treatment in August 2020 after collapsing on a plane in Russia.

The Kremlin has repeatedly rejected any suggestion that it was involved in any way in the poison attack.

In April 2019, the ECHR ruled that Russian authorities violated Navalny's rights by holding him under house arrest in the 2014 case.

That case is at the heart of the anti-corruption campaigner's current detention. A Russian court on February 2 will consider turning Navalny's 3 1/2 year suspended sentence into real jail time for the violation of the terms.


OPEC and its partners estimate they implemented 99% of their agreed oil-supply curbs in January, according to a delegate who asked not to be named.

The 23-nation alliance known as OPEC+ aimed to withhold 7.2 million barrels a day of crude from the market last month -- about 7% of global supplies. They agreed to increase production by 500,000 barrels from December as part of a plan to ease the cuts.

The compliance data is preliminary and will be reviewed on Tuesday by the groups Joint Technical Committee.

Also Read | How India can fight vaccine hesitancy

OPEC+ agreed to unprecedented supply restrictions last April after the coronavirus pandemic grounded planes, shut down economies and caused oil prices to crash. Benchmark Brent crude has almost tripled since its trough that month to $56 a barrel, though its still below what most OPEC+ nations need to balance their budgets.

No Policy Change

Implementation in January was at 103% among members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and 93% for their non-OPEC partners, a group that includes Russia and Kazakhstan.

The JTC will present its assessment to the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, which meets on Wednesday to discuss the alliances strategy. The JMMC is unlikely to recommend any policy changes, according to delegates who declined to be identified.

Following the modest increase in January production, OPEC+ has decided to keep output unchanged in February and March. However, Saudi Arabia, the groups most influential member, pledged a unilateral cut of 1 million barrels each day over that period.

Iraq, the biggest producer in OPEC+ after Saudi Arabia and Russia, said it would reduce its daily output to 3.6 million barrels in January and February to make up for breaching its quota last year. That would be a reduction of roughly 250,000 barrels a day from December.

OPEC+ will hold a full ministerial meeting in early March to decide its next steps.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

At least 75 Nigerian healthcare workers tested positive for COVID-19 last week, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, has said.

Mr Ihekweazu, while speaking at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Monday, said the number of healthcare workers getting infected is becoming worrisome.

He noted that efforts are ongoing to ensure health workers are actively protected against the virus.

In the last one week, we have 75 healthcare workers infected in Nigeria, he said.

So we are very worried about this and we can reduce this risk.

Health workers at risk

Barely a month ago, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), announced the deaths of 20 doctors within a week from complications arising from coronavirus, news President Muhammadu Buhari described as sad.

Healthcare workers are often at risk of exposure to infections, including COVID-19 as they are the first responders to patients.

Although health workers have been advised to use full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) before attending to patients, many do not have access to this equipment and as a result, many health workers have tested positive for COVID-19 in Nigeria.

As of June 2020, at least 812 health workers had tested positive for COVID-19, according to Nigerian health minister, Osagie Ehanire.

As of September 2020, over 41,000 health workers in Africa have been infected with COVID-19 virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

The exact number of health workers that have been infected in Nigeria so far could not be ascertained as of the time of reporting.

Nigeria has recorded over 130,000 COVID-19 cases and almost 1,600 deaths since February 2020 when the country diagnosed its first case of the virus.

Rapid test kits

Mr Ihekweazu said the Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits (RDTs) will be used in more facilities over the next month as part of efforts to protect health workers.

We are rolling out the use of Rapid Diagnostic Test Kits (RDTs), in more health facilities over the next one month, as an additional tool to protect healthcare workers, he said.

We remain deeply grateful for the efforts and commitment of healthcare workers across the country.

Mr Ihekweazu noted that the agency has started training health workers in five health facilities in FCT, on the use of RDTs in health care settings.

He said this would soon be replicated across federal hospitals in the country.

The NCDC chief said this can help reduce the risk of infection in health facilities which is a major challenge in the fight against the pandemic.

ADVERTISEMENT

He explained the need for doctors and nurses to be on the alert on suspicion of any COVID-19 case.

He said COVID-19 should be ruled out first for patients with pneumonia symptoms, congested chest, fever, body pains and even vague symptoms.

He appealed to health workers to model the behaviours they would like to see in others.

Show people you wear a mask when visiting, reinforce the public health measures (in your homes and other settings). Model the behaviour you want to see in others, the official said.
Australian Prime Minister Says Bing Could Replace Google

CANBERRA, AustraliaAustralias prime minister said on Monday that Microsoft is confident it can fill the void if Google carries out its threat to remove its search engine from Australia.

A Google executive told a Senate hearing last month that it would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government goes ahead with a draft law that would make tech giants pay for news content.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he has spoken to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella about its search engine, Bing, filling the space.

I can tell you, Microsofts pretty confident that Australians would not be worse off, Morrison told the National Press Club of Australia.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison arrives at Haneda airport in Tokyo on Nov. 17, 2020. (Reuters/Issei Kato)

These are big technology companies and whats important to Australia, I think, is that we set the rules that are right for our people, Morrison said.

Having a news environment in this country that is one that is sustainable and is supported commercially, then this is vital to how democracies function, he added.

Although Bing is Australias second most popular search engine, it has only a 3.6 percent market share, according to web analytics service Statcounter. Google says it has 95 percent.

Nadella initiated the Zoom conversation with Morrison, The Australian newspaper reported.

A Microsoft statement confirmed that the online meeting had taken place last week but released no details of the conversation.

We recognize the importance of a vibrant media sector and public interest journalism in a democracy and we recognize the challenges the media sector has faced over many years through changing business models and consumer preferences, Microsoft said.

A sign of Microsofts Bing search engine is seen at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, China, on Sept. 21, 2018. (Stringer/Reuters)

With respect to the current controversy over a potential code of conduct governing Google and Facebook, Microsoft is not directly involved and we wouldnt want to comment on that ongoing process involving the ACCC and those companies, the statement added, referring to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the national regulator that devised the draft law.

The mandatory code of conduct proposed by the government aims to make Google and Facebook pay Australian media companies fairly for using news content the tech giants siphon from news sites.

There are no plans to make smaller search engines such as Bing pay for linking users to Australian news, but the government has not ruled that option out.

Google has faced pressure from authorities elsewhere to pay for news. Last month, it signed a deal with a group of French publishers paving the way for the company to make digital copyright payments. Under the agreement, Google will negotiate individual licensing deals with newspapers, with payments based on factors such as the amount published daily and monthly Internet site traffic.

But Google is resisting the Australian plan because it would have less control over how much it would have to pay. Under the Australian system, if an online platform and a news business cant agree on a price for news, an arbitration panel will make a binding decision on payment.

Morrison said he would like to see more alignment between the worlds economies on such antitrust and competition policy issues.

By Rod McGuirk

MOSCOW -- Allies of Aleksei Navalny are calling on his supporters to gather at a Moscow courthouse on February 2 where the jailed opposition politician has a hearing looking at converting a suspended sentence he served into real jail time in a case widely considered to be politically motivated.

The hearing in Moscow comes after tens of thousands of Russians rallied the past two weekends in support of the anti-corruption campaigner despite a sometimes violent police crackdown that saw thousands -- including Navalny's wife, Yulia, and most of his close associates -- detained.

"Without your help, we won't be able to resist the lawlessness of the authorities," the politician's team said on social media on February 1.

The 44-year-old Kremlin critic was detained on January 17 upon his return from Germany, where he had been recovering from a nerve-agent poisoning, and was later remanded in pretrial detention for 30 days.

Navalny is accused of violating the terms of a suspended sentence for embezzlement in a case he says was trumped up but could see him jailed for 3 1/2 years.

On the eve of the start of the trial at the Moscow City Court on February 2, the Russian prosecutor's office said it supported a request from the prison authority to convert the suspended sentence into a real jail term.

Prosecutors claim he broke the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence in a case the European Court for Human Rights ruled was "arbitrary and manifestly unreasonable."

Navalny and his supporters say he was poisoned in August on the orders of President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has dismissed extensive evidence that state agents poisoned Navalny and have rejected international calls for his release.

Tens of thousands filled the streets across the country on January 31, braving freezing weather and possible arrest to defend Navalny and voice their discontent with the government over a host of issues ranging from corruption to falling living standards.

More than 5,600 protesters were detained, according to the monitoring group OVD-Info, amid reports of police using batons and electric shock batons to break up rallies in Moscow and elsewhere.

In a statement issued late on January 31, OVD-Info noted the "disproportionately brutal actions" of security forces against peaceful demonstrators and said this was the largest number of mass arrests since it was founded more than nine years ago.

Police "deliberately interfered with the work of the press," taking 91 journalists reporting on the protests into custody in 31 cities, it said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov alleged on February 1 that a large number of protesters were "hooligans and provocateurs and that dialogue with such people would be impossible.

One of those taken into custody was Yulia Navalnaya, who was fined 20,000 rubles ($265) on February 1 by a court in Moscow for taking part in unsanctioned rallies in support of her jailed husband.

Another Moscow court placed Kira Yarmysh, Navalny's press secretary, under house arrest until March 23 as a "restraining measure."

The court approved the measure as requested by the Investigative Committee, saying Yarmysh had violated health and safety measures enacted to stem the spread of the coronavirus by calling for mass protests to support the Kremlin critic and anti-corruption campaigner.

Andrei Pivovarov, the executive director of the opposition group Open Russia, was found guilty of repeatedly violating rules about public gatherings and was sentenced to 29 days.

Opposition politician Ilya Yashin was jailed for 15 days for allegedly disobeying a police officer.

The United States, the European Union, and human rights organizations condemned the violence by Russian police against their own citizens as well as the detention of reporters.

Amnesty International said police in Moscow were holding people in deportation facilities because they had "run out of space" in jails.

"Trying to lock up every critic in the country is a losing game. The Russian authorities should instead recognize how much the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression mean to a growing number of Russians, and allow people to express their opinions without fear of retaliation," Amnesty said in a statement following the protest.

Like the previous weekend, the January 31 protests took place in more than 100 cities in what some are calling the largest series of anti-government rallies by geography since Putin took power at the end of 1999.

International Condemnation

In a TV interview aired on February 1, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he was "deeply disturbed by the violent crackdown" and that the U.S. administration was considering possible action against Russia.

Blinken did not commit to specific sanctions against Moscow.

EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell tweeted that he deplored the "widespread detentions and disproportionate use of force" against protesters and journalists in Russia and that the country "needs to comply with its international commitments."

Borrell is scheduled to fly to Moscow on February 5.

Also on February 1, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced it had informed Russia that it will consider a complaint filed to the court by Navalny.

His legal team argues Russia violated his right to life under the European Convention on Human Rights by refusing to open a criminal case into his poisoning with a Soviet-era nerve agent in August.

In April 2019, the ECHR ruled that Russian authorities violated Navalny's rights by holding him under house arrest in the 2014 case.

With reporting by TASS, Reuters, and AP
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.
For some, it was a kick in the gut.

Some lawmakers and advocates have fought for nearly a decade to reform the states child sex crime laws. Now, members of the General Assembly, who were within days of approval for a long-anticipated constitutional amendment to open the doors to justice for victims, are outraged to learn a procedural mistake at the highest level has dealt a body blow to their efforts.

Im devastated. Im just stunned, said Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks County.

Lawmakers learned Monday that due to a procedural mistake, a proposed amendment to the state constitution to aid victims of child sex abuse will be delayed by two years. The Department of State failed to advertise the proposed amendment that would provide a two-year window for litigation by survivors of child sexual abuse who are beyond the statute of limitations.

Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar will resign Feb. 5, Gov. Tom Wolf announced Monday; Spotlight PA first reported the news. Lawmakers had hoped voters could approve the amendment this spring. Because of the error, the earliest the amendment can appear on a ballot would be 2023.

Rep. Jim Gregory, R-Blair, the author of the constitutional amendment, expressed complete dismay.

We have lost two years of work expended by Sen. Lisa Baker, Rep. Rozzi, myself and, most importantly, dedicated Pennsylvanians who survived assault and want to recapture their voice in the courts, Gregory said. I am finding it difficult to express the anger and outrage on behalf of the victims that once again are left empty handed. This takes us back to the starting point and means the earliest voters can choose to grant these protections will be the 2023 primary election.

Gregorys proposal last week garnered majority support in the state House of Representatives and was slated for a Senate vote this week.

The constitutional amendment would have, if approved by voters, opened a two-year retroactive window for survivors of child sexual abuse who are timed out of the legal system.

Under state law, changes to the state constitution require that a proposal be approved by the legislature in two consecutive sessions. At that point, the proposed change appears on the ballot for voters to decide.

The measure was slated for approval by the Senate, meaning it could have been on the May 18 primary ballot.

We will try to process this gut punch to our efforts and continue to fight, said Gregory, a survivor of child sex abuse. The gravity of this error is of the magnitude that the secretarys resignation will not be enough for the victims. I do not want to believe that this is willful misconduct on the part of someone, but I will need to be shown that is not the case.

But Gregory, Rozzi and others swiftly shifted the focus from the constitutional amendment to the legislative process.

Rozzi, a survivor of clergy sex abuse, is calling on the General Assembly to pass statutory changes to the law, forgoing another protracted requirement process for a constitutional amendment. Rozzi and other lawmakers want to simply pass legislation to create a two-year window, which would be much faster than amending the constitution.

There is a resolution on the table that could make this right for them to pass a statutory change that changes law instead of a constitutional amendment, Rozzi said. We would need the support of the Senate President Pro Tempore Jake Corman. He has to step in at this point and understand how devastating this is to victims. He has a chance to make this right.

Corman, R-Centre, on Monday said the Senate would return Tuesday to review and assess options.

We are going to be in session tomorrow and well get a chance to review all options legislatively moving forward, he said. I would hate to jump within an hour of finding out what exactly we are going to do. Clearly this is a real blow for victims.

The question of the constitutionality of a retroactive window on statute of limitations had long impeded progress and any ratification of measures calling for such reform. A ballot referendum to amend the constitution was widely seen as a compromise to move broader reforms forward.

Many of us at the time argued that a constitutional process was a better process, Corman said. We were prepared to vote on it this week. Well assess our options and make decisions from there.

Boockvar swiftly came under fire.

Corman excoriated her for her incompetency, noting that Republicans had questioned her qualifications and readiness for the position, which she took in 2019.

Its an astonishing sequence of events, Corman said. At the moment I am stunned at the incompetence of Secretary Boockvar...This is icing on the cake. She is someone who, for whatever reason, wasnt prepared for her job.

Wolf announced Monday that Boockvar would no longer be a member of his administration following three years with the department, including two years as secretary of the commonwealth.

Boockvar has received heavy criticism from Republican lawmakers over her management of the states 2020 elections. Wolf stressed her departure isnt tied to any issues relating to her oversight of the elections.

This change at the Department of State has nothing to do with the administration of the 2020 election, which was fair and accurate, Wolf said. The delay caused by this human error will be heartbreaking for thousands of survivors of childhood sexual assault, advocates and legislators, and I join the Department of State in apologizing to you. I share your anger and frustration that this happened, and I stand with you in your fight for justice.

Boockvar took responsibility for the departments error, noting her leadership over the past three years to provide a fair election.

Im extremely proud of what weve accomplished for the people of Pennsylvania, she said in a written statement. Ive always believed that accountability and leadership must be a cornerstone of public service. While I only became aware of the mistake last week, and immediately took steps to alert the administration to the error, I accept responsibility on behalf of the department.

House Republican leaders assailed Boockvar while acknowledging the impact of the mistake on victims.

In a written statement, Speaker of the House Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) and Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) said: While we appreciate the governors swift action in seeking Secretary Boockvars resignation, it will not undo further delay of justice for victims of child sexual abuse and the harm the administration has caused to peoples faith in their ability to carry out the basic processes of our government.

Cutler and Benninghoff called it a sad day for victims.

For the last 12 months, our caucus has raised serious concerns about this administrations ability to competently manage the basic functions of state government, they said. Today, our worst fears were realized by the revelation that incompetency in the Department of State may stand in the way of victims being able to seek justice.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats said they will introduce legislation to statutorily create a two-year retroactive window that would temporarily suspend expired statute of limitations.

This is a disappointing setback in the process to create the window to justice, said Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa. If we continue with the constitutional amendment process, it will be at least another two years until the window would be created and thats simply too long. A legislative solution can create the window immediately, and Im encouraging bipartisan and bicameral support for the bill that members of our caucus is going to introduce. Survivors need justice now.

Democratic senators vowed to introduce the bill immediately.

To say I am disappointed by this setback is an understatement, said Sen. Maria Collett, D-Montgomery County. I am devastated on behalf of the victims of childhood sex abuse in my district and across the Commonwealth who have shared with us their heartbreaking stories and entrusted us to bring them long-overdue justice and path to healing. The last thing these victims need is another delay, another slight that makes them feel like no one cares about their pain.

Sen. Katie Muth, D-Montgomery County, said legislative action was long overdue, adding that an additional two-year delay was unacceptable.

The General Assembly needs to pass a statutory window as soon as possible and finally allow justice and healing for these victims, she said.

Sen. Steve Santarsiero, D-Bucks County, said the time for debating had long passed.

There is no need to amend our state constitution, he said. The General Assembly has the authority to pass the two-year window to give the victims of child sex abuse what they have long sought and what they so dearly deserve - justice.

Attorney General Josh Shapiro, whose office led the 40th Statewide Grand Jury, called the blunder shameful and said all remedies must be on the table. The 2018 investigation, which uncovered systemic clergy sex abuse in Pennsylvania, made sweeping recommendations to reforming the statute of limitations, including installing a retroactive window to benefit victims for whom statutes had expired.

Too many institutions have failed survivors of sexual abuse for far too long, and I am determined for that disgraceful streak to end and to make sure justice is no longer denied, he said. My office has made clear that the amendment process was an unnecessary hurdle from the beginning. I urge the General Assembly and governor to do what many states have already done and let Pennsylvania survivors have their day in court as soon as possible by passing this final reform into law.

Marci Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania law professor and statute of limitations expert, echoed the calls for statutory change.

The constitutional amendment and referendum have all sorts of procedural requirements that make them difficult, she said. Its time to pass a window as a statute. The constitutional amendment was never needed. Its still not needed. Its time to just go back to reality and pass an ordinary legislative window like so many other states have done and provide justice for the victims of Pennsylvania. They waited for 16 years.

Nationwide, since 2002, some 24 so-called revival bills have been enacted. Some jurisdictions have had multiple windows, including California with two, and Hawaii with three. Overall there have been 19 retroactive windows opened by states and five revivals.

Rozzi called for an investigation into the blunder.

I dont know how the Secretary of State made this mistake, he said. Ive been taking a beating for this..for changing course and having this happen.. my heart hurts for all those victims.

[February 01, 2021] HARRIS Flex Upgrades to InterSystems IRIS for Health

InterSystems, a creative data technology provider dedicated to helping customers solve the most critical scalability, interoperability, and speed problems, today announced that its long-term customer Harris Healthcare, has updated its comprehensive, fully integrated, patient-centric electronic record system HARRIS Flex to leverage InterSystems IRIS for Health. The upgrade and platform migration will enhance the overall performance, functionality, and scalability of the HARRIS Flex solution, enabling clinicians to better serve their patients and improve data sharing and communication across the care continuum. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005020/en/ As an InterSystems (News - Alert) partner since the 1980s, Harris Healthcare has relied upon the data management capabilities of InterSystems data platforms for HARRIS Flex and other products. The foundational technology helps ensure the safe storage of clinical data for more than 60 hospital systems around the world.HARRIS Flex provides robust clinical decision support to care providers and allied health professionals through its easy-to-use electronic record system platform that is accessible from anywhere, at any time, and on the mobile tablet, laptop or desktop of their choice. The migration to InterSystems IRIS for Health opens HARRIS Flex to explore new functionality, such as built-in capabilities for data layout, open analytics, and an expandable FHIR repository.



InterSystems IRIS for Health is the world's first and only data platform specifically engineered to extract value from healthcare data. It empowers users to rapidly create and scale the healthcare industry's next breakthrough applications. "Throughout our shared history, InterSystems has delivered the functionality, flexibility, and scalable database technology that makes the HARRIS Flex platform possible," said Seth Salmon, vice president of research and development at Harris Healthcare. "Technology and support from InterSystems were especially crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, when our customers needed to quickly configure new workflows to support patient care, including entirely new triage and ICU units. Transitioning to InterSystems IRIS for Health enables us to provide even greater flexibility and support for our customers during this unprecedented time."

"At InterSystems, we are committed to providing our global customers with the technology necessary to facilitate the seamless exchange of clinical data," said Don Woodlock, vice president of Healthcare Solutions at InterSystems. "Data and system interoperability have been an essential factor in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic as care teams need complete and accurate clinical data to make informed decisions. We are proud to support HARRIS Flex and the role we will continue to play in putting data at the center of the company's mission to support clinicians and their patients." "As a HARRIS Flex customer, we rely on the EHR to provide our clinical staff with accurate and complete healthcare data, supporting the care of children with medical complexity" said Darin K. Brannan, MD, at The Children's Center Rehabilitation Hospital, in Bethany, Oklahoma, USA. "As the backbone of the HARRIS Flex technology, InterSystems HealthShare has enabled our clinicians to seamlessly navigate the EHR and access data in real-time. The migration to InterSystems IRIS for Health will give our clinicians even greater accessibility and will have a positive impact on our ability to better serve patients in more innovative ways." About Harris Healthcare Harris Healthcare is a global, leading provider of award-winning Digital Health Solutions that improve the safety, quality, and efficiency of patient care. Harris Healthcare provides sourced, flexible solutions that make our customers successful by streamlining processes, increasing productivity, and driving positive clinical outcomes. For more information, visit http://www.Harrishealthcare.com. About InterSystems Established in 1978, InterSystems is the leading provider of technology for extremely critical data in the healthcare, finance, and manufacturing and supply chain sectors. Its cloud-first data platforms solve interoperability, speed, and scalability problems for large organizations around the globe. InterSystems also develops and supports uniquely managed services for hospital EMRs, unified care records for communities and nations, and laboratory information management systems. InterSystems is committed to excellence through its award-winning, 247 support for customers and partners in more than 80 countries. Privately held and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, InterSystems has 25 offices worldwide. For more information, please visit InterSystems.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005020/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
U.S. oil prices above $50 a barrel are helping the shale patch to generate more cash flow, especially after the massive capital spending cuts last year. But higher prices are also reviving the good old dilemma of U.S. shale producersraise production or raise payouts to shareholders, who have grown increasingly frustrated in recent years with the lack of meaningful returns while drillers were sinking cash flows, and even spending beyond cash flow generation into breaking production records.

Most analysts believe that this time around, there wont be much of a dilemma as shale producers will have to show investors they can be more profitable, return more of those profits to shareholders, and not drill themselves into oblivion, as Harold Hamm warned the industry back in 2017.

As oil prices are steadying above $50 per barrel, producers are vowing, once again, capital and drilling restraint, while distributing more cash to shareholders now that the shale patch is set to generate higher cash flows.

While the prevailing opinion among analysts is that drillers would really keep their promise this timeunlike all similar pledges of the past four yearsthere is concern that the shale patch would return to plowing the cash it generates into drilling instead of into dividends.

In addition, some of the larger publicly traded shale-focused producers fear that smaller privately-held drillers would rain on their parade by boosting production again because the scale of production is their way of generating cash, and there is no judgment about their choices from the stock market or shareholders.

Despite the turbulent last year and the collapse in oil prices, 33 of the biggest listed shale-focused producers generated in the third quarter of 2020 the strongest free cash flow since the dawn of the fracking boom, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) said in an analysis in December. The companies generated $2.6 billion in free cash flow for Q3, thanks to the slashed capital expenditures (capex) during the quarter to the lowest level in more than a decade.

If WTI Crude prices average $50 a barrel this year, shale operators in the Permian Midland, Permian Delaware, Eagle Ford, Bakken, and DJ basins are set to see their cash flow operations jump to $73.6 billion in 2021, up from an estimated $55.7 billion in 2020, Rystad Energy forecasts.

Related: Can Big Oil Surprise This Earnings Season?



Higher cash flow from operations and free cash flows at U.S. shale producers would allow them to finally start rewarding shareholders with increased payouts, potentially reversing the trend of pullback from investors, who have grown weary of seeing record production growth at the expense of payout growth.

It is going to be a banner year for free cash flow to shareholders, Dane Gregoris, a director at oil and gas data analytics company Enverus, told Reuters Jennifer Hiller.

To get more cash to shareholders, some companies are considering the introduction of variable dividends on top of the base dividend.

Pioneer Natural Resources, for example, will be working out the mechanics of a variable dividend early this year, payable in 2022, as long as the all strip price is $45 or higher for Brent, CEO Scott Sheffield said as early as on the companys Q2 earnings call in August 2020.

Devon Energy, which authorized a special dividend last year, said in the announcement of the merger with WPX Energy that the combined company would launch a new dividend strategy that pays a fixed dividend and evaluates a variable distribution on a quarterly basis. Up to 50 percent of the remaining free cash flow on a quarterly basis will be distributed to shareholders through a variable distribution, Devon said in September.

Apart from higher dividend distribution, shale drillers vow restraint in production growth, but larger listed producers are concerned that some producers would break promises of output restraint.

There are going to be bad actors [who pursue] growth for growths sake, Matthew Gallagher, an executive at Pioneer Natural Resources, told the Financial Times.

Still, the shale industry is under increased pressure from investors to boost payouts to shareholders. According to Wood Mackenzies David Clark and Alex Beeker, the strategic imperative is to deliver cash to shareholders through the cycle.

Oil prices above $50 a barrel will put to the test the shale patchs resolve to boost returns to shareholders and not sink all the cash into drilling. Investors may not give the industry another chance.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Mark Hastings, the CEO of BarProducts.com, is lashing out at a boycott of his company after he took a selfie at the Capitol in the moments preceding the January 6 insurrection.

The CEO attempted to dissuade a reporter from writing about the boycott while the company complained that it was being 'bashed' for Hastings' personal views.

Hastings, 61, had posted the picture of himself surrounded by Donald Trump supporters that day, captioning his post 'Stop the Steal!'

That was a common refrain among Trump supporters who believed the election was 'stolen' via voter fraud, despite a lack of evidence.

Since making (and deleting) his post, however, Hastings has seen backlash in the form of a boycott of his business from bartenders who say they'll use alternate supply firms.

Mark Hastings, CEO of BarProducts, posted this since-deleted selfie at the Capitol

Later in the day, rioters would storm the halls of the Capitol, ultimately leaving five dead

Mark Hastings tried to stop coverage of the boycott, telling the Wall Street Journal: 'I urge you to reconsider your timing and run the article (that Id be obliged to help with), at a time when conservative free speech is not under attack'

The Wall Street Journal talked to several people about the brand and the growing backlash against Largo-wholesaler BarProducts.

'After 16 years of buying my bar tools from his company I, for one, will never spend another cent with them,' said Brad Kaplan, a bartender at Denver International Airport.

Jabriel Donohue, the bar manager at the Mountaineering Club inside the Graduate Hotel in Seattle, wrote on Facebook: 'This is a person I've given money to and in some way, I feel a little responsible for funding him to be there.'

The company defended itself with a post on its Instagram page that read, 'A man that practices his freedom of speech on his PERSONAL Facebook page is getting bashed all over social media and as a result, our company is also getting bashed.'

That post has since been deleted.

The online retailer sells a variety of bar supplies, including shot glasses, bottle openers and mini refrigerators as well as knick-knacks for the interior.

Hastings has claimed in deleted social media posts that he did not enter the Capitol

There is also no clear photographic evidence of Hastings entering the Capitol that day

Hastings, for his part, tried to get the WSJ not to run their story due to an environment he perceives as being hostile toward conservative voices.

'I urge you to reconsider your timing and run the article (that Id be obliged to help with), at a time when conservative free speech is not under attack,' Hastings emailed to the publication.

The backlash against BarProducts, a company Hastings started in 1995 that cites over 60 employees and 10,000 products, has shown no signs of slowing down.

Nevertheless, the backlash against Hastings and his company has been swift

'BarProducts is another company whose owner funded & attended the sedition. Good idea to avoid its products. #BarProducts drinks are TOXIC,' wrote one Twitter user.

'Oh no! You mean actions have consequences? Poor thing,' said another.

Steven Catini posted it was a 'Textbook example of Felony Stupid.'

Hastings has claimed in deleted social media posts that he didn't commit any crimes on January 6 and didn't enter the Capitol. There is no known photographic evidence that puts him inside of the Capitol.

Still, his presence nearby and decision to protest the election could harm his business, as it has harmed the businesses of others.

Bradley Rukstales lost his job as CEO of a marketing firm after entering the Capitol that day.

Other businesses and executives associated with the false claims of election fraud, such as MyPillow with CEO Mike Lindell, have also suffered, with Bed Bath & Beyond pulling MyPillow products, ostensibly due to bad sales.

One of the most notable names silenced in the aftermath of the Capitol riot was Trump himself, who faced accusations of incitement and was impeached for his role in the violence, which left five dead.

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram were among the many social media platforms that banned the president during his last couple of weeks in office.

Social media platforms typically frequented by right-wing users, such as Parler, also went dark in the aftermath of the Capitol riot as tech companies began pulling them from dedicated app stores.

In another tweet that appears to have been deleted, Hastings tagged Donald Trump with a photo that supporting not hiring liberals, which would be illegal discrimination

This isn't the first time Hastings posted something controversial to social media.

In a since-deleted tweet from 2018 captured by Fortune, Hastings posted a picture of a sheet that read: 'Job Applicants Please Note: We do not hire LIBERALS.'

Hastings tagged Trump in the Christmas Eve tweet, saying, 'Dear Mr. President, @realDonaldTrump Would you agree this should not be illegal?"

Hastings doesn't appear particularly active on Twitter anymore, with just 25 tweets and 28 followers.
Police in Rochester, New York, were seen restraining and spraying a 9-year-old girl with a so-called chemical irritant, in two body camera videos released on Sunday.

The child, who was visibility distraught in the videos, was sprayed with the chemical substance after she was pursued by nine officers who were called the a report of family trouble on Friday, the Associated Press reported.

In a press conference on Saturday, Rochester Police Department alleged that officers were required to restrain the child on the floor because she had kicked at them, and refused to get into a patrol car, before they administered the spray.

"For the minors safety and at the request of the custodial parent on scene, the child was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car as they waited for an ambulance to arrive, the department added.

At Sundays news conference, Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan described the irritant as pepper spray and declined to defend the officers' actions.

Im not going to stand here and tell you that for a 9-year-old to have to be pepper-sprayed is OK. Its not," said the police chief.

I dont see that as who we are as a department, and were going to do the work we have to do to ensure that these kinds of things dont happen, she added, as the two body camera videos were published.

Police said the girl was afterwards taken to Rochester General Hospital, where she received the services and care that she needed, and was later released to her family.

According to a local newspaper, The Democrat and Chronicle, the citys mayor said prior to the release of the body camera footage that she was concerned that it was a child that was harmed during this incident that happened on Friday.

I have a 10-year-old child, so shes a child, shes a baby. This video, as a mother, is not anything you want to see, said Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren.

The citys police department has come under fire since the since the death of Daniel Prude last year after officers from the put a hood over the black mans head and pressed his face into the pavement.

It followed demonstrations in Rochester and other US cities last year against police brutality and systemic racism seen by a number of fatal arrests, which included the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd in May 2020.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press.
By Tim Reid

(Reuters) - Dozens of Republicans in former President George W. Bush's administration are leaving the party, dismayed by a failure of many elected Republicans to disown Donald Trump after his false claims of election fraud sparked a deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol last month.

These officials, some who served in the highest echelons of the Bush administration, said they had hoped that a Trump defeat would lead party leaders to move on from the former president and denounce his baseless claims that the November presidential election was stolen.

But with most Republican lawmakers sticking to Trump, these officials say they no longer recognize the party they served. Some have ended their membership, others are letting it lapse while a few are newly registered as independents, according to a dozen former Bush officials who spoke with Reuters.

"The Republican Party as I knew it no longer exists. Id call it the cult of Trump," said Jimmy Gurule, who was Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence in the Bush administration.

Kristopher Purcell, who worked in the Bush White Houses communications office for six years, said roughly 60 to 70 former Bush officials have decided to leave the party or are cutting ties with it, from conversations he has been having. "The number is growing every day," Purcell said.

Their defection from the Republican Party after a lifetime of service for many is another clear sign of how a growing intraparty conflict over Trump and his legacy is fracturing it.

The party is currently caught between disaffected moderate Republicans and independents disgusted by the hold Trump still has over elected officials, and Trumps fervently loyal base. Without the enthusiastic support of both groups, the party will struggle to win national elections, according to polling, Republican officials and strategists.

The Republican National Committee referred Reuters to a recent interview its chair Ronna McDaniel gave to the Fox Business channel. Were having a little bit of a spat right now. But we are going to come together. We have to, McDaniel said, predicting the party will unite against the agenda of President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Story continues

Representatives for Trump did not respond to a request for comment.

A representative of former President Bush did not respond to a request for comment. During the Trump presidency Bush made clear he had retired from politics."

'IT'S APPALLING'

More than half of the Republicans in Congress - eight senators and 139 House representatives - voted to block certification of the election just hours after the Capitol siege.

Most Republican Senators have also indicated they would not support the impeachment of Trump, making it almost certain that the former president won't be convicted in his Senate trial. Trump was impeached on Jan. 13 by the Democratic-led House of Representatives on charges of "incitement of insurrection," the only president to be impeached twice.

The unwillingness by party leaders to disavow Trump was the final straw for some former Republican officials.

"If it continues to be the party of Trump, many of us are not going back," Rosario Marin, a former Treasurer of the U.S. under Bush, told Reuters. "Unless the Senate convicts him, and rids themselves of the Trump cancer, many of us will not be going back to vote for Republican leaders."

Two former Bush officials who spoke to Reuters said they believe it is important to stay in the party to rid it of Trumps influence.

One of those, Suzy DeFrancis, a veteran of the Republican Party who served in administrations including those of former presidents Richard Nixon and George W. Bush, said she voted for Biden in November but that breaking the party apart now will only benefit Democrats.

"I totally understand why people are frustrated and want to leave the party. Ive had that feeling for 4 years," DeFrancis said.

But she said its critical the party unite around Republican principles such as limited government, personal responsibility, free enterprise and a strong national defense.

Purcell said many felt they have no choice, however. He referred to Marjorie Taylor Greene, a freshman Republican congresswoman from Georgia who promotes the QAnon conspiracy theory, which falsely claims that top Democrats belong to a secret governing cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles. Another newly elected Representative, Lauren Boebert from Colorado, has also made supportive statements about QAnon.

"We have QAnon members of Congress. Its appalling," Purcell said.

(Reporting by Tim Reid; Editing by Soyoung Kim and Grant McCool)

Prince Harry on Monday accepted an apology and damages from the publisher of British tabloid The Mail on Sunday and its online version, MailOnline, in a libel lawsuit relating to articles about his relationship with the British armed forces.

Harry sued Associated Newspapers for libel over two articles published in October which claimed he had snubbed the Royal Marines after stepping down as a senior royal.

The articles claimed that Harry had not been in touch with the force since his last appearance as an honorary Marine in March, and that military leaders were considering replacing him as Captain General of the Royal Marines.

Harry had served for a decade in the British army. His lawyers said in court documents that he was frustrated and saddened because the articles would diminish his credibility with veterans.

Harry and his wife, Meghan, stepped down as working royals and moved to the U.S. in early 2019. His honorary military titles were put on hold, and they were due to be reviewed in March as part of the monarchys review of the couples departure arrangements.

Lawyer Jenny Afia, representing Harry, said the publisher has accepted that allegations that he had turned his back on the force were false.

The articles were baseless, false and defamatory and constituted not only a personal attack upon the Dukes character but also wrongly brought into question his service to this country, Afia said.

She said Harry was proud to have served in the British armed forces for 10 years in Her Majestys name and has maintained active links with those forces ever since and will continue to do so in the future."

After the brief remote hearing, a spokesman for Harry said his commitment to the military community is unquestionable.

The Mail on Sunday printed an apology in December but it wasn't enough to stop the lawsuit.

Harry will donate the damages to the Invictus Games Foundation, a charity for wounded or sick servicemen and women that he founded, she added. The amount of the damages was not disclosed.

Separately, Meghan is also suing Associated Newspapers for invasion of privacy and copyright infringement over articles that published portions of a letter she wrote to her father, Thomas Markle, after her marriage to Harry in 2018.
West Springfield town councilors will take up the issue of racism at their next meeting, and this time theyll have another competing resolution to consider.

Following a Jan. 25 discussion that failed to reach a consensus on changing any of the wording in Mayor William Reichelts executive order declaring racism an emergency and public health crisis, Councilor Michael Eger last week shared his own version of the order, suggesting a few changes.

The council was slated to vote on the executive order Monday, but the meeting was canceled because of inclement weather.

Both proposals would set up a working group of appointed volunteers to lead a town-wide conversation on racism, promote racial equity and suggest ways in which the town government can fight racism. The biggest change in Egers proposal is the addition of a requirement that the working group also compile and publish data showing how West Springfields treatment of minorities is improving.

Egers proposal is the third option to be circulated among councilors, after Reichelts original text and an alternative authored by Council President Brian Griffin. Griffins proposal had also named statistics and governmental transparency as priorities for the working group.

At a School Committee meeting on Thursday, members voted unanimously in favor of the order as drafted. Kathy Alevras, although she voted for the order, echoed some of Egers criticisms, however.

Reichelt responded to those points at the School Committee meeting, which Eger did not attend.

Its hard to make fine metrics of what exactly we want to accomplish, the mayor said. Instead, he would prefer to set a committee up to delve into these topics, and routinely come back to report to the four bodies.

The executive order grew out of the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota, and the national conversation on racial justice over the past year, Reichelt said. He said what sparked him to act locally were the individual stories of bigotry and exclusion that hes heard in recent months at meetings and public forums hosted by the West Springfield School Departments equity committee and facilitated by Tamika La Salle, a professor at the University of Connecticut.

School Committee member Pat Garbacik, who has also been working with La Salle and the schools equity effort, responded directly to Egers proposal.

I just get very frustrated when we quibble over this word, that word, Garbacik said. What Im thinking is, weve been working hard on an equity project, starting with the schools, we have an expert in the field thats guiding us. It is data-driven. What were doing [in the executive order] is just proclaiming, as a town, that we want to be better. We want to do better.

Reichelt said he could have signed the executive order on his own authority, but is instead asking for positive votes from the Town Council, School Committee and Board of Health before placing it into effect. The Town Council is the only board that hasnt yet signed.

When originally presented with Reichelts order on Jan. 19, several councilors balked at the stark language and focus on racism as a systemic problem, saying it seemed accusatory toward the community.

Egers proposal also softens some of Reichelts language. It says health inequities are caused by all forms of discrimination, including racism, rather than stark and persistent health inequities being caused by racism. It also describes racial justice as a process of learning and discovering how individuals of different races and backgrounds interact, instead of the mayors definition of the creation and proactive reinforcement of polices, practices, attitudes and actions.
By Reuters Staff

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe has set aside $100 million to acquire COVID-19 vaccines but the government is still waiting for its scientists to recommend which type to buy, a state-owned newspaper reported on Sunday.

President Emmerson Mnangagwas government, which is grappling with an economic crisis and acute shortages of foreign exchange, has been criticised for being too slow to announce its vaccination plans.

George Guvamatanga, the ministry of finance secretary, told the Sunday Mail that the government would use funds from a 2020 budget surplus and reallocate some of this years budget to buy the vaccines.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said in November that a budget surplus was expected for 2020, although final figures have not yet been published.

The Government has set aside US$100 million for the vaccines to procure around 20 million vaccine doses to immunise 60% of the population, which will help us attain herd immunity, Guvamatanga said, adding that the government was awaiting advice from scientists on which vaccine to buy and where to procure it.

Guvamatanga could not be reached for further comment.

Zimbabwe, with a population of about 15 million, has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases. More than half of its total 33,273 infections and more than two-thirds of the countrys 1,193 deaths have been recorded this month alone.

The countrys health system has been crumbling for years and is now struggling to cope with the spike in cases. Among those who have died in recent days were two cabinet ministers, a retired general and other high-ranking officials.

Anger among overwhelmed medics is adding to broader public dissatisfaction with Mnangagwa, who pledged an economic revival after he took over from the late Robert Mugabe following a coup in 2017.

Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Frances Kerry
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
One of the iconic Japanese animated shojo manga series, "Chibi Maruko-chan," will be made into a 3D animated feature in China.



Renowned female Chinese director Xue Xiaolu will direct "Chibi Maruko-chan: The Fantastic Notebook", which is set to release during the 2022 Spring Festival holiday. A teaser poster was released on Jan. 29.

"In China, the anime is part of the childhood memory of many people. I personally loved the cute, sincere, and kind character who loves dreaming," Xue said. She is known for making romantic blockbusters such as "Finding Mr. Right" and "Book of Love," as well as the suspense thriller "The Whistleblower."

Xue added that the new movie will add fantasy and adventure elements to the original anime series. "As we are going to maintain a continuation of the classic, I hope my team can also bring along fresh contents that can touch your hearts."

"Chibi Maruko-chan" by Momoko Sakura has been a very popular manga and anime series among Chinese for generations. Chinese film company Guangdong Sublime Media will produce the new movie and Sakura's studio Sakura Production will act as executive producer and oversee the production.

The manga's creator Momoko Sakura died from breast cancer at the age of 53 in August 2018. She serialized the manga in Shueisha's Ribon magazine from 1986 to 1996. The comedy manga, which follows the everyday life of a third-grade schoolgirl, has so far seen about 32 million copies in print.

The original Chibi Maruko-chan manga inspired a television anime produced by Nippon Animation and aired on Fuji Television. It has been almost consistently the third most rated television anime series after "Sazae-san" and "Detective Conan" for more than two decades.

Sakura Production said in a statement that, in the film, Maruko will jump out of her everyday life into a new adventure world full of fantasy. "We delightedly expect everyone to enjoy the charming world of Maruko and the unique new development of her story in the movie.
Washington: US President Joe Biden has condemned the military coup in Myanmar, calling the takeover a direct assault on the countrys transition to democracy - and setting up an early test of whether recent efforts to overturn the US presidential election result will weaken its role as a global champion of free and fair voting.

In a democracy, force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election, Biden said in a statement, suggesting that the United States may impose economic penalties and urging a coordinated international response.

People hold up images of Myanmars de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi at a protest outside Maynmars embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. Credit:Getty

The coup unseated a fragile civilian government and posed a test for Biden - and more broadly, for the United States as an advocate of democratic values worldwide. Critics have warned for months that former president Donald Trumps repeated, baseless claims of election fraud, culminating in a deadly assault on the US Capitol a month ago, could be used to undermine the American position abroad.

Biden, who proclaimed at his inauguration that democracy has prevailed, has pledged to return the United States to a leadership role in condemning anti-democratic actions worldwide, even as most of his administrations energy is focused inward on the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout.




European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yves Herman/Reuters)

EU Governments Condemn Burma Coup

BRUSSELSEuropean Union governments condemned the militarys seizure of power in Burma on Monday and demanded the immediate release of people arrested in raids across the country.

Aung San Suu Kyi attends an award ceremony to receive her 1990 Sakharov Prize at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, on Oct. 22, 2013. (Vincent Kessler/Reuters)

From tiny Luxembourg to European powers France and Germany, leaders and foreign ministers reacted swiftly in statements and on Twitter to criticize the coup, expressing grave concern but avoiding any details of a possible response.

We call for the immediate release of all those detained and to reestablish the democratic process, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EUs executive arm, also released statements condemning the coup.

Burmese police vehicles drive near the City Hall in Yangon, Burma, on Feb. 1, 2021. (Stringer/Reuters)

Borrell said that democracy must prevail, and Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod said: Military under civilian control is a key democratic principle.

Belgian Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes said EU governments would now discuss their next steps, but no ministers offered any possible reprisals.

The EU is Burmas third-biggest trading partner and has given the country special trade preferences, which could potentially be removed, although such a process would likely not be immediate.

In 2018, the EU imposed sanctions against Burmese generals over killings of Rohingya Muslims. The EU also has an arms embargo on the Southeast Asian country.

Few government statements directly named elected Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was among those detained, reflecting what the EU says is her failure to denounce a military campaign against Rohingya Muslims in Burma.

Suu Kyi, who was awarded the European Parliaments human rights prize in 1990, was suspended from attending any more EU human rights prize events in September last year.

By Kate Abnett and Robin Emmott

Press Release

February 1, 2021 Bong Go commends issuance of EO on price ceiling on selected pork and chicken products in NCR Senator Christopher "Bong" Go lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for issuing Executive Order No. 124 which seeks to curb the rising prices of pork and chicken products by imposing a price ceiling. Upon Go's appeal and based on the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture, the price ceiling will be implemented within the National Capital Region for a period of 60 days. "Huwag po natin hayaan na may mamamatay sa gutom. Kaya hinihikayat ko ang mga kasamahan ko sa gobyerno na gawan ng paraan at magtulungan para sa kapakanan ng mga Pilipinong hirap na hirap na talaga. Pagaanin natin ang kanilang pinapasan at huwag natin silang mas pahirapan pa," Go emphasized. Under Section 7 of Republic Act No. 7581 or the Price Act, the President, upon recommendation of an implementing agency, such as the Department of Agriculture, may impose a mandated price ceiling over any basic necessity or prime commodity under circumstances causing an unreasonable increase in the price of such goods. "Kinokomendahan ko po ang pag-issue ng Pangulo ng EO na ito upang itigil ang tuluy-tuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng pagkain. Kailangan natin itong solusyonan lalong-lalo na sa panahon ngayon na marami pong mga kababayan natin ang nawalan ng trabaho," Go said. "Wala na nga pambili ng pagkain ang mga kababayan natin, tataas pa ang presyo. Mas lalong mahihirapan ang ordinaryong Pilipino," he added. Under the EO, the price ceiling will remain in full force and effect for 60 days, unless extended by President Duterte upon the recommendation of the DA. Meanwhile, the Office of the Executive Secretary said that the price ceiling will not result in undue diminution of meat traders' expected income considering that the reduction rates are not greater than 25% of the prevailing market price. Notably, the break-even point for selling pork is only around PhP105.00. The National Agriculture and Fisheries Council has also expressed its support for the price ceiling as reflected in a resolution. The NAFC Resolution signified that the price ceiling bears the support of various stakeholders, including those from the private sector. The imposition of price ceiling seeks to ease the adverse impact of COVID-19 and ensure that pork and chicken remain affordable and accessible to the public, and prevent unwarranted price manipulation. Such measure is likewise consistent with Resolution No. 33 (s. 2020) of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases, which seeks to ensure availability, accessibility, affordability, and price stability of food products during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic and the reduced local pork output due to the outbreak of the African Swine Fever have significantly affected the supply and prices of pork and chicken in various parts of the country. In order to control the outbreak of ASF, the DA implemented the following measures: (1) provision of financial assistance to hog raisers affected by the ASF; (2) depopulation of affected hogs; (3) surveillance activities and border control; (4) heightened implementation of the Bantay ASF sa Barangay (BABAY ASF) program; and (5) stakeholder engagement and consultation. Meanwhile, as means of ensuring adequacy of pork supply, the DA also proposed increasing its Minimum Access Volume of its meat import allocation from 54,000 metric tons to 162,000 metric tons. Go has been prodding the government to prioritize three important aspects towards full recovery: (1) address hunger; (2) acquire sufficient, safe, and effective vaccines for all Filipinos with utmost priority to the poor and vulnerable sectors as well as frontliners; (3) and provide more economic opportunities through jobs and other forms of livelihood. "Ipaglalaban po natin ang tatlong importanteng mga adhikain na ito sa loob at labas ng Senado  ang pagsugpo sa gutom; ang pagkakaroon ng sapat, ligtas, at epektibong bakuna; at ang pagpapalakas ng ekonomiya at kabuhayan ng bawat Pilipino," he said. "Tulad nga ng sabi ng Pangulo, no one should be left behind towards recovery," he added. Go has been active and vocal in pushing for initiatives that will benefit the common people throughout the pandemic. At the onset of the pandemic, Go appealed for the implementation of the Small Business Wage Subsidy program for small businesses to support the affected ordinary employees displaced by the COVID-19. Go, who lamented that many poor Filipinos cannot afford masks and face shields, also called on the government to distribute these essential protective supplies to the poor for free. He has also consistently supported the proper implementation of the government's Social Amelioration Program. The Senator has also been emphasizing the need for the government to uphold its promise of prioritizing the poor and the vulnerable in the national vaccination program. He said that both he and President Duterte will also prioritize frontliners, senior citizens, and indigent Filipinos, and provide vaccines to them for free.

With the threat of a foot of snow to fall by Tuesday, all local municipalities have gone into action to get ready, including enacting their snow bans.

In the City of Hazleton, Mayor Jeff Cusat said city personnel were using loudspeakers Sunday afternoon to notify city residents to move their autos to comply with the city's snow parking ban, or face a ticket.

In West Hazleton borough, Mayor John Chura said due to the upcoming storm, the snow parking ban was placed into effect Sunday, and will be enforced once the borough street crew begins plowing. Any vehicles that are parked in violation of the ban will be ticketed and towed.

The Borough of Freeland got things kicked off on Saturday when Mayor John Budda announced their snow ban would be in effect as of 11 p.m. Sunday, meaning no vehicles should be parked on the odd side of any borough streets for the duration of the storm. Violators will be ticketed and/or towed. The reverse ban will be announced following completion of plowing.

Snow parking bans were also announced Sunday in the boroughs of McAdoo, Conyngham, Weatherly and Beaver Meadows.

Weatherly's ban took effect at 2 p.m., and Borough Manager Harold Pudliner said sides of the streets are designated for vehicles to be moved to.

Then, when it stops snowing, we reverse and everyone moves to the other side so we can clean to the curb, Pudliner said.

McAdoo Mayor Dane Watro said that borough's ban is in effect from 3 p.m. Sunday until 3 p.m. Tuesday.

In Kline Twp., Supervisor Dale Wesner said their ban went into effect at noon Sunday.

The township will plow streets throughout the storm. plowing the driving traffic lanes and one side of parking per street, Wesner said. Once the storm ends and the plow crew completes plowing on those lanes, the township will issue a reverse snow parking ban.

That means autos have to be moved to opposite side of street, and crews will then plow the other side of the street that wasn't plowed.

The township plowers, if available, will then move to assist residents with snow removal, Wesner said. Once all streets are opened, all bans will then be expired through Township Alert System.

We also remind all snow plowers that an "orange warning light" must be used on all plowers  backhoe, ATV, or truck  for safety. Also, residents are reminded, no placing snow back on the streets as it creates a traffic hazard.
A senior AANES official has accused Hassakehs governor of trying to ignite ethnic tension after clashes broke out between pro-government and opposition forces.

A senior official in the Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES) accused the governor of Hassakeh, Ghassan Khalil, of trying to ignite discord between Kurds and Arabs in Syrias northeastern city of Hassakeh on Sunday.

On Sunday, clashes took place between pro-Syrian government National Defense Forces and the AANESs Internal Security forces (Asayish) in the central market of Hassakeh, which resulted in an unknown number of injuries and the death of a government forces member.

Security sources from the Asayish in the city told North Press that a short clash took place between in the vicinity of the governments security square after demonstrators began to move towards an Asayish checkpoint.

The official, who preferred not to be named, said that the governor is trying to stir up tension and create strife in the Jazira Region, especially in the cities of Hassakeh and Qamishli.

On Saturday, Ghassan Khalil invited pro-government Arab tribal sheikhs and notables to a meeting at the governorate headquarters in the city center, in the presence of the heads of security services and the police chief of Hassakeh city.

A source from one of the tribes who attended the meeting, who preferred to remain unidentified, said that the governor asked them to attend a demonstration against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), accusing them of being Kurdish forces, and asking how can we Arabs be run by the Kurds?

Journalists affiliated with the Syrian government published the news of the meeting, stressing that it focused on the tension in the city.

After the meeting, the governor and government officials called for a demonstration against what they described as a siege policy by the SDF, according to journalists working in government institutions.

Khalil was appointed as the governor of Hassakeh according to a presidential decree issued by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the end of last May.

The governor, who held the rank of major general, occupied the position between 2011 and 2013 as the head of the information branch in the State Security Agency, headed by Major General Ali Mamlouk.

Human Rights Watch mentioned the name of Major General Ghassan Khalil in one of its special reports in 2011 as one of the officers overseeing repression at the beginning of the protests in the country.

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.
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
The Haryana government on Monday further extended the suspension of mobile internet services till 5 pm on February 2 in seven districts of the state to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order amid protests by farmers against three new farm laws that witnessed violence earlier this week.

According to an official statement, the Haryana government has extended the suspension of mobile internet services (2G/3G/4G/CDMA/GPRS), SMS services (only Bulk SMS) and all dongle services etc. provided on mobile networks except voice calls in seven districts  Kaithal, Panipat, Jind, Rohtak, Charkhi Dadri, Sonipat and Jhajjar till 5 pm on February 2. This order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of these districts of Haryana and shall be in force with immediate effect. Any person who will be found guilty of violation of aforesaid order will be liable for legal action under relevant provisions, it said.

The suspension of mobile internet has not been extended in Ambala, Bhiwani, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Hisar, where it was suspended until 5 pm February 1. On Sunday, the government had also not extended suspension of mobile internet in Yamunanagar, Palwal and Rewari districts, where the mobile internet services were suspended until 5 pm of January 31.

Commenting on the suspension of mobile internet services in some Haryana districts, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had on Sunday said the decision was taken in the wake of the situation which had built up following incidents of violence in the national capital on January 26. Khattar had said mobile internet had been suspended in some districts for a temporary period and will be restored once the law and order situation returns to normal. The government had on January 26 ordered the suspension of mobile internet services in Sonipat, Jhajjar and Palwal districts after a violent farmers' protest rocked Delhi. On Friday, it had extended the suspension to some other districts. Thousands of protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor rally in Delhi called by farmer unions on January 26 to highlight their demand for the repeal of the Centre's three new farm laws.

Many protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument. Some protesters even hoisted religious flags on its domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts, where the national flag is unfurled by the prime minister on Independence Day.

Beirut, Feb 1 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Feb, 2021 ) :Lebanon's Hezbollah movement said it downed an Israeli drone Monday after it flew over the UN-demarcated Blue Line border, while Israel acknowledged an unmanned aircraft had crashed.

Hezbollah said it "downed a drone belonging to the Israeli enemy that had entered Lebanese airspace outside Blida" in southern Lebanon.

The Israel Defence Forces said that "during IDF operational activity along the Blue Line, an IDF drone fell in Lebanese territory".

"There is no risk of breach of information," it said.

The announcement came just 10 days after the Israeli army shot down an unmanned aircraft it said had entered its airspace from Lebanon.
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 03:13:03|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ATHENS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Greek authorities announced on Sunday that the first case of the mutated coronavirus strain detected in South Africa was diagnosed in Thessaloniki city in northern Greece.

The patient who tested positive for this strain is an official with the Greek Orthodox Christian Church, said Nikos Hardalias, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management.

"We are conducting sweeping screening tests, with molecular tests and rapid tests, in the wider area... There is no reason to panic," he told Greek national broadcaster ERT.

Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, president of the National Public Health Organization (EODY), called on citizens to take all precautions and comply with instructions given by experts.

EODY announced on Sunday that 107 cases of the mutated strain first identified in Britain have been recorded in Greece following analysis of samples taken in the period of Jan. 12 to Jan. 27, bringing the total cases of such strain to 173 in the country.

Greece has been under a nationwide lockdown since Nov. 7. On Friday it was further extended till Feb. 8.

On Sunday EODY announced 484 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, taking the tally since the start of the pandemic in Greece last winter to 156,957.

EODY also confirmed another 17 deaths, bringing the toll to 5,796.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.

Meanwhile, 236 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 63 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 Jan. 26. Enditem
Our company is based on supporting businesses with funding they need to grow, and right now a lot of small business owners are taking hits due to COVID-19... We want to see our communities thrive despite difficult times and give back any way we can. Says Mike Banks, the COO of Fund&Grow

Fund&Grow, the leading Business Credit experts, announced they are holding a monthly giveaway with two free memberships. Each giveaway is open to all legal residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Customers can take advantage of the offer by tuning into the Fund&Grow YouTube channel and following the giveaway instructions.

Valued at $4,000 for each membership, the Fund&Grow team will select two lucky entrants with a free funding program for their business. How the program works is over the span of 12-months, Fund&Grow does all the work in strategically applying and negotiating with various banks to get the business owner $50,000 to $250,000 in often 0% interest Business Credit  and during these times, its more crucial than ever to have access to that sort of capital.

Business owners who are struggling to find the resources that they need can use this giveaway to receive funding services without the regular cost of membership. Typically, clients sign up for the Fund&Grow program, pay a small fee, and capitalize on the funds provided with unsecured business credit to invest in their corporate ventures.

Our company is based on supporting businesses with funding they need to grow, and right now a lot of small business owners are taking hits due to COVID-19 that could devastate their company. We want to see our communities thrive despite difficult times and give back any way we can. Says Mike Banks, the COO of Fund&Grow.

For those who do not want to wait for the monthly giveaway and need help gaining access to funding, visit fundandgrow.com for more information about the 12-month lending program.

Watch their free business credit training, or follow them on Facebook with over 90,000 followers.

More About Fund&Grow

Since 2007, Fund&Grow has helped tens of thousands of business owners and real estate investors across America get access to the funding they need and deserve.

They have helped their clients quickly get access to $30,000 $50,000 $100,000 even up to $250,000 in 0% interest unsecured business credit, allowing them to achieve their goals  whether it be through starting their business, growing their business, or investing in real estate.

In the process of doing so, they have been able to acquire over $1 billion dollars in Business funding  with clients ranging in all types of industries -- from Doctors, Lawyers, Real Estate Investors, Truck Drivers, Air Bnb, Online Marketing, Local Businesses, Gyms, and the list goes on.

Some accolades include a AAA+ Rating from BBB, being featured in Business Insider, landing the Inc 5000 for 5 years in a row, being able to hire 45+ incredible team members, and having over 2,300+ 4.9-star reviews.

Theyre on a mission to give the power back to small businesses by helping them utilize the smartest form of funding  low-interest, unsecured business credit.

For more information on Fund&Grow, visit fundandgrow.com.

Watch: their free business credit training.

Follow: their Facebook with 90,000+ followers.
SEC Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar announced forming Shadow Teams to prevent forcible unanimous elections and also to monitor everything at the ground-level.  By arrangement

VIJAYAWADA: The scuffle over unanimous elections between YSR Congress, State Election Commission and opposition parties is heading for a flashpoint with the ruling party completely in favour and the SEC and opposition parties opposing the same.

YSRC maintains that it was legal and constitutional and helps in resolving political differences and factions in villages. However, the SEC warned against abnormal unanimous elections. Interestingly, for the first time, SEC Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar announced forming Shadow Teams to prevent forcible unanimous elections and also to monitor everything at the ground-level.

He stated that unanimous elections pose a grave threat to democracy as they are against the spirit of Constitution and such trends tend to deprive downtrodden communities of power. He warned that if anyone is found guilty of forcing unanimous elections, they would be sternly dealt with.

Going a step further, Telugu Desam demanded cancellation of unanimous elections forcibly made in March last year. Around 27 per cent unanimous elections were registered during the MPTC and ZPTC elections, which was abnormal. The TD called its leaders and cadre to prevent unanimous elections and this has turned the gram panchayat unanimous concept into a war between the ruling party, the opposition parties and the SEC.

The YSRC argues that the system of local governance has existed since ancient times. In those times each village had a self-administered governance system. The village governance was shouldered by the Panchas (five wise leaders). The village community used to select the panchas unanimously.

The important criteria followed in their selection were the individuals character, truthfulness, benevolence, impartiality and capability of delivering justice without prejudice. The intention of adopting this method was to have unity and harmony among diverse groups of people in the village to enhance cooperation between the people, the ruling party points out.

Ministers Botsa Satyanarayana and Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, leaders Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and others stated that Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana and Punjab continued to have gram panchayats elections on a non-political party basis.

They claimed that states have adopted innovative methods to encourage unanimous elections at the village panchayat level. They claimed that the constitution itself is giving preference to unanimous elections with peoples consent. They pointed out no election commissioner has so far opposed unanimous elections.

Ramesh Kumar, however, was playing his role in the political conspiracy being hatched by vested interests.
Russian Opposition activist Alexei Navalny attends a rally in support of opposition candidates in the Moscow City Duma elections in downtown of Moscow, Russia, 20 July 2019 (reissued 31 January 202a). EPA-Yonhap



Chanting slogans against President Vladimir Putin, tens of thousands took to the streets Sunday across Russia to demand the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, keeping up nationwide protests that have rattled the Kremlin. More than 5,100 people were detained by police, according to a monitoring group, and some were beaten.



The massive protests came despite efforts by Russian authorities to stem the tide of demonstrations after tens of thousands rallied across the country last weekend in the largest, most widespread show of discontent that Russia had seen in years. Despite threats of jail terms, warnings to social media groups and tight police cordons, the protests again engulfed cities across Russia's 11 time zones on Sunday.



Navalny's team quickly called another protest in Moscow for Tuesday, when he is set to face a court hearing that could send him to prison for years.



The 44-year-old Navalny, an anti-corruption investigator who is Putin's best-known critic, was arrested on Jan. 17 upon returning from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations. He was arrested for allegedly violating his parole conditions by not reporting for meetings with law enforcement when he was recuperating in Germany.



The United States urged Russia to release Navalny and criticized the crackdown on protests.



''The U.S. condemns the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight,'' U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.





A person wears a mask depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin during a rally to demand the release of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Berlin, Germany January 31, 2021. REUTERS-Yonhap



The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected Blinken's call as ''crude interference in Russia's internal affairs'' and accused Washington of trying to destabilize the situation in the country by backing the protests.

On Sunday, police detained more than 5,100 people in cities nationwide, according to OVD-Info, a group that monitors political arrests, surpassing some 4,000 detentions at the demonstrations across Russia on Jan. 23.



In Moscow, authorities introduced unprecedented security measures in the city center, closing subway stations near the Kremlin, cutting bus traffic and ordering restaurants and stores to stay closed.



Navalny's team initially called for Sunday's protest to be held on Moscow's Lubyanka Square, home to the main headquarters of the Federal Security Service, which Navalny contends was responsible for his poisoning. Facing police cordons around the square, the protest shifted to other central squares and streets.



Police were randomly picking up people and putting them into police buses, but thousands of protesters marched across the city center for hours, chanting ''Putin, resign!'' and ''Putin, thief!''  a reference to an opulent Black Sea estate reportedly built for the Russian leader that was featured in a widely popular video released by Navalny's team.



''I'm not afraid, because we are the majority,'' said protester Leonid Martynov. ''We mustn't be scared by clubs because the truth is on our side.''



At one point, crowds of demonstrators walked toward the Matrosskaya Tishina prison where Navalny is being held. They were met by phalanxes of riot police who pushed the march back and chased protesters through courtyards.





Protesters stand surrounded by police during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. AP



Demonstrators continued to march around the Russian capital, zigzagging around police cordons. Officers broke them into smaller groups and detained scores, beating some with clubs and occasionally using tasers.



Over 1,600 people were detained in Moscow, including Navalny's wife, Yulia, who was released after several hours pending a court hearing Monday on charges of taking part in an unsanctioned protest. ''If we keep silent, they will come after any of us tomorrow,'' she said on Instagram before turning out to protest.



Amnesty International said that authorities in Moscow have arrested so many people that the city's detention facilities have run out of space. ''The Kremlin is waging a war on the human rights of people in Russia, stifling protesters' calls for freedom and change,'' Natalia Zviagina, the group's Moscow office head, said in a statement.



Several thousand people marched across Russia's second-largest city of St. Petersburg, chanting ''Down with the czar!'' and occasional scuffles erupted as some demonstrators pushed back police who tried to make detentions. Over 1,100 were arrested.



Some of the biggest rallies were held in Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk in eastern Siberia and Yekaterinburg in the Urals.



''I do not want my grandchildren to live in such a country,'' said 55-year-old Vyacheslav Vorobyov, who turned out for a rally in Yekaterinburg. ''I want them to live in a free country.''





Law enforcement officers detain a protestor during a rally in support of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia January 31, 2021. REUTERS-Yonhap



Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde, who currently chairs the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, condemned ''the excessive use of force by authorities and mass detention of peaceful protesters and journalists'' and urged Russia ''to release all those unjustly detained, including Navalny.''



As part of a multipronged effort by authorities to block the protests, courts have jailed Navalny's associates and activists across the country over the past week. His brother Oleg, top aide Lyubov Sobol and three other people were put under a two-month house arrest Friday on charges of allegedly violating coronavirus restrictions during last weekend's protests.



Prosecutors also demanded that social media platforms block calls to join the protests.



The Interior Ministry issued stern warnings to the public, saying protesters could be charged with taking part in mass riots, which carries a prison sentence of up to eight years.



Protests were fueled by a two-hour YouTube video released by Navalny's team after his arrest about the Black Sea residence purportedly built for Putin. The video has been viewed over 100 million times, inspiring a stream of sarcastic jokes on the internet amid an economic downturn.



Russia has seen extensive corruption during Putin's time in office while poverty has remained widespread.





Young demonstrators kiss and hold a banner that reads: "Make love, Not war", during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. AP

Myanmar's military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids.

The army said it had carried out the detentions in response to "election fraud", handing power to military chief Min Aung Hlaing and imposing a state of emergency for one year, according to a statement on a military-owned television station. A military spokesman did not answer phone calls seeking further comment.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) won a general election by a landslide and Suu Kyi had assumed power in a specially created role of state counsellor in November 2015. She had then resolved to work on the country's myriad ethnic conflicts, attract foreign investment and continue reforms started by former general Thein Sein.

Early Life, Role in 1988 Uprising

Born as the youngest daughter of Aung San, the Father of the Nation of modern-day Myanmar, and Khin Kyi in Rangoon, British Burma on June 19, 1945, Suu Kyi graduated from the University of Delhi in 1964 and the University of Oxford in 1968, upon which she worked at the United Nations for three years.

Suu Kyi's role magnified during the 1988 Uprising and she became a national icon in Burma where the country went through civil unrest and protests against the then military government. She went on to become the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD), the party she had formed along with the help of former military officials.

Even though her party won the 1990 elections by almost 80% votes, the military had refused to hand over the power. Suu Kyi, who was already under house arrest during this time, went on to remain so for almost 15 years out of 21 from 1989 to 2010, gaining worldwide support and garnering accolades for her democratic and non-violence methods of protest. Time Magazine in 1999 also termed her as one of the 'Children of Gandhi'.

Nobel Win, International Fame

Suu Kyi had said she chose non-violence as an expedient political tactic, and said in 2007, "I do not hold to non-violence for moral reasons, but for political and practical reasons." The Nobel Committee, while deciding to confer the prize to her had said, "The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 1991 to Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar (Burma) for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights.

Released from house arrest on November 13, 2010, Suu Kyi started consolidating her position and nearly a year later in November 2011, after a discussion with the NLD members, expressed that the party wished to re-register as a political party again.

Built-up to Rohingya Crisis

But after a 2015 landslide election win that followed decades of house arrest in a struggle for democracy that turned her into an international icon, Suu Kyi's fall from grace started in 2016 when the country's Rohingya crisis emerged once again, leading up to an attack on three police border posts in Rakhine State, killing nine police officers.

It led to Myanmar's military then carry out a security operation, resulting in some 70,000 people leaving the area for neighbouring Bangladesh.

Suu Kyi was also accused of failing to use her "moral authority" to protect civilians, although she remained hugely popular at home.

Lars Heikensten, the head of the Nobel Foundation however, in an interview had said that although some of the actions Aung San Suu Kyi has taken as Myanmar's civilian leader are "regrettable" but her Nobel Peace Prize will not be withdrawn.

"We see what she's been doing in Myanmar has been questioned a lot and we stand for human rights, that's one of our core values," he had said.

The Gambia had also hit out at Suu Kyi's 'silence' over the plight of Rohingya Muslims after the Nobel peace laureate defended Myanmar against genocide charges at the UN's top court.

Suu Kyi's reputation has been tarnished by her decision to side with the military over the Rohingya crisis. She remained firm on her stance that the army faced an "internal conflict" and that the military conducted "clearance operations" after an attack by Rohingya militants.

Election Crisis

The Army chief Min Aung Hlaing had said last year that says the civilian government was making "unacceptable mistakes" in the run-up to the election. Suu Kyi had reacted to it and urged voters not to be intimidated. In November, the NLD claimed a resounding victory in the parliamentary polls but faced opposition from the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which wanted a redo of the polls.

READ: Myanmars Aung San Suu Kyi Detained as Military Stages Coup, Declares One-Year State of Emergency

The election commission had rejected claims of fraud but Myanmar's military had said it will protect and abide by the constitution and act according to law.

On Monday, Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and other senior figures from the ruling party were detained in an early morning raid. Mobile internet and some phone services have also been disrupted in Yangon and soldiers deployed outside its city hall.

The military has said it is taking control of the country for one year under a state of emergency.

With inputs from Reuters
If you have a unusual symptom or even just a headache and fatigue, stay home!

The prevalence of COVID-19 infections in England remains high, the Office for National Statistics said in its weekly infection survey on Friday, finding that current levels of coronavirus cases had plateaued but are not falling.

Spector said more than a third of infected patients do not have the typical symptoms of COVID-19 in the first three days so it's important to look for other symptoms like covid toes, skin rashes and now covid tongue. However, the list of COVID symptoms has grown since the pandemic began.

"My mail is full of tongues each morning from people who had tongue problems that coincided with COVID symptoms like fever and fatigue - but baffled doctors", he added. Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, tweeted this month.

"People react differently to different illnesses", Javaid said, according to Yahoo News.

The study of more than 600 patients at a field hospital in Spain showed that more than 45 percent reported unexplained bumps on their bodies, along with inflammation and swelling and that in 25 percent of the cases, those symptoms were confined to their mouths.

After all, the loss of smell and taste seemed to be a odd symptom at first, but is now considered one of the common manifestations and is part of the list.

Those patients reported a loss of taste and a burning sensation on their tongues. Will "Covid tongue" be placed in a similar category?

"This is in tune with all things Covid", Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, told ABC News.

Now, a new study says a sign of infection could have been right inside your mouth the whole time. Researchers have found that "Covid tongue" may be another symptom of the virus.
The 12-year campaign of terror by 'Donald' left her a prisoner in her own home

Jolted awake as she felt the bedclothes being snatched from her body, 15-year-old Shirley Hitchings let out a terrified scream which brought her father Wally and older brother John rushing into her bedroom in Battersea, South London.

They arrived just in time to see a sheet being spirited from her bed by invisible hands  and when they tried to grab it back, they became embroiled in an eerie tug of war.

That was horrifying enough. But then Shirley felt a force pushing into the centre of her back and lifting her up until she was six inches in the air, her body stiff.

I was floating above the bed, she says. When John pulled me down I was rigid.

Shirleys levitation on that winter night in 1956 was but one incident in a 12-year campaign of terror that the Hitchings family claimed to have suffered at the hands of a poltergeist they dubbed Donald.

They chose the nickname because whatever was tormenting them seemed as bad-tempered as the irascible cartoon character Donald Duck. But there was nothing amusing about the fear he brought to their lives.

Now 80 and a grandmother of six who enjoys patchwork and quilt-making, Shirley is far from what she describes as the scared little girl persecuted by Donald. But her anger at the impact he had on her life is apparent.

Shirley Hitchings (pictured, with her father) was left terrified every night in her Battersea, south London home as a poltergeist launched a 12 year 'campaign of terror' against her in the 1950s and 60s

Haunted: The semi-detached property at 63 Wycliffe Road that was 'haunted' by Donald for 12 years from 1956. Pictured, Kitty Hitchings, who lived there with her husband and family

Key characters: The case became front page news, with much of the attention focused on Shirley, the teenage daughter of Wally and Kitty Hitchings who found herself at the centre of the seemingly paranormal activity. It was even discussed in the House of Commons. Pictured, Shirley (left) and ghost hunter Harold Chibbett, who investigated the case

Shirley Hitchings appeared on This Morning in 2014 to talk about the her experience with the supernatural

I feel like I was robbed of my teenage years because I was sort of a prisoner in my own home, she says.

I had no social life or work outside the house for many years, no friends and boyfriends because the minute Donald appeared on the scene they gave me a wide berth.

One boy I met came to pick me up from the house and started shouting things like Bring it on Donald, Im here. Suddenly a bowl of nuts flew towards him and went all over his head. He was out of the door and I never got my date with him.

This may all sound implausible but it is apparent from talking to Shirley that she really believes it happened  and her startling testimony can be heard in a new BBC Sounds/Radio 4 podcast series presented by the investigative journalist Danny Robins.

He has previously found rational explanations for many ghost stories but says this is the case he has found most challenging.

Its so strange and frightening, he says. I find myself genuinely unsettled by it, lying awake at night and wondering about very big questions like Do ghosts exist? 

Alongside evidence from experts on the paranormal, the series includes spine-chilling dramatic reconstructions featuring Toby Jones as Harold Chibbett, the paranormal investigator whose intervention saw the case take an unexpected twist, after the newspapers had lost interest.

The Hitchings family found these marks scrawled on the wall of the family home. The case is explored in BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeist

Spooky goings on: The Hitchings family in the front room of the property in 1957

Front page news: A Daily Mirror article from 20 February 1956, the first time the case appeared in print. It went on to make national headlines and was even discussed in Parliament

That postwar Britain was spellbound by the story was understandable, given the setting. No creepy castle or spooky Gothic mansion, 63 Wycliffe Road was an ordinary home in an unremarkable street. It seemed that if it could happen to a family like the Hitchingses, then it could happen to anyone.

Tube driver Wally and his wife Kitty, a former clerical worker whose arthritis confined her to a wheelchair, certainly had no interest in ghosts or the supernatural. Staunch members of the Church of England, they were at a loss to understand the phenomena that began in January 1956 when Shirley discovered a small silver key lying on her pillow.

Nobody had any idea where it came from and after trying it in various locks with no success, Wally left it on the kitchen table, only for it to reappear mysteriously on Shirleys bed the next day.

That night the Hitchings family were woken by loud bangs emanating from the floors, ceilings and walls of their darkened house.

I was only a little girl during the war but I remember the bombs dropping, says Shirley. It was on a par with that. It was horrendous and I thought this is the end. Were all going to die.

The noises continued for many nights, even after they had ruled out problems with the plumbing, electrics and even subsidence.

Taking steps: Medium Harry Hank sits in the centre, Shirley and her father Wally are on the right. The family did all they could to try and rid the house of the seemingly evil spirit

Once, they reached such a crescendo that the neighbours called round in the small hours to ask if Wally was tearing up floorboards. Soon objects began flying around the house, including heavy pots and pans hurled across the kitchen.

An alarm clock leapt off a shelf, careered across the room and landed on a table. A glove that Shirley had dropped shot up in the air and hit her father in the face.

Wallys slippers walked around the front room of their own accord. A pile of tea-towels caught fire for no apparent reason. And all the time there were banging noises at night and a metallic tapping which continued by day, often in furniture, where it was accompanied by a scratching like the sound of claws.

Sometimes this happened while Shirley was in a different room but usually she was present, and it became clear that she was the focus for whatever was happening.

As word of the hauntings spread, reporters set up camp outside the familys front door. Some stories suggested Donald was Shirleys ghostly lover, drawn to the house because he had fallen for her.

More wounding still were accusations that she was responsible for an elaborate hoax, generating the tapping by clicking the bones in her big toe, a ruse employed by fraudulent mediums.

I knew I wasnt doing it and I was brought up never to tell lies so it was very hurtful to be accused like that, she says. I used to cry about it.

The night-time banging was said to have been audible several houses away.

As for flying objects, Dr Ciaran OKeeffe, a psychologist who specialises in debunking the paranormal, points out in the podcast that fear and tiredness can alter our perceptions. We can even be persuaded that things are moving when they are not. But can this explain what the Hitchingses described?

Thanks to whatever was making the noises, the family were certainly sleep-deprived. But they spoke of things hurtling through the air, not just shifting position slightly.

Of course, they may have been lying. But its hard to see what they had to gain. They were never paid for talking to the Press, and Wally eventually became so stressed by Donald that he had to give up driving trains and take a less well-paid post as a ticket collector.

The familys income fell further when Shirley, who had just left school and got a job altering dresses in a department store, was asked to resign because colleagues were too frightened to work with her and her unseen companion.

Her grandmother Ethel, a fervent Catholic who occupied the top floor of the house, told one reporter that all the talk of ghosts was a lot of rot, insisting instead that Donald was a manifestation of the Devil who had taken possession of her granddaughter.

By 1968 there were no longer any signs of him. The haunting was finally over, leaving the Hitchingses none the wiser about why it had happened to them

Fresh light: Presented by Danny Robins, pictured, the Battersea Poltergeist switches between a present-day investigation of the case, and a dramatisation of the hauntings

Stars: Shirley, now 80, is voiced by teenage His Dark Materials star Dafne Keen (left), while Toby Jones plays Harold Chibbett, a respected ghost hunter and First World War veteran who dedicated the latter years of his life to investigating the case

She threw holy water over me and held up a big cross, recalls Shirley. Donald went berserk. The crucifix went flying across the room and her curtains were left in shreds, as if someone had taken a knife to them.

As this failed exorcism suggests, the family were getting desperate. But then Donald met his match in the unlikely figure of Harold Chibbett, or Chib as Shirley knew him.

The Enfield Poltergeist: Sisters haunted by a ghost 20 years after Shirley Hitchings Some 20 years after the Hitchings' home was visited by what they believed to be a ghostly presence, the Hodgson family of Enfield found themselves at the centre of a story full of supernatural intrigue. Like the Hitchings, it was the daughter of the family who was the focus. Janet Hodgson, who was 11 at the time, was convinced she was possessed by a former resident of the house in Green Street, Enfield, a man called Bill Wilkins who had died there many years before. The case of the Enfield Poltergeist also involved levitation, furniture being moved through the air, and flying objects swirling towards witnesses. There were cold breezes, physical assaults, graffiti, water appearing on the floor, and even claims of matches spontaneously bursting into flame. It became the centre of a media storm, however, many reports of poltergeist activity have ultimately proved to be hoaxes. While believers say that adolescents are more 'susceptible' to hauntings, even psychical researchers have put forward the naughty little girl theory, saying that the activity impacts teenagers because theyre acting out for attention. According to research in anomalistic psychology, activity can be explained by psychological factors such as illusion and memory lapses. Attempts have also been made to scientifically explain poltergeist disturbances that are not apparently fraudulent. Skeptic and magician Milbourne Christopher found that some cases of can be attributed to unusual air currents, such as a 1957 case on Cape Cod where downdrafts from an uncovered chimney became strong enough to blow a mirror off a wall, overturn chairs and knock over objects. Advertisement

A former World War I pilot, this balding, rotund man in his late 50s was a tax inspector by day and a ghost-hunter by night. He became a regular visitor to the house after reading about the case in the newspapers.

Chib had a very calming manner, says Shirley. When Donald kicked off, we would get together in a huddle and put our hands over our ears but Chib would try to reason with him.

It took him time but he did get through to him in the end. He really was a godsend.

There was a change of tack. Seemingly unable to get rid of the poltergeist, they learned instead how to live with him, pacifying him like a toddler prone to tantrums by meeting all his many demands.

To establish what these were, they wrote out the alphabet on cards arranged in a large ring and asked him to spell out words by knocking when they pointed at the letter he wanted.

Soon he began writing messages himself, using the pen and diary he told them to buy him. These were kept in the front parlour, once reserved for special visitors such as the vicar but now claimed by Donald as his domain.

By these means he conveyed his orders, often accompanied by warnings. Once, for reasons unknown, he told them to summon a particular newspaper reporter  and set fire to Wally and Kittys bed when they failed to comply.

Their bedclothes were alight, remembers Shirley. Dad saw smoke coming out of the door and tried to put out the flames and while he was doing it he said he felt something clawing at him.

They took him to hospital and after theyd cleaned him up they found all these deep claw marks down his arms. It looked like hed been mauled by a wild animal.

Wallys injuries took months to heal and although Donald apparently expressed contrition for that incident in a written note, the family learnt never to trust him.

You felt this presence watching you all the time and you never knew which way he was going to jump, says Shirley. It was like being in an abusive relationship.

This unhappy state of affairs persisted for the next 12 years, with Donald in complete control of the house. Dictating every detail of their lives, he decided when the family could go to bed, what kind of hairstyle Shirley could have, and even the men she could date.

Whenever I met someone, Mum would say You must tell Donald whats going on and if he didnt like a boyfriend, that was it.

Fortunately, Donald approved of Shirleys future husband Derek and they married in 1965. By then her parents had moved from Wycliffe Road, which was demolished as part of a redevelopment, and into a street near by.

Shortly before they left, Donald made his presence felt there one more time, daubing black lines of paint across the ceilings and walls. But at the new house his notes appeared less frequently and he appeared to be slipping away from the family.

By 1968 there were no longer any signs of him. The haunting was finally over, leaving the Hitchingses none the wiser about why it had happened to them.

The podcast promises some answers to those questions  but for Shirley, taking part has not been easy.

I am apprehensive about talking about it in case it brings Donald back, she says. I dont think I could survive it now.

In recent years, she has conducted her own research into who Donald may have been and why he chose them. This will be presented in later episodes of the podcast, which will also draw on Harold Chibbetts files.

Listeners will be kept guessing until the end.

Radio 4s The Battersea Poltergeist is available on BBC Sounds
Myanmar's military has seized power after detaining de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other senior members of her governing party.



All authority has been given to the top army commander and a one-year state of emergency has been declared, a statement on military TV said.



The coup follows a landslide election win by Ms Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD).



She urged her supporters "not to accept this" and "protest against the coup".



In a letter written in preparation for her impending detention, she said the military's actions put the country back under dictatorship.



In the early hours of Monday the military said it was handing power to commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing because of "election fraud". Soldiers are on the streets of the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, and the main city, Yangon.



Myanmar, also known as Burma, was ruled by the armed forces until 2011, when democratic reforms spearheaded by Aung Sann Suu Kyi ended military rule.



What has the reaction been?



The United States has condemned the coup, saying Washington "opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmar's democratic transition".



US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the release of all government officials and civil society leaders and said the US "stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development. The military must reverse these actions immediately".



In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the coup and Aung San Suu Kyi's "unlawful imprisonment".

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
Many GPs fear a lack of Covid-19 vaccines for over-70s will cause turmoil as the supply will not meet huge demand among older people.

There are also concerns that a shortage of GPs in some parts of rural Ireland will result in delays in vaccinations. Dr Ken Egan, a Mayo GP, said he has been contacted by many of his colleagues whose practices are already inundated with calls from older people about the vaccine.

The former president of the Irish Medical Organisation said it could take 12 weeks to fully vaccinate all the over-85s, the first group of older people who are to be offered the two-shot vaccine later this month.

GPs are afraid the shortage of vaccines will cause chaos. It could lead to a lot of tensions between patients and doctors, he added.

Read More

The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly needs to be upfront with people and tell them they will get vaccinated but it will take longer.

It is also essential GPs get direction on how patients should be selected for the vaccine.

There will need to be guidelines on the priority order, added Dr Egan.

The first advertisements informing the over-85s that Covid-19 vaccinations are on the way appeared in newspapers yesterday telling people your GP will let you know when a vaccine is available and everyone will receive one when its their turn.

It is expected supplies of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, the first of which are to arrive next week, will only amount to 285,000 doses in February and March, down from the 600,000 which had been expected.

Although there were hopes last night that the number of doses arriving here could be increased after the EU announced that AstraZeneca agreed to deliver an extra nine million in the first quarter of the year. This could mean more than 90,000 extra doses for Ireland.

There are also hopes of an increase in deliveries from Pfizer BioNTech, although large numbers of health staff have still not been vaccinated.

Everyone who gets the vaccine needs two doses and the National Immunisation Advisory Committee will decide on the gap which can range from four to 12 weeks. The AstraZeneca vaccine is 60pc effective in people aged under 55 and there is a lack of data on the response of older people due to the smaller numbers involved in the trials.

However, it was licensed by the European Medicines Agency for people over 18 and it said it expects protection for older-age groups, although it is unclear what level it will be.

Meanwhile, Dr Ruairi Hanley, a GP in Co Louth, said the plan is for GPs to provide rapid vaccination clinics for the entire older population as more supplies of the vaccine become available.

GP surgeries may simply not be feasible in some parts of the country. The truth is that there is a GP manpower crisis in rural Ireland due to the unwillingness of many younger colleagues to practice medicine beyond the M50.

While I have no doubt that south Dublin would have no shortage of vaccinators, elderly people in rural Ireland may not be so lucky, said Dr Hanley.

"Delays may be inevitable as there are only so many hours doctors and nurses can work, given their existing practice commitments, he added.

He called on the HSE to arrange for vaccination centres where Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines would be offered instead of waiting for GPs to save the day.

There are 500,000 people over-70s in the country including 81,000 over 85 and 90,000 aged 80-84.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the roll-out to the over-70s will begin this month, with every effort being made to deliver the programme as rapidly and as safely as possible.

Ireland expects to have a total of 1.1 million vaccines doses between January and March.

As of Wednesday 161,500 doses were administered, 71,600 of which were first doses to residents and staff in long-term care facilities.


The Iranian regime, which Trump's sanctions have pushed close to bankruptcy, is trying in various ways to cover its budget deficit by starving its people, both physically and mentally. The regime robs them of food and energy and denies Iranian youths an education that will allow them to escape poverty.

To raise money, the regime exports goods that are essential for its citizens' survival, such as eggs, poultry, vegetables, and other agricultural products. It also exports gas and electricity at a discount to neighboring countries and converts the payments into foreign currency to use for meddling activities abroad. Meanwhile, Iranians burn dirty, low-quality mazut at home, polluting the air for the country's citizens.

The regime engages in further savings by cutting various public services and education budgets. It uses the money it saves to increase its military and security budgets and to support its proxy forces in the region. It recently increased the IRGC and Quds Force budgets by 58%.

These policies have led to bitter poverty and misery in Iran. A clear example is the misery that students experience. On January 23, 2021, the Hamdeli newspaper wrote (my translation):

The suffering of Iranian students is a never-ending tale. From the burning of classrooms to the collapse of school roofs to snake-infested classrooms made of bricks and mud and the challenges of schools made of huts and containers, etc., it is difficult to imagine a significant number of students in deprived areas of the country studying in dilapidated schools or schools made of huts or containers. But, these unsafe schools that do not have any educational standards, are the bitter realities of education in Iran, often associated with tragic events, such as the fire, on January 19, 2021, in the School in Dezful (southwestern Iran) that was made of containers in which three teachers were burned and two students died.

(You can read about the school fire here.)

On social media, someone under the name of Rahgozar wrote:

In the 21st century, in a country that is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of oil and gas resources, there are still schools made of huts and containers, isn't this a shame?

At the same time, since the start of the new school year, the media and government institutions have reported that many students have dropped out of school.

According to the Javan Newspaper of December 31, 2020 (my translation):

The increase in drop-out rate is alarming, and many provincial education directors across the country have announced the statistics and sounded the alarm. These harsh conditions have caused many students to drop out of school. The reasons for those who have left or are leaving range from joining the labor force to provide for their families, lacking equipment for online education, including not having a proper smartphone, and, in some regions of the country, lack or outage of internet. In some areas, because of bad coverage, students must go to higher elevations and mountainous regions in this cold weather.

Regarding children's drop-out rate, the Iran newspaper wrote on December 24, 2020 (my translation):

In the beginning of August, the Minister of Education announced that more than three million students were at risk of dropping out of school for reasons such as not having a smartphone or tablet, or not having internet access.

In contrast, students from wealthy families attend luxury schools that the regime supports. They have teachers in every classroom and benefit from high-tech communication systems. Discrimination and inequality in access to education are a direct result of corruption in the regime's educational system.

The Tasnim News Agency December 23, 2020, while pointing to the prevalence of coronavirus dictating the need for e-learning for many children and the inability of their families to provide e-learning facilities acknowledged the inequality between students from poor and rich families and wrote: "It made the issue of inequality more apparent in all aspects of society."

The mullahs in Iran are single-mindedly focused on terrorism to bring about their dream of a Shia caliphate. To pay for that dream, they are willing to leave their situations starved, frozen, and uneducated.

Image: Iranian classroom (2007). YouTube screen grab.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sketched out a path on Monday to overcome the U.S.-Iranian impasse over who goes first in returning to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying the EU foreign policy chief could "choreograph" the moves.

"There can be a mechanism to basically either synchronize it or coordinate what can be done," Zarif told CNN in an interview, saying EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell "can ... sort of choreograph the actions that are needed to be taken by the United States and the actions that are needed to be taken by Iran."

Short link:


The draft law on the state policy of the transitional period, presented by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, is being studied by France and Germany, said French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins.

"Currently, we are considering this draft law, both in Paris and in Kyiv. We also discuss it with our partners, in particular with Germany, to reach a common position. This is why I would prefer not to react now. A common reaction to this draft law will be out shortly," said the ambassador in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

At the same time, de Poncins stressed that elections in Donbas cannot be held until security conditions are provided.

"We very well understand Ukraine's concerns about this issue, which is of public interest. We share Ukraine's view that no election can be held until security conditions are secured. However, the goal must be to hold elections as soon as possible, as voting and ruling through elected bodies is a core condition of democracy," he said.

The diplomat also pointed out that the conflict in Ukraine should not be called frozen.

"In Ukraine, the conflict is not frozen, and I do not know whether it would be better otherwise. For the moment, we are focusing all our efforts on reaching results within the Normandy Format and in the Minsk process. This is our main objective. Maybe you know that my predecessor Ambassador Dumont is now one of President Macrons diplomatic advisors. She visited Ukraine in December. She met with President Zelensky, and had a lot of other meetings. Ambassador Dumont is very much involved into the negotiations. She is working hard to obtain results for Ukraine and bringing peace to the region," he explained.
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 seventh vaccine tranche from Pfizer BioNTech, which consists of 163,800 doses, will arrive on Monday in Romania, by air, at the airports in Otopeni, Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara, the National Committee for the Coordination of COVID-19 Vaccination Activities (CNCAV) announced on Sunday, according to AGERPRES.

According to the quoted source, the transport to the storage centers is provided by the manufacturing company, including by land.

"The vaccines are transported in optimal conditions, in special containers, with carbonic ice and sealed foil," CNCAV pointed out.

"In the vaccination centers there will be used both doses received by Romania in the current tranche and in the previous tranches, based on the requests sent to the National Centre and regional storage centers, through the county and Bucharest public health directorates. According to the delivery calendar, the next vaccine tranche would be brought to Romania on Monday, February 8, and at this moment the official confirmation in this respect is expected from the producing company," CNCAV informed.

The release brings to mind that vaccine doses are allocated according to the delivery schedule provided by the manufacturing company.

"As the new tranches arrive to Romania, the scheduling application is updated and allows the scheduling process to continue for the current stage eligible population. In terms of dose delivery schedule, Pfizer has announced that it will increase the number of doses around February 15," CNCAV pointed out.
Texas A&M International University president Dr. Pablo Arenaz has been selected the 2021 Recipient of The Presidents Award for Region III by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

NASPA is a member-centered association of student affairs administrators in higher education. It supports a diverse and passionate network of 15,000 professionals and 1200 institutions worldwide. It annually honors prominent higher education and student affairs leaders, programs, and initiatives that contribute to or impact the field.

The Presidents Award is a special recognition given to a college or university president who has, over a sustained period of time, advanced the quality of student life on campus by supporting student affairs staff and programs.

Dr. Arenaz said the Award is both humbling and inspiring.

Its a humbling honor to be singled out in such a vast region for doing something that I find is at the core of University leadership: service to all. This recognition serves to continue to inspire me to ensure all members of our University community: students, faculty, staff and alumni, realize the power of higher education to transform lives, Arenaz said. Every day I set foot on this campus, I am reminded of the life-changing difference and impact the University makes real. Our students, faculty and staff always challenge and inspire me to, as we say here, Go Beyond.

In her nomination, Student Government Association president Mariana Rodriguez noted, Even though President Arenaz is a renowned intellectual, he maintains an approachable and humble attitude and looks for the best in every student, faculty and staff member. He knows the importance of the value of kindness as it brings the University community greatness and success. He knows that every person is important and truly values their presence in this University. The values and attitudes he presents make me want to aspire to be as courageous and innovative.

Another nomination noted, Dr. Arenaz exemplifies what exemplary performance as a President should be: building access for under-represented populations, inspiring new generations of students,s and leaving a mark on the larger higher education field.

NASPAS Region III broadly encompasses the southeastern United States, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. It also includes Mexico, the Caribbean islands of the Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago; the Bermuda Islands; the African countries of Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa; the Eastern European country of Bulgaria; the Middle Eastern countries of Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and the East Asian countries of Japan and Taiwan.

Arenaz is the sixth president of TAMIU and was affirmed by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in November 2016.

He holds his Ph.D. in Genetics and Cell Biology from Washington State University and an M.S. in Biology from the University of Nevada at Reno. His B.S. in Education was also earned at UNR. He conducted postdoctoral research at Temple Universitys School of Medicine, Fels Research Institute. His academic appointments have included assistant, associate and full professor of Biology.

Prior to joining TAMIU as Provost in 2008, he served as Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate School at The University of Texas at El Paso. Other UTEP posts included Vice Provost, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Associate Dean for the Colleges of Science and Engineering. His special UTEP appointments included program director for the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program, Alliance for Minority Participation and Border Biomedical Research Center.

Founded in 1918 at the University of Wisconsin, NASPA has grown to become a diverse international organization with members in all 50 states, 25 countries, and eight U.S. territories.

BYJUS, Indias largest edtech company and the creator of the country's most loved K-12 app, unveiled its new ad campaign that focuses on how parents become learning partners when their children love what they learn. The films show that with guidance from parents and help from technology, children can transform into active learners who love learning on their own. The films also focus on BYJUS learning content that enables children to engage better, gain conceptual understanding, and even learn according to their own pace and style.

Conceptualised and created by Spring, the ad campaign brings out the importance of conceptual understanding and how it helps children gain confidence while learning. Both the films show children comfortably explain concepts to their friends too. While one film depicts a witty exchange about learning between a father-daughter duo, the other film traces a sequence of events that explores the evolving relationship between a son and his mother. The kids wonder why their parents have changed and have stopped worrying about their academics, the parents on the other hand start treating them as friends, and have more confidence in them because they have started understanding concepts better, and are also teaching their friends. The parents in the ad proudly see their children become more responsible, self- driven, and independent learners.

Talking about the new ad-campaign, Mrinal Mohit, Chief Operating Officer, BYJUS said, Parents are a childs first teacher, and if this teacher transforms into a learning partner, it can foster positive learning outcomes in children. At BYJUS we truly believe that when students learn on their own, they are more keen to explore and understand concepts. This makes them confident enough to teach these concepts to their friends too! .

BYJUS new campaign re-emphasizes how BYJUS offers personalised learning programs that adapt to every students learning pace and style and provides a unique learning experience. With classes from Indias best teachers, rich visuals, animations and interactive quizzes, BYJU'S helps students to understand, and remember complex concepts or life.
Virgin is selling flights to a number of holiday destinations for as little as $75 as Queensland finally opens its borders to holidaymakers from New South Wales.

The Sunshine State closed the border to 35 local government areas in Greater Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast during December's Covid-19 outbreak.

But with NSW recording two weeks without a local case, Queensland's border checkpoints are now being dismantled.

To celebrate, Virgin Australia launched the seven-day sale on Monday with a number of flights from Sydney to top Queensland destinations for under $90.

Flights to the Gold Coast will cost $79 and people travelling to the Sunshine Coast (pictured) will pay $89

Virgin Australia launched the seven-day sale on Monday with a number of flights from Sydney to top Queensland destinations for under $90 (stock image of Virgin planes in Brisbane)

Flights to the Gold Coast will cost $79 and people travelling to the Sunshine Coast will pay $89.

Bargain hunters heading to Brisbane will pay just $89 for return tickets, while people looking for a tropical getaway on Hamilton Island will pay just $139.

For residents looking to travel within the state, return tickets to Ballina - the closest airport to Byron Bay - and Coffs Harbour are being sold for $75.

Border restrictions imposed on Greater Sydney by the ACT and Victoria also relaxed on Friday, while Tasmania and South Australia eased their restrictions on Sunday.

Sydneysiders can now fly one-way to Adelaide for $117, Perth for $179 and Darwin for $199.

For residents looking to travel within the state, return tickets to Ballina - the closest airport to Byron Bay (pictured) will pay just $75

For people looking to head south, tickets to Launceston are also available for $99 and Hobart for $109.

Almost two million fares have been reduced under the Let the Good Times Fly sale.

'The reopening of borders provides Australian travellers with another opportunity to go on a holiday, reconnect with loved ones, and to conduct business,' a Virgin spokesperson said.

The sale ends at midnight on February 8.
ALBANY  An hour before a woman was fatally shot and four others were wounded Saturday evening, the city's codes and police departments were called to 251 Central Ave. for a large party of 75 to 100 people.

It was the second time the city had shut down a party at that address since November. Both times, partiers told city employees that the celebration was for the opening of a new business. But the business had no permits, and inside codes staff found alcohol, tables set up for gambling and crowds that exceeded state public health guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic, said Rick LaJoy, the city's director of the department of buildings.

As codes employees tried to clear the building, some people became hostile, forcing police to call for additional units.

Shanita Thomas and a smaller group moved the remaining food down the street to an apartment at 211 Central Ave. At around 11 p.m. Thomas was shot and killed. It's unclear if Thomas was the intended target of the shooting or what sparked the gunfire. Thomas left behind two children and there is a GoFundMe to support them.

Two women and two men were also wounded.

"It's a sad situation," said Joyce Love, the councilwoman who represents the area. "Our young people are dying rapidly."

Police Chief Eric Hawkins on Monday said detectives had interviewed the victims in the shooting, but shared little else about the investigation. He added that police are looking to speak with others who were at the party.

Were asking them to share the outrage that we have. And to come up and step up with the information that they have, Hawkins said.

Albany party ends with five people shot, one dead, in Central Avenue violence

Thomas is the city's second homicide victim of 2021. Hawkins insisted the violence was not widespread.

This is a very, very small number of people who are involved in violence, he said. Its not normal to use weapons to resolve a conflict."

Mayor Kathy Sheehan call the homicide tragic for the victim, her family and the community.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Albany Police Detective Division at 518-462-8039. 100% anonymous tips may also be submitted to Capital Region Crime Stoppers at www.capitalregioncrimestoppers.com or by downloading the free P3 Tips mobile app.

*A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Shanita Thomas as the business owner.
(Image: Reuters)

Extra-budgetary resources (EBRs) were an integral, if frowned upon, part of budgets. In simpler terms, this refers to allocations made from money outside of revenue or borrowings, through means such as the National Small Savings Fund, and fully serviced bonds like the bank recapitalisation bonds.

While bank recap still stays, the government is expecting to end almost all entries financed through EBRs, shows the Union Budget 2021-22, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on February 1.

The biggest of them being the loans given to Food Corporation of India (FCI) from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

Follow Moneycontrol's Budget 2021 live coverage

In FY21, the FCI has been given Rs 84,636 crore, compared with budget estimates of Rs 1.37 lakh crore. While the loans given to the FCI from the NSSF have been the lowest since FY19, and for FY22 the budgeted target for such loans is zero. As it is for most departments and public sector undertakings (PSUs) which are provided EBRs in much smaller amounts.

In fact apart from the Rs 20,000 crore in bank recap, and an additional Rs 10,000 crore in fully-serviced bonds to other agencies, the Centre has no other plans for EBRs next year.

That's a budgeted target of Rs 30,000 crore through EBR financing in FY22, down from Rs 1.26 lakh crore in FY21 and Rs 1.48 lakh crore in FY20.

It's worth noting that if not for EBR, these amounts would have been added to the fiscal deficit numbers in the given years.

The Finance Ministry has been promising in the past few years that it will end the practice of EBRs and bring every allocation and loan on-the-books. It seems to be finally taking steps in that direction.
Three of the nation's major roads are due to receive new government funding as part of ministers' pledge to bolster transport links and 'make journeys safer and more reliable for motorists'.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has pledged 93million to revamp routes in North Yorkshire, Hampshire and the Midlands, which will total 107million with local councils providing the remainder of the funding.

The AA welcomed the news but warned ministers that the nation's roads 'desperately need more investment filtering down to local levels as the more local you get, the worse the picture is'.

Road investment: One of the routes receiving significant government funding is the landslip-hit Kex Gill section of the A59 in North Yorkshire. A new road will be constructed after years of the current carriageway being closed at short notice

The route set to receive the largest investment is the landslip-hit Kex Gill section of the A59 in North Yorkshire.

A new carriageway will be constructed on the route that links Harrogate and Skipton, with the help of 56million pledged by the Government.

It comes after years of landslips and road closures - one lasting for eight weeks in 2016 - have resulted in high maintenance costs, delayed journeys and unsafe conditions, the Department for Transport said.

The West Midlands will also benefit from a 24million investment to reduce congestion at the Birchley Island roundabout, which links the M5, A4123 and A4034.

Funds will be used to widen and add additional lanes to the existing carriageway on the roundabout.

Pedestrians and cyclists will also see improved facilities for greener travel at the intersection, the Department for Transport said.

These improvements to the network are expected to 'boost employment, improve air quality and increase the region's manufacturing output,' the DfT added.

Birchley Island roundabout, which links the M5, A4123 and A4034 in the West Midlands, will be made wider to improve traffic flow

The Redbridge Causeway bridges will receive funding to make them structurally secure

Elsewhere, Hampshire is in line for 13million worth of upgrades to the Redbridge Causeway bridges over the River Test, which carry roughly 60,000 vehicles a day.

Damaged concrete will be repaired and the structures' stabilities improved by the scheme, the Government said.

The bridges provide important access for local businesses and hauliers to the Port of Southampton, and link the New Forest waterside area to the south-coast city.

Transport secretary Grant Shapps, said: 'I am delighted to announce this significant funding package which will ensure millions of people can continue to travel easily and safely.

'It's further proof of this government delivering on its promise to level up the country  putting transport at the heart of our efforts to build back better from Covid-19.

'The projects will help people access work and education, as well as ensuring vital connectivity for local businesses.'

Chief secretary to the Treasury Steve Barclay, added: 'Upgrading the country's roads doesn't just help drivers  it'll mean more jobs, safer journeys and more reliable access to things like education and work.'

Millions of drivers complained about potholes damaging their cars last year, according to reports

Should more money be invested in local roads?

Motoring groups have welcomed the news, but urged the government to increase the availability of funding to repair pothole riddled and poorly marked roads across the country.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said drivers had been telling the organisation that the nation's roads have fallen into a 'state of disrepair' and roads 'desperately need more investment'.

He explained that the public perception is that the quality of road surfaces declines the more local you get.

'A third (32 per cent) of drivers ranked trunk road surfaces as 'good', whereas only one in five (19 per cent) felt they could say the same for main roads and fewer still for residential streets (15 per cent),' Mr Cousens said.

'It's not just the moon-like craters on our roads that need fixing, but worn-away markings too.

'Just one fifth (20 per cent) said markings on local roads were 'good', as opposed to nearly two fifths that said markings were 'good' on trunk roads (37 per cent).'

The AA warned that MPs are 'underestimating' the public's views on roads, with its latest poll of 17,373 drivers last month finding that 83 per cent ranked the quality of routes as a top priority.

'If we are going to 'build back better' then improvements need to reach every street and avenue,' Mr Cousens added.

The worst and best areas in the UK for potholes  as Cornwall comes top with 210,311 The worst areas for potholes in the UK, in terms of the number reported to local councils, were as follows: 1. Cornwall - 210,311 2. Cambridgeshire - 184,402 3. Derbyshire - 172,297 4. Devon - 147,779 5. Oxfordshire - 110,106 6. East Riding of Yorkshire - 106,144 7. Durham - 99,630 8. Rotherham - 83,964 9. Hertfordshire - 72,230 10. Fife - 70,254 The least potholed roads in Britain, in terms of how many were reported over the last three years, were: 1. Kensington & Chelsea - 141 2. Isle of Anglesey - 290 3. Sunderland - 320 4. Rutland - 687 5. Portsmouth - 811 6. Bexley - 882 7. Hammersmith & Fulham - 1,283 8. Haringey - 1,451 9. Lambeth - 1,607 10. Bracknell Forest - 1,706 Cornwall has been named the pothole capital of the UK with 210,000 reported over the course of three years - but Lancashire has staked a claim for Britain's worst crater

The AA's comments follow reports that millions of motorists in Britain complained about potholes damaging their cars in 2020.

A large study by the RAC published in December showed that 38 per cent of drivers listed the terrible state of council-maintained roads as their biggest concern, up from 33 per cent last year.

Some 52 per cent of 3,068 drivers surveyed said road conditions are worse than 12 months earlier, as separate data shows there were nearly 1,900 call-outs between July and September 2020 for for damaged shock absorbers, broken suspension springs or distorted wheels.

This is despite a huge decline in the number of vehicles using UK roads during the coronavirus pandemic, with traffic falling to just 23 per cent of pre-lockdown levels at one point.

The motoring company said that it was likely that councils were 'unable to keep up maintenance programmes as the pandemic took hold, perhaps due to staffing issues'.

Topping the regional complaints rankings was Cornwall, with authorities receiving 210,311 grumbles from drivers.

Cambridgeshire was second with 184,402 complaints ahead of Derbyshire with 172,297.
What Does Atonement Mean?

Looking through the eyes and understanding of the world, the true meaning of atonement becomes somewhat diluted. One of the most basic definitions of this word can be found in the Cambridge Dictionary, which states simply that atonement is, something that you do to show that you are sorry for something you did.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, atonement is, the process by which a person removes obstacles to his reconciliation with God. Finally, Dictionary.com puts it this way concerning atonement: it is the satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury.

Each of these definitions will suffice as we understand it from a purely non-religious point of view, however, they fall short of revealing to us the true nature of the word as revealed to us in Scripture.

What Is the Atonement?

As spoken at the outset of this article, the atonement is at its core, a profound demonstration of Gods love. We read:

But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

Along with this truth, the atonement also speaks of sacrifice. This sacrifice, i.e., the atoning death of Christ, is the central theme of the Bible. Book after book, through the prophets and others, they spoke and wrote of it in some way.

The words atone or atonement appear over one-hundred times in Scripture. It has a rich meaning; at its root it means to cover. There are many other words associated with it, among them are: cleanse, forgive, be merciful, and reconcile. It has been stated that the atonement is the axis on which all other doctrines revolve. This is because without what Christ did on the cross, there would be no need for any other doctrine.

Photo credit: Getty Images/Jupiterimages
SAN DIEGO (AP)  Patrick Reed was so unaffected by a rules controversy a day earlier that he won the Farmers Insurance Open by five shots, the biggest margin in his nine career PGA Tour victories.

Reed closed with a 4-under 68 at Torrey Pines, making an eagle on the par-5 sixth and finishing off his dominating Sunday with a birdie on the 18th.

The former Masters champions finished at 14 under after a consistent four days at the blufftop municipal courses overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He shared the first-round lead with Alex Noren, was in a group one shot off the lead in the second round and then shared the third-round lead with Carlos Ortiz.

Reed said staying mentally strong, as well as good play with his wedge and putter, were able to "keep me in the golf tournament and really allowed me to have a fun stroll up 18.

The controversy arose Saturday on the par-4 10th when Reed hit a 190-yard shot out of a bunker with a TV replay showing the ball bounced once before settling into the rough. Without waiting for an official, Reed picked up the ball to see if it was embedded. Reed told the official that no one in his group, as well as a nearby volunteer, saw it bounce. He was awarded a free drop and saved par in a round of 70.

On Sunday, Reed jump-started his round with a 45-foot eagle putt on the No. 6 to get to 12 under and followed with a birdie on the par-4 seventh. His only bogey was on the par-3 eighth, and he rebounded with a birdie on the par-5 ninth. He played par the rest of the way until sinking an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

I was allowed to kind of put it behind me when the head rules official comes up and says you did everything you were supposed to do, Reed said. When you do everything youre supposed to do, at the end of the day thats all you can control. Going into today, I felt good, I felt confident and really went to the golf course, plugged in my headphones and just kind of got in my world with my coach and got to that first tee.

Story continues

Tony Finau, Xander Schauffele, Ryan Palmer, Henrik Norlander and Viktor Hovland tied for second.

Reed said he was resiliant.

"I knew today was going to be a grind, especially with that leaderboard and seeing how many big names were right around there at the top. I knew you were going to have to go out and play on offense. You couldnt play defense. You had to go out there and shoot a number.

It was kind of shaky there early on in the beginning, kind of a couple shots that seemed to kind of get a little bit away from me. But I was able to rely on the short game early and get in a groove there in the middle of the round.

Hovland had been the closest in pursuit with four birdies on the front nine, including on the ninth to get to 12 under. But the birdies dried up and he bogeyed Nos. 14, 15 and 17  missing a 2-footer on 17  in a round of 1-under 71.

The front nine was awesome, made four birdies and was just really solid tee to green; made some putts there as well, Hovland said. On the back I didnt really feel like I played bad at all, you know, it was just a couple of mistakes and its so easy to just let things kind of slip away.

But its cool to kind of be up there having a chance to win. Didnt work out this time, but I feel like I learned a lot."

Ortiz stumbled badly with a round of 6-over 78. He hurt himself with three bogeys on the front nine that left him even at the turn. He had even more trouble on the back nine, when he bogeyed No. 11 and then had trouble getting out of a greenside bunker on No. 12, taking a double-bogey 6. He bogeyed 15, 16 and 18.

Rory McIlroy closed with a 1-over 73 and finished eight shots behind, and still was a big part of Sunday. With so much attention on Reed taking relief from the embedded lie Saturday, McIlroy had something similar happen on the 18th hole in the third round. When he finally found it, he determined it was embedded, informed the other two players in his group and dropped it into deep rough right of the fairway.

The PGA Tour issued a statement earlier Sunday that both players proceeded under the rules. Reed took one extra step by calling for a rules official to confirm, though he had already removed the ball from where it had been.

Youre trying to deal with the info that you have at that time, and the info that Patrick had at that time was the ball hadnt bounced and the info that I had at that time was the same, McIlroy said. And I went down and on my life, that ball of mine was plugged, it was in its own pitch mark, so I took relief.

In golf, youd rather be on the wrong side of the rules than the right side of them, just because thats just what our games about.

DIVOTS: Jon Rahm, who won the Famers in 2017 and was runner-up last year, shot even-par 72 and was in a group of three at 8 under. ... San Diegan Phil Mickelson shot a 72 to finish 1 over. ... The U.S. Open will be played at Torrey Pines on June 17-20.
China has fired fresh warnings over the growing relations between the United States and Taiwan, saying those who seek "Taiwan independence" are playing with fire and would eventually end up setting themselves on fire. Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian on Thursday threatened "Taiwan independence" forces saying the territory is an inseparable part of China and speaking of its independence means nothing but war. This comes after Taiwan's ruling party recently expressed its desire to deepen ties with the United States under the new Joe Biden administration.

Read: Taiwan Launches New Passport Amid Increasing Tensions With China

Wu also spoke about the recent violations of Taiwan's air defence identification zone (ADIZ) by the People's Republic of China (PLA) Air Force. "The military activities carried out by the Chinese PLA in the Taiwan Strait are necessary actions in response to the current security situation across the Taiwan Strait. It is also a solemn response to the interference of external forces and the provocations by 'Taiwan independence' forces," Wu said. The Chinese side feels that Taiwan is unnecessarily hyping up the "PLA military activities" across the Formosa Strait as air space violations.

Read: Taiwan Claims China Made Record 380 Incursions In 2020, Says 'tensions Now At Highest'

Taiwan-China dispute

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has on several occasions claimed to take the island nation by means of force. China feels threatened by the growing ties between Taiwan and the United States in the recent past, which it sees as a violation of the 'One China' policy. The United States has been selling weapons to Taiwan, saying it will help maintain the stability and peace in the region. The US has also been conducting regular military activities in the region to promote "freedom of navigation" in the Indo-Pacific.

Read: Taiwan's Armed Forces Conduct Military Drill Amid Rising Threats From China

Tensions between Taiwan and China has increased in the recent past, ever since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen took over in 2016. Tsai refuses to recognise the 1992 Consensus reached between the then leaders of China and Taiwan, which says that there is only 'One China'. Under Tsai's rule, Taiwan has not only developed closer ties with Washington but has also purchased high-end military equipment for billions of dollars, including armed drones, rocket systems, missiles, etc, making Beijing wary of the ties.

Read: Taiwan Claims Incursions By Chinese Air Force Including 'nuclear-capable Bombers'

(Image Credit: AP)
By: Larry Lunetta, Vice President of Portfolio Solutions Marketing at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company

Are bots all you need? The world is in a lather about how AI will replace all things human, including network support. While AI can be very helpful in eliminating mundane, tedious tasks of data gathering and triage and even some simple network troubleshooting, it is not a substitute for personal and bespoke support services. Even with state-of-the-art data science, solely relying on AI bots for Tier 1 and Tier 2 support will often lead to endless phone trees, long lead times, wasted time and effort, unsolved issues, and worst of alldisgruntled, unsatisfied customers, employees, and partners.

Simply put, organizations should not have to deal exclusively with bots for support as a frontline strategy.

Mission Critical Networks Need Mission Critical Support

Before organizations even get to actual network operations, there is planning, design, and deployment. Here, documentation is the foundation of great support. Verified reference designs and comprehensive user guides go a long way towards smooth network operation; they are by-products of a mature, proven network solution. Often, startups dont have them. Its a matter of cost and blind allegiance to the marketing claims for things like AI. And, when the network has an issue, its likely there is just an AI bot available to help, whereas a mission-critical networking vendor will have already anticipated and solved the kind of front-end problems that only experience with tens of thousands of customers will provide. Without this foundation, even the best AI systems will fail.

At the core of providing effective support for critical issues is personalized, expedited service. In contrast to the wholesale outsourcing of frontline support to bots with little documentation, by combining best practices, best-of-breed technology and a trained staff of experts, this hybrid approach offers the best option for delivering and maintaining mission-critical networks. When a network administrator has an issue that is beyond the automated self-healing functions, the first call should be readily available and start with a dedicated support expert, who will know exactly how the network is configured, its history, and they should have all of the pertinent incident data at the proverbial fingertips. Issues can then be quickly resolved and in the event that something unexpected pops up, it can be handled without having to start all over again.

Dealing with Persistent Network Issues

Today, networks are being stressed like never before with remote work, IoT, cloud migration, and so forth, spawning novel, unforeseen issues that cannot be handled by limited AI-based tools. During these periods, accessing an engineer with intimate knowledge of the system and configuration on-site will be the lifeline network teams need to help diagnose and resolve these types of challenges.

Is this simply a luddite view of Artificial Intelligence? Why cant network administrators simply outsource support to an AI system? There are two parts to the answer. First, while AI is a terrific aid to troubleshooting, it will not catch every issueamazingly, even the most aggressive AI bot proponents claim to handle only two out of three issues. Combine this with the maelstrom of network change in mission-critical circumstances and you have what network engineers call the 2am problem, when the network is failing a critical business function and the built-in support is not enough. What do they do? Does the administrator tell the CEO that some eponymous AI system was supposed to handle it but cant? That the roulette wheel landed on one of those issues that the AI cant fathom?

This is why a combination of integrated AI with readily accessible support engineers is the right choice. AI will get better and that will free both the network admin and support services to work on extending and optimizing network services. But to avoid a HAL-like experience when it matters most, AI and human support must work together whenever they are needed.

An Integrated Approach to Support Services

Concerned about putting the network in the hands of unproven AI bots? Learn more about Arubas hybrid approach, including how it combines the best technology with personal service and engineering expertise to provide effective, around-the-clock service.

Visit Aruba Operational Support for more information.
One of President Donald Trump's new impeachment lawyers says he won't be using the Senate trial to push the president's baseless claims of election fraud  the same issue that prompted the departure of his prior legal team.

David Schoen, who Trump announced Sunday would represent him just days before a key impeachment deadline, is rejecting that line of defense.

'I am not a person who will put forward a theory of election fraud,' Schoen told the Washington Post. 'That's not what this impeachment trial is about,' said Schoen, who previously represented longtime Trump advisor Roger Stone, who got a pardon from President Trump after being convicted of lying to Congress and jury tampering.

President Donald Trump announced he will be represented in his Senate impeachment trial by lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor. Schoen said he won't put forward a theory of election fraud

'Somebody recommended me to him and, I don't know, I liked him,' Schoen said of Stone, who he represented during his appeal. 'It seemed like a challenge. He was really up against it,' he told the paper.

His statement comes after Trump has pushed his lawyers to revisit his claims of election fraud as part of his defense for 'incitement of insurrection'  essentially arguing that he was being truthful, rather than egging on a mob with lies. The trial is set to take place next week, just weeks after a MAGA mob stormed the Capitol while lawmakers were meeting to count the electoral votes that made Joe Biden president.

Schoen, a criminal defense lawyer, also says he met with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein just days before his death, and has expressed doubt that Epstein killed himself in his jail cell.

He was blunt about what he believed in a profile in the Atlanta Jewish Times published in September. 'I still think he was murdered,' he said.

'I represented all sorts of reputed mobster figures: alleged head of Russian mafia in this country, Israeli mafia and two Italian bosses, as well a guy the government claimed was the biggest mafioso in the world,' Schoen told the paper.

Trump also will be represented by Bruce Castor, who was district attorney for Montgomery County in Pennsylvania when Bill Cosby was accused of sexual assault by Andrea Constand.

Attorney David Schoen, center, talks to reporters during a news conference as Alfred McBean, left, and Jennifer Young, mother of Jermaine McBean, second from left, listen Monday, Dec. 14, 2015, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He said he won't put forward election fraud issues at the trial

Former Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor is also joining in Trump's impeachment defense

Sidney Powell, attorney for President Donald Trump, conducts a news conference at the Republican National Committee on lawsuits regarding the outcome of the 2020 presidential election on Thursday, November 19, 2020. Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani, left, also attended. The two lawyers raised election fraud claims that captivated President Trump

He declined to prosecute; his successor secured a conviction in 2018.

Trump's team of impeachment lawyers departed this weekend over a dispute over how to build a defense. Trump spent weeks after the Nov. 3 election claiming the results were 'rigged' and that he 'won' the election, only to finally concede days before the end of his term and leave Washington without congratulating Joe Biden or attending his inauguration.

He is accused of 'incitement of insurrection' for his role speaking to a crowd of supporters who went on to ransack the Capitol Jan. 6.

The Post reported Saturday that South Carolina attorney Butch Bowers and four other lawyers had parted ways with Trump just days before a Tuesday deadline for a response to the impeachment charge. The trial is to begin in earnest on Feb. 9th, due in part to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's push for Trump to get more time for his team to prepare.

Butch Bowers (left) and Deborah Barbier (right) were expected to be among the lead attorneys for the impeachment case

Attorneys Greg Harris (left), Josh Howard (center) and Johnny Gasser (right) have also reportedly left the scene

The lawyers had wanted to make a case that could appeal to Republican senators serving in effect as Trump's jury. Forty-five on a procedural motion taking the position that a post-presidency impeachment trial for a president is unconstitutional.

There are disputes among constitutional scholars about whether a president can be impeached after he leaves office. The House voted to impeach Trump days before the end of his term. Senators opted not to reconvene and conduct the trial after Trump left office.

The Trump legal team announcement stated: '45th President Donald J. Trump today announced that highly respected trial lawyers David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor, Jr., will head his impeachment defense legal team, bringing national profiles and significant trial experience in high-profile cases to the effort.'

It continued: 'Notably, Schoen has already been working with the 45th President and other advisors to prepare for the upcoming trial, and both Schoen and Castor agree that this impeachment is unconstitutional - a fact 45 Senators voted in agreement with last week.'

Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers who were expected to be among the lead attorneys for the case, are no longer with Trump's defense team.

Josh Howard, a North Carolina attorney who was recently added to the team, as well as Greg Harris and Johnny Gasser, two former federal prosecutors from South Carolina, have also left, according to CNN.

The parting was reportedly a 'mutual decision' that reflected a difference of opinion on the direction of the case.

Trump had wanted the attorneys to argue there was mass election fraud, and fell out with the lawyers who wanted to focus on the legality of convicting a president after he's left office, according to CNN sources.

Castor, 59, is one of Pennsylvania's most high-profile lawyers.

He served as district attorney for Montgomery County from 2000-2008, during which time he famously decided not to prosecute Cosby.

'At the time I remember thinking that he probably did do something inappropriate,' he said, speaking of his 2005 decision.

'But thinking that and being able to prove it are two different things. I didn't say that he didn't commit the crime.'

Castor's involvement in the case enraged women's rights activists when Cosby was eventually put on trial by Castor's successor, Kevin Steele.

'As much as I wanted to go forward, there wasn't enough evidence, and prosecutors are bound by the law,' said Castor.

'I mean, I'm not a fool. I recognize that had I arrested Bill Cosby it would've been front page news at every newspaper in the world and led every broadcast in the world.

'In my position, that's something that might be of value to me.'

After leaving the district attorney's office Castor returned to private practice, then served four years on the county's Board of Commissioners.

In 2014 he was reported to be seriously considering a run for governor of Pennsylvania.

In 2016 he became Solicitor General, and then had a brief stint as Pennsylvania's Acting Attorney General - a role he held for several months, until September 2016.

In a statement, Castor said he considered it a 'privilege to represent the 45th president.'

Schoen, based in Atlanta, Georgia and with offices in New York and Montgomery, Alabama, was educated in New York, Boston and Washington DC before moving to the South to pursue civil rights law.

He has a varied client list, ranging from underworld figures to Trump's ally Roger Stone.

'I represented all sorts of reputed mobster figures: alleged head of Russian mafia in this country, Israeli mafia and two Italian bosses, as well a guy the government claimed was the biggest mafioso in the world.'

He has argued cases across the country, and was famously preparing to represent Epstein when he died.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1)  Five villages in Bontoc will remain under stringent lockdown after Mayor Franklin Odsey extended the strictest community quarantine status in these areas due to the spike in COVID-19 cases.

The strict lockdown in Barangays Bontoc Ili, Caluttit, Poblacion, Samoki, and Tocucan  which was supposed to end on Jan. 30  was extended until Feb. 7. The 11 remaining barangays in Bontoc will be under general community quarantine until Feb. 28.

Only one designated household member is allowed to go out for essential goods in the areas under lockdown. Curfew is set at 7pm to 4am.

Bontoc has recorded 12 cases of the B.1.1.7 COVID-19 variant that first emerged in the United Kingdom. Community swab testing is being conducted in the five villages.
BERKELEY, Calif., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Covid Early Treatment Fund (CETF) www.treatearly.org announced today that the medical journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases published a report that outlines the success in using a generic drug  fluvoxamine  to prevent complications of COVID-19.

"This real-world evidence study provides additional independent confirmation that fluvoxamine is highly effective in preventing hospitalization and death from COVID,'' said Steve Kirsch, a Silicon Valley high-tech entrepreneur and the founder of CETF, a charitable organization that funds outpatient trials of existing drugs. "Repurposed drugs always have had the potential to be the fastest and least expensive way out of this pandemic. In this study, fluvoxamine was again shown to be 100% effective in the early treatment of COVID.''

The report by Dr. David Seftel, CEO of Enable Biosciences and a reviewer for the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. David Boulware, a professor and infectious disease physician-scientist at the University of Minnesota's School of Medicine, discusses the real-world experience of using fluvoxamine to treat workers after a COVID-19 outbreak in November and December at Golden Gate Fields, a Berkeley, Ca., horse-racing track.

Dr. Seftel, the track physician, offered fluvoxamine to infected employees after learning about the 100% success rate in avoiding hospitalization in a Phase 2 randomized controlled trial published on November 12, 2020, in the Journal of the American Medical Association. None of the 77 employees at Golden Gate Fields who opted to take fluvoxamine required hospitalization, compared with a 12.5% hospitalization rate for the 48 employees who declined the drug. In addition, after two weeks, none of the treatment group had any COVID symptoms while 60% of the group who declined the drug had one or more COVID symptoms.

"This is one of the most extraordinary therapeutic effects I've witnessed in my 25 years of practicing medicine,'' said Dr. Seftel. "There is no doubt in my mind that fluvoxamine significantly helped the workers at Golden Gates Fields battle this virus. In every case, respiratory decline reversed within about three days after starting the drug."

The paper states: "Overall, fluvoxamine appears promising as early treatment for COVID-19 to prevent clinical deterioration requiring hospitalization and to prevent possible long-haul symptoms persisting beyond 2 weeks.''

Dr. Boulware previously led the randomized clinical trial in which hydroxychloroquine was shown to be ineffective as a treatment for COVID-19.

The Golden Gate Fields experience with fluvoxamine confirmed earlier findings from a 152-patient randomized clinical trial at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. In that outpatient trial, Dr. Eric Lenze and colleagues found that fluvoxamine was 100% effective in preventing respiratory deterioration that normally would require hospitalization compared with an 8.3% hospitalization rate in the placebo group.

Fluvoxamine, an antidepressant, is in the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which work by increasing levels of serotonin within the brain. Lenze said the benefits of taking fluvoxamine appear to greatly outweigh any risks.

"A good way of thinking about SSRI risk is like if you took an aspirin a day for two weeks,'' he said. "It is benign, but if you happened to get in a car accident or have a bad fall in those two weeks, you'd be more prone to bleed. But if SSRIs help against COVID, their benefits far outweigh any risks. No medication is 100% safe, but these are pretty close.''

CETF is funding a Phase 3 clinical trial to examine the efficacy of using fluvoxamine for the early treatment of COVID. The trial began in December and is recruiting volunteers. To learn more about this nationwide at-home trial, please visit stopcovidtrial.wustl.edu

To learn more about CETF's mission or to donate to expedite the fight against COVID-19, visit www.treatearly.org

SOURCE The Covid Early Treatment Fund

Related Links

https://www.treatearly.org/


At a zero-dong shop, a mother found four sets of clothes for her two children within several minutes.

Before going to a parents meeting last Sunday, Vu Thi Lan, 49, in Tan Binh district, stopped by the cultural house of Quarter 10 in Ward 15 in HCM City. She wanted to find some clothes for herself.

I heard some days ago that there is a zero-dong clothing shop where people can go and pick up what they want, but I did not believe it. I only came here after many people confirmed that it exists. I could not imagine that there would be so many beautiful clothes here, she said.

Do Thi Hoa, 69, a volunteer at the shop, led Lan to the booth where clothes for children were displayed. Lan wanted to find clothes for her two children to wear on Tet days.

Lan earns her living by collecting scrap. She has decided not to return to Phu Tho, her home village, this Tet, to cut down expenses. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, she has faced difficulties and has had to tighten her purse strings. Luckily, she wont have to spend money on clothing because she found nice items for her children at the zero-dong shop.

The zero-dong shop has been open since August 2020. At first, only clothes were sold every Sunday morning. Later, milk, rice, footwear and schoolbags were also provided.

There are three booths for children, men and womens clothes. Clothing is hung on the shelves as in other shops.

The shop was opened by local authorities. The clothes displayed are from the public, organizations, garment workshops, and donors. Hoa and other volunteers are in charge of arranging clothes, and classifying and hanging them to make them catch the eyes of visitors.

Most of the clothes here are new and beautiful, not old, dirty and torn, she said.

Hoa said by opening the zero-dong shop, local people wanted to spread warmth and sympathy after the pandemic.

Many needy people have come and taken clothes, with happiness, she said.

Tran Minh Hieu, head of Quarter 10, said after the pandemic, the local authorities decided to set up the shop after realizing that many locals needed clothing.

Recognizing the humanity of the shop model, the Red Cross Association in Ward 15 has supported Quarter 10 in contacting donors.

Everyone is welcome, Hieu said. Anyone who needs clothes can come here. All the products are sold at zero dong."

According to Hieu, well-off people also come to the shop. Most of them are owners of guesthouses who come to pick up clothes for their tenants who are in difficulties.

Nguyen Son

WeChoice Awards 2020 highlights contribution of doctors on the frontline against COVID-19 Stories about Vietnamese doctors on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19 were honoured during an evening gala held by WeChoice Awards 2020.
The Ukrainian leader says he sees no serious improvement since the latest Normandy summit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he would like to involve U.S. President Joe Biden in the Normandy format, or create another, parallel format with the United States and Russia to address the Russian occupation of Crimea among other issues.

"A year and a month have passed since the Normandy meeting, and I do not see any serious steps forward. So I say again: I think it's idle talk. And Russia understands this perfectly well," he said in an interview for Axios on HBO, as reported by the president's press service.

"They [Russians] are playing because they do not want to promote this process according to Ukrainian requirements. Yes, they only want it their way. They see further federalization of Ukraine, and it is true. Weakening of the Ukrainian central government, preservation of separatists in one way or another  I understand what they are doing. We have seen this in Transnistria  the same effect," he said.

According to Zelensky, he told European leaders this frankly: "If we continue in this format, this format, unfortunately, will be exhausted."

The president said he would like such a powerful world player as the United States to have an impact.

"Not theoretical, not outside the circle of the Normandy Four, but to have one of the crucial missions. I would really like to involve President Biden in the Normandy format. I am ready to do anything to reach an agreement with the president of the United States and the Normandy Four. It seems to me that this may intensify negotiations. I also told our European partners openly: if this does not work and if everyone is not against it, I do not see a big problem to create another format in parallel with the Normandy format, which must include the United States and Russia," Zelensky said.

At the same time, he said this is a "parallel case" and "this does not mean that we give up on the Normandy format."

Read alsoU.S., UK may be attracted to Normandy format if all participants agree on  FM KulebaHowever, there are issues that are not on the agenda of the Normandy meetings, namely: What to do with Crimea, he said.

"When I arrived for the first meeting of the Normandy format, I did not understand why we [were] not talking about Crimea. All partners said that Crimea was not on the agenda. And this was an agreement with the former President [Petro Poroshenko]. Then I asked my partners and Russia: 'Name the platform where Crimea is on the agenda. Are you saying that we should give up on Crimea and stop mentioning that this is our territory? As the new president, I cannot afford this. I do not want to. And I will never accept that.' And, I'm sorry, if I had been president then, we would all have died in Crimea, but we wouldn't have let the 'green men' in there. And if the 'green men' had not been let in there, Russia would not have helped the separatists and would not have been in eastern Ukraine. That's why this format should exist, I think," Zelensky added.

Normandy format: What is known

The Normandy format is a type of meetings in a quadripartite format, involving Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia, where issues of Russian armed aggression against Ukraine are discussed.

The name of the format comes from a summit of four leaders, which first took place in Benouville, a commune in the Normandy region, northwestern France, on June 6, 2014.

Normandy Four advisors' meeting

The latest round of talks of political advisors to the Normandy Four leaders took place in Berlin on January 12.

Ukraine at the meeting of political advisors was represented by Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, while Russia was represented by Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Dmitry Kozak.

The previous meeting of advisors was held on September 11, 2020.

Reporting by UNIAN
Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-Category
Taiwan: Taiwan's Defence Ministry said that seven Chinese warplanes and a US reconnaissance aircraft entered Taiwan's air defence identification zone on Sunday.

Five People's Liberation Army's aircraft - a Y-8 reconnaissance plane, two J-10 fighter jets and two J-11 bombers - were seen near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea, South China Morning Post quoted the Defence Ministry's statement. They were followed hours later by two PLA's J-11 bombers in the same area, it said separately. Taiwan for the first time in several months has mentioned about the presence of US military aircraft.

According to the SCMP, air defence identification zones are early warning systems that help countries to detect incursions into their airspace.

Any aircraft entering such an area is supposed to report its route and purpose to the "host" nation, though the zones are classified as international airspace and pilots are not legally bound to make such a notification.

Taiwan's military on Sunday said it had sent radio warnings to the PLA aircraft and air defence missile systems were deployed to monitor their activities. The new incursions come amid escalated tensions in the region as Beijing ramped up pressure on Taiwan.

Recently, China threatened that "Taiwan's independence" means war. Wu Qian, spokesperson of China's Ministry of National Defence, on January 28 "warned" the people wanting "Taiwan independence" and said that "those who play with fire will set themselves on fire, and seeking 'Taiwan independence' means nothing but war".

Military takes control of Myanmar, Suu Kyi arrested

1 dead, 5 missing in Fiji due to tropical cyclone Ana

Ireland reports 1,247 new coronavirus cases

A group of Zimbabwean health experts based in the United Kingdom (UK) have combined forces with the Catholic University of Zimbabwe (CUZ) to develop a Medical School and Teaching Hospital and a pharmaceutical plant at the institution.

The investment, which is estimated to cost US$450 million, is being set up within the medical enterprise economic zone, and is anchored around academic medical teaching, research and highly-specialised clinical services.

In an interview, Zimbabwes Ambassador to the UK, Colonel Christian Katsande (Retired) said Professor Ian Chikanza, a Zimbabwean consultant physician in Rheumatology (Adult and Paediatric) based in the UK, was working with CUZ, as part of luring investors to the country.

Ambassador Katsande said the initiative was envisaged to strengthen the health care system in Zimbabwe, putting the country at the frontier of medicine and making Harare a leading centre of medical excellence in Africa.

This facility is also expected to lead in the drug development and production as well as supply of the much-needed generic drugs in Zimbabwe and SADC member states, he said.

This state-of-the-art teaching hospital is expected to provide highly-specialised medical services and attract medical tourism.

A pharmaceutical company will also be established to ensure that all drugs are available for the medical centre and other hospitals in Zimbabwe and the region.

The funding for the project is being pursued, said Ambassador Katsande. The entire investment is estimated to cost US$450 million.

The project will include a US$120 million 200-bed hotel for medical visitors/tourists to be built not too far from the hospital site. GE Healthcare will provide the majority of the latest state-of-the-art medical equipment.

The hospital will be paperless and will use the latest Electronic Health Records system being developed by a team set up by Prof Chikanza.

The Embassy is also engaging Zimbabwean professionals in the UK health sector to set up the Zimbabwe-UK Health Alliance.

The Alliance is envisaged to be an umbrella organisation for UK institutions and organisations undertaking healthcare capacity building activities in Zimbabwe, said Ambassador Katsande.

It is expected to be a mechanism to support and better coordinate its member organisations and ensure that their activities are in sync with the priorities of the Zimbabwe Government.

The main objective of the Health Alliance is to support health care and the public sector in Zimbabwe.

It will focus on identification and evaluation of health challenges in Zimbabwe and provide innovative interventions drawn from the expertise, experience and skill sets of its members and partners.

The Zimbabwe-UK Health Alliance is also expected to provide a platform to explore opportunities for learning and development for health workers and institutions in both Zimbabwe and the UK, improve coordination among UK organisations activities and contributions to the health sector in Zimbabwe, facilitate training and exchanges of knowledge and expertise, and coordinate outreach programmes and volunteering activities by diaspora health practitioners. Herald
Google has been warned its threat to shut down search in Australia will not deter the Morrison government from its proposed media compensation laws, as the Prime Minister confirmed Microsoft was confident it could fill a gap in the market.

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher cast doubt over whether Google would follow through on its ultimatum and said the government intended to proceed with legislating its news media bargaining code.

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said Googles threat to shut down search to Australian users could provide an opportunity for Microsoft to expand its operations. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The mere fact a particular business says we dont like that, if you do that, well exit the

market  were not going to be deterred by that, Mr Fletcher told ABC TV on Monday.

Google has threatened to turn off its search engine in Australia if the proposed code becomes law, while Facebook has said it would be forced to remove news articles from its main app.
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Union Budget 2021 in Lok Sabha on February 1 at 11 AM.

Union Budget 2021 will go paperless as the Finance Ministry has decided not to print the budget documents amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Touted to be a historic move, it will be for the first time in the history of independent India that the budget 2021 papers will not be printed.

Ahead of her third Budget presentation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team will meet President Ram Nath Kovind, and will likely be accompanied by her deputy Anurag Thakur and other officials of the Finance Ministry. The Union Cabinet will hold a meeting at 10:15 am before the presentation. Usually, the duration of the presentation ranges from 90 to 120 minutes. This year, the Union Budget will be delivered in paperless form for the first time.

Where to watch Union Budget 2021?

The Budget 2021 will be telecast LIVE on Lok Sabha TV.

Zee Media will also run a live blog on Budget 2021.

Website: https://zeenews.india.com/

Zee Media Social channels

You can also watch the Budget at the video below. Our channel will livestreamed on our website

Live TV

#mute

Alternatively, you can also follow our social media handles

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZeeNews/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZeeNewsEnglish

The Economic Survey 2020-21 is all set to be tabled in the Parliament on Friday (29 January) ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget 2021. The survey, also regarded as the official report card of the union government, gives a roadmap for the country's economy and spells the way forward.

The Narendra Modi government has arranged an all-party meeting on Saturday (January 30) to hold discussions ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget in parliament on Monday (February 1). The proposed meeting will start at 11.30 am on a video conference. The centre has invited all the political parties from both the Houses to attend this meeting.

Coronavirus pandemic has altered everything and the budget is no exception. This year Parliament's budget session will be held in two phases, Phase one will start from January 29 to February 15, Phase two will take place from March 8 to April 8.

Joe Biden has invited a group of Republican senators to the White House on Monday afternoon to discuss their contentious COVID relief counter offer.

The ten senators suggested a more targeted economic relief package of $600billion, in response to the government's $1.9 trillion proposal.

The group of 10 Republicans, including moderate Senators Mitt Romney, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, sent a letter to Biden on Sunday requesting a meeting to discuss a coronavirus relief package compromise they feel could gain swift support from both parties.

Joe Biden will meet 10 Republican senators on Monday afternoon to discuss his $1.9 trillion plan, which many Republicans claim is too high. The counter is less than half that price-tag at $600 billion

Their proposal has a price tag of $600 billion, less than three times what Biden and the Democrats are looking to get signed next month.

'In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support,' the moderate Republicans wrote in their letter to the president.

The White House is specifically open to considering scaling down stimulus checks for families making more than $150,000 per year, an official told CNN, but the administration is not considering cutting off months of unemployment insurance access or money going to schools.

'As has been widely reported, the President received a letter today from 10 Republican Senators asking to meet with him to discuss their ideas about the actions needed to address these crises,' said Jen Psaki, White House press secretary.

'In response, the President spoke to Senator Collins, and invited her and other signers of the letter to come to the White House early this week for a full exchange of views.'

Susan Collins, a Republican senator for Maine, led the group in suggesting an alternative to the Biden administration's plan.

Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine (left) and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska (right) also signed the letter as they prepare to unveil their $600 billion plan on Monday

A group of 10 moderate Republicans, including Senator Mitt Romney, are requesting a meeting with President Joe Biden to propose a counter to his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package

'In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support,' the senators wrote in a letter to Biden on Sunday

Bill Cassidy, a Republican senator for Louisiana, who is also involved in the effort, told Fox News that they were seeking a smaller $600 billion deal, which would include direct payments of $1,000.

Biden wants a $1.9 trillion package that includes $1,400 in direct payments, funding for schools and state and local governments and money to ramp up vaccine distribution.

'With the virus posing a grave threat to the country, and economic conditions grim for so many, the need for action is urgent, and the scale of what must be done is large,' Psaki said.

'As leading economists have said, the danger now is not in doing too much: it is in doing too little. Americans of both parties are looking to their leaders to meet the moment.'

Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, suggested last week that Democrats were willing to go it alone on the coronavirus relief package, potentially starting the process as soon as next week.

But Republican senators are concerned at talk of forcing the package through without achieving consensus.

Rick Scott, a senator for Florida, said that Biden's relief bill 'makes no sense' and is little more than a 'payback to the radical left'.

'We're ten days into the administration, now he's [Biden] already saying he doesn't care to work with Republicans?' Scott told Fox News.

Rick Scott, a Florida senator, has accused the Biden administration of being beholden to the 'radical Left'

'You know, he's going to try to get this done with Bernie Sanders with just 50 Democrat votes. That doesn't make any sense.'

Biden and Sanders have both pointed to a legislative process known as budget 'reconciliation' to force the bill through Congress if Republicans won't support the proposal.

Sanders said: 'Are we going to address the incredible set of crises and the pain and the anxiety which is in this country? You know what? I don't care what anybody says. We have got to deal with this pandemic.

'If Republicans want to work with us, they have better ideas on how to address those crises, that's great,' he said.

'But to be honest with you, I have not yet heard that.'

Scott responded: 'This radical left agenda is not worried about the fact that we have $27 trillion worth of debt?

'We're not living even close to within our means. I mean, this makes no sense.

'This is just payback to the liberal left.'

Biden on Friday said he was willing to bypass the Republicans if need be.

'I support passing COVID relief with support from Republicans if we can get it, but the COVID relief has to pass,' he said.

'There's no ifs, ands or buts.'

Earlier on Sunday Biden's senior adviser Cedric Richmond said the president was still committed to trying to find a bipartisan solution.

'The president said in his inauguration speech that he wanted to work with both sides in order to help the American people,' Richmond, a former Louisiana representative, told 'NBC's 'Face the Nation' Sunday morning.

'What we know about President Biden is it's never about him, it's always about the people,' the White House senior adviser continued. 'So yes, he's very willing to meet with anyone to advance the agenda.'

White House Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond said Sunday morning that President Joe Biden is willing to meet with the 10 Republican senators proposing a $600 billion coronavirus relief package as a counter to his $1.9 trillion bill

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the co-sponsors of the latest proposal, said Democrats only want the appearance of bipartisanship without working with Republicans. He also said their proposal includes $1,000 direct checks for Americans in the midst of the pandemic

Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders said it's more important to get a deal passed now to get relief to Americans rather than work in the spirit of bipartisanship and drag the process out

The group of Republicans will unveil on Monday a $600 billion stimulus bill to address the coronavirus crisis, which is meant to act as a counter balance to Biden's $1.9 trillion package but appeal to some hesitant Republicans.

'Our proposal reflects many of your stated priorities, and with your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support,' the letter continued.

'We request the opportunity to meet with you to discuss our proposal in greater detail and how we can work together to meet the needs of the American people during this persistent pandemic.'

The letter was signed by 10 upper chamber Republicans considered more moderate, including Senators Romney of Utah, Collins of Maine, Murkowski of Alaska, Cassidy of Louisiana and Rob Portman of Ohio, Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia, Todd Young of Indiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Michael Rounds of South Dakota.

Biden has been pushing hard to get his COVID relief plan through Congress, in the face of strong opposition by Republicans. On Friday he indicated that he will move forward even without Republican support as he warned of a steep and growing 'cost of inaction' on his plan during a meeting with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen

The progress of Biden's package to support individuals and businesses will be an early test of the new president's promise to work across the political divide and deliver on his message of 'unity.'

Some Republicans, after losing control of the Senate earlier this month, have questioned the cost of the latest relief bill, while others urged more targeted measures.

'We recognize your calls for unity and want to work in good faith with your Administration to meet the health, economic, and societal challenges of the COVID crisis,' the senators concluded in their letter.

Rob Portman announced he will not seek re-election in 2022, paving the way for him to be more outspoken and work in a more bipartisan manner before retiring from Congress.

After losing two Georgia runoff elections in early January, the Senate now sits at a 50-50 split with Democrat Kamala Harris, who served in the Senate for one term before becoming vice president, holding the tie-breaking vote.

During her time in the Senate, Harris was rated as the most politically left-leaning lawmaker.

The letter from the group of Republicans details several of the proposals they feel will please both sides of the political aisle.

Cassidy said Sunday during his Fox interview that the bill would include $1,000 direct payments to Americans. He didn't specify any income threshold like an earlier version that proposed sending the checks to those who made $75,000 in 2019.

Republicans claim their plan will also echo Biden's call for more funding to boost vaccines and testing as well as support for schools and child care centers, but said their plan would include more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses.

While offering few specifics, they said their plan echoed Biden's call for more funding to boost vaccines and testing as well as support for schools and child care centers, but said their plan would include more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses.

Congress, controlled by Democrats, is set to move this week on Biden's plan to deliver a fresh infusion of COVID-19 relief to Americans and businesses reeling from the pandemic, which has killed more than 430,000 people in the United States.

Cassidy detailed that the GOP proposal offers $20 billion in school funding, instead of Biden's $170 billion.

The Republican senator said funneling more money into these schools would just perpetuate teachers' unions' perspective against returning to in-person teaching.

He said, however, that one area of agreement between the parties is vaccinations.

The Republican bill would match the White's House's $160 billion figure to distribute and administer shots.

The hashtag exploded over the weekend after the Democratic Party posted a tweet outlining Biden's plan to distribute $1,400 stimulus checks American families, on top of the $600 checks that were approved earlier this month

The hashtag BidenLied was trending on Twitter over the weekend, as Americans demanded the $2,000 stimulus checks they claim Biden promised to deliver during his campaign.

The hashtag exploded after the Democratic Party posted a tweet outlining Biden's plan to distribute $1,400 stimulus checks to American families, on top of the $600 checks that were approved earlier this month.

Critics expressed outrage at the size of the forthcoming checks - which are expected to get the green light from Congress this week - as they accused Biden of going back on his word.

But in reality the new president never made that promise, instead saying that he would add on to the original $600 checks for a total of $2,000.
Posted Monday, February 1, 2021 1:12 pm

The personal unemployment claims data of at least 1.4 million Washingtonians may have been stolen in a hack of software used by the state auditors office, Auditor Pat McCarthy said Monday.

In a news release, McCarthy said the data, including Social Security numbers and banking information, was exposed in a breach in December of Accellion, a software provider the auditors office used to transfer large computer files.

In a head-slapping irony, the compromised data had been collected as part of the auditors investigations into how the state Employment Security Department (ESD) lost $600 million to fraudulent unemployment claims.

I know this is one more worry for Washingtonians who have already faced unemployment in a year scarred by both job loss and a pandemic. I am sorry to share this news and add to their burdens, McCarthy said in a statement.

The auditors office said the breach affects personal information of people who filed for unemployment claims with ESD between Jan. 1 and Dec. 10, 2020.

The auditors office emphasized that the problem did not originate with ESD, which has been under scrutiny over questions about its own security measures following last springs fraud. I want to be clear: This was an attack on a third-party service provider. The Employment Security Department did nothing to cause this, and is not responsible in any way for this incident, McCarthy said.

The ESD, meanwhile, asked Washingtonians who are concerned about their data not to call the agency but to contact the auditors office with questions. We know this is extremely worrying news, but please do not call our claims center with questions, read a statement on the ESDs website Monday.

A news conference on the breach was scheduled for Monday afternoon by McCarthy, who said her office is working closely with state cybersecurity officials and law enforcement.

The data breach, which involved approximately 1.6 million unemployment claims filed by at least 1.4 million individuals, includes claimants names, social security numbers and/or drivers license or state identification number, bank information, and place of employment, the auditors office said.

In addition, some personal information of a smaller number of people was compromised, including data held by the Department of Children, Youth and Families, according to the auditor. Some nonpersonal financial and other data from local governments and state agencies also was exposed.

The Joel York, Accellions chief marketing officer, said in an interview the data breach involved the companys 20-year-old legacy product, known as FTA, which the company has been encouraging customers to stop using.

It just wasnt designed for these types of threats, York said.

He said the company has been encouraging users for years to upgrade to Accellions newer product, known as kiteworks. The auditors office upgraded to that product after the data breach, he said.

The FTA vulnerability was fixed through software patches after the December breach became known to Accellion, a Palo Alto, California-based company.

They got caught in this very short window, York said of the auditors office.

The same security breach also affected other Accellion customers including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

McCarthys office first disclosed what she termed a security incident in a statement to The Seattle Times on Friday evening that provided few details on the scope of the breach.

On Monday, other state officials appeared to be letting the auditors office take the lead on the incident.

An ESD spokesperson referred all questions about the data breach to the state auditors office.

A spokesperson for Gov. Jay Inslee said the governor had spoken with McCarthy and expressed his deep concern about the data that was exposed by their third party vendor. As a separately elected statewide official, we understand that they are taking responsibility for this and doing everything they can do address it.

News of the data breach comes nearly nine months after the ESD disclosed that criminals had filed hundreds of millions of dollars in bogus unemployment claims using personal information likely stolen during earlier data breaches.
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.


Advertisement

In an interview in 2009, Manson said he fantasized 'every day about smashing her skull in with a sledgehammer'. He was talking about then girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood. They became engaged afterwards but never got married. On Monday, she said he subjected her to years of abuse. They are shown in 2007

Marilyn Manson said he fantasized every day about smashing former girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood's skull in with a sledgehammer in a 2009 interview that resurfaced on Monday after she and four other women accused him of abuse.

Wood took to Instagram on Monday morning to allege years of 'horrific' abuse by Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner.

She said in a statement: 'The name of my abuser is Brian Warner, also known to the world as Marilyn Manson. He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years.

'I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives.

'I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent.'

Around the same time, four other women posted similar statements on Instagram.

They are Ashley Walters, Sarah McNeilly, Ashley Lindsay Morgan and a woman who gave her name only as Gabriella. Two are models, one is a photographer who then worked as Manson's assistant and the fourth is an artist.

Not all of them gave dates for when they met Manson or how long they spent with him. They all allege a variety of misconduct and abuse by Manson including being subjected to 'gaslighting and violence'.

Some said he subjected them to sleep deprivation. McNeilly also claimed he 'threatened to bash my face in with a baseball bat.'

It's unclear why they all decided to speak out on Monday or if any of them have taken their claims to the police.

Wood also posted screenshots of tweets written by Dan Cleary - Manson's former assistant in December 2020. He said in them that he knew Wood when she was with Manson and that by the end of their relationship, he had 'broken' her.

Wood reconciled with her English actor Jamie Bell after her romance with Manson ended in 2010. She and Bell had one son together before splitting in 2013. She then revealed she was bisexual and dating a non-binary partner in 2019, but she did not reveal who they were.

Manson has not addressed their allegations. He has, in the past, denied violence. But in a 2009 interview with Spin, he made disturbing remarks about wanting to 'smash' Wood's skull in.

He was being asked about his new album and was asked: 'It sounds like the period after you and Evan Rachel Wood broke up was really tough. What was your lowest point?'

He replied: 'My lowest point was Christmas Day 2008, because I didnt speak to my family. My walls were covered in scrawlings of the lyrics and cocaine bags nailed to the wall.

The song I Want to Kill You Like They Do in The Movies is about my fantasies. I have fantasies every day about smashing her skull in with a sledgehammer Marilyn Manson's 2009 interview in Spin about Evan Rachel Wood

'And I did have an experience where I was struggling to deal with being alone and being forsaken and being betrayed by putting your trust in one person, and making the mistake of that being the wrong person. And thats a mistake that everyone can relate to. I made the mistake of trying to, desperately, grasp on and save that and own it. And every time I called her that day  I called 158 times  I took a razor blade and I cut myself on my face or on my hands.

'I didnt want people to ask me every time I did an interview, Oh, is this record about your relationship with your ex-girlfriend? But that damage is part of it, and the song I Want to Kill You Like They Do in The Movies is about my fantasies.

'I have fantasies every day about smashing her skull in with a sledgehammer.' The interviewer replied: 'Wow'. He replied: 'Merry Christmas'.

Manson and Wood got engaged after the interview and did not break up for another year after it took place.

In November 2020, the comments resurfaced. Then, his reps played them down as him being a 'theatrical rockstar'.

'He horrifically abused me for years': Evan Rachel Wood, 33, has alleged ex-fiance Marilyn Manson, 52, 'groomed and brainwashed her as a teenager' (pictured in June 2007, the year they went public, when she was 20 and he was 38)

Evan is shown in Westworld with co-star James Marsden

The four other women who made allegations about Manson on Monday... Ashley Walter ASHLEY WALTERS Walters said she met Manson after he contacted her on social media asking to collaborate. She is a photographer and says she admired his work. She says she started working for him as a personal assistant after six months, that the pair became close but then their relationship changed. 'I continue to suffer from PTSD, and struggle with depression. I stayed in touch with quite a few people who went through their own traumas, under his control. 'As we all struggled, as survivors do, to get on with our lives, Id keep hearing stories disturbingly similar to our own experiences. 'It became clear the abuse hes caused; he continues to inflict on so many and I cannot stand by and let this happen to others. 'Brian Warner needs to be held accountable.' Sarah McNeilly SARAH MCNEILLY Model Sarah McNeilly also used the phrase 'love bombing'. She says Warner 'lured' her in. She did not gave dates for when they knew each other but says the relationship left her with PTSD. 'I have been afraid to bring any spotlight upon myself as to avoid winding up in his cross hairs again. 'As a result of the way he treated me, I suffer from mental health issues and PTSD that have affected my personal and professional relationships, self-worth and personal goals. 'I believe he gets off on ruining people's lives. I stand in support of all that have and all will come forward. 'I want to see Brian held accountable for his evil' Ashley Lindsay Morgan ASHLEY LINDSAY MORGAN Morgan said she met Manson when she was working as a model in Thailand in 2009/2010. She claims they had a mutual friend and that after talking and texting for months, he flew her to Los Angeles. She did not detail how long they spent together but alleged abuse. 'I have night terrors, PTSD, anxiety, and mostly crippling OCD. I try to wash constantly to get him out or off of me. 'I am coming forward so he will finally stop,' she said in part. I have night terrors, PTSD, anxiety, and mostly crippling OCD. I try to wash constantly to get him out or off of me. 'I am coming forward so he will finally stop.' GABRIELLA Gabriella An artist called Gabriella said she met him in 2015 when she was 22 and he was 46 backstage at one of his shows. She says he 'love bombed' her immediately. 'Things went from 0 to 100 at full speed... he worked a kind of magic on me,' she said. 'I had fallen deeply for an illusion of safety and love. Every aspect of my life was affected I suffered financially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. 'It has taken me five years to speak out. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and still suffer from nightmares. I blocked out a lot of the memories, but the feelings remain and manifest in various ways. The reason Im finally sharing this traumatic 'Experience is for my healing and because Im done being silent. I dont believe its fair for someone to not be held accountable for their horrific actions. 'Im not a victim. Im a survivor.' Advertisement

'The comments where Manson had a fantasy of using a sledgehammer on Evan and he cut himself 158 times was obviously a theatrical rockstar interview promoting a new record, and not a factual account. The fact that Evan and Manson got engaged six months after this interview would indicate that no one took this story literally.'

In their statements, they detailed 'harrowing experiences that they claim included sexual assault, psychological abuse, and/or various forms of coercion, violence, and intimidation'.

Mansons reps have 'categorically denied' similar accusations in the past but they have not yet addressed the statements the women made on Monday.

In 2018, Wood described being abused in front of a House Judiciary Committee as part of a campaign to pass a bill of rights protecting abuse victims.

She did not name her abuser at the time and said she had been told she could not take it to police because the statute of limitations had expired.

'My experience with domestic violence was this: Toxic mental, physical and sexual abuse which started slow but escalated over time, including threats against my life, severe gas-lighting and brainwashing, waking up to the man that claimed to love me raping what he believed to be my unconscious body,' she said.

She also said she had only agreed to come forward because she learned that the her abuser had hurt other women too.

In 2007, Evan starred in Manson's music video for his single, Heart-Shaped Glasses (When The Heart Guides The Hand). She was 20 at the time

In 2018, Wood testified before Congress about being raped and abused as part of a campaign for tougher domestic violence and abuse laws. She did not name her abuser at the time

The Hollywood Reporter wrote that in May of 2018, a police report was filed against Manson citing unspecified sex crimes that allegedly took place in 2011.

But in August of 2018, the Los Angeles Districts Attorney office announced that it was declining to pursue that case because of a lack of corroborating evidence.

Manson is now married to artist Lindsay Usich. They got married in lockdown in February 2020

It is unclear who the victim in that case was.

Mansons attorney at the time, Howard E. King, told The Hollywood Reporter that the 'allegations made to the police were and are categorically denied by Mr. Warner and are either completely delusional or part of a calculated attempt to generate publicity.

'Any claim of sexual impropriety or imprisonment at that, or any other, time is false.'

Manson is currently married to artist Lindsay Usich.

They got married in February last year during lockdown in a small ceremony that Nicholas Cage said he watched over FaceTime.

Before Wood, he was married to burlesque performer Dita Von Teese from 2005-2007 and they dated for six years prior.

Von Teese has never alleged abuse by him. He claimed after they split that she couldn't accept his rockstar lifestyle.

'But buyer beware. She said she had tolerated the lifestyle because she hoped I would change and threatened to leave if I didnt. I was sleeping on the couch in my own home. I was no longer supposed to be a rockstar. I was someone who had to be apologized for. I wasnt prepared to be alone. I came out of this naked, a featherless bird,' he said.

She told The Sunday Telegraph: 'Everything went downhill after we got married.

'I started working a lot to escape my home life.'

Before Dita, he'd been engaged to Rose McGowan. She ended their engagement in 2001, blaming 'lifestyle differences.'

In a statement, the actress famously said: 'There is great love, but our lifestyle difference is, unfortunately, even greater.'

She has not accused him of abuse. McGowan was famously among the first women to speak out against Harvey Weinstein.

In 2018, when revealing she had been abused but without naming Manson, she said she was told by her lawyers that she could not bring any action against the person who had hurt her because the statute of limitations had passed.

It extends the statute of limitations in California on domestic violence felonies from three to five years.
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Lumina Gold Corp. (TSXV: LUM) (OTCQX: LMGDF) (the "Company" or "Lumina") is pleased to announce that it has received approval for its Environmental Impact Study ("EIS") on the C20 concession that contains the western portion of the Cangrejos deposit and the entire Gran Bestia deposit. The EIS on the 779 hectare C20 concession will allow for unlimited step-out, infill and expansion drilling beyond the prior work under the Scout Drilling Regime. Lumina already had a valid Environmental Impact Study on the 3,498 hectare original Cangrejos concession and the two EIS's together cover both existing deposits at the project.

Lumina is currently reorganizing its concession package in order to streamline permitting and development of the Cangrejos and Gran Bestia deposits, which previously straddled multiple concessions. These EIS permits will carry over to allow work on the new 4,999 hectare main concession.

About Lumina Gold

Lumina Gold Corp. (TSXV: LUM) is a Vancouver, Canada based precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on the Cangrejos Gold-Copper Project located in El Oro Province, southwest Ecuador. Lumina has an experienced management team with a successful track record of advancing and monetizing exploration projects.

Further details are available on the Company's website at https://luminagold.com/.

To receive future news releases please sign up at https://luminagold.com/contact.

LUMINA GOLD CORP.

Signed: "Marshall Koval"



Marshall Koval, President & CEO, Director



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 news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to the unification of the two EIS permits and reorganization of the concession package. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as "will" or "projected" or variations of those words or statements that certain actions, events or results "will", "could", "are proposed to", "are planned to", "are expected to" or "are anticipated to" be taken, occur or be achieved.

With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the prices of gold and copper, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

Although management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the business of the Company; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of reserves and resources); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities administrators. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Lumina Gold Corp.
This Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, file photo shows Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, that Microsoft was confident that it could fill the void if Google carried out its threat to remove its search engine from Australia. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

Australia's prime minister said on Monday that Microsoft is confident it can fill the void if Google carries out its threat to remove its search engine from Australia.

A Google executive told a Senate hearing last month that it would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government goes ahead with a draft law that would make tech giants pay for news content.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he has spoken to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella about its search engine, Bing, filling the space.

"I can tell you, Microsoft's pretty confident" that Australians would not be worse off, Morrison told the National Press Club of Australia.

"These are big technology companies and what's important to Australia, I think, is that we set the rules that are right for our people," Morrison said.

"Having a news environment in this country that is one that is sustainable and is supported commercially, then this is vital to how democracies function," he added.

Although Bing is Australia's second most popular search engine, it has only a 3.6% market share, according to web analytics service Statcounter. Google says it has 95%.

Nadella initiated the Zoom conversation with Morrison, The Australian newspaper reported.

In this Jan. 25, 2019, file photo, Microsoft Corp.'s Bing search engine page is seen on a computer screen in Beijing. The Australian prime minister said Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, Microsoft is confident it could fill the void if Google carries out its threat to remove its search engine from Australia. A Google executive told a Senate hearing last month that it would likely make its search engine unavailable in Australia if the government went ahead with plans to make tech giants pay for news content. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he had since spoken to Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella about its search engine Bing filling the space.(AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)

A Microsoft statement confirmed that the online meeting had taken place last week but released no details of the conversation.

"We recognize the importance of a vibrant media sector and public interest journalism in a democracy and we recognize the challenges the media sector has faced over many years through changing business models and consumer preferences," Microsoft said.

"With respect to the current controversy over a potential code of conduct governing Google and Facebook, Microsoft is not directly involved and we wouldn't want to comment on that ongoing process involving the ACCC and those companies," the statement added, referring to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, the national regulator that devised the draft law.

The mandatory code of conduct proposed by the government aims to make Google and Facebook pay Australian media companies fairly for using news content the tech giants siphon from news sites.

There are no plans to make smaller search engines such as Bing pay for linking users to Australian news, but the government has not ruled that option out.

Google has faced pressure from authorities elsewhere to pay for news. Last month, it signed a deal with a group of French publishers paving the way for the company to make digital copyright payments. Under the agreement, Google will negotiate individual licensing deals with newspapers, with payments based on factors such as the amount published daily and monthly internet site traffic.

But Google is resisting the Australian plan because it would have less control over how much it would have to pay. Under the Australian system, if an online platform and a news business can't agree on a price for news, an arbitration panel will make a binding decision on payment.

Morrison said he would like to see "more alignment between the world's economies" on such antitrust and competition policy issues.

Explore further Google threatens to pull search engine in Australia

 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.


Covaxin maker on



Monday described as "far reaching" initiative the allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccination in the and said it would help the country become free of the viral disease.

Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd said the budget was growth- oriented with a lot of positive interventions and with "something in it for everyone".

Welcoming the proposal for Rs 35,000 crore outlay for COVID-19 vaccines, city-based Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Ella said "Its a great step ahead, and far-reaching budget announcement., providing Rs 35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccination in 2021-22."



The Finance Minister's commitment providing more funds in order to contain the pandemic and provide an effective, smooth path for the vaccination scheme "will help contain, and lead our nation towards accomplishing a COVID-19 disease free Bharat," he said in statement here.

The indigenous COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin and Oxford's Covishield are being produced in the country and used during the ongoing inoculation drive.

The Rs 64,180 crore spending plan for healthcare over the next six years to be spent on primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare, in addition to the National Health Mission was also a welcome move, he said.

This would strengthen public health services as 17,000 rural and 11,000 urban health and wellness centres and integrated public health labs would be set up in each district, Ellasaid.

The government focus, on three areas - preventive health, curative health and well-being, was also very reassuring, he said.

"With this landmark budget, the Government of India has signalled its intention to make health a cornerstone of the future success of our country. The allocation to vaccines signals a shift to preventive health care, a validation of the fact that vaccines are the most cost effective health care interventions, he added.

Chairman of Dr Reddy's K Satish Reddy said the government has taken a big step on healthcare, making an outlay of 2.23 lakh crores, a 137 per cent increase from last year, a step that was "long overdue".

"On innovation and R&D (Research and Development), the additional allocation of Rs 50,000 crore over five years through the National Research Foundation marks a good beginning in improving the research eco-system in the country, he opined.

As with all budgets, this too contained concrete proposals that were encouraging but it was the execution that finally matters, he said, expressing hope this time the government gets it right.

(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.)

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Stacey Abrams will speak about moving forward after a setback at the inaugural California Conference for Women, a virtual event to be held on March 4th. Abrams, the first Black woman in U.S. history to earn a major party nomination for governor, will share her own journey of moving from setback to success.

Abrams is a lawyer, entrepreneur, and award-winning author of numerous books, including eight romantic suspense novels. Her TED Talk, "3 Questions to Ask Yourself about Everything You Do," has attracted more than 5 million views. She was named to the Forbes list of World's Most Powerful Women in 2020.

Other keynoters include the first Black woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company Ursula Burns; iconic conservationist Jane Goodall; best-selling authors Angie Thomas and Glennon Doyle; and award-winning professor and best-selling author Adam Grant. California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom will also join the conversation with Ursula Burns.

Tickets are available at www.CAConferenceforWomen.org.

The Conference, which is being held during Women's History Month, will focus on helping women move forward from a pandemic and economic crisis that forced more than 2.2 million women to leave the workforce in 2020.

"We thank all the companies that are making an investment in this conference during a time of unprecedented pressures on working women," said Laurie Dalton White, the founding director of the Conferences for Women. "Their support shows that they recognize the importance of doing what is needed to retain talented women in the workplace."

The nonprofit, nonpartisan California Conference for Women is part of the nation's largest network of women's conferences, which includes events in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Its 2020 events attracted more than 40,000 attendees.

The March event will offer expert-led sessions on resiliency; dismantling inequalities at work; parenting; and breaking bad habits. It will also offer facilitated networking sessions, a virtual career fair, and ways to support women-owned businesses. In partnership with Target, there will also be a celebration of California women who are frontline workers as part of the Storytellers Contest.

The California Conference for Women is generously underwritten by presenting sponsor Google; champions for women sponsors Gilead Sciences, Inc., Juniper Networks and Silicon Valley Bank; official lifestyle sponsor Target; and official networking sponsor Cisco, among others. For a full list of sponsors, visit http://www.caconferenceforwomen.org/sponsors.

https://www.caconferenceforwomen.org

#CalWomen

instagram.com/californiacfw/

twitter.com/californiaCFW

facebook.com/CAConferenceforWomen/

SOURCE California Conference for Women

Related Links

http://www.CAConferenceforWomen.org


-Company Processed over 1 Million Trades during January-



NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 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, today announced that the Voyager Digital App was downloaded a record 250,000 times during the three-day period ended January 31, 2021, with the Voyager app reaching a high of #18 in the App Store rankings in the United States on Friday, January 29, 2021. In addition, the Company announced that the Voyager App processed over 1 million trades during the month of January 2021, compared with 200,000 trades that were processed in December 2020.

"We are extremely excited by this rapid influx of new customers we've experienced in such a short timeframe," said Steve Ehrlich, Co-founder and CEO of Voyager Digital. "To support this growth, we are constantly enhancing our systems and will continue to onboard consumers in a very judicious manner, to ensure every user gets the very best Voyager experience."

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.

Certain information in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements regarding future growth and performance of the business, momentum in the businesses, future adoption of digital assets, and the Company's anticipated results may constitute forward looking information (collectively, forward-looking statements), which can be identified by the use of terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "estimate," "intend," "continue" or "believe" (or the negatives) or other similar variations. Because of various risks and uncertainties, including those referenced below, actual events or results may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are subject to the risk that the global economy, industry, or the Company's businesses and investments do not perform as anticipated, that revenue or expenses estimates may not be met or may be materially less or more than those anticipated, that trading momentum does not continue or the demand for trading solutions declines, customer acquisition does not increase as planned, product and international expansion do not occur as planned and those other risks contained in the Company's public filings, including in its Management Discussion and Analysis and its Annual Information Form (AIF). Factors that could cause actual results of the Company and its businesses to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, a decline in the digital asset market or general economic conditions; the failure or delay in the adoption of digital assets and the blockchain ecosystem by institutions; a delay or failure in developing infrastructure for the trading businesses or achieving mandates and gaining traction; failure to grow assets under management, an adverse development with respect to an issuer or party to the transaction or failure to obtain a required regulatory approval. In connection with the forward-looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made assumptions that no significant events occur outside of the Company's normal course of business and that current trends in respect of digital assets continue. Forward-looking statements, past and present performance and trends are not guarantees of future performance, accordingly, you should not put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, past performance, or current trends. Information identifying assumptions, risks, and uncertainties relating to the Company are contained in its filings with the Canadian securities regulators available at www. sedar .com . The forward-looking statements in this press release are applicable only as of the date of this release or as of the date specified in the relevant forward-looking statement and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after that date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Readers are cautioned that past performance is not indicative of future performance and current trends in the business and demand for digital assets may not continue and readers should not put undue reliance on past performance and current trends. All figures are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

SOURCE Voyager Digital (Canada) Ltd.
WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke by phone today with U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris, her first call with a foreign leader since taking office.

Vice President Kamala Harris, left, listens as President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus, in the State Dinning Room of the White House on January 21, 2021, in Washington. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Alex Brandon

WASHINGTON - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke by phone today with U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris, her first call with a foreign leader since taking office.

The Prime Minister's Office says the two discussed the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada-U. S. relations and Harris's time as a high schooler in Montreal.

They also discussed what a PMO readout of the call describes as "avoiding the unintended consequences" of President Joe Biden's protectionist Buy American policies.

Those policies have Canadian manufacturers and suppliers worried that they will be frozen out of bidding on U.S. procurement contracts.

A White House version of the call describes Canada's "deep importance to the U.S. as an economic and strategic partner."

The PMO language hints at what will be Ottawa's main argument for an exemption from the rules: that Canada is not the intended target of the measures.

Today's readout makes no explicit mention of another irritant: Biden's Day 1 decision to cancel the cross-border Keystone XL pipeline expansion.

Instead, it's all about shared priorities, "including fighting the COVID-19 pandemic through close collaboration on borders and access to vaccines, and to building back better," the statement said, borrowing a favourite Biden-Harris campaign slogan.

Trudeau "also looked forward to strengthening the bilateral trading relationship and Canada-U. S. supply chains, and avoiding the unintended consequences of Buy America policies, for the benefit of people in both countries."

The only reference to Keystone XL was an oblique reference to "strengthening North American energy security."

Other topics included a shared bilateral respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and justice, and a collective need to "increase trust in government."

The U.S. is a country divided, still reeling from the Jan. 6 riots on Capitol Hill that followed former president Donald Trump's campaign to undermine last year's presidential election.

The two also discussed diversity, mental health, and the need to address online hate, gun trafficking and gender-based violence, the PMO statement said.

Trudeau also thanked Harris for the U.S. supporting efforts to secure the release of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, two Canadian citizens who have been languishing in custody in China for more than two years.

"The vice-president also expressed strong solidarity with Canada regarding the issue of two Canadian citizens unjustly detained by China, and she made clear that the United States would continue to do everything it can to secure their release," the White House said.

The Canadian statement also made reference to an upcoming "bilateral meeting" between Trudeau and Biden, which the two leaders agreed to last month. Details, including timing and whether the meeting might take place in person, have not been released.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2021.
MNDOBANDOBA - There was drama during the funeral of the late traditional healer, Elliot Black Cat Fakudze as cops arrived at the venue and ordered the adherence to COVID-19 regulations.

The breach of the regulations saw scores of mourners watching the burial of the well-known traditional healer, who was buried inside his home, through the fence.

The home of the late Fakudze is at Mndobandoba, Big Bend in the Lubombo Region and he was buried in the yard of his homestead yesterday morning.

About 500 mourners, including members of his church; The Christian Catholic Apostolic (TCCA) Church in Zion (Enkhosini), descended to the late traditional healers home with the hope of taking part in his funeral service. However, because of the laid down COVID-19 regulations, a majority of them had to watch his burial while standing outside the boundary of Fakudzes home.

Mourners

When this publication arrived at the homestead at around 4am yesterday, a number of mourners were found going inside the Fakudze homestead as the morning service that preceded his burial was about to start.

However, when they entered the gate, they came across members of the Red Gown Sect, who were in spirits, being driven out by senior police officers from Big Bend Police Station, who were in plain clothes.

According to a source who was inside the Fakudze homestead at that time, the senior police officers said Fakudze was dead, but the mourners were alive and they were there to protect their (mourners) lives.

Thereafter, the source said the law enforcers said those who were already inside the tent, which was mounted in the homestead for the morning service, should observe social distancing of about 1.5 metres.

They (police) ordered those who found themselves outside the tent as it accommodated a limited number of people after the mourners had observed social distancing, to go outside the home as the number of mourners had exceeded the limit as per the COVID-19 regulation, the source said. He added that the law enforcers emphasised that they had come to protect the mourners from contracting COVID-19.

As a result, a majority of the mourners gathered outside the homesteads fence, near the area where Black Cats grave was a result of the entrance gate being closed and community police made sure that no one gained entry. Some of the mourners, who were locked out, were heard saying; If Black Cat can rise from the dead, he can be shocked to learn that we have been blocked from burying him.

Again, some members of the Red Gown Sect who were locked out because they were in spirits and speaking in tongues, were heard saying; Sivulele ligede babe phoyisa (open the gate for us Mr officer).

Regulations

Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, said due to the COVID-19 regulations, people were chucked out at Black Cats funeral.

Meanwhile, Bishop Jobane Mkhatshwa, the founder of TCCA Church in Zion, thanked the police for assisting them in controlling the mourners.

He said they did not want to see any of them losing their lives due to COVID-19, which they would have contracted at the funeral.

On another note, the bishop thanked all the men of the cloth and mourners who joined them when laying their church member to rest.

On the same note, one of the presidents of TCCA Church in Zion, Bandzile Mkoko, said they believed that Fakudze was with the Lord; based on the good work he did while serving the Almighty.






Appointment

1 February 2021

TFE Hotels has appointed Vanesa Kaya as Executive Assistant Manager of the Vibe Hotel Melbourne.

In her role, Vanesa is focused on delivering an outstanding guest experience, befitting Vibe Melbourne's impressive design and location inside and above the former Fletcher Jones building in the CBD.

Externally, Ms. Kaya will work to build partnerships and connections with the broader Melbourne community, business leaders and stakeholders. Notably, she is the only female member on the Fitzroy Street Business Traders Association, a position she was voted to in 2017.
The endorsements for Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez as New Jerseys No. 1 federal law enforcement officer are piling up.

Over the weekend, the Police Chiefs Association of Hudson County and the Latino American Democratic Association (LADA) announced their support for the Bayonne native for U.S. Attorney for New Jersey after Craig Carpenito resigned last month.

Suarez, who was a state Superior Court judge before taking over the Hudson County Prosecutors Office in 2015, is one of several people reportedly being considered for the position. Other names often mentioned are Lee Vartan, the son of former Kearny Mayor Leo Vartan, and Henry Klingeman, Jenny Kramer, Phil Sellinger, Jamel Semper and Ricardo Solano Jr.

Suarez has declined to comment on the endorsements.

In an open letter to Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker  who would nominate a candidate  current and retired police chiefs said Through Prosecutor Suarezs leadership, the Hudson County law enforcement community has placed a special emphasis on forming healthier partnerships between the police and the community through a series of seminars, community meetings, and other forms of community engagement.

Suarez has been a leader in guiding police policies to striving for justice through transparency, accountability, and professionalism, the chiefs group said.

We believe that Prosecutor Esther Suarez represents the very best of the criminal justice community in New Jersey, the chiefs said. She recognizes and respects the concepts of culture, dignity, diversity, and equity.

Suarez also has been endorsed by the the Alliance for Latinx Leadership and Policy (ALLP), the Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA), LUPE PAC and LUPE Action. Menendez declined to comment on anyone who may or may not be in consideration for any nomination, a spokesman said.

LADA also pointed to the diversity that Suarez would bring to the job "

Ms. Suarez has a record of lifting diverse communities all while weathering with grace the tumultuous political scorn that afflict those that break molds, said LADA, grassroots political organization committed to the political inclusion and empowerment of the Latino community in the state. ... Without reservation, we are confident that Ms. Suarez will bring an unrivaled marriage of legal acumen, spirt of public service, and a culture of diversity and equity to the office.
The military's reassertion of authority will prolong the power of Min Aung Hlaing, who is supposed to age out as army chief this summer

Bangkok: Myanmars military launched a coup Monday, detaining the countrys civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and her top lieutenants in early morning raids and seizing power from a government established only five years ago.

Officials from the governing National League for Democracy, Suu Kyis party, confirmed the detentions Monday morning. Hours later, with politicians and activists alike racing to find out who had been detained, a military television network announced a one-year state of emergency with ultimate authority transferred to the army chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

Mobile networks and the internet were down in major cities in Myanmar, and some local journalists went into hiding for fear that their reporting could compromise their safety. Domestic flights were suspended, and the main international airport in Yangon, the largest city in Myanmar, had been shuttered, according to residents.

Myanmar had been celebrated as a rare case in which generals willingly handed over some power to civilians, honoring 2015 election results that ushered into office the National League for Democracy.

The stalwarts of that party had spent years in jail for their political opposition to the military. Suu Kyi, the political partys patron saint, spent 15 years under house arrest and won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her non-violent resistance to the junta that locked her up.

But the army, led by Min Aung Hlaing, has maintained important levers of power in the country, and the detention of the top government leaders, along with activists and other veteran politicians, Monday appeared to prove the lie in its commitment to democracy.

In addition to Suu Kyi, others who were reported to have been detained by their family, friends and colleagues included President U Win Myint, Cabinet ministers, the chief ministers of several regions, opposition politicians, writers and activists.

The doors just opened to a different, almost certainly darker future, said Thant Myint-U, a historian of Myanmar who has written several books about the country. Myanmar is a country already at war with itself, awash in weapons, with millions barely able to feed themselves, deeply divided along religious and ethnic lines.

That it was able to make any progress this past decade toward democracy was a near miracle, he said. Im not sure anyone will be able to control what comes next.

In a statement late Sunday in Washington, Antony J Blinken, the secretary of state, said that the Biden administration expressed grave concern and alarm over the militarys escalation and called on officials to release government and civil society leaders.

The United States stands with the people of Burma in their aspirations for democracy, freedom, peace, and development, Blinken said, referring to the country by its former name. The military must reverse these actions immediately.

As it began its political evolution, Myanmar was lauded by western governments, including the Barack Obama administration, as a democratic beacon in a world where authoritarianism was on the rise. But the political transition in the Southeast Asian nation was never quite as smooth or as significant as the political fairy tale made it out to be.

The army, which began a political transition toward what it called, confusingly, discipline-flourishing democracy in 2011, made sure to keep significant power for itself. One-quarter of Parliament is filled by men in military uniforms. Key ministries are under army control. And in the chaotic years of early democratisation, fire sales of state assets often ended up with military companies or their proxies capturing the choicest prizes.

In 2017, the military stepped up its brutal campaign against the Rohingya, compelling 750,000 members of the Muslim ethnic minority to flee to neighboring Bangladesh in one of the largest global outpourings of refugees in a generation. United Nations officials have said the mass burnings of Rohingya villages, complete with systematic executions and rape, were carried out with genocidal intent.

President Joe Bidens administration is reviewing whether the United States will officially label the campaign against the Rohingya genocide. Western nations, including the United States, have already slapped financial sanctions on some high-ranking officers implicated in the violence against the Rohingya, including Min Aung Hlaing himself.

The latest turmoil was ostensibly provoked by concerns about fraud in the November elections, which delivered an even bigger landslide to the National League for Democracy than the party enjoyed five years earlier. The governing party secured 396 out of 476 seats in Parliament, while the militarys proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, managed just 33.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party cried foul, as did political parties representing hundreds of thousands of ethnic minorities who were disenfranchised shortly before the vote because the areas where they lived were supposedly too gripped by strife for elections to take place. Rohingya Muslims were also unable to cast their ballots.

But few in Myanmar believed that the detentions Monday, which netted top National League for Democracy officials, were made only over concerns over electoral fraud. Worries that the military might intervene started in October, when the vote was canceled in some of the ethnic minority areas.

The ominous warning signs had been in plain sight all along, said U Khin Zaw Win, who runs a policy think tank in Yangon, the commercial capital of Myanmar.

A former political prisoner, Khin Zaw Win had been warning of a possible putsch for months. Even as the military stepped up its complaints against the National League for Democracy, the armys negotiations with the civilian government languished.

I would even say this is one coup that could have been averted politically, Khin Zaw Win said, referring to failed talks between the military and civilian leaders after the November elections. This doesnt come as a surprise. Its a case of not if, but when.

The military's reassertion of authority will prolong the power of Min Aung Hlaing, who is supposed to age out as army chief this summer. His patronage network, centred on lucrative family businesses, could well have been undermined by his retirement, especially had he not been able to secure a clean exit.

The coup came just two days after Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, warned against any provocations. In a statement late Sunday, a spokesman for Guterres expressed grave concern regarding the declaration of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military.

These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar, the statement added.

In recent years, Suu Kyi, 75, once celebrated as an international champion of human rights for her campaign of conscience against the junta while under house arrest, emerged as one of the militarys biggest public defenders. Despite a mountain of evidence against the military, she has publicly rejected accusations that the security forces waged a genocidal campaign against the Rohingya.

But with her national popularity enduring, and her party receiving another electoral mandate, the generals began visibly losing patience with the facade of civilian rule that they had designed.

Last week, an army spokesperson refused to rule out the possibility of a coup, and Min Aung Hlaing said that the Constitution could be scrapped if the law was broken. Armoured vehicles appeared on the streets of two cities, spooking residents unused to seeing such firepower cruising through urban centres.

On Saturday, the military appeared to step back, releasing a statement saying that as an armed organisation, it was bound by the law, including the Constitution. Another statement on Sunday said that it was the one adhering to democratic norms.

The detention of the senior civilian government leaders occurred just hours before Parliament was supposed to begin its opening session after the November election.

The country had buzzed with coup rumors for days, prompting a number of diplomatic missions, including that of the United States, to issue a statement on Friday.

We oppose any attempt to alter the outcome of the elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition, the joint diplomatic statement said.

The military, which initially seized power in a coup in 1962, fired back with its own statement on Sunday, urging the diplomatic missions in the country not to make unwarranted assumptions about the situation.

The first time guns crackled in pursuit of a coup in Myanmar was in 1962, when Gen. Ne Win overthrew a fragile government that had enjoyed little more than a decade of independence from Britain. During the militarys 49-year direct hold on power, a country that was once one of the richest in Asia fell into disrepair.

The military tried to justify the 1962 putsch as necessary to keep the Union of Burma, as the country was then known, unified in the face of ethnic insurgencies in the countrys borderlands. Minority groups, which make up roughly one-third of the countrys population, suffered widespread persecution during military rule. Children were forced to become minesweepers, and women were subjected to gang rape.

But military-linked abuses were directed against the Bamar ethnic majority, too. Thousands were thrown into jail as political prisoners, and a fearsome military intelligence network convinced many that walls, whether cement or bamboo, had eyes and ears to spy on them.

After a massacre of pro-democracy protesters in 1988, elections were held two years later. The National League for Democracy, the same political force that is in power now, won convincingly, but the results were ignored by the generals. A generation of politicians spent their prime in prison.

In 2015, the National League for Democracy again secured a landslide electoral victory. This time, the military honored the results.

Even though Suu Kyi had vowed to tackle the countrys enduring ethnic conflicts when she emerged from house arrest in 2010, violence has intensified since then. Ethnic armies are engaged in open warfare with the Myanmar military in the countrys vast periphery, as elites fight for control over natural resources. Civilians are again caught in the crossfire.

And rather than holding the Myanmar military to account for its offensives, Suu Kyi, the daughter of the assassinated founder of the countrys modern army, has defended its soldiers. She even argued in their defense at The Hague, where Myanmar, a Buddhist majority nation, has been accused in an international court of genocide against Rohingya Muslims.

A businessman from the north of Myanmar, Ko Thar Htet, lamented the turn of events.

Im so angry to see the military threatening people, instead of helping the government for the sake of people, he said. They have committed so many crimes.

Hannah Beech c.2021 The New York Times Company
A look inside Serum Institute of India's manufacturing facility

Pune-based Serum Insititute of India (SII), which manufactures Covishield, is the world's largest vaccine maker by volume. Founded by Cyrus Poonawalla in 1966, the firm has sold over 1.5 billion doses of vaccines including for Polio, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Hib, BCG, r-Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccines. Vaccines made by SII are accredited by the World Health Organization. They are being used in around 170 countries around the world in their national immunisation programs. A report in The Hindu provides a look inside the vaccine giant's manufacturing facility. See here

Weekly death toll less than 1,000 for the first time since May last year

For the first time since the first week of May in 2020, the country's weekly death toll from Covid-19 dropped below 1,000. The toll of fatalities in January this year was less than half of that in December and the lowest in eight months, according to a report in The Times of India.

The tally of fresh infections of the novel is also on a downward trajectory. The count in January fell below 500,000 to 4,71,282the lowest monthly tally since June last year. Last week, the country had reported less than 100,000 infections for the first time since the June 15-21 week. Weekly infection tally is now less than 14% of the number seen at the height of the pandemic, the report said. Read more here

False claims about Covid-19 vaccines

Various false claims about Covid-19 vaccines are doing the rounds on social media. This report in the BBC brings you some widely-shared ones.

A claim that did the rounds on social media was the vaccine will lead to impotency. There is no evidence to suggest this and India's top drug regulator called the claim "absolute rubbish". Another claim says that the vaccine is free in India, while in both the US and in England you will pay. This is not true. The US government has said that Covid vaccines will be free, and the charge for administering the jab will be covered either through insurance or by a special Covid relief fund.

In England as well, which is part of the UK's National Health Service, where there are no charges for vaccines. Conspiracy theories have also falsely claimed that the vaccines contain microchips. Read more here

How lack of technology became a hurdle to justice after pandemic hit

In April last year, the Supreme Court directed that court proceedings be held through video-conferencing as a precaution against Covid-19. But, the country's justice systems were not fully equipped to tackle the emergency, according to a report in IndiaSpend. Only 6 out of 10 jails in the country had video conferencing facilities right before the pandemic struck. Less than half of all states and Union Territories had the facilities in 90% of their jails, the article said, citing a report from Tata Trusts. Read more here

How long does vaccine-derived antibody protection last?

It is not clear if protection from antibodies can last more than six months, according to a report in The Hindu. The promoters of Bharat Biotech and scientists at the ICMR say the strength of a vaccine depends on it being a "whole-inactivated virus". That means a larger surface area of the virus is visible to the body's immune system and in turn a wider range of antibodies are produced. But, antibodies from all vaccines so far are largely aimed at the spike protein. Therefore, more does not necessarily mean better. Read more here
Its not unusual for Laura Jean McKay to be called prescient. After all, to have your novel about a pandemic come out while a coronavirus has the world in its thrall could be seen as perfect timing and her imagined world eerily familiar.

Now that acclaimed novel, The Animals in That Country, has won Australias richest writing prize, the $100,000 Victorian Prize for Literature. McKay also won the Victorian Premiers Literary Award for fiction, worth another $25,000.

Laura Jean McKay subtly animalises the world in her distinctive prose. Credit:Brendan Lodge

Other winners on Monday evening were: Paddy Manning (Body Count: How Climate Change is Killing Us) in the non-fiction category; David Stavanger (Case Notes) for poetry; Angus Cerini (Wonnangatta) for drama; Cath Moore (Metal Fish, Falling Snow) for young adult; and Archie Roach (Tell Me Why) for Indigenous writing. They each receive $25,000.

Andre Dao won the $15,000 unpublished manuscript award for Anam, and Louise Milligan the $2000 peoples choice award for Witness.

The 2020 APAN MusicStar Awards, which recognizes excellence in South Korean television and music, and promotion of the global Hallyu wave, was broadcast to the rest of the world thanks to leading K-Pop platform Amazer.

2020 APAN Star Awards

Hyun Bin, best known to the next generation of K-Pop fans and audiences as Captain Ri Jeong-Hyeok in the tvN hit series "Crash Landing on You," received the 2020 APAN Star Awards Daesang (Grand Prize). In the series, Hyun Bin portrays a North Korean soldier who fell in love with the South Korean heiress Yoon Se-Ri, portrayed by Son Ye-Jin.

Aside from Hyun Bin's Daesang, the K-Drama phenomenon "Crash Landing on You" also earned the Best Supporting Actor Award for Kim Young Min, Best Supporting Actress Award for Kim Sun-Young, and of course, the leading lady Son Ye-Jin received the KT Seezn Star Award.

Other awardees for the Popularity Awards - which are decided solely by fan votes - include "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" lead Kim Soo-Hyun for the Popular Star Award, Actor Category; Seo Yea-Ji from the same series as the Popular Star Awardee for the Actress Category.

Meanwhile, the Drama of the Year Award was won by the JBTC series Itaewon Class, which stars Park Seo-Joon, Kim Da-Mi, Yoo Jae-Myung, and Kwon Nara. Its original soundtrack, "Sweet Night," sung by BTS member V, also bagged the Best OST Award.

2020 APAN Music Awards

Right after the day after the APAN Star Awards, it was time for recognizing the top K-Pop artists of the past year across different categories, streamed globally through the Amazer app. Different groups and solo artists including BTS, Got7, IZ*ONE, Kang Daniel, Lim Young-Woong, MONSTA X, NCT 127, Seventeen, The Boyz, and TWICE graced the event as the APAN Top 10 Artists, or its Bonsang acts.

RELATED ARTICLE: MONSTA X, Kang Daniel Tease Upcoming UNIVERSE Original Content

The Daesang (Grand Prize) for the 2020 APAN Music Awards was awarded to BTS. The Represent Song of the Year went to MONSTA X while TWICE bagged the Represent Record of the Year. Lastly, NCT 127 Rounded the Top 4 groups as it secured the Represent Artist of the Year Award.

In its Popularity Awards, determined through the Idol Champ and the KT Seezn apps, Blackpink won the Best Music Video award while Kang Daniel got the Best Performance Awards. The former Wanna One member also won the KT Seezn Star Award.

Originally scheduled for November 28, 2020 at the Grand Peace Hall, Kyung Hee University Seoul Campus, the 2020 APAN Music Awards was indefinitely postponed due to reimposed social distancing rules due to a new rise in COVID-18 cases in the South Korean capital and neighboring metropolitan locations. Nominees, and later winners, were revealed online instead. The awards ceremony found its final schedule on January 24th.

These two huge events were made available to global fans thanks to the Amazer app. The international media partner boasts an expansive global presence compared to its fanbase at the heart of the Korean Wave, with 96 percent of Amazer users coming from 175 countries aside from South Korea - including the US, Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia, and Spain.
Biden Administration to Fund Increased Production of COVID-19 Home Test

Andy Slavitt, senior adviser on the White House COVID-19 Response Team, announced Monday that The Department of Defense (DOD) and The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are funding a project that will make home tests for COVID-19 available to millions of people by the end of 2021.

The Biden administration awarded $231.8 million to Ellume USA LLC, which initially got the green light from the Trump administration, to increase the production of the home test. During a press briefing Monday, Slavitt said that the over-the-counter, self-performed test kits give 95 percent accurate test results within 15 minutes.

Ellume has been ramping up manufacturing and will ship 100,000 test kits per month to the U.S. from February through July, Slavitt said during a White House briefing on Monday. Thats good, but its obviously not where we will need to be.

So, Im excited to announce it today, the Department of Defense and HHS has awarded $230 million to Ellume, in order to scale the manufacturing base and capacity of this easy-to-use test, added Slavitt. Thanks to this contract, theyll be able to scale their production to manufacture more than 19 million test kits per month by the end of this year, 8.5 billion of which are guaranteed to the U.S. government.

The tests are made by Ellume, a Digital diagnostics company based in Australia. The company was given an emergency authorization in December by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a non-prescription Ellume COVID-19 Home Test for use in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals, by people aged two years and older.

The test is performed in what is called a mid-terminate nasal swab, which basically means its less invasive than the long nasal pharyngeal swab, that people may have seen on the news. After you take the swab. You put the sample into a digital analyzer, which will send a result to your smartphone in about 15 minutes, said Slavitt.

The Trump administrations Operation Warp Speed gave Ellume the go-ahead for production of the home test

In a December press statement, Ellume announced the green light from the United States FDA. As COVID-19 case numbers hit record highs, the world needs access to fast, affordable, easy-to-use home testing, said Ellume founder and CEO, Dr. Sean Parsons. Ellumes COVID-19 Home Test delivers this important first line of defense  it can be widely available without the need for a prescription, enabling the U.S. to respond to the pandemic in its most urgent stage.

Todays authorization is a major milestone in diagnostic testing for COVID-19. By authorizing a test for over-the-counter use, the FDA allows it to be sold in places like drug stores, where a patient can buy it, swab their nose, run the test and find out their results in as little as 20 minutes, said then-FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in a Dec. 15 press statement.
Number 10 has pointed the finger at local health bosses for not offering every care home resident a coronavirus vaccine by the end of January.

The Government target had been to get vaccines to all people living in care homes in England by the end of January.

And NHS England today claimed it had hit the goal with the caveat of 'every eligible care home'. Health Secretary Matt Hancock is expected to celebrate the milestone at a 5pm Downing Street press conference this evening.

But the Prime Minister's spokesman admitted a 'small number' of care homes have had their visits 'briefly delayed'. The decision was 'made by local directors of public health for safety reasons due to local outbreaks'.

They said: 'But those care homes will be visited and jabbed as soon as the NHS staff are able to go into those homes and do so.'

It comes after England's minister for social care also admitted that the NHS has not offered Covid jabs to everyone living in care homes. Helen Whately said ineligible homes were ones that were mid-way through Covid outbreaks and deemed unsafe for vaccination teams to go into.

The NHS bragged that almost 10,000 homes have been contacted in England  but did not reveal how many hadn't.

When confronted on BBC Radio 4 with cases of care home residents who had not yet been offered vaccines, Ms Whateley vowed to personally follow up the cases and get them jabs, encouraging members of the public to email her directly.

Care home bosses are now urging the NHS to vaccinate more care workers to give more protection to the elderly amid concerns that uptake has so far been low, with only a quarter of homes having at least 70 per cent of their staff immunised.

And they are angry about the decision to delay the second dose of the jab, which may prevent them loosening visiting rules, while actress and now campaigner Ruthie Henshall said visiting should be allowed because residents are 'dying of loneliness'.

It comes as the UK shipped 3,000 doses of Oxford and AstraZeneca's vaccine to the Falkland Islands overnight amid a row between the EU and the pharmaceutical company over the firm's scaling down of its deliveries to the continent.

Care minister Helen Whately said today that a 'small number' of care homes still need to be visited by vaccination teams in the next couple of weeks

Care home residents were top of the UK's vaccine priority list because they are at a high risk of dying if they catch Covid-19 (Pictured: 100-year-old Nell Prosser gets her jab at a home in London)

Covid-19 vaccines have also been sent to the Falklands islands to help protect them against the virus. Pictured is the Voyager aircraft being loaded this morning before taking off for the islands in the southern Atlantic

CARE HOME RESIDENTS ARE 'DYING OF LONELINESS'. ACTRESS RUTHIE HENSHALL WARNS Actress and now campaigner Ruthie Henshall has warned people in care homes are dying of loneliness and argued that visiting rights should be enshrined in law. Speaking about her own mother, Gloria, who lives in a home, Ms Henshall said she had witnessed her 'rapid decline' during the lockdown with her now unable to walk or eat solid food by herself. The 53-year-old actress, who was on I'm a Celebrity.. Get Me Out of Here! last year and is famed for her work on theatre stages, said she is campaigning with a group called Rights for Residents. When asked how long her mother  who received her first jab last week  would have to wait for the second, Ms Henshall said: 'Three months, we're being told  the only reason that they had the vaccine in their care home was that they went through another channel, because if they'd have gone through the GP they'd still be waiting. 'This is completely unacceptable. I'm working with Rights for Residents and we are the eyes, the ears and the voice for many of these people, and they are dying from loneliness and isolation. 'One thing I would say is that every other member of society has had the right to a support bubble and people in care homes are not being given that right. They are dying of loneliness.' Advertisement

Britain has now vaccinated 8.9million people against Covid-19, putting it almost two thirds of the way to its target of reaching around 15m by mid-February.

The vast majority of these people  around 8.4million  have only had one dose of a jab and will have to wait up to three months for their second for full protection.

But, if the February 15 target is hit, Boris Johnson has pledged to consider beginning to lift lockdown rules from March 8, with school reopenings first on the list.

The Prime Minister said today: 'Today marks a crucial milestone in our ongoing race to vaccinate the most vulnerable against this deadly disease.

'We said we would prioritise and protect care home residents, and that is exactly what we have done.'

But NHS England said in its press release that Covid outbreaks had prevented some care homes from getting vaccines for their residents and staff  it is not clear how many.

When challenged on the Government's claim that it had offered jabs to all care home residents, Ms Whately said on the Today programme: 'I would say there's a small number because of an outbreak where the director of public health has said that at the moment it's not appropriate to go in that will need to be visited in the next few weeks.'

She added: 'We have offered a vaccine to every care home where it's possible to go in.

'I know because I said we must make sure that we communicate we emailed out to every care home last week and the week before 'if you haven't heard from the vaccination team, let us know' and so we're making sure that anyone that says they haven't heard would let us know so that we could send a targeted team in to do that.'

When Ms Whately was confronted with a story of a 103-year-old care home resident in Kent who had not yet been vaccinated, she encouraged people to contact her personally.

'Anyone like that listening, or any care home that [hasn't] been contacted, just let me know, I will personally follow up,' she said.

A military aircraft left RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire in the early hours of this morning carrying 3,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the Falklands

Members of the ground crew wait for cargo and a supply of Covid-19 vaccines to be loaded onto a Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton

The social care minister, who is MP for Faversham and Mid Kent, can be reached through the contact page of her website.

NHS England said people living at more than 10,000 eligible care homes with older residents had been offered the jab as almost 600,000 coronavirus vaccines were given out in Britain on Saturday  a daily record.

Nine in 10 people over the age of 80 have received their first jab, along with three quarters of people aged 75 to 79, the figures show. People in their 60s are expected to start receiving invitations for jab in the next few weeks as the rollout continues to gather pace.

Care UK, one of the largest care home chains, said that all but one of its 124 homes had already been visited by vaccination teams. It said that about 85 per cent of residents had received the first dose of the vaccine but it was expecting the proportion to rise once it received updated figures.

West End star Ruthie, 53, revealed how she'd had a distressing Facetime call with her mum Gloria, who suffers from dementia and is in her 80s, in her care home (mother and daughter pictured before lockdown)

CALL TO VACCINATE CARE WORKERS AS 3/4 HOMES HAVE FEWER THAN 70% PROTECTED Industry bosses say it is now vital that the Government pushes to get care workers vaccinated against Covid to try and stop the virus from spreading at all in their homes. It is not yet known how well the jabs will prevent coronavirus from spreading because trials only looked at whether they would stop severe illness and death, which they do. Vic Rayner, the executive director of the National Care Forum, said just 27 per cent of its member organisations had 70 per cent or more of their staff vaccinated as of early last week, adding that access to doses was the main issue. She told Sky News: 'The priority over the next two weeks is to get the vaccine out to 1.6million people who work across care. So it is a big, big task and a big clock is ticking away around that.' Nadra Ahmed, executive chairman of the National Care Association (NCA), representing small and medium-sized providers, said some staff were refusing a jab due to 'cultural issues'. She told the BBC: 'Some of it is to do with access and that is that people are just not able to get to where they needed to go to. 'If they've been coming into the care homes, the GPs have not had enough vaccine for the staff as well, they've just got enough for the residents, which is the priority. 'And some of it is to do with cultural issues and some is that people just don't want to have the vaccine. 'We have to convince people that this vaccine is for them. That it's for the staff to protect them and therefore protect the services they work in.' Advertisement

But up to a fifth of care home staff have refused the offer of a Covid vaccine as bosses are taking legal advice over whether they can force reluctant workers to get the jab.

Data from a number of providers shows between five per cent and 21 per cent of workers offered a vaccine have declined it.

The leader of Enfield Council, Nesil Caliskan, said most care home staff hesitant to have the vaccine in her borough were predominantly ethnic minority workers. 'The staff are heavily represented by BAME communities in London, and it has been difficult to get the messaging out', she said.

Up to half of those in some areas with a high ethnic minority population are refusing the coronavirus jab, a poll last month revealed.

Social care minister Helen Whately said today that care home staff won't be forced to get jabs.

'We know that there were some staff that were worried about the idea of having the vaccination,' she told BBC Breakfast.

'But what I am hearing is that when the vaccination teams go into the care homes staff are coming forward. Some might be nervous but when they see their colleagues getting the vaccination, when they see that it's all right... we really are seeing good take-up from care home workers.'

Industry bosses said it was vital that the Government push to get care workers vaccinated against Covid to try and stop the virus from spreading at all in their homes.

It is not yet known how well the jabs will prevent coronavirus from spreading because trials only looked at whether they would stop severe illness and death, which they do.

Vic Rayner, the executive director of the National Care Forum, said just 27 per cent of its member organisations had 70 per cent or more of their staff vaccinated as of early last week, adding that access to doses was the main issue.

She told Sky News: 'The priority over the next two weeks is to get the vaccine out to 1.6 million people who work across care. So it is a big, big task and a big clock is ticking away around that.'

Nadra Ahmed, executive chairman of the National Care Association (NCA), representing small and medium-sized providers, said some staff were refusing a jab due to 'cultural issues'.

She told the BBC: 'Some of it is to do with access and that is that people are just not able to get to where they needed to go to.

'If they've been coming into the care homes, the GPs have not had enough vaccine for the staff as well, they've just got enough for the residents, which is the priority.

'And some of it is to do with cultural issues and some is that people just don't want to have the vaccine.

'We have to convince people that this vaccine is for them. That it's for the staff to protect them and therefore protect the services they work in.'

SECOND DOSE DELAY 'A CONCERN' FOR GETTING HOMES BACK TO NORMAL The 12-week delay to the second dose of coronavirus vaccines is making life difficult for those in care homes because it prolongs their ability to widen out visits for their residents, bosses say. Sam Monaghan, chief executive of MHA, which runs care homes in England, said it was good news that so many residents had been vaccinated but that it was unclear what this meant for their freedoms. He told BBC Radio 4: 'The other concerns we have are just about the surety of the supply because, clearly, over the last weekend we were hearing about some issues to do with the volume of the doses coming in, so that's a concern. 'I think what we need to do is try and expedite that second dose so that we can look at reuniting residents with their relatives. 'I think the other thing that we need from Government is some clarity around what actually is possible when people have had both doses of the vaccination. 'Obviously what we're trying to do is create safe communities with the number of residents and staff vaccinated. But what will that mean in terms of other people then potentially coming in?' Advertisement

NHS England's primary care director Dr Nikki Kanani said: 'I want to thank my colleagues, and everyone involved in the vaccine rollout for their extraordinary work in recent weeks, as it is because of their tireless efforts that millions of people have already been vaccinated, including hundreds of thousands of care home residents, and as a result we are a vital step further in our fight against Covid-19.

'It has been a privilege to vaccinate some of the most vulnerable people and the wonderful people who look after them.

'Many have had little contact with the outside world throughout the pandemic and so it has been truly humbling for all, giving them hope and importantly protection against the disease.'

There were however some concerns that older people who receive visits from social care workers in their own homes are being forgotten.

Ben Maruthappu, the boss of Cera, one of the UK's largest home care providers, said that only 1 per cent of the 10,0000 older people it cared for in their own homes had been vaccinated.

The total number of people in the UK who have now received at least one dose of the jab, seen as the antidote for our way out of the pandemic, is 8,977,329.

With the number of inoculations given each day continuing to rise, ministers are confident that they will also achieve the target of offering a first vaccine to everyone over the age of 70 or clinically extremely vulnerable by the middle of February.

To achieve such a feat, vaccinators would need to give out an average of 401,512 first doses each day between now and the target date.

To accelerate the rollout, vaccinations are now being administered at more than 250 hospitals, 1,000 GP-led services, 117 high street pharmacies and 47 large-scale vaccination centres across the country.

Government data up to January 30 shows of the 9,468,382 jabs given in the UK so far, 8,977,329 were first doses - a rise of 598,389 on the previous day's figures.

Some 491,053 were second doses, an increase of 10,621 on figures released the previous day. The seven-day rolling average of first doses given in the UK is now 374,858.

Based on the latest figures, an average of 401,512 first doses of vaccine would be needed each day in order to meet the Government's target of 15 million first doses by February 15.

Is Britain already preparing for next winter's Covid vaccine roll-out? UK orders 40million extra doses of Valneva's jab  but won't get them until 2022

The UK Government has ordered an extra 40million doses of Valneva's coronavirus vaccine, taking its total to 100million doses.

The original order of 60million doses isn't expected to be delivered until the second half of 2021. But the new order won't be delivered until 2022.

It's likely that most or all adults in Britain will already have had one of the other Covid vaccines by the time this one is ready. But infectious disease experts say people may need re-vaccinating in future  like what happens against the flu each winter  and the UK may also export to other countries.

Britain has now ordered a total of 407million doses of Covid vaccines  enough to give the entire population, including children, six doses each.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng claimed the stockpile was enough to 'protect the British public in 2021 and beyond'.

Valneva's two-dose jab  which is already being manufactured in Scotland  is the first of its kind to be developed in the West and is an 'inactivated whole virus vaccine', meaning it works by injecting people with a destroyed version of the real coronavirus.

This allows the immune system to train itself to attack the actual virus, without the risk of it actually causing an infection.

Valneva has already begun manufacturing its Covid-19 vaccine at its facility in Scotland even though the jab hasn't finished clinical trials yet

The Government confirmed this morning that it had signed a deal to almost double its initial order for 60million doses of the jab.

It is not clear exactly why the Government has ordered the surplus, with its original order already enough to vaccinate half the country and the possibility of 200million more doses becoming available first.

The fact it is being manufactured in Scotland may have swayed the decision in the wake of a blazing row between the European Union and British firm AstraZeneca last week, which saw countries get protective over vaccine imports and exports.

Having a huge back-order of vaccines due to be manufactured in Britain would strengthen its position in the case of any international feuds in future.

Valneva is manufacturing the vaccine in Livingston, Scotland, where it expects to be able to make 250million doses per year when fully operational.

Of the UK's doses, 60million are expected this year and the remaining 40m will be delivered next year, the Department of Health said.

ALL CARE HOME RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN OFFERED JABS AS ROLL-OUT STEAMS AHEAD Every elderly care home resident across England has now been offered their first Covid vaccination, with Boris Johnson promising to continue the 'acceleration' of the programme across the country. NHS England said people living at more than 10,000 eligible care homes with older residents had been offered the jab as almost 600,000 coronavirus vaccines were given out in Britain - a daily record. Care home residents were the top priority group for the UK because they are most at risk of dying if they catch Covid-19. The Government will announce today that the care home milestone, which it promised to reach by the end of January, has been achieved in the nick of time. A small number of homes had visits deferred for safety reasons during a local outbreak but would be visited as soon as it was safe for NHS staff to do so, a spokesman for NHS England said. Nine in 10 people over 80 have received their first jab, along with three quarters of people aged 75 to 79, the figures show. People in their 60s are expected to start receiving invitations for jab in the next few weeks as the rollout continues to gather pace. Care UK, one of the largest care home chains, said that all but one of its 124 homes had already been visited by vaccination teams. It said that about 85 per cent of residents had received the first dose of the vaccine but it was expecting the proportion to rise once it received updated figures. Advertisement

The jab is being made ahead of time before clinical trials have proven how well it works, in order for supplies to be available as soon as possible when the study is complete.

Results from its second phase of testing, usually done on a few thousand people to test immune system reactions and safety, are expected in April.

All the other vaccine candidates ordered by Britain have so far been successful, with efficacy rates in trials suggesting they are between 62 and 95 per cent effective at preventing Covid-19.

A total of nine million people have received the first dose of a jab so far.

And last week brought two huge boosts to the programme when Novavax and Janssen both revealed their vaccines had been successful in clinical trials.

Both are expected to submit trial results to the regulator, MHRA, in the coming weeks and could add another 90million doses to Britain's catalogue.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: 'This latest deal is yet another weapon in our national arsenal against this terrible disease, and will ensure we have sufficient supplies to protect the British public in 2021 and beyond.

'Backed with major investment from the UK Government, Valneva's site in Scotland will be a vaccine production powerhouse, working flat out to ensure we can quickly deploy jabs across the UK if their candidate is approved, while supporting top quality, local jobs.

'Thanks to our incredible UK Vaccine Taskforce, we have now secured a bumper portfolio of over 400 million vaccines, putting our country in an exceptionally strong position to defeat this virus once and for all.'

By using an inactivated whole virus, the vaccine works by exposing the body to the coronavirus in a low-risk way so that it can work out how to attack it in case the person gets infected with the real virus in future.

When it sees the virus, the body can send white blood cells and proteins called antibodies to work out the specific response it needs to destroy it before illness develops.

If the virus was alive there is a risk it could spread too fast and get too deep into the body for the immune system to do this before the body could stop it.

A dead version, however, gives the immune system the same blueprint to mount its response  and remember it for the future  without the virus being able to multiply and outrun it.

The technology is already used in vaccines to treat seasonal flu, hepatitis A, polio and rabies.

None of this type have yet been developed for Covid in Europe, but jabs developed by Chinese companies Sinovac and Sinopharm, and India's Bharat Biotech, which have all been approved for emergency use in their countries, are also inactivated vaccines.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'The Valneva vaccine showcases the best of Scottish expertise right at the heart of our UK vaccine endeavour, demonstrating the strength of our union and what the UK can achieve when it works together.

'If the vaccine is authorised by the health regulator, it will be rolled out across the four nations as quickly as possible.'

If it is approved, 60million doses could start to be delivered to the UK by the second half of 2021.
New Delhi: Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget FY 2021-22 in the lower house of the parliament on Monday (February 1). Finance Minister proposed reforms for small companies and MSMEs to strengthen Startup ecosystem while presenting Union Budget 2021-22 in Parliament.

Decriminalisation of the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008

The Finance Minister proposed to take up decriminalisation of the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008 on similar lines of the decriminalising of the procedural and technical compoundable offences under the Companies Act, 2013, which is now complete.

Revision in 'Small Companies' definition

Finance Minister proposed to revise the definition under the Companies Act, 2013 for Small Companies by increasing their thresholds for Paid-up capital from not exceeding Rs 50 lakh to not exceeding Rs 2 crore and turnover from not exceeding Rs 2 crore to not exceeding Rs 20 crore. This will benefit more than two lakh companies in easing their compliance requirements.

Proposed easing of rules in 'One Person Companies' for Start-Ups, Innovators

As a further measure which directly benefits Start-ups and Innovators, the Finance Minister proposed to incentivize the incorporation of One Person Companies (OPCs) by allowing OPCs to grow without any restrictions on paid-up capital and turnover, allowing their conversion into any other type of company at any time, reducing the residency limit for an Indian citizen to set up an OPC from 182 days to 120 days and also allow Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to incorporate OPCs in India.

Strengthening of NCLT framework for faster debt resolution

To ensure faster resolution of cases, the Finance Minister stated that the NCLT framework will be strengthened, the e-Courts system shall be implemented and alternate methods of debt resolution and special framework for MSMEs shall be introduced.

Launch of new MCA21 Version 3.0

During the coming fiscal 2021-22, the Finance Minister said the Government will launch data analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning-driven MCA21 Version 3.0. This Version of MCA 3.0 will have additional modules for e-scrutiny, e-Adjudication, e-Consultation and Compliance Management.

Live TV
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 writing community is in mourning on Sunday, with the news that Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated writer Allan Burns has passed away.

The writer, who won five Emmys, four for his work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, passed on Saturday, January 30, his friend Dan Pasternack confirmed to Variety.

His writing partner James L. Brooks, who he shared his four Emmys on The Mary Tyler Moore Show with, also announced Burns' death in a heartfelt tweet on Sunday.

R.I.P.: The writing community is in mourning on Sunday, with the news that Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated writer Allan Burns has passed away

'Alan Burns, my writing partner during the Mary Tyler Moore days, died yesterday,' Brooks began.

'His singular writing career brought him every conceivable recognition. But, you had to know him to appreciate his full rarity,' he added.

'He was simply the finest man I have ever known. A beauty of a human,' Brooks concluded.

Writing partner: 'Alan Burns, my writing partner during the Mary Tyler Moore days, died yesterday,' Brooks began

James' tweet: 'He was simply the finest man I have ever known. A beauty of a human,' Brooks concluded

Burns was born June 14, 1935 in Baltimore, Maryland and made his way west, attending the University of Oregon from 1953 to 1957.

He started his writing career in 1962 as a story editor on Father of the Bride, before he teamed up with Chris Hayward, as they both created The Munsters and My Mother The Car.

The writer won his first Emmy in 1968 for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy with Hayward for their work on the series He & She.

Writing career: He started his writing career in 1962 as a story editor on Father of the Bride, before he teamed up with Chris Hayward, as they both created The Munsters and My Mother The Car

Burns teamed up with James L. Brooks in 1969, joining the writing staff of Brooks' show Room 222.

While Room 222 was short-lived, they would continue to work together, creating the iconic comedy series The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

They would go on to win four Emmys from their work on the show, which ran for 168 episodes over seven seasons between 1970 and 1977.

Team: Burns teamed up with James L. Brooks in 1969, joining the writing staff of Brooks' show Room 222

Burns and Brooks would go on to create Rhoda, Lou Grant, The Duck Factory, while Burns also wrote movies as well.

He wrote A Little Romance, which earned him an Oscar nomination, along with Butch and Sundance: The Early Days, Just The Way You Are, Just Between Friends and Second Time Lucky.

Burns is also credited with creating the Capn Crunch character for the popular cereal by Quaker.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
It was in stark contrast to the health professionals who had conducted our swabs the previous day  they had donned gowns, face shields, masks and gloves.

I had noticed the guards posted outside my hotel room 24 hours a day hadnt been wearing masks, but this was the first time I had interacted with them closely .

A few days into my 14-day stay in mandatory hotel quarantine in Perth I heard a knock on the door. Excuse me? a voice outside said. I opened the door and standing roughly a metre away was a security guard, no face mask, no gloves, no PPE of any description. Your meal has been sitting there for a while. Do you want it? he asked.

From the moment I landed at Perth Airport on December 20 I noticed the cracks.

Loading

After two planes and 19 hours of flying with a mask and plastic face shield sitting on my head, we were all told to take them off as we went through customs. Most people tossed their face shields in the bin, but my partner and I kept them for the bus journey.

After we went through immigration and customs, we were allocated our hotel and told to sit on plastic chairs placed 1 metres apart. We were among the first off the plane, which meant we were on the first bus. As we were guided out of the baggage area, a group of about 20 of us were ushered onto the tarmac by police and airport security. Move closer, they yelled. All social distancing efforts up until that point had gone out the window, as we were forced to stand next to fellow passengers to allow for airport traffic to flow. We waited for two hours before moving, with people seated directly in front of and behind us.

As we arrived at the hotel, we were all ushered out and told to get our luggage, the army and police standing close by. Again we couldnt keep our distance from the others. I was thankful I still had my face shield on. We were given a piece of cardboard with our room number written on it, no key card.
Stay up to date on the latest news and the local entertainment scene by subscribing to The New Mexican's email lists.
Should employers mandate their employees get a COVID-19 vaccine?

The idea has been discussed nationwide with two vaccines available from Pfizer and Moderna, but county business leaders and lawmakers said this week they think it should not be mandatory. If it is, there should be reasons for requiring it.

State Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124, Rush Twp., said as a private business, companies have the right to offer incentive programs to encourage employees to get vaccinated, but he doesnt feel receiving one should be mandatory.

State Rep. Joe Kerwin, R-125, Lykens, said he believes there are possible legal ramifications if businesses make getting a COVID-19 vaccine mandatory.

They could face lawsuits from employees who question the legality of making them mandatory, Kerwin said.

Kerwin said it is more difficult to control what a private business does than a government agency when it comes to distributing a vaccine, adding there is less constraint on activities of private business. He said employees should be exempt from receiving a mandatory one for legal, moral or ethical reasons.

State Rep. Tim Twardzik, R-123, Butler Twp. (Schuylkill County), said he would defer to medical experts on whether employers could, should or would demand employees get vaccinated.

State Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, Rush Twp., said making vaccines mandatory for employees depends on the situation. For instance, if one works at a nursing home, he said he could see the rationale behind making them get it. However, he would question if a park ranger working with little human contact was mandated to be inoculated.

Twardzik said Argall agreed the rollout of the vaccine in the state has been problematic.

I find fault with the governor (Tom Wolf) and his administration with the vaccine rollout for the shortages, Kerwin said, adding they should have planned earlier to anticipate the shortages. Argall said the problems with the rollout have been raised by legislators of both political parties, adding the problem with the vaccine rollout is one of supply and demand.

With a population of 13 million people in the state, everyone wants a shot, he said.

Twardzik said it was very disheartening to see the governors administration not work with or take input from the state legislature or public health workers.

The commonwealth is rated 42nd in efficiency of getting individuals vaccinated, he said. When you look at Florida and West Virginia, theyve gotten much more timely vaccinations.

Argall said Wolfs nominee for state secretary of health, Alison Beam, will have to answer some difficult questions about the states COVID-19 vaccination program when she comes before the state Senate for a hearing on her nomination. The governor nominated Beam, his deputy chief of staff, to replace outgoing Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, who was nominated by President Joe Biden to be the U.S assistant health secretary.

Twardzik said he is hopeful she will focus on implementing the vaccine, adding that he wants to see a uniform rollout of the vaccine that benefits all Pennsylvanians.

Knowles said despite the challenge with demand, health care facilities have been working to keep up with getting people inoculated.

The vaccine is an important tool in our fight against this virus. Hospitals and medical facilities in the 124th District are doing a good job trying to keep up with the demand for people who qualify for the vaccine. It is not an easy task, as at this point there is not enough vaccine to meet their needs, he said in an email Wednesday.

Experts have said employers can take safety measures, including vaccinations. While it doesnt mean an employee is fired if they refuse, they might need to sign a waiver or agree to work under specific conditions to limit risk of exposure to the disease. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has allowed companies to mandate the flu and other vaccines, and has indicated they can require COVID-19 vaccines, according to The Associated Press.

Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Robert S. Carl said he is a big proponent of the vaccine, but should an employer make it mandatory, they would have to show a reason for making employees take it.

It would have to be on a case-by-case basis, he said. They would want to know why it is mandatory.

He said while he knows of some organizations outside the county giving bonuses to employees if they get the vaccine, he isnt aware of any employers in the county mandating employees get it or offering bonuses. Educating the public, as well as encouraging people to get it, and the vaccine being available are important, Carl added.

In the meantime, Carl said businesses have been doing the right thing in preventing the spread of COVID-19 by having employees wear face masks, practice social distancing, educating employees and encouraging them to get it when the time comes.

The business community is doing a good job on that front, Carl said.

Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 Executive Director Gregory S. Koons said while the topic of mandatory vaccinations has been raised during weekly meetings with the countys superintendents, it cant be mandated in schools and at the IU and Schuylkill Technology Center campuses unless required by the state. Educators are listed among the essential workers to be inoculated under Phase 1B of the states vaccination plan.

Its up to the individual whether they would like to get the vaccine, he said, adding the superintendents are working together to maximize the safety and health of staff and students.
AFP | Mogadishu

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

At least three people including two civilians were killed in a jihadist attack Sunday on a Mogadishu hotel, a Somali security source said, adding that the death toll could rise with assailants still inside.

The attack began Sunday afternoon when a car bomb exploded at the entrance of the Hotel Afrik, located in the centre of the Somali capital and near the city's airport. Gunmen then stormed the hotel, exchanging fire with security personnel.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack in a brief statement, saying: "The mujahidin stormed in an ongoing operation inside Hotel Afrik where members of the apostate team are stationed."

The hotel is frequented by Somali officials, members of the security forces and community leaders.

"We believe there are three terrorists trapped inside a room in the downstairs of the main building," Dahir said.

"But unfortunately there are still civilians trapped inside the building even though many of them including senior military officials have been rescued and extracted from the building," he added.

Two witnesses said they saw three bodies, those of two men and a woman.

A police spokesman, Sadik Dudishe, said that police "immediately entered the building" at the onset of the attack, rescuing "most" of those insides, adding, however: "The operation is still going on."

An AFP journalist reported earlier that Somali soldiers quickly surrounded the hotel and blocked off access to it.

Witnesses confirmed a massive explosion followed by smoke after a car struck the hotel entrance at great speed, followed by gunfire.

"There was another blast after the first big one," said Osman Saadaq, a witness.

Sporadic gunfire

Late Sunday, witnesses said they could still hear sporadic gunfire and explosions perhaps by grenades.

The Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab has been waging a violent insurgency across the Horn of Africa country seeking to unseat the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu.

They were driven out of Mogadishu by government forces backed by 20,000 African Union peacekeepers in 2011.

But the group still controls swathes of territory outside the cities, from where they launch attacks against government targets, as well as occasionally crossing the border to carry out raids in Kenya.

Al-Shabaab has ramped up the intensity of its attacks in Kenya in recent years, including several major assaults as far as the capital Nairobi, which have left nearly 300 dead.

Somalia was scheduled to hold indirect parliamentary and presidential elections before February 8, but the process has been derailed by political disagreements between the central government in Mogadishu and its federal states.

Meanwhile, Bahrain condemned the terrorist attack and the Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and to the Somali government and people and wishes those injured a speedy recovery as a result of this heinous act.

The ministry reiterated Bahrains solid position in rejecting violence, extremism, and terrorism in all its forms.
This is not the first time the union has called for enhanced safety precautions and vaccinations for school employees to reopen schools.

But the letter does come as school districts across the state have been struggling to figure out how to vaccinate their staff with an unpredictable vaccine supply and lack of statewide coordination of vaccinations.

Although teachers and other school employees are included in the next phase (Phase 1B) of the state's vaccine rollout they are not being vaccinated in many California counties, which are still vaccinating healthcare workers and nursing home residents in Phase 1A.

Timing for vaccinating teachers and school employees depends on how a county health department decides to prioritize vaccines within Phase 1B, which also includes everyone 65 and older, agriculture and food workers and emergency service personnel. There is no guidance that puts teachers at the top of that group.

In the letter the union recommends that schools be considered for vaccination clinic sites, calling them familiar, convenient and trusted locations that can play an important role in vaccinating people in the community. Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner has also asked that schools in the district be designated as official community vaccination centers.
In a bid to capture a larger share in the leather industry, India needs to create an eco-system to bring in global players by giving attractive Plug-n-Play Model (PPM) business opportunities and rationalising GST charges among others, said R Selvam, IAS (Mason Fellow, HKS), executive director in the Council for Leather Exports.

India is the second largest global producer of footwear with 2.6 billion pairs/year in 2019, whereas China ranks first with 13.47 billion pairs. Out of its total production, India exports only 286 million pairs with a value of $ 2.5 billion, and ranks 10th globally in value terms. Around 75 per cent of Indias global exports comprise leather footwear.

Selvam noted, the share of leather footwear in global exports dropped from 55% in 2010 to 39% in 2019, while that of non-leather footwear has increased from 14% to 33% during the same period (in value terms).

According to him, India also needs an additional 2.4 billion pairs domestically in the next four years. Therefore India needs diversification in production of non-leather (athleisure shoes) and in textile footwear and scaling-up of production, besides greater market penetration in leather footwear.

Out of the global imports of around $199 billion of leather, leather products and footwear during 2019, the highest exports were from China (around $53.20 billion) while Indias export share is below 3%, with $5.42 billion. In contrast, India is endowed with the highest global cattle population of 576 million, which supplies 13 % of the worlds raw materials to the

The growth of non-leather footwear sector is phenomenal in countries like Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. According to the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO), the country exported footwear and leather exports worth $22 billion in 2019. Besides, investments are rising in the footwear sector in Vietnam, with China focusing only on hi-tech industries, said Selvam.

India has attracted only $215.11 million as foreign investment through the automatic route since 2000. India still imports 246 million pairs of footwear valued at $ 0.72 billion footwear and imports more than 90% of its machinery for tanneries and accessories for the leather and footwear sector from Italy and China. The tanneries operate at sub-optimal levels and there has been a 7% increase in cost of production due to high import duties on components/materials and high freight charges.

The above demands FDI both in brown and green fields for the establishment of machinery & components industries, for scaling up of the existing leather industries and for diversification of its production into non-leather (PU/PVC/synthetic/Textile) footwear in India. Otherwise, these demands will be met by imports, he said.

The PPM acts as backbone for the global value chain integration. The global value chain is boosted by technological advancements, liberalisation of trade, reduction in trade cost and demand side factors. The cost includes transportation, ports, freight and insurance cost, tariffs, duties and cost associated with non-tariff measures, mark-ups of importers, wholesalers and retailers.

Post-liberalisation, Indias share in global merchandise trade increased three times, from 0.6% in 1991 to 1.7% in 2018. Chinas share at 12.8% in 2018 is 7.5 times that of India due to global value chain integration. Stronger global value chain ensures faster development, industrialisation, access to investment, knowledge and technology transfer and brings cost efficiency, improved wage rate and working conditions and encourages small micro medium scale industries with an objective to build a self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) India.

Quoting TATA COFFEE, as an example, he said the coffee producer set up a manufacturing unit in Vietnam stated that its plant was established by promoter Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park using the Plug and Play Model and they got all the approvals under the single window system. These led to a continuous increase in labour productivity, competitiveness, sustainable development, enterprise management, and training with new industrial revolution policies. India also needs such industrial parks with "ready to move-in facilities".

Additionally, strategies like construction of roads, customs, ports, airports, power, telecommunication and the catch-up strategies skilling, export linkages and public procurement system act as catalysts for more investments. Also, Vietnam guarantees finance for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

These measures helped Vietnam grow the leather and footwear sector from $13.38 billion to $23.44 billion from 2015 to 2018 at a CAGR of 20.55%. India also needs similar strategies. The Indian government has done exceptionally well in the skilling sector.

Selvam said, further rationalisation on GST charges at par with apparel can increase consumption, thereby creating additional employment opportunities for the underprivileged sections. Nearly 1000 pairs of footwear produced and sold in India can generate 425 jobs across the value chain right from manufacturing to retail. And inclusion of this sector in Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme will strengthen production.

The major bottlenecks in establishing PPM in India are the acquisition of land and provision of ready to move in facilities. Therefore under-utilised lands of many central/state public sector undertakings can be effectively developed into multi-sectoral/customized mega manufacturing clusters to surpass the current manufacturing sector contribution of 18 per cent to the GDP. State investment promotion bodies like TIDCO (Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation) should be linked in the process to boost investors confidence.
Subsequently, security at the airport in Chennai was also stepped up. (Representational Image: DC)

Tiruchirappally: Security personnel launched a search at the airport here after receiving a bomb threat call on Monday, police said.

Subsequently, security at the airport in Chennai was also stepped up.

According to police, about 200 passengers were evacuated from the airport here before a search of the premises was conducted by CISF personnel, besides police, using sniffer dogs and metal detectors.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31)  The national government should join forces with other Southeast Asian nations in protesting against China's new Coast Guard Law, a maritime law expert said.

University of the Philippines professor Jay Batongbacal said the Philippines, other claimant states of the disputed South China Sea, and allies should come up with a unified position to push back against the controversial measure which permits the China Coast Guard to fire on foreign vessels entering contested waters.

"This law basically authorizes the China Coast Guard to use force in its attempt to exercise jurisdiction over these claimed waters, Batongbacal told CNN Philippines over a phone interview on Sunday. "All of us who are affected, plus our allies and friends, should come together and express a common position against this law in order to keep China from implementing it."

The new measure, which takes effect February 1, also allows the Coast Guard to demolish foreign structures built on Chinese-claimed reefs and islands, as well as to set up exclusion zones to keep foreign vessels out.

Batongbacal said this law poses a huge problem, noting that it is a likely indication of Chinas increased pace in asserting its sweeping claims over the South China Sea.

It is possible to consider the use of force by the China Coast Guard actually as an act of aggression, contrary to the UN (United Nations) charter and tantamount to an act of war if they try to use it on the waters of another country in order to enforce their claim, he added.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, rejecting the 2016 arbitral ruling which recognized Manila's sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone that Beijing contests. Batongbacal pointed out that despite the arbitration win, China continued to carry out law enforcement patrols in the West Philippine Sea, citing recent reports of Filipino fishermen being blocked by the China Coast Guard.

READ: Filipino fisherman recalls being blocked by China Coast Guard ship

He said this shows the East Asian giant is just continuing with its plans "to take over the South China Sea," regardless of its ongoing negotiations with other states, including its discussion with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for a Code of Conduct. This code would supposedly determine the only allowable actions parties can take in the disputed waters.

"Definitely, that will cause the ASEAN nations, especially the claimant ASEAN countries, to step back and pause and seek a solution to this specific problem before they continue with discussion on other aspects of the Code of Conduct," Batongbacal said of the Coast Guard Law.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. earlier filed a diplomatic protest with China over the new measure, saying it is a verbal threat of war to any country that defies it. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque also reminded China to refrain from any use of force that could spark tension, and instead adhere to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

READ: PH protests China law allowing its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels

CNN Philippines Correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
Are friends electric? Credit: Phonlamai Photo via Shutterstock

At the heart of the development of AI appears to be a search for perfection. And it could be just as dangerous to humanity as the one that came from philosophical and pseudoscientific ideas of the 19th and early 20th centuries and led to the horrors of colonialism, world war and the Holocaust. Instead of a human ruling "master race", we could end up with a machine one.

If this seems extreme, consider the anti-human perfectionism that is already central to the labor market. Here, AI technology is the next step in the premise of maximum productivity that replaced individual craftmanship with the factory production line. These massive changes in productivity and the way we work created opportunities and threats that are now set to be compounded by a "fourth industrial revolution" in which AI further replaces human workers.

Several recent research papers predict that, within a decade, automation will replace half of the current jobs. So, at least in this transition to a new digitized economy, many people will lose their livelihoods. Even if we assume that this new industrial revolution will engender a new workforce that is able to navigate and command this data-dominated world, we will still have to face major socioeconomic problems. The disruptions will be immense and need to be scrutinized.

The ultimate aim of AI, even narrow AI which handles very specific tasks, is to outdo and perfect every human cognitive function. Eventually, machine-learning systems may well be programmed to be better than humans at everything.

What they may never develop, however, is the human touchempathy, love, hate or any of the other self-conscious emotions that make us human. That's unless we ascribe these sentiments to them, which is what some of us are already doing with our "Alexas" and "Siris".

Productivity vs. human touch

The obsession with perfection and "hyper-efficiency" has had a profound impact on human relations, even human reproduction, as people live their lives in cloistered, virtual realities of their own making. For instance, several US and China-based companies have produced robotic dolls that are selling out fast as substitute partners.

One man in China even married his cyber-doll, while a woman in France "married" a "robo-man", advertising her love story as a form of "robo-sexuality" and campaigning to legalize her marriage. "I'm really and totally happy," she said. "Our relationship will get better and better as technology evolves." There seems to be high demand for robot wives and husbands all over the world.

In the perfectly productive world, humans would be accounted as worthless, certainly in terms of productivity but also in terms of our feeble humanity. Unless we jettison this perfectionist attitude towards life that positions productivity and "material growth" above sustainability and individual happiness, AI research could be another chain in the history of self-defeating human inventions.

Already we are witnessing discrimination in algorithmic calculations. Recently, a popular South Korean chatbot named Lee Luda was taken offline. "She" was modeled after the persona of a 20-year-old female university student and was removed from Facebook messenger after using hate speech towards LGBT people.

Meanwhile, automated weapons programmed to kill are carrying maxims such as "productivity" and "efficiency" into battle. As a result, war has become more sustainable. The proliferation of drone warfare is a very vivid example of these new forms of conflict. They create a virtual reality that is almost absent from our grasp.

But it would be comical to depict AI as an inevitable Orwellian nightmare of an army of super-intelligent "Terminators" whose mission is to erase the human race. Such dystopian predictions are too crude to capture the nitty gritty of artificial intelligence, and its impact on our everyday existence.

Societies can benefit from AI if it is developed with sustainable economic development and human security in mind. The confluence of power and AI which is pursuing, for example, systems of control and surveillance, should not substitute for the promise of a humanized AI that puts machine learning technology in the service of humans and not the other way around.

To that end, the AI-human interfaces that are quickly opening up in prisons, healthcare, government, social security and border control, for example, must be regulated to favor ethics and human security over institutional efficiency. The social sciences and humanities have a lot to say about such issues.

One thing to be cheerful about is the likelihood that AI will never be a substitute for human philosophy and intellectuality. To be a philosopher, after all, requires empathy, an understanding of humanity, and our innate emotions and motives. If we can program our machines to understand such ethical standards, then AI research has the capacity to improve our lives which should be the ultimate aim of any technological advance.

But if AI research yields a new ideology centered around the notion of perfectionism and maximum productivity, then it will be a destructive force that will lead to more wars, more famines and more social and economic distress, especially for the poor. At this juncture of global history, this choice is still ours.

Explore further We wouldn't be able to control superintelligent machines

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Britain could be back to something close to pre-coronavirus life as soon as the summer thanks to the UK's vaccine juggernaut, a top scientist said today.

Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert and member of the Sage advisory panel, said the jab could introduce huge changes within months if the rollout continues apace.

And he suggested that the lockdown could start to be eased some time next month as hoped - but will need to be done 'relatively gradually' and carefully to avoid a spike in cases.

His optimism came after a weekend of mixed messages from ministers about what the summer will look like for lockdown-weary Britons.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock raised the hopes of millions yesterday as he said that he expected a 'Great British summer' powered by the success of the vaccine rollout.

But less than half an hour after his local BBC interview, Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was 'dangerous' for ministers to go on television 'making promises about people's summer holidays'.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programe this morning, Prof Tildesley said: 'The danger is that as we start to unwind controls we offset the gains we get from vaccinations so we need to be very careful.

'But if the vaccine rollout continues at high levels and we do find that actually these vaccines are good at blocking transmission as well as preventing severe infection, then we are in a good position.

'And hopefully by the summer we can get back to something pretty close to what we have seen before the pandemic was normal.'

Professor Mike Tildesley, an infectious disease expert and member of the Sage advisory panel, said the jab could introduce huge changes within months if the rollout continues apace.

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of the budget airline, said he believes there could be a huge surge in demand for intra-European flights this summer

Every elderly care home resident across England has now been offered their first Covid vaccination, as figures showed another record-breaking day for jabs across the UK

His optimistic outlook came as Ryanair's boss voiced his hope that European beach holidays could return this summer thanks to vaccines.

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of the budget airline, said he believes there could be a huge surge in demand for flights to Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal this summer.

His airline has already tried to advertise holidays this year with a 'jab and go' advert.

In a message of optimism, he predicted that the Covid-hit travel and hospitality industry could finally 'return to normal' by the end of this year - due to a 'pent-up demand' from beach-deprived Britons.

But, speaking on the day the Irish low-cost carrier announced expected losses of 800million across 2021, he warned the boom was dependent on the success of the UK's Covid vaccine roll-out.

So far almost nine million Britons have received their first dose of a Covid jab - with the Government currently on track to have everyone over the age of 50 vaccinated by the end of March.

And Mr O'Leary believes ministers should lift travel restrictions once Britain's most vulnerable have been protected.

Local elections due to take place on May 6 look like they will go ahead, after the Conservative Party told activists they should campaign without knocking on doors or delivering leaflets during the lockdown.

Last night it was revealed proxy voting rules are to be altered to accommodate people with coronavirus.

Currently people who wish to nominate a friend to vote on their behalf have to give six weeks' notice which would rule out many people struck down by the pandemic or forced to self-isolate.

But the rules are to be changed to allow proxies to be nominated on the same day as a vote, as late as 5pm.

Appearing on BBC Politics East yesterday morning, Suffolk East MP Mr Hancock said he was confident that a high percentage of the UK population would have had their jab within the next six months, enabling a roll-back of restrictions that have been in place since the new year.

'In six months we will be in the middle of, I hope, a happy and free great British summer. I have a high degree of confidence that by then the vast majority of adults will have been vaccinated.

Mr Hancock has long been a summer optimist despite the horrific coronavirus death rate. In December he revealed he had already booked his summer holiday

'That is not just the clinically vulnerable groups but then going to all groups, people like me - I'm in my 40s and healthy and we will have got though everybody. 'That will give a high level of protection.'

Speaking a short time later on LBC radio, Ms Truss said that the government's focus was on schools.

'We have to just focus on step by step and summer holidays, I'm afraid, are a lower priority than getting kids back to school,' she told the radio station.

'If there is one thing we have learnt during the coronavirus crisis so far, is how unpredictable things are, what things could emerge.

'I think it would be very dangerous for a government minister to go on your show making promises about people's summer holidays.'

She accepted that current rules which require quarantine and negative Covid tests would likely be 'quite permanent' and would be in place for the 'foreseeable future'

Later, speaking on Andrew Marr, she said there was a long way to go before the summer months.

The travel industry, both domestic and international, has been among the worst-hit by the repeated lockdowns over the past 10 months.

Mr Hancock has long been a summer optimist despite the horrific coronavirus death rate.

In December he revealed he had already booked his summer holiday, travelling to Cornwall with his osteopath wife Martha and their three children.

Speaking in the Commons Mr Hancock had said: 'I do have high confidence that the summer of 2021 will be a bright one without the sort of restrictions that made the summer of 2020 more restrictive. I've booked my holiday. I'm going to Cornwall.'
Israel transferred today 2,000 coronavirus vaccine doses to the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Pfizer-made vaccine doses were delivered through the Betunia trade crossing point in the southwest of Ramallah in the West Bank. A second delivery of 3,000 doses is expected in the coming days, with both deliveries destined for Palestinian health-care workers. It was the first time Israel handed over to the Palestinians significant coronavirus vaccines from its own supply.

Last December, shortly before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a mass vaccination drive, Palestinian senior officials said they did not approach Israel for help in obtaining vaccines. An unnamed official at the Palestinian Ministry of Health was quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying, We are working on our own to obtain the vaccine from a number of sources. We are not a department in the Israeli Defense Ministry. We have our own government and Ministry of Health, and they are making huge efforts to get the vaccine.

Reportedly, the Palestinians have been focusing their efforts on obtaining the Russian Sputnik vaccine and the Chinese-made vaccine. In parallel, they are hoping for aid from the internationally backed mechanism COVAX, designed to provide developing countries with coronavirus health care and vaccination doses. Plans are for COVAX to provide doses to immunize around 20% of the Palestinian population, though it is now clear that deliveries will not arrive to the West Bank before March. The Palestinian Health Ministry has also announced recently it had signed a contract with AstraZeneca pharmaceutical firm. A first shipment is expected at the end of February at the earliest.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had offered the PA some 5,000 doses as a personal gift. Israel had authorized the transfer of the Russian doses, which were expected to arrive last week at Ben Gurion Airport, to be transferred to the West Bank by truck. Eventually, the shipment was delayed, reportedly due to technical problems, with no new delivery date in sight. Thus, the cash-stripped PA was left with no vaccines at all. Israel, for its part, has advanced rapidly with its mass-vaccination campaign. Close to 3 million people (32% of Israels population) have now received the first dose of the vaccine, and 1.7 million people (almost 19% of the population) have received the second dose. Israel has also vaccinated some of its citizens living in West Bank settlements.

With the coronavirus continuing its spread in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israel has come in recent days under international pressure to assist the Palestinians. The World Health Organization raised concerns over disparity between Israel and the Palestinians. Human rights groups criticized Israel for ignoring the Palestinian plight over lack of vaccine doses, arguing that the Israeli occupation is legally responsible for the well-being of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. In response, Israeli officials said that under interim peace agreements reached in the 1990s with the PLO, it is not responsible for the Palestinians. They also noted that in any case, Israel has not received Palestinian requests for help.

Indeed, the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah had not ask Israel formally to inoculate wide swathes of its population. Still, some reports claimed that Jerusalem had rejected a discreet request by Ramallah for 10,000 vaccine doses for its front-line medical workers. Then, on Jan. 26, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki openly criticized Israel for failing to provide coronavirus vaccines to the Palestinians.

Faced with growing international pressure, and as a humanitarian gesture, Jerusalem decided to change its stance. Adding to the humanitarian reasoning, Israeli health experts pointed out that the country will not be able to curb the spread of the coronavirus if Palestinians are not vaccinated. Thus, Defense Minister Benny Gantz announced Jan. 29 that Israel had agreed to transfer 5,000 vaccine doses to the Palestinians to immunize front-line medical workers. A statement by the Defense Ministry said, In accordance with the recommendation of the Defense Minister and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, the political echelon approved [on Friday] the transfer of 5,000 vaccine doses to medical teams in the Palestinian Authority.

It is still unclear whether any of the vaccine doses handed over to the PA will be transferred to the Gaza Strip. Both Israeli and Palestinian officials have reportedly refused to comment on that issue.
Britain's government said some 7,000 people with BN(O) passports have arrived since July on the previously allowed six-month visa and estimates that over 3,00,000 people will take up the offer of extended residency rights in the next five years

Hong Kong: Thousands of Hong Kongers have already made the sometimes painful decision to leave behind their hometown and move to Britain since Beijing imposed a strict national security law on the Chinese territory last summer. Their numbers are expected to swell to the hundreds of thousands.

Some are leaving because they fear punishment for supporting the pro-democracy protests that swept the former British colony in 2019. Others say China's encroachment on their way of life and civil liberties has become unbearable, and they want to seek a better future for their children abroad. Most say they don't plan to ever go back.

The moves are expected to accelerate now that five million Hong Kongers are eligible to apply for visas to Britain, allowing them to live, work and study there and eventually apply to become British citizens. Applications for the British National Overseas visa officially opened Sunday, though many have already arrived on British soil to get a head start.

Britain's government said some 7,000 people with British National Overseas passports  a travel document that Hong Kongers could apply for before the city was handed over to Chinese control in 1997  have arrived since July on the previously allowed six-month visa. It estimates that over 3,00,000 people will take up the offer of extended residency rights in the next five years.

"Before the announcement of the BN(O) visa in July, we didn't have many enquiries about UK immigration, maybe less than 10 a month," said Andrew Lo, founder of Anlex Immigration Consultants in Hong Kong. "Now we receive about 10 to 15 calls a day asking about it."

Mike, a photojournalist, said he plans to apply for the visa and move to Leeds with his wife and young daughter in April.

His motivation to leave Hong Kong came after the city's political situation deteriorated following the anti-government protests and he realized that the city's police force was not politically neutral. The police have been criticized by pro-democracy supporters for brutality and the use of excessive violence.

Mike said moving to Britain was important as he believed the education system in Hong Kong will be affected by the political situation and it will be better for his daughter to study in the UK.

Mike agreed to speak on the condition that he only be identified by his first name out of fear of official retaliation.

Lo said that with the new visa, the barrier to entry to move to the UK becomes extremely low, with no language or education qualification requirements. British National Overseas passport holders need to prove that they have enough money to support themselves for six months and prove that they are clear of tuberculosis, according to the UK government.

Currently, Lo assists three to four families a week in their move to the UK. About 60 percent of those are families with young children, while the remaining are young couples or young professionals.

Cindy, a Hong Kong businesswoman and the mother of two young children, arrived in London last week.

In Hong Kong she had a comfortable lifestyle. She owned several properties with her husband and the business she ran was going well. But she made up her mind to leave it all behind as she felt that the city's freedoms and liberties were eroding and she wanted to ensure a good future for her kids.

Cindy, who spoke on the condition she only be identified by her first name out of concern of official retaliation, said it was important to move quickly as she feared Beijing would soon move to halt the exodus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this week the visa offer shows Britain is honoring its "profound ties of history" with Hong Kong, which was handed over to China on the understanding that it would retain its Western-style freedoms and much of its political autonomy not seen on mainland China.

Beijing said Friday it will no longer recognize the British National Overseas passport as a travel document or form of identification, and criticized Britain's citizenship offer as a move that "seriously infringed" on China's sovereignty. It was unclear what effect the announcement would have because many Hong Kongers carry multiple passports.

Beijing drastically hardened its stance on Hong Kong after the 2019 protests turned violent and plunged the city into a months-long crisis. Since the security law's enactment, dozens of pro-democracy activists have been arrested, and the movement's young leaders have either been jailed or fled abroad.

Because the new law broadly defined acts of subversion, secession, foreign collusion and terrorism, many in Hong Kong fear that expressing any form of political opposition  even posting messages on social media  could land them in trouble.

"This is a really unique emigration wave  some people haven't had time to actually visit the country they're relocating to. Many have no experience of living abroad," said Miriam Lo, who runs Excelsior UK, a relocation agency. "And because of the pandemic, they couldn't even come over to view a home before deciding to buy."
Germany will send medical experts, field hospital beds and respiratory machines to Portugal where hospitals are struggling to cope with the worst coronavirus infections surge in the world.

Twenty-six health workers, 150 field beds, 50 ventilators and 150 infusions machines will be dispatched to the southern EU nation on Wednesday, Germany's defence ministry said.

Also Read | How India can fight vaccine hesitancy

Portugal is "in a particularly dramatic situation," said German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

"In such times, solidarity in Europe is indispensable," she added.

Portugal had written to Germany for aid on January 25 when the crisis looked far from abating.

Some German medical staff will provide back up at a hospital in Lisbon, while others may be deployed to other sites, the ministry said, adding that the aid measures are initially due to last for three weeks.

Portugal imposed a two-week ban on foreign travel that took effect on Sunday, after it became the country worst hit by the coronavirus relative to its population of about 10 million.

Nearly half of Portugal's 12,000 Covid-19 deaths have occurred in January alone during a third wave of the virus, and Portugal went into a second general lockdown on January 15.

A record number of 16,432 new infections was registered on Thursday, and on Monday alone, another 856 people were admitted to intensive care, while 275 more people died.

With hospital beds in short supply, ambulances ferrying more patients to the capital's biggest hospital Santa Maria are left queuing outside for hours.

One hospital in the Lisbon suburbs had to urgently transfer more than 100 patients last week due to problems with its oxygen supplies.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa last week said the latest surge in infections was due to the spread of the more contagious variant that first emerged in Britain, as well as an easing of measures over the Christmas holidays.

"If we had learned in time of the existence of the British variant, we would surely have taken different measures for the Christmas period," Costa admitted.





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.
STORY LINK GBP to CAD Exchange Rate Gains Limited as Sterling Rally Could Run Out of Steam

GBP Exchange Rates Remain Appealing on UKs Coronavirus Vaccine Outlook

However, the tougher third lockdown is expected to deliver a larger negative hit to growth at the start of this year,



The most bullish potential outcome for the Pound would be if the BoE leaves the key policy rate unchanged, and the consultation with lenders further dampens speculation over negative rates in the near term,

CAD Exchange Rates Avoid big Losses amid Strong Oil Prices

GBP/CAD Exchange Rate Forecast: Sterlings Rally Could Run Out of Steam

Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues:

Optimism over Britains coronavirus vaccine outlook has helped the British Pound to Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate to advance lately. While the pair was unable to hold last weeks best levels, it is once again edging higher this morning as investors continue to find the Pound appealing. However, the Pound may run out of steam soon unless there is an upside surprise in Britains outlook.Its been a busy couple of weeks for GBP/CAD, as the pair touched on impressive highs last week. GBP/CAD opened last week at the level of 1.7430 and spent the second half of the week surging higher.Towards the end of the week, GBP/CAD touched on an impressive high of 1.7639 - the best level for the pair since April 2020. After that high though, GBP/CAD tumbled and closed the week at the level of 1.7515.Since markets opened this morning, GBP/CAD has been climbing higher again. At the time of writing, GBP/CAD is trending in the region of 1.7560.In recent weeks, the Pound has become one of the most appealing major currencies, due largely to market speculation over development on coronavirus vaccines.Britains coronavirus vaccine schemes continue to pick up the pace. Britains vaccination programmes are ahead of those of many other major economies, which has been a big reason for the Pounds recent strength.As Britains infection rate continues to gradually slow, and more and more groups of people are offered vaccinations, the Pound continues to climb.Sterling found a little extra boost this morning as well, in the form of Britains final January manufacturing PMI from Markit.The manufacturing PMI beat projections, coming in at 54.1 rather than the expected 52.9. It showed unexpected manufacturing resilience despite Britains third national lockdown beginning last month.However, analysts continue to warn that the lockdown could have a big impact on Britains early-2021 economic activity.According to Lee Hardman, Currency Analyst at MUFG, UK growth and the Bank of Englands (BoE) tone on monetary policy are being closely watched:The Canadian Dollar is a currency often correlated to market risk and trade sentiment. In particular, the Canadian Dollar is often driven by movement in prices of oil, Canadas biggest export.Prices of oil continue to see strong performance in recent weeks. This is due largely to global market hopes that the global economy will recover from the coronavirus pandemic and demand for oil will improve as a result.Despite concerns that the pandemic is lasting much longer than previously hoped, oil prices remain fairly strong overall.With oil prices strong and last weeks Canadian data impressive as well, Canadas economic outlook is fairly resilient. This is helping the Canadian Dollar to avoid bigger losses against the Pound today, even as investors continue trying to buy the Pound on coronavirus vaccine hopes.Demand for the Canadian Dollar was weighed a little this afternoon by Canadas January manufacturing PMI however.The manufacturing report was expected to remain high at around 57, but it instead slowed to 54.4. It indicated that Canadas manufacturing sector may not be weathering the coronavirus pandemic as much as hoped.Investors are still buying the Pound on hopes for Britains coronavirus vaccine outlook, but there have been no upside surprises in Britains coronavirus situation for some time.While optimism around Britains vaccination programmes will likely remain, markets may run out of reasons to keep buying the Pound higher unless there are more upside surprises in the coming sessions.Aside from potential coronavirus developments, markets are now looking ahead to Wednesday, when Britains final January services and composite PMIs will be published.As services make up a major chunk of Britains economic activity, any surprises in services data could cause a shift in Pound movement. The Pounds current rally could be extended if the nations services sector is weathering the coronavirus pandemic more than expected.As for the Canadian Dollar, it will continue to be driven by domestic coronavirus developments and oil price movements in the coming sessions.This weeks Canadian economic calendar will be fairly quiet until Friday, when Canadian job market data could influence the Pound to Canadian Dollar (GBP/CAD) exchange rate.

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 Canadian Dollar Forecasts
SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix Venture Partners LLC (PVP) announced today that it officially closed its latest flagship venture capital fund, PVP III LP at EOY 2020. The Fund was oversubscribed and its limited partners (both returning and new) are composed of sophisticated financial institutions, family offices, and leading multinational corporations (strategic investors). PVP III LP's strategic investors include a who's who of market leaders around the world in their respective industries, including Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW), W. L. Gore & Associates, Showa Denko K. K. (TYO:4004), Nissan Chemical Corporation (TYO:4021), Nagase & Co., Ltd. (TYO:8012), and LG Technology Ventures, which is the investment vehicle of LG Chem, Ltd. (KRX: 051910).

As the leading venture capital firm focused on Advanced Materials and Device investing, PVP has an established track record of strong returns and is known by entrepreneurs and corporations globally. PVP also has a reputation for forging deep partnerships with its strategic investors working closely with them on open innovation to identify attractive market opportunities. Building off the success of its first two funds, PVP III LP will continue to focus on investing in start-ups developing breakthrough Advanced Materials and Device innovations while expanding its presence globally.

Dr. John T. Chen, Managing General Partner of PVP, commented, "We are pleased by the strong interest in PVP III LP from new investors and continued support from our existing LPs and are happy to have closed the new fund despite the current global challenges."

Dr. Zachariah Jonasson, Managing General Partner of PVP added, "We are excited to be working with both the most innovative multinational corporations and entrepreneurs globally."

About Phoenix Venture Partners LLC

Phoenix Venture Partners LLC is a leading venture capital firm that invests in and partners with outstanding entrepreneurs to commercialize breakthrough Advanced Materials and Device innovations. PVP's team has an unparalleled track record of founding, building and investing in successful Advanced Materials start-ups across multiple industries. The firm's investment strategy is flexible and predicated on assisting entrepreneurs with customer and supply chain partnerships, business development, as well as with strategic and operational support. PVP collaborates with a select ecosystem of forward-looking global corporations on business development and open innovation interests. PVP is based in the Silicon Valley with a satellite office in Seattle, WA. For additional information please visit our website at www.phoenix-vp.com or email us at [email protected].

SOURCE Phoenix Venture Partners, LLC.

Related Links

http://www.phoenix-vp.com


In the week ending January 29th 2021, a report by eVestment said that investors pulling $58.76 billion from hedge funds around the world in 2020 may not be cause for celebration, but those outflows are dwarfed by the $102.25 billion investors pulled from hedge funds in 2019. Investors removed an estimated $9.74 billion from hedge funds in the final month of 2020, said eVestment. The total estimated industry AUM sits at $3.360 trillion.

In performance news, two of JW Asset Management's funds - the "B" shares of JW Partners and the similarly managed JW Opportunities Fund - produced a 146 percent gain last year, according to an investor with knowledge of the performance; Shorting tech stocks and betting on Canadian renewable energy last month helped Lynwood Capital Management's hedge fund cap the year with a 97% return, and Timelo Strategic Opportunities Fund, a seven-year-old fund whose 29% gain last year outperformed the 5.6% total return of Canada's benchmark S&P/TSX Composite Index.

Meanwhile, Viking Global Investors, Andreas Halvorsen's $44 billion firm, is down about 7% so far this year in its hedge fund; Two major Lansdowne Partners funds that were deep in the red for most of the year posted huge ......................

To view our full article Click here
If you dont believe it from mayors or the governor, heres the data count from The New York Times: East Baton Rouge Parish is at an extremely high risk level.

Orleans Parish is at a very high risk level. And January has been the worst month for cases in the states largest city.

The pandemic is not over, as the Times survey of counties across America indicated. The graphical impact of the newspapers survey should lead everyone to ponder how to become more, not less, protective of their health.

Then theres this: The trend in deaths tends to lag weeks behind the trend in reported cases.

The national newspapers reports are not exactly new news to readers of this newspaper. Gov. John Bel Edwards and other state and local officials have been warning of the problems facing Louisianas hospitals during a post-holiday surge in cases and hospitalizations.

+15 Vaccinating for coronavirus is a challenge in rural parishes. Here's how they're making it work VACHERIE  Ralph and Rose Kliebert slowly walked from the St. James Parish Reception Hall on River Road to the waiting car being driven by their son.

Physicians from trusted local hospitals and clinics have pleaded with folks for months to obey the restrictions on activities. The Times graphic includes helpful advice about how to be safer from Johns Hopkins University experts, including doctors from that world-famous hospital.

But the fact is that the advice from docs here at Ochsner or Baton Rouge General or Our Lady of Lourdes  any of them  is as good as that from Johns Hopkins these days: Limit gatherings. Wear masks and wash your hands frequently. On and on.

Throughout Louisiana, people can more and more put faces to the statistics. One of Baton Rouges familiar faces, last years mayoral candidate Steve Carter, died in hospital of coronavirus complications on Tuesday. The list of the prominent in every part of our state should be well-known by now.

If weve heard it before, we hope that people will continue to take it to heart. The outliers should not be given the time of day: Lets face it, the argument that this is a common flu, or some hoax, is nonsensical in light of the nations experience.

While a vaccine is on the way, rolling out the doses is complex and will take time, even if variants of the coronavirus do not emerge as threats. Precautions are still necessary.

From Baton Rouge, there was a particularly disturbing incident, at a time when large gatherings are a threat to public health: A Baton Rouge night club was closed temporarily after agents investigating an overcrowding complaint discovered more than 700 people inside the building.

That was above the number for ordinary fire safety rules, much less coronavirus restrictions. But as a deadly plague stalks the land, should the pursuit of profit from the bar be achieved at the cost of lives? In some quarters, clearly, weve got a lot to learn.
Authorities in Hanoi have decided to shut down all karaoke parlors, bars, and discos as the capital has recorded 15 local COVID-19 infections since a new wave hit Vietnam last week.

The closure began at 0:00 on Monday and will last until further notice, the municipal Peoples Committee announced on Sunday.

The administration required all eateries to apply COVID-19 prevention and control measures, regularly disinfect tables and chairs, prepare hand sanitizers, set up partitions and distance between seats, and tell all employees to wear face masks.

Local residents are asked to strictly follow the five rules of pandemic prevention and control, namely wearing face masks, washing hands, keeping safe distance, avoiding gatherings of crowds, and filling out health declaration forms.

Unnecessary gatherings, crowded activities, and ceremonies should be limited.

The administration also encouraged citizens to report cases of illegal entries from abroad and other violations of COVID-19 prevention and control regulations.

Authorities in districts and towns will carry out more patrols to inspect pandemic prevention and control measures at public places, markets, supermarkets, and restaurants.

The Hanoi Peoples Committee also directed relevant agencies to promptly trace and quarantine all direct contacts of COVID-19 patients to prevent the disease from spreading further into the community.

The capital city has recorded 15 local coronavirus infections since Vietnam was blindsided by new outbreaks on Thursday last week.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,819 coronavirus cases, including 933 domestic infections, as of Monday morning, with 1,457 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

The Southeast Asian country had detected zero local infections for nearly two months before it uncovered the new outbreaks.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations reports that some roads are closed in Armenia due to weather conditions.

The roads leading to Amberd Fortress and Lake Kari are closed.

The Vardenyats Pass is closed for trucks and is difficult to pass for passenger cars.

The roads in Kotayk and Syunik provinces are partly covered with clear ice.

The Georgian authorities inform that the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is closed for trucks.

The Armenian ministry of foreign affairs reminds that the ban on entry of foreigners to Georgia is still in force, but this doesnt concern the cargo transportation.

Drivers are urged to use snow tires.

Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan


Providing MSP 50% more than production cost, says Agriculture Minister Tomar

Uttar Pradesh government all set to present first paperless budget today

UP Budget 2021 Updates: Yogi govt presents first paperless budget

Himachal Pradesh Budget Session: Governor cuts short address to Assembly amid uproar by Congress members

Budget has broadened efforts to link education with employability: PM Modi

Union Budget 2021: Sector wise highlights

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Feb 01: Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today presented the Union Budget 2021. Here are the sector wise highlights of the Budget.

Budget 2021: 6 areas that matter to you: From health to education | Oneindia News

MAIN PILLARS OF BUDGET 2021

Main pillars of Budget 2021-Health, Human capital, Innovation and R&D, Physical infrastructure.

ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT

The total impact of Atmanirbhar Bharat and measures by RBI was Rs 27.1 lakh crore, which amounts to 30 per cent of GDP.

The budget proposals of Part A will strengthen the 'sankalp of Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

The focus will be on 6 pillars, which include health & well-being, inclusive development, human capital, innovation and R&D.

HEALTH

Pradhan Mantri Atma Nirbhar Swasthya Bharat Yojana

The government has announced a new central healthcare scheme to strengthen the country's healthcare infrastructure over the next six years.

The Pradhan Mantri Atma Nirbhar Swasthya Bharat Yojana, which will operate in addition to the existing National Health Mission, has been allocated around Rs 64,180 crore.

This scheme is expected to be used to develop capacities of primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare systems as well as existing national institutions over a period of six years.

FY22 outlay (budget estimate) for health

The FY22 outlay (budget estimate) for health and well-being is up 138%, at Rs 2,23,846 cr. Of this, Rs 35,000 crore will be spent on the Covid-19 vaccine.

Aatmanirbhar Swastha Bharat

Focus on Swacch bharat and swasth bharat. PM Aatmanirbhar Swastha Bharat to be launched with an outlay of 64,180 cr over 6 years. "Intend to focus on reduction of single use plastic, air pollution and segregation of waste.

Mission Poshan 2.0

Government to launch Mission Poshan 2.0; Jal Jeevan Mission Urban will be launched.

Urban Swachh Bharat scheme

The Urban Swachh Bharat scheme will be implemented with an outlay of over Rs 1.4 lakh crore.

AGRICULTURE

Increase in agriculture credit target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore

FM Sitharaman proposes increase in agriculture credit target to Rs 16.5 lakh crore. "The MSP regime has undergone a change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities. Total amount paid to paddy farmers surged to Rs 1.72 lakh crore in 2020-21."

1,000 more mandis will be integrated with electronic national market.

Operation green scheme to cover 22 more perishable commodities

EDUCATION

National Education Policy got a good reception

National Education Policy got a good reception. Over 15,000 schools to be qualitatively strengthened under National Education Policy.

SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security net for gig workers

Social security benefits to be extended to gig and platform workers. Minimum wages will apply to all categories of workers and will be covered under ESIC.

Portal to collect info on gig-workers, building and construction workers

To further extend efforts towards unorganised labour force, proposed to launch a portal to collect relevant information on gig workers, building/construction workers among others. It'll help formulate health, housing, skill, insurance credit &food schemes for migrant workers.

Rs 1,000 crore for Bengal, Assam tea workers

FM announces special scheme for welfare of women and children in Assam and West Bengal. Rs 1,000 crore for Bengal, Assam tea workers.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Govt committed to welfare of farmers

Government is committed to welfare of farmers. MSP has gone through a sea change. Over Rs 75,000 crore paid to wheat farmers in 2020-21, 43.36 lakh benefited from this.

National Infrastructure Pipeline

217 projects worth over Rs 1 lakh crore completed under National Infrastructure Pipeline.

Development Financial Institution (DFI) reborn

Will be tabled a bill on DFI essentially to fill the gap in long-term finance for infrastructure sectors. Professionally managed Development Financial Institution with Rs 27,000 crore capital.

RAILWAY

Rs 1.10 lakh crore outlay for railways

About Rs 1.10 lakh crore outlay for railways, of which Rs 1.7 lakh crore is for capital expenditure.

Railways to monetize dedicated fright corridor assets for operations and maintenance after commissioning

INFRASTRUCTURE

More economic corridors being planned to boost road infrastructure

"For 2022, proposed a sharp increase in capital expenditure at 5.54 lakh crore, from Rs 4.39 lakh crore in 2021. More economic corridors being planned to boost road infrastructure.

To complete 11,000 km of national highway infrastructure this year

Highway works proposed: 3,500 km corridor in Tamil Nadu. 1,100 km in Kerala at investment of Rs 65,000 cr. 675 km in West Bengal at a cost of Rs 95,000 cr. 1,300 km in Assam in the next 3 years.

Allocation to rural infra development increased

Allocation to rural infra development increased to Rs 40,000 cr in next fiscal from Rs 30,000 crore in FY21

TRANSPORT

Centre to provide Rs 18,000 crore for public buses

FM announces Rs 18,000 cr scheme to augment public transport in urban areas

Rs 95,000 crore for roads development in Bengal

Rs 95,000 crore to be spend on roads in West Bengal. The announcement for the state of Bengal got the loudest thumping of desks.

Central funding for Kochi Metro

Central fiscal funding for Kochi Metro, Chennai Metro, Bengaluru Metro, Nagpur Metro and Nashik Metro projects.

Voluntary scrapping policy for vehicles

FM Sitharaman announces voluntary scrapping policy. Fitness test after 20 years for personal vehicles; after 15 years for commercial vehicles.

Transport System Operator (TSO)

FM announces transport system operator (TSO) for regulating common carrier capacity in gas pipelines to boost gas-based economy.

Scheme for promoting flagging of merchant ships

Scheme for promoting flagging of merchant ships in India will be launched by providing subsidy support.

FINANCE

Bad Bank

After dilberating on this for years, Finance Minister finally announces a Bad Bank. A new asset reconstruction and asset management company announced.

Further infusion of Rs 20,000 crore for public sector banks

FM announces further infusion of Rs 20,000 crore for public sector banks

Govt will facilitate a world-class fintech hub at Gift city

Government to support the development of a world-class fintech hub at GIFT, investor charter to be introduced.

FDI Hike In Insurance

The finance minister announced to hike the FDI limit in Insurance from 49% to 74%. Majority directors on board and Key management personnels will be Indians.

Disinvestment target for FY2022 at Rs 1.75 lakh cr

FM puts disinvestment receipts at Rs 1.75 lakh cr for fiscal year beginning April 1, 2021.

Strategic disinvestment of companies including BPCL, Air India, Pawan Hans, IDBI Bank, Container Corporation of India to be completed in 2021-22

Two PSBs and one general insurance company to be divested, legislations amendments to be introduced in this session.

Government to bring LIC IPO this year

The government plans to sell part of its holding in Life Insurance Corporation of India through an initial public offering in the coming year. An amendment to the existing Act to facilitate the public offer.

POWER, ENERGY

Budget 2021 Power push

The government is proposing to create a framework to give consumers alternatives to choose from more than one power distribution company.

Rs 3.05 lakh crore outlay for power sector

Rs 3.05 lakh crore outlay. 100 more cities to be added in the next 3 years to the gas distribution network.

Ujjawala push

The government has announced the extension of benefits of the Free cooking gas LPG scheme Ujjwala scheme to an additional 1 crore people .

FM gives boost to renewable energy sector

Rs 1,000 crore to solar energy corporation and Rs 1,500 to renewable energy development agency.

Gas pipeline project to be taken up in J&K

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announces a new gas pipeline project for Jammu and Kashmir.

Hydrogen energy mission

Hydrogen energy mission for generating hydrogen out of green-powered sources

Projects in PPP mode for ports

Seven projects worth Rs 2,000 crore in PPP mode for ports in the country.

Gas Transportation

The government has announced an independent gas transport system operator for booking and coordination to ensure for unbiased allocation of natural gas transportation capacity.

TAXATION

Customs duty on some auto parts to be raised to 15 per cent

Talking about GST, FM Sitharaman said that the government is focused to further ease the process. "Customs duty on copper scrap cut to 2.5 per cent. Customs duty on some auto parts to be raised to 15 per cent."

Exemption from filing tax for elderly

In the 75th year of Independence of our country, we shall reduce compliance burden on senior citizens. For senior citizens who only have pension and interest income, proposed exemption of filing of income tax returns.

Proposes policies to make it easy for foreign investors to invest in India's infrastructure projects

Propose to make dividend payments to REIT (estate investment trusts) and Invit's (Infrastructure investment trusts) exempt from TDS

To further ease filing of IT returns, details of capital gains and interest from banks, post offices, etc will be pre-filled

Reassessment be opened for 10 years

Reassessment be opened for 10 years only if evidence of concealment of income of Rs 50 lakh or more in a year.

In serious tax evasion cases, only where there is evidence of concealment of income of Rs 50 lakh or more in a year, can reassessment be opened for 10 years. For others, assessmennt reopening only for 3 years.

NRIs to be spared from double taxation

NRIs to be spared from double taxation. New rules to be notified. Tax audit limit increased from Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore.

NRIs allowed to operate One Person Companies or OPCs in India

Tax holiday for start-ups increased by one more year - till March 31, 2022

Late deposit of employee's contribution to PF by employers will not be allowed as deduction to employer

INDUSTRY

Definition Of Small Companies To Be Revised

The definition of small companies to be revised by raising capital base to Rs 2 cr from current limit of Rs 50 lakh.

Government to increase maximum threshold paid-up capital of small companies

Government to increase maximum threshold paid-up capital of small companies from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2 crore and increase the threshold of maximum turnover from Rs 2 crore to Rs 20 crore.

Government removes threshold limits of paid-up share capital of Rs 50 lak

Government removes threshold limits of paid-up share capital of Rs 50 lakh and average annual turnover of Rs 2 crore over the past three financial years.

Government has also eased requirements of residency for a person setting up a One person company from 182 days to 128 days in India.

DIGITAL

Rs 1,500 crore for promoting digital mode of payment

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earmarks Rs 1,500 crore for promoting digital mode of payment.

Manufacturing

The PLI Push

The government aims to spend Rs 1.97 lakh crore on various PLI schemes over the next 5 years. This is addition to the Rs 40,951 crore announced for the PLI for electronic manufacturing schemes. It is likely to attract global players in the Indian manufacturing sector.

TEXTILE

The Govt's textile push

In its continuing focus on AtmaNirbhar Bharat, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her budget speech the establishment of seven textile parks across the country.

Others in Budget

Setting up of conciliatory mechanism for quick resolution of contractual disputes

Govt proposes to introduce National Nursing and Midwifery Commission Bill

Govt proposes national language translation initiative

Deep ocean mission with outlay of more than Rs 4,000 cr over five years.

Forthcoming Census could be India's first digital Census, allocating Rs 3,768 crore

Rs 300 crore to the state of Goa for celebrating the 60th anniversary of liberation

FM announces development of 5 major fishing hubs

Tax exemption for aircraft leasing cos

Tax exemption for notified affordable housing for migrant workers

Rs 1.5 lakh deduction on payment of interest for affordable housing extended by 1 yr

Record GST collections in last few months; govt to take every possible measure to reduce anomalies

Tax holiday for startups extended by 1 yr; exemption on capital gains on investment in startups extended by 1 yr
The family of murdered young woman Toyah Cordingley could finally get justice after two years as an extradition request for her alleged killer is finalised.

The pharmacy assistant's body was found with 'visible violent injuries' on Wangetti Beach, 40km north of Cairns in Far North Queensland, in October 2018.

Her father Troy discovered the 24-year-old's naked body in sand dunes almost 12 hours after she was reported missing.

Rajwinder Singh, who is regarded as a 'key person of interest' in Ms Cordingley's death, fled on a flight to his native India the same day.

As a result, no charges were laid over the death of the 24-year-old, who was last seen walking her dog along the beach the day before.

No arrests have yet been made over the death of Toyah Cordingley (left) in October 2018. She's pictured with her father Troy (right), who has ramped up his campaign for justice

Innisfail nurse Rajwinder Singh (pictured) remains a key person of interest in the case. He fled to India on the day Toyah's body was found

Australian Attorney-General Christian Porter is working with Queensland Police to finalise a brief of evidence before applying to India his extradition, according to local federal MP Warren Entsch.

The MP told Daily Mail Australia an extensive brief of evidence needs to be finalised so the extradition order won't be rejected by Indian authorities.

He added that police were doing 'the best they can' and hoped to sign off on an extradition order and send it to Indian authorities 'in the near future'.

'It's been two years so I understand the local community's frustrations,' Mr Entsch told Daily Mail Australia.

'There's been a lot of back and going forth between the Attorney General's Office and Queensland Police.'

'The process is complex, so they have to get the details accurate and specific to ensure authorities have the best chance of getting a successful outcome.'

'They can't give a timeframe of when the extradition order will be finalised but it is very close, from my understanding.'

'Yes it's been frustrating but in saying that, time needs to be taken to ensure they get it right.'

Authorities are finalising an extradition order to be submitted to India over the death of young Far North Queensland woman Toyah Cordingley (pictured)

Ensuring Toyah's killer will face justice is one of Mr Entsch's New Year's resolutions for 2021.

The Attorney-Generals office is understood to be waiting on a final draft from Queensland Police.

'Once the Attorney-Generals office is satisfied with the submission, the extradition order will lodged to Indian authorities,' Mr Entsch told Daily Mail Australia.

"I'm part of the local community and I can assure everyone that Toyah will never be forgotten and that I will never give up the fight for justice.'

'Toyah's perpetrator needs to be brought to justice so her family can get closure.'

Authorities are 'very close' to lodging an extradition order over the death of Toyah Cordingley (pictured), according to local federal MP Warren Entsch

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told the Cairns Post she would speak to state Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman for an update on the case.

The attorney general's office declined to comment on the case.

'As a matter of longstanding practice, the Australian Government does not disclose whether it has made, or intends to make, an extradition request to a foreign country until the person is arrested or brought before the court in a foreign country pursuant to that request,' it said.

Queensland Police says a dedicated team of detectives continues to work tirelessly on the case.

'While police acknowledge continued public interest in the case, our primary focus is ensuring Toyahs killer is brought to justice without compromising the investigation,' a spokeswoman said.

'Police have faced a number of challenges during this process, however it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage of the investigation.'

Ms Cordingley's father Troy Cordingley expressed concerns over delays in the investigation of her daughter's death.

He thanked the community for ongoing support and urged locals to contact Mr Entsch.

Toyah (pictured) often walked her dog along Wangetti Beach, where her life was cut short

'We need this person behind bars,' Mr Cordingley posted on Facebook last week.

Local resident Prong Trimble added on Monday: 'We just all want justice for Toyah.'

Mr Cordingley paid a heartfelt tribute to his daughter on the two year anniversary of her death in October as hundreds gathered on Wangetti Beach to pay tribute.

'It seems like yesterday... it seems like one hundred years. I had a million things to say, but now i don't seem to be able to,' his emotional Facebook post began.

'I miss you more than life itself, i would trade places with you in an instant.

'I am now half the person i used to be, you are my world.

'You are all the love, joy and happiness i have ever known, you taught me to be a better person.'

'Without you everything seems pointless. I love you Toyah, my Bright eyes, my world.'

The community gathered at a shrine (pictured) dedicated to Torah Cordingley last week

Another rally was held at Toyah's shrine last week as the campaign for justice ramped up.

'Still no justice has come for the family and friends, nor answers for the community who knew and adored this very special young lady, ' one resident wrote in a Facebook post to the Port Douglas mayor shared to the Justice for Toyah page.

'Today a further rally was held in order to bring this crime to the forefront once again.

'The courage and strength shown by her mum and dad this morning was admirable and needs to be commended.'

Ms Cordingley's family complained six months ago they still had no answers and all they had been told was Singh was 'wanted for questioning'.

It's believed Singh quit his full-time nursing job at Innisfail Hospital, abandoned his wife and child and fled to India the day her body was found.

Toyah's dad Troy Cordingley (pictured right with his daughter) has publicly expressed concerns over delays in the investigation of her death two years ago

The death of Toyah Cordingley (pictured) has rocked the local community in Far North Queensland

It's understood to be extremely difficult to extradite fugitives from India.

'Even if he is found and a warrant for his arrest is released, the likelihood of getting him extradited to Australia will be a very long and drawn out process,' Toyah's cousin Rachelle Foss posted on social media in August.

She then criticised Queensland Police for their handling of the operation.

Police said detectives were still working 'tirelessly' on the case but faced numerous challenges, and were continuously liaising with the family.

The small beachside community of just 14 houses was rocked by Ms Cordingley's death.

'My wife won't walk around by herself anymore. It's changed people's ways, their lives,' local resident Prong Trimble told Daily Mail Australia at the time.

'Out at Wangetti, there's a little township. They were very free and easy living people, and now they've all bought security screens and doors, it's changed the way they lived.'
American oil executives began a pushback against some of President Joe Bidens climate policies by making the case that fossil fuels from U.S. shale have a lower carbon footprint than imports.

Since taking office this month, the Biden administration has made swift moves to pause sales of oil and gas leases on federal land, cancel the Keystone XL pipeline and expand the governments fleet of clean-energy vehicles. The U.S. oil industry, already under pressure from low prices and investor pessimism, is particularly concerned about limiting access to resources on federal acreage in New Mexico, Wyoming, Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico.

We dont think its good policy to be overly restrictive on federal land, Chevrons Chief Financial Officer Pierre Breber said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Friday. That will just move energy production to other countries. We know that we can develop energy in this country responsibly.

America is the worlds biggest consumer of crude and any restrictions of domestic production will mean more will have to be shipped in from other countries, which may produce higher-carbon oil and have less stringent environmental laws, the argument runs. U.S.-produced shale emits less carbon per barrel than the global average for both onshore and offshore, according to Rystad Energy.

Reducing domestic production will not only raise costs at the pump, but will also ensure international producers, operating with fewer environmental regulations, will meet the global demand for petroleum products, Pioneer Natural Resources Co.s Chief Executive Officer Scott Sheffield said by email. That scenario is inconsistent with the administrations choice to rejoin the Paris Accord.

PRESIDENT'S GAMBLE: Biden bets on cutting fossil fuels while protecting jobs

The Oil-Climate Index, a 2016 model funded by the Carnegie Endowment, shows that shale plays including the Eagle Ford in South Texas and the Bakken in North Dakota have some of the lowest emissions per barrel globally.

But key to shales climate impact is how operators manage natural gas that is produced alongside the crude and the industry has come under intense criticism for excessive flaring and venting of methane, an extremely harmful practice.

For example, while the Bakken ranked ahead of Saudi Arabias Ghawar resource in the Oil-Climate Index, parts of the shale field where flaring is prevalent fell behind the Middle Eastern field. The Permian Basin has become notorious for burning off gas and the index is currently being updated by some of the original researchers to include estimates for the deposit. A Cornell University study published in 2019 said fracking was to blame for a decade-long global spike in methane levels.

All the major shale players including Chevron and Pioneer say they support Bidens plans to increase regulation of methane leaks, reversing former President Donald Trumps policy. But anxiety is rising in the fossil fuel industry that it may be in for a sustained period of government pressure.
A Bexar County sheriffs deputy shot a 19-year-old man in the arm Saturday night after a high-speed chase during which the man pointed what turned out to be a pellet gun at deputies.

It was the second officer-involved shooting of the day and the fourth in five days in Bexar County.

Its been a bad week for law enforcement in the Bexar County area, County Sheriff Javier Salazar said at a news conference Saturday.

On ExpressNews.com: Officials ID man shot, killed in San Antonio after leading police on car chase

Deputies first tried to stop the man for reckless driving when they saw him speeding  80 miles per hour in a 45 mph zone  on San Antonios West Side. The man did not stop until he reached the intersection of Westfield and West Military Drive, Salazar said.

The man got out of the vehicle and pointed what looked like a real gun at the deputies before getting back into the vehicle and driving off. The deputies followed him, and the man pointed the pellet gun at them from his window as he continued driving at speeds upward of 80 miles an hour, Salazar said.

The man stopped again in the 8500 block of Westfield and got out of the car, allegedly threatening the two deputies with the pellet gun. The deputy sitting in the passengers seat of the police car fired his gun several times, hitting the suspect in the arm at least once, Salazar said.

On ExpressNews.com: Police shoot and kill a man after he runs from traffic stop near the South Park Mall

The man was taken to a local hospital in stable condition. He has not been publicly identified. Salazar said he expected the man to be charged with aggravated assault and evading arrest.

Deputies did not know whether the suspects gun was real until after they shot him. Salazar said it was a very realistic pellet or BB gun.

It was a dangerous game that this young man was playing, and lucky for him, he didnt pay for that with his life, he said.

Salazar did not identify the deputies involved, but said one of them was a senior traffic safety deputy and the other was still in training. He did not say which one fired the shots.

On ExpressNews.com: Bexar sheriff's deputies shoot armed man reported to be firing from the windows of his West Side home

The license plate on the sedan the man was driving did not match the vehicle, suggesting that the plate, the vehicle or both could have been stolen, Salazar said.

Of the four officer-involved shootings in Bexar County since Tuesday, three occurred after suspects tried to elude law enforcement.

The first happened Tuesday, when Felix Santos, 48, led police on a pursuit that started in Atascosa County and ended in front of a San Antonio elementary school. Santos fired at officers while driving and again after he got out of the car. He was shot multiple times in the torso by two Bexar County sheriffs deputies and died at a local hospital Wednesday morning.

About 1 p.m. Wednesday, San Antonio police shot and killed a man who had been driving an 18-wheeler truck that had been pulled over near Interstate 35 at Zarzamora. The driver, later identified as Erick Mejia, 26, ran from the truck and into South Park Mall, carrying a gun. After he exited the mall, he pointed the gun at officers, who shot him. He died in the parking lot.

And on Saturday morning, deputies shot a 38-year-old man who had fired from his West Side home and then got in a car and tried to get away. He pointed two guns at the deputies, and they fired. The man was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

None of the deputies or officers involved in the four shootings was injured.

Salazar said the recent spate of officer-involved shootings mirrors a worrying nationwide trend.

This is something that were not just seeing here in Bexar County, unfortunately, Salazar said. Its something that were seeing across this country all the time with more frequency and Im afraid its going to continue to happen. We had hoped that it was a short-lived uptick, but at this point it does seem like its trending upward.

It just seems like things are getting more and more violent, and so were always constantly reminding our deputies to be vigilant, he added.

andy.picon@hearst.com | Twitter: @andpicon
As the American fashion industry slowly recovers, theres an opportunity to build better systems that allow everyone, not just a few, to participate in the industry.

Thats one of the main findings from a study conducted by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and PVH Corp., which are advocating for measurable change in the American fashion industry. The two groups began research in 2019 to gain a better understanding of how the industry can become more diverse, equitable and inclusive, especially through the lens of racial equity as it relates to talent acquisition and retention.

More from WWD

We all recognize that there is so much opportunity and work to be done to really drive greater inclusion in the fashion industry, Lance LaVergne, chief diversity officer and senior vice president, global talent acquisition and associate experience at PVH, told WWD. From a PVH perspective, having the opportunity to be a part of that work, if not even a leading voice in that work, is really important to us.

The new study, State of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Fashion, builds upon the CFDA and PVH co-authored 2019 industry briefing Insider/Outsider: Inclusion & Diversity in the American Fashion Industry.

Findings from the research show there are meaningful signs of advancement. When asked to describe the state of DE&I in fashion today, survey respondents most often used the words evolving and improving, although few believe these actions will result in lasting change.

What the data tells us is theres a problem, and it really propels the work were doing around engaging companies in a direct way to be proactive in interviewing and hiring, Steven Kolb, chief executive officer of the CFDA, said. What this report does is really position the work that needs to be done and the work that were doing and puts action into play. It opens the pipelines so the opportunity is greater and more equitable. I think companies will see there are areas theyre not doing well in, and areas where they are doing well. The intention is to motivate change in the industry. I think theres a lot of work to be done.

Story continues

Where fashion stands

Asked about the studys findings, LaVergne said he wasnt surprised to know peopleparticularly Black and Latine employeesare very much still facing issues around microaggressions and the impact of networking and access, which happens not only in the fashion industry, but in financial services, consulting and manufacturing.

What was illuminating were some of the things that might be more specific to fashion, beauty and apparel, the issues around aesthetics and the perception or correlation that people will make of who fits and who doesnt, who understands concepts of luxury and beauty, etc., based on socioeconomic status, he said.

As far as how the industry stacks up in promoting, supporting and hiring Black designers and underrepresented groups compared to other sectors like banking, consumer packaged goods and financial services, LaVergne said fashion is in the middle of the pack.

There are industries that are ahead of the curve, we saw a lot of activity spring up in consumer packaged goods mainly because of their recognition of their consumer population; I think technology and manufacturing still have a long way to go in some of this work. I think were probably somewhat in the middle. Part of it, he said, is the fashion industry, like consumer packaged goods, is consumer-facing, but there are structural things about how fashion has operated that are lagging.

While the industrys progress on diversity wont happen in a fixed timeframe, LaVergne stressed the importance of putting targets and thresholds in place.

If you dont, you can make middling and incremental progress, but thats all it will ever be. But if you say by this date we want to have accomplished this thing, the likelihood of success increases exponentially, he said.

And the work needs to happen at all levels.

We have to be really intentional about cultivating our own internal talent and creating greater access for that talent to move up in our organization, LaVergne said. Also, in identifying people from other industries who have relevant and transferable skills. There may not be as great an opportunity on the design front or some specific fashion role, but there are other roles where you can pull talent from other industries, and with the right support and onboarding help, those people can be incredibly successful in your organization and can be a magnet for other talent.

The findings

The CFDA and PVH began the study to better understand the experience of Black fashion professionals and other underrepresented communities. The economic impact of COVID-19 and the tragic acts of racial injustice that occurred last year turned the work into an even more critical endeavor.

About 60 percent of respondents said their companies had undertaken internal or external DE&I actions, with 80 percent believe the response is authentic. Some 78 percent feel their companies valued the differences people bring to the workplace.

Interestingly, 66 percent believe their company are doing what it takes to improve gender DE&I, while 57 percent feel the best opportunities go to the most deserving employees. Seventy-three percent believe their company is doing what it takes to improve racial and ethnic diversity, equity and inclusion.

Black employees in particular question meritocracy of opportunities and whether their companies are doing what it takes to improve inclusion. In fact, 26 percent of Black employees dont believe the best opportunities go to the most deserving employees, versus 16 percent of white employees who said the same. Fifteen percent of Black respondents didnt think their companies are doing enough to improve diversity, versus 8 percent of white employees.

According to general knowledge and backed by the studys findings, representation in executive and leadership roles is lacking.

In an analysis of 2019 data for the apparel and beauty industry collected by McKinseys Women in the Workplace research, employees of color comprise just 16 percent of C-suite positions and 15 percent of board seats, despite comprising 32 percent of entry-level positions.

In contrast, white men comprise some 54 percent of C-suite roles and 72 percent of board seats, despite only comprising 26 percent of entry-level positions.

When looking at a sample of 10 leading fashion/apparel companies in the U.S., McKinsey found that the only three employees of color at the C-suite level were chief diversity officers, many of whom are in the human resources department in their organization.

A moment or a movement?

In the CFDA/PVH studys assessment of whether actions being taken will have staying power, less than half (44 percent) believed these actions would result in permanent change. Black students who were interviewed spoke about their perceptions of Black culture being trendy right now, and said brands are trying to capitalize on these trends.

Black is cool now, but what if in a few years racial equity is not at the top of [fashion companies] concerns? Will they tell me that I can go now? Im concerned about getting [into an entry-level fashion job], staying a few years, and then realizing that Im very passionate about something I cant do, was one respondents comment.

Employees of color cited the biggest challenges they face as lack of sponsorship (28 percent) and being judged on different criteria (25 percent) from their nonethnically diverse counterparts.

Fifty percent of employees of color said a career in the fashion industry is not equally accessible to all qualified candidates, and almost one in four question the meritocracy of opportunities. Sixty-eight percent of Black employees report greater inaccessibility to the fashion industry, versus 37 percent of white employees. LGBTQ employees cite greater inaccessibility to the fashion industry (51 percent), versus heterosexual employees (41 percent).

When it comes to awareness and access, there is a significant lack of awareness of the breadth of opportunities within the fashion industry. This is particularly prevalent in low-income communities, communities of color and the pre-college pipeline. A Black student said, Its hard for people to reach for opportunities they dont even know about.

For those interested in pursuing a career as a fashion designer, fashion schools play a critical role as a key feeder into the pipeline. Of the 16 independent designers interviewed, 80 percent reported attending fashion school. However, an analysis of students at six of the top U.S. fashion schools pointed to missed opportunities in Black representation and financial barriers to attendance. Less than 10 percent of the 2020 undergraduate student body is Black, and students on financial aid (comprising 33 to 52 percent of the student body) have on average less than a quarter of their cost of attendance covered by a need-based scholarship or grant award.

The survey quoted one Black student who went to fashion school but accepted a full-time job in a different industry based on what he saw as a lack of future leadership opportunities. I had to do the calculations in taking this job in fashion versus this other business job that put me on the path of leadership. I weighed the likelihood of getting promoted and had to believe the likelihood was low based on having less experience, opportunities and networking, he said.

The survey found real concerns around whether promotions are fair. Black employees reported lowest agreement (50 percent) that promotions are based on fair and objective criteria. Asked the biggest reasons for lack of racial equity at the management level, 16 percent of respondents of color point to the lower likelihood of a person of color being promoted to first-level manager roles. Respondents of color said their race/ethnicity had a negative impact on receiving raises and promotions in the past (26 percent employees of color versus 1 percent white respondents), particularly Black (40 percent), and Asian (27 percent) respondents.

More employees of color report that personal characteristics have or will negatively impact receiving a promotion or raise. Some 26 percent of employees of color report race/ethnicity as having a negative impact on previous raises and promotions, particularly Black women (42 percent) and Asian women (27 percent).

Older respondents aged 56 to 74 report age having a negative impact (17 percent have experienced this, and 35 percent expect to). Women report anticipating that being a parent will impact future raises and promotions (14 percent), much more than it has in the past (6 percent).

The disconnect between the sales floor and the corporate ladder is seen as presenting a unique opportunity for large fashion brands to capitalize on their existing diverse talent when it comes to promotions. Sales floors are typically diverse. Some companies are already aware of this, and realize these employees know the product, the experience and the brand and are already working for the company, yet theres this glass ceiling where we dont have that many people transitioning from stores to corporate, said one human resources officer.

On the topic of compensation, insufficient compensation is a significant barrier to entering and thriving in the fashion industry.

Some 35 percent of entry-level employees report supplementing their income, while 14 percent of all entry-level employees say they supplement with funds from parents. Some 37 percent of Black employees report having to supplement their income versus 23 percent of white employees.

This is one reason, among many, that employees of color report the highest rates of wanting to leave the industry. Employees of color are more likely to seek out better advancement opportunities in other sectors (31 percent versus total), led by Latine employees (58 percent).

Addressing belonging

Beyond pay, some employees of color are leaving the industry because they still feel they dont belong.

According to the research, Black employees, especially, point to an environment of noninclusive behavior. Some 23 percent of respondents observed biased behavior with some frequency, with race/ethnicity and physical appearance being the most common biases. With two in three Black employees citing that they are frequently the only person of their ethnicity in the room, the environment doesnt necessarily lend itself to inclusion.

Two in three Black employees have also experienced microaggressions. One executive at a luxury firm said, Ive had a white peer say to me that I dont have to worry about layoffs because [the company] cant let go of the Black person, or they verbalize that they think I got a promotion because I am Black.

Some 67 percent of Black and 65 percent of LGBTQ employees report the highest rates of experiencing microaggressions, ranging from being interrupted or spoken over, to having their judgment questioned in their area of experience or having others take credit for their ideas. Latine and Asian employees report lower rates of microaggressions compared to white employees (57 percent white, 52 percent Latine and 44 percent of Asian employees report experiencing microaggressions).

Despite the stereotypes of the industry being inclusive for LGBTQ identifying employees, 18 percent of LGBTQ employees said they would not recommend others in their group apply for a job in fashion. Some 16 percent of Black employees (versus 9 percent of white employees) said they wouldnt recommend others of their ethnicity apply for a job in the industry.

The way forward

During the fall of 2020, the CFDA and PVH enlisted McKinsey & Co. to survey more than 1,000 working industry professionals across 41 companies, conducting 20 stakeholder interviews and three focus groups with students and emerging designers. The data shows the experiences and structural challenges of inequity and outlines actions the industry can take in six key areas of opportunity: awareness, access, promotion, advocacy, compensation and belonging.

What may perhaps be among the most important messages stressed in the survey was that the tone from the top is critical. Senior leaders should lead by example and embed DE&I as part of their teams DNA.

Among the suggestions for making progress on inclusion, the report recommends tracking and understanding representation baselines at all levels, standardizing and transparently communicating hiring processes, requiring diverse interview slates for all open positions, providing clear and transparent promotion criteria and mandating regular DE&I and unconscious bias training for all employees.

When it comes to actions companies can take externally to contribute to a more equitable ecosystem, ideas included expanding product ranges to include more sizes, hiring diverse vendors and freelancers, and ensuring marketing materials contain inclusive language and feature diverse range of models.

Other suggestions include recruiting from nontraditional sources, balancing referrals with other talent sources, ensuring internships have fair compensation, implementing a feedback structure, formalizing mentorship programs across the organization, and partnering with existing organizations to engage with overlooked communities, and measure, track and communicate key inclusion indicators.

FOR MORE STORIES:

Fashions Progress on Diversity? Lightly Productive at Best, Modern-day Segregation at Worst, Say Industry Activists

Black and in Fashion, Representation in the Workforce

Old School vs. New School: How Much Has Changed for Latinx Designers?
Myanmar's military seized power in a bloodless coup Monday, detaining democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and imposing a one-year state of emergency -- moves that sparked global outrage and calls for the generals to immediately backtrack.

The army intervention ended a decade of transition from outright military rule in Myanmar, with the generals justifying the power grab by alleging fraud in the November elections that Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won in a landslide.

US President Joe Biden led the chorus of world condemnation, calling for a quick restoration of democracy and warning that Washington could reimpose sanctions.

"The international community should come together in one voice to press the Burmese military to immediately relinquish the power they have seized," Biden said.

"The United States is taking note of those who stand with the people of Burma in this difficult hour."

Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained in the capital Naypyidaw before dawn, party spokesman Myo Nyunt told AFP, just hours before parliament was meant to reconvene for the first time since the elections.

Late on Monday, Myanmar state television announced the removal of 24 of Suu Kyi's ministers, and 11 new appointments.

Former foreign minister Wunna Maung Lwin, who served under ex-general Thein Sein, will return to that role after five years -- taking over a job that Suu Kyi had held while she was de facto national leader.

The military sealed off roads around the capital with armed troops, trucks and armoured personnel carriers. Military helicopters flew across the city.

A putsch had been expected for days, yet when it came it left Myanmar stunned -- with roads to its main international airport blocked and communications cut -- a country once more isolated from a world it only rejoined a decade ago.

"It's extremely upsetting -- I don't want the coup," said a 64-year-old Burmese man in Hlaing township, standing with a crowd outside a grocery stall.

Story continues

The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on the situation for Tuesday.

- 'Huge irregularities' -

The military declared, via its own television channel, a one-year state of emergency and announced that former general Myint Swe would be acting president for the next year.

It alleged "huge irregularities" in the November polls that the election commission had failed to address.

"As the situation must be resolved according to the law, a state of emergency is declared," the announcement said.

The army later pledged to hold fresh elections after one year.

Suu Kyi had issued a pre-emptive statement ahead of her detention calling on people "not to accept a coup", according to a post on the official Facebook page of her party's chairperson.

The military moved quickly to stifle dissent, severely restricting the internet and mobile phone communications across the country.

- Stockpiling -

In Yangon, the former capital that remains Myanmar's commercial hub, troops seized the city hall just ahead of the announcement, according to an AFP journalist.

Several trucks were seen in Yangon carrying army supporters, with Myanmar flags and blaring nationalist songs, and some NLD members reported that security forces had ordered them to stay at home.

People rushed to grocery stores to stock up on rice, oil and instant noodles. Banks were temporarily closed by the communications freeze, but some were expected to reopen on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, the chief minister of Karen state and several other regional ministers were also held, party sources told AFP.

Myanmar's November polls were only the second democratic elections the country had seen since it emerged from the 49-year grip of military rule in 2011.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the European Union and Australia were among others to condemn the coup. Britain summoned Myanmar's envoy in formal protest.

China declined to criticise anyone, instead calling for all sides to "resolve differences".

- Immensely popular -

The NLD won more than 80 percent of the vote in November -- increasing its support from 2015.

But the military has for weeks complained the polls were riddled with irregularities, and claimed to have uncovered more than 10 million instances of voter fraud.

Myanmar has seen two previous coups since independence from Britain in 1948 -- in 1962 and 1988.

Suu Kyi, 75, is an immensely popular figure in Myanmar for her opposition to the military -- which earned her the Nobel Peace Prize -- having spent the best part of two decades under house arrest during the previous dictatorship.

But her international image was shredded during her time in power as she defended the military-backed crackdown in 2017 against the country's Muslim Rohingya community.

About 750,000 Rohingya were forced to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh during the campaign, which UN investigators said amounted to genocide.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said Monday it was "appalled" by her arrest.

Suu Kyi was only ever de facto leader of Myanmar as the military had inserted a clause in the constitution that barred her from being president.

But to circumvent that clause, she assumed leadership of the country via a new role of "state counsellor".

The 2008 constitution also ensured the military would remain a significant force in government by retaining control of the interior, border and defence ministries.

"From (the military's) perspective, it has lost significant control over the political process," political analyst Soe Myint Aung told AFP.

bur-dhc/fox/sst/ft
Titanium dioxide nanoparticles decorated by gold absorb about 96% of the solar spectrum and turn it into heat. The material can accelerate the evaporation in desalination plants up to 2.5 times and can track hazardous molecules and compounds. An international research team with representatives from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), ITMO University, and the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, published a related article in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

Access to safe water is included in the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Children's Fund (UNICEF) addressed the problem in 2019 report, noting that 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water.

One of the ways to provide clean drinking water is to desalinate seawater by evaporation and subsequent concentration of steam. To achieve greater production, new materials to accelerate evaporation are wanted. Over the past five years, this has become a rapidly growing research field globally.

Such innovative materials were designed by FEFU, FEB RAS, and ITMO University scientists teamed up with colleagues from Spain, Japan, Bulgaria, and Belarus. Researchers claim it can be used as a nano-heater for water evaporation and as an optical detector in sensor systems tracking the smallest traces of various substances in a liquid. Later properties can be relevant for micro-fluid biomedical systems, lab-on-chips, and environmental monitoring of pollutants, antibiotics, or viruses in water.

"Upon laser irradiation, the initially crystalline titanium dioxide became completely amorphous acquiring strong and broadband light absorption properties. Decoration and doping of the material by gold nanoclusters additionally facilitated visible light absorption. Initially, we intended to use the feature in the context of solar energy but quickly realized that due to the new amorphous structure nanoparticles in the active layer of solar cells will convert the absorbed solar energy into heat rather than electricity. But the idea came to use it as a kind of nano heater in a desalination tank, which was successfully done in laboratory conditions.", says one of the authors of the paper Alexander Kuchmizhak, a senior researcher at the Institute of Automation and Control Processes of the FEB RAS.

The material was obtained through a simple and environmentally friendly technology of laser ablation in a liquid.

We added titanium dioxide nanopowders to a liquid containing gold ions and irradiated the mixture with laser pulses of the visible spectrum. The method does not require expensive equipment, hazardous chemicals and can be easily optimized to synthesize unique nanomaterial at gram per hour rate", said research participant Stanislav Gurbatov, junior researcher at FEFU Polytechnic Institute (School).

Noteworthy, the initial nanoparticles of titanium dioxide do not absorb visible laser radiation. However, they catalyze the formation of nanosized gold clusters on their surface stimulating further melting of titanium dioxide. Several hybrid nanoparticles fuse forming unique nanomorphology, in which gold nanoclusters are located both inside and on the surface of titanium dioxide.

Au-decorated amorphous titanium dioxide nanopowder appears completely black to the human eye since it efficiently absorbs within the entire visible light spectrum like a black hole in space does and converts it into heat. In sharp contrast, the commercial titanium dioxide powder used as a starting material, one sees as white.

The development of new materials, including those supporting new manageable physical principles for a wide range of applications, consists within priority areas of FEFU which scientists are working on in close partnership with the Russian Academy of Sciences, domestic and foreign colleagues.

###

Russian Science Foundation (grant no. 19-79-00214) supported the study.
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
Snow-strewn streets, some wind-torn trees and flooded coastal roadways: This picture is what may be in store for Massachusetts in the hours ahead as a noreaster batters southern New England.

Meteorologists started predicting as early as last Friday that a major winter storm was potentially on the way and could hit the Bay State by Monday. As the forecast came into focus in the days since, estimated snowfall amounts steadily increased.

As much as 7 to 15 inches of snow is now expected throughout Massachusetts, according to the National Weather Service. The highest totals will be across the Worcester Hills and the eastern slopes of the Berkshires, meteorologists said. There could be pockets with higher amounts.

As the weather service does before any winter storm, regardless of the meteorological events scope and severity, the agency has published a series of online maps that make a slew of forecasts, including predictions about precipitation start and stop times, wind gusts, areas impacted by flooding, likely ice accumulations and snowfall amount totals.

Ahead of a nor'easter that is expected to batter Massachusetts with 7 to 15 inches of snow Monday through Tuesday, the National Weather Service is warning of heavy precipitation, strong winds and coastal flooding. This map shows anticipated ranges of snowfall amounts. (National Weather Service)

The severity of the storm

A winter storm advisory was upgraded to a warning Sunday night, with forecasters warning drivers that travel could become very difficult to impossible due to the rapid snowfall and strong winds. Precipitation may reduce visibility on roadways, and wind gusts could knock over tree branches.

The storm warning encompasses nearly the entire state as well as portions of northern Connecticut and northern Rhode Island, where heavy snowfall and winds are expected.

Slick roads have already developed across Connecticut, and flakes have been reported across Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Around an inch of snow has fallen in Ludlow and Westborough as of late Monday morning, according to the weather service.

Road conditions WILL deteriorate quickly around lunchtime as the heaviest snow arrives, the weather service said in a tweet. Please drive with extreme caution if you need to be out this afternoon.

[8 am] Slick roads have already developed across CT, and flakes have been reported across RI & MA. Road conditions WILL deteriorate quickly around lunchtime as the heaviest snow arrives. Please drive with extreme caution if you need to be out this afternoon.#mawx #riwx #ctwx pic.twitter.com/YIDaVG0pYy  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) February 1, 2021

This map shows where a winter storm warning is in effect. (National Weather Service)

If someone needs to travel, they should keep an extra flashlight, food and water in their vehicle in case of an emergency, the weather service noted.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has issued a travel ban on the Massachusetts Turnpike for tractor-trailers. State officials, including Gov. Charlie Baker, have urged residents to keep of the roads.

The governor pointed out that MassDOT has roughly 3,900 pieces of state and vendor equipment available for snow and ice operations, including more than 1,400 plow-and-spreader combinations, 2,100 plows, and 460 front-end loaders.

Driving tomorrow will be hazardous due to the high winds and snow in the forecast, so we are asking everyone to stay off the roads, avoid traveling if possible and to use public transportation if they have to go out, Baker said in a statement.

This map shows likely wind gust speeds in Massachusetts. (National Weather Service)

Strong wind gusts and coastal flooding

Along with the heavy snow that is predicted to fall Monday through Tuesday, forecasters are also anticipating wind gusts as high as 55 to 60 miles per hour on Cape Cod and 35 to 50 mph across the rest of the state. Coastal flooding may also be a concern.

Authorities have issued a high wind warning for the Cape and Islands and both a coastal flood advisory and warning for the eastern shoreline of the state.

Residents have been urged to avoid windows while staying inside and to stay away from forested areas and around trees while venturing outside during the windstorm. The weather service recommended people stay in the lower levels of their home instead.

Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected, the agency said.

This map shows marine watches, advisories and warnings issued in Massachusetts. (National Weather Service)

The coastal flood warning should remain in effect from Monday night to Tuesday morning, with 2 to 3 feet of inundation forecast across areas near the Eastern Massachusetts waterfront, according to the weather service.

For the advisory, which the weather service noted will remain in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, around a foot of inundation is expected.

Ahead of a nor'easter that is expected to batter Massachusetts with 7 to 15 inches of snow Monday through Tuesday, the National Weather Service is warning of heavy precipitation, strong winds and coastal flooding. This map shows where a coastal flood watch was issued. (National Weather Service)

Forecasters warned flooding could lead to road closures and cause low-lying properties, like parking lots and houses near the waterfront, to be inundated with water.

Vehicles parked in vulnerable areas near the waterfront will likely become flooded, the agency said. Take the necessary actions to protect flood-prone property. If travel is required, do not drive around barricades or through water of unknown depth.

This map shows expected snowfall totals by major cities and towns in Massachusetts. (National Weather Service)

How much snow is expected, and how fast will it fall?

Snow wont just fall heavily in Massachusetts. It will fall rapidly.

According to the weather service, snow will fall at rates as high as 1 to 2 inches per hour across the state Monday afternoon into the evening.

There is a more than 80% chance of snow falling at a rate exceeding an inch per hour across the spine of the Berkshires and from Rhode Island into Eastern Massachusetts between roughly 2 and 10 p.m., the agency noted.

The weather service added that there is an up to 50% probability of more than 2 inches of snow falling per hour, leading forecasters to believe heavy precipitation will be dumped on Massachusetts for several hours, especially in areas away from the coast.

This gives us confidence to go with widespread 7 to 15 inches away from the immediate coast, primarily from the front-end thump between noon and midnight, the weather service said. [Two to 6 inches are] possible for the Cape and Islands, with closer to 6 for the upper Cape near the canal.

This map shows predicted snowfall amounts in Western Massachusetts and parts of Vermont and Connecticut. (National Weather Service)

By the time the storm is over, 2 inches of snow will have accumulated on the Cape, 11 inches in Boston, 13 inches in Worcester, 6 inches in Springfield, 9 inches in Pittsfield and 11 inches in North Adams, according to forecasters. There is the possibility of higher winter precipitation amounts, though.

In Greenfield, there is a 1% chance of 18 inches or more of snow falling. That probability grows to 2% in Worcester, 4% in Lawrence and 5% in Fitchburg, according to the weather services online maps.

Ahead of a nor'easter that is expected to batter Massachusetts with 7 to 15 inches of snow Monday through Tuesday, the National Weather Service is warning of heavy precipitation, strong winds and coastal flooding. This map shows the chances of 18 inches or more of snow in Massachusetts. (National Weather Service)

Once the heavy snowfall ends with the arrival of a dry slot, a wintry mix of rain and snow should begin around daybreak Tuesday. Sleet will continue Tuesday through Wednesday, according to Alan Dunham, a meteorologist at the weather services Boston/Norton office.

Some accumulations are still forecast after the heavy snowfall ends, though, he added.

The worst of the storm is going to be the middle of the day today through midnight, Dunham said. Its mainly light precipitation after that.

In terms of the timing of the major winter storm, snow started falling as early as 2 a.m. in and around the Springfield area and 6 a.m. in the Worcester area. The weather system started dropping snow on the Cape around 4 a.m. and Boston at 7 a.m.

This map shows when the precipitation started in the Bay State. (National Weather Service)

This map shows when the precipitation started in Berkshire County. (National Weather Service)

The brunt of the winter precipitation should come to an end in the Berkshires between 7 and 4 p.m. Tuesday. End times for the heavy snowfall will be a few hours earlier in the Pioneer Valley, the Worcester area, Greater Boston and the Cape.

A nor'easter is expected to batter Massachusetts with 7 to 15 inches of snow between Monday and Tuesday. This map shows when the precipitation is expected to stop in Berkshire County. (National Weather Service)

Other maps released by the weather service show a 6-hour precipitation prediction and forecasts surrounding the chances of 0.1 to as much as 18 inches of snow. Low- and high-end snowfall predictions are also included.

Other predictions

This map shows expected snowfall in Massachusetts within 6 hours. (National Weather Service)

This map shows the chances of 0.1 inches or more of snow in Massachusetts. (National Weather Service)

This map shows the chance of 2 or more inches of snow falling. (National Weather Service)

This map shows the chance of 4 or more inches of snow falling. (National Weather Service)

This map shows the chance of 6 or more inches of snow falling in Massachusetts. (National Weather Service)

This map shows the chance of 8 or more inches of snow falling in Massachusetts. (National Weather Service)

This map shows the chance of 12 or more inches of snow falling in Massachusetts. (National Weather Service)

This map shows the low chance of high-end total snowfall amounts in Massachusetts. (National Weather Service)

This map shows the high chance of low-end total snowfall amounts in Massachusetts. (National Weather Service)

Related Content:
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Nigerian government to strictly enforce compliance with all COVID-19 safety protocols put in place to limit the spread of the virus.

The president of the association, Samson Ayokunle, made the call during the sensitisation meeting on COVID-19 vaccine introduction for Christian Leaders and Scholars in Abuja on Tuesday.

I am saying it with everything within me that enforcement is key. We need drastic and tough enforcement of the law, Mr Ayokunle said.

He said the association endorses the COVID-19 Executive Order signed by President Muhammadu Buhari that makes safety protocols such as mask-wearing and social distancing mandatory across the country.

Mr Ayokunle said lots of Christians have died from coronavirus and it is reckless to say the virus does not exist.

It is not good to borrow reckless confidence that COVID-19 is not existing. We have seen Christians that have died, he said.

The cleric appealed to Christians in Nigeria to cooperate with the government to succeed in curtailing the spread of the virus which has claimed millions of lives globally.

The meeting, organised by the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), was aimed at sensitizing religious leaders on the need to fully accept the COVID-19 vaccines when they finally arrive in the country.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the agency recently held a sensitisation programme for Islamic leaders in Nigeria.

Vaccines hesitancy

With the second wave of coronavirus pandemic spreading fast, countries across the globe are already securing and administering vaccines for their citizens.

Sensitisation is also ongoing amidst fears that many may not accept the vaccine due to doubts of safety, religious beliefs, amongst other factors.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported plans by the government to get President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other dignitaries to take the vaccines on live television when it finally gets to the country.

The Nigerian government said it will receive at least 100,000 doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech approved COVID-19 vaccines by February through COVAX, an initiative run by the vaccine alliance, GAVI, to ensure equitable access to vaccine.

It also said the country is expecting free 42 million doses of vaccines in the second phase through the COVAX facility.

These vaccines will, however, cover only about 20 per cent of Nigerias over 200 million estimated population.

Nigerias health minister, Osagie Ehanire, recently said efforts are ongoing to secure 10 million more doses of the viral vector vaccines.

Safety protocols

In his remarks, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, urged Christian leaders to continue with the high level of compliance to COVID-19 protocols as observed in churches across the country.

ADVERTISEMENT

He said the virus is no respecter of persons and has affected every group of persons in the society including the religious institution.

This is why we must come together as one people with one voice to use our influence to promote both the non-pharmaceutical preventive measures and vaccination, he said.

He said religious rulers are highly revered in the society; hence the need to leverage on this divine influence to instil wisdom in the people.

Be rest assured the Nigerian Government seeks to protect all her citizens and would do her maximum best to ensure the vaccines provided are safe, verified and tested, Mr Mustapha said.

The presidency had warned against further violations of the safety protocols to avert fresh lockdown.

In his welcome address, the Executive Director of NPHCDA, Faisal Shuaib, noted that evidence from previous vaccinations shows that faith leaders play a critical role in vaccine rollout.

According to him they work in communities to involve them in the process, ensuring that they are distributed fairly and fully accepted.

Mr Shuaib, however, urged religious leaders to challenge inaccurate and harmful messages that could threaten the effective public health response to 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.
Axios

Southwest Airlines won't yet resume its in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: The airline initially planned to resume the service June, but Sonya Lacore, Southwest's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free."Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego  Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free

The Louisiana Department of Health reported 926 more confirmed coronavirus cases and 49 more confirmed deaths in its noon update Monday.

The number of hospitalizations decreased by 13, and the number of patients in need of ventilators decreased by 12.

There are also 50,968 total "probable" coronavirus cases in Louisiana, according to the agency's dashboard.

Here's where coronavirus vaccines will be available in Louisiana this week Doses of coronavirus vaccine will be available to eligible individuals in every Louisiana parish this week.

These are another few key statewide statistics as of Monday:

Total confirmed cases: 350,623

Total "probable" cases: 50,968

Total confirmed deaths: 8,340

Currently hospitalized: 1,403

Currently on ventilators: 187

Vaccine series initiated: 339,445 (updated twice weekly)

Vaccine series completed: 57,926

Presumed recovered: 344,321 as of Jan. 25 (updated weekly)

Note: The Advocate and The Times-Picayune staff calculates daily case count and confirmed death increases based on the difference between today's total and yesterday's total of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths. The Louisiana Department of Health releases a daily case count on its dashboard that includes probable cases as indicated by a positive antigen test. That case count can be different than the one listed here.

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

Here are some of the parishes with the highest single-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases, based on the Monday report:

Jefferson: 121

Orleans: 77

East Baton Rouge: 72

Lafayette: 67

St. Tammany: 63

Terrebonne: 45

Caddo: 42

You can view more graphs and charts breaking down the data by clicking here.

Louisiana began reopening for Phase 1 on May 15-16 then moved to Phase 2 on June 5. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards extended Louisiana's Phase 2 restrictions twice in August before moving the state to Phase 3 on Sept. 11. The governor then moved the state back to a modified Phase 2 near the end of November.

This is a developing story. More details and analysis to come.
The death has occurred of Valerie Hickey (nee Byrne)

1108 Coneyboro, Athy, Kildare





Peacefully, in the loving care of the doctors and staff of St. James' Hospital, Dublin. Deeply regretted by her loving husband Johnny, sons Noel, Brian and John-Paul, brothers Martin and Paddy-Joe, daughters-in-law Caroline and Karen, Noel's partner Deirdre, sisters-in-law, grandchildren Rhona, Amy, Cody, Niamh, Jordan, Seanan, Alex, Adam and Katie, great-grandson Zach, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Rest in Peace

Due to government restrictions a private family Requiem Mass will take place at 11am on Monday morning (1st February) in St. Michael's Parish Church, Athy, limited to 10 people. The Mass will be livestreamed, see www.parishofathy.ie. Burial afterwards in St. Michael's New Cemetery, Athy.

Those who would have liked to attend the funeral but cannot due to current restrictions may leave a message in the 'Condolences' section below.

The death has occurred of Mary Dunne (nee Martin)

Ard Mhuire, Rathangan, Kildare



Dunne (nee Martin) Mary, Ard Mhuire, Rathangan, Co. Kildare, January 30th 2021 in the loving care of the staff at Beechpark Nursing Home, Kildare. Predeceased by her husband Pat, sister Rose, brothers Noel and John.

She will be very sadly missed by her daughter Deirdre, sons Paul and Brian, her daughters in law Joan & Roisin, her adored grandchildren Ava and Orna, her brother Tommy, sisters Nan, Teresa, Patricia, Eithne & Angela, brothers in law, sisters in law, nephews, nieces, extended family & friends.

May She Rest in Peace

In line with Government & HSE Guidelines a Private Family Mass will take place on Monday morning (1st February) at 11 o'clock in the Church of Assumption & St. Patrick, Rathangan (Max 10 people), followed by burial in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Rathangan.

Mary's Mass can be viewed on https://www.youtube.com/c/icatholicplayer

Those wishing to leave a message may do so on the condolence section below.

The family thank you for your understanding at this difficult time.

The death has occurred of Terrence (Terry) DOOLEY

Athy, Kildare / Palmerstown, Dublin



Dooley (St. Martins Terrace, Athy, Co. Kildare)  Jan 29, 2021, (suddenly), at Riversdale House, Palmerstown, Terrence (Terry), beloved son of the late Nellie and Kevin and dear brother of Kevin (deceased), Maureen (deceased), Aileen (deceased), John and Shelly; Deeply regretted by his loving brother, sister, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, nephews, nieces, grandnephews, grandnieces, relatives and friends.

Due to current Government guidelines regarding public gatherings, a Private Funeral will take place. Those who would like to join the Private Funeral Service remotely by webcam can do so by clicking on https://www.churchservices.tv/palmerstown on Monday at 10am. Those who would have liked to attend the Funeral, but due to current restrictions cannot, please feel free to leave a message in the Condolence Book below.

The death has occurred of Sr. Columba DONNELLY

Holy Family Convent, Newbridge, Kildare / Annascaul, Kerry



DONNELLY, Sr. Columba (Holy Family Convent, Newbridge, Co. Kildare and formerly of Annascaul, Co. Kerry) January 30, 2021. Deeply regretted by her sister, Elizabeth, nieces, nephews, her extended family, the Community and Staff at Holy Family Convent, all Holy Family Members and many friends.

May she rest in peace

Due to Government advice and HSE restrictions on public gatherings, a private funeral Mass will take place in St. Conleths Parish Church, Newbridge on Monday, February 1st at 11am and can be viewed on theparish webcam at www.newbridgeparish.ie/webcam/ Burial immediately afterwards in St. Conleths Cemetery, Newbridge.

Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam

For those who cannot attend due to the current restrictions, please leave a condolence message on the RIP condolence section below.

The death has occurred of Daniel Salmon

Cooltrim, Donadea, Kildare



Salmon, Daniel, Cooltrim, Donadea, Co. Kildare, January 28th 2021, suddenly at home, beloved grandson of the late Monica, Tom and Marion, deeply regretted by his loving father Martin, mother Shirley, siblings Connor, Kyle and Ellemae, grandfather Benny, aunts, uncles, cousins, relatives and friends.

Rest In Peace

Due to government advice regarding public gatherings, a private funeral Mass will take place for family. Those who would have liked to attend, but due to current restrictions cannot, please leave a personal message in the 'Condolences' section below.

Funeral Mass for Daniel will be held in St. Coca's Church, Kilcock on Thursday (Feb. 4th) at 11am, followed by burial in Mainham Cemetery.

The Funeral Mass can be viewed on https://www.kilcockandnewtownparish.ie/webcam/

The death has occurred of Letty Lynch (nee Reid)

Highfield Park, Kilcock, Kildare



Letty, predeceased by her loving husband Billy, sister Alice and brother Johnny. Deeply regretted by her children Ger, Joanie, Cathy and Billy, brother Jimmy, grandchildren Vivienne, Eoin, Ruth, Aisling, Eve and partners, sons-in-law David and Grayam, daughter-in-law Maria, life long friend Shelia, relatives and friends.

May She Rest In Peace

Due to government advice regarding public gatherings, a private funeral Mass will take place for family. Those who would have liked to attend, but due to current restrictions cannot, please leave a personal message in the 'Condolences' section below.

Funeral Mass for Letty at 10:00am on Monday in St. Coca's Church, Kilcock, followed by burial in St. Joseph's Cemetery.

The Funeral Mass can be viewed on https://www.kilcockandnewtownparish.ie/webcam/

The death has occurred of Peg (Margaret) Henson (nee Kearns)

Old Railpark, Maynooth, Kildare / Rathvilly, Carlow



Peg (Margaret) Henson nee Kearns, Old Railpark, Maynooth, Co. Kildare and formerly of Leixlip and Rathvilly, Co. Carlow  30th January 2021 peacefully in the loving care of the staff of Maynooth Community Care Centre; loving sister of the late Sean and Marie Kearns; Peg will be deeply missed by her loving husband Ciaran, sons Ciaran and Martin, daughter Selena, daughters-in-law Derbhile and Gina, son-in-law Dave, grandchildren Odhran, Conall, Siofra, Jake and Tommy, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, relatives, neighbours and many friends.

May Peg rest in peace.

In line with government and HSE guidelines regarding public gatherings a private funeral for family and close friends will take place. Funeral arriving to St. Patricks Church, Rathvilly on Tuesday for 2 oc Requiem Mass with burial afterwards in Rathvilly, Cemetery. Pegs Funeral Mass can be viewed live on the following link www.rathvillykilteganparish.ie/our-parish/webcam.

If you would like to leave a personal message of condolence you may do so in the Condolences section below.



The death has occurred of Bridie Farrell

Abbeylands, Castledermot, Kildare



Died 31st January 2021. Predeceased by her husband Jer, her father Johnny and Mother Mollie, brother Paddy, sisters Mag and Nora. Deeply regretted by her loving Daughter Nora, sons John, Jer, Paddy, Joe, Martin and Eamon, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, daughters-in-law, sister Mary, nieces, nephews, relatives and a large circle of friends.

May Bridie Rest in Peace

Due to government advice regarding public gatherings, a private family funeral will take place in the Church of the Assumption, Castledermot, on Wednesday at 11am (Max 10 people in church), followed by burial in Coltstown Cemetery.


Court Fines Navalnys Wife After Protests in Moscow

MOSCOWA Moscow court on Feb. 1 ordered the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to pay a fine of 20,000 rubles ($265) for violating protest regulations after she attended a demonstration in the Russian capital to demand his release.

Tens of thousands protested across Russias 11 time zones on Jan. 31, chanting slogans against Russian President Vladimir Putin and demanding that authorities free Navalny, who was jailed last month and faces a prison term. More than 5,400 protesters were detained by authorities, one group said.

People attend a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Valentin Egorshin/AP Photo)

While Russias state-run media dismissed the demonstrations as small and claimed that they showed the oppositions failure, Navalnys team said the turnout on Jan. 31 demonstrated overwhelming nationwide support for the Kremlins fiercest critic.

Navalnys allies have called for another demonstration in Moscow on Feb. 2, when a court is scheduled to hear the authorities motion to send him to prison for up to 3 1/2 years.

His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, joined a protest in Moscow on Jan. 31 that took place despite unprecedented security measures that city authorities took ahead of the rally. She was quickly detained and charged with participating in an unauthorized rally. A court on Feb. 1 ordered Navalnaya to pay a fine, her lawyer Svetlana Davydova told the Interfax news agency. Davydova said the defense plans to appeal the ruling.

In the largest outpouring of discontent Russia had seen in years, mass protests engulfed dozens of Russian cities for the second weekend in a row despite efforts by Russian authorities to stifle the unrest triggered by the jailing of 44-year-old Navalny, Putins most well-known foe.

Navalny was arrested Jan. 17 upon his return from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from nerve-agent poisoning that he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have rejected the accusations. He faces a prison term for alleged probation violations from a 2014 money-laundering conviction, which has been widely seen as politically motivated.

After his arrest, Navalnys team released a two-hour YouTube video about an opulent Black Sea residence purportedly built for Putin. The video has been viewed more than 100 million times, further stoking Russians discontent amid an economic downturn.

The rallies following Navalnys arrest appear to have rattled the Kremlin. In an effort to quell the protests, the authorities have jailed Navalnys associates and activists across the country. His brother Oleg, top ally Lyubov Sobol, and three other people were put under a two-month house arrest and face criminal charges.

A total of 40 criminal probes have been opened in 18 Russian regions in connection to the protests, said Pavel Chikov, head of the human rights organization Agora.

People clash with police during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 31, 2021. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Photo)

Russian authorities cracked down hard on the demonstrators on Jan. 31, detaining more than 5,400 people, according to OVD-Info, a legal aid group that monitors arrests at protests. The group said that was the highest number in its nine-year history of keeping records in the Putin era.

OVD-Info said at least 51 protesters were beaten by police officers while being detained. Footage of the protests showed riot police beating people with truncheons and throwing them onto the ground. Media reported some protesters were hit with Tasers.

When asked Feb. 1 about the mass detentions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the protest was unlawful and charged that there was a fairly large number of hooligans, provocateurs with more or less aggressive behavior towards law enforcement officers.

In response to provocations, the police act harshly and within the law, Peskov said.

Russian state media also highlighted aggressive actions of the protesters in their coverage of the Jan. 31 demonstrations, which reports said were joined by times fewer people than on Jan. 23. Many reports underscored polite actions by police officers, and state TV channel Russia 1 even aired video statements of people thanking law enforcement officers in the wake of the rallies.

By Daria Litvinova
Think all those Bernie Sanders memes are a hoot? Try feeling the Bern with crochet.

Corpus Christis Tobey King just broke the mold of the popular internet meme by crocheting an adorable acrylic and cotton yarn doll of the Vermont senator in his now-famous coat and quirky brown mittens  a look that made the leap from Inauguration Day ensemble to Photoshopped sensation within hours. Now that fuzzy little creation is warming hearts and fighting hunger to boot.

Tuesday, King auctioned her original 9-inch prototype doll of Sanders for $20,300 on eBay, with all proceeds going to Meals on Wheels America.

Meanwhile, more than 30,000 people have purchased the downloadable pattern for the doll for $5 from Kings Etsy store, TobeyTimeCrochet.

Now Playing: Video: Billy Calzada, San Antonio Express News

King whipped up the Sanders doll Thursday, the day after the inauguration, as the memes poured across the internet. The first doll pics she posted Friday on her Instagram account, @tobeytimecrochet, quickly drummed up thousands of likes. (They now total more than 139,000.)

King said when she first posted photos of the Sanders doll she never expected it to go viral, but once it did, she saw the opportunity to use it for good. By Friday evening, she had the doll pattern up on her Etsy store and by Saturday afternoon had the prototype doll up on eBay, where bids surpassed $15,000 overnight.

Were all just looking for something to bring us joy right now, King, 46, said.

King hopes that Sanders hears about her doll and the auction and that he approves. I really hope that he thinks this is something cool and that Im doing something good, she said,

It seems likely. As the Sanders memes were going viral, his campaign store started selling sweatshirts and T-shirts imprinted with the photo to benefit Vermonts Meals on Wheels and other Vermont charities. They are now sold out.

While Sanders office did not reply to a request for comment, a spokeswoman for Meals on Wheels America voiced her appreciation for Kings doll auction.

Amid the pandemic, the demand for Meals on Wheels has skyrocketed ... The awareness for our cause is needed now more than ever, and on behalf of the entire nationwide network, we greatly appreciate the support, said Vice President of Communications Jenny Young, who confirmed Meals on Wheels would receive 100 percent of the dolls five-figure eBay sale.

King said the winning eBay bidder wished to remain anonymous. She did note that some of the Etsy shoppers who bought her Sanders doll pattern have made their own donations to Meals on Wheels programs and other charities.

With the proceeds from the sales of the doll pattern, Kings gone from from stay-at-home mom with an Etsy shop on the side to the primary breadwinner.

Early last year, Kings husband Travis lost his job in Washington just weeks after they moved there with their 9-year-old daughter. So while hes been looking for full-time work, King and their daughter moved in with Kings mother in her hometown of Corpus.

Now Travis is helping King answer all the Sanders-doll messages flooding her inbox. Being that successful has made a huge difference in our financial situation, King said. Now we dont have to be apart anymore. We can get this family back together.

It isnt the first time Kings crochet work has turned heads. In 2019, a crochet doll she made of Ruth Bader Ginsburg appeared on the hit NBC series, This Is Us, after the shows prop master spotted that viral sensation online.

King went on to sell about 100 of the crochet Ginsburg dolls. Now she offers downloadable patterns for a Ginsburg-inspired crochet robe and crochet dissent collar.

As for Kings recent Sanders doll, she simply tweaked an old pattern shes used to make similar dolls for the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Recycle and reuse, just like Sanders mittens.

rguzman@express-news.net | Twitter: @reneguz
We would love to hear your thoughts...

1. How did you come up with the idea for your startup?

2. What was the hardest part in the early stages of the startups growth?

3. What are the services/solutions/products that the startup offers? Who are the targeted audiences?

4. What are your strengths and advantages over your competitors?

5. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your metrics?

6. Is the company bootstrapped or funded? What milestones will the financing get you to?

7. What is the road map ahead? How are you planning to achieve it?

Key Management :

Founding Year :

Milestones :

Awards/Recognition :

Clients :
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 1) Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa is pushing for reforms within the system of the Philippine National Police, particularly on improving the disciplinary mechanism for its personnel.

This is after the controversial case of Jonel Nuezca, the police officer who shot dead his two neighbors, Sonya and Frank Anthony Gregorio, in broad daylight in Tarlac last December.

Speaking to CNN Philippines on Monday, Dela Rosa said it was clear that Nuezca was guilty of the murder, which was caught on camera and had earlier gone viral on social media.

Klarong klaro naman yun na talagang guilty siya. Binaril niya, pinatay niya yung dalawa eh, the former PNP chief said in an interview with The Source.

Nakakainis talaga bakit niya ginawa yun. But anyway, in relation to that, meron akong cina-craft ngayon na bill para ma-improve yung disciplinary mechanism ng PNP. Dahil alam mo, marami pa ring problema doon sa disciplinary mechanism ng PNP, he added.

[Translation: It was really clear that he was guilty. He shot and killed the two. Its really annoying that he did that. But anyway, in relation to that, Im crafting a bill right now to improve the disciplinary mechanism of the PNP.]

For one, Dela Rosa proposed there should be a sole disciplinary authority for policemen who would then be held accountable for possible incidents in the future. The senator cited the system of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which he said only had one disciplinary authority its chain of command.

Meron na tayong NAPOLCOM, meron na tayong IAS, meron na tayong PLEB, meron na tayong 'yung chain of command ng PNP, meron pa tayong local government executives, Dela Rosa said. Ang daming nakikialam sa disiplina ng PNP, ito ngayon ang kalabasan, hindi maganda.

This is worth contemplating and revisiting, itong mga batas na ito na nagco-cover sa disciplinary mechanism ng PNP, he pointed out.

[Translation: We already have the NAPOLCOM, we have the IAS, we have the PLEB, we have the chain of command of the PNP, we also have local government executives. We have a lot of units interfering, so this is the result, its not good. This is worth contemplating and revisiting, these laws covering the disciplinary mechanism of the PNP.]

During his arraignment in January, Nuezca entered a not guilty plea to the murder charges filed against him a development that has again sparked public outrage over the issue. Despite this, the legal counsel of the Gregorio family believes they have a strong case against him.

READ: Gregorio kin admits trauma after mother-son slay as search for justice continues

The PNP earlier said it will consider introducing regular neuropsychiatric examinations as well as anger management classes for police officers.
A hotel quarantine security guard and ride share driver who plunged Perth into lockdown was probably infectious for five days before he tested positive to Covid-19, authorities believe.

And during the time he was infectious, he visited 15 locations across Perth - including a Coles, KFC, hair dresser, halal grocery store and Indian consulate - leaving contact tracers in Western Australia scrambling to locate all potential contacts.

The security guard, who is aged in his 20s and from the inner-suburb of Maylands, became the first instance of community transmission in the state in 10 months when he tested positive to the virus on Saturday night.

The government's response has been a five-day lockdown for Perth, Peel and South West regions.

Health authorities have now identified 60 close contacts of the security guard, who have been told to self-isolate for two weeks.

The man was working at the Sheraton Four Points hotel, as a number of returned Australians or permanent residents were confirmed to have contracted the highly-infectious UK or South African Covid strain.

The guard worked two 12-hour shifts on January 26 and 27 on the same floor where there were four active Covid cases - including two with the highly contagious UK variant and one with the South African strain of the virus.

The man, who is aged in his 20s and from Maylands, was working as a security guard at Sheraton Four Points hotel

Health authorities have listed 15 venues, on top of Sheraton Four Points hotel, as potential exposure sites after they were visited by the security guard. Pictured: Map shows venues the positive Covid case visited

The man, who claims he was wearing PPE while working at the hotel, returned negative results as part of routine testing on January 15, 17 and 23 but started to become unwell last Thursday - January 28 - and called in sick for his shift that day.

Western Australia's chief health officer Andy Robertson said the security guard was most likely infectious from January 26 - five days before his positive test result came through on Saturday night.

The man went to KFC, Coles, Chemist Warehouse and a Halal grocery store after falling ill.

He also visited Consulate general of India, Venus ladies and gentleman hair design and Perth Convention Centre while potentially infectious.

Health authorities have listed 15 venues as potential exposure sites after they were visited by the security guard.

Residents who visited any of the locations at specific dates and times have been told to get tested immediately and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.

POTENTIAL EXPOSURE SITES Anybody who visited one of the following locations must seek Covid testing immediately and self isolate until they receive a negative result: Coles Maylands on January 25 between 8pm and 10pm and January 29 between 8pm and 9pm KFC Maylands on January 27 between 6pm and midnight Mitsubishi Motors in Midland on January 27 from 7pm to close Spudshed, Coventry Village in Morley on January 27 from 8pm to midnight ECU Joondalup on January 28 from 11am to 2pm Consulate general of India in St Georges Terrace on January 28 at 5pm Halal Grocery Store in Cloverdale on January 28 from 7pm to 9pm Venus ladies and gentleman hair design in Maylands on January 29 between 1pm and 3pm Perth Convention Centre on January 29 between 4pm and 6pm Nedlands GP on January 29 between 5pm and 6pm Chemist Warehouse North Perth on January 29 between 5.30pm and 7.30pm 7-Eleven Ascot petrol station on January 29 from 8pm to 9pm Coles Express Shell Clovedale on January 30 between 12pm and 3pm Puma Service Station in Burswood on January 30 from 11am until 12pm Pharmacy 777 at Maylands Park shopping centre on January 30 from 2.30pm to 4pm Advertisement

Shoppers are seen outside Coles in Maylands, one of the potential exposure sites in Perth, on Sunday

The venues are spread across the suburbs of Maylands, Midland, Morley, Cloverdale, Burswood, North Perth, Perth and Nedlands.

The man has a second job as a ride share driver but authorities said he had not worked in that role since January 22.

He has three housemates who have all tested negative to Covid-19. They have all been placed in hotel quarantine for 14 days.

Authorities are investigating the breach but say the guard did not enter a hotel room.

Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said the coming days would be 'quite critical' as 60 close contacts of the security guard have been identified.

It's suspected the man caught the UK Covid strain.

'We call him case 903. This is a person who we suspect has got the UK variant strain but that will be confirmed in the next 36 hours,' Mr Dawson told 6PR Radio on Monday.

'If he has that more transmissible (strain) then that's what's causing us the concern.'

A staff member from the Covid-19 Clinic at Perth Royal Hospital speaks to a member of the public on Sunday as residents rush to get tested

LOCKDOWN RULES Residents in Perth, Peel and the South West are required to stay home, except for the following four reasons: - Shopping for essentials like groceries, medicine and necessary supplies - Medical or health care needs including compassionate requirements and looking after the vulnerable - Exercise, within their neighbourhood, but only with one other person and only for one hour per day - Work, where you cannot work from home or remotely If you do leave home, for one of the four reasons you will be required to wear a mask at all times outside and if you need to work indoors, then wearing a mask in the workplace is also mandatory Mask wearing on public transport is also mandatory Advertisement

Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson was unable to judge whether there was likely to have been community spread.

'We do get super-spreaders within Covid-19,' he said.

'But we've also had others like the 20-year-old lady in Queensland who was out in the community for three or four days and didn't manage to spread it to anybody.'

Premier Mark McGowan declared a state of emergency on Sunday and ordered roughly 80 per cent of the state's population to stay at home except for four essential reasons.

The lockdown is in place until 6pm on Friday.

As per the lockdown orders, residents will only be allowed to leave their homes for four reasons; shopping for essential goods like groceries and medicine, seeking medical treatment, exercise for one hour per day and work if a person cannot work remotely.

All pubs, clubs, playgrounds and gyms in Perth will close, while restaurants will be open for takeaway only and visits will be banned to care homes and hospitals.

Perth, Peel and the South West entered a strict lockdown beginning 6pm on Sunday and lasting until Friday - impacting about 80 per cent of WA's population

Schools will remain closed - they were supposed to reopen on Monday for the first day of the year.

Restrictions have also been reintroduced for funerals - limiting them to just 10 people for the duration of lockdown.

Weddings have been cancelled during the lockdown period.

Residents must wear face masks at all times they are outside and they are also compulsory at indoor workplaces.

Masks are mandatory on public transport.

Anybody within the locked down regions were urged to stay put to avoid potentially spreading the virus to regional and vulnerable communities.

Mr McGowan warned 'we can expect that they will become positive in coming days'.

COLUMBUS, Ohio  Jane Timken has the job of leading the Ohio Republican Party through a fraught and possibly short-lived post-Trump era.

On the one hand, the Ohio GOP seems positioned for success after years of dominance, including former President Donald Trump winning the one-time swing state by 8 points in back-to-back elections. The Ohio GOP, like its national counterpart, is gearing up to be an opposition party, bashing Democratic President Joe Biden and Democratic congressional leaders in their early days of controlling Washington D.C.

On the other hand, the state party is showing signs of serious division, with a growing backlash from the political right against Republican Gov. Mike DeWine and scathing rebukes from some top elected Republicans against Trump, the nominal leader of the party. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, a Rocky River Republican thought to have a bright future in the state party, even voted to impeach Trump, blaming him for his role the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Trump, meanwhile, reportedly has privately floated forming a third party (although advisers have publicly shot down the idea).

Normally, a political party would move on from a losing presidential candidate. Party leaders already have shown some subtle signs of doing so  the state GOP removed images of Trump from the front page of its website earlier this month, and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel last week told the Associated Press the party would remain neutral if Trump runs again in 2024. But Trump has claimed he only lost the election because of widespread fraud, a claim his own Justice Department, dozens of courts and senior Republican leaders have rebuked as unsupported or false.

Last week, cleveland.com / The Plain Dealer interviewed Timken, whom Trump personally helped install as leader of the state GOP shortly after he was elected, to ask how the party might  or might not  move on from the former president heading into 2022. Elsewhere in the interview, Timken confirmed that she is considering running for the U.S. Senate, which we reported last week in a separate story.

(Writers note: Questions and responses were lightly edited for clarity and brevity)

What is the next step for Republicans post-Trump?

The Republican party grew under President Trump. As you know, in 2016, we had almost 1 million new Republican voters [in Ohio] come into the party. You saw the election results in 2016 and 2020. The presidents putting America first, putting workers first, the forgotten men and women were forgotten no more, standing up to China, delivering for the American people. Issues like criminal justice reform and Opportunity Zones that werent really talked about as much, and negotiating on behalf of Americans is really what the president was doing. And I think those were all Republican values, and you know, I think we go forward with that message of putting Ohioans and Americans first, making sure people have a livelihood that theyre able to earn a living, protect their freedoms and live their American dream.

Do you think he will remain remain involved with the Republican Party? Do you think he will follow through on his reported threat to start a third party?

I think in all likelihood hes going to stay with the Republican Party. His strong bonds with lots of Republicans across the party, I think he probably recognizes its very difficult to start a third party.

At the end of the day, the MAGA agenda is really the Republican agenda, and our job is to message to these folks that we have disagreements, theres divisions, but thats exactly what the Democrats want. They want us divided, but we need to be united and deliver for the American people.

After losing the November election, do you think the party needs to distance itself from Trump?

I think the party continues on with those policies that were Republican policies: lower taxes, immigration, less regulation, pro-business, pro jobs. And the president brought to the table negotiating trade deals that brought jobs back into the country. That America First agenda will always be a part of the Republican Party. But the party always in my mind should continue to grow and should continue to reach out. The president was very successful reaching out to the minority community, and we should continue that. But a party divided against itself and shrinking is not the future, the future is a party thats united and growing and adding people.

Do you think Trump will continue to be the face of the Republican Party?

There are so many Republicans who were very fond of the president, and he will always be a factor in the Republican Party, but at the end of the day, there are other cycles and there will be another presidential race. Well see if he decides to get into the race. But you know, its never just about one candidate, its about what we rally around and our principles and at the end of the day what we can deliver.

What is the biggest thing the Ohio Republican Party needs to improve?

I would say we need to spend more time talking to folks and asking what they really want from us. I think we need to spend more time in the urban counties and cities, asking how we can help them. And I think our challenge is to constantly bring more people into the party, and eventually we win elections based on that.

The former president attracted a lot of new voters to the Republican Party. Do you think they will remain engaged Republican voters?

Thats the question. And I think well see. My message to those voters is that the Republican Party embraced the presidents agenda, and will continue that agenda.

What do you see in U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalezs political future?

Hes my congressman. I think hes been a very effective legislator. I dont know if I would have voted the way he did [on impeaching Trump]. I think hes spending some time explaining to folks his vote, and I think hes got a rational reason why he voted that way. I think hes an effective legislator, and hes a very good person.

What responsibility does the president or Republicans generally bear for the events at the Capitol?

I condemned that violence. That should have never happened. It was a dark day in America. Those actions were un-American. Violence is never the vehicle for political change. The people who stormed the Capitol with tragic results ultimately were responsible for that tragedy, and I think they bear that responsibility.

How are you feeling about 2022 for Ohio Republicans?

Pretty good. I think weve got strong statewide candidates. Theyre all very effective, theyve been good in their job and they are highly qualified. I think theyve delivered for Ohioans. I think well start to see that President Biden and Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are going to roll out, whether its through executive orders or legislatively, some pretty radical ideas, and I think theres going to be significant pushback.

With congressional redistricting this year under a new map-drawing process meant to prevent gerrymandering, do you think Ohios partisan makeup will change?

The goal would be to have a map everyone agrees with, and I think that in Ohio, its very difficult to draw more Democrat seats. Folks will work together, and I think Democrats will be interested in making sure their incumbents are protected. Its always interesting, but I dont see the map changing that significantly just based on population and where Republicans and Democrats live.
HENLEYS Deputy Mayor has explained why he quit the ruling party on the town council.

David Eggleton resigned from Henley Residents Group following a heated debate at a meeting of the councils town and community committee about plans to replace the towns 22 heritage litter bins at a cost of 19,000.

He advised it would be cheaper to refurbish the mainly cast iron bins but when colleagues disagreed he became annoyed and quit before the online meeting had finished.

Councillor Eggleton, who now sits as an independent councillor, told the Henley Standard this week that there had been similar incidents in the past and hed had enough.

He said that he would consider quitting the council altogether if the situation didnt improve.

He said he had spoken with Gill Dodds, the leader of HRG and a former mayor, who was very understanding of his decision.

Cllr Eggleton, who lives in Gainsborough Road and co-founded the Gainsborough Residents Association with fellow councillor Paula Isaac, joined the council in 2015 and was re-elected in 2019.

He was already well known in the town as an action man who helps out whenever he can, particularly with any sort of repair.

Cllr Eggleton said he started to feel uncomfortable following the 2019 elections, when all 12 HRG candidates were elected and the Conservatives won only three seats, and that he could no longer work with certain people.

He admitted to having had early reservations about his suitability to be a councillor, explaining: In my first year, I can remember sitting at the table during a meeting in the town hall and thinking, What have I done? This is not for me, it is completely out of my comfort zone. It felt very uncomfortable.

As I moved into my second year, I started to really enjoy it by being part of things like Henley in Bloom and making things happen and working with other councillors, who were more experienced than I was. Kellie [Hinton] is one of the people I have been helped by and taken a lot of knowledge from. She has been my support throughout all this.

Cllr Eggleton said he started to become concerned about the way the council tackled particular projects and the way he was treated by some individuals.

He always took a hands-on approach and was frustrated by how long it took to replace the skate park at Makins recreation ground, off Greys Road. The new facility finally opened in 2017 after more than six years of campaigning by residents.

The people who wanted it seven years before missed out, said Cllr Eggleton. We get older by the day, so when things take years to progress, it is too late. People miss out on certain things because weve debated for too long when we dont need to.

Sometimes it is like banging your head against the wall. You lose that passion  the longer it goes on, the more people lose their will to carry it on and I think that is a shame.

The zebra crossing on Greys Road was another area of frustration. This was eventually installed last year following a 10-year campaign by the community.

Cllr Eggleton said: I was on the campaign working with Trinity School, Sacred Heart School and the people of Henley. I fought for that tooth and nail and there were a number of times when councillors wanted to take it off the agenda.

When it came up as an agenda item, the council wouldnt pay 400 to have a survey done on that area, so I did it myself. I spent a whole week surveying it and filling all the forms out. I think it was based on my facts and figures that it went through but I didnt feel I had the support there.

Someone who didnt support the proposal initially was Stefan [Gawrysiak], although he supported it towards the end. Im glad he did push it through.

Cllr Eggleton was part of a group of councillors who worked to bring back the Henley May Fayre but he believes his contributions were overlooked.

In 2017, the fayre was relaunched and held in the town centre for the first time in more than 30 years after the town council took over as organisers from Henley Round Table.

Cllr Eggleton said: I put a lot of time and effort into that. I like to give credit where it is due and I believe you have to acknowledge that you cant do everything on your own. You have to engage and acknowledge the fact that we are all working together.

His concerns about his position within HRG were escalated by more recent events. During a full council meeting on January 5, he asked for clarity on the parking arrangements at Townlands Memorial Hospital for patients receiving a covid-19 vaccination at the two GP surgeries next door.

The existing grace period was supposed to be extended from 20 minutes to an hour but six patients were given warning letters that they had overstayed the original shorter period.

Cllr Eggleton was challenged by councillors for bringing it up but said he had only been trying to relay the concerns of the elderly patients.

He said: I just told them the facts. Id spoken to five people and I didnt have to justify myself. I referred to one person in particular because Id spoken to them on the phone for at least half an hour because they were quite distraught about it.

I didnt do it to undermine anybody, it was on my mind and that day Id had a phone call about it.

Councillor Gawrsyiak told the meeting that the parking enforcement company had made a mistake and that the arrangements were working well thanks to a team of about 40 volunteers.

Mayor Ken Arlett, who chaired the meeting, asked for similar issues to be raised outside meetings in future after questioning how many people had actually made contact with Cllr Eggleton.

This was followed a week later by the meeting of the town and community committee.

Cllr Eggleton said replacing the bins would be a waste of money and that the cast iron ones would last much longer if they were refurbished, which a report to the committee said would cost 6,000.

He told his colleagues: There is nothing wrong with them as long as they are properly maintained. They could quite easily be fixed.

I think the bins work all right and we dont need to be spending taxpayers money when these bins are perfectly functional.

Cast iron is meant to last  it will rust, but as long as it is maintained, it will last.

Councillor Sarah Miller, who chaired the meeting, said: We are a tourist town  Henley deserves this, lets invest in our town.

I understand and appreciate what Councillor Eggleton has to say. In my eyes, a lot of the bins are in a terrible state. They have been refurbished before and they are just coming to the end of their life now.

We could go through the refurbishment route again but we dont want to be having this conversation again in a year or so. We want brand new bins  sparkling, lovely, fabulous looking bins that are going to give us a good 25 years or so. Henley deserves this.

The committee agreed to replace the bins by five votes to three, with one abstention.

The committee also agreed to hold a six-month trial for two solar-powered compactor bins, one outside Cook in Friday Street and the other opposite the Angel on the Bridge pub.

The trial will be funded by the Henley Society, a heritage group, and Cllr Gawrysiak using his county councillors grant.

If the trial is a success, the council would have the option to buy a bin at a cost of 6,344, which includes two years maintenance.

A five-member motion was submitted by Cllr Eggleton, along with Conservative councillors Will Hamilton, Ian Clark and Laurence Plant and independent member Lorraine Hillier.

This said the solar bins would be a waste of taxpayers money and would not be in keeping with the Henley conservation area.

Cllr Eggleton said: I dont think Councillors Miller and Gawrysiak have got the expertise to put those bins where theyve located them  end of story, leaving the meeting goodbye.

After storming away from his camera, he returned moments later and said: And I can tell you something else as well. Just before I leave, Im resigning from HRG. Okay, goodbye.

The trial was approved by six votes to two, with Cllr Eggleton unable to vote, having left the meeting.

This week he said he felt quite relieved to have quit HRG.

I didnt want to do it but I felt like I was left with no other option, he said. I know there are good councillors on HRG and I would like to work with everyone, but I think sometimes you have to make a stand.

Sometimes, people get complacent about what they are doing and I couldnt deal with it anymore.

It wasnt just about the bins, it was about the party not working with me. I was elected by the people of Henley to serve the people of Henley and I feel as if I cant do that with that group anymore.

This has come to a head and I would ask that people respect my decision to step down from HRG.

I am a voice for the people and thats what I based my time as a councillor on. My opinions are not all about me, it is about what I

represent.

Mrs Dodds said she understood Cllr Eggletons decision and added: Dave has done great things. He is very independently minded but then we are all a bunch of independents, as I said to him.

Weve got huge respect for Dave and what he has done. If you disagree with something, you make your point and argue your point and you abide by the decision.

I am sure this will play out all right in the end but Dave is an individual who has done great things.

Councillor Gawrysiak said he was surprised by Cllr Eggletons comments. He said: I think he must be confusing me with another councillor who voted against the crossing.

I have always supported the crossing and since being elected to the county council in 2017 I have dedicated myself to bringing this zebra crossing to fruition.

This crossing was brought about by the parents of Sacred Heart and Trinity, Gainsborough residents, residents of The Close and myself.

I attended many meetings with county council officers designing the location for the crossing and the road surface associated with it.

I attended meetings at county hall and marshalled 123 positive responses to the crossing

consultation.

To get projects off the ground we work as a big team to get things done. I am proud to have this crossing completed during my time as a county councillor. It is the first new one in Henley for more than 40 years. What a wonderful achievement by all involved.

Cllr Miller said: I must admit to being very surprised and somewhat saddened to hear that one of Cllr Eggletons reasons for resigning from HRG was because he felt he was not given any credit for helping with the Henley May Fayre.

I had no idea he felt this way and only wished he could have raised this with me before now.

Back in 2015, I led discussions with George Thomas of Henley Round Table. They realised they did not have the manpower to run the event anymore and I had always wished for the May Fayre to return to the market place.

This was never a council initiative. As a day job I run events, so bringing the May Fayre back to the town played to my strengths. Dave was as passionate as I was to see the May Fayre back in the town. We both felt it would provide much-needed footfall for local shops and restaurants.

I have never, nor would I ever, take the credit for this project. Being a councillor is not about praise or credit, its not why you stand. You do what you can for the town and do your best at every turn.

There was a whole team from the council who got involved with this project  Councillors Eggleton, Hinton, Hillier and Gawrysiak, parks services and the council officers.

I headed up the May Fayre committee but could not have put the day on without the team behind me.

I respect Cllr Eggleton very much. Hes a hard worker, a dedicated councillor and a friend. I was truly shocked at his resignation. I just wish he had spoken to me earlier.
(Newser)  Real Housewives of Orange County star Kelly Dodd lost an endorsement deal after the reality star publicized some controversial views on COVID-19. Positive Beverage, an electrolyte and vitamin drink brand, announced Sunday it had dropped Dodd after it became clear her "stance is no longer congruent with our core values," per TMZ. The day prior, Dodd had posted videos of herself with friends drinking at a Newport Beach restaurant soon after California Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted restrictions on outdoor dining; some in the maskless group could be heard cheering, "superspreaders!" She later defended herself in an Instagram story, claiming, "We all got the vaccine and we dont have it, so theres nothing to spread."

story continues below

The gossip site notes it wasn't the first time Dodd made controversial comments about the coronavirus pandemic, and Positive Beverage's founder and CEO confirms to Us Weekly that it was those opinions that ultimately got Dodd booted as a brand ambassador. "Im glad I could help put Positive Beverage on the map and wish them well," Dodd tweeted Sunday. It's not the reality star's only recent bit of controversy: On the recent RHOC season 15 reunion show, Dodd claimed to be Black, and Page Six reports that Dodd's stepdaughter, Veronica Leventhal (daughter of Dodd's husband, Fox News correspondent Rick Leventhal), appeared to call her out on Instagram, though she never used Dodd's name. "I dont think you can experience the privileges of whiteness and then turn around and deny that those privileges exist," Leventhal said. (Read more coronavirus stories.)
The District Court of The Hague resumes hearings on the case of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, which was downed on July 17, 2014 in the sky over Donbas, the participants in the process will discuss the issue of how to consider the case on the merits from June 7, 2014.

According to the court's press service, it is expected that the court will briefly inform about the issues considered at the last hearing, which took place on November 25, 2020, and talk about the events that have occurred since then. "On November 25, the pretrial stage (consideration of the case) was completed, hearings on the merits are approaching," the court said.

During the last hearing, on some of the defense motions of one of the accused, Russian Oleg Pulatov, the court decided to conduct additional investigations, the execution of which is entrusted to the investigating judge. "The approved investigations must be started and completed. The court does not consider it necessary to complete all investigations before the start of the hearing on the merits, but it must be clear which of them have not yet been completed and how long they will take," the court said.

Further in the court hearing, the lawyers of the relatives and the lawyers of the accused Pulatov will be invited to speak. There will also be an opportunity to respond to representatives of the prosecutor's office.

Should the prosecution fail to respond on Monday, it is expected that such an opportunity will be provided next Monday, on February 8.

According to the press release, when it comes to criminal proceedings in this case, one should expect "a certain degree of unpredictability." "Court hearings can be shortened, postponed, suspended or even canceled due to developments in the court. The schedule can be adjusted from day to day," the court said.
Hundreds of urgent children's operations have been cancelled to make way for adult coronavirus patients, it was claimed today.

The procedures  which include biopsies to spot cancer and fracture repairs  were allegedly due to take place at hospitals in London and the Midlands.

They were marked as 'Priority 2', which should be done within a month, or 'Priority 3', which must be completed within 12 weeks, according to the Health Service Journal.

The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) claimed 'Priority 2' ops were 'increasingly being cancelled around the country' because of high pressure from Covid.

'This is obviously concerning and we need to return to normal operating and to increase capacity as soon as possible,' said Eric Nicholls, a consultant paediatrician and member of the college.

Hospitals have been under intense pressure during the pandemic, with the number of Covid inpatients this winter surging to around 35,000 in England alone  80 per cent above the peak of the first wave.

The surging admissions led to whole wards being turned over to treat those suffering from the virus, with thousands of routine operations postponed because there were too few available.

The chief of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, warned today it could take months for the health service to return to normal because doctors and nurses are exhausted.

Almost 4.5million people in England were waiting for routine operations such as joint replacements or cataract surgery by December  the highest number since records began. It included nearly 200,000 people who have been on the lists for more than a year.

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said it was 'deeply alarming' that there were reports of children's operations being cancelled and warned that they must not now become 'the forgotten victims of this crisis'.

NHS England data shows 56,000 Covid deaths were recorded in over-60s by January 14  but only 4,500 in the under-60s. There were 29 in people under 19

NHS hospitals have been under mounting pressure from surging Covid-19 admissions. Pictured are patients arriving at the Royal London hospital

DEADLY TOLL OF SCRAPPED CANCER SURGERY The devastating toll of the pandemic on cancer patients is laid bare today. Tens of thousands have missed out on potentially lifesaving treatment, official figures reveal. Surgery to remove tumours plummeted by one third during the first wave of coronavirus. From April to August some 21,700 fewer patients had cancer surgery than in the same period of 2019, according to Public Health England (PHE). The number of patients diagnosed with cancer from April to September last year was 35,592, a fall of one quarter compared with 2019 levels. And in the eight months from April to November, 35,488 fewer patients started cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, down 17 per cent on 2019. The devastating figures emerged as the head of the NHS said further delays to cancer surgery in recent weeks were a major cause of concern. Advertisement

Warning over the disruption to children's services, Mr Nicholls said: 'Emergency operations including neonatal, trauma and cancer surgery that fall within 'Priority 1' and 'Priority 2' categories in all childrens surgical specialities have broadly continued during the pandemic.

'However, we are now hearing that 'Priority 2' cases are increasingly being cancelled around the country, due to increased and prolonged pressure on hospitals from the coronavirus.'

He added that doctors and nurses have been pulled off children's wards to assist with Covid-19 patients at hospitals with both children and adult centres, sparking disruption to procedures.

Staff shortages due to self-isolation and sickness and a lack of available operating theatres has also led to delays, he said.

NHS England told MailOnline 10 'specialised networks' for children's surgeries had been set up to ensure 'most procedures' could go ahead.

'Even in December as Covid inpatient numbers rose sharply, children's elective activity was at more than four fifths of its pre-pandemic levels 12 months before,' a spokesman said.

Children are the least likely to die from Covid-19 if they catch the disease, an array of scientific evidence has shown since the start of the pandemic.

But they could be put at risk by postponed operations.

Almost 13 times more over-60s had died from the virus in hospitals compared to younger age groups by January 14, NHS England data showed.

There were 56,000 fatalities in the older age group since the pandemic began, but only 4,500 below this bracket. And of these just 29 Covid-19 deaths were in youngsters aged under 19 years old.

Mr Ashworth said pushing back children's operations to deal with Covid-19 patients 'puts children's health at risk' and revealed the intense pressure on hospitals.

'Years of cutbacks, understaffing and underfunding left our NHS vulnerable heading into this pandemic and now swathes of vital non-Covid care are cancelled,' he said.

'Children must not become the forgotten victims of this crisis. Child health and well-being must always be a priority.'

Warning the NHS was unlikely to return to normal for months, Mr Hopson told The Guardian hospital chiefs wanted to give doctors and nurses time to recover.

'There's potentially quite a tension between giving staff who are completely exhausted the space and support they need to recover, and at the same time the NHS recovering the backlogs of care that have built up, particularly in the hospital sector,' he said.

A man is taken in a wheelchair away from the Royal London hospital. There have been warnings it could take months for the health service to get back to normal

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said staff are 'exhausted'

'What (hospital) chief executives worry about is that the focus is just going to be on the service delivery, about "quickly, quickly quickly, catch up on all of this".

'Of course that's really, really important. [But] how do we balance that with the need to give our staff space to recover and decompress?

'That's a really tricky and difficult issue. These could potentially be conflicting demands for a lot of people (in the NHS).'

He added on Twitter: 'Over the last few weeks NHS staff have worked at an intense fever pitch, day after day, in a way we've never seen before.

'After a year like no other, trust leaders (are) clear they have to support their staff to recompress and recover.'

Mr Hopson's comments come after the devastating toll of the pandemic on cancer patients was laid bare today.

Tens of thousands have missed out on potentially lifesaving treatment, official figures revealed.

Surgery to remove tumours plummeted by one third during the first wave of coronavirus.

From April to August some 21,700 fewer patients had cancer surgery than in the same period of 2019, according to Public Health England (PHE).

The number of patients diagnosed with cancer from April to September last year was 35,592, a fall of one quarter compared with 2019 levels.

And in the eight months from April to November, 35,488 fewer patients started cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, down 17 per cent on 2019.

The devastating figures emerged as the head of the NHS said further delays to cancer surgery in recent weeks were a major cause of concern.

An estimated 800 cancer operations were cancelled in the first two weeks of January, as hospitals once again postponed thousands of non-Covid treatments.

Sir Simon Stevens told MPs last week that health bosses were most concerned about the disruption to cancer surgery.
(Newser)  After former President Trump's impeachment defense team unraveled over the weekend, Trump quickly named a new one. Defense attorneys David Schoen, who frequently appears as a legal commentator on TV, and Bruce Castor, the former DA who declined to charge Bill Cosby back in 2005, will be representing Trump when his trial begins in the Senate the week of Feb. 8. The AP notes the "contrast" with Trump's first impeachment trial, when his team included such high-profile names as Alan Dershowitz, Jay Sekulow, and White House counsel Pat Cipollone.

story continues below

Republicans have made clear their main argument will be that the trial is unconstitutional since Trump is no longer in office, though many legal scholars beg to differ. "The strength of our Constitution is about to be tested like never before in our history. It is strong and resilient," Castor said in a statement, per the Morning Call. "A document written for the ages, and it will triumph over partisanship yet again, and always." As for Schoen, who met with Jeffrey Epstein about joining the disgraced financier's defense team days before Epstein committed suicide, he recently represented Trump confidant Roger Stone in his sentencing appeal, Politico reports.

(Read more Trump impeachment stories.)
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.
There is a shortage of manpower outside the capital

Many GPs fear a lack of Covid-19 vaccines for over-70s will cause turmoil as the supply will not meet huge demand among older people.

There are also concerns that a shortage of GPs in parts of rural Ireland will lead to delays in vaccinations.

Dr Ken Egan, a Mayo GP, said he has been contacted by many of his colleagues whose practices are already inundated with calls from older people about the vaccine.

The former president of the Irish Medical Organisation said it could take 12 weeks to fully vaccinate all the over-85s, the first group of older people who are to be offered the two-shot vaccine later this month.

"GPs are afraid the shortage of vaccines will cause chaos. It could lead to a lot of tensions between patients and doctors," he added.

"Health Minister Stephen Donnelly needs to be upfront with people and tell them they will get vaccinated but it will take longer."

"There will need to be guidelines on the priority order," added Dr Egan.

The first advertisements informing over-85s that "Covid-19 vaccinations are on the way" appeared in newspapers yesterday, telling people "your GP will let you know" when a vaccine is available and everyone will receive one when "it's their turn".

It is expected supplies of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, the first of which are to arrive next week, will only amount to 285,000 doses in February and March, down from the 600,000 which had been expected.

Although there were hopes last night that the number of doses arriving here could be increased after the EU announced that AstraZeneca agreed to deliver an extra nine million in the first quarter of the year.

Unclear

This could mean another 90,000 doses for Ireland.

There are also hopes of an increase in deliveries from Pfizer BioNTech, although large numbers of health staff have still not been vaccinated.

Everyone who gets the vaccine needs two doses and the National Immunisation Advisory Committee will decide on the gap which can range from four to 12 weeks.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is 60pc effective in people aged under 55 and there is a lack of data on the response of older people due to the smaller numbers involved in the trials.

However, it was licensed by the European Medicines Agency for people over 18 and it said it expects protection for older age groups, although it is unclear what level it will be.

Meanwhile, Dr Ruairi Hanley, a GP in Co Louth, said the plan is for GPs to provide rapid vaccination clinics for the entire older population as more supplies of the vaccine become available.

"GP surgeries may simply not be feasible in some parts of the country," he said.

"The truth is that there is a GP manpower crisis in rural Ireland due to the unwillingness of many younger colleagues to practise medicine beyond the M50.

"While I have no doubt that south Dublin would have no shortage, elderly people in rural Ireland may not be so lucky.

"Delays may be inevitable as there are only so many hours doctors and nurses can work."

He called on the HSE to arrange for vaccination centres where Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines would be offered "instead of waiting for GPs to save the day".

There are 500,000 people aged over 70s in the country, including 81,000 over 85 and 90,000 aged 80-84.

Mr Donnelly said the roll-out to the over-70s will begin this month, with every effort being made to deliver the programme "as rapidly and as safely as possible".

Ireland expects to have a total of 1.1 million vaccines doses by March.

As of Wednesday 161,500 doses were administered, 71,600 of which were first doses to residents and staff in long-term care facilities.

Meanwhile, the Irish public reacted to thumb gate last night, giving Mr Donnelly his own medicine on Twitter.

His Twitter ignited with hundreds of people tweeting a thumbs up emoji but it certainly wasn't for the right reasons.

Mr Donnelly tweeted: "This is progress and will mean more vaccines for Ireland in the next two months."

He was reacting to Ursula von der Leyen's tweet on the AstraZeneca nine million additional doses for the EU.

Twitter users were far from impressed with the spin after it was revealed Mr Donnelly had sent a thumbs up emoji by text to chief medical officer Tony Holohan upon hearing the 'R' number had increased in Dublin in October.

Even Guardian columnist and activist Owen Jones gave Mr Donnelly a thumbs up emoji.





TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Moffitt Cancer Center announced today that Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end William Gholston has donated $225,000 to support research into cancer health disparities. The donation, made during Black History Month, will help fund discoveries in breast, colon, and prostate cancers  all of which disproportionately affect Black men and women. Gholston's gift will go to Moffitt's George Edgecomb Society, which seeks to eliminate cancer health disparities in communities of color. The society honors the memory of H. Lee Moffitt's close friend, African American pioneer Judge George Edgecomb, who died of leukemia in 1976.

"When I was presented with the opportunity to donate and be a part of the betterment of cancer research for Black communities, I could not think of a better way to honor my family," Gholston said. "My father and uncle both died battling cancer, and my mother has won her battle with cancer multiple times. This battle is hard. The fight is hard, and any amount of research or help is huge in my eyes. I hope this donation helps others who are fighting or may have to fight down the line. You can never get the time back, but with this effort we may be able to add more time for others. "

Gholston lost his father to lung cancer and an uncle to prostate cancer. His mother, a breast cancer survivor, has volunteered at Moffitt for the last several years, participating in the center's Healthy KIDZ events.

"We thank William and his family for their continued support of Moffitt. This donation carries great thoughtfulness and intent, and will help fund critical research," said Dr. Patrick Hwu, CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center.

Gholston has directed his donation specifically to help with research into breast cancer in honor of his mother, and colon and prostate cancers because of their outsized impact in Black communities. African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with colon and prostate cancer than any other ethnic group in the United States.

Gholston and the Buccaneers will host the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV at their home stadium in Tampa on Sunday, Feb. 7.

About Moffitt Cancer Center

Moffitt is dedicated to one lifesaving mission: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. The Tampa-based facility is one of only 51 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, a distinction that recognizes Moffitt's scientific excellence, multidisciplinary research, and robust training and education. Moffitt is the No. 11 cancer hospital and has been nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report since 1999. Moffitt's expert nursing staff is recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet status, its highest distinction. With more than 7,000 team members, Moffitt has an economic impact in the state of $2.4 billion. For more information, call 1-888-MOFFITT (1-888-663-3488), visit MOFFITT.org, and follow the momentum on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

About the George Edgecomb Society

Created in 2017, the George Edgecomb Society is dedicated to addressing inequities in health care for African Americans. The society is focused on ensuring equitable health outcomes and the elimination of cancer health disparities among Black communities. The group is named after George E. Edgecomb, the first African American judge in Hillsborough County. Judge Edgecomb's death in 1976 at the age of 33 helped inspire H. Lee Moffitt to create a premier cancer center in Florida  Moffitt Cancer Center, which opened in 1986.

SOURCE Moffitt Cancer Center

Related Links

https://moffitt.org


.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

2020 was a horrific year in many ways.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to over 400,000 deaths in the U.S., over 22 million people lost their jobs, and the U.S. economy lost billions of dollars.

Meanwhile, a new administration was sworn in on Jan. 20, faced with three major crises.

The new president must deal with 1) the raging pandemic, 2) the economic problems due to so many Americans being out of work, and 3) the newest crisis that became painfully apparent on Jan. 6  the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

Although some reports describe those involved in the insurrection as Trump nationalists, the participants were expanded to include off-duty police officers and far-right militants including white supremacists, members of QAnon and the Proud Boys.

Clearly, the 74 million Americans who voted for ex-President Donald Trump do not all support the insurrection and violence. However, it is clear that there is a deep division in our country that cannot be ignored.

Whats next on the political front? In my view, we need to start to heal as a nation and to embrace American values, such as honesty, integrity and hard work. Americans need to acknowledge that we need a healthier path forward than the past four years. In addition, the Republican party needs to find a way to develop a platform without Trump, and we need to re-establish relationships with our allies abroad. At the same time President Joe Biden and Congress need to work together to help our economy recover and to help families who have suffered due to the pandemic. These are challenging times.

A Review of the Financial Front: Surprisingly, although 2020 was painful in many ways, it was a positive year for investors.

How can this be?

It became apparent during 2020 that Wall Street does not have a soul. There was a major correction in February and March in which the S&P 500 index lost 34% (from the peak), followed by a swift recovery. For all of 2020, the S&P 500 had an excellent year, gaining 16%. The correction during February and March occurred because the severity of the pandemic (and the potential economic impact) became apparent in February.

However, during the time when George Floyd was killed in late May and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests, the stock market did not waver. During the very divisive presidential election it did not waver, and Jan. 6-8 (the Wednesday when the violence at the capital occurred and the two following days) the U.S. stock market went up in value.

Although Wall Street does not like surprises, it is often not impacted by political or social issues. Biden has voiced his plans to increase the top corporate tax rate to 28%. It was reduced by the Trump administration from 35% to 21%. Not surprisingly, corporate America loved the Trump tax break.

Biden is also talking about tax increases for those with annual incomes above $400,000. The U.S. is now facing enormous debt. The rapid increase in debt was established even before the pandemic led to stimulus checks and Paycheck Protection Program loans.

Whats Next on the Financial Front? I never try to predict the stock market movements in the short-term. In the long-term, investors can be confident the stock market will go up. According to Wayne Thorp of the American Association of Individual Investors, 33% of market downturns recover within one month and 80% of market downturns recover within one year. (Of course, that leaves 20% that may take much longer.)

My advice to my clients (over 20 years as a financial planner) is to control the controllables. We can control how much we spend, how much we save, how we invest, and (to some degree) how we live our lives. We cannot control decisions made by Congress, what happens internationally, or whether the stock market goes up or down in the short-term. Being a wise investor requires accepting the uncertainty of the financial markets.

I recommend never trying to time the market or shoot for the stars. Smart investors are disciplined with diversified portfolios without excess risk. They live within their means, which allows for consistent saving and investing. Their portfolios are designed to perform well in good times and bad. They follow an asset allocation that matches their goals and tolerance for risk.

Because they do not have an overly high percentage in equities (stocks), the fixed income portion will provide some safety if the stock market plummets tomorrow. Likewise, if the stock market goes up, they will participate in the growth because they have some equities in their portfolio.

This is a buy and hold strategy, but not a buy and neglect strategy. Changes are made to the portfolio when rebalancing is needed, when goals or cash flow needs change, or when changes to the assets need to be made.

Lessons From the Pandemic: We have all learned lessons from the pandemic. The biggest lesson I learned is that our greatest asset is our health. It doesnt matter how large your investment accounts are if you do not have your health. Therefore, focusing on what you can control and taking action to improve your health (physical and mental) is a wise strategy.

My second lesson came from a headline from the New York Times on Dec. 8. It read Jobless, Penniless and Surrounded by Wealth. The article was about a section of the Bronx in New York, but it seemed to sum up the economic condition caused by the pandemic throughout the U.S. Whereas many families have been devastated by death and illness due to the virus, others are traumatized economically due to lost jobs and livelihoods. The fact that many investors were fortunate during 2020 reinforces our ability to help others who were less fortunate.

I have seen investors focus too much on their investments and become greedy. Money is simply a tool that should never be worshipped. As stated by psychologist Daniel Gilbert: Money itself doesnt make you happy. What can make you happy is what you do with it.

Donna Skeels Cygan, CFP, MBA, is the author of The Joy of Financial Security. She has been a fee-only financial planner in Albuquerque for over 20 years, and is the branch manager for the Mercer Advisors office in New Mexico. Contact her at dscygan@sagefuture.com.
Treasury: Michiganders Encouraged to Search for Lost or Abandoned Property Today

Treasury: Michiganders Encouraged to Search for Lost or Abandoned Property Today

See contact information below.

Feb. 1, 2021

Michiganders are encouraged take time out of their busy schedules to check if they have lost or abandoned property in celebration of National Unclaimed Property Day today, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury.

To find out if you have cash or property, visit the Michigan Unclaimed Property website. The site provides enhanced search options and the ability to upload verifying documentation easily and securely.

Today, everyone should check to see if they have lost or abandoned property, State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks said. Our Unclaimed Property Program is standing by and ready to reunite these assets with their rightful owners or heirs.

The state Treasury Department is the custodian of millions of dollars in lost or forgotten assets from dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, valuables left in safe deposit boxes and stock certificates. Because these properties were considered abandoned and unclaimed by the bank or company entrusted with them, they are turned over to the state as required by law.

Statistically, 1 in every 10 people have unclaimed property where a company cannot locate the owner and the money or properties are submitted to the state.

We have returned more than $133 million in unclaimed property to rightful owners in the last year alone, said Terry Stanton, manager of Treasurys Unclaimed Property Program. Filing a claim is easy and free. You never know what could be out there until you check.

In the last five years, more than $400 million has been paid to claimants.

Individuals can search for unclaimed property on the Michigan Unclaimed Property website at www.michigan.gov/unclaimedproperty. Claimants may also call 517-636-5320 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For businesses, corporations, nonprofits, public entities and other organizations holding unclaimed or abandoned property, instructions on how to prepare and easily submit your report and remittance online can be found on the Unclaimed Property website as well.

To increase awareness of lost or abandoned personal assets, the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators has declared the first National Unclaimed Property Day on Feb. 1, 2021.

For more information about other services provided by the state Treasury Department, go to www.michigan.gov/treasury or follow @MITreasury on Twitter.

###

Contacts:

Ms. Danelle Gittus (gittusd@michigan.gov) or Mr. Ron Leix (leixr@michigan.gov)

Press Hotline: 517-335-2167

Subscribe to Treasury Press Releases
"Making a donation to research helped me overcome a feeling of helplessness during the first days of the coronavirus crisis," says Raina Jockers, one of the more than 2000 donors for the Goethe Coronavirus Fund, explaining her motivation. The feelings of the Goethe University graduate are undoubtedly shared by many. The majority of donors contributed between 10 and 100 euros to the fund. The smallest donation came from the donation of bonus points from the "payback" programme and amounted to 2 cents; the largest was almost one million euros. Eight donors gave sums of more than 100,000 euros.

Using the non-profit online fundraising platform betterplace.org for the first time, the university's call for donations reached even beyond Frankfurt citizens and foundations and companies from the Rhine-Main area, with donations coming in from Hamburg, Munich and even the USA. The fundraising platform also reported regularly on the work of the scientists, which may have motivated some donors to stick with it: one anonymous donor contributed 20 euros to the fund every month.

"In the pandemic, we wanted to help with what we do best: with our research," says Professor Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz, Goethe University Vice President. "So we simply jumped in at the deep end with our fundraising campaign and set ourselves an ambitious target: 5 million euros in donations. The fact that we have reached the 5 million euro mark in less than a year after our first call for donations makes us deeply grateful. Many private donors, as well as foundations and companies have been extremely generous. They funded research that helps us all, keeping others in mind during this pandemic. This should really encourage us for the long road ahead."

The Goethe Coronavirus Fund provided researchers at Goethe University and Frankfurt University Hospital with start-up support. Many of them have in the meantime raised additional funds for research having to do with SARS-CoV-2. The virologist Professor Sandra Ciesek and the infectologist Professor Maria Vehreschild, for example, are today part of the EU-funded CARE Consortium. Sandra Ciesek's successes in drug research have made her one of the most prominent coronavirus researchers in Germany. Maria Vehreschild was one of the first to systematically collect clinical data and samples from COVID-19 patients and supplied her samples to vaccine and drug researchers throughout Germany; in the meantime, her database has been merged into a Germany-wide biobank.

But researchers from the social sciences and humanities have also profited from the Goethe Coronavirus Fund. More than 40 projects are now being funded - including the coronavirus crisis hotline, and studies by psychologist Professor Ulrich Stagnier on the psychological consequences of the pandemic.

The latest project supported by the Coronavirus Fund is dedicated to the work situation of healthcare workers and doctors in COVID-19 care in Hessian hospitals who are under particular strain. The cooperation project of the University Hospital Frankfurt and the Protestant University of Applied Sciences in Darmstadt first examines the effects on the employees. The results will be used to make recommendations for managers and healthcare workers, as well as concrete options for workplace health promotion. The evaluation of the first sub-study of the project is currently underway.

###

Further donations possible at: https:/ / www. goethe-corona-fonds. betterplace. org and through the donation account: Landesbank Hessen-Thuringen IBAN: DE95 5005 0000 0001 0064 10 Reason for payment: Goethe-Corona-Fonds

Current news about science, teaching, and society can be found on GOETHE-UNI online (http://www. aktuelles. uni-frankfurt. de )

Goethe University is a research-oriented university in the European financial centre Frankfurt am Main. The university was founded in 1914 through private funding, primarily from Jewish sponsors, and has since produced pioneering achievements in the areas of social sciences, sociology and economics, medicine, quantum physics, brain research, and labour law. It gained a unique level of autonomy on 1 January 2008 by returning to its historic roots as a "foundation university". Today, it is one of the three largest universities in Germany. Together with the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Mainz, it is a partner in the inter-state strategic Rhine-Main University Alliance. Internet: http://www. goethe-universitaet. de

Publisher: The President of Goethe University Editor: Pia Barth, Public Relations, PR & Communication Department, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Tel: -49 (0) 69 798-12481, Fax: +49 (0) 69 798-763 12531, p.barth@em.uni-frankfurt.de
In the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday, an allocation of 18154.73 crore has been made for the Ministry of External Affairs for the financial year 2021-22, which includes aid of 7148.95 crore for 20 countries.

According to the Budget statement, a budget of 18154.73 crore has been allocated for MEA for the financial year 2021-22. This budget includes the aid of 7635.15 crore to 20 countries, international training programmes and also art and cultural heritage projects.

The 20 countries to receive aid include Bhutan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar, Mongolia, Mauritius, Seychelles and some African and Eurasian countries.

Besides, funds have also been allotted for the development of the Chabahar port and disaster relief.

Meanwhile, 4328.75 crores in the MEA budget will be spent on maintenance of aircraft of Air India for VVIP travel, Nalanda University, South Asian University, Demarcation of Boundaries, Celebration of Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, Expenditure relating to Pilgrimages abroad, Grants to Institutions, Training, Actual Recoveries, Special Diplomatic Expenditure, International Cooperation, Loss by exchange.

The expenditure of 5857.69 crore out of the MEA budget will be spent on the establishment which includes secretariat, embassies and missions, passport, emigration and other expenditure of the Ministry.

A total of 333.14 crore is also kept for Grants-in-aid-Salaries and Grants-in aid-General for Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR), Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and Society for Research and Information System for Non-Aligned, Other Developing Countries (RIS) and India Centre for Migration. (ANI)

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.

Israel's world-leading vaccination drive has come under fire over a 'data-for-doses' deal struck with Pfizer in which the country pledged to share medical information with the pharma giant.

The Israeli health ministry has agreed to hand over data about vaccinations among different population groups to help assess how quickly herd immunity is achieved.

In return, Pfizer agreed to keep up a delivery rate fast enough so that herd immunity can be reached 'as soon as possible'.

Pfizer says it is the only such deal it has made with any country, while an AstraZeneca spokesman said he was not aware of the British-Swedish company making any similar agreements.

Israel has refused to say whether it paid a premium to get hold of the Pfizer jabs, but reports have claimed that it has paid as much as double the usual rate.

While the vaccine stockpile has allowed Israel to leap ahead in the global race - with nearly 20 per cent of the population already getting the full two doses - the deal with Pfizer has raised privacy concerns among experts.

People wait in line to get a Covid-19 vaccine in Jerusalem last month, with Israel leading the global vaccine race after signing a 'data-for-doses' deal with Pfizer

Israel's high-quality health system - ranked as the fifth-most efficient in the world in a 2020 - study is widely regarded as one of the reasons for its successful rollout.

But it is also regarded as providing high-quality data, making it an attractive place for pharmaceutical firms to do business.

Israel's health ministry last month released a redacted copy of the 'real-world epidemiological evidence collaboration agreement' that it signed with Pfizer.

Pfizer spokeswoman Jerica Pitts told NPR that the US-based firm had not signed a similar deal with any other nation.

The Pfizer deal calls on Israel's health ministry to provide data such as weekly numbers of vaccinations by age group and other demographic sub-groups.

It says that Israel is 'relying on... the product delivery rate by Pfizer to allow maintaining vaccination rate sufficient to achieving herd immunity and enough data as soon as possible'.

Pfizer agreed that the 'viability and success' of the project is 'dependent on the rate and scope of the vaccinations in Israel', meaning it must remain well stocked.

The agreement adds that the data collection is 'highly beneficial' in order to 'evaluate whether herd immunity protection' is observed during the rollout.

But some experts disagree, warning that it could lead to private medical details being identified and voicing fears of the trove of data being hacked.

Tehilla Shwartz Altshuler, a data privacy specialist at the Israel Democracy Institute think-tank, was among those to voice concern about a cyber-attack.

'Your insurance company will know all your medical history. Your employer will know it,' she said, describing the potential consequences of a successful hack.

'The political campaigner who would like to convince you to vote for someone would know everything about your medical history, not to say about people who would like to marry your children.'

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, pictured getting a dose of the vaccine, described the deal as providing 'statistical data that will help develop strategies for defeating the coronavirus'

In a statement issued after the deal was released, she described it as 'one of the most extensive studies of humans in the 21st century'.

Israel and Pfizer both insist that the data handed over will be anonymous and cover demographic groups rather than individuals.

But experts warn that some groups may be small enough that they can be traced back to individuals, for example exposing people as HIV-positive.

Dr Eitan Friedman, the head of an Israeli medical ethics board, said he and his colleagues had requested further details about the agreement.

He said that if Pfizer is essentially carrying out a new clinical study in Israel, it should have been approved by his board.

Numerous media reports have claimed that Israel paid Pfizer well above the market price to get supplies of the vaccine.

One official said last month that Israel was 'paying around $30 per vaccine dose, or around twice the price abroad'.

The health ministry has declined to comment on those reports.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu described the deal as providing 'statistical data that will help develop strategies for defeating the coronavirus'.

Israel's arrangement with Pfizer would help make it 'the first country in the world to emerge from the coronavirus,' he predicted last month.

Although mired in corruption charges and years of political stalemate, Netanyahu hopes to ride the success of the vaccine programme to victory in a March election.

A mass vaccination centre in Tel Aviv was among the places where the Israeli immunisation drive was ramping up in January just as many countries were only getting started

Israel signed a deal for eight million Pfizer vaccines in November, and has also had deals in place with Moderna and AstraZeneca since before any of the jabs were approved.

It has also divided up its vaccine stocks to get them to remote areas, and its health workers pioneered the method of extracting an extra dose from each vial.

According to official figures, nearly 35 per cent of Israel's population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, with 20 per cent already getting both.

Health data in Israel is collected through four health maintenance organisations (HMOs), non-profit groups that cover the country's nine million people.

They maintain meticulous information about their patients and have been credited with rapidly generating vaccination lists ordered by priority group.

But Israel's government also maintains a centralised healthcare database known as 'wagtail' which supplements HMO data with information from public hospitals and other sources.

Altshuler, the data privacy specialist, described Israel's digitised medical data as a 'very unique asset'.

'Israel can offer Pfizer, within a month or six weeks, data on a couple of million people,' she said.
SINGAPORE  Singapore has expressed its grave concern about the ongoing political situation in Myanmar, which has seen its civilian leaders detained and its military declaring a one-year state of emergency.

We are monitoring the situation closely and hope all parties involved will exercise restraint, maintain dialogue, and work towards a positive and peaceful outcome, said the Singapores Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a statement on Monday (1 February).

Myanmar is a close friend of Singapore and key member of ASEAN. We hope that the situation will return to normal as soon as possible, the statement added, referring to the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi in Naypyidaw on 27 January 2021. (PHOTO: AFP via Getty Images)

According to media reports, Myanmars civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party were detained early on Monday  the first day of the new parliamentary sessions after the NLDs landslide victory in the countrys general election last November.

The actions, which have been described as a coup by many media outlets, also come amid claims by the military of widespread voter fraud. The state Union Election Commission denied the allegations last week.

Singaporeans in Myanmar have been advised to stay vigilant, monitor local news closely, follow the advice of the local authorities, and to e-register with the MFA at https://eregister.mfa.gov.sg.

Those in need of consular assistance in Myanmar can contact the Singapore Embassy in Yangon or 24-hour MFA Duty Office at:

Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Yangon

238 Dhamazedi Road, Bahan Township, Yangon, Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Tel: +95-1-9-559 - 001

Emergency Tel (after hours): 09-250-863-840

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Duty Office (24-hours)

Tel: +65-6379 8800/8855

Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore

More Singapore stories:

29 new COVID cases in Singapore, all imported and asymptomatic

Story continues

New COVID-19 case under probe over tennis with 12 other persons: MOH

Singapore to halt RGL travels with Malaysia, Germany and S. Korea for 3 months from 1 Feb

COVID-19: No 'Huat ah!' allowed  6 things to observe this Chinese New Year

Singapore confirms 25 UK variant COVID-19 cases from 23 Dec-26 Jan: MOH
U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, announced Monday that the committee will investigate the spread of COVID-19 in the nations meatpacking plants.

In a first move, the committee issued investigatory letters to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and food companies JBS USA, Smithfield Foods, and Tyson Foods. Each letter requested a bevy of documents, including those that could shed light on how each entity responded to COVID-19 outbreaks and complaints within plants.

Since the start of the pandemic, USA TODAY in partnership with the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting has investigated the spread of the novel coronavirus in meatpacking plants. To date, more than 45,000 workers have fallen ill, with at least 240 deaths, stemming from 482 outbreaks, tracking from the Midwest Center shows. But the true toll could be much larger, as companies failed to report and OSHA failed to investigate some deaths under the Trump administration.

In a letter to OSHA, Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina, criticized the agency for failing to adequately carry out its responsibility for enforcing worker safety laws at plants, resulting in infections and death.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, fist bumps Committee Chairman James Clyburn, D-S.C., before testifying in front of the House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis during a hearing on a national plan to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, on Capitol Hill on July 31, 2020, in Washington.

It is imperative that the previous Administrations shortcomings are swiftly identified and rectified to save lives in the months before coronavirus vaccinations are available for all Americans, Clyburn wrote.

Clyburns letter also urged OSHA to take specific actions, including issuing clear guidance to employers, enacting a temporary emergency standard for workplace safety, and enhancing enforcement efforts.

The letter was addressed to Jim Frederick, deputy assistant secretary of OSHA, a former assistant director of the United Steelworkers Union who was appointed by President Joe Biden on Jan. 21. Last Friday, Frederick led the release of new workplace safety guidelines for coronavirus that agency officials said marked the first step in a change of direction from the administration.

Story continues

More: They think workers are like dogs. How pork plant execs sacrificed safety for profits.

More: Cheap chicken, beef came at a cost. How American meat plants bred coronavirus hot spots.

More: Coronavirus at meatpacking plants worse than first thought, USA TODAY investigation finds

OSHA is next set to consider by March 15 the necessity of emergency standards, which would legally require employers to take precautions against COVID-19. Whether or not the agency increases enforcement through fines and penalties to the industry remains to be seen. According to Clyburns letter, OSHA has issued just eight coronavirus-related citations totaling $80,000 in penalties to the industry so far.

Denisha Braxton, a spokesperson for the Department of Labor, confirmed receipt of the letter and said that its requests are  focused on the Trump administrations actions.

The Department of Labor is committed to working with the Committee on our joint commitment to protecting workers, Braxton added. OSHAs guidance released on Friday is a first step in this effort.

OSHA officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment Monday morning.

Debbie Berkowitz, a former OSHA chief of staff and senior policy adviser at OSHA and now director of the National Employment Law Projects worker health and safety program, called the subcommittees investigation critically important.

The meat and poultry industry became a vector for the spread of COVID 19 because it did not implement basic safety precautions. Stunningly, when workers filed complaints about unsafe conditions in the pandemic, OSHA failed to conduct inspections, Berkowitz said. This investigation is critical to find out why, among all the big industries, the meat industry was able to get a pass at protecting workers in this pandemic.

In separate letters to JBS, Tyson, and Smithfield, Clyburn requested that the companies provide robust documentation, including all documents relating to complaints or concerns submitted by employees, a description of how those complaints are tracked, any documents related to federal or state inspections, and all information regarding infections and deaths at its plants.

No subpoenas were issued with the letters, meaning the requests are voluntary. But Clyburns office stated the subcommittee expects willful compliance and will consider other measures if not met.

The letters also highlight specific instances in which Clyburn accused the companies of putting workers in harms way.

According to Clyburn, 3,084 JBS employees have been infected by the virus, leading to 18 deaths. Clyburn noted an OSHA investigation of the companys Greeley, Colorado, plant last spring determined that the company failed to protect employees from exposure and to provide a workplace safe from recognized hazards. Clyburns letter alleges the companys net profits increased 778% to $574.9 million in the third quarter of 2020.

In a statement, JBS said that it invested more than $200 million in health and safety innovations, $160 million in worker bonuses and increased pay, and donated more than $50 million to local communities. The company said it has also implemented physical barriers in workplaces, distancing protocols, provides unlimited personal protective equipment and is installing hospital-grade ventilation systems in all facilities.

We welcome the opportunity to provide members of the (subcommittee) information regarding our response to the global pandemic and our efforts to protect our workforce, the company said.

Clyburn alleged that 3,553 Smithfield employees contracted the coronavirus, eight of whom died. At a plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Clyburn noted that OSHA found that an outbreak led to the infection of 1,300 employees, 43 hospitalizations, and four deaths. He stated the company made $925 million in profit in the first half of 2020.

Keira Lombardo, Chief Administrative Officer of Smithfield, said the company has taken seriously our responsibility to protect the health and safety of our employees while continuing to provide food for our nation. The company has invested more than $700 million in adding protections such as worker screening and testing facilities, air purification systems, physical barriers and personal protective equipment, she added.

It is unfortunate that there are inaccuracies and misinformation in the media on this issue and we look forward to providing the Subcommittee with correct information, Lombardo said.

In a letter to Tyson, Clyburn alleged that 12,413 workers tested positive for coronavirus, leading to 39 deaths. He alleged Tyson did not carry out facility-wide testing at many facilities where 50 or more workers were infected. Clyburn stated the company reported $2.15 billion in profits during fiscal year 2020.

Tyson Foods installed plastic barriers between worker stations at its meat and poultry plants to protect against transmission of the coronavirus.

In a statement, Tyson Foods spokesperson Gary Mickelson said that workers health and safety is the top priority and that the company has invested more than half a billion dollars on protective measures such as temperature scanners, social distance monitors, workstation dividers, and pay and benefits.

We look forward to working with the congressional committee to share what weve done and continue to do to protect our team members, Mickelson said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Clyburn investigation targets COVID-19 outbreaks at meatpacking plants
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.
yosemite park snow View Photo

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Northern Sierra Nevada above 3,500 feet, from noon until 6 PM tonight.

Additional snow accumulations will range from two to six inches above the 3,500 foot elevation.

Plan on slippery road conditions. Be prepared for reduced visibilities at times.

A Winter Weather Advisory means periods of snow will cause primarily travel difficulties. Be prepared for snow covered roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.
In September, 11 leading Pakistani political parties launched an alliance to demand Prime Minister Imran Khans resignation. They claimed he had assumed power after the countrys powerful military rigged parliamentary elections in favor of his Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) political party in July 2018.

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) -- a collection of conservative, liberal, ethnonationalist, and Islamic political parties -- claimed they were seeking to restore true democracy by forcing the countys pretorian army out of politics. Their goal was to pressure it to cease support for Khan and eventually submit to civilian supremacy. The Pakistani military denies participating in politics, but four army generals have ruled the country of more than 220 million people for nearly half of its history.

Four months on, however, the PDM is running out of steam. Its major component parties appear to have given up on mass resignations from the parliament and plans to storm Islamabad to force Khans resignation. His administration missed the alliances January 31 purported deadline to him to step down.

The selected PM has failed to resign by the deadline set by PDM had given this illegitimate regime the opportunity to step aside respectfully and allow for a transition to democracy with free, fair and transparent elections, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari the leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), one of the largest opposition parties in the county, tweeted late on January 31.

While claiming Khans administration was in disarray, the young opposition leader perhaps inadvertently highlighted the key trigger that set the PDM on a path to failure. In late December, the PPP stepped back from resignations from the parliament, which the PDM had long touted as a trump card to force Khan out of power and send the military back to the garrison. Instead, it announced plans to contest elections for the Senate, the upper house of Pakistani parliament elected by the countrys four provincial assemblies, and the National Assembly or lower house.

Waning Prospects

The PPPs change of heart shook the PDM and left it scrambling to redefine a strategy. Public support for its vocal protests, which took the country by storm in October and seemed to set the stage for a showdown between PDM parties and Khans administration before Senate elections in March, soon waned.

Alliance leaders now offer meek prospects. The January 31 deadline was not our ultimate deadline, so our struggle will continue, Senator Jehanzeb Jamaldini, a lawmaker of the opposition Balochistan National Party Mengal (BNP-M), told Gandhara. This government will fall because of its own mistakes and incompetence even if we fail to force it out of power.

Jamaldini said a majority of political parties are ready to contest the Senate vote and have agreed to postpone their protest march until after the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in mid-May. Most [PDM member] parties agree that we should not leave the political arena and key institutions such as the parliament to government, he said of the PDMs logic behind contesting the polls.

But the disarray in the PDMs ranks and its failure to force Khan out of power have emboldened the government to exploit its fissures.

The PDMs deadline has passed and the nation saw the reality of their hollow threat of mass resignations, Information Minister Shibili Faraza tweeted on February 1. The nation now knows that that their agenda is to protect personal interests and lust for power, he added. By rejecting all their words and deeds, the people have supported the elected democratic government.

Suleman Khan Kakar, a political analyst in Islamabad, however, sees much deeper circumstances responsible for the fizzling out of PDMs protests. He says the PDMs biggest members -- the PPP, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), and the Islamist party Jamiat Ulma-e Islam -- have all worked to undermine and destabilize each others governments for years.

This has created a kind of distrust among their top leaders that is not easy to overcome, he said, noting the markedly different circumstances in which the three find themselves. Kakar says that despite their claims of vote-rigging the PPP actually improved its electoral performance in 2018 and have some share in power. Their administration is now running the provincial government in Sindh, Pakistans second-largest province, he said.

Unlike the PML-N and JUI, the PPP has been reluctant to take the countrys powerful military head-on. If they end up on the wrong side of the military establishment, their grip on power will weaken, he noted. In Karachi, the provincial capital, rival political parties, criminal gangs, and terrorist groups can destabilize their party organization and provincial government, he said, reflecting on volatile politics in the port city.

Kakar says the PML-N, on the other hand, has historically played it safe. Apart from toying with the idea of becoming an ideological group, the party has limited itself to power politics where it cashed in its large vote bank in the eastern province of Punjab, Pakistans largest, to form governments with the militarys acquiescence during the past three decades. Despite the efforts of some of its leaders, it will take a long time for this party to transform, he said.

As a senior official of the nongovernmental National Democratic Institute in Pakistan, Kakar has interacted with Pakistani political elites for a decade. He says that periodic stints in power have hollowed out most of Pakistans political parties, which are typically hereditary organizations. Many of the PDM political parties used the mobilization for their joint protests to quash internal dissent and reunite their partys organization, which worked well for some of its leaders, he noted.

A deep reconfiguration of the Pakistani political culture, however, does not appear to be in the cards in the immediate future.
Advertisement

Blizzards bringing up to 16in (40cm) of snow are set to blast across a swathe of Britain this week  with yet more rain predicted for saturated parts of the country, after temperature fell to -7C (19F) overnight.

Forecasters warn the wintry weather will hit from 10pm tonight and could last the rest of the week  while 200 flood warnings or alerts are in force for England today along with a further two for Wales. Scotland faces the worst of the snow as a band of rain from the south hits cold Scandinavian air when it crosses the border.

It comes after heavy downpours, strong winds and large waves battered southern England over the weekend and temperatures in Scotland dropped to -13C (9F) which made it the joint coldest night of the winter so far.

February has begun with a slew of weather warnings for much of northern England and Scotland all of the country, up until at least the end of Wednesday  but forecasters have warned snow could also fall later on this week.

Meanwhile there was a big temperature contrast across Britain at about 8am this morning, with Altnaharra in the Scottish Highlands down to -7C (19F) while St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly recorded 10C (50F).

The wintry conditions are predicted to arrive tonight across the northern half of the Midlands, the North West, Yorkshire and the North East. Central and northern Wales plus Northern Ireland and Scotland are also set to be hit.

A 4X4 attempts to cross the A1101 at Welney in Norfolk today in more than 4ft of water, causing it to be abandoned halfway

Surfers ride 20ft waves at the Cribbar, also known as the 'Widow Maker', off Newquay in Cornwall today

Roads near Chelmsford in Essex are still flooded this morning following heavy rain in southern England over the weekend

Fog and snow covers the hills near Longtown in Herefordshire this morning with blizzards on the way from tonight

Flooding gets near a house in Shiplake, Oxfordshire, amid fears over further rainfall forecast for the week ahead

Gardens flood near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire this morning after the River Great Ouse burst its banks

The River Thames breaches its banks causing flooding to surrounding parks, allotments and paths at Osney in Oxford today

Donkeys roam the snow-covered fields near Longtown in Herefordshire this morning with more flurries expected

A council worker inspects the water levels in a park in Osney, Oxford, this morning

Temporary flood barriers at Weybridge in Surrey today after Storm Christoph caused widespread flooding across the UK

The Met Office issued the warning for ice and snow from 10pm today through all of tomorrow as a weather front moves north. Sarah Kent from the Met Office said: 'There is a risk of snow across the UK any day this week.'

Forecasters say the snow could cut off some rural communities as road closures, public-transport problems, power cuts and interruption of mobile-phone coverage are likely.

Freezing rain is also predicted. In its forecast, the Met Office said: 'A band of rain, heavy in places, is likely to push slowly north-east. As this rain comes into contact with cold air, it is likely to turn to snow away from eastern coastal districts.'

Up to 7in (20cm) or more could fall across higher parts of northern England and Scotland.

In southern parts of England and Wales, patchy rain is expected this evening and tomorrow, with up to 1in (25mm) in the wettest places, such as the Brecon Beacons.

The rain is due to clear eastwards tomorrow morning followed by showers. But, due to the saturated ground, Miss Kent warned: 'It won't take much rainfall to have some impact.'

However, temperatures will hold up in southern areas and could reach a balmy 55F (13C), almost as warm as Nice in the South of France where it is forecast to be 57F (14C).

For Wednesday, a further snow warning has been issued, covering the central Pennines, where another 7in of snow could add to the drifts set to fall tomorrow.

The split between the milder South and chilly North is set to continue for the rest of the week.

On Saturday night, at Chesil Beach in Dorset the storm brought terrifying 23ft-high waves as sea and rain water poured into surrounding streets.

The Environment Agency issued a flood warning for the area, as high tides combined with the strong winds produced powerful sea spray that was flung inland.

Resident Sharon Cooper, 47, said: 'The waves were absolutely huge and there was so much flooding. Just behind the beach there is a small car park and the water even swept one of two of the cars away. It was absolutely crazy weather.'

In Cornwall yesterday, several main roads were closed due to flooding, with marooned vehicles abandoned in the rising waters at St Erth.

Porthleven harbour was battered by huge waves while there were also reports of flooding in Devon.

The ground in many areas remains saturated and river levels high after heavy rain over the last ten days including Storm Christoph, which brought more than a month's precipitation in just three days.

The Met Office has issued weather warnings for snow and ice for today (left), tomorrow (centre) and Wednesday (right)

Temperatures are just above freezing in some areas this morning (left) and will stay in single digits this afternoon (right)

Heavy rain and snow are on the way for parts of Britain this week - both tomorrow (left) and on Wednesday (right)

People watch as surfers ride 20ft waves at the Cribbar, also known as the 'Widow Maker', off Newquay in Cornwall today

Flooded farmland at Lower Shiplake in Oxfordshire today, where an Environment Agency flood warning is in place

A vehicle drives through floodwater in the West Yorkshire village of Arthington today as the UK braces for more bad weather

Worcester Racecourse is underwater today following floods after the River Seven burst its banks

The B4213 road to Tirley is closed due to deep flooding along the River Severn in Gloucestershire today

Worcester Racecourse is submerged by floodwater today after the River Seven burst its banks

Workers at a temporary barrier in Weybridge, Surrey, today after Storm Christoph caused widespread flooding across the UK

The River Thames breaches its banks causing flooding to the surrounding parks at Osney in Oxford this morning

Workers at the temporary barrier in Weybridge, Surrey, today after widespread flooding across the UK

Flooding near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire this morning after the River Great Ouse burst its banks

Floodwater from the the Colne Brook approaches residential properties near Wraysbury in Berkshire this morning

The River Thames causes flooding at Osney in Oxford this morning after bursting its banks

Pictures from Gloucestershire yesterday showed a playground partially submerged in Tewkesbury and vehicles battling rising flood- waters in Lower Apperley.

Insurance boost for flood-prone homes if protective measures are installed By Colin Fernandez for the Daily Mail Residents in flood-prone areas may be entitled to lower insurance premiums if they install protective measures in their homes. Today ministers are launching a consultation into plans for householders to claim discounts if they make changes such as putting in flood barriers, air brick covers and flood-resistant coatings. Environment Secretary George Eustice said: 'I am determined to get more support to people hit time and again by floods. These plans aim to give households in flood-hit areas additional support to protect their properties.' Floods minister Rebecca Pow said the proposals would give residents 'more help to build back better and reduce the risk in the future'. The consultation covers changes to the Flood Re scheme, a joint industry-government initiative. This aims to cut insurance costs by passing the flood-risk element to specialists Flood Re and charging a set premium to households based on council tax bands. Another measure being considered is cutting the cheapest subsidised premium for contents insurance provided by Flood Re from 52 as a review commissioned by ministers suggests this could be too much for households on low incomes. Advertisement

There were similar scenes in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, where water lapped onto the towpath, surrounding benches and approaching riverside homes.

Meanwhile in Scotland, some areas are facing snowfalls of up to 16in (40cm) this week as a band of rain from the south hits cold Scandinavian air when it crosses the Border.

The snow is expected to sweep up through the Central Belt tomorrow before delivering its biggest payload over Aberdeenshire and the wider North-East on Wednesday.

Miss Kent said: 'I feel sorry for the gritting lorry drivers  they are going to face a very tricky job over the next few days. We are looking at the possibility of 16in of snow in the North-East on Wednesday on top of what is due to fall on Tuesday.

'If you add these totals up, you begin to get an idea how extreme conditions are going to be. Exposed routes like the A9 are going to prove very difficult indeed.'

Saturday saw the joint coldest night of the winter so far, with a chilling -13C at Braemar, Aberdeenshire.

This equalled the low recorded at Dawyck in Peeblesshire on January 9. Among the chilliest spots yesterday was Loch Glascarnoch, near Garve, Ross-shire.

Jennie Yee-Borresen and husband Scott Borresen, originally from Australia but now living in Inverness, were out for a walk in the sunshine. Jennie said: 'It's absolutely stunning here and certainly colder than anything we were used to in Sydney.'

Mountain waterfalls froze solid in the deep-freeze conditions. Snow and ice warnings issued for Orkney and Shetland continue until noon today, as do alerts for Grampian and Highlands and Islands.

From 10 o'clock tonight, a slow-moving band of rain strikes colder air in southern Scotland, enveloping the Central Belt and Southern Highlands by tomorrow morning.

Here, up to four inches (10cm) of snow is likely but there is the potential for eight inches (20cm) on higher ground.

With a number of road closures possible, the Met Office warns drivers and their passengers could become stranded in their vehicles. Some rural communities could be cut off and power cuts could occur. A yellow 'be aware' warning continues until midnight tomorrow.

Swans swimming on flood water in Worcester today after The River Seven burst its banks

Workers at the temporary barrier in Weybridge, Surrey, today after Storm Christoph caused widespread flooding

Severe flooding on Water Lane in Watford, Hertfordshire, this morning as the the roads become impassible to many

A temporary barrier in Weybridge, Surrey, remains in place today after Storm Christoph caused widespread flooding

Workers at the temporary barrier in Weybridge, Surrey, today after widespread flooding across the UK in recent weeks

Flooding means the A1101 remains closed at Welney in Norfolk this morning with cars unable to make it through

A partly submerged sign in Weybridge, Surrey, today after Storm Christoph caused widespread flooding across the UK

Swans swimming on floodwater in Worcester today after the River Seven burst its banks

The sun rises this morning between one of the 21 arches that make up the Arthington viaduct near Otley in Yorkshire

A 4X4 attempts to cross the A1101 at Welney in Norfolk this morning in more than 4ft of water causing it to be abandoned

Snow-covered fielded at Llanveynoe in rural Herefordshire this morning with more bad weather on the way

Flooding near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire this morning after the River Great Ouse burst its banks

The most dramatic warning posted this year affects the Central Highlands and parts of the North-East on Wednesday.

What forecasters describe as 'significant accumulations' of snow are expected, amounting to four to eight inches above 650ft, but as much as 16 inches could fall over the Grampians.

The Met Office warning adds: 'This amount of snow could bring disruption to travel on the higher roads across the Southern Uplands and Grampians.' Areas affected include Central, Tayside and Fife, Grampian, and Highlands and Islands.

Meanwhile, we are likely to discover today if Scotland has come close to setting a new sunshine record for January.

The country normally gets an average of 35.61 hours of sunshine in the whole of January, but this was exceeded almost ten days before the end of the month. The Met Office is due to publish its statistics later today.

Boulders weighing more than a tonne each are hurled onto seaside road as stormy weather hits West Country Boulders weighing more than a tonne each were hurled on to a seaside road as stormy weather hit the West Country. The sea, whipped by the storm, picked up the rocks and threw them on to the harbourside road at Porthleven in Cornwall. Photos posted on social media by witness Michael Toy showed the boulders lying in the road which was closed by police. Mr Toy said: 'A quick reminder of the power of the sea. The large rocks washed up Chuggy Steps washed out in the road.' The stretch from the B3304 Fore Street to Cliff Road has reopened but work will get underway to lift the boulders. The sea, whipped by the storm, picked up the rocks and threw them on to the harbourside road at Porthleven in Cornwall The boulders weighing more than a tonne each were hurled on to the seaside road in Cornwall as stormy weather hit the West Country Advertisement

A nation of slip roads: Army of lockdown ramblers trampling over beauty spots turn paths into mudbath... and there's more rain and snow on the way

By Kamal Sultan For The Daily Mail

These muddy quagmires may resemble battlefield scenes - but this is the trail of devastation left by an army of lockdown walkers in beauty spots across Britain.

Conservation groups fear that the sheer number of families out and about when there are so few alternative pastimes may be doing longterm damage.

Walkers refusing to wear Wellington boots or other suitable footwear may be to blame as much as the sheer numbers.

One path leading to Richmond Park in west London has been rendered virtually unusable. On Hampstead Heath in north London walkers struggled to keep their footing on the slippery mud.

A downhill trail in Leigh Woods near Bristol looked increasingly dangerous as the ground becomes more and more cut up.

Footpaths have been turned to muddy puddles across Britain, including along the Downlands Circular walk in Surrey

Mud and puddles have pushed families towards the road as they enter Richmond Park - with more wet weather on the way

Some paths have been rendered virtually unusable, with hikers struggling to keep their footing. Bellingdon in Buckinghamshire has transformed into tough terrain for some dogwalkers too

Paths in the 120-acre national nature reserve have widened from two metres to 12 metres as walkers ignore the designated footpaths to avoid the mud.

The site, which was first inhabited by humans more than 2,300 years ago, saw double the number of visitors in 2020 compared to 2019.

In Bellingdon in Buckinghamshire, a dog and its owner had to wade through deep puddles left in the torn-up ground.

The devastation caused by unprecedented numbers of visitors is also clear to see on Dunwich Heath, a Suffolk beach where military exercises were conducted in 1943 to prepare for the D-Day landings.

Experts say the negative impact lockdown walkers are having on nature hotspots could be visible over the next few months into spring.

The National Trust is asking for people to wear the correct footwear and 'savour the squelch' of muddy paths instead of walking across the grass to prevent further damage to the environment.

With more rain set to lash the South, walkers are already struggling to contend with muddy conditions along the Downlands Circular walk in Surrey

Even experienced walkers have been struggling to cope with the conditions in Hampstead Heath, as the National Trust urges people to avoid walking on the grass and instead use designated footpaths

Puttenham Common in Guildford is another beauty spot that has seen quiet walking tracks turned into muddy obstacle courses

Rob Rhodes, head of countryside management at the charity, said: 'We would encourage everyone enjoying some time outside to be aware of where they are walking or exercising and to help look after nature by sticking to paths.

'This is a particularly difficult time of year to maintain pathways due to the wet and winter weather - but we need people's help to ensure paths don't widen any further and to prevent damage to the surrounding landscape as this could have a harmful impact on nature over the next few months particularly when we get into spring.

'Our simple advice is to 'savour the squelch'! Even if a pathway is muddy - stick to the path rather than seeking out grassy areas. Wear the appropriate footwear, stick to the original path and during the pandemic, to ensure safe and social distancing.'

A Defra spokesman said: 'The Countryside Code is there to protect people, property and habitats  and we urge people to follow the guidance and respect the communities and environment that make up our country.

'Our 'Respect, Protect, Enjoy' principles encourage visitors to protect our outdoor spaces for everyone to enjoy.'
On January 30, the mass COVID-19 vaccination site at Los Angeless Dodger Stadium, one of the largest in the United States, was shut down for about an hour by about 50 demonstrators who blocked the entrance.

The group organizing the protest, Shop Mask Free Los Angeles, designated the event a Scamdemic Protest/March directed against everything COVID, Vaccine, PCR Tests, Lockdowns, Masks, Fauci, Gates, Newsom, China, digital tracking, etc.

Participants were advised to please refrain from wearing Trump/MAGA attire as we want our statement to resonate with the sheeple. No flags but informational signs only. Signs included END THE LOCKDOWN, COVID=SCAM, TAKE OFF YOUR MASK, and DONT BE A LAB RAT.

As people sat in their vehicles waiting to be vaccinated, protesters shouted at them to turn around and tossed leaflets into open windows. Virtually none of the protesters wore a mask, even though the City of Los Angeles has ordered that all people outside of their homes must wear them.

Motorists queue up to take a coronavirus test in a parking lot at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, on January 4, 2021 (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File)

Shortly before 2:00 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department, which manages the vaccination site, announced that the demonstration was forcing their closure of the entrance to the stadium. Several Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers responded, but no arrests were made.

Although both the LAPD and Chief Michel Moore tweeted that the vaccination site was never closed, the facts are otherwise. When a person waiting in line approached officers standing in front of the closed gate and asked who was in charge, an LAPD officer was recorded stating, Im in charge, so right now, it is going to stay closed until I get further information.

Dating back at least to the Watts riots almost 60 years ago and continuing through the George Floyd-inspired antipolice violence demonstrations last summer, the LAPD has garnered an international reputation for repression of free speech and brutality. Using pretexts such as blocking traffic, LAPD officers typically fire less-lethal projectiles and tear gas canisters before moving in with batons and flexicuffs to mass arrest left-wing protesters.

In this instance, however, the far-right demonstrators were allowed to disrupt a major public health operation by impeding the flow of traffic into the vaccination site while LAPD officers stood by and watched. Once the gates were reopened around 3:00 p.m. and protesters began to leave, one of the organizers thanked LAPD officers, who waved back.

This demonstration was not unexpected. It was promoted publicly on social media for several days. The LAPD was not caught off guard. They deliberately chose not to act.

It is no coincidence that past anti-lockdown protests across the country and former President Donald Trumps attempted coup detat on January 6 have been met with muted responses from law enforcement officers, some of whom have openly encouraged, supported or even participated in the fascist demonstrations.

The reactionary effort to stop vaccinations was immensely hypocritical, as demonstrators claimed to be defending personal liberty against government overreach. Yet they were preventing people from voluntarily getting COVID-19 vaccines that reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from a virus, which has already killed more than 2.2 million people around the world.

California is currently a global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic with more than 3.3 million confirmed cases. The virus has spread rapidly in the states large and densely populated centers, which includes millions of low-income workers and families crammed into outrageously expensive living spaces, with deadly consequences. As of Sunday almost 41,000 Californiansmore than one out of every 1,000 residentshave died from complications of COVID-19.

The day of the demonstration the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recorded more than 6,900 new cases along with another 316 fatalities, bringing the official total to 16,647.
New Delhi, Feb 1 : The Delhi Police on Monday said that no illegal detention has been done in the farmers' agitation and protest, and appealed people not to fall prey for rumours.

"We have registered a total of 44 cases in the farmers' protest so far and a total of 122 people have been arrested. Apart from those arrested, no one has been detained in the police stations. The records of all those who have been arrested is also available on Delhi Police's website," said Eish Singhal, PRO, Delhi Police.

The Delhi Police also said that the kin of those arrested can also seek information from the concerned police stations.

"We have put the information on our website to facilitate the people. We would request people not to give heed to any rumours," the officer added.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up at the three borders and barricades, boulders, barbed wires have come up as additional forces made their way to Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri borders amid the apprehensions of more farmers joining the protest from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh.

Drones are being used to keep surveillance and intense checking is being done at border areas which has resulted in massive traffic snarls in the capital. The Traffic was affected on Road no. 56 from ISBT Anand Vihar to Ghazipur due to closing of border. Traffic jam was also noticed at ITO and other places in Delhi amid heavy police checking.

Senior police officers were supervising the situation and keeping a tab on the situation. The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday extended the temporary suspension of internet at Delhi borders, till February 2, 11 p.m., in the wake of farmers' protest.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
12,000-metre drill program focused on brownfield targets to expand high grade resources at Minera Don Nicolas project

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 1, 2021) - CERRADO GOLD ("Cerrado" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of its 2021 exploration drill program at the Minera Don Nicolas Project ("Minera Don Nicolas" or the "MDN Project") located in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. The new drill program is expected to consist of approximately 12,000 metres of core drilling and supporting assay work to build upon the current resources outlined at the MDN Project. Cerrado expects the program to be completed by July 2021 with the publication of a new 43-101 Mineral Resource estimate thereafter.

Mark Brennan, Co-Chairman and CEO commented, "We are very excited to commence our first formal exploration drilling campaign at Minera Don Nicolas, located in the prolific Deseado Massif in Santa Cruz Province. Our program will focus on near mine, high grade brownfield prospects and will leverage off significant historical drilling from which we expect to be able to quickly add additional resource ounces near to our existing mining operations that we can ultimately bring into the mine plan."

This new drill program is aimed at expanding the recent updated Mineral Resource estimate with an effective date of August 31, 2020, posted on the Company's website, that was prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. ("SRK") in accordance with the Canadian Securities Administrators' National Instrument 43-101 and Form 43-101F1 (See PR October 20, 2020). The current NI 43-101 Mineral Resource estimate is outlined below:

Table 1: Mineral Resource Statement*, Don Nicolas Project, Santa Cruz, Argentina, SRK Consulting, August 31, 2020

Category Quantity Grade Metal Au Ag Au Ag tonne gpt gpt Oz oz Open Pit** Cut-off 0.3 g/t gold Measured 249,400 4.32 5.50 34,668 44,100 Indicated 820,600 5.77 9.61 152,237 183,126 Measured and Indicated 1,070,000 5.43 8.39 186,905 227,226 Inferred 4,108,400 1.59 3.75 210,476 195,252 Underground** Cut-off 3.0 g/t gold Measured 0 0.00 0.00 0 0 Indicated 56,200 6.59 8.12 11,903 14,677 Measured and Indicated 56,200 6.59 8.12 11,903 14,677 Inferred 555,300 7.74 8.41 138,217 124,867 Combined Mining Measured 249,400 4.32 5.50 34,668 44,100 Indicated 876,800 5.82 9.48 164,140 197,803 Measured and Indicated 1,126,200 5.49 8.37 198,808 241,903 Inferred 4,663,700 2.33 4.78 348,693 320,118

Notes:

*- Mineral resources are reported in relation to a conceptual pit shell. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate. All composites have been capped where appropriate.

**- Open pit mineral resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 0.3 g/t gold for the open pit portion and 3.0 g/t gold for the underground deposits. Cut-off grades are based on a price of US$1,550 per ounce of gold and gold recoveries of 95 percent at Martinetas and 88 percent at La Paloma, without considering revenues from other metals.

The 2021 exploration program is comprised of 12,000 metres of diamond drilling. This program will consist mainly of step-out and downdip drilling to target extensions of gold mineralization and a modest amount of infill drilling to upgrade resources. The primary areas of focus for the program will be to build on the numerous exploration targets that have been defined by limited historical drilling, such as the Esperanza and Paula Andrea (Baritina, Chulengo, Ariana, Carcol targets) areas, and upgrade these to NI 43-101 compliant status. The current program is in addition to current RC drilling by the mine for infill and grade control used to extend the current mining areas of La Paloma and Martinetas both along strike and at depth.





LA PALOMA MINING GROUP 2021 DDH PROGRAM

To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6997/73271_9507c3eb145b6886_002full.jpg





MARTINETAS MINING GROUP 2021 DDH PROGRAM

To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6997/73271_9507c3eb145b6886_004full.jpg

Review of Technical Information

The scientific and technical information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Robert Campbell, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration and Director for Cerrado Gold Inc., who is a Qualified Persons as defined in National Instrument 43-101.

Minera Don Nicolas Overview

Minera Don Nicolas is located 1,625km south west of Buenos Aires, Argentina in the Deseado Massif region in the mining friendly province of Santa Cruz. The project is comprised of several exploration concessions totaling 333,400 Ha's. The largest regional centre is Comodoro Rivadavia, which provides logistical and other support for the operations.

MDN Project is situated within the world renowned Deseado Massif where the underlying geology of the region is dominated by rhyolitic and andesitic volcanic and tuffaceous volcaniclastic lithologies of Middle to Upper Jurassic age (130 to 170 ma). It is criss-crossed by numerous extensive fault and fracture zones, which served as conduits for hydrothermal activity during periods of Jurassic volcanism. The result of this activity is a widespread network of shallow level mineralized "epithermal" fissure veins, breccias, and stock-work systems, many of which carry potentially economic Au and Ag mineralization. The Deseado Massif region is host to several epithermal gold-silver deposits and several multi-million ounce gold deposits, including Cerro Vanguardia (Anglo Gold), Cerro Negro (Newmont GoldCorp), Cerro Morro (Yamana).

In February 2012, Minera IRL published a Full Feasibility Technical Report in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). Construction of the facilities was completed in 2017 and production has been ramping up to full capacity between 2018 and 2021.

Current mining operations are conducted in two areas, the high grade La Paloma deposit and the Martinetas deposits, approximately 30km apart. Ore is processed through a 1,000 tpd CIL plant located near the Martinetas pit. The project currently supports 325 employees and contractors on a fly-in fly-out basis. Mineral Don Nicolas has strong regional and local community backing having signed agreements with the two neighboring communities.

Cerrado acquired the MDN Project property in March 2020 and undertook a fundamental review of the resource database and based upon a significant geological re-interpretation, engaged SRK to conduct an independent NI43-101 updated resource technical report. This was completed on August 31, 2020 and is highlighted in Table 1 above. Also, highlighted in maps above, are the numerous other target areas that can be expected to be quickly added to the mineral inventory with exploration work and is the focus of this new drilling program.

For further information please contact

Mark Brennan

CEO and Co Chairman

416-647-796-0023

www.cerradogold.com

About Cerrado Gold

Cerrado Gold is a private gold producer and exploration company with gold production derived from its 100% owned Minera Don Nicolas mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. It also owns 100% of the assets of Minera Mariana in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. The company is also undertaking exploration at its 100% owned Monte Do Carmo project located in Tocantins, Brazil. For more information about Cerrado Gold please visit our website at www.cerradogold.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/73271
Mumbai: Actor Sonu Sood will organize residential accommodation for a group of elderly people whose video of being mistreated had gone viral on social media recently.

Recently, a video surfaced showing a group of elderly people in Madhya Pradesh being mistreated by employees of the local municipal corporation, packed in a bus and dumped in the outskirts of Indore, on the Indore-Dewas highway. The video created a furor on social media. Netizens strongly reacted to the atrocities committed on the elderly and took to their social networking accounts to express their anger and discontentment.

Sonu has now come forward to extend a helping hand. In a video message, the actor urged everyone residing in Indore to join him in providing a safe space for the old.

In a video message, he said: "Yesterday, I had come across this piece of news where the elderly were ostracised from the city and dumped in the outskirts. I would like to urge my brothers and sisters from Indore to come together and work towards providing a roof over their heads. I want to give them their rights back. I would also like to distribute food and drinking water to them. All this will be difficult to achieve without your help."

"This should be a lesson to all the children out there who have left their aged parents. They should hold them close and take care of them. Dear citizens of Indore, let us come together and set an example so that the elderly are never left to feel lonely and helpless. I will try to give them their rights back. This should be a lesson to all the children out there who have left and ostracised their aged parents. They should hold them close and take care of them." he added.

Sonu has also offered to build houses and arrange for food, water, and other essential supplies for the affected elderly.
Opinion Article

1 February 2021

Branded residence, a concept that first started in the US in the 1920s, has become a global phenomenon in the past two decades. Traditionally, branded residences have been luxury residential projects co-located or affiliated with well-known hotel brands that provide its residents hospitality services typically offered at a premium hotel. However, with the growth in the sector, standalone branded residences have also been developed across major cities and holiday destinations in the world.



While in the past, these projects were primarily focused on the affluent and high-income households, the trend has witnessed a shift in recent times due to the evolving market dynamics and changing consumer base and preferences. As a result, several upper-upscale, upscale and even midscale hotel brands have entered this space. Marriott (the market leader in this segment), Four Seasons, Hilton, Accor, Banyan Tree and IHG are some of the leading players in the segment.



This space has also witnessed the entry of non-hotel brands ranging from luxury fashion houses like Armani and Versace to car manufacturers such as Porsche and Aston Martin, intending to use residential real estate as an extension of their respective brands. The US is the largest branded residences market in the world with over 180 completed projects, followed by Thailand and the UAE.

Branded residences, still a niche concept in India

Branded residence, which is still a niche concept in India, is another opportunity that the players in the Indian hospitality sector should seriously evaluate in the post-COVID era. A well-designed hotel-branded residence offers a win-win model for the key stakeholders involved - the homeowner, the developer, and the hotel operator.

The lack of transparency in the Indian real estate sector in the past has meant that most homeowners prefer to buy residences affiliated with a well-established 'brand'. In case of branded residences, the homeowners benefit with a prestigious home with premium services and amenities without having to worry about the day-to-day upkeep of the property, while the brand-affiliation helps the developers to differentiate their projects in the fiercely competitive residential market as well as win the buyer's trust and confidence. Industry research indicates that globally branded residences achieve a premium of 30-35% compared to their non-branded counterparts.

Meanwhile, hotel operators can not only earn royalty/licensing fee by leveraging their brand through the affiliation but can also diversify their revenue stream through end-to-end property management. They provide a complete gamut of services such as concierge facilities, housekeeping, laundry, maintenance, and F&B services, while ensuring rigorous COVID-related cleanliness & sanitization protocols.

Branded residences are likely to become an increasingly preferred choice for the experience-driven millennial Indian looking to buy a hassle-free apartment in the post-COVID era. Moreover, the concept of second homes is growing in India, with people aiming to own second homes at destinations where they can drive to for a short break, which can be another target market for branded residences in the country.

The pandemic has allowed Indian hoteliers to think out-of-the-box by adapting to the evolving market dynamics and introducing new services. As the sector embarks on the path to recovery, hoteliers now need to test waters in the branded residences segment to diversify their risks and revenue streams further, by evaluating the various models and identifying the best-fit for the Indian market.
YOUNGER inexperienced hitmen are being blamed for a rise in gangland violence across Europe, as the cost of having someone killed has dropped.

Contract killings are now reported to be cost between 10,000 and 100,000, according to a Europol report.

The European police co-ordination body said some member states have noted that a hit currently costs much less than it did in the past, as a larger number of inexperienced and younger criminals are willing and available to carry out this type of crime.

Hitmen often remain undetected, as they are not a part of the criminal groups and will operate across police jurisdictions.

Read More

A homicide seen as an isolated event has no clear cross-border dimension, and countries do not consistently share information with international partners and Europol, the report said.

There are fears gangland violence is also a serious danger to innocent members of the public.

The involvement in criminal gangs of younger and inexperienced hitmen and the accessibility of firearms and explosives, together with violent incidents often perpetrated in crowded public places and broad daylight are considerable threats to public security, it said.

There has been a rise in the number of violent incidents associated with serious and organised crime over the last few years, it was added.

Citing the case in Holland in where last July police found a number of shipping containers had been converted into torture chambers, the violence has also become more visible.

Based on an analysis of information shred with Europol in recent years, there has been a rise in the number of violent incidents associated with serious and organised crime.

It warns organised crime groups are increasingly using violence in pursuit of their criminal objectives, and such violence represents a threat to public security in the EU.

Crime gangs have also been targeting cities that are important transport hubs. Large ports in the EU exploited by criminal groups as transit points and the streets of the surrounding cities are particularly vulnerable to violence.

International organised crime groups have established footholds in and around these ports, where the corruption and intimidation of workers critical to the unloading and storage of illicit commodities, and the competition for distribution are taking place, it was added

These violent crimes do not exclusively affect criminals; they target non-criminals including victims of trafficking in human beings, violent robberies, law enforcement officers, lawyers, witnesses and informants, investigative journalists, or uncooperative dock workers.

Jari Liukku, Head of Europols European Serious Organised Crime Centre said: While organised crime groups have always been associated with violence, Europol is observing a spike in serious violent acts.

This trend is unlikely to decrease in the short term as violence will thrive from organised crime opening to diversity and competition, becoming more digitalised and expanding its global reach.
The Liberals and Nationals have gained a lead in the financial race to prepare for the next election by collecting $69 million in total donation receipts last year compared to $55 million for Labor.

The donations came from business backers including packaging billionaire Anthony Pratt and mining magnate Sally Zou, who gave $203,000 to the Liberals even when her Ausgold Mining company went into administration.

Michael McCormacks Nationals and Scott Morrisons Liberal Party have the lead in donations over Anthony Albaneses Labor Party. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

But the Liberals returned a $33,800 donation from Beirut company Dar Group, seen as a hostile bidder for Australian engineering company Worley.

Foreign donations were banned by federal law in November 2018 but Dar Group, also known as Dar Al Handasah, made the payment the following year, amid reports of national security concerns about its move on Worley. The Liberal Party said it returned the funds.
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.
Asos shares soared as investors toasted the 295million purchase of the Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge brands from Arcadia following the collapse of Sir Philip Greens empire.

The online retailer has not bought any of the stores, forcing administrators Deloitte to announce another 70 closures and 2,500 redundancies.

A further 10,000 job losses and 324 store closures are expected at Arcadia if Boohoos exclusive talks for Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis result in a deal.

Asos shares soared seven per cent soared after the online retailer announced it had bought the Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge brands from Arcadia in a 265m deal

The Asos takeover hands its top investor Anders Holch Povlsen, who owns a 26 per cent stake through his retail empire Bestseller, a share in more major European brands.

The Danish billionaire already owns part of the German Asos Zalando, consumer credit giant Klarna and eight fashion brands including Jack & Jones, which is sold via Asos.

The 48-year-old, who owns a series of Scottish estates making him the UKs largest private landowner, has been the most significant beneficiary from Asoss growth in the pandemic.

The Asos takeover hands its top investor Anders Holch Povlsen (pictured), who owns a 26 per cent stake through his retail empire Bestseller, a share in more major European brands

News of the deal pushed the share price up 7 per cent, or 310p, to 4784p, up from 1,030p in April 2020, putting the value of Povlsens stake to 1.2billion.

Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge have a combined 3.3m customers and received more than 200m visits to their websites in the last year.

Bosses said the deal is expected to deliver a double-digit return on capital in the first year, and is part of their strategy for the Asos website to become a one-stop shop for consumers aged 16 to 34.
New Museum of the Bible exhibit to explore relationship between science and the Bible

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., has announced plans for a year-long exhibition examining the often contentious relationship between science and the Bible over the course of history.

Through millions of dollars in grants received from the John Templeton Foundation and Templeton Religion Trust, the temporary exhibit will run from summer 2020 through summer 2021 and will detail the contemporary debates related to scientific inquiry and biblical interpretation.

Specifically, the exhibit seeks to answer six of the worlds most pressing questions: How did it all begin? What keeps the universe running? Are we different from animals? What are we made of? Where are we going? Are we alone?

We believe that the narrative for the most part in Western civilization is that the Bible and science are incompatible with each other, the museums chief executive officer Ken McKenzie told The Christian Post in an interview.

We believe that in the scientific community some folks look at the Bible and say, We believe folks on the religious side look at science as competing with the Bible and therefore, is antagonistic. Our argument is that both the Bible and science have an authoritative place in society, and we believe a lot is complementary and they are not opposite to each other at all times.

The museum aims to tackle myths that have emerged on both sides of the science-faith discussion in ways that are educational, engaging and informative.

The exhibit will feature artifacts from the museum and those on loan from other institutions around the world.

As there is much debate about the origins of the universe and human life, the matters of creation and evolution will be covered in the exhibit but will not be the entire focus. Rather, the focus will be on the six big questions that everyone has asked at some point in their lives.

The origin of the universe and the diversity of life are certainly big questions, he said. We will cover them in Pod 1 and Pod 3 which ask, How did it all begin and Are we different from animals? respectively.

Topics that will be discussed in the exhibit will range from past discoveries like Newtons laws of motion and Darwins theory of natural selection, as well as modern topics like the cosmos and the debate on life and health.

[We hope] that it makes you ask more questions as to where you believe you land on either side of the two parties  biblically based or scientific based, McKenzie said. If you really lean heavily to one of the other, we hope that it challenges your thinking and then think, Maybe there is a lot of places where these overlap and actually are complementary to each other.

The exhibit will be thousands of square feet in size and will be an interactive experience. However, it has not yet been determined what exactly the interactive experience will entail.

The museum is working with an international advisory panel of 13 scientists and scholars to develop the exhibit's content and associated educational programs. Included in the advisory panel are astronomers, biologists, and geologists.

According to McKenzie, a former airline executive who was appointed CEO of the museum last September, the discussions about this exhibit began around June of last year.

We had chances to meet together and Oxford. We've met in Washington, over in Rome, Florence, he explained. So that team of scholars in conjunction with our exhibit staff are fine-tuning exactly what this is going to look like. Since we're looking to roll it out in 2020, there's still a number of questions to be answered. And every architect is going to be there.
(Natural News) Donald Trump, the first president to be impeached twice, keeps finding himself on the wrong side of history. He is now set to become the first president to undergo an impeachment trial after leaving office, making him the first private citizen to go through an impeachment trial.

The Constitution lists the president, vice president and all civil officers as a possible subject of impeachment. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul tried to drive home that point to his colleagues, but his efforts fell short. With the help of five Republicans, the senators voted 55-45 to table Pauls point of order.

If we are going to put every politician in jail, are we going to impeach every politician who has used the words fight figuratively in a speech? Shame, Paul said ahead of the vote.

As of noon last Wednesday, Donald Trump holds none of the positions listed in the Constitution. He is a private citizen, he continued. The presiding officer is not the chief justice, nor does he claim to be. His presence in the chief justices absence demonstrates that this is not a trial of the president, but a private citizen. (Related: Theyre wasting our time: Rand Paul shreds unconstitutional Trump impeachment, lists examples of Democrat incitement.)

His words were not enough to sway the Democrats and the five Republicans who voted against his bid to stop the impeachment trial.

Impeachment trial a political theater

Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma described the upcoming trial, which is set to start on Feb. 9, as a political theater.

This is not a trial; this is political theater. You cannot remove someone from office who is already out of office. In this trial there is no current president, no chief justice, and no possibility someone could be removed from office because they are not in any office. In a moment when our nation needs to unite, this trial will only create even deeper divisions, Lankford said.

But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, used social media to reaffirm his stance that the trial is not unconstitutional.

We need truth and accountability for Donald Trumps actions. His impeachment trial will move forward in the United States Senate, Schumer tweeted.

Before the senators convened to vote regarding the constitutionality of Trumps impeachment trial, Professor Alan Dershowitz of Harvard Law School already went on record to say it goes against the Constitution.

It will be unconstitutional, but that probably wont bother the senators, Dershowitz told Fox News earlier this month. The Constitution is very clear. The subject, the object, the purpose of impeachment is to remove a sitting president. And there are two precedents. One is very obvious. When President Nixon resigned in anticipation of being impeached and removed, there was no effort to impeach him after he left office.

Impeachment is a numbers game

Even as Rands motion failed to stop the impeachment trial, it does show that Trump may have the edge in numbers.

With 45 Republican senators deeming it unconstitutional to impeach a former president, Democrats would be hard-pressed to find the requisite votes to convict Trump. Convicting a president during impeachment trial requires a two-thirds majority or 67 of 100 votes from senators.

Only five Republicans voted to proceed with the impeachment trial  Sens. Mitt Romney (Utah), Ben Sasse (Nebraska), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania).

The House voted to impeach Trump on Jan. 13 on the sole impeachment charge of incitement of insurrection. Democrats claimed Trump incited violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Ten Republicans joined 222 Democrats to pass the resolution to impeach by 232 to 197 count.

If the Senate convicts Trump, it could then vote on whether to bar him from public office. But this is still a long shot as Democrats need to swing 17 Republican votes.

Any Republican who votes to convict Trump will surely face backlash among the GOP base. The 10 Republican House members who voted to impeach Trump can attest to that as they are now facing significant criticism and primary threats.

Follow Trump.news for more news updates and developments related to Donald Trump.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

USAToday.com
The city of Malaga has exceeded a thousand infections per one hundred thousand inhabitants in the last fourteen days, the limit set by the Junta de Andalucia to order the closure of all non-essential activity, and will have to lower the blinds on commerce and hospitality from 3 February.

The measure, which will take effect from the early hours of Wednesday morning, will run for at least two weeks.

This Monday the city has an incidence rate of 1,008 cases, according to official data published by Andalucias Institute of Statistics and Cartography, which is reviewed every Monday and Thursday.

If a municipality exceeds 500 cases, the Andalusian regional government orders a lockdown of their perimeter (prohibiting the entering or leaving except for justified reasons).

If the rate reaches 1,000 positive diagnoses, the Junta also orders the closure of all businesses considered non-essential, including bars and restaurants.

The accumulated incidence in Malaga has varied in recent days with continuous ups and downs, from 891 cases registered on Thursday to 918 on Friday and 894 on Saturday.

The citys mayor, Francisco de la Torre, had been demanding on Twitter sacrifices for several days to reduce the rate and thus avoid the general closure.

"You have to try harder and never relax. You always have to wear a mask to defend the lives and jobs of many," he said.

The Junta also maintains the rest of the limitations agreed in mid-January: a maximum of four people in meetings inside and outside the home and a curfew between 10pm at night and 6am in the morning, in addition to the restrictions of entering or leaving Malaga province and Andalucia except for justified reasons.
Pro-life youth gather nationwide for Life Chain to protest against abortion

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

ARLINGTON, Va.  As coronavirus restrictions and security concerns forced the March for Life to forego its annual demonstration in Washington, D.C., this year, a group of pro-life Americans gathered to form the largest ever Life Chain.

The pro-life group Students for Life of America decided to put on an event that would enable people who had already planned to attend the March for Life to show their support for the unborn, just a week after the 48th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

Despite the bitterly cold wind chill, more than 200 pro-life youth gathered at Gravelly Point in Arlington, Virginia, Friday. The park is located just off the George Washington Memorial Parkway and near Ronald Reagan National Airport.

With the Washington Monument in the background, attendees formed a large Life Chain, which organizers hoped would be the largest in the world. As they faced the George Washington Memorial Parkway, many driving on the busy highway honked their horns to show support for their cause.

Holding signs emblazoned with phrases such as abortion betrays women, pro-life protesters chanted, Hey hey! Ho ho! Roe v. Wade has got to go, We are the pro-life generation and Preborn rights are human rights!

In addition to the main Life Chain, which took place in Arlington, other Life Chains took place in the states of California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Kristi Hamrick, the chief media and policy strategist for Students for Life, said, We wanted to give people the opportunity to engage with this memorial related to Roe v. Wade, and not everybody could come to the capital.

Weve done Life Chains before but not during the march, she added. Were going to stand for life together no matter where we are. Hamrick also shared her thoughts about the mood of the pro-life movement, now that the federal government is controlled by the Democratic Party, which is almost unanimously sympathetic to the pro-abortion movement.

This change in administration reminds us that this is not a D.C. movement; this is a national movement. And its clear that this administration, the Biden administration, is going to be radically pro-abortion, but the momentum for life is at the state level, she added.

Were seeing pro-life gains at the state level. Theres a lot of activity there, and frankly, thats the kind of activity thats going to drive cases to the Supreme Court. So the question is, where are you looking for hope and change, and were looking for it at the state level.

This year, in particular, reminds us, where is the power of the pro-life movement? Its in people and their communities. And we really see that this year when so many were not able to come because of the restrictions of the local government.

Autumn Lindsey, a community college student from Washington state who has attended the March for Life for the previous three years, told CP: Im here to stand for life."

"I think what events like this prove is that the pro-life generation is going to show up despite the circumstances," Lindsey said. "You know, its nitty-gritty, its hard work. But were here because we believe that abortion is the greatest injustice of our lifetime. And so, theres going to be nothing that stops us from doing what we can to speak up and stand for life.

Weighing in on the new administration, Lindsey said, I think for a lot of people its discouraging with a new administration. But the pro-life generations mission isnt going to change.

Our mission was to abolish abortion and is to abolish abortion," she continued. "Although it feels like a step back with this new pro-abortion administration, were going to continue to do all that we can to make sure that were changing cultures in our own cities across the nation because this movement isnt just in D.C, its nationwide. Were going to continue being active and mobilizing in our own cities to change the culture  and to create a culture of life.

Holding a sign that said Conceived in rape, I love my life, Rebecca Kiessling of Michigan told CP, I did not deserve the death penalty for the crime of my biological father.

They should punish rapists and not babies, added Kiessling, who serves as president of the pro-life organization Save the 1. She attended the Life Chain with her 17-year-old daughter, Carina, along with her friend Christy Larson of Minnesota, who's also a member of Save the 1, and Christys husband, Tom.

Kiessling said she attended Life Chain to advocate for the babies, to make sure that they get a chance at life.

When asked about the Democratic Party's majority control in Congress, given that it supports the pro-abortion movement, Kiessling said, Its very discouraging to see that they have so much control because we know how much damage they can do.

Christy Larson, who said she was also conceived as a result of rape, held a sign identical to Kiesslings while Tom Larson held a sign that read: My wife was conceived from rape, I love her life. Carina Kiessling held a sign that read: My mom was conceived in rape, I love her life.

Brenna Lewis from Cincinnati, Ohio, an employee of Students for Life, said she was at the Life Chain to stand for life. Regarding the recent change in presidential administrations, Lewis remarked that, We are very determined, still very optimistic. You know, theres going to be a bit of defense play here, but thats definitely not our focus. We know theres still steps forward for life, even with this particular administration.

Landon, also from Ohio, said, Im here to support the pro-life movement, something that I feel strongly about and want to get more involved with.

Landon said that he found out about the Life Chain after receiving an email from the pro-life group Live Action. He predicted that a new presidential administration was going to make it more difficult, thats for sure, but its the people that are out and doing stuff like this that are going to make a difference in changing hearts and minds.

While the Life Chain drew people from across the country, some locals also turned out at the event. I am here to support women and their children, said Alyssa from Vienna, Virginia. Over 62 million preborn childrens lives have been taken since 1973, and we are here to support an end to abortion.

When asked to weigh in on the new presidential administration, she maintained that It will be challenging, but now its more important than ever for us to stand up for the preborn and be a voice for the voiceless. It will be harder to pass pro-life legislation, and some things might be reversed, but we just have to fight more than ever.

Dustin Curtis from Spotsylvania, Virginia, who's the executive advisor for Students for Life Action, told CP that Im here to stop the number one injustice in America and across the world right now, and thats to reverse Roe v. Wade.

He pushed back on the idea that the most recent federal election gave the pro-abortion movement an overwhelming victory. They do not have a mandate, so I dont think the abortion lobby has a mandate at all. Given the election results, the split Senate and the fact that Nancy Pelosi, one of the most radical pro-abortion speakers of the House, she lost seats this past year. So it was a close election and  I dont think  you could make an argument that they have a mandate.

At the state level, we have tons of opportunities there, and were seeing pro-life legislation move rapidly in places where we have pro-life majorities and pro-life governors, so Im actually pretty optimistic about the future. And we are seeing it with new polling out that the Students for Life conducted that shows more and more millennials are becoming more and more pro-life by the day, he continued.

While the Life Chain, which began at 9 a.m. Eastern time, was scheduled to conclude at 11 a.m., but the event finished about 45 minutes earlier than expected when U.S. Park Police kindly informed organizers that the number of people at the event exceeded the limit allowed under Virginias social distancing guidelines. Throughout the event, participants were encouraged to wear masks and urged to remain 6 feet apart.
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.
Swaggering supporters of Myanmar's army chief swung through the streets of Yangon, waving national flags from pickup trucks to cheer on his coup against a democratically elected government.

Footage posted on social media showed a crowd of several score gathered in the centre of Myanmar's biggest city to celebrate Senior General Min Aung Hlaing seizing power. But the mood elsewhere in the city was laced with fear, anger and frustration.

"I feel angry. I dont want more military rule," said Zizawah, a 32-year-old commercial director who only wanted to give one name because of fear of reprisals.

"The way they act is like a dictatorship. All of us know who we voted for."

Myanmar's army said it had detained elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) party had won a landslide in a ballot in November that the military disputed.

"Today is the day that people are happy," one nationalist monk told a crowd of military supporters in a video published on Facebook.

Suu Kyi is hugely popular in Myanmar as the figurehead of decades struggling to end previous juntas despite anger in Western countries over her handling of an exodus of Rohingya refugees fleeing an army crackdown in 2017.

"We had a lawful election. People voted for the one they preferred," said Theinny Oo, a development consultant.

"We have no protection under the law now. We feel insecure and in fear."

Pro-democracy activists gave little credence to an army statement that it would hold a fair election and then step down.

"They took power by force," activist Maung Saungkha told Reuters. "Everyone feels angry and upset... I absolutely don't trust the fact that elections will be held after one year and they will transfer power back."

News of the coup, announced on military-controlled media, broke sporadically because of major disruptions to internet connections for mobile phones that many people rely on for news and keeping in touch.

Queues formed at ATMs, but many stopped working because of the disruptions to the internet while banks announced that they were being forced to close.

Markets were busy as people rushed out to stock up on essentials.

"I went to the market twice this morning. I bought rice and groceries, said one 19-year-old woman in the Yankin district who was afraid to give her name. "I dont know what is happening. I am a bit scared."

There was no sign of any anti-military protests on the streets of Yangon or in the administrative capital Naypyidaw, where parliament had been due to start it's first post-election sitting later on Monday.

Yangon had been the scene of protests in the 1980s and 2000s that ultimately helped lead to the military agreeing to a transition to democracy.

A verified NLD Facebook account published a statement on behalf of detained leader Suu Kyi that she had written before being detained, saying that people should not accept a military coup and should protest. NLD officials were not immediately available to comment on the statement.

The military, whose favoured party was drubbed in the Nov. 8 election, cited what it said was the electoral commission's refusal to address voting irregularities it had reported.

"Our country was a bird that was just learning to fly. Now the army broke our wings, student activist Si Thu Tun said.

Short link:


MOSCOW, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Moscow Cargo LLC offered perspectives on how it had adapted the largest cargo terminal in Russia to the realities of the coronavirus pandemic at the World Cargo Summit 2021, which took place from January 26-27.

Elena Konkina, Commercial Director of Moscow Cargo, the cargo operator at Sheremetyevo International Airport, spoke at the panel discussion titled "Adaptation of airports to the new realities of the air cargo market." She analyzed the significant changes in the operation of Sheremetyevo's cargo terminal over the past year, reviewed the challenges it had to face during the pandemic and showed which solutions allowed Moscow Cargo to promptly respond to industry requests and adapt to rapidly changing market conditions.

Ms. Konkina also discussed services provided for cargo-only flights and the expansion of IT functionality for customers and partner airlines, and shared plans for the Moscow Cargo's development.

Moscow Cargo's experience in servicing the Sputnik V vaccine sparked particular interest on the part of the conference participants. Since November 2020, Moscow Cargo has been processing and sending Sputnik V vaccine on a regular basis both in Russia and abroad - to Hungary, Serbia, Egypt, Argentina, and Algeria.

The conference brought together the world's leading industry experts: top managers of the largest airlines and aviation concerns, airports and handling agents, transnational logistics operators and other air cargo companies. Representatives of the World Bank, the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), leading consulting agencies and COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers also spoke at the event.

The participants discussed a wide range of issues related to the impact of the pandemic on the aviation business, the prospects for the development of cargo transportation, the need to expand the network of cargo routes in light of the significant recent reduction in regular passenger flights, and forecasting the business realities of the post-coronavirus era.

One of the key topics of discussion was ensuring the readiness of all participants in the logistics chain, in particular airports and handling operators, to handle temperature-sensitive cargo, primarily the coronavirus vaccine.

Sheremetyevo Airport is among the TOP-5 airport hubs in Europe, the largest Russian airport in terms of passenger and cargo traffic. In 2020, the airport served 19 million 784 thousand passengers.

Sheremetyevo is the best airport in terms of quality of services in Europe, the absolute world leader in punctuality of flights, the recipient of the highest 5-star Skytrax rating.

You can find additional information at http://www.svo.aero.

SOURCE Sheremetyevo International Airport

Prithviraj Director Chandraprakash Dwivedi Calls Sanjay Dutt A Fighter; Says He Has Done A Phenomenal Job

Actor Sanjay Dutt has wrapped shooting Prithviraj by doing a quick 5-day schedule of the film. Only his portions were left and the film has now wrapped its entire shooting schedule. Director Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi opens up about Dutts last schedule and how he cant wait to show the world the actors performance. With Sanjay Dutt ji we had a very small portion of the shoot left to be completed and we are wrapping it with a 5-day schedule. Given coronavirus and his health, of course, all possible precaution were taken to make the set a safe shooting space for him, says Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi as he speaks about how the team had maintained all the necessary precautions on the sets due to Sanjays recent health battle.

He adds, YRF has been shooting big films all through the coronavirus pandemic and they have set up a very efficient system whereby a bio-bubble has been created with the crew of the films. Prithviraj too was shot exactly like this and thankfully, there was no untoward incident on our sets. The award-winning film-maker says Sanjay has put in his heart and soul for Prithviraj. He says, Sanjay is an extremely professional actor and we are delighted to have him in the film. We were all too worried about his health but Sanjay is a fighter and he has shown that nothing can keep him down. He has done a phenomenal job in Prithviraj and we cant wait for the world to see him in the film!

Yash Raj Films is making its biggest historical in Prithviraj which is based on the life and heroism of the fearless and mighty King Prithviraj Chauhan. Superstar Akshay Kumar is essaying the role of the legendary warrior who fought valiantly against the merciless Muhammad of Ghor. The ethereally gorgeous Manushi plays the role of his beloved Sanyogita and her launch is definitely one of the most awaited debuts of 2021. Prithviraj is being directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi, who directed the biggest television epic Chanakya  based on the life and times of the most influential political strategist of India and the multiple award-winning Pinjar.
TRAVEL agents have taken issue with claims by Ryanair boss Michael OLeary that every customer who has requested a refund has received it.

Mr OLeary denied there were still delays with refunds for cancelled flights.

Last year there was a storm of protest by the airlines customers over long delays and difficulties getting money back for flights they did not take.

Read More

Mr OLeary told RTE radios Morning Ireland: Every customer who has requested a refund has received it.

There are some with vouchers who have the option of a cash refund if they want it  they will receive it within five days. There is no backlog in refunds  all have now been issued.

But the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) contradicted this, saying travel agents continue to have problems accessing flight refunds from Ryanair.

It said the issue continues to affect bricks and mortar travel agents and online travel agents alike. The ITAAs chief executive Pat Dawson asked Ryanair to be honest and truthful with the public with regards to refunds, to ensure that affected customers are reimbursed for disrupted or cancelled flights.

He said that since the beginning of the pandemic many consumers have postponed or cancelled their holidays in line with restrictions on non-essential travel.

However, as these ghost flights still went ahead with little to no passengers on board, they are not being offered a refund on their booking.

Customers are instead being offered the option to reschedule their holiday or receive a voucher from the airline.

The ITAA believes that under current Government advice relating to non-essential travel, these flights should be cancelled and the consumer should be refunded, he said.

ITAA said member travel agents have sent in thousands of claims to Ryanair in order to refund their customers with affected flight bookings, with the airline withholding refunds to travel agents and customers alike.

Those affected include a small travel agent in Munster owed 60,000, a travel agent specialising in school tours waiting for refunds of 500,000, and a prominent travel agency waiting on refunds for 1,400 customers.

Overall, ITAA member travel agents are currently owed roughly 20m in refund payments from Ryanair, Mr Dawson claimed.

The ITAA said it has been in discussion with the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) to try and reach a solution, as well as liaising with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and contacting Ryanair directly.

The association said that funds held by licensed travel agents are guaranteed by the State in case of insolvency, offering further protection to customers if a tavel agent or tour operator becomes insolvent and goes out of business.

Last month Ryan dismissed as fake news a survey that rated it and Virgin Atlantic the worst airlines for customer service by people who tried to get a refund after their flight was cancelled.

The two airlines scored abysmally low in a survey conducted by British consumer magazine Which? Travel.

Eight out of 10 customers said they were dissatisfied with the refund service they received after their flight was cancelled last year.

Ryanair was persistently criticised last year in this country for delays in paying refunds and giving people vouchers when they specifically requested their money back.
[February 01, 2021] American Express and Resy Launch - Order In, Help Out Campaign - to Boost Restaurant Takeout Sales

American Express (News - Alert) (NYSE: AXP) and Resy today launched a national campaign with a simple message: Order In, Help Out. As part of the Order In, Help Out campaign American Express and Resy are rallying consumers across social media to make #TakeoutTuesday a weekly occurrence. In addition, to help encourage Card Members to order out, American Express is introducing new dining offers on many of its cards. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005164/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) With more than half of restaurant owners in the U.S. seriously considering closing for good because of the pandemic, American Express and Resy are working to raise awareness about the positive impact of ordering takeout. According to the American Express Independent Restaurant Insight Study, 89% of small, independent restaurant owners say they depend on takeout orders to stay afloat. The study also estimated that the simple act of ordering takeout can generate, on average, more than $700 million in daily sales for the industry1. "We all miss our favorite local restaurants - the places where we've shared meals with family, celebrated special occasions with friends and relied on for late night cravings. As those experiences have been put on hold, the survival of our favorite places are in jeopardy," said Elizabeth Rutledge, Chief Marketing Officer, American Express. "With Order In, Help Out, we hope to inspire people to help keep our local restaurants in business, especially during the winter months, one of the slowest and toughest times of the year." "It's not just dinner," said Karen Akunowicz, chef and owner of Fox & The Knife in Boston. "When customers order takeout from an independent restaurant, they are truly helping to keep the doors open and lights on, keeping folks employed and keeping their community and the businesses that make it unique thriving. The impact is far greater than a meal, and they have the ability to deeply affect the lives of those around them." #TAKEOUTTUESDAY By ordering takeout on Tuesdays, one of the slowest days of the week for restaurants, consumers can help make a difference by sharing their takeout orders from local restaurants in their community. The companies created a hub of takeout inspiration at Resy.com/Takeout, where people can find a collection of stories and guides to help inspire their dining decisions. Consumers can also learn about independent restaurants near them on the hub or discover American Express accepting restaurants by visiting the Shop Small Map. Any restaurant can participate in the campaign by tapping into Resy and American Express' downloadable Takeout Toolkits, which include assets like printable posters, social stickers and more at AmericanExpress.com/ShopSmall and Resyos.com/takeout. Resy toolkit will be available starting February 17, 2021. "Being able to expand into takeout and delivery has helped our business immensely during the pandemic," said Kim Hoang, Owner of Di An Di in Brooklyn, New York. "Our takeout business has allowed us to grow our customer base and feed even more people during this difficult time. Our neighbors and regulars who used to dine in with us have continued to support us through takeout orders and we are so grateful for them." NEW DINING OFFERS FOR CARD MEMBERS Now through December 31, 2021, eligible2 Delta SkyMiles, Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card Members can enroll in an offer to earn up to $220 in statement credits3 at U.S. restaurants, after they dine in or take out. To learn more and for complete offer terms, visit here. Additionally, U.S. Green Card Members are already able to earn 3X Membership Rewards points and U.S. Gold Card Members can earn 4X points on restaurants including takeout and delivery. Terms apply. SUPPORTING RESTAURANTS YEAR ROUND Order In, Help Out is an extension of American Express' Shop Small effort, a global movement to spotlight and support small businesses. Recognizing the impacts of COVID-19 on independent restaurants across the country, American Express has made several commitments to support restaurants since the beginning of the pandemic, including COVID-safe, heated outdoor experiences like The Yurt Villages for American Express Card Members, and American Express Winter Patios in partnership with Major Food Group. To aid the restaurant industry, Resy is providing 100% relief on all Resy fees and billing through June 30, 2021 and was the first reservation platform to introduce fee relief, in early March 2020. ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress. Key links to products, services and corporate responsibility information: charge and credit cards, business credit cards, travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards, merchant services, Accertify, InAuth, corporate card, business travel, and corporate responsibility. ABOUT SHOP SMALL Shop Small is an international movement to support small, independent businesses and call attention to the valuable and distinct contributions they make to their communities and the economy. Shop Small celebrates small businesses ranging from retail stores and restaurants to fitness studios and salons, and everything in between. The Shop Small movement was spurred by the widespread participation in Small Business Saturday, a day founded in 2010 by American Express in the U.S. This national holiday shopping tradition is dedicated to celebrating small businesses and driving more customers through their doors on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Learn more and connect with us on ShopSmall.com, instagram.com/shopsmall, facebook.com/SmallBusinessSaturday. ABOUT RESY Resy powers the world's best restaurants, using technology to imagine the future of hospitality. Resy has revolutionized, elevated and enhanced dining experiences worldwide with its reservation management software and dynamic suite of tools for restaurants (waitlist and table management, web and app booking, ticketing, POS integration). In August 2019 Resy joined the American Express family and together they help restaurants' businesses thrive. Resy also connects diners to the best restaurants in their cities and around the world through the Resy app and Resy.com. Diners get access to tables, events, curated content, and insider access to the amazing world of restaurants. AMERICAN EXPRESS INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT INSIGHT STUDY METHODOLOGY The American Express Independent Restaurant Insight Study was conducted by Teneo on behalf of American Express. Consumer data is based on a survey of 1,004 Americans who visited a restaurant 2+ times a month before the COVID-19 pandemic. The anonymous survey was conducted online January 11-16, 2021. Data was weighted to reflect the demographic composition of the 18+ population of the U.S. based upon gender, age, education, race and region. Restaurant owner data is based on an online study conducted among a sample of 500 respondents who are owners/managers/directors/CEO/etc. of an independently owned restaurant with fewer than 50 employees across all locations. The anonymous survey was conducted online January 8-18, 2021. Location: U.S.









__________________ 1 Estimate is based on average takeout sales as reported by restaurant owners surveyed and the total number of small restaurants in the US as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Restaurant Association. 2 Must be an eligible Delta SkyMiles or Hilton Honors or Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card Member as of January 1, 2021. Additional limitations apply for Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card Members. 3 Delta SkyMiles Amex Offers: Up to $110 in dining statement credits: Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card Members can receive $10 back per month (up to 11 times). Up to $165 in dining statement credits: Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card Members can receive $15 back per month (up to 11 times). Up to $220 in dining statement credits: Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card Members can receive $20 back per month (up to 11 times). Hilton Honors "Score More on Dining" Amex Offers: Up to $55 in dining statement credits: Hilton Honors American Express Card Members can receive $5 back per month (up to 11 times). Up to $110 in dining statement credits: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card Members can receive $10 back per month (up to 11 times). Up to $220 in dining statement credits: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Members can receive $20 back per month (up to 11 times). Marriott Bonvoy Amex Offers: Up to $110 in dining statement credits: Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card Members can receive $10 back per month (up to 11 times). Up to $220 in dining statement credits: Marriott Bonvoy Brillianta American Express Card Members can receive $20 back per month (up to 11 times).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005164/en/

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
A 29-year-old man who stabbed a stranger in the head and "destroyed his life" by leaving him with a "horrific" brain injury and a lifelong disability, has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years.

The Central Criminal Court heard that the knife penetrated up to the hilt and travelled across the victim's brain to the other side of his skull, leaving the tip of the weapon inside.

Passing sentence today, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said that the attack was a "shocking and horrific act", which had devastating consequences for the victim Eoin Casey and left him with an "appalling life-threatening injury". The judge said that the knife blow was "violent and vicious behaviour".

Referring to the victim's recovery, the judge described it as "arduous and requires an enormous amount of resilience"." It is a daily struggle and his enjoyment of life has been compromised," he added.

Mr Justice McDermott highlighted that offences involving the use of knives need to be discouraged.

In a letter of apology to the victim, defendant Thomas Power said he did not expect his apology to be accepted by Mr Casey but said what he had done was "utterly inexcusable".

Power of Alderwood Avenue, Caherdavin in Limerick pleaded guilty last November to assaulting Mr Casey (25), causing him serious harm in the early hours of August 20, 2018 at Woodbine Avenue in Caherdavin.

Power had also pleaded guilty to assaulting Aaron Grant, causing him harm, on the same occasion.

Before delivering the sentence today, Mr Justice McDermott said Mr Casey had been returning home to his brother's house on the night as he was working in a "responsible position in steel fabrication" at the time. "He had a good social life and circle of friends and was living life to the full," he added.

The two groups of men had been out celebrating separately that day after Limerick's victory in the 2018 All-Ireland hurling final. Both groups encountered each other through a "chance meeting" when their "paths crossed" in the Caherdavin area of Limerick city as they made their way home for the night and there was "no history between them".

There was an exchange of words between the two groups, which led to a scuffle between Power and Mr Casey. Power "received a blow" from Mr Casey, which was not of a significant nature but caused him to stumble and fall. The defendant quickly left to retrieve a knife from his pregnant girlfriend's house, which was less than 200 metres away, before returning to Woodbine Avenue to attack the two men.

Power stabbed Mr Casey once in the head with the knife, which penetrated his skull and travelled internally across his brain to the other side of his skull. The judge called it a "shocking and horrific act", which he said had devastating consequences.

Mr Casey spent two weeks on a ventilator and five months in a rehabilitation centre in Dun Laoghaire in Dublin and has been receiving "ongoing" medical treatment since the incident. The judge said Mr Casey has not been able to re-engage in sport, suffers epileptic fits, and has difficulty finding and retrieving the appropriate words, which created difficulty in his communication. He also has dyspraxia of speech and his reading and writing skills are affected.

Mr Justice McDermott said the victim's recovery is "arduous" and "enormous amounts of resilience are required". "It is a daily struggle and his enjoyment of life and ambitions for the future have been compromised and he now depends on others," said the judge. Making progress in "small normal tasks" is enormously difficult for him and his prospects have diminished significantly, he continued.

Responsibility for Mr Casey's care is now shared between his parents and brother, who have "selflessly" supported him in his recovery, said the judge. "This involves huge commitment to him and enormous efforts on their part," he indicated, adding that it is understandable how Mr Casey is frustrated at times and anxious for the future.

Referring to the emotional victim impact statement given by the brother of Mr Casey, Martin Casey, Mr Justice McDermott said he had "eloquently and movingly" described his brother's suffering and "catastrophic injuries". "He states the accused took away his brother's ability to work and stole his sense of purpose in life," he said.

Martin Casey said in his victim impact statement that he will never be able to erase the image of his brother from his mind and he never knew a human's head could swell so much and be so disfigured. "We know a part of him died that night and it would never be like it used to be. He will never tie his own laces again or text a girl, never be able to remember his mobile number, simple everyday things we think nothing of. Eoin needs help with simple, everyday things now," he said.

The judge said that Power also attacked Mr Grant, who is also greatly affected by the assault on him. The court heard the second victim suffered concussion at the scene and now experiences difficulties in his daily life.

Having regard to the gravity of the offence, Mr Justice McDermott said there were a number of significant aggravating circumstances in the case including that Power deliberately went home after the scuffle and obtained a knife, which he said was deliberately done to avenge the assault on him. "He fully intended to use the knife and had done so," he added.

Furthermore, the judge said stabbing someone in the head with a knife of such length was a further aggravating factor. "The nature of the blow struck on Mr Casey was violent and vicious behaviour which had penetrable capacity and went in up to the hilt," he continued.

The judge also pointed out that Power had attacked and stabbed the two young men without any hesitation and did not obtain help for them, which was another aggravating factor. "The decision was taken deliberately and executed with purpose," he continued. Also, Power had disposed of the evidence by throwing the knife into a domestic bin and it was never found.

The court heard that the main mitigating factors were Power's early guilty pleas on the two counts and his sincere remorse and regret for the damage inflicted. "He has destroyed a man's life and undermined his normal enjoyment of things," said the judge.

Power has six previous convictions, which are mainly public order matters and he has one minor conviction for possession of cannabis.

Mr Justice McDermott said his alcohol and drug use was a long-standing issue and clearly a factor on the night.

Power was sentenced to nine years in prison with the last 18 months suspended for assault causing serious harm and two years for assault causing harm. The mans sentences are to run concurrently and were backdated to January 20, 2021.

Prosecution counsel Conor Devally SC said the State wished to enter a "nolle prosequi" - a decision not to proceed with the case - on a charge of attempted murder.

At Power's sentence hearing last Thursday, two victim impact statements were read to the court by prosecuting counsel Conor Devally SC.

In an emotional victim impact statement, the brother of Mr Casey, Martin Casey, said it has been two-and-a-half years since Eoin was stabbed in the head and everyday he wakes up wishing it was a "terrible nightmare". He said his brother was given a 50/50 chance of staying alive at the time and all they could do as a family "was hold each other and cry".

"I will never be able to erase the image of Eoin. I never knew a human's head could swell so much and be so disfigured. We know a part of him died that night and it would never be like it used to be. He will never tie his own laces again or text a girl, never be able to remember his mobile number, simple everyday things we think nothing of. Eoin needs help with simple, everyday things now," he said.

Martin Casey said there have been "more bad days than good with Eoin" and when he has a good day then the family has a good day. "Caring for someone with a brain injury is a full time job. I wish I could see bright things ahead," he said.

He said his brother was stabbed 500 metres from their home and that whilst Power had not taken Eoin's life, he had taken his brother's livelihood. "He has taken his ability to work and his purpose in life. He has given our family a life sentence of fear and taken away all of our freedom," he said.

Mr Devally read a second victim impact statement from Mr Grant who was also stabbed twice on the night in the back and shoulder. Mr Grant said: "What should have been an enjoyable night turned into a nightmare. I have never seen so much blood. I kept telling Eoin that he would be ok but I could hardly get the words out. I felt helpless and vulnerable and what I saw that night will live with me forever. Since that night my life has changed drastically. I've become very uncomfortable with groups of people. The trauma of that night will live with me forever."
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

LAS VEGAS  An Indiana woman was visiting her son in Nevada when she died after a tour bus rolled over in northwestern Arizona, according to a newspaper.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports 53-year-old Shelley Ann Voges posted photos of homemade pierogies on her Facebook page on Jan. 20, documenting a visit to her sons apartment in Las Vegas.

Voges and her husband, Hubert, were visiting from Boonville, Indiana, and her son, Justin Morris, requested the meal while she was there.

Love making my kiddos happy, Voges wrote in the post. Las Vegas is awesome.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

Two days later, the three were on a Grand Canyon tour bus that rolled over about 70 miles southeast of Las Vegas.

Mohave County Sheriffs officials said Voges was killed in the crash. Of the 43 other passengers, three were hospitalized with critical injuries and the rest were treated and released.

We lost Mom in a bus accident on our way to the Grand Canyon, Morris wrote in a Facebook post Monday. Hubert and I were lucky to walk away with physical injuries that will heal.

Authorities still are investigating why the tour bus, managed by Las Vegas-based Comedy On Deck Tours, rolled over.

Two other passengers filed a lawsuit against the tour company on Thursday, alleging the driver was negligent and traveling above the speed limit

Comedy On Deck Tours, which advertises fun and memorable tours to the Grand Canyon and especially Hoover Dam hosted by professional comedians, has not replied to calls seeking comment on the crash and lawsuit.

According to a GoFundMe campaign set up by a friend, Voges was one of the sweetest, caring, and compassionate women I have ever met who dedicated her life to helping others.

Organizer Tamara Recob described Voges as a woman with a big heart and an infectious laugh.

She lived a life of mission nurturing those around her, the post said. Most recently she became the Director of the Warrick County Christian Resource Center  helping those in need with housing, food, and resources to improve their own state of being.

Recob wrote that proceeds from the campaign will go to the family to cover Voges memorial service and that any money left over will be used to set up a memorial fund so Shelleys desire to help those in need continues.
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.
Australian media organisations have admitted violating a gag order in Cardinal George Pell's now-quashed sex crimes case, in a surprise plea deal that saw charges against individual editors and journalists dropped.

After nearly two years of legal wrangling, some of the country's most prominent news outlets on Monday agreed to plead guilty to contempt of court for breaching suppression orders barring reporting on Pell's now-overturned convictions.

Among them were several of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp mastheads -- including Sydney tabloid The Daily Telegraph and Melbourne's Herald Sun online -- as well as newspapers Australian Financial Review and Melbourne's The Age, both owned by broadcaster Nine Entertainment.

Charges against individual editors and reporters were dropped as part of the plea agreement between prosecutors and defence lawyers.

A judge issued the suppression order in December 2018 to prevent news of Pell's convictions from prejudicing jurors in an expected second trial on child sex abuse charges that were subsequently dropped in early 2019.

The order meant Pell's 2018 convictions for abusing two choirboys in the 1990s -- which were overturned last April by the High Court -- initially could not be reported in Australia, including on the internet.

Court documents show the Victoria state director of public prosecutions dropped additional contempt charges against several publications as well as all individuals named in the case.

"Given the plea and acceptance of responsibility in respect of each publication... the Director has determined that it is in the public interest to withdraw the remaining charges," the prosecution said.

Editors and reporters had faced possible jail time if found guilty.

The media outlets ran cryptic articles saying they had been barred from reporting on a story of major public interest involving a high-profile Australian after US outlets broke the story.

Story continues

Prosecutor Lisa De Ferrari previously called the local coverage an "invitation to read" the news about Pell that had been published online by outlets outside Australia.

The media companies have agreed to pay the prosecution's costs and face large fines for the breaches.

A pre-sentencing hearing is scheduled to begin on February 10.

hr/dm/jfx
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.
Expectations from Union were high. Given the hardships that people have endured over the past year, it was expected that there would be relief in some form or the other for the middle-class. At the same time, given the fact that the government has suffered loss of revenue due to the pandemic, it was also feared that the FM could ill-afford to loosen the purse strings. Read on to know how your money life has changed.

No change in tax slabs: The Finance Minister had introduced a new tax regime in Union Budget 2020 wherein there is an option for individuals and HUFs (Hindu Undivided Families) to pay taxes at lower rates, but without claiming deductions under various sections. The new regime has not found too many takers, so there were expectations that this tax regime would be tweaked. However, this has not happened.

Concessions for senior citizens: Senior citizens do have reason to cheer. The FM has proposed to reduce the compliance burden for senior citizens above 75 years of age. Those among them who have only pension and interest income will not be required to file Income-Tax Returns (ITR).

Reopening of assessment: The time limit for reopening assessments under the Income-Tax Act has been reduced from six years to three.





ALSO READ: Union Budget 2021 LIVE: Farm cess at Rs 2.5 a ltr on petrol, Rs 4 on diesel

The government also plans to set up a Faceless Dispute Resolution Committee to reduce litigations further for small taxpayers. Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal will also become faceless. It will also provide resolution online.

Better procedures for NRIs: Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) too can expect some relaxation. Currently, when they return to India, they face issues with accrued income in foreign retirement accounts. They also face hardships in getting credit for taxes paid in India in foreign jurisdictions. The FM has proposed alterations to double taxation rules to ease matters for NRIs.

A dispute resolution committee will be set up. Anyone with taxable income up to Rs 50 lakh and disputed income up to Rs 10 lakh can approach the committee in case of a dispute.

Sec 44AB audit limit has now been increased. The tTax audit limit was Rs 5 crore in 2020. To further incentivise and reduce the compliance burden on small and medium enterprises, the limit has been increased to Rs 10 crore.





ALSO READ: Budget 2021: Govt raises import duty on parts of mobile phones, chargers

Relief on dividend income: in the previous Budget, the dividend distribution tax was abolished. Dividend was made taxable in the hands of shareholders (from equities and equity mutual funds). To provide ease of compliance, dividend payment from real estate investment trusts (REITs) and infrastructure investment trusts has been exempted from tax deduction at source (TDS). Further, as the amount of dividend income cannot be estimated correctly by shareholders for paying advance tax, the Finance Minister has proposed that the advance tax liability on dividend income shall arise only after the declaration of payment of dividend.

In fact, another move that will make life easier for the taxpayer is the pre-filled ITR. Salary, tax payments, TDS is already pre-filled. Capital gains, dividend incomes, interest income will now be pre-filled.

Loans for affordable housing: The FM has also extended the time limit extended for sanction of housing loans. 80EEA is now extended to loans taken up to 31st March 2022. Section 80EEA offers deduction on interest paid on home loan for affordable housing. A deduction for interest payments up to Rs 1,50,000 is available under Section 80EEA. This deduction is over and above the deduction of Rs 2 lakh for interest payments available under Section 24 of the Income Tax Act.

Other things FM proposed were that notified infrastructure debt funds are eligible to raise funds by issuing Zero-coupon bonds. Also for those employers who deduct PF, but don't submit it to the authorities, will now face a penalty as such late deposits will not be allowed as a deduction for the employer.

FM proposed to review 400 more old exemptions this year through extensive consultations.





ALSO READ: Budget 2021: Govt to borrow about Rs 12 trillion in FY22, says FM

A revised customs duty structure will be introduced. and customs duty will be rationalised for gold and silver.

Affordable housing and rental housing: Affordable housing and rental housing: in the July 2019 Budget, the Finance Minister had provided additional deduction of Rs. 1.5 lakh for loan taken to purchase an affordable house. The eligibility of this condition is now being extended by one more year to March 31, 2022.

To keep up the supply of affordable housing, affordable housing projects can also avail a tax holiday for one more year till March 31, 2022.

The government also wants to promote the supply of rental housing for migrant workers. Therefore, in this budget it has proposed to allow for notified affordable housing projects.

Pre-filling of returns: Pre-filling of returns: to ease compliance for taxpayers, details of tax payments, TDS, et cetera already come prefilled in To further ease filing of returns, details of capital gains on listed securities, dividend income, and interest from post office and bank instruments will also now be prefilled.

Employer contribution: Many employers deducted the contribution of employees towards Employee Provident Fund and superannuation fund, but do not deposit these contributions within the specified time. For these employees, this means a loss of interest. In cases where an employer becomes financially unviable, non-deposit results in permanent loss for employees. To ensure that employees' contributions are deposited on time, the late deposit of employees contributions by the employer will not be allowed as deduction to the employer.
American oil executives began a pushback against some of President Joe Bidens climate policies by making the case that fossil fuels from U.S. shale have a lower carbon footprint than imports.

Since taking office this month, the Biden administration has made swift moves to pause sales of oil and gas leases on federal land, cancel the Keystone XL pipeline and expand the governments fleet of clean-energy vehicles. The U.S. oil industry, already under pressure from low prices and investor pessimism, is particularly concerned about limiting access to resources on federal acreage in New Mexico, Wyoming, Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico.

We dont think its good policy to be overly restrictive on federal land, Chevrons Chief Financial Officer Pierre Breber said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Friday. That will just move energy production to other countries. We know that we can develop energy in this country responsibly.

America is the worlds biggest consumer of crude and any restrictions of domestic production will mean more will have to be shipped in from other countries, which may produce higher-carbon oil and have less stringent environmental laws, the argument runs. U.S.-produced shale emits less carbon per barrel than the global average for both onshore and offshore, according to Rystad Energy.

Reducing domestic production will not only raise costs at the pump, but will also ensure international producers, operating with fewer environmental regulations, will meet the global demand for petroleum products, Pioneer Natural Resources Co.s Chief Executive Officer Scott Sheffield said by email. That scenario is inconsistent with the administrations choice to rejoin the Paris Accord.

PRESIDENT'S GAMBLE: Biden bets on cutting fossil fuels while protecting jobs

The Oil-Climate Index, a 2016 model funded by the Carnegie Endowment, shows that shale plays including the Eagle Ford in South Texas and the Bakken in North Dakota have some of the lowest emissions per barrel globally.

But key to shales climate impact is how operators manage natural gas that is produced alongside the crude and the industry has come under intense criticism for excessive flaring and venting of methane, an extremely harmful practice.

For example, while the Bakken ranked ahead of Saudi Arabias Ghawar resource in the Oil-Climate Index, parts of the shale field where flaring is prevalent fell behind the Middle Eastern field. The Permian Basin has become notorious for burning off gas and the index is currently being updated by some of the original researchers to include estimates for the deposit. A Cornell University study published in 2019 said fracking was to blame for a decade-long global spike in methane levels.

All the major shale players including Chevron and Pioneer say they support Bidens plans to increase regulation of methane leaks, reversing former President Donald Trumps policy. But anxiety is rising in the fossil fuel industry that it may be in for a sustained period of government pressure.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison being shown the CSL Lab where a COVID-19 Vaccine is being produced in Melbourne, Australia on November 16, 2020. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Australian COVID Vaccine Program Receives $1.9 Billion Boost

Almost $2 billion will be spent equipping hospitals and other health centres to administer COVID-19 vaccines.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will make the funding commitment during a major speech to the National Press Club in Canberra on Feb. 1.

Morrison says vaccinating 26 million Australians by the end of the year will be one of the nations largest-ever logistical exercises.

He will announce an extra $1.9 billiontaking the vaccine program to $6.3 billionfor the workforce involved in the roll-out of the jabs through GPs, pharmacies and thousands of other approved centres.

A special surge workforce will ensure it gets to hard-to-reach areas.

Morrison says CSLs Melbourne manufacturing plant alone should produce enough of the AstraZeneca vaccine to cover the nation.

But the Pfizer vaccine will still be the first rolled out from late this month.

However, the prime minister says even with the vaccines there can be no let-up in three vital suppression measures  international border controls and quarantine; testing, tracing and hotspot management; and physical distancing and personal hygiene.

In 2021, these suppression measures, which must be exercised in a balanced way to protect jobs and livelihoods, will be complemented by the COVID-19 vaccines, Morrison will say.

This will be one of the largest logistics exercises ever seen in Australias history. We will be vaccinating 26 million people, having secured over 140 million doses, enough to cover the Australian population several times over.

Under the vaccine strategy, all Australians will be offered the opportunity to be vaccinated by October.

Meanwhile, more than two million West Australians have spent their first of five nights in lockdown after coronavirus leaked from hotel quarantine.

The states ten-month streak of no community cases came to an end after a hotel security guard tested positive in Perth.

Travellers from WA are now subject to tough restrictions and quarantine in every state and territory.

NSW and the ACT have ordered travellers to self-quarantine for five days.

At least nine federal politicians who arrived in Canberra from Perth for the first parliamentary sitting week of the year have been ordered to quarantine until Friday night.

The MPs and senators were already in the air when the positive case was announced.

Attorney-General Christian Porter, who is in isolation, raised hopes politicians could be allowed to attend federal parliament.

They may be granting further exemptions, I dont know, he told Sydneys 2GB radio.

They had a good debate as to whether to turn the plane around actually but that didnt happen. Weve landed. The rules are the rules and well abide by them.

Advice for MPs and senators will be finalised on Monday morning.

Victoria has banned all travellers from the WA lockdown zone.

Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory ordered all arrivals from WA to quarantine for 14 days.

Paul Osborne, Daniel McCulloch in Canberra

A judge ruled Monday that a Bywater man who killed his young daughter in their home three years ago is "irrestorably" incompetent after Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams office said it supported that ruling.

The decision from Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Robin Pittman halts the prosecution of Mark Hambrick until doctors can return him to mental competence, which years of powerful psychiatric medications have failed to do.

Forensic doctors since last year have recommended that Hambrick be deemed irrestorably incompetent, meaning they do not believe he can be made fit for trial for the foreseeable future. Monday's hearing was the first in which the Williams administration, which came into office on Jan. 11, weighed in on that recommendation.

Assistant District Attorney Andre Gaudin said he consulted with First Assistant District Attorney Bob White on the decision.

"The law has been followed and justice has been done," said Kerry Cuccia, Hambrick's lawyer at the Capital Defense Project of Southeast Louisiana.

Hambrick, 49, is charged with first-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to a juvenile in the Oct. 17, 2017, killing of his 18-month-old daughter inside their North Rampart Street home.

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

On the day of the killing, Hambrick told police he was Jesus Christ and said he killed his daughter so he could be executed by the state and resurrected. Pittman ruled him unfit to stand trial in September 2018, but that was a temporary decision.

+3 Bywater man accused of killing daughter is 'irrestorably' incompetent, doctor says Months of powerful psychiatric drugs have failed to erase a Bywater mans belief that he must be executed for killing his toddler daughter so 

In the years since, heavy doses of drugs aimed restoring his competency  such as the antipsychotic Abilify  have failed to do so, doctors say. Forensic physicians at the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System hospital in Jackson say Hambrick suffers from psychosis and delusional beliefs. Several doctors who have examined Hambrick, including doctors consulted by the District Attorney's Office, say there is no evidence that he is feigning mental illness.

The next step in the case is for the Louisiana Department of Heath to initiate civil commitment proceedings against Hambrick to keep him in the hospital. The hospital will have to notify the court and District Attorney's Office if it ever intends to release Hambrick. The charges against him have not been dismissed.

Former District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro kept open the possibility that his office would seek the death penalty against Hambrick. But after Williams took office, he notified the court he would not seek capital punishment in the case.
Feb 3, 2021: Fifty years ago today, Lambertville, New Jersey, my hometown, lost seven of some of its finest citizens. It was our Sept. 11th long before there was a Sept. 11th.

It was a sunny and chilly February Wednesday morning not unlike any other you would find this time of year in this sleepy Delaware River community. It was the waning days of the race riots that had torn apart the country and so many communities of New Jersey, the Northeast and the country in general.

Lambertville, however, was somehow immune to it all.

We were all working class, and if you were white and disliked someone who was black, or vice versa, you could be sure it had nothing to do with pigmentation. Our rivalries were our fire departments and the ball teams our civic organizations sponsored. So when Feb. 3, 1971 hit us, it should stand to reason, it took a piece of each of our citizenry without regard for race, age or gender.

At 6 a.m. the silence of early morning Lambertville is always broken when the church bells of St. Johns Roman Catholic Church ring 18 times. Why that number I do not know. They have since I can remember, and they will probably continue do so long after I am gone.

Feb. 3, 1971, was no exception save for the stark silence that morning included one hideous exclamation mark when the first explosion ripped through the pre-dawn chill just a few blocks north of the stately Gothic church that had stood for nearly a century.

Amazingly, Nancy Crosby was not killed in that gas explosion that destroyed her home, as well as her neighbors house. She would escape to a neighbors home across the street to be spared her life  for a scant two hours.

The second explosion all but ripped out the heart of our community. Several people had gathered to seek refuge at a home on York Street. The four fire departments of Lambertville who argued, fought and bickered in their off hours banded together like brothers like they always do when the bell sounds and were on the scene. For all their valiant efforts however, there was little they could do.

Eleven-year-old Brian Hoagland was standing in what would seem to be relative safety when the second home exploded. The force of the blast sucked him in and obliterated him beyond recognition. Twelve-year-old Lisa Randolph, my classmate, who was huddled inside that home never stood a chance, nor did the five others including her grandmother.

Lambertville is a town that is accustomed to working together, playing together, fighting together and laughing together. That weekend, it was only fitting that we all wept and prayed together.

A lot has changed about Lambertville in the 50 years since that explosion. But if Lisa Randolph, Brian Hoagland and the five other victims of those terrible gas explosions were here today, I think they would recognize a spirit of Lamberville they knew and is as much of a part of us in 2021 as it was in 1971.

John Weber is a reporter for AM Best and the fill in host of Morning Edition on WHYY in Philadelphia.
ADVERTISEMENT

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has, again, criticised President Muhammadu Buhari over his handling of the security challenges rocking the country.

Mr Obasanjo said it is pathetic that despite being the commander-in-chief of armed forces, banditry still occurs at Mr Buharis backyard.

The former president reportedly made the comments on Sunday while speaking in a virtual interview with academic and historian, Toyin Falola, where he urged the incumbent president to wake up from his slumber.

He explained that although he did not subscribe to the claims by some individuals that Mr Buhari is not in charge of the country, as ex-president worried that he (Buhari) has changed from the Buhari that I used to know.

I thought I knew President Buhari because he worked with me. But I used to ask people that is it that I have not read him well or read him adequately or is it that he has changed from the Buhari that I used to know? I am not subscribing to the people who say we have a new Buhari from Sudan and all that nonsense, the Punch Newspaper quoted Mr Obasanjo to have said.

I know what I believed was his limitations and I have written about it  he wasnt strong in economics, not all of us are strong in anything but you need to have sufficient knowledge of it for you to direct the affairs. He wasnt particularly too strong in foreign affairs but I thought he was strong enough in the military.

Mr Obasanjo further said Mr Buhari had also not done well in the area of fighting corruption.

From his performance in his first outing as head of state, I thought he would also do well in fighting corruption. I did not know the nepotistic tendencies of President Buhari maybe because he was not exposed to that sort of situation when he worked with me.

But with what I have seen now, I believe that maybe he will be thinking of a legacy. Maybe he will also learn from what has happened in recent times. If you are the commander-in-chief and banditry is taking place in your backyard, then you have to wake up.

Speaking on the recent appointment of new service chiefs, Mr Obasanjo said Nigerians should be able to determine their capabilities in the next six months.

Recently, the president changed his service chiefs after they have been there for more than five years without any perceptible improvement and some people started jubilating. Somebody spoke to me and said, Oh, you are not enthused, and I said, I am not.

The person said, Why? And I said I dont know any of those people that have been appointed as service chiefs but you will hear my comments three to six months from now because, within that period, we should be able to show what they can do. And if they cannot bring about any perceptible change or improvement then you can write them off as failures.

Despite supporting Mr Buhari in 2015 to become the president of Nigeria, Mr Obasanjo for a long time been a critic of the current government.

But the Buhari administration has also, on different occasions, blamed previous governments which include Mr Obasanjos administration for the nations current challenges.

In his new year address, Mr Buhari admitted that insecurity is affecting the economic growth of the nation.
Based on these results, the researchers say, people who have had Covid-19 may need only one shot.

I think one vaccination should be sufficient, said Florian Krammer, a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and an author on the study. This would also spare individuals from unnecessary pain when getting the second dose and it would free up additional vaccine doses.

A second study released on Monday bolsters the idea. The research included 59 health care workers, 42 of whom previously had Covid (with or without symptoms). The researchers didnt assess side effects, but they did find that those who had been previously infected responded to the first jab by generating high antibody levels, comparable to the amounts seen after the second dose in people who had never been infected. And in lab experiments, those antibodies bound to the virus and stopped it from entering cells. To stretch the vaccine supply, the authors conclude that those who have previously had Covid should be moved down the priority list and receive only one dose of the vaccine while supplies are limited.

While some scientists agree with this logic, others are more cautious. Changing the number of doses could create a really tricky precedent, said E. John Wherry, director of the University of Pennsylvanias Institute for Immunology. We dont take FDA approvals of, say, a chemotherapeutic drug and then just throw out the dosage schedule, he said.

Dr. Wherry also pointed out that people who had mild cases of Covid seem to have lower antibody levels, and may not have protection against more contagious variants of the virus. It might also be difficult to identify which people have previously been infected. Documenting that becomes a really potentially messy public health issue, he said.
Chandigarh [India], February 1 (ANI/PRNewswire): Right to Life is meaningless without Right to Education says Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai, Judge Supreme Court of India

"Supreme Court of India played a proactive role in recognizing Right to Education as one of the fundamental right given to the citizens of India. With the enactment and implementation of Right to Education by Indian Parliament, the social and economic status of citizens especially the vulnerable section of society drastically improved," said Justice Surya Kant, Judge Supreme Court of India.

He was speaking during the inaugural session of two-day International Webinar of "Global Challenges in Modern Times" hosted by Chandigarh University. Supreme Judges from 10 countries including India, USA, UK, Nepal, EU, Brazil and Australia are taking part to share their thoughts and ideas on important issues like Right to Education, Nuclear Energy & Environment Protection, Laws for Migrant Population and Human Rights.

More than 25,000 students and faculty from Law Schools all over India participated on the first day of the International Webinar organized by Chandigarh University.

"An Educated person is more aware about the fundamental rights and duties that are offered by the constitution of the nation. Although it took 100 years for India to enact and implement Right to Education (RTE) as fundamental right but it unlocked new avenues and opportunities in the developing society which has provided the necessary platform to empower the sections of society like women," said Justice Surya Kant, while delivering his address.

"Women today has dismantled the social barriers and inequality that the world had enforced upon them. This has been possible in country like India only because of recognition of Right to Education as important by the Union and State Governments," Justice Kant further added.

"Right to life provided to us under the Article 21 of Constitution of India is meaningless without the incorporation Right to Education as Dr. B.R.Ambedkar said that what is the use of rights if a person does not possess the knowledge of using them," said Justice Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai, Judge Supreme Court of India, speaking further on Right to Education.

With the implementation of New Education Policy which offers flexibility, more and more deprived sections of the society of our country will come under the ambit of education and will hence improve their social and economic status, Justice Gavai added.

"The need for clean energy is increasing day-by-day due to the non-stop degradation of our environment with the excessive usage of fossil fuels by the mankind," said Justice Sabrina McKenna, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of Hawaii.

The demand for electricity is increasing twice as fast as the total energy production in the world which is currently being generated 76 per cent from the fossil fuels like Coal & Oil.

"92 per cent of India's total electricity generation is from thermal power plants which will reduce to 75 per cent by 2040. But by then the total energy requirement of India will increase by 156 per cent which will negating the effect of reduced dependence on production of electricity from coal. With the excessive usage of fossil fuels, global warming has resulted in increase in the sea levels which has endangered many global port cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, Karachi which will eventually become inhabitable," said Justice Mckenna.

"World is currently living under Climate Emergency and 11,000 scientists world over have raised their concerns that the threat of catastrophic disaster due to global warming is now becoming a harsh reality," said Justice Brian Preston, Chief Judge of Land & Environment, Court of New South Wales.

Countries like India have committed to reduce its carbon emissions by 35 per cent by generating 9 per cent of the total electricity generation from nuclear energy which is currently 4.2 per cent.

"India is building 23 Nuclear Reactors for electricity generation which will completed by 2025," Justice Preston further added.

"With separate courts and tribunals on environment by many countries around the world, it can be clearly stated that Judiciary being law enforcement agency is playing a crucial role in environment protection," said Justice Brian Preston.

"Most of the countries in South Asia receive remittances sent by migrant workers which help their countries' economies to boost," said Justice Ananda Mohan, Judge of the Supreme Court of Nepal, while speaking on the contribution of migrant workers in their respective countries.

South Asian countries experienced a 12 percent growth in remittance in the year 2018-19. In lower- and middle-income countries India receives the highest remittance stated Justice Ananda Mohan.

"Despite the huge contribution to the economy, migrants' workers are the most unprotected section of humanity, especially those working in unorganized sectors and the ones who are self-employed in urban centers away from their native places, after the lockdown declared in last year in various countries this section was affected the most," Justice Ananda Mohan added.

"In Modern time Human Rights are protected at different level namely in the International, National, and Regional Level. The independence of the Judiciary in each country is an utmost important factor for implementing the Convention on Human Rights. The systematic threat to the independence of the judiciary should be put on hold because the judiciary is the last line of defense for the preservation of the Human Right Convention. The countries should abolish the death penalties in numerous cases, the death penalties should be reserved for serious crimes, those involved in killings," said Justice Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, President of The East African Court of Justice, while speaking on Human Rights.

Justice Michael Hantke Domas, Lawyer & Consultant, and Prof Armin Rosencranz, Dean at Jindal global university (New Delhi) were among the other dignitaries who participated in the webinar.

The two-day International Webinar will continue with Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice A M Khanwilkar from Supreme Court of India and International Judges from European Union, Sri Lanka, Brazil and USA would be taking part.

This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he had fired the five lawyers who had agreed to be his defense team in the upcoming Senate trial for inciting an insurrection on January 6. Late Sunday, Trumps office in Florida announced that two new lawyers, David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor Jr., had agreed to take the case.

The abrupt change in the legal team was reportedly driven by Trumps demand that his lawyers defend his actions on January 6 by claiming that the 2020 presidential election was stolen by the Democrats. The first legal team balked and pressed for Trump to confine his defense to arguments that the Senate trial of an ex-president, now a private citizen, would be unconstitutional.

According to the New York Times, Mr. Trump had pushed for his defense team to focus on his baseless claim that the election was stolen from him, one person familiar with the situation said. A person close to Mr. Trump disputed that that was the case but acknowledged that there were differences in opinion about the defense strategy.

Donald J. Trump [Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian]

CNN reported, Trump wanted the attorneys to argue there was mass election fraud and it was stolen from him rather than focus on proposed arguments about constitutionality.

It is not clear whether the divisions within the Trump camp on legal tactics have been resolved, or whether the new legal team has agreed to put forward Trumps lies about a stolen election as part of the Senate trial.

The statement announcing their appointment referred only to the constitutional claim and made no reference to the 2020 election. Schoen has already been working with the 45th President and other advisors to prepare for the upcoming trial, and both Schoen and Castor agree that this impeachment is unconstitutionala fact 45 Senators voted in agreement with last week, the press release says.

The two new lawyers are both well established litigators with close political ties to the Republican Party. Schoen has represented civil rights groups and victims of police violence, among his many clients, but recently represented Trump crony Roger Stone in his criminal trial for perjury. It is likely that Stone put Schoen in contact with Trump. Schoen is a board member of the Zionist Organization of America, one of the most right-wing pro-Israel lobbies.

The other lead attorney, Castor, was district attorney of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, for eight years (20002008), and has been active in state Republican Party politics for two decades. He is best known for a case he declined to prosecute, the sexual abuse and rape charges against comedian and actor Bill Cosby. The controversy over this decision contributed to Castors defeat in a 2015 election in which he sought to return to office as district attorney.

Four of the five lawyers who parted ways with Trump on Saturday were from South Carolina: Butch Bowers, Deborah Barbier, Greg Harris and Johnny Gasser. The fifth, Josh Howard, was from North Carolina.

The team from the Carolinas was assembled under the auspices of Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, after the attorneys who represented Trump in his first impeachment trial apparently declined to take his second one. These included then-White House Counsel Pat Cipollone, his deputies Patrick Philben and Eric Herschmann, and Jay Sekulow, a longtime legal activist for Christian fundamentalist groups.

Trumps switching of legal teams on the eve of the Senate trial is clearly a sign of crisis. The new lawyers must prepare a rebuttal brief against the charges brought in the House impeachment and submit it by Tuesday morning, one week before the scheduled beginning of the Senate trial on February 9.

While the press announcement claims that 45 Senate Republicans have embraced the view that it is unconstitutional for the Senate to try an ex-president, that is technically not accurate. Senator Rand Paul brought a constitutional point of order on that issue, and Senate Democrats moved to table it. The 45 Republicans voted against tabling, not directly to uphold the substance of Pauls motion. At least two of the 45 claim they are still open to convicting Trump, although that would still leave the number of votes for conviction at 57, 10 fewer than required.

Nevertheless, the overwhelming vote of Senate Republicans to quash the Senate trial is a clear demonstration of support for Trump and makes an acquittal in next weeks impeachment trial all but certain.

There are well established precedents for trying Trump after he leaves office. The US Senate has done so in the past, for cabinet officials and judges if not presidents. The most famous case of impeachment, well known to the Founding Fathers at the time they wrote the Constitution, was against Warren Hastings, British governor-general in India, who was impeached two years after leaving office and acquitted seven years later.

Trumps demand that his defense should argue that the 2020 election was stolen is extraordinary, since it means embracing the claim that was the driving force of the insurrection of January 6, for which Trump was impeached. But Trump is not playing by the rules set by the US Constitution or conventional politics. Even before the election, his orientation was to inciting his supporters against the political system as a whole and building a fascist movement centered on his role as an authoritarian leader.

He knows that he has the support of the bulk of the Republican Party, which has become an incubator for fascist politics and the integration of far-right forces into the political establishment. And he knows that he has nothing to fear from the Biden White House or the Democratic Party, both of which continue to plead for unity and bipartisanship despite the GOPs uniting behind the architect of the attempted seizure and likely murder of Democratic lawmakers and overturn of the results of the 2020 election.

Just as significant as Trumps firing of his attorneys is his demonstrative support for Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the fascist from Georgia, who has been widely condemned for social media postings calling for the assassination of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the execution of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

In addition to advocating for the fascist QAnon conspiracy theory, Greene has claimed that the massacres at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut and Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida were staged, and that the 2019 massacre at a New Zealand mosque was a false flag operation rather than a fascist atrocity motivated by anti-Muslim bigotry. She is also a 9/11 truther, claiming that no airliner crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, and that the US government and military covered up an alleged missile strike for incomprehensible reasons.

Several House Democrats are putting forward a resolution to expel Greene, which under parliamentary rules must be voted on this week. In advance of that vote, which requires a two-thirds majority to pass, or a lesser action like censure, which requires only a majority, Greene tweeted that she had a telephone conversation with Trump in which the former president backed her to the hilt.

Greene posted on Saturday: Im so grateful for his support and more importantly the people of this country are absolutely 100 percent loyal to him because he is 100 percent loyal to the people and America First.
Did you know your level of education, credit score and job can be used to determine how much you pay for auto insurance?

Some New Jersey lawmakers say that discriminates against lower-income drivers, and the state Senate last week passed a bill banning it.

Senate sponsors of the bill (S111) argue using those factors to calculate insurance risk saddles lower-income drivers with unfairly high rates. Auto insurance companies should be establishing rates based on a drivers driving habits and not their socioeconomic status, they said.

It is absurd to even think that there are individuals out there paying more for car insurance just because they have a low credit score, Sen. Nellie Pou, D-Passaic, said in a statement. Those that have a lower income pay more for insurance, meaning they are being penalized just for being poor.

Existing laws here allow auto insurers to prey on New Jerseys most vulnerable populations, added Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex. Low-income customers are being charged significantly more regardless of their driving history and that is unacceptable.

Consumer Reports found in a 2015 analysis that credit score can play a bigger role in determining insurance premiums than almost any other single factor. A New Jersey driver with a clean driving record but poor credit may pay as much as $1,700 a year more for insurance than a driver with a similar driving history but excellent credit, according to the organization.

Thats akin to having a drunken driving conviction on your record, it said.

Most consumers arent aware that credit information is used to calculate insurance prices, and polls show that the majority dont approve of education level and occupation playing into their rates, said Chuck Bell of Consumer Reports.

People intuitively understand that your rates have some relationship to your ability to operate a car safely and whether you have a pile of speeding tickets or accidents, Bell said. But when you tell them people are looking at the credit score, job level and education, thats kind of a shock to most people.

Auto insurance companies have not been able to demonstrate a causal link between credit score and safe driving, Bell said, adding that credit score is, however, strongly correlated to income and race. Thats why insurance pricing should emphasize such driving-related factors as the number of miles driven per year, years of driving experience and driving safety record, he said.

Testifying before a Senate committee last year, Gary La Spisa, vice president of the Insurance Council of New Jersey, argued that insurance companies rely not on traditional credit scores that measure credit stresses but on credit-based insurance scores that measure credit tenure and have been proven to be predictive of future insurance claims.

The state Department of Banking and Insurance regularly reviews rates to ensure theyre actuarily justified, predictive of risk and not unfairly discriminatory, he noted.

Several studies have come to the conclusion that credit-based insurance scores are not a proxy for race or income, added Christopher Stark, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies. In addition, he said, the use of occupation is neither arbitrary nor simply white collar versus blue collar.

Occupation as a rating factor is actuarily sound, it varies by company, and it creates the very competition that we need in our insurance market in New Jersey, he said.

John Harmon Sr., president of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, urged the Senate Commerce Committee in October to put an end to the discriminatory practice of including occupation, education and credit scores in determining insurance premiums.

I ask that you muster the courage to right this systemic wrong, he said. I believe in capitalism. I believe in free enterprise. But I also believe in fairness, equity and respect for Black men and women throughout our state that are trying to co-exist and live meaningful lives with others in New Jersey.

Eric Poe, CEO of Princeton-based Cure Auto Insurance, agreed that these practices are discriminatory, and said that since auto insurers were permitted to lean on these economic factors in 2004, New Jerseys uninsured motorist population has doubled.

Sen. Gerald Cardinale, R-Bergen, warned then the legislation could send New Jersey back to the bad old days, when insurance companies didnt want to do business in the state.

Four states already prohibit insurers from using education and job type to calculate premiums, and four prohibit credit information from being factored in, according to Consumer Reports.

The bill would bar auto insurance companies from using homeownership, marital status, educational level, credit score, employment status or occupation in assigning rates. It passed the Senate 22-9 on Thursday. It now advances to 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.
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/31/2021



ADVERTISEMENT

[ Spoiler Warning: This report contains spoilers revealing if Hazel and Tarik are still together or whether the couple broke up.]

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

So are Hazel and Tarik still together now, or has the couple broken up?

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

star Hazel Cagalitan has been shown questioning whether she can trust Tarik Myers after he secretly reached out to their ex Minty on Season 8 of , so did Hazel and Tarik call it quits on their relationship or are they still together? What do the latest spoilers say?Tarik was a 43-year-old realtor and single father from Virginia Beach, VA, when he first saw Hazel, a single mother from Quezon City, Philippines who is now 28-years-old, on an Asian dating website.After three months of dating virtually and over the phone, Tarik traveled over 9,000 miles and 36 hours to meet Hazel in-person in the Philippines on : Before the 90 Days' second season.Tarik took a lot of heat from family and friends, especially his brother Dean, for pursuing a relationship with a woman overseas. Tarik's loved ones worried he was being scammed and Hazel was just after a Green Card.And Hazel wasn't exactly warm and affectionate with Tarik when they spent time together. She was shy and Tarik discovered she lived in the poorest of conditions with her family.But it didn't take long for Tarik to become completely smitten with the girl, and so he decided to propose marriage to her anyway before he traveled back to the United States.Tarik and Hazel were still engaged six months after : Before the 90 Days' second-season finale aired on TLC in October 2018.Tarik later returned to the Philippines several more times to visit Hazel, and in the meantime, he was waiting for Hazel's K-1 visa to be approved.Hazel even agreed to sign a prenuptial agreement for Tarik to prove that she was with him for love."She is beautiful on the inside and outside. She's like an Asian version of Angelina Jolie and I love her," Tarik said in a confessional on 's eighth season.At the time 's eighth season filmed, Tarik and Hazel had been together for two years and Hazel finally got approved for a K-1 visa.Hazel was going to meet Tarik's seven-year-old daughter Auri for the first time. Tarik apparently has majority custody of Auri, who stays with her father five out of seven days a week and lives with her mother on the weekends.Tarik shared how Auri has high-functioning autism and everything in his life revolves around her. Tarik hoped Hazel would love Auri and that they'd get along wonderfully.Hazel also has an eight-year-old son Harrey, and Hazel was having a tough time leaving him behind. Tarik and Hazel therefore planned to bring Harrey to the United States "eventually" in order to give the boy more opportunities in life.Tarik admitted he was "surprised" when he learned Hazel is bisexual, and he told her that Virginia Beach is "full of smoking hot women."Hazel apparently wanted to have a girlfriend on the side, and Tarik therefore wondered how that was going to work and whether Hazel was really in their relationship for him or just permanent residency in the United States."We're not even married yet -- and what you're thinking about is the girlfriend we need to find?" Tarik explained in a confessional."We've had some trust and jealousy issues in the past, so it does make me nervous. But she wants to go full steam ahead on this thing, so I hope we're really ready for it."Tarik revealed he had questioned Hazel's character one time but ended up being wrong.Tarik had been engaged for almost a year when he and Hazel had a big misunderstanding. Tarik recalled how they thought Hazel was pregnant at the time and so Hazel took one positive pregnancy, followed by two negative tests about a week later."So I'm thinking that she terminated the pregnancy, so I flipped out. I thought, 'I can't be with nobody who is going to do sh-t like this,'" Tarik explained."A woman can do whatever she wants with her body, but I think my feelings went all over the place because it's a trust thing. I thought she did it without talking to me, and I was like, 'This is over.'"Three weeks after their breakup, Tarik apparently started talking to a new woman named Minty from Thailand. Tarik said he had been "falling in like" -- not love -- with the girl, but he wanted to clean things up with Hazel before pursuing a new relationship.Hazel insisted to Tarik that a doctor had told her that she was never pregnant and her menstrual cycle had just been late. Hazel therefore forgave Tarik, who then came clean about his interactions with Minty.Hazel was upset at first but then suggested she wanted to talk to the "beautiful" Minty.Tarik had yet to tell close friends and family that Hazel is bisexual because he knew people would have preconceived notions, and Hazel having a girlfriend was simply going to be a part of their married life.Tarik revealed to Kia that he, Minty and Hazel all met in the Philippines about a year-and-a-half prior.Tarik suggested the girls had hooked up and everything was "beautiful" for two-and-a-half days."But Day 3, Hazel just put an end to it. Hazel felt like Minty was more into me than she was into Hazel," Tarik shared."Hazel could see I was just fascinated by Minty. It was refreshing to me to be able to speak in Thai and talk about all the stuff I experienced in Thailand, but there was this jealousy that came over Hazel immediately and it ended right there. Hazel told me to never contact Minty ever again."However, Tarik confessed he had texted Minty again a couple of weeks back. Tarik said he just wanted to check on Minty and make sure she was okay due to the coronavirus pandemic, and he insisted that he was going to tell Hazel but was a little afraid to do so.Tarik then picked Hazel up at the airport with flowers, and it had been four or five months since they last saw each other. He wore a powder blue suit for their reunion, and it was an emotional moment for Tarik.Hazel said she was "overwhelmed" with happiness and Tarik looked "so handsome" in her favorite color.Hazel said she really missed her son and hated saying goodbye, but the pair planned to have Hazel's son join them in America someday for a better life."This is the turning point in my life. It's like everything before her and then everything after her," Tarik said.On the drive to Tarik's home, Hazel was shocked by all of the big houses in America and how clean everything looked. Tarik's home was huge compared to Hazel's place in the Philippines considering Hazel lived in poverty.Hazel noted the house was big but messy, and Tarik told the cameras he and his fiancee have two different definitions of "clean."Hazel said coming to the United States was "a dream" but Tarik's house was big and overwhelming. She hoped she could eventually feel at home in Tarik's place.One day after Hazel's arrival, Tarik was ready to pick a venue for their wedding, but Hazel wanted their pace to slow down since she had a lot to adjust to.Hazel hoped she could become a loving mother to Auri, but she feared it might be difficult to take care of a child with special needs. Hazel anticipated loving Auri just like she loves her son Harrey back home.Hazel said her parents wanted her to get married in their church, but Tarik explained that he didn't want to marry in the normal, typical way and Hazel's church essentially freaked him out a little bit.Hazel said religion is important to her and she wanted to make her parents happy, but Tarik tried to talk her into marrying at Edgar Cayce's A.R.E., a cultural and spiritual center that apparently means a lot to him.The center was named after a famous psychic, but Hazel thought the place was weird and said she didn't want to get married there. Hazel, however, told her fiance that she'd think about it and they could compromise and make a decision together about their future.During Hazel's second day in America, she was shown unpacking her belongings and feeling a little bit overwhelmed.Tarik told Hazel that his daughter Auri always slept with him because she was scared of being alone in her room. Auri had been sleeping with him for seven years, and he said Hazel would have to be okay with that because the arrangement wasn't going to change.Hazel, however, worried Auri's constant presence would ruin their romance and intimacy, and she knew they'd need privacy as a couple. Knowing how close Tarik and Auri were, Hazel feared she wouldn't fit into their relationship.Auri recognized Hazel right away but was a little shy. Hazel picked Auri up and hugged her, and it was an incredibly sweet moment. Tarik said he was "overwhelmed" that Hazel and Auri were embracing each other, and Auri even put her head on Hazel's shoulders."I couldn't ask for anything more," Tarik said.Hazel thought Auri is very cute and sweet, but the interaction just made her miss her son even more.Tarik later hosted a party for Hazel and he hoped all of his friends would love her. Hazel hoped it wouldn't be difficult to fit in and she was admittedly a little nervous about the gathering.One of Tarik's friends Angela gave Hazel a gift, a beautiful scarf in her favorite color, and Hazel was so happy and grateful.Tarik and Hazel hoped to bring Hazel's son over to the United States in about a year or so. She was used to seeing her son once a week given the boy lives with his father and stepmother.Tarik was well aware Hazel had given up everything to be with him and he wanted to be her rock, and so he determined he must be honest and upfront with her about how he had texted their ex, Minty."I'm worried that if I tell her while she's still getting used to being away from her son, it might be too much for her," Tarik noted.With 85 days left to wed, Hazel told Tarik during a lunch out that she liked the United States but really missed the Philippines.Tarik wasn't sure when they'd be able to travel to the Philippines again considering COVID-19 was becoming a real issue, and he was also nervous to bring up the fact he had reached out to Minty when he wasn't supposed to.Hazel gushed to Tarik about the sexy women in Virginia Beach, and Hazel said she'd like to have a girl join their relationship so she could have a girlfriend and husband.Hazel apparently kept the fact she's bisexual a secret from her religious parents so they wouldn't disapprove of her lifestyle or dislike her.Hazel then told the cameras she had found something on Tarik's phone that worried her -- a message to her ex, Minty, from Thailand. Hazel said when Tarik and Minty would talk to each other in Thai, she felt left out and jealous."I was worried if he likes her too much, so we broke up with Minty," Hazel admitted.Hazel the told Tarik that she had discovered a message to Minty on his phone, and Tarik replied, "I mean, I was going to tell you. It's just this virus thing happened... It hit right in the city where she is, so I just wanted to text her and go, 'Yo, are you good?!'"Hazel asked why Tarik hadn't been honest with her right away, and he acknowledged that she was right.Tarik said he didn't have a problem with Hazel looking through his phone but it was concerning that she maybe didn't trust him fully and felt the need to check his messages to begin with.Hazel felt the virus was just an excuse to get in touch with Minty, but Tarik promised he wouldn't contact their ex again."It worries me if I can trust him," Hazel lamented.Tarik and Hazel are still a couple and their relationship appears to be thriving.Tarik uploaded a photo of Hazel in glasses on January 19, 2021 and added a funny caption with it."Me : I clearly text Minty to see if she was ok bc there was a big Covid outbreak in her city. Hazel : I put my glasses on to clearly see if this was BS. #Tarzel #90dayfiance #90daybaresall #90dayfiancepillowtalk #beforethe90days #rayban #allnatural," Tarik wrote.On January 16, Tarik posted a photo of Hazel standing in the sunlight with her eyes closed, and he captioned the image, "You are an original. You are misunderstood. You are ridiculed and hated on by many close to you. But you are still perfect."He continued, "I am an original. Misunderstood. Ridiculed and hated on by many close to me. We soak up the sun different. #Tarzel #90dayfiance #90dayfiancebaresall #90dayfiancepillowtalk #beforethe90days #nomakeup #nofilterneeded."A few days earlier, Tarik uploaded a photo of Hazel and his daughter flashing peace signs, showing they're still together as a family.Tarik also apparently rang in the New Year of 2021 with Hazel by his side.Tarik posted several photos of Hazel standing in front of a sunset, including two pictures of Hazel standing out of the sunroof of a car."Ok. So the house may have been a LITTLE messy," Tarik captioned the slideshow, referring to Hazel's first impression of his home in America."I'll make it up to you with a beautiful sunset. 2020 GO THE F AWAY ALREADY! BYE FELICIA! Everyone have a SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 2021 #Tarzel #90dayfiance ##90daybaresall #90dayfiancepillowtalk #beforethe90days."On December 18, Tarik posted two selfies with Hazel in which she looked stunning in a burgundy dress and matching lip. In one of the pictures, she was kissing Tarik on the cheek."Hawt Sauws. Hella Hawt Sauws. #Tarzel Watch #90dayfiance Sunday at 8pm EST on @tlc #90daybaresall #90dayfiancepillowtalk #90dayfiancebeforethe90days," Tarik wrote alongside the images.One day earlier, Hazel posted a similar photo and captioned it, "Haters don't hate hate, haters hate LOVE.' #Tarzel #90dayfiance."Tarik reposted Hazel's quote on his own page saying he agreed with her, and then Hazel commented with multiple kiss-blowing emoticons.Tarik also posted a video of Hazel on October 25, 2020.In the video, Hazel told her fans, "I'm here to send good tidings and well wishes to your family and friends... I'm here for y'all! Have a good one!"Tarik captioned the Instagram post, "My beautiful Hazel is on Cameo now. Book her for all occasions. She is Hazel Cagalitan on Cameo. Thanks. #beforethe90days #90dayfiance."On August 28, 2020, Tarik posted a selfie of the couple, revealing they had watched Black Panther three times in one week together because Hazel loved it so much. He said it was "the first move we ever watched together."Tarik posted a photo of Hazel and her father on June 21 and gushed about how he raised 14 children in poor conditions."I thought I knew the difficulties of fatherhood until I met this man. He raised 14 children in conditions most of us only see on TV. Never once shirked his responsibility. The definition of a real man. Salamat Pa. Happy Father's Day," Tarik wrote.Tarik also wished Hazel a happy Mother's Day in May."When life dealt you crap, you turned it into fertilizer. I was proud of you before the cameras rolled. And I'll be proud of you... Well anyway. I'm your defense mechanism against anyone. And I mean anyone. Happy Mother's Day Zellybean," Tarik wrote alongside a photo of Hazel and her son.Back in October 2019, Tarik gushed about Hazel on Instagram."I had so many rules that you became the exception to. So many standards that you exceeded. Also, I'm forever grateful to you for pulling those knives out of my back that a smiling faced Judas shoved in. You are goals. #TarZel #90dayfiance #90dayfiancepillowtalk," he wrote.And in August, 2019, Tarik called his girl "an implausible, irreplaceable gift from God."In Summer 2019, Hazel gushed about Tarik and wrote, "Sometimes I still pinch myself to make sure Im not dreaming. Sometimes I still cant believe that youre real and that ur mine.""I never thought that some1 as amazing as u would fall in love with someone as silly as me," she continued."But Im so glad that u did because my life has been nothing but wonderful. Thank u 4 coming into my life and for letting me show u how much u mean to me. #TarZel #ILoveYouHoney."Tarik and Hazel's posts about one another date all the way back to Fall 2018.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 01:24:36|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- China will further promote international cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, sharing technologies from its new third-generation reactor, which has just gone into commercial use, according to a senior expert on Sunday.

The No. 5 unit in the city of Fuqing, in east China's Fujian Province, China's first nuclear power unit using Hualong One, a domestically designed third-generation reactor, began generating electricity for sale on Saturday.

"We are willing to provide to other countries worldwide with the Hualong technology, including main components, personnel training, as well as our experiences in global cooperation," said Xing Ji, chief designer of Hualong One, in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

"We also expect wider cooperation with other countries in developing new technologies on nuclear energy," said Xing, who is also chief engineer of the China Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation.

China has actively participated in international organizations in the field of nuclear energy, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, to promote international technological exchanges.

It also plays a significant role in ITER, the world's largest nuclear fusion experiment, and works with other countries to tackle challenges in this regard.

Boasting 716 national patents and 65 international ones, over 200 overseas trademarks, and 125 software copyrights, Hualong One is China's homegrown model of the safer and more efficient third-generation reactor.

Safety is usually a massive concern for nuclear plants, only sharpened by Japan's 2011 Fukushima disaster. Hualong One has a designed life of 60 years and meets the strictest safety standards in the world.

Hualong One's reactor core contains 177 fuel assemblies. The design can increase the unit's power while making it safer, according to Xing.

The reactor comes complete with a combination of active and passive safety systems. The passive safety system, which relies on natural forces like gravity, provides an extra safety net for the reactor when all power supplies shut down in emergencies, Xing said.

The Hualong One is designed to resist damage from the equivalent of a 9-magnitude earthquake or an aircraft impact, Xing said.

It can avoid nuclear leakages and quickly restart operations, even in extreme circumstances like those of Fukushima, where an earthquake was coupled with a tsunami.

Nuclear power is considered a clean energy source, promoted for global low-carbon development. Hualong One's step forward in commercial operations demonstrates China's commitment to green development as a responsible country, Xing said.

China has vowed to peak its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Xing believed that these goals call for much more reliance on low-carbon alternatives like nuclear power.

The No. 5 unit will likely generate nearly 10 billion kWh of electricity each year, potentially reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 8.16 million tonnes in annual terms, according to the China National Nuclear Corporation data.

Hualong One has also extended the refueling interval to 18 months, making it more cost-effective, according to Xing.

He also mentioned that China has achieved fruitful results in the research of fourth-generation nuclear-energy technology for commercial use. It has made breakthroughs in the technologies of fast neutron reactors and high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. Enditem

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UMAX Group Corp. (the "Company" or "UMAX" - Pink Sheets Alternative Reporting Pink: UMAX)  UMAX and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Home Foam Corporation, would like to announce the acquisition of a Las Vegas, Nevada based trucking company, Mazuma Transportation Company.

Mr. Fletcher (President and CEO of the Company), states"We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Mazuma Transportation Company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mazuma Transportation will be the second fully owned and operational subsidiary of UMAX. Similar to the acquisition of Home Foam in November of 2020, we negotiated the acquisition through the use of our Series "B" Preferred Stock so that the current common stock shareholders would not experience any immediate dilution of their shares of Common Stock. Additionally, similar to the Home Foam acquisition, there is contractual rider which states that the Series B Preferred Stock to be issued as part of this acquisition cannot be converted to the Common Stock of the Company for a period of three calendar years or Mazuma Transportation has four profitable consecutive quarters, whichever comes first. The purpose of this contractual rider is to insure that before the holders of the Series B Preferred Stock from this acquisition can convert to common stock, which will dilute ownership of the current shareholders of the Company, the subsidiary has added significantly to the top line revenue and is cash flow positive thus supporting the financial fundamentals of its parent company, UMAX."

UMAX acquired Mazuma Transportation pursuant to an equity exchange agreement executed on Friday, January 29, 2021. Pursuant to this Agreement, the Company acquired all outstanding equity of Mazuma Transportation (making it a wholly owned subsidiary) in exchange for 1,000,000 shares of Series B, Preferred Stock of the Company. Mazuma Transportation will have the following twelve (12) vehicles on its balance sheet:

Four (4) 2020 Peterbilt Cement Mixer Truck

One (1) 2010 International Day Cab

One (1) 2017 Freightliner Super 10 Dump Truck

One (1) 2008 Peterbilt Cement Mixer Truck

Two (2) 2009 Kenworth Cement Mixer Truck

One (1) 2010 Cement Powder Trailer

One (1) 1999 Freightliner Box Truck

One (1) 2009 International Box Truck

Mr. Fletcher further stated"The Mazuma Transportation acquisition is a great transaction for UMAX in that it adds over $1,300,000 to our balance sheet in hard assets with debt of less than $200,000. This acquisition follows our business plan of acquiring operational business that have both significant assets and revenue, are in an industry that we feel has significant opportunities to generate significant profit on an ongoing basis and has cross uses with other operational subsidiaries that UMAX will eventually acquire. In passing, we plan on the possibility of retrofitting several of our older cement mixer trucks to become dump trucks due to the extreme demand for the dump truck type vehicles."

Mazuma Transportation currently has the two 26's box trucks leased out to a shutter and coating companies in the Las Vegas area. Three of the seven cement mixer trucks are currently leased out to a cement delivery company in the Los Angeles, California area. The four new 2020 cement mixer trucks, the super 10 dump truck, the 2010 International day cab and powder trailer will be leased to a new cement ready mix company estimated to open on or around April 1, 2021 in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The company plans to add trucks as demand requires. The Las Vegas area is currently experiencing a construction boom with Super 10 dump trucks in high demand and Amazon plans on expanding to eight (8) total fulfillment warehouses in Las Vegas, Nevada which will require outside trucking contractors like Mazuma Transportation to assist them in the delivery of consumer goods pursuant to profitable daily drive contracts. Mazuma Transportation plans to fill the needs of both the Las Vegas and Los Angeles Markets as need for commercial trucks continue to grow.

About Us

UMAX Group Corp. is a Nevada corporation, is a public quoted Pink Sheet issuer under the ticker symbol "UMAX". Currently, UMAX has two wholly owned operational subsidiaries, Home Foam Corporation (Nevada Corporation) and Mazuma Transportation Company (Nevada Corporation). Home Foam which specializes in architectural foam (EPS) design products. This includes columns, caps, bases, medallions, railings, balconies, balustrades, shutters, window trims and sills, crown moldings and interior & exterior moldings. Additionally, they provide ornamental foam pop-outs such as window treatments for outside of new homes for stucco subcontractors and plaster companies. Additionally, Home Foam cuts foam for packaging inserts for shipping companies as well as geo-foam for highway and road development. The company also manufactures shutters for some of the largest regional home building companies for newly constructed residential homes. The company currently operates a 12,500 square foot warehouse located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The warehouse provides services for over 50 customer and currently has 13 full-time employees. Home Foam has plans to participate in the home building market in the Southwest Unites States during calendar year 2021. The company will eventually develop its own patented building system using EPS Foam products and a patented stucco-based coating. The coating insures higher R-values factors than traditional wood-built residences thus lower energy monthly cost. The company is also continually searching for companies that would expand the footprint in the home building industry for partnerships of acquisition. Mazuma Transportation specializes in the commercial transportation and delivery of cement, dirt, and consumer goods.

Forward Looking Statement

Certain statements that we make may constitute forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include information concerning future strategic objectives, business prospects, anticipated savings, financial results (including expenses, earnings, liquidity, cash flow and capital expenditures), industry or market conditions, demand for and pricing of our products, acquisitions and divestitures, anticipated results of litigation and regulatory developments or general economic conditions. In addition, words such as believes, expects, anticipates, intends, plans, estimates, projects, forecasts, and future or conditional verbs such as will, may, could, should, and would, as well as any other statement that necessarily depends on future events, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees, and they involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Although we make such statements based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements. We caution investors not to rely unduly on any forward-looking statements and urge you to carefully consider the risks described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including our most recent Annual Report and subsequent Flings, which are available on Otcmarkets.com. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statement in the event it later turns out to be inaccurate, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE UMAX Group Corp.

Related Links

umaxgrpcorp.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.
Its not unusual for Laura Jean McKay to be called prescient. After all, to have your novel about a pandemic come out while a coronavirus has the world in its thrall could be seen as perfect timing and her imagined world eerily familiar.

Now that acclaimed novel, The Animals in That Country, has won Australias richest writing prize, the $100,000 Victorian Prize for Literature. McKay also won the Victorian Premiers Literary Award for fiction, worth another $25,000.

Laura Jean McKay subtly animalises the world in her distinctive prose. Credit:Brendan Lodge

Other winners on Monday evening were: Paddy Manning (Body Count: How Climate Change is Killing Us) in the non-fiction category; David Stavanger (Case Notes) for poetry; Angus Cerini (Wonnangatta) for drama; Cath Moore (Metal Fish, Falling Snow) for young adult; and Archie Roach (Tell Me Why) for Indigenous writing. They each receive $25,000.

Andre Dao won the $15,000 unpublished manuscript award for Anam, and Louise Milligan the $2000 peoples choice award for Witness.
On Instagram, Santanu Hazarika was seen hugging Shruti Haasan at the 35th birthday celebrations of the actress, he wrote: "Happy birthday Princess". Ever since the pic grabbed the attention of the netizens, a section says that Santanu is the latest boyfriend of the Vedalam actress.

Santanu and Shruti were seen often together in Mumbai and it adds more buzz to the rumor that spreads like wildfire on the internet.

However, Shruti Haasan hasn't opened up about this hush-hush relationship buzz. Two years back, Shruti broke up with her Italian boyfriend Michael Corsale.

In April 2019, Michael tweeted: Life has just kept us on opposite sides of the globe unfortunately and so we have to walk solo paths it seems. But this young lady will always be my best mate. So grateful to always have her as a friend. Luv ya gal.

On the work front, Shruti has Laabam and Salaar in the pipeline.

Text & Images: MOVIEBUZZ
Lucknow: Female MLA of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Etawah in Uttar Pradesh has received threats to kill them. BJP MLA has been threatened to kill in the name of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI. The number from which the threatening message came to the MLA is being told as the number of Pakistan. The MLA has complained to the Etawah Senior Superintendent of Police.

According to the information received, Sarita Bhadoria of BJP is MLA from Etawah Sadar Assembly seat. According to BJP MLA Sarita Bhadoria, she has received death threats from her family along with a number. The Pakistani intelligence agency ISI has also been named in the threatening message. According to her, she received this threatening message on January 30.

The BJP MLA has met Etawah SSP Akash Tomar and lodged a complaint. The SSP has directed the MLA to investigate and take necessary action. It is said that MLA Sarita Bhadoria is also the chairman of the UP Women and Child Development Joint Committee Etawah. The police department has been stirred up with threats to kill her along with her family.

Also Read:-

Assam: Kokrajhar Police seize container truck carrying 38 cattle heads at Srirampur

Monetary Policy watch, RBI likely to keep up status quo on rates

What to watch out in the Markets This Week
Upcoming political events in the Bay Area. Events take place online unless otherwise noted:

TUESDAY

The Black Church: A preview of PBSs series The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. KQED community advisory board panelist La Niece Jones leads a discussion on Black churches in the Bay Area and gentrification in Black neighborhoods. Hosted by KQED. 6 p.m. More information is here.

WEDNESDAY

Jennifer Siebel Newsom: Californias first partner and filmmaker discusses the documentary The Great American Lie with student filmmakers whose work looks at social justice and gender equity issues. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 3 p.m. More information is here.

Rep. Jared Huffman: North Bay Democrat hosts town hall meeting on COVID-19 vaccinations, with Dr. Ian Hoffman, Humboldt County public health officer; Dr. Andy Coren, Mendocino County public health officer; and Dr. Heather Nye, associate chief of medicine at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. 4 p.m. Submit a question in advance here; join meeting here.

Black Lives Matter at school: Education activists Nathaniel Genene, Jesse Hagopian, Taunya Jaco, Denisha Jones and Cecily Myart-Cruz in conversation about the struggle against systemic racism in schools. Hosted by Haymarket Books, San Jose Unified Equity Coalition and United Teachers Los Angeles. 4:30 p.m. More information is here.

The Purpose of Power book club: San Francisco Mayor London Breed discusses Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garzas The Purpose of Power. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here.

Mothers of civil rights movement: Anna Malaika Tubbs discusses her new book, The Three Mothers, about the mothers of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 6 p.m. More information is here.

THURSDAY

Racial justice: The Rev. William Barber II of the Poor Peoples Campaign and his daughters, social epidemiologist Dr. Sharrelle Barber and Rebekah Barber, a public policy masters student and fellow at the Institute for Southern Studies, discuss racial justice and how the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected communities of color. Hosted by Mother Jones. 11 a.m. More information is here.

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis: In discussion about economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic with Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California. 11 a.m. More information is here.

Black womens history: Historians Daina Ramey Berry of the University of Texas and Kali Nicole Gross of Rutgers University discuss their new book, A Black Womens History of the United States. Hosted by KPFA-FM. 7 p.m. More information is here.

SATURDAY

Racism and policing: A look at law enforcements disproportionate use of force against people of color. Speakers include social justice activist Signe Waller Foxworth, Gerald Smith of the Oscar Grant Committee against Police Brutality and State Repression, and Vallejo civil rights attorney Melissa Nold. Hosted by the Oakland Greens, Bay Area System Change Not Climate Change, and the Alameda County Peace and Freedom Party. 2:30 p.m. More information is here.

SUNDAY

Strange Fruit: History of the anti-lynching song, written by Abel Meeropol and made famous by Billie Holiday. Hosted by the Contemporary Jewish Museum of San Francisco. 10 a.m. More information is here.

MONDAY

Stacey Abrams: Rebroadcast of Georgia voting rights activists 2019 talk at the Commonwealth Club. 6 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 9

Electoral reform: Hoover Institution fellow Larry Diamond on institutional changes that may be needed to preserve U.S. democracy. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. Noon. More information is here.

Black feminism: A teach-in on Black feminism, socialism and the work of Angela Davis. Panelists include Barbara Ransby, history professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago; Neferti X.M. Tadiar, professor of womens, gender and sexuality studies at Barnard College; and feminist activist Bettina Aptheker. Sponsored by San Jose State University Human Rights Institute. 3 p.m. More information is here.

The Black Church: A preview of PBSs series The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. KQED community advisory board panelist Nicole Blake leads a discussion on how congregations have adapted to the challenges of the pandemic and confronted civil unrest after the police killing of George Floyd. Hosted by KQED. 6 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 10

Life after Trump: Steve Kettmann, editor of the new collection of essays Now What? The Voters Have SpokenEssays on Life After Trump, in discussion with two of the books contributors, journalist Cynthia Tucker and former Donald Trump ally Anthony Scaramucci. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 10 a.m. More information is here.

The Purpose of Power book club: Akonadi Foundation president and civil rights advocate Lateefah Simon discusses Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garzas The Purpose of Power. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here.

Fighting disinformation: An online conversation about the future of journalism and the movement to push back on the spread of disinformation through social media. With Geeta Anand, dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and Tristan Harris, former Google design ethicist and star of the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. Hosted by Cal Performances and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. 7 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 11

Rebuilding trust: Ethan Zuckerman, founder of the Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure, discusses his new book, Mistrust, and how public trust in institutions can be rebuilt with New York Times journalist Kara Swisher. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club. 3 p.m. More information is here.

Angela Davis: Longtime activist and professor emerita at UC Santa Cruz gives keynote address in the human rights lecture series hosted by the San Jose State University Human Rights Institute. 5 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 12

Anita Hill documentary: Screening of Freida Lee Mocks 2013 documentary, Anita Speaking Truth to Power, on Anita Hills testimony against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas confirmation during 1991 Senate hearings. Hosted by the Mechanics Institute. 6 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 13

Executive Order 9066: A discussion about the order incarcerating Japanese Americans in World War II. Panelists include Shirley Ann Higuchi, author of Setsukos Secret: Heart Mountain and the Legacy of the Japanese American Incarceration; former Assembly Member Warren Furutani, descendant of prison camps survivors; former Rep. Mike Honda, a camp survivor; and Dale Minami, who headed the legal team that overturned the conviction of Fred Korematsu. Hosted by the Japanese American Museum of San Jose and the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center. 1 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 14

Executive Order 9066: 41st annual San Jose Day of Remembrance commemorating the order incarcerating Japanese Americans in World War II. Hosted by the Nihonmachi Outreach Committee of San Jose. 3 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 17

The Purpose of Power book club: Oakland Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee discusses Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garzas The Purpose of Power. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 18

UC President Michael Drake: Discusses challenges for the University of California, including the pandemic and its economic impact and concerns about racial equity, with Mark Baldassare, president and CEO of the Public Policy Institute of California. 11 a.m. More information is here.

FEB. 19

Executive Order 9066: Day of Remembrance commemorating the order incarcerating Japanese Americans in World War II, featuring speakers from UC Berkeley Muslim Student Association and Nikkei Resisters. Hosted by the UC Berkeley Nikkei Student Union. 6:30 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 23

Erin Brockovich: Environmental activist delivers the Wallace Stegner Lecture on environmental issues can have an impact. Hosted by the Peninsula Open Space Trust. 7 p.m. More information is here.

FEB. 25

The Purpose of Power book club: Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza discusses her book The Purpose of Power. Hosted by Mannys. 5 p.m. More information is here.

To list an event, please email Chronicle politics editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle.com
DELAWARE, Ohio, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Greif, Inc. (NYSE: GEF, GEF.B), a global leader in industrial packaging products and services, is pleased to announce it has been recognized as one of America's most responsible companies for the second consecutive year by Newsweek. The list of nearly 400 companies was compiled from detailed analysis of more than 2,000 public companies, honoring businesses that give back to the communities in which they operate and excel in corporate social responsibility efforts.

This latest recognition is in addition to the other recent awards for our leadership in corporate social responsibility. The Company was awarded with its third consecutive Gold Rating by EcoVadis in October 2020 and with its third consecutive A- Leadership ranking by CDP in December 2020.

"We are pleased with Newsweek's recognition," said Pete Watson, Greif's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Greif is committed to being a conscientious global citizen, a responsive community neighbor and a responsible steward of our natural resources. This latest recognition underscores that commitment and we are proud to once again be named one of the most responsible companies in America."

About Greif, Inc.

Greif is a global leader in industrial packaging products and services and is pursuing its vision: In industrial packaging, be the best performing customer service company in the world. The Company produces steel, plastic and fibre drums, intermediate bulk containers, reconditioned containers, flexible products, containerboard, uncoated recycled paperboard, coated recycled paperboard, tubes and cores and a diverse mix of specialty products. The Company also manufactures packaging accessories and provides filling, packaging and other services for a wide range of industries. In addition, Greif manages timber properties in the southeastern United States. The Company is strategically positioned in over 40 countries to serve global as well as regional customers. Additional information is on the Company's website at www.greif.com .

Contacts:

Matt Eichmann

Office: 7405496067

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Greif, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.greif.com



For several days now, a school in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in Spains Canary Islands, has been more reminiscent of a prison than a shelter for migrants. The people inside are free to come and go, but most of them are afraid to wander too far from the entrance.

On Tuesday we went out to collect some money that my family had wired me. It was 3pm, and a car with four people inside stopped us in the middle of the street, explains Monsiffe, a 24-year-old from Morocco. They showed us several large knives, and fired in the air with BB guns. We were forced to run away.

Last week, between Monday and Thursday, seven Moroccan migrants living at this school in the neighborhood of El Lasso were assaulted. The attacks were carried out by organized groups of local residents, according to Cruz Blanca, the religious non-profit that runs the shelter.

Anyone who violates the law and commits crimes should be arrested and tried, but it is shameful to see immigrants being beaten up in Europe in the 21st century Yassin, migrant living at El Lasso center

Were all really scared. I feel like Im in prison, says Yassin, another migrant who lives at the school. Anyone who violates the law and commits crimes should be arrested and tried, but it is shameful to see migrants being beaten up in Europe in the 21st century.

On Monday, the prosecutors office in Las Palmas announced an investigation into potential hate crimes by members of WhatsApp chat groups that tried to get organized to intimidate or assault immigrants. Prosecutors are focusing on several messages exchanged two weeks ago calling on group members to travel to the south of Gran Canaria in order to attack migrants staying at tourist accommodation thats been temporarily converted into facilities for migrants, the news agency Efe reported.

Spain has once again become the main gateway into Europe for irregular migrants, largely because of the reactivation of the route to the Canary Islands. Last year there were around 41,000 arrivals by land and sea in Spain, compared with 34,100 in Italy and 15,500 in Greece, according to figures released on December 28 by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The Canary Islands, which are located off the northwestern coast of North Africa, received more than 20,000 migrants last year. The surge pushed the regions shelters to the breaking point and highlighted authorities inability to provide adequate facilities or assistance. The crisis was most visible in Arguineguin, a village of 2,500 residents that is part of the tourist town of Mogan in Gran Canaria. The villages port facility sheltered hundreds of migrants in overcrowded conditions for four months, until it was evacuated in late November.

A new migrant camp in the neighborhood of El Lasso. Javier Bauluz

Now, with new migrant centers opening up in other parts of the archipelago, protests are erupting there as well. On Saturday, there were demonstrations in La Isleta and El Lasso, two neighborhoods in Las Palmas that are home to these facilities.

Tensions are running high on the island of Gran Canaria, where Spains central government is keeping nearly 7,000 migrants. In the space of a few weeks, what began as racist rhetoric has morphed into verbal threats and assaults by local residents who are feeling scared and convinced that they need to protect their wives, children and property from an invasion. In several parts of the island, armed citizens are now taking justice into their own hands.

Rising tensions

Experts, civil society groups and the police are convinced that the tension will only intensify. The boats are still arriving, migrants are still being retained on the islands rather than flown over to the mainland, and while migrants living in hotels have been transferred to camps, there are thousands of people concentrated in just three municipalities on the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura.

Theres been a lack of joint work between the central government and local authorities, notes Vicente Zapata, who teaches human geography at La Laguna University. You have to be very prudent and avoid stigmatizing neighborhoods or the society thats sheltering [the migrants]. The focus must be on the origin of the problem: the Spanish states erroneous immigration policy in the Canaries.

This expert says that the current model, which concentrates thousands of people in one area, does not work.

EU funds

Spain is now asking the European Union to allocate more funds to countries in North Africa, Western Africa and the Sahel area. The more than 20,000 boat landings in the Canaries in 2020 illustrate the constant pressure on the Spanish borders of the EU, reads a letter from the Foreign Ministry to the European Commission.

Three ministries  Foreign Affairs, Interior and Migrations  have drafted an eight-page proposal for significant EU funding for the territories that migrants originate from. Two documents that EL PAIS has had access to also request renewed efforts in security, economic diplomacy and high-level bilateral relations.

Spain already has close relations with Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia, including supplying millions of euros in aid to train and equip those countries security forces. And then there is Morocco, which received 32 million in direct aid to stop the flow of migrants crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.

Migration to Spain has experienced a succession of peaks. Sea arrivals surged in 2018 to reach 57,500 people, making Spain the main irregular entry point into Europe. After persuading Morocco to crack down on departures, arrivals were halved in 2019. But in 2020, the Atlantic route to the Canaries was reactivated after a long lull.

Vigilante groups

A local resident of Las Rehoyas shows the knife wound he sustained. Javier Bauluz

Standing in a cloud of hashish smoke, four local youths are whiling away the time at a street corner in Zarate, a public housing area located near El Lasso school. They say that a Moroccan man sexually assaulted a local woman, and warn that Moroccans are not welcome in their territory. Not long ago, a young North African was brutally beaten here and the moment was captured on video. We dont know whether he did something or not. But he had the misfortune of getting lost, says one of the youths mockingly. The moros [a pejorative word for North Africans] are going to have a hard time. If one of them shows up around here, hes either going to wake up in an intensive care unit or inside a box.

Police officials say that crimes committed by foreigners, as well as the assaults that they are victims of, are few and far between. But police patrols in four neighborhoods have been stepped up. Two of them are home to migrant camps, and all four are classified as vulnerable due to worse-than-average unemployment figures, educational attainment and access to housing.

At 9pm on Wednesday, there was an unauthorized anti-immigrant protest in the neighborhood of Las Rehoyas, where around 100 people defied the coronavirus curfew to sing out there arent enough beds for so many people. The mood was festive, but there have been times when things have turned bloody.

On a recent Friday, a Moroccan man stabbed a local resident with a knife, causing a wound that required five stitches. A manhunt was quickly organized to catch the attacker, or anyone who looked like him. The 31-year-old local who was stabbed, Jeremy (an assumed name), lifts his sweatshirt to reveal the scar on his chest. He nearly killed me and orphaned my two children, he says.

A Moroccan man attacked by a vigilante group. Javier Bauluz

According to Jeremy, around three weeks ago several migrants showed up to steal clothes hanging on the line of peoples homes. Later, he says, they began stealing childrens scooters, and started to scare the young women in the neighborhood. Other residents agree that they live in fear. Some offer more or less factual information to make their point, while others fall back on hoaxes, such as the one claiming that the king of Morocco is dressing up his soldiers as illegal migrants. If theyre coming here on the warpath, were going to defend ourselves, says Jeremy.

Two kilometers from this spot, one of the targets of these local vigilante groups shows his swollen face. One of his eyes is shut from the swelling. He has been sleeping out on the street for six months, practically since his arrival on a boat. He didnt go to the doctor because he doesnt have any legal papers, and hes afraid of the police. They were attacked with tasers and battery liquid. They came with knives this size, says a local friend, indicating the length of his forearm.

English version by Susana Urra.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 1 : A team of young professionals, NSUI and Youth Congress leaders under Rahul Gandhi are chalking out grand plans for the upcoming Kerala Assembly election scheduled to be held in April.

The Congress high command has already put in place 'Mission 60' - aiming to win 60 seats for the Congress and of these the party wants 15 seats from north Kerala which is a Red bastion with CPM and Left candidates winning from these areas. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM politburo member and former state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also hail from the region.

Sources in the Congress told IANS that Rahul Gandhi will camp at his constituency Wayanad in north Kerala to lead the poll campaign.

Congress spokesperson Shama Mohammed will contest from Kannur district of north Kerala, a Red bastion and this is considered as part of the strategy of the Rahul brigade.

The state Congress is hoping to increase its tally from north Kerala with the presence of Rahul Gandhi, and sources said that unexpected candidates will be fielded by the party to spring a surprise on the rival camps.

The party is primarily aiming for Kozhikode North, Kozhikode South and Beypore seats. From Kasargod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Wayanad and Palakkad the Congress and its UDF coalition is expecting 35 seats of which the Congress alone wants to get 15 seats. The party strategists are planning to wrest those seats which were earlier represented by the Congress but are now held by the CPM candidates. The Vadakara Lok Sabha seat was a CPM bastion for almost three decades until the present KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran wrested it.

Uduma in Kasargod, Ponnani in Malappuram, Koyilandi, Nadapuram and Perambra in Kozhikode district are the seats which the Congress expects to wrest from the CPM.

At present, the Congress has 6 MLAs from 60 constituencies in these 6 districts. In the 2016 Assembly polls, UDF garnered 23 seats of which 17 were won by the Indian Union Muslim League while 6 went to the Congress.

With the Congress conducting surveys using the services of a psephology agency aided by a local group, the party is trying to understand the flaw in its strategies and the selection of candidates.

KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran told IANS: "Congress will repeat the 2019 general election results where we won 19 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats and we are getting feedback and reports on probable candidates. There will be a strong candidate list and we will proceed according to the plans and strategies which we finalise."
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.
Advertisement

Topshop's 'disgusted' staff today revealed they were officially told they'd lost their jobs two hours after Asos announced its 330million takeover on Twitter - as Sir Phillip Green's family is 'set for 50m' from the sale.

The outraged workers, numbering around 2,500, ripped into the online retailer as it was revealed that their former boss Sir Philip Green and his family are expected to gain 50million from the fire sale as experts told MailOnline that the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands and their warehouses full of stock had been flogged 'on the cheap'.

ASOS revelled in the deal after winning a battle with rival Boohoo to grab the crown jewels of Sir Philip's Arcadia empire after its collapse last year. It said on Twitter: 'The rumours are true... @Topshop & @Topman are now part of the ASOS family'.

But one Arcadia employee said minutes later: 'Nice way to find out I've lost my job, ASOS, great move for the people.' Another added: 'Thanks for informing me I've lost my job, after 10 years. Very compassionate.' And a third said: 'It's actually disgusting. I've worked for Topshop for two years and my own manager found out through Sky News as the administrators didn't inform us.'

ASOS hopes the deal will help it grow in the US. The sale will see 300 shops shut down and 2,500 store staff lose their jobs. But it will 'look at' saving Topshop's flagship Oxford Street store, which would be its first and probably only high street shop, meaning the deal announced to the stock market this morning will leave more 'big holes' in UK's ailing high streets as fast fashion companies hoover up collapsed retail brands.

Sir Philip Green's family will reportedly pocket 50million from the sale of Topshop - yet the shop's 1,000 suppliers are expected to get less than 1 per cent of any cash owed to them, it has emerged. Sir Philip is still worth an estimated 930million despite the disintegration of his retail empire.

Green's Aldsworth Equity, which is incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and controlled by his wife Lady Tina, is owed 50million due to an interest-free loan made to Arcadia in 2019. This will be paid back to the Greens before cash is handed to any suppliers, landlords and HMRC, according to The Guardian.

ASOS, run by Scotland's richest man Anders Holch Povlsen, worth 6.1billion, has bought the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands from administrators for 265million. They also paid another 65million for current and pre-ordered stock.

Topshop's sale came after an extraordinary collapse of a brand that was the biggest fashion chain on the high street just a decade ago. The brand had showstopping collaborations with designers including supermodel Kate Moss who was pictured holding hands with Sir Philip when she helped open its New York branch in 2009 - Topshop's first in the US. Thousands camped overnight outside stores to buy Kate's designer clothes.

In 2012 Arcadia Group was delisted from the London Stock Exchange when it was bought by Green's Taveta Investments group for 850million. Its success contributed to him getting a knighthood and earning the nickname: 'King of the High Street. Now Arcadia's crown jewels have been sold for 330million including all its clothes and accessories.

Guy Elliott, retail analyst at consultancy Publicis Sapient, told MailOnline today: 'Asos' acquisition of Arcadia brands Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge is a quick move to acquire some valuable consumers and brand assets 'on the cheap'. I think it is disappointing, and somewhat short-sighted that they are not keeping any of the brand stores. That to me, feels like a bad longer-term decision'.

Sir Philip Green and Kate Moss attend the opening of a Topshop store in New York in 2009 at the height of its success when it was worth around 850million. Now the brand has been sold 'on the cheap' to ASOS for 330million including its piles of stock

Staff were upset to learn that they were losing their jobs after a triumphant tweet from ASOS about the deal

Huge crowds outside Topshop when Kate Moss launched her fashion range - today the store is closed but ASOS is considering trying to save it

A man walks past a Topshop/Topman store on Princes Street in Edinburgh in December 2020 - 300 stores are set to go

ASOS, run by Scotland's richest man Anders Holch Povlsen, left with his wife Anne and worth 6.1billion, beat rivals Zuber and Mohsin Issa, who made their 3.56billion from petrol stations, to Topshop

Boohoo owned by Mahmud Kamani (pictured left with Snoop Dogg, Boohoo CEO Carol Kane and his son Samir Kamani in 2018) bought Debenhams last week

Susannah Streeter, markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'The deal will leave big holes in high streets up and down the UK. The era of Topshop as a draw for young fashion conscious shoppers to town centres appears to be over'.

Topshop's sale came as online brands such as ASOS and Boohoo enjoyed gigantic sales during the pandemic as physical stores were closed to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Boohoo, owned by Manchester billionaire Mahmud Kamani, bought the Debenhams brand for 55million last week and will axe up to 12,000 jobs by making it an online-only operation. Debenhams was valued at 1.7billion when it was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2006 and made record profits by 2013. Last year its shares were worthless after recent annual losses approached 500million.

Mr Kamani and Blackburn-born billionaire brothers Zuber and Mohsin Issa, who made their 3.56billion from petrol stations and recently bought the supermarket chain Asda, were all trying to buy Topshop but were pipped by Asos who wanted to buy Arcadia's other brands and were already selling their items online.

The online fashion retailer, which hopes the purchase will help it grow in the US, has bought the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands from administrators.

Administrators for Sir Philip Green's retail group said the buyer has also paid another 65million for current and pre-ordered stock.

The deal for Arcadia's prized brands, which will be fully funded from cash reserves, does not include its stores - putting thousands of jobs at risk.

Asos told investors this morning that it will take on around 300 employees as part of the deal. The Asos share price gained 2.1 per cent in early trading today.

Sir Philip's Arcadia empire fell into administration in November owing creditors hundreds of millions of pounds and threatening more than 13,000 jobs.

Its collapse was the biggest corporate failure of the Covid-19 pandemic so far. Topshop alone had around 300 stores open before the start of the pandemic.

A source close to the matter told AFP that the store closures would put 2,500 jobs at risk - and the deal is expected to complete on Thursday.

But Asos came under fire this morning from Arcadia staff who will lose their jobs, with many upset that the firm was 'crowing on social media'.

Asos had tweeted: 'The rumours are true... Topshop and Topman are now part of the Asos family.'

Arcadia's administrators Deloitte confirmed to MailOnline that the overall deal is worth 330million.

Asos chief executive Nick Beighton told reporters on Monday that the company was 'looking at' the possibility of retaining Topshop's flagship store on Oxford Street, but admitted it was 'not a priority'.

'It is something we are considering but we are not a stores business,' he said.

'Our priority is to double down on the brands, which we've seen perform incredibly well across our platform.'

Asos said the Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge websites will start re-directing customers to Asos from 'Wednesday evening or Thursday morning'.

Mr Beighton said more clothing lines from the acquired brands will appear on its site from this period, with the first Asos-designed Topshop and Topman products expected to appear later in the year.

He added: 'We are extremely proud to be the new owners of the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands.

'The acquisition of these iconic British brands is a hugely exciting moment for Asos and our customers and will help accelerate our multi-brand platform strategy.

'We have been central to driving their recent growth online and, under our ownership, we will develop them further, using our design, marketing, technology and logistics expertise, and working closely with key strategic retail partners in the UK and around the world.'

An Asos spokesman said the four 'iconic Arcadia brands would 'resonate' with its youthful customer base in Britain.

'This acquisition represents a compelling strategic opportunity in support of our mission to become the number one destination for fashion loving 20-somethings worldwide,' they said.

'These are strong brands that resonate well with our core customer base. Brand equity is strongest in the UK and they have an established presence in both the US and Germany, two of our key strategic markets.'

And Asos chief executive Nick Beighton said: 'We are extremely proud to be the new owners of the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands.

'The acquisition of these iconic British brands is a hugely exciting moment for Asos and our customers and will help accelerate our multi-brand platform strategy.

'We have been central to driving their recent growth online and, under our ownership, we will develop them further, using our design, marketing, technology and logistics expertise, and working closely with key strategic retail partners in the UK and around the world.'

Asos said incremental core earnings from the deal in its 2020-21 year would be offset by initial ramp-up costs.

There would also be additional one-off restructuring and transaction costs of about 20million.

Last week, Boohoo said it was in exclusive talks to buy the Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton brands in a move which will also not include any stores.

Asos said its acquisition of the four brands will 'resonate' with its core customer base of '20-somethings' in the UK.

The announcement comes after Asos-rival Boohoo said on Friday that it was in talks with Arcadia administrators to buy three of its brands comprising Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton in a move which will also not include any stores.

If a deal is struck there it would complete the break-up of Sir Philip's empire.

Established in 2000, Asos has grown quickly with its shares closing last Friday at 4,735p, valuing the business at 4.47billion.

Boohoo also agreed last week to purchase the intellectual property assets of failed department store chain Debenhams.

Both Arcadia and Debenhams collapsed in December - together risking the loss of 25,000 jobs - having struggled to transition from a bricks-and-mortar business long before the coronavirus pandemic forced shoppers online.

It comes after an industry group claimed last week that one fifth of shops on London's Oxford Street are now boarded up with 'no hope of recovery' with more than 50,000 retail and hospitality jobs set to be lost when the third lockdown ends.

Some 57 of 264 stores on the world-famous road are already permanently shut with revenue falling by more than 80 per cent to below 2billion in the 12 months from March 2020 compared to the same period a year earlier.

The New West End Company, a lobby group which represents hundreds of businesses in the area and provided the data, warned that the 'globally unique West End ecosystem is beginning to break down'.

Retailers have been hammered by three lockdowns as well as tier four restrictions which hit London one week before Christmas.

The Asos distribution centre near Barnsley in South Yorkshire

Workers at the Asos distribution centre near Barnsley in South Yorkshire

The online fashion retailer has also bought the Miss Selfridge brand from administrators

Give shops a roadmap out of lockdown, CBI urges Government, after firms fear January will be their worst month since May Industry leaders are urging Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to publish a roadmap to exit lockdown. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has written to Kwarteng demanding the Government helps companies prepare by confirming how risky a business activity is so firms can understand when they can expect to re-open. The CBI also wants clarity on whether there will be a return to a tier system. It urged the Government to identify which conditions must be met before restrictions will be rolled back, consider what extra freedoms might be allowed to businesses which commit to regular testing, and create detailed support plans. On vaccines, CBI director-general Tony Danker said there were 'strong arguments' for prioritising workers in key sectors. He said: 'Let's use this time to get the roadmap right.' Separately, the Independent Business Network (IBN) outlined a 35bn plan to save high streets and the hospitality industry. It wants an extension to reduced VAT rates in hospitality, alcohol taxes halved and town centre parking fees frozen. Advertisement

Its chairman Peter Rogers has urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to provide further financial help - including targeted funding projects, extending a payment holiday on business rates and allowing tourists to reclaim VAT again.

He claimed that the West End, which is also known for being the centre of the capital's theatre and entertainment industry, has suffered a tougher financial hit from the coronavirus pandemic than any other part of Britain.

Recent data from Springboard showed footfall is down 67 per cent year-on-year across Britain. This includes a 74 per cent fall on high streets, 75 per cent plunge at shopping centres and 45 per cent drop at retail parks.

The British Retail Consortium revealed last Friday that the UK high street has record levels of empty shops after 4,000 stores permanently shut their doors in the pandemic.

There are now approximately 40,000 empty premises across the UK, leading experts to warn the pandemic risks turning scores of high streets into ghost towns.

The BRC said the vacancy rate of 13.7 per cent was the highest since records began in 2012.

The figure has increased for ten consecutive quarters, from the start of 2018, when 11.1 per cent of premises were vacant.

The shift to online shopping, accelerated by the pandemic, and the sky-high cost of business rates has pushed thousands of businesses to the brink and forced a string of big name brands to shut shops.

Retail experts said the loss of big brands threatened the whole ecosystem of the high street.

Independent retail analyst Richard Hyman, a partner at TPC, said: 'That vacancy rate is going to go much higher when the business rates holiday and furlough ends, leaving massive gaps on high streets up and down the country.

'It's hard to see who is going to come along and fill those gaps.'

This British Retail Consortium graph shows shop vacancy in Britain - split by shopping centres, retail parks and high streets

The British Retail Consortium said the UK shops vacancy rate of 13.7 per cent was the highest since records began in 2012

A woman stands outside the shut and boarded up Debenhams on Oxford Street in London

Pedestrians walk past a series of closed shops on London's Oxford Street last month

Which stores have gone bust during the pandemic? Debenhams, Peacocks and D W Sports among the big beasts to go under amid the coronavirus crisis Bonmarche , the value-oriented clothing retailer, went into administration for the second time in a year on 2 December 2020. There are 226 stores and more than 1200 employees. It is owned as a separate business by Philip Day, whose EWM is also in crisis (see below). Philip Day put this company into administration a few months ago, and reaquired it via a pre-pack. It is thought unlikely that he will do this again a second time. Age UK , the charity focused on supporting the elderly, closed 133 of its 392 charity outlets in 2020 and made 400 people redundant. During the Lockdown 1 approximately 70% of its staff were on furlough. Debenhams , the oldest retail chain in the UK, announced on 1 December 2020 that it had no alternative except to go into lquidation. The company has gone into administration twice in the past two years and, with the failure of Arcadia (see next item), whose concessions took up a large proportion of Debenhams' sales area, the Company's future looks very bleak. It is expected that all stores will trade until Christmas, after which the contents of every store will all be sold off, its staff made redundant and the premises vacated or transferred to new owners if other companies acquire some or all of the estate. The Debenhams' name goes back to 1778, when William Clark established a drapery store at 44 Wigmore Street. It became Clark and Debenham in 1813, when Wm Debenham invested in the firm. The first store outside London was opened in Cheltenham in 1818. It became Debenham & Freebody in 1851. In 1919 it took over Marshall & Snelgrove, another department store chain, and bought Harvey Nicholas in 1920. In 1985 it was acquired by the Burton Group (later renamed Arcadia), was de-merged in 1998, acquired by private-equity consortium Baroness Retail in 2003 and become a public company again in 2006. Private equity funds in the form of TPG, CVC Capital and Merrill Lynch paid themselves 1.2bn in dividends as a reward for owning the business for only three years and increasing its debt from 100m to 1,000m. A sale and lease-back of 23 stores raised almost 495m for the temporary owners and saddled the business with long-term leases of up to 35 years. In the past 35 years it has had a variety of owners none of which was fundamentally committed to the future of Debenhams Group or was able to introduce a coherent long-term strategy. Debenhams has not been the only retail victim this year of this approach. Arcadia , the fashion giant owned by Philip Green's wife in Monaco, went into adminstration on the last day of November 2020. It consists of the former Burton Group, with major subsidiaries Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Burtons, Miss Selfridge, Wallis and Evans. These are all well-known brands. The administrators are allowing the stores and the website to continue to trade while new purchasers for the business(es) are found. There are around 440 stores and perhaps 12,000+ staff. The heyday of Philip Green's Arcadia was probably 2004-2007, but it failed to invest sufficiently in shops, IT or modern designs. Its dinner has been eated by upstarts like Primark, BooHoo, Zara, Next and even by grocery clothing lines. For some years, the company has lacked a clear sense of direction and suffered from low investment and an unwillingness to develop its online sales. It has cut its store numbers by more than half since 2012. Comparatively staid business like John Lewis and Next have heavily invested in their online operations and now produce half their sales online. So this could have worked for Arcadia, if it had been attempted. Large amounts have been taken out of the business in the form of dividend payments. More public interest has been generated by the Greens' luxury cruisers than by any innovation in Arcadia's shops. There is anxiety about whether the pension assets of the Arcadia Group are sufficient to pay pensions for its past and current employees. Administration means that debts owed by Arcadia to landlords and suppliers will probably be repaid at perhaps only 1%-2% of what is owed. Apart from the effect of the Arcadia crash on its own shops and employees, its failure will be a hammer blow for many suppliers and property owners. It has already caused JD Sports to pull of out its acquisition discussions with the Debenhams Department Store chain, because so much of Debenhams' floor space is given over to Arcadia concessions many of which may not survive after Christmas. An offer by Mike Ashley of a lifeline to keep Arcadia as a going concern was rejected. Arcadia would probably have been in trouble at some time in 2021-22, but the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of non-essential stores in Lockdown 1.0 and Lockdown 2.0 have become a death sentence for this group of businesses, giving it no chance to recover or adopt more successful strategies. Peacocks and Jaeger , both clothing businesses owned by EWM, were put into administration in mid-November after negotiations with possible suitors came to nothing. Discussions on behalf of both companies continue. Jaeger's business is more formal: it has around 76 stores and concessions employing 347 staff. Peacocks approach is more at the value end of the market: it has 423 stores and more than 4,200 staff. Both companies have gone through administration before. Both suffer from the decline in spending on clothing, the switch to online purchases by shoppers, the two lockdowns and threatened additional lockdowns in 2021, which make the future of fashion chains hard to gauge. Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Mill , both part of Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group (EWM Group), have gone into administration on 6 November with the initial closure of 56 EWM stores and 8 Ponden Mill shops. Eight hundred and sixty-six staff are to be made redundant. EWM Group has been given another fortnight to determine the future of the Group, but it is likely that there will be further store closures and redundancies. Meanwhile the search for buyers for the EWM chains, inlcuding EWM, Peacocks, Ponden Mill, Jaeger and other brands continues. EWM Group subsidiaries operate more than 1,000 stores and have 21,000 employees. The firm is a (previously) well-established company that bought a number of brands such as Jaeger, Austin Reed and Jane Norman from administrators. It is owned by Philip Day. He owns Bonmarche separately from EWM Group, although their stores have also put up 'closing down sale' notices in store windows. It was hit very hard by the coronavirus lockdown, needing to pay rent on almost one thousand properties with zero income. So far the company has only reopened a little more than about one-half of its outlets after Lockdown I and they are all closed again following Lockdown II. Its orientation towards an older market, tourists, and market-town Mill-type general products attractive to people on shopping trips has been severely hit in 2020 (and possiby into 2021 as well). The store numbers figures quoted here are on the high side and rather dated, but EWM Group has 384 Edinburgh Woollen Mill stores and other shops trading as Peacocks (479), Bonmarche (220), Ponden Mill (65), James Pringle (and other names) (88 stores) and 27 stores combining several EWM fascias. It is almost certain that a proportion will close. Apart from its sheer scale, the importance of Edinburgh Woollen Mill has been that in the last few years Philip Day has been the only entrepreneur actively buying distressed retailers apart from Mike Ashley's Sports Direct (now Frasers Group). J Crew , American 'preppy' clothing retailer, is to close all six of its UK stores making their staff redundant. Its parent company has recently emerged from administration and seems to have decided to liquidate its UK subsidiary. Celine Group Holdings , the parent company of Debenhams, has called in FRP Advisory to prepare for its own administration. This is understood to have been done to prevent any creditor taking action against them in the period when Debs is up for sale and trying to find a new owner. It is said that interest is overdue on 200m of loans made to Celine: administration would mean there would be no need to pay it. Any administration of Celine would not affect Debenhams store operation per se. M&Co , the Scots-based value clothing retailer previously called Mackays, has gone into administrators and been bought by its previous owners as part of a pre-pack to save the business. There are 262 stores and 2,700 employees. The covid-19 lockdown cost the firm more than 50m: in its last financial year profits fell by 40% to 3.6m. Forty-seven stores are to close (380 redundancies) as part of its recovery plan. The company was established in 1961. D W Sports , a sportswear and gym retailer owned by Dave Whelan, went into administration in the first days of August. The company's outlets - as non-essential retailers - have been closed since lockdown started: its 73 gyms were about to re-open until the change in government policy that postponed the resumption of trading by gymnasia, bowling alleys etc. There are 75 DW Sports retail stores: these will all close in four weeks. The Group has a total of 1,700 employees. Twenty-five stores have closed already. The Fitness First Group which is also owned by Dave Whelan is not to go into administration: its 43 clubs will remain trading. Feather & Black , the award-winning bed specialist rescued in 2017 from administration, has been bought by Dreams. None of its stores is to reopen after the easing of lockdown. It will become online only, probably with concessions in Dreams. Outstanding orders will be honoured. The Company was rumoured last February to be up for sale, so these closures are not strictly caused by coronavirus, although being closed for three months would not have helped its chances of survival. Grosvenor Shopping Centre in Chester went into receivership along with its car park earlier in July 2020. It was originally built in the 1960s and refurbished in the 80s. There are 101 retail units, all on one level. The Shopping centre continues trading. Oliver Sweeney Trading , the retail arm of the prestige shoe company Oliver Sweeney Group, was placed in administration in mid-July. All its seven stores are closed as the company sees its retail future as online only. This administration does not affect the wholesaling and online arms of the business. Muji , the Japanese high-street homewares retailer, has applied for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. It has debts of $64m and the Covi-19 lockdowns in the UK and the U.S. have hit it hard. It won't be included in our UK figures, but, under U.S. law the corporation will be required to produce an exit plan to revamp the company. This may well have implications for UK stores. The stores continue to trade. Cardinal , the Yorkshire-based firm of shopfitters (outfitting or remodelling store interiors), went into administration in mid-July. One hundred and thirty-five staff amongst its 170 employees have already been made redundant. Their business has been hit by the pandemic. In addition their customers (ie the retailers) were unable to make firm commitments about work they needed in 2020, H2, into 2021. The impact of covid-19 upon retailers has meant that most companies are now unsure about the number, type and location of stores that they are going to need in 2021-2025. The collapse of work for Cardinal is a symptom of the bloodbath on the high street. Soletrader , a footwear retailer established in 1962, went into a creditors' voluntary liquidation in mid-July 2020. Its assets including stock and brand names Sole and Soletrader were purchased by its owner, the Twinmar Group, and are now invested in a new subsidiary, Twinmar London. Most of the company's stores opened for trading in July, but eight shops have been closed. Soletrader's website is a separate entity and is unaffected by the liquidation. Peter Jones (China) , a 50-year old crockery and gift business based in Wakefield, went into administration in mid-July. It had not opened after the lockdown eased. There were ten stores and 76 staff. The business is expected to be liquidated. Norville Group , a Gloucestershire-based firm of opticians and optical suppliers to the industry, went into administration early in June after selling its nine Norville Opticians' practices the previous week. Since then the former Norville laboratories, which were renowned for being able to produce lens to the very highest standard, have been acquired from administration by Inspecs, the new owener of the Norville Group, and continue to trade. Benson Beds , the beds and bedding business owned by Alteri, was put into pre-pack administration at the same time as Harveys (see below). Alteri bought the business out immediately and put 25m into the company to invest in its development. There are 242 stores and 1,900 staff. Bensons (at present) is seen as a much better business than Harveys, most UK bedding is made in the UK, it faces less competition from overseas operators and Alteri is likely to focus on improving its operations, while keeping Harveys Furniture stable. The company continues to trade and existing orders will be fulfilled. Harveys Furniture , the second largest furniture retailer in the UK, was put into administration by its owners, Alteri Investors on the last day of June. There are 105 stores, which have been struggling for some years, and 1,575 staff. The company is looking to close 20 stores and make 240 staff redundant. The company continues to trade and existing orders will be satisfied. T M Lewin , retailer of shirts and ties online and in 65 stores, went into administration on the last day of June after failing to find a buyer. The shops have not re-opened following the relaxation of the lockdown. The busines had been acquired from Bain private equity only last month (May). The new owners, SCP Private Equity, expect to close all the stores, making the company online only. Six hundred employees are likely to lose their jobs. Bertram Books , the Norwich-based book wholesaler, went into administration towards the end of June 2020 with debts now (Aug 2020) known to be 25m. Most of its 450 workforce has been made redundant. Bertrams was particularly important to smaller publishing companies. Changes in the book market in the last 20 years including the growth of online sales and dramatic price cutting, highly-promoted 'blockbusters', the growth of Amazon and direct-to-customer applications as well as e-books adversely affected Bertram Books' business model. But that is not all. Sub-optimal decision-making by a succession of uncommitted owners have brought it down. Bertrams started in 1968 in a chicken shed in Elsie Bertram's garden as a project for her and her son. By 1999, when it was first sold, Mrs Bertram was 86, Bertrams was the second-largest book wholesaler in the UK, and it employed 700 people. In 2007, it was bought by the Woolworths Group and went into administration with the rest of the Company before being bought by Smiths News, the magazine/newspaper distributor of W H Smith. In 2018 it was bought by Aurelius, a German private equity group, who later sold Wordery, Bertram's online operation, to the Waterstone's book chain and Bertram's library division to an Italian business. The coronavirus pandemic, closing both libraries and bookshops, proved to be the final blow for Bertram Books. Was all this inevitable? Probably not. Intu Properties , the major property company that owns and manages some of the largest and best UK retail malls, went into administration on 26 June 2020. Many of its retail clients are not paying their rents and INTU's creditors are not as forebearing. It has total debts of 4.5bn, a merger with a European propery company came to nothing and it has failed to raise more capital. Its recent negotations with other parties, where it hoped to arrange a 'standstill agreement' with its lenders, led to no useful outcome, so it went into administration. Major sites include Lakeside, Glasgow's Braehead, Manchester's Trafford Centre, Nottingham's Victoria Centre and Norwich's Chapelfield. This administration will be a major blow to the UK retail sector, although, coming after many other impossible-to-believe 'major blows', its significance may be less apparent. It may not be possible for the Admiinistrators to run all the shopping centres without outside funding, although so far all sites have been kept open. It is still possible that many of their shopping centres will close unless a new potential buyer acquires some or all of them. Some observers who have used the lockdown to re-think their personal philosophy may rejoice at the decline of this bastion of consumerism. But the destruction of asset wealth in terms of commercial property, will adversely affect property prices, the stability of most retailers, pension funds, shares, unit trusts, tax revenue, job opportunities etc etc and bring home to the public the enormity of the slump we have managed to stumble into. Go Outdoors , the outdoor sports, walking, climbing, camping, riding and exercise retailer owned by JD Sports, wwnt into administration towards the end of June. It was immediately bought out of administration by J D Sports for 56.5m (pre-pack administration), enabling hte company to be reorganised. J D Sports has stated that it wishes needs to re-think the Go Outdoors business but does not expect large-scale redundancies and closures. There are 2,400 employees and 67 stores. Since the firm was bought by JD Sports it has lost 291m (to August 2019) and the massive losses caused by the coronavirus lockdown have only worsened the situation. In July, the Administrators estimated that unsecured creditors would receive only 1p in the 1. Lee Longlands , the Birmingham-based upmarket furniture retailer, went into administration towards the end of June to enable the company to restructure and improve cash flow. The company continues to trade and outstanding orders will be met. There are six stores, mostly in the Midlands. Lee Longlands was purchased via a management buy-out in 2015. The company started in Broad Street Bham as an antiques business in 1902. Poundstretcher Properties , a company connected to discount-chain Poundstretcher, is to be placed into administration as part of a CVA programme by 450-store group Poundstretcher to reorganise its store portolio, cut rents and reduce other costs. The Poundstretcher Group has argued that around 250 stores will close if the CVA is not approved by its creditors. Poundstrecher Properties holds the leases on only 23 stores and this will not affect the legal position or ownership of the group as a whole. Poundstretcher faces the same issues as the rest of the high street, compounded by the lockdown, now in its 85th day (it is really that long?). Oak Furnitureland , the specialist furniture store that started off on eBay, has gone into administration, and was immediately bought out of administration (pre-pack) by hedge-fund Davidson Kempner Capital Management. There are 105 showrooms and 1,491 empoyees. The business continues still to trade, but the new owner expects to rationalise the business, probably through the closure of some stores and reductions in staff. French-themed retailer, bread/coffee/restaurant chain Le Pain Quotidien went into pre-pack administration in mid-June. It has been bought out of administration by a new vehicle, BrunchCo21, believed to be linked to its former owner, Cobepa. Ten of its 26 outlets have been closed with the loss of around 200 jobs in stores and the closure of its head office. The new owners expect to negotiate T&C with the landlords of the remaining 16 properties, and the results may lead of course to further closures. Quiz , the Glasgow-based fashion group, put its physical stores division into administration in early June. Ninety-three head-office and warehouse redundancies have already been declared. The business wants to renegotiate rents for its 82 stores and the eventual size of the group will only be known, when this has been done. KPMG has been appointed to review the firm's options, which are likely to include store closures. There are 915 staff in the stores division. Quiz's online business continues unaffected, as are its 300+ concessions. Victoria's Secret , the UK arm of the U.S.-owned global retailer, went into administration early in June 2020 having made a loss now known (Aug 2020) to be 100m in the last financial year. The UK fashion trade has experienced a torrid three years and the coronavirus lockdown, which prevented 'non-essential' stores trading (though not online), has been the final hammer blow. Victoria's Secret has probably lost its original appeal: the aftermath of the Me-too campaign may have made the chain seem slightly tacky. There are 25 stores and 800 staff. The company sells ladies' underwear. The company is reported as looking for a light-touch administration, allowing them to restructure the business, reduce costs and possibly find a new owner. Aldo , a Canadian-based international chain of stores, went into administration early in May 2020. Five UK stores were permanently closed, leaving eight surviving while the administrators sought new owners for the UK business. The UK network was acquired by a Birmingham-based investment firm in September of last year, after the administration period saw them open three additional stores. Nine stores will be reopening to welcome shoppers back from 12th April 2021, with a further three to follow. Aldo shoes, handbags and accessories are still available for purchase in the UK both online and in its 28 UK concessions. The Irish arm of Aldo has already gone into administration. The company and its brands (chiefly 'Aldo' and 'Call It Spring') are major international businesses, operating around 3,000 stores globally served by 20,000 staff. Apart from the UK, Aldo businesses are expected to reopen as each government permits in the post-coronavirus world. DVF Studio , the luxury fashion company owned by Diane von Furstenberg, has gone into administration, citing 'coronavirus', and is closing its Mayfair store. The company has an online business as well as concessions in prestigious department stores, including Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. It announced earlier in 2020 that it was starting a subscription luxury service. The e-commerce business and concessions continue to trade. Antler , the luggage retailer which runs 18 stores and a concession, went into administration in mid-May. There are 194 employees: 164 of these have been made redundant. The Administrators announced in mid-July that they had successfully sold the brand name, Online business, stock and assets, but the stores remain closed and there was no news of their future. Johnsons' Shoes , also trading as Bowleys Fine Shoes, went into administration in mid-May. There are 12 stores, all in the South East of England. The 145 furloughed staff will retain their jobs as the administrators seek to reopen the businesses. The group was later acquired by Newjohn Limited, part of Daniel Footwear. Six stores were closed. Dawson's Music , one of the oldest stores selling musical instruments (est. 1898), went into administration early in May. There are six stores in Leeds, Manchester, Chester, Liverpool, Reading and Belfast. It is still opan and is hoping to be sold as a going concern. There are 75 staff. The coronavirus lockdown proved to be the last straw for a retail group that was already facing a decline in sales. There is also an Educational Division which supplies schools, colleges and universities. In late May, the chain was purchased by Andrew and Karen Oliver, who took over all the stores and retained the staff. J Crew , the U.S. fashion retailer with six UK stores, sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the beginning of May. It has 500 stores in the U.S., trades online, and owns the J Crew Factory and Madewell brands. It intends to continue trading online while it gives control of the business to its lenders who will cancel debts of $1.65bn (1.3bn). It is unclear how this will affect its UK business. L K Bennet , the fashion retailer which went into administration in March 2019, is to extend its administration for another twelve months. The company expects to open seven stores on 15 June 2020 (when non-essential stores are allowed to start trading) with the remaining 10 stores to open at a later date. Oasis and Warehouse , two fashion retailers owned by Icelandic-Bank Kaupthing, went into administration in mid-April 2020, having failed to find a buyer for the group. All its 92 stores were closed, 2,300 staff made redundant and the 437 concessions terminated. The 13 stores and 29 concessions in the Irish Republic had already gone in into administration under Irish law: there were 248 staff in Ireland. The Oasis and Warehouse brands and e-commerce operations were bought by Hilco, which sold them in June to BooHoo, the successful e-commerce apparel business. BooHoo raised 200m in May to help it take advantage of 'opportuunities', and now also owns brands such as NastyGal, PrettyLittleThing, Karen Millen, MissPap and Coast. Concessions and stores in other countries will continue to trade. Oasis and Warehouse had been suffering recently from the problems common to most UK mid-range fashion businesses. The coronavirus lockdown - closing all its stores - made it impossible to continue operating and ended any chance of a sale to a business wanting the stores to continue. Debenhams , the UK department store group now owned by its lenders following administration in 2019, has appointed administrators once again to protect itself from its creditors. Creditors were considering using winding-up orders to get paid. Although the company has closed 22 stores this year and expected to close 28 in 2021, the new administration is likely to hasten the demise of many more of its outlets in the longer term. Although its online operations are supplying customers, all its stores are in lockdown. It has heavy debts of around 600m. The comapny is loss-making and without the sales revenue from its exisitng stores it is in deep trouble. Debenhams has closed its Irish division permanently, which has eleven stores, 958 staff and 300 concessions. Debs is also closing its Hong Kong and Bangladeshi subsidiaries. Spicers , the office-supplies wholesaler, employing 1,200 people started by John Spicer in 1796 ceased trading in April. It was originally part of the Spicer paper and stationery company and split in 1985. It built up a European presence, but the UK arm and the European operations were separated in 2011, Spicers being bought by Better Capital, the private equity firm controlled by John Moulton. When it went into administration its administrators were not able to sell it and the business was liquidated. Simply Scuba , an award-winning diving retailer based in Faversham, went into administration in June. Thirty-two jobs are at risk. SimplyScuba has won the Dive Retailer of the Year award for ten years in succession. The Simply Group also runs SimplyHike and SimplySwim. The Simply Scuba website continues to trade, with its new 500M Divers Watch on sale today for 109. Kath Kidston , the vintage-inspired fashion and accessories chain, appointed administrators early in April 2020. It has now announced that it will close its UK branches, concentrating on Asia, the wholesale business and online sales. The company - like many fashion retailers - has had problems in maintaining sales and profitability. Since 2018 it lost 27mn, resulting in its closing stores and cutting head-office staff. There are 200 stores globally. All 60 UK sites are to close, with only 32 of its 941 UK staff being retained. It will now operate in the UK as an online-only retailer. The company's owners, Barings Private Equity Asia, have bought it out of administration on a pre-pack basis, having previously tried to sell it. Finances were so poor towards the end that initially Kath Kidson announced that they would only be paying part of the wages owed to employees: they have now agreed to make payments in full, but a up to a week late. The company suppliers, including HMRC and clothing manufacturers, are owned 90m by the failed company. Autonomy Clothing , a small fashion chain with three stores, 100 concessions and 44 staff, went into administration towards the end of March 2020. It has been beset by the same problems as the rets of the industry, the lockdown being the last straw. All employees have been made redundant. Lombok , the aspirational furniture and furnishings business, went into administration at the end of March. It operates both online and offline and is best known for its teak products made mostly from reclaimed timber. It has experienced two pre-pack administrations before (2009 and 2011). All 43 staff have been made redundant. Brighthouse , the rent-to-own household goods retailer, appointed administrators at the end of March 2020. There are 240 stores and 2,700 employees. The administration does not affect customers that rent goods, as their obligations will transfer first to the administrators and then to any new owner. This controversial business mainly deals with low-income households and was fined by the financial regulator for mis-selling and 'unfair' interest charged as part of consumer transactions. The compensation it must pay to 250,000 customers is understood to cost 1m per month and its most-recent financial report (February 2020) showed showed corporate losses of 16m. The company was originally called Radio Rentals whose business was renting out first radios and later TV equipment: they guaranteed to keep rented electronic goods in good repair at a time when electrical goods would often break down. Laura Ashley , the fashion retailer with 155 stores, went into administration in mid-March 2020. The administrators permanently closed 70 of the company's outlets: 1,669 staff were furloughed and 677 staff continued working in the business with more redundancies announced in mid-June. Only 18 of its remaining stores have re-opened post lockdown, though this may not be ominous. Gordon Bros have been allowed to purchse the Laura Ashley brand and its archives, leaving the future of the stores, logistics and manufacturing in Britain and Ireland unresolved. The Pension Protection Fund is asking for another administrator to be appointed to ensure the protection of Laura Ashley shareholders. Laura Ashley has had problems for more than 20 years. Administration comes after a long period of poor results from a retailer that had been a star in the 80s and early 90s. The post-2016 deterioration in fashion sales affecting most clothing retailers was certainly a factor, but the failure of the business to match modern consumer requirements meant it was difficult to see the purpose of the company. Latterly it had more success with its furnishing and homeware than fashion. The conoravirus epidemic early in 2020 led to a sudden drop in footfall and store sales, which finally prompted the company's move into administration. Gordon Brothers. a US-based restructuring corporation, bought Laura Ashley out of administration in late April. Kikki.K , an Australian-based retail group selling Swedish-designed stationery, has gone into voluntary administration as a result of the problems of Australian retailing plus the cost of its global expansion (now including Hong Kong, the UK, Singapore and New Zealand). There are up to five stores in the UK, three shops-within-shops in stores like Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges and an online business which, in Europe, seems now to be switched through to Australia. There are 100 stores globally. The Australian stores remain open, but the UK online business is currently uncontactable due to 'unprecedented shipping delays'. Homebase , the DIY chain, has returned to profit after its experiences first as Bunnings UK and then a large CVA case. It used its CVA to cut rents and close more than 70 stores. It is therefore quitting its CVA eighteen months early. CVAs have had mixed results when used by retailers, but this is one that seems to have turned up trumps for the business. Soak , a major online bathroom products retailer, went into adminstration at the end of February. The market is intensely competitive and Soak's revenue fell from 70m (2018) to 43m (2019). Its profit on the 2018 figures was only 2.9m. Price competition between online and bricks-and-mortar retailers has meant that few operators are making much of a profit, hence the decline of Soak and the collapse of other kitchen and bathroom retailers, such as Better Bathrooms. There are 220 employees. Bonmarche , the value-oriented clothing retailer that went into administration in October 2019, has now been purchased by Edinburgh Woollen Mills (its previous owner). It is being placed in the same operating division as Peacocks. So far only 200 stores have been acquired, leaving 70 stores in administration. A number of Bonmarche stores have 'closing-down' notices in their front windows and these are expected to disappear. When further information about Bonmarche is available, it will be shared here. T J Hughes Outlet Division has issued a notice of intended administration for its Outlet Division, prior to renegotiating their rents. Lewis's Home Retail Limited, a subsidiary of LHR Holdings (the master company for T J Hughes), owns eight stores, two of which have already been saved via agreed rent reductions. This does not affect the whole Group, but only outlet stores. More information as it becomes available. HonestJohn.co.uk , the online advice website for car owners, went into adminstration and has been bought by Heycar, an online retailer of used cars. The staff, IP and assets have been transferred. Ashbury Furniture , a large furniture and soft furnishings salesroom, went into administration in February, caused by constant road engineering on the M20 (making it hard to get to the showroom) and the impact of rent and rates. Ena Shaw , a producer and retailer of soft furnishings based in St Helens, went into administration in February 2020, closing its factory and store. There were 167 employees. Oddbins , the wine and drinks off-licence business of European Food Brokers, went into administration at the beginning of February. There are 56 stores, mostly trading as Oddbins or Wine Cellars: two have now closed. Employees number around 567. Less than one year ago 45 EFB off-licence businesses were sold or closed on the basis that they were no longer viable. Hearing and Mobility , a spcialist national chain of hearing and mobility stores, has ceased trading and administrators have been appointed. Hearing and Mobility (HHML) is a Northampton-based company founded in 2002 with 18,000 customers. It established a chain of 27 hearing and mobility stores throughout Britain, later focusing mainly on the Midlands and the South with 15 stores. Starting in 2016, the company closed many of its mobility stores to concentrate on hearing disabilities. The company rarely made a profit and by January 2020 had only four stores. After its stores had 'temporarily' ceased trading they were sold to two other companies trading in this vertical market. Amplify Hearing has acquired HHML hearing operations, assets and 76 staff, enabling customers to continue being provided with service. Hawkins Bazaar , a Norwich-based toy/games retailer with a focus on adult merchandise, went into administration in the latter days of January. There are 20 stores and 177 staff. The company went into administration previously in 2011. Weak trading in 2019 and a poor Christmas have led the firm's current problems. The stores will remain open while a buyer is found, but by mid-February were all to close. Houseology , a Glasgow-based ecommerce furniture business, has gone into administration after a doleful Christmas. Twenty-three staff have been made redundant. Bureau, its office-oriented associate business, contiues to trade and is not affected by Houseology's failure. Houseology was set up in 2010 and is perhaps best-known for being backed by famous names such as Terry Leahy, Mike Welch and Bill Dobbie. By the end of February Houseology's assets including IP had been acquired by competitor Olivia, part of the Moot Group. Moot Group started in 2018 and is targeting turnover of 20m by end-2020. Beales, a 22-store department store chain, went into into administration, having failed to find a new owner or additional finance in the latter end of 2019. At first, the company's stores remained open in the hope that a new owner could be found. They have all now closed. The loss-making stores in the Midlands and the South were closed suddenly when no new owner cold be found, and were followed a fortnight later by the remaining stores, which were mostly in East Anglia. The company had announced in December 2019 that it was in difficulties and needed refinancing. Beales was originally set up in 1881 in Bournemouth as the Fancy Fair and Oriental House, taking advantage of the then-current craze for Chinese-themed merchandise. Originally a strong independent department store, Beales had been buying other department stores for 25 years in order to gain scale. It bought Bentalls in 2002 and in the last eleven years has grown by acquisition through taking over small groups of ex-Co-op and small independent department stores, which were not in great shape when they were acquired. These stores were generally in smaller towns like Bedford, Keighley, Mansfield, Peterborough, Skegness, Yeovil, Spalding, Diss, Beccles and Wisbech . Losses rose from -1.3m in 2018 to -3.1m in 2019 and poor trading over Christmas made it essential to secure new funding. Beales employed more than 1,200 staff. Colliers International reported in January 2020 that Beales was paying 2.85m in business rates, 1m more than should have been the case. Source: Centre for Retail Research Advertisement

Danish ASOS billionaire who tore a chunk from Britain's High Street: Rise of 6.1bn tycoon, 48, who is Scotland's biggest private landowner with '200-year rewilding plan' for his 11 estates - but lost three of his four children in 2018 Sri Lanka bombings

Anders Holch Povlsen is the fabulously wealthy owner of the international fashion business Bestseller and the biggest shareholder in the British online fashion company ASOS, who bought Topshop in a cut-price 330million deal today.

The humble Danish retail mogul, 48, worth 6.1billion but known for liking a whisky down the pub and driving a bashed up VW Golf, is Scotland's richest man with around 220,000 acres of the Highlands under his control after he started buying up some of the country's grandest estates 14 years ago.

As a result, the reclusive Dane has become Britains biggest private landowner, making Prince Charles, who owns a paltry 130,000 acres in the UK, look like a veritable pauper.

Povlsen became enchanted with Scotland when one summer in the 1980s the young boy from Denmark went fly fishing in the Scottish Highlands with his parents and brother.

Some have called it the most expensive family holiday in history because three decades later he has spent 100million quietly turning himself into a real-life Monarch of the Glen.

With his wife Anne, 43, they have formed a '200-year vision' for their estates, which involves rewilding the land. In the vision, Povlsen said he planned to pass the estate along to his four children and that they would continue his work.

But their dream was hit by tragedy when three of their four children were killed in the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka in 2018. Alfred, Alma and Agnes all died. Only their youngest daughter, Astrid, then ten, survived the attacks and the couple said that they remain 'genuinely grateful' that she is still alive.

Danes Anders Holch Povlsen , 48, and Anne Storm Pedersen, pictured together, met when Anne began working in sales for Bestseller and have bough 11 Scottish estates making them biggest landowner in the UK

The couple had four children - Astrid, Agnes and Alfred (pictured in the days before they died) and Alma, who took the picture. Only Astrid survived the Sri Lankan bombings in 2018

Aldourie Castle is set within 500 acres of prime Scottish real estate near Loch Ness and is owned by Povlsen

The 7million tied island at Loch Eriboll on the northern tip of Sutherland was bought back in 2016

Lynaberack, tucked away in the Cairngorms, was one of Povlsen's earliest purchases and cost him 5million

Mr Povlsen has bought 11 Scottish estates and they are said to be worth 120million - more than double what he is believed to have paid for the properties. But he has spent huge sums rewilding land and refurbishing properties

In an open letter posted after their deaths, Mr Povlsen and wife Anne Storm Pedersen wrote that the project will take longer than a lifetime to complete and so would be carried on by their children after they died.

He wrote: 'From our home at Glenfeshie, both Anne and myself  our children and our parents too  have long enjoyed a deep connection with this magnificent landscape.

'As the holdings have grown and our common vision for the work becomes ever clearer, we have incorporated the entirety of the project into a venture we call Wildland.

'It's a significant and lifelong commitment that we have made - not just for ourselves but for the Scottish people and Scottish nature too - a commitment which we believe in deeply'.

He began building this ever-growing property portfolio 14 years ago, in the autumn of 2006, with the 7.9 million acquisition of Glenfeshie, a 42,000-acre patch of the Cairngorms National Park.

Two years later, he spent another 15.5 million acquiring the 23,000-acre Braeroy estate near Fort William, nearby Tulloch, and Lynaberack in the Cairngorms. Four estates were added between 2011 and 2015, and another three in 2016.

His Scottish landholdings cover an area half the size of Worcestershire, and surpassed the mere 217,000 acres owned by the Duke of Buccleuch - Britain's biggest land owner before him.

Partial to a single malt and locally brewed real ale, he is known to visit local pubs in Scotland but rarely says much about himself.

Mr Povlsen's life as a Scottish laird is all a long way from the tiny Danish town of Brande, with a population of just 7,000, where Povlsen's father, Troels, opened the family's first clothes store in 1975.

Other outlets soon followed. And Anders was only 27 when Troels made him the sole owner of Bestseller.

By 2007, it was so successful that supermodel Gisele Bundchen was hired to promote it.

Bestseller employs 15,000 people and boasts nearly 6,000 shops. He owns brands such as Jack & Jones and Vero Moda, and 27 per cent of ASOS.com, Britain's biggest internet fashion retailer.

Today it bought Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT from the ashes of Sir Philip Green's Arcadia.

In addition to re-wilding, the billionaire has poured millions of pounds into converting lodges, cottages and farmhouses into upmarket holiday retreats on his estates.

This has largely been the job of Anne, a willowy brunette with a passion for interior design. In dozens of buildings across the 11 estates, she has torn down the fusty tartan curtains of traditional Highland properties and created fashionable, modern rooms which look like they belong in an IKEA catalogue.

For 300 a night, members of the public can stay in the resulting homes, some of which are run as small hotels by the couples firm, Wildland Ltd.

In a rare interview with The Times Anne said the style of her holiday destinations is epitomised by a lack of clutter. You cant relax if you are surrounded by stuff.

According to Wildlands accounts in 2018, the estates are worth 115million combined.

By a quirk of Danish law, they represent a nice earner for the countrys exchequer, since it charges tax on all land owned, anywhere in the world, by its citizens. Each year, Povlsen must write a cheque for upwards of 3million.

During re-wilding work a human skull and other bones dating back 2,500 years were unearthed by workmen on one of his Scottish Highlands estates.

The partial skeleton, from the Iron Age, was discovered by builders on the tycoon's 18,000-acre Eriboll Estate, in Sutherland.

He bought the Eriboll estate from the late James Clark - son of famous Conservative politician Alan Clark - in 2016.

Popular locally and a colourful character, Mr Clark also inherited his father's bluntness.

When a group of uninvited fishermen parked their cars on his estate, Mr Clark brought out a digger and, around the anglers' vehicles, dug a moat that they had to fill in before they could leave.

During the lambing season, he hung the carcasses of knocked-down lambs from road signs to demonstrate the effects of excessive speed. On one occasion Clark refused to sell a house on the estate in case it fell into the hands of an English person.

Mr Povlsen, left with his wife Anne, outlined his plans to hand over his estates to his children as part of a '200 year plan' to 'rewild' his Scottish estates by reintroducing lost habitats and bringing back wild animals that have long gone extinct there. But tragedy struck when three were killed in a terror attack (their children pictured right)

Povlesen's first buy was Glenfeshie, whose 42,000 acres inspired Sir Edwin Landseer's Monarch of the Glen

Povlsen bought Killie Huntley estate in 2011 and rents out the vast farmhouse to holidaymakers

Coastal retreat: The Kinloch estate, by the Kyle of Sutherland estuary, offers 20,000 of hunting and salmon fishing

Wild hunt: The 19,500 acre Gaick estate in the Cairngorms is accessible only by off-road vehicle

The Ben Loyal lodge and estate were snapped up by Povlsen back in 2012 which makes up 24,000 acres

In 1998 the Povlsens were targeted by extortionist Kurt Hansen, who threatened to kill family members if he didnt receive 1 million.

Hansen, then 34, sent the Povlsens letters, scratched his initials into cars and eventually broke into the family home and left a note a few yards from where they slept.

When he was arrested, he had handcuffs, tape, flammable liquids and a handgun in his possession.

In his home, officers found disguises, a book on poisoning and a secret room under the floorboards.

Then, in 2003, a close family friend was kidnapped in India  where Bestseller has factories  by a gang that mistook him for one of the Povlsens, and was rescued only after a car chase. A discreet 24-hour security team keeps the family safe.

The slow death of Oxford Street: How a FIFTH of stores in London's iconic shopping district are now boarded up with 'no hope of recovery' after being hit by 80% revenue plunge in 2020

One fifth of shops on London's Oxford Street are now boarded up with 'no hope of recovery' with more than 50,000 retail and hospitality jobs set to be lost when the third lockdown ends, an industry group claimed today.

Some 57 of 264 stores on the world-famous road are already permanently shut with revenue falling by more than 80 per cent to below 2billion in the 12 months from March 2020 compared to the same period a year earlier.

The New West End Company, a lobby group which represents hundreds of businesses in the area and provided the data, warned that the 'globally unique West End ecosystem is beginning to break down'. Retailers have been hammered by three lockdowns as well as tier four restrictions which hit London one week before Christmas.

Its chairman Peter Rogers has urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to provide further financial help - including targeted funding projects, extending a payment holiday on business rates and allowing tourists to reclaim VAT again.

He claimed that the West End, which is also known for being the centre of the capital's theatre and entertainment industry, has suffered a tougher financial hit from the coronavirus pandemic than any other part of Britain.

Recent data from Springboard showed footfall is down 67 per cent year-on-year across Britain. This includes a 74 per cent fall on high streets, 75 per cent plunge at shopping centres and 45 per cent drop at retail parks.

A boarded up and closed store on London's Oxford Street as the retail sector continues to be devastated by the pandemic

A woman wearing a face mask walks past a boarded up and closed store on London's Oxford Street as the crisis continues

A woman wearing a face mask stands outside the shut and boarded up Debenhams department store on Oxford Street

Pedestrians walk past closed shops on London's Oxford Street although a Ben's Cookies outlet (on the right) remains open

Mr Rogers told Bloomberg: 'Left to market forces alone, the West End will recover but not for many years and not before irreparable damage will have been done to Britain's global reputation.'

It comes as the British Retail Consortium revealed the UK street has record levels of empty shops after 4,000 stores permanently shut their doors in the pandemic.

There are now approximately 40,000 empty premises across the UK, leading experts to warn the pandemic risks turning scores of high streets into ghost towns.

The BRC said the vacancy rate of 13.7 per cent was the highest since records began in 2012. The figure has increased for ten consecutive quarters, from the start of 2018, when 11.1 per cent of premises were vacant.

The shift to online shopping, accelerated by the pandemic, and the sky-high cost of business rates has pushed thousands of businesses to the brink and forced a string of big name brands to shut shops.

Former high street titan Debenhams has been sold to online retailer Boohoo without its 124 department stores, meaning it will disappear from the high street completely.

And 400 Topshop stores face closure, putting 13,000 jobs at risk, after Sir Philip Green's Arcadia empire went bust in December. Retail experts said the loss of big brands threatened the whole ecosystem of the high street.

Independent retail analyst Richard Hyman, a partner at TPC, said: 'That vacancy rate is going to go much higher when the business rates holiday and furlough ends, leaving massive gaps on high streets up and down the country. It's hard to see who is going to come along and fill those gaps.'

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: 'With the country in and out of lockdown, the forced closures of thousands of shops, and consumers reluctant to visit town and city centres, it is unsurprising that the number of shuttered stores continues to rise.

'Over the past two years, one in every 50 outlets has permanently closed, and this number will only go up. The big increase in vacancy rates during the crucial Christmas quarter serves as a stark reminder of the pandemic's impact.'

The British Retail Consortium said the UK shops vacancy rate of 13.7 per cent was the highest since records began in 2012

This British Retail Consortium graph shows shop vacancy in Britain - split by shopping centres, retail parks and high streets

A man wearing a face mask walks past a closed Sports Direct shop on Oxford Street as non-essential stores remain closed

A man wearing waterproof clothing walks past a boarded up and closed shop on London's Oxford Street in the rain

A closed entrance to the Debenhams flagship store on Oxford Street in London, which is now permanently shut

The Centre for Retail Research found that just over 16,000 shops closed their doors in 2020, suggesting that around 12,000 premises were filled by other shops, or services such as nail salons and gyms.

Its director, Professor Joshua Bamfield, said: 'It's going to get a lot worse before it starts getting better. Bricks-and-mortar retailers have been hit hard by the lockdown, and every high street is probably going to have to shrink.

'That's the only way they can cope with stores closing. Many of the shop workers who are sitting at home may not have jobs to go back to. It's harsh, but it's the reality.'

In time shuttered stores may be converted into offices or homes. Last year John Lewis announced it was converting the upper floors of its Oxford Street shop into offices as it could no longer justify the space.

The pandemic has already ripped through the high street, leading many of the country's best-known brands to shut stores.

People walk along Oxford Street next to shutters at the flagship John Lewis store as non-essential shops remain closed

A pedestrian walks past a sale sign at a JD Sports store on Oxford Street as non-essential shops are forced to remain closed

A closed sign in the window of a branch of McDonald's on Oxford Street in London during England's third national lockdown

A government coronavirus advert on the big screen at a near deserted Piccadilly Circus in London, pictured today

Boots expected to close 188 of its 2,600 stores last year, Hays Travel is shutting 89 stores and Paperchase is closing 37 of its 127 stores.

TM Lewin, Oasis and Karen Millen have disappeared from the high street entirely, while Cath Kidston has lost all but one of its 60 stores after falling into administration.

Marks & Spencer has long-standing plans to shut 85 department stores by 2024 as it tries to beef up its online business.

As many as 200,000 jobs were lost last year in retail, with many less being created in warehouses that service online shops.

Another 200,000 are expected to be lost this year as the business rates holiday comes to an end, threatening to push thousands of firms, which are currently unable to open, to the brink.

Which stores have gone bust during the pandemic? Debenhams, Peacocks and D W Sports among the big beasts to go under amid the coronavirus crisis Bonmarche , the value-oriented clothing retailer, went into administration for the second time in a year on 2 December 2020. There are 226 stores and more than 1200 employees. It is owned as a separate business by Philip Day, whose EWM is also in crisis (see below). Philip Day put this company into administration a few months ago, and reaquired it via a pre-pack. It is thought unlikely that he will do this again a second time. Age UK , the charity focused on supporting the elderly, closed 133 of its 392 charity outlets in 2020 and made 400 people redundant. During the Lockdown 1 approximately 70% of its staff were on furlough. Debenhams , the oldest retail chain in the UK, announced on 1 December 2020 that it had no alternative except to go into lquidation. The company has gone into administration twice in the past two years and, with the failure of Arcadia (see next item), whose concessions took up a large proportion of Debenhams' sales area, the Company's future looks very bleak. It is expected that all stores will trade until Christmas, after which the contents of every store will all be sold off, its staff made redundant and the premises vacated or transferred to new owners if other companies acquire some or all of the estate. The Debenhams' name goes back to 1778, when William Clark established a drapery store at 44 Wigmore Street. It became Clark and Debenham in 1813, when Wm Debenham invested in the firm. The first store outside London was opened in Cheltenham in 1818. It became Debenham & Freebody in 1851. In 1919 it took over Marshall & Snelgrove, another department store chain, and bought Harvey Nicholas in 1920. In 1985 it was acquired by the Burton Group (later renamed Arcadia), was de-merged in 1998, acquired by private-equity consortium Baroness Retail in 2003 and become a public company again in 2006. Private equity funds in the form of TPG, CVC Capital and Merrill Lynch paid themselves 1.2bn in dividends as a reward for owning the business for only three years and increasing its debt from 100m to 1,000m. A sale and lease-back of 23 stores raised almost 495m for the temporary owners and saddled the business with long-term leases of up to 35 years. In the past 35 years it has had a variety of owners none of which was fundamentally committed to the future of Debenhams Group or was able to introduce a coherent long-term strategy. Debenhams has not been the only retail victim this year of this approach. Arcadia , the fashion giant owned by Philip Green's wife in Monaco, went into adminstration on the last day of November 2020. It consists of the former Burton Group, with major subsidiaries Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Burtons, Miss Selfridge, Wallis and Evans. These are all well-known brands. The administrators are allowing the stores and the website to continue to trade while new purchasers for the business(es) are found. There are around 440 stores and perhaps 12,000+ staff. The heyday of Philip Green's Arcadia was probably 2004-2007, but it failed to invest sufficiently in shops, IT or modern designs. Its dinner has been eated by upstarts like Primark, BooHoo, Zara, Next and even by grocery clothing lines. For some years, the company has lacked a clear sense of direction and suffered from low investment and an unwillingness to develop its online sales. It has cut its store numbers by more than half since 2012. Comparatively staid business like John Lewis and Next have heavily invested in their online operations and now produce half their sales online. So this could have worked for Arcadia, if it had been attempted. Large amounts have been taken out of the business in the form of dividend payments. More public interest has been generated by the Greens' luxury cruisers than by any innovation in Arcadia's shops. There is anxiety about whether the pension assets of the Arcadia Group are sufficient to pay pensions for its past and current employees. Administration means that debts owed by Arcadia to landlords and suppliers will probably be repaid at perhaps only 1%-2% of what is owed. Apart from the effect of the Arcadia crash on its own shops and employees, its failure will be a hammer blow for many suppliers and property owners. It has already caused JD Sports to pull of out its acquisition discussions with the Debenhams Department Store chain, because so much of Debenhams' floor space is given over to Arcadia concessions many of which may not survive after Christmas. An offer by Mike Ashley of a lifeline to keep Arcadia as a going concern was rejected. Arcadia would probably have been in trouble at some time in 2021-22, but the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of non-essential stores in Lockdown 1.0 and Lockdown 2.0 have become a death sentence for this group of businesses, giving it no chance to recover or adopt more successful strategies. Peacocks and Jaeger , both clothing businesses owned by EWM, were put into administration in mid-November after negotiations with possible suitors came to nothing. Discussions on behalf of both companies continue. Jaeger's business is more formal: it has around 76 stores and concessions employing 347 staff. Peacocks approach is more at the value end of the market: it has 423 stores and more than 4,200 staff. Both companies have gone through administration before. Both suffer from the decline in spending on clothing, the switch to online purchases by shoppers, the two lockdowns and threatened additional lockdowns in 2021, which make the future of fashion chains hard to gauge. Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Mill , both part of Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group (EWM Group), have gone into administration on 6 November with the initial closure of 56 EWM stores and 8 Ponden Mill shops. Eight hundred and sixty-six staff are to be made redundant. EWM Group has been given another fortnight to determine the future of the Group, but it is likely that there will be further store closures and redundancies. Meanwhile the search for buyers for the EWM chains, inlcuding EWM, Peacocks, Ponden Mill, Jaeger and other brands continues. EWM Group subsidiaries operate more than 1,000 stores and have 21,000 employees. The firm is a (previously) well-established company that bought a number of brands such as Jaeger, Austin Reed and Jane Norman from administrators. It is owned by Philip Day. He owns Bonmarche separately from EWM Group, although their stores have also put up 'closing down sale' notices in store windows. It was hit very hard by the coronavirus lockdown, needing to pay rent on almost one thousand properties with zero income. So far the company has only reopened a little more than about one-half of its outlets after Lockdown I and they are all closed again following Lockdown II. Its orientation towards an older market, tourists, and market-town Mill-type general products attractive to people on shopping trips has been severely hit in 2020 (and possiby into 2021 as well). The store numbers figures quoted here are on the high side and rather dated, but EWM Group has 384 Edinburgh Woollen Mill stores and other shops trading as Peacocks (479), Bonmarche (220), Ponden Mill (65), James Pringle (and other names) (88 stores) and 27 stores combining several EWM fascias. It is almost certain that a proportion will close. Apart from its sheer scale, the importance of Edinburgh Woollen Mill has been that in the last few years Philip Day has been the only entrepreneur actively buying distressed retailers apart from Mike Ashley's Sports Direct (now Frasers Group). J Crew , American 'preppy' clothing retailer, is to close all six of its UK stores making their staff redundant. Its parent company has recently emerged from administration and seems to have decided to liquidate its UK subsidiary. Celine Group Holdings , the parent company of Debenhams, has called in FRP Advisory to prepare for its own administration. This is understood to have been done to prevent any creditor taking action against them in the period when Debs is up for sale and trying to find a new owner. It is said that interest is overdue on 200m of loans made to Celine: administration would mean there would be no need to pay it. Any administration of Celine would not affect Debenhams store operation per se. M&Co , the Scots-based value clothing retailer previously called Mackays, has gone into administrators and been bought by its previous owners as part of a pre-pack to save the business. There are 262 stores and 2,700 employees. The covid-19 lockdown cost the firm more than 50m: in its last financial year profits fell by 40% to 3.6m. Forty-seven stores are to close (380 redundancies) as part of its recovery plan. The company was established in 1961. D W Sports , a sportswear and gym retailer owned by Dave Whelan, went into administration in the first days of August. The company's outlets - as non-essential retailers - have been closed since lockdown started: its 73 gyms were about to re-open until the change in government policy that postponed the resumption of trading by gymnasia, bowling alleys etc. There are 75 DW Sports retail stores: these will all close in four weeks. The Group has a total of 1,700 employees. Twenty-five stores have closed already. The Fitness First Group which is also owned by Dave Whelan is not to go into administration: its 43 clubs will remain trading. Feather & Black , the award-winning bed specialist rescued in 2017 from administration, has been bought by Dreams. None of its stores is to reopen after the easing of lockdown. It will become online only, probably with concessions in Dreams. Outstanding orders will be honoured. The Company was rumoured last February to be up for sale, so these closures are not strictly caused by coronavirus, although being closed for three months would not have helped its chances of survival. Grosvenor Shopping Centre in Chester went into receivership along with its car park earlier in July 2020. It was originally built in the 1960s and refurbished in the 80s. There are 101 retail units, all on one level. The Shopping centre continues trading. Oliver Sweeney Trading , the retail arm of the prestige shoe company Oliver Sweeney Group, was placed in administration in mid-July. All its seven stores are closed as the company sees its retail future as online only. This administration does not affect the wholesaling and online arms of the business. Muji , the Japanese high-street homewares retailer, has applied for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. It has debts of $64m and the Covi-19 lockdowns in the UK and the U.S. have hit it hard. It won't be included in our UK figures, but, under U.S. law the corporation will be required to produce an exit plan to revamp the company. This may well have implications for UK stores. The stores continue to trade. Cardinal , the Yorkshire-based firm of shopfitters (outfitting or remodelling store interiors), went into administration in mid-July. One hundred and thirty-five staff amongst its 170 employees have already been made redundant. Their business has been hit by the pandemic. In addition their customers (ie the retailers) were unable to make firm commitments about work they needed in 2020, H2, into 2021. The impact of covid-19 upon retailers has meant that most companies are now unsure about the number, type and location of stores that they are going to need in 2021-2025. The collapse of work for Cardinal is a symptom of the bloodbath on the high street. Soletrader , a footwear retailer established in 1962, went into a creditors' voluntary liquidation in mid-July 2020. Its assets including stock and brand names Sole and Soletrader were purchased by its owner, the Twinmar Group, and are now invested in a new subsidiary, Twinmar London. Most of the company's stores opened for trading in July, but eight shops have been closed. Soletrader's website is a separate entity and is unaffected by the liquidation. Peter Jones (China) , a 50-year old crockery and gift business based in Wakefield, went into administration in mid-July. It had not opened after the lockdown eased. There were ten stores and 76 staff. The business is expected to be liquidated. Norville Group , a Gloucestershire-based firm of opticians and optical suppliers to the industry, went into administration early in June after selling its nine Norville Opticians' practices the previous week. Since then the former Norville laboratories, which were renowned for being able to produce lens to the very highest standard, have been acquired from administration by Inspecs, the new owener of the Norville Group, and continue to trade. Benson Beds , the beds and bedding business owned by Alteri, was put into pre-pack administration at the same time as Harveys (see below). Alteri bought the business out immediately and put 25m into the company to invest in its development. There are 242 stores and 1,900 staff. Bensons (at present) is seen as a much better business than Harveys, most UK bedding is made in the UK, it faces less competition from overseas operators and Alteri is likely to focus on improving its operations, while keeping Harveys Furniture stable. The company continues to trade and existing orders will be fulfilled. Harveys Furniture , the second largest furniture retailer in the UK, was put into administration by its owners, Alteri Investors on the last day of June. There are 105 stores, which have been struggling for some years, and 1,575 staff. The company is looking to close 20 stores and make 240 staff redundant. The company continues to trade and existing orders will be satisfied. T M Lewin , retailer of shirts and ties online and in 65 stores, went into administration on the last day of June after failing to find a buyer. The shops have not re-opened following the relaxation of the lockdown. The busines had been acquired from Bain private equity only last month (May). The new owners, SCP Private Equity, expect to close all the stores, making the company online only. Six hundred employees are likely to lose their jobs. Bertram Books , the Norwich-based book wholesaler, went into administration towards the end of June 2020 with debts now (Aug 2020) known to be 25m. Most of its 450 workforce has been made redundant. Bertrams was particularly important to smaller publishing companies. Changes in the book market in the last 20 years including the growth of online sales and dramatic price cutting, highly-promoted 'blockbusters', the growth of Amazon and direct-to-customer applications as well as e-books adversely affected Bertram Books' business model. But that is not all. Sub-optimal decision-making by a succession of uncommitted owners have brought it down. Bertrams started in 1968 in a chicken shed in Elsie Bertram's garden as a project for her and her son. By 1999, when it was first sold, Mrs Bertram was 86, Bertrams was the second-largest book wholesaler in the UK, and it employed 700 people. In 2007, it was bought by the Woolworths Group and went into administration with the rest of the Company before being bought by Smiths News, the magazine/newspaper distributor of W H Smith. In 2018 it was bought by Aurelius, a German private equity group, who later sold Wordery, Bertram's online operation, to the Waterstone's book chain and Bertram's library division to an Italian business. The coronavirus pandemic, closing both libraries and bookshops, proved to be the final blow for Bertram Books. Was all this inevitable? Probably not. Intu Properties , the major property company that owns and manages some of the largest and best UK retail malls, went into administration on 26 June 2020. Many of its retail clients are not paying their rents and INTU's creditors are not as forebearing. It has total debts of 4.5bn, a merger with a European propery company came to nothing and it has failed to raise more capital. Its recent negotations with other parties, where it hoped to arrange a 'standstill agreement' with its lenders, led to no useful outcome, so it went into administration. Major sites include Lakeside, Glasgow's Braehead, Manchester's Trafford Centre, Nottingham's Victoria Centre and Norwich's Chapelfield. This administration will be a major blow to the UK retail sector, although, coming after many other impossible-to-believe 'major blows', its significance may be less apparent. It may not be possible for the Admiinistrators to run all the shopping centres without outside funding, although so far all sites have been kept open. It is still possible that many of their shopping centres will close unless a new potential buyer acquires some or all of them. Some observers who have used the lockdown to re-think their personal philosophy may rejoice at the decline of this bastion of consumerism. But the destruction of asset wealth in terms of commercial property, will adversely affect property prices, the stability of most retailers, pension funds, shares, unit trusts, tax revenue, job opportunities etc etc and bring home to the public the enormity of the slump we have managed to stumble into. Go Outdoors , the outdoor sports, walking, climbing, camping, riding and exercise retailer owned by JD Sports, wwnt into administration towards the end of June. It was immediately bought out of administration by J D Sports for 56.5m (pre-pack administration), enabling hte company to be reorganised. J D Sports has stated that it wishes needs to re-think the Go Outdoors business but does not expect large-scale redundancies and closures. There are 2,400 employees and 67 stores. Since the firm was bought by JD Sports it has lost 291m (to August 2019) and the massive losses caused by the coronavirus lockdown have only worsened the situation. In July, the Administrators estimated that unsecured creditors would receive only 1p in the 1. Lee Longlands , the Birmingham-based upmarket furniture retailer, went into administration towards the end of June to enable the company to restructure and improve cash flow. The company continues to trade and outstanding orders will be met. There are six stores, mostly in the Midlands. Lee Longlands was purchased via a management buy-out in 2015. The company started in Broad Street Bham as an antiques business in 1902. Poundstretcher Properties , a company connected to discount-chain Poundstretcher, is to be placed into administration as part of a CVA programme by 450-store group Poundstretcher to reorganise its store portolio, cut rents and reduce other costs. The Poundstretcher Group has argued that around 250 stores will close if the CVA is not approved by its creditors. Poundstrecher Properties holds the leases on only 23 stores and this will not affect the legal position or ownership of the group as a whole. Poundstretcher faces the same issues as the rest of the high street, compounded by the lockdown, now in its 85th day (it is really that long?). Oak Furnitureland , the specialist furniture store that started off on eBay, has gone into administration, and was immediately bought out of administration (pre-pack) by hedge-fund Davidson Kempner Capital Management. There are 105 showrooms and 1,491 empoyees. The business continues still to trade, but the new owner expects to rationalise the business, probably through the closure of some stores and reductions in staff. French-themed retailer, bread/coffee/restaurant chain Le Pain Quotidien went into pre-pack administration in mid-June. It has been bought out of administration by a new vehicle, BrunchCo21, believed to be linked to its former owner, Cobepa. Ten of its 26 outlets have been closed with the loss of around 200 jobs in stores and the closure of its head office. The new owners expect to negotiate T&C with the landlords of the remaining 16 properties, and the results may lead of course to further closures. Quiz , the Glasgow-based fashion group, put its physical stores division into administration in early June. Ninety-three head-office and warehouse redundancies have already been declared. The business wants to renegotiate rents for its 82 stores and the eventual size of the group will only be known, when this has been done. KPMG has been appointed to review the firm's options, which are likely to include store closures. There are 915 staff in the stores division. Quiz's online business continues unaffected, as are its 300+ concessions. Victoria's Secret , the UK arm of the U.S.-owned global retailer, went into administration early in June 2020 having made a loss now known (Aug 2020) to be 100m in the last financial year. The UK fashion trade has experienced a torrid three years and the coronavirus lockdown, which prevented 'non-essential' stores trading (though not online), has been the final hammer blow. Victoria's Secret has probably lost its original appeal: the aftermath of the Me-too campaign may have made the chain seem slightly tacky. There are 25 stores and 800 staff. The company sells ladies' underwear. The company is reported as looking for a light-touch administration, allowing them to restructure the business, reduce costs and possibly find a new owner. Aldo , a Canadian-based international chain of stores, went into administration early in May. This has led to the UK arm going into administration at the end of May. Five UK stores have been permanently closed, leaving eight surviving while the administrators seek new owners for the UK business. The UK network is obviously up for sale, but many of the stores are franchised and are not 'owned' by Aldo Canada. Aldo shoes, handbags and accessories are still available for purchase in the UK both online and in its 28 UK concessions (including Selfridges, Debenhams and House of Fraser). The Irish arm of Aldo has already gone into administration. The company and its brands (chiefly 'Aldo' and 'Call It Spring') are major international businesses, operating around 3,000 stores globally served by 20,000 staff. Apart from the UK, Aldo businesses are expected to reopen as each government permits in the post-coronavirus world. The main reason the company gives for its problems is: the world-wide closures of its stores caused by governments' attempts to limit the spread of coronavirus. DVF Studio , the luxury fashion company owned by Diane von Furstenberg, has gone into administration, citing 'coronavirus', and is closing its Mayfair store. The company has an online business as well as concessions in prestigious department stores, including Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. It announced earlier in 2020 that it was starting a subscription luxury service. The e-commerce business and concessions continue to trade. Antler , the luggage retailer which runs 18 stores and a concession, went into administration in mid-May. There are 194 employees: 164 of these have been made redundant. The Administrators announced in mid-July that they had successfully sold the brand name, Online business, stock and assets, but the stores remain closed and there was no news of their future. Johnsons' Shoes , also trading as Bowleys Fine Shoes, went into administration in mid-May. There are 12 stores, all in the South East of England. The 145 furloughed staff will retain their jobs as the administrators seek to reopen the businesses. The group was later acquired by Newjohn Limited, part of Daniel Footwear. Six stores were closed. Dawson's Music , one of the oldest stores selling musical instruments (est. 1898), went into administration early in May. There are six stores in Leeds, Manchester, Chester, Liverpool, Reading and Belfast. It is still opan and is hoping to be sold as a going concern. There are 75 staff. The coronavirus lockdown proved to be the last straw for a retail group that was already facing a decline in sales. There is also an Educational Division which supplies schools, colleges and universities. In late May, the chain was purchased by Andrew and Karen Oliver, who took over all the stores and retained the staff. J Crew , the U.S. fashion retailer with six UK stores, sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the beginning of May. It has 500 stores in the U.S., trades online, and owns the J Crew Factory and Madewell brands. It intends to continue trading online while it gives control of the business to its lenders who will cancel debts of $1.65bn (1.3bn). It is unclear how this will affect its UK business. L K Bennet , the fashion retailer which went into administration in March 2019, is to extend its administration for another twelve months. The company expects to open seven stores on 15 June 2020 (when non-essential stores are allowed to start trading) with the remaining 10 stores to open at a later date. Oasis and Warehouse , two fashion retailers owned by Icelandic-Bank Kaupthing, went into administration in mid-April 2020, having failed to find a buyer for the group. All its 92 stores were closed, 2,300 staff made redundant and the 437 concessions terminated. The 13 stores and 29 concessions in the Irish Republic had already gone in into administration under Irish law: there were 248 staff in Ireland. The Oasis and Warehouse brands and e-commerce operations were bought by Hilco, which sold them in June to BooHoo, the successful e-commerce apparel business. BooHoo raised 200m in May to help it take advantage of 'opportuunities', and now also owns brands such as NastyGal, PrettyLittleThing, Karen Millen, MissPap and Coast. Concessions and stores in other countries will continue to trade. Oasis and Warehouse had been suffering recently from the problems common to most UK mid-range fashion businesses. The coronavirus lockdown - closing all its stores - made it impossible to continue operating and ended any chance of a sale to a business wanting the stores to continue. Debenhams , the UK department store group now owned by its lenders following administration in 2019, has appointed administrators once again to protect itself from its creditors. Creditors were considering using winding-up orders to get paid. Although the company has closed 22 stores this year and expected to close 28 in 2021, the new administration is likely to hasten the demise of many more of its outlets in the longer term. Although its online operations are supplying customers, all its stores are in lockdown. It has heavy debts of around 600m. The comapny is loss-making and without the sales revenue from its exisitng stores it is in deep trouble. Debenhams has closed its Irish division permanently, which has eleven stores, 958 staff and 300 concessions. Debs is also closing its Hong Kong and Bangladeshi subsidiaries. Spicers , the office-supplies wholesaler, employing 1,200 people started by John Spicer in 1796 ceased trading in April. It was originally part of the Spicer paper and stationery company and split in 1985. It built up a European presence, but the UK arm and the European operations were separated in 2011, Spicers being bought by Better Capital, the private equity firm controlled by John Moulton. When it went into administration its administrators were not able to sell it and the business was liquidated. Simply Scuba , an award-winning diving retailer based in Faversham, went into administration in June. Thirty-two jobs are at risk. SimplyScuba has won the Dive Retailer of the Year award for ten years in succession. The Simply Group also runs SimplyHike and SimplySwim. The Simply Scuba website continues to trade, with its new 500M Divers Watch on sale today for 109. Kath Kidston , the vintage-inspired fashion and accessories chain, appointed administrators early in April 2020. It has now announced that it will close its UK branches, concentrating on Asia, the wholesale business and online sales. The company - like many fashion retailers - has had problems in maintaining sales and profitability. Since 2018 it lost 27mn, resulting in its closing stores and cutting head-office staff. There are 200 stores globally. All 60 UK sites are to close, with only 32 of its 941 UK staff being retained. It will now operate in the UK as an online-only retailer. The company's owners, Barings Private Equity Asia, have bought it out of administration on a pre-pack basis, having previously tried to sell it. Finances were so poor towards the end that initially Kath Kidson announced that they would only be paying part of the wages owed to employees: they have now agreed to make payments in full, but a up to a week late. The company suppliers, including HMRC and clothing manufacturers, are owned 90m by the failed company. Autonomy Clothing , a small fashion chain with three stores, 100 concessions and 44 staff, went into administration towards the end of March 2020. It has been beset by the same problems as the rets of the industry, the lockdown being the last straw. All employees have been made redundant. Lombok , the aspirational furniture and furnishings business, went into administration at the end of March. It operates both online and offline and is best known for its teak products made mostly from reclaimed timber. It has experienced two pre-pack administrations before (2009 and 2011). All 43 staff have been made redundant. Brighthouse , the rent-to-own household goods retailer, appointed administrators at the end of March 2020. There are 240 stores and 2,700 employees. The administration does not affect customers that rent goods, as their obligations will transfer first to the administrators and then to any new owner. This controversial business mainly deals with low-income households and was fined by the financial regulator for mis-selling and 'unfair' interest charged as part of consumer transactions. The compensation it must pay to 250,000 customers is understood to cost 1m per month and its most-recent financial report (February 2020) showed showed corporate losses of 16m. The company was originally called Radio Rentals whose business was renting out first radios and later TV equipment: they guaranteed to keep rented electronic goods in good repair at a time when electrical goods would often break down. Laura Ashley , the fashion retailer with 155 stores, went into administration in mid-March 2020. The administrators permanently closed 70 of the company's outlets: 1,669 staff were furloughed and 677 staff continued working in the business with more redundancies announced in mid-June. Only 18 of its remaining stores have re-opened post lockdown, though this may not be ominous. Gordon Bros have been allowed to purchse the Laura Ashley brand and its archives, leaving the future of the stores, logistics and manufacturing in Britain and Ireland unresolved. The Pension Protection Fund is asking for another administrator to be appointed to ensure the p
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.

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
On Monday afternoon, the Chief Health Officers daily coronavirus update confirmed that the Health Department sent out 1700 text messages on Sunday evening to people who had travelled to the state from the Perth area since January 25. Mr Donnellan, the Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, said on Monday that he empathised with Victorians trapped in Perth but the travel ban was about protecting our whole community. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video No doubt about it, that is difficult. But by the same token we need to be sure we dont have another round, we dont have another spread of this infectious disease getting out of control in our community, he said. We know how easily it can happen, we know what the community has gone through.

Premier Daniel Andrews has said in recent months that Victorias upgraded contact tracing processes rivalled NSWs contact tracing as the best in the country. Loading Yet Victoria has imposed tougher travel restrictions than NSW, where visitors from WA can enter but must get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result. Opposition Leader Michael OBrien criticised the governments sudden change to Perths classification and called on Mr Andrews to propose a uniform approach on border closures and hotspots at national cabinet on February 5. It gives Victorians no confidence, no confidence at all in leaving the state, that the government wont change the rules with literally no notice, Mr OBrien said.

Lets have some common sense across the whole country, rather than premiers acting in a knee-jerk way from state to state. Victorians caught returning home from the red zones will be fined up to $4957 and ordered to quarantine at home for 14 days, while non-Victorians will be placed in hotel quarantine. Asked if the travel restrictions were a measured and proportionate response, Mr Donnellan said there was still much that the WA government was scrambling to discover about the outbreak. Thats what theyre assessing at the moment and once they provide us certainty with their assessment of how many cases theyve got, their level of community transmission, then we will review that, he said.

But let me be clear, we dont want to be in a position where we are bringing coronavirus back into the state after the hard work the communitys done to get on top of it. Mr Donnellan said the government was contacting people already in Victoria who had visited the affected Western Australian areas since January 25, aided by the permit system that requires everyone entering Victoria to register their personal details with the government. It is a tracking system in a sense to know whats going on, and thats very useful for actually getting the message across, letting them know youve got to get tested within 72 hours, youve got to isolate and youve got to wait for a negative test, Mr Donnellan said. Perths CBD was pretty quiet on Monday morning. Credit:Marta Pascual Juanola Under the the plan announced late last year to separate Victorias Department of Health and Human services into two departments  which took effect from Monday  the Department of Health will oversee Victorias health and ambulance, mental health and ageing services and the public health response to COVID-19, while the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing will focus on areas such as child protection and social housing.

It effectively is a department of human services, Mr Donnellan said of the new department. I think thats a benefit. Running the health system is a big system in its own right and that requires a particular focus. Loading Mr Andrews, whose government created the combined DHHS in 2015, admitted last year that it had become cumbersome and needed to be split. A key finding of Victorias hotel quarantine inquiry was that there was a structure within DHHS that was devoid of accountability and riddled with poor communication, compounding government failures that led to the states second wave of coronavirus.
Queenslands border checkpoint barricades have been removed as the state lifts its border restrictions to people from greater Sydney.

Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler said border checkpoints were removed at 1am on Monday, with concrete barricades to be taken away overnight.

Chief Superintendent Mark Wheeler has addressed the media as border checkpoints are removed once more. Credit:Matt Roberts/Getty

By 5am tomorrow morning, you will not even know we were here, he said.

Everything here will be removed, which we are very grateful for.

FP Trending

Google had unveiled the Google Lens back in 2017, which initially was reserved just for Pixel phones. Google is now rolling out an update for Google Lens that will allow it to translate text in offline mode. Until now the translation feature was just an online feature in smartphones. Google had been working on the offline mode feature for a while and has now started rolling out the new update that wherein Lens for Android can translate text in offline mode. This story is available on the XDA Developers website.

Google has commenced with the rollout of Offline Translation of Google Lens for Android users that could take a few days to reach everyone.

On receiving the update, users will get to see a new Tap to download that will download the respective language pack for offline translations. Once the language is downloaded, users will see a checkmark next to the language, indicating that it is ready for offline translations. Tapping on the checkmark again will remove the language pack from your device, so try not to tap again. As soon as the download is complete the Google Lens app on Android devices will start translating text even without an internet connection.

It will work like an Instant feature, which means that the app will automatically translate to your preferred language as soon as the camera is pointed at the text.

Users won't be required to tap on the shutter button for capturing a still shot. As soon as it is done, users will get a preview window with the translation on the live preview.

The preview also gets a Copy all button to help users quickly copy the translated text onto the clipboard.

To use the Offline translate in Lens, users will be required to have the latest version of the Google app on their devices.
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

Preserving cultural heritage.

Its the driving force behind the Manitos Community Memory Project.

With a $970,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to New Mexico Highlands University, the project will continue its memory-gathering effort and community-based archive.

The digital archive will be an online repository that is accessible and usable across Indo-Hispano communities in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.

The archive will be developed with a growing number of individual and organizational partners from rural villages that include Abiquiu, Chimayo, Villanueva and Questa, as well as urban centers such as Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Denver and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez, project director, said that in spite of the losses incurred by these communities, a rich history and culture endures.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

As we continue to develop this archive, tracing both the trauma and resilience that has defined these communities and revealing the depth and breadth of Manito history and experience, we are confident that it provides a generative well for educators, cultural workers, journalists, academic researchers, and creative practitioners to draw upon, Rael-Galvez said.

Rael-Galvez said the Manitos Project addresses the losses suffered by these villages as a result of scholars, cultural institutions and government programs that have engaged in over a century of extractive practices, removing artifacts, documents and knowledge without reciprocal benefit.

The project aims to develop strategies for restoring what has been lost by collecting, digitizing and preserving historical records, photographs and oral histories; documenting and revitalizing traditional practices; and exploring a wide array of topics, such as ancestry, migration, archaeology, architecture and living traditions. It will also test the potential to deepen a sense of social and cultural identity through new technologies such as digital mapping, data visualization and virtual reality.

NMHU Media Arts is proud to be supporting this important university-community partnership, said professor Miriam Langer, NMHU Department of Media Arts & Technology.

The project blog is at manitos.net, and the digital archive is scheduled to launch by midyear.
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

SAN FRANCISCO  Jack Palladino, the private investigator who worked on high-profile cases ranging from the Jonestown mass suicides to celebrity and political scandals, has been placed on life support after suffering a head injury during an attempted robbery.

Palladino, 70, had just stepped outside his San Francisco home on Thursday to try out his new camera when a car pulled up and a man jumped out to grab it from him, police and the detectives stepson Nick Chapman told the San Francisco Chronicle.

As the suspect grabbed the camera, Palladino fell and hit his head on the pavement, causing a traumatic head injury. Chapman said Palladino was not expected to survive after undergoing surgery to stop the massive bleeding.

Police said no suspects have been arrested.

Palladino was wrapping up one final case before joining his wife and work partner, Sandra Sutherland, in retirement. Since the 1980s, the two conducted investigations out of their Victorian home in the citys Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, on behalf of the famous and powerful as well as the underdogs.

They included Bill Clinton, whose 1992 presidential campaign hired Palladino to quell rumors of his extramarital affairs, and Courtney Love, who hired Palladino to talk to journalists investigating whether she played a role in the 1994 death of her husband, rock star Kurt Cobain.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

Other clients included John DeLorean, the auto magnate who was acquitted of cocaine trafficking charges and a 14-year-old boy who won a multimillion-dollar civil settlement against Michael Jackson for alleged molestation.

In the 1990s, he ran a counter-investigation to the tobacco industrys campaign to smear whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand. Palladinos work protected Wigands credibility as an expert witness in a lawsuit that resulted in a $200 billion settlement, the first successful courtroom win against Big Tobacco. He would play himself in the film The Insider on the Wigand story.

Palladinos career began even before he graduated from University of California, Berkeleys law school when the family of Patty Hearst hired him to assist in investigating her 1974 kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Party. He went on to work on behalf of clients involved in radical politics and the counterculture, including the Black Panther leader Huey Newton, the Hells Angels and Larry Layton, who survived the 1978 mass suicide of more than 900 members of the Peoples Temple.

Palladino spent seven years interviewing surviving members of the religious cult and their families.

So far, 17 cities and provinces nationwide have decided to temporarily shut down schools a week ahead of the lunar New Year break in an attempt to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Sprayng disinfectants at Hanoi's Phan Dinh Phung High School on January 28.

The latest province that made the decision is the northern province of Thai Nguyen.

Other localities are Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Bac Ninh, Thai Binh, Hoa Binh, Hanoi, Son La, Hung Yen, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Phuc, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Gia Lai, and Binh Phuoc.

Some provinces and cities also allowed students to take an earlier break in designated areas and adopted online learning solutions instead.

Ho Chi Minh City has yet to close all educational institutions but allowed nearly 30,000 university students and school pupils to stay at home until further notice. The city has so far recorded an infection since the fresh outbreak was reported less than a week ago.

Yen Bai and Phu Tho provinces asked teachers and students who had contact with F1 cases to self-isolate at home for medical observation.

Vietnamese students and pupils of all educational establishments were originally scheduled to enjoy a 7-day long Tet holiday, starting on February 8.

However, the emergence of the coronavirus in Vietnam on January 27 forced localities to adjust the schedule.

The virus has so far spread to 9 cities and provinces across the country, with 238 cases recorded, mostly in Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces, the countrys two biggest coronavirus hotspots.

Compiled by Phuong Chi
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.
Why North Star felt it was key to keep in-person education amid COVID

The Blue Island residents, a 31-year-old woman and 23-year-old man, were stopped at the light when Taylors vehicle was pulled up along the passenger side of their car and the shots were fire, police said. Investigators said there were several bullet holes in the front and rear passenger doors of the vehicle.
NASA has been sending land rovers for nearly a decade on Mars to find more details about this red planet. The latest addition is the Perseverance, which will land on Mars on February 18. According to an article published on space.com, this land rover was launched by NASA by using the Atlas V Rocket on July 30, 2020. This land rover is a crucial part of the ambitious Mars 2020 mission, which is costing $2.7 billion.

Also read: 'Brilliant Curtains Of Light': NASA Shares Pic Of Jupiter's Northern And Southern Auroras

More details about this land rover

According to space.com, the perseverance mars rover at present has a mission cycle of one Martian year, which is equivalent to 687 Earth days. It is 10 ten feet long, 7 feet tall, and 9 feet wide rover, which is nearly the size of a regular size car. The perseverance rover weighs 1050 kilograms and is weighed less than a regular car.

Also read: NASA Astronauts 'celebrate America' From ISS On Biden-Harris Inauguration Day

This Mars rover looks familiar as it is based on the design of the earlier Mars land rover named the Curiosity. The new rover comes with the framework based on this old model, and scientists at the Mars science laboratory used the old technology alongside new ones to create this new rover.

Also read: NASA Declares Insight mole Probe Defunct After It Fails To Burrow Mars 'deep Enough'

NASA released an official statement in 2017 regarding this land rover launched on Mars. Jim Watzin, who is the Director of the Mars Exploration Programme, said that reusing old hardware and models often helps NASA to minimize the chances of a failed mission and also cuts down the cost. Just like the Curiosity Land Rover, Perseverance also has six wheels, one robotic arm, and one hand alongside multiple cameras, machines, and a drill to collect rock samples from the surface of Mars.

It also has some advanced machines since it is ground-penetrating radar. It will dig holes on the Martian surface and will study and sample the rock layers, ice layers, and water layers up to 10 meters deep from the surface.

Also read: 'Like Sands Through The Hourglass': NASA's Curiosity Rover Completes 3,000 Days On Mars

Its mission

The mission of this new land rover is different than its predecessors. Its main mission is to find if there is any kind of life on Mars. It will try to find biosignatures on Mars from its past. The X-ray spectrometer and the ultraviolet laser will aid this rover to find any traces of the erstwhile life forms living on Mars.

Also read: Did NASA Find New Planet? An Abandoned Gas-giant Planet With 3 Star System

Science.com quoted George Tahru, who is the executive head of the Perseverance mission, as saying, "Our next instruments will build on the success of MSL, which was a proving ground for new technology.". He also said that this mission would make it easy for the upcoming missions on Mars to find life on Earth.
When Thelma Coward-Ince donned her uniform in 1954, she was believed to be the first Black reservist in the Royal Canadian Navy.

Crosses are displayed in memory of residents who died from COVID-19 at the Camilla Care Community facility in Mississauga, Ont., on Nov. 19, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

When Thelma Coward-Ince donned her uniform in 1954, she was believed to be the first Black reservist in the Royal Canadian Navy.

Decades later, the strong, hard-working great-grandmother moved into the Northwood long-term care facility in Halifax due to dementia. She lived there for five years among other navy veterans until a deadly virus began silently and rapidly spreading last spring.

Coward-Ince, a woman who spent her life breaking down racial barriers and became a pillar of the Black community in Halifax, died April 17 after testing positive for the novel coronavirus.

More than 20,000 Canadians have now died from COVID-19.

Since the first death last March, health officials across the country have shared the grim daily numbers of the pandemics fatal toll.

There have been grandparents, parents, single mothers and children. Some were health-care workers and others who worked to ensure Canadians had essential supplies.

Many who died, like Coward-Ince, were residents of crowded care homes, which served as fuel to the fire of the virus during the first and second waves of the pandemic.

Curtis Jonnie, better known as Shingoose, left behind a legacy that many have said set the course for generations of Indigenous musicians.

Jonnie, an Ojibway from Manitoba's Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation, was a residential school and '60s Scoop survivor. He became a fixture of the folk music scene and was instrumental in pressuring the Juno Awards to establish a category for Indigenous music in the 1990s.

The 74-year-old lived in a Winnipeg care home when he tested positive for COVID-19. He died earlier this month.

Through his pain and life experiences, he's made such a huge contribution, his daughter, Nahanni Shingoose-Cagal, said at the time.

COVID-19 also blazed through meat-packing plants last year. Many of those infected were people who had come to Canada looking for a better life.

Benito Quesada worked at a large slaughterhouse south of Calgary. The 51-year-old from Mexico was a union shop steward at the Cargill plant in High River, Alta.

He always told me how proud he was for having been able to bring his family to Canada, said Michael Hughes with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401.

Quesada, described as a quiet, gentle and humble man, was one of two plant employees to die from COVID-19 when the virus infected nearly half of its 2,200 staff last spring.

Hiep Bui worked at the plant for 23 years. The 67-year-old met her husband on a refugee boat when they both fled the Vietnam War.

I just want everyone to remember my wife ... was a wonderful lady, very generous and very compassionate, Nga Nguyen, her husband, said at the time.

Many people who died spent their final weeks and months fighting on the front lines of the pandemic.

Maureen Ambersley was working at an Extendicare nursing home in Mississauga, Ont., when she tested positive in December. She died Jan. 5.

The 57-year-old was loved by her colleagues and worked as a registered practical nurse for more than 16 years, her union, SEIU Healthcare, said. She was the fourth union member to die from COVID-19.

An online fundraiser for Ambersleys family said the grandmother was a maternal figure to many. She baked, cooked and knitted for family and friends, and loved helping people as much as she could.

Laurence Menard was a 33-year-old single mother who worked as a social work technician at a community health clinic in Drummond, Que., before her death last May. Most of her clients were in seniors' homes.

"Laurence had a lot of character, she had guts. She was frank and did not beat around the bush," said her sister, Virginie Menard.

Huy Hao Dao spent the weeks before his death working as a COVID-19 researcher and investigator, tracking down infected patients to learn how they caught the virus and tracing those who they came into contact with.

The 45-year-old Quebec doctor known for his perpetual smile died in April.

He was a pharmacist before he went to medical school to become a specialist in public health and preventive medicine. He was also a professor at the University of Sherbrooke.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada said at the time that Dao had heroically served the medical profession during the global, life-changing pandemic.

It is a startling reminder that the threat of COVID-19 is very real, the college said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2021.
(Newser)  New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Donald Trump frequently clashed over the government response to the pandemicbut one thing they may have shared is a disdain for the advice of experts. The New York Times reports that nine senior officials have left the New York State Health Department in recent months. Insiders say the experts felt sidelined by Cuomo's policies and "morale was and continues to be at an all-time low." The Democratic governor has argued that he had to take greater control of the pandemic response because plans prepared by state experts weren't suitable for dealing with such a large-scale crisis. "When I say experts in air quotes, it sounds like Im saying I dont really trust the experts," he said at a press conference Friday. "Because I don't."

story continues below

The Times' sources say top health officials were "blindsided" in the fall when Cuomo shelved longstanding mass vaccination plans and introduced a plan that relied on large hospital systems. Earlier in the pandemic, state health officials often didn't know about COVID policy changes before the governor announced them at press conferences, the insiders say. New York City and health experts including Dr. Denis Nash, a professor of epidemiology at the City University of New York, blame the governor's approach for the initially slow, and sometimes chaotic, rollout of vaccinations in the state. New York has started catching up and now ranks around 20th in the nation for vaccination progress. (New York Attorney General Letitia James says nursing home COVID deaths may have been massively underreported.)
President Joe Biden View Photo

President Biden signed an Executive Order called the Build Back Better Recovery Plan.

Biden was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words:

Last week, we immediately got to work to contain the pandemic and deliver economic relief to millions of Americans who need it the most. And today were getting to work to rebuild the backbone of America: manufacturing, unions, and the middle class.

Its based on a simple premise: that well reward work, not wealth, in this country. And the key plank of ensuring the future will be Made in America. Ive long said that I dont accept the defeatist view that the forces of automation and globalization cant keep  can keep union jobs from growing here in America. We can create more of them, not fewer of them.

I dont buy for one second the  that the vitality of the American manufacturing is a thing of the past. American manufacturing was the arsenal of democracy in World War Two, and it must be part of the engine of American prosperity now. That means we are going to use taxpayers money to rebuild America. Well buy American products and support American jobs, union jobs.

For example, the federal government every year spends approximately $600 billion in government procurement to keep the country going safe and secure. And theres a law thats been on the books for almost a century now: to make sure that that money was spent  taxpayers dollars for procurement is spent to support American jobs and American businesses.

But the previous administration didnt take it seriously enough. Federal agencies waived the Buy American requirement without much pushback at all. Big corporations and special interests have long fought for loopholes to redirect American taxpayers dollars to foreign companies where the products are being made. The result: tens of billions of American taxpayers dollars supporting foreign jobs and foreign industries.

In 1918  excuse me, in 2018 alone, the Department spent $3 billion  the Defense Department  on foreign construction contracts, leaving American steel and iron out in the cold. It spent nearly $300 million in foreign engines and on vehicles instead of buying American vehicles and engines from American companies, putting Americans to work.

Under the previous administration, the federal government contract awarded directly to foreign companies went up 30 percent. That is going to change on our watch.

Today Im taking the first steps in my larger Build Back Better Recovery Plan that invests in American workers, unions, and businesses up and down the supply chain. And I know that previous presidents entered office by promising to buy America and instituting the Buy American policy, but heres why this is different and not the same:

Ill be signing an executive order in just a moment, tightening the existing Buy American policies, and go further. Were setting clear directives and clear explanations. Were going to get to the core issue with a centralized, coordinated effort.

Look, today Im creating a director of Made in America at the White House Office of Management and Budget who will oversee our all-of-government Made in America initiative. That starts with stopping federal agencies from waiving Buy American requirements with impunity, as has been going on. If an agency wants to issue a waiver to say Were not going to buy an American product as part of this project; were going to buy a foreign product, they have to come to the White House and explain it to us.

Were going to require that waivers be publicly posted; that is, if someone is seeking a waiver to build this particular vehicle or facility and is going to buy the following foreign parts, that waiver  the request for it  is going to be posted. Then well work with small American manufacturers and businesses to give them a shot to raise their hand and say, Yeah, I can do that here in my shop, in my town.

Its about  as youve heard me say before, I used to have a friend who was a great athlete, whod say, You got to know how to know. These small businesses dont even know they can compete for making the product that is attempting to be waived and being able to be bought abroad.

And Im directing the Office of Management and Budget to review waivers to make sure they are only used in very limited circumstances. For example, when theres an overwhelming national security, humanitarian, or emergency need here in America. This hasnt happened before. It will happen now.

Heres what else were going to be doing. Under the Build Back Better Recovery Plan, well invest hundreds of billions of dollars in buying American products and materials to modernize our infrastructure, and our competitive strength will increase in a competitive world. That means millions of good-paying jobs, using American-made steel and technology, to rebuild our roads, our bridges, our ports, and to make them more climate resilient, as well as making them able to move faster and cheaper and cleaner to transport American-made goods across the country and around the world, making us more competitive.

It also means replenishing our stockpiles to enhance our national security. As this pandemic has made clear, we can never again be in a position where we have to rely on a foreign country that doesnt share our interest in order to protect our people during a national emergency. We need to make our own protective equipment, essential products and supplies. And well work with our allies to make sure they have resilient supply chains as well.

Well also make historic investments in research and development  hundreds of billions of dollars  to sharpen Americas innovative edge in markets where global leadership is up for grabs  markets like battery technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, clean energy.

The federal government also owns an enormous fleet of vehicles, which were going to replace with clean, electric vehicles made right here in America by American workers, creating millions of jobs  a million autoworker jobs in clean energy  and vehicles that are net-zero emissions.

And together, this will be the largest mobilization of public investment in procurement, infrastructure, and R&D since World War Two.

And with the executive order Ill be signing today, well increase Buy American requirements for these kinds of projects and improve the way we measure domestic content requirements. For example, right now, if you manufacture a vehicle for the federal government, you need to show that at least 50 percent of the components of that vehicle were made in America. But because of loopholes that have been expanded over time, you can count the least valuable possible parts as part of that 50 percent to say Made in America, while the most valuable parts  the engines, the steel, the glass, the manufac-  are manufactured abroad.

So basically  but basically were batting zero for two. The content threshold of 50 percent arent high enough. And the way we measure the content doesnt account for U.S. jobs and economic activity. Were going to change that as well.

The executive action Im signing today will not only require that companies make more of their components in America, but that the value of those components is contributing to our economy, measured by things like a number of American jobs created and/or supported.

At the same time, well be committed to working with our trading partners to modernize international trade rules, including those relating to government procurement, to make sure we can use  we can all use our taxpayer dollars to spur investment that promotes growth and resilient supply chains.

And heres what else the action does. When we buy America, well buy from all of America. That includes communities that have historically been left out of government procurement  black, brown, Native American small businesses and entrepreneurs in every region of the country.

We will use a national network of manufacturers  called a Manufacturing Extension Partnership  thats in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, to help government agency connect with new domestic suppliers across the country.

This is a critical piece of building our economy back better and including everyone in the deal this time, especially small businesses that are badly hurting in this economy.

The executive action I am taking also reiterates my strong support for the Jones Act and American vessels, you know, and our ports, especially those important for Americas clean energy future and the development of offshore renewable energy.

Ill close with this: The reason we need to do this is America cant sit on the sidelines in the race for the future.

Our competitors arent waiting. To ensure the future is made in America, we need to win not just the jobs of today, but the jobs and industries of tomorrow. And we know that the middle class built this country, and we also know unions built the middle class. So lets invest in them once again. I know were ready, despite all of the  all were facing. I have never been more optimistic about the future of America than I am today.

Given even just half a chance, the American people,

the American worker, has never, ever let the country down. Imagine if we give them a full chance. Thats what were going to do.

Ill stop here and sign the executive order.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
AUSTIN  At the onset of the pandemic and again with the vaccine rollout, Texas officials have struggled to gather data critical to protecting Black and Hispanic Texans who are among those at higher risk of serious complications from COVID-19.

Almost two months into the vaccine distribution, the Department of State Health Services promised Thursday to begin requiring all providers to report race and ethnicity data for all vaccine recipients.

That pledge came after advocates and health experts raised concerns that the information was missing for nearly half of the 1.8 million Texans who have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

The state similarly had difficulty tracking infections and deaths among communities of color at the start of the pandemic, when officials spent months without complete data before committing to fully evaluate the disproportionate effect of the virus on minority groups.

In Texas, Latinos have accounted for nearly half of all COVID-19 deaths despite making up about 40 percent of the population. Nationally, Black and Hispanic people are about four times as likely as white people to be hospitalized with COVID-19 and about three times as likely to die from the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over the past year, the states data problems have surfaced in nearly every facet of the COVID-19 response, from calculating the rate of positive tests to tracking infections in public schools. The pandemic has required data collection efforts on a massive scale for local and state health officials often working in understaffed offices with outdated technology.

But advocates and public watchdogs say the states continued struggles collecting basic demographic data are also a matter of priorities.

Anytime you have a calamity like we have today, you have to ask yourself: Are you coming at it from a race equity lens? said Kazique Prince, the interim executive director of the Central Texas Collective for Racial Equity. The lack of data speaks to the unwillingness or inability to really tackle this challenge, he said.

The quicker that data is collected, the quicker its analyzed, the quicker well be able to create the change were looking for, Prince said.

Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the health services department, said the state has clearly and consistently told providers to gather and report demographic data on those vaccinated but its still lacking. That will change as the state requires providers to include the information before they can submit reports.

We believe its important to have reliable data on race and ethnicity as a measure of how vaccination is going and to help determine whether there are certain groups that may need additional outreach about the importance of being vaccinated, he said.

Advocates have been voicing concerns since Texas kicked off its vaccine distribution effort in December, allocating most doses to hospitals, grocery store pharmacies and other institutions that are more heavily concentrated outside of areas with high-minority populations  even though officials knew Black and Latino Texans were being infected at higher rates.

Racism is a public health issue, Prince said. If it wasnt an issue, we wouldnt see these disparities.

Now that the state has shifted to a hub strategy giving thousands of doses to a handful of providers, local institutions have been able to better place the vaccine hubs in underserved communities, though it is unclear whether they are reaching the most vulnerable residents.

Calls to reboot a state agency

Over the past seven weeks, the state has collected race and ethnicity data from vaccine providers that offer it. But with 45 percent of the data missing  accounting for more than 800,000 people  it is impossible to determine whether the communities hit hardest by the pandemic are receiving the aid they need.

The state has never before undertaken such an effort to immediately collect and distribute testing or vaccine data, much less on the race and ethnicity of those affected, said Anne Dunkelberg, the associate director of the nonprofit Every Texan.

She said state officials have taken a hands-off approach to the public health crisis, often delegating responsibilities to multiple agencies that delegate to local authorities  thus putting big-picture issues such as data collection on the back burner.

We just havent seen a lot from the top down in Texas, in terms of a public discussion in how our systems are taking (race) into account and trying to make up for it, Dunkelberg said.

Its a national issue, too. Though the federal government requires states to track race and ethnicity, only 20 states are including that information on their vaccine dashboards  and most of those states are also missing much of the data, the Seattle Times reported.

Amid the outcry over bad COVID data, some lawmakers and experts have called for the reinstitution of Texas defunct Office of Minority Health Statistics and Engagement, which closed in 2018 after the Legislature quietly defunded it.

We would be able to see where the health disparities are, and then, specifically related to COVID, wed be able to see why certain populations are more affected than others, said Sean Walker, a policy fellow at the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health at the University of Texas at Austin.

Six states, including Washington and Massachusetts, have similar offices tracking health equity data.

The data is crucial not only to understand gaps in vaccine access, but also to help officials confront vaccine hesitancy within communities of color. National surveys have indicated that Black and Hispanic people are less likely than whites to pursue inoculation  a symptom of the deep-rooted mistrust in government and health officials that stems from a long history of systemic racism and medical abuse.

If we want to align the demand for and the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines for communities of color, we as a country have to provide lasting opportunities for our communities of color to exercise collective agencies over their own health and well-being, said Monica Schoch-Spana, a medical anthropologist and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

Counties struggle to keep up

Part of the trouble in Texas is the states reliance on individual providers  some of which had never reported public health information to the state  to submit data in a timely fashion. That was an Achilles heel for state officials as Texas ramped up COVID-19 testing last summer, later finding hundreds of thousands of backlogged test results that had not been reported in real time because of submission issues.

Before the pandemic, the most-tracked disease in Texas was chlamydia, which accounts for roughly 150,000 cases per year.

This is just beyond comprehension, what were expecting, said Marilyn Felkner, a clinical assistant professor at UT-Austin who worked for the Department of State Health Services from 2010 to 2016. It is good to have data, absolutely. We would love to have that data. But is it realistic given the staffing and the IT infrastructure? No.

And the data entry struggles vary by county. While state data indicate that race information is unknown for about 30 percent of vaccinated individuals in Harris County  which also has its own dashboard detailing inoculations by demographic group  areas such as El Paso County are missing up to 90 percent of that data.

The missing data rates are at or below average in other metropolitan areas. Nearly half of the information is unknown in Bexar and Travis counties, while Dallas and Tarrant are each missing about 35 percent.

Asked why data collection issues have persisted throughout the pandemic, Van Deusen, the health department spokesman, noted that the state has been aggregating data generated and reported by other entities. But in the case of vaccine data, he said, we can and will make it a required field.

In Bastrop County, roughly 49 percent of race data is missing. Dr. Desmar Walkes, the county health authority, didnt know why but said the county has still been able to target the communities most affected by the virus by zeroing in on ZIP codes with the highest infection rates.

Now that were doing the vaccine rollout, were looking at where we can take our resources and protect not only the at-risk folks in the Black and brown communities but also protect our seniors and our first responders, Walkes said.

Its not clear how long it will take before the state is able to get a large enough set of reliable data to draw any conclusions on vaccine access by race. But Van Deusen said that information would not necessarily affect the current vaccination strategy because the majority of the states weekly allocation is going to the hubs.

In the weeks since the state moved into Phase 1B of vaccine distribution, which opened up eligibility for Texans 65 and older and most people with pre-existing conditions, the state has also made a significant effort to distribute the vaccine to underserved communities, he added. This week, dozens of community health centers and rural health clinics will receive allocations.

Through the hub strategy, local officials have been able to more successfully designate vaccination sites in underservedcommunities, said state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, who sent a letter to state health officials in January sharing concerns that vaccination sites were much less concentrated in areas that have a higher percentage of minority residents.

Going forward, Goodwin expects that the state may embrace mobile vaccination sites  a strategy it began piloting in five rural counties Thursday  to access harder-to-reach communities.

A lot of people are out there wanting us to use every tool in the toolbox, whether its a really large clinic at a community center or a mobile van going around through the neighborhoods, she said.

cayla.harris@express-news.net

twitter.com/caylajharris

Nurses say they should be allowed to dispense coronavirus vaccinations at general practices to ease the burden on busy doctors who are preparing to staff after hours clinics to help quickly vaccinate the nation.

Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association president Karen Booth said nurses will play an integral role from the start of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, but that the planning needs to be efficient.

Nurses will be part of the vaccine roll out from the start, while doctors will begin vaccinating people in phase 1b. Pharmacies will start vaccinating people in phase 2a. Credit:AP

Nurses already give out vaccines, including the flu shot, to people at general practices without those patients needing to see a doctor first. Ms Booth said it would make sense for that to occur with any coronavirus vaccines too.

[The governments] paying the GPs to give the vaccine, so the patient will have to see a doctor as part of that - that may slow things down, Ms Booth said. We need to look at much more efficient ways to do it.
The Orange Order has announced it has postponed a parade planned for May to mark Northern Irelands centenary, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The order said senior representatives unanimously agreed to extend its directive that no Orange parades should take place, to June 1.

It said the decision followed a recent meeting with First Minister Arlene Foster, Health Minister Robin Swann and chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride.

Grand Lodge Officers and senior representatives of every County Grand Lodge have unanimously agreed to extend the current existing directive that no Orange parades are to take place until 1st June 2021. Click link for full statement.https://t.co/dDM5CiYz7l  Orange Order (@OrangeOrder) February 1, 2021

The ongoing risk of community transmission and serious concerns around new, more virulent variants of the Covid-19 virus have reaffirmed the threat posed by the ongoing pandemic and as such any event that would attract large numbers of spectators is not viable or responsible at this time, the Orange Order said in a statement.

As a result, a rally and parade, titled the CentenNIal of Northern Ireland, planned to take place on May 29, has been postponed.

The order said it remains committed to delivering this parade in the future, at a time when it can be hosted safely, in the manner and scale this important anniversary deserves.

Grand master Edward Stevenson said that while many may be disappointed, he said they are committed to the health and wellbeing of members and the wider community.

To bring crowds on to the street at this time would undermine the work of the institutions members, who played an active role in responding to the need for PPE equipment and the many who continue to support communities in various ways, he said.

This decision to forego parades until June 1 will be reviewed when appropriate, and responsible decisions will be taken as to the likely nature of future parades and events.
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 13:08:01|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Engineers work in the central control room of Sahiwal coal-fired power plant in Sahiwal, Pakistan, Jan. 24, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Hao)

ISLAMABAD, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the electricity generated by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy projects accounted for about one-third of Pakistan's electricity supply, according to the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan.

Liu Binxiang, a 36-year-old Chinese engineer working in Pakistan's Sahiwal coal-fired power plant, is one of the thousands of staff contributed to the achievement.

Liu joined the power plant in 2015 when the major energy project under the CPEC just started construction. He originally planned to return to China for vacation in last February. However, his plan was ruined by the sudden outbreak of COVID-19.

"Normally, the Chinese staff of our power plant can go back to China every three months while I had to spend a major part of last year working in the plant due to suspension of flight services and other adverse influences of COVID-19," Liu, deputy director of the Operation Department in the power plant, told Xinhua.

The outbreak of the pandemic disrupted the normal rotation of staff and the purchasing and transportation of production materials, causing the power plant problems such as lack of manpower and reserve parts. The power plant staff had to bear greater working and psychological pressure.

"For many of the 900 staff working in different capacities, they had to take on the workload of two people," Liu said. "But it is something we have to do, because our primary responsibility is to generate electricity to meet the energy requirement of Pakistan's economic and social activities."

Sharing this sense of responsibility, Pakistani employees of the Sahiwal power plant, located in the country's east Punjab province, also made their sacrifices for the common target.

"I went home in September of last year after working in the power plant for six months, and came back in October. Before the pandemic, I used to go home every weekend," said Ehtisham Tanvir, an engineer from Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab.

To prevent and control COVID-19, the Sahiwal power plant reacted rapidly and implemented closed-off management on March 1, 2020, days after the first cases were reported in Pakistan, which prevented the Pakistani staff from going home whenever they were off-duty like in the pre-COVID-19 days.

Before he returned to his post after vacation, Tanvir had both PCR and antibodies tests for three times and got quarantined for 14 days in the power plant. Thanks to its strict COVID-19 prevention measures and others including wearing masks and disinfection on a daily basis, the Sahiwal power plant has so far kept the record of zero infection.

"Considering the special circumstances amid COVID-19 and the critical nature of our job, the strict anti-epidemic measures enforced by our power plant is the only way to deal with this," the 27-year-old who joined the power plant shortly after graduation in 2015 told Xinhua.

As a Pakistani who had experienced blackout for over 12 hours every day, Tanvir has a deep understanding of the importance of electricity. "CPEC energy projects including Sahiwal have made load shedding a thing from the past in Pakistan. Our country needs electricity. Our power plant has been trying hard to ensure a continuous supply of electricity to the grid, people and industry of Pakistan."

Tanvir said that he really appreciated the spirit of many of his Chinese colleagues who had to stay in the power plant over one year. "They (Chinese staff) have made a lot of sacrifices, and it requires a lot of mental strength to work in such difficult situations in a foreign land. I believe we are doing this because we all consider this our job, and our duty," he said.

After finally getting the chance to return to China for vacation in August of last year, Liu hurried to come back to Sahiwal, trying to ease the burden of his colleagues. Later this month, he will celebrate his fifth Spring Festival, the most important time of family reunion in a year for Chinese, in Pakistan.

"I will surely miss my families especially my two kids during the Spring Festival, but they all support what I am doing. I also feel very proud of myself for being a part of CPEC and bringing tangible positive changes for our Pakistani brothers and sisters," Liu said.

With the joint efforts of both the Chinese and Pakistani employees, the Chinese-built power plant that has two 660-MW supercritical units, has generated some 6.5 billion kWh of electricity in 2020 alone, and produced over 29.1 billion kWh of electricity so far since it was put into commercial operation in 2017.

Besides the Sahiwal power plant, all the other CPEC projects have also strived to overcome challenges posed by the pandemic to make their construction and operation basically normal.

Chairman of Pak-China Business and Investment Promotion Council Amanullah Khan told Xinhua that after the pandemic gripped Pakistan, CPEC energy projects appeared as a major support for Pakistan's economic and social activities.

When the COVID-19 lockdown was eased in Pakistan, almost all sectors of business, trade and industries started working quickly, and the reason behind this is that CPEC energy projects have been actively and efficiently producing a big chunk of Pakistan's total energy supply, Khan said.

"Now, even though the pandemic is still there, CPEC energy projects are playing a vital role in helping Pakistan's industries to run at full," Khan added. Enditem
Aside from serving as detention to suspected terrorists on the United States naval base in Cuba, and the new home of the alleged 9/11 mastermind after his capture, the Guantanamo prison unnoticeably raised as the most expensive prison across the world after 18 years of operations.

The suspected mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, did not only gave the United States government a headache on his alleged orchestrated attacks but also made them spend an estimated $161.5 million to house him, as they continue to pursue his trial and death after his conviction.

The U.S.government even planned to give the suspected 9/11 mastermind a COVID-19 vaccine as insurance that he could be alive when they put him on trial.

After his capture in 2003, aside from being the alleged principal architect of the 9/11 attacks, Sheikh Mohammed had confessed as the man behind of the most prolific terror attacks executed by al-Qaeda in the past few decades.

Moreover, the death penalty trial for the 9/11 mastermind was originally set on January 11, 2021. However, due to the current pandemic, it was moved.

According to New York Post, a spokesperson from the Pentagon shared that the delays with the war-crime hearings at the base were due to the lack of vaccinations, which prompted the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for health affairs under the Biden administration, Terry Adirim, to sign the January 27 order of vaccinating the suspected terrorists.

However, on Saturday, Defense Department press secretary John Kirby mentioned in a tweet that there are no Guantanamo detainees that have been vaccinated as they paused the plan and move forward.

He also added that they are committed to their obligations in keeping the safety of the troops that is why they are reviewing the force protection protocols.

Read also: Nobel Peace Prize Nominees Include WHO, Climate Advocate Greta Thunberg, Russian dissident Navalny

Estimated Figures

Since it started operations, the annual spending of the Guantanamo prison in housing its prisoners remained unclear, but a report mentioned that it is between $9.5 and $13 million per prisoner annually. There 40 inmates currently detained in the prison.

Some experts stated that it is somehow unreasonable if it will be compared to the $78,000 annual budget per inmate at a supermax prison situated in Colorado, which served as the home of prisoners with the highest risk in the United States.

Based on the calculation of Fox News, using the $9.5 million figure that was reached by NPR in a 2020 report, over his 17 years stay at the Guantanamo prison, the United States has already spent an estimated $161 million for the 9/11 mastermind.

On the other hand, Guantanamo has reportedly cost American taxpayers over $6 billion since its commencement.

In addition, former United States President Donald Trump reacted to the $13 million annual budget per prisoner reported by the New York Times and stated that it is crazy.

A top attorney in 2019 filed a whistleblower complaint against the prison for the alleged 'gross mismanagement' and 'gross financial waste.'

Related article: B-52 Bombers to Serve the US Air Force Indefinitely

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In an exclusive interview with Network18 group editor Rahul Joshi, Sitharaman reiterated what the government has been saying for long  that it wants farmers to come to the table and air their concerns

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday that she is "surprised" that farmers "doubt" the intent of the when Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been rising up under the Narendra Modi govt.

In an exclusive interview with Network18 group editor Rahul Joshi, Sitharaman also reiterated what the government has been saying for long  that it wants farmers to come to the table and talk about their points of concern.

"The government wants farmers to be at the table and talk it out with the (Union) Agriculture Minister (Narendra Singh Tomar). The prime minister (Narendra Modi) said he is willing to look at the modifications the farmers want. We want farmers to talk about points of concern. Want farmers to specifically highlight what aspects of farm laws are problematic."

Farmers have been agitating against the Centre's three farm laws since the last week of November. Several rounds of talks between the protesting farmers' leaders and representatives of the Central Governwho have failed to break the impasse.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Sitharaman said that the government wants them to point out specific things in the farm laws that concern them.

"Farmers are probably misguided. I want them to talk. I want them to talk on the points of concern. We are willing to concede," she added.

The finance minister had revealed several figures on MSP given to farmers by the Modi government in the current fiscal along with MSP figures of the UPA government during her budget speech on Monday, drawing a loud thumping from the Treasury benches.

Speaking on the Union Budget 2021, the prime minister too had said that the government has focused on increasing the income of farmers in the budget.

"More focus to increase income of farmers. All these decisions shows that village and farmers are in heart of this budget," he had said.

Highlighting how the budget can help farmers, Modi had had said, "Farmers will be able to get loans easily. Provisions have been made to strengthen APMC markets with the help of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund."

The farmers' agitation has been continuing since the last week of November as they have demanded that the three farm laws be scrapped. While the government has said it would delay implementation, it has repeatedly reiterated it wants the farmers to have dialogue and express their concerns clause by clause.
Alessandro Biascioli/iStockBy BILL HUTCHINSON, ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- A Norwegian politician said he's been bombarded with threats and hateful messages since he nominated the Black Lives Matter movement for the Nobel Peace Prize.



Petter Eide, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, told ABC News on Sunday that he was prepared for the criticism and has no plans to rescind the nomination.



This weekend I have received so many negative responses from individual Americans telling me that Black Lives Matter is a violent and aggressive organization, that they are deliberately using violence as a political communication tool and that nominating them for the Nobel Peace Prize is quite insane," Eide said in a phone interview with ABC News.



Eide declined to elaborate on the messages he has received, but said, They were very nasty, and some of them were also threats. They were hateful."



Thousands of mostly peaceful protests organized by BLM have occurred across the country and the world in recent months over police-involved killings of Black people, including the death in May of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The movement has been blamed by critics, including former President Donald Trump, for vandalism, looting and assaults against police officers during confrontations that have accompanied some of the demonstrations.



Protests in cities including Seattle, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, Oregon, have, at times, been declared riots by police as some agitators have looted, committed arson and other crimes.



Eide, the former secretary general of the Norwegian branch of Amnesty International, said he researched the protest movement thoroughly before putting it up for the prestigious award that includes a $1 million prize.



We found studies showing more than 90% of the demonstrations in the U.S. were peaceful. Most of those incidents of violence was based on either aggressive police behavior or counter-demonstrations," said Eide, who has represented the Socialist Left Party in the Norwegian parliament since 2017. Im quite convinced that Black Lives Matter is a peaceful organization."



Eide wrote in his nomination papers that BLM has forced the United States and other countries to confront racial injustice and police brutality.



I believe that Black Lives Matter today represents the strongest global force or global movement to fight racial injustice," Eide said of why he nominated the movement for the award.



The BLM movement was launched in 2013 following the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the white neighborhood watch member, in the fatal 2012 shooting of Black teenager Trayvon Martin, who Zimmerman mistook for a prowler.



In July, an ABC News/Washington Post poll showed that 63% of Americans supported the BLM movement, and 69% agreed that Black people and other minorities are denied equal treatment in the criminal justice system.



"We hold the largest social movement in global history," the Black Lives Matter Global Network wrote in a Twitter post after receiving the nomination on Friday. "Today, we have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. People are waking up to our global call: for racial justice and an end to economic injustice, environmental racism, and white supremacy. We're only getting started."



Hawk Newsome, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Greater New York, said it's an "honor" and a significant achievement for the movement to be nominated, and he praised the millions people in America who turned out in the streets across the nation over the spring and summer. Four polls conducted over the summer, including ones by the Pew Research Center and Kaiser Family Foundation, found that between 16 million to 26 million people in America participated in BLM protests following Floyd's death, making it the largest social movement in U.S. history.



This is for the activists who are not full-time activists. This is for the people who had love in their hearts and came out to fight for a cause," Newsome told ABC News on Sunday. "This is about the movement in its totality, from the biggest pieces to the smallest pieces. This is about people who are seeking Black liberation, coming out of their comfort zones and speaking truth to power.



Newsome said the threats and hateful comments aimed at Eide are a cause for concern, but also par for the course.



Id like to personally welcome him to the club, because we receive death threats every day," Newsome said. "So, hes officially part of this movement. It's a badge of honor."



Eide noted that the Nobel Committee has a history of giving the peace prize to controversial individuals and organizations. In 1964, the award was presented to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1993, Nelson Mandela and former South African State President Frederik Willem de Klerk shared the award for their work in peacefully ending their country's apartheid regime.



On Saturday, the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation was awarded Sweden's Olof Palme human rights prize for 2020. Organizers of the award, which includes a $100,000 prize, honored BLM for promoting "peaceful civil disobedience against police brutality and racial violence" around the world.



Copyright  2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Lawmakers Signal Intent to Override Beshear Vetoes

By The Associated Press

FRANKFORT - Kentuckys top lawmakers are signaling that the GOP-led legislature will move ahead with votes to override the Democratic governors vetoes of bills limiting his executive powers.House Speaker David Osborne and Senate President Robert Stivers informed Gov. Andy Beshear of their plans in a letter Monday. It's a response to Beshears recent overture offering an outline for potential compromises.The bills would rein in Gov. Andy Beshear's authority to respond to emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic.Lawmakers reconvene Tuesday after an extended break. Beshear has maintained that the steps he has taken to limit activity during the pandemic have saved lives.
Mbogi Genje, the three-man hardcore Gengetone group from Umoja in Nairobi shot to fame in late 2019 following the release of Ngumi Mbwegze music video.

The group comprising Smady Tingz, Guzman and Militan continues to take the Kenyan music industry by storm with its mastery of the sheng slang and grimy hit songs such as Mangwariti, Wamocho, and Kidungi.

Mbogi Genje spoke to Chillax and heres their story.

What is Gengetone to you and how can you describe your genre?

Guzman: We can only describe Gengetone as a type of genre that has helped the youth in Kenya in a big way. This is where the majority of us are flocking to, to express who they are.

Smady Tings: We call our genre Sheng Master.

What does Mbogi Genje mean and is your sheng specific to Umoja or Eastlands?

It means a closed fist which is set to conquer, or baddest unit. It also means we are the best at spitting lyrics. Umoja or Eastlands is the source of sheng, unanipata? It doesnt mean its specific to here.

How did the three of you meet and when did you decide to start the group?

Militan: We grew up in Umoja and used to just hang out together. It is not music that brought us together. One day, we said that we should try something different instead of just hanging out and doing nothing.

Guzman: Everyone was to come up with lyrics and then we went to a studio in Buruburu. We released Ngumi Mbwegze and it was very well received. That was a game-changer; we brought something fresh into the industry. Walipenda vako (style) yetu lakini shida ilikua ni hawakuwa wanelewa tunasema nini, but saa hii kila kitu iko mbwegze (alright).

What happened between you guys and Gotta City? Who started the fight?

Guzman: These are fellows we used to hang out with in the estates. They also want to release songs but they want to ride on our popularity.

Smady: As you know that at the moment we are at the top of this game. A lot of people will come out and try to ride on our fame. What happened was just a small push and pull between Guzman and a member of Gotta City and they just started confronting him.

Militan: Regarding the video clip that was shared online, it might have been a set up as that is the day they were shooting a video and there was a crowd. One of them took a video a shared it online.
ADVERTISEMENT

The Minister of Industry, Trade and investment, Adeniyi Adebayo, says the Nigeria Sugar Institute (NSI) just commissioned in Ilorin, Kwara State, will create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Mr Adebayo, who spoke at the ceremony held on Saturday, described the commissioning of the institute as a landmark achievement and a testament to what public-private partnership can achieve.

Also at the ceremony were the governor of the state, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq; his deputy, Patrick Alabi; Emir of Ilorin, Zulu Gambari; chairman of Dangote group, Aliko Dangote, amongst others.

According to the minister, the sugar industry holds a special place in Nigerias industrialisation story. It carries the expectations of creating over a hundred thousand jobs and the NSI is one of the key instruments for ensuring its sustainability.

He said the institute would provide cutting-edge research and development programmes that will enhance the development of the sugar industry and its viability, competitiveness, and sustainability.

He added that the establishment will facilitate the dissemination, extension, adoption, and commercialisation of its research and development activities; and develop the human resources required to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of the Nigeria sugar industry.

The Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council, Lateef Busari, said the institute is a critical enabler for the implementation of the Nigeria Sugar Master Plan (NSMP), embodying three backup pillars that will support the drive for a virile and competitive sugar industry.

These are: Research, Development & Innovation; Technical Manpower Development; and Provision of clean and pure seed cane for growers, all based on the most advanced technologies available.

As the industry regulator, the council may no longer directly engage in R&D or capacity development. Indeed, our enabling law requires Council to utilise the sugar levy to only support these critical activities. This is what we have been doing and will continue to do, within the constraints of available funds.

Going forward, however, this institute is to be largely funded and managed by the sugar operators. It is a unique experiment in public-private sector collaboration to advance research and capacity development for an industrial sector in Nigeria, and all stakeholders owe it to Nigerians to ensure its success.

Therefore, all the R&D as well as capacity development functions which Council used to carry out, in collaboration with other partners are now to be handled directly by the institute, with Councils support, he said.
Join Shady Grove Fertility's virtual events this February to learn about family-building options and infertility from physicians like Dr. Anate Brauer and Dr. Desiree McCarthy-Keith. African-American women are more likely to have certain kinds of infertility than women of other ethnic groups. Many of the issues facing African-American women are medical, such as uterine fibroids, blocked Fallopian tubes, obesity, and advanced age, specifically women over 35.

By attending Shady Grove Fertilitys (SGF) free virtual events, information seekers can learn about the facets and facts surrounding infertility from trusted SGF physicians in the privacy and comfort of their own home.

During the month of February, SGF will host four webinars zeroing in on topics like infertility among Black patients and couples, in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, and how to get started (with fertility treatment). Additionally, SGF is the Gold sponsor of the Canadian Fertility Show and Men Having Babies Conference & Expo, both occurring on February 6.

Join SGF for Free Virtual Fertility Events

On February 2 at noon, Caleb Kallen, M.D., of SGFs Chesterbrook and Philadelphia locations will host an IVF webinar where he will review:



what to expect during the IVF process,

IVF success rates,

and exclusive SGF financial programs.

The month of February is recognized as Black History Month, an annual period reserved for reflection and forward-focused action for the Black community. The 2021 theme of Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity, which is set by the Association for the Study of African-American Life, hits close to home for SGFs mission to make parenthood possible for all who face infertility. While some studies suggest that Black women may be almost twice as likely to experience infertility as white women, only around 8 percent of Black women seek help from a fertility specialist.

Join Desiree McCarthy-Keith, M.D., Medical Director for SGF Atlanta, for the Fertility and Black Patients webinar on February 10 at noon for an important discussion on topics including:



the stigmas and stereotypes surrounding African-American fertility,

testing and causes of infertility found more prevalent within the community, and

African-American fertility treatment success rates.

African-American women are more likely to have certain kinds of infertility than women of other ethnic groups, says Dr. McCarthy-Keith. Many of the issues facing African-American women are medical, such as uterine fibroids, blocked Fallopian tubes, obesity, and advanced age, specifically women over 35.

Rounding out SGFs free virtual events this February is the Fertility 101: Getting Started webinar taking place February 18 at 3 pm, hosted by Michael Edelstein, M.D., of SGFs Richmond-Stony Point and Henrico Doctors - Forest offices. During this informative presentation, Dr. Edelstein will review:



what patients can expect during their first appointment including the fertility evaluation,

SGFs various treatment approaches ranging from low- to high-tech,

SGFs unique financial programs, and

live question and answer session with viewers.

SGF Sponsors 2 Virtual Conferences & Expos on February 6, 2021

For gay men who want to become parents using a gestational surrogate, the non-profit organization Men Having Babies (MHB) offers educational conferences where attendees can access curated information, expert advice, and a wide range of relevant service providers.

SGF is proud to join the 16th annual New York Men Having Babies - Virtual Surrogacy Seminar & Gay Parenting Expo taking place on February 6-7th as Gold sponsor. The annual event is adopting an elaborate virtual format, complete with presentations, breakout sessions, expo tables, and effective interaction. SGF New Yorks Director of IVF, Anate Brauer, M.D., will sit on the Medical Aspects of Surrogacy panel on February 6 at 12:30 pm with fellow medical professionals to explore the medical screening of future fathers, egg donors and surrogates, the creation of optimal embryos, and the IVF process.

In mere days following the conference, NY state will enact the long-awaited Child-Parent Security Act, finally allowing New Yorkers a path to family building through gestational surrogacy in their home state, shares Dr. Brauer. Im grateful to be joining The Men Having Babies Conference & Expo at such a pivotal time for men who have their hearts set on fatherhood.

Attendance at this conference will come with complimentary admission to MHB's 2021 Southern Surrogacy Options Virtual Seminar happening 2 weeks later, February 20. Ticket costs start at $10 for MHB members, with additional registration levels available.

Also on February 6, SGF supports the fourth annual Canadian Fertility Show as a Gold Sponsor, where reproductive endocrinologist and SGF Canada Program Director, Joseph Doyle, M.D., will present on the benefits of seeking donor egg treatment in America. General admission tickets for the virtual event are available for $15.

The Canadian Fertility Show is a wonderful opportunity for SGF to connect with its neighbors in the north who may face obstacles conceiving, shares Dr. Doyle. SGFs donor egg program  which offers no wait, pre-screened, ready to cycle donors, and a money back guarantee on outcomes  provides patients with a highly effective treatment option to overcome infertility.

February Virtual Fertility Events at a Glance



While SGF fertility webinars are complimentary, interested parties must register to attend by visiting SGFs 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.
* Username

This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. Choose wisely!
File photo taken on March 28, 2018 shows U Win Myint (front, L) and Aung San Suu Kyi (front, R) in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) had been detained by the military early on Monday, Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the NLD, told Xinhua. (Photo by U Aung/Xinhua)

China hopes all sides in Myanmar will properly manage their differences and uphold political and social stability, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a daily press briefing on Monday.

"We hope that all sides in Myanmar will properly handle their differences under the constitutional and legal framework and maintain political and social stability," Wang said.

Myanmar's military has declared a state of emergency in the country for one year after carrying out detentions of senior government leaders, including Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, in response to alleged fraud during last year's general election.
MACON TWP., MI - A male teen driver died and his mother was seriously injured after a single-vehicle crash on an icy, snow-covered road Sunday afternoon in Lenawee County, police said.

Deputies with the Lenawee County Sheriffs Office responded shortly after 3:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 31 to a traffic crash on Britton Highway south of Smith Road in Macon Township, approximately 10 miles south of Saline.

The 15-year-old boy, a student at Britton-Deerfield Schools, was headed south on Britton Highway in a 2002 Chrysler Town and County minivan with his mother in the passenger seat, per a Lenawee County Sheriffs Office news release.

He lost control of the van on a snowy and icy patch on the highway, sliding off the road. The vehicle then slammed into a tree on the drivers side.

The teen, who was driving with his mother on a graduated level 1 license, was pronounced deceased at the scene, police said.

Paramedics transported the mother to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor with serious injuries.

Both occupants were wearing seatbelts, police said.

The crash is under further review by the Lenawee County Accident Investigation Team.

Tecumseh and Adrian police departments, the Ridgeway Township Fire Department and Lenawee Community Ambulance assisted sheriffs deputies at the scene.

Read more from MLive:

Driver dies after car rolls over on I-96 in Detroit

2 children, 2 adults hospitalized after Thumb area crash

Passenger dies in head-on collision in Kalamazoo

Two women hospitalized after head-on collision on snowy Ottawa County roads

Holland driver pinned in vehicle after crashing into front-end loader

22-year-old man killed in Wyoming shooting

Two women hospitalized after head-on collision on snowy Ottawa County roads

McLaren Bay Region loosening visitor restrictions Feb. 1
Commander-in-Chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing (C) addresses Myanmar's National Defense and Security Council at the President's House in Naypyidaw following a military takeover in the Southeast Asian nation, Feb. 1, 2021.

UPDATED at 2:50 P.M. EST on 2021-2-1

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi urged her country to to protest against the coup by the military in a message released Monday after the army arrested her and dozens of ruling party officials and declared a one-year state of emergency to deal with unproven voting fraud allegations from 2020 elections.

The note, written before the armys coup Monday, came as denunciations poured in from the United Nations, the United States and other countries, with U.S. President Joe Biden calling for an allied effort to restore democracy in the Southeast Asian nation that emerged from military dictatorship in 2011.

"I urge people not to accept this, to respond and wholeheartedly to protest against the coup by the military," according to a statement issued in Aung San Suu Kyi's name on the Facebook page of the National League for Democracy (NLD) chairpersons office.

A note scrawled on the message said it was written before Monday in anticipation of the army's bloodless coup, a putsch that followed weeks of tensions between the NLD and the powerful military and recent veiled warnings from the military chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who has taken charge for a year.

"By the time you read this statement, the military has already abandoned the 2008 Constitution that they themselves drafted and approved, and terminated our elected government and parliament that the people have overwhelmingly voted for," wrote Aung San Suu Kyi. She noted that although the NLD does not accept the military-written 2008 Constitution, the party has complied with the charter and won under voting laws in general elections in 1990, 2015 and 2020.

"The militarys decision is, far from considering the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the country, an attempt to re-install the military regime in the country," wrote Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi looks on as health workers receive a vaccine for the Covid-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Naypyidaw, Jan. 27, 2021.

A statement issued early Monday by Myint Swe, a former vice president who was named interim president of Myanmar, said the military had "declared a state of emergency in the country" under Section 417 of the 2008 Constitution. New elections would be held after the yearlong state of emergency, it said.

"In order to execute the necessary actions including the re-examination of voters lists ... all legislative, administrative and judiciary powers have been transferred to the military commander in chief," said the statement, carried on military-owned Myawaddy TV.

The military information committee said that Min Aung Hlaing convened a meeting with the National Defense and Security Council Monday morning at the presidents home where he explained that the military coup is in line with the law and that after the emergency period, free and fair elections will be held and the military will transfer power to the winning political party.

Picked up just hours before the new parliament was slated to convene Monday were State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint, and the state ministers from the region of Yangon, the countrys largest city, and Shan, Kayin, and Mon states, NLD officials said.

From the White House, Biden called the coup a direct assault on the countrys transition to democracy and the rule of law that disrespects Myanmars decade-long effort to establish elections, civilian governance, and the peaceful transfer of power.

In a democracy, force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election, said Biden.

The international community should come together in one voice to press the Burmese military to immediately relinquish the power they have seized, release the activists and officials they have detained, lift all telecommunications restrictions, and refrain from violence against civilians, he added.

From Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said she was gravely concerned about the situation in Myanmar following the removal of the civilian Government and the arbitrary detention of dozens of political leaders.

I am alarmed by reports suggesting that at least 45 people have been detained  including elected parliamentarians under confinement  and I call for their immediate release, she added in a statement.

Slideshow: Reports say a coup is underway in Myanmar

Myanmar soldiers are seen inside City Hall in Yangon, Myanmar February 1, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres through his spokesman expressed "grave concern regarding the declaration of the transfer of all legislative, executive and judicial powers to the military. These developments represent a serious blow to democratic reforms in Myanmar."

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne called on the military to respect the rule of law and immediately release all civilian leaders and others who have been detained unlawfully. Payne further urged that the National Assembly be reconvened in accordance with the results of the Nov. 8 election.

The British government called on the military to "respect the rule of law and human rights, and release those unlawfully detained."

In a written statement, a UK government official said: "We need to see the peaceful reconvening of the National Assembly, respecting the results of the November 2020 general election and the expressed wishes of the people of Myanmar."

China, a key investor in Myanmar, "hopes that all sides in Myanmar can appropriately handle their differences under the constitution and legal framework and safeguard political and social stability," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

'We are ready to face anything'

The military, which had called on the government to postpone the convening of parliament and refused to rule out the possibility of a coup in response to allegations of election fraud, also arrested MPs, political activists and student leaders, sources told RFA.

I am detained, Mya Aye, a 1988 democracy movement activist and leader of the group Federal Democratic Forces, posted on his Facebook a few minutes before his account was deactivated at dawn on Monday.

Videos seen by RFA show five light military trucks carrying armed soldiers guarding guesthouses in Naypyidaw where lawmakers stay when parliament is in session. Parliament was also blocked by troops and the new term slated to begin Monday has been canceled.

NLD members of parliament hunkered down as their leaders were detained.

We all MPs are calmly waiting for the instruction from our party leaders. We are ready to face anything," said NLD MP Kyaw Swar Oo.

Things are calm and stable in the compound," said another NLD lawmaker, Ye Myint Swe said. "Our party also requested that we stay calm. We cannot go out.

State-run Myanmar Radio and Television or MRTV has announced early Monday that they were unable to broadcast.

Due to a telecommunication issue, we would like to inform audiences respectfully that were not able to broadcast radio and TV programs yet, MRTV posted on its Facebook page.

Telecommunications and internet were largely restored after going down early Monday in the capital Naypyidaw. In Naypyidaw, Yangon and Mandalay, crowds of people gathered at ATMs to withdraw cash or thronged at markets in an effort to stockpile food supplies and essential commodities.

Access to Facebook isn't being restricted in Myanmar, nor have authorities requested the disabling of any user accounts in the country, a spokesperson for the company said.

"The militarys actions show utter disdain for the democratic elections held in November and the right of Myanmars people to choose their own government," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

We are especially concerned for the safety and security of activists and other critics of the military who may have been taken into custody," he said in a statement.

Mondays detentions followed a string of veiled threats of a coup by Myanmars military last week over claims of voting fraud in the Nov. 8 elections, which the NLD swept in an outcome confirmed by electoral authorities.

People walk next to Yangon City Hall in Yangon as Myanmar's military detained the country's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the country's president in a coup, Feb. 1, 2020. Credit: AFP

Long history of military coups

Aung San Suu Kyi, a 75-year-old Nobel laureate who has spent nearly two decades under house arrest, was set to launch her second five-year term in late March. The NLD won 396 parliamentary seats in November, while the army-affiliated Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), took only 33 seats. The party serves as a proxy for the military, which is guaranteed 25 percent of seats under the 2008 Constitution.

The military and the USDP have contended for weeks that there was widespread voter fraud and have increased pressure on the Union Election Commission (UEC) to investigate. Neither the military nor the USDP have submitted any evidence of actual voter fraud, but they have raised questions about outdated voter lists and other problems.

In response to talk about a coup, the UEC issued a statement on Thursday insisting that elections were devoid of fraud as alleged by the military, despite some voter list errors which it said it would investigate.

Intervention by the military is troubling to many in Myanmar, which endured brutal, corrupt military rule and international pariah status from 1962 to 2011, when it began a transition to democratic rule.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, 64, has headed the military since 2011, and is under U.S. sanctions for his role in the 2017 military crackdown that drove more than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims into neighboring Bangladesh.

Myanmars military campaign of mass killings, gang rapes and arson was executed with genocidal intent, a U.N. factfinding team found, leading to ongoing cases against the army and Min Aung Hlaing in the International Court of Justice and other courts. Washington is debating whether to designate the military campaign that expelled the Rohingya as a genocide.

"The Tatmadaw, who are guilty of genocide against the Rohingya and of a sustained campaign of violence against Burmas ethnic minorities, must immediately free the democratic leaders of Myanmar and remove themselves from government," said U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, incoming Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who called for international sanctions if the army doesn't reverse course.

"The same military leaders who have committed Genocide against the Rohingya, often using and encouraging sexual violence and rape as a form of ethnic cleansing, cannot be allowed to hijack Burmas democratic progress nor be able to repeat their atrocities again," said Sen. Edward J. Markey of the East Asia Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

NLD backer Win Htain, who confirmed to RFA that Aung San Suu Kyi's letter was given to him on January 29, said "this crisis is the result of Min Aung Hlaings obsession with becoming president."

"Its foolish to think the international community will accept his action," he told RFA.

"The fate of the country is now back to square one.

Writer Htin Lin Oo, an NLD member, described military men closing in on his house and waking up neighbors.

"I think they will enter my home soon. If they detain me, I will have to go with them," he wrote on Facebook.

"Now our country is under a military coup for the third time. The democracy we arduously built has been crushed," added Htin Lin Oo.

"I want to pass this message to our citizens: If we all are thrown into jail again, dont give up."

Former U.S. ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell, who was Washingtons envoy when Myanmar began its transition from decades of junta rule in 2012, called for the immediate restoration of democracy.

Democracy in Myanmar must be restored immediately without conditions for good of country. Myanmar militarys detention/arrest of civilian leadership is indefensible, whatever the pretext, and must earn global condemnation, Mitchell, now president of the National Democratic Institute, wrote on Twitter.

The doors just opened to a very different future, said Thant Myint-U, a Burmese academic and author. I have a sinking feeling that no one will really be able to control what comes next.

Myanmar has a long history of coups and iron-fisted military rule since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. Military ruler Ne Win seized power in a coup in 1962 and drove Myanmar, then known as Burma, into virtual international isolation. Ne Win was sidelined in 1988 amid nationwide pro-democracy protests that were crushed by the military, which installed a junta. For the ensuing two decades, Myanmar faced tough international sanctions that took a heavy toll on its economy.

The country of 54 million people the size of France only began to open up around 2011, as the military ceded direct rule and allowed a civilian government to take shape which led to the lifting of international sanctions. Aung San Suu Kyi, who had spent 15 years under house arrest, was freed and her NLD took power after a sweeping victory in national elections in 2015  a victory repeated this November.

The military, however, has retained key levers of power throughout this period, including a quarter of parliamentary seats and control of the key security ministries of border affairs, defense and the interior.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
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 Daily Beast

St. Johns County Sheriff's OfficeThe Florida teenager accused of murdering 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey earlier this month stabbed the cheerleader a staggering 114 times as she fought for her life, then dumped her body in a wooded area, authorities said Thursday.Aiden Fucci, 14, will now be charged as an adult with first-degree murder for Baileys brutal slaying in the early morning of May 9, St. Johns County State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced Thursday. Youve heard our victim was stabbed....to say it was horrific was an understatement, Larizza said during a Thursday press conference. There were 114 stab wounds.The young girl died fighting for her life, he added.Fucci may have randomly chosen Bailey as his victim, as he told other teenagers he planned to kill someone within the month, the prosecutor said. This could simply be a wrong place at the wrong time situation, Larizza said. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office says Baileys family reported her missing at 10 a.m on May 10, prompting a frantic countywide search that ended eight hours later when investigators recovered the seventh graders clothed body in a wooded area near a retention pond on a street close to where she was last seen.Larizza said that the night of the murder, Fucci told people he intended to kill someone by taking them in the woods and stabbing them.Cheerleader Tristyn Bailey Was Stabbed to Death by Teenage Boy, Cops SayThe Daily Beast did not initially identify Fucci, who was originally charged with second-degree murder, because prosecutors had not decided whether to charge him as an adult. Online court records show a Thursday notice to transfer Fuccis case to adult court and assign it to Judge R. Lee Smith after he was indicted by a grand jury.The news of his upgraded charges was first reported by ActionNewJax. According to an arrest report, Baileys family last saw the Patriot Oaks Academy cheerleader at around midnight on May 9. An hour later, home surveillance footage near the Durbin North Amenity Center showed Bailey and Fucci walking together, at one point heading east on Saddlestone Drive.Larizza said that while investigators have not determined a motive, he confirmed Baileys encounter with Fucci started out as kids hanging out. He added that theres no evidence anyone else was involved in the grisly crime.At around 3:30 a.m, another video shows Fucci walking alone on Saddlestone Drive and carrying a pair of white shoes with a black Nike logo, the report states.During the frantic search for Bailey the next morning, police brought in Fucci for questioning as a witness. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office confirmed to The Daily Beast that around the same time, Fucci posted a selfie on social media in a patrol car with the caption, Hey guys has anybody seen Tristyn lately?Under questioning, the arrest report states Fucci changed his story several times and made several admissions that led cops to charge him.Police later found clothing in the boys bedroom that tested positive for blood, the arrest report said. After finding Baileys body, police discovered she had been left only 0.3 miles from where Fucci lived.Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Predrag Bulic later concluded that Baileys homicide was caused by a sharp force trauma by stabbing. Larizza said Thursday that about 49 of the defensive stab wounds Bailey suffered were to the hands, arms, and face. He added that witnesses identified a knife that was found in a pond as belonging to Fucci. The knifes tip had broken off and was later found in Baileys skull. The medical examiner said the blood on the weapon matched the victim's.Teenagers are capable of things we never imagined them doing, Larizza added, warning parents in his community to keep tabs on their children.Both Tristyn and Fucci attended Patriot Oaks Academy in St. Johns, though police said it was unclear how they knew each other or if they were in the same class.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.
Anti-DUP graffiti has been sprayed on Crimea Street off the Shankill Road in Belfast.

The graffiti, which is believed to have appeared overnight, is the latest such incident in the city over recent days.

It reads: "Shankill says no Irish sea border" and adds "DUP out!".

Graffiti targeting Tanaiste Leo Varadkar which appeared in recent days in south Belfast is being treated by police as a hate crime after threats were daubed on a wall of a shop at Drumart Square in the Belvoir Estate. They have since been removed.

First Minster Arlene Foster, who was also targeted in graffiti asking her to resign over the Irish Sea border recently, spoke out against the warning to the Tanaiste to not cross the Irish border.

Expand Close Fury: Local residents were outraged at the graffiti threat to the Taoiseach on a shop wall at Drumart Square in the Belvoir estate / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Fury: Local residents were outraged at the graffiti threat to the Taoiseach on a shop wall at Drumart Square in the Belvoir estate

Mrs Foster tweeted: "Violence or the threat of violence has no place in democracy. I condemn those behind this.

"The NI Protocol needs replaced but violence or its threat will not achieve the change Northern Ireland needs."

The offices of DUP MLAs Christopher Stalford and Robin Newton, in south and east Belfast respectively were also targeted with graffiti over the same issue.

Images showed a message sprayed on the shutters of Mr Stalford's Sandy Row office, which read: "Irish Sea border - Sandy Row says No!"

There have been warnings from police officers of growing discontent in loyalist communities over the Northern Ireland Protocol and the effects of disruption to trade from Britain.

On Monday, Mrs Foster accused Boris Johnson of a dereliction of duty after claiming he is not doing enough to address trade disruption.

Expand Close Some within loyalism blame the DUP for delivering a Brexit that includes an Irish Sea border (Rebecca Black/PA) PA / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Some within loyalism blame the DUP for delivering a Brexit that includes an Irish Sea border (Rebecca Black/PA)

It follows continued fallout from the EU's botched move to invoke a mechanism to suspend elements of the new trading arrangements, after which they were forced into a U-turn on Friday.

Senior European politicians later conceded it was a mistake to try to unilaterally suspend part of Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol to prevent the region being used as backdoor to move vaccines from the bloc into the UK.

The protocol, which governs the movement of goods in and out of Northern Ireland post-Brexit, was created to ensure continued free flow of trade across the Irish border by moving regulatory and customs processes to the Irish Sea, with checks instead focused primarily on produce moving from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.

Unionists have called for the UK Government to itself suspend elements of the protocol after disruption when it came into effect on December 31.

Expand Close Prime Minister Boris Johnson and First Minister Arlene Foster (PA) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Prime Minister Boris Johnson and First Minister Arlene Foster (PA)

Mrs Foster said the EU had "lowered the bar" for triggering suspension, which is done by invoking Article 16 of the protocol.

The DUP leader said she did not accept that the Commission's initial move on Friday was a mistake.

"It was absolutely an act of hostility and actually they have not ruled out using it again," she told BBC Radio Ulster.

Mrs Foster said it was "patronising and offensive" to described the problems encountered by Northern Ireland businesses and consumers as "teething problems" and she called on Mr Johnson to act and move immediately to deploy Article 16.

"I have to say directly to the Prime Minister and to the UK Government that it is a dereliction of duty for a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to stand by and allow United Kingdom citizens to suffer and that is what he is allowing to do at present, so therefore action is absolutely needed," she said.

"There's nothing positive to come from the protocol," she added.

Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard said the Commission's "humbling climbdown" had ensured that "chaos" was averted.

"I think to be fair the EU were foolish, I think Friday's actions were very reckless and were absolutely disproportionate," he told Radio Ulster.

Mr Hazzard, whose party supports the protocol, accused Mrs Foster of trying to create a crisis, suggesting she was under pressure from hard-line unionists.

"Arlene and the DUP seem intent to stoke the flames going forward," he said.

"I think that speaks more to their own internal political problems here than it does to the actual issue at hand."

If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.
NORTHWOOD, Iowa  A trial is set over a high speed chase through Worth County.

Jordan Maurice Kellogg, 23 of Ionia, is pleading not guilty to 2nd degree theft, eluding, and driving with a revoked license.

Kellogg was arrested after driving away from a December 19, 2020, traffic stop over no front license plate. The Worth County Sheriffs Office says Kellogg sped away and eventually went airborne and crashed after a pursuit that reached speeds of 80 miles per hour. The Sheriffs Office the vehicle Kellogg was driving was reported stolen out of Waukon.

Kelloggs trial is scheduled to begin on July 7.
Amaravati/New Delhi, Feb 1 : Rajya Sabha MP and Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) senior leader V. Vijayasai Reddy said the budgetary allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for vaccine development and distribution is the lone positive aspect in the 2021 - 22 union budget on Monday.

"Only one positive aspect visible in the budget is Rs 35,000 crore for vaccine development and distribution by the Central government. Other than this there is no benefit for Andhra Pradesh," said Reddy.

He said the state government demanded at least one of the proposed four regional centres of National Institute of Virology and new textile parks to be located in AP.

Likewise, Reddy said they asked the Central government for more vistadome bhogies as they are pending for Visakhapatnam and Araku.

"In the Central government spending for paddy procurement, Rs 4,282 crore is due for AP state civil supplies corporation. There was not mention of white revolution in AP at all," said Reddy.

As Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is planning to divide the 13 districts into 26, the MP demanded one organic farming university per district.

Reddy said the demand to raise standard deduction to Rs 1 lakh was not considered and termed the budget a survivalist budget.

"Amid Covid, we need a revivalist budget but not a survivalist budget," the YSRPCP leader noted.

According to Reddy, the state is not satisfied with the Kharagpur - Vijayawada freight corridor and pointed out that only one fishing hub has been allocated for Visakhapatnam.

"One fishing hub is nothing compared to eight announced by our CM. Only very few senior citizen beneficiaries will be there in the state," he observed on the benefits announced for people over 75 years of age.

As nearly 65 per cent of the people in the country depend on agriculture, Reddy said the Central government should give utmost importance and lamented that their request of raising Central government contribution for the PM Kisan scheme from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 was not met.

Comparing AP's Arogyasri to the Central government's Ayushman Bharat, Reddy said the former covers more diseases than the latter.

Even as the southern state is planning to set up 13 new medical colleges, the Rajya Sabha MP highlighted that no medical project was allocated to the state.
India on Sunday formally handed over two 140-tonne mobile harbour cranes to the authorities of the Chabahar port in Iran and both sides reviewed their overall cooperation in developing the transit hub. Located in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich Iran's southern coast, the port is being developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan to boost trade ties.

An Indian delegation, led by Joint Secretary (Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran) in the External Affairs Ministry JP Singh handed over the cranes, according to Indian Embassy in Iran. "Mr JP Singh, JS(PAI) @Meaindia handed over two 140 ton mobile harbor cranes, the first shipment of equipment being supplied by India, for the development of phase-I of Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar," it tweeted.

The first phase of the project was inaugurated in December 2017. It is learnt that both sides also reviewed the overall cooperation in developing the port which is being increasingly seen as a fulcrum of connectivity to Central Asia. Last month, India, Iran and Uzbekistan held their first trilateral talks to explore ways for joint use of the port for trade and enhancing regional connectivity.

The trilateral meeting took place in the backdrop of India pitching for participation of Uzbekistan in the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project. The INSTC is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. PTI MPB http://ptinews.com/images/pti.jpg We bring the World to you" Disclaimer : This e-mail message may contain proprietary, confidential or legally privileged information for the sole use of the person or entity to whom this message was originally addressed. Please delete this e-mail, if it is not meant for you.

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)
A key objective of the flight will be to test the remedial work since the spaceship's onboard computer halted ignition of the rocket motor in its previous attempt to reach space

( ) said the next window to chance to test its spacecraft will open later this month after its previous SpaceShip2 mission failed in December.

The company said it will have the opportunity for a test flight of SpaceShipTwo Unity from Saturday, February 13 until the end of the month, depending on weather conditions and technical readiness.

With this flight carrying research payloads for the NASA Flight Opportunities program, Virgin Galactic said pre-flight preparations are underway at its New Mexico based, wth pilots having completed two practice flights with the spacecraft's mothership, VMS Eve, in the intervening period.

"A key objective of the upcoming flight will be to test the remedial work that has been completed since the December 12, 2020, flight when the onboard computer halted ignition of the rocket motor," the company said.

The technical team has carried out an analysis of the cause of the failure of the December test flight and has now completed the corrective work and carried out extensive ground testing, it added.

"The next stage will be to assess and verify this work during a rocket-powered flight."

As planned in December, the flight aims to evaluate elements of the customer cabin, testing the live video stream capability from the spaceship to the ground and assessing the ship's horizontal stabilizers and flight controls during the 'boost phase' when the spacecraft disconnects from the mothership and its own rockets begin to fire.

Virgin Galactic chief executive Michael Colglazier said: "We are pleased to be able to get back to the skies and continue our flight test program. I would like to thank our team for their continued hard work and diligence in working towards this important milestone for Virgin Galactic."
Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) has executed the Implementation Agreement (IA) relating to 100MW solar PV power project of Zhenfa Pakistan New Energy Company (Private) Limited (ZPNECPL) in District Layyah, Punjab

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Feb, 2021 ) :Alternative Energy Development board (AEDB) has executed the Implementation Agreement (IA) relating to 100MW solar PV power project of Zhenfa Pakistan New Energy Company (Private) Limited (ZPNECPL) in District Layyah, Punjab.

Chief Executive Officer AEDB Shah Jahan Mirza signed the IA with ZPNECPL on behalf of President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, said a press release issued here Monday.

ZPNECPL will put up 229,885 PV modules of 435 Wp each having cumulative capacity of 100 MW, the modules will produce 188,427,600 KWH of clean electricity per annum.

The levelized tariff for the project is US Cents 3.72/kWh.

Speaking on the occasion Shah Jahan Mirza said that this is a big step towards Government of Pakistan's commitment of increasing the renewable energy share in power generation by adding clean and green energy into the system. Further the induction of lower tariff solar projects will help in reducing the overall cost of generation, he said.
A young American woman found stabbed to death at home was killed just days before she was due to return to the United States.

Mary Wells, 21, was murdered in her house in Colchester, Essex, two weeks ago.

She was attacked in the early hours of the morning, suffering stab wounds to her neck and body.

Paramedics were called to the property but tragically they could not save Ms Wells who had come to the UK for a six-month stay.

It has now emerged she had been due to return to her home in Pennsylvania next week.

Her devastated friends have already raised thousands of pounds to help with the costs involved with repatriation of her body to America.

Mary Wells, 21, was found murdered in her house in Colchester, Essex, two weeks ago

Todd Hoffman, a good friend who helped set up the fundraiser, has paid a poignant tribute.

He said: 'Mary was so kind and selfless, she would give someone the shirt off her back.

'Mary was quiet and didn't ask for much.

'She wasn't the kind of person that likes to fight or argue. She was very shy.'

After Mary's brutal death her family was told they would have to raise funds to pay for the return of her body to America.

The heartbreaking process has been complicated by the arrangements needed to due the coronavirus pandemic.

Paramedics were called to the property but tragically they could not save Ms Wells' life

Thankfully generous donations mean the $3,300 (2,400) target to cover the costs was reached inside just a few days.

Todd, of Maryland, America, added: 'Mary was stabbed to death she was supposed to come back home on February 8th, she was over England visiting for the last six months.

'The family is deeply saddened by this unexpected tragedy.

'Mary had a tough couple of years. Mary lost her mom due to heath problems and lost her grandmother who took care of her after her mom died 2 years ago.'

Mary was found at 5.35am on January 17.

Detectives later confirmed she died after she was stabbed in her neck and body.

Adam Butt, 21, of Colchester, has been charged with murder and is due to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court in April.


We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
UN human rights experts called for the immediate release of prisoners of war and other prisoners of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and for the return of the bodies of the dead for burial with due respect for cultural customs.

All those deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the conflict should be returned to their homes, and the relatives of those killed should be able to retrieve the remains of their loved ones in accordance with the ceasefire agreement signed on November 9, 2020, the experts say.

Failure to disclose information about the fate and whereabouts of missing persons and the refusal to hand over the remains of the dead may be tantamount to enforced disappearance, which both Azerbaijan and Armenia have committed to prevent, they noted.

Experts are alarmed by allegations that prisoners of war and other protected persons have been subjected to extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment.

According to them, mo exceptional circumstances - be it a state of war, internal political instability or any other state of emergency - can justify torture and enforced disappearance.

The UN is seriously concerned about reports of ill-treatment and desecration of bodies as well.

They called on theauthorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan to conduct a thorough, prompt, independent and impartial investigation into allegations of serious human rights violations committed during and after the conflict, to bring those responsible to justice and provide compensation for the victims.
U.S.A., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Our healthcare system is undergoing massive change. In 2020, we saw hospitals and healthcare systems striving to meet more demands than ever, with many accelerating innovation in areas like AI to overcome the limitations of outdated, inefficient back-end technology. Olive's AI workforce became an integral part of technology infrastructure, used by over 675 hospitals in 42 U.S. states. In 2021, Olive will launch further innovation to improve interoperability at hospitals, health systems, and payers, delivering AI cybernetics and deep learning to help humans in their heroic efforts.

Building an Internet of Healthcare

Healthcare accounts for nearly 18 percent of the U.S. GDP, yet it lags far behind other industries in terms of digital transformation. Connecting disparate, siloed technology systems across the industry is not only innovative, but a critical matter of public health. CEO Sean Lane founded Olive with the vision of creating an "Internet of Healthcare," where the plethora of disjointed back-end systems could speak to one another and create a better experience for patients and providers. Now, Olive's AI workforce is driving over $100 million in repeatable, ongoing efficiencies for hospitals, including 20% of the top 100 U.S. health systems.

"When I was at my hometown hospital, one thing became abundantly clear: healthcare didn't have the Internet," said Lane. "Patient experiences I've witnessed for myself and my family opened my eyes to how many processes could be done better in healthcare, and to me, there was one true solution: build an Internet of Healthcare. Connect all of healthcare's disparate technology to fix a broken system. That's the idea that started Olive and is core to our vision of building the Internet of Healthcare, revealing life-changing outcomes."

In 2020, 16 customers signed on for AlphaSites, command centers for AI workforce operations, with a 5X return on investment. The improved efficiencies delivered positively impact over 60 million patients each year at providers including Centura Health, WVU Medicine, MetroHealth and RWJBarnabas Health.

"We're excited to partner with Olive to deploy their AI workforce across our health system, so our team can focus less on data entry and more on patient care," said Paul McDowell, CFO of The Queen's Health Systems. "By eliminating repetitive, low value tasks, Olive enables our team members to work on higher value, more rewarding assignments. Our work with Olive will enable us to streamline costs and achieve greater efficiency in a time of great challenge and uncertainty."

Innovation, Entering New Markets in 2021

In 2020, the company announced plans for Olive Helps, an AI-powered sidekick who works alongside healthcare employees by providing real-time intelligence to improve the quality, speed and impact of their work. The product will join Olive Works, the AI workforce that automates burdensome and mission critical processes core to healthcare operations and in doing so accelerates revenue while improving productivity. Olives Works is being used across revenue cycle, supply chain, IT, human resource, finance, accounting, pharmacy operations and clinical operations. In 2021, Olive is set up for tremendous impact with the full launch of Olive Helps and Olive Assures, a new product aimed at accelerating the provider payments process.

Also in 2020, Olive entered the payer market by acquiring Verata Health. The two companies, by combining forces, are pioneering the first end-to-end, AI-powered prior authorization platform in healthcare. This platform powers medical necessity review and prior authorization submissions to all public and private health plans, and enables point-of-care approvals for providers and payers. The solution integrates with all major electronic health record systems, including Epic, Cerner, Athenahealth, and Meditech, to deliver a seamless experience and unparalleled interoperability between providers and payers. In addition to its prior authorization solutions, Olive is deploying its AI workforce to payers and partnering with select payers in 2021 to launch a combined solution under the Olive name.

The Executive Leadership Team Realizing Olive's Vision

Olive secured $385 million in financing in 2020, for a total of $448 million since the company's founding. These investments brought Olive's valuation to $1.5 billion, reaching unicorn status. As part of the company's explosive growth, Olive welcomed new executive members to its team including:

Lori Jones was promoted to President, Provider Market and retains her CRO title

was promoted to President, Provider Market and retains her CRO title Dr. Jeremy Friese , President, Payer Market

, President, Payer Market Ali Byrd , Chief Financial Officer

, Chief Financial Officer Shoshana Deutschkron , Chief Marketing Officer

, Chief Marketing Officer Dr. YiDing Yu , Chief Medical Officer

Olive has tripled employee headcount since January 2020 and currently employs approximately 550 people, also known as Olivians, with plans to nearly double this headcount in 2021. Olivians work in a fully distributed and flexible work model called "The Grid," with employees in 40 U.S. states. Olive has an HQ in Columbus, Ohio and five SubStations, or satellite offices, across the U.S. including Chicago (opening in 2021), Denver, Baltimore, Minneapolis and Orlando. Olivians also have access to unique employee perks for remote work such as free vacation rentals and home office stipends.

To learn more about Olive or join its growing team, visit www.oliveai.com.

About Olive

Olive's AI workforce is built to fix our broken healthcare system by addressing healthcare's most burdensome issues -- delivering hospitals and health systems and payers increased revenue, reduced costs, and increased capacity. People feel lost in the system today and healthcare employees are essentially working in the dark due to outdated technology that creates a lack of shared knowledge and siloed data. Olive is designed to drive connections, shining a new light on the broken healthcare processes that stand between providers delivering patient care and payers. She uses AI to reveal life-changing insights that make healthcare more efficient, affordable and effective. Olive's vision is to unleash a trillion dollars by connecting healthcare. Olive is improving healthcare operations today, so everyone can benefit from a healthier industry tomorrow.

Media Contact:

Rachel Forsyth

[email protected]



SOURCE Olive

Related Links

http://www.oliveai.com


This coming February 20, 2021, at 7:00 PM, ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) is set to announce the full details of the most anticipated ROG Flow X13 in the FOR THOSE WHO DARE DIGITAL LAUNCH.

February 20, 2021: ROG Philippines slated to launch the ROG Flow X13, powered by the latest AMD Ryzen 5000 CPU packed inside a 13 gaming laptop  proving that compact is truly the new impact!

George Su, Country Manager of ASUS Philippines shares, ROG is a brand that lives up to its spirit of daring gamers to move beyond boundaries. That is why we want to invite everyone to celebrate the arrival of the ROG Flow X13. This product will change how we perceive the need for gaming notebooks as we reach new levels of power and performance with portability in mind. He adds, We cater to the needs of our on-the-go citizens, who still require performance beyond their imagination. We believe that the ROG Flow X13 answers such necessity as much as we believe that it is a milestone for gaming and technology.

First revealed last CES 2021, the ROG Flow X13 garnered the most attention from the tech enthusiast due to its groundbreaking technology and design, having embedded a powerful CPU in the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS and a formidable GPU inside with the GeForce GTX 1650, while also having the option to plug in the ROG XG Mobile, to unleash the power and capabilities of the RTX 3000 series in a thin and light 13 form factor.

Viewers who tune in to the launch will also have the chance to win exclusive ROG merchandise from the brand. Also, the launch will feature performances from ROG Hero, Matthaios, and rising lo-fi hip-hop artist, Kiyo. For further updates, check out the official event page: bit.ly/ROGxFTWD

For other details, such as the recently announced ROG laptops from January 27, visit this page: bit.ly/ROGPHx2021
[February 01, 2021] EarlySense to Accelerate Growth in Remote Patient Monitoring Sector With Sale of Contact-Free Monitoring Technology To Hillrom

WOBURN, Mass., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- EarlySense, the global leader in contact-free, continuous monitoring solutions across the healthcare continuum, announced today that it has sold proprietary contact-free continuous monitoring technology to Hillrom (NYSE: HRC). Under terms of the agreement, EarlySense will receive licensing for all intellectual property and technology sold to Hillrom for use outside the hospital, as well as a cash consideration of $30 million, potential payments based on the achievement of certain commercial milestones, and a portion of Hillrom's equity investment in EarlySense. "We set out to save lives and improve care by implementing AI-based contact-free patient monitoring in healthcare facilities across the globe," said Matt Johnson, CEO of EarlySense. "We made great progress by becoming the standard of care in Hillrom's flagship Centrella Smart+ hospital bed. Our technology has already monitored more than one million patients and helped clinicians save tens of thousands of lives, and we expect to accelerate this significant impact as a result of this technology sale to Hillrom. "The COVID-19 pandemic has created historic opportunities for smart health technologies outside the hospital, and this transaction will allow us to continue serving our global customer base and apply our clinically proven technology to this high-growth sector. Our more than one hundred million patient-monitored hours uniquely position us to deliver intelligent, predictive, and patented solutions that elevate remote patient care without increasing the risk of harmful infection," added Johnson. EarlySense technology allows for the continuous (more than 100 times per minute) monitoring of patient heart and respiratory rates without ever touching the patient. The technology also alerts clinicians to potential patient deteriration events much earlier than traditional monitoring methods. This technology serves as the engine for EarlySense remote patient monitoring devices, helping bring hospital-grade patient analytics to care settings outside the hospital.



"EarlySense's contact-free continuous monitoring technology provides caregivers with a full picture of patient health, allowing for intervention at the earliest signs of patient deterioration," said Hillrom President and CEO John Groetelaars. "We look forward to bringing this critical technology to additional customers around the world as we deliver on our vision of Advancing Connected Care." Wells Fargo Securities served as exclusive financial advisor to EarlySense and Goldfarb & Seligman and Polsinelli served as legal counsel.

About EarlySense EarlySense is the global leader in contact-free, continuous monitoring solutions for the healthcare continuum. Used worldwide in hospitals, post-acute care facilities and patients' homes, the EarlySense System assists caregivers in early detection of potential patient adverse events, including code blue events resulting from cardiac or respiratory arrest, patient falls, pressure ulcers, preventable ICU transfers and hospital readmissions. The EarlySense System captures critical information from the patient, providing an early warning to caregivers of potentially adverse events. EarlySense is based in Ramat Gan, Israel, and Woburn, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.earlysense.com .

Follow EarlySense on LinkedIn , Twitter and Facebook . About Hillrom Hillrom is a global medical technology leader whose 10,000 employees have a single purpose: enhancing outcomes for patients and their caregivers by Advancing Connected Care. Around the world, our innovations touch over 7 million patients each day. They help enable earlier diagnosis and treatment, optimize surgical efficiency and accelerate patient recovery while simplifying clinical communication and shifting care closer to home. We make these outcomes possible through digital and connected care solutions and collaboration tools, including smart bed systems, patient monitoring and diagnostic technologies, respiratory health devices, advanced equipment for the surgical space and more, delivering actionable, real-time insights at the point of care. Learn more at hillrom.com. Media Contact:

Ellie Hanson

Finn Partners

+1-929-222-8006

ellie.hanson@finnpartners.com EarlySense Contact:

Jaime Donahue

T: 781-373-3228 ext. 212

Jaime.Donahue@earlysense.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/earlysense-to-accelerate-growth-in-remote-patient-monitoring-sector-with-sale-of-contact-free-monitoring-technology-to-hillrom-301218737.html SOURCE EarlySense

[ 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.
Disclose truth about destroyed documents



Allegations are growing that the Moon Jae-in administration secretly attempted to help North Korea start building a nuclear power plant in 2018. They are spelled out in an indictment of Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy officials who are accused of destroying computer files related to the controversial closure of the Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor in 2019.



According to the indictments of the officials, 17 out of the 530 files were about a government plan to assist the North in its potential bid to build a nuclear reactor. The conservative opposition People Power Party (PPP) is stepping up its offensive against the Moon government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), saying they were "benefiting the enemy" with the plan.



PPP interim leader Kim Chong-in claimed, "We cannot help but assume that the government pushed for a nuclear power plant in the North in exchange for the much-touted inter-Korean summit." However, Cheong Wa Dae denounced Kim for trying to "delude the people" with false allegations.



Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok vowed to take all possible means, including legal action, against Kim and his party, describing the allegations as an outdated "northern winds" scheme, a term referring to political maneuvering usually by conservatives to take advantage of anti-North Korean sentiment ahead of elections. "Similar documents were already produced under the previous Park Geun-hye administration," the DPK said in a statement. It added the people would not tolerate any attempts to fan anti-communist sentiment.



The PPP is expected to keep raising the issue in the lead-up to the April mayoral by-elections in Seoul and Busan. Yet, the rival parties will only deepen their partisan confrontation unless the truth behind the allegations is uncovered. The government and the DPK should try to clear up the allegations by revealing all the facts about the suspicious plan to build a nuclear power plant for the North. If possible, they need to make public all details about what the documents were for, and who instructed the officials to come up with the reactor plan.



According to the indictment, the 17 documents were contained in a folder titled "pohjois" which means the "northern side" in Finnish. The file names were "Plans for the construction of a nuclear power plant in North Korea" and "White paper on the nuclear reactor." The files were found to have been compiled from May 12 to 15, 2018, between the first and second inter-Korean summits between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.



The energy ministry said the documents were produced as the result of brainstorming among relevant officials amid the detente mood between the two Koreas and were not an official government dossier. Yet the ministry's explanation is insufficient. It needs to clarify why its officials destroyed the documents the night before the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) conducted an investigation into the Wolsong-1 reactor case to confirm whether they manipulated the economic value of the reactor to close it earlier than required by its lifecycle under Moon's nuclear phase-out policy. Otherwise, suspicions will grow further over the documents.




The URL has been copied to your clipboard

The code has been copied to your clipboard.

With the coronavirus pandemic lockdown hurting businesses around the world, restaurants that delivered food became essential and even profitable. VOAs Eyyup Demir talks to food delivery workers in Ankara, Turkey in this report narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.
To enhance opportunities for youth, the government on Monday proposed to amend the Apprenticeship Act and realign the National Apprenticeship Training Scheme for post-education apprenticeship, training of graduates and diploma holders in engineering.

Presenting the Budget for 2021-22 in Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said over Rs 3,000 crore will be set aside for this purpose.

"In 2016, we had launched the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme. The government proposes to amend the Apprenticeship Act with a view to further enhancing apprenticeship opportunities for our youth," Sitharaman said.

The National Apprenticeship Training Scheme for providing post-education apprenticeship, training of graduates and diploma holders in Engineering shall be realigned and over Rs 3,000 crore will be provided for this purpose.

The minister also said that an initiative is underway in partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to benchmark skill qualifications, assessment, and certification, accompanied by the deployment of certified workforce.

"We also have a collaborative Training Inter Training Programme between India and Japan to facilitate transfer of Japanese industrial and vocational skills, technique, and knowledge. We will take forward this initiative with many more countries," Sitharaman said.

The Apprenticeship Act 1961 was last amended in 2014.

The Act was enacted with the objective of regulating the programme of training of apprentices in the industry by utilizing the facilities available for imparting on-the-job training. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is the administrative ministry responsible for implementation of the Act.

(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 administration board of FPT University has immediately closed off its Hanoi campus in the suburban Hoa Lac area after a student attending the institution was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Sunday.

Earlier, it was announced by the Ministry of Health that a 21-year-old student enrolled at the Hanoi campus of FPT University tested positive for COVID-19.

The student, dubbed patient No. 1,815, joined his mother in the wedding ceremony of a relative in Chi Linh City of Hai Duong Province on January 23 and 24 before returning to classes at FPT University on January 25. Three days later, he exhibited symptoms of the respiratory disease.

Test results on Sunday indicated that both him and his mother contracted the COVID-19 pathogen.

After the revelation, FPT University has mobilized all of its communication platforms to request staff members, lecturers, and students to stay where they are, cease all movements, and activate the Ministry of Health-endorsed mobile application Bluezone to help authorities with contact tracing.

Le Truong Tung, board chairman of FPT University, said authorities and the school board have identified around 50 lecturers and students as high-risk individuals and are working to trace more contacts.

The school board has also cordoned off its Hoa Lac facility, and is ready to utilize the campus as a concentrated quarantine center if needed.

On Friday, students of the university were sent home for an early Lunar New Year holiday for fear of COVID-19 transmission, after new outbreaks were confirmed in northern Vietnam on Thursday last week.

A total of 240 local cases have been recorded since then, according to the health ministrys data.

The majority of the domestically-transmitted cases were traced back to Hai Duong and Quang Ninh.

Health officials have conducted aggressive contact tracing as well as targeted testing and lockdowns since the new wave blindsided the country.

On Sunday, Hanoi authorities ordered schools to close one week early for the Lunar New Year holiday.

One day earlier, Hanois Department of Health had confirmed a third-grade student studying at Xuan Phuong Elementary School as a new case of COVID-19 infection.

All classmates and teachers of this student were deemed to be high-risk individuals and were thus brought to mandatory quarantine.

Vietnam has confirmed 1,819 coronavirus cases, including 933 domestic infections, as of Monday morning, with 1,457 recoveries and 35 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
An American bus maker has developed a self-driving transit vehicle, as it anticipates a public transportation future dominated by automated and connected vehicles.New Flyer, a maker of electric transit buses, has released its Xcelsior AV, which is being billed as North Americas first heavy-duty automated transit bus, company President Chris Stoddart said during a Friday press event.The bus represents the future of safety in public transit. The technology is real, and its here. In the coming decades we anticipate fleets of automated buses improving road safety, and potentially also improving commute times, increasing energy efficiency and reducing congestion, he added.The bus was developed with Robotic Research, a privately held research and technology company based in Maryland. The new bus technology will be deployed in a pilot project with the Connecticut Department of Transportation in a project funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) As regulation catches up, our ability to more widely deploy this AV technology will expand, said Thomas Small, director of new product development at New Flyer.Because federal regulations have not yet been developed for Level 4 automated vehicle deployment in public transit on shared roadways, this technology can only be deployed within very specific operational domains applications, Small explained.The technology employs a network of sensors, cameras, radar, LiDAR and other technologies. And since its a connected vehicle, the bus can communicate with other vehicles as well as intelligent traffic control and management systems, say company officials. The price for one of the autonomous electric buses has not been set, as they are not yet commercially available.The Xcelsior AV is not envisioned as a purely driverless vehicle, but should have a safety attendant on the bus, said Farah Shah, project leader for new product development at New Flyer.If we ever reach a point where Level 4 or 5 automation is deployed into revenue service, and the person is not needed to physically drive the bus, there will still be a need for a safety attendant in transit to assure a safe atmosphere for all passengers, said Shah, calling to mind the two final levels of vehicle automation which make autonomous vehicles a reality.Just when autonomous vehicles become a reality in a meaningful way could be a few years away, said Augustin Wegscheider, an auto and mobility partner at the Boston Consulting Group.Taking everything into account, we dont have a crystal ball  But youre going to be looking at 2025-2026 as a potential time frame where we will be able to have geo-fenced robo-taxis, said Wegscheider, speaking on a panel discussion last week during the Transportation Research Boards annual meeting.AVs are likely to evolve as shared fleet vehicles  like a transit bus or robo-taxi  before they enter the personal car market, said Wegscheider, who described the personal AV as really far off.Those fleet AVs would likely operate as Level 4 autonomous  which means they would likely be geo-fenced to a particular area  minivan-type vehicles, accommodating six to eight passenegers. True Level-5 automation would mean the car could go anywhere, in any situation, without any oversight or limitations.Cities need to develop and redesign urban areas with the proper infrastructure to accommodate AV buses, such as dedicate laneway for buses, trolleys, streetcars and shuttles, said Jennifer McNeill, vice president for sales and marketing at New Flyer.While Wegscheider also urged cities to begin the process of planning for a future of shared robo-taxis which encourage their use, if only to reduce personal vehicle use. This can take the form of pricing mechanisms like congestion-pricing which penalizes personal car use.If you dont prepare for this  you could precipitate a congestion problem, said Wegscheider.
ADVERTISEMENT

The Nigerian government has said it may suspend flights from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and The Netherlands due to the new COVID-19 protocols introduced by both countries for incoming travellers.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Musa Nuhu, while speaking at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Monday said both countries recently requested that passengers from Nigeria must carry out a PCR test four hours before departing the country.

In addition to the requirements are a requirement for PCR test before passengers depart from Nigeria to their countries. They are adding an extra requirement of having a rapid test done four hours before departure or before you board, he said.

For us, passengers do the test 72 hours before departure and then the PCR test and the PTF recognizes the rights of all countries to put in measures to protect their citizens just like Nigeria has done, Mr Nuhu said.

If they insist on having these additional tests being done, then PTF has decided that their operations will be suspended into Nigeria.

Mr Nuhu said the countries and airlines coming from there cannot determine for Nigeria who to approve or how these tests will be done.

He said the government will be discussing with the airlines and countries involved.

This will enable the PTF to have a clear and transparent process on determining who will do these test based on the requirement for accreditation by NCDC, National Laboratory Council, Lagos state government for Lagos airport and FCT for Abuja airport.

Saudi Arabia's asset management industry reported favourable results over the past 12 months amid continued bullish trend on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), and a domestic focus of affluent investors, according to KPMG, a leading provider of audit, tax and advisory services in Saudi Arabia.

The inclusion of Saudi Arabian equities in global indices such as MSCI and FTSE in mid-2019, coupled with the mega Saudi Aramco IPO listing on Tadawul in Q4 2019, profoundly impacted global and local investor sentiments, satted KPMG in its debut edition of the Asset management review, which analyses the industry's financial performance through the lens of twelve large asset management firms regulated by the Capital Market Authority (CMA).

The report details the dynamic shift in investment strategies and business plans amid COVID-19 crisis and how varied investor behaviors have evolved in recent times.

While the Covid-19 disrupted the global markets in 2020, the asset management sector in Saudi Arabia weathered the pandemic storm well, owing mainly to the strong affluent client base that could absorb price volatilities not be impacted by liquidity constraints.

The asset management industry has reason to be cautiously optimistic about the growth prospects ahead, especially in light of the recent development and deployment of preventive vaccines.

Based on KPMG's analysis of the most recent available financial information of the evaluated asset management firms in Saudi Arabia, 2020 has been a growth year in revenue, profitability and assets under management (AUM).

By the end of September 2020, these asset management firms managed in aggregate SR471 billion of AUMs, a growth of 14% since December 31, 2019.

Ovais Shahab, the Head of Financial Services at KPMG (Saudi Arabia) said: "A resilient asset management industry has withstood the two-fold challenges posed by the decline in oil prices and the Covid-19 pandemic, whereby investor redemptions have been limited and asset prices have either been stable or have rebound. The industry is well prepared to play a pivotal role in providing the necessary impetus to the overall economic recovery."

KPMG predicts an uptick in the deployment of necessary capital to start-ups and entrepreneurs through venture capital (VC) or private equity (PE) type investments arising from imminent privatizations and the presence of distressed assets as a result of the pandemic.

"In line with the global trend, we expect fund managers to offer a diversified investment suite to potential investors as the risk/reward appetite evolves in the market and fund managers shift their investment strategies accordingly," remarked Khalil Ibrahim Al Sedais, the Office Managing Partner at KPMG in Saudi Arabia.

Given the tax landscape continues to evolve in the Kingdom, KPMG believes the asset management firms will need to have a robust tax risk management framework to assess and manage any emerging tax risks and expected changes in tax regimes, said Shahab.

"A continued focus on digitalization and offering tailored solutions to investors will prove to be decisive. Asset managers who excel in these areas are expected to do well in a market experiencing increased competition," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
A Kildare beer company said it has newly achieved a world food standard.

The Kildare based Rye River Brewing company said that it now holds an important world certification standard.



The company said that following 18 months of investment, planning and preparation, it has achieved BRC Certification and is now the only independent craft brewery in Ireland to hold BRC Certification.

A spokesperson for the Celbridge based company said Brand Reputation through Compliance (BRC), is an international Food Safety Management Systems standard and is one of the Global Food Safety Initiatives recognized certification schemes. The BRC certification gives audited brands an internationally recognised mark of food quality, safety, and responsibility.

Company CEO, Tom Cronin said it was a huge achievement and is a testament to the hard work put in by our dedicated team, throughout these challenging times.

Mr Cronin said it is the culmination of 18 months work and it further solidifies the companys standing as a world class manufacturing site, further backing up its credentials as the Worlds Most Decorated Brewery in 2020.
A gap is opening between the Government and teacher unions over the Leaving Cert.

Strong Cabinet support for a changed format to assessing sixth years in 2021 is emerging ahead of a crucial meeting of its Education Committee today.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said they would like to give options to students, with a hybrid of calculated grades and exams a serious contender.

Read More

Another option would be calculated grades alone, although Mr Martin has acknowledged there is a will to hold some sort of written exams.

Student leaders have called for choice, and many parents also support a move away from reliance on the conventional exams.

But teacher unions made it clear today that they want to stick with the traditional exams.

Ahead of todays crucial Cabinet sub committee meeting, the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) reiterated its support for holding the exams, including components such as orals, practicals and projects.

TUI president Martin Marjoram said the union did not believe that a system of calculated grades or similar would reduce stress and anxiety.

He also expressed concerns about the lack of data on which teachers estimated marks could be based compared to last years process.

The union also has significant concerns about the feasibility of offering students a choice between calculated grades and a written examination.

Mr Marjoram said teaching and preparing a class split into those seeking a calculated grade and those preparing to do a Leaving Certificate exam would be extremely challenging in the time remaining.

The TUI has also stated that external moderation in any system - such as independent assessed papers - was essential in ensuring consistency and public trust.

Mr Marjoram said we fully acknowledge the high levels of stress and anxiety in school communities, especially among those students who are due to take the state examinations this year.

However, we are concerned that a premature decision could be made without full exploration of feasible options. We believe there are enormous difficulties attached to the proposal that the class of 2021 be offered a choice in terms how they wish to be assessed.

We are reiterating our strong view that the fairest, most equitable option remains the holding of suitably modified and adapted Leaving Certificate examinations, which must take account of the second components of assessment such as orals, practical and project work.

He said it was a time for flexibility and further consideration could be given to extending the breadth of topics covered in papers or adjusting marking schemes, and any other reasonable measures that might ease stress and anxiety among the class of 2021 should not be ruled out.

Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) general secretary Kieran Christie told RTEs News at One once you stray away from the exams the situation would be very tricky.

Earlier, ASTI president Ann Piggott, told Newstalk Breakfast that their preference was for "modified" Leaving Certificate papers, because students had missed for much face to face teaching.

"We would like modified papers to the point where it would be doable, it wouldn't cause too much anxiety, there would be plenty of choice for students to omit certain areas of the curriculum as they require".

"We would certainly favour the traditional, written exam - that would be our preference".

She said there would be problems if students were able to choose between sitting the exam or getting predicted grades.

"One would involve a grade being given to students, and from our perspective... we would be worried that if a grade is given, does that mean then that motivation is gone?

"What would teachers do if they're teaching for the Leaving Cert as well? If the choice is given, you will certainly have a huge cohort of students as well who will choose the traditional exam.

So that would make it very difficult for 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.
Stormborn

Rating:

A Perfect Planet

Rating:

Weve been looking at things all wrong. Wildlife film-makers endure all kinds of hardship, crouched in hides for weeks on end and suffering frostbite or heatstroke to get as close to animals as possible.

The mistake theyve always made is to watch from ground level. Stormborn (BBC2) revealed a different way of seeing, a wholly new perspective  with stunning aerial photography.

At first, its pictures of a reindeer herd migrating across the snowbound tundra in Norway took a conventional view. The stolid beasts lowered their horns to face a blizzard, while the herders collies with frozen whiskers rounded up stragglers.

Stormborn (BBC2) revealed a different way of seeing, a wholly new perspective  with stunning aerial photography. Arctic fox cubs are seen above from the series

But then the camera leapt into the icy air to show us the herd as almost no one has ever viewed it before  apart, perhaps, from Father Christmas.

Reindeer seen from above look like a living, spinning Catherine wheel. They constantly drift in a circle 20 or 30 animals deep, so that the ones at the centre barely move and the ones at the perimeter are almost galloping. Its a defence they have evolved to deter predators such as wolves.

If the sonorous tones of Ewan McGregor hadnt explained what we were watching, it could even be imagined that the pattern was created by a kaleidoscope.

Equally unique aerial footage was captured as the crew followed a pod of orcas or killer whales, hunting off the coast of Shetland. Its hard to grasp how large these animals are until you see them chasing a porpoise. They looked like a pack of rottweilers tormenting a kitten.

The drone-cam hovered above the hunt as the black-and-white orcas traced intricate, criss-crossing paths below the surface of the water. One porpoise saved itself by beaching on rocks at the shore, where the orcas could not follow, and waiting hours for the rising tide to float it to freedom  a high-risk strategy.

One environmentalist, Jeremy Rifkin, warned that wildlife faces the biggest mass extinction since the dinosaurs were wiped out, and that half of all species could be gone by the end of the century

No camera on a boat could have captured this drama. I was left hungry to see more footage of this sort. Surprisingly, the Beeb seemed to lack confidence that these amazing sequences would be enough to thrill us, because the documentary oversold itself cheesily.

The opening credits, swooping over a 3D map of Scotland and Scandinavia, with stabbing cellos and thunderous percussion, imitated Game Of Thrones.

McGregor intoned his lines as if he was narrating the end of the world. The gales and icy blasts endure, he rumbled. Winter, the great darkness, can be reluctant to release her iron grip.

He might as well have thrown in a yea, verily. Sir David Attenborough was more understated on the final episode of A Perfect Planet (BBC1), though he really did seem to be narrating the end of the world.

After programmes that explained the four super-forces that maintain all life (volcanoes, ocean currents, weather systems and the heat of the sun), he turned to a fifth: A force so powerful it threatens the future of life on Earth humans.

One environmentalist, Jeremy Rifkin, warned that wildlife faces the biggest mass extinction since the dinosaurs were wiped out, and that half of all species could be gone by the end of the century.

There was little new in this round-up. It largely reiterated what went before. But there were glimmers of hope  such as the children planting trees on the edge of the Sahara, and conservationists reclaiming deforested areas of the Amazon.

It served as a reminder that, when the pandemic is over, much more international co-operation is going to be needed.

Box-set of the weekend: The peerless French cop thriller Spiral (BBC4) has ended  but all eight seasons are on iPlayer for the rest of the year. The first series is raunchy, the second gory, and after that it is simply, constantly brilliant. Unmissable.
Ballygowan and MiWadi owner Britvic expects its sales performance to continue to come under pressure this year in the face of national lockdowns in Ireland and the UK set to continue into March.

The British soft drinks group said trading in the first quarter of its current financial year  the three months to the end of December continued to be impacted by Covid restrictions in its main markets.

Total group first quarter revenue fell by nearly 6%, year-on-year, to 328.1m (371m).

Britvic owns the likes of Drench water and the Robinsons range of juice drinks.

In Ireland, it also owns the Club range and TK Lemonade and holds the Irish distribution rights to 7-Up, Pepsi Max and Mountain Dew.

The introduction, in Britain and Ireland, of tighter pre-Christmas Covid-19 restrictions, and the subsequent national lockdown measures, have put further pressure on sales in both the hospitality sector and on the go consumption," said Britvic chief executive Simon Litherland.

"While there remains considerable uncertainty over the depth and duration of future restrictions, we anticipate they will remain in place at least through our second quarter. Consequently, we would expect performance to continue to be significantly affected," he said.

Mr Litherland said group profit growth this year will depend on the pace of the easing of restrictions.

In November, Britvic reported a near 9% fall  to 1.4bn  in annual revenues. In the first half of its last financial year, its Irish-based revenues fell by 12.5%.

Mr Litherland said, however, Britvic will continue to invest in its brands.

"While the introduction of the latest restrictions will undoubtedly impact this year's results, we will continue to implement our strategy."
The effort of Republicans to usurp the will of the people in the presidential election by any means possible failed in large part because the judicial branch wouldnt entertain nonsensical claims of fraud.

 READ MORE: Angered by Pa. Supreme Court rulings, GOP moves to exert more control over judiciary branch

For years, the states appeals courts have been a thorn in the side of Republicans. In 2014 a Commonwealth Court judge struck down a Republican voter ID law. Four years later, the state Supreme Court struck down the legislature-drawn congressional district map and redrew it to be more fair. Then in the months before the 2020 election, and after, the state Supreme Court joined federal courts to reject baseless allegations of fraud. Republicans called for the impeachment of Democratic justices both in 2018 after the redistricting case and in 2020 after cases related to the election and the constitutionality of stay-at-home orders.

Apparently, if you cant beat them, or impeach them, gerrymander them.

Pennsylvania Republicans in the General Assembly are fast-tracking a constitutional amendment that will fundamentally change the states three courts of appeals  Commonwealth, Superior, and Supreme Courts  by electing judges based on newly created districts instead of statewide elections.

If both chambers pass the measure before Feb. 18, it will be on the ballot in the May primary.

Proponents of the measure point out that a majority of judges in the statewide courts are from either Philadelphia or Allegheny County  including four of seven Supreme Court justices. State Rep. Russ Diamond (R., Lebanon), who introduced the amendment, argues that geography is part of what shapes judicial ideology, and the high courts should reflect geographic diversity.

 READ MORE: Pa. could become a national outlier in how it elects appellate judges. Heres why experts are worried.

The constitutional amendment is not an effort to increase representation on the bench. It is a power grab by the legislative branch. Gerrymandering, the exercise of drawing district maps to ensure politically homogenous districts, has become a science. By drawing and controlling the map of judicial districts, the legislature would control the branch that is supposed to act as its check.

The process of drawing the map will be another partisan fight  just as drawing legislative districts maps is now. How will disputes over the fairness of the map, as the one the court settled for congressional districts in 2018, be addressed when the court itself is at issue?

Judicial districts dont only give more power to the legislature, they also give donors and interest groups more power to influence judges.

Narrowing the constituency of judges would make them more partisan and susceptible to pressure from their district  instead of ruling impartially in cases that impact the entire commonwealth.

The amendment has drawn wide criticism from experts and even from former Republican Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Ronald Castille.

 READ MORE: Former Pa. Supreme Court chief justice: Its time to change how judges get their jobs | Opinion

If Republicans want more seats on the bench, they should do the hard work of winning statewide elections. Ironically, the recent election that Republicans called fraudulent was proof that they can win statewide offices in Pennsylvania.

Voting is only one issue that comes in front of the Supreme Court. The judiciary is a critical, yet often opaque, check on the other branches of government. Those interested in justice should make their objections to this shameless proposal heard.
Subscriber content preview

RENTON  The Ryerson Metals property, at 600 S.W. 10th St. has sold for over $27.6 million, according to King County records. The seller was Ryerson & Son of Chicago, which had owned the property for decades.

The buyer was EV 600 LLC, which is associated with Elion Partners of Miami. The firm also has a Seattle office.





. . .
Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Sunday evening that Egypt is always ready to engage in serious and productive talks to reach a binding legal agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as soon as possible.

In a meeting in Cairo with Moussa Faki, chairperson of the African Union Commission, Shoukry affirmed the need for a binding agreement that takes into account the interests of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan and secures Egypts rights and water interests, foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez said.

Egypts readiness should be met with Ethiopian commitment, Shoukry added.

Multiple rounds of negotiations between the three countries to reach a binding deal on the filling and operation of the dam ended in deadlock.

Last year, Ethiopia unilaterally completed the first filling of the GERD and plans to execute the second filling next July "under all circumstances."

In a speech to the Egyptian House of Representatives last week, Shoukry complained that Ethiopia is acting unilaterally and intransigently in the GERD dispute.

During their Sunday meeting, Shoukry and Faki discussed updates to conflicts in some African countries, Hafez said.

They affirmed the need to secure political and financial support to implement the principle of African solutions to African problems and to apply the African Union's Silencing the Guns agenda in Africa.

Egypt believes reconstruction and redevelopment are crucial in the post-conflict stage in Africa, Shoukry stressed.

Shoukry and Faki discussed the Sahel and Somalia developments and highlighted the need for achieving stability in the Horn of Africa.

Faki expressed his appreciation for Egypt for sending medical aid to African states to counter the coronavirus pandemic.

Faki met on Sunday with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. During the meeting, El-Sisi renewed his rejection of any measure that could harm Egypts water rights in the River Nile.

El-Sisi said an agreement should fundamentally address Egyptian concerns, especially those related to the rules of filling and operating the dam, Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said.

Short link:


As President Joe Biden prepares to meet Monday with a group of Republican senators to discuss a slimmed-down COVID-19 stimulus package, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan said Monday that bipartisanship should take a back seat to getting people and businesses the relief they need.

Trahan spoke virtually to the New England Council on Monday from her home in Westford where she is quarantining after testing positive last week for COVID-19. Trahan said she contracted the virus despite being careful, including wearing two masks at times and changing her travel patterns to avoid crowded flights.

Her husband and daughters tested negative for the virus, and her dog, she said, has chosen to quarantine with her in a part of the house that had been reserved for her childrens remote learning.

On the heels of a $900 billion stimulus law approved in late December, Congress this week is expected to initiate a budget process that would allow it to pass Bidens $1.9 trillion relief bill with a simple majority. The process, known as reconciliation, would allow Democrats, who narrowly control both branches, to get around the filibuster in the Senate.

The package, in addition to billions of dollars for virus testing, vaccinations, stimulus checks and unemployment benefits, would send as much as $350 billion in aid to state and local governments, which was absent from the last relief bill signed by former President Donald Trump.

Gov. Charlie Baker filed a state budget last week that proposes to reduce overall state spending by $300 million and uses $1.6 billion from the states cash reserves, but the governor has said he could preserve some of the states rainy day fund if additional federal dollars arrive.

Will we get everything in it across the finish line? I cant say for sure, but what I can say is this is absolutely the right scale and shape to meet the gravity of this moment, Trahan said.

Biden is expected to meet at 5 p.m. at the White House with a group of Republican senators, including Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who requested the meeting to discuss a $600 billion relief bill. Biden has talked a lot about trying to unify the country and about reaching across the aisle, though the White House has not said whether he would accept a smaller package.

Im all for having a conversation with Republicans over the package, and as far as Im concerned Sen. Romney has demonstrated the kind of independent streak driven by principle rather than politics that earns him the benefit of the doubt, but there is zero chance that we in the House will allow the other party to delay us any longer, Trahan said.

The American people sent a clear message that the minimalist approach to relief is not sufficient, she said.

Biden last Friday met with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to discuss COVID-19 relief. He said that the lack of action by Congress would put not just the health of the American people, but the long-term health of the economy at risk.

The notion here is the -- we have to act now; theres no time for any delay, Biden said.

Trahan said Democrats must be prepared to use the reconciliation process to get a relief bill done if Republicans wont support a plan similar to the presidents, and she will be voting this week by proxy through Worcester Rep. Jim McGovern as that process begins.

I am optimistic of our chances to deliver relief in relatively short order to the American people just as they demanded we do when voting at the polls in November, Trahan said.

As the new Congress begins, Trahan starts her second term with a new committee assignment. Speaker Nancy Pelosi tapped Trahan to fill former Congressman Joe Kennedys seat on the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over everything from climate legislation to prescription drugs.

Trahan said she also hopes to work through the committee to hold Big Tech responsible for the rash of misinformation being spread online that she said contributed to the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

While Trahan said she still supports efforts to improve bipartisan relations in Congress, she said unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud leveled by some Republicans and the subsequent assault on the Capitol have strained Democrat-Republican relationships.

House Democrats, she said, are going to take special care in choosing Republicans they look to partner with on legislation. For her, that means one GOP lawmaker with whom she has partnered in the past is squarely in the penalty box.

Trahan didnt initially name the congressman, but her staff later said she was referring to California Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who worked with Trahan on funding for community health centers. Trahans office said LaMalfa fanned the flames of insurrection leading up to and on Jan. 6 and refused to wear a mask in the safe room where members of Congress were brought during the attack.

We cannot allow the guise of bipartisanship to help launder the images of those who still to this day reject President Bidens win, because letting them off the hook for their very real role in the insurrection that took place on Jan. 6 or giving them the space to continue being apologists simply cannot be an option, Trahan said.

Trahan said Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has promoted fringe QAnon theories and denied events like the Parkland school shooting, doesnt deserve to sit on the House Education and Labor Committee.

She also said shes in no rush to work with Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, with whom she served on the Armed Services Committee, but criticized him for going to the floor of the House after the Capitol riot to falsely blame Antifa.

That is exactly what we have to weed out of the Congress, she said, referring to the spread of misinformation.

However, Trahan believes she will be able to reach across the aisle to work on lowering prescription drug costs as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

She also hopes to see the committee and Congress work to accelerate vaccine distribution and address the opioid and mental health crises that, in some cases, have been made worse by the pandemic.

MUMBAI: Stand-up comedian and actor Kapil Sharma and his wife Ginni Chatrath welcomed their second child on Monday (February 1) morning. The couple has been blessed with a baby boy. The actor-comedian took to social media and shared the news with everyone.

"Namaskaar we are blessed with a Baby boy this early morning, by the grace of God Baby n Mother both r fine, thank you so much for all the love, blessings n prayers love you all ginni n kapil," Kapil Sharma wrote in a post on Twitter.

Namaskaar _ we are blessed with a Baby boy this early morning, by the grace of God Baby n Mother both r fine, thank you so much for all the love, blessings n prayers _ love you all __ginni n kapil _ #gratitude _  Kapil Sharma (@KapilSharmaK9) February 1, 2021

Last week, he had confirmed on Twitter that the family is expecting a new addition of a member. He also revealed that his show 'The Kapil Sharma Show' will go off-air for the same. Responding to a fan during a Q&A session, he said that he wanted to be home to welcome his second child and hence has decided to take a break from his show. "Bcoz I need be there at home with my wife to welcome our second baby," he wrote. 'The Kapil Sharma Show will reportedly go off air for a few weeks in February and come back in a renewed avatar, said a report.

Kapil Sharma and Ginni Chatrath got married in December 2018 in a Punjabi-style wedding in Jalandar. and the duo welcomed their bundle of joy, baby girl Anayra on December 10, 2019. The comedian, who is quite active on social media, often shares pictures of him and his daughter with hsi fans.

Kapil is currently hosting his popular comedy show 'The Kapil Sharma Show', which also stars Krushna Abhishek, Bharti Singh, Kiku Sharda, Sumona and others.
Centre on Monday extended the suspension of mobile internet services till 11 pm February 2 at Delhi's -- Singhu, Ghazipur, and Tikri borders -- to maintain law and order amid the farmers' protest against the newly-enacted farm laws.

"In exercise of the power conferred under Sub-rule 1 of Rule 2 of the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) rules 2017 and in the interest of maintaining public safety and averting public emergency, it is necessary and expedient to order the temporary suspension of Internet services in the areas of Singhu. Ghazipur, and Tikri and their adjoining areas in the NCT of Delhi from 23:00 Hours on January 31 to 23:00 Hours on February 2," the Home Ministry order read.

The decision has been taken to 'maintain public safety and averting public emergency' under Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules 2017, a Home ministry official said.

The suspension of internet services at the three border points and their adjoining areas was imposed at 11 pm on January 29 and was initially effective till 11 pm on January 31.

Meanwhile, heavy security deployment continues at the Ghazipur, Singhu, and Tikri borders where farmers' protest against three agriculture laws has entered day 68.

Thousands of protesting farmers had clashed with the police during the tractor rally in Delhi called by farmer unions on January 26 to highlight their demand for the repeal of the Centre's three farm laws.

Many of the protesters, driving tractors, reached the Red Fort and entered the monument.

Some protesters even hoisted religious flags on its domes and the flagstaff at the ramparts.

Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.
71% of young adults in US support some form of limits on abortion: poll

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

A new poll conducted by a national pro-life advocacy group finds unexpectedly strong support for the pro-life movement among millennials and members of Generation Z.

Students for Life of America, a national organization with campuses at schools and colleges nationwide, released the results of a survey compiled as a project of SFLAs Institute for Pro-Life Advancement.

The project surveyed 800 registered voters nationwide between the ages of 18 and 34 from Jan. 7 to Jan. 11. The results have an error margin of plus or minus 3.46 percentage points.

Respondents were asked to provide their views on abortion policy.

About 30% of respondents identified themselves as Republicans, while 36% were Democrats and 34% were independent. The survey found that more than 7 out of 10 expressed support for limits on abortion.

Far from embracing Planned Parenthood and the Democratic Party Line, Millennials and Generation Z have a more nuanced view of abortion that embraces a number of pro-life positions, SFLA President Kristan Hawkins said in a statement.

When asked for their position on abortion, 19% of respondents said that abortion should be allowed at any time during a womans pregnancy and for any reason.

Another 19% said that abortion should be legal only in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother.

Meanwhile, 15% responded that abortion should be legal for any reason, but not after five months of pregnancy when the fetus is viable and can feel pain.

Another 15% of respondents asserted that abortion should be prohibited in all circumstances.

The poll found that 14% support keeping abortion legal for the first trimester of pregnancy only. Less than 1-in-10 respondents (8%) maintained that abortion should be legal only to save the life of the mother. Additionally, 9% said they were unsure.

Almost half (45%) of those surveyed expressed opposition to the idea of forcing all Americans to fund abortions through their tax dollars.

The survey came shortly before unified Democratic control of the federal government took effect last month. Members of the Democratic Party have signaled a desire to do away with the Hyde Amendment, a long-standing measure that prevents the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions.

A majority (53%) of respondents opposed the funding of abortions overseas using federal tax dollars. Shortly after taking office, President Joe Biden reversed President Donald Trumps Mexico City Policy barring the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions in other countries.

A plurality (47% to 38%) of young Americans polled by SFLA said they support bans on abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as around six weeks gestation. Many states have passed heartbeat bills. But they have quickly been met with resistance from the judicial branch.

When asked about 1973s Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, 41% of respondents expressed support for the decision compared to 22% who opposed it.

However, young Americans' views changed dramatically when they were given more details about the consequential Supreme Court decision.

When told Roe allows abortion to occur throughout all nine months of pregnancy, opposition to the landmark decision rose to 57% among those surveyed, while support dropped to 30%.

Respondents remained divided over whether the Supreme Court should reverse Roe and send the issue of abortion back to the states. About 44% support reversing Roe while 36% do not.

This number is extraordinary considering Planned Parenthood claims that Roe is popular and that 77% of the American people oppose reversing it, said Hawkins. Issue by issue, the perspectives of young American voters targeted for abortion are very different from the talking points of the powerful abortion lobby. And there is common ground for those who want to find it.

A plurality (44%) of respondents told SFLA that they support a policy requiring women to have an in-person exam before taking the abortion pill.

By a more than 2-1 margin (55% to 23%), young Americans surveyed support requiring abortion pills to be picked up in-person. The abortion lobby has used the coronavirus pandemic to push for making chemical abortions available by mail.

While long-standing federal regulations prohibit women from obtaining abortion-inducing drugs by mail, a federal judge suspended a Food and Drug Administration requirement that women need to see a doctor before obtaining abortion drugs. The judge claimed that the rule presented an undue burden during the pandemic. However, the Supreme Court reinstated the FDA rule last month.

The Students for Life poll results mirror the findings in another poll conducted by Marist on behalf of the Catholic fraternal organization Knights of Columbus.

That poll, released last week, found that 76% of Americans support at least some restrictions on abortion.

About 71% of young Americans told SFLA that they support abortion restrictions in some form.

Despite what you may hear, the facts prove that Millennials and Gen Zers are not looking for an extreme abortion agenda over the next four years, Hawkins wrote in an op-ed published by Real Clear Politics. Instead, like many Americans, they express a more nuanced point of view that should be taken into account by those who will be facing these voters in two years.
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 1, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh has released a comment, expressing its deep concern over the intentions of the ultra-right nationalist Turkish Nationalist Movement Party and its affiliated extremist neo-fascist organization Gray Wolves to implement certain projects in the occupied territories of Artsakh, in particular, in the town of Shushi.

The presence of any kind of foreign forces in the occupied territories of Artsakh, promoting the ideology of pan-Turkism and neo-fascism and resorting to terror as the main means of achieving their goals, poses a great threat not only to the Republic of Artsakh, but also to regional and global security. The fact that these forces are supported by the top leaderships of Turkey and Azerbaijan for the implementation of their projects in occupied Shushi testifies to the plans of Ankara and Baku to create hotbeds of tensions in the region and the neighboring countries, as well as to undermine the efforts of the international community for the peaceful, comprehensive, and just settlement of the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict.

The dispatch of ultra-right neo-fascist forces to the occupied territories of the Republic of Artsakh, as well as the use of international terrorists during the period of armed aggression against Artsakh, are links in the same chain in Turkey's expansionist policy towards not only Artsakh and the South Caucasus, but also to the neighboring regions.

This policy of Turkey and Azerbaijan deserves the most severe condemnation and requires the international community, interested organizations and structures to take appropriate immediate actions aimed at preventing and suppressing such destructive initiatives, the Artsakh foreign ministry said.
It has been widely understood that the Afghanistan war is a lost cause for many years, but that hasnt stopped deep state bureaucrats from convincing the public otherwise to protect their power and prestige:

After the Afghanistan Papers were released by the Washington Post last week, anti-war activists hoped that the revelations would cause the military-industrial complex to re-evaluate their failed policies.

The Pentagon has effectively shot down those hopes, making it abundantly clear that they will not be changing their policies because of their immense, systemic failure. The military-industrial complex will continue on unabated.

I havent read all the stories frankly but the stories spanned multiple administrations, multiple uniformed and civilian officials and I think its good to look back. I think at this point where Im looking is forward, Defense Secretary Mark Esper told the House Armed Services Committee hearing last week.

Top Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman denied the facts, and claimed last week that his agency has always told the truth to the public. He said he would quibble with the idea that we werent providing it in the past.

I think what we see from the report from The Washington Post is, looking at individuals giving retrospectives years later on what they may have believed at the time, Hoffman said.

Similiar to Hoffman, deposed Secretary of Defense James Mattis ignored the new revelations completely. He continues to urge for a permanent occupation of Afghanistan, and claims against all evidence that progress is being made.

The Talibans goal is to take over this country and theyve been stopped in that at great cost to the Afghan people, at great cost to the Afghan army. If you read [the articles], youd almost think its a total disaster, and its not that at all. Its been hard as hell but its not just one undistinguished defeat after another. They are the ones on the back foot, he said.

James Carafano, a defense expert for the neoconservative Heritage Foundation, noted that the public is too dumbed down and distracted to even really care all that much that they have been lied to.

With the Pentagon Papers, there was an antiwar movement.  Whether you thought the substance of The Washington Post pieces were true or not, its not uncovering a raw nerve the way the Pentagon Papers did, Carafano said  comparing the revelations to the Pentagon Papers leaked in 1971 that exposed corruption related to U.S. involvement in Vietnam.

Whereas the Pentagon Papers was like throwing a match on a gasoline car, the Washington Post piece is like throwing a match on wet grass, he added.

New Delhi: India has called for early implementation of the 2019 trilateral pact for the development of Eastern Container Terminal (ECT) of the Colombo port even as Sri Lanka is seen as dragging its feet in the backdrop of local protests. Local media reported that on Monday evening, the Sri Lankan cabinet unanimously approved to operate the East terminal of the Colombo port 100% by the Sri Lanka port Authority (SLPA).

A spokesperson of the High Commission in Colombo in response to a question said, "(We will) reiterate the expectation of Government of India for expeditious implementation of the trilateral Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) signed in May 2019 among the Governments of India, Japan and Sri Lanka for the development of ECT with participation from these three countries."

Pointing out to the commitment of Government of Sri Lanka in this regard has been conveyed several times in the recent past, including at the leadership level. The statement said, "All sides should continue to abide by the existing understandings and commitment."

India, Japan and Sri Lanka signed the Memorandum of Intent for a trilateral arrangement for the project under the former Maithripala Sirisena-Ranil Wickremesinghe government. Under the arrangement a Sri Lankan govt PSU -- Sri Lankan Port Authority will hold majority share with the remaining share being held between Japanese and Indian entities.

The Indian reaction comes even as Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa assured the local workers trade union that the terminal will not be sold or leased to any foreign entity.

In a tweet he said, that the Lankan Ports authority will maintain control of the ECT and the Sri Lankan government "adheres strictly to its policy of retaining assets belonging to the government".

Infact, Sri Lanka cabinet three months ago took the decision to implement the project with foreign investors.

Live TV
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-02 03:07:10|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BERLIN, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The German army said on Monday that it will send health workers and equipment to Portugal to support the country's over-stretched medical system.

The German Defense Ministry said in a statement that the support team, which was previously brought together at the Rapid Emergency Medical Service Command, will provide Portugal with 26 paramedics and equipment, including 150 infusion devices, 150 field hospital beds and 50 ventilators.

The medical staff will mainly support a hospital in Lisbon, according to the statement. Some traveling specialists will also support other hospitals. The aid measures are initially intended to last for 21 days.

"The coronavirus presents us all with challenges. There is also considerable pressure on the German health system. Nevertheless, we are convinced that solidarity is indispensable in Europe in these times," said German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

COVID-19 cases are surging in Portugal. On Sunday the country reported 9,498 new coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours as well as 303 new deaths. COVID-19 toll stood at 12,482.

"When our European allies are in dire need, we naturally help them," said Kramp-Karrenbauer. Enditem

[January 31, 2021] ECXX and UOB Kay Hian collaborate to offer Securitised Token Offerings

This collaboration brings ECXX technology platform to UOB Kay Hian's large pool of investors in Asia .

. ECXX's digital platform was an early pioneer RMO offering securities in Fintech Sandbox Express approved by the Monetary Authority of Singapore .

. Robust and exciting pipeline of deep-tech start-ups to be marketed to the accredited investors of both parties. SINGAPORE, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ECXX Global, a pioneer in operating digital asset exchange using blockchain technology, announced today that it has entered into an important collaboration with regional brokerage UOB Kay Hian to bring in deep-tech start-ups to their network and offer them the opportunity to list via Securitised Token Offerings (STOs) to raise growth capital. Under this collaboration, both companies will facilitate tokenization projects and tap on UOB Kay Hian's large pool of investors to market and distribute tokens to potential investors. They will comply with regulations for token issuance and they will provide investor education and analysis on tokenization and tokens investment. "We are excited by the opportunities arising from this collaboration with UOB Kay Hian. They are one of the leading regional brokerage out there and we believe that we are able to address their large list of accredited investors who are interested in token investment. In addition, the synergy from this collaboration will create more opportunities for investors to tap into digital assets and the blockchain space," said Mr Branson Lee, Chief Executive Officer of ECXX. With Singapore currently being Asia's highest-ranking fintech city and seeing a growth of 30% of fintech funding over the past few years from 2015 to 2019[1], this collaboration presents great opportunity for UOB Kay Hian to expand their business into the fintech sector, growing their already well-established presence in the banking and finance sector. ECXX is also able to leverage on this collaboration and accelerate the development and expansion of their fintech business. ECXX had already previously secured admission from the Monetary Authority of Singapore ("MAS") to the Fintech Sandbox Express under a Recognised Market Operator (RMO) regime. This makes them an early pioneer RMO offering securities in Fintech Express Sandbox approved by the Monetary Authority of Singapore to be integrated with MyInfo, the one-stop Singapore government identity platform. Mr Esmond Choo, Senior Executive Director of UOB Kay Hian, said, "The ECXX platform is designed to be very versatile and will serve the fast growing digital asset space. UOB Kay Hian is very happy to work with ECXX, a company which has a strong domain knowledge in STO offerings matched by a robust pipeline of rapid growth technology-based companies. We believe that this collaboration will allow us to leverage our respective strengths to grow our presence the fintech sector."







[1] Oliver Wyman, Singapore Fintech Landscape 2020 And Beyond, https://www.oliverwyman.com/content/dam/oliver-wyman/v2/publications/2020/dec/singapore-fintech-landscape-2020-and-beyond.pdf

About ECXX ECXX is a premier Digital Securities Exchange made in Singapore with a global reach, allowing users to buy, sell, and store digital assets. Its platform is dedicated to offer unique experiences regardless whether you are a professional or institutional trader. It is a Recognised Market Operator (RMO) offering Digital Securities In MAS Fintech Sandbox Express. ECXX is the 1st Exchange to be approved and the only private company to be onboarded for MyInfo Business. For more information, please visit https://www.ecxx.com/ About UOB Kay Hian UOB-Kay Hian Group is a regional financial services group headquartered in Singapore. It is a widely recognised brand in every jurisdiction in which it has operations such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, London, New York and Toronto. In Singapore, it is the largest domestic broker based on the number of registered trading representatives employed. In addition to its broking agency services in equities, bonds, CFDs, DLCs, Robo, LFX and commodities, it provides high value-added services in corporate advisory and fund raising, leveraging on its wide network of corporate contacts and deep distribution capabilities to execute IPOs, secondary placements and other corporate finance and investment banking activities. Our regional distribution footprint now spans regional financial centres. For media queries, please reach out to: Ashley Tan

FPR

E: ashley@financialpr.com.sg

T: (+65) 6438-2990 SOURCE ECXX

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Amber Heard went incognito as she enjoyed a late afternoon solo stroll through Los Angeles' Griffith Park on Sunday.

The 34-year-old actress was barely recognisable as she covered up in a black hoodie, which she teamed with a blue face mask and a pair of sunglasses.

Rounding out her ensemble with black leggings and matching running shoes, the Aquaman star kept things low-key as she made her way through the popular park.

Going incognito: Amber Heard went incognito as she enjoyed a late afternoon solo stroll through Los Angeles' Griffith Park on Sunday

Amber, who is dating Bianca Butti, recently emerged victorious from a bitter court battle with her ex-husband Johnny Depp, to whom she was wed from 2015 to 2017.

In November, a UK judge ruled against Depp's suit against an English publication for calling him a 'wife-beater,' citing that the accusations Heard made  that have negatively impacted the actor's career  were 'substantially true'.

In the latest legal hearing in Virginia between Amber and Johnny, Fairfax County Judge Bruce D. White blocked Depp's attempt to have Heard's case against him thrown out of court amid a new law.

Depp's case is slated to head to trial May 3, while Heard's suit is expected to go before the court later on in the year.

Low-key: The 34-year-old actress was barely recognisable as she covered up in a black hoodie, which she teamed with a blue face mask and a pair of sunglasses

However, last month Heard admitted she has yet to give the bulk of her 5million divorce settlement to charity as promised after her ex-husband Depp accused her of pocketing the sum.

The American actress vowed to divide the payout between two charities in 2016.

But she has given just 74,000 to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, while the amount donated to her other nominated charity, the American Civil Liberties Union, is unknown, according to documents seen by DailyMail.com.

Heard claimed she had been delayed in making payments after being forced to spend millions defending herself against her ex-husband in court.

Battle: Amber recently emerged victorious from a bitter court battle with her ex-husband Johnny Depp, to whom she was wed from 2015 to 2017. Pictured in 2011

Depp, 57, has accused his ex-wife of lying about her intention to donate the money to charity, but she has claimed she will eventually fulfil her pledge.

The actor, who lost his libel case against The Sun last year after the publication called him a wife beater, took his latest swipe at Heard ahead of his defamation suit against her in the US.

He said the assertion in her witness statement that she donated the entire amount of her divorce settlement to charity was false.

One of the reasons Judge Andrew Nichol found in favour of The Sun during the libel trial was that Miss Heards donation did not tally with Depps assertion that she was a gold digger.

Heards US attorney Elaine Bredehoft claimed her ex-husband had acted to plant stories criticising her to divert attention from the UK courts findings relating to allegations of Mr Depp committing domestic abuse and violence.
Pharmaceutical company has promised to increase its vaccine supply to the (EU), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

The Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company will deliver 9 million additional doses in the first quarter of this year, bringing the total quarterly supply to 40 million, compared to last week's offer, von der Leyen said on Twitter on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The company "will start deliveries one week earlier than scheduled," she added, and it will also expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.

The message came as a relief after a heated quarrel between the bloc and the company over the latter's limited capacity to deliver on its commitment, after the company announced last week to considerably reduce the amount of doses to the EU.

Media reports revealed that the drug giant had agreed to provide 80 million doses for the first quarter, but withdrew from the promise after an alleged disruption in its EU supply chain.

The was the first vaccine producer that the EU has signed an early purchase agreement with in the effort to prevent the Covid-19 from further spread.

According to the agreement signed last August, the European Commission, on behalf of the EU states, purchased 300 million doses, with an option to buy 100 million more.

The vaccine was approved for conditional marketing in the EU on Friday, after the European Medicines Agency gave a positive assessment for its safety and effectiveness. It was the the third Covid-19 vaccine greenlighted by the EU.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is being rolled out across the whole EU with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.

Meanwhile, 236 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 63 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 January 26.

--IANS

int/

(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.)
Joe Biden will meet with a group of Republican senators Monday at the White House, in a sign he is willing to negotiate and work across the aisle on the next coronavirus relief package  especially direct checks for households making more than $150,000.

The group of 10 moderate Republicans are pushing for Democrats and the White House to lower stimulus checks to $1,000 from the current price tag of $1,400.

Biden has signaled, a senior administration official told CNN, that he is opening to lowering direct payments in the latest bill for families making, in their last tax filings, brought in more than $150,000 that year.

On Sunday, the group of moderate lawmakers, including Senators Mitt Romney and Susan Collins, drafted up a $600 billion bill, which is only one-third the price tag of the $1.9 trillion package Biden is already considering.

Later Sunday evening, Biden invited that group to the White House to talk about the opposing bills and potentially reach some compromises.

'As has been widely reported, the President received a letter today from 10 Republican Senators asking to meet with him to discuss their ideas about the actions needed to address these crises,' White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement announcing the meeting.

'In response, the President spoke to Senator Collins, and invited her and other signers of the letter to come to the White House early this week for a full exchange of views,' she continued.

An official told CNN that the White House is specifically open to considering scaling down stimulus checks for families whose latest tax filings show they made more than $150,000.

Biden's America Rescue Plan includes $1,4000 relief checks  Republicans are proposing that amount be lowered to $1,000.

President Joe Biden will meet with a group of 10 moderate Republicans at the White House on Monday as his administration signaled he is willing to negotiate on the price tag of the next round of stimulus checks for families making $150,000

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a statement Sunday that Biden would take a meeting with the group of GOP senators on Monday to discuss the next coroanvirus relief bill

This is Biden's first White House meeting with lawmakers  and Republicans were able to score that spot before the likes of some top Democratic leaders like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

It's still not clear whether Biden will be receptive to any of the Republican proposals, but just taking the meeting is signalling he's trying to stick to his oft-repeated message of 'unity.'

'The President spoke to Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer today; he is grateful that Congress is prepared to begin action on the American Rescue Plan in just his second full week in office,' Psaki said in her statement.

She added: 'Americans of both parties are looking to their leaders to meet the moment.'

Some GOP proposals, like cutting off an extension of unemployment benefits, are a nonstarter for the administration.

The group of 10 Republicans sent a letter to Biden on Sunday requesting a meeting to discuss a coronavirus relief package compromise they feel could gain swift support from both parties.

'In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support,' the moderate Republicans wrote in their letter to the president.

Susan Collins, a Republican senator for Maine, led the group in suggesting an alternative to the Biden administration's plan.

A group of 10 moderate Republicans, in an effort led by Senator Susan Collins of Maine (right), are proposing a $600 billion package as a counter to Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah (right) has also signed on board with the counter-plan

The group of moderate Republican senators , including Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, are preparing to unveil more details of the plan Monday as they prepare to meet with Biden

'In the spirit of bipartisanship and unity, we have developed a COVID-19 relief framework that builds on prior COVID assistance laws, all of which passed with bipartisan support,' the senators wrote in a letter to Biden on Sunday

Bill Cassidy, a Republican senator for Louisiana, who is also involved in the effort, told Fox News that they were seeking a smaller $600 billion deal, which would include direct payments of $1,000.

Biden wants a $1.9 trillion package that includes $1,400 in direct payments, funding for schools and state and local governments and money to ramp up vaccine distribution.

Negotiations on the latest package come as the U.S. death told surpasses 441,000 and more than 26.1 million people have contracted the virus since last year

'With the virus posing a grave threat to the country, and economic conditions grim for so many, the need for action is urgent, and the scale of what must be done is large,' Psaki said.

'As leading economists have said, the danger now is not in doing too much: it is in doing too little.'

Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, suggested last week that Democrats were willing to go it alone on the coronavirus relief package, potentially starting the process as soon as next week.

But Republican senators are concerned at talk of forcing the package through without achieving consensus.

Rick Scott, a senator for Florida, said that Biden's relief bill 'makes no sense' and is little more than a 'payback to the radical left'.

'We're ten days into the administration, now he's [Biden] already saying he doesn't care to work with Republicans?' Scott told Fox News.

Rick Scott, a Florida senator, has accused the Biden administration of being beholden to the 'radical Left'

'You know, he's going to try to get this done with Bernie Sanders with just 50 Democrat votes. That doesn't make any sense.'

Biden and Sanders have both pointed to a legislative process known as budget 'reconciliation' to force the bill through Congress if Republicans won't support the proposal.

Sanders said: 'Are we going to address the incredible set of crises and the pain and the anxiety which is in this country? You know what? I don't care what anybody says. We have got to deal with this pandemic.

'If Republicans want to work with us, they have better ideas on how to address those crises, that's great,' he said.

'But to be honest with you, I have not yet heard that.'

Scott responded: 'This radical left agenda is not worried about the fact that we have $27 trillion worth of debt?

'We're not living even close to within our means. I mean, this makes no sense.

'This is just payback to the liberal left.'

Biden on Friday said he was willing to bypass the Republicans if need be.

'I support passing COVID relief with support from Republicans if we can get it, but the COVID relief has to pass,' he said.

'There's no ifs, ands or buts.'

Earlier on Sunday Biden's senior adviser Cedric Richmond said the president was still committed to trying to find a bipartisan solution.

'The president said in his inauguration speech that he wanted to work with both sides in order to help the American people,' Richmond, a former Louisiana representative, told 'NBC's 'Face the Nation' Sunday morning.

'What we know about President Biden is it's never about him, it's always about the people,' the White House senior adviser continued. 'So yes, he's very willing to meet with anyone to advance the agenda.'

White House Senior Advisor Cedric Richmond said Sunday morning that President Joe Biden is willing to meet with the 10 Republican senators proposing a $600 billion coronavirus relief package as a counter to his $1.9 trillion bill

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, one of the co-sponsors of the latest proposal, said Democrats only want the appearance of bipartisanship without working with Republicans. He also said their proposal includes $1,000 direct checks for Americans in the midst of the pandemic

Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders said it's more important to get a deal passed now to get relief to Americans rather than work in the spirit of bipartisanship and drag the process out

The group of Republicans will unveil on Monday a $600 billion stimulus bill to address the coronavirus crisis, which is meant to act as a counter balance to Biden's $1.9 trillion package but appeal to some hesitant Republicans.

'Our proposal reflects many of your stated priorities, and with your support, we believe that this plan could be approved quickly by Congress with bipartisan support,' the letter continued.

'We request the opportunity to meet with you to discuss our proposal in greater detail and how we can work together to meet the needs of the American people during this persistent pandemic.'

The letter was signed by 10 upper chamber Republicans considered more moderate, including Senators Romney of Utah, Collins of Maine, Murkowski of Alaska, Cassidy of Louisiana and Rob Portman of Ohio, Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia, Todd Young of Indiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Michael Rounds of South Dakota.

Biden has been pushing hard to get his COVID relief plan through Congress, in the face of strong opposition by Republicans. On Friday he indicated that he will move forward even without Republican support as he warned of a steep and growing 'cost of inaction' on his plan during a meeting with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen

The progress of Biden's package to support individuals and businesses will be an early test of the new president's promise to work across the political divide and deliver on his message of 'unity.'

Some Republicans, after losing control of the Senate earlier this month, have questioned the cost of the latest relief bill, while others urged more targeted measures.

'We recognize your calls for unity and want to work in good faith with your Administration to meet the health, economic, and societal challenges of the COVID crisis,' the senators concluded in their letter.

Rob Portman announced he will not seek re-election in 2022, paving the way for him to be more outspoken and work in a more bipartisan manner before retiring from Congress.

After losing two Georgia runoff elections in early January, the Senate now sits at a 50-50 split with Democrat Kamala Harris, who served in the Senate for one term before becoming vice president, holding the tie-breaking vote.

During her time in the Senate, Harris was rated as the most politically left-leaning lawmaker.

The letter from the group of Republicans details several of the proposals they feel will please both sides of the political aisle.

Cassidy said Sunday during his Fox interview that the bill would include $1,000 direct payments to Americans. He didn't specify any income threshold like an earlier version that proposed sending the checks to those who made $75,000 in 2019.

Republicans claim their plan will also echo Biden's call for more funding to boost vaccines and testing as well as support for schools and child care centers, but said their plan would include more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses.

While offering few specifics, they said their plan echoed Biden's call for more funding to boost vaccines and testing as well as support for schools and child care centers, but said their plan would include more targeted assistance for families in need and additional funds for small businesses.

Congress, controlled by Democrats, is set to move this week on Biden's plan to deliver a fresh infusion of COVID-19 relief to Americans and businesses reeling from the pandemic, which has killed more than 430,000 people in the United States.

Cassidy detailed that the GOP proposal offers $20 billion in school funding, instead of Biden's $170 billion.

The Republican senator said funneling more money into these schools would just perpetuate teachers' unions' perspective against returning to in-person teaching.

He said, however, that one area of agreement between the parties is vaccinations.

The Republican bill would match the White's House's $160 billion figure to distribute and administer shots.

The hashtag exploded over the weekend after the Democratic Party posted a tweet outlining Biden's plan to distribute $1,400 stimulus checks American families, on top of the $600 checks that were approved earlier this month

The hashtag BidenLied was trending on Twitter over the weekend, as Americans demanded the $2,000 stimulus checks they claim Biden promised to deliver during his campaign.

The hashtag exploded after the Democratic Party posted a tweet outlining Biden's plan to distribute $1,400 stimulus checks to American families, on top of the $600 checks that were approved earlier this month.

Critics expressed outrage at the size of the forthcoming checks - which are expected to get the green light from Congress this week - as they accused Biden of going back on his word.

But in reality the new president never made that promise, instead saying that he would add on to the original $600 checks for a total of $2,000.

Police in upstate New York pepper-sprayed a 9-year-old, bodycam videos released on Sunday show.

Officers with the Rochester Police Department responded to a call for 'family trouble' and a possible stolen car around 3.30pm on Friday, the Democrat and Chronicle reported.

Cops were told by the girl's mother, her custodial parent, that she was suicidal and wanted to harm herself and others, according to the outlet.

'She indicated she wanted to kill herself and she wanted to kill her mom,' Deputy Police Chief Andre Anderson said at a Sunday news conference.

Video shows the girl drop to the ground before she is handcuffed face down in the snow

The girl repeatedly cried out to see her father during the ordeal, video released on Sunday shows

Cops said the girl was taken to a local hospital to receive 'the services and care that she needed,' after she was pepper-sprayed by the officers, and has since been released back to her family.

The incident comes after the March 2020 death of Daniel Prude sparked protests leading city officials to partially defund the police in order to launch the Person in Crisis Team, under the Office of Crisis Intervention Service.

The team, which became operational last week, did not respond to the Friday call because it involved 'a number events happening at the same time that required a police response,' Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren said, according to the Democrat and Chronicle.

'I'm very concerned about how this young girl was handled by our police department. It is clear from the video we need to do more in support of our children and families,' Warren said.

Officers with the Rochester Police Department responded to a call for 'family trouble'

The girl later asks for a female officer, who tells her she will be pepper sprayed in the face

Officers were seen trying to get the girl to sit up and pull her feet inside the car as she resisted

Police released two bodycam videos of the encounter on Sunday, with the first showing cops looking for her after she had run from the home.

Cops catch up with the girl and ask her not to run away from them before she alleges that her mother stabbed her father while the two were fighting on the porch, video shows.

'That was my blood that you seen off of my lip,' the mother tells her daughter.

The mom and daughter continue arguing, before the mom says: 'You watch this man put his hands on me all the time. ALL THE TIME.'

Cops then asked the mother if she had stabbed the girl's father, to which the girl says, 'Yes he did.'

'I got custody. You're my child. So you're going to take you're a** home right now,' the mom screams.

The mom and daughter continue to argue and cops direct the mother back to the home, the video shows.

Cops were also heard discussing whether to arrest the girl's mother who was 'trying to fight' bystanders who drove past.

'I want my dad. I want my dad,' the girl shouts at officers, who grip her clothing to her to keep from running.

The girl drops to the ground as officers try to put her in the back of a patrol car, the first video shows. The second video shows cops putting her into handcuffs while she lies face down in the snow.

The girl then asked for assistance in wiping her eyes after being pepper sprayed by cops

The girl's mother was seen arguing with bystanders who drove past in their vehicles

'Get up,' a cop says to the girl as she lies in the snow.

'Can I please just get the snow off of me? It is cold,' the girl pleads. 'I just want to see my dad, please. For the last time. I demand it.'

A cop then tries to force her into the car and order her to sit up, saying: 'You're acting like a child.'

'I am a child, the f**k!' the girl retorts. She then demands for 'a girl officer,' and one shows up.

'I'm right here. Can you stand up? They'll get off of you if you get up. I got her. They will get off of you,' the female cop tells the girl as she further pleads to see her dad.

'I'll find your dad, okay? I'm going to get your dad, okay. But you need to get warm otherwise you're going to get hypothermia so sit back, okay? I'll get your dad, I promise.'

The girl continues to struggle with the female cop, who then says, 'I'm going to pepper spray you and I don't want to. So sit back. Come on, this is your last chance or pepper spray is going into your eyeballs. Come on, let's go.'

'Dear, just stop for a second and take a deep breath,' a male cop says, as the girl continues to struggle.

He then adds: 'Just spray her at this point.'

The female cop shakes her can of pepper spray and deploys it in the girl's face.

A total of nine officers and supervisors responded to the call before the girl was pepper sprayed

'Please wipe my eyes. Wipe my eyes please!' the girl cries at the end of the second video.

Cops claimed that the girl tried to kick at them as they tried to put her into the car and were 'required' to take to girl to the ground and handcuff her 'for the minor's safety and at the request of the custodial parent on scene,' cops said in a statement acquired by the Democrat and Chronicle.

Officers were also 'required' to deploy the pepper spray when she disobeyed multiple commands to put her feet into the car, according to the outlet.

Police Chief Cynthia Herriott-Sullivan said at the press conference that it was not okay to have the girl pepper sprayed, the outlet reported.

'I'm not going to stand here and tell you that for a 9-year-old to have to be pepper-sprayed is OK. It's not. I don't see that as who we are as a department, and we're going to do the work we have to do to ensure that these kinds of things don't happen,' she said.

Warren said the Police Accountability Board will review the incident.
DANISH writer-director Tobias Lindholms six-part The Investigation, about the 2017 murder of 30-year-old Swedish journalist Kim Wall, who was reported missing after she boarded a miniature submarine to interview its owner, raises the bar for true crime drama.

It does so by rejecting every last one of the genres conventions. Theres no dramatic recreation of the murder, no lengthy interrogation scenes as the police try to break down the suspect and extract a confession, no big, satisfying courtroom climax with the murderer being sent down for life.

The failing of far too many true crime dramas is the tendency to focus almost exclusively on the murderer, to the belittlement of the murdered.

The victims, especially if theyre women, are pushed to the sidelines  dehumanised and reduced to the status of an incidental detail  as were invited to marvel at the supposedly fascinating mind of a psychopath.

The Investigation, which is available in full on the RTE Player, takes the opposite approach. Walls killer, who dismembered her aboard the sub and then scattered pieces of her body around the waters off the Danish coast, is rendered invisible.

He never appears on screen, even in a photo. His name is never mentioned, either, even though you can find it on the internet in seconds; hes referred to throughout the six episodes only as the accused.

Its clear that Lindholm  who wrote the bulk of the first two seasons of Borgen and has directed episodes of Netflixs Mindhunter  has absolutely no interest in giving him any more publicity. The clue is in the title: The Investigation is a police procedural in the purest sense, and its riveting.

Read More

When it starts, a womans torso, with 17 stab wounds, has been washed up on the shore. The police already have a man in custody: the owner of the submarine, who at first claims he put Kim Wall safely ashore. He changes his story multiple times, yet never tells the truth.

Weve already seen Jens Moller (Soren Malling), head of Copenhagens homicide division, and prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jensen (Pilou Asbaek) fail to secure a conviction against a smirking thug who murdered a teenage boy. They knew full well he was guilty; the jury wasnt persuaded, so he walked.

Jens instinctively knows hes got his man this time, too. The hard part will be amassing enough rock-solid evidence to furnish Jakob with the tools to prove guilt beyond all reasonable doubt.

The Investigation doesnt spend too much time on character development; thats not the point of it. We see a little of Jenss home life with his wife and his strained relationship with his married daughter, whos pregnant and feels, not for the first time, that Jens cares more about the job than about her.

We also see him interacting with Walls grieving parents, Joachim and Ingrid (Rolf Lassgard and Pernilla August), who he has promised to keep informed of developments in the case every step of the way.

For the most part, though, the field of vision is narrowed to just Jens and his colleagues.

The viewers learn things only as Jens learns them. The advantage of such a tightly-sealed approach is that you get a real sense of what a murder probe must feel like from the inside.

In this case, its endlessly frustrating. Every time they find what looks like a piece of damning evidence, Jakob reminds them its still not enough to convict.

Even the recovery, after a lengthy, frequently dispiriting search involving divers and cadaver dogs, of the victims severed head will count for nothing if they cant tie the suspect, who admits dismembering Wall but claims her death was an accident caused by a hatch door, to a definitive cause of death.

The outcome is never in doubt; its the getting there that grips. Brilliant and unshowy, The Investigation is the most realistic true crime drama yet. In a crowded market, it feels like a genuine game changer.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture, forestry and other land uses (AFOLU sector) cover the 24% of global emissions, representing the second hot spot in the contribution to climate change after the energy sector.

The main drivers are CO2 emissions from deforestation, methane (CH4) emissions produced by ruminant livestock and by anaerobic fermentation of organic matter, mainly from rice crops, and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from fertilizer use. Thus, the land sector plays a crucial role in the contribution to climate change.

A new study lead by the CMCC Foundation explores to which extent sustainable land management options applied at small-scale rural landscape level can be a valuable solution for increasing the mitigation potential of the land sector. In particular, possible land-based mitigation options are identified to reduce and offset GHG emissions from the livestock sector that represents one of the main sources of GHG emissions of the whole agricultural sector. Although GHG emissions from the livestock sector decreased since 1990, with ?20% in Europe in 2018, they still contribute to more than 60% to the total agricultural emissions at European level.

"The land sector", explains Maria Vincenza Chiriaco, CMCC researcher and lead author of the study, "has the unique characteristic to be at the same time both a contributor to climate change and part of its solution, thanks to the carbon sink function in soils and biomass that can be enhanced by an appropriate and sustainable land management. Our proposed land-based approach consists of two consecutive steps: we assess first the GHG emissions from the livestock activities, that is carbon footprint, in a small-scale rural area, then we evaluate the mitigation potential of a set of land-use options against livestock emissions assessed in the previous step. Our aim is to understand the extent to which land-based mitigation options at small-scale landscape level can lead to carbon neutral livestock systems".

CMCC scientists developed a land-based approach by combining different methodologies, including geographic information system (GIS) elaboration, life cycle assessment (LCA) and methodologies from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to investigate how and how much GHG emissions from livestock activities can be decreased and compensated through carbon removals in the same area. They tested the approach on a pilot area in central Italy corresponding to a portion of the Municipality of Viterbo (Lazio region) characterized by a strong agricultural vocation, aiming at estimating the livestock GHG emissions and the mitigation potential of sustainable land-use options applied in the same small-scale rural landscape, in the immediate proximity of the livestock emissions source.

"The results", Prof. Riccardo Valentini (CMCC Foundation and University of Tuscia) says, "show the potential for a total offsetting of the livestock GHG emissions in the pilot area, indicating possible pathways for the carbon neutral livestock systems. Besides, depending on the type and intensity of the land-based mitigation options, results undermine also the possibility to even turn the system into a net carbon sink, producing negative emissions in the land sector that can significantly contribute to the global climate change mitigation targets."

"It's important to highlight", Maria Vincenza Chiriaco adds, "the idea of proximity of our land-based approach. There are already many existing mechanisms of carbon offsetting but they work on a logic of carbon compensation on a global scale, where the carbon removals usually take place in areas that are geographically far from those in which the emissions to be compensated are generated. In our study, instead, mitigation is achieved through the implementation of land-based mitigation options that reduce emissions or increase carbon sink in the immediate proximity of the livestock GHG emissions source. This, besides contributing to the global climate change mitigation targets, entails a wide-ranging improvement of the entire agro-ecosystem at local scale, providing co-benefits that involve the local rural communities as well as the local institutions and the citizens that can gain in terms of environmental co-benefits, quality of life and territorial image."

The proposed land-based approach has been recently developed in a web tool. Designed and developed by the CMCC and Istituto di Servizi per il Mercato Agricolo Alimentare (ISMEA), with the financial support of the Programme "Rete Rurale Nazionale 2014-2020", the tool is freely available online. The web tool is based on rigorous scientific information (IPCC methodology), but it's designed to be easy to use for everyone.

The platform allows Italian livestock farmers to assess the carbon footprint of their farms by compiling a simple online questionnaire that considers the main characteristics of their livestock systems. Then, they can also assess the potential of sustainable land-based options needed to reduce and compensate their livestock emissions. Therefore, the web tool will help farmers, policy makers, and other relevant stakeholders in recognizing the best options to be applied for sustainable land management in particular at small-scale rural landscape level.

CMCC researchers aim to develop in collaboration with ISMEA and the Programme "Rete Rurale Nazionale 2014-2020" a traceability system for sustainable land-use leveraging on the developed land-based approach, through a voluntary mechanism of carbon farming practices at local level, aiming at reducing and offsetting GHG emissions from the livestock activities in Italy.

Hence, this mechanism has the potential to reduce and compensate the impacts caused by livestock products, making farmers and rural systems an important target for climate change mitigation.

###

The land-based approach presented in this study was developed in the framework of the Programme "Rete Rurale Nazionale 2014-2020" activities thanks to a specific agreement between the CMCC Foundation Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) and Istituto di Servizi per il Mercato Agricolo Alimentare (ISMEA), within the project Il distretto agricolo-zootecnico-forestale: un nuovo approccio territoriale per la mitigazione dei cambiamenti climatici.
The Daily Beast

St. Johns County Sheriff's OfficeThe Florida teenager accused of murdering 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey earlier this month stabbed the cheerleader a staggering 114 times as she fought for her life, then dumped her body in a wooded area, authorities said Thursday.Aiden Fucci, 14, will now be charged as an adult with first-degree murder for Baileys brutal slaying in the early morning of May 9, St. Johns County State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced Thursday. Youve heard our victim was stabbed....to say it was horrific was an understatement, Larizza said during a Thursday press conference. There were 114 stab wounds.The young girl died fighting for her life, he added.Fucci may have randomly chosen Bailey as his victim, as he told other teenagers he planned to kill someone within the month, the prosecutor said. This could simply be a wrong place at the wrong time situation, Larizza said. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office says Baileys family reported her missing at 10 a.m on May 10, prompting a frantic countywide search that ended eight hours later when investigators recovered the seventh graders clothed body in a wooded area near a retention pond on a street close to where she was last seen.Larizza said that the night of the murder, Fucci told people he intended to kill someone by taking them in the woods and stabbing them.Cheerleader Tristyn Bailey Was Stabbed to Death by Teenage Boy, Cops SayThe Daily Beast did not initially identify Fucci, who was originally charged with second-degree murder, because prosecutors had not decided whether to charge him as an adult. Online court records show a Thursday notice to transfer Fuccis case to adult court and assign it to Judge R. Lee Smith after he was indicted by a grand jury.The news of his upgraded charges was first reported by ActionNewJax. According to an arrest report, Baileys family last saw the Patriot Oaks Academy cheerleader at around midnight on May 9. An hour later, home surveillance footage near the Durbin North Amenity Center showed Bailey and Fucci walking together, at one point heading east on Saddlestone Drive.Larizza said that while investigators have not determined a motive, he confirmed Baileys encounter with Fucci started out as kids hanging out. He added that theres no evidence anyone else was involved in the grisly crime.At around 3:30 a.m, another video shows Fucci walking alone on Saddlestone Drive and carrying a pair of white shoes with a black Nike logo, the report states.During the frantic search for Bailey the next morning, police brought in Fucci for questioning as a witness. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office confirmed to The Daily Beast that around the same time, Fucci posted a selfie on social media in a patrol car with the caption, Hey guys has anybody seen Tristyn lately?Under questioning, the arrest report states Fucci changed his story several times and made several admissions that led cops to charge him.Police later found clothing in the boys bedroom that tested positive for blood, the arrest report said. After finding Baileys body, police discovered she had been left only 0.3 miles from where Fucci lived.Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Predrag Bulic later concluded that Baileys homicide was caused by a sharp force trauma by stabbing. Larizza said Thursday that about 49 of the defensive stab wounds Bailey suffered were to the hands, arms, and face. He added that witnesses identified a knife that was found in a pond as belonging to Fucci. The knifes tip had broken off and was later found in Baileys skull. The medical examiner said the blood on the weapon matched the victim's.Teenagers are capable of things we never imagined them doing, Larizza added, warning parents in his community to keep tabs on their children.Both Tristyn and Fucci attended Patriot Oaks Academy in St. Johns, though police said it was unclear how they knew each other or if they were in the same class.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.
With The Introduction Of Technology-Enabled Teaching-Learning Practices, Digital Classrooms And E-Learning Solutions Are Now Gaining Popularity In The Indian Education System

Traditionally, schools focused on theory-based learning, giving minimal importance to practical knowledge. However, with the introduction of technology-enabled teaching-learning practices, digital classrooms and e-learning solutions are now gaining popularity in the Indian education system. Schools have started realizing the need of keeping up with the demands of the technology-driven world and are thus introducing robotics in the curriculum. It not only prepares students for the future but also helps them develop interest in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.Children these days are fascinated by robots. The movements of a robot, the ways of controlling it as well as the programs that manage a robot are the major areas that intrigue children. When students get an opportunity to explore robots and learn about them on their own, they will develop a better understanding about the intricacies and capabilities of robots. Be it nurturing creativity amongst learners, encouraging them to explore and innovate or developing 21st century skills, robotics is all about empowering learners.Students develop and hone the following skills and qualities while learning robotics.21st-century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity and communication are developed in learners in the course of their learning robotics through different activities like designing and developing the robot, formulating a strategy to program it and resolving issues and bugs.Robotics fosters out-of-the-box thinking by empowering learners to give shape to their imagination by making the best use of theoretical concepts.Working through complicated situations while developing and programming robots helps students develop perseverance to successfully complete tasks. This is a crucial quality required to successfully complete every technological or scientific activity.To develop a fully functioning robot, it is essential to know STEM subjects. Robotics provides students with a good opportunity to gain command over STEM subjects. Thus robotics facilitates interdisciplinary learning.Creating a robot promotes a collaborative learning environment and students automatically learn to work in teams.Since designing and developing a robot is a challenging task and getting it correct in the first attempt might not be always possible, it is essential for students to think innovatively and fix the problems.There are various ways of designing and programming the robot, hence students should be exposed to various scenarios so that they learn to analyse situations from various angles and deduce the best way to solve a problem.Since robotics cannot be mastered solely through theoretical understanding or practical application, students should be able to comprehend and quickly grasp new techniques when the need arises. This helps them be active learners.Robotics helps students learn programming in a simple and tangible way.According to Markets and Markets, schools are expected to spend $640.5 million on robotics products and curricula by 2023. So, it is clear that the significance of robotics is growing in the global academic sphere. However, it is still in its nascent stage in India. According to a global report, there are only 3 robots per 10,000 employees in India, which is not enough considering the rapid industrial growth in the country.To change this and prepare the young students for the future, the Government of India has established Atal Tinkering Labs in schools across the country. These labs aim to develop design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning and more among students. By working with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and participating in hands-on activities, students will develop an interest in STEM subjects and robotics.The rapid advancement of technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics has impacted several industries along with the education sector. The demand for AI-skilled workers and robotics experts is growing rapidly. Robots are soon going to take over humans in solving complex problems. However, to create those robots we require human intelligence and people well versed with the necessary design and development skills. So, it is the need of the hour to introduce robotics in the K12 curriculum. This will not only allow students to understand the STEM subjects and concepts better but also build a strong foundation for learning and prepare them for a future dominated by artificial intelligence.
Mylaw known as the Number 1 provider of legal solutions has provided amazing solutions for businesses and individuals alike. Amongst other amazing features, the Video Conferencing Feature used as a tool to easily access Lawyers consultation services is the newly introduced feature.

Video conferencing provides a means of visual connection between two or more persons in remote locations over the internet. From this, we can already imagine the role it plays for individuals seeking access to justice and legal services for their businesses. Nothing beats real-time easy and accessible online communication, most especially in this period where movement is restricted due to the pandemic.

Users can now through the Mylaw platform schedule a consultation either using Google Meet'' or Zoom. These applications made available to us consumable APIs used to entertain secure and efficient visual communication between Lawyers and clients.

With our unique consultation feature, users who need to speak with a Lawyer only need to provide basic scheduling information after which the platform automatically generates the meeting access. This means no user is required to manually go on Google meet or Zoom to set up meetings, share meeting links, notify either party (Lawyer or User) on meeting schedules, all of these are automated and taken care of by our technology.

The meeting details, entailing all required information is made available through the users email and also synchronized on their google calendar which is accessible on the users devices (i.e phone or laptops). This is exciting as we are always keen on delivering an outstanding user experience and ensuring businesses and individuals have seamless access to legal services.

The benefits of this feature include;



Feasible real-time meeting scheduling

Seamless experience between Users (Lawyer and Client)

Helps to achieve and organise activities with automated synchronization via the platform

Achieving more productivity with less physical contact

Ability to organise and keep track of your consultation with your lawyer

We believe in constantly developing technology features that enhances access to legal services for a greater number of people and are delighted to share this with you.
RYE, N.H., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Cancer Prevention Workshop typically is an event on Capitol Hill on National Cancer Prevention Day that educates students, legislators, and provides continuing education credits for physicians, nurse and public health professionals. The 2021 event will be virtual and live streamed on the Less Cancer Facebook page beginning at 9 a.m. on Feb. 4.

"Our bipartisan focus is on cancer prevention, not politics," said Less Cancer Founder Bill Couzens. "We have one of our most dynamic lineups ever with more than 70 presenters including physicians, nurses, scientists, public health professionals, legislators, advocates and educators."

A complete agenda can be found here. Confirmed panel moderators, speakers and roundtable conversations include:

Mona Hanna-Attisha , MD, author, What the Eyes Don't See

, MD, author, U.S. Representative Don Beyer , Virginia

, Rob Bilott , attorney, author of Exposure that became the movie "Dark Waters"

, attorney, author of that became the movie "Dark Waters" U.S. Representative Michael Burgess , M.D., Texas

, M.D., U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean , Pennsylvania

, Pennsylvania U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell , Michigan

, US Senator Maggie Hassan , New Hampshire

, Arianna Huffington , Thrive Global founder, author, public speaker and Huffington Post co-founder

, Thrive Global founder, author, public speaker and Huffington Post co-founder Jill Kargman , author, comedian, actress

, author, comedian, actress U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, California

U.S. Representative Dan Kildee , Michigan

, Miles O'Brien , journalist

, journalist U.S. Representative Chris Pappas , New Hampshire

, U.S. Representative Cathy McMorris Rogers , Washington

, U.S. Representative Fred Upton , Michigan

, Christine Todd Whitman , former Governor of New Jersey and EPA administrator under George Bush

Continuing education credits are provided for healthcare and public health professionals by the University of Virginia School of Medicine and School of Nursing and American University.

After Feb. 4, the workshop will be available on YouTube and Coursera.

National Cancer Prevention Day first came about through a House of Representatives resolution led by Less Cancer on February 4, 2013. It states that work to prevent cancer impacts human health, the environment, and the economy.

For more information, visit www.lesscancer.org.

About Less Cancer

Founded in 2004, the Next Generation Choices Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity known more widely as "Less Cancer." The organization works to educate the public, create proactive public policies, and offer continuing education credit to physicians, nurses, and public health professionals regarding cancer, over 50 percent of which are preventable. Less Cancer signifies a new paradigm for addressing cancer, one focused on prevention. This is a departure from previous treatment-focused approaches, which focus on beating, conquering, or curing cancer.

MEDIA CONTACT: Colleen Robar, 313-207-5960, [email protected]

SOURCE Less Cancer
Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Throughout the United States, Black, Latino, and Native Americans have faced more difficulties accessing pandemic care, as well as higher rates of COVID-19 hospitalization and death than whites. The trend  a result of decades of health-care inequity in the United States  has continued as states race to vaccinate residents before coronavirus variants potentially push caseloads back up in the early spring.

Earlier this week, an analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation determined that the 17 states reporting vaccination data by race and ethnicity are failing to vaccinate Black and Latino residents at the same rate as whites. In Mississippi, 15 percent of vaccine doses have been administered to Black people, though they make up 38 percent of the states coronavirus cases and 42 percent of deaths. Hispanic residents in Texas also make up 15 percent of total vaccinations, though they account for close to 40 percent of the population.

An analysis from the Associated Press published on Saturday expanded on the trend. In Maryland, although Black residents make up 30 percent of the total population and 40 percent of health-care industry workers, only 16 percent of those vaccinated so far are Black. In Chicago, Black residents make up 30 percent of the population but only 15 percent of those vaccinated. And in Philadelphia  where the city recently entrusted a college student to administer thousands of doses rather than have an Ivy League medical school do it  Black residents have received just 14 percent of vaccines, though they represent 40 percent of the population. Latino residents have a similar disparity, representing 15 percent of Philadelphias population but just 4 percent of those vaccinated.

Partial vaccination data provided by New York City is also showing an alarming racial gap in the nations former COVID epicenter. Of the almost 300,000 residents who have received their first dose, 15 percent were Latino and 11 percent were Black  despite the city being 29 percent Latino and 24 percent Black. This gap was even more severe among the most vulnerable New Yorkers: Only 9 percent of those over 65 who have gotten their first shot are Black. In a joint press conference on Sunday, public advocate Jumaane Williams and comptroller Scott Stringer described the disparity and other rollout failures as almost criminal and a national embarrassment.

As the Associated Press notes, factors expanding the gap include a deep distrust of the medical establishment among Black Americans because of a history of discriminatory treatment; inadequate access to the vaccine in Black neighborhoods; and a digital divide that can make it difficult to get crucial information. To help bridge the divide, the Biden administration has encouraged states to use CDC data to place more vaccination resources in vulnerable neighborhoods. However, building out vaccination centers in areas in which residents are underrepresented in the effort hasnt been a perfect solution in New York. According to the City, local Spanish speakers who attempted to get a dose at the Fort Washington Armory in Washington Heights were unable to do so without the aid of translators. But the vaccination site  in a neighborhood in which 69 percent of residents are Hispanic  did see patients traveling in from New Jersey and Westchester to get doses.

Good news: I volunteered as an [appointment verifier] at the Armory, Dr. Susana Bejar tweeted on January 24, noting that around 2,400 people were vaccinated. Bad news: the majority of ppl being vaccinated were not from the low-income predominately Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights.

The situation at the Fort Washington Armory was resolved: As of late last week, only New York City residents currently eligible for the vaccine could sign up to be vaccinated there, and 60 percent of appointments have been reserved for those living in the neighborhood. But the phenomenon of state residents traveling into the city to get shots is occurring throughout the boroughs. The partial data provided by the city states that about 94,000 of those who have received the vaccine in New York City do not live within its boundaries.

In an interview with the New York Times, City Council health-committee chair Mark Levine proposed several measures to end the vaccine equity gap, which include giving scheduling priority to communities of color and to streamline the online process to sign up. We need to take action now to fix yet another egregious case of inequity in this pandemic, Levine said. Mayor Bill de Blasio, meanwhile, anticipates that expanded vaccine access will help correct inequities: I honestly believe thats the single best cure to this problem.

A 24-year-old student was allegedly killed by some BSF jawans in a village in Tripura along the India-Bangladesh border over suspicion that he was a cattle smuggler, police said.

A senior police official said that Jasim Mia was killed by the BSF troopers in the wee hours on Monday at Debipur village under Belonia sub-division in southern Tripura.

A BSF official said that their troopers fired in self defence as Jasim had attacked them with a sharp-edged weapon.

The BSF is yet to obtain further details about the incident.

Senior BSF officials have rushed to the spot and are investigating the incident.

The villagers and the deceased's family members said that Jasim had nothing to do with cattle smuggling and was grazing his cows in the field, which is close to the international border.

The incident sparked protests by the villagers.

Senior police officials with reinforcements have reached the spot, 135 km south of Agartala.

In recent years, the BSF has been using non-lethal weapons instead of traditional arms and using rubber bullets, rubber buckshot, soft polymer rounds or plastic bullets in dealing with border crimes.
Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass.
Smithfield Foods, the US meat firm owned by Chinas WH Group, has committed to reducing sugar and salt across its product range by 10% over the next four years.

The manufacturer, behind brands such as Nathans Famous and Eckrich, also wants to introduce clean labelling across its portfolio.

It said the move is part of a wide-ranging commitment to sustainability and continuous product improvement.

By 2025, Smithfield said it will reduce sodium and sugar by 10% and embrace clean labelling across its portfolio.

Stewart Leeth, Smithfields chief sustainability officer, said: Our addition of health and wellness as a sustainability pillar underscores our on-going commitment to lead the industry in providing transparency and nourishing, high-quality protein products.



Smithfield said that to reach its reduced sugar and salt goals it will "continue to innovate and adapt its formulas".

It added that it is "committed to increasing label transparency and to continuing to reduce the complexity of product labels" by shortening ingredient statements where appropriate and employing cleaner labelling across its products by 2025.

Smithfield said this goal builds upon existing transparency efforts, including the removal of ingredients unfamiliar to the average consumer in favour of natural ingredients produced from vinegar, celery juice and cherry powder.

Thematic Reports Are you worried about the pace of innovation in your industry? GlobalData's TMT Themes 2021 Report tells you everything you need to know about disruptive tech themes and which companies are best placed to help you digitally transform your business. Find out more

It suggested the company's online 'glossary of ingredients', launched in 2016, is the first online resource of its kind provided by a protein company. It lists definitions for more than 100 ingredients found in Smithfield products.

Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, the company employs 40,000 people in the US.
The first batch of one-million doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) arrived at OR Tambo International Airport on 1 February 2021.

SA health minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

Limited to SA citizens

Vaccines arriving in South Africa today will be distributed through a three-phase approach. The first will cater for all frontline healthcare workers. #VaccineRolloutSA #IChooseVaccines pic.twitter.com/7mFyl7OFpo  Department of Health (@HealthZA) February 1, 2021

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Vaccines were at the airport to receive the vaccine, along with health minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize; acting minister in the presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni; Jaideep Sarkar, high commissioner of the Republic of India: and chief executive officer of Biovac, Dr Morena Makhoana.Biovac is a bio-pharmaceutical company that was formed in 2003 in a partnership with government and private investors to establish local vaccine manufacturing capability.When they arrive, the vaccines will undergo quarantine and quality assurance processes which could take up to 14 days before they are distributed to all provinces.The scale of delivery is unprecedented in terms of the number of people who have to be reached within a short space of time. The aim of the vaccination programme is to achieve immunity across the population, the Presidency said.Government is coordinating the vaccine programme through the committee chaired by the deputy president, which is focused on procurement, distribution, actual vaccination, monitoring, communication and mobilisation.Mkhize said in an SABC interview that the vaccine programme will be limited to South African citizens, as the government does not have the capacity to assist undocumented foreign nationals.No one will be forced to vaccinate. Actually, we will promote it, we will explain for people to know its beneficial and we would like people to take their own decision on that and when you take the vaccine you sign consent so its clear that you consented to it.All you need when you go is to show that you have got an ID. You are a South African registered voter. For those who are undocumented, we are not able to deal with that because at the moment we would like to be able to deal with people based on the SA registration. So at this point, we have no plan to deal with those that are not documented.
(ANSA) - ROME, FEB 1 - Pupils, including high-school students, in almost all of Italy's regions were finally able to return to class on Monday.

Italy's high schools had been meant to reopen after the Christmas holidays, after distance learning was used in the last part of 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

But only a handful of regions actually reopened their high schools as scheduled on January 11, due to concerns about fuelling COVID contagion, with the other regions imposing delays of varying lengths.

On Monday around eight million pupils were in school after Sardinia, Calabria, Puglia, Basilicata, Veneto, Campania and Friuli Venezia Giulia reopened their high schools.

That eight million includes around 2.5 million high-school students, who are physically attending class for 50-75% of their timetables, with the rest being done via distance learning.

High-school pupils in Sicily, however, will not go back to class for another week.

Education Minister Lucia Azzolina, who pressed hard for the nation's schools to reopen at all levels, said fears that having older pupils back in class would cause an upswing in contagion have proven unfounded.

"The high-school kids are completing their return to school," Azzolina said.

"The lower levels of the school system stayed open and around five million male and female students never had to stay away from their classrooms.

"High schools, on the other hand, resumed classed with students physically present gradually.

"Contagion remained stable in the areas that opened first.

"This is something that comforts us, but we must keep our level of attention very, very high". (ANSA).


All eyes are fixed on Finance Minister as she is set to present 2021-22 in Parliament on Monday, at a time when India is recovering from the COVID-19 crisis.

The Budget presentation will begin with a speech from Finance Minister scheduled to take place at around 11 am.

Ahead of her third Budget presentation, the Finance Minister and her team will meet President Ram Nath Kovind, and will likely be accompanied by her deputy Anurag Thakur and other officials of the Finance Ministry.

The Union Cabinet will hold a meeting at 10:15 am before the presentation.

Usually, the duration of the presentation ranges from 90 to 120 minutes.

This year, the will be delivered in paperless form for the first time.

Finance Minister had launched the " Mobile App" for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience, according to the Finance Ministry.

The App facilitates complete access to 14 Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), and Finance Bill as prescribed by the Constitution.

Ahead of the Budget, Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament on Friday. The Indian economy can contract by 7.7 per cent in the current financial year ending on March 31 and the growth could be 11 per cent in the next financial year, according to the survey.

The contraction in FY21 is mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic and the visible damage caused by the subsequent countrywide lockdown to contain it.

The survey unveiled two days before the Union Budget is broadly in line with forecasts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) which has said it expected the country's GDP to contract by 7.5 per cent in the year ending March 31.

In the quarter ending June 2020, the GDP contracted by 23.9 per cent followed by a milder contraction of 7.5 per cent in the quarter ended September 2020.

The first part of the Budget Session is scheduled to continue till February 15 while the second part of the session will be held from March 8 to April 8. Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm with Zero Hour and Question Hour.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Saturday that the budget session will take up 38 legislative items.

(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.)
China on Sunday unveiled an action plan to guide the building of a high-standard market system in the next five years. The plan proposes more than 51 specific measures covering five aspects, including the basic institutions of the market, efficient allocation of production factors in the market, market environment and quality, high-level opening-up and the oversight mechanism of the modern market system. The country will consolidate basic institutions of the market by comprehensively improving property rights protection, implementing the negative list system for market access and making advancements in fair competition. Measures should be taken to improve laws and regulations on equal protection of property rights, enhance the judicial protection system for property rights enforcement and strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR). The country will also adopt a nationwide negative list, expand market access trials, as well as strengthen and improve enforcement of laws on anti-monopoly and anti-unfair competition, according to the plan. To promote efficient allocation of factors, the plan vowed efforts to promote the orderly flow of labor resources, the healthy development of the capital market and the development of knowledge, technology and data. Institutions for trading IPR, as well as the property rights of scientific and technological achievements, shall be set up, with the IPR transfer and licensing services to be carried out nationwide, according to the document. It also called for measures to expand the opening-up of the financial services market, allowing the establishment of foreign-controlled joint venture banks and securities firms, as well as wholly foreign-owned or joint venture asset management firms. Efforts will go into improving the pre-establishment national treatment plus negative list management system regarding market access, further shorten the negative list for foreign investment, expand the scope of the list of industries that encourage foreign investment and promote institutional opening-up, the document said. In terms of the oversight mechanism of the market, the country will adopt an inclusive and prudent oversight system for new forms of industries, strengthen the monitoring of transactions in the factor market, actively prevent market abnormal fluctuations and guard against external risks. China for the first time proposed to build a high-standard market system, which is unified and open with orderly competition, sound market institutions as well as governance, in around five years, said an official with the National Development and Reform Commission. The plan put more emphasis on the completeness of market institutions, fair competition and the role of government in maintaining market order and countering market failures, the official said. Enditem


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.

We know Galax has been raving about the GeForce RTX 3090 HOF (Hall of fame)card, but now Galax has given another sneak peak for its flagship card by updating their official website with new sneak peaks of the feature. The graphics card is referenced on NVIDIA's ampere GPU lineup which is the GeForce RTX 3090 variant. It is packed with an HOF support stick gloves and will come with an impressive LCD display.

GeForce RTX 3090 HOF (Hall of fame) Graphic Card Features

As Tweak Town reports, just like other HOF devices, it will come with a similar layout. Thus, the RTX 3090 HOF edition will be coming with white PCB along with a cooling solution. It will also be housed in a huge three fan air cooler. The device is engineered for intense overclocking which is reflective of its efficient PCB.

The new tease features that there will be two avairants of teh upcoming flagship HOF graphics card. Both variants will have a huge LCD display. However,. Galax has not been the pioneer in bringing that. Companies such as Colorful have massive LCD displays that they are using for their custom GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards.

Galax features this new device on their official website. "The world record breaker - Hall Of Fame series, has landed on GALAX GeForce RTX 30 series. The HOF series comes with two model and both features the significant HOF Panel III, along with premium accessories including HOF Support Stick, White PCI-E 8-pin extension cable, HOF gloves and 1-Click Sync Pro Cable ''., Galax writes.

Moroever, Galax notes that the new GeForce RTX 30390 will be powerful in ultimate gaming. It gives users a new level of performance, powered by Nvidia's 2nd Gen RTX architecture. Thus, the device doubles the power for ray tracing and Artifiical Intelligence performance because of its new features such as Tensor Cores, enhances RT cores, as well as brand new streaming multiprocessors. It will also house a massive 24GB of G6X memory to make intense gaming a seamless performance.

Read more: User Upgrades GeForce RTX 2070 from 8GB to 16GB of GDDR6 memory: Watch the Video Here

Updates to Look Forward to for the GeForce RTX 3090 HOF Graphic Card

At this point, it is still unsure as to whether there xan be an overclocking based on the 24GB of GDDR6X. However, it can be certain that there will be NVLink fingers created for SLI support, 3 x 8-pin PCIe power connectors, a Hall of Fame Support Stick which is a VGA auxilliary for mounted graphics cards, an extension cable with white aesthetics, a pair of Hall of fame gloves, and lastly, a single Click Pro-Cable which is capable of becoming a BIOS switch feature.

Moreover, the exact release date has not yet been released by Galax. According to TechPowerUp, the device should be launched within the month of February. We will keep you posted on any updates about Galax's new flagship device.

Related Article: Nvidia Security Flaws Could Let Hackers Hijack your PC- How to Prevent It

This article is owned by Techtimes

Written by Nikki D

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The British government has imposed targeted sanctions on Zimbabwes police commissioner, director of the Central Intelligence Organization, state security minister and former commander of the presidential guard, accusing them of serious human rights violations.

In a statement posted today on its website, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office the also imposed similar sanctions on the Zimbabwe Defence Industries, noting that the restrictive measures were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2018 (the Sanctions Act).

Police Commissoner General Godwin Matanga, CIO Director General Issac Moyo, Minister of State for National Security Owen Ncube and Zimbabwe Ambassador to Tanzania, formerly Brigadier General, Commander of the Presidential Guard and Tactical Commander of the National Reaction Force Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe allegedly committed various serious human rights violations.

According to the British government, the sanctions provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities or bodies involved in the commission of serious human rights violation or abuse in Zimbabwe, the repression of civil society and democratic opposition in Zimbabwe or other actions, policies or activities which undermine democracy or the rule of law in Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwean government says it is surprised about these targeted sanctions imposed on the four. Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Amon Murwira said the government has not yet received detailed information about the issue.

Human Rights Watch has welcomed the United Kingdom's move to impose imposing sanctions on top four Zimbabwean security officials accused of human rights abuses.

Their assets in the UK will be frozen and they will also be banned from visiting the country.

Dewa Mavingha is the Southern Africa Director with the Africa Division at Human Rights Watch. He told VOA's Peter Clottey that a total overhaul of the political and security institutions in Zimbabwe will be key in ensuring the rights of citizens are respected and protected in the Southern African country.
At the time of lockdown, we had noticed far few sightings of celebrities on the street. But as time passed and things gradually moved to normalcy, we started spotting the B-towners again as they were slowly seen resuming work.

 Viral Bhayani

 Viral Bhayani

That said, Sidharth Malhotra, besides showing us ways to look fashionable at home, courtesy his Instagram feed, has also made several appearances, most of which managed to steal our focus. From wearing the most expensive backpack to the airport to flaunting his humongous shoes, Malhotra was dressed superbly even in trying times.



 Viral Bhayani

Coming to the recent event, Sidharth was once again seen wearing zany sneakers that even we would like to invest in. If you are curious to see what the pair looks like, take a quick glance at it below.



 Onitsuka Tiger

Onitsuka Tiger as a brand has become quite popular among celebrities. After Tiger Shroff, many celebrities are seen donning pairs from the brand. The one that Sidharth is wearing is called Mexico 66 Slip-on shoe. These sneakers are not the usual sneakers as they come without laces. Add to that, these sneakers add to the comfort level and have a newer design element for example ankle reinforcement and the heel flap.



 Onitsuka Tiger

These low-top sneakers cost almost Rs 6,182. Fun fact: these aren't actually worn-out but Sidharth has intentionally kept them unclean. Probably he was trying to ace the dirty sneaker trend here. If he was, he championed it and we are totally digging this look now.



 Viral Bhayani

As for the other details of his outfit, we also like the flamboyance of his bright yellow jacket, by Adidas. This style comes with a mock collar and has two side pockets with long sleeves and straight hems. As for the cost, this one costs Rs 7,000. It's also perfect for the breezy weather in Mumbai. We like the way he has paired the jacket with black cargo pants. The dirty sneakers seem to be a good idea here.



This, in all, proves that the trend of dirty sneakers is going nowhere and Sidharth, with his style moves, would continue to make it look good.
Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

As followers of Jesus, we delight in Gods mercy and grace and believe in the power of restoration and forgiveness. At the same time, we recognize that Gods Word holds leaders in the Church to high standards, since they serve as representatives of Christ Himself. The question before us is this: Does Todd Bentley, founder of Fresh Fire Ministries, live up to those standards? Is he qualified to be a recognized leader in the Church?

The signers of this statement are leaders in ministry who were asked to review a matter that invokes these beliefs, and to judge the fitness of a person for ministry according to biblical standards and the leading of the Holy Spirit. In conducting such investigation there are limits on what can be known with certainty, but we look carefully at long-term track records and the accumulated testimony of many witnesses.

The opinion we have reached here is theological, answering the question: Does Todd Bentley, founder of Fresh Fire Ministries, live up to the high standards required of those who serve as representatives of Christ? Is he qualified, according to our understanding of biblical standards, to be a recognized leader in the Church?

As part of this process we sought to hear Todd's side directly, but he declined to answer a list of 60 questions compiled by the investigator after initially agreeing to respond. (Todd required the investigator to submit the questions through his attorney, after which he ceased communicating with Dr. Brown or the investigator.)

Based on our careful review of numerous first-hand reports, some of them dating back to 2004, we state our theological opinion and can say with one voice that, without a doubt, Todd is not qualified to serve in leadership or ministry today.

There are credible accusations of a steady pattern of ungodly and immoral behavior, confirmed by an independent investigators interviews dating from 2008 up through 2019, along with other testimonies dating back to 2004. And while we only took into account first-hand reports, there are many other second- and third-hand reports repeating the same accusations, often from people in different parts of the country (or, world) who had no connection between them, other than their interaction with Todd.

We love Todd and believe that he has been supernaturally gifted by God, and our highest joy would be to see Todd coming before God and the community of believers in humility and repentance, openly desiring help to get his life fully healed and surrendered to Jesus. Sadly, we see no signs of true, lasting repentance. Instead, we see a steady pattern of compromised behavior, including credible accusations of adultery, sexting (including the exchanging of nude pictures or videos), vulgar language, and substance abuse.

And, to repeat, these charges have been brought by numerous witnesses over a period of roughly 15 years, right until 2019. Even more importantly, many of these activities have involved people for whom Todd was spiritually responsible (interns, staff, team members, individuals he was ministering to), making these violations all the more serious.

In our view, this disqualifies Todd from public ministry until such time that he has demonstrated true, lasting fruits of repentance, which would include: the breaking of these long-term, sinful habits; public acknowledgement of his sin, without equivocation, including asking forgiveness of those he sinned against; and submission to local church leadership until trust had been rebuilt. This would likely take a period of years.

We also recognize that formal ordination into the ministry amounts to a recognition by other leaders of a candidates qualifications to serve as a leader in the Church. We therefore recommend that Todds current ordination be rescinded until the process of repentance and restoration, described above, has taken place.

It is also our opinion that, while it is possible for Todd to do public ministry again in the future, at no point should he lead his own ministry. Instead, if he was truly restored to God and in submission to godly authority, he could serve in another leaders ministry. But we believe it would be unwise and even potentially dangerous for him to lead his own ministry again.

Unfortunately, what's missing in the modern church is often the combination of relational and organizational accountability, which would ensure each minister's ability to navigate turbulent emotional, organizational, and spiritual waters. We pray that Todd would find such relational and organizational accountability, and it is our hope that this will become the norm, rather than the exception, for other leaders in the days ahead.

We recognize, of course, that we have no legal authority over Todd or his ministry, nor do we seek to have such authority. Rather, as elders in the Body of Christ who have been asked to judge righteously, and in the fear of the Lord, we make our viewpoint public, praying that this will help bring confidence and hope to those who have been sinned against as well as encourage deeper accountability in the Church.

We pray for Gods best for Todd and his family and encourage them to seek out godly help with the hope that their lives may be fully restored in God.

Dr. Brown will be issuing a separate statement outlining the process to this point, and we encourage you to direct all questions to him. May 2020 be a year of redemption, restoration, and hope for the Body of Christ.

Dr. Joseph Mattera, Overseeing Bishop of Resurrection Church, Brooklyn, New York, and Convener of the U.S. Coalition of Apostolic Leaders

Dr. James W. Goll, Founder of God Encounters Ministries, Franklin, Tennessee

Dr. Jane Hamon, Co-Pastor, Vision Church @ Christian International, Santa Rosa Beach, Florida

Bishop Harry Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian Church, Beltsville, Maryland, and Presiding Bishop of the Ambassadors of Hope Fellowship of Churches

Dr. Don Finto, Pastor Emeritus, Belmont Church, Nashville, Tennessee, and President and founder of Caleb Company

New Delhi: Popular contestant inside the 'Bigg Boss 14' house, Rakhi Sawant's mother Jaya Bheda is suffering a health scare. She was admitted to the hospital recently and underwent an operation on Saturday, reportedly.

According to Times Of India report, Rakhi Sawant's brother Rakesh Sawant told the publication, "Our mother is in the hospital. She was operated upon on Saturday. She has a huge tumour in her gallbladder, which is cancerous and can't be operated upon. Now the doctors will start the chemotherapy from Monday onwards. We are praying that everything goes on fine and she recovers quickly."

Doctors will soon begin the chemotherapy and the family is praying for a quick recovery.

Sometime back, when Rakhi's mother made an appearance on Bigg Boss 14 through a video call, she was in the hospital and had informed her daughter about it. Rakhi broke down learning upon her mother's health and even told other housemates that her mom is not well.

Rakesh Sawant also revealed that Rakhi has been informed about their mother's health. "Yes, we had informed the makers of the show and they have in turn informed Rakhi about the same on Saturday. It is my mother's wish only that Rakhi should continue to stay inside the Bigg Boss house and should emerge the winner. She is really happy with her game and even saw the Friday episode. She is happy that Rakhi is successfully playing her second innings in her career. Mother is really proud of Rakhi."

This season, Rakhi Sawant has managed to earn herself the title of 'entertainer', staying in news for her hilarious antics inside the Bigg Boss 14 house.

Here's hoping for Jaya Bheda's quick recovery!

Huawei Technologies has hired WPPs ADLAB LLC digital marketing shop for a one-year campaign to bolster its image in the US.

That company is the Plano, TX-based affiliate of the Chinese smartphone/telecom equipment maker that was sanctioned by the Trump administration.

Under the master services agreement, ADLAB stands ready to provide PR, issues counseling, crisis management, corporate positioning, consumer marketing solutions, merger and acquisitions communications, and government lobbying services, as specified under individual statement of work orders.

The one-year contract began Jan. 25 and is handled by ADLABs Brian Breach and Nicolas Lawhead in the Portland, OR office.

According to his federal filing, Lawhead leads client/agency communications, provides insight in the development of deliverables, and handles project oversight and the edit of creative concepts.

The Trump administration barred Huawei from purchasing components from US companies without approval from Washington government officials.

Ruder Finn signed a $1.4M contract with Huawei Technologies in November to provide communications services. That work covers strategic counsel; media relations; influencer & key opinion leader outreach; industry analyst relations; thought leadership; data insights, audience analysis, assessment, measurement; content strategy, development & management; issues management; and crisis communications.

Racepoint Global also inked a one-year contract in November worth $2.7M for Huawei Technologies for PR, marketing, events, video and social media work.
Seven hikers went up Mount Chocorua in Tamworth, New Hampshire over the weekend. Each one of them came down the mountain with hypothermia after they got lost and called conservation officers in the Granite State to rescue them.

The group of hikers, four of whom are from the Boston area and all of whom are in their mid to late 20s or early 30s, hiked Chocoruas summit Saturday via the Champney Falls Trail. During their descent, they took a wrong turn off the Beeline Trail, which is when their trouble started, authorities said.

One of the hikers, a 25-year-old Cambridge, Massachusetts man, was eventually overcome by extreme cold and fatigue. He hiked out and called for help around 6:30 p.m., according to a statement from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

Rescue crews met the other six members of the hiking group - among them a 27-year-old Cambridge man, a 26-year-old Cambridge man and a 33-year-old Somerville man - along the Bolles Trail. The hikers were continuing their descent when they were rescued and escorted off the mountain, the statement said.

The other three hikers who were rescued are a 23-year-old New York City woman, a 24-year-old Los Alamos, New Mexico woman and a 28-year-old Burlington, Vermont woman, according to the statement.

All seven hikers were treated for hypothermia and provided transportation a little more than 20 miles around the mountain to their vehicles, the department said.

New Hampshire Fish and Game reminds hikers that extreme caution must be taken while hiking in the winter, especially when temperatures are frigid, the department noted. One wrong decision can have catastrophic consequences, and one must be prepared with micro-spikes, snowshoes, extra clothing, food, water, fire starter, first aid kit, whistle, rain/wind jackets and pants and a knife.

Saturdays rescue was not the only instance of Massachusetts residents who found themselves in winter-related emergencies in New Hampshire this past weekend.

A man and a woman, both from the Bay State, were wounded in separate snowmobile crashes in New Hampshire the same day the seven hikers were rescued on Chocorua. Inexperience was a factor in both crashes, according to officials.

Only a few weeks prior, another two Massachusetts residents were rescued by Granite State authorities after encountering separate emergencies, one while snowmobiling and another while snowboarding.

Additional information about how to hike safely can be found at www.hikeSafe.com, the fish and game department pointed out.

Related Content:
Attorney-General Christian Porter has called for unions to pull an ad depicting Prime Minister Scott Morrison as a bus driver speeding towards a crowd of workers, saying it is offensive to victims of road accidents in Australia.

The ad, commissioned by the Electrical Trades Union and the construction division of the CFMMEU, plays on the governments omnibus overhaul of industrial relations, with the bus representing proposed laws unions say will hurt workers.

The Stop the bus ad depicting Scott Morrison as a bus driver. Christian Porter says the ad has crossed a line.

But Mr Porter, who is also Industrial Relations Minister, said the ad was factually inaccurate and went beyond the bounds of legitimate political debate.

I think leaving aside the fact that all the claims that it makes are just wrong, like lies, its just one of the most shameful, insensitive to the families of people whove been the victims of this type of thing happening on roads, and disgusting piece of advertising Ive seen, Mr Porter said on 2GB on Monday morning.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
Renovation

1 February 2021

Located at Waikiki's best address along the Gold Coast of Honolulu, Kaimana Beach Hotel today unveils a refreshed look led by Private Label Collection, a Hawaii-based full-service luxury hospitality management company. Situated directly on the sands of Kaimana Beach, which means "diamond" in Hawaiian, the 122-room hotel has been an integral part of the fabric of Waikiki for more than five decades and now features a modern-boho aesthetic designed by Hawaii-based interior design firm Henderson Design Group. The powerhouse culinary team behind Hotel Wailea, Hawaii's only Relais and Chateaux, Private Label Collection founder Jonathan McManus and James Beard-nominated Chris Kajioka, bring their award-winning style of "culinary casual dining" to the iconic Hau Tree restaurant. Collaborating with executive chef and local legend Alan Takasaki (Le Bistro) a new dinner menu based around sharing plates and conversational dining in a redesigned open-air space debuts, along with an all-day rose weekend beach brunch.

"All of us at Private Label Collection are thrilled to craft a new era for the Kaimana Beach Hotel," said Jonathan McManus, Founder, Private Label Collection. "As we look to the future of Hawaii, it's more important than ever to offer independent, free-thinking experiences for guests to connect to our world-class sense of place."

Island Inspired Design

Henderson Design Group was tapped to completely re-envision the lobby, Hau Tree, sunset bar, private dining room and five top floor suites with spacious outdoor balconies. The interiors expertly meld a vintage, lived in look with a crisp, beach house vibe that invites one to sit, relax and enjoy a multitude of views. From the moment guests enter the rotunda, eyes are immediately drawn through the lobby which features an eclectic mix of new and upcycled furniture and textiles, straight to the lanai of Hau Tree and the fluorescent blues of Kaimana Beach's waters. Teak woods and oversized woven basket lighting warm the space and vertical lines throughout contribute to the open-air feeling. Artful interpretations of Hawaii's history shine through in eclectic arrangements of vintage and new art on gallery style walls throughout the lively lobby - the social hub of the hotel - creating fun conversation points for couples and groups of friends to share over drinks amongst boho-style seating spaces.

With 122 rooms, many with stunning floor to ceiling windows and dramatic views of either Kaimana Beach or Diamond Head, Henderson Design Group took full advantage of the mid-century architecture. Five new suites on the top floor of the hotel are completely reimagined and are sure to be the most requested accommodations. The Pacific Suite is 838 square feet of island-style living featuring palm print and shibori wallpapers, bright pillows in a rainbow of fabrics and comfortable furnishings that make any hour, happy hour. All of the hotel's ocean view and ocean front suites boast oversized balconies that appear to float above the Pacific Ocean and provide the perfect respite to watch the sunset, sunrise and take a break from working remotely.

Culinary Casual Dining

One of the only locations where you can dine steps from the sand, Hau Tree is the newest revitalized dining destination in Waikiki. In his first ever beachfront restaurant, Chef Chris Kajioka brings a new iteration of "culinary casual dining" to Hau Tree, collaborating with Executive Chef and local legend Alan Takasaki to debut a menu based around sharing plates. Featured dishes include Kahuku Corn Salad Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette, for the first course, Grilled Washugyu Flank with Charred Radicchio and Horseradish Gremolata or Grilled Kanpachi with Sea Asparagus Vierge for the second course and sweet treats including Yuzu Tart with Sour Cream and MacNut Brittle or Japanese Cheesecake with Clementine. Guests can enhance their dining experience with creative snacks such as Mussel Escabeche "Toast" with Umami Aioli and Herb Salad or Trout Roe Verrine with Smoked Egg Mousse, Creme Fraiche and Spiced Potato Chips.

The bar program, led by local mixologist Jen Ackrill (San Francisco's modern craft cocktail bar Rye and local Oahu favorites Pint & Jigger, Sky and Top of Waikiki), transforms Hau Tree into one of the best spots in Waikiki to enjoy sunset cocktails. The Hau Tree cocktail menu is designed for the liquid traveler whether they are visiting the hotel or just stopping in for a quick pau hana drink; there is a cocktail for every person, from the sometimes forgotten vodka soda fan to the nerdy cocktailian. The drinks are designed to excite and pique conversation with nods to the classics and reworks of some favorite beach cocktails. Highlights include the Kaimana Cocktail with Coconut Washed Brokers Gin, Apricot Liqueur and Gran Classico Bitter and the Hau Tree made with Hibiscus Infused Pau Vodka, Yuzu and Lavender. Hau Tree is also the only place on Oahu where guests can enjoy water by Mananalu - actor Jason Momoa's aluminum canned water company that is dedicated to stopping single-use plastics and providing recyclable alternatives.

With Chef Kajioka bringing back new interpretations of wildly popular beloved dishes such as the Hau Tree Eggs Benedict, Ahi Burger and Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Hau Tree is destined to be the "see and be seen" all-day rose brunch spot on Saturdays and Sundays. The desirable beachfront open-air venue seamlessly transitions to an intimate, lantern lit dinner location as the namesake Hau trees whisper at sunset.

Live Like a Local

Taking full advantage of being located on one of Waikiki's quietest beaches and best surf breaks, the hotel offers Kaimana Beach Club amenities, which is included in every guest stay, and features access to fitness classes, lei making, Electra cruiser bikes, surfboard rentals through Kai Sallas' Pro Surf School, Peligo beach chairs, plush beach towels and access to a club concierge.

Fostering a deep connection to community, Kaimana Beach Hotel will also exclusively offer guests the opportunity to take surf lessons from celebrated long boarder and local Kai Sallas. The 2018 ISA World longboard surfing champion will teach guests how to surf on an uncrowded beginner-friendly surf spot steps away from the property, right where the sport of surfing took shape.

"Everyone at Kaimana Beach Hotel takes deep pride in introducing guests to our Hawaiian culture," said Ha'aheo Zablan, General Manager, Kaimana Beach Hotel. "I was born and raised in Hawaii along with many of the key players from our culinary, ownership and management teams, so all of the experiences we create at the hotel stem from our shared history here on the islands."

Guests can now experience the reimagined Kaimana Beach Hotel with rates starting at $199/night and suites starting at $699/night. For more information about Kaimana Beach Hotel or to book a stay, please visit: www.kaimana.com or Instagram @kaimanabeach and Facebook at www.facebook.com/KaimanaHI
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) has the most return on investment out of all digital marketing channels for businesses. It only makes sense that more and more companies are investing in SEO for their websites. With tens of thousands of SEO companies out there, finding the right company best suited to meet your business marketing challenges is crucial for business owners or managers.

Bigger is not always better

Communication is the key

Budgeting for long term

Transparency is essential

SEO is not a one-trick pony

Experience and skills matter

Beware of dodgy agencies

If it is too good to be true, you can bet it's not

Beginning your journey to hire an SEO agency for your firm without knowing anything about SEO is like trying archery for the first time blindfolded. You have to be absolutely lucky to hit your target. Understanding the basics of SEO and knowing what you want to accomplish with your business marketing campaign.Whether it be an increase in sales for all your products or services or a selected few, or it could be brand awareness, knowing what you want to achieve by setting goals and objectives before approaching the SEO agencies is a great start.Here's what you need to know before hiring the right SEO agency.A large SEO firm has bigger teams, bigger offices, and many clients. Where there are benefits to working with large firms, there could also be some down points. For instance, if your goal is to improve the ranking on search engines in your local area within your niche, you will not want your SEO company to represent your competition. It is not ethical, but there is no stopping a firm from working with your competition, and yes, desirable results still could be reached for both your firm and your competition, but there can only be one 1st position on search engines.A small SEO boutique firm will have a smaller office, a smaller team, and not many clients; hence, your business will matter to them more and motivate them to retain your business continuously by producing results.A right SEO agency is like having an extension of your company. They do more than just work on your website. One of the most important aspects of good SEO is developing and implementing an outreach strategy same as a PR firm will do for your business. An SEO company has to be in sync with your company's core brand values, goals, and objectives to get the right message across that truly represents your firm and on the platforms with your targeted audience.A good SEO is not a short term strategy that would instantly achieve results for your company. SEO takes time. How long before you start seeing results depends on the condition of the website. If you have a brand-new website or a website with no SEO will take more time than an older website with already some SEO done on it. SEO is an ongoing process, but to see results could take up to 6 to 9 months.You have decided to hire an SEO agency because that area is not your expertise, but that doesn't mean you should remain clueless. The right agency will brief you through their process, give you reasons for their actions, address any of your concerns, and send you regular reports. SEO is challenging managing your expectations by getting straight answers saves you from unnecessary frustration. Therefore, it is in the interest of the right agency to educate you through the process.A good SEO strategy is a combination of different digital marketing elements. Elements like content marketing, backlinks creation, web design and development, and technical SEO are a niche on their own. Therefore, implementing a solid SEO strategy is the work of a team of individuals who have high-level skills or knowledge in their chosen niche.SEO is not a straight forward process and not a kind of investment that you could afford your website to be a learning curve for your hired agency. You will want to hire an agency that has dealt with similar projects like yours previously. That's why studying the SEO case studies of the previous work done by agencies is crucial. Case studies give you a great idea of the agency's capabilities and skill level. The right agency will proudly present its case study or case studies on its website.Yes, there is a practice called black hat SEO. A practice that is detested by all search engines and goes against their guidelines. It is not a matter of 'if,' but 'when' discovered by the search engine's algorithm, the website with black hat SEO runs a risk of getting penalized and, in some cases, permanently removed by search engines. Therefore, checking the SEO agency's reviews on different platforms and interviewing them via zoom call or in-person to get a better idea of the agency and its culture is a logical process before hiring.Google's famous search algorithm is an intellectual property and is only known to Google. SEO experts use their experience and insights to optimize their client's websites to the best of their knowledge. The right agency will never lead you on by making promises of first page rankings for your website. The right agency will instead focus on producing results for your company by increasing your web user's experience and achieving your company's goals and objectives.
An immunocompromised woman staying in the same hotel that produced WAs first local COVID-19 case in 10 months has warned the hotel is primed for more cases thanks to inadequate ventilation and poor PPE use.

Arsiyanti Ardie arrived in WA from Jakarta on January 21 and was sent straight to the Four Points by Sheraton in Perth where she said hotel staff were being provided with poor quality PPE that was not being worn properly.

Arsiyanti Ardie fears for her health in hotel quarantine at the Four Points in Perth.

I kind of look down the hallway to look at the guards sitting on their phones and they will have their masks below their nose and hanging loose, she said.

And the workers are just not in the right PPE. They need to be protected too and its not that hard to hand out the proper masks and show them how to use them; they are wearing one anyway.
A man was arrested in Co Antrim on Sunday after he allegedly assaulted a police officer when a quantity of suspected cocaine was discovered in a vehicle.

The PSNI confirmed that the 36-year-old male was arrested in Lisburn, while a sum of cash and Class A drugs were also seized.

Officers on patrol in Boomers Way, just before 9.15pm, stopped a vehicle that was being driven erratically in the area.

Both the driver and his vehicle were searched when the money and drugs were allegedly found.

It was reported the man became aggressive and assaulted an officer at the scene, said Sergeant Mark.

He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of offences, including possession of a Class A controlled drug, possession of a Class A controlled drug with intent to supply, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and assault on police.

Those taking part in the illegal supply of drugs have no regard for the pain and misery they bring to individuals and their families.

This arrest reflects our ongoing commitment to tackling the supply and use of drugs, and to safeguarding vulnerable members of our community.

I would appeal to members of the public to be vigilant and to contact us on 101 with any information or concerns.

A report can also be made using the online reporting form via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport

Alternatively, information can be provided to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

The 36-year-old was later released pending further investigation.
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.

0108263 License for publishing multimedia online



Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349

New Delhi, Feb 1 : Covid-19 pandemic-hit middle class families kept their eyes glued to their television screens as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget 2021-22 on Monday morning, but many said that they had expected more from the government.

In this year's budget, the government has emphasised more on healthcare, infrastructure and other sectors, while providing no particular relief to middle class in terms of income tax exemption. However, in a major relief, senior citizens above 75 years of age are now exempted from filing tax returns.

Besides this, taxpayers were definitely left disappointed as the Union Finance Minister did not announce any change in income tax slabs for them in the much-awaited Union Budget announced during an undeniably tough year.

Homemakers were not content with the announcements. "Since my husband is the only earning member of the family, no relief on his income tax will not only affect my kitchen, but also the education of my children," said Delhi-based Vinita Kapoor.

Another homemaker said that she did not like the budget. "The government should have made things cheaper at this tough times. Ration and home appliances are getting costlier day by day," Pushpa Sharma said.

A Delhi-based telecom expert said that the government should have been given some kind of stimulus to the sector.

"This Union Budget has been a dampener in terms of unshackling the telecom sector, which is ailing. There is a need for liquidity in the sector in terms of GST, input credit, reduction of spectrum usage charges. The incumbent telecom operators continue to face uphill struggles," said Amrish Kapoor, Vice President of Vodafone Idea.

Eshwar Sharma, a retired Delhi government official, said: "There is no change in the income tax slab. No income tax return filing for super senior citizens is, however, a big relief. This government's budget was never satisfactory since the time it came to power." A recent graduate, who is now looking for job, said that the government has stretched itself quite a bit given the current situation. "Fiscal prudence was not a very vital criteria right now and the government could borrow to invest more in order to kick start the economy. The economy needs more," Manvika Shrivastava said.

Her mother, Manisha Shrivastava, who runs a BPO in Delhi said that the budget did not help much. "This is a tough time and people do not have disposal income. The government should have taken into consideration the high premiums that are there in the insurance sector. The budget is good in some aspects but I think that it needed more."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The Daily Beast

St. Johns County Sheriff's OfficeThe Florida teenager accused of murdering 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey earlier this month stabbed the cheerleader a staggering 114 times as she fought for her life, then dumped her body in a wooded area, authorities said Thursday.Aiden Fucci, 14, will now be charged as an adult with first-degree murder for Baileys brutal slaying in the early morning of May 9, St. Johns County State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced Thursday. Youve heard our victim was stabbed....to say it was horrific was an understatement, Larizza said during a Thursday press conference. There were 114 stab wounds.The young girl died fighting for her life, he added.Fucci may have randomly chosen Bailey as his victim, as he told other teenagers he planned to kill someone within the month, the prosecutor said. This could simply be a wrong place at the wrong time situation, Larizza said. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office says Baileys family reported her missing at 10 a.m on May 10, prompting a frantic countywide search that ended eight hours later when investigators recovered the seventh graders clothed body in a wooded area near a retention pond on a street close to where she was last seen.Larizza said that the night of the murder, Fucci told people he intended to kill someone by taking them in the woods and stabbing them.Cheerleader Tristyn Bailey Was Stabbed to Death by Teenage Boy, Cops SayThe Daily Beast did not initially identify Fucci, who was originally charged with second-degree murder, because prosecutors had not decided whether to charge him as an adult. Online court records show a Thursday notice to transfer Fuccis case to adult court and assign it to Judge R. Lee Smith after he was indicted by a grand jury.The news of his upgraded charges was first reported by ActionNewJax. According to an arrest report, Baileys family last saw the Patriot Oaks Academy cheerleader at around midnight on May 9. An hour later, home surveillance footage near the Durbin North Amenity Center showed Bailey and Fucci walking together, at one point heading east on Saddlestone Drive.Larizza said that while investigators have not determined a motive, he confirmed Baileys encounter with Fucci started out as kids hanging out. He added that theres no evidence anyone else was involved in the grisly crime.At around 3:30 a.m, another video shows Fucci walking alone on Saddlestone Drive and carrying a pair of white shoes with a black Nike logo, the report states.During the frantic search for Bailey the next morning, police brought in Fucci for questioning as a witness. The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office confirmed to The Daily Beast that around the same time, Fucci posted a selfie on social media in a patrol car with the caption, Hey guys has anybody seen Tristyn lately?Under questioning, the arrest report states Fucci changed his story several times and made several admissions that led cops to charge him.Police later found clothing in the boys bedroom that tested positive for blood, the arrest report said. After finding Baileys body, police discovered she had been left only 0.3 miles from where Fucci lived.Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Predrag Bulic later concluded that Baileys homicide was caused by a sharp force trauma by stabbing. Larizza said Thursday that about 49 of the defensive stab wounds Bailey suffered were to the hands, arms, and face. He added that witnesses identified a knife that was found in a pond as belonging to Fucci. The knifes tip had broken off and was later found in Baileys skull. The medical examiner said the blood on the weapon matched the victim's.Teenagers are capable of things we never imagined them doing, Larizza added, warning parents in his community to keep tabs on their children.Both Tristyn and Fucci attended Patriot Oaks Academy in St. Johns, though police said it was unclear how they knew each other or if they were in the same class.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.
Landmarks are being illuminated to promote a campaign to make St Brigids Day a national holiday.

The Brigids Day the Herstory Light Show, by brand awareness and illumination firm Dodeca, is illuminating landmarks across Ireland in honour of mother and baby home survivors.

The venues include Galway City Museum, St Brigids Cathedral in Kildare, Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea, and Athlone Castle and Belvedere House in Westmeath.

Herstory is calling on the Irish public and the countrys diaspora to sign a petition to make St Brigids Day a national holiday.

Female perspective

The female perspective history initiative, set up to highlight the role of women down through the ages from the female perspective, wants St Brigid to have the same status as St Patrick.

Illuminations include portraits of the mother and baby home survivors by Karen Morgan and powerful haiku poems by Laura Murphy.

They also feature art from the Stay with Me Show, curated by activist Rachael Keogh and journalist Alison OReilly.

Taoiseach - Don't blame society for what happened in the mother-and-baby-homes. An open letter from @everose777 to @MichealMartinTD (details in tomorrow's @irishexaminer ) https://t.co/mb2EpBJonG via @yumpu_com  neil michael (@anewshack) January 31, 2021

A specially commissioned photographic series entitled Sovereignty has also been created by photographer Myriam Riand and conceptual artist Aine OBrien.

Organisers say this is all about the reclaiming and reimagining the mother archetype that has been historically dictated and defined by church and state.

Now, Mna na hEireann are reclaiming our sovereignty, sexuality, and spirituality, they said.

Mother Creation by photographer Myriam Riand and conceptual artist Aine O'Brien.

Organisers asked the public to nominate their heroines and see them honoured in illuminations on landmark buildings over Brigids weekend.

There are four themes: Corona Heroes, Black Lives Matter, Women Who Have Arrived, and Brigids of the World.

The Corona Heroes theme, for example, honours the heroes of the pandemic.

These are described as women and men who have battled the Covid-19 virus and the everyday heroes who have played a role in these challenging times.

Meanwhile, President Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to frontline workers for their work during the pandemic.

In an address to mark St Brigids Day, President Higgins said future generations will be grateful for the workers and their efforts.

As we celebrate the courage and commitment of St Brigid in her day, we in our day pay tribute to all of those who, in their different ways, continue to put their lives at risk as they continue their important work, for the benefit of all of us, their fellow citizens, said President Higgins.
Egypts government targets decreasing public debt to GDP ratio to 87 percent in FY 2020/2021, 84 percent in FY 2022/2023, and 79 percent in FY 2023/2024, said Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait on Monday.

Maait was speaking at the House of Representatives to review his ministry's efforts to implement the government's programme over the medium term (2018-2020).

The finance ministrys medium-term debt management strategy focuses on reducing debt services, prolonging its period, and improving governmental security in markets to expand the investors' base that will, in turn, provide the required liquidity to support the budget, Maait said.

According to this strategy, the external debt trajectory will be set in accordance with the expected cash inflows to the country to a maximum of 37 percent of GDP, which will be put on a downturn path per year, according to Maait.

It also targets decreasing external debt to GDP ratio to below 30 percent over the medium term, said the finance minister.

Additionally, the strategy aims at decreasing public debt to GDP ratio to about 70 percent over the coming four years and putting a cap on loans obtained through external bodies over the same period, said Maait.

Moreover, the strategy includes settling a portion of debts through exchanging them with unique state-owned assets. The aim is to reduce public debt by EGP 100 billion annually for the coming four years, Maait clarified.

Over the medium term, Egypts budget initial surplus is expected to reach 0.6 percent of GDP in FY 2020/2021, the budget deficit to GDP ratio 7.8 percent, and the public debt to GDP ratio 88 percent.

The finance ministry aims to decrease the budget deficit gradually to reach 6.5 percent in FY 2020/2021, 5.3 percent in FY 2022/2023, and 4.6 percent in FY 2023/2024.

Maait said that the ministry targets to restore the budget's initial surplus to pre-pandemic levels, at two percent of GDP, over the medium term, according to Maait.

He added that revenues from real-estate taxes hiked by 500 percent in FY 2018/2019, compared to FY2014/2015, yet this improvement was affected negatively in FY 2019/2020 mainly due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Meanwhile, Egypts customs revenues jumped by 100 percent over the last six years, Maait said.

He unveiled that Egypts income tax revenues increased to exceed 250 percent between FY 2014/2015 and FY2019/2020, while value-added tax revenues jumped by 200 percent during the same period.

He added that the total of governmental receipts (including taxes, customs, and public services) recorded EGP 735 billion since the implementation of the e-payment and collection system from 1 May 2019 to 31 December 2020, accounting for 77 percent of government revenues.

Maait disclosed that Egypts initial surplus recorded EGP 105.5 billion in FY2019/2020, marking the second best record in the region despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

He expounded that this surplus means that the states revenues cover its expenses and will be used in fulfilling the debt service payment without the need to borrow from banks as was the case in previous years.

Maait added that Egypts economic reform programme was designed to put the country at the forefront of states that achieve an economic growth, stating that Egypt witnessed the establishment of unprecedented mega projects in development areas driven by the robust and courageous political leadership and the support of the people.

The economic reform programme aimed at attaining growth rates, decreasing unemployment, curbing the increase in public debt to GDP ratio, achieving a budget surplus, and phasing down the budget deficit as well as indebtedness,, said Maait.

Short link:


Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) Group, the official integrated energy partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, has announced that the construction of its pavilion for the mega event has been completed eight months ahead of schedule.

The 2,060-sq-m pavilion, set up under the theme of Reimagine Energy, comprises five distinct structures. It has been built using 700 tonnes of steel to minimise waste and environmental impact, and to promote environmental sustainability.

The use of steel in the construction of the pavilion will also allow for further reuse of the pavilion buildings and return the site to its original state when Expo concludes in 2022, said the statement from Enoc.

The pavilion has been constructed to meet sustainability and design standards put forward by the Expo 2020 team, integrating legacy into the build plan by focusing on local and recyclable materials.

The construction of the pavilion was completed in record time despite challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, it added.

Group CEO Saif Humaid Al Falasi said: As the official integrated energy partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, we are presenting an innovative and fully immersive experience at our pavilion that challenges the conventional understanding of energy and offers inspiring insights on how we can all come together and collectively think about what will shape the future of energy."

Al Falasi said the architectural theme of the pavilion draws on the design of oil storage tanks with five distinct structures, including four houses taking visitors on an unprecedented multi-sensory journey through four distinctive narratives: Discovery  what energy is; Harness  what energy enables; Collaborate  what energy needs; and Reimagine  what energy promises. Every visitor, irrespective of age, will be inspired in the pavilions experiential offering  which will inform, educate, engage and entertain.

It also features a dedicated space for government and industry stakeholders to engage in finding answers to the industrys unanswered questions.

Lauding the key milestone, Expo 2020 Dubai Chief Financial Officer Mukhtar Safi said: "Through the impressive Enoc pavilion, millions of visitors will be able to discover best-in-class integrated energy solutions that will leave a meaningful impact long after Expo 2020 Dubai closes its doors."

"Taking visitors on an inspiring journey that showcases the role of energy in our past, present and future, the pavilion will open new windows of engagement on the evolution of the sector. A tour of the pavilion will offer visitors 18 minutes of unprecedented experiences that draw on the many facets of the overarching theme, Reimagine Energy.," he added.

According to him, Enocs pavilion was built in line with best industry practices to enhance sustainability and conserve energy consumption.

"This includes the installation of a mixed mode functional design for HVAC systems that minimises the pavilions energy consumption by 20.1% lower than ASHRAE 90.1 benchmark assessment. In addition, the pavilion has achieved reduction of 30% in potable water demand as per DEWA guidelines," he explained.

Enoc Group also unveiled plans for a new concept design service station on the Expo 2020 site that will be built on the exoskeleton of a Ghaf tree structure.

"Despite the challenges faced, our team worked around the clock, following all safety protocols to deliver a state-of-the-art pavilion that will offer visitors an unforgettable experience, that will inspire and encourage them to rethink about what energy is, the potential it holds and how it can change our lives," he added.
(Newser)  While many people are tiring of being stuck at home binge-watching Netflix during the pandemic, one health-care worker is taking it to the next level. Mashable reports that Lisa Enroth, a nurse from Skoevde, Sweden, is now hunkered down on the nation's barren Pater Noster island, holed up inside its resident lighthouse for a week, where she's doing nothing but watching dozens of movie premieres from the Gothenburg Film Festival. Enroth, who's been on the front lines of fighting COVID-19, was the winner out of more than 12,000 entries from over 45 countries for the film fest's "Isolated Cinema" contest. "No phone, no family, no friends," the Isolated Cinema site notes. "Just the sea and the festival's film program with 60 film premieres."

story continues below

Mirja Wester, the movie fest's CEO, says Enroth "made a strong impression" on judges with her entry, adding that "in these troubled times it feels particularly right to be able to give this unique experience to one of the many heroes of the health care system." Organizers carefully vetted applicants to ensure they didn't end up like this after a week in the lighthouse. Enroth, for her part, seems up to the task. "My God, this is going to be so much fun," she said before heading out to Pater Noster. "I feel like I'm drained of energy. The wind, the sea, the possibility of being part of a totally different kind of reality for a weekall this is really attractive." Check out the "Isolated Cinema" site to watch Enroth's daily video diaries about her experience, which runs through Saturday. (Read more movies stories.)
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrains efforts to increase the involvement of women in every segment of the society are working wonders.

Although there are still challenges that must be addressed to reach gender equality, Bahraini women have already made significant progress towards gender balance in the political, diplomatic, business, educational, media, engineering, legal and medical fields and sectors, among others.

Today, the Kingdom of Bahrain celebrates the Arab Womens Day, which is observed across Arab countries every February 1.

It is an event celebrated to commemorate the achievements and creative contribution made by Arab women to the development and progress of their respective country.

It also highlights the importance and important role played by women in public life.

In a statement marking the occasion, Shura Council Chairman Ali bin Saleh Al Saleh sent a cable of congratulations to Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of HM the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW).
- The first ETF to be added to the program is the ETFMG Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF (ticker GERM)

- Customers can receive a $3 rebate for every 1000 shares of ETFMG's GERM that they buy on a qualifying open order (non-marketable limit order)

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SogoTrade, a digital brokerage subsidiary of Sogo Financial Group, Inc. ("Sogo"), announced today that it has expanded its innovative "Get Paid to Trade" program, bringing additional benefits to its customers.

In June of 2020, SogoTrade first announced its pilot "Get Paid to Trade" program, where customers not only enjoy $0 commissions, but get paid up to $1 for every 1,000 shares traded on qualifying limit orders.* Today, SogoTrade announced that investors are now eligible to receive up to 3X that amountor, $3 for every 1,000 shares tradedon qualifying limit orders for certain exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The first ETF to be added to the program is the ETFMG Treatments, Testing and Advancements ETF (ticker GERM). The program is open to existing customers as well as new customers of SogoTrade. Investors can learn more about the program at SogoTrade.com/GERM.

"Exchange rebates in the past have been largely reserved for high frequency trading firms and institutions," said Jonathan Yao, CEO of SogoTrade. "SogoTrade is leveling the playing field by bringing this revenue sharing opportunity to everyday investors."

Kris Wallace, Executive Vice-President and head of trading at SogoTrade, explained how the program works: "When a customer places a limit order for the GERM ETF, this order type will now generate revenue for SogoTrade customers who participate in the program. Typically, brokerage firms pocket this extra revenue but with 'Get Paid to Trade,' SogoTrade will credit investors for qualified limit ordersup to $3 for every 1,000 shares traded in the GERM ETF."

Since 1986, SogoTrade has offered an array of products, maintained a high level of quick response to customers, and has a renewed commitment to both foreign and domestic customers with revenue sharing opportunities.

For more information, please visit SogoTrade online at www.SogoTrade.com.

[1] "Get Paid to Trade" is a promotion offered exclusively by SogoTrade, Inc.

ABOUT GERM

GERM is an Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) designed to give exposure to the biotech companies directly engaged in the testing and treatments of infectious diseases. This ETF is focused on advancements with targeted exposure to the forefront of R&D, vaccines, therapies, and testing technologies.

Carefully consider the Fund's investment objectives, risk factors, charges, and expenses before investing. This and additional information can be found in the Fund's prospectus, which may be obtained by calling 1-844-ETF-MGRS (1-844-383-6477), or by visiting www.etfmg.com/GERM. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Shares of any ETF are bought and sold at market price (not NAV), may trade at a discount or premium to NAV and are not individually redeemed from the Fund. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Narrowly focused investments typically exhibit higher volatility. Treatment Companies and Testing Companies are involved in discovering, developing, and commercializing novel drugs or tests with significant market potential. These companies face challenges including pre-clinical testing and clinical trial stages of development. Clinical trials may be delayed, and certain programs may never advance in the clinic or may be more costly to conduct than anticipated. Such companies may be dependent on their ability to secure significant funding for research, development, and commercialization of therapeutics, vaccines, tests, and other healthcare products or services. If there are delays in obtaining required regulatory and marketing approvals for products, the ability of such companies to generate revenue may be materially impaired. If regulatory approval is obtained, products will still remain subject to regulatory scrutiny with regulatory authorities having the ability to impose significant restrictions on the indicated uses or marketing. Lastly, even if a licensed product is achieved, such companies may encounter difficulties in manufacturing, product release, shelf life, testing, storage, supply chain management, or shipping.

The Fund is a recently organized, non-diversified management investment company with limited operating history.

ETF Managers Group LLC is the investment adviser to the Fund.

The Fund is distributed by ETFMG Financial LLC. ETF Managers Group LLC and ETFMG Financial LLC are wholly owned subsidiaries of Exchange Traded Managers Group LLC (collectively, "ETFMG"). ETFMG is not affiliated with Prime Indexes or SogoTrade, Inc.

ABOUT SOGOTRADE

Financial Group, Inc. is the Delaware holding company of the following subsidiaries: (1) SogoTrade, Inc.  a FINRA licensed, SIPC insured online brokerage firm; (2) SogoTrade Asset Management (MarketRiders, Inc.)  a robo-advisor and SEC registered investment advisor; and (3) Sogo Crypto, LLC  a cryptocurrency trading technology company.

SOURCE SogoTrade

Related Links

https://www.sogotrade.com



Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was previously convicted in the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal correspondent Daniel Pearl, is set to walk free after Pakistan's Supreme Court on ordered his release January 28. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) opposes the order and calls on the Supreme Court to review the ruling.

The ruling, issued by a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Mushir Alam, has shocked not only the family of the murdered journalist Daniel Pearl but also the whole media community. The court did not furnish a clear justification for the ruling, saying only that the reasons would be recorded later.

The government of Pakistan appealed the Supreme Court decision on January 29 . , The appeal seeks to overturn the acquittal and reinstate Sheikhs death penalty.

Hyderabad Anti-terrorism Court found Sheikh guilty in the first instance of abducting and killing Pearl in 2002 and sentenced him to death, while other three men received life sentences.

However, on April 2, 2020, the High Court of Sindh province overturned this ruling and acquitted the four alleged perpetrators, including Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. Following public criticism of their release, the four men were rearrested a few days later.

The new ruling by the Supreme Court again overturns the original sentences and allows the alleged perpetrators of the crime to be released.

Pearls family said they were shocked by the ruling and that they have only one option left, that of filing a petition for a review of the latest ruling.

Pearl, 38, was investigating Islamist militants in Karachi after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US when he was kidnapped in January 2002. He was beheaded a short time later.

The IFJ said: The IFJ is disappointed in the Pakistan Supreme Courts ruling to release Ahmed Sheikh and regards the ruling as a denial of justice for Pearls family and the media fraternity as a whole. The IFJ urges the court to review the decision.
[February 01, 2021] BAKTI and Kominfo Accelerates Auction and Framework Agreement of BTS 4G Infrastructure Development

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Indonesian Information and Accessibility Agency (BAKTI) and the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Indonesia (Kominfo) today signed a framework agreement for the provision of BTS 4G infrastructure Package 1 and 2. The appointed partner for the two packages is a partnership of Fiberhome-Telkom Infra-Multi Trans Data. The signing ceremony is carried out by Anang Latif (President Director of BAKTI), Huang Liang (Official Representative in partnership of Fiberhome-Telkom Infra-Multi Trans Data), and witnessed by Johnny G Plate (Minister of Kominfo). This partnership is expected to immediately carry out the construction of BTS 4G in 2,700 villages, which is scheduled to be done in two years time. Package 1 covers 1,364 villages, including 132 villages in Sumatra, 456 villages in Nusa Tenggara, and 776 villages in Kalimantan. Meanhile, Package 2 covers 1,336 villages, including 536 villages in Sulawesi, and 800 villages in Maluku.



"Connecting the unconnected is a spirit that the Ministry of Communication and Information, Indonesia holds firmly and also the reason why we rapidly increasing internet access ratio in Indonesia. Kominfo is continuously committed to accelerate the distribution of signal and internet access throughout the country to realize a digital nation as soon as possible. Collaboration with industry, we are here to build BTS 4G in 12,548 villages by 2022, to make internet access physically accessible even in rural areas," said Kominfo Minister, Johnny. "Accelerating the development of BTS is one of the important pillars of accelerating national digital transformation. And to give a broader view, the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, Indonesia has made an agenda consisting of 4 main pillars, namely: massive digital infrastructure development, harmonization of regulations, strengthening of digital ecosystems, and development of digital talents," continued the Minister.

"In accordance with the instructions of President Jokowi and Kominfo Minister, BAKTI must supervise the construction of BTS as quickly as possible since the beginning of the year. Overall, we target to build BTS 4G in 7,904 villages, which are divided into 5 packages. Package 3 include development in 824 villages in West Papua and 971 villages in Central West Papua. Package 4 covers 1,819 villages in Central Papua, and package 5 covering 1,590 villages in Eastern Papua. In total, in 2021 BTS will be built in 4,200 villages, while in 2022 BTS will be built in 3,704 villages," said Anang Latif. SOURCE Ministry of Communication and Informatics, Indonesia

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
New Delhi, Feb 1 : The total outlay on India's defence budget has decreased marginally to Rs 4.78 lakh crore as compared to last year's revised estimate of Rs 4.84 lakh crore -- a decrease of 1.34 per cent. The total capital outlay includes expenditure on pensions and the Ministry of Defence (Civil).

The government, however, said there is an increase in the capital outlay which will help the force in its modernisation programme. This budgetary allocation has been made when India is facing two hostile neighbours -- Pakistan and China.

The capital allocation for defence stands at Rs 1.35 lakh crore this year as against the revised Budget of Rs 1.34 lakh crore for last year.

Last year's estimated capital outlay was Rs 1.13 lakh crore and the defence forces spent Rs 20,776 crore more for procurement of arms and ammunition under the capital allocation head.

Reacting to the Budget, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted, "I specially thank PM & FM for increasing the defence budget to 4.78 lakh cr for FY21-22 which includes capital expenditure worth Rs 1.35 lakh crore. It is nearly 19 percent increase in Defence capital expenditure. This is highest ever increase in capital outlay for defence in 15 yrs." The revenue allocation for defence stands at Rs 2.12 lakh crore as against the revised budget of Rs 2.09 lakh crore for last year.

The allocation on pensions for defence personnel is Rs 1.15 lakh crore as against the revised allocation of Rs 1.25 lakh crore last year. It is less than even the revised budget allocation made last year.

Apart from that, the allocation for civil works under the Ministry of Defence is Rs 15,257 crore as against the revised allocation of Rs 15,914.06 crore in last year's Budget. The civil allocation includes allocation for construction of roads, bridges, government-in-aid to state governments and housing in Northeast regions and border areas.

The defence ministry has carried out extensive construction work on the borders after China started the border dispute in April last year. The estimated budget for the civil works was Rs 14,500 crore and in revised estimates it increased to Rs 15,914.06 crore. The government spent Rs 1,414.06 crore extra in building infrastructure across the border.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text


Actor Sonu Sood Actor Sonu Sood will organise residential accommodation for a group of elderly people whose video of being mistreated had gone viral on social media recently. Recently, a video surfaced showing a group of elderly people in Madhya Pradesh being mistreated by employees of the local municipal corporation, packed in a bus and dumped in the outskirts of Indore, on the Indore-Dewas highway. The video created a furore on social media. Netizens strongly reacted to the atrocities committed on the elderly and took to their social networking accounts to express their anger and discontentment. Sonu has now come forward to extend a helping hand. In a video message, the actor urged everyone residing in Indore to join him in providing a safe space for the old. In a video message, he said: "Yesterday, I had come across this piece of news where the elderly were ostracised from the city and dumped in the outskirts. I would like to urge my brothers and sisters from Indore to come together and work towards providing a roof over their heads. I want to give them their rights back. I would also like to distribute food and drinking water to them. All this will be difficult to achieve without your help. This should be a lesson to all the children out there who have left their aged parents. They should hold them close and take care of them. Dear citizens of Indore, let us come together and set an example so that the elderly are never left to feel lonely and helpless. I will try to give them their rights back. This should be a lesson to all the children out there who have left and ostracised their aged parents. They should hold them close and take care of them." Sonu Sood has also offered to build houses and arrange for food, water and other essential supplies for the affected elderly.




Last summer, I expressed my concerns about reopening the schools during a pandemic by comparing it to encouraging people to jump into a piranha-infested swimming pool. A reader reacted to my letter by suggesting that piranha have been badly misunderstood.

Now that February has begun, students and teachers are being asked to paddle around in their ice-cold classrooms, not only with flesh-eating fish, but also with polar bears. One of the best ways to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is to keep classrooms well-ventilated. In other words, windows need to be kept open.

If you want to know how easy teachers have it these days, I suggest that you open a few windows in your house, leave them open for about six hours, and let me know how you feel. (That assumes, of course, that you can still feel anything.)

To add insult to injury, if you are a 64-year-old teacher, and you try to get a COVID-19 vaccination in New Jersey, you will be told to get in line behind the states tobacco consumers. People who have spent their lives trying to slowly kill themselves can jump ahead of those who spend a good deal of time convincing young people to never, ever, take up the terrible tobacco-use habit. Whats wrong with this picture?

Perhaps someone will respond to this letter by saying that polar bears are quite cuddly and that, unless we protect smokers, the tobacco industry will collapse. I dont know. The only thing left for me to do is close my windows, have a cigarette, and take a nice warm bath with Pete, my adorable pet piranha.

Al Mohrmann, North Plainfield

Just the facts, even when its not Trump

The Washington Post, arguably the most Trump-hating newspaper of all the Trump-hating newspapers in the country, claims that, while in office, President Donald Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims according to the Posts fact-checking database.

Instead of trying to dispute their figures, I would ask the newspaper to use that database to come up with the number of times Trump-hating newspapers and broadcast media disseminated false information about Trump colluding with the Russians during the 2016 election, or declared with no evidence that negative Hunter Biden laptop articles were Russian misinformation.

The Posts statement about maintaining the lie-tracking feature after Trump was, Whether such a tracker will be necessary for future presidents is unclear.'

This indicates to me that my request to count the medias anti-Trump lies would be denied, and that the tracking database has been mothballed at least for the next four years.

Armand Rose, North Arlington

On energy conservation, party like its 1973

President Joe Bidens Executive Order on Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, released Jan. 27, does not commit to energy conservation measures.

Until we have achieved a high percentage of zero-emission energy production, one way that the government can help the climate is by with conservation policies.

There are at least two things that the government can do immediately to help improve our energy conservation:

First, reinstate the federal policies that were imposed during the oil crisis of the 1970s, prompted by disruptions of supplies we imported from the Middle East.

Second, just ask citizens to conserve energy and give them directions for how to do it. Remind them, as their gas and electricity bills go down, that saving energy saves money.

Tom Flahive, Manchester

Essex County vaccine rollout was smooth

Professional, efficient, courteous and polite are words normally not associated with government programs.

However, those words exactly describe the Essex County COVID-19 vaccination program at the former Kmart store in West Orange, where I just received my second dose.

I am sure there are still some glitches to work out but, overall kudos to County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and his team.

I just wish that other government programs would run as effectively.

Santi Condorelli, Verona

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. 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.
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
By Celestin Monga





CAMBRIDGE  In recent decades, the U.S.-Africa relationship has disappointed both sides. Republican and Democratic U.S. presidents alike have treated the continent with benign neglect, if not with outright contempt, and the United States has duly fallen behind China, India, and France in terms of overall trade with Africa.



Although Barack Obama, America's first black president, launched a modest "Power Africa" initiative, his four trips there are mostly remembered for his lectures on "good governance." And this from an administration that turned a blind eye to autocrats in countries hosting U.S. military bases, and then joined forces with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a misguided and costly military intervention in Libya. The consequences for the Sahel and beyond have been catastrophic.



Then came Donald Trump, who did not even consider Africa a destination worth visiting. His racist insults about the continent ("shithole countries") confirmed his disdain, and will not soon be forgotten or forgiven. True, Trump's administration did acknowledge that lasting stability, prosperity, independence, and security in Africa are in America's national interest.



But his pledges to advance trade and commercial ties, and to counter Islamic terrorism, did not materialize. Instead, the administration weaponized trade policy by suspending duty-free status for some African exports under the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act, in retaliation against Rwanda for its efforts to protect its garment industry.



Now, the arrival of President Joe Biden's administration provides an opportunity to rekindle the U.S.-Africa relationship. Typically, articulating an Africa strategy is not a top priority for new American presidents. In Biden's case, he has taken office at a time of heightened global fears about COVID-19, ongoing economic uncertainty, and deep geopolitical division. And for its part, Africa is suffering its worst economic performance in a generation, setting the stage for persistent misery, social unrest, and violent conflict in the future.



Nonetheless, the sheer depth of these problems makes this a perfect time for bold initiatives. To be sure, Africa  a dynamic region with great resilience, high aspirations, abundant resources, unbounded creativity, and plenty of ideas  should not rely on any foreign power for its political and economic future.



The fuse of prosperity and peace must be lit from within. But, because trade is the main engine of growth and socioeconomic development for African economies (all of which are small and open), and because the U.S. remains the world's dominant economic player, Africans are looking to the Biden administration to propose a new course.



To that end, the U.S. can reap major political and economic benefits by acting symbolically, strategically, and operationally. For starters, the Biden administration can set the tone for a new partnership with several costless overtures. Official statements acknowledging Africa's enormous contribution to human civilization and the urgent need for it to reclaim a prominent role in world affairs would convey respect and help change perceptions.



And a U.S. commitment to support permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council for the African Union, and to co-finance peacekeeping missions in the Sahelian region and the Lake Chad Basin would cement this.



At the strategic level, the U.S. should offer a new vision for its approach to the continent, shifting from a focus on geopolitical stakes and countering China, which led to disastrous results during the Cold War, to a true partnership based on mutually beneficial business relationships and delivering visible results. That means going beyond meager bilateral projects that aim only to plant an American flag.



For example, the U.S. should take a leadership role in ensuring that COVID-19 vaccines quickly make their way to Africa. This would be consistent with Biden's priorities and send a strong signal that the era of benign neglect is over.



For too long, the U.S. has been content to support any African dictator who offers cooperation in the fight against terrorism (or secure access to mineral extraction), on the grounds that doing so is necessary to prevent chaos. But this policy has failed: the U.S. has ended up with dictators and chaos at the same time.



Without falling into the self-righteous trap of pursuing regime change, the Biden administration should treat bad African leaders the way the U.S. treated communist autocrats in Eastern Europe. Moral clarity is of the essence.



Finally, at the operational level, renewed pragmatism toward Africa could deliver quick and valuable wins. The first task should be to de-politicize the macroeconomic policies promoted by international institutions and development banks where the U.S. dominates.



African monetary policies should be open to domestic intellectual and policy debates, just as they are in other parts of the world. Similarly, African strategies for fiscal policy, financing, and debt management should reflect current knowledge, not old static accounting orthodoxies.



With these considerations in mind, a first bold objective for the Biden administration would be to set a target date for ending U.S. foreign aid to Africa, with the goal of replacing the current politicized bilateral aid instruments with new trade finance and facilitation programs.



Second, America could improve its standing in Africa by recognizing that its distortionary agricultural subsidies negatively affect global prices for many commodities, thereby lowering growth rates in Africa. By reforming its own agricultural financing, the U.S. could trigger similar positive policy changes across OECD countries, as well as encourage African industrialization  all of which would benefit both America and Africa.



Third, engagement by the U.S. with China, the European Union, Japan, India, and public and private financiers would help to de-risk investment in Africa and facilitate financing for productive infrastructure. By targeting sectors where African countries have a comparative advantage (agroindustry, light manufacturing, and cultural and creative industries), and by supporting the construction of special economic zones and industrial parks, the U.S. can help stimulate global demand, generate growth, and create employment in Africa and advanced economies alike.



Finally, collaborating with private investors to build first-rate educational and cultural institutions in Africa would strengthen America's soft power there. The best response to China's export of Confucius Institutes is not Sinophobic rhetoric, but concrete action to foster learning and knowledge accumulation in Africa.



The new U.S. administration cannot rely on symbolism alone. Strategically and operationally, too, a new relationship with Africa requires a cooperative framework that embodies the principles of dignity and mutual respect.





Celestin Monga, a former managing director at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and a former senior economic adviser at the World Bank, is visiting professor of public policy at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. His article was distributed by Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).


Appointment

1 February 2021

Nicole Willems will start as General Manager at Designhotel Maastricht on 1 February. The hotel, located in the special district "Wyck", with its 105 unique rooms, is the ideal base for visiting historic Maastricht. Nicole Willems was born and raised in Maastricht and has developed as a true hospitality expert during her career. In her previous position as Regional Director Revenue Management at NH Hotel Group, Willems was responsible for the 'Revenue Management' department for 20 hotels across the Netherlands and Germany.

Love for the profession and the city

The COO of Eden Hotels, Claire van Eeghen, says she is happy with the new General Manager of Designhotel Maastricht: "Eden Hotels stands for an authentic local experience for the guest and we make that promise with Nicole as a real Maastrichtian and of course with the very loyal team absolutely true. In addition to her experience within the hospitality industry, Nicole brings a lot of knowledge of revenue management and entrepreneurship. " After her education at the Hotel Management School in Maastricht, Nicole Willems held various positions within NH group for 15 years. In addition to her last position as Regional Director Revenue Management, Nicole has gained experience in various hotel departments, including food and beverage, reservations, revenue and sales. In her new position as General Manager of the characteristic Designhotel Maastricht, Nicole can combine her love for hospitality and Maastricht. "I look forward to being at the helm of this hotel to welcome the guests together with the team and make them feel at home. Especially after the corona crisis, we will make this hotel sparkle again and we want our guests to have the optimal hotel experience. because that's what we're good at! " - according to Willems.

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, Feb 1 : To fund the Centre's massive FY22 spending target, the Centre has imposed an Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess on excise and customs duties.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget 2021-22 proposals to the Parliament, set the cess on petrol products, and certain imported items. This will come into immediate effect from February 2.

"There is an immediate need to improve agricultural infrastructure so that we produce more, while also conserving and processing agricultural output efficiently," she said.

"This will ensure enhanced remuneration for our farmers. To earmark resources for this purpose, I propose an Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) on a small number of items." The minister informed the Parliament that AIDC of Rs 2.5 per litre has been imposed on petrol and Rs 4 per litre on diesel.

Other duties and cess, have also been revised, consequent to the imposition of AIDC.

However, the minister maintained that there will not be any additional burden on the consumer.

"Consequent to imposition of AIDC on petrol and diesel, the basic excise duty and special additional excise duty rates have been reduced on them so that overall consumer does not bear any additional burden." "Consequently, unbranded petrol and diesel will attract basic excise duty of Rs 1.4, and Rs 1.8 per litre, respectively." Besides, the SAED on unbranded petrol and diesel shall be Rs 11 and Rs 8 per litre, respectively.

Similar changes have also been made for branded petrol and diesel.

On the customs duty side, the cess has been imposed on gold, and silver at 2.5 per cent, certain type of alcoholic beverages at 100 per cent, crude palm oil at 17.5 per cent, crude soyabean and sunflower oil at 20 per cent, and apples at 35 per cent.

Further, the cess will be applied on coal, lignite and peat at 1.5 per cent, specified fertilisers at 5 per cent, peas at 40 per cent, 'kabuli chana' at 30 per cent, 'Bengal gram' or chick peas at 50 per cent, lentil (masur) at 20 per cent and cotton at 5 per cent.

The next four years at the U.S. Department of Education are vitally important for the education of our nation. Miguel Cardona will probably be confirmed by the Senate and succeed Betsy DeVos as the next U.S. secretary of education, but whoever takes on the role will have a steep learning curve and a lot of work given the shortcomings of the previous administration.

DeVos-era policies were devastating and included efforts to shift money away from public schools serving low-income students, delay measures to address racial disproportionality in special education and discipline, and eliminate key student loan protections.

Cardonas tenure at the Education Department will be consequential given the current state of public education, public health and the economy. Although he is a former public school teacher, principal and Connecticut commissioner of education, he lacks higher education experience and has limited time working as a leader within state government. Thus, he will need to immediately hire a support staff with higher education and political experience, and draw on his administrative skills to manage the departments 4,400 employees and $68 billion budget.

His first order of business should be to immediately support K-12 schools and institutions of higher education managing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This means focusing on the millions of children across the U.S. who lack adequate access to broadband internet and devices that are absolutely critical to learning during a global pandemic. The Trump administration never effectively organized school reopening plans across states or sufficiently addressed the digital divide between the haves and the have-nots.

Cardona may want to take a look at how Title I money earmarked to support low-income students could be better utilized. Researchers have found that some federal education dollars for low-income students have flowed to larger, wealthier districts rather than smaller districts serving higher proportions of low-income students. Situations like this need to be examined and rectified.

On ExpressNews.com: Get the latest update on coronavirus and a tracking map of U.S. cases

Cardona will also need to respond to staffing shortages. The pandemic appears to be increasing rates of teacher and principal turnover across the country, which will further disrupt schools. To reduce stress placed on teachers and to use time and resources efficiently, some states have requested waivers from the U.S. Department of Education to stop high-stakes accountability for the school year. In Connecticut, Cardona sought to resume annual testing despite the pandemic. He will need to rethink high-stakes testing across the country because it typically requires all students and teachers to be physically present in class. It is also costly.

As states look to cut budgets, Cardona should expect to see a rise in the cost of higher education and a potential surge in predatory, for-profit colleges seeking to take advantage of the system. Rising costs will create a challenge for Cardona, as Biden campaigned on making community college free and covering the cost of four-year universities for families making less than $125,000 per year. The majority of the departments budget is actually dedicated to federal student aid. In a time of reduced budgets, Cardona must expand and improve the Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Teacher Loan Forgiveness programs. The programs have had implementation problems, which has meant many eligible borrowers have not had their debts erased.

The next four years will play a pivotal role in reshaping public education. The action this administration takes must undo troubling policies and address immediate needs related to the pandemic, which will require significant political maneuvering in a divided country.

The pandemic will eventually come to an end, and our schools and institutions of higher education will continue to need appropriate oversight and support to meet the many goals of our complex education system. Although his public school experience may not provide him with the experience to navigate D.C. politics, hopefully it will keep him grounded and focused on students when things get tough.

David DeMatthews is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin.
From left, actor Kim Young-kwang, director Kim Hyeong-ju and actress Lee Sun-bin pose during a press event for the film "Mission Possible" in Seoul, Monday. /Courtesy of Merry Christmas



By Kwak Yeon-soo



Action comedy film "Mission Possible" tells the story of a private detective teaming up with a secret agent to complete a secret mission.



In the upcoming film, Kim Young-kwang plays Woo Soo-han, who runs a private detective agency and gets embroiled in a dangerous operation after partnering with spy Yoo Da-hee (Lee Sun-bin).



Director Kim Hyeong-ju explained that the upcoming film has nothing to do with Hollywood's "Mission Impossible" series.



"I could have chosen a simpler title, but I thought Mission Possible best represents the genre and tone of the film. It would cost a lot of money to make something similar to Mission Impossible. I'd like the audience to understand that it's a separate creation," he said during a press event for the film, Monday.



On choosing action comedy for his debut feature, Kim said, "I've always liked fun movies with interesting premises such as Back to the Future and Indiana Jones. That's why I decided to make an entertaining movie that's fun to watch."



Actor Kim said he loved the script and thought it would be a great opportunity to combine goofy comedic moments and spectacular action sequences.



"I always act while reading the whole script from beginning to the end. What resonated with me was the fact that I could be part of the action and laughs. The script was fun and I really enjoyed acting out Woo Soo-han's character," he said.



The model-turned-actor revealed that he frequently used improvisation in the film while shooting comedic scenes, and performed action sequences without a stunt double.



"I ad-libbed a lot while shooting the comedic scenes, but the director wasn't too happy about it," he said. He also explained his decision to perform his own stunts, saying, "I performed stunts without a body double because the character's face kept showing and we didn't look similar at all."



The director added that it was hard to find a double body of similar height and body type to the model-turned-actor.



Actress Lee, who has performed impressive action sequences in her previous works such as "Okay! Madam" (2020) and "Rampant" (2018), said she enjoyed the crazy fight scenes and constantly worked on the nuances in her performance.



"I feel like a lot of the work I've done has been physically challenging. For this film, I performed action scenes with fresh props such as plastic bottles. I also wore a dress and heels when doing action scenes."



Director Kim said he chose Lee for the role of Da-hee because he was impressed with her filmography. "Lee has shown she has a wide spectrum of acting skills. There are scenes where an actress may feel embarrassed, but she was really cool about it. She has all the potential to become an action hero given that she's a great dancer."



"Mission Possible" will hit local theaters in February.


MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Nine people died after al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgents stormed a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu, battling security forces until the early hours of Monday, a police spokesman said.

A suicide car bombing on Sunday evening was followed by a shootout between al Shabaab militants and security forces at the Hotel Afrik.

"The operation is over now. Nine people including four attackers died and over 10 civilians were injured," Sadik Ali, told reporters from the scene and via Facebook.

The attack on a hotel in the heart of the heavily fortified city comes as Somali politicians wrangle acrimoniously over delayed elections and follows the withdrawal of around 700 U.S. military personnel last month.

The U.S. troops were largely supporting Somali special forces known as Danaab who are skilled at complex operations against high level al Shabaab targets.

They also enjoyed considerable support from the Americans, including air support and medical evacuations, and some Somali politicians have raised fears the pullout ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump could weaken the fight against al Shabab.

The insurgency has battled since 2008 to overthrow Somalia's internationally-backed central government and establish its rule, based on its own harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

It carries out regular gun and bomb attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere in Somalia.

It has also vowed to disrupt national elections, which were scheduled to begin in December but have been delayed after the opposition accused the president of packing the electoral board with his allies. Newly appointed legislators were meant to pick a president on Feb. 8, but even the elections for lawmakers have yet to be held.

Times of political turmoil have also traditionally provided a boost to the insurgency, as security chiefs may be ordered to concentrate on political rivals rather than al Shabaab.

Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble said in a statement that former military general Mohamed Nur Galal was among those killed in Monday's attack.

"I condemn the barbaric attack," he said. "General Mohamed Nur Galal will be remembered for his over 50 year role in defending the country."

(Reporting by Abdi Sheikh; Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Lincoln Feast, William Maclean)



Noted civil rights attorney John Brittain to present Lesar Distinguished Lecture

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill.  Noted civil rights attorney and law professor John C. Brittain will share his more than five decades of legal work next month when he presents the 2021 Hiram H. Lesar Distinguished Lecture hosted by the Southern Illinois University Carbondale School of Law.

Brittain will present Racial Awakening, Reckoning and Mindfulness in 2020 during the virtual presentation at 5 p.m. Feb. 10. The event is free and open to the public. This is the 23nd lecture in the series established to honor founding Dean Hiram H. Lesar.

Brittain will discuss issues of racial reckoning, economic uncertainty, political unrest and COVID-19. The Zoom meeting link will also be available on the lectures webpage.

Brittains experience includes serving as chief counsel and senior deputy director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Founded by President John F. Kennedy, the public interest legal organization based in Washington, D.C., enlists private lawyers in taking pro bono cases in civil rights-related issues.

Brittain was a member of the original legal counsel in Sheff v. ONeill, a landmark 1996 Connecticut school desegregation decision involving the Hartford school system. A former dean at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston and professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law, Brittain is a professor at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. In 2015, the Mississippi Center for Justice honored him as a "pioneering civil rights leader and esteemed law professor who has inspired a generation of young attorneys."

Brittain is a living legend, SIU School of Law Dean Camille Davidson said.

I am excited that he will share his journey with the Southern Illinois community, Davidson said. The audience will hear about his experiences as a civil rights attorney, law professor and former law school dean. I am certain that all who tune in to the lecture will be inspired by his words of wisdom.
Officials warned of hazardous driving conditions as the first major snowstorm of 2021 in Connecticut is expected to shut down the region over the course of a few days.

Sixteen to 24 inches of snow is expected to fall on the Danbury area beginning Monday and carrying over into Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. High winds could create additional trouble as Eversource has said it is preparing for the possibility of power outages in the coming days. There are few outages statewide as of around 12:30 p.m.

A total of 10 to 14 inches of snow was expected during the daytime hours Monday, according to the NWS with blustery conditions and winds in the 17 to 22 mph range, and gusts reaching 36 mph.

Lighter, drier snow is expected in the western part of the state, including in Danbury, Gov. Ned Lamont said during a press conference Monday morning.

If you did venture out this morning, head home now, he said. Head home while still you can.

Danbury is under level 2 snow emergency, meaning there is a parking ban and residents are urged to limit travel. Mayor Joe Cavo encouraged business owners to let their non-essential employees work from home.

This storm has the potential to produce very dangerous driving conditions in Danbury, he wrote in an alert to the community. Please take the necessary precautions and stay safe.

Most residents seemed to listen.

The traffic out in the outlying areas seems to be quieter, Cavo said as he drove home from City Hall around 12:40 p.m. Downtown, it was a little busier, but overall people are heeding the message.

The snow is expected to continue Monday night with 17 to 24 mph winds continuing, in addition to gusts around 39 mph. Overnight about 2 to 4 additional inches of snow are expected, the NWS reports. There are expected to be periods where about 2 to 4 inches of snow are falling per hour.

Gov. Ned Lamont issued a ban on all tractor trailers traveling on Interstate 84 beginning Monday and continuing until further notice due to hazardous conditions.

Crews working around the clock

Plow crews in throughout the Danbury area continue to clear snow from the roads Monday afternoon as the area braces for heavier bands of snow and higher wind speeds.

Storm response is going well, Bethel First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker said. The highway crews have made several passes on all roads, beginning before dawn this morning. All roadways are passable, but conditions are slippery and we advise people to stay home except for emergencies.

Redding public works crews began preparing for the snow storm late Sunday night and have continued working through the day, Public Works Director Jeff Hanson said. Hanson anticipates the department will continue working through the night.

Theres no way we can keep up with the snow coming down. When its snowing this hard, you really cant keep up with it, Hanson said.

Despite the heavy snowfall, crews continue to plow the roads, but by the time they finish one street, its already almost covered in snow again, Hanson said. The department deployed its 11 employees to hit the streets with plows and an additional five contractors are assisting their efforts.

Hanson said people are being smart, and staying off the roads. The only people he has seen driving around are those with plows, which is how it should be, Hanson said.

In Newtown, town offices and school buildings were closed on Monday to keep roads clear vehicles an allow road crews to tackle the storm.

Town employees were told to work from home, and town leaders asked residents who could work from home to do so.

In Newtown at noontime, public works trucks were out in force and residents were at home with power as heavy snow continued to blanket the region.

We are checking in with our DPW crews which are out keeping the roads clear, but wed like to keep people off the roads as much as possible so crews can do their work, Newtown First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said.

While they have not added to their plow crews, Bass said their staffing is well-maintained, and that theyve been preparing for the storm since Friday.

New Milford issued a parking ban, with a winter storm warning in effect until 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Please make sure that you give yourself plenty of time if you have to travel today, Bass wrote. Please make sure that you have given yourself plenty of distance between your vehicle and the plow truck as our plows are out plowing the town roads.

New Milford Mayor Pete Bass said there were a few minor accidents, but conditions are otherwise so far, so good. He is holding another Emergency Operation Command meeting at 3:30pm.

Other town leaders reported no major crashes or incidents.

So far, our snow removal efforts are going well, New Fairfield First Selectwoman Pat Del Monaco said early Monday afternoon.

Brookfield has crews working to clear, salt and sand the roads in regular eight to 10 hour shifts, and Dunn said the town lined up back-up workers in case COVID diagnoses left crews with fewer people available to work.

Were in very, very good shape that way, Dunn said.

Brookfield Town Hall will be closed Monday with employees working from home, he said. However, with roughly half of regular employees already working from home due to the pandemic, the change should not disrupt normal functioning, he said.

In Sherman, public works crews are ready to work around the clock, if necessary, First Selectman Don Lowe said.

So far they have been clearing and sanding roads, doing an excellent job, he said Monday afternoon. We have had no emergencies yet.

Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi said residents have generally been playing it safe during the storm and staying in, which has allowed the public works department to keep clearing roads and streets. With no power outages reported so far, Marconi said he hopes it continues to be a quiet snow day.

Crews in Danbury are keeping at least a lane open on roads and will eventuallylikely Tuesday push the snow back further to the curb, Cavo said.

The city has 38 big plow trucks, some smaller dump trucks, about 10 plows from the parks department and two plows from the fire department clearing roads, Cavo said. Another six trucks clear public buildings.

Everybody that can be working is out there working, he said.

He is unaware of any crew members out due to COVID-19 illness or exposures.

Outages

The only 17 Eversource power outages in the state are from a downed tree and wires blocking Route 37 near the New Fairfield and Sherman line. Sixteen of the customers live in Sherman and one lives in New Fairfield.

We have crews there and there is currently no estimated restoration time, Eversource spokesman Mitch Gross said around 2 p.m. Monday.

The fallen tree near Hardscrabble Road was reported around 11:20 a.m., Gross said.

But local officials expect outages to become a greater issue later in the day as wind speeds pick up.

The snow is expected to lighten during the day Tuesday, eventually tailing off. Travel is expected to be difficult to impossible late Monday into the evening, along with scattered downed tree limbs and blizzard conditions possible the NWS stated.

Eversource said it is staging power line crews around the state, expecting to be busy in the coming days with potential outages.

Weve been watching this storm for days and will adjust our plan accordingly, Eversource President of Regional Electric Operations Craig Hallstrom said in a statement. The forecasts call for large amounts of snow and high winds, which may make travel conditions challenging for the crews...We also remind customers that restorations may take longer as we ensure the safety of our employees and customers while continuing to work under the challenging conditions related to the pandemic.

In preparation for potential outages, Bass said the town is in contact with their Eversource department liaison.

Were ready in case those heavy winds do come, he said.

In a message to the community, Bass urged residents not to touch downed power lines and to report outages to Eversource.

Residents heed warnings

In Danbury, residents scrambled Sunday to get their cars off the street and into the Patriot Parking Garage, which is open for free through the storm. Word started getting around social media Sunday night that the city was calling out tow trucks to clear the roads for plows.

All vehicles must be off all city streets, as per the (Level 2 snow emergency) ordinance, said Danbury police Sgt. John Krupinski on a Facebook video message Sunday night. The Danbury police department will begin towing any vehicle on any city street so that public works will be able to clear the streets of snow.

Krupinski said the Danbury would only tow as a last resort.

Some residents reported on social media that police officers were blasting sirens as warning signals for residents to move their cars.

We do not want to tow one vehicle on one city street if this can be helped, Krupinski said. We want to work with you, so please help us help public works to keep our streets safe.

Police have used the PA system in the past to alert residents, Cavo said. Informing residents on Sunday afternoon, rather than early Monday morning, gave more people time to move their cars, he said.

But it remains a challenge to get residents to follow the citys ordinance against pushing snow onto the road.

On Cavos ride home, he saw a resident blow snow from the driveway into the street, all the way into the other travel lane. Cavo paused his conversation with a Hearst Connecticut Media reporter.

You cant put the snow in the street, he called to the resident. Its against the law to put the snow in the street.

Cancellations

The weather shut down COVID-19 vaccination clinics throughout the area. Ridgefield and Danbury canceled Tuesdays vaccine clinics. The health departments plan to reschedule with those who have appointments.

Nuvance Health closed its vaccine clinics on Monday through noon on Tuesday at Danbury and Norwalk hospitals. The clinic at New Milford Hospital was not affected because it is not normally open on Mondays or Tuesdays. Sharon Hospitals clinic is closed all day Monday and Tuesday because it is normally closed in the afternoons.

Patients will receive a cancellation email from the Vaccine Administration Management System. Steps for how to reschedule will be included in the email, although new appointments cannot yet be set, Nuvance said.

Due to the scheduling systems and clinic capacity, we cannot reschedule your appointment for you or add new clinic hours at this time, Nuvance Health said on its website. We apologize for this inconvenience.

The health system, which includes seven hospitals in Connecticut and New York, told patients not to worry if they need to schedule their second dose because that can be administered up to six weeks after the first.

We understand it may be disappointing to have to reschedule your appointment, Nuvance said. However, your safety is paramount to us.

The Pomperaug District Department of Health, which covers Southbury, Oxford and Woodburys, canceled vaccinations for Monday and Tuesday have been canceled due to the snowstorm.

Appointments were canceled for those over 74 at The Greens Condominium in Oxford and the Woodbury Senior Center on Monday and Tuesday.

We are working on rescheduling appointments for next week, same day same time for each, said Neal Lustig, health director.

Brookfield still plans to hold a clinic to distribute 100 doses of the COVID vaccine on Thursday, and Dunn said theres a possibility that they will hold another clinic on Friday, pending the receipt of an extra 100 doses.

New Milford has not made any changes to its vaccine clinic schedule, Bass said. But the town should have an official update from the health department Tuesday.

Schools closed or moved to distance learning on Monday. Bethel, Ridgefield and Newtown were among the districts to close, while Brookfield, New Milford and Region 12 expected students to sign onto their computers for distance learning.

Dunn said the virtual Board of Selectman meeting for Monday is still on, but theyre considering rescheduling the special town meeting on Tuesday which was set to approve the $3.6 million fourth phase of its Four Corners streetscape project. A final decision on that meeting will be made later Monday to give residents enough time to plan.

Cavo expects Danbury City Council to hold its 7:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting over Zoom, unless there are power outages.

Staff writers Currie Engel, Julia Perkins, Rob Ryser, Shayla Colon and Kendra Baker contributed to this report.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, has explained why there is delay in processing applications for official transcripts at the institution.

He said there were several challenges involved in the processing transcripts and other related documents, hence, the delay.

Mr Ogundipe, a professor, spoke at an online meeting of the North American chapter of the institutions alumni association held on Sunday.

Members of the association had decried the difficulty and delay involved in acquiring an official transcript from the institution.

They said the delay had affected most of them, saying it had cost them great opportunities.

Mr Ogundipe, who was present at the meeting, said it was discovered that there were about 2,000 cases of unavailable results which ranged from the 2008/2009 session down to the first graduating session.

Following this discovery, it became pertinent to resuscitate the Taskforce on unavailable result, he said.

The VC said the taskforce had already assisted in recovering over 1,000 results.

He listed some of the problems associated with the unavailable results as unclassified graduating session, wrong classification of degree, one unavailable semester result, and two or more unavailable results.

Others, he said, include result not approved, unavailable results for Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) and SANDWICH programmes, and inconsistent date of birth.

The Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), which was established by the Senate of the University in 2009 to coordinate all the undergraduate degree programmes, runs on a part-time basis in the various faculties of the university.

The SANDWICH programme is an evening programme that runs during the period when full-time students are on holidays or long vacation which is sometimes around July/August to November/December. The programme runs for five years.

Every week, we get nothing less than two reports from EFCC, ICPC, and others so if you falsify your date of birth, you should know there are consequences, he said.

The VC also said the university lacked several pieces of equipment such as computers, printers, metallic file cabinets, an uninterrupted internet facility, and office space for storage.

He,however, said the aforementioned equipment had all been provided and taken care of, besides the storage space because the office is not large enough.

We have gotten new computers which should be installed before the end of the week. We received support from TETFUND, he said.

He said another major hindrance was the high cost of electricity supply which the federal government had provided a solution to, but noted the institution still had certain challenges.

The federal government has given us an Independent Power Plant (IPP) which can provide 8.02 megawatts out of the 8.03 that we consume per day, but the construction process is going on very slowly because of our environment. The wetlands are not favourable, he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

He said the phase one of the sand-filling had just been completed whereas other universities that received the IPP had almost completed construction.

He said another challenge was the fact that any income generated by the university has to go into the Treasury Single Account which is unfavourable for them.

He said the National Assembly frequently summons them to question their expenditure and to reprimand them if any money is spent without their approval.

He said this was particularly discouraging because in the end,the amount of money allocated to federal universities is not enough for all their operations.

I know a federal university that last had electricity supply in April last year because they could not keep up with the high electricity cost, he said.

These are the things we go through The issue of transcript is not isolated from other pressures in the university, he said.

Procedure for Student Copy Transcripts

The Vice-Chancellor also broke down the process involved in acquiring a student copy transcript.

He said graduates, who left the institution from 2010 academic session till date, can get their student copy transcripts generated and dispatched within one to three days.

For graduates who have processed transcripts before, transcripts are generated and dispatched within one to three days, he said.

He said for graduates who completed their programmes from 2009/2010 and below, their transcripts are generated manually.

Mr Ogundipe then gave a breakdown of how graduates could acquire their student copy transcripts.

In response to some of our students requesting to have unofficial transcripts, a platform was created for students within the 2010/2011 academic session to date, to access student copy transcripts, he said.

He said they would first log in to the student portal on the university website: www.unilag.edu.ng and then click on Academic Transcript  Student Copy link.

Once programme is selected, the student will be required to make a payment of N1, 000 online or generate a payment advice and make payment at any accredited commercial bank in Nigeria, he said.

He said that once payment is made, the transcript will be sent to the students email address as an attachment.

Developments

Mr Ogundipe also said the university was making developments that will make the procurement of transcripts quicker and easier.

The first, he said, is the introduction of a Legacy Digital Platform.

In order to ensure that students whose results were not generated via the premier platform have access to students copy, a legacy digital platform has been created to accommodate all transcripts that have ever been prepared from inception till the 2008/2009 academic sessions, he said.

He said the upload of these transcripts was about eighty percent completed.

The VC said the completion affords all fresh requests for transcripts within the aforementioned academic years to be processed on the platform.

This affords graduates who process fresh transcripts within this cohort to have access to student copy transcript, he said.

Mr Ogundipe also said the university was working on capturing and digitizing old/hard copy results.

It is expected that when fully developed, all the hard copy results from the 2008/2009 academic session to the first graduating class of the university will be digitized in phases, he said.

The VC said seventy percent of transcript requests are processed to the World Education System (WES) to provide a more efficient and effective system of processing transcripts forwarded to WES, adding that UNILAG is at an advanced stage in the modalities to process e-transcript to WES.

We have conducted a successful upload test on the interface provided by WES. Once we fully integrate the e-transcript to the WES interface, there will be no need for a second-level verification from the body, he said.
[February 01, 2021] Ceridian to Acquire Ascender, a Leading Human Capital Management Provider Across 30 Countries in Asia Pacific Japan

SYDNEY, Australia, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ceridian (NYSE: CDAY; TSX: CDAY), a global leader in human capital management (HCM) technology, today announced it has entered into a definitive share sale agreement to acquire Ascender, a leading payroll and HR solutions provider in Asia Pacific Japan (APJ). Together with Ascender, Ceridian will provide the most comprehensive payroll and human capital management solutions in the region. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021.

The acquisition of Ascender will strengthen our leadership in the APJ region, accelerate our global growth strategy, and deliver even greater value to our customers, said David Ossip, Chairman and CEO, Ceridian. I look forward to welcoming the Ascender team to Ceridian and to working together on our shared vision to create exceptional employee experiences. The combination of Ascender with Ceridian will be tremendous news for our employees, customers, and partners, who will benefit from Ceridians global scale and award-winning Dayforce platform. Were committed to helping our customers successfully navigate the future of work as we embark on a new chapter within the Ceridian family, said Andrew Wilson, CEO, Ascender. Ascender provides more than 1,200 global brands with leading payroll and HR capabilities. As a premier HCM provider in the region, Ascender has deep industry expertise across all verticals, including higher education and government, as well as a strong partner ecosystem. With this acquisition, Ceridian will serve a combined 1,500 customers and 2.5 million employees across 30 countries in the region, including Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The Ascender acquisition will support Ceridians proven track record of successfully bringing value-driven organizations into the company. Previously, Ceridian acquired Excelity Global, a Singapore-based leading HCM provider, and RITEQ, an Australia-based leading enterprise workforce management provider. With the acquisition,?Ceridian will have the opportunity to deliver additional value to Ascenders customers through the Dayforce platforms full-suite HCM capabilities, including workforce management, payroll, and time and attendance. APJ is the fastest growing region for payroll and HCM, and Ceridian is uniquely positioned to support organizational leaders driving transformation in todays rapidly changing world, said Stephen Moore, Head of Asia Pacific Japan, Ceridian. We look forward to serving more customers in the region with Ceridians award-winning products and expanding the breadth and depth of our leadership team. Goldman Sachs & Co LLC, PwC, and Minter Ellison are serving as advisors for Ceridian on the acquisition. Morgan Stanley, Gilbert + Tobin, Ernst & Young, and PwC are serving as advisors to Ascender. Ascender is backed by a private equity consortium ld by Potentia Capital and 5V Capital, which acquired the company in 2015.



About Ceridian

Ceridian. Makes Work Life Better. Ceridian HCM Holding Inc. (Ceridian or the Company) (NYSE:CDAY) (TSX:CDAY)?is a global human capital management software company. Dayforce, our flagship cloud HCM platform, provides human resources, payroll, benefits, workforce management, and talent management functionality. Our platform is used to optimize management of the entire employee lifecycle, including attracting, engaging, paying, deploying, and developing people. Ceridian has solutions for organizations of all sizes. Visit? Ceridian.com ? or follow us? @Ceridian .

About Ascender Ascender serves more than 1.3 million employees throughout Asia Pacific Japan with Payroll and Human Capital Management platforms. With more than 900 dedicated professionals across 31 countries, Ascender services a diverse range of clients payroll requirements through leading technology and innovative processes. Today, more than 1,200 global brands and listed companies trust Ascender to meet their payroll and HR needs. Ascender is backed by a private equity consortium led by Potentia Capital.

About Potentia Capital Potentia Capital is Australias leading private equity investment firm focused exclusively on technology, tech-enabled services, and software businesses. The team is one of the most experienced in the Australian private equity market, having deployed over $2 billion in capital across more than ten investments in the technology sector globally. More information on Potentia can be found at (http://www.potentiacap.com/) Forward-Looking Statement and Risk Factors This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements regarding the acquisition discussed in the press release and our expectations, hopes, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Because such statements are based on expectations as to the future and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This press release should be read in conjunction with the risks detailed in the Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information, Forward-Looking Statement, Risk Factors and other sections of Ceridians Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Annual Reports on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investor Relations contact:

Jeremy Johnson

1-844-829-9499

investors@ceridian.com Media contact:

Teri Murphy

1-647-417-2117

teri.murphy@ceridian.com



[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
After much anticipation, the Budget day is finally here. It is yet to be seen if Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stands true to her promise of 'delivering a budget like never before', but she certainly started the eventful day with something fresh, a made in India tablet instead of the 'bahi-khata'.

The Finance Minister was seen holding a red tablet instead of the 'bahi-khata' that she was seen with in the last budget. This year for the first time, the Union Budget will be paperless. Thus, the move to a tab.

The tab has been placed inside a red cover with emblem Ashok Stambh embossed on it in golden, bearing a semblance with Bahi Khata.

Sitharaman in her first budget in 2019 broke the tradition of carrying a leather briefcase that had been for decades used for carrying budget documents.

The tradition of carrying the Budget briefcase was handed over by the British, and a copy of the 'Gladstone box' that is used in the British budget. Nirmala Sitharaman was the first Finance Minister to defy the tradition to carry her papers in a bahi khata.

Also read: Budget 2021: Expectation for salaried persons in income tax slab

Also read: Budget 2021: Govt likely to announce new national bank to finance infra projects
Children of all ages can completely bypass age verification measures to sign-up to the worlds most popular social media apps including Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, Skype and Discord by simply lying about their age, a study by researchers at Lero, the Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software has found.

And even potential age verification solutions identified by the research team can be easily sidestepped by children, according to the teams most recent study: Digital Age of Consent and Age Verification: Can They Protect Children?

Lead researcher Leros Dr Liliana Pasquale, assistant professor at University College Dublins School of Computer Science, said children could easily bypass the mechanisms adopted by apps to verify their age.

This results in children being exposed to privacy and safety threats such as cyberbullying, online grooming, or exposure to content that may be inappropriate for their age, she added.

The study which examined Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, HouseParty, Facebook, WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger, Skype, Discord apps scrutinised age verification procedures in April 2019 and repeated it in April 2020  it found all ten apps permitted users, regardless of age, to set up accounts if they first gave their age as 16.

Dr Pasquale said the widespread use of age of 13 as the minimum age for accessing social media services derives from the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), effective in the USA since 2000. Europes General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires children below the age of digital consent (13-16) to have verifiable parental consent for the processing of their data.

EU member states are also free to set a different digital age of consent, between 13 and 16 years, leading to a range of age limits across Europe. For example, Ireland, France, Germany and The Netherlands have opted for 16, while Italy and Spain have set the age at 14; while the UK, Denmark, and Sweden have set the age at 13.

Our study found that while some apps disabled registration if users input ages below 13, but if the age 16 is provided as input initially then none of the apps require a proof of age. Providing mechanisms that deter a user from installing an app on a device on which they have previously declared themselves to be underage is currently one of the most sensible solutions not to incentivise users to lie about their age, Dr Pasquale said.

The team looked at existing age recognition techniques using biometrics such as speech recognition and fingerprint characteristics as possible solutions to implement more robust age verification mechanisms. However, these were also found to have limitations with speech recognition, for example, easily bypassed by playing voice recordings.

Dr Pasquale said their study found existing data protection regulations to be ineffective.

In reality, the application of substantial financial penalties was the main trigger for app providers to implement more effective age verification mechanisms. Based on our study and on our survey of biometrics-based age recognition techniques, we propose a number of recommendations to app providers and developers, she said.

Recommendations:

Clarify the minimum age and treatment of data:

Existing apps should ensure that a clear, concise and age-appropriate summary of the relevant parts of the apps ToU (terms of use) is displayed to users who sign-up and declare their age to be under 18.

Enable the most restrictive privacy settings:

Apps should apply the most restrictive privacy settings by default for any user that declares themselves to be under the age of 18. For example, photos, posts and messages should only be shared with friends, location data should not be collected at all. It should also not be possible to override privacy settings without explicit parental consent.

Encourage users not to lie about their age:

Despite the presence of a minimum age requirement, many underage users continue to use social and communication apps. Users must be incentivised to be honest about their age, with minimal data collected. Providing mechanisms that deter a user from installing an app on a device on which they have previously declared themselves to be underage is currently the most sensible solution and the hardest to circumvent.

Implement Robust Age Verification Mechanisms:

Where a minimum age requirement is in place, it should be backed up by appropriate age verification mechanisms. Using age recognition techniques based on biometrics factors, such as facial features, may not be sufficient considering that these can be circumvented. Age verification should be an ongoing process that does not terminate after sign-up, to assess whether a user lied about his/her age at the moment of sign-up, to counteract evasion measures.
Fatimah Khan of Midland is a senior at Dow High School, who will graduate in May. She is also dual-enrolled at Delta College.

During her free time she enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends and volunteering at MidMichigan Medical Center.

Through a project at school, she eventually created a sweet way to connect with the community.

When she was a sophomore at Dow High an assignment in her marketing class called for starting a business and then donating the profits.

So Khan and fellow classmate Nicole Peters decided to make and sell chocolate-covered pretzels. As part of their assignment they called their venture PK Pretzels.

Through that opportunity, Khan and Peters earned $1,200, which was donated to a local youth in Midland who was fighting cancer.

But the assignment turned into another opportunity for Khan.

It was super fun and very exciting, Khan said. As we were finishing, some of my moms friends and other people were commenting about it and there was a lot of interest, so in June of 2019 I started Chocoletzle.

Through Chocoletzle she continued selling chocolate-covered pretzels, later adding truffles and a few more treats.

In April of 2020, things slowed down due to the pandemic, she said. One random day I made a cake for a friend of my moms who was sick. I made her a strawberry cake. Then I got an e-mail from her saying it was amazing and the best cake she ever had. So I added cakes for Mothers Day and since then, cakes have been super popular.

A few months later, another friend of her mothers ordered 100 white chocolate raspberry cupcakes. After that, business has remained steady.

For Khan, Chocoletzle provided something more.

To me this is so much more than just strictly a business. Its building bridges and connections and giving back to our community, she said. Over the past four years, and even before that, being a Muslim in America has been a difficult thing because of the stereotypes. Through this I can build relationships with others and break barriers ... And through sharing our mutual love for something as simple as dessert, weve made a connection.

Khan is also active as a board member for Muslim Youth of Mid-Michigan. Her mother, Umbareen Jamil, is the current adviser for the group.

Jamil, a member of the Islamic Center of Midland, enjoys connecting with the community as well. She serves as co-director for Midland Area Interfaith Friends and as a board member for Midland County Foster Closet.

Giving back remains a priority for Khan.

Through Chocoletze I have the opportunity to give back to the community as much as I can, Khan said.

Last year, through the Islamic Center of Midland and Midland Area Interfaith Friends, Khan helped out with a project that assisted several residents of Sanford who were impacted by the dam failures and subsequent flooding.

I delivered cakes and desserts to put a smile on their faces; it was a really good experience, she said.

She has also donated baked goods to the Mom Prom.

Khans father, Khaled Khan is president of the Islamic Center of Midland and quality manager at SC Johnson of Bay City.

Fatimah Khan also serves as vice president of Dow High Key Club and as an executive board member for Dow High Student Leadership.

She plans on attending Central Michigan University in the fall and is interested in studying digital marketing.

For more information about Chocoletzle, which also offers vegan and gluten free options, visit chocoletzle.com.

For more information about contributing to local flood relief, call 989-948-1012 or email Islamic.society.of.midland@gmail.com.

(Mondays in Midland will appear in the Midland Daily News on the first and third Mondays of each month. This column will feature a brief portrait of people going about their daily lives. Whether they are front and center or behind the scenes, they make our day just by being where they are.)
The far-right Feuerkrieg Division was founded by a 13-year-old Estonian schoolboy, who calls for the 'rape of Christian nuns in Hitler's name,' from his bedroom in the Baltic former Soviet state.

The youngster, who cannot be named or prosecuted because of his age, has recruited followers from across the world, first in neighbouring countries such as Russia and Latvia, but with increasing membership from the UK, Canada and the USA.

The FKD is a white supremacist organisation that has called for a 'white jihad' against minority groups including Jews, Muslims, gays and lesbian, religious leaders and the police.

Taking much of its ideology from notorious US neo-Nazi James Mason, the group honours some of the most notorious racist murders from recent times.

Earlier today a 16-year-old boy became the UK's youngest convicted terrorist after he admitted to offences that began as young as 13, including masterminding the British cell of FKD from his grandmother's cottage in Cornwall.

The 'Commander' of Feuerkrieg Division is a 13-year-old Estonian boy, who cannot be named or prosecuted. The FKD has called for a 'white jihad' against a number of groups, including Jews, Muslims and the LGBT community

The boy, who cannot be named, admitted to 10 counts of possessing terrorist documents and two counts of distributing terrorist material earlier today. The court he answered only to the Estonian founder of the group, he has been dubbed the 'Commander'.

His conviction led to Neo-Nazi material being seized from another of his online recruits, which included a handbook and a mask, both covered with a Swastika.

FKD members have praised Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 Muslims in an attack on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, Dylann Roof who murdered nine black including a pastor in the Charleston shootings in South Carolina, USA in 2015, Anders Behring Breivik who shot dead 69 young members of a liberal political party including many from ethnic minorities on the Norwegian island of Utoya in 2011 and the notorious Uni-bomber Timothy McVeigh who murdered 168 and left 680 injured when he blew up a the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, USA, in 1995.

Operating via social media and using assumed names the group calls for the harm, kidnap and even execution of their enemies.

International anti-hate organisation, the Anti-Defamation League, reported: 'The ideology [of FKD] weaves the teachings and actions of James Mason, Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson, among others, into a tapestry of extreme hate.

'They refer to their calls for violence as holy war, which they term 'white jihad'.'

The FKD has praised shooters including Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 Muslims in an attack on mosques in New Zealand, Dylann Roof who murdered nine black people in Charleston in 2015, and Anders Behring Breivik who shot dead 69 young members of a liberal political party in Norway in 2011

ADL added: 'In private chats, FKD members discuss elaborate plans to target 'the system', including kidnapping, executing or otherwise harming others, while applauding previous deadly white supremacist attacks.'

The 13-year-old leader, who calls himself Commander FKD is said to have made called for the 'Rape [of] Christian nuns in Hitler's name, in one post.

ADL stated: 'Their current leader lives in Estonia, but the group's membership is increasingly American.'

The teenager has also shared the prison addresses of both Anders Breivik and Brenton Tarrant, so that the members could 'send Christmas and birthday cards' to them.

Leaked FKD communications revealed how members shared bomb-making techniques and encouraged each other to practice how to shoot and make weapons.

Some FKD members posted pictures of themselves with their faces covered with skull masks.

'They encourage each other to train, and of possible, practice with weapons' reported Estonia's Eesti Express newspaper.

The teenage leader even went on to list FKD's enemies in order of hate.

In one propaganda pamphlet issued online he outlined the list, which ran as:

Police officers, politicians, race traitors; Jews; Libertarians; Conservatives; Communists; Liberals; Furries (a subculture that enjoys dressing up as anthropomorphic animals, in some cases fetishising those animals); Negroes; Gays; Transgender people.

The teenager leader was identified by Estonia's secret service KAPO last year but under the country's legal system young children cannot be legally held responsible for so the youngster is being dealt with in other means.

KAPO spokesman Alar Ridamae said: 'These cases have to be treated by other legal means to protect the child from himself and also protect everybody else from a suspected threat.'

KAPO claim the most dangerous aspect of these so-called 'lone wolf' fanatics, was that they encouraged and pushed each other all over the world to commit atrocities.

KAPO spokesman Alar Ridamae said children and young people were especially at risk from online radicalisation.

He said: 'Extremists try to draw young people into their sphere of influence by mystery, concealment and rebellion.

Police seized Swastika-adorned materials after arresting members of the FKD based in the UK

This offensive material was collected by police from a member of the Feuerkrieg Division

'We would like to emphasise the role of parents, who have the first opportunity and primary obligation to notice the dangers.

'Unfortunately, in practice, there are cases where parents themselves have bought extremist literature for their children, which contributes to radicalisation.'

Alar Ridamae added several FKD members have been arrested in different countries but they did not cooperate with the authorities.

FKD members have been linked to criminal investigations around the world.

In February, an American member, who discussed setting fire to a Las Vegas synagogue, admitted to firearms offences.

During the same month, a US soldier linked to the group pleaded guilty to distributing information related to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction.

And in Lithuania, a teenage member is charged with leaving a bomb - which failed to explode - outside an office in its capital city last year.

Police said he was found in possession of bomb-making materials and an improvised firearm.
The Biden administration is reviewing whether to take away the ability of former President Donald Trump to receive classified security briefings as the former president in the wake of the Capitol riot.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki punted on the question when asked about a topic that also came up during the transition  but also confirmed Monday the administration was reviewing the matter.

'This is a good question,' said Psaki. 'It's something that's obviously under review.'

HE'S BEEN BRIEFED: The Biden administration is reviewing the policy where former President Trump has access to classified information and briefings

The review comes as Trump critics demand he be forced to relinquish some of the perks of power that follow a president even after he leaves office.

Former presidents get classified briefings by tradition  although not at the very highest levels reserved for the current officeholder.

In Trump's case, the briefings would go to a former president who failed to attend the inauguration and spent months claiming that he had 'won.' Trump's statement on his impeachment legal team over the weekend referred to him as the '45th president of the United States.'

Trump has a small staff that has been running out of Mar-a-Lago. Former presidents get a substantial office stipend, and Secret Service protection costing up to $1 million per year.

Trump reportedly disclosed classified security information to the Russians during an Oval Office meeting in May 2017

There were questions about whether Trump would keep his briefings even before the Capitol riot

IN THE KNOW: President Joe Biden gets briefed near-daily on the nation's most closely held secrets. But his administration is reviewing whether Donald Trump will get access to secrets

Trump's access to classified briefings was being questioned even before the Jan. 6 Capitol riot

Even Trump's adult children are getting Secret Service protection for the next six months, ABC News reported this month.

If the Senate were to convict Trump of 'incitement of insurrection' following his impeachment trial, it could also vote to strip him of his ability to hold future office. It is unclear what current perks, if any, would go away if he were convicted.

Trump caused an uproar during his 2017 meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and former ambassador to the U.S. Sergei Kislyak after it was reported he revealed highly classified information about ISIS in Syria to the U.S. adversary.

He gave up highly sensitive information from a U.S. ally, reported to be Israel, that resulted in the U.S. having to extract a top-level source inside the Russian government.

Trump also once tweeted out what appeared to be a classified photo of an Iranian nuclear installation. Trump said he had the power to declassify material.

All that preceded the Capitol riots, which followed Trump telling his supporters to 'fight' on the day Congress was counting the Electoral College vote.

Former Justice Department official Jack Goldsmith told NBC in November: 'This is not something that one could have ever imagined with other presidents, but it's easy to imagine with this one. He's shown as president that he doesn't take secret-keeping terribly seriously. He has a known tendency to disrespect rules related to national security. And he has a known tendency to like to sell things that are valuable to him."

Psaki also got asked Monday about whether the administration was benefitting from Trump being kicked off Twitter.

'This may be hard to believe, we don't spend a lot of time talking about or thinking about President Trump here  former President Trump, to be very clear,' she said. 'I can't say we miss him on Twitter.'
The Department of Health has confirmed that 1,247 new cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed in Ireland, 87 of which are in Cork, as of midnight last night.

An additional 15 Covid-19 related deaths have also been notified to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) today.

Of the confirmed new cases there are 430 in Dublin, 97 in Wexford, 87 in Cork, 84 in Limerick, 76 in Galway and the remaining 473 cases are spread across all other counties.

579 are men and 659 are women, with 60% under 45 years of age.

Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health this evening made a renewed appeal to employers to encourage their employees to work from home.

"There is an onus on employers to ensure that, in the first instance, staff are encouraged to work from home and in cases where that is not possible, that their workplaces are safe for staff and customers and in full compliance with infection prevention and control measures.

"The HPSC has comprehensive guidance on outbreak management and infection prevention control measures that every employer should be familiar with and activating on their premises.

"I encourage all employers and managers to review their workplaces and ensure they have effective measures in place," he said.

As of 2pm today, 1,516 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 211 are in ICU.

There were 39 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

So far there have been a total of 196,547 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland and a total of 3,307 Covid-19 related deaths.
The King of Queens is heading down south.

Kevin James splashed out $14million to purchase a massive, six-bedroom South Florida oceanfront estate, according to the New York Post.

The 55-year-old comedian had his eye on the impressive mansion and was able to score a deal on the palatial pad, which was initially listed for $15,950,000 through famed real estate company Douglas Elliman.

Wow! Kevin James splashed out $14million to purchase a massive, six-bedroom South Florida oceanfront estate, according to the New York Post

Randall Stofft Architects along with Stofft Ikasu Interiors and a team of engineers completely renovated, redesigned and upgraded this oceanfront estate, according to property reports.

'Stofft restyled the exterior to a beautiful significant coastal residence which has become a wonderful addition to the Delray Beach oceanfront,' the listing stated.

The 18,906-square-foot oceanfront property overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and is situated in a highly-coveted area north of Boca Raton.

Impressive: The 55-year-old comedian had his eye on the mansion and was able to score a deal on the palatial pad, which was initially listed for $15,950,000 through famed real estate company Douglas Elliman.

Fun: Rooms are easily accessible via an elevator, which provides access to a recreational room and a wine cellar

Eye for design: Randall Stofft Architects along with Stofft Ikasu Interiors and a team of engineers completely renovated, redesigned and upgraded this oceanfront estate, according to property reports

'Stofft restyled the exterior to a beautiful significant coastal residence which has become a wonderful addition to the Delray Beach oceanfront,' the listing stated.

His new home features lush landscaping surrounding the property with a five-car garage attached to the main home.

The contemporary abode is sleek and stylish with high ceilings adding even more light to the airy floor plan, which was completely furnished by Artefacto.

'The interior spaces and finishes have been redesigned and totally upgraded to give this residence a fresh classic contemporary feel,' the listing stated.

Decor: The contemporary abode is sleek and stylish with high ceilings adding even more light to the airy floor plan, which was completely furnished by Artefacto

Big time: The 18,906-square-foot oceanfront property overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and is situated in a highly-coveted area north of Boca Raton

New neighbors: Kevin joins Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner as new residents in the area

Rooms are easily accessible via an elevator, which provides access to a recreational room and a wine cellar.

Outdoor entertaining is easy with a built-in grill on the patio near a heated pool just steps away from the ocean.

The property also includes a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest house.
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.
Hezbollah said it downed an Israeli drone on Monday.

The Lebanese military and political organization said it took down a drone above the town of Blida near the Israeli border, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar news outlet reported.

The Israeli military offered a different account of the incident, saying that a drone crashed on the border, according to the Associated Press.

Neither Hezbollah nor Israel offered more details.

Israel and Hezbollah are in a regular state of conflict on the border. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, opposes Israels existence. Israel views Hezbollah as a threat and regularly flies over Lebanon to strike its positions in neighboring Syria. Hezbollah, which calls itself the resistance, formed in 1985 to fight the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.

The two fought a major war in 2006 and have clashed on and off since then. In August, Hezbollah fired on Israeli troops on the border, prompting Israel to mount an aerial attack on Hezbollah targets.
Press Release

February 1, 2021 Senate OKs resolution to ratify treaty banning use of nuclear weapons The Senate today adopted a resolution expressing its concurrence to the ratification of a treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons (TPNW). Proposed Senate Resolution 620, introduced and sponsored by Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, was unanimously adopted with 23 votes. The resolution was co-sponsored by Sen. Risa Hontiveros and all other senators. "The Treaty further reinforces commitments against the use, threat of use, development, production, manufacture, acquisition, possession, stockpiling, transfer, stationing, or installation of nuclear weapons," Pimentel, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, said. He said highlights of the treaty include the prohibition to: Develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices;

Transfer to any recipient whatsoever nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices or control over such weapons or explosive devices directly or indirectly;

Receive the transfer of or control over nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices directly or indirectly;

Use or threaten to use nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices;

Assist, encourage or induce, in any way, anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Treaty;

Seek or receive any assistance, in any way, from anyone to engage in any activity prohibited under this Treaty; and

Allow any stationing, installation or deployment of any nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices in its territory or at any place under its jurisdiction or control. According to Pimentel, the treaty is the "first globally applicable multilateral agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons on the basis of international humanitarian law." He said, the Philippines is among the first states to sign the treaty, along with other 52 countries. As a signatory to the treaty, he said the Philippines has much to gain, including the TPNW's provisions on victim assistance and environmental remediation. He cited an environmental research that warned of a global climate cooling capable of adversely affecting food production for years even with a "limited regional nuclear war." The same research warned that a large-scale nuclear war could "create ice-age like conditions that might eliminate most of the human race." "Nuclear weapons do not discriminate. We cannot afford another nuclear arms race. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings in Japan are horrors that should never be repeated," Pimentel stressed. For her part, Hontiveros said nuclear weapons have "humanitarian and environmental consequences that span decades and cross generations." "The TPNW is groundbreaking and a step in the direction of creating an international norm of conduct. With 86 nations signing it and 52 so far ratifying it - perhaps we will be the 53rd - the collective voice of humanity is clear: nuclear weapons should be banned forever, as we have banned landmines and biological and chemical weapons," she said.
Trade Minister Damien OConnor speaking at the government's 'Fit for a Better World ' launch in Auckland, New Zealand on July 7, 2020. (Dave Rowland/Getty Images)

New Zealand Trade Minister Criticised for Running CCP Lines

Some Kiwi politicians have expressed concern that a diplomatic faux pas by the New Zealand (NZ) trade minister suits the political ends of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which seeks to pressure Australia by upgrading its trade deal with NZ.

NZ National Party MP Simon OConnor, who is a member of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, told Stuff.co.nz on Friday that Trade Minister Damien OConnor had shown a blindness to the situation when he said that Australia should follow NZs example and show respect to China.

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China is an international cross-party group of legislators working towards reforming how democratic countries approach China.

It suits the CCP to have a trade deal with New Zealand right now in order to increase pressure on Australia, the National MP said.

He added: For Damien to so loudly trumpet in the Australians faces suits the political end of the CCP.

The National MP also said his Australian counterparts in the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China believe that the minister was blatantly running CCP lines.

Some of it I wont be able to repeat, he said. They are very upset; they see it as a real slap in the face, poor timing, poor judgement.

Meanwhile, echoing OConnors concerns, fellow National MP Gerry Brownlee said the trade minister had overstepped diplomatic boundaries.

Brownlee noted that New Zealand was not in a position to determine if there was a conflict between Australia and China.

There has not been a time when New Zealand has not raised an issue of difference with China. OConnor is right that we do that respectfully, but we dont need to tell other people how to do it, Brownlee said. He should take his own advice and stick to his knitting.

NZ Trade Minister Damien OConnor initially made his comments on CNBCs Squawk Box Asia program on Jan. 27.

He said: I cant speak for Australia and the way it runs its diplomatic relationships, but clearly if they were to follow us and show respect, I guess a little more diplomacy from time to time and be cautious with wording; then they too could hopefully be in a similar situation.

The trade ministers office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks to media during a press conference at Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, on Aug. 17, 2020. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

The Ardern government has attempted to smooth over diplomatic relations with her trade minister issuing a statement saying he had spoken to Dan Tehan, his Australian counterpart.

According to OConnor, he reiterated to Tehan that NZ does not speak for Australia on this or any other matter, The Australian reported.

The Australia-China relationship will always be a matter for China and Australia, OConnor said.

Tehan, for his part, reiterated the strong bilateral relationship Australia has with NZ.

Confirming OConnors statement on ABC Weekend Breakfast on Jan. 31, Tehan thanked OConnor for the call and noted that both ministers are scheduled to meet in the coming week for a bilateral meeting.

Our friendship is, obviously, an incredibly strong one, and our trading relationship is an incredibly strong one, so I look forward to working cooperatively with him, Tehan said.

We all pursue our national interests according to our own interests, and New Zealand does that, Australia does that, and the best thing that we can do is make sure that we understand that each nation pursues its interests according to whats best for that nation and thats what he said in his clarifying tweet.
Dispirited by the lack of change and what she called the complacency of many peers, she reformed the NAACP Youth Council in 1954 and urged her young charges to take greater stands against segregation. When 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus in March 1955, many Black Montgomerians were outraged by Ms. Colvins arrest, but some came to decide that the teenager was too feisty and emotional, and not the right test case. Mrs. Parks encouraged the young womans membership in the Youth Council and was the only adult leader, according to Ms. Colvin, to stay in touch with her the summer after her arrest. Mrs. Parks put her hope in the spirit and militancy of young people.

The day Mrs. Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus, she challenged the police officers arresting her: Why do you push us around? There are no photos from the arrest  no sense this would be a history-changing moment. But networks that had been built over years sprang into action late that night when Mrs. Parks decided to pursue her legal case and called Fred Gray, a young lawyer and fellow NAACP member, to represent her. Mr. Gray called the head of the Womens Political Council, Jo Ann Robinson, who decided to call for a one-day boycott on Monday, the day Mrs. Parks would be arraigned in court.

Braving danger, Ms. Robinson left her home in the middle of the night to run off 50,000 leaflets with the help of a colleague and two trusted students. In the early-morning hours, the women of the W.P.C. fanned out across the city, leaving the leaflets in churches, barbershops and schools. Mr. Nixon began calling the more political ministers to get them on board. Buoyed by the boycotts success that first day, the community decided to continue. The boycott succeeded in part because the Black community organized a massive car pool system, setting up some 40 pickup stations across town, serving about 30,000 riders a day, and in part because of a federal legal case challenging Montgomerys bus segregation that Mr. Gray filed in February with courageous teenagers, Ms. Colvin and Mary Louise Smith, serving as two of the four plaintiffs.

The boycott seriously disrupted city life and bus company revenues. The police harassed the car pools mercilessly, giving out hundreds of tickets  and then, when that didnt work, the city dredged up an old anti-syndicalism law and indicted 89 boycott leaders. Refusing to be cowed or to wait to be arrested, Mrs. Parks, along with others, presented herself to the police while scores of community members gathered outside. Mug shot No. 7053.

The Rosa Parks fable also erases the tremendous cost of her bus stand and the decade of suffering that ensued for the Parks family. They werent well-off. The Parkses lived in the Cleveland Court projects, Mrs. Parkss husband, Raymond, working as a barber at Maxwell Air Force Base and Mrs. Parks spending her days in a stuffy back room at Montgomery Fair department store altering white mens suits. Five weeks after her bus stand, she lost her job; then Raymond lost his. Receiving regular death threats, they never found steady work in Montgomery again. Eight months after the boycotts successful end, the Parks family was forced to leave Montgomery for Detroit, where her brother and cousins lived. They continued to struggle to find work, and she was hospitalized to treat ulcers in 1959, which led to a bill she couldnt pay. It was not until 1966, 11 years after her bus arrest, after she was hired to work in U.S. Representative John Conyerss new Detroit office, that the Parks family registered an income comparable to what theyd made in 1955. (Mrs. Parks had supported Mr. Conyerss long-shot bid for Congress in 1964.)
Robinhood Markets Inc.s user agreement is likely to protect the brokerage app from a barrage of lawsuits filed by customers after it blocked a frenzied trading rally in companies such as GameStop Corp. that was fueled on social media forums.

The owners of internet platforms where much of the discussion took place are likewise shielded from liability for users activity under a 25-year-old law known as Section 230.

At least a dozen proposed class action lawsuits accuse Robinhood of breaching its contract with customers when it restricted trading on Thursday.

Robinhoods users were at the center of this weeks wild rally in a handful of stocks that had been heavily shorted by hedge funds and championed by individual investors in online chatrooms including Reddits WallStreetBets.

The lawsuits, brought in federal court, allege that the Menlo Park, California-based company breached its contractual obligation as a regulated broker to execute orders promptly and effectively.

Attempts to sue brokers for mishandling customer accounts have generally been unsuccessful due to limits that federal securities law places on the filing of class actions.

However, Robinhood is not legally bound to carry out every trade and the lawsuits will not succeed without evidence the company restricted trading for an improper reason, such as to favor certain investors, according to several legal experts.

The user agreement on Robinhoods website says it may at any time, in its sole discretion and without prior notice to Me, prohibit or restrict My ability to trade securities.

Adam Pritchard, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, said the lawsuits are very unlikely to gain traction.

The contract says they can do it, Pritchard said of the companys decision to restrict trading. That seems to be a big stumbling block to the breach of contract claim.

Robinhood did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The popular commission-free trading platform had branded itself as an app to empower retail investors to take on Wall Street and democratize finance, and the trade restrictions sparked an uproar and claims of betrayal on social media.

Robinhood said the restrictions were necessary to comply with regulatory capital requirements and clearinghouse deposits, which it said fluctuate with volatility.

Suits Against Brokers

The lawsuits allege the restrictions benefited large funds that were allegedly invested in or allied with Robinhood.

But the customers are unlikely to clear preliminary court hurdles to get to the point where they can demand documents and depositions to investigate Robinhoods actions, said Ann Lipton, a professor at Tulane University Law School.

She said attempts to sue brokers for mishandling customer accounts have generally been unsuccessful due to limits that federal securities law places on the filing of class actions. For example, a federal judge in 2019 dismissed a proposed class action against TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. for allegedly mismanaging a tax feature of certain accounts.

The judge said TD Ameritrade customers failed to show the company broke promises or acted unfairly or in bad faith.

The lawsuits against Robinhood seek unspecified damages, including punitive damages, which presents another hurdle to the customers chances in court, according to experts.

It will be hard to prove users suffered as a result of Robinhoods measures because GameStop and other stocks covered by the curbs fell sharply on Thursday after the restrictions were announced, said James Cox, a professor at Duke Law School.

No harm, no foul, said Cox.

Some of the lawsuits said investors were harmed because they were unable to short GameStop, or speculate the stock would fall.

But some investment firms did take a big hit, and shares in the companies largely rebounded after Robinhood and other online brokerages said they planned to lift most of the restrictions on Friday.

Melvin Capital Management and Citron Capital had placed large bets GameStop would drop in price and suffered huge losses as the stock rallied.

While Reddit users stoked the rally, the message platform is insulated from claims by the investment funds.

Internet Liability

Social media companies are generally not liable for user activity under a statute commonly known as Section 230, a 1996 law that was aimed at encouraging new forms of communication at the outset of the online era.

In the early days of the internet, there were several high-profile cases in which companies tried to suppress criticism by suing the owners of platforms.

One involved a lawsuit against the early online service Prodigy by Stratton Oakmont, the brokerage firm depicted in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Wolf of Wall Street. The court found Prodigy was liable for allegedly defamatory comments by a user because it was a publisher that moderated the content on the service.

The budding internet industry was concerned that such liability would make a range of new services impossible. Congress ultimately agreed and included Section 230 in the Communications Decency Act.

The whole point of section 230 is to enable sites like Reddit to allow conversations to take place, said Eric Goldman, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.

Knowing that some conversations will be antisocial and in some cases illegal, section 230 says thats not the responsibility of the service that creates the venue of those conversations.

(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Additional reporting by Jonathan Weber; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Daniel Wallis)

Topics Lawsuits

Michelle Pfeiffer is open to reprising her role as Catwoman.

The 62-year-old actress, who played Selina Kyle/ Catwoman in Tim Burton's Batman Returns in 1992, hasn't ruled out donning the catsuit and claws once again and says she's just waiting to be asked.

During an interview with Screen Rant about her upcoming movie French Exit, Pfeiffer said: 'I would if anyone asked me, but no one's asked me yet.'

Waiting for the call: Michelle Pfeiffer has said she'd be open to playing Catwoman again but is just waiting to be asked

It follows news that Michael Keaton will be reprising his Batman role in DC's upcoming Flash movie which starts production in April.

And now that Pfeiffer has expressed interest in returning as Catwoman, fans will no doubt be hopeful that Warner Bros. will reach out to the Grease 2 actress and try and make a cameo happen.

The Flash project will introduce the concept of the DC multiverse, with different versions of the well known characters on screen together, including both Keaton and Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne.

In August, director Andy Muschietti explained how it was going to work.

Iconic: The 62-year-old actress, who played Selina Kyle/ Catwoman in Batman Returns in 1992, hasn't ruled out donning the catsuit and claws once again

During an interview with Screen Rant about her upcoming movie French Exit, Pfeiffer said: 'I would if anyone asked me, but no one's asked me yet.' She is pictured here January 25 2020

Talking to Vanity Fair, he said: 'This movie is a bit of a hinge in the sense that it presents a story that implies a unified universe where all the cinematic iterations that we've seen before are valid,' he said. 'It's inclusive in the sense that it is saying all that you've seen exists, and everything that you will see exists, in the same unified multiverse.'

Other actresses who have played Catwoman over the years include Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises in 2012) and Halle Berry (Catwoman, 2004).

More recently, Zoe Kravitz is set to play Catwoman in The Batman, set for release in 2022. Robert Pattinson will be taking on the role of The Caped Crusader.

Meanwhile, it's been revealed Pfeiffer turned down the chance to star in The Silence of the Lambs.

The actress passed on the chance to play Clarice Starling in the iconic 1991 horror movie  with the part going to Jodie Foster  and confessed that she was 'trepidatious' about the 'evil' featured in the acclaimed flick.

The actress recently revealed she passed on the chance to play Clarice Starling in the iconic 1991 horror movie Silence of the Lambs  with the part going to Jodie Foster  and confessed that she was 'trepidatious' about the 'evil' featured in the acclaimed flick

Michelle said: 'With Silence of the Lambs, I was trepidatious. There was such evil in that film. The thing I most regret is missing the opportunity to do another film with Jonathan (Demme).'

The Ant-Man and the Wasp star added that she was uncomfortable with the end of the movie as 'evil ruled out'.

Michelle told The New Yorker magazine: 'It was that evil won in the end, that at the end of the film evil ruled out. I was uncomfortable with that ending. I didn't want to put that out in the world.'
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.
Roseburg, OR (97470)

Today

Sunny to partly cloudy. High 83F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low near 50F. N winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
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

Ralphs and Food 4 Less have announced plans to close grocery stores in the city of Long Beach, in the wake of elected officials voting to require a temporary $4-per-hour pay bump for local grocery workers.

The grocery chains, both part of The Kroger Co., issued a statement on Monday saying two stores will permanently close on April 17. Ralphs will shut down its store at 3380 N. Los Coyotes Diagonal and Food 4 Less will close a location at 2185 E. South Street.

In the emailed statement, a company spokesperson laid blame for the closures squarely on Long Beach's city council.

"The irreparable harm that will come to employees and local citizens as a direct result of the City of Long Beach's attempt to pick winners and losers, is deeply unfortunate," the spokesperson said. "We are truly saddened that our associates and customers will ultimately be the real victims of the city council's actions."

GROCERY WORKERS UNION SAYS CLOSURES ARE 'RETALIATION'

A Ralphs spokesman said nearly 200 employees currently work at the two stores, and while some may be redirected to other locations, others may be laid off permanently.

Company officials described the two stores as "underperforming" and said the city's pay mandate left them with few options.

The local grocery workers' union argues the closures are meant as a form of corporate punishment toward workers demanding better pay during a raging pandemic.

"This is hostile retaliation against workers who have been on the frontlines since the beginning of the pandemic, going to work every day and taking tremendous risks," said Andrea Zinder, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers local 324.

The union said it is now exploring legal options to fight the company's decision. Zinder said grocery chain profits have soared as consumers switched from dining out to shopping at grocery stores for homemade meals.

"Kroger has benefited greatly from the pandemic at their workers' expense," Zinder said. "And now they're not willing to compensate the employees for the risks that they're taking."

INDUSTRY WARNS OF FURTHER LAYOFFS IF POLICY SPREADS

Officials with the city of Long Beach said in an emailed statement, "Kroger's decision is unfortunate for workers, shoppers and the company." The city plans to connect laid off employees with a program that aids workers in securing unemployment benefits and finding new job placements.

Long Beach's policy was crafted to last for 120 days, giving workers a temporary hourly raise in recognition of the increased risk they have faced as COVID cases surged across Southern California this winter. Other local governments are considering similar proposals, including L.A. County and the city of L.A.

The state's grocery industry has protested the pandemic pay policies, saying local officials are targeting grocers unfairly while ignoring other industries with public-facing workers. Industry leaders say L.A. County's proposal amounts to a 28% wage hike, which grocers could not afford without raising prices or reducing their workforce.

The California Grocers Association immediately sued the city of Long Beach over its ordinance, which is now in effect. A court hearing on whether or not to grant the industry a preliminary injunction is set for Feb. 19.
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.
Following his Korean drama "Start-Up," model and actor Nam Joo Hyuk is set to join Cha Tae Hyun and Jo In Sung in tvN's newest variety show "Unexpected Business."

The "Start-Up" star has been confirmed to be a guest in the forthcoming variety show "Unexpected Business," hosted by Korean superstars and real-life best friends Cha Tae Hyun and Jo In Sung.

Nam Joo Hyuk Goes aboard the "Unexpected Business"

According to a representative from the production team of the said show on Feb. 1, "Nam Joo Hyuk will be appearing as a guest in 'Unexpected Business'."

The much-awaited team-up of real-life buddies Cha Tae Hyun and Jo In Sung is ready to air anytime soon in the early months of 2021. "Unexpected Business" will revolve around two city men taking over a supermarket in the countryside. They plan to build a real supermarket near the area where people can easily access to buy their needs. Since they have lived in the city, the duo will use their abilities and charm to produce their own market. They are expected to become the owners of a supermarket located in a rural area.

The program soon enough garnered curiosity from the audiences on how these two men will survive the struggles and challenges that they have to encounter during their journey of making their own supermarket.

Real-life Friends Cha Tae Hyun and Jo In Sung to Share the Same Journey in "Unexpected Business"

Hometown Flex production will be the team behind this upcoming show. After confirming that Jo In Sung and Cha Tae Hyun will be working together, fans were delighted and are expecting more to see the close friendship of the two.

Previously, Park Bo Young was reportedly the first to appear in "Unexpected Business." Now, Nam Joo Hyuk is the next in line to make a cameo in one of the episodes of the variety program.

After informing the public about the sudden cameo of Nam Joo Hyuk, both fans and viewers were surprised to hear the news.

Meanwhile, the first teaser for the upcoming show has been released, and instantly set the internet abuzz after the "It's Okay, That's Love" star Jo In Sung appears in his dashing and chic outfit. It is his first onscreen appearance after a long time.

The producer of the show also shared, "We plan to show the process of city men who are established to urban life and eventually start to experience their unexpected business while adjusting their life routine to the countryside. To make this happen, we followed all the quarantine guidelines before and during filming. We are hoping that the viewers will show their love and support to our actors Cha Tae Hyun and Jo In Sung, in starting their own journey of building their own supermarket."

Are you excited to watch "Unexpected Business"? See Cha Tae Hyun and Jo In Sung's friendship? Share your comments with us!

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.

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 oil and gas industry is slated to lose access to federal tax breaks and subsidies under the Biden administration at the same time there is a moratorium on new federal leases.
Study also found mortality was driven by age, severity of disease and the presence and extent of organ failure, rather than mainly due to underlying conditions

New research reveals that the COVID-19 intensive care (ICU) mortality rate in Sweden was lower during the first wave of the pandemic than in many studies from other countries. And while analysis of individual underlying conditions found they were linked to mortality, an analysis looking at all these variables together found COVID-19 mortality in intensive care was not associated with underlying conditions, except for chronic lung disease. This new study did, however, find that, like previous research, mortality was driven by age, severity of COVID-19 disease and the presence and extent of organ failure.

The study is published in the European Journal of Anaesthesiology (the official journal of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care [ESAIC]) and is by Dr Michelle Chew, Linkoping University Hospital, Linkoping, Sweden, and colleagues.

"Coupled with what is widely perceived to be a 'relaxed' national pandemic strategy, results for ICU care in Sweden are understandably under scrutiny," explain the authors.

They analysed 1563 adult admissions to Swedish ICUs from 6 March-6 May, 2020 with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 disease, and complete 30-day follow up, and found 30-day all-cause mortality was 27%, while mortality actually within ICU was 23%, indicating the most patients who died after requiring ICU treatment actually died within ICU.

Various factors including age were associated with mortality. Being male raised the risk of death by 50%, while having severe respiratory failure (more advanced disease -present in three quarters of patients) trebled the risk of death. However, except for chronic lung disease (a 50% increased risk of death), the presence of comorbidities was not independently associated with mortality. Also of note that was that the degree of hypoxia (insufficient oxygen) was much higher in this Swedish cohort than those from other countries. Put another way, these Swedish patients were generally sicker upon entering ICU.

The ICU mortality of 23% in this Swedish study is between that found in two nationwide studies with small cohorts from Iceland and Denmark, at 15% and 37% respectively. It is lower than the mortality rate reported from a North American study (35%) and a French-Belgian-Swiss study (26-30%). These studies had nearly complete discharge data, meaning that most patients had survived and left ICU or sadly died there, with few patients still being treated at the time of the study.

In one report from Lombardy, Italy, ICU mortality was initially reported to be 26%; however this did not contain complete data as many patients were still being treated. A later study consisting of mostly the same patients and with almost complete ICU follow-up, mortality was 49%. These results are comparable to a recent meta-analysis of 20 studies worldwide (TM Cook and colleagues, Anaesthesia, 2020) that reported an ICU mortality of 42% for patients with completed ICU admissions and discharge data. Another study by Cook and colleagues, being published in Anaesthesia at the same time as this Swedish study (see separate press release) shows global ICU mortality up to October 2020 has since dropped further to 36%.

This new study from Sweden confirms previous findings that mortality rates are significantly higher among those aged 65 years and older. Patients over 80 years of age were seven times more likely to die than those aged 50 years and under, although the authors make clear that their data "demonstrate that provision of intensive care should not be restricted on the basis of age alone". They add: "Not all over 80 year olds die in ICU, which is one reason why we cannot exclude this group of patients from ICU care based on age alone. All decisions on care must be taken on a patient-by-patient basis".

As in other studies, a majority of patients suffered from underlying conditions (comorbidities), most commonly high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Whilst most comorbidities were associated with death when analysed separately, their effects were not statistically significant after adjustment for other variables. Severe obesity (BMI>40) was not associated with increased mortality as suggested by other studies. The only underlying condition that was found to have an effect in Swedish patients was chronic lung disease, which was associated with a 50% increased risk of death.

The authors discuss the various aspects of the Swedish ICU policy that could be connected with the lower ICU mortality rate. They say: "We believe that process and organisational factors have likely contributed to the relatively good outcomes seen in Swedish ICUs as staffing, protective equipment, availability of drugs, medical and technical equipment were considered at an early stage at hospital and regional levels."

In the first quarter of 2020 Sweden had 5.1 ICU beds per 100,000 population, compared to 27/100,000 in the USA. The COVID-19 pandemic unleashed a coordinated response in Swedish ICUs doubling the number of beds from around 500 to more than 1100 at its peak. The proportion of occupied ICU beds in the country during the study period (the peak months of the first wave of the pandemic) never reached maximum capacity. Other factors potentially connected to lower COVID-19 ICU mortality are that anaesthesiology and intensive care are combined specialities in Sweden, and this dual competency enabled rapid diversion of resources from perioperative care to intensive care management.

However, Sweden's strategy has faced harsh criticism at home and abroad for being too relaxed and dependent on individual responsibility of citizens rather than enforced lockdowns. Sweden's King also, in late 2020, publicly criticised the country's COVID-19 strategy as a failure. New laws on public transport and gatherings were enacted in autumn 2020 to limit the rising spread of SARS-CoV-2, and in late 2020, the Swedish Government passed new laws in order to be able to enforce restrictions such as venue closures to prevent cases raging out of control. Future staffing shortages, the looming possibility of burn-out and numerous organisational challenges also remain.

The authors conclude: "Mortality rates in COVID-19 patients admitted to Swedish intensive care units are generally lower than previously reported in other countries despite more severe illness on admission among Swedish patients. Mortality appears to be driven by age, baseline disease severity, and the presence and degree of organ failure, rather than pre-existing comorbidities."

Professor Chew, who is also the deputy editor-in-chief of the European Journal of Anaesthesiology, adds: "Although Sweden chose a different pandemic strategy to its European neighbours, its population has not been immune to rising infection rates this winter. Only time will tell if the Swedish health care system can sustain the long-term burden of COVID-19 disease."

###
Houston officials this week plan to send survey links to allow people who received first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine from the city to schedule appointments for their second doses.

Health Director Stephen Williams on Monday said officials plan to send that link to people who got their first shot from the city later this week, and maybe even as soon as tomorrow.

The reach-out could make it easier for people to get their second appointments. Currently, city health workers call vaccinees to schedule their shots in the week before the 28-day window when the second dose is recommended.

The city has cited new guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that the second Moderna dose should be given as close to 28 days as possible after the first, but can be given as far out as 42 days. The Health Department has said it anticipates everyone who gets a shot from the city should be able to get their second one within 28 days. The city has asked residents to avoid calling the city unless they are less than 48 hours from their 28-day window.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city has given out more than 2,300 second shots already and has scheduled another 11,971. He said the city has received 18,600 doses for second shots. That is in addition to 41,950 doses for first shots, of which the city has administered 33,839  about 80 percent of its supply.

The city closed its senior wait list  operated by the Harris County Area Agency on Aging  on Friday after more than 70,000 people called to enroll. Williams said it is hard to discern when the city will reopen that portal. It is separate from Harris Countys wait list, which launched last week, and has grown to more than 165,000 people.

The reason for that is to not really frustrate people, Williams said, noting that even if the city concentrated its entire weekly supply of about 9,000 shots on those 70,000 people, it would take weeks to get to everyone.

County health officials did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

The city did not open new appointments for this week, concentrating doses instead on the wait list, previously booked slots and vulnerable communities.

Turner hailed the citys efforts at the Hope Clinic and the Vietnamese Doctors Association in Alief on Saturday, where some 500 patients were able to get their shots. The city is hoping to do something similar on the northeast side of town this weekend, according to the mayor.

Williams said the supply has not yet picked up after President Joe Bidens administration announced last week it was close to securing more doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

The health director said Texas expects to receive an additional 50,000 doses in the near future, an amount he said is not a whole lot considering the size of the state.

The president has said the increased supply  about 200 million doses  would be available through the summer.

Editors note: This article has been updated to clarify that the city is sending a web survey to vaccine recipients. It is not launching a website.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com

'Dangerous' and 'growing': Michael Brown warns about the rise of Christian anti-Semitism

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

During the Passover observance in 2019, 19-year-old John Earnest allegedly walked into a synagogue in Poway, California and opened fire, killing one worshipper and wounding three others.

It was later revealed that Earnest was an active member of an Orthodox Presbyterian Church congregation and specifically believed that he was doing God's will by killing Jews.

The revelation that the lone suspect in the mass shooting was a devout Christian stirred reactions from many, including author and columnist Michael Brown, a proponent of Messianic Judaism and host of the nationally syndicated radio show, The Line of Fire.

In his latest book, scheduled to be released Tuesday, Christian Antisemitism: Confronting the Lies in Todays Church, Brown documents a new resurgence of anti-Semitism within American churches.

Brown wrote about what he saw on social media from self-identified Christians and rhetoric espoused by modern Christian ministries and some theologians.

This is a book I wish I didnt have to write, Brown told The Christian Post in an interview. Sadly, there is a real rise in anti-Semitism in the church, even in America.

I felt I had to write the book to demonstrate what was happening, he added. The rising tide of anti-Semitism in the church today.

This includes the rise of replacement theology, the notion that the Church has replaced Israel as the new chosen people, with God no longer having any plans for modern Jews.

Below are excerpts from a conversation CP had with Brown about Christian anti-Semitism and its apparent growing strength.

CP: You have written about anti-Semitism in the Church before; notably the 1992 book Our Hands Are Stained With Blood. How does this book differ from your earlier works?

Brown: This book focuses on whats happening now. The earlier book,Our Hands Are Stained With Blood: The Tragic Story of the "Church" and the Jewish People,came out in 1992, remained in print continuously until 2019 when we put out a new updated edition of the book.

And in doing so, that was very jarring because I was confronted with what had grown in recent years and how some of the dangerous trends of the past were back today. So Christian Antisemitism, the new book, picks up where Our Hands Are Stained With Blood left off.

It gets much more in-depth into the wrong theology behind it. It traces some of the current conspiracy theories in the Church today about the Jewish people.

It gets much deeper into the contemporary issues that the first book touched on.

CP: Given at one point you write in the book that no amount of evidence will dissuade someone who hates the Jewish people, who do you see as your intended audience?

Brown: I want to reach, in particular, any committed Christian on the planet. I know that there are secular readers who will find the book interesting. I know that there are nominal Christians who will learn from it.

But I want to try to get every committed Christian, whatever their background or denomination, to read this and to recognize that lies are being told about the Jewish people, that the Jewish people are being demonized as a whole, that a wrong theology is being established even by people who have good intentions and who themselves are not anti-Semitic.

Perhaps, along the way, by Gods gracious intervention, there will be people who read the book who are anti-Semites and some of them are Christian.

Im hoping that their eyes will be opened. But I understand it will take Gods grace because the evidence itself will be overruled.

When you have a particular view of someone and then someone else produces contrary evidence, you turn the evidence around: That just shows how clever they are, that just shows how deep the deception is.

And thats why I say the presentation of facts is not going to help someone who has bought into lies.

That being the case, I do have hope that those who are sincere will read this and have their eyes opened, and then perhaps theyll be able to help their friends and others who have fallen into the grip of anti-Semitism.

CP: Why do you believe there has been an uptick in Christian anti-Semitism within the past couple of years? Was it always there, but just dormant? Or is it fresh?

Brown: Theres several factors. One, it never goes away. On a certain level, Jew-hatred is a default attitude of fallen human beings. Its just part of the way things are because of Gods choosing of the Jewish people for a purpose. Obviously, weve often fallen short of that purpose, but choosing us for a purpose means that there will be a demonic hatred against the Jewish people, just like there is a demonic default hatred against the followers of Jesus.

But a few things have happened. One is the Holocaust is much more distant. Its not something that is actively in the memory of most Americans and of many Christians. Secondly, the rebirth of the modern state of Israel is no longer perceived as a miracle: The Six-Day War, Jerusalem coming back into Jewish hands. For many, thats just old news and not only so. The state of Israel is perceived to be an apartheid state, a genocidal state. Evil Israel; thats a major narrative people [are] grow up with.

And some of the old theologies can rise up again: the replacement theology that says Gods finished with the Jewish people.

So, its a bunch of things that have grown over the decades and they have resurfaced again in dangerous form.

CP: Chapter six, titled The Truth about the Talmud, was centered on refuting false anti-Semitic claims about the Jewish text, the Talmud. How important is it for Christians to not believe falsehoods about other religions' holy books, be it the Talmud or the Quran or others?

Brown: Its very important. We base our lives on truth. And therefore, we have to accurately assess things based on truth. Someone has said that its wrong to compare the best of your religion with the worst of the religion of others. And what well do is well ignore all the biblical verses that can be taken out of context. Well ignore the atheist attacks on the Bible and say, theyre misguided. But then well turn and use the same standard on the religious literature of others.

If were going to differ with the Talmud, lets do it rightly.

Theres much to differ with. I categorically reject the authority of the Talmud.

That being said, it is mischaracterized by anti-Semites continually. False impressions are given about it. So, where we differ, let us differ honestly.

Otherwise, what happens is we incite hatred against the Jewish people based on taking statements, sayings out of context and then giving the impression that thats what all Jews believe. It would be just as if we read certain portions of the Quran and concluded that all Muslims are terrorists and that the nominal Muslim next door to you actually wants to blow up your house.

CP: You devoted a fair amount of attention to refuting replacement theology. How pervasive a problem do you believe replacement theology is in the American church? Do you see it as more prevalent in some denominations than others?

Brown: Yes, its very prominent. It is certainly growing. It is very dangerous. It is more to be found in what would be called the mainstream denominations  so Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Methodist, etc. It is less found in Charismatic circles or in some aspects of evangelism. But the fact is its there. Its certainly there in Catholic theology.

Those that hold to it dont like to be put in the category of holding to replacement theology. They would rather say they believe in fulfillment theology or put another name on it. But the end result is the same: the promises that God once gave to the Jewish people as a people no longer apply to them, but rather apply to the Church.

And once you begin to say that, then God is finished with Israel, God is through with Israel as a nation, as a people. And you can even see the Jewish people as people forever cursed or rejected by God.

Once you begin to see those things, now you make God into a liar if He can make promises to a people and then completely change His mind. And it undercuts so much of the Gospel message.

I point out in Christian Antisemitism that Jesus is coming back to Jerusalem for a reason. Hes not coming back to any other city on the planet but to Jerusalem. And thats where Hes going to establish His kingdom because he will fulfill His promises to Israel and the Jewish people.

So Im hopeful that the book will open many eyes and also encourage many to pray for the salvation of the Jewish people because my great goal as a Jewish believer in Jesus is to see the Church provoke Israel to envy. Thus far, its been quite the opposite.
Leviathan is well funded with approximately $12.5 million cash on hand

drill permits in place to allow for immediate exploration

trading expected to commence February 10, 2020 with symbol LVX

VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Fosterville South Exploration Ltd. ("FSX" or the "Company") (TSXV: FSX) (OTC: FSXLF) (Germany: 4TU) and Leviathan Gold Ltd. ("Leviathan") are pleased to announce that Leviathan has received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") to list its common shares on the TSXV under the symbol "LVX"

Final approval of the listing is subject to the Leviathan meeting certain standard requirements of the TSXV. Leviathan expects to satisfy all of the requirements and will make a further announcement once the TSXV has issued a bulletin confirming the date on which trading on the TSXV will commence.

As part of the conditional approval for the listing, the TSXV required that the Leviathan shares distributed to FSX shareholders on November 23, 2020 be subject to a Tier 2 Value Escrow such that 10% of the shares issued to FSX shareholders as part of the spinout will be freely tradeable on the listing date and the balance of the Leviathan Shares would be released in 15% increments every 6 months following the listing date with the final release occurring 36 months following the listing date of Leviathan. The TSXV required escrow replaces the escrow previously announced by FSX and Leviathan. Should Leviathan become a Tier 1 issuer, as defined by the rules of the TSXV, the TSXV mandated escrow release will be accelerated.

Fosterville South Chief Executive Officer, Bryan Slusarchuk, states, "With superb projects, a strong cash balance and excellent management team, Leviathan is well positioned to build shareholder value through exploration at Avoca and Timor.

Leviathan Gold Chief Executive Officer, Luke Norman, states, "We are all very excited to embark on our exploration of Avoca and Timor. Set in a world-class gold mining jurisdiction, with historic high-grade deposits and no modern-day exploration having been conducted, this is a remarkable opportunity. The quality and the scope of the land tenures speaks volumes to Rex Morton and team at Fosterville South. As such, we want to thank all the Fosterville team and shareholders who have made this possible. We look forward to working with all of you as we collectively build shareholder value with our strong treasury position, tier 1 gold projects and great shareholders."

Avoca Project

The Avoca project is centred on mesothermal quartz-vein-hosted gold and related placer-style "deep lead" gold mineralization. There is a considerable local history of mining both kinds of deposit. The term "deep lead" refers to buried auriferous river bed deposits. The Avoca goldfield produced approximately 750,000 ounces of gold largely from alluvial gold deposits.

The Avoca project is located approximately 183 kilometres west northwest of the Victorian state capital Melbourne, with good road access. Geologically, the Avoca project occurs within the Stawell zone, west of the Bendigo and Melbourne zones of the Lachlan Fold Belt.

Having previously been mined with a significant amount of gold production from both alluvial and hardrock high-grade sources, Fosterville South considers the Avoca project is highly prospective for hardrock structurally controlled gold deposits. A number of major fault zones have been recognized that strike for several kilometres. Gold mineralization within the Stawell zone is generally base metal sulphide related, which Fosterville South sees as an opportunity for disseminated or fine-grained gold mineralization.

The significant hard rock historic mines within the Avoca licence include the high-grade:

Pyrenees reefs -- 16,199 tons mined for 16,602 ounces of gold to 130 metres at an average recovered grade of 32 g/t gold, worked from 1860 to 1912;

Excelsior reef -- 13,200 tons mined for 9,260 ounces of gold to 100 metres at an average recovered grade of 22 g/t gold, worked from 1909 to 1915;

Vale's reefs -- 1,444 tons mined for 1,388 ounces of gold to 52 metres at an average recovered grade of 29.4 g/t gold, worked from 1865 to 1883; and

Monte Christo reefs -- 2,795 tons mined for 937 ounces of gold to 30 metres at an average recovered grade of 10.3 g/t gold, worked from 1872 to 1877.

The production noted above was obtained from State of Victoria Mining Surveyors and Registrar's quarterly reports from 1860 to 1891 and annual reports issued thereafter. All the production from these reefs occurred within the Avoca licence.

Defined mineralization shoots are present at both the Pyrenees reef and Excelsior reef, as shown from the underground mine plans held for both deposits.

In terms of alluvial gold deposit potential, the Avoca subbasin, located within the Avoca project, is also projected to contain one of the largest unmined deep lead alluvial gold deposits within Victoria.

Timor project

The Timor project occurs immediately east of the Avoca project and occurs within the Bendigo zone of the Lachlan fold belt.

The Timor project area contains numerous hardrock and alluvial gold deposits evidenced by significant historical workings. Historical alluvial production within the Timor project area is in the region of 640,000 ounces of gold.

Around 20 hardrock workings can be considered to have been significant producers. These include the Leviathan group of mines, with recorded gold production of 56,474 ounces of gold from 189,085 tonnes, equating to a recovered grade of approximately 9.14 g/t gold. The Leviathan structural corridor hosts several parallel quartz veins with most of the production coming from one mine active in the early 1900s. Significant potential occurs within the various other veins and faults within the corridor to the north.

In addition, Shaw's reef produced 16,881 tons mined for 12,623 ounces of gold to 130 metres at an average recovered grade of 22.9 g/t gold, worked from 1883 to 1891. Along strike of this fault zone arsenopyrite and stibnite mineralization is recorded in association with the gold mineralization indicating possible epizonal Fosterville-style gold mineralization.

Both these former mines lie on separate large regional north-south structures known to occur for tens of kilometres with a number of hardrock workings over their length. Neither of these two major structures have had significant drilling within the tenement. One traverse of RC drilling was carried out across the Leviathan structure and one diamond drill hole too. No drilling has occurred specifically on the Shaw's reef fault zone. These two mineralized structures are a primary focus for exploration within the project.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed, verified and approved by Rex Motton, AusIMM (CP), COO and Director of FSX, a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101.

About Fosterville South Exploration Ltd.

Fosterville South has two large, 100% owned, high-grade epizonal gold projects called the Lauriston and Golden Mountain Projects, a large group of tenement applications called the Providence Project and a large group of recently consolidated tenement applications called the Walhalla Belt Project, all in the state of Victoria, Australia. The Fosterville South land packaged, assembled over a multi-year period, notably includes a 600 sq. km property immediately to the south of and within the same geological framework that hosts Kirkland Lake Gold's Fosterville tenements. Additionally, Fosterville South has a gold-focused project called the Moormbool, Project, which is also located in the state of Victoria, Australia.

Four of Fosterville South's properties (Lauriston, Providence, Golden Mountain and Walhalla Belt) have had historical gold production from hard rock sources despite limited modern exploration and drilling.

On behalf of the Company,

Bryan Slusarchuk, Chief Executive Officer and Director

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. No securities regulatory authority has either approval or disapproved of the contents of this press release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release, including with respect to the timing of the listing of the Leviathan common shares on the TSXV and the geological prospects of Leviathan's and FSX's mineral projects. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. FSX cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by many material factors, many of which are beyond their respective control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to corporate transactions, purchasing the Avoca and Timor properties and listing a new vehicle on the TSXV. 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, FSX does not undertake to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

SOURCE Fosterville South Exploration Ltd.
CBSE Class 12 Exams: Majority states in favour of exams, final datesheet by June 1

Budget for ''Aatmanirbhar Bharat'', will strengthen economy: Rajnath Singh

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Feb 01: Senior BJP leader and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday hailed the Union Budget as one for ''Aatmanirbhar Bharat'', and asserted that this will strengthen the economy.

Union Budget 2021: Direct taxes unchanged but healthcare and infrastructure get a push|Oneindia News

Ruling party leaders lauded the budged for its focus on a number of measures, including capital expenditure, tax exemption for senior citizens and incentives for start-ups among others.

BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav said the budget will provide a major boost to India''s infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare.

Budget 2021: Agriculture sector gets a boost; Sitharaman increases outlay to Rs 16.5 lakh crore

Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain praised the budget''s emphasis on affordable housing for all, and said it is sensitive to the needs of diverse sections of society.

Party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has presented a well laid-out plan to get the economy back on track.

"A forward-looking budget. It will make good on the government''s USD 5 trillion economy promise. Multiple pluses:increased govt spending in major sectors like infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare; safety net expanded for the vulnerable; & opportunities for greater private investments," he tweeted.
It is hard to say for sure, but you would think there is the potential they would also be reduced, said Associate Professor Corey Smith, head of translational and human immunology at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute. He said the results suggested the virus could mutate in ways that made antibodies and vaccines less effective. But I dont think thats a real surprise, he said. Viruses always mutate. The South African variant, known as N501Y.V2, has several mutations that in lab tests appear to change the shape of the virus spike in a way that reduces the ability of some antibodies generated from infection with the original Wuhan variant of COVID-19 from binding. That raises concerns about reinfection, and about how well COVID-19 vaccines based on the original variant will protect against the South African variant.

Professor David Tscharke, head of the department of immunology and infectious diseases at the Australian National University, said it was always likely that we will have to chase variants by changing our vaccines. However, he said it was not clear cut that AstraZeneca and Pfizers vaccines faced the same problems as Novavax and Johnson & Johnson. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video You might guess that but the extent of that is going to be varied, he said. Although they have the same antigens, they are presented in a different way. Virus-killing T-cells also played a role in immunity, he said, and they might allow Pfizer and AstraZenecas jabs to still offer strong protection against the variant.

Early lab evidence suggested Pfizers vaccine would be less effective against the South African variant, but would still cover the virus. But those studies were carried out using pseudoviruses  viruses manipulated to look like N501Y.V2  and were done on cells in a lab. Such studies do not always translate to humans. Examine newsletter Science and health explained and analysed with a rigorous focus on the evidence. Examine is a weekly newsletter by science reporter Liam Mannix. Sign up to receive it every Tuesday. Novavax and Johnson & Johnson are the first vaccine developers to report human data on the variants. Novavaxs trial of more than 4400 patients in South Africa reported efficacy of 49.4 per cent (excluding HIV-positive patients, efficacy rose to 60 per cent). Nearly all the cases of infection among vaccinated subjects were from the South African variant.

Loading Johnson & Johnsons trial of 6576 people in South Africa reported efficacy of 57 per cent; 95 per cent of infections in people vaccinated were from the South African variant. These trials were small and the results were preliminary, experts said. South Africa also presents a unique environment to test vaccines: a runaway epidemic means people may be exposed to unusually high levels of virus. But even with all that in mind, said Associate Professor Stuart Turville, a virologist at the Kirby Institute, the data early on, looks like the edge has been taken off by the South African variant. What were seeing in the real world is this thing has the potential to take the edge off vaccines. Which may mean we need to update the formulation.

It is anticipated that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines will have significant efficacy against the newer strains of COVID-19, a spokesman for the Therapeutic Goods Administration said. The vaccines work by inducing what is known as a polyclonal response  a collection of immunological responses to many different parts of the COVID spike protein. In the new variants, only a limited part of the spike protein is changed, and much is unchanged. So the vaccines should still work against the main, unchanged parts to the COVID-19 spike protein. The results from the Novavax and Johnson & Johnson vaccines cannot be directly extrapolated to the other COVID-19 vaccines, such as the Pfizer BioNTech or Oxford AZ vaccine as each vaccine produces differing immune responses in vaccinated individuals. The experts emphasised it was important to wait for real-world data from Pfizer and AstraZeneca. It may be the vaccines different designs work better against the variant.
Digital.com, a leading independent review website for small business online tools, products, and services, has announced the best SEO (Search Engine Optimization) firms in Denver. The top companies were selected based on multiple service lines, size of the firm, industry focus, and customer feedback.

Experts at Digital.com examined companies that offer additional digital marketing services, such as website design, link building, and PPC. The study includes a variety of small to large firms that can cater to businesses in need of customized services or those seeking quick turnarounds. Each service provider was also expected to work with clients across various industries or focus on niche markets like healthcare, education, and finance.

This guide is a valuable tool because it highlights SEO firms that also offer additional services that will enable clients to scale, says Josephine Miller, PR Manager of Digital.com. Businesses can narrow their search for top firms in Denver and get honest feedback from customers.

Researchers at Digital.com conducted a 40-hour assessment of over 75 companies across the web. To access the complete list of best SEO firms in Seattle, please visit https://digital.com/seo-firms/denver/.

15 Best SEO Firms in Denver



ABOUT DIGITAL.COM

Digital.com reviews and compares the best products, services, and software for running or growing a small business website or online shop. The platform collects twitter comments and uses sentiment analysis to score companies and their products. Digital.com was founded in 2015 and formerly known as Review Squirrel. To learn more, visit https://digital.com/.
The SVT Lightning , God that does have a nice ring to it. You don't even have to be all that knowledgeable when it comes to cars to realize that this is one heck of a truck. The side exhaust, the muscle-car reminiscent wheels, and the overall aggressive stance of this truck will have you turn your head even before the engine is fired up. Speaking of which, this thing uses a 5.4-liter V8 unit that is also supercharged.With this being a 2001 model, it has had some upgrades versus the 1999 and 2000 versions, so it sits now at 380 horsepower and 450 lb-ft (610 Nm) of torque, with all models using a 4-speed Ford 4R100 overdrive automatic gearbox. A total of 28,124 trucks were built between 1999 and 2004, which means this is one of 6,381 SVT Lightnings built in the year 2001.The truck is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and the odometer only shows 7,426 miles (11,950 km), which means it should be ready to offer its new owner several more years of fast trucking action. The American Racing Torq Thrust wheels were installed to accommodate modern performance tires, but worry not, the original wheels and tires are included in the deal as well.The price tag for this collector item was $31,745 back in the day, and it is now being offered for $41,995 . While it may sound tempting to buy this and keep it in storage for another 20 years to see how high up its value will go, who would ever have the patience and the self-control to do that instead of taking her out at least once a week? On that note, I'm definitely putting this truck on my list for the future.
As with so much else that President Biden has done during his first days in office, a simple act of courtesy  a phone call to Canadas prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and a promise to get together soon  is in itself viewed as a major and welcome break with the Trump era. But being friends again, Canadians have been quickly reminded, does not cure all ills.

Improving relations with Canada was not a heavy lift. Former President Donald Trumps treatment of Americas northern neighbor and closest ally stood out even in the general disdain the administration displayed toward international allies. In an infamous clash around the 2018 Group of 7 meeting in Canada, Mr. Trump slapped tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in the name of national security and then assailed Mr. Trudeau as very dishonest & weak for complaining.

When Mr. Biden chose Mr. Trudeau for his first official telephone call on Jan. 22 and had, by all reports, a friendly chat, there was a sense that something akin to normalcy was returning to relations between two nations. After all, the two countries share a language, a colonial history, a continent and the worlds longest international border and do around $700 billion in trade a year. Talk again soon, Joe, tweeted Mr. Trudeau after the call, suggesting that all was good once again.

Yet even before that call, Canadians were reminded that the huge, powerful and rich country to their south may not always be such a good neighbor. For one thing, that long land border has been closed to all but essential travel since March 21 and looks to remain that way for a while yet as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage.
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
WKU Seeks Input on Use of Names, Symbols on Campus

By The Associated Press

BOWLING GREEN - A group appointed to examine how names and symbols are used at Western Kentucky University is seeking community input.A statement from the university says the Task Force on Naming and Symbols has a website that provides information about its purpose and includes a form for comments.University President Timothy Caboni appointed the panel last year amid a nationwide racial reckoning.Discussions have included whether to rename the Potter College of Arts and Letters and the Ogden College of Science and Engineering.Both are named after people who had slaves.The deadline for submitting comments is March 1.
Deliveries of patrol boats to Ukraine manufactured by the French company OCEA will begin at the end of 2021, said French Ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins.

"Construction has started in France and started in Mykolaiv in Ukraine in December 2020. Deliveries will begin at the end of 2021. This is a EUR 136-million project, receiving a financial support from the French government, through a loan of the French Treasury (EUR 40 million) and Bpi France (EUR 76 million)," the ambassador said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

According to him, Nibulon is a very impressive partner. It is a young company but with very good expertise, he said.

"I was in Mykolaiv with Minister Avakov for the launching of this project, on July 22, last year. This project is very well on time. I am very sure it will also be successful. There are 20 patrol boats of 32 meters. They will bring new element of security for Ukraine because patrols are both for the rivers and the seas. Maybe you know that the structure is aluminum and this is very important element for technologies because it is lighter. As for the Helicopters, they're the state of the art," the diplomat explained.

In addition, he noted that within the framework of the contract with Airbus Helicopters SAS, it is planned to supply 27 helicopters in 2021.

"Now the contract is going full speed and this year 27 new helicopters are coming to Ukraine which is a big challenge. Because you can bring 27 helicopters but you need maintenance, place to stock helicopters, training for pilots and so on. It is easy to bring helicopters to Ukraine, but it is much more difficult to maintain them, to train the pilots. This is very complex matter. And for Ukraine it's a change of culture because former culture in this sector came from the Soviet Union. Now it is going to the West, with new standards and new language, because it is moving from Russian to English. But of course these helicopters are more modern and efficient. With them Ukraine enters in the 21st century," he said.

De Poncins added that helicopters will make a big difference for example in the fight against forest fires.

"With new helicopters, firemen will be much more efficient and stand for civil security for example when there are road accidents to bring people to hospitals. If you have good helicopters working days and nights that is making big difference for Ukraine and it can save lives," he explained.

According to the ambassador, the contract for the purchase of freight locomotives between Ukrzaliznytsia and the French company Alstom has not been finalized yet, but if President Macron arrives in Ukraine, this agreement will be in the program of his visit.

"This project will foresee the delivery by the French company Alstom of 50 to 80 multi-system electric locomotives to the Ukrainian Railways, Ukrzaliznytsia. These e-locos are planned to be deployed for operations on Ukrainian Railways' major freight routes across the country," the diplomat noted.

De Poncins added that this contract is evidence of a high element of cooperation.

"If it is finalized, it's going to be a real and very strong partnership between France and Ukraine in this key area of rail transportation. The agreement will be supported by very important and interesting loan from the French Treasury, in accordance to OECD rules. So, financial dimension is very significant. It is also a signal that Ukraine is important for France because we don't provide this kind of financial instrument for all countries because it's expensive for French Treasury. We have provided this special loan because it's Ukraine and your country is an important partner for France," he said.
METEGHAN, N.S. - A large floating platform with six underwater turbines was launched Monday near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, marking the latest high-tech bid to generate electricity by harnessing the bay's powerful tides.

Employees of Sustainable Marine watch as a large floating tidal energy platform with six underwater turbines, the latest high-tech bid to generate electricity by harnessing the Bay of Fundy's powerful tides, is launched at A.F. Theriault & Son Ltd. in Meteghan River, N.S. on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. Sustainable Marine says its Pempaq In-stream Tidal Energy Project will eventually include two other platforms, which will produce a total of nine megawatts of electricity. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

METEGHAN, N.S. - A large floating platform with six underwater turbines was launched Monday near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, marking the latest high-tech bid to generate electricity by harnessing the bay's powerful tides.

Sustainable Marine Energy Canada started testing a smaller but similar catamaran-style platform near Nova Scotia's Brier Island in 2018. The bigger, second-generation platform is expected to undergo testing this winter and spring in the same area, known as Grand Passage.

It will be towed later this year to the bay's Minas Passage, near Cape Sharp, N.S., where it will be permanently installed in a test area that experiences the world's highest tides. The company describes the 420-kilowatt PLAT-I 6.40 platform as Canada's first floating tidal energy array. It is expected to produce 50 per cent more power than its predecessor.

The turbines look like inverted windmills and are designed to flip up for maintenance like a boat's outboard motor. The platform includes a turret that will allow it to align itself with the tidal flow. It was built by A.F. Theriault and Son Ltd. in Meteghan, N.S., the site of Monday's launch.

Sustainable Marine, whose Canadian office is located in Dartmouth, N.S., says its Pempa'q In-stream Tidal Energy Project will eventually include two other platforms, which will produce a total of nine megawatts of electricity  enough energy to supply 3,000 homes. Pempa'q is the Mi'kmaq word for "rise of the tide."

The federal government contributed $28.5 million to the project in November. Sustainable Marine's parent company is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Its major shareholders include the Canadian government, Schottel GmbH of Germany and Scottish Enterprise, based in Glasgow.

"This tidal technology is the result of a tremendous international effort combining world-class scientific and engineering expertise from our German, Scottish and Canadian teams," Jason Hayman, CEO of Sustainable Marine Canada, said in a statement released Monday. "(It) is the culmination of a decade of research and development."

The Bay of Fundy has been the site for several tidal turbine demonstration projects over the years. In 2009, an in-stream prototype turbine that sat on the bottom of the Minas Passage was torn apart by the bay's powerful currents, which can move at 18 kilometres per hour.

In November 2016, a larger turbine built by Cape Sharp Tidal was hooked up to Nova Scotia's electric grid  a historic first  but the turbine was later removed for inspections and servicing in June 2017.

In July 2018, Cape Sharp Tidal successfully connected a massive, two megawatt in-stream tidal turbine to the grid. But the venture collapsed a day later when one of its owners, Dublin-based OpenHydro, was forced into bankruptcy proceedings.

In November 2018, court documents revealed the turbine had been damaged beyond repair only two months after it had been deployed on July 24, 2018. The inoperable turbine is still sitting on the floor of the bay.

 By Michael MacDonald in Halifax.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2021.
Advertisement

The Earl of Sutherland is selling off hundreds of family treasures that have been long hidden away at his family's historic home at Dunrobin Castle in the Scottish Highlands.

The aristocrat is selling off a hoard of items that include eye-catching marble sculptures, a collection of rifles and historic photographs, paintings and portraits.

There are also smaller items taken from within the castle's kitchen and cellar, with guide prices ranging from 80 to 12,000 ahead of the auction in April.

Bonhams will be holding The Dunrobin Attic Sale in Edinburgh on April, with 450 lots up for auction.

The trove has been described as 'a fascinating time capsule of domestic operations on a Downton Abbey scale'.

A treasure trove of items from Dunrobin Castle will go up for auction April, with lots valued at as little as 80, rising all the way up to 12,000

Busts and sculptures are among the luxurious items that have been left dwindling on the 120,000 acre estate. The 25th Earl of Sutherland has decided to auction off items from across the castle, showing off some of the most prestigious and mundane of pieces

A collection of firearms will be going up for sale at Bonhams in Edinburgh come April. Among them is a pair of Scottish all-metal flintlock belt pistols made by Alexander Campbell of Doune in the 18th century. They have been valued at between 8,000 and 10,000

Estimates have been set at a level that will enable as many people to take part as possible and range from 8,000-12,000 for a Portrait of the Duke of Brunswick by the Dutch Golden Age portraitist Jan van Ravesteyn, and 8,000-10,000 for a pair of Scottish all-metal flintlock belt pistols made by Alexander Campbell of Doune, in the third quarter of the 18th century, to 80-120 for a collection of pewter sugar moulds.

Everyday items used in years gone by are also up for sale.

They include footbaths, floral jugs and washbasins, chamber pots and crested dinner services, as well as meat domes, tiered oyster holders, copper vessels and glass carafes.

Dunrobin Castle boasts 120,000 acres in the Scottish Highlands - it was inherited by the 25th Earl of Sutherland, Alistair Janson in 2019, who is just minutes older than his twin brother, Martin.

A mid-19th century white marble bust of Prince Albert (top left) by John Francis has a guide price of between 2,000 and 3,000 at the Dunrobin Attic Sale in April

Charlie Thomas, director of house sales, said: 'The Dunrobin Attic Sale provides a glorious opportunity to purchase a piece of history from one of Scotland's grandest and most historic castles'

Everyday items from the bowels of castle are set to go up for sale alongside historic and artistic pieces. Among them will be utensils that would have been regularly used in the kitchen of the grand Highlands castle in years gone by

While some of the lots are expected to fetch thousands of pounds, there are some items that are far more accessible for the average buyer, including a set pewter sugar moulds, that are valued at between 80 to 120

An illustrated manuscript survey of the North coast of Scotland undertaken by Captain Henry Charles Otter in 1844 could fetch as much as 2,500 at auction in April

Last September it was revealed Martin Janson had been left just 250,000 in the 18million will that his mother, Elizabeth, the 24th Countess of Sutherland, wrote three days before she died in December 2019, aged 98.

By contrast, his sister, Lady Annabel Bainton, was bequeathed 3.5 million.

Charlie Thomas, director of house sales, said: 'The Dunrobin Attic Sale provides a glorious opportunity to purchase a piece of history from one of Scotland's grandest and most historic castles.

'Many of the items have been hidden away in Dunrobin Castle for generations and never been seen on the open market before. They provide a wonderful snapshot of what it was like to live both upstairs - and downstairs - in the Highlands' premier ducal palace.'

Grand portraits and stationery boxes are both among the items up for auction - showing the diverse lots that will be up for grabs at the Dunrobin Attic Sale. Bonhams director Charles Graham Campbell said the collection 'has everything - great provenance, fascinating items and of course a rare glimpse into a way of life, now long vanished'

Silverware, a crown, and empty portrait frames that date back to the 19th century are among a treasure trove of items that will go up for sale later this year

Dunrobin Castle boasts 120,000 acres in the Scottish Highlands - it was inherited by the 25th Earl of Sutherland, Alistair Janson in 2019, who is just minutes older than his twin brother, Martin

Managing Director of Bonhams in Scotland, Charles Graham-Campbell said: 'Attic sales are always very popular, and the Dunrobin Attic Sale has everything - great provenance, fascinating items and of course a rare glimpse into a way of life, now long vanished.

'I am sure that many members of Clan Sutherland around the world and indeed ex-patriot Scots everywhere will be eager to take part in the sale. We are very much looking forward to what promises to be the highlight of our spring season.'
LISD Sabas Perez Early College and Cigarroa student Fidel Villarreal Hernandez was reached out to by SWUTCH music with a music record deal after the label heard his track Penguin Dance on his YouTube Channel.

When he heard the news, Hernandez said he was excited as the opportunity was a right step forward to his goal. His track is upbeat and catchy and fits into what one may hear at a rave or music festival. In fact, one of his goals is to play his music at the Tomorrowland Festival in Belgium.

Over the past two years, Hernandez has produced music that has been tempered through his continued interest in the House and EDM genres. As he heard more music, he tailored his sound and continued to improve his songs and compositions.

I did all my beats and work on my computer. I created melodies using a synthesizer to form the final version. I am very excited to share my passion with the world, Hernandez said.

Since a young age, he heard music and watched videos from the likes of Martin Garrix and David Guetta which helped develop his taste in EDM and put him on the path to becoming an EDM producer. He named Oliver Heldens and his song Gecko, with its powerfully low beats, as one of his influential forces.

According to SWUTCH, the music group is one of Germanys fastest growing labels for independent EDM musicians. With multiple labels focusing on multiple EDM subgenres, the group continues to grow its Spotify network.

The groups reach, influence and promotional capabilities are what attracted Hernandez as it will allow him to focus on making his music while SWUTCH promotes his songs worldwide. He added that with thousands of EDM tracks being uploaded to Spotify daily, the deal will help him have a bigger presence.

With the deal, he will not be allowed to have full ownership of his music, but he believes that as a new artist in EDM, the additional reach will only benefit him for the long run.

If all goes well, the deal with SWUTCH will find Hernandez more followers and more opportunities to play his tracks through streaming outlets and DJs around the world. This is compared to his original promotion plan of showcasing his songs to his friends and having the tracks on YouTube spread through word of mouth.

Penguin Dance, with its peculiar name and hypnotic percussion, was started with just that, percussion.

I first start with percussion to help catch on to the rhythm, Hernandez said. Then I add in the bass and effects like the white noise between each beat.

Through repeated tweaking, his track is fine-tuned to fit his expectations. From the start, the drums and beats ease you into the beat drop that any EDM fan could appreciate. After finding the right sound, he looked for something strange and catchy, and that worked.

It was cold outside, so I thought, well penguins, Hernandez said. It needed two words to be completed, so then I added Penguin Dance.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Hernandez said the time at home has helped his music ability grow as the time at home gives him more opportunity to produce tracks. While he continues to attend school, the difference of being remote allows him to attend class, work through his classwork and immediately return to producing.

As of now, he can finish a song in approximately three days, but he keeps them to himself until they are perfected. As a finished song cant be fixed, Hernandez works them until they are ready to be released.

Right now, he has seven songs waiting to be released, but he is waiting for the right time. With the collaboration with SWUTCH, he believes the time will come as he receives more followers and a wider reach.

Fidel is an outstanding student with a huge passion for music. His passionate spirit is a huge inspiration to myself and those around him. This record deal is just the beginning with the vision he carries, Cigarroa High School teacher Rodolfo Tijerina said.

Moving forward, releasing a new track with the labels support, is a phone call away. He will be working on making a name for himself in the genre for the following years, but he would like to start playing sets soon.

I can keep producing my music, and during the sets I can play my own music instead of others, Hernandez said.

While the pandemic is still ongoing, the option of a virtual concert is there, but it just wouldnt be the same, Hernandez said. The experience of the bass, the flashing lights and the dancing crowd is hard not to miss, and he said a virtual show cannot compare.

Here in this region, I know their genre isnt heard much, but dont be afraid to explore new music and new genres, he said. Dont be afraid to explore electronic music. Vocals are not necessary to make a good song.

cocampo@lmtonline.com
A snow system inched through southern Lower Michigan over the weekend. Heres a look at how much snow fell and where. Ill also compare this to what the forecast was for snowfall.

Heres the map of total snowfall over the weekend.

Total weekend snowfall over Michigan.

The southwest corner of Lower Michigan had the most snow, as was always expected. The very southwest corner had four to six inches of snow. The area just north of Michigans southwest corner had three to four inches of snow. As we move east into southeast Lower Michigan, we saw just one to two inches of snow.

Below is a little closer look at the weekend snow.

Total weekend snowfall over southern Lower Michigan.

Here are some of the official exact numbers.

.

.

.

.

.

Here is the snow forecast from last week, about 36 hours before the start of the snow.

Snow forecast for weekend from Friday morning.

The image above uses the National Weather Service snow forecast, and I used the image in a post this past Friday morning. The snow forecast was right on the money.
A covid-19 mutation that likely confers partial resistance to the antibodies produced by vaccines is now in the U.S., spurring scientists to probe new ways to battle a disease that's constantly changing and could remain active for years.

The South African variant has already spread quickly across the African continent and has been seen in at least 24 countries outside of Africa. It was reported in South Carolina on Jan. 28 and in Maryland two days later. If that looks like just a beachhead, note that a U.K. mutation first seen in Colorado on Dec. 29 has been detected in 29 U.S. states in less than a month. Both variants are considered more contagious than the original strain.

Late-stage trials released last week on vaccines developed by Johnson & Johnson and Novavax Inc. showed their shots to be generally potent against early forms of covid-19. But results from studies done in South Africa told a less impressive tale. The J&J shot was found to be 72% effective in the U.S., but that fell to 57% in South Africa. Novavax's shot, 89% effective in the U.K., was only 49% effective in South Africa.

The results are "sobering," said Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego. "We see an unequivocal drop-off in efficacy."

That means that vaccine makers must now divert attention to work on either booster shots or a new, adjusted vaccine that can work better against the South African mutation, known scientifically as B.1.351, even as the world is ramping up injections of the first shots put into use, he said.

"We are having enough of a struggle getting the first round of vaccines in," Topol said.

Before the J&J and Novavax results were made public, lab tests looking at the number of antibodies induced by vaccines from Pfizer Inc. and Moderna Inc. already in use suggest that while they may be less potent against the South African variant, they still had enough punch to hold it off.

But what that meant in terms of illness in the real world was unclear. The latest outcomes offer a more precise indication, said Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious-disease expert, on a conference call on Friday.

"It's really a wake up call for us to be nimble, and to be able to adjust as this virus will continue for certain to evolve and to mutate," he said. "Now we have the real-world clinical consequences, and we can see that we are going to be challenged."

In statements at the New York Press Club on Friday, Fauci said it was "concerning that you need to stay ahead of these mutants, and essentially crush this outbreak so there's no more replication. And when there's no more replication, you're not going to have any mutations."

In laboratory results reported before the new Novavax and J&J trial data was in, scientists from the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Columbia University found that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 6.5 to 8.6-fold less potent against the South African mutation.

"Looking at our results you cannot say this would doom the vaccine. That would be wrong," said David Ho, who leads the lab. "But I think it is equally wrong to say everything is rosy."

The world has "allowed the virus to infect 100 million people already," he said. "So that is 100 million chances for mutation."

The late-stage trials reported last week by J&J and Novavax could potentially pave the way for them to be authorized for use. J&J's vaccine offers users a single shot regimen, as opposed to the two-dose versions authorized for Pfizer and Moderna. The drug giant plans to file this week with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an emergency-use authorization, company officials said. J&J's top scientist said this month he expects clearance in March.

The Novavax shot, meanwhile, is likely to get its first approval in the U.K., and the company is discussing with U.S. regulators whether trial data from other countries could be part of the shot's review, Chief Executive Officer Stan Erck said. Novavax is still recruiting patients for a trial in the U.S. and Mexico, Erck said in an interview on Bloomberg Television.

Still, Pfizer, Moderna and J&J have all said they're starting work on developing booster shots or other approaches to buttress their vaccines. It remains unclear how long the shots will immunize people against covid-19, and new mutations may require changes in their makeup.

For the U.S., the first important step is to know when mutations are around. In another Friday briefing, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said the U.S. has now asked each state to send at least 750 samples a week to be sequenced to determine what variants may be here and how widely they may be spreading.

She warned that the existing U.S. system to detect different mutations is too slow for public health interventions to contain them.

"By the time someone has symptoms, gets a test, has a positive result and we get the sequence, our opportunity for doing real case control and contact tracing is largely gone," Walensky said. "We should be treating every case as if it's a variant during this pandemic right now."

While nations worldwide, including the U.S., are seeking to contain the spread of the variants with travel restrictions, history suggests that's a near impossibility.

Meanwhile, Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said the agency is seeking to finalize a playbook with the industry to address mutations.

If the agency feels the virus has drifted enough to require a different sequence, it will require small trials to make sure the vaccines produce an immune response, he said. The first few studies may have to go through an advisory committee, according to Marks, but the agency is looking to streamline the process as much as possible and may require less data over time.

"We would intend to be pretty nimble with this," Marks said on an American Medical Association webinar, "so we get these variants covered as quickly as possible because it is clear they can spread pretty quickly."

The bottom line from scientists: This is a fight that could go for a long time.

Vaccines that work well now may fade in the future unless strong booster shots are devised. And it could be that covid-19 morphs into something akin to influenza, requiring periodic booster shots over the years to keep it at bay.

"The implications are really worrisome," said Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, in an interview Thursday after the Novavax results were announced. "All the vaccine makers now have to make decisions" on how to proceed.

In the meantime, it's now a race to vaccinate the U.S. and Europe before the South Africa variant becomes more common or, worse yet, new mutations develop that make the virus more resistant.

In his New York Press Club comments, Fauci was asked what keeps him up at night. His answer: "A mutant, where it really escapes everything."
Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

One of two attorneys named to defend Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial represented Roger Stone, believes Jeffrey Epstein did not kill himself and numbers among his clients all sorts of reputed mobster figures, including a guy the government claimed was the biggest mafioso in the world.

Related: Donald Trump hires new impeachment defence team after lead lawyers quit

The other declined to prosecute Bill Cosby.

Trumps trial starts next week. He is due to respond to the charge on Tuesday. At the weekend his first team of lawyers quit, reportedly because he insisted his defence against a charge of inciting the deadly US Capitol attack on 6 January should be based on the lie that his defeat by Joe Biden was the result of electoral fraud.

Given that 45 of 50 Republican senators voted against even holding a trial, Trump seems likely to escape conviction. But the Ohio senator Rob Portman told CNN on Sunday it would not help Trump if the argument is not going to be made on issues like constitutionality.

The same day, Trump announced the appointment of Bruce Castor, from Pennsylvania, and David Schoen, of Georgia.

Castor is a former district attorney known for his decision not to prosecute Cosby in 2005 after Andrea Constand accused the comedian of sexual assault. In 2017, Castor sued Constand for defamation, claiming she destroyed his political career. Cosby was convicted and sentenced the following year.

Last September, Schoen told the Atlanta Jewish Times: I represented all sorts of reputed mobster figures: alleged head of Russian mafia in this country, Israeli mafia and two Italian bosses, as well a guy the government claimed was the biggest mafioso in the world.

He also discussed his work on police misconduct, but opposition to the movement to defund the police, and the Stone case. The confessed political dirty trickster was convicted of lying to Congress in the Russia investigation but Trump pardoned him in December. Schoen called Stone very bright, full of personality and flair and the case against him very unfair and politicised.

Story continues

Schoen said he trained as an actor, at the Actors Studio and Herbert Berghof Studio, which he said helped when he appeared in a Discovery Channel documentary about Epstein, a well-connected convicted sex trafficker who killed himself in custody in New York in 2019.

Schoen said promotional work included interviews with Fox, Good Day New York, and [the] Daily Mail but said he had had enough. Takes too much time away from legal work. Three different agents have called.

Asked for a last word on Jeffrey Epstein, Schoen said: I still think he was murdered.
Senior BJP leader and Defence Minister on Monday hailed the as one for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', and asserted that this will strengthen the economy.

Ruling party leaders lauded the budged for its focus on a number of measures, including capital expenditure, tax exemption for senior citizens and incentives for start-ups among others.

BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav said the budget will provide a major boost to India's infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare.

Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain praised the budget's emphasis on affordable housing for all, and said it is sensitive to the needs of diverse sections of society.

Party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia said Finance Minister has presented a well laid-out plan to get the economy back on track.

"A forward-looking budget. It will make good on the government's USD 5 trillion economy promise. Multiple pluses:increased govt spending in major sectors like infrastructure, agriculture and healthcare; safety net expanded for the vulnerable; & opportunities for greater private investments," he tweeted.

(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.)
Dr Sailajanath objected to the proposal for withdrawal of government investments in public sector companies (PSUs) and said this privatization was unacceptable.  DC Image

VIJAYAWADA: The Congress and other non-BJP parties termed the Union Budget 2021-22 as a new burden on the people. AP Congress committee president Dr Sake Sailajanath said the budget gave a shock to many sections of the society.

He said there was little of fund allotment for Andhra Pradesh while the budget gave preference to the assembly poll-bound states. CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna said the meaning of a Union Budget has changed as it has given importance to only Tamil Nadu, Assam and West Bengal states where assembly polls are due.

BJP leaders, on the other hand, claimed that the Union Budget is a peoples budget aimed at betterment of peoples lives after the corona crisis. BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao said the BJP government gave top priority to the health sector by allocating huge funds. Also, the budget would help the nation achieve self-reliance in all sectors.

Dr Sailajanath objected to the proposal for withdrawal of government investments in public sector companies (PSUs) and said this privatization was unacceptable. He objected to the collection of Rs3,00,000 crore as taxes in the name of agriculture and others cesses.

He said the budget was an election budget and not a national budget, as four poll-bound states were given prominence in fund allotments. AP was totally neglected as there is no mention of the SCS, the Rayalseema development package and other bifurcation promises.

CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna called the Union Budget as a corporate budget due to absence of any provision to help the poor, the employees and the middle class.

As the elections are scheduled in Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the BJP government has given preference to the three states under a political plan with the sole objective of winning elections. He lamented that the promises of bifurcation like metro line, SCS and funds were shunned and alleged that the BJP used the Covid-19 crisis to push anti-people policies like the three new agriculture laws.

CPM state secretary P Madhu alleged that the Modi government extended an empty hand to Andhra Pradesh. He objected to the proposals for privatization of public sector units and demanded that the MPs from the state must fight against the step-motherly treatment to AP in the budget.
Berger said when he read the findings of the first probe, "it was pretty clear to me we needed to do a follow-on...
Link Group, an Australian-listed firm, has pulled out of a 200m deal to buy Pepper European Services (PES), which included Pepper Ireland.

In a statement on Monday to the Australia Securities Exchange, Link said completion of the deal was subject to regulatory approvals and commercial conditions, and the final date for these to be met under the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) was 30 January 2021.

As the long stop date has passed without a transaction being completed, Link Group has exercised its right to terminate the SPA and not to proceed with the acquisition, the company said.

Last year Link agreed to acquire Pepper European Services in a deal worth 200m. This included the acquisition of Pepper Ireland, which has around 500 employees across Shannon and Dublin.

Link Group CEO and MD, Vivek Bhatia, said: The Link Group business is resilient with strong foundations. We have a clear strategic focus to simplify the business, deliver the global transformation program and maintain a strong balance sheet. As a result of the termination of the PES transaction, we will preserve the capital for future growth opportunities.

In a statement on Monday Pepper said it will now defer plans to sell PES. Its focus will be on driving growth across its European markets.

Mike Culhane, CEO of Pepper Group, said: PES had its strongest year ever in 2020, showing growth in Assets Under Management (AUM), which now stand at over 40bn, and impressive EBITDA growth across all our jurisdictions.

Having strengthened our service capabilities significantly in recent years we are ideally positioned to capitalise on material growth opportunities in all our key European markets, accentuated by the growing need for highly specialised loan servicers to minimise the negative impact Covid-19 related challenges will have on consumers and financial institutions across Europe, Mr Culhane added.

At the end of 2019 the Irish firm had 18bn of assets, including 60,000 residential mortgages, some 80pc of which were performing loans, and 10,000 commercial loan accounts.

Pepper Ireland manages loans sold on by the likes of Bank of Scotland (Ireland), after it pulled out of this market, Permanent TSB and Danske Bank.

In the second half of last year PES took on 12 new portfolio mandates, with eight new clients adding over 5bn to its assets under management.
He's the Married At First Sight contestant who has become infamous for trolling his co-stars on social media since his appearance on the show in 2018.

But on Tuesday, Nasser Sultan finally revealed he's been 'playing the character' of a 'deluded reality star' for three years - and admitted it's been difficult to return to real life after becoming obsessed with fame.

'It's not easy, it's not like switching a light off. I am obsessed with it - why am I caring about these people?' the former music promoter, 53, said on Not Another Reality TV Podcast.

Speaking out: Married At First Sight's Nasser Sultan revealed on Tuesday he's been 'playing the character' of a 'deluded reality star' for three years

On Sunday night, Australia's self-proclaimed 'favourite celebrity' stormed out of the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion after refusing to apologise for making a string of hurtful comments about his castmates.

And while he did say sorry on the podcast for some of his more 'personal' insults, Nasser blamed his behaviour on a 'split personality'.

'I wanted to continue to be noticed and recognised,' he said. 'I never wanted it to end  I wanted my name to be known by everyone across Australia.

Drama: Nasser was forced to leave the Married At First Sight Grand Reunion dinner party after the cast demanded an apology for his online trolling

Over: Gabrielle Bartlett 'married' Nasser on MAFS in 2018, but they failed to make it work

'It all went wrong because I started to embed myself in the lives of everybody else. I am obsessed.'

He went on to say that he's played the character of a villain 'very well', but he can't continue to do it forever.

'There has to be a limit where [I say], "Enough now, I have to change direction,"' he said.

After confirming he only returned to the MAFS reunion for 'ratings, money and fame', he said he now hopes to change and become a 'nicer' person in the future.

Confronted: On Sunday's episode, Nasser refused to apologise for the cruel things he'd said on Instagram, and was confronted by Michael Brunelli (right) and Cyrell Paule

It comes after Nasser stormed out of the Grand Reunion dinner party, which aired on Sunday night, after the entire cast screamed: 'Just leave, Nasser!'

Angered, he got up from his seat and said: 'I will leave. You know what? I will leave.'

'I don't need to put up with this s**t,' he added, then told producers he would continue to 'attack' the cast online.

'If they don't wanna hear it, they can all p**s off. I don't need this s**t. Some stupid reunion bulls**t. It's not a reunion. It's an "attack Nasser",' he grumbled.

'I'm a rock star. I'm the people's celebrity. I am Mr Reality. They can kiss my Arabic hairy a**e!'
Pa. COVID-19 mask mandate will be lifted by June 28 or sooner

Pennsylvania announced Thursday that the commonwealth will eliminate its mask mandates by June 28 as COVID-19 cases drop and vaccinations increase.
A New Orleans man is accused of torching or damaging nearly a dozen vehicles across the Slidell area, the State Fire Marshal's Office said Monday.

Michael Jackson, 62, has been booked on counts of aggravated arson and simple arson, with additional counts expected, the agency said in a news release. Jackson was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail in Covington on Sunday following an investigation by the fire marshal, St. Tammany Parish Fire Protection District No. 1 and the New Orleans office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

"This is a dangerous individual that, thankfully, has been stopped," State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said.

Investigators accuse Jackson of setting vehicles on fire on at least three occasions, starting Dec. 23 at an apartment complex in the 400 block of Voters Road. Two vehicles were set ablaze there and a third was damaged due to fire exposure.

Three more vehicles were set afire at the same complex on Jan. 4. Three more were damaged by fire exposure.

Then another vehicle was intentionally set on fire in the early-morning hours Saturday in the 1300 block of Westlawn Drive in Slidell, the State Fire Marshal's Office said.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

The agency said investigators learned that an ex-girlfriend of Jackson's was the "common victim" in the arsons. Other victims whose vehicles were damaged included the ex-girlfriend's boyfriend and friends who had been helping her find replacement vehicles and a new place to live.

Investigators also found evidence that put Jackson near the locations of the fires in the days and minutes prior to the blazes, the fire agency said.

This investigation is a great example of resources working together promptly for a quick arrest and to bring justice to the victims, said Chief Chris Kaufman, of St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1.

ATF, working alongside the Louisiana State Fire Marshals Office and St. Tammany Fire District, was able to bring our expertise and resources to investigate these dangerous arsons, said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn.

Bail information was not available Monday.

(Newser)  Myanmar's de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been detained by the military after the armed forces carried out a coup d'etat, the BBC reports. Suu Kyi's ruling party won enough seats in November's election, just the second since military rule ended in 2011, to form a government, but the armed forces disputed the result, claiming election frauda charge the electoral commission denies. Suu Kyi and other senior government officials were detained in early morning raids Sunday, Al Jazeera reports. On Monday, the military said it was transferring power to the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, over the issue; soldiers have been deployed in the streets, and a state of emergency has been declared for one year.

story continues below

Other politicians and activists have also been detained in the hours before the new parliament was set to begin its session, and CNN reports there is a "widespread communications blackout," with phone and internet service disruptions and all TV channels except the military-owned one blocked. The coup was condemned by the UN and several countries; the US secretary of state issued a statement calling on "Burmese military leaders to release all government officials and civil society leaders and respect the will of the people of Burma as expressed in democratic elections on November 8." Though Suu Kyi is widely seen as a "hero of democracy" in Myanmar, per CNN, she has come under controversy in recent years due to allegations of genocide against Myanmar's Muslim Rohingya minority population. (Read more Aung San Suu Kyi stories.)
Libya: UN, meeting starts to appoint interim executive To bring country to election. Decision by Friday

(ANSAmed) - GENEVA, FEBRUARY 1 - The Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) on Monday met near Geneva to choose the members of the interim executive authority charged with bringing the country to national elections scheduled on December 24. "A pledge to honor at all cost", said the interim special representative of the Secretary General for Libya, Stephanie Williams, opening the meeting on Monday morning.



The exact location of the meeting has not been released.



Speeches were released in streaming. By Friday, the 75 members of the LPDF, gathered in a large room to respect measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, will have to choose the three members of the presidency council and the prime minister, according to a road map adopted by the Forum in Tunis in mid-November.



The objective is to "respond to the aspiration and the question of the people for a sovereign and united Libya" for democracy and national reconciliation, added Stephanie Williams.



During the course of the week, the Forum's members will listen to the 24 candidates for the three seats of the presidential council and the 21 contenders of the mandate for president of the council who will be assisted by two deputies.



After the adoption on January 19 by the Forum of the mechanism to select interim executive authorities, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) had announced the opening of a week-long period for the presentation of candidatures. The process ended on January 28 at around midnight with the publication of the list of candidates to the presidency council and prime minister positions in the interim government.(ANSAmed).





West Bengal elections 2021: Will TMC, RJD come together

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Kolkata, Feb 01: Bihar's main opposition party RJD said on Sunday that it is in talks with the Trinamool Congress to fight the upcoming West Bengal elections together, but leaders of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party claimed that no such discussions are underway.

RJD leaders claimed that the party's principal general secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui and national general secretary Shyam Rajak are in Kolkata to hammer a tie-up with the TMC for the Bengal polls. "We will be meeting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday to fight Bengal elections together," Rajak told PTI.

Bengal govt's health scheme a hoax: Rajib Banerjee

Siddiqui and Rajak met RJD leaders in the state ahead of the discussions with Banerjee. However, TMC leaders said that no talks of any tie-up with the RJD for the West Bengal polls are underway. RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwary said over the phone from Patna that the party is exploring the possibility of contesting some seats on the Bengal-Bihar border.

However, he did not give any numbers on which the party is planning to fight the state elections, likely in April-May. Banerjee has cordial relation with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and the party wishes to strengthen her hands in the Bengal polls, Tiwary said.

He added that the primary objective of the RJD is to stop the "communal" BJP from increasing its influence in West Bengal and strengthen the secular forces under the leadership of the TMC chief.

Though not a noticeable player in Bengal politics, the RJD, which emerged as the largest party in the recently concluded Bihar polls and enjoys considerable support among the Muslims besides the Yadavs, is eyeing a few seats on the inter-state border that have a sizeable number of Hindi- speaking voters.

RJD had an MLA in the Bengal assembly between 2006 and 2011 during the Left Front rule.
Timler has over 38 years of experience in the resources industry, including at senior executive and operator level in both open pit and underground gold and base metals mines.

The companys agreement to sell its 51% interest in the Munni Munni PGE Project has lapsed.

( ) (OTCMKTS:ARTTF) (FRA:ATY) has appointed resources industry veteran Boyd Timler as executive director with effect from February 1, 2021.

Timler was appointed to the companys board as a non-executive director on October 1, 2020, and in conjunction with the appointment of Timler as executive director, Edward Mead, current board member, will take on the role of non-executive director effective February 8, 2021.

Mead was appointed to the Board of Artemis as an Executive Director on December 31, 2014.

Timler has over 38 years of experience in the resources industry, including at senior executive and operator level in both open pit and underground gold and base metals mines.

Besides extensive operational experience, Timler has considerable involvement with the evaluation and development of numerous resource projects throughout the world.

2021 a pivotal year

Artemis chairman Mark Potter said: The appointment of Boyd Timler as executive director reflects the substantial progress being made at the Carlow Castle and Patersons Projects in recent months and the ambitious 2021 exploration and development programmes that are currently underway.

Boyd has already added considerable value to our Carlow Castle project as a non-executive director and we look forward to working with him as an executive.

We thank Edward Mead for his substantial contributions to Artemis over the last 6 years as an executive director and we look forward to his continued counsel as a non-executive director given his extensive experience of exploration in the Pilbara region of Australia.

2021 is expected to be a pivotal year for the Company as the team continues unabated efforts to create value for shareholders through successful exploration and development at both Patersons and Carlow Castle.

Extensive experience

Timler was most recently chief operating officer of Panoramic Resources Limited, and before this, he held the roles of CEO and managing director of Limited and COO for Beadell Resources Limited.

Between 2005 and 2013, Timler held senior operations management roles with Barrick Gold Corporation in Australia and Africa.

Prior to that, he held senior roles with Placer Dome Limited, and TVX Gold Inc; in Canada the USA and Australia.

Timler has a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University Alberta, Canada and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Non-core asset disposals

The companys agreement to sell its 51% interest in the Munni Munni PGE Project has lapsed and the company will continue to review all options for its 70% interest in the Munni Munni PGM Project given the continued buoyant market for precious metals.

The company has also identified opportunities to dispose of several non-core tenements through sale or spin-off transactions and will update the market in due course.
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.
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 study presented today by researchers with the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Taiwan confirmed the effectiveness of low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) screening in a pre-defined, never-smoker, high-risk population.

The research was presented today at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2021 World Conference on Lung Cancer.

In Taiwan, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality, and 53% of those have died of lung cancer were never-smokers. The National Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NLCST) and NELSON Trials demonstrated that the use of low-dose CT is effective for lung cancer screening; however, most of the lung cancer screenings focused on heavy smokers, which may not be suitable for an East Asian population as this population tend to have higher incidence of lung cancer in never-smokers.

The researchers, led by Dr. Pan Chyr Yang, of the National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei/Taiwan, developed by the Taiwan Lung Cancer Screening for Never Smoker Trial (TALENT), a nationwide lung cancer LDCT screening study focused on never-smokers.

TALENT's goal is also to develop an effective strategy for screening of lung cancer in never-smoker and establish a risk prediction model to identify high-risk population that may benefit from LDCT screening.

The TALENT study enrolled and followed 12,011 individuals between February 2015 and July 2019. To be enrolled in the trial, participants must have been between 55 and 75 years of age and never-smokers. In addition, participants must have had one of the following risk factors for lung cancer: family history of lung cancer within the third-degree of relations, passive smoking exposure, tuberculosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cooking index of 110 or greater, and absence of ventilation during cooking.

Of the 12,011 individuals, 6,009 (50 %) had family history of lung cancer, and 2,094 (17.4%) were considered positive on screening. Of these, 395 participants (3.3%) underwent lung biopsies or surgeries. Lung cancer (2.6%) was diagnosed in 313 patients, with 255 (2.1%) diagnosed with invasive lung cancer--all but one was adenocarcinoma and 96.5% were diagnosed with stage I disease. The remaining 81 patients had benign lung disease or a malignancy other than cancer.

The prevalence of lung cancer was 3.2% and 2.0% (p < 0.001) in participants with and without lung cancer family history, respectively. The prevalence of invasive lung cancer was 2.6% and 1.6%, respectively. The lung cancer risk increased with the number of first-degree relatives with lung cancer (0: 2.0%, 1: 3.1%, 2: 4.0%, 3: 6.7%, ? 4: 9.1%; p < 0.001).

Most importantly, 96.5% patients were stage 0 or 1, [and] were potentially curable by surgery. Our study also revealed the high risk of family history, especially those [participants] with a first-degree family history of lung cancer." Dr Pan Chyr Yang, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University

"The study revealed that LDCT screening for lung cancer in never-smoker with high risk may be feasible, which is very important to all who are fighting against lung cancer, [considering] the increasing global threat for lung cancer in never-smoker. Most importantly, the study showed that family history of lung cancer may increase the risk of lung cancer," he added.

Dr. Yang said his team plans to develop a risk score predictor that includes the family history, and genetic and environmental factors for identification of high-risk population who can benefit from LDCT screening for lung cancer in never-smokers. A standard screening protocol will be established, and Dr. Yang and his team will advise the authority to formally implement the LDCT for lung cancer screening in Taiwan.

"We hope the screening program can benefit patients suffering from lung cancer especially in those countries with high incidence of lung cancer in never smoker," he said.

"This study paves the way to additional studies in this unique group of high-risk individuals," Dr. Scagliotti, IASLC interim CSO said, "in order to maximize the benefits of early detection of lung cancer."
[January 31, 2021] Top University Leaders Urge Innovation for the Post-COVID Era at the KAIST Summit

DAEJEON, South Korea, Jan. 31, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Universities are facing ever-mounting pressure to address impacts brought on by COVID-19 and the emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Presidents from MIT, Tokyo Tech, and Northwestern University will join the KAIST Summit to explore new directions for higher education during the post-COVID era intertwined with the 4IR. They agree that addressing these dual challenges requires pushing for innovations to rebuild the competitive edges of universities. This summit is one of KAIST's series of events to envision the future of KAIST and higher education in celebration of its 50th anniversary. The online summit will be live streamed on KAIST's official YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/KAISTofficial) on February 3, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Korean time (February 2, 7:00-9:00 p.m. CST and 8:00-10:00 p.m. EST, respectively). The KAIST Summit titled "The Roles and Responsibilities of Universities in a Global Crisis" will discuss a range of issues affecting many aspects of universities in the coming decades. "This summit will allow us to measure the level of risk that universities face today and will face in the future. Although there will be varying views on what a post-COVID world might look like, one thing for sure is that universities cannot go back to the way they used to exist and operate. Moreover, the 4IR continues to infiltrate and shake up our daily lives. Changes are inevitable, and universities must pursue bold and innovative responses to remain sustainable and relevant to society," said KAIST President Sung-Chul Shin on the background of hosting the event. The keynote speakers include KAIST President Sin, MIT President L. Rafael Reif, Tokyo Tech President Kazuya Masu, and Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro. After the keynote speech session, the speakers will take part in a panel discussion on three topics: "The Digital Divide," "Emerging Challenges in AI," and "Social Entrepreneurship and University-Industry Collaboration." A Q&A session with an online audience consisting of KAIST faculty, staff, and students as well as high school students across the nation will follow shortly afterwards.



President Reif of MIT will congratulate KAIST on its successful 50-year journey from meager beginnings to achieving its current status as one of the finest global universities in science and technology. Then he will give a talk titled "Universities as Engines of Change" to present how universities have played a critical role in advancing solutions to humanity's most urgent problems. President Masu of Tokyo Tech will stress the importance of universities' continuous dialogue with society as drivers of innovation. In his speech titled "Designing Our FutureTokyo Tech DLab's Approach," he will introduce the activities of Tokyo Tech's Laboratory for Design of Social Innovation in Global Networks (DLab) and explain how DLab collaborates for the future with members of society.

President Schapiro of Northwestern University will speak about how universities might incorporate the lessons they learned in dealing with COVID-19 to improve their research, teaching, and public service in the post-pandemic era. He will also look into issues arising from changing labor market needs associated with the 4IR and the aftermath of COVID-19 in his talk titled "The University in the 'New Normal.'" Finally, President Shin of KAIST will deliver a presentation on the "Visions & Innovations for the Next Dream of KAIST." He will reflect on the remarkable track record from KAIST's first 50 years and how it has contributed significantly to the rapid growth of Korea as a hi-tech powerhouse. Furthermore, he will elaborate on a new vision for the development of KAIST over the next 50 years and roll out a set of strategic innovation plans in the five areas of education, research, technology commercialization, globalization, and future strategy. In the panel discussion, the four presidents will dive into a more intense conversation on such topics as universities' role in bridging the increasing digital divide through their research, education, and international cooperation; the socioeconomic implications and ethical challenges of the fast deployment of AI and robotics; 4IR disruptions that will transform higher education; ways to foster social innovation and youth entrepreneurship; and how to build university-industry cooperation. More information on KAIST's 50th anniversary celebrations can be found on its special celebratory website at https://50.kaist.ac.kr/eng/. The official anniversary ceremony is scheduled for February 16, 2021, from 10 a.m. Korean time, and live-streaming will also be made available on KAIST's official YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/KAISTofficial. About KAIST KAIST is the first and top science and technology university in Korea. KAIST was established in 1971 by the Korean government to educate scientists and engineers committed to Korea's industrialization and economic growth. Since then, KAIST and its 67,556 graduates have been the gateway to advanced science and technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. KAIST has emerged as one of the most innovative universities with nearly 12,000 students enrolled in five colleges and seven schools including 1,039 international students from 90 countries. Marking its semi-centennial anniversary in 2021, KAIST continues to strive to make the world better through its pursuit of excellence in education, research, entrepreneurship, and globalization. For more information about KAIST, please visit http://www.kaist.ac.kr/en/. Media Contact Younghye Cho

kaistpr@kaist.ac.kr

younghyecho@kaist.ac.kr View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/top-university-leaders-urge-innovation-for-the-post-covid-era-at-the-kaist-summit-301217891.html SOURCE KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 10:28:00|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

YANGON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials have been detained by the military early on Monday, Dr. Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) told Xinhua.

"I received internal reports about our state counsellor and president being taken by the military. As far as I was informed, Shan State's Planning and Finance Minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin, Kayah state's NLD chairman Thaung Htay and some NLD representatives of the Ayeyarwady region's parliament have been detained," the spokesperson said.

"Two members of Central Executive Committee of the party were taken and I am also waiting to be detained as I was informed by our members that my turn will come shortly," he said.

The Myanmar military TV declared on Monday a state of emergency in the country for one year after the government leaders were detained.

The state-run Radio and Television (MRTV) announced on its social media page that it was no longer working on Monday morning.

Telecommunications in capital city of Nay Pyi Taw and some other regions and states are also being cut off.

The first regular session of the new parliamentary session was scheduled to begin with convening the House of Representatives on Monday, the House of Nationalities on Tuesday and the Union Parliamentary session on Feb. 5.

The upcoming parliamentary sessions will elect speakers for both houses of the parliament and will form parliamentary committees while electing president and vice-presidents, as part of the forming of the Union Government.

Myanmar held multi-party general elections on Nov. 8 last year and the ruling NLD won the majority of seats in both houses of the Union Parliament. Enditem
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

SEATTLE  Authorities in Washington state are warning hospitals and other facilities giving coronavirus vaccinations not to give special access to some people, saying they will risk having their supplies of doses cut.

The state Health Department said in a statement Monday that VIP scheduling, reserving doses for inequitable or exclusive access, and similar practices are banned and will not be tolerated.

The Seattle Times has reported that three medical systems in the region gave special vaccine access to big donors or foundation members. Two of the hospital organizations acknowledged they made a mistake in prioritizing influential people.

ADVERTISEMENTSkip



................................................................

The Health Departments announcement says that if a vaccine provider is found to be giving out shots in an inequitable manner we may reduce or stop allocations to that provider.

___

THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

 AstraZeneca to send European Union 9 million more doses this quarter, tamping down huge public spat

 Vaccine skepticism lurks in Tuskegee, Alabama, known for syphilis study

 WHO team in Wuhan visits provincial disease control center

 Thousands flout virus restrictions at funerals in Israel

 Even if schools reopen by late April, millions of students, many of them minorities in urban areas, may be left out

___

Follow all of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic, https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

___

HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

BOSTON  Massachusetts has passed 500,000 coronavirus cases for the pandemic even as other statistics appear to show a continued easing following a post-holiday spike.

The state crossed that mark Monday, exactly a year after officials reported the first case of a coronavirus infection in Massachusetts. It involved a Boston resident who had traveled to the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the first cases of COVID-19 were identified.

The number of newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts rose by 30 on Monday, pushing the states confirmed death toll to 14,317 since the start of the pandemic.

The number of newly confirmed cases of coronavirus infections increased by more than 2,200.

___

ANNAPOLIS, Md.  Marylands acting health secretary says the states hospitals have received less than half of their expected allocations of second doses of the coronavirus vaccine for front-line health workers this week.

Dennis Schrader on Monday attributed the discrepancy to the transition between presidential administrations in Washington.

Schrader says state officials were talked with the federal Department of Health and Human Services all weekend trying to figure out what happened. He says that they havent been able to put their finger on what the issue is.

An HHS spokesman says that no allocations provided to states have changed or lowered.

___

WASHINGTON  The U.S. government says it wont conduct immigration enforcement arrests at coronavirus vaccination sites around the country.

In a statement Monday, the Department of Homeland Security said vaccine sites will be considered sensitive locations and will not be targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents except in extraordinary circumstances.

DHS says it encourages everyone regardless of immigration status to get vaccinated when they are eligible under local rules.

ICE has previously included health care facilities as well as churches among the sensitive locations where arrests would generally not be carried out.

___

DES MOINES, Iowa  Iowa health officials say testing has identified three cases in the state of the coronavirus variant first identified in the United Kingdom.

Two of the cases were found in Johnson County in eastern Iowa and one in Bremer County in northeast Iowa.

Health officials said Monday that the emergence of variant underscores the importance of wearing masks and taking precautions to avoid getting infected.

Although virus activity generally has slowed in Iowa from a peak in November, aggressive community spread is still occurring in many counties.

The CDC says Iowa has delivered 190,689 first vaccine doses to individuals, or 6,044 per 100,000 people, the third lowest rate in the nation.

___

TORONTO  Canada most populous province is reporting its first case of a coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa that is believed to be more contagious than the original.

Ontarios chief medical officer of health said Monday that the case was found in the Peel region west Toronto and the person does not have a known history of travel or any known contact with someone who has travelled.

British Columbia has also reported cases of the South African variant

Viruses constantly mutate but scientists are concerned with the emergence of three that researchers believe may spread more easily. One first reported in the United Kingdom was previously confirmed in Canada, and Ontario has dozens of cases now.

___

DETROIT  A Detroit-area prosecutor is dismissing more than 1,700 tickets that were issued for violating Gov. Gretchen Whitmers coronavirus restrictions.

Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy said Monday that the cases were filed before the Michigan Supreme Court said Whitmers emergency orders were made under a law that was unconstitutional,

Most cases  1,632  were misdemeanors filed in Detroit and still pending when Worthy made the announcement. Detroit police were aggressive in writing tickets for large gatherings or violations of other orders that were aimed at reducing the spread of the virus.

The prosecutors office says about 50 cases in suburban courts already have been resolved. Anyone who paid fines should be able to pursue a refund.

___

WASHINGTON  The White House is tamping down expectations for a potential boost in vaccine distribution if Johnson & Johnsons COVID-19 shot is approved by federal regulators.

Andy Slavitt, the White Houses deputy COVID-19 coordinator, told reporters that the single-dose shot would undoubtedly help the Biden administration meet its goal of 300 million vaccinated Americans by the end of summer. But he says: The expectation should not be that theres an immediate, dramatic shift.

The pharmaceutical company reported strong results for the efficacy of its vaccine on Friday and is expected to file for emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration in the coming days.

Johnson & Johnson is contracted to provide 100 million doses by the end of the second quarter.

Slavitt says he did not anticipate an even distribution, but that most doses would come towards the end of that contract.

___

AMSTERDAM  The European Medicines Agency said it has begun an expedited approval process for a combination COVID-19 drug that was granted an emergency use authorization in the U.S. in November.

In a statement on Monday, the EU regulator said it has started a rolling review of the drug known as REGN-COV2, developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Roche. It is made of casirivimab and imdevimab, two monoclonal antibodies.

The Amsterdam-based EMA said its decision was based on preliminary results from a study that suggests the drug could reduce the amount of virus in the blood, but said it is too early to draw any conclusions. It said it was evaluating the first batch of data on the drug, from laboratory and animal studies and that further data from clinical trials would be assessed as they become available.

The drug was administered to former U.S. President Donald Trump when he was hospitalized with COVID-19 last year and was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for children and adults with mild to moderate coronavirus.

___

LINCOLN, Neb.  Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts was self-isolating from the public on Monday after he was exposed to a person over the weekend who showed symptoms of the coronavirus.

Ricketts said he was near the person for longer than 15 minutes on Saturday. He had been scheduled Monday to participate in the Governors Annual Wellness Walk around the Capitol to promote fitness, but spoke to reporters instead through a video-conferencing link.

Ricketts said the person who showed coronavirus symptoms is getting tested for the virus and still awaiting results. He said his contact with the person, who he didnt identify, was for business and not a social gathering.

The Republican governor was also forced to go into quarantine in November after he and Nebraska first lady Susanne Shore were exposed to an infected person during a weekend dinner gathering.

___

PRAGUE  The Czech Republic is not planning to limit use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for elderly people like some other European Union nations.

Health Minister Jan Blatny says we can see no reasons for us to think the vaccine cannot be used for people above any certain age.

Italy is planning to administer the vaccine developed with the Oxford University for people aged 18  55 while German authorities dont recommend it for those aged 65 and older.

Blatny say says vaccines in general are less effective for older people. The European Union approved the vaccine without any age limits.

___

GENEVA  Officials at the World Health Organization pushed back against suggestions that the U.N.-led team investigating the origins of the pandemic in China is not getting enough access or data during its ongoing visit to Wuhan.

WHOs COVID-19 technical lead Maria Van Kerkhove said the team, comprised of experts from 10 countries, has plans to visit the Wuhan Institute of Virology, among other sites.

We need to give them the space to be able to carry out this scientific study, she said, in response to suggestions that China has been less than transparent about how the outbreak began. WHOs team arrived in Wuhan last month after a months-long delay to investigate the animal origins of COVID-19.

Dr. Michael Ryan, WHOs emergencies chief, said the agency was continuing to ask for more data and said anyone with information about how the pandemic started should share it with the organization.

___

TOKYO  Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters Monday that the number of new cases has decreased since early January when he placed Tokyo and 10 other prefectures under a state of emergency, but Japan needs to keep the guards up high for a while.

Suga is expected to announce an extension of the state of emergency, currently set to end on Saturday, for another month until March 7 after experts cautioned that lifting of the measures too soon would trigger a resurgence of the infections.

Suga said he will convene a taskforce meeting Tuesday to get experts advise before making a decision.

Japan as of Sunday had nearly 390,000 cases and more than 5,700 deaths.

___

WASHINGTON  White House coronavirus adviser Andy Slavitt says the government awarded a $231-million contract to scale up production of a COVID-19 home test recently authorized by U.S. regulators.

For months, health experts have stressed the need for fast, widespread home testing so that people can screen themselves and avoid contact with others if they have an infection. But the vast majority of tests still require a nasal swab performed by a health worker that must be processed at high-tech laboratories.

The test kit from Australian manufacturer Ellume allows users to swab themselves at home and check their status in about 20 minutes. Its one of only three tests that consumers can use themselves, and the only one available without a doctors prescription.

Ellume said Monday it would use the contract to construct a U.S. manufacturing plant and deliver 8.5 million tests for federal use. It did not specify a timeframe for delivery.

Also on Monday at the White House coronavirus briefing, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are down in recent weeks, but three mutations that are causing concern have been detected in the U.S.

___

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico  Puerto Ricos Health Department announced Monday that it will turn its COVID-19 vaccine efforts solely to those 65 and older, suspending shots for emergency responders.

Health Secretary Carlos Mellado said the new policy will be in effect for the next four weeks.

The U.S. territory already has vaccinated more than 250,000 people, starting with medical workers and then emergency workers.

The Health Department also put a halt to vaccinations for the U.S. territorys elections commission, saying it had not been authorized.

The department said vaccination of emergency responders will resume once the elderly have received their shots.

___

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina  Bosnian Serb health authorities say that 2,000 Russian Sputnik V vaccines have arrived in the pro-Russian, Serb-dominated half of the country, in what is the first shipment of any vaccines to the Balkan nation.

Alen Seranic, the Health Minister of Republika Srpska, which is how the Serb-run Bosnian entity is called, says the vaccines have landed in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo for approval by the countrys medical agency.

Bosnias Serbs have close political ties with Russia. The second entity, run by the countrys predominantly Muslim Bosniaks and Croats, has announced first shipments of Western-made vaccines later this month.

The country remains ethnically divided years after the 1992-95 war. A U.S.-brokered peace deal created the two entities connected loosely in a joint central government.
He was a great guy, we loved working with him, she said through tears.

In his suicide note, he said he worked hard, paid his way through medical school, and for what?

When morale is already difficult to maintain, the suicide of a compatriot in the trenches is a particularly harsh blow. On a deep level everyone understands, and yet they go on. Every shift, Mary said, three or four patients die. You get through with one patient, move on to the next, and its the same story. Outside, ambulances are continually lined up outside the ER with a sometimes seven hour wait.

Here, in Napa Valley, the situation is not as severe. For the most part, people are abiding by the stipulated precautions. Sheltering and home and wearing a mask when out at all times. We also go so far as to complain to the authorities about those who are not  just check out the police log on any given week.

In Minnesota, as elsewhere in the U.S., thats not always the case. My brother logged 42,000 miles traveling across the country last year. Thats between visits to Mary, and traveling for business. He said what you see on airplanes is unbelievable. Passengers wearing masks around their chin, arguments with airline stewards, and in some cases stewards themselves not following safety protocols.
Kannada superstar Kichcha Sudeepa celebrated 25 years in films on the Burj Khalifa, and also unveiled the title logo of his multilingual upcoming film, Vikrant Rona, on the occasion at the iconic skyscraper.

"Much love to the 'Vikrant Rona' team and all the people who were involved in putting together this wonderful event. The entire Indian film industry and the viewers have been very generous with the love they have showered on me over the years and I treasure it with all my heart," Kichcha Sudeepa said.

Sudeepa's Vikrant Rona was supposed to be one of the first big-budget films to have arrived on floors in the early days of the pandemic. The title logo and a 180-second sneak-peek of the film was superimposed on Burj Khalifa.

Director Anup Bhandari said: "I am glad that through Vikrant Rona' we got to be part of Sudeepa sir's 25th anniversary in cinema. The world has witnessed iconic adventure heroes like James Bond, Indiana Jones, and Sherlock Holmes. Vikrant Rona' is an attempt to create a new adventure hero from India."

Producer Jack Manjunath added: "We wish Sudeepa sir big love on clocking in 25 years in Indian cinema. This film offers an extraordinary hero to the Indian diaspora across the world and a vicarious adventure of a lifetime. It is amazing to have Sudeepa sir's presence and the abundant energy he brings into the film. The first glimpse on Burj Khalifa reflected it wonderfully."
Senate approves bill allotting 'safe pathways' for pedestrians, cyclists, non-motorized transport users

The Senate today approved on third and final reading a bill that seeks to provide a network of safe pathways for those who prefer to walk, bike, or use other non-motorized vehicles to their regular destinations.

Senate Bill No. 1582, otherwise known as the Safe Pathways Act, was approved with 23 affirmative votes, no negative vote, and no abstention.

The bill was primarily introduced and sponsored by Sen. Pia Cayetano, chairperson of the Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation, and Futures Thinking.

Also authoring the measure are Senators Francis "Tol" Tolentino, Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao, Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Joel Villanueva, Grace Poe, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Richard Gordon, Cynthia Villar, Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, Majority Leader Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, and Minority Leader Franklin Drilon.

A health advocate and a cyclist, Cayetano said the bill would promote multiple health benefits and help improve the quality of life for Filipinos due to reduced carbon emissions and less use of energy and resources.

"This is good news to the biking community, which has grown significantly during this time of COVID. More people are now using a bicycle to go to work and in their daily travels," Cayetano said.

"It is important that there is a network of bicycle lanes to ensure continuity through various localities, and the safety of bikers," she added.

Under the bill, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), in coordination with local government units (LGUs) shall identify and create a network of bicycle lanes connecting to essential destinations such as workplaces, medical facilities or groceries, schools, banks, and other similar places.

The senator added that 'slow streets' is a relatively new concept in the country which would be devoted for pedestrians and cyclists, while limiting access to motor vehicles.

Once enacted into law, the government will mandate public places, government offices, schools, places of work, and commercial establishments like malls, banks, and hospitals to provide adequate parking spaces for bicycles and other non-motorized vehicles.
A former St. John the Baptist Parish firefighter was recently handed a one-year, three-month federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to trying to sneak 130 pounds of marijuana past a checkpoint near the Texas-Mexico border.

Michael Moscona received his sentence during a Jan. 12 hearing before U.S. District Judge David Morales, of Corpus Christi, Texas, at the conclusion of a case that dates back to last summer.

According to court records, Moscona  then a St. John Parish firefighter  drove a Ford F150 pickup through an immigration checkpoint north of McAllen, Texas, on June 17.

Ex-St. John firefighter pleads guilty to transporting 130 pounds of marijuana near Mexican border A former St. John the Baptist Parish firefighter recently pleaded guilty to trying to sneak 130 pounds of marijuana past a checkpoint near the

A drug-sniffing dog at the checkpoint zeroed in on Mosconas truck, and U.S. Border Patrol agents found several plastic, vacuum-sealed bundles of marijuana worth more than $100,000 in a toolbox in the bed of the vehicle, authorities wrote in court documents. Agents said the 130-pound net weight of the marijuana was too large for personal use, and they arrested Moscona after he admitted that he intended to illegally sell the weed in Louisiana.

A federal grand jury charged Moscona in the case on July 14, and parish officials in St. John said he left the parish Fire Department the next day.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Moscona pleaded guilty Sept. 2 to possessing and intending to distribute the marijuana as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors in Corpus Christi. Morales approved the deal on Sept. 17.

Moscona could have faced up to 20 years in prison if convicted at trial, though defendants who plead guilty early in their cases do not typically receive the maximum punishment. Morales said Moscona must also spend four years under federal supervision following his release from prison.

Records say Moscona is supposed to report to prison when instructed by the U.S. Marshals Office. The federal Bureau of Prisons website did not show him in custody as of Sunday afternoon.

Moscona served as a St. John firefighter for 15 years and was also a key contributor to a team that won a state firefighting drills competition multiple times.
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.
Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO), Madam Janet Agyeiwaa Duah, Volta Regional Commander of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), says the Service is determined to reduce fire outbreaks in the Region.



She said the Service had, therefore, embarked on an intensive sensitization drive aimed at ensuring public compliance with fire prevention and safety protocols.



ACFO Duah, who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said fire prevention was a shared responsibility and citizens must play their part by following the advice from the Service on fire protocols.



The Commander said the various Municipal and District Fire Officers were tasked to create awareness of the public on fire prevention and educate them on the need to observe the precautionary measures.



ACFO Duah said human and other resources the country continued to lose through fire outbreaks were having a serious toll on development, necessitating stringent measures to curb the situation.



The Commander called for public support to tackle the fire menace.



She said the destruction of the country's vegetation cover by human activities, including bush fires continued to have negative effects on the sustainability of the environment.



ACFO Duah urged farmers to avoid setting fire to the bush and adopt good farming practices, including creating fire belts to prevent the fire from entering their farms to destroy their crops.



The Commander implored market women who cook at the market to properly extinguish naked fires and ashes after cooking to prevent fire outbreak as any least spark could cause fire during the harmattan period.



She called on people, who use electrical gadgets to endeavour to switch them off and avoid overloading them, especially the extension cords as such could lead to fire outbreaks.



The Commander also called for proper and careful handling of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) during transport, discharge and storage processes, making sure right measures were taken to avoid any situation that could result in fire outbreaks.

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
Srinagar:

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Tuesday started debate on a resolution moved by the government for implementing the GST regime without affecting the special status of the state.

Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu moved the resolution seeking suggestions from the lawmakers on how to implement the 101st amendment of the Constitution of India pertaining to GST in the state with modifications to ensure that the special status under Article 370 of the Constitution is not affected.

This House resolves that the Government of Jammu and Kashmir may give consent to the adoption of GST regime by application of relevant amendments made to the Constitution of India in a modified form to safeguard existing constitutional position of J&K in the Union of India and the legislative powers under Constitution of J&K, Drabu read from the resolution.

He said it was a very sincere effort of the government to get the sense of the house on the issue of GST implementation.

There is no devious game plan, we want a sense of the house and communicate it to the government of India for implementing GST while safeguarding the special status of the state, he said.

Drabu said as part of these efforts the government has convened all-party meeting and also formed an all-party panel to build consensus on the issue.

There are apprehensions about GST across India, much more in Jammu and Kashmir.Every MLA has right to voice his opinion. The government will try to allay their apprehensions, he said.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu govt warns of action against those charging rates beyond GST

Speaking on the issue, NC MLA and former finance minister Mohammad Shafi Uri sought a ruling from speaker Kavinder Gupta on the admissibility of the resolution moved by the government.

Citing rules of the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly, he said a resolution can only be brought on a specific issue but the present resolution covered multiple issues including constitutional matters.

There is confusion about which rule was followed while presenting the resolution. This resolution is vague and does not fulfill requirements. There are multiple issues.Some taxes are not applicable to J and K but extending 101st amendment of the constitution will make these applicable to the state, he said.

Responding to Uris query, the speaker said the parliamentary procedure maintains that the order given by the chair is final and reasons cannot be asked.

Congress MLA Nawag Rigzin Jora said while section three defines the relation between the state and the union of India, section 5 gives the powers to the state for framing laws including tax laws.

Also Read: There was no invitation for GST launch, where is question of attending or skipping, says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Sections 3 and 5 (JK constitution) cannot be amended, then how do you bring this resolution.Does it not violate the constitution, Jora asked.

He said the state government should have brought in its own law on GST after consulting legal luminaries, without affecting the special constitution position of the state.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
What just happened? Xiaomi is suing the US government after Donald Trump's administration designated the firm a 'Communist Chinese military company' and placed it on a blacklist that could force US investors to divest. The smartphone giant was one of nine Chinese companies added to the Pentagon blacklist on January 15, just days before Joe Biden's inauguration.

A 1999 law requires the Defense Department to compile a catalog of companies owned or controlled by the People's Liberation Army. The Pentagon has added 35 names so far, including chipmaker SMIC and Huawei.

Companies placed on the list are subject to an executive order from November 2020 that prohibits Americans from trading or investing in the firms. It also orders Americans with holdings to sell their stakes within one year.

On Friday, Xiaomi responded by filing a lawsuit against the US treasury and defense departments in the district court of Columbia. It claims that the designation is "unconstitutional because it deprives Xiaomi of its liberty and property rights without due process of law." As such, it violates the US Constitution's Fifth Amendment. Xiaomi also claims the investment ban will inflict "irreparable harm" on the company.

"By cutting off Xiaomi from US capital markets, the Designation and related restrictions will damage the company's ability to conduct, grow and finance its business, sell its products, maintain and grow its business relationships, and recruit and retain employees," reads the lawsuit. The firm's stock has fallen by up to 14 percent since being added to the list.

Xiaomi has repeatedly denied any association with the Chinese government or military. "The company confirms that it is not owned, controlled, or affiliated with the Chinese military, and is not a 'Communist Chinese military company' defined under the NDAA," it said.

Xiaomi had the third-highest number of smartphone shipments in Q4 (43.3 million). It also saw the largest year-on-year increase (32 percent). Huawei, which is on the same blacklist and the US Commerce Department's 'entity list,' saw its YoY phone shipments fall 42.4 percent.
[January 31, 2021] TIGA proposes increase in VGTR to boost the UK's video games industry

LONDON, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, TIGA, the trade association representing the video games industry, has published a new report evidencing the benefits of an increase in Video Games Tax Relief (VGTR) from 25 per cent to 32 per cent. The report, Boosting the UK Video Games Industry: Increasing Video Games Tax Relief (TIGA, 2021) analyses survey data from industry, data from government and economic modelling. The report demonstrates that a 32 per cent rate of VGTR would result in more investment, greater headcount growth and larger tax receipts for HM Treasury. TIGA's research reaffirms the strong, direct, causal link between VGTR and the growth in UK games development companies and industry headcount. Average annual headcount growth from the date when companies could actually claim VGTR in 2014 until April 2020 has been 8.9 per cent. In a TIGA survey conducted in October 2020, 80 per cent of respondents that were able to claim VGTR in the past 3 years had done so. VGTR was introduced partly to enable the UK video games industry to compete on a more level playing field with its counterparts in countries including the USA and Canada, which benefit from a range of generous tax reliefs and grants. The research indicates that between 2021 and 2025 an increased rate of VGTR to 32 per count would have the following impact compared to the current growth scenario: 1,485 additional development staff in studios.

2,715 additional indirect staff.

255 million additional development expenditure.

233 million direct and indirect additional estimated tax contributions.

565 million additional estimated GDP contribution. The report states that these figures are likely to be conservative as they do not tae into account any impact of incremental start-up rate acceleration, acquisitions and additional inward investment that may be stimulated by such a material VGTR increase.



A 2017 government study showed the positive effects of VGTR on the UK video games industry. In response to a recent parliamentary written question, Kemi Badenoch MP, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, noted: 'Research showed that VGTR enabled developers to be more productive by giving them more stability and lowering their level of risk, enabling them to survive longer and look beyond immediate financial concerns to focus on expanding their business or improving their offer. The evaluation found concrete examples of inward investment, and indications that VGTR had stemmed the drain of UK talent to countries such as France and Canada.'1

Dr Richard Wilson OBE, CEO of TIGA said: "The UK video games industry is one of the sectors that the UK Government should aim to promote over the coming years. The industry supports economic growth in clusters throughout the UK: approximately 80 per cent of the workforce is based outside of London. The industry provides high skilled employment: around 80 per cent of the workforce are qualified to degree level or above. The industry is export focused: approximately 95 per cent of games studios export at least some of their content. The industry is relatively resilient to Coronavirus engendered lockdowns: as a digital sector work can be undertaken remotely. "An Increase in the rate of VGTR would: enhance the appeal of the UK as a centre for games development; encourage investment; promote the development of new IP; boost studio formation and longevity; encourage employment creation; support economic growth across the UK; and enable our industry to secure a larger share of the global market for games production." About TIGA TIGA is the network for games developers and digital publishers and the trade association representing the video games industry. For more information visit: www.tiga.org Video Games Tax Relief, a measure TIGA was instrumental in achieving, has been available to UK games companies since August 2014 and has driven growth in the sector. See: https://tiga.org/policy-and-public-affairs/games-tax-relief Get in touch:



Tel: 0845 468 2330

Email: info@tiga.org

Web: www.tiga.org

Twitter: www.twitter.com/tigamovement

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TIGAMovement

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/tiga 1 UK Parliament, Question for HM Treasury - Video Games: Tax Allowances, 27 January 2021, link

[ 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.

Andriy Rymaruk stars as Sergiy, a former soldier trying to adapt to the new reality of life in a dystopian post-apocalyptic Eastern Ukraine, a desert unsuitable for human habitation, in the sci-fi drama "Atlantis," available on The Moviehouse's Virtual Cinema.
The coronavirus mutation first detected in Britain caused half of all new infections in the Netherlands by Jan. 26, Dutch health minister Hugo de Jonge said on Monday.

Last week, health authorities said the new, more contagious variant was responsible for around a third of all new infections in the Netherlands.

The 'British mutation' was seen to be almost 50% more contagious than the older variant, based on calculations up until Jan. 14, De Jonge wrote in a letter to parliament.

The Dutch government has repeatedly warned that new mutations could lead to a new wave of infections in the coming weeks, despite a steady drop in the number of COVID-19 cases since the start of the year.

To stop the spread of new mutations, a nighttime curfew was added to an already broad lockdown last week.

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 a first step towards easing measures, the government on Sunday decided to reopen primary schools as of next week, as young children were still seen to be playing only a marginal role in the transmission of the disease.

Dutch media on Monday reported that the government was also considering scrapping the curfew early next week.

On Monday, the number of new coronavirus infections in the Netherlands dropped to its lowest level in 4 months, at 3,280.

Since the start of the pandemic almost 1 million coronavirus infections in the Netherlands have been reported, with over 14,000 deaths.
Drug, smuggled items seized along border

Imphal, Feb 1 (UNI) Moreh Battalion foiled a cross border smuggling attempt and recovered narcotics from Chikkim Village in Moreh, Monday.

Assam Rifles troops launched an operation in Chikkim on January 31 and one of the long range surveillance teams spotted a woman sneaking past the Moreh Check Post from across the border and alerted the nearest column. The column then identified her trail on a jungle track and intercepted her near Chikkim village in the border town of Moreh.

On thorough frisking 373 grams of Brown Sugar concealed in 30 soap cases were found on the drug trafficker. The market price of the drugs recovered is estimated to be Rs 74.60 Lakh.
Khloe Kardashian shared some snaps from her luxury girls trip in Turks and Caicos on Sunday as she bared her curves in a slinky blue dress.

The 36-year-old Good American founder worked her angles in the the mesh number as she posed from the steps of their lavish mansion in Providenciales.

Despite returning home to an extravagant display of balloons and flowers from her on-again beau Tristan Thompson, Khloe still had her head in the sand as she dreamt of her next vacation.

True blue: Khloe Kardashian, 36, works her angles in a slinky blue mesh dress in snaps from lavish Turks and Caicos getaway with her sisters

Standing against the stone walls of their private accomodations, Khloe arched her back, ensuring all eyes were on her famous backside.

She could be seen sporting a black thong bodysuit underneath the see-through getup as she tried her best modeling poses with her arms outstretched upwards.

Sister Kylie Jenner was the photographer of the year as Khloe threw her a tag on Instagram.

Khloe previously had shared some more photos in the same blue dress the day before as she showed off her hard-earned figure.

Bodycon: Protecting her modesty she layered the look over a black thong bodysuit

Eyes over here: Ensuring no distractions from her phenomenal figure she kept her hair slicked back in a bun

Earlier in the day she posted a photo of the clear blue waters and wrote 'pure peace.'

She was accompanied by Kylie, Kim, Kourtney and their brood of children, as they rang in an early third birthday for Stormi.

The ladies used the house as both an escape and the ideal photoshoot background as they all shared snaps from the getaway.

Khloe shared a photo in a high waisted black bikini on Saturday as she showed off her stretch marks while tanning on the beach.

Badge of honor: In an intimate snap posted Saturday Khloe bared her stretch marks and wrote 'I love my stripes'

Support system: The Celtics player provided an encouraging comment on her vacation snaps beach as he made it clear he adored her figure in all its form

Peace and quiet: The Good American founder spent much of her time at the beach as she shared a snap of the crystal clear ocean and wrote 'pure peace'

She wrote 'I love my stripes,' as she owned the marks like a badge of honor after previously undergoing a massive bodily transformation over the years.

Tristan was quick to comment on her posts with encouraging fire emojis and hearts, as he made it clear he adored her figure no matter what she was wearing.

Sister Kim wrote, 'It's the waist for me..'.

Upon returning home from the seaside stay Khloe was treated to an overwhelming display of balloons and flowers from Thompson.

TT's treat: She showed off the extravagant balloon display as she wrote 'Thank you TT'

Warm welcome: Her Hidden Hills home was piled high with rose gold balloons and roses that made her smile after vacation

She showed off the display on social media as she wrote, 'Thank you TT.'

Currently he is in Boston where he plays for the Celtics. The pair spent Christmas together with daughter True, two, as they continue to work on building their relationship back.

Previously on the outs after a slew of cheating allegations - most notably involving Kylie's former BFF Jordyn Woods - Thompson has been working extra hard in the hopes of one day winning Khloe back.

In a clip from the upcoming and final season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, she can be seen telling him 'I just feel like it's now time to have another kid.'

An insider told E! News that the couple 'are on the same page and both want another baby. [Tristan's] very involved and invested in the future of their family together.'
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Billionaire Elon Musk said on Monday bitcoin was "on the verge" of being more widely accepted among investors as he expressed his support for the cryptocurrency in a chat on social media app Clubhouse that drew thousands of listeners.

The comments followed his use of the "#bitcoin" tag on his Twitter profile on Friday, which pushed the cryptocurrency up 14%.

Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc, is known for making comments on Twitter that move markets and he acknowledged this during his debut on the invitation-only app Clubhouse.

"I am a supporter of bitcoin," he said.

"I was a little slow on the uptake," he said, adding he should have bought it eight years ago.

"I think bitcoin is on the verge of getting broad acceptance by conventional finance people."

Bitcoin last traded up 3.7% at $34,390, having surged over 300% in 2020.

On the wide-ranging chat Musk discussed memes, Mars, his companies, and vaccines, among other topics. He also interviewed Vladimir Tenev, co-founder of online stock broker app Robinhood, which is under fire for blocking retail investors from purchasing GameStop stock.

GameStop stock surged some 400% in the past week after retail investors banded together to buy shares in the U.S. video game retailer, sending hedge funds scrambling to cover losing bets.

Tenev said the market rumour was untrue that Citadel Securities - the market-making arm of billionaire hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin - had pressured Robinhood into blocking retail investors.

"That's just false," Tenev said, adding that Robinhood temporarily halted trading to meet regulatory capital requirements.

Musk last week tweeted "Gamestonk!!," which many in the market interpreted as an apparent show of support for small investors. "Stonks" is a tongue-in-cheek term for stocks widely used on social media.

Musk also chatted about COVID-19 vaccines, saying he expected an avalanche of them soon. He added that authorities should focus on giving out the first dose of vaccines soon and worry about the second shot later, to speed things up.

(Reporting by Sayantani Ghosh in Singapore and Hyunjoo Jin in San Francisco; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa)
US minimum wage has been progressively launched by politicians to officially increase from $7.25 to $15 an hour gradually. With this, it is bound to make a difference in the economy.

US Minimum Wage from $7.25 to $15

The proposed raise is far greater than in the recent past, but proponents say it is justified because the wage has been lifted for more than a decade, and the existing minimum wage in the United States is too little for life.

First passed as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act by Congress in 1938, the wage was revised several times, most recently in the year 2007, when Congress voted to gradually increase it from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour.

Since then, the minimum wage has been increased by many states and local governments to $15 an hour or to other amounts, both higher and lower.

The federal amount of $7.25 is actually honored by 21 of the 50 states, while the remaining states have a greater minimum.

READ: Police Probe the Posting of Claudia Conway's Censored Pic on Her Mom's, Kellyanne Conway, Twitter Account



According to Resourceful Enforcement, which monitors labor laws, twenty-five states currently forbid cities and counties from setting a higher local wage than the state level.

Under bills passed in the House and Senate by Democrats, the minimum wage will increase to $9.50 an hour three months after the bill was enacted, and then to $15 over a five-year period at four intervals.

The proposal also increases the base pay for waiters and other workers who depend on tips and directs the US Secretary of Labor to measure the median hourly wage of all staff on an annual basis.

The federal minimum wage of the United State must be increased by the same amount in years where the median increases.

In a 2019 Congressional Budget Office study, opponents of the higher wage point to a finding that said raising the amount to $15 an hour would result in 1.3 million employees losing their jobs.

ALSO READ: State Attorneys General Remind Biden Any Unconstitutional Actions Will Not Go Unchallenged

US minimum wage increase, what the economist says

The majority of Americans share the excitement of President Joe Biden for raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour. According to the Pew Research Centre, a polling company, two-thirds of them, and more than 40 percent of Republicans support such an increase. Economists are more divided, however.

In 2015, when a panel of eminent academics was asked whether a minimum of $15 would deliver a major blow to jobs, 40 percent of respondents were unsure, and the remainder were equally divided for and against.

There must be a reason for the indecision: there is little practice in the world of major minimum-wage increases, which may cost employment for the economy. However, history also shows that such increases can nevertheless have beneficial longer-term consequences, enforced with caution.

As most once did, economists no longer reflexively reject minimum wages. Over the past three decades, empirical analysis has shown that moderate rises in the minimum wage usually have a slight negative impact on jobs at most.

Arindrajit Dube of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst concluded in an overview of research conducted for the British government in 2019 that minimum wages of up to 60 percent of the median wage, or 80 percent of the median in low-wage regions, have marginal effects on jobs. Firms have more scope than economists once thought to absorb the expense.

In a way primarily decided by the bargaining power each side exercises, a match between a job and a worker generates a surplus to be shared between employee and employer. Minimum-wage laws will help more of this surplus be absorbed by workers. Higher pay comes from the earnings of businesses with no associated cost of work.

@ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The row between the pharma giant and the bloc has culminated in a promise for more supplies, while the UK is on track to meet its mid-February vaccination target

( ) said the EU should speed up its vaccine rollout after guiding to an eye-watering net loss of 850mln-950mln in the financial year to next March.

"We take some comfort from the success of the UK vaccine programme which is on target to vaccinate almost 50% of the UK population (30mln) by the end of March," the budget airline commented.

"The EU now needs to step up the slow pace of its rollout programme to match the UK's performance."

agrees for more doses to EU after row

Following a row of over a week, PLC ( ) has agreed to deliver an extra 9mln COVID-19 vaccine doses to the EU to make up for a massive shortfall in promised supplies.

This means the bloc will receive a total of 40mln doses in the first quarter, which is well below the 100mln initially agreed.

Step forward on vaccines.@AstraZeneca will deliver 9 million additional doses in the first quarter (40 million in total) compared to last weeks offer & will start deliveries one week earlier than scheduled.



The company will also expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.  Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 31, 2021

The pharma giant said last month it would be able to deliver only a quarter of the agreed volumes because of teething problems at its manufacturing plants.

The news caused friction between the two parties, with the EU demanding supplies that were destined to the UK and investigating a Belgian factory to understand whether jabs had been diverted to non-member states.

The Commission was criticised for threatening to put checks on the Northern Ireland border  one of the most difficult points in the Brexit agreement  to prevent EU-made vaccines from entering the UK.

Also on Monday, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced /BioNTech have agreed to supply an extra 75mln doses in the second quarter of the year and up to 600mln in total in 2021.

Care home residents: check

February started on a positive note in the UK as the NHS has announced that all care home residents in England have been offered the jab.

Official figures to be released on Monday revealed the national health service has reached 10,000 care homes while over half a million people received the injection on Saturday, the highest number yet.

It means the country is on track for its mid-February target of covering the first four priority groups.

So far, 12% of Britains population have received at least the first dose, including nearly nine out of ten people aged 80 and above and over three-quarters of over-75s.

--Adds Ryanair update--
The Director of Health Promotions at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Aboagye Dacosta, has urged the general public to add regular workouts to daily routines to fight against the deadly coronavirus.



Dr Aboagye Dacostas comments follow an increase in Ghanas COVID-19 cases.



According to the Medical Doctor, regular exercises will help boost the immune system to fight against the virus.



Dr. Aboagye Dacosta also urged the general public to desist from using air-conditions and make it a point to get always to be in a properly ventilated room.



Speaking to host of Atinka FMs AM Drive, Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, The Director of Health Promotions at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Aboagye Dacosta noted that ideally, a 30 -minute workout daily will boost the immune system and help the fight against the deadly coronavirus.



He called on corporate organizations, whose staff are not working from the house, to ensure that doorknobs are disinfected regularly to curb the spread.



if you are in an enclosed office, kindly open the windows instead of using the air-conditions. This is the time offices need to hold virtual meetings and make sure staff do not sit close to each other in the offices. We keep repeating the need for everyone to observe the safety protocols because is the surest way to help fight the virus. All we need to do is to just observe the protocols, he added.



The country has recorded 405 fatalities with 4,665 active cases as of 30 January 2021.









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
If House Bill 8337 is signed into law, we might see more trees around the country AutoIndustriya.com February 01, 2021 16:55

Typhoons and floods are something we have to contend with each year. It's part of living in the Philippines. Last year, however, a trio of storms battered the country, affecting thousands of lives and destroying hectares of agricultural lands. As a result, the prices of vegetables have risen sharply over the months. One of the main causes of the widespread flooding? Deforestation in flood-prone areas.

To prevent a similar event from happening again, the government has begun reforestation programs. To help with the reforestation efforts, one lawmaker wants dealerships to plant trees for each vehicle sold.

Hon. Luis Raymund LRAY Villafuerte recently filed House Bill 8337, An Act Requiring All Dealers, Retailers, and Similar Entities Engaged In The Sale of Motor Vehicles to Plant At Least Ten (10) Trees For Every Sales Transaction or shortened to Mandatory Tree Planting for Every Motor Vehicle Sales Act. As the name of the house bill implies, each vehicle sold by a dealer translates to ten trees being planted.

Interestingly, it's not only manufacturers that are required by the bill. Even private importers and gray market dealers will have to plant trees too. Reading the fine print, Section 3b says that Dealer or retailer refers to any person, natural or juridical, that sell new motor vehicles to retail buyers and the public. The requirement of tree planting should also be accomplished within six months from the date of the sales transaction.

Not all new vehicles sold at dealerships are required to plant trees. Specifically, only four-wheeled passenger vehicles are included in the proposed tree planting bill. Motorcycles, trucks, and forklifts, bulldozers, and other heavy equipment are exempted. The specific trees to be planted and the location shall be also coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). So no, they can't just plant trees anywhere and call it a day.



At the moment, the Mandatory Tree Planting for Every Motor Vehicle Sales Act has to pass the first reading. If signed into law, we might just see more trees growing in the country. Should the local auto industry bounces back, imagine the number of trees that each dealer will be able to plant.
Mumbai: Filmmaker Chandraprakash Dwivedi has praised actor Sanjay Dutt for his professionalism and dedication towards the making of Yash Raj Films upcoming production Prithviraj". Dwivedi, best known for directing and starring in television epic Chanakya" (1991), is at the helm of the biopic on Samrat Prithiviraj Chauhan, which features superstar Akshay Kumar in the lead role.

Dutt, who had last year taken a break from films for cancer treatment, plays a pivotal part in the movie and recently wrapped the shooting of Prithviraj" with a five-day schedule. The actor announced last October that he has come out victorious" from his battle against the disease and soon resumed work. With Sanjay Dutt ji we had a very small portion of the shoot left to be completed and we are wrapping it with a 5-day schedule. Given coronavirus and his health, of course, all possible precautions were taken to make the set a safe shooting space for him, Dwivedi said in a statement. The Pinjar" director said Dutt has done a phenomenal" job in the film and he is looking forward to audiences reaction to his performance. He is an extremely professional actor and we are delighted to have him in the film. We were all too worried about his health but he is a fighter and has shown that nothing can keep him down. He has done a phenomenal job in Prithviraj and we cant wait for the world to see him in the film," Dwivedi said. The project was announced in September 2019 and a major portion of its filming was completed before the pandemic hit last March. The production on the movie was resumed in October 2020. Prithviraj" also marks the Bollywood debut of Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar, who plays Sanyogita in the film.

BrewDog was started in 2007 by former school friends James Watt and Martin Dickie and has used crowdfunding to fuel its growth in the United Kingdom raising 74 million ($132 million) over six rounds.

While critics claim the business is overvalued and investors are buying into an expensive fan club the cult Scottish brewer said the shares are real equity shares and investors do get a piece of the business.

BrewDog is seeking to raise $10 million for 10 per cent of its business through an offer information statement promoted through the crowdsourced funding platform OnMarket.

Punk beer maker BrewDog has defended itself against criticism over a $10 million capital raise in Australia using a crowdfunding platform which values the brewer at $100 million.

However, its share valuations have been subject to criticism there with the cost of shares offered to crowdfunding investors valued at a hefty premium to those held by BrewDogs corporate investors.

BrewDog opened its first Australian brewery in Brisbane in 2019 and the company reported revenues here of $5.3 million but booked a loss of $1.7 million for the year ending October 31, 2020.

Shares in the brewers Australian equity raise are priced at $100 each and investors will be Class B shareholders with no dividends payable to them but entitled to attend BrewDogs Australian AGM, a free beer on their birthday, a 5 per cent discount in BrewDog bars and to have a tree planted for them.

Beer educator and writer Matt Kirkegaard said BrewDogs $100 million valuation of its Australian operations did not bear any resemblance to valuations in the rest of the industry.

The shares even seem to be different to what theyve offered anywhere else because they dont have any voting rights and they are illiquid, he said. There is no secondary market here, at least in the UK they make a pretence of a secondary market. They do seem to sell it as a potential investment and that always worries me because looking at the numbers, I cant see how current investors could get a return.
Public access to the courtroom was restricted because of the coronavirus pandemic. While the proceedings were streamed to computer terminals in other courtrooms around the state, it was often unclear which votes went to which candidates. Election officials and lawyers muffled by masks discussed some results and not others.

In a brief tweet, Tenney said her lead had expanded by four more votes.

Brindisi's campaign said it would fight on.

"The margin in this case has been a moving target for nearly three months, but even now, with the margin as large as it has ever been, it is still infinitesimally small," Brindisi's campaign said in a court filing Monday.

The campaign asked Monday for an audit to help determine whether there should be a recount of all 325,000 ballots, though it wasn't clear whether there were legal grounds for such a motion to be granted.

DelConte, the judge overseeing litigation in the race, said Friday the court can't order a new election or direct a recount. Such recounts, even when granted, rarely change election results.

The seat representing New York's 22nd Congressional District is empty for now, leaving residents without representation in Washington.
The textile industry, which is among the hardest-hit sectors due to coronavirus, has urged the government to implement a uniform GST for apparel and to abolish anti-dumping duties on viscose staple fibre (VSF) in the upcoming budget.

A joint committee of textile industry bodies has asked for government's intervention in removing anti-dumping duty on VSF to address its spun yarn availability and price issues. Viscose staple fibre is a key input in the manmade fibre sector.

You can catch all the updates on Budget Session 2021 here.

The National Committee on Textiles & Clothing (NCTC) comprising of different players in the VSF value chain said the textile industry has been facing stagnation for many years mainly due to the lack of availability of the basic raw materials of man-made fibre and filament yarn at internationally competitive prices. The committee said if the issue of VSF is not addressed urgently then it may lead to job losses.

The textile ministry has also hoped that the finance minister will address the problem of higher duties on inputs. Additionally, the textile ministry has proposed to develop seven Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (MITRA) parks to double the industry size to $300 billion by 2025-26.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Budget for 2021-22 on February 1.

Also read: Budget 2021 Live Updates: Will Modi govt deliver a budget like never before?

It is expected that Sitharaman will unveil a mega scheme to set up textile parks in order to strengthen domestic manufacturing and the 'Atma Nirbhar Bharat' drive.

Further, the textile industry demanded a uniform GST structure as taxes on inputs are higher than that on output, and blocking working capital. At present, man-made fibre is taxed at 18 per cent, spun yarn and filament yarn at 12 per cent and final output, including garments, at 5 per cent.

India is the second-largest manufacturer and exporter in the world, after China. The share of textile and clothing in India's total exports stands at 12 per cent (2018-19). India has a share of 5 per cent of the global trade in textiles and apparel, according to government data.

The textile industry contributes to seven per cent of industrial output in value terms, two per cent of India's GDP and to 12 per cent of the country's export earnings. The textile industry is one of the largest sources of employment generation in the country with over 4.5 crore people employed directly, and another six-crore people in allied sectors, including a large number of women and a rural population.

Also read: Budget 2021: Date, speech time, sector-wise expectations; everything you need to know
LAAS GEEL, Somaliland - The cave walls here are alive with masterpieces of ocher on sandstone, our oldest paint on our oldest canvas.

It is safe to say the ancient pastoralists who created this exquisite rock art thousands of years ago did not envision its use by a breakaway region of Somalia to campaign for international recognition as an independent state.

Yet their works have been drawn into a heated debate among politicians, archaeologists and others over the place of ancient heritage in arguing for the separation of Somaliland, a semiautonomous region of Somalia that has had its own military, currency and flag for 30 years - a very short while, in the grand scheme of things.

Somaliland's government has vigorously sought recognition through diplomacy but has failed - except recently with another recognition seeker, Taiwan. A recent flurry of diplomatic effort across Africa began in Kenya, where Somaliland's president won a promise of a consulate and direct flights by March, but no explicit acknowledgment of his region's independence.

Out of that failure, the heritage argument has gained steam, and it comes off almost as an ultimatum: Without the ease of access and funding that recognition would bring, the world risks the disappearance of invaluable monuments to humankind such as Laas Geel's paintings.

"With independence, a world of funding and tourism would open up to us," said Mohamed Ahmed Mohamoud Awad, Somaliland's investment minister. "Without independence, all the history we offer the world will go extinct. Somalia will drag us down with it."

The embers of the civil war that led to Somaliland's declaration of independence in 1991 are still hot throughout most of Somalia. A succession of weak, corrupt governments in Mogadishu have pushed Somaliland further away, deepening the sense of divergent paths. In nationwide elections planned for this month, for instance, there is no trace of Somaliland's participation.

Foreigners in Somaliland can move about easily; in the rest of Somalia, they rarely leave heavily militarized green zones. Al-Shabab - the Islamist extremist group that controls most nonurban areas in Somalia and carries out bombings, kidnappings and assassinations daily - does not have a sustained presence in Somaliland. Awad, who drives his own car and waves to passersby, scoffs at counterparts in Mogadishu, the Somali capital, who travel in convoys of dozens of bulletproof vehicles.

At Laas Geel, newly graduated government-supported tour guides see it as part of their mission to rectify what one called "the great misunderstanding": that Somaliland and Somalia are the same.

"Our ability to preserve history, like these paintings, and their inability to, is our greatest argument for recognition," said Ahmed Yasin, 27. He stood beneath ritualistic depictions of cattle slaughter and silhouettes of wild animals such as giraffes that were plentiful here 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, when the art was made. Many of the paintings were partly erased, either by human interference or weathering.

Somaliland relies on Somalia for little domestically, but when it comes to securing international funding, it is almost entirely dependent. Other governments and the United Nations are hesitant to directly engage with Somaliland officials for fear of alienating an already weak government in Mogadishu that needs all the help it can get.

Few experts doubt that a site such as Laas Geel already would have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site if not for the political sensitivities.

"Everyone agrees it is worthy," said Jama Musse Jama, who runs the Hargeisa Cultural Center in Somaliland's capital and convenes an annual book fair that drew nearly 10,000 attendees in 2019. He has received funding to digitize heritage items ranging from 1,000-year-old manuscripts to molding cassette tapes from the 1960s and '70s, and to create three-dimensional mapping of Laas Geel.

"We might lose this extraordinary place because of the stupidity of politics," he said. "Somalilanders won't allow Somalia to apply to UNESCO on their behalf, and Somalia wouldn't do it anyway."

Many Somalilanders feel a deep resentment toward Somalia dating at least to the late 1980s, when then-ruler Mohamed Siad Barre launched a systematic bombing of Somaliland, trying to quash political opposition and ultimately killing tens of thousands, devastating the economy and traumatizing the population.

When Barre's government collapsed in 1991, Somaliland declared independence. Global powers, particularly the United States and the European Union, have tried for decades to prop up weak governments in Mogadishu. Somaliland has been able to access unofficial diplomatic channels with only a few Western, Arab and East African capitals.

"I don't think any of the major world powers are looking to recognize Somaliland anytime soon," said Omar Mahmood, a senior Somalia analyst at the International Crisis Group. "Now that Mogadishu has secured debt relief negotiations with international lending institutions, there's an increasing level of international assistance that will be channeled through Mogadishu, allowing it more leverage than before."

Mahmood said those shifting dynamics could lead to increasing tensions as international actors pressure Somaliland's stridently secessionist government to engage more with Mogadishu.

"Somaliland has put forward the narrative that they were genocidally attacked," he said. "Somali society hasn't reconciled what happened 30 years ago, and there's lots of sensitivity and trauma. Without taking that step, moving toward each other won't happen, no matter how much they are pushed."

The co-opting of sites such as Laas Geel into those contentious political debates has worried the archaeologists who study them. Politics is often impatient and simplistic, whereas archaeology seeks truths that might transcend our modern nationalisms.

Sada Mire, a Somali Swedish academic, archaeologist and author of books on the Horn of Africa's ancient cultures, has studied Laas Geel in intricate detail.

"It is always less clear-cut than people outside of this field will tell you," she said. "What does Laas Geel tell you about modern Somalis or Somalilanders? Well, there are continuities and breaks and similar and dissimilar ways of expressing their lifestyles between 5,000 years ago and now. There are endless ways of depicting the great circle of life, and at Laas Geel, you can see many of them, even superimposed on each other."

Particularly worrying to Mire is Somaliland's lack of a national museum of its own or any kind of legal framework for heritage preservation. Foreign archaeologists would not find it difficult to do work in the region and cart away whatever they found.

"They could just come in and dig test pits like it's colonial times," she said. "They are the ones who have the resources, and Somaliland is looking for more international exposure. But it would be extractionist and opportunistic."

Mire and other cultural preservationists in Somaliland are not just worried that politics might endanger the region's heritage but also that to politicize such sites is to fundamentally misunderstand them. Somaliland's heritage is a testament to its place at the crossroads of many cultures.

The centuries-old city of Berbera, for instance, where 6,000 camels a day once arrived from the Ethiopian interior carrying frankincense and coffee, is still home to dilapidated Egyptian- and Ottoman-style architecture. On a recent day there, a 20-man fishing crew from Tamil Nadu in southern India was fixing its netting, days before setting out to cross the Arabian Sea back toward home after a 10-month stay.

In Hargeisa, thousands of camels are still bought and sold every week at a bustling fairground. In clubs on the outskirts of the city, young men and women mix somewhat scandalously for this conservative country, dancing to English- and Arabic-inflected karaoke. Traces of Italian colonialism are evident on the menu.

Even the people who painted at Laas Geel probably roamed far beyond modern Somalia's borders, sharing a culture evidenced in similar rock art as far away as modern-day Sudan.

In an interview at an oceanside restaurant, the mayor of Berbera, Abdishakur Iddin, said that preserving heritage is a priority but that developing the economy for people who live there comes first, and that doing both simultaneously is a challenge.

"We want to reconnect to the world, the way we were in the past when this was a trading city," he said. "But if you come back in 10 years, you might not recognize this city. We would like to protect our heritage, but we need more funds, more tourists, more help."

The largest share of funding for heritage protection in Somaliland comes from the European Union for the preservation of the rock art at Laas Geel. The site should be an argument for integration with, not separation from, Somalia, said Nicolas Berlanga, the E.U. ambassador to Somalia.

"Laas Geel shows people that there is a long history before what difficulties we have now," he said. "The idea of restoring it and promoting it is to get Somaliland and Somalia to work together. We must find discrete windows for collaboration like this. The final goal for everyone is recognition by UNESCO. It could be a great success."

Regardless of whether the European Union's push for integration or Somaliland's push for separation succeeds, hundreds more rock painting sites around Somaliland receive little to no attention.

In the hills south of Berbera, an elderly man named Muse 'Aw Saeed led visitors to another cave, one seldom seen by outsiders.

"We used to play hide-and-seek here as kids," he said. "It was much more vivid then. There were animals with long snouts. Those are already gone."
Unscheduled walk-in patients are not allowed, but its not uncommon for people to show up anyway, hoping to get the vaccine. There have been lucky recipients who feel theyve hit the vaccine lottery by being at the right spot at the right time to get a shot they didnt expect to receive so soon. Some of these people were near a vaccination clinic at closing time when leftover shots were available. Health experts agree that getting a dose into anyones body is better than throwing it away.
The five-year extension of the partnership will see Novartis continue to donate multi-drug therapy (MDT) medicines to treat leprosy up to the end of 2025

A renewed partnership agreement signed by Novartis and the World Health Organization (WHO) will drive the global push towards making leprosy history. The five-year extension of the partnership  which was first signed in 2000  will see Novartis continue to donate multi-drug therapy (MDT) medicines to treat leprosy up to the end of 2025.

"Leprosy can be cured and prevented. With a comprehensive approach, we can see the end of leprosy, said Dr Lutz Hegemann, Chief Operating Officer, Global Health, Novartis. By supplying this treatment free of charge to WHO over the last 20 years we have helped over seven million people be cured of leprosy. We look forward to helping increasingly few over the coming years.

Novartis is working with WHO and the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy  together with other stakeholders  to develop improved access to MDT globally. An additional future step seems certain to include the rollout of prophylaxis programmes in affected countries.

WHO welcomes the extension of this long-standing partnership with Novartis. Multi-drug therapy has been a cornerstone of the programme to eliminate leprosy, said Dr Ren Minghui, Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage / Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO. We need to ensure we are reaching the last patients who are often in remote areas or informal settlements. It is in these deprived communities where much of the world's remaining leprosy is concentrated.

The new agreement with WHO also covers the continuing donation of triclabendazole for the treatment of fascioliasis.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wants the company to expand its Bing search engine into the Australian market and fill the void created if Google decides to leave the country over disagreement with authorities for sharing revenue with media outlets for republishing their content.

For those unaware, last year, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) proposed a new law called the News Media Bargaining Code that would compel Google and Facebook to negotiate fees with Australian news outlets for content featured across platforms managed by Google and Facebook.

The draft code is aimed at addressing acute bargaining power imbalances between Australian news businesses and Google and Facebook, including through a binding final offer arbitration process.

If the news businesses and the digital platforms cannot strike a deal through a formal three month negotiation and mediation process, then an independent arbitrator would choose which of the two parties final offer is the most reasonable within 45 business days.

According to the Australian government, if the law is passed, the news code would initially apply only to Google and Facebook.

Tech giant Google has threatened to remove its search engine from Australia if the code becomes a law, as its search services would be dramatically worse under the change.

The principle of unrestricted linking between websites is fundamental to the web, Mel Silva, the head of Google in Australia and New Zealand said in a prepared testimony. If this version of the code were to become law, it would give us no real choice but to stop making Google Search available in Australia.

Reacting to the threat by Google, Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister of Australia, said that his government is committed in progressing the laws through parliament this year.

Let me be clear. Australia makes our rules for things you can do in Australia, Morrison said. Thats done in our Parliament. Its done by our government. And thats how things work here in Australia. And people who want to work with that, in Australia, youre very welcome. But we dont respond to threats.

Following this, Nadella contacted Prime Minister Scott Morrison and made its intention clear to expand Microsofts Bing search engine into the Australian market in the event Google decides to leave the country.

Confirming the call, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said that the government was in comprehensive discussions with players across the industry. On Microsofts meeting with the Australian PM, Frydenberg said, Theyre watching this very closely, and no doubt see opportunities here in Australia to expand.

While Google has threatened to exit the Australian market over the news code, Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook held an online meeting with Frydenberg and Communications Minister Paul Fletcher to discuss the code and its impact on the social media giant.

Commenting on the meeting, Frydenberg told that it was a very constructive discussion but Mark Zuckerberg didnt convince me to back down.

Jim Chalmers, the countrys opposition leader backed Australias move to force tech giants into paying news organizations.

The tech platforms should pay for the news that they use so that theres a return for journalists and news organisations, he said.

Weve said that really since the beginning. This has been dragging on for a really long time now. The government said that they would fix it last year. Its still clearly not fixed. Theres a lot of uncertainty but our position has been consistent. We want the government to solve it in the interest of Australians.

With Microsoft making its intention clear to fill the void in the Australian market in case Google exits, it would be interesting to see if the government and Google diplomatically find a compromise before the legislation is passed.
Line Of Duty star Adrian Dunbar says the Government must ensure theatres do not get into disrepair while they lie empty as they are part of the fabric of the country.

The actor, 62, was able to keep working during the pandemic, filming Line Of Duty and a new TV series in which he reconnects with his roots on a trip on the wild and rugged west and north coasts of Ireland.

But while the TV industry has got back on its feet, the nations theatres remain closed.

I do worry about it. I dont know what can be done, Dunbar told the PA news agency.

We are so excited to share with you a sneak peak of Adrian Dunbaras Coastal Ireland, Episode 1.



Starts a week today on Channel 5 at 8pm.#channel5 #AdrianDunbar #CoastalIreland pic.twitter.com/vKdmnJzL6z  Afro-Mic Productions (@AfroMicPro) January 28, 2021

I would hope that the Government would still support those small, struggling independent theatre companies and also maybe look to the built architecture of the theatres because we cant let them get into disrepair.

They are part of the fabric of the country, he said.

The Frank Matcham theatres in the West End in particular are incredible pieces of architecture, Dunbar said of the designer behind dozens of venues, including the London Palladium, Blackpool Grand and London Coliseum.

So I would hope the government has an eye towards that.

Expand Close Frank Matcham designed the London Palladium (Johnny Green/PA) PA / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Frank Matcham designed the London Palladium (Johnny Green/PA)

Dunbars new Channel 5 series was filmed following safety guidelines for the industry in the pandemic.

There were only three or four of us at any one time, the actor, best known for his role as Ted Hastings in Line Of Duty, said.

We followed all the procedures and we took the temperatures and did the tests.

Our business, the film business, seems to have done quite well in convincing the insurers, in particular, that we have working practices that work.

Weve been pretty disciplined. So we managed to do that and we managed to get through Line Of Duty as well.

Expand Close Adrian Dunbar on the set of the sixth series of Line of Duty (Liam McBurney/PA) PA / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Adrian Dunbar on the set of the sixth series of Line of Duty (Liam McBurney/PA)

Adrian Dunbars Coastal Ireland sees the actor, who was born and raised in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, climbing the summit of Skellig Michael and swapping stories with the salmon fisherman on Carrick a Rede.

He said of the trip: It just reminded me of how wonderful travelling the coast is and that west coast in particular, how spectacular that west coast is, and why Ive always been drawn to it ever since I was a kid.

Its where we used to go for a holiday.

So once Im out there I know Im on holiday.

So it was really good.

He said filming the next series of Line Of Duty was very different amid the pandemic but for the viewer: Im hoping its going to be just as normal.

Asked about the prospect of another series after the next instalment of the hit police drama, he said: I really dont know that.

If the public wants one, wed all like one.

The Government has unveiled a 1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund for the arts.

Adrian Dunbars Coastal Ireland is due to start on February 4 at 8pm on Channel 5.

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.

Finance Minister on Monday announced seven port projects worth more than Rs 2,000 crore investment.

These projects would be undertaken through public private partnership (PPP) mode, Sitharaman said in her speech.

The finance minister said that she proposed "seven port projects worth more than Rs 2,000 crore via public private partnership mode".

India has 12 major ports under the control of the central government -- Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), VO Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia).

(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.)


Officials warned of hazardous driving conditions as the first major snowstorm of 2021 in Connecticut is expected to shut down the region over the course of a few days.

Sixteen to 24 inches of snow is expected to fall on the Danbury area beginning Monday and carrying over into Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. High winds could create additional trouble as Eversource has said it is preparing for the possibility of power outages in the coming days. There are few outages statewide as of around 12:30 p.m.

A total of 10 to 14 inches of snow was expected during the daytime hours Monday, according to the NWS with blustery conditions and winds in the 17 to 22 mph range, and gusts reaching 36 mph.

Lighter, drier snow is expected in the western part of the state, including in Danbury, Gov. Ned Lamont said during a press conference Monday morning.

If you did venture out this morning, head home now, he said. Head home while still you can.

Danbury is under level 2 snow emergency, meaning there is a parking ban and residents are urged to limit travel. Mayor Joe Cavo encouraged business owners to let their non-essential employees work from home.

This storm has the potential to produce very dangerous driving conditions in Danbury, he wrote in an alert to the community. Please take the necessary precautions and stay safe.

Most residents seemed to listen.

The traffic out in the outlying areas seems to be quieter, Cavo said as he drove home from City Hall around 12:40 p.m. Downtown, it was a little busier, but overall people are heeding the message.

The snow is expected to continue Monday night with 17 to 24 mph winds continuing, in addition to gusts around 39 mph. Overnight about 2 to 4 additional inches of snow are expected, the NWS reports. There are expected to be periods where about 2 to 4 inches of snow are falling per hour.

Gov. Ned Lamont issued a ban on all tractor trailers traveling on Interstate 84 beginning Monday and continuing until further notice due to hazardous conditions.

Crews working around the clock

Plow crews in throughout the Danbury area continue to clear snow from the roads Monday afternoon as the area braces for heavier bands of snow and higher wind speeds.

Storm response is going well, Bethel First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker said. The highway crews have made several passes on all roads, beginning before dawn this morning. All roadways are passable, but conditions are slippery and we advise people to stay home except for emergencies.

Redding public works crews began preparing for the snow storm late Sunday night and have continued working through the day, Public Works Director Jeff Hanson said. Hanson anticipates the department will continue working through the night.

Theres no way we can keep up with the snow coming down. When its snowing this hard, you really cant keep up with it, Hanson said.

Despite the heavy snowfall, crews continue to plow the roads, but by the time they finish one street, its already almost covered in snow again, Hanson said. The department deployed its 11 employees to hit the streets with plows and an additional five contractors are assisting their efforts.

Hanson said people are being smart, and staying off the roads. The only people he has seen driving around are those with plows, which is how it should be, Hanson said.

In Newtown, town offices and school buildings were closed on Monday to keep roads clear vehicles an allow road crews to tackle the storm.

Town employees were told to work from home, and town leaders asked residents who could work from home to do so.

In Newtown at noontime, public works trucks were out in force and residents were at home with power as heavy snow continued to blanket the region.

We are checking in with our DPW crews which are out keeping the roads clear, but wed like to keep people off the roads as much as possible so crews can do their work, Newtown First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said.

While they have not added to their plow crews, Bass said their staffing is well-maintained, and that theyve been preparing for the storm since Friday.

New Milford issued a parking ban, with a winter storm warning in effect until 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Please make sure that you give yourself plenty of time if you have to travel today, Bass wrote. Please make sure that you have given yourself plenty of distance between your vehicle and the plow truck as our plows are out plowing the town roads.

New Milford Mayor Pete Bass said there were a few minor accidents, but conditions are otherwise so far, so good. He is holding another Emergency Operation Command meeting at 3:30pm.

Other town leaders reported no major crashes or incidents.

So far, our snow removal efforts are going well, New Fairfield First Selectwoman Pat Del Monaco said early Monday afternoon.

Brookfield has crews working to clear, salt and sand the roads in regular eight to 10 hour shifts, and Dunn said the town lined up back-up workers in case COVID diagnoses left crews with fewer people available to work.

Were in very, very good shape that way, Dunn said.

Brookfield Town Hall will be closed Monday with employees working from home, he said. However, with roughly half of regular employees already working from home due to the pandemic, the change should not disrupt normal functioning, he said.

In Sherman, public works crews are ready to work around the clock, if necessary, First Selectman Don Lowe said.

So far they have been clearing and sanding roads, doing an excellent job, he said Monday afternoon. We have had no emergencies yet.

Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi said residents have generally been playing it safe during the storm and staying in, which has allowed the public works department to keep clearing roads and streets. With no power outages reported so far, Marconi said he hopes it continues to be a quiet snow day.

Crews in Danbury are keeping at least a lane open on roads and will eventuallylikely Tuesday push the snow back further to the curb, Cavo said.

The city has 38 big plow trucks, some smaller dump trucks, about 10 plows from the parks department and two plows from the fire department clearing roads, Cavo said. Another six trucks clear public buildings.

Everybody that can be working is out there working, he said.

He is unaware of any crew members out due to COVID-19 illness or exposures.

Outages

The only 17 Eversource power outages in the state are from a downed tree and wires blocking Route 37 near the New Fairfield and Sherman line. Sixteen of the customers live in Sherman and one lives in New Fairfield.

We have crews there and there is currently no estimated restoration time, Eversource spokesman Mitch Gross said around 2 p.m. Monday.

The fallen tree near Hardscrabble Road was reported around 11:20 a.m., Gross said.

But local officials expect outages to become a greater issue later in the day as wind speeds pick up.

The snow is expected to lighten during the day Tuesday, eventually tailing off. Travel is expected to be difficult to impossible late Monday into the evening, along with scattered downed tree limbs and blizzard conditions possible the NWS stated.

Eversource said it is staging power line crews around the state, expecting to be busy in the coming days with potential outages.

Weve been watching this storm for days and will adjust our plan accordingly, Eversource President of Regional Electric Operations Craig Hallstrom said in a statement. The forecasts call for large amounts of snow and high winds, which may make travel conditions challenging for the crews...We also remind customers that restorations may take longer as we ensure the safety of our employees and customers while continuing to work under the challenging conditions related to the pandemic.

In preparation for potential outages, Bass said the town is in contact with their Eversource department liaison.

Were ready in case those heavy winds do come, he said.

In a message to the community, Bass urged residents not to touch downed power lines and to report outages to Eversource.

Residents heed warnings

In Danbury, residents scrambled Sunday to get their cars off the street and into the Patriot Parking Garage, which is open for free through the storm. Word started getting around social media Sunday night that the city was calling out tow trucks to clear the roads for plows.

All vehicles must be off all city streets, as per the (Level 2 snow emergency) ordinance, said Danbury police Sgt. John Krupinski on a Facebook video message Sunday night. The Danbury police department will begin towing any vehicle on any city street so that public works will be able to clear the streets of snow.

Krupinski said the Danbury would only tow as a last resort.

Some residents reported on social media that police officers were blasting sirens as warning signals for residents to move their cars.

We do not want to tow one vehicle on one city street if this can be helped, Krupinski said. We want to work with you, so please help us help public works to keep our streets safe.

Police have used the PA system in the past to alert residents, Cavo said. Informing residents on Sunday afternoon, rather than early Monday morning, gave more people time to move their cars, he said.

But it remains a challenge to get residents to follow the citys ordinance against pushing snow onto the road.

On Cavos ride home, he saw a resident blow snow from the driveway into the street, all the way into the other travel lane. Cavo paused his conversation with a Hearst Connecticut Media reporter.

You cant put the snow in the street, he called to the resident. Its against the law to put the snow in the street.

Cancellations

The weather shut down COVID-19 vaccination clinics throughout the area. Ridgefield and Danbury canceled Tuesdays vaccine clinics. The health departments plan to reschedule with those who have appointments.

Nuvance Health closed its vaccine clinics on Monday through noon on Tuesday at Danbury and Norwalk hospitals. The clinic at New Milford Hospital was not affected because it is not normally open on Mondays or Tuesdays. Sharon Hospitals clinic is closed all day Monday and Tuesday because it is normally closed in the afternoons.

Patients will receive a cancellation email from the Vaccine Administration Management System. Steps for how to reschedule will be included in the email, although new appointments cannot yet be set, Nuvance said.

Due to the scheduling systems and clinic capacity, we cannot reschedule your appointment for you or add new clinic hours at this time, Nuvance Health said on its website. We apologize for this inconvenience.

The health system, which includes seven hospitals in Connecticut and New York, told patients not to worry if they need to schedule their second dose because that can be administered up to six weeks after the first.

We understand it may be disappointing to have to reschedule your appointment, Nuvance said. However, your safety is paramount to us.

The Pomperaug District Department of Health, which covers Southbury, Oxford and Woodburys, canceled vaccinations for Monday and Tuesday have been canceled due to the snowstorm.

Appointments were canceled for those over 74 at The Greens Condominium in Oxford and the Woodbury Senior Center on Monday and Tuesday.

We are working on rescheduling appointments for next week, same day same time for each, said Neal Lustig, health director.

Brookfield still plans to hold a clinic to distribute 100 doses of the COVID vaccine on Thursday, and Dunn said theres a possibility that they will hold another clinic on Friday, pending the receipt of an extra 100 doses.

New Milford has not made any changes to its vaccine clinic schedule, Bass said. But the town should have an official update from the health department Tuesday.

Schools closed or moved to distance learning on Monday. Bethel, Ridgefield and Newtown were among the districts to close, while Brookfield, New Milford and Region 12 expected students to sign onto their computers for distance learning.

Dunn said the virtual Board of Selectman meeting for Monday is still on, but theyre considering rescheduling the special town meeting on Tuesday which was set to approve the $3.6 million fourth phase of its Four Corners streetscape project. A final decision on that meeting will be made later Monday to give residents enough time to plan.

Cavo expects Danbury City Council to hold its 7:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting over Zoom, unless there are power outages.

Staff writers Currie Engel, Julia Perkins, Rob Ryser, Shayla Colon and Kendra Baker contributed to this report.
NEW YORK, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Siebert Williams Shank & Co LLC (SWS), the nations top-ranked minority- and woman-owned investment banking firm, is helping to establish the next generation of African American business leaders by donating $200,000 to support educational programs at Howard University and Spelman College, two of Americas preeminent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to kick off Black History Month.



The firm, dually headquartered in New York City and Oakland, Calif., with more than 20 offices throughout the country, is among the most diverse in its industry, with 64% of its workforce comprised of women and minorities. The firm is both majority owned by people of color (92%) and women (61%).

President and CEO Suzanne Shank has been a board trustee of Spelman College for seven years and firm Chairman Christopher Williams and equity partner Gary Hall are both alumni of Howard, along with several employees at the firm. Mr. Hall is also the parent of a Howard sophomore.

The firm hopes to motivate other financial institutions who have not yet supported these institutions to do so.

Ranked among the top corporate and municipal finance firms, its founders included Muriel Siebert, the first women to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.

The donation also comes approximately one year following the merger of Siebert Cisneros Shank & Co. and The Williams Capital Group, creating the top minority- and women-owned investment bank in the U.S.

The gift to Spelman will establish an Innovation Lab fellowship program which will support students to learn and put into practice key elements of business strategy and entrepreneurship over a year-long program. The Innovation Lab will allow students to develop and sustain business models, participate in mentorship and internship programs, and develop a variety of business skills.

The gift to the Howard University School of Business will support its 50th anniversary strategic initiatives, a comprehensive plan that includes student retention programming, career placement opportunities, technology enhancement, curriculum development, and undergraduate scholarships.

Even prior to my joining the board of Spelman College, I knew Spelman College was a strong training ground for women who lead and excel in their careers and communities, said Ms. Shank. I knew this first-hand, as my mother was a Spelman graduate who gave me an appreciation for the impact of a quality education on changing the trajectory of ones life. Supporting two preeminent educational institutions that have a rich history of matriculating black leaders in many fields, including business, is the perfect way to kick off Black History Month.

Our contributions to two of the many deserving Historically Black Colleges and Universities, represent a single gesture in support of the critical missions that these institutions have served since post-war Reconstruction, and signals our intent to use our talent and resources to support development of future generations of diverse professionals, said SWS Chairman and partner Christopher Williams. My time at Howard also provided me with compelling real-life examples of minority professionals that were undeterred, by any societal hurdles encountered, along their journeys to success.

As a proud alumnus of Howard, I know first-hand not just the excellent level of education students receive there, but the outstanding real-world results it produces after graduation, said Mr. Hall, who runs the firms Oakland office and serves as National Head of Infrastructure and Public Finance. The students that our firm employs from HBCUs are smart and success driven. I know this donation will provide generations of students with an important ladder into the beginning of their careers.

We are grateful for this generous gift from Trustee Shanks firm to Spelmans Innovation Lab, a space on campus that enables students to experiment with technology to realize their entrepreneurial and creative efforts, said Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., president of Spelman.

On behalf of the School of Business, I want to thank the Siebert Williams Shank Foundation for their support and partnership, said Anthony Wilbon, Ph.D., dean of the Howard University School of Business. The fact that there are two Howard University alumni at the helm of America's top-ranked woman and minority-owned investment bank speaks volumes about the value of a Howard University education. We are very grateful that both Mr. Gary Hall and Mr. Chris Williams have continued to support their alma mater, and there is no doubt in my mind that this contribution is a true testament to the Howard University tenets of truth and service. We could not be more grateful.

SWS is an independent non-bank financial services firm that offers investment banking, sales and trading, research, advisory, and asset management services. It was created through a merger in late 2019 of the nations top-ranked woman and minority-owned municipal finance firm and the top-ranked minority-owned corporate bond firm.

Contact:

Tom Butler/Jason Fink

Butler Associates / 212-685-4600

tbutler@butlerassociates.com / 646-213-1802

jfink@butlerassociates.com / 646-213-1369
MILAN, Italy, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Diadem srl, a company developing the first blood-based test for the early prediction of Alzheimer's disease (AD), today announced the publication of three new scientific studies that support the utility of its biomarker assay to identify individuals at high risk for AD. The publications describe the role of a conformational variant of the p53 protein ( U-p53AZ) in the pathogenesis of AD, as well as its applicability as a predictive biomarker to identify individuals likely to progress to AD up to six years before symptoms appear. Two of the papers report the results of early studies that confirm the accuracy of the U-p53AZ-based assay, in development by Diadem as AlzoSure Predict, as a prognostic test for AD.

Diadem is developing the AlzoSure assay as a simple, non-invasive plasma-based biomarker test to accurately predict the probability that a patient with asymptomatic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) will progress to Alzheimer's dementia. The company's patented technology uses an analytical method that includes a proprietary antibody designed to bind to U-p53AZ and target sequences developed by Diadem. Further clinical studies of the assay are underway, and the company plans a global launch in collaboration with strategic partners later this year.

"Together, these studies highlight why we are so excited about the potential of AlzoSure to have a major impact on this devastating disease," said Paul Kinnon, CEO of Diadem. "They describe how this conformational variant of p53 contributes to the ongoing pathology of AD, as well as how its role in disease progression makes it useful as a biomarker to identify patients whose neurons are already under attack. The simplicity and affordability of our blood-based biomarker test mean that it will be available to individuals in primary care settings, which will make widespread screening feasible. This is turn will help spur the development of new drugs for AD, which now will be able to be widely administered early in the disease process, when the chances for slowing and stopping the cognitive ravages of AD are the greatest."

The first publication1, The pleiotropic role of p53 in functional/dysfunctional neurons: focus on pathogenesis and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, was published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy. It reviews the role of the p53 protein in the development of Alzheimer's disease. As "the guardian of the genome", p53 is most associated with tumor suppression. However, growing evidence shows that dysregulated p53 activity may also contribute to changes in the brain and peripheral nervous system during the early stages of AD. The review describes how p53 dysregulation may exacerbate AD pathology by interfering with a variety of key defense mechanisms that protect neurons and prevent their degeneration. These mechanisms include regulation of inflammation, control of synaptic function, maintenance of redox homeostasis, reduction of amyloid  peptides and inhibition of neuronal cell cycle re-entry.

The authors describe the possible causes of this p53 conformational change and its impact on neuronal function. The conformational variant of p53 has been found in peripheral neuronal cells in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and with AD. As has been previously described in the scientific literature, levels of unfolded p53 are significantly higher in peripheral cells derived from patients with AD compared with non-demented controls and are also significantly higher than in patients with Parkinson's disease and other types of dementia. Researchers also expect that unfolded p53 is present in the brain of dementia patients, but this has yet to be confirmed. Because unfolded p53 appears early in the disease process and helps fuel the increasing pathology seen over time in AD, the authors conclude that it has potential to serve as a biomarker for the early detection of AD.

The second article2, A conformation variant of p53 combined with machine learning identifies Alzheimer disease in preclinical and prodromal stages, was recently published in the Journal of Personalized Medicine. It reports on a study from the University of Brescia assessing Diadem's blood-based prognostic test for AD. The assay measures the conformational variant of p53 (U-p53AZ) as a biomarker to identify individuals at high risk for the early onset of the condition, using a patented monoclonal antibody specifically developed for this purpose by Diadem researchers.

In their introduction, the researchers point out that while U-p53AZ (referred to in this study as U-p53 2D3A8+) is a relatively unknown player in AD, it has demonstrated the features needed for a credible biomarker of biological processes involved in the development of AD. In their prior work, they had identified the increased expression of unfolded p53 in fibroblast and blood cells derived from both AD patients and MCI patients who converted to AD, as well as in AD and MCI plasma specimens. The fact that U-p53AZ is highly expressed in both the preclinical and early symptomatic stages of AD make it a good candidate as a prognostic biomarker.

In this study, the researchers confirmed that the Diadem-developed and patented antibody is a reliable tool for recognizing the U-p53AZ conformational variant. The approach was tested in a longitudinal study of 375 subjects in well-characterized cohorts. U-p53AZ plasma levels correlated with the clinical evolution of the disease, as described by longitudinal analysis, and showed high accuracy in discriminating individuals who converted to AD versus non-converters. The assay achieved an overall 86.7% agreement with clinical diagnosis. Importantly, the algorithms used in the assay also accurately classified MCI patients who will develop AD (AUC = 0.92) . These subjects were stratified using recognized AD markers from cerebral spinal fluid. A machine learning approach to predict AD risk was also developed that combined measurements of U-p53AZ plasma levels with a standardized test for cognitive impairment and levels of apolipoprotein E-4 (a protein subtype that is implicated in AD).

The researchers note that the Alzheimer's Precision Medicine Initiative (APMI) working group recommends that a blood-based AD biomarker should provide a tool in the primary care setting to assess subjects who are subjectively cognitively normal or have very early signs of cognitive decline, allowing identification of the at-risk subset who require further evaluation and early intervention. The study authors conclude that the biomarker test based on measurements of plasma levels of U-p53AZ represents a promising blood-based biomarker for AD that could meet the urgent need identified by the APMI.

The third publication, Discovery of simple blood based test to predict early onset of Alzheimer's using standard clinical mass spectrometry platforms, has just been released as a preprint and is also being submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication. It reports on another early longitudinal study of Diadem's AlzoSure prognostic assay. The authors begin by noting that despite the increasing number of individuals affected by AD every year, no effective therapy has yet been approved. A major factor underlying the lack of disease-modifying therapeutics is the inadequacies of current diagnostic methods, which only identify AD years after molecular damage to the central nervous system has been underway. Earlier diagnosis would make it feasible to initiate disease-modifying therapies much earlier in the disease process.

Knowing that the p53 conformational variant (U-p53AZ) had been correlated with AD, the researchers developed a mass spectrometry method for precise quantification of the p53 conformational variant from plasma. They analyzed 107 plasma samples from patients with known clinical outcomes at different time points and tested the prognostic performance of the AD-specific U-p53AZ peptide (AZ 284) in different sets of individuals, progressing from cognitive normal or mild cognitive impairment to AD dementia. Brain amyloid burden by PET imaging data was available for most of the plasma samples and apolipoprotein E-4 levels were also measured. Participants were classified as cognitively unimpaired (CU), as MCI, or as presenting symptomatic AD. For each diagnostic group, changes of status at the follow-up visits (after 18 and 36 months) were reported.

Using this well-characterized longitudinal cohort, the researchers demonstrated that U-p53AZ successfully predicted MCI progression to AD at least 36 months earlier, and in a cognitively unimpaired subject, it did so at least six years before symptoms became apparent. Diagnostic performance of the U-p53AZ peptide in the individuals progressing from cognitive normal and mild cognitive impairment to AD dementia confirmed that quantitative analysis of U-p53AZ is a reliable tool for prediction of AD progression up six years in advance of diagnosis, with AUC 90%. The authors conclude that taken together, the results support the implementation of the U-p53AZ biomarker as an affordable and powerful prognostic tool for the early, non-invasive diagnosis of AD in individuals with no symptoms or with early symptoms of cognitive impairment.

The study authors also note that availability of this type of accurate, non-invasive, inexpensive test could enable clinical trials for new AD therapies much earlier in the course of the disease when interventions are more likely to be effective. They also point out that it would be helpful to confirm these findings in a larger study. Diadem is currently conducting further validation studies in about 1000 subjects.

About Alzheimer's Disease

There are about 50 million people suffering from dementia worldwide. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form and accounts for 60-70% of cases. At present there are no disease modifying treatments for Alzheimer's, and therapies to treat symptoms are limited. There are about 10 million new cases per year, and the incidence is rising rapidly as the population ages. The current total cost of care is enormous--estimated at 1 trillion dollars in the U.S. annually and expected to double by 2030. Currently, diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is slow, inconclusive, invasive and expensive. Development of effective therapies for Alzheimer's has been hindered by the lack of accurate and cost-effective diagnostic and prognostic methods.

1 - Abate, G., Frisoni, G.B., Bourdon, JC. et al. The pleiotropic role of p53 in functional/dysfunctional neurons: focus on pathogenesis and diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Alz Res Therapy 12, 160 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-020-00732-0

2 - Abate, G.; Vezzoli, M.; Polito, L.; Guaita, A.; Albani, D.; Marizzoni, M.; Garrafa, E.; Marengoni, A.; Forloni, G.; Frisoni, G.B.; et al. A Conformation Variant of p53 Combined with Machine Learning Identifies Alzheimer Disease in Preclinical and Prodromal Stages. J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11, 14. https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/jpm11010014

3 - Piccirella, S.; Cristoni, S.; Fowler, C.; Doecke, J.; Abate, G.; Uberti, D. Discovery of Simple Blood-Based Test to Predict Early Onset of Alzheimer's Using Standard Clinical Mass Spectrometry Platforms. Preprints 2021, 2021010530 https://doi:10.20944/preprints202101.0530.v1

About Diadem

Diadem was founded as a spin-off of the University of Brescia (Italy). The company is developing the first blood-based prognostic test for the early detection of dementia, with a focus on Alzheimer's disease. The lack of accurate, accessible and affordable diagnostic tools is a major contributor to the absence of effective treatments for this devastating condition. As a result, patients are not diagnosed until late in the illness, when effective treatment is no longer possible. Diadem's rapid, accurate, cost effective and predictive blood-based prognostic test makes it possible for the first time to identify patients early in the disease process, when effective interventions and better outcomes are far more feasible. The utility of the approach has been demonstrated in early clinical studies. Additional retrospective and prospective clinical trials are planned to further validate clinical claims and support widespread adoption and use. Diadem's founding lead investor is Milan-based Panakes Partners, a venture capital firm that finances promising high potential biomedical companies in Europe and Israel. Diadem is preparing for rapid commercialization of its initial Alzheimer's prognostic via a global launch in collaboration with strategic partners, targeted for 2021. For more information, visit www.diademdx.com/.

Contacts:





Corporate: Media: Diadem Barbara Lindheim Paul Kinnon BLL Partners for Diadem CEO [email protected] [email protected] +1 (917) 355-9234

SOURCE Diadem srl

Related Links

http://www.diademdx.com/


U.S. corporate governance software provider bolsters presence in Ireland with veteran site leader

Diligent Corporation, a leading modern governance company with a platform used by nearly 700,000 board directors and leaders, announces Ruairi Conroy as the Site Lead for the company's new Galway office. Headquartered in New York City, and backed by Insight Partners, Clearlake Capital Group, and Blackstone Group, Diligent empowers leaders to digitally transform their governance practices.

Ruairi will oversee Diligent's European Hub including recruitment, department integration, business operations and facilities. The new hub will host more than 200 new employees across multiple business functions including customer support, finance, product, human resources and marketing. With this large-scale onboarding, Ruairi will be responsible for hiring and onboarding the best talent in Galway and ensuring employees have the right tools and resources to drive innovation.

On his new role with Diligent and what drew him to the company, Ruairi said: "Diligent's commitment to growing in Galway, engaging with the community and building a top-performing workforce comprised of our best and brightest talent is what really drew me in. I'm confident that Diligent will be able to realise their global ambitions from the West of Ireland thanks to the opportunity to work with a diverse talent pool that stacks up to any other market around the world. The company is a pioneer in the modern governance space and is well-respected by the world's most influential brands. I'm looking forward to joining the team and driving growth in the region."

Ruairi brings over 19 years of growth and leadership experience to Diligent. Most recently he served as the Senior Vice President of Inside Sales at SiteMinder, a cloud platform for hotels. At SiteMinder, he had direct responsibility for recruiting, onboarding and expanding operations at the Galway site. He was instrumental in architecting their go-to market strategy for future growth, and led a global team of 100 sales leaders. In addition to his role at SiteMinder, Ruairi was part of the landing team for AdRoll and was instrumental in the launching of their EMEA Headquarters in Dublin. He has also led sales and acquisitions teams at Google, and currently lectures at National University of Galway, where he designed and delivers a module called Digital Sales Management.

In response to Ruairi's new position, Lisa Edwards Diligent's President and COO said: "Our growth plans in this region are quite ambitious and require a leader with vast experience building a site from the ground up and managing cross-functional teams. Ruairi has a proven track record of scaling SaaS companies in Galway which will be critical to our overall success. Over the last three months, we've expanded our footprint to more than 70 employees in the region, and his leadership will help us manage through the complexity of this challenging time as we continue to scale our business."

About Diligent

Diligent Corporation is the pioneer of modern governance, empowering leaders to turn effective governance into a competitive advantage. Leveraging unparalleled insights from a team of industry innovators, as well as highly secure, integrated SaaS technologies, Diligent's industry-leading suite of solutions changes how work gets done at the executive and board levels. Leaders rely on Diligent to drive accountability and transparency, while addressing stakeholder and shareholder priorities. Its applications also help streamline the day-to-day work of board management and committees, and support collaboration and secure information sharing. Designed for both public and private sector organizations, Diligent is helping to usher in a new era of modern governance. The largest global network of directors and executives, Diligent is relied on by 19,000 organizations and nearly 700,000 leaders in more than 90 countries. With an eye towards inclusivity and accessibility, Diligent serves some of the largest public governing bodies, including more than 50% of the Fortune 1000, 70% of the FTSE 100, and 65% of the ASX.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005091/en/

Contacts:

For additional information and imagery:

Mark O'Toole

Account Director

+353 (87) 778 2513

mark@150bond.com
A woman called police and said she was leaving the Walmart parking lot, 490 Greenway View Dr., when she saw a man get into a white Chevy ABS. The woman said the alarm went off inside the car as it drove away. She provided the Tennessee tag number. Police checked the area but did not notice the vehicle. Police also ran the vehicle and it came back negative as stolen.* * *Police responded to an apartment complex on Citico Avenue. A man said he had reported another man to the administration of the apartments for hanging around the site, which resulted in that man being trespassed from the premises.The man said that now the trespassed man and some of his friends have been threatening him and calling him a snitch. The man said he wanted a report to give to the apartment management.* * *Officers responded to a disorder prevention at a residence on N. Germantown Road. They spoke with a man who said he was thrown out of his friend's home where he had been staying. He said he wanted to get his and his mother's clothing he left inside the friend's home. Officers made contact with the friend and she agreed to allow the man to collect his belongings. The man gathered his clothes and left without further incident.* * *Police responded to a property damage at Northgate Mall. A man said someone hit the driver side rear fender of his vehicle. The man described the car as a Ford Escape and gave the Tennessee tag number. The man said the person driving the vehicle did not speak English and just continued to walk inside the mall. The man said he was going to report it to his insurance company.* * *While on patrol on 8th Avenue, an officer noticed a Nissan Altima come past him and come to a complete stop in the roadway. The officer found this to be suspicious and got behind it. It immediately kept cutting down side streets and the officer lost it before he could read the tag or activate his emergency equipment. Several minutes after the officer lost sight of the car, a call came in for an accident in the area where he had just been following the vehicle. The same vehicle was recovered at 4027 Kirkland Ave. It had front passenger side damage from the accident. The driver had fled on foot. A cell phone with a clear print on the screen was recovered and will be turned into property.* * *Police received a 9-1-1 call from a woman on Shallowford Road. The woman said she had an argument with her boyfriend and she had locked him out, but he kicked the door in, destroying both the door and the frame. Police repeatedly attempted to plead with the woman, however she refused to cooperate with police in providing information about her boyfriend's name, race, DOB, etc. Police checked the woman with an LAP Form, however she did not screen in and refused any further assistance. Since the woman refused to cooperate and there were no actionable leads, police left the scene.* * *A man on Swan Road said a check had been stolen from his mailbox. He said the check was made out to Samaritan's Purse for the amount of $131. He was notified by Suntrust Bank on Lee Highway that the check was cashed by a person using the name Tony Carmen Pyburo for the amount of $731. He said that he is already in contact with Suntrust about reimbursing the funds that were fraudulently taken. There is no other suspect information at this time.* * *Police were called by a woman on Hunt Drive who said someone had used her identity to hack into her Facebook account and she can't access it anymore because they have locked her out. Also, she said her Cash App account info was used for an illegal charge for $395 at a Walgreens in Chattanooga. She said she doesn't know which Walgreens it was done at and she's not sure if it was done in person or online.* * *Police responded to Hair Benders, 1615 Gunbarrel Road, on reports of a man sleeping in a car at the salon. Police made contact with the man and identified him. He said his girlfriend was in the salon getting her hair done and he fell asleep in the car.* * *Police responded to 400 Hwy 153 NB and spoke with a woman who said that she was traveling on Highway 153 NB when she struck a large piece of metal in the roadway. She said that it wedged beneath her vehicle after she struck it. Police observed a large piece of metal wedged beneath her vehicle that had also caused damage to her vehicle. The vehicle had to be towed from the scene by Les Wrecker.
Technavio has been monitoring the automotive driving simulator market and it is poised to grow by USD 123.65 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of about 2% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005553/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Automotive Driving Simulator Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Click Get Free sample report in minutes

Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the growth of various industries; however, the immediate impact of the outbreak is varied. While a few industries will register a drop in demand, numerous others will continue to remain unscathed and show promising growth opportunities. COVID-19 will have a Low impact on the automotive driving simulator market. The market growth in 2020 is likely to Decrease compared to the market growth in 2019.

Frequently Asked Questions-

Based on segmentation by application, which is the leading segment in the market?

The R&D segment is expected to be the leading segment based on application in the global market during the forecast period.

What are the major trends in the market?

Development of stratiform machines to supplant hexapod machines in automotive DIL simulation applications is one of the major trends in the market.

At what rate is the market projected to grow?

Growing at a CAGR of about 2%, the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be USD 123.65 million.

Who are the top players in the market?

Ansible Motion Ltd., AutoSim AS, CAE Inc., Cruden, Dallara Group Srl, Mechanical Simulation Corp., Moog Inc., MTS System Corp., NVIDIA Corp., and OKTAL SYDAC. are some of the major market participants.

What are the key market drivers and challenges?

Development of autonomous vehicles is one of the major factors driving the market. However, the high price of overcoming lag-induced SAS restraints the market growth.

How big is the North America market?

The North America region will contribute to 38% of market growth.

Related Reports on Consumer Discretionary Include:

Automotive Audio Amplifier Market by Application and Geography Forecast and Analysis 2020-2024: The automotive audio amplifier market size has the potential to grow by USD 319.69 million during 2020-2024, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate during the forecast period because of the steady increase in the year-over-year growth. To get extensive research insights: Click and Get FREE Sample Report in Minutes!

Automotive Holographic Display Market by Display Position and Geography Forecast and Analysis 2020-2024: The automotive holographic display market size has the potential to grow by USD 124.95 million during 2020-2024, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate during the forecast period. To get extensive research insights: Click and Get FREE Sample Report in Minutes!

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

View market snapshot before purchasing

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Ansible Motion Ltd., AutoSim AS, CAE Inc., Cruden, Dallara Group Srl, Mechanical Simulation Corp., Moog Inc., MTS System Corp., NVIDIA Corp., and OKTAL SYDAC are some of the major market participants. The development of autonomous vehicles will offer immense growth opportunities. In a bid to help players strengthen their market foothold, this automotive driving simulator market forecast report provides a detailed analysis of the leading market vendors. The report also empowers industry honchos with information on the competitive landscape and insights into the different product offerings offered by various companies.

Technavio's custom research reports offer detailed insights on the impact of COVID-19 at an industry level, a regional level, and subsequent supply chain operations. This customized report will also help clients keep up with new product launches in direct indirect COVID-19 related markets, upcoming vaccines and pipeline analysis, and significant developments in vendor operations and government regulations.

Automotive Driving Simulator Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Automotive Driving Simulator Market is segmented as below:

Application R D Training

Geography North America Europe APAC South America MEA



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR44793

Automotive Driving Simulator Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The automotive driving simulator market report covers the following areas:

Automotive Driving Simulator Market Size

Automotive Driving Simulator Market Trends

Automotive Driving Simulator Market Analysis

This study identifies development of stratiform machines to supplant hexapod machines in automotive DIL simulation applications as one of the prime reasons driving the Automotive Driving Simulator Market growth during the next few years.

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports.

Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports.

Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform

Automotive Driving Simulator Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive driving simulator market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the automotive driving simulator market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the automotive driving simulator market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive driving simulator market vendors

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary

Market Overview

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Application

Market segments

Comparison by Application

Research and development Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Training Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Application

Customer landscape

Overview

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Ansible Motion Ltd.

AutoSim AS

CAE Inc.

Cruden

Dallara Group Srl

Mechanical Simulation Corp.

Moog Inc.

MTS System Corp.

NVIDIA Corp.

OKTAL SYDAC

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210201005553/en/

Contacts:

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/
Myanmar's military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her party in early morning raids.

Western nations condemned the sudden turn of events, which derailed years of efforts to establish democracy in the poverty-stricken country and raised even more questions over the prospect of returning a million Rohingya refugees.

The U.N. Security Council will meet on Tuesday, diplomats said, amid calls for a strong response.

The army said it had responded to "election fraud", handing power to military chief General Min Aung Hlaing and imposing a state of emergency for a year in the country, also known as Burma, where neighbouring China has a powerful influence.

The generals made their move hours before parliament had been due to sit for the first time since the National League for Democracy's (NLD) landslide win in a Nov. 8 election viewed as a referendum on Suu Kyi's fledgling democratic rule.

The NLD said Suu Kyi had called on people to protest against the military takeover, quoting comments it said had been written in anticipation of a coup.

Phone and internet connections in the capital, Naypyitaw, and the main commercial centre Yangon were disrupted and state television went off air after the NLD leaders were detained.

Summarising a meeting of the new junta, the military said Min Aung Hlaing, who had been nearing retirement, had pledged to practice a "genuine discipline-flourishing multiparty democratic system".

He promised a free and fair election and a handover of power to the winning party, it said, without giving a timeframe.

The junta later removed 24 ministers and named 11 replacements to oversee ministries including finance, defence, foreign affairs and interior.

Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other NLD leaders were "taken" in the early hours of the morning, NLD spokesman Myo Nyunt told Reuters by phone. U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet said at least 45 people had been detained.

A video posted to Facebook by one MP appeared to show the arrest of regional lawmaker Pa Pa Han. Her husband pleads with men in military garb standing outside the gate. A young child can be seen clinging to his chest and wailing.

Troops and riot police stood by in Yangon where residents rushed to markets to stock up on supplies and others lined up at ATMs to withdraw cash. Banks suspended services but said they would reopen from Tuesday.

Foreign companies from Japanese retail giant Aeon to South Korean trading firm POSCO International and Norway's Telenor scrambled to reach staff in Myanmar and assess the turmoil.

Multinationals moved into the country after Suu Kyi's party established the first civilian government in half a century in 2015.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate's election win followed decades of house arrest and struggle against the military, which had seized power in a 1962 coup and stamped out all dissent for decades.

While still hugely popular at home, her international standing was severely damaged after she failed to stop the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas in 2017.

BROKEN WINGS

The detentions came after days of tension between the civilian government and the military in the aftermath of the most recent election, in which Suu Kyi's party won 83% of the vote.

An army takeover would put Myanmar "back under a dictatorship", the pre-written statement on Facebook quoted Suu Kyi as saying.

"I urge people not to accept this, to respond and wholeheartedly to protest against the coup by the military," it said. Reuters was unable to reach any NLD officials to confirm the veracity of the statement.

Supporters of the military celebrated the coup, parading through Yangon in pickup trucks and waving national flags.

"Today is the day that people are happy," one nationalist monk told a crowd in a video published on Facebook.

Democracy activists and NLD voters were horrified and angry. Four youth groups condemned the coup in statements and pledged to "stand with the people" but did not announce specific action.

"Our country was a bird that was just learning to fly. Now the army broke our wings," student activist Si Thu Tun said.

Senior NLD leader Win Htein said in a Facebook post the army chief's takeover demonstrated his ambition rather than concern for the country.

In the capital, security forces confined members of parliament to residential compounds on the day they had expected to take up their seats, representative Sai Lynn Myat said.

'POTENTIAL FOR UNREST'

The United Nations led condemnation of the coup and calls for the release of detainees and restoration of democracy in comments largely echoed by Australia, Britain, the European Union, India, Japan and the United States.

"The military must reverse these actions immediately," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, while Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called on Joe Biden's new Democratic administration to respond strongly.

In Japan, a major aid donor with many businesses in Myanmar, a ruling party source said the government may have to rethink the strengthening of defence relations with the country undergone as part of regional efforts to counterbalance China.

China called on all sides in Myanmar to respect the constitution and uphold stability in a statement which "noted" events in the country rather than expressly condemning them.

Bangladesh, which is sheltering around one million Rohingya who fled violence in Myanmar, called for "peace and stability" and said it hoped a process to repatriate the refugees could move forward. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh also condemned the takeover.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, called for "dialogue, reconciliation and the return to normalcy" while in Bangkok, police clashed with a group of pro-democracy demonstrators outside Myanmar's embassy.

"It's their internal affair," a Thai government official said of events in Myanmar - a hands-off approach also taken by Malaysia and the Philippines.

The November vote faced some criticism in the West for disenfranchising many Rohingya but the election commission rejected military complaints of fraud.

In its statement declaring the emergency, the military cited the failure of the commission to address complaints over voter lists, its refusal to postpone new parliamentary sessions, and protests by groups unhappy with the vote.

"Unless this problem is resolved, it will obstruct the path to democracy and it must therefore be resolved according to the law," the military said, citing an emergency provision in the constitution in the event sovereignty is threatened.

Also Read: Budget 2021: Centre sees Rs 5 lakh crore shortfall in tax revenue in FY21

Also Read: Budget 2021: Imported alcohol to attract 100% farm cess
Shaza Riyadh Hotel Residences, the contemporary luxury hotel residence in the heart of the Saudi capital, is gearing up for the return of businessmen with several offers and bespoke spaces catering to the businesses as the economy recovers.

The Saudi capital is witnessing an economic recovery that is mainly led by the ease of restrictions by the authorities. This is mainly due to the drop in Covid numbers nationwide, as well as the trust and confidence the business sector has in the kingdom for the way they handled the pandemic.

Business travellers can take advantage of the ongoing Its Time To Travel campaign using the promo code  TIME, including 25 per cent off on rooms (with an additional 10 per cent discount for Discovery members), 20 per cent off on dining and spa, and children below 12 years eat free.

The property, inspired by the rich silk heritage, derives inspiration from the Andalusian charm. Each detail of its interiors and architecture boasts a story about the bygone days of enchanting Andalusia.

Great deals need great places and the hotels exceptional scent-inspired meeting rooms are the best fit for conferences, banquets, and more. From Saffron to Areej, each of the six meeting rooms boasts its own story and fragrance. Additionally, each one is equipped with the state of the art audio-visual systems and can be set up for respectful privacy.

Andre Saade, General Manager at Shaza Riyadh Hotel Residences, commented: At our hotel, it is our business to plan, execute and help you make your business successful.

Shaza Riyadh Hotel Residences also offers to assist corporates and individuals in planning and organising their event; the multi-disciplinary in-house Events Coordinator is skilled in successfully executing even the most complex functions.

In Bayt Al Hikma, we have a variety of meeting rooms ideal to host both corporate meetings and receptions for up to 120 guests in theatre style and 100 guests in reception-style, in addition to our bespoke events management and catering services, Saade added. - TradeArabia News Service
A controversial artwork showing a police car in flames with the abbreviated phrase 'F*** The Police' has sparked outrage among the public.

The artist, who goes by the name TextaQueen, has put the work on display at the Gallery of Modern Art in the Queensland Art Gallery, in Brisbane.

The artwork is of a police helmet that has been decorated with the image of a burning blue and white checkered police car.

The letters 'FTP' burn yellow in the orange flames while a phrase is written at the bottom of the helmet: 'Power to the People'.

'No more prisons end slavery,' is written on the back.

The artist, who goes by the name TextaQueen, has put the work on display at the Gallery of Modern Art in the Queensland Art Gallery, in Brisbane

The letters 'FTP' burn yellow in the orange flames while a phrase is written at the bottom of the helmet: 'Power to the People'

The artwork is of a police helmet that has been decorated with the image of a burning, blue and white checkered police car

A photo of the artwork was uploaded to social media where it has sparked intense backlash from the public.

Detective Sergeant Tony Flanders labelled it 'unacceptable'.

'GOMA Queensland Art Gallery has chosen to actually display a police helmet with a police car on fire with the letters FTP (stands for F--k The Police),' Sgt Flanders wrote.

'This is a government art facility. You pay their wages.'

Pauline Hanson was similarly outraged saying that the gallery is 'rightfully copping heat' over the display.

'Police have a tough enough job dealing with the increasing hostility from pretentious criminals and those who think they're above the law,' she wrote on Facebook.

'Don't for a second tell me this is art. It's childish and should never be displayed in a Government funded art gallery. The Queensland premier should pull this display immediately.

'Next someone will tell me the artist received a grant for this rot!'

Other social media users joined in to condemn the artwork.

'You want everything for nothing and you incite hatred, the exact thing you protest against. Shameful!' One person wrote.

Another one commented: 'You need to be ashamed of yourself, lets hope you never need police assistance in the future.'

TextQueen refers to herself as an 'artist/superhero' on her Facebook page and addresses difficult political, racial and gender issues through her artworks.

The helmet is crowned with a doughnut and has the phrase written on the back: 'No more prisons. End slavery.'

The artwork is currently on display at the Gallery of Modern Art in the Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane

A photo of the artwork was uploaded to social media where it has sparked intense backlash from the public

Her chosen medium is a fibre-tip marker - or a Texta - which is used to colour in her artworks.

She also paints murals, creates animations and performs.

Her criticism of the police force expanded into a coloured-in drawing depicting the same burning police car with the same 'FTP' abbreviation.

Daily Mail Australia contacted the Gallery of Modern Art and TextaQueen for comment.
Pakistan has secured 17 million doses of AstraZenecas Covid-19 vaccine under a global scheme to deliver coronavirus treatments to developing nations, a government health official said on Saturday.

About 6 million of the doses will arrive in the first quarter of 2021 under the COVAX scheme, with the remainder due by mid-year, Faisal Sultan, special assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, said in a statement.

Pakistan signed up last year to the vaccine sharing scheme coordinated by the World Health Organization to support lower-income countries.

"We remain confident that we will meet our plan of large-scale immunisation over the coming months this year," Sultan said.

Pakistan expects to receive 500,000 doses of a vaccine made by China National Pharmaceutical Group (SinoPharm) in coming days. It will launch a vaccination drive, which will initially target health workers, next week.

The South Asian nation of 220 million people also expects China to donate a further one million doses.

Having already approved the AstraZeneca and SinoPharm vaccines, Pakistan is also likely to approve Russia's Sputnik V, officials say, adding that the authorisations will be reviewed quarterly.

Pakistan reported 2,179 new infections and 65 deaths in the latest 24-hours, taking the total number of cases to 543,214, with 11,623 deaths.





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.
Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"
Cuban authorities announced over the weekend they will tighten measures against the spread of COVID-19, requiring tourists and others who visit the island to isolate at their own expense for several days.

The announcement by Dr. Francisco Duran, Cuba's Director of Epidemiology, comes at a time when the country is announcing daily increases of new COVID-19 infections as well as four additional deaths.

Beaches remained closed as were also many hotels on the island.

Even after the temporary easing of restrictions late last year, few foreign tourists arrived.

Duran said that from 8 February tourists arriving into the country will be sent to hotels, where they'll wait five days for their PCR test result.

Cubans returning home from abroad will be housed in other centers at government expense to await test results.

Diplomats and some categories of foreign business people will be allowed to isolate at home.

Cuba has reported 25,674 coronavirus infections and 213 deaths since March, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Cuba had eased restrictions in November, opening airports to tourists and others, but the number of infections detected has risen sharply this month mostly due to Cubans visiting their relatives on the island.

Civil aviation authorities said Saturday they will reduce flights from the U.S., Mexico, Panama and the Bahamas.

Flights from Nicaragua, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Surinam will remain suspended.

(Image Credit: AP)

(Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com)

Beauty and cosmetic retailer Mecca Australia has announced the five best-selling skincare products of 2020.

The product that reigned supreme was the $45 Face Hero protective oil by Zoe Foster-Blake's line Go-To Skincare, because thousands of women said it delivers noticeable 'same day results' after the first application.

The top buys varied in price from $27 for a drying lotion used to banish acne all the way up to a staggering $696 for an LED purifying mask.

Scroll down for video

The top buys varied in price from $27 for a drying lotion used to banish acne and up to $696 for a LED purifying mask

1. Go-To Face Hero - $45

The most popular skincare buy in Australia is the Go-To Face Hero protective oil, priced at $45 for the 30mL bottle.

The formula contains active vegan ingredients to reduce the appearance of fine lines, dark spots, dryness, inflammation and premature ageing.

Founder Zoe Foster Blake claimed the product delivers noticeable results on the same day you apply the facial oil on your skin.

The 'hero' product is rich in fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants to leave the skin looking brighter and more radiant.

The most popular skincare buy in Australia was the Go-To Face Hero protective oil, priced at $45 for the 30mL bottle

The formula contains active vegan ingredients to reduce the appearance of fine lines, dark spots, dryness, inflammation and premature ageing

Top 10 skincare products of 2020 1. Go-To Face Hero 2. Drunk Elephant C Firma Day Serum 3. Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream 4. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion 5. Dr Dennis Gross Spectralite Faceware Pro 6. Sunday Riley CEO Face Serum 7. REN Ready Steady Glow Tonic 8. Glow Recipe Watermelon Sleeping Mask 9. Nuface Trinity Mini 10. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser Advertisement

2. Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum - $128

The Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum was the runner-up on the best skincare list and is designed to combat against the damaging effects of environmental factors.

The key ingredients of vitamin C and pomegranate extract help to firm the skin while dissolving dead skin cells.

The product is hydrating, sulphate-free, paraben-free and fragrance-free but is priced at $128 per 30mL bottle.

It's recommended to apply two pumps of the serum onto clean, dry skin in the morning followed by a moisturiser and sunscreen.

The Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum was the runner-up on the best skincare list and is designed to combat against the damaging effects of environmental factors

The product is also hydrating, sulphate-free, paraben-free and fragrance-free but is priced at $128 per 30mL bottle

3. Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream - $109

The Dewy Skin Cream by Tatcha is a smooth but rich nourishing cream that is said to instantly leave the skin looking and feeling healthy.

Its brightening and firming ingredients improves the function of the skin and boost the complexion to create a dewy glow.

The product also uses three Japanese anti-aging superfoods of green tea, rice and algae to deliver added nutrients the skin needs.

The moisturiser is best for those who have skin that is not too oily and not too dry.

The Dewy Skin Cream by Tatcha is a smooth but rich nourishing cream that is said to instantly leave the skin looking and feeling healthy

Its brightening and firming ingredients improves the function of the skin and boost the complexion to create a dewy glow

4. Mario Badescu Drying Lotion - $27

Known to be effective against stubborn acne, the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion is an affordable spot treatment that works to dry up the surface of the skin and reduce blemishes.

The beauty buy is priced at $27 and is made from sulphur to draw out impurities and salicylic acid to remove bacteria from the pores.

Some shoppers may not need this particular product but it's ideal to use when blackheads or whiteheads surface on the skin.

The fifth and most expensive top product is the Dr Dennis Gross Spectralite Faceware Pro mask, priced at $696

5. Dr Dennis Gross Spectralite Faceware Pro - $696

The fifth and most expensive top product is the Dr Dennis Gross Spectralite Faceware Pro mask, priced at $696.

The 100 red LED lights penetrate deep into the skin to stimulate collagen for a youthful complexion, while the 62 blue LED lights destroys acne-causing bacteria, reduces redness and prevents breakouts.

The product should be used after cleansing and exfoliating at the end of the day and should only be worn for three minutes.

It is designed to replace professional LED light treatments, which can cost hundreds of dollars each time.
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.
Gurugram, Feb 1 : Schools in Gurugram for classes 6 to 8 reopened on Monday with strict Covid-19 protocols. The school timings have been fixed from 10 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., according to an order released by Haryana's Department of School Education.

Earlier, the Haryana government reopened the schools for students of classes 10 and 12 from December 14 while they were opened from December 21 for classes 9 and 11.

The Haryana Department of School Education on Friday released an order directing the reopening of schools in the state.

On Monday, the school managements were seen following Covid-19 protocols and students were allowed entry only after proper screening, wearing face masks and sanitization.

"We have adopted all prescriptions in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have installed sanitizers, screening machines to avoid infection. We will also create awareness among the students about the Covid-19 vaccine," said the Principal of a prominent school.

Students who attended school on Monday were quite happy.

"We are joining our classes after nearly a year. We are happy to attend our classes and meet our friends. Although, we had attended our classes online but sometimes it was disrupted due to network issues but now with physical classes, at least we will not face such problems," said a student.

According to the state government guidelines, the students need to carry their Covid-19 negative test report with them before entering the school premises and the Covid test should have been conducted within 72 hours prior to their entry into the school premises.

It is also mandatory for students to carry a consent letter signed by their parents, declaring they don't have any problem with their children attending physical classes, the guidelines said.

In case any student tests Covid-19 positive, the protocols laid down by the government would be followed. The schools would have to follow all Covid-related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

Schools in Haryana were closed in March 2020 after the coronavirus-induced lockdown was imposed.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden intends to meet on Monday with 10 GOP senators who are calling on him to make a bipartisan deal instead of forging ahead with a party-line vote on his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan.

The group announced plans Sunday to release an approximately $600 billion coronavirus relief package as a counterproposal to Biden's much larger plan, posing a test for the new president who campaigned on promises to unify Congress and the country.

The senators, led by Susan Collins, R-Maine, said that they would formally unveil the plan Monday, and that they requested a meeting with Biden. Biden and Collins subsequently spoke, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced late Sunday that the president had invited the 10 Republican lawmakers to the White House "for a full exchange of views."

The meeting will take place Monday, according to two people with knowledge of the plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official announcement had yet to be made.

The planned meeting comes as Democrats prepare to move forward this week to set up a partisan path for Biden's relief bill, which Republicans have dismissed as overly costly because of Congress has already committed to spending $4 trillion to fight the pandemic, including $900 billion in December.

The GOP proposal jettisons elements that have drawn Republican opposition, such as increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

It would also reduce the size of a new round of checks Biden wants to send to Americans, from $1,400 per individual to $1,000 - while significantly reducing the income limits that determine eligibility for the stimulus payments.

A $600 billion plan that is a small fraction of Biden's proposal probably will not draw much, if any, Democratic support. However, the GOP offer presents a challenge for Biden, who campaigned on promises of bipartisanship and must decide whether to rebuff the overture or make a genuine effort to find common ground across the aisle.

"We want to work in good faith with you and your administration to meet the health, economic and societal challenges of the covid crisis," the Republican lawmakers wrote, adding that they were responding to his "calls for unity."

Top Biden economic adviser Brian Deese said on CNN's "State of the Union" before the meeting was announced that Biden was open to an exchange of views on his plan. But Deese emphasized that speed was of the essence and refused to say whether Biden was willing to entertain a smaller overall cost.

"The president is uncompromising when it comes to the speed that we need to act at to address this crisis," Deese said.

"The provisions of the president's plan, the American Rescue Plan, are calibrated to the economic crisis that we face," Deese said.

The White House is pushing its plan amid signs of a broader economic slowdown and a continued wave of enormously high unemployment claims of close to 1 million a week. The emergence in the U.S. of highly transmissible coronavirus variants has also intensified fears that another wave of lockdowns will be necessary.

Because the Senate is split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats, it is significant that Republicans assembled 10 lawmakers to get behind the proposal. That means that, if Democrats were to join them, they could reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to pass legislation under regular Senate procedures.

Democrats are planning to skirt the 60-vote requirement using special budget rules that would allow the Biden package to pass with a simple majority vote. Democrats control the Senate because Vice President Kamala Harris can cast tie-breaking votes.

Democratic aides said the GOP proposal would not change their plans to move forward with the budget bill this week that would set the stage for party-line passage of Biden's plan.

Psaki's statement said Biden also spoke to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Sunday as they prepare to push his relief package.

"The key to getting robust job opportunities is to cease any delay, any inaction, any wait-and-see around this rescue plan," Jared Bernstein, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said on "Fox News Sunday."

"The American people could not care less about budget process. . . . They need relief and they need it now," Bernstein said.

Biden's plan would send $1,400 payments to individuals with incomes up to $75,000 per year, and couples making up to $150,000.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, one of the signers of the letter, said the GOP plan would lower those thresholds to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for couples. Instead of $1,400 checks, the GOP plan would propose $1,000 checks, according to Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., another member of the group.

The GOP plan would also reduce Biden's proposal for extending emergency federal unemployment benefits, which are set at $300 a week and will expire in mid-March. The Biden plan would increase those benefits to $400 weekly and extend them through September. The GOP plan would keep the payments at $300 per week and extend them through June, according to three people with knowledge of the plan who spoke on the condition of anonymity ahead of an official announcement.

Portman criticized Democrats for their plans to go it alone, saying this approach would "jam Republicans and really jam the country."

The signers of the letter include eight Republican senators who are part of a bipartisan group that has conferred with Biden administration officials about the relief bill. In addition to Collins, Portman and Cassidy, these are Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Todd Young of Indiana, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Jerry Moran of Kansas. Also signing are Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

Cassidy strongly criticized Biden for not soliciting broader input from senators in both parties. Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," Cassidy said the Republican package amounted to $600 billion and was "targeted to the needs of the American people."

Cassidy also said Biden's push to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour would cost millions of jobs.

"You don't want bipartisanship. You want the patina of bipartisanship.  The president's team did not reach out to anybody in our group, either Democrat or Republican, when they fashioned their proposal," Cassidy said. "They've never reached out to us - that's the beginning of the bad faith."

Democrats bristled at Republican accusations that Biden's relief proposal would give too much in federal aid to affluent Americans, pointing to GOP support for the 2017 tax law that nonpartisan analysts cut taxes substantially for the wealthiest Americans.

"Reasonable people can have honorable differences on the precise income limits of emergency tax relief. But there's a degree of chutzpah in the GOP suddenly on their high horse on this point when they were just fine with permanently giving people who make over $5 million more tax relief than the bottom 60% of American taxpayers combined," said Gene Sperling, an economist who advised the Biden presidential campaign and served as former director of the White House National Economic Council under Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

The $900 billion relief bill Congress passed in December included $600 stimulus payments to individuals. Biden's plan to issue a new round of $1,400 checks would bring that figure to $2,000 - making good on promises he and other Democrats made that helped the party win two Senate seats in Georgia in early January. Those victories gave Democrats the majority in the Senate, and Democrats including the two new senators from Georgia have insisted they must make good on those promises.

"The entire Democratic Party came together behind the candidates in Georgia - we made promises to the American people," Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said on ABC. "If politics means anything - if you're going to have any degree of credibility - you can't campaign on a series of issues  and then change your mind. That's not how it works. We made promises to the American people; we're going to keep those promises."

In addition to a new round of checks, a higher minimum wage and increased unemployment benefits, Biden's plan includes rental assistance and eviction forbearance, an increased child tax credit, some $130 billion to help schools reopen, hundreds of billions of dollars for cities and states, and $160 billion for a national vaccination plan, more testing and public health jobs.

Money for vaccinations - which Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said recently was key to helping the economy - has emerged as the one real area of bipartisan consensus on Capitol Hill. The GOP plan would match Biden's call to devote $160 billion to vaccines, testing and related health care spending.

"With your support, we believe Congress can once again craft a relief package that will provide meaningful, effective assistance to the American people and set us on a path to recovery," the GOP senators wrote.
BERLIN  Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has agreed to supply 9 million additional doses of its coronavirus vaccine to the European Union during the first quarter, the blocs executive arm said Sunday.

The new target of 40 million doses by the end of March is still only half what the British-Swedish company had originally aimed for, triggering a spat between AstraZeneca and the EU last week.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a call with seven vaccine makers Sunday that AstraZeneca will also begin deliveries one week sooner than scheduled and expand its manufacturing capacity in Europe.

Step forward on vaccines, tweeted Von der Leyen, who has come under intense pressure over the European Commissions handling of the vaccine orders in recent days.

The EU is far behind Britain and the United States in getting its population of 450 million vaccinated against the virus. The slow rollout has been blamed on a range of national problems as well as delayed authorization of the vaccines compared to elsewhere and an initial shortage of supply.

The announcement last week that AstraZeneca would initially only supply 31 million doses to the EUs 27 member states due to production problems triggered a fierce dispute between the two sides, with officials in Brussels saying they feared the company was treating the bloc unfairly compared to other customers, such as the United Kingdom.

On Friday, hours after regulators authorized the vaccine for use across the EU, the commission announced that it was tightening rules on exports of COVID-19 vaccines, sparking an angry response from Britain. The commission has since made clear the new measure will not trigger controls on vaccines shipments produced in the 27-nation bloc to the small territory that is part of the United Kingdom bordering EU member Ireland.

Under the post-Brexit deal, EU products should still be able to travel unhindered from the bloc to Northern Ireland.

EU member states praised the blocs executive branch last year for signing numerous deals with vaccine makers, saying the joint purchase using combined market weight of the entire bloc had ensured a fair distribution for all 27 countries at good prices.

In a statement, the European Commission said it plans to set up a specialized body to improve the blocs response to health emergency and deliver a more structured approach to pandemic preparedness.

As part of the effort, together with industry, the EU said it will fund design and development of vaccines and scale up manufacturing in the short and medium term, and also to target the variants of COVID-19.

The pandemic highlighted that manufacturing capacities are a limiting factor, it said. It is essential to address these challenges.

--

Frank Jordans of The Associated Press wrote this story.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission wants to triple some passenger vehicle tolls this year as it deals with traffic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The commission approved a 2021 budget with no toll increases, but on Monday published a legal ad calling for a series of toll changes on the commissions eight toll bridges spanning the Delaware River between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, including the Route 22 and Intestate 78 bridges in the Easton area.

Most of the proposed changes would go into effect in April, with some slated for January 2024.

Currently, 2-axle class 1 passenger vehicles pay a $1 toll in cash or 60 cents through E-ZPass with a commuter discount.

In April, tolls for class 1 vehicles would increase to $3 for cash, $3 for Toll By Plate at the new Scudder Falls bridge, and $1.25 for E-ZPass customers.

Class 1 vehicles with a trailer or towing a vehicle are currently charged an additional dollar, regardless of the number of rolling axles. The commission would up that charge to $2 in April as well.

The E-ZPass commuter discount would drop to 20% in April and stay that way through 2023, under the current proposal. The discount applies to drivers that make 16 or more trips across DRJTBC toll bridges with a commission-affiliated E-ZPass tag in a calendar month.

But the E-ZPass commuter discount would end in January 2024, just as the class 1 passenger vehicle E-ZPass toll would increase from $1.25 to $1.50.

For other vehicles, including box trucks, buses, certain types of vans, and tractor trailers, a new uniform commercial vehicle rate table would mean tolls of $4.50 per-axle for E-ZPass customers, with $5 per-axle tolls for cash and Toll By Plate Scudder Falls customers starting this April.

At that time, the 10% off-peak E-ZPass discount for commercial vehicles would be eliminated.

The last DRJTBC toll increase was in 2011, when the toll jumped from 75 cents to $1 for cash-paying passenger vehicles, 45 cents to 60 cents for the E-ZPass commuter discount, and 75 cents more for multi-axle trucks and commercial vehicles.

The legal ad starts the 26-day comment period for all of the proposed toll actions.

Before the legal ad was published Monday, the commissions spokesperson was tight-lipped about any potential toll changes.

Commission spokesman Joe Donnelly declined to comment about any potential toll adjustments at this time.

On Jan. 25, the commission approved a resolution to change the public hearing and comment process for proposed toll adjustments during the current public health crisis.

Instead of six meetings held in person, the new policy allows for three public virtual hearings. The commissions regular meetings have been held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the public health emergency is over, the commission would revert back to holding six hearings, but it would also include virtual access for those six hearings.

Asked Friday if the resolution was passed because of prospective toll increases, Donnelly would only say, the resolution speaks for itself.

The commission plans three virtual public hearings on the proposed toll hikes:

10 a.m. to noon on Feb. 17

6 p.m.-8 p.m. on Feb. 17

6 p.m.-8 p.m. on Feb. 18

Members of the public who wish to speak during the hearings must pre-register.

Joseph Resta, the commissions executive director, has warned of the pandemics effects on the commissions traffic and revenue. By last November, the commission was facing a 9% drop in revenue and a 21% decrease in overall traffic.

At that time, Resta said the commission was investigating all options, including cutting operating expenses and prospective revenue enhancements.

According to data presented to the commission last month, the I-78 toll bridge saw an 18.52% decrease in total toll traffic for November compared to November 2019.

At the Easton-Phillipsburg (EP) toll bridge, the decrease was almost 21%.

The DRJTBC operates eight toll bridges: the I-295 Scudder Falls Toll Bridge and the Trenton-Morrisville Route 1, New Hope-Lambertville Route 202, I-78, Easton-Phillipsburg Route 22, Portland-Columbia Routes 611, 46 & 94, Delaware Water Gap I-80, and the Milford-Montague Route 206 bridges.

HOW TO WATCH THE HEARINGS

The meeting Zoom access links, teleconferencing numbers and codes, and information to register to speak for the online hearings will be posted starting Feb. 10 on the commissions website.

Members of the public who want to watch the Zoom broadcast will need to provide, at a minimum, a name and email address. Teleconferencing will be the only means to listen to the hearings without providing any identifying information.

Registration to speak will be accepted from Feb. 10 until 4 p.m. Feb. 16 on the website or by calling 1-855-721-0444

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to 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.
Former Prime Minister, former Mayor of Vinnytsia, leader of the Ukrainian Strategy of Groysman party Volodymyr Groysman calls on the mayors of Ukrainian cities to abandon open opposition to the decisions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

"It is not normal when representatives of local government agencies say that they will not carry out any decisions [...] I address with great respect to my dear colleagues, mayors: I just ask you not to harm local government, refrain from such actions," Groysman told Interfax-Ukraine.

He said such statements are subsequently used against the entire local government.

Groysman also drew attention to the fact that no decision on local government should be made without its representatives.

"There is such a very correct formula: not a word about Ukraine without the participation of Ukraine. I could say the same today with regard to local government. Not a single decision concerning local government can be worked out without local government. And then 90% of any problems will be removed," 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.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 23:17:10|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

BAGHDAD, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi said on Monday that Iraq would receive three million doses of the coronavirus vaccine late this month, while the Ministry of Health reported 984 new COVID-19 cases.

The efforts made by the Ministry of Health with the World Health Organization and companies producing vaccines, especially the companies approved by the Iraqi National Board for Selection of Drugs (NBSD), resulted in setting the end of this month as the date for delivery of vaccines to the Iraqi Ministry of Health, al-Tamimi said in a televised news conference.

"Iraq will get 2.5 to 3 million doses, which will arrive at the end of this month," al-Tamimi said without giving further details about the kind of vaccine.

He said that the vaccines will first be distributed to health personnel, security personnel, medical workers, elderly over 50 years old, and people with chronic diseases.

On Jan. 19, the ministry said that the NBSD had approved the emergency use of China's Sinopharm and Britain's AstraZeneca vaccines to contain the spread of the COVID-19 in the country.

Previously, the NBSD already approved the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to combat the pandemic.

Also in the day, a statement by the Ministry of Health reported 984 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total nationwide number of cases to 620,620.

The ministry also reported 10 new deaths, raising the death toll from the infectious virus to 13,057.

It said that 1,255 cases recovered during the day, bringing the total recoveries to 593,384.

A total of 5,661,047 tests have been carried out across the country since the outbreak of the disease in February 2020, with 38,504 done during the day, according to the statement.

Iraq has taken a series of measures to curb the pandemic since the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.

China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

From March 7 to April 26 in 2020, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Baghdad.

China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem
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 government on Monday budgeted Rs 1.75 trillion from stake sale in public sector companies and financial institutions, including 2 PSU banks and one general insurance company, in the next fiscal year beginning April 1.

The amount is lower than the record Rs 2.10 trillion which was budgeted to be raised from CPSE in the current fiscal year.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the government's CPSE stake sale programme, and the target has been lowered to Rs 32,000 crore in the Revised Estimates.

So far this fiscal year, the government has mopped up Rs 19,499 crore from CPSE stake sale and share buyback.

For fiscal year 2021-22, out of the total Rs 1.75 trillion, Rs 1 trillion is to come from selling government stake in public sector banks and financial institutions. Rs 75,000 crore would come as CPSE receipts.

Unveiling the Disinvestment/Strategic Policy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said four sectors -- Atomic energy, Space and Defence; Transport and Telecommunications; Power, Petroleum, Coal and other minerals; and Banking, Insurance and financial services -- would be strategic sectors.

In strategic sectors, there will be bare minimum presence of the public sector enterprises. The remaining CPSEs in the strategic sectors will be privatised or merged or subsidiarized with other CPSEs or closed. In non-strategic sectors, CPSEs will be privatised, otherwise shall be closed.

In her 2021-22 Budget speech, she said strategic disinvestment of BPCL, Air India, Shipping Corporation of India, Container Corporation of India, IDBI Bank, BEML, Pawan Hans, Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd, among others would be completed in 2021-22.

"Other than IDBI Bank, we propose to take up the privatization of two Public Sector Banks and one General Insurance company in the year 2021-22. This would require legislative amendments and I propose to introduce the amendments in this session itself," she said.

Also the legislative amendments required for launching IPO of LIC would be brought in the ongoing session of Parliament.

To fast-track the disinvestment policy, NITI Aayog would work out on the next list of central public sector companies that would be taken up for strategic disinvestment.

Also to similarly incentivise states to start disinvestment of their public sector companies, the government will work out an incentive package of central funds for states.

Besides, to ensure timely completion of closure of sick or loss making CPSEs, a revised mechanism would be brought in, she said.

"Idle assets will not contribute to Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The non-core assets largely consist of surplus land with government Ministries/Departments and Public Sector Enterprises.

"Monetizing of land can either be by way of direct sale or concession or by similar means. This requires special abilities and for this purpose, I propose to use a Special Purpose Vehicle in the form of a company that would carry out this activity," Sitharaman added.

Unveiling the disinvestment/strategic disinvestment policy, she said the policy aims at minimising the presence of central public sector enterprises, including financial institutions and creating new investment space for private sector.

"Post disinvestment, economic growth of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)/ financial institutions will be through infusion of private capital, technology and best management practices. Will contribute to economic growth and new jobs," the Budget said.
More cases of child abuse by the Spanish Catholic Church are slowly coming to light. After the Society of Jesus, commonly known as the Jesuits, recognized 81 victims since 1927 and announced plans for compensation, other religious congregations have begun to follow the orders example. EL PAIS spoke to 10 of the main Catholic orders in Spain, of which seven said they had carried out or were in the process of investigating past cases of abuse, and were equally open to compensating victims.

These investigations, however, are not in-depth internal inquiries, but rather a review of existing archives. Importantly too, the findings have not been made public and are still far from reflecting the extent of the abuse by the Catholic Church, compared to the advances made in other countries such as Germany, where an external audit found that 3,677 minors had been abused by members of the Church.

Of the 10 orders consulted, three  the Marist Brothers, De La Salle Brothers and the Order of Saint Augustine  continue to refuse to investigate allegations of abuse. The remaining seven admitted to 61 cases of pedophile priests, 42 of which were unknown until now. If this number is added to the findings from the Jesuits inquiry  65 cases, 54 of them unknown until now, according to EL PAIS estimates  the Catholic orders have admitted to 126 cases of pedophile priests. Of this figure, 96 had been buried until now. The figures elevate the number of victims of the Spanish Catholic Church to more than 500, according to a count from EL PAIS, based on criminal sentences, media reports and the newspapers own investigations.

(l-r) The secretary general of the CEE Luis Arguello, CEE president Juan Jose Omella, CEE vice president Carlos Osoro. Laura Serrano-Conde / EFE

Up until January, only 125 cases of abuse had been identified since 1986. Now, in the space of just a few weeks, 96 more cases have been recognized. In other words, nearly the same number of cases has been uncovered in the past few weeks as in the last 35 years. In an effort to address the lack of data from the Church and other official sources, EL PAIS began investigating allegations of child abuse in October 2018. At that time, there were only 34 known cases of abuse. Since then, the newspaper has received more than 200 emails and published details of more than 30 cases.

Of the religious orders contacted, six  the Piarists, Claretians, Brothers of the Sacred Heart, Legionaries of Christ, Marion Brothers and Salesians  said that they had already carried out an internal investigation. In the case of the Salesians, an order inspired by Francis de Sales, 28 cases of abuse were uncovered, according to provisional figures. This is the second-highest number after the Jesuits, who admitted to 65 cases. The Opus Dei, meanwhile, said that it is close to completing its own internal inquiry. The orders confirm that in the past, cases of abuse were never reported, and that in most cases, the accused was simply moved to a new parish, where they could continue to abuse children.

These investigations are just the first small step toward uncovering the truth. The findings from the six orders were never made public and are only coming out now in response to EL PAIS questions. Whats more, they dont offer any details  such as name, place and date  which, if revealed, could help identify more victims. But while the investigations are just the tip of the iceberg, they represent an important step forward in the Spanish Catholic Church, which had remained silent on the question of abuse until 2018. The orders actions also put into stark relief the position of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (CEE), which  unlike most institutions in large Catholic countries  refuses to investigate the past and consider compensation for victims.

In Spain, no one does anything. No one is interested, not the Church or the state Juan Ignacio Cortes, author of book on pedophilia in the Spanish Catholic Church

Two years have passed since Pope Francis raised the issue of pedophilia at the Vatican conference of February 2019, and the Spanish Catholic Church has done very little to address the problem. By order of the pope, the Church has opened offices to assist victims in each diocese. In October 2018, a commission investigating pedophilia was forced to update the Churchs anachronistic protocols, but two years on, there has been no news of progress. The CEE, for its part, has refused to answer EL PAIS questions. Last November, the bishops spokesperson, Luis Arguello, said that they had received zero or very few reports of abuse. The response of Spains 70 dioceses has been slow and far from transparent. With the exception of a few cases, bishops refuse to make public the number of cases that have been reported.

In Spain, no one does anything, says Juan Ignacio Cortes, the author of Lobos con Piel de Pastor (or, Wolves in Pastors Clothing), one of the few existing books on pedophilia in the Spanish Catholic Church. No one is interested, not the Church or the state, which in the past had to keep watch, because many institutions, from boarding schools to orphanages, were part of the state welfare system.

Juan Cuatrecasas, the president of Stolen Children, the first national association for victims of abuse, believes that despite the Popes explicit orders, some Spanish orders have done hardly anything, while the CEE has done nothing. With respect to the offices to help victims, the organization says they are a marketing strategy to whitewash the Churchs past. They say they help victims, but they have not yet published any report. Nor have they contacted us, says Cuatrecasas, who is the father of a victim of abuse.

Gemma Varona, a criminologist from the Basque Country University, argues that more in-depth studies are needed. According to Varona, the recent Jesuit inquiry is incomplete and methodologically very questionable. Reports must be for the victims, who are the ones who need them, and thats why they have to be transparent and well-conducted, says Varona. You have to ask these questions: why do victims not report cases? Why dont they dare to? That is the reason why the number is so low.

They have robbed me of nine more years

The case of Javier Paz, a victim of abuse in Salamanca, highlights why many victims do not report crimes to the Catholic Church. He reported in 2011 that he had been sexually abused by a priest, but instead of helping him, the Church tried to keep him quiet for nearly a decade. In the end, he became one of the first victims to take his story public on television. They have robbed me of nine more years, says Paz. The canonical process was a show to deceive me and keep me silent, they even accused me of just wanting money, they humiliated me and I decided to go on television. They crush you again and the wound doesnt heal.

Javier Paz, victim of abuse. Javier Martin

But victims are not only indignant with the Church. It is shameful that the government does nothing, says Manuel Barbero, the president of the victims association Mans Petits. It is a thorny issue and no one wants to address it. It would be enough to have a group of experts, economic funding, open an email [to receive reports], investigate. Experts point out that in other countries, such as Belgium, it has been parliament that has stepped in and created a special agency to redress victims.

In Catalonia, the Catalan Ombudsman is one of the few institutions that has investigated the problem. In 2019, it called for a commission to investigate cases that had passed the statutes of limitations. And the regional government of Navarre has also taken action: it invited victims to speak before the regional parliament, organized a congress on the problem of abuse in the Catholic Church and has funded psychological therapy for victims. The rest of Spain remains silent.

English version by Melissa Kitson.




REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nevro Corp. (NYSE: NVRO), a global medical device company that is providing innovative, evidence-based solutions for the treatment of chronic pain, today announced that D. Keith Grossman, Nevro's Chairman, CEO and President, will present at the 10th Annual SVB Leerink Global Healthcare Conference on Friday, February 26, 2021 at 10:40 am Eastern Time / 7:40 am Pacific Time.

A live webcast of this event, as well as an archived recording, will be available in the Investors section of Nevro's website at www.nevro.com.

Internet Posting of Information

Nevro routinely posts information that may be important to investors in the "Investor Relations" section of its website at www.nevro.com. The company encourages investors and potential investors to consult the Nevro website regularly for important information about Nevro.

About Nevro

Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Nevro is a global medical device company focused on providing innovative products that improve the quality of life of patients suffering from debilitating chronic pain. Nevro has developed and commercialized the Senza spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system, an evidence-based, non-pharmacologic neuromodulation platform for the treatment of chronic pain. HF10 therapy has demonstrated the ability to reduce or eliminate opioids in 65% of patients across six peer-reviewed clinical studies. The Senza System, Senza II System, and the Senza Omnia System are the only SCS systems that deliver Nevro's proprietary HF10 therapy. Senza, Senza II, Senza Omnia, HF10, Nevro and the Nevro logo are trademarks of Nevro Corp.

To learn more about Nevro, connect with us on LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook and Instagram .

Investors and Media:

Julie Dewey, IRC

Nevro Corp.

Vice President, Investor Relations & Corp Communications

650-433-3247 | [email protected]

SOURCE Nevro Corp.

Related Links

http://www.nevro.com



Elon Musk is the hot talk of the town and a guest speaker for Clubhouse, after his Reddit stock market tweets that involved one of the top growers of 2021, GameStop, and popular stock trading application, Robinhood. Clubhouse is a highly-valued application that features a unique way of joining social media with an invite-only method of participation.

The world's richest man and multi-tech CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, has officially been invited to the audio-only social media application called "Clubhouse" where the exclusive audience would listen to its hosts. Elon Musk is one of the top executives and celebrities of 2021, which makes him an honorable invitee for exclusive applications such as this.

The secret society of Clubhouse raises the mystery of its existence and what the people inside or who are part of the application are doing. Moreover, Elon Musk's recent tweets that involve insider trading with GameStop and Robinhood, including all the massive increases and controversies, further increased his reputation to be the trends of 2021.

Read Also: Clapper TikTok-Like App: Can It Replace Parler? Here's How It Works and Other Details

Elon Musk Gets Invite at Clubhouse as Guest Speaker



According to the technology CEO's latest update tweet (@elonmusk), he was invited to join the "Good Time" talk show in the Clubhouse application, joining Sriram Krishnan, Marc Andreessen, Steven Sinofsky, etc. This episode of the web podcast would be a special edition.

Limited details were released by Elon Musk, regarding his talk show guesting for Good Time in the Clubhouse application, but speculations that were raised points to recent Tesla ventures, his life as a businessman, etc. Moreover, people's expectations would tackle the recent emergence of stock trading which Musk has boosted the buzz via his tweets.

Elon Musk would be guesting on Good Time this Sunday at 10 PM Pacific Time (1:00 AM Eastern Time), which he mentions as "LA Time," suggesting that the CEO would be in California for the weekend.

What is Clubhouse? How to Get an Invite?

Clubhouse is an exclusive social media application in which users need to earn their way in, or another option is to be invited to join the application from current users in the platform. It is not much of the speculated "secret society" as they only require a different method of users joining their platform, and it is by doing certain tasks like letting one's self be known.

Users need only to showcase themselves via the #Clubhouse on social media, for other Clubhouse users to notice one's profile and be given an invite. The company also relayed that the application is still on limited availability which is why it is still an exclusive platform, but anyone can join and sign-up for the waitlist to enter the social media.

According to Good Housekeeping, Clubhouse resembles LinkedIn for live audio, which creates a network of users in private or public rooms where they can interact as speakers and listeners.

Related Article: Elon Musk Calls Out Robinhood for 'BS' Shorting Scam on Stock Trading-Only Allows Small-Time Investors!





This article is owned by Tech Times





Written by Isaiah Alonzo

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

(Nikkei Asia)  When China announced it would stop importing foreign waste  including a crucial component in the production of cardboard  Cheung Yan, the co-founder and chairwoman of the countrys largest paper manufacturer, faced a government-imposed check on her thriving business that could stunt growth.

Now, three years later, Cheung, known in China as the paper queen, and her Hong Kong-listed Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Ltd. have announced plans to build a 30.2 billion yuan ($4.6 billion) factory close to Vietnam, part of a raft of investments that has extended into the Southeast Asian country, as well as Malaysia, to counter the impact of Chinas ban on wastepaper, a raw material for paper products.

By reconfiguring the supply chain to better integrate Southeast Asia, Cheung will draw closer to becoming not only Chinas Paper Queen but the reigning queen of the global paper industry.

The newest paper mill, located in South Chinas Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region along the border with Vietnam, is anticipated to be one of the biggest in the country once it is completed in 2025. The factory will have the capacity to produce 7.95 million tons of paper a year, with the chief product being base paper found in cardboard.

Nearby the plant will be a port that will be able to receive large ships. Nine Dragons is positioning the complex as a major hub tying China with Southeast Asia. This is Chinas front line facing Southeast Asia, Cheung told local media.

In recent years, Nine Dragons has added to its Southeast Asian production hubs. In 2019, the company bought a factory in Malaysia that makes recycled pulp. There are plans to build a base paper factory in that country next year. In 2017, Nine Dragons expanded capacity at its base paper plant in Vietnam.

Informing these moves is the Chinese ban against importing wastepaper. The leadership under President Xi Jinping has phased in cuts to such imports since 2018, and the prohibition reached full implementation this month.

Base paper for cardboard is made from used cardboard, magazines, newspapers and other wastepaper. Chinese paper manufacturers used to procure this material from offshore sources such as Japan, Europe and the Americas on top of domestic suppliers.

Foreign sources made up roughly 16% of wastepaper procurement in 2019, meaning the import ban has left a large mark.

Chinas consumption of cardboard had once grown by double digits, but that rate has steadily decreased, according to data from the China Paper Association. The growth between 2015 and 2019 has slowed to just 1.2% annually.

With Chinese papermakers unable to rely on a growing supply of wastepaper at home, procuring material from across the border has become an urgent business concern.

Nine Dragons strategy is based on the fact that recycled pulp is exempt from Chinas wastepaper ban. China is responsible for about 30% of global paper production, and the market enjoys proximity to Southeast Asia, which is running up imports of wastepaper.

It has become more difficult to collect wastepaper in Southeast Asian countries in large part due to stay-at-home orders related to the coronavirus. The regions demand for wastepaper produced by Japan helped lift the export price to 17.4 yen (16 U.S. cents) a kilogram in December, according to Japanese trade data, up from a 2019 nadir that dipped below 10 yen.

The company will procure wastepaper outside of China and send the material to Malaysian facilities where it will be converted to recycled pulp, then ship the intermediate to China. In addition, Nine Dragons will deepen its collaboration with Chinese wastepaper collectors to overcome the shortage in raw material.

The decision to build the new plant in Guangxi represents the step. Plans for the factory are still in initial stages, said a Nine Dragons manager.

Even so, it appears that the mill, along with other factories in China, will produce base paper for cardboard with pulp procured from Southeast Asia. The governments wastepaper import ban has triggered a reorganization of parts of Nine Dragons supply chain.

Southeast Asias sharply expanding internet shopping market is also on the companys radar. Countries in the region are shifting toward the digital economy in response to the pandemic.

The consumption of packaging cardboard is expected to climb by roughly 5% a year going forward throughout all of Southeast Asia, said a paper industry source. In short, the region will serve as both a source of raw materials and a promising market for finished product.

Cheung began a paper collection business in Hong Kong when she was 27. She later made a name for herself selling recovered paper from the U.S. to China.

In 1998, Cheung was among the first Chinese entrepreneurs to establish a paper manufacturing business. Her company Nine Dragons currently holds a roughly 20% share in the Chinese paper market.

Nine Dragons strength is rooted in its overwhelming scale of operations. The companys sales of cardboard base paper are estimated at over 13 million tons a year, or more than 3.5 times the nearest Japanese rival Oji Holdings Corp.. This places Nine Dragons in a position to pare costs through mass procurement and production.

The annual production capacity at U.S.-based International Paper Co., the worlds leading paper producer, is forecast at 17.7 million tons this year, amounting to a 22% drop compared with 2019. The change is the result of the heavyweight getting rid of its print paper operations.

Meanwhile, Nine Dragons plans to boost its annual capacity past 19.3 million tons in 2022, up 11% from 2020. As the Southeast Asian strategy moves forward, the company has the global lead in its sights.

This article was originally published by Nikkei Asia.

Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go.
Microsoft's Windows OS is arguably one of the most popular operating systems out there, powering as many as billions of PCs and laptops around the world. It's insane to have that kind of a presence and dominate the market. Their mobile OS side of the story, however, is not so rosy.

Yes, we're talking about the Windows Phone OS that never really took off in a huge way. In fact, Windows Phones are dead now and we're only left with Android and iOS as two of the most prominent mobile OS on the market.

 Reuters

Well, it turns out, the thought of not being able to make it big in the mobile OS space is still something that bothers Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft. He revealed the same in a recent interview in which he talked about the role of Big Tech in India and digital adoption.



When Bill Gates was asked about "a missed opportunity" of his life, he said that Microsoft not being able to develop a decent mobile operating system for smartphones was one of the biggest missed opportunities in his life.

You know, Microsoft did not end up doing the phone operating system well enough. I made mistakes there that I regret, he said. Here, check out the short snippet from the interview below -

Well, you know what Mr. Gates? We miss the Windows Phone OS too and we would love to see it making a comeback someday to compete with this extremely saturated market of smartphones.

Windows Phone OS, for those of you who don't know, is a thing of the past now. They were somewhat popular back in 2010, but they never really took off in a big way. We had a very limited set of phones running the OS, primarily from Nokia.

A lot of interesting developments happened later, but sadly we didn't see anything significant. But this conversation about Bill Gates looking at Windows Phone OS as a missed opportunity has reignited the topic and we wonder what would it be like if Microsoft made a new mobile OS today and tried competing with Android and iOS.
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-02 05:53:37|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

ALGIERS, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Algeria on Monday reported 217 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total infections in the North African country to 107,339.

The death toll from the virus in Algeria rose to 2,894 after three new fatalities were added, said the Algerian Ministry of Health in a statement.

Meanwhile, 186 more patients recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 73,590, the statement added.

The shipment of 50,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine arrived on Monday at the International Airport of Algiers as part of the North African nation's efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is the second shipment of COVID-19 vaccines that Algeria received after a load of 50,000 doses of Sputnik-V from Russia.

The vaccination rollout was launched on Jan. 30 in the province of Blida, 50 km southeastern Algiers, one of the most affected cities by the coronavirus. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2021-01-31 23:38:30|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong delivers a report to the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) in Hanoi, Vietnam, Jan. 26, 2021. (VNA via Xinhua)

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping on Sunday sent a message to Nguyen Phu Trong, congratulating him on election as the general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee.

In the message, Xi said he is glad to hear that Trong has been elected as the general secretary of the CPV Central Committee, and would like to extend warm congratulations to him, and through him to the new CPV central leadership, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and in his own name.

Since its 12th National Congress, the CPV, under the strong leadership of the CPV Central Committee headed by Trong, has strengthened party building and led the Vietnamese people to a series of achievements in the cause of socialist construction and reform, Xi said, adding that the successful convention of the 13th National Congress of the CPV has started a new journey in Vietnam's socialist modernization.

Photo taken on Jan. 31, 2021 shows the scene at the first meeting of the 13th Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC), where Nguyen Phu Trong was re-elected as general secretary of the CPVCC in Hanoi, Vietnam. (VNA via Xinhua)

Xi said he believes that under the leadership of the new CPV Central Committee headed by Trong, new greater achievements will be made in the various causes of the CPV and Vietnam.

China and Vietnam are friendly socialist neighbors and also a community with a shared future of strategic significance, said Xi.

Xi said he attaches great importance to relations between the two parties and between the two countries, and stands ready to work with Trong to enhance strategic communication, promote traditional friendship, deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and promote the cause of socialism.

In so doing, he added, they will jointly steer the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership along the path of sustained, healthy and stable development, bring more benefits to the people in both countries, and make positive contributions to promoting regional and global peace, development and win-win cooperation.

Xi said he sincerely wishes Trong new achievements in his noble post. 

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge, a Nashville-based Civil Trial Law Firm, has co-counseled with Eglet Adams Law Firm to represent two passengers who suffered serious injuries when their tour bus was involved in a deadly crash in northwest Arizona on January 22, 2021.

As noted in the civil complaint, the plaintiffs allege that the bus had been traveling above the speed limit at the time of the crash, and that the driver was unfit to operate a commercial tour bus.

Lawsuit Accuses Tour Bus Company of Hiring "Inexperienced & Unfit" Driver

The lawsuit, filed on January 28, 2021 in Clark County District Court, alleges that a commercial tour bus owned by Comedy on Deck Tours, Inc. had been traveling to Grand Canyon West at speeds in excess of the posted limit when it rolled and landed on its side on Diamond Bar Road in Arizona.

One victim was killed as a result of the crash, and over 40 passengers were injured  including the two victims being represented by KCB and Eglet Adams.

The lawsuit brings multiple claims against the defendant driver and Comedy on Deck Tours, which plaintiffs say should have known its employee was "inexperienced, incompetent, and / or unfit" to drive a tour bus. This includes claims of negligence and vicarious liability related to:

The defendant driver's failure to operate the bus in a reasonably safe manner.

Violations of Nevada statutes pertaining to safe highway driving.

statutes pertaining to safe highway driving. Negligent entrustment of vehicle

Negligent hiring, training, retention and supervision.

Negligent infliction of emotional distress.

The suit states both plaintiffs, who reside in Florida and Alabama, suffered personal injuries, "all or some of which conditions may be permanent and disabling."

The plaintiffs are continuing treatment, and seek compensation for their past and future medical expenses, emotional distress, lost wages and earning capacity, disability, and pain and suffering.

Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge is a Nashville-based civil trial and personal injury practice that serves clients throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and neighboring states. Led by award-winning attorneys, the firm has secured record results and millions in compensation for victims of serious personal injury, and motor vehicle accidents. For more information, visit: www.kinnardclaytonandbeveridge.com

SOURCE Kinnard, Clayton & Beveridge

Related Links

http://www.kinnardclaytonandbeveridge.com


South Africa: North West vaccine rollout plan outlined

The North West has identified 21 COVID-19 vaccination sites as the country gears up to roll out its vaccination programme.

This was revealed by North West Premier, Professor Job Mokgoro, during a briefing on Monday, in which he outlined the provinces vaccine rollout plan.

The 21 sites, said Mokgoro, were in the final stages of preparation and a compliance check is underway.

The President, accompanied by Deputy President David Mabuza, will today receive South Africas first consignment of the COVID-19 vaccine at OR Tambo International Airport. The first shipment of one million doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) left the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Sunday.

South Africa is rolling out inoculation in three phases, with healthcare workers vaccinated in the first phase. The second phase will include essential workers, teachers, the elderly and those with co-morbidities. The third phase will then include other adults in the population.

Mokgoro said the North West has ensured that vaccination sites are able to administer 500 doses per day, made of 10 doses per vial (with 50 vials per box).

A box must be used up on the same day it is opened, as the vaccine is light sensitive. We have ensured training of our human resource and this included supervision once we begin vaccination. Vaccinators have been allocated and are undergoing training.

The Premier said vaccination site curators have also been appointed and staff pre-registration commenced on 27 January 2021.

Facility-based vaccination of personnel at health facilities and establishments, said Mokgoro, will be done in three phases according to high, medium and low risk units.

In all cases, vaccination will to start with Implementing Team Members about seven days before rollout, as they stand to be exposed to huge numbers of people.

The vaccine rollout plan is based on current available information and will continuously be updated. We also have in place systems to minimise vaccine wastage, said the Premier.

The vaccination system will be based on pre-vaccination registration and appointment system for vaccination, and records of all who are vaccinated.

All vaccinated persons are expected to be listed on the national register and will be provided with a vaccination card.

He said the provincial rollout coordinating team will oversee the rollout, including both the public and private sectors.

Vaccination sites will have an observation area where persons who have been vaccinated will be observed for 15 minutes for any side effects.

The vaccines in transit will also be safe guarded.

In terms of data management, a national data system has been set up for monitoring vaccine uptake and coverage, prioritisation, planning, safety monitoring and vaccine effectiveness studies.

To meet the anticipated needs of stakeholders, Mokgoro said an electronic vaccination data system (EVDS) has been developed.

Mokgoro said the North West has developed a communication and social mobilisation strategy aimed at ensuring that all citizens are informed about the vaccine and rollout plan.

However, he emphasised that a lot of work still needs to be done to dispel misconceptions and fears regarding the vaccination process.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

A man was fatally shot Sunday near a tire shop in south Houston, police said.

Police responded at 4 p.m. to the 4400 block of South Loop East Freeway, where the man was found dead on arrival.

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vitruvian Partners, the international growth capital and buyout firm, has reached an agreement with Apax Partners sas, the European private equity firm based in Paris, to acquire a majority shareholding in Expereo, the world's leading provider of Managed Internet, Cloud access and SD-WAN solutions. Apax Partners will remain as a minority shareholder alongside Vitruvian Partners and the company's management team, who will continue to lead the business. The completion of the transaction is subject to obtaining customary merger control clearances.



Expereo has a strong track record of growth, financial performance and value-enhancing acquisitions, solidifying its position as a market leader in providing managed Global Internet and network connectivity solutions to its communication service provider partners and an impressive array of multinational corporate customers spanning the globe.

"Vitruvian Partners will further bolster our ambitious growth trajectory, enabling us to capitalize even faster on the fundamental changes and opportunities digital transformation brings in the global network and cloud connectivity space," says Irwin Fouwels, CEO of Expereo. "Vitruvian and the continued support of Apax Partners, will enable us to further build out our leadership position at scale whilst broadening our services suite, enabling our global enterprise customers' network transformation and cloud-first strategies with enhanced internet and cloud access services with a single, best-in-class, digital customer experience."

David Nahama, Senior Partner at Vitruvian Partners, adds:

"We have been tracking Expereo since 2016 and have seen the company consistently outperform, and more recently make multiple significant strategic acquisitions. Expereo has established a global leadership position in the highly attractive global cloud and software-defined networking market, allowing it to deliver compelling and differentiated solutions to its customers, underpinning its attractiveness from an investment perspective. We approached Irwin and Thomas late last year and are delighted to be partnering with the Expereo team and Apax on the next significant chapter of Expereo's expansion and success." Joe O'Mara, Partner at Vitruvian Partners, concluded: "Together with Apax, we believe we have significant capital and operational capabilities to support Expereo's growth and acquisition aspirations."

Thomas de Villeneuve, Partner at Apax Partners, says: "The rapid adoption of cloud-based applications and SD-WAN technologies puts Internet-based WAN solutions at the center of multinational companies' business models. Expereo has delivered impressive growth since we invested in the business and truly capitalized on these technology trends. We are extremely pleased to continue on this success journey together with Vitruvian, Irwin and his team."

About Vitruvian

Vitruvian is an international growth capital and buyout firm headquartered in London with offices across London, Stockholm, Munich, Luxembourg, San Francisco, and Shanghai. Vitruvian focuses on dynamic situations characterized by rapid growth and change across industries spanning information technology, financial services, life sciences & healthcare, media, and business and consumer services. Vitruvian Funds have backed over 50 companies and have assets under management of approximately 10 billion. Notable investments to date include global market leaders and innovators in their field such as Voxbone, Bitdefender, Farfetch, Just Eat, Trustpilot, Easypark, Unifaun, Marqeta Globale and CRF Health, Vitruvian is a signatory of the UN supported Principles of Responsible Investment ("PRI").

www.vitruvianpartners.com

About Expereo

Expereo is the leading provider of managed network solutions, including Global internet connectivity, SD-WAN, and Cloud Acceleration services. Expereo is the trusted partner of 30% of Fortune 500 companies and powers enterprise and government sites worldwide, helping to enhance every business' productivity with flexible and optimal Internet performance.

www.expereo.com

About Apax Partners

Expereo was acquired by Apax Partners in 2018.

Apax Partners is a leading European private equity firm based in Paris. With over 45 years of experience, Apax Partners provides long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. Funds managed and advised by Apax Partners exceed 4 billion. These funds invest in fast-growing middle-market companies across four sectors of specialisation: Tech & Telecom, Consumer, Healthcare and Services.

Paris-headquartered Apax Partners sas (www.apax.fr) and London-headquartered Apax Partners LLP (www.apax.com) have a shared history but are separate, independent private equity firms.

@ApaxPartners_Fr

www.apax.fr

Advisors

Vitruvian was advised by Freshfields, Bruckhaus Deringer (legal), Nielen Schuman (corporate finance & debt advisory), Bain & Company (commercial due diligence), FTI Consulting (financial due diligence) and PwC (tax). Apax was advised by Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

 Expereo 2021
Large Chevron Chevron that denotes content that can open up.

JERUSALEM, Israel, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --AGAT, a leader in security and compliance solutions for Unified Communications & Collaboration (UCC) services, announces the launch of Webex Teams Advanced Controls for Education.

By leveraging existing features in their existing Ethical Wall Solution, SphereShield by AGAT is able to offer unique capabilities that suit requests from educational institutions using Webex Teams or MS Teams.

Webex Teams Advanced Controls for Education was created following the requests of expert educators and IT professionals in the education industry.

"The pandemic made many educational institutions invest massively in Unified Communications platforms like Webex Teams," said Yoav Crombie, Co-Founder and CEO at AGAT Software. "Webex Teams offers many degrees of freedom for collaboration and communication, and that can be very useful sometimes; however, there are many scenarios where compliance, security and institutional rules require more controls.

As an example, there is a need for a rule blocking a 12th grade student from talking with a 5th grade student."

The list of features explained for Webex Teams Advanced Controls for Education:

Block students from communicating between grades

For example, a 7th grade student communicating with a 4th grade student.





For example, a 7th grade student communicating with a 4th grade student. Make sure a teacher is present in every communication

Prevent student-only Spaces. Keep the organization protocols and safety.





Prevent student-only Spaces. Keep the organization protocols and safety. Automatically assign moderator role for the Teachers

Just as in the classroom. Avoid uncomfortable situations with students can remove a teacher.





Just as in the classroom. Avoid uncomfortable situations with students can remove a teacher. Control who can create Spaces

Allow only selected certain ActiveDirectory group members of the School faculty to create Spaces. Avoid undesired Spaces



Allow only selected certain ActiveDirectory group members of the School faculty to create Spaces. Avoid undesired Spaces Block students from communicating with external users. Even block external users from adding a student to their Space

Restrict all communications outside of the school domain.





Restrict all communications outside of the school domain. Control who can add participants to a space

Allow only teachers to add users to a space.





Allow only teachers to add users to a space. Lock down a Space that doesn't have a teacher

No further communication will be allowed into existing spaces that are not aligned with new policies without losing the content.





No further communication will be allowed into existing spaces that are not aligned with new policies without losing the content. Automatically add global moderator to every space

Handle situations in which a space is left without a teacher or when a teacher has left the space. This will allow to add a replacement teacher.





Handle situations in which a space is left without a teacher or when a teacher has left the space. This will allow to add a replacement teacher. Restrict troublemakers to communicate only with teachers.

Avoid risks of student-to-student communications with those of bad behaviour. Instead of removing them from Webex completely.





Avoid risks of student-to-student communications with those of bad behaviour. Instead of removing them from Webex completely. Detect abusive language or use of sexual language

Inspect content using profanity filters.





Inspect content using profanity filters. Detect adult / pornography / violent content in images

AGAT Software is a certified solution provider for Cisco Webex Teams and Meetings

Learn about SphereShield Ethical Wall for Webex Teams and Meetings at AGAT Software site

For more information, visit http://AGATSoftware.com

For updates, follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter .

Media contact:

Yoav Crombie

Business Manager

AGAT Software

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE AGAT Software

Related Links

https://agatsoftware.com/


ADVERTISEMENT

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, arraigned a Commercial Director of the Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) Limited, Mohammed Kuchazi, for money laundering, among other offences.

A statement by the EFCC said Mr Kuchazi was arraigned alongside his company, Kore Holdings Limited, before Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the eight counts which the defendants allegedly committed in 2014.

Aside from accusing the defendants of engaging in money laundering, the prosecution alleged that Mr Kuchazi and his company failed to comply with the regulations of the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML) as stipulated by the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.

It also accused them of failing to comply with the requirement of submitting to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, a declaration of the activities of his company.

The Commission said the offences were contrary to Section 16(1) (f) read together with section 5(1) (a) (ii) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.

Court hearing

After the defendants pleaded not guilty on Monday, prosecuting counsel, Bala Sanga, urged the judge to remand Mr Kuchazi in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Centre and adjourn for trial.

But the defence counsel, Aniah Ikwen, appealed to the court to grant his client bail on health grounds.

The trial judge, Mrs Ogunbanjo-Giwa, said she would not grant bail to the defendant without the prosecution being served with the bail application.

She remanded the defendant in EFCCs custody and adjourned till February 4 for hearing of the bail application.

She also fixed subsequent dates, April 27 and 28, for commencement of trial.

P&IDs case with Nigeria

P&ID had secured a $9.6 billion award against Nigeria following the non-execution of a 20-year gas and supply processing agreement (GSPA) it had with the federal government.

Under the terms of the agreement, P&ID was to build and operate an Accelerated Gas Development project to be located at Adiabo in Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The firm sued Nigeria before a U.K court that authorised the P&ID, and secured a ruling in its favour over the failed gas contract.

Last September, Ross Cranston of the UK Business & Property Courts (commercial court) granted Nigerias application for a stay of execution of the award of $8.9 billion (about N3.2 trillion) in favour of P&ID.
Health official: 'I am hopeful for the brighter days ahead'
CHICAGO, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In-depth analysis and data-driven insights on the impact of COVID-19 included in this Latin America data center market report.

The Latin America data center market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 7.6% during the period 2020-2026.

Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

Latin America market contributed to around 2% of the overall data center investment in 2020, with Brazil leading the market with 40% of the overall investment. Though there is an abundance of renewable energy in Latin America , especially wind and solar energy, the adoption of renewable energy among data centers is still low. Colocation data center operators such as Ascenty, Bitglass, Etix Everywhere, Equinix, HostDime, ODATA, Scala Data Centers, and TIGO (Millicom) leads market investment in Latin America . Latin America market is expected to witness an increase in the use of lithium-ion batteries and DRUPS systems during the forecast period. Significant M&A transactions are taking place in the Latin America market, where global companies are acquiring local data center companies to expand their foothold in the region; for example, the acquisition of UOL DIVEO by Scala Data Centers and the acquisition of the Axtel data center by Equinix.

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 2020-2026

Market Dynamics - Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities

Market Segmentation - A detailed analysis by IT infrastructure, electrical infrastructure, mechanical infrastructure, cooling technique, cooling systems, general construction, tier standards, and geography

Competitive Landscape - 12 IT infrastructure providers, 23 support infrastructure providers, 8 construction contractors, and 8 data center investors

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/latin-america-data-center-market-report-2025

Latin America Data Center Market - Segmentation

The server infrastructure market in Latin America has witnessed strong growth in the last few years. ODM servers' procurement by hyperscale data center facilities and other enterprises is expected to grow over the next 2-3 years. Server systems based on x86 architecture servers are the most popular systems among enterprises and managed hosting service providers.

has witnessed strong growth in the last few years. ODM servers' procurement by hyperscale data center facilities and other enterprises is expected to grow over the next 2-3 years. Server systems based on x86 architecture servers are the most popular systems among enterprises and managed hosting service providers. The adoption of static VRLA batteries-based UPS systems designed with up to 750 kVA capacity with N+1 redundant configuration is growing in Chile . Most facilities are equipped with up to 500 kVA VRLA batteries-based UPS systems with N+1 redundant configuration in Colombia .

. Most facilities are equipped with up to 500 kVA VRLA batteries-based UPS systems with N+1 redundant configuration in . The majority of Brazil's facilities utilize water-based cooling systems, especially evaporative, that partially support free cooling. Large data centers in Brazil are expected to include CRAH units, whereas small facilities are likely to adopt CRAC units during the forecast period.

Latin America Data Center Market by IT Infrastructure

Servers

Storage

Network

Latin America Data Center Market by Electrical Infrastructure

UPS Systems

Generators

Transfer Switches and Switchgears

PDUs

Other Electrical Infrastructures

Latin America Data Center Market by Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems

CRAC & CRAH Units



Chiller Units



Cooling Towers, Dry Coolers, & Condensers



Economizers & Evaporative Coolers



Other Cooling Unit



Racks

Others Mechanical Infrastructure

Pump Systems



Ducts



Piping Units and Valves



Boilers



Fire Protection



Suppression Systems



Sprinklers

Latin America Data Center Market by Cooling Technique

Air-based Cooling Technique

Liquid-based Cooling Technique

Latin America Data Center Market by General Construction

Core and Shell Development

Installation and Commissioning Services

Engineering and Building Designs

Physical Security

DCIM/BMS

Latin America Data Center Market by Tier Standards

Tier I & II

Tier III

Tier IV

Latin America Data Center Market - Dynamics

In Latin America, there has been significant change in the IT infrastructure across the data centers. The computing power has grown significantly due to the growth in demand for solutions such as cloud computing, big data analytics, and Internet of Things (IoT) across several industry verticals such as BFSI, healthcare, government, and heavy industries. The growth of cloud-based services has increased the utilization of IT infrastructure and reduced the number of comatose servers across data centers. Modern data centers in Latin Americas are deployed with a rack power density of 4-15 kW among data centers. The operational rack power density across Latin American data centers is 5-7 kW, which is expected to grow to 10-12 kW by 2026, owing to growth in deployment of high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure during the forecast period.

Key Drivers and Trends fueling Market Growth:

Automation & Artificial Intelligence in Data Centers

Implementation of All Flash Storage Systems

Growth in Modular Data Center Deployment

Digital Economy in Latin America

Latin America Data Center Market - Geography

Colocation providers are investing in seven data centers that are to be opened and constructed during 2020-2021. In 2020, the major colocation providers in the market included Ascenty, Equinix, and Scala Data Centers. For instance, Equinix is investing over $80 million in the Sao Palou data center, namely, SP3 Phase III. The market will attract higher investments from colocation providers during the forecast period. The investments in colocation data center facilities are increasing every year in the country where even hyperscale operators are investing in opening new cloud regions, thereby increasing colocation demand. In 2020, Microsoft planned to open a cloud region in Rio de Janerio that is expected to be operational in 2021. Even Amazon Web Services is investing in opening a cloud region in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/latin-america-data-center-market-report-2025

By Geography

Latin America

Brazil



Chile



Colombia



Mexico



Other Latin America Countries

Prominent Data Center Critical (IT) Infrastructure Providers

Arista

Broadcom

Cisco

Dell Technologies

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

Huawei

IBM

Juniper

Lenovo

NetApp

Oracle

Pure Storage

Prominent Data Center Support Infrastructure Providers

ABB

Active Power (Piller Power Systems)

Alfa Laval

Assa Abloy

Axis Communications

Bosch Security Systems ( Robert Bosch )

) Caterpillar

Cummins

Daikin Applied (Daikin Industries)

Delta Group

Eaton

Generac Power System

Honeywell International

Legrand

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Munters

Panduit

Rittal

Rolls Royce (KINOLT (EURO-DIESEL))

Schneider Electric

STULZ

Siemens

Vertiv

Prominent Data Center Construction Contractors

AECOM

Aceco TI

Constructora Sudamericana

Fluor Corporation

Holder Construction

Jacobs Engineering Group

Mortenson Construction

ZFB Group

Prominent Data Center Investors

Ascenty (DIGITAL REALTY & BROOKFIELD INFRASTRUCTURE)

Bitglass

Etix Everywhere

Equinix

HostDime

ODATA

Scala Data Centers

Tigo (Millicom)

Explore our data center knowledge base profile to know more about the industry.

Read some of the top-selling reports:

Data Center Market in Europe - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025

- Industry Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025 Data Center Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2021-2026

APAC Data Center Market - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2021-2026

Data Center Colocation Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025

About Arizton:

Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.

We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts.

Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.

Mail: enquiry@arizton.com

Call: +1-312-235-2040

+1 302 469 0707

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/818553/Arizton_Logo.jpg
Hyderabad:

NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday affirmed that the office of the president was above party politics and he would strive to uphold the Constitution.

Kovind was speaking at a meeting organised by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao with the legislators of his party, the TRS, which was also attended by a few key leaders of the BJP.

The TRS, though not part of the NDA, has declared support to Kovinds candidature.

It is very important for all of us, particularly the office of presidency and voters like you. We have to maintain and upkeep the supremacy of our Constitution, he said.

The country and the entire world is well aware of the supremacy of the Indian Constitution and Indian democracy. As we know, the Constitution...our country is supreme, he said.

Observing that he has not been associated with any party ever since he became the governor of Bihar, Kovind said he has been functioning in a non-partisan manner.

Ever since I became the governor of Bihar, I have been working throughout in a non-partisan manner, treating every citizen of Bihar with equal status, without any discrimination. I can assure you that I will continue to keep the position of president above party also, he said.

Though he was a member of the BJP earlier, he is not associated with any party now, he said.

Presidential poll: AAP may back Meira Kumar, rules out support to Ram Nath Kovind

The office of presidency must be kept above party politics. I can also assure you that I will always strive for all-round development of the nation, irrespective of caste, creed, language, region, geographical situations, he said.

Kovind also said he would do his best to fulfil the aspirations of the youth.

We have to fulfil the dream of new India which our prime minister has been advocating till 2022, when we will celebrate completion of 75 years of Independence, he said.

He expressed his gratitude to NDA, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and non-NDA parties like the TRS for supporting his candidature.

The TRS chief extended his support to him even before his name was announced as NDAs nominee, Kovind said.

Kovind thanked Rao for putting up hoardings in the city in his honour and also for speaking in Hindi in the meeting.

Also Read: NDA President pick Ram Nath Kovind meets Puducherry Legislators, assured support

Besides the legislators of the TRS, Kovind separately met the legislators and other leaders of the BJP, the TDPs Telangana unit the YSR Congress during a whirlwind visit to Hyderabad as part of his campaign.

Kovind was accompanied by Union ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Bandaru Dattatreya and other BJP leaders.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden told Republican senators during a two-hour meeting Monday night he's unwilling to settle on an insufficient coronavirus aid package after they pitched their slimmed down $618 billion proposal that's a fraction of the $1.9 trillion he is seeking.

FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2021 file photo, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, speaks to members of the media outside a Senate Finance Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Portman said Monday, Jan. 25 that he won't seek reelection and plans to end a career in federal government spanning more than three decades. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden told Republican senators during a two-hour meeting Monday night he's unwilling to settle on an insufficient coronavirus aid package after they pitched their slimmed down $618 billion proposal that's a fraction of the $1.9 trillion he is seeking.

No compromise was reached in the lengthy session, Biden's first with lawmakers at the White House, and Democrats in Congress pushed ahead with groundwork for approving his COVID relief plan with or without Republican votes. Despite the Republican group's appeal for bipartisanship, as part of Biden's efforts to unify the country, the president made it clear he won't delay aid in hopes of winning GOP support.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that while there were areas of agreement, "the president also reiterated his view that Congress must respond boldly and urgently, and noted many areas which the Republican senators proposal does not address.

In this Jan. 27, 2021, photo, President Joe Biden speaks in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. Bidens $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package presents a first political test. More than a sweeping rescue plan, it's a test of the strength of his new administration, of Democratic control of Congress and of the role of Republicans in a post-Trump political landscape. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

She said, He will not slow down work on this urgent crisis response, and will not settle for a package that fails to meet the moment.

The two sides are far apart, with the Republican group of 10 senators focused primarily on the health care crisis and smaller $1,000 direct aid to Americans, and Biden leading Democrats toward a more sweeping rescue package, three times the size, to shore up households, local governments and a partly shuttered economy.

On a fast track, the goal is to have COVID relief approved by March, when extra unemployment assistance and other pandemic aid expires, testing the ability of the new administration and Congress to deliver, with political risks for all sides from failure.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine called the meeting a frank and very useful conversation, noting that the president also filled in some details on his proposal.

Snow falls on the North Lawn of the White House, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

All of us are concerned about struggling families, teetering small businesses and an overwhelmed health care system, said Collins, flanked by other senators outside the White House.

Republicans are tapping into bipartisan urgency to improve the nation's vaccine distribution and vastly expand virus testing with $160 billion in aid. That is similar to what Biden has proposed. But from there, the two plans drastically diverge.

The GOP's $1,000 direct payments would go to fewer households than the $1,400 Biden has proposed, and the Republicans offer only a fraction of what he wants to reopen schools.

They also would give nothing to states, money that Democrats argue is just as important, with $350 billion in Biden's plan to keep police, fire and other workers on the job.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Gone are Democratic priorities such as a gradual lifting of the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Wary Democrats pushed ahead at the Capitol, unwilling to take too much time in courting GOP support that may not materialize or in delivering too meagre a package that they believe doesn't address the scope of the nation's health crisis and economic problems.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that history is filled with the costs of small thinking.

House and Senate Democrats released a separate budget resolution Monday a step toward approving Bidens package with a reconciliation process that wouldn't depend on Republican support for passage.

President Joe Biden meets Republican lawmakers to discuss a coronavirus relief package, in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in Washington. From left, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The cost of inaction is high and growing, and the time for decisive action is now," Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

The accelerating talks came as the Congressional Budget Office delivered mixed economic forecasts Monday with robust growth expected at a 4.5% annual rate but employment rates not to return to pre-pandemic levels for several years.

The overture from the coalition of 10 GOP senators, mostly centrists, was an attempt to show that at least some in the Republican ranks want to work with Bidens new administration, rather than simply operating as the opposition in the minority in Congress.

Asked if Biden had shown a willingness to reduce his $1.9 trillion top line, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, said, He didnt say that, nor did we say were willing to come up from the GOP plan. He said it's too early to say if a deal can be reached.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks after meeting President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss a coronavirus relief package, in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

But in echoes of the 2009 financial crisis, Democrats warn against too small a package as they believe happened during the Obama administration's attempt to pull the nation toward recovery.

Psaki said earlier Monday there is obviously a big gap between the $1.9 trillion package Biden has proposed and the $618 billion counteroffer.

An invitation to the GOP senators to meet with Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris at the White House came hours after the lawmakers sent Biden a letter on Sunday urging him to negotiate rather than try to ram through his relief package solely on Democratic votes.

The cornerstone of the GOP plan is $160 billion for the health care response  vaccine distribution, a massive expansion of testing, protective gear and funds for rural hospitals, according to a draft.

It also includes $20 billion to reopen schools compared to $170 billion in Biden's plan. The Republicans offer $40 billion for Paycheck Protection Program business aid.

Under the GOP proposal, $1,000 direct payments would go to individuals earning up to $40,000 a year, or $80,000 for couples. The proposal would begin to phase out the benefit after that, with no payments for individuals earning more than $50,000, or $100,000 for couples. Thats less than Bidens proposal of $1,400 direct payments at higher incomes levels, up to $300,000 for some households.

The meeting, though private, was Biden's most public involvement in the negotiations.

Winning the support of 10 Republicans would be significant for Biden, potentially giving him the votes needed in the 50-50 Senate where Harris is the tie-breaker. Or he can push it through the budget reconciliation process, which would allow the bill to pass with a 51-vote majority in the Senate, rather than the 60 votes typically needed to advance legislation.

The White House remains committed to exploring avenues for bipartisanship even as it prepares for Democrats to move alone on a COVID relief bill, according to a senior administration official granted anonymity to discuss the private thinking.

At the same time, the White House may be willing to adjust its ask, perhaps shifting some less virus-oriented aspects into a package that is set to go next before Congress, the official said.

Biden himself has been on the phone to some of the Republicans, the official said.

Besides Collins and Cassidy, the GOP senators meeting with Biden were Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Todd Young of Indiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Rob Portman of Ohio, Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota joined by phone.

Biden has leaned on his resume of decades in the Senate and as vice-president to bring the parties together, but less than two weeks into his presidency he has shown frustration with the pace of negotiations as applications for jobless benefits remain stubbornly high and the COVID death toll nears 450,000 Americans.

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Alexandra Jaffe, Darlene Superville and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
Officials said the sanitation worker might have died due to a heart attack as he had a history of heart disease since 2016 and was not taking medicines

Ahmedabad: A 30-year-old sanitation worker died around two hours after being administered a coronavirus vaccine in Gujarat's Vadodara on Sunday, following which authorities ordered a postmortem to ascertain the exact cause of his death, officials said.

While the family members of the deceased said they suspect that the COVID-19 vaccine was the reason behind his sudden death, officials said he might have died due to a heart attack as he had a history of heart disease since 2016 and was not taking medicines.

Jignesh Solanki was a sanitation worker at the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). He was vaccinated on Sunday morning. However, hours later, he fainted at home and was rushed to the SSG Hospital in the city, where he was declared brought dead by doctors, the officials said.

Solanki's wife Divya said, "I had no idea that he was going to be vaccinated. We had not discussed about it. After getting vaccinated, he returned home, but fainted while playing with our daughter. We suspect that his sudden death was caused due to the vaccination. Medical Superintendent of SSG Hospital Dr Ranjan Aiyer said Solanki was administered the COVID-19 vaccine at a booth set up by the civic body, following which he was monitored for half an hour.

During that period, there were no signs of any adverse side effects. He was declared brought dead at the SSG Hospital, Aiyer said. "We have learnt that Jignesh had suffered from chest pain and was admitted to a private hospital nearly one-and-a-half years back. It is possible that he died due to heart attack as he had a history of heart disease. We will conduct his panel postmortem to ascertain the exact cause of death," he said.

Aiyer said if a patient does not declare his medical history, and is on medicines, then he should not be vaccinated as per the general guidelines. "As far as Jignesh is concerned, he had stopped taking medicines despite having a history of heart disease. On the basis of his medical history, we shall be able to get a better picture," he said.

VMC's medical officer of health Dr Devesh Patel said the postmortem report is awaited, which will ascertain the exact cause of Solanki's death. "The patient had a history of heart disease since 2016. His heart was weak, but he was not taking medicines, as his relatives told us," he said.

So far, more than 12,000 beneficiaries have been administered COVID-19 vaccine in Vadodara, but nobody has complained of any side effects, Patel added.
Axios

Southwest Airlines won't yet resume its in-flight alcohol service as planned after a flight attendant was recently assaulted by a passenger and other in-flight incidents.What they're saying: The airline initially planned to resume the service June, but Sonya Lacore, Southwest's head of in-flight operations, said in a memo obtained by CNN that "based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I've made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board."Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free."Given the recent uptick in industry-wide incidents of passenger disruptions in-flight, we have made the decision to pause the previously announced restart of alcohol service onboard,'' Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told USA TODAY. Catch up quick: Last Sunday, a female passenger allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego  Southwest said two of the attendant's teeth had been knocked out. The passenger was then arrested on suspicions of battery causing serious bodily injury. The flight attendant was taken to a hospital once the plane landed, according to a police report. Southwest said Friday it banned the female passenger from flying with the airline again.The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it had received approximately 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since Jan. 1, with about 1,900 reports being of passengers refusing to follow federal mask mandates.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
When Alisa Mallari Tu, the director of an assisted living facility in Redwood City, heard in December that her residents would be eligible for vaccines in mid-January, she got to work.

In the early days of the pandemic, Tus facility, Gordon Manor, had been hard hit by the coronavirus. Fifteen of the 58 residents became sick, and 12 died. Twelve staff members fell ill. With the promise of an end to a devastating pandemic, Tu filled out the paperwork, and then waited.

While the majority of California nursing homes have administered first doses as of Monday, most of the states nearly 15,000 assisted care facilities  like the one Tu runs  have yet to give a first dose of the vaccine to their residents and staff.

The residents and staff at most nursing home and assisted care facilities are getting vaccinated by CVS and Walgreens through a federal program created under the Trump administrations Operation Warp Speed. The two types of facilities are different, though both serve vulnerable groups: Nursing homes often house residents who require medical care and assisted care facilities are for people who need help with daily living, but not necessarily medical care.

Many people who live in assisted care facilities are in group settings where they may have their own rooms, but share common spaces like a dining room. Vaccinating them is especially urgent because of their age and because living in close quarters can fuel the spread of the virus.

The process to vaccinate all these facilities has been painstakingly slow nationwide, some experts say, because of inadequate supplies as well as complicated paperwork. Also, nursing homes werent eligible until late December, and assisted care facilities werent eligible until Jan. 11.

Counties in the Bay Area are supplementing the CVS and Walgreens efforts with mobile vaccination clinics in hopes of reaching the finish line sooner.

Facilities that help elderly, disabled There are two main types of facilities that help the elderly and disabled. Skilled nursing facilities or nursing homes: Residents often require medical care and typically have health conditions that require a nurse. These facilities are under the jurisdiction of the state's public health department. Number in California: Approximately 500 Assisted care facilities: Residents in these facilities, which include long-term care facilities, require nonmedical care to help with daily living. It can include people with memory loss who can't live alone. California's assisted care facilities range in size from six beds to hundreds and include retirement communities, and board-and-care operations in private homes. These facilities are under the jurisdiction of the state's Department of Social Services. Number in California: Nearly 15,000 Source: Chronicle research See More Collapse

The stakes are high as California sees new strains circulate that might be more infectious and could seed another surge, and as Gov. Gavin Newsom lifts the shutdown orders statewide.

Californias assisted care facilities range in size from six beds to hundreds and include retirement communities and board-and-care facilities operating in someones home.

People are dying in (assisted care and nursing) facilities as we speak, due to these surges, said Dr. Michael Wasserman, past president of the California Association of Long-Term Care Medicine and a geriatrician. We have not been putting the vaccine in the arms of the people who have needed it the most. Thats the bottom line. We need all hands on deck to get those facilities vaccinated.

In California, 8,511 nursing home residents and 204 staff have died from the virus  making up nearly 22% of all the states deaths as of Thursday. In assisted care facilities, 3,027 people have died, making up about 8% of deaths.

CVS is partnering with 14,557 assisted care facilities to provide vaccines. As of Thursday, CVS had administered the first dose at 37% of its facilities. CVS plans to have 63% of assisted care facilities get their first doses within a week. As of Thursday, Walgreens had administered the first dose of the vaccine at 610 assisted care facilities out of 1,684  or 36%.

Critics say the pace isnt fast enough, since residents wont be fully safe from the virus until five to six weeks after their first shot.

One major problem with the rollout is that CVS and Walgreens require residents to fill out complicated paperwork. That poses challenges for memory care patients and people with dementia who rely on family members as their power of attorney, said Louise Aronson, a professor of medicine and geriatrics at UCSF.

She said CVS and Walgreens seemed far more concerned with legal mandates than clarity and getting it done quickly.

In response to questions about the paperwork, CVS and Walgreens said they are following standard protocols for getting patient consent and are trying to be flexible.

Dr. Mehrdad Ayati, a doctor at Stanford who is also a medical adviser for skilled nursing facilities and assisted care facilities in the region, said he and colleagues have called counties regularly to push them to vaccinate residents faster.

If we dont push them, its not going to happen, Ayati said of county and state efforts.

They havent seen their families for almost a year. They are already suffering from severe depression and anxiety from this isolation and separation. They are really getting sick mentally, physically and emotionally. This is the biggest struggle, he added.

In Sonoma County, public health and Kaiser staff supplemented the CVS and Walgreens response at nursing and assisted care homes to try to speed up that process that has been going slower than we would like, county Supervisor David Rabbitt said at a recent news conference.

Matt Willis, the Marin County health officer, said mobile clinics from the county plan to vaccinate residents at two assisted care facilities this week to speed up the process.

The county kicked off the mobile vaccinations in December, but a spokeswoman said Thursday that effort is on hold due to severely limited supply from the state.

Aronson also said the federal program should have included more than two pharmacy chains, particularly because many skilled nursing facilities and assisted care facilities have longstanding relationships with other pharmacies that know how they work.

They gave it to these retail pharmacies, who didnt have much experience or understanding in the sector, instead of drawing upon existing resources, she said.

More for you News Coronavirus live updates: Bay Area sees plunge in...

After weeks with no word on when her facility would receive the vaccine, Tu told her staff to get vaccinated at a newly opened site in San Mateo County since they qualified. As her staff received their shots, she texted her colleagues at other facilities frantically, Did you get a date?

When a staffer from the federal program emailed Tu that Gordon Manor was on the list, she was relieved. But again, days went by during a surge with no dates scheduled.

Finally, Tu heard from Safeway.

They said they could vaccinate her residents.

On Jan. 21, Safeway administered the first doses of the vaccines to Gordon Manor residents. The day before Safeway arrived, Tu received an email from CVS with vaccination dates  the earliest available were in February.

Its happening, but slowly, Tu said. Its a little clumsy, but everyone has been really very kind.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani
An Army Major who was awarded an MBE for his charity work defrauded the military out of nearly 40,000 to send his children to one of the country's most expensive boarding schools, a court heard today.

Royal Engineer Lloyd Hamilton allegedly misused taxpayers' money to pay for their education while he was stationed abroad.

A court martial heard the 47-year-old father of two, who was based in Cyprus at the time, was only eligible to claim the allowances as long as his wife Liz was living with him.

But following a breakdown in their marriage Mrs Hamilton, an IBM manager, remained at their private 500,000 four bedroom home in Hamble, Hampshire.

Major Lloyd Hamilton arriving at Bulford Military Court this morning

Major Hamilton is one of the founding members of Toe in the Water, a tri-service charity that uses competitive sailing to re-inspire injured servicemen and women to see beyond their injuries

The court heard Major Hamilton sent his wife texts saying he knew he was being investigated for fraudulently claiming 38,892 worth of fees to send his two children to Queen Elthelburga's Collegiate in Yorkshire.

Prosecutors allege the majority of the fees at the 49,875-a-year school were paid for fraudulently by the Major because he knew he was no longer eligible.

Bulford Military Court, Wiltshire, heard that over the 12 months between 1 July 2017 and 1 August 2018, when the offences were alleged to have taken place, Major Hamilton was based at RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus.

During that time there were 'substantial difficulties' in the couple's relationship and Major Hamilton told her he thought it was best if she remained in the UK.

The court heard he told friends he, 'didn't want to continue walking blindly through life' just for the children and wanted a divorce.

Prosecutors also claimed trips made to Cyprus by Mrs Hamilton were taken just to maintain the 'facade' that they were still together.

In early 2018 Major Hamilton sent messages to his wife telling her he suspected his continuity of education allowance (CEA) claims for thousands of pounds were being questioned.

The average salary for a Major in the British Army is around 54,000 according to the Ministry of Defence.

In one text, he said: 'So there are a lot of indications that work are looking into why you are not here if this leads to me being investigated I will be f*****g fuming.'

The court heard Major Hamilton sent his wife texts saying he knew he was being investigated for fraudulently claiming 38,892 worth of fees to send his two children to Queen Elthelburga's Collegiate in Yorkshire

Prosecuting, Commander Peter Barker said: 'The allegation is that having submitted a claim for CEA he failed to disclose information he was under a duty to disclose and that information was that was his wife, Mrs Hamilton, was not living with him in the service family accommodation in Cyprus.

'In this case the crown say over the entire period of the charges, a period of 397 days, the allegation is that Mrs Hamilton was not living at the work address.

'In fact, we say she only spent 99 days in Cyprus, 25 per cent of that time.

'The crown say that the marriage was in substantial difficulties and then broke down irretrievably.'

Commander Barker told the court that Major Hamilton's two children, a daughter aged 12 and in year 7, and a son, then 10, and in year 5, both attended Queen Elthelburga's.

The school is one of the most expensive boarding schools in the country.

He continued: 'The vast majority of their fees were being paid for by public money.'

Major Hamilton is one of the founding members of Toe in the Water, a tri-service charity that uses competitive sailing to re-inspire injured servicemen and women to see beyond their injuries.

He denies two charges of fraud. The trial, expected to last six days, continues.
Fig. 1 Photographs and line drawings of Umenocoleidae. Credit: NIGPAS

Umenocoleidae was first discovered from the Lower Cretaceous of Yumen City, Gansu Province, northwestern China. It is one of the most perplexing fossil insect groups.

The systematic position of Umenocoleidae has long been disputed. Some scholars restrict it to its type genus Umenocoleus and retransferred it to Coleoptera, proposing the placement of Umenocoleus as sister group to all other beetles; while there are still scholars who insist on classifying it in Dictyoptera.

Recently, Luo Cihang, a postgraduate student, supervised by Prof. Wang Bo and Prof. ZHANG Haichun from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) proposed that the Umenocoleidae is likely a specialized taxon of Dictyoptera, sister to Alienoptera. The beetle-like appearance is a result of convergent evolution.

This study was published in Palaeoworld on Jan. 23.

The researchers described three new specimens from the Lower Cretaceous Zhonggou Formation of Yumen City, one of the type species, and two forewings of Ponopterix, a genus potentially closely related to Umenocoleus.

They re-examined the forewings of U. nervosus from the Lower Cretaceous Dalazi Formation, and two additional species preserved in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber.

Fig. 2 Systematic position and distribution of the Umenocoleidae. Credit: NIGPAS

The results revealed that though cup-shaped punctures on the forewings of Umenocoleidae were superficially similar to the window punctures of stem-group Coleoptera and extant Archostemata, their micro-structures were different.

The researchers also carried out a phylogenetic analysis based on a matrix with 72 characters and 36 terminals, which provided robust evidence that the Umenocoleidae is a specialized taxon of Dictyoptera, sister to Alienoptera.

Fig. 3 Ecological reconstruction of Umenocoleidae. Credit: LI Jiahao

Umenocoleidae was a successful globally distributed family during the Early Cretaceous but had never been discovered from the Late Cretaceous, which probably accompanied by the decline of gymnosperms and in competition with wood-associated polyphagan beetles. Umenocoleidae (and also Alienopteridae) were apparently a failed attempt of roachoids to occupy a new microhabitat.

Explore further Amber specimens reveal origin of long mouthpart of scorpionflies

More information: Ci-Hang Luo et al. Beetle or roach: systematic position of the enigmatic Umenocoleidae based on new material from Zhonggou Formation in Jiuquan, Northwest China, and a morphocladistic analysis, Palaeoworld (2021). Ci-Hang Luo et al. Beetle or roach: systematic position of the enigmatic Umenocoleidae based on new material from Zhonggou Formation in Jiuquan, Northwest China, and a morphocladistic analysis,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.palwor.2021.01.003
Environmental activist and consumer advocate Erin Brockovich will be guest speaker at next month's IoD Women's Leadership Conference.

Known for "fighting hard and winning big", Erin will join the leading business organisation for its virtual Women's Leadership Conference sponsored by law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.

Erin, whose story became the real-life inspiration for Oscar-winning film Erin Brockovich, worked on the largest medical lawsuit in history against a major company for hundreds of people who had unknowingly been exposed to toxic waste.

The film starred Julia Roberts as Erin, and Albert Finney as Ed Masry, her lawyer and boss. Roberts took home the best actress Oscar for her performance, while Finney earned a best actor support actor nomination. It was also nominated for best picture, best director and best original screenplay.

IoD NI director Kirsty McManus said: "We are pleased to announce Erin Brockovich as a guest speaker at this year's Women's Leadership Conference adding to our already stellar line up.

"Erin describes herself as an advocate for awareness, the truth, and a person's right to know using her life experiences to motivate and inspire audiences around the world, and we cannot wait to hear what she has for business leaders here in Northern Ireland.

"This year the event takes the theme 'Great Leaders Rise out of Adversity' and that's exactly what Erin will be showcasing as she provides us with lessons on her four steps for success, her motto for resilience and perseverance and advocacy on the causes that matter."

Brockovich, who has also been a New York Times bestselling author, is known for spreading messages of encouragement and empowerment to inspire others to stand up and make a difference.

Ms McManus added: "As one of the world's most sought-after speakers, we look forward to hearing from Erin and gaining an insight into the woman who thrives on being the voice for those who do not know how to yell."

Other speakers at the conference, which will be broadcast online across on March 5 and March 12, include Great British Bake-Off Winner Nadiya Hussain and Belfast Digital Innovation Commissioner Jayne Brady.

Other sponsors include The Open University, Translink, NIE Networks, Investec, SONI, Danske Bank, and KPMG.
DUBLIN, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AerCap Holdings N.V. ("AerCap" or the "Company") (NYSE: AER) announced today that Philip Scruggs, President and Chief Commercial Officer, will retire in March 2021 and that Peter Anderson will take over as Chief Commercial Officer.

During his 26-year career with AerCap, Mr. Scruggs has held a number of positions within the company  lawyer, leasing executive, Chief Commercial Officer and President. Over the past 10 years, he has led the commercial business of the company, managing a fleet of over 1,000 aircraft that has generated on average over $4 billion per year in revenue and purchasing over $27 billion of new equipment from Airbus, Boeing and Embraer.

"Through his leadership, his customer relationships and his acute commercial acumen, Phil has played an integral role in establishing AerCap as the world's leading aircraft leasing company," Aengus Kelly, Chief Executive Officer of AerCap, said. "I would like to thank Phil personally and on behalf of the AerCap team for his outstanding service over the past 26 years and for his role as an architect of our company. His legacy will not only be the successful aircraft leasing platform he helped create but also the leaders whom he has mentored and developed throughout his career."

Mr. Scruggs commented, "The strength of AerCap is its people. They set a high standard for the industry. I am proud to have worked alongside them. There is no perfect moment to retire, but I leave knowing that the leadership of AerCap is strong and that the company's best days are ahead of it."

With Mr. Scruggs's retirement, AerCap has promoted Peter Anderson to the position of Chief Commercial Officer.

Mr. Anderson brings to the role two decades of global experience in aircraft leasing and structured finance, having worked in Dublin, Singapore, London and Sydney. Mr. Anderson is a member of the Group Executive Committee of AerCap and is currently responsible for AerCap's leasing activities across Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to his current position, Mr. Anderson opened, developed and led the Asia Pacific office of AerCap's predecessor ILFC, transitioning to the Head of Asia Pacific during AerCap's acquisition of ILFC in 2014.

Mr. Kelly said, "We are fortunate to have someone of Peter's caliber to lead our commercial team. Peter has been a leader within AerCap for many years, both in EMEA and APAC, and has proven himself a worthy successor to step into Phil's shoes. He has extensive experience and deep knowledge of the industry, which will be of great value to AerCap in his new role as Chief Commercial Officer."

Mr. Anderson commented, "I am honored to take on the responsibility of Chief Commercial Officer at AerCap. I look forward to leading the AerCap team as we navigate the industry's current challenges and position the company for continued success in the years to come. I thank Phil for his leadership and friendship over the last decade  working alongside him has been a privilege."

About AerCap

AerCap is the global leader in aircraft leasing. AerCap serves approximately 200 customers in approximately 80 countries with comprehensive fleet solutions. AerCap is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (AER) and has its headquarters in Dublin with offices in Shannon, Los Angeles, Singapore, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi, Seattle and Toulouse.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements, estimates and forecasts with respect to future performance and events. These statements, estimates and forecasts are "forward-looking statements". In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "predict," "potential" or "continue" or the negatives thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements and are based on various underlying assumptions and expectations and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions, and may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors, including the impacts of, and associated responses to, the Covid-19 pandemic, that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. As a result, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate or correct. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the future performance or events described in the forward-looking statements in this press release might not occur. Accordingly, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results and we do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of any of these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to, and will not, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For more information regarding AerCap and to be added to our email distribution list, please visit www.aercap.com and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/aercapnv.

SOURCE AerCap Holdings N.V.

Related Links

www.aercap.com


The government on Monday said social security benefits will be extended to platform and gig workers.

Presenting the for 2021-22, Finance Minister said the government also proposed setting up of a portal to collect information on gig-workers, building and construction workers, among others.

A portal will be set up to collect info on gig & platform workers, building & construction workers, among others to provide them benefits like health, credit (easy financing), food and others, Sitharaman said in her budget speech in Lok Sabha.

She noted that for the first time Code on Social Security Code 2020 has made provision for universalisation of social security for the entire workforce including gig and platform workers.

The gig and platform workers are those who are engaged by various e-commerce businesses like UBER, OLA, SWIGGY and Zomato. These workers are not paid salaries and hence deprived of social security benefits like provident fund, group insurance and pension.

India has a total workforce of over 50 crore including 40 crore unorganised sector which include farm and rural workers.

The finance minister also noted the labour reforms done by the government where the majority of labour laws were concised into four broad codes on wages, industrial relation, social security and occupational safety, health & working conditions.

Sitharaman further informed that the one nation, one ration card plan is under implementation in 32 states, 1 union territory.

A Central university will be set up in Leh, the finance minister said adding 100 new Sainik Schools will be set up in partnership with NGOs and 15,000 schools will be strengthened as per National Education Policy for 2021-22.

The government also proposes to amend apprenticeship law to enhance opportunities for youth. Modalities are being worked out for a national research foundation for which Rs 50,000 crore has been earmarked over five years, she 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.)
What would happen if, tomorrow, Facebook decided to remove its apps from Apples download store?

Overnight, iPhones would become much less useful, deprived of Instagram and WhatsApp as well as the big blue social network itself. A substantial (albeit minority) proportion of iPhone users might switch to Samsung phones, since they would still have the apps.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg have been locked in an ongoing slanging match. Credit:AP

A host of other popular iPhone apps that use Facebooks login or advertising systems would also be left scrambling.

The above scenario is unlikely, and would almost certainly cause much more damage to Facebook than Apple. But it is not hard to think that the idea has probably flashed across Mark Zuckerbergs mind, if just for a second.

Janice Dean demands accountability from NY Gov. Cuomo after report on COVID-19 nursing home deaths

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean, whose in-laws died from the novel coronavirus at New York nursing homes, responded to a report from the state's Attorney Generals Office that found COVID-19-linked deaths in the states nursing homes were undercounted by 50%.

Dean addressed a report from New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, in an op-ed published Thursday. Dean has emerged as a vocal critic of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, arguing that his executive order that required nursing homes to admit coronavirus-positive patients contributed to the death of her elderly in-laws and many others residing in the states nursing homes.

Dean likened James report to a door opening, with a glimmer of light peeking through, adding, One of the most stunning findings from the report is that the nursing home resident deaths appear to be undercounted by New York State Department of Health by approximately 50 percent.

She said the report finally confirmed that the nightmare we have been experiencing was very real.

New York has one the highest COVID-19-linked death rates per 100,000 residents in the country.

After the report was published, officials disclosed nearly 4,000 additional deaths among nursing home residents.

During a press briefing on Friday, Cuomo derided the report on nursing home deaths as being nothing more than a political attack.

Where this starts is frankly a political attack from the prior federal administration, Cuomo charged.

Last year, the DOJ requested data from Cuomo and three other governors about orders related to nursing home residents with COVID-19. It later expanded its request, asking for detailed numbers from hundreds of facilities in New York state, The Epoch Times reported.

The DOJ said at the time that the data will help inform whether the Department of Justice will initiate investigations under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act.

Protecting the rights of some of societys most vulnerable members, including elderly nursing home residents, is one of our countrys most important obligations, then-Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Division Eric Dreiband said back in August. We must ensure they are adequately cared for with dignity and respect and not unnecessarily put at risk.

On the Fox News program The Faulkner Files Thursday, host Harris Faulkner read aloud a portion of the report that said: Government guidance requiring the admission of COVID-19 patients into nursing homes may have put residents at increased risk of harm in some facilities and may have obscured the data available to assess that risk.

Dean, who appeared as a guest on the program, emotionally recalled phone conversations she had with her husband and sister-in-law following the publication of the report.

Maybe the angels won, maybe the angels will have their day in court, and maybe this governor will be held accountable, Dean said she told them. Im not a political person, but my family was affected and I wasnt seeing the coverage, I wasnt seeing the questions being asked of this governor. He continued to pass the blame on everyone else and everything else and he still, to this day, will not accept any responsibility.

This is never a role I thought I would ever be in, Harris, but Im so grateful today that justice might be served, she continued.

During an appearance on Fox Business Networks The Evening Edit later in the day, Dean described the report as light at the end of a very dark tunnel, adding that the report says everything that we have been saying from the very beginning.

This governors mandate of putting COVID-positive patients into nursing homes had a grave consequence, Dean stressed. She called for an independent bipartisan investigation with subpoena power to get the governor and his health commissioner on the stand to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth and let us have our moment as well to tell him what hes done to our families.

We want the answers, but we also want accountability from this governor, his administration, and his health department, she continued. Dean expressed hope that the report was the start of a bigger investigation into this governor and his administration.

During her appearance on The Evening Edit, Dean also signaled support for a federal investigation into nursing home deaths, explaining that Cuomo wasnt the only governor that put into effect that mandate of putting COVID-positive patients into nursing homes.

She added, It happened in California, in Michigan, in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Why did those Democratic governors decide that these nursing homes should be infected with COVID patients? she asked. It makes no sense. They were our most vulnerable, they were sitting ducks.

While Cuomos handling of the coronavirus pandemic in New York state has won him praise from the mainstream media, as Dean has repeatedly noted, he has also received intense criticism from other big names in New York politics.

According to a New York Post report published last summer, Cuomos handling of the coronavirus pandemic has led George Pataki, the most recent Republican to serve as governor of the Empire State, to consider running against Cuomo in 2022, when the current governor will seek a fourth term.

At least one Pataki confidante said the situation has angered him enough to even consider running against Cuomo in 2022 and denying him the same fourth term Pataki denied his father, Mario, in 1994, the report said.

Pataki defeated the Democratic incumbent Mario Cuomo, Cuomos father, in the 1994 gubernatorial election and served as governor through 2006. No Republican has won the governorship of New York since.
Now Open

1 February 2021

Slough's first double-decker hotel opened its doors today three months ahead of schedule, becoming the first time Marriott International has combined two hotel brands under one roof in the UK.

Developed and owned by Slough Borough Council, both hotels are operated by specialist hotel management company Cycas Hospitality, who in 2018 opened Marriott's first dual-branded property in Europe under the Moxy and Residence Inn brands in Amsterdam. The development was built via Slough Urban Renewal (SUR) - a joint venture between the council and Morgan Sindall Investments Ltd.

The 244-room hotel complex forms part of a major development transforming the town's former library site, which also include 64 new apartments and 4,000 sq.ft of restaurant and retail space.

Occupying the lower four floors, the lifestyle-driven Moxy Slough (www.moxyslough.com) offers 152 guest rooms, including 28 twin and eight accessible rooms. In tribute to the town's longstanding connections to the iconic Thunderbirds TV series, filmed on the nearby Slough Trading Estate, the hotel's stylish decor incorporates subtle pop-art wall graphics and signage celebrating the Gerry & Sylvia Anderson puppet show and local heritage.

With 92 suites, Residence Inn by Marriott Slough (www.residenceinnslough.com) is designed to give longer-staying guests a more home-from-home experience, complete with extra living space and fully-equipped kitchen. It becomes the first branded extended-stay property in Slough and the surrounding area, with many of its ninth-floor rooms and public spaces offering views of the London skyline.

Whilst each hotel has its own entrance and reception, the dual-brand concept lets corporate and leisure guests choose the space that best fits their travel needs, while encouraging them to take advantage of both hotels' shared facilities. These include six meeting rooms and four larger interconnecting event spaces, a well-equipped 24/7 fitness studio and a ninth floor Residence Inn outdoor terrace. Guests can also choose between the ground-floor Moxy Bar and the Residence Inn Bar & Lounge, which serve meals and drinks throughout the day and night.

These two properties represent the first of nine to be opened by Cycas Hospitality across Europe this year.

Software giant Microsoft Corp is confident its search product Bing can fill the gap in Australia if Google pulls its search over required payments to media outlets, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday. Australia has introduced laws that would force internet giant Google and social media heavyweight Facebook Inc to negotiate payments to domestic media outlets whose content links drive traffic to their platforms. However, the Big Tech firms have called the laws unworkable and said last month they would withdraw key services from Australia if the regulations went ahead. Those ...

LONDON: Britains Prince Harry has won an apology and substantial damages from the publishers of the Mail on Sunday after he sued the tabloid for libel over claims he had turned his back on the military when he ended his royal role.

Harry launched the legal action after an article in the paper in October said he had lost touch with the Marines, a commando force of the British navy with which he had a formal relationship until he stepped back from royal duties last March.

It added that Queen Elizabeths grandson, officially titled the Duke of Sussex, had snubbed the armed forces and ignored correspondence from a former British military chief.

All of these allegations are false as the Mail on Sunday and the Mail Online have accepted, albeit after considerable damage was already done," His lawyer, Jenny Afia, told a remote hearing at Londons High Court on Monday.

The paper had agreed to pay damages which Harry would donate to the Invictus Games, an international sporting event he founded for military personnel wounded in action, she said.

Harry, who served in the armed forces for a decade and saw active service twice in Afghanistan before taking on the role of a full-time senior royal, had been appointed as Captain General Royal Marines by his grandmother in 2017.

But, as part of an arrangement negotiated with the queen and other senior royals, he had to give up the title when he quit official duties and moved to the United States with his wife Meghan and their son Archie.

British media reported at the time he was upset at having to relinquish his military connections, which he highly valued.

The baseless, false and defamatory stories  constituted not only a personal attack on the dukes character but also wrongly brought into question his service to this country," Afia said.

Harry and Meghans relationship with Britains tabloid press has become increasingly hostile since they wed in 2018. Last April, the couple said they would no longer engage with four publications, including the Mail, accusing them of false and invasive coverage.

Harrys libel case is separate from the action Meghan, 39, is taking against the Mail on Sunday, which she is suing over articles which included parts of a handwritten letter she sent to her estranged father, Thomas Markle, in 2018.

Last month she asked the High Court to rule that the paper breached her privacy and copyright, without the need for a potentially embarrassing trial, which is scheduled for later this year.
Blog Archive May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5)
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 being on the planet our whole lives (because we live here), there is still so much that we don't know about the Earth. Because of that, scientists are working non-stop to learn about all the nooks and crannies of our homeworld.

Despite all the mysteries, we also do know quite a lot about Earth already. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), here are some of the things that we know about the planet:

Related Article: Scorching Earth: 5 Hottest Places on the Planet

Earth has a solid inner core that is almost as hot as the surface of the Sun

Earth's core gets as hot as 9,800 degrees Fahrenheit, while the Sun's surface is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Earth's core is the sweltering, very dense center of our planet. The ball-shaped core lies beneath the cool, brittle crust and the mostly-solid mantle. The core is found about 2,900 kilometers (1,802 miles) below Earth's surface and has a radius of about 3,485 kilometers (2,165 miles).

The inner core is a hot, dense ball of (mostly) iron. It has a radius of about 1,220 kilometers (758 miles). The temperature in the inner core is about 5,200 Celsius (9,392 Fahrenheit). The pressure is nearly 3.6 million atmosphere (atm).

Dust from the Sahara fertilizes the Amazon rainforest

The Sahara Desert is a near-uninterrupted brown band of sand and scrub across the northern third of Africa. The Amazon rain forest is a dense green mass of humid jungle that covers northeast South America. But after strong winds sweep across the Sahara, a tan cloud rises in the air, stretches between the continents, and ties together the desert and the jungle. It's dust. And lots of it.

For the first time, a NASA satellite has quantified in three dimensions how much dust makes this trans-Atlantic journey.

Scientists have not only measured the volume of dust, but they have also calculated how much phosphorus - remnant in Saharan sands from part of the desert's past as a lake bed - gets carried across the ocean from one of the planet's most desolate places to one of its most fertile.

Antarctica: Ice shelves (the floating part of ice sheets) can be as big as Texas

Because they float, they rise and fall with the tide. Floating ice as big as Texas, attached to the Antarctic Ice Sheet, can increase and fall up to ~26 feet!

Ice shelves, the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets' floating extensions are not merely resting on the ocean waters: they rise, fall, and bend with the tides.

Ultimately, these oceanic motions impact the flow of ice from the glaciers that these ice shelves buttress. Ryan Walker and Christine Dow, researchers with the Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, recently spent more than a month doing fieldwork in Antarctica to study its influence on tidal movements on a small, little-studied ice shelf.

Melting ice on land makes its way to the ocean

As polar glaciers melt, the water sloshes to the equator, which can actually slow the Earth's spin.

The Earth rotates about its axis once a day, but it does not do so uniformly. Instead, the rate of rotation varies by up to a millisecond per day.

Like a spinning ice skater whose speed of rotation increases as the skater's arms are brought closer to their body, the Earth's rotation speed will increase if its mass is brought closer to its axis of rotation.

Conversely, the Earth's orbit's rate will decrease if its mass is moved away from the rotation axis.

Even though it looks flat, the ocean isn't level

The surface has peaks and valleys and varies due to changes in the height of the land below, winds, temperature, saltiness, atmospheric pressure, ocean circulation, and more.

ALSO READ: 5 Endangered Animals that Won the Battle Against Extinction

For more Environmental news updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty  2 Peter chapter 1, verse 16.

Peters second letter speaks of the truth of Jesus Christand Peters message is as instructive to us today as it was to those who originally heard it. In this letter Peter confidently proclaims the lordship of Christ, rebutting the notion that the power of Jesus is just a cleverly contrived myth. Peter bears witness to a faith that is historic and realnot mythical but factual.

I want to share three reasons why we can have the same confidence as Peter in saying we do not follow cleverly devised myths.

A true story

The Christian faith celebrates true historic events, and they must be treated as such.

Philosophically speaking, if a story is presented as fictitious, then it is most unwise and illogical to present it as a fact (though facts may be used). The same goes for a story presented as an historical account (as the gospel narratives and epistles are)we may say that it is presented as fact but it was really fictitious; such an assertion would require facts to substantiate this assertion. If we are not careful it could be that we are smuggling in our own underlying assumptions that the supernatural or metaphysical could not possibly exist.

The Jesus Seminar (a group of critics formed in 1985) does not present Jesus as a myth; their idea is that the Jesus we know today was cleverly devised, and thus was a myth, he was, however, a good moral prophet (so they say).

Another example is a statement Richard Dawkinsthe famed atheist and author of The God Delusionmade during a debate with the Christian apologist John Lennox in 2008: I take it back, Jesus did exist and most historians acknowledge this, but so what.

We must understand the implications of affirming the statement Jesus existednamely time and history contain vestiges of Jesus existence. We cant have our cake and eat it; we cant say Jesus existed and then call it myth. We cant say Jesus existed; but who he has been presented as is mythicalnot without some evidence that substantiates this claim.

Testimony from those who dont believe

We do not follow cleverly devised myths, because even the stones cry out (Luke chapter 19, verse 40); in other words, there is credible testimony from those who dont believe.

Flavius Josephus a Roman historian who wrote Against Apion and Antiquities of the Jews says:

About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Christ. When Pilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing amongst us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not give up their affection for him. On the third day he appeared to them restored to life, for the prophets of God had prophesied these and countless other marvellous things about him. And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.

With this example in mind, how can we call what Peter exalts cleverly invented myths?

John Warwick Montgomery writes that To be sceptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all of classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well-attested bibliographically as the New Testament.

Eyewitness testimony speaks loudly

Biographical information on Jesus in the New Testament was not put down or cleverly contrived, but was based on eyewitness testimony.

Consider what John Warwick Montgomery notes about the pre-Christian Roman dramatist Plautus one eyewitness is worth more than ten purveyors of hearsay; those who only hear about things say what they have heard, but those see know the score.

What do these eyewitnesses have to say?

In his first letter the Apostle John writes:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.

(1 John chapter 1, verses 12)

Similarly, the Apostle Paul writes to the believers in Corinth:

 And that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep...

(1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 56)

Lastly, Luke writes:

In as much as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus.

(Luke chapter 1 verses 13).



I conclude by putting this to you, that we do not follow cleverly devised myths, because that option has simply not been given to us: he is either Lord of all or not at all, as CS Lewis said in Mere Christianity, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. We have come to know this Lord, not through stories cleverly devised, but through objective sources passed down to us for all to see and follow since that is what these truths calls us to do. Follow this God as did our forebears as they beheld his majesty.
Nader Tavakoli, deputy head of Iran's National Coronavirus Combat Taskforce, said there has been an increase of positive COVID-19 cases among people under 25 compared to September of last year. Tavakoli said for those under 20, there has been a 5% increase in positive cases. He said there are numerous reasons for the increase and they are currently studying the issues.

Tavakoli also said that while Iran had been successful in lowering its coronavirus indicators in recent weeks, the downward trend has stopped and an increase in hospitalizations is happening once again. He said some districts in Tehran have seen a doubling of hospitalizations.

Tavakoli said the increase in numbers is due to the reopening of schools and non-adherence to health protocols. He said Iran may implement lockdown restrictions once again starting next week if the numbers continue to rise.

Whether or not Iran enters another lockdown, even if regional, the country will need to use vaccines to slow the spread of the virus. After Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei forbid the use of Western vaccines, the country finally decided to import vaccines from Europe, India, China and Russia.

Irans Health Minister Saeed Namaki spoke to reporters to defend the use of the vaccines and reassure Iranians that it is safe to get one. Namaki said they have imported 16 million vaccine doses, which will be used on 8 million individuals. Iran has a population of over 80 million. Vaccinating 10% of the population will help dent the growth in positive COVID-19 cases, but most experts believe at least two-thirds of the population need to be vaccinated to help halt the spread.

For those having doubts about the Russian Sputnik vaccine, Namaki said all of the vaccines being imported have gone through a phase three clinical study. He said numerous other countries have imported the Russian vaccine as well, including Argentina, Hungary, Serbia, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates.

Namaki said Iran is also still working on its own vaccines and will continue to do so. In order to dispel doubts about the use of the Sputnik vaccine, he said, he will administer the vaccines to his own family so that everyone knows the health of our people is our priority.

Mostafa Ghanei, head of the Biotechnology Development Council, spoke to reporters about the timeline for vaccinating the different age groups and those with underlying conditions. Ghanei said the different at-risk age brackets would be vaccinated in the following months, but the general public would not have access until March 2022.
This is the comical moment a mischievous pig is caught opening a fridge door as he raids it for snacks.

Kaitlyn Frazier, 29, from Illinois, was making breakfast when she saw her pet Albert Einswine, who she adopted in May 2018, helping himself to grapes from the chiller.

The startled optician closed the fridge door and decided to see if she could catch the pig raiding it again on camera.

Kaitlyn Frazier, 29, from Illinois, catches her pet pig Albert Einswine opening the kitchen fridge

The pig, who Ms Frazier adopted in May 2018, manages to open the fridge door using his snout

During the clip Ms Frazier says: 'Somebody learned how to open a fridge today.

'Let's see if he does this again. Not that I'm happy about this mind you.'

The animal walks over to the fridge and uses his snout to open the door, as Ms Frazier exclaims: 'Oh my gosh he did!'

The pet's owner said Albert loves watermelon, strawberries and peanut butter, but will eat just about anything  and will always find a way to get his treat.

She said: 'I normally give Albert snacks right out of the fridge so he watches me all the time.

'It never occurred to me that he would open the fridge until I was making breakfast and heard the door open.

'I thought it was my fiance and was very surprised when I turned around and it was Albert helping himself to some grapes.

'So, I closed it and got out my phone because who seriously would believe a pig could do that. I figured it was a fluke.

'After I got him on video, it's like it completely clicked how to open the fridge for him. He tries to all the time now.

'I had to go buy a baby lock that day because he would just constantly go to the fridge and open it.'

She continued: 'Albert loves to open any cupboard that's not baby locked because he's a stinker.

Albert stares at the contents of the fridge as his owner films her pet on her phone

Ms Frazier said Albert loves watermelon, strawberries and peanut butter, but will eat just about anything

The optician (pictured with Albert) said she has now purchased a baby lock for her fridge in an attempt to keep her pet pig out

'Sometimes I forget to lock the ones where we store our paper towels and he loves to run off with those and shred them when I'm not looking.

'Albert also loves sunbathing and has a favourite chair that he lays in.

'I take a picture every year to compare how big he's gotten. He's actually outgrown his chair now so it can't fold but that doesn't stop him from laying in it.'

The optician went on to describe how Albert never fails to wake her up in the morning with a loud snort to let her know it is time for breakfast.

Ms Frazier said: 'A typical day in the life of Albert includes breakfast at 8am. He will loudly let me know if I've overslept and missed that.

'Then I'm off to work so he stays in his own room where he has a rooting mat, a toy piano, stuffed animals and other toys to keep himself entertained until I get home.

Ms Frazier has been taking a picture of Albert every year since 2018 to chart his growth

'He has free roam of the house when I get home but he's usually glued to my side.

'If I'm in the kitchen, he's in the kitchen. If I'm on the couch, he's there snuggling next to me.

'He usually puts himself to bed around 10pm after a little late night snack and sleeps through the night.'

Despite his mischievous behaviour, the optician said she loved her pet pig for his joyful and energetic personality.

She added: 'I feel like he's always getting himself into trouble somewhere but I absolutely love him.

'We moved a few months ago and bought a house with a big backyard for him to run around in so I'm looking forward to spring and seeing what adventures he will get into next.'

Ahora | Mensaje a la Nacion del presidente de la Republica, @FSagasti.#NoBajemosLaGuardia

?? En vivo: https://t.co/UZQn9FhDmF
The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) says there is an urgent need for schools, in particular special needs schools, to reopen,

Paediatricians and public health doctors at the professional body say re-opening must be a priority to support developmental and mental health needs of children.

Their call follows a report by the HSEs National Clinical Programme for Paediatrics and Neonatology which raises concerns about the health and wellbeing of marginalised children in the context of the knock-on effects of the pandemic.

Read More

The Action to Address the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children Experiencing Marginalisation and Homelessness report, written in collaboration with the RCPI, underlines the urgent need for schools to reopen.

Dr Louise Kyne, Dean of the Faculty of Paediatrics at the RCPI, said the Covid-19 crisis had exposed and amplified existing inequalities and risks of harm facing vulnerable children.

This report underlines how important it is to consider these vulnerable children, particularly the special needs group.

It highlights the essential role of schools in providing not only education but in supporting a wide range of social, emotional, physical, developmental and mental health needs. Parents are reporting regression in their children with special needs.

She said childrens needs must be a priority and said that emergency learning in the home was difficult for families.

This report recommends that every effort should be made to enable schools to remain open during lockdown.

She said that risks must be balanced, but the Faculty of Paediatrics at the RCPI considered that the reopening of schools should be facilitated as a priority.

This particularly applies to special needs schools, as this group are most seriously affected by school closures.

Dr Ellen Crushell, of the HSEs National Clinical Programme for Paediatrics and Neonatology and a co-author of the report, said they were concerned about rising health, socioeconomic and educational inequality amongst children, with those who are already disadvantaged being most affected.

The full impact will take time to be fully revealed but there is the potential for life-lasting effects on children, particularly on vulnerable groups such as those affected by poor housing, poverty, cultural differences, or those children who live with difficult home circumstances.

Apart for re-opening schools the report also calls for other actions to protect marginalised children.

Dr John Murphy also of the HSE and co-author of the report, said there was a need to scale up community clinical services including primary care, child and adolescent mental health services, and across disability services, and ensure these services work closely together.

He also called for more public health staff and resources to address the difficulties that have arisen for marginalised communities, as well as giving priority to families in need of appropriate housing.
On Jan. 6, PolitiFact published an article about the storming of the U.S. Capitol and the baseless accusations about the presidential election results that led up to it. In the article, PolitiFact asked whether it was accurate to call it a coup. But because the details of that days events PolitiFactre still emerging, PolitiFact did not draw a firm conclusion.

Now, an academic center that was the major resource for PolitiFact's analysis  the Coup Detat Project at the University of Illinois Cline Center for Advanced Social Research has made a determination that had not been made at the time PolitiFact wrote the initial article.

Specifically, the group has decided that the events of Jan. 6 do fit the definition of an "attempted dissident coup" under the groups taxonomy.

The storming of the Capitol "was an attempted coup detat: an organized, illegal attempt to intervene in the presidential transition by displacing the power of the Congress to certify the election," the center announced on Jan. 27.

TEXAS TAKE: Sign up for Texas politics and policy news, curated by the Chronicle's Austin bureau

A coup is shorthand for "coup detat," a French term that means the overthrow of the government. The key element of a coup is that it is carried out beyond the bounds of legality.

Specifically, in 2013, the Cline Center defined a coup d'etat as "the sudden and irregular (i.e., illegal or extra-legal) removal, or displacement, of the executive authority of an independent government."

The group further separates coups into three categories. Coups that are planned but thwarted before being undertaken are coup conspiracies. If actions are taken but are unsuccessful, it is considered an attempted coup. And If the coup achieves its goals, it is considered a successful coup.

Since the center framed that definition, it worked to document every coup, attempted coup, and coup conspiracy anywhere in the world since 1945. The groups database currently includes 426 realized coups, 336 coup attempts, and 181 coup conspiracies.

The Jan. 6 incident at the U.S. Capitol qualified as an attempted coup, the Cline Center decided.

It becomes only the second entry for the United States in the Cline Center's database. The one previous entry was a dissident coup conspiracy in 1948, involving members of the Communist Party of the United States who plotted to violently overthrow the U.S. government. Their convictions were upheld by the Supreme Court in 1951.

The determination was made by human analysts, rather than artificial intelligence algorithms, Cline Center director Scott Althaus told PolitiFact.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY: Stay informed with accurate reporting you can trust on HoustonChronicle.com

Althaus said the center assembled a team of six researchers familiar with the criteria who reviewed a range of publicly available information sources. The six researchers made independent reviews, then compared notes with each other. The determination required unanimous consensus across all six researchers.

They concluded that the events of Jan. 6 included three other broad characteristics of a coup.

First, the center said, one or more persons posed a credible threat to the power of the legislative branch to determine national policy. On Jan. 6, thousands of people advanced on the Capitol or entered it, a big enough safety concern that lawmakers had to stop conducting constitutionally mandated business in order to be evacuated from the building.

Second, the attackers were trying to change who controls the government. "The Save America March rally that immediately preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol building was thematically focused on changing the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election," the center wrote.

And third, the assault on the Capitol included at least some elements of advance organization, the center concluded.

"Those who stormed the U.S. Capitol building  as well as those who merely joined in the peaceful protests that preceded it  included a diverse mix of groups and unaffiliated individuals," the center wrote. "But one or more of the groups within the ranks of those who entered the Capitol Building had carefully planned, equipped, and organized themselves for violent action."

TRY THE APP: Get alerts, breaking news and in-depth coverage on what's happening in Houston through our mobile app

Having determined that it was an attempted coup, the center further classified the events of Jan. 6 as a "dissident attempted coup," because "the groups and individuals known to have organized and planned this coup attempt fall clearly into the category of dissidents."

Under the centers definition, "dissidents" refers to a "small group of discontents that can include former government officials, religious leaders, business owners or civilians."

The center left open the possibility that additional revelations, such as those in court, could layer another classification onto this "dissident" coup  one that encompasses sitting government officials.

"If further investigation were to reveal clear evidence of executive branch involvement, then the events of Jan. 6 would also be considered an attempted auto-coup," the center wrote.

The centers definition of an auto-coup is when "the incumbent chief executive uses illegal or extra-legal means to assume extraordinary powers, seize the power of other branches of government, or render powerless other components of the government such as the legislature or judiciary."

The number of Nigerian students in UK universities dropped by 41 per cent in five years, a report by highbrow American foundation, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, has revealed.

However, the number of Nigerian students in Canadian institutions is rapidly rising as Nigerian middle-class families turn to the North American country due to a combination of factors.

The report authored by the foundations famous Nigeria expert and resident scholar on democracy, conflict and governance, Mathew Page, said Nigerian elites high demand for a UK education has been dampened by a prolonged economic downturn, domestic political changes, growing obstacles to making school fee payments, and worsening exchange rates.

The report said the impact of Nigerias 20142016 recession on many elite families, compounded by government restrictions on the amount of foreign exchange available to the public, led to a sharp decline in Nigerian students population in UK schools and universities.

PREMIUM TIMES review of data from the report shows that UK student visas issued to Nigerians declined almost consistently from 2010 to 2017.

In 2010, about 12,256 Nigerians obtained UK student visas. But the number fell to 12,103 in 2011 and 11,122 in 2012. It increased to 12,010 in 2013, but dropped again to 10,488 in 2014.

The number further fell to 9,524 in 2015 before plummeting to 6,475 in 2016 and 6,082 in 2017.

The drop was caused by fee increase and worsening exchange rates, which doubled the cost of attending a private boarding school in the United Kingdom between 2015 and 2020, according to the report.

As the number of Nigerians issued UK students visas decreased, the number at independent UK schools also declined.

The number increased from 1,328 in 2014 to 1,624 in 2015 before consistently dropping to 1,592 in 2016; 1,490 in 2017; and 1,368 in 2018.

But the number has risen again since 2019, to 1,411 that year and then 1,429 in 2020.

The total number of Nigerian students enrolled in UK universities by academic year also fell by 41 per cent between 2013 and 2018.

Records from the 2013/2014 academic year showed that 18,020 Nigerian students enrolled at UK schools for various programmes.

But the number dropped to 17,920 in 2014/2015 and then to 16,100 in 2015/2016.

The number would further drop in 2016/2017 to 12,665 and 10,540 in 2017/2018.

Despite the decline in the overall number of Nigerian students in UK universities, Carnegie said Nigeria still ranks sixth in terms of non-EU enrollments, just behind Malaysia, Hong Kong, the United States, India, and China.

ADVERTISEMENT

The report said while repeated changes to UK visa and residency rules and sharpening of anti-immigrant rhetoric in the UK have also had an impact on university applications, the decrease may also be a sign that UK universities are no longer affordable for most middle-class Nigerian families.

Canada gains as UK loses

As these factors continue to discourage Nigerian elites from sending their children to UK independent schools, many have turned to Canadian boarding schools as a viable alternative.

Quoting one local agent, the report said Nigerian families are attracted to Canadian schools because they are less expensive.

Similarly, Canadian officials have also been more effective than their British counterparts at partnering with its education sector stakeholders to develop a more sophisticated regional-based marketing strategy keyed to helpful visa and immigration policy changes, according to one international education expert cited in the report.

Like its boarding schools, Canadas universities are gaining market share in Nigeria because many Nigerian families are attracted to their more affordable tuition fees as well as the countrys less onerous visa process and clearer pathways to postgraduate work and residency.

In 2020, the Canadian government sought to make the country even more competitive by introducing the Nigeria Student Express scheme aimed at improving student visa processing times and introducing a specialised system for verifying the financial status of prospective applicants.

Nigerian applicants also see Canada as a safer environment for people of colour  one that is less xenophobic than the United States and the United Kingdom and thus a more attractive destination, the report said.

The number of Nigerian students attending Canadian institutions increased from 2,825 in 2009 to 11,985 in 2019.
(Photo : Screenshot from YouTube/Inside Edition) Andrei Doroshin, the founder of Philly Fighting COVID who is now bombarded by death threats after the Philadelphia Vaccine Scandal.

Philly Fighting COVID (PFC) just started last year as a non-profit startup, which is assigned to act as Philadelphia's first mass vaccination clinic. However, the higher they rose from the beginning, the harder they fell only to plunge to the now-viral Philadelphia Vaccine Scandal.

How Philly Fighting COVID started

Coronavirus was just emerging at the time when the startup began nine months ago. Andrei Doroshin, a 22-year-old graduate from Drexel, spearheaded the formation of Philly Fighting COVID which was composed of members with different backgrounds in medicine, marketing, and engineering.

WHYY reported Doroshin's bio, which is now deleted on the startup website, posted his achievements including entrepreneurship, filmmaking, real estate investing, and non-profit leadership.

Doroshin created "Invisible Sea," a non-profit teen org that aims for air quality improvement in Southern California, but the fundraising was an epic failure after only hitting $684 out of a $50,000 target goal.

The PFC's staffing page was already removed from the bare-bones website, where it said there that the team has been producing 3D-printed PPE for the health care personnel. Furthermore, the startup's partnership with the Department of Public Health was also indicated there. The objective of the collaboration is to test 20,000 people in the Fishtown parking lot.

The early months saw a lot of praises about PFC for their dedication and hard work, which spread from Philadelphia to social media. It was only the tip of the iceberg that people overlooked.

Read Also: New Malaria Mosquito in Africa is India's Deadly Disease Transmitter and Has Got Experts Worried

What's Deal All About

Philadelphia is finally ready for the mass vaccination of its 1.6 million people. Philly Fighting COVID reported that it could vaccinate 100 to 450 Philadelphians per hour, which translates to the 24-hour tally of 1,000 to 4,500 citizens.

First, residents should sign-up in a pre-registration form for them to be notified about the vaccination phases and other updates about COVID-19 concerns. PFC said that over 60,000 have signed up and the data will be relayed to the city's health department.

Doroshin joined in the press conference during early January, but the CEO refused to give the specific mass vaccination cost when he was asked about it. The young founder only answered "a price of a really nice Mercedes,"

In an interview with Today, Doroshin said his team thinks differently than the healthcare workers. He added that PFC will carry out building a new model of their plan which is factory-based.

On January 18, PFC's website encountered many problems with people's registration and vaccine information. Two days later, Philly Fighting COVID stopped its operations without notifying the city and its people. Several outrages have sprouted following the sudden shutdown of what they believed is a 'pro-people, non-profit org.'

As a result, the city decided to sever its connection with the startup after 5,000 citizens received their first dose of the vaccine. A city spokesperson said that the decision came after they learned that the PFC is only helping for their 'own' good.

Doroshin's response in the Philadelphia Vaccine Scandal

The PFC CEO confessed that he really took home four vaccine doses on January 23. With no medical background, he gave the doses to his friends, even though his LinkedIn profile says otherwise: a neuroscience student. He insisted that he did that because the doses will only go to waste.

According to Business Insider, Doroshin made himself accountable for the mistake about people's private data that might leak but said that they did not give any data to anyone. He, however, admitted that the group looks forward to receiving a profit, which did not happen.

Responses from concerned citizens

Tom Farley, the city's health commissioner said that what happened is "disturbing." He added that he should have not cooperated with Philadelphia Fighting COVID if that's the only thing that will happen.

Since PFC was already exposed in their true agendum, a former volunteer came out and admitted that the group was only boasting their money, instead of boasting their help to the people.

A former nurse who work for PFC also shared the same sentiment on Twitter.

As an RN who volunteered to give vaccines for them I feel super shitty about my complicity in this mess. I was there Saturday - Andrei Doroshin, the CEO at Philly Fighting COVID, took home a ziplock bag-full of vaccines. Stuffed them in his bag and left with them.  Katrina Lipinsky (@Katweeta) January 26, 2021

For the city's DPH spokesperson, James Garrow, Philadelphia cut ties with PFC because they could no longer be trusted in distributing the vaccine doses to the people.

Doroshin Won't Stop

After the fiasco that broke the hearts of the Philadelphians, Doroshin believes that Farley is the one behind the broke-up of PFC and the city. Mayor Jim Kenney supported Farley and told that the 22-year-old is only playing cards with his 'political conspiracy' beliefs.'

Still, Doroshin also hit a group of Black American doctors after accusing them that their team "did not present a plan" unlike PFC that stepped up to carry out the vaccination program.

Before confessing about his taken doses for his friends, he first denied and said that he had no idea about that. When Doroshin spoke in front of the media, he is not wearing a face mask even in the midst of the surging COVID-19 cases in the country.

Doroshin plans to go out-of-town because he's been receiving death threats but still says that he wants to resume the vaccination program.



Related Article: COVID-19 Can Cause Sperm Damage, Infertility, Study Says

This article is owned by Tech Times.

Written by Joen Coronel

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
With the Union set to be delivered in paperless form for the first time, Finance Minister replaced the Swadeshi 'bahi khata' and switched to a tablet.

The Finance Minister was seen carrying a tablet kept inside a red coloured cover with a golden coloured national emblem embossed on it.

Dressed in a red and cream colour saree, accompanied by MoS Finance Anurag Thakur and other officials from her ministry, Sitharaman is scheduled to meet President Ram Nath Kovind before presenting the budget at 11 am today.

In 2019, Sitharaman ditched the long-standing tradition of carrying budget documents in a leather briefcase and went swadeshi with a 'bahi-khata'. She had said that the Modi government is not a "suitcase-carrying government", in an apparent jibe at the past dispensations.

This year, the will be delivered in paperless form for the first time. The assumes greater significance as it comes amid the COVID pandemic which has caused economic disruption.

Finance Minister had launched the " Mobile App" for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience, according to the Finance Ministry.

The App facilitates complete access to 14 documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), and Finance Bill as prescribed by the Constitution.The word 'Budget' originated from the french word Bougette, which means leather briefcase. The tradition of carrying the Budget briefcase was a copy of the 'Gladstone box' that is used in the British budget.In 1860, the then British budget chief William E Gladstone used a red suitcase with Queen's monogram embossed in gold to carry his documents, which came to be known as 'Gladstone Box'.In 1947, India's first Finance Minister RK Shanmukham Chetty carried a leather portfolio to present the first Budget.

Before Sitharaman, a long-standing tradition in connection with the budget presentation was broken during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government with the then Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha presenting the budget at 11 am rather than at the traditional time of 5 pm.

Since then all governments have been presenting the budget at 11 am.

(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.)
Flickr, which was bought and sold by many companies over the years and is now owned by the photo-sharing service SmugMug, allowed users to share their photos under what is called a Creative Commons license. That license, common on internet sites, meant others could use the photos with certain restrictions, although these restrictions may have been ignored. In 2014, Yahoo, which owned Flickr at the time, used many of these photos in a data set meant to help with work on computer vision.
Why 2021 may make contractors nostalgic for 2020

By STEPHEN E. SANDHERR

AGC of America

Sandherr

Many of us were eager to see 2020 come to a close and welcome in the new year. There are many reasons to expect 2021 will be a more uplifting year, thanks in large part to the growing availability of coronavirus vaccines, yet there are also reasons why this year could prove challenging for the construction industry. Namely, the industry is facing a lot of difficult economic headwinds at the same time the political climate is taking a turn for the more challenging.

On the economic side, each year we survey our member firms on their expectations for labor and market conditions for the coming business year. According to the results of this 2021 Construction Hiring and Business Outlook, contractors expect the market for most types of construction to shrink in 2021 as the pandemic undermines demand for projects. The net reading  the percentage of respondents who expect the available dollar value of projects to shrink compared to the percentage who expect it to expand  is negative for 13 of the 16 categories of projects included in the survey.

Contractors are most pessimistic about the market for retail construction, which has a net reading of negative 64%. They are similarly concerned about the markets for lodging and private office construction, which both have a net reading of negative 58%; higher education construction, which has a net reading of negative 40%; public buildings, with a net of negative 38%; and K-12 school construction, which has a net reading of negative 27%.

Among the three market segments with a positive net reading, two  warehouse construction and the construction of clinics, testing facilities and medical labs  track closely with the few segments of the economy to benefit from the impacts of the coronavirus.

One reason so many construction firms expect demand for construction to shrink is the high number of projects that have been delayed or canceled. Fifty-nine percent of firms report they had projects scheduled to start in 2020 that have been postponed until 2021 and 44% report they had projects canceled in 2020 that have not been rescheduled. Eighteen percent of firms report that projects scheduled to start between January and June 2021 have been delayed. And 8% report projects scheduled to start in the first half of the year have been canceled.

As a result, few firms expect the industry will recover to pre-pandemic levels any time soon. Only one-third of firms report business has already matched or exceeded year-ago levels, while 12% of firms expect demand to return to pre-pandemic levels within the next six months. More than half  55%  report they do not expect their firms volume to return to pre-pandemic levels for more than six months or are unsure when their business will recover.

The pessimistic outlook means relatively few firms plan to expand their headcount in 2021. Only 35% of firms report they plan to add staff this year. Meanwhile, 24% plan to decrease their headcount this year and 41% expect to make no changes in staff size. This is in marked contrast to 2020, when 80% of contractors reported they planned to expand headcount.

The pandemic is also undermining construction productivity. Contractors have made significant changes to the way they schedule, staff and manage projects as they protect workers and local communities from the spread of the coronavirus. These measures have helped the industry avoid the kind of outbreaks that crippled so many other sectors of the economy. But 64% of contractors report these changes mean projects are taking longer to complete than originally anticipated. And 54% of firms report that the cost of completing projects has been higher than expected.

If our outlook holds true, 2021 will be a challenging year economically for the construction industry. At the same time, this year will also present a number of political challenges for the industry. Notably, within the first several days of his administration, President Biden issued a flurry of executive orders that offer key insights into the new administrations regulatory posture.

Some of these new orders, including measures to protect the legal status of people covered by the dreamers and Temporary Protected Status programs, should help address workforce shortages. Others, such as the termination of the Keystone XL pipeline project, show that when it comes to siding between infrastructure and construction jobs or a progressive agenda, the president sides with the progressives.

One of the first regulations to expect from the Biden administration is an OSHA emergency temporary standard for coronavirus safety, something the president called for in those initial executive orders. On the possible plus side, this new order will give contractors greater certainty about the steps they need to implement to protect workers. The big if, however, is whether the administration will craft common sense safety measures, or use the pretense of coronavirus safety to undermine economic activity by imposing unreasonable requirements, like the use of scarce respirators on job sites.

The new administration is also likely to roll back some of the Trump administration measures that were designed to streamline and accelerate environmental reviews. This includes stopping the prior administrations efforts to reform the National Environmental Protection Act review process and possibly seeking to rewrite the Waters of the United States regulation. These regulatory rollbacks would very likely extend the federal review process for many types of infrastructure projects and undermine the presidents desire to rapidly rebuild the economy.

As much as we are glad to put 2020 in the rearview mirror, the industry still faces a number of challenges this year. However, our members pay us to help solve problems. That is why we are working hard to convert challenges into opportunities for our members. We will do that by fighting for new infrastructure funding and urging Washington, D.C., officials to backfill depleted state and local construction budgets. We will do that by educating the Biden administration on the economic damage many of its expected new regulations will cost. And we will do that by continuing to provide the kind of programming and resources members need to keep innovating, improving and succeeding.

Stephen Sandherr is CEO of the Associated General Contractors of America.





Other Stories:


Russia peacekeepers climb to Armenia Gegharkunik Province village positions

Biden strongly condemns manifestations of antisemitism in US

Brad Pitt slams Angelina Jolie attempt to overturn their kids custody decision

Iran intensifies its diplomacy amid Armenia-Azerbaijan border tensions

Armenia acting PM on forthcoming snap parliamentary elections: We hope to get 60% of votes

Lukashenko accuses West of destabilizing situation in Belarus

Mourinho wants to keep Mkhitaryan at Roma despite their conflict

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief on snap elections: No legal basis for postponing, suspending any function

Armenias Pashinyan is met by Yerevan district residents chanting against him

We are ready to be fully engaged in negotiation process to resolve Karabakh issue, says Armenia acting PM

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan gives interview to Russia TV channel

Armenia acting premier: We are ready to start withdrawing troops at any moment

Kylie Jenner is accused of mocking model who appeared in ex-boyfriend Tygas music video

Canada MFA expresses concern over 6 Armenian soldiers capture by Azerbaijan troops

There are omissions in registration documents of political forces that applied to Armenia Central Electoral Commission

Armenia Central Electoral Commission chief: There is activeness in Yerevan for the past day or two

Gossip Girl revival first official teaser is released

Luciano Spalletti takes helm at Napoli

Three new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Group of US Congress members threaten Azerbaijans Aliyev regime with sanctions

Italy score 7 unanswered goals

Chicago mayor is sued for allegedly refusing interview with white reporter

Lady Gaga, BTS, several other guests "disappear" in China from Friends: The Reunion

Iran exports oil to US for first time after long interval

"Armenia" bloc top 50 MP candidates are announced

42 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Sri Lanka public beach is covered in charred plastic pellets due to fire in container ship

US preparing list of targeted sanctions on Belarus authorities

What foods can help you lose weight?

China believes it will own America by 2035, Biden says

15 al-Shabab militants killed in Somalia

Champions League final: Bookmakers view

Newspaper: Armenia political forces that applied for running in election impatiently await CEC decision

Newspaper: Changes are expected in Artsakh

California prisoner who considers himself Satanist beheads cellmate, dismembers his body

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM's "mutually beneficial" proposal to collapse state system?

European Sambo Championships: Azerbaijan are disqualified, expelled for unsportsmanlike conduct

Real are negotiating with Conte

Scientists find new way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease at the earliest stages

Barcelona to sell Coutinho this summer

Armenia National Security Service Reserve Officers' Union members meet with His Holiness Karekin II

EU is ready to help Armenia and Azerbaijan with border delimitation and demarcation

ARF-D member on Nikol Pashinyan: 103 years ago Armenia's founding fathers would have executed him for treason

Iran President hails brotherly ties with Azerbaijan

Robert Kocharyan on years of his leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia

Situation on Armenian-Azerbaijani border is still tense, more on COVID-19 in Armenia, May 28 digest

"Armenia" alliance of political parties paying tribute to founder of First Republic Aram Manukyan

Mourinho invites Ronaldo to Roma

Yerevan.today: Armenia acting PM not greeted at ruling party's headquarters, citizens call him 'capitulator'

Russia MOD reports on maintenance of ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh

Armenia acting MOD meets with Russian counterpart in Moscow

Armenia 2nd President: I see possibility of restoring borders of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast

We can provide our army with some key, modernized weapons, says Armenia ex-President Kocharyan

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: Captives issue is not one that any opposition force can resolve

OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs release statement on detention of 6 Armenian servicemen by Azerbaijan

Armenian acting Deputy PM: Discussion on issues possible only after withdrawal of Azeri troops from Armenia's territory

Armenia acting PM on Syunik roads, Russian military posts: This is only place where there are working nuances

Scientists discover new danger of high cholesterol

Armenia acting PM: Process of return of POWs will intensify after upcoming elections

Putin congratulates Aliyev on Republic Day

Josep Borrell: A group of EU Ministers will visit Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan

Armenia acting PM: We're not going to escalate situation for 30% of Sev Lake

Armenia 3rd President visits Vanadzor, pays tribute to heroes of Battle of Gharakilisa (PHOTOS)

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan lays flowers at Battle of Karakilisa memorial (PHOTOS)

Armenia acting PM: Solution to captives issue is matter of time

Official: Leipzig's Konate moves to Liverpool

Shoygu to Harutyunyan: Russia, Armenia strengthen military cooperation

PSG considering Zidane as manager

Joker movie may get sequel

33,109 people so far vaccinated in Armenia against coronavirus

Armenia acting premier: We are 100% honest toward our country

Artsakh President pays tribute at Stepanakert memorial, Shushi Tank-Monument

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan on Meghri corridor plan: Not beneficial to us now to discuss it as "corridor"

Acting PM: "Cement," "fittings" were stolen while constructing Armenia state "building"

The name of the screenwriter of the second spin-off "Game of Thrones" is known

3% of women and 55% of men in Armenia smoke: Global smoking report published

Two new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh

Catholicos of All Armenians visits Sardarapat Memorial, again separate from state officials

MOD dismisses Azerbaijan statement on Armenia army firing toward Nakhchivan

Jerusalem Post: Israel prepares for a new war with Hamas

Kelly Clarkson to host talk show on NBC

France, UN World Food Programme partner to support displaced people in Armenia

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan: Today we are not full-fledged negotiating party

Norwegian prime minister opposes series of NATO reforms

Armenia deputy FM briefs UN, Red Cross leaders on consequences of Azerbaijan aggression against Artsakh

NATO Secretary-General: Afghans must take full responsibility for peace and stability in their country

Latent lung damage found in patients with long-term COVID-19

104 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Oscars awards ceremony to be postponed

Armenia acting premier: Our sovereignty, independence cannot be subject of discussion

Karabakh state-finance minister announces resignation

Artsakh MFA: Sardarapat victory has inspired all Armenians for over a century

Armenia 2nd President Kocharyan: In contrast to kneeling, disgraceful authorities of the day, we have determination

Armenia President: Today we stand on threshold of Sardarapat of morality, dignity

Catholicos of All Armenians: Our people shall find strength to overcome this ordeal as well

Armenia First Republic Day event is held under very modest conditions

Newspaper: Armenia authorities claiming to be popular close off First Republic Day event to public

Armenia ex-President Sargsyan: Now or never!

Armenia President, then acting premier arrive at Sardarapat Memorial

Newspaper: Armenia acting PM Pashinyan's new "cleverness?"

Dubai, Feb 1 : Kannada superstar Kichcha Sudeepa celebrated 25 years in films on the Burj Khalifa, and also unveiled the title logo of his multilingual upcoming film, Vikrant Rona, on the occasion at the iconic skyscraper.

"Much love to the 'Vikrant Rona' team and all the people who were involved in putting together this wonderful event. The entire Indian film industry and the viewers have been very generous with the love they have showered on me over the years and I treasure it with all my heart," Kichcha Sudeepa said.

Sudeepa's Vikrant Rona was supposed to be one of the first big-budget films to have arrived on floors in the early days of the pandemic. The title logo and a 180-second sneak-peek of the film was superimposed on Burj Khalifa.

Director Anup Bhandari said: "I am glad that through 'Vikrant Rona' we got to be part of Sudeepa sir's 25th anniversary in cinema. The world has witnessed iconic adventure heroes like James Bond, Indiana Jones, and Sherlock Holmes. 'Vikrant Rona' is an attempt to create a new adventure hero from India." Producer Jack Manjunath added: "We wish Sudeepa sir big love on clocking in 25 years in Indian cinema. This film offers an extraordinary hero to the Indian diaspora across the world and a vicarious adventure of a lifetime. It is amazing to have Sudeepa sir's presence and the abundant energy he brings into the film. The first glimpse on Burj Khalifa reflected it wonderfully."
Students were among the worst-hit victims amid coronavirus-induced lockdown, as the pandemic pushed back the progress in the system by years. While it was largely expected that the allocation to school would be higher than last year, Budget 2021-21 has slashed the allocation for the sector by 6.13 per cent to Rs 93,224.31 crore from Rs 99,311.52 crore in FY20. Of this, the department of has been allocated Rs 38,350.65 crore while the and literacy department has been given Rs 54,873 crore (the lowest in two years).

However, funds for the Kendriya Vidyalayas has seen an increase. The KVs have been issued Rs 6,800 crore for the upcoming financial year, compared with Rs 5,516 crore last year.

The Budget allocation to Navodaya Vidyalayas has been increased by Rs 500 crore. Last year, Rs 3,300 crore was allocated to Navodaya Vidyalayas while for this year the funds have been raised to Rs 3,800 crore.

The mid-day meal scheme has seen an increase of Rs 500 crore as the total allocation has been raised to Rs 11,500 crore from Rs 11,000 last year.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that over 15,000 schools would be qualitatively strengthened in line with the reforms proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP). A total of 100 new Sainik Schools would also be set up in partnership with NGOs, private schools and states.
Ryanair has reported a loss of 306m in the three months to 31 December

Ryanair said it expects to report a loss of between of between 850m and 950m for its financial 2021.

The low-cost airline said this would be the most challenging year in Ryanairs 35 year history.

Recently announced Covid-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions across the European Union and UK will reduce its forecasted financial year 2021 traffic to between 26million and 30million. The airline had previously forecasted up to 35million in passenger traffic for the period.

The airline said quarter four visibility remains limited due to uncertain and changing Covid-19 travel restrictions, European lockdowns, the timing of the rollout of vaccines across the EU and a very close-in booking curve.

"We are cautiously guiding an FY21 net loss (pre-exceptional items) of between 850m and 950m, it added.

Ryanair reported a loss of 306m in the three months to 31 December 2020.

The airline saw its traffic fall by 78pc over the three months, according to a trading update. In the corresponding period in 2019 Ryanair made a profit of 88m.

Revenue in the three months fell by 82pc to 340m. Ancillary revenue delivered a solid performance as more guests chose priority boarding and reserved seating.

Ryanair expects the latest lockdowns and pre-arrival Covid-19 test requirement to materially reduce flight schedules and traffic through to Easter.

The airline expects intra-European airline capacity to be significantly reduced for the next few years. However, it said this will create growth opportunities for it to take advantage of recovery growth incentives.

Ryanair said that as soon as the Covid-19 virus recedes it and its partner airports will rapidly restore schedules and recover lost traffic.

The airline had 3.5bn cash at 31 December.

Since March last year the group has lowered cash burn by cutting costs, participating in EU Government payroll support schemes, cancelling share buybacks and deferring non-essential capital expenditure.

The group also raised funds through a 400m share placing and an 850m Eurobond in September.
Graphical Abstract. Cell Reports (2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108728

Antibodies and T cells are components of the human immune system that directly act against viral infections and eliminate infected cells. A new study by scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School, provides evidence that an early presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in COVID-19 is likely to prevent severe disease. The study, published in Cell Reports, has important implications for the clinical management of COVID-19 patients.

Humoral and cellular adaptive immunity are two immune mechanisms that act against pathogens. Humoral immunity is mediated by antibodies, while cellular immunity does not involve antibodies and is instead facilitated by T cells. Studying how these immune mechanisms mediate SARS-CoV-2 infections could be beneficial in controlling the progression of the disease. However, their roles in viral control or disease pathogenesis is not fully understood and only a few studies have thoroughly monitored COVID-19 patients longitudinally, especially during the acute phase of infection.

To fill this knowledge gap, the team of researchers at Duke-NUS investigated the changes in virological and immunological parameters in 12 patients with symptomatic acute SARS-CoV-2 infection from onset of the disease to recovery or death.

"We found that patients who control SARS-Cov-2 infection with only mild symptoms are characterized by an early induction of IFN- secreting SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells. The amount of humoral response, however, does not predict the level of COVID-19 disease severity," said Dr. Anthony Tanoto Tan, Senior Research Fellow at the Duke-NUS' Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) program and the co-author of this study.

"Our data supports the idea that SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells play an important role in the rapid control of viral infection and eventual clearance of the disease," added Dr. Martin Linster, Senior Research Fellow with Duke-NUS' EID program and the co-author of this study.

This work is a continuation of the team's previous publication in Nature, where they analyzed SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell response in COVID-19 patients at convalescence. In this study, they have expanded the analysis to the full timeline of SARS-CoV-2 infection from onset to outcome.

"It is time that T cell monitoring should be considered in providing a comprehensive understanding of the immune response against SARS-CoV-2. This would also mean that a vaccine will likely be more effective if a holistic induction of both antibodies and T cells occurs," said Professor Antonio Bertoletti, from Duke-NUS' EID program, who is the corresponding author of this study.

"This important study furthers our understanding of the immune response against SARS-CoV-2. It has far-reaching implications including on COVID-19 vaccine design and the subsequent monitoring of vaccine response," said Professor Patrick Casey, senior vice-dean for research at Duke-NUS.

The team is now studying more symptomatic COVID-19 patients with varying disease severity to further validate their findings.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: Anthony T. Tan et al. Early induction of functional SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells associates with rapid viral clearance and mild disease in COVID-19 patients, Cell Reports (2021). Journal information: Cell Reports , Nature Anthony T. Tan et al. Early induction of functional SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells associates with rapid viral clearance and mild disease in COVID-19 patients,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108728
The Indian government on Monday said it plans to raise limits on how much foreign companies can invest in the country's insurance industry, a move that could attract inflows from U.S. and European insurers. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech for 2021-22 said the government would allow foreign direct investment of up to 74% in insurance entities, up from 49% currently, clearing the way for "foreign ownership and control with safeguards". The change could attract investments from international insurance companies, industry sources said, many of ...
Experts in the MH17 case are to be interrogated before the consideration of the cases merits starts.

As an Ukrinform correspondent reports, presiding judge Hendrik Steenhuis said that the court plans to hear a number of experts in the case of MH17, in particular, the specialists of Russian concern Almaz-Antey.

According to him, the interrogations of Dutch, Belgian and Russian experts should be completed in April 2021.

"Experts testimony should be included in the consideration of the cases merits," Steenhuis said.

It is known that The Hague District Court plans to begin the consideration of the merits on June 7, 2021.

In turn, the lawyers of suspect Oleg Pulatov, who expressed a desire to join the trial, ask to allow Almaz-Antey expert to inspect the wreckage of MH17 before interrogation and to provide photos of all plane fragments.

Dutch lawyer Sabine Ten Doesschate, who represents Pulatov's interests, said that the defense asked to inspect all the plane fragments stored in the Netherlands. She noted that there was no detailed report on each fragment.

Today, the first court hearing in the MH17 case this year started at the Schiphol Judicial Complex in the Netherlands.

In particular, now it is planned to consider the progress of additional investigation, hear the appeals of the relatives of victims regarding compensation, etc.

In March 2020, the District Court of The Hague began the consideration of the case of the downing of flight MH17 in the sky over Donbas.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over conflict-hit Donbas in July 2014. There were 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board. All of them died. The international Joint Investigation Team reported that the plane had been shot down from a Buk missile system that belongs to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces stationed in Kursk.

On June 19, 2019, the JIT named four suspects believed to be involved in the transportation and combat use of the Buk missile system, from which MH17 flight had been downed. Three of them are Russians: Igor Girkin (Strelkov), former colonel in Russia's FSB intelligence service and former so-called defense minister of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic"; Sergey Dubinskiy, general (at the time of downing  colonel) of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and head of the so-called "Main Intelligence Directorate of the Donetsk Peoples Republic"; Oleg Pulatov, lieutenant colonel of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. The fourth suspect is Leonid Kharchenko, a Ukrainian civilian, who fought on the side of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic."

ol
The finance minister provided a major boost to healthcare and infrastructure in Union Budget 2021. However, there was no change in Income Tax slabs this year

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday presented the Budget 2021-22 in Parliament. A total of around Rs 2 lakh crore on healthcare with Rs 35,000 crore on COVID-19 vaccine development and inoculation was announced.

During her third Budget speech under the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, Sitharaman said the government has estimated a fiscal deficit of 6.8 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the next financial year.

Follow LIVE Updates on Budget 2021 here

However, the fiscal deficit in 2020-21 is estimated to soar up to 9.5 percent due to a rise in expenditure on account of the outbreak of COVID-19 and moderation in revenue during this fiscal year.

The finance minister provided a major boost to healthcare and infrastructure in Union Budget 2021. However, there was no change in Income Tax slabs this year.

In her speech, the finance minister mentioned that this year's budget proposals rest on six pillars  health and well-being, physical, financial capital and infrastructure, inclusive development for aspirational India, reinvigorating human capital, innovation and R and D and Minimum Government and Maximum Governance.

Here are the key highlights of Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech 2021-22:

1) The finance minister proposed the introduction of Aatma Nirbhar health programme with an outlay of Rs 64,180 crore over six years; this in addition to the national health mission.

2) Main interventions under PM Aatmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana would include:

- Support for Health and Wellness Centres

- Setting up Integrated Public Health labs in all districts

- Critical care hospital blocks

- Strengthening of NCDC

3) Sitharaman allocated a record sum of Rs 1,10,055 crore for Indian Railways, of which Rs 1,07,100 crore has been reserved for capital expenditure in 2021-22.

4) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget comprised of a massive impetus for Highways and Road Transport projects. The minister set aside Rs 1.03 lakh crores from the government exchequer for the sector, of which a mammoth share was allocated to the states which are due for Legislative Assembly elections this year.

5) The government proposed further recapitalisation of state-owned banks and earmarked Rs 20,000 crore for the purpose in FY2022.

6) "FDI in insurance companies has been increased from 49 percent to 74 percent, subject to specific compliance," said Nirmala Sitharaman.

In her 2019 budget speech, Sitharaman had said that the government will explore further easing the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in insurance. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has also backed an increase in the limit to 74 percent.

7) BPCL, Air India, Shipping Corp, Container Corp and other disinvestments will be completed in 2021-22.

8) Barring four strategic areas, PSUs in other sectors will be divested, the finance minister said announcing the new disinvestment policy.

9) Sitharaman said the government will borrow about Rs 12 lakh crore in 2021-22. Presenting the Union Budget for 2021-22, she said expenditure for the next fiscal year has been pegged at Rs 34.83 lakh crore, which includes Rs 5.54 lakh crore of capital spending.

10) An announcement of Rs 25,000 crore road projects in poll-bound West Bengal was made during the Budget speech.

11) Ujjwala scheme will be expanded to over one crore more beneficiaries. "We will add 100 more districts in the next three years to the city gas distribution network. A gas pipeline project will be taken up in Jammu and Kashmir," said Sitharaman.

12) The finance minister also announced the scrappage of income tax for senior citizens under certain conditions, new rules for the removal of double taxation, among others.

"We shall reduce the compliance burden on our senior citizens who are 75 years of age and above. For senior citizens who only have pension and interest income, I propose exemption from filing their Income Tax return," the Union minister said.

13) Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) has been proposed on petrol and diesel. It will Rs 2.5/litre on petrol and Rs 4/litre on diesel.

With inputs from agencies
It is a time in pregnancy when mothers-to-be are increasingly excited about the arrival of their baby.

But now experts have warned that going to sleep on your back in the final three months could harm your unborn child.

They say it may cut blood flow to the baby in the womb through the umbilical cord by 11 per cent.

Women are already advised to sleep on their side to reduce the risk of stillbirth in the final three months.

A study of 22 women asked them to lie on their back for 20 to 25 minutes in a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine.

Experts have warned that going to sleep on your back in the final three months could harm your unborn child. Picture: Stock

It reduced blood flow in the umbilical cord by 11.2 per cent on average. Oxygen reaching the unborn baby in the womb reduced by more than six per cent compared to when the women lay on their side.

Doctors say that many stillbirths show signs of the baby having been starved of oxygen  and the findings shed light on how sleeping positions play a role.

Professor Anna David, of University College London, senior author of the UK-New Zealand study, said the findings may partially explain why some women with an apparently healthy, normal-sized baby nevertheless suffer a stillbirth.

They confirm how the message to mums to sleep on their side in late pregnancy is very important for a healthy pregnancy.

Women who go to sleep on their back, taking the weight of their bump, are believed to put pressure on a major vein carrying blood to the heart from the lower part of the body.

This may lead to the heart pumping less effectively and less oxygen-rich blood being transferred to the baby.

The study of the 22 New Zealand women found they had substantially less blood flowing through the vein when on their back compared to when they were on their side.

It was cut by almost a quarter in a major artery supplying blood to the womb. Jane Brewin, of baby charity Tommys, said: Going to sleep on your side is safer  if you wake up in a different position, dont worry, just get back on to your side.

Women are already advised to sleep on their side to reduce the risk of stillbirth in the final three months. Picture: Stock

Eight babies are stillborn every day in the UK and this is one of the ways to reduce the risk.

Previous evidence has suggested women who sleep on their back have a two to three-fold increased risk of stillbirth.

Women are often advised to lie on their left side  as it helps the kidneys get rid of waste products and fluids  but major research found either side worked as well.

In order to stay on their side women can try tips such as putting pillows behind them to prevent them ending up on their back or tying their hair into a low bun to make it more uncomfortable.

A total of 52 per cent of pregnant women attending scans alone during the pandemic have been wrongly told it is illegal to record videos or take photos of their unborn children, a poll found.

The survey by campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed comes after the NHS ordered hospital trusts in December to allow partners to be present during scans, labour and birth.

Joeli Brearley, of Pregnant Then Screwed, said not allowing women to document their scans was unnecessarily cruel and added: It is not illegal.
Presenting her third Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government will roll out the IPO for Life Insurance Corporation of India in the next financial year.

"In 2021-22 we would also bring the IPO of LIC for which I am bringing the requisite amendments in this Session itself," the Finance Minister said in her Budget speech on Monday.

Promising to complete the pending strategic sale of central public sector enterprises, the Finance Minister pegged the disinvestment target for the upcoming financial year at Rs 1.75 lakh crore.

FULL COVERAGE: Budget 2021

"A number of transactions namely BPCL, Air India, Shipping Corporation of India, Container Corporation of India, IDBI Bank, BEML, Pawan Hans, Neelachal Ispat Nigam limited among others would be completed in 2021-22," FM Sitharaman said.

"Other than IDBI Bank, we propose to take up the privatisation of two Public Sector Banks and one General Insurance company in the year 2021-22. This would require legislative amendments and I propose to introduce the amendments in this Session itself," she further added.

ALSO READ: Budget 2021: Relief for depositors! Now 'time-bound' access to deposits if bank goes bust

In another announcement for the insurance sector, the Finance Minister also increased FDI in the industry to 74 per cent from 49 per cent.

"I propose to amend the Insurance Act, 1938, to increase the permissible FDI limit from 49 per cent to 74 per cent in Insurance Companies and allow foreign ownership and control with safeguards. Under the new structure, the majority of Directors on the Board and key management persons would be resident Indians, with at least 50 per cent of Directors being Independent Directors, and specified percentage of profits being retained as general reserve," Sitharaman said.

FM Sitharaman further added that two public sector banks and one general insurance company will be privatised in 2021-22.

ALSO READ: Budget 2021 speech highlights: IPO of LIC to come in 2021-22, says FM

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.
Anecdotes like Mr. Geismanns, however, arent straightforward to interpret. Perhaps Schuchart and companies like it would have found another way to make ends meet, or would have rehired workers quickly once construction projects resumed.

Economists have tried to answer that question using data. Mr. Autor compared companies with just under 500 employees  which could qualify for the programs original version  with those just above that size, which could not. If the loans were a big help, then the smaller companies should have retained many more of their workers. Instead, Mr. Autor found little difference between the two groups.

But some economists argue that such research understates the programs impact because it fails to focus on the smallest businesses, which were less likely to have large cash reserves or other financing.

One paper, based on a survey of businesses in Oakland, Calif., found that those receiving P.P.P. loans were 20.5 percent more likely to say they expected to survive six months  but that the relatively greater optimism was limited to businesses with fewer than five employees.

Robert Bartlett, one of the Oakland studys authors, said economists like Mr. Autor might be right that P.P.P. saved fewer jobs than hoped. But for these small businesses, I think it helped them keep their doors open, he said. Im convinced of that. Many of those businesses, he noted, are in poor neighborhoods or are owned by racial or ethnic minorities.

Daniel G. Guerra Jr. founded AltusLearn, which provides training and compliance courses to medical workers, in 2013. By last year the company, based in Madison, Wis., had six employees and was on track for a year of significant growth.

Instead, when the pandemic began, medical centers halted virtually all nonurgent care and canceled training.
Myanmars military seized power in a bloodless coup on Monday, detaining democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi as it imposed a one-year state of emergency.

The intervention ended a decade of civilian rule in Myanmar, with the military justifying its power grab by alleging fraud in the November elections that Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) party won in a landslide.

The coup sparked global condemnation, with the United States leading calls for democracy to be immediately restored.

Suu Kyi and President Win Myint were detained in the capital Naypyidaw before dawn, party spokesman Myo Nyunt told AFP, just hours before parliament was meant to reconvene for the first time since the elections.

The military sealed off roads around the capital with armed troops, trucks and armoured personnel carriers. Military helicopters flew across the city.

The military then declared, via its own television channel, a one-year state of emergency and announced that former general Myint Swe would be acting president for the next year.

It alleged huge irregularities in the November polls that the election commission had failed to address.

As the situation must be resolved according to the law, a state of emergency is declared, the announcement said.

The army later pledged to hold fresh elections after the year-long state of emergency.

We will perform real multi-party democracy with complete balance and fairness, a statement on the armys official Facebook page said.

Suu Kyi issued a pre-emptive statement ahead of her detention calling on people not to accept a coup, according to a post on the official Facebook page of the her partys chairperson.

 Quash dissent 

The military moved quickly to stifle dissent, severely restricting the internet and mobile phone communications across the country.

In Yangon, the former capital that remains Myanmars commercial hub, troops seized the city hall just ahead of the announcement, according to an AFP journalist.

AFP saw several trucks in Yangon carrying army supporters, with Myanmar flags and blaring nationalist songs, and some NLD members reported that security forces had ordered them to stay at home.

Elsewhere, the chief minister of Karen state and several other regional ministers were also held, party sources told AFP.

However, the military did not deploy masses of troops onto Yangons streets.

 Swift condemnation 

Washington was swift to react to the news.

The United States opposes any attempt to alter the outcome of recent elections or impede Myanmars democratic transition, and will take action against those responsible if these steps are not reversed, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the European Union, Britain and Australia were among others to condemn the coup.

China declined to criticise anyone, instead calling for all sides to resolve differences.

Myanmars November polls were only the second democratic elections the country had seen since it emerged from the 49-year grip of military rule in 2011.

The NLD won more than 80 percent of the vote  increasing its support from 2011.

Suu Kyi, 75, is an immensely popular figure in Myanmar for her opposition to the military, having spent the best part of two decades under house arrest during the previous dictatorship.

But the military has for weeks complained the polls were riddled with irregularities, and claimed to have uncovered over 10 million instances of voter fraud.

Last week, military chief General Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmars 2008 constitution could be revoked under certain circumstances.

Myanmar has seen two previous coups since independence from Britain in 1948, one in 1962 and one in 1988.

Suu Kyis previous opposition to the military earned her the Nobel peace prize.

But her international image was shredded during her time in power as she defended the military-backed crackdown in 2017 against the countrys Muslim Rohingya community.

About 750,000 Rohingya were forced to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh during the campaign, which UN investigators said amounted to genocide.

Suu Kyi went to the United Nations to defend Myanmar against the allegations.

Suu Kyi was only ever de facto leader of Myanmar as the military had inserted a clause in the constitution that barred her from being president.

The 2008 constitution also ensured the military would remain a significant force in government by retaining control of the interior, border and defence ministries.

But to circumvent the clause preventing her from being president, Suu Kyi assumed leadership of the country via a new role of state counsellor.

From (the militarys) perspective, it has lost significant control over the political process, political analyst Soe Myint Aung told AFP.

SOURCE: AFP
Boris Johnson has ordered Tory MPs to abstain on a crunch vote tonight as Labour demands the Government strengthen its coronavirus border rules.

Ministers are setting up a hotel quarantine system for people arriving in the UK from approximately 30 'red list' countries with high case numbers or where mutant strains have been discovered.

But Sir Keir Starmer is pushing for the 10-day compulsory stay in Government-approved accommodation to be extended to apply to all UK arrivals.

The Government is setting up quarantine hotels for travellers arriving in the UK from 'red list' countries. They will have to pay to self-isolate for 10 days

Sir Keir Starmer will try to force a vote in the Commons this evening to demand the Government apply hotel quarantine to all UK arrivals

Labour claimed the current border approach is leaving the UK 'exposed' to importing dangerous variants of Covid-19 which could put the vaccine roll-out in jeopardy.

Many Tory MPs privately agree that the hotel quarantine policy should apply to all arrivals.

Home Secretary Priti Patel is said to have advocated a stricter approach but was apparently overruled by the PM who announced the latest measures last week.

Mr Johnson has reportedly told his MPs to abstain on this evening's symbolic vote which is non-binding on the Government as he tries to avoid a Conservative rebellion.

Labour's opposition day debate motion calls for ministers to 'immediately introduce a comprehensive hotel quarantine system for all arrivals into the UK, thereby securing the country against the import of new strains and maximising the effectiveness of the country's vaccination programme'.

A Labour source told The Times: 'People are absolutely incredulous as to how the country is closed yet our borders are open.

'It doesn't make any sense. The Home Secretary can't credibly talk tough on borders and then leave us exposed to mutations.'

Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, said: 'Labour is giving every Conservative MP the chance to vote to end this mess and protect Britain against COVID-19 mutations.

'By testing and quarantining all arrivals, not just a few, we can help to protect vaccines against new strains. More dither and delay is unacceptable. The British people demand we protect our borders - we must act now.'

One Tory MP told The Times that the Government must adopt the same approach as New Zealand and Australia and introduce hotel quarantine for all arrivals.

They said: 'The government is dragging its feet. We're lucky our border starts at the white cliffs, they've protected Britain and the past and could protect us now. We need to learn from Australia and New Zealand and close our borders.'

Boris Johnson is under pressure from Tory MPs to extend the hotel quarantine policy amid fears it is not tough enough

A Conservative Party spokesman said: 'Labour have spent the entire pandemic flip flopping on border control, they wanted it introduced, and then they wanted it lessened. Keir Starmer himself attacked quarantine calling it a "blunt instrument".

'Throughout the pandemic we have taken firm action to protect our border and save lives.'

The 'red list' of banned countries covers all of South America, southern Africa and Portugal.

The cost of staying in a quarantine hotel has not yet been disclosed but the traveller will be expected to pay.
Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 3 mesi fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili.

The global Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube Market report offers a comprehensive analysis of current trends and future opportunities. This report is responsible for quantitative estimation and foreseen future for upcoming years based on the recent companies strategic moves and historical data. Further, the market report is categorized into different segments, regions, and countries level. This report also provides competitor analysis with its market share and developments.

The final report will cover the impact of COVID-19 on this industry.

The global Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube 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 2021 to 2026.

Click here to get a Sample PDF Copy of the Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-31737

According to this latest study, the 2020 growth of Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube will have significant changes from the previous year. By the most conservative estimates of global Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube market size (a most likely outcome) will be a year-over-year revenue growth rate of xx% in 2020, from US$ xx million in 2019. Over the next five years, the Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube market will register an xx% CAGR in terms of revenue, the global market size will reach US$ xx million by 2025.

This Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube 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 Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube market by type, application, key manufacturers, key regions, and countries.

The key manufacturers covered in this report: Breakdown data in Chapter 3.

Philips Lighting

Ledvance (MLS)

Shanghai Feilo Acoustics (Sylvania)

GE Lighting

FSL

Others

To inquire about report customization, feel free to reach out to our team of expert analysts @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/ask-questions-31737

This study considers the Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments:

Segmentation by type: breakdown data from 2016 to 2021, in Section 2.3; and forecast to 2026 in section 11.7.

T5

T8

Segmentation by application: breakdown data from 2016 to 2021, in Section 2.4; and forecast to 2026 in section 11.8.

1200

1500

600

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 Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-31737

Research Objectives

To study and analyze the global Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube consumption (value & volume) by key regions/countries, type and application, history data from 2016 to 2020, and forecast to 2026.

To understand the structure of the Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube market by identifying its various subsegments.

Focuses on the key global Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube 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 Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube 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 Fluorescent and LED T5 & T8 Tube 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/fluorescent-and-led-t5-t8-tube-market-study-by-observing-top-players-trends-forecast-till-2026/
A hiker who suffered serious head injuries in a Queensland national park has been identified as a female primary school teacher.

Emily Hutchinson, 31, a teacher at Weipa's Western Cape College, in Rocky Point, was transported from Stoney Creek Falls, in the Barron Gorge National Park.

She was pronounced dead on Sunday at Cairns Base Hospital.

A tragic start to the year for friends and relatives of 31-year-old primary school teacher Emily Hutchinson who died of head injuries sustained on a hike in the Barron Gorge National Park

Earlier that morning paramedics and emergency services had been dispatched after receiving a report of a female hiker who had fallen down a waterfall.

Police hiked for an hour along the Douglas track from the Barron Gorge car park to reach the injured hiker.

The rescue helicopter made numerous sweeps over the park to aid their search.

'She had suffered some pretty serious head injuries at the Barron Gorge,' a Queensland Police spokeswoman said'.

'Officers performed CPR at the scene'.

Early reports of the woman sustaining her injuries by falling down the waterfall were proven false once paramedics had communicated with her partner Ben Newman.

The spokesperson confirmed Ms Hutchinson had sustained her injuries at the bottom of the waterfall, after several boulders dislodged and hit her on the head.

The primary school teacher has been described by grieving friends as a 'beautiful, positive, gorgeous woman'.

The Cairns Post reported that Ms Hutchinson was just three days into her new role at a Port Douglas State school and was preparing to teach Year 5 and 6.

A touching tribute to the beloved teacher was prepared by the Port Douglas State Schools P&C committee who said the young woman was already admired and respected by peers and pupils alike.

A spokesman from the Department of Education said the school communities in Port Douglas and Weipa were 'deeply shocked and saddened' at the tragic loss.

Students and staff from both Ms Hutchinson's schools are being offered counselling to process the death of the 'vibrant, loving teacher'.

Queensland Police will be responsible for preparing a report for the coroner and will be supported by Queensland Parks and Wildlife.

Queensland Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances of the accident.

The beloved teacher fell down a waterfall in the national park and sustained her injuries when several boulders dislodged and hit her on the head, later passing at Cairns Base Hospital

The Queensland Police have launched an investigation into the tragic accident, while friends, family and school communities grieve the loss of the 'beautiful' and 'positive' primary teacher

Last week the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service cautioned hikers to remain conscious of the rise in creek and stream levels due to heavy rain.

Senior Ranger Rob Miller said, 'In many parts of the state, there has been heavy rainfall from the recent tropical cyclones Imogen and Kimi so visitors should be mindful of changed conditions'.

Earlier this month the Northern Parks and Forests Executive Director James Newman warned hikers not to swim in the parks waterways.

'Creek and stream conditions can change rapidly, with fast flowing and rapidly rising water causing strong currents, and at these times it's vital people stay safe and not enter the water'.
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
She has more than 30 years of experience in the biotech and high-tech industries, with roles at Juno Therapeutics, Genentech/Roche, and Ariba.

Juno was acquired by Celgene Corporation in 2018 for $11 billion.

Chimeric Therapeutics ( ) has appointed biotech industry veteran Cindy Elkins as a non-executive director.

Elkins brings more than 30 years of experience in the biotech and high tech industries, with roles at Juno Therapeutics, Genentech/Roche, and Ariba

She also sat on the board of directors and audit committee for global wellness and weight loss company Weight Watchers for five years and is currently board chair of The Foundation for Art & Healing whose signature initiative is The UnLonely Project.

Outstanding addition

Chimerics executive chairman Paul Hopper said: Cindy is an outstanding addition to Chimerics board of directors.

Her long and successful career with renowned pharma businesses, specifically in the CAR T sector, will prove invaluable as we look to develop and commercialise our CLTX-CAR T asset.

Chimerics CLTX-CAR T therapy, which uses a peptide derived from scorpion toxin to direct T cells to target glioblastoma (GBM), is currently being used in Phase 1 clinical trial at City of Hope to treat GBM.

Previous roles

Elkins experience includes her role as executive vice president and chief information officer at Juno

Therapeutics, one of the pioneers in CAR T technology focused on blood cancers.

Her role evolved into the head of global CAR T Patient Experience, responsible for connecting patients with their personalised medicine through world-leading service and technology.

She created Juno Therapeutics global CAR T patient experience, connecting patients with their personalised medicine through world-leading service and technology.

Before Juno, Elkins was vice-president of pharma informatics at Genentech/Roche, where she was instrumental in ensuring all technology systems/processes were ready as soon as the FDA approved new medicines such as Zelboraf, Gazyva, Cotellic and Tecentriq.

Prior to Genentech, she was VP and General Manager at Ariba, where she created the largest transacting B2B eCommerce network in the world.

CLTX-CAR T therapy

Chimeric Therapeutics is developing ground-breaking CAR-T cell therapies for solid tumours based on scientific research conducted by leading US CAR-T experts at the City of Hope (COH) Cancer Centre in Los Angeles.

The companys CLTX-CAR T therapy uses a peptide derived from scorpion toxin to direct T cells to target glioblastoma (GBM) - an aggressive form of brain cancer.

The treatment is being used in a Phase 1 clinical trial at COH to treat GBM where dosing of patients is underway, and the company is well funded and plans to conduct a patient study of 50 to 75 people following the completion of its phase one clinical trial.
100%

Website rubbisheatrubbishgrow.com uses latest and advanced technologies like: JQuery. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 415941 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 128930 bytes (125.91 kb uncompressed) and 27953 bytes (27.30 kb compressed).

This CoolSocial report was updated on 2021-02-01, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want.
The Senate's farcical impeachment trial of former president Trump is set to begin on February 9. Farcical or not, Trump is entitled to be represented by the attorney of his choice  a right inherent in every American called upon to face a judicial body in America. The Democrat party, however, no longer recognizes that right for Trump or anyone associated with him. Activists are working to destroy completely the two new attorneys who have stepped up to defend Trump.

Over the weekend, news broke that the attorneys Trump had lined up for his impeachment trial had quit. The problem was apparently over strategy:

CNN reported a person familiar with the departures as saying that the former president wanted the lawyers representing him to focus on his allegations of mass election fraud and that the election was stolen from him. The legal team reportedly intended to focus on the legality of convicting a president after they have left office.

Both sides make sense. As an attorney, if I have a clear shot at a procedural dismissal, I'm taking it. Forty-five Republican senators have already announced that they believe it's unconstitutional for the Senate to hold an impeachment trial for a private citizen.

The procedural argument is pretty clear, given that the Constitution holds that the Senate's authority "in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office" (Art. I, Sec. 3). Trump is already removed by operation of his having vacated the office so that Biden could enter. What we're seeing instead is a bill of attainder  namely, a legislative act deliberately targeting a private citizen. Article I, Sec. 9 states clearly that "[n]o Bill of Attainder ... shall be passed."

For his part, Trump, like all defendants who know themselves to be innocent, wants to make his case in court. Getting dismissed on procedural grounds leaves a cloud over his head. He understands that this is the last chance to get facts about election fraud before the American people. The Democrats are memory-holing the facts and saying any challenge to the election is seditious. It's now or never.

On Sunday afternoon, Donald Trump's office sent out an email notifying the world that he had hired new counsel for the impeachment: David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor, Jr.

Schoen represented Roger Stone. He also agrees with many Americans that Jeffrey Epstein did not kill himself. Schoen presumably has some insight into this matter because he represented Epstein shortly before Epstein was found hanged in his cell.

Bruce Castor's fame (at least for the left) rests on the fact that, in 2005, he did not prosecute Bill Cosby. Nowadays BLM means that all prosecutors would make the same choice. Go after a black man for rape? Never! Systemic racism.

Both men have had long and successful careers. Do you know how you can tell that they're good at what they do and have the potential to be effective? Democrats have gone after them, trying to destroy them personally and professionally in a way never seen in America. (Hat tip: The Gateway Pundit.)

2/ As a result, it is reported that Boston College Law School, Columbia University Law School, Washington & Lee University are already facing calls from wealthy Democratic alumni to withdraw Schoen and Castor's law degrees.  Alexander Muse (@amuse) January 31, 2021

4/ The Scottish Rite is also under pressure to expel Castor, a 33rd Degree Mason, from their ranks. Even his church, Abington Presbyterian Church, is being asked to ex-communicate the lawyer.  Alexander Muse (@amuse) January 31, 2021

6/ Every American deserves a vigorous and robust defense. The effort by Democrats and the disgraced Lincoln Project is an assault on our Democracy.  Alexander Muse (@amuse) January 31, 2021

8/ IRONY ALERT: The president Democrats called a racist and a Nazi is being represented by a Democratic Jewish civil rights lawyer from Alabama who is on the board of the ACLU? There are actually honorable Democrats...  Alexander Muse (@amuse) February 1, 2021

I attended law school in Texas, back when the school was fairly conservative. A lot of my first-year classmates in Criminal Law found repugnant the idea that loathsome people, including people who were indubitably guilty of heinous crimes, deserved a lawyer.

I've never forgotten what my professor's response was to that attitude: no one should ever have to face the vast power of the government, which ultimately functions as judge, jury, and executioner, and that handles criminal matters day in and day out, without having a friend at his side.

Back in the day, that was a liberal viewpoint. It was also then, and still is now, absolutely correct. When facing the Senate, President Trump, like every other citizen, deserves a friend at his side. For Americans to penalize those people willing to step up and help the unloved, unpopular, or even the evil (which is how Democrats view Trump) is to destroy one of the most important bulwarks of a free, civil 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.


Pre-drilling geophysics commences at the Samphire Project

Brisbane, Feb 1, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Alligator Energy ( ASX:AGE ) has today commenced its first planned exploration work on the Samphire Uranium Project near Whyalla, South Australia. Alligator completed the acquisition of Samphire in October 2020.Historic geophysical data acquired by Samphire Uranium has been interpreted to delineate paleaochannels which host the Blackbush deposit and generate a coarse resolution map of critical mineralisation-controlling basement structural architecture.The Company's geologists are currently undertaking a trial high resolution non-invasive ground magnetics survey to determine the techniques' effectiveness in further refining mineralisation controls allowing targeted investigations into high-grade uranium relating to basement structures.Additionally, building upon a trial passive seismic survey completed by Samphire Uranium in 2019 which successfully mapped channel architecture and underlying basement structures, the benefits of a further passive seismic program is being assessed by Alligator to assist with targeting of additional high-grade zones within the known deposit areas.The combined geophysics investigations will assist to refine the planned drilling locations for the exploration Program for Environment Protection and Rehabilitation (PEPR) which the company is preparing for approval by the SA Department for Energy and Mining (DEM). This will enable drilling planning and commitments to get underway.Part of the future work being planned will be sonic core drilling to obtain fresh core samples of mineralisation for updated uranium extraction and process recovery test work through ANSTO. This follows the findings of the desktop study undertaken by Inception Consulting Engineers and announced to the market on 16 December 2020.Refer to the Company's Quarterly Report (released 28 January 2021) for further detail.Greg Hall, Alligator CEO said "We are pleased to be commencing Alligator's exploration work at Samphire with this non-invasive geophysics technique, which will enhance our knowledge of the basement structures that potentially delineate higher grade zones, and allow us to plan our near term drilling accordingly.The Samphire project represents an exciting opportunity for Alligator within an improving uranium market for a timely potential future development."To view tables and figures, please visit:About Alligator Energy Ltd

Alligator Energy Ltd (ASX:AGE) is an Australian, ASX-listed, exploration company focused on uranium and energy related minerals, principally cobalt-nickel.

Alligator's Directors have significant experience in the exploration, development and operations of both uranium and nickel projects (both laterites and sulphides).
In this Jan. 20, 2021, file photo, Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the United States by Chief Justice John Roberts as Jill Biden holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting Biden swore on a Masonic/Illuminati Bible during his inauguration. It is a Douay-Rheims Bible, an English translation of a Latin Bible, which has been in the Biden family since the 1890s. Robert Miller, professor of biblical studies at The Catholic University of America, says, Nothing even vaguely Masonic would have been anywhere near these Bibles.  Same thing for the Illuminati, to the extent that such a thing existed: repeatedly condemned by the Popes and certainly coming nowhere into contact with Catholic Bibles.
The UK Government has ordered an extra 40million doses of Valneva's coronavirus vaccine, taking its total to 100million doses.

The original order of 60million doses isn't expected to be delivered until the second half of 2021. But the new order won't be delivered until 2022.

It's likely that most or all adults in Britain will already have had one of the other Covid vaccines by the time this one is ready. But infectious disease experts say people may need re-vaccinating in future  like what happens against the flu each winter  and the UK may also export to other countries.

Britain has now ordered a total of 407million doses of Covid vaccines  enough to give the entire population, including children, six doses each.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng claimed the stockpile was enough to 'protect the British public in 2021 and beyond'.

Valneva's two-dose jab  which is already being manufactured in Scotland  is the first of its kind to be developed in the West and is an 'inactivated whole virus vaccine', meaning it works by injecting people with a destroyed version of the real coronavirus.

This allows the immune system to train itself to attack the actual virus, without the risk of it actually causing an infection.

Valneva has already begun manufacturing its Covid-19 vaccine at its facility in Scotland even though the jab hasn't finished clinical trials yet

The Government confirmed this morning that it had signed a deal to almost double its initial order for 60million doses of the jab.

It is not clear exactly why the Government has ordered the surplus, with its original order already enough to vaccinate half the country and the possibility of 200million more doses becoming available first.

The fact it is being manufactured in Scotland may have swayed the decision in the wake of a blazing row between the European Union and British firm AstraZeneca last week, which saw countries get protective over vaccine imports and exports.

Having a huge back-order of vaccines due to be manufactured in Britain would strengthen its position in the case of any international feuds in future.

Valneva is manufacturing the vaccine in Livingston, Scotland, where it expects to be able to make 250million doses per year when fully operational.

Of the UK's doses, 60million are expected this year and the remaining 40m will be delivered next year, the Department of Health said.

ALL CARE HOME RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN OFFERED JABS AS ROLL-OUT STEAMS AHEAD Every elderly care home resident across England has now been offered their first Covid vaccination, with Boris Johnson promising to continue the 'acceleration' of the programme across the country. NHS England said people living at more than 10,000 eligible care homes with older residents had been offered the jab as almost 600,000 coronavirus vaccines were given out in Britain - a daily record. Care home residents were the top priority group for the UK because they are most at risk of dying if they catch Covid-19. The Government will announce today that the care home milestone, which it promised to reach by the end of January, has been achieved in the nick of time. A small number of homes had visits deferred for safety reasons during a local outbreak but would be visited as soon as it was safe for NHS staff to do so, a spokesman for NHS England said. Nine in 10 people over 80 have received their first jab, along with three quarters of people aged 75 to 79, the figures show. People in their 60s are expected to start receiving invitations for jab in the next few weeks as the rollout continues to gather pace. Care UK, one of the largest care home chains, said that all but one of its 124 homes had already been visited by vaccination teams. It said that about 85 per cent of residents had received the first dose of the vaccine but it was expecting the proportion to rise once it received updated figures. Advertisement

The jab is being made ahead of time before clinical trials have proven how well it works, in order for supplies to be available as soon as possible when the study is complete.

Results from its second phase of testing, usually done on a few thousand people to test immune system reactions and safety, are expected in April.

All the other vaccine candidates ordered by Britain have so far been successful, with efficacy rates in trials suggesting they are between 62 and 95 per cent effective at preventing Covid-19.

A total of nine million people have received the first dose of a jab so far.

And last week brought two huge boosts to the programme when Novavax and Janssen both revealed their vaccines had been successful in clinical trials.

Both are expected to submit trial results to the regulator, MHRA, in the coming weeks and could add another 90million doses to Britain's catalogue.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: 'This latest deal is yet another weapon in our national arsenal against this terrible disease, and will ensure we have sufficient supplies to protect the British public in 2021 and beyond.

'Backed with major investment from the UK Government, Valneva's site in Scotland will be a vaccine production powerhouse, working flat out to ensure we can quickly deploy jabs across the UK if their candidate is approved, while supporting top quality, local jobs.

'Thanks to our incredible UK Vaccine Taskforce, we have now secured a bumper portfolio of over 400 million vaccines, putting our country in an exceptionally strong position to defeat this virus once and for all.'

By using an inactivated whole virus, the vaccine works by exposing the body to the coronavirus in a low-risk way so that it can work out how to attack it in case the person gets infected with the real virus in future.

When it sees the virus, the body can send white blood cells and proteins called antibodies to work out the specific response it needs to destroy it before illness develops.

If the virus was alive there is a risk it could spread too fast and get too deep into the body for the immune system to do this before the body could stop it.

A dead version, however, gives the immune system the same blueprint to mount its response  and remember it for the future  without the virus being able to multiply and outrun it.

The technology is already used in vaccines to treat seasonal flu, hepatitis A, polio and rabies.

None of this type have yet been developed for Covid in Europe, but jabs developed by Chinese companies Sinovac and Sinopharm, and India's Bharat Biotech, which have all been approved for emergency use in their countries, are also inactivated vaccines.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: 'The Valneva vaccine showcases the best of Scottish expertise right at the heart of our UK vaccine endeavour, demonstrating the strength of our union and what the UK can achieve when it works together.

'If the vaccine is authorised by the health regulator, it will be rolled out across the four nations as quickly as possible.'

If it is approved, 60million doses could start to be delivered to the UK by the second half of 2021.

If all goes according to plan, the city will complete a 1.8-mile trail linkage connecting the Leon Creek and Salado Creek greenways by this summer, providing more than 40 miles of continuous paved hike-and-bike paths.

The greenway network, with about 70 miles completed and nearly 40 more in design, construction or land acquisition phases, has been in development since 2000 to promote recreation and protection of watersheds that flow into the San Antonio River. The east-west connection will be a major milestone for the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trails System.

Greg Hammer, chairman of the Linear Creekway Parks Advisory Board, said he would like to have a community celebration to dedicate the linkage.

Cyclists and trail enthusiasts have been worried about future funding to expand the system to its fully envisioned length of 180 miles. Renewal of a 1/8-cent local sales tax that has been used to fund the trails was left off the ballot in November, to provide instead for other uses approved by voters: pandemic-related economic recovery and expansion of VIA Metropolitan Transit bus service.

On ExpressNews.com: Bexar County affirms support for creek trails

Officials believe tax revenue for greenways will dry up in mid-2022, with at least 70 more miles left to be built. But for now, the system is still growing. Plans are in the works to rename a Leon Creek trailhead after a parks advocate who died from the coronavirus.

The Parks and Recreation Department wants to rename the Military Drive Trailhead after Aurora Dora Jordan, an energetic, 32-year parks employee and special events coordinator. Jordan, who retired in 2006, died July 12.

Jordan had organized the citys New Years Eve celebrations, JazzSAlive festivals and park dedications, and she was a mentor to other Mexican American women. She encouraged them to apply for better jobs, speak up for themselves and persevere in working their way up through the organization, as she had done, the city said in a news release.

The department will discuss the renaming at a virtual board meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Brandon Ross, special projects manager for the linear parks program, said the linkage between the Salado and Leon Creek trails, running from Northwest Military Highway to the Rim shopping center will be completed by this summer.

The latest mile-long section of the Salado, which opened in late December, offers a stunning view of a now-abandoned Martin Marietta quarry and ends by the Eisenhower Park entrance.

Other projects along Salado Creek include a large East Commerce Street trailhead, set for completion in the spring, and an extension from South Side Lions Park to S.E. Military Drive, with construction set to begin in April, Ross said.

The city also is working on a Salado linkage by Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston and is in the design phase on a -mile extension from S.E. Military to serve the Monte Viejo neighborhood.

On Leon Creek, crews are building a 1.9-mile extension from Levi Strauss Park to JBSA-Lackland, set for completion by early 2022. A 1.3-mile linkage along French Creek, from the greenway to Nani Falcone Park and set for completion by early 2022, also is under construction.

The 0.7-mile Maverick Creek Greenway off Leon Creek, near UTSA Boulevard, is expected to open in the spring. It will link to a wheelchair-accessible park named after affordable housing developer Dan Markson, who died in 2019.

Meanwhile, the city of Leon Valley is looking at possible funding for a trail extension along Huebner Creek that could ultimately link to Rimkus Park and branch farther to the South Texas Medical Center, Ross said.

Trails along West Side creeks also are under construction, including a 1.5-mile section along Zarzamora Creek from Alderete Park to General McMullen Drive, set for completion this summer, and a 2.8-mile stretch along Alazan Creek from Lombrano Street to the Apache Creek confluence, to open in spring 2022.

On the South Side, the greenway trails system includes the Medina River Greenway, with connections to the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River, and a trail extending south along the Leon from Pearsall Park.

Greenway boosters are hopeful that Bexar County will fund an additional 26 miles of trails over the next decade. County officials have said the Commissioners Court could take action as early as April, depending on the pandemics effect on the countys tax revenues.

The San Antonio River Authority has proposed eight trail projects, estimated to cost $83.5 million, including an 8-mile extension along the Salado to connect to the Mission Reach, at $25 million.

Three other projects would together add 9 miles of trails along Leon Creek to connect with existing trails, parks and the Salado greenway at a cost of $28 million.

The trails have been popular with cyclists, runners and walkers, and they have remained open even when parks were closed on holiday weekends during the pandemic. But Ross said there have been anecdotal reports of occasional accidents, and some complaints.

Walkers and runners have right of way on the trails and are encouraged to stay to the right so cyclists can pass on the left. A speed limit of 15 mph is posted.

On ExpressNews.com: Future funding for greenways is tenuous

Yet there have been complaints on both sides about some people not following rules, along with problems at blind curves on the system. Ross mentioned a spot on the Salado, north of Los Patios, with a curve and retaining wall, and a similar site on the Leon near UTSA, where mirrors mounted to enhance visibility have been stolen three times.

Ross mentioned that he and parks staff will sift through results from a recent online trail user survey that generated 3,500 responses, on safety and other user priorities, and will report a summary to the board.

Hammer said the city should continue to promote public education on trail safety and etiquette. He also was hopeful that President Joe Bidens administration will support transportation enhancements, funded with federal dollars and distributed through states and local metropolitan planning organizations, for trails, as an alternative to roads.

So keep your ear to the ground, staff and other folks, for any potential transportation enhancement-style funding being packaged into the big infrastructure plans and projects that are hopefully forthcoming, he said.

shuddleston@express-news.net
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 13:25:04|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

Photo taken on Feb. 1, 2021 shows a resting place for federal parliamentarians blocked by the military in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) had been detained by the military early on Monday. Meanwhile, the Myanmar President's Office declared a state of emergency which will last for one year. The declaration signed by First Vice President U Myint Swe, who is serving as the acting president, was announced on the military-owned Myawady TV. The state power will be handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Min Aung Hlaing, the TV said in a statement. (Photo by U Soe/Xinhua)

YANGON, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Win Myint and other senior officials have been detained by the military, Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), told Xinhua.

"I received internal reports about our state counsellor and president being taken by the military. As far as I was informed, Shan State's Planning and Finance Minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin, Kayah state's NLD chairman Thaung Htay and some NLD representatives of the Ayeyarwady region's parliament have been detained," the spokesperson said.

"Two members of Central Executive Committee of the party were taken and I am also waiting to be detained as I was informed by our members that my turn will come shortly," he said.

The Myanmar President's Office declared a state of emergency which will last for one year.

The declaration signed by First Vice President U Myint Swe, who is serving as the acting president, was announced on the military-owned Myawaddy TV.

The state power will be handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services Min Aung Hlaing, the TV said in a statement.

"The President shall declare the transferring of legislative, executive and judicial powers of the Union to the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services to enable him to carry out necessary measures to speedily restore its original situation in the Union," the Section 418 (a) of the Constitution said.

The legislative functions of all parliaments and leading bodies will be suspended from the day of declaration, it said.

According to reports, the Myanmar military have taken control of multiple governments and parliaments in many parts of Myanmar. Telecommunications in capital city of Nay Pyi Taw and some other regions and states had also been cut off.

In Myanmar's largest city of Yangon, the city hall building has been controlled by the military, and military personnel could be seen sitting inside the gate holding guns. On Yangon streets, Xinhua reporters could see that locals were generally calm and some of them were talking about the detention.

The state-run Radio and Television (MRTV) said on its social media that it was no longer working on Monday morning.

The military said that there was massive voting fraud in the parliamentary elections in November last year, and demanded postponement of new parliamentary sessions. The Union Election Commission last week dismissed the allegations.

The first regular session of the new parliament sessions was scheduled to begin with convening the House of Representatives on Monday, the House of Nationalities on Tuesday and the Union Parliamentary session on Feb. 5.

The upcoming parliamentary sessions will elect speakers for both houses of the parliament, form parliamentary committees, and elect the president and vice presidents of Myanmar.

Myanmar held multi-party general elections on Nov. 8 last year and the ruling NLD won the majority of seats in both houses of the Union Parliament. 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.
A young Ballymena boy who appears in new film Nowhere Special has been hailed as the next Marlon Brando by his famous co-star.

Daniel Lamont, who is now six, plays alongside actor James Norton in the movie about a dying single father preparing his young son for a life without him.

Norton, known for roles in Grantchester and Happy Valley, praised Daniel as an "absolute inspiration" in his role as Michael, the son of his character John.

He predicted the youngster will go far.

"If I knew exactly what Daniel's magic was and could put it into words and replicate it, then I'd be sorted - as an actor and as a human being," Norton said in a behind-the-scenes video revealed by the Daily Mail.

The star, who walked the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival last year with Daniel on his shoulders, said he was impressed by the boy's professionalism.

"All the time leading up to the movie and the whole time of the movie... I've not seen Daniel shed one tear," he said.

"I've not seen him lose his patience, I've not really seen him act like a child. He's just been a very mature but joyful presence.

"He can be bouncing around, throwing sticks and balls, and then they call 'action' and he just goes into his self and he centres and he finds Michael, and he becomes this very thoughtful, quite sombre child.

"It's amazing, it's inspirational. I've never had an experience like it on a film set."

Daniel won his part in the film at the age of four after his mother Kasia responded to an open casting-call on Facebook. Her son was selected by director Uberto Pasolini, who also wrote the film and co-produced it along with Chris Martin.

Expand Close James Norton with Daniel Lamont in Nowhere Special / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp James Norton with Daniel Lamont in Nowhere Special

Norton visited their home in Ballymena for dinner to meet Daniel, his father Geoffrey and older sister Erin.

In the video Norton asks the youngster what the audience can expect from the film, to which Daniel replies: "Some bits are sad and some bits are happy."

Norton says: "It's been an amazing shoot, a total privilege and a complete eye-opener for me to work with a four-year-old who is the future Marlon Brando."

In the same video Daniel says: "Working with James is fun - he does funny faces.

"James helps me with my lines."

Daniel's mum said she was "stunned" by how her son was "able to focus extremely well".

But she said his film career is not his family's first priority, adding that while he enjoyed the experience and took to acting "very naturally" despite having only appeared in a playschool production, the possibility of future roles would require consideration.

"We'd have to think about it very carefully if something else came up," she said.

"Above all, we want him to have a happy childhood and to enjoy his life."
In an Explosion in an apartment house in Austria, a resident is killed, five more were injured. The body was recovered on Friday evening as the fire Department reported. The cause of the Explosion in Langenzersdorf, near Vienna, the evening was still unclear. Investigators started from a gas explosion.

The upper floor of the house was partially ripped off. In addition, a fire broke out. Apartments on the third and fourth floors were devastated, according to the fire Department completely. Around 150 emergency workers were fighting the fire. A tenant was rescued with a ladder unharmed from the house. The area was spacious locked.

Updated Date: 31 January 2021, 23:19
RTHK: Almost 5,000 held as Russian police get tough

Police detained more than 4,800 people across Russia and blocked off the centre of Moscow on Sunday in a massive clampdown on protests demanding the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Thousands of protesters defied government warnings to rally from Vladivostok to Saint Petersburg in a second weekend of mass demonstrations over the arrest of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent opponent.

Navalny was detained at a Moscow airport in mid-January after flying back to Russia from Germany where he was recovering from an August poisoning he blames on the Kremlin.

The 44-year-old anti-corruption campaigner is being held in a Moscow detention centre and faces years of potential jail time in several different criminal cases, despite calls from Western governments for his release.

In moves not seen for years in Moscow, authorities locked down the centre of the capital Sunday, with hundreds of police lining the streets, central Metro stations closed and restrictions on the movements of pedestrians.

Protesters who had hoped to gather outside the headquarters of the FSB security service were instead scattered to various parts of the city as organisers made last-minute changes in locations.

Journalists saw dozens of protesters detained and taken into police vans.

Several thousand were seen marching throughout the city centre, but it was unclear amid the chaos how many people took part in the demonstration.

Independent monitor OVD-Info said at least 4,818 people had been detained across the country, after reporting more than 4,000 detentions during similar protests on January 23.

It said at least 1,365 were detained in Moscow and 962 in Saint Petersburg, as well as 82 journalists across the country.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Twitter condemned "the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight".

The Russian foreign ministry hit back, accusing the United States of "gross interference" in its affairs and of using "online platforms controlled by Washington" to promote the protests. (AFP)

______________________________

Last updated: 2021-02-01 HKT 09:14

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Shimla, Feb 1 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Monday hailed the Union Budget 2021. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented a Budget to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the people.

"The Union Budget is for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and have taken care of every section of the society," Thakur said in a tweet.

The Budget adopted a holistic approach towards healthcare, he added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Former US president has announced his legal defence team for his Senate impeachment trial which is scheduled to begin on February 8.

Trump became the first president in the US history to be impeached twice when 10 of his fellow Republican Congressmen joined Democrats in the House of Representatives on January 13 to charge him with inciting an unprecedented insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6.

The Democrats need two-thirds of the vote for the Senate impeachment. If convicted, he could face being barred from ever holding office again.

Trump is the first US president facing an impeachment trial after he left the presidency. This is for the second time in about a year that he is likely to be acquitted by the Senate, as the Democrats do not have enough votes.

Currently, both the Democrats and the Republicans have 50 members each in the 100-seat Senate. The Democrats need the support of at least 17 Republican Senators to reach the two-thirds majority mark.

Trial lawyers David Schoen and Bruce L Castor Jr will head Trump's impeachment defence legal team, bringing national profiles and significant trial experience in high-profile cases to the effort, according to a statement issued by the office of former president Trump.

Notably, Schoen has already been working with Trump and other advisors to prepare for the upcoming trial, and both Schoen and Castor agree that this impeachment is unconstitutional - a fact 45 Senators voted in agreement last week, the statement said.

It is an honour to represent the 45th President, Donald J Trump, and the United States Constitution, said Schoen.

Castor said: I consider it a privilege to represent the 45th President. The strength of our Constitution is about to be tested like never before in our history. It is strong and resilient. A document written for the ages, and it will triumph over partisanship yet again, and always.

Last month, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the United States Senate would begin the impeachment trial of former president Trump on February 8.

In a bipartisan vote on January 13, the Democratic-controlled House impeached 74-year-old Trump for "incitement of insurrection" for his actions on January 6, when he delivered a speech inciting his supporters to storm the US Capitol.

The violence temporarily halted the counting of Electoral College votes and resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including a police officer.

(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.)
[February 01, 2021] Athena Cyber Security Ltd. and Blue Ridge Networks Partner to Provide Global Industry-Leading Cybersecurity in United Kingdom

CHANTILLY, Va., Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Ridge Networks and Athena Cyber Security Ltd today announced that the two companies have established an alliance to provide proven endpoint and critical infrastructure cybersecurity solutions for United Kingdom's private and public sectors. Blue Ridge Networks' solutions are currently deployed by high profile government agencies and private entities in more than 120 countries. As part of this alliance, Blue Ridge Networks will provide Athena Security Ltd. with its core products AppGuard and LinkGuard. The introduction of these proven products will offer unpecedented protection against cyberattacks for Athena Security customers in the United Kingdom.



"Our suite of network infrastructure, remote access and endpoint cybersecurity solutions have been trusted to prevent cyberattacks and eliminate vulnerabilities for more than 20 years without experiencing one reported breach," said Maureen Gray, Chief Operating Officer of Blue Ridge Networks. "We are proud to partner with Athena Cyber Security Ltd. and provide its customers with advanced solutions to protect against the increasing volume and sophistication of cyber threats." "Cybersecurity needs are evolving very rapidly, and our alliance with Blue Ridge Networks is a clear indication of our dedication to providing clients with Industry leading, best-in-class cyber security solutions," Andrew Tyler-Holland (CEO) from Athena. "We are true believers in the AppGuard and LinkGuard 'Zero Trust' preventative solutions and we look forward to representing Blue Ridge Networks in the United Kingdom. ACS Ltd. will continue to work with our suppliers and clients to deliver safe, secure and trusted solutions to reinforce our dedicated commitment to their security needs."

ABOUT BLUE RIDGE NETWORKS, Inc.

Blue Ridge Networks is a proven cybersecurity isolation and containment technology innovator delivering network segmentation, remote access, and endpoint cybersecurity solutions that eliminate vulnerabilities to critical network infrastructure and prevent exfiltration of mission critical data. The company has successfully provided resilient, scalable, and affordable cybersecurity systems, software, and managed services for over 20 years, protecting critical operations of its government and enterprise customers with no reported breaches of its technologies  ever. ABOUT ATHENA CYBER SECURITY Ltd.

ACS Ltd. has a board and operatives made up of skilled CTO's, CIO's and technical engineers from within the NHS and private sector. We are proud of our product partners and their product capabilities. ACS have derived various solutions to cope with the everchanging requirements for a secure cyber posture. We successfully provide solutions, managed services and architecture to many NHS trusts and the private sector verticals. With our core focus within the UK health sector, we very much keep our committed vision of patient care and protection at the heart of everything we do. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/athena-cyber-security-ltd-and-blue-ridge-networks-partner-to-provide-global-industry-leading-cybersecurity-in-united-kingdom-301218670.html SOURCE Blue Ridge Networks

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
South Africa: First 1 million vaccines arrive in SA

South Africa has officially received its first shipment of one million Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

The Emirates cargo carrying the first batch of the lifesaving jabs from India touched down at OR Tambo International Airport on Monday afternoon.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, together with his Deputy David Mabuza, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Vaccines, witnessed the momentous occasion.

Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, flanked the two leaders.

Plastic-wrapped bundles of the in-demand vaccine were off-loaded from the plane into the unmarked refrigerated trucks.

The jabs were then transported to a cold room lab where they will undergo quality checks, which may take between 10 and 14 days.

This is before government can kick start its three-phase mass inoculation campaign where healthcare workers are first in line to receive the jab in the next coming weeks.

Clad in a reflective safety vest, President Ramaphosa accepted the receipt of the vaccine, which was met by cheers and applause from his delegation, before his official convoy whisked him away.

South Africa procured 1.5 million vaccines from the Serum Institute of India (SII), licensed to produce a vaccine that has been developed by the multinational pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca, in collaboration with the University of Oxford.

The second batch is scheduled to arrive later in the month.

According to government, Biovac will play an important role in the quality assurance, warehousing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

President Ramaphosa has described the consignment as the start of the vaccine rollout, which he describes as the largest and most complex logistical vaccine undertaking in South Africas history.

The scale of delivery is unprecedented in terms of the number of people who have to be reached within a short space of time.

Government said the goal of the vaccination programme is to achieve immunity across the population.

The State aims to vaccinate 40 million South Africans to ensure that the population has the immunity it needs to fight COVID-19, which has already claimed over 44 000 lives in the country.

Vaccination phases

The first phase of this rollout programme will prioritise around 1.2 million frontline health workers.

Meanwhile, government is coordinating the vaccine programme through the committee chaired by Deputy President Mabuza, which is focused on procurement, distribution, actual vaccination, monitoring, communication and mobilisation.

In an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Mkhize said government will not announce every step of its plans.

However, just to say that were going to give these doses as the first dose to everybody. So, up to 1.5 million people must get those doses before theyre even finished well have enough vaccines to cover the second dose and then well move to the next level.

Mkhize said the second phase will last for about six months.

Actually, were trying to overlap the phases, so that even by the end of the three months, were able to start on the next group of frontline workers, teachers, police, taxi drivers, social workers, and municipal workers - everyone who works in the setting where they could be sitting and serving the community and someone could unknowingly infect them.

He told the news channel that this group includes those living with underlying health conditions, such as HIV and tuberculosis.

The Health Department has estimated that there are about 16 million people in this category.

Thereafter, inoculation will be open to every South African.

But this is to say those whove got a risk of getting infection must be attended to first because this is a fair distribution. The elderly will come on the second category and that will hopefully come earlier, he added.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2021-02-01. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

A body has been found in the search for a young woman who went missing while snorkelling at Altona beach on Saturday.

The 20-year-old, from Ashwood in Melbournes east, was in the water with friends about 100 metres from shore when she disappeared from view while near the pier on Saturday about 11.15am.

Divers enter the water on the third day of a search for a missing snorkeller. Credit:Jason South

A search, involving specialist divers, water police and the air wing, was launched on Saturday and continued on Monday morning.

A body was recovered from the water about 10.30am.
The company's Venn Life Sciences arm will work with Carna Biosciences to the end of the year

( ) said its Venn Life Sciences drug development consultancy arm has extended its contract with client Carna Biosciences to the end of the year.

The extension is expected to deliver significant revenue for Venn over the next twelve months, investors were told.

Venns office in Breda, the Netherlands, will provide chemistry, manufacturing and control, non-clinical, clinical and regulatory consultancy services for two of Carnas development programmes.

"The extension of this contract further demonstrates our ability to collaborate successfully with our clients and provide a service that results in repeat business, said Open Orphan chairman, Cathal Friel in a statement.

Venn and Carna have built up a good working relationship over a period of several years where both parties closely collaborated on drug development planning and its execution through consultancy services contracts. We look forward to delivering this contract for Carna in the year ahead."
Edwin Poots has stepped down as Minister for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to facilitate surgery and recuperation.

The announcement on Monday evening was made by the DUP.

The Lagan Valley MLA was diagnosed with kidney cancer while in hospital at the start of last December for emergency surgery after developing appendicitis.

His diagnosis was revealed last month.

DUP Leader and First Minister Arlene Foster has now written to the Northern Ireland Assembly Speaker and nominated Gordon Lyons MLA to fill in for Mr Poots as DAERA minister.

Mrs Foster has also informed the Speaker that Foyle MLA Gary Middleton will take on the responsibilities of Junior Minister in the Office of the First Minister.

She said: We give Edwin our best wishes and assure him and his family of our prayers.

"This is a temporary change, and we look forward to having Edwin back at work, having made a full recovery.

Mr Poots is one of 400 cancer patients in Northern Ireland whose potentially life-saving operations have been postponed since January as a result of the crisis currently facing the health service.

He has said he had not ruled out turning to the private sector for surgery that may ultimately save his life, adding that while he believes the NHS should be free to everyone at the point of contact, he was not prepared to die for a political ideology.
NEW YORK, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SEO Image had been rated a top SEO company since its inception in 2002. Numerous portals have featured them in their Top 10 lists and usually within the Top 5 US Based companies. January 2021 is no exception. SEO Image was ranked a Top 5 SEO and Reputation Management company by WebDesignRankings.com and FindBestSEO.com, not to mention FindBestSEO.com rated SEO Image as a Top 3 Reputation Management Company for 2020.

SEO Image Rated Best Reputation Management Service (PRNewsfoto/SEO Image)

"New York, the fifth most entrepreneurial state in the US, is big on small businesses going online. The competition is tough, and if you want to earn a spot on Google's first page, you need a reliable SEO provider," says SEOTribunal.com.

"We help individuals, small businesses, and enterprise level brands recreate their image and brand to exceed expectation and improve their overall image," SEO Image CEO Alan Rabinowitz noted. "We believe that a positive Reputation Management strategy combined with cutting-edge organic SEO services is the best solution to reinventing brands."

SEO Image has been a noted and award-wining leader of Online Reputation Management services. SEO Image is well-known and respected SEO company based in NYC. They are constantly featured as one of the Best SEO companies in the world. Numerous top portals have rated SEO Image as one of the Top SEO companies nationwide including TopSEOs, Clutch, The Manifest, 10BestSEOs, WebDesignRankings, PromotionWorld, and so many more.

As a resource for industry information, SEO Image has been called upon by reporters to discuss topics that help business and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, and NBC News. SEO Image has helped 1000s of New York businesses as they developed webinars for the BBB of Metro NY to discuss online reputation management. SEO Image has also trained the entire writing department of ALM, and Law.com and their hundreds of legal writers.

"With decades of SEO experience, our marketing services promote what is special about a business and we market that specialness to produce amazing," Rabinowitz continued. "Our clients stay with us for years not months, we recently put a company into the Inc 5000 list solely from using our Internet Marketing services to drive them in leads."

About SEO Image, Inc.

A NYC SEO Company, specializing in Online Reputation Management, SEO Services, Social Media, and Web Design services. SEO Image, Inc. is dedicated to its clients' success and visibility. SEO Image produces effective online results that will increase client conversions and sales through idea-based marketing strategies. https://seoimage.com/

Contact:

Alan Rabinowitz

8887362667

[email protected]

SOURCE SEO Image
Colorado Springs, CO (80903)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 73F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Variable clouds with scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low around 50F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
California prison officials and medical staff sparked a public health disaster with their botched handling of prisoner transfers to San Quentin and Corcoran state prisons last year, the states Office of Inspector General said in a blistering report Monday.

Prison operators also failed to contain the disaster after inmates starting falling sick from coronavirus infections, the report said. The OIG is responsible for oversight and monitoring of the states correctional system.

The 60-page report said executives from California Correctional Health Care Services pressured officials at the California Institute for Men in Chino to rush the medical screenings of 189 incarcerated people before transferring them to Corcoran State Prison and San Quentin State Prison.

The report examined the transfers of 189 medically vulnerable inmates from the California Institute for Men in Chino in May, when that prison was experiencing a widespread COVID-19 outbreak. The department transferred 67 people to Corcoran (Kings County) on May 28 and May 29, and 122 people to San Quentin on May 30.

Within weeks, people transferred in both groups started testing positive for the virus. The outbreak at San Quentin was especially dire: of 122 inmates sent there, 91 ultimately tested positive. Two died of complications from COVID-19, the report said.

During the transfers, packed buses did not allow for distancing, the report found, and once an outbreak started at San Quentin, the prison was not equipped to quarantine prisoners or trace their contacts.

The report said that efforts by prison officials to prepare for and execute the transfers were deeply flawed and risked the health and lives of medically vulnerable incarcerated persons ... as well as the thousands of other incarcerated persons and staff at Corcoran and San Quentin.

In a joint statement on Monday, prison operators and prison health officials said the transfers were done with the intent to mitigate potential harm to inmates from COVID-19, and were based on scientific information they had at the time.

We have acknowledged some mistakes were made in the process of these transfers, and both (state corrections officials and prison health administrators) have made appropriate changes to patient moving since that time, the statement said. These changes include increased testing, the use of designated isolation and quarantine spaces, and the enhanced use of personal protective equipment when indicated.

Of the 189 prisoners, 172 were not tested for the coronavirus for at least two weeks before they were moved, the report found.

The decision to transfer the medically vulnerable incarcerated persons despite such outdated test results was not simply an oversight, but a conscious decision made by prison and CCHCS executives, the report said.

Prison nurses warned superiors about the outdated test results before the transfers, according to the report. In a May 27 email to an unnamed medical executive at the California Institute for Men, a nurse asked whether there was a procedure to retest prisoners with outdated results.

No reswabing (sic), the executive replied.

Some inmates told the OIG that others displayed symptoms of the virus during the bus ride.

The OIG obtained emails showing prison health executives ignored directives that limited capacity on the buses to 19 people  half of the typical capacity. In an email, one unnamed CCHCS medical executive said, We would be OK with a larger group with face coverings.

The benefit of a more rapid move in this specific situation appears to outweigh the risks, the medical executive said.

Concerns about the medical conditions of the inmates started soon after their arrivals.

San Quentin nursing staff immediately noticed two people who were transferred had symptoms of COVID-19. Prison health officials put the symptomatic inmates in cells with solid doors, but the rest were placed in units without solid doors, which allowed air to flow freely between cells, the report said.

Likely because the unit did not allow for the proper quarantining of those incarcerated persons, the virus spread quickly, both to the other incarcerated persons who transferred from the California Institute for Men, as well as to the 202 other incarcerated persons housed in the same unit, the report said.

In total, 28 people incarcerated at San Quentin and one staff member have died from complications of COVID-19.

The outbreak at Corcoran, the report said, was less severe, which the OIG attributed to the facility being a modern prison with a design better suited for quarantining and isolating prisoners. Officials there were able to place all incoming prisoners in cells with solid doors. Only two of the 67 inmates transferred to Corcoran tested positive.

The OIG was tasked by the California Assembly with assessing the prison systems policies and directives in response to the coronavirus crisis. Mondays report is the third in the series of reviews. Two others examined the prison systems screening efforts and distribution of protective equipment.

State Inspector General Roy W. Wesley said in the report that prison officials have taken multiple actions to better safeguard prison transfers, but the OIG did not give details.

Michael Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: michael.williams@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michaeldamianw
ZTE is set to join a long list of OEMs that will release smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC. However, according to ZTE officials, the Snapdragon 888 SoC may not be the USP of its next flagship. That honour may go to a monstrous 200 MP main camera.

Ni Fei, ZTE's president recently took to Chinese social media website Weibo (Obtained via TechRadar) to provide some details about the ZTE Axon 30 Pro. In his post, he confirmed that the Axon 30 Pro would be able to shoot photos in up to 200-megapixel or over 2.7 billion pixels. He also mentioned that the phone would be capable of 4K HDR video recording and 10-bit colour support. It will also be able to take photos in low-light scenes that are as dark as 0.1 lumens.

However, it is unclear if the upcoming ZTE Axon 30 Pro will feature a 200 MP camera or will be capable of capturing 200 MP photos with a lower megapixel camera, although we expect it to be the latter. The post also confirms the use of the Snapdragon 888 SoC and the Spectra 580 image signal processor (ISP).

While ZTE hasn't mentioned when the Axon 30 Pro will be unveiled, it is already looking like a massive upgrade over last year's ZTE Axon 20, which uses a mid-range 5G chip in the form of the Snapdragon 765G SoC.
1 of 2

Kapil Sharma and wife Ginni welcome a baby boy



Kapil Sharma and his wife Ginni Chatrath welcomed their second child, a baby boy on Monday morning. Kapil took to Twitter and wrote, Namaskaar. We are blessed with a baby boy this early morning. By the grace of God, baby n mother both r fine. Thank you so much for all the love, blessings n prayers. Love you all, ginni n kapil. #gratitude.



Kapil Sharma and Ginni Chatrath tied the knot on December 12, 2018 in Jalandhar. They took the wedding vows according to Hindu traditions and later an Anand-Karaj ceremony took place at Ginnis residence. They welcomed their daughter Anayra Sharma on December 10, 2019. Read More...


Stephanie Williams, acting special representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission speaks during a news conference in Tunis, Tunisia (Walid Haddad/AP)

Delegates from Libyas opposing sides kick off a five-day meeting on Monday to choose an interim prime minister and a three-person presidency council, in a crucial bid to reunite the troubled oil-rich country before an election in December.

The Libyan political dialogue forum, including envoys from around Libya, meets under UN mediation in an undisclosed site outside Geneva in hopes of stabilising a largely lawless country since Muammar Gaddafis fall and killing in 2011.

The gathering, which will draw from an agreed list of candidates, caps a process begun in Berlin in January 2020 for a North African country mired in international meddling and pockets of violence despite a holding ceasefire.

The voting process take place under the mediation of the UN secretary-generals acting special representative for Libya, Stephanie Williams.

The interim authority to be chosen will seek to rebuild state institutions and lead Libya to a national election on December 24.

Expand Close Libya has been split into different factions since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi (Sean Dempsey/AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Libya has been split into different factions since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi (Sean Dempsey/AP)

The warring factions also agreed that a national referendum would be held on constitutional arrangements, laying the legal groundwork for the December vote.

The 75-member forum represents the three main regions of old Libya, Tripolitania in the west, Cyrenaica in the east, and Fezzan in the southwestern part of Libya, each to be represented on the three-member presidential council.

The prime minister is to be chosen by garnering 70% of votes.

Twenty-four candidates are running for the presidential council posts.

Those include Aguila Saleh, speaker of the east-based House of Representatives, Khaled al-Meshri, the head of the Tripoli-based governments Supreme Council of State.

Among the candidates for the presidential council is Libyas top judge Mohammed al-Hafi, whose candidacy has stirred up controversy.

The countrys Judges Association decried the move, saying Saturday he should have retired before running,

Twenty-one candidates are running for prime minister, including Fathi Bashaga, the powerful interior minister in Tripoli, and Ahmed Meitig, deputy prime minister of the UN-supported government.

On Thursday, Ms Williams told the UN Security Council that the gathering amounted to a decisive round of intra-Libyan talks.

The same day, the United States called on Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to halt their military interventions in the country, as has been sought under the cease-fire agreement that has largely held in recent months.

The ceasefire deal, inked in October, included the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya within three months.

Expand Close Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, second right, speaks to Libyan Vice President of the Presidential Council Ahmed Maiteeq (AP) / Facebook

Twitter

Email

Whatsapp Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, second right, speaks to Libyan Vice President of the Presidential Council Ahmed Maiteeq (AP)

But so far, no progress has been made on that.

Ms Williams said in December there were at least 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya, and warned about a serious crisis as weapons continue to pour into the North African country.

Since the 2011 Nato-backed uprising ousted Gaddafi, Libya has been in turmoil and split between rival administrations in the east and west  each backed by an array of militias and foreign powers.

Turkey is the main patron of the UN-supported government in Tripoli, the capital, while Egypt, Russia and UAE back the forces of military commander Khalifa Hifter  who runs most of the east and south.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has said Libyans are making a remarkable effort to come together and said it is crucial for foreign forces to withdraw.
A new kind of wearable health device would deliver real-time medical data to those with eye or mouth diseases, according to Huanyu 'Larry' Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in the Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM).

Cheng recently published a paper in Microsystems & Nanoengineering on new micro- and nano-device technology that could revolutionize how certain health conditions are monitored and treated.

"We sought to create a device that collects both small and large substances of biofluids such as tears and saliva, which can be analyzed for certain conditions on a rapid, continuous basis, rather than waiting on test results from samples in a lab," he said.

The sensors would be placed near the tear duct or mouth to collect samples, which would then produce data viewable on a user's smartphone or sent to their doctor, according to Cheng.

"But a device like this would have to be discreet, soft and comfortable for a patient to agree to wear it," he said. "And it would have to be a low-cost option for patients."

The tears- and saliva-sensing technology can help manage diseases like oral ulcers, oral cancer, eye wrinkles and oral or eye infections like keratitis, which is inflammation of the clear tissue on the front of the eye.

Last year, Cheng published on a similar wearable skin patch that collects sweat and tests for pH, sodium and glucose levels -- most helpful for those with hypoglycemia or diabetes.

This new device not only collects data but also administers medicine with a microneedle through the skin around the eye, mouth or tongue.

"Through nano- to micro-steel ports on the device, we can probe the cell to deliver molecular drugs for treatment in a very efficient process at the cellular level," Cheng said. "Conversely, the ports can allow us to get access to the gene and coding information on the cell."

The researchers are developing working prototypes and are in talks with local manufacturers as well as the National Institutes of Health and Amazon for manufacturing the device on a large scale.

"This is a mature technology with a lot of interest behind it," Cheng said. "There are many possible uses for the device if it makes it to the commercial marketplace."

With future support from the National Science Foundation, Cheng hopes to extend the technology to other applications as well.

"There is strong motivation for us to apply this technology to similar sensing devices in the future," he said.

###

In addition to Cheng, other authors are Cheng's graduate student Jia Zhu, Penn State doctoral candidate in ESM, as well as An'an Sheng, Long Lin, Jian Li, Jian Zhuang and Lingqian Chang, all from universities and research labs in China.

The Doctoral New Investigator grant from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, the National Science Foundation and Penn State supported this work.

New Delhi: Over 15 years after she was reported missing, a teenage girl was reunited with her family in Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. But in a twist, the girl who was two-and-a-half-years old named Fatima is now called Swapna and is a staunch Sai Baba devotee.

The chance reunion happened when two policemen in Hyderabad were visiting a child welfare home in the city. They were making inquiries as part of an anti-trafficking and rescue project called "Operation Smile", as per a report by the Times of India.

These policemen found the girl and upon further investigation found that a missing report had been filed in 2005.

A quick call to the father, Khwaja Moinuddin from Kurnool, established the genuineness of the missing complaint. Also, the identification marks were correctly identified by the mother of the missing child matche dthe girl in the child welfare centre in Hyderabad.

The family was ecstatic that they found her. They left for Hyderabad to reunite with her.

"We will take our sister to our village and keep her with us to introduce her to our friends and relatives. Later, we will send her back to the childrens home in Hyderabad so that she can continue to focus on her studies, brother Abid Hussain told Times of India.

Hussain recalled the events of the fateful day. They family was on a pilgrimage and gone to Ajmer Sharif and next to the iconic Mecca Masjid when the girl went missing. She had followed her father while he went to fetch water.

The family camped in Hyderabad for months in search of their missing daughter. Gradually, they lost all hope and returned to Kurnool.

Though they will have to wait a little longer to be fully re-united as the child welfare committee has recommended a DNA test before she is handed over to her family.

Live TV



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 war against the tyrannical rule of the Pakistani commands in 1971 was truly our mankinds war of liberation. We are sorry for those who have never had the experience of seeing the victory of a national liberation struggle, and we should feel cold contempt for those who jeer at it.

by Anwar A. Khan

Today, the 31 January, 2021, Dhakas Mirpur liberated us from darkness to walk in the glorious light in Bangladeshs history.

After Pakistan was born in 1947, more than two decades, the Pakistani rulers used fear, intimidation and murder to brutally oppress over the Bengalis who sought justice and equality from them. But the most brutal, ugly, desperate, and vicious form of aggression happened due to them in our history in 1971. Never before in history has such a sweeping fervour for freedom expressed itself in great mass movements and mass armed struggles which drove down the bastions of Pakistani President Yahya Khans empire.





This wind of change blowing through out Bangladesh was no ordinary wind. It was a raging hurricane against which the old order of the Pakistani Military Junta and their local brutal collaborators could not stand. The great millions of Bangladesh grew impatient of being hewers of wood and drawers of water, and were in an armed rebelling against the oppressive Pakistans Army. The year 1971 saw the emancipation of the Bengali nation which finally witnessed the total liberation of the country - Bangladesh from the brutal Pakistani rule and their exploitation except Mirpur area of Dhaka.

M.E. Estemil said, National freedom is an expensive gift always worth fighting for. Even if it costs us! And undoubtedly, we paid a very high price to gain our motherland. Bangladesh was born on December 16, 1971 after a 9-month long war having or covered with or accompanied by blood because of large-scale massacre by the brutal Pakistans Army and their local cruel mango-twigs. But Mirpur, an important part of the metropolitan Dhaka city, was occupied by the Biharis (non-Bengalis) butchers from early March to January 30, 1972. The place of Mirpur was finally liberated on January 31, 1972. Hence, January 31 is generally known as the Victory Day of Mirpur in Bangladesh.

But this year, the day should not have passed silently like the previous years. So many precious lives including the lives of eminent journalist Shahidullah Kaiser, noted film maker and novelist Zahir Raihan, and famous poet Meherunnisa were brutally slaughtered in Mirpur area before it was liberated from the cruel clutches of the non-Bengalis (the Bihari people) and some Bangla speaking Pakistanis like Qader Molla and the likes of him belonged to the criminal organisation, Jamaat-e-Islami.

It is very sad that no words for it were from any corner in the country on this very important day of our History of War of Liberation in the past. But we had to bear witness to the worst of human brutality and atrocity during that time in that important area and throughout Bangladesh. Like John Burns, we wish to say, We are depressed rather at the wave of brutality sweeping over the country during our nine months of long struggle to achieve Bangladesh. During the past several years, I only heard the roaring voice of Syed Shahidul Haque Mama (died a few years back) from abroad, the 1971 war veteran and who actively participated in all operations to free Mirpur from those hyenas.

The biggest threat against the survival of humanity is not only brutality and unkindness, it is also stupidity and selfishness, but we really encountered horror, terror, brutality, mass killing, and genocide from an opposing Pakistans military force and a hostile group of local people supported by them who used our holy religion - Islam to annihilate us from this sacred soil of ours.

The war against the tyrannical rule of the Pakistani commands in 1971 was truly our mankinds war of liberation. We are sorry for those who have never had the experience of seeing the victory of a national liberation struggle, and we should feel cold contempt for those who jeer at it.

According to the Asia Times, at a meeting of the military top brass in March 1971, Pakistans military dictator President Yahya Khan declared, "Kill 3 million of them and the rest will eat out of our hands." Then, on the night of 25 March, the Pakistani Army launched Operation Searchlight to crush Bengali resistance wherever found in this country; the Bengali members of military services were disarmed and killed, students and the intelligentsia were systematically liquidated and able-bodied Bengali males just picked up and were gunned down.

Mama Guerilla Bahini Chief Syed Shahidul Haque Mama recounted, On March 27, 1971, Abdul Quader Mollah, Hasib Hasmi, Abbas Chairman, Akhter Gunda, Nehal and many others killed poet Meherun Nesa, her brothers and mother and chopped their bodies into pieces in Mirpur. Akhter Gunda and his accomplices forcibly brought one Pallab from Thathari Bazar to Muslim Bazar in Mirpur. Then Akhter and his accomplices cut his fingers and hung him up on a tree and killed him mercilessly. He also said, Quader Mollah and his accomplices took part in the election campaign in 1970 for the infamous Ghulam Azam, the-then Ameer of East Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami and a candidate of the Mirpur area for membership of the Pakistan National Assembly.

The enemies were the Pakistan army personnel, Jamaat-e-Islami men, Al-Badr men, Al-Shams men and Razakars. At the fag end of our glorious War of Independence in 1971, the Biharis, Pakistans Military personnel, Jamaat-e-Islami along with the members of Islami Chhatra Sangha (now Islami Chhatra Shibir), the-then student wing of Jamaat built a strong resistance in Mohammadpur and Mirpur areas.

Jamaati gangsters convinced the Biharis that Bangladesh would turn into a part of Pakistan once again. A fearless freedom fighter Mama recollected that on December 17, 1971, he recovered the bodies of martyred intellectuals from the Rayerbazar killing field; and he said, I found a small sack full of human eyes. He further added that they picked up many killers who were hiding in Mohammadpur and following their information, they recovered the bodies of hundreds of intellectuals from the brick kilns of Rayerbazar. We know very well that the martyred intellectuals were our best sons of the soil of Bangladesh. The killing of intellectuals was a clear manifestation of the grave brutality unleashed by the Al-Badrs, Al-Shams and the Razakars.

According to the celebrated Journalist and columnist Syed Badrul Ahsan (SBA), Let us get the facts straight. When Bangladesh stood liberated, as a whole, on December 16, 1971, there were yet small pockets where Pakistan's defeated soldiers were putting up last ditch resistance. That resistance would come to an end within days. But there was, unbelievably, one small portion of the country which non-Bengali collaborators of the Pakistan occupation army kept in their grip for about one and a half months after liberation. And it was the place of Mirpur.

SBA further added, There is Quazi Rosy to tell you all about it. And there is Syed Shahidul Haque, popularly known as Mama, to remind you of the gathering gloom which would descend on the Bengalis inhabiting Mirpur in the stirring times that were in 1971. Even as a resurgent Bengali nation, led by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, brought Pakistan to a grinding halt in March 1971, the non-Bengalis in Mirpur went on a spree of coercion and intimidation of the Bengali population in the locality.

According to Christopher Hitchens, Freedom is the decision to live and die, doing what you love and we decided to die; we decided to live and we decided to do what we loved in 1971. And we loved to attain independence from the shackles of the Pakistani rule marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behaviour and we finally achieved Bangladesh. Mirpur was a heartless terror in 1971 till the end of January, 1972. Yes. Terrible, and... A wise saying has spelt out, When somebody challenges you from the wrong path, fight back. And our freedom fighters fought back those cruel devils valiantly with patriotism and liberated Mirpur. It was a milestone in the annuals of our struggle for freedom from the Pakistani regime.

In man - in the history of mankind, this has happened many times, and occupation leaders cling on to the land that they are occupying. People fight to liberate their land. But in the end, the people's will be what achieves victory. Brutal and heavy acts must be fought back suitably and vanquished by the patriotic forces. Our people stood up as best they could to the disgusting stupidity and brutality of Pakistani Military.

It was a fight to the bitter end, one in which we are defending our ideals or beliefs. Eons of suffering, brutality and struggle have paved the way through the corridors of time to create this moment, where we now exist as an exalted expression of lives. According to George Weah, My fellow revolutionaries; liberation is a noble cause. We must fight to obtain it and our people took it as a noble cause and so, we have won it.

Mirpur liberated us from darkness to walk in the glorious light. We should not miss to celebrate the good days like Mirpur Victory Day with pureness and due solemnly because there were brutal days in the past. Like Paulo Freire, we wish to say, Looking at the past must only be a means of understanding more clearly what and who they are so that they can more wisely build the future.

In closing, we wish to use the words of eminent journalist Zulfikar Ali Manik, It is impossible to forget the grief of the gruesome killings of 1971 but this time we at least have the consolation that we could ensure justice. And justice has been happening in the country though belatedly. We should pray for the departed souls to reside in Heaven in peace who were brutally murdered by those lummoxes before the liberation of Mirpur on 31 January 1972. We also should commiserate for the families of those victims.

-The End 

The writer is an independent political analyst based in Dhaka, Bangladesh who writes on politics, political and human-centred figures, current and international affairs
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
An Accra Circuit Court has adjourned to February 23, the case of Lawrence Nana Asiamah Hanson, aka Bulldog, who is accused of threatening President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a video recording.



Hanson, an artiste manager, on a United Television (UTV) programme was quoted as saying, the President will not finish his tenure and that he will run away if he failed to pay customers of Menzgold their deposits.



Charged with offensive conduct conducive to breach of peace, Hanson pleaded not guilty and is on GH70, 000.00 bail.



At Thursdays sittings, the court ordered the prosecution to serve Bulldog with disclosures to facilitate a case management conference. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Simon Apiorsornu said on January 11, this year, the police intercepted a video recording on United Television.



He said in the video, the accused was seen and heard saying, The President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will not finish his term in office and that he will run away if he failed to pay the deposits of Menzgold customers.



Prosecution said on January 12, this year, accused was handed over to the police by the National Intelligence Bureau for further investigations.



According to prosecution, during interrogation, Hanson admitted to have made such comments in the said video when same was played to him. Prosecution said Hanson further explained that during the show, an argument ensued between the guests on the programme and that he made that statement in jest and had no ill motive behind same. The prosecution said investigations were ongoing.

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
Source: AFP

Contrary to what many income tax experts had expected, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman did not change the requirement for a person to be classified as a non-resident Indian (NRI). The underlying and existing rule remains intact: those who live in India for 120 days will be considered NRIs, as opposed to 182 days earlier.

But another matter that results in significant litigation has been addressed.

Keeping in view the mismatch in the financial year (the US considers calendar year for taxes) concept and even the point at which an income is taxed, retirement benefits accumulated by NRIs would be taxed differently.

New section proposed

A new section 89A has been proposed to ensure that an NRI opening a specific retirement benefit account in any of the select countries, would not be taxed by India on an accrual basis (transaction based) as long as the other country has collected taxes at the time of withdrawal.

Currently there is a mismatch in the year of taxability of withdrawal from retirement funds outside India by residents who had opened such fund when they were non-resident in India and resident in foreign countries, says Dr Suresh Surana, Founder, RSM India.

The Indian Government would release a list of countries for which this facility would be available.

For the retirement fund benefit, there would be an agreement the Government would have with specific countries that would be notified and the benefit would be linked to the employee benefits during the period of stay in the foreign country. Only these specific retirement benefit accounts would enjoy the special tax treatment, explains Paras Savla, Partner KPB & Associates.

Additionally, the government paved the way for a one-person company without any restrictions on paid-up capital and turnover. The Finance Minister stated in the Union Budget 2021-22 speech that the one-person company can be started by NRIs in India.

Here as well, the residency rule of staying in the country for 120 days for setting up this company remains, instead of 182 days that was permitted earlier.

The reduction in number of days for stay is in line with change in the last Budget 2020-21.

But, for NRIs, some questions remain unanswered. Earlier CBDT had announced relief for financial year 2019-20. Clarification or amendment for the exclusion of such stay in India for the determination of the residential status was expected. It appears that non-residents will have to wait for some more time, says Surana.

Entities such as mutual funds, tenants providing rental income to NRIs, continue to remain confused as to the rate at which they should deduct taxes for such NRIs, as their residency status is under question due to an extended period of stay due to COVID-19.
An angry woman who swung her paddle at a man who rammed her vessel has been revealed as the deputy principal of a New Zealand primary school.

The bizarre boat rage incident erupted on January 23 at the Tairua Harbour marina, a tourist destination on the Coromandel Peninsula famous for kayaking and sailing.

The video, which has gone viral around the world, begins halfway through the drama with an angry man screaming at two women in a boat from his inflatable dinghy.

One woman yells back at the man with ripe language.

'You rammed our boat and you spit at me, you piece of s**t,' she says as he approaches the boat aggressively.

'You're a piece of sh*t, you just caused $1000 worth of damage' the enraged man shouts at her, slurring his words.

'What are you talking about?' the woman asks.

'You drive past my boat, you rock it if you're not doing 5 knots,' he screams.

The woman swears at him some more as her friend films, and grabs a wooden oar as the man angrily buzzes another mariner.

The person swinging an oar at the man (pictured) is the local primary school's deputy principal Catherine Browning, who said only half the drama was caught on camera

Tairua School's Board of Trustees has asked for an explanation for Ms Browning's feisty behaviour which has now been seen around the world

Bizarrely he circles back and rams her boat, gunning his outboard towards her at top speed before slamming his inflatable craft into it side on.

'There are children,' the woman shouts. 'What do you think you're doing?'

'I don't care, I want some money' replies the man as his dinghy promptly deflates and sinks into the water.

The woman then strides towards him in the shallows, swinging the long oar like Thor's mighty hammer as the man tries to get his motor out of the water.

The oar-wielding woman can now be revealed to be Catherine Browning, the deputy principal of the local Tairua School, a primary school in the small North Island town.

Ms Browning spoke to the NZ Herald on Saturday, breaking down in tears from the pressure after the video went global, escalating the incident to international news.

She said the video only captured half of the incident with the angry man originally targeting another boat in the drama that unfolded before the video started.

'He came in at full speed attacking us, ramming us,' she said.

'He scared the s*** out of me and I had to defend myself.'

The dinghy driver (pictured left) can be seen in the video yelling at the woman before speeding off and circling back to ram the boat (pictured right)

Leaders of the school called urgent meetings, and interim principal Murray McDonald discussed the incident with board chair Brent Arnel on Sunday.

The school's Board of Trustees has asked for an explanation for her behaviour which has now been seen around the world.

Ms Browning was dubbed, perhaps unfairly, as a 'boat Karen'.

A 'Karen' is a pejorative term for an entitled middle-aged woman who complains to the manager.

Ms Browning told the NZ Herald that the impact of the sudden and unwelcome fame has left her unable to sleep or eat.

'It's made my life a nightmare.'

The angry man filmed gunning his outboard at other boating enthusiasts is also a local Tairua man, who lives aboard a $150,000 yacht in the marina.

Footage of the January 23 confrontation in Tairua Harbour has been widely shared, and police and the local harbourmaster are investigating the altercation.

Local ferry operator Rob Glasgow, said the popular holiday spot has no active harbourmaster and that most people don't follow the maritime rules by going faster than 5 knots within 50m of any boat.
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 are grateful to have been selected as the practice management software partner of so many large, growing dental groups these past few years, said Eric Giesecke, CEO of Planet DDS. These partnerships have challenged us to be better at developing and implementing innovative software.

Planet DDS is proud to spotlight several of the many dental group practices that have joined the Denticon family in 2020. Almost half of the top 25 DSOs are now using Planet DDS solutions, including Denticon. As the highest-rated and most widely-used practice management solution in the cloud, Denticon is the first choice for many of the country's premier group practices and DSOs. The all-in-one, cloud-based practice management solution offers dental practices the best solution to standardize, centralize, and grow.

With its industry-leading functionality geared towards groups, Denticon increases efficiencies for the entire office. From streamlining clinical tasks, enhancing operations, improving the patient experience, and reporting KPIs to revenue cycle management, Denticon is the trusted practice management solution for practices of all sizes.

We are grateful to have been selected as the practice management software partner of so many large, growing dental groups these past few years, said Eric Giesecke, Chief Executive Officer of Planet DDS. These partnerships have challenged us to be better at developing and implementing innovative software for the growing large group and emerging-DSO segments.

We are incredibly excited to welcome so many premier groups to the Denticon Practice Management solution. Our team of industry experts is committed to providing these groups with the finest implementation experience available, added Mike Huffaker, Vice President of Sales at Planet DDS. We know that our clients chose Denticon after a careful evaluation of all of the solutions that are available in the marketplace. Our fast growth is a testament to the reliability and comprehensiveness of the Denticon software.

DSO and Group Practice Profiles

Benevis Dental Practice Management Services: Headquartered in Marietta, GA | 160+ locations

D4C Dental Brands: Headquartered in Atlanta, GA | 130+ locations

EquiShared Dental Group: Headquartered in Bloomfield, MI | 9 locations

Lane & Associates Family Dentistry: Headquartered in Garner, NC | 46+ locations

Mid-Atlantic Dental Partners: Headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, PA | 240 locations

Perfect Dental Management: Headquartered in Needham, MA | 17 locations

Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry: Headquartered in Cary, NC | 30+ locations

Scaling to New Heights with Denticon

Large group practices and DSOs are looking for robust solutions that can scale seamlessly with their growing organization.

When asked why they chose Denticon, Will Alexander, Chief Information Officer of Benevis, said, We were looking for a SaaS solution that would satisfy our existing requirements for standardizing our business processes to better serve patients as well as be forward-thinking and nimble to quickly deliver new features as the dentists we support need them. From an IT perspective, we were also looking for a solution that would help us consolidate the number of applications that we currently have to support. We felt that Denticon was in the best position to deliver for us today and in the future.

Emma Machado Cifuentes, Director of Operations for Perfect Dental Management, said, Denticon has been instrumental to our growth strategy by combining a cloud-based solution with robust, enterprise level reporting.

Lane & Associates Family Dentistry has been in business for over 40 years and is proudly the largest dental group practice in North Carolina. With over 46 offices across the state, we have grown significantly over the past several years and have quickly outgrown our existing practice management system. Denticon has provided the ideal solution at an enterprise level that is cloud based and multi-functional. We are in the early stages of adoption and are confident the system will yield improved data analytics and access to information between offices, said Brian Bunch, Chief Executive Officer of Lane & Associates Family Dentistry.

Group practices are looking to migrate to the cloud now more than ever. As they consider all the available options, they are consistently choosing Denticon as the most proven, comprehensive software for groups within the dental industry, said Huffaker. We are proud to empower so many dental organizations across the country to accelerate their growth through our innovative software.

Multi-Location Practices Leverage Denticon

Denticon helps multi-location practices stay centralized and engaged. Its cloud-based capabilities have also helped group practices adapt quickly during the COVID crisis.

Our doctor-owner model thrives on keeping teams informed and engaged. Utilizing a common platform ensures data integrity and an increased level of transparency when communicating KPIs to the field, explained Danial Redifer, Co-Founder of EquiShared.

The business side of dentistry is our chief responsibility as a management team. Denticons cloud-based platform provides for expanded service level capabilities such as teledentistry, centralized billing, and call center functionality, added Cameron Elrod, Co-Founder of EquiShared. These have become even more critical as we navigated the challenges brought on by the pandemic and the need to adapt quickly to patient and provider availability.

Our team is committed to providing practice groups the ability to move their offices to the cloud, releasing them from the constraints of being in the data warehousing business, said Huffaker. Denticons comprehensive platform provides online consent and patient registration, patient communications, and device-agnostic cloud imaging software, which has been very compelling to practice groups of all sizes.

Featured Solution: Denticon All-in-One, Dental Practice Management Solution

ABOUT PLANET DDS/DENTICON

Planet DDS is a solutions company for dental practices. Through its innovative solutions, including cloud-based practice management and imaging software, Planet DDS helps clients improve the efficiency and economics of their dental practices.

Planet DDS was the first to the cloud with its top-rated practice management solution, Denticon. The all-in-one, cloud-based Denticon software is the best solution for dental practices of all sizes. Denticons robust capabilities include patient-facing features, patient communications, analytics, and revenue cycle management.

Planet DDS recently acquired Apteryx Imaging, a company with over 20-years of experience providing dental health professionals with advanced diagnostic imaging software. Planet DDS continues to lead in the cloud-software space, now also offering Apteryx XVWeb, a cloud-based imaging software that delivers state-of-the-art clinical image capture, visualization, analysis, backup, and secure data sharing to dentists and oral health specialists.

Trusted by both top DSOs and single location offices looking to scale, Planet DDS offers robust, comprehensive solutions for practices of all sizes. Planet DDS has successfully converted thousands of dental practices from legacy desktop software to the cloud.

To learn more, visit https://www.planetdds.com/.

###


Former President Donald Trump announced a new legal defense team on Sunday that will handle his second Senate impeachment trial.

Lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor will be leading Trump's defense team, the announcement said. The impeachment trial will begin on February 9.

Fox News reported that the announcement came after Donald Trump parted ways with five of his impeachment lawyers just over a week before his Senate trial.

In a mutual decision, South Carolina lawyers Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier and former federal prosecutors Greg Harris, Johnny Gasser, and Josh Howard left Trump's defense team on Saturday.

The source who confirmed the former defense team's departure said the lawyers might have left due to a difference of opinion on the direction of the team's argument.

Meanwhile, another source said they left because Donald Trump wanted them to make election fraud allegations during his senate trial.

Who Are The Lawyers in Donald Trump's Defense Team?

Schoen is a civil and criminal defense lawyer who frequented television legal commentating. Castor, on the other hand, was a former Pennsylvania district attorney. He declined to prosecute Bill Cosby in 2005, who was convicted for sexual assault in 2018, after another prosecutor picked up the case, noted NBC News.

Both lawyers issued statements through Trump's office, saying they were honored to be part of the former president's legal team, reported The Associated Press.

The impeachment article against Donald Trump was delivered by the House to the Senate last week. It charged Trump with "incitement of insurrection" in connection to the fatal January 6 Capitol riot.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Donald Trump had to be held accountable for the riot. He called Trump's encouragement of his supporters "the most despicable thing any president has ever done."

Neither Schoen nor Castor gave immediate responses to phone messages from The Associated Press seeking comment on Sunday evening.

Both Lawyers Believe Donald Trump's Impeachment is Unconstitutional

The lawyers have been preparing with other advisers and believe that the impeachment was unconstitutional.

"The strength of our Constitution is about to be tested like never before in our history. It is strong and resilient. A document written for the ages, and it will triumph over partisanship yet again, and always," said Castor.

Trump appeared to be certain that he could be acquitted, but that did not stop Republicans from debating the impeachment article, something that even his defense team did not miss.

In the statement, they noted that there were 45 Republican senators who voted to back their assertion. This was after Sen. Rand Paul brought forward his argument that the impeachment was unconstitutional because Trump was no longer in office.

The five remaining Republicans voted alongside Democrats to end the debate following Paul's argument. The Sunday announcement was set to promote a sense of stability on Trump's impeachment defense team as the trial drew near.

Donald Trump has been the first president in the history of the U.S. to face impeachment twice in the House of Representatives. If he gets convicted by the Senate, he would be prevented from holding federal office again.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently released a short notification for the posts of Junior Engineers through the newspaper. RBI JE Recruitment 2021 notification will soon be released on its official website in the first week of February. The candidates who are interested in the Junior Engineer post in the bank will be able to apply soon online by visiting rbi.org.in.

According to the newspaper notice, the online application process will begin from 2 February till 15 February 2021. The RBI JE Exam 2021 will take place on 8 March 2021.

RBI JE Recruitment 2021: Vacancy Details

As per the notice, there are a total of 48 vacancies for the post of Junior Engineers that need to be filled.

RBI JE Recruitment 2021: Eligibility Criteria

Educational Qualification:

Junior Engineer (Civil): The candidate must have completed a three years Diploma course in Civil Engineering from any recognised Institute with at least 65% of marks (55% in case of SC/ST/PwD) or must have a degree in Civil Engineering with 55% marks (45% in case of SC/ST/PwD).

Junior Engineer (Electrical): The candidate must be a Diploma holder in Electrical or Electrical and Electronic Engineering from a recognised institute with a minimum of 65% marks (55% in case of SC/ST/PwD) or degree in Electrical or Electrical and Electronic Engineering with 55% marks (45% in case of SC/ST/PwD).

Age Limit: The candidates between 20-30 years of age are eligible to apply for the post.

Age Relaxation is applicable for the reserved candidates as per government guidelines.

Experience: At least 2 years' of experience is required for Diploma holders or 1-year experience for degree holders in the case of Junior Civil Engineers.

For Junior Electrical Engineers, minimum of 2 years' of experience is required for Diploma holders and at least 1-year experience for degree holders.

Application Fee: The application fee for SC/ST/PWD/EXS is Rs. 50. For General/OBC candidates the application fee is Rs. 450. The mode of payment is online through Net Banking, Credit, or Debit cards.

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Junior Engineer JE Organisation Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Educational Qualification Diploma in Civil / Electrical Engineering with Minimum 65% (55% for SC/ST), andEngineering Degree with 55% marks. Experience 1-2 years Working Experience Job Responsibilities null Skills Required null Job Location Across India Salary Scale As per RBI pay structure Industry Banking Application Start Date February 2, 2021 Application End Date February 15, 2021

RBI JE Recruitment 2021: Selection Criteria And Pay Scale

The selection of the candidate is based on an online written test and an Interview.

The selected candidates will be paid Rs. 21,400 per month as starting salary.

RBI JE Recruitment 2021: How To Apply

Willing and eligible candidates can apply for RBI JE Recruitment 2021 online by visiting the official website opportunities.rbi.org.in. between 2 February to 15 February 2021.

Also Read: IOCL Recruitment 2021: 505 Technical/Non Technical Apprentice Vacancies, Apply Online Before February 26
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Credit Suisse Group AG executives ignored warnings from colleagues about troubled steel tycoon Sanjeev Gupta as they channeled $1.2 billion of client funds to his businesses, according to people familiar with the matter.Bankers in Credit Suisses commodity trade-finance unit blacklisted Guptas Liberty Commodities Ltd. in 2016 because they suspected some of its deals werent legitimate, the people said. When they learned about two years later that the bank was lending to his companies through a suite of investment funds, which eventually grew to $10 billion, they flagged their worries to leaders in compliance and the division that housed the loans, one of the people said.The disclosure that Credit Suisse may have put clients at risk despite internal concerns over Guptas businesses adds a new twist to the debacle stemming from the March implosion of Greensill Capital, the finance firm at the center of the three-way relationship.Investigations, LawsuitsThe U.K. Serious Fraud Office is now investigating Guptas group of companies for suspected fraud, including in its financing deals with Greensill, according to a May 14 statement. Credit Suisse has sued to force Guptas Liberty Commodities into insolvency and has since shut the funds that made the loans and launched an internal investigation. Investors are staring at losses as the bank confronts embarrassing lawsuits.We are currently focusing our efforts on recovering our investors money, Will Bowen, a spokesman for Credit Suisse in London, said in an emailed statement, adding that the banks internal probe will focus on all of the issues linked to the funds. We are committed to learning the lessons and will share the relevant lessons learnt at the appropriate time.Andrew Mitchell, a spokesman for the Gupta Family Group Alliance, or GFG Alliance, a collective of businesses linked to Gupta including Liberty Commodities, denied any wrongdoing.The Greensill saga represents just one of the two disasters that rocked Credit Suisse in the first half of 2021. Since Greensill began unraveling, the bank has announced a $5.5 billion hit from the blowup at Archegos Capital Management.ApologiesFormer Chairman Urs Rohner apologized to shareholders and his successor, Antonio Horta-Osorio, who arrived at the end of April, has promised a sweeping strategy review.Chief Executive Officer Thomas Gottstein, who was head of the division that oversaw trade finance, wasnt aware of the internal concerns about Gupta that had prompted the bank to cut him off, according to a person familiar with the matter.Employees at the trade-finance unit, which lends money for the buying and selling of commodities, cut ties with Gupta in 2016 after becoming skeptical toward his Liberty Commodities, the people said. They distrusted the documents the company provided, triggering doubts about its transactions, they said. In one example reported by Bloomberg, the company had presented another bank with what seemed to be duplicate shipping receipts. Credit Suisses commodity team had stopped working with Gupta after identifying suspicious shipments while the banks credit-structuring team lobbied against the Greensill funds, the Wall Street Journal reported in April.A spokesman for Gupta has denied any wrongdoing.Banking TiesLiberty Commodities pledged assets to Credit Suisse as security for borrowings in 2013 but by early 2016, all such commitments had been extinguished, indicating that the financing relationship had ceased, U.K. Companies House filings show. And while Guptas company listed the Swiss bank as one of its lenders in its 2014 annual report, it didnt in the following years report, which is dated May 2016, according to the filings.Their counterparts at other banks, including Macquarie Group Ltd. and Sberbank PJSC, halted trading with Liberty Commodities around the same time because of similar concerns; Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also stopped in 2016, Bloomberg has reported.Nevertheless, executives at Credit Suisses asset-management division -- which creates investment products for clients and charges a fee for overseeing them -- began arranging a suite of funds focused on supply-chain finance in 2017. The entities bought securitized loans packaged by Greensill, a firm created by Australian businessman Lex Greensill. Much of the debts were linked to Guptas businesses.WarningsOfficials at the commodity trade-finance unit were concerned when they found out about the funds links to Gupta and took their fears to Thomas Grotzer, general counsel for the banks Swiss division. They also warned Luc Mathys and Lukas Haas, the bankers who helped oversee the trades at the asset-management unit.Grotzer was promoted last month to interim global head of compliance at Credit Suisse. He didnt respond to requests for comment. Mathys, head of fixed-income at the asset-management division, and Haas, a portfolio manager, were put on temporary leave in March. Neither responded to requests for comment.The bank pushed ahead with the funds and marketed them to investors as being made up of short-term debt secured on invoices, assets considered so safe that Credit Suisse gave the largest vehicle its lowest rating for risk. Yet part of the loans were linked to mere possible future revenues.Other parts of the bank continued working with Gupta as well. Credit Suisses investment bankers were due to lead an initial public offering for Libertys U.S. steel arm, which was ultimately pulled, according to a statement from the company. Gupta also announced that the Swiss bank would finance his planned acquisition of Thyssenkrupp AGs steel unit, which fell apart earlier this year.Credit Suisse has so far recouped about $5.9 billion of the $10 billion in these supply-chain funds, but it remains unclear how much will be returned ultimately to investors. Loans to Guptas businesses are among a batch of debts that are the principal sources of valuation uncertainty, the bank said earlier this month.Liberty Commoditiess external legal advisors investigated alleged rumors concerning the paperwork it used in 2019, according to Mitchell, the spokesman for GFG Alliance. They found no evidence to substantiate the rumors, nor was the company ever subject to further complaints or proceedings, he said.LCL has ongoing banking relationships with separate financial institutions, Mitchell said, referring to Liberty Commodities. The trade-finance market has been hugely challenging for all but the very largest commodities traders in recent years. Nevertheless, no financial institution has been left out of pocket as a result of lending money to LCL. On the contrary, they have received substantial commercial returns.More stories like this are available on bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.2021 Bloomberg L.P.
MIAMI and AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has selected Miami-based ClassWallet and its FamilyWallet product to manage its new Supplementary Special Education Services (SSES) program for families of students with significant cognitive disabilities and impacted by COVID-19 schooling disruptions.

Under the program, established with $30 million in funds by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the TEA, nearly 59,000 qualified students statewide are eligible to receive a one-time grant of up to $1,500 for the purchase of a broad range of educational resources and services. Priority will be given to families receiving income assistance and/or families that have documented financial needs.

Once approved for the program, families will be provided access to a ClassWallet-managed, online portal and a digital spending account which they can use with providers that have been vetted and approved by TEA. It will provide information on available resources and services, allow them to make purchases and provide them with full account and balance information. The program launched on January 28, 2021 to support students enrolled in public schools for the 2020-2021 school year and will cover the current and 2021-2022 school years.

"We're very pleased to have been selected by the Texas Education Agency to administer its new Supplementary Special Education Services program," said Jamie Rosenberg, ClassWallet founder and CEO. "ClassWallet is highly experienced in setting-up and administering specialized funding programs to assist parents, students and school districts. This program is especially important in terms of the student population we will be serving."

ClassWallet was recently appointed by the Oklahoma State Department of Education to distribute $18 million in federal funds through the state's Stay in School Funds and Bridge the Gap initiatives, and the Idaho State Board of Education to manage its $50 million Strong Families, Strong Students initiative. Both state initiatives assist families and students for their remote learning needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company manages similar grant programs in Arizona and North Carolina and is under consideration in several other states. In addition, the company's TeacherWallet product is currently in use in more than 165,000 classrooms spread across 3,600 schools in 20 states.

For more information about ClassWallet, contact [email protected] or call 877-969-5536.

About ClassWallet

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Miami, ClassWallet (www.classwallet.com) is a financial technology company providing a spending management platform for teachers, employees and parents who make day-to-day purchases but typically are not provided with purchase cards. The company's two products for teachers and parents focus on ease and flexibility for the end-user, and unparalleled control and fraud mitigation for administrators.

CONTACTS:

Doug Wright / Henry Feintuch

Feintuch Communications

201-952-6033 / 914-548-6924

[email protected]

SOURCE ClassWallet
Kansas Senate advances amendment claiming there's no abortion right to 2022 ballot

Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment

Lawmakers in Kansas last week overwhelmingly passed a ballot proposal that, if approved by state voters, would amend the state constitution to clarify that there is no right to an abortion.

Senators in the Sunflower State voted 28 to 11 last Thursday to support Concurrent Resolution 5003, which places the amendment on the Aug. 2, 2022 state ballot, where a simple majority would be needed to change the states constitution.

The language of the amendment states that the constitution of the state of Kansas does not require government funding of abortion and does not create or secure a right to abortion.

The measure, known as the Value Them Both Amendment, was passed in the Kansas House by a vote of 86 to 38 on Jan. 22, the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade.

To the extent permitted by the constitution of the United States, the people, through their elected state representatives and state senators, may pass laws regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, laws that account for circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, or circumstances of necessity to save the life of the mother, the resolution states.

Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican, said in a statement that the proposals passage marked a monumental day for both women and the unborn in Kansas.

As a result of this historic action, the people of Kansas will now have the opportunity to right the wrongs of the Kansas Supreme Court ruling from May of 2019, Masterson stated.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a pro-choice Democrat, denounced the proposed amendment and claimed that it would harm the economy and send the state back to the Dark Ages.

There are a number of CEOs who really look to see what kind of inclusive policies we have in place that make it easier for them to recruit and retain a talented workforce, Kellytold the Associated Press in a recent interview. It will be an economic development issue for us.

Senate Democrats have also voiced disapproval with the amendment. Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes accused Masterson and other Senate Republicans of trying to control the healthcare and personal decisions of Kansans.

Make no mistake: this amendment opens the door for the Legislature to ban abortion in cases of rape or incest, Sykes argued in a statement shared by WIBW. If approved by Kansas voters, the Legislature will have unchecked power to ban abortion including in cases where the life of the mother is at risk. And it paves the way for politicians in Topeka to ban abortion outright.

Passage of the proposal was praised by pro-life and social conservative advocacy groups, such as the Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council and Students for Life of America. Meanwhile, abortion lobbying organization Planned Parenthood Action has expressed its outrage.

The social conservative organization Family Policy Alliance of Kansas argued on Facebook that the proposal is all about empowering women and protecting babies. The organization thanked its national partners, such as the James Dobson-founded Focus on the Family.

Despite what is going on nationally, we will keep promoting a culture of life and the dignity of every person in the states! the Family Police Alliance vowed.

Brittany Jones, the director of advocacy for the Family Policy Alliance of Kansas, celebrated the news of the concurrent resolutions passage in a statement shared with Focus on the Familys news outlet, The Daily Citizen.

With the passage of Value Them Both in the Kansas Senate, the people of Kansas now have the opportunity to have a say in ensuring that our live-saving laws are protected, she said.

Kansas is the latest of multiple states to consider similar amendments. Last November, voters in Louisiana added a similar measure to their state constitution.

Louisiana Amendment 1, also called the No Right to Abortion in Constitution Amendment, passed last year with 62% of the vote. Over 1.27 million voters supported the measure.

The amendment added to the Louisiana Constitution states that nothing in this constitution shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion or require the funding of abortion.

The Iowa legislature is currently considering a similar measure, with the proposed measure advancing through a House subcommittee in a vote of 2-1 last month.

Last week, the South Carolina Senate voted 30-13 to approve a bill that would outlaw abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected. Similar bills have been passed in other states in recent years and faced legal challenges.
Sorry!

This content is not available in your region
Source: Xinhua| 2021-02-01 06:45:32|Editor: huaxia

Video Player Close

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Sunday reminded all parties to the conflict in the war-torn Syria of their obligations to protect children after four children were reportedly killed in two attacks in northern Syria.

"Once again, UNICEF reminds all parties to the conflict of their obligations to protect children at all times and refrain from violence in civilian areas," Bo Viktor Nylund, UNICEF representative in Syria, said in a statement.

"These recent attacks are a stark reminder that violence continues in Syria and children continue to be in danger day in, day out," said the statement.

"Since the start of this year, at least 22 children have reportedly been killed," the statement noted.

"Ten years into the conflict, children continue to be the hardest hit by unprecedented destruction, displacement and death. They have lost their lives, homes and childhoods. It is high time that the violence in Syria comes to an end," the statement stressed.

Several people, including four children, are reported dead, with many more injured, following a weekend of deadly bomb attacks in towns in northern rural Aleppo, Syria.

According to media reports, a car bomb detonated in the town of Azaz on Sunday, killing four and injuring at least 22. One of the dead was reportedly a 12-year-old girl. The attack comes just a day after an attack in Afrin, also in the Aleppo region, also a car-bombing, which reportedly killed six civilians, three of whom were children. Enditem
According to Eeranna, TD leader from Banepalli in Rayadurgam assembly segment, he went to offer pooja and seek blessings from the goddess of a temple in Hulagi of Koppal district before his wife could file nomination papers for the post of sarpanch in the ward reserved for women. (Representational Image)

ANANTAPUR: A tense situation is prevailing at Rayadurgam on Sunday after the husband of a sarpanch candidate of Banepalli gram panchayat belonging to Telugu Desam was abducted. The kidnapping took place near Molakalmur in Karnataka.

According to Eeranna, TD leader from Banepalli in Rayadurgam assembly segment, he went to offer pooja and seek blessings from the goddess of a temple in Hulagi of Koppal district before his wife could file nomination papers for the post of sarpanch in the ward reserved for women.

Eeranna was at Molakalmur bus stand in Karnataka, about 30 km from his village, when a group of unidentified persons dragged him into car and took him into deserted fields away from Molakalmur town. Eeranna said he escaped from the abductors at Morampalli village in Karnataka and reached home on Sunday.

The abductors beat me severely and forcibly poured liquor into my mouth. They demanded that my wife should not file her nomination for the gram panchayat polls, as they want a unanimous election in the area, Eeranna recalled.

TD politburo member Kalava Srinivasulu lashed out at YSRC MLA Kapu Ramachandra Reddy for terrorising Telugu Desam cadres in villages where he is not in a position to win elections through democratic means. Telugu Desam supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu also spoke to Eeranna over telephone and promised support from the party.

In view of complaints about pressure from rival parties for unanimous polls, police have formed 44 shadow teams to prevent such incidents in Anantapur district, superintendent of police Satya Esubabu disclosed. Police also seized Rs. 2 lakh from relatives of a sarpanch candidate travelling in a vehicle at Mudigubba.

Meanwhile, district collector Gandham Chandrudu has reviewed poll arrangements in 12 mandals of Kadiri revenue division.
Tillman Scholars continue Pats legacy of service, humble leadership, scholarship and impact, says Marie Tillman, Board Chair and Co-Founder of the Pat Tillman Foundation. They are the next generation of leaders who will make a significant impact on our country and the world."

The Pat Tillman Foundation today opened the annual application process for the Tillman Scholars program for eligible military service members, veterans and spouses. The application to join the 2021 Class of Tillman Scholars closes on Saturday, February 28, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Tillman Scholars continue Pats legacy of service, humble leadership, scholarship and impact, says Marie Tillman, Board Chair and Co-Founder of the Pat Tillman Foundation. They are the next generation of leaders who will make a significant impact on our country and the world."

The selection process for the Tillman Scholars program is highly competitive, selecting up to 60 Tillman Scholars annually. Applicants will receive notification of selection results no later than June 2021. Scholarships will be granted for the 2021-2022 academic year and are eligible for renewal.

Were proud to have nearly 700 Tillman Scholars in our community who are not only making an impact locally and globally, but are invested in supporting the growth and success of their peers, says Pat Tillman Foundation CEO and 2011 Tillman Scholar, Dan Futrell. The Tillman Scholars program begins with support for education, but offers a lifetime community invested in the leadership development and impact of scholars committed to service as part of the legacy of Pat Tillman.

To explore the profiles of current Tillman Scholars and learn about their impact, visit: https://pattillmanfoundation.org/meet-our-scholars/.

ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS

The mission of the Pat Tillman Foundation is to unite and empower remarkable military veterans and spouses as the next generation of public and private sector leaders committed to service beyond self. Founded in 2008, the Tillman Scholars program supports our nations active-duty service members, veterans and military spouses by investing in academic scholarships, connecting them to a national network and providing professional development opportunities. The program covers direct study-related expenses including tuition and fees, living expenses and books for scholars who are pursuing undergraduate, graduate or professional degrees as a full-time student at a public or private, U.S.-based, accredited institution.

Scholars demonstrate extraordinary academic and leadership potential, a track record of perseverance, and a deep desire to impact change in our country and communities through their studies in medicine, law, business, policy, technology, education and the arts. The Pat Tillman Foundation has invested more than $20 million in academic support since 2004, and has named nearly 700 Tillman Scholars at more than 100 academic institutions nationwide.

2021-2022 UNIVERSITY PARTNERS

Since 2008, the Pat Tillman Foundation has joined with higher education institutions as University Partners of the Tillman Scholar Program. These institutions offer strong veteran-specific services and a culture of support for military veterans and spouses while providing rigorous academic experiences. University Partners are established on an invitation-only basis, and help identify and select qualified Tillman Scholar candidates on their campus and help grow the Tillman Scholar community.

The 19 University Partner institutions are: Arizona State University; Columbia University; Georgetown University; The George Washington University; Indiana University; Texas A&M University; The Ohio State University; Syracuse University; University of Arizona; University of Maryland; University of Minnesota; University of Missouri System; University of Oklahoma; University of South Florida; and University of California, Los Angeles.

We are proud to welcome four HBCUs into our University Partners this year: Florida A&M University, Howard University, Jackson State University, and Texas Southern University.

The expansion of our University Partners continues the foundations effort to build a community of diverse leaders, and these partner institutions will help us increase awareness of the remarkable opportunities we offer student veterans, military spouses, and active duty service members at these institutions. These 19 partners demonstrate strong support for military veterans and spouses and are proud to support Tillman Scholars on their campuses.

For specific details on eligibility and to apply online, please visit http://apply.ptf.org

If you are a member of the media who wishes to arrange an interview with Pat Tillman Foundation Board Chair and Co-Founder Marie Tillman, CEO Dan Futrell or a Tillman Scholar, please contact Marketing Director Stevie Kuenn at skuenn@pattillmanfoundation.org.

ABOUT THE PAT TILLMAN FOUNDATION

The Pat Tillman Foundation unites and empowers a diverse community of remarkable military veterans and spouses as the next generation of public and private sector leaders committed to service beyond self. The foundation supports Tillman Scholars as they enter their next chapter with academic scholarships, lifelong leadership development and a global community as they continue to make an impact in their communities and the world. For more information on the Pat Tillman Foundation and the impact of the Tillman Scholars, visit PatTillmanFoundation.org.
More cash for non-essential retail and hospitality business affected by lockdown  with active consideration of further freelancer support

This article is old - Published: Monday, Feb 1st, 2021

The Welsh Government has revealed further details of the 200m package of support for non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses that continue to be impacted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The latest funding is linked to the non-domestic rates system and will operate as a top up to the Restrictions Business Fund which was put in place in early December. It brings this latest phase of Welsh Government support to 650m and will help businesses with operational costs through to the end of March.

Businesses with a rateable value of 12,000 or under will be eligible to receive a payment of 3,000.

Businesses with a rateable value between 12,001 and 150,000 will be eligible to receive a payment of 5,000.

The Welsh Government is also extending the 5,000 grant through to businesses with a rateable value of up to 500,000. Supply chain businesses will be able to apply for support if they have had a reduction in turnover of more than 40%.

The combined package provides eligible businesses with an NDR rate of 12,000 or under with a 6,000 grant towards their operating costs, and an eligible business with an NDR rate of between 12,001 and 150,000 with a 10,000 payment.





This does not include, where eligible, businesses who have accessed the ERF Sector Specific Fund which would see a typical hospitality, leisure and tourism business with 10 employees receive up to an additional 15,000 meaning a 25,000 grant in total for the period.

A further 30m is also being made available through the discretionary fund to provide up to 2,000 grants for businesses not on the non-domestic rates system.

Welsh Government support is in addition to that available from the UK Government.

Local authorities, who have been absolutely vital in getting money to businesses quickly, will again be administering and distributing these payments. Businesses that pay non-domestic rates and have already received a payment since the firebreak in October do not need to take action. However, businesses that have not registered with their local authority, should take action now to ensure they receive the financial support they are entitled to.

On Friday we asked the First Minister if there was any plans for such targeted support for other sectors outside of the non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism areas, and if there would be support for freelancers, as both areas of business are also impacted by the pandemic during this extended lockdown.

The First Minister explained, There is active further consideration going on inside the Welsh government to see whether there is further help that we can offer to freelancers. Its not a concluded conversation, but Ive been involved in it myself a couple of times this week.

he specific help that we have announced recently is focused on those sectors because those are the sectors that have had the seen the worst impact from the most recent lockdown measures. There are broader forms of support that are available through the packages that the Welsh Government has deployed, well over 2 billion worth of support for businesses in Wales with 1.7 billion of that is already in the hands of those businesses.

Economy Minister Ken Skates said: The coronavirus pandemic continues to have a severe impact on our economy and our businesses, particularly those in the leisure, tourism, hospitality and retail sectors.

The additional 200m we are making available will provide reassurance to firms across Wales and help them with their operating costs through to the end of March.

Our support is in addition to that available from the UK Government, including the Job Retention Scheme and the Self Employment Income Support Scheme, and I encourage businesses to explore those options as well.

I am also calling on the UK Government to provide further certainty to businesses and individuals by assuring that support available through interventions such as the Job Retention Scheme will not be withdrawn before the economy is ready.

Local Authorities have been crucial throughout the pandemic in supporting our efforts by administering and distributing this funding to firms in their area and I would like to once again thank them for their fantastic work and everything they continue to do to help our businesses when they need it most.

Local Government Minister Julie James also paid tribute to the efforts of local authority staff: I know that staff across Wales have worked incredibly hard to make sure support was available to their local businesses as quickly as possible.

They have done this while continuing to ensure local services are delivered and while playing an essential role in many other responses to the pandemic from test, trace, protect to supporting those self-isolating.
As wireless providers move towards using data instead of voice calls, the Texas Universal Service Fund (TUSF), which is responsible for offsetting the high cost of connecting Texans across the state, has reduced payments received by rural telephone providers by 66 percent.In response to this decrease, rural telephone providers, which are now facing financial uncertainty, filed a suit in Travis County District Court against the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) , which oversees the fund.The lawsuit requests that the PUC fully provide previously approved funds to rural telephone customers. However, if no relief is awarded, the shortfall is expected to cost rural providers over $80 million this year and over $140 million in 2022, according to the suit.The Universal Service Fund in Texas started in 1987, Mark Seale, the executive director of the Texas Telephone Association (TTA), said. Basically, it addressed that we had a phone divide that primarily affected those living in rural Texas who did not have access to telephone service.However, in 1987, no one had contemplated data driving telephony or cellphones.Because of wireless providers moving more towards cellphones using data-heavy plans instead of voice calls, Seale said, the state says that it doesnt have the money to give us and is letting the fund deplete as it waits for the Legislature to act.As a result, he said, a suit was filed to compel them to pay us. Even if a change to the law did take place, it would not take effect for possibly a year and a half. We cant wait that long.In terms of how this is specifically affecting the TTA, Seale said, Our company has only received a third of the money needed to support the networks that rely on this fund.As for the Public Utility Commissions response to this issue, Andrew Barlow, the director of external affairs for PUC, said in an email that he was unable to comment on an active lawsuit.However, a recent online meeting between Texas representative Dade Phelan and Thomas Gleeson, the executive director of PUC, shed a bit more light on this issue.The Texas Universal Service Fund is funded by a statewide uniform assessment paid by each telecommunications company that has access to a customer base, Gleeson said. The assessment is a certain percentage of each companies intrust state telecommunications revenue.Currently, he said, the commission has set the assessment at 3.3 percent, which was approved by the commission in 2014 and became effective in early 2015.The TUSF has a fund balance of $51 million as of the end of August 2020, Gleeson said. Monthly revenues are ranging between $10 and $10.5 million, and monthly expenditures are coming in at about $18 million.The fund, he said, has a balance that is decreasing by approximately $8 million a month or $96 million annualized.How did this happen? Gleeson said, In February 2019, the fund balance was at $170 million. The fund was losing on average a couple million each quarter, but the fund balance was so high that a small gradual decrease in the fund balance was not considered significant to staff.That reduction, he said, was due to lines lost, which is a reduction in the number of access lines in the state, which are decreasing by about three-fourths of a percent each month.Staff began looking into what caused this revenue decline and found the primary reason was related to many wireless companies billing changes, Gleeson said. They began allocating a greater proportion of customers bills to data and away from voice services.The statute, he said, only allows the TUSF assessment to be put towards voice services.For example, if you had a $100 bill one month and 50 percent, or $50, was attributable to voice, and 50 percent was attributable to data, the 3.3 percent would have been assessed against the $50 that was attributed to your voice service.This is a legacy fund that has been around for a really long time, Phelan said. For my colleagues who want the PUC to solve this issue, we have to look at this whole thing from where it started and where it is now.There have been a lot of changes since 1987 in what is urban and what is suburban and what is proper access, he said. I mean, is coaxial cable really the future, or do we need to be looking at fiber or something else?This is definitely an issue for the Legislature to take a look at, Phelan said, and again, I think there are options that dont involve the Legislature as well.However, he said, this is a big issue moving forward that wont be solved right away.
The Senate's plenum has rejected on Monday the legislative proposals of amending the Penal Code and the Penal Procedural Code, initiated by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in the previous legislation and which were declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR).

The senators voted in favor of rejecting the two draft laws, being registered, to each of the two bills, 87 votes "in favor" and 48 "abstentions".

The Judicial Committee and the Committee for constitutionality of the Senate also adopted, last week, in a joint session, reports to reject the legislative proposal of amending the two codes.

The chairman of the Judicial Commission, Iulia Scantei, said that the PSD projects of amending the criminal codes aim at reducing the barring periods of penal responsibility for serious crimes, at reducing to half of the punishment the limits for some corruption crimes and crimes in office, mitigating circumstances in order to reduce by one third the special limits of punishment foreseen in the acts of terrorism, corruption, crimes against the financial interests of the European Union, those regarding the judicial regime of the illegal drugs, but also for crimes against the religious freedom and the respect due to the deceased people, against the national security, against the armed forces' fighting capacity.

The liberal senator said that the PSD bills would have allowed "a faster and easier release of the criminals, because the minimum duration of the punishment has been reduced, including in the case of grave actions with prison punishments higher than 10 years".

The Constitutional Court rejected in 2019 the bills amending the two codes, following notifications of president Klaus Iohannis, of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and Save Romania Union (USR).

The legislative proposals of modifying the Criminal Code will be forwarded to the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making forum in this case.
A Message From The Editor

just-style gives you the widest apparel and textile market coverage.

Paid just-style members have unlimited access to all our exclusive content - including 21 years of archives.

I am so confident you will love complete access to our content that today I can offer you 30 days access for 1*.

Its our best ever membership offer  just for you.

Leonie Barrie, editor of just-style

Leonie's offer to you

* plus VAT if applicable
Iraqs oil exports increased slightly in January 2021 compared to December 2020, data from the countrys oil ministry showed on Monday, suggesting that Iraq is again looking to maximize oil revenues at the risk of busting its OPEC+ compliance.

Iraq, OPECs second-largest producer and the biggest laggard in complying with the OPEC+ groups production cuts, saw its crude oil exports increase to 2.868 million barrels per day (bpd) in January, up from 2.846 million bpd exported in December 2020, according to data from Iraqs Oil Ministry cited by Reuters.

Iraqs exports from the southern export terminals at Basra averaged 2.77 million bpd last month, slightly up from 2.75 million bpd exported from the south in December. Exports from Kirkuk through the Ceyhan pipeline averaged 98,000 bpd in January 2021, also slightly rising from the previous month, according to the oil ministrys data.

Iraqs oil revenues also rose in the first month of 2021 thanks to rising oil prices. Iraq generated $4.74 billion in oil revenues in January, at an average oil price of $53.294 per barrel. The price was higher by more than $5 a barrel from the average price of $47.765 at which Iraq sold its oil in December, the data quoted by Reuters showed.

At the end of last month, Ali Nizar, the deputy chief of SOMO, the oil marketing company of Baghdad, said that Iraq would pump less oil in January and February to make up for excess production last year.

For both January and February, Iraq plans average daily output of 3.6 million barrels, Ali Nizar told Bloomberg in an interview. This would compare with 3.85 million barrels daily for December.

Exports will also fall, to some 3 million bpd from 3.3 million bpd for December as long as the Kurdistan Regional Government agrees to cut its oil output as well, Nizar said.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting India's budget for the third time. The Budget session of the Parliament will begin on January 29 with the address of President Ram Nath Kovind. And, on February 1, FM Sitharaman will be presenting the Budget in the Parliament. The budget session will be held in two parts from January 29 to February 15 and March 8 to April 8.

It will be the first time since the presentation of independent India's first budget on November 26, 1947, the documents will not be printed due to coronavirus pandemic and will instead be distributed electronically to the Members of Parliament (MPs). All MPs will get soft copies of the budget and Economic Survey that contains an account of the state of the economy.

You can catch all the updates on Budget Session 2021 here.

The Budget for FY22 will come on the backdrop of an economic contraction of 7.7 per cent, the first time in the history of independent India. Hence, there are great expectations from the upcoming Budget, which could provide a healing touch to the pandemic-battered economy and push growth.

The making of India's union budget kicks off with a customary ritual, called the 'halwa ceremony', where a sweet dish named 'halwa' is distributed among the Ministry of Finance's staff. Soon, after the halwa gets served among the officials who are tasked with printing the budget are kept in total isolation to maintain complete secrecy in the North Block.

Also read: Budget 2021 Live Updates: Will Modi govt deliver a budget like never before?

It's not just the officials from the finance ministry who are secluded inside the basement before the budget is made public, some legal experts from the law ministry, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) officials are also taken in. A few days before the Budget speech, a few Press Information Bureau officials are also sent to the basement to churn out press releases.

Although, this year, the budget won't get printed, previously, the printing of the government's annual statement used to take around a week to ten days of time.

Initially, the Budget documents were printed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. However, after a leak in 1950, the printing venue was shifted to a press at the Minto Road in Delhi. And, in 1980 the printing venue was shifted to North Block in the national capital.

Blue Sheet, a secret sheet, is maintained during the Budget preparation process. The Blue Sheet is called so as the colour of the sheet is blue. The Blue Sheet comprises significant numbers from the Budget and is constantly updated throughout the process of Budget formulation. The secrecy of the Blue Sheet is entrusted to the Joint Secretary of the Finance Minister. In fact, the FM is also not allowed to carry the Blue Sheet out of the North Block. Only a handful of very senior officials get to actually see the Blue Sheet.

Additionally, to prevent any cyber theft, the e-mail facility on the computers of the finance ministry gets blocked as the budget day approaches. The computers inside the press area are delinked from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) servers.

Also read: Budget 2021 highlights: FM Nirmala Sitharaman unlikely to announce relief on income tax front

The Delhi Police, as well as, Intelligence Bureau keeps a close watch on movements of finance ministry officials.

On the day of the Budget, the Finance Minister first visits the Rashtrapati Bhawan to brief the significant points of the Budget to the President. Next, the FM meets the Prime Minister and briefs him and his cabinet about the salient features of the Budget. After which the Finance Minister visits the Lok Sabha where the annual general Budget is presented.

Some key names who aided the finance minister in formulating the union budget 2021 are-- Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Krishnamurthy Subramanian; Ex-revenue Secretary, Ajay Bhushan Pandey; DIPAM Secretary, Tuhin Kanta Pandey; Economic Affairs Secretary, Tarun Bajaj; Expenditure Secretary, TV Somnathan, and Debashish Panda, head of the Department of Financial Services.

Also read: Budget 2021: Date, speech time, sector-wise expectations; everything you need to know
Germany crosses the 40,000 benchmark as the fatalities reach at 41,087 due to a surge in the coronavirus cases, says a tally by the Robert Koch Institute. The lockdown has also been extended in the country in a bid to curb the growing virus wave. According to the reports by AP, Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was absolutely necessary to maintain restrictions.

After a video conference with Germanys 16 state governors, Merkel said, We must reach a point where we can once again follow the chains of infection. She added, Otherwise, we will just go keep going back into a lockdown after a short relaxation. The death toll in Germany has increased by 465 in a single day. Also, 16,946 new cases have been confirmed, taking the tally to 1,908,527.

Current situation in Germany

As a part of 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. This will be only if they have a genuine reason. Merkel said, In particular, day trips are not a good reason. Merkel will meet up with the authorities again on January 25 to examine the situation and make a decision.

Read: UK's COVID-19 Variant Has Been In Germany Since November: Health Officials

Also, it was discovered that the new variant that swept over the UK has been in Germany since November, German health officials announced. Scientists detected the new variant after they sequenced the type of B1.1.7 virus in a COVID-19 positive patient who died in November and had returned from the UK. A team at Hannover medical school (MHH) found after genome sequencing that the strain in deceased COVID patient matched the new variant that accounted for a large number of cases due to high contagion in the south of England, Ministry of Health of Lower Saxony said in a statement cited by a Guardian report.

Read: Germany Health Minister Spahn Considering Run For Chancellor To Replace Merkel: Reports

A team of researchers at Berlins Charite hospital lead by Germanys top virologist Christian Drosten concluded the result on December 28, saying, that the new variant has been existent in Germany since November. Germany, this week, had officially reported the first case of the new UK variant in a woman who was a London returnee. Te strain was also reported by Portugal, India, France, Jordan, and South Korea.

Read: German Chancellor Merkel Hands Over EU Presidency To Portugal

Also Read: Merkel Allows Huawei To Build 5G Network Despite Security Concerns & Massive Opposition

(Image Credits: AP)

On the morning of the Capitol insurrection, Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Florida, was watching the debate over the certification of Joe Bidens presidential victory from the balcony of the House chamber when she began to feel uneasy. It was too crowded up there for her liking, and she was worried about COVID-19, so she left to wait for the vote elsewhere.

As Frankel was exiting the balcony, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Virginia, who is a former CIA officer, stopped her. Spanberger recommended that Frankel remove the pin that identifies her as a member of Congress, lest any malicious Trump supporters, who were then gathering outside the Capitol, identify her as a target. Frankel complied, though she thought it seemed excessive. I had no warning of any danger. I was clueless, Frankel told me. I dont go on social media. I had not been watching television that day. I dont even know if I knew that the president was having a rally.

Advertisement

Frankel had to take care of some business elsewhere in the Capitol, where she assured a Capitol Police officer that she was a congresswoman and authorized to be there, but had been advised to remove her pin. And she said to me, Oh, you dont have to worry, were going to keep you safe,  Frankel said. Famous last words.

Frankel would spend five hours that day barricaded in a room alone with Rep. Grace Meng, DNew York, while mobs of rioters searched the building for legislators. When the lockdown alert came, the two women were in an empty lounge together. They shoved furniture against the door and waited. From inside the room, they heard chanting, yelling, and stomping as the rioters streamed right past the lounge. They texted their family members and staff. Frankel gave a live interview to a West Palm Beach, Florida, NBC affiliate, her voice lowered to just above a whisper. Her son, whod served in the Marines, called her to check in and tried to explain the best way to block a door. She sent him a picture of what theyd done, and he approved. But Meng was still worried that the mob would try to break the door down. Frankel told me shed planned to pretend they were both secretaries if the rioters broke in. But what actually scared me more was what would come after, when they opened the door and realized that I was a minority, a woman of color, Meng said. I was scared what they would do to me if they [saw] what I look like.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Eventually, the legislators got a text from staff members that the Capitol Police force was overwhelmed and wouldnt be coming to save them. In that moment, Meng feared for her life. Thank God we were fine afterward, Frankel told me. Physically finementally, I dont know, she said with a laugh.

Advertisement

Meng has noticed that she now feels nervous when she hears people she cant see making loud noises outside the room shes in.

Much has been reported on the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. There are law enforcement investigations of militia groups, other investigations into the failure of the police response, and new reporting on the riot every day. But while all of these developments play out, the congresspeople I spoke to are still trying to process what happened, deal with lingering feelings of anger and fear, and help one another grapple with what was not just a giant news story but a very personal traumatic event.

For days after the ordeal, Frankel continued her work while battling extreme exhaustion, as her body and mind recovered from the stress of being trapped in a room with violent agitators outside. When we talked eight days after the attack, Frankel said it was the first day since the riot she hadnt felt totally wiped out. Meng has noticed that she now feels nervous when she hears people she cant see making loud noises outside the room shes in. Shes also gotten calls from fellow members of Congress and their staffers, some of whom she barely knows, to check in on her after hearing what shed gone through. And I said, Im fine, Im good now,  Meng said. And then they would just break down and cry, or they would just say to me, Im not OK. And some of these are grown men.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Things moved quickly in Congress after the siege. Lawmakers returned to the chambers as soon as the Capitol was cleared of rioters, certifying Bidens victory in the wee hours of Jan. 7. It made sense. They went back to work immediately in order to, as the saying goes, not let the terrorists win. But its not often that the victims of a terror attack are directly responsible for the nations response to it, and the members of Congress I spoke to all talked about how difficult its been to work through what they experienced. People were killed in their workplace. Some lawmakers and staff members were holed up alone in their offices, or hid under tables in darkened rooms, while rioters raged outside their doors. Others heard gunfire and made phone calls to family members, believing that those conversations might be their last. Legislators will continue to do their jobs, but their recovery process is just beginning.

Advertisement

The pressure to instantaneously move on from a crisis is acute for lawmakers, who dont have the luxury of mental health days in the middle of overlapping national crises and are incentivized to project an image of strength. But its sort of like going through a car accident, trauma therapist Betty Teng told me. If you walked away and dont feel something right away, you have to pay attention to the fact that maybe in a day, in two days, or maybe even in a week or a month, you will feel the impact in some way or another, physically or psychologically.

Some members of Congress told me that the swift return to seminormalcy has helped them recuperate from the assault. I didnt want it to build up into a place I was scared of going, said freshman Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-California, of the House chamber, to which she returned the night of the attack. My chief [of staff] walked with me, I think for a similar reason.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Jacobs had served in Congress all of three days before the insurrection. When the rioters breached the Capitol, she was in the House gallerythe balcony. The few dozen members of Congress and journalists who were up there with her were evacuated after those on the floor of the chamber, which meant a much closer brush with catastrophe. They were the ones photographed in those escape hoods and comforting one another while huddled on the ground. Some members were trapped in the gallery for 15 minutes or more, watching Capitol Police officers move furniture in front of the doors on the House floor, while other law enforcement officers outside the chamber struggled to clear a path through the rioters for their escape.

Advertisement

We could hear the mob behind us. We heard gunshots, Jacobs said. I remember thinking to myself that I dont even know how to get out of the gallery in the best of times. Its my fourth dayhow am I going to evacuate? She had a fleeting, morbid thought that maybe, if members of Congress were killed, people would finally recognize the depth and danger of white supremacy in this country. Before she ran for Congress, Jacobs, 32, did stints at the United Nations and the State Department, where she specialized in conflict areas and post-coup settings. In the gallery, as she waited to see if shed be able to escape, I was thinking of articles I could send my team of how other countries were able to recover and rebuild from similar incidents, and what I wanted my final message to the country to be, Jacobs said.

Advertisement

Instead of returning to California for the weekend after the riot, Jacobs stayed in D.C., in part to give herself time to process the attack. Shes talked to her therapist and says shes feeling resilient, but has been experiencing more anxiety than usual, including a couple moments of really, I would say, feeling the magnitude of what were going through.

Advertisement

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, was also in the gallery when rioters breached the Capitol on Jan. 6. The next week, when she returned to the chamber to vote to impeach Trump for the second time, she found herself staring up at the balcony. I mentally retraced my steps around the perimeter of the gallery, and where wed gotten before we were told to hit the ground. And I looked squarely at the door where we were evacuated, she said. Youre in the moment, but then you have more time to reflect after. You think about what could have happened. Im fine, Im good. [But] every now and again I think about itit brings tears to your eyes.

Advertisement

In the days after the attack, some of the legislators who were in the House gallery during the attack started a text chain. They commiserated about the impact of the assault on their family members, some of whom had received goodbye phone calls from spouses in Congress during the riot. They sent jokes to one another, and also links to purchase bulletproof vests for Bidens inauguration. We realized that our experience was different and that we needed each other, said Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, DNew Hampshire. (Kusters son is the boyfriend of Slates news director.) Over the past couple of weeks, as shes absorbed advice on how to recover from a traumatic incident, Kuster learned that its very important to connect with the group of people that had the same experience, because they will be best suited to understand what youre going through.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

On the Sunday after the riot, the congressional text chain moved to Zoom. Organized by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, members of Congress who had been in the gallery spent a couple of hours talking to one another and a trained counselor. Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colorado, a former Army Ranger who served three tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, was on the video chat. What he has shared with all of us is that the surge of adrenaline that he had, and the fear that he facedthat we all experiencedwas the same as combat, Kuster said.

Since the siege, Crow has been vocal about this comparison. After a photo of him clutching the hand of Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pennsylvania, on the balcony floor made the rounds, Crow gave several interviews about going into Ranger mode in that moment of crisis. For Crow, that meant preparing for the possibility of having to fight off the rioters. He told me he double-checked the locks on the doors in the gallery and readied a pen as a makeshift weapon. He also considered asking one of the Capitol Police officers in the gallery to lend him a firearmYou never know whos capable of pulling the trigger until youre put in that position  and I know that I am capable of doing that if necessary, he saidbut decided against it.

It is hard to know who you can trust.  Rep. Sara Jacobs

When hes in Ranger mode, Crow said, I just kind of box up my emotions and my feelings and put them aside. But, eventually, those feelings come out. Crow says hes been trying to harness the anger, anxiety, and fear prompted by the attack into action as Congress works to hold Donald Trump and his allies accountable for the attack. But the hypervigilance Crow remembers from his military service is backeven though its been 15 years since he felt it last. I never thought the person I was then, and who I had to be as a combat leader, would ever come back and converge on my current life, he said, noting that hes had two children since leaving the Army. But that is what happened. I had to tap back into that, and those two lives converged again.

Advertisement

Advertisement

As some of his colleagues have dealt with symptoms of traumatic stress, Crow has reminded them that what theyre enduring is a normal human response to surviving a life-threatening assault. I feel a responsibility to destigmatize the experience, he said.

For Kuster, that experience has included a level of anger that I am unfamiliar with, she told me when we spoke the week after the attack. I dont swear, and honestly, Ive dropped more F-bombs in the past week than I think I have in my lifetime.

Some members of Congress, forced to quarantine after being locked down for several hours with their colleaguesincluding many Republicans who refused to wear maskswere not present at the Capitol in the days immediately following the riot. Those who were, though, were subjected to what was described to me as a kind of secondary trauma, as several Republican colleagues bypassed metal detectors, aggressively confronted law enforcement officers, and asserted their intentions to remain armed with deadly weapons in the workplace. The day after the inauguration, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Maryland, made an ostentatious attempt to bring a gun onto the House floor, taking the GOP preoccupation with triggering the libs to its most literal extreme. Rep. Nancy Mace, RSouth Carolina, has said that she plans to bring a firearm to work because she felt like a sitting duck during the riot, and the only reason she wasnt carrying that day was because her concealed-carry permit hadnt yet come through.

The scariest part is that there are likely colleagues of ours who were helping the very people who were trying to take our lives, Jacobs said. It is hard to know who you can trust.

Its not just the politicians dealing with the emotional fallout. Aides, reporters, custodial staffers, and law enforcement personnel are all trying to recover. A few days after the attack, Crow talked to one Capitol Police officer who was trampled by a mob of Trump supporters after fighting for nearly an hour to hold them back. As he was being kicked and beaten, the officer told Crow, his immediate thoughts went to the members of Congress who still hadnt been evacuated. Crow has thought about that officer as hes watched the Capitol Police force return to the building to protect Congress, including Republicans who berate them and try to circumvent their security checkpoints. Frankly, their selfishness, to focus more on political grandstanding than the safety and security of the Capitol complex, but also retraumatizing the Capitol Police, is astounding to me, Crow said.

Republicans were victims of the attack, too, and not all of them have been carrying guns around the Capitol. Mace is taking a both/and approach: Shes getting ready to arm herself at work, and also, with Crow, co-leading a bipartisan effort to get House employees better access to mental health resources. I contacted several Republican members of Congress to see how theyve been processing the attack. None responded. But Kuster told me that many were equally terrified, and Crow says some came crying to him after the assault, fearing theyd be killed by Trump supporters if they voted to impeach the man who incited the riot.

I asked Kuster if she was able to access empathy for those Republicans frightened by the riot, knowing that they had a hand in causing it. Its as though youve been reading my text messages, she said. That is precisely the struggle. In her eight years in Congress, Kuster has enjoyed a collegial working relationship with many House Republicans. But this experience has torn that fabric of trust.

Kuster is proud that Congress pushed on to certify the election the night of the attack, and shes glad that members of both parties moved quickly to impeach Trump. But she doesnt want the Capitol riot to be flattened into yet another political talking point as it moves from real-life horror to the impeachment trial evidence pile. Even as the legislative agenda rolls on and the standard proceedings resume, the victims of a terror attack cant simply turn the page. Im a human being, too, Kuster said.